Chapter Ninety-Five: The Grand Scripture Pavilion

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Chapter Ninety-Five: The Grand Scripture Pavilion
Chapter Twelve: Teaching the Sublime Law at Mount Ling; Soaring Alone Across Ten Thousand Miles (Part Five)

Ye Hua felt a glimmer of understanding stir within him, realizing at last why the ordinary Immortal had advised him not to be greedy for too many arts, but to dedicate himself to cultivating a single method. Whether it was the Sixfold Celestial Wish from the Daoist Compendium, or the Four Noble Truths, each was profound and arduous, and he himself lacked the cultivation to master them. Why rush to covet other techniques? At this thought, he could not help but feel ashamed, and said, “Your disciple accepts your teachings!”

The ordinary Immortal saw Ye Hua’s enlightenment and nodded, smiling, “A promising youth!” The Patriarch of Ling Qing said, “Since this is so, my junior brother may depart the day after tomorrow, and Ye, my worthy nephew, will trouble you, senior brother!” The ordinary Immortal replied, “Rest assured, junior brother, I shall see to it!” With that, he turned to Ye Hua and said, “Would you like to accompany me to the Ninth Teaching Academy, and take a look at the Grand Scripture Pavilion?” Ye Hua nodded, “I will follow you, master uncle!”

After the ordinary Immortal led Ye Hua across several mountain peaks, they finally reached the Ninth Teaching Academy at Wulong Mountain. The ordinary Immortal merely pointed out the direction and location, and then the two continued for another half-hour before arriving before a tall tower.

Standing before the tower, Ye Hua looked up; its pinnacle pierced the clouds, truly a tower that spiraled into the heavens. Though awed, Ye Hua was not taken aback, for wonders were no longer strange to him. Two guards stood before the tower gate, and seeing the ordinary Immortal approach, they bowed respectfully, “Greetings, Ancestor Shouchang!”

The ordinary Immortal gave a slight nod and led Ye Hua straight inside. Upon entering, Ye Hua saw many disciples within the tower, some sitting cross-legged on cushions, reading ancient texts. Many disciples, seeing the newcomers, rose and bowed to the ordinary Immortal. In the distance, two middle-aged men approached and saluted from afar.

The ordinary Immortal addressed them, “Wang Ting, Ma Sen, fellow Daoists, today I introduce a young friend to you!” The two men rose anxiously, “Master of the Pavilion!” The ordinary Immortal smiled, indicating Ye Hua at his side, “This is Ye Hua, a disciple from Mount Wutai, now accepted into our Ninth Academy. As Master of the Pavilion, I appoint him to aid you in managing the Grand Scripture Pavilion. What do you think?”

The two men replied in unison, “We obey the Pavilion Master’s command!” Turning to Ye Hua, they said, “Young Ye, from now on we brothers have another companion!” Ye Hua replied respectfully, “Thank you for your guidance, senior brothers!”

The ordinary Immortal nodded, “Very well, you may return to your duties. I will show Young Ye around the Pavilion.” Wang Ting and Ma Sen bowed, and the ordinary Immortal led Ye Hua upstairs to the second floor. Pointing at rows of bookshelves, he said, “These scriptures have been compiled and annotated by sages of successive generations, recording their insights and secrets. Each method, if mastered, could rule an era!”

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Ye Hua nodded, “I understand, master!” As they walked, the ordinary Immortal explained the origins of the Pavilion. By the time they reached the sixth floor, Ye Hua gradually realized its extraordinary nature. The Pavilion was founded when the Sacred Emperor Qian ascended the throne, gathering hundreds of secret tomes kept by monarchs. Later, immense effort was spent collecting rare scriptures from across the land and beyond, all stored here for all to study, nurturing countless cultivators for the Divine Nation of Huaxia.

The ordinary Immortal himself had cultivated here in his youth, benefiting greatly from the Pavilion. When they reached the eighteenth floor—the top floor—the number of people was sparse, barely more than a dozen. The Daoist Patriarch Shouchang nodded and smiled, “These disciples are all exceptionally talented. The scriptures here are extremely difficult to cultivate; ordinary disciples cannot master them. Those who reach this floor to study are the elite of the Capital Martial Academy, outstanding in both skill and cultivation. However…”

Ye Hua listened attentively, but the Patriarch paused. “Is there something difficult to say, master?” he asked.

The ordinary Immortal nodded, “Myself and Ling Qing have observed these disciples carefully, intending to have them attempt the Seven Star Gathering. Yet, their internal essence is still insufficient; they cannot succeed.” He smiled at Ye Hua, “You, my worthy nephew, possess such profound internal force at the Six Treasure Sixth Realm. If you break through to the Seventh Realm, you would be even more remarkable! Ha ha!”

Ye Hua sighed inwardly, “If I had cultivated as diligently as these disciples, I would still fall short after another ten years! My internal force is so deep only because of the Sixfold Celestial Wish, through repeated coincidences and life-and-death struggles, absorbing much essence from enemies and monsters. But compared to purity, I am far inferior.”

As Ye Hua was thinking, a dark-skinned, pockmarked youth looked their way, chuckled, and ambled over, saying, “To think I’d meet Patriarch Shouchang here—what an honor!” The Patriarch frowned, “Whose disciple are you? I’ve never seen you before.”

The youth grinned, “With your esteemed status, of course you wouldn’t know a nobody like me, but you surely know my father! Heh!” With that, he cast a sidelong glance at the Patriarch.

The Patriarch smiled faintly, his eyes clouded, unreadable—neither anger nor joy—just an “oh?” “Who is your father, fellow Daoist?”

The youth’s expression chilled, “My father is Dao Master Ziyuan! Heh, surely you remember!” The ordinary Immortal was taken aback at the mention of Dao Master Ziyuan, nodded, “So it is—indeed, there is a deep connection.” The youth said coldly, “Of course there is. Thirty years ago, at the battle of Shuangqing Mountain in the Liao Kingdom, you wounded my father’s internal force, damaged his Dao foundation. Our Kong family has come to the capital, and this feud won’t be forgotten!”

The ordinary Immortal shook his head and smiled, “If that’s so, I await your father’s visit. But you juniors must not be so rude!” As he finished, his eyes opened slightly, a flash of light seeming to pass. The youth’s expression changed dramatically, terror-stricken, exclaiming, “You—!”

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Before he could finish, the ordinary Immortal turned and slowly departed. Cold sweat streamed down the pockmarked youth’s face. The ordinary Immortal was a master of the Jade Hua Realm; though he had a family feud and relied on his father’s name to challenge him, he knew such a senior would not stoop to fight him. Yet, when the other showed even a hint of displeasure and looked his way, he felt as if plunged into an icy prison, overwhelmed by dread. It was as if a mere flick of the master’s finger could scatter his soul—a pressure of mind and spirit never before experienced.

Watching the ordinary Immortal depart, the youth slowly came to his senses, noticing Ye Hua still standing there, observing him. His earlier loss of composure was surely witnessed, which roused his anger. “Boy, what is your name? What are you doing here? The eighteenth floor is no place for you! Watch out or I’ll gouge out your eyes!”

Ye Hua was taken aback, “Fellow Daoist, am I disturbing you here? Besides, this Pavilion belongs to the Capital Martial Academy, not your private household! Haha, you wish to gouge out my eyes—do you even have the ability?” With that, he smiled at the youth.

The pockmarked youth’s face flushed with anger, darkening with rage, “Heh, you must be one of Shouchang’s disciples. I’ll settle old scores with you!”

The other disciples on the eighteenth floor heard the loud exchange and turned to watch, faces filled with amusement, clearly hoping for a fight. All were seasoned in battle, with a bloodthirsty streak. The youth, seeing everyone watching, grew even more triumphant, “Boy, if you have the guts, let’s see if you can stand against your master! Heh!”

Ye Hua frowned; he hadn’t expected trouble so soon upon entering the Pavilion. Glancing back, he saw the Patriarch had already descended, apparently unconcerned, making no effort to intervene. He smiled wryly, “The Patriarch hasn't stopped this—so he tacitly approves! Perhaps he intends to use my hand to teach the youth a lesson.”

Yet, his own realm was only the Sixth; those who reached the top floor were all skilled cultivators. Who would win or lose was hard to predict! If he lost, it would be a great disgrace. Could it be that the ordinary Immortal was so confident?

Thinking thus, Ye Hua said to the youth, “I suppose you’re new to the Pavilion. Let me teach you its rules! Offending the Pavilion Master is a crime worthy of death. You may never return here—what a pity, your first visit may be your last.” With that, he shook his head, his face showing compassion.