CH 20

That day, after having dinner, Gu Feidi went to Wanjuan Pavilion again. Su Yang followed Di Ling back to Zhichun Garden and immediately took ‘Nine Cold Surging Shoots’ to ask her.

Di Ling was a lady after all, so it was inappropriate for Su Yang to enter her chambers. As such, the two of them sat down at the stone table under a blooming tree in the courtyard.

“What don’t you understand?” Di Ling asked lightly.

Su Yang stared at Di Ling’s blank and unfocused eyes and for a moment, he didn’t know how to describe his issue.

He suddenly realised that his current situation was like him sitting for a college entrance English test and going to ask the teacher questions. The teacher would ask him which questions he couldn’t handle— but in reality, he had only just learned to recognize the twenty-six letters of the alphabet.

‘What don’t you understand’?

He simply didn’t understand anything at all!

Su Yang was silent for a while and had no other choice but to be honest: “… I don’t understand.”

Di Ling frowned slightly: “…‘Don’t understand’?”

Su Yang nodded, “That’s right… I don’t understand anything.”

Di Ling was even more puzzled: “You’ve already cultivated the Six Underworlds Inter Flower technique, presumably you would have a very strong mental cultivation foundation. Studying advanced mental cultivations are nothing more than a different way of increasing your existing internal force circulation. As long as the techniques complement each other, success will naturally be achieved, so how could you…… not understand?”

Greaaat, the teacher assumed he had already learned the foundation topics and was only here to answer extremely complex questions. 

Su Yang made up his mind and decided to talk nonsense.

“Back then when I started cultivating the Six Underworlds Inter Flower technique, I didn’t rely on book reading.” He said in earnest as he dropped his head, “There was someone who read it to me and personally guided me with internal force.”

“They actually taught using instruction and examples?” Di Ling was a little surprised, “But if you want to learn by that method, that person must practice the same mental cultivation as you… I have never practiced Nine Cold Surging Shoots, so I can’t teach you personally. But what does this have to do with you not understanding the techniques of the mental cultivation book?”

Su Yang paused for a moment: “I’ve never learned to read…”

Di Ling’s expression didn’t change and she waited for him to speak.

Su Yang continued: “…I only recognize simple words, but I don’t know how to…*cough* punctuate.”

Di Ling was already sporting a vacant expression but she suddenly blanked out for a moment.

Su Yang had to continue his ruse and carry on with his explanation: “That’s why, I need someone to read to me the contents of this book so that I would be able to understand them.”

“Why did Shizun tell me to tutor you…” Di Ling muttered to herself.

Su Yang said to himself: Okay. Even Di Ling shijie who was goddess-like and not easily affected had been pushed to her breaking point by him.

Di Ling continued: “…She knows that I am not good at reading either.”

Su Yang: ???

Di Ling sighed, her eyes drifting away leisurely to gaze at some unknown thing in the distance.

“I’ve been blind since I was a child, so I read very slowly.” She said unhurriedly, “and the surroundings need to be extremely quiet to be able to read, therefore, it is impossible for me to read the words and sentences from the book to you.”

Su Yang: …

…Wait, what did she just say?

Su Yang’s eyes widened and he asked loudly, “You can’t see anything?!”

How was that possible?!

This chick’s words, actions and manners were completely indistinguishable from ordinary people!

And ‘I’ve been blind since I was a child, so I read very slowly’, this itself is a contradictory sentence aa, hello!

A thin smile broke out at the corner of Di Ling’s mouth: “Everything in the world has a sound, paper and ink are also the same. As long as I listen attentively, I can make out the handwriting. It’s just that my skill at listening to words is not up to par, so I read very slowly, not even two or three pages an even an hour.”

Su Yang: …

This is already way beyond the scope of humanity, okay!

Di Ling didn’t mind this and was still trying to unravel Shizun’s letter. She had a puzzled expression and hesitated before saying: “Shizun specifically asked for me by name to tutor you. She must have her reasons…”

Encouraged by Di Ling’s words, Su Yang propped his chin on his hand and also began to reflect on the matter.

Perhaps, the mysterious, crappy Shizun had received some kind of enlightenment to deliberately arrange for Di Ling, who wasn’t good at reading, to tutor him?

The Devil Sect’s Young Saint and Gu Feidi had entered Lesser Jade House together. Gu Feidi left the House two years later, but the Devil Sect’s Young Saint was stuck in Lesser Jade House because he couldn’t read—those in the Jianghu would probably delight in circulating this piece of gossip for many years.

Or—No one knows how the Devil Sect’s Young Saint made it through the stone forest formation, but since he managed it, he doesn’t even want to consider think about leaving, doesn’t want to continue to lead the Devil Sect in doing harm to the world—it’s possible that the Lesser Jade House, as a secluded sect, would have such ways that ​​benefit the world and save the common folk.

Su Yang cupped his chin silently, his thoughts traveling farther and farther.

Di Ling suddenly let out a soft ‘ah’.

She unfurled her brows and laughed in a low voice: “I understand. Shizun has already taken this into account and given it much thought.”

Su Yang was confused.

Di Ling carried on: “The one who can recite the scriptures for you will be back soon… he’s just outside the courtyard.”

When her voice fell, the sound of light footsteps approached the entrance of Zhichun Garden.

Gu Feidi ran along the path into the garden using his light footwork. He held a thin book in his hand and pressed it tightly to his heart, his face was filled with uncontrollable joy and his two black eyes were bright as if they were filled with the stars from the sky. As soon as he entered the garden, his gaze fell on Su Yang.

“Young Hero Su, you helped me find the Restoration Scripture: Return To The Nest volume. In any case, I should thank you.” Gu Feidi said sincerely, “If there’s anything you require my help on, please let me know. I will do my utmost!”

Su Yang: …Gu Feidi, are you insane?!

You sold yourself for a mental cultivation book!

Su Yang still complained inwardly but before he had time to say anything, Di Ling spoke first: “It’s a coincidence that he is facing a problem today and I’m incapable of solving it for him. Presumably, we can only entreat you.”

Gu Feidi restrained his excitement in front of Di Ling and nodded: “Ling shijie, please speak.”

Di Ling: “Su Yang had been brought up in the Devil Sect and has some literacy and reading impediments. As such he requires someone to recite the mental cultivation scriptures to him. It’s not convenient for me to assist, so I’ll leave it to you.”

Gu Feidi was taken aback when he heard this, “This…” 

Then he looked at Su Yang in surprise and asked, “You never learned to read when you were younger?”

Su Yang: …

Okay. Anyway, he’s the villain, therefore having an additional ‘illiterate’ trait was not a big deal.

Gu Feidi saw Su Yang’s helplessness and bore his silence. He did not laugh at Su Yang and his expression softened a lot.

Gu Feidi eyed the ‘Nine Cold Surging Shoots’ book on the stone table and said in a low voice: “If I recite the methodology for you, I will be able to theorize the cryptic meanings therein. In the future… I will also understand the flaws of your skill set. Even so, you would still like me to read it aloud for you?” 

When he said that, the realization came to Su Yang.

——It turned out that Shizun went round in such a big circle in order to deliver the flaws of this mental cultivation method to Gu Feidi, so that in the future there would be someone who could suppress this Devil Sect’s Young Saint!

Su Yang pondered for a while and felt that letting Gu Feidi discern the flaws of this mental cultivation method wasn’t that big a deal; after all, he was destined to be defeated by Gu Feidi in the future.

So he replied indifferently: “It doesn’t matter.”

Gu Feidi gave it some thought, then after a while, he said, “As a matter of fact, the writing style of mental cultivation methods are more or less the same. I will read the first volume for you but you mustn’t just listen. I will teach you how to recognize the punctuation, how to comprehend the intricate vocabulary. Then later, you can try to interpret the next few volumes by yourself. This way, if you encounter more advanced mental cultivation methods in the future, you can also interpret it on your own.”

These words stunned Su Yang on the spot.

This…

Was this the halo of the protagonist Gu Feidi?

The two of them were obviously from opposing hostile camps and he had obviously been provoking him all the time, but this kid still had a heart of innocence and was willing to use his precious time to help him—this semi-illiterate person—build his foundation?

There was a warm feeling in his heart. Su Yang reasoned: The protagonist is still the protagonist and probably has the ability to make people feel grateful. If he hadn’t transmigrated to here, Su Yang, himself, wouldn’t have had the heart to go against Gu Feidi anymore.

Di Ling suddenly chuckled, her glazed eyes focused slightly, glanced at Su Yang’s heart and then languidly looked away.

She said, “That’s good. If you encounter any further issues with regards to your cultivation, you can ask me anytime.”

As she finished speaking, she got up and was about to leave.

“Ling shijie!” Su Yang called out, “I have another matter!”

He reached into his sleeve, fumbled around and pulled out his own jade bell, “I want to go into seclusion in Zhichun Garden from tomorrow onward. I have to trouble Ling shijie to bring me my three daily meals.”

Gu Feidi looked at Su Yang in astonishment.

Di Ling’s face was also full of surprise: “You only just entered Lesser Jade House, don’t you want to go stroll around? They say the scenery here is pretty good. There’s also Wanjuan Pavilion and martial arts field, which are also places where disciples usually want to go. If you don’t go out from the beginning, although it will assist in your mental cultivation, I’m afraid that there will be hindrances to your martial arts.”

Su Yang smirked and as one might expect, he responded: “I will also practice swordsmanship in Zhichun Garden and would need a sparring partner. Gu Feidi is here, isn’t he? Besides, having him alone is enough since others are not capable of challenging me.”

He had deliberated a long time and prepared this line ahead of time, so it was reasonable and well-grounded.

Di Ling hesitated for a moment and probably thought that there was nothing to refute. She finally reached out to take the jade bell: “Alright, you can go into seclusion with peace of mind. I will assist you in fetching your food.”

With the matter of the seclusion settled, Di Ling turned around and left. Su Yang also picked up the ‘Nine Cold Surging Shoots’ book, yawned and headed towards the east wing.

Gu Feidi followed Su Yang all the way in silence until the two of them reached the stone steps of the east wing. He asked: “At your current stage of cultivation, do you need to train late at night?”

Su Yang was taken aback and subconsciously replied: “No.”

Gu Feidi paused, then asked: “Then why do you always train late at night and go to bed at dawn?”

Su Yang replied, “It’s just that I can’t fall asleep at night and since there’s nothing to do anyway, so I perform my martial arts training. Did the noise wake you?’

“No, of course not.” Gu Feidi frowned and observed Su Yang’s expression.

At once, he added: “Now that you are in Lesser Jade House, it is very safe here. You can set your mind at ease and sleep at night. This way, you will have the energy to study advanced mental methods during the day.”

Su Yang also thought about it. If the both of them had different training and resting times, it would be inconvenient for Gu Feidi to recite to him. He couldn’t ask others for help and also require them to make accommodations for his habit. That was too unreasonable.

So he nodded and said: “Then I will do my best to change.”