Chapter Fifty-Six: A Heart Unwavering

Liang Yan had already entertained countless guesses in his heart, but he never anticipated she would make such a request. For a moment, he was caught off guard, standing frozen where he was.

Yan Xinyu, seeing his silence, mistook it for dissatisfaction and assumed he wished to bargain. Inwardly, she thought, “After all, he’s just someone waiting for the highest bidder. I’d best speak kindly to placate him first.”

Though she felt contempt, none of it showed on her face. She maintained a gentle expression and said, “If it were any other woman, it would be of no concern, but Tang Diexian’s status is unique. There is simply no possibility for her and a disciple like you… like this. Matters of first love, I too have experienced in my youth. Compared to the pursuit of the Dao, these are but fleeting clouds. Take my advice: entangling yourself with her will bring you no benefit at all.”

Liang Yan’s gaze grew colder. Suddenly, he asked, “Is this your idea, or Tang Diexian’s?”

Yan Xinyu sighed. “Why ask what you already know? She keeps her distance from you—hasn’t her attitude been made clear enough?”

Liang Yan sneered. “If this is truly her wish, why doesn’t she come tell me herself? Though I am dull and my cultivation and knowledge cannot compare to the Master of the Path of the Zither, I am not so easily deceived.”

Yan Xinyu’s brows knitted. She thought, “He’s no easy mark, this one. He flatters me with the title ‘Master of the Path of the Zither’ simply to make me mindful of my reputation, so that I do not stoop to bullying the weak.”

She coughed lightly and said, “She has already returned to seclusion, focusing solely on cultivation. Naturally, she has no mind to deal with such trifling matters as yours. If you are dissatisfied with my conditions, you may state your own. As long as your demands are not excessive, I am authorized to agree.”

By now, Liang Yan was seething with nameless anger, though he forced himself to remain calm and spoke slowly, “I am not a man given to insatiable greed. What the Dao Master offers are indeed great benefits…”

Yan Xinyu thought he had come to his senses and smiled slightly, about to speak. But Liang Yan continued, “Alas, none of these are what I seek; all I desire… is to follow my heart without regret.”

At these words, Yan Xinyu’s expression changed, turning cold. “So, you insist on pestering her? Hmph, do you even know what you are? With your muddled roots and poor aptitude, even forming a foundation is but a pipe dream! Instead of knowing your place, you scheme to climb higher. If you have any sense left, take my advice: accept what is offered and you may still profit. If you persist in your delusion, you’ll end up with nothing at all!”

Liang Yan had already swallowed his anger for the sake of her status, but at these words, his blood rushed to his head. He shot up from the stone stool and declared in a clear voice,

“Dao Master Yan, you have considered every angle for my sake—truly worthy of a senior. For that, I thank you! However, in my ignorance, I have never heard that those on the Path of the Zither also practice divination. You declare with such certainty that I will never form a foundation—but I do not believe in such fate. I must put it to the test myself! Heaven may triumph over man, but man may also triumph over heaven!”

Yan Xinyu narrowed her eyes and said coldly, “Boy, you speak so grandly now, defying the very Way of Heaven. Wait until you reach your bottleneck, and you’ll know what it means to be helpless. I’ve seen many like you. They’re all dust now, their names long forgotten.”

Liang Yan burst out laughing. “To cultivate is to seek immortality, yes, but also to be at peace with oneself. I only wish to live without regrets. If I were to accept your offer today merely for petty gain, my mind would falter and I truly would never reach the Great Dao.”

“You…” Yan Xinyu’s face stiffened. She wanted to argue but Liang Yan cut her off, laughing:

“No need to worry, Dao Master Yan. Though I am just a menial disciple, with modest talent, I am not one to cling and pester. Since you say I cannot form a foundation, I will put it to the test. I swear to you, as long as I have not advanced to that stage, I will not seek her out! As for the outer sect steward position, I am too inexperienced to bear such responsibility—please offer it to another senior brother.”

With that, he bowed to Yan Xinyu, turned on his heel, and departed without a backward glance.

Yan Xinyu watched his retreating figure and thought, “He leaves without hesitation, not giving a whit for my status as master of this path. But he has me figured out: I am constrained by my authority and cannot act against him openly; besides, it would be hard to explain matters to Xian’er at present. Hmph, for all his cleverness, cultivation is not something that wit alone can secure. Very well; since he’s built his own prison, I’ll just watch and see how he ever forms a foundation in this life.”

After parting with Yan Xinyu, Liang Yan soon left Listen-to-Plum Peak and returned alone to his thatched cottage in the apricot grove. Though not rash by nature, youthful pride burned within him. Stung by Yan Xinyu’s words, he had lost his composure and openly quarreled with the master of a Dao.

He cared nothing for her promised favors, but there was no guarantee she wouldn’t strike at him from the shadows in the future. With a sigh, he thought,

“Now that all pretense is gone, there’s no use regretting it. I must be even more cautious from now on. Given her status, she cannot act openly against me—otherwise, she wouldn’t have wasted so many words today.”

“At this moment, the most crucial thing is to improve my strength. In the eyes of others, my cultivation is as insignificant as an ant—easily crushed, with no respect or fairness to be found.”

Taking a deep breath to steady his scattered thoughts, Liang Yan retrieved the parchment inscribed with ‘Lightning Technique’ from his storage pouch and began his training.

Since Liang Yan’s visit to Listen-to-Plum Peak and his falling out with Yan Xinyu, Wang Yuan had never assigned him any more tasks. Whether this was by Yan Xinyu’s order or simply because Wang Yuan believed Liang Yan’s promotion to outer sect disciple was all but certain and wanted to win his favor ahead of time, Liang Yan did not know.

Yet, whatever the reason, he was glad of the peace. By day, he diligently practiced the Lightning Technique and other secret arts like Red Pine Needle at his cottage. At night, he trained his cultivation in the Spirit Spring Cavern, striving to advance. He wished for every day to be as two, not daring to waste even a single minute. In this way, more than ten days passed.

One night, Liang Yan sat cross-legged on his bed, his right hand’s fore and middle fingers together like a sword, blue light flickering and faint threads of electricity swirling around them. His expression was calm as he chanted softly. Under his control, the lightning gathered more and more, almost forming a blue sphere. Then, with a sudden motion, he pointed out the window and muttered, “Go!”

The blue orb flashed, transforming into an arc of lightning that shot out the window. With a thunderous crash, it struck the open ground outside, blasting a pit more than a foot deep, the surface around it scorched black. In the silent night, the thunderclap was especially jarring, startling Li Dali and Sun Qianli. But realizing it was only Liang Yan practicing magic, they both pursed their lips and returned to their quarters.

Liang Yan ended the spell, a trace of dissatisfaction in his eyes.

“The Lightning Technique is indeed formidable, but it takes me too long to gather the lightning, and I cannot release it at will. I am still some way from achieving mastery…”

Though disappointed with his progress, he knew there was no shortcut—only persistent effort would do.

“Judging by the time, today is the day I’m to play chess with Elder Rottenwood. I’ve already missed two appointments due to the Yongle Town affair. I wonder if he’s still waiting for me at Cangmu Peak tonight.”

Liang Yan was deeply grateful to Rottenwood. Though the old man never mentioned taking him as a disciple and only treated him as a friend across generations, in Liang Yan’s heart, he was half a master already. Without Rottenwood’s self-created ‘Mind Without Fixed Intent Method,’ Liang Yan might never have broken through to the third layer of Qi Refining in this life.

“Ah, and the strange red sphere within me—I should ask him about it and see if there’s a way to get rid of it completely!”

Remembering this, Liang Yan jumped down from the bed, opened the cottage door, and strode off in the direction of Cangmu Peak.