Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 43 Magic Grass Refines the Heart
The joyful expression on her face just now was completely wiped away by the boy's "I'm not going," like a breeze stirring the river, even the tea lost its warmth.

Master Cen straightened up, as if he was about to get up and ask further questions. His throat moved slightly, and there was still something left unsaid in his eyes.

Jiang Yi reached out and made a feigned stop, his knuckles lightly tapping the table, his tone remaining unhurried:
"Master, do not be hasty. The temperament of a young person is like wild grass and bamboo, which will grow naturally. Forcibly suppressing it will only damage its foundation."

Although there was a sense of helplessness in his words, there was a clear determination beneath.

Having said that, he casually picked up the bamboo fruit basket on the table, pushed it forward, and said with a smile:
"These fresh fruits were all picked by my son. Master, take them back for your wife and the younger generation to try, as a token of your respect."

His tone was calm, his words conveying three parts politeness and seven parts a desire to see the guest off.

Master Cen felt as if his breath was stuck in his chest, leaving him unable to move forward or backward.

She raised an eyebrow and looked at Jiang Yi, as if trying to discern something mysterious from his calm and composed face.

But in the end, I couldn't figure it out.

With a soft hum, whether it was a bitter laugh or a sigh, he flicked his sleeve, a mixture of annoyance and weariness in his eyes, and got up to leave.

He walked hurriedly, almost tripping over the stone step at the entrance, without even turning around.

The fruit basket sat quietly on the table, with a few yellow peaches lying inside, their skins glistening. As if they could understand human speech, they remained silent as well.

Watching Master Cen turn away with a flick of his sleeve, his back view filled with regret and confusion, Jiang Yi slowly returned to his house.

The sun was shining brightly in the courtyard, not too brightly, and its light fell on Jiang Ming.

He was still standing there, hands behind his back, like a preoccupied young scholar, yet he was hiding that crooked branch, looking utterly unserious.

Jiang Yi stepped forward, reached out and straightened his collar, and without beating around the bush, spoke in a gentle tone:
"You don't practice martial arts, you don't study, so tell me, what do you plan to learn in this world?"

Seeing that the teacher had left, Jiang Ming felt a little relieved. His eyes darted around, and he couldn't hide his cunning.

He took a step forward, leaned closer, and spoke in a low voice, his tone revealing a tenderness and ingratiation typical of a father and son:

"What you learn doesn't matter. The few sentences in the book are nothing compared to the lively atmosphere of the village. As for martial arts... nothing beats what Dad taught me."

At this point, she winked, a smile spreading across her face, and leaned forward an inch further:
"The most important thing is to stay close to my parents and not be far away."

Just as she finished speaking, Liu Xiulian came out of the kitchen, her sleeves still carrying a bit of cooking smoke.

Upon hearing this, she paused, and her eyes instantly reddened.

Ignoring the scallions, ginger, and garlic still on his hands, he reached into his waistband, shoved the money pouch into Jiang Yi's hand, and muttered:

"Listen to this! Is this still your son? Tomorrow you take them to the market, buy them whatever they want to eat, I won't hesitate!"

Jiang Yi took the money pouch, his fingers sinking slightly, but he didn't really believe this nonsense, much less that the kid had suddenly become enlightened overnight.

It's probably that guy from the back mountain who's either bored out of his mind or has been enjoying fruit lately, which is why he's decided to pass on his skills.

Recalling the "supreme method of self-cultivation" that Master Liu had mentioned with a sigh that day, a slight thought stirred in his heart.

He didn't say much, but simply put the money pouch in his pocket and chuckled softly.
"Okay, it's up to you."

His gaze casually swept towards the back of the mountain.

Time flies, and another season has passed. The heat of summer has just subsided, and the coolness of autumn has quietly arrived.

The morning dew is heavy, and the evening wind is strong.

Under Jiang Yi's meticulous care over the past few days, the grass seeds in that cold land finally began to sprout.

Instead of the tender green that ordinary crops should have, it revealed a hint of stark white, like bone fragments chiseled from under the snow.

One by one, they suddenly emerged from the soil, weak yet clearly solid.

Now, as soon as you step into that place, the scenery before your eyes becomes faintly swaying, like the afterglow of a drunken revelation.

It sounded like someone was whispering a name in my ear. Even though there was no one around, I felt a shadow behind me. Thoughts arose for no reason, my heart was in turmoil, and a chill seeped into my bones, so cold that my teeth chattered.

The name "Illusionary Yin Grass" is indeed true; it causes hallucinations, harms the mind, and has a chilling aura.

Fortunately, Jiang Yi gritted his teeth and didn't stop practicing the "Theory of Sitting in Oblivion" for the past six months.

Now, with my eyes closed, I can read through 70% of the passages in one go, my mind undisturbed, my heart as still as an ancient well, without a ripple.

Once the thought is put aside, a person becomes as steady as an old tree with deep roots, remaining unmoved no matter how the wind blows or the grass sways.

No matter how evil the cold land may be, it cannot harm him.

Although Liu Xiulian did not have the same solid foundation as Jiang Yi, she did not slack off.

Every night before bed, my husband and I recite scriptures together, slowly but without interruption.

Now, as I step into that place, my hands and feet move, but my mind is silently reciting the words, which keeps flowing, and I can hold on for a while.

After barely finishing a set of stance training exercises, I had to quickly come out and catch my breath.

Occasionally, he could lend a hand, handing over a farm tool or carrying a bucket of water to sprinkle the seedlings, thus helping Jiang Yi out.

After a while, we still need to sit back under the eaves and rest.

Jiang Ming didn't like reading that booklet either, but with scriptures and classics as a foundation, he was not much different from his mother.

Once you get to the ground, you have to gather your spirits and mutter incantations to barely stand.

Only that little girl, Jiang Xi, was usually very clever and cunning, and refused to put in any hard work.

It wasn't until Jiang Yi gradually moved the area where he practiced his morning stance training to colder ground.

Unable to refuse from either side, he was forced to practice until he finally managed to get the stance training somewhat right.

But he still wouldn't even touch that book on sitting in oblivion.

Jiang Yi saw it all, but remained unmoved.

In the very heart of the cold land, they chose a slightly lower-lying spot and silently dug a cold cellar.

They said they'd just refrigerate it to keep it fresh, but they moved all the food they had at home, especially the candies and snacks their little girl had been longing for, inside.

The rules were also established: you can be greedy, but you have to go in and get it yourself; no one is allowed to do it for you.

The little girl pouted and acted stubbornly for days. Her attempts to win over her father with her sweet talk were unsuccessful, and when she begged her mother, all she got was, "Your father has the final say."

Looking for her older brother was pointless; Jiang Ming was busy running back and forth between the back of the school every day, too busy to pay attention to her.

After struggling for several days without success, I finally resigned myself to my fate.

Holding the book on sitting in oblivion that I had disliked countless times, I began to turn its pages one by one.

Although this girl is unwilling to endure hardship, her talent is undeniable.

In just half a month, he was already able to brave the bewitching power of the cold ground, stagger to the edge of the cold cellar, and fish out two pieces of candy.

When she came back, her face was red from the cold, but her lips were glowing with sweetness.

Jiang Yi watched without saying a word, but made a mental note of it.

As the Illusionary Shadow Grass grows more luxuriantly each day, its hallucinogenic evil energy also rises accordingly.

Now that we've reached the cellar entrance, we must walk more steadily and calmer in the future to truly reap the rewards.

Let this mindset grow along with the seedlings, without being impatient or agitated, which is exactly in line with the principle of gradual progress.

(End of this chapter)