Chapter 1054: Commentary in the Books

Ruyi paid her respects to the Zhenwu Divine Statue.

As she gazed around the Daoist temple, she couldn't help but wonder what it had looked like when Uncle Chen lived here.

It was so desolate here...

At least, that was how it felt to her.

On the mountain behind the Daoist temple lay three graves. One bore the Daoist name Sancai, another Xuanhuang, and the last Fuyun.

Three generations of Liuyun Temple's masters rested here.

Ruyi offered fruit and three sticks of incense to each of them.

These must have been Uncle Chen's friends in his earlier years.

Just how many years ago had that been...

Thinking about this, she felt a sudden flash of clarity, as if she finally understood why Uncle Chen had come to Qingshan City in the first place.

A place like this, which evoked such sorrow at a mere glance, was indeed unfit for Uncle Chen to linger in. To constantly see an old acquaintance and recall the past—living entirely within one's memories was bound to spell disaster for anyone.

Mao'er climbed onto the roof of the Daoist temple.

It looked out toward Qiuyue Fang in the distance.

Only by standing at the mountain's summit could one realize just how small the settlement truly was. Yet, this tiny corner of the world managed to sustain countless lives.

Lihua licked its paw, deciding it rather liked it here.

It didn't like large places. When a place was too big, there were too many people it didn't know. Here, it was different. It probably wouldn't take long to recognize everyone.

Many books still remained inside the Daoist temple's Book Pavilion.

According to Tao'er, Mister used to read constantly in his earlier years, and he had essentially read every single book in this Book Pavilion.

Out of curiosity, Ruyi would occasionally pull one out to read.

Most were Daoist scriptures, along with a few texts she couldn't understand. Or rather, she couldn't even make out the characters. Some books simply weren't meant for mortals like her to read, and truthfully, she didn't have much desire to anyway.

Then, one day, she happened to flip open a particular book.

To her surprise, a few lines of tiny handwriting were scribbled in the margins.

Ruyi naturally recognized the handwriting.

Both she and Ping'an had been taught to write by Uncle Chen, so how could she possibly fail to recognize it?

[Reading to this point in the night, I find it quite marvelous.]

But as she read further on, the tone abruptly changed.

[Absolute dogshit. Who wrote this?]

Seeing this comment, Ruyi burst out laughing.

She could perfectly imagine just how disgruntled Uncle Chen must have been to pen those words.

[This Chen read to this point at the third watch. Several passages in this book are quite profound, and I have benefited greatly from them. However, there are also a few places that are an absolute mess of dogshit. This book is truly a rare find. The good parts are incredibly good, and the bad parts are incredibly bad. It is like a flower sprouting in a cesspit—truly one of a kind.]

Upon reading this, Ruyi couldn't help but double over with laughter. She slapped the stone table beneath the withered tree, laughing so hard she could barely catch her breath.

Startled by her inexplicable reaction, Lihua jumped in fright.

"Ruyi, have you gone crazy?!"

Lihua's grumbling predictably earned it a smack on the head.

Deciding to cut its losses, it scurried up the tree, figuring Ruyi wouldn't be able to reach it up there.

Ruyi murmured, "Was Uncle Chen always this entertaining when he read in the past?"

Dong Chiyu had come to the temple with her.

Hearing this, she leaned in to take a look.

"What book is it?" Dong Chiyu asked.

"A martial arts manual."

After reading through it, Ruyi stifled her laughter and said, "Although his critique is a bit harsh, he really hit the nail on the head. It truly is a flower sprouting in a cesspit—one of a kind."

Hearing this, Dong Chiyu lost most of her interest.

She asked, "It's getting dark. Aren't we going back?"

Ruyi blinked and said, "How about you take Lihua and head back first? I want to read a bit more. There are probably still plenty of other books with notes."

"Then where are you going to sleep?"

"Where can't I sleep? Don't worry about me. Back when I wandered the jianghu, I could sleep under a tree until the sun was high in the sky."

Dong Chiyu, however, was unconvinced. "There are a lot of wild beasts on the mountain. I'm worried you'll get dragged off by one. I'd better stay and keep you company."

Ruyi pointed out, "You're not even as good in a fight as I am."

Dong Chiyu blushed slightly and fell silent.

That night, Ruyi went into the Book Pavilion, lit a candle, and read late into the night. She was putting far more effort into this than she ever had when studying in the past.

The night grew cold. A small hole in the window let the chilly wind pour in, but the draft wasn't just coming from the window—most likely, the Daoist temple had been drafty ever since it was built.

Ruyi blew on her hands to warm them, keeping her eyes glued to the text as she turned the pages.

As she read, she absentmindedly pressed one of her ice-cold hands against Dong Chiyu's cheek.

Dong Chiyu's cheek was incredibly warm, though Ruyi's touch left her slightly flustered.

Feeling the cheek grow hotter and hotter under her palm, Ruyi couldn't help but remark, "Your face is really warm."

Dong Chiyu muttered, "If you're cold, you could just touch your own face, you know."

"I can't do that. Then my face would get cold."

"..."

Dong Chiyu felt completely helpless, but she was already used to it anyway.

This wasn't the first or second time she had suffered this kind of teasing.

[Reading up to this point, I find that this scripture does not suit This Chen. To This Chen, the emotional attachments and desires of the mortal world are like the five grains—essential sustenance that cannot be cast aside. However, there is also the great dao in this book. As they say, the heavenly dao is without emotion, and attaining supreme detachment from emotions aligns with the laws of heaven and draws one closer to the great dao. But how incredibly difficult is this supreme detachment from emotions? This Chen's dao lies in true freedom and being utterly unfettered. These two paths are entirely at odds with each other, and so, I shall stop here.]

Spotting this note in the margin, Ruyi chewed on her fingernail, staring blankly for a moment.

"So this is Uncle Chen's dao?"

As she pondered this, a smile touched her lips.

She thought his choice was wonderful. This supreme detachment from emotions was total garbage anyway; it wasn't something worth learning.

She had assumed there wouldn't be any more of Uncle Chen's notes after that.

But as she turned the page, she spotted more handwriting.

[Reading this scripture once more after many years, my heart is filled with endless helplessness. This Chen chose the path of freedom and being unfettered. In my early years, I believed that the seven emotions and six desires were entirely mine to master. But after braving the wind and frost, and enduring countless hardships, I finally understand why this supreme detachment from emotions exists, and why one must clear the mind and curb their desires. This pursuit is not merely for the great dao. It is simply because when worldly affairs run their course, you realize how rarely things go as you wish. To forget emotion... forgetting emotion is not an active choice. The Red Dust is fraught with troubles. Stay in it long enough, and you will only be wounded by the Red Dust, snared by the Red Dust. Half-willingly, half-forced, you eventually cast aside those seven emotions and six desires.]

[If one is a common mortal, do not seek Changsheng. Supreme detachment from emotions is the true dao of Changsheng.]

Ruyi's heart sank, and a sudden wave of bitterness washed over her.

She thought about how deeply Uncle Chen must have been struggling when he wrote these words. The grinding years in the Red Dust had steadily smoothed out his state of mind, yet this change ran completely opposite to the path he desired. The Red Dust had battered him, making it impossible for things to go as he wished.

Ruyi's fingertips traced over the handwriting, and a soft sigh escaped her lips.

Do not seek Changsheng...

What was that supposed to mean?

Was it Uncle Chen's warning?

"So, what choice did Uncle Chen ultimately make...?"

Ruyi paused for a second, but an answer quickly surfaced in her heart.

Uncle Chen had ultimately chosen the Red Dust. If he hadn't, how could he have been seen in the Mortal World? If he hadn't, why would he have come to Qingshan City back then, and how could they have ever met?

But the more she thought about it, the more her heart ached for him.

She blinked, and before she even realized it, a teardrop slipped down her cheek.

With a slight choke in her voice, she turned the page and murmured, "Just how sad must Uncle Chen have been..."