Chapter 774: Chapter 469 Seeing Heart and Understanding Nature and a Beautiful Woman Knocking at the Door_2
The blood pattern flashed briefly, and even if there were others around, it would be hard for the naked eye to capture...
"Fine, if you want to sleep, sleep then. But what about the cultivation technique you promised? You haven’t given it to me yet. You said you’d let me see it, and indeed I have seen it; it is indeed breathtaking. But if you don’t give me the specific technique, how can I practice?"
Zhao Rong was annoyed.
Gui leisurely said, "As I said before, to practice this technique, one must first achieve enlightenment."
"Wasn’t what you just showed me a test of this enlightenment?"
"Ha, where are we in this, do you even understand what enlightenment means?"
The Sword Spirit paused for a moment, then suddenly became serious and asked continuously:
"Starting from the Fu Yao Realm, it is no longer simply about cultivation power. From now on, cultivation is about cultivating the heart. Where lies the Dao? In the depths of the Heart Lake Water or wandering between heaven and earth?
"A cultivator has five senses and six perceptions, and the Heart Lake Water has myriad thoughts. How can you capture from these myriad sensations the thing that is ’the Dao’?"
"If the heart is not enlightened and the true nature unseen, then it’s like a blind man feeling an elephant! Touching one part and saying it is the Dao, how can such half-heartedness pursue the Great Dao?
"What is the Dao? Do you see it clearly? No one knows, only you can comprehend it, because everyone’s feelings and experiences are different, and so is everyone’s Dao."
"And enlightenment is when you truly face your seven emotions and six desires, discern all the messy thoughts at the bottom of your heart, sort through the thoughts, stop deceiving your own heart, and find that thing called the Dao!
"Once successful, then from anywhere you start, you will know it is the Dao... the prerequisite for all this is that you must achieve enlightenment."
The Sword Spirit declared:
"Was that martial artist I just showed you terrifying? Impressive?
"Even though his qi, blood, and flesh have been tainted and filthy, wrapped in all sorts of wicked blood mist and demonic dragon souls, he still retains a pure azure glaze hue, spotless, indestructible."
"These evil desires, even if magnified a hundred times a thousand times, have no effect on him, his Dao heart, like his bones, clear as glaze."
It spoke every word forcefully, "This, is the peak martial artist who can truly handle this bizarre cultivation technique!"
Zhao Rong fell silent, his hands placed on the table, fingers interlocked, supporting his chin.
He gravely said, "What should I do?"
Gui chuckled lightly, "You don’t need to do anything deliberately. Enlightenment, enlightenment, haha, Zhao Rong, do you remember the incident a few months ago when you first arrived at Du You City, at the foot of You Mountain?"
Zhao Rong slightly frowned and nodded.
"I remember."
That time, he was thoroughly scolded awake by Gui.
He was told to directly face his own heart...
Gui smiled, "This time, I will not scold you. Whether you can truly achieve enlightenment is all up to you. I will also rest these days. Pretend I do not exist, just go about your own business, and don’t deliberately think about this matter...
"Wait a few days, wait until the moment you achieve enlightenment, then the rest will be simple... Ha, to think that you even came back to me for the technique..."
The Sword Spirit shook its head.
"Zhao Rong, don’t make me wait too long. Haha, whether you can achieve enlightenment really depends on the initial few choices and countless later choices. It seems that you have them, but in the end, they will all follow the initial path; many things are like this..."
Its tone was melancholic.
Zhao Rong remained silent.
"By the way, there’s another matter you need to take care of quickly," Gui suddenly said.
Zhao Rong nodded without hesitation, "You tell me."
"I heard you mention coming to this place called Great Li, about some enfeoffment ceremony. Will you be going back to the Academy in the coming days?"
Zhao Rong shook his head, "Before the end of the enfeoffment, my brother Yi Wu and I have no plans to return."
He was curious, "Why do you ask?"
Gui directly said, "You must go and fetch some water from Zhengguan Well again. After you achieve enlightenment and practice this bizarre cultivation technique, the Dragon Energy in this well water will be of great use...
"You better go back as early as possible." It advised.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Rong consented.
He always prioritized his cultivation.
At that moment, the young Confucian Scholar thought for a while, seemingly contemplative, and lightly muttered:
"It’s not that I don’t have time to return; this afternoon, Brother Yi Wu and I already arranged almost everything for the enfeoffment ceremony at the Ritual Department. These days, we are mainly waiting for the prescribed mourning period of the Du Gushis and the young Emperor to end before heading together to Sacrificial Moon Mountain..."
"But if just for a personal matter to return, would it be somewhat improper...
"Eh wait, there’s another matter. Previously, a certain master at the Academy agreed to come visit here, but he never arrived. Not long ago, Brother Yi Wu and I were discussing whether to send a letter back to remind him..."
After listening to Zhao Rong’s muttering for a while, the Sword Spirit said, "Alright, you arrange it based on the situation."
Zhao Rong nodded, his mind seemingly made up.
Then, he stopped thinking about this matter and turned his attention back to the pressing tasks at hand.
Zhao Rong settled down, thought for a moment, but still couldn’t help asking curiously:
"Enlightenment... does that mean I have to restrain confusing thoughts, discard various different desires, and achieve a clear mind?"
Gui did not speak, only chuckled in response, "Desires and distractions, monkey mind and restless horse, can you really suppress them?"
Zhao Rong fell into deep thought once again.
Gui yawned, "Hmm, just a friendly little tip for you. Have you thought about whether you’ve become a bit different since watching the Heart Lake imagery?"
Zhao Rong was stunned.
He slowly lowered his head, looking at the newly replaced desk and the tablecloth he had casually pulled over.
The Sword Spirit glanced at the scene in the young Confucian scholar’s Heart Lake, "Some things, once you’ve seen them, have left an imprint in your eyes, in your heart. The change... has already begun."
"You mean..." Zhao Rong was about to ask more.
"Enough, enough, think about it yourself, don’t disturb me," the Sword Spirit said.
The Sword Spirit yawned, cutting off the conversation.
With those words, it ignored him further, sinking into the silence of Heart Lake.
In the room, at the desk.
Zhao Rong’s brows gradually tightened.
"Enlightenment... Enlightenment..."
He stood up and paced a few steps inside the room, frowning and nodding.
No wonder he had felt something was off, feeling an inexplicable restlessness, with various desires and thoughts sprouting at the bottom of his heart.
Moreover, any slight external trigger would amplify some kind of emotional desire, which he had not been aware of at the beginning...
Zhao Rong stopped, a wary look crossing his face.
"Stop the thoughts, I need to stop the thoughts, try to keep my thoughts even, my heart as still as water."
When was his Heart Lake the calmest?
Reading, writing, practicing fist stances, and when Yu Huaijin pressed him, practicing the zither and painting calligraphy.
No sooner said than done, Zhao Rong returned to the desk, took out paper and ink, and began to calm his mind by writing.
After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, he gently put down the brush, silently turned around, and started practicing fist stances in the room...
After several rounds back and forth, Zhao Rong’s heart was like Ping Lake, starting to become untroubled.
Ah, indeed it worked...
He paused his fist stance for a moment, feeling jubilant inside, yet the next second, he inwardly cursed, ’Damn it.’
Because this joy was suddenly magnified, causing ripples in his Heart Lake, filling him with delight...
"How the hell is this Enlightenment?"
Zhao Rong complained, speechless.
Just then.
Knock, knock—knock, knock—
At the door, a rhythmic knocking sound came.
Zhao Rong was startled.
Who could it be, knocking in the dead of night?
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, walked over with a puzzled expression, and pulled open the door.
He was shocked.
"Qingdai? What are you doing here?"
Zhao Rong couldn’t help glancing behind her towards the west wing, where there were no lights.
Outside the door, a stunning woman in a black dress tiptoed and whispered in his ear with a breath of sweet fragrance, "Don’t worry, she’s asleep~"
Zhao Rong: "..."
You... something’s not right...
...
————
PS: Ahem, "Left and Right."
He slowly lowered his head, looking at the newly replaced desk and the tablecloth he had casually pulled over.
The Sword Spirit glanced at the scene in the young Confucian scholar’s Heart Lake, "Some things, once you’ve seen them, have left an imprint in your eyes, in your heart. The change... has already begun."
"You mean..." Zhao Rong was about to ask more.
"Enough, enough, think about it yourself, don’t disturb me," the Sword Spirit said.
The Sword Spirit yawned, cutting off the conversation.
With those words, it ignored him further, in