Chapter 2
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This chapter is edited by Farouq Omileye. Thank you for your contribution!
Chapter 2: A Treatment Called Peace of Mind
Qing Luan glanced nervously at Bai Lian, who sat in silence.
When she entered the room, her eyes had lingered on Martial Sister Bai Lian’s quarters. It was as she expected: simple, yet it carried an intoxicating fragrance.
Sniff, sniff ~
The scent was the same as Bai Lian’s.
No, Qing Luan shook her head inwardly. This isn’t what I should focus on right now.
What truly occupied Qing Luan’s mind was how Bai Lian would choose to guide her.
Would it be through force?
Through a lecture?
A direct approach?
Or some roundabout method?
The longer Qing Luan studied her, the more convinced she became that Martial Sister Bai Lian was a true master.
Her energy seemed boundless. While managing the affairs of Qiongming Peak and raising her two younger Martial Sisters, Bai Lian still found time to patrol the Duxian Sect daily.
Her broad-mindedness was unparalleled. Even when provoked, she responded calmly, using her “words” and “deeds” to subtly influence others.
And her ability to teach… Bai Lian, though inexperienced, taught according to each student’s needs. In this, many formal teachers fell short compared to her.
Qing Luan felt reassured. She had chosen the right mentor.
She carefully analyzed the transformation of others who had been guided by Bai Lian. Wen Ren Ya Le, with her innate talent, had progressed naturally as a disciple of Master Yan Yue. But Jiang Ning was a different story.
Jiang Ning’s talent had once been considered merely above average in the Duxian Sect. Few believed he could ever reach the Soul Changing Stage. Yet, since his duel with Bai Lian, everything about him had changed.
The once “miserable young man” had become a wild spirit, free and unrestrained.
He styled his hair like a wanderer, tore his clothes into rags, and kept a sword close to his heart.
“This state,” he had said once while standing on the edge of a cliff, “is feeling the flow of the wind with your heart!”
Jiang Ning’s newfound joy and confidence made the Soul Changing Stage no longer an impossible dream.
Clearly, anyone who received Bai Lian’s guidance seemed to shine.
Qing Luan wanted that brightness for herself.
She even considered directly becoming Bai Lian’s disciple, but she already had a master.
After a long silence, Bai Lian finally spoke. “Younger Martial Sister Qing Luan, I don’t know you well enough to help you, even if I wanted to.”
Qing Luan nodded. Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian’s words made sense.
Lowering her head, Qing Luan asked softly, “Martial Sister Bai Lian, what do you want to know?”
Bai Lian thought carefully. Their relationship wasn’t close enough yet to ask anything too personal. That would come in time.
So Bai Lian asked a simple, common question: “What is your cultivation for?”
Hoo ~ Qing Luan sighed inwardly. It was the same question again.
This time, however, she decided to be honest. She had come to learn, and she couldn’t do that without opening up.
“Martial Sister Bai Lian, my goal is to surpass my sister!”
Bai Lian blinked. “Do you not get along with your sister?”
Qing Luan smiled shyly. “No, it’s not like that. But my sister is older than me and completely absorbed in her cultivation. We barely interact. Honestly, we’re more like a grandmother and a grandchild than sisters.”
“…I see.” Bai Lian narrowed her eyes. Is this some sort of ploy to distance herself from Hong Luan and win my trust?
Humph! Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian wouldn’t fall for that so easily.
She sighed, “It’s good to have a clear goal. What’s the problem you’re facing now?”
Qing Luan frowned, her thoughts turning serious. “I feel like I’ve hit a bottleneck. With my talent, I shouldn’t be stuck like this. It’s strange—I feel like there’s more ahead, but no matter what I try, I can’t break through.”
Her voice grew quieter. “It’s frustrating. I feel lost… then empty… and lost again. It’s like a cycle I can’t escape from. Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian, do you think I can still be saved?”
The weight of the question made Bai Lian pause.
For a moment, she considered whether a harsh approach—like the one she had used on Wen Ren Ya Le—might help. But Qing Luan wasn’t her enemy, and beating her wasn’t an option.
At that moment, Bai Lian noticed two task options appear before her:
[Task 1: “Your problem is quite serious. I think you should seek advice from someone else!” (Reward: Snow Lotus Pill)]
[Task 2: “I can help you, but you’ll need to cooperate with me!” (Reward: Soft Skill +1)]
Bai Lian didn’t need the pill, and she couldn’t waste the opportunity to teach Qing Luan, especially considering Hong Luan’s “intentions.”
She chose Task 2.
“I can help…” Bai Lian began.
Qing Luan nodded eagerly, like a chick pecking at grain.
“Whatever you need, Martial Sister Bai Lian, I’ll do it!”
Bai Lian pondered for a moment. It’s random teaching, anyway.
“What you need to do now,” Bai Lian said seriously, “is to stop cultivating.”
“…What?”
Qing Luan stared, stunned.
Bai Lian continued, “You’re stuck in a dead end. If brute force isn’t working, why not step back and take another path? This method is called ‘peace of mind.’”
“But…” Qing Luan hesitated. “Won’t I fall behind?”
Bai Lian smiled gently. “Trust me. For now, set aside cultivation. Be an ordinary person. Water flowers. Chop firewood. Go for walks. Give your mind space to breathe.”
Though doubtful, Qing Luan nodded reluctantly.
Bai Lian rose from her seat. “Think about it. I have something to do.”
“Understood,” Qing Luan replied, watching Bai Lian leave.
As night fell, Qing Luan couldn’t shake her unease. She glanced at Bai Lian’s room, now hidden behind a protective magic circle.
With a sigh, she gave up on trying to eavesdrop.
Turning away, her eyes landed on a figure perched on a crooked tree nearby.
“Master An Lan!” Qing Luan gasped, startled.
An Lan’s cold gaze bore down on her.
“Who are you?” An Lan demanded.
After Qing Luan hastily explained herself, An Lan’s expression grew darker, stormier.
“Leave,” An Lan ordered.
“Yes,” Qing Luan stammered, retreating quickly.
As she fled, confusion swirled in her mind. Why had Master An Lan been so hostile?
An Lan herself wasn’t sure. Yet, hearing Qing Luan seek Bai Lian’s guidance left her inexplicably irritated.
She pressed a hand to her chest, the faint echoes of something precious slipping through her fingers.
Under the bright, cold moonlight, An Lan sighed.
“It’s normal to feel irritable sometimes,” she muttered, though the thought offered little comfort.
Finally, she gave up on studying her Tao halo and retreated to her cave for rest. Exhaustion weighed heavily after wandering all day.
The peak of Qiongming fell silent once more.
