Volume One: The Dragon Rises from the Wilderness Chapter 118: All Things Return to the Origin, Transforming This Body
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Yu Ye became a crewman.
A crewman who washed pots and scrubbed stoves.
With his current cultivation and reputation, no one on this sea vessel could give him orders, let alone make him a subordinate doing the hard work of washing pots and dishes. Yet, he still agreed to Gui Yuanzu’s unreasonable request, taking a rag and stepping into the filthy, chaotic galley.
Gui Yuanzu was either a seasoned rogue, an old scoundrel, or perhaps an aged Daoist priest or an old cook.
However, in Yu Ye’s heart, he always regarded Gui Yuanzu as a hidden master of profound skill. He trusted his own judgment and believed that one day, Gui Yuanzu’s true nature would be revealed.
Setting aside the various coincidences surrounding Gui Yuanzu, the mere fact that Ah Hu testified to Gui Yuanzu’s arrival on this sea vessel years ago when he came to Daze was enough to prove his identity was extraordinary.
He was not a native of Daze.
Perhaps the greatest variable in this voyage was neither the few Daoist disciples nor the two Qi Prefecture cultivators, but this feigning-madness Daoist priest, Gui Yuanzu!
“Have the pots and bowls been scrubbed? Is the bucket washed?”
In the galley, Gui Yuanzu tugged his beard and looked around sternly, scolding, “The pots and bowls are scrubbed, the bucket is washed, but can’t you sweep the floor and empty the kitchen waste? When young men travel, they should be diligent with their hands and feet, so they don’t suffer losses!”
Yu Ye swept the floor, emptied the kitchen waste water, neatly stacked the firewood, and arranged the jars and pots properly.
“Heh heh, the boy’s teachable!”
Gui Yuanzu nodded in satisfaction, waving his hand, “Alright, off you go!”
Yu Ye didn’t leave but stood by the porthole, wiping water stains off his hands as he said, “Daoist, I can’t work as a crewman for nothing, right?”
Gui Yuanzu sat cross-legged on a mat, picking up a wine jar. He was just about to take a sip when he glared, “Oh ho, you dare to ask me for wages?”
Yu Ye frowned. “I call you ‘Old Daoist,’ but you say there’s no rule. I respectfully call you ‘Daoist,’ yet you call me ‘old man’?”
“Well… been in the world too long, hard to change the habit, hehe!”
Gui Yuanzu’s laugh had a crafty edge.
“Old Daoist, I’m not asking for wages, but I won’t be at your beck and call either. I’ll be your crewman, so you owe me an honest answer.”
“What kind of logic is that?”
Gui Yuanzu puffed out his beard and glared, “I’m helping you, you ungrateful brat!”
Yu Ye looked puzzled, “Helping me?”
“You’ve tangled with some Daoist disciples. Ah Hu and Gan Xing will definitely ask for the truth, but you can’t tell them. I’m helping you dodge that. Oh, and you don’t thank me but try to threaten me?”
“Hmm, my deeds can’t escape your divine awareness…”
“I don’t have any divine awareness. You argued with Tao Feng and the others in the cabin. As long as my eyes aren’t blind, I can see everything clearly.”
As he said, Yu Ye’s dispute with Tao Feng and the others hinted at internal strife, involving the dignity of the Daze Daoist faction. It was truly inconvenient to reveal the truth to outsiders. Yet even so, Yu Ye could not be completely at Gui Yuanzu’s mercy.
“Old Daoist, if you don’t agree, we’ll part ways. I’ll expose your gambling and swindling in the martial world…”
Before Yu Ye finished, Gui Yuanzu hurriedly waved his hands, flustered—
“You hush up, I agree!”
“Heh!”
Yu Ye chuckled.
“Hmph, you look plain but have fooled many. Well, ask away. What do you want to know?”
Gui Yuanzu said sadly but reminded him, “You’re a crewman now, one question only, no backing out!”
Yu Ye nodded, thinking carefully, “Daoist Gui Yuan, please answer truthfully: where do you come from and where are you going?”
Gui Yuanzu stroked his beard, pretending to ponder deeply, his gaze profound as he slowly said, “From where one comes, to where one goes; life and death cycle three thousand times; all things return to the origin and transform into this body.”
Yu Ye was bewildered.
Gui Yuanzu hugged the wine jar and took a gulp, savoring the breath of the wine. After a moment, he suddenly opened his eyes wide and asked, “What are you doing here?”
Their eyes met, expressions similar.
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Yu Ye was startled, “Daoist, you haven’t answered yet…”
Gui Yuanzu was taken aback, “I already said it, if you don’t understand, that’s none of my business!”
“…”
“You can keep asking, it’s not like I mind. Bring me some wine—”
Yu Ye didn’t wait for Gui Yuanzu to reach out and hurriedly stepped out of the galley.
The dim cabin was as usual. The Chen family’s watchmen were busy on the deck; the rest either slept or gathered to play cards. Tao Feng and the others each guarded a corner, meditating and regulating their breath.
Yu Ye returned to his own corner, sitting alone by the porthole.
Outside the small porthole, the sea and sky swayed, the scenery incomplete. It felt stifling but also made one’s gaze linger, eager to glimpse the full expanse of heaven and earth. Yet a living person stood right before him, still a mystery. How could one see through the mysteries of heaven and earth?
“Jiao Ying!”
“I’m busy studying concealment arts. What’s up?”
“I asked Gui Yuanzu where he came from. He said: ‘From where one comes, to where one goes; life and death cycle three thousand times; all things return to the origin and transform into this body.’ What’s your interpretation?”
“He’s just fooling you, he didn’t say anything.”
“In your opinion, is there a hidden meaning in his words?”
“Oh… that phrase is a verse for cultivators. Whether it’s deliberately obscure or has deeper meaning relates to his cultivation level. To be safe, you should keep your distance!”
“You can’t see through his cultivation either? He can’t be stronger than you, right?”
“He’s at the Golden Core stage, just the beginning of the immortal path. Only those who reach Nascent Soul become truly strong. After that come Spirit Refining, Void Transformation, Body Fusion, Dao Union, and the Great Ascension stages. It’s said even after Great Ascension, more powerful beings exist. The path of cultivation is endless. But if Gui Yuanzu were a hermit master, why would he hide on a ship cooking and making fire? I was just guessing, maybe he’s just an old fraud!”
“Hmm…”
“You did well today!”
“Washing pots and dishes?”
“Hmph, calling you dumb won’t do because you’re not. Saying you’re clever doesn’t fit either because you act foolish. Your compassion is just projecting yourself onto others; only by striking hard can you reveal the true nature of the Heavenly Dao!”
“…”
Yu Ye was silent for a moment, then lay back looking up at the sky, covering his face with a bamboo hat.
The true nature of the Heavenly Dao—is it heartless?
Perhaps Jiao Ying was right. He always projected himself onto others, assuming Daoist disciples understood depth and limits. His earnest warnings only brought trouble. So he forced Tao Feng and others to bow, which was truly unexpected. A sword formation spoke louder than a thousand words. Seeking harmony was so simple.
Alas, fear of power and forgetting righteousness, chasing profit and ignoring harm—whether street ruffians or Daoist masters, they are everywhere…
Three days later.
The men still sleeping were called to rise.
Tao Feng and the others stopped meditating and followed out of the cabin.
In the galley.
Yu Ye was still cleaning the pots and stove. Hearing commotion in the cabin, he peeked out, about to ask why, then suddenly dropped his rag with a slap.
Gui Yuanzu was curled up on the mat, clutching the wine jar, face flushed, eyes half-closed, snoring softly, his beard gently fluttering.
“Playing the same tricks again!”
Yu Ye shook his head helplessly.
They had agreed: as long as Yu Ye helped with the washing and cleaning, Gui Yuanzu would answer his questions and clear his doubts. But each time Yu Ye finished, the Daoist priest would either hide outside the porthole to relieve himself or get drunk holding the jar. When confronted, he’d promise to settle next time, but always shirked responsibility.
Through the ship’s planks came noisy footsteps and shouts.
Yu Ye turned and stepped out of the galley.
On the deck, busy figures moved about.
More than a dozen Chen family sons wielded bamboo poles or machetes, surrounding the deck’s perimeter. Ah Hu, Tao Feng, and Yu Xin gathered atop the ship’s cabin, their expressions grave.
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Before the cabin door below the ship’s deck stood three others: Gan Xing, Qiu Yuan, and Meng Qingqing.
Yu Ye nodded to Gan Xing.
Meng Qingqing approached with a strange expression.
Yu Ye suddenly remembered the grease-stained apron tied around his waist.
Every time he entered the galley, Gui Yuanzu would tie the apron on him. Forgetting to remove it now, he looked every bit a crewman.
“What’s going on?”
Yu Ye asked.
“A large ship appeared, said to be pirates. Look—”
Meng Qingqing pointed.
“Pirates?”
Yu Ye was surprised.
Bandits roamed the mountains, but he hadn’t expected pirates on the sea.
Looking back from the ship’s right side, dozens of yards away amid the rolling waves, a large ship was indeed approaching fast, sails billowing. On its bow stood a group of men, all bare-chested, brandishing swords and knives, shouting loudly and looking extremely arrogant.
Those were the pirates?
About twenty or thirty pirates, and even if they caught up, they might not be a match for the Chen family sons. With nine cultivators on their side, they feared no fierce bandits. Besides, the sea was rough, making killing and burning difficult!
Yu Ye’s curiosity grew.
The sea breeze carried words from Ah Hu and Tao Feng atop the ship’s cabin—
“…A band of pirates lurk in these waters. In past years, ships skirted around, but this year the wind changed, and we accidentally entered their territory…”
“Stay calm. With a few Daoist friends here, it should be fine…”
“Ah Hu entrusts you all, masters…”
“Young master, we dare not be careless…”
“Hmm, Chen Biao, shake off those pirates…”
“Brothers, the Three Talents favor the southeast, the Five Elements align. Hoist the sails!”
At Chen Biao’s shout, the men hurried into action. Besides the three large sails on the masts, five smaller sails were raised by ropes, and the ship suddenly surged forward with greater speed.
Meng Qingqing stumbled unexpectedly, grabbing Yu Ye, nearly falling into his arms.
Yu Ye glanced down, puzzled.
As cultivators, how could they not withstand the rocking of the waves?
Meng Qingqing blushed, stepped back, rooted her feet, and gave an apologetic look.
Suddenly, a shout rose: “Young master, the pirates are catching up—”
The Chen family’s ship was under full sail, speeding ahead.
Yet the pirate ship was swifter, slicing diagonally through the waves, closing fast. Suddenly, smoke billowed from its bow, followed by a deep explosion.
“Boom—”
At that moment, an iron anchor tied to a rope flew through the air.
“Bang—”
Another loud crash shook the Chen family’s ship, its speed abruptly slowing. The men on deck staggered, some nearly falling.
“Thunder crossbow, the pirates’ thunder crossbow…”