Chapter 49: Refining the Heart in the Mortal World

Chapter 49: Refining the Heart in the Mortal World

The northward waterways had not yet been seized by the rebel forces. Apart from the checkpoints established by local governments everywhere, the grain ships flying the banner of the Prince of Fu's estate encountered almost no obstacles.

The officials claimed they were thoroughly investigating spies to prevent rebels from infiltrating their ranks, but in reality, they were simply seizing the opportune moment to extort bribes and harass travelers.

Yu Xian realized he had ultimately overestimated the court of the Yue State.

Having enjoyed peace for many years, the bureaucratic machinery of the Yue State had rotted to its core, yet at a time like this, their first thought was still to line their pockets.

Even the capture of three commanderies by the Guangnan rebels failed to snap these profit-driven scoundrels back to reality.

Then again, when the rebels initially occupied Guangnan Commandery, Changning City had been just as peaceful and prosperous, completely blind to the possibility that the rebel army would advance so swiftly.

Yu Xian had no patience for people of this sort; he was already annoyed.

Consequently, he had Elder Ding and the estate guards eliminate a few eyeless, unlucky fools who attempted extortion. Once word of this spread, the rest of the journey became vastly smoother.

No matter how diminished the Prince of Fu's estate might have become, or how people whispered behind its back that they were like stray dogs, it was still not something local officials had the authority to handle.

Otherwise, if a royal prince were arrested by a local magistrate or prefect, would they be plotting rebellion?

In the four hundred-odd years since the founding of the Yue State, there had never been a rule stating that even if an emperor broke the law, he was guilty just like a commoner. Even a royal dog had to be dealt with by the royal family, let alone a prince.

It was just that in recent years, the Emperor had become obsessed with seeking immortality, leading to a much weaker grip on local governance—so much so that a major incident like the assassination of the Prince of Fu had even occurred.

A month after the ships set sail, Jinmen Port, the harbor closest to the capital, came into view in the distance.

That day, in the captain's cabin, Yu Xian climbed out from a heap of cosmetics and fragrant powders, looking at the Princess Consort and Yulan, who were still soundly asleep in bed, grinning like a fox that had successfully stolen a chicken.

After a month of relentless effort by him, the three of them had finally bared their souls and bodies to one another.

Of course, this was largely thanks to his daily deepening cultivation, his increasingly robust and tempered physical vessel, and his ever-strengthening lower back.

Otherwise, how could he possibly have fought two adversaries single-handedly and utterly defeated both of them?

Women, truly, were a man's finest medicine.

At this moment, Yu Xian felt his mind was as clear as a polished mirror. It was as if a layer of dust had been swept away, causing even his very thoughts to shine with a brilliant radiance.

"When poor, tend to your own moral character; when prosperous, better the whole world."

"I am merely a petty man fond of beauty, entirely incapable of being a saint among mortals. There is no need to bind myself with a saint's standards. I wish to pursue the immortal path of longevity, and the road ahead is long and distant. Everything that happens today is nothing more than tomorrow's passing smoke."

All his lingering unease and guilt stemmed from the education he had received in his past life, which could essentially be boiled down to a single phrase: with great power comes great responsibility.

Clearly possessing the capability to save at least some people, he had instead chosen to look on with cold detachment, doing nothing at all.

Thus, an inexplicable sense of guilt had constantly haunted him, clouding his Dao-heart and plunging him into sentimental lamentations over spring flowers and autumn moon.

It was the worldview forged in his previous life interrogating him; he was not truly guilty about those he failed to save, but rather felt he had let down the education of his past life.

Yet, when all was said and done, he was merely an ordinary person among the masses, lacking any grand ambition to save mankind or the world, and thus unable to sacrifice himself for strangers.

When he finally reconciled with himself, refusing to obsess over questions that fundamentally had no answers, his inner conviction grew firmer and more resolute.

He was going to cultivate immortality!

He was going to attain longevity!

Aside from these, everything else was merely fleeting smoke!

Now that the path to the heavens lay right before his eyes, he had to consider whether this might be the sole opportunity of his lifetime.

He did not want a day to come when crisis struck, leaving him like duckweed tossed in troubled times, kneeling on a dock and expending every ounce of strength merely to beg for a shred of mercy from some great personage.

A person must rely upon oneself above all else!

Yu Xian swept away all distracting thoughts, feeling his spirit turn utterly lucid and clear, akin to a rebirth.

His spiritual sense grew increasingly agile and extended outward at will: ten meters, twenty meters...

Thirty meters!

One must know that when he broke through to the late stage of Qi Refinement, his spiritual sense could only reach ten meters, and even after advancing to the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, it had only increased to twenty meters.

Now, after this journey of refining his heart, it had naturally and spontaneously expanded to thirty meters.

In the true cultivation world, such a breakthrough in his state of mind might have advanced his actual cultivation level quite a bit. Unfortunately, constrained by the mundane environment, only the enhancement of his spirit was uncontainable.

An inch longer meant an inch stronger.

With the growth of his spiritual sense and the strengthening of his spirit, it meant he could wield magical artifacts over a greater distance and with greater power, extending his strategic safety buffer and allowing him to face enemies with far greater composure.

"Refining the heart in the mortal world, piercing through the fog of illusions, can strengthen the spirit. Perhaps this is simply a unique method of cultivation..."

Yu Xian associated this with many things in an instant.

He had never considered himself a genius, so if he could achieve this, countless others must be capable of it as well.

It stood to reason that someone would naturally continue researching along these lines, treating mortal distractions and worldly desires as resources for cultivation, focusing entirely on spiritual transcendence.

And the reason the mortal realm was able to exist stably, aside from holding little intrinsic value, might very well be related to this very factor.

However, these were questions for the great masters to ponder.

Yu Xian gave it a brief thought and decided not to probe deeper, knowing he wouldn't figure it out anyway.

Without disturbing the two women pretending to be asleep on the bed, he pushed open the door and stepped out onto the deck to catch the breeze, incidentally instructing a maidservant to bring them breakfast.

Now that the autumn air was crisp and refreshing, enjoying the scenery along the banks as the ship sailed had recently become one of his favorite pastimes to kill time.

At this moment, with all his inner knots untied, he felt refreshed and clear-headed. Looking at the scenery along the way once more, it inexplicably seemed more vivid, imbued with a distinctive, vibrant color.

Shortly after Yu Xian left...

The Princess Consort quietly opened one eye, only to find herself locking gazes with Yulan, who was also stealthily peeking.

Swish!

It was as if steam were rising from the tops of their heads. The Princess Consort's face flushed as red as a tomato, and Yulan was no exception, her eyes still lingering with an expression of disbelief.

"Your Highness..."

The Princess Consort felt that she must have been out of her mind yesterday to actually agree to such an absurd request.

"Do not call me Your Highness," the Princess Consort said, trying to maintain her composure while blushing deeply. "I am only a few years older than you. In private, you may call me elder sister from now on."

Yulan was not overly embarrassed; she had frequently served her husband alongside Sister Xiaoyi before, but the identity of the person collaborating with her this time was truly astonishing.

"Elde... elder sister."

Yulan whispered the words, suddenly finding it quite thrilling, nervous, exciting, and faintly exhilarating, which caused her to giggle softly.

Even the Princess Consort had become her "sister"—her husband was truly amazing!

The Princess Consort felt her heart flutter anxiously from Yulan's giggles and reached out to pinch her lightly.

"You little minx, you still dare to laugh at me."

Yulan suppressed her laughter, though mirth still brimmed in her eyes. "Sister, can you tell me how you ended up together with our husband?"

The Princess Consort sighed, looking rather melancholic.

"It is all my fault for losing my head for a moment. Now I am sinking deeper and deeper, unable to extricate myself."

Seeing this, Yulan hurriedly wrapped her arms around the Princess Consort's hand, speaking up in defense of Yu Xian.

"Sister, you can rest easy. Husband is a wonderful person, and he will certainly never fail you."

The Princess Consort, however, shook her head and replied, "My identity dictates that I have no fate to truly be with him. Things as they are now are quite good; at least, I am very happy."

A look of hopeful yearning surfaced in her eyes, as if she were already anticipating life in the capital.