Chapter 22: Has He Returned to the Past?

Chapter 22: Did He Travel Back to the Past?

In the end, Chi Yu spent 100 million spirit stones to buy an extra spacious single room.

Chi Yu: "..."

After a brief moment of myocardial infarction, Chi Yu was back to full energy.

He examined the dorm room: two rooms separated by a screen, with two solid wood beds made of red sandalwood right by the entrance. As far as Chi Yu knew, this type of wood was exclusively supplied to the imperial family in the mortal realm.

But for cultivators, it was nothing special—low in spiritual energy and of no help to cultivation.

Aside from the beds, there were two sets of tables and chairs, and nothing else. It was very simple—in period dramas, inns would hang calligraphy and paintings in the corridors for decoration, and rooms would have vases or screens. But the cultivation world had a different aesthetic. Chi Yu had been in *Divine Path* for many days now and had stayed in quite a few inns in cultivator cities. Most were minimalist in style; some fancy inns would add curtains to the wooden beds, while less fancy ones simply had stone beds that left you stiff and bruised after sleeping.

Chi Yu had grown used to this minimalist style.

Since he had decided to stay in Free and Easy Continent for a while, he naturally wanted to make the most of it.

First, he dismantled the bed, opened the window, and turned it into a kitchen.

He set up the cookware and utensils he had been using for a while. Seeing that it was still early, he decided to cook a meal.

Now that he had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he naturally didn’t need to eat—a fasting pill could supply all the nutrients he needed for the day.

But Chi Yu still wanted to eat. Not eating made him feel like the day was wasted. Not only did he want to eat, but he also wanted to enjoy fragrant, steaming rice.

Chi Yu took a bronze basin he had bought in a mortal town to fetch water—he had learned the Water Condensation Technique, but he always felt that kind of water didn’t taste good. When the Suo Luo brothers brought him to the dorm, he noticed a spiritual spring nearby, so he went there directly to get water.

The young attendant, having finished moving his things, saw him holding the bronze basin and sauntered over to take a look. In a familiar manner, he asked, "What are you doing? Getting water to drink?"

Chi Yu filled the basin with water and casually replied, "I’m going to use it for cooking."

The young attendant exclaimed, "Ah, you know how to cook?"

Chi Yu said, "Yeah, why? Something up?"

The young attendant rubbed his face, too embarrassed to say anything.

Chi Yu didn’t think much of it. Although he had been tricked out of a top-grade spirit stone, he only felt a momentary pang of regret before quickly bouncing back.

Not letting things get to you was the secret to staying happy—that was his life philosophy.

Returning to his dorm, Chi Yu thought to himself that the money was well spent. He had spent so much time looking after his younger cousins at home that living with kids would inevitably make him feel responsible for taking care of them. Now, living alone, he even had an extra room to use as a kitchen.

Not bad, not bad.

With that thought, the last bit of displeasure completely vanished.

He deftly chopped scallions, ginger, garlic, and chili, cracked two eggs with one hand, tossed the shells into the trash with a stylish flick, quickly beat the eggs, heated the oil, and fried them to a perfect golden brown. Then he added green and red chili peppers, stir-frying until a fragrant plate of chili scrambled eggs was ready.

The spirit stone-powered stove kept the food warm even after cooking, so Chi Yu wasn’t worried about the dishes getting cold and started on the next one.

Soon, he had prepared chili scrambled eggs, winter melon stew with pork ribs, steamed pumpkin, and braised perch.

He steamed a whole large pot of rice—just enough for him to eat alone.

True rice bucket.jpg

Happily, he brought the dishes to the table. Since he was alone, he simply placed the steaming pot on the table and was about to start eating when there was a sudden knock on the door.

Chi Yu put down the pot, went to open the door, and found the young attendant standing there. The young attendant craned his neck to peek inside and said, "It smells so good."

Chi Yu: "."

Chi Yu couldn’t help but laugh and asked, "Want to join me for a meal?"

The young attendant looked surprised and asked, "You’d share with me?"

Chi Yu said, "I can give you one bowl, but no more than that."

The young attendant hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "Alright, I’ll take a bowl! Thank you!"

Chi Yu took a small bowl, filled it with rice, added a few bites of each dish, and handed it to him, saying, "Wash the bowl and return it after you’re done."

The young attendant said, "Oh," and then asked, "Weren’t you angry earlier?"

Chi Yu paused for a moment, realizing he was referring to the earlier incident, and laughed heartily. "I was, but it wasn’t worth staying angry over."

The young attendant thought for a bit, didn’t say anything else, and left holding the bowl.

Chi Yu returned to the table and started devouring his meal.

Cultivation was great—everything he ate turned into spiritual energy, so no matter how much he ate, he never felt too full. The satisfaction was indescribable.

Chi Yu could already feel himself growing taller.

Returning to 180.18.17 was just around the corner!

After finishing his meal, Chi Yu took the pot to wash the dishes. The young attendant came over again, placing the cleaned bowl and chopsticks into his pot, and asked curiously, "What’s your name?"

Chi Yu countered, "What’s yours?"

The young attendant said, "My name is Xiao Qiu."

"Oh, I’m Long Aotian!" Chi Yu cheerfully announced the name again.

The young attendant looked at him strangely, puzzled by his unexplained joy. "...That name is a bit weird. Aren’t you going to choose a Dharma name?"

Chi Yu asked, "Isn’t a Dharma name given by your master? Do cultivators here choose their own Dharma names?"

"Of course, everyone chooses their own. Only monks who’ve taken tonsure in Buddhism have their Dharma names given by their masters."

Chi Yu understood—it was like giving yourself an English name during English class back in school.

He thought for a moment and said, "My Dharma name is Aotian."

The young attendant: "..."

The young attendant suggested, "You should choose a Dharma name with more spiritual emptiness, like Zhikong, Ruokong, Mingjue, Fayuan, etc."

Chi Yu: "..."

Too ordinary!!

Chi Yu said with absolute certainty, "It’s Aotian. No, and I can’t drop the 'Long' either. Three characters sound more impressive."

The young attendant: "..."

Alright, alright.

Although they hadn't known each other for long, Little Qiu was already starting to like Chi Yu. This person was only a few years older than him, had a good temperament, and, more importantly, he could cook—and his cooking was delicious.

Little Qiu said, "I'll return that top-grade spirit stone to you. Could you make a portion for me when you cook in the future?"

Chi Yu asked, "Where do you usually eat?"

Little Qiu pulled a face. "In the cafeteria, but the food isn't good. They say craving for delicious food is also a form of suffering, and to eliminate all suffering is to attain nothingness, so the cafeteria meals are deliberately bland."

Chi Yu thought for a moment and said, "Forget the spirit stone. I'll make a portion for you."

After saying that, he took a handful of snacks from his Spatial Ring and handed them to Little Qiu. "Here, take these to eat."

Little Qiu happily accepted them, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Chi Yu. "Thank you, you're so kind."

Chi Yu always had this ability to make people feel close to him. Before long, the two were talking like old friends.

Little Qiu returned cheerfully to Xie Xiyi's residence. Unlike the simple dwellings of other cultivators, Xie Xiyi's home was a palace, urgently constructed a few years ago by the Luo Po Zen Hall, built exactly to the specifications of Xie Xiyi's Eastern Palace. It was extremely luxurious, starkly contrasting with the Zen School's pursuit of "emptiness" and "nothingness."

This had also subjected Xie Xiyi to some criticism.

Xie Xiyi was currently tuning an ancient zither. Little Qiu, having no sense of hierarchy, entered and immediately asked, "Your Highness, it's this late already. Are you still going to do your evening meditation?"

Xie Xiyi glanced at him, somewhat distractedly, and asked, "Where have you been?"

Little Qiu's eyes lit up. "That new cultivator, he's really nice. He treated me to a meal, and his cooking is especially delicious—much better than the palace chefs."

Xie Xiyi remained silent. After tuning the zither, he stretched out his hand, his slender fingers plucking a few notes. His handsome face showed no expression.

Little Qiu, however, could tell he wasn't very satisfied and said, "Your Highness, this zither is already broken. If it really won't work, why not buy a new one?"

Xie Xiyi said, "Mind your own business. Get out."

Even though he said that, Little Qiu wasn't afraid. Although they were master and servant, they were also related by blood.

The Great Xia Royal Family was different from other royal families; their sense of clan was extremely strong. Due to their cultivation methods, this concept of kinship and unity was deeply ingrained.

Little Qiu was the secondary son of Xie Xiyi's royal uncle. If he hadn't followed Xie Xiyi to the Continent of Zizai, he would have been made a prince upon reaching adulthood.

Little Qiu said with a laugh, "Your Highness, it's just a zither. Even if you've used it for ten years, it's time to replace it now. Don't be so attached."

After saying that, afraid of being hit, he darted off.

Xie Xiyi put down the zither and walked to the window, looking outside. His gaze drifted down from the lush purple bamboo grove and caught sight of a figure.

It was that new cultivator.

Around sixteen or seventeen years old, already at the Foundation Establishment stage—a rarity anywhere.

Xie Xiyi reached out and closed the window.

*

The next day, Chi Yu arrived at the Daodi Zen Hall.

The Zen Hall was perched on a cliff, a barely tidy red-tiled house, still in an extremely minimalist style. The cold wind on the cliff was sharp as a steel blade, carrying a fierce, cutting energy.

Suo Luo had already warned Chi Yu in advance, so he was somewhat prepared and wasn't too badly affected by the oppressive energy.

He had arrived quite early but was still the last one to get there.

The instructor was a Zen master in a blue robe. When he saw Chi Yu arrive, he didn't even raise an eyebrow and casually said, "Find a seat."

Chi Yu scanned the room and finally settled his gaze on Xie Xiyi. Xie Xiyi met his eyes briefly, his golden eyes indifferent and aloof, before looking away.

Chi Yu strode over and sat down next to Xie Xiyi, introducing himself, "Hello, senior brother! I forgot to introduce myself yesterday. What's your name, senior brother?"

"..." Xie Xiyi's voice was clear, like a clear, flowing stream in the forest, unexpectedly pure. "You're very noisy."

Chi Yu: "Oh."

Chi Yu always felt that this voice sounded somewhat familiar, similar to the villain's—both had that kind of clear timbre.

It was precisely this type of voice that, when laughing joyfully, would carry that subtle, unsettling edge.

Remembering the villain, Chi Yu opened the system panel and took a look. The villain's coordinates still weren't on the map, but last night, after beating up the system, he had unlocked another function: the ability to mark someone and check their coordinates at any time.

Yet another useless function.

But Chi Yu no longer had high hopes for the current system. He reached out and marked the young prince beside him, labeling him "Crown Prince."

As the Zen master's sutra recitation continued, Chi Yu kept checking the panel. Rejuvenation was still lit up, but the "Recall" and "Seize" functions he had taken from Xie Xiyi remained grayed out. He poked at these functions and unexpectedly brought up their descriptions:

—"Recall": Tracing back to the source, the path is long and obstructed. Usage: 1/2.

—"Seize": Their poison is my nectar. Usage: 0/1.

Chi Yu couldn't help but exclaim, "What the—??"

His outburst immediately drew everyone's attention. Realizing this, Chi Yu quickly covered his mouth and apologized quickly to his classmates.

The Zen master, however, was unaffected and continued teaching in his mesmerizing, melodic chanting.

Chi Yu poked at these two functions repeatedly—they really were unusable.

When had he used Recall?

He understood the literal meaning of "recall"—to look back into the past. Wait... go back to the past?

Chi Yu's mind raced. No wonder Xie Xiyi's coordinates had disappeared from the system panel—he wasn't in the same spacetime as Xie Xiyi anymore?

Chi Yu: "..."

He was freaking out! Ah!

Xie Xiyi wasn't looking at him, but as a Golden Core cultivator, his perception was extraordinary. Even without looking, his senses could still "see" what Chi Yu was doing.

Bizarre behavior, as if he weren't quite right in the head.

Xie Xiyi silently stood up and moved to another seat.

Noticing this, Chi Yu also stood up and followed him, sitting down next to him. "Senior, I wanted to ask you something. Has anything major happened in the Continent of Zizai recently, before or after, above or below?"

He asked this because the cultivation world didn't use precise dating methods like his country, which employed terms like "XX BC," "XX AD," or "the 75th anniversary of the founding of New X Country." Instead, they marked time with big events. Like the gossip Ling Hezhou mentioned, it was dated as "500 years after Bodhisattva's defection."

Xie Xiyi's golden eyes gave him a sharp glance, carrying a faint warning. "Call me senior brother."

"Oh, right, senior brother. Do you know if any major events have happened in the Continent of Zizai recently?" Chi Yu quickly corrected himself.

Xie Xiyi: "What do you consider a major event?"

Chi Yu thought for a moment and said, "For example, something like Future Bodhisattva's defection." Xie Xiyi: "Future Bodhisattva?"

Chi Yu wracked his brain to recall. He didn't know much about Zizai Zhou, only the gossip Ling Hezhou had told him. After thinking for a while, he finally remembered, "Something about the future Bodhisattva defecting from the Anuttara Buddhist School? Has something like that happened?"

Xie Xiyi: "Hmm, maybe it will happen in the future."

Chi Yu: "What?"

Xie Xiyi's gaze fell on him. The young man's eyes were clear, with a touch of innocence. He smiled slightly as he said, "If you're talking about me, maybe it will happen in the future."

Chi Yu: "Huh? What does that have to do with you?"

Xie Xiyi said, "I am the designated Bodhisattva of the Anuttara Buddhist School."

Chi Yu: "..."

Chi Yu asked, "Are there many Anuttara Bodhisattvas?"

Xie Xiyi said, "The position has been vacant for five hundred years. I haven't taken the position yet. Why?"

Chi Yu: "..."

Chi Yu: Huh???

[Stunned]

What the hell did I get myself into?!

Author's Note:

1: You said I would defect—good insight.

Xiao Yu: So you've actually thought about it, huh?

1: Yes (rebellious grin)