Chapter Eleven: The Art of Adaptation

"Master is more important than anything!" Little Ye Yun choked as he spoke. This was the voice from the depths of his heart. His innocent, unblemished face was clean, the heart of a child pure and unsullied.

With just this one glance, the heart of Grand Ancestor Ye Yu was nearly melted within an instant.

"But to your master, you are more important. Do you understand?" Ye Yu's voice lost its stern edge, softening considerably.

"Absorbing one's own vital essence to cultivate is a grave taboo in the path of immortality. Unless it's absolutely necessary, you must never do it again." No longer scolding, Ye Yu reached out to gently stroke Little Ye Yun's hair. "I had you serve as a little errand boy among mortals to temper your character. The road to immortality is fraught with hardship and adversity. Starting from the lowest rung as a servant is a form of training for you. Though you're a servant now, you are, after all, a cultivator. One must learn to adapt."

"What does it mean to adapt?" Ye Yun asked in confusion.

"If I ask you to earn five taels of silver, yet you manage to earn ten, you hand over five to complete the task and keep the remaining five for yourself. That is the simplest form of adaptation."

"Cultivation methods and mystical arts are abstruse and mysterious, requiring high aptitude to master. If you can't even grasp the simplest flexibility, how can you hope to travel further on this path?"

Ye Yu continued his patient teaching as always, never finding it tedious. Although the time spent with Ye Yun was brief compared to his seven centuries of life, he had come to realize that Ye Yun already occupied a special place in his heart.

"Master, I understand now. The books speak of adaptation too. I knew of it before, but I didn't truly understand. Hearing your words, I suddenly see it clearly." Little Ye Yun quickly cast aside his inner troubles and broke into a joyful smile.

"Master, is this what the books call a sudden enlightenment?" he said playfully, showing off his newfound ability to apply what he’d learned.

Ye Yu laughed as well, pinching Ye Yun's fair little cheek. "It was I who was too eager. From now on, until you have fully condensed the Scarlet Flame Demon Mark, I will bring you food every night. Do not continue drawing from your own essence."

"No, I want to overcome this hardship on my own! Father taught me from childhood that a boy must be brave and possess a strong heart unafraid of adversity!"

To Ye Yu’s surprise, Little Ye Yun clenched his small fists, his tone and gaze resolute.

"You little rascal..." Ye Yu shook his head, smiling wryly, yet he admired this side of Ye Yun. He had often said that having a father like Ye Zili, who knew how to guide his child rightly, was Ye Yun's great fortune.

Likewise, having a smart, obedient, and sensible child like Ye Yun was the greatest blessing of Ye Zili's life.

The next day, Little Ye Yun was visibly more energetic than before, moving swiftly as he bustled about. While running errands, his little head was still pondering how to overcome his current predicament.

The so-called predicament, naturally, was the problem of food—a key issue during the stage of refining essence into qi. At this stage, it was best to eat more meat—the stronger the beast, the richer its flesh was in essence, providing great aid for cultivators at this stage.

The teahouse did a fair business and was well-known in Xinshui Town. The sudden appearance of a child servant piqued the curiosity of many patrons. Upon hearing of his troubled fate, some wealthy guests even offered to adopt him, but each time, Little Ye Yun politely declined.

Though it was a teahouse, it had a kitchen and served some wine and dishes. With no other means, Little Ye Yun set his sights on the meat stored in the kitchen.

"The manager took pity on me and took me in. If I steal from the kitchen, wouldn't that be repaying kindness with ingratitude?"

His conscience tormented him, leaving him conflicted. As a scholar, he naturally valued reason and causality.

"Master said that only by adapting can one survive. If I restrain myself with the precepts in books, then aside from continuing to draw on my own essence, I have no other choice."

It was as if two voices argued within his heart. His master had warned him not to absorb his own essence any longer, and he dared not repeat the mistake. But without enough meat to refine his essence and strengthen his qi, his cultivation would inevitably be delayed.

"A drop of kindness should be repaid a thousandfold. For now, I'll use the kitchen’s meat to practice my techniques. Once I finish condensing the Scarlet Flame Demon Mark and begin learning combat arts from Master, I’ll repay the manager tenfold!"

After much deliberation, Little Ye Yun made his decision. In his eyes, this too was a form of adaptation.

Though sneaking food from the kitchen wasn't righteous, he had no other option. As long as he repaid this debt in the future, it wouldn't violate his conscience.

After nightfall, Little Ye Yun first returned to the woodshed. Only when the town was deep in slumber did he sneak out, using the darkness for cover to slip into the kitchen and steal food.

"So the boy found a way after all. Stealing is wrong, but Yun’er has at least grasped the principle of adaptation."

Ye Yu did not stop Ye Yun. On the contrary, he felt some approval. He was no rigid pedant—he did not wish for his disciple to only spout lofty principles.

In a world as treacherous and corrupted as this, cunning and resourcefulness were necessary to survive.

Over the past few days, large amounts of meat had gone missing from the kitchen, arousing the suspicion of the teahouse manager and his wife. They left a worker to keep watch in the kitchen, ready to raise the alarm if a thief appeared, so everyone could rush in and catch the culprit.

The manager never suspected Little Ye Yun, so he said nothing to the eight-year-old, lest he worry and lose sleep. Little did he know that on this very night, Ye Yun once again slipped out under the cover of darkness, moving like a nimble kitten toward the kitchen.

It had been half a month since Ye Yun began cultivating the Scarlet Flame Qi. The Demon Mark was nearly fully condensed; in just four more days, it would be complete, marking his entry into the first stage of Qi Refinement.

As the mark condensed, the Scarlet Flame Qi surged ever more powerfully through his meridians, strengthening his body—greater strength, swifter movement, sharper sight, keener hearing, and even a remarkable ability to recover from injury.

A comprehensive transformation—shedding the mortal shell and transcending the ordinary—this was the cultivator who seized the power of heaven and earth to forge themselves anew.

Arriving at the kitchen door, Ye Yun moved without a sound, light and agile. His ears pricked up, nerves taut, as he caught the faint sound of breathing from within.

"As expected, the recent meat thefts have put the teahouse on alert. Someone’s sleeping inside, and they're lying with their back against the door. If I push the door, they'll wake instantly."

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