Chapter 20: Bonds of Family, Deep as the Sea

When he was six years old, during the Soul Mirror test, Ye Yun suddenly recalled a name deeply etched in his memory.

“Ye Qian? Isn’t she the little girl who was the first to pass the test back then?”

A trace of embarrassment flickered across Ye Yun’s face. He had thought that this place was far from Yunshui City and never expected to encounter someone his own age from the Ye clan here.

The Grand Ancestor Ye Yu was not a mind reader and naturally had no idea what Ye Yun was thinking at that moment.

That day’s excursion had been fruitful: a bear demon and a golden-scaled spirit monkey—surely his master would praise him upon their return.

On the way back, Ye Yun also analyzed the gains and losses from this experience, as had become his habit. He reflected on himself three times a day, allowing him to promptly recognize his shortcomings and make up for them.

First, he thought, his biggest mistake was acting without first inquiring about the other party’s background. If he had known that girl was Ye Qian, what harm would there have been in letting her have the Four-leaf Jade Grass?

Time flew by, and another year passed. It had already been five years since he left Yunshui City.

When he departed back then, his master, Ye Yu, had told him he would be gone at least five years, at most ten, before returning.

All these years, Ye Zili and Liu Shuyun, who remained in Yunshui City, missed their son day and night.

“Li, it’s been five years. When do you think Yun’er will come home?”

That day, Liu Shuyun rose early, skipped breakfast, and stood at the door, gazing down the road her son had taken when he left, her heart full of longing.

“Don’t worry. Yun’er will be back soon,” Ye Zili said, wrapping a coat around his wife against the chill of the autumn wind.

There are no parents who do not love their children. Waiting and watching at the door each day had become their habit.

Meanwhile, the master and disciple who had been away for five years were making their way home.

Sunset Mountain was infested with demons and beasts, but with the formidable Grand Ancestor Ye Yu present, none of the powerful monsters dared show themselves. The occasional reckless lesser demon only served as practice for Ye Yun.

At that moment, a campfire blazed as the two enjoyed a delicious snake stew—Ye Yun had slain a giant python just moments before.

Looking at his disciple, Grand Ancestor Ye Yu was filled with satisfaction. In five years, Ye Yun had grown, both in temperament and cultivation.

…

“Father! Mother! I’m home!”

Returning to the home he had been away from for so long, Ye Yun called out loudly. Liu Shuyun, who was watering the flowers in the courtyard, froze in surprise. The kettle slipped from her hand and crashed to the ground, water splashing everywhere.

“Yun’er? Is it really Yun’er?”

She stood dazed for a moment. Though five years had made him a young man, she recognized at once that this tall, handsome youth was the very flesh and blood she had borne thirteen years before.

“Mother, it’s me. I’m unfilial for returning only after all these years.”

Ye Yun knelt before his mother with a thud. Though his parents had missed him, he too had thought of them every day while he was away.

Tears welled in Liu Shuyun’s eyes as she drew Ye Yun into her arms. “Silly child, coming home is all that matters. Don’t kneel, the ground is cold.”

Ye Zili arrived, visibly moved. When they first came to the Rain Pavilion years ago, he’d always feared Yun’er would meet the same fate as the courtyard’s previous owner, dying far from home. Now that his son had returned, a great weight lifted from his heart.

“Well done, boy. Five years, and you’ve grown sturdy,” Ye Zili said with a laugh.

Unlike Liu Shuyun, he was the head of the family, keeping his longing for his son locked in his heart. He loved his son deeply, but was not as expressive as a woman.

Five years had passed, and Ye Zili was now just over thirty, his beard adding to his dignity and calm.

Not far away, Grand Ancestor Ye Yu watched quietly. The blood ties of family stirred faint ripples in his heart.

“Seven hundred years, and I still cannot let go…” Sorrow flashed in his eyes. He did not wish to disturb the family’s joyous reunion and turned silently away.

Ye Yun noticed his master’s departing silhouette. After five years together, he sensed the burdens his master carried.

He wished to share his master’s troubles, but out of respect, did not ask since his master had chosen to remain silent.

News of Ye Yun’s return quickly reached Lord Ye Haiyi and the elders. Led by the Lord himself, they gathered outside the estate, waiting quietly.

The matter of the Grand Ancestor was a closely guarded secret within the Ye clan. Apart from the elders and the direct line of the Lord, most members had no idea of his existence.

Yet, Ye Haiyi and the elders were soon disappointed. After half a day waiting, the Grand Ancestor remained unseen, making it clear he had no intention of meeting them.

“Let us disperse. That we ever saw the Grand Ancestor was fortune enough,” Ye Haiyi said helplessly, waving his hand.

“Indeed. In my master’s and my grandmaster’s generation, they lived their whole lives without ever seeing the Grand Ancestor,” Elder Ye Min added with a sigh.

The next morning, Ye Yun rose early to wash and then met his master in the study.

“Yun’er, you have now mastered the basics of Qi refinement and martial arts. As the saying goes, too much is as bad as too little, so I won’t teach you any more techniques. Besides the martial path, there are alchemy, artifact forging, talisman crafting, array formations, and miscellaneous studies. What would you like to learn?” Grand Ancestor Ye Yu asked with a gentle smile.

“I do not understand. Please enlighten me, Master,” Ye Yun replied.

Ye Yu nodded. “Very well, I shall explain in more detail.”

“Heaven and earth contain countless wonders. Spiritual herbs and immortal grasses abound and can be refined into pills, greatly aiding the path of cultivation.”

“Pills are divided into nine grades, but for our purpose, five ranks suffice, each corresponding to a stage of cultivation. Pills above the fifth rank are extraordinary—those are elixirs of immortality.”

“Master, just how beneficial are these pills?” Ye Yun asked, curious.

“The benefits are immense!” Grand Ancestor Ye Yu chuckled. “If two cultivators of equal strength fight, the one aided by pills will surely prevail.”

“Likewise, with similar talent, the one who uses pills will progress in cultivation at ten times the speed, if not more!”

“In the world of cultivators, injuries are inevitable. With healing pills, recovery is much faster.”

“So many advantages?” Ye Yun was amazed.

“And that’s just the surface. The status of alchemists among cultivators is high—they are honored wherever they go!” Ye Yu smiled.

But then his tone grew solemn. “Yet for every benefit, there is a drawback. Though pills aid cultivation, they also contain pill toxins. If one cannot neutralize them, they accumulate in the body and hinder future advancement.”

“Moreover, alchemy is vast and profound. Countless cultivators spend their entire lives without mastering it. Studying alchemy divides one’s focus and can slow cultivation progress.”

“Mortal lives are but a hundred years. Even a Qi refiner may live at most one hundred fifty years. Reaching Foundation Establishment grants two hundred years. The Golden Core stage, three hundred years. The Nascent Soul stage, at most three hundred fifty years.”

“Given these limits, every moment of cultivation is precious, or all one’s efforts will turn to dust.”

Ye Yu’s voice was grave. Three hundred and fifty years was but a fleeting moment to him, but to Ye Yun, only thirteen, it seemed impossibly distant. He could not feel the urgency of time.

He did not know that his master was the Grand Ancestor of the Ye clan, having lived more than seven hundred years and attained extraordinary cultivation.

From Ye Yun’s nonchalant expression, Ye Yu realized it was too soon to speak of such things. With time, Ye Yun would come to understand.

“If you are interested in alchemy, seek out Elder Ye Min. He is gifted and has achieved much in this field—he can introduce you to it,” Ye Yu suggested after a moment.

“But Elder Ye Min isn’t my master. Will he teach me? Why don’t you teach me yourself, Master?” Ye Yun asked, a bit embarrassed.

“There are many capable teachers in the world. Anyone can be your master. I cannot teach you everything. Tell Ye Min I sent you, and he will instruct you,” Ye Yu replied with a smile.

In the cultivation world, the teacher-disciple bond was not exclusive. One could have several masters, which was quite common.

“Can’t you teach me, Master?” Ye Yun pressed. After five years with Ye Yu, he was used to learning from him and felt a bit resistant to the idea of studying with someone else.

“I am not all-knowing. True mastery requires specialization. In alchemy, Ye Min will teach you better than I could,” Ye Yu said patiently.

Since his master had said so, Ye Yun could not argue further. He was genuinely curious about the other branches of the Dao and eager to experience them.

However, as he was leaving the Rain Pavilion and preparing to visit Elder Ye Min at the main estate, it suddenly struck him: seven years ago, that little girl, Ye Qian, had become Ye Min’s disciple.

Recalling the incident on Sunset Mountain a year ago, Ye Yun couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on…