NOVEL NEXT 709. Leaving the Village
Cho Haoli waved his hand. “Here they are. Shall we leave, before the stink sinks into our robes?”
Xi Muchen looked at Hui, then Zhang Ming, then back at Hui. He smiled mysteriously.
Sweat dripped down Hui’s back. He doesn’t know. He hasn’t noticed, right?
“Xi Muchen!” Cho Haoli called.
“Yes, yes.” Xi Muchen nodded at Hui and Zhang Ming. “Come along.”
He waved his sleeve, and an immortal boat appeared. Gilded in gold, it shone blaringly in the sunlight. Hui raised his hand, shading his eyes. So bright, too bright! How can you see to navigate while we’re flying?
Zhang Ming stepped onto the ship. Hui hesitated just a moment, then hurried on alongside him. I need to escape this village. Even if it’s safe, I can’t grow stronger locked in here. And besides, it might be safe for me, but I can’t neglect poor Zhubi.
Plus, if I spend much longer with nothing else to do than study the power of time, I think I’ll go insane.
His footsteps echoed with a metallic clang as he walked over the ship’s deck. He looked around, taking in the ship. With the gold viciously shining all around him and the deck glaring in the sun, he struggled to make out details. It’s not as large as immortal boats from the books I read, but then, some of those immortal boats were larger than small countries. This one being normal-boat-sized is a relief, quite honestly. I wasn’t looking forward to having to fly across half of the UK to get to my room.
Assuming these kidnappers have rooms for me and Zhang Ming. He looked up at Xi Muchen uncertainly.
“Where is this Heart Lotus City?” Zhang Ming asked in his own voice, without attempting to disguise it.
Hui glanced at Zhang Ming, then shrugged to himself. So what if we use our own voices? It’s not as if these Inspectors know anything about us. He turned expectantly to the Inspectors, putting his hands behind his back.
“A day’s travel by immortal boat,” Xi Muchen said kindly. Behind him, Cho Haoli put his hand on the back of the ship and pushed qi into it. The boat surged ahead, shooting through the sky. In the space of a blink, it burst through the barrier and left the village far behind.
The power of time washed over Hui again as they passed through the barrier. He extended his senses, reaching out into the barrier as much as he could to sense as much time as he could.
Time… to the end, it eluded me. I couldn’t grasp it. And yet, it—
Hui froze. He looked at his hands. I can’t grasp time. No one can grasp it. To attempt to hold time is to grasp water. The only way to comprehend time is to experience it. To allow it to pass. To allow it to flow around you, and through you, and come out on the other side. Time cannot be forced, but if you stand back and direct it as it flows by, you can change its course.
He dropped to a sit and began to meditate immediately, consolidating his enlightenment. There’s more to this. I wonder if I can draw out more if I spend a little more thinking on it?
Cho Haoli looked at Hui. “What’s he doing?”
Zhang Ming crossed his arms and looked down at Hui, cocking an eyebrow. Wearing my face, immediately meditating… Is this some kind of statement on my diligent cultivation in the village? “He always does this. It’s all he ever does.”
Xi Muchen smiled. “Good. It’s good to continue to practice, no matter the situation.”
“I agree,” Zhang Ming replied. He sat down beside Hui and began to meditate as well.
Cho Haoli snorted. “Useless efforts. Do you think you’ll grow as strong as us in a mere boat ride?”
Sitting beside the other two, Xi Muchen shook his head at Cho Haoli. “Fools alone turn down a chance at self improvement.” He closed his eyes, joining in.
Cho Haoli crossed his arms. He rolled his eyes, then uncrossed his arms and wandered to the back of the boat, pulling out a book to read instead.
The sun traced across the sky, and the boat flew on. When the sun beamed down from directly overhead, Hui opened his eyes with a sigh. It’s no good. I don’t think I can glean any more from what enlightenment I’ve already gained. I need more experience to figure it out.
He stood, quietly walking past the other two practicing cultivators, and went to the side of the ship. Down below, untamed wilderness rolled by. Lush, thick greenery spread as far as the eye could see.
Ahead, a stretch of bare land jutted out of the forest. Hui shaded his eyes. Beneath the shade of a bubble-like barrier, a village thrived. People went about their lives, quietly wandering between the houses. Compared to the village Hui had landed in, this village had nicer houses, with brick walls and tile roofs. The people wore nicer silks, though nowhere near the finery of cultivators. Only a few wore farmers’ rough garb or worked in the fields.
Hui frowned. Why are they allowed to live more advanced lives? Is this some strange simulation of the development of humanity? But why? Everyone in these villages –they’re all Immortals. None of them need to eat, or need shelter, or even fear death. Why force them to live like peasants, rather than allowing them to live as they please?
Even if this is some kind of extremist moral statement—no, especially if it is, this isn’t acceptable. Why would anyone force this kind of mortal suffering on cultivators?
Well, okay. I can think of a dozen reasons why cultivators would force this upon other cultivators. Needing to experience their Dao, experience the mortal world, experiencing the vicissitudes of time… cultivators commit crimes like these for the most miniscule reasons!
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter why. No one should be allowed to enforce this kind of life on other people against their will.
Yeah! I already lived one life as a mortal. I don’t want to do it again! No thank you!
At the speed they moved, the village vanished beneath them in the blinking of an eye. He turned his eyes ahead, gazing off in the direction the boat flew. Whoever’s doing this, they’re almost certainly in Heart Lotus City. The sooner I get there, the sooner I can free everyone.
Jie Xinlei… I couldn’t give you what you wanted, but I can give you a future of your own. When you’re set free from that village, I wonder what kind of life you’ll choose for yourself? I’d love to see.
Steeling himself, Hui clenched his fist, then nodded to himself. Plus, my children and Bai Xue will come up here eventually. Zhubi’s missing, and Li Xiang is up here, too, if Bai Xue was correct. I need to find all of them, and—
In the distance, a white dragon looped over the horizon, scales glittering in the noon sun. Hui stood on his tiptoes, staring. Zhubi? Zhubi, is that you?