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Chapter 16
Boy Afraid of Heights
“Dustfallen Sect’s patriarch accepted you as a disciple?”
Mu Yu informed General Manager of last night’s events the next day. Disciples needed to inform General Manager Xun they were leaving to go to a sect if they were leaving, anyway. For the first time in years, a grey-rank disciple was chosen. Even more surprising was the sect that never recruited disciples accepted Mu Yu. Mu Yu didn’t reveal he had purple potential for safety reasons. He merely said the patriarch took him in as the latter evaluated his character positively despite his supposed lack of potential.
Patting Mu Yu on the shoulder, General Manager Xun informed, “Dustfallen Sect is a bizarre sect. Their small circle is attributed to their refusal to recruit disciples. Nobody has provoked them because of how skilled Patriarch Feng is. I know the majority of people say Green Pine Sect is tough to join. If you ask me, though, I would say Dustfallen Sect is the toughest sect to join. Perhaps he sees something in you. Treasure the opportunity. I don’t want you to be stuck here for the rest of your life with me.”
Mu Yu wasn’t the type to turn a blind eye to someone who once helped him needing a hand. He promised, “Worry not, Elder. As long as I have something to show for my efforts, I will help you leave the academy. I cannot make good on my word now, but I will honour my word.”
General Manager Xun smiled. “I hope I’ll live to see that day. Thank you.”
“Let’s go!” Feng Haochen called as he walked over.
“Greetings, Patriarch,” saluted General Manager Xun.
“Don’t worry about the pleasantries,” Patriarch Feng cordially told the elder who he knew protected Mu Yu.
“We will meet again, Elder,” promised Mu Yu.
Once Mu Yu walked over to Feng Haochen, the latter swept aside the air with his sleeve, levitating the two of them up and away. General Manager Xun watched on enviously and melancholically.
Feng Haochen stood atop a flying sword. Mu Yu stood next to him on an invisible platform. Instead of peering down at the scenery beneath him, Mu Yu, trying to calm his palpitating heart, tried to lock his gaze on Feng Haochen. As Such, Feng Haochen queried, “Most people look down at the scenery below in amazement the first time they fly. Why do you look so despondent?”
Mu Yu blinked. “Will I die if I fall…?”
“Haha, are you afraid I’ll throw you down or something?”
Mu Yu curled his lips. “Not exactly. I am afraid of heights, however.”
“Haha, why are you afraid of heights? Cultivators can’t be afraid of heights as flying is what we do most. How are you going to learn to fly on your sword in the future if you have a phobia of heights?”
“If you fell from a cliff when you were five, you would be afraid of heights.”
Mu Yu was referring to the time he let his energy go to his head while playing around. He climbed to Mount Dayan alone and then inadvertently fell from the cliff. He was plagued with a fear of heights since then.
Feng Haochen took a step back to let Mu Yu stand on the sword. “After watching you climb trees at the academy, can I assume a tree saved you?”
“Wow, how did you tell, Shifu?”
When Mu Yu fell from the cliff, he fell head first. Upon seeing the field of green below him, he thought it’d be so nice if he could control trees and make one catch him. Imagine and imagine, a tree actually took shape and cushioned his fall. That was when he initially learnt he had the ability to control trees. Alas, the fear of heights stopped him from climbing anywhere high again.
Feng Haochen scrubbed Mu Yu’s head. “I’ll fly closer to the ground, then.”
“Shifu, I thought you would have told me I must overcome my fear or something along to that effect. Why did you not say that?”
Village Chief Bu would’ve given Mu Yu a lecture on facing his fears.
Feng Haochen stopped to think before rhetorically asking, “What’s the point of me reiterating what you already know?”
“How do you know I already know?”
“Even if you don’t, I don’t believe you need to overcome the fear yet. Everyone has a fear. We will have to face fear sooner or later. There are lots of ways of confronting one’s fears. Why choose to confront it when you’re not mentally prepared? Whether it’s life or cultivation, you can’t force things. Just go with the flow, and take things one step at a time. If I reduce the height, you will feel more reassured. Once you are comfortable with this height, we can fly a little higher. This is how you overcome your fear of heights.”
They flew low enough to touch the trees below if they reached out. Feng Haochen’s argument wasn’t anything complex, but it was the truth. He was a true role model. There was a reason for the term “learning curve”. Learning wasn’t about forcing ideas into one. Mu Yu respected Feng Haochen for the latter’s ability to reason and was glad to have an insightful mentor; it bestowed Mu Yu with hope.
“Cultivation is actually about cultivating your mind. You fear heights for you can’t calm down when high up. If you can calm your mind, you will be able to tackle many things. You might not comprehend what I’m saying now, but your journey is a long one, and you will gradually grasp it.”
“I will not be slovenly in the future. I will learn to be as level-headed as you are,” vowed Mu Yu.
Feng Haochen shook his head. “There’s no need to imitate me. Let yourself be what you should be. Being lively is part of being a child. Why must you imitate others? Be yourself. Our sect isn’t bound by any rules. The goal of cultivation is to be free of the world’s restraints. If you impose countless regulations on yourself, it’s hard for you to get anywhere. You can do anything you like under the condition you don’t violate morals.”
Mu Yu’s eyes sparkled. Of everything Feng Haochen just said, Mu Yu only heard, “… You can do anything you like.” It was the statement that erased all reserves he had about his new home. He burned to walk through the door to a new life and enjoy it.
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