Chapter Forty-Six: The Immortal Path Is Hard to Seek, and the Ways of Humanity Ever-Changing

The sun rose in the east.

Qingyuan and Gu Cang left the dilapidated temple behind. The merchants and their party bid them farewell from a distance.

“Sir,” Gu Cang said after they had walked for a while, “just now…”

“That talk of being too old, of having another destiny—of course it was a lie,” Qingyuan replied, his expression calm and voice unruffled. “That man’s heart is not pure; he’s truly unfit for the Way. But if I had spoken the truth outright, it would have wounded his pride. I care little for such things, but if he felt humiliated, he might have taken it out on that brother and sister along the road.”

Gu Cang hefted his long spear, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand. “But those two…”

“The brother and sister are not without merit, but…” Qingyuan shook his head slightly. “The teachings of the Way must not be given lightly.”

Gu Cang muttered under his breath, “Not given lightly?”

“Precisely,” said Qingyuan. “Leaving aside the matter of passing down the tradition, even taking on an apprentice and teaching them is no easy task. These days, as I travel with you, I have guided and instructed you, shared with you the scriptures and the secrets of the Way, and haven’t you found your head about to burst?”

Gu Cang lowered his head, grinning secretly.

“If your head aches, do you think it’s any easier for me?” Qingyuan chuckled. “It’s easy to take on a disciple, but hard to teach one well. A master’s first concern is the pupil’s character; if you take in a villain, and the student turns against the master, isn’t the master to be pitied? And if the aptitude and intelligence fall short, there’s little hope; one cannot take on a fool. Even if a disciple is taught well, what if he dies out in the world? Then all those years of cultivation and care are for nothing.”

Gu Cang cried out in alarm, then patted the scabbard of his long knife and his own chest. “I… I won’t die. I won’t go astray…”

“I know,” Qingyuan said, smiling. “But taking on a disciple is no simple matter, which is why finding a teacher is never easy in this world. See how many seek immortals and the Way, traversing famed mountains and great rivers, yet in the end, destiny remains elusive…”

Gu Cang considered this, then said, “I understand.”

And by this, of course, he meant he knew to cherish such fate all the more.

A smile touched Qingyuan’s lips. He pointed south. “Today we’ll cross these mountains and reach Nanliang.”

Whether or not he could see Chen Zhiyun, Gu Cang had little interest in going to Nanliang; he simply murmured assent, showing scant reaction.

…

The sky was an endless blue, the weather clear for a thousand miles.

A white line cut through the clouds above.

Qingyuan suddenly felt something and stopped in his tracks.

Gu Cang, surprised, asked, “Sir, what is it?”

Qingyuan did not answer. He drew a token from his robe and looked to the sky.

That white line descended from the clouds.

It was a white bird.

Qingyuan placed the token on his palm, and the bird alighted there.

He untied the letter from the bird’s leg, waved his hand, and let it go.

Startled, the bird flew up, disappearing into the clouds, never to be seen again.

“News from Bai Jiye,” Qingyuan said. “He keeps many strange birds and insects, and can sense them through this token. He sends word over thousands of miles. To us, this is a rare thing indeed…”

Gu Cang nodded, only half-understanding.

Qingyuan unfolded the letter, his gaze sharpening at once.

…

General Deng Yin of Nanliang has stationed his army in Tianshui County.
General Jiang Baijian of Shu has camped in Nanan City.
For over a month, the two armies have faced off, neither daring to act rashly.
At the end of last month, two hundred White-Clad Troops under Chen Zhiyun launched a surprise attack on Shu’s grain stores, cutting off their supplies.
Afterward, all two hundred White-Clad Troops perished, but Deng Yin’s army seized the opportunity to strike and triumphed.
Jiang Baijian suffered a minor defeat, abandoned Nanan City, and retreated to Dongtiao Pass, summoning his deputy general Jiang Jingliu for reinforcements.

…

“Tianshui and Nanan are neighbors… But years ago, Tianshui was abandoned, which made the neighboring lands the border between the two kingdoms,” Qingyuan mused in thought. “Jiang Baijian has retreated, giving up Nanan, and now Dongtiao Pass. There’s another county between those two places, but he’s abandoned both—what audacity…”

Gu Cang couldn’t follow, scratching his head. “What’s wrong now?”

Qingyuan pinched the paper, letting it burn to ash before replying. “Simply put, General Jiang Baijian of Shu has been defeated, given up two counties, and now Nanliang’s borders have advanced, while Shu’s territory has shrunk.”

He smiled. “Luckily, these places are far from Yuangjing City and Li County; for now, the impact should be minimal.”

Gu Cang made a noncommittal sound; such matters meant little to him.

Qingyuan fell silent for a moment.

Only now did he realize why he had seen Chen Zhiyun’s White-Clad Troops in these mountains. They had traveled through these deep forests, crossing the border to launch their raid on Jiang Baijian’s grain stores. But since large forces couldn’t move easily through the mountains, they must have split into small groups, explaining why a lone White-Clad young officer was found here.

“Only Chen Zhiyun’s men could accomplish such a feat—two hundred men raiding a great army’s supply stores…” Qingyuan murmured. “But were all two hundred lost?”

…

Qingyuan walked on, brows furrowed in thought.

Gu Cang noticed and asked, “Sir, you seem to care a great deal about these affairs?”

Qingyuan glanced at him and nodded. “Yes.”

Gu Cang pondered, then asked, “Why?”

He was confused, unable to put his thoughts into words, but Qingyuan understood his meaning.

Recently, Qingyuan had explained that those who cultivate the Way seek peace and seclusion, to practice quietly, yearning for the ultimate truth, and that such a life is truly enviable.

Yet, for all his desire to withdraw from the world, Qingyuan seemed invested in these worldly conflicts—an apparent contradiction.

“Cultivators of the Dao should, in truth, steer clear of the wars of gods and men,” Qingyuan said, shaking his head and smiling. “But now, the world is in the grip of calamity—disaster for mortals and immortals alike. Inevitably, those who walk the Way are drawn in. Even if one wishes to hide, how can one remain untouched?”

“There are those hermits who never set foot in the world, who might evade the coming disaster.”

“But for now, I cannot retreat from the world. I must still walk among men, seeking my own destiny.”

“And since I journey through these lands, crossing from realm to realm, it is impossible to remain untouched by calamity or to escape its effects…”

Qingyuan fixed Gu Cang with a meaningful gaze. “In such times, one cannot remain ignorant.”

Gu Cang fretted for a moment, then asked, “So I need to know these things too?”

Qingyuan gave a gentle smile. “Since you travel by my side, you need not trouble yourself to seek out such matters.”

Gu Cang replied, still feeling bewildered.

Qingyuan fell silent, deep in thought.

When he had descended to the mortal realm years ago, still an outsider to the Way, he’d already found ways to gather news from every quarter, but nothing compared to the intelligence Bai Jiye provided.

“Even deep in the wilds, the message arrives unerringly,” Qingyuan noted inwardly. “No wonder the Bai family has always been so well informed about the world’s every movement… But since Bai Jiye was able to send this news to me, it can hardly be a secret; if not widely known, at least many must have heard of it by now.”