The Spiritual Attainment of Minghe

Following the beautiful flute-playing, Yaoji crossed the Yu River and came upon a bamboo thicket. She saw Yang Tianyou playing his flute amid the sea of bamboos and was instantly intrigued. He was such an elegant youth, such a well-mannered scholar. To think he would be able to produce such lovely sounds using an ordinary bamboo flute!

Having traveled the human world for several years, she had encountered all sorts of people and events but she had never seen someone like Yang Tianyou. If he was born in the future generations, he would be a master of melody at best. But it was now the time of Xia Dynasty, the beginning of civilization. With just his flute skill, he could be considered as an outstanding talent.

She could detect all sorts of emotions in his flute-playing; there was the pursuit of freedom, the yearning for leisure, and the desire for an unfettered life. Wasn’t this precisely what she wanted? She might be Haotian’s sister and enjoyed a prestigious position in the Heavenly Court, she wasn’t happy there. That was why she yearned for the human world and secretly descended to earth.

Looking at Yang Tianyou, it was as if she was looking at herself. The scenery was picturesque and elegant along the bank of Yu River, making it seem like an otherworldly sort of place. Someone capable of staying here and playing the flute so beautifully couldn’t possibly be an ordinary person.

Yang Tianyou naturally had noticed her presence as well. His goal was to charm her. Now that his flute-playing had attracted her, the first step of his plan was considered a success. What he needed to do next was to let Yaoji fall in love with him.

When Yaoji looked at Yang Tianyou, an inexplicable emotion stirred in her. She took a step forward and was about to speak when they heard an irritated shout coming from the forested mountain nearby. "You think it’s nice to keep playing, do you? You think others don’t have to get a good sleep early in the morning, do you? To hell with you! Just who’s the reckless idiot who dared to come here and behave so atrociously?!"

With this irritated yell, the sound of the flute stopped abruptly as the bamboo flute in Yang Tianyou’s hands exploded. The impact of the roar also threw him several feet away, where he fell down to the ground. His mouth was spewing blood, having been heavily injured.

He looked at the forested mountains in horror. He never once thought there would be such a powerful person staying here. Was he from the Human Tribe? Whoever who could injure a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal with mere soundwaves would at least be a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal. And such masters in the tribe were either placed in the Holy Land of Human Tribe or under the Sages’ tutelage.

The Sages’ disciples wouldn’t choose to stay on such an unremarkable mountain, instead favoring famous mountains, great rivers, or Immortal’s Caves. Besides those left behind to guard the frontiers of the nine provinces, most humans were summoned back to the Holy Land of Human Tribe. So the person who roared earlier was definitely not from that place. Could he be a reclusive Almighty from the Untainted Land?

Seeing this, Yaoji waved her hands and summoned her Haotian Mirror. She observed the forested mountains cautiously and noticed something odd. This place might be beautiful, but it wasn’t famous at all. By all means, this place shouldn’t have such rich Spiritual Air. More importantly, the faint aroma drifting in the air was something that was familiar to her but she couldn’t recall what exactly it was at the moment.

A person, no, a monkey appeared under the watchful stare of Yaoji and Yang Tianyou. He walked slowly out of the forest with a massive peach in his hand. He ate the peach as he walked, his eyes taking in the two people as if trying to determine their identities.

The monkey was dressed in a Golden Chain Mail Shirt, layered with a Cloud Brocade Red Robe. His head donned a phoenix-feather cap and his feet were tucked in Cloud-walking Boots. His outfit was grand and imposing but what a pity it was worn on a monkey. Holding the Haotian Mirror, Yaoji said, "What evil being are you, to wound an innocent without reason?"

The monkey swallowed the last bite of the peach and tossed it away. He wiped his mouth and laughed. "Evil being? Ha, that’s new! Not even your brother, Haotian, dares speak to me that way. You’re just a silly little girl, a mere Golden Immortal. How can your brother feel assured to have you running around? Oh well, he can control Haotian Mirror remotely. Unless it’s a Sage-to-be, no one can hurt you."

Yaoji’s face instantly became red. A silly little girl? She had never heard anyone describe her as such since she was born. From his words, the monkey knew her brother and had no respect for him at all. That meant he couldn’t be an ordinary person. Rather, he wasn’t an ordinary monkey spirit.

She began to feel curious about the brightly-dressed monkey that didn’t care for his brother. So she asked, "What kind of monster are you to know my brother? Aren’t you afraid of him? He’s the Great Jade Emperor."

The monkey laughed. "I, Liu Er, am only afraid of my mentor in the entire Untainted Land. I wouldn’t yield even when it comes to the Sages. Though your brother is the Lord of the Heavenly Court, his cultivation is beneath mine. Why do I need to fear him?"

This monkey was none other than Liu Er. After he parted with Kong Xuan in the Holy Land of Human Tribe, he traveled on the clouds and headed west all the way. When he passed by Chen Du, he couldn’t help thinking about his days mentoring Fuxi here and decided to stop and stay for a while.

Liu Er was born with a carefree nature and naturally wouldn’t feel sentimental over the loss of a mentor-apprentice relationship. He only stayed because the peach trees he had planted back then were now ripe. The peaches that had been left unplucked for many years fell to the ground, resulting in even more new peach trees. The entire mountain was now a sea of peach trees.

The peach stone that he planted in the first place was from the Peento Tree that Minghe cultivated and could be considered a Postcelestial Spiritual Roots. However, the peaches it would bear would not be of similar rank but he wasn’t particular about it. With his cultivation, all peaches were the same to him. And the peaches on this mountain were enough to feed him for a very long time.

Thus, Liu Er stayed here and ate peaches whenever he was not sleeping. He would also spend time doing what he loved best, brewing Monkey Liquor. Minghe and Kong Xuan loved drinking the liquor and he himself also liked it. More importantly, he found himself feeling more serene while making the liquor. Thus, this became his daily cultivation and it was something that he had done incessantly for thousands of years.

Ordinary people shouldn’t be able to approach this place due to the Confusion Formation that Liu Er placed somewhere nearby. Even if people came to this mountain, they would subconsciously leave the place. As time passed, those from Chen Du wouldn’t visit anymore. Some said the mountain had an Immortal’s Cave that barred ordinary people, while others claimed that there were demons.

But today, there were actually two visitors. Liu Er didn’t much care for it until that damned Yang Tianyou started playing his flute. He even used the Sounds of Sanskrit, an art of enchantment by the Western Religious Sect! Liu Er had never liked the religion and now one of its followers had come up to his doorstep to create a disturbance! Though he didn’t know what the person’s intentions were, he knew it couldn’t be anything good. Thus he showed no mercy and that was the beginning of Yang Tianyou’s tragedy.

Liu Er instantly recognized Yaoji thanks to the mirror in her hands. The mirror was a Spiritual Treasure gifted by Honourable Ancestor. It was impossible for Haotian to lend it a stranger. It was said that he had a sister named Yaoji, who he doted on. Thus, this must be her.

Yaoji’s bright eyes blinked when she heard Liu Er’s words. She didn’t know who he was but she did know the Sages. Even her brother needed to show respect for them. How could she not be curious now that this monkey was saying he was unafraid of the Sages? She asked, "You’re called Liu Er? Why haven’t I heard of you?"

Liu Er was speechless. He didn’t think her to not know him at all. Could he really be such an insignificant figure in the Untainted Land? He looked at Yang Tianyou and laughed. "You may not know me, little girl, but that guy sure does. Am I right?"

Yang Tianyou felt helpless when he heard this question. He thought his task would be smooth-sailing when Yaoji had nearly fallen into his trap, but who knew a monkey would appear out of nowhere? And it was a master among all monkeys at that. Being a disciple of the Western Religious Sect, he naturally knew Liu Er who dared to confront Honored Lord of the Origin and weren’t afraid of the Sages. In the entire Untainted Land, Liu Er was the first one who would have the courage to do so.