Chapter 43: Catching the Moon, Observing the Wind

Catching the Moon, Observing the Wind

"Ruan Ci, let me tell you, you must live outside in the future."

Once this black-and-white cat arrived at Ruan Ci’s cave dwelling, it didn't do anything else before carefully sniffing every inch of the floor, scratching it with its claws, and rubbing its body against it. Only then did it feel at ease. It jumped into Ruan Ci’s room, licked its paws, and after a while, put them down. Squatting there with a very serious expression, it said, "If you move into the Purple Void Heaven to live, I am not going with you—the Sect Master is truly strange, actually sending you to study under True Person Wang."

Ruan Ci also knew that because Wang Panpan was a remnant of Xie Yanhuan’s faction, its status in the Profound Heaven Sect was very awkward. She said, "I wasn't necessarily set on coming to the Profound Heaven Sect in the first place; it was all arranged by you. You really should blame the Sect Master; he even sent all the benefits to True Person Wang and didn't leave a single thing for you. I heard from Tianlu that True Person Wang only gave me one ten-millionth, and as for the rest, I don't think you have the guts to go ask him for it back."

Wang Panpan was indeed very afraid of True Person Wang. This time, it had been acting rather timid, as if it were terrified that True Person Wang had laid some trap to kill it at any moment. It said, "If you mention me less in front of him, I’ll be thanking the heavens. I originally planned to come over quietly in a few months, but you just wouldn't wait."

Ruan Ci held it on her lap and picked up a silver comb, grooming its fur. Hearing this, she was so annoyed that she pinned Wang Panpan down and gave it a few hard slaps on its fleshy hindquarters and waist. Wang Panpan meowed in pain and shouted, "Why are you hitting me? Be gentle! This little Panpan has no magic power!"

For a Qi Refining disciple to have a Golden Core great demon was indeed eye-catching, and since Wang Panpan was Xie Yanhuan’s old pet, it wasn't convenient to be so flashy. This little cat only had the cultivation of one who had just opened their meridians, which suited Ruan Ci’s status perfectly. Ruan Ci withdrew her hand and questioned, "I should be the one asking you. True Person Wang had Tianlu teach me the Four Fundamental Mantras, and only then did I realize that one's true name is so important—then when I got married, you were right there watching. Why didn't you tell me? Why did you let me tell my name to Qu Tanyue?"

Wang Panpan meowed, its voice sounding somewhat amused, and said, "I thought it was something serious; so it’s just this matter. How could I teach you the Four Fundamental Mantras? Those are things only your master can teach. Haven't you noticed that even Chen Jun didn't dare to teach you? Neither of them could bear that karmic burden! Besides, he asked you, not me. What could I do? This is naturally the most important step in a wedding. If you don't exchange names, how can you be considered husband and wife? Can you accept the betrothal gifts with peace of mind? Wouldn't you have to return them?"

It made a move to snatch the jade disc, but Ruan Ci turned and hugged it to her chest, looking at it with a wary expression. Wang Panpan meowed with laughter and added, "Besides, regarding the exchange of names, he asked you, but you didn't ask him, so the rites aren't even complete."

Ruan Ci flopped onto the bed and groaned, "Think again. When he came to the Junping Prefecture to see me, what did I ask him?"

Wang Panpan was stunned and said, "You asked him his name? You didn't tell me that—"

It chuckled to itself for a while, then licked Ruan Ci and comforted her, "Forget it, it’s not a big deal. Didn't you complete the wedding ceremony anyway? You count as husband and wife. Besides, if you calculate it, he’s the one who lost out. He told you his true name, but what you told him might not necessarily be yours."

Ruan Ci was stunned and said, "Isn't my name Ruan Ci?"

Wang Panpan laughed, "What are you saying? You are a daughter of the Lin clan. When you were born, you naturally had a name with the Lin surname; you just forgot it. Ruan Ci can only be considered your secular name; it wouldn't matter even if you shouted it all over the sky."

Ruan Ci then remembered her background and couldn't help but worry whether not knowing her true name would hinder her cultivation. Wang Panpan said, "That doesn't matter much. It is true that not knowing your true name seems to be a hindrance when ascending to the highest realms, but since you have no hope of reaching the Dao Ancestor realm, there’s no need to worry about that."

It patted Ruan Ci and said, "Since you know this, don't call Young Master Yue by his name directly in the future; calling him 'husband' would be fine. Qu Tanyue is his true name. You are husband and wife; every time you call him, he will sense it. If you miss him every day and recite his name every day, he will know that you must have fallen for him, which is why you miss him every day."

Only then did Ruan Ci understand why everyone else called Young Master Yue 'Yue Tan'; it turned out that was his alias. She asked Wang Panpan why people called Taishi Yi and Xu Shaowei by their full names. Wang Panpan said, "Chen Jun and Xu Shaowei are just secular names; they have other true names. As for Taishi Yi, he also practices the 'Heavenly Demon Formless Induction Method,' so that is indeed his true name. But I have my own secret techniques to evade his sensing."

It continued, "Most of those who can spread their true names across the world without defense, allowing everyone to call them, are great masters who have cultivated induction techniques or even wondrous arts like the 'Heavenly Demon Seed Thought.' They can sense when their names are called, so fewer people actually call them by their names. For example, the Yanshan Demon Lord, the Sect Leader of the Profound Soul Sect, and Xie Yanhuan are all like this. If Xie Yanhuan hadn't broken through to the world beyond, not many people would dare to call her name casually."

Ruan Ci asked suspiciously, "If that’s the case, many people should know True Person Wang’s name too, since he also practices the 'Supreme Induction Chapter'—speaking of which, I need to settle a score with you. Why didn't you tell me the limit of the East Flower Sword’s ability to calm the mind..."

After a long, tangled argument, Wang Panpan always had an excuse to absolve itself. It claimed that the 'Supreme Induction Chapter' required an extremely rare and unique talent to practice, and even the Sect Master hadn't mastered it. It hadn't expected Ruan Ci to be sent to the Purple Void Cave Illumination Heaven, so it hadn't mentioned it. "This kind of induction only happens when you are face-to-face, sitting together and talking. Whether you can sense it or not depends on the Cave Heaven True Person’s own cultivation and personality; how could I have anticipated that? Besides, what kind of messy things were you thinking about in your own head? If you had been thinking about his virtues and his demeanor, would True Person Wang have been angry?"

Ruan Ci protested, "I also think he is very good-looking. He and Sister Xie look the same in their male forms, but their temperaments are completely different, so naturally, he is good-looking—"

Wang Panpan’s fur stood on end. It glared at her for a long time, jumped off her lap, and left. "I cannot stay in this place—Ruan Ci, if you want to court death, go ahead, but I will never die with you."

Ruan Ci insisted on keeping Wang Panpan by her side precisely because there were many things Tianlu clearly wouldn't tell her, while Wang Panpan might know even more than Tianlu. She scooped up Wang Panpan and stroked it. "Good Panpan, tell me quickly, were True Person Wang and Sister Xie a pair of lovers in the past? And then, and then the Yanshan Demon Lord snatched her away, staging a struggle of spirit, flesh, and desire—"

"You’ve read too many storybooks," Wang Panpan sneered. "There’s all sorts of nonsense in 'Heavenly Boat Crossing.' Don't believe everything you read. What spirit, flesh, and desire? Can't you see it? Xie Yanhuan’s male and female forms look very similar, and her female form is also extremely similar to Wang Que’er. This is naturally because they were originally relatives."

Ruan Ci had always been curious about whether Xie Yanhuan was male or female, but Wang Panpan would never say. At this moment, it seemed there was finally a conclusion. Ruan Ci looked at Wang Panpan, trying to appear as obedient as possible, and took some dried meat from her bosom to feed it, looking like she was all ears. Wang Panpan sighed and said somewhat reluctantly, "Since you’ve finally joined the Profound Heaven Sect, there are many things you must know. I will tell them to you one by one now."

It curled up on the table, stretched out its hind leg, hugged it, licked its fur, and said slowly, "You’ve always asked me if Xie Yanhuan is male or female. Now I will tell you: Xie Yanhuan is both male and female. But to you, she is female; to the people of the Southern Zhuzhou, she is male. This is the 'Heavenly Demon Dual Aspect.' Whatever you believe her to be, that is what she is, but you must believe it in your heart without reservation. If you start by thinking she is female, but later secretly feel in your heart that she is actually male, and you stop trusting your own judgment, then from that moment on, you lose your induction to her. If she doesn't want you to, even if she stands right in front of you, you won't be able to see her or catch her. Because of this, although the people of the Southern Zhuzhou know that Xie Yanhuan also has a female side, they must believe without doubt that she is male, and view the female form as a phantom image she conjures. If they hesitate even slightly in their hearts and lose that anchor, then it’s a disaster. Wherever Xie Yanhuan goes, they will be unable to track her. So, on the Southern Zhuzhou side, once they felt she was male, they must always feel he is male."

"If you ask me whether she was male or female when she first entered the Dao, I won't tell you. If you believe from the very beginning that she can be both male and female, then you can capture both her male and female aspects. If you believe a person can only have one gender, then you can only make yourself believe she is male or female. If you believe she is female, then your induction to her male form will decrease," Wang Panpan said. "Of course, there is a higher level, which is that many great masters see her as both male and female simultaneously, so their induction to both her male and female aspects is extremely keen. It’s not so easy for her to do evil things relying on her Heavenly Demon supernatural powers."

All these supernatural powers related to the Heavenly Demon were, even now that Ruan Ci had opened her meridians, something she found eerie, mysterious, ever-changing, and impossible to guard against. Hearing Wang Panpan talk about it, she couldn't help but sigh. Wang Panpan sneered, "All the supernatural powers in the Heavenly Demon path are learned from the Heavenly Demon, which shows how mysterious and hard to guard against the demons are. However, most demons are chaotic and mindless, having only the instinctual urge to devour. It is truly terrifying when humans learn the Heavenly Demon’s supernatural powers. Xie Yanhuan only has Nascent Soul cultivation, yet she can roam the world freely. Half of this is because of the East Flower Sword, and the other half is because she is the most outstanding demonic cultivator in these ten thousand years. After she rebelled against the Profound Heaven Sect, the Sect Master defiled her true name on the Jade Records, and most of her Daoist supernatural powers were crippled. Xie Yanhuan switched to practicing the 'Heavenly Demon True Scripture,' and in less than three hundred years, her fierce reputation covered the world. Other cultivators, even with the protection of the Mother-Child Yin Coffin to shield their true spirits, wouldn't dare to roam the void like that, but she dared. This is because of these Heavenly Demon methods, which are ever-changing. Even if she went to a new universe or a great heaven, she could turn around and re-cultivate them back."

The more deeply Ruan Ci understood the cultivation world, the more she could appreciate Xie Yanhuan’s extraordinary talent. Ruan Ci couldn't help but ask, "But what exactly is Sister Xie trying to find by going beyond the heavens? What is there that our Langhuan Universe doesn't have, that she must spend so much effort to go beyond the heavens to find?"

Wang Panpan shook its head and said, "I don't know either. She wouldn't tell me. Now you should understand that many times, not telling you certain things is actually to protect you."

Ruan Ci could only nod silently. Wang Panpan moved past this topic and said, "As for her male form’s appearance, she actually didn't have any good intentions. She grew to look like Wang Que’er, and when she arrived at the Southern Zhuzhou, she also pretended to be Wang Que’er, deceiving I don't know how many cultivators. This is to plunder Wang Que’er’s fortune. If one day she walks through the entire universe in this male form and everyone thinks she is Wang Que’er, then she will truly become Wang Que’er. Wang Que’er’s cultivation and Cave Heaven will all be usurped by her, and the person herself will instead become an incarnation of Xie Yanhuan. This is a supernatural power related to karmic fortune, and the intentions are very sinister."

"When Cave Heaven True Persons fight, many of them use such methods; it’s not just simple killing—so do you know what kind of rebellious thoughts you’ve been having?" Wang Panpan let out a long meow and scolded, "Since you are now studying under True Person Wang, then even if you want to think, you must think like this: True Person Wang is handsome and has a transcendent temperament. No matter how hard the Xie remnant tries, she will never be able to confuse her true body. Her conspiracies and schemes are destined to fail."

Ruan Ci was also somewhat floored and couldn't help but laugh, but upon careful thought, it was indeed the truth. Xie Yanhuan was far away beyond the heavens and couldn't give her any help now. And there wouldn't be many cultivators in this world who would dare to bear Ruan Ci’s karmic burden and take her as a disciple. Since True Person Wang wanted to take her in, she naturally had to prioritize him and do everything according to his preferences. If she did that, perhaps the next time Tianlu sent spiritual food, it wouldn't be one cart, but several. And the cook she really wanted, and the cultivation methods those four servants should learn, would all depend on True Person Wang.

However, even so, such sycophantic thoughts were still too much. She tried to think about it and giggled, "No, I can't do it. At worst, the next time I see the True Person, I will hold the mantra the whole time. Speaking of which, is the True Person’s true name Wang Que’er? He practices the 'Supreme Induction Chapter,' so he can indeed forgo the 'Mouth-Cleansing Mantra,' and everyone can recite his name."

"The True Person does practice the Induction Method, but he doesn't like his true name being recited by others, so he still set a 'Mouth-Cleansing Mantra'," Wang Panpan said. "Wang Que’er was his childhood nickname. In the past, Xie Yanhuan used to call him that, which was actually not very respectful. Don't let it slip in the future. Even I was a bit overstepping just now, and I won't dare to call him that again."

It couldn't help but feel a bit dejected and sighed, "Back in the sect, the two of them looked after each other and were so close. I never expected that today they would become irreconcilable enemies. In the future, you and I must be careful in everything under the True Person’s tutelage and act according to the True Person’s wishes."

Ruan Ci pursed her lips and said, "The True Person’s temperament is truly chaste and reserved, and he seems to care a lot about his reputation. He feels I am a bit crude and is not very happy."

She then told Wang Panpan about her experiences these days. Wang Panpan had its own appraisal and said, "What’s wrong with being a bit crude? If you deliberately act sharp-tongued, others won't come to provoke you for no reason. However, since the True Person cares about his reputation, you should go out less in the future. After you reach Foundation Establishment and a few decades pass, very few people will remember these things."

It also busied itself with naming the cave dwelling and the mountain peak. Looking at its attitude, it highly approved of True Person Wang’s view, feeling that a residence without a name was uncultured and the way of country folk. This was a difference between the prosperous sects of the Central Continent and other places, and Ruan Ci had to get used to it slowly.

After thinking for a long time, she named the mountain peak 'Catching the Moon Cliff' and the cave dwelling 'Observing the Wind Mansion.' Wang Panpan jumped onto the table again, called the four servants over for a lecture, and set up a system of rewards and punishments, listing the meridian-opening cultivation method as an end-of-year reward. Don't look at it as just a little cat; it was very methodical in managing the cave dwelling. It was busy for a while, and Ruan Ci wanted to ask it about the forces of the various mountain peaks in the sect, but Wang Panpan waved its tail and brushed her off. "Go, go, go, you just focus on your cultivation. Your Jade Pool is so wide; how can you not cultivate diligently? After these two probes, the limelight has passed. The next time you enter people’s sight, it’s best if you have already reached Foundation Establishment. Otherwise, if someone beats you to it and True Person Wang loses face, our days will not be easy."

Ruan Ci couldn't be the master of her own cave dwelling, but a smile appeared on her lips. She watched silently for a while as Wang Panpan had the four servants running back and forth, then turned and returned to the quiet room. Wang Panpan was right about one thing: sometimes, even if others wanted to tell her certain things, they had to wait until her cultivation reached that level. A few decades to a Cave Heaven True Person was nothing more than a single closed-door meditation, but to a low-level cultivator, it was enough for many changes to occur. Since opening her meridians and disrupting these days, she finally had the time to carefully consider her future cultivation.

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Updated. Sorry for the long wait, everyone. I had stir-fried okra for lunch today; I love this dish! It’s slippery and spicy, and it feels very appetizing.

Q&A time: 1. If one’s true name is guessed by someone, will it cause danger? For example, guessing that Little Ci might be called Ruan X Ci, or like the Song Crown Prince, where three sects of cultivators already know his name and can pass it on to others.

Answer: Yes, so some cultivators use their secular names in external interactions. Protection against true names is not foolproof, and various exceptional situations will occur. However, the karma generated by "you telling someone your true name without any defense" and "someone guessing your true name through other channels" is different. Of course, using a true name to deal with a certain cultivator is also a relatively difficult thing. For low-level cultivators, it’s like how we wouldn't consider being hit by a plane while taking a walk; it’s only at a relatively high level that one needs to be very serious about guarding against it.

I started reading "Falling in Love with the Tech Tree," and I feel the pacing is a bit slow, ah ah ah ah, but the details are quite good.

. Thanks to the little angels who gave me overlord votes or poured nutrient solution between 2020-08-02 11:57:05 and 2020-08-03 12:04:09~

Thanks to the little angel who gave a hand grenade: Yu Wanyao (1);

Thanks to the little angels who gave landmines: Li Xiaowei, Yun Shui Shui, Time’s Delusion, Li Heping (1 each);

Thanks to the little angels who poured nutrient solution: Xiao Xiao Cao Mu (40 bottles); Ruo Yu Pian Ran (20 bottles); Mu Liu Feng Piao, Lazy Cancer Late Stage, Xun Xi, Mu Ming Wu Guan Feng Yue (10 bottles); Xiao Ou (8 bottles); Shi Dao (7 bottles); Tai Li Sha Xiong Xiong (5 bottles); Hu Shanshan, La La La (3 bottles); 3174182, Ginaaaaaa (2 bottles); Dan Dan, Lu Fei, Baby Le Yao (1 bottle);

Thank you all very much for your support, I will continue to work hard! ===== CHAPTER 48 =====