Chapter 176: Treat things as things without being treated as a thing by things; think thoughts without being attached to thoughts

"The outcome is decided. Considering you have an injury on your face, be the cook for ten days first," the young green-robed Daoist said with a chuckle.

"You still say you have never practiced martial arts or sword techniques?" Li Hanyi asked coldly.

Zhuang Buran said nonchalantly:

"They all say that to succeed in sword practice, one must challenge swordsmen, hone in desperate situations, and receive moves from experts. However, these are the paths of mediocre people. For an existence like this poor Daoist, I can naturally take heaven and earth as my teacher. After reaching the Heavenly Dao, I have already mastered the martial arts of a hundred schools."

"Since you have reached the Heavenly Dao and have the combat power of the Free and Unfettered Heavenly Realm, why don't you become the youngest Purple-Robed Heavenly Master in the history of Wangcheng Mountain like Zhao Yuzhen?"

"This poor Daoist has no great reputation in the Jianghu, yet it still attracts people like you to Wangcheng Mountain to ask for a sword duel. If I had an even louder name, I fear there would be even less peace to speak of."

The young green-robed Daoist raised his hand to indicate the direction of the courtyard kitchen and said:

"It's almost time for a meal; it's time for you to show off your skills."

Half an hour later.

In the pavilion of the courtyard, the young green-robed Daoist looked at the five or six black-as-coal dishes on the table and couldn't help but fix his gaze on Li Hanyi, who had a normal expression:

"Your mother, Li Xinyue, is a descendant of the Sword Heart Tomb; your father, Lei Mengsha, is a descendant of the Lei Family Fort; your master is Li Changsheng, who loves fine wine and fine food."

"But the few dishes you made make this poor Daoist have to suspect that you ran to the Tang Sect to learn skills."

He paused slightly in his tone and sighed:

"This is because you couldn't beat this poor Daoist, so you wanted to poison me!"

When Li Hanyi heard this, the gloom in her heart inexplicably dissipated by more than half, and she said:

"When I was young at home, how could my parents let me cook? After I left home to apprentice, I focused entirely on practicing sword techniques."

"So, you mean that not burning down this poor Daoist's kitchen is already considered exquisite culinary skill?"

After the young green-robed Daoist finished speaking, Li Hanyi was just about to be unable to hold back the smile on her face when she suddenly frowned, as it touched the bump on her forehead.

"Why don't you hurry up and leave Wangcheng Mountain, this poor Daoist—"

Before Zhuang Buran finished speaking, he was interrupted by Li Hanyi:

"Ten days means ten days; I have never been someone who goes back on her word."

"Fine, then show this poor Daoist your ability to hold chopsticks with your feet now," the young green-robed Daoist said with a smile on his lips.

Li Hanyi looked calm and composed: "I'm not hungry."

"Very well, then you can hop to get a portion of the meal now," the young green-robed Daoist retreated to the next best thing.

Li Hanyi seemed to have a response ready, her mouth curling:

"Hop it is."

After speaking, she leaped more than ten zhang and arrived outside the side courtyard. After about the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, she leaped back into the courtyard and placed the food box she was carrying on the table in the pavilion.

"No wonder you were gone for so long; you waited until you were full before coming back, right?" the young green-robed Daoist said leisurely:

"You don't even know to wipe your mouth clean."

Li Hanyi was stunned, suddenly turned around, and silently drew half of her sword to look at herself. Only then did she realize belatedly that she had been teased again.

"Zhao Haizhen, it's fortunate that you stay on Wangcheng Mountain all year round; otherwise, you would have long since provoked public anger and ended up being chased and killed."

"With such a fierce temperament, you should have the surname Lei, not Li."

"You—"

"You what? As a cook, why don't you hurry up and take these dishes you made on the table and pour them out."

The young green-robed Daoist did not forget to add at the end:

"Remember, you cannot take steps, you can only hop."

Li Hanyi's eyes narrowed slightly, and with a cold expression, she picked up the dishes and leaped away.

Ten days later.

"What kind of... vulgar tune is this?"

She saw Li Hanyi watching a little person made of clouds and mist, dancing vividly to a tune.

"Let's learn to meow together, meow meow meow meow meow."

"Act coquettishly in front of you, oh meow meow meow meow meow."

"Sometimes I'm as lazy as a cat, and when I'm in a bad mood, I show my teeth and claws."

"You are always gentle, able to melt my heart; I want to be your little cat."

Li Hanyi really couldn't bear it anymore and slashed the little cloud and mist person to nothing with one sword strike.

The young green-robed Daoist nodded in great agreement:

"This little tune is indeed too difficult for you. You are not a courtesan in a brothel; how could you express the necessary tenderness and sweetness?"

"Zhao Haizhen, don't forget your status as a monk," Li Hanyi sneered:

"Do you know that because my father loved going to such places, once my mother found out, he would be punished by kneeling for days and nights, and there wouldn't be a piece of good flesh left on him."

"The descendant of the Heart Sword lives up to her reputation; you really have a way of taming a husband," the young green-robed Daoist clapped and smiled:

"This poor Daoist has another little tune that is quite in line with the spirit of a young Jianghu hero. It is a song about how seven swordsmen can protect the country and the family once they join forces."

He waved his sleeves, and the clouds and mist in the sky fell, turning into seven little people holding swords. As they danced with their swords, the music started and the singing began.

"How to live... it's just one lifetime; how to live... it's just a hundred years."

"If you live, you must live with flavor; if you live, you must live with spirit."

"Men have courage, walking the world with a sword; women have a sword heart, tenderness filling the mountains."

The music stopped, the sound ceased.

The young green-robed Daoist chuckled:

"It is exceptionally interesting to have a girl like you, who has a sword heart but no tenderness, sing this little tune."

Li Hanyi snorted coldly:

"Zhao Haizhen, if you are really bored, go travel the Jianghu like your junior brother Wang Yixing."

Zhuang Buran raised his eyebrows slightly:

"Although your temperament is cold and detached, you should have a gentle and delicate side; otherwise, how could you have created a sword technique like 'Moonlight and Flowers' that is so beautiful but useless."

He smiled happily:

"Why don't you sing the first one?"

"Dream on!"

Li Hanyi brewed for a while before she began to sing the second song softly.

"Barely acceptable; thanks to you having a good voice," the young green-robed Daoist raised his hand and said:

"Miss Lei, you can go now."

"Stinking Daoist, let me tell you again, I follow my mother's surname." As Li Hanyi turned to leave, her footsteps paused, and she turned her head to say:

"According to my observation, you clearly have a temperament that likes to play around. Why don't you descend the mountain and travel the Jianghu like your junior brother?"

"This poor Daoist is unfortunate; my junior brothers are all infatuated. It can be said that they were originally carefree immortals, but they insist on falling into the mortal world."

"One dares to directly ask a woman he falls in love with at first sight if she is married; another would rather die for love."

The young green-robed Daoist assumed the posture of the senior brother of Wangcheng Mountain:

"This poor Daoist has no choice but to suffer a bit and stay on the mountain to look after them."

"A year from now, if I can break the sword moves you used to defeat me, you will descend the mountain with me, how about that?"

"Just by you?"

The young green-robed Daoist glanced sideways.

"Wait and see!"

Li Hanyi leaped up and disappeared.

A moment later, Lv Suzhen walked into the courtyard.

"Master, are you satisfied now?"

The young green-robed Daoist said nonchalantly.

"For Yuzhen, the Immeasurable Tribulation is ultimately no match for the Peach Blossom Tribulation," Lv Suzhen nodded and said.

"Master, aren't you afraid that I will also fall into the Peach Blossom Tribulation?" Zhuang Buran asked with a smile.

"Treat things as things without being treated as a thing by things; think thoughts without being attached to thoughts. This is called treating things as things without being treated as a thing by things, and thinking thoughts without being attached to thoughts."

A smile appeared on Lv Suzhen's face:

"If even such a clear state of mind falls into the Peach Blossom Tribulation, I fear there is no one in the Profound Gate who can pass this tribulation."

The young green-robed Daoist nodded and said in great agreement:

"Master is absolutely right; I am the good man that women in the world desire most but cannot obtain!"

When Lv Suzhen heard this, he laughed and scolded:

"How shameless; no wonder Yixing calls you Senior Brother every time he mentions you, and when he walks outside, he also calls himself the second disciple under the old Daoist."

"The disciple is just too outstanding, inevitably making Junior Brother Wang feel inferior, thus yielding the position of senior brother."

The young green-robed Daoist looked at Lv Suzhen:

"From now on, you don't need to waste your heart and blood to break the so-called heavenly destiny for Yuzhen. With the talisman that can observe everything outside the mountain, plus the Peach Blossom Tribulation having been eliminated, there is probably no time for him to face the tribulation."

He changed the subject:

"Actually, if you ask me, it wouldn't be bad for Yuzhen to face the tribulation, because if he dies, he can truly return to heaven to be carefree—"

Before the young green-robed Daoist finished speaking, the old Daoist in front of him suddenly disappeared, as if he were afraid he wouldn't be able to hold back from disciplining someone.

But because he couldn't hit him even if he made a move, he simply chose to be out of sight and out of mind.

Regarding this, the young green-robed Daoist just slowly lay back down under the old peach tree.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 177 =====