Chapter 30 Lessons
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Despite being warned by Chu Junyu to stay away from Ji Wuyou, Pei Jing still kept an occasional watch on him.
In Shangyang Peak, Ji Wuyou was out of place like an outsider, and was excluded and being treated indifferently for many reasons.
One of the reasons resembled Pei Jing’s experience at Yinghui Peak, as he didn’t join the Sect in the usual way but was brought directly to Shangyang Peak. This naturally sparked jealousy. Additionally, Ji Wuyou’s own demeanor contributed to the situation. He was a shy and somewhat foolish boy who made an easy target for bullies.
After dinner, they went to the secret chamber of Shangyang Peak.
Pei Jing sat opposite Xu Jing.
From the second-floor window of the secret chamber, they had a clear view of the scene below.
They observed Ji Wuyou meekly following a disciple at the Qi Refining Stage Four, sticking close to them and following their lead.
That disciple at Qi Refining Stage Four had a cold and sharp appearance.
When everyone asked who Ji Wuyou was, the disciple proudly responded, “Oh, him! He’s a dog I recently got. I tell him to go east, and he doesn’t dare to go west. So obedient.”
The crowd teased, “Oh, then make him bark a couple of times.”
The disciple turned around and put on a different expression, with a wide smile on his face. “With so many people watching, do you want to bark a few times? Let’s just have some fun among friends, nothing serious.”
Ji Wuyou looked at him, confused. In his mind, barking like a dog was a disrespectful thing to do. But this person in front of him was his newfound friend, the only person so far who was willing to talk to him. How could friends insult each other?
Moreover, with so many people staring at him, he felt extremely nervous. He wanted to please others so badly. After hesitating for a while, he nervously twirled his fingers and lowered his voice, softly “woofing” once.
The crowd was momentarily stunned and then burst into laughter.
“Wow, did he actually bark?”
“Shangyang Peak actually hired a fool.”
“Can you bark louder?”
Ji Wuyou scratched his head, seeing them laughing, and he laughed as well.
Xu Jing, with a kind and idle nature, often found himself stealing glances outside the window. “This has gone too far.” While he didn’t hold a particular fondness for Ji Wuyou, witnessing someone’s dignity being trampled upon was something he couldn’t bear.
However, despite his empathy, Xu Jing found himself at a loss, unable to lend a helping hand.
“How did Ji Wuyou end up mixing with this group of people?”
They were a notorious bunch of wastrels from Shangyang Peak, careless and with no focus on cultivation. They had no hope of entering the Inner Peaks or attaining Foundation Establishment. They could only live their days in a daze. It was pointless to reason with such a group of people.
Pei Jing held a pen, trying to recall the calligraphy strokes from the book, writing the “Seventh Killing Song.” But no matter how he wrote, it always turned out as elegant and graceful as before. He couldn’t imitate that ugly and distorted feeling, so he decided to give up.
After hearing Xu Jing’s words, he also looked down and noticed Ji Wuyou standing among the crowd. The people around him were looking at him mockingly, but he didn’t seem to perceive it. The naive and foolish boy just laughed along with everyone, thinking he had blended in.
Xu Jing: “Those people’s cultivation levels don’t exceed the fifth stage. None of them are a match for Ji Wuyou. What is he planning?”
Pei Jing: “If you observe Ji Wuyou’s gaze closely, I think his mentality is just like that of a child. Maybe he simply wants to find someone to play with, without any hidden motives.”
Worried about the country and the people, Xu Jing sighed, “This is not just playing. It’s blatant humiliation. Can’t he even distinguish between good and evil?” Upon closer observation, Xu Jing couldn’t bear to look directly, “Wow, look at his foolish appearance!”
Pei Jing: “Can’t you be more understanding? Clearly, he is inexperienced in worldly matters.”
Xu Jing: “…Fine, you can say he’s inexperienced in worldly matters.”
Pei Jing twirled his pen, his gaze carrying a hint of profound meaning. “Why don’t you take a look at the others who look like they’re about to die?”
“What?”
Pei Jing: “Let them laugh for now. Soon, they won’t find it amusing anymore.”
He wouldn’t directly intervene to solve Ji Wuyou’s problems, but he could secretly deal with this group of scoundrels.
Xu Jing: “I remember when you were at Yinghui Peak, you were in a similar situation. Everyone thought you relied on connections to enter, looked down on you, and isolated you. Whenever something happened, a bunch of people would mock and ridicule you. But the way I see it, the situations you two face are completely different.”
Pei Jing put down his pen and said, “It’s not the same at all. When I was at Yinghui Peak, I didn’t even bother with those people. They willingly sought their own demise. But Ji Wuyou is the opposite. He genuinely wants to make friends and has thrown himself in front of this bunch of scum.”
Xu Jing: “It’s truly pitiful, but why are you so biased towards him?”
Pei Jing: “He’s just too young, unaware that some people can be dealt with a good beating.”
Xu Jing: “…”
On the cold night of Shangyang Peak, dew weighed upon the branches.
Several disciples had another idle day and walked back to their residences while chatting.
“Do you think he’s genuinely foolish or just pretending?”
“He’s genuinely foolish. We made him bark like a dog, and he actually did. Next time, let’s make him imitate a dog and lie down on the ground.”
“But hey, can’t we try a different approach? This guy is a powerhouse at the seventh level of Qi Gathering. Do we really want to use him just for bullying?”
“True, although it’s prestigious to have him as our lackey, we should think long-term. I think from now on, we can go to the Consulate Hall every day and take on more tasks. Let him handle the tasks while we collect the spiritual stones.”
“Hahaha, I think that’s a good idea.”
Pei Jing, following behind them: They’re quite clever, planning for the future like this.
Among the disciples, there was one who was particularly young and hadn’t spoken all along.
After everyone happily finished talking, the young disciple finally looked up and said, “Do you all really think he’s genuinely foolish? Sometimes, I find him strange.”
One person turned and said, “What’s strange about him? Is it because he’s unbelievably stupid?”
The group burst into laughter.
The young disciple tugged at the corner of his mouth, frowned, and earnestly said, “No, it’s not that. He’s so grown-up, yet his mentality is like that of a child. What’s even stranger is that his cultivation level is so high. Don’t you find that strange? Especially when he looks at me, I always feel uneasy.”
“Maybe you haven’t fully woken up yet. This Ji Wuyou, all he does is eat, eat, and eat all day long. He’s as fat as a pig. What is there to be afraid of?”
Pei Jing chuckled from behind: Youngster, your intuition is sharp.
As they continued walking, they suddenly felt something was amiss. Passing through the mountain path amidst the woods, the fog grew thicker, and a chilly wind whistled through. The cawing of crows startled them. They frequently looked back, with tree shadows looming and moonlight casting an eerie glow.
“Why does it feel so strange?”
One person rubbed their arm and muttered.
The person at the front said, “Can we stop overthinking? You’re making me a little anxious too.”
Suddenly, someone froze, pointing ahead and said, “Look! What is that?”
Everyone lifted their gaze and saw at the end of the road a mass of white fog, surrounded by an aura of blood. In the middle of the night, it appeared particularly eerie. Shortly after, they heard the sound of dogs barking. As the fog dissipated, several fierce and half-human-sized vicious dogs emerged from the edge of the forest, barking wildly. Their teeth were so sharp they could easily tear a person apart.
“Woof, woof, woof!”
“What is that thing?”
“Waaaaahhhh!”
The group grew pale with fear, screaming as they ran backward.
Being bitten by these dogs would tear open their guts, spilling their entrails.
The feeling of being chased by dogs was no different from being pursued by ghosts. Cold sweat streamed down their faces as their minds went blank. The barking grew closer, and they cried out for their parents in their hearts, their scalps tingling. Just the thought of dogs gnawing on their lifeless bodies caused them to break down.
They never wanted to hear a dog bark again in their lifetime.
However, with their idle days and mere superficial cultivation, they stood no chance against these vicious dogs. Soon, the dogs caught up with them. One dog subdued each person, tearing at their legs, causing blood to flow. The pain rendered them unable to flee, so they could only collapse on the ground, howling in agony. The ash-black dogs, with their hard claws and menacing gaze, were about to sink their teeth into their necks in the next moment.
The group was terrified, defecating and urinating in fear.
“Don’t eat me, don’t eat me.”
“Don’t eat me, ahhh! Grandpa, Grandpa Doggie, don’t eat me!”
A soft chuckle of a young man echoed lazily, as clear and refreshing as water flowing over green stones. “Are you all so useless that you’re resorting to calling for Grandpa?”
The group huddled together, covering their heads, and upon hearing the voice, they dazedly looked up.
At the end of the road, a figure dressed in white slowly emerged, wearing a mask that obscured their face. But from their stature, it was clear they were a young man. The young man stood tall with an unfathomable cultivation. As he approached, the pressure he exuded made everyone tremble in fear.
“Y-you… who are you?” The gnashing of the vicious dogs paled in comparison to the terror emanating from this person.
The white-clad youth was Pei Jing.
After pondering for a while, he chuckled, “Since you all regard dogs as your Grandpas, and I am the owner of these dogs, then you may address me as Ancestor.”
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