Chapter 8 Learning to Bear

That same day, Mu Xiao the True Person left for Anchan City. Before departing, he took Ji Ning aside and said earnestly, 'Ji Ning, your talent is extraordinary; you are destined to tread the path of immortality. Immortal cultivators live long lives. Unless your relatives and friends also cultivate immortality, you can only watch as they age and die one by one. This too can be considered a tempering of the Dao-heart. Since you have chosen immortality, you must be prepared for this. Even in the depths of grief, you must emerge from it. Otherwise, you will not escape death when the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations come.'

…

After Mu Xiao the True Person left, Ji Jiuhuo immediately headed for the great mountain where Bo Zishan had been hiding, for the Flood Dragon Dao-soldier armor and other items were still there.

Ji Ning went alone to Serpentwing Lake.

'There is still hope. My mother still has a chance to live.' Ji Ning raced through the wild forests and wilderness, sometimes using the Windwing Evasion technique to speed forward. He ran far faster than a Darksteel Beast. After consuming most of his divine power, he reached Serpentwing Lake in just one hour.

'That ancient aquatic manor has had several masters. Immortal Juhua was the third master. Not to mention the others, but Immortal Juhua alone was a loose immortal who lived for millions of years. He must have had many pills, including those that could extend a mortal's lifespan.' Ji Ning walked on water to the island.

'Young master.'

'Greetings, young master.'

Many people were already building a mansion on the island. Qiuye and the child Qingshi were also there. Seeing Ji Ning walking on water, they hurried over to greet him.

'I have matters to attend to. All of you, withdraw.' After giving the order, Ji Ning vanished from their sight like a phantom, leaving Qiuye and some servants puzzled.

Soon he reached the cave entrance and went deep inside. In a moment, he arrived at the spot where he had been teleported last time.

'Senior.'

Ji Ning called out anxiously, 'Please let me into the manor quickly. I have an urgent matter.'

The dark cave passage was silent, with no response. Ji Ning grew more anxious. That black ox had said that Ji Ning could enter only after refining the talisman. But now he was merely at the early Xiantian lifeform stage; how long would it take to open the Zifu? His mother had only three months left. He had no other choice but to beg.

'Senior, this is truly a matter of life and death. I beg you to let me in.' Ji Ning pleaded anxiously.

All was silent.

Whoosh~~~

The surrounding space-time suddenly twisted. In the cave before him, a huge shadow of a bear's head appeared. The bear's head opened its mouth and swallowed him in one gulp. Ji Ning vanished from the cave.

…

Space and time shifted, then all was calm.

Ji Ning looked ahead. Before him was the majestic, ancient hall, in which were enormous prayer mats. A black ox walked over and sighed, 'Ji Ning, didn't I tell you before? Once you refine the talisman, you will naturally sense the aquatic manor and can enter at any time. You are still only at the Xiantian stage. Why have you come again?'

'Senior.' Ji Ning said quickly, 'My mother is critically ill. I have no other choice but to come here to beg for help.'

'Your mother is critically ill?' The black ox shook his head. 'Since you have embarked on the path of immortality, you must be prepared for such things.'

Ji Ning shook his head repeatedly. 'Senior, my mother is still young. She should not die so early! Earlier, I asked a Wanxiang Adept to examine her. That Wanxiang Adept said that my mother once used a secret technique that consumed her life force to save me. Now her life force is almost exhausted, and she has only three months left. To save her, I need a pill that can extend a mortal's lifespan. That Wanxiang Adept had only heard of such pills; only immortals would have them. I truly have no other way, so I came to this aquatic manor.'

'A pill that extends a mortal's lifespan?' The black ox sighed. 'That would be considered an immortal pill. Only ordinary loose immortals or Earth Immortals could produce such a thing.'

'Immortal Juhua was no ordinary loose immortal. He must have such pills, right?' Ji Ning pressed on.

The black ox looked at Ji Ning and shook his head. 'Immortal Juhua lived for millions of years. His relatives all died long ago. He had no need for such pills, so he did not have any.'

Ji Ning's heart trembled.

'Then—' Ji Ning said quickly, 'Immortal Juhua must have left behind many treasures. I could take a treasure of equivalent value to an immortal pill and exchange it—'

As soon as he spoke, Ji Ning knew he was wrong.

Because he was too desperate for his mother to live, he had lost his calm and even his sense of propriety.

'Foolish!' the black ox barked. 'You just said that even that Wanxiang Adept had only heard of such immortal pills. Exchange it? With whom? You are merely a Xiantian lifeform. If you took out such a treasure, the moment you revealed it, those powerful cultivators would kill you and take it. Exchange? Without strength, what can you exchange?'

'Moreover! You haven't even refined the talisman. You can only stay in this hall; you cannot go anywhere else in the manor. On what basis should I take one of Immortal Juhua's treasures and give it to you?' The black ox shook his head. 'Besides, this is not something I can decide.'

'Not something you can decide?' Ji Ning was startled. 'Then—'

The black ox said with emotion, 'I am merely the spirit of one of Immortal Juhua's随身 treasures! The one who truly controls the entire aquatic manor is the spirit of the manor itself!'

'The spirit of the manor?' Ji Ning was puzzled.

The black ox said, 'The entire manor was forged by its first master. It is extremely mysterious. Even Immortal Juhua felt that the manor held secrets he had not discovered. The spirit of the manor strictly follows the rules set by the first master and never deviates in the slightest.'

'The spirit can teleport outsiders in. But allowing you to go to other parts of the manor? Without refining the manor, it is absolutely impossible.' The black ox said, 'Nor can it take out one of Immortal Juhua's treasures for you, for it is the spirit of the manor and absolutely obeys the first master's commands.'

Ji Ning was stunned.

'Even if the fourth master died outside, the manor would simply find the next master.' The black ox shook his head. 'Treasure spirits are different from you humans. You can adapt. But we absolutely follow our master's will.'

Ji Ning understood. Treasures had many talisman inscriptions and restrictions. For example, some crafted puppets—even if their master had been dead for ages, the puppet must still obey the master's commands. The same applied to cave-manor treasures. After the master died, the manor spirit would absolutely obey the rules set by the master.

Realizing this, Ji Ning felt despair rising from the depths of his heart.

The black ox looked at Ji Ning. 'On the path of immortality, you will watch relatives age and die, watch friends fall in battle... You must learn to bear all of this. Go!'

Whoosh!

A phantom of a bear's head appeared and swallowed Ji Ning in one gulp.

…

Ji Ning returned to West Prefecture City, to his mother's side. By then, night had fallen.

'Ning'er.' Yuchi Xue, lying in her chair, brightened at the sight of her son. 'Where did you go? I couldn't find you earlier.'

'Mother.' Ji Ning hurried over, kneeling on one knee beside her, holding her hand. 'I went out for a while, but I won't go out again. I'll stay with you, always.'

Yuchi Xue gently stroked her son's hair and smiled. 'It's fine. If you have things to do, go ahead. Just remember to come see me.'

'Mm.' Ji Ning nodded gently, forcing himself not to cry.

All he could do was stay by his mother's side for these last three months. That was the greatest filial piety he could offer.

…

Night.

His mother had gone to sleep. Ji Yichuan and Ji Ning, father and son, sat in the hall.

'Father.' Ji Ning looked at his father. 'It's time you told me. What really happened back then?'

Ji Yichuan looked at his son, recalling what Meng Yu and the others had said about Ji Ning's deeds in the great mountain. He understood that his son had grown up. With a sigh, he said, 'That year, your mother was pregnant with you, so we decided to return to the Ji clan. Your maternal uncle was worried and insisted on escorting us the whole way.'

'Maternal uncle?' Ji Ning had never heard of having an uncle.

'Your uncle's name is Yuchi Shan.' Ji Yichuan's eyes held a look of reminiscence. 'Your uncle was very clever, knew how to get along with people, and had many friends. He became a Zifu Disciple early on. If not for escorting your mother and me, he might have rebuilt the Yuchi clan. Unfortunately, he died. He died saving our family of three. Our lives were bought with his life. This great kindness... it is hard to repay!'

Ji Ning felt a heavy weight.

Uncle! Yuchi Shan!

A name he had never heard before was now deeply engraved in Ji Ning's heart.

'I only know that your uncle had a daughter, your cousin. But I don't know where she is.' Ji Yichuan shook his head and sighed. 'Unable to repay, unable to repay.'

'What really happened back then? Who killed my uncle and left my mother with a chronic illness?' Ji Ning pressed. 'Who was it?'