Chapter 1136: Difficult but Relentless
Li Yu left the high altitude villages behind and followed the winding mountain paths down into a vast river valley. The rocky terrain smoothed out into fertile plains as the temperature grew warmer with every passing mile. The air lost its freezing bite and was replaced by a humid breeze that carried the scent of fresh water and blooming wildflowers.
The Silver Stream Kingdom earned its name from the wide waterway that cut through the center of the land and provided life to the surrounding farms. He walked at a steady pace while enjoying the gentle weather and the sight of local fishermen casting their nets into the sparkling water. Li Yu took his time and looked around at the different aquatic life to see if he could add any to his collection. Unfortunately all of the wild life in this region were species he already had so there were no new creatures to add to his Koi Sanctuary.
The capital city sat directly on the riverbanks and sprawled outwards. Tall stone walls protected the sprawling markets and a fleet of wooden trade boats lined the crowded docks. Li Yu presented his credentials to the guards at the main gate and found himself quickly escorted through the busy streets. The royal palace here was a beautiful structure built with white stone and blue tiled roofs that mirrored the color of the river.
He entered the grand throne room and delivered the ceremonial peace offering along with the Zhan Clan decree to the ruling king. The exchange was polite and formal just like his previous diplomatic duties and without any unexpected surprises. The king offered him a chest of precious pearls and a permanent residence overlooking the water but Li Yu respectfully declined the gifts. He handed over the wooden box of longevity pills and wished the kingdom continued prosperity before walking back out into the bright afternoon sun.
Elder Fan had tasked him with three destinations and this marked the second completion. Li Yu could have easily left the city right then and started his journey toward the final kingdom on his list but chose to stay instead. The lessons he had learned from the merchant caravan and the mountain villagers were still settling into his mind as he processed them more deeply. He wanted to spend a few extra days living among the people in this bustling capital to truly digest those experiences before moving on.
He rented a small room in a quiet inn near the docks and spent his days wandering through the markets. The spiritual energy in the air remained thin but the vitality of the mortal residents provided a different kind of nourishment for his soul. Merchants haggled over aquatic fish and fresh produce while children chased each other through the narrow alleys.
Li Yu allowed his second mind to continue its background task of refining his techniques and analyzing the laws of space. The secondary consciousness hummed quietly within his soul space and did not detract from his physical presence. His main mind remained firmly focused on where he was and was taking in the sights and sounds of the river city. He was slowly learning how to let the two halves of his awareness coexist without a nagging feeling that he should be doing more than what he was.
On his second afternoon in the city, a rich savory aroma caught his attention as he walked past a row of food stalls. The smell of slow cooked beef broth and roasted spices made his stomach rumble in response. He followed the scent down a quiet side street until he found a simple wooden stall tucked away beneath a canvas awning. A long line of people stood patiently in front of the counter while a cheerful elderly man worked diligently behind a large iron pot.
Li Yu joined the back of the line and watched the vendor work with fascination. The old man possessed a true master touch at his craft and made difficult things look as though anyone could do it. He pulled lumps of dough into thin even strands with a fluid grace that spoke of decades of practice but looked like he was tossing them around for fun. The man tossed the fresh noodles into a pot of boiling water for a precise number of seconds before scooping them into deep ceramic bowls. He added a generous ladle of the dark broth and topped each serving with tender slices of beef and chopped green onions.
The line moved steadily and Li Yu eventually reached the front. He handed over a few copper coins and received a steaming bowl of noodles in return. A very one sided deal Li Yu thought to himself with a big smile on his face. He walked over to a small wooden table near the edge of the street and sat down to enjoy his meal which smelled delicious.
He took a sip of the broth and his eyes widened slightly. The flavors were deep and complex with a wonderful balance of savory meat and sharp spices. The handmade noodles were firm and they possessed a very satisfying texture. It was easily one of the best meals he had eaten since arriving in the Blue Cloud Realm. He focused entirely on the food and let the taste fill his senses without worrying about anything else.
As he ate his noodles, he watched the old vendor continue to serve the remaining customers. The man kept a small wooden abacus on the counter and moved a bead for every bowl he handed out. When he pushed the final bead across the wire he raised his hands and offered a deep bow to the three people still waiting in line.
"I am sorry my friends," the vendor announced with a warm smile. "That was bowl number one hundred. I am sold out for the day. Please come back tomorrow and I will be happy to serve you."
The waiting customers groaned in disappointment but they accepted the news and wandered away to find food elsewhere. No one made a scene and no one demanded to be served extra portions. The vendor began to wipe down his wooden counter and pack his iron ladles into a storage crate. The sun was still high in the sky and the market was packed with hungry travelers that were looking to eat.
Li Yu finished his meal and brought his empty ceramic bowl back to the stall to return it to the vendor. He set the bowl on the counter and looked at the elderly cook with a curious expression.
"That was an incredible meal, sir." Li Yu praised while wiping his mouth with a cloth. "You have a true gift for cooking and skills to match. The broth is rich and the noodles are cooked to perfection."
"Thank you, young man," the vendor replied with a smile and chuckle while taking the bowl and placing it in a wooden washing tub. "It brings me joy to see people enjoy my food."
"If you do not mind me asking, why are you closing so early?" Li Yu asked and gestured toward the busy street behind them. "The market is still very busy and you could easily sell another two hundred bowls before the sun sets. Why not hire some help and stay open later to increase your profits?"
The vendor chuckled softly and leaned against the frame of his stall. He had clearly heard this question many times before.
"The younger merchants ask me that same question every week," the vendor said while wiping his hands on his apron. "They look at my stall and they only see the coins I am leaving on the table. But if I stay open all day and hire workers to help me with it, when would I have time to go fishing with my grandson? Or go and do other things that I enjoy doing?"
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The old man pointed toward the wide river flowing past the edge of the city. A few small boats drifted on the gentle currents under the bright sunlight while families walked along the shoreline.
"One hundred bowls covers what I need and a bit extra to buy ingredients for tomorrow, put a roof over my family and save a little bit for emergencies." The vendor explained with a serene look in his eyes. "I could chase more coins and work until my back breaks but to what end? I could be dead tomorrow or someone I care about could be gone before the week is over. I would rather enjoy my time with them now while I still can."
Li Yu listened intently as the words resonated with the lessons he had been learning over the past few weeks. The vendor had his priorities firmly established and knew what was important for himself. He understood the fragile nature of life and chose to prioritize his happiness over an endless pursuit of wealth where that happiness doesn’t necessarily exist.
"My noodles are good because my mind is happy when I cook them," the vendor added with a bright grin. "If I stood over this boiling pot all day long and grew bitter from the exhaustion, the food would taste like resentment. A tired heart cannot make a good meal, young man. Find what you need to survive and definitely prepare for the future as well but then find the time to actually live. You will regret it otherwise."
"Those are very wise words. Thank you for sharing them with me, sir." Li Yu said while offering a respectful bow to the older man. "Thank you for the food and the extra wisdom today. I will remember what you have told me."
"Enjoy your travels," the vendor waved a dismissive hand with a smile on his face and returned to cleaning his stall while humming a cheerful tune.
Li Yu turned away from the food stall and walked toward the edge of the river. He found a quiet wooden bench sitting beneath the shade of a large willow tree and sat down to watch the water and boats flow by. The city moved around him but he felt a sense of stillness settling over his mind. He leaned back against the wooden slats and began to piece everything together once more.
The journey through the Blue Cloud Realm had provided a perspective he needed to untangle the knots he had been feeling in his Dao heart. He thought about Johen and the merchant caravan laughing in the rain while accepting the delays of the road. He remembered Old Bai weeping in the tavern because the man had sacrificed his present life for a future that was shattered in an instant. He reflected on Elder Su and the mountain villagers who defined wealth by prioritizing their peace and their community over chests of gold. And now this noodle vendor had shown him the value of setting boundaries and priorities to ensure a happy heart.
Li Yu looked inward and examined the state of his soul. He realized that forcing himself to constantly cultivate was creating immense friction within himself and wasn’t the type of cultivator that he was. He wasn’t someone that could cultivate for years on end without any issues, he had to be living a life he found enjoyable. By demanding his main mind to go at that pace, he was starving his soul of the very experiences that gave his life meaning.
He was denying himself the joy of cooking, enjoying a delicious meal or the warmth of conversation and the simple pleasure of watching a river flow. That friction had created a restriction in his foundation and was actually slowing him down from advancing further instead of speeding up his growth. His Dao and his very being was rooted in life but he had been living like a machine that was pushing towards a singular goal while forgetting about everything else.
Letting his main mind rest and experience life actually helped to balance the calculation of his second mind. The two halves were not supposed to perform the same task to double the efficiency. They were meant to complement one another and bring about a balance that allowed him to continue forward. The second mind handled the pondering of the cosmos while the main mind handled the human experience and emotions.
Li Yu let out a long breath and unstrung a bit of the tight bow in his heart that had plagued him as of late. He let go of the unwarranted guilt that told him every moment of rest was a moment wasted. It wasn’t waste, it was necessary downtime to survive the hardships ahead. He gave himself permission to simply exist in the present and appreciate the warm breeze blowing off the river but not forget about his goals either.
As he released the tension, the restriction in his cultivation naturally loosened as well. His Creation Lord aura pulsed outward with a soft radiant light before pulling back into his meridians and stabilizing within himself. His inner world underwent a change as well. Where it was a thriving world that was exploding with growth before, it now became more calm and composed.
It brought about a different kind of change and that change brought about a different kind of power and understanding. The erratic fluctuations in his Qi smoothed out and his foundation grew significantly stronger even though he had done nothing towards cultivation this entire time. He had not absorbed any rare treasures or fought a life threatening battle but his power had deepened simply because his soul was finding it’s own balance.
He sat on the bench for a long time and watched the small fishing boats drift along the water. While he felt a sense of relief, he also knew that he was not truly free from the burden of his reality and that of his family’s. Finding this balance was an ongoing battle and it would never be a permanent cure that he could just forget about.
His situation was unique compared to the mortal noodle vendor or the mountain farmers. Those people only had to worry about feeding their families and surviving the winter within this realm that was relatively peaceful. Li Yu had to worry about cosmic entities and the rival cultivation clans along with the hidden dangers lurking within the Myriad Realms.
If he stopped training and simply spent the rest of his life fishing or cooking, his enemies would eventually come for him and his family. They would tear down the Five Star Lakes and destroy whatever peace or enjoyment he had managed to build during this time and that would be a regret in itself. The cultivation world was a cruel and unforgiving place where weakness served as an invitation for slaughter.
He could not abandon his pursuit of power because that power was the only shield that would be keeping his loved ones safe. Yes, he should be able to enjoy himself from time to time in peace but he also needed to train and push his limits further as well.
'I cannot just be a person that lives in the present.' Li Yu thought while watching a fish break the surface of the river. 'But I cannot be a mindless weapon either. One that is there purely for conflicts and wars. If I only focus on the blade, I will forget why I am swinging it in the first place.'
Finding that balance was going to be difficult and it was something he would need to work on constantly for the rest of his life. There would be times when he could afford to slow down and have more fun. There would also be times of constant hardships where he would have to push himself to the brink of death to survive.
He could not control the chaos of the universe but he could control how he reacted to it. Li Yu would do his best to find the middle ground and walk a path that suited and fitted him. One where he can look back and not have as many regrets. He would train fiercely when the situation demanded it and he would rest without guilt when the skies were clear.
Li Yu stood up from the wooden bench and stretched his arms above his head. The humid air felt good against his skin and the sounds of the capital city felt like a grand symphony of life that was waiting to be enjoyed. He still had one more destination to visit before his mission was officially complete but he felt that this mission had done wonders for his mind and soul.
‘The Patriarch was right. No wonder he is the Patriarch.’ Li Yu thought to himself and his already high opinion of Patriarch Yue rose even further.
He walked away from the riverbank and headed toward the outskirts of the city where the trade roads continued. He did not summon his power to fly or tear a hole in space to finish this task. He simply walked down the dirt path and began the journey toward his third stop with the same unrushed pace. The road ahead was uncertain and filled with inevitable challenges but Li Yu was ready to face them with a clear mind and a firm heart.