Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)

After finishing a day’s work, Gu Junye returned to his cave abode.

Dim candlelight barely illuminated the cave abode. At its center was a pool with lotus flowers. His calligraphy hung on the walls, plain yet imposing. Next to it stood a bookshelf lined with old texts. The entire cave abode exuded a classical elegance, reminiscent of the ancient era’s style yet different. It was Gu Junye’s own design.

He removed his shoes, stepped into the lotus pool, and sat cross-legged on a green lotus leaf. The flower bloomed, emitting a soft glow that lent him an air of mystery.

This was Gu Junye’s daily cultivation routine. Although the newspaper office was a holy land for secular cultivators, mere comprehension of the mundane world was insufficient. Actual cultivation was also required.

One flower, one world; one leaf, one bodhi. Gu Junye sat on the green lotus with his eyes closed, feeling as if he wasn’t seated on a lotus but at the pinnacle of all heavens and worlds. A flower, a droplet—each was a world. The myriad realms revolved around him; his fortune was intimately linked with the Cultivation World. The stronger he became, the stronger the Cultivation World would become.

A pitch-black figure appeared in the cave abode without warning, frowning at Gu Junye as he cultivated. The mastermind behind the scenes had been observing for a long time but still couldn’t determine whether Gu Junye was the person he was looking for.

It hadn’t been easy for me to escape by feigning my death. Now, everything has settled, and the Cultivation World is open; the atmosphere is harmonious and joyful.

A rash move could shatter this equilibrium and entangle me once more with the Everlasting Immortal and Yun Zhi, bringing all sorts of trouble. I’m not fond of seeking trouble. If I had known the Everlasting Immortal’s death would spawn so many complications, I would have dealt with her in a different way, no matter what.

Hence, unless absolutely necessary, I won’t act again. But I genuinely can’t be certain of Gu Junye’s identity. This is a blind spot that I must personally investigate.

In the cave abode where Gu Junye should be alone, a stranger’s voice suddenly rang out. “Kid, do you know who I am?”

Anyone else would have been startled, yet Gu Junye was completely unflustered. He slowly opened his eyes and saw the pitch-black, unidentifiable figure. His expression remained unchanged as he said, “You’ve finally come.”

The mastermind was stunned. So he really is that person?

Judging by his tone, has he recovered all his memories? How is that possible at his current cultivation level? Could the Reincarnation Incipient Dao Fruit’s effects be different from my estimates?

The mastermind’s shock turned to delight. It looks like Gu Junye’s identity is more or less confirmed. I can just eliminate him now, but to be on the safe side, I should still verify it once.

“You know who I am?”

Gu Junye chuckled, as though mocking the mastermind for asking a foolish question. “You already have the answer in your heart, don’t you?”

The mastermind’s breath caught in his throat. Gu Junye struck the nail on the head. When he saw me, he remained unruffled, a state that can only be displayed by a reincarnator who has recovered their past-life memories.

I can already conclude Gu Junye’s identity.

Gu Junye formed an orchid mudra with one hand, a mysterious smile playing on his lips, like a Buddha holding a flower. “I originally thought that after experiencing reincarnation, I could sever all karma and start anew. I never imagined the karma between us would run so deep that even reincarnation couldn’t sever our past ties.”

He looked at the mastermind and sighed deeply. “Ai, with how much importance you attach to karma, how can you advance a step further?”

The mastermind’s heart skipped a few beats. He hadn’t expected such words from Gu Junye. It seems that he knows more than I’d assumed. Is he saying this because he wants to sever the karma between us?

“You mean you won’t expose my identity and you won’t hold a grudge against me for taking over your body?”

Gu Junye clapped and laughed until tears streamed down his face. “Body takeover? You were merely trapped within the body of my past life! You trapped yourself there, unable to break free. You’ve long since been punished. Why would I still hold it against you?”

The mastermind jolted. I’ve never considered body takeover from this angle. Upon closer thought, Gu Junye’s words make a lot of sense. Could it be that after nine cycles of reincarnation, he has attained an unknowable mental state where he can see through all things? If our positions were reversed, would I remain as unflappable as Gu Junye?

The answer is no.

My mental state depends entirely on my cultivation.

The mastermind felt ashamed. He couldn’t hold his head up high in front of Gu Junye. In terms of cultivation, I surpass Gu Junye by countless levels. But in terms of mental state, I’m far inferior. Gu Junye utterly eclipses me.

The mastermind was extremely envious of Gu Junye’s mental state. Such freedom and ease unbound by cultivation—is this not what I’ve pursued my whole life?

How can one reach such a mental state? Does it require obtaining the Reincarnation Incipient Dao Fruit, undergoing nine cycles of reincarnation, and perfecting the Dao Fruit until the mental state naturally follows? In other words, I’ll need to die nine times?

Seeing that the mastermind was lost in thought, how could Gu Junye not know what was on his mind? “If you have nothing else to do, why not Sword Master Xuanyuan? He is blocked by a knowledge barrier, refusing to stir his past-life memories.

“You had a pretty good relationship with him in his previous life. If you show yourself to him, you might be able to help him complete his cultivation and bring it to perfection.”

What does that mean? The mastermind was taken aback. “Hold on, who do you think I am?”

“The person you were secretly in love with gave her heart to me and rejected your feelings. At the critical moment, she took a fatal blow for me and perished. Although it was an accident no one wished for, you’ve always blamed me for it. You ambushed me during my tribulation and took over my battered body.

“Nether World Great Venerable, I didn’t wish to bring up such matters. Why must you ask?”

The mastermind was speechless. Wait, who the hell is the Nether World Great Venerable?! What is all this?

The mastermind realized that he had been completely hoodwinked by Gu Junye. He fixed Gu Junye with a deathly stare, radiating a terrifying aura that caused the cave abode to tremble. His breathing grew heavy, and his features contorted menacingly. He was torn over whether to kill Gu Junye outright.

“Brat, you’re good!” These few words were squeezed out between clenched teeth. A deathly aura closed in on Gu Junye like never before.

Getting rid of Gu Junye is easy, but it’ll expose the fact that I’m still alive, and all my efforts will go down the drain. His knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists. In the end, he decided to let Gu Junye live. I just want to slap myself right now. Why did I come here to be humiliated? Wouldn’t it have been better to stay near Lu Yang and enjoy the show?!

The mastermind refused to linger a moment longer. With a cold snort, he vanished without a trace, as if he had never appeared.

Gu Junye remained seated cross-legged on the lotus flower, his gaze hazy and perplexed.

“Strange, wasn’t I cultivating? Why did I open my eyes halfway and stop?

“Right, it must be that my mental state is still lacking. I need to continue cultivating.”

He closed his eyes once more and entered a meditative state, immersed in the realm of one flower and one world.