Chapter 62: Embracing the Path of Emotional Detachment
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation.
Lan Zi Yu stood frozen, torn between his desire to argue and his fear of being challenged on a matter he couldn’t articulate. He wanted to deny Zhou Jin Yue’s comparison, to insist that it wasn’t the same. But he kept silent, knowing deep down that he couldn’t justify his feelings.
It had always seemed normal for Yu Zhao to get hurt during training sessions with Quan Ye. After all, Zhou Jin Yue often reminded them that injuries were just part of sparring. Every disciple in the Five Elements Sect had their share of bruises and cuts—even he and their senior brother were no exceptions.
Yet, seeing his new junior sister injured felt different.
A headache began to throb at his temples. Lan Zi Yu glanced over at Fang Cheng Lang, hoping for guidance or reassurance. But Fang Cheng Lang avoided his gaze, leaving Lan Zi Yu feeling lost and unsure.
Zhou Jin Yue’s voice cut through his thoughts, sharp and clear. “Hmph, you can’t even explain it, can you? Let’s not dwell on the sparring incident. The real issue is your accusation against Yu Zhao for badmouthing Ye Cong Xin. You’ve said far worse things directly to her face, and you act as if you’re proud of it. What does that say about you?”
Lan Zi Yu felt exposed under Zhou Jin Yue’s piercing gaze, as if all his flaws were laid bare. Shame washed over him, his cheeks burning with embarrassment.
“It was Yu Zhao who started it…” he muttered weakly.
“Enough!” Fang Cheng Lang’s voice boomed, silencing him.
Fang Cheng Lang had always trusted Lan Zi Yu’s perspective. He had even allowed himself to be influenced, viewing Yu Zhao with suspicion. But now, as he reflected on the situation, he realized how foolish and wrong he had been to be swayed by baseless gossip.
Turning to Zhou Jin Yue with a sincere, pleading expression, Fang Cheng Lang confessed, “Senior Sister Jin Yue, I see my mistake now. My ignorance has caused Little Six so much pain. I’ll do whatever it takes to make amends. Please, help me bring her back. Lone Moon Peak isn’t the same without her.”
His voice trembled with emotion. He hadn’t fully realized how much Yu Zhao meant to him until she was gone. Her presence had become an essential part of his life, and the thought of her absence was unbearable.
His usual composure crumbled, leaving him pale and shaken. Zhou Jin Yue saw the genuine remorse in his eyes and sighed inwardly.
If only they had understood this sooner.
“I can’t help you,” she replied, shaking her head.
Fang Cheng Lang’s voice grew more desperate. “But Senior Sister Jin Yue, don’t you believe me? I swear on my Path, if I…”
Zhou Jin Yue rolled her eyes and gently pinched his lips shut. “Quiet, listen first.”
He nodded, subdued.
“Three years ago, after Yu Zhao’s foundation was damaged, she chose to abandon her previous cultivation method and start anew. She no longer practices Master Qing Yan’s Sea Moon Technique. Instead, she has taken up the Illusory Tide Technique, created by the ancient cultivator known as the Bright Moon Hermit.”
Fang Cheng Lang and Lan Zi Yu listened, confusion written on their faces as they tried to grasp the significance of her words.
Zhou Jin Yue continued, “The Bright Moon Hermit followed the Path of Emotional Detachment. This path involves letting go of worldly emotions, cutting off all ties, and focusing entirely on self-cultivation.”
Their eyes widened as the realization hit them.
In the world of cultivation, the choices a practitioner makes can define their entire existence. For Yu Zhao, her decision to adopt the Illusory Tide Technique had profound implications, aligning her with the hermit’s principle of emotional detachment. This path, while noble, required cultivators to maintain a distance from even their closest friends and family, as personal emotions were viewed as distractions from the pursuit of a higher understanding.
Fang Cheng Lang had been puzzled by Yu Zhao’s recent aloofness, but now he finally understood the reason behind her changed demeanor.
“No, it can’t be. If Yu Zhao has truly embraced this path, why does she seem normal around you but so indifferent towards us?” Lan Zi Yu demanded, his tone filled with doubt and a hint of betrayal.
Zhou Jin Yue responded with a gentle chuckle, her voice calm and soothing. “It’s quite straightforward. The emotions you evoke in her are considered unnecessary attachments by her new philosophy, while the emotions she feels with us are serene and inclusive. It’s evident which ones she believes she needs to discard.”
The path each cultivator chooses is deeply personal, and Yu Zhao’s journey towards emotional detachment wasn’t about becoming uncaring or cold-hearted; rather, it was about liberating herself from the emotional shackles that she felt hindered her spiritual growth.
To Yu Zhao, the trivial personal affections seemed minuscule when compared to the vastness of the cosmos. She yearned not for the narrow confinements of individual emotions but for the broader, more impartial perspective that her path promised.
Zhou Jin Yue might not fully understand Yu Zhao’s chosen way, but she recognized that Yu Zhao had decisively cut her emotional ties with Fang Cheng Lang and the others, leaving her past behind without a second glance.
Fang Cheng Lang came to the heartbreaking realization that there was no way to revert Yu Zhao’s decision. Unless, of course, she chose to forsake her chosen path, which seemed unlikely.
“She has embraced the Path of Emotional Detachment,” Zhou Jin Yue reiterated softly, yet the finality in her tone felt like a hammer to Fang Cheng Lang’s heart.
Realizing the truth, that Yu Zhao had made her choice three years ago, hit Fang Cheng Lang hard. They had all naively assumed she was merely going through a rough phase, thinking gentle coaxing might bring her back.
“Hah! Haha! Hahaha! How ludicrous! I am no swordsman; I am merely a pitiful fool! A coward! An idiot!” Fang Cheng Lang’s laughter broke through his despair, his voice rising hysterically as tears streaked his face.
“Senior Brother!” Lan Zi Yu cried out, startled by the sudden outburst.
Was his senior brother’s mind breaking under the weight of this revelation?
Fang Cheng Lang’s wild laughter continued to echo across the mountain as he staggered down the path, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings. His laughter was a mask for his pain, and as he stumbled and fell, he quickly got up to continue his desolate trek.
“Senior Brother! Wait for me!” Lan Zi Yu shouted, racing after him, his heart heavy with fear for what lay ahead.
As Zhou Jin Yue watched their figures disappear into the distance, her expression was a complex tapestry of sadness and resignation.
At the mountain’s base, the inner disciples had gathered, their whispers filling the air with a mixture of concern and curiosity. Zhang Jun, positioned at the entrance, kept a vigilant eye on the trail, aware of his duty to preserve the mountain’s peace.
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
The buzz among the disciples grew as they speculated on the nature of the confrontation between Zhou Jin Yue and Fang Cheng Lang.
“I heard Senior Sister Jin Yue is here to defend Yu Zhao!”
“Did you know? Yu Zhao once saved Senior Sister Jin Yue in a dangerous situation. She was unconscious for days afterward!”
“Really? I thought it was two weeks!”
“No, you’ve all got it wrong. I heard Yu Zhao made a sacrifice for Senior Sister Jin Yue out of a secret, profound love.”
As the rumors spiraled into wilder tales, a sudden call for silence cut through the air.
“Quiet! Someone’s coming down the mountain!”
Sudden yuri, mmm, I should go read some, but yes, it’s too little, too late.