Chapter 37 The Scholar Ning Wenjun

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, with the little creature tucked against her chest, Cao Chengyu arrived at the place where Ning Wenjun had invited her for a meal.

It was once again at the Five Flavors Pavilion, heavy with the intent of apology and restitution.

Rubbing her chin, she stepped into a private pavilion room, where water flowed gently outside.

Last time, the place was crowded, so Cao Chengyu had dined in the main hall. This time, Ning Wenjun had reserved a private chamber in advance, sparing them the worry of being seen by the likes of Wei Xiao'er.

Upon entering, she saw Ning Wenjun seated on a bamboo chair, craning her neck expectantly and glancing outside from time to time. Her impatience was all too obvious.

Cao Chengyu, for reasons unknown, felt a mischievous urge rise within her. Like a playful child, she quietly appeared behind Ning Wenjun and gave her shoulder a firm pat.

“Ah—!”

Ning Wenjun spun around abruptly. Upon seeing that it was Cao Chengyu, she scowled and said, “Why do you behave like a mischievous child, fellow cultivator?”

“Heh.” Cao Chengyu touched her nose, her smile tinged with amusement. “A fair maiden attracts the pursuit of gentlemen.”

“Ning, you are blessed with beauty like a flower and the moon. Is it not entirely natural for me to be moved?”

Her answer was evasive. Ning Wenjun, at a loss, turned her head aside, as if no one had ever spoken so frankly to her before.

Cao Chengyu was unconcerned and sat down closely beside Ning Wenjun, speaking calmly, “In my hometown, boys often tease the girls they like—not out of frustration for what they cannot have, but to make themselves memorable.”

“To be remembered as a naughty boy who loves to cause trouble.”

Ning Wenjun listened curiously. “Do little boys even understand the feelings between men and women?”

“It is precisely because they do not understand that the poor judge by appearance, the rich use their ways.”

After pondering these words, Ning Wenjun’s cheeks suddenly flushed crimson, and she stared speechless.

“You... you... how shameless you are.”

“I... I’m leaving. Let this meal count as my apology for last time.”

Just as she tried to get up and leave, Cao Chengyu pressed her gently back into her seat.

“Come now, what apology lacks the courtesy of sharing a meal? We must taste these fine dishes together. An apology is, after all, a matter of sincere intention.”

“If I cannot sense your sincerity, how can the grievance be resolved?”

Ning Wenjun, who had intended to struggle, thought for a moment and realized the reasoning was sound. As a scholar, she truly could not bring herself to behave otherwise.

She picked up the wine jug on the table, poured herself a cup, and drank it in one gulp.

“Fellow cultivator, the fault last time was mine. This is my sincerity.”

Seeing her gesture, Cao Chengyu drank a cup as well.

“Let us reintroduce ourselves. I am Cao Chengyu, cultivator of the Skywatch Tower.”

Ning Wenjun hesitated briefly, then introduced herself. “I am Ning Wenjun, a branch family cultivator of the Ning clan in the capital. I love the classics of the sages. My ideal is to help mortals escape suffering and integrate into the immortal cultivation system. I am currently unmarried.”

Cao Chengyu burst into laughter. How amusing this person was, introducing herself in such detail!

His laughter seemed to irritate Ning Wenjun. “How rude you are! I am sharing my ideals and ambitions, and you laugh at me?”

Her indignant expression was utterly charming, rivaling even the little spirit cat.

Cao Chengyu apologetically raised his cup. “I was wrong. Here, a toast to you—for your ideals!”

Ning Wenjun felt a little better at this. It was the first time someone had raised a glass for her ideals.

She was not adept at drinking, but since it was for her ideals, to abstain would be to betray herself.

So she drained another cup.

The Five Flavors wine was a kind of spirit wine, quite valuable and beneficial for cultivation. The usual methods for dispelling the effects of mortal wine did not work on wine infused with spiritual energy.

Thus, after two cups, Ning Wenjun’s words flowed freely.

She spoke to Cao Chengyu about her ideals.

In the Dayue Dynasty, immortals and mortals now lived together, but the plight of mortals remained dire.

Cultivators relied on their strength and special secret arts, committing crimes in secret and controlling mortals behind the scenes—such things were commonplace.

Only the daily patrols by the Skywatch Tower and the deterrence of official power kept things seemingly peaceful and stable.

Among mortal officials in court, those sheltered by the royal family were not afraid of ordinary spells.

But the royal family promoted the co-governance of immortals and mortals to establish an immortal dynasty. The offerings, prayers, and strength of the people all greatly contributed to the formation of the immortal dynasty.

Three hundred years have passed since the immortal dynasty’s law was enacted, and the auspicious golden dragon of dynasty fortune has not appeared—not a trace of effect.

Many immortal officials and factions are dissatisfied with the status of mortals, secretly scheming and targeting mortal officials.

These people, though not always killed, suffer greatly—wounds that confine them to bed for months, rendering them unable to govern.

The situation grows ever worse.

Were it not for the Empress Dowager holding up the main pillar, the mortal faction would have long since collapsed.

What Ning Wenjun wished to solve was to grant mortals without aptitude the power to protect themselves.

To let those ordinary people who contribute to Dayue receive the fortune’s favor, to cultivate the path of fate officials, distinct from spiritual energy cultivation.

When that happens and their fate merges with Dayue’s, all will prosper together, all will suffer together. Then, even within the royal family, unity will flourish and the immortal dynasty’s path will thrive.

(The nation has its own fortune; the immortal dynasty is the condensation of national fortune, manifesting as a tangible golden dragon. Officials then receive offerings from mortals, cultivating the divine path of heavenly officials, enjoying endless supply and endless life.)

(The side effect is that officials will increasingly seek the desires of the people, echoing the sentiment “I think, therefore I am.”)

From Ning Wenjun’s words, Cao Chengyu finally understood what had most puzzled her before.

Ultimately, Dayue’s support for mortals was driven by interest. After more than three centuries of investment with no return, impatience was inevitable.

Thinking it over, Cao Chengyu asked, “Since the fate official method exists, why not spread its cultivation?”

Ning Wenjun, upon hearing this, downed another cup of wine.

“The method of fate officials is extremely incomplete. Teachers and cultivators researching the divine path have never been able to perfect it. To cultivate it rashly risks transforming into a demonic entity, feeding on the divine consciousness of cultivators and bringing evil to the land.”

Demons...

Cao Chengyu recalled the many novels she had read in her previous life, many of which featured stories about dynastic fate. Yet she was never clear on the specifics of its formation.

For now, there was no solution. She could only offer praise.

“Ning, your spirit—worrying for the world before its troubles, enjoying its happiness after—is worthy of admiration. I toast to you.”

Worrying for the world before its troubles, enjoying its happiness after...

Ning Wenjun’s pretty face, flushed with wine and tinged with worry, sparkled with an inexplicable light upon hearing the famous words from Cao Chengyu.

Suddenly, she cried out, “Well said! Marvelous!”

“What a phrase—worrying for the world before its troubles, enjoying its happiness after!”

“It seems, Brother Cao, that you are a kindred spirit. Hereafter, I shall live by these words, enacting my ideals!”

Cao Chengyu was stunned.

The gentle, jade-like lady suddenly became bold and forthright; surely the wine had gone to her head.

The little spirit cat poked its tiny head out from Cao Chengyu’s collar, curiously eyeing the wine cup.

It manipulated spiritual energy, drew a drop, and swallowed it with interest.

Immediately, its eyes rolled back, and it fainted dead away.