Chapter 5: The Song of the Yellow Court Doctrine

Seeing his aunt eat faster and faster, Cao Chengyu watched with evident satisfaction. For a cook, there was no greater sense of accomplishment than watching someone devour the dishes he had prepared.

“Ah, so spicy, so spicy!” his aunt exclaimed.

Cao Chengyu took out a chilled jug of sour plum juice from the small trolley nearby and handed it to her. He wouldn’t have spent an entire day on a mere hot pot if he hadn’t prepared everything to perfection. Praise for intelligence and diligence wasn’t something others bestowed upon him—it was something he earned himself.

His aunt took the jade jug without a word and drank straight from the spout, clearly overwhelmed by the heat.

Cao Chengyu quietly moved closer to her side. He helped her remove the fox-fur cloak—hardly suitable for dining, as it got in the way—and then took out a silk handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe her brow. Immersed in the refreshing chill of the sour plum juice, Lin Jiaoyun failed to notice anything amiss. Instead, she smiled contentedly.

After a while, as the spiciness faded, Lin Jiaoyun suddenly realized her impropriety. Not only had she lost her composure in front of her nephew, but their actions had also crossed the bounds of decorum.

“Chengyu!” she called sharply.

Cao Chengyu froze for a moment, then slowly withdrew his hand and looked at her in silence. At this point, as long as he remained calm, all the embarrassment belonged to his aunt. He held her gaze.

After more than ten seconds, as expected, his aunt was the first to lower her defenses. Those deep, fathomless eyes seemed to draw her in like an abyss. Yet in the youth’s eyes, there was only purity—no trace of emotion, even a hint of absent-mindedness. Perhaps she had misunderstood.

Lin Jiaoyun turned her head aside, flustered. To lose all composure before her nephew made her wish she could disappear into the ground and never emerge.

She cleared her throat awkwardly.

Fortunately, Cao Chengyu was quick to respond. “If it’s too spicy, Aunt, please try more of the clear broth. This bowl of sesame sauce is specially prepared for you.”

A faint, barely audible murmur answered him—so soft he almost thought he imagined it.

After a few hurried mouthfuls, her appetite was gone. Using tiredness as an excuse, Lin Jiaoyun retired to her room to rest. Cao Chengyu tidied up the leftovers and took all his utensils away.

On the surface, the hot pot dinner seemed a failure. Yet seeing the affection meter soar to seventy-four, Cao Chengyu knew his effort was not in vain.

Affection was something that rose quickly at first but grew harder to increase as time went on.

In the days that followed, Cao Chengyu returned to his peaceful routine. He seldom spoke with his aunt, but each day had the servant boy deliver a bowl of crab soup to her.

A week later.

In the Spring Night Pavilion of Immortal Palace City, Cao Chengyu sat with Huang Yuyan and Ning Sicheng, listening to music. Over this period, his aunt’s affection level had steadily climbed to seventy-nine. Only one point away from mutual affection, he had been stuck at this threshold for three days, and, growing dispirited, decided to seek amusement.

Spring Night Pavilion was a favorite haunt—the performers here were not only beautiful and melodious, but also witty conversationalists. The trio were regulars.

During their talk, the pavilion’s star performer—Miss Jade—approached their table, her bright eyes fixed on Cao Chengyu. At her signal, a maid brought over several cups of fine wine. She spoke in a gentle voice, “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, sirs. Would you like Jade to keep you company?”

Ning Sicheng raised an eyebrow, tone tinged with mischief. “I think it’s been a long time since you’ve seen Young Master Cao. Whenever Huang and I visit, you’re nowhere to be found. Clearly, you have your favorites.”

“Who doesn’t? If our friend Cao here asked, I’d be happy to pay for his company myself,” Huang Yuyan chimed in, his flattery bordering on the nauseating.

Cao Chengyu could only glare at them in embarrassment. “Miss Jade, we won’t be staying long tonight—there’s no need for you to accompany us.”

“Very well, I’ll take my leave,” she replied, disappointed, and withdrew.

Ning Sicheng nudged Cao Chengyu with his elbow, envy in his voice. “Brother Chengyu, tell us—how do you manage to make the star of the pavilion approach you of her own accord?”

“Exactly! Our families are hardly insignificant, yet the young ladies always flock to you.”

“You both want to know?”

“Yes, yes!” they chimed in eagerly.

Looking at their expectant faces, Cao Chengyu fell silent. One was still baby-faced and had yet to grow into his features—a bit too youthful. The other, with a broad forehead and small eyes, exuded a somewhat shifty air. It really was a difficult case.

At last, he hesitated. “Are you sure you want to know?”

They exchanged glances, curiosity written on their faces, and nodded.

“Be reborn,” he replied.

“What?!”

Ignoring their bewilderment, Cao Chengyu patted his robes and slipped away.

He rode his mount, Little Breeze, for a spin outside the city, returning only when darkness had fallen. After greeting his parents, it was already late into the night. His stomach rumbled with hunger.

He decided to find something to eat in the small kitchen.

The small kitchen was not far from the Rose Garden, once reserved for his second uncle’s private use—naturally, it wouldn’t be far from the living quarters. With the servant boy absent, Cao Chengyu had to prepare his own meal. Since he’d been making crab soup for his aunt every day, the only ingredients left were those for crab soup.

With no other options, he began to cook. After an hour, a fresh bowl of crab soup was ready. Lifting it to his lips for a sip—

Suddenly, a loud clang came from outside, as if the stack of firewood by the door had fallen.

He opened the door to check—nothing was there.

Puzzled, he stood in the doorway.

“Affection +1.”

“Congratulations, Host, on reaching the first stage: Mutual Affection. Reward: one Basic Treasure Chest!”

Could it have been his aunt? Cao Chengyu gazed at the crab soup in his hand, deep in thought.

The long-desired treasure chest was finally his. Forgetting everything else, he didn’t even touch the freshly made crab soup. He hurried back to his room, closed the door and windows, and sat on the bed, whispering, “Open the chest!”

“Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the Yellow Court Dao Song.”

A Dao Song?

The treasure chest faded from his mind, replaced by a golden scroll of ancient Daoist scripture. Though the characters were unfamiliar, their meaning was clear to him—an ineffable and mysterious sensation.

The opening verse described the general principles of qi circulation and the specific method of chanting this Dao Song.

Above lies the Yellow Court, below the Origin Pass, to the front the Secret Gate, to the rear the Life Gate; exhale and inhale beyond the cottage, moving in and out of the elixir field.

Word by word, reading on, Cao Chengyu unconsciously began to recite aloud, his consciousness sinking ever deeper.

As dawn approached, a gentle breeze seemed to stir, and thin strands of spiritual energy gradually gathered in the small courtyard of this mortal city.

By morning, having unknowingly cultivated through the night, Cao Chengyu stretched, feeling invigorated. Within, a stream of energy surged, bringing comfort to flesh and bone wherever it passed. Even his mind felt clearer than ever—memories from books were now vivid and wholly comprehensible, his senses subtly enhanced.

Such transformation was nothing short of rebirth. The gentle current within continued to circulate, again and again reshaping his constitution.

So this is what it feels like to embark on the path of immortality.