Chapter 21: Sun and Moon
Later that evening, Huang Feiyan visited Mingyan’s temporary residence.
She knocked. “Mingyan, are you there?”
“Come in, I’m here.” Mingyan, who was cultivating, opened his eyes and invited her in.
Huang Feiyan entered, her palace dress flowing gracefully, a gentle smile on her beautiful face. “I’m disturbing you again.”
“Not at all, Feiyan. Was my blood useful?” Mingyan shook his head, then asked.
“We don’t have concrete results yet.” Huang Feiyan pursed her lips and shook her head slightly. “It will take some time. You understand, we can’t be hasty in case something goes wrong and endangers my aunt further.”
Mingyan nodded, then recounted his encounter with Zhao Feiliu.
A flicker of annoyance crossed Huang Feiyan’s face, but it quickly vanished. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell my mother. You won’t be disturbed. We won’t let him bother you. Since we invited you here, we won’t cause you any more trouble.”
“I’m not afraid of trouble, but I prefer to be prepared. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.” Mingyan said calmly, “But I’m curious. You said the women of the Huang family don’t marry. Why would anyone pursue you? Doesn’t he know it’s a futile pursuit?”
“That’s a long story. There have been some rumors about the Huang family recently, spread by someone with unknown motives. It’s because of these rumors that people like Zhao Feiyun exist.” Huang Feiyan’s expression remained gentle. She rarely showed negative emotions, which likely contributed to her attractiveness.
Mingyan didn’t inquire further about the rumors. Since they were rumors, they weren’t true, and asking would be rude.
“By the way, I brought you a gift.” Huang Feiyan closed her eyes, and a slightly worn scroll appeared in her hand. “My mother said your Rain Terrace Scripture doesn’t emphasize combat, but you’re quite special. I chose this ancient scroll for you. It contains combat techniques and cultivation methods, a fortuitous encounter of a past Huang family cultivator. It seems to be suitable only for male cultivators, so it’s perfect for you.”
Mingyan was surprised. He had been meaning to ask Huang Feiyan about combat techniques, but she had already prepared something for him. He felt a warmth in his chest. Was this what friendship felt like? He thought about it. He hadn’t had any real friends before.
As a child, his unique constitution and precociousness made it difficult to connect with other children in his village. He became a hunter at twelve. Although the village elders treated him well, he had no friends his age. It was the same in Rain Terrace Blessed Land. Due to the favor of the Sect Leader and his master, Liu Yunfeng, his closest relationship was with Liu Mengli, but she was his junior sister, not a friend, and there was a significant age gap…
Strictly speaking, Huang Feiyan was his first friend.
Mingyan looked at the scroll and accepted it. “Thank you.”
“There’s no need for thanks between friends.” Huang Feiyan smiled. “Besides, the women of our family can’t cultivate this technique anyway. Giving it to you prevents it from being lost.”
After speaking with Huang Junru, Huang Feiyan had gone to the family archives to search for information on the “Human King Physique” but found nothing. However, she had stumbled upon this scroll.
In reality, the technique wasn’t exclusively for men, but considering Mingyan’s excessive politeness, she had used that as an excuse to give it to him.
Her claim about Huang Junru commenting on the Rain Terrace Scripture’s lack of combat techniques was also a lie. Huang Junru hadn’t said that, but Huang Feiyan assumed the techniques of a Blessed Land couldn’t compare to those of a Sacred Land or a prominent family. An extra technique would be beneficial for Mingyan.
Mingyan accepted the scroll without further hesitation and unfurled it. The technique was called the “Sun and Moon Scripture.” He paused. The words “sun” and “moon” seemed to have a connection to him…
“This scroll was found in an ancient tomb. It contains several combat techniques and seemingly includes cultivation principles for the Transcendence Realm. It should be very helpful for you.” Huang Feiyan had inquired about the scroll’s origins from her Seventeenth Aunt, who managed the archives.
In reality, the Sun and Moon Scripture could be cultivated by women as well, and its Transcendence Realm principles were incredibly powerful, comparable to Emperor-level techniques. However, many of its combat techniques clashed with their primary cultivation method, the “Phoenix Nirvana Scripture,” passed down from their ancestor, the Phoenix. Naturally, the Phoenix Nirvana Scripture was more suitable for them. Moreover, its Transcendence Realm portion was already incredibly powerful, so there was no need to cultivate other techniques. The mysterious Sun and Moon Scripture was simply stored in the archives, uncultivated.
Mingyan stored the scroll within his Qi Sea.
Huang Feiyan noticed the scroll vanish and looked surprised. “Eh? You’ve reached the Illuminating Sea Realm? So quickly?”
Mingyan realized he shouldn’t have revealed this and felt slightly embarrassed. He had been careless.
“Hmm? You’re only at the Great Brook Realm… You can already enter your Qi Sea?” Huang Feiyan quickly sensed his true cultivation level and was astonished, then chuckled. “You truly are unique… But don’t reveal this to others. Your natural medicinal physique and the ability to enter your Qi Sea at the Great Brook Realm could bring you a lot of trouble.”
Seeing that Huang Feiyan, although surprised, wasn’t acting strangely, Mingyan relaxed. He realized he had been too sensitive. Huang Feiyan wasn’t greedy or envious. He chuckled at his own nervousness.
“Yes, I understand. Actually, I was wondering, since I can enter my Qi Sea, can I start thinking about my weapon?”
“Yes, indeed. Do you have a preferred weapon type?” Huang Feiyan nodded. “Choosing a weapon and its materials requires careful consideration. It will determine the weapon’s potential. Of course, you can’t just focus on strength and ignore compatibility. A weapon should feel like an extension of yourself.”
A preferred weapon… Mingyan pondered. Swords? Sabers?
Those were the most common choices for cultivators… But he had no experience with them… A bell? He had heard of some cultivators using bells as weapons, both offensively and defensively… But it didn’t feel right… A cauldron? Swinging a cauldron at someone sounded appealing, and he was strong enough… But he dismissed that idea as well…
The four arts: music, chess, calligraphy, and painting? Were there any suitable weapons among them? Mingyan frowned. He was only proficient in one of those…
“Don’t rush. Choosing a weapon is important for a cultivator. It’s good to think it over carefully.” Huang Feiyan smiled. “The Huang family has some special materials. I’ll take you to choose some later, as a reward for helping my aunt.”
Mingyan shook his head. “I’ve already received the Sun and Moon Scripture. I shouldn’t…”
“Hmm? That’s not right. The Sun and Moon Scripture is a gift from a friend, not a reward.” Huang Feiyan tilted her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “A reward is a reward, and a gift is a gift. They’re not the same.”
“But I… don’t have anything to give you, Feiyan…”
“You saved me twice. That’s more valuable than any gift.” Huang Feiyan tapped his forehead playfully with her finger. “Isn’t that enough?”
Mingyan realized he could never win a verbal sparring match against her and chuckled helplessly.
“Alright, I won’t disturb you any longer. Don’t worry about Zhao Feiyun. He wouldn’t dare cause trouble for you in the outer courtyard.” Huang Feiyan clapped her hands, her fragrance wafting towards him. “Think carefully about your weapon choice. I’ll let you know as soon as we have results from the blood test. And again, if you have any trouble or need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. You’re my savior and my friend, and you might also become my aunt’s and the Huang family’s savior…”
She emphasized this point. With others, she would have worried about them taking advantage of her family’s gratitude, but with Mingyan, it was the opposite. She was worried he wouldn’t ask for enough…
Mingyan nodded, and Huang Feiyan, satisfied, left with a light step.
Friend… Mingyan thought about this word, a smile appearing on his face. Was this what friendship felt like? It felt… warm…
He shook his head and focused his consciousness on his Qi Sea. The slightly worn scroll floated there, emitting a faint glow. He willed it into his hand and opened it again, looking at the characters “Sun and Moon Scripture.”
Although the characters were simple, the more he looked at them, the more profound and arcane they seemed… He focused on the characters “sun” and “moon,” noticing they emitted faint glows, gold for “sun” and silver for “moon”… Even the original Rain Terrace Scripture, written by the sect’s founder, hadn’t seemed so mystical…
The glows intensified, becoming blindingly bright, like a true sun and moon. Complex runes shimmered on their surfaces. Mingyan watched in amazement as the characters detached from the scroll and flew into the air, the “sun” rising towards the sky and the “moon” descending below the horizon… The “sun” then transformed into a miniature, radiant sun, hanging in the sky of his Qi Sea.
Its light was intense, radiating warmth… as if a real sun was shining within him…
…What was happening?
Mingyan was stunned. He looked down at the scroll. The characters “sun” and “moon” were gone, replaced by miniature images of a radiant sun and a silvery moon…
His Qi Sea, previously bright but without a visible light source, now contained a miniature sun… He didn’t know if this was good or bad. According to his understanding, the Qi Sea shouldn’t have a sun or moon…
What had Celestial Sister given him? He had a feeling this Sun and Moon Scripture was extraordinary!
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