Watching the Mountain

Before long, Xu Ran silently put down the medical book in his hands. He then shook his head, a self-deprecating smile on his face.

’I must be getting old and senile, actually imagining I could solve the Cultivation Realm’s current problem with the medical arts from a book.’

This disaster in the Cultivation Realm was being called a "plague," but it clearly involved the power of the Dao and its Laws, not an illness caused by bacteria and viruses like in the Mortal World.

’That being the case, how could it possibly be solved with medicine? It’s definitely not going to work.’

But just as he set the book down, someone suddenly walked over and took it from his hands.

Xu Ran looked up and saw the petite and delicate figure of Qing Li.

Xu Ran was a bit surprised to see her. He remembered that after her experiences in the Mortal World, Qing Li had lost interest in practicing medicine. ’So why is she here now?’

In response to Xu Ran’s unspoken question, Qing Li spoke softly, her expression serene. "I want to see if the medical techniques in here can help everyone in the Sect get better."

Xu Ran wasn’t surprised by her idea. ’Didn’t I just have the same thought myself?’ After a moment of contemplation, he gently advised,

"This isn’t a disease. Medicine probably won’t be of any use."

Qing Li didn’t argue. "I know, but I still want to try. My mother is sick. If I do nothing, I’ll only feel worse."

Seeing the faint anxiety in Qing Li’s eyes, Xu Ran instantly understood how she felt. She had grown up under the care of his master’s wife, so her feelings for the woman must run incredibly deep.

Now that her mother figure was sick and she could do nothing about it, she felt helpless and lost. So she came here to study medicine, knowing the chances were slim, because doing something was better than doing nothing at all.

Understanding this, he offered Qing Li a word of encouragement. "It’s good to try. Who knows, you might really find a solution."

After Qing Li, another person arrived at the Scripture Pavilion, also heading for the medical books.

This was none other than Chen Minghe, the Purple Mansion team leader from the great sect competition. This old man had spent his life just trying to get by on seniority. Some time ago, he had turned himself in and was punished by Qing Xuan True Monarch to lecture in the Chores Courtyard. Now, he had broken through to the Core Formation Stage using the Flying Immortal Stream method.

Xu Ran had seen Chen Minghe here studying medical books before and had even encouraged him. Seeing him again now, it seemed Chen Minghe truly intended to delve deep into this field.

What surprised Xu Ran, however, was that Chen Minghe showed no signs of infection. It seemed he hadn’t entered the Secret Realm either.

In Xu Ran’s memory, Chen Minghe was always looking to line his own pockets back in the Internal Affairs Hall. With so many opportunities inside the Secret Realm, it was out of character for him to have resisted the temptation to enter.

Faced with Xu Ran’s questioning gaze, Chen Minghe let out a hearty laugh. Not the least bit offended, he spoke with a frank and open expression:

"Just as you said, Junior Brother Xu, I’m the kind of person who can’t walk away from a good opportunity. But haven’t I seen the light since then?"

He puffed out his chest slightly. "I feel that once a person lets go of their obsession with material things, life becomes so much easier. Every day is wonderfully relaxing and carefree for me now."

His tone was filled with emotion. "When I think back, I was always so hung up on trivial possessions. Every day, I was bowing and scraping to all sorts of people just for a few benefits. I got the benefits, sure, but life was just so tiring."

"Things are much better now. So free and easy."

He finished with a wide, winking grin at Xu Ran. "Junior Brother Xu, I’ve suddenly realized something. As long as I stay within the Sect’s rules, I can do whatever I want. There’s no need to go out of my way to curry favor with anyone. All those things I used to worry about, like offending people? They don’t actually happen."

"Whether it’s the Sect Leader, the Supreme Elders, or just the regular Elders, none of them will hold a grudge against you for some slightly disrespectful words or actions."

"I was just scaring myself with my old way of thinking. The truth is, as long as you do your own thing in the Sect, not many people care about your attitude."

"Now I just want to do things I enjoy. As for material possessions... the fact that I even reached Core Formation was an unexpected joy. There’s nothing more I need to chase after."

He shook his head and sighed softly. "And who would have thought? It’s precisely because of this mindset that I managed to avoid this calamity for now."

"It’s true what they say. You really shouldn’t chase after things that don’t belong to you."

Xu Ran gave him a long, deep look. From his words, it was clear that Chen Minghe had truly changed a great deal.

Even he hadn’t expected that an old slicker who’d spent his life coasting on seniority would suddenly have an epiphany and transform into the very picture of a wise master.

’The world is truly unpredictable. You really can’t judge a person by your old impressions of them.’

He then asked curiously, "Senior Brother Chen, are you also hoping to solve the Cultivation Realm’s current problem with medicine?"

Chen Minghe waved his hand. "A small fry like me solve the Cultivation Realm’s problems? I wouldn’t dare think it. I just figured that since the situation is so critical, I might as well study this a bit. If I can be of some small use in the future, I’ll be satisfied."

Watching Chen Minghe, Xu Ran couldn’t help but feel a pang of emotion. ’If only Qin Yufeng could have been this open-minded.’

’Then he wouldn’t have ended up in this situation.’

But unfortunately, that was clearly impossible. For some people, one tiny incident can be etched into their memory for a lifetime, even driving them to change completely. It’s like how, so often, events with profound and far-reaching consequences are triggered by the most insignificant of trifles.