Liu Yan Yi invited Zhang Yan to sit in the outer courtyard of her cottage and offered him a cup of aromatic tea. Zhang Yan glanced around casually; though the room was simply furnished, it was meticulously clean.
In front of the door hung a verdant bamboo curtain, while on the northern side stood a row of bookshelves, spotless and neatly arranged with books.
With his discerning eye, he immediately noticed that while the books were occasionally read, each page had been carefully smoothed out without a single crease. He couldn’t help but remark, "Those children have done a thorough job managing this place."
Liu Yan Yi smiled softly and replied, "Master, this is a place for cultivation. Senior Zhou said ordinary folk must not enter. All of this I’ve cleaned myself."
"Oh?" Zhang Yan gave Liu Yan Yi another look, nodded, and said, "Disciple, don’t just stand there talking. Come, sit as well."
Liu Yan Yi shook her head and respectfully gave a slight bow toward Zhang Yan, her tone solemn. "Master is present; how could a disciple presume to take a seat?"
Zhang Yan smiled. A disciple respecting their master’s teachings was naturally a good thing, so he didn’t insist. He gently said, "Disciple, now that you’ve been cultivating the ’One Qi Cleansing Scripture,’ are there any parts that remain unclear to you?"
Liu Yan Yi nervously pinched the edges of her robe and answered softly, "Regarding this scripture, there isn’t much difficulty. Once disciple read through it, I understood its meaning completely."
Zhang Yan nodded ever so slightly. He then casually selected a few lines for her to explain. Liu Yan Yi answered each one without a mistake and without the slightest hint of boastfulness.
This didn’t surprise him, though. The reason he had taken this girl as his disciple in the first place was precisely because of her exceptional aptitude. Moreover, with Zhou Chongju offering occasional guidance during her cultivation, it was only natural she would understand these concepts.
He then stated lightly, "Since there’s nothing you don’t understand, why is it that after all this time cultivating, you’ve yet to manifest even the slightest trace of inner qi?"
The moment Zhang Yan saw Liu Yan Yi, he could tell she lacked any inner qi entirely. At first, he found this puzzling. Liu Yan Yi’s aptitude was undoubtedly exceptional, and her quick wit had been clear to see even back on the ship that fateful day. Could it be that Senior Brother Zhou’s responsibilities had left him too busy to provide her proper guidance?
But upon further inquiry, he discovered this wasn’t the case. The only remaining possibility, then, was negligence and laziness.
If that turned out to be true, it would signify a flaw in her disposition, rendering her unfit to be called a true seed of cultivation. In such a case, Zhang Yan resolved to continue keeping her around, but from then on, he would no longer regard her as a prospective direct disciple.
Even though Zhang Yan’s face bore no harsh expression, a natural air of authority radiated from him. When he spoke these words, the atmosphere around them seemed to tighten. Liu Yan Yi’s heart skipped a beat, and she found it difficult to breathe. After hesitating for a moment with words seemingly caught in her throat, she finally lowered her head in silence.
Zhang Yan saw this and spoke slowly, "If you have anything to say, feel free to say it."
Liu Yan Yi bit her lip, then knelt down gracefully before him and bowed deeply. "Master, I once heard from Senior Zhou that you are highly skilled in the Erosion Text, surpassing even him in this regard. Might I ask for your guidance in this area as well?"
Hearing this, Zhang Yan couldn’t help but be surprised. "Why would you have the notion to study the Erosion Text?"
Remaining kneeling on the ground, Liu Yan Yi kowtowed to Zhang Yan before replying, "Senior Zhou once said that the Erosion Text is the foundation of all Dao Techniques, containing the profound principles of the Great Dao itself. It is said that the Ancient Immortals comprehended the Erosion Text to ascend to immortality. However, due to the inadequacies of later disciples, its study has fallen into neglect. Senior Zhou also mentioned that Master possesses extraordinary talent and, even without formal teaching, was able to comprehend the subtle principles of the Erosion Text on your own. While it may not be obvious now, with time, your cultivation will surely surpass others, allowing you to ascend to the Immortal Gate ahead of all. I thought to myself, as your first disciple, if someday I succeed in cultivation yet remain ignorant of the Erosion Text, how could I bear to claim I come from your lineage? Thus, I humbly request that Master grant me the original Erosion Text version of the ’One Qi Cleansing Scripture.’ No matter how arduous or bitter the process may be, I will strive to learn and master it."
Hearing this, Zhang Yan silently nodded to himself. Zhou Chongju, despite hailing from the distinguished Dingyang Zhou Family and suffering a broken Dao Foundation that left his Great Dao aspirations unattainable, indeed had remarkable insight. Zhang Yan spoke warmly, "Good. It pleases me to see you have such aspirations. However, this is not something that can be accomplished overnight. Let me ask: how long did it take you to comprehend this scripture, and how much guidance did you receive from Senior Brother Zhou?"
Liu Yan Yi quietly responded, "Since the day Senior Zhou brought me here, disciple has not sought him out nor has Senior Zhou come to see me."
"Oh?" Zhang Yan raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. "Then who explained the contents of these Daoist books to you?"
Liu Yan Yi shook her head and said, "No one explained anything to me, Master. I figured it out on my own."
"What?" This time, Zhang Yan was genuinely taken aback. He could discern that Liu Yan Yi wasn’t lying to him, nor would she engage in such foolish flattery just to curry favor. Even if she attempted deception, it would hardly hold up under scrutiny given her intellect, so she wouldn’t waste time resorting to such trivial tricks.