Chapter 271: You Do Not Wish

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    In a way, Elder Xue’s punishment ends up helping him. It gives Liu Jin an excuse not to leave the Apothecary until he has decided on his next move. It also allows him to reconnect with people like Khong Hu and Gan Nanfeng, though the latter now treats him with a little too much awe for his comfort. Thankfully, Khong Hu’s attitude remains largely unchanged, but that might just be because the disciple is always exceedingly proper in all things.

    Regardless, Liu Jin cannot stay in the safety of the Apothecary forever.

    Lord Feng Gui should be the first person Liu Jin visits, but Liu Jin is not sure that is the correct move. If he seeks his favor too eagerly, it will waste the leverage that Lord Feng Shang has given him.

    Instead, Liu Jin merely files a request for an audience. If that takes time to be processed, it’s not really his fault. If anything, it is a sign of respect that Liu Jin bothered to go through the proper channels instead of appearing at Lord Feng Gui’s doorstep and demanding to be heard. Lady Ling will be much harder to mollify, but Liu Jin wants to put off meeting her for as long as possible.

    For now, his goal is the Division of Exploration.

    Though Liu Jin has been a member of the Eternal Flame Clan for a long time, it is his first time visiting it. The main building is cylindrical in shape and only about three stories tall. Around it are large statues of fierce dogs, immovable guardians protecting the treasures within.

    The inside is full of explosions.

    The building shakes every five seconds or so. People are running all over the place, some of them on fire and yelling in languages that Liu Jin has never heard. Fan Bingbing assures him that this is all normal. Some of the relics they study are very volatile, but there is no reason to worry. Even when a rock monster that Liu Jin is pretty sure is some sort of ancient statue come to life rampages past them, Fan Bingbing’s countenance remains unchanged.

    It is only when they reach the top floor that her expression falters.

    “Are you sure you wish to continue?” she asks him.

    “If I were to turn back now, I’d be throwing away all the work Sister Fan put into arranging this meeting.” Liu Jin smiles. “Besides, I am the one who wanted this.”

    Fan Bingbing gives him a small, nearly imperceptible nod.

    “Very well. In that case, I wish Brother Jin the best. Elder Ju is a great man, but he can be very trying.”UppTodated from

    Liu Jin returns her nod before going ahead. The door to Elder Ju’s office is made of stone full of ancient carvings and encrusted with gems that glow with power. Each one seems to be powering a different mechanism. Most likely, the door used to be part of a ruin before being moved here.

    It opens before Liu Jin can study it further.

    As soon as Liu Jin crosses the threshold, his eyes and nose begin to sting from all the dust inside. All the illumination in the room is provided by the colored flames in the ceiling. If there are any windows anywhere, Liu Jin cannot see them. The walls are lined with dozens of bookshelves. There are so many of them they’re even stacked on top of each other. Curiously, most of the bookshelves are empty. The books, scrolls, and documents that should be stored in them are instead scattered all over the floor like a rabid carpet.

    In the center of the room, seated on a desk balanced on a mountain of old books, is Elder Ju.

    Though there is no way he could have missed Liu Jin’s Qi, the Elder does not acknowledge him. He only has eyes for the scroll in his hands. He keeps whispering to himself and taking notes. After several minutes pass, Liu Jin clears his throat, but the man still does not pay attention to him.

    “Elder Ju-”

    Liu Jin is unable to go further. Elder Ju’s aura spreads out like the very dust that covers his office and falls over Liu Jin. It gets in his eyes, in his ears, and in his mouth. He cannot move. He can barely breathe.

    Elder Ju’s ink brush keeps writing in silence.

    Nearly an hour passes and Liu Jin can do nothing. Were it not for the complete lack of hostility in the man’s aura, Liu Jin would have already tried to break free. However, there is no need to escalate things just yet.

    The Elder might actually grow angry if he destroys his office.

    “Sorry,” Elder Ju says after another half an hour has passed. He releases Liu Jin from the force of his aura. “I was struck by a wave of inspiration after opening the door for you. I couldn’t allow you to interrupt me, or I’d have been set back weeks. Maybe months. That would have been terrible.”

    “I... see...”

    The worst part is that Liu Jin does see. He knows what it feels like when one is taken over by a burst of genius. When that happens, there is no choice but to carry that inspiration to its natural endpoint lest one lose it forever.

    Of course, Liu Jin has never immobilized someone for it.

    “You can sit down...” Elder Ju looks around and finds no chair. If there are any in the room, they are probably buried under a pile of books. “...Somewhere. Probably the floor.”

    Liu Jin looks at the dusty books under his feet.

    “I prefer to stand, Elder Ju.”

    After Elder Ju, Elder Xun is next.

    It is already dark by the time Liu Jin visits the Technique Hall. Elder Ju kept talking about Nuwa for hours. Still, even in the dark, Liu Jin can see the Technique Hall has gone through a few changes. There is no pile of gifts burning outside this time. There are also significantly fewer disciples taking the entrance exam. With things settled between Lord Feng Shang and Lord Feng Gui, people no longer seek refuge here.

    Mud is not there to escort him. He seems to have gone into isolation, but Liu Jin knows the way well enough. He walks with confidence through the labyrinth made of bookshelves, stairs, and never-ending rooms.

    The techniques are louder than before.

    Their whispers resonate with different parts of him. The snake. The dragon. It seems the changes he has undergone have made him more suitable for certain techniques.

    However, that is not what he is here for.

    “You have gone through much since we last saw each other.”

    Elder Xun looks unchanged. The aged Elder smokes from his pipe and breathes out smoke of different colors into the room.

    “It is good to see you again, Elder Xun,” Liu Jin says, bowing his head respectfully.

    “Have you come to bribe me like you did Elder Ju?”

    Liu Jin shakes his head.

    “The first time I came here, I was told to throw all gifts I might have to the pyre,” Liu Jin replies. “Even if I had something to offer, I would not attempt to bribe you, Elder Xun. Your impartiality and strength of character are respected by all. That includes this disciple. I am only here to seek your guidance.”

    Elder Xun takes a long drag from his pipe. “I feared that would be the case. What do you wish to ask this old man?”

    “Elder Xun, we once talked about Dao. You told me your grandson’s Dao leads him to seek Destruction. It is why the Elders imprisoned him. You told me my Dao would not earn me better treatment,” Liu Jin recounts. “Elder, I have taken a few more steps into my Dao.”

    “I can tell,” Elder Xun says. “I can see the evolution of your soul. However, you have yet to complete it. It is only a silhouette in the dark. Still, you have an inkling. Name it without fear. Nothing you say here will be overheard.”

    Liu Jin closes his eyes. He speaks the word that keeps echoing inside him.

    “Hollow.”

    The lights dim. The air vibrates. The smoke loses its color.

    Elder Xun sets his pipe down.

    “I hoped my worries were for nothing, but you have birthed something quite troublesome,” Elder Xun says with a deep frown on his face. “You are a very dangerous child.”

    “Elder Xun, I do not seek to be dangerous.”

    “That is part of the problem,” Elder Xun replies. “You acquire the tools you deem necessary for your goals, and that has turned you into what you are. You move like an assassin but do not wish to kill. Your Qi drips with poison, but you do not wish to poison. You probe people for weaknesses, yet you do not wish to harm. You are not even two decades old and already hold more power than entire clans. And yet, that is not what you want, is it? None of those things are what you wish for.”

    Liu Jin takes a deep breath.

    “They are not.”

    “Cases like yours are not unheard of, people whose Dao is a mirror pointed outward,” Elder Xun says. “However, you chose to reflect the entire world. That discontent has given you great power and will continue to do so. However, it is a dangerous thing. When you have achieved what you wish, will that give you what you want?”

    Liu Jin blinks.

    “What?”

    “Fulfillment, child. Fulfillment,” Elder Xun says. “If all else is hollow, are you full? Consider what you have filled yourself with so far. They are things you need but do not want. All things you would discard if you could. When all is done, what do you wish to have?”

    “I...” Liu Jin struggles to think. What he wants. What he needs to do. Are they truly so far apart? “I... am not sure...”

    “Figure it out,” Elder Xun tells him. “Fill your cup lest someone else do it for you.”

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