I Failed to Reform the Protagonist [Transmigration] - Chapter 21

Time flows unnoticed in the mountains. Having stayed on Yinghui Peak for several months, Pei Jing still hadn’t quite grasped the concept of “entering the mortal world.” Joy, anger, sorrow, and delight; the seven emotions and six desires—they sounded simple enough, but practicing them was difficult. Most of the time, his emotions remained superficial, failing to touch the “five dusts” of the soul. Moreover, in most situations, he was usually the one making others angry.

On the monthly rest day for outer peak disciples, Pei Jing planned to revisit the Heaven Pavilion. His question had been sitting there for a long time; perhaps there were new answers.

He went to Wenqing Peak to see Chen Xu. When Chen Xu heard his intent, his face twisted, and he looked ready to kick his guest out.

Pei Jing said, “Listen to me before you kick me out. I won’t trouble you as much this time. I’ll go as Zhang Yiming; you just need to lead me into the Library.”

The Library was only accessible to cultivators of the Foundation Establishment stage or higher. If he wanted to enter as a new outer disciple, he required a guide.

The last time, Chen Xu had been so badly pranked by him that it left a psychological shadow. The memory of being left alone in the Heaven Pavilion to face the fuming Elder Lou still gave him lingering palpitations. He replied coldly, “No.”

Pei Jing said, “Don’t be like that. Do you really want me to suffer a crushing defeat to that ‘little brother’ Feng Jin in the next Heaven Trial?”

Chen Xu mocked him, “Didn’t you say taking on four people at once wouldn’t be a problem?”

Pei Jing countered, “A few months ago, I went to the Ghost Realm and saw Ji Wuduan. He has also broken through to the Great Perfection of the Golden Core. One must have a sense of crisis; one cannot be overconfident.”

He raised an eyebrow. “If I truly let Feng Jin defeat me once, with his personality, who knows how many years he’d brag about it? It would definitely become the shadow of my life.”

Chen Xu knew Pei Jing was talking nonsense as soon as he heard it. Having grown up together, how could he not know him? The only people in this world who could make Pei Yuzhi bow his head and admit defeat—besides his Master—were likely only the ancestors within Jingtian Academy. However, being a natural “good man,” he eventually agreed with a stiff face after a few more pleas from Pei Jing.

As they stepped out, Chen Xu shot back a retort as they walked: “I actually hope someone does defeat you. You say Feng Jin needs to temper his character, but I think you’re the one who needs it most. Have you let the words the Ancestors told you in Jingtian Academy go in one ear and out the other?”

Pei Jing felt amused and thought: I actually seek a defeat. But since he was asking for a favor, he didn’t say it out loud. He recalled the things the Ancestors had told him; there were too many, and he couldn’t pinpoint which specific one Chen Xu was referring to.

The clouds over Yunxiao were vast as summer turned to autumn. In front of the Library, there was a walkway where the frosted leaves were half-dyed red. From a distance, they looked like clusters of red clouds scattered among the mountain woods.

Sitting atop a white crane, Chen Xu asked about Chu Junyu. “How is that disciple doing on the outer peak?” He still felt a pang of heartache that such a genius disciple was being “wasted” by Pei Jing.

Pei Jing toyed with the crane’s feathers, thought for a moment, and laughed. “Why do you have the heart of an old father for everyone? You haven’t even met many female cultivators, yet you’re already thinking about being a dad?”

Chen Xu: “…Get lost.”

Pei Jing laughed before lazily adding, “Chu Junyu has me by his side. He’s cultivating just fine on the outer peak, so don’t you worry.”

Chen Xu rolled his eyes. “It’s precisely because he has you that I’m worried.”

Pei Jing sat up straight, thought it over, and said seriously, “In another three months, this group of new disciples will have spent a full year on Yinghui Peak. There will be a competition to decide their future path. Do you think if Chu Junyu takes first place and I reveal my true form to take him as a disciple, he’ll be moved to tears?”

Chen Xu: “…”

After a moment of silence, Chen Xu spoke with great foresight: “Anyone else might kneel down in gratitude, but if it’s Chu Junyu, I think you’ll be rejected. After all, he thinks you’re ‘not much of anything’.”

Pei Jing: “Since when did your memory get so good?”

It was a rare occasion for Chen Xu to successfully annoy him, and it made him feel refreshed. He said, “I think he makes a lot of sense. He’s a perceptive person; even without meeting you, he already knows your true nature.”

Pei Jing was so annoyed he laughed. “Will you be realistic? He only spoke so boldly because he hasn’t seen me in person.” He then shamelessly held up five fingers and counted: “In terms of cultivation, I am number one on the Heaven List, unrivaled in this age. In terms of looks, I am the man in the dreams of millions of female cultivators. I dare say, if he saw the real me, he would definitely take those words back and willingly bow at my feet.”

Chen Xu genuinely hadn’t expected him to be this shameless. “Fine, just you wait.”

Pei Jing: “I’m waiting.”

He was joking, of course… although he didn’t want to admit it, Pei Jing partially agreed with Chen Xu. That last sentence was just bluster. With Chu Junyu’s personality, it was hard to imagine him ever bowing to anyone as a teacher.

They arrived at the Book Peak and walked through the red maple forest. The leaves were not yet fully red, hanging half-veiled amidst the rustling reeds.

As Pei Jing stepped through, he froze for a second. He thought of that night in the Yunlan Mountains—the mysterious man in black, silver hair, blood-red eyes, and unfathomable depth. He couldn’t help but wonder: Who exactly was he?

Elder Lou wasn’t one to micromanage. Pei Jing swaggered right past him without the Elder taking any notice. He went up to the top floor alone. There were many rooms in the Heaven Pavilion, and Pei Jing habitually went to the innermost one.

He pushed open the door to find the same spectacular scene: ten thousand scrolls cascading down in a magnificent display. Walking to the center, he noticed Elder Lou had removed the ink and brushes, leaving only a table. Likely, the Elder had become so irritable after Pei Jing knocked over the ink bottle twice that he lost all interest in playing the refined scholar.

Pei Jing couldn’t stop laughing. “He should have removed them long ago.”

He sat cross-legged at the desk and drew a talisman in the air. Instantly, thousands of sheets of Xuan paper whirled rapidly until the one belonging to him slowed down and stopped in front of him.

—How does one return to simplicity (Fan Pu Gui Zhen)?

Beneath his conversation with the previous respondent, many new replies had been added. Most, of course, were nonsense.

—Returning to simplicity, eh? Let me explain: it means removing external decorations and returning to an original, plain state. Perhaps, fellow Daoist… you could try streaking.

He had been scolded by someone immediately after.

—What kind of rotten idea is the one above? Stop misleading people. My master also told me about the term ‘returning to simplicity’; it usually refers to heart-demons causing chaos, requiring you to discard stray thoughts.

Pei Jing twitched his lips at the second one. Why was his Master the exact opposite, claiming that returning to simplicity required generating heart-demons?

Scrolling down, he saw that someone had vaguely understood his meaning.

—Based on the fellow Daoist’s dialogue with the first respondent, your ‘returning to simplicity’—entering the mortal world—should be to experience the seven emotions, six desires, and the various flavors of life. Actually, it’s quite simple: among the thirty-three heavens, the Heaven of Parting Sorrow is the highest; among the four hundred and four illnesses, lovesickness is the most bitter. Fellow Daoist, go find someone who catches your eye and start a romance. You’ll experience every emotion possible, and it’s guaranteed to make you see through this mortal world.