Chapter Two: Chalcedony

County Attendant Chen burst into hearty laughter. "No need for formalities, no need at all. I had originally intended to visit you atop the mountain, but the roads here are difficult for carriages, so I had to request that you come down to meet me instead.

Just last month, after my appointment, I visited Jiaode Lane to pay respects to your esteemed family and met many distinguished members among your kin. Unfortunately, I did not have the pleasure of meeting you, Master Wang, which I deeply regretted. As I happened to pass by today, I thought to invite you for a conversation.

I hope my request has not struck you as abrupt?"

Wang Zhenling responded with humility, though inwardly he cursed. Those in power always favored such hypocritical gestures. Of course, he could not voice his true thoughts, instead saying, "My humble name is unworthy of your attention."

As long as this county attendant had not discovered anything and was not here to apprehend him, all would be well.

After exchanging pleasantries, County Attendant Chen remarked, "The area outside the county is not very safe these days. The followers of the Heavenly Dao are causing much trouble.

Master Wang, it would be wiser for you to return home, lest you fall victim to those cultists. I must continue patrolling the surrounding villages, so I will take my leave."

With that, to Wang Zhenling’s bewilderment, the group departed leisurely.

Wang Zhenling maintained his deep bow, watching them go, while wondering why the county attendant had gone out of his way to meet him. He hardly believed his reputation warranted such attention.

What he did not know was that inside County Attendant Chen’s carriage, Chen was asking an inconspicuous scholar clad in a black robe, "Master Cai, what do you make of this man?"

"He has a certain bearing," the scholar replied disdainfully, "but he’s only from a minor family in a remote county—hardly a person of consequence."

At this moment, another spoke, laughing, "I cannot say whether this recluse of Meishan is a person of importance, but it’s clear he has practiced the mystic arts...

Under the scrutiny of Chen Wu and the others, his aura was exposed. I suspect his residence atop Meishan is not a mark of virtuous conduct, but rather he is hiding there to cultivate."

In this realm, only officials may lawfully practice the arts and cast spells—a strict edict of the court. Wang Zhenling, not an official, was secretly cultivating, thus violating imperial law.

Yet none present cared in the least.

Court laws existed to control the common folk. For the true elite, the great clans, they held little meaning. Which powerful family did not quietly nurture practitioners for their own use?

Only these minor clans in remote places feared imperial decrees and hid their cultivation.

County Attendant Chen found it amusing. "Hiding atop Meishan to cultivate? There isn’t even a tiny spiritual vein there. What’s the point?"

His amusement was largely because the Wang family of Danling welcomed his appointment and had shown great cooperation. Thus, he laughed off Wang Zhenling’s secret practice.

Otherwise, he would have used this as leverage to make the Wang family suffer.

Not saying he would exterminate them, but at the very least, he could make them cough up blood and be obedient thereafter.

Such is the law.

For the lower classes, it is an untouchable high-voltage line.

For those above, it is merely something to toy with.

Does the court not know that every great clan fosters practitioners and magicians? They simply turn a blind eye, unable to control it all.

"Danling is but a small place. Why are the Heavenly Dao cultists causing such turmoil here? Are they plotting something? Investigate this matter thoroughly!"

"Yes, sir!"

...

Wang Zhenling was unaware he had been exposed.

Nor did he know that in the eyes of the powerful, his violation was of no consequence.

It was not due to his ignorance, but simply a difference of status and perspective.

After all, Wang Zhenling had never encountered the true elite of this world.

Just as County Attendant Chen, despite much thought, could not fathom why the Heavenly Dao valued Danling County so highly that even envoys bearing the triple-segmented staff had arrived.

This disparity in status and information led to such confusion.

At this moment, Wang Zhenling gazed at the now-empty mountain road and murmured to himself, "That county attendant’s retinue is formidable; those elite soldiers and swordsmen aside, he has at least two practitioners beside him, each with deep and powerful auras. Who knows how advanced their cultivation is? With such a ruthless figure as county attendant, perhaps peace will return to our county."

However, he also thought, "Perhaps I truly should move back to Jiaode Lane for a while..."

Though he said this, Wang Zhenling had no desire to return to Jiaode Lane.

With the help of the luminous pearl and jade essence, he could now send his spirit out of his body ahead of schedule, absorbing the radiance of sun and moon for cultivation.

This method was far superior and much faster than his previous practices.

Such cultivation, though, caused greater disturbances.

Especially when the primordial spirit leaves the body—it is exceedingly fragile, and any interruption can lead to disastrous consequences.

Jiaode Lane was crowded and noisy, unsuitable for cultivation.

Moreover, it was the gathering place of the Wang family of Danling, full of scholars who frowned upon practitioners of the mystic arts.

Whether he was disturbed or discovered, it would bring trouble.

After much deliberation, Wang Zhenling abandoned the idea of moving back.

He settled in, focusing on his cultivation.

Now that his spirit could leave his body, he could wield supernatural arts, and was prepared to face ordinary dangers.

Tonight the moon was full, nourishing the primordial spirit. He intended to attempt his first spirit departure and bask in the moonlight.

If successful, he would enter the phase of spirit travel. At this stage, the spirit could leave the body and exercise myriad supernatural powers.

This was a realm he had never achieved in his previous life; only by reincarnating into this world where the Dao manifested and dedicating himself single-mindedly to cultivation had he reached this threshold at such a young age.

Under the moonlight, Wang Zhenling emptied his mind.

Years of mountain solitude had strengthened his vital energy and calmed his thoughts. Not only did he enter meditation effortlessly, he easily visualized within his sea of consciousness a tranquil pool, himself standing by its edge.

Moonlight rippled across the surface, suffused with a jade glow—the lingering power of the jade essence, which had not yet dissipated.

With his current strength, Wang Zhenling estimated it would take half a year, perhaps a full year, to fully absorb this drop of jade essence.

In other words, it would require at least three to five years for him to completely digest it.