Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 73: A Perfect Ending
Jiang Yi flipped through the book casually, but he knew exactly what he was doing.

With my limited understanding, I'm at best "barely literate," barely scratching the surface.

But once you've figured out how to calm your mind, reading doesn't feel tedious anymore.

Although the words in that book are somewhat difficult to understand, if you are willing to read it carefully and savor it a few times, you can always find some meaning in it.

Jiang Ming brought back those ten or so primers and flipped through them on and off for almost a year, eventually figuring out some of their secrets.

Now, when I read those classic texts from the three religions and a hundred schools of thought again, I can recognize the characters, the sentences flow more smoothly, and I can turn the pages faster and more steadily than before.

But if, as Master Liu said, one were to read through thousands of books one by one, it would take at least ten or twenty years.

If we were to discuss "comprehension of profound meaning" further, it would probably require ten times more time and effort.

Leaving aside whether one can comprehend it, the sheer hardship involved is something not everyone can endure.

Without the guidance of a wise person, the path of superior self-cultivation is truly like a blind man wandering in the night; no matter how long he walks, he will likely only be going in circles.

Fortunately, Jiang Yi didn't have that ambition to begin with.

For him, reading was merely a way to suppress inner turmoil and find peace of mind when his mind was restless.

Just reading leisurely books and staying with my family is enough to make me feel at ease.

Time flies, and another ten days or so have passed in the blink of an eye.

The village school, which had been closed for more than half a month, is about to reopen.

Jiang Ming and Jiang Xi had been waiting anxiously for this moment for a long time.

The little girl, in particular, practically wanted to sprout wings and fly in, kick open the door, kick away the current "vice leader," and then take her seat.

While one side was bustling with noise, the other side was eerily quiet.

The leave granted by the Armed Forces Department for visiting relatives is almost used up.

The children in the cold land, as if bewitched, burrowed deeper and deeper into the illusory grass day after day, becoming increasingly entrenched.

Even its silhouette is often obscured by the shadows of the grass, leaving only a faint, ethereal presence lingering there.

Jiang Yi sits outside the courtyard every day, watching over that small figure.

Sometimes I felt his breath tighten, like a bow being drawn to its fullest extent, as if the string was about to snap.
It weakened again in an instant, like a flickering lamp in the wind, about to go out.

At such times, Jiang Yi would gently call out to them or personally feed them water and medicine, slowly "scooping" them back from those layers of illusion.

It was in that alternating layering of ice and fire, light and shadow, whispers and nightmares.

The little bit of clarity in that boy's mind was gradually honed until it became sharp and clear.

Later on, it became like a stabilizing needle driven into the sea of ​​consciousness, and no matter how many illusions he encountered, they could not shake him in the slightest.

A calm mind leads to fulfillment.

Although external things can help one improve, one's foundation is inevitably mixed up. If one tries to make further progress in the future, it will be difficult to go far.

However, among his peers, few could withstand such a mental and physical tempering.

Jiang Liang slowly walked out from the dense sea of ​​grass.

The hem of his clothes was still damp with the chill, but his eyes and brows were extremely still and deep, and his steps were as steady as a mountain.

Like an old monk emerging from a long dream, from a deep abyss, he remained calm in the face of thunder and ghosts.

He stood in the courtyard and looked up.

Sure enough, Dad was still alive.

It was the same old stool, a yellowed book lying on his lap, his fingers slowly turning the pages.

His expression was relaxed, as if he had just enjoyed a warm afternoon, but the hints of weariness and frost in the corners of his eyes could not be hidden from that glance.

Jiang Liang stood silently, without moving.

It felt like something had gently bumped into my chest, causing me to tremble slightly.

My eyes suddenly felt hot.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but the words lingered on his tongue, circling halfway before finally remaining unspoken. Instead, he lowered his head and solemnly gave a slight bow.

Jiang Yi wasn't that sentimental.

Seeing the child walk out steadily, I breathed a sigh of relief.

He focused his mind and scanned the area, realizing that the method of "calming the mind" had indeed been successful. He was overjoyed, but remained outwardly calm.

He was simply called over, and the first thing he asked was:
"How was it? After this period of quiet contemplation, did you notice any difference?"

Jiang Liang bowed and answered, explaining his points clearly and logically.

It describes both how illusions rise and fall, and how tranquility is refined; every word is well-founded and the logic is clear.

Jiang Yi listened and nodded, then suddenly asked another question after he finished speaking:
"After you calmed your mind, did you ever feel a sense of emptiness? Did you want to read, to concentrate, and even wish you could sit quietly for three days and copy three volumes of books?"

Jiang Liang was taken aback upon hearing this. He didn't rush to answer, but lowered his head, as if he was carefully considering it in his mind.

After a long while, he finally raised his head and shook his head:

"Not really... I just feel comfortable."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi frowned slightly without making a sound, but did not respond.

After a moment, he handed over the old book he was holding, his tone indifferent:
"Take a look. If you can calm down, see if you can get into it."

This kid has been falling asleep as soon as he looks at words since he was little. He's the kind of person who can dream of the aroma of food after reading three lines of "The Treatise on Sitting in Oblivion".

Now that you've gained this ability to calm your mind, why not give it a try and see if you can make up for your natural weakness in reading?

Jiang Liang took the book, sat cross-legged properly, and, as instructed, focused his mind and opened the book.

This time, I didn't feel sleepy anymore, and my eyelids stayed still, but my brows furrowed more and more tightly, like a knot that was impossible to untie.

I read a line of text and mumbled incoherently for ages, as if I were arguing with the sage in the book.

He gritted his teeth, turned one page, then another, his expression so serious it was as if he wanted to stare a hole through the paper.

It took me most of an hour to barely get through it, and my forehead was already beaded with sweat.

Jiang Yi watched from the side without saying a word.

When I first started reading the book, I stumbled along, but at least I could understand some of the basics.

This kid can calm his mind quickly, but his enthusiasm for studying is really lacking.

After considering it all, I had a better idea of ​​what to do.

If one were to thoroughly understand the classics of the three religions, it would take at least one or two hundred years.
As for the youngest son... it might take three to five hundred years before he even gets close enough to reach the threshold.

Comprehension is something that cannot be acquired simply by forcing oneself to calmly persist.

Jiang Yi wasn't discouraged. Instead, he chuckled and snatched the book back from Jiang Liang's hand.

He flicked his finger across the page, leaned back, and pointed towards the kitchen:
"Alright, stop being so serious. Go and start a fire in the stove. Your mother misses you the most these days, so spend more time with her."

After saying that, he slapped the old book on his lap, then squinted his eyes and quietly basked in the sun.

The world is vast and the land is far; there's no need to rush into reading today.

They had only rested for a short while when a commotion drifted in from outside the courtyard.

"...If your toes were just one inch forward, you could have neutralized that force."

It was Jiang Ming's voice, his tone unhurried and patient, with a hint of reasoning.

"But I clearly... I clearly..."

Jiang Xi's voice followed, sounding somewhat unconvinced but unable to find a reason to argue.

The grumbling was all stuck in his throat, sounding like he was puffing out his cheeks in anger.

The tone of his voice immediately told me that he had most likely lost out in the battle for the vice-leadership.

(End of this chapter)