Lanke Chess Edge

Chapter 452: The Determination to Learn

Ji Yuan’s move just now left Hu Yun speechless. Although the sleeve technique wasn’t aimed at him, that wave of the sleeve gave Hu Yun the feeling that Mr. Ji was about to encompass the whole courtyard. Hu Yun subconsciously shrank back on the stone table, as if he would be taken away by the sleeve if he didn’t.“Mr. Ji, what kind of technique is this? That was so scary! I felt like I was going to be stuffed in your sleeve!”

As soon as Hu Yun said this, the calligraphy spirits who had been playing hide-and-seek with him burst into laughter.

“Hahaha, what’s there to be afraid of in the master’s sleeve?”

“Exactly, we’re inside there every day, it’s not scary at all!”

“Yes, yes, sometimes the master even lets us see outside.”

“That’s right, Hu Yun, you should live with us in the Sword Intent Inscription. Spend some time in the master’s sleeve and you’ll understand!”

…

Hu Yun’s words startled Ji Yuan, who was pondering his gains and losses. Ignoring the noise of the small characters around him, he turned to look at the red fox, and found that he was already huddled on the stone table, his fluffy fur sticking straight out of his body.

“What are you afraid of? I was just testing it. I didn’t even manage to get a bee inside. By the way, tell me exactly how it felt.”

At Ji Yuan’s question, Hu Yun straightened up, thought for a moment, and hesitated before answering.

“Yes, alright, I can’t really explain it, but it just felt like when you swung your sleeve, it was like the sleeve was huge, like it was going to swallow me whole. It wasn’t black or white inside, it was blurry and terrifying… Yes, terrifying…”

Hu Yun didn’t know why he was afraid of a sleeve. Logically speaking, even if Mr. Ji really wanted to put him in a sleeve, there was nothing to be afraid of. But just now he was so scared that he huddled on the table.

“Was it a feeling of being swallowed?”

Ji Yuan asked. Hu Yun hesitated, nodded, then shook his head, still unable to give a clear answer.

“Alright, I understand.”

Ji Yuan nodded, no longer asking Hu Yun about it. He figured it was similar to the Heaven-Rending Sword Technique. Although the “Universe Within a Sleeve” technique was far from being fully mastered, Ji Yuan had already incorporated a portion of its power into his application. If he could manipulate that power, he could influence and put awe and fear into people’s hearts, enough that someone like Hu Yun, who had poor composure, would be affected.

“Sir, you still haven’t told me what kind of supernatural power that was just now!”

Hu Yun remained very curious. He thought it was a very interesting supernatural power, since it could attract things, but it was also so frightening that it must be extraordinary.

Ji Yuan looked at him, thought for a moment, and then spoke.

“This is a way of using a highly advanced supernatural power in a much more accessible way. That advanced technique is called ‘A Universe Within a Sleeve’.”

“Oh…it’s a kind of technique that pull people in?”

“Haha, you wouldn’t be wrong to think that way. However, the ‘Universe Within a Sleeve’ can store both people and objects, making it a very mysterious storage technique. It can store one’s own belongings and can also be used to fight enemies.”

Hu Yun looked at his own tail.

“Then I’ll also have similar supernatural powers. My tail can be used to collect things, and also to fight enemies! Hahaha…”

Ji Yuan couldn’t help but laugh at this joke, while the calligraphy spirits around him laughed even more exaggeratedly.

“Hahahahaha…”

“Hahaha, Hu Yun is going to make me laugh to death!”

“Hahaha, that’s hilarious, that’s so funny!”

“Hahaha, Hu Yun, you actually dare to compare yourself to the Master’s ‘Universe Within a Sleeve’! Hahahaha…”

“You arrogant fox, hahahaha…”

“Exactly, exactly! Do you even know what it means to have a ‘vast universe in a sleeve, infinite time in a bottle’?”

“That’s right, that’s right. Within a small space, the Tao encompasses countless things; this is the art of ‘Universe in a Sleeve.’ Your tail is not worthy of being compared to the Master’s vast supernatural powers!”

“Hahahaha…”

The group of idiots laughed incessantly, making Hu Yun’s cheeks puff up into two small chubby balls. These idiots were going too far!

Ji Yuan’s lips twitched slightly. This group of clowns were making fun of Hu Yun based entirely on his previous written deductions…

“Quiet.”

As soon as the Master spoke, only the sound of falling leaves could be heard throughout the entirety of Ju’an Pavilion.

“This ‘Universe in a Sleeve’ is not yet fully complete. Only when I successfully deduce it will it be worthy of the saying ‘vast universe in a sleeve, infinite time in a bottle.’”

Although these were Ji Yuan’s words, the group of small characters had exceptional confidence in their master. So what if it wasn’t complete yet? It would be completed sooner or later. They had watched their master deduce all of his supernatural abilities, and each of them was so powerful. It didn’t matter whether they praised him sooner or later.

Ji Yuan looked up at the top of the jujube tree. In just a short while, more bees swarmed around, flying up and down among the jujube blossoms to collect nectar.

Ji Yuan picked Hu Yun up and placed him on a stool by the table. He then took out his brush, ink, paper, and inkstone and began grinding the ink while thinking pondering his conclusions. When the ink was ready, he took the wolf-hair brush, lightly dipped it in the ink, and immediately began writing on the paper.

Hu Yun watched for a while, wanting to speak many times, but did not dare to disturb Ji Yuan. Seeing that even the small characters didn’t make a sound, just flying around forming various formations to argue with each other, Hu Yun was even more wary of making the slightest sound.

The wait lasted from morning until afternoon. Although Ji Yuan wrote rather quickly, he only managed to finish one page, leaving Hu Yun confused.

Bored, Hu Yun had already started a fire in the kitchen, boiled water, and even brewed tea.

Fortunately, Ji Yuan finally stopped, put the brush down, and sat down on the stool.

At that moment, Hu Yun immediately darted to the kitchen and came out two breaths later holding a wooden tray with his two paws. His head rested under the tray, and he walked upright on his other two limbs. Although his posture was funny, the tray he was holding was very stable. Balanced atop it was the brewed tea and four teacups.

“Mr. Ji, Mr. Ji, please have some tea!”

As he spoke, Hu Yun lightly jumped onto the stone bench and carefully placed the tray on the stone table. Ji Yuan found this action both amusing and gratifying; this fox was indeed somewhat useful.

“Speak, what do you want to ask of me?”

Ji Yuan could easily see through Hu Yun’s little scheme, but he was happy to sit down and pour himself a cup of tea.

After thinking for a moment, Ji Yuan waved towards the kitchen, summoning a spoon. He tapped the handle of the spoon and handed it to the little paper crane that had just landed on his shoulder.

“Go and get me a spoonful of fresh jujube blossom honey.”

The little paper crane tilted its head and looked at Ji Yuan. Although it had a head and a beak, its beak was closed. It could hold a piece of paper, but how could it grab a spoon? However, it still tried, and found that as long as its beak touched the handle of the spoon, it could pick it up as if it were glued to its body. It immediately flew away with the spoon.

Hu Yun watched the little paper crane fly away, and when he saw Ji Yuan looking at him again, he finally mustered up his courage and spoke.

“Mr. Ji, could I borrow those scissors and yellow paper you used to cut out paper figures last time?”

“Haha, you’ve still been thinking about it after all these years?”

“I’ve always been thinking about it…”

“How could this be a big request?” Ji Yuan stood up directly, went back into the house, took out the small bamboo basket containing the yellow paper and the scissors, and placed it in front of Hu Yun.

“Lending it to you is no problem, but can you use scissors with those claws of yours?”

“It’s alright, it’ll work!”

Hu Yun was a monster after all. He stretched out his right forepaw and placed it on the scissors. With a surge of monstrous power, it stuck to the iron handles on both sides. As the claw opened and closed, it was clear that it would be effortless for him to use the scissors.

“Mr. Ji, is it simply a matter of cutting out a bunch of little figures and then pressing them together?”

Ji Yuan blew on the tea in his teacup, squinted at Hu Yun, then smiled.

“Of course it’s not that simple. Today I’ll teach you how to cut out those little figures. But you definitely can’t forge a guardian general like the Golden Armored Warrior. You will have to settle for second best.”

“As long as I can cut out a little figure, it’s fine!”

Hu Yun wore a happy smile, but inside he was overjoyed. He wasn’t stupid, not at all. Mr. Ji’s words meant that he was going to teach him a technique!

Ji Yuan glanced at the fox. Although Hu Yun tried his best to keep his smile from getting too exaggerated, his tail was wagging several times faster, like a happy little dog.

Hu Yun’s personality was growing up like a child, and it wasn’t too bad now. This little monster naturally had some outstanding qualities, but he was still too weak.

While it might fool ordinary people, there was a saying: “one’s perspective determines one’s perception.” As a monster, he was bound to encounter ghosts and demons, so it would be beneficial to teach him some skills.

A moment later, the paper crane returned, along with a sweet fragrance. The spoon it carried was full of fresh flower honey, brewed from jujube blossom pollen from the courtyard of Ju’an Pavilion.

The current Hu Yun was no longer the same as he was before. Back then, Yin Qing had to force him to learn to read, but now he could grit his teeth and stubbornly squat on a stone bench for three days and three nights in order to learn a little technique.

Ji Yuan wanted to see when the fox would complain of being tired or wanting to rest, so he didn’t stop it at all. He continued to let the fox cut continuously as he pointed in various places. When he ran out of yellow paper, he would take more out from his sleeve.

Now, with scraps of paper littered all over the ground, Hu Yun had only managed to cut out thirty complete yellow paper figures. His once lively fox eyes were now bloodshot from exhaustion, and his two paws trembled slightly.

“Let’s take a break.”

Ji Yuan finally told Hu Yun to rest, but the fox hesitated, not daring to put down the scissors.

“Sir, you said that it takes thirty-six complete paper figures to complete the number of Heavenly Spirits, so that it wouldn’t be a waste. I only have thirty…”

“Haha, okay, then you can rest after you’ve finished cutting out all thirty-six.”

Ji Yuan added a sentence in his mind.

‘Or, wait until you mess it up again.’

To Ji Yuan’s surprise, Hu Yun gritted his teeth, absorbed the spiritual energy in the courtyard, and forced himself to work, straining his spirit to successfully cut out the thirty-six yellow paper figures.

This wasn’t just for show. Ji Yuan clearly saw the thirty-six pieces of paper flash with brilliant light in a continuous sequence the moment the cutting was completed. The next stage was about to begin. If they continued cutting, they couldn’t afford to waste a single piece, otherwise all their previous efforts would be in vain. But if they stopped there, the number of Heavenly Spirits would already be complete.

“Not bad, not bad. You managed to cut it perfectly in just three days.”

Ji Yuan smiled and praised. However, when he looked at Hu Yun again, he found that the fox was already swaying, dizzy and disoriented. Just as Hu Yun was about to fall backward, Ji Yuan quickly reached out and caught him, and then picked up the unconscious red fox and placed him on the table.

T/n: I’m starting to appreciate Hu Yun’s character a lot more now. Go Hu Yun! I’m rooting for you!

Like Loading…