The Laws of Cultivation: Qi = MC^2

Book 2: Chapter 53: A Quiet Moment

I could not sleep at all, which mattered a lot less to a cultivator than it would a normal person. After the first few hours when I’d realized that sleep was a far off dream, I’d set off to roaming the village premises. Turns out I had not been the only one who’d been struggling with that problem. I noticed Yan Yun seated on a boulder outside.

“Can’t sleep either?” I asked.

“Not today,” she replied, before she scooted over, patting the boulder next to her for me to sit on. I accepted her invitation, letting myself sit next to Yan Yun, as we both spent some time simply gazing at the beautiful star and the moon shining above. The autumn clouds floated in the sky, causing rays of moonlight to peer through them in intervals, almost like a dance happening within the skies.

Knowing the Lunar court’s existence, perhaps that was exactly what was happening? Labby would know more than me about that.

“Hey Lu Jie.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you ever wonder what it might be like to go to the moon?”

I looked at Yan Yun. Her gaze was set at the moon just the same as mine, and I followed her sight to look at the brilliant silver planet. The little differences on the moon no longer felt jarring to me, this place was as much home to me now as my previous world had been.

“Actually. In my past life, we had managed to send some people,” I replied.

“Really? Were they cultivators?”

I laughed. “No, we didn’t have any cultivators. They were nor- well not normal people, but they were mortals. We just made a big tin can and added a lot of explosive stuff inside, and then set it on fire.”

Yan Yun looked at me, her eyes now narrowed in suspicion.

“Okay fine, it wasn’t quite like that. But that’s effectively what people did. They figured out a way to send vessels of metal filled with people to the moon and back. It took a lot of work and money, with the country supporting the venture. It was… a big moment. The first time a human had gone to another celestial object beside earth,” I said, looking back at Yan Yun.

“Your world must’ve had some amazing people to have done that with mortals,” Yan Yun said.

“Yeah, but it wasn’t just amazing people. It was the collective desire and work of entire countries, built upon foundations of science set over centuries by extremely intelligent people,” I replied.

Yan Yun kept her eyes on the moon, her Chi slowly flowing around her. “I used to wonder just where exactly this home of yours was. Turns out, it’s an entirely different world. Talk about a surprise.”

A moment later, she broke off her gaze from the moon, turning it towards me instead. “You don’t talk a lot about your home.”

I looked back into Yan Yun’s eyes, feeling a strange emotion rising inside me. “To be honest with you. It’s because at times it still feels a bit painful to talk about home. Because… because I know I can never go back.”

Yan Yun turned away from me, her eyes back towards the comforting moon shining in the sky. “I know that feeling.”

I stared at Yan Yun, failing to find words to say anything.

“Yeah.” I replied, as I realized that trying to put this into words had no meaning. We understood, both of us. In different ways, to different extent. But the pain was shared.

“I loved science. As a kid, I was one of the children who would sit at home, and read encyclopedias, and watch nature documentaries instead of going out to play, or party like every other kid. When I first woke up here, with no memories of my life in this world, I had felt very lost… and scared. And so I had clung onto the only thing I could cling on to. The desire to understand and learn about the world around me,” I said, finding memories of a long forgotten past returning.

“I wasn’t very good, you see. I was a distractible kid. I had, well, I’m not sure how to even say this. I had ADHD,” I said, pausing to speak the term in english.“It’s a disorder where people struggle to focus on tasks, and are generally just restless. Actually, it’s really complicated, but basically I would just jump from new thing to new thing endlessly, and it meant my actual scores and grades in classes were never very high. Which was not good, if I wanted to do any real science. I still tried, but honestly? It felt like a pointless endeavor. The world around me felt so defined, so understood, the wonder I saw in everyday life around me as a kid was lost.”

Yan Yun was looking at me now, her eyes reading my expression. I kept my eyes upon the soft glow of the moon, watching it gently peek from behind a cloud, as if playing hide and seek with the world beneath.

“But then I came here, a world of magic, so mystical, fascinating and new. And it just felt like I could do something here. That maybe I could figure out the way this world ticked, and somehow that would allow me to just… bring development and technology to a world of actual honest to god magic.”

“Why… is the world magic?” Yan Yun asked.

“Because… things like what we have here only existed in stories in my world. Fantasies that people dreamt up, or sightings that had been misinterpreted. But here, all of those things are real, and that is… amazing.”

“To me, a world of mortals sending cans of metal to the moon sounds so much more amazing,” Yan Yun said. “What an amazing world it must be to do something like that. As mortals. I just cannot even begin to imagine it.”

“I suppose you’re right. The grass is always greener on the other side, isn’t it?”

“Only if you’re looking down at your shadow,” Yan Yun replied.

I paused, her words taking me back. Then, to even my own surprise, I burst out laughing.

“W-what’s wrong? Why’re you laughing like that,” Yan Yun asked, flustered.

“No, it’s just. You’re right. You’re absolutely right. I was looking at my shadow, at the tiny planet we lived on with still so much not understood and I’d told myself that everything had already been figured out. Ahh… I feel so stupid,” I said, leaning back on the boulder.

“I don’t think it’s a stupid thought,” Yan Yun said. “My world felt understood to me. Like it was always this way and would remain that way forever. Then you came and changed the entire foundation of everything I knew, and are continuing to do that with every step on your Path,” Yan Yun said, smiling as she looked at me. “Sometimes all you need is an outsider’s perspective, to finally look up from the dark grass within your shadow, and at everything else around you.”

I watched the clouds slowly move out of way, revealing a brilliant full moon hanging above me in the sky glowing brightly. I watched the stars twinkle around it, trying to outshine its light, even if momentarily, and I wondered if one of them was my home.

“If I can ever go back home. I think I will try again. To study science,” I said, looking at Yan Yun. “To understand the laws of the world.”

“I’m sure you’ll succeed, Lu Jie.”

I raised my head, as I saw the skies starting to lighten over the horizon, and as the birds began to awaken. I could feel their awareness rousing with my connection to them, as little chirps began to fill the sky, soon dominating the sound. People woke up as well, slowly but surely.

“Well, let us make our preparations,” I said, getting up from the boulder.

Yan Yun got up as well, and we both looked at each other for a moment, before I gave her a smile.

“I’m glad we could become friends, Yan Yun.”

Yan Yun smiled back. “Me too Lu Jie.”

***

Time passed rather quickly after the day began, and before I knew it, the time to leave had arrived. I stood near the village head’s home, giving any last instructions to anyone left.

“Su Lin, Cao Chen, I’ll be leaving the village to you guys,” I said.

“Chirp!”

“Of course, you too Sheldon,” I said, bending down as I pet the turtle.

“Labby too!” Labby exclaimed and I gave the girl her share of pets too, which she gladly soaked in.

“Ya just leave it to us and go kick those sect disciples’ asses!” Su Lin said, exclaiming.

“Sure,” I replied.

“Wasn’t talking to ya, obviously Zhang is our ray of hope here,” Su Lin said with a grin, and I smiled as we both saw Zhang trying to deny the words in a flustered rush.

His flush fell off as he realized the situation, and both me and Su Lin laughed at the boy’s expression. I knew very well that everyone was trying to keep things light, but I still appreciated their efforts. It worked too, I definitely felt better.

My gaze was pulled by a presence I sensed, and I noted Ash looking through the forest groves. I looked at the giant demonic wolf, nodding to acknowledge him. Ash would be scouring the forests to protect the village as well.

As we talked about mostly meaningless things, a sudden pulse of Qi traveled through the area. Mist flowed as I saw the Lord’s spectral steed rush closer with rapid speed, Elder Tian Feng’s moon spirit seated on the driver’s seat with her veil covering her features as ever.

I looked at the carriage with a resolute expression. It was time.

Taking a final look at the village, I said some parting words and pleasantries. A lot of people had come to see us off, the villagers gathered at the town entrance, watching us leave. I’d reassured them that, no matter the outcome, the village itself would be fine. I did dearly hope that it would be, but I knew there would be no good way to convince them of that fact.

And I was glad for it, too. It would’ve almost been harder had they been convinced. Because I wanted to return.

With a crack of the reins, the carriage began to move at rapid speeds, and within seconds, we were off to the Lord’s manor.