Chapter Nine: Is He Really Mentally Ill?

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In Hidden Immortal Valley, within the school today, the children first recited “Encouragement to Learning” on their own, while Zhuang Lin sat with Liu Hongyu outside in a side room, brewing tea and chatting leisurely.

After all, this place existed because of Liu Hongyu, so it was only natural that he received some special treatment.

Of course, in Liu Hongyu’s mind, he believed this was a special privilege afforded to him as an outsider.

A ceramic pot warmed by charcoal sat on the stove; the hot tea poured into the cup. Zhuang Lin took a sip, the slight bitterness giving way to a refreshing fragrance. After swallowing, a gentle warmth spread through his belly.

Life here was truly comfortable!

Master Zhuang was not as stern as Liu Hongyu had imagined. Although he was the most learned man around, Liu Hongyu found that conversations with him were the most relaxing. He never bombarded Liu Hongyu with a barrage of questions, leaving him flustered.

At this moment, Liu Hongyu felt that he had grown somewhat familiar with the Master.

Watching the Master’s composed demeanor, Liu Hongyu imitated him, sipping the tea. Once finished, he asked the question he had prepared long ago; after all, many matters might only be answered by this learned man.

“Master Zian, this place is called Hidden Immortal Valley—surely there must be a reason behind the name?”

Liu Hongyu finally voiced the question.

Zian was Zhuang Lin’s courtesy name here in Hidden Immortal Valley. Although the script they followed upheld natural evolutionary laws, as an important character, Zhuang Lin had a courtesy name. Zian also embodied Liu Shihao’s psychological hope regarding his son’s changing condition.

Of course, others could adopt courtesy names as well, choosing them as they pleased, but before the performance began, identities needed to be tied together so the locals would recognize them.

As the Master, Zhuang Lin was undoubtedly a key figure who inevitably interacted deeply with Liu Hongyu, bearing significant psychological guidance responsibilities.

One could say that the official doctor of Hidden Immortal Valley was Elder Mu, while the secret physician was Zhuang Lin.

Upon hearing Liu Hongyu’s words, Zhuang Lin set down his tea cup, smiled calmly, and began to speak.

“The ancient sages, when seeking refuge from disaster, found this place and felt the four seasons were mild and all things abundant. It is a realm blessed by heaven and earth’s spirit, a place of utmost seclusion. Among those who fled here were many extraordinary individuals. To live here in seclusion yet continue the legacy uninterrupted is a kind of carefree transcendence. Thus, it was named the Valley of the Hidden Immortals.”

Liu Hongyu nodded as he listened but also furrowed his brow. Yet when he looked back at Zhuang Lin, it seemed as if another thought struck him.

“Master Zian, I understand that you must be reserved with me, an outsider. The name Hidden Immortal Valley surely holds deeper meaning. The sages who first sought refuge here must have left important words behind!”

Zhuang Lin glanced at Liu Hongyu.

“In the transmission of knowledge, whether written or oral, there is nothing particularly special.”

“There must be! My very presence here is proof!”

Liu Hongyu asserted with conviction.

Zhuang Lin grinned, a bit of a manic gleam flashing in his eyes.

“I do not know what you mean, Master Liu. Truly, it has been many years since any outsiders have come to this valley, but since the sages found this place when fleeing disaster, it cannot be that no one else has ever come after them.”

Liu Hongyu struggled to explain himself to the man before him, his mind tangled in confusion.

“Master Zian, you don’t understand! You don’t know how I came here! Actually...”

“Actually what?”

Liu Hongyu looked at Zhuang Lin, hesitated, then resumed.

“I actually know that Hidden Immortal Valley must have a mission, or rather, there must be a legend left behind!”

Zhuang Lin smiled, then asked with a hint of amusement.

“What sort of mission?”

Liu Hongyu’s expression grew serious. He glanced toward the school, then lifted his eyes to various parts of the valley, his gaze extending to the sky before returning to Zhuang Lin.

“Hidden Immortal Valley has been waiting for one person, waiting for the destined one capable of inheriting the mission of the Immortal Way!”

“Master Liu, you don’t mean to say that you yourself are that destined one?”

Zhuang Lin’s smile faded as he asked this, and Liu Hongyu responded solemnly.

“Yes, I am that destined one.”

After this declaration, the two fell silent, locked in mutual gaze. Zhuang Lin studied Liu Hongyu’s determined and earnest eyes. After a long pause, he cracked a smile which gradually blossomed into uncontrollable laughter.

“Ha ha ha ha ha, hahahaha...”

Zhuang Lin laughed so heartily beside the tea table that he could hardly sit upright, one hand bracing on the table, causing the tea inside the cup to ripple.

“Master Zian, please stop laughing, Master Zian... stop laughing, Master Zhuang! Stop laughing!”

Liu Hongyu called out several times, his voice rising with a mix of embarrassment and frustration.

Zhuang Lin stifled his laughter and shook his head at Liu Hongyu.

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“Master Liu, I heard you suffer from soul loss disorder, but I don’t think so. You are afflicted with hysteria. Those who seek immortality and the Dao have done so since ancient times, even emperors have poured everything into it, but in the end, it is all in vain, only adding to their sins...”

Zhuang Lin paused, and suddenly thought of himself. His existence here was difficult to explain, but he had stopped pondering it over the past year. Perhaps future science could clarify it.

With the thought passing, Zhuang Lin continued.

“In this world, there are no gods or ghosts. Although many believe in spirits, we in Hidden Immortal Valley have long viewed these matters with detachment. These beliefs are more about longing for ancestors. As for seeking immortality in the valley, it is nonsense. I ask you, Master Liu, not to dwell on it.”

“I also know you are no ordinary man. Whether you came here to escape disaster or to recuperate, once you recover, you should care more for those around you.”

Zhuang Lin spoke earnestly, but Liu Hongyu was wholly unmoved.

“I don’t believe you. Master Zian, you simply don’t trust me. But I, Liu Hongyu, am no ordinary man. You have no idea where I came from. If you did, your pursuit of immortality would be even more extravagant than mine! You have read many books, but you don’t understand the Immortal Way. You are just a mortal!”

“Master Zian, did you not see that day’s rain, hear that day’s thunder? That was heaven’s response to the arrival of this destined one!”

The earlier laughter had been sharp, and Liu Hongyu’s nature as the eldest son of the Liu family flared. Were it not for his respect for the Master, he would have cursed as he did back in Zhonghai City.

Provocation was also a necessary part of treatment.

Watching the man before him flush with emotion, Zhuang Lin thought he might be no different from a keyboard warrior he once argued with online.

“Ha ha, very well, Master Liu, tell me then—what is the Immortal Way?”

Seeing the Master’s calm expression unsettled Liu Hongyu’s own calm. He immediately answered.

“The Immortal Way is naturally the path of cultivation transcending mortals. Upon attainment, one gains myriad miraculous powers—flying through the heavens and earth, commanding nature, wielding strength beyond mortal comprehension. One can even control life and death, achieve immortality, and ascend beyond the mundane!”

Compared to Liu Hongyu’s excitement, Zhuang Lin remained composed.

“Oh? Is that all immortals are?”

Liu Hongyu paused.

“Isn’t that enough?”

Zhuang Lin regarded Liu Hongyu, making him feel strangely uneasy.

“If that were all, what you describe—are they immortals or some powerful beasts?”

“Well, of course, they also fight evil and protect the weak!”

“Oh? Do they honor their parents?”

Liu Hongyu was stunned, involuntarily thinking of his own parents. His memories of his mother were already faint, and his father...

Several times near despair, Liu Hongyu knew how his father responded, though he pretended not to. Now, having truly been swallowed by fire and returned to ancient times, perhaps that man had lost his son in reality...

Zhuang Lin noticed Liu Hongyu’s reaction. It was good that he was momentarily stunned.

After a long while, Liu Hongyu calmed down. Perhaps this was the first time since his obsession with seeking immortality that he truly thought of his family.

“In that case, I need to inherit the Immortal Way from a master. Only if I cultivate into an immortal can I possibly return... Even if I cannot return, perhaps I can wait—as long as it takes—for that day to come...”

Goodness, he’d gone full circle! Zhuang Lin’s headache increased.

But such matters were not resolved overnight; to dispel delusions, one must not simply avoid them.

Zhuang Lin smiled and refilled Liu Hongyu’s cup with hot tea.

“Then let us continue speaking about becoming immortal. I, Zhuang, do not believe in gods or immortals, but since you are so certain, I shall seek your guidance.”

Liu Hongyu was slightly taken aback, but Zhuang Lin went on.

“We scholars must learn to read and understand step by step. Immortals surely are not born all at once. You only think of lofty matters, but have you considered the essence?”

“Essence?”

“Indeed. A boat floats on water because the water bears its weight; imperial authority is founded on the people; Mohists accumulate wisdom through many; Confucians teach through morality; Legalists rely on law and order; Taoists embrace naturalness and non-action. So what about seeking immortality?”

Liu Hongyu’s eyes brightened when he heard Taoism, though he knew the Master meant the various schools of thought.

And immortality?

“Immortals are also cultivated step by step. First, one must have a master to guide them, then achieve enlightenment! They cultivate using the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, the essence of sun and moon... Yes, yes!”

Suddenly, Liu Hongyu recalled something.

“The place I came from is nearly devoid of spiritual energy, but here it is different. Between heaven and earth lies boundless mystery!”

Zhuang Lin wanted to laugh but held back. This place was no different from where you came from—well, the air was certainly better!

“Heaven and earth’s spiritual energy, the radiance of sun and moon? The sunlight is visible, and crops rely on it, but where is this so-called spiritual energy? Invisible and intangible? Like those immortals you speak of—how do you know they exist?”

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“There is!” Liu Hongyu grew more excited but forced himself to calm down.

“Though I cannot feel it now, it is there! Especially here! Especially at that moment of thunder—I truly felt it then!”

He stood up, lifted his head slightly, and closed his eyes.

“Though I cannot sense it now, believe me, I will feel it again and hold onto that sensation. Close your eyes, calm yourself, and sense the myriad subtle breaths wandering between heaven and earth...”

Liu Hongyu opened his eyes and looked toward Zhuang Lin.

“Master Zian, you should try it too!”

Zhuang Lin chuckled and humored him, closing his eyes and taking a few breaths of fresh air.

As for the sensation Liu Hongyu described... there was absolutely nothing!

Zhuang Lin opened his eyes, smiling and shaking his head. Liu Hongyu, seeing this, guessed what he was thinking.

“Master Zian, you can’t feel it because you don’t believe. If you don’t believe, you deceive your own heart!”

“Hmm, Master Liu, you believe, yet you cannot feel it either.”

Zhuang Lin’s words stirred Liu Hongyu’s excitement further.

“It’s just that I have stayed too long in an unsuitable place. I need to adjust, to let my body adapt. But Master Zian, you are different—you are a native here! Please try, I beg you, try again. I am not mad!”

Seeing Liu Hongyu’s evident agitation and unstable mental state, Zhuang Lin’s heart skipped a beat, fearing he might have pushed too far. He restrained his smile and nodded solemnly.

“Very well, I shall try again.”

This time, even if only to stabilize Liu Hongyu, Zhuang Lin resolved to be more earnest than before.

Relax, and take a deep breath.

Zhuang Lin’s mind gradually calmed; his breathing deepened. He felt the valley’s gentle breeze carrying a hint of chill. Relaxed, the air seemed even fresher, as if drawing him closer to nature.

Then, suddenly, Zhuang Lin’s heart jolted.

Wait! What was that?

In the darkness behind closed eyes, an invisible substance seemed to drift past him, carried by the valley’s breeze.

Curious, as soon as he focused on it, his perception seemed to leap across some boundary!

In a sensation that was neither fully visual nor otherwise, Zhuang Lin perceived the world differently.

The intangible presence felt like a fine veil, a ribbon, or subtle waves in the wind, even brushing softly against his face.

Instinctively turning his head to follow the sensation, he could only feel the delicate, drifting touch. At that moment, the darkened vision blossomed with colors—smoky, rosy glows caressed his face.

Broadening his awareness, he sensed countless wisps of energy throughout Hidden Immortal Valley, drifting within the mountains and valleys, as if subtly aligning with the universe’s ebb and flow.

It compelled Zhuang Lin to listen, to touch.

Yet as he entertained such thoughts, everything in his perception seemed to shift—twisting, trembling faintly.

Zhuang Lin abruptly opened his eyes. The change vanished without a trace. His gaze swept the surroundings—no smoky glows, no tremors.

But his face betrayed overwhelming astonishment, as if his worldview had cracked.

Was it an illusion? Yet it felt so real!

Could it be? After all, he had come from another world...

“Master Zian, are you all right?”

“Uh... nothing... please continue...”

Zhuang Lin looked at the puzzled Liu Hongyu beside him, his inner resolve clearly shaken.

Was he truly insane?