Under Tie Xin Ning’s watchful gaze, Feng Miao Jun pulled a chair to sit across from him. She took a piece and put it in her mouth, then closed her eyes and sighed, “I’m truly a genius!”

The soft sweetness of the pastry combined with the slightly caramelized taste of maple syrup created a blissful flavor that melted on her tongue. Just one bite could make someone forget the bitter cold outside.

Tie Xin Ning ate methodically. “You made these?”

“Not at all.” She only knew how to eat, not how to cook. “I instructed the cook to make them.” She had always loved pancakes, and with maple syrup, they were simply perfect. But given her current identity as Maid Tao Zi, the imperial chef wouldn’t have followed her instructions without the princess’s order to entertain an honored guest.

She said proudly, “I told you earlier that you would like this, but you looked so disdainful!”

His hand paused for a moment as he let out a soft chuckle, seeming somewhat embarrassed, but soon resumed eating. Feng Miao Jun observed that his eating manners seemed more refined than days before. Was it because the pastries were so exquisite?

However, he consumed the remaining pieces quite efficiently, finishing them in just a few bites. Feng Miao Jun secretly laughed at how he revealed his true nature. She poured him a cup of hot tea, which he drank in one gulp without minding the heat.

It seemed he truly enjoyed the pancakes, as he only looked up after eating every last one. “No one offers such kindness without reason—either foul play or theft. What do you want from me? Speak.”

“Senior Brother is indeed straightforward!” She began with praise, and seeing the slight smile at the corner of his mouth, continued, “I was reading a cultivation manual called ‘Floating Life Dream,’ and there are two lines I still don’t understand after reading them more than ten times. I need Senior Brother’s guidance.”

He responded promptly: “Say it.”

“Heaven and earth have no harmony, the human world has no way. Study diligently, return to examine oneself.” She frowned and said, “I can barely understand the latter two phrases, which generally mean that cultivation relies on personal enlightenment and breakthrough, but what does the first phrase mean?”

Tie Xin Ning shook his head with a light chuckle. “You haven’t understood any of them.”

She looked puzzled.

“Heaven bestows and earth transforms, not out of benevolence. They speak not of harmony, but of balance; the human world is opposite—with balance comes harmony, yet the sage is equally not benevolent, treating common people as straw dogs.” Tie Xin Ning instructed her, “Do you know that the ancients viewed heaven and earth as bellows, empty yet unyielding, moving yet ever-producing?”

“Bellows?” These two characters were too obscure; it took her a while to remember they referred to a wind box. “Does this mean that cultivation should follow the ways of heaven, without forcing?”

Only then did Tie Xin Ning nod. “A partial understanding, but sufficient for you.”

Feng Miao Jun couldn’t help but roll her eyes. He was criticizing her shallow learning, but this little insight was enough for her current needs.

He was looking down on her. How had she never noticed before that Senior Brother was so arrogant?

But she had only known Tie Xin Ning for ten days and wasn’t very familiar with him, unlike Xu Feng Nian, who had lived in her home for nearly half a year. A cultivator’s appearance often contradicted their age, and after living for many years, their personalities became peculiar. How could one see through them in just ten days or half a month?

Tie Xin Ning seemed interested in continuing the discussion. “The book you’re reading must be quite old, yes?”

She nodded, “Indeed, it’s recorded on jade slips, probably from before the establishment of the Hao Li Empire. The author is Shui Yun. Has Senior Brother heard of him?”

“An unknown nobody, never heard of him.” Tie Xin Ning tapped his fingers lightly on the table. “His analysis is incisive and reasonable and could have been considered wise words a thousand years ago. But now—”

“It’s no longer applicable?”

“After several dramatic changes in heaven and earth, old principles no longer apply to new situations. Most treatises in the world, including the one you’re reading and the one in my hand…” He lifted his book slightly, “all attempt to cover deficiencies with completeness, failing to be coherent throughout.”

She listened attentively and couldn’t help asking, “Then how can one achieve true coherence?” In her years of arduous study, she had always researched on her own, without anyone to guide her through these concepts. Even Xu Feng Nian only taught her specific techniques but couldn’t discuss the Dao with her.

As for Mo Ti Zhun, he never mentioned it.

He never acknowledged her as his disciple.

“Traditional cultivation spoke of unity between heaven and humans, of conforming to heaven’s will. But with the world’s spiritual energy so depleted, this has become easy to know but difficult to practice. Merely following tradition will never lead to mastery.” Tie Xin Ning smiled. “In my view, it’s better to seek within oneself. Take strengthening one’s core as the foundation, then externally harness qi and power.”

Feng Miao Jun listened with widened eyes, finding his words deeply enlightening. Traditional cultivators emphasized following heaven’s will and conforming to heaven’s principles—a heaven-centric view. But what Tie Xin Ning proposed was human-centric. And what he referred to as “qi” and “power” didn’t mean ordinary strength, but spiritual energy and elemental power.

The most powerful annotation to this principle was humanity’s discovery and application of “elemental power.”

The more she thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed, and her eyes grew brighter. After a long while, she applauded: “Senior Brother is truly formidable! Even Master was discussing the relationship between heaven and humans with the Marquis just the other day, but your explaKingdom is far more enlightening.”

Tie Xin Ning smiled faintly: “The student must surpass the teacher. If I didn’t progress, Master would be disappointed.”

She chuckled along, glancing at him sideways, secretly thinking that Tie Xin Ning was indeed uninhibited and straightforward. His words implied that Mo Ti Zhun was stagnating. If others heard this, it would surely cause trouble.

“These principles are quite basic. How come you don’t recognize them?” Tie Xin Ning asked curiously. “Didn’t Master teach you before?”

She pouted, looking dejected: “No, Master said my aptitude was too poor and told me to practice for a few more years.” The lies came easily now, without any psychological burden. The truth was that no matter how good her talent was, Mo Ti Zhun would never accept her as a disciple.

“Your aptitude is poor?” He frowned and gestured for her to raise her hand so he could check her pulse. “Let me see.”

Instead, Feng Miao Jun pulled her hand back, protesting: “Didn’t you check just a few days ago? In just these few dozen hours, my cultivation hasn’t suddenly advanced.”

“Master is very strict in choosing disciples. To be more direct—” Tie Xin Ning shook his head. “Even if other children had exceptional aptitudes, he might not favor them, yet he accepted you as a disciple. You must have something special about you. I think a more detailed examiKingdom is necessary to help you make better choices in your cultivation methods.”

Guidance from a wise teacher was exactly what she needed most now! Feng Miao Jun was tempted, but Mo Ti Zhun’s accepting her as a disciple was just a front—he had no intention of teaching her cultivation. What special qualities could she possibly have?

Thinking of this, her heart stirred slightly. She was not originally suited for cultivation, and if there was anything special about her, it would only be the Ao Yu curse in her dantian. Fortunately, when Mo Ti Zhun had examined her meridians previously, he hadn’t been thorough. Tie Xin Ning had stayed with Mo Ti Zhun the longest and seemed to have inherited his true teachings. If he discovered the secret of her mark—

Feng Miao Jun looked up slightly to find his piercing gaze fixed on her as if trying to see into the depths of her heart, which made her feel even more resistant.