Chapter 32: The Future of Hidden Immortal Valley

In the Hidden Immortal Valley, Zhuang Lin felt a slight tremor in his spirit, and then all the strange phenomena in the valley vanished.

As if nothing had ever happened, Zhuang Lin picked up the book of calligraphy samples from his desk, rose, and began to walk among the students to inspect their work. The students immediately straightened their backs; some were nervous, others proud.

Zhuang Lin offered no commentary. However, whenever he paused before a student's desk, those nearby would instinctively glance at him. If the Master shook his head slightly, it meant the calligraphy was lacking; if he smiled and nodded, the student would be elated for the rest of the day, and their peers would immediately cast looks of admiration toward them.

Liu Hongyu merely glanced at Zhuang Lin before returning to his meticulous writing. He was so focused that he did not even notice when Zhuang Lin stopped beside him. As an adult among these students, he naturally stood out and drew the most attention. Seeing the Master linger so long by Liu Hongyu’s desk, the other students began to steal glances, though they dared not whisper, they still communicated through their eyes.

Zhuang Lin scrutinized the paper on Liu Hongyu’s desk. To be honest, the young master’s calligraphy was not particularly neat, but in Zhuang Lin’s eyes, it was distinctly different from the others. There was a sense of "intent" poured into the characters; they might not look like much at first glance, but the more one looked, the more pleasing they became. This was not to say Liu Hongyu’s calligraphy had reached a level of mastery, but rather that his intense focus had imbued the very brushstrokes.

Zhuang Lin felt a sudden realization. When Cangjie created the characters, grain rained from the sky and ghosts wept; the written word itself inherently contained power. Those with exceptional spiritual clarity could more easily channel that power through their own spirit. Perhaps if Liu Hongyu studied calligraphy diligently, he could achieve greatness in the future, even without practicing the arts of immortality.

At this moment, Liu Hongyu finally noticed Zhuang Lin standing beside him. He looked up, slightly startled.

"Uh, Master..."

Zhuang Lin nodded slightly. After viewing everyone’s work, he finally spoke for the first time.

"Not bad!"

A smile instantly bloomed on Liu Hongyu’s face. He glanced at the astonished students and winked at Mu Hongwen, causing the latter to widen his eyes in disbelief. Apparently noticing Liu Hongyu’s wandering attention, Zhuang Lin tapped him on the back of the head three times with the book of samples, startling Liu Hongyu into sitting straight once more.

"The calligraphy is passable. If the intent in your other characters can match this one, you shall have mastered the art!"

Liu Hongyu looked at the character Zhuang Lin had pointed to—the word "night"—and before he could respond, Zhuang Lin had already moved on.

When Zhuang Lin returned to his desk, he glanced toward Liu Hongyu, thinking to himself that there were no night watchmen in the valley. *No matter,* he thought. *It was merely a whim, seeing his natural spiritual spark, to let him experience such a profound feeling. If he cannot grasp it, I shall explain it plainly another day.*

***

At dusk, Mu Hongwen and Liu Hongyu walked home from the schoolhouse together. As they approached the house, the former could not help but run ahead, shouting, "Grandfather! Today, the young master’s calligraphy was actually praised by the Master—even though his writing isn't as good as mine, he was praised!"

Liu Hongyu had been secretly pleased by the first half of the sentence, but the second half left him feeling disgruntled. "Hey, hey, watch your tongue, boy! What do you mean it isn't as good as yours?"

The two chased each other into the medical clinic, looking like brothers with a slightly large age gap. Just as they rushed inside, they saw a man excitedly speaking with Old Master Mu. The man was Duan Yonghua, the old master’s apprentice.

Mu Hongwen and Liu Hongyu immediately composed themselves. "Uncle Duan..." "Master Yanjun..."

As the only current direct disciple of Old Master Mu, little Wen was naturally close to him, and Liu Hongyu, who had been staying with the Mu family, was also quite familiar with him.

Duan Yonghua was clearly overjoyed and greeted them in turn. "Oh, you're back? I heard you shouting just now—was it Master Zi’an who gave you praise?"

Liu Hongyu grinned from ear to ear. Old Master Mu, also clearly delighted, said to the man beside him, "Alright, enough teasing. Go now, and we shall dine together this evening!"

"Yes, of course! I’m off then!" After patting little Wen on the head and giving a slight bow to Liu Hongyu, Duan Yonghua hurried out the door, almost breaking into a jog once he reached the street.

"Grandfather, what is going on? Where is Uncle Duan going?" Both students were curious, but Old Master Mu only stroked his beard and smiled. "Good news! Now, go prepare yourselves; we shall make dinner together!"

A short while later, in front of the schoolhouse, Duan Yonghua found Zhuang Lin sitting on the veranda and excitedly recounted his discovery.

"Master Zi’an, this afternoon, as we were patrolling near the edge of the valley as usual, you’ll never guess—we found the observation station!"

Zhuang Lin had already known this, but hearing the news firsthand still brought a knowing smile to his face. "We have returned."

"Yes, we have returned!" Duan Yonghua’s excitement was clearly different from Zhuang Lin’s, but the former did not notice this, continuing to share what he had seen today before concluding, "The others in the team have likely already passed the news along. Now, everyone can finally rest easy!"

Zhuang Lin nodded. "Tell everyone not to be arrogant or restless, and to continue their lives as usual. As for the matter of the Peach Blossom Spring... let us treat it as if it were merely a dream."

"Indeed, that is what we thought as well. It is not something to be spoken of; we shall keep it to ourselves so that if Young Master Liu’s illness does not improve, they will not think we ruined the script or caused it. If word got out, they might think we were all conspiring to make excuses..."

Zhuang Lin smiled without saying much; this was indeed for the best.

"But then again, Young Master Liu’s condition is getting better and better. He is diligent, studious, kind, cheerful, and helpful. He gets along so well with little Wen that I have grown quite fond of him!" Duan Yonghua leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "Master Zi’an, do you think there is truly hope for Young Master Liu’s recovery?"

Zhuang Lin laughed and teased, "Yanjun, you are the physician; why are you asking me?"

"Uh... ha ha ha, that is true, isn't it..." Duan Yonghua laughed awkwardly. Having Master Zhuang around always brought peace of mind, and he had grown accustomed to asking him about everything, forgetting that medicine was his own profession.

"Very well, do not overthink it. It is best not to dwell on certain topics as you just did. If the young master finds peace sooner, would that not be better?"

"Quite right, quite right! Thank you for the reminder, Master Zi’an!" Duan Yonghua bowed solemnly to Zhuang Lin. He knew that the Master was reminding him about the regulations concerning Liu Hongyu’s mental health. People in the Hidden Immortal Valley were on good terms now, and Master Zi’an was a man of high character who would never report him, but one must still not overstep boundaries.

"No need for such formalities."

"Very well, I shall take my leave now. I am going to have dinner with my master!"

"Very well, go ahead."

Duan Yonghua bowed once more. Zhuang Lin nodded, watching him turn and leave; the lightness of his steps clearly reflected his mood.

Zhuang Lin stood up from the veranda and quietly sensed his surroundings. The spiritual energy in the valley now originated from three directions.

The first was the formation itself, which subtly drew the myriad spiritual energies from the surroundings into the valley. After the "return," the energy from this source had plummeted sharply. The energy flowing in from the outside world was so minuscule that it was almost imperceptible even to Zhuang Lin. That the current rich concentration of energy in the valley had not leaked out was undoubtedly another act of foresight in his control of the formation.

The second direction was the original spring within the valley—the source of the river where Young Master Liu had been placed for his "transmigration script." Even after the return, although the flow had diminished significantly, the wisps of spiritual energy emerging were still clearly discernible.

As for the third direction... Zhuang Lin glanced toward the mountain pass where Tao Yuanming had first entered the Hidden Immortal Valley. At that location, a relatively considerable amount of spiritual energy was still being captured by the formation—relatively speaking, of course. But it at least indicated that although they had returned, the link between the formation and that space-time had not been severed.

"This, too, is fine..." Zhuang Lin murmured. He had no intention of severing this connection; he would never complain about having too much spiritual energy.

As his thoughts drifted, Zhuang Lin took a deep breath and looked across the valley. The scenery remained as beautiful as a painting, and wisps of cooking smoke rose from every home. Zhuang Lin had, of course, considered the future of the people in the valley. Perhaps some would still want to share what had happened during this time, but that was a matter for another day.

For now, the people here were only concerned with waiting quietly for Young Master Liu to be cured, or waiting for these few years to pass so that the Liu family would accept reality and abandon their plans. In short, minding their own business and successfully collecting their full payment in the future was the goal of most in the Hidden Immortal Valley.

It was also a result that Zhuang Lin found appropriate.

Of course, even after the plan ended, Zhuang Lin would not leave. Perhaps some would grow accustomed to life here and choose to stay, a prospect Zhuang Lin would be happy to see. When that time came, everything would be the most natural outcome, and those who stayed would be worthy of it.

As for the others, once they left the Hidden Immortal Valley, they might, like the Mr. Five Willows they discussed over tea or the fisherman from Wuling in *The Peach Blossom Spring*, never be able to find this place again.

As for whether the "patient" would be cured, that would depend on Liu Hongyu’s own will. Zhuang Lin would guide him onto the correct path of immortal cultivation, but he would not interfere in his family affairs.

Zhuang Lin’s own goal was to cultivate diligently during this time and narrow the gap between his true cultivation and his manifest level as much as possible.

With this thought in mind, Zhuang Lin walked back into the schoolhouse, closed the doors, returned to his desk, and began to cultivate in silent meditation.

As night gradually fell, stars and the moon appeared in the sky. As Zhuang Lin entered a state of stillness, the spiritual energy in the Hidden Immortal Valley became as calm as a lake, yet occasionally rippled; it was both used for Zhuang Lin’s breathing exercises and silently nourishing the residents of the valley.