: Early Wisdom Through Simplicity (An Apology to All Readers!)

2024-07-31 Author: Gu Zhenren

: Early Wisdom Through Simplicity (An Apology to All Readers!)

(Tried doing a monthly vote extra for the first time and totally messed it up.)

(Posted it in the related works section before, so many didn't get update notifications. Now posting it directly after the main text.)

(Just found out many authors have been tricked by this too – currently sweating buckets!)

The Ning family's massive migration convoy, following the footsteps of March, arrived together in the southern fields.

Spring warmth filled the air.

Vast stretches of rapeseed flowers bloomed, their golden petals shimmering like a layer of gold dust over a green ocean under the spring breeze, bringing boundless hope.

The convoy rumbled forward with a thunderous noise.

A middle-aged man dismounted his steed and leaped onto a mechanized carriage within the convoy.

He hurriedly pushed the door open and entered.

"Look what I have, my dear?" The middle-aged man presented a pill as if offering a treasure.

His wife, heavily pregnant with a prominent belly, was resting on the bed with her eyes closed.

The carriage window was shut.

The man channeled his spiritual energy from a distance, lighting a spirit lamp on the ceiling.

Under the lamplight, his wife slowly opened her eyes and looked at the pill. It was crystal clear, like a glass bead, emitting a faint yellowish glow.

She sniffed lightly, detecting a fresh and pleasant fragrance reminiscent of a forest after rain, calming the spirit and clearing the mind.

Surprised, she exclaimed, "This is an Early Wisdom Pill, a top-grade elixir! Where did you get it?"

The middle-aged man grinned. "Didn't I help Strong Fist Monk once? He practices the Buddhist path and emphasizes karma, so he insisted on repaying the favor."

"I told him my wife is about to give birth and asked if he could offer some assistance for our son's future cultivation."

His wife's joy turned to worry. "Husband, you could have used this opportunity to ask the master to heal your injuries."

"At the very least, you could have requested a lotus seed from the Buddhist Salvation Lotus Throne to improve your cultivation talent."

The man shook his head and sighed. "Forget about me."

"My old injury may cause pain during flare-ups, but it's not life-threatening—just a few days of discomfort. Even if healed, it wouldn't drastically improve my combat strength."

"Even with a lotus seed, my cultivation aptitude would only rise from mid-grade to mid-upper grade. At my age, a mid-upper grade immortal aptitude won't help me break through bottlenecks."

At this point, he knelt down and gently stroked his wife's belly. "Considering all this, it's better to leave this opportunity for our child!"

"The main ingredient of the Early Wisdom Pill is a strand of wisdom root from the Bodhi Tree."

His wife sighed softly and nodded slightly, accepting her husband's decision.

"Here, take the pill," the man said, standing up and handing it to her. "I'll assist you in digesting it with my energy."

After she swallowed the pill, its gentle effects reached the unborn child.

The Early Wisdom Pill strengthens the spirit, clears the mind, nourishes the soul, and enriches the heart, allowing one to gain wisdom early and excel intellectually.

Pleased with the outcome, the man beamed. "Excellent! With this pill, our child will gain wisdom early. Who knows, he might even remember everything we say now."

"Next, let's try reciting cultivation techniques to him. Maybe he can even start cultivating while still in the womb!"

His wife chuckled. "You're too optimistic."

"Even if he remembers every word we say, he won't understand their meaning."

"Besides, his meridians aren't fully formed yet. If he truly starts cultivating now, it would do more harm than good."

The man grinned. "I know, I'm just joking."

He held his wife's hand. "Ah, only when you become a parent do you understand the genuine love parents have for their children."

"Even before our child is born, I can't help but think about his future and worry for him."

"I truly hope he has excellent cultivation aptitude—the higher, the better—unlike me."

His wife, however, shook her head. "If he has no cultivation aptitude, would I love him any less?"

"No matter what, he's our child, our flesh and blood."

"I hope he has some cultivation aptitude, but not too much."

"Haven't we seen and heard enough about extraordinarily gifted children meeting early ends?"

"I only wish for him to live a safe and peaceful life."

As they spoke, an alarm suddenly blared.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" someone shouted.

The couple's expressions turned grim.

The middle-aged man urged his wife to stay put and rushed out the door.

The next moment, he witnessed the world transforming violently. Icy winds howled, sharp as countless blades cutting through all living beings.

"We're trapped in a formation!" Shocked and furious, the man forced himself to stay calm. He immediately channeled his energy into a magical tool to protect himself. The mechanized carriage beneath him, controlled by his wife, lit up with various runes, significantly boosting its defenses.

"Who goes there?" The Ning family patriarch ascended into the sky, radiating an imposing aura as he roared.

The attackers remained silent, only manipulating the ice and snow formation to unleash another wave of changes.

Fist-sized hailstones rained down, blanketing the sky.

Casualties immediately mounted within the Ning family convoy.

The patriarch laughed coldly. "Well done! Even if you hide your faces, do you think I won't recognize you?"

"Frost Marquis, Absolute Ice Wanderer, how considerate of you to wait until we entered the Southern Bean Kingdom's borders before ambushing us."

Having their identities exposed, Frost Marquis and Absolute Ice Wanderer revealed themselves.

The former declared, "Elder Ning, you should have expected this when you left our Northern Wind Kingdom and defected to the Southern Bean Kingdom with your entire clan."

The Ning patriarch retorted, "I already explained everything to the king, left behind a magical treasure, and reached an agreement. The Northern Wind royal family has gone back on their word! After this battle, I will spread the truth far and wide!"

Absolute Ice Wanderer sneered. "That's precisely why I'm here today, Elder Ning. Rest assured, after this battle, even if rumors spread, they'll only say I, Absolute Ice Wanderer, came seeking personal vengeance."

A fierce battle erupted.

Outnumbered and needing to protect his clan, the Ning patriarch quickly found himself at a disadvantage.

Sensing the dire situation, he self-destructed a magical treasure without hesitation, blasting a temporary opening in the formation.

"Go, now!!" the patriarch shouted.

In the critical moment, the clan leader personally led the charge, trying to evacuate as many clansmen as possible through the opening.

Packs of snow wolves, conjured from ice, pursued in droves.

The gap was closing, but most of the Ning clan remained trapped inside the formation.

"Don't push! Don't push!" people screamed, chaos erupting.

The snow wolves tore into the crowd, unleashing carnage.

Amid the chaos, the young clan leader and two others squeezed into the middle-aged couple's mechanized carriage.

"Brother Ning Zhong!" The young clan leader, Ning Xiaoren, bowed anxiously. "The gap is closing! Lend us your carriage!"

Overloaded and damaged by the ice and snow, the carriage's power dropped sharply, falling behind.

It seemed they wouldn't make it through in time, risking being trapped again.

The young leader's two attendants turned to Ning Zhong. "Brother Ning Zhong, you're also at the Foundation Establishment stage. Please join us in holding off the enemy!"

His wife cried out, "Zhong, don't go!"

Ning Zhong frowned deeply. With his combat experience, he saw the situation clearly: "If I don't go down to fight, none of us will escape!"

He turned sharply, his eyes blazing as he stared down the young clan leader.

Trembling, Ning Xiaoren quickly raised his hand in an oath. "Brother Ning Zhong, don't worry! I, Ning Xiaoren, swear that if we escape alive, I will protect your wife and child and do everything to help your son on his cultivation path!"

Ning Zhong took one last, deep look at his wife.

Her eyes were red from crying.

"Take good care of our child!"

Gritting his teeth, Ning Zhong turned abruptly and, along with the two attendants, leaped from the carriage.

As the snow wolves roared, the mechanized carriage staggered into the opening.

(End of )