Chapter 6: Dinner Table Musings
After a few days of spending time together, it felt like they had slipped back into the old days. Aside from occasional cultivation sessions, they mostly played chess and reminisced about past stories, letting Li Ye soak in the warmth of family once more.
But Li Ye sensed his filial affection had grown a touch... twisted.
Ever since restoring his body, his inner fire raged daily. His manhood stood rigid for half the day, as if desperate to reclaim those lost years. A single stray thought, and his mind flooded with visions of women.
At first, it was harmless—mere fantasies of Xue Yunrong. But living in such close quarters with his ravishing mother, memories of the illusion realm crept in unbidden. His eyes drifted, against his will, to the curves of her enchanting form.
This tormented Li Ye. Crushing guilt gnawed at him relentlessly, until he resolved to descend the mountain...
"Back to Da Zhou? Absolutely not!"
Shen Luhua's brows furrowed, a hint of her usual frosty detachment slipping through unawares.
The mother and son were at dinner. Shen Luhua had specially prepared a few dishes from Li Ye's past life favorites, but the mere mention of her son returning to that hell sent her rejecting it outright, without a second thought.
The sudden reunion's tenderness had nearly made Li Ye forget his mother's inherent dominance. Her icy refusal jolted him back—Mother had never been easy to deal with.
He paused, then said helplessly, "Mother, hear me out." In the past few days, he'd adapted to local customs, calling her "Mother" naturally.
"No matter what you say, it's not happening." Sensing her tone had been too harsh, Shen Luhua softened it a bit. "The world is vast—why go back to slaving away?"
"I need the full Tianmo Jiuxiang. What am I supposed to do without it?"
"Once I reach the 7th Realm, I'll get it from Ji Xuan myself. Don't worry."
"Ji Xuan's already 7th Realm in the palace with dragon qi boosting him. Besides, I can't rely on you for everything, can I?"
"I'm your mother—what's wrong with leaning on me? If 7th isn't enough, I'll hit 8th. Going back? No way."
"Are you even being reasonable anymore?" Li Ye's tone sharpened too.
Shen Luhua faltered briefly, then replied, "How am I unreasonable? You'd suffer there, and it's dangerous. You're no eunuch anymore—if they find out?"
"If discovered, I just flee. Short-term possession on someone else, stir their emotions a bit—fighting's out, but escaping works fine." The 1st Realm of Tianmo Jiuxiang offered just that: brief body-hopping, simple emotional nudges.
"Still too risky. Wait till I'm 8th Realm—I'll fetch it safer."
Shen Luhua wouldn't budge.
"Who knows when that'll be? Relying on you for everything—you trying to turn me into a useless bum?" Moments ago, Li Ye had brimmed with ambition; now, he felt like a pampered kid under Mother's thumb.
Shen Luhua blinked, realizing her son wasn't a twelve-year-old boy anymore. Still, she clamped her lips shut, coldly picking at her food in silence.
"Mother, I know you're worried. I promise I'll be careful."
Shen Luhua grew irritated, setting down her bowl and chopsticks with a cool snap. "Fine, go then. My words mean nothing anyway."
"I didn't say right now. I'll stay a few more days with you."
"Who needs your company?" Even as she spoke, her frosty expression eased a fraction.
Li Ye seized the shift, changing tack. "Mother, your cooking's amazing. I've dreamed of this so many times these years."
Shen Luhua's face warmed at the thought of her son's hardships, a smile finally breaking her chill. "If it's good, eat more."
"Oh, right—Mother, do you still have the clothes from our old world?"
"You remember..." Li Ye dove into old tales.
Shen Luhua sank into memories too, her smile turning tender.
As they chatted, Jiang Zimei's figure appeared at the courtyard gate.
"Smells divine—what's cooking?"
"Aunt Jiang, join us." Li Ye waved her in casually. She'd dropped by occasionally these days, intrigued by the chess they played, but mealtime was a first.
Sixth Realm cultivators rarely ate, but Jiang Zimei eyed the novel dishes without refusal. "Don't mind if I do. These look unusual—how do you make them?"
Shen Luhua and Li Ye shared a knowing smile; Shen Luhua explained, "Home-style stir-fry, done in a wok. Give it a try."
Jiang Zimei took her bowl and chopsticks, sampled a bite, and her limpid eyes lit up. "Delicious~"
"Told you—Mother's cooking is no joke," Li Ye boasted proudly.
Jiang Zimei eyed Shen Luhua with keen interest. "Little shimei, in all these ten-plus years, I never knew you had such skills."
"Just trivial stuff." Shen Luhua brushed it off.
Jiang Zimei pressed on. "I'm getting more curious by the day. Chess, Go, stir-fry... Since you two reunited, one novelty after another. What else are you hiding?"
Shen Luhua and Li Ye shared a light chuckle; she shot Jiang Zimei a playful glare. "Can't even eat in peace with that mouth of yours."
After a few bites, Jiang Zimei couldn't resist. "Where exactly are you from? I've read everything under the sun, but never heard of these oddities."
"You skip cultivation to obsess over this?" Shen Luhua dodged.
Jiang Zimei waved it off breezily. "7th Realm's a hand away—what's left to cultivate? Better chase fun."
Li Ye and his mother exchanged glances; he spoke up. "Mother and I talked it over these days. I think our take on supreme detachment might be... off."
Jiang Zimei blinked in surprise, glancing at Shen Luhua—who didn't object—and turned to him. "Off how?"
"I once heard a line, something like supreme detachment: 'better to forget each other in the rivers and lakes than share moisture in a rut.'"
"Share moisture?" No Zhuangzi in this world—Jiang Zimei didn't know the tale.
"Two fish in a dried cart rut, sustaining each other with spit."
Jiang Zimei nodded, catching on. "Better they swim free in separate rivers, forgetting one another?"
"If the Dao is water and people are fish, doesn't that echo supreme detachment?"
Jiang Zimei nodded thoughtfully, murmuring, "better to forget each other in the rivers and lakes than share moisture in a rut..."
"So, supreme detachment isn't true oblivion. It's dwelling freely in the great Dao, self-sustained—no need for that scant moisture from another."
Jiang Zimei frowned. "So? Still ends in detachment."
"Detachment is the fruit of enlightenment. The unenlightened still need that bit of water from others."
With her genius insight, Jiang Zimei grasped it instantly, musing aloud, "Like fish in a dry rut—without shared moisture, no survival..."
"So, Aunt Jiang—what counts as true enlightenment?"
"At least 9th Realm—no, even that's not it..." Her eyes widened in revelation. "Cultivating the Taishang Sword Canon isn't about detachment. It needs that vital water for survival—the Dao itself? But that doesn't fit... Why do the predecessors demand detachment? Even little Chushuang..."
"Mother and I have a theory. Like sharing moisture: extremes of emotion birth extremes of Dao. The elders' desires were faint, so they pinned their sole feeling to the pursuit of Dao—that became their sustaining water. Xing Chushuang ties her only emotion to the sword—her water."
"This... let me mull it over." Jiang Zimei set down her utensils, lost in thought.
The idea had started as Li Ye's question; Shen Luhua had fleshed it out mostly herself. She'd skimmed the Taishang Sword Canon but never cultivated it. Blending past-life knowledge, she'd arrived at this. Having Li Ye voice it aimed to bond him closer with her shijie—for backup in tough times.
By the time mother and son finished eating, Jiang Zimei surfaced, puzzled. "So, emotion is the Dao?"
Shen Luhua smiled. "Emotion manifests the Dao, one facet. Seeking Dao through emotion? A glimpse through a bamboo tube."
"Even man-woman passion?"
"Heaven and earth unite to birth the mortal realm; yin-yang merge into Taiji; man and woman join to create life. How isn't romantic love a facet of the Dao?"
Jiang Zimei froze. This was uncharted territory for her—a few words flung open new doors. No waiting to "live enough" for 7th Realm, no turning to stone...
"So, Aunt Jiang—think on it. What do you seek? Why resist becoming stone?" Li Ye prompted gently.
My pursuit... what is it? Chushuang forgot all but the sword. But she dabbled in everything with mild interest...
Seeing her immersed, Shen Luhua rose. "Ponder away. I'll wash up."
She could've cleaned the dishes with a spell, but with her son, she craved that human touch. Gathering the bowls, she headed to the kitchen.
Li Ye watched her go, eyes lingering on her swaying hips—the white palace gown hugging her pert, rounded rear in a tantalizing curve. He swallowed hard, gaze glued until she vanished around the corner. Turning regretfully, he met Jiang Zimei's odd stare.
"What're you looking at?"
"N-nothing~"
"You were eyeing your mother." Jiang Zimei stated it flatly.
"Aunt Jiang, figured it out? What's your pursuit?" Li Ye deflected.
Shed given up puzzling; snapping back, she caught her shimei's boy ogling that ass. A strange feeling stirred. Hearing his pivot, she chuckled softly. "Little one, should I tell your mother?"
Untested youth that he was, Li Ye panicked, blurting, "D-don't~"
Jiang Zimei's lips curved. "Then tell Aunt Jiang—what were you looking at?"
"N-nothing~"
"Fine, I'll tell her. See if she believes me." She made to rise.
"Aunt Jiang, no~"
"So, where exactly?" Her smile teased.
Li Ye met her playful gaze, head spinning, and mumbled, "Her... her butt~"
"Stealing glances at your mother's ass?"
Li Ye fell silent.
Jiang Zimei's smile turned curious. "Nice?"
"I-I just glanced~"
"Just a glance." She chuckled lightly, then shifted. "You've been awfully fixated on man-woman stuff lately?"
"N-no~"
Her voice slowed, deliberate: "Think 6th Realm senses miss it?"
Li Ye blanched, horrified at Mother knowing his filthy thoughts. "You mean...?"
Jiang Zimei smiled serenely. "Not just me—your mother senses it too."
Speechless, Li Ye wished for a hole to crawl into.
"6th Realm sharpness catches every linger of your gaze, every heartbeat stutter."
Recalling his "subtle" peeks, Li Ye flushed crimson. He'd thought himself sneaky.
Jiang Zimei giggled outright, like spotting something amusing. "Scared now?"
He nodded, face burning.
"Afraid after the fact? What happened to that big bravado?"
"I-I really just looked!"
"Mm, just looked." She nodded, amused.
"I—"
"What's so funny?" Shen Luhua returned from the door.
"Nothing—just chatting about your young master."
"Little Ye? What's up?" She eyed her flushed son.
Dreading exposure, Li Ye cut in. "Nothing—talking about when I head down."
Jiang Zimei smirked but let it slide. "Alright, Gomoku time. I puzzled it out last night—got a sure-win strat."
As Shen Luhua set up the board, she added, "Forgot to mention: first player has forbidden moves—a few patterns off-limits..."
Jiang Zimei scowled. "Why not say so sooner? I racked my brain all night."
"You two play. I'll cultivate." Seizing the distraction, Li Ye bolted, fretting over Aunt Jiang's words.
Mother had noticed his peeks. How to face her now?
He tried cultivating, but his mind wouldn't settle. Shame and worry churned, yet illusion scenes intruded: those silk-stockinged legs, that mouth engulfing his cock...
Night deepened before a knock sounded. "Little Ye, don't push too hard. Time for bed."