Chapter 4: Recording the Lineage, Bathed in Grace

Looking at the daughter kneeling before her, Old Madam Cui sighed.

"Have you thought this through? You have worked hard for so many years; if you give up now, all your previous efforts will be wasted. Although few mortals ever attain the Great Dao, the Heavenly Dao leaves gaps, and there is always a glimmer of hope.

Are you certain you want to relinquish this opportunity and transfer it to Jiang Youling?"

Chen Ling’s heart trembled slightly. To say she was giving up meant there was inevitably some lingering unwillingness.

But she quickly excised those tangled emotions from her heart and said in a low voice, "Daughter has already made up her mind."

A flash of anger appeared in the depths of Old Madam Cui’s eyes. "The Grand Examination is only a month away. Are you sure you want to give up at a time like this?"

A bitter smile tugged at the corners of Chen Ling’s lips. If one could tread through snow to reach the mountain peak and display their soaring ambitions, who would wish to give up?

It was just a pity that one knows one's own affairs best. She actually had some confidence in the martial arts portion of the exam, but the first stage—the literary exam—was like a natural chasm, standing between her and the Taixuan Sect.

Chen Ling kowtowed again. "Daughter knows her own dullness and lack of talent. To persist stubbornly is futile; it is better to stop early."

"Enough, enough, enough!"

Old Madam Cui heaved a long sigh. "Since you have already made your decision, I have nothing left to persuade you with. However, with the Grand Examination approaching, even if you give your qualification to Youling, it will be difficult for her to ascend the Immortal Gate this year."

Chen Ling opened her mouth, wanting to say something but hesitating.

Old Madam Cui glanced at her. "Speak your mind."

"Mother once said that with the help of the Four-Clear Spirit-Nourishing Soup, even a child who has never tempered their muscles and bones would possess the strength to wrestle tigers and cross rivers."

Old Madam Cui’s eyes widened in anger. "Do you know the value of this Four-Clear Spirit-Nourishing Soup?"

Chen Ling felt a bit awkward, but she gave a light cough.

"Since Mother has already agreed to let Youling take the Grand Examination in my stead, why not see this kindness through to the end and spare Youling three years of bitter struggle?

With Youling’s talent, if she can obtain the help of the Four-Clear Spirit-Nourishing Soup, she will surely take the top spot in one stroke and ascend the Immortal Gate!

The sooner she enters the Taixuan Sect and makes a name for herself, the sooner she can give back to our Chen family!"

Old Madam Cui pondered in silence.

Chen Ling couldn't help but plead, "Mother..."

Old Madam Cui waved her hand. "Go out first and let me think it over."

"Yes."

Chen Ling dared not push her mother too hard. After bowing, she prepared to leave, but as she reached the door, she heard an instruction.

"Cultivation is like rowing a boat against the current; if you do not advance, you retreat. Remember to practice the body-nourishing exercises I taught you a few more times when you return."

She didn't even have to take the Grand Examination anymore; what was the point of practicing?

Just as she was feeling puzzled, she heard her mother sigh.

"Youling has you, a mother, looking out for her. Is it possible that I, as a mother, would not think of my own daughter? Regardless, you are not to be absent from this Grand Examination."

Chen Ling’s eyes grew hot. She gave a vague "Yes" and hurried away in a panic.

The next day was an auspicious date, suitable for opening the ancestral hall and setting up altars to perform ancestral rites.

Old Madam Cui invited the members of the Chen clan to bear witness. After having Jiang Youling perform the rites of worship, she had her name entered into the genealogy.

It was a rare occurrence for someone of an outside surname to be entered into the genealogy. Many people heard the rumors and gathered in front of the Chen residence to watch the spectacle.

"Old Madam Cui is making such a big fuss just to adopt a granddaughter? There’s no need for that; she isn't short of granddaughters."

"You only know the surface, not the truth. I heard that this Jiang Youling caught Old Madam Cui’s eye. Old Madam Cui is entering her into the genealogy because she wants to sponsor her to enter the Taixuan Sect!"

"Hiss! Has Old Madam Cui gone mad? It’s already hard enough to support four descendants; now she’s even supporting an outsider with no blood relation!"

"Who’s to say? At her age, she should be enjoying her twilight years, yet she insists on pursuing that ethereal, illusory immortality! She doesn't even stop to think: is seeking immortality something for mortals like us to do..."

Old Madam Cui possessed cultivation, and her ears and eyes were sharp, but she acted as if she couldn't hear the discussions outside the door at all.

After seeing off the clan members, she instructed everyone to study their books, then looked at Jiang Youling. "Youling, come with me."

"Yes."

Jiang Youling followed Old Madam Cui into the room, her head still feeling a bit dizzy.

She didn't know why Grandma Cui had suddenly asked her to perform the rites for the Chen ancestors and had even solemnly written her name into the genealogy.

Old Madam Cui saw the girl's confusion at a glance and simply said

"Your mother came to me yesterday and requested that I register you under the Chen family name, and she insisted that you take the Taixuan Sect’s Grand Examination."

Jiang Youling was shocked!

It was actually Mother...

But during yesterday's assessment, Mother had clearly been dissatisfied with her skills!

"Your mother could not bear to see your talent buried, so she voluntarily gave up her qualification to take the exam in exchange for a glimmer of immortal destiny for you."

Jiang Youling was moved.

After only two short years of mother-daughter affection, her mother had actually sacrificed this much for her...

Jiang Youling bowed deeply. "It is already a great fortune for Youling to be taken in by the Chen family. Please, Grandmother, rescind your order!"

A hint of a smile leaked from the corners of Old Madam Cui’s tightly pursed lips, but she quickly restrained it.

"Since it is your mother’s deep love for her daughter, how could I block it? The Grand Examination is imminent; I only hope you study diligently and think well, and do not let your mother’s high expectations go to waste!"

Jiang Youling felt a lump in her throat and hurriedly lowered her head. "I will never forget the great kindness of Mother and Grandmother!"

Old Madam Cui pulled back a curtain, and a vat of medicinal soup, prepared long in advance, appeared before them.

The soup was emerald green, different from the medicinal baths her mother and uncle usually soaked in, and it smelled of fresh herbs.

"This is the Four-Clear Spirit-Nourishing Soup. Combined with the breathing technique, it will help you purge the turbid and promote the clear, and solidify your foundation."

Old Madam Cui gave a brief introduction. Seeing Jiang Youling standing there in a daze, she frowned and urged, "What are you standing there for? Why don't you bathe in the medicinal soup?"

Jiang Youling came to her senses, her eyes bright. "Yes!"

She quickly removed her outer clothes and shoes, and stepped inside.

The medicinal soup felt like melted warm jade; it was warm to the touch, and the heat seeped into her pores.

Her skin felt as if it were being bitten by insects; the numbness was accompanied by a slight stinging sensation, causing Jiang Youling to let out a soft moan.

Old Madam Cui instructed, "Pay attention to the rhythm of your breathing! Inhale to expand the abdomen and enter stillness; exhale to contract the abdomen and settle the heart. Between inhalation and exhalation, Yin and Yang will reveal themselves!"

Jiang Youling closed her eyes, trying her best to make her breathing long and steady, but the pain and itching caused by the medicinal soup made it difficult for her to concentrate.

She felt that every breath was extremely long and difficult to endure.

What was even more tormenting was that as the medicinal power began to take effect, the numbness and stinging sensation on her skin gradually intensified. Eventually, it penetrated into her very bones, making her unable to help but lose her rhythm.

Once her breathing became chaotic, those uncomfortable sensations actually disappeared.

She craved this moment of comfort and did not immediately adjust her breathing.

The next instant, Old Madam Cui’s stern voice rang out.

"When Heaven is about to place a great burden on a person, it must first torment their heart and will, exhaust their muscles and bones, starve their body and skin, and empty their person.

As the saying goes, hunger and cold are the beginning of fasting, toil and hardship are the teachers of guidance, and mental suffering is the step toward sitting in oblivion.

What you are enduring now—is it not Heaven-sent Dao-grain? Why not cherish it and refine it?"

Jiang Youling’s heart was touched. She immediately dispelled the laziness in her heart, inhaling to enter stillness and exhaling to settle her heart.

After a few breaths, that numbness in her bones struck again.

(Some friends asked about the issue of entering the genealogy and changing surnames; you can keep your original surname when entering the genealogy.)