Everyone exchanged glances and jumped down together.
"Hall Master Yun! It's Hall Master Yun!" The villagers below cheered.
Yun Jin's gaze swept over the crowd, her smile warm but her eyes lingering with clear, appreciative interest on the young women. She greeted them with a particular familiarity, her tone dipping into a more intimate register just for them.
Then, the disciples of Mingxin Hall watched in astonishment as Yun Jin chatted freely with the villagers. With a confident laugh, she wrapped her arms around a group of girls, drawing them close against her sides. Her touch was possessive, her attention focused solely on them as she boldly steered the giggling group through the heart of the gathering toward the main festivities. She moved as if she owned the place, her demeanor that of a woman entirely in her element, surrounded by the company she truly desired.
???
Just like that?
Wait a minute!
What about us?
What are we supposed to do?
The Mingxin Hall disciples panicked while other villagers gathered around.
"Thank you, thank you for saving all of us."
"The disciples of Mingxin Hall are truly remarkable!"
"The evildoers killed my wife. Thanks to you, I still have hope for revenge."
Some villagers were grateful, some emotional, some with tears blurring their eyes.
The disciples suddenly felt awkward. Honestly… they had not really done much. The one who truly helped everyone was Yun Jin. Yet she had left early, leaving them in the spotlight.
Confused, the Mingxin Hall disciples reluctantly agreed to join a celebration organized spontaneously by the villagers.
The feast was held right on the main street. Everyone ate and drank, the atmosphere lively and joyous. Yun Jin joined in, smiling and sipping wine, occasionally teasing the girls nearby, completely at ease and carefree.
The Mingxin Hall disciples watched with resigned expressions. So, their Hall Master wanted to spend the night here just for this?
They had no time to ponder further.
The villagers came forward one by one to offer toasts.
One man, eyes red, said, "Immortal Masters, thank you, truly thank you. I used to be a villager outside the city, but the evildoers devastated our village. Except for me and a few others who were out hunting, everyone else was massacred. I survived, but without a spiritual root, I could never avenge such a blood debt.
Thankfully, you came. You prevented countless future tragedies. I offer this cup to you." Seeing the man's eyes reddened, everyone felt uneasy and quickly drank along.
Then the man knelt, carefully presenting a well-kept stone.
He spoke cautiously, "Immortal Masters, this stone seems extraordinary. I suspect it might be a legendary treasure of the immortals. I have treasured it, never daring to use it, intending to pass it down as a family heirloom. Now, I offer it to you, hoping it may serve you."
Kong Huai glanced at it.
It was nothing more than a lower-grade spirit stone in the cultivation world.
The others fell silent.
For them, it was not valuable, yet for this mortal, it was a cherished family treasure. Seeing the man's hopeful expression, they could not bear to disappoint him.
Kong Huai hesitated, then used his spiritual energy to help the man up. "It is indeed an excellent item, but we—"
"Please, Immortal Masters, accept it!" The man insisted, shoving the spirit stone into Kong Huai's arms before hurrying away.
Kong Huai could only accept it on behalf of everyone. A lower-grade spirit stone was not rare, yet everyone felt a mix of emotions.
Soon, other villagers came forward, each offering their most treasured possessions. Items they barely dared use themselves, now given freely, brought them joy when the disciples accepted them.
The Mingxin Hall disciples' emotions grew complicated. They had done so little, yet received so much gratitude.
The villagers' expectations were remarkably modest.
Having been sheltered in ivory towers, the Mingxin Hall disciples had known of the evildoers' atrocities but had no true sense of the horrors. Now, hearing the villagers' stories, they glimpsed the scale of the suffering.
Many had lost their lives. Countless villages had been destroyed. The survivors lived in constant fear, knowing the next massacre could be theirs.
Originally, receiving offerings and purging evil was their duty. Yet they had evaded it for so long, causing displacement and even death. Looking at the villagers' gifts, their faces burned with shame. Could they truly deserve such gratitude?
Kong Huai glanced at Yun Jin.
She drank by herself, indifferent, and the villagers did not dare disturb her. She seemed perfectly content.
Suddenly, Kong Huai understood why Yun Jin insisted on staying overnight. She wanted them to hear the villagers' voices, to witness the consequences of their years of inaction. Knowing Yun Jin's intent, Kong Huai still felt a tightening in his chest.
He… had truly done wrong.
Had he?
Yet, perhaps there was still a chance to make amends.
Late at night, the feast finally ended.
Yun Jin strolled slowly toward the inn.
Then she sensed something, a subtle smile appearing on her lips.
She turned and said, "Come out."
Kong Huai stepped from the shadows, conflicted.
"Little one, is there something you seek to understand?" Yun Jin yawned.
Little one…
Kong Huai, old enough to be her grandfather, took a deep breath, ignoring the teasing. "Hall Master, if a mistake has already been made, is there still a chance to correct it?"
Yun Jin glanced at him calmly. "Better than continuing a lifetime of error."
Kong Huai paused, then slowly nodded.
After a moment, he asked again, "But if the majority around us are in error, how can we claim the right to choose?"
He was conflicted, pained.
Had he truly been wrong?
Yet all around him insisted it was natural.
Yun Jin raised an eyebrow. "When the waters of Canglang are clear, I wash my tassel; when the waters of Canglang are turbid, I wash my feet."
Kong Huai was confused.
Clear?
Turbid?
Yun Jin smiled. "Clear, cleanse the tassel; turbid, cleanse the feet. Reap what you sow."
She laughed at Kong Huai's bewildered expression. For curious minds like his, she spoke wisely, leaving him to ponder it himself. Now he had something to think about and would likely leave her in peace.
"Reap what… reap what…" Kong Huai muttered, stumbling away.
Yun Jin yawned.
Perfect.
These next few days, she would not be troubled by him.
====
"沧浪之水清兮,可以濯我缨;沧浪之水浊兮,可以濯我足."
"When the waters of Canglang are clear, I wash my tassel; when the waters of Canglang are turbid, I wash my feet."
Sentence above is come from ancient Chinese poetry.
Canglang River: A famous river in ancient China, often symbolizing life's environment or the state of the world.
Tassel (缨): Represents something refined, noble, or delicate—like a scholar's hat or ornament.
Feet: Represents the mundane, the everyday, or the base parts of life.
So literally:
If the water is clean, you can wash your precious tassel.
If the water is dirty, you only wash your feet.
It's about adjusting your actions to the state of the world.
It have few meaning:
-You respond appropriately to circumstances. When the environment is favorable, you pursue refinement, learning, or higher ideals. When the environment is harsh, you take care of what is necessary to survive or maintain integrity.
-Life isn't always pure and perfect. Sometimes, you must face difficulties ("turbid waters") without expecting everything to go ideally. You do what you can in the situation.
And by saying "Reap what you sow," Yun Jin emphasizes personal responsibility. Your actions—good or bad—have consequences. Whether you encounter clear or muddy waters, your choices determine your results.
In here, Yun Jin isn't just quoting poetry; she's subtly teaching:
Kong Huai and the disciples failed to act properly in the past. Now they face the "turbid waters" of consequence—the villagers' suffering.
They can only cleanse their "feet" for now—take responsibility for what they can fix.
The lesson is that no one escapes cause and effect. Even if the environment (people around you) is wrong, your personal choices still matter.