Chapter 6: The Art of Humility

Third Uncle Si Shuo had been walking with a spring in his step lately.

Every word of praise about his nephew being "courteous and benevolent" that circulated through Yunjin City had found its way into his ears, and the more he heard, the more satisfied he felt — as if those people had finally started talking sense for once.

Just look at that — which family's child could earn such acclaim? Of course! His nephew, though his way of thinking was a little peculiar, was obedient, extraordinarily talented, and so humble and polite on top of it all!

"And who else's nephew would he be!" he thought to himself, beaming with pride, even finding the modest little patch of land that was Yunjin City a bit more pleasing to the eye.

He had completely forgotten the sight of himself stumbling over his own feet in a panic to go report the news. All he felt now was that every word of praise from the outside world had struck him right in the heart.

The Si Clan's residence in Yunjin City had nearly had its threshold worn down by the stream of local figures coming to pay their respects these past few days.

Yunjin City was jointly governed by the Chen, Wang, and Li Clans, who were local overlords in their own right — but before a true colossus like the Si Clan, the difference was as vast as the clouds and the mud.

The arrival of Third Master Si and the young master of the Si Clan was, without question, a matter of the utmost importance to Yunjin City's "Three Great Noble Families," and they racked their brains trying to curry favor.

Although the Si Clan had made it clear that the young master was merely traveling to broaden his horizons and did not wish to be disturbed, gifts continued to flow into the Si Clan's guest manor like a river, and among them were some genuinely rare items.

The one that caught Si Chen's attention most was an exquisite white jade pill bottle, inside which sat a pill the size of a longan fruit — perfectly round, with faint cloud patterns swirling across its surface.

The one who had sent it was the Clan Head of the Li Clan, his manner respectful to the point of near-subservience. Standing beside him was the young cultivator whom Si Chen had "advised" to be polite on the street that day.

The young man now stood with his eyes downcast, every trace of his former arrogance completely gone.

"This is a First-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill," the Li Clan Head explained with an ingratiating smile. "Though I know it may not be worthy of Third Master Si's or the young master's notice, it is considered quite rare in these parts. This pill has remarkable effects — it can help a Qi Refining cultivator achieve Foundation Establishment smoothly and safely. It is a small token of goodwill, and also an apology on behalf of my son for his rudeness to the young master the other day. I humbly ask that you accept it."

Si Shuo gave a casual nod and accepted it on his nephew's behalf.

Pills were ranked from one to nine, with the first rank being the finest. A First-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill was indeed a generous gift in a place like Yunjin City — more than enough to demonstrate the Li Clan's sincerity and anxiety.

For the Si Clan, however, it was nothing particularly extraordinary.

Once everyone had departed, Si Chen picked up the jade box and examined the pill inside — the one that was supposedly guaranteed to ensure a successful Foundation Establishment — his eyes filled with puzzlement.

"Third Uncle," he said.

"Hmm?"

Si Chen asked, genuinely confused, "Does Foundation Establishment really require a pill?"

"..."

Si Shuo choked on those words. Looking at his nephew's eyes, which were filled with question marks, he nearly couldn't catch his breath, and for a moment he had no idea how to respond.

Does it require one?

For ninety-nine point nine percent of Qi Refining cultivators in the world, the answer was an unequivocal "yes."

Foundation Establishment was the first true barrier on the path of cultivation — compressing spiritual energy, transforming the Elixir Field into a sea. The process was perilous, and having a Foundation Establishment Pill to safeguard it could raise the success rate by several fold. A First-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill was practically a guarantee of success, and could even consolidate one's foundation.

But... how was he supposed to explain this to a little monster who had charged straight to the Qi Refining, Ninth Layer in a single two-hour, treating bottlenecks as if they didn't exist?

He opened his mouth, and in the end, all his explanations collapsed into a single grumbling mutter: "You little brat, do you think everyone is like you?"

He ultimately didn't answer the question directly, and simply pressed the jade box into Si Chen's hands. "Keep it. It's someone's goodwill, after all. If you don't need it, you can... uh, give it away as a reward to someone later."

Si Chen accepted the pill without much fuss. He did, however, find himself mildly intrigued by this method of creating external objects to assist in cultivation.

Only mildly, though.

Alchemy, he mused.

* * *

Over the next few days, Yunjin City enjoyed the most "harmonious" period it had seen since its founding.

At least, everywhere Si Chen's gaze reached, it was as if no one would pick up a dropped item on the road, and no one needed to lock their doors at night. Everyone on the streets wore smiles, and every person was humble and courteous, as though overnight the entire city had become a model of proper etiquette.

The days slipped by, and seven or eight of them had passed in the blink of an eye.

One morning, Si Chen stood in the courtyard watching the drifting clouds on the horizon, and suddenly did the math in his head. He recalled a passage from an ancient text stating that a "peerless genius" would typically require about a month to achieve Foundation Establishment.

By that standard, he figured, it seemed about time for him to do so.

Over breakfast, he brought it up to Si Shuo: "Third Uncle, I plan to achieve Foundation Establishment today."

"Pfft — cough! Cough, cough, cough!" Si Shuo nearly spat out a mouthful of spirit broth, coughing so violently it shook the heavens, and it took him quite a while to catch his breath, his face flushed a deep red.

He stared wide-eyed. "What did you just say?! Today?! Here?!"

Si Chen blinked, somewhat puzzled by the reaction. "Yes. Isn't the timing... about right?"

Si Shuo hastily set down his bowl and chopsticks, circled around Si Chen twice, probing his spiritual aura and feeling his Bone Constitution, muttering under his breath:

"Don't go doing anything reckless, you hear me! Even if your talent is... well, whatever it is, Foundation Establishment is still the beginning of the Great Dao. If something goes wrong, how am I supposed to face your parents when we get back!"

Though he knew this nephew of his couldn't be measured by ordinary standards, when it came to Foundation Establishment, he still felt a string pulled taut in his heart.

One moment he was ordering the servants to guard the courtyard and allow no one to disturb them; the next he was fretting that the spiritual energy here wasn't pure enough, wondering if they should pack up and head home immediately; he even considered forcing that First-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill on Si Chen as a backup.

Si Chen watched his Third Uncle spinning around in a state of high alert, and calmly stated the facts: "Third Uncle, I don't need the pill. And it will be done very quickly."

Si Shuo looked into those clear, utterly untroubled eyes, and a wave of helplessness washed over him.

Fine. The emperor isn't worried, but the eunuch is panicking. He wiped his face and resigned himself, waving a hand. "Alright, alright, alright. You're amazing, you call the shots. What do you need Third Uncle to do?"

Si Chen shook his head. "Just do what you did last time, Third Uncle — make sure no one disturbs me."

With that, he rose and went to the secret chamber on his own. The door closed, and what could be called his "Closed-Door Cultivation for Foundation Establishment" officially began.

Si Shuo stood guard outside the door, pacing back and forth with his hands clasped behind his back, ears pricked for any sound from within — a hundred times more anxious than he had been during his own Foundation Establishment all those years ago.

The process... had no process.

He hadn't even finished laying down the isolation Array Formation when the door to the secret chamber let out a soft creak and swung open.

"Third Uncle, I'm done."

"Done... done already?" He repeated the words instinctively, then swept out his Divine Sense — and froze on the spot. His nephew's aura was rounded and contained, his spiritual energy fluctuations unmistakably and solidly at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage, and the depth of his foundation far surpassed that of any ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Where was the surging of winds and clouds, the flooding of spiritual energy into the body that he had imagined? Where was the unstable foundation and the arduous Breakthrough he had worried about?

For reasons he couldn't quite explain, he suddenly had the urge to weep on behalf of every cultivator in the world who had ever struggled through Foundation Establishment.

Himself included.

* * *

Foundation Establishment at seven years old!

The news spread through Yunjin City as if it had grown wings, causing another sensation.

Reaching the Qi Refining, Third Layer could still be explained away as the result of resource accumulation, but Foundation Establishment at seven years old — this had completely shattered the understanding of every cultivator in Yunjin City.

With Si Shuo's tacit approval, the news was not suppressed too heavily. After all, this was exactly what a "peerless genius" was supposed to look like.

If the earlier "three cultivation stages in a single day" could still be explained by resource accumulation and a noble family's influence, then what about "Foundation Establishment at seven"?

This was beyond the word "genius." This was a monster, a legend — something a place like Yunjin City wouldn't dare even dream of.

And so the stream of visitors coming to offer congratulations grew even more endless, their words overflowing with praise.

"The young master is truly a heaven-sent prodigy, unparalleled throughout the ages!"

"Foundation Establishment at seven — unheard of! He is surely destined to soar through the nine heavens as a true dragon!"

Si Chen soon noticed a new pattern: it seemed that the higher a person's cultivation, the more respectful they were toward him, and the more humble their words.

An Elder from the Chen Clan came to pay a visit — an old man with a deep, substantial aura. Si Chen could sense that the Elder's cultivation realm was considerably higher than his own.

And yet, this Elder spoke to Si Shuo, and especially to the newly Foundation-Established Si Chen, with a constant stream of "I am ashamed of myself," "my cultivation is shallow," and "I would not dare show off in front of a senior and the young master."

Si Chen listened quietly.

So, he observed, people of higher cultivation would refer to themselves as "I" in an elderly, self-deprecating manner before those of lower cultivation, and would admit that their own "cultivation is shallow."

A short while later, the Clan Head of the Wang Clan personally delivered a batch of rare spirit fruits, saying earnestly, "This is but a trifling gift, hardly worth presenting — I'm quite embarrassed to offer it. I only hope that Third Master and the young master will not find it beneath them."

Si Chen looked at the spirit fruits, which were clearly brimming with spiritual energy and obviously of considerable value, then looked at the Wang Clan Head's expression of apparent shame...

So, he observed, when presenting a valuable gift, one must belittle the gift's worth, calling it a "trifling gift" and saying it is "hardly worth presenting."

Humans seemed to universally possess a habit of "self-deprecation" — deliberately understating their own strength or possessions as a form of politeness.

He believed he understood this new social rule.

An opportunity came quickly. That very evening, the Li Clan hosted a banquet for Si Chen and his uncle, and nearly every person of standing in Yunjin City was in attendance.

Si Chen once again encountered the Li Clan Head who had sent the Foundation Establishment Pill. The moment the man saw him, he came forward with a beaming face, his voice booming with praise:

"The young master is truly a once-in-an-age prodigy! Foundation Establishment at seven — rare throughout all of history! You are surely destined to shake the nine heavens!"

Si Chen recalled the "self-deprecation" rule he had just deduced, and decided a polite response was in order.

He stopped walking, tilted up his small face, and in his characteristic earnest tone, said word by word:

"Clan Head Li flatters me. This junior's aptitude is dull and mediocre — achieving Foundation Establishment was nothing more than a stroke of luck, truly not worth mentioning."

Foundation Establishment at seven, and his aptitude is... d-dull and mediocre??

The smile plastered across the Li Clan Head's face instantly froze, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.

Si Chen watched the Li Clan Head's wonderfully expressive face, a flicker of puzzlement passing through his clear eyes.

Had his "self-deprecation" not gone far enough?

He thought back to the phrasing used by the Chen Clan Elder and the Wang Clan Head, and felt he perhaps hadn't grasped the concept deeply enough.

And so, in the spirit of striving for perfection, he earnestly added another line, attempting to better embody this newly learned social etiquette:

"Especially compared to your son, I am utterly ashamed of myself."

"Pfft —"

At that, someone finally couldn't hold back a laugh, and quickly clapped a hand over their mouth.

The young master of the Li Clan — the young man whom Si Chen had "educated" on manners that day — felt his face instantly flush the color of pig liver.

Si Shuo covered his face with his hand, unable to bear watching. He quickly stepped forward, scooped up Si Chen — who was still completely oblivious — tucked him under his arm, and laughed dryly at the assembled crowd: "Children say the darndest things! Ha ha, please, everyone, carry on, carry on!"

He fled the banquet hall in what could only be described as a rout.

And so, within Yunjin City, a new legend about the young master of the Si Clan began to quietly spread — one that said he was not only "courteous and benevolent," but also possessed of a "razor-sharp tongue" and a gift for "saying the most astonishing things."

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Edited by Fat Goose