Chapter 189: Chu Feng: Isn’t the Purpose of Living to Be Happy?

"Senior Sister, what are the criteria for recruiting disciples into our Miscellaneous Dao Institute?"

At the recruitment office of the Miscellaneous Dao Institute in the Wendao Academy, as soon as Xu Caichen landed, he asked this question.

"I've already recorded Master's criteria for accepting disciples in this jade slip," Qin Qin said, tossing a jade slip to Xu Caichen.

Ye Beixuan and Nie Xiuyuan, who were standing nearby, also crowded over, eager to find out.

After the three of them finished reading, they fell silent for a long time.

After a while, Ye Beixuan was the first to speak. "I didn't expect that Master took me as a disciple because of my name."

Xu Caichen said, "So it turns out my deeds moved Master."

Nie Xiuyuan added, "I always thought I was the most easy-going person in Wendao Academy, but compared to Master, I'm still far behind."

After murmuring to themselves, the three quietly waited for the aspiring disciples to arrive.

Compared to three years ago, this year there were several times more people coming to the Miscellaneous Dao Institute to seek apprenticeship.

Qin Qin and the others were extremely busy, but with Master's jade slip in hand, and since the newcomers didn't know what the assessment entailed, the Miscellaneous Dao Institute was able to eliminate candidates much faster than the other institutes.

Ye Beixuan originally wanted to visit his younger sister Qiong'er, but with so many applicants, he simply couldn't find the time. He could only hope to visit her another day.

The more fortunate a person is, the more likely their wishes come true.

The Qiong'er he had been thinking about suddenly appeared in the line of aspiring disciples.

Seeing that familiar figure, Ye Beixuan was so excited that he almost jumped out of his seat.

'Calm down, I need to calm down. I'm not the unknown Ye Beixuan from my previous life anymore. Now I'm the first place winner in the outer sect competition, a half-saint disciple. I absolutely cannot embarrass Master.'

In the crowd, Feng Qiongyu, dressed in elegant white attire, suddenly felt a burning gaze on her. But ever since childhood, no matter where she went, she was used to this kind of attention, so she paid it no mind.

She just stood quietly among the crowd, waiting for the Miscellaneous Dao Institute's trial.

A moment later, it was finally Feng Qiongyu's turn. She stepped forward and gave a polite bow to the senior brother overseeing the assessment.

"Feng Qiongyu greets Senior Brother."

Ye Beixuan was stunned for a few seconds when he heard that familiar voice. After hundreds of years apart, her every movement and expression was exactly the same as in his memories from his previous life.

Qin Qin noticed Ye Beixuan's daze and said calmly, "Junior Brother Ye, what's wrong?"

"I'm fine," Ye Beixuan replied, coming back to his senses. Even though he already knew everything about this girl, he still followed Master's recruitment criteria and asked the questions.

"Name, family background, life experience..."

Feng Qiongyu answered respectfully, "Replying to Senior Brother, my name is Feng Qiongyu, and I come from the Fengyu clan..."

Hearing her familiar voice, Ye Beixuan's thoughts instantly drifted back to his previous life.

He first met Qiong'er in the Misty Marsh. At that time, he was heartbroken after being hurt by a woman and went to the Misty Marsh to train and start over.

By chance, he saved Qiong'er and her group. That was how they became acquainted, progressing from friends to Dao partners naturally.

But the good times didn't last. Decades later, Qiong'er perished during a training expedition.

Ye Beixuan went mad with grief, determined to become stronger. Fueled by that drive, his cultivation advanced rapidly, but a heart demon took root.

Qiong'er became the pain of his entire life, which ultimately led to his downfall during his Saint Tribulation.

Even at the beginning of his rebirth, he didn't dare think of her name, fearing he would fall into the abyss if he did.

As these memories surfaced, tears slipped from the corners of his eyes.

"Senior Brother, are you alright?"

Feng Qiongyu's gentle voice pulled Ye Beixuan back to reality.

Only then did Ye Beixuan realize he had lost composure. Looking around, he saw his fellow disciples watching him with puzzled expressions.

Nie Xiuyuan tentatively asked, "Senior Nephew Ye, are you alright?"

The most confused of all was Feng Qiongyu herself. She never expected that just recounting her family and life experiences would make this Senior Brother Ye cry.

'Is my story really that moving?'

Although she was only a collateral branch of the Feng clan—not as exalted as the senior brothers and sisters of the Wendao Academy—her life was happy and she had always been cherished by her parents and clan. If not for wanting to avoid becoming a tool in a political marriage, she wouldn't have come to the Wendao Academy to cultivate.

Ye Beixuan shook his head. "I'm fine, just remembered some things from the past."

Qin Qin saw that he was a little out of sorts and said, "Junior Sister Feng, you don't meet our Miscellaneous Dao Institute's criteria for disciples. I suggest you seek apprenticeship in the Alchemy Institute."

"Thank you for the advice, Senior Sister."

There was no disappointment on Feng Qiongyu's face. She had already considered the possibility of being rejected—after all, aside from her decent alchemy skills, she was unremarkable in other areas. She came here just to give it a try.

After Feng Qiongyu left, Qin Qin turned her gaze back to Ye Beixuan. "Junior Brother, if you're not feeling well, you should return to the mountain to rest. Leave the rest to us."

"No need, I'm fine now," Ye Beixuan replied, forcing a smile.

Qin Qin didn't ask further and continued the recruitment.

On the first day of accepting disciples, no one suitable was found. No one was too concerned; there were still two days left, and finding just one qualified person would count as success.

After returning to the Miscellaneous Dao Institute, Chu Feng asked, "Tell me about your assessments today."

The four looked instinctively at Ye Beixuan, since nothing else interesting had happened that day.

Ye Beixuan, feeling a little awkward under his fellow disciples' gazes, spoke up. "I lost my composure today."

"Oh?" Chu Feng smiled. "Did you meet someone with the same experiences as you?"

Ye Beixuan shook his head. "No, I just remembered some lifelong regrets. Master, have you ever had regrets?"

Chu Feng thought for a moment. "Yes, but I've let them go."

'After all, those were things from my previous life. It's not like I can travel back to the modern world and fix every regret.'

Ye Beixuan continued, "Master, how did you manage that?"

At this, everyone present looked curiously at Chu Feng. Aside from Elder Bing, all of them had their own lifelong regrets.

Chu Feng drew a sharp breath in his heart. 'What's gotten into this kid today, asking such philosophical questions?'

"That's a good question."

With a slight smile, he slowly paced around the courtyard. After seven steps, he stopped and said,

"Strengthen your Dao heart. For cultivators like us, regret isn't just pain—it's also an obsession. Heart demons arise from it. So we have to turn sorrow into strength, driving ourselves forward. As long as your inner self is strong enough and your Dao heart is firm, you can face your regrets head on and let go of obsession. Only then can you progress further."

Everyone listened, their faces thoughtful.

Just then, Nie Xiuyuan asked, "Master, what if you can't let go?"

Chu Feng smiled. "That just means you're not strong enough, and your Dao heart isn't firm."

After hearing this, Nie Xiuyuan muttered, "That's right, I'm not strong enough, and my Dao heart isn't firm enough. That's why I've fallen so low."

Chu Feng patted him on the shoulder. "Xiuyuan, I won't lecture you with grand principles. Since you've chosen to escape reality and can't face your own heart, then at least try to be happy. If even escaping reality can't bring you happiness, then why bother escaping at all? Isn't the purpose of living to be happy?"

Hearing this, Nie Xiuyuan stood frozen, silent for a long time…

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