Zuo Shuming's epiphany did not last long. He regained consciousness after just one afternoon. Instead of being at the first stage of Foundation Establishment, he was now at the ninth stage. Perhaps it was because they had very few disciples who experienced such epiphanies – Gui Yi Sect's Patriarch took note of Zuo Shuming despite the fact that he was still at a relatively low cultivation level. It was obvious from his gaze that he was satisfied with what he was seeing.
Zuo Shuming also turned to look for Lonemoon in his excitement. He was eager to share this joyful news. Yet... he could not find Lonemoon. Apart from people who had come to see what the commotion about, as well as the Nascent Soul seniors who were holding up the protective array for him, there seemed to be no one else on the field. All the disciples who had been watching the lightning tribulation earlier had disappeared as well, including Lonemoon. An epiphany was quite different from lightning tribulation. There was nothing anyone could gain from it. Thus, they lost interest very quickly.
Zuo Shuming: "..."
I thought we were friends?
But he did not take this to heart. He turned to the elders who had been holding up the protective array for him and said his thanks. Then, he turned to run gleefully toward Lonemoon's apartment. From afar, he saw Lonemoon seated at the table. He was holding a bowl of rice in his hand and casually eating from it.
"Brother Lonemoon?" Zuo Shuming stared blankly at him. He looked suspiciously at the table. "You... haven't done grain liberation?"
"Why, do you have something to say about that?" Lonemoon glanced at him before adding more food to his bowl. Shit! He had looked away for just a second and there was no more meat left. Don't think that just because others can't see you, you're allowed to eat as much as you want. Zuo Shuming may not be able to see your figure, but he'll certainly notice the food disappearing on its own! He isn't blind!
"N-N-No!" Zuo Shuming hesitated. He was just shocked that Brother Lonemoon was already a Foundation Establishment cultivator, yet he had not liberated from grain yet. Wait, was the food on the table disappearing way too quickly?
"Go, let's talk outside!" Lonemoon quickly finished the meat in his bowl and led Zuo Shuming outside the door. He closed the door behind him. In the yard, he scanned Zuo Shuming from head to toe and frowned. His voice dripping with contempt, he said, "You're a Foundation Establishment cultivator now?" Didn't he just have an epiphany? Was it for naught?
"I'm already in the late stages of Foundation Establishment," Zuo Shuming announced proudly and excitedly. "I didn't think I would progress so quickly either!"
"Heh heh, you call this fast?" Lonemoon pursed his lips. Look at Chef – one epiphany helped him to skip one or two major cultivation levels. How are you still jumping within the same cultivation level? Is your own epiphany really only worth two bucks?
"Isn't it... fast?" Zuo Shuming stared blankly at Lonemoon. Even Sect Master said it was fast. How come Brother Lonemoon was still looking down on him?
"Forget it," Lonemoon sighed. "You're already in the late stages of Foundation Establishment. That means that you can move on to practising the second type of sword technique that I taught you."
"Yes, of course." Zuo Shuming nodded. A moment later, he seemed to have realized something. He frowned and stuttered, "But after this epiphany, I..." He suddenly was at a loss for words.
"What's the matter?" Lonemoon asked. "What trouble did you get into this time?"
Zuo Shuming looked around worriedly and gritted his teeth. "Let's talk inside the house!" He pulled Lonemoon back into the door and closed the door very cautiously. With a pained expression, he explained, "Brother Lonemoon, my epiphany this time... Eh? Why's all the food gone?" Not just the food, but even the plates were cleared. He recalled that Brother Lonemoon did not even pack the dishes before he walked out!
Lonemoon, who had been dragged into the house before he could say anything, glared at a certain foodie beside him, who was still waiting for Chef to serve the dessert. He immediately said, "You're still sitting here waiting to be served? Go in or we'll be exposed!"
"So troublesome!" Shen Ying slumped on the table and refused to move.
"Troublesome my ass!" Lonemoon's face turned green. "Chef, quick, take her away!"
Yi Qing paused. He glanced at the pastries that he was still holding and decided not to lay it out yet. "Master, let me bring you in to eat." He bent down and carried the sloth off the table and into the back.
"I set up an array around the table!" Lonemoon quickly explained to Two Bucks. "It cleans itself."
"Brother Lonemoon, you really know so much about arrays!" Zuo Shuming stared at him in awe.
Nonsense! Is there anything that I don't know about? Lonemoon sat down at the table. "What did you want to tell me earlier?"
Zuo Shuming's expression changed at once. He frowned and turned to sit on a chair next to Lonemoon. Then, he said, "Actually, I have no idea what's going on as well. I just feel like that epiphany was strange."
"Hmm?" Lonemoon stared blankly at him. "In what way?"
"I can't put my finger on it either." His expression became twisted as he tried to look for the right words to say. "When I saw Senior Sister Shu Yi... No, I mean Uncle-Master Shu go through the lightning tribulation, I had an inexplicable feeling that we knew each other. But I couldn't remember where."
Lonemoon started and turned to face him.
"Later, Uncle-Master Shu suddenly came up to me and said that she was now a Golden Core cultivator. My mind suddenly became filled with the technique to gather spirit Qi and form a core." Zuo Shuming was frowning even more deeply now. "Then... I found myself having an epiphany. I knew the technique to form a core because I've read it in some dharmic texts earlier, but what was floating in my mind was... different! It was like... it was like..."
He seemed to have no idea how to explain what he felt anymore. His eyebrows sank deeper still. A moment later, he said, "It was like... I formed a core before?"
"You formed a core before?" Lonemoon's fan stopped moving all of a sudden. "Tell me properly. Why are you having such thoughts? What exactly did you see in your mind's eye?"
"I didn't really see anything!" Zuo Shuming shook his head. "It was just a feeling. I even felt like... I knew how to defend myself against lightning bolts."
"Did you tell anyone else about this?"
"Of course not!" Zuo Shuming said in a low voice. "This thing is so strange. How can I tell other people about this? You're the only one I've told. Brother Lonemoon... what do you think... is there some kind of problem with me?" Zuo Shuming looked absolutely confused. "I'm only a Foundation Establishment cultivator. How can I know these things about forming a core? It's almost as if I've experienced it before."
"..." No, you really have experienced it before.
"Do you think I'm going to..." Zuo Shuming thought about something else and his eyes widened. He jumped to his feet.
"What!" Lonemoon exclaimed. Don't tell me that you've guessed it?
Zuo Shuming sat back down and scooted closer to Lonemoon. His breath was shaky as he whispered, "Do you think I'm... infected by Senior Sister Shu? Have I gone crazy as well?"
Lonemoon: "..."
Shen Ying: "..."
Yi Qing: "..."
Infected my ass!
(╯‵□′)╯(┻━┻
Will you freaking die if you just stop insulting Shu Yi for a moment? He had never seen a partner as co-operative as Zuo Shuming!
They were really redundant in this plane, weren't they? Two Bucks alone was sufficient to stir chaos in this place.
"Brother Lonemoon, you told me before that the brain can be infected, right?" Zuo Shuming began analyzing with a serious expression. "I think that Senior Sister Shu Yi- No, Uncle-Master Shu Yi has that brain disease that you seemed to be talking about. Hasn't she always been hanging out in our yard these days? I only got the epiphany after she talked to me as well. I think I'm definitely infected." The more he talked, the more convinced Zuo Shuming became. Awhile later, he added, "Brother Lonemoon, what do you think?!"