After the old man's voice fell, several thunderous rumbles seemed to rise through the void. Auspicious clouds and radiant colors shifted and rolled away.
Ten thousand feet of auspicious clouds churned, while countless strands of auspicious light shimmered and changed.
The man and the yellow ox instinctively raised their heads, their faces tense as they searched the churning clouds for something. In the end, they found nothing. The clouds dispersed, and only then did they relax a little. They exchanged a glance, both somewhat shaken—
May your name be inscribed upon a jade slip, and your body clothed in rosy robes.
To summon the Myriad Spirits Supervision, with the Five Emperors as witnesses.
These two sentences carried tremendous weight. In a certain sense, they carried very great weight indeed.
The first sentence merely said that the jade slip bearing your name would be inscribed, and that you would don the Daoist robes.
The second, however, meant that to transmit the Dao to you, the sacred and mighty spirits of the world would be summoned as witnesses, and the Five Emperors of the Five Directions would personally bear witness.
Though it was only a single sentence from the old man, this place was of special significance. No one knew how much weight those words carried, how far the Daoist title "Xuanwei" would travel, or how many people would hear of it. But whatever the case, they could not possibly be empty words.
At last, the old man smiled and let go of the jade slip.
Qi WuHuo saw that the back of the white jade slip bore the five characters "Qi WuHuo of Jin Province," while the front bore two golden characters: "Xuanwei." Gold cloud-script shimmered against the white jade, seeming to shift and flow. The old man slipped the jade into Qi WuHuo's sleeve and said, "That makes you my disciple."
Qi WuHuo's eyes lit up. He wanted to smile, but instinctively raised a hand and touched his hairpin.
Suddenly, the boy's brows and eyes brimmed with delight.
In the past, he had worn simple short clothes and a blue robe, convenient for chopping wood on the mountain. He had merely tied his hair up with a straw cord. Now he had changed into Daoist attire, with cloud-sleeved robes and Daoist shoes. His black hair was bound with a Daoist hairpin, and he carried a sword case on his back, holding a sword and a zither.
The old man took an item from the man. It was a box, which he then slipped into his sleeve. After chatting for a little while longer, night had completely fallen outside. Lamps and candles were lit in the room. The old man brought the conversation to a close, watched Qi WuHuo and the young girl chatting nearby, and gave a slight nod. Then he rose, smiling as he called to Qi WuHuo, "WuHuo, it's time for us to leave."
The young girl, who had been happily congratulating Qi WuHuo, froze. "So soon? It's only just gotten dark!"
"You should at least wait until tomorrow to leave."
The old man stroked his beard and replied with a smile, "I came in high spirits, and the things that needed doing are done. The people I needed to see have also been seen."
"So naturally, it's time to leave."
Perhaps because it was rare for someone around her age to visit, and because he was rather interesting, the young girl had hoped he would stay a few more days so they could have fun together. She had not expected him to leave so soon. Instinctively, she looked at her father and Uncle Ox, hoping the two of them would read her expression and help persuade him to stay.
But the two who usually indulged her made no attempt to keep him this time. They merely rose to see him off.
They had been overjoyed that the old man had come, yet when he was leaving, they did not try to stop him at all.
It was as if they would never go against anything the old man asked of them.
So even though she was reluctant, she could only rise with a sullen look and walk with her father and Uncle Ox to see the boy and the old man off toward the "riverbank." The old man led the way, accompanied by the yellow ox and the man. Qi WuHuo walked a little behind them, when he suddenly felt someone tug at the cuff of his cloud-sleeved robe. He turned and saw the young girl holding his sleeve with one hand, while raising the other to her lips and shushing him.
Then she whispered:
"You're leaving just like that?"
"Mm."
The young girl was plainly reluctant. "What are you going to do next?"
Qi WuHuo slowed his steps a little to walk beside her. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "I suppose I'll go home."
The young girl asked in confusion, "Go home? Aren't you going to travel the world with your teacher?"
Qi WuHuo shook his head and looked at the old man's back. "My teacher said our fated bond is nearing its end. This is a parting gift. When he mentioned the gifts, there were three choices: upper, middle, and lower. The first was a Life-Extending Elixir; the second was the transmission of true methods. The finest choice wasn't to give me an elixir or teach me a method, but to grant me a fated bond. I suppose being able to come here and truly become his disciple is that bond."
"But since my teacher called this 'fated bond' a parting gift..."
"That means the parting, and the end of our bond, haven't changed."
"Even though I've only just entered the Daoist Sect, I already know you can't force what isn't meant to be."
"And I know my teacher's ways."
"Act without forcing; don't cling to things."
The blue-robed youth seemed to take it all in stride.
"Don't force what isn't meant to be? Act without forcing?"
The young girl didn't understand. She thought for a moment, then asked, "What will you do after you go home?"
"Of course I'll cultivate."
"My cultivation is still very weak. I'm still at the stage of Refining Primordial Essence. And because of certain experiences, my Primordial Spirit is far stronger than my primordial qi and essence, making it very difficult for me to cultivate the orthodox Daoist Primordial Prenatal Qi. You see, I couldn't even use the water-walking technique you taught me. When I go back, I'll cultivate properly."
"Then, next time, maybe I'll be able to stand on that river without your help."
"And I still have some things I must do..."
He carried a sword case on his back.
Inside were the regrets and last wishes of the people harmed by Tantai Xuan, which he had recorded.
He had promised them.
He had the token of the Ming Zhen Dao Alliance.
It held clues about the disaster that had struck his hometown when he was young.
And there was the matter of his teacher...
Of course, the most important thing was to cultivate slowly and raise his own level.
The young girl nodded, still a little bewildered, then asked curiously, "When will you be able to come back?"
Qi WuHuo thought for a moment and replied, "According to my teacher, it may take me fifty years to build up a proper foundation and reach the realm of Primordial Prenatal Qi."
The young girl's eyes widened as if she had been startled. "F-f-fifty years? That long?!"
She grabbed Qi WuHuo's sleeve.
She showed no disdain or other judgment toward his foundation or aptitude. She was simply frustrated as she said,
"If you can't come back to keep me company for more than fifty years, I'll be bored to death here..."
"Hardly anyone comes here."
"And even when they do, they're rarely interesting."
She glanced around, then suddenly took Qi WuHuo's hand and placed a dark-colored box in his palm. Curious, he looked at her. The young girl rose onto her toes and leaned close to his ear to whisper, "Shh. Don't say anything."
"There's a mirror inside, along with the cultivation method for the Method of Manifesting Light Circles."
"When you get home, you have to learn it."
"That way, even when you're far away, you can still get in touch with me. And you have to tell me about what's happening outside, often."
The young girl's eyes shone brightly. She clenched her fist a little. "Don't forget!"
Qi WuHuo saw the innocence and purity in her eyes.
He smiled and closed his hand around the box, putting it away. "Mm. All right."
"I'll remember."
"If I see anything interesting, or meet anyone interesting, I'll be sure to tell you about it."
After thinking for a moment, he added, "Then you should hold out your hand, too."
The young girl looked puzzled, but held out her right hand. Her palm was fair, her fingers as if carved from white jade. Qi WuHuo took out the short sword he had once carried for protection and gently placed it, sheath and all, in her palm. The usually composed young Daoist wore the faintest, rare smile.
"You gave me a gift, and I don't have anything to give you in return."
"This is a short sword I sharpened myself. I hope you don't mind."
"Wow, thank you!"
The young girl put the sword away at her waist, then held her skirt and spun around. Her skirt lifted slightly; her black hair was tied back with a blue ribbon. Resting a hand on the sword, she watched her skirt rise and fall, then smiled brightly. "I'll take good care of it!"
"Next time, I'll show you my sword techniques!"
The boat formed from a single tree branch was still floating quietly on the river. Qi WuHuo stood beside the old man, while the man stood on the "island." He cupped his hands in salute and said, "Then I'll see to the matter we discussed. I'll await good news from you, senior."
The young girl peeped out from behind the man and waved with a radiant smile. "Qi WuHuo, remember!"
"When your cultivation gets stronger, remember to come here!"
The man smiled helplessly.
After thinking for a moment, he still offered Qi WuHuo a reminder. "I can't tell you where this place is or how to get here. But if you're interested, you can ask for someone who calls himself Knows Nothing of Everything in Central Province Prefecture City. Then you'll find out."
The handsome young Daoist stood behind the old man and gave a slight nod.
After saying their goodbyes, the old man led him back onto the boat. The vast vessel, which seemed large enough to hold a thousand people, began to move slowly. The wind brushed their faces as the old man stroked his beard and gazed into the distance. Qi WuHuo noticed that all around them was pitch-black, yet ripples spread across the water beneath the night sky. Flecks of light shimmered through the ripples, as if reflecting the stars—an utterly beautiful sight.
Qi WuHuo asked, "Teacher, where are we going now?"
The old man replied with a smile, "Act without forcing. Didn't you just answer that child's question?"
"Now I'll give you your first lesson as an initiate."
"And my last lesson before we part."
"I'll take you to meet your senior brothers."
Before you continue