Not Breaking My Word

Two exchanges.

The answers became increasingly concise.

Qi WuHuo then rose, raised his hands, fingers touching, and bowed, saying:

"Please, old man, teach me."

The old man accepted his bow, then raised his hand to help him up, smiling:

"It seems this dream has been quite beneficial for you, hence you offer me a bow."

"However, I cannot teach you what you seek."

"The Great Dao of Longevity is something to be sought, to be found, not like a teacher in the human world instructing a student, where you can have it if you want it, nor is it like a book that you will know just by reading it."

"Our destiny is not here."

Afterward, he absolutely refused to discuss these matters any further. Qi WuHuo's disposition was not one to push his luck and demand more, so he didn't press the issue.

After the old man finished his meal, he went to the courtyard to make tea.

Qi WuHuo closed his eyes, recalling the experiences from the dream.

Specific events from particular years and months had faded and been forgotten, only the self-realizations after a few major events remained. During the dream, there were conflicts between various countries and the might of the demon race, but upon careful recollection, the human world in the dream seemed to lack methods of cultivation. This seemed unreasonable; how could mortals contend with demons?

It seemed to be just a dream after all. The world in the dream might be related to the world he perceived. Qi WuHuo had seen wild beasts gain sentience and transform into demons and monsters, so the demon country still existed. Qi WuHuo knew of the imperial examinations and scholarly texts, so they were present, but he didn't believe in immortal cultivation methods at the time, so that aspect of the dream was particularly vague.

But then why was there the mountain spirit Qiong Yu?

Qi WuHuo did not know.

How did the events in the dream relate to the present reality?

Qi WuHuo also did not know.

He simply sat with his eyes closed, his mind at peace, his breath long and steady.

As if he could sense the sound of the wind blowing through the bamboo forest, as if he could sense the sound of the snowflakes outside slowly melting, as if he could hear the feeling of the eight-hundred-mile wind sweeping across the mountains and small paths outside the town, as if he saw the demon country he witnessed in his youth, the tragedies of the human world, saw his own seventy years of desolation, ultimately just a chess piece, unable to truly accomplish anything.

However, if one path is blocked, there is still another.

Slowly, Qi WuHuo's brows relaxed, his expression peaceful.

Within his glabella, a spiritual light began to generate.

The old man, who was making tea, looked up and nodded slightly:

"Nurturing the spirit has gained sentience, approximately fifty years of spirit nurturing cultivation; now it can operate spontaneously. It seems that even if he hadn't met me, with his comprehension, he would have encountered the path of cultivation."

"However, among essence, energy, and spirit, one is strong and two are weak."

"Although he now has the heart of the Dao, there are hidden dangers, which is not good."

"If he's not careful, he might be taken by the City God and become a yin spirit."

"In that case, I should give him another opportunity before I leave..."

The old man wandered the world, enlightening all beings. Qi WuHuo was able to break through his mortal heart in a great dream, and he was already satisfied. He would not do anything like pulling up seedlings to help them grow. Their destiny had reached its end here, and he was about to leave.

But he hadn't expected Qi WuHuo's performance to be even better than he anticipated.

His actions in the dream were in line with his true heart.

The good remained good, and the wicked did not change. This was a method of illuminating the mind and seeing the nature, a technique to see one's entire life. After obtaining the cultivation method from the goddess, Qi WuHuo's fifty years of spirit nurturing were no different from truly cultivating for fifty years.

However, for an ordinary person, fifty years of spirit nurturing cultivation.

Achieved in one dream.

It was no wonder the pillow had shattered directly.

The old man nodded.

Qi WuHuo sat in meditation, and unknowingly entered a state that was neither dream nor reality. His consciousness seemed to rise, and he 'saw' the surroundings of his home, 'saw' the passing pedestrians, the sky high and clouds thin. Suddenly, he 'saw' what appeared to be a carriage stopping outside the alley.

Then, a person alighted from the carriage and was heading towards his home.

Although they were at least five hundred paces apart, Qi WuHuo saw the person's appearance at a glance.

"Is that Li Puyü?"

Li Puyü was a disciple under Mr. Su.

And the Li family was the most prominent household in the city. They had suddenly arrived here several years ago, possessing immense wealth, and quickly established a large business. They also sent their children to study under renowned scholars, and were protected by skilled martial artists when they went out, appearing like local magnates.

Although Qi WuHuo had never had any dealings with them.

However, since the other party was a disciple of Master Su, and seemed to be looking for him directly, he could not be impolite. So, he intended to open the door. With a thought, his mind suddenly seemed to fall, as if in a dream, and then he had to get up. His body reacted naturally.

Li Puyü stepped through the dirty snow, walking with difficulty.

"Damn it..."

"This is really tough going."

This is the edge of town, where many people live. People come and go, and the dirt roads are always dusty. When the snow melts, it mixes with the dirt and turns black, then mixes with more snow and ice. It's not just dirty, it's hard to walk on.

Li Puyü watched the dark, dirty snow clinging to his shoes, his eye twitching.

These were custom-made boots from the Tianzhi Workshop in the prefectural city.

At current prices, ten jin of white flour cost ten qian of silver.

Seven small carts of coal and dirt in winter only cost two qian and one fen of silver.

And this single pair of boots alone cost three liang of silver!

That was equivalent to a grain silo watchman's entire year's salary!

At this moment, he envied the martial arts expert hired by his neighbor. The expert's feet stepped on the dirty snow without sinking, and his shoes and the hem of his clothes remained clean.

"Hoo..."

Li Puyü withdrew his gaze and let out a breath, suppressing the irritation in his heart.

He looked up at the dilapidated house a few hundred meters away.

His second uncle was returning from a business trip to the Capital City today, and there would be a grand banquet at home in a few days. Yet, his father wanted him to invite this penniless nobody, who hadn't even managed to step into Master Su's school. Not only did he want to invite him, but he also wanted him to visit in person.

What was his own status, and what was this poor kid's status?

If he casually called a servant, this poor kid would probably bow respectfully.

He wanted him to go in person?

But his father held great authority in the household, and Li Puyü didn't dare disobey. Even though he was unhappy, he still came obediently. This distance of five hundred paces felt more arduous than five li on a main road. Finally, after much effort, he stood firm, let out a breath, and a little sweat had broken out on his forehead.

He patted his face, forcing a kind and approachable smile.

He raised one hand to knock on the door, his other hand holding the cuff of the sleeve that hung down.

His fingers hadn't even landed.

With a creak, the wooden door opened inward, as if the person inside had foreseen his arrival. Li Puyü's fingers brushed past the door as they fell. The flowering trees in the yard swayed in the wind, their petals mixed with white snow, falling onto the shoulders of the young man who opened the door. He wore simple cloth clothes, his black hair neat, his eyes calm and dark like stars, quietly looking at Li Puyü.

He had been waiting for a long time.

Li Puyü froze.

It took him a while to snap back to reality.

This, this was Qi WuHuo?

In that instant, he felt as if he saw Master Su, as if he were that young man who had walked into the Capital City all those years ago and seen the peace and serenity of the majestic city walls. For a moment, he even felt a touch of timidity, his body seeming to stiffen.

"Brother Li, what brings you here?"

Qi WuHuo spoke.

Li Puyü finally remembered what he was supposed to do. He instinctively raised his hand, then stopped, and subconsciously cupped his fist in a salute, stammering, "Senior Brother Qi, it, it's my father who wants me to invite you to my home for a simple meal."

"That's, that's all."

"My uncle has returned from the Capital City, and we can also chat about the sights and sounds of the Capital City."

Qi WuHuo had originally intended to politely refuse, but upon hearing this, he paused slightly. He recalled the Capital City he had seen in his dreams and wondered if it was true. His refusal faltered, and he returned the salute:

"...In that case, I shall impose."

Li Puyü breathed a sigh of relief:

"Ah, no imposition, no imposition at all. It's not an imposition."

"Rather, it is I who have troubled Senior Brother Qi by coming to find you."

Qi WuHuo took a step back and asked, "Would you like to come in for a while?"

"No, no, I have other matters to attend to."

"I won't disturb Senior Brother today."

"Please don't see me out, Senior Brother."

"Please stay, Senior Brother."

"Senior Brother, farewell!"

Li Puyü could barely withstand the inexplicable pressure and fled. Just as Qi WuHuo was still somewhat confused, he suddenly staggered, feeling dizzy and disoriented, nearly falling forward.

However, a gust of wind entwined around him, caught him, and then spun him back, placing Qi WuHuo before a stone table. The old man brewing tea shook his head and said, "Your aptitude is good, and your comprehension is even better, but you are too reckless in projecting your [spirit]."

Qi WuHuo's forehead throbbed with pain, and he asked in confusion, "Spirit?"

The old man pointed to his brow and said simply and directly, "You just projected your spirit, covering several li around you. This was accumulated from your dreams, but your body is still weak and cannot support such expenditure."

"All things have a spark of true spirit."

"One gives birth to two, which are yin and yang, nature and life."

"Nature is the heart, the spirit; life is the breath, the flesh and blood."

"The Great Dao lies in the dual cultivation of nature and life."

"Your spirit is strong and your body is weak. Although you can possess some abilities beyond ordinary people, I still have something to say to you."

"If life is gone, how can nature remain?!"

"Only when your body is strong enough can it support your mind and spirit. Otherwise, your mind and spirit might become so powerful that they forcibly drag down your physical body and kill you."

"This is the reason for what the mortal world calls [heaven envies the talented]. The sayings 'deep affection leads to short life' and 'extreme wisdom leads to injury' are all due to this. You need to resolve this matter, or you will inevitably die young."

The old man frowned as he looked at Qi WuHuo, shaking his head and chuckling to himself:

"Never mind, I said I couldn't teach you just now."

"Now I will only teach you one move, and it won't count as breaking my word."

"It doesn't count as breaking my word."

"Come here."