The Choice Between Dreams and Filial Piety

Xu Yan naturally wouldn't admit it, denying, "The green tea I mentioned was actually a type of tea. You can tell from the name. I was laughing because you mistook tea for medicinal herbs."

After speaking, he ignored the woman's reaction and left the inner hall with the bowl and spoon to taste it.

In the outer hall, Su Jiuer was lying on the table. Seeing Xu Yan finally emerge from the inner hall, she was a little angry.

She cursed Xu Yan in her heart, calling him an old pervert who was disrespectful in his old age, seeing beauty and getting aroused, blinded by infatuation because of a woman.

Xu Yan, of course, didn't know what Su Jiuer was thinking. He walked to the table and sat down, saying, "Little Fox, haven't I painted in the shop for a while? Let's paint a picture today."

As he spoke, he brought out his painting tools and began to paint.

Dao Intent surged from the painting. Su Jiuer felt this Dao Intent, and the anger in her heart instantly vanished. She began to greedily absorb this Dao Intent.

She had a premonition that under the baptism of Dao Intent, she would undergo an extraordinary transformation.

An hour later, Xu Yan's painting was finished.

He had painted it slowly. The painting depicted a wounded woman lying in a medicinal herb garden, surrounded by various flowers and plants, all of which were medicinal herbs.

When Su Jiuer saw that Xu Yan had spent so long diligently painting, and the subject was that woman of unknown origin, she became furious.

Seeing Xu Yan's satisfied expression, she became even angrier. She walked to the other side of the table and lay down, not wanting to look at Xu Yan.

Xu Yan naturally noticed Su Jiuer's actions and said, "Little Fox, don't you usually like watching me paint? Why are you acting so strangely today?"

He put down his brush and picked up the painting. He had intended to hang it in the outer hall, but then he thought that the woman's origin was unknown and her identity was undoubtedly extraordinary, so he abandoned that idea.

However, the painting was already finished, and it was his hard work. He couldn't just destroy it.

After much thought, Xu Yan decided to hang the painting in the inner hall.

The arrangement in his inner hall was simple, with only a bed, some other small furniture, and items like chess, a zither, and brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

These items were not bought by him; they were rewards from the system when he improved his experience and skills in these areas.

The woman lying on the bed saw the painting Xu Yan hung and her eyes were filled with astonishment.

This painting actually contained Dao Intent!

The woman asked Xu Yan, "Did you paint this?"

Her emotions were in turmoil. A painting containing Dao Intent appearing in a place like this was simply unbelievable.

"Of course, I painted it. Is there a problem?" Xu Yan looked at the woman and said calmly.

He had a habit of painting things that happened, new things he encountered, or interesting objects. Otherwise, he wouldn't bother to paint this woman just for the sake of painting her.

The woman stared at Xu Yan with uncertain eyes and asked, "What's your name?"

If this painting truly came from the hands of the man before her, then this man was likely a reclusive expert.

Of course, she hadn't never encountered paintings containing Dao charm before.

It was just that the Dao charm in that painting was inferior to the Dao Intent emanating from this one. And the owner of that painting was already an immensely powerful figure, revered as the Saint of Painting.

Could the painting made by the person before her surpass that of the Saint of Painting?

Xu Yan frowned and said, "My name is Xu Yan."

He felt that this woman was talking too much. She should just focus on recovering from her injuries. Why was she asking so many questions? After all, once the woman recovered, they would be strangers with no connection.

"I want to become your disciple!"

The woman stared at Xu Yan for several seconds before suddenly speaking.

Her stunningly beautiful face was filled with seriousness, showing no sign of joking.

Xu Yan said, "Don't make such jokes. I'm just a Mortal. I can't take you as a disciple."

When this woman mentioned wanting to become his disciple, it reminded him of Judi, who had challenged him at Qin Yudie's birthday banquet.

Judi had been arrogant at first, but after seeing his painting, he wanted to become his disciple. And now, this woman also wanted to become his disciple after seeing his painting.

Could his paintings have a mesmerizing effect that made people want to become his disciples?

Hearing Xu Yan's words, the woman became even more convinced that Xu Yan was a reclusive expert. Otherwise, there would be no need for him to claim to be a Mortal even if he refused her.

So, she said again, "Who says Mortals can't take disciples? I specifically want to become the disciple of a 'Mortal' like you!"

"Miss, I will not take you as a disciple. Please stop mentioning it," Xu Yan said coldly.

Then, he walked out of the inner hall.

The woman was left alone in the inner hall, looking at the painting Xu Yan had made. The painting was of herself.

She felt a powerful Dao Intent from it and tried to comprehend and refine it.

Her body also began to recover its vitality unconsciously.

As afternoon approached dusk, Jiang Li arrived.

Jiang Li's state was not as good as usual today; he seemed absent-minded, and his cleaning speed was much slower than in previous days.

Seeing Jiang Li like this, Xu Yan asked, "What's wrong? Did something happen at home again?"

With Jiang Li's current physical condition, he could handle two jobs without worrying about being bullied again. Unless something happened at home, this situation wouldn't normally occur.

Jiang Li shook his head and said, "I heard that the Tianren Sect will be recruiting disciples in a few days."

He was conflicted. He wanted to pursue Cultivation and become a powerful Cultivator, but at the same time, he wanted to stay by his mother's side to take care of her.

Time passed very quickly in the world of Cultivators; a single closed-door meditation could last for decades.

His mother, however, was a Mortal and only had a few decades left to live.

If he became a Cultivator and saw his mother had already passed away after one period of closed-door meditation, he wouldn't be able to bear it.

Upon hearing Jiang Li's words, Xu Yan immediately understood his worries and said, "You want to go, but you can't bear to leave your mother, right?"

Many people experience this kind of dilemma before becoming Cultivators. The lives of Cultivators were much longer than those of Mortals.

Once one became a Cultivator, it was highly likely they would watch their loved ones and companions grow old and die, leaving them to live alone in the world.

This was, in itself, a choice and the first trial on the path of Cultivation.

Jiang Li nodded and asked, "Divine Doctor Xu, do you think it's better for me to go and participate in the Tianren Sect's disciple test to become a Cultivator, or to stay at home and take care of my mother?"

He was lost. As a spirited young man, becoming a Cultivator was his dream; he even dreamed of scenes of himself as a Cultivator.

But his mother was his only Family. If he left her, who would take care of her?

His mother could still take care of herself now, but in another ten or twenty years, she would be old and need care.

As a Cultivator who joined the Tianren Sect, he might not have the time to come back every day to care for his mother.

Jiang Li was a filial person, and it was precisely because of this that he was so perplexed.

This was a choice between his dream and filial piety!