Family Relations

[The Fire Calamity: This fire is neither heavenly fire nor common fire, but is called "Yin Fire." It ignites from the Bubbling Well point beneath the feet, surging straight to the Mudball Palace, turning the five viscera to ash and causing the four limbs to decay.]

[The Wind Calamity: This wind is neither the wind from the four cardinal directions, nor the gentle spring breeze, nor the breeze through flowers and willows, but is called the Bi Wind. It blows from the fontanelle into the six entrails, passes through the elixir field, and pierces the nine orifices, causing flesh and bone to wither and the body to disintegrate.]

Shi Tianwu told Lu Bian that his cultivation of the Dharma Sutra provided a method to overcome the "Wind Calamity" and "Fire Calamity," and this "method" was the Dark Asura Path and Sha An Tian's "Dark Firmament."

Use the Dark Asura Path to break the "Fire Calamity," and the Dark Firmament to break the "Wind Calamity."

For those like them who cultivate the power of Magnetic Rotation, before reaching the ultimate realm, the body typically has only two weaknesses: the heart and the brain. If both weaknesses are destroyed simultaneously, it is a certain death sentence.

The Dharma Sutra is the foundation for practicing the Dark Asura Path, and only after mastering the Dark Asura Path can one practice Sha An Tian's "Dark Firmament." It is a relationship of layered progression.

Once the "Dark Firmament" is mastered, the two weaknesses of the heart and brain for a Magnetic Rotation practitioner are no longer weaknesses. When the Bi Wind of the "Wind Calamity" blows, the "Dark Firmament" disperses with the wind and gathers at will, allowing one to be free and unfettered from then on.

Shi Tianwu organized and annotated the contents of the Dark Asura Path and the "Dark Firmament," pondering how to help Lu Bian learn the "Dark Firmament" before reaching the power of seventy-five heavens.

The difficulty was significant, as the "Dark Firmament" is a skill that can only be mastered at the final realm of Magnetic Rotation.

The so-called final realm refers to the stage between 970,000 and 990,000 horsepower of Magnetic Rotation. A mere gap of 30,000 horsepower is a threshold that many spend their entire lives unable to cross.

"The Three Calamities..."

"They are a test and a screening for practitioners."

"Then, could I also impose such restrictions on Magnetic power?"

Shi Tianwu's thoughts shifted, and his mind began to contemplate questions regarding the impact of Magnetic power on the world and on people.

Flying at a speed of five hundred kilometers per hour was not Lu Bian's limit; rather, he treated flight as a form of enjoyment. Soaring through the sky at a speed that was neither too fast nor too slow was a wonderful experience.

Arriving at the door of his home at the foot of the mountain, Lu Bian sensed that Chenxiang was not at home, and the donkey was not in the shed. He figured Chenxiang must have taken the donkey out, though he didn't know if they had gone up the mountain or into town.

Calculating the date, it dawned on Lu Bian.

"Today seems to be market day, so that's it."

Chenxiang must have led the donkey to stroll through the market.

Lu Bian's nearest neighbors lived three miles away, and he rarely saw people on ordinary days. For Chenxiang, the most joyful time was the monthly market day. The market was very lively, and buying snacks, watching juggling, and listening to storytelling could keep Chenxiang lingering for a long time.

Lu Bian picked up his wine gourd, tied his bamboo staff to his waist, and headed toward the market by the town to find Chenxiang.

Chenxiang was eight years old. Having taught him for a year, Lu Bian still saw Chenxiang as a first-grade student. What if he encountered child traffickers while alone at the market?

Chenxiang had learned some martial arts from him; if he ran into trouble and hit someone, it would be a nuisance.

Lu Bian walked ten miles and arrived at the market in a very short time; to others, it felt like a black wind had brushed past them.

He took out three copper coins to buy a fried dough cake to eat, and Lu Bian looked around the market, searching for Chenxiang and the donkey.

Lu Bian's donkey was very recognizable, and he spotted it at a glance.

Walking over, he saw Chenxiang squatting in front of a small stall, picking out items.

It was yams.

Chenxiang picked out a basket full of yams and stood up, letting the donkey carry them.

"Yo, Chenxiang, I'm back."

Lu Bian's large hand rested on Chenxiang's shoulder. Chenxiang looked up and jumped up happily to hug Lu Bian.

"I gave you a little break; how does it feel to live alone?" Lu Bian lifted Chenxiang slightly before setting him back on the ground. He was equally happy to see Chenxiang.

"A bit boring," Chenxiang replied.

"There wasn't even anyone to talk to, I could only play with the Stubborn Donkey."

"Hee-haw?" The silly donkey tilted its head and bared its teeth at Chenxiang, expressing its dissatisfaction with his words.

"Why did you think to buy yams?"

"I wanted to stew yams to eat. Mom used to dig up yams often," Chenxiang answered.

"My mom liked to stew yams too, putting in ginger slices, cabbage, and tofu all in one pot; it could last for several days," Lu Bian said. "The older generation always said yams nourish the body, haha."

This was the first time Chenxiang had heard Lu Bian mention his family.

Chenxiang felt a sense of novelty upon hearing this, but he didn't ask further.

"Next time, let's set up a stall too," Lu Bian said to Chenxiang.

"We can sell radishes, cabbage, and the like."

Lu Bian had cleared vegetable patches in front of and behind his house, planting scallions, ginger, chili, chives, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, and white radishes. Some of these vegetables were not meant to exist in this era; they had been obtained through the Chat Group.

Potatoes, also known as spuds or earth-beans, were a food with extremely comprehensive nutrition. Lu Bian fed Chenxiang potatoes all day long; their staple food was potatoes. Potatoes had a high yield and didn't require the intensive cultivation of other staple crops, so Lu Bian had planted an entire hillside with them.

"Aren't we selling potatoes?" Chenxiang asked.

"I haven't decided yet," Lu Bian replied.

What was there to consider? Chenxiang didn't quite understand.

Why use the term "potato"?

Lu Bian told Chenxiang that a potato was just a taro that came from the other side of the ocean.

Lu Bian had raised Chenxiang into a potato-head. Potatoes were Chenxiang's favorite food, and he never grew tired of them, no matter how often he ate them. Fried, boiled, stewed, pan-fried, roasted, steamed... potatoes could be prepared in every possible way, and with simple seasoning, even someone who couldn't cook could make them taste delicious.

The two of them and a donkey passed by a stall where a monkey show was being performed, and Chenxiang called for a stop.

Watching the little monkey perform various tricks under the direction of the street performer to attract attention and earn tips, Chenxiang felt both fond of the little creature and a sense of pity for it.

Seeing this, Lu Bian gave Chenxiang ten wen and told him to go give a tip.

After watching for five or six minutes, Chenxiang handed over the money and they continued strolling through the market.

"Why?" Chenxiang asked Lu Bian while riding on the donkey's back.

"Why give so much money as a tip?"

"Hmm." Chenxiang nodded.

"A tip of ten wen can make that street performer value the little monkey more and treat it a bit better."

"What kind of relationship do you think that person and the little monkey have?" Lu Bian asked Chenxiang.

Chenxiang began to think earnestly.

"Things in this world are too complicated," Lu Bian said to Chenxiang.

"Sometimes, you need to think more about the positive side of things."

"Perhaps that person and that little monkey are family; they cannot be separated from each other."

"Relationships between family members aren't always perfect. Sometimes they argue or even fight, creating conflict; other times they care for one another, considering every little thing for the other..."

"But one is a monkey and the other is a human; can they still be family like that?" Chenxiang asked.

"Dogs can be family, let alone monkeys," Lu Bian replied.

"Becoming family is not restricted by conditions."

"Oh." Chenxiang looked at Lu Bian in silence.