Chapter 1: Fated Encounter

  In the west of Shu, near Qinchuan and Jianmen Pass, there is a place with steep mountains and deep valleys, where wild beasts frequently appear and disappear, and human footprints are rare. It's an extremely desolate place. Under the Cangfeng Ridge, at some point, a strange person appeared. He was a very unusual person, wearing tattered clothes that could no longer be distinguished as either Taoist or Buddhist robes. This person always hid in a mountain cave, regardless of the wind and rain, he would stay there alone and refuse to leave.

  For many years, every villager who went up the mountain to gather firewood would often see his shadow. He was often seen playing with the monkeys in the mountains and eating wild fruits. At first, everyone was a little afraid of him, but as time passed, they didn't see anything unusual about him, so they got used to it and treated him as if he didn't exist. Time passed unnoticed, and no one knew how many years had gone by, but this strange man remained there, unwilling to leave.

  In Western Shu, there are many mountains, and among them, countless evil spirits and monsters are hidden. The people, in order to live in peace, built mountain god temples everywhere to seek the protection of the mountain gods. Over the years, the number of mountain god temples has gradually increased, perhaps it is because the mountain gods have become powerful. In the past one or two hundred years, the people on this land have rarely encountered disasters, and everyone's respect for the mountain gods has been exceptionally remarkable.

  On this day, under the Cangfeng Ridge, a child of several years old walked by. From a distance, he looked about seven or eight years old, with a clear and beautiful appearance that was very likable. He wore brocade clothes, which made it obvious that this child was not from a poor family. As he drew closer, one could see that his face had a somewhat dark complexion, with a hint of a deathly pale aura amidst the whiteness.

  The child walked slowly, suddenly hearing the cry of a monkey, and couldn't help but turn his head to look. He saw that not far away there was a cave, at the entrance of which stood a strange person with disheveled clothes, long hair covering their face so it couldn't be seen clearly, but a pair of extremely bright eyes could be vaguely seen, sizing him up. The young child hesitated for a moment, his face without a hint of fear, and turned to walk towards the strange person.

  The strange man looked at the child, a hint of sigh in his eyes, as if he had vaguely sensed something. The child walked closer to the stranger, and a clear, childish voice came: "Are you the strange person that those uncles mentioned? I heard that you have been here for a very long time, can you tell me why you stay here? Why don't you go live in our village?" The child's eyes were filled with curiosity, quietly looking at the stranger.

  The strange man said faintly, "You're not from around here, are you? Your accent sounds like it's from the capital city. Why did you come to this place? You don't look well and probably won't live for much longer. Why didn't you stay with your parents and spend more time with them?"

  The child's bright big eyes showed a hint of surprise, and he smiled slightly: "You're really something, you can tell at a glance that my life won't last long. I've known this for a long time, so I don't mind. Life and death are just a moment, what's the difference between living and dying? Maybe those who haven't experienced it won't know, what's there to be afraid of? What's your name, can you tell me?"

  The strange man looked at the child, slightly furrowed his brow and said: "At such a young age, you can calmly face life and death, it's really not easy. Unfortunately, the illness on your body, I'm afraid no one in the world can cure it. As for who I am, it doesn't matter, who are you? Why did you come here?"

  The child smiled calmly and said: "My name is Lu Yun, I came here with my father. My father is a high-ranking official in the capital, our family has been officials for generations, and we have produced many successful candidates for the imperial examination, so we are quite prominent. This time, because my father did not want to be contaminated by others, he took the initiative to resign and brought me to this western Shu to seek medical treatment. I had seen all the famous doctors in the capital, but they were of no use. Later, a fortune teller told my father that Xishu Qinjiang has been producing infinite wonders since ancient times, hiding countless strange people, maybe they have a way to cure my illness, so my father brought me here. I've been here for a month now, and because my body is not good, today is the first time I came out to take a walk. I didn't expect to meet you, it's really fate."

  The strange person slightly furrowed his brow, was it fate? Perhaps. Looking at Lu Yun, the strange person smiled faintly and said: "Your illness is incurable, ordinary people have three souls and seven spirits, but you lack one soul and one spirit, this is a rare occurrence in the world. Judging from your appearance, you should have been born with it, congenitally deficient, which is extremely rare, almost impossible to encounter in ten thousand years. But what's strange is why you're still alive now? Normally, if someone were like you, they wouldn't live past one year old and would die, even those with strong vitality could only live up to three years at most. Yet you're already seven or eight years old, it's truly a bit miraculous."

  Lu Yun looked at him and smiled: "It seems that you are more capable than those doctors, just by looking at me for a few moments, you already know so much. That's really impressive. Can you take a closer look at my condition and see if there's any hope? Although I don't care about life or death, I know that if I die, my parents will be heartbroken."

  The strange person gazed at the horizon, lost in thought. After a long while, he finally spoke: "I can think of a way to extend your life, but you must promise me that this matter cannot be told to anyone else except your parents. And for the next ten years, you must come here to see me every day. If you can't do it, then go back, don't make promises lightly. I dislike people who don't keep their word." As he gazed at the horizon, a faint sigh escaped his eyes, perhaps this was wrong, wasn't it?

  The child looked at the strange man and said in a low voice, "Alright, thank you. I will come here every day and not tell anyone. I want to live well and fight against heaven, let heaven and earth know that Lu Yun is not easily defeated by you." In his childish voice, there was strong courage, he wanted to fight against heaven.

  The strange man was shocked all over his body. Yes, cultivators are always fighting against heaven. Since we've met, perhaps it's fate. If that's the case, then I'll fight against heaven. At worst, I'll just suffer from the Nine Heavens' Thunder Tribulation. It's not like I haven't seen it before. Let's just consider it a bone exercise. Could the heavens still be able to control me?

  Looking at Lu Yun, the strange man smiled and said: "Good, you have ambition. Starting from tomorrow, I will teach you a magical martial art that will allow you to contend with heaven. Although ten years is a short period of time, as long as you work hard, you will also gain something. There's one thing you need to remember, which is not to easily use the things I teach you, and even more so, cannot pass them on to others."

  The child solemnly promised: "I will remember, don't worry. I actually know what kind of person you are, because someone has told me about you and your kind of eccentric people."

  The strange man smiled and said: "Little devil, it seems you're quite clever? Then tell me, what kind of person am I? If you get it right, there's a reward."

  Lu Yun thought for a moment, then said softly: "You are the mountain and wild eccentric that people often talk about, the fortune teller's cultivator of truth, right?" After finishing speaking, her eyes stared firmly at the strange person, with a hint of a smile flashing in her eyes.

  The strange man looked at Lu Yun, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes, and chuckled: "Little ghost head is clever, you're right about half of it. The reward will be given to you later, now you can't use it even if I give it to you. Let's wait until you've learned some skills before giving it to you. Now come over here by my side, let's have a good chat." As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Yun's body instantly appeared beside the strange man, which was very bizarre.

  As dusk fell, Lu Yun left with a smile and headed home. When he arrived home, his parents looked at him with loving eyes, filled with tenderness. His father's name was Lu Wenyu, and his mother's name was Zhang Huafeng; both were people of exceptional character and beauty. Lu Wenyu asked with a smile: "Yun'er, where did you go today? Did you see anything strange or interesting?"

  Lu Yun looked at her parents and smiled: "Today, I met a strange person, the one those uncles in the village call a freak. Today, I talked to him for a whole day and gained a lot from it. He told me that he can teach me a method to prolong my life, but I have to go to his place every day to learn from him, and I'm not allowed to tell anyone except you two. I've already promised him, and I'll start going tomorrow. Don't worry, that strange person is the same one who was mentioned by the fortune teller in the capital city, a true immortal with extraordinary abilities. I want to learn from him properly, maybe I can even cure my illness."

  Lu Wenyu and his wife Zhang Huafeng exchanged a glance, then he asked: "What did he say to you today? Can you tell us? Is it about your illness?"

  Lu Yun smiled and said, "He mentioned many things and also brought up my illness. He said that ordinary people have three souls and seven spirits, but I was born with one soul and one spirit missing, so this illness is incurable. It's already a miracle that I've lived until now, and it's precisely because of this that he intends to teach me the method of prolonging life, telling me to start learning tomorrow." Lu Wenyu's face changed drastically upon hearing this, his expression shocked beyond measure. Zhang Huafeng looked at her husband, not understanding why he had suddenly changed so much, what exactly had happened, it was truly strange.

  Lu Wenyu slightly raised his head, and in a tone of shocked self-muttering, he said: "Unexpectedly, it's really unexpected. The legend passed down for centuries in my Lu family actually turned out to be true. Perhaps this is fate. Yuner, you'll go learn from that extraordinary person tomorrow, remember to work hard, I and your mother will fully support you. No matter what the future holds, you must bravely live on and face everything with strength."

  Lu Yun looked at his father and nodded slightly: "I will, I want to fight against the heavens, you can rest assured that I won't give up easily." In Lu Yun's young heart, there was a maturity and determination that surpassed his age. He had been plagued by illness since childhood, and had resisted death countless times, cultivating an exceptionally strong will. Therefore, he possessed a way of thinking that differed from ordinary people.

  Lu Wenyu looked at his son, a hint of encouragement in his eyes, and patted him gently on the shoulder. "Get some rest," he said softly. "You still have to go learn your skills tomorrow." After that, he exchanged a glance with his wife and left Lu Yun's small cottage.

  In the night wind, Lu Wenyu gazed up at the bright moon in the sky and said softly: "I remember that the Lu family's ancestral records recorded a legendary legend. It is said that among the descendants of the Lu family, there will be a disciple who was born with one soul and one spirit missing. That would be an unpredictable variation of the Lu family. No one can tell his fate, this life is full of legends. The Lu family's ancestral teachings record that if such a person appears, he must return to the Lu family's ancestral tomb, take out something that only he can open in the world, and that thing may change his destiny. I didn't expect Yun'er to be the descendant of that legend, I plan to tell him when he is eighteen or twenty years old, let him go back and take out what belongs to him."

  Zhang Hua Feng looked at her husband quietly and said softly: "Yun'er was intelligent from a young age, learning everything quickly, but unfortunately his body is too weak. I never thought he would have such a fate, perhaps all of this was destined. I hope that in this life, he can live peacefully, and I will be at ease. Xishu Qin Chuan, with its beautiful mountains and rivers, gives birth to infinite wonders. I hope that here, we can find a way for my son to prolong his life."

  The night wind blows, and the soft insect sounds echo through the mountains, bringing drowsiness, accompanying people into their dreams, slowly forgetting all the unpleasant things. In the early morning, in the pleasant bird songs, Lu Yun wakes up, hastily eats the breakfast his mother carefully prepared for him, and goes out alone.

  Zhang Hua Feng stood at the door, gazing at her son's distant figure, a hint of smile and affection in her eyes. When would he be able to grow up, shake off the devil of illness, and live a happy life? Perhaps, no one could say for sure.

  Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, spring has gone and autumn has arrived. In a flash, ten years have passed. Over the past decade, Lu Yun transformed from a frail little boy into a handsome young man. Although his body was still slightly thin, over these ten years, Lu Yun never fell ill again, with each passing day making him stronger and more intelligent, learning things at an incredible speed.

  Standing quietly in front of the cave, Lu Yun looked at this strange man who had taught him ten years of martial arts and felt a deep sense of gratitude towards him. In Lu Yun's heart, he was his own master, teaching him countless things that ordinary people couldn't learn in a hundred years, but Lu Yun had learned them all.

  The strange man looked at Lu Yun, a hint of joy in his eyes, and said softly: "It's been ten years, you haven't let me down. Although the time was too short, you also learned many of my skills, which is remarkable. What are your plans now, will you continue to follow me to learn the mysterious Taoist methods or leave this place?"

  Lu Yun said in a soft voice, "Father told me something. He wants me to go somewhere now or two years later to retrieve something that belongs to me. I plan to study with you for another two years and hope to make great progress during this time, so as not to waste the fate of following you all these years. After all these years, you still haven't told me who you are, what you used to do, can you tell me now?"

  "The weirdo laughed and said, 'You don't have to pay too much attention to my identity. To put it simply, I used to be a Taoist for three years, listened to Buddhism for three years, was an immortal for three years, and was a demon for three years. Hehe, that's all.'"

  Lu Yun's eyes flickered with a strange light as he smiled faintly, "It seems you've done everything, no wonder in the past decade, the cultivation methods you passed on to me included the ultimate techniques of the five sects: Taoist, Buddhist, Confucian, Demon, and Ghost. You're indeed all-encompassing. So, it turns out you've done everything, heh heh, you have a bright future ahead. In these last two years, won't you pass on something even more formidable to me? Otherwise, when I go out in the future, I'll lose face for you!" Lu Yun's eyes held an unfathomable smile, his expression calm yet mysterious, giving off an aura that was impossible to grasp.

  The strange man laughed and said, "For the past two years, you've been trying to learn all my skills. I'm afraid you won't be able to sleep well. Even if you master them all, without a hundred years of cultivation, it will still be in vain. Cultivating the truth is different from practicing martial arts. Practicing martial arts for ten years can lead to small achievements, and twenty years can lead to great achievements. However, cultivating the truth often takes ten years to enter the gate, a hundred years to achieve small success, and wanting to achieve great success depends on each person's luck. Remember when you guessed half of my identity that day? I once said I would give you a reward, now it's about time." After finishing his words, the strange man took out a jade box from his bosom, slowly opened it, and suddenly a fragrant aroma wafted out, extremely alluring.

  Lu Yun looked at the strange man holding the inch-long human-shaped ginseng, and his eyes flashed with surprise. The stranger glanced at him and said faintly: "Don't underestimate this ginseng, although it's only an inch long, but it has a very rare origin. This is the body of a thousand-year-old ginseng king that I rescued unintentionally back then. Later, the ginseng immortal got his Tao and sent me this body as a gift to repay my kindness. This ginseng king is a rare thing in the world, far beyond ordinary thousand-year-old ginseng. Ordinary thousand-year-old ginseng and thousand-year-old first black hair, for ordinary people, can make them strong and healthy after taking it, prolonging their lifespan. For martial artists, taking it can increase their cultivation by thirty years, while for those who cultivate the truth, taking it can increase their cultivation by a cycle of sixty years, which is a rare spiritual thing in the world. But this ginseng king in my hand is extremely precious for those who cultivate the truth, because it is the body of a thousand-year-old ginseng king, and the ginseng king has already ascended to heaven, so taking this ginseng king can increase one's cultivation by ten cycles of sixty years, which is unparalleled in the world. I hope that after you take it, you will make progress within two years, and our master-disciple relationship will not be in vain." After finishing speaking, he handed the ginseng king to Lu Yun.

  Lu Yun gently accepted it, looked at the strange man and smiled: "Thank you, Master, for accepting me as your apprentice after all these years. It's really hard to wait!" After finishing, he smiled slightly, his expression somewhat similar to that of the strange man.

  "The strange man laughed and scolded: 'You little devil, you got a good deal but still dare to shout wildly. Quickly take the Gan Wang Pill, I'll help you refine it, otherwise with your current cultivation level, you won't be able to wake up within a month.' Lu Yun smiled calmly, sat cross-legged, and slowly took the Gan Wang Pill. Soon, Lu Yun's entire body turned fiery red, a fierce flame burning fiercely, enveloping his body in a ball of fire."

  The strange man's face wore a hint of puzzlement, gazing slightly at the horizon, wondering if what he was doing was right. Perhaps humans were meant to defy heaven, weren't they? Looking at Lu Yun, a faint smile appeared in the stranger's eyes, his right hand gently pressing on Lu Yun's head, about three inches away. Suddenly, a five-colored glow flowed from the stranger's palm, instantly enveloping Lu Yun's body in its radiance, looking both beautiful and mysterious.

  The fierce flames on Lu Yun's body, under the cover of the five-colored light, slowly compressed, stretched and breathed, occasionally swelling up, but were pressed down by the five-colored light. Time slowly passed, and the blood-red flames on Lu Yun's body burst out seven times in a row, all of which were suppressed by the mysterious five-colored light of the strange man, finally slowly dissolving into Lu Yun's body and disappearing without a trace.

  When Lu Yun woke up, the sun had already set. The sky was painted with a warm orange glow, and the air was crisp and clear. As he stretched his body, Lu Yun suddenly stood upright, and a powerful aura burst forth from him, instantly pressing down the surrounding grass and trees. A mysterious blue-green light rose from Lu Yun's body, enveloping it in an instant. The blue-green light quickly transformed into golden light, then red, white, black, and finally back to blue-green, cycling through the five colors in a mesmerizing display of mystical power.

  The strange man smiled and looked at his apprentice, who had been studying with him for ten years, and a hint of approval appeared in his eyes. Looking at Lu Yun in mid-air, the strange man said: "It seems that the effect is not bad, there has been progress. However, your current cultivation is still far from true mastery. A true cultivator's goal is to go from nothing to something, and then from something back to nothing, only then can you roam freely in the world and be proud of your achievements. Although you now appear powerful on the surface, your true cultivation is still lacking, and within the next two years, you must refine your entire being to reach the state of returning to simplicity and truth. You cannot let others see that you know the mysteries of the arcane, only then can you be considered to have made some small progress. Continue to work hard, your journey is still far ahead."

  Lu Yun's body slowly descended, and he looked at the strange man with a calm expression. He smiled and said: "Thank you, Master, for your teachings. Lu Yun will work hard. In the next two years, I will not disappoint your expectations and complete all the skills you have taught me, striving to meet your requirements."

  The strange man smiled and said, "I hope so. Many things will become clear to you later on, and it's not as easy as you think. You're lucky to have met me, so your cultivation is easier than others. But when you meet a real master, you'll understand that many things require time to accumulate. Cultivating the truth is going against heaven, and meeting someone like me is even more against heaven's will. So be prepared mentally, there will come a day when you'll understand. Alright, it's getting late, go back now, we'll continue tomorrow!" After finishing speaking, the strange man turned around and went back into the cave.

  Back home, Lu Yun said to his father: "Yun'er plans to take out the thing you mentioned two years later. For now, I will continue to follow Master and learn from him. Master's skills are extraordinary and mysterious, so far, Yun'er has only learned about five layers, so I want to study hard in these two years and try to master all of Master's skills before leaving."

  Lu Wenyu sighed slightly and said, "You're eighteen this year, and in two years you'll be twenty. Time really flies! No wonder people often say that the years pass easily in the mountains, but a thousand years of prosperity in the world is just a fleeting moment. It's all just a passing cloud, an empty space. You've grown up too, and your mother and I have nothing to worry about you anymore. Just remember to go back for what belongs to you, that's all. Your road ahead is still long, and we won't interfere with your future. We just hope you'll take care of yourself."

  "Yun, your life has been full of changes and uncertainties, no one can predict what the future holds for you. Your father and I just hope that you live a peaceful life, that's all we ask for. In these ten years, although your illness hasn't gotten better, it also hasn't relapsed again. We believe that if you continue to work hard like this, there will come a day when you'll get better. For this reason, we won't worry anymore. After you've mastered your skills in two years, go out and start your own career, we'll always support you."

  Looking at his parents, Lu Yun promised: "Dad and mom, you can rest assured that I will make a world of my own and never bow to fate." In the quiet little house, Lu Yun's voice echoed in the air, like an oath, as if telling heaven and earth!

  The mountains and rivers of Western Shu are still beautiful, the clear waters of Western Shu are still flowing endlessly. That congenitally disabled young man Lu Yun is still following the strange person to learn his skills. Two years have passed, and the trend of the world has changed dramatically due to Lu Yun's appearance. What secrets are hidden in Lu Yun's life? What unknown mysteries are hidden in the legend of the Lu family that has been passed down for a hundred generations? Perhaps no one can say clearly.