Liang had been following the old man for three days on their way to the next town. He asked him to purchase a wagon before their trip, but the old man replied with, “money is tight”, and “You’re young, it’s good to experience the world in its full glory”
He thought that because of his age, the old man would walk at a slow pace, but he walked with long strides quickly leaving Liang behind. Even worse was he would not take breaks. It constantly reminded him that if he did not lose his cultivation this would not be an issue.
They probably would not sleep at night if it were not for his protests, though he was not sure if the old man actually slept. Anytime Liang woke up, the old man would be sitting next to the fire, poking the logs while mumbling something incomprehensible.
At first, he thought it was a strange cultivation mantra so he tried listening hoping to learn anything he could, but he was unable to understand any of it. In fact, he was almost certain that the old man was actually cursing someone and their 9 generations.
It turned out that the old man also owned a storage ring. He had heard of them before but the only thing he knew was they were extremely expensive and were capable of holding a large number of items. It left him wondering why he had to carry their supplies on his back.
The ring was on the middle finger of his left hand and was a dark black metal band with no gems or any decorations. On his right hand was a wooden ring but he was not sure what it was as the old man never did anything with it.
Nobody bothered them while they were walking. However, a few merchants passed by and said some words, one even offered them a ride to which the old man politely declined, but he did buy a large iron pan and teakettle. The pack on Liang’s back became twice as heavy after the merchant left.
Overall, it was a pleasant trip. The weather was nice, though it did get a little warm in the afternoons. Liang thought it was funny how the old man would jump into the river whenever he felt hot without warning. Often splashing with enough force that it looked as though there was an explosion.
He would also skip stones like a small child. However, he no longer did that after he threw a rock so hard it shattered a fisherman’s dock across the river. There were no towns but the dock connected to a road that probably led to a small village, most likely any trade relied on that dock.
Luckily, there was nobody there when it happened but instead of taking responsibility, the old man ran down the road quickly leaving Liang behind as the guilty party. He also was obsessed by sticks. Any time he passed one, he would twirl it around in his hands before launching it into the distance.
On the afternoon of the fourth day, the old man stopped and looked to his left at the Blackburn hills. He gestured for Liang to put down his pack and told him, “We’ll be stopping here for the day. Tomorrow we’ll be looking for something interesting. Fetch some firewood; we’ll be eating a hearty meal tonight.”
The old man ate steamed buns the entire trip, so many that Liang thought that he must have purchased every bun in town before they left. However, he ate dried meat and hard biscuits that could be used as weapons even after soaked in broth.
With the prospect of eating something different, he walked towards the forest’s edge to collect any dead limbs lying around when he saw a pile of sticks stuck in the ground standing up. He remembered the old man’s peculiar habit but quickly banished the thought.
Moments after the fire was lit the old man pulled a small boar from his ring and began to season the meat. Liang felt so hungry he wanted to grab the boar and eat it raw but he watched patiently as it slowly roasted over the hot coals, the assault on his nose was almost unbearable.
When he was certain the boar was cooked through the old man removed one of the rear legs and placed it on the large metal pan along with a few potatoes and carrots they had purchased earlier. Liang waited until he finished before tearing into the meat, filling his stomach as though he had never eaten before.
It was roasted for so long that it was extremely tender and almost melted in his mouth. The spices he used were slightly hot but it mellowed the normally gamey boar meat. His experience was limited, but he thought for sure they were expensive.
During the meal, the old man also poured two bowls of spicy wine that complemented the boar meat perfectly. He said the bottle was an exquisite white jade and was designed specifically for the wine that was over 2,000 years old. Liang instantly regretted not sipping the wine slower.
Afterwards the old man leaned back and said, “Tell me boy, what do you know of cultivation?” Struck by the question he had to admit he knew very little. The torn manual he had was only a simple breathing technique, the pills he ate were of the lowest quality, and the stories told were nothing more than legends. Feeling slightly embarrassed by his lack of knowledge he took a deep breath before replying.
“Cultivation is what connects mortals to the heavens. Those born with immortal roots are able to absorb qi into their dantian and strengthen their bodies and souls. Those who are not will be unable to cultivate no matter how many medications they use.”
The old man nodded at his response but looked somewhat disappointed with his answer. Staring into the fire for a moment, he looked to the sky and said, “That’s pretty close to what I remember learning here in the first heaven. It was all I knew at one time as well.”
Liang wondered if the old man who spent three days in a brothel knew of some deeper truth. He calmed himself and thought perhaps the old man had learned many things during the course of his long life and would be willing to share this knowledge with him.
He was a little unsure though. The old man acted as if his damaged immortal roots and dantian were not a big deal and if he wanted to, he could heal him at any time. It might be possible, but he could not understand why someone with such profound knowledge would pass through his small village.
Guessing Liang’s thoughts the old man continued to explain, “This world is ignorant boy. You think the heavens bless certain people with great abilities. But the greedy heavens do not provide us with blessings; they are instead a shackle meant to limit us. This world knows of cultivation, but do you really think in the infinite worlds of the nine heavens there is only one way to gain true immortality?”
The infinite worlds, the nine heavens, these concepts were foreign to Liang. His whole life he only hoped to enter a sect and become a powerful cultivator. These dreams were already so lofty he had never thought of anything greater. Understanding he had nothing to say the old man started talking as if he was berating the world.
“Of course you don’t know. This whole world doesn’t know. Within 1,000 years out of the billions of cultivators how many do you think will escape the chains of this world? I’ll tell you boy that there will be 2 or 3 at most that enter the second heaven before they die of old age. Immortals, what a stupid thing to call themselves, they have no idea what immortality is. You think you are a cripple now, but the truth is you were more of a cripple before you met me.”
“Your talent for cultivation was so low you would only become a servant in one of these third rate sects. If you continued on using that breathing technique it would not be impossible for your body’s organs to fail and you would die shortly after.”
The old man’s words hurt. It was true that he was a cripple now, but he was a cultivator before. The only cultivator in his village. He knew his talent was low, but he always thought that if he could enter the Warring Crane Sect he would receive better resources and guidance helping him improve.
Seeing Liang had mixed feelings the old man spoke as if he was standing in front of an army of one million men, “I have told you this to smash the illusion you have. You hear legends of great warriors from the past and they awe you. But I tell you now, in my eyes they were just as crippled as you.”
“Your dreams are too small. Worried about the next stage in cultivation or building your base slowly. All of it is nonsense propagated by the same people who are unable to escape the shackles the heavens placed on them. I will only offer this once. Kowtow to me three times and take me as your master. Then I will teach you how to cross The Divide.”
