bioinnovel Chapter 802 Lu Xueqi and Biyao
Chapter 802 Lu Xueqi and Biyao
When he is calm, his power flows gently like spring water; when he is excited, his power surges like the tide; and when he is "warm in his heart"—like seeing the lights in the ruins on the battlefield that day—his power will instantly gather in his palm and transform into tangible light.
After learning of this, the sect leader remained silent for the duration of an incense stick burning, finally uttering the words: "Han'er, this is no longer cultivation. It's a... realm. A realm we all strive for but have never truly reached."
"What level?"
"The realm of 'Mind is Dharma.'" The sect leader looked at him, his eyes filled with amazement and a hint of awe. "Legend has it that in ancient times there were great beings who could make flowers bloom and wither with a single thought; their thoughts were their supernatural powers. The path you have now embarked on is that one."
Su Han gave an "Oh," showing neither particular excitement nor fear. He just felt that this was troublesome—the sect leader's gaze towards him was increasingly less like that of a disciple and more like that of a walking Buddha. He disliked that kind of look.
Fortunately, the sect leader quickly recovered. Being a cunning old fox who had lived for over three hundred years, he quickly regained his composure after the brief moment of lapse, continuing to scold and punish as before. Three days later, Su Han was half a quarter of an hour late for sword practice, and the sect leader still punished him by making him copy the "Heavenly Gang Righteous Qi Manual" three hundred times, not missing a single word.
As Su Han was copying scriptures at his desk, A Yuan squatted beside him, grinding ink for him. While grinding, she asked, "Uncle Su, aren't you supposed to be very skilled? Why is the Sect Leader punishing you by making you copy books?"
Su Han continued writing without looking up: "Being capable and following the rules are two different things. No matter how capable a person is, they still have to accept the punishment if they're late."
A-Yuan nodded, seemingly understanding, and added another spoonful of water to the inkstone: "Uncle Su, does that mean you're the most powerful person in the world now?"
Su Han paused, his pen leaving a blot of ink on the paper. He thought for a moment, then put down his pen and looked at A Yuan's earnest little face: "A Yuan, what kind of person do you think is the most powerful in the world?"
"I can beat everyone!"
"You can beat everyone, and then what?"
A-Yuan was stunned, tilting her head and thinking for a long time: "And then...and then no one dared to bully him anymore."
"What if he can't find anyone to fight?"
"Then...then..." A-Yuan hesitated for a long time, her face turning red, "Then it won't be impressive?"
Su Han laughed and patted A Yuan's head: "See, being powerful just by fighting isn't reliable, is it? If you can't find an opponent, you're not powerful anymore. What kind of number one are you then?"
"Then what truly constitutes reliable and capable?"
Su Han thought for a moment, then turned her gaze to the window. The peach blossoms on the back hill had all fallen, and new leaves were sprouting from the branches, a vibrant green that gleamed in the sunlight. A golden oriole landed on a branch, tilting its head to preen its feathers, its tail twitching back and forth.
“I think,” Su Han said slowly, “that the most powerful person is the one who can light up the hearts of others.”
A-Yuan frowned and pondered for a while, then her eyes suddenly lit up: "Like you, Martial Uncle Su?"
"Me? I'm still a long way off." Su Han picked up his pen again and continued copying the scriptures. "I'm still learning."
A-Yuan fell silent, quietly grinding the ink. The oriole outside the window chirped twice and flew away. Sunlight slanted in through the windowpane, falling on the Xuan paper on the table, making the still-wet ink on the characters gleam.
Ten days after Grain Rain, Su Han set off for Fire Cloud Valley.
The day of departure was a bright, clear day, without a single cloud in the sky. Su Han carried a small bundle containing two changes of clothes, a pot of peach blossom wine, and three bottles of healing pills given to him by the sect leader. A Yuan escorted him all the way to the mountain gate, her eyes red-rimmed and her lips pursed as if she were about to cry.
Su Han squatted down to be at her eye level: "Why are you crying? I'll be back in half a month."
"Then you must keep your word!"
"I promise. I'll bring you rice wine from Fire Cloud Valley when I get back."
"I can't drink alcohol!"
"Then bring candy made with rice wine."
Ah Yuan then stopped crying and smiled, extending her little finger: "Pinky promise!"
Su Han hooked his finger with hers, stood up, and started walking down the mountain. After walking a few dozen steps, he looked back and saw A Yuan still standing at the mountain gate waving at him, her small figure shrinking into a tiny black dot in the morning light. He turned around and continued walking, then looked back again after a while; the little black dot was still there. When he looked back for the third time, the little black dot finally disappeared, probably having gone back.
He smiled and continued on his way.
Fire Cloud Valley is eight hundred miles south of the Lingxiao Immortal Sect, a distance he could reach in two days at his current pace. But he didn't rush. He walked along the official road, passing villages and towns, fields and rivers, taking his time like an ordinary traveler. Occasionally he would stop to look at the wildflowers by the roadside, occasionally rest at a teahouse for a bowl of coarse tea, and sometimes chat with a peddler carrying a load on his shoulder.
This was the first time he had ever walked alone, aimlessly, through the mortal world. Before, when he went out, it was always to carry out a mission or rush to some destination; there was always a clear purpose and a pressing deadline. But this time was different. He was going to Fire Cloud Valley to see the people there. The act of "going" itself was the purpose; whether it was a day earlier or later made little difference.
On the first evening, he passed through a place called Willow Creek Town. The town was small, with about a hundred households living along the creek. At the town entrance was a stone bridge, and at the bridgehead stood a crooked willow tree. Under the tree sat an old woman sewing shoe soles. As Su Han walked past, the old woman looked up at him, her cloudy eyes lingering on his face for a moment, then suddenly grinned, revealing her toothless mouth: "Young man, are you tired from walking? Come and sit for a while."
Su Han sat down on the stone stool next to the old woman. Dusk was creeping in from the west, turning the entire stream golden-red. The old woman was sewing more than half of the shoe sole in her hands; the stitches were dense and numerous, clearly indicating its sturdiness.
"Auntie, who did you sew these shoe soles for?"
“For my grandson. That kid's a handful; he can wear out a pair of shoes in three months.” The old woman said, giving him another injection; her fingers were calloused. “You're from the north, aren't you? Your accent doesn't sound like ours.”
"Yes, they came from the Lingxiao Immortal Sect."
After saying the words "Lingxiao Immortal Sect," Su Han paused for a moment. In the past, when going out on business, he would conceal the name of his sect and avoid mentioning it if possible. But this time, for some reason, he casually mentioned it to an old woman sewing shoe soles, as if he were saying, "I come from the neighboring village."
The old lady paused in her needle-wielding, then looked up and examined Su Han carefully once more.
“People from the Immortal Sect.” The old woman’s tone was flat, and she simply nodded. “No wonder you look so well. A few years ago, when there was a plague in town, it was people from your Immortal Sect who came to cure it. A girl in a blue dress, as pretty as a delicate flower, applied a few talismans, and the illness was cured.”
Su Han knew who she was referring to. It was Senior Sister Ji from the medical cultivation lineage of the Lingxiao Immortal Sect, who had indeed traveled to several towns in the south two years ago. (End of Chapter)