Ordinary small merchants could not possibly afford such luxurious items. Old Chen Fei, this elder, had another identity!
...
Furthermore, the items hanging from the elder's shoulder pole were neither light nor heavy.
Elders in their sixties typically had poor physical condition, yet this elder appeared remarkably strong, not much weaker than a strapping young man.
There was definitely a secret about this elder.
...
He set up the pot, added firewood, lit the fire, boiled water, added a dou of rice, and took out a jar of pickled vegetables.
After about the time it took for an incense stick to burn, he covered the pot. The elder smiled kindly at Wu Tao and took out a humorous collection of miscellaneous travel notes from his pocket, reading it with a chuckle.
Seeing this, Wu Tao smiled slightly and slowly withdrew his gaze.
From this elder, he seemed to glimpse a purity and happiness that only ordinary people possessed. However, this had nothing to do with him.
Moreover, given his personality, he would never live such a life even if he were to become a mortal.
Everyone's thoughts differed. A lifetime is like a million lifetimes. Wu Tao's ambitions and aspirations would never allow him to live such a life.
A man born into this world should live magnificently and die heroically.
Soon, Wu Tao fell back into that state of self-forgetfulness and deep contemplation.
After about half an hour, Wu Tao suddenly found a bowl of steaming, fragrant rice porridge placed before him.
This fragrant bowl of rice porridge was offered by the kind-hearted elder.
The elder smiled and said, "Young man, eat something. A bowl of rice porridge will relieve your fatigue and fill your stomach. Isn't that delightful?"
Looking at the elder's warm expression, Wu Tao felt it impolite to refuse his kindness. He slowly drank the freshly cooked rice porridge.
Then, the elder, with a smile, told Wu Tao stories of wishes, anecdotes, personal experiences, both happy and sad, all of which he recounted!
At the crucial moments, the elder became animated.
For some reason, Wu Tao remained silent throughout this process, merely being a listener.
Through the elder's words, Wu Tao learned of the elder's circumstances.
The elder's life had been full of ups and downs, with periods of glory and hardship.
Although the elder had no spiritual roots and was not a cultivator, his son was a cultivator.
With a cultivator son, the elder's life was naturally better than that of an ordinary person, and he had even consumed a few longevity-enhancing pills.
However, the good times did not last long.
There were no peaceful days in the cultivation world.
The elder's son obtained a precious treasure on one occasion, and it was this treasure that brought about his fatal misfortune.
...
The elder, a white-haired parent sending off a black-haired child, experienced the sorrow of losing his son in his twilight years, leading to a life of hardship.
What was even more despairing was that this elder, not being a cultivator, could not avenge his son.
Here, Wu Tao also learned the names of the elder and his son, as well as their enemy!
The elder's name was Peng Pingchang, and his son's name was Peng Yue!
Their enemy was the Fan family, a third-tier family in Weicheng, a major city on the border of Shu Commandery!
After hearing these events, Wu Tao harbored no thoughts of avenging the elder.
There were so many injustices in this world; how could one person rectify them all...
If he were to intervene in every injustice he encountered, he would have no time for anything else in his life.
The chivalrous would defy laws with martial arts, the Confucian would disrupt governance with their writings, and merchants would obstruct the nation with their wealth. Everything was thus.
When one person is much stronger than others, other than their own inner conscience and bottom line, there are few other things that can restrain and control them.
However, there would always be people in this world who do what they know cannot be done, who strive desperately for no benefit.
And these stubborn, kind-hearted people often displayed their character for the sake of others.
While Wu Tao would not emulate such kind-hearted people, he deeply admired them in his heart.
Humans, unlike other races, are a very peculiar species.
Human nature is neither inherently good nor evil, but it is easily influenced by the external world.
Human nature is the human heart.
And the human heart is the most complex and inscrutable thing in this world.
From ancient times to the present, no one has ever understood it, nor has anyone been able to fully fathom it.
...
Yet, there was a group of people who did what they knew could not be done.
However, Peng Pingchang then invited Wu Tao to his home as a guest.
This elder named Peng Pingchang lived on a small mountain. Though small, it appeared tall and imposing, its peak pointing directly to the heavens, adding to its grandeur.
This mountain was called Yuntai Mountain, and the path up was a winding stone staircase.
There were still some weeds on the stone steps, clearly indicating that few people had trod this path.
A middle-aged man in his thirties, resembling a steward, along with several house servants, climbed breathlessly to the mountainside of Yuntai Mountain.
More than a dozen trees grew lush and leafy, but through the gaps between them, a corner of ancient, classical eaves could be glimpsed.
The terra-cotta roof tiles swayed with the branches and leaves, appearing and disappearing, stirring curiosity and mystery.
Peng Pingchang led Wu Tao on for another period equivalent to an incense stick burning. Suddenly, the view opened up, and the ancient architecture hidden deep in the mountains finally revealed its true appearance, shedding its mysterious veil.
On a flat ground about a zhang long, there stood a somewhat dilapidated small house.
Although the cottage was simple, it was nestled amidst green mountains and clear waters, exuding an ethereal, otherworldly charm.
Peng Pingchang and Wu Tao hurried to the main entrance. Much of the black lacquer on the wooden door had peeled off, and the nameplate was missing a corner, clearly showing its age.
On either side of the main door hung a couplet: "A lifetime of wind and frost, filled with desires, until death, all is in vain, unattainable."
The ink was deep, clearly old. The brushstrokes combined firmness with softness, and the verses hid the poet's despair of seeking and not obtaining.
Wu Tao had read some books and could recognize characters, but interpreting poetry was truly beyond him.
Therefore, he did not grasp the true meaning hidden within the poem.
Peng Pingchang reached for the iron lock on the door, produced a key, and within a few minutes, the main door slowly creaked open.
For reasons unknown, Wu Tao and Peng Pingchang found themselves conversing with great ease.
Before Wu Tao left, Peng Pingchang offered to play a piece on the xiao as a farewell gift.
A long, melodious tune flowed forth.
Wu Tao felt his spirit immersed in it, his many worries and thoughts melting away!
The xiao music was beautiful, transporting him to another place. Wu Tao closed his eyes slightly, listening with enjoyment!
As Peng Pingchang slowly finished the piece, Wu Tao opened his eyes.
After playing, the elder Peng Pingchang took a cyan handkerchief and meticulously wiped the ancient xiao.
He cleaned it with great care, wiping each finger hole slowly.
It seemed he would be busy for a while, but Su Mingming was not in a hurry.
Seeing this, Wu Tao was also not anxious. After all, he was no longer a child and possessed patience.
Thus, half an hour passed.
After finishing cleaning the ancient xiao, Peng Pingchang finally offered Wu Tao a parting remark.
"The Way of Heaven and Earth is vast and formless; it resides in the human heart, manifesting as intention. Good and evil will ultimately be repaid. It is not that there is no repayment, but that the time has not yet come."
Hearing this, Wu Tao was initially indifferent. Later, thinking of something, he began to ponder the first sentence carefully, paying no attention to the latter half.
As he thought, Wu Tao's eyes gradually lit up, as if something was right before his eyes but eluded him for some reason. As the gentle breeze stirred, rustling the fallen leaves, Wu Tao felt a realization, and a smile appeared on his face.
The path of Nascent Soul, he had grasped it!
Before bidding farewell to the elder named Peng Pingchang, Wu Tao bowed deeply to him.
He accepted this karma. He would avenge the elder, and the Fan family would be annihilated!
Three days later, on the peak of a tall mountain.
Wu Tao stood at the highest point of the mountain. A powerful force rose from his heart, using the human heart as the heart of heaven, and his body becoming one with heaven and earth!
The spiritual energy within him converged in his dantian. A golden core, cultivated for decades to the point of perfection, suddenly began to spin.
Wu Tao, without limit, devoured the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth without restraint. The immense absorption stirred up a terrifying gale.
"Whoosh..."
His exhales were like gales, stirring up sand and stones, causing grass and trees to rise.
His inhales were like a roc swallowing the sky, draining all the spiritual energy within a thousand-mile radius.
The dream of over a hundred years was about to be truly realized at this moment.
At this instant, Wu Tao's heart was calm and serene. The Chuxi Sword appeared before him!
The sword body of the Chuxi Sword vibrated continuously, its hum resonating through the nine heavens.
When Wu Tao looked up at the sky, the wind and clouds surged, and thunderclouds gathered!
"Rumble!!!!!!!!"
The vast thunderclouds were condensing. In less than half an hour, streaks of purple lightning descended. Occasionally, strange bolts struck the ground, igniting fires and leaving scorched earth.
Facing this scene, Wu Tao's expression did not change; he merely smiled faintly.
As if provoked by Wu Tao's attitude, the sky grew even more overcast, resembling the wrath of heaven. A strong wind began to rise, like the roar of the heavens!
A ginseng fruit, held in his mouth, "My fate is my own, not heaven's!"
Wu Tao brought his right hand to his chest, fingers together in the shape of a blade, and made a swift downward sweep towards the sky!
Sword light flowed, and fierce sword energy shot out. This strike was truly earth-shattering, overturning heaven and earth!
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