It was exactly noon. The sun hung high in the sky, and the heat was unbearable.
In Chen Gu Town, there stood a boy of about fifteen or sixteen in the deserted martial arts training field facing a towering stone stele.
"Breathe toward the Dantian, and let the power flow through the body," he chanted silently from the "Martial Dao Scripture." Taking a bow stance, Ye Gucheng exerted all his strength into a punch that landed squarely on the force-measuring stele.
The grand characters on the stele, reading 'martial', turned from green to purple, but under the hopeful gaze of the young boy, they reverted back to green.
Suddenly a wave of laughter rose from behind. A group of unexpected visitors appeared at the training field, most around the same age as him. Their laughter was filled with scorn and ridicule.
"Still in the green tier," someone ridiculed. "Ye Gucheng, stop wasting your time. You've made no progress in three years. You might as well go back and learn how to sell tofu like your grandpa."
Another chimed in, "Selling tofu would be a waste. He should start a new stall selling tofu dregs."
"True enough," said another. "Three years of practice and he's only achieved the green tier. It seems fitting for a waste to sell waste. After all, it's recycling."
Ye Gucheng never turned back, he merely lowered his lids. The laughter sounded shrill in his ears. His heart sank, but he refused to reveal a trace of his feelings before these people.
Behind him, the scornful laughter continued, "His grandpa is a well-known widower in the village. Rumor has it he was also a known waste back in the days."
Ye Gucheng turned around, his fist slowly tightening, a burgeoning anger threatening to erupt. "Mo Shan, don't go too far!"
A few boys slowly approached, their sneers growing more pronounced. The boy leading the group had shining golden scales on his collar, a rarity in this small mountain village, indicative of his family's wealth. He craned his neck, looking at Ye Gucheng, "Ye Gucheng, you're an orphan and your grandpa was all alone when he came to the town. In other words, neither you nor your grandpa are from Chen Gu Town. Your grandpa's leg is crippled now, and it doesn't look like he has long to live. I suggest you leave Chen Gu Town as soon as possible!"
Unable to suppress his anger any longer, Gucheng swung his tightly clenched fist right into Mo Shan's face.
Bang!
"Uh," Mo Shan grunted in pain. He staggered back a step, his face carrying the aftershock of a punch. Yet, surprisingly, he smiled, wiping the corner of his mouth, a small cold chuckle before whispering, "Great. Now that you've made a move, I have the chance to kill you!"
Upon uttering the words 'kill you', Mo Shan gritted his teeth, slowly emphasizing each word. With a wave of his hand, a few youths standing next to him got ready and advanced towards Ye Gucheng.
"What are you doing?!"
"Stop!"
Several crisp voices suddenly came from the other side.
Ye Gucheng didn't even lift his head, just by listening to the voices he already knew who they were.
Sure enough, Mo Shan's sarcastic voice came from next to his ear, "Well, well, Ye Gucheng, your flower guard team is here again, looks like with a face as soft and delicate as a flower, even a nobody can have a smooth ride."
Another round of humiliation.
Ye Gucheng bowed his head slightly, ignition the gaze of people around him. He just stared at the blinding grey-white earth beneath his feet, deeply!
Seeing their intentions thwarted, Mo Shan and his gang sneered a few more times, gradually receding into the distance.
Footsteps came close. A gust of wind came along, faintly perfumed. A beautiful girl slightly raised her head, "Gucheng, are you alright?"
Several girls alongside her comforted him, full of concern.
Ye Gucheng lifted his head, forcing a smile, "I'm fine, thank you, everyone."
With a word of gratitude, he lowered his head again and turned to leave.
Behind him, hushed whispers filled the air, "Gucheng is really pitiful.”
"Indeed. It took three years just to cultivate a green grade strength path."
"But I still admire Gu Cheng; Gu Cheng is so charming."
They would never imagine that every word of their conversation fell into the ears of Ye Gu Cheng.
Every step Ye Gu Cheng takes seems to require enormous courage. He mocks himself, "Perhaps my only advantage is this outstanding hearing ability, which allows me to hear other people's mockery. Pitiful, isn't it?"
In the unbearable heat of the afternoon, under the chirping sound of cicadas, he lowers his head and looks at his short shadow, just like looking at his own heart!
Creak
Ye Gu Cheng pushes the door, "Grandpa."
A vague moan comes from inside the house. Ye Gu Cheng's expression changes slightly as a bitter sentiment rushes over him. He quickly strides through the yard into the house.
Inside, he sees an old man looking withered, his face turning pale, making strange groaning noises from his throat. It is clear his life is hanging on a thread.
Ye Gu Cheng rushes over, feeling heartache, "Grandpa!"
The old man grasps Ye Gu Cheng's hand tightly, using all his strength, "Gu Cheng."
Seeing the old man in this state, Ye Gu Cheng realizes that the old man's life is drawing to its twilight. Tears start to rain, "Grandpa, I'm here."
The old man's face shows an unusual flush. With difficulty, he says, "Gu Cheng, I knew my time was running out! I have arranged everything for my aftermath. I wanted to accompany you for a few more years, but fate cannot be defied! I can no longer hold on after today! After I am gone, move the small jar behind the house..."
While the old man was talking, his voice faded a few times. By his last breath, he had no more strength to continue speaking. His hold on Ye Gu Cheng's hand tightens, then completely loosens.
Ye Gu Cheng bursts into tears, sobbing heavily.
"Life, aging, sickness, and death—such is the great sorrow of existence."
Half a day later...
Ye Gucheng was crouching quietly in a corner behind the house, looking at the hole that was revealed after moving the small jar. Strangely, he had been living here for sixteen years and yet he had never noticed this deep and dark cave.
He moved a brick from the cave's entrance and picked up a letter that was pressed beneath it. Merely glancing at the first line made his eyes well with tears.
"Gucheng, it was sixteen years ago when I rescued you from peril and brought you to the town. Throughout these years, I have come to see you as my own. Every time I see you suffer because of your meridians, I feel your pain—even more so than you do.
I know you are a man of few words, but you have a heart full of ambition. The obstruction of your meridians must cause you great dissatisfaction. However, one's gifts are bestowed by fate, and it is not in man's nature to defy it.
Yet, over the last sixteen years, I have finally found a way for you to make up for this loss!
Underneath this letter in the cave, there is a sealed porcelain bottle containing a Bi Xuedan pill. I have ventured out for days on end over these past few years specifically in search of this pill. The Bi Xuedan pill has the power to activate dormant abilities in you. As for what abilities, we'll leave that to fate.
The Bi Xuedan pill should not be directly consumed. Instead, use it as a catalyst submerged in a liquid, which will allow the effects of the pill to permeate through your meridians.
Once the pill's effect is stimulated, if you're fortunate enough to receive a favorable ability, you can carry the porcelain bottle that previously contained the Bi Xuedan pill and enter the cave. The cave stretches hundreds of miles away, and once you're out of it, you'll just have to travel a few miles further west to reach Lingyun Crossing, a place beyond this world.
A close friend of mine resides in Lingyun Crossing. There, you just need to present the porcelain bottle and find a man named Hua Zhen. He will take care of everything for you.
Once beyond this world, you'll realise that its realm is one of immortality, vastly different from the martial arts realm that I've been teaching you over these years. I've always had you practice martial arts because, although they seem of different paths, in essence, martial arts and immortality are the same. One internal, one external. The mystery behind these parallels, you'll have to comprehend on your own.
However, if the Bi Xuedan pill can't transform your life, it would be fate’s will, and fate cannot be defied!
Gucheng, if it comes to that, you must find yourself a peaceful place to live."
As Ye Gucheng read this, he was filled with sorrow, thinking of the old man's good intention and effort all these years. His vision blurred with tears.
Drip.
The letter was soaked through.
That night.
Splash.
Ye Gucheng poured the final bucket of water into the bath, steam unfurling above it.
He reached into his breast pocket to fetch a semi-translucent small porcelain bottle, wherein, under the moonlight, a round green pill could be faintly seen.
Pop.
He removed the little wooden stopper from the bottle and threw the jade blood pill into the bath. With a slight gurgling sound, it sank to the bottom of the tub.
In an instant, a huge bubble rose from the bottom, and immediately after, the water surface bulged like boiling water.
Gurgle gurgle.
The initially colorless water turned light green, its color slowly deepening.
Ye Gucheng stripped off his clothes and jumped in. As soon as his body entered the water, the green liquid in the tub mimicked life, climbing from his waist up to his chest. Under the moonlight, faint glimmers of green light flickered.
Within these green lights, a tingling sensation spread from the soles of his feet to his mind. Ye Gucheng couldn’t help but let out a groan, feeling as though every pore in his body was opening, a sensation of extreme comfort.
But immediately following that, a sharp pain attacked him.
As though a billion minute, slender bugs were burrowing into his body through every single pore, wriggling in his limbs, organs, and entrails, as if gnawing at his flesh and blood, causing him torturous pain like a thousand cuts and countless stabs.
Ye Gucheng's forehead throbbed with blue veins. His voice was hoarse, the acute pain in his throat felt like a sharp blade was slashing through it.
This torment spread from the skin, eventually reaching the "dantian" area.
A strange liquid slowly flowed along his meridians, like trickling streams. Wherever the liquid passed, his meridians that had never been in contact with foreign power felt as if they were being torn apart. The liquid surged, dividing into countless strands, madly pouring into his body's acupoints.
Under the moonlight, an eerie faint green glow emerged from Ye Gucheng's eyes. His consciousness was no longer clear due to the intense pain.
The liquid in the bucket gradually became lighter.
Just then,
Outside the courtyard,
Plop!
Mo Shan jumped off the wall.
Behind him, three more people landed, each wielding a weapon in their hands.
