Volume One: Youths Meet in Humble Times Chapter Twenty-Six: The Taoist in White and the Child with the Short Sword

After the immortal had spoken those words to Li Yu, he gradually regained his clarity and no longer remained lost in grief.

He walked out of the house and gazed at the desolate mountains before him. The main range of Red Spring Mountain was already shattered and fragmented; the ravines and scattered stones spoke wordlessly of a battle's savagery. Farmlands and houses lay ruined—those that remained were but broken walls and crumbling eaves, the air thick with a sense of bleak desolation. Standing outside, Li Yu stared blankly ahead, lost in thought.

The scene before him filled Li Yu’s heart with sorrow and a cold detachment.

The earth spirit, who had been silently watching over him, could not bear to see him thus. He went over and said gently, “Child, your grandmother’s spirit is surely watching from above. She would not wish to see you like this.”

Li Yu turned, and seeing the old man who had appeared at his side, his eyes reddened as though seeing a loved one. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he choked out, “I miss my grandmother so much. I wish I could go back to how things were.”

The earth spirit squatted beside him, gathered him into his arms, and stroked his head with kind affection. “Don’t worry. Your grandmother will never leave you. From now on, wherever you go, she’ll always be by your side.”

Hearing this, Li Yu broke down completely, clinging to the earth spirit as he sobbed—a true catharsis for the sorrow he’d kept locked away since his grandmother’s death. The earth spirit did not interrupt; he knew that only by letting Li Yu cry could the knot in his heart finally be released.

After a long while, Li Yu’s sobs quieted. The earth spirit said, “You should go pack your things. This place is no longer fit for you. The world outside is where you belong.”

There was a deeper meaning in the earth spirit’s words, but Li Yu did not dwell on it; he only thought simply that there was indeed no reason to remain here any longer. Since he had promised his grandmother to live well, he could not let her down again.

When the immortal returned, he saw Li Yu inside, carefully packing away what needed to stay and bundling up what should be taken, preparing to travel light.

The immortal did not disturb him. The earth spirit came forward, paid his respects, and recounted all that had happened since the immortal left. There was something more he wished to say, but did not know how to begin. The immortal, seeing this, said, “If you have something to say, speak.”

The earth spirit summoned his courage, “No matter what you intend for Li Yu, I only hope you will treat him well. He has suffered too much.”

The immortal said only, “Rest assured, I have my own plans.”

With that, he waved the earth spirit away.

He entered the room, watching as Li Yu paused in his actions, surveying the room again and again. “What are you looking at?” he asked.

Li Yu turned and replied with a bow, “The past.”

The immortal was silent, asking instead, “I am still curious—your eyes were born gray, able to see the world of yin and yang from birth?”

Even with all his years, the immortal still found Li Yu’s ability remarkable. In his experience, those born able to perceive yin and yang were exceedingly rare; such a gift meant a smooth and unhindered path in cultivation. But did such people truly exist?

Li Yu simply shook his head, “I’m not sure, but perhaps.”

The immortal had expected such an answer and did not press further. He smiled, “I see.”

He then asked, “Where do you intend to go next?”

Li Yu replied calmly, “I don’t know yet. I’ll take things one step at a time.”

Finally, he turned to the immortal and bowed again. “I know you saved me. I haven’t yet thanked you for your kindness. Please rest assured, I won’t seek death so lightly again. I promised my grandmother I’d live well. I won’t betray your efforts or let your kindness be in vain.”

The immortal waved him up and changed the subject. “The Phantom Demon has escaped.”

Li Yu had not expected to hear this, and as an ordinary person, wondered what he could possibly do even if the demon was at large.

He looked at the immortal in confusion. The immortal continued, “I know you have been keenly aware of everything happening around you. When Jinlong and the others fought the Phantom Demon, they did not shield your senses. That the demon escaped was unexpected, yet, in a way, not surprising.”

Li Yu said, “I understand. I don’t blame you! You’ve helped us so much. Truly, I don’t blame you. If anyone is to blame, it’s that his fate is too long-lived. As the villagers say, good people die young while evildoers linger for a thousand years.”

The immortal smiled, “But are you truly resigned to this?”

Li Yu sighed helplessly, “And if I’m not, what can I do? I can’t cultivate!”

“Who says you cannot cultivate?”

Those words struck Li Yu like thunder. He did not believe his ears, “W-what did you say?”

“I said,” the immortal replied with confidence, “I can help you cultivate.”

Now Li Yu was truly moved. Since his birth, he had never known such excitement. With his grandmother, he had felt warmth and affection. Before he was three, he had lived without hope, like a walking corpse, with nothing but endless pain. And now, someone was telling him he could cultivate, that there was hope—a matter of great significance for someone born to a family of cultivators, even if he did not wish to acknowledge that lineage. It did not change how much he longed to set foot on the path of cultivation one day.

Excited as he was, he quickly calmed himself and asked, “May I ask, immortal, do you know that I have no spiritual apertures?”

“Of course I do. I’m not blind.”

Li Yu was even more puzzled. “Then why are you so good to me? Why help me cultivate?”

The immortal watched Li Yu’s changing expressions with amusement, finding him ever more interesting. He could not help but laugh, “Isn’t it obvious? I want to take you as my disciple! I thought by now you’d be begging me to take you, but instead you were only excited for a moment before returning to your calm self. That’s not very entertaining!”

Li Yu still did not understand. “But you don’t have to take in someone like me, who will have such difficulty cultivating. If you know I was born without spiritual apertures, then you surely know better than I what that means. Without them, all talent is like duckweed floating on water—appearing lovely, but rootless, never able to become a great tree.”

The immortal waved his hand dismissively, “I know. But just because others cannot do something, doesn’t mean I cannot.”

“But I still want a reason, or at least an answer.”

The immortal seemed to see this side of Li Yu for the first time and laughed, “Why didn’t I notice you were so stubborn before?”

Li Yu bit his lip, embarrassed, remaining silent. The immortal’s expression softened as he said, “There are many reasons, but most are not for you to know now. The one I can tell you is this: when I look at you, I’m reminded of an old friend. Is that reason enough?”

Li Yu could sense the immortal’s sincerity—his heart was open and unguarded as he spoke. At least for this moment, he was telling the truth.

“I do want to cultivate,” Li Yu said, “but I know my grandmother’s wish was that I live well. Between living and cultivating, I’d choose life. That is why I ask your reason for taking me as a disciple. I know it may be impertinent or arrogant, but my life is now my most precious possession.”

“You’re afraid I’d misunderstand?” the immortal asked.

Li Yu replied solemnly, “You are honest with me. I should be honest with you.”

“And you’re not afraid I’ll be angered and refuse to take you?”

“I’m not afraid. I know that being your disciple is an honor to most, but my grandmother taught me that every person is important—so important that one should never see their own worth as less than anyone else’s. To be your disciple is a matter for both of us. It requires both your willingness to accept me and my willingness to call you master. Neither can be lacking.”

The immortal had never heard such words from a five-year-old child in a small mountain village. In all his long life, he had heard many strange things and seen many wonders, but none struck him as forcefully as this.

It made him wonder: what kind of person had raised such a child as Li Yu? For the first time, he felt a genuine sense of respect for the old woman and the life she had lived here. He opened his senses, probing the area for anything he had missed, but found nothing.

Perhaps he was overthinking.

“So, what about now?” the immortal asked, his expression serene as still water. “Are you willing to be my disciple?”

Understanding, Li Yu knelt down and performed the great ritual of three kneelings and nine bows. “Master, please accept your disciple’s respects.”

The immortal replied solemnly, “When your senior brother and I were admitted to our sect, our master taught us: ‘All things may follow your will, save that you must never betray the Way.’ But times change, and many things cannot be explained by one word—betrayal. So I require only this of you: enter my tutelage, act with no restraints; speak and do all things without guilt in your heart.”

Li Yu agreed, not fully comprehending the meaning, but he remembered every word, and these would become his guiding principles in life.

The immortal then took out what he had prepared earlier. Zhang Tian watched the items floating before him: a pearl swirling with black and white energies, a short sword the color of muddy earth, a red incense stick covered in runes, and an ancient nine-story pagoda tinged with primordial yellow. Not understanding their significance, he looked to the immortal for explanation.

“This pearl is the Polarities Pearl, a treasure the Phantom Demon plotted for here on Red Spring Mountain. It has many uses; you will learn them with time. For now, know it greatly restores and enhances cultivation, and can manipulate treasures with the power of yin and yang.

“This short sword is the Yellow Springs Sword of the Yellow Springs Sect, imbued with deadly underworld energy. Wounds from it are crippling at best, fatal at worst.

“This incense is Enchantment Incense. Once lit, its fragrance traps the soul in illusion. Unless one has profound cultivation to shatter the effect, they will be lost within. Of course, it can also be combined with other arts or treasures—you’ll figure out its uses.

“This pagoda is the Primordial Relic Tower. It can absorb all things, storing them within its miniature worlds, one for each floor. How much power it can wield depends on your cultivation and your understanding of it.”

Li Yu looked at the items, hardly daring to believe it. “Are these… for me?”

The immortal looked at him as if he were a fool. “What else? You think I brought them out to show off?”

Li Yu could not believe his ears. In his mind, his new master had always been an aloof immortal, sparing of words, gentle and warm as spring. Yet, suddenly, this seemed to be his true nature.

Seeing Li Yu’s bewilderment, the immortal coughed and said, “This is what I call being unconventional. Don’t be so surprised. You have no idea how exhausting it is to keep up the high-minded act, but I had no choice—my senior brother caught me being unconventional once, and though we had our disagreements, he was still my elder. He scolded me so thoroughly, and since I couldn’t defeat him, I had to submit. Ever since, I’ve had to keep up appearances when venturing out, or he’d give me another thrashing. What could I do? But now things are different. If we meet again, who knows who’d win?”

Li Yu was left speechless. So his master was not just an immortal of lofty bearing, but apparently a bit of a chatterbox as well.

He smiled, a little embarrassed. “But I have nothing to give Master in return.”

The immortal waved it off. “I wasn’t expecting anything. I’ve lived so long—what haven’t I seen? But if you want to give me something, I’m curious to see what you’ll come up with. You have nothing now, so give it to me in the future.”

“Yes, Master.”

Li Yu briskly gathered the gifts, though with the sword and the pagoda he hesitated, unsure how to store them.

Seeing this, the immortal said, “I will seal the sword’s power so you can carry it on your back. As for the pagoda, I’ll place it in your dantian. In time, study it well. When you have spiritual apertures, I’ll teach you to store all things within them.”

Li Yu nodded his thanks. The immortal then asked, “We’re leaving. Is there anything you wish to do?”

Li Yu replied, “I want to scatter my grandmother’s ashes to the sky. It was her final wish.”

And so, master and disciple, together with the earth spirit, climbed to the highest, unbroken peak of Red Spring Mountain. Holding the ash urn, Li Yu gazed at it deeply, reluctant to part, but opened it at last, letting the ashes fall to the wind, to be carried far away.

“Grandmother, little Yu sends you on your final journey. May you go in peace!”

The immortal and the earth spirit watched as Li Yu scattered his grandmother’s ashes, each lost in thought. The earth spirit only wished Li Yu could live a better life from now on. As for the immortal, he thought that from this moment, Li Yu was truly setting out on the treacherous path of cultivation.

No matter how deep the attachment, farewell comes in the end.

When all was finished, the immortal asked the earth spirit, “There is no longer a mountain god here. Would you like to become one?”

The earth spirit was incredulous and smiled wryly, “Please don’t jest with me, immortal. I know my cultivation and station are not enough for such a role.”

“Red Spring Mountain is now but a name. To be its god needs no great power. As for station, I can confer the title in Heaven’s stead.”

For a moment, the earth spirit was stunned. Then, seeing Li Yu winking at him—clearly urging him not to miss this chance—he said, “Thank you for your kindness, immortal. I will fulfill my duties well, swear to take the mountain demon as a warning, and never repeat his mistakes or fail your trust.”

The immortal took out a golden talisman, closed his eyes, and petitioned the heavens. After a while, the talisman turned to a stream of light and flew upward. Then a rainbow descended, enveloping the earth spirit, whose body and cultivation transformed, his form aglow and majestic.

The immortal stroked Li Yu’s head. “Now, can you be at ease?”

Li Yu looked up and smiled from his heart. “Thank you, Master.”

The immortal ruffled his hair. “We are master and disciple. No need for thanks.”

Indeed, though Li Yu had not said so, the immortal knew his last attachment was the earth spirit. That was why he made the earth spirit a god—so his disciple could set out on the path with nothing weighing down his heart.

Once all was settled, the new mountain god watched as a white-robed immortal with a gourd at his waist and a plainly dressed boy with a short sword on his back walked away into the distance.

In his heart, he wished them well: “May you both live well from now on.”