Tao and Heaven

Chapter 215: Visit from an old friend, farewell

In the twenty-third year of Daxia, the summer was hot and rainy.

【Tian Sui Thousand Years】

【Thirty Years of Imperial Juice】

The elixir is running low, and the chance to become an immortal is coming to an end.

It was becoming increasingly difficult for the imperial court to mine elixirs, and Gu Wen had spent a lot of effort to find them himself for only a few hundred years. In order to avoid harming the people, he wrote a letter to Jiang Jucai a few days ago after a lapse of three years.

As a result, nearly a million people lost their jobs in various industries that were created in search of the elixir, and people from Nanshui went to the capital in droves to seek justice. Fighting, unemployment, and chaos occurred one after another, and the situation was particularly serious in Linchuan.

The food and clothing of millions of trough workers has been a mature industry that has lasted for decades since the previous dynasty.

But the spiritual medicine no longer grows, the foundation on which they depend for survival disappears, and the disappearance of the industry is not whether Gu Wen needs it or not. The journey from Linchuan to Bianjing consumed one-third of the national treasury silver.

The only thing Gu Wen could do was to burst the bubble in advance.

It was drizzling in the sky and water was dripping from the eaves. Gu Wen, who was standing in front of the desk, moved the basin with his feet to ensure that the water would fall accurately into the basin.

He wrote with his pen as sharp as a sword and as sharp as a spear. Then he changed his style again and again, as if he wanted to write all his life's learning into it.

The immortal sword that had been silent for many years was unsheathed and floated quietly behind Gu Wen. The snow-white blade reflected what Gu Wen had written.

A chicken with a round head, a triangular beak and three forked legs.

If other people would think it was just a child's random drawing, but the Immortal Sword could see the meaning at a glance, and it chimed softly, saying: "Yes, you have already shown a lot of intention to return to nature."

The round head is the sword, the triangle is the sun, the forked feet is the moon, and there are many other methods, evenly distributed in them in sections or points.

Gu Wen was drawing blindly, but the method he used made him admired precisely because of its casualness.

The method is not bound by form, the meaning is not bound by thought, and writing casually is the truth. His growth did not stop because he reached the peak, but continued to move forward.

If it weren't for Jianmu, perhaps he would have a better chance of becoming a saint than Qingcang.

Gu Wen shook his head and said, "It's just some idle writing. It can't be considered as some magical skill. Besides, most of my writing is just copying what others have said."

I just had nothing to do, so I wanted to become more proficient in the method. After a few years, I gradually became proficient in it.

He often thought of what his master always said, "Taoism is as simple as gold, wood, water, fire and earth." Now he could vaguely understand what simplicity meant.

The sword originates from the heart, and a thought becomes a gun. The sword is a gun, and the gun is a sword, it all depends on a single thought.

hum!
The jade pendant in my arms vibrated.

Gu Wen looked down and saw a crack on the surface of the jade pendant, with a faint sound coming from it.

He smiled and said, “Now that everything has been settled, what’s the use of your little guy just coming into the world?”

Another spring and autumn passed, and during the same summer rainy season, Gu Wen's house leaked even more seriously.

His basin increased from one to five.

Xianjian asked, "Don't you want to fix it?"

"I just bought ten basins. I'll wait until ten holes appear in them."

Gu Wen decided to wait a little longer because he felt there was no rush. If the roof was repaired, what should he do next?
There should always be some thoughts in life.

As soon as the thought came to his mind, the jade pendant shattered and a cloud of mist emerged from it, spreading and engulfing Gu Wen.

In the blink of an eye, he was in another world. The land was ten acres in size, with clouds in all directions and a spiritual spring in the middle.

"Ow~"

A soft howl reached his ears, and a cat-shaped, long-haired, tiger-faced beast emerged from the clouds beneath his feet. Its hair was gray, and there was a clump of long, beard-like hair on its chest, with a swirling red circle on top.

It licked its paws and looked at Gu Wen with a pair of pupils that were different from those of humans.

Look left, look right, look with your head tilted.

Gu Wen stared at it for a long time, and at the first sight he knew that this "cat" was a family heirloom.

But the kitten's eyes reveal ignorance and stupidity. Its nature is still the same as before. I wonder if something went wrong during the gestation period. Why does it look so silly?

"Hello."

Gu Wen stretched out his hand, and the cat came closer and sniffed it, then licked it with its pink tongue.

"Can you understand what I'm saying?"

The cat licked Gu Wen again, then simply held Gu Wen's arm with its paws and licked it continuously.

"Are you born in the Year of the Dog?"

It's a stupid cat.

Gu Wen was so confident, at least at this stage he was like a newborn baby, unable to understand human language, unable to transmit thoughts, and even more unable to understand what he meant.

At least the housing problem is solved.

Gu Wen lay on the soft clouds, his hands resting on the back of his head. The cat tentatively stepped on Gu Wen's chest and rubbed it a few times, and when he didn't move, he became bolder.

A closeness that almost came from blood made it unconsciously approach Gu Wen.

This is also the most precious thing about the mythical beast. Once it recognizes its master, there is basically no chance of rebellion, and this loyalty will be passed on to future generations or heirs.

Zheng!
The magic sword broke through the boundary from outside, and the sword light illuminated all directions. The cat was so scared that it turned back into a jade token and hung on the consultant's neck.

After observing him for a long time, the Immortal Sword said: "You have formed a world of your own, and you have a great mind. You have a deep source of blessings, and even your divine beasts are of the best quality."

Gu Wen asked curiously, "What is the best?"

"It can become a cave heaven, and its internal laws can be perfected to the highest level. It can be compared to Jianmu."

The Immortal Sword is concise and to the point. Jianmu is the upper limit of this mythical beast. It can become a world of its own and eventually even replace the world of cultivation.

"If the human race had such a divine beast 30,000 years ago, they might not have chosen to reclaim the wasteland, but instead rode the divine beast's cave to stay away from Jianmu. With this beast, ordinary sects can transcend the great catastrophe of heaven and earth and not be affected by anything."

"The transcendent can only protect itself, but it can protect billions of lives."

"Can you take me away?"

"We have to wait until its own laws can counteract Jianmu."

"There's no difference. Just think of it as raising a kitten or a puppy."

Gu Wen rubbed the cat's head, thought for a moment and asked, "Let's just call you a family heirloom. I've called you that for so many years, and I'm too lazy to change it. If I can't get out in the future, I'll pass you on to Yu Hua."

It is a cave of its own with a magical spring. If I had obtained this treasure back then, I would have left Bian Jing long ago and devoted myself to cultivation.

As long as he has enough talent, he can stay in the cave and become an immortal without any harm. The cave can also serve as a shelter, and he can hide for tens of thousands of years if he encounters any disaster.

When the time comes, I will build a palace, plant some spiritual fields, and marry a wife.

When I have nothing to do, I learn to plant flowers, and when I return home every morning, I enjoy the beauty of nature.

Gu Wen has complicated thoughts, he thinks as he sees fit and feels at ease as he thinks.

I closed my eyes and slowly fell asleep. My lingering breath was reflected by the sky and cave, the light and clouds complemented each other, and I felt like I was with the sky.

"Ow~"

The heirloom licked Gu Wen's chin, then lay on his chest and closed his eyes.

It was already a month later when I woke up.

He returned to his room where the water had started to drip again, and took out a brush to draw circles where the water was dripping. It was like water that made no sound and left no trace when it touched the ground.

Each circle is an extremely small space.

Xianjian watched all this silently. He could feel that the young man who was full of vigor and vitality in the past had grown up completely, becoming more introverted and making him more difficult to understand.

Every gesture and movement is in line with the great way.

"Have you attained enlightenment?"

“I have a slight understanding.”

Gu Wen could not deny it, and then he said modestly, as if stating a fact: "Little Daoer, it can only be used to collect water."

A casual stroke of the pen, a mustard seed, is this considered a minor path?

Xianjian pondered for a moment and saw the entrance to the water-drop cave, the inside of which was only as big as a fist.

He wanted to discuss the Dao, so he asked, "What is the Dao?"

"What is big?"

"The Great Way is eternal. The heaven and earth are great, the sun and the moon are great, and the stars are great."

"The purpose of cultivation is to transform into the heaven and earth, the sun, the moon, and the stars?"

"In order to emulate the permanence of heaven and earth, we must live long and see long."

"The size of the universe is 90 million miles, so it is only 90 million miles. The sun and the moon are one, the stars are finite, but the dust is countless. So which one is bigger and which one is smaller?"

Gu Wen's example made Xianjian ponder for a long time, and even after an incense stick of time, he still could not give an answer.

"Quantity is infinite, time is endless, the constant of heaven and earth is also impermanent, the beginning and the end are unknown. This is true of heaven and earth, and so are people. The unknown is always greater than the known. The ultimate of my way is unknown, and naturally greater than heaven and earth."

hum!
The immortal sword vibrated, and the mysterious sound continued to spread.

He is truly a powerful being.
-
In the autumn of the same year.

Gu Wen reclaimed a spiritual field in the heirloom cave, irrigated it with spiritual springs, planted grains and vegetables, and reaped a good harvest.

He threw a basket of cucumbers into the well, and the sound of a splash broke the calmness of the water, which then quickly recovered, reflecting some of the white hair of the man drawing water.

A familiar voice came from behind me.

"Brother Hongchen, you are so kind."

Turning around, I saw a man and two women standing outside the oxhorn flowers on the fence.

A handsome man dressed as a scholar stood there, with curved eyebrows and a smile on his lips, carrying a basket of herbs on his back. Next to him stood a barefoot girl in a red skirt and a plump woman in a purple skirt.

Lan Yongning, Lu Chan.

Three words popped up in Gu Wen's mind, including all the things that happened in the past.

Longqiao is a businessman, Li Shanyu is the courtesan of Qianfeng Tower, and Lu Chan is the best alchemist of the younger generation.

Luo Shui went to learn swordsmanship and asked questions without hesitation. He even visited Lan Yongning, but was driven away by Lan Yongning several times.

"Brother Lan, Miss Lu, Miss Li, why are you here?"

The rope in Gu Wen's hand slipped out of his hand, and well water splashed out. He took three steps at a time and went out of the door, opened the courtyard door and walked forward.

The old friends were extremely happy to see each other. After exchanging greetings for a while, Gu Wen invited everyone into the courtyard and poured each of them a cup of tea.

Among them, Li Shanyu, a second-rate genius, was flattered.

Chatting about their recent situation, since they parted in Luodu, they basically went their separate ways to look for opportunities. Lan Yongning stopped at the 87th Dao Foundation, while Lu Chan made great progress and reached the 88th Dao Foundation, and their rankings on the Earth List were reversed.

The former ranked sixth and the latter ranked fifth.

Li Shanyu was much more mediocre, with only a 65th level of Dao foundation.

"It's really unpredictable. Miss Lu has surpassed Brother Lan after not seeing her for a while."

Gu Wen couldn't help but sigh, thinking back to the time when Lan Yongning was known as the number one person among the three religions. Later, he was caught up by the awakened Xiao Yunyi, and now he was overtaken by Lu Chan.

"When a man has been away for three days, he should be treated with new eyes, let alone more than 20 years have passed."

Lu Chan puffed out her chest slightly, her face full of pride, while Lan Yongning smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying, "I'm not as skilled as you, there's nothing to say."

After that, they couldn't find a topic to talk about. Gu Wen asked about the scenery outside the sky. Lan Yongning was a little evasive, and Lu Chan was evasive when answering. After Gu Wen asked many times, the two of them gradually let go.

Lan Yongning said that in the field of Tianwai calligraphy, Wen Kuizhou is the leader, and that is also where Liuyun Sect is located.

Lu Chan introduced Huajianzhou, where her sect was located, as a place of peace and prosperity, dual cultivation was widely spread, and there were thousands of brothels and countless geishas.

The two continents are adjacent, and the social divisions of openness and conservatism make each side despise the other. The former calls them shameless and frivolous, while the latter calls them hypocritical and unrighteous.

Lan Yongning smiled and said, "Brother Hongchen, if you are really interested in singing and dancing, we also have a Qingguan in Wenkuizhou. I will take you to see it when we have the chance. It is no worse than those coquettish female demon cultivators."

As soon as she finished speaking, Lu Chan kicked Lan Yongning and whispered something to him, which immediately made his expression unnatural.

Can he still go out?

“I’ll definitely go check it out later.”

Gu Wen took note of the two's little movements. Their skills were no longer what they used to be, and many things could not be hidden from him.

The two of them intentionally or unintentionally began to avoid topics about the outer world, and chatted about family matters, sharing their own interesting experiences in the sect. Gu Wen was also fascinated by what he heard, such as the cultivation of the sect, the disciples and elders, and the big and small competitions.

As the sun set, the four of them came back to their senses.

Lan Yongning stood up and bowed, saying, "I am here to say goodbye. My chance to become an immortal has ended, and I am afraid that we may never meet again, so I have been asking around to find this place."

"I feel the same. I don't know if I can see you again after this time." Lu Chan bowed and Li Shanyu, who was guarding him, also bowed.

The three of them looked solemn and a little sad, as if they were attending a memorial service.

"Congratulations, Brother Lan. See you in the cultivation world in the future."

Gu Wen smiled and bowed slightly in return.

Hearing this, Lan Yongning looked even more embarrassed. He covered his face and wiped away his tears, saying, "I hope Brother Gu will not give up. We will see each other in the cultivation world in the future."

In the evening, I saw the three people off for ten miles. The three people turned into streams of light and fled into the distance. From time to time, one of the streams of light turned back.

Lu Chan stayed five steps away from him, neither too aggressive nor too distant.

She asked crisply, "Brother Dao, I often couldn't help but think of you. You faced the Emperor Dao at Dragon Bridge and killed the True Lord. And later, every time I heard that you fought against the demons, topped the Earth Ranking, and then ranked first on the Human Ranking, I was very happy. I am extremely concerned about all the news about Brother Dao."

At this time, Lan Yongning and Li Shanyu also turned back one after another, and they all held their breath when they saw this.

Gu Wen listened quietly without interrupting.

"I was wondering if it was Young Mu Ai? But if so, why didn't I see you at first sight, and why did I always think of your peerless beauty? Later I figured it out, and thus achieved the Eightfold Perfection of the Dao Foundation. Now perhaps we are parting forever, and I think I should talk to Brother Dao about this."

Lu Chan took two steps closer, leaned forward slightly, and said with a bright smile: "My admiration for you is pure and sincere, and now it is even stronger than that for the goddess. It was you who gave me the Eightfold Perfection, and I would like to thank you for that."

The corners of Gu Wen's mouth curled up slightly, and his smile was very light and shallow.

"Brother Dao, I'm leaving."

Lu Chan's steps were so light that she seemed to be blown away by the wind. In an instant she flew a thousand meters away and stood side by side with the other two people. Then she waved goodbye and flew away.

Gu Wen stood by the field and looked at their silhouettes reflected in the setting sun, which illuminated a river red.

(End of this chapter)