Notes on Longevity

Chapter 214 Years of arduous training in the Meteorite Body Technique; a group plots to set fire.

This morning, Qumu Town was bustling with activity as passersby and long-term residents gathered on the street to discuss one thing.

"Old man selling books, is everything you're saying true?"

The speaker was a burly middle-aged man with a stubble-covered face that looked quite unkempt. However, his prominent, fleshy body was intimidating, especially the iron hammer in his hand and the short blade that was being forged red-hot by a raging fire. It was terrifying to think that if you accidentally touched it, your flesh would be burned to a crisp.

Upon hearing this, the old man selling books exclaimed, "Oh dear! I saw it with my own eyes, how could it be false?"

"I was repairing the roof when suddenly a giant hand rose from the ground and shot straight into the sky. It held the moon in one hand, then grabbed a star that drifted past its wrist and fell back down."

As he spoke, he pointed towards the end of the road.

Someone asked in surprise, "Then who owns this giant hand?"

Some people couldn't believe it: "If what you say is true, that person is not an ordinary person, but a god."

Others chimed in, "That's right, only immortals can hold up the sun and moon; how could a mortal possibly do that?"

"Exactly, or you're just lying to us to get us to buy your book."

The old man selling books was furious. He shouted at the crowd, "I've been here before. Anyone who travels the martial world should know me. Although my character may be ambiguous, my skills are evident to everyone in the martial world. If I were to lie, why would I lie?"

Just then, a voice rang out from the crowd: "So you're the old man who came here before."

The man walked through the crowd, dressed in a gray robe, and went to the front. He held a three-foot-long black iron sword and bowed to the person who had come before him, saying, "This junior is a scholar from the Southern Kingdom. I greet you, sir."

"A scholar from the South?" The visitor asked curiously, looking at the young man before him, "If you are a scholar, why are you carrying a sword?"

The scholar smiled and said, "I am but a humble scholar. Although it is said that there are houses of gold and beauties in books, traveling the world is also something I yearn for. I have traveled around Dayan for a year and have not seen much, but I have heard of your reputation, sir."

"Although the old man's martial arts skills were not high, he learned a secret technique called 'Observation'. This technique was created by a Taoist master. After the master passed away, the secret technique fell to the mortal world and was eventually mastered by the old man."

"Moreover, the old man probably came here because someone has their eyes on your magic and he came here to seek refuge."

The scholar said this, and the man who had come here felt flustered upon hearing it. He had come here with the same intention as the young man had said, but he hadn't expected to blurt it out in a moment of lapse.

The scholar noticed Lai Guo's predicament and then turned to the others, saying, "Although Old Master Lai Guo doesn't have a good reputation in the martial arts world, his skills are undeniable, and everyone cares about their reputation. I don't think the old master would lie to us. If his lies are exposed, he probably won't be able to stay here any longer."

"Compared to the martial arts world, this place is a gathering place for extraordinary people from all over the world. Everyone can learn from each other's strengths and get what they need, so it is relatively safe here. After all, everyone has troubles. If you can't solve them yourself, there will always be a time when you need someone else. So, I believe what the old man said."

"As for whether they are gods or not, we'll have to go and see for ourselves to know."

The scholar's words not only saved the visitor from an awkward situation, but also drew praise from the crowd.

"Too."

"The old man's name is well-known in the martial arts world. His ability to see through people's past at a glance is truly enviable."

"In that case, what the old man said is probably true."

"Does the old man know where that giant hand came from?"

The man glanced at the scholar, smiled slightly, and said, "Of course I know. If you are curious, you can come with me to see whether the owner of that giant hand is a 'human' or a 'god.'"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately agreed, saying, "We must go and see such a spectacle."

"Exactly, if they were truly immortals, just being able to catch a glimpse of them would make life complete."

"Then let's go."

Immediately, half the people of Qumu Town followed the scholar towards the mud-brick house where the Cloud Guest lived.
In the courtyard, the blue and white porcelain still stands on the square table. After a day and a night of warming, the porcelain vase seems different from when it was fresh out of the kiln.

The smooth, delicate bottle reveals a maiden seated in a small boat amidst a landscape pattern. The water flowing beneath the boat makes a gurgling sound, as if the bottle itself is another world.

At this time, the sun had just risen.

Yun Zhongke sat in the room, on a sandalwood chair in front of a table with writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, holding a copy of the Zhuangzi in his hands and silently reading it in his heart:

Ziyou asked, "May I ask about the method?"

Ziqi said: "The Great Clod exhales, and its name is Wind. It is only when there is no movement that it arises; when it does, all the orifices roar and clatter. Yet, why is it that we hear only a faint sound?"

As Yun Zhongke was reading, Su Kui, who was squatting beside him, was puzzled by his own thoughts.

He asked, "Do you know that Su Qing turned into a human last night?"

Upon hearing this, Yun Zhongke shifted his gaze from the words on the book to Su Kui's puzzled face and said, "I know."

“This isn’t right.” Su Kui was startled by Yun Zhongke’s words. “In the past, the porcelain vases and other small items you made wouldn’t have transformed into human form so quickly.”

As he spoke, Su Kui suddenly pointed to the pale blue porcelain bottle by the window and said, "She's been gone for ten years. When you were traveling, I would go and talk to her to relieve my boredom."

Yun Zhongke nodded and said, "That's good. Even when I'm not by your side, you still have someone to talk to."

“That’s not what I meant.” Su Kui stared at him with a hint of grievance. “What I meant was, she hasn’t been able to cultivate into human form for ten years, but Su Qing did it in a single day. I want to know why? Is it because you met that woman after you went to Jiangnan that things turned out this way?”

Yun Zhongke put down the Zhuangzi in his hand and slowly said, "That's not it."

"Why is that?" Su Kui pressed on.

Do you remember the star I plucked from the sky last night?

Upon hearing this, Su Kui pursed his lips and said, "Of course I know. How could I not remember what just happened?"

"Did you know that a star lights up in the sky after each person is born or dies?"

Su Kui was taken aback when he heard this. He frowned, pondered, and shook his head, saying, "I'm not quite sure."

"In this world, reincarnation is inevitable, and one cannot escape the word 'destiny.' If a newborn has enough luck, a star will light up in the sky, and that star will change as he/she grows. The stronger he/she is, the brighter the star will be; conversely, it will gradually dim until it is no longer visible."

Su Kui scratched his head, puzzled. He asked, "Then why do stars light up when the dead are dead?"

"Everyone is born with a certain amount of luck, but as they grow and the years pass, those with weak wills will find their stars dimming, only to shine again after their death. These lonely stars, no longer bound by luck, will wander aimlessly, eventually forgotten by everyone."

“I see,” Su Kui nodded thoughtfully. “I have another question. You said that the stronger a person is, the brighter their star will be. What about your star? There are many stars in the sky, but I haven’t seen a single one that can resonate with yours.”

Yun Zhongke smiled faintly, extended his palm and presented it to Su Kui, saying, "Mine is here."

As Su Kui looked at Yun Zhongke's palm with a puzzled expression, a shimmering star the size of a relic appeared in his hand, its flickering light and shadow resembling a heartbeat.

"These are your stars?" Su Kui was increasingly confused. He asked, puzzled, "Didn't you say they were all in the sky? Why are they in your hands?"

Yun Zhongke withdrew his hand, and the stars disappeared with him. He smiled calmly and said, "It is true that the stronger a person is, the brighter their star is. However, the brighter a person's star is, the more easily their fate is influenced and they cannot control it. This is why I say that in this life, one cannot escape the word 'destiny'."

"why?"

The traveler in the clouds replied, “The starry sky is just like the human world. People are entangled with each other, and so are the stars in the sky. Just like your star and other people’s stars intersect, you will have a connection. Whether it is a matter of love and hate or a deep-seated hatred depends on the reason for your connection.”

"And this, we call the Destiny Star."

"Our life and death affect the movement of the stars, and the encounters between the stars foreshadow our fate."

"Those with stronger luck may seem to have endless glory, but they are also controlled by fate."

"The brighter the star, the more attention it attracts, and what follows may be subservience or scheming."

"That's true. But why is your destiny in your own hands?"

Su Kui asked.

Yun Zhongke still smiled and said, "When you realize that fate can be changed, do you still want to live under the influence of others?"

Su Kui shook his head: "I don't want to."

"Then pluck your own star, keep it by your side, and don't let it get entangled with others. In the future, who you want to meet and who you want to have contact with is entirely up to you."

“I understand.” Su Kui understood. He stood up, rubbed his hands together, and said to Yun Zhongke, “Wait here, I’ll go up to the sky and pluck my star down.”

Having said that, Su Kui turned and left without hesitation. Even Yun Zhongke, who wanted to say something, could only keep it to himself and swallow it back: "Just like when you were a kid, where are you going to look for your own star in broad daylight? Can you even see it?"

Yun Zhongke sighed helplessly. After Su Kui disappeared from sight, he picked up the Zhuangzi again and continued reading: "Great knowledge is leisurely, small knowledge is narrow; great words are fiery, small words are verbose. Its awareness is open-minded, it engages in dialogue and construction, and it struggles with its mind every day."

Suddenly, a commotion outside the door caught his attention.
Standing before the stone archway of the town, the crowd looked at the dilapidated, desolate houses behind the gate, bearing the marks of a fire. When they looked up at the inscription on the stone gate, marking the boundary between life and death, a ripple of emotion stirred within them.

"This is the end of the town; if you go any further, people will die."

At this moment, a middle-aged man holding an iron hammer came out. He raised his red-hot short blade, pointed it at the stone archway, and said solemnly.

What happened in here?

A passerby in the martial arts world asked.

The man sighed and shook his head, saying, "I don't know either, but once you pass through the stone gate, no one but the gods in heaven can survive."

Upon hearing this, a commotion arose among the crowd. Someone said, "Then I'll be going. I just came to watch the excitement. I didn't expect it to be so dangerous here."

As soon as these words were spoken, people began to leave. The person who spoke earlier was right; they had only come to see the true face of the giant hand, not to die.

In no time, the once-thick crowd had dwindled to almost nothing. Turning back to look at the remaining half of the departed group, the man who had come added, "I was too naive. I never imagined the owner of that giant hand would reside here. If anyone wishes to leave, please do so."

After the man who had come had finished speaking, the group looked at each other in bewilderment. They bowed and nodded to the man who had come, the scholar, and the man, saying, "Then we will take our leave first."

After they left, only a dozen or so people remained. Even those who had been there before were surprised to find that the owner of the giant hand actually lived here, as this place was anything but peaceful at night. The fact that the owner of the giant hand could suppress such things suggested that he was no ordinary being; if not a deity, he was practically one.

Just then, the sound of rustling footsteps caught their attention.
Su Kui came to the courtyard, rolled up his sleeves and looked up at the sky, but the sky was shrouded in haze, and it was difficult to see anything except for the sunlight filtering through the thin mist.

So, he stretched his neck, fully prepared, and leaped up. He first jumped onto the eaves of the wall and then onto the mud-brick roof. As he gazed at the thin mist in the sky, gathering his strength to fly upwards, he caught a glimpse of a group of people standing in front of the stone archway, seemingly about to do something. However, people kept leaving until only a few remained.

Su Kui was curious, so he walked up the roof to the eaves and then slowly walked to the door.

When the others arrived, they saw Su Kui standing on the wooden door and stared at him with a cold look. "Everyone be careful, he might be the owner of that giant hand."

The crowd faced the alley and stared at Su Kui, who slowly sat down on the door. They looked at him cautiously, but the scholar was different from them. After seeing their cautious appearance, he smiled and said, "Don't be afraid, everyone. I will go and scout ahead first."

Having said that, he put the three-foot-long black iron behind his back and headed straight for Su Kui.

When he arrived at the door, Su Kui frowned and looked at the scholar, asking, "Who are you?"

"In response to your question, sir, I am a wandering swordsman passing through Qumu Town. I heard that last night a giant hand burst from the ground and shot straight into the sky, so we followed the person's directions and came here out of curiosity. May I ask if you have seen it?"

The scholar first explained his background, intending to put Su Kui at ease. Then he would gradually tell him the origins of his story, so that even if Su Kui didn't tell him, they wouldn't have any conflict.

However, Su Kui looked the scholar up and down, and finally stared at his hands behind his back and asked, "What are you hiding behind your back?"

"Oh," the scholar said, seeing that Su Kui had asked the question, so he no longer needed to hide it. He said frankly, "I am a wanderer of the martial world, and this black iron is my weapon of choice. I always carry it with me. However, it is not that I am hiding it. I was just afraid of frightening you, so I put it away."

Su Kui said "Oh," and looked at the scholar, saying, "I haven't seen that giant hand you mentioned. You should go back."

"This"

The scholar was speechless, stunned by Su Kui's words. He looked around blankly at the people who had come before him, completely at a loss. He hadn't expected Su Kui to say something like that after all he had said.

After exchanging a glance with the man, he also walked into the alley, and the others followed.

The man who had come over stood beside the scholar and bowed to Su Kui, saying, "Young master, I saw a giant hand rise from here last night. How could you, who live here, not have seen it? Don't try to deceive us."

Upon hearing this, Su Kui pouted and said helplessly, "I have important matters to attend to. You should all go back now. What giant hand? I've never seen one."

After saying that, he got up and leaped onto the roof behind him, looking up at the sky again. However, since Guo Dong and the others were not leaving, Su Kui could not simply fly up into the sky in front of them. So he turned his head and stared at them coldly, saying in an extremely icy tone, "If you don't leave, don't blame me for being impolite."

The man was enraged upon hearing this. He raised his hammer, pointed it at Su Kui, and said fiercely, "Kid, don't be so stubborn. I'll beat you into mincemeat."

"puff!"

Before the blacksmith could finish speaking, he felt as if he had been struck in the chest. It was the same feeling he had when he was forging knives and hammering iron bars, a dull, unpleasant sensation that was hard to describe. Then, he felt as if he had been knocked away by an invisible fist and landed outside the alley.

Those who had come all looked terrified. As they watched the man fly out of the alley, they suddenly felt uncertain. To kill someone without leaving a trace—could he truly be an immortal? Or perhaps a demon who had cultivated the Great Dao?
Su Kui, who was standing on the roof, was also curious. However, he also knew why. So he ran to the edge of the eaves, bent down and looked down at the inner room below, but he did not see the person he wanted to see.

Leaning against the window inside the house, Yun Zhongke stared indifferently at the crowd outside the courtyard. He placed his hand on the porcelain vase and tapped it repeatedly with his index finger, the crisp sounds echoing as they landed on the people outside. Without exception, they, like the scholar, were struck by an invisible fist and fell outside the alley.

Su Kui knew the reason. Although he didn't see Yun Zhongke, he was amused by the dejected appearance of everyone. He laughed heartily on the rooftop. But the next moment, a white stream of air appeared from beneath his feet. Before he could react, the stream of air quickly landed on his face and sent Su Kui flying straight into the sky.

Seeing this, the group, who had scrambled to their feet with trepidation, swallowed hard and fled in panic. Only the one who had come glanced one last time at the tightly closed wooden hut as he left, seemingly plotting something, but his priority now was to get out of there.

Yun Zhongke noticed the resentful look on the man's face and shook his head, sighing, "Don't blame me for not warning you, you've brought this upon yourself."

Su Kui had been to the heavens before, but never to such a height. The orange-yellow sun and his clothes were almost the same color, or perhaps he was forced to fly too high, and the sunlight made his eyes blurry and unable to distinguish colors.

However, he couldn't care less about the sun so close to him. He had come up here to find his own destiny star, but when he looked around, he couldn't see anything but the blue sky, white clouds, and the sun. He was immediately confused and asked, "Where are the stars?"

In a daze, Su Kui suddenly felt that he had lost his footing and could no longer fly. He looked down and saw green mountains and clear waters, smoke and fire, and city buildings all clearly visible.

"No way! It's so tall!"

Su Kui lost his balance and his feet gave way. At this moment, he tumbled to the ground like a boulder rolling down a mountain.

Yun Zhongke smiled slightly, put down his hand that was tapping on the porcelain bottle, turned around and walked back to his desk. After a sound in the courtyard, he picked up the scriptures again and continued reading.

Amidst the swirling dust, Su Qing, who stood on the square table in the courtyard, slowly moved her body, trying to distance herself as much as possible from Su Kui.

"Old man! You actually tricked me? Where did these stars come from in broad daylight?"

Su Kui slumped to the ground, his usually impeccably clean clothes and orange robe spotless. He rubbed his slightly aching arm and head, staring at Yun Zhongke in the room with a reproachful look.

Yun Zhongke didn't answer him, but he seemed to have discovered something as well. He rubbed his body and stared at it in surprise, still a little incredulous. So, he immediately got up and carefully touched his body. After confirming it, he rushed into the house with great joy and wanted to give Yun Zhongke a bear hug.

However, Yun Zhongke felt he was too dirty, so Xiao Shi used a method to separate himself from Su Kui.

Su Kui tapped on the invisible barrier in front of him, first with curiosity, then with a laugh: "Old man, I did it, I did it! Now you don't have to worry about me being bullied when I go out. Now I can go traveling with you."

While reading, Yun Zhongke glanced at Su Kui and said, "How old are you? You're still acting like a child. Go wash up quickly, or you can forget about stepping into this house today."

"Alright!" Su Kui was overjoyed. He turned and ran towards the courtyard, shouting, "I've finally mastered the Meteorite Body Technique! I can go out and play now! All those years of beatings weren't for nothing!"

Upon hearing Su Kui's voice, Yun Zhongke shook his head helplessly and murmured, "To play."

He put down the book in his hand, then stood up and looked at the painting behind him. He reached out and touched it, his breathing becoming heavier: "This time we leave, we probably won't be coming back."

"Since the past is the past, I don't need to dwell on it anymore. I'm going to start my life anew."

“I’ve been so lonely without you by my side all these years, but thankfully I met this child. Maybe you were afraid I’d be lonely, so you let me meet him.”

"Don't worry, as long as I'm alive, I won't let anyone hurt him."

In the mud-brick house, the whispers of Yun Zhongke and the laughter of Su Kui could be heard intermittently. Meanwhile, in an inn in the small town, a dozen people sat around a table, their anger barely concealed. One of them slammed his fist on the table and roared, "That little brat dared to play us for fools!"

But despite their anger, their fear of Su Kui still lingered in their hearts: "It seems that the giant hand came from that house, but we are no match for it."

"What can we do then? We can't just take the beating for nothing."

At this point, someone suggested, "I don't believe they'll stay there forever. I'll go ask around. I heard that this family goes out every now and then, sometimes for a few months, sometimes for a few years. This way, we'll have a chance."

You mean after they leave?

“That’s right, we can’t beat them, but we can set fire to their houses after they leave. Besides, most of the people who want to live here are like that old man selling books today. They possess extraordinary skills but are coveted. And people like them must have a lot of rare treasures with them. If we take them, we might not become rich and powerful, but we can certainly live a life of comfort.”

"You're right. But when will they leave? We can't stay here forever, can we?"

"This"

Everyone was stumped, and the man spoke again: "Who among us doesn't have a family?"

"I."

"I."

"And I."

He counted the number of people and then said, "In this way, we can choose one person from the few who are unmarried to stay here, and the rest of you can leave."

"What about those of us with families? We can't just let you divide up all those treasures, can we? We were beaten too."

"In that case, everyone stays. Those who don't want to can leave now."

"This"

"Alright, I'll stay. As long as I can get the treasure, what does it matter if my family has to wait a little longer?"

Seeing this, the others readily agreed.

In the cramped, narrow thatched hut, the blacksmith and the scholar stood beside the bookshelf, staring at Lai Guo, who was sitting cross-legged.

Upon seeing that his entire body was enveloped in a purple light, the scholar frowned uneasy and asked, "Is this really alright?"

The man wasn't in a hurry. He laughed and said, "Didn't you say he was very capable? What? Are you worried now?"

The scholar quickly explained, "I was just curious about that giant hand. If I didn't want to see it with my own eyes, I wouldn't bother helping anyone out."

The man looked at the scholar, curious about his attire. He was dressed in a scholar's robe but held a blunt iron ruler in his hand: "You say you are a scholar from the South?"

The scholar replied, "That's true."

“I know the Six Arts of a Gentleman. It’s understandable that you, as a scholar and a wandering knight, would know these things. But why are you carrying a blunt iron ruler as a weapon?”

Upon hearing this, the scholar could only smile wryly and helplessly: "Well, I'm just unlucky."

The man, puzzled, asked, "Why are you having bad luck?"

"Because I met a strange man. He insisted that I become his apprentice, and in the end, he gave me a manual for measuring rulers and this iron ruler. Strangely enough, since I learned his things, my skill has increased several times over, but there is a drawback. This thing seems domineering, but it trains the mind. At the time, I thought it was for strengthening muscles and bones and tempering the body."

The man found it intriguing: "Indeed extraordinary, something like this."

The man and the scholar were talking when Lai Guo suddenly coughed up blood. His eyes glazed over as he looked at them and said, "He's not human."

(End of this chapter)