The Long Journey to Immortality

"Could it be that the first disciple I ever take on in this life will be a female disciple?"

With this in mind, Helian Ren didn't waste any more words. He waved his straw fan, pointed to the house, and said, "Come in first."

There was no greeting or inquiry about her name or background, which rendered Han Lu's prepared explanation useless.

"Yes, Hero Hero."

Since inviting her in meant there was something to talk about, Han Lu wasn't in a hurry to start a conversation or explain her purpose. She simply accepted Helian Ren's invitation and entered the thatched hut that had been exposed to wind and rain on the lonely peak for more than ten years.

Upon entering the house, before Han Lu could even observe the furnishings, Helian Ren asked again, "Can you cook?"

Han Lu answered truthfully, "I learned from my mother for a while."

“Then come and help out,” Helian Ren said, shoving the straw fan in his hand into Han Lu’s hand. “Watch the fire.”

"it is good."

Han Lu took this as a test before accepting Helian Ren as a disciple, so she did not refuse his request.

Sitting down in front of the earthen stove, Han Lu used her Fire Phoenix Divine Power to precisely control the flames burning in the stove with the help of a mortal straw fan.

Helian Ren, on the other hand, took a kitchen knife instead of an iron sword and quickly prepared the cold dishes to accompany the rice and wine that evening.

Before long, under Helian Ren's precise knife skills, a cucumber that had been picked from the field not long ago was neatly sliced ​​and arranged in a ceramic bowl, becoming a delicious dish with a few drops of sesame oil.

Before the meal was even served, Helian Ren couldn't resist picking up a piece with his hand and stuffing it into his mouth, chewing it with relish and making "crunch crunch" sounds.

Han Lu was somewhat surprised to see that Helian Ren, who had been speaking profoundly just moments before, lacked the demeanor of a master.

Although the two did not communicate verbally, they cooperated well and completed a dinner of three dishes and a soup.

Helian Ren picked up his chopsticks, about to start eating, when he suddenly remembered Han Lu, "You're a cultivator, you shouldn't need to eat, right?"

"Okay, Mr. He, please feel free to eat. We can talk business after we finish eating."

Although she didn't know exactly how Helian Ren could tell she was a cultivator, Han Lu readily admitted it.

When Helian Ren heard Han Lu address him as "Hero He," he couldn't help but guess Han Lu's general purpose for coming.

"You've come here to learn swordsmanship?"

"Okay, is that alright?" Han Lu asked.

"Let me finish eating first," Helian Ren said, without giving a definite answer.

Helian Ren's chopsticks moved quickly between the dishes, and in no time, ninety percent of the food was in his stomach.

Han Lu did not offer to pour wine for Helian Ren; she simply watched him eat silently.

After eating and drinking his fill, Helian Ren happily finished the last drop of wine in his small cup. With a slightly flushed face and the smell of wine on his breath, he asked, "Fairy, I see that you have an extraordinary bearing. You must be at least a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Why do you come to learn swordsmanship from a mortal like me?"

It is perfectly normal for a master to ask his apprentice why he became his disciple.

This is the third time Han Lu has answered this question in the past two weeks.

After briefly explaining the attributes of her cultivation technique, Han Lu even imitated Jin Zhenren, belittling those sword cultivators who went to extremes and relied excessively on external objects to enhance their combat power. She also cited Wen Xiaonan and Bu Anlan as examples, praising that there were also capable individuals among ordinary swordsmen.

Han Lu subtly flattered Helian Ren a few times, and Helian Ren, who had been drinking, couldn't help but smile, clearly satisfied with Han Lu's words.

"So, does the fairy wish to obtain a trace of the true essence of swordsmanship from this old man, so as to be inspired, seek a breakthrough, and reach the Golden Core stage?" Helian Ren picked up the wine cup again, sniffed the remaining aroma of the wine in the cup, and then reluctantly put the wine cup back on the table.

Even though there was still half a bottle of wine on the table, he didn't take it or drink it. Instead, he held the empty wine glass and smelled the wine with relish. When Han Lu saw this, she suddenly understood why Helian Che was able to dominate the martial arts world for fifty years until he took the initiative to back down and lost his title as the number one.

“That’s right,” Han Lu explained her purpose and went straight to the point, wanting to know Helian Ren’s answer. “Hero He, could you teach me? Or could you offer me some small trade based on your insights into swordsmanship over the past century?”

Helian Ren still didn't answer Han Lu's question directly, but instead asked in return, "What does the fairy think a sword is?"

The sudden cryptic question posed by Helian Ren caused Han Lu to fall into deep thought.

After a moment, Han Lu answered by citing the two development paths after the Golden Core Realm in the Seven Kill Sword Technique.

Han Lu said, "Senior Fang Lin believes there are two paths to sword control: one is the sword as the self, which is based on the sword, and the other is the true self, which is based on the self."

"I think the latter path is the right one."

"A sword is a tool, a tool used to express the thoughts of the swordsman."

"From a certain perspective, it is no different from pen and paper."

"Throughout history, the number of people who died from verbal attacks and written criticism was indeed no less than the number who died by sword."

After answering the question, Han Lu quickly noticed Helian Che's changing expression.

With that same drunken, blurry expression, Han Lu couldn't read Helian Che's mind and understand his feelings.

Whether he was drunk and confused, or Han Lu's answer impressed Helian Che, he fell into deep thought.

After ten breaths, Helian Che spoke again.

Chapter 581 Recognizing Relatives

Helian Che said, "Although Fairy Han's words do not suit my taste, they make a lot of sense and are refreshing to me."

"The path of the sword is long and winding. I'm afraid even the ancient cultivator Fang Han doesn't know which path is correct, and he doesn't know the correct answer to the question I just asked."

"Therefore, although I cannot take Fairy Han as my disciple and teach her everything I know, it is not impossible for me to take this opportunity to exchange some knowledge with Fairy Han."

“However, since we still hope that Fairy Han can make a slight concession and grant this old man a wish first,” Helian Che hiccuped before continuing, “we can then discuss the matter of exchanging sword techniques.”

Making deals with ordinary heroes was something Han Lu had become accustomed to during this apprenticeship journey, and it wasn't surprising at all.

Knowing that Helian Che was willing to teach her some swordsmanship, she smiled and said, "I am also very curious. What wishes does a person as indifferent to fame and fortune as Helian Che, living in this secluded thatched hut on a lonely peak, have that I can help you fulfill?"

Fueled by alcohol, when talking about this wish that was somewhat incongruous with his status, Helian Ren did not hesitate or dawdle at all.

"I hope Fairy Han can stay by my side for the next three days..."

Upon hearing this, Han Lu's expression changed drastically, and she thought to herself, "Could this Helian Ren be an old lecher?"

Drunk and with hazy eyes, Helian Ren didn't notice Han Lu's change in expression. He hiccuped again before uttering the rest of his sentence.

"As a daughter."

This turn of events was unexpected for Han Lu.

Helian Ren's image suddenly changed from a "pervert" to a lonely old man lacking the care of his relatives.

Obsessed with swordsmanship, Helian Ren lived for a hundred years but had no wife or children.

Born into a family of cultivators, he was once a mortal hero but did not integrate into the family.

Even at the height of his fame, bearing the title of the number one in the martial arts world, only his clan elder brother, who had once enlightened him on the path of cultivation, was familiar with him within his clan.

Now, a century has passed, and all his immediate family members have passed away.

Just as Han Lu had imagined, Helian Ren, who lived in a thatched hut on Lonely Mountain, was indeed a lonely old man skilled in swordsmanship.

Han Lu felt sorry for Helian Ren and wanted to agree immediately to fulfill his wish, and to take good care of and accompany this childless old man for the next three days, just like a daughter.

However, Han Lu only found her father, Feng You, in the wilderness a few years ago, so she values ​​the relationship between father and daughter very much.

She couldn't bring herself to call a stranger she'd only known for fifteen minutes "Dad."

After explaining his difficulties, Helian Ren, who was originally drunk, sobered up a bit and actually started bargaining with Han Lu.

"Is it really not going to work? Fairy Han is just a title, there's no need to take it too seriously."

Unable to articulate the attachment she felt to this title, Han Lu could only offer a plausible excuse: "My father probably wouldn't want to share this title with anyone else."

"If he finds out, He Haoxia, you probably won't have many days left to live."

Hearing this, Helian Ren fully sobered up, looking incredulous. "Is it that powerful? My sword is incredibly sharp. Fairy, what is your father's cultivation level? Could it be that he's also a Foundation Establishment cultivator like you?"

Han Lu shook her head, "My father is probably at the late Nascent Soul stage in terms of combat strength."

Upon hearing this, Helian Ren quickly swallowed, abandoning the idea of ​​having Han Lu call him "Dad".

If what Han Lu said is true, even ten Helian Ches wouldn't be enough to fight.

"Then let me ask you this question: how old is Fairy Han?"

"Not even forty."

Helian Ren did some quick calculations and then laughed, "How about we change how you address me? How about you call me Grandpa, Fairy?"

Han Lu felt that these words, coming from Helian Che, didn't seem like a big problem at first, but upon closer inspection, they sounded like the shouts of scoundrels.

"Hero He, are you trying to take advantage of my father again?"

Helian Che then realized that his thinking had been clearly flawed.

Clearly, Helian Ren's idea of ​​having more "relatives" cannot be based on Han Lu's paternal lineage.

This time, Helian Ren had a hunch and asked another question, "Then, Fairy Han, what is your mother's cultivation level?"

Han Lu roughly understood what Helian Ren was thinking, so she decided to tease the old man a little more.

“My adoptive mother is also a master, He Haoxia, you'd better not even think about it.”

"Foster mother? What about your maternal grandfather's strength? Was he also a Nascent Soul Realm expert?" Helian Ren grasped at this straw.

Han Lu said, "No, that's not it."

“Then I’ll be your maternal grandfather!” Helian Ren assigned himself a generational title.

Han Lu added, "However, my maternal grandfather should be a member of the Han family of the Northern Dynasty."

The Han family of the Northern Dynasty was the third largest cultivation family in the Northern Dynasty, far surpassing the He family, to which Helian Ren belonged.

Noticing Helian Ren's dejected expression upon hearing the news, Han Lu quickly added a comment.

"Hero He, let's stop getting hung up on these formalities, shall we?"

"I can agree to spend three days with you like a daughter or granddaughter. I promise to accompany you and take care of you as if you were my own daughter or granddaughter."

Helian Ren was determined to act as Han Lu's elder and seek comfort from her.

"Then you keep calling me Hero Hero, it makes me feel uncomfortable," Helian Ren said with a bitter face.

Han Lu sighed helplessly and softly called out, "Grandpa He."

He was also of the grandfather generation, but the addition of a surname gave him a slightly different feel.

It was this subtle flavor that smoothly resolved the minor conflict between Han Lu and He Lianren over the word "address".

Upon hearing Han Lu's affectionate address, Helian Ren's eyes became misty, and a few tears welled up in his eyes.