Chapter 3
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“Lu Liangsheng–”
As far as his line of sight reaches, there was only endless blackness. When the old man’s voice sounded, it was faintly accompanied by the croaking of frogs.
“Mas… Master…”
With a slightly panicked tone, Lu Liangsheng looked around. The extending darkness gradually took on the outline of a courtyard. Dim, deep yellow light glowed from the rooms in the nearby courtyard, and there was a rustling, noisy sound. Shadows flitted about, with some figures leaning against the paper windows as if trying to peer into the courtyard.
The atmosphere grew eerie.
“Master!” Lu Liangsheng called again, then instinctively ducked and took a step to the side. The soil beneath him began to sprout green sprouts. Then, breaking through the earth, the sprouts quickly grew into a towering ancient tree, its branches and leaves swaying gently in the night breeze.
The air flowed, and a stone table and stone bench appeared. Lu Liangsheng rubbed his eyes and, upon opening them, saw an old man with white hair and beard sitting there, wearing the same gray robe from that day.
“Master… is this a dream?” Lu Liangsheng asked cautiously.
The old man scrutinized him closely, then nodded: “This is a dream, but it can also be real. It depends on one’s personal path.” He took the black-patterned gourd from his waist and poured it onto the stone table. A wine cup appeared out of nowhere, catching the flowing wine.
“Liangsheng, come and try this.” He said, handing over the wine cup.
Lu Liangsheng hesitated for a moment but walked over and took the cup from the old man’s hand. The wine in the cup swirled, crystal clear and with a rich aroma.
He had drunk a bit of wine before, at village weddings where they served wine to all the villagers, but the wine before him was exceptionally rich and smooth.
Except for the slight tingling in the throat, the rest was a sweet, lingering flavor. He felt a tingling sensation spreading through his limbs.
“It can cleanse mortal impurities.”
Lu Liangsheng held the wine cup and looked up, “Huh?”
“No need to understand everything, just follow what I say.” The old man said with a blank expression. His wide sleeves slid to both sides as he stood up, and walked to the boy, caressing the top of his head.
“In my lifetime, I practiced kindness and virtue, but unexpectedly suffered a severe injury from a sneak attack. I thought I would die in solitude in the old forest, but fate has brought us together. I am giving you this opportunity, how far you go depends on yourself.”
“And learning to read…?”
The old man withdrew his hand, still expressionless. “You already know.”
“Already know?”
Lu Liangsheng touched his forehead but felt nothing at all. Doubtful, he saw the old man turn his back to him, gazing at the night sky.
“Now, I will teach you a set of breathing techniques. If there is a full moon at night, face it and practice according to these instructions. If you encounter any difficulties, you can come to the Qixia Mountain cave to find me.”
Qixia Mountain was the very mountain where Lu Liangsheng often gathered firewood.
The instructions were only a few dozen words somewhat difficult to understand. Even though Lu Liangsheng had a natural talent for writing and drawing, it took him about half an hour to memorize them.
“Alright, that’s all. The two books I gave you are from your Master’s collection. They contain minor techniques, practice them carefully and remember, do not speak of this to others.”
With that, the old man flicked his sleeves.
The dim light flickered, and everything around slowly vanished. Darkness surged like a tide, enveloping Lu Liangsheng in its embrace.
Raindrops slid off the thatched roof, falling onto the mud beside the eaves. There was an inaudible sound, a soft ‘plop’, and on the thatched wooden bed, the boy shouted in his dream: “Master—”
He opened his eyes abruptly and sat up from the bed.
Sunlight streamed through the thick rain clouds into the room. The incense by the window had long since burned out, its ashes mixing with the dampness and scattering across the floor. A fresh morning breeze, laden with moisture, blew through the window, and the cool air helped Lu Liangsheng clear his mind.
Outside, Li Jinhua called after two hens while his sister, humming a tune she must have picked up somewhere, ran past with an armful of firewood. Everything suddenly felt real again.
The figure on the bed hurriedly got up, slipped on his shoes, and retrieved the two books from under the bed. Staring at the writing on them, he subconsciously mumbled aloud.
“<Southern Waters Collection of Lost Arts>…<Emerald Heart Dream Nourishment>…”
His soft murmuring abruptly ceased. Lu Liangsheng’s eyes widened as he pinched his cheek, gripping the books tightly in his hand, stunned as he stood there. “I… I really can read now…”
“Liangsheng! Time to eat!”
Li Jinhua’s voice came from the kitchen. Inside the house, the boy who had hurriedly hidden the books quickly went outside, and as usual, ate breakfast with his family before heading out to the fields to work with his father. It was only in the afternoon, when he finally had some time to himself, that he carefully retrieved the books and secretly flipped through a few pages. Now able to understand the words, he read and savored every sentence, every line.
“…In Southern Waters, there is one who practices the art of clumsiness. A lazy villager once stole an object left behind by the practitioner but failed to lift it… At the second hour before dusk, he piled up three inches of earth, and facing the southwest, he recited the incantation known as the Art of Mountain and Stone.”
Lu Liangsheng frowned and glanced outside at the sky. “Isn’t it about that time now?”
He quickly put away the book, snuck outside, and ran to the southwestern outskirts of the village. At this time, there were still farmers working in the fields, and upon seeing him, they smiled and greeted him before resuming their work.
Finding a somewhat secluded spot, Liangsheng dug up a small mound of dirt. Following the instructions from the book, he sat cross-legged in front of it, pinched his fingers into specific positions, and silently recited the incantation. These were the minor techniques mentioned in the two books, little tricks that ordinary people wouldn’t be able to make work and that true masters wouldn’t even bother with.
But for a young man who was barely even a beginner, they were fascinating.
For two days, he practiced diligently. At night, if the moon was out, he would follow his master’s instructions, slipping outside at midnight, worshiping the bright moon, and chanting the mantra. Under the pale, silvery light that spilled over his body, he felt a cool sensation, like flowing water, gradually washing through him.
Sometimes, when he went up the mountain, he would visit the large boulder and express his doubts. During sleep, he would receive guidance from the elder. After four consecutive days, not only did his body become lighter, but his thoughts also began to change rapidly. Compared to his previous state of ignorance, it felt like he had become a different person.
Reading those two books didn’t feel boring either.
On the fifth day, at dawn, Lu Liangsheng was awakened by Lu Laoshi. He initially thought he was going to work in the fields, but instead, he saw that the men in the village had gathered together. Some of them had donkey carts loaded with various items, including millet, grains, several wild animal pelts, more than twenty baskets, and large bundles of firewood, all packed into one of the donkey carts.
“Hurry up and eat, you’re coming with us to the city.” Lu Laoshi said, handing his son a piece of flatbread prepared by his wife. “We’re going to travel a long distance, so eat well.”
Soon, Lu Xiaoxian and Li Jinhua came out to see them off. They reminded Liangsheng, who had never traveled far before, not to cause trouble along the way and not to wander around aimlessly.
“Your father has promised to buy you a brush. Remember, when you’re in the city, don’t touch other people’s things. Everything there is valuable, and if you break something, our family can’t afford to compensate.”
After the reminders, the time had come. The leading men called out, and Lu Liangsheng followed his father behind the donkey cart, heading towards the nearest town outside the village.
In those times, traveling in a group was safer. If they encountered bandits, they would at least have backup. People from the mountains were also fierce, and the cart’s undercarriage was equipped with sickles and hatchets, allowing them to defend themselves in case of a robbery.
The group of more than ten people traveled at a good pace. By midday, they rested in the mountains, and by the afternoon, they had reached a point just five miles from Fushui County.
As dusk approached, the gathering place outside the city was already filled with people from other villages. Many valuable items were displayed by the roadside, and merchants were bustling about.
By the end of the day, they had sold all their goods. The next morning, Lu Laoshi took Liangsheng into the city to find a shop selling writing supplies.
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