Daoist Mysteries

After resting for a while, I stood up and continued walking. By now, Grandfather and Su Er were nowhere to be seen; I figured they must have already arrived.

The more I thought about it, the more I admired Su Er. Such a delicate girl, yet she had vanished up nearly a thousand steps in the blink of an eye.

I dragged my heavy steps forward. The further I walked, the more distant the end seemed. I was out of breath, wanting nothing more than to curse aloud.

Finally, after much effort, I reached the seclusion place of Grandpa Gou. I lay stretched out on the ground, my breathing growing rapid.

Su Er appeared out of nowhere before me, her gaze searching:
"Chu Ling, why are you so slow? It's already midnight."

"Midnight?" Hearing this, I jumped up, looking at Su Er in confusion:
"It's midnight already? Have you and Grandfather been here long?"

Su Er replied calmly:
"Grandfather and I have been here for nearly five shichen. You, on the other hand, why did you rest for so long? I wanted to stay with you, but Grandfather wouldn't let me."

At this moment, my mind felt a bit muddled. If I calculated correctly, I had rested for twenty minutes at most, yet now it had suddenly turned into five shichen.

At this moment, a person wearing a white Daoist robe and holding a fly-whisk stepped out from the courtyard. Looking at the figure before me, I was reminded of how, when I was a child, I often wished that one day an immortal would descend to find me and teach me how to cultivate.

The newcomer was a middle-aged man. At first glance, his age seemed similar to Fourth Uncle's; he was probably Grandpa Gou's disciple. His voice was somewhat aged yet full of authority:
"Where there is a will, there is a way, young man. Surely these nine hundred and ninety-nine steps are not worth your complaints?"

I was somewhat surprised, immediately rising from the ground. It was clearly just a fleeting thought, yet the newcomer actually knew what I was thinking. His Daoist arts were indeed profound.

As soon as Su Er saw him, she bowed reverently and called out,
"Grandpa Gou."

After calling him, she turned to look at me and said,
"Chu Ling, this is Grandpa Gou, Grandfather's senior brother."

I looked at the man before me in disbelief, my mouth moving faster than my brain:
"He looks even younger than Fourth Uncle..."

Realizing I had spoken out of turn, I quickly corrected myself:
"Grandpa Gou, I am Chu Ling. I often hear Grandfather mention you, and I have always admired you and wished to meet you."

Su Er slapped her forehead, then turned to look at me with an expression that said: *Don't you know that people with profound cultivation can read your face to speak?*

The one addressed as Grandpa Gou only glanced at me, then turned toward the inside and said,
"Come in and rest."

I quickly bent down to pick up the shoes I had taken off while climbing the stairs; they seemed to have torn in a few more places. Su Er didn't pay much attention, pulling me inside. The interior was not particularly eye-catching, except for a Luoshu Diagram that looked incredibly exquisite, and even the naked eye could sense its mysteries.

Calling it the Luoshu might make it hard for others to picture; it was a part of the Eight Trigrams Diagram, the one least mentioned.

Grandpa Gou pulled up a chair and sat down, his demeanor as calm as water. No matter what happened, it probably wouldn't shake his composure.

He poured Grandfather a cup of tea, which contained a pure white jasmine flower, like a snowflake in the middle of an autumn lake:
"Junior Brother, have some tea."

"Thank you, Senior Brother." Grandfather took the teacup but only set it down without drinking.

Although he was Grandfather's senior brother, judging by his appearance, he only seemed to be in his early forties.

I leaned in close and whispered to Grandfather:
"Why is he still younger than you, Grandfather?"

Who would have thought that even though my voice was so quiet, it still caught Grandpa Gou's ears. He smiled with deep meaning:
"I have cultivated Daoism all my life, surviving countless Lightning Tribulations. As for your grandfather, at most he is just a living soul relying on another's body, so how can he compare?"

Although his tone sounded normal, I still felt he looked down on Grandfather a bit.

I casually added,
"Is that so? Then why don't you help my grandfather live as long as you? After all, you are senior and junior brothers, surely you won't refuse, right?"

"Chu Ling!" Grandfather pulled my sleeve, tugging it hard as if reminding me that I had spoken out of turn.

I also knew my mouth always ran faster than my brain, so I said nothing more. Even so, I still felt a bit of prejudice against him.

Grandpa Gou laughed, replying casually:
"Then we must see if your grandfather has enough cultivation to avoid the Lightning Tribulation."

Seeing that I didn't reply, he raised his eyebrows and continued:
"The Lightning Tribulation is a pass that a Daoist cultivator must cross. If one chooses this path but cannot pass it, then let alone becoming human, even becoming a beast is impossible."

My chest tightened, my breathing growing rapid. I knew he was right, but I really wanted to curse aloud. This old man was insulting Grandfather. Thinking that we still needed his help for what was to come, I restrained myself.

Grandfather waved his hand at me, then hurriedly lowered his voice:
"Senior Brother, Chu Ling is still young and does not understand the depth of Daoist arts. I hope you will not be angry."

"No, no!" he countered, giving Grandfather a smile that, though seemingly genuine, looked utterly fake to me.

He stood up, turning to walk toward a cabinet, and then handed Grandfather a somewhat old wooden box.

Grandfather didn't even wait, opening it directly. A dazzling light burst from within.

Su Er and I raised our hands to cover our eyes. Only when we felt the light fade did we slowly lower our hands.

Grandfather held a piece of jade in his hand. Although it looked very similar to the Eight Trigrams Diagram, there were also distinct differences. On the jade, there were a total of four small holes, each with four colors: green, red, white, and yellow.

Grandfather, who usually knew a great deal, had to ask his senior brother,
"Senior Brother, what is this?"

"The Starry Jade Plate. It is an object created by me, capable of suppressing living souls or ghostly souls that have existed for thousands of years. Keep it and use it; once the matter is resolved, I will naturally take it back," he replied in a calm voice.

Grandfather was overjoyed, thanking him endlessly.

Standing to the side, I felt a bit envious. Could he really create such a good item?

"Living for hundreds of years, having such ability is only natural. Do not be too skeptical," he said, looking at me as he answered.

Good heavens! I hadn't even spoken those words yet. Did he possess mind-reading? I would have to be much more careful in the future.

Grandpa Gou smiled at me, but his gaze was incredibly deep, making me feel more or less uncomfortable.

As time passed, he pulled Grandfather into a corner. The two of them whispered, their eyes constantly turning toward me.

I pretended to turn away, but in reality, my ears were straining to listen to them.

Grandfather suddenly whispered:
"I truly regard Chu Ling as my own grandson."

Hearing this, my heart felt incredibly warm. But... why did Grandfather say those words? Perhaps that old man was trying to drive a wedge between Grandfather and me.

On the other side, Gou Ming was talking with Grandfather. The issue lay entirely with Chu Ling.

He said urgently to Grandfather:
"It seems Chu Ling has the Fiend of Heaven destiny. He is a source of calamity. If you insist on protecting him, I fear it will affect you. If you need any help, you must speak up."

Grandfather nodded, but his gaze was resolute and firm:
"I truly regard Chu Ling as my grandson. No matter what happens, I will protect him to the very end."

Gou Ming shook his head and sighed, pointing at Grandfather as he lamented:
"You... oh, you. I truly have no options left with you."