Chapter 3: Passing on the Way

After dinner, Xu Xian quickly blew out the oil lamp. Once his sister had fallen asleep, he quietly slipped out the door. He wasn’t used to going to bed so early, but since he couldn't win an argument with his sister, his only option was to sneak out every night.

In this world, there were no computers or televisions. The only thing that could be considered entertainment at night was probably the brothels and pleasure boats by the lakeside. Putting aside the fact that he had no money, even if he did, he wouldn't dare set foot in such places; his sister would likely skin him alive!

His only solace was to admire the moonlight. However, there was no moonlight at all today; only the stars of the autumn night shimmered with a hint of cold desolation. Nevertheless, Xu Xian preferred nights like this. Perhaps only at such times could he reveal the loneliness in his heart without any pretense.

Indeed, while his sister treated him as if he were her own son, there were things she simply could not understand. Having lived two lives, how could he easily cast away the remnants of his past life? Xu Xian often felt that he was different from the people around him, that they were thinking about completely different things.

Although this world did not correspond to any dynasty in his memory, he knew that if he simply copied a few poems, he could become famous throughout the land. After all, he had seen a completely different world.

Tonight, however, Xu Xian was destined not to be alone. On the small bridge where he often wandered, a figure was currently standing. Xu Xian felt a chill in his heart; he knew that ghosts existed in this world. Fearing ghosts was the most natural reaction, but he soon relaxed. It wasn’t a ghost, but the Taoist he had encountered earlier that day.

"Taoist Master, why aren't you going home?" Xu Xian stepped forward out of concern.

"The four seas are my home, yet I am homeless within them. Do you not blame me for tripping you today?" The Taoist turned back and smiled at Xu Xian.

"Of course I blame you. But as long as you teach me immortal arts, I won't hold a grudge." Xu Xian had intended to act magnanimous to coax the man into giving him that book, but the words came out exactly as he was thinking them. He truly was not someone skilled at deception.

The Taoist laughed heartily. "I wanted to give it to you today, but you didn't want it, insisting on those vulgar things instead. Now that you want it, I don't have it. But tell me, why did you help that country bumpkin selling pears today? He was such a petty and foolish man that he even wanted to drag you to the authorities."

Caught in his disappointment, Xu Xian answered offhandedly, "He might be stingy, but he was doing honest business; he isn't a bad man. On the other hand, it’s one thing for you to take his pears, but you even hacked his cart handle. You might have enjoyed yourself, but you completely ignored how it felt for him."

The Taoist said indignantly, "I was delivering a small punishment in hopes of waking him up, so that he wouldn't continue being so stingy. Otherwise, what he loses in the future won't just be pears."

"That is his nature. Just as birds must fly and fish must swim, as long as he doesn't interfere with others, just let him be. Why must you force it? You acted according to your own nature because you wanted to eat pears and deliver a 'wake-up call,' yet you have the nerve to criticize him." Xu Xian regretted it as soon as he finished speaking. Never mind the man's magic, even as an adult, the Taoist wasn't someone Xu Xian could handle right now. If the Taoist grew angry, Xu Xian would be helpless.

The Taoist stared at him with wide eyes, making Xu Xian feel uneasy. But to his surprise, the Taoist suddenly burst into laughter. "Things should follow their nature; one must not force them. Things should follow their nature; one must not force them. Master, oh Master, it turns out the one acting willfully has always been me!"

"Uh, if there's nothing else, I'll be heading back. You should hurry and find a place to sleep. There’s a temple on the mountain to the north. Although it’s a place for monks, they are all men of the cloth, so they should be able to take you in for the night." Xu Xian turned to leave, but a single sentence from the Taoist pinned him to the spot as if by a freezing spell.

"Do you want to learn my cultivation method?"

Xu Xian immediately turned around and said, "Yes, very much so." His eyes were practically brighter than the stars. There was no way he wouldn't want to.

The Taoist laughed to himself; the boy was just a child after all. However, he liked this honest, unpretentious nature. He had traveled across the great mountains and met all sorts of people; if someone was being hypocritical, they couldn't escape his eyes. And once a person possessed such skill, the ones they could tolerate least were those self-righteous, deceitful people.

Xu Xian's actions during the day had all been observed by him. He saw that Xu Xian was mature for his age and had a good heart, yet wasn't someone seeking fame. Thus, the idea of taking him as a disciple had taken root. After their conversation tonight, and seeing that Xu Xian knew right from wrong and was not some muddle-headed bleeding heart, he was even more pleased.

"Though your mind matured early, your aptitude is only average and your intelligence is mediocre; this is the first difficulty. To practice this Way, one must have the persistence of water dripping through stone, but I see you are not someone with great perseverance. This makes it even more difficult. In the end, you might end up neither here nor there, having wasted your time for nothing. Do you still want to learn?"

"I want to learn, I want to learn," Xu Xian thought to himself. Even if he didn't succeed, performing magic tricks would be fine too! As he thought this, he never once considered using it to steal or rob.

"When I was young, I abandoned my wife and child to immerse myself in this Way. Yet now, I have only achieved a life of poverty. Do you still want to learn?"

"I want to learn, I want to learn." Xu Xian thought: "My future Lady has a thousand years of cultivation; could I even leave her if I wanted to?"

"Good. Then we shall establish the bond of master and disciple, and I will pass this Way on to you."

Xu Xian was overjoyed, but looking at his Taoist Master, he saw a face full of desolation. Moved by the sight, he couldn't help but ask, "Taoist Master... Master, do you regret it now?"

The Taoist frowned in thought for a moment before saying resolutely, "This is what I have sought my whole life. I have no regrets."

"No regrets?" Xu Xian murmured. Those two words contained an unknown amount of determination and bitterness. But if at the end of one’s life, no matter how destitute they were, they could ask themselves and answer with those two words, then they had not lived in vain.

For no particular reason, Xu Xian sighed in his heart, yet he was very happy for the man. At this moment, he also wanted to ask himself: Do you regret it? The events of his past life flashed before his eyes in a blur, but even he couldn't tell if he felt regret or not. But the past was hard to chase; since heaven had granted him this life, he would live it to the fullest without complaints or regrets.

While Xu Xian was lost in thought, the Taoist held his fingers together like a sword and swiftly tapped Xu Xian’s brow. Before Xu Xian could react, he felt as if the heavens and earth were collapsing inside his mind. He wanted to cry out in pain, but his body wouldn't obey him. It felt as long as an eternity to Xu Xian, but in reality, it lasted only an instant. In that brief moment, Xu Xian looked as if he had been fished out of a lake; he was soaked to the bone with sweat. He felt as though many things had been added to his mind, yet he couldn't find them. He looked up, wanting to ask his master.

The Taoist simply said, "Go!" and looked away.

Xu Xian’s head was in a muddle, and he obediently began walking toward home. But after a couple of steps, he suddenly turned back. "Master, what about the book?" He was still thinking about that secret manual.

The Taoist was momentarily stunned, then laughed and cursed, "You won't stop until you've stripped me of everything I own, will you?" He pulled a book from his robes and tossed it to Xu Xian. Xu Xian caught it and, by the light of the moon, saw three words in Ancient Seal Script on the cover. He vaguely recognized them as "Tao Te Ching."

Just as he was about to argue with his master, he realized the bridge was empty; the Taoist had long since vanished. He felt helpless, and he now felt so exhausted it was as if he had performed a full day of manual labor. His body was so heavy he just wanted to collapse and sleep. He could only force himself to keep walking toward home.

At this hour, the lights of ten thousand homes were going out one by one, leaving only the eternal stars in the sky. The Taoist gazed at Xu Xian’s staggering silhouette as it moved away, contemplating silently.

"The immortal mountains are distant, and the mortal world is vast. Was it right or wrong to lead you onto such a path? Xu Xian, Xu Xian, will you truly live up to your name and dedicate yourself to the Immortal Path?"