Some Thoughts About This Book
I am an old fan of novels. I particularly enjoy reading tales of immortals and historical fiction, such as “A Record of Mortal Cultivation” and “Tang Brick.” Yet, after indulging in so many stories, I began to notice something amiss. Why do so many tales about immortals end up feeling like martial arts novels? Murderers and thieves abound, with evil deeds everywhere. It’s disheartening. Where is the promised ethereal spirit?
Shouldn’t the immortal life be something akin to wandering the Northern Seas in the morning and visiting Cangwu in the evening? Or like Zuoci, Zhang Sanfeng, and the Eight Immortals of Shangdong, who playfully roam the mortal world, coming and going with carefree elegance? How did it all devolve into sects of martial artists, endless cycles of killing and revenge?
As for urban tales of immortals—after you’ve become immortal, why continue with those ostentatious displays and petty rivalries? Isn’t it tiresome? Having transcended the mundane, why still crave wealth and power? Especially those stories where the immortal joins some special department, like the “Dragon Group.” Brother, are you so obsessed with becoming an official that you’ve forgotten what it means to be outside the mortal realm, beyond the Three Worlds and not within the Five Elements?
After achieving immortality, worldly riches should no longer hold any allure. It’s as if you’ve been given a level 256 character in a legendary game, equipped with the finest gear and invincible across the land—you’d probably lose interest in playing, unless it’s just for killing. So you would seek new pursuits, things you don’t have or are hard to obtain—like higher realms, like ascension.
China is rich in myth and legend, especially those about immortals, stirring endless yearning in the heart. When I was young and naive, I truly believed I could become an immortal. Alas, it was but a futile dream.
Cultivating immortality begins with cultivating the heart, so trials in the mortal world are indispensable. People have obsessions, and thus they have inner demons. I believe those immortals who left behind enchanting stories were mostly here to temper themselves within the human realm.
The path of cultivation is endless, and the road to immortality is vast and uncertain. So-called immortal companions are more likely to be like-minded partners on the journey to enlightenment than lovers entangled in affection. If you spend every day grumbling and clinging, how could you ever cultivate immortality? Besides, I don’t believe in love that lasts for hundreds or thousands of years; after all, it’s probably just the effect of hormones.
On the road to immortality, there is no passage of time—only life and death. Succeed, and you move forward; fail, and your existence fades away. It’s harsh and real. Therefore, romance between mortals and immortals is hard to sustain. If it truly happens, the difference in lifespan is immense. If one side remains behind, truly faithful, how can they overcome their inner demons? If they do, it’s either false or they’ve let go and forgotten.
Cutting off worldly attachments is likely because immortals do not wish to witness their loved ones die one by one over their endless lives, to avoid inner demons that could hinder their cultivation.
Moreover, since the world is said to be in the era of declining spiritual law, why does every story have some unparalleled master suddenly appearing? With so many experts around, how can the age of decline even be justified?