Chapter 141 Remembering the Martial Uncle

"This woman is now entrusted to you."

With these words, Xu Wenshan, Yun Shang, and the Daoist priest all cast examining glances at one another, each harboring their own thoughts.

Xu Wenshan thought to himself: What is this woman's background? Why did this Daoist priest appear here? And why is it another woman being handed over to me? Does the Immortal Alliance decree that I must establish a harem?

Yun Shang, meanwhile, was thinking: What on earth is this Daoist thinking? Could this priest be in league with the bandits? Will I be captured and forced to become a bandit chieftain's wife? Though, this bandit leader looks much more refined than I had imagined.

The Daoist remained entirely composed, looking as though he had considered everything, yet equally as though he had thought of nothing at all.

Fortunately, he offered Xu Wenshan an explanation: "This Young Lady Yun is the daughter of Marquis Yun of the State of Cai. She wishes to accompany the military payroll transport caravan to gain some experience."

Xu Wenshan made a bold assumption: "Now that the payroll transport caravan has been robbed by me, so... you mean she should continue to follow me?"

"The payroll being robbed is simply part of the payroll transport process."

"That sounds remarkably logical."

"It is logical by its very nature."

Yun Shang, listening from the side, felt like crying without tears. She was starting to miss home. Although her family wouldn't let her go out to play, at least everyone in her household was normal.

The carriage had already been burned by the Molotov cocktails, but this posed no problem at all for the Daoist. With a single incantation and a hand seal, the surrounding trees fell and automatically transformed into processed timber, rapidly reconstructing a brand-new carriage right over the ruins of the original one.

Witnessing such divine miracles, the soldiers once again dropped to their knees in prostration. Only Xu Wenshan thought to himself: With a skill like that, you'd never starve even if you became a carpenter.

...

Inside the carriage, Xu Wenshan sat awkwardly alongside the Daoist and Yun Shang, his mind full of doubts yet unable to voice them.

To which faction did this Daoist actually belong, and what was his connection to the State of Cai? How could he be politely escorted away? Was he here because of the incident involving Lü Wuji? Until these questions were resolved, he would remain in constant danger.

However, the Daoist spoke first.

"Were those fires thrown by the soldiers created by you?"

Xu Wenshan could only nod and say, "Yes."

"Well done. Although you used ordinary, worldly materials, the effects were exceptional. In our immortal realm, no one has yet conceived of such a device, yet you, a mere mortal, thought of it."

Xu Wenshan nodded modestly, cupping his fists in a salute. "May I ask the Immortal's honored name?"

The Daoist replied, "There is something I must remind you of: cultivators are not required to state their names to mortals. Unless a cultivator volunteers their name, you must not inquire abruptly. Should you encounter a cultivator with an eccentric temper, they might take offense."

Xu Wenshan nodded. The Daoist continued, "Secondly, do not address me as 'Immortal.' This poor Daoist's realm is far too distant from that of an 'immortal,' and I am unworthy of such a title."

Xu Wenshan hurriedly asked, "Then how should this Daoist master be addressed?"

"There are established conventions for addressing cultivators. I am a cultivator at the Core Formation stage, styled 'Ruoshui.' You should address me as 'Venerable Ruoshui.'"

Xu Wenshan asked again, "May I ask whence the Daoist master comes?"

Venerable Ruoshui glanced at Xu Wenshan, finding this mortal unusually bold, but still answered: "I am a disciple of the Zhenyuan Temple."

"Zhenyuan Temple?" Upon hearing this, Xu Wenshan immediately lit up with excitement. "Is there a Daoist Priest Sanfeng in your temple?"

"Daoist Priest Sanfeng?" Venerable Ruoshui tilted his head in thought for a moment before suddenly asking, "How do you know my martial uncle's name?"

Xu Wenshan then recounted how, two years ago, he had encountered the Temple Mother, how he was rescued by Daoist Priest Sanfeng, and how he had wished to follow Daoist Priest Sanfeng in practicing immortality, only for it to end in regret because the leakage of his primordial vital energy rendered cultivation impossible.

"Before Daoist Priest Sanfeng departed, he even left me a letter and a manual titled *Prophetic Book*, which I still carry with me to this day." With that, Xu Wenshan drew the *Prophetic Book* and the letter left by Sanfeng from his tunic.

Venerable Ruoshui abruptly stood up, took the letter handed over by Xu Wenshan, first glanced at the book, and said, "This book indeed bears my martial uncle's brushwork; every single detail reflects the author's meticulous care." He then examined the letter and said, "This is indeed my martial uncle's handwriting. It seems you enjoyed quite a bit of his favor."

With that, he looked up at Xu Wenshan and questioned him further about how Daoist Priest Sanfeng had dealt with the Temple Mother, prompting him to sigh, "It seems Martial Uncle Sanfeng's cultivation has advanced even further. By handling it this way, he preserved both the demon and you."

Xu Wenshan muttered inwardly: Well, you don't know that the Temple Mother came looking for me again afterward.

Venerable Ruoshui acutely perceived Xu Wenshan's shifting emotions and said, "You don't believe it? In truth, given Martial Uncle's strength, obliterating that demon would have taken not the slightest effort. To suppress her, he didn't need to waste energy searching for Three Waters, Three Earths, or Three Roots; his old self could have subdued that demon simply by casually drawing a talisman. The reason he made you go to such lengths to find materials and had you personally exterminate the demon was precisely to allow you to sever your ties with her with your own hands—thereby not only lifting the threat posed by the Temple Mother, but also leaving you with a portion of accumulated karmic blessing."

Xu Wenshan was taken aback. Put that way, the Daoist's approach was actually benevolent. So why did Lu Ze later break free from the Daoist's spell and come looking for him?

Upon closer reflection, Lu Ze never seemed to explain how she broke free from the Daoist's seal, why she wanted to turn him into a demon, where she obtained the methods of demonic cultivation, or why she was willing to sacrifice her own freedom to save him.

Pondering it thus, someone whom he once knew so well... no, a demon, suddenly felt rather unfamiliar.

Venerable Ruoshui naturally remained unaware of his internal monologue and continued, "Since you share such a connection with my martial uncle, I will not keep things from you. Are you unaware of why I boarded your carriage?"

Xu Wenshan nodded. Venerable Ruoshui explained, "For cultivators, there is something of paramount importance, and that is the 'Dao Heart.' The Dao Heart is the resolve toward the Dao, referring to everyone's ultimate purpose in pursuing the Great Dao."

"Isn't the purpose of your pursuit of the Dao to achieve ascension?" Xu Wenshan asked.

"That may be so, but once you ascend, what then? Everyone desires ascension, but the mere thought of ascension alone is insufficient to sustain the arduous journey of cultivation," Venerable Ruoshui said. "The Dao Heart faces three fundamental questions: What is ascension? Why ascend? How to ascend?"

Xu Wenshan thought to himself: Aren't these the basic elements of worldview and methodology from the liberal arts classes of my past life?

The Daoist continued, "Take my martial uncle, for instance. His Dao Heart is 'Ultimate Goodness.' In everything he does, he strives for perfection; thus, whether in major spiritual cultivation or minor demon subjugation, he acts entirely in accordance with his Dao Heart."

The Daoist then pointed to himself and said, "As for my Dao Heart, it is 'Supreme Goodness.' The scriptures state that supreme goodness is like water. My cultivation flows with everything just like water, drifting with the current and finding peace wherever one rests."

Xu Wenshan cautiously and carefully weighed his words before saying, "So now that the caravan has been robbed by me, you've simply drifted with the current and handed this young lady over to me?"

Venerable Ruoshui nodded and said, "This, too, is a form of flowing with the current."