“I wonder what Junior Brother Fang Qing’s background is and how he came to this Dao Sect.”
Fang Qing didn’t stop his work, continuing unhurriedly, chatting intermittently with Wu Zhaosheng.
Fang Qing recalled a few minor details, which were already recorded in the Sect, so there was nothing to hide.
“I originally lived in a border town in Li Country. That day, I was having fun hunting with a few friends when I saw a crazy, disheveled old Daoist trying to trick a young girl into leaving home.”
“Thinking he couldn’t be a good person, I pelted him with stones and chased him away.”
“Unexpectedly, that Daoist was quite unreasonable. He suddenly visited my house late at night, pointed at me, and cursed, saying I had ruined his Opportunity and needed to compensate him.”
“I thought, my house was drafty, and I didn’t even have rice or flour, so how could I compensate him with an Opportunity?”
“So I casually replied, ‘If I have one, you can take it. I’ll compensate you.’ ”
At this point, Fang Qing’s expression was indignant.
“Who would have thought that old Daoist would be so dishonorable? He snatched me and ran!”
Wu Zhaosheng listened, dumbfounded, then laughed heartily, “That’s what you get for being nosy. You ended up paying for it, didn’t you?”
Fang Qing was even more depressed. By then, he had already Transmigrated here. With the moral compass he had developed in his previous life, how could he not act when he saw a human trafficker?
Now that he thought about it, that old Daoist might not have been trying to trick the girl; he was clearly after him. He, a seven-foot man, was abducted just like that.
Fortunately, this disheveled old Daoist wasn't interested in his delicate skin and tender flesh. He just said profoundly:
“The Dao is not easily transmitted, and Opportunity is not lightly given. Since this old Daoist took your Opportunity, I shall return you an Immortal Opportunity.”
Afterward, he was sent here. At that time, the Hehe Sect was recruiting new Disciples, and everything proceeded naturally.
After finishing his absurd story, Fang Qing turned his head and asked:
“I wonder about Martial Brother Wu’s background?”
Wu Zhaosheng reined in his smile, pondered for a moment, and said, “My father is Prince Luan of Qian Country. Sixteen years ago, the capital suffered a calamity of war.”
“By chance, a Daoist saved my father. To show gratitude, my father promised a generous reward.”
“That Daoist said he didn’t wish to take what others cherished. He only wanted something my father already possessed but was not yet aware of.”
“My father readily agreed.”
“Unexpectedly, at that moment, my mother returned home from outside, joyfully telling my father that she was pregnant.”
“That Daoist laughed heartily, saying that his Opportunity had arrived.”
“He left a message saying he would come for me when I reached the age of tying my hair, then vanished without a trace.”
With a few simple words, Wu Zhaosheng explained his origin.
“So it was the Crown Prince in person. I am Huang Ze, the son of the Giant Whale Gang Leader of Qian Country.” The tightly dressed young man, perhaps having overheard their casual chat, enthusiastically stepped forward to converse.
Fang Qing had no interest in their polite exchanges. His mind was now filled with a key phrase— “Immortal Opportunity.”
What exactly was this, and why did those enlightened Seniors value it so much?
He was brought here because of a so-called “Opportunity,” and so was the Crown Prince. Presumably, Huang Ze was also in the same situation.
Does Cultivation in this world only look at “Immortal Opportunity” and not “Aptitude”?
Thinking this, he didn’t hide it and asked directly.
“Aptitude? What Aptitude?”
The two young men looked somewhat confused, as if they had never heard of such a concept.
Suddenly, Wu Zhaosheng slapped his thigh and said, as if realizing something, “I remember!”
“The royal legitimate daughter of Qian Country also came with me this time. One day, as we passed through a forest, she seemed to attract the favor of a precious mirror. It shone brightly, and the guiding Daoist said her ‘Immortal Opportunity’ was even greater, and she had already entered the ‘Entering Dao Realm’ in one step.”
“Now that I think about it, it must be that her ‘Aptitude’ was better. Afterward, she was taken away by a Daoist nun, leaving only me to enter the Medicine Valley.”
“Greater Immortal Opportunity” and “Entering Dao Realm”—these two keywords were extracted by Fang Qing and noted in his heart.
.....
Time slowly passed, and Fang Qing collected at a leisurely pace.
After a long while.
“Third parasitic seed repairing (31/100)”
Fang Qing finished picking 30 Spirit Medicines, sealed them one by one in jade boxes, and placed them in a medicine basket.
That should be enough for today. There was still a long time, and with many eyes around, it wasn't good to expose his strength.
He nodded to the other two young men, who had finished collecting a long time ago.
“No offense, no offense, I’ve delayed you for a while.”
It was almost time, so the three of them walked together towards Ling Ge’s residence.
This Little Medicine Garden was just one corner of this Medicine Valley. They needed to pass through more than ten similar Medicine Gardens to reach their destination.
Before long, the three arrived at a bamboo building.
Ling Ge, holding a bamboo brush, was writing. Seeing the three arrive, he didn't stop his brush and said:
“Just leave the items. You have received a scroll of the Heavenly Book, so you must Cultivate well. When you enter the Dao, you can officially join the Sect.”
Fang Qing and the others were about to ask the doubts in their hearts, how to understand the Dao text, but before the words left their mouths, they looked at the book in their hands again. The two characters “Heaven Heart” on the cover were now understandable.
They suddenly realized, was this because their “Opportunity” was sufficient?
Truly mysterious and unfathomable!
Ling Ge waved his sleeve, dismissing them, and before they left, he gave an extra instruction:
“Remember, the Daotujing is difficult to embark upon, and Cultivating is even harder. Be cautious in your words and actions, restrain yourselves, abide by Dao righteousness, grasp the power of the Dao, and align with the Heaven Heart. This is the Heavenly Heart Dao. Deviating from your Dao, or going astray, will cause you to fall back to the mortal world, with your Cultivation completely dispersed.”
“Go, go. Come see me when you reach the Entering Dao Realm.”
......
Fang Qing’s residence was not far from here, also a small bamboo building.
Lying in his little nest, Fang Qing closed his eyes and began to review everything from today.
From the death of the demon Clone to receiving the Heavenly Book, he carefully pondered and reviewed his mistakes.
After an incense stick’s time, he opened his eyes and let out a long breath.
This world of immortals and demons was truly unpredictable and dangerous. The demon Clone had perfectly disguised everything, yet because of a single intuition, it met its demise.
One truly cannot underestimate others just because one has a cheat!
He took out the Heavenly Book from his embrace. The two characters “Heaven Heart” on the cover were clearly unchanged from before, yet this time he could understand them and their meaning.
Opening the flyleaf, the preface was written on it.
“The Heavenly Dao is Justice” — Lu Kui
Turning to the next page,
“This humble Daoist Lu Kui, achieved Dao a hundred years ago, is a sixth-generation Disciple of the Sect. Today, entrusted by a Senior of the Sect, I reluctantly annotate the Heavenly Book, which truly makes me feel ashamed. Below are all the humble Daoist’s ramblings; it is better not to believe them completely than to do so.”
“Heaven Heart is My Heart, Heavenly Dao is Justice. This humble Daoist believes that Cultivators of My Dao should enter the Daotujing with Justice, uphold the precepts of the Dao, wield the power of the Dao, and align with the Heaven Heart. This is the Heavenly Heart Dao.”
Below were thousands of Dao texts, accompanied by Lu Kui’s annotations.
Fang Qing read seriously for an hour before reaching the end.
“The Heavenly Dao is Just. For all Cultivators of My Heavenly Heart Dao, any effort will surely yield results. I hope all fellow Daoists cherish this and ascend to the Great Dao soon — Lu Kui.”
With a big question mark in his mind, Fang Qing stared blankly at the Heavenly Book in his hand. Was that all?
Aside from some annotated principles, there were no Cultivation methods, and reading it brought no enlightenment whatsoever; it was completely like an ordinary Daoist scripture.
Fang Qing, not believing it, flipped through it several times, but it remained the same.
What’s going on?
Did he miss something, or was his Comprehension Ability truly low? Fang Qing pondered.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him. He looked at the keywords written at the beginning and end of the scroll.
“The Heavenly Dao is Justice, uphold the precepts of the Dao, wield the power of the Dao.”
The scene of meeting Ling Ge today was vivid in his mind. That insistence on Justice truly left a deep impression on Fang Qing.