Chapter 76: I Have a Disciple Named Wu Shi

Returning to the long-absent Lanruo Temple World, Duan Wenxuan once again appeared at the mortuary. This world held great potential for exploration, especially considering Yan Chixia’s demon-repelling copper sword and the diverse array of sentient ghosts and monsters present here. Duan Wenxuan was deeply intrigued by these aspects. However, with numerous ongoing tasks, he could only focus on developing one monster-rich world ahead of others.

This visit occurred because his scheduled time with Song Boxue in the Radiation Apocalypse World had not yet arrived, so Duan Wenxuan decided to come here instead. If possible, he wanted to capture a supernatural creature for research.

Reflecting back, he had already encountered beings like the ash tree spirit and Nie Xiaoqian, a ghostly maiden. Interestingly, due to seeking the ‘Skeletal Gatekeeper,’ fate led him to cross paths with Hu Dali’s family, who were tiger spirits. This world truly seemed filled with unrest.

Creak…

As Duan Wenxuan pondered, scanning the familiar surroundings of the mortuary, sudden footsteps approached from the doorway. The sound belonged to an elderly figure, hunched over with a face weathered by hardship. One hand clutched a bundle of small branches, while the other leaned heavily on a forked wooden walking stick.

It was the former mortuary attendant.

“Is it that young man?” The elderly person hesitated, standing cautiously at the mortuary entrance and asking softly.

“Yes, it’s me.”

The old man suddenly burst into tears, crying amidst laughter. It took quite some time for Duan Wenxuan to understand why; previously, when he sought a suitable skeletal framework, this elder had assisted him. However, after obtaining the skeleton, Duan Wenxuan disappeared without any further news. The old man feared something might have befallen him.

Having lived long, one witnesses many events.

The elder wasn’t surprised nor did he question Duan Wenxuan’s request for a menacing-looking skeleton. In this world, people often endure great hardships, and their actions usually stem from specific reasons. Nevertheless, given how Duan Wenxuan provided food and bedding for him, the old man willingly helped despite any potential involvement with nefarious practices. To him, Duan Wenxuan remained simply a good person.

Thus, the old man held deep gratitude towards Duan Wenxuan. After not hearing about him again, even inquiring within Hu Dali’s village where everyone claimed they hadn’t seen Duan Wenxuan, the old man felt regretful and worried if something went wrong during his training.

Seeing Duan Wenxuan again today brought some relief to the old man.

Duan Wenxuan was somewhat taken aback; they had merely been chance acquaintances, so he wondered why the old man showed such concern for him. As for offering food and bedding, these items held no value to Duan Wenxuan at all. It felt akin to a person casually breaking off crumbs from their bread and scattering it near a large ant colony on a whim.

Despite his reservations, Duan Wenxuan accepted this genuine concern. Initially planning to leave, he decided to stay for lunch at the mortuary due to this ‘concern.’

The lunch consisted of instant heated rice that Duan Wenxuan brought from the present world, complete with various side dishes. The old man devoured it hungrily, exclaiming how delicious it was - he hadn’t tasted anything so exquisite before.

After finishing the meal, the old man patted his belly contentedly, then leaned against the wall, his toothless mouth slowly widening into a smile. “Having tasted something this delightful in my lifetime, I feel truly blessed.”

“I have plenty more here, let me give you some.” Duan Wenxuan placed seven or eight self-heating rice boxes next to the old man.

With trembling hands of joy, the old man caressed the food items. “Young man… you’re not an ordinary person, are you? Even wealthy families in the city might never encounter such delicacies.”

“And what about you? Your speech is well-structured; did you receive education when you were young?” Throughout their conversation, despite occasional coarse language, the old man exhibited a discernible difference from typical rural villagers.

The elderly man seemed to delve into distant memories, his gaunt face reflecting traces of recollection. “In my youth… I remember our family had some wealth. Later, a deceitful cultist entered our lives, and under his influence, unaware of his malicious intent, I inadvertently led to the demise of my entire family. With no home left, I wandered aimlessly. Eventually, after falling gravely ill, my eyesight deteriorated significantly, leading me to settle at this mortuary.”

Duan Wenxuan’s thoughts stirred, and he suddenly asked, “There’s no need for you to know who I am. Our meeting may be fate. Given this, would you be willing to become my disciple for three years?”

In that fleeting moment, Duan Wenxuan had a sudden inspiration, recalling the concept of “Refining Illusion into Truth” from his real-world experiences. Could this principle apply in this new world as well? If so, he would know how to progress here, and perhaps it might even bring him unexpected surprises.

“Become your disciple?” The old man quickly caught on, immediately switching from informal address to using the respectful term “you.” Without hesitation, he placed his hands together at his forehead, bowed towards Duan Wenxuan’s direction, and said, “Yes, I am more than willing.”

Throughout his life, one could say that in his youth, he considered himself exceptional, leading to the tragic demise of his entire family. Later, consumed by despair, he eventually sought redemption and change only for fate to play cruel jokes on him. Eventually, resigned to his destiny, he retreated to the mortuary, waiting quietly for the day he would simply die within its walls.

Just when he had fully accepted death, it seemed fate finally favored him.

During this period, Duan Wenxuan had been seamlessly donning different personas with ease, honing his acting skills to near-Oscar-winning caliber. Now, maintaining a composed expression, he rose and walked towards the old man, embodying the demeanor of a transcendent master detached from worldly affairs.

“Let me be clear, you will stay by my side for three years. After that period, you’ll regain your freedom, but should I require assistance in the future, you must agree to fulfill three requests from me.”

The elderly man remained with his forehead touching the ground, “Dao teachings should not be taken lightly; this disciple deeply appreciates the kindness bestowed upon him. Moreover, as the saying goes, ‘once a master, always a father,’ even beyond these three requests, whether it’s hundreds or thousands of tasks, this disciple will strive to accomplish them all, never betraying the transformative grace Master has shown today.”

“Very well.” Duan Wenxuan smiled with satisfaction. “What is your name?”

The elderly man fell into a prolonged silence before responding, ”…I think it was Zhu Jinbao…” It had been such a distant name, unused for over forty or fifty years. Since his entire family perished and he became utterly deranged, who would bother caring about his true name?

“Zhu Jinbao… somewhat unsophisticated,” Duan Wenxuan pondered for a moment. “As you become my disciple, let us consider your past wiped clean. Dao emerges from the beginningless, enters the endless, transcends form, and surpasses worldly trials - this is the essence of our teaching. From this day forth, you shall be known as Wu Shi.”

“Yes, Wu Shi deeply appreciates the bestowed name from my teacher.”

Duan Wenxuan then instructed Wu Shi to rise, considering his frail and aged condition. To aid him, Duan Wenxuan used his inner strength to alleviate some of Wu Shi’s chronic ailments. Following this, he imparted the Everlasting Cultivation Art, previously belonging to Fingerless Xuan Yuan, to his new disciple.

The Everlasting Cultivation Art was balanced and harmonious, lacking the lethal potency of the Sunflower Heart Sutra, but it excelled in nurturing the body—a perfect fit for Wu Shi, whose health had deteriorated significantly.

Under Duan Wenxuan’s guidance, Wu Shi’s cultivation progress doubled with ease. However, as thoughts of Zong Cheng surfaced, Duan Wenxuan realized that Wu Shi’s martial aptitude was actually quite ordinary.

Most people indeed fall within the realm of average; finding someone with exceptional talent like Zong Cheng is rare. During their reunion back at the neighborhood, Duan Wenxuan observed that without the continuous influence of the gate regulating his body, his own martial arts progression barely matched Zong Cheng’s speed. Considering Zong Cheng didn’t have such advantages, it highlighted just how remarkable his innate martial talent truly was.

After two days with Duan Wenxuan’s assistance, Wu Shi finally made his initial breakthrough in cultivating inner strength. Additionally, during this period, Duan Wenxuan had been using his own inner strength to help regulate Wu Shi’s meridians and blood circulation, making Wu Shi appear visibly younger by about four or five years.

One day, as Wu Shi slowly completed his cultivation practice, a clear expression of joy spread across his face. He could feel his body steadily improving, experiencing a rejuvenated vitality and ease reminiscent of his youth.

“Master.”

Wu Shi’s once-clouded eyes gradually cleared, and he no longer needed his walking stick. Carrying a basin filled with fresh water, he carefully placed it before Duan Wenxuan.

With improved vision, Wu Shi now fully observed Duan Wenxuan’s appearance. His master looked even younger than Wu Shi initially perceived, yet despite this, Wu Shi’s respect for Duan Wenxuan remained unwavering. In fact, it deepened further.

As Duan Wenxuan washed his face, he suddenly said, “I need to leave for a few days due to some matters.”

“Where is Master going? May I accompany you, Master?” Wu Shi asked anxiously.

“Not for now. Here are two palm techniques - the Eight Trigrams Palm and Gongsun Palm. Both are offensive-focused, which complement the gentle nature of the Everlasting Cultivation Art well. Additionally, this is a Disguise Technique; take it to practice alongside them. While I’m away, diligently study these three skills.”

Having reached his current age, Wu Shi finally got a rare chance to start anew, only for Duan Wenxuan to announce he would be leaving for some time. Naturally, Wu Shi felt somewhat anxious. However, he dared not defy Duan Wenxuan’s instructions and could only agree.

Duan Wenxuan nodded and continued, “Given your advanced age and weakened body, cultivating the Everlasting Inner Strength will be a gradual process with limited immediate benefits. Therefore, I’ll give you another life-saving item, hoping you use it wisely.”

As he spoke, Duan Wenxuan produced something from his hand - a single seed.

This was a seed from the Small Peak Mountain vine. A few days ago, Duan Wenxuan had taken the opportunity to visit Little Peak Mountain again and collected more seeds. With both the door symbol affecting the white deer and the Plant Affinity mutant Heart fused within him, Duan Wenxuan now faced no obstacles entering Little Peak Mountain.

The Plant Heart possessed the ability to accelerate plant growth. After providing some nutrients to the vine seed, Duan Wenxuan utilized the Plant Heart’s power to stimulate its development. Soon, a palm-height vine, with densely coiled roots, began waving atop Duan Wenxuan’s hand.

“Take this vine,” Duan Wenxuan said as he handed it to Wu Shi.

Wu Shi accepted the vine, marveling at the small creature. Astonishingly, the vine could survive without soil. Additionally, several extended tendrils gently swayed and occasionally wrapped around his arm, displaying affection.

“This vine is very easy to maintain; give it just a bit of nourishment and it will grow rapidly. So, while cultivating it, be cautious not to let it spread uncontrollably. With this, even if any unforeseen events occur over the next few days, your safety should be assured.”

Wu Shi carefully stored away the vine and promptly responded, “Many thanks, Master. Your disciple will surely heed your advice.”