C1 I Want to Burn It!

Beside the blazing stove, a young man was steadily adding wood to the fire. As he placed a straight, white branch into the flames, a sudden shriek erupted: “Why is it so hot? It’s burning me alive! Has the sky caught fire?”

The young man jumped back, frozen in shock. An old man, covered in soot and wearing singed white clothes, emerged from the stove. He rolled on the ground to extinguish the flames on his body, then fixed his piercing gaze on the stunned young man.

The young man felt a shiver run through him, an inexplicable fear rising in his heart under the old man’s intense stare.

“Kid, didn’t you see I was sleeping in there? You used me as firewood! You’ve really ticked me off!” the old man fumed.

“Are you a wizard or some kind of spirit?” the young man finally managed to ask, his voice tense.

“Boy, I’m the one asking questions here, and you dare not answer? That makes me even angrier!” the old man said, stepping forward and grabbing the young man as if he were a chick, ready to teach him a lesson.

Suddenly, the old man paused, a look of surprise and delight crossing his face as he examined the young man more closely.

“Kid, you’ve got a remarkable spirit bone!” the old man exclaimed, gently setting the young man down, looking at him as if he were a treasure.

Spirit bone? The young man recalled his teacher mentioning that to join a mystical sect, one must possess a spirit bone. A spirit bone gives rise to a spirit root, which is essential for pursuing the mystical arts!

Could it be that I have a spiritual bone? Can I cultivate immortality? The young man's heart was filled with excitement.

"Hey kid, what's your name?" the old man suddenly asked with a friendly smile.

"Ho Liao!" the young man replied.

"Good lad, this must be fate! I've been searching tirelessly for fifty years without success, and here I am, taking a nap, and a fire brings us together!" the old man laughed heartily.

"Sir, can I learn to cultivate immortality with you?" Ho Liao asked eagerly.

"Of course!" the old man smiled, looking relieved. "Luckily, you live in such a remote place. If you were in town or the village, those sects would have snatched you up, and I wouldn't have had a chance!"

"May I ask who you are, sir?" Ho Liao inquired politely.

"Where's your family?" the old man asked in return.

"I only have a sister. She's out tailoring wedding clothes for someone," Ho Liao said calmly.

In truth, this sister wasn't Ho Liao's biological sister. They were both unfortunate souls. Ho Liao was abandoned as a newborn in a small mountain valley during a snowstorm. If it hadn't been for his sister's big yellow dog dragging his swaddled bundle home, he would have frozen to death. Since then, Ho Liao, his sister A-Chou, and the big yellow dog have depended on each other for survival.

Sister A-Chou is 28 years old this year. Because of a large dark blue birthmark on her left cheek, no one wants to marry her. Her parents passed away when she was ten, leaving her three thatched cottages at the foot of Yandang Mountain. As a young girl, she worked herself to the bone just to make ends meet. Perhaps out of pity, the heavens gifted her with exceptionally skillful hands, allowing her to create exquisite needlework that supports both herself and Ho Liao.

Ho Liao's name came from the two characters embroidered on his swaddling clothes. Ah Chou figured it was probably his name and just went with it.

Ho Liao is thirteen years old now. Although life is tough, Ah Chou makes sure he gets the best food and clothes, so he's grown tall and strong, with a bright and lively demeanor. Ah Chou even works hard to send him to a private school. Ho Liao, being sensible, helps out by gathering firewood on the mountain after school.

Thinking of his sister fills Ho Liao with gratitude, and a sweet smile spreads across his face, a sweetness that comes from deep within.

The old man watched Ho Liao with growing satisfaction. He burst into hearty laughter and then asked, "Kid, what do you plan to do with your life?"

Without hesitation, Ho Liao replied, "Eat magical pills, drink the elixir of life, become immortal, and give my sister a life like a fairy tale!"

The old man stroked his beard, smiling silently for a long time. Only after Ho Liao's excitement faded did he speak again, "Kid, who I am, whether I'm an immortal, and if I can guide you on this path, you'll have to figure out slowly. But I can tell you this: following me, you can indeed pursue immortality. However, I don't have a sect or magical pills here, so you might be quite disappointed."

He paused, watching Ho Liao's expression shift from surprise to confusion, then continued, "The path to immortality has many sects and countless ways. The quickest route is to rely on your extraordinary talent to join a major sect and use elixirs to boost your progress, ultimately achieving perfection. But that's not my path. My way demands returning to the basics, relying entirely on one's own strength and talent to awaken one's destiny. It's the slowest and hardest path, but also the most solid and reliable, and ultimately the most powerful. Do you understand what I'm saying, kid?"

Ho Liao looked at the old man and earnestly replied, "Sir, I understand everything except for the essence of this foundational practice. Could you please enlighten me on what it truly is?"

The old man let out a hearty laugh and said with satisfaction, "This practice hasn't been cultivated for five thousand years. If it weren't for me becoming a spirit and being able to freely roam the world in search of a successor, I'd still be gathering dust in the library. The thought of it would surely sadden the ancestors. But finding a successor is no easy task. In all the prominent places, those with potential are quickly snapped up by sects. I've been searching for fifty years and only today, in this remote mountain, did I find you! Funny enough, it was all thanks to me taking a nap and you being diligent enough to start a fire for cooking, which happened to burn my bed. Ha! That fire was just right—it brought you to me as a student and me to you as a teacher. That's our fate, plain and simple. The ancestors always said fate is a mysterious thing, and today, I see just how wonderfully mysterious it truly is!"

Ho Liao listened to the old man's words, understanding some parts and not others. However, he was certain that he had stumbled upon a great opportunity. He couldn't help but feel that fate was indeed a mysterious force, and perhaps his destiny was about to change dramatically.

"Kid, I have no affiliation with any sect, nor do I possess any elixirs for immortality. Are you willing to become my apprentice?" the old man asked Ho Liao seriously, noticing his momentary daze.

Without hesitation, Ho Liao nodded vigorously.

“No magic potions, no elixirs of life, only a return to basics. Can you resist temptation and endure hardship?” the old man asked seriously.

“I’m willing!” Ho Liao declared firmly.