Chapter 426 - 407: Mr. Huohua

Chapter 426: Chapter 407: Mr. Huohua

The moment that aura appeared, the white fur on the monkey’s body suddenly stood on end!

This was an instinct etched into its very bones from years of evading humans after returning to the mountain forests.

It looked around but couldn’t find the little brat’s figure. With no other choice, driven by its survival instinct, the little monkey didn’t hesitate for a second. It pressed its paws to the ground, its sharp claws extending and digging into the soil and rock beneath.

THUMP!

A dull thud echoed.

The white-furred monkey unleashed its innate Divine Technique, and its entire body sank directly into the ground, vanishing without a trace.

The earth and stone closed over it, leaving not a single mark behind.

In the canyon, Lu Ping was once again left all alone.

He had just scrambled up from the ground and was dusting himself off when he realized that damned monkey was gone.

Lu Ping froze for a moment, but he quickly pushed it out of his mind.

He turned, got his bearings, and started running back the way he came, his short legs stumbling.

’Mom is still in town. I have to go back and find Mom!’

He had only run a few steps when a shadow fell from the sky, enveloping his small figure.

Lu Ping stopped in his tracks and looked up.

A strange man in a fiery red robe was slowly descending from mid-air, hovering three feet in front of him.

The newcomer was none other than Mr. Huohua of the Celestial Furnace Sect, who had just dealt with an Evil Cultivator—a Loose Cultivator—nearby and had followed a faint fluctuation of Spiritual Qi here.

He had originally sensed the aura of a spirit beast of exceptional quality, much to his delight. He figured that if he captured it and refined it into his life-bound beast flame, his Cultivation would surely improve.

But when he tracked it here, the spirit ape’s aura had vanished into thin air. No matter how he swept the area with his Divine Sense, he couldn’t find a single trace of it.

The prize that had been within his grasp just vanished. Mr. Huohua’s mood couldn’t have been worse.

Unable to find the spirit beast, he glanced down and discovered a little human brat standing at the bottom of the canyon.

’Where did this feral child come from?’

Mr. Huohua was growing impatient and was about to leave with a flick of his sleeve when his Divine Sense subconsciously swept over Lu Ping.

That one sweep made him freeze in the middle of turning away.

’Hm?’

’This little brat...’

’His meridians are clear, and there’s a faint trace of Spiritual Power circulating on its own within his body!’

’This... Is he on the verge of guiding qi into his body all by himself?!’

’Could it be? Is he an Innate Dao Body?’

Mr. Huohua’s heart leaped. His earlier irritation was instantly replaced by a wave of joy!

’Losing the spirit beast is a pity, of course, but finding a disciple with such outstanding talent would be a hundred times better than some animal!’

With a flicker of his form, he landed in front of Lu Ping.

"Little one, where are your parents?" Mr. Huohua tried his best to appear friendly.

Lu Ping was startled by the strange man who had appeared out of nowhere. He subconsciously took two steps back, watching him warily.

"I... I want to find my mom!"

Mr. Huohua pondered for a moment. The only town near Broken Sword Ridge was Qinghe Town.

"Your mom?" Mr. Huohua glanced in the direction of Qinghe Town. "Does your family live in that town?"

Lu Ping nodded forcefully.

"Alright, I’ll take you back." A smile appeared on Mr. Huohua’s face. With a wave of his hand, an invisible force lifted Lu Ping up and brought him flying to his side.

Lu Ping felt his body lighten, and he began to fly uncontrollably. He let out a frightened cry but didn’t dare to struggle.

Mr. Huohua took him along, transforming into a streak of fiery light that shot toward Qinghe Town.

’This is a good chance to check on the boy’s origins. If he’s from an ordinary farming family, I can just give them some gold and silver to settle the karmic debt and take him directly back to the sect.’

However, as they drew closer and his Divine Sense enveloped the whole of Qinghe Town, his face suddenly twitched.

’This town... something’s not right...’

Upon closer inspection, Mr. Huohua seemed to understand something. Then he looked at the little brat...

’No way... I hope he’s not a useless piece of trash...’

’Besides, if my worries are true, it’s not worth slaughtering a whole town for his sake. As a member of the righteous path, I can’t act as unscrupulously as those of the demonic path and the Evil Cultivators.’

’And if this little brat really is an Innate Dao Body, harboring hatred at such a young age would be detrimental to his Cultivation. It would surely become a mental block in the future, ruining this piece of uncut jade.’

"Strange Uncle, are we there yet? I miss my mom..." Lu Ping sobbed quietly, tugging on Huohua’s sleeve.

Mr. Huohua chose to bypass Qinghe Town completely and continued onward, preparing to fly directly back to the Celestial Furnace Sect.

"Stop crying," Mr. Huohua’s voice was flat. "Your mother doesn’t want you anymore. What is there to long for?"

Little Lu Ping’s crying came to an abrupt halt.

He froze in mid-air, forgetting to struggle, forgetting to be afraid.

’Mom... doesn’t want me anymore?’

’Impossible.’

’Absolutely impossible.’

’Mom hugged me and told me to live a good life. She even stuffed that hard thing into my hand.’

’This man in strange clothes must be lying. But why would he say that?’

Little Lu Ping stopped moving, his whole body going limp. Mr. Huohua was indifferent to this.

’Only by severing mortal ties and worldly thoughts can one focus wholeheartedly on the Dao.’

’The method may be crude, but for a feral child who understands nothing, it’s effective.’

He brought Lu Ping back to the Celestial Furnace Sect and landed.

"Stand still."

He placed Lu Ping on the ground, then went into the sect to retrieve a Spirit Testing Stone.

A warm current entered Lu Ping’s body, circulated through him, and finally converged into the Spirit Testing Stone.

Mr. Huohua still held a sliver of anticipation.

’An Innate Dao Body is one in ten thousand. Even if it’s not a top-tier variant Spirit Root, it should at least be a Celestial Spirit Root. His future achievements would be limitless.’

But a moment later, when the light on the Spirit Testing Stone finally settled into two bands, he withdrew his hand.

The faint aura of fire around him instantly extinguished.

’Some Innate Dao Body!’

’It’s just a three-spirit root.’

’It’s better than a Pseudo Spirit Root, at least, but compared to the Celestial Spirit Root I was expecting, it’s a world of difference. Even a single-spirit root would have been better!’

’A piece of uncut jade?’

’This is clearly just a stubborn rock! The only reason he could guide qi into his body at such a young age is probably that he accidentally ate some kind of Spirit Fruit.’

’To think I gave up searching for a rare spirit beast for this piece of goods... The more I think about it, the more I feel I’ve been ripped off. A total loss!’

Mr. Huohua’s mood plummeted.

When he looked at Lu Ping again, all of his previous enthusiasm and kindness were gone.

"From now on, you are a disciple of my Celestial Furnace Sect."

He tossed out the sentence and turned to leave, his fiery red robes sweeping in the wind, full of impatience.

...

Lu Ping was thrown into the large courtyard where the nominal disciples lived. Although he was Mr. Huohua’s disciple in name, he was generally taught by the senior brothers and sisters of the sect. He never saw that strange man in the red robe again.

And he continued to use his old name.

Lu Ping.

’So this is what Cultivation is.’

’Just being forcibly taken from your home by a stranger, told your mother doesn’t want you, and then thrown into a place full of strangers to be ignored forever.’

’Is this Cultivation? Why did my parents go seeking such a path, abandoning me like this?’

He didn’t understand, but a knot of resentment festered in his heart.

He couldn’t tell if the resentment was for the strange man, for the father who had abandoned him to seek immortality, or for the mother who had also cruelly left him.

Or perhaps, he resented the very idea of Cultivation itself.

’Why does Cultivation have to have so many restrictions?’

’Why can’t you cultivate while staying at home, smelling the aroma of your mother’s cooking, waiting for your father to come back from gathering herbs?’

’Why can’t you be with your family while you cultivate? Why must you sever all mortal ties to do it?’

’Taking things as they come, getting by, cultivating when you feel like it, free and unrestrained—why can’t Cultivation be like that?’

’Isn’t the point of Cultivation to seek freedom between heaven and earth? Why is it instead full of heavy rules and restrictions?’

And so, in the outer sect disciples’ courtyard, Lu Ping became the laziest one of all.

While others rose before dawn to practice their breathing exercises, he only began to cultivate after sleeping in.

While others sweated buckets on the training grounds, he sunbathed in a corner of the courtyard, only starting to meditate when he felt like it.

While others fought tooth and nail for a few Qi Gathering Elixirs, he would only accept sect missions from the Steward Hall if he found them interesting.

He just remembered what his mother had last said to him on that cold night.

Take things as they come.

He carved those four words into his heart.

’Since I’ve been brought here and can’t leave, I’ll just stay.’

’Since I have to cultivate, I’ll just cultivate.’

No need to force it, no need to be obsessed.

Rest when tired, sleep when sleepy.

At ease whether walking, at ease whether sitting.

His memories of his childhood had begun to blur, their colors fading, the details growing indistinct.

He only remembered that his parents had gone to seek immortality.

That hard piece of metal—he had always kept it close.

The light on it had long since gone out, its spiritual nature completely gone. It seemed to be just an ordinary piece of scrap metal.

But he never threw it away.

It was the last thing his mother had left him.

...

In the illusion, the searing heat and chaos were slowly receding.

Lu Ping felt his heavy body growing lighter, bit by bit.

’So that’s how it is.’

’Is this my Heart Demon?’

’It’s just a part of the past that I should have let go of long ago.’

’Whether it was my father or my mother, they chose to seek immortality. That was their path.’

’And my path is what my mother hoped for in the end.’

To take things as they come.

Not seeking to pierce the heavens or achieve eternal life, just seeking a measure of peace and freedom.

He felt himself about to break free from this quagmire. The pressure of the eightieth step seemed to be dissipating.

’At ease whether walking, at ease whether sitting...’

’It’s time to let go of this obsession.’

Just as his mind became clear and empty, on the verge of seeing through the illusion...

A faint, somewhat mocking whisper echoed once more in his ear.

The voice was identical to the strange whispers he’d heard during his illness, but this time, every word was crystal clear.

"See through it? I think you’re just running away. I’ve already made you recall it all once more. Right now, do you really believe they went to seek immortality?"

Lu Ping’s whole body trembled!

The illusion, which had been on the verge of dissipating, suddenly solidified!

He whipped his head around.

There, not far behind him, amidst the streetscape of Qinghe Town constructed from fragments of memory, stood a person.

That person looked exactly like him.

That person was himself!