Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 163 The Burden of Quanzhen: The Time Is Not Yet Ripe

Looking at the gentle-smiling old Taoist priest in front of him, Lü Qian saw the golden flames blazing around Fang Dongtian as a lighthouse guiding the way on a beach at night.

The light he emitted was bright and clear, illuminating the darkness ahead.

Looking at the other man's thin figure, Lü Qian bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Master Fang. But I still have a question: was it worth it for you to sacrifice the rest of your lifespan for this final gamble?"

The moment Lü Qian met Fang Dongtian, he understood everything. The old Taoist actually had several months left, but he didn't want to wait any longer. He wanted to use those few months to exchange for a wisp of surging true fire.

Then, he used this surging true fire to ignite himself, and used the radiance he emitted to illuminate Lü Qian's path forward.

Although this Master Fang said he wanted to attain enlightenment, why would someone who had spent his entire life cultivating choose to sacrifice his remaining years at the end of his life to do something so desperate?

Fang Dongtian sat cross-legged on the futon, his smile growing increasingly warm and amiable. "Is it worth it? I've asked myself that same question."

My answer is, it's worth it!

In the flickering candlelight, Fang Dongtian's thin figure cast a very tall shadow. "Child, do not be surprised or puzzled by what this old Taoist has done."

"Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural order of things for humankind."

"I, an old Taoist, have lived for a hundred years and witnessed the turmoil of China. Although you have walked a longer path of cultivation than I have, you have not walked as far as I have in the realm of time."

He shook his head, his eyes filled with contemplation and nostalgia. "I was once just an ordinary junior disciple in Baiyun Temple, short in stature and not particularly talented, just like your Grand Tutor Zhou Meng. We were both little monkeys."

"I used to think that I would just be an ordinary little Taoist priest and live my life in an ordinary way, so I would just be a carefree little monkey every day."

"But at that time, my master seemed to see something in me, this silly little monkey. He always made me stand guard in front of the Baiyun Temple, set up a yellow cloth stall, tell fortunes for the guests, or observe the various people passing by the temple and understand the vicissitudes of life and the vastness of the mortal world."

At this point, Fang Dongtian shook his head with a smile, "Hahaha, during that time, I was really like a little monkey who had never seen the world. I did my job every day and also curiously observed the people, things and events in the world."

Lu Qian silently looked at the old Taoist priest in front of him, listening quietly as he recounted his life journey and his path of seeking the Tao.

"I have seen student marches, as well as many warlords and gentry, and I have even seen the flags on the city walls change every single day..."

Fang Dongtian counted on his fingers, as if recounting a treasured story, as he told the young man, Lü Qian, some old tales.

"I've also seen invaders wielding swords and guns, witnessed the surging waves of awakened passion, and seen the clash between ideals and reality..."

"I have seen the red flag fluttering in the wind atop the city walls, and I have witnessed the arrival and development of the so-called new era..."

After counting on his fingers, Fang Dongtian closed his eyes and said in a tone that was both puzzled and enlightened, "I don't know exactly which day it was, but I suddenly felt a sense of peace from the bottom of my heart."

Looking at the hustle and bustle of the world around me, I feel very close to them, as if I am right there in it, but at the same time I feel very far away, as if we are separated by several layers of heaven and earth.

He smiled, his tone playful like a mischievous old man, "My master told me that I have attained tranquility and found nature."

"Just like that, in a muddle, I, the little monkey, became my master's successor, the abbot of Baiyun Temple, and the head of the Longmen Sect."

"And I was like a little monkey who turned into a high-ranking master overnight, and I became proficient in all kinds of esoteric classics, secret methods and rituals."

"Young man Lu, isn't that strange?"

Fang Dongtian spread his hands and laughed twice at Lü Qian, "Hahaha, recalling these past hundred years is actually quite simple for me."

"But now I want to give my simple life an extraordinary ending, a happy and fulfilling one."

"I've been a monkey and a high priest, but I've never been a seeker of the Way or a person who has attained enlightenment."

In Lü Qian's eyes, as Fang Dongtian gradually revealed his words, the golden flames surrounding him suddenly intensified, and his whole person seemed to transform into a dazzling torch, overshadowing the bright sunlight outside.

"boom!"

Not only in Lü Qian's eyes, but also in the outside world, even those who did not use their observation techniques could see the surging golden light and blazing flames emanating from Fang Dongtian.

Flames manifested from all around him, surging and dazzling, exuding an immortal charm, with all sorts of mysteries flowing within them.

Fang Dongtian sat cross-legged amidst the golden flames, his physical body and primordial spirit contained within them. Yet, he seemed not to feel the intense heat, as if he were sitting in lukewarm water, his every movement natural and effortless.

The surging golden flames were fierce, yet they did not damage the surrounding objects in the slightest, as if they were an illusion.

"Young Master Lü, would you be willing to grant this old Taoist's request this time?"

Fang Dongtian sat amidst the golden flames and smiled at Lü Qian, saying, "The predecessors have their glory, and the successors have their own splendor."

"Now it's time for this old Taoist priest, a predecessor, to unleash his own brilliance."

Lu Qian bowed silently to the other party; pity and sorrow were not what the old man needed.

Although everyone's path is different, the direction of practitioners on this path of seeking is roughly the same, with some walking ahead and some walking behind.

Those who walk ahead of the path not only achieve enlightenment for themselves, but their existence also shows those who follow that the path is achievable and points out the direction for them to move forward!

In this world, generations are passed down, and there are always those who come after to become pioneers, pointing the way for newcomers. In this endless cycle, practitioners can go further and further on their path of seeking enlightenment.

Fang Dongtian's enlightenment was not only for Lü Qian alone, but also for countless future generations after Lü Qian!

I pave the way for all paths with my own!

Lu Qian lowered his head and said in a deep voice, "I am willing to be a successor."

Fang Dongtian smiled and waved his hand at him, "Alright, alright, you go and rest first, let Xingyang make arrangements for you."

"I still need to see some old friends and make some final arrangements in these remaining four days."

"yes!"

Lu Qian responded and left the room. He walked under the corridor, watching the sun slowly slide towards the western horizon, and composed himself before heading towards the place where he had settled the white crane.

The old days slowly set in the west, the new days gradually rise in the east.

……

Four days later, in the same room, the disciples of the Longmen Sect stood guard outside the room, ready for action.

Inside the room, Fang Dongtian sat cross-legged on the couch with his eyes closed. His body was surrounded by golden flames that seemed to reach the heavens and the earth, illuminating the originally dim room until it was bright and clear, like a radiant golden sun.

Lu Qian sat cross-legged on the futon on the ground, his eyes burning with golden-red flames as he looked at Fang Dongtian on the couch.

"Young man Lu, the time is almost up, you'd better watch carefully!"

"yes!"

Lu Qian untied the wooden sword and placed it across his lap. "Is there anything else you would like to tell this junior?"

There's something I might need you to do.

Upon hearing this, Fang Dongtian, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, opened them. His eyes gleamed with light. He hesitated for a moment and said, "You have studied the inheritances of all the Quanzhen lineages. There is one burden that you may need to resolve."

"Of course, whether you are the one to resolve this burden is up to fate."

"Please explain in detail, Master Fang."

Lu Qian asked Master Fang with some doubt, "What responsibilities does our Quanzhen sect have that I, a junior, need to resolve?"

Faced with Lü Qian's question, Fang Dongtian's expression turned serious. "I can't tell you the specifics, but I can tell you that this is a problem that the ancestors couldn't solve. It's not that their cultivation is insufficient, but that the time is not yet right."

"Is it really that mysterious?"

Lu Qian was puzzled. What kind of problem could have led all the founders of Quanzhen to leave it to later generations?

"If you ever feel like traveling to the Southern Frontier while you are still alive, ask your Grand Tutor Zhou Meng. He will give you the answer."

"Remember before you go, don't be careless. There's never a shortage of strange and wonderful things in this world."