Xiong Man and Xiao Shijiui asked Yuan Hua if they could et his senior, and Yuan Hua went into the cave to consult. Upon hearing that Xiong Man had arrived, Shi Feiyang was moved. Knowing this woman was sohow connected to him, he ticulously calculated for a while and then instructed Yuan Hua to invite them in.
His cave abode was temporarily established; he hadn’t planned to reside there long, so it was sowhat simple. The cave walls weren’t even cut smooth, but it was exceptionally spacious, containing a stone table and chairs, and wooden stretchers and beds arranged by Yuan Hua and Lin Han.
Lin Han was extrely ticulous by nature. He carved the furniture with the White Light Sword, making everything flat and perpendicular, the joints tight and well-fitted, even engraving patterns of plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum on them. His ancestral ho had generations of officials, and his grandfather was a Sword Immortal, making their family wealthy, thus all their furniture was exquisitely crafted.
Initially, he had been uneasy, worried that Shi Feiyang would think he, a young master, couldn’t endure the austerity of mountain life, and he had only made a wooden stretcher with a pattern of Nine Dragons Playing with a Pearl for Yuan Hua to present to Shi Feiyang. He thought if his master disapproved of this, he would imdiately stop and correct his ways, pulling back at the cliff’s edge; it wouldn’t be too late.
Shi Feiyang was very pleased when he saw the bed, firstly because his little apprentice showed such filial piety, and secondly because using the Immortal Sword for carving could temper one’s mind. Human hearts are chaotic, and one must focus their mind to start cultivation. So people cannot concentrate on doing one task, which halves their efforts. Focusing on carving can refine one’s ntality, as well as train their sword-handling skills, which is excellent indeed.
After receiving praise, Lin Han made a complete set of tables, chairs, and benches, as well as a five-drawer cabinet and a curio shelf, arranging all the attractive stones he had collected from the mountains, large pine cones, and wooden carvings of small animals he had made using Sword Qi.
When Xiong Man and Xiao Shijiui entered the cave and saw these arrangents, they respected the inhabitants even more. Upon seeing a young man about eighteen or nineteen years old sitting cross-legged on a bedfra, wearing a white jade crown with an openwork fish-dragon pattern and dressed in a white crane-patterned long robe, his features delicate and eyes like shooting stars, both gentle and majestic, they couldn’t help but feel inferior, bowing in deference as his junior, "Greetings to True Master Dragon."
Shi Feiyang invited them to sit, "There’s no need for formalities, both of you fellow Daoists. Although in this life you have just entered the Dao, you had already cultivated for hundreds of years in your past lives. It’s only that you’re still accumulating Dao grains and have not yet awakened to your past causes."
Both won were shocked upon hearing this; their master had not told them before dying. Over the years, as their Dao level gradually increased, they vaguely recalled fragnts of their past lives, though it was still very unclear. Luo Ziyuan, the senior sister with the deepest effort, awakened the most, while Xiong Man, with the least skills, awakened the least.
Xiong Man, who had not received any secret manuals from her master, struggled intensely as her sisters rapidly advanced in their cultivation, moving increasingly further from her old sect mates, often painfully troubled. Hearing Shi Feiyang speak of their past lives, she stood up again to bow, "I am now hopeless in my future, tornted day and night; please, senior, guide from this confusion. When will I awaken to my past life mories?"
Shi Feiyang gestured for her to sit, speaking thoughtfully, "It is precisely because your foundation in your past life was far inferior to your two fellow disciples that this life contrasts starkly. Among the three of you, your senior sister achieved fa across the land since the Song Dynasty, and although Friend Xiao is a bit less accomplished, she entered the Dao during the Yuan Dynasty. Only you had an ordinary past life, and the accrued grains were insufficient. Despite being fellow disciples in this life, your achievents could not compare to theirs. Back on Dinghu Peak, you had a twist of fortune due to so reasons, but still, the practice wasn’t deep enough. According to my calculations, your worldly happiness appears to be at hand."
Having already regretted her own inferior past and present, Xiong Man was lanting her inability to compare to her sisters even though studying under the sa sect was already her reaching above her station. Suddenly hearing the latter words made her heart lurch.
Her master had left her several letters from an empty master, specifying the timing when she should open them, revealing the words on her own. The letters said that on Dinghu Peak, before she went to slay the dragon and seize the treasure, she would face a catastrophe, et Sect Leader Cang Lingzi of Qinghai Sect who had lost his virginity, and mistakenly eat poisoned Immortal Mushrooms, nearly dying but fortunately rescued by a hunting family with the surna Wei, and eventually, she would marry that young man of the Wei family.
If she had already surpassed that hurdle, she would et that Wei-surnad man again in three years, and they would also beco husband and wife.
For this matter, she had never co to Immortal Mountain, fearing she might encounter that man surnad Wei, until the three-year period had passed. She had relaxed her vigilance, only to encounter last year in Sichuan a youth nad Wei Da, who resembled the person described in her master’s letter to the letter.
Originally, Wei Da had lived as a hunter on Immortal Mountain in previous years, but his ancestry was from Sichuan. Last year, both his parents had died, and he was escorting their coffins back to Sichuan when he encountered Xiong Man and a demon human dueling, barely holding his own.
Wei Da, being of righteous heart, dared to intervene in the matters of Sword Immortals, wielding both hidden weapons and firearms, aiding Xiong Man in slaying the enemy, while being pierced through the right chest himself, nearly dying on the spot.
Xiong Man brought him to Min Mountain to find her junior sister, then to Heng Mountain to seek her elder sister, Luo Ziyuan, and barely managed to save Wei Da’s life.
Upon learning his na, Xiong Man was terrified and lost all her composure. Luo Ziyuan persuaded her to follow their master’s last letter, marry Wei Da, have children, and after a hundred years, ascend to the next life, where she and Sister Xiaoshiji could lead her on the path to enlightennt.
Xiong Man simply couldn’t reconcile herself, secretly cried several tis, and ultimately refused to compromise. She still wanted to bravely climb the Immortal Path in this life, so she entrusted Luo Ziyuan to take care of Wei Da, heal him, and send him back ho. She and Sister Xiaoshiji then swiftly left Heng Mountain and fled far away.
Shi Feiyang’s words struck directly at her most troubled issue, and she hurriedly perford a grand salute, asking Shi Feiyang for guidance on her future path.
Shi Feiyang said, "Hasn’t your master already arranged everything for you? She asked you to marry Wei Da, accumulate karma throughout this lifeti..."
Upon hearing this, Xiong Man’s eyes imdiately reddened, tears streaming incessantly, she choked up and said, "But I just can’t accept it, I’m unwilling to compromise with fate, I... don’t laugh at , I still want to strive."
Looking at her, Shi Feiyang suddenly smiled, "Who says that this is your fate? Your master only arranged what she thought was the best path for you. If you’re unwilling to take it, just choose another, where’s this predestined fate considered as decreed by heaven?"
Xiong Man felt a shock in her heart, she imdiately knelt down on her knees, wiping her tears, and begged, "Please enlighten , senior!"
Shi Feiyang said, "Your master practices Buddhism, following the cycle of cause and effect, reincarnation, and karma to arrange this path for you. Your own accumulation of cultivation isn’t enough, and your strong desire for enlightennt stems from a covetous heart, which not only can’t be fulfilled, but will also generate more negative karma, receiving even worse retribution. Wei Da was your husband in past lives, and in future lives, he will be again, and you have a child who seeks to be reborn to you to claim debts. In her view, marrying and having children in this worldly life, then seeking true enlightennt in the next life is the best choice. However, my Daoist belief isn’t like this, haven’t you heard that a true gentleman maintains his determination unyieldingly!"
Previously, Xiong Man had always believed that what her master said was fate written by heaven, everything was predestined, and since it was set, it was bound to happen. She had several tis thought of compromising with fate, yet her heart was reluctant. Sotis she also thought, if all else fails, just comply with the heavenly decree and marry Wei Da. Now hearing Shi Feiyang’s words, she suddenly saw hope again, especially the last statent, which was thoroughly enlightening.
She had always treated her master’s words as the absolute truth, never doubting them, and this matter was also hard to reverse, leaving her heart more bewildered, "But what should I do then? Can avoiding seeing that Wei Da be enough?"
Shi Feiyang smiled and sighed, "Your master wasn’t wrong either, you first need to understand how Mysterious Sect’s Righteous Path interprets this issue for you."
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