As far as his gaze could reach, time and space intertwined, and a scene materialized before Huang Tian's eyes.
At the edge of the green mountains lay a manorial hamlet. On the hamlet's eastern side stood a sizable courtyard, and at the westernmost corner of the courtyard stood a thatch-roofed cottage.
This cottage had a triple layer of thatch for its roof, bundled wormwood for its ridge, and eaves that dipped low like a weary bird tucking in its wings. An earthen window sat wide and coarse, just enough to let the slanted trace of moonlight drift in, while the four walls were woven from rushes and reeds. When wind and rain arose in the evening, they rustled through the lattice like the austere notes of a muted zither.
Deep within the thatched cottage, a young boy lay on a reed mat atop a wooden bed. His face was as pale as fresh snow, an old quilt half-draped over him, revealing only the gaunt, protruding bones of his shoulders.
"Father, is... is it possible Huang Tian will get better?"
Two people stood before the wooden bed. One was an old man with grizzled hair and a hunched back surnamed Mo, whom the villagers called Old Man Mo. The other was a young boy with hair coiled into grape-bun tufts, nicknamed Que'er and formally named Mo Hong. He was Old Man Mo's late-born child, the apple of his eye, cherished so tenderly that the old man feared he might melt in his palm.
Old Man Mo furrowed his brow and stepped forward to examine the boy on the reed mat closely. He reached out and pressed a hand against the boy's forehead; an icy chill struck straight through to the back of his hand.
With a heavy expression, he shook his head. "I fear it will be hard for him to pull through. Hard indeed."
Upon hearing this, Mo Hong's lower lip trembled, and tears fell pattering down like pearls. He raised his right hand to wipe his eyes, sniffling and choking with sobs. "He's the same age as me. How could he die? Just a few days ago, he said he was going to play with me until we grew up!"
Old Man Mo stroked Mo Hong's head with pity. "A person is born with their fate. No one can escape their own lot in life."
"Can't we fetch another physician? A physician from the city?" Mo Hong looked up pleadingly at Old Man Mo.
Old Man Mo fell silent, let out a sigh, and slowly shook his head.
This Huang Tian had originally belonged to the hamlet, but his parents had died early. Left without a livelihood and having no relatives, he had been reduced to begging for scraps across several neighboring hamlets, enduring considerable cold glances.
Seeing that he was the same age as his own young son, Old Man Mo had felt a pang of pity and taken him into his household. He put him to work herding cattle and raising pigs, providing food and lodging without wages, giving him a bit of extra meat and fruit only during festivals. Because of this, Huang Tian had managed to live decently for two or three years.
Yet just the day before yesterday, perhaps having caught a chill from the piercing mountain wind while tending cattle, he returned only to fall into a fever, so delirious he lost all sense of his surroundings.
Old Man Mo had spent money to hire an old physician from the neighboring hamlet to treat him. After examining him, the physician had shaken his head repeatedly, but he still wrote a prescription. Old Man Mo purchased several doses of medicine according to the prescription and fed them to Huang Tian, yet none of it had any effect. Instead, his condition grew increasingly dire. By now, his entire body was as cold as a corpse.
"Physician Yu is already a renowned doctor in the county, who only returned to his native village in his old age to enjoy his grandchildren. If even he cannot cure him, what use would it be to go to the county seat and fetch another?" Old Man Mo said. "Physician Yu said long ago that if he can endure three days, the illness will slowly pass. But if he cannot..."
He turned around and added, "I'll go brew another dose of medicine for him."
Mo Hong's face was smeared with tears and snot as he clung to the edge of the bed, gazing at Huang Tian with an indescribable ache in his heart.
It stemmed partly from the imminent parting of death from his playmate, and partly from his fear of death itself. In the past, he had never known what death was. When he asked the villagers, they only laughed and answered that being buried in the dirt was death.
Out of curiosity, he had once buried himself in a pit and scooped dirt over himself with his hands. When Old Man Mo discovered him, he hauled him out by the collar and gave him a sound thrashing with a wooden cane. Mo Hong had cried, swearing he would never dare do it again, but even then, he still did not comprehend what death truly was; he only knew that everyone feared it, and his father, Old Man Mo, feared it as well.
Only today did he finally begin to understand. To die meant there was nothing left; everything became empty.
He had begun to fear death too—he feared that hollow emptiness, feared that he would never again see his father, his mother, the villagers, or his playmates from the schoolroom...
"Mmh..."
Just as Mo Hong was weeping softly, the boy on the reed mat suddenly let out a low groan. Startled, Mo Hong looked up and saw that Huang Tian had already awakened from his stupor. Overjoyed, he scurried outside without delay, yelling as he ran, "Father, he's awake! He's awake!"
As the shouts receded into the distance, Huang Tian, who had just crossed over between realms, quietly attuned his senses to the qi of heaven and earth.
A few breaths later, his heart stirred slightly. *The spiritual energy of this realm is exceptionally rich, and the qi of heaven and earth is very intricate. There must be practitioners here, and their strength will certainly not be weak.*
With that thought, he mobilized the meager, negligible wisp of spiritual energy that had accompanied his spiritual intent to nourish his physical body. A warmth welled up from deep within his frigid frame, bringing a faint flush of color to his cheeks.
*Tap, tap...*
A flurry of footsteps sounded as Old Man Mo and Mo Hong, who had rushed out earlier, hurried into the room. Seeing Huang Tian awake and bearing a touch of color on his face, the old man was instantly delighted. "Heaven be praised! Heaven be praised!"
Yet hard on the heels of that joy came a sudden jolt of alarm. *Could this be a dying flash of vitality?!*
He moved to the bedside, scrutinizing the boy cautiously, and hesitated. "Tiannu, you..."
Tiannu was the original host's childhood name. Here, *nu* did not mean a servant or slave; rather, it was a humble, self-deprecating pet name like "Goudan" or "Gousheng." Folk tradition had long held that a humble name made a child easier to raise. Thus, after taking him in, Old Man Mo had addressed him as Tiannu, though on occasion he also called him by his formal name.
As for the other households in the hamlet, some called him Tiannu, while others called him Jinu—*ji* signifying his status as a foster child.
Huang Tian spoke softly, "I'm fine, just a little thirsty."
Mo Hong piped up in delight, "I'll fetch water!"
Seeing that he had the strength to speak and claimed to be "fine," Old Man Mo felt his heart ease. "Just rest. I'll go continue brewing your medicine." With that, he turned and left.
"Huang Tian, the water is here!" Mo Hong returned, carrying a bowl of warm water.
Drinking the water slowly, Huang Tian said, "Thank you."
Mo Hong put the bowl down with a cheerful grin. "We're playmates who fool around together, why bother saying thanks?"
His large eyes rolled about inquisitively. "I feel like... you're a bit different?"
"How so?"
"I can't put my finger on it. It's just... you seem more like the elders?" He scratched his head, inexplicably feeling that his best friend had become "mature," even though he had no real concept of what maturity meant.
Huang Tian smiled. "After passing between life and death, one comes to understand many things. Naturally, one changes."
Mo Hong nodded as if grasping some deep truth, but with a child's temperament, he quickly threw it to the back of his mind. Standing beside the wooden bed, he excitedly began sharing the amusing anecdotes from his schoolroom and the lively sights from the county seat.
While listening to him chatter, Huang Tian cast his gaze toward a spot about a li to the northwest. *The qi there is dormant and stagnant; there seems to be something peculiar about it. In a few days, I might as well go take a look.*
Having just arrived in this realm, Huang Tian did not intend to be a rogue cultivator. Although he was effectively "reincarnating to cultivate anew" and had no bottlenecks in his cultivation, resources were crucial; as a rogue cultivator, obtaining resources would be difficult.
It would be better to find an opportunity to enter a major power—it was always easier to take shelter under a sprawling tree. Just like his earlier time in the Five Directions Realm, had he not joined the Martial Restraint Guard from the start, his subsequent cultivation would never have proceeded so smoothly. Naturally, that was merely his current plan; as for how to enter a major power or a great sect, his intuition told him that the "peculiarity" to the northwest could assist him. This intuition was none other than a cultivator's flash of insight.
Mo Hong chattered away for a long while, his spirits still running high, until Old Man Mo came in holding a bowl of medicinal soup and scolded him, "Stop your endless babbling! The room needs quiet; Tiannu must rest in peace."
"Oh... I understand." Mo Hong hung his head, looking embarrassed.
"Here, drink the medicine so you'll recover faster." Old Man Mo stepped forward and offered the medicinal soup.
"All right."
As the bowl of medicinal soup went down, warmth blossomed in his belly. Huang Tian slowly sat up, the flush on his face deepening. Plain medicinal soup naturally had no such immediate effect; this was entirely the result of his spiritual energy nourishing his body. If he had not considered that recovering completely in an instant would be too shocking, he could have gotten out of bed and walked around freely right now.
"It seems you truly have pulled through this ordeal!" Old Man Mo said with relief and joy. "Rest and recuperate well these next few days. There is no rush to take up the cattle-herding chores."
"I'll herd the cattle!" Mo Hong said crisply.
"Very well. You happen to be on farm break from school, so you can herd the cattle in Tiannu's stead." Old Man Mo patted his son's head.
"Great!" Having received permission, Mo Hong was exceedingly excited. He found herding cattle tremendous fun—lying on the back of a cow, basking in the sun with his hands clasped behind his head, squinting as the fresh breeze blew, it was thoroughly delightful.
In the blink of an eye, two days passed.
Huang Tian's "illness" was essentially cleared up. He walked leisurely out of the thatched cottage, left the courtyard, and strolled through the hamlet. The men and women who had not yet headed to the fields greeted him with smiles, and Huang Tian nodded in response from time to time, drawing bursts of cheerful laughter.
"After that serious illness, Jinu has changed quite a bit!"
"Haha! A little squirt who only reaches my waist is nodding at me so solemnly, acting just like a little adult!"
"Jinu, come over to my house to play sometime! Ernu misses you!"
Amidst the chorus of banter and laughter, Huang Tian walked unhurriedly out of the hamlet and headed northwest. Weeds grew wild along the path, and the terrain climbed higher and higher until a small mountain appeared ahead.
This mountain was bare, its summit devoid of trees and shrubs, while a mist hung before the cliff face. Though the mist was faint, it possessed the effect of confounding the eyes.
Standing before the mist, Huang Tian pondered for a moment before stepping forward a dozen paces into the haze. He paused briefly within the vapor; seeing that nothing unusual occurred, he continued ahead. After several dozen more paces and rounding a narrow path, a scene that struck him with considerable wonder unfolded before his eyes.
At the foot of the small mountain, a monkey was pinned beneath the rock.
Only the monkey's head and right arm were exposed. Moss was piled high atop his head, and green sedge grew beneath his chin, leaving him in a thoroughly wretched state.
"Hey, a mortal actually made it here?" The monkey looked at Huang Tian in surprise. An illusory mist array covered this mountain, designed to turn away any wandering mortals without their realizing it. Because of that, during the many years he had been pinned beneath this mountain, he had never seen a single mortal arrive here.
*Perhaps the pure, innocent heart of a child cannot be led astray by the mist.*
With that thought, the monkey came to an understanding and promptly called out, "Little boy! Look over here!"
Hearing the voice, Huang Tian observed him quietly and discovered that this monkey possessed no spiritual energy whatsoever, appearing just like an ordinary mortal monkey.
All of his cultivation had been thoroughly suppressed and sealed away.
Understanding dawned in Huang Tian's mind, yet he feigned astonishment. "You can speak? A monster?"
The monkey waved his hand. "I don't eat people, don't be afraid! Little boy, I've been pinned down here for many years and haven't eaten anything fresh. Could I trouble you to pick a few fruits for me? I would be most grateful."
Huang Tian wore a hesitant expression before slowly nodding. "All right."
He walked over to a nearby mulberry tree, plucked some mulberries, and then walked slowly back to the monkey, placing the berries into his right hand.
"Many thanks! Many thanks!"
The monkey grabbed the mulberries and stuffed them into his mouth, the juices overflowing.
Only after eating all the mulberries did he let out a contented sigh. "It's been so long since I tasted such flavor."
After his sigh of longing, he looked at Huang Tian. "Little boy, is your home nearby?"
Huang Tian nodded.
The monkey scratched his cheek in embarrassment. "Then, would it be possible, when you have free time, to pick some fruit for me? Coming once every three to five days, or even every ten days to half a month, would do."
Huang Tian appeared to ponder for a moment before agreeing, "All right. You look quite pitiful pinned beneath the mountain, monkey. I'll come once every day and pick some food for you."
The monkey was overjoyed. "Many thanks, many thanks!"
"Then... I'll be going?"
"Safe travels, safe travels!"
Only then did Huang Tian turn and depart.
On the way back to the hamlet, he happened to cross paths with Mo Hong, who was returning from herding cattle. Mo Hong waved at him exuberantly. "Huang Tian, where did you go to play?"
Huang Tian smiled and said, "I went out for a casual stroll. Physician Yu said that having just recovered from an illness, I should walk around more so I can mend faster."
"Oh!" Mo Hong acknowledged, then shifted gears. "You won't believe what I saw while herding the cattle today..."
Amidst his cheerful chatter, the two returned to the hamlet.
Over the next few days, Huang Tian went to the mountain's base every day to feed the monkey. After a few more days, he took back the chore of herding cattle; in the intervals between herding, he still went to the mountain foot to feed the monkey.
Just like that, a month passed.
On this day, Huang Tian sat cross-legged at the foot of the mountain beside the monkey, slowly eating wild fruit, while the monkey ate leisurely as well.
After a good while, the monkey suddenly tilted his head to look at Huang Tian and said, "Little boy, you've brought me fruit for so many days. Is there anything you desire? I might be able to help you."
Huang Tian chuckled dismissively. "You're just a monkey pinned under a mountain, what could you possibly do? You even need me to pick fruit for you."
The monkey gave a chortle. "Just say it! If you don't say it, how do you know whether I can help you or not?"
Huang Tian peered at him. "Really?"
"Fair and honest to the old and young alike!"
"Then..." Huang Tian tilted his head up, seeming to ponder. A few breaths later, he said, "I want to become an immortal!"
The monkey froze for a moment, puzzled. "A child like you, do you even know what an immortal is?"
Huang Tian assumed a solemn expression. "The people in the hamlet all say that once you become an immortal, you will never die..." He then recounted the tale of how he had fallen gravely ill not long ago and nearly died.
Only then did the monkey understand, and he could not help but laugh. "Becoming an immortal... becoming an immortal is difficult! In this vast, boundless realm, how many can ever attain immortality? To attain even the rank of a loose immortal is already a blessing from Heaven."
Huang Tian maintained an innocent expression, but in his heart, he carefully committed every word the monkey spoke to memory.
"If you want to become an immortal, I cannot help you. However, if you wish to cultivate, there is still a way."
"Will you teach me?"
"Nay, nay." The monkey shook his head. "My methods are not suitable for you to learn. Learning them would only invite calamity."
Huang Tian pursued, "If you won't teach me, where should I go to learn?"
The monkey said slowly, "In this great realm, there are exalted sects and grand lineages, and there are noble clans and immortal families. However, none of these are places a rustic village boy like you can join. If mortal folk wish to cultivate, they must either enter the imperial Court of the Dao or apprentice themselves to the unorthodox schools.
"Still, the imperial Court of the Dao is just as hard to enter, especially since you are still a mere child—how could you possibly get in? As for the unorthodox schools, their recruitment depends on destiny and comprehension. Though also difficult to enter, compared to other avenues, they are relatively more accessible."
His gaze turned toward the southeast. "Twelve hundred li from here lies a mountain named Xuandong. Within that mountain dwells an accomplished loose immortal of noble character. If you can pass through the Heart-Testing Array of Xuandong Mountain, you can become his disciple and learn the methods of cultivation. I dare not claim you would achieve eternal life, but attaining a lifespan of a thousand years would not be difficult!"
Chapter 184