Cultivating To Immortality

Chapter 754: Betrayed

"My apologies, my apologies," Song Yan said, smiling sheepishly.

The Old Man in a Straw Raincoat gave him a look, took the wine pot, and guzzled two mouthfuls, then suddenly began to cough violently.

Xiao Ju quickly patted his hunched back, but the Old Man in a Straw Raincoat waved his hand and laughed, "Good wine, good wine. For the sake of this wine, I’ll let you off this once."

"It’s just that I’m old and easy to talk to. If you met those hot-tempered, difficult fishing Seniors, you’d be paying for it, I tell you."

Song Yan repeatedly agreed.

The Old Man in a Straw Raincoat took another swig of wine, narrowing his eyes as he scrutinized Song Yan: "Little brat, judging by your accent, you’re not from Ying City, are you?"

"Junior Song Yan, courtesy name Ye Sheng, from Qizhou."

Song Yan took the wine pot and asked casually, "How should I address you, Senior?"

"...Hmm, I’m called..."

The Old Man in a Straw Raincoat suddenly paused, then fell into deep thought: "What...what was my name again?"

"Hehe, look at my memory, I don’t even remember my own name."

"Xiao... Xiao Ming."

"That’s right, that’s right. This Old Man in a Straw Raincoat’s surname is Xiao, and his given name is Ming."

The Old Man in a Straw Raincoat wiped the wine stain from his beard: "I truly am old now..."

Song Yan’s hand, holding the wine pot, paused slightly.

"Xiao Ming?"

Isn’t that the name of the late Great General of Chu?

A meritorious official of Chu, a Great General who spent his life in battle, even Li Yi was his subordinate and personal attendant before he entered the Dao.

Li Qingfeng had clearly said that Old General Xiao had passed away half a month ago, dying of old age.

Hearing the young man in front of him unexpectedly utter his name, the Old Man in a Straw Raincoat felt a bit smug: "What? Little brat, have you heard of my name?"

The river wind swept through the reeds, causing the Old Man in a Straw Raincoat’s bamboo hat to sway slightly.

Song Yan remained silent, unsure of what to say.

However, Li Qingfeng certainly had no reason to deceive him about the life and death of a Mortal.

Perhaps, it was someone with the same name.

A moment later, he slowly said, "Coincidentally, a friend of mine, his Senior, shares the same name as you, Senior."

"Oh? Such a coincidence?"

The Old Man in a Straw Raincoat suddenly became interested, his straw rain-coat rustling, "Tell me about it."

"That friend of mine is named ’Li Yi’."

Song Yan looked at the Old Man in a Straw Raincoat in front of him and said seemingly casually, "He was young and promising, and was ennobled as ’Marquis Yan’ by the imperial court."

"Li Yi..."

The Old Man in a Straw Raincoat suddenly widened his eyes, as if something had reminded him.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, "That kid!"

"How did he become a ’Marquis’? Didn’t I tell him there were people in the court who wanted to harm us, and to fake his death to leave the Chu court?"

"He never listens! That kid, he truly makes me furious!"

"..."

Song Yan did not speak.

The Old Man in a Straw Raincoat continued to talk about many things, following Li Yi’s lead.

"Back then, he was just a personal attendant and subordinate general by my side, that..."

As the Old Man in a Straw Raincoat spoke, his voice gradually faded, then he suddenly froze, his cloudy eyes slowly losing focus.

He fell silent, not uttering another word.

He remembered everything.

Guarding the border, the Wu Mountain Valley adventure.

A lifetime of campaigns, illustrious military achievements.

His merits overshadowed the ruler, court struggles.

Betrayed by all, deserted by kin, a desolate old age.

Everything, he remembered everything.

He seemed to... already be dead.

Just then, a familiar voice came from behind him.

"You wretched child, you’ve made this Old Man in a Straw Raincoat recall so many sad things for no reason."

Song Yan turned abruptly, another Old Man in a Straw Raincoat had appeared on the cliff edge, behind him, at some point.

The same bamboo hat and straw rain-coat, but it was the appearance of that Senior from Wu Mountain Valley.

He sat down cross-legged, his fishing creel empty.

"Senior," Song Yan said, surprised and not daring to be negligent, he quickly bowed.

But the Old Man in a Straw Raincoat stopped him: "Hey? I am not your Senior."

"This Lord is not a member of the Sword Sect, and cannot bear such a grand Reifrom you."

After saying that, he ignored Song Yan, turned to look at Xiao Ming, and said, "You’ve remembered everything?"

"..." Old Man Xiao Ming slowly nodded: "Mm."

The Old Man in a Straw Raincoat turned back and gave Song Yan a look.

"Senior, what exactly is this..."

The Old Man in a Straw Raincoat did not answer him.

Xiao Ming’s fingers trembled slightly, his breathing became more rapid, and a clear light gradually appeared in his cloudy eyes.

At this moment, his thoughts seemed to no longer be here, but had flown back to the past.

Crossing sixty-eight years of time, returning to that snowy morning.

The sky above the cliff, changing winds and clouds... My name is Xiao Ming.

When I was young, I was just an ordinary personal attendant in the border garrison, responsible for delivering documents to the General.

One early winter, I was ordered to go to Changfeng Village at the foot of Wu Mountain to investigate rumors of a "mountain ghost demon calamity."

"Xiao family boy, take two men up the mountain to have a look. In this bright world, where could there be any demons?"

Old General Xiao tossed the token to me, his eyes filled with appreciation for the young man.

The cold wind howled in the mountains, and my two comrades and I climbed up along the path trodden by the mountain people.

We chatted and laughed with our comrades, and reached halfway up the mountain without seeing anything strange.

"Ha, in such cold weather, even if there were really demons, they’d probably be holed up in the mountain and unwilling to come out."

However, everything happened too quickly.

Suddenly, a shrill scream came from the forest, and the comrade walking in front was pounced on by a demonic shadow, immediately splattering blood.

"Monster! It’s a tiger demon!"

The tiger demon roared fiercely, slowly approaching us.

Another comrade screamed and fled backward, but was tripped by a protruding branch and rolled down the cliff.

The tiger demon snorted, seemingly disdainful of us.

My hand holding the drawn saber trembled. The large tiger with hanging eyes and a white forehead in front of me was a full ten feet long, its fangs and claws stained with my comrade’s blood, truly ferocious and terrifying.

The tiger demon let out a low growl and pounced. I did not retreat, but instinctively swung my saber, only to have the long saber, made of fine steel, snapped in two by the tiger’s claw.

Just as I closed my eyes, waiting for death, a clear sword cry suddenly echoed in the mountains.

The tiger demon’s heart was greatly alarmed, and it howled as it rolled away.

I looked up and saw an Old Man in a Straw Raincoat sitting on a large rock under a snow pine.

"Little brat, why didn’t you run..."

At that time, still shaken, I instinctively replied, "Running is also death, just a slower death."

"..."

The Old Man in a Straw Raincoat pondered for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

The Old Man in a Straw Raincoat pointed casually, and a splendid sword light, like a swimming Dragon, fell into my hand.

The longsword felt warm in my hand, and illusory, ripple-like patterns flowed on its blade.

The tiger demon saw that the newcomer was just an Old Man in a Straw Raincoat and didn’t care, pouncing again.

I had a flash of inspiration, thrusting the sword forward, its tip sinking into the tiger’s mouth.

The tiger demon yelped in pain and shook its head, actually swallowing the entire sword into its belly, then painfully rolled on the ground, bleeding from its seven orifices, and gradually stopped moving.

When I came to my senses, the Old Man in a Straw Raincoat was already standing beside him at some point: "Our meeting is fated, so I will give you this sword."

"After a hundred years, I will reclaim it myself."

The Old Man in a Straw Raincoat seemed very lonely.

So, thereafter, whenever I passed by this place, I would come to Wu Mountain Valley, firstly to commemorate my two comrades who died under the tiger demon’s paw, and secondly to chat with this Old Man in a Straw Raincoat.

We drank wine and talked, and unexpectedly became fast friends despite our age difference, addressing each other as brothers.

I did not know the origin of this Old Man in a Straw Raincoat, only that he was an extraordinary expert, perhaps even an Immortal.

The sword bestowed by the Immortal was indeed miraculous.

With this Spiritual Sword by my side, I found my physique growing stronger day by day. In the cold winter months, I only needed to wear a single layer of clothing and felt no cold, and I could swing a hundred-jin stone lock with one arm without feeling tired.

Even more mysterious was that whenever I faced a life-or-death crisis on the battlefield, a warm current would surge through my limbs and bones, doubling my reaction speed, energy, and Qi.

Gradually, my name began to resonate in the army.

In a military competition, I defeated more than ten instructors in a row and was exceptionally promoted to captain.

One day, when the border was in urgent danger, I led over a hundred light cavalry to launch a night raid on the enemy camp, and enemy chieftains were beheaded wherever we passed.

After this battle, my name spread throughout Chu.

It was from this point that I was transferred from the northern border.

Before leaving, I had one last drink and chat with the Old Man in a Straw Raincoat, telling him that I was about to leave.

The Old Man in a Straw Raincoat told me, "Just go. When you die, this sword will return to me by itself."

"If my business here is concluded, perhaps I can find you for a drink while you’re still alive."

For decades, this Spiritual Sword accompanied me in battles across the land.

The sword remained as clean as new, never stained with a drop of blood.

My prestige accumulated along with my military achievements, rising from captain to subordinate general, and finally, becoming the Great General who guarded the nation.

"General, where did you get this precious sword?" My young attendant’s eyes were full of reverence.

His name was Li Yi, and he was the attendant I valued most.

I gently wiped the sword, smiling, "Oh, its origin is quite grand; it was bestowed by an Immortal."

The other attendants laughed, "General Xiao is fooling the child again."

"You people, you never believe me!" As I said this, I puffed out my beard and glared, causing laughter to erupt inside and outside the military camp.

About five years ago, I personally secured victory in a major border battle.

The celebratory fireworks lit up the night sky of Ying City.

Sitting alone at the banquet, looking at my calloused hands, these hands had slain enemy generals, killed deserters under my command, and even killed tiger demons.

But as I grew old, I also wanted to retire from the battlefield and enjoy my later years.

However, the situation subtly made me feel somewhat perplexed.

My old friends in court hinted that my merits overshadowed the ruler, and someone might be plotting against me.

What kind of reasoning was this?

I had fought countless victorious battles for Chu. How could it be that when peace and stability were achieved, and the flames of war temporarily ceased, I was considered to have merits that overshadowed the ruler?!

And even implicate that child Li Yi!

Was there any justice in this?!

However, when I returned to Ying City, I realized that my eldest son had long since become an official in the court, and my second son had married a princess.

My children begged me not to resign, but to simply live out my old age peacefully in the capital.

My petitions to retire were rejected three times.

In my residence in Ying City, I often stared blankly at that Spiritual Sword.

If I could truly live out my old age peacefully in a prosperous place like Ying City, that would naturally be for the best.

However, it seemed everyone wished for my death.

The King of Chu was too suspicious; as long as I lived, he would never be at ease, constantly pressuring the Xiao family.

As a result, a very absurd situation arose.

That is, a meritorious official of Chu, renowned throughout the land, in his old age, did not meet a good end, and his family constantly wished for his early demise.

Only with my passing would His Majesty be at ease, and even hinted that to compensate, he would ensure a smooth career path for the Xiao family.

I felt I was already trapped in the quagmire of court politics, but I did not want young Li Yi to follow in my footsteps.

So I informed him of the stakes and advised him to fake his death to escape.

One night, I sat alone in the central courtyard, clutching my sword, and heard arguing from the side chambers.

"If we drag this on for another three to five years, His Majesty’s suspicion of our family..."

"But that’s Father!"

"Big Brother! Are we to sacrifice the entire family’s smooth path to bury Father alone?"

I sighed softly.

However, sighing could not expel the accumulated sorrow in my heart.

Of course, I could have made a big scene, punished these unfilial children one by one, and killed the daughter-in-Law who tried to poison me.

Let my grandchildren see clearly how unfilial and despicable their parents were.

But... that would be too undignified.

When one gets old, one’s disposition truly changes.

I felt too tired.

To die early, to go to the underworld and find my deceased wife... seemed not bad either.

"What’s the point of living like this in the human world?"

Somehow, I died so silently... The river wind swept across the cliff, carrying moist vapor.

Song Yan stood beside Xiao Ming, looking at the white-haired Old General, complex emotions flickering in his eyes.

Xiao Ju and Xiao He stood a little further away, not daring to disturb the solemn and dignified atmosphere.

However, this Old General showed no sign of grief or regret.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly looked up.

A glimmer of hope and light burst forth in his eyes: "Senior, I am now dead. When will I enter the underworld for Reincarnation?"

"I wonder if my wife... is she still waiting in Reincarnation?"

The Old Man in a Straw Raincoat was silent, and the wind on the river seemed to still at this moment.

"Your wife may have already entered Reincarnation long ago," he slowly replied, his voice surprisingly gentle, "But you cannot yet, Xiao Ming. According to your lifespan, it’s not your time to die yet."

"At least, you still have two years to live."

"Eh?" Xiao Ming was a little surprised: "Then why...?"

The Old Man in a Straw Raincoat sat cross-legged on a protruding rock, his face under the bamboo hat indistinct: "You lived too bitterly. I couldn’t bear to watch, so I just helped an old friend."

"So that’s how it is..." Xiao Ming murmured, "You actually took me away from the human world prematurely."

Xiao Ming didn’t find anything strange about this. This Old Man in a Straw Raincoat was undoubtedly an Immortal Master, possessing some mysterious and unpredictable power, which was naturally normal.

But Song Yan felt a strange chill crawl up his spine.

What astonishing power was this, to be able to casually decide a person’s life, death, and Reincarnation?

It was not simply using a Spell or Spiritual Artifact to kill Mortals, but rather, without violating the Law of heaven and earth, taking away the life he should have had.

The difference here was vast.

"Old Xiao, would you like to see what the Xiao family looks like after your death?"

The Old Man in a Straw Raincoat suddenly asked, his voice carrying a meaning that Song Yan could not comprehend.

Xiao Ming hesitated.

Song Yan could see the Old General’s inner struggle; he both longed to know his family’s reaction and feared seeing a heartbreaking and chilling scene.

Finally, Xiao Ming took a deep breath, straightened his hunched back, as if he had once again transformed into the General who commanded on the battlefield.

"I... want to see."

The Old Man in a Straw Raincoat nodded, flicked his fingertip, and the entire sky above the cliff began to change with the winds and clouds.

The scene gradually became clear, as if one were personally present.