15: Chapter 15 Young Master Su, you are truly a good person.

[You vaguely sense the spiritual pressure on the old man. Although the old man has hidden his cultivation and is pretending to be a Mortal, as a fellow practitioner of the Dao, how could you not see that this old man is hiding his true depth...]

[Without leaving a word, you turn and walk away calmly, leaving the tavern.]

[...]

[A few more days pass.]

[The waiter is getting sicker and sicker, and the new songstress's eyes grow increasingly dim.]

[You know that they are both about to die.]

[You do not want to get involved in the Karma of Mortals, lest it disturb your Dao Heart, so you do not intervene.]

When Red Beard comes to drink, he often deliberately looks for trouble, even slapping the waiter. Seeing that he spends generously, the innkeeper lets him mistreat the waiter.

The new songstress no longer dares to wear that veil. More and more pockmarks have grown on her face, and her eyes, long since devoid of light, make her look like a walking corpse...

This day, outside the tavern.

A group of thugs is surrounding and attacking an old beggar. This old beggar is wearing a coir raincoat, his back hunched, looking pitiful and helpless, wailing on the ground as he is beaten.

"You old geezer, who gave you permission to beg here!"

A thug grabs the old beggar's hair, his fist the size of a sandbag smashing hard against his cheekbone...

After a few punches, the old beggar is on the verge of death.

The thug picks up a stone, intending to smash it against the old beggar's head...

Just then, a clean, fair hand grabs the thug's hand. The thug's hand is suddenly immobilized, and he is instantly enraged: "Which blind fool is this? How dare you interfere with me!"

"The old man is already near death; why must you be so excessive?"

The youth leans forward slightly, his demeanor refined and ethereal, like a handsome, fair-faced scholar, yet the strength in his hand is immense. The thug's entire hand feels as if it were clamped in an iron hoop, unable to move in the slightest.

At this moment, the waiter and the new songstress in the tavern both look toward Su Fan, their expressions surprised.

Meanwhile, the old man in the coir raincoat lying on the ground, from an angle others cannot see, slightly curves the corners of his mouth, revealing a strange smile...

The thug calls for help, wanting to teach this meddlesome young man a lesson.

Su Fan frowns slightly, then takes the old man in the coir raincoat by the hand and walks away.

His pace seems no different from an ordinary person's, yet those few thugs cannot catch up...

"Stop! You brat! Who asked you to meddle!"

"Old beggar! If you dare come here to beg again, I'll beat you to death!"

"..."

After shaking off the thugs, Su Fan brings the old man in the coir raincoat to the inn, only then realizing that the old man looks somewhat familiar...

Upon closer thought, isn't this the old man who ferried him more than half a year ago?

"Old man, aren't you a ferryman? Why are you begging here?"

The old man seems severely injured, panting as he says: "Young Master... you and I are truly fated... I didn't expect to meet you here again... You really are a good person... As for why I am here, that is a long story..."

"Since it is a long story, let's not speak of it for now. I will go get you some medicine first."

[After settling the old man in the inn, you go to the pharmacy to get medicine. On the way back, you see the tavern just closing, the new songstress walking out with a lonely expression, and the sound of the waiter's violent coughing coming from inside.]

[You stop in your tracks and close your eyes. In your mind, there seems to be a spell-like voice: "What is the Dao? What is the Dao? What is the Dao? Why is the Dao?..."]

[Suddenly, your head begins to ache for no reason, as if someone had struck you hard with a blunt object. The few packages of medicine you are carrying in your hand fall, unnoticed.]

["Young Master, you dropped your things."]

[The new songstress helps you pick up the medicinal herbs and hands them to you.]

[You open your eyes and see her forcing a smile on her lonely face. You softly say thank you, then turn, preparing to leave...]

"Wait a moment, Young Master. I am dying, and I have one wish unfulfilled... Can you help me once?"

For some reason, your steps stop.

She continues: "I want to be buried under the osmanthus tree behind the Xiaoxiang Pavilion after I die. I have no family or friends. Can you help me?"

Though it is a matter of life and death, her tone is terrifyingly calm.

Her face still bears a trace of a forced smile.

[You stuff a small porcelain bottle into her hand and tell her: "You don't have to die."]

[The girl is full of astonishment. Holding the small porcelain bottle in her hands, her shoulders suddenly heave, and tears stream down her face: "Young Master, you really are..."]

[Without waiting for her to finish speaking, you kick open the tavern door.]

[The waiter is full of panic: "Young Master, what happened?"]

[Without a word, you throw him a small porcelain bottle, leave behind the phrase "Take one pill a day, and you will recover in three days," and turn to leave.]

[You seem to be harboring resentment, walking with heavy steps as you hurry back to the inn.]

[Little do you know, the old man in the coir raincoat has already witnessed everything you did from a hundred meters away. With a smile on his lips, he mutters: "Sigh, still young after all..."]

...

The Inn.

"Old man, this is the decoction I brewed, drink it slowly..."

Su Fan holds a bowl of black medicinal soup, feeds it to the old man, and then helps him lie down.

After the old man finishes the medicine, he rubs his chest and says with a smile: "I feel much better. Young Master, you really are a good person. By the way, I have yet to ask for your name."

"Su Fan."

"Oh, Young Master Su, you really are a good person."

After drinking the medicine, the old man squints his eyes and drifts off to sleep.

The next day, he improves a little.

On the third day, he can already get out of bed and walk.

On the fifth day, the old man sits in a chair, chatting with Su Fan, when he suddenly says something strange to Su Fan.

"Young Master Su, I am old and can no longer walk the path. I wonder, what Dao do you intend to walk?"

This sentence makes Su Fan pause, as if something pricked his consciousness.

That spell-like phrase seems to whisper incessantly in his mind: "What is the Dao? What is the Dao? What exactly is the Dao?..."

"Old man, do you think... what Dao should I walk?"

Subconsciously, Su Fan asks.

After all, he feels that the old man seems to know quite a lot; perhaps he can give him some inspiration, help him find the answer, and lift the spell-like whisper in his mind.

The old man smiles slightly and slowly says:

"In this world, there are thousands of Daos. Some pursue the path of goodness, some pursue the Evil Path, some pursue the Dao of the sword, some painstakingly study heterodox paths, and others take refining medicine or alchemy as their Dao. As the saying goes, 'A flower is a world, a grain of sand is a heaven.' From things as vast as mountains, rivers, and seas, to things as small as ants and fine sand, all can become the Supreme Dao."

As he speaks, he slightly curves the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile:

"The Dao of the strong lies in selflessness, in transcending oneself. Only by being selfless, transcending oneself, seeking the Dao with a single mind, and proving the Dao with a single mind, can one achieve the Dao. I often hear a saying: 'Without madness, one cannot live.' Cultivating the Dao is the same. I feel this should also be the principle: if you do not discard your original heart and self, how can you attain a sliver of the Dao and become a Supreme powerhouse?"

As the old man speaks, he is completely unaware that he has revealed his identity as a cultivator; perhaps he no longer cares.

Su Fan had long suspected that the old man before him was a high-level cultivator, but seeing that he had no malicious intent toward him, he had treated him with kindness all along.

At this moment, hearing the old man's grand theories about the 'Dao', it sounds reasonable at first.

But after careful consideration, he shakes his head and smiles:

"Old man, your understanding of the 'Dao' might be a bit biased."

"Oh?"

Old Ancestor Bing's eyes flash, he gazes at Su Fan, and says: "Young Master Su, what is your profound insight?"