"What are you talking about? You seem so happy. Come and eat!"
Before Li Gongfu could speak, he heard Xu Jiaorong calling for dinner.
"Haha, enough talk, let's eat first!"
Li Gongfu stood up and greeted Xu Xian.
"Okay, let's eat! I'm starving!"
Xu Xian laughed.
What followed was a meal and conversation. They ate simple home-style dishes, talked about old stories, and even recounted some silly things Xu Xian did when he was a child.
In our humble home, there were no rules about not speaking while eating or sleeping.
After dinner, Li Gongfu told Xu Xian some secrets about officialdom to broaden his horizons, and Xu Jiaorong went out shopping with two maids.
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Chapter 14 Spirit Fruit
After recounting some secrets of officialdom, Xu Xian felt his eyes had been opened. At this moment, Li Gongfu took a sip of tea and spoke.
"Hanwen, you'll be sixteen soon, and according to the laws of our Great Song Dynasty, it's time for you to get married and start a family. If you want to find a woman, just tell your brother-in-law, and I'll have your sister look for one!"
Xu Xian had just processed the news when he heard this, and he spat out a mouthful of tea, waving his hands frantically.
"No, brother-in-law, although Qingxu Temple does not prohibit marriage, my ambitions lie elsewhere. Romantic relationships will only hinder my cultivation, and I will not do it!"
As he spoke, a look of longing appeared on his face. "I want to live forever, I want to become an immortal or a god, like the Abbot, with boundless magical power, great supernatural abilities, and carefree freedom!"
For the first time, Xu Xian revealed his aspirations to others.
"How foolish! In Chinese literature, becoming an immortal or a god is incredibly difficult; it takes thousands of years for one to emerge!"
Li Gongfu grew anxious and said with a worried expression, "As the saying goes, of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no descendants! Hanwen, you are the only son of the Xu family. If you die without an heir, how will you face the ancestors of the Xu family?"
"Brother-in-law, there's no need to persuade me anymore. My mind is made up!"
Xu Xian impatiently waved his hand to interrupt him, stood up and said, "I'm going out for a walk. I'll go back to the mountain tomorrow!"
After leaving the Li residence, Xu Xian walked down the street, looking at the vendors hawking their wares. He let out a sigh of frustration, found a well-known restaurant for dinner, and then found a courtesan to spend the night with.
Ever since spending a night with Senior Brother Dong in a brothel, Xu Xian seemed to have opened the door to a new world.
The path of spiritual cultivation is long and arduous!
Xu Xian didn't want to find a woman to put a shackle on him.
But men have needs, and he would occasionally visit brothels to relieve his boredom, since he wasn't short of money.
Early the next morning, Xu Xian left the brothel and went straight back to the mountain.
Upon returning to Qingxu Temple, I saw the abbot standing with his hands behind his back, having waited for a long time.
"Hanwen, the monks of Hanshan Temple have colluded with pirates and are causing havoc in the area. I, the abbot, order you to wipe them out. Can you do it?"
Upon seeing Xu Xian ascend the mountain, Xiao Ning spoke directly.
"Ah?! Abbot, this disciple is still only at the Great Acquired Realm and has not yet broken through to the next level. I'm afraid my strength is insufficient!"
Xu Xian bowed deeply and said, "Please, Abbot, investigate thoroughly. I care little for my own life, but if I alert these thieves and they scatter and jeopardize your great undertaking, I will be guilty of a hundred deaths!"
After three years of cultivation, Xu Xian has changed a lot compared to the original character. He is no longer as pedantic and dull as he was in the novel.
While not exactly shrewd and capable, he can distinguish right from wrong and occasionally displays a bit of cleverness.
"This abbot has his own plans; he won't let you die in vain!"
Xiao Ning glanced at him indifferently, seeing through his little thoughts, and said, "Among the four Daoist disciples, you are the oldest and have the lowest cultivation level. I have seen that you have not given up and have worked hard to cultivate!"
"I can help you break through to the Innate True Person Realm, and even bestow upon you a spiritual pill to aid your breakthrough. However, your future cultivation will become even more difficult. What is your choice?"
"Do you want to rely on your own efforts, or do you need my help?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Xian stood there dumbfounded, his expression a complex mix of emotions.
If he were to receive the abbot's help but only reach the Innate Realm, that would be something Xu Xian would never want to see. He has lofty ambitions and would not be content with merely reaching the Innate Realm.
However, if he relied on his own cultivation, Xu Xian knew his own aptitude perfectly well. While the other three disciples had long since entered the Innate Realm and traveled abroad, his cultivation was as slow as a tortoise's pace. He had been stuck at the Great Acquired Realm for half a year and still could not break through.
If one tries to cultivate on their own, it's uncertain when they will be able to break through.
If this is the case for a mere Innate Realm cultivator, then it goes without saying that the Grandmaster, Great Grandmaster, and Profound Realm cultivators are even more advanced.
I fear that even when I reach the end of my life, I will still have accomplished nothing.
How could he possibly accept this?
Thinking of this, Xu Xian looked pained and asked, "I have a question for you, Abbot. Why did you accept Hanwen as your disciple instead of choosing someone with higher aptitude?"
Yes, since I'm just average, why did you choose me?
Xu Xian had this question for a long time, but he didn't dare to say it. Today, he took this opportunity to ask it directly.
"Hmm...that's a good question! If I really had to answer, I could only say it was a coincidence. There's no reason why. I'll do whatever makes me happy!"