As soon as it got dark, Wang Tao sat cross-legged on the pillars under the Hengjiang Bridge. Giant columns broke out of the water, supporting most of the bridge, leaving only half a seat open for just one person.
In such a helpless place, no one who saw it could figure out how he got there.
Dozens of feet below me was the rolling water flowing eastwards, and cars were speeding past on the bridge above my head from time to time.
Wang Tao seemed not to be affected at all, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, like an old monk in meditation. After a while, he suddenly opened his eyes and looked at a spot on the opposite bridge pillar.
The protrusion of the bridge pillar looked like a pool of leftover concrete. At this moment, an old Taoist priest in patches was standing diagonally on the protrusion.
The Taoist priest looked like a feather stuck diagonally on the bridge pillar.
"Master, are you here?"
Wang Tao couldn't suppress his joy and said.
"Yes!" The old Taoist priest Wu Daozi nodded and said happily.
"I have often been away from you in the past ten years. Your ability to reach the Peak Mirror truly proves that you are talented and diligent enough. And being able to discover me so quickly also proves that you have indeed listened to my words and been cultivating your state of mind in the past two years."
The nine realms of martial arts are: penetration, preservation of youth, sitting in the light, climbing to the peak, training of weakness, condensation of Qi, transformation from mortal, false elixir, and true immortality.
Now that Wang Tao is at the peak level and has been praised by his master, he seems very happy.
He stood up and bowed his head very respectfully.
"Master has been kind to me in nurturing me. I dare not disobey Master's words."
Wang Tao's parents died, and he has been living with his master since he can remember.
Later, when he got older, his master often went out, leaving him to practice alone in a dilapidated Taoist temple in the mountains.
He practiced martial arts at the age of four, practiced medicine at the age of seven, practiced Taoism at the age of ten, followed the Tianlong Legion into the wilderness to fight against alien beasts at the age of fourteen, made an exception to become the chief instructor of the Tianlong Legion at the age of fifteen because of his repeated meritorious service, and became one of the marshals of the Tianlong Legion at the age of sixteen.
, established the Civilized Bayonet Special Warfare Group.
In the past two years, countless strange beasts have been killed.
He was awarded the National Outstanding Contribution Award by the head of state and the Outstanding Contribution to Humanity Award by the United Nations organization.
Just when Wang Tao was full of ambition, his master suddenly wrote to him, asking him to abandon all honors and return to the mountain to practice.
He also gave him a hand-written copy of the mind-cultivation method called the Heart Code and asked him to practice it with concentration.
It is said that whatever the heart moves, a code can accommodate it. This is his code of mind for cultivating his state of mind.
Wang Tao has been practicing the Heart Code for two years. In the past two years, his martial arts has improved slightly, but his state of mind has changed dramatically.
As he cultivates his mind every day, his past experiences seem to become clearer, but his sense of self becomes indifferent day by day.
Looking back now, it's like watching someone else's movie.
"Master, when you wrote a letter asking me to come to Qushui City to wait for you, are you planning to take me with you in the future?"
Wang Tao's calm heart rippled, and he looked hopefully at this master who had often disappeared for a year or two.
Since he was seven years old, he rarely saw his master. Even when he came back, he would teach him martial arts and then leave in a hurry.
After two years of cultivating his mind, Master has always been a hurdle in his heart, and he is unwilling to erase it.
He even left for Qushui City five days in advance and had been cultivating his mind in the fields outside the bridge, silently waiting for Master to arrive.
"Hey! After two years of cultivating your mind, you are still too emotional. Never mind! I am here to give you one last task. I want to make a bet with you."
Wu Daozi looked at Wang Tao with a complicated expression and sighed deeply.
"Master, what mission? What bet? If I win the bet, will I be able to travel around the world with you?"
Wang Tao's eyes lit up, and when he thought of being able to follow his master, he threw all his inner thoughts behind him.
"I took three thousand yuan from the head of the Shen family and sold you to be my son-in-law for three years. When you arrive at the Shen family, you must obey the Shen family's arrangements. As long as you can stay in the Shen family for three years, live a serious life, and still remain a virgin.
"
"If you still don't want to kill me after three years, even if you win, I will tell you everything you want to know."
"Everything? Including news about my biological parents?"
Wang Tao didn't care what it meant to have a son-in-law. He thought it should be some kind of job.
At this moment, he remembered the time when he was a child, when he went down the mountain alone to the villages and towns to buy things, and was chased by all the local children and scolded him as a bastard.
Others have parents, but he only has an elusive Taoist master.
"Yes, as long as you can do it. Remember, you can stay in the Shen family for three years, live a serious life, and still remain a virgin, but you still don't want to kill me after three years."
"Master! What have you said since I was little? I haven't kept it! Am I going to kill you just because you sold me? You underestimate me so much that I will never follow you in this life no matter what.
You are against it."
Wang Tao said angrily, almost swearing.
"Hey! You are still too young! How much do you know about me?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Daozi shook his hands and shot a letter towards Wang Tao. The envelope rotated and fell into Wang Tao's hand with perfect accuracy.
Wang Tao grabbed the letter and looked up to see that Master had disappeared without a trace. Alas! When will I be able to practice with Master? When will I be able to come and go without a trace like Master?
Wang Tao calmed down and unfolded the letter. There was Wang Tao's ID card, an ordinary bank card, and a few words on a piece of letter paper.
"I will sell you to the Shen family for three thousand yuan. In the next three years, you must forget the past, live your life attentively, and remain a virgin. If you still don't want to kill me after three years, I will tell you everything.
Including the cause of death of your parents, your surviving relatives, and my identity."
Wang Tao was greatly shocked after hearing this. Is there something fishy about the death of my parents? Do I still have relatives alive? What is the identity of the master?
After calming down for a long time, Wang Tao took a deep breath and pushed the complicated thoughts out of his mind.
The master is really stubborn and still likes to write letters.
Although there are modern communication methods, Wang Tao has never seen his master use them. Even though he admires his master, he also disdains modern technological electronic products.
You can tell the time just by looking at the sun, but you have to lower your head to look at the watch, which is very laborious.
After Wang Tao read the handwriting on the paper, the paper suddenly began to carbonize. After a while, a gust of wind blew and black dust was scattered in the billowing river.
Wang Tao was not surprised at all. He had seen this "magic" of burning after reading since he was ten years old.
He once begged the master to teach him, but the master told him in a serious and thoughtful way.
"This is a semi-immortal method. As long as you practice hard, you won't be able to surpass me with your talent when you reach my age."
Wang Tao secretly remembered it in his heart and followed his master as an example throughout his life. After thinking about it, he thought that he still had to fulfill his promise.
His body trembled, his muscles tightened, and he hugged the bridge pillars with his bare hands as easily as a gecko. In a few steps, he landed on the 2,000-meter-long Hengjiang Bridge.
The night was dark, and he had to find a place to rest.
With his worn-out cloth shoes and short, ill-fitting clothes, he was often mistaken for a beggar when walking on the road. He was in a detached state of mind, but it didn't matter.
These days Wang Tao has been cultivating his mind in the nearby crop fields. He does not use his true energy, allowing the cold and heat to corrode his mortal body, and allowing insects and ants to disturb his purity.
His thoughts continued to grow, and his Taoist heart became more determined.
Even poisonous snakes emerged to challenge his uninvited guest.
There was no other place nearby that could sharpen his mind more than here.
When Wang Tao arrived at the crop field to cultivate his mind, an extended luxury business car was driving quickly on the road.
Shen Aobing was resting against the car window with her head tilted. She had just returned from the branch office and was very tired after dealing with the troubles there.
[Author’s digression]: I think it’s acceptable. I’d like to help you collect it. I’d be very grateful. Please help me with my new book. Thank you!