Light and rain cascaded,梵音(fanyin) chants echoed, and an elder with the bearing of an immortal, white hair, and a youthful face descended from the heavens, landing before Huang Guangcai.
He was enveloped in a dazzling golden radiance, emanating a sacred and extraordinary aura, as if an immortal had descended to the mortal realm.
"Young man, this old one sees you have unusual bone structure and exceptional talent, possessing the potential of a Lingdi. I wish to forge a karmic connection with you, would you be willing?"
The elder stroked his long beard, his eyes shining brightly as he gazed at Huang Guangcai, as if appraising a peerless jade in its raw state.
"Old immortal, are… are you speaking to me?"
Huang Guangcai's eyes widened in disbelief, his breathing quickening, his heart pounding as if it would leap from his chest.
At his most humiliated moment, a supreme expert descended from the heavens, proclaiming he had the potential of a Lingdi and wished to establish a karmic connection.
This scene felt so surreal, making Huang Guangcai wonder if he was dreaming.
The elder nodded, his kind eyes smiling, "You are a dragon among men, yet you suffer humiliation. This old one is willing to bestow upon you supreme divine arts to help you exact your revenge."
*Thump!*
Without a word, Huang Guangcai knelt before the elder, his mouth opening and closing, too overcome with emotion to speak.
The elder chuckled, a playful smile on his lips, and pointed a finger, sending an immensely profound scripture into Huang Guangcai's mind.
"I am a dragon among men, possessing the potential of a Lingdi. Once I master these peerless divine arts, it will be the death of that dog, Ji Mo."
Filled with hope, Huang Guangcai bid farewell to the elder, deciding to focus on cultivation. Once his divine arts were perfected, he would seek out Ji Mo to avenge his humiliation.
After Huang Guangcai departed.
The elder's benevolent expression vanished, replaced by a cold smirk. "A good-for-nothing, merely a tool to be used. I shall test his depths through you."
Then, the elder gazed towards Ji Mo's courtyard in the distance and murmured, "Toiling from sunrise to sunset, living like a mortal here for eight years. You must feel quite pleased, believing you have successfully deceived everyone."
"However, this old one's sight is like a torch, having seen through everything long ago."
"There is great fortune here. Your choice to live in seclusion must be to stake a claim and share in the bounty."
"I have been observing you secretly for years. It is time to test your mettle. If you lack heaven-defying abilities, you are not qualified to participate in this grand spectacle."
The elder wore an expression of confident control, as if everything was within his grasp.
In reality, Huang Guangcai was merely a pawn in his game.
The talk of being a dragon among men and possessing the potential of an emperor was all a lie.
There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world; it is all calculation.
"What does this old pervert want? He's been spying on me for years?"
Ji Mo stared at the elder in the distance, his scalp tingling, a chill running down his spine.
The elder believed his secret observation of Ji Mo was undetectable, unaware that Ji Mo had known all along.
However, Ji Mo did not know the elder's true intentions, mistaking him for a creepy old man with a voyeuristic obsession.
"A boy must always learn to protect himself, no matter the time."
From the elder's sinister gaze and increasingly peculiar smile, Ji Mo felt a sense of impending danger, his heart filled with unease.
Who wouldn't be afraid of being targeted by an old man with twisted tastes?
"Perhaps I should forge myself some weapons for self-defense."
This thought crossed Ji Mo's mind.
Besides, he hadn't practiced his blacksmithing skills in a while. It was a good opportunity to hone them.
There was no iron material left at home. Ji Mo decided to purchase some from the town, grabbed a basket, and headed out.
Today's Baishou Town was noticeably livelier than usual.
The streets were filled with scholars and poets, and many young male cultivators carried ancient zithers and music scores, engaging in animated discussions.
Ji Mo, filled with curiosity, spotted a familiar vendor and approached him to inquire about the commotion.
"Doctor Ji, do you want to get rich overnight? Do you want to work less for a lifetime? Opportunity has arrived!"
The vendor was very enthusiastic, explaining things to Ji Mo.
In the past, Ji Mo often treated the town's poor for free, earning him the title of "Doctor Ji" and a good reputation and popularity within the town.
"I've heard that the City Lord of Mingyue City is arranging a marriage, and the Wen family's young lady, Wen Xi, has fled to our town."
"Miss Wen Xi will be holding a grand gathering early next month, seeking companions through her zither. It is highly likely she will use this opportunity to find a suitable husband."
"Therefore, a large number of scholars and cultivators are flocking to Baishou Town during this period, all drawn by Miss Wen." "If one can catch Miss Wen's eye and marry into the Wen family, they will enjoy endless wealth and prosperity."
"Doctor Ji, why don't you also attend the gathering? With your handsome appearance, perhaps Miss Wen will fall for you at first sight?"
The vendor recounted the entire story and then jokingly encouraged Ji Mo to attend the gathering.
Ji Mo realized why everyone was acting so energized; they were all hoping to "eat soft rice."
He had heard of Wen Xi before; she was renowned for her literary talent and exquisite zither skills, hailed as the most talented woman in the Southwest.
But to marry into the family?
Ji Mo immediately lost interest. Marrying into his wife's family was not for him.
As he walked towards the town's blacksmith shop, the sounds of stringed instruments and flutes drifted to his ears, a constant medley.
Ji Mo shook his head upon hearing them, questioning if they could even be called music.
Passing by a residential house.
Ji Mo was drawn by a zither melody and stopped.
After listening for a while, he frowned.
The player was likely a beginner, not very old. The zither's notes revealed unfamiliarity with the fingerings, but the melody possessed a rare innocence.
What made Ji Mo frown was the accompanying sounds of vulgar insults.
He pushed open the wooden door and walked in.
"Are you a pig? So stupid, utterly incorrigible. You can't even remember such simple fingerings. Hold out your hand..."
A man resembling a tutor, his face etched with impatience, raised a ruler and ferociously struck the palm of a young girl.
The little girl, no more than seven or eight years old, with two pigtails sticking straight up, was both mischievous and adorable.
But now, tears welled in her eyes, and she bit her rosy lips, stubbornly refusing to cry.
Her fair, tender hands were bruised and swollen, resembling small pig trotters. The tutor showed no mercy, striking with great force.
"Stop."
Ji Mo, unable to bear it, spoke out to intervene. Who would hit a child like this?
The tutor glanced over, impatiently waving him away, "This tutor is educating a student. Outsiders should not interfere. Go away, it's none of your business."
"A teacher's duty is to impart knowledge, teach skills, and resolve doubts. As for the zither, it is elegant and upright, forbidding evil, and rectifying the human heart. People like you are not fit to be teachers, let alone play the zither."
Ji Mo's anger surged as he stared directly at the tutor.
Under his stern condemnation, the tutor felt a pang of shame.
"You, a mere peasant, are qualified to talk about the zither?"
The tutor, embarrassed and enraged, retorted, "Do you understand the zither? Do you know what Gong, Shang, Jiao, Zhi, Yu are? What are the open string, harmonic, and stopped notes? Not to mention the techniques..."
The tutor, in a condescending tone, fired off a barrage of questions, trying to regain his composure.
But halfway through his sentence, he suddenly fell silent, his face a mask of disbelief.