A wedding is a contract, a public declaration that two people's lives are merging.
Taiwu Xixi and Wang Ping'an's wedding could hardly be called a wedding.
Their fated union was so rushed, just like those martial artists – no one to inform, no one to invite, always just the two of them, alone.
Taoist Ran Chen softly asked, "Xixi, aren't you afraid I'll change my mind?"
"I am, but you should also be afraid of me changing my mind."
"I am indeed afraid, after all, you are so wonderful."
"Then, to keep me from changing my mind, you should go back as soon as you've eaten. I still need to go with the Great Master to clear the Sword Tomb."
"I'll go with you."
"No, you don't have martial arts right now, have you forgotten?"
"...Even without martial arts, I can still protect you."
Taiwu Xixi sighed, "No, you are too weak."
Taoist Ran Chen's heart clenched; his little sister was truly not normal.
"Don't take risks."
"With the Great Master there, there can be no danger."
Wang Ping'an knelt beside Simon, "I beg the Great Master to protect Taishi, this humble Taoist is willing to use..."
"No!" Taiwu Xixi shouted, "What's wrong with you? Get up quickly, we're eating."
Nothing should disturb the sanctity of three meals a day.
Taoist Ran Chen sullenly got up, sat back in his seat, his expression returning to normal, and began to chew heartily.
Eating, everyone needs to eat; even immortals would not refuse delicious food.
At the dinner table, different people, of different levels, genders, thoughts, and states, all share one most fundamental title – diner.
Whether you're wolfing it down or savoring each bite, eating is the most human of activities.
How did the Great Master eat? He ate normally, without any fuss; he just held the bowl in his left hand, chopsticks in his right, a mouthful of vegetables, mixed with a mouthful of rice, chewed, and swallowed.
Perhaps one might insist on describing his extraordinary qualities – but that was completely unnecessary. The dinner table was a place free from the mystical; everyone gathered around it was a mundane person.
Everyone ate at a moderate pace. The little girl took a few bites, then pursed her lips, sitting on a high-backed chair, swinging her feet, her skirt hem gently swaying. In her wandering gaze, there was a brilliant reflection, like countless birds, flitting between green mountains and the vast sky.
Taiwu Xixi repeatedly confirmed that the little girl had eaten enough before she finally relaxed and began to enjoy the spread of delicious dishes she had made.
Taoist Ran Chen was also full, his head bowed, lost in thought.
Bai Zimo chatted with Simon.
"Great Master, when will you attack Xiangshu?"
"If quickly, before dawn; if slowly, no more than a week."
"How many of the living beings, plants, and beasts in this world do you think can survive until the next epoch?"
"No need to test me, I will not abandon anyone who wishes to live."
"What do we need to do?"
"Whatever I ask for is selfish, and whatever you do is also selfish. Who do you think I am dealing with?"
"With Heaven?"
"Yes. Mortals seek profit, the wise seek fame. What do you say I seek?"
"You seek nothing; if you seek anything, it is a lesser path."
"Laojun was right, 'Do nothing, and there is nothing that is not done.' I also seek nothing, and there is nothing I do not seek."
Their intermittent words, interspersed with the clatter of chopsticks and dishes, and the chattering of lips and teeth, were like an old woman's mumble in the twilight, especially as the night encroached. It was a blend of everyday life and a subtle sense of human crisis, with strange winds blowing haphazardly from all directions, and some mosquitoes becoming active, dancing in mid-air to form a blurry sphere, creating a system of life.
At this moment, a pale-faced man in white walked from the western horizon, covered in dirt from head to toe. His once fine robe was now tattered, and broken chains still hung from his wrists. He hunched, constrained, and walked to the table, staring at the food in a daze.
Taiwu Xixi quickly put down her bowl and chopsticks, calling for Taoist Ran Chen to bring a chair, then turned to greet this uninvited stranger: "You must be hungry, a guest is a guest, come eat with us."
The strange man slowly pulled his gaze from the table and stared at Taiwu Xixi again.
"You are... Taishi..."
Xixi nodded, "That's right, I am indeed a Taiwu Successor."
The strange man continued to mumble to himself, "You are Taishi." This time, he used a tone of certainty.
Taoist Ran Chen brought a chair and added a set of bowls and chopsticks, asking, "What is this guest's name?"
"Um... after leaving the mountain... a name is... needed." The strange man tilted his head in thought, his vacant eyes like goldfish floating on water. "Upper Ran... Lower Chen."
Taiwu Xixi chuckled, "You're called Ran Chen? It sounds like a Taoist name. Ping'an, what do you say?"
Taoist Ran Chen stepped forward and bowed, "This humble Taoist is Ran Mountain Dinghai, I greet this esteemed brother."
Bai Zimo also rose to greet him, "I am Bai Zimo of the Bai clan from Jiangnan, greetings, esteemed brother."
For some reason, the little girl seemed a little afraid of this strange man, and she curtsied properly.
Simon looked at the man and smiled without speaking.
Taoist Ran Chen mumbled, "A Taoist name... bestowed by my master, greetings to all."
Wang Ping'an asked, "Where does this Taoist brother come from?"
Taoist Ran Chen pointed east, "Beyond... the East Sea... Wubi Island... Chaishan..."
Taiwu Xixi smiled and pulled Ran Chen to a seat, "Let's talk while we eat."
Although Taoist Ran Chen was dirty, he had no strange smell. He just looked a bit out of place with the normal world. He held his bowl, stared at the dishes, but didn't know how to use chopsticks to pick up food.
Wang Ping'an saw Taiwu Xixi's eager look and quickly took the initiative to serve the strange guest some food.
The table of food, not yet leftovers, was not enough to properly entertain a guest. Taiwu Xixi went back to the Pure Land to cook again, and brought a few jars of wine, pouring some for the guest.
Taoist Ran Chen shoveled the food into his mouth, chewing silently. At this point, Bai Zimo asked again, "How did this Taoist priest come to know the Taiwu Successor?"
This strange guest was indeed peculiar; he didn't even swallow his food, but started speaking abruptly. Not only was his voice muffled, but rice grains flew out of his mouth like a group of fleeing ants, making people frown greatly.
"Form present... soul divided, reincarnation broken... spirit chaotic..." After saying this, Taoist Ran Chen quickly closed his mouth, used his tattered sleeve to wipe his lips, and stared down at a small pile of rice on the table, lost in thought.
Taiwu Xixi came out with a few cold dishes. Seeing the chaotic scene, she couldn't help but complain that the swordsman was bullying the guest.
"I'm not, I didn't... Alright." Bai Zimo sullenly closed his mouth.
Wang Ping'an asked, "May I ask, Taoist brother, what brings you here to seek my wife?"
"Brought a few volumes... old books from my home... wishing to present them to Taishi..." He was still staring at the rice grains until his little sister used a rag to wipe the table clean.
"Taoist brother's kindness, but where are those books?"
"Unfortunately, I encountered a villain... fourteen volumes of books, all scattered... I have failed my old friend's trust."
Everyone was speechless.
Taiwu Xixi asked, "May I ask who this old friend of yours is?"
"Not... a person, cannot... say."
Wang Ping'an asked, "Did your old friend ask you to deliver the books?"
"My old friend said... Taishi's abilities are meager... she needs to read more books..."
His little sister chuckled, "My abilities are indeed not great, but with the Great Master here, even if Xiangshu comes, it's just a matter of lifting a hand."
Taoist Ran Chen quickly glanced at Simon and murmured, "Heavenly Saint... I have seen the Great Master."
"Greetings, fellow Taoist."
Bai Zimo continued to ask, "What were the titles of these fourteen books?"
Taoist Ran Chen's eyes lit up, and he straightened his back slightly, "First, 'Heart Without Words'; second, 'White Robe's Transformation'; third, 'Great Compendium of a Thousand Methods'; fourth, 'Elephant Dragon Evolution'..." His fluent words suddenly cut off, and then he became disheartened, "Never mind... the books... are scattered."
The swordsman laughed, "In this world, there are those who steal treasures, those who steal weapons, and surprisingly, those who steal books."
Taoist Ran Chen shook his head earnestly, even putting down his bowl, "Among martial artists... people call them... mysteries of the ages... lost for over three hundred years... everyone yearns for them... everyone tries to seize them..."
So, they were fourteen secret martial arts manuals.
"Then who exactly stole the books?"
"A five-year-old rascal from the neighboring village... threw them into the river... searched for three days, no results..."
Bai Zimo's expression was strange, and he secretly mumbled, "The children of the south village bully me for being old and weak..."
Taoist Ran Chen glared at him angrily and stood up, intending to leave.
Taiwu Xixi quickly tried to keep him, "Please, Taoist priest, finish your meal before you go!"
Taoist Ran Chen hesitated for a moment, nodded, and plunked back down, picking up his rice bowl once more...
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