The Immortal Seeker: Legend of Bronze Mirror
Chapter 155 - 93: Having Grasped the Magnitude of Heaven and Earth, Yet Still Pity the Lush Grasses and Trees

Chapter 155: Chapter 93: Having Grasped the Magnitude of Heaven and Earth, Yet Still Pity the Lush Grasses and Trees

Inspector Li knew that after that severe illness, his nephew was like a different person, like a living immortal. In less than a year, the Li family underwent earth-shattering changes under his nephew’s planning.

Having a history of events as proof, Inspector Li certainly understood that if Xu Qing said something with certainty, it must be guaranteed.

He also put his mind at ease.

He didn’t know how much good fortune he had accumulated in his past life to be able to raise Xu Qing.

While everyone hopes their son will become a dragon, in his case, he was simply winning just by following his nephew’s lead.

Though he also lost the pain of climbing step by step, he also gained the joy of rising with every step.

There’s always a loss for every gain.

And it’s not as if he hadn’t suffered; he had indeed faced many hardships raising Qing for the past ten years!

After chatting for a while, Inspector Li secretly took out a sum of silver.

Xu Qing curiously asked, "Uncle, are you planning for me to help you save this private stash of silver?"

Inspector Li shook his head: "I’ve heard that the Recovery Society you formed often assists the poor and teaches reading and writing. These are all expenses, but also acts of kindness and virtue. Your uncle can’t help much, but take this silver to continue doing good deeds. Enjoy the blessings under your name; that’s enough for your uncle."

"Alright, I accept." Xu Qing nodded.

...

...

Returning to the courtyard, Xu Qing’s heart still held some of the warmth from his time with his uncle.

He felt subtly moved.

These days, he was on the verge of breaking through to "Dark Strength" in his Fist Skill and to "Exorcism" with his Divine Soul, just separated by a layer of window paper, always unable to punch through.

The emotional fluctuations tonight seemed to grasp something.

"The path of cultivation not only requires diligence and full dedication, but also a ’moving’ force."

Xu Qing thought of a song.

"This force is iron, this force is steel, harder than iron, stronger than steel..."

Whether it’s "Exorcism" in the Divine Soul or "Dark Strength" in Fist Skill, both actually require a tenacious will to govern.

This will must come from things that move oneself.

Just like a great poet can’t create poetry without being moved, Bai Juyi couldn’t write verses like "Both are strangers in a foreign land; why bother to know each other if we meet?" without such feeling.

"Human is the spirit of all things, with rich emotions. With feelings and desires, life becomes vivid and meaningful; only then does longevity make sense..."

Even when Neo-Confucianism proposes "preserving heavenly principles and quelling human desires," it’s not about annihilating humanity, but emphasizing restraint on excessive desires and not cutting off emotions and desires.

"Basking in the spring, in search of fragrance by the bank of Si River, the boundless scenery is reborn in a moment; easily recognizing the face of the spring breeze, the myriad of purples and thousands of reds are all spring."

Even Zhu Xi, a great scholar of Neo-Confucianism, pursued the natural expression of emotion in his poetry.

For example, the recognition that "the myriad of purples and thousands of reds are all spring" is clearly an affirmation of the diversity and differences among all things in the world.

The origin of Neo-Confucianism was not to shackle human thought, it’s just that some used it to constrain others’ thoughts, much like how Heart Study after decades of development would become infinitely poisonous.

The same goes for Martial Arts and Daoist Skill, the distinction between good and evil lies in one’s own heart, not in the use of Evil Skills and Evil Techniques...

"Take for instance a story about Buddhism, where the Demon King tells the Buddha that after the End of Dharma, his disciples will don the Buddha’s son’s Kasaya, strike the Buddha’s son’s wooden fish, and misinterpret the Buddha’s scriptures... On hearing this, the Buddha shed tears..."

The story may not be an actual Buddhist tale, but the principle behind it holds true.

"I wish for immortality, I wish for my uncle and others to live well, and this is not wrong. But if making all this happen leads to great calamity, then I would become the Demon King.

Master said, ’following one’s heart is the utmost realm,’ but there’s still a line that follows — ’without overstepping bounds.’"

"Freedom with restraint is true freedom."

"Freedom is what I can do, and it’s also my ability to decide not to do something. It’s not about becoming a slave to desires..."

Xu Qing went to his study, spread out white paper, prepared his ink, soaked his brush thoroughly with ink, then began to write:

"Having understood the great cosmos, I still cherish the green grass and trees."

Xu Qing finally pierced through the window paper of Dark Strength.

His muscles began to shake and oscillate slowly.

His Divine Soul let out a long call of a crane.

It wasn’t a Crane Call, but a clear cry that sounded like a flowing spring.

Xu Qing felt the quaking of his Divine Soul and Qi-Blood, his heart devoid of any distractions. His Divine Soul seemed to be infused with a will as solid as steel.

Believe in what you believe, firm in your convictions.

After an unknown time, the trembling in Xu Qing’s body ceased and the Divine Soul’s crane cry faded away.

He opened the window, and the warm sun of winter shone upon the earth.

In the courtyard, snow still lingered, biting cold to the bone.

But...

Xu Qing walked up to the Old Wutong Tree, where lifeless branches from yesterday had now sprouted green buds.

As though a realm full of vibrant vitality and competition amongst all beings was about to sprout before his eyes.

"Indeed, where there’s Dao, there’s Skill."

"Last night my Divine Soul broke through, grasping the Dark Strength in Martial Arts, these things are simply not worth mentioning. Last night’s greatest gain was my unintentional entrance into the realm of Unity of Heaven and Man, thus influencing the tree brother, bringing forth this sprout of vitality."

The new buds swayed with the branches in the wind, carrying a rhythm of the Dao.

"Alas, it’s not yet profound and concrete enough. Otherwise, my Divine Soul would at least be at the Great Success of Exorcism," Xu Qing somewhat regretted.

He observed the bronze mirror, and indeed the assessment of his Martial Arts had added the content of "Dark Strength." Besides, his Daoist Skill reached the realm of "Exorcism," and even the progress of opening the Ziwei Meridian had advanced several degrees.

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