Xu Fu's heart lost its balance in an instant. Upon seeing everything about Adam Dale, all the anger, resentment, and dissatisfaction within Xu Fu was laid bare.
He hated his enemy, the Lin family, and despised those relatives who divided up his family's assets, not even bothering to collect his corpse.
Beneath a stretch of woodland owned by the Xu family, Xu Fu saw that generations of ancestors rested here. His mother was among them, with a memorial tablet and a grave without a body—this belonged to Hugh Xu.
The grave was overgrown with weeds. Xu Fu quietly walked to the front of the grave and knelt down.
"Your son is unfilial, truly unfilial..."
Grief welled up from his heart. Xu Fu was falling apart, constantly bowing his head in prayer. With each tear that fell, his anger grew deeper. He decided to take revenge—on both the Lin family and the Huang family.
Xu Fu spent the entire day in Linzi City, asking around. He discovered that the Jin family and the Lin family were now business partners, frequently interacting and on good terms. Jin Wei had taken his daughter on a trip to purchase goods and hadn't returned, leaving only his son Jin Si, his wife, a few servants, and Adam Dale at home.
Xu Fu disguised himself as a beggar and knocked on the back door.
"Who is it...?"
As expected, Adam Dale came to open the door. He glanced at Xu Fu, then immediately looked at him with suspicion.
"Young Master Xu Fu..."
In that instant, Xu Fu was startled, then immediately turned and fled without looking back. Fear gnawed at him—although Adam Dale was simple-minded, he had recognized him. Xu Fu ran all the way to a dilapidated hut on the outskirts, terror written across his face. If anyone discovered he was still alive, he would be finished.
With such anxiety, Xu Fu spent a panicked night. The next morning, he went to the entrance of King's Herbal Shop to observe. Adam Dale was as he always was. Xu Fu asked around all day but heard no rumors of his survival.
Although a year and a half had passed, everyone still remembered the time he treated the emperor and empress in the palace, and how he and Henry Wong were sentenced to death by royal decree.
But inside, his anger simmered. Xu Fu looked at everything before him and vowed revenge—he wanted both the Lin family and the Jin family to meet a bitter end.
He had planned to trick that fool Adam Dale into smuggling poison inside, but failed because Adam recognized him. Xu Fu kept scheming, but he had little money left and couldn't last much longer.
Yet anger drove Xu Fu, and one night, he waited outside a small tavern, clutching a dagger tightly in his hand.
Living like this, Xu Fu had lost all confidence. His parents' fate, the matter of Xuan'er—at only fifteen, it felt like a massive stone was crushing him, leaving him unable to breathe.
As night deepened, Xu Fu braved the cold wind, watching the people coming and going from the tavern. He was out of options—this was the most direct way: to rob the wealthy for money.
Just then, in the freezing wind, a beggar was swigging wine from a jug, his hair wild and face grimy, but his eyes sharp and clever. He noticed Xu Fu.
He also saw the murderous glint in Xu Fu's eyes, knowing trouble was about to break out.
"Heh, in these times, out of a hundred people, all hundred are villains. From high officials to common folk, everyone steals what they can—money, women, power—to survive. Guess who the first good person I ever met was?"
I shook my head and looked at Xu Fu. He said nothing, as if recalling something happy.
"But as Master Wu Zheng always said, my heart isn't pure, so he never taught me any Taoist arts."
My heart skipped a beat. Xu Fu nodded.
At the door, it was Wu Zheng who noticed Xu Fu's actions. He had wandered for centuries, never aging.
At last, Xu Fu saw a well-dressed, drunken man stagger out of the tavern. Xu Fu perked up and followed, but just then, he heard a clear ring—a bell sounded.
Xu Fu's vision blurred; he thought it was hunger and rubbed his eyes, continuing to follow. He didn't realize someone had stuck a yellow talisman to his back.
Wu Zheng rose, holding a delicate bell, and followed after. He didn't know why he noticed this child, but at first glance, he sensed something was off.
Xu Fu was unaware he'd been caught. He saw people before him, but it was all an illusion.
"Hand over the money."
Entering an alley, Xu Fu rushed forward, dagger pointed, and shouted in a harsh, menacing voice.
Suddenly, the man turned and tried to grab Xu Fu, but with a slash, Xu Fu stabbed him. Blood spattered, but Xu Fu remained calm, searching the body for money. Just then, a dazzling yellow light flashed, and a red rope impossibly wrapped itself around Xu Fu, binding him tight.
"So young, yet you kill as if slaughtering chickens and cattle. Pitiful, lamentable."
Only then did Xu Fu notice the old beggar, clothes ragged and filthy.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Xu Fu grew frightened, lying motionless on the ground.
At that moment, Wu Zheng stretched out his hand, shook the bell, and the rope dragged Xu Fu over. Wu Zheng gripped Xu Fu's head with one hand.
"Kid, falling into the hands of a Taoist like me means your luck has run out."
Xu Fu was terrified. He knew about Taoists—there was a Dao De Jing, written by someone called Laozi in the previous dynasty. They all claimed to be of the Taoist school.
"I didn't do anything! Let me go, you damned beggar!"
Wu Zheng chuckled, shook the bell, and Xu Fu screamed as the rope hoisted him into the air.
"A ghost..."
Xu Fu screamed and shouted, but Wu Zheng only smiled.
"You're Xu Fu, aren't you? The one who survived before. I'm taking you to see the authorities."
"No, no..."
Shock filled Xu Fu's face as he stared at Wu Zheng, who began to float slowly, golden light radiating from his body. He dragged Xu Fu through the air like a blazing meteor.
"A god... an immortal..."
With a loud smack, Wu Zheng slapped Xu Fu.
"God, my foot! I told you, I'm just a Taoist priest. Everything I used just now is Taoist arts. Want to learn?"
"I do."
Excitement lit up Xu Fu's face. Wu Zheng smiled and released the red rope, which slithered back into his sleeve as if alive.
"First, tell me everything—leave nothing out."
They arrived at a remote hut, where Wu Zheng lit an oil lamp. Xu Fu's interest in Taoism grew stronger, bombarding Wu Zheng with questions, but Wu Zheng only smiled in silence.
Seeing it all with his own eyes, Xu Fu believed it. Compared to the elusive path to immortality, Taoist practices felt much more real to him.
Xu Fu began to tell Wu Zheng everything, but mostly he spoke of one thing—his desire to survive.
"So, you want to live."
Xu Fu nodded, watching Wu Zheng's gentle expression. Wu Zheng asked him to write down his birth date and time, then produced a coin and a tortoise shell.
"I'll cast a hexagram for you."
Wu Zheng spoke, then stepped out of the shabby hut into the moonlight. He drew his sword and whirled it through the air, chanting under his breath.
After a while, with a crack, the tortoise shell split. Wu Zheng quietly studied the strange hexagram.
"What does it mean, Master Wu?"
"This is a sign of disaster and calamity."
Suddenly, Wu Zheng's expression changed drastically, staring at Xu Fu, while Xu Fu grinned at the cracked tortoise shell on the ground.
"It's so tough! How did you crack it? Teach me."
Seeing Xu Fu's smile, Wu Zheng asked him a question.
"Do you think there was anything wrong with robbing and killing just now?"
"That guy tried to attack first, so I stabbed him. I had no choice... in times like these..."
"Enough."
Xu Fu spoke, then entered the hut and lay down on a straw mat. At the same time, Wu Zheng's murderous intent began to rise.
"Master Wu... you..."
Xu Fu froze. He sensed the atmosphere shift, fear creeping in as he stepped back, wanting to run. But suddenly, he felt invisible hands grip his shoulders, the chill making him shudder.
"I didn't do anything wrong, did I, Master Xu Fu?"
"Let me ask you again—are you human, or a beast?"
"I'm human."
Xu Fu answered cautiously.
With a sharp slap, Wu Zheng threw a copy of the Dao De Jing to the ground.
"Read this book and explain it to me, line by line. Then I'll teach you."
Xu Fu picked up the Dao De Jing. He had seen it long ago and once scoffed at its contents.
But then Xu Fu reconsidered, smiling as he recited several passages to Wu Zheng, explaining them fluently. Wu Zheng sprang up in surprise.
"You're clever, just like Yin Choujian was. Heh."
Xu Fu cried out, feeling invisible hands clench his throat—he was nearly choking.