Chapter Seventy-Seven: What If I Perform a Great Deed of Merit?

Zhang Yuanyi’s concerns were not unfounded.

Here lay twelve thousand eight hundred bitter apricot kernels; if so many people were to embark upon the path of virtue in pursuit of merit, even the tens of thousands of medicinal herbs at the Chisong Dao Palace would surely be exhausted!

The elder smiled and said, “Yuanyi, do you truly believe it is so easy to accomplish this?”

Zhang Yuanyi was puzzled. “Sir Guo, what do you mean by this? I am dull-witted—please enlighten me!”

The elder stroked his beard and sighed, “Let me ask you, when the plague victims encircled the city just now, among the thousands of physicians here, how many were willing to step forward and treat them?”

Zhang Yuanyi glanced at the crowd, his expression darkening. “Only a dozen or so.”

“Precisely! These few are the true men of merit,” the elder said with a smile.

At these words, Zhang Yuanyi suddenly understood.

Indeed, only actions arising from the heart could be called merit.

The rest—those were merely good deeds.

Thus, though the path of merit seemed simple, for some it was as arduous as ascending to the heavens. To obtain medicinal herbs through merit, one must earnestly perform countless good deeds.

Yet those who truly care for the world and are devoted to saving lives do not act deliberately to gain merit; and thus, merit comes to them naturally.

At this, Zhang Yuanyi was utterly convinced by his teacher and sighed, “Only today do I realize the gulf between myself and you is as vast as that between a mayfly and the blue sky.”

“Haha! Do not belittle yourself, Yuanyi. You are now a Grandmaster. I suppose the gap between you and Master Yuchen is not so great. Can you discern anything of his origins?” the elder asked, shaking his head.

He was increasingly convinced that this Master Yuchen was the legendary true disciple of the Immortal Way, for such a figure could not come from the mortal world.

Zhang Yuanyi pondered and replied earnestly, “Even as a Grandmaster, I cannot see through the teacher’s strength. Earlier, I felt that on Chisong Mountain, without his permission, I could not even draw upon the power of heaven and earth.”

The elder shook his head. “Matters among you martial cultivators are not my specialty. But Yuanyi, do you think that Master Yuchen’s abilities could surpass that demonic Daoist, Wusheng?”

“The so-called State Preceptor? That’s hard to say! He is likely also a cultivator of the Immortal Way, his power unfathomable, beyond ordinary comparison.”

Even as a Grandmaster, Zhang Yuanyi’s expression was grave at the mention of the State Preceptor.

He had once gone to Jingzhou with the elder and seen the Preceptor in person.

Though the man appeared kindly, his aura was as deep as the abyss—far beyond even a Grandmaster.

The elder was silent for a moment, then sighed, “When a nation is nearing its end, monsters will appear. The Great Yu has stood for barely a century, yet now it trembles, plagued by disaster after disaster across the provinces—sure signs of a doomed state! Surely, there are unnatural forces at work.”

This State Preceptor had appeared in Great Yu twenty years prior. Before his arrival, Great Yu had enjoyed peace and prosperity.

But ever since he took office, there had been calamities year after year. Rumors claimed this demonic Daoist had stolen the nation’s luck, causing Great Yu’s turmoil.

The elder thought there was some truth in the folk talk.

Now, upon witnessing Lin You’s extraordinary nature, hope stirred in his heart—that this suspected true disciple of the Immortal Way might lend a hand to Great Yu.

Zhang Yuanyi saw the elder’s thoughts and shook his head. “Sir Guo, I advise you to abandon such notions. The teacher is truly a man apart from the world. We have nothing to move him—how could we invite him to intervene?”

The elder looked up at the Deer Spirit in the sky. “What if I perform a great act of merit?”

“A great act of merit?” Zhang Yuanyi was confused.

The elder only smiled and waved his hand, declining to explain. “Let us discuss this later. In a moment, each of us will take an apricot kernel home. I wish to study Master Yuchen’s path of merit carefully.”

As they spoke, the Deer Spirit in the heavens finished its message.

Then a flash of golden light appeared, and apricot kernels rained down from the sky.

Since the White Deer had spoken, none among the crowd rushed to seize them.

Instead, it was decided that whoever the kernels landed before would claim them.

Many citizens obtained a kernel—some treasured them, others schemed to sell them for a good price.

Such is the myriad ways of humanity.

The elder stooped to pick up a kernel that had fallen before him.

He examined it carefully, then placed it safely in his robe.

Among the refugees, Su Mu also received a kernel. His gaze shone with anticipation—not for medicinal herbs, but to meet the mysterious Master Yuchen.

He glanced behind him at the refugees—once walking corpses, now their eyes filled with hope for life.

Having received the kernels, these once despised plague victims of Jiangzhou suddenly became coveted by all.

Those high and mighty physicians and martial artists now vied to comfort them, offering money and effort to help rebuild their homes, even competing to aid them.

The contrast was deeply ironic.

Yet it made Su Mu feel immense admiration and gratitude toward Master Yuchen.

Settling refugees had always been troublesome, yet the master had managed it in just half an hour, without even showing his face, providing shelter for tens of thousands.

Moreover, he preserved their dignity, sparing them from being treated like cattle.

This immortal truly possessed wisdom that touched the heavens!

“Young man! Will you sell your apricot seed? I can offer ten taels of gold!”

“Don’t listen to him. I’ll take you as a disciple—just hand over the seed!”

As he pondered, several groups of martial Grandmasters crowded around, eager to purchase his kernel.

These lofty figures were now exceedingly amiable.

But when he refused to sell, they all dispersed, no longer mentioning discipleship.

Some, thinking even a little help was better than none, insisted on offering assistance; and after their visits, his pockets were filled with small change.

Seeing their unsolicited generosity, Su Mu was both amused and touched.

It suited him well. His family had perished in the plague, and he planned to travel to Liangzhou to seek his distant cousin.

Word had it this cousin, persecuted by a local strongman, had become an outlaw, raising the banner of justice at a place called Taiwei Mountain.

Now unencumbered and disillusioned with Jiangzhou’s corrupt officials, he thought it best to join his cousin and pursue some enterprise.

The roads were perilous; with these silver coins he would be better protected.

His mind made up, he inquired about the direction of Chisong Dao Palace.

He knelt and kowtowed three times from afar toward the unseen Master Yuchen, then turned and left the lakeside.