If I become a saint, a celestial official will summon me to raise horses.

Chapter 685 Reincarnation
"Are you ready to face life's hardships? You will meet many people, make enemies, and perhaps even fall in love with someone, but ultimately it may not be what you want. Even so, you must go out into the world?"

An Xin looked at An Zizai and asked in a low voice.

An Zizai was overjoyed to hear this, because his master had finally relented.

"Gain and loss are all in my fate. I just want to see, I don't necessarily have to get anything." An Zizai looked up at his master and answered seriously.

Seeing his expression, An Xin sighed. She took out her Dao treasure, the Six Paths Mirror, and handed it to An Zizai, saying, "This is my magic weapon. I'll lend it to you. Go visit Junior Brother Chen Chuan and show him this mirror. He will see you. Just tell him that I want you to follow him to cultivate swordsmanship."

An Zizai took the Six Paths Mirror and was about to say something when An Xin handed him a jade pendant, saying that the pendant could guide him.

"You should leave now, or I might change my mind," An Xin said indifferently.

Gu An turned to look at An Zizai and laughed, "Look how angry you've made your master! You're being incredibly disrespectful!"

An Zizai was originally grateful to him because of his previous words, but now, upon hearing these words, her gratitude vanished.

"Master, I will come back!"

An Zizai immediately knelt down, kowtowed to An Xin, then stood up, glared at Gu An, and turned to leave.

An Xin watched An Zizai disappear into the horizon, then bowed to Gu An and silently departed.

Gu An didn't comfort An Xin; instead, he had a mocking, spectator-like feeling.

"People always yearn for freedom, and the more difficult the situation, the stronger their yearning for freedom becomes."

Gu An said leisurely, "I've taken on many disciples, so I know this all too well."

However, everything has to be experienced firsthand. If Anxin wants to take on apprentices, he has to face their thoughts, after all, apprentices are human beings and have their own ideas.

At this moment, the fishing rod trembled, and finally a fish took the bait.

Gu An immediately gripped the fishing rod tightly with both hands and began to outwit and outmaneuver the fish in the lake.

Water splashes up and sprinkles onto the leaves. Sunlight shines on these water droplets, making them crystal clear, as if they contain tiny worlds.

An Zizai's departure left the Wushi Dojo deserted once again, and the other disciples began to go into seclusion to cultivate.

For Gu An, whether the dojo was lively or not was not the most important thing; time would only pass faster and faster in his eyes.

Eight hundred years later.

Gu An came to this spot to fish again, and while waiting for the fish to bite, he held a book in his other hand.

The bright sunshine made the lake surface shimmer, and a gentle breeze blew, ruffling his sideburns.

A figure emerged from the woods behind him. It was a man dressed in the clothes of a swordsman, with disheveled hair, a weathered face, and stubble around his mouth. His eyes were filled with sorrow.

It was An Zizai.

He is completely different from how he was 800 years ago. He has lost his former vigor and his demeanor appears decadent.

An Zizai stared at Gu An's retreating figure, somewhat dazed, a slight change appearing in her eyes.

He suddenly recalled the scene when he left years ago. At that time, his master was also fishing here, with his back to him. His back looked unchanged, giving him a feeling of traveling through time.

"Grand-disciple pays respects to Grandmaster!" An Zizai came up behind Gu An, bowed, and spoke with a sense of desolation.

"Just come back."

Gu An responded without turning around to look at An Zizai.

He already knew what An Zi had been through over the years. Eight hundred years seemed like just a day to him, but for many people, it was a long period of time.

An Zizai experienced many things in these eight hundred years. He witnessed the tragic deaths of his brothers and loved ones, failed to protect those who trusted him, and suffered too many blows, causing him to lose his former sharpness.

If it weren't for the protection of the Six Paths Mirror, he would have died countless times.

An Zizai looked up at Gu An, took a deep breath, and asked, "Grandmaster, is there really justice and fairness in this world? Why do some people commit numerous evils yet enjoy the love and respect of the world, and why do their sects cover up their crimes even when they know about them?"

He was referring to a great Daoist cultivator known as the Free Immortal, from the Beidou Sect, one of the Hundred Religions in the human world.

The disciple of that great cultivator worked for him, arresting mortals in the countryside, and even some cultivators were captured. He was utterly wicked. An Zizai and his friends intervened to help those in need, which offended the disciple of the great cultivator and triggered a series of hatreds.

An Zizai had been hunted down for over a hundred years and had also been lying low for a hundred years. He finally managed to kill that disciple, only to come across the truth. Faced with the suppression of Dao Cang Zizai Xian, he was helpless and could only watch the person he cared about die.

The Beidou Sect even tried to kill him. If he hadn't escaped to Chen Chuan's Sword Sect in time, he would probably have died.

The Sword Sect is far inferior to the Big Dipper Sect; it is only because the legend of Wushi still exists in the world that the Big Dipper Sect is somewhat wary of him.

"The path to immortality is not something that can be achieved overnight. What you see is just a fragment of the vast mortal world. Looking back many years later, the questions that puzzle you will surely be answered. Those evil things, those that seem incredibly powerful, will also be annihilated. As for right and wrong, future generations will have their own judgment."

Gu An replied casually that he would only protect the lives of any disciple who went out, but he would not help them take revenge. Therefore, he would not interfere with An Zizai's hatred. If he wanted revenge, he should work hard to cultivate and rely on himself.

An Zizai's eyes became complicated, and he continued to ask, "Grandmaster, you must have lived a very long life. In your opinion, is justice supreme in this world, or is it a world where the strong prey on the weak?"

"Looking back, no matter who has the last laugh, when facing history, we must always hold high the banner of justice. This shows that at least in this world, justice is what all people hope for, and no one can shake it."

This was the most patient Gu An had ever been with An Zizai. There was no teasing or sarcasm; he answered every single one of his questions earnestly.

After hearing this, An Zizai fell silent.

A thought also flashed through his mind.

That would be to kneel down and beg his master to avenge him. If the Beidou Sect could stand up for its disciples, his master might too.

But the thought came quickly and went just as fast.

After all, his hatred for the Beidou Sect, even if the Beidou Sect was unjust, was something he actively intervened in.

Moreover, his grandmaster and master did not want him to go out, but he insisted on going out to gain experience. Sometimes, he would wonder if those people would have escaped if he had not gone out.
An Zizai felt increasingly distressed, to the point that she could hardly breathe.

“I can go into the cycle of reincarnation and find all the people you care about and bring them back to life. But you have to consider one thing: they might have a better life in their next life. They might also experience more suffering after they are resurrected. You can’t predict anything.”

Gu An's voice drifted over, causing An Zizai's expression to change drastically, with disbelief showing in her eyes.

To go through reincarnation?
resurrection?

An Zizai knew that his grandmaster was very strong, but he had never had a concept of just how strong. However, after hearing his grandmaster's words today, he was shocked, and the whole world before him seemed to brighten up all at once.

(End of this chapter)