Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 298: Master raises the dragon pond, Master, it snows!
[Lu Hua chuckled and asked, "What is a dragon? A dragon can be big or small, can rise or hide. When it is big, it can create clouds and mist, and when it is small, it can hide its shape. It has infinite changes and is mysterious and unpredictable."]

[When you heard this, you couldn't help but wonder, do dragons really exist in this world? ]

[You look up at the bright moon in the night sky, and the breeze in the courtyard blows on your face, bringing a hint of coolness. ]

[Lu Hua walked slowly from beside the sycamore tree, the moonlight shining on her body, adding a bit of grace and mystery to her, her dress fluttering in the wind.]

[“There are many kinds of demons in this world. In addition to mountain spirits, wild monsters, poultry, pigs, and dogs, there are also fish, shrimps, turtles and tortoises in the river. They all seem to come out of this, eating humans to strengthen themselves.”]

[“However, have you ever seen a person transform into a demon?” She suddenly changed the subject, her tone becoming more profound.]

[You shook your head, thinking to yourself: If the victims in Jiangnan Road could really turn into demons, they would have already conquered the prosperous Bianjing.]

[“But if I tell you that most of the monsters in the lake are transformed from humans, would you be surprised or think that this is groundless?”]

[You were shocked, but your face remained calm. The demon in Zehu Lake was actually transformed from a human?]

【Isn’t this just a fantasy? 】

[Lu Hua continued: "Think about it, the Thirteen Continents of the Great Qi and the Sixteen Provinces of the Great Sui are vast and boundless, but I have never heard of any dragons."]

[“And this dragon suddenly appeared in Zehu Lake? Dragons are legendary creatures that cannot be born in heaven or raised on earth.”]

[“Where did the dragon come from?”]

[“Some say it takes a snake ten years to become a python, a python fifty years to become an anaconda, an anaconda a hundred years to become a dragon, and another five hundred years to become a dragon. However, this is completely untrue. Humans cannot change their fate, let alone these egg-laying crawling creatures.”]

[Listen to Lu Huazhi's words, and think carefully, it seems that only Zehu has the legend of Jiaolong. Even the demons that caused chaos in Jiannan Road, the three demons of Qingniu, Shanmang, and Carp, who called themselves Pingtian Dasheng, Jiaomo Wang, and Painful Tian Bodhisattva. ]

[But the only place where there are real dragons seems to be Zehu. ]

【Lu Hua laughed and said: "Since the sky does not give birth to them and the earth does not support them, how can dragons come from them?"】

[“Of course it’s just that people are raising this dragon?”]

[You were slightly stunned, and blurted out: "Raise a dragon!"]

[This idea is too shocking, but coming from Lu Hua's mouth, it seems to be true.]

[Countless questions arise in your mind. Who would raise a dragon in the Lake? Who else can raise a dragon in the Lake? You know, there are nine great monsters in the Lake. They are all powerful enough to rival the top cultivators in the world.]

[The place where the nine-headed monster lurks has long become a den of dragons and tigers, a forbidden place for the human world.]

【You suddenly think of something. 】

【Lu Hua expressed his guess for you.】

【“Academy?”】

[You seem to be unable to believe it, but you think of something. When the Master entered the Lake, he did not kill all the demons.]

[Mr. Er was supposed to destroy Zehu with one sword, but Mr. Da dissuaded him.]

[“You are curious about who is raising dragons, right? Or what is the purpose of raising dragons?”]

[“In the ancient books of the Three True Sect, the ninth patriarch Peng Chuan left a book of essays during his lifetime called “Peng Chuan Essays”]

[“This founder of the Three True Sect was the first person to preach in the North before the founder Lu Chen. He is also called the Northern Ancestor. According to historical records, there was a man who fell from the sky named Peng Chuan. He founded the sect in the North and served as the Protector of Yancheng!”]

[You nodded. The Three True Sect has been passed down for thousands of years, and there is a brilliant person almost every few generations. For example, the Heavenly Master who helped the Great Sui Dynasty to establish the country once asked the Master for advice.]

[A Confucian scholar and a Taoist priest also traveled to Mount Tai, which was praised by later generations and often mentioned in poems.]

[This Peng Chuan must be an important patriarch of the Three True Sect.]

【Lu Hua said leisurely: "It is said that this ancestor cast a large tripod when he was 63 years old. When the tripod was completed, a dragon with a beard hanging down to welcome it, but only the dragon head but not the dragon body, was mounted on it. Peng Chuan rode on it, and all the disciples grabbed the dragon's beard, and the dragon's beard was pulled away, causing them to fall to death, except Peng Chuan who flew away."】

[This story describes that Peng Chuan built a giant tripod in the northern border. When the tripod was completed, a dragon head without a body appeared, and Peng Chuan rode on it. His disciples tried to follow him by pulling the dragon's whiskers, but the dragon's whiskers broke and he fell to his death.]

【Only Peng Chuan was left to attain enlightenment and ascend to heaven.】

【Lu Hua also revealed a secret: "Back then, the ancestor helped the Great Sui Dynasty to be established. When he met the Master, in addition to asking for advice, he also presented the classics left by the three ancestors of the Three True Sect to the Master."】

[“So, everyone in this world is here for profit, why did you stay in the Sui Dynasty? It was for exchange.”]

[You took a deep breath. Lu Hua didn't need to answer who raised the dragon. The answer behind it seemed to be ready to come out.]

[The person in this world who wants to ascend to heaven the most, and the person who is closest to ascending to heaven, is this Master Da Qi. ]

【Peng Chuan ascends on a dragon! 】

[Master, in order to ascend to heaven, you raise a dragon? ]

[Ze Lake is just the Master's dragon-raising pond! ]

【Lu Hua said in a deep voice: "Heaven and earth are not benevolent, and treat all things as straw dogs."】

[“One person attains enlightenment and ascends to heaven, but thousands of bones are withered in the world.”]

[You have some feelings in your heart. Attaining the Tao and ascending to heaven seems to be the greatest vision and supreme pursuit of those who practice cultivation.]

[Master has been searching for immortals in the East China Sea for two hundred years and has not returned.]

[However, the most recent ascension in history that was recorded in real historical documents was during the time of the King of Yan.]

【Three people ascended in one day! 】

[Empress Qianyuan, Demonic Huang Dao, and Lu Yu of the Three True Sect, their deeds are still being passed down today. ]

【Yan Wang Luchen died of old age in Zhongnan Mountain.】

【That is, three thousand years ago. During such a long period of time, no one could ascend.】

[The Master wrote in the Sacred Sayings, "The Great Way is like the blue sky, but I alone cannot get out."]

【Lu Hua looked at you thinking and said: "Of course, you can't get in touch with these things now, but I just said it casually to let you know that the monsters in the world are actually not as scary as humans."】

[“As for how humans turned into demons and how they transformed into dragons, I have not yet fully understood the mystery. I am afraid it is another tragic event in the human world.”]

[You are increasingly curious about Lu Hua's identity. She seems to know a lot about these secrets, especially the history of the Three True Sect.]

[Lu Hua smiled and said: "Of course, livestock kept in captivity will also show their fangs after a long time, not to mention the ferocious demons in Zehu."]

[“The master of Da Qi has been gone for two hundred years. Even a docile rabbit would stick its head out and want to go out for some fresh air.”]

[Your heart moved, and you thought of the black-robed man you talked about today. He is indeed from Zehu.]

【He is doing this for the academy? 】

【Xie Hong and Lu Hua in front of him, could it be that they came to Bian Jing for the academy?】

[There are three teachers in the academy now. The second teacher is seriously ill, the third teacher has imprisoned himself in the academy, and the fourth teacher is a prime minister in the court.]

[The dragon enters the capital, Xie Hong returns home, and the disciples of the Three True Sect come to Da Qi. ]

[You let out a breath, and there really is a sense of impending storm. ]

[Lu Hua looked at you, as if she could see through your thoughts. She smiled and said, "What are you afraid of? The Xie family is unlikely to fall. It's nice to be under a big tree. With the Xie family here, you don't have to worry."]

[You nodded. The outside world is not as peaceful as the outside world. You are the foundation. Continue to practice.] [You lean against the sycamore tree and practice "Leaning on the Pillar". Open your legs and put them together with your shoulders, bend your knees, and hit the tree rhythmically. With each breath, you slowly exhale the turbid air.]

[After a while, you start to sweat profusely, beads of sweat appear on your head, and your muscles and bones feel numb.]

【Lu Hua looked at your embarrassed appearance and said: "Compared to the cultivation of the Yuan Shen, your martial arts cultivation is much slower."】

[“The main reason is that your frame is too weak. It takes time to build a solid foundation. You have already gained some understanding of the basics of the basics through these few basic exercises, which means you have entered the stage of learning.”]

[You are sweating profusely, and Lu Hua teaches you some martial arts breathing techniques to relieve your qi, blood, muscles and bones.]

[Lu Hua fiddles with your arms, making you stretch one leg out and rest it on the stone table.]

[“These are some stretching techniques. You need to practice them after you have cured your Qi and blood. Otherwise, Qi and blood will stagnate throughout your body and it will be a long time before you can correct it later.”]

[You have learned the method taught by Lu Hua and your swollen meridians have indeed been relieved, and your qi and blood are also much smoother. ]

[“Although Sima Ting wrote down all the problems and experiences he encountered during his cultivation, he didn’t know that a bastard like you wouldn’t have the same conditions as him,”]

[“Practicing martial arts is different from cultivating the soul. To practice martial arts, one must lay a solid foundation from a young age. At your age, you are…”]

【Lu Hua said: "It's useless!"】

[You can only helplessly smile bitterly. You have never trained your muscles since you were a child. Now these few piles have taken all your effort.]

[Lu Hua took out a jade bottle, placed it on the table and said: "This is the Dragon Tiger Tendon Pill."]

[“There are twenty of them inside. When you practice standing meditation, hold them in your mouth against the roof of your mouth. It has the effect of strengthening bones.”]

[“Your body has reached its limit today. Too much is as bad as too little.”]

[“Also, don’t practice the Demon Slayer Sword while I’m not in your courtyard. I won’t be responsible for anything that happens to you.”]

【Lu Hua left after saying this.】

[You only saw a shadow disappear like smoke.]

[You look at the jade bottle on the table. This Lu Hua, whom you met by chance, has helped you time and again.]

[You silently picked up the jade bottle, feeling grateful in your heart. These things are indeed necessary to escape from the Xie family's cage.]

[You walked back into the house, your mind shifted. After your soul broke through the third realm, your five senses had already become sharp.]

[You look towards the room where Wutong sleeps. Just now you seem to hear the sound of someone turning over in the inner room.]

【You went back to the house, deep in thought.】

[On the second day, I continued to read, write, and practice martial arts as usual.]

[Wu Tong always adds a plate of fine meat to the dishes he prepares every day, and you eat it all up.]

[The Dragon and Tiger Tendon Pill left by Lu Hua is surprisingly effective. You can clearly feel that you can hold out longer.]

[For the next three days, the courtyard was peaceful and you concentrated on your cultivation. Lu Hua would come to the courtyard every evening and sometimes chat with you.]

[Sometimes, she would wear a plain white Taoist robe, sit on the bare trunk of a sycamore tree, prop her chin with one hand, and quietly watch you practice.]

[On the fourth day, Doctor Hua An came to the courtyard when he had time. He brought you some fresh lean meat. They were from the New Year pigs that Hua An raised at home and were slaughtered.]

[Although Hua An was giving you a gift, you still asked Wu Tong to give you silver, but Hua An refused repeatedly.]

[Wutong was helpless and tried to put the silver into Doctor Huaan's hands several times, but he always smiled and threw the silver back.]

[“I don’t want the money,” Hua An said with a smile: “Since your handwriting is so good, just give me a few words.”]

[When you heard this, you readily agreed, and you immediately ground ink and spread out paper, and wrote down some auspicious words for the New Year.]

[Hua An took the paper and looked at it carefully. A hint of admiration flashed in his eyes, but he did not take it too seriously. This was originally a refusal to pay money.]

【Hua An did mention one thing! 】

[Mr. Dong Shaodong, the teacher that Madam Yuan hired to teach you, died of drunkenness at home a few days ago. He was found by his neighbors the next day after his death, and his body was already cold.]

【Wutong was even more stunned. Thinking back to how robust Mr. Dong Shao was when he visited him earlier this year, he couldn't help but feel a little sad.】

Hua An only lamented the impermanence of life and said: "Dong Shao has no children, and only adopted a son who is over 30 years old and has not yet started a family."

[That Yizi worked as a long-term worker in Xifeng Tower and rarely went home.]

[Hua An is about to leave. Tell Wu Tong to take fifty taels of silver from the courtyard and give it to Hua An, and ask him to help deliver it to Mr. Dong.]

[Although Wutong loves money, he took out fifty taels of silver without hesitation after hearing your words and handed it to Huaan.]

【“This… Master Guan.”】

【Hua An looked at the heavy silver in his hand and said: "It's a bit too much."】

[You shook your head and said: "Mr. Dong's kindness in sending me the book stickers back then is still in my heart and I must repay him."]

[“Mr. Dong is an upright man who has lived a life of poverty. He probably has little savings over the years. Otherwise, how could his adopted son still not have a family and career at the age of thirty?”]

[“This money is for his proper burial.”]

Hua An nodded, a trace of admiration flashed in his eyes, and he said solemnly: "Master Guan is truly a benevolent and righteous gentleman."

[“Hua’an, I will definitely live up to your trust.”]

[You watched Hua An leave with a thoughtful look in your eyes.]

[Hua An may not know that in his eyes, Dong Shao is not just an ordinary corrupt scholar.]

[Zhang Yuan once told me privately that Dong Shao was very talented when he was young and almost became the second master's favorite student.]

[Just based on the calligraphy he gave you, which showed some of Mr. Er’s true intentions and helped you a lot, you can tell that he is definitely not a simple person. How could he suddenly pass away at home?]

【There is something fishy going on.】

【The days passed slowly. 】

[After more than half a month, you are still practicing diligently in the courtyard, not slacking off, and you feel that you are making progress every day.]

【Lu Hua still comes every day. 】

【Xie Yuan came twice during this period. He was very happy. It seemed that practicing martial arts was much more interesting than studying.】

[On the first day of December, a light snow fell in Bianjing, and a thin layer of snow covered the courtyard.]

[Two days later, the snow became even more severe, with heavy snow falling everywhere. Overnight, it seemed as if only white remained between heaven and earth.]

[The snow on the ground was getting thicker and thicker, and the ground in the courtyard had long been covered with snow, leaving only a silver blanket. ]

[Wutong also put on a thick cotton-padded jacket, and the house even lit up the stove, sending a stream of warm air around, driving away the severe winter chill.]

[Wutong opened the door and said with a surprised smile: "Master, it's snowing!"]

(End of this chapter)