The road is vague

Chapter 295 The Mortal World
In less than two days, the white jade flying car arrived in Hua'an Town.

Li Mo and Wang Pan went straight to Ding Jie's house, and when they arrived, they were stunned.

At this moment, Brother Ding Jie's home has been set up as a mourning hall, with filial sons and grandsons kneeling and keeping vigil, and elegiac couplets hanging on both sides of the hall.

"My lord!"

"The Registrar has arrived..."

Wang Pan received a warm welcome from the Ding Jie family.

Li Mo, who was following behind him, was mistaken for Wang Pan's nephew.

Seeing that Wang Pan was about to introduce himself to everyone, Li Mo immediately refused with a look. Wang Pan, who had been in officialdom for many years, immediately understood Li Mo's meaning and quickly chose to remain silent.

that's it.

Li Mo followed Wang Pan to Ding Jie's coffin and lit three sticks of incense for him.

Ding Jie's eldest son, named Ding Shen, stepped forward to express his gratitude to Wang Pan.

"Today is the seventh day after my father's death. My father's spirit in heaven will surely be very pleased that Registrar Wang is able to come back to visit him."

"Alas, Ding Jie was my senior brother. He practiced medicine and helped people in distress. He will surely rest in peace after his death."

Say it.

Li Mo and Wang Pan each took out ten taels of silver as a gift.

"this?"

Ding Shen wasn't surprised by Wang Pan's ten taels of silver as a gift, but he was taken aback when Li Mo gave him the same generous gift. Li Mo didn't offer any explanation, just nodded politely and left.

Upon seeing this, Ding Shen quickly beckoned his cousin and gestured for Li Mo to be given the seat of honor.

Because of his official position and his status as an elder in the town, Wang Pan received a constant stream of greetings from people.

Because of his youthful appearance, Li Mo was hardly noticed except by a few girls of similar age in the town who occasionally glanced at him. He sat quietly in the crowd, listening to the suona music.

At this time.

Several children at the nearby table started reciting rhymes.

"Of all the musical instruments, the suona reigns supreme; it's either for ascension to heaven or for weddings. The pipa lasts a thousand years, the zheng a ten-thousand-year-old, the erhu is played for a lifetime, and the suona's final note brings the whole performance to an end..."

Li Mo was listening with great interest when an elderly man passing by, seemingly looking for a seat, noticed Li Mo as he passed by.

"Are you Physician Li?"

The old man's clasped hands and bowed gesture was not standard; his left hand kept shaking, and the movement looked somewhat uncoordinated.

Li Mo looked at the person carefully and couldn't help but show a look of surprise.

"Who is your Excellency?"

"Oh, so you really are Physician Li! I'm Zhou Chan from Pear Blossom Village. I'm so grateful to you for curing my foot injury the other day. I haven't had a chance to properly thank you yet. I heard that Doctor Ding is here today..."

As the old man was speaking, an old woman ran over, helping him up while apologizing to Li Mo.

"I'm really sorry, the old man is getting senile and still thinks he's in his twenties. I'm sorry to bother you."

Upon hearing this, Li Mo was stunned.

"How dare you be so rude, openly pulling and shoving me! I'm not stupid, Doctor Li just cured my foot injury a few days ago..."

“I am your wife, and your foot injury has been healed for over twenty years.”

Two more young men ran up and took the old man away.

Li Mo sat down again and looked in the direction the old man had left.

He vaguely felt that there might have been a doctor-patient relationship between the two of them, but it had been too long and he couldn't remember it, while the other person had a vivid memory due to Alzheimer's disease.

After a while.

Wang Pan sat down next to Li Mo again, waiting for the banquet to begin.

Today is the day of Ding Jie's funeral. Before he is laid to rest, his neighbors and fellow villagers will come to pay their respects, a custom known as a feast. Soon, delicious farm-style dishes will be served.

"How is it? Are you enjoying the food?"

"of course."

As Li Mo ate, he sighed, "It's a pity I'm still a few days late. If only I could have finished my seclusion a few days earlier."

"Life is full of unavoidable hardships; there is no such thing as a perfect life."

……

the next day.

Wang Pan was busy with official duties and rode away.

Li Mo then walked back to Shanbei Village alone.

He stood at the entrance of the village, looking at the memorial archway for his mother, Zhou Mei. The archway had become somewhat dark and old due to its age and lack of maintenance.

After a while.

Li Mo sighed silently and continued walking forward.

The main street was bustling with people, all of them appearing as renowned heroes from prestigious sects. Everyone was in high spirits, constantly discussing the matter of Yan, the great hero of the Beishan Sect, entering the Innate Realm.

"In my opinion, the only person in Muzhou who can truly be called a great hero is Hero Yan. His martial arts skills are one aspect, and his dedication to the country and its people is another. The man-eating monster that came from the southern barbarian lands a few days ago was killed by Hero Yan!"

"Yes, I've heard about it too. Those two man-eating bears actually crossed the border and fled to Bai'an County to eat people, where they were just happened to be spotted by Hero Yan..."

Li Mo didn't care about this, but felt that the growing strength of the Beishan Sect was a good thing for his hometown.

He then returned home.

The house that Uncle Zhang and Aunt Zhao renovated still stands today, but it has become somewhat old and dilapidated due to long-term neglect. However, with a little tidying up, it can still be lived in.

Is that Li Mo?

An elderly woman, leaning on a cane and having lost all her teeth, looked shakily at Li Mo.

Li Mo could vaguely see the shadow of Aunt Zhao in her.

"Aunt Zhao?"

He could hardly believe that Aunt Zhao was still alive.

"Li Mo is back, Li Mo is back."

As Aunt Zhao shouted excitedly, a person rushed out of the house. He was stunned when he saw Li Mo. It turned out to be Brother Zhang Qin.

"Li Mo!?"

Li Mo was about to greet him with a smile when he suddenly realized that Zhang Qin only had one arm left.

"Brother Zhang Qin, you..."

"It happened three years ago. Man-eating monsters from the southern barbarian lands roamed over. I was no match for them in martial arts, and one of the bear monsters chopped off my arm, but fortunately I survived."

After sighing, Zhang Qin laughed again. "I've come to terms with it these past two years. Retiring early is good, I can go home and take care of my mother, and enjoy family life. How long do you plan to stay this time?"

"This time... a few months, I guess. By the way, where's Uncle Zhang?"

Zhang Qin shook his head.

He left five years ago.

After a while.

Zhang Qin called over his two children and grandson to help Li Mo tidy up the room.

After everyone had thoroughly cleaned the room, the meal was ready. Li Mo arrived at Zhang Qin's house with a smile. Looking at his three-story house, filled with children and grandchildren, everyone was enjoying themselves. Their eyes revealed the satisfaction of enjoying family life. For a moment, Li Mo was a little dazed and envious.

"Grandpa Li, how come you look so young?"

Finally, one of the children couldn't help but ask, "Are you really an immortal?"

Li Mo was about to give the boy a casual reply when suddenly he felt his popularity fluctuate, a very strange feeling.

This reminded him of the weasel stories he had heard as a child.

Those powerful demons who have cultivated themselves into human form often have to go through a tribulation of transformation. They will enter the world and stop a person to ask, "Do I look like a human or a god?"

The passerby's answer at this moment will trigger the demon king's transformation.

After reviewing the formula for Yin De Dan, Li Mo knew that popularity was a mysterious and complex thing, and should not be taken lightly.

After a brief moment of thought, he looked at the child and asked, "Do I look like a human or a deity to you?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room turned to look at the child.

The child stared wide-eyed at Li Mo, tilting his head to look at him.

"I think you're like a human being."

After the child uttered just a few words, Li Mo suddenly felt an unprecedented change in his popularity. The Dao of the Supreme Being, which he had already gained some insight into in Yuan City, became incredibly clear at this moment, and he seemed to have attained some enlightenment.

Ancient cultivators aimed to become unknown immortals and comprehend the great Dao of Heaven and Earth through cultivation.

Nowadays, cultivators in the Great Qian Kingdom cultivate based on their essential human nature.

Under the Daoist tradition of the most intelligent of all beings, although Li Mo was comprehending the difference between immortals and mortals, he could not abandon his essence as a human being. He had to view his own improvement correctly. Cultivation was not for the sake of an illusory ascension, but for learning to use various tools and mastering various methods of solving problems, including cultivation itself.

Thinking of this, Li Mo smiled slightly and patted the child's head.

"If you think I look like a human being, then I am naturally a human being."

However, this answer also slowed down Li Mo's progress in understanding the difference between immortals and mortals, a situation where one cannot have both.

the next day.

Li Mo arrived at the Beishan Sect.

Unlike many other martial arts figures who congratulated Master Yan, Li Mo, after taking out the token given to him by Dou Chi, the founder of the Beishan Sect, arrived at his mother's grave without any hindrance. He took out the weeding tools he had prepared beforehand, carefully cleaned the grave, and then took out incense, fruits, and other offerings to pay his respects.

After doing all this, he looked at the two people who had been waiting in the distance.

The leader clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"May I ask if the visitor is Lord Li?"

"Exactly."

After Li Mo responded, the square-faced man with a mustache smiled and said, "My master, Dou Chi, is quite old and is currently practicing meditation in the Ancestral Hall. Upon learning that Lord Li was coming, he specially sent the two of us to greet him."

"Oh?"

Li Mo followed the two into the ancestral hall of the Beishan Sect, where he saw a withered old man sitting cross-legged on a bed. This man was none other than Dou Chi.

Upon noticing Li Mo enter, Dou Chi smiled slightly, and wrinkles quickly spread across his lips and eyes.

"Lord Li, it's been a long time."

"Lord Dou, it's been a long time."

As the room door slowly closed, Li Mo sat opposite Dou Chi, and the two, just like in the old days, sat down for a long talk.

"Hehe, Lord Li, what do you think of my technique of transforming primordial energy into essence?"

Upon hearing this, Li Mo activated his spiritual eye and began to observe carefully.

Dou Chi's life force had been completely extinguished, but he was actually relying on his powerful internal energy to continuously transform it into life force, like a clear spring gushing out, which immediately made Li Mo exclaim in amazement.

"This seems to be the secret to longevity in the Lu State's Time Gate!"

"Hehe, Lord Li's eyes are sharp; he saw through the mysteries of the martial arts I've cultivated my whole life in just one glance..."

Next, Li Mo learned the secrets of the Yuanqi to Jing technique from Dou Chi. It can convert lifespan into spiritual power, and spiritual power into lifespan, but there will be some loss each time it is converted.

Upon learning the secret, Li Mo couldn't help but marvel once again.

"Truly amazing!"

There's one thing I can't let go of.

Dou Chi sighed and looked at Li Mo quietly, his expression serious.

"what?"

"Those monsters that have surged in from the southern barbarian lands seem a bit abnormal."

"Oh?"

Li Mo frowned and asked, "What's wrong with it?"

“I’ve heard that the Southern Barbarian Lands are divided into two factions: gods and man-eating monsters. Some are worshipped by the local humans, while others feed on them. At first, I thought they were just some man-eating monsters that had wandered over, but in recent years I’ve discovered that these man-eating monsters are mostly various kinds of bear demons, and they seem to be secretly searching for someone. This is no ordinary matter.”

When Li Mo heard this, his pupils suddenly shrank.

His first thought was of the Sky Bear King, which had already been killed.

Could it be that it's causing trouble in the dark?
However, according to Master Danqing, this transformed demon king should have been suppressed to death by the Ice Goddess using the Heavenly Ice River Tower.

Could it be a descendant of someone?
Although he was filled with doubt and uncertainty, Li Mo's expression remained unchanged.

"Master, are you perhaps worried that there will be great chaos in Hua'an Town soon?"

"exactly."

Upon hearing this, Li Mo nodded with a solemn expression.

"After some time, when I return to Qingming Mountain, I will report this matter to my sect and send several teams of Dharma Protectors to be stationed here. This will ensure the safety of Hua'an Town."

After receiving Li Mo's affirmative response, Dou Chi's wrinkled face immediately broke into a bright smile.

"So good."

Dou Chi breathed a sigh of relief.

(End of this chapter)