Chapter 8: The Endless Way of Dao

  The old Taoist laughed very slyly, Xiao Fan really wanted to punch him in the face and fix his expression, but thinking about it, he gave up. After all, this was the Ming Dynasty, and for Xiao Fan, this was an away game, punching someone might not go well.

  Looking at the old Taoist's withered body, like he hadn't eaten for several days, Xiao Fan sighed again. Forget it, it's just a meal, invite him then. Even if he's a swindler from the jianghu, he's still a pitiful one who has ended up so wretched in his old age, and deserves some sympathy.

  Xiao Fan rubbed his nose and sighed, he had ten taels of silver in his pocket, originally intending to find an investment project, but now it's all gone, just out the door and was cheated out of a meal, don't know how much money it takes to eat a meal in ancient restaurants.

  He had a premonition that if he didn't quickly distance himself from the old Taoist, the ten taels of silver in his pocket would soon be used up and end up in the old Taoist's bottomless stomach.

  Stretched his neck to take a look at the decoration of the restaurant, hmm, no welcoming ladies standing outside, no red carpet inside, looks very ordinary, probably won't let himself spend too much.

  "Please come in, venerable Daoist. Considering your advanced age, I show respect to the elderly and wise. Please have a meal." Xiao Fan let out a long sigh.

  Xiao Fan was a poor man, apart from being handsome, he really didn't have any other capital. Money was something that decreased the more you spent it, not because he was stingy, but because everyone wasn't wealthy. In his past life, rich people would casually throw out large sums of money, calling it "charity". Xiao Fan didn't have the qualifications to play such an expensive game, so he decided that after finishing this meal, everyone should hurry and go their separate ways.

  The old Taoist was overjoyed, his face creased with wrinkles beaming like a chrysanthemum as he hastily bowed to Xiao Fan and laughed: "In that case, thank you very much, haha."

  Before he had finished speaking, the old Taoist priest didn't care about politeness, and with a swift movement, he rushed into the restaurant, occupying a table in a flash, then stood by the table, waving his hand loudly and shouting: "Come quickly! Here, here!"

  Xiao Fan sighed again, and at this moment he felt that his head was very big, as big as a wronged head...

  Xiao Fan stepped into the restaurant and sat down beside the old Taoist priest. The shop assistant bowed and smiled, saying: "What can I get for you two gentlemen?"

  The old Taoist priest, like a fox swaggering beside an old tiger, shouted loudly: "Bring all the signboard stuff from your store!"

  The shop assistant's eyes lit up, and before he could say anything, Xiao Fan hastily said, "No need to go to so much trouble..."

  The shop assistant smiled and said: "Although our store is not big, we still have many signature dishes, it's not a problem at all..."

  Xiao Fan sighed and said: "You're not afraid of trouble, but I am..."

  The shop assistant asked in surprise: "Why?"

  Xiao Fan's face sank as he said, "Wait till the day you spend money to treat others to a meal, then you'll know that having too many signature dishes in a restaurant is really a troublesome thing..."

  The old Taoist smiled and said in a much lower voice, "Then let's just have one meat dish, two vegetarian dishes, and warm up the wine..."

  The old Taoist carefully looked at Xiao Fan's face again, seeing that Xiao Fan did not object, he hastily waved his hand to the shop assistant and let him serve the dishes.

  Two people sat facing each other, and for a moment they fell into silence.

  The old Taoist's eyes rolled around and he bowed his hands with a smile: "Thank you, strong warrior, for the kindness of giving me food. I haven't asked your honorable surname and great name yet."

  Xiao Fan casually cupped his hands and said: "My surname is Xiao."

  The old Taoist priest looked surprised and said: "So it's Xiao Zhuang Shi..."

  Xiao Fan looked down at his slender figure and said in a low voice, "I'm neither 'strong' nor can I bear the title of 'scholar', can you change your form of address?"

  The old Taoist smiled and said: "I'm a few years older than you, so let's just say I'm selling my age, and you can call me 'older brother'."

  Xiao Fan looked at the old Taoist's weathered appearance and couldn't help but nod in agreement. This old Taoist was not only a few years older than himself, but in terms of age, he could be his own grandfather. He felt honored to have grown two generations older, and it was probably this meal that had taken effect.

  He cupped his hands and said: "I haven't asked for your revered name yet, Daoist."

  The old Taoist put on a profound and mysterious air, stroking his beard with a leisurely tone: "My humble name is Tai Xu..."

  Too empty?

  Xiao Fan's eyes widened, and he stared blankly for a moment. Seeing the old Taoist priest's thin figure, Xiao Fan sincerely praised: "The Taoist master is as his name suggests, indeed too virtual..."

  Tai Yu smiled wryly and said, "A monk's cultivation is indeed a bit empty."

  "How many years have you been cultivating in the Zhongnan Mountains?"

  Tai Xudao said: "I was born in the late Southern Song Dynasty, and at the age of six I entered the Taoist sect with my fellow disciples to cultivate and study the Tao. It has been over a hundred years now..."

  Xiao Fan's eyes widened: "Over... over a hundred years? May I ask, how old are you this year, Daozhang?"

  Tai Xū laughed and said: "I was born when the Mongols were conquering the Southern Song Dynasty. Now, if I calculate it, I am already over 130 years old."

  Xiao Fan stared at Tai Xu, after a while, he sighed and said: "Master Dao, why must you speak in riddles? Even if you make yourself younger, I will still invite you to this meal..."

  Tai Xū blinked: "Don't you believe me?"

  Xiao Fan shook his head, over 130 years old, having lived through the Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties, he could be considered a true veteran of three dynasties. At this age, in modern times, he would be a national treasure, but in ancient times when the average lifespan was only around 40-50 years, how is it possible? This old man must be used to deceiving people, opening his mouth and spouting nonsense, this meal wasn't worth inviting him for...

  Tai Xū laughed and said, "You may not believe it, but I'm not one to speak falsely. As a cultivator, I have my own ways of nourishing life. My lifespan is nothing compared to that of my senior brother - he's over 150 years old this year, yet his appearance remains unchanged from that of a 40-year-old man..."

  The old man is getting more and more out of breath...

  Tai Xū saw Xiao Fan's face full of disbelief, and couldn't help but smile: "It seems you still don't believe me. Let me ask you, have you ever heard of the name 'Quán Yī Zhēn Rén'?"

  Xiao Fan shook his head.

  Tai Xū was shocked: "Don't you even know about Quan Yī True Man?"

  Looking at him, I don't know if all those who are not true men should die.

  Xiao Fan couldn't help but ask: "Who is Quan Yizhen?"

  Tai Xū sighed: "Young people being honest is correct, but they also can't be too unconventional. Being so isolated and ignorant, isn't that laughable?"

  Xiao Fan laughed: "I'm not afraid of being ridiculed, even if I don't know what kind of great person your senior brother Quan Yizhen is, it won't stop me from eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom every day."

  "My senior brother also has a nickname, called Xuán Xuán Zǐ. Haven't you heard of it? No? Then... Xuán Yī Dào Cháng? Zhang Xiān Rén? None of these?"

  Tai Yu slammed his hand on the table and couldn't help but shout: "Haven't you ever heard of Zhang Sanfeng?"

  Xiao Fan took a deep breath and exclaimed: "Zhang Sanfeng? Your master is Zhang Sanfeng?"

  Tai let out a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his brow and said with a hint of exhaustion: "Fortunately, you didn't disappoint me. If you continued to shake your head, I might have lost my temper and strangled you to death... Oh, the sin! Oh, the infinite life of Buddha..."