Chapter Thirty-Three: That One Time of Wind, Flowers, Snow and Moon

  "Shi Ying!" As soon as I mentioned this name, Lao Dao seemed to fall into a reverie, and for a long time, there was no more conversation.

  "Did Master Shu recognize this person?" Judging from the situation, it seems that Lao Dao really did have a past with Master Shi Ying. Yes, they had a history together. Looking at Lao Dao's nostalgic expression, I can almost confirm this.

  "I won't hide it from you, my young nephew. I indeed recognize the shadow of our master. It can be said that in the entire Wudang Mountain, except for me and your senior uncle, there probably isn't a third person who knows that such a figure is hiding here. As she said back then, 'the freedom to determine one's own fate is predetermined by fate'. Today, my encounter with you may not necessarily be an accident either." When mentioning the shadow of their master, a hint of tenderness appeared in the old Daoist's eyes.

  "The poor Taoist and Shifu Ying met 30 years ago on a winter day. At that time, it was a difficult period, and Wudang Mountain was no exception. As soon as winter arrived, I and my fellow disciples would go into the mountains to chop firewood for warmth. If there was extra firewood, we would take it to the town at the foot of the mountain to exchange for some rice and food." The old Taoist sighed lightly after saying this, showing how deeply that experience had left a mark on his heart.

  "There was a time when the mountain was sealed off by heavy snow, and the rice on the mountain had already run out. Seeing that all the fellow disciples were starving to death, I discussed with my senior brother and decided not to wait for death. We decided to move some of the firewood stored in the back hall down the mountain to see if we could exchange it with the commune for some grain."

  "The snow was very thick, and I couldn't see the ground beneath my feet. I took a step forward, but my foot slipped on the slope and I started rolling down. Just as I was about to fall off the cliff, a woman appeared out of nowhere. She grabbed hold of my robes and pulled me back from the edge just in time. That woman... was Shi Ying." The old Taoist's mouth curled up into a faint smile as he spoke.

  "She was beautiful and noble, giving off an icy elegance like snow. She wore a pink Taoist robe with a white cloak embroidered with plum blossoms draped over her back. At her waist hung a green bamboo brush that seemed to be made of a single piece of green bamboo!" The old Taoist stood there, lost in thought, recalling the unforgettable figure etched in his mind.

  "Master, please have some tea! Younger brothers, please have some tea!" Just at the critical moment, Chen Xuanfeng walked in with a tray of tea, interrupting the old Taoist's reminiscence.

  "Put it on the table, you can go!" The old Taoist sat cross-legged on the mat, adjusted his posture, and waved his hand at Chen Xuanfeng. Everyone has their own secrets and a set of memories that belong to themselves. It was clear that the old Taoist did not want to expose his memories in front of this disciple.

  "Longyuan poured tea, where did we just get to?" After Chen Xuanfeng left, the old Taoist instructed Xiaodao Girl Longyuan to pour us tea while asking me.

  "Green bamboo!" I reminded the old Taoist.

  "Right, Qing Zhu! After that day, I would go to the nearby mountain ridge every now and then. In my heart, I always thought, maybe today I'll meet her? Hehe, don't laugh, I'm also from a young age. At that time, having such thoughts wasn't strange!" Seeing Long Yuan smiling and covering her mouth, the old Daoist gently patted her head with a doting expression.

  Everyone has had a period of infatuation, and Lao Dao is no exception. Why say it's feelings rather than love? Because first loves don't understand love at all! It's precisely because they don't understand that their love is so pure. Love is a very complicated thing.

  I didn't know what love was back then. It wasn't until now, as I sit in front of my computer typing out this article for everyone, that I've come to realize it. Love is the most beautiful thing, worth spending a lifetime pursuing.

  "But time and again, the wait only brought disappointment! The master's shadow never appeared on Mount Wudang again, or maybe it did, but I didn't notice. Anyway, that period of my life was spent in anticipation and disappointment." The old Taoist shook his head with a bitter smile, stroking his beard.

  "This situation lasted for a year, until the winter of the second year. One day I was practicing sword with my senior brother, and the location was near the cliff where Shifu had saved me." The old Taoist's face turned somewhat ferocious as he spoke to this point, and even his breathing became urgent. It seemed that something unbearable had happened at that time.

  "Shi Ying...... has appeared?" I was originally going to ask if Shi Ying Shu had brought another man with him, but looking at the old Daoist's ferocious expression, I hesitated and ultimately didn't dare say it out loud.

  For men, there are two great hatreds in life that cannot be resolved. First, the hatred of killing one's father. Second, the hatred of taking one's wife! Although nothing has happened between Lao Dao and Shifu Ying Shu, can't help but think about what is in Lao Dao's heart? In his heart, Shifu Ying Shu is already his dao companion.

  "That's right, the Master's Shadow has appeared. However, at this moment, the Master's Shadow is covered in blood." The old Taoist's teacup shattered into pieces with a loud crash as he spoke these words. It wasn't until now that I had a direct understanding of the old Taoist's martial power!

  "When I rushed over, she was already somewhat delirious. Being able to return to Wudang Mountain was all thanks to the breath in her heart holding on! Just as I was about to reach out and support her, she made a move. This was the first time I saw Shifu's shadowy figure make a move, and it was also my first injury in life." The old Daoist casually crushed the broken white porcelain teacup in his hand into powder, opened the window and scattered it outside. Afterwards, he patted his hands and turned around with a sigh.

  "The judge's pen in her hand, I don't know how to describe it. It was just that instant feeling, the technique Master Shadow learned and Wudang's technique have a fundamental difference. Wudang's technique is for nourishing the body and spirit. While Master Shadow's technique is a killing technique. If not for Brother seeing the danger and pulling me away, plus Master Shadow being heavily injured. Just that one stroke could make my body and Dao disappear! Even so, Master Shadow left eight scars on my body."

  The old Taoist slowly opened the front of his robe, revealing the eight scars crisscrossing his chest. He said to us, "Look at these deep purple scars on my body." Lian Cao and I couldn't help but gasp in unison. The old Taoist was a martial artist, and Wudang's martial arts were extremely defensive. Even so, both Shifu and Shishu had been able to severely injure him with just one move. If it had been me or Lian Cao instead, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

  "Master!" Little Taoist nun Long Yun still saw the terrifying scars on her master's body for the first time, and under the turmoil of emotions, the soft sword in her hand shook with a "brushing" sound. It seemed to have hurt Lao Dao's Shifu Shu.

  "Dear child!" The old Taoist adjusted his robe, reached out and stroked Longyin's hair, saying a loving sentence to her.

  "What happened afterwards?" I now most want to know what happened to Shifu and Master Oogway after that.

  Later, I took Shifu's shadow to a cave in Tianzhu Peak. Shifu was covered in blood, and I didn't dare bring her back to Wudang. By the time I secretly got some golden wound medicine and went back to find her, she had already left! The old Taoist finished speaking, raised his hand to take a new teacup from the table, poured himself a cup of clear tea, and savored it.

  "It's just that after that, every year Shifu would come to see me once. She knew it was I who carried her up the mountain. She also knew it was she who mistakenly hurt me. Perhaps this annual meeting is her way of making amends with me." The old Daoist looked at me and Deng Cao, asking warmly, "Shi Shu has come to find you this time, surely there's something important he wants to ask?"

  "To be honest, this time we are here on the orders of our master, to find Master Shiying and ask him about something." The old Taoist was so frank that he told us all about his past, I didn't dare hide it from him either, so I told him the purpose of our trip.

  "Qinglong Baihu, Zhuque Xuanwu! Two masters and apprentices, which one did you inherit from?" The old Taoist sighed lightly and suddenly asked. His question made my and Deng Cao's scalp numb. How did this old Taoist know about this?

  "Don't worry, my two juniors. Based on the 30-year friendship between me and your master, I know that some superficial things are also reasonable." The old Taoist saw that I and Deng Cao had tense expressions, and hurriedly spoke to comfort us.

  "Disciple of Qinglong Cao Liu Fang!"

  "The junior apprentice of Xuanwu Qinglian!"

  I exchanged a glance with Lamp Grass, stood up and paid respects to the old Taoist who was about one leg shorter than Master Shi's shadow, then reported my sect. Since they already knew about Qing Long Bai Hu, Zhu Que Xuan Wu, there was no point in hiding it anymore.

  "The Four Symbols have arrived, it seems things are not simple. If the two of you have some free time, feel free to stay in my abode for a while. In a month's time, it will be the annual meeting between me and Shifu Ying. By then, you will naturally be able to see her." The old Daoist slightly furrowed his brow, then said to me and Deng Cao.

  "So, thank you, Master Shi, for your help!" Being able to stay on Wudang Mountain was the best outcome. Moreover, we also learned from Old Dao about the whereabouts of Shifu and Shishu, which put my mind at ease. After all, searching everywhere in the vast Wudang Mountains would be a daunting task for me and Dengcao. Who knows when we would find them? Immediately, Dengcao and I stood up again and sincerely thanked Old Dao.

  "No need for formalities, I have a bit of a history with Shifu Ying. It's only natural that I should take care of her younger relatives as well. Later on, I'll get Xuan Feng to arrange your accommodations. I don't think you're the type to practice martial arts, but if you're interested in learning about Wudangquan during your free time, you can follow Long Yun and learn some basics from him. It's not about winning or losing, just about strengthening your body and staying healthy." The old Daoist said calmly to me after taking a close look at me.

  "Thank you, Master Shibo, for your trouble. I hope in the future that Dragon Jade will often give me guidance." Since they had such good intentions, I wasn't someone who didn't know how to repay kindness, so I immediately agreed to it.

  As the old saying goes, it's not about defeating the enemy, but about strengthening one's body and mind. Each profession has its own expertise, and Master Wang is indeed very knowledgeable about Taoist studies, but when it comes to martial arts, he is clueless. Being able to receive guidance from a Wudang master and learning a few more moves would be a beneficial and harmless thing.

  "My humble name is You Dao Ming, and the current leader of Wudang, You Dao Qing Zheng, is my senior brother. I'll take you two to meet him another day!" It wasn't until now that Deng Cao and I knew the old Taoist's Taoist name.