Wutian walked out of the forest and walked slowly to the burly man. "Big brother, was the dead old man your relative?"
The burly man looked at him in surprise and nodded. "He was my father."
Wutian asked, "Then why aren't you crying? Why aren't you sad?"
The burly man smiled bitterly. "Father raised me painstakingly. Now that he's gone, how can I not be sad? How can I not want to cry? But before father died, he told me that death is just the beginning and there's no need to be too sad for him. "
"Death is just the beginning!"
Hearing this, Wutian's eyes shone brightly!
It was a simple sentence, but to him, it was undoubtedly a lamp in the darkness that illuminated the path ahead of him.
After death, people entered the cycle of reincarnation and were reborn as humans. Wasn't that a brand new beginning?
In other words, death was not the end, but the beginning.
He could vaguely feel that he had stepped into the threshold of the true profundity of life and death, but he had yet to fully comprehend it.
"Thank you for your guidance, big brother."
He bowed to the grave and then to the big man. Then, he turned around and disappeared into the forest.
Seeing this, the burly man scratched his head in confusion.
A few months later, he accidentally came to a village and discovered that there were mournful cries coming from a family.
After asking around, he found out that a couple had just given birth to a baby. But unfortunately, the baby died just as it came out of the mother's womb.
Wutian was silent for a long time before he sighed and left.
After hearing this tragedy, he understood another principle. Life might not be the beginning, but it could be the end. Just like this child who had unfortunately died.
Next, Wutian wandered around the various mortal villages.
The reason why he wandered around the mortal villages was because the life of mortals was the true mortal world.
He wanted to comprehend the true profundity of life and death in the mortal world.
One month.
Two months.
One year.
Two years.
In these two years, he had seen many people die and many babies are born. He had a deeper understanding of the profundity of life and death.
At first, he thought.
Life represented life, hope, and a beginning.
Death represented death, despair, and an end.
However, these were all just appearances.
He deeply remembered what the old man in the woven rush raincoat had said. Appearances could confuse people's eyes.
In the past, he had believed too much in these appearances.
And now, he concluded.
Life and death seemed far apart, but in reality, there was only a single step between them. The limit of life was death, and the limit of death was life.
However, there was still one thing that he couldn't figure out, and it made him very frustrated.
On this day, he returned to the small river. Here, he met the old man who was fishing.
But today was different. The scorching sun was high in the sky, baking the earth.
Similarly, two years had passed, and the old man had grown older as well. However, he still sat by the riverside, unafraid of the scorching sun as he concentrated on fishing.
Wutian walked over and said with a smile, "Elder, I didn't expect to meet you again."
The old man looked over and smiled faintly. "Young man, it's you. Are you looking for something?"
Wutian sat beside the old man and looked at the float in the water. He said, "Yes, I've been looking for an answer, but I haven't found it in more than two years. This makes me very confused and frustrated."
The old man said, "Then tell me. Although I'm just an ordinary old man, I've lived for 60 or 70 years, and I have some understanding of life. Perhaps I can give you an answer or two."
"Then I'll thank you in advance."
Wutian smiled and said, "To tell you the truth, what I've been looking for is the true meaning of life and death."
"The true meaning of life and death?"
The old man was slightly stunned. He shook his head and said, "You're actually pursuing such a vague question. Young man, you really have nothing better to do."
Wutian smiled bitterly.
The old man was silent for a while before he said with a hoarse voice, "Young man, everyone has a different understanding of life and death.
Take me for example. In my understanding, life is a state, and death is a state of stillness.
Life is hope, and death is dusk.
Life is reincarnation, and death is the other shore.
The blooming of flowers is life, and the withering of flowers is death.
Actually, it's useless to say more. Life is short, so it's better to live happily and die peacefully. If you're talking about the true meaning of life and death, it's not difficult to understand it. Young man, have you heard of this saying? How can you know life if you don't know death? "
"How can you know life if you don't know death?"
Wutian pondered carefully and was immediately enlightened. He stood up and bowed. "Thank you for your guidance, senior."
The old man shook his head and said, "This is just a casual remark. Don't take it so seriously."
"Although you said it casually, to me, your words are worth a thousand gold. Please accept my three bows." Wutian cupped his fists and bowed three times.
The old man smiled and said, "It seems that you already have an answer in your heart. Then go home. Don't disturb this old man's fishing."
"I'll take my leave."
Wutian cupped his fists and turned to walk in the direction of the Dragon Village.
After he completely disappeared, the old man slowly stood up and took off the bamboo hat on his head, revealing an old face. However, this face was actually slowly changing. Not long after, a middle-aged man with a vicissitude of life appeared.
"Although I can help you, I still hope that you can rely on your hard work to be reborn. Work hard. Your mother and I are looking forward to your return."
The middle-aged man whispered. Then, he slowly faded and finally disappeared without a trace.
Three months later!
Dragon Village, courtyard.
Wutian finally returned home.
The two little ones immediately went up and chattered non-stop, their eyes filled with concern.
More than two years had passed. Shao Chen was already 15 years old and had become a handsome man. Shao Ling was already 14 years old and was much more mature than before.
The courtyard was still the same as before. It was clean and tidy, which meant that the two little ones did not slack off.
Wutian sat on the table and said with a smile, "Shao Chen, you're almost 16 years old, right?"
"I'll be 16 in six months. Uncle Ugly, you said that when I'm 16 years old, you'll help me open 99 spirit veins. You can't go back on your word." Shao Chen chuckled.
Wutian smiled and said, "Of course. From today onwards, you don't have to do housework anymore."
Shao Chen said in surprise, "Really?"
Shao Ling hurriedly said, "Uncle Ugly, what about me?"
Wutian looked at Shao Ling and said, "You'll still be the same as before. You'll have to bear all the housework alone."
"All?"
Shao Ling stared at Wutian with her mouth agape. Then, she said angrily, "Why does Shao Chen not have to do the housework while I have to bear all the housework? Aren't you clearly biased?"
Seeing his little sister's aggrieved face, Shao Chen's face turned red. He wanted to laugh but did not dare to. He coughed a few times and said, "Little sister, don't be so rude."
"Get out of my way."
Shao Ling glared at him fiercely, then looked at Wutian. She gritted her teeth and looked fierce, as if saying, 'If you don't give me a satisfactory explanation today, I won't serve you anymore.'
"I haven't finished speaking yet. Why are you in such a hurry?"
Wutian shook his head helplessly, pointed to the front, and said indifferently, "Shao Chen, do you see that mountain peak? I want you to raze it to the ground within half a year. You're not allowed to use your cultivation. You can only use the dagger in your hand."
Shao Chen looked over and saw that there was a mountain that was over 10,000 feet tall, and it covered an area of several thousand feet!
Shao Chen's eyes widened in anger, and his eyeballs were about to fall out.
'You want me to raze such a huge mountain to the ground within half a year without using my cultivation? Are you kidding me?'
'Moreover, that huge mountain is made of stone. Even if I have a dagger that can cut iron like mud, it'll be difficult to do it!'
'You must be joking. Uncle must be joking.'
Shao Chen muttered in his heart.
"Haha, you deserve it for mocking me just now."
This time, Shao Ling laughed gloatingly.
Compared to this difficult task, doing housework seemed much easier.
"Little girl, shut your stupid mouth."
Shao Chen said angrily and looked at Wutian obsequiously.
Wutian smiled and said, "Hurry up and go. If you don't complete the task, I won't help you."
Shao Chen looked at him eagerly and asked, "Do you really have to do this? Uncle, can we discuss it? "
Wutian shook his head and did not want to discuss it.
At that moment, Shao Chen seemed to be stuck in his throat and could not say a word. His face was full of bitterness.
Seeing that, Shao Ling laughed even more exaggeratedly. She put her hands on her hips and chided, "Why are you talking so much nonsense? Go if Uncle says so. Otherwise, you won't have lunch."
"Little girl, I'll remember this."
Shao Chen glared at his younger sister angrily and walked towards the mountain peak with the dagger in his hand.
Although he was extremely unhappy, he had to go all out for the sake of his 99 meridians!
Shao Ling made a face at her brother's back. Then, she seemed to have thought of something and looked at Wutian. She asked worriedly, "Uncle Ugly, will you make me do this in the future?"
Wutian smiled and said, "No, after all, you're a girl. This kind of thing is not suitable for you."
"Then I'm relieved. I'll go to the back of the mountain to chop firewood. I'll cook a few good dishes for you later to welcome you. Uncle Ugly, let me tell you, my cooking skills are extraordinary now."
Shao Ling patted her chest and heaved a sigh of relief. Then, she grabbed the dagger and ran happily to the back of the mountain.
Wutian shook his head and smiled. He looked at the distant sky and a trace of relief crept up his face. He looked extremely relaxed and said softly, "Next, let me live this life quietly."
How can one know life without knowing death?
This sentence meant that if one had not died, how could one understand the true meaning of death?
If one had not died, how could one be reborn?
He did not know what the old man was hinting at, but he had already comprehended the true meaning of life and death. If he wanted to be reborn, he had to die first.
Of course, this kind of death did not include suicide or self-harm. Because this way, it would be meaningless.
He wanted to train in the mortal world, experience the mortal world, see through the mortal world, comprehend the mortal world, until he slowly grew old and died naturally.
This was the true meaning of turning one's body into a mortal, returning one's state of mind to one, experiencing the various states of the world and comprehending the true meaning of life and death!
Only then could one truly break out of the cocoon and become a butterfly and be reborn!
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