Mortal Mirror

Li Ergou naturally wouldn't miss this chance to make a fortune. As soon as he left the martial arts hall, he found a secluded spot and duplicated the silver. At this moment, he had two hundred taels of silver on him, and he felt incredibly refreshed.

After that, he hurried to the main street clinic. Old Wu didn't lie to him; that guy really rented a stall opposite the clinic.

He saw an old wooden table in front of him, a Bagua banner stuck in the ground, and a small cart placed beside his left foot. People were constantly flipping through the illustrated books on the cart, occasionally letting out a lewd laugh or widening their eyes as if they had discovered something strange.

Wu Shenxian was shouting to the passersby, "Don't miss it, folks! Come and draw a lot to predict your fortune, misfortune, and everything in between!

Hey, young man, I see you have a remarkable appearance and will surely achieve great things in the future. Come, come, let me tell you your fortune."

Believe it or not, in just a short while, there were several people lined up in front of Wu Shenxian's stall, waiting for him to tell their fortunes.

Li Ergou was slightly stunned when he saw this scene from afar, wondering if this Wu Shenxian really had some skills.

He hurried over. Wu Shenxian saw Li Ergou, a gleam flashed in his eyes, and he nodded to him, signaling him to help watch the illustrated books on the cart.

Ergouzi couldn't help but flip through a few pages, but when he saw the exciting pictures inside, his nose got hot, and he started bleeding. It scared him so much that he didn't dare to flip through them casually anymore.

After a while, Wu Shenxian dismissed those people, and there were twenty or thirty copper coins on the table.

Wu Shenxian stroked his beard and said, "You've come."

Li Ergou wiped his nosebleed and immediately nodded, "Of course, after all, it cost me so much silver. How could I not come?"

Wu Shenxian chuckled and asked Li Ergou to take out the pages. Li Ergou naturally obeyed. Then, Wu Shenxian didn't waste any time and started teaching him to read.

Li Ergou didn't know why, but he used to be silly and clumsy. However, ever since he ate the food replicated by the mirror, his brain seemed to have been enlightened, becoming more and more intelligent and clever.

His memory was also much better than before. Wu Shenxian only needed to teach him once, and he could remember everything.

He recognized all the words on the three pages in less than half a day. However, he could recognize them individually, but when they were put together, he didn't know what they meant.

Li Ergou had no choice but to shamelessly ask, "Wu Shenxian, can you explain the meaning of the above to me? I don't understand."

Wu Shenxian stroked his beard and hesitated for a long time before saying, "Alas, the Dao cannot be easily transmitted. Everyone's Dao is different, and you need to comprehend it yourself.

And there is also the most important point: you and I are just in a business relationship. I'm teaching you to read as such, so why should I teach you the techniques above?"

Li Ergou was dumbfounded, but after thinking about it carefully, what Wu Shenxian said made sense.

He was a little depressed, feeling as if he had delicious food in his hand but didn't know how to eat it. What could he do? He didn't dare to show this kind of cultivation technique without a proper channel of inheritance to others.

He looked at Wu Shenxian for a moment, and suddenly an idea flashed in his mind. He knelt down in front of Wu Shenxian and said, "Wu Shenxian, why don't you accept me as your disciple? I am willing to serve you."

Wu Shenxian was speechless and couldn't help but scold, "How can apprenticeship be so simple? Although we Jianghu people don't have those formalities, at least you need to offer fish, meat, and silver."

Li Ergou's eyes lit up, feeling that there seemed to be an opportunity in these words. So, without saying a word, he immediately got up and left.

Wu Shenxian was dumbfounded, wondering where this guy went. No, why did I even talk to him about apprenticeship? This kid is dreaming. I, Wu Daozi of Qianji Cave, won't be foolish enough to get involved in someone else's karma.

But after a while, he saw Li Ergou carrying half a pig and two carp back. He put the pork and carp on the table, and then took out a package and placed it on top as well. Inside was one hundred taels of silver. For the sake of apprenticeship, Ergouzi spared no expense.

Then, he said excitedly, "Wu Shenxian, can you accept me as your disciple this time?"

Although Wu Daozi was touched by Ergouzi's sincerity, he still shook his head slightly. Seeing his expression become serious, he waved his hand, put it behind his back, and then looked up at the sky for a moment, revealing a celestial demeanor.

After a moment of silence, he said, "Boy, don't blame me for being cruel. I travel the Jianghu and take the world as my home. I can't possibly take you with me. And with your aptitude, even if I teach you my skills, you won't be able to learn them.

Moreover, seeking a master may not necessarily be a good thing. Why don't you listen to me tell you a shallow truth."

Li Ergou was disappointed and puzzled. However, Wu Shenxian's appearance at the moment was not bad, with a demeanor of an immortal, really like an old immortal descending to earth. This appearance made Li Ergou believe him a little more, so he listened attentively.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, the already clear sky suddenly thundered and it started to rain heavily. Countless people ran in the rain, and some even took out umbrellas to shield themselves.

Looking at the hurried pedestrians on the road, Wu Shenxian's eyes lit up, and he pointed to those people on the street and slowly said, "Look at those people in the rain, they are all holding umbrellas. If the umbrella doesn't shelter people from the wind and rain, who would hold the umbrella high above their heads?

So, it tells us a truth: you will be limited by what protects you. What can shelter you from the wind and rain can also keep you from seeing the sun.

Sometimes, things that seem very beautiful may not really be good for you.

I see that you have a remarkable appearance and will definitely be extraordinary in the future. I don't want to limit your growth because of me. Wouldn't that be a sin?

The secrets of heaven are vast, and I dare not easily intervene in your karma.

Young man, what is destined to be yours will eventually be yours, and don't force what is not destined. You and I are destined not to have a master-disciple relationship.

So, I advise you to give up the idea of apprenticeship. As for this pork, since you bought it, it would be a waste not to eat it. Don't leave at noon, I'll treat you to a good meal."

Li Ergou: "..."

Li Ergou ate the meat in the bowl, and the more he ate, the more he felt he was losing out. Fortunately, he had duplicated a copy, otherwise he wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

In order not to lose too much, he ate with all his might. The only thing he was grateful for was that Wu Shenxian's cooking was really good, and the taste was excellent.

After eating his fill, he calmed down and his mind became clear. He felt that Wu Shenxian had said a lot of nonsense, as if he was忽悠 (hū悠, a Chinese term for bluffing or fooling someone), but he searched for a long time and couldn't find any evidence.

He could only waste this pork. Fortunately, Wu Shenxian may have had a moment of conscience and insisted on giving him an illustrated book. This time, he recognized a few words on it... "My Affairs with Ping'er."

He pretended to decline for a moment and then accepted it. After all, wouldn't it be too much of a loss if he didn't accept it? Even if he didn't read it, he couldn't let that old guy take advantage of it.

He walked towards the clinic with a depressed look. He specially used his own silver to buy an extra portion of medicinal herbs, because he didn't know when Granny Wu would be back. It was better to store more medicinal herbs for a rainy day.

He ran to three clinics in a row before he bought all the medicinal herbs. By the time he returned to the martial arts hall, it was already afternoon.

Fetching water, chopping firewood, and decocting medicine, he didn't have a moment to spare.

Taking this opportunity, he took out all the replicated medicine jars and replicated medicinal herbs. Anyway, no one would come to this medicine room, so he decocted his own medicine all at once.

Because Granny Wu's medicine jar had been replicated, it couldn't be replicated again, which made him very depressed. Fortunately, the medicinal herbs could be replicated, which was a compensation.

After the medicine was decocted, it was already dark. The martial artists had basically left, and some who lived in the martial arts hall didn't know what they were doing at this time. He often heard them talking about drinking flower wine, which he didn't quite understand.

Li Ergou was just about to return to his room when he suddenly saw Old Cantou sweeping the martial arts hall. Suddenly, he saw Old Cantou's steps were light, and between turns, it was like a swimming dragon playing with a phoenix. With just a few swipes, the dust on the ground was swept away.

Something's not right, something's very wrong...