Chapter 100: The Dao Has Three Thousand Paths

Hearing these two words, Sun Simiao knew at once the identity of the white-robed young man before him.

He gazed at the white-robed youth with a complex, hopeful expression, then bowed deeply as a junior disciple: “Miaoying bows before the True Lord!”

Indeed, Sun Simiao knew the truth—and he was the only person in this world, besides the old grandmother, who had seen Yun Ye wield such powers.

All of this began with Yun Ye’s first return.

At that time, Yun Ye had just gained his powers, and in his excitement, he could not resist showing off to his dearest grandmother, using a basic spell to cure her hidden ailments.

Sun Simiao had always been close to the Yun household and frequently visited the back courtyard to help the old grandmother with her health.

No one understood the old grandmother’s condition better than Sun Simiao.

For this reason, he quickly noticed something amiss.

He was utterly astonished, assuming Yun Ye had employed some extraordinary technique from his sect.

Moreover, since he and Yun Ye were already close friends across generations and had often discussed medical matters, he went straight to Yun Ye’s door and bluntly asked to witness this technique.

Yun Ye held great respect for Sun Simiao.

This old Daoist had spent decades traveling throughout Guanzhong, saving the dying and healing the wounded, his medical skill and moral purity making him a living sage of this age.

Out of respect for this future Medicine King, Yun Ye hesitated long before finally deciding to reveal the truth to him.

Though Sun Simiao was renowned in later ages for his medical arts, his decades—even centuries—of Daoist cultivation were no fabrication.

A Daoist priest who had spent half his life healing and half cultivating, upon witnessing true Dao, was naturally overwhelmed.

But perhaps the shock was too great—Sun Simiao lost his composure, his inner demons took root, and he fell into a struggle akin to Ge Zheqing’s: whether to beg Yun Ye for the true Dao.

Fortunately, Sun Simiao was not Ge Zheqing.

His wisdom allowed him to face his inner demons with calm.

In just three days, Sun Simiao emerged from his turmoil, returned to his medical studies, and treated Yun Ye with the same demeanor as before—as if nothing had changed.

Yet this very normalcy made Yun Ye even more worried.

This time, Lin Yu came not only to meet Sun Simiao in person but also at Yun Ye’s request, to assess his state.

Seeing Sun Simiao bow to him as a junior disciple, Lin Yu frowned, stepped aside, and shook his head: “Friend, you’re too formal. I truly admire you—no falsehood in that. We are peers; no need for such deference.”

Sun Simiao also shook his head: “As the saying goes, the enlightened come first. True Lord, you have already attained the Dao—you are a Daoist immortal. This has nothing to do with age; it is merely the long-held reverence of a disciple for the immortal path!”

“Nothing to do with age?”

Lin Yu chuckled: “Do you think my respect for you stems only from your age?”

He shook his head again, smiling lightly: “You have spent your life healing, saving countless lives—your merit is immeasurable.”

“The man I step aside for is not an old Daoist of a hundred years—he is the Medicine King, the sage who wrote books that blessed the world for a thousand years!”

Sun Simiao could not possibly fail to understand this.

The reason he had not raised this topic was clear.

Upon hearing these words, Sun Simiao did not feel joy—he only offered a bitter, expected smile.

“Of course. Even the True Lord’s divine eyes see only my achievements in medicine?”

“… ”

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow, studying Sun Simiao with thoughtful eyes—he sensed something.

After a moment’s thought, Lin Yu turned to Yun Ye: “Younger brother, I’ve taken an instant liking to Master Sun. I wish to walk with him, converse on the Dao—how long I’ll be gone, I cannot say. If you have matters, don’t wait for me here!”

“Yes, Elder Brother!”

Yun Ye smiled and bowed.

The next instant, Lin Yu waved his hand, summoning mist that wrapped around Sun Simiao and lifted them into the sky.

Soon, they reached the high heavens. Sun Simiao stood on soft yet firm clouds, gazing at the shrinking Yushan, lost in stunned silence.

Moments later, the cool wind on his face roused him.

Looking at the white-robed youth before him—smiling, ethereal—he felt the freedom of riding clouds, roaming the four seas—and clenched his teeth, bowing respectfully:

“Disciple Miaoying has a question. I humbly beg the True Lord to answer!”

“You have a question?” Lin Yu smiled. “I doubt it.”

“I feel you’ve already made your decision.”

Sun Simiao froze, then lifted his head, his expression complex as he said: “Though I am devoted to medicine, pitying all beings, I wish to use this frail body to spread the medical path—yet after decades of cultivation, I cannot escape the desire to seek the Dao. Thus, after witnessing Yun Ye’s power, I did entertain the thought of begging for the true method...”

Lin Yu smiled: “But you ultimately did not.”

Sun Simiao sighed deeply: “Because I understood: human effort has limits, the Dao has its fixed course. If I were to return to the Dao, I must abandon all I have now—including the medical path I’ve devoted my life to.”

“For this, I secluded myself for three days—but still could not bring myself to abandon this unfinished work.”

“The ‘decision’ you speak of is merely my reluctant choice. Deep within, my feelings on this matter are far from as firm as I appear.”

Lin Yu whispered: “So that is why you came to me for answers?”

Sun Simiao nodded: “True Lord’s divine sight is flawless!”

Hearing this, Lin Yu laughed.

Sun Simiao blinked, then, misunderstanding, blushed: “I’ve lived a hundred years and still cannot see through illusion, nor achieve the sage’s teaching of acting from the heart—I truly shame myself before the True Lord!”

“Do not misunderstand!”

Lin Yu’s laughter faded, and he shook his head: “I am not mocking you. I find your words strange—you speak of the medical path, yet agonize over abandoning it?”

His words struck like a sudden clearing of clouds—Sun Simiao reeled, his mind suddenly bright.

He stared at Lin Yu, the words “medical Dao” echoing endlessly in his thoughts—he seemed to understand.

Lin Yu smiled and continued: “As the saying goes, the Dao has three thousand paths—and the medical path is among them. Why do you seek far when the answer is near?”

Why else? Because you’re lost within the mountain—you cannot see its true form.

Sun Simiao knew medicine too well—precisely because of this, he understood its limits, convinced it could never be the true Dao, never grant him powers like Yun Ye’s.

In truth, without Lin Yu, Sun Simiao’s thinking was correct.

But now that Lin Yu had come—even a false Dao could be forced into a true path!

“True transmission is one phrase; false transmission fills ten thousand scrolls.”

Lin Yu spoke softly: “Today, I transmit on behalf of a friend: the ‘Inner Elixir Chapter’ and the ‘Medicine King Divine Needle Chapter.’ From now on, enter the Dao through medicine, cultivate with patience, and one day you may attain enlightenment!”

He waved his hand, imprinting the two texts into Sun Simiao’s mind.

As Sun Simiao began absorbing the memories, Lin Yu placed a hand on his shoulder and planted a spiritual seed within him, then returned with him to the small courtyard on Yushan, laying him gently in his bedroom.

Fifteen minutes later, Sun Simiao slowly awoke on his bed.

Gazing at the familiar room, he sat in silence for a long while, then rose and bowed deeply toward the Yun household:

“Disciple Miaoying bows in thanks to the True Lord!”

…

…

Meanwhile, Yun Ye and Lin Yu walked along the road toward the Lan Tian Marquis’s mansion.

Recalling Sun Simiao’s earlier demeanor, Yun Ye chuckled.

“I thought the old Immortal Sun was above worldly troubles—turns out he has them too!”

“You’re one to talk?” Lin Yu glanced at him. “In terms of heart, Master Sun is far stronger than you.”

“He hasn’t shattered his inner delusions, yet he’s not swayed by desire—his greed, anger, and delusion are faint. If he ever reaches the stage of severing the Three Corpses, a slight push will break him through easily...”

Yun Ye blinked: “Do we need to sever the Three Corpses too?”

Lin Yu shook his head: “Those with spiritual roots don’t. But what I gave Sun Simiao was a spiritual seed and Qi refinement. How his path unfolds depends entirely on him.”

Here, Lin Yu paused, glancing back at Yushan: “I knew this old priest would still bow.”

But fortunately, the ‘Medicine King Divine Needle’ I gave him is the very legacy of the Medicine King himself in the world of One Below.

Bowing to his own self from another world? Not a bad deal.

As for me? With my station, even the Jade Emperor could bow to me.

(End of Chapter)