Chapter 254: Heaven and the Human World

Regarding Yu Lin's idea of going into the Dan Furnace to refine a bit, Lao Jun firmly refused.

"If you truly want to refine that Nine-turn Golden Core, I'll teach you a cultivation method, how about that?"

"Is what Lao Jun said really true?"

"Of course, I never lie."

"Then I can't take it for nothing; Lao Jun, do you have something for me to do? Just give me an order!"

Yu Lin patted his chest, indicating he'd take care of it.

"Never mind whether Lao Jun can accomplish what he's supposed to do; first put the words out there, then talk—if he can't do it, isn't there still the glove?"

"If the glove won't work, he'll go west to call for help; there are plenty of ways to get it done."

Lao Jun heard this, smiled slightly, and raised a finger:

"Well... there is actually something you need to do."

"Please speak."

"Wait until sometime in the future, when you feel the time has come, go to Han Valley; then you can just head east."

"..........."

Yu Lin heard this, tugged at the corner of his mouth, and for a moment couldn't guess what he was supposed to do.

"Laozi went west out of Han Valley, and his remaining offspring went east out of Han Valley, right?"

"What exactly does that mean?"

"Simply, he asked directly:"

"Lao Jun wants me to do this, but does he have any scheme?"

Lao Jun stroked his beard and smiled: "I just want to take a look."

"Where does all this scheming and not scheming come from?"

"I'm just an old fool who only knows how to make pills and is really bored."

"If you're not willing, little friend, we can negotiate and switch to something else."

His smiling, squinting appearance made him seem schemeless, as if he'd simply thought of this and blurted it out.

"Follow one's heart, go with nature."

Yu Lin thought it over, felt it wasn't impossible, and nodded:

"Then I'll follow Lao Jun's words; when I feel the time has come, I'll head east out of Han Valley."

Seeing his agreement, Lao Jun's smile widened, and he turned and walked toward the Tusita Palace.

"Excellent, excellent, little friend, come with me."

"Yes."

Yu Lin followed him and entered the Tusita Palace.

Behind them, the Golden Boy and Jade Girl didn't follow, but grew increasingly curious about Yu Lin in their hearts.

"I don't know which great deity he is."

They didn't continue thinking, but turned to the green ox and mounted it again.

"Niu Niu, keep running!"

"Moo."

When Yu Lin was studying cultivation techniques in the heavens.

On earth, the human world.

Time flew, cold and heat alternated.

When the harsh north wind swept away the last withered leaf on the branches, the severe winter of withered all things had already arrived.

For wealthy households with ample charcoal and fine furs, winter is still hard to endure; for commoners like Dong Yong, living in poverty, this bitter winter is no less than a cruel life-and-death trial.

In the low thatched hut, cold air continued to seep in through the cracks in the walls.

On that simple bunk, Old Man Dong lay still; his originally thin body had become even more emaciated, like a piece of rotten wood.

His complexion was waxy yellow, his eye sockets sunken, his breathing so faint it was barely detectable, only a slight rise and fall of his chest proving he hadn't yet completely passed away.

He had no strength left to speak, his cloudy eyes half-open, his gaze dim, as if silently awaiting the final moment.

Dong Yong carried a coarse clay bowl, stepping in carefully.

The bowl held steaming hot porridge, with few grains of rice, but mixed in were many finely diced meat bits— the game Yu Lin had sent earlier was already eaten; this was a wild pheasant he had struggled to catch after venturing into the mountains a few days prior.

But this bit of meat, in the face of the long winter, was merely a drop in the bucket, hardly any left.

He must go into the mountains again today, hoping to find more game to help him and his father survive this winter.

He placed the bowl on the small stool beside the bed, bent down, and softly called: "Dad, eat some hot porridge; it has meat, it'll warm you up."

He scooped a spoonful, blew on it to cool it, and carefully brought it to Old Man Dong's lips.

However, Old Man Dong tightly pursed his dry, cracked lips, his cloudy eyes showing a deep resolve.

He knew his time was up; living another day would only burden his son another day, making the son suffer another day in this winter.

He would rather depart now than continue to be a burden to his son.

Seeing his father refuse to eat, Dong Yong was frantic, urging him several times, but Old Man Dong kept his teeth clenched.

Dong Yong looked at his father's stubborn yet weak face, fell silent for a moment, a complex glint flashed in his eyes, he took a deep breath, changed his approach, and spoke with a tone heavy and resigned:

"Dad... if you don't eat, you'll just... starve to death in bed; if the neighbors and outsiders find out, how will they view me, Dong Yong?"

"Wouldn't that saddle me with the stigma of unfiliality, leaving me unable to hold my head up in public for life? Dad, just for my reputation, eat a few bites..."

Upon hearing the words "unfilial", Old Man Dong's tightly shut eyelids twitched slightly, his waxy yellow face showing a hint of emotion.

He slowly, with difficulty, opened his mouth a little.

Dong Yong felt a surge of joy and quickly fed him the warm meat porridge.

The old man Dong struggled to swallow a few mouthfuls, then tightly closed his mouth again. No matter how Dong Yong persuaded him, even when he again mentioned the name of filial piety, he merely weakly shook his head and refused to open his mouth any further.

Dong Yong knew his father's mind was made up.

He saw that more than half of the meat porridge remained in the bowl, and felt an indescribable sour sorrow.

Helpless, Dong Yong could only silently finish the remaining meat porridge himself, wasting not a bit.

He tidied up the bowl and chopsticks, tucked in the worn but thickest blanket in the house for his father, picked up the firewood axe and rope leaning against the wall corner, and kept his voice as steady as possible:

"Father, rest well, I… I will go to the mountains to try my luck again."

"I have already sent word through someone; in a few days… in a few days the doctor will come, and then I will ask him to come and give you a thorough check‑up……"

His voice grew lower and lower as he spoke, finally almost becoming a mutter to himself.

Although he was comforting his father with these words, and himself as well, he knew better than anyone——the old father on the bed would probably… probably find it hard to survive this winter.

He finally glanced at his father, breath faint on the bed, gritted his teeth, turned and stepped into the biting cold wind outside.

The Dong family's low thatched hut was like a withered leaf trembling in the cold wind.

And this parting of life and death within the house was, on this land, merely a silent enactment played out in countless ordinary families whenever a harsh winter arrived.

In later ages, the myriad tall buildings, if viewed by people today, would be no different from a celestial palace.