Chapter 6: The Human Path

Xu Xian believed his master’s words, that his own talent was poor and he would not achieve anything great. But he didn’t mind. He never sought to become an immortal or a Buddha; he simply cultivated step by step out of personal interest. Even if there were no results, at least he could strengthen his body, couldn’t he?



He didn’t know that this kind of contentment and desirelessness was exactly in line with the Dao of cultivation, and his actual progress was not slow at all. It was just that he cultivated alone, with no one to compare himself to, so he always thought he was the slow one. The only reference he had were the transmigrators in the novels he read, weren’t they all ascending to the immortal realm and becoming invincible within a year or two?



His main star was the Sun, and with no way to build a Star Palace, all he could do was keep strengthening this main star.

After several years of cultivation, this star had grown to the size of a pearl, its red light growing ever stronger, faintly tinged with gold. His once frail body had become especially robust in just a few years, making him look two or three years older than his actual age, already a bright and healthy youth.



The child student exam was held in the county, with the county magistrate as examiner. Over the years, Xu Xian had already gained a reputation for supernatural ability, and with his photographic memory, his writing, though not dazzling, was solid and well-structured. The child student exam was naturally no obstacle for him, and he passed easily. Although his ranking was only average, his young age and growing fame made him stand out.



After all, so young a xiucai was rare. Mr. Song was deeply gratified. On the day the results were posted, Xu Xian’s brother-in-law hosted a banquet for Mr. Song, who wept and laughed, drinking himself into a stupor, and kept praising Xu Xian as the reincarnation of the Wenqu Star.



But as Xu Xian supported the old teacher, he thought to himself: “You’ve got it wrong, old man. My son is the reincarnation of the Wenqu Star!”



But whenever he thought of that son, Xu Xian felt stifled. If not for that son, wouldn’t Bai Suzhen have been trapped under Leifeng Pagoda for a lifetime, and Xu Xian would have spent his days chanting sutras and eating vegetarian food?



In the original story, Xu Xian could be called a useless person, other than being kind-hearted, he was basically no help at all, only making trouble. One day he’d be scared to death, the next he’d suspect his wife, he simply couldn’t take care of himself.



And Bai Suzhen, caring for this good-for-nothing, exhausted herself, venturing into the underworld, stealing immortal pills, fighting demons, flooding Jinshan, and in the end, being trapped under Leifeng Pagoda.



Bai Suzhen should have left after repaying her debt, but she never did. The transmigrated Xu Xian suspected that maybe Bai Suzhen’s motherly love was overflowing, she felt that if she left, Xu Xian wouldn’t survive, so she’d rather give up a thousand years of pursuit to care for him.



But the current Xu Xian couldn’t measure these things. He only felt that he had to make himself useful, to be worthy of that woman’s deep affection, to not let down this fated love.



The imperial examination was undoubtedly the best path. In the officialdom-centered ancient world, even in modern society, being a civil servant was a hot commodity. As long as he became a juren, set up his own household, and lived a comfortable life, there would be no problem. Unlike the original Xu Xian, who, despite having a wife with boundless magical power, would still act like a grandson before even the lowest official.



This also avoided the first disaster after marrying Bai Suzhen. At that time, Xu Xian wanted to set up his own household but had no money, so he used the treasury silver stolen by Xiao Qing and was exiled to Gusu. If Xu Xian could be independent, why suffer that fate?



Now, Xu Xian studied hard and made progress every day, striving to become a better kept man.



……



The mighty Qiantang River flowed from the southwest, made a small turn, and then headed northwest. The surging river would boil over a few days each year, this was the world-famous Qiantang River tidal bore.



Whenever this happened, the usually peaceful Qiantang County would become lively. Near noon, a white line would surge from the horizon, and tourists would gather on the banks, exclaiming in admiration. From afar, the tide didn’t seem much, but up close, it came crashing down, pounding the embankment with a thunderous roar, truly awe-inspiring.



The tourists all stood in safe places, but when the tide came, they would still scatter, only to gather again after it receded. Even knowing it was safe, they couldn’t help but be nervous the next time, instinctively stepping back. In the face of nature’s power, human insignificance was clear.



But when the crowd scattered, there were always some stubborn young men who refused to move, letting the spray and mist soak their clothes to show off their bravery. Though their faces were pale, they would laugh loudly, pretending to be bold, always drawing cries of alarm from the young ladies, and feeling even more pleased with themselves.



At this moment, a youth hurried along the slippery embankment, the surging river beside him seemingly of no concern. His appearance was ordinary, but he carried a simple, unrestrained air. Others watched anxiously, urging him to come downif he slipped, it would be over. The youth turned and gave a kind smile, showing his white teeth, but didn’t pay much attention.



This youth was Xu Xian.



Today, Mr. Song had arranged a banquet to meet some academic official. The time had been carefully planned, but the streets were so crowded that only the embankment allowed for faster travel. As for the tidal bore, he watched it every year and wasn’t as afraid as the tourists—he just took a shortcut.



Wangjiang Tower was the best place to watch the tide. Every year, only those who reserved seats in advance could get a spot on the second floor, where they could drink and watch the tide without the crowds, though the price was steep.



A middle-aged man stood on Wangjiang Tower, watching the rolling tide, and sighed, “Vast and boundless! When I was a child, I was here in Qiantang. Now the world has changed, but this river remains the same! Isn’t that right, teacher?”



“Yes, yes,” the old man beside him quickly agreed, wanting to say something witty, but at this moment, he couldn’t get the words out. The man before him was no longer the mischievous boy he once punished with a ruler, but a high official responsible for countless people. Even though they were reminiscing, there was an unspoken authority. As a commoner, the old man lost his nerve before he could speak.



This Lord Wang was the new academic official of Hangzhou Prefecture. Coinciding with the Qiantang River tidal bore, he came to watch the tide. The county magistrate accompanied him. Lord Wang came from a family of officials and had lived in Qiantang as a child, studying under Mr. Song for a year. Though it was brief, Lord Wang was sentimental and specifically asked for him to accompany.



In truth, there was little real affection between an elementary teacher and a student, one provided money, the other effort, that was all.



When the yamen messenger came, the old man could hardly believe his ears. After asking and recalling for a long time, he finally remembered teaching such a student and was overjoyed.



Xu Xian’s brother-in-law also worked at the yamen. Knowing about this, he asked Mr. Song to bring Xu Xian to broaden his horizons. After some thought, Mr. Song agreed. Lord Wang also wanted to meet the outstanding youth of Qiantang, so this meeting was arranged.



“Teacher, has Xu Xian arrived?” Though it was a question, there was a hint of reproach in his eyes. In ancient times, etiquette was paramount, especially among officials. A subordinate could never be late before a superior. If the superior was in a bad mood, even a minor offense could be punished, and no one would object.



The attendant immediately said, “Not yet, sir.”



“He’ll be here soon, soon,” the old man said, wiping his sweat and trying to smooth things over for Xu Xian, anxious enough to want to give him a good beating.



At this moment, Xu Xian was just as anxious. The tide was dangerous, but as long as he was careful, it was fine. But the ways of the world, if you broke the rules, it was far more dangerous than the tide. Even if you deserved to pass, a few words from the right person could keep you from succeeding.



Because his master had only taught him the most basic Daoist methods and said Xu Xian lacked talent, Xu Xian had cultivated for years and accumulated deep power, but had no techniques to use it. The Daoist method focused on training the soul and strengthening the body, so Xu Xian didn’t feel he had any special abilities. He still planned to rely on the imperial exams to make a living, meet Bai Suzhen, stay far from Fa Hai, and live out his life comfortably, he never thought of becoming an immortal or a Buddha.



Since he was walking the human path, he had to follow human rules.



Xu Xian hurried along, finally squeezing past a crowd and breathing a sigh of relief, Wangjiang Tower was in sight, and he wasn’t late yet.



He was about to rush over when he saw a crowd gathered ahead. Xu Xian just wanted to keep his head down and hurry past, but he couldn’t close his ears. The crowd’s chatter reached him: “So pitiful.” “It’s Li Si again.” “Truly hateful.”



Xu Xian had been walking along the edge of the crowd, but now he sighed and muttered to himself, “Forget it, forget it, let’s just get this over with.” With that, he pushed through the crowd and walked toward the center.