Qinchuan, Western Shu, near the Sword Pavilion is a very desolate place filled with steep mountains and wild animals. It hides countless ghosts and monsters. The few who live there have built many mountain temples where they pray for the protection of the mountain spirits. In recent years, more and more mountain temples have been constructed. Some believe that it is because of the powerful mountain spirits that few accidents have occurred among the people.

But despite everyone's level of reverence for the mountain spirits, few people visit Western Shu. So no one knows when that odd man arrived at the foot of Blue Wind Peak or why he always seems to be dressed in rags too tattered for anyone to recognize. Every day, the man, hides in his cave, refusing to leave. No matter the wind and rain, he alone remains.

Those who have climbed the mountains to cut firewood over the years often see him playing with a group of monkeys or using fruit to appease his hunger. Many feared him in the beginning. But after the long passing of time, they realize he is harmless and they begin to completely ignore his existence.

. . .

More time passes, yet the odd man still lives in his cave, unwilling to depart.

But on this day, a young boy arrives at the foot of Blue Wind Peak. From afar, he seems only seven or eight years old. He is beautiful, attractive, and very likable. Dressed in rich clothing, the child does not appear to be from a poor family. But as you approach, you discover that the child's complexion is somewhat gloomy, marred by a deathly, pessimistic aura.

As the child slowly moves forward, he suddenly hears the cry of a monkey. His gaze shifts to the direction of the sound only to find a cave not far away. An odd man in disorderly clothes stands at the entrance to the cave. Though the man's face is obscured by his shawl and his long hair, the child catches a pair of extremely bright eyes staring back at him. The child is startled. But a moment later, he turns around and walks toward the odd man with no trace of fear on his face.

The odd man looks at the child with eyes revealing a sigh as if he has noticed something. When the child finally approached the odd man, his clear childlike voice fills the air, "You are the odd man I've heard the uncles talk about, aren't you? I've heard that you've been here for a long time. Can you tell me why you stay here and not in the village?" The child's eyes carry a trace of curiosity as he peacefully looks at the odd man.

"You're not from here, are you?" the odd man says, "Your accent is a Beijing accent. Why have you come here? I can see that your health is poor and that you don't have long to live. So why aren't you spending the time you have with your parents?"

The child's bright, big eyes reveal a trace of surprise and a slight smile, "Really, you can see that I don't have long to live. But I have long known of this. Therefore, it no longer bothers me. Life and death are just moments. It is their nature. Maybe, those who have no experience aren't aware of this. Nevertheless, what's there to be afraid of? Anyways, what's your name, can you tell me?"

The odd man looks at the child and frowns, "It is not easy for someone as young as you to face life and death so easily and confidently. It's is a shame that no one in the world can cure your illness. As for who I am, that is not important. Tell me, who are you and why have you come?

"My name is Lu Yun. I came here with my father. My father is a senior official in the capital city. My family has served as officials and been celebrated for our scholars for generations. Unfortunately, because my father didn't want to collaborate with others, he took the initiative and turned in his resignation. Afterward, he brought me here to seek medical treatment. I've already seen all of the famous doctors in the capital, but they were all useless. Later, a monk told my father that since ancient times, there have been infinite miracles in Qinchuan of Western Shu. Countless outstandingly able people hide there. Maybe, one of them can cure me. Therefore, my father brought me here. I've been here for a month already. But because of my poor health, I have just now been able to take a walk. Though, I didn't expect to meet you. This seems like a meeting of fate."

The odd man slightly frowns.

'Fate? Perhaps…'

The odd man looks at Lu Yun with a faint smile, "There is no way to cure your disease. Ordinary people have three souls and seven mortal forms, but you are missing a soul and a mortal from. This situation is unique. Solely by looking at you, I can tell you were born this way, innately incomplete. This is something seen maybe once in a ten-thousand-year cycle. I wonder how you are able to be alive in this condition because the average person would've died in their first year of birth. Even those born with strong vitalities live to the age of three at most. But by the looks of it, you should be seven or eight now. It's amazing."

Lu Yun looks at the odd man and smiles, "It seems you are fiercer than any of the doctors I've seen. You can know so many things just by looking at me. It's amazing. Can you examine me and see if there is any hope? Although I am indifferent to life and death, I know that my parents would be saddened by my death."

The odd man looks at the horizon and begins to ponder. He remains that way for quite some time. Then, he says, "I can think of ways to extend your life, but you must promise not to tell anyone except your parents. No one else can know. Moreover, you must visit me every day for the next ten years. If you can't achieve this, go back, do not easily agree. I don't like people who can't keep their word."

Still looking at the horizon, the odd man gently sighs.

'Am I wrong to do this?'

The child looks at the odd man and says in a solemn voice, "Alright, thank you. I will insist upon coming here every day and not telling anyone. I want to live well, to struggle against the Heavens to live, and let the world know that my Lu Yun will not easily be defeated." Lu Yun's childish voice carries courage strong enough to challenge the Heavens.

The odd man is shocked by Lu Yun's words.

'Yes, what cultivator doesn't struggle against the Heavens to live? Since we have met, perhaps all is doomed. In that case, I will struggle against the Heavens. At worst, I will only face the tribulation of nine heavenly thunder. It's not like I haven't before. When I move my bones, what can Heaven do to me?'

The odd man shifts his gaze to Lu Yun and says with a smile, "Good, you have lofty ideals. Starting from tomorrow, I will teach you a mysterious martial art that will allow you to struggle against the Heavens to live. Ten years is a short time. But as long as you work hard, you will have some harvest. One thing you should remember is that you can't easily use what I've passed on to you, let alone teach it to others."

The child solemnly promises, "Feel relieved, I will remember. I actually know who you are because someone has told me that you are some kind of legendary figure."

The odd man, hearing this, smiles and says, "Little devil, it seems you are very intelligent. Tell me then, who am I? There is a reward for you if you can guess correctly."

Lu Yun takes a moment to ponder, "To ordinary people, you are just an odd man living in these mountains and hills. But to the monks and fortune tellers, you are a cultivator." After he finishes speaking, his eyes firmly meet the odd man and flash a smile.

The odd man looks at Lu Yun, eyes flashing a smile, "You are half right little devil. I will give you your reward sometime in the future. It is of no use to you now. I'll give it to you after you learn a little skill. Now, arrive by my side so we can have a good chat."

With a chuckle, the odd man waves and Lu Yun suddenly arrives by his side.

. . .

As dusk begins to fall, a smiling Lu Yun finally returns home where his parents greet him with a look of pity and affection. His father, Lu Wenyu, and his mother, Zhang Huafeng, are good-looking people with excellent personalities. Lu Wenyu smiles and asks, "Yun'er, how many places have you gone today. What strange things have you seen?"

Lu Yun looks at his parents and smiles, "I met an odd man today, the person the uncles in the village are always gossiping about. After talking with him for an entire day, I have benefitted quite a lot. He told me that he can teach how to extend my life, but I have to visit him every day to learn from him, and that I am not allowed to tell anyone except for you two. I have promised him that I will begin studying with him tomorrow. Don't worry though, that odd man is the same person with great ability that was mentioned by the monk. I want to study with him because he may be able to cure me."

Lu Wenyu looks at his wife Zhang Huafeng and asks, "What did he say to you today, can you tell us? Is there anything about your illness?"

Lu Yun says with a smile, "He said many things. He even told me about my illness. He said that ordinary people have three souls and seven mortal forms. But I was born with one soul and one mortal form missing. It is an illness that can't be cured. It's a miracle I'm alive now. Because of this, he is going to teach me the way to extend my life."

Lu Wenyu's stumbles back, shocked by Lu Yun's words. Zhang Huafeng is bewildered by the sudden reaction.

With a look of horror, he raises his head and begins speaking to himself, "I didn't think. I-I really didn't think the legend that has passed down in the Lu Family for hundreds of generations was true. Perhaps, this is divine intervention. Yun'er, you must go study with that odd man tomorrow. Remember to work hard. Your mother and I fully support you. No matter what will happen in the future, you have to live bravely and be firm in whatever you do."

Lu Yun nods, "I will. I must struggle against the Heavens to live. Don't worry. I won't give up easily."

Lu Yun expresses maturity and a level of perseverance that exceeds his age. He has been haunted by disease and resisted the god of death countless times. His strong will causes him to think differently from the average person.

Lu Wenyu looks at his son with a trace of encouragement in his eyes. He pats him gently on the shoulder and says softly, "Sleep well tonight, you must begin your studies tomorrow." With that final word, he gives his wife a meaningful glance. Understanding the message, she follows him outside of Lu Yun's cottage.

Under the night air, Lu Wenyu gazes up at the bright moon in the sky and softly says, "I remember a certain, mysterious legend that has been passed down for generations in the Lu Family. It says that among the descendants of the Lu Family, a child will be born without one of his souls and mortal forms. He will be a variation whose future no one can foresee. His fate will be obscure and his life full of legend. The ancestors of the Lu Family say that if such a child appears, he must go to the Lu Family's ancestral tomb and take something only he can open, something that will likely change his fate. I didn't think this disciple of legend would be Yun'er. I plan to tell him, when he is eighteen or twenty years old, to go take what is rightfully his."

Zhang Huafeng peacefully looks at her husband and says in a soft voice, "Even as a baby, Yun'er has always been very smart. He is able to learn anything. Unfortunately, his body is too weak. I can't believe he really has such a fate. Perhaps, all of this is destiny. I'm relieved to know he can live a peaceful life. Qinchuan of Western Shu has beautiful mountains and limpid waters. Here in this place, I hope our son can find a way to extend his life."

. . .

The evening wind blows, and the sounds of whining insects ring in the mountains. Tired, Lu Yun accompanies the world and begins to sleep, slowly forgetting all of life's sadness. When early morning arrives, he wakes to the sound of birds singing. He quickly eats the breakfast his mother had carefully prepared for him before rushing out alone.

With a smile of affection, Zhang Huafeng stands by the door and watches her son slowly disappear in the distance.

'When will you grow up, get rid of your illness, and begin to enjoy the pleasures of life?'

No one can answer her silent thought.

. . .

Time flies. Spring changes into autumn and autumn into spring. After ten years, Lu Yun has grown from an emaciated child to a handsome youth. Although his body is still a little thin, he has not been ill once in the past ten years. Day by day, his body grows stronger and his mind more intelligent, allowing him to learn even faster.

Standing quietly in front of the cave, Lu Yun looks at the odd man who has been teaching him martial arts and profound merits for ten years. He is very grateful. In his heart, this is his master. He has taught him countless things, things the average person wouldn't be able to learn even if they were given a hundred years.

The odd man looks at Lu Yun with a trace of joy in his eyes and says softly, "In these ten years, you haven't once let me down. Although the time is too short, you have learned many of my skills. It's amazing. What's your plan now? Do you want to continue to learn profoundly mysterious Dao techniques from me or do you choose to leave?"

Lu Yun softly replies, "My father told me something that there is a place I must go to either now or in two years. Supposedly, I must retrieve something that belongs to me. However, I have chosen to continue learning from you for another two years. I hope to make great progress during this time. I don't want to waste the fate I have with you. By the way, you haven't told me who you are or what you've done? Can you tell me now?"

The odd man smiles, "You don't need to pay much attention to my identity. I have done many things. In short, I've been a Daoist for three years, listened to Buddha for three years, worked as an immortal for three years, and acted as a devil for three years. That is all."

Lu Yun's eyes change a little when he hears these words. A strange light flashes in them as he smiles and says, "It seems you have done everything. No wonder you have taught me cultivation techniques and secret arts from among the five schools of Daoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, the Demon Sect, and the Ghost Sect, accommodating all, ignoring none. Hopefully, I will become more powerful in these next two years. Otherwise, I will only bring shame upon you when I leave here." Lu Yun's eyes contain the trace of an unpredictable smile. His expression is calm and mysterious, which gives people an incomprehensible feeling.

The odd man smiles, "If you want to study all of my skills, I'm afraid you'll have no time to sleep. And even if you do learn all of my skills, without a cultivation base of a hundred years, it will be in vain. Cultivation is different from martial arts. With ten years of martial arts training, you can rise to the level of small accomplishment and big accomplishment with twenty. But in cultivation, you cross the threshold in ten years and reach the level of small accomplishment in a hundred. But if you want to achieve the level of big accomplishment, you can only hope that fate and chance are on your side. That being said, I remember promising to reward you. Now, seems more appropriate than any."

The odd man pulls a jade box from his bosom. As he opens it slowly, an alluring fragrance fills the air.

Lu Yun looks at the inch-long, red ginseng in the hands of the odd man with surprise in his eyes.

The odd man glances at him and warns, "Don't look down on this ginseng. Although it's only an inch long, it has an extremely rare origin. This is the body of a ten-thousand-year-old ginseng king I accidentally saved. After that ginseng obtained enlightenment, it repaid my benevolence by giving me its main body. This ginseng king is a rare thing. It goes far beyond any ordinary thousand-year ginseng. Like thousand-year ginseng and thousand-year flower root, a ginseng king can increase the lifespan of an ordinary person and strengthen their body. It can add thirty years' worth of skill to a martial artist and a cultivation base worth one sixty-year cycle to a cultivator. But because this ten-thousand-year old ginseng king was once the body of a ginseng king that has obtained enlightenment and flown upwards, it can add a cultivation base worth ten sixty-year cycles. I hope that after you take it, you will succeed in learning something in these next two years and not waste our master-disciple fate."

The odd man finally hands the ginseng king to Lu Yun.

Lu Yun gently receives it, then scans the odd man and says with a smile, "Thank you for this gift. After so many years, this is the first time you have finally accepted me as your disciple. What a really long wait!"

The odd man laughs and scolds, "You little devil, do not pretend like you have not gained an advantage from me. Quickly now, take the ginseng king. I'll help you refine it. It should take a month for you to completely build it up."

Lu Yun gives a calm smile, sits cross-legged, and slowly swallows the ginseng king. Soon, his entire body turns red. A group of blazing flame envelopes him.

The odd man gazes at the sky with a puzzled expression on his face.

'This is the right decision, right? After all, some people are born to struggle against the Heavens to live, right?'

The odd man looks at Lu Yun and smiles as he slightly places his hand three inches away from his head. In an instant, a very beautiful and mysterious five-colored light begins to flow from the odd man's palm and cover Lu Yun.

Shrouded by the five-colored light, the roaring flame surrounding Lu Yun's body slowly compresses. Expanding and contracting with each breath, it tries to break free from time to time. But the five-colored light keeps it firmly restrained.

Time passes slowly, and the scarlet flame attempts to erupt and pull away seven more times. Until finally, it slowly melts into Lu Yun's body and vanishes without a trace.

. . .

Lu Yun awakes before the day can fade into dusk. With the horizon reflecting the warm glow of sunset, he begins to float in the air. A powerful aura suddenly erupts from him, forcing the surrounding vegetation to bow in succession. A dark blue ray of light rises to envelop him. Again and again, it mysteriously transforms from blue to gold, from gold to red, from red to white, from white to black, and finally from black to dark blue.

The odd man smiles at his disciple. Eyes showing a trace of approval, he says, "Evidently, the ginseng king was effective. You've made some progress. However, you are not done. The original intention of cultivators is to be able to move from having to cultivate to not having to cultivate. In such a way they can move unhindered through the world and overlook all. You look powerful on the surface, but your cultivation base falls far short. In the next two years, you must completely refine your cultivation base, thus achieving the realm of returning to one's true self. When I am unable to see the profound secret arts you practice, that is when you will have reached the level of small accomplishment. Keep working hard. You still have a long way to go."

Lu Yun slowly falls to the ground. With a calm look, he smiles and says, "Thank you for your instruction, Master. I will certainly live up to your expectations, completely learn all of the secret arts you will teach, and strive to do all you ask of me."

The odd man smiles, "I hope so as well. Many things will become clear to you in the future. You are lucky to have met me. It is why cultivation is easier for you than it might be for the average person. But when you meet a true expert, you will understand that there are many things only time and accumulation can solve. Cultivation is a journey of defying heaven, even a chance encounter, such as this, is an act of that defies heaven. Therefore, you must be mentally prepared for the day when all is made clear and all is settled. Well, it's getting late now. You must get back. We will continue tomorrow!"

With that, the odd man turns to head inside his cave.

. . .

Once home, Lu Yun tells his father, "I plan to take that thing two years later. Right now, I want to continue studying with my master. He has many great and mysterious skills. I have merely learned five. Therefore, I want to study hard and strive to learn the rest before I go."

Lu Wenyu sighs, "You are eighteen years old this year, and will be twenty in two. Oh, how time flies. No wonder people often say that a few years in the mountains can seem like 1000 in the bustling place of the world! All is as transient as fleeting as clouds, and become nothing in an instant. Yun'er, you have grown up. Your mother and I no longer have to worry about you. Even though your future path is long, we will not interfere. We only hope that you succeed. And don't forget to retrieve that thing that belongs to you."

Lu Yun's mother adds, "Yun'er, your life will be full of uncertainties. No one can say what your future will be like. Your father and I just hope that you can have a peaceful life. Although you are still ill, I believe you will get better one day if you keep practicing. It is for this reason that I am able to no longer worry about you. After your two years are over, you will begin a life of your own. When you do, remember we will always support you."

Lu Yun looks at his parents and promises, "Mom, Dad, you can rest assured. I will rush out and create a world that belongs to me. I will not bow to fate."

His voice resounds in the quiet cottage as if he wants the world to witness to his solemn oath.

. . .

The mountains of Western Shu are still beautiful. Its limpid rivers still flow. Lu Yun continues to study under the odd man and two years seem to pass without either of them noticing.

Meanwhile, the situation of the world begins to experience an earth-shaking change because of Lu Yun's appearance.

'What is the secret behind his life?'

'What secrets hide in the Lu Family legend?'

'Perhaps, there is no one who can say for certain…'