Chapter 2220: Picking Up Shoes

The wanted posters brought some topics of conversation to the monotonous days, but they didn't affect the villagers' lives.

Back home, Qin Sang continued to rest and recover peacefully. He didn't dare to practice cultivation hastily, so he could only rely on conventional methods for treatment. Fortunately, he knew how to regulate his body, and with the help of some herbal medicine, his condition gradually improved.

Early one morning, when Qin Sang woke up, the sun was already shining brightly outside, and birds chirped by the window. He was the only one left at home. It was currently the busy farming season. Because he had been gravely ill, his family had sought medical treatment and remedies everywhere for him, which had delayed their farm work. They needed to hurry and replant.

Qin Sang got up and stretched his limbs, feeling his body was a bit lighter than the day before. His illness was almost gone. Pushing open the door, Qin Sang smelled the faint aroma of food and medicine. He walked into the woodshed, where he saw warm herbal soup on the stove and food left for him.

Qin Sang's expression remained unchanged. He gulped down the bitter herbal soup in one go. Carrying the flatbread, he returned to the courtyard. He first broke off a piece, crumbled it, and scattered it on a stone slab. Then, while watching the birds peck at it, he slowly ate his own.

The flatbread was coarser than what he had eaten in previous days and a bit rough on the throat. This was because they had switched from fine grains to coarse grains. Last year's harvest hadn't been good. Most of the family's savings had been used to treat Qin Sang's illness. This year, they had just sown the seeds, and it would be several months before the crops matured. They had to start budgeting carefully from now on, otherwise, before the new grain was harvested, the whole family would go hungry.

"Chirp, chirp, chirp..."

Soon, a flock of birds was attracted, boldly pecking at the food in front of Qin Sang. Qin Sang gazed at the birds, lost in thought. The past few days' life had stirred up distant memories: the pleasant time he spent at Qingyang Temple. Later, he traveled down the mountain with Xiao Wu, rebuilding Qingyang Temple at his own pace. Unfortunately, ever since he embarked on the path of cultivation, he had never truly relaxed.

It was still the same now. Although he seemed to spend his days eating and sleeping, his mind was constantly plotting how to escape his current predicament. Xi had been weaker than his elder brother since childhood. His father had never taught him hunting skills. If he suddenly proposed going hunting in the mountains, his parents would certainly not allow it. The best way was to follow a merchant caravan, leave Fengcheng, and then find an excuse to leave the group halfway.

Xi's parents were far-sighted. Seeing that their third son couldn't make a living by hunting like his elder brother, they had considered a path for him since he was young. They had him study with an old scholar in the village for a few years, and he also learned arithmetic. They planned to send him to a shop as an apprentice. Therefore, Qin Sang following a merchant caravan would not seem abrupt. With Qin Sang's abilities, as long as he wished, he could certainly join a merchant caravan. The only fear was that his parents wouldn't let him go. However, Qin Sang didn't want to waste too much time in the mortal world. He needed to act swiftly and decisively.

"I'm done eating too, come back this afternoon!"

Qin Sang saw the birds eagerly staring at the flatbread in his hand. He quickly stuffed the rest into his mouth, patted his backside, stood up, and went out.

Half of the hillside was terraced fields cultivated by the village. Qin Sang stood by the stream, seeing scattered figures working in the fields.

"Diligent villagers, a real illusion!" Qin Sang had sighed more than once. He knew perfectly well that he was in an illusion, yet he couldn't find any flaws these past few days. His family and the villagers were so vivid, working from dawn till dusk, completely unaware that they were living in an illusion. Other people who entered the illusion, without the protection of the jade Buddha, might have already considered themselves natives here, believing this was the real world!

Qin Sang recalled the Buddhist scriptures he had read in Zhongzhou of the Storm Realm. Buddhism has the concept of 'emptiness' or 'sunyata,' believing that the world is empty, and even the dharma is empty. The purpose of cultivation is to see through the essence of 'emptiness.' Qin Sang didn't fully agree with the Buddhist doctrines, but at this moment, he couldn't help but draw a connection, as it was very similar to his current situation.

What kind of world was this, after all? While Qin Sang was eager to break out of the situation, he also felt immense curiosity about this illusion. He picked up a handful of river sand, watching the grains flow through his fingers. If the illusion was as vast and boundless as the real world, if everything existed within it and followed its own evolutionary laws, continuing for generations without end, then as long as one never left the illusion, where did the line between reality and illusion lie? Could the illusion also construct a real world of cultivation?

Qin Sang stood up and slowly walked down the mountain. He was in good spirits today and planned to go to the city to look for opportunities. Whenever he met villagers, they would greet him warmly and ask a few concerned questions. Qin Sang thanked them all.

As he was nearing the bottom of the mountain, Qin Sang noticed a scuffle happening in front of a house across the river. An old man was pushed out from inside.

"You old hag! I told you there's no food! Get lost! Get lost!" The madam of the house cursed under her breath, pushed the old man roughly into the middle of the road, and slammed the door shut with a bang.

Qin Sang paused slightly. He saw clearly that the old man was the same old beggar he had seen earlier at the city gate. Planning to go to the city today, he had originally intended to find an opportunity to approach the old beggar. Unexpectedly, he encountered him in the village.

"Hahahaha..."

"He got kicked out again!"

"Old geezer! Old geezer!"

A group of young children peeked from around the corner. Seeing the old beggar being driven out, they burst into laughter, holding their bellies. The old beggar, however, had a good attitude. He turned his head and made a funny face, scaring away the children. Then he walked towards the bridge head, leaning on his walking stick. He rested his feet on a stone, humming some unknown tune and swaying his head.

The children soon gathered again, approaching the old beggar. Seeing that he wouldn't hit them, they grew bolder and began playing hide-and-seek around him. The old beggar also enjoyed the children's liveliness, squinting his eyes in the sun, when suddenly a mischievous child snatched his straw sandals and threw them onto the riverbank below.

"Hahahaha..." The children ran off laughing, but they didn't go far, hiding behind trees to watch how the old beggar would retrieve his sandals.

"Hey! You brats, bullying an old man! Bring them back to me quickly..." The old beggar put on a stern face and forcefully tapped his walking stick, but this only brought on louder laughter.

Just then, Qin Sang came down from the mountain and stepped onto the wooden bridge. The children saw someone approaching and scattered. Qin Sang walked to the bridge head, climbed down the riverbank, to help the old beggar pick up his straw sandals.

"I'm old now, useless." The old beggar leaned against the railing and sighed, "You're a good-hearted child, not like those other little brats."

"How old are they anyway?" Qin Sang climbed back up, panting heavily. For his current physical condition, this action was a bit too strenuous. Just then, Qin Sang saw the old beggar prop up his grimy foot, seemingly wanting Qin Sang to put the sandals on for him.

"Thud!"

Qin Sang pretended not to notice. He tossed the straw sandals in front of the old beggar and bluntly poked at his sore spot, "Didn't get any food?"

The old beggar could only put his foot down, bending to pick up the sandals, and sighing as he said, "Alas! People's hearts aren't what they used to be. How can they bear to watch an old man like me starve to death..."

Qin Sang thought to himself, 'Serves him right.' Suddenly, he saw the old beggar, who was putting on his sandals, his hand tremble, his foot jerk, and the straw sandal flew off the bridge, dropping onto the riverbank with a 'thud'.

The old beggar looked up and said with a fawning smile, "I'm old now, my hands and feet aren't as nimble. I'll have to trouble you again, young man."

Qin Sang glanced at the old beggar, then at the straw sandal below the bridge. Without saying anything more, he climbed up and down again and retrieved the straw sandal.

"Old man, you really must be careful this time..." Unexpectedly, before Qin Sang had even finished speaking...

"Thud!"

The straw sandal fell down again. The old beggar looked up at Qin Sang with an innocent expression. Qin Sang looked at him expressionlessly.

Then, without a word, Qin Sang returned to the riverbank, and with a swift kick, sent the straw sandal into the middle of the river, where it was swept away by the current in an instant.

"Hey, hey, hey..." The old beggar grew anxious, clutching the railing and shouting loudly, "You little brat, you just said you were good-hearted, how could you throw away an old man's shoe!"

Qin Sang climbed back up, brushed off the bits of grass from his clothes, and leisurely said, "I thought you didn't want the shoes because they were too tattered."

"People's hearts aren't what they used to be! People's hearts aren't what they used to be!" The old beggar continued to mumble. Seeing Qin Sang about to leave, he quickly stopped him with his walking stick, "You little brat haven't paid me for my shoes yet, where do you think you're going?"

"Where would I get shoes?" Qin Sang spread his hands. "Don't let my slender build fool you, my feet are a size larger than yours. My father's and elder brother's feet are even bigger than mine. No shoes, but I do have some food. If you're hungry, come with me."

With that, Qin Sang pushed aside the walking stick and walked back. The old beggar mumbled a few more words, but ultimately chose to follow him barefoot.

He led the old beggar into the house. His parents hadn't returned yet. Qin Sang went into the woodshed, brought out the leftover food, first offering some to the birds, then pushing the rest in front of the old beggar. "Eat."

The old beggar glanced at the wild vegetable flatbread and said disdainfully, "Is this all there is to eat?"

"Do you want to eat delicacies from mountains and seas?" Qin Sang was amused and irritated. He made a gesture to take the flatbread away. "I see you're not hungry after all!"

"No, no, no..." The old beggar quickly reached out to protect the food, picked up the flatbread, and began eating ravenously. A piece of flatbread was gone in an instant.

"I know why your son kicked you out to beg," Qin Sang commented.

The old beggar snorted, "What do you know! I chose to come out on my own, and I don't have a son."

"Oh," Qin Sang said, feigning sudden realization, "I also think no woman would be willing to be with you."

"Cough, cough..." The old beggar stiffened, almost choking. He slammed the table. "Hurry up and bring a bowl of water, you have no sense of observation!"

Qin Sang served him a bowl of vegetable soup. The old beggar devoured it ravenously, finishing it all.

"Slow down a bit, this is all there is, once it's gone, it's gone! My parents and elder brother haven't eaten yet," Qin Sang said grudgingly.

The old beggar, full and content, didn't ask for more. He crossed his legs and watched Qin Sang clean up.

"You little brat, you're quite interesting," the old beggar said cheerfully, picking his teeth, no longer as harsh as before.

"What do you mean, 'quite interesting'?" Qin Sang brewed two cups of tea. The 'tea leaves' were a type of dried tree leaf his mother had prepared.

"I've traveled far and wide," the old beggar said, taking a sip of tea, "and seen quite a few mortals. Few are as interesting as you. If you were born elsewhere, you might achieve something. It's a pity you were born in this godforsaken little place, and you're still a sickly child."

'Mortal!' Qin Sang's heart stirred, but he remained expressionless. He sneered, "Mortal? You just live a bit longer; do you consider yourself an immortal? Have you been to many places? Tell me, what kind of world is beyond these mountains?"

"A world much vaster and more colorful than you can imagine." The old beggar gazed at the sky, lost in thought, "Unfortunately, this isn't a world that belongs to our human race."

Qin Sang frowned, looking around. "So many of us are born and raised here, wild beasts are our food. How is this not our world?"

"Do you dare to eat birds?" the old beggar retorted.

"Don't speak nonsense!" Qin Sang feigned anger, "I think you're really getting senile."

The old beggar snorted, a look of disdain on his face. "What do you know, kid! A frog in a well, how can it know the vastness of the world! Never mind, I must be bored out of my mind, arguing with a little confused fool like you..."

With that, the old beggar drained his tea, picked up his walking stick, swayed as he stood up, and without mentioning the compensation for his sandals, walked barefoot out the door.

"Oh, right, I won't take your meal for free. Here, take this!" As he was about to leave, the old beggar seemed to recall something, pulled an item from his embrace, and tossed it to Qin Sang.

Qin Sang caught it. It was a bamboo scroll.

"I see you're literate. Your illness is due to a congenital deficiency. Even if it's cured this time, it will recur in a few years, each time more dangerous than the last. Practice according to what's written here. Even if you don't achieve much, it can help you eradicate the root cause of your illness."

Qin Sang unrolled the bamboo scroll and was astonished to find it was a cultivation method! Of course, it only contained a very superficial introductory part. Practicing according to this method, one could at most reach the third layer of the Qi Refinement stage. However, the cultivation method itself did not have divisions of realms; it was collectively called the 'Perception Chapter'.

When he looked up again, the doorway was already empty. Qin Sang had long suspected that the old beggar's identity was not simple. He had originally planned to proceed gradually and extract his secrets after getting familiar with him. He hadn't expected a single meal to bring him a fortuitous encounter with cultivation. If only it had been this easy back then. With this cultivation method, all problems would be easily solved!

To fully play the part, Qin Sang still pretended to be puzzled and read the contents word by word. Perhaps the old beggar had specially chosen it for him; the content on the bamboo scroll was very simple. Xi's knowledge allowed him to understand the literal meaning. Of course, understanding the words and comprehending the cultivation method were two different concepts.

Qin Sang discovered that this cultivation method, though seemingly simple, placed great importance on talent and comprehension. As long as one's talent and comprehension were high enough, one could quickly grasp the true meaning of the method and perceive the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Qin Sang seemed to be immersed in the cultivation method, but his mind was calculating: the old beggar might be his best opportunity to enter the world of cultivation!

Outside the village. The old beggar, barefoot, leisurely walked, humming a tune, preparing to return to the city gate for a good, long sleep. Suddenly, the old beggar's expression changed dramatically. He turned and looked towards Qin Sang's house, revealing an expression of disbelief.

"Whoosh!"

The old beggar vanished from his spot, reappearing in the courtyard, where he saw Qin Sang sitting by the door. His eyes were tightly closed, the bamboo scroll resting on his knees, as if immersed in some state. The void around him actually showed invisible fluctuations.

Just then, Qin Sang suddenly trembled all over, the color drained from his face, leaving him extremely pale, and with a 'retch', he spat out a large mouthful of blood.

"Clang!"

Luan happened to return from the fields. Seeing the blood on the ground and the weak Qin Sang, he was extremely terrified, dropping the farm tools in his hand and rushing in. "Little brother, what's wrong with you!"

However, the old beggar's eyes sparkled with strange light, and his face was full of relief.

"Heaven has eyes! To think I'd find a cultivation seed!"