Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 385 Returning to Wudang, Guided by a Flock of Cranes

The spirits, having glimpsed the landscape of this era through the portals opened in the void, bowed in gratitude to Lü Qian once more. Then, their spirits passed through those portals, heading toward their respective last wishes.

A gentle breeze stirred, and the portal that had opened in the void slowly dissipated as the heroic spirits entered, leaving only Lü Ren still standing in mid-air.

"I'll go home with Xiao Ci."

Lü Ren nodded to Lü Qian, then transformed into a wisp of green smoke that hung in Lü Ci's white hair, preparing to return to his hometown with the brothers who came to guide him.

"good."

Lu Qian withdrew from his state of being one with heaven and earth. In order to fulfill the last wishes of the heroic spirits, he once again used the [Heavenly Register] to reach the heavens, using his own heart to represent the will of heaven, temporarily connecting the obsessions of the deceased heroic spirits with the karmic consequences of reality, thus opening a path that connects the yin and yang.

Otherwise, these predecessors who died a hundred years ago, from all corners of the world, would probably never be able to return to the place they held dear in their hearts.

Life and death are separated, and yin and yang are in order. When a person dies, the responsibilities of this world are immediately settled. This is the extinction of debts upon death. It has nothing to do with money or debts, nor with blood disputes. It is the end of a person's journey, and there is no longer a path for this person in the world.

After a person dies, there may be lingering attachments. But no matter how deep those attachments are, the spirit can only walk on the path that belongs to the deceased, separated from the human world. This is both a rule and a necessity.

What Lü Qian just did was to take responsibility himself and, based on the obsessions of all the heroic spirits, briefly extend the path between Yin and Yang, allowing these predecessors to remain in the mortal world for a while.

When their last wishes are fulfilled and their obsession dissipates, the path connecting Yin and Yang will naturally collapse, and the deceased, belonging to the spirits of the dead, will fall back to the ghost realm and never return to the human world.

This fleeting moment of illusion, this somewhat glamorous path, is the last thing Lü Qian can do for them.

Tonight, a ritual connecting the yin and yang realms will not only help many heroic spirits find their way home, but also allow many people in this world who are still attached to worldly desires to have a great dream, and to see their deceased loved ones in the void of dreams.

"The Heavenly Venerable preached the Dharma in the past, and today he saves countless people."

The high-speed train traveled through the mountains, and a ritual to ignite the Samadhi Fire ended with the chanting of scriptures. Only the Lü family grandfather and grandson remained in the carriage, along with the broken knife on the table in front of them.

The blade broke, and the vengeful spirit imprisoned by the demon sword was completely converted by Lü Qian. The Japanese sword, now broken in two, quickly weathered away, and brownish-red rust covered the blade in the blink of an eye, leaving the marks of time.

Seeing this, Lü Ci no longer showed any disgust. He reached out and took the rusted broken knife, putting it away in a box.

"This demonic sword has been completely rendered useless; it's perfect for forging a footrest for this old man."

"Those old friends who also want this thing, let me use it up before leaving it to them, hahaha..."

After patting the lid of the wooden box and turning his gaze away from the trophy, Lü Ci transformed back into the reckless and prickly Lü family member.

"Kid, this is none of your business. You should go do your own thing."

Sitting opposite Lü Ci, Lü Qian saw through her intentions but said nothing. He knew that this proud Lü Erbi wanted a private and undisturbed setting to have a proper conversation with her elder brother Lü Ren, whom she hadn't seen for decades, and to make up for the last regret of her life.

Lu Ci didn't want to live a dreamlike illusion; he wanted to say goodbye to Lu Ren in a real way, to accompany his elder brother on his final journey, and also to complete the journey he had taken when he was young and lacked an elder brother.

After sitting still and observing Lü Ci's awkwardness for a moment, Lü Qian suddenly chuckled and nodded. His figure in white slowly dissipated on the train and merged into nothingness.

"Please continue your conversation, gentlemen. I shall take my leave."

A gentle breeze wafted through the train, and it seemed as if butterflies were fluttering about, drifting towards the vast world outside the window.

Lu Ci gritted his teeth, cursing under his breath at the swarm of butterflies that had appeared in his dream, "Those little brats..."

"Xiao Ci, Xiao Qian looks quite like you, haha."

"No, brother, you know me!"

……

As Lü Qian transformed into a gentle breeze and swept across Shanhaiguan, and swarms of butterflies fluttered down from the northeastern land, a host of wondrous sights arose in the presence of numerous tourists on Wudang Mountain.

"唳——"

In the quiet and secluded mountain valleys, flocks of cranes reside, where they play and frolic daily. Every morning and evening, led by several intelligent white cranes, the flock dances gracefully in the morning sun and rosy clouds, breathing in the essence of heaven and earth.

On this day, the largest and most magnificent white crane in the flock suddenly awoke from its meditation in the mountain stream. It let out a long cry, its call echoing through the valley, as if summoning the other cranes who were playing and meditating.

"唳——"

The cranes cried out again, and this time the flocks of cranes playing and frolicking throughout the valley joined in. This strange sight amazed the tourists who came and went. Although they were puzzled, they couldn't help but feel excited when they saw such a scene.

"Look, the flock of cranes is taking off! They're actually creating a road in the air..."

Just as the tourists were taking pictures and recording this rare sight, the change in the flock of cranes in the valley completely triggered gasps of amazement from the crowd.

The white crane, which had been enlightened by Lü Qian and was the most divine and extraordinary, cried out three times. After receiving a response from the flock of cranes, it flapped its wings, and its wingspan was more than two zhang long when fully opened.

With its long wings flapping, it leaped from the pool, carrying the white crane that was over ten feet long. In an instant, amidst the clouds and mist, the leisurely flock of cranes also spread their wings and took flight, turning the deep, verdant valley into a sea of ​​dancing white feathers.

The flock of cranes danced in the air, their white feathers instantly blotting out the sky and covering everything in the valley. Many more white cranes came from other mountain valleys of Wudang Mountain.

"唳——"

The flock of cranes gathered, their white feathers covering the sky. The first magnificent white crane to take flight led the flock, soaring once more from the mountain mist and clouds, plunging into the sky. The cranes' orderly and elegant dance swirled in the air, gradually forming a white feather avenue that stretched from the mountain gate to the summit.

This avenue hangs in the clouds, suspended between the blue sky, with flocks of cranes swimming among it. These agile cranes spread their wings to pave the way, and their cries sound like celestial music.

The tourists were stunned by the fantastical scene before them. They craned their necks to look at the flock of cranes in the sky and the "ladder to the clouds" formed by their graceful dance, completely ignoring the announcements coming from the air.

"Dear visitors, the flock of cranes is exhibiting unexplained agitation. For your safety, please remain calm and descend the mountain in an orderly manner..."

"Who's coming over here?"

Just as everyone was vaguely puzzled and making various guesses, a gentle breeze suddenly blew in from outside the distant mountain gate. It seemed to carry the loud laughter of a young Taoist priest, which the tourists, who were mostly ordinary people, could not hear clearly.

"When the fruit of enlightenment ripens, white cranes will fly over Wudang Mountain."

"Today, the three flowers and five elements gather, as if a celestial being has descended or a human has come."