Wu Tian walked out of the dense forest, slowly came to the big man, and said: "Big brother, is the dead old man your relative?"
The big man looked at him in surprise and nodded, "He is my father."
Wu Tian asked: "Then why didn't you cry or feel sad?"
The big man smiled bitterly and said, "My father worked so hard to raise me. Now that he's gone, how can I not be sad? How can I not want to cry? But before my father died, he told me that death is just a beginning, and I don't need to be too sad for him."
"Death is just the beginning!"
Hearing these words, two bright rays of light suddenly flashed in Wutan's eyes!
This is a very simple sentence, but for him, it is undoubtedly a beacon in the darkness, illuminating the road ahead of him.
After death, people enter reincarnation and are reborn as human beings. Isn’t that a new beginning
In other words, death is not the end, but a starting point.
He vaguely felt that he had stepped into the threshold of the true mysteries of life and death, but had not yet fully understood it.
"Thank you for your advice, brother."
He bowed to the grave, then saluted the big man, then turned and disappeared into the dense forest.
Seeing this, the big man raised his head, full of confusion.
A few months later, he accidentally came to a village and found a house with sad cries coming from it.
After some inquiries, he found out that there was a couple who had just given birth to a baby, but unfortunately, the child died just after coming out of the mother's womb.
Wutan was silent for a long time, sighed, and turned away.
After hearing about this tragedy, he realized another truth: life is not necessarily a starting point, it can also be an end point, just like this unfortunate child who died young.
Next, Wu Tian wandered around various mortal villages.
The reason why he wandered around the mortal villages was because the life of mortals was the real mortal world.
He wants to comprehend the true meaning of life and death in this mortal world.
One month.
Two months.
One year.
Two years.
In the past two years, he has seen many people die and many babies be born, and has gained a deeper understanding of the mysteries of life and death.
Initially, he thought.
Life means being alive, hope and a beginning.
Death represents death, despair, and the end.
However, these are just appearances.
He remembered clearly what the old man in the straw raincoat said: appearance can deceive the eyes.
In the past, he believed in these appearances too much.
And now, he concluded.
Life and death seem far apart, but in fact they are only one step apart. The extreme of life is death, and the extreme of death is life.
But there was one thing he couldn't figure out, which made him very upset.
One day, he returned to the small river where he met the old man in the straw raincoat who was fishing again.
But today is different. Today the sun is shining brightly and the heat is baking the earth.
Similarly, two years later, the old man has become older and older, but he still sits by the river, unafraid of the scorching sun, and concentrates on fishing.
Wu Tian walked over and said with a smile: "Old man, I didn't expect to meet you again."
The old man looked over and smiled faintly, "Young man, it's you. Are you looking for something?"
Wu Tian sat next to the old man, looking at the float in the water, and said, "Yes, I have been looking for an answer, but for more than two years, I have not been able to find it. This makes me very confused and irritated."
The old man said, "Then tell me what you mean. Although I am just an ordinary old man, I have lived for sixty or seventy years after all. I have some understanding of life and may be able to answer one or two questions for you."
"Then thank you, old man."
Wu Tian smiled slightly and said, "To be honest with you, what I have been looking for is the true meaning of life and death."
"The true meaning of life and death?"
The old man was slightly stunned, and shook his head and said: "You actually pursue such a vague question. You, young man, really have nothing to do after eating."
Wu Tian smiled bitterly.
The old man was silent for a while, then said hoarsely: “Young man, everyone has different feelings about life and death.
For example, in my understanding, life is a state and death is a stillness.
Life is hope, death is twilight;
Life is reincarnation, death is the other shore;
The blooming of flowers is life, the falling of flowers is death;
In fact, it is useless to say more. Life is short, so it is better to live happily and die peacefully. If we talk about the true meaning of life and death, it is not difficult to understand it. Young people, have you ever heard the saying, "If you don't know death, how can you know life?"
"If you don't know death, how can you know life?"
Wu Tian pondered over it carefully, and suddenly he had an epiphany. He stood up and bowed, "Thank you for your guidance, senior."
The old man shook his head and said, "I just said it casually, don't take it so seriously."
"Although the old man said it casually, to a junior, every word is worth a thousand gold. Please accept my three bows." Wutan clasped his hands together and performed three big bows.
The old man smiled and said, "It seems that you already have the answer in your mind, then go home and don't disturb me from fishing here."
"Junior, take your leave."
Wutan bowed, turned and walked towards Long Village.
After he completely disappeared, the old man slowly stood up and took off the hat on his head, revealing an old face. However, this face was slowly changing. After a while, a middle-aged man with a vicissitudes of life appeared.
"Although I can help you, I still hope that you can be reborn through hard work. Try your best. Your mother and I are looking forward to your return home."
The middle-aged man whispered, which then gradually faded away and finally disappeared without a trace.
Three months later!
Long Village, yard.
Wutan finally returned to this home.
The two little ones immediately came over, chattering and asking questions, their eyes full of concern.
More than two years have passed. Shao Chen is already fifteen years old and has become a handsome man. Shao Ling is also fourteen years old and has become much more mature than before.
The yard was still as clean and tidy as it was before I left, which showed that the two little ones did not slack off.
Wu Tian sat on the table and chair and said with a smile: "Shao Chen, you are almost sixteen years old!"
"I'll be sixteen in six months, Uncle Ugly. You said that you would help me open ninety-nine spiritual veins when I'm sixteen. You can't go back on your word." Shao Chen laughed.
Wu Tian smiled and said, "Of course, from today on, you don't have to do housework anymore."
Shao Chen was surprised and asked: "Really?"
Shao Ling hurriedly asked: "Uncle Ugly, what about me?"
Wu Tian looked at Shao Ling and said, "You are still the same as before, and you have to take care of all the housework by yourself."
"all?"
Shao Ling stared at Wu Tian in amazement, and then angrily said, "Why does Shao Chen not have to do any housework, but I have to take on all the housework? Aren't you obviously biased?"
Seeing the little sister's aggrieved face, Shao Chen's face turned red. He wanted to laugh but didn't dare to. He coughed a few times and said, "Little sister, don't be so rude."
"Get out of my way."
Shao Ling glared at him fiercely, then looked at Wutan, gritting her teeth and looking ferocious, as if to say, if you don't give a satisfactory explanation today, I won't serve you anymore.
"I haven't even finished talking yet, why are you in such a hurry?"
Wu Tian shook his head helplessly, pointed forward, and said calmly: "Shao Chen, do you see that mountain? I want you to raze it to the ground within half a year, and you are not allowed to use your cultivation, you can only use the dagger in your hand."
Shao Chen looked in the direction he was looking and saw a mountain ten miles ahead that was over a thousand feet high and covered an area of several hundred feet!
At that moment, Shao Chen's eyes glared so wide that his eyeballs almost popped out.
You have to flatten such a huge peak within half a year without even using your cultivation power. You must be kidding me!
Moreover, that huge peak is made of stone. Even with a dagger that can cut through iron like mud, it would be difficult to accomplish this!
You must be joking, uncle.
Shao Chen muttered in his heart.
"Haha, you deserved it for laughing at me just now."
At this moment, Shao Ling smiled with glee.
Compared to this arduous task, doing housework seems much easier.
"Shut your mouth, little girl."
Shao Chen said angrily, looking at Wutan flatteringly.
Wu Tian smiled and said, "Go quickly. If you don't complete the task, I won't help you."
Shao Chen looked at him eagerly and asked, "Is this really necessary? Uncle, can we discuss this?"
Wu Tian shook his head without any negotiation.
At that moment, Shao Chen seemed to have something stuck in his throat. He couldn't utter a word, and his face was full of bitterness.
Seeing this, Shao Ling laughed even more exaggeratedly, put his hands on his waist, and scolded: "Why are you talking so much nonsense? If uncle asks you to go, then go. Otherwise, you won't have lunch at noon."
"You little girl, remember this."
Shao Chen glared at his younger sister angrily, then walked towards the mountain with a dagger in his hand and full of anger.
Even though I was extremely unhappy, I had to fight for the sake of the ninety-nine meridians!
Shao Ling made a face at her brother's back, then seemed to think of something, looked at Wu Tian, and asked worriedly: "Uncle Ugly, will you let me do this in the future?"
Wu Tian smiled and said, "No, after all, you are a girl, this kind of thing is not suitable for you."
"Then I'm relieved. I'm going to the back mountain to chop firewood. I'll cook you some delicious dishes later to welcome you. Uncle Ugly, let me tell you, my cooking skills are really amazing now."
Shao Ling patted his chest, breathed a sigh of relief, then grabbed the dagger and ran happily towards the back mountain.
Wu Tian shook his head and smiled, looking towards the distant horizon, a trace of relief appeared on his face, and he looked extremely relaxed. He whispered: "Next, let me live this life quietly."
If you don’t know death, how can you know life
What this sentence means is, if you have never died, how can you understand the true meaning of death
How can you be reborn if you have never died
He didn't know if the old man was hinting at something, but he had already understood the true meaning of life and death. If he wanted to be reborn, he had to die first.
Of course, this kind of death does not include suicide or self-mutilation, because then it would be meaningless.
He has to experience the mortal world, go through the mortal world, see through the mortal world, and understand the mortal world, until he slowly grows old and dies naturally.
This is the true meaning of transforming one’s body into a mortal and unifying one’s mind; tasting all aspects of the world and understanding the mysteries of life and death!
Only in this way can you truly break out of your cocoon and become a butterfly, and be reborn!
(End of this chapter)