Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

The teleportation array was like an elevator that suddenly took you from the first floor to the eighteenth floor. It was very fast and made people feel dizzy. Zhu Wuyao experienced a long-lost version of motion sickness in another world.

Before she could even stand up straight and see her surroundings clearly...

Then someone blindfolded him.

She did not resist and was led to the room she had been to before.

The cloth strip was removed, and the cave was just as dark as the last time I came; I didn't even need to adjust to the light.

She looked at the withered and shriveled old man in front of her; this old man looked as if he had been slashed a hundred and eighty times by a bladeless sword.

It makes you feel like it could shatter into bone fragments in the next instant.

However, Zhu Wuyao dared not underestimate this old man.

The last time the two brothers who drove the cart brought her to see the old man, they were extremely respectful.

From this, we can infer that the old man's identity is quite extraordinary; he is very likely a figure who keeps order in the mine.

When faced with this kind of character, Zhu Wuyao is always polite. No matter how many times he thinks "old man" in his heart, he will still greet him with a respectful "yes" when they meet.

"Old Bookman".

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

Zhu Wuyao had already seen the unsharpened sword that had been thrown into the pile of junk. It was so simple and unadorned that no one could see any supernatural power in it.

Except in specific scenarios, it's not quick enough at killing people.

In addition, she also saw her own storage bag on the old scholar's desk, which surprised Zhu Wuyao.

She was penniless, and she could count everything in her storage bag with her eyes closed.

Could it really be because of the storybooks?

As expected, the old book master took out the sequel to "Outer Gate Servant" and said:

"Although it has some clever ideas, it is actually shallow. After turning thirteen pages, one can understand the writing style. Reading it again is like chewing wax, with no surprises."

"Only this one sentence—"

The old scholar's tone seemed to carry admiration, and his eyes showed a hint of appreciation as he turned the manuscript and continued reading:

"It cannot be struck without causing injury, cannot be cut without being cut, and cannot be stabbed without causing harm."

"Holding white without being black, pure without being mixed, dark without being obscured, resting in the balance of heaven without being false."

fire.

This is a description of Mingchi's "fire of no reason" in the storybook.

As mentioned above, taking advantage of her rebirth, Ming Chi and her sister Ming Wan, known as the "Water and Fire Duo," seized opportunities everywhere, earning a fearsome reputation in the cultivation world that made people grit their teeth.

The manuscript in the old man's hand was the sequel.

The reason why Mingchi did not leave the Hundred Virtues Sect was precisely because of this opportunity to receive the flame of innocence.

Within the Hundred Virtues Sect, there is a "key" that Ming Chi has already obtained. However, when she steps into the blessed land and faces the Unruly Flame again, she unexpectedly discovers that she is unable to subdue it.

because--

"Mechanical deception is not hidden in one's heart."

The old man's voice rang in my ears as he slowly recited this sentence.

In the process of rebirth, everything returns to its origin. It may seem that nothing has changed, but in the end, things are still different.

Ming Chi is no longer the Ming Chi of the past.

She schemed against the Hundred Virtues Sect, all the opportunities she knew, and the cultivation world. She was no longer reckless; she learned to be patient and cunning.

Deception, concealment, and inaction.

She had many opportunities to save those who could have survived, but for her own benefit, she weighed the pros and cons and decided to take the fire out of nowhere, also for revenge and for her own selfish gain.

The fire of folly burns away greed and delusion, and naturally it can harm the present-day Mingchi.

In his previous life, Ming Chi obtained the Flame of No Return by being chased in a blessed land and accidentally stumbled upon this place.

What is gained unintentionally can be lost if desired.

Ming Chi laughed for a long time in front of that sea of ​​fire. She laughed so hard that she bent over, and when she looked up again, her eyes were full of coldness.

She raised her hand to block the entrance.

Since she can't have it, then no one else should either.

After returning home, Mingchi intended to pretend nothing had happened, but unexpectedly saw that her sister Mingwan had actually made contact with Chu Sheng.

In her second life, she didn't change much in order to hide herself in the shadows, lest she lose her "precognition".

In that instant, Ming Chi felt a surge of killing intent, seeing Chu Sheng as if he were a dead object.

"These few sentences are quite interesting."

Upon hearing the old man's words, Zhu Wuyao felt a sense of admiration.

These few lines about the fire of folly are certainly accurate, because they weren't written by her at all.

It is adapted from "Huainanzi".

Furthermore, she forcibly pieced together three different paragraphs.

The phrase "striking it causes no damage" comes from the "Huainanzi: Yuandao Xun," which describes water, not fire. However, it is not out of place to use it to describe fire, so she borrowed it for this purpose.

The phrase "pure and unyielding" comes from the "Huainanzi: Chuzhenxun" and it wasn't written in a popular style at all. It's just that when Zhu Wuyao saw this passage, what came to mind was popularity.

Because the imagery is similar, she adapted it here, connecting it with the previous sentence.

The following phrase, "mechanical deceit and fraud, not hidden in the heart," comes from the "Huainanzi: Benjingxun".

It is not used to write about fire.

However, in Zhu Wuyao's view, these eight characters perfectly embody the meaning of "wuwang" (无妄).

In other words, these three sections were forcibly pieced together, but they used content from different volumes.

If this book-loving old lady had seen through the signs of "patchwork", she might have guessed that these were not cleverly chosen sentences, but rather three sentences she had extracted after reading a certain book.

What he saw was not just that one sentence, but the entire book of Huainanzi.

This is not the most shocking part. You should know that the book "Huainanzi" is a Taoist classic, and its ideas are inherited from the "Tao Te Ching".

In the Tao Te Ching...

The old man continued, "Since it is a combination of water and fire, and the fire of no reason has already revealed its true meaning, then what do you intend to say about water?"

Zhu Wuyao was startled.

This old book is truly remarkable; one can see the whole picture from a single glimpse.

"After reading your writing about the fire of no reason, I reread 'Outer Sect Servant' and guessed some of the structure of your writing."

"If there is anyone who can break the deadlock, it would be Ming Chi's older sister, Ming Wan."

"Then, the interpretation of water should be superior to that of the fire of no reason. If the fire of no reason reflects Mingchi's temperament, then the image of water should be consistent with Mingwan."

"But I consider myself a book connoisseur, having read through my entire collection, and I have never seen a single passage about fire, let alone one that could definitively prevail when discussing water."

"Could you please enlighten this old man?"

That's amazing, truly amazing.

He had indeed guessed correctly.

Zhu Wuyao suddenly felt like laughing. She had fallen to such a state, with her spiritual power sealed, her appearance ruined, and her right shoulder bone shattered. Survival was already a struggle, yet she had encountered such a clever person here.

Not only did he guess how her story would unfold, but through this short description of fire, he also touched upon... her origins.

I caught a glimpse of the world behind her.

If they weren't in this situation, Zhu Wuyao would really like to have a good talk with him.

Unfortunately, they were enemies, not friends.

Zhu Wuyao pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "The ocean is vast because it embraces all rivers."

The old man shook his head.

"No, that's not the sentence."

"How can the canal be so clear? Because it has a source of living water."

The old man's eyes lit up, then he shook his head and said, "No."

"Originating from the ends of the earth, whether clear or turbid, it is due to the circumstances of its location."

The old man's eyes flickered with uncertainty as he shook his head and said, "No."

Of course she knew which sentence the old man wanted to hear.

But that's not enough.

If the Tao Te Ching is played first, it's like throwing out a royal flush at the start, leaving no room for follow-up plays, essentially rendering the remaining cards worthless.