Chapter 46 Unknowingly Going Astray (1/2)

”I had a headache deciding on what to gift you. I can easily afford jewelry but it's too ordinary and martial arts training manuals are probably of no use for people like you. I gave a thought about it, and perhaps your father invited me here for a favor. If I put it all my effort to fulfill the request, that would be the most precious gift ever.” Shen Lian smiled as he let his guard down.

”Son, you are a smart person. Shisiniang, stop making it difficult for him.” An old voice with a hint of a smile could be heard.

Xin Shisiniang rolled her eyes, hit the stalk of the old plum tree and headed inside.

The first thing Shen Lian saw as he entered the lighted place was an elderly man with a figure similar to Xin Shisiniang. The elderly gave out a wise aura; one can tell from his eyes that he had been through time. His gaze was duller compared to the Old Master Shen.

Anyone with great wisdom would have experienced tremendous winds and waves. They may not have taken the initiative to train their spirits but they were capable of remaining calm and collective.

Just like the saying, cool as a cucumber. His expression would probably not change even if a mountain collapsed right in front of his eyes.

This showed that he had achieved a very high level of enlightenment. He may not be a celestial being or Buddha, but he was apart from other practitioners.

Such spiritual calmness was not achievable with sheer spiritual power. It was obtained by securing one's natural instinct and letting go of what one had acquired in his lifetime.

Shen Lian may be a composed person but when it came to spiritual calmness, he may not be able to match Old Master Shen who had been around longer than him.

The elderly person was not pretentious. He lightly nodded his head and a simple gesture as that made him looked old and frail.

Back then when Shen Lian was still in school, he attended several lectures by old professors like this elderly man. Although they were in their eighties and nineties, they were so full of energy and charismatic. Even if they were talking about basic arguments, it was always a pleasure to hear them speak.

Shen Lian submissively said, ”Greetings to you sir.”

”Son, you came through the snow from afar. Although we were a little ignorant, we were just testing out your bravery. Sure enough, you are indeed as peaceful and as solid as jade. I've definitely picked the right person.”

The elderly signaled him to take a seat.

The winter night may be freezing cold but the elderly and Shen Lian was not affected by it. They just sat around the fireplace and spoke to each other.

Xin Shisiniang served them tea. The tea looked crystal clear but it was bubbling on the surface as if it was extremely hot.

Shen Lian took a small sip to test the temperature. After determining that the heat was acceptable, he took a big gulp without hesitating. After swallowing, he could feel a rush of warm air gushing up from his belly. That made him felt really good.

”Are you not worried that the tea might be poisoned?” Xin Shisiniang asked crudely.

”What your father did to Ye Liuyun was unpredictable. Even if I was being careful, what could I have done to prevent something from happening? I might as well come clean and be honest about it,” Shen Lian laughed. He witnessed the elderly's techniques and became aware of the skills gap between them. He knew that no tricks would save him and the best bet was to behave well.

”This is the spirit awakening soup. A late friend of mine taught me how to make it. Although you have been working hard and you have a pure spirit, it seems that your physical body is rejecting your training. You have reached the realm of astral projection, but you were not able to experience the transcendent state. If this goes on for long, you might fall into psychosis.” The elderly was able to see through Shen Lian.

Shen Lian knew that his unofficial training would cause problems to him sooner or later. All he could do was to constantly remind himself to be careful and things would be fine but it was still something inevitable.