sonovelo Chapter 740: The Great Dao of Politeness (I)
Chapter 740: The Great Dao of Politeness (I)
Chapter 740: The Great Dao of Politeness (I)
At Lin Bei's casual beckoning, a man emerged from the depths of the cavern, where countless star-like lights flickered. There was a faint glow around him, making him appear almost like a spectral apparition.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, a pleasure indeed."
The man wore long robes colored green and white. He had a gaunt face, with facial features that made him look like a good-natured man. Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be in his sixties or seventies.
The old man stepped out of the darkness with a serene and welcoming smile, giving a bow each to Chu Liang and Xu Ziyang. He bowed so low that it was no longer just a greeting but rather a show of flattery.
Chu Liang eyed the old man with some confusion. "And you are...?"
Logically, the only living being in this cavern should have been the "terrifying existence" that had been sealed away for nearly two thousand years—the ancient devil whom Madam Hongyu had referred to as Grand Ancestor Fuyou.
Yet, the old man before them didn't seem terrifying at all... In fact, every wrinkle on his face radiated nothing but politeness. How could he be that supposedly terrifying existence?
Recalling Madam Hongyu's warning, Xu Ziyang cautiously asked, "Are you Grand Ancestor Fuyou?"
"Oh, no, no, no! Please, don't call me that," the old man said. He chuckled embarrassedly, waving his hands in rejection of the term of address. With utmost humility, he explained, "Those were just youthful follies, reckless times... I ended up with a rather bad reputation. You can call me Little Fu, Little You[1], or even just Little Ancestor—it's all fine!"
"Uh..." Chu Liang uttered, finding himself at a loss for words.
He couldn't quite figure out what the old man was playing at. Did he want to ask them for a favor?
Before he could dwell on it further, a deafening thunderclap boomed outside, followed by a streak of violet-gold lightning striking down! The three young men turned pale. Divine lightning spared no one, and they wouldn't be able to avoid it even though they were in an underground cavern.
At that moment, Grand Ancestor Fuyou huffed, lung out his wide sleeves, and swung his arms forward in a beckoning gesture.
Whoosh!
The countless tiny glowing lights behind him converged into a dense cluster, merging with the red mist rising from the depths of the earth. In an instant, they sealed off the entrance to the underground cavern.
"Hohoh." Grand Ancestor Fuyou smiled ingratiatingly. "I'm not strong enough to halt the divine lightning for a long time, but I can at least protect this part of the underground cavern. My young friends, you may rest easy here."
Chu Liang gave a slight nod. "Many thanks..."
With this, it was finally confirmed that this old man truly was the legendary Grand Ancestor Fuyou. Anything else could be faked, but power could not.
Chu Liang turned his gaze to Lin Bei, his eyes carrying a silent question. Lin Bei had only arrived moments before Chu Liang and Xu Ziyang, yet he seemed to have already settled into this strange place.
"Heheheh!" Lin Bei laughed heartily. "No need to be so reserved. Oldie Brodie here is a good guy; he's easy to get along with."
"A mayfly's fate is to be born at dawn and perish by dusk. It should not have even the faintest trace of divine intelligence," Grand Ancestor Fuyou said slowly. "But by sheer luck, I encountered the South Sea's Hallowed Mother, who had once cultivated in the Ruins of Return. I clung to her divine presence, soaking in the Hallowed One's spiritual qi all day and night. Miraculously, I did not die. A long time later, I even awakened my spiritual nature."
Good heavens, Chu Liang thought. No wonder this old man was called an ancient devil. He has been alive since the era of the South Sea's Hallowed Mother. That's some serious longevity.
Grand Ancestor Fuyou continued, "After the Hallowed Mother perished, I drifted across the world, continuing my cultivation journey sporadically for thousands of years. You can surely imagine how difficult it was for a mere mayfly to cultivate. It took me millennia before I finally attained the Heavenly Origin.
"Perhaps it's because my true form was so short-lived, fated to be born and then die the next day, that I came to treat each new dawn as the start of a new life, each day as a cycle of reincarnation. Over time, through these endless cycles of life and death, I gained insight into the Great Dao of Reincarnation. Ultimately, I was able to smoothly gain control of it. Given my meager spiritual qi, it was nothing short of divine mercy."
This was, indeed, a fate decreed by the heavens.
Though Grand Ancestor Fuyou spoke lightly of it, Chu Liang knew the difficulty of such a path. The Mount Shu Sect's Conservation Master was also devoted to the Great Dao of Reincarnation. He underwent a cycle of rebirth each day, awakening as a different person each time. Even then, his cultivation progress was painstakingly slow.
For Grand Ancestor Fuyou, his origin had been a shackle, yet it had also granted him a unique advantage. Born fragile and fleeting, wouldn't each new day be considered a new life for a mayfly?
Truly, there was no shame in having a humble origin.
Grand Ancestor Fuyou continued his tale. "After I attained the Heavenly Origin, that became my greatest pride. I had once lived cautiously, believing every extra day I survived was a blessing. But after achieving attaining this Great Dao, my ambitions began to grow.
"Using the myriad mayflies under my control, I tried to become the South Sea's ruler. Had I succeeded, the various demon tribes of the Ruins of Return and even the South Sea would have become my puppets—forced to obey my commands and to work as slaves under my subordinates."
It was incredibly jarring to hear such a humble old man recount his past as a great devil.
Chu Liang was hesitant to praise Grand Ancestor Fuyou about what an inspiration he was, afraid the old man would take it too seriously and immediately fall to his knees in gratitude.
"Fortunately, that old—uh... Elder Brother Wuchao..." Grand Ancestor Fuyou nearly blurted out "that old thief," but at the last moment, he switched to a respectful title instead. "He fought me in a great battle. I was defeated and sealed here. For two thousand years, I have done only one thing."
He solemnly squeezed out one one word: "Self-reflection."
1. He calls himself Little Fu/Little You because Fuyou in Chinese is 蜉蝣 (Fu You), but we format it as one word in English because he doesn’t have a surname. His name means “mayfly.” ☜
GLTD Alternate Universe's Thoughts
Translator: LD
"Oldie Brodie" - courtesy of GT.
Term Change:
Honorable Ancestor -> Grand Ancestor