Chapter 001: The First Meeting of Two People

At this point, Wu Mian paused for a moment, turning back to take one last look at the cave he could no longer remember how long he had stayed in. Then, quite casually, he waved his arm in the direction of the cave, and just as his arm fell, the cave in front of him suddenly collapsed with a loud "boom".

At this moment, the evening session of the preaching hall had concluded. Master Xu Fu sat cross-legged in the center, holding a bamboo scroll in his hands. By the dim light of the oil lamp, he lowered his head to read the contents written on the scroll. Behind him stood three individuals in an orderly manner; two men and one woman, their ages indiscernible, yet their appearances suggested they were between twenty and forty years old, all sharing the same white hair as Guangren. On either side of Xu Fu, there were twenty to thirty close disciples standing with their hands at their sides. Although there were many people in the hall, it was eerily quiet, without the slightest sound.

In a state of panic, Li Si hurriedly raised his hands to protect his head, just as it seemed that this esteemed Chancellor was about to meet his demise at the jaws of the fire serpent. Xu Fu silently changed his gesture, and at the moment the fire serpent was about to make contact with Li Si's face, it transformed into countless sparks that scattered and then vanished without a trace. However, the hair on the Chancellor's forehead was still slightly singed, and the entire preaching venue was filled with a faint smell of burning.

When Li Si arrived at the shores of the Bohai Sea, it was already evening. The blessing ceremony of the day had concluded. Although he was already aware of the news that the Chancellor was coming on behalf of the Emperor, the Grand Master Xu Fu did not come out personally to greet him. Instead, he sent his eldest disciple, Guang Ren, to welcome him. Guang Ren was also quite peculiar; despite appearing to be under thirty years old, he had a full head of white hair, and his loose-fitting garments made him seem even older. Led by Guang Ren, Li Si and his companions slowly entered Xu Fu's preaching hall. Guang Ren was also quite peculiar; despite appearing to be under thirty years old, he had a full head of white hair, and his loose-fitting garments made him seem even older. Led by Guang Ren, Li Si and his companions slowly entered Xu Fu's preaching hall.

In the tenth year of the Qin Dynasty under Emperor Qin Shi Huang (210 BC), in his quest for the elixir of immortality, the Emperor commanded the Grand Master Xu Fu to lead three thousand young boys and girls to cross the sea to the Penglai Fairy Mountain. To ensure the success of this endeavor, Xu Fu observed a hundred days of fasting and prayer. On the final day of the prayers, the Emperor sent Chancellor Li Si to the shores of the Bohai Sea to deliver the Emperor's sword, jade talisman, and bronze mirror as auspicious gifts in pursuit of immortality.

"Your ears are not deaf." Wu Mian continued in his unique tone, which seemed to disdain all things in the world: "Of course, it is also acceptable to call me 'Hey' without using a name."

Observing Li Si's disheveled appearance, Xu Fu said with a faint smile: "May I ask, Prime Minister, do you still believe this is an illusion?" Li Si stared at Xu Fu, and after a moment of hesitation, he gritted his teeth and replied: "Even if you were to reverse the sun and moon, and dim the stars, it would merely be an illusion to deceive the world! Unfortunately, I am not a foolish commoner. The Grand Master has chosen the wrong target this time!"

As expected, Xu Fu closed the bamboo slips and looked up at the chief alchemist, saying: "Your Majesty, after taking the elixir, have there been any symptoms of blood in the urine?" The chief alchemist was taken aback for a moment, then forced a smile and replied: "Yes, on the day the Grand Alchemist left Xianyang, His Majesty the First Emperor exhibited symptoms of blood in the urine. However, Lord Zhao Gao said this is a side effect of the elixir, merely expelling excess heat, and there is no need to alarm the Grand Alchemist about this..." He continued with a smile, saying: "Yes, on the day the Grand Alchemist left Xianyang, His Majesty the First Emperor exhibited symptoms of blood in the urine. However, Lord Zhao Gao said this is a side effect of the elixir, merely expelling excess heat, and there is no need to alarm the Grand Alchemist about this..."

Xu Fu's gaze shifted from the heart of the earth he held in his hands to Li Si's face. With a playful smile, he spoke to Li Si word by word: "Great Chancellor, is this also an illusion?" As the last word left his lips, Xu Fu suddenly clenched the heart. The beating heart was brought to a standstill. Li Si felt a sudden tightness in his chest, and then his entire body curled up. He attempted to reach out to grab the heart, but before his hand could extend, he had already collapsed to the ground, shaking uncontrollably as if he were having a seizure.

"Are you calling me?" The white-haired Wu Mian coldly glanced at Gao Liang. As he spoke these words, a layer of white frost instantly covered the blood-red trees around him. After Gao Liang shivered, he quickly changed his tone and smiled, saying, "Hey... what? You don't need to say anything more, I understand. However, I wouldn't dare to change your name and surname. How about this: your esteemed surname remains, and we change the latter part to Renyi... that doesn't sound too good, then De Gui... that's not what I meant either. How about Peifu? It seems like someone has been called that before... but I wouldn't dare to change your name and surname. How about this: your esteemed surname remains, and we change the latter part to Renyi... that doesn't sound too good, then De Gui... that's not what I meant either. How about Peifu? It seems like someone has been called that before..."

As soon as the chief steward finished speaking, Xu Fu's expression darkened. With a loud "bang," he threw the bamboo slip to the ground: "Zhao Gao... what is he? Since when has a eunuch become an alchemist? As for the medicinal symptoms... he can't even tell a deer from a horse, how does he know what medicinal symptoms are?" At this point, Xu Fu paused, his eyes fixed on the chief steward of the alchemists, and when he spoke again, his tone had dropped several pitches: "Do you think that by changing my elixir formula and altering His Majesty's record of medicinal symptoms, I would be unaware of it?"

At this moment, Li Si had been watching at the door for quite some time. He did not allow Guangren to enter and report, but merely looked at the scene before him with a cold smile. After the chief alchemist was frightened into submission, he let out a cold laugh and walked into the lecture hall with his hands behind his back, looking directly at Xu Fu and saying: "Is this how the Grand Master treats his guests? Although I am not talented, I represent His Majesty the First Emperor, and there is no need for Zhao Gao to intimidate me, right?"

After speaking, Li Si suddenly flicked his robe sleeve and turned to leave. However, at the moment he turned, Xu Fu had already appeared behind him. Li Si was taken aback; he could not comprehend how Xu Fu could have appeared behind him in such a brief moment. Just as the Chancellor was lost in thought, Xu Fu's hand had already been raised, and like a knife, it plunged into Li Si's heart in front of the onlookers. Li Si was taken aback; he could not comprehend how Xu Fu could have appeared behind him in such a brief moment. Just as the Chancellor was lost in thought, Xu Fu's hand had already been raised, and like a knife, it plunged into Li Si's heart in front of the onlookers.

However, the three characters "Wu Ren Di" that Gao Liang thought of had a different meaning in Wu Mian's ears: "Wu Ren Di ... ... Alright, this can be considered a name. This time, you have saved yourself ... ... "

In front of Xu Fu sat a Taoist priest in a white robe, wearing a tall crown, with great respect. Li Si recognized this person; he was the chief alchemist in the palace who served Emperor Shi Huang by preparing elixirs. According to custom, he had come to report to the Grand Master about the Emperor's progress in consuming the elixirs and the physical reactions following the ingestion.

As he spoke, the sky had already darkened. Wu Rendi, who had changed his name, looked up at a patch of clouds in the western sky that resembled the shape of a phoenix, and murmured, "Time passes so quickly; I can hardly remember what it was like before I came into this world..."

At present, Gao Liang could only mention the names popular in his hometown, but the surname of this white-haired man felt awkward when paired with those names, and the more he spoke, the worse Wu Mian's expression became. By the end, Gao Liang himself felt he could not continue. At that moment, he heard Wu Mian coldly say: "Having listened to your nonsense until now, I am somewhat impressed by my own good temper. However, if you still want to continue testing my limits, you should be careful; perhaps with your next words, you will have to say goodbye to this life."

The pale yellow wine slowly poured into the glass, and as the liquid filled up more and more, Xu Fu showed no intention of stopping. Li Si lifted his eyelids and cast a cold glance at this generous master, choosing not to speak up to stop him, but instead waiting to see Xu Fu's embarrassment when the wine overflowed.

After confirming that Wu Mian wanted him to rename himself, Gao Liang let out a bitter smile and, without thinking, blurted out a word: "Hey..."

When the white-haired man touched the paper bag, he already knew what was inside. After pondering for a moment, he took out a fist-sized, almost transparent jade figurine of a human face.

After the shock came furious anger, and Li Si could no longer care about the dignity of the Chancellor. He suddenly stood up from the mat and stared at Xu Fu, saying: "Although Li Si is unworthy, I am still a disciple of Gouxizi, a student of the sage. Why must the great master use such trivial tricks of illusion to test me!" After saying this, Li Si raised his wine cup high and violently smashed it to the ground. With a crisp sound of "bang!", the wine cup shattered into pieces.

"There is no need for further discussion; I acknowledge this." Before the highlighted speaker could finish, the white-haired man, Wu Mian, interrupted him. After casting a sidelong glance at the overweight man in front of him, he continued, "If your wish is for me to go to that so-called polling bureau, then consider that wish fulfilled. However, I must remind you that this oath is only binding on you. If one day you are no longer here, the oath will automatically be nullified. At that time, even if your polling bureau collapses before me, I will not waste a single second." I must remind you that this oath is only binding on you. If one day you are no longer here, the oath will automatically be nullified. At that time, even if your polling bureau collapses before me, I will not waste a single second.

Only after pouring the entire half jug of sweet wine into Li Si's cup did Xu Fu stop. He looked at Li Si and smiled, saying: "This sweet wine should be consumed in one go for the best experience, my lord, please enjoy."

Xu Fu and Li Si locked eyes, both remaining silent. For a moment, no one in the assembly dared to speak up, and the atmosphere grew tense. After a while, Xu Fu finally smiled slightly and said to the esteemed Chancellor of the Qin Dynasty, "My lord, do you say this is an illusion?" Li Si let out a cold laugh and replied, "Indeed! The sage does not speak of strange powers or chaotic spirits, but if the grand master were to deceive me with an illusion, then I can only report the facts to His Majesty and request His Majesty's judgment"

The small jade statue is carved with exquisite detail, perfectly resembling the young man. The elderly person's gaze upon the jade figure is somewhat dazed, as if the long-silent thoughts of many years have suddenly surged forth.

The reaction of the white-haired young man was within Gao Liang's expectations. He remained silent, merely smiling as he stared at the man before him. It was not until the white-haired man came to his senses that Gao Liang, with a smile, ruffled his hair and continued to gaze into the man's eyes, saying: "Mr. Wu Mian, I have heard that there is a legend regarding this ice jade statue, something about you. For instance, whoever can hand it over to you will have one wish granted, or something along those lines. I wonder if it is true..."

These few sentences were spoken slowly, but to Wu Mian's ears, they made this three-hundred-pound man break out in a cold sweat. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said to the white-haired man in front of him: "Wu Rendi, do you think this is still appropriate? Even the nickname sounds smooth..."

At this moment, Xu Fu seemed oblivious to the overflowing wine, continuing to pour it incessantly. In the blink of an eye, the wine had risen several times above the cup, resembling a nine-story pagoda, precariously swaying as if it were about to topple over. However, in his astonishment, Li Si's hand began to tremble slowly, yet not a single drop of wine spilled over.

What Li Si never expected was that Xu Fu continued to pour wine without stopping. As he tilted the vessel in his hand, sweet wine continuously flowed into Li Si's cup. The wine in the cup had already risen more than twice the height of the cup, yet not a single drop was spilled. Li Si was greatly alarmed, but having held the position of Chancellor for many years, he had long since become unflappable in the face of any situation. Although he was astonished in his heart, there was not the slightest hint of it on his face. The wine in the cup had already risen more than twice the height of the cup, yet not a single drop was spilled. Li Si was greatly alarmed, but having held the position of Chancellor for many years, he had long since become unflappable in the face of any situation. Although he was astonished in his heart, there was not the slightest hint of it on his face

Startled, when Wu Mian came to his senses and turned around, he looked at the dumbfounded fat man and said slowly: "From now on, Wu Mian has already vanished along with this cave. Since you are blind and dare to bring me back into the world, it is as if I have been reborn. You might as well give me a name for this life as well."

Even someone as astute as Gao Liang was taken aback by such an eccentric proposal. At that moment, he blinked his eyes while smiling and tentatively said: "I haven't eaten much meat lately, and my ears are a bit inflamed. I mistakenly heard it as you asking me to name you, how amusing that would be..."

Suddenly, another person spoke, causing almost everyone in the venue to look towards Li Si. Xu Fu smiled slightly, bowing his body slightly in the direction of Li Si, as a gesture of half-respect, and then said: "I have neglected the esteemed Prime Minister. According to etiquette, I should have gone out to welcome you, but I have been observing a hundred days of fasting and dared not leave this place of prayer. I hope you can forgive me." As he spoke, Xu Fu gestured with his hand, pointing to the mat in front of him, and said: "Please take a seat, esteemed sir." The Taoist supervisor, who had originally been prostrating in that position, wisely crawled back a few steps to make way. Then he repeated: "I have neglected the esteemed Prime Minister. According to etiquette, I should have gone out to welcome you, but I have been observing a hundred days of fasting and dared not leave this place of prayer. I hope you can forgive me." As he spoke, Xu Fu gestured with his hand, pointing to the mat in front of him, and said: "Please take a seat, esteemed sir." The Taoist supervisor, who had originally been prostrating in that position, wisely crawled back a few steps to make way.

"It's just a title; as long as you can go back with me, you can call me whatever you like. Even if you want to call me Wu Liang, as long as you are willing, we can even become sworn siblings without any problem." As he spoke, the chubby man named Gao Liang smiled slightly, then took out a bulging brown paper bag from his pocket and respectfully handed it to the white-haired man. After watching the man in front of him take it, he continued, "You recognize this item, right? For the past two years, my little polling bureau has been doing nothing else but looking for it..."

Xu Fu looked coldly at Li Si and repeated what he had just said: "Does the Grand Chancellor still think this is an illusion?" Li Si wanted to speak but could not make a sound no matter what; in the end, he exerted all his strength just to slightly shake his head.

As soon as Xu Fu uttered these words, the atmosphere in the entire preaching hall suddenly became tense. The chief alchemist turned pale with fear, prostrating himself on the ground, repeatedly bowing to Xu Fu while saying: "Great Master, in your mercy, this is all the idea of Lord Zhao Gao. I, a lowly official, truly do not dare to disobey. Great Master, in your mercy, Great Master..."

Although there are quite a few perceptive individuals, I had not anticipated that I would need to give a name to this white-haired person. Not only was I unprepared, but due to the constraints of the era, he had not received much education, let alone come up with a name that carries any special meaning

Watching Li Si sit down reluctantly, Xu Fu smiled slightly, took a ceramic pot from beside him, and said: "This place is not like Xianyang, there is really nothing to entertain the esteemed guest. This sweet wine mixed with honey water is the only thing that can be swallowed, please..." As he spoke, Xu Fu had already raised the ceramic pot. The Grand Master personally poured the wine, something unheard of until today. Even when drinking with the First Emperor, there was no rumor of Xu Fu holding the pot. Although Li Si held the esteemed position of Chancellor, he hurriedly brought his wine cup under the ceramic pot.

Xu Fu then smiled faintly, exerting force to squeeze the heart. With the stimulation of external force, the heart that had already stopped beating began to thump again. Xu Fu crouched in front of Li Si, returning the heart to Li Si's chest. After this ordeal, Li Si was drenched in sweat, soaking through three or four layers of clothing, looking as if he had been drenched by a heavy rain

After Li Si finished speaking, unexpectedly, Xu Fu let out a hearty laugh. He then looked at the Prime Minister and said, "If you think what just happened was an illusion, then take a look at this." As the last word left his lips, Xu Fu waved his hands, and a fire snake, as thick as a bowl, suddenly shot out from his hands. The fire snake twisted in the air before opening its fangs and charging straight towards Li Si's face.

Li Si was completely unprepared for Xu Fu's actions. He watched in shock as Xu Fu's right hand plunged into his own chest. Strangely, not a single drop of blood flowed from Li Si's chest. He could even feel that hand rummaging around inside his body, as if searching for something. Li Si wanted to retreat and break free from Xu Fu's control, but his limbs were stiff and unable to move, as if they were no longer under his control

Moments later, when Xu Fu withdrew his hand from Li Si's chest, a fresh blood heart was left in his palm. This heart throbbed in Xu Fu's hand, and at that moment, Li Si also felt as if something was missing from his chest, a wave of pressure surged over him. He widened his eyes, staring at the heart in Xu Fu's hand, wanting to say something, but the words that came to his lips could only turn into a series of "quacking" sounds that burst forth from his throat

"As long as you do not take action yourself, I will strive to live for another two years. Mr. Wu Mian, what do you think..." Upon hearing Wu Mian relent, Gao Liang also quietly let out a sigh of relief. Just as this sentence was halfway through, the young man named Wu Mian interrupted him: "Don't be so polite, but I do intend to be born here. Since you want me to re-enter the world, then a complete resolution must be made beforehand."

In 1981, in the heart of Wugong Mountain, Jiangxi. In front of a cave hidden among the blood-red trees, a man dressed in white, appearing to be only in his twenties yet with a head full of white hair, glanced sideways at the chubby man across from him who was grinning widely. In a tone edged with sarcasm, he slowly said: "Finding this place must have taken you some effort, but I am really curious where you get the confidence to think I will definitely follow you to that polling station. Just because you say your name is Gao Liang? You are not my son, so why should I worry about you?"