Chapter 128 Zhou Dian
Gu Qi, the old man, stroked his beard and smiled, "When I traveled here the other day, I saw a large building collapse. I was anxious to rescue, but unexpectedly found traces of your spellcraft. I didn't want to misunderstand, so I just stood by and watched. Later, I heard that nearly three hundred people died in the disaster, and I felt uneasy, so I came here..."
Although Eric found it very difficult to understand such words, he still understood them. He immediately interrupted the old man and asked, "Are you here to avenge those followers of the Shura Cult?"
"Not at all, not at all..." The old man shook his head and smiled, "I have no reason to stand up for those barbarians. I just have a few words of advice to tell you."
Seeing that the old man had no ill intentions, Eric's tone softened, "Please, go ahead."
"I observed your reliance, which is not martial arts but rather similar to Western magic, isn't it?"
This was the first person who had seen through his true nature at first sight. Eric nodded slightly, somewhat pleased.
"I didn't expect that Western magic, like in the novels, would have such great power. It seems that I underestimated it before!" After sighing, the old man said, "Although you are not proficient in martial arts, you should also cultivate your heart and refrain from creating too much evil, otherwise it will be difficult to attain the Dao..."
Upon hearing this, Eric was slightly stunned and asked in amazement, "Could it be that you are a legendary cultivator?"
"A cultivator?" The old man suddenly realized, "Are you referring to something like the setting in 'The Journey to the West'?"
The old man's words surprised Eric again. "Do you also read novels like 'The Journey to the West'?"
"Why wouldn't I?" The old man seemed to no longer need to pretend, speaking frankly, "If I don't find something to pass the time, I'll be bored to death..."
Eric asked with a sense of wonder in his heart, "It sounds like you've lived for quite a few years?"
"Maybe five or six hundred years?" Seeing the old man furrow his brow in thought, it seemed that he had completely forgotten about time.
Eric's heart skipped a beat.
Five or six hundred years old?... If he wasn't just talking big, wouldn't he be older than himself?
"You still say you're not a cultivator? Ordinary humans probably can't live that long, right?"
"When did I ever say I was an ordinary person?" The old man rolled his eyes in a very uncharacteristic manner. "In this world, there are no cultivators. At least in my hundreds of years of life, I have never encountered one!"
Seeing Eric's continued look of doubt, the old man explained on his own, "Although I am not a cultivator, my situation is similar to the concept of 'cultivating the Dao through martial arts' in Huang Yi's novels. I have basically transcended life and death now, just waiting to take that final step!"
"So powerful?"
"Of course! Have you forgotten who I am?" The old man puffed out his chest, showing off proudly.
In fact, Eric was talking about how impressive Huang Yi was, as an ordinary person could understand the truth of cultivating the Dao through martial arts, but unexpectedly, this shameless old man misunderstood.
However, Eric didn't intend to expose him, after all, "respecting the old and loving the young" is a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation, and this old man, who appeared completely different before and after, was the first person who was older than him in actual age!
"By the way, did you summon me here just to tell me what the 'Dao' is?"
The old man blinked his eyes and didn't answer.
Eric stared at him strangely.
After a while, as if unable to hold back, the old man exclaimed, "I've hinted at it so clearly, why don't you ask for my esteemed name and surname?!"
"Is that necessary?" Eric really didn't care much about this kind of etiquette.
"Why is it not necessary?" The old man waved his hand and said with annoyance, "Hurry up, as long as you ask, I will tell you immediately!"
Eric was helpless and had to say, "Alright, may I ask for your esteemed name and surname, sir?"
"Hahaha..." Seeing Eric comply, the old man was very happy, squinting and saying, "...I won't tell you!"
Eric felt that he was being played by a crazy old man, and his expression suddenly didn't look good.
"Okay, okay..." Seeing that Eric seemed to be about to explode, the old man hurriedly said, "I'll give you two hints,
First, I was once called 'Immortal';
Second, I once helped Zhu Yuanzhang resist the cruel Yuan Dynasty..."
"I got it..." Eric suddenly looked enlightened and said, "You're the Tai Chi Grandmaster Zhang Sanfeng!"
The old man, who had been very happy after hearing the first half of Eric's sentence, suddenly turned black when he heard the second half. "Who is Zhang Sanfeng? I've made it so obvious, how can you still not guess?"
Seeing the old man's expression, which was almost pulling his beard in frustration, Eric innocently blinked his eyes.
"You're really trying my patience..." The old man looked up at the sky and howled, saying, "Let me remind you one last time, Zhu Yuanzhang once wrote a biography specifically for me, the Immortal..."
"Who are you trying to fool?" Eric looked at him with disdain. "Everyone knows that Zhu Yuanzhang only wrote a biography for Zhou Dian... Are you trying to say you're Zhou Dian?"
"Why can't I be Zhou Dian?" The old man was slightly angry.
Eric tiptoed and looked at the top of the old man's head. "Legend has it that Zhou Dian was bald, but your hair is thick and shiny... Could it be a wig?"
"You... you... you're just infuriating me..." The old man roared, pointing at Eric. "Who said I was bald? That's pure slander..."
Seeing him so agitated, Eric was slightly surprised. "Could it be that you really are Zhou Dian? The one who couldn't be burned by fire or drowned in water?"
The old man seemed to be throwing a childish tantrum, huffing and puffing as he rolled his eyes at Eric, but he didn't say a word.
Eric had learned some ways to deal with such old stubborn folks from Eric Yun. He spoke gently, "Alright, my mistake. From now on, I'll call you Grandpa Zhou Dian."
Sure enough, as soon as Eric lowered his posture and spoke softly, the old man immediately responded. However, his response caught Eric off guard. "Don't call me Grandpa Zhou, call me Grandpa Xu!"
"Why?"
"I now go by 'Xu Shenzhi.' The name 'Zhou Dian' is long outdated!"
Eric asked again, "Why?"
"Ah, I'm just too famous..." His shaking head and sighing appearance seemed quite conceited to Eric. "Other old farts like to stay in remote places, unwilling to move, claiming they're detached from the world. But not me! I enjoy worldly experiences, like wandering around. To avoid being recognized by those who are curious, I had to give up my original name..."