1 Meeting an immortal

It was early in the morning, just as the sun started to rise up into the sky.

In a simple wooden cabin beside the road, an old man silently stood still in the middle of the room, holding a heavy sword with both hands. He was around 50 to 60 years old, with black hair and some white mixed in together.

However, although he had a well-built body, filled with years of harch battles and dedication to the sword, not even a slip of Qi exhaled from his body. Then, in the morning silence, the elder figure began a fierce invisible battle, majestically swinging the sword, with precise moves and slashes. It was a berserk fighting style, without stop.

The practice went on for the whole morning until the elder stopped with a last powerful flash, cutting to the air with a loud sound. He was soaked in sweat, slowly putting the sword away. Revolt filled his eyes as the ache in his arms became stronger after every day. Leaving the pain aside, he continued his daily routine, taking a bath, eating some dark hard bread and putting on an old leather armor.

With a trace of anticipation in his eyes, he slowly walked down an empty dirt road, heading to a great walled city. From the distance, the sea of massive buildings seemed to reflect the golden rays of the sun.

The gates at the walls were quite crowded, as many merchant groups came and went, bringing riches from all the corners of the world. Then, in the middle of all that movement was a grand palace. The shining purple walls detached it from the other buildings, together with its tall golden towers and beautiful gardens. That was the residence of the City Lord, the greatest and more powerful figure around those lands. He held the life and death of everyone in his hands, being the ultimate leader who everyone responded to. As such, his life was filled with wealth and the most beautiful women such prestige could buy. Some even said the City Lord pursued immortality through the ways of cultivation.

However, all of that was too distant from the elder man. He could simply look from below all that glory and just imagine how it would be if life had smiled to him as it smiled to the current City Lord. Such thoughts always filled his heart with big resentment, from things of the past that were not worth mentioning anymore. As the years passed by, the man got more and more buried in his harsh reality.

Old age was already at his doors and in no time even his ability with the sword would abandon him as his body deteriorated by the action of time. Walking up to one of the great gates, he just presented himself for work. Receiving some instructions from the Head Guard of the gate, he rapidly began his patrol around the wall.

It a simple guard position, without any prestige or respect from others. Anyone with some decent sword skill could snatch one of these jobs. The win was low and it was totally deprived of meaning. As such, only people without perspectives or hopes ended up in such roles. Who in their good mind would dare cause trouble in the Great Red Hill City? As such, such jobs were just for show. However, a man has to have his own pride. Even if the job was totally a waste of time and all his peers just sat in a corner and drank, the elder man did his patrol diligently.

It was a boring job, that began early in the morning and went until dark dawn. Every day, the elder man had the mission to patrol the wall facing the Dark Nether Forest. Although its scary name, the dark forest was nothing more than millenary oak trees and some wild beast, like wolf and bears. However, in all his years guarding that front, the elder man never once encountered such beasts, only hunting down a fox or two. The patrol went on until the darkness filled the sky once more.

Finishing his last round, the elder man began a steady walk heading into the forest. Every day after his shift, he would enter deep into the forest to go fishing at the river the cut through its middle. He already had a clear path through which he always passed. However, that day was kind of strange. It was completely silent as if the whole forest was deep asleep.

Normally, at such hours, the wood would be filled with strange and suspect sounds, like the flight of the owls that can out hunting at night. But today was everything silent. Not paying to much attention to his wild thoughts and imagination, the elder man continued down his path until the sound of water filled his ears.

After some seconds, he arrived at a dark river with fluent water. At an old tree by the side of the river was a bamboo fishing rod, together with some small berries used as bait. Silently sitting by the water, the elder man hooked a berry and began his fishing night. However, after almost an hour without even a bite, he became to suspect something was wrong.

Normally, by now, even in the bad days he would have caught at least two fish. Pondering some time, he contented himself with the hunger he would have to bear in the night and prepared to head back home. However, as he was about to leave, a harsh voice sounded from the woods nearby, in a sarcastic tone.

"You can give up catching fish here of the next century..."

Surprised by the so near voice, the man immediately jumped back a few steps, pulling out his sword in a defensive position.

"Who goes there!? Reveal yourself!"

However, not receiving any response after some time, the elder man cautiously started walking in the direction he heard the strange voice.

After some meters of cutting down dead vegetation, a figure finally revealed itself. It was a young-looking man. His features were astounding. If compared to any handsome young lord of the city, that man in front of him would certainly humiliate any of them with his looks. It was like comparing the bright Heavens with the lowly Earth. Sword-like eyebrows, perfect jawlines, and mysterious purple isis. However, beyond all those features, that young man had some kind of imposing aura, like he was a dragon among men.

But ignoring the man's looks, the elder man noticed a great wound through the man's whole chest. It was like a cut of a sword, leaving a bloody mess on the young man's clothes. Apparently, the young man passed out after saying those words but was still breathing. Looking at him for some time, the elder man felt some pity in leaving the young man lying unconscious and with such heavy wounds inside the forest.

As so, he carefully put the man on his back and slowly began his travel back home. In the way, the elder man tried to remember if he knew that young man from anywhere. However, unable to guest the man's identity, he decided to head home and ask him when he was better.

Back at home, the elder man put the wounded man above his bed and did his best in closing up his huge sword wound. As such, some days went on as the old man continued his normal routine and cared for the injured man. And as the young man had said, the elder man never again caught any fish at the river, having to search for a new fishing place. This went on until one day the old man was silently heading home. Upon entering the wood cabin, he found the young man awoken and sitting on the bed, analyzing his curing wound. The old man was truly surprised by the young man's tenacity and heath since his wound was now just a light scar.

"Are you the one who treated me?"

Giving a nod, the old man got closer to the young man.

"Are you feeling better?"

Hearing such words, the young man chuckled.

"Yeah, but I would be much better if the Worldy Qi in his countryside wasn't so thin!"

Hearing such words, the experienced old man felt a shiver go up his spine as he took two steps back.

"Could you be a Cultivator? Those heard about only in the Old Tales!?"

Laughing a bit, the young man suddenly extended out his hand, creating a small dark fog upon his palm.

"What do you think?"

Seeing such a scene in front of him, the old man's poster became much respectful. Although he had his pride as a man, it would be stupidity offend an ancient master without even noticing it. However, in the same instant, a pinch of curiosity filled his heart and he could not hold back in asking:

"Then... Ancient Lord, could his humble mortal inquire how many eons you walk upon Earth?"

He was quite curious about the young man's age, as he always dreamed of immortality and all he could do with its wonders. But upon hearing the old man's words, the young man had a burst of energy, scaring the crap out of the old man.

"Who are you calling old?? This young master over here is but only 25 years old!! Only a baby in the eyes of us Cultivators! How could I be one of those stupid old farts??"

Somehow in panic, the old man rapidly thought of flattering words and voiced them out loud:

"Of course Young Lord is full of youth vigor!! It was these old man's eyes that fail to see your greatness!! How could you, who strive for the hearts of the goddesses themselves be stained by the ugliness of age??"

Hearing such pleasant words, the young man instantly calmed down and left out a prideful snort, puffing his chest out.

"Hum, it looks like you're not all that bad! Right, this young master over here really did take down a Goddess with his charm once!! Hehehe"

Looking at the young man bragging about himself, the old man could not help but ignore him in his heart but did not dare to voice those thoughts. Then, after some time, the young man stopped his narcissist brag and once more looked at the old man.

"Old man, what is your name?"

"Young Lord, this mortal's name is Merlin."

"Hum, very well! Good name, I think it sounds good! And by the way, this young master's name is Luke!"

After introducing their name, an awkward silence occurred between them, until the young man once more spoke.

"Well, from what I can see, you helped me in my need. And this young master doesn't like owing anyone anything, even if it's a mere mortal!"

Then, after thinking for a while, the young man's eyes brightened up.

"Old man, I have an offer for you: I can give you so much riches that not even if you lived 10 lifetimes, you would be able to spend it! Or, although your advanced age, I can initiate you in the Path of Cultivation!"

But before the old man could voice his choice, the young man spoke once more:

"But if I pass down my clan's cultivation technique to you, you have to serve me as my follower for life! Hehehehe!"

Holding his words back immediately, doubt once more filled the old man's heart. Before the young man stated his condition, the old man was going to choose the path of cultivation. The fuck with riches! He was almost heading to his death in a decade or two from old age, so how could riches and money be of any use for him?

But with the ability to cultivate, he could easily dethrone the current City Lord and live lifetimes of pleasure! Yeah, in his heart, the old man was not that kind, since striving for treasures and the pleasures of life was human nature. But now, with the condition of becoming an immortal and legendary Cultivator being to submit his life to serve the young man in front of him, doubt filled his heart. Which path was the best choice?