Entering the Dao

In the early morning, a ray of sunlight snuck in through the crack of the curtains, and lying in bed with her hair in disarray, Xu Nanzhi opened her eyes, feeling some soreness and weakness all over. Beside her, Su Chengyu was still sleeping soundly. "Who said he was incompetent? Beaten black and blue, and yet he could still keep me up for the better part of the night—his body, it's already amazing." The bed was a mess, and her clothes were strewn about the floor, evidence of a somewhat wild night. When Su Chengyu woke up, he heard the sound of running water coming from the bathroom, and Xu Nanzhi's clothes lay beside the bed. He lifted the blanket and took a glance at himself, naked as the day he was born, "Holy shit, this isn't a dream? Did I really sleep with Aunt Xu?" Su Chengyu felt like he had had a beautiful dream, one in which he absurdly indulged in pleasure with Xu Nanzhi to his heart's content. Xu Nanzhi was none other than Hong Ye's woman, and also Jiang Yuyan's aunt—this was just too crazy! Su Chengyu's mind gradually cleared up. Last night he had indeed been somewhat impulsive. The desires he'd repressed for twenty years had erupted in one go, and the woman he faced was the fatal attraction Xu Nanzhi—it made sense that he could not restrain himself. But as for how to handle the situation next, Su Chengyu was at a loss for ideas. At that moment, the sound of water stopped, and Xu Nanzhi walked out of the bathroom wearing a bathrobe, wiping her wet hair with a lazy expression, yet still exuding a seductive aura. "Xu... Aunt Xu..." Su Chengyu spoke like a child who had done something wrong, but Xu Nanzhi didn't acknowledge him. After drying her hair, she came over to pick up her clothes and walked away. Soon after, Xu Nanzhi returned to the room dressed. Her face wore a look of cold arrogance, a stark contrast to the heat of the previous night. She was still that lofty, proud Xu Nanzhi. Xu Nanzhi pulled out a bank card and tossed it onto the bed. "There's a million in the card. Take the money, leave quickly, and let's never see each other again," Xu Nanzhi said indifferently. "What's this supposed to mean? Is this what you're paying me for my services, or is it a tip?" Su Chengyu felt humiliated. They say men are heartless, that they don't recognize you once they've pulled up their pants. And now Xu Nanzhi was flipping the script the moment she dressed! "It's your getaway money. Leave Lin Jiang, because if last night's events come to light, both of us will end up dead. If it's not enough, I can give you another million, or name your price!" Xu Nanzhi sat down and crossed her legs in an uncaring manner. "I don't want your money," Su Chengyu shook his head. "Then what do you want?" "I want you," said Su Chengyu with a burning gaze. "Crazy. I am Hong Zhen Ting's woman, you should be very clear on that. Stop talking nonsense!" "But last night, you slept with me. You were my first woman, and I don't want you to be Hong Zhen Ting's woman anymore. I just want you to be mine," Su Chengyu declared firmly. "Don't be so naive. I wanted to cuckold Hong Zhen Ting, and you just got lucky and got a good deal. You just did something others wish they could but don't dare to do," Xu Nanzhi said nonchalantly, as if the romantic events of last night had left no imprint on her heart. "We are not children. For a one-night stand like this, we just played a bit and got what we needed. It's best we go our own ways. If you're talking about feelings, you're just being sentimental," Xu Nanzhi stated before she picked up her bag and stood up to leave. But Su Chengyu couldn't act like nothing had happened as Xu Nanzhi had just done. The pleasure of the previous night had already left a mark on his heart that he couldn't shake off! "Aunt Xu, don't go!" Su Chengyu, naked, jumped out of bed and chased after Xu Nanzhi, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. "Aunt Xu, I've fallen in love with you. I don't want us to part." Su Chengyu buried his head in Xu Nanzhi's long hair, inhaling her intoxicating scent, feeling the softness at her waist. He was deeply ensnared and couldn't extricate himself. "Fool. You have no idea what love is. Your feelings for me aren't love—it's just lust for my body," Xu Nanzhi said without mincing words. "Aunt Xu, I'm almost thirty years old now, I think I can tell the difference between love and desire!" Su Chengyu whispered in Xu Nanzhi's ear. "Now, you're not qualified to talk of love in my presence, and you're certainly not worthy of being with me. Let go! From now on, we need not see each other again." Xu Nanzhi struggled free from Su Chengyu's grasp, opened the hotel door, and left without a second glance, showing no mercy. Su Chengyu stood rooted to the spot, the warmth of Xu Nanzhi's touch still lingering on his hands, her faint scent still at the tip of his nose, but this woman ultimately did not belong to him. The man behind her, Hong Zhen Ting, was the underground king of Lin Jiang, a big shot who could control the wind and rain in Lin Jiang. Compared to such a person, Su Chengyu was nowhere close! Su Chengyu began to crave power, influence, and status immensely. The former him, with a gentle personality, enjoyed reading and practicing calligraphy, living a simple life almost devoid of great ambition. But his wife's betrayal and his brother's treachery had accumulated hatred and rage in his heart. The one-night stand with Xu Nanzhi further prompted Su Chengyu to pursue power, influence, and status; otherwise, he would only live a life of abjection. "Aunt Xu, just wait, one day I will be worthy of you!" Su Chengyu got dressed and took a USB drive out of his wallet, plugged it into the hotel room's computer. This USB drive was given to Su Chengyu by his grandfather just before passing away, with the instruction to open it only when he could speak. Now it was time to open it, and Su Chengyu was eager to find out what his grandfather had left him on the USB drive. After entering the password, he successfully accessed the drive, which contained several recorded videos. Su Chengyu clicked on them in order and saw his grandfather sitting on a Taishi Chair in the old house, his face still kind and gentle. He had never seen his parents since his birth; it was his grandfather who had raised him, and their bond was deep. His grandfather was a well-known fortune teller in Lin Jiang, an expert in appraising antiques and calligraphy, with an impressive collection. The Jiang family was once very poor, so Jiang Zhicheng, Jiang Yuyan's father, frequently visited Su Beiming for guidance. As a term of the arrangement, he settled the marriage between Su Chengyu and Jiang Yuyan. Under the mentorship of Su Beiming, Jiang Zhicheng indeed started to flourish, eventually setting up a company. Though not exceedingly wealthy, he still amassed a fortune of millions. Including Chen Jun's father, who had also flourished in business thanks to Su Beiming's advice. Chen Jun and Su Chengyu grew up together, brothers close as can be! Who would have thought, the best of brothers and his most trusted wife would end up betraying him and swallowing up the legacy left by his grandfather! The feeling of injustice in Su Chengyu's heart was indeed hard to pacify! Su Beiming once told Su Chengyu that he was a celestial being fated to undergo trials in the mortal realm, destined for misfortune and unlikely to live beyond twelve years of age. In order to change his fate, at the age of six, he was sealed by Su Beiming to close his speech and spent his days in silence, reading and practicing calligraphy. By cultivating his character and nurturing his spirit, he could dissolve karmic ties and reverse his destiny. "ChengYu, when you're watching this video, it means your life's tribulations are over and the seal is broken. And by that time, your grandfather will have already passed. That's why these videos were recorded in advance." "All these years, your grandfather had you cultivate your character, taught you the ways of breathing and meditation, reading and practicing calligraphy, all for the purpose of accumulation. Now, with your wealth of knowledge, the moment you become enlightened, you can ascend the Dao. The Grand Supreme Taoist Scripture that your grandfather made you memorize can be cultivated according to the methods recorded in it." "The path ahead has been laid out for you by your grandfather. As for the journey of cultivation, how far you can go depends on your own creation." Since he was young, Su Chengyu was urged by Su Beiming to memorize the sacred classics, medical texts, and the most important of all, the Grand Supreme Taoist Scripture. The Grand Supreme Taoist Scripture recorded the Taoist cultivation methods, profound Dao techniques, as well as the arts of talisman and alchemy, which Su Chengyu had already mastered by heart. As a child, he had also practiced according to the Scripture and achieved nothing, so he believed Su Beiming was just an old charlatan, trying to train him to be a little con artist for food and drink. Now, hearing Su Beiming's explanation, Su Chengyu understood that in order to cultivate the Dao, one must first ascend the Dao, and to do that, enlightenment was required. Enlightenment is the threshold of cultivation. Without it, even with a thorough knowledge of the cultivation method, it would be useless. Most people can never achieve enlightenment in their lifetimes, while some prodigies may attain it at a very young age. Su Chengyu, approaching thirty and only just reaching enlightenment, was indeed a bit late. But at least it opened another door for him. This would be his opportunity to turn his fortunes around and gain power, influence, and status! "No wonder grandfather asked me to burn all the books in the house before he died. So these books were the real secret manuals of cultivation." Su Chengyu could hardly wait to test his aptitude for cultivation.