"I've heard about it."
Tai Ping nodded, then said with a look of longing:
"Uncle Zhao at the village entrance said that there's an immortal on Yunlu Mountain, not far from our village. A few years ago, the serpent demon from Qing Shui Town was killed by the immortal from the mountain. The immortal flew through the sky and vanished into the earth, so impressive."
The old man chuckled upon hearing this and then asked:
"Tai Ping, would you want to be like those immortals—immortal and able to fly and travel through the skies?"
"Of course I do!"
Little Tai Ping nodded without hesitation, then scratched his head shyly and smiled:
"But Uncle Zhao said that in order to practice cultivation, one must be born with a spiritual bone. If you have a spiritual bone, your name will automatically appear in the immortal register, and then an immortal will personally come down from the mountain to take you to cultivate. If you are just an ordinary bone, you won't be able to cultivate immortality."
It was clear from Tai Ping's tone that he felt a bit disappointed.
"Tai Ping..."
The old man hesitated for a moment, then looked at Tai Ping seriously and lowered his voice, asking:
"If there's an opportunity that could allow you to gain entry into the immortal register, but it comes with a risk of death, would you be willing?"
"To... get into the immortal register?"
Little Tai Ping was first stunned, then began to think seriously.
"Grandpa, if such an opportunity really exists, I'd like to give it a try."
After a moment, he lifted his head and looked at the old man on the bed with determination in his eyes.
"Why? It's dangerous, you know."
The old man smiled gently, staring into Tai Ping's clear eyes.
"If I become an immortal, I can cure your illness, Grandpa."
Little Tai Ping replied matter-of-factly.
Upon hearing this, the old man froze for a moment before he smiled again.
"Tai Ping, take... take this."
The old man struggled to raise his hand and handed a somewhat worn wooden box to Tai Ping.
"Grandpa?"
Tai Ping looked at the wooden box in confusion.
Since Tai Ping could remember, his grandfather had always carefully guarded this box, not letting anyone see it.
"Open... open it."
The old man said with great difficulty.
"Alright..."
Although confused, Tai Ping obediently nodded and opened the wooden box.
When the box was opened, little Tai Ping saw a red wax pill and a simple yellow bean seed inside.
"This red wax pill is something a Taoist gifted me ten years ago when we met by chance. It's called the Spirit Bone Pill. When taken, it can turn an ordinary bone into a spiritual bone, allowing your name to appear in the immortal register."
Before Tai Ping could ask, the old man explained while pointing to the red wax pill in the box.
"Such an immortal medicine exists in the world?"
Little Tai Ping's face showed disbelief.
"The world is vast, and there's nothing it lacks. What's so surprising about a Spirit Bone Pill?"
The old man nodded seriously.
"Since the Spirit Bone Pill has such miraculous effects, why didn't you take it, Grandpa?"
Little Tai Ping suddenly asked.
"The Taoist said that the Spirit Bone Pill is only effective for children between the ages of nine and eleven. When I got this pill, I was already sixty-three. Your father, your second and third uncles, they are all already past their prime. It would be useless for us to take it."
The old man gave a bitter smile.
It was clear that he had some regret.
If possible, who would want to miss out on such an immortal opportunity?
"Also, the effect of the Spirit Bone Pill lasts for only half a year. If you cannot reach the Qi Transformation stage within that time, the sect will discover that you are just an ordinary bone, and your name will be removed from the immortal register. At best, you'll be expelled from the mountain; at worst, your soul and memories will be erased, and you'll be turned into a fool."
The old man furrowed his brow as he spoke.
Tai Ping was startled when he heard this.
But after thinking for a long while, he nodded seriously, looking at the old man with earnest eyes:
"Grandpa, I still want to try."
In his mind, once he entered the immortal sect and learned immortality, he would be able to cure Grandpa's illness. It was worth the risk.
"Alright."
Seeing Tai Ping's determination, the old man nodded in satisfaction, then took the wax pill from Tai Ping's hand, peeled off the outer layer of wax, and personally placed it to Tai Ping's lips.
"Eat it."
Little Tai Ping didn't hesitate and swallowed the Spirit Bone Pill in one go.
Once the pill entered his stomach, Tai Ping felt a warm current flow through his body, as if a gentle hand was caressing him.
However, beyond that, there was nothing particularly special.
"Is... is this it?"
Little Tai Ping asked in surprise, looking at the old man.
"It won't be long before an immortal from the mountain comes down to take you."
The old man smiled and nodded.
At this moment, his expression was complex, with both joy and worry.
The joy was self-evident. Tai Ping was his most beloved grandson. He was happy to see him walk the path of immortality.
But the worry was because this path was bound to be extremely difficult. Tai Ping might not even last six months and could be expelled from the sect, becoming a fool and leading a miserable life.
"On this long, dusty road, an ordinary bone seeks the immortal's fate. If one doesn't endure the countless dangers of the mortal world, how can they open the gate to the immortal realm?"
The old man suddenly remembered a beggar Taoist who, before leaving, had said these words.
Recalling this, the old man's eyes grew firm again—"It's right to let Tai Ping walk this path!"
"Grandpa, what about this bean?"
Little Tai Ping, feeling a little anxious, suddenly picked up the yellow bean in the wooden box.
"This is also something the old Taoist left behind, though he didn't say its exact purpose. He only said that if one day you have the chance to enter the immortal sect, you should use the spiritual soil of the mountain to plant this yellow bean. At that time, you'll gain another great opportunity…"
The old man replied weakly.
"Cough... cough..."
After saying this, the old man started to cough violently.
"Grandpa, drink some water, don't speak anymore."
Tai Ping hurriedly stepped forward and supported the old man.
"Tai Ping... keep the bean... what I've told you tonight... you must not... must not tell... anyone..."
The old man tightly grasped Tai Ping's wrist.
"Don't worry, Grandpa, I won't tell anyone!"
Little Tai Ping nodded firmly.
"Tai Ping, you're quick-witted, but the world is dangerous. You must be very careful…"
At that moment, the old man, coughing up blood at the corners of his mouth, suddenly hugged Tai Ping tightly with both hands, looking him in the eyes with all his remaining strength, and shouted:
"Tai Ping, my whole life has been spent seeking the immortal path, but I've been bound by this ordinary bone. You must fight back! Fight for all the ordinary bones of this world!"
After saying this, the old man's body stiffened, and he collapsed back onto the bed.
"Grandpa... Grandpa?"
Tai Ping's heart sank.
He shakily stretched his hand to the old man's nose and found there was no breath. His gaze dimmed.
"I... I have no grandpa anymore..."
Little Tai Ping stood there in a daze, tears welling up in his eyes. Eventually, he broke down and cried aloud.
A few years ago, when his parents died, he didn't cry.
When he fell off a cliff while gathering herbs, he didn't cry.
When he was trapped by wild wolves in a cave for days without food or water, he didn't cry.
Because he knew, he was not alone; he still had Grandpa.
That night, Little Tai Ping lost his grandfather.
That night, the name of "Xu Tai Ping" was added to the Spirit Bone Monument at Qing Xuan Sect on Yunlu Mountain.
"A boy named Xu Tai Ping from Qing Niu Village at the foot of Yunlu Mountain has developed a spiritual bone. Immediately notify the seventh peak's peak master and have them send disciples down to escort him."
The elder guarding the Spirit Bone Monument placed a letter in the beak of a white crane.
"Understood, master."
The white crane spoke in human language, then spread its wings and soared into the sky.