Am I completely poor Or miserable

Tang Xiaoyu said, the female cultivator firmly kept his words in mind. She felt Tang Xiaoyu made a lot of sense.

The immortal cultivation world never lacks arrogance, but how many arrogant manage to ascend alive?

[Mm mm mm, being alive is the most important thing. I need to be more careful in the future. If my senior sisters and brothers understand this, they wouldn't have lost their lives.]

The female cultivator thought to herself as Tang Xiaoyu continued.

"Xiaoxue! Regardless of seeking help from others or not, make yourself familiar with those around you during your free time, do them a favor, give little gifts. When good things happen, they will also think of you. Relationships are built on mutual help, which is also called social etiquette."

Tang Xiaoyu rattled on and on, while Tang Xiaoxue and the other female listened and nodded.

Having finally finished his reminders, he took out the last ingot of silver and handed it to his sister.

"When you go out into the world, how can you not bring money? This is the best your brother can do. I only have this much. I will send you more when I start earning money."

He turned towards the female cultivator, "Please take good care of my sister. May I also ask for the name of your sect?"

"Qingyun Sword Sect,"

Tang Xiaoyu cupped his fist, "Thank you, cultivator. I shall take my leave."

He turned and left. No matter how Tang Xiaoxue called out, he did not turn back.

The female cultivator took Tang Xiaoxue away on her flying sword. Only then did Tang Xiaoyu continue on his way.

"I don't want to become a deity or immortal. I only wish to leisurely spend my time in this mortal world, to travel every mountain and river, then use my poems to exchange for wine money."

Humming a song while appreciating the scenery along the way, Tang Xiaoyu's mood gradually recovered from the sadness of parting.

Yet unknown to him, someone had been following him all this time.

Hearing Tang Xiaoyu's singing, the middle-aged man's mood also improved significantly as the confusion in his heart gradually disappeared.

When Tang Xiaoyu reached a river bank, he stopped.

"This place is nice. I shall spend the night here. It's a good chance to catch some fish to improve my meal."

Speaking which, Tang Xiaoyu put down his luggage, rolled up his pants, and started catching fish among the rocks and mud pits.

Soon, he caught quite a number, about the size of a palm.

Seeing he has caught enough, Tang Xiaoyu went ashore and started a fire to clean the fish.

Very quickly, preparations were done. Tang Xiaoyu stewed the smaller fish into soup, while grilling the bigger ones directly.

Looking at his masterpiece, Tang Xiaoyu said, "Just like my childhood days. While it doesn't look good, the taste hasn't changed."

When he's about to tuck in, a voice called out, "Little brother, may I try some too?"

Turning around, he saw the middle-aged man from before, standing not far away.

Tang Xiaoyu quickly stood up, "Sir, how did you get here?"

The middle-aged man walked up to Tang Xiaoyu, smiling, "Because of you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

Tang Xiaoyu was even more puzzled. [What does this have to do with me? Can't be someone who came to kill me! That's not right, I'm not the protagonist. How can I have the attributes that attract and look for trouble?]

[Could it be he wants to hear me sing again? If that's the case, isn't he my first fan? I should try my best to meet the requests of my first fan!]

"Sir, please tell me your needs. As long as I can fulfill it, I will certainly not decline."

A hint of slyness flashed past the middle-aged man's eyes. "You said it!"

Tang Xiaoyu patted his chest. "I said it!"

"I wish to wander the lands with you."

Tang Xiaoyu nearly stumbled. Unsure, he asked, "You're not joking with me?"

The middle-aged man said solemnly, "I'm not joking."

"What good will it bring you to follow a poor bloke like me who can't even fill his stomach?"

"Freedom."

Tang Xiaoyu thought for a while. "Other than starving, it is quite free."

"As long as you don't despise my company, you can follow me for as long as you wish."

"Then it's decided. For now, I'm also living as an ordinary man."

Tang Xiaoyu nodded. [You experts really play it differently. I can never learn that. Nevermind, having someone like him around makes me feel safer.]

"Since that's the case, I can no longer address you as Sir. Uncle, shall I call you Uncle?"

"Good. You call me Uncle. What shall I call you?"

"Xiaoyu is fine."

"Then, Xiaoyu, can we eat now?"

[Never ask about his age. Just assume he's grandfather's generation and I'm grandson's generation.]

[Don't ask about his name either. If enemies come looking for him, my natural reaction would be that I don't know him. There will absolutely not be any loopholes. How clever am I!]

"Uncle, please have a seat. I'll dish out some fish soup for you."

Speaking which, Tang Xiaoyu used his sister's bowl to scoop a bowl of fish soup, and randomly took two of the biggest grilled fish.

Seeing Tang Xiaoyu give him the best share, the middle-aged man felt a little emotional.

[This boy does have a heart.]

This wasn't because Tang Xiaoyu was thoughtful. It was ingrained in him that elders and juniors will get the best stuff.

"Uncle, eat while it's hot. I'll go catch more fish if it's not enough."

"Enough, enough. Xiaoyu, you should eat too."

"Alright."

The middle-aged man was named Lu Changchun, family leader of the Lu Family in Maple Moon City, at late Foundation Establishment realm.

(The realm ranking in this world: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, YuanYing, Deity Transformation, Embryonic Ascension, Divine Tribulation, Mahayana. Each realm consists of early, mid and late stages.)

This Lu Changchun could be considered a figure, having risen from an illegitimate son to current family leader. This showed his scheming and ruthlessness.

Drinking the purely salty and slightly fishy soup, Lu Changchun did not find it unpleasant at all. He finished the entire bowl in one breath.

Tang Xiaoyu was shocked. "Uncle, drink slowly. Don't scald yourself."

"It reminds me of when I was small. I lost control for a moment."

Lu Changchun recalled as he spoke, "I loved catching fish and digging out bird eggs as a child. Also picking mushrooms. I would cook all these into one pot. That taste... it really makes me nostalgic now that I think about it!"

Hearing mushroom, Tang Xiaoyu asked, "Uncle, you can tell which mushrooms are poisonous and which are edible, right?"

Lu Changchun smiled. "I don't have that ability. I only know a couple types of edible mushrooms."

Tang Xiaoyu clapped. "That works. You can point out the edible mushrooms to me in future. That will give us one more source of food."

"No problem."

With Lu Changchun joining him, the journey became much more interesting.

Like an inquisitive child, Lu Changchun asked about everything, leaving Tang Xiaoyu with a big headache.

"Xiaoyu, what's your dream?"

"Marrying a wife and having a bunch of kids."

"No, I'm asking about your dream."

"That is my dream!"

"Haven't you ever thought about immortality, ascending to the immortal world?"

"Never thought about it. Don't want to either."

Lu Changchun was very puzzled and probed further. "Why don't you want to?"

"Because I know my own ability. With so many arrogant geniuses and demons who never ascended, what makes you think I can ascend?"

"Am I poor to the core? Am I tragic beyond compare?"

Tang Xiaoyu turned solemnly towards Lu Changchun, "Uncle, face reality! The one in ten million chance will not fall on either of us."

Lu Changchun refused to give up. "What if you succeed by fluke?"

Tang Xiaoyu rolled his eyes. "A one in ten million chance, yet you still say 'what if'. How many 'what ifs' do you need?"

"Uncle, let me ask you, how many people are there in this whole continent?"

"Just Eastern State alone definitely has over hundreds of millions. The entire continent simply can't be counted."

"How many can cultivate immortality?"

"A few out of every thousand people perhaps!"

"Then in the past thousand years, how many successfully ascended?"

"Less than a handful. Sometimes, none in a millennium."

Tang Xiaoyu shrugged. "This proves my point. Let's just wash up and sleep. No point thinking about those empty pipe dreams."

Lu Changchun felt Tang Xiaoyu made sense. "Xiaoyu, after your comparison, I suddenly understand. We should just let nature run its course!"

"That's right. Not even able to live a few decades clearly, why think about that immortality."

Lu Changchun's face flushed red immediately. [I haven't even lived my few hundred years clearly. Does that make me really stupid? I shouldn't be that stupid right!]

"You're right." He still brazened it out and agreed.