“Oh my, old shopkeeper, what are you doing? Get up, get up…” Yuan Ming feigned surprise and quickly stepped forward to help him up.

However, the old man stubbornly refused to stand.

“Immortal Master, I saw everything earlier. This lump of gold was transformed from a stone in the courtyard by your immortal magic,” the old man said, crawling on the ground, not daring to lift his head.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming, who was supporting the old man’s arm, froze.

The old man immediately sensed his slight change and thought that he had shocked Yuan Ming by revealing his secret.

“Immortal Master, please don’t blame me. I didn’t mean to offend you. I saw it unintentionally. Only heaven and earth know about this, and I dare not let a third person know even a bit,” he quickly apologized, lowering his head even further, his face almost touching the ground.

At this moment, Yuan Ming let go of his hand, stood up straight, but did not speak.

The courtyard suddenly fell silent. The old man couldn’t see Yuan Ming’s expression change and wasn’t sure how he would react. He felt some regret and annoyance, and sweat began to trickle down his forehead, forming a small circle of dampness around his head.

Seeing that the pressure was enough, Yuan Ming finally let out a long sigh.

“Alas, I thought I had avoided everyone, but you still saw it. It seems it was destined to happen. Never mind, consider this piece of gold as payment for your hospitality. It’s a gift to you, and it also settles our karma.”

As soon as Yuan Ming said this, his image as a hermit from the outside world was immediately established.

The old man’s heart trembled, and he was now completely convinced.

“Immortal Master, I am not greedy for wealth and dare not accept your gold. But I have always been fascinated by immortal magic since I was a child. I only ask you to be merciful and teach me the magic of turning stones into gold. Then I will have no regrets in this life,” he did not get up, but instead kowtowed earnestly, pleading sincerely.

“You want to…” Yuan Ming seemed very troubled.

“Immortal Master, please teach me the skills of the immortals!” The old man’s head hit the ground with a “thud”.

“To be honest, the immortal master who taught me this magic once said that the magic of turning stones into gold should never be performed in front of others. If someone accidentally sees it, they must be generously rewarded to settle the karma. If you really want to learn, I can teach you, but…” Yuan Ming spoke when he saw the timing was right.

“Whatever the Immortal Master requires, just say it,” the old man saw an opportunity and quickly lifted his head, moving his kneeling legs a few steps towards Yuan Ming, and said.

“It’s not that I have any requirements, but if you want to learn this magic of turning stones into gold, you need to be penniless and in a predicament. Only in such a state of mind can you truly comprehend it, otherwise, the magic will not be successful. The so-called ‘magic should not be lightly passed on, it should be used to help those in urgent need’, that’s what it means,” Yuan Ming said slowly, his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze looking straight ahead into the void.

The old man was stunned when he heard this. After pondering for a while, he felt that it made some sense. However, when he thought about the wealth he had accumulated over the years, he couldn’t help but feel a little hesitant.

“About a year ago, I woke up naked in a graveyard. If it weren’t for the old immortal master who saved me, I would have lost my life long ago,” Yuan Ming continued to make up his story, speaking with some emotion.

The old man, lying on the ground, trembled again when he heard this.

But then, he heard Yuan Ming continue, “The old immortal master saw that I was in a predicament, penniless, and in a state of despair, which met the qualifications for practicing the magic of turning stones into gold. He pitied my plight and taught me this magic. But you are now living a comfortable life and cannot truly understand this state of mind, so naturally, you cannot learn it.”

The old man was relieved to hear that Yuan Ming did not mention more about the graveyard, but soon he began to have other ideas.

“Immortal Master, if I give away all my wealth and become penniless, can I learn it then?” The old man lifted his head, craned his neck to look at Yuan Ming, and asked.

“You can,” Yuan Ming nodded.

The old man was overjoyed. If he had such magic, what was his little wealth? It was something he could earn back with a flick of his fingers.

“Then, Immortal Master, after learning the magic of turning stones into gold, do I still need to remain penniless?” The old man asked cautiously.

“Of course not, do I look like I’m penniless?” Yuan Ming asked with a light laugh.

“No, no,” the old man quickly replied.

He was already calculating in his heart. First, he would transfer all his wealth to his son, then learn the magic. Wouldn’t that be the best of both worlds, with no risk at all?

“But I must remind you, if you really want to learn the magic of turning stones into gold, not only you, but your relatives also cannot have any wealth. You must be truly penniless and in a predicament, otherwise, your Dao heart will not be firm, and it will all be in vain,” Yuan Ming saw through his little scheme and immediately said.

Upon hearing this, the old man frowned and hesitated again, his face changing between light and dark.

But soon, he made up his mind, gritted his teeth, and decided to go for it.

“Immortal Master, it’s not easy for you to teach me this magic. Since I can’t keep any wealth, I might as well transfer all my wealth to you, Immortal Master, in exchange for you teaching me the magic of turning stones into gold,” the old man kowtowed again.

“Although I’m not interested in money, you are sincere and it seems we are indeed destined. After I pass this magic on to you, you must remember not to perform it in front of others. If someone sees it, you must also fulfill their wish,” Yuan Ming nodded slightly and instructed.

“I will definitely remember, definitely remember,” the old man was overjoyed and kowtowed repeatedly.

“Get up. Since I’ve agreed, I’ll stay here for another half day. You go and prepare, and when you come back, I’ll teach you the mantra and the method of casting the spell,” Yuan Ming said.

“Immortal Master, please wait in the room,” the old man kowtowed once more, then got up and hurried to the front yard.

Before long, the old man returned, holding a deep purple wooden box.

As soon as he entered the room, he turned around and closed the door, then placed the rather heavy wooden box on Yuan Ming’s desk.

“Master Immortal, this is all I have, I have not held back anything, it’s all for you.” Old Pipe, a bit out of breath from his hurried walk, said.

Yuan Ming didn’t open the box, but with a casual wave of his hand, the wooden box disappeared into thin air.

Old Pipe’s pupils dilated at the sight.

What was this? This was truly the power of an immortal!

Yuan Ming’s expression remained unchanged, exuding an even more profound aura of a transcendent being.

“For your first attempt, you must not have any gold, silver, or jade on your body. These will cause the technique to fail.” Yuan Ming said, glancing pointedly at the pipe in Old Pipe’s hand.

“If it weren’t for your reminder, Master Immortal, I would have forgotten about this.” The latter was taken aback for a moment, then realized what Yuan Ming meant.

With that, he removed the white jade ring hanging on his pipe, untied the red thread wrapped around it, and placed it on the table.

With another casual wave of Yuan Ming’s hand, the jade ring also disappeared.

“The incantation for the technique can only be memorized, not written down. You must remember it well.” Yuan Ming looked at him and said.

Upon hearing this, Old Pipe quickly nodded.

After a moment of thought, Yuan Ming combined some techniques he had learned and created a few phrases similar to “Heavenly Spirit, Earthly Spirit” and taught them to Old Pipe.

Despite his age, Old Pipe’s memory was surprisingly good.

Yuan Ming only taught him twice, and he had already memorized it.

“You must remember, when performing this technique, it must be at the time of sunrise. You need to find an open space in the courtyard, step on the Gang step, sincerely pay respect to the four directions of heaven and earth, and recite the incantation.” Yuan Ming instructed.

Old Pipe recalled Yuan Ming’s morning routine of walking in circles in the courtyard while muttering words, and quickly nodded in understanding.

“The first time you perform the technique is especially important. You must fast and bathe the day before, and you must be penniless and sincere. If the first attempt fails, it goes against the natural order, and you will never succeed again.” Yuan Ming demonstrated the Gang step, then continued.

Upon hearing this, Old Pipe nodded repeatedly, suppressing his excitement and impatience.

Performing such an immortal technique should indeed involve such complex rituals, otherwise, it would be too childish.

“From now on, abstain from meat, prepare hot water for bathing tonight, and wait for the first rays of the sun tomorrow. It’s about time, our karmic ties have ended, and I should be on my way. Take care.” Yuan Ming stood up as he spoke.

“Master Immortal, why not stay another night and let me serve you well?” Old Pipe hurriedly said.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming suddenly put on a stern face.

“I have spent half a day teaching you, do you not trust me?” He feigned anger.

“I dare not, I dare not.” Old Pipe quickly kowtowed. Having witnessed Yuan Ming’s immortal abilities, he truly dared not question him, but there was still a hint of unease in his heart.

Yuan Ming had long seen through Old Pipe’s thoughts. With a wave of his hand, the purple wooden box appeared in front of Old Pipe.

“If you don’t trust me, you can keep these treasures. I have fulfilled your wish and settled my karma. I have no more burdens. We should part ways now.” Yuan Ming stood up and walked away.

“Master Immortal…”

Just as his hand touched the door, Old Pipe’s voice came from behind.

In a hurried tone, he said, “I dare not distrust Master Immortal. Since you wish to leave, I won’t insist on keeping you. Please take these worldly possessions with you.”

Yuan Ming chuckled inwardly, but maintained his calm and composed demeanor on the surface.

“Those who desire are greedy, those who are jealous are angry, those who are foolish are ignorant, only those who believe can achieve…” He chanted, picked up the wooden box on the ground, opened the door, and walked out.

“Safe travels, Master Immortal…” Old Pipe quickly stood up to see him off. At this moment, his last bit of doubt had completely disappeared.

After Yuan Ming left, Old Pipe bathed and cleaned himself as instructed. To be on the safe side, he even skipped dinner. He tossed and turned in bed, too excited to sleep. If he could, he would have dragged the sun out right then and there.

(End of Chapter)