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Chapter 1 - 1: An Encounter Beneath a Grey Sky

That night, the sky rumbled like an enraged dragon. Heavy rain poured down on Qingshan Village, as if the heavens sought to wash away all the sins of the world. In a simple, dilapidated house, a young woman named Li Mei strained with her last ounce of strength.

"Hold on, Mei!" cried Ye Tian, her loyal husband by her side. His hands trembled as he held his wife's cold hand. "Our child must be born safely!"

With a final scream that tore through the night, a baby boy was born. His cries were loud, as if challenging the still-rumbling sky. But the happiness was fleeting. Li Mei smiled faintly as she looked at her son, and then her breathing slowly stopped.

"Ye Lin," she whispered before her beautiful eyes closed forever.

Ye Tian embraced his newborn son, weeping uncontrollably. The rain continued to fall, as if the sky was mourning Li Mei's passing.

Seven years later, Ye Lin's life was far from happy. The shack they lived in had become more and more weathered, with leaks everywhere. Ye Tian, once a hardworking man, now lay weak on a straw mattress. A strange illness had been ravaging his body for months.

"Lin'er," Ye Tian called in a hoarse voice. "Come here, son."

Ye Lin approached his father. Although still a child, his face was already handsome with a mop of black hair. His body was thin from malnutrition, but his eyes still sparkled with life.

"Father is going to join your mother," Ye Tian whispered, stroking his son's cheek. "You must be strong, Lin'er. This world is harsh, but never lose your kind heart."

Ye Lin nodded, though he didn't fully understand. "Father will get better, won't he?"

Ye Tian smiled bitterly. "Father is very tired, son. But remember, even if your mother and I are gone, you will always live in our hearts."

That night, Ye Tian passed away in his sleep. Ye Lin woke up to find his father's hand cold. The seven-year-old boy cried alone in the silent shack, as rain fell again just like the night he was born.

Living as an orphan in Qingshan Village was not easy. Ye Lin had no relatives he could rely on. Some neighbors felt pity, but they were also living paycheck to paycheck.

"Ye Lin, come here!" called Uncle Wang, a kind, middle-aged farmer. "Help me move these sacks of rice. I'll give you a plate of rice as payment."

Ye Lin ran over, his eyes sparkling. A plate of rice was a precious treasure to him. Although his body was small and thin, he always tried to help anyone who needed his services.

"Thank you, Uncle Wang," Ye Lin said, bowing politely after finishing his work.

"Good boy," Uncle Wang murmured, shaking his head sadly. "What a fate befell the Ye family..."

Day by day, Ye Lin did whatever work he could find. He helped farmers transport their harvests, cleaned animal pens, and even searched for firewood in the forest to sell. The money he earned was very little, just enough to buy basic food.

At night, he slept alone in the increasingly fragile shack. He often gazed at the starry sky, whispering, "Father, Mother, are you happy up there? I'm still trying to hold on, just as Father told me."

Two years passed. Ye Lin was now nine years old. His body was still thin, but his face was even more handsome. His slightly long black hair often covered his tired eyes. Despite living in poverty, his heart remained pure and he was always ready to help others.

One bright morning, Ye Lin was looking for firewood in the forest behind the village. This forest was a little deep and rarely visited. Tall trees towered overhead, while sunlight faintly penetrated through the gaps in the leaves.

While he was busy gathering dry branches, the sky suddenly changed. Thick clouds gathered quickly, turning the once-bright sky into a dark grey. The wind blew hard, making leaves fall like rain.

Ye Lin stopped working and stared at the sky in surprise. "Strange weather," he mumbled. "It was so bright just a moment ago."

In the midst of his bewilderment, he heard the sound of slow footsteps. Ye Lin turned and saw an old man approaching from behind the trees. The old man wore a simple, slightly worn dark brown robe. His hair was long and white, and his beard was also white, reaching down to his chest.

What caught Ye Lin's attention the most were the old man's eyes. They were grey like the depths of an abyss, as if they held thousands of secrets and countless experiences. When those eyes looked at him, Ye Lin felt a strange sensation, as if his soul was being read.

"Young boy," the old man said in a calm yet authoritative voice. "What are you doing alone in this forest?"

Ye Lin was a little nervous, but he answered politely. "Excuse me, Elder. I'm looking for firewood to sell. My name is Ye Lin."

The old man nodded as he observed the small pile of wood Ye Lin had gathered. "Ye Lin... a good name. Do you live in a nearby village?"

"Yes, Elder. In Qingshan Village." Ye Lin hesitated a little, but his respect for the elderly made him continue to answer. "Where are you from, Elder? I've never seen you in the village."

"I am just an old wanderer," the old man replied with a slight smile. "I occasionally stop in various places to meet interesting people."

The wind blew harder, making the old man's robe flutter. The sky grew darker, but strangely, there were no signs of rain. The atmosphere became more and more mystical.

"Ye Lin," the old man said suddenly, startling him. "May I ask you something?"

"Of course, Elder."

The old man walked closer, then sat on a fallen tree trunk. His grey eyes stared at Ye Lin with a strange intensity. "What do you think is the meaning of eternity?"

The question made Ye Lin fall silent. At nine years old, the concept of eternity felt very foreign and complex. But for some reason, he felt that this question was more than just small talk.

Ye Lin sat on the ground, hugging his knees. His thoughts drifted to his deceased parents. "I... I don't know for sure, Elder. But I think eternity might not be about living forever."

The old man raised an eyebrow, showing interest. "Then what is it?"

"Maybe eternity is about... about not forgetting the people we love, and not being forgotten by them," Ye Lin replied softly. "My father and mother have passed away, but I still remember them every day. And I'm sure they also remember me from where they are now."

The old man's grey eyes widened slightly, as if surprised by the unexpected answer.

"I also think," Ye Lin continued, looking up at the grey sky, "maybe eternity is about the good we do. Uncle Wang always says, good deeds will come back to us. So maybe, if we do good, that goodness will live on even after we die."

Silence enveloped the forest. There was only the sound of the wind blowing through the dry leaves. The old man looked at Ye Lin with an unreadable expression.

"An interesting answer," the old man finally murmured. "From a child who hasn't even known the world of cultivation yet."

"Cultivation?" Ye Lin asked with curiosity. "What is that, Elder?"

"You will know one day," the old man replied, standing up. "Ye Lin, you have a pure soul. Despite living in suffering, your heart is not filled with revenge or hatred."

Ye Lin didn't understand what the old man meant, but he felt there was something special about the compliment.

Suddenly, the old man walked closer and placed his hand on Ye Lin's head. The touch felt warm, as if a gentle energy was flowing.

"As a reward for your honesty and sincerity," the old man whispered, "I will give you something that might be useful one day."

Ye Lin felt something strange. It was like something was entering his mind, but it didn't hurt. It felt like a new, small space had opened up inside his head.

"What did you do, Elder?" Ye Lin asked in surprise, holding his head.

"You will know later," the old man replied with a mysterious smile. "Use it wisely, Ye Lin. And remember, true strength does not come from outside, but from within yourself."

The wind suddenly blew very hard. Ye Lin closed his eyes because of the dust and leaves flying around. When he opened his eyes again, the old man had vanished without a trace.

"Elder?" Ye Lin called, looking in all directions. "Where are you?"

There was no answer. The forest was silent again, and the sky slowly began to clear. It was as if the meeting had been just a dream.

But Ye Lin knew it wasn't a dream. He could still feel something different in his mind. Something that wasn't there before.

With a heart full of questions, Ye Lin gathered the wood he had collected. He decided to return to the village immediately. The sun was getting high, and he had to sell this firewood to eat today.

As he walked out of the forest, Ye Lin occasionally looked back. He hoped to meet the mysterious old man again someday. There were so many questions he wanted to ask.

"Cultivation," he mumbled as he walked. "What is it, really?"

A gentle breeze blew, as if carrying the promise of adventures that awaited him in the future. Ye Lin did not know that this meeting would change his life forever.

He also had yet to realize that the thing given by the old man now resided in his mind, waiting for the right moment to reveal itself.

Meanwhile, in a place unseen by the eye, the grey-eyed old man stood on the highest treetop, watching the small back of Ye Lin as he walked away.

"An interesting boy," he murmured with a smile. "Let's see how far he can grow with this gift of mine."

With a single wave of his hand, the old man's figure disappeared with the wind, leaving behind only silence and a faint, mysterious aroma.

That day marked the beginning of a long journey for Ye Lin towards a path he did not yet know—the path to the true Dao.

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