Volume One: A Hidden Dragon in the Abyss Chapter 116: The Small Shop

"Brother Xu, it hasn't rained here for many days. If this continues, will there be a drought? Harvest time is drawing near, and some people are so afraid that their fields will wither that they want to reap the crops early."

Yan Mo said this to him after finishing their martial arts training that day.

However, if they harvest early, most of the rice will not yet be mature, which would have a significant negative impact.

In recent days, as the heat has intensified, Xu Qing has also felt that a drought is imminent.

The riverbeds are on the verge of drying up; fish and shrimp are likely to die of thirst, and eventually, the wells will run dry and the crops will collapse.

Even now, the scorching sun continues to bake the earth.

Xu Qing has some knowledge of divination and celestial mechanics, and he seems to sense something unusual about this drought.

He attempted to divine the omens, only to quickly discover that a mysterious force was obstructing him; the drought was not merely a simple natural disaster.

"The heat rising from underground carries the scent of demonic energy. The Demon Emperor is about to emerge, causing anomalies in heaven and earth," Xu Qing sighed involuntarily.

When the Demon Emperor appears, it inevitably brings widespread suffering. The cost of such an event is truly too great.

He slowly bent down and scooped up a handful of dirt.

"Brother Xu, what are you talking about?" Yan Mo did not quite understand these matters.

"It is nothing. With me here, it is nothing to worry about. I may not be able to save the whole world, but bringing down a rainstorm is well within my power," Xu Qing said.

Even stepping on the rocks and soil on the ground, one could feel waves of heat, with a strand of fiery malevolence quietly seeping in.

With the Demon Emperor's emergence, evil spirits are running rampant, leading to true misery for the people.

Water is the source of life; without it, even a house full of grain would not be enough to survive.

"Brother Xu, are you going to pray for rain?" Yan Mo asked, startled. He had only ever seen such things in books.

"You are mistaken. It is better to rely on oneself than to beg others; if anything, the world will be the one begging me," Xu Qing shook his head in denial. "I am going to bring the rain."

As his words fell, Yan Mo suddenly felt a refreshing breeze and a gentle drizzle brush past him. He stared at Xu Qing, struck dumb with amazement.

"These things can also be taught to you, but it is still too early. If I taught you now, you wouldn't understand or be able to learn anything," Xu Qing told him. "What you are learning now is martial arts, not the Tao!"

The heat was intense, growing hotter with each passing day.

With the people in this land suffering, Xu Qing planned to bring down enough rain to save this region, which he felt was sufficient. He simply did not have the status or the capability to be a savior for all humanity.

Xu Qing stood in place, his hands moving rapidly to form seals, driving the technique repeatedly.

Suddenly, mist rose and swirled in the air, hazy and ethereal, with clear, verdant light and rolling water clouds.

"What is called 'bringing rain' is nothing more than the cycle of water," Xu Qing instructed him.

Given the severity of the drought here, it was difficult to draw moisture from the local area, so Xu Qing had to summon it from the south.

The scale of this operation could not be too large; it was an act that defied the heavens, and even skirting the edge of that boundary was already dangerous enough.

As he executed the technique, strands of profound yellow merit surged between heaven and earth. "Profound yellow" refers to the heavens and the earth—the sky is profound and the earth is yellow, hence the name.

With merit bestowed upon him, the Great Tao favored him.

Xu Qing formed seals with his hands once more and raised them high, whipping up the wind and clouds in the sky. In an instant, the world turned dark, violent winds roared, dense clouds gathered, thunder crashed, and a torrential downpour began.

Boom!

As rain the size of beans pelted down on him, Yan Mo watched that figure and felt an unprecedented sense of shock and impact.

Only later would he understand that when martial arts reach the realm of the divine, one can truly manipulate the heavens and the earth. Moving clouds and summoning rain becomes an effortless feat.

The rain fell for a full hour, moisturizing the parched earth and suppressing the heat trapped within the soil.

Yan Mo noticed that when the rain landed on Xu Qing, it acted as if it were hitting a lotus leaf, sliding off automatically. He remained completely dry.

Yet, Yan Mo himself was already soaked, looking thoroughly disheveled.

"Let's go, lest you catch a cold."

Only then did Xu Qing realize he hadn't looked after his companion. After the rain had finished, he took him home.

"That... that was incredible." Yan Mo’s gaze toward him had changed. "Can I really learn that in the future?"

"You can. That day will come," Xu Qing said, suddenly remembering something, his expression dimming slightly.

"You told me to go find Wang Chuan. What is your relationship with him, anyway? Wouldn't it be better if I stayed home and learned from you?" Yan Mo asked, as he had always been curious.

"There is a limit to what I can teach you. You must go out into the world eventually; it is better to gain some experience early, do you understand?" Xu Qing said earnestly. "I cannot hold you back."

"Then what kind of person is Wang Chuan?" Yan Mo asked again.

"He is a man who accomplishes great things, possessing his own beliefs and persistence. Such a person is worthy of your study, and he is also kind to those around him," Xu Qing said. "You must remember the taboos I told you clearly!"

Though he didn't know why, Yan Mo promised to remember them well and follow them as instructed.

"Just now, there was rain brought down here. I wonder which senior master was responsible?"

A clear call echoed through the air, but by the time they arrived, Xu Qing and the others had long since departed.

"A realm such as this must be above that of a Grandmaster; he is one who can peer into the Great Tao!"

Summoning clouds and rain is not something an ordinary martial artist can achieve.

To think that such a master was in this place, and they hadn't even known.

...

"I'll let you rest today. Let's eat out; the food here isn't bad."

Xu Qing brought their family to a restaurant in town.

Han Keru was still hesitant and reluctant, but with Yan Mo’s persuasion, she finally agreed to join them.

However, Yan Mo noticed she was wearing the hairpin Xu Qing had given her that day, and he sighed inwardly.

"This place seems to have few customers," Yan Mo had noticed with his keen observation.

The small shop only had six tables, and the environment was quite clean.

Although the task of serving tea was done by Xu Qing himself...

The implication was clear. A busy shop has its reasons for being busy, but a quiet shop follows the same logic. The lack of customers said it all.

"The mountain need not be high; if there is an immortal, it becomes famous. The water need not be deep; if there is a dragon, it becomes spiritual. A gentleman’s conduct should not be judged by appearances," Xu Qing said lightly. "You won't regret it after you eat."

They were amazed by these words, finding Xu Qing to be truly remarkable, with knowledge far beyond the ordinary.

Yan Mo felt a new sense of respect. "I have learned much."

"What kind of table is this?" Yan Mo touched it and found it to be incredibly hard, realizing it was extraordinary.

"The table is made of green sandalwood. You have much to learn," Xu Qing was about to explain when he saw the shopkeeper bringing out the food.

It was an elderly woman, but she looked healthy and robust. Yan Mo stood up quickly. "Grandma, why are you doing this yourself?"

"I'm the only one left in the shop now, so I'm a bit slow. Please don't mind it," the old woman said with a kind smile, then looked toward Xu Qing. "Little Xu, you've come again."

She said she would go and bring the rest of the dishes.

"Yes, please be careful, don't overexert yourself," Xu Qing said as he watched her head back inside. He then told them to start eating.

"Has this grandmother always run the shop by herself?" Yan Mo asked while eating. To his surprise, the food was delicious.

"It’s better to ask the person involved about these things, but since you asked me, I’ll tell you a little," Xu Qing sighed. "It used to be very lively here. It was the kind of place where the food was so good that people would line up to the end of the street; everyone in the surrounding area knew it. But later, her husband passed away."

The group paused. No wonder they only saw the old woman managing it alone, with no one to help her.

"Does she have no children?" Yan Mo asked.

"She does, but they are very busy and can't look after her," Xu Qing said. "They are filial and wanted to take her in to live with them, but the grandmother couldn't stay idle and reopened the shop. It’s not that there are few customers; everyone intentionally avoids coming when it's busy so she doesn't have to work too hard. They are looking out for her."

"Everyone in the neighborhood knows this. It’s a silent understanding: if they pass by and see it’s a bit crowded, they leave. If there’s no one there, they come in to eat. It has always been this way; that’s how they take care of the grandmother."

Yan Mo was stunned, finally realizing the strangeness he had perceived earlier. People passing by would sometimes glance inside, and now he understood why.

Xu Qing added that because of this, the amount of food the grandmother prepared each day was limited.

"Eat, we'll talk after you're full," Xu Qing said, putting food on their plates.

"When did you find out about this place and these stories?" Yan Mo asked curiously.

Just then, the grandmother came out with more dishes.

Xu Qing smiled. "I discovered it when I came into town a few days ago, and I heard the neighbors talking about it. Today, I brought my family to have a taste."

"If you like it, eat more," the grandmother said. "But please don't talk about this place outside. If too many people come, I won't be able to handle it."

"I understand, we won't say a word," Xu Qing smiled.

"Grandma, did your husband pass away?" Yan Mo asked cautiously.

He had been incredibly curious about the many stories and examples Xu Qing knew, which weren't even in books. But this time, it was a true, real-life event.

"Yes, he passed away a few years ago," the grandmother sighed, though she didn't show much sorrow on her face.

Xu Qing pulled out a chair for her to sit down as well.

The others felt a sense of melancholy upon hearing this.