Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 384 The Last Wish of the Masses: To Save the Suffering and Relieve the Masses

"As long as you are all well, that's all that matters."

Even though he had been dead for many years, the era in which Lü Ren lived was vastly different from the present one, and Lü Ci was no longer the spirited young master of the Lü family. Yet, Lü Ren's spirit still saw through Lü Ci's feigned composure.

Because no matter what Lü Ci looks like as he grows up, or how much his personality changes, he will always be the brother who depends on him and sees him as his world.

Lu Ren did not expose Lu Ci's pretense. Surrounded by the Samadhi Fire, he nodded in agreement, "You've worked hard all these years, little brother."

There's no need for excessive concern or worry between brothers. Sometimes, a few words of recognition are far more comforting than endless nagging.

"It's no trouble at all. Lü Qian hasn't met your great-grandfather yet, brother. He is the current leader of our Lü family!"

"Junior Lü Qian greets the venerable patriarch and all the seniors."

Lu Qian gathered the Samadhi True Fire. The vengeful spirits of the Japanese within the broken sword had been purified and forged into the purest primordial spirit essence, replenishing the heroic spirits floating in mid-air.

"Perfect Qi, detached from worldly affairs, inspiring awe—could it be...?"

Among the heroic spirits who perished under the demonic blade were many from prestigious sects. After recovering from the scene of the Lü brothers recognizing each other, they looked at Lü Qian, who was now speaking to them, and stared in disbelief at this young-looking Taoist.

Facing the incredulous gazes of the assembled heroes, Lü Qian offered no explanation. He smiled and nodded, his every movement imbued with Daoist principles, radiating an ethereal compassion and a commanding majesty.

"hiss--"

After the spirits, now transformed into souls, confirmed their suspicions, the temperature inside the carriage dropped slightly due to the malevolent energy they exhaled.

"It truly is a great dragon!"

Lu Ren's expression turned solemn, then he broke into a hearty laugh, "Hahaha, a dragon has emerged from my Lu family!"

Although we don't know what hardships Lü Ci has gone through, or what changes the Lü family has undergone over the decades, with this young man, the Lü family will have a guarantee for its future succession.

"Thank you, Master Lü."

The spirits dared not be negligent; their ethereal forms bent down amidst the laughter of the Lü brothers, bowing to Lü Qian in gratitude.

Based on Lü Qian's legendary realm and cultivation, it is likely that it was this living immortal who freed them from the demon sword's restraints, and even allowed their souls to awaken again.

The whisk stirred, and the dust particles created a gentle breeze that supported the bodies of the heroic spirits, stopping their even more excited expressions of gratitude. Lü Qian looked at these heroic spirits who had died in the past, only to seek a glimmer of hope for the future, and asked them for their last wishes.

"What are your plans, everyone? There is a way to live and a way to die. The spirits of heroes cannot linger in the mortal world for long."

"If there are any unfulfilled wishes or regrets, this humble Taoist can use his supernatural powers to send you all on your journey to a perfect end."

"I want to go back to my hometown..."

A middle-aged man, dressed in a coarse cloth shirt and somewhat thin and short, hesitated for a long time before speaking first, somewhat embarrassed, in an accent, "Judging from your appearance, many years have passed since we were born."

"Back then, when the Japanese devils burned, killed, and looted, our hometown suffered a great loss. All the crops and grain that could be stolen were taken away, and everything that couldn't be stolen was burned to the ground by the Japanese devils."

As he spoke, the middle-aged man's honest expression once again erupted with resentment, and his clear eyes reflected a blood-red hue.

"My home...my home...I won't talk about it. Right now, I just want to see what my old home looks like, see if the old millstone tree at the village entrance is still there, see if crops have been planted in the fields again, and see if the children in my family have enough to eat..."

Spirits are easily swayed by emotions, and this lean middle-aged man seemed to be lost in a fantasy, uncontrollably recounting a series of trivial yet simple wishes.

No one disturbed the spirit's plea. Even the hesitant spirits were captivated by the spirit's words and abandoned their last bit of restraint.

As the train travels through towering mountains, the tranquility of the Changbai Mountains and Heilongjiang River seems to silently tell tales of a past unknown to anyone.

As the train entered and emerged from the darkness of the tunnel, the alternation of light and darkness awakened the spirit who had been expressing his hopes. He touched his head, looked at Lü Qian with embarrassment, and felt ashamed of the many trivial yet ordinary wishes he had just expressed.

"I was thinking... Oh, real people, isn't that a bit too much?"

"Not much, not much. This is just what is due. How could it be too much? Even if there were more, I wouldn't mind."

"Helping you is also completing my own meritorious deeds and fulfilling my own meritorious achievements."

Lu Qian chuckled and shook his head. His consistently gentle attitude dispelled the cautious reverence of the heroic spirits, and they followed the middle-aged man's prayer, sincerely expressing their last wishes.

"Real person, and me too..."

"Master Lü, I wish to..."

……

One after another, heroic spirits from all corners of the world, with different clothes, accents, and identities, expressed their wishes in a few words or in a series of sentences.

Finally, all the heroic spirits expressed their last wishes, leaving only Lü Ren floating from behind the crowd to Lü Qian's front.

"Child, may I call you Xiaoqian?"

In terms of appearance and age, Lü Ren was undoubtedly much younger than Lü Qian, but this great-grandfather acted like a true elder, speaking in a kind and gentle tone.

"Please feel free to do as you please."

"Alright, Xiao Qian, I don't want anything more. If I can see Xiao Ci and you, the great dragon of the Lü family, after I die, I will die without regrets."

Lu Ren first looked at Lu Ci, who was white-haired but full of vigor, and then looked at Lu Qian again. He had unconsciously changed his form of address, and the handsome young man in his early twenties was calling himself an old man.

Lu Qian suppressed a laugh and did not interrupt Lu Ren's story. "If there is any resentment, it is that I was unable to return to the Lu family and made my father worry about me."

"Child, let my soul return to the Lü family with Xiao Ci. Let me take one last look at the Lü family as it is now, and then bury myself completely in the Lü family's cemetery."

"This is my last wish."

"In that case, have you all finished speaking?"

Lu Qian and the other heroic spirits conducted a final confirmation. After receiving everyone's nods, he immediately flicked his whisk, closed his eyes, and began chanting scriptures.

"Master of Qinghua Sect, Supreme Compassionate One, Manifesting Golden Body in Jade Purity..."

"We humbly submit that Qinghua's teachings have opened the door to salvation from suffering..."

"The debts incurred in life are settled immediately, but when will the lingering resentments after death be repaid..."

As the scriptures were chanted, a tremor seemed to emanate from the void. Light and shadow flowed around the heroic spirits except for Lü Ren, and runes and talismans materialized out of thin air, weaving together to form portals leading to various directions.

The gates were wide open, reflecting scenes from all over China, from remote villages to bustling cities...

"We thank Master Lü!"