Fourteen years later, the baby that Dong Hao had taken care of had already grown into a very handsome teenager.
He had a gentle face, fair skin, blue eyes, black hair, and a charming smile. His skin was so smooth that the girls in the Golden Mist Village were jealous of him. They even nicknamed him the Snow Prince From the North.
The boy looked almost like a girl because of how fair and beautiful his face was. His body was smooth without any scars at all. Even so, he was still a boy.
He was quite muscular and had a firm personality as well as being a genius teenager. There was no one smarter than him in the Golden Mist Village.
He had solved several problems in the village with his intelligence. Many admired and liked him, but many also felt jealous and hated him.
Right now he was in the forest together with Dong Hao to gather medicinal plants.
"Grandpa, I heard from the villagers. Tomorrow a cultivator will come to the Golden Mist Village," said Lu Jiang.
The boy's name was Lu Jiang. It was a beautiful name and it was given by the woman who was Lu Jiang's mother. Dong Hao did not give that name.
"Do you want to join them?" asked Dong Hao.
Lu Jiang shook his head. "No. My dantian is defective, I cannot become a cultivator," he answered.
His face showed sadness. He was interested in learning martial arts like some of the children in the village. When he saw them fighting with wooden swords, Lu Jiang was fascinated.
"Just go! As humans, we can only try. Nobody knows the future. Maybe there is a teacher who can heal your dantian," said Dong Hao.
Lu Jiang's eyes widened. He looked excited, but he quickly shook his head. He remembered that his grandfather was very old. He did not want to leave him alone in the forest.
"I will be fine. Before you turned eight, I did everything by myself. Even while taking care of you when you were still little. If you want to go, I have no problem."
Dong Hao stood up. He pressed his back that had started to cramp. He put the medicinal plants into the basket on his back. After that, he continued walking.
"If you get accepted, then that is your fate," added Dong Hao.
Lu Jiang turned around. He threw the medicinal plant he picked and put it into the basket on his back. He also started walking. They would search for more plants on the other side.
"But my dantian is defective. There is no point in trying," said Lu Jiang.
"I already told you. Nobody knows the future until you try."
Lu Jiang went silent. He still looked confused about what he should decide. He really wanted to become a cultivator, but on the other hand, he did not want to leave his grandfather alone.
Lu Jiang picked up a mushroom that was black on top but golden on the bottom. It was the Goddess Umbrella Mushroom. It was poisonous if cooked.
It could only be eaten raw, but not carelessly because there were specific ages in which it could be consumed.
Lu Jiang turned the mushroom and looked at its underside. There were three black dots beneath it. That meant the mushroom was three months old. It was the perfect age.
"I will save it for later," said Lu Jiang.
"Eat it now. Two months ago, you said the same thing, but you ended up forgetting. You wasted that delicious mushroom," scolded Dong Hao.
The Goddess Umbrella Mushroom could only be eaten when it was between two and four months old. More than four months or less than two months, the mushroom would be deadly poisonous.
Lu Jiang nodded and immediately ate the mushroom. His face brightened, he even smiled. The mushroom was very delicious, tasting like the finest cooked beef.
Even though the Goddess Umbrella Mushroom was very delicious, it had no effect except when used as poison.
Lu Jiang stood up and turned to his grandfather. "If I get accepted as a sect disciple, will you be fine by yourself?" asked Lu Jiang.
Dong Hao nodded. He even smiled. "I will be fine and there is also a chance that you will meet your mother once you enter the cultivation world."
Lu Jiang nodded. "Yes. I hope I can meet her."