Chapter 129, The Woodcutter Immortal

Translator: StarReader

 

Su Chen and Ah Nu, accompanied by the White Lotus thugs, arrived at the foot of the mountain, at a secluded corner, where they found the home of the Wu woodcutter.

 

They saw that in this wooden hut lived a kindly old woman, nearly a century old, her face etched with wrinkles, who was preparing the morning meal on the stove outside the house.

 

Though old, she possessed keen senses, and, seeing the two out-of-town guests arrive, she quickly and warmly invited them inside to sit.

 

This small mountain village rarely saw outsiders, and when someone came calling, the villagers were invariably warm and welcoming.

 

Su Chen stepped forward to inquire and learned that this gentle-looking old woman was, in fact, Woodcutter Wu’s mother. Her husband had passed away long ago, and she resided with her son at the foot of the mountain.

 

With a brief perception, Su Chen determined that the old woman was merely a common woman, healthy in body but possessing nothing peculiar, having never cultivated the martial path.

 

The old woman herself said that her son had gone into the mountain the day before with an axe to fell trees, and she didn’t know how many days it would be before he returned. Usually, it would be three to five days, or sometimes a whole month, before he emerged from the deep mountains and forests.

 

Su Chen casually looked around the house.

 

Besides seeing several tiger, leopard, wolf, and bear pelts displayed, he unexpectedly saw a pile of firewood imbued with spiritual energy stacked in the corner, used by the old woman as fuel for her stove.

 

There were also wooden bowls, wooden cups for holding rice, and chopsticks—all crafted from spirit wood. Even the wooden bed on which the old woman slept inside the house was made from a single piece of spirit wood.

 

Su Chen’s heart skipped a beat as he looked at the wooden bed.

 

Though the spiritual energy within these spirit woods was faint, imperceptible to ordinary people, if they were placed in a prosperous city, they would be the finest timber, capable of fetching a very high price. Burning them as firewood was truly a waste.

 

He became increasingly convinced that this Woodcutter Wu was no ordinary person. He was the most extraordinary person he had encountered in his year of searching for immortals and traveling the land.

 

This meant two things.

 

Woodcutter Wu must at least be a Grandmaster with extraordinary perception or even someone who practiced immortal cultivation, living in seclusion here. Because only a Grandmaster’s perception would allow one to recognize these as spiritwood and use them to craft spiritwood artifacts.

 

And within this dense mountain range, there should be entire, massive spirit trees, which were essential for creating bed frames of this kind. Such a rarity was seldom found in other mountain ranges or rivers. Su Chen hadn’t seen them anywhere else, only finding some small, fragmented spiritual items.

 

“I’m going into the mountains to take a look. I’ll be back shortly.”

 

Su Chen decided to investigate the situation himself and left the wooden hut, handing several defensive talismans and a Bean Soldier to Ah Nu. After a hushed explanation, he decided to search the mountains.

 

Ah Nu nodded, watching over the wooden hut with the three White Lotus thugs, waiting for Su Chen’s return.

 

…

 

The mountains were tall, rugged, and densely wooded.

 

Even the most experienced hunters would find it extremely difficult to traverse this mountain range, requiring ropes and multiple attempts, and it would take at least several days.

 

The morning sun rose, painting the sky with gold.

 

Su Chen, blue-clad, strode through the mountain range, meeting the brilliant morning sun with swift steps, as if walking on level ground, quickly traversing the summit.

 

Beyond this dense mountain range stretched an endless expanse of mountains, one after another, disappearing into the horizon.

 

Su Chen sighed. No wonder the villagers in that small village were so wary of the mountains. These boundless ranges were impassable for ordinary mortals.

 

Su Chen continued his search among the mountains.

 

Throughout the mountains, deep ravines, sheer cliffs, and overhanging rocks were commonplace.

 

He passed beyond the colossal waterfall, its cascade suspended like an inverted river.

 

The mountain waters plunged from a thousand-foot peak, striking the rocks in a spray of glittering droplets, coalescing into a sweet spring under the morning sun, reflecting a spectrum of colors.

 

Su Chen crossed the waterfall.

 

Suddenly, he heard a resonant song echoing from the summit of a mountain across the chasm.

 

Su Chen’s heart quickened, and he searched for the source of the song.

 

The song was clear and majestic, rugged yet spirited, reverberating through the mountains and rivers, carrying far into the distance.

 

Su Chen began his ascent until he saw the mountain peak several miles away.

 

“Yo~! Watching others play Go by the withered stump,

 

hearing the steady ding-ding of woodcutting,

 

I stroll slowly along the valley’s edge beneath the clouds.

 

Selling firewood for wine,

 

laughing freely, content with myself.

 

On a desolate path, beneath the high autumn moon,

 

I pillow my head on pine roots.

 

and sleep till daylight.

 

Recognizing familiar woods,

 

I climb cliffs and pass ridges,

 

axe in hand to cut dead vines.

 

Gathering them into a full bundle,

 

I head to the market singing.

 

trading it for three measures of rice.

 

With not the slightest inclination to quarrel—

 

The prices are fair.

 

I know no tricks or schemes.

 

No thoughts of honor or disgrace;

 

In calm simplicity, I nourish my life.

 

Wherever I meet others, they are either immortals or Daoists.

 

and we sit quietly together,

 

discussing the Huangting Classic.” (StarReader: reference to Lankeshan)

 

He saw a powerfully built, middle-aged woodcutter, wearing a tiger skin vest, his chest bare, wielding a massive axe, and bellowing a song as he felled a colossal tree.

 

The rising sun shone upon the woodcutter, making him appear like a radiant celestial being, dazzling to behold.

 

The axe was nearly five feet long, seemingly made of bronze and iron, and incredibly heavy.

 

With each swing, the wind howled, weighing more than five hundred kilograms.

 

The axe struck, splitting the tree and shaking the mountains.

 

Su Chen gasped, startled.

 

Even a Grandmaster, possessing the explosive force of five hundred kilograms, wouldn’t typically wield weapons exceeding fifty kilograms. A weight of over five hundred kilograms was the absolute limit; wielding it a few times would inevitably lead to exhaustion.

 

Even for a cultivator like him, delivering such a force a dozen times was relatively easy. However, continuously swinging such a heavy axe to fell trees was simply impossible.

 

This woodcutter was clearly a cultivator and undoubtedly one blessed with innate divine power. He had likely swung the enormous axe repeatedly, hacking at the trees countless times.

 

“Immortal Woodcutter Wu!”

 

Su Chen stared, momentarily stunned.

 

This burly woodcutter should be the villager’s Woodcutter Wu. His rough yet imposing song, rich with evocative imagery, was utterly captivating.

 

Su Chen listened for a long while before shaking himself back to reality.

 

This was the first true cultivator he encountered after traversing countless mountains and rivers, poring over nearly half the geographical map of Great Tang.

 

Su Chen didn’t approach immediately; instead, he observed Woodcutter Wu from a mile away.

 

This Woodcutter Wu, wielding that heavy axe, felled trees with effortless grace, showing no sign of fatigue. Lost in the rhythm of his work, he paid no heed to his surroundings. Such formidable power certainly indicated a cultivator of a higher order.

 

Su Chen listened intently to the woodcutter’s song.

 

The song was bold and resonant, like the sound of morning drums. It echoed through the mountain streams and valleys, shaking the surrounding landscape for dozens of miles. Within the mortal realm, he would undoubtedly be a first-rate hero, far surpassing Grandmaster Li Shuo and Han Pingshan in strength by countless times.

 

This rare and imposing figure, secluded in this remote village, lost in the life of a woodcutter, must be a person of incredibly pure character, not one with an evil heart.

 

After pondering for a moment, Su Chen decided to approach and strike up a conversation, inquiring whether he knew the location of Immortal City Zhaoge. After all, he encountered only one cultivator this year. If he missed this opportunity, he had no idea when he might encounter another cultivator.

 

He scaled the cliff face and reached the summit, bowing respectfully to Woodcutter Wu. “Brother, are you the Immortal Wu spoken of by the people in the village below?”

 

The woodcutter, engrossed in felling trees, was surprised to find someone had climbed the mountain, specifically seeking him out. He paused, momentarily stunned.

 

Wiping the sweat from his brow with a sweat cloth, the woodcutter scrutinized Su Chen and chuckled warmly. “This mountain is rife with miasma, and wolves and tigers often roam. Ordinary folk cannot reach this place. You, little brother, venturing alone to this place, are no common individual! The villagers don’t call me Immortal Wu; they call me Woodcutter Wu. What brings you up the mountain, little brother?”

 

Su Chen quickly replied, “My name is Su Chen, from the Jiangnan region, seeking fellow cultivators. I happened to pass by the village below and heard of your wondrous abilities, so I came to find you. What name do you go by, big brother Wu?”

 

“I’m Wu. My family has always earned a living by felling trees. Just a mountain villager; there’s nothing special about a name. If you like, you can call me Brother Wu or simply Woodcutter Wu. It’s a trifle, not important.”

 

Woodcutter Wu shook his head.

 

Su Chen was taken aback.

 

This cultivator, it turned out, had generations of felling trees for a living. And he only had a surname, no given name.

 

He felt awkward pressing further and simply said, “So you are Brother Wu. I am searching for renowned mountains and rivers, hoping to find a gathering place for cultivators. I’ve heard of a place called Immortal City Zhaoge. Do you know where Immortal City Zhaoge is, Brother Wu?”

 

Smiling, Woodcutter Wu pointed towards the distance. “You’re on the right track. Immortal City Zhaoge isn’t far. From here, pass over hundreds of large mountains and walk a thousand miles, and you’re there. For those of us who cultivate the Dao, traversing mountains and rivers is a trivial matter.”

 

Su Chen was overjoyed.

 

He and Ah Nu had been searching for a year, constantly seeking the whereabouts of Immortal City Zhaoge. Now, finally, he found information about it. Knowing it was somewhere within this mountain range made the search much easier.

 

Su Chen and Woodcutter Wu continued chatting.

 

Within that mountain range stood a grand mountain named Spirit Mountain Zhaoge.

 

This Spirit Mountain marked the location of a spirit vein, a convergence of spiritual energy.

 

For countless years, numerous immortal cultivation practitioners had sought their way to this place, finding the spiritual energy here extraordinarily concentrated, and were delighted to settle and reside.

 

Even without any spiritual treasures, simply residing there accelerated cultivating speed far beyond other locations.

 

Moreover, the Spirit Mountain Zhaoge area was rich in spiritual treasures.

 

It became a gathering place for many immortal cultivation practitioners, and over time, it formed a city of immortals—a remarkably suitable immortal city for immortal cultivation practitioners to settle long-term.

 

“Brother Wu is extraordinary, surely an immortal cultivation practitioner. Why don’t we go to Zhaoge together?”

 

Su Chen expressed his joy.

 

“I have a hundred-year-old mother at home; my father passed away early, and my mother lives alone. There are no other brothers or sisters, just me. Mortals live to a hundred years, and my mother’s lifespan is likely short, needing someone nearby to care for her.

 

“I make a living as a woodcutter, earning a few coins in the village, buying a few kilograms of rice, cooking for myself, arranging some meals, and caring for my elderly mother. Immortal City Zhaoge is a good place to go as a woodcutter, but I cannot go just yet, perhaps in a few years.

 

“Little brother can go to Immortal City Zhaoge on his own. It’s not difficult to find; just head into the mountains.”

 

Woodcutter Wu shook his head.

 

“I see. In that case, I won’t force the issue!”

 

Su Chen finally understood why Woodcutter Wu, already an immortal cultivation practitioner, still lived in seclusion in a mountain village, caring for his mother—he was a dutiful son, and Su Chen couldn’t help but admire him.

 

“Since little brother Su has come looking, it’s fate. After I fell this giant spirit tree, I’ll bring it back, and you can come to my house for a drink of hot wine.”

 

Woodcutter Wu said warmly.

 

“Good!”

 

Su Chen nodded.

 

He’d been hoping to chat more with Woodcutter Wu to learn more about immortal cultivation and the affairs of Immortal City Zhaoge.

 

“Just a moment!”

 

Woodcutter Wu spat into his palms and vigorously rubbed them, urging Su Chen to move further away. Then he gripped the massive axe in his hand and swung it toward the towering tree before him.

 

Su Chen had been so surprised and exhilarated to discover that Woodcutter Wu was an immortal cultivation practitioner that he’d failed to notice the tree’s extraordinary nature.

 

It was then that he realized, with astonishment, that the tree Woodcutter Wu was felling was a cassia tree, its trunk a full three meters wide, radiating an otherworldly aura.

 

The force of Woodcutter Wu’s axe barely penetrated the wood a mere fraction of a foot.

 

But when he drew the axe back, a milky-white liquid seeped from the wound in the cassia spirit wood, visibly and rapidly returning to its original state, proving unbreakable.