The thick wooden door did not open without any wind, and the owner of the house did not go out to greet him.
The husband looked back at Li Ye, who was a little nervous, stretched out his hand, and gently pushed open the closed door.
Li Ye followed his husband with some anxiety, watching him push the door open and enter the house. After a while, he took a deep breath, stepped forward, and pushed the door open.
There was no tension as imagined, nor was there the expected greeting of the reunion between the husband and the owner of the cabin after a long absence.
When Li Ye pushed the door open and walked in, he saw that Mr. Li had already sat down at a table.
Sitting next to him was a middle-aged man dressed in coarse gray clothes, with a delicate face and long hair like himself. The two of them looked at the young boy in front of them quietly.
There is a pot of tea brewing on the table, three teacups on the tea tray, and several steaming sweet potatoes on the saucer.
There is a simple bookshelf behind the table, with books neatly placed on the shelf, but there is no sword-making stove or sword hanging on the wall.
If his husband hadn't told him that this was where the swordsmith master lived, Li Ye would have thought he was in the wrong place.
"Sit down and drink tea." The gentleman looked at Li Ye who looked confused.
He smiled and said, "This is Master Ouyang Dongli, the best swordsmith in the five regions."
Ouyang Dongli, who was dressed in coarse cloth and had short hair, looked at Li Ye with a smile, pointed to the stool in front of him, and motioned for Li Ye to sit down.
After hearing his introduction, Li Ye quickly stepped forward, bent down and saluted, "Junior Li Ye, I have met Master Ouyang."
Ouyang Dongli waved his hand and said: "Your husband and I are family friends. Please be more casual when coming over from now on, otherwise you and I will not feel comfortable."
After speaking, he picked up the pot and poured him a cup of hot tea. He smiled and said, "It's cold in spring. Let's drink a cup of hot tea to warm up."
Li Ye picked up the hot tea from the table with both hands and thanked him again.
The gentleman looked at Ouyang Dongli and said seriously: "My apprentice has been practicing swordsmanship with me for several years. Now he is practicing Buddhism in Prajna Temple, and his swordsmanship is considered to be proficient. This time I am asking you to help him cast one." Heavy sword.”
When Ouyang Dongli heard this, he frowned slightly and said, "How much does the epee weigh? What material is it made of?"
When Li Ye saw Ouyang Dongli's appearance, he couldn't help but feel nervous, and the hand holding the cup shook a little.
The gentleman looked at Li Ye's appearance, shook his head slightly, took out the black iron armor that Li Ye had worn and placed it on the table.
He said calmly: "It doesn't weigh much, so just melt this armor and make a sword."
"You want to forge a natal sword for him? This black iron armor is considered a treasure in the Five Realms. Wouldn't it be a pity to melt it?"
Ouyang Dongli picked up the armor from the table and studied it carefully.
"I'm just a disciple. No matter how good something is, it is a treasure only if it is used. Otherwise, it is a dead object."
The gentleman smiled nonchalantly, pointed to the tea cup on the table and said: "Like this tea, no matter how delicious the tea is, it can only be considered worthwhile if it is given to people who understand it. Otherwise, what is the difference with drinking water?"
"It's well said that the principle of spiritual practice is to make the best use of people's talents and make the best use of things. I'm not as clear-eyed as your husband."
Ouyang Dongli gently put down his armor, looked at Li Ye and asked, "Little guy, what Buddhist practices have you practiced in Prajna Temple?"
Li Ye was stunned for a moment, glanced at Mr., and thought for a while before replying: "Back to Master, this junior is just sweeping the gate of Prajna Temple, and has not practiced Buddhism yet..."
When Ouyang Dongli heard this, he looked at his husband for confirmation with a look of disbelief. The gentleman looked at his strange appearance and nodded with a smile, indicating that his disciple was telling the truth.
Ouyang Dongli was stunned for a long time and then said: "You masters and disciples have traveled thousands of miles just to sweep the floor in Prajna Temple?"
When the gentleman heard this, he looked at him as if nothing had happened and said, "Yes, and no."
Ouyang Dongli didn't understand what he meant and asked, "Why do you mean it?"
Li Ye looked at his husband, crossed his hands with him and said, "Yes, it's the junior who is indeed sweeping the floor in the temple. If you don't believe it, you can just ask a monk in the temple to find out the truth. No, it's the junior who will probably sweep the floor in the temple." If you stay in Prajna Temple for ten or eight years, you can sweep the floors all the time, and you can also practice Buddhism."
The gentleman looked at Li Ye and nodded with satisfaction.
When Ouyang Dongli heard this, he couldn't help but sigh.
He said softly: "I have been practicing on this mountain for decades before I understand this truth. I didn't expect that you already understand it at such a young age... It turns out that the Buddhist saying of cutting wood and eating is all practice. See It makes sense to come.”
"My old master monk told me: There is a sequence of learning the Tao, but there is no fixed time to enter the Tao. Master, don't care too much about these gains and losses."
Li Ye looked at him and said seriously.
The teacher watched the conversation between the two, smiled and nodded, and said: "My apprentice, sweeping the floor is a spiritual practice. Doesn't it mean that forging iron is not a spiritual practice? Sweeping the floor can cultivate the mind, just as forging a sword and striking iron can cultivate the mind."
"Sir, you are right. Sweeping floors and forging iron is all about practicing cultivation. It turns out that I am too persistent. It seems that I took advantage of your master and apprentice's visit this year."
Ouyang Dongli patted the table, feeling very good.
"If that's the case, then why do you start forging heavy swords for my disciple?"
The gentleman struck while the iron was hot and kept asking questions along the way.
Ouyang Dongli looked at Mr., thought for a moment, and then shook his head gently.
He smiled faintly and said: "Originally, when I looked at this black iron, I couldn't help but want to forge another good sword, but now I have changed my mind. Let the little guy forge this sword by himself."
Li Ye was stunned, looked at him blankly and said, "Master, can I do it?"
Ouyang Dongli looked at him and laughed.
"Aren't you going to stay on the mountain for ten or eight years? Then in the future, you will come to me for ten days every month. I will teach you how to forge iron and make swords. Anyway, it is all about cultivating your mind. This is your natal sword. Just use your hands to cast it.”
When the teacher heard this, he raised his eyebrows, looked at Li Ye and said, "If you don't hurry up and become a disciple, there will be no shop like this after passing this village."
Li Ye was startled, looked at Ouyang Dongli and said, "Master, can I do it?"
Ouyang Dongli smiled and replied: "Forging iron is not much different from chopping wood and sweeping the floor. As long as you do it with your heart, you can do it. Besides, I will teach you, what are you afraid of?"
After hearing this, Li Ye thought for a while, then fell to the ground and knelt down, kowtowed three times respectfully, brought tea, and completed the simple apprenticeship ceremony.
"From now on, you will also be my apprentice's master. You can't hide your secrets and teach him well."
While the gentleman was talking, he added two pieces of charcoal to the stove for boiling water.
Li Ye sat down again, picked up the pot and poured hot tea into the cups of the two masters.
Ouyang Dongli laughed loudly and said: "I have been practicing in the five realms for countless years. I originally wanted to be alone and one day break away from the void. I never thought that today I would accept a successor. How could I hide my secrets and not teach? ."
"My disciple has had three masters so far. I am one of them. The other one is an old monk from Fengyun City Great Buddha Temple in Dongxuan Region. You are his third master." The gentleman said softly.
Li Ye looked at the teacher, then turned to Ouyang Dongli and said, "The teacher always taught me: when three people are walking together, there must be my teacher. Although the disciple is stupid, he is not afraid of hardship. I will ask the teacher for more teachings in the future."
"Okay, I'm lucky to accept you as my disciple. I won't give you the meeting gift. When you make the sword, I will give you a piece of celestial iron, so that you can have a unique natal sword."
Ouyang Dongli looked at him and laughed, with a look of satisfaction on his face.
"I didn't expect you to have such a good thing. Ye'er quickly thanked you, Master Ouyang. This is a treasure that is hard to find. The black iron and the iron from the sky will make the epee forged into a sword that can cut iron as well as mud. "
The gentleman's eyes lit up, he looked at Li Ye and said.
Ouyang Dongli waved his hand and said with a smile: "This kind of sword is only suitable for juniors like Ye'er. When you reach your level, sir, even if you just take a kitchen knife from me, you will still be invincible."
The gentleman smiled slightly and said: "Aren't you the same, otherwise you would have used this thing for yourself? Having said that, if you have a good sword in your hand, it is something to be proud of."
"I haven't forged swords for almost five years. Now I just make some kitchen knives and scissors for daily use. After a few months, I will sell them to the Buddha at the foot of the mountain... As long as I can make a living, That’s enough for me.”
Ouyang Dongli looked down at the tea leaves in the cup and said lightly.
"I heard that the Imperial City of Zhongyu invited you to join the palace a few years ago. Why didn't you go?" The gentleman looked at him and asked.
When Ouyang Dongli heard this, he pointed to the bookshelf behind him and laughed.
He said seriously: "For me, a small house with a few books to read, a few knives to shoot occasionally, and daily practice to cultivate my state of mind is enough. The Imperial City is not the place I want to go."
The gentleman seemed to have known his decision for a long time without any surprise.
He picked up the teacup in front of him, took a sip, and said, "How long do you plan to stay on this mountain?"
Ouyang Dongli looked at Li Ye sitting opposite and smiled.
After thinking for a moment, he replied: "No matter what, I have to wait until my new disciple leaves and forges his natal sword before I consider leaving."
Li Ye was startled, looked at him and asked, "Master Ouyang, do you want to leave here too? If you leave, where are you going?"
The gentleman looked at his surprised look, reached out and patted his shoulder, indicating that he should be quiet for a moment.
He said quietly: "Of course we went there. Didn't the old apes you met on Tianshan Mountain also go there?"
"Master is also a practitioner who has survived nine tribulations? Doesn't that mean you may leave the Five Realms at any time?"
Li Ye was shocked when he heard what his teacher said. He thought to himself that he had just become a master, but he didn't expect that his master would be close to ascending. It was inevitable that he would feel a little sad in his heart.
"There is always a banquet in the world. You have understood this truth for a long time. It is the most cherished thing that you and master and disciple can form a bond before Master Ouyang leaves. I will practice well with your third master in the days to come. , try to forge your natal sword before he leaves."
The gentleman shook his head, looked at Li Ye and said.
Li Ye looked at Ouyang Dongli and said helplessly: "Disciple must work hard and practice well with the master."
Ouyang Dongli smiled slightly and said: "Forging a sword is a very hard job, and it will be a hundred times harder than your previous practice, but I believe you can persevere and inherit my mantle."
"This disciple has been enduring hardship since he followed me. It's normal for him to be a little bit harder and a little tired."
After the gentleman finished speaking, he pointed to the iron armor on the table and said: "This black iron armor weighs eighty kilograms. Including the dead iron you gave him, it is estimated to exceed a hundred kilograms. As far as I know, this hundred kilograms of heavy swords are in It’s rare among the five realms.”
Ouyang Dongli looked at him and said, "I don't know if there are any in the Five Realms. At least I have never forged such a heavy sword."
"It didn't happen before, but it will happen in the future."
The husband looked at Li Ye with kind eyes and said softly.
The charcoal fire in the small tea stove on the table was burning brightly, making a "bah" sound, which was particularly similar to Li Ye's current mood.
