Hu Fan, the supreme being of the ages who once swept through the myriad heavens and commanded the myriad Dao, has his cultivation sealed away by ancient shackles and falls into the mortal world, in Bitter Bamboo Village. Once he commanded countless realms and was invincible in battle. Now he lives in a mountain hut, accompanied only by his grandfather, with his spirit pet, Xiao Bai, as his sole companion in his sea of consciousness.
Cultivators across the heavens pursue spiritual energy, cultivating in seclusion and seeking opportunities in secret realms. They give everything to escape the bounds of the mortal world and attain eternal life. Hu Fan, however, does the opposite. He willingly sets aside his godlike powers, sheds the edge of a supreme being, and chooses to refine his heart in the mortal world. When heavy snow blankets the mountain, he trudges through it into the bamboo grove and bends down to dig for shoots. At dawn, he sits in stillness, immersing himself in winter’s dormancy and contemplating the rhythm of the seasons. At dusk, he tends the firewood stove as he cooks, savoring the everyday warmth of human life. He does not travel by riding the energy currents, use divine senses to search for winter bamboo shoots, or rely on cultivation to ward off the cold. He works the mountain fields as an ordinary person, experiencing life’s hardships and comforts, and sinks the foundation of his age-old Dao into the soil, inch by inch.
Watching the bitter bamboo bend beneath wind and snow without breaking, he grasps the way of strength balanced with gentleness. Listening to his grandfather’s casual fireside stories, he restores the warmth and compassion lost during years of slaughter. While others toil in cultivation to rapidly raise their realms, he works, sits quietly, observes the seasons, and savors each meal. In the routines of ordinary life, he wears away his pride and violence, and mends his incomplete Dao heart. The vitality of the bamboo grove nourishes his soul through the wood spirit jade marrow, while the warmth between grandfather and grandson melts away the murderous intent accumulated over countless ages. He gathers strength through winter’s dormancy, waiting quietly for the spring thunder.
The ancient seal has not loosened at all, and his cultivation remains dormant in his sea of consciousness. Yet Hu Fan has long since stopped caring whether it is lifted. Cultivation and power are external forces; a complete heart is the foundation of the Great Dao. The immortal path of the Nine Heavens may be a road to cultivation, but the everyday warmth of the mortal world is also the source of enlightenment.
Not bad, not bad, not bad.