Simply Simple

Zhuang Yuxie, a spirit-born child, arrives in the world in a lotus pond, where he locks eyes with the South Mountain Sect Leader, who's out for a stroll. The sect leader brings him back to South Mountain, and he becomes Zhuang Lanshi's only disciple. Exceptionally gifted, he is plainly the foremost of the new generation in the cultivation world.

But the South Mountain Sect's senior disciple has been spoiled since childhood and has never learned to behave with proper decorum.

People outside the sect say that the previous South Mountain Sect Leader raised two disciples: one who never left his home, and one who was as gentle as jade and always well-behaved. Both were paragons of virtue, but the little disciple's grandson has a wild, unrestrained streak of his own.

Zhuang Lanshi insists that his little disciple takes after him completely and has nothing to do with that old geezer. He also strongly encourages Zhuang Yuxie to go out and make friends, promising that the elders back home will have his back if he gets into trouble.

And so, through his own efforts, Zhuang Yuxie becomes close friends with the senior disciples of the other three great sects.

These close friends, however, are just as unconventional as he is.

Zhuang Yuxie raises his wine gourd, looking quite dashing.

"The last birds have vanished from a thousand mountains, no human tracks remain along ten thousand paths. An old man in a straw cloak and hat fishes alone from a small boat, on a snowy river."

"What is he doing?"

"Obviously, getting drunk and making a scene."

But no feast lasts forever.

The young grow old, and the years pass in the martial world. Looking back on his life, Zhuang Yuxie has failed to reach the Great Dao and finds himself alone, a lonely tale to read.

In the end, he has never asked anyone for anything in his life. Now he only asks that Meng Po put a little extra sugar in the bowls of his old friends, so they can happily and sweetly set off for their next lives.

[Content Warnings]

1. No CP. Strange things may appear later, so please keep that in mind if you're shipping anyone.

2. The story has an early and a late phase, with a huge difference between them. Please read with caution.

3. There's a little logic, but not much. Please don't flame if it's not to your taste. Harmony is best.

4. I changed my pen name, so I was also the one who posted Jianjian before. (I can't remember the old password...)

5. The ending is thoroughly tragic, and most of the short stories also have unhappy endings. A little angst is good for the soul.

Theme: May everyone get what they wish for