Part 23: Learning through failure

Ren Zu wanted to save Boundless Forest Samsara, but there was nothing he could do. He had become extraordinary, no longer able to enter Ordinary Abyss. Ren Zu saw that pacing around this place was not going to help. He decided to set out again to find a way to rescue his eldest child, Verdant Great Sun, and his fourth child, Boundless Forest Samsara. He started a new journey, beginning his Road of Life. On this day, he came across a Hairy Man. The Hairy Man stopped him and was clearly happy: “Ren Zu, I had a tough time looking for you.” Ren Zu felt strange: “I don't recognize you, why are you searching for me?” The Hairy Man explained: “It is like this, Ren Zu. I am the leader of all the Hairy Men in the world. No Hairy Man can match my Gu Refinement attainment. But I have recently encountered a problem when refining Gu. I want to refine Success Gu, but I am unable to confirm if it is success or failure.” Ren Zu had wanted to continue traveling, but he had a thought well up in his mind. If the Hairy Man Leader could truly refine Success Gu, and he borrowed this Gu, couldn't he rescue his eldest child or his fourth child? Therefore, Ren Zu stopped and talked with the Hairy Man: “But what do you need from me?” The Hairy Man cautiously took out a Gu. This Gu resembled an ordinary rock and was covered with a thick layer of hair. The Hairy Man spoke: “I do not dare to break it. If it is Success Gu, that is fine. But if it is Failure Gu, the moment I break it, I will completely lose my sense of self. But Ren Zu, you are different. You are walking on a path that solely belongs to you; this means you have Self Gu. Since you have Self Gu, even if you break the Failure Gu, you will not lose yourself. So I want to request you to appraise it.” Ren Zu was happy: “So it is like that. I can help you, but if it is Success Gu, please give it to me. I have an urgent need for it.” The Hairy Man said: “Alright! That is no problem.” Ren Zu touched the Gu Worm in front of him. He made a wish upon this Gu: “Please return my fourth child, Boundless Forest Samsara, to my side.”

At the next moment, the Gu Worm crumbled. “Failure.” The Hairy Man was dejected: “It seems I refined a Failure Gu.” Courage Gu on Ren Zu flew out: “Ren Zu, you are a failure. I am leaving you.” Courage Gu left Ren Zu and flew away. The Hairy Man, however, was invigorated: “It doesn't matter. I can improve the Gu Recipe. Ren Zu, wait a moment, I will refine it again.” Ren Zu wanted to chase after Courage Gu and take it back, but he had an even greater desire for Success Gu to rescue his children. He thought for a moment and decided to wait for the Hairy Man Leader to refine the Gu. The Hairy Man refined the second Gu and gave it to Ren Zu for inspection. Ren Zu touched the Gu and made a wish; the Gu Worm crumbled again. “Another Failure Gu.” The Hairy Man sighed in dejection. Faith Gu on Ren Zu flew out: “Ren Zu, you are a failure, you are not worthy of me.” Faith Gu also left Ren Zu. Ren Zu stamped his foot and wanted to chase after it, but the Hairy Man tugged him: “Don't be in a hurry. I have thought it through; this time I can definitely refine Success Gu.” Faith Gu had already flown far away. Ren Zu realized he could not catch up to it and said with a sigh: “Hairy Man, refine it quickly, this is the last time I am trusting you.” The Hairy Man's third Gu Worm was still the Failure Gu. Strength Gu also flew out: “Ren Zu, you are a failure, you are unworthy of possessing me.” Strength Gu flew away, and Ren Zu felt bitter as he knew chasing after it would not give any result. So he could only gaze as Strength Gu flew far away. However, right at this time, Self Gu in his heart suddenly flew out and bit Strength Gu. Strength Gu shrieked and flew even faster as a piece of it was bitten away. It soon disappeared like a streak of smoke. Ren Zu and the Hairy Man watched with stupefied expressions. Self Gu leisurely flew back and said proudly to Ren Zu: “Any failure has its value. Ren Zu, I went through repeated failures and absorbed them to become stronger. Just now, I took a bite of Strength Gu; from now on, you will have your strength! I can still become stronger; I can devour any Gu Worms to possess all their strength.” Ren Zu was shocked.

The Hairy Man Leader slapped his thigh, shouting: “I know how to refine Success Gu; it is through failures. The more failures there are, the closer I will be to success! I understand, I understand now.” He shouted happily as he rushed away, leaving Ren Zu behind. Infallible blessed land was the possession of the Hairy Man leader. Hairy Foot Mountain was the place where the Hairy Man leader had once resided. After his death, the Hairy Man leader left behind an inheritance. It was to gather other people’s failures and refine them into mortal failure Gu. As the mortal failue Gu increased in numbers, they would then condense into success dao marks.