Chapter 38

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Under the plum blossom tree, I saw a young man and an old man discussing the Dao?

The several True Persons exchanged glances, puzzled by these words. None of them could grasp the meaning behind the mention of the old man and the youth under the plum blossom tree.

Each of these True Persons had the ability to establish their own lineage, yet in front of this Daoist, who had just pushed open the decaying wooden door and stepped out, they remained extremely respectful, silently standing by. The Daoist stared at the poem written on the piece of white paper for a long, long time. Finally, he set the paper down on the stone table beside him without saying a word.

The sect master of this lineage, who appeared no older than middle-aged and wore a simple Daoist robe, cupped his hands slightly and asked: “Senior, you emerged from seclusion today.”

“Did you gain anything?”

The Daoist’s expression was as calm as ever, and he replied: “There was no gain.”

“The Heavenly Emperor exiled me here. Unless I can fully comprehend the Great Dao, I cannot return to my position in the heavens, nor take even a single step down from this mountain. I have sat in stillness for a thousand years with little insight to show for it.”

“My spiritual thoughts are exhausted. I cannot move forward, nor can I experience sudden enlightenment.”

“Perhaps this is the true punishment.”

He sighed softly, pausing for a moment. After a long period of silence, he continued: “However, today, I dreamed of this person. Perhaps he is connected to the opportunity for me to leave this place. If any of your disciples encounter this individual while traveling the world, keep an eye on him. Should anything come of it, there will be a reward.”

The group respectfully bowed in response.

The unremarkable Daoist, with no distinguishing features, waved his sleeve lightly and said: “You may go now.”

After the many True Persons left, one of them asked the sect master:

“Since this is a fated opportunity, should we use the method of Ziwei Doushu or astrological divination to calculate the heavenly secrets and search for this youth?”

The sect master smiled and shook his head, saying: “The Dao seeks only that which is fated.”

“If there is fate, we will meet in due time.”

“If there is no fate, to force the matter will only lead to resentment and conflict.”

“And what would be the point of that?”

“The Dao follows the natural way. Why cling to attachment? Those who strive for it will fail, and those who cling to it will lose it. Let it be.”

The other True Persons all paid their respects and departed, returning to their cultivation, and teaching their disciples without mentioning the matter further. This incident spread only through the ordinary disciples, with no particular emphasis, though it caused faint ripples across the world. Meanwhile, the young daughter of the Cui family, the beautiful and talented Cui Yuanzhen, who was like a banished immortal, successfully became a disciple under the Head True Person. She began her sword cultivation, and her journey was sure to be one of great fortune.

The next day, Su Yue’er, dressed in her red clothes, along with the young man from the Cui family, prepared to descend the mountain.

Cui Yuanzhen saw them off.

Though she had only been in the sect for a day, she had already changed her worldly garments for the attire of the Daoist sect. Her three thousand strands of hair were now bound with a Daoist hairpin.

Her bearing was otherworldly, and her beauty striking, though the vermilion mark at the center of her brow added a sharp edge, carrying three parts of natural sharp killing aura.

Although she had yet to fully mature, it was clear she would grow into an extraordinary beauty in the future.

Many had already proposed to her, and a few years ago, an old man with the surname Li, who had passed by while traveling, had smiled and said that she was meant for cultivation—why should she marry within high walls?

If she truly wanted to marry, it should be to an immortal.

Thus, she loved the Dao.

As they walked, the scenery they passed was entirely different from that of the mortal realm, possessing its own unique charm, making it hard for them to leave.

Just as they were about to exit the mountain gate, they noticed that the towering gate had been newly repaired. The previously grand and imposing words had been removed, replaced not with a couplet, but rather with a four-line poem.

Cui Yuanzhen was surprised and stood there.

Raising her sword and lifting her gaze, she looked at the words and softly murmured:

“In the White Jade Capital of Heaven, twelve towers and five cities stand tall.”

“An immortal strokes my head, tying my hair to grant me immortality.”

Her expression shifted slightly. Though her initial impression was that it did not carry the same grand and majestic force as the previous couplet, the more she pondered it, the more she felt that these twenty short words held an indescribable grace and ease. The longer she reflected on it, the deeper the charm seemed to grow, leaving a lasting impression. She found herself liking it even more than the couplet before.

The young girl, long famed for her beauty and talent, often compared to a banished immortal, memorized the poem and asked her fellow disciples with a smile:

“This poem truly has an extraordinary aura.”

“Was it written by the patriarch of Tianzhu Peak?”

The Daoist, recognizing her as the junior sister who had been taken in by the head True Person as soon as she entered the sect, smiled and cupped his hands, replying:

“That’s not the case.”

“It was something the patriarch saw in a dream, written during a discussion of the Dao between a young man and an old man under a plum blossom tree.”

“The aura is remarkable, more in line with the immortal essence compared to the original couplet, so we disciples were instructed to replace the couplet with this poem.”

Cui Yuanzhen nodded in understanding: “I see.”

Su Yue’er, reflecting on the experience and looking at the couplet, couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration. She smiled contentedly and said:

“A discussion of the Dao in a dream, and writing down such ethereal and immortal words—it’s truly something out of the immortal world.”

“Being able to witness such things in person made this journey worthwhile.”

“If I had stayed at home, I would never have encountered something like this.”

“Yes, when I get home, I’ll tell my father’s disciples about it and let them be envious!”

Thinking of the young man her father valued highly, she mused to herself:

I’ll tell Qi Wuhuo about it too!

Consider it a way to broaden his horizons.

The axe blade split into the firewood, cleaving it with a single, smooth stroke.

The wood was divided into two even pieces and fell to the ground.

Qi Wuhuo split the wood, lit the fire, and began preparing a meal. After acquiring some magical skills, much of the labor had become far less time-consuming.

Even while cooking, he was still flipping through the pages of the [Record of Ascension to Immortality] and the cultivation notes left by the Mountain God. The old man, who had initially planned to leave today, sat nearby, stroking his beard and sipping tea. Though he had mentioned leaving in three days, he seemed far less hurried than the day before.

He had spoken about going to meet someone, but he hadn’t mentioned where or whom. The old man only smiled and said it was somewhere close by.

He jested again, “At that time, I gave you three choices. One of them was two taels of gold, then granting a lifespan of twelve hundred years. Another was to introduce you to the daughter of the Cui family, who was as graceful as an immortal descended to the mortal realm, to initiate a fateful connection.”

“You refused back then, and now I won’t bring you there. This time, I’m only going to meet a friend.”

“You may know him. When you see him, perhaps you’ll recognize him.”

Qi Wuhuo’s curiosity grew even stronger in his heart.

He set down the notes, and his understanding of cultivation had finally become organized, broadening his perspective.

He thought to himself, earlier he had mentioned to the Divine Generals in the mountain that he would preach the Dao soon. Now, he wasn’t sure how long visiting the elder’s friend would take. In that case, it would be better to go to the mountain to lecture on the Dao first and then accompany the elder on his visit. While they were eating, he brought this up to the elder. The elder smiled and asked: “You want to go to the mountain to preach the Dao?”

“Um.”

“Will you do it in the same way as the original mountain god?”

“Um.”

Qi Wuhuo nodded. He had acquired a pill furnace from Tantai Xuan, and he planned to refine some elixirs for the mountain’s spiritual beasts. These elixirs could help them improve their Primordial Qi cultivation. The elder stroked his beard and nodded, lowering his head as if reading some scripture. Then, as Qi Wuhuo was about to leave, the elder casually remarked:

“The golden crow and jade rabbit urge one another, the sun and moon, twin pills, come and go.”

“Refining elixirs to achieve medicinal perfection, but in the mortal realm, only ashes remain of immortality.”

“Since you want to refine elixirs, there must be a method. This is one of the general principles, to save you from having a pill furnace in hand yet not knowing how to use it properly or mastering it with precision. As for how to manage the Golden Crow and the Jade Rabbit, how to regulate the qi with the [Mutual Urging Method], and how to handle the Sun and Moon Twin Pills, I have already explained all of this during your previous cultivation. There is no need to repeat it now.”

“I’ve always liked refining pills and can’t bear to see people squandering natural resources.”

“So I’m just reminding you.”

The elder lifted his head, stroking his beard with a smile, and said:

“If you’re going to preach the Dao, then do it well. There’s no harm in preaching more.”

“By forming good karmic ties, one can reap good results. As you journey through the world, act without striving, and yet accomplish everything.”

“Understood.”

Qi Wuhuo strapped on his basket and, dressed in blue robes, walked out. As he was leaving, he heard the elder casually say something.

It seemed ordinary.

But somehow, it felt different from his usual gentle words, carrying a deeper meaning. Calmly, he said:

“Don’t tarnish your reputation.”

Qi Wuhuo paused in his steps, turned around, cupped his hands in salute, and said:

“Yes.”