Chapter 59

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Oh, guiding people into the Dao.

It seemed that Lu Chunyang’s cultivation was rather ordinary.

The Old Pine Tree observed the young Daoist and immediately understood. He calmed himself, stroked his beard, and replied unhurriedly:

“Not a problem, not a problem. This old man remembers this person. In due time, there will be a method to find them for you.”

“When the time comes, I will certainly help you locate this person.”

After a brief pause, he emphasized: “This old man has lived for five hundred years.”

“There is absolutely no falsehood in my words!”

The spiritual beings within the mountains all chuckled in unison.

The young Daoist expressed his gratitude. These spirits escorted him along the way until he passed through the shadowy forest. When the misty silhouette of a city emerged in the distance, they finally stopped. Qi Wuhuo did not rush forward but waited until the spirits finished eating the pine nuts in his hands. Only then did he prepare to leave. Standing on the high ground of the mountain, the spirits watched him from afar. The young Daoist slightly inclined his head in thanks.

Within him, a stream of Qi naturally circulated.

He carried the Mountain God Seal from Helian Mountain, just as Tao Taigong had mentioned.

Though the Mountain God Seal could not mobilize the Earth Veins to manifest various divine abilities or wondrous techniques, it could still harness the power of the Earth Veins to perform the Earth-Escaping Technique. The distance to the city was still quite far, so the young Daoist borrowed this strength from the Earth Vein. Step by step, he proceeded toward the prefectural city.

Behind him, a peony spirit, her belly stuffed full and her mouth still packed with a few pine nuts, finally managed to swallow them down. Feeling utterly satisfied, she patted her stomach. Overwhelmed with happiness just moments ago, she now realized a peculiar question. Looking toward the “five-hundred-year-old, worldly-wise” old pine tree spirit, she asked curiously:

“But come to think of it, why is he able to see us and hear us?”

“Isn’t it said that even Daoists with Innate Primordial Qi need to use a spell to accomplish that?”

The Old Pine Tree froze for a moment, about to explain—probably some unique method, or perhaps the young Daoist had already cast a spell, and they just hadn’t noticed. However, before he could speak, he saw the youth in the blue Daoist robe turn back and step into the mist. With a single step, his figure suddenly vanished.

He disappeared into the rainy fog, impossible to discern.

Huh?!!!

The Old Pine Tree stroked his beard, stunned and speechless.

Seeing the mist, all the spirits of the mountain turned their heads in unison, staring at him.

Awkwardly holding onto his pine-bark composure, the Old Pine Tree finally declared: “What of it? No matter, no matter. When the Mountain God returns, I will go ask him.”

“He’s bound to know who this Chunyang True Person is!”

[TL_Note: Chunyang = Pure Yang True Person]

“You just wait.”

“Wait!”

“I’ve lived five hundred years, five hundred years, I tell you!”

“What’s with that look in your eyes?!

“I am…”

Qi Wuhuo continued on his way, listening as the words behind him—such as “five hundred years old” and “worldly-wise”—gradually faded into the distance.

Surrounded on all sides by mountain scenery, with the wind brushing away the thin mist, the air felt refreshingly cool and pleasant.

As the saying goes, “A horse dies running toward a distant mountain.” Naturally, the reverse is also true. From atop the mountain, one could see vast distances, but the prefectural city was still very far away. Normally, it would take a day’s journey with provisions to reach it. If one stopped along the way to admire the scenery and became enraptured by the sights, it might even necessitate spending the night in the mountains.

Yet, relying on the Earth-Escaping Divine Ability of the Mountain Gods and Earth Deities, Qi Wuhuo managed to arrive within the span of a single incense stick’s time.

He found this somewhat surprising.

By his original estimate, though he could drive the Mountain God Seal with his Primordial Spirit, his thin reserves of Primordial Qi would have made it impossible to travel such a long distance without stopping for a proper rest. Earlier, while flipping through his jade book, he had already been studying the map and calculating where he would need to pause and take a break.

Now, however, that effort was unnecessary.

Standing before the prefectural city, he noticed a long line of people queuing up. Armored soldiers were inspecting [travel permits], as was customary. Due to taxes and corvée labor, the imperial court forbade commoners from leaving their registered residences without permission. On land, checkpoints were set up, and on waterways, ferries were monitored. Armored soldiers checked for permits at every crossing; anyone without a permit was deemed to have violated the law and would be apprehended and punished. To leave one’s hometown, one needed a legitimate reason to obtain a permit.

[TL_Note: Corvée is a form of unpaid forced labor]

Qi Wuhuo glanced toward the queue and caught sight of a man in the distance holding a permit.

However, only part of the text was visible, obscured from full view.

【Yunshui Township, Bali Village, Zhongwu Fang, Jia Seventh Neighborhood, male.】

【Traveling to the prefectural city of Zhongzhou for a family funeral.】

【Fearing capture at checkpoints without proper documentation, a permit is hereby requested.】

【Guarantors: Cen Shu, Wang Ergou, Zhao Shu, Zhang Liu, and Wu Qi; all items carried are personal belongings, not stolen or plundered.】

【Younger brother Zhao Wuliu acts as a guarantor: should the elder brother fail to return in time for corvée duties or taxation, the younger brother pledges to assume all obligations and pay any penalties incurred.】

The young Daoist pursed his lips, feeling that entering the city would not be easy.

Obtaining a [travel permit] required a report submitted layer by layer, starting from the village chief. Five guarantors were needed to ensure the traveler would return and not evade labor service. Additionally, a close relative had to act as a guarantor, pledging to fulfill any obligations should the traveler fail to return by the deadline. Even so, the [travel permit] was valid for only thirty days.

If the traveler exceeded the time limit, they had to renew the permit in the city they were in, with local officials issuing new documentation. Otherwise, they risked being detained and punished by the guards.

Qi Wuhuo’s thoughts suddenly drifted to a dream he once had of a book called [Journey to the West], where monks crossing borders needed a [travel document] to pass. Considering it further, if permits required renewal every thirty days in the city, complete with official stamps and endorsements, each successive layer would accumulate at the end of the document. By the time the journey concluded, the document would likely grow so thick that it would need to be carried on a pole, slung across one’s shoulders.

Ah, so the luggage carried by Sha Wujing turned out to be a travel permit?

The young Daoist seemed to have thought of something amusing and couldn’t help but smile.

The passersby, not understanding, merely saw a refined and handsome Daoist smiling to himself.

Taking two steps back, he formed a hand seal with his fingers.

Innate Qi could circulate at will, but his Primordial Qi could not yet leave his body. Thus, he could only employ simple techniques.

He used a concealment method described in the [Record of Ascension to Immortality] and carefully walked past the armored guards. Raising his head, he noticed a bright eight-trigram mirror hanging above the city gate, facing directly outward. It was likely there to detect demonic cultivators or monsters. However, since his cultivation followed the orthodox Daoist path and was exceptionally pure, the mirror did not reveal him. Only then did Qi Wuhuo step into the city.

“Good thing that worked. If I’d been caught, I would’ve been conscripted for corvée labor…”

After entering the city, he noticed that the sky had already darkened.

In the distance, the low, dull sound of a drum reverberated.

It was the evening drum.

Large cities were divided into [wards] for urban dwellers, in contrast to rural villages. The saying went: “Wards for those who reside in the city, villages for those in the fields.”

At the first watch of the night, three strokes of the drum marked the beginning of the evening curfew.

The drum would sound a total of six hundred beats, within which everyone was required to return to their designated ward and residence.

By the fifth watch of the night, three strokes of the morning bell would signal the end of the curfew.

During this curfew period, those caught walking the streets faced forty strikes with the cane. If caught before the fifth watch, the punishment was reduced to thirty. Exceptions were made for births, illnesses, or mourning. Qi Wuhuo, lacking a [travel permit], couldn’t secure lodging at an inn. Moreover, the city’s nightly patrols by armored guards made it troublesome to rely on constant concealment techniques. He had no choice but to find refuge in a dilapidated Earth God temple on the outskirts of a ward.

Pushing open the creaking door, a cloud of dust rained down. The temple appeared abandoned and long-neglected.

The Earth God Temple was in disarray, filled with a strange odor. Numerous eyes turned to look, and Qi Wuhuo saw several ragged beggars inside. Their faces were covered in dust, and they raised their heads to gaze at the young Daoist. Their eyes were murky and dull, devoid of light, completely disconnected from the strict orderliness outside this grand city.

They didn’t seem to expect that such a neatly dressed Daoist would come here.

Qi Wuhuo greeted them gently: “This poor Daoist apologizes for intruding. May I stay here for the night?”

One beggar muttered: “Little Daoist, if you’re looking for a place to stay, there are three Daoist temples in the city. Even if you went to a Buddhist monastery, they wouldn’t be able to turn you away—though it might give the steward monks some trouble.

“But this Earth God shrine belongs to the Earth Deity. If you’re willing to squeeze in with us beggars, suit yourself. Just be careful not to dirty your robes.”

Qi Wuhuo expressed his thanks and sat down on a pile of dry straw.

The beggars huddled together for warmth as they slept. Yet, even with the Earth God Temple shielding them from the howling winter winds, the bitter cold seeped in from all sides. They shivered and endured the harshness of the night. The young Daoist, seated before the temple’s Earth God statue, formed a seal with his fingers. Raising his hand slightly, he murmured an incantation from a Daoist scripture under his breath, his voice soft yet steady.

His Primordial Spirit circulated, subtly altering the flow of energy. The cold wind was blocked, and warmth gradually filled the room.

Those roommates, whose pasts he did not know and whose futures were equally uncertain, stopped shivering. For once, they found peaceful sleep.

The young Daoist withdrew the hand seal, his expression serene. Sitting on the ground, he leaned against the Earth God statue, bathed in the cool glow of moonlight. From his belongings, he took out the Mountain God’s cultivation notes, opening it to study in the quiet stillness. While retrieving the scroll, his hand brushed against the wooden box at his waist, reminding him of the girl’s final words. He formed a seal with his fingers, casting a breath-concealing and vision-veiling technique. Drawing a circle around himself with a gesture, he isolated his presence.

Only then did he open the wooden box.

Inside was a simple bronze mirror.

Runes shimmered faintly across its surface. He gently brushed the mirror’s edge with his fingertips, reciting the inscribed words:

“[Round Light Manifestation Technique]”

The patterns of swirling clouds on the mirror shifted and transformed into text, visible only to those with an active Primordial Spirit. Qi Wuhuo silently read the passage:

“To observe one’s form and method through a mirror: reside in a small, enclosed space, pointing towards the light. Gradually close your eyes and focus your thoughts on perceiving your face. Initially, there will be nothing but indistinct emptiness. After practicing overnight, clarity will slowly emerge, and one will come to see their own visage. Contemplate deeply within the heart, and the mind will grow bright and illuminated…”

After reading through the entire spell cultivation method, he practiced according to the instructions written in the mirror’s script.

As Qi Wuhuo focused on the mirror, he felt a faint light emerge from the center of his forehead. It was as if, just as the text had described, he could follow the method to trace the girl’s whereabouts. The mirror’s surface seemed to shimmer, with subtle, flowing patterns, the glow shifting in a way that was distinctly different from the previous dull, foggy appearance.

Then, suddenly, an image appeared.

It was of the girl, her chin resting on her hand, leaning close to the mirror, seemingly bored as she poked the mirror with her finger.

To Qi Wuhuo, it felt as though the girl was poking at him directly, her gaze like autumn water and her face as smooth as white jade. However, her expression was one of boredom, a stark contrast to her earlier cheerful demeanor.

It seemed as though her mind was elsewhere, not noticing the changes around her. Eventually, she clenched her teeth and spoke softly: “Qi Wuhuo…”

The young Daoist replied gently: “Mm, I’m here.”

“Eh? Ah?!!”

PS: The [Tang Liudian] stipulates, “Any travelers, whether by cart or horse, must pass through the checkpoint to be inspected.”

The Mirror Method originates from the [Dongxuan Lingbao Daoist Mirror Method], author unknown, dating from the period between the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties.

It is somewhat similar to the [Shangqing Mingjian Yaojing] and [Shangqing Mingjian Zhenjing].

Source of the original text: [Zhengtong Daozang] (Zhengyi section).