Zi Yang

  Don't ask about the height of five feet four inches, medium-sized head slightly larger, ranked third in the east, due to the presence of Taoist priests on both sides welcoming, Mo Xiang's heart can't help but feel tense, taking slow steps up the hall without looking sideways, only silently counting the steps in his mind, not too many or too few, after 81 steps he stepped onto the stone platform in front of the Supreme Clarity Hall, the bronze incense burners on both sides of the platform were as tall as a person, at this time the incense burners were already filled with tribute incense, auspicious fog floated, fragrant clouds moistened people. The majestic Supreme Clarity Hall had three doors and six windows, but at this time the doors were tightly closed and not yet open.

  Qingyangzi followed the seven people, and after reaching the stone platform, he quickly overtook everyone and walked to the entrance of the main hall with Guyangzi who was standing on the west side of the temple gate. He bowed his head and said, "The chief teacher Fa Jian, the seven upper clear masters humbly request to enter the palace."

  "Admitted." The echo came from within the main hall, a hoarse and extremely slow voice.

  After the master opened his mouth, the temple door was pulled open from inside. Without asking for the location, he first saw the situation in the temple. The main hall was bright with lanterns and lights. On both sides of the corridor stood twelve Daoist ritual officers, each holding various Daoist musical instruments. At the northern end stood a short and stout old Daoist holding a duster, who must be the master of Mount Wuliang, Xuan Yangzi, whom everyone had not met before. Behind Xuan Yangzi was a huge statue of the Supreme Clarity Law, nine feet tall, wearing five-colored golden robes. He held a three-foot-long scepter in his hand and sat on a six-sided altar, with a benevolent expression and a dignified appearance.

  As the temple gate opens, the ritual officials inside begin to play music. Twelve people on the left side play bells, drums and chimes, while twelve people on the right side hold cymbals, gongs and stone chimes. After the music starts, everyone follows Gu Yangzi and Qing Yangzi into the temple, walking slowly until they stop five steps away from the statue of the deity in the north. Gu Yangzi and Qing Yangzi step aside to the left and right, and everyone faces Wuliangshan Zhuangjiao Xuanyangzi directly. The music stops temporarily.

  "Infinite Heaven Venerable." Everyone chorused in unison as they bowed their bodies to pay respects to Xuanyangzi.

  "Fusheng Wuliang Tianzun, you have already been selected as a disciple of the Upper Clarity, but your generation has not been determined. When meeting others, you must not bow deeply, and when meeting those of the same generation, it is enough to make a slight bow." Xuan Yangzi bowed his head in return, this person was different from his two fellow disciples, without any celestial or Taoist demeanor, he was only about five feet tall, quite short and stout, with big eyes and mouth, round head and brain, speaking slowly, one word at a time.

  Everyone heard and responded in unison.

  "The three incense sticks were lit, and nine knocks signaled the return to the ancestral temple." Xuan Yangzi took a few slow steps back to the west, yielding the position for offering incense. At this moment, the master of ceremonies began playing music again.

  After Xuan Yangzi stepped aside, Qing Yangzi handed the already lit three sticks of incense to the first person on the right side. The latter received it with both hands, walked forward and inserted it into the incense burner, then lifted his robe and knelt down to kowtow, after nine knocks he got up and returned to his position, replaced by another person to offer incense and pay homage.

  The Taoist initiation ceremony is very similar to the Confucian apprenticeship ceremony. After a brief moment, the seven people finished their kneeling and bowing, returned to their original positions, and the music stopped.

  "Gentlemen, you are all Upper Clarity disciples, although you reside on Mount Wutai, you are not disciples of Mount Wutai. Therefore, this Mount Wutai has no authority to bestow upon you a Daoist title. Fortunately, our ancestors had already foreseen that seven people would enter the gate, and thus left behind a divine revelation, using the Northern Dipper stars as your temporary titles." Xuan Yangzi looked around at everyone, "Although our ancestors had a divine revelation, they did not leave behind names. There are documents on the case table, each of you take one, and listen to the will of heaven."

  The crowd was not overly surprised by this, as the Upper Clear Ancestor Master was a celestial being from the Ninth Heaven, and it was not difficult for him to anticipate events. After a brief moment of hesitation, the crowd stepped forward one by one to take away the documents on the tribute table. This object served as proof of a Taoist's identity, and having the document in hand meant that one was an orthodox Upper Clear Taoist.

  When everyone came forward to take the notice, Mo didn't move. This wasn't because he was being polite, but rather because he was currently frowning and worrying. Xuan Yangzi spoke too slowly, taking a breath between every two or three words. The previous conversation had taken over half an hour, so if he were to lecture on scriptures in the future, wouldn't it be enough to drive someone mad?

  When he came to his senses, there was only one notice left on the contribution table. Mo Xiang took the notice and bowed his head as he walked back, just like everyone else, without opening the notice.

  "Each of you has your own way." Xuan Yangzi spoke slowly.

  "Tianquanzi, Yuhegzi, Kaiyangzi, Yaoguangzi, Tianzhuzi, Tianxuanzi, Tianjiz. The seven people looked at the notice and reported their Taoist names, but no one asked who had obtained the notice of Tianzhu."

  "Now that you have taken your rightful place, I shall confer upon you the Dharma Seal." said Xuan Yang Zi once again.

  Xuanyangzi finished speaking, and Gongyangzi, who was standing beside him, walked to the left side of the tribute table and retrieved a half-foot square jujube wood tray. On the tray were seven seals, arranged neatly. The seals were square in shape, about the size of a child's fist, and were a deep red color, carved from stone.

  Xuanyangzi handed out the seals one by one, "This method of seal-cutting has your Taoist names on it. Before distributing them, I have already set up an altar to communicate with heaven, so this seal is connected with your heart and spirit. In the future, if you write talismans or incantations without adding the seal, they will not be able to reach the heavenly court to invite gods and drive away ghosts. You must keep them carefully."

  Everyone heard and responded in unison, carefully accepting the Dharma seal handed over by Xuanyangzi.

  After distributing the talismans and law seals, Xuan Yangzi looked around at everyone again. "A Taoist is a person who practices the great Tao. The key to cultivating the Tao lies in cultivating one's mind. From tomorrow on, Lao Dao will teach you all the scriptures of the Supreme Clarity. First, cultivate your mind and concentrate your spirit, then cultivate the Tao and learn its methods."

  "Thank you, Daozhang." The crowd bowed in gratitude.

  "Summon all of you to the Gongjin Hall for the Upper Clearness Assembly to recite scriptures and calm your minds." Xuan Yangzi said.

  As soon as the words were spoken, Gu Yangzi and Qing Yangzi turned around and walked out, withdrawing the Daoist priests from the ritual path. They invited nine senior Daoist priests who had been waiting outside to come in, along with their three fellow disciples, to sit in a circle inside the hall and chant scriptures.

  Seven people were asked to sit cross-legged with their eyes closed and listen, reciting scriptures that lasted until the hour of Chen before ending. The entrance ceremony was completed, and the seven people returned to the East Hall on their own.

  After returning to the East Hall, Mo Wen took a bowl and chopsticks with others to go to the dining hall. Unexpectedly, today's meal was delivered by Old Five and a little Taoist boy. Old Five quickly finished distributing the porridge and rice, and followed Mo Wen back to his room.

  "Congratulations, old master." Lao Wu took the document that Mo Xun had placed on the table and glanced at it, then picked up the printed method to examine it carefully.

  "Did you mess up cooking yesterday? Were they scolding you?" Mo Wen didn't pick up on his cue.

  "No, sir, will you also learn to recite scriptures in the future?" asked Lao Wu.

  "How can one succeed without learning?" Mo Wen frowned and opened his mouth, having listened for nearly an hour in the grand hall earlier. Those old Taoists spoke unclearly, reciting scriptures as if they were mumbling in their sleep, and he couldn't make out a single word. His head was dizzy and swollen from listening, and even now he felt like there were flies buzzing around his brain.

  "Is it difficult to learn? I feel like it's similar to reciting books with Old Master," said Lao Wu.

  "The Master reads books and I understand, the Taoist recites scriptures and I don't understand a single sentence." Mo asked to take over the Buddhist seal that Lao Wu had weighed in his hand.

  "Old master, what's this thing used for?" Lao Wu asked, seeing Mo asking about the small seal with such importance.

  "When writing talismans later, we need to use it. Talismans without the Daoist master's seal are useless." Mo Wen said.

  "What's the use of talismans?" asked Old Five again.

  "I've heard it can summon gods and drive out ghosts." Mo asked casually.

  "You're so fierce, when did you start learning?" Lao Wu asked with wide eyes.

  "I don't know, I'll go learn from Master Xuanyang first." Mo Xun rubbed his forehead with a puzzled expression.

  "Is Xuan Yang Dao Zhang alright? Ah, right, Master, you don't know that Xuan Yang Dao Zhang isn't human." Lao Wu lowered his voice.

  "Don't talk nonsense." Mo Wen loudly stopped him. Xuanyangzi was the abbot of Wuliang Mountain, and scolding his elders went against loyalty and filial piety.

  "Really, I heard he's an old turtle." Lao Wu didn't stop talking.

  "Oh? Who told you that?" Mo Xiong didn't scold Lao Wu again, because he suddenly thought of the fact that Xuanyangzi's appearance was indeed a bit strange, his movements and words were too slow, and most importantly, Xuanyangzi had smiled when giving the round-headed youth the Buddhist seal.

  "The little Taoist who tends the fire." The old man replied.

  "Shangqing doesn't discriminate against others, no matter if the Xuan Yang Dao Chang is an alien or not, you can't speak recklessly." Mo Wen reminded him and lowered his head to eat.

  Lao Wu nodded and glanced over, discovering the dried dates that A Jiu had brought a few days ago. "Master, where did these dates come from?"

  Mo Wen heard the words and looked up at Lao Wu, raising his hand to indicate that he could eat. Although he had entered the Taoist sect, he still followed the Confucian rules of not speaking while eating or sleeping, and rarely spoke during meals.

  "Is this a woman's handkerchief? Was it given to you by that veiled woman?" asked Lao Wu.

  "Oh no, I forgot. You reminded me that I'm not allowed to eat." Mo Wen suddenly remembered that Gu Yangzi had punished him for three days without food yesterday evening and quickly put down his chopsticks.

  "What's wrong?" asked Lao Wu in confusion.

  "You messed up that tofu yesterday, I couldn't swallow it during dinner and ended up pouring it into the ditch. Unfortunately, Gu Yang Daozhang saw me and punished me with three days of fasting." Mo Wen shook his head and said.

  "Three days without food, how can you stand it? You eat in the house and he can't see, it's okay." Old Five whispered.

  "That won't do, take this food away and give these dates to him as well." Mo Xiang took the warrant and official seal and stood up from his seat.

  Lao Wu tried every means of persuasion, but no matter what he said, the child refused to eat. In the end, Lao Wu could only take away the dishes, leaving the dates behind.

  Not long after Lao Wu left, footsteps were heard outside the house, followed by a knock on the door. Mo Xun got up to open it and found that apart from A Jiu, five others were standing outside. Young people like excitement, they came to chat with him.

  Mo Wen welcomed everyone into the house, pouring tea and making small talk. After everyone sat down, they noticed the handkerchief and dates on the table. These people were all extremely intelligent and immediately guessed that the dates were sent by the masked woman, exchanging sly glances with Mo Wen.

  "Ajiu gave it to me as a thank you for taking the blame for her." Mo asked hastily explained.

  "Even Lian Niang knows, and you're taking the blame, no need to say more, we have our own calculations." A tall, bearded young man interrupted Mo's words with a sly smile.

  "In the lower hall, at the Double Ninth Festival, dare I ask your esteemed surnames and great names?" Mo Xun saw that he couldn't explain clearly, and hastily changed the subject.

  "As for you, we've already known each other's names," said the young man with a long beard, "I'm Baili Kuangfeng, twenty-two."

  "In the year of Liu Shaoqing's death, I was nineteen years old." A handsome young man replied.

  Mo Wen heard the words and smiled and nodded, among these people he only knew this Liu Shaoqin who would "run" when something happened.

  "In the night of tomorrow, at twenty o'clock." The most handsome young man among the five bowed and opened his mouth. Due to years of habit, he still used the fist-bowing gesture.

  Don't ask, seeing the situation, he hastily returned the gift.

  "Liu Shang, the same age as Mo brother, also eighteen, don't know which month Mo brother was born." The young man who spoke was only about five feet tall, with phoenix eyes and cherry lips, his mouth and nose were delicate, his appearance was extremely beautiful, if not for the lump on his throat, his appearance could even surpass that of a beauty.

  "April." Mo Wen didn't ask and just replied.

  "It's February." Liu Song said with a smile.

  "In less than a thousand years." The last speaker was the round-headed young man.

  "Excuse me, how should I address you?" Mo Wen felt a slight sense of puzzlement, but since he had already known earlier that this round-headed youth was an alien in disguise, he wasn't afraid.

  "He's called Qian Sui, and if this name gets out, even a hundred heads wouldn't be enough for the officials to kill." Ba Li Kuang Feng interjected with a smile.

  "Don't laugh at me." Qian Sui was born with a wooden and inarticulate nature, not good with words, and felt very embarrassed upon hearing this.

  "You're a boring guy, can't even tell jokes. In the future when we learn from the same master, we'll be like brothers. You're the oldest, so we'll call you Big Brother. I'm second, Night Wanderer is third, Liu Shaokang is fourth, Liu Songxian is fifth, and Mo Wanjun is sixth." said Bai Li Kuang Feng.

  Everyone heard this and agreed, Mo asked also nodded and followed, only Qian Shui was still making excuses.

  Just as everyone was enthusiastically calling each other brothers, Gu Yangzi's voice came from outside the house, "People in the Taoist sect actually learned that Jianghu bandit style, do you need me to bring up two yellow paper knives and catch a rooster?"

  Everyone heard the voice and secretly thought it was terrible. As expected, Gu Yangzi's voice came again, "Face the wall in the East Hall for three hours..."