Chapter 23

  Xu Wu hid in the pharmacy, guarding a pot of boiling medicine. From time to time, he would open it and taste it, then add some more herbs. The small room was filled with a foul and bitter smell.

  Duanmu Chengyang stepped on a low stool and pulled open the drawers of the medicine cabinet one by one, occasionally finding something edible and tossing it into his mouth to taste.

  The two of them remained in this state for a whole hour, and Dao Jing not only woke up but also regained his senses. This should have been a joyful thing, but the two people had their own thoughts in mind. Therefore, neither of them spoke or moved, half of the water in the medicine jar was gone, and Duanmu Zhen's tongue was numb from eating too much.

  He spat out a bitter loquat seed and stopped searching. Yan asked Xunuo if he wanted a piece of sugar.

  "I told you not to eat it, now you'll have diarrhea and I'll have to prescribe medicine for you"

  Duanmu Chengyang poked at the charcoal fire under the medicine pot with an iron chopstick, humming a tune like a squirrel with a sugar cube, and said casually: "This is still easy for you, hey! I think this medicine should be about done, right?"

  Xu Wu's expression didn't change, "Far from it."

  "Ah?" The dregs in the medicine were all exposed to the surface of the water, and if it continued like this, it would really be ruined. Duansheng muttered: "Stewing soup doesn't need to take so long."

  "Can you cook?"

  "Mmm" Duanmu Chengyang crunched on the sugar cube, mumbling indistinctly that this was also a casual pick.

  “……”

  "When will this medicine take effect?"

  Stroking his whiskers with an air of mystery, "When Daoji leaves, that's when the medicine will be effective."

  As it was almost lunchtime, the maids outside had already come to prepare the medicine. Looking at the ink-like liquid in the jar, Du Mu Cheng couldn't help but worry whether Yu Gong Zhu could survive drinking it all.

  Who would have thought that the old man with a long beard, who had an otherworldly air about him, would turn around and put on a benevolent expression, telling the maid in a calm and collected tone that taking the medicine once in the morning and once at night would be sufficient, and that it was not necessary to take it at noon.

  "He called out to the maid who was preparing to leave and said seriously: 'Bring our lunch over here'"

  Duanmu Yan: "......" Do you want to save face?

  Actually, he was unwilling to meet Dao Jing for a very simple reason. Dao Jing was an orthodox immortal family, and his cultivation was definitely above his own. Although he looked older, he was actually several years younger than himself. His master also doted on him so much that no matter how he thought about it, he felt the gap between himself and others was too big.

  The more anxious I feel in my heart, this meal is also tasteless to eat. Duanmu Chengyan slammed his bowl and chopsticks, "Alas!"

  "What's wrong at such a young age?"

  He rubbed his chin, staring at the half-closed door with a dejected expression. "You wouldn't know even if I told you," but then he thought for a moment and asked, "Why haven't you gone to see Dao Jing yet?"

  His face immediately fell and he put down his chopsticks, "Alas, seeing him reminds me of Shifu, now that I've regained my senses, there's even less need to see him"

  "Was it Master Xuwu who cured him? When did this happen?"

  "How am I supposed to know?" Xū Wú was somewhat agitated, his beard blown back, and after calming down for half a day, he said: "Dào Jìng's body has all of Shī Xiōng's cultivation, can't you see that? Shī Xiōng always emphasized internal skill nourishment, his cultivation naturally had the power to revive, and he recovered his consciousness so quickly, isn't that proof?"

  Reminded of Xuwu Chang's death, Du Mu Yang couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. He thought about it repeatedly and felt that his death was too suspicious. Xuwu Chang had said that he was just a doctor, so who could he have offended? This group of people killed his whole family, but Dao Jing was still unharmed, and Xuan Yi Shangxian, who had promised to come in the evening, didn't appear again.

  "Could it be Xuan Yi Shang Xian..."

  The chopsticks in his hand snapped, and he immediately sank his face and severely shouted: "Nonsense!!! You can take medicine casually, can you talk nonsense? Unfounded and arbitrary framing, is this what your elders taught you?"

  Duanmu Chengyang was startled and trembled with fear, scolded into silence, and could only hang his head in shame.

  Yu Gongzhu's complexion looked a bit better, but his spirit was still very poor. Seeing Dao Jing, he seemed to have a lot to say to him, but unfortunately, he didn't have the energy, so he could only instruct him that it wasn't safe around him yet and told him to temporarily stay in Tong Chen Palace, everything would be discussed after he recovered from his illness.

  After a simple lunch, the two returned to the quiet courtyard. Lu Jian sat under the corridor and told Dao Jing about what had happened during this time.

  From the time he met Dao Jing in Nangong, all the way to meeting Xuan Yi Shangxian in the Void Realm. Lu Jian briefly skipped over the part where Xuan Yi was injured, which was specifically instructed by Yu Gong Zhu. Dao Jing occasionally nodded but didn't interrupt. When she heard Lu Jian describe how his master had white hair, her gaze dimmed and her sparse eyelashes covered up the emotions in her eyes.

  Wiping away tears with a wet sleeve, Lu Jian asked softly, "Have you been crying?"

  "Nothing." Dao Jing turned his head away and gazed at the eaves of the house. It wasn't until after a while that he turned back, his eyes red-rimmed.

  No one expected this little girl would actually make it to the top of Mount TianTai, a feat that thousands of people couldn't accomplish.

  Maybe this is fate, Dao Jing thought to herself.

  Lu Jing's thoughts were simple, she didn't understand why Xuan Yi Shangxian hadn't gone to find him personally. Duanmu Chengyang had said that there were many powerful gods in the world, and it was better to let someone else deal with the demonic beasts.

  This thing she probably really can't understand for the time being, Dao Jing didn't explain much either, only saying that Master must have his difficulties, how Master treats me, I am the clearest, and won't blame him.

  Although he still felt a little downhearted, Dao Jing made an effort to cheer himself up. When talking about his master, his voice became much lighter and his face was filled with joyful expressions. Upon hearing Lu Jian mention the injury she had sustained in her childhood, he began chatting casually with her, sharing some interesting stories from his own childhood, and took the opportunity to explain some common knowledge about the Three Realms and Six Paths. He also talked about how he once insisted on helping his master tie up his hair, but ended up using a lot of effort because his hair was too smooth and slippery. At this point, he couldn't help but think of Xuan Yi's white hair, and felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

  "Master is an immortal true deity who will never decline in power. He must be too worried about me, am I not very incompetent?"

  "It won't work, it won't work" Lu Jian's head shook like a rattle drum. "Don't say that, Brother Nai said you're only fifteen years old, I've seen that Demon Lord, he must be several hundred years old at least, it's normal for you to get caught by him."

  Lu Jing felt unconvincing, and then gave an example, "Look at the mountain goat, oh no, Duanmu Chengyang is already 17 years old, except for arguing with me, I haven't seen him do anything else, he can do some magic but it's not useful, you must be much more capable than him"

  Dào Jìng seized the key point, "Have you seen the Demon Lord?"

  "This...". Lu Jian suddenly felt that he had said something wrong, and quietly stuck out his tongue, thinking quickly about how to change the subject. He raised his head just in time to see Duanmu Cheng walking by with a dejected expression from the front of the courtyard.

  She rushed out and dragged him in front of Dao Jing, "He, he is Duanmu Chengyang"

  A big smile on his face, and then he said, "This is Dao Jing, let's get reacquainted."

  The inquiring gaze was still on himself, Lu Jian pretended to be suddenly enlightened and patted his forehead, saying: "Oh, I remembered that Grandpa wanted me for something, I'll leave first." Before he finished speaking, he had already slipped out of the yard.

  Duanmu Chengyang had just been taught a lesson and didn't want to chat with Dao Jing, so he hastily cupped his fists in respect and said "I'll take my leave" before turning around and leaving.

  The Shangqing Heaven welcomed the dawn, but Xuan Yi had not yet woken up. Yu Chen Xuan Huang stood in front of the courtyard, gazing at the rising sun with a dazed expression. He Yue and He Song stood guard at the door, not moving an inch, despite their clothes and hair being dampened by the morning dew.

  After a long time, Yu Chen Xuan Huang softly called out to Yue

  Heavenly Venerable

  "Xuan Yi has been here with me for half a day and night, to avoid being misinterpreted by those with ulterior motives, you immediately lead the guards back to Tiantai Mountain."

  He and Yue couldn't help but raise his head to look at him in surprise, then nodded and replied, thinking for a moment before asking: "Then the master...?"

  "I'll send him back, but I'm afraid it will be sooner than you think. Don't waste time and don't rush, remember, everything should be the same as when he was here."

  Yes

  The incense burner in the room had gone out, and Xuan Yi lay quietly on the bed, his complexion normal, but for some reason he just didn't wake up.

  Yu Chen Xuan Huang couldn't help but rethink this person. The first time Xuan Yi came here was to receive the heavenly position of Tiantai Mountain's main god. At that time, it was also early morning, and a group of immortals stood in front of the hall listening to the declaration. Among them were wandering scattered immortals and famous scholars with Taoist names. Although each had their own style, they all wore dignified and elegant divine robes, which made them look somewhat stiff and formal. Only Xuan Yi was radiant and elegant, with every gesture exuding noble elegance, making people feel refreshed and invigorated at first sight.

  A hundred years passed in the blink of an eye, and no matter how many trials and tribulations he experienced, Xuan Yi's demeanor remained unchanged. Yu Chen Xuan Huang often found himself unable to cope with some minor matters these days, but it wasn't that he couldn't think of a solution - rather, he had gradually come to realize that good and evil, right and wrong, were often intertwined like shadows. Xuan Yi believed that all things had an end, and he tirelessly pursued the solution to every problem. Now, with his severe injuries and another failed attempt at dispelling the magic array, the malevolent energy in his heart was slowly merging with his own cultivation. In other words, for who-knew-how-many years to come, he would have to coexist with this evil energy.

  It can be seen from his attitude towards Dao Jing and his treatment of Cang Sheng on Mount Tiantai that he is not an unfeeling person. The immortals do not know the emotions, but in fact, they are not unfeeling, but rather, they are still and unmoving, as if they have already forgotten. This is the greatest test for an immortal. In the three realms and six paths, all living beings have their own survival laws. Some things may be unpleasant or unacceptable to you, but you cannot stop them from happening, this is the law of the operation of the heavenly way. Immortals possess abilities that ordinary people cannot match, and it is inevitable that they will want to use their powers to push the development of events towards a result they desire. If this result conforms to the heavenly way, then it is an immortal, otherwise, it becomes a demon. However, whether immortals or demons, neither can resist the natural teasing of heaven and earth, and both must bear the final consequences.

  Xuan Yi believed that everything was up to human effort, and perhaps the first thing he would do after waking up would be to eliminate the evil energy in his body. But this had already exceeded the scope of medical skills. There was no eternal joy in the world, and cultivation itself was for accepting this fact. Everything depended on his thoughts, and maybe one day he would find it difficult to distinguish whether it was the demonic energy of the Demon Lord or his own obsession.

  Why seek the Tao, why cultivate immortality? If it's for eternal joy, then one must face continuous suffering. What is it all for? The true answer can only be understood by oneself.

  Yu Chen Xuan Huang stretched out his hand and grasped the arm of Xuan Yi, in an instant the scenery changed, and they found themselves on Mount Tiantai, in the Fengzhu Hall.

  Jin Chao Mama 2014/8/31 1:16