Chapter 6: Tempering

  Before long, I couldn't hold on anymore and ran back home to sleep. Because I really can't bear to see all kinds of spirits everywhere in the middle of the night, I often close my 'yin' and 'yang' eyes, anyway, it's convenient to open and close them at will.

  After a few more days, the junior high school graduation exam came. I felt that the questions were very simple and it should be no problem to get into a key high school. The summer vacation arrived, and I could finally play freely!

  After my father had money, he began to study some health and Taoist things. I also followed my father to see that the Taoist was indeed profound and contained many health reasons. Suddenly, I saw some pictures of '盘腿', which turned out to be a great way.

  Place the left foot on the right thigh, then place the right thigh on the left foot, called Ru Yi auspicious sitting, and vice versa is called Diamond Seat, both of which can achieve a deep state of concentration.

  Among them, the visualization to be done, the thoughts in mind, and the handprints of five 'flowers' eight 'gates', each has a special effect. I'm getting dizzy from looking at so many options, don't know which one is good to learn.

  For beginners, most can only do single-leg raises, just like me, with only one foot that can go up. Although it's not perfect, it still has the effect of promoting blood circulation and physical fitness. I was surprised to find that my father, after long-term practice, could actually raise both "legs" at the same time, which made me feel ashamed.

  When I was immersed in the knowledge of Taoism, Mr. Zhuo came to my home again, and when I saw him, he still wore the same attire, as if it would never get dirty, his face seemed to be forever stuck in a middle-aged appearance, without any signs of aging due to the passage of time.

  The father was also delighted to see Mr. Zhuo and wanted to discuss Taoist things with him, but Mr. Zhuo solemnly told his father that it would be enough to practice some health-preserving knowledge, and it's best not to practice randomly, otherwise there will be a lot of trouble after death. Ordinary people, without orthodox inheritance, as long as they accumulate virtues, do good deeds, release life, give alms, respect their parents, and after death, they can naturally ascend to heaven, at that time, they will also have Zen concentration, and all the heavenly beings will be delighted with Zen concentration.

  My father, Han Tianya, knew that Mr. Zhuo's kung fu was deep, so he listened to his words and only practiced the "leg" stance, released animals at fixed times, donated money, and as a result, his body became stronger and healthier, and the more he gave away money, the more he had. Mr. Zhuo told my father that this is the law of cause and effect, and giving is the cause of wealth and nobility.

  His father was also very curious about which "school" Mr. Zhuo belonged to, but Mr. Zhuo only said that he didn't belong to any "school" in this world, and just took care of some animals.

  His father felt that Mr. Zhuo did not want to say more, out of respect and did not ask further.

  Mr. Zhuo saw that I was on vacation and asked if I would like to go out with him to experience the world, of course, I was more than willing. So we went together to ask for my father's opinion. Although my father already believed in theism of this world, he didn't want me to only focus on this path. Taking exams and studying is still necessary. He just said to Mr. Zhuo: "I can rest assured that he is with you, as long as you bring him back before his vacation ends."

  Before we left, our mother was worried and gave us some money, but Mr. Zhuo refused: "Going out to practice doesn't require money, having money will make you not think about practicing."

  Father understood Mr. Zhuo's intention and sent us away, thus opening up a new and extraordinary experience for me and Mr. Zhuo.

  As soon as we stepped out of the door, I excitedly pulled on Mr. Zhuo's sleeve and asked: "Master, Master, where are we going to play?"

  Mr. Zhuo was about to stop me from calling him "Master", but seeing that I was also used to it, he didn't stop me. Mr. Zhuo took me through several strange and wonderful worlds, with all sorts of scenery that left me dazzled. Mr. Zhuo told me: "Let's go to Mount Kunlun together."

  Walking with Mr. Zhuo is not tiring at all, just like walking normally, but I don't know how many worlds we've been through, after arriving at Kunlun Mountain, Mr. Zhuo stopped his footsteps, the majestic high mountain pierced through the clouds.

  "Don't use your powers here, or it will make others feel disrespected." Mr. Zhuo started climbing the mountain with me, the stone path leading all the way to the sky, as if there was no end in sight.

  I asked Mr. Zhuo: "Why come to Kunlun Mountain?"

  "Kunlun Mountains, where dragons gather. All the dragons and Peng are under our jurisdiction. I was informed that there has been a disturbance caused by a Peng recently, so I came to take a look." Mr. Zhuo said after he finished speaking, my heart was jumping with excitement, could it be that I am about to see the legendary dragon clan?

  Suddenly, I remembered that in the days when Mr. Zhuo was not around, I saw a green dragon from the bottom of the river in Longtan. I asked Mr. Zhuo what it was all about, and Mr. Zhuo only said: "Dragons are mostly living at the bottom of the water when they were young, what you saw is a real dragon, this world has its own guardian spirit, whether it's a grass or a tree, even a small stone, dragons are aquatic, specializing in guarding rivers and seas."

  Since I opened my 'Yin' Yang eye, I naturally knew that Mr. Zhuo's words were not in vain. On top of every tree, big or small, there was a strange person sitting in a coiled position. It turned out to be the guardian deity after all. Perhaps it was because my realm was not enough, when I used my 'Yin' Yang eye to look at stones and flowers, I couldn't see the guardian deity.

  I asked Mr. Zhuo again, "Last time I went out at midnight and saw the ghost king under the pomegranate tree. When he saw me, he ran over to kneel down. Later, many big and small ghosts surrounded me and knelt down too. Why was that? There was also a ghost who emitted a faint glow, knelt for a while, and then suddenly disappeared into thin air and ascended to heaven."

  Mr. Zhuo nodded and said, "Yes, ghosts are very particular about their eyes."

  "What's the meaning of 'scheming eyes'?" I really didn't understand what Mr. Zhuo was saying.

  Mr. Zhuo explained: "Most of the ghosts on the ghostly path are hungry and thirsty, and they all come out at night. When they hear or see others eating, flames will spout from their mouths because they have nothing to eat. That's why the ghostly path is also called the Hungry Ghost Path. If it sees delicious food, when it runs over, several heavenly gods holding swords will appear on top of that food, not allowing them to get close. Or if it sees clear river water and wants to run over to drink, but as it approaches, it will see something like molten lava."

  "Why is that? What does it have to do with being opportunistic?" I suddenly remembered that the ghost king's mouth was always spewing fire, and it turned out to be because of hunger.

  Mr. Zhuo and I stepped up the stairs, responding slowly: "Listen to me, these ghosts will feel extremely difficult because of this, which has formed their power. Because they were stingy when they were alive, they got such a reward. When they see people with high morals and good conduct, they will eagerly offer sacrifices and kneel down to reduce their sins. That glowing ghost must have done great good deeds, after worshiping you, the sin was eliminated, and he went to heaven to enjoy blessings."

  So that's it! I finally understand what Mr. Zhuo meant by "Shi Li Yan", and why those ghosts bow to me when they see me, but I still don't get it, how am I so noble in character? And what about when these ghosts meet people with bad intentions?

  Mr. Zhuo knew I was going to ask these questions, so he continued to tell me: "A person's merits are not limited to this life. Some people are born rich and noble, while others are born poor and humble. These are all the results of their actions in their previous lives. In your case, your merits from your previous life are as high as a mountain. In the eyes of ghosts, every single pore on your body is shining brightly. On the other hand, when those ghosts see evil people, they will be extremely contemptuous and will attract some hungry ghosts to spit at them. As for the evil person's luck, it can be imagined that they will suffer misfortune sooner or later."

  Mr. Zhuo's words made me suddenly enlightened, it seems that being kind is the most important thing after all. There is a saying that you can cheat people but not ghosts, and heaven will not cheat. But Mr. Zhuo never clearly told me what my previous life was like, so I didn't ask about this question. Instead, I asked: "Why can't I see that my whole body is emitting light? Will it be very beautiful?"

  Mr. Zhuo looked at me and smiled: "It's indeed very beautiful, the reason why you can't see it now is that your current Tianyan boundary is only in 'Yin' Yangyan, and it's in the initial stage, there are too many things that can't be seen, Han Dong, do you think there is a Chang'e on the moon?"

  I shook my head and said, "Modern science has proven that the moon is actually barren and devoid of any life forms. Those are just myths and made-up stories."

  Mr. Zhuo's remarks once again shattered my worldview: "The ghosts and demons see the clear flowing water as magma, we see water as water, the heavenly people see water as crystal, and those with higher realms will also see corresponding things. I can clearly see Chang'e and a magnificent palace on the moon, while humans only see a barren thing. This is because of the different karma of all beings, and the realm they see is naturally different."

  I seem to understand yet not understand, but I feel a sense of clarity, as if being with Mr. Zhuo allows me to grasp more and more truths about this world. I start to ponder why I can only catch a glimpse of the mountain spirit and the dragon in the water, but cannot see them continuously. I think it's still because my own realm and karma are blocking me from seeing.

  "Alright, we're here." Mr. Zhuo stopped in his tracks, and I also saw a different scene.

  Only the top of Kunlun Mountain was shrouded in mist, with a majestic atmosphere. A gust of wind changed the clouds, and many small dragons and huge old dragons were coiled at the top of Kunlun Mountain. I got excited and almost shouted out loud.

  "This is the dragon! I actually saw a dragon!" I wonder, many tourists have also been to Kunlun Mountain, and some people have even climbed to the top of the mountain, why haven't they seen a dragon? This question is similar to humans landing on the moon but not being able to see Chang'e.

  Suddenly I feel that we can't say others are blind to the obvious anymore. It's like laughing at someone who is fifty steps behind, thinking they're stupid. The world of ants is two-dimensional, it can't see more than that. The human world is three-dimensional, but in fact, it also can't see too much more.

  Indeed, the broader one's horizons, the more expansive one's heart and mind become, and the more humble one becomes.

  Mr. Zhuo suddenly ran to the side of an old dragon, they were whispering in low voices, the old dragon was all red, majestic and powerful, its scales shining brightly, after glancing at me it continued talking with Mr. Zhuo, I didn't dare get close, only seeing Mr. Zhuo's eyebrows tightly furrowed, constantly stroking the old dragon's neck.

  I just saw that the old dragon had many wounds on its neck, and every time Mr. Zhuo touched it, a burst of light would emanate from it, healing the old dragon at a speed visible to the naked eye.

  Mr. Zhuo nodded continuously, although I had always thought of him as being very serious, but this time Mr. Zhuo was subtly angry.

  I'm watching these dragons, there are newly born little dragons flying happily and learning to spit fog. The viviparous little dragons seem dumber than the oviparous ones. The oviparous little dragons suddenly appear here and naturally know how to spit fog and cloud. It reminds me of what Mr. Zhuo said: egg, fetus, moisture, transformation.

  There are four kinds of birth, and the realm of transformed birth is the highest; it was indeed so from the beginning.

  Mr. Zhuo released a golden bird with golden wings from his sleeve after healing the old dragon, I was shocked to see it, this bird is the largest one I've ever seen, it slowly grew bigger when it came out of the sleeve, soaring in the sky, its whole body shining brightly, finally half of its wing can cover the entire Kunlun Mountain.