Chapter 25: One Heart Towards the Tao

  Qingyue Mountain is located in the southeast of Daxun, crossing the Yangtze River and continuing south for 320 miles. Although it's not majestic or vast, it's a place with unique scenic beauty. The eastern border of Daxun stretches along the coast for over ten thousand miles, with the only land not under its jurisdiction being Dongchu. However, Dongchu is located in the northeast of Daxun and is a peninsula extending from the mainland, with an area smaller than that of the capital city of Daxun.

  Qingyueshan is located in the southeastern part of Da Wei's territory, where there are beautiful scenery and pleasant weather all year round.

  Although Qingyue Mountain is not large, it is far from the Wolf's Milk Mountains, Kunlun Mountains, and Yanshan Mountains. However, its reputation is in no way inferior to that of the previous mountains.

  The reason is none other than that Qingle Mountain has a temple of Qi, and in this temple of Qi there lives Xiao Zhenren.

  The great Sui Emperor has a high and proud heart, all the emperors of past dynasties have been like this, not allowing any country in the world to surpass the Great Sui. This greedy desire is also the reason why the Great Sui has remained vigorous since its founding. Every emperor of the Great Sui has ambitions, if others have something that the Great Sui does not, they must acquire it; if others do not have something that the Great Sui does not have, they must create it.

  The Mongol Empire has Dashan Temple of Dazhuan Mountain, and Sui Bian holds up Qingyue Mountain in one breath.

  Mount Taihang has a Great Wheel Bright King, within one breath of observation there is Xiao Zhenren.

  The Buddhist sect seeks no desire and no pursuit, but there is no doubt that from the bottom of their hearts, they look down on the Taoist sect of the Great Sui. After all, in this world, apart from the Great Sui, other places are deeply faithful to Buddhism. Even in the Great Sui, Buddhist monks can build temples and preach as long as they report to the government, but there is no doubt that the people of the Great Sui have no respect for Buddhism, and the reason why the court of the Great Sui has such a broad mind is because of the emperor's greed.

  If others have it, then Sui must also have it.

  The temple is built on the waist of a mountain, and from the foot of the mountain to the top, there is only one stone staircase with 2,999 steps. Take another step and you will enter the mountain gate, which means "three thousand great ways". On both sides of the stone staircase, from the foot of the mountain to the waist, are all mountain peach trees. The fruit of this tree is sour and not delicious, but if you taste it carefully, it has a unique flavor. In recent years, there has been a legend that one night, the peach blossoms will bloom, and one night, the peaches will ripen, but in fact, there are no magic peaches, just a deceitful rumor.

  The actual number of people in Yiqi Guan is not large. Counting from the master Xiao Zhenren down to the last generation of disciples, there are only about 800 people in total. This number also has a deeper meaning. Yiqi Guan is known as the orthodox school of Taoism and the origin of all wonderful techniques. However, people's hearts are directed towards different paths, so the 800 disciples are also called the "800 paths", which means they have deviated from the orthodox path to cultivate their own way, hence also known as a side door or heterodox school.

  Eight hundred side doors, three thousand left paths... all emerge from one breath of observation.

  In the year when Emperor Yang of Sui visited this place, he understood the implied meaning and burst out laughing, praising Qingyue Mountain for its good temperament, and all the side doors and paths were also orthodox.

  Although the warmth of spring arrives early in Jiangnan, peach blossoms are still far from blooming. The branches have sprouted new green shoots, and looking at those tender buds makes one want to pluck a piece and chew on it.

  Along the stone steps, a middle-aged man in brocade clothes walked up slowly. His age was indistinguishable, with a mature temperament and a still somewhat delicate face. There were faintly blue whiskers on his chin, but he didn't look sloppy at all. He had an average build, neither fat nor thin, and his pace was not big, just ordinary.

  In the Great Sui, whoever wore brocade clothes must have had merits. Ordinary civilians, even if they were wealthy, could not wear brocade clothes. This was a court ritual, and violating it would result in imprisonment and punishment.

  The middle-aged man walked with a smile, his face calm and peaceful, admiring the scenery along the way. However, after seeing a few words inscribed on a large stone by the roadside, he immediately stopped in his tracks and solemnly bowed.

  "That was three years ago when Your Majesty went to Qingyue Mountain for a stroll and left this treasure. I originally wanted to move it to the main hall, but Your Majesty said that seeing this stone here, you casually wrote a few words on it, so just put it here, why bother moving it? If it has spiritual energy, wouldn't disturbing its cultivation be a great sin?"

  The speaker was an old man in his fifties, wearing a black Taoist robe, with three long whiskers and holding a dustpan, dressed in simple clothes and shoes, looking quite elegant. However, this person's facial features were not very good, with triangular eyes and eyebrows like a broom, the more you looked at him, the more he gave off a sly and cunning aura.

  But his identity was placed there, so no one would really judge him by appearance.

  He is the master of Qingle Mountain's One Qi View, Xiao Zhenren.

  "So a pavilion was built here for the stone to shelter it from wind and rain?"

  The man in brocade clothes smiled and asked.

  "Han Gonghou... You donated tens of thousands of gold to repair a whole city wall for Chang'an, and His Majesty rewarded you heavily. I built a pavilion for this stone, actually with the same intention as your building the city wall, which is nothing but flattering His Majesty."

  The only one who can be called the richest man in Daxun is Wu Yidao. It is said that his wealth can buy a mountain and river in Daxun. To know that Daxun has tens of thousands of miles of mountains and rivers, divided into 24 roads, one road mountain and river... is already larger than the territory of Dongchu State.

  Wu Yidao burst out laughing: "I'm just a common man, of course I have to flatter and fawn. But you're a real cultivator..."

  "Monks are also human."

  Xiao Zhenren smiled and said, "Cultivators also need to eat and want their lives to be a little better. Your Majesty's treasure left in the mountains can attract how many good guests to come and worship, burn incense, scatter gold, and wait for nature to understand."

  "Philistine!"

  Wu Yidao smiled and said.

  "I want it even more worldly."

  Xiao Zhenren stopped in his tracks and looked at Wu Yidao, who asked seriously: "The richest man under heaven has arrived at the One Qi Pavilion, won't you donate some incense money?"

  Wu Yidao beckoned with his hand, and the attendants following behind him immediately came forward, presenting a box made of purple sandalwood to Xiao Zhenren. The little disciple standing behind Xiao Zhenren hastily took it over, but couldn't help feeling that the box wasn't very heavy, so he looked at it with some disdain. He thought to himself that even ordinary wealthy families who donated silver when they came to the mountain were more generous than this, and yet the richest man in the world was being so stingy - truly, meeting him in person was not as good as hearing about him by reputation.

  "Xiao Zhenren's words are worth a fortune."

  Wu Yidao smiled: "The silver notes in this box can be exchanged for cash at any money house in Daxun, not a single cent less. However, smaller money houses may not have enough silver to exchange for so much."

  "Connecting all under heaven."

  Xiao Zhenren sincerely praised: "Compared to repairing a whole city wall of Chang'an, this is the real big brush stroke."

  ……

  ……

  Xiao Zhenren returned to his own room, and the Xiao Zhenren in front of outsiders seemed like a different person. After settling down Wu Yidao, the richest man in Daguang, who had taken him on a tour of half the mountain, Xiao Zhenren threw himself onto the bed, rubbing his sore waist and couldn't help but let out a sigh.

  "If it weren't for that ten thousand taels of gold, why would I need to put on a smiling face for so long? The muscles on my face are numb from smiling, and I don't know if the old madam of the brothel has some secret technique for smiling all day."

  A young servant boy took off his shoes for him and quickly climbed onto the bed to massage Shao Zhenren's back: "You are already a renowned leader of the Taoist sect, why do you need to be so tired for just a few coppers? If this gets out, the common people in the mountains, not to mention those in the Great Sui Empire, will laugh at you?"

  "You don't understand anything!"

  Xiao Zhenren slapped the little Taoist's forehead: "Do you like eating meat or not?"

  "I love to eat!"

  "Where does the meat come from?"

  "The mountain below is sending up a husband."

  "Is it free?"

  "Nature is not, of course, to be given silver."

  "If I didn't attend those banquets for officials and wealthy families, relying on the incense money sent by the common people from the foot of the mountain, do you think you could still eat meat?!"

  Xiao Zhenren coldly snorted, "If you want to eat meat, you need to have the skills to earn money to buy it. You can only eat meat every day because I accompany you with a smiling face and thick skin. If you continue to be so ungrateful, I'll punish you by making you go to the backyard garden to grow vegetables. Every day, I'll only give you cabbage and tofu to eat, let's see if you still dare to speak such nonsense."

  "You're also the leader of the Great Wei Dao after all..."

  "Leader's fart!"

  Xiao Zhenren said: "If it weren't for Your Majesty's competitive nature, you wouldn't be following me around to tell fortunes and swindle people out of their money? You're just a bit late to the game, go ask your fellow disciples, who among them hasn't cheated ordinary people out of their silver? Who, for the sake of a few dozen copper coins, hasn't lied through their teeth? Those wealthy patrons will give more money if they're pleased, naturally you want to say what sounds good. This Taoist temple has only been established for ten years, and it's all because I deceived Your Majesty into thinking that Qingle Mountain was destined to be the place where the Great Sheng teachings would flourish."

  "Huh?"

  Xiao Dao Tong was shocked and couldn't help but ask: "How come you never mentioned this before?"

  "It's nothing serious, just a trivial matter. Go and pour your teacher a cup of water."

  Xiao Zhenren sat up, took off his socks and rubbed his sore feet. Then he inserted his index finger into the gap between his toes and scrubbed back and forth. The expression on his face immediately became extremely vivid. Looking at him like that, it seemed as if rubbing his toes was the greatest pleasure in the world. At this moment, where was the demeanor of a leader who unified the Taoist sect?

  At this moment, someone outside suddenly asked in a low voice: "Is the real person here?"

  Xiao Zhenren was startled, and hastily put on his socks and shoes, tidied up his clothes and said: "I was just reading the Tao Te Ching and had some insights, I wanted to discuss them with San Jin Hou, but you've arrived, please come in quickly."

  Wu Yidao smiled as he walked in, and immediately furrowed his brow: "This Tao Te Ching seems to have a somewhat special flavor."

  Xiao Zhenren smiled awkwardly and gestured for the little Taoist boy to serve tea.

  Wu Yidao stood on one side, gazing at the landscape painting on the wall. After Xiaodao Tong went out, he suddenly turned around and made a solemn bow to Xiao Zhenren. Xiao Zhenren hastily stepped forward to support him, laughing: "Sanjin Hou donated a large sum of incense money, I haven't thanked him yet, how did Sanjin Hou end up being the first to pay his respects?"

  "To be honest with you, this time Wu went up the mountain, he had something to ask for."

  "Scattered gold is offered with a request, but whatever poor Tao can accomplish, I will certainly not refuse."

  Wu Yi stood up, hesitated for a moment and said: "Then I'll just say it directly, without beating around the bush... At home there is a daughter... who has already reached the age of marriage. Recently, I heard from people in the palace that Your Majesty remembers my contribution to repairing the city walls of Chang'an last year, and plans to summon my daughter into the palace as a concubine. My daughter... is a rough and untamed girl, I'm afraid that if she really enters the palace, she will provoke Your Majesty and bring trouble upon herself, so I want to ask..."

  "Take your daughter as an apprentice?"

  Xiao Zhenren furrowed his brow and said: "A disciple of the Quanzhen Sect can get married..."

  "It doesn't matter, I only said that my daughter has a heart for the Tao, and she vowed not to leave Qingle Mountain until she achieves success. Your Majesty's side is always in a hurry, it's not good to rush too much. Besides, although my daughter's talent is mediocre, I had someone test her, and among the 128 acupoints of the Qi Sea... 122 of them are actually open."

  "Got it!"

  Xiao Zhenren nodded almost without hesitation: "If Your Majesty asks, I will naturally think of an excuse."

  "Thank you!"

  Wu Yidao was overjoyed and paid another courtesy to Xiao Zhenren.

  "It's just... life in these mountains is harsh and cold, I'm afraid you won't be able to adapt."

  Xiao Zhenren sighed and said.

  "I'll donate another five thousand taels of gold."

  Wu Yidao pulled out a stack of silver bills from his sleeve and placed them on the table: "This is for my daughter's expenses for three years, I'm afraid it's barely enough."

  "Since your love is so sincere, how can I close the door of the great way?"

  "If Your Majesty were to ask..."

  Xiao Zhenren waved his hand and said: "Don't worry, I'm not someone who has never deceived Your Majesty..."

  Just then, six people came down from Qingyue Mountain, four men and two women, dusty and exhausted.

  Among the six, a burly man over two meters tall stood out. He had a large wooden knife slung behind his back, its blade glinting coldly in the light. At the front was a man in black clothes, unarmed, with a gloomy expression, staring blankly at the stone steps of the mountain gate.

  There was also an old man with a pair of copper cymbals hanging from his waist.

  A bald and robust man holding an iron rod in his hand.

  Those two women, one empty-handed and the other with a sword in her arms.

  "Is this Qingyue Mountain's One Qi Pavilion?"

  A burly man with a loud voice asked, "That Xiao Zhenren is famous throughout the land and is the leader of the Great Sui Dao Gate. Elsewhere, it's unknown, but in Great Sui, he's someone who can be mentioned in the same breath as the Great Wheel Ming Wang... Can we just barge in like this, will he take us in?"

  The woman with a cold and elegant face who held the sword raised an eyebrow: "If he doesn't take me in, I'll kill one of his disciples every day. Even if there are 800 disciples, I'll still manage to kill for quite some time."

  "No."

  A woman in a black long dress shook her head and slowly knelt down on the stone steps: "I sincerely ask for the Tao, how could Elder Xiao not accept me? If I can enter the mountain gate, you won't need to fight every day. I've come to beg, no need for you to intervene."