The God-Pavilion is very high.
It's not just about strength, but also about mentality.
I suddenly remembered before, when the Shenqiao and Jinyun duo were willing to give up the Gaotian Temple and enter the Xian Dong Mountain to rebuild the Leiping Temple.
How could such decisive choices be made without great perseverance and the highest realm?
And the concept of karma, recalling it now, was extraordinarily profound and inscrutable.
Refraining from my thoughts, the gratitude in my eyes was particularly sincere.
"Thank you, senior, for your teachings. I understand now and will preserve my own safety."
"Haha, Master Xian Shen has a high level of understanding and a stable temperament. I am very at ease." Shenqiao nodded and continued, "Counting from when you placed the coffin in the mountain and the period of recuperation, it's been nearly half a month. The ascension temple has already been established. With Mr. Wu's letter, many geomancers from all four directions have arrived, as well as people from various Daoist temples. They have all gathered in one hall. Currently, only one or two more Daoist temples are missing. Once they arrive, we will choose a location to suppress the plague."
"That's right, the people from the Sanguishan have already arrived, and they even came to greet you." Shenqiao smiled with squinted eyes.
"Master Senior has come?!" I was overjoyed in my heart: "Has he mentioned anything? Is there a woman by his side?"
I asked Shenqiao again, with a touch of tension.
"Girl?" Shenqiao hesitated, then nodded and said, "There is indeed a white-clad woman, but she is not the girl from Master Xian Shen's side."
"It seems that Master Xian Shen finally feels that being of the same school is better? He has abandoned other paths." Shenqiao's words were obviously misunderstood.
All my other emotions vanished, leaving only extreme surprise.
"Sacred Ancestor, I will explain it to you another day."
"That's right, what about the three worms in the night pot?" I had not put away Old Gong's night pot. These few days, after I was sober in the evening, Old Gong would always stand by and watch.
"I chatted with Old Gong for a while, and learned more about the existence of the Three Soul worms. And when we moved from the Gaotian Temple, we brought some Buddhist items with us, among which were many bowls. The true worm that the Mr. Qin Wei's soul transformed into was placed in a golden bowl and sealed in a hall for added safety."
"When you, Master Xian Shen, have thought through how to deal with and settle down your affairs, come and take it anytime." Shenqiao's answer was very strict and dealt with it more appropriately, making me feel increasingly at ease.
After that, I had a few more conversations with Shenqiao. His intention was to have me leave the written stuff temporarily. He would transcribe it and compile it, and then put it in the doctrinal and scholarly books of the Leiping Temple.
He also gave me advice, to hand it over to He You Tian at the time and have it compiled and recorded in the books of the Four Regulations. Do not consider publishing it, as this is something I have only come to understand through life and death. To entrust it to the door and pass it down is the correct choice. If given to various Daoist temples, they might even think that what I wrote was nonexistent, or even that I am not a real person. How could I possibly understand something they don't even comprehend about the Three Soul Worms?
Shenqiao's advice is very reasonable.
He actually refreshed my understanding of monks. Although he is now a Taoist, all his logic and experience come from when he was a monk.
In the past, I thought that the bald-headed ones were hypocrites and only pretended to be kind and generous, which is why there is the saying of "giving up the sword and becoming a Buddha in one step."
In fact, high monks will also kill without hesitation, willing to take the risk of going against the world and superstitious beliefs to save Wuling.
Master, you are most benevolent, but there are also people like Xu Wangtao, Ming Yi Feng, and Huaigu who treat human lives as straw in the wind.
Among the monks, there are also good people.
Good and evil, righteousness and wickedness, cannot be generalized.
I left the things I wrote with Shenqiao for the time being and, under the guidance of two young Taoist priests, headed towards the Immortality Temple founded by Wu Jinluan.
The mountain road is quite monotonous. When we reached the evening, Old Gong appeared and he kept humming:"Master Wu's ascension to immortality is quite interesting. Firstly, it coincides with this place being called Xian Dong Mountain. Secondly, it may be a mourning for their family ancestors who died in the attempt to become immortals and had their faces dug out by Ding Ruipu to make someone else's wedding dress. Most importantly, they have their own ideals."
"Old Gong, you should learn this. It's a word with three meanings, how tasty it is?" Old Gong joked with me.
I just smiled and didn't give a detailed answer.
Old Gong thought I was boring and leaped onto the shoulder of the young Taoist leading the way, asking him if he had become a Taoist priest, he was no longer a monk and did not have to follow the rules and regulations. Could he be more daring and do things that were previously prohibited by the rules?
Neither of the two young Taoist priests nodded without exception, their expressions solemn, saying, "Both the masters said that the precepts are not laws; they control one's desires. Whether you are a monk or a Taoist, they will only benefit you. As a monk, it keeps your mind pure; as a Taoist, it is easier to enter the realm of unity between man and heaven."
"Spit, spit! What kind of master? They are all old priests and seniors. Uniting heaven and earth is much more enjoyable than uniting waist and horse. You two young Taoist priests have never experienced the bustling red world. How can you say that you control your desires? Learning the Dao is not just about pretending not to want it or desire it. If you don't try to understand what you want, it's just a waste of time. It's not self-deception, but just playing tricks on yourself."
Old Gong's speech was really a deadpan, full of nonsense.
But... it seems to have a bit of sense?
The two young Taoist priests listened with wide eyes.
Old Gong said again: "My Old Gong, was once praised by the world as an Enamel Tooth and Golden Flesh. After following my family master, I wandered around the world. What red powder skeletons and fierce ghosts have I not seen? How can one be a good Taoist without enduring hardships? People who have not been tempted say they are not affected by temptations, that is a lie. Only when you pass through a sea of flowers without picking a single leaf can you show your true strength."
"Wait a moment to deliver me to Xiao Wu, then you two can follow Old Gong and descend the mountain with me. I'll show you both what 'the Tao is the Way of Nature' really means."
As I saw Old Gong's words becoming more and more absurd, I whispered to scold him.
Old Gong's face showed a look of disappointment, and he didn't say anything.
The two young Taoist priests, however, looked puzzled, with an air of subtle thoughtfulness and inquiry.
Before dawn, we arrived at the Immortality Temple.
In the darkness, the carvings of Taoist head on the mountain wall appeared solemn and domineering.
In front of the buildings several stories high, there was a large courtyard built, which looked more like an arena, encompassing a large amount of open space. Ahead was a pair of doors yet to be painted, with a horizontal tablet inscribed with the words "Immortality Temple."
There were tablets on both sides, inscribed with "The twenty-four mountains of five qi yinyang" and "The Heavenly Gate, Earthly Mouth, Gathering Water and Concealing Wind."
Compared to the couplets on the gates of various Daoist temples, Wu Jinluan's inscriptions were profound, yet very close to the common people.
Master, indeed, you are more approachable.
There were people guarding the door at night. When they saw me, they immediately became overjoyed and rushed over to welcome me, calling out respectfully to Luo Daozang and inviting me to come in.
After entering, I was taken to the receiving hall of the Daoist temple. It was a large hall built in the style of Daoist temples, even more impressive.
The small buildings made of brick and wood on both sides of the hall had some Buddhist characteristics.
"The master and the elders of various Daoist temples had a late discussion last night and haven't woken up yet. We will go report it to Luo Daozang. Please rest for a moment, Master Luo." The guard explained to me with great respect.
"It's alright, there's no need to report. I'll wait here until Master Wu wakes up tomorrow. Anything that isn't urgent doesn't need to be dealt with in a hurry." I said calmly.
This is something that Shenqiao taught me.
Give others a chance to catch their breath, and give yourself a chance to catch your breath as well.
The guard nodded and then said, "Thank you, Luo Daozang, for your concern for our leader."
At this moment, the two young Taoist priests in front of me stepped forward two steps, bowed slightly, and said they intended to report to the mountain gate.
"Do the two Taoist masters not stay to have some vegetarian dishes? The leader knows that there are concerns about the rules of the monastery, so he has prepared food that everyone can eat. Why not rest and then return to the summit?" The guard at night had a sincere face.
The two young Taoist priests, however, seemed somewhat eager and said they didn't need to.
Only then did I gesture, saying they should be careful on their way back.
The two walked hurriedly towards the exit of the Daoist temple.
At this moment, the guard who had been on duty bowed to me again, looking serious and saying, "Old Gong, the senior, our leader has prepared a surprise for you. You might not be able to see it when it's dawn, but I can take you to see it now."
However, Laogong had not emerged from my shoulder.
The guard who had been on duty bowed again, but he looked bewildered and perplexed.
I called out to Laogong, but he still didn't come out.
My brow furrowed as I looked towards the martial arts field in front of me. I couldn't see the figures of the two young Taoist priests anymore.
