Episode 65

  Insufficient and Chang'er walked out of the grand hall, following High Master to a pavilion. High Master sat on the ground, taking medicine and practicing qigong to heal his injuries, which were obviously severe and not ordinary. Insufficient saw that he still needed some time to practice, so he strolled with Chang'er, admiring the splendor of this easy-to-repair Xianfu. The scenery of this Luoxian was truly beautiful and unparalleled! The sky and the earth merged into a mysterious place, where the temples and pavilions appeared and disappeared in the misty clouds. Although the temple was high and large, it didn't seem that way to Insufficient, who stood in this independent space. From this, one could tell that the vastness of this space was not trivial! This land had existed for unknown years, and no one knew who had created it with extraordinary powers. Just by its golden light radiating vitality as if it had a soul, one could sense that the internal energy of heaven, earth, and gods was dense and rich, making it a sacred place for cultivation. One could tell that the ancestors' ancient cultivation methods were astonishing and their spiritual powers were profound! Insufficient walked forward in wonder and admiration.

  "Chang Er, the ancient cultivators' abilities can be observed from this, truly remarkable! Nowadays, people's Dao is weak and their methods are feeble, how can they be compared to them? However, in my opinion, although the ancient cultivators' skills have reached the ultimate realm, it doesn't mean that modern people can't surpass them! It just requires a hundred times more effort!"

  "Insufficient brother, I only wish you to achieve the highest merit through the ancient way of cultivation! Don't let personal grievances confuse and lose yourself on the path. One day you will surely reach the other shore of the Tao and become a saint!"

  "Chang'er, someone has found out! However, family feuds cannot be forgotten overnight. Even if one cultivates oneself, kindness and resentment are two things that cannot be forgotten!"

  "Can one really achieve the ultimate in spiritual cultivation? Why can't people today cultivate to become saints? Is it because the Tao is not attainable? I think it's because people's hearts are no longer pure, they pursue what is not worth pursuing and seek what is not worth seeking! Each person has their own agenda, each harboring their own selfish desires! The path of cultivation is for achieving a goal, but in doing so, one will stop at nothing to reach the extreme! What one gains is only a slight improvement in skills, but what one loses is the destruction of both heart and nature! In this life, grudges and resentments seem very heavy, but cultivating the Tao for a thousand years is just like taking the first step! Compared to a hundred years or even a lifetime, discussions of grudges and resentments are nothing but a joke! Those who seek the Tao must put down their heavy burdens and strive upwards with courage, this is the correct path!"

  "Chang'e, why do you look at me with different eyes?"

  "Hmm! There's a hint of spiritual medicine."

  Chang'er sniffed and interrupted.

  "Indeed, this place must have a fairy family's medicine garden, why don't we take a look?"

  Two people walked and talked, and before long they arrived at a place with a fence made of jade and a gate made of gold. Looking through the railing, all that could be seen was a garden-like paradise, with many rare flowers and plants. Although he had some knowledge of medicine, there were still many things he didn't recognize. At the entrance, two beasts guarded the door. One resembled a qilin, with eyes shining brightly, its back growing a pair of wings, flapping them as if about to fly. The other was like a dragon, its four feet naturally treading on clouds, its body rising into the air, flying smoothly and effortlessly. Seeing the two strangers arrive, both beasts revealed fierce glints in their eyes, growling low in their throats as if ready to pounce. Not wanting to see this, he quickly pulled Xing'er away and they left. They had only walked a thousand feet when they saw two dark clouds covering up the sky, hastily entering the grand hall. When they arrived at Master Gao's meditation place with Xing'er, however, they saw him swiftly exit the immortal mansion, going to meet the heavenly ladder.

  "Hey, Older Brother Gao, look at those two people, they're really strange!"

  Chang'er asked curiously.

  "You are like a junior sister, there are many things in the school that we cannot know about. As time goes on, you will get used to it! Such matters have nothing to do with us, why ask so much?"

  That High Master finished his work and saw the answer said.

  Insufficient laughter said:

  "Chang Er, you're always so curious. Come and see this precarious tower! Who knows when we'll come here again?"

  "Yes! Insufficient brother, we are compared with this building, but like ants. I don't know when this building was built?"

  "This building has a very ancient and elegant style! It has a medieval flavor. But that great hall is an ancient work."

  "Ah! Brother Feng, you're indeed well-versed! How astonishing is your insight! Indeed it's true! What we know comes from the scriptures of our school. But how did you come to know this?"

  "Brother Gao's praise is misplaced! I'm just someone who has read a couple more books, that's all."

  Suddenly a soft chirp sounded, and a blue bird landed on the hand of Gao Shifu. To everyone's surprise, it spoke in human language, with the voice of Ye Wen Tian.

  "Feng Cheng and Fu Junru must come to Wuyedong immediately, no mistakes allowed."

  "You two should go to Third Uncle's place immediately, here is the talisman that will guide you on your way, so you won't get lost!"

  "Thank you, Master Gao, for your help. We will repay you another day. Farewell for now!"

  He bowed slightly and then led Chang'er away with the celestial symbol.

  The place where Ye Xian practiced was called the Not Night Cave, which was about 100 miles away from the Easy to Cultivate Immortal Mansion. The cave mansion was not big, but it was extremely luxurious and grand. In the center of the main hall, there was a large pearl that shone brightly at night, surrounded by bright jade in the shape of a diamond, embedded in the wall. The interior of the cave was as bright as daylight. All the furniture in the hall, including tables and chairs, were made of gold, and the bookshelves and treasure cabinets had pillars made of gold and jade, with silver decorations on their bodies. It was a wealth that was beyond measure! However, to an immortal family, it was nothing special. On the shelves and in the cabinets, there were ancient books, antiques, and rare treasures that were hard to come by. On the flower stands carved from fragrant wood at the four corners of the hall, several kinds of strange flowers bloomed with different shapes, emitting a faint fragrance that refreshed the mind and spirit. At this time, no one was in the hall, but soon after the blue bird entered, Ye Xian and his companion walked in. Behind the hall, there was a screen blocking the way, on which a beautiful woman with a flirtatious expression was depicted, her eyes gleaming with charm, seeming to fly out. Ye Xian thought to himself:

  "This master seems to be extremely fond of pleasure, how can he put the portrait of a beautiful woman in the hall? Isn't he afraid that his immortal friends will laugh at him?"

  The passageway behind the screen was a long corridor. The corridor was only a few feet wide, but it was nearly ten zhang high, almost as high as the great hall. Both walls were made of white jade and carved with flowers, birds, and beasts. The characters on the walls seemed to be moving up and down, connecting the heaven and earth's spiritual energy, revealing a profound mystery. The top of the corridor had a star-shaped pattern that combined the principles of yin and yang, forming a powerful magical array with the walls on both sides. As I walked out of the corridor, I came to a small skywell. The well was round in shape, surrounded by standing walls. At a height of several dozen zhang, the top was open, revealing the blue sky. The circumference of the skywell was only about twenty zhang, and in the center, there was a square-shaped spring. The water was clear and refreshing, with many gold and silver coins inside, but I didn't know why they were there! It wasn't enough to exchange a glance with Chang'er, let alone be surprised or laugh. The skywell really looked like a mundane coin! From this, one could see that the Heavenly Master's hobby was indeed unusual!

  After passing through the dripping spring and walking in for more than ten zhang, there is a gate. The gate is half closed, with light shining obliquely inside, and no one is guarding it, quiet and still. Without even stretching out your hand to push the door open, you can walk out with Chang'er, and suddenly it's bright and clear. What enters your eyes is a vast sea as far as the eye can see, with islands and reefs near and far, large and small.

  "This place seems to be a bay. Chang Er, Gao Shixiong and others have said that the three sides of Yixiu Gate are surrounded by water, and there are ferocious aquatic monsters emerging from this water, which is extremely dangerous. Even the land near the shore is not a good place, and many cultivators have encountered disasters here! Absolutely must not be careless!"

  "Yes, younger brother is not enough, I know too."

  Not having gone far, they looked around and saw a small path winding into the bamboo forest on their right. The bamboo forest spread out over a gentle slope like a hill, looking very large, but it was impossible to tell how many acres it covered! In the distance, there were hints of bamboo houses and cottages, but the thin mist made them unclear. Not having gone far with Chang'er, they set off along this small path into the bamboo forest. After walking for dozens of yards, they gradually heard human voices, and after another dozen or so yards, they saw people moving about, with buildings in sight. Before long, Not Having Gone Far and Chang'er found themselves standing on a gentle slope, looking back at that cave, which looked like a stone quietly placed on the beach.

  "Chang'er, Master's destination is actually a complete giant stone monument, it's truly magnificent."

  "Insufficient brother, this rock is only afraid of having half a mountain's size! Looking at its texture and color, it's probably not native to this place. I don't know how it was moved here?"

  "Oh my! Such a stunningly beautiful person, I've only seen this in my lifetime! Even this young man is so elegant and refined, rarely found in the mortal world! Finally, I have someone who is like a celestial being!"

  Insufficient two people turned back, one cloud hair high and beautiful woman smiled and looked at the two of them. Her voice was sweet and extremely charming, bewildering people's hearts. Insufficient was first stunned, suddenly his heart cleared like water. Chang Er said:

  "Sister is like a fairy, I have admired her for a long time. Earlier, I heard Senior Brother Gao Wu say that among the many cultivators under our Master's guidance, Shifu Sister Xu Zhen was the first-rate one, indeed!"

  "Oh dear! The lovely young nun actually knows our household!"

  Xu Zhen didn't look at Chang'er for a long time.

  Feng Cheng has seen Master Xu's sister!

  Insufficient personal body language courtesy.

  "I wouldn't dare, this must be Fu Jun's sister! Truly, hearing about someone is not the same as meeting them in person. I've heard Shang Lin talk about his experiences with the two of you when he returned from the exam, but I thought it was just exaggeration. Now that I see for myself, it seems what he said wasn't even one ten-thousandth of the truth!"

  "Sister Shifu's words have frightened both of us!"

  "Hehehe, Master has ordered me to come and fetch the two of you, follow me!"

  Insufficient and Chang'er repeated the ritual of courtesy:

  "Thank you, elder sister, for showing me the way! I, your younger brother, dare not accept such praise!"

  Then the three of them walked through this piece of gentle slope bamboo forest to a deeper place. Along the way, there were constantly male and female disciples coming over to ask for news, seeing Xing'er's appearance was shocked as if she was a heavenly being. Her various expressions and actions made Xu Zhen laugh non-stop.