Chapter 1150: Plucking the Laurel
At the summit of Difei Mountain's main peak, shaped like a jade tablet, the Ancestral Hall of Huayang Palace was built here.
Not far from one side of the Ancestral Hall of Huayang Palace, there had once been a place where the first generation founder built a thatched hut to study. It gradually expanded into a private residence, with buildings clustered together. By the time it reached the previous palace master, Gao Gu, it had become a tradition of "the virtuous dwell therein, inheriting the way." Whoever could become palace master could move their entire family here—it was both a Daoist sanctuary and a family home. That year when Gao Gu succeeded, he moved out of his old sanctuary and took up residence here. However, because Gao Gu had no family or descendants, living alone, this sanctuary remained perpetually desolate.
But no matter how the residence expanded or how many generations of owners changed, the main position was never usurped by a guest. Holding the dominant place was still that Ten Thousand Volumes Book Tower, which housed an extremely large collection of spiritual books and secret texts. The plaque reading "A Spectacle Under Heaven" was not an exaggeration.
Mao Zhui, at that time brought up the mountain by Gao Gu, served as the gatekeeper here.
A flash of sword light, and a graceful figure alighted here gently. The sound of a longsword returning to its sheath was like a young phoenix's clear, crisp cry.
It was precisely the female sword immortal who had just emerged from seclusion, the leader of the Huayang Palace sword immortal lineage, Nan Qiang.
Yin Xian's face showed joy, and he bowed to congratulate her. After all, with this, their sect now had a great sword immortal.
Nan Qiang smiled and returned the salute, also with a Daoist bow. When Yin Xian performed it, it was proper form; when the female Daoist did it, it was free and easy.
Nan Qiang first called out to Mao Zhui, "Bone Daoist Fellow," then hesitated briefly before adding, "Palace Master."
Mao Zhui was not bothered by this.
In the history of Difei Mountain, there had been many extraordinary people and high-level true cultivators. The Ancestral Hall had numerous portraits of Heavenly Lords, but only a scant two could be considered sword immortals. Thus, Nan Qiang successfully emerging from seclusion under these special circumstances, thereby adding combat strength to the Dao lineage—or perhaps making the matter sound better when spread abroad—were secondary. The most important thing was that Nan Qiang effectively helped Huayang Palace secure a good omen for this brand-new era, showing that Huayang Palace's recent fortune had not been too heavily implicated by her master's death through liberation.
Mao Zhui's thoughts probably carried a bit of earthy flavor from having spent too long in the lowly marketplaces.
As for the female Daoist Nan Qiang's sword-controlling elegance, the Daoist officials on the mountain had naturally long been accustomed to it.
This ordinary sight here was a profound mystery beyond what many strange tales and legends outside the mountain described.
Following the gazes of Palace Master Mao and Heavenly Lord Yin, Nan Qiang casually glanced at the scene on the mountain path, not paying much attention. She asked curiously, "Is there any definite news about when Sword Immortal Nie will visit Huayang Palace?"
Mao Zhui shook his head.
Nie Bixia should currently be wandering the wilderness with Zhang Fenghai, having more or less established her own sect.
Yin Xian, however, gave earnest instructions, "Moving from Jade Perfection to Immortal is a major barrier. This time, the Mountain Guarding Pavilion helped guard the pass—the debt of gratitude and karmic connection is not small. Abbey Master Nan, do not handle it casually. On my end, I still have several jars of immortal brew aged for many years, presentable enough. It was obtained by Uncle-Master Chu during his early years of wandering, from a relic left behind after an ancient earthly immortal's liberation and ascension. One jar drunk means one less; once finished, there will never be more. It's a rare item. Just use it to entertain honored guests..."
"No need to waste Heavenly Lord Yin's liquor. That Daoist friend of mine from outside the mountain has a strange quirk. I've seen people addicted to alcohol, but I've never seen anyone who smells alcohol and treats it like encountering a demon."
Nan Qiang quickly waved her hand and explained with a smile, "The reason I ask is precisely because he has long admired Sword Immortal Nie. He's waiting here like a rabbit by a tree stump. Helping me guard the pass is just incidental."
Mao Zhui smiled. That young immortal with great promise on his path was truly a case of "the drunkard's heart is not in the cup." The problem was that Nan Qiang didn't understand romantic feelings, wasting his sincere devotion.
Nie Bixia, a native of Yanzhou, was a scattered immortal with high sword skills and erratic movements, but her life-bound ever-burning lamp had always been placed in Huayang Palace's main hall.
For three thousand years, with no information about her, it was only through this lamp that the outside world could confirm Nie Bixia had not undergone liberation and reincarnation.
When the recent selection elevated Nie Bixia into the ranks of the ten candidates, the mountain folk became even more curious: could it be that Nie Bixia had been hiding in some Daoist temple on Difei Mountain all along, secretly seeking an opportunity for union with the Way?
There were also some unfounded rumors that Nie Bixia and Gao Gu had once had mutual feelings on their cultivation journey, but unfortunately had fate without destiny.
However, even though they did not become Daoist partners, they could still entrust each other with their lives. Thus, Lü Bixia placed her life-bound lamp in Gao Gu's Huayang Palace.
On the mountain path, a young man wiped his mouth, looking greedy, and said in a heavy local accent, "Sis, I heard the fish in the mountain's pools and the bamboo shoots on the road are each uniquely excellent, not comparable to ordinary mountain delicacies or river fresh. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. I wonder if this tiring climb can trade our leg strength for a taste."
A woman wearing a veiled hat with an exquisite coin pendant hung at her waist softly scolded with a laugh, "Glutton!"
The young noble of the Yang family looked around in all directions.
The Daoists on this mountain dug winter bamboo shoots, selecting sharp tips in yellow mud. After the beginning of spring, the bamboo shoots coming down the mountain would inevitably pass this road, breaking out of the earth as if seeking revenge, each clad in armor, coming here to flaunt their might.
The Daoists would then overcome them, peeling the shells like removing armor. The bamboo shoot meat was as white as snow, exceptionally tender. Stewed in a pot with salted meat, this delicacy left one speechless; diners could only feel ashamed, their chopsticks flying nonstop.
Nan Qiang's gaze lingered on the veiled woman on the mountain path. She seemed eager to try, "They say the Hongnong Yang family's illusion techniques to conceal their own fate and fortune are superb. I've just broken through my realm—perfect time to test their depth?"
Yin Xian repeatedly dissuaded, "Abbey Master Nan, such an action would be against propriety. You must not do this."
These extremely valuable young scions of the Hongnong Yang family, traveling together to enjoy the scenery, would surely have a high-level protector secretly guarding them.
Nan Qiang chuckled, apparently still not having abandoned that thought. Besides the fact that she was already at a not-low realm, she also possessed an ancient secret technique as a natural talent. If she broke the illusion technique unnoticed, she wouldn't actually do anything.
Everyone under heaven knew that the Hongnong Yang family had a stunningly beautiful woman, considered by mountain cultivators to be a nation-toppling beauty. It was said that in recent years, suitors had worn down her doorstep.
There were also more fantastical rumors: a passing high-level expert proficient in physiognomy had long ago calculated that she was destined to first become the mother of the realm, then rule from behind the curtain, and finally proclaim herself emperor. If that were true, whoever married her would have quite an interesting and savory prospect. Her fate was naturally the richest and most noble in the mortal world, but what about the man who married her through proper rites? And what about the family of that man?
Opinions were divided, almost describing her as the most beautiful woman in the world in ten thousand years, as if all men under heaven were waiting for her to grow up.
Of course Nan Qiang didn't believe it—didn't believe such a thing existed in the world, didn't believe such a woman existed in the mortal realm.
But Mao Zhui knew that this must be the work of Zou Zi.
As for what that woman actually looked like, Mao Zhui didn't think a skeleton that had seen through life and death had any reason to care about such matters.
For a cultivator, wasn't the thing of "long life and enduring vision" itself the greatest "beauty"?
"He who hears the Way in the morning may die content in the evening."
"Seeing the Way is like a fleeting flower blooming."
Nan Qiang suspected that the woman praised as "snatching the creation of heaven and earth, contending for the color of all beings" was currently hiding among the group.
Mao Zhui seemed to guess Nan Qiang's thoughts and said indifferently, "Though others may not know, there is always self-knowledge."
Seeing that the palace master had given her such a hint, Nan Qiang had to give up.
Dealing with Mao Zhui, the first impression was that this young Daoist was tall in stature, really tall. Having a close conversation with him was oppressive.
So-called fate in a glance was simply that upon seeing someone, one immediately knew "they" or "we."
Founding Master Gao Gu was too ethereal, making one forget the mundane upon seeing him, even making cultivators feel ashamed of their own coarseness.
Daoist Mao Zhui, on the other hand, was too full of worldly flavor. Entering the deep mountains, it was like moving an entire marketplace up the mountain.
Yin Xian, convinced that Nan Qiang had abandoned her plan, breathed a sigh of relief. This leader of the sword path who presided over Damu Temple had a "natural" temperament, so much so that her master didn't dare casually let her go down the mountain.
The master didn't much manage secular affairs, only instructing Yin Xian, as his direct disciple, to report certain matters to him. Among these were Nan Qiang's travel excursions and the results of Gao Fu's discussions with others.
Nan Qiang looked around at the courtyard walls. She didn't actually come here often, because this was Founding Master Gao's private sanctuary—not a forbidden area, but like one. Like the vast majority of registered Daoist officials on Difei Mountain, from her first day on the mountain, she had been looking up to the master whose Dao name was "Great Mountain."
Daoist Gao Gu seemed to be the mountain above the mountain on Difei Mountain, the true summit. Wherever Gao Gu was, the mountain peak was there.
The white courtyard walls were not high, like an ordinary house at the foot of the mountain. Within the courtyard, several peonies had been transplanted, blooming with over a hundred flowers in various colors, extending over the wall.
Nearby, there was a "Free and Easy Pavilion" built for watching fish, said to have been built by Master Gao Gu's own hands.
In years past, this world-famous "young Daoist" would often sit alone by the water, contemplating a painting of a great fish hiding in the spirit.
Perhaps it was because he had too few friends with whom he could speak openly. This Daoist, whether on the mountain or beyond, always moved alone.
The pines and cypresses were ancient, with lush foliage and bark like dragon scales. Travelers seeking shade stood under the trees, their faces turning green. The nearby pool was extremely clear, with fish and water plants as if floating in empty air.
The fish-watching pavilion, serving as a link between the mountain and water, stood alone. The pool raised dozens of large fish. According to tradition, whenever friends came, the host would catch fish to entertain them.
Gao Gu came from a remote small state in Ruzhou, his hometown an obscure county. He was of humble origins, from a family of fishermen by the water for generations.
So whenever Gao Gu left the mountain to clear his mind, he often chose snowy times, a small boat with a straw cape and hat, alone cooking wine and stewing fish.
Perhaps it was the secluded Daoist's skill in refining qi and nurturing spirit, but regarding Master Gao's liberation and departure, even though Difei Mountain was deeply shocked and the Huayang Palace disciples were all grieved, almost like Heavenly Lord Yin, they did not show it on their faces.
She wouldn't be totally heartbroken, just a faint sadness.
She always felt that a true Daoist like Master Gao Gu should have lived another ten thousand years.
Only after such a person had left did one realize they had never truly known them.
All of them had been far too reverent toward Master Gao Gu. They always thought this immortal among immortals was forever pure-hearted and free of desires, perpetually unsmiling, possessing a unique, icy-spirited demeanor.
Whenever Master Gao Gu attended Ancestral Hall meetings, it seemed the entire hall would become a few degrees colder.
What Yin Xian was thinking about was a very small old incident.
A few little Daoist boys with unbound hair, secretly running out of the temple at night. They had long fancied a senior uncle's vegetable garden. Gathering together, they stealthily ate cucumbers and roasted sweet potatoes. During this, they ran into a young Daoist official they didn't recognize. They stared at each other, both looking awkward. Among the children, there was a clever one who thought that if they didn't want to be caught as thieves, they should become fellow thieves. They invited that Daoist, who looked like a senior brother in age, to join them for a late-night snack to fill his stomach.
In the night, lit by firelight, the children's bright eyes seemed to say, "If you eat our food, your mouth will be soft, Senior Brother. Don't tell our master or abbot, okay? The paddle hurts!"
That temple was a sub-temple of Cuiwei Palace, located in a secluded spot on a secondary peak. Its incense offerings weren't great, but they weren't terrible either.
Yin Xian, then with two direct disciples from that sub-temple, watched the scene from afar, not daring to disturb their respective masters and founding masters.
The Daoist and the fire were like two flames.
Mao Zhui, on the other hand, thought of an old page in the calendar.
Gao Gu's senior brother and junior brother were both sword cultivators, respectively the founding masters of Cuiwei Palace and Damu Temple.
Three thousand years ago, the Haoran World had Lu Chen's intentional "Heaven's Aversion" problem, leading to the Dragon-Slaying Campaign. The Qingming World also had its own calamity, involving that pseudo-fifteenth-grade Outer Realm Demon's Dao transforming a whole prefecture. Yu Dou led a sword-exorcising campaign. In that battle, where all high-grade Daoist officials of the White Jade Capital were mobilized, Daoists stood like green cranes in a ring in the sky, surrounding an entire prefecture. Although they ultimately suppressed the Outer Realm Demon, it still caused "one prefecture to sink." And Gao Gu's two fellow disciples perished in that battle. Along with Gao Gu himself, this group of talents most favored by Huayang Palace had all volunteered to go, even without being summoned by the White Jade Capital, to defend the Way for living beings.
Later generations simply could not imagine that Daoist Gao Gu's most admired person had once been Yu Dou.
In the "Lu Chen" campaign, just because Yu Dou, the Acting Leader of the White Jade Capital, presided over the situation, Gao Gu resolutely risked his life to go.
On the road of Difei Mountain, outside a temple doing its devotions, a group of people stopped to rest beside a trellis on the mountain path, drinking tea and listening to Daoist narratives.
In a remote small county of Yingchuan, there was a small temple whose incense offering had just begun to improve. An old man called Chang Bo, along with a lively young boy named Chen Cong, were sweeping the ground in the twilight.
In a place where an ancient prefecture had collapsed into a great lake, an Outer Realm Demon that had repeatedly fled and hidden, only to be found again and again by Lu Chen, was forced to appear here. It vigorously shook its sleeves, trying to scatter those "loosely connected" golden Dao rhymes, grinding its teeth and saying, "The White Jade Capital truly creates calamities. Pity my prefecture, sunk into a water realm. Lu Chen, you bully others too much. Don't blame me for overturning heaven and earth."
The Daoist wearing a lotus crown, his Dharma form truly worthy of the description "pillar of heaven and earth," smiled and said, "If I, poor Daoist, do not allow it, you cannot do it."
---
Three villages with different surnames, surrounded by mountains. Yellow mud roads twisted and turned, following the stream outward. Year after year, the crowing of roosters and barking of dogs on the ground, the cooking smoke curling up to the sky.
Liu Xiang said he wanted to go check out the village school. Ning Ji said he had the key to the school. Zhao Shuxia then said it was time to eat, telling Ning Ji to take the two gentlemen to look around the school while he went to cook first; later, Ning Ji could bring them over. Zhao Shuxia didn't forget to apologize to the two gentlemen for not being a proper host. Seeing that Zheng Juzhong didn't refuse, Liu Xiang smiled and agreed, saying they were imposing.
Watching the tall, thin back of the young martial artist, Liu Xiang said, "He can adapt."
Zheng Juzhong said, "When one has seen things in the world, the world becomes a bit brighter."
Liu Xiang, feeling moved, said, "Lu Chen is right. The biggest problem with Confucianism is that it refuses to discuss the human heart in detail."
Zheng Juzhong made no comment. Liu Xiang's biggest problem was that he liked to focus on Confucianism's flaws. The entire Qingming World was naturally suppressed by the Dao Ancestor, so if one suffered, they could only go to Leap Month Peak to become a pure martial artist. The Wild Halo was even more unspeakable.
Liu Xiang smiled and asked, "Indeed, someone who has eaten his fill can't turn back and complain that there are no delicacies on the table. Do you think I don't know when I'm well off?"
Zheng Juzhong said, "Since it's your problem, then of course it's Confucianism's problem. The Second Sage's saying, 'When actions fail, seek the cause in yourself'—how is that not a clear and thorough discussion of the human heart? It's because we scholars don't recognize the words."
Lu Chen's claim that Liu Xiang contended with the Ultimate Sage was actually only superficial. Liu Xiang's Great Way and the Confucian orthodox path had long since merged and interwoven, impossible to separate clearly.
Simply comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the five of them—leaving aside Feng Yuanxiao's young age—Liu Xiang of Haoran indeed enjoyed the most freedom, unbound, walking heaven and earth.
No matter how magnanimous Liu Xiang was, he wouldn't like being scolded. He immediately changed the subject, starting a new thread, and said, "Regarding Tiandu Peak."
Zheng Juzhong nodded. "Once the Pearl of Li Cave Heaven took root and settled, it was as if the dust had settled. God Lu finally gave up hope, admitting he had no way out. He had to lower his stance and personally run to the small town to seek another opportunity. God Lu knew in his heart that if he missed another two to three hundred years, he would have no hope of uniting with the Way. By that time, even if Zou Zi was willing to give way, God Lu still couldn't go far."
Liu Xiang couldn't help laughing and commented, "A dog's tail replacing a sable's tail—a poor sequel."
Zheng Juzhong shook his head. "When it was still the Pearl of Li Cave Heaven, the geographical advantage was not on God Lu's side. When the cave heaven descended into a blessed land, that was where the opportunity lay. Cultivators always seek a thread of life. Those proficient in fate cannot be calculated to death by themselves."
Liu Xiang chuckled. "The Lu family of the Central Plains Yin-Yang school schemed for a long time, using Peak Master Chen and Fallen Mountain as coordinates. It seems like a futile search, but the direction was actually correct. However, God Lu seemed to lack a bit of luck. That slight difference led to a heaven-and-earth disparity."
Zheng Juzhong said, "He misjudged people and used improper methods. He deserves to suffer and fail at the final step. If he didn't accumulate enough Dao power himself, he cannot blame Zou Zi for blocking the way."
Liu Xiang said, "Lu Wei was already the best candidate the Lu family could offer at that time. 'A fly riding a fine horse's tail'—the chance was not small. God Lu was at least the Lu family head; he couldn't possibly enter the game himself. At the time, God Lu's choice seemed without any issue."
Family Head Lu was controlled by Zou Zi, always blocked at the threshold of the Fourteen Realm, stagnant for a long time. His full set of supreme skills could not connect heaven and earth.
Zheng Juzhong shook his head. "In the final analysis, God Lu was complacent back then, thinking he had glimpsed heavenly secrets, aware of Zou Zi's power, yet deep down he still underestimated Zou Zi's Dao power. A cultivator aiming to realize the Way cannot afford the slightest hint of a fluke mentality."
Liu Xiang asked, "Mr. Zheng seems to have an overall low opinion of God Lu?"
Zheng Juzhong said, "Not low."
Liu Xiang suddenly laughed to himself, thinking of a similar literary case—that of Embroidery Tiger and the old scholar Li. When Cui Chan was young, he personally annotated that world-renowned work, pointing out many flaws in its content. Someone argued with him, defending Old Li. In response, Cui Chan said, "For a book to block my vision, it must first be able to enter my eyes." The implication was simple: being willing to scold you a few times was in itself a form of praise, so don't be ungrateful.
When such words reached Old Li's ears, the old man back then said nothing.
During the last Confucian Temple meeting, Chen Ping'an discussed this matter with the old scholar. Li, a man of both literary and martial arts, still mistakenly believed that the younger hermit official's senior brother greatly admired that book.
Liu Xiang suddenly asked, "Why do you think those sword cultivators don't hate Chen Qingdu?"
Zheng Juzhong said, "They dare not."
Mi Yu, previously invited by Wei Bo to protect the group of female cultivators from Changchun Palace, had encountered an elderly qi refiner who begged him for assistance through a dream, needing external help to liberate from a tribulation.
Another example: Wang Jia, a cultivator from Fuyao Continent with the style name Xu Jun, pretended to be at the Flying Ascension Realm. He meticulously set up a situation, deliberately provoking sword immortals like Song Pin with his words and actions, thereby implicating Chen Ping'an and the Sword Qi Great Wall, ultimately attracting Ning Yao to borrow a sword for liberation.
On the Sword Qi Great Wall, such incidents were rare.
How many young sword cultivators simply died when tribulations came.
Even Mi Yu, a sword cultivator who wasn't low in realm back then, didn't know about concepts like life tribulations, methods to respond to tribulations, or ways to escape them. Yet these were common knowledge among Haoran cultivators.
Perhaps even if they knew, they wouldn't bother or take it seriously. Even if they did know and did take it seriously, would it be useful?
People like Mi Yu were completely unaware, but those like Sun Juyuan knew full well.
Liu Xiang hesitated before saying, "Huang Zhen is not to be trifled with. After all, he is a Fourteen Realm sword cultivator who has attained the word 'pure.' Moreover, he has had extraordinary encounters."
Speaking of this, even someone like Liu Xiang, who had seen all kinds of strange and rare things, couldn't help repeating, "Extraordinary encounters."
Of course, Liu Xiang had his bias. Huang Zhen was ultimately a figure who grew up from the Pearl of Li Cave Heaven and devoted himself to cultivation. Considering the "present" as the node, in the vast span of a thousand "future" years, Huang Zhen had always focused on refining swords, with almost no impact on the world—no founding a sect, not even taking disciples. A person like this, Liu Xiang naturally wouldn't dislike.
In this matter, Huang Zhen and Chen Ping'an had become mortal enemies. In Liu Xiang's eyes, including Zheng Juzhong, since they were all people of Haoran, it was like both the palm and the back of the hand were flesh. The best scenario was to live separately, like divided households, and if the relationship was bad, just have no contact for life. Why fight to the death? But Huang Zhen's obsession was too strong. After attaining the Way, he had been pestering Chen Ping'an for a long time. It was like a man of humble origins who had labored to gain a prosperous family fortune, desperately needing to compensate for his bitter childhood to feel a bit of relief.
Zheng Juzhong said, "I will be careful."
That was why he had to go to the Night Boat first and borrow those two life-bound flying swords from Bai Jing.
Liu Xiang was speechless. Then Huang Zhen would have to be even more careful.
Defeating a Fourteen Realm cultivator wasn't difficult, but killing one was extremely hard. So wanting to completely erase a Fourteen Realm pure sword cultivator—the difficulty is unimaginable.
Neither side used mental voice; Ning Ji heard everything clearly.
Ning Ji felt that Mr. Liu was a man of old times, while Mr. Zheng was more like a master scholar.
Zheng Juzhong said, "Ning Ji, don't just read books. Books can enlighten the mind, but they can also fool people. Scholars must use books. Since the pursuit of learning is destined to be bitter, books must always serve my purpose."
Ning Ji nodded knowingly. Little Senior Brother had said something similar: to break through books—the word "break" in "reading ten thousand volumes through" had two interpretations. One was literal; the other meant to thoroughly understand each book, knowing which statements were the author's true feelings, which were insincere words against conscience, which were sharp and fierce, refusing to go along with the world, which were accommodating and yielding, playing games with the world, which were written with a smile, which were written with a frown, which were the low ebb of lingering feelings seeking a kindred spirit outside the book, which were hidden intentions of the scholar's self-portrayal...
As they walked toward the village school, Liu Xiang saw an old osmanthus tree in the mountain along the way.
Liu Xiang asked, "Ning Ji, after studying, what do you most want to do?"
Ning Ji was a bit shy and said softly, "Senior Sister and Little Senior Brother have both hinted and directly told me to first strive for official rank: the academy exam, provincial exam, metropolitan exam—breaking through like splitting bamboo, passing each barrier."
Pei Qian hoped that Ning Ji, as the little junior brother, could obtain the title of scholar first, to prevent Cao Qinglang from getting too cocky. The white goose thought Ning Ji had the seed of learning and could balance scholarly studies and cultivation perfectly. If he achieved triple success in the exams, it would make Master happy.
Liu Xiang smiled and said, "No need to feel embarrassed. Don't you agree, Mr. Zheng?"
Zheng Juzhong looked at the osmanthus tree in the mountain and nodded.
On the path of life, at what time and place are we not rushing to an exam hall day and night?
The pursuit of learning, livelihood, marriage, children's success, aspiring to be saints and sages, seeking immortality, becoming a Buddha, realizing the Way. May the flowers bloom, the moon be full, and people live long. May all of you be able to pluck the laurel.