Chapter 45

There is a saying that Taoism has thirty-six grotto heavens and seventy-two blessed lands. In the past, the most influential was the "Yunji Gongfu Tu" by the old immortal Ma Chengzhen of the Jiu Dou Mi Sect, which listed Longhu Mountain as the 26th blessed land, with no grotto heavens at all. Compared to Wudang Mountain, it seemed much less impressive. However, since it became the ancestral court of Taoism, the Zhao family patriarchs have been stationed at the Celestial Master's Mansion to spread the teachings, and the hereditary Taoist lineage has continued for forty generations. Each patriarch can receive imperial appointments and titles, not only the title of Celestial Master but also high-ranking official positions, and they are summoned to the imperial court to teach the emperor techniques for health and longevity.

The current Grand Celestial Master Zhao Danxia, along with the Grand Sacrificial Wine of Shangyin Academy, has become a national master. The previous generation of Celestial Masters only managed the Taoist affairs in the Jiangnan region, but this generation oversees all Taoist affairs in the country, with a rank equivalent to a first-class official, wielding power akin to that of a prince, earning the praise of "feathered robe and noble minister."

Xiaoyao Temple on Longhu Mountain is a small temple with few people and no incense offerings. Perhaps because the Celestial Master's Mansion couldn't bear to see the oldest temple on the mountain struggle, they provide monthly financial assistance. Xiaoyao Temple originally did not belong to the Longhu Mountain Taoist court but was transferred to the Celestial Master's Mansion in the last two generations. Since then, there have been no Buddhist temples on Longhu Mountain, and even small, old temples like Xiaoyao Temple could not sustain themselves. Taoists different from the Zhengyi Sect gradually moved out of Longhu Mountain, a stark contrast to the inclusive Wudang Mountain.

At this moment, an old Taoist named Zhao Xituan resides in Xiaoyao Temple. If outsiders heard his name for the first time, they might think he was just an old man who came to Longhu Mountain out of frustration. The Celestial Master's Mansion on Longhu Mountain has three Zhao family Celestial Masters, but don't assume that being surnamed Zhao on the mountain means greatness. Only the Taoists of the Celestial Master's Mansion are the leaders of this "capital of Taoism." The current generation of Longhu Mountain's Taoist leaders is of the Dan lineage, followed by Jing, Ning, Ling, Jing, and Guan.

In the temple, the old Taoist Zhao Xituan looked at the hawthorns in the courtyard, which had been dried by the wind, rain, snow, and sun, and wondered how they could still be edible.

A withered youth squatted in the courtyard, looking somewhat troubled.

The old Taoist accompanied him, and on this bright and warm day, he reminisced, "Longxiang, when I was young, I loved to enjoy the mountains and rivers. I understood the essence of the Eight Trigrams at a young age, read all kinds of books, and transcended the world. The old ancestors on the mountain adored me, but I didn't care about the empty title of 'feathered robe and noble minister.' I wandered for about thirty years before returning to the mountain. Hey, I did some good deeds in the world, such as spreading scriptures, performing rituals, and curing diseases. I was almost invited by the old emperor to the palace to teach the Huang-Lao techniques. Don't think that many people from the Celestial Master's Mansion have been to the capital and the inner palace; it's because they are surnamed Zhao, unlike me. I don't rely on my surname for fame, but my reputation can still reach the heavens."

"Longxiang, stop looking at the hawthorns and talk to me. We don't talk much as master and disciple, and it doesn't look good. Outsiders might think I don't care about you."

"Disciple, how about I teach you the 'Great Dream of Spring and Autumn,' which was only passed down to me by the old ancestors. This is a Taoist immortal technique that even my proud nephew couldn't comprehend. I can maintain this Xiaoyao Temple thanks to the Great Dream of Spring and Autumn. This technique is no less powerful than the Great Yellow Court of Wudang. I can sleep for three years, and the old ancestors were even more powerful, reportedly able to lie for sixty years. I wonder if the old ancestors' ascension was..."

Seeing the youth's expressionless face, the old Taoist found his monologue boring. He yawned and fell asleep, his left foot bent on the ground, his right foot resting on his left leg, his hand supporting his cheek, and his head tilted to the side. Despite having no chair or stool under him, his body swayed but did not fall.

The old Taoist of the Xi lineage on Longhu Mountain, with his hand in a sword gesture and his left hand in a hook, recited, "Sleep in the Spring and Autumn, sleep in the Spring and Autumn, lying high on the stone root, forgetting the years. Not lying on a felt, not covering with a blanket, the sky and earth as a bed, the moon as a cover. Thunder and lightning shatter Mount Tai, ten thousand feet of water fall from the sky, the black dragon roars, and the ghosts and gods are startled, but I am sound asleep..."

Outside the courtyard, a young Taoist in a noble yellow robe stood with his eyes closed, reciting, "With the eyes aligned with the nose, the nose with the life gate, the heart and eyes inwardly observe. Breathing softly, practicing silently, the mind is extremely calm. True qi floats in the dan pool, divine water circulates within. Summoning the spirits, my spirit travels through the nine palaces, freely exploring the green and blue. Dreaming of the vast sea, raising the yin and yang, unaware that five hundred years have passed outside the Spring and Autumn..."

Xu Longxiang saw the old Taoist dozing off and didn't leave, so he got up and left the courtyard. Xiaoyao Temple is not at the top of the mountain but at the foot, a stark contrast to the lofty Celestial Master's Mansion. However, from here, one can see the Qinglong Stream, which winds around the mountain like a green jade belt. Xu Longxiang walked to the stream and stared at the two bamboo rafts tied to the shore, afraid of water and not daring to board the rafts and float downstream.

The young Taoist in the yellow robe stood proudly by the stream and sneered, "Xu, the fool, it's a shame that Master Xi taught you the Great Dream of Spring and Autumn. Do you understand it? If you don't, go back to Beiliang. Longhu Mountain is not a place for fools like you."

Xu Longxiang ignored him and just stared at the stream.

The young Taoist, with a strange appearance, although he mocked, kept a distance from Xu Longxiang. The last time he visited Xiaoyao Temple to see the old ancestor, he accidentally stepped on a hawthorn and was almost chased from the foot of the mountain to the top by this fool, a humiliating experience that many of the mountain's Taoist nuns and sisters laughed about for a long time, a great disgrace.

However, he noticed that the fool was afraid of water.

Seeing Xu Longxiang finally turn his head, the young Taoist floated to the bamboo raft, lightly touching it, and the raft slowly glided to the other side of the stream. It seemed that this young Taoist was showing off, as the raft stopped in the middle of the stream.

Several literati and scholars visiting Longhu Mountain to seek immortals saw this magical scene and were amazed.

The Taoist laughed loudly, "Xu, the fool, if you have the courage, come over. I heard you have two sisters, one is promiscuous, and the other is a hypocrite."

Xu Longxiang remained unmoved.

The Taoist continued to mock, "You have a brother? I heard the princess died because of the incompetent crown prince?"

Xu Longxiang suddenly looked up.

The Taoist laughed, "Come on, I'm waiting for you."

Xu Longxiang, still crouching, did not fully stand up but lunged forward like a leopard, reaching the stream in an instant. Instead of jumping into the water, he stepped on the front of the bamboo raft, instantly lifting the sturdy raft out of the water and making it stand upright!

He used his hand like a knife to cut the thick rope holding the raft, and with both hands, he tore the raft apart.

He quickly picked up the broken pieces of the raft and threw them away.

The sound was like a tiger's roar, piercing the eardrums.

The force was immense.

Arrows rained down.

The yellow-robed Taoist was panic-stricken. No matter how he leaped, he could not escape the bamboo arrows. He could only deflect some of them, but the arrows exploded upon entering the stream.

The water around the Taoist splashed like a fountain.

As the last bamboo arrow approached, the young Taoist almost resigned himself to his fate.

A middle-aged Taoist in a yellow robe appeared out of nowhere, floating to the raft. His left hand was behind his back, and his right hand caught the bamboo arrow. The raft rapidly retreated, and when it stopped, the middle-aged Taoist had already shot the arrow back at Xu Longxiang, who was known for his immense strength.