Chapter 63

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

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Standing at the classroom door, Xiaoming took a deep breath and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

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Ouyang Ningyun, who was among the top in the Longhu Mountain Ning generation, said with a gloomy expression, "The little bald monk dares to impersonate a monk from Liangchan Temple, asking for a beating!"

After saying this, Ouyang Ningyun fiercely attacked the young monk, Nanbei. His words were full of subtleties, first throwing a big accusation and then attacking without giving any chance for explanation. His intention was to vent his anger first, and if the little monk turned out to be a monk from Liangchan Temple, it would just be a misunderstanding. Ouyang Ningyun, full of petty cleverness, did not think about how the little monk and the little girl managed to reach the entrance of the Celestial Master's Mansion without any hindrance. The little monk stood firmly in front of the little girl he loved, not planning to fight back. He came to discuss Zen with the Great Celestial Master on the mountain, not to fight. Besides, fighting was never his strong point. The little monk's skills were limited to doing laundry, cooking, and covering for his master and picking cosmetics for his master's wife.

A gentle breeze blew, dispelling the forceful palm strike of Ouyang Ningyun. Li Zimei saw a young Taoist with a dust whisk walk out of the grand gate of the Celestial Master's Mansion. He wore a yellowwood hairpin to hold his hair in a bun, and his Taoist robe was not the unique yellow and purple color of the Celestial Master's Mansion, but rather the same as those of ordinary Taoists at the foot of the mountain. He wore a pair of worn-out straw shoes. If it weren't for the fact that he came from the Celestial Master's Mansion, his stern face and shabby attire would likely make even pilgrims hesitate to approach him for divination. The young Taoist, who was no more than thirty years old, lightly waved his white dust whisk, using a subtle move from the Sixteen Styles of the Longhu Mountain Dust Whisk, effortlessly neutralizing Ouyang Ningyun's cunning attack.

In the battlefield, when encountering those holding spears, it's best to avoid them. When traveling in the world, if you encounter a Taoist or a monk, especially one wielding a dust whisk, be cautious, regardless of their age. This is a warning passed down through generations by the old martial artists. The Wudang Sect's leader, Wang Chonglou, could break a river with a single finger, and the Longhu Mountain's Celestial Master, Zhao, had a legendary tale of breaking through the armor of 160 imperial guards with a single dust whisk in the capital. When Ouyang Ningyun met this Taoist, who was a generation senior to him, he immediately put on a playful smile, lowering his eyes, "Uncle, I was just joking with the little monk."

The Taoist ignored his nephew Ouyang Ningyun and slightly bowed to the little monk in a green and light red robe, saying stiffly, "Please follow me."

The little monk turned to look at the little girl, and with her nod of approval, he led the way up the steps into the Celestial Master's Mansion. Upon entering the main gate, he discovered another gate behind it. The white marble floor was inlaid with a large Taiji diagram, evoking a sense of reverence. The couplet on the second gate read, "The Dao makes dragons and tigers bow, virtue makes ghosts and gods respect." Unfortunately, when Xu Xiao said he would press down the heads of the dragons and tigers at the foot of the mountain, it was seen by some as a slight to the Celestial Master's Mansion. Inside the second gate was a bell tower with a bell weighing 9,999 pounds. Beyond the bell tower was the grand Yuhuang Hall, the largest and highest among all the temples and palaces on Longhu Mountain. It housed a statue of the Jade Emperor, flanked by the Twelve Celestial Generals. Eight golden dragons, one less than the nine dragons of the emperor, coiled around the pillars, vividly as if they could take to the skies at any moment. The little girl looked up and felt extremely nervous, following the young Celestial Master and the clumsy Nanbei through the ancient stele corridor.

Finally, they reached the third gate, and taking another step would mean entering the private quarters of the Celestial Master's Mansion. In the secular world, only emperors and generals had such treatment. However, the dust whisk-wielding Taoist, whom Ouyang Ningyun called "Uncle," did not stop but led the little girl and the little monk inside. The courtyard wall bore ten large red characters: "The unparalleled land of the South, the first family of the Jiang Left." The little girl saw the horizontal plaque "Prime Minister's Immortal Capital" and secretly stuck out her tongue. From the outside, it didn't seem so impressive, but once inside the Celestial Master's Mansion, even she had to admit it was much grander than her own home. Even without the joy of boating and watching red carp leap in the Northern Liang王府, she thought, "Those abbots at home who only know how to freeload should at least repair the temple. Our home is the first holy land of Buddhism, and just by the name, it's not smaller than the Celestial Master's Mansion."

The third gate had three halls. Behind the front hall was a large round green jade stone, called the "Welcoming and Sending Stone," where the Celestial Master would stop to greet and see off important guests. The Taoist led the two guests to the middle hall, had them sit down, and two handsome young Taoist boys served them tea. In the hall, there were portraits of the first three generations of the Celestial Master's ancestors. In the center was the first generation, Zhao Lingzun, standing with his hands behind his back, exuding a divine and ethereal aura. The couplet read, "There is a form to be seen, teaching demons and spirits to retreat; there is no door that cannot be entered, showing the Dao to reach the heavens."

On either side were the second and third generations, Zhao Chuyu and Zhao Jiqing, one holding a sword and the other a dust whisk, each with their own unique aura.

The dust whisk-wielding Taoist, who bore a striking resemblance to the three generations of Celestial Masters, said calmly after the two guests sat down, "I will go and ask the Celestial Master to come out of seclusion."

Coming out of seclusion?

That meant the immortal was in a fasting and meditation period.

The little girl, though impulsive, was not foolish enough to trouble the Celestial Master to come out of seclusion for their visit. She quickly waved her hands, blushing slightly and smiling awkwardly, "Sir, there's no need to trouble the Celestial Master. We can just have some tea and then leave the mountain."

The Taoist, who seemed to be a stickler for rules, said calmly, "It's no trouble."

The little monk, in contrast to the little girl, was often muddled in small matters, being called a fool by the little girl's family of three. He had been a monk for a few years and had worked like a horse for those years. However, in big matters, he always showed great composure. He clasped his hands and said, "I can discuss Zen with you."

The usually unsmiling Taoist smiled for the first time, slowly saying, "You can talk about Zen, but I can't discuss the Dao. If you don't mind, I can call out Mr. White Lotus to talk with the monk."

The little monk respectfully said, "Alright."

The little girl, who was tense and couldn't laugh, was secretly delighted. "Look, even though Nanbei is a fool, he can still hold his own in certain situations. I know Mr. White Lotus by reputation. He received a purple robe from the emperor. Back then, this Taoist won an argument with the old abbots on Lotus Peak, and when he returned to the temple, he was so angry that he didn't even smile at me. Unfortunately, my father was too busy drinking, and my mother punished him for a whole year, not allowing him to leave the mountain. Otherwise, who would have won is uncertain. Nanbei can't even argue with himself, let alone with Mr. White Lotus. But it's okay; if he loses, I can bring Xu Fengnian here later. Heh, Xu Fengnian is always very good at arguing with the fiery village girls."

This unnamed Taoist, much more polite than the yellow and purple-clad Ouyang Ningyun, really went to the back hall to call out the supposedly arrogant Mr. White Lotus. The little girl had just finished her tea when the Taoist returned with a man in white, who seemed to have read too many books and had poor eyesight. He walked very carefully, squinting, and his eyes were already small, making them almost invisible when squinted. However, his face had a warm and pleasant smile, much like Xu Fengnian's. The little girl felt comfortable and immediately thought this Mr. White Lotus was a good person. Her father had said that there were always better and worse people in the world. When she met good people, she should be polite, and when she met bad people, she should run away. So, the Ouyang Ningyun outside the Celestial Master's Mansion was definitely a bad person, while this white Taoist and the dust whisk-wielding Taoist could be considered good people. Therefore, the little girl stood up formally and greeted Mr. White Lotus respectfully.

Mr. White Lotus, not wearing a Taoist robe, first bowed to the little monk from a distance. As he approached, he saw the little girl's face and smiled, "Young lady, you have a fortune-bringing appearance. Whoever becomes your husband will be very lucky."

The little girl exclaimed, her face instantly turning red.

What to do? One doesn't hit a smiling face, and this Mr. White Lotus was too straightforward, even more so than she was.

The dust whisk-wielding Taoist smiled, somewhat helplessly, "Mr. White Lotus, don't scare the little girl."

Mr. White Lotus, wearing a casual headband, touched the band, feeling a bit embarrassed, and slowly sat down on a purple bamboo chair. He turned his blurry gaze towards the little monk who had come to discuss Zen.

The little monk did not seem to have any intention of debating, only asking curiously, "This place is called the Fox Immortal Hall. Is there really a fox immortal here?"

Mr. White Lotus shook his head, "No."

The little monk said, "Oh, does Longhu Mountain have immortals?"

Mr. White Lotus laughed, "I don't think so."

The little monk nodded, "Then I have no more questions."

Mr. White Lotus showed no disappointment or anger, truly a good-tempered person. The little girl thought that people in the world were not always as they seemed. Mr. White Lotus was not arrogant at all, just a friendly uncle.

The little monk, whom the little girl considered a friendly uncle, smiled, "Let's have some tea."

The little girl said softly, "We'll leave the mountain after we finish our tea."

It was hard to imagine that Mr. White Lotus, who had once discussed the Dao with the emperor in the palace, nodded, "I'm directionally challenged and have poor eyesight, so I won't see you off. I'll have to trouble my temperamental junior brother Qi to lead me back."

The little girl finished her tea and left the middle hall with the little monk, taking a deep breath and patting her chest at the bottom of the steps.

The little monk touched his bald head, which was sweating.

The little girl teased, "Nanbei, are you afraid too?"

The little monk blushed, "I'm not afraid of arguing, just afraid of being locked in and beaten."

Inside the middle hall, the junior brother Qi asked, "Did you discuss the Dao and Zen?"

Mr. White Lotus, lowering his head to drink some tea, said, "Probably not."

The stern Taoist said, "Oh."

Mr. White Lotus joked, "What's the point of arguing back and forth? Look, now I have a good mood for tea. Isn't that better than anything else? A not-so-clever little girl and a not-so-stupid little monk, that's not Zen?"

The dust whisk-wielding little Celestial Master frowned, "You know I don't understand these things."

Mr. White Lotus smiled, "The vague is the way of heaven, the confused is Zen. Not understanding is understanding. Understanding is understanding what? I don't understand."

The Taoist named Qi, with his expressionless face, asked, "Grandpa Xituan said that the money to repair the Xianyou Temple should come from the Celestial Master's Mansion, and when people from the Northern Liang come up the mountain, the Celestial Master's Mansion should also receive them. But the leader is in seclusion, and the one in the capital said to ignore it. What do you think?"

Mr. White Lotus smiled, "If it's ignored, it's ignored. At worst, it will be another farce of 'trampling the dragons and