Chapter 63

"Master, are we from Kunlun or Wudang? Or maybe the Heavenly Master's Way?"

Su Xiaofan was very curious about the concept of sects.

In those novels, when martial artists meet, they always first report their sect.

Generally, the one with the greater background is more powerful. When small sects hear that the other party is from a major sect, they usually immediately admit defeat.

"What Kunlun and Wudang, you've been reading too many novels."

Jing Shizhen glared at Su Xiaofan with a bad temper.

"Am I not a Taoist?"

Su Xiaofan said, "Kunlun, Wudang, and the Heavenly Master's Way, aren't they all Taoist sects?"

"We don't have a sect."

Jing Shizhen shook his head and said, "My lineage only has a tradition, and the tradition is not Taoism, but Daoism."

"Is there a difference between Daoism and Taoism? Aren't they both founded by Laozi?" Su Xiaofan was a bit confused.

"Of course there is a difference. Taoism is Taoism, and Daoism is Daoism."

Seeing that Su Xiaofan really didn't understand, Jing Shizhen explained, "Daoism is a philosophical school of thought founded by Laozi and Zhuangzi in the late Spring and Autumn period, while Taoism formed at the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, originating from Zhang Ling's Five Pecks of Rice religion.

Daoism is a school of thought, while Taoism is a religious organization. The two have completely different cultural forms.

The ideas of Taoism originate from Daoism, but the two cannot be confused.

You can understand Daoism as metaphysics, and Taoism as the application and promoter."

"There's such a big difference."

Hearing Jing Shizhen's explanation, Su Xiaofan finally understood. It turns out that the concept of Daoism is divided into Daoism and Taoism, and these two cannot be confused, even their representative figures are different.

The representative figures of Daoism in the pre-Qin period include Laozi, Zhuangzi, Yang Zhu, Song Jing, Yin Wen, and Liezi.

The representative figures of Taoism include Zhang Jiao, Zhang Ling, Zhang Lu, Ge Hong, Tao Hongjing, Wang Chongyang, and Cheng Xuanying.

These two types of figures cannot replace each other; one is the founder of thought, and the other is the founder of a sect.

"Master, which one is more powerful, us or Taoism?" Su Xiaofan asked excitedly.

"Let you learn the tradition, not to fight."

Jing Shizhen was speechless. Su Xiaofan usually seemed quite steady, but why was his personality so different now?

"Actually, strictly speaking, our tradition is more influenced by Zhuangzi's thought."

Jing Shizhen explained to Su Xiaofan, not wanting his only disciple to be confused about the origin of the tradition.

Laozi's Tao Te Ching is the general outline, and the theories of Zhuangzi and others all come from it, so Laozi being the ancestor is beyond doubt.

However, there are differences in the doctrines. According to Jing Shizhen, their tradition is more influenced by Zhuangzi.

Laozi advocates non-action, believing that only non-action can achieve everything, "The sage deals with non-action and teaches without words."

The Huang-Lao philosophy of the early Han dynasty absorbed the idea of non-action from pre-Qin Daoism, adapting to the political turmoil at the end of the Qin dynasty and the people's desire for stability, emphasizing tranquility and non-action, advocating light taxes and rest for the people.

The rulers of the early Tang and Song dynasties also used the idea of non-action to resolve social conflicts at the time, with some success.

Many people have been misled by the story of Tang Xuanzang's journey to the West in "Journey to the West," thinking that Buddhism was the main religion in the Tang dynasty. In fact, the state religion of the Tang dynasty was Taoism, based on Daoist thought.

Laozi saw "non-action" as the means for the sage to "acquire the world" and "govern the world," so fundamentally, Laozi's thought still hopes to engage in the world.

This is different from Zhuangzi.

Zhuangzi is famous for his philosophy of freedom and transcendence, advocating respect for the natural way and proposing the idea that "nature follows the Dao, and the Dao follows nature."

The "nature" Zhuangzi refers to is not the "nature" we talk about today, but a realm beyond utility.

Zhuangzi creatively proposed the idea of "hidden in mind but not in body," with the aim of preserving life and avoiding harm, ultimately achieving freedom and transcendence.

On one hand, he established the "world-roaming" model of external action to avoid the dangers of reality.

On the other hand, Zhuangzi established the "adaptation to nature" ideal of internal freedom to resolve the inner worries caused by fame and reputation.

From this, it can be seen that Zhuangzi's idea of seclusion is based on complete detachment from the outside world.

In other words, Zhuangzi achieves comprehensive seclusion to prevent any possible harm, being completely unaffected by external things, thus achieving true freedom and transcendence both internally and externally.

Another point is that Zhuangzi placed great emphasis on health and longevity, having written on the subject of health and longevity.

"Master, is our health cultivation technique passed down from Zhuangzi?"

Su Xiaofan finally understood.

The teacher's meaning should be that Laozi is the leader, and the Tao Te Ching is too powerful for anyone to surpass.

But Zhuangzi, with his idea of "interacting with the spirit of heaven and earth," also founded a school of thought, which can be considered on par with Laozi in terms of thought.

"The tradition I received is indeed passed down from Zhuangzi."

Jing Shizhen was very certain, as the tradition of his lineage has never been interrupted.

"Zhuangzi didn't do as well as Laozi."

Su Xiaofan pouted, saying, "Laozi became the Supreme Elder, but Zhuangzi didn't even make it into the Three Pure Ones."

"That's because Zhang Daoling, when he founded Taoism, revered Laozi as the founder and took 'the Dao' as the highest faith."

Jing Shizhen was well-versed in the Daoist schools.

At the birth of Taoism, Laozi's supreme divine status was established.

Zhuangzi, in the process of the emergence of Taoism, was a neglected figure.

However, Zhuangzi's tradition has been passed down, and the lineage Jing Shizhen belongs to has been passed down for thousands of years.

"Boy, don't think our tradition is inferior to Taoism."

Jing Shizhen looked at Su Xiaofan and said, "Although Taoism has many believers, its tradition was interrupted for several generations, and many of its teachings have been lost.

But our Daoist lineage has always been hidden from the world, passed down generation after generation without interruption."

Taoism, being engaged in the world, is inevitably influenced by secular affairs. Wars and the Buddhist conflicts of various dynasties have affected the transmission of Taoism.

However, Jing Shizhen's Daoist lineage, although unknown to the world, has a clear and continuous tradition, with each generation leaving behind a lineage chart, spanning thousands of years.

"This is our lineage chart, with the names and records of each generation of disciples. You can come here to read it slowly in the future."

Jing Shizhen walked to an antique shelf, took down a sandalwood box, and opened it to reveal a thick book.

From the appearance, the paper used in the book did not seem to be ordinary paper.

"Passed down for thousands of years? Teacher, can I take a look?"

Su Xiaofan's eyes lit up, as the repair system in his mind provided information.

Appraisal Chart: High-grade magical artifact, cannot be repaired!

"This book is actually a high-grade magical artifact?"

Seeing the information in his mind, Su Xiaofan was taken aback. In this dark room, everything he saw seemed to be related to magical artifacts.

With Jing Shizhen's permission, Su Xiaofan quickly put on the gloves on the table and took out the chart from the wooden box.

"Teacher, what is this paper made of?"

The book was heavy, and Su Xiaofan couldn't identify the material.

The entire book was golden, each sheet as thin as a cicada's wing, and it felt nothing like paper when touched.

"This is made from golden silkworm silk. The production technique has been lost, but this book can last for another thousand years."

Jing Shizhen said, "This thing is water and fire resistant, and it is extremely durable, which is why it has been preserved for so long."

"No wonder it's a magical artifact; the material has already been lost." Su Xiaofan thought to himself.

Seeing Su Xiaofan about to flip through the book, Jing Shizhen waved his hand and said, "You can read it slowly later. I'll first explain what magical power and magical artifacts are."

"Yes, Master, I've never understood what magical artifacts are for."

Su Xiaofan put the book back, "By the way, Master, how do you identify magical artifacts?"

"Magical artifacts are objects that inherently contain magical power!"

"Practicing our health cultivation technique can nurture magical power within the body."

"Our tradition includes not only the health cultivation technique but also some application methods."

"After nurturing magical power, you can learn the technique of observing qi, which allows you to identify magical artifacts."

Jing Shizhen explained succinctly, but Su Xiaofan still had many questions.

"Master, what are magical artifacts actually used for? They are so expensive!"

"Magical artifacts were originally used to ward off evil and bring good fortune."

Jing Shizhen thought for a moment and said, "But now, the main function of magical artifacts is protection, helping to resist external forces."

"External forces? What does that mean?"

"The yin stone you found earlier contained yin energy, which is an external force."

"Additionally, there are some special places that require magical artifacts for protection to enter. I'll tell you more about this later."

Seeing Su Xiaofan's eager expression, Jing Shizhen couldn't help but smile.

"First, practice our lineage's technique. Once you achieve a small success, you'll understand more."

"There are things I'm not supposed to know?"

Su Xiaofan smiled bitterly, "Master, is the technique hard to practice? I've read in novels that many techniques can't be practiced effectively after adulthood. Am I too late to start?"

"Our technique is not for combat but for internal cultivation, nurturing magical power to nourish the body. It doesn't matter how old you are."

Jing Shizhen shook his head, "Techniques are also about destiny. Some people practice their whole lives without achieving magical power, while others can do it quickly. It depends on your destiny."

"Is that so?" Su Xiaofan was not very confident, "What if I can't cultivate magical power?"

"You will definitely be able to, otherwise, your sister wouldn't have been accepted by Yan University."

Jing Shizhen smiled, considering that meeting Su Xiaofan was a stroke of luck.

Throughout history, those who can cultivate magical power are very few.

After long-term exploration, both Daoism and Taoism have found that bloodline inheritance is crucial in cultivation.

Bloodline inheritance is usually effective within three generations, but it becomes diluted after that.

Since Su Xiaofan and Su Xiaoxiao are siblings, and Su Xiaoxiao has been tested as capable of cultivation, Su Xiaofan must also be capable.

"Is Su Xiaoxiao also learning cultivation techniques at Yan University?"

Su Xiaofan suddenly understood, clarifying some previously confusing points