Piyun Mountain, Piyun.
Quite a number of devout men and women had already set out early along the sacred path up the mountain to offer incense. Wandering amid the clouds, they seemed as if they were ascending to immortality.
Ancient trees stood lush and green. On a long stone bench by the roadside, Wei Bo spotted Chen Ping'an enjoying a moment of leisure. Not wishing to disturb this busy man's quiet forest reverie, Wei Bo silently walked over and sat down. Chen Ping'an came back to himself and said, "What brings you here?"
Wei Bo complained, "You've made it all the way to Piyun Mountain. Why not take a few more steps?"
Chen Ping'an reached out and parted the mist, wisps of white cloud winding around his fingertips. "As the old saying goes, look at the weather before leaving home, and look at faces before entering one. Coming to Divine Lord Wei's territory empty-handed already makes me feel rather embarrassed."
Wei Bo crossed one leg over the other and shook out his Snow White Robe. "How pretentious."
Chen Ping'an teased, "I heard several new offices have been built on the mountain, with a whole new batch of capable officials and clerks added. What is it, a newly married woman entering her husband's household?"
In the eyes of ordinary folk, a palace, Taoist temple, or shrine packed shoulder to shoulder with worshippers was considered lively. But if a cultivator knew a little of the art of observing qi, he could see certain "truths." Only when smoke rose and churned like clouds, its qi clear rather than turbid, lingering overhead for a long while without dispersing, could a place of worship truly be called prosperous in incense offerings.
Nowadays, those seeking entry into the Mountain and Water Spirits of the Five Mountains