Great Immortal Kongchenzi and the Donkey

Chapter 1: Great Immortal Kongchenzi and the Donkey

Snow fell in thick flakes, painting everything at the edge of the sky a stark white.

Nestled amidst the vast, snowy peaks of Mount Lao, along a winding mountain path, stood a Taoist temple named Cloud Heaven Temple, perched halfway up the mountainside.

Cloud Heaven Temple looked ancient, but its resident Taoists seemed to be in dire straits. The temple was in disrepair, with the cold wind whistling through every crevice. An incense burner sat before the main hall, beneath a pine tree, but it hadn't been lit in ages. This only highlighted how long it had been since the temple's Taoists had offered incense to the Daoist Venerable within, showcasing their extreme laziness.

In a sparsely furnished side room, on a poorly constructed kang bed, a young Taoist sat cross-legged, wrapped in a quilt. One hand reached out, holding a Taoist scripture, and he chanted silently.

"Subdue the restless heart and wild thoughts!"

"Sever worldly desires!"

"Quietly recite the Yellow Court!"

"Fast for immortality!"

"Grumble!" A long, drawn-out sound emanated from beneath the quilt. His stomach was empty, his hunger unbearable. Despite his brave words, his body was being brutally honest.

Gao Xian pursed his lips, tossed the scripture aside, and pulled the quilt tighter around himself.

"Crash!"

At that moment, a gust of cold wind blew through. The window, plugged with dry grass, leaked air again, chilling the back of Gao Xian's neck, making him shiver involuntarily.

The Taoist's name was Gao Xian. He appeared to be only fifteen or sixteen. What was unusual was a mark between his eyebrows, which immediately gave him an extraordinary aura.

This Taoist mark between Gao Xian's brows allowed him to sense special beings in the world and bestow them the title of Guardian Spirit.

Once bestowed by Gao Xian, these spirits bore his mark and could not escape his control.

However, Gao Xian had searched all over Mount Lao and had only managed to bestow the title upon two Guardian Spirits. With winter's arrival, Gao Xian, fearing the cold, had retreated to the temple to await the spring.

Lazily, he emerged from his warm bed. As soon as he stepped outside, Gao Xian immediately hunched over, hands clasped, and scuttled in small steps towards the kitchen.

The kitchen was empty. The stored dried vegetables and salted meat had long since been cleared out, leaving only rows of hanging ropes and vacant jars.

Lifting the lid of a large jar, he saw a gourd ladle resting inside. It was completely empty. Gao Xian's face fell: "What? Even the cornmeal is gone."

Gao Xian propped open the window and looked towards the thatched shed next door. Inside, he could see a donkey, tied up, its coat shining with a glossy black sheen.

Hearing the noise, the donkey suddenly jumped, looking at Gao Xian in alarm. Their eyes met, and the donkey was met with Gao Xian's hungry gaze.

Immediately, the donkey was seen standing on its hind legs like a human, its entire body trembling.

The first entity Gao Xian had bestowed the title upon was this Donkey Guardian. It was also the Guardian Spirit with the highest intelligence, even capable of speaking human language. It was cunning by nature, unlike the other Guardian Spirit, which had been formed from an inanimate object.

However, judging by Gao Xian's gaze, its days were numbered.

In the donkey shed, Gao Xian's hand brushed over the donkey's glossy coat, and he could feel its fear and unease. White mist puffed from its nostrils as it let out strange whines.

"You've gotten so fat! You must have eaten well all this time! No wonder there's no grass left for miles around."

Gao Xian's expression changed instantly, and he let out an angry roar: "Halt, you fiend! How can I, this Taoist priest, tolerate your destruction of the natural order?"

"Today, I shall slay demons and exterminate devils, and take you on behalf of Heaven."

Looking at the plump, oily donkey, Gao Xian thought that if he slaughtered it and made it into preserved meat, perhaps he could survive the harsh winter.

The donkey's front hooves suddenly knelt. It actually spoke human words: "Great Immortal Kongchenzi, there's no grass left because of the freezing weather, it's not this little donkey's fault! Please spare this little donkey's life, honored elder!"

The Taoist title Kongchenzi was given to him by the previous abbot of Cloud Heaven Temple. The old Taoist was said to have come from a prominent family. He had dedicated his life to cultivating Taoism, traveling across the mountains and rivers of the Nine Provinces. Although he had encountered strange things and unusual people, that was all there was to it. It seemed that truly enlightened cultivators did not exist in this world.

Finally, as the old Taoist passed away, his last words were:

"The search for the Tao ends in emptiness; a life drifting like scattered dust. Your Taoist title shall be Kongchen from now on. Do not follow my path and seek the illusory Great Tao."

"Life on the mountain is harsh and lonely. If you cannot bear it, go down the mountain and marry a wife and have children!"

With that, he let go.

The young Taoist cried profusely. After he woke up, he was a changed person, and thus Gao Xian came to be.

Gao Xian sighed and sat on the dry grass, trying to reason with the donkey.

"Donkey! Oh, donkey! I don't want to eat you either!"

"But the temple is out of firewood and food, and we are suffering from hunger and cold. We will both starve to death sooner or later. It's better for only one of us to die. You will have accumulated immense merit."

The donkey quickly said: "Great Immortal! Even if you eat me, it won't sustain you for long. It's better to keep me. This little donkey can serve as a mount, showcasing your immortal demeanor."

"Gongzhou City down the mountain is prosperous. Why not go down and take a look?"

Kongchenzi Gao Xian thought this made sense. Although it was terribly cold, they truly couldn't survive on the mountain anymore. Gao Xian's plan to hibernate seemed unworkable.

"Indeed. After diligently cultivating for a year, it's time to go down the mountain, slay demons and exterminate devils, and uphold the righteous path."

"I am willing to be at your service, Great Immortal."

The decision to go down the mountain was hasty, but the departure was swift, mainly due to their utter poverty.

Gao Xian merely packed a few tattered robes and a couple of Taoist scriptures. Finally, he swept up the few pieces of dried food offered before the statue of the Daoist Venerable, and he was ready to depart.

He grabbed a short blade placed by his bedside. Its gleam reflected on his face. Gao Xian drew the sword from its sheath, its smooth edge reflecting his clean, youthful face, enhanced by his age. A faint Taoist mark emanated, exuding an otherworldly aura.

The divine sword let out a soft hum and moved on its own, coiling around Gao Xian like a swimming dragon.

This was the Azure Dragon Guardian, awakened from the Azure Dragon Sword. However, its intelligence could not compare to the Donkey Guardian; it could only convey simple emotions.

However, as the Guardian Spirits' own cultivation progressed, their intelligence and divine abilities continuously grew, and it was likely that one day they would surpass Gao Xian's imagination.

"Last night, the heavens showed an unusual phenomenon. This humble Taoist calculated it with his fingers and found that demons would appear. I shall descend the mountain to save the common people."

"Azure Dragon Guardian, your time to be renowned throughout the world has arrived."

Of course, during the act of slaying demons and exterminating devils, it was also quite necessary to collect some incense money to repair the Taoist temple and cast a golden statue for the Daoist Venerable.

Gao Xian sheathed the Azure Dragon Sword into his sleeve, making it impossible to tell from the outside that it concealed a deadly weapon.

"Where is the Donkey Guardian Great General?" Gao Xian shouted.

"General Donkey is here." The donkey scurried out from behind and prostrated itself before Gao Xian.

It began to snow. Gao Xian grabbed a straw cape, draped it over himself, locked the temple gate, mounted the donkey, and headed down the mountain.

In the heavy snow, the straw-caped Taoist rode his donkey, singing loudly.

"If a lifetime can be spent in mist and rain."

"It is said that there is neither clear skies nor wind."

"..."

The world was a vast expanse of white, and under the fluttering snow, it formed a picture of the Great Immortal Kongchenzi riding his donkey down the mountain.

Many people said, "The author should explain! The last two lines the protagonist sang are from a song, 'Love is as Light as You' by Zhou Shen. It's considered an indirect nod to the protagonist's identity as a transmigrator!"