Discussing the Dao (Part One)

A round moon hung high in the sky, spilling milky white light across the earth. Wisps of mist, the color of milk, drifted slowly through the sparse bamboo grove, carrying an immortal air. The bamboo in this grove was wholly emerald-gold, and beneath the white moonlight it gave off a mysterious, solemn violet-gold sheen. Bamboo stalks a full foot thick swayed gently in the breeze, their leaves rustling with a faint sound that seemed to pierce straight into one's heart.

Beside the bamboo grove, by a small stream no more than a few yards wide and a foot deep, an enormous tiger lay peacefully on the bank, idly stirring the water with its right paw. The huge tiger paw did not raise even the slightest ripple. Even the finger-length fish in the water were not startled, allowing that massive claw to brush past them. Everything before the eye was steeped in nature, freedom, purity, and tranquility. The fierce tiger that ought to have roared through the mountains and stirred up a bloody gale was merely playing in the water like a Little Cat.

Beside the tiger stood an exquisite bamboo table, with two bamboo chairs next to it. More than a dozen bamboo slips and jade tablets that gave off a faint glow lay upon the table, while two Daoists in blue Daoist Robes sat in the chairs. The older one had austere, ancient features and a long beard drifting in the night wind, his robes fluttering with the air of an immortal. At that moment, he was gazing up at the sky, his eyes fixed blankly on the moon, no one knowing what he was thinking.

Everything seemed like an immortal's residence, an immortal realm—solemn, dignified, pure, and unrestrained. But with the addition of the second Daoist, the entire atmosphere changed. He wore a Daoist Robe, yet it was crumpled beyond recognition; his hair was tied in a Daoist knot, yet countless strands stuck out from it as if weeds had grown there. Worse still, his whole body was sprawled against the bamboo table, his left hand propping up his chin while his right clutched a roasted deer leg and kept tearing meat into his mouth. His lips glistened with grease, like a beggar on the street. And his eyes? They had none of a cultivator's calm, steady bearing. They were pure thief's eyes, rolling incessantly over the old Daoist's body.

How should one put it? It was like a splash of dog shit suddenly landing on an enormous ink-wash landscape painting. That was the feeling this scene gave others.

Time slipped by second by second. The moon had traveled a long way across the sky. The deer leg in young Daoist Li Feng's hand had been gnawed clean, and even the bone had been tossed to Little Cat to lick, yet the old Daoist was still lost in thought. At last, Li Feng could no longer hold it in. Turning toward Little Cat, who was happily licking the bone, he shouted, "Hey, cat, let's go back and sleep. We can't do this kind of riddle-speaking enlightenment. Amitabha, back to bed."

Xiao Longzi, who had been staring blankly off to the side, finally came back to himself. He shook his head hard, coughed, and did his best to put on a master's dignified expression. "Disciple, mm, mm, why did Master call you out here today?"

Li Feng sprawled lazily across the bamboo table, yawned, and looked sidelong at his master. "Oh, wasn't it because Junior Sister Aunt went into seclusion the day before yesterday? You said I could rest for a day and properly"—he stressed the word—"refine the Vermilion Bird Crescent"—he stressed that even more heavily—"and today, didn't you say you were going to explain what the Dao actually was? But I spent a full two hours eating dinner, from when the moon rose until it was nearly setting, and you, old man, haven't said a single word."

Xiao Longzi looked embarrassed. He hurriedly raised a sleeve to wipe the corner of his eye, as though he had not heard the three words "Vermilion Bird Crescent" at all. After another cough, he said, "Ah, yes, well... Sect Leader Uncle-Master told me to teach you properly, so naturally your master cannot be lazy. Naturally, I must properly instruct you in certain matters... But, but..."

Li Feng looked at Xiao Longzi strangely, straightened up, and cautiously asked, "Master, don't tell me you're too stingy? You want to become an immortal all by yourself, so you're reluctant to teach me Daoist Magic? Huh? If that's the case, then you really shouldn't be. What is there that you can't tell your disciple? We are master and disciple, after all. What shameful business could there be? I told Junior Sister Aunt everything about my past. Even if you have something you can't let others see, who could I possibly tell about it on Qingyun Flat? Right? It's been three years. Besides you, that Xie Yuezi, and Old Gu, I've only ever seen Junior Sister Aunt. Even if I wanted to spread rumors, there's no one around to listen."

Xiao Longzi sighed. "Disciple, it is not that I am stingy. What is there about Daoist Magic that cannot be discussed? Your master went up the mountain at nine years old; what shameful matters could I possibly have? But... but it's just..."

Li Feng immediately pounced on that. "Ha, ha, ha! Master, you went up the mountain at nine? When I was nine, I'd already peeped at women bathing. You must have seen it too, which is why you don't dare tell me."

Xiao Longzi hurriedly defended himself. "Nonsense, utter nonsense! Where would Master have found the time to peep at women bathing back then? War raged everywhere, and the Mongols were in the midst of conquering the realm... Ahem, ahem, disciple, I am explaining Daoist Magic to you, not talking about Master's affairs. Don't look at me like that. Go on, go on, why do your eyes look like a mountain rat about to crawl out of its hole to steal rice?... But after I went up the mountain, well, my master—your Martial Grandfather—never seriously explained Daoist Magic to me either. Master truly does not know where to begin."

Li Feng abruptly leaped up and squatted right on the bamboo chair, cursing at the top of his lungs. "Fuck, you old ox-nosed Daoist, you're lying! You went up the mountain at nine, and no one taught you Daoist Magic—then how did you cultivate? Huh? Huh? Huh?! This young master is naturally intelligent, a super genius, and I still couldn't recognize a single character. If Junior Sister Aunt hadn't used Palm Thunder to force me from behind to study and learn to read, this young master would still be clueless as shit... Stingy is stingy. Don't make excuses, you old bastard. Little Cat, come on, let's go back and sleep. This young master is the ancestor of liars, and you old ox-nosed Daoist want to pull this trick in front of me?" With that, Li Feng jumped down from the bamboo chair and started to leave.

Xiao Longzi hurriedly grabbed Li Feng's sleeve and pleaded in a low voice, "Hey, hey, hey, disciple, don't run off. Master truly was not lying. Master began his education at three. Though war was everywhere, by the time I was nine, I had still read widely enough. Matters of letters and words could not trouble your master... But you are twelve years old and cannot recognize a single character. Master is truly rather astonished."

Li Feng's skin was thick, but even he could not stop his face from turning red. He sat back down awkwardly in the bamboo chair and laughed to cover his embarrassment. "Ha, old man, you don't understand. Ever since I was young, this young master planned to accomplish great things. A Zhu and I were going to make our Golden Dragon Gang the greatest gang in Suzhou Prefecture, so naturally I had less time to study. We also had to properly hone our skills, right? Otherwise, we'd get whipped... Ha, ha, ha. Ah, this young master—no, disciple misunderstood Master. Master, please continue. Hahaha, continue."

Xiao Longzi immediately fell silent again. His hands kept flipping through the books on the bamboo table, turning from the Commentary on the Yellow Court Scripture to the Great Void Heart Scripture and back again, yet he could not find a single sentence to say. For nearly a hundred years in the Yiyuan Sect, he had pursued enlightenment and cultivation largely on his own. By the time he and fellow disciples such as Xie Yuezi and Gu Lingzi began supporting and consulting one another, he had already reached late Qi Condensation and was on the verge of forming a Golden Core. Now that he was discussing the Dao with Li Feng, he naturally could not speak of matters too profound.

Yet aside from profound matters, Xiao Longzi could not put anything else into words. The essence of the most fundamental "Dao" had to be comprehended by each person for themselves. Xiao Longzi's cultivation could be considered formidable among cultivators, but he was absolutely not a grandmaster of cultivation. "The Great Dao has no words"—the Dao could not be described in detail through language.

Seeing cold sweat emerge on Xiao Longzi's forehead, Li Feng could not help feeling a little sorry for him. He shook his head and said, "All right, Master, you needn't trouble yourself. Since you cultivated on your own back then, your disciple isn't dumber than you, right? Actually, your disciple is much smarter than you. So naturally, I can cultivate on my own too, can't I?... Besides, we've eaten our fill, and chatting will help us digest. You said Junior Sister Aunt went into seclusion, but why didn't she tell me? She just went into seclusion because she felt like it? Isn't that too lacking in human feeling?"

Having found a topic, Xiao Longzi hurriedly said, "Your Junior Sister Aunt's seclusion was Sect Leader Uncle-Master's decision. As for the essence of cultivation in our Yiyuan Sect, it is to follow one's heart and let nature take its course. We do not have as many rules and ceremonies as other sects. Thus, when your Junior Sister Aunt needed to enter seclusion, she simply went straight to the Alchemy Room. There was no need for the solemn rituals other sects require."

Having found his footing, Xiao Longzi began speaking with great fluency. "Take the Emei Sword Sect. When their sect leader enters or leaves seclusion, the junior disciples must bathe, change clothes, and see them in or out. Their sect has strict rules. Especially since their sword sect practices the sword. A sword is an instrument of slaughter; if one does not hold righteousness, balance, fairness, and stability in one's heart, one can easily suffer qi deviation and fall into madness. Thus, they require rules in everything. In their daily lives, their disciples cultivate habits of care and caution, so that when their swordsmanship advances, mistakes will not arise."

Li Feng perked up. "Then what exactly does our Yiyuan Sect value?... If we fought them, who would lose and who would win?... They can become immortals through sword practice, and we can become immortals through Qi Refining. Which is superior, and which is inferior?" Li Feng had already made up his mind: if Xiao Longzi said the Yiyuan Sect was the strongest in a fight, he would definitely burn Mount Emei to the ground. If the Emei Sword Sect was stronger, then hehehe, he would simply run whenever he saw them.

Li Feng's words seemed to help Xiao Longzi sort out his thoughts. He absently turned the scroll in his hands and said softly, "There is not much difference between them. Sword sects practice the sword, but they also refine qi and cultivate the Dao, nurturing their Primordial Spirits and Nascent Souls. Though our Yiyuan Sect places qi above all else, do we not also cultivate all kinds of magical treasures and flying swords? The difference lies only in where the emphasis is placed."

After pondering for a while, Xiao Longzi slowly explained, "In ancient times, say five or six thousand years ago, when righteous and evil sects fought in chaos, leading to the time when the three thousand feudal lords campaigned against King Zhou, all cultivators called themselves 'Qi Refiners.' At that time, though there were a few magical treasures, most people relied on their own mysterious arts and transformations, on the depth of their cultivation, to decide victory or defeat. Qi was the beginning of heaven and earth, the source of all living things. Thus, Qi Refining was the orthodox path."

"Yet after that battle, a number of cultivation methods were lost. Many cultivators discovered that possessing magical treasures could enhance their offensive power, and so for a time sword techniques flourished and sword sects sprang up like trees in a forest. By the height of the Tang Dynasty, sword sects stood unrivaled beneath heaven. Among them, the Azure Lotus Sword Immortal Taibai Jushi was praised for, 'In ten steps, he slew one man; across a thousand miles, he left no trace.'"

Li Feng stuck out his tongue and cried, "What a braggart! Damn it, if he killed people like that, how many people could that whatever Tang Dynasty have left for him to kill?"

Xiao Longzi burst out laughing. "Hehe, it is only a metaphor. If any Sword Immortal truly slaughtered so wantonly, all beneath heaven would have risen together to attack him long ago. Still, when a Sword Immortal at the pinnacle of cultivation unleashed a sword with all his strength, turning everything within ten miles to dust would not be difficult. A mere thousand miles would only require a hundred full-power strikes. That would not be boasting."

Xiao Longzi looked at the moon in the sky and frowned in thought for a long while before saying, "But the flaw of Sword Immortals is that they enter the Dao through the sword, and so their cultivation advances too quickly. So long as they find an ancient divine weapon, they can immediately gain power that would take a Qi Refiner three or four hundred years to attain. Thus, they are prone to restless hearts and unstable Dao hearts. They either suffer qi deviation and fall into madness, or are lured by evil demons and Outer Dao practitioners onto a dark and sinister path. Such things are common... Disciple, tell me about yourself. If you could gain immense magical power in only a few days, would you still honestly cultivate on your own?"

Li Feng crooked his mouth and thought for a long time before answering bluntly, "No. If someone gave me a magical treasure like the Xuanyuan Sword, Pangu Axe, Nine Provinces Cauldron, or Nuwa Furnace, I'd have become emperor long ago... Hey, hey, why are you hitting me?"

Xiao Longzi was so furious that he trembled all over. He raised his hand and gave Li Feng two slaps on the head. "Nonsense, nonsense! How could the legendary Nine Provinces divine artifacts possibly be controlled by human strength?... I'm beating you, you little bastard who dreams in broad daylight all day long. Remember this: you are not allowed to think about such things again. If you spend every day hoping magical treasures will fall from the sky and benefit you, how will you have any mind left for cultivating the Dao?"

Xiao Longzi's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Faint threads of blood-red light flickered within them; he was that enraged. After a long while, once Li Feng had finally shut his mouth, Xiao Longzi let out a harsh breath and said helplessly, "As for those who refine external elixirs, gather yin to supplement yang, or gather yang to supplement yin, and those sects that exorcise ghosts, capture evil spirits, refine red mercury, or drink women's milk—they are all crooked, evil paths. Master cannot be bothered to speak of them here. There is no reason to foul the air of Qingyun Flat."

Li Feng's eyes gleamed like a thief's. He nervously stood up, leaned close to Xiao Longzi, and asked with a lecherous grin, "Master, don't introduce the other crooked paths. But that method of gathering yin to supplement yang, or gathering yang to supplement yin—does Master know it? Tell me about it in detail."

Xiao Longzi's face instantly flushed crimson. His eyes filled with blood-red light, his neck thickened like a water buffalo's, and a string of strange clucking sounds came from his throat. His chest heaved violently up and down like a bellows, and he nearly choked to death as his breath caught in his lungs. At last, Xiao Longzi sprang up in a thunderous rage, a hundred years of cultivation cast into flowing water as he cursed, "Damn it, you bastard brat, sit down! Listen obediently while this Daoist discusses the Dao with you! If you dare ask any more of that filthy nonsense, this Daoist will split you alive!"

Li Feng shuddered in fright and obediently sat back down on the bench. At that moment, how did Xiao Longzi resemble a perfected Daoist of virtue? He was more like Tiger Boss flying into a rage because he had not collected all his protection money. Even his tone was exactly the same: "If you dare do this or that again, I'll split you alive!"