When the old men were delighted to discover that they had entered the Innate Realm, a realm they had been unable to break through for years, Zhang Hupan had already stopped lecturing. He simply watched the white-bearded old men weep, unable to keep from sighing inwardly at the hardships of the path of cultivation.
At last, that scene of mingled joy and sorrow, that heart-wrenching scene, settled down. Anyone would have felt moved seeing a group of several-hundred-year-old men shedding tears. As if they had arranged it beforehand, the Taoists lined up neatly before Zhang Hupan according to seniority, then bowed deeply and respectfully. If their gratitude for receiving the elixirs and treasures earlier had come from the bottom of their hearts, then their gratitude now came from the depths of their souls. Earlier, Zhang Hupan had merely given them fish, which could only sustain them for a time. Now, he had taught them how to fish—a skill they could benefit from for the rest of their lives.
At that moment, Zhang Hupan silently accepted the grand salute from the Wudang disciples, his heart filled with emotion and sympathy for these Wudang disciples who lacked guidance from their predecessors. In truth, Zhang Hupan did not understand that the Wudang disciples were already very fortunate. Zhang Sanfeng and the other predecessors had spared no effort to pass down numerous scriptures and magical artifacts. They merely lacked guidance from a true master. The disciples of other sects were even more miserable. For the most part, their masters only led them through the door, after which cultivation was left to the individual. Aside from a few exceptionally gifted disciples who received special instruction, ordinary people could only practice the most basic Taoist arts. That was also why the Wudang Sect, with a history of only about seven hundred years, could rank among those ancient cultivation sects with legacies stretching back tens of thousands of years. Although it was merely in the middle-to-lower ranks, it was still a miracle.
After paying their respects, Qingmu respectfully walked before Zhang Hupan and then loudly knocked his head against the ground several times before saying, "Disciple Qingmu pays respects to our patriarch!"
Zhang Hupan gently waved his sleeve, and a soft force lifted Qingmu to his feet. Then Zhang Hupan curiously examined the current leader of the Wudang Sect who dealt with the secular world. He was slender, with snow-white beard and eyebrows and smooth skin. He even possessed the ethereal bearing of an immortal untouched by worldly affairs. He truly lived up to his position as the leader of the Wudang Sect.
Although Zhang Hupan's gaze was gentle, when it swept over Qingmu, Qingmu felt as if he were standing naked before Zhang Hupan, leaving him unbearably uncomfortable. However, Qingmu was, after all, the current leader of the Wudang Sect. In today's complicated society, even though he had little contact with it, he was a master of social interaction compared with Zhang Hupan and these Taoists. His eyes turned, and a stream of lavish, creative flattery poured forth like the surging Yangtze River. If a modern person had been present, they certainly would have mocked Qingmu mercilessly and cursed him for using such backward and vulgar phrases. But to Zhang Hupan, who was as naive as a rookie, they sounded like heavenly music, beautiful beyond compare. The old Taoists, meanwhile, wanted to find a block of tofu and smash their heads against it after hearing Qingmu's flattery. When they saw Zhang Hupan happily give Qingmu three elixirs and three excellent immortal swords, they even felt like asking Qingmu to hold a remedial class for them to improve their own skills.
"Qingmu, I want to descend the mountain and cultivate through experience in the secular world. Do you think you could explain some common knowledge of the secular world to me over the next few days?" Zhang Hupan asked Qingmu with a smile.
Qingmu desperately wanted to say yes. If he did, he could certainly obtain even more benefits from the most senior predecessor of the Wudang Sect. However, Qingmu still knew his own limitations. Society had changed enormously and was no longer anything like the world he had known forty years ago. Though the temptation was great, Qingmu did not dare deceive his master and ancestors. He could only honestly report, "Patriarch, I have not descended the mountain in several decades either, so I am not very familiar with the current state of the world. However, my second disciple, Mingde, often moves about in the secular world. Why don't I have him explain it to you?"
"That works too! Bring him here tomorrow. I'll lecture every morning over the next few days, and in the afternoons, Mingde can tell me about the secular world. You can also bring over the other Wudang disciples of the Qing generation to listen. That settles it. Everyone, disperse, and take the time to properly comprehend the Heavenly Dao I taught today!"
Everyone returned to their rooms to cultivate, while Qingmu happily went back to Yuchun Palace. Once he reached his room, Qingmu sent the young Taoist serving him to summon Song Feng. Looking at this elegant, slender second disciple who understood human relationships so well, Qingmu conceived the idea of passing his position on to Song Feng for the first time. In the past, he had always disliked how Song Feng was overly interested in secular affairs and wasted precious cultivation time. His eldest disciple, Mingwu, was now on the verge of reaching the Innate Realm, only a step away from entering the cultivation world, while Song Feng remained at the level he had reached ten years ago, without the slightest progress. Yet just now, Qingmu had realized for the first time the benefits of understanding social affairs. Song Feng had received far better elixirs and magical artifacts than his master and patriarch. The difference was obvious from their envious—no, jealous—expressions. If Qingmu had been active in the secular world recently, he could have spent more time with the patriarch. Wouldn't that mean even more elixirs and magical artifacts? He had no idea what kind of incredible luck his second disciple had stumbled upon to be given the chance to teach the patriarch about the secular world. At the thought, Qingmu seemed to see mountains of elixirs and immortal treasures steaming with spiritual energy before him. Wasn't Song Feng's path to immortality boundless? Qingmu's eyes sparkled as if he were looking at a priceless treasure, and he asked Song Feng in an exceptionally gentle voice, "Mingde, how has your master treated you?"
"My master's kindness to me is as great as a mountain. If not for you, Master, I would have frozen to death on the streets long ago!" Though Song Feng found his master's strange behavior today somewhat odd, he still answered with deep emotion when he recalled Qingmu's kindness.
"Then if you obtained any treasures, would you share them with your master?" Hearing Song Feng's answer, Qingmu inwardly congratulated himself on having taken such a good disciple and continued asking gently. If there had been a child present, they certainly would have shouted, "The wolf grandmother!" Qingmu no longer looked like an otherworldly immortal at all. He resembled some kind of sly, greedy animal instead.
Unfortunately, how could Song Feng suspect the master who had raised him and taught him martial arts since childhood? "Of course I would!" Song Feng answered without hesitation. However, after spending many years in modern society, Song Feng's reactions and powers of observation were exceptionally sharp. Seeing his master's abnormal questions and attitude today, he suddenly wondered whether someone had been spreading rumors about him. Although he had always gotten along well with the other Wudang disciples, he could not rule out someone being jealous that he was often allowed to descend the mountain. Thus, Song Feng cautiously asked with some hesitation, "Master, did someone tell you that I obtained some treasures in the secular world or something? That would be a terrible injustice! If I obtained any treasures in the secular world, I would certainly report them to you, Master!"
"No, no. How could I suspect you?" The hundred-year-old Qingmu's face even flushed slightly, leaving Song Feng utterly baffled.
"What I mean is, if you happen to obtain some treasures soon, could you let your master choose two of them?" After saying this, Qingmu stared nervously at Song Feng.
Poor Song Feng had spent decades navigating the secular world and was certainly cunning with experience, but even if he had another head, he would never have believed that a miracle was about to happen to him—that treasures would fall from the sky. Besides, treasures worthy of being called such by his master, who was already regarded as practically an immortal by secular people, were even more elusive. Obtaining a single one in a lifetime would be a blessing earned in a previous life, let alone two. Having grown old and shrewd, Song Feng naturally knew that his master was nervously awaiting his answer. Though he found his master's strange behavior today puzzling and even wondered whether people experienced another period of change after turning one hundred, Qingmu was still the person he respected most. Thus, despite the abnormal circumstances, he answered without hesitation, "If something like that truly happens, this disciple will certainly follow your instructions, Master!"
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