The old Daoist, with white hair and beard and a gentle expression, smiled as he picked up a stone and placed it on the board. Then he said gently:
"Had you not already learned of this, fellow Daoist? Why ask again?"
The middle-aged Daoist's dignified bearing inspired awe. He said coolly, "I'm merely curious. Brother Dao has always followed the [Way of Nonaction]. With your disciples, you point them in the right direction and then let them go their own way, without interference. Why, today, did you have the leisure to send a wisp of your spirit to visit one, even here in my Great Luo Heaven?"
The old Daoist replied gently, "He broke through today. As his teacher, I cannot be at his side, guiding him every moment."
"But when a child is breaking through, one must go back and check on him."
The middle-aged Daoist placed a stone and asked evenly, "What realm did he break through?"
"Primordial Prenatal Qi."
"How did he break through?"
"Action and inaction."
The middle-aged Daoist gave a slight nod. "Good."
"But if that were all, Brother Dao might not have gone to see him."
"What path does this disciple of yours follow?"
The middle-aged Daoist's tone was calm, but left no room for evasion; he was strikingly direct.
The old Daoist was accustomed to his temperament. He chuckled gently, picked up a stone and placed it on the board, then replied, "I noticed that the child had acquired the aura of tribulation, so I went to see him. I was worried he might have been manipulated into a calamity. Only later did I learn he had willingly chosen to face it himself. As for the path he follows, I can only say that he truly is my disciple..."
"Establishing teachings according to