Floating Hill Temple

"How many Daoist temples were there in these mountains?"

"Five or six, perhaps, though there might be some hidden away. These mountains are vast, their strange peaks rising like a forest and their bizarre rocks jagged and uneven. Even I haven't seen them all. I've dealt with only two temples much: Immortal Source Temple, which also belongs to the Spiritual Law School, and Nine Dragon Temple, which belongs to the Pill Cauldron School. In recent years, a few Buddhist temples and shrines have appeared as well."

"They built temples here too?"

"These mountains are vast and the scenery is lovely. It's not only we Daoists who like them; Buddhist monks do too."

"That makes sense."

Lin Jue nodded, then bowed and took the opportunity to ask, "Then what's the difference between the Pill Cauldron School, the Spiritual Law School, and the Talisman School?"

"No rush. There are hot springs down the mountain. We can soak in them and talk at our leisure." The old Daoist smiled carefree, with little concern for appearances. "We've been walking for days. Even with my cultivation, I'm about ready to grow lice. The hot springs in these mountains are wonderfully comfortable. I'll take you there to enjoy them."

The group continued onward.

Before long, they reached a forest where steam rose from the ground.

There really was a hot spring, and its temperature was just right.

The Spiritual Resonance here was also thick, and the place was quiet and deserted.

Not long after—

An old man and a young man sat in the hot spring. Not far away, a young woman sat with her back to them, silently poking holes in the ground with a twig.

Few people came here. It was peaceful and secluded, with only the flow of the spring water and the old Daoist's voice breaking the silence.

"The Pill Cauldron School is, as its name suggests, mainly concerned with refining pills. There are two branches: the Outer Elixir and the Inner Elixir. For the Outer Elixir, a copper furnace serves as the cauldron, and all manner of rare treasures, gold, silver, and dew are used as ingredients to refine pills. Their wonders are almost endless. For the Inner Elixir, one's own body serves as the cauldron, and the Spiritual Resonance and vital essence of heaven and earth are used to nurture a Golden Pill within the body.

"In ancient times, cultivators throughout the world focused on pill refinement. When they spoke of refining pills, they meant the Outer Elixir; when they spoke of cultivating a pill, they meant the Inner Elixir.

"Later, perhaps after realizing the Outer Elixir's shortcomings, they gradually developed the method of the Inner Elixir.

"There are countless spells in the world, changing in a thousand ways, and they're actually connected to the Pill Cauldron School in some respects. Later, the Outer Elixir path gradually declined, while those of the Inner Elixir path mostly withdrew to the depths of the mountains to cultivate. The newly risen Spiritual Law School then became the dominant school.

"And later still, more and more people in the world became gods and ascended to immortality..."

The old Daoist paused here, as if there were something he hadn't said. Then he continued:

"And that was when the Talisman School emerged.

"Lu means office or register. Fu means to match. The Talisman School needs the register and the talisman to match before they can take effect. At its root, this means borrowing the power of Deities, rather than relying on one's own abilities."

Lin Jue listened intently.

The hot spring was very warm, and it felt wonderful to soak in it.

Receiving instruction and having his questions answered in such a setting was something Lin Jue had never imagined before.

Yet it was exceptionally pleasant.

As he listened, Lin Jue pondered the words, swishing the water as he scrubbed the grime from his body. From the corner of his eye, he saw the young woman sitting ahead of them with her back turned, scratching her head a few times.

It was clear she was listening too; she just seemed confused.

The place was so quiet that they could hear each other clearly without needing to come closer.

Lin Jue thought for a moment, then asked on her behalf:

"What does that mean?"

"In simple terms, the register represents your status. It might be your status in the eyes of an Orthodox God in heaven, or it might be your status in the eyes of an Earth God or even a wild or Evil God somewhere on earth. It shows that they acknowledge you. Some registers even record your rank and which Deities you can call upon, as well as the abilities you can use. With a register, you can set up an altar and draw talismans. A talisman is like a military seal. If you have both status and a military seal, you can command troops and generals, unleash all sorts of Divine Abilities, and even summon Deities to descend to the mortal world."

The young woman continued poking at the ground.

But just then, a voice suddenly came from the forest.

It was a strange, unfamiliar voice, and it didn't sound human.

"You old Daoist, that's not right. The reason cultivators in ancient times switched from practicing the Outer Elixir to the Inner Elixir was that rare treasures grew scarcer and scarcer. Many pills could no longer be refined, much less a Golden Pill."

"Who's there?"

Lin Jue immediately grew wary and looked toward the source of the voice.

The young woman sitting on the bank was even more startled. She turned to look into the distance, then furtively turned back to glance at the two men in the hot spring.

But all she saw was steam rising, the forest stretching deep into the distance, and mountains blending with the clouds and mist. There wasn't a soul in sight.

Then she looked at the old Daoist before her—

The old Daoist remained seated in the hot spring, smiling cheerfully, making no move to find out who the voice belonged to.

The voice continued:

"You old Daoist, you're not one of those Talisman School priests who worship Deities, and you have no chance of being granted a place among the immortals in the future. Why are you being so timid with your words? Just say it plainly: the ultimate aim of cultivators from the Pill Cauldron School and the Spiritual Law School is to become carefree immortals like those of ancient times, or to live easy, carefree lives in the world for a hundred years. The Talisman School, on the other hand, is merely an offshoot of today's Incense Godhood Path."

"Heh heh heh..."

The old Daoist found it amusing. He only smiled and said nothing.

"Who's speaking?"

Lin Jue couldn't help asking him, thinking he might know.

"I don't know. Never met him. But this is Mount Yi, where few people have ventured for a thousand years. It's only natural that there are more Spirits and Monsters around. Heh, whoever he is, he's surely lived longer than we have. What he says may well be true."

The old Daoist only smiled as he spoke.

"I see..." Lin Jue pondered. "But I've met a lot of monsters and ghosts on my journey."

"There's no need to be too surprised. Everyone has their own fate. Besides, the world is troubled these days, and there are more monsters and ghosts than there were a few years ago. Once you've encountered Demonic Ghosts, either your Yang Qi and vital energy are weak, or you've picked up the aura of a Monster. If you then travel by night or through the mountains, any Demonic Ghosts along the way will naturally be more inclined to seek you out."

"So that's how it is."

"The old Daoist isn't entirely right," the voice in the forest spoke again. "For a mortal to see a mountain spirit or wild ghost for no reason is naturally unusual. But if you see Spirits and Monsters in their own territory, isn't that like seeing people when you go to someone's home? What's so strange about it?"

"That makes sense too." The old Daoist nodded in agreement from the hot spring, then looked at Lin Jue. "See? It's rather nice to come across a Spirit or Monster like this once in a while."

"..."

Lin Jue watched his expression and seemed to understand.

After that, the voice didn't speak again.

Once they had finished soaking, the two men meant to switch places with the young woman. But whether she was bashful and shy or afraid that a Spirit or Monster might appear if she left their sight, she refused no matter what they said.

So they continued on their way.

They gradually drew closer to the mountain shaped like a pair of scissors and the nearby Floating Hill Peak. They were so close now that they could no longer make out the mountains' full shapes.

They pushed through clumps of Miscanthus and found a narrow mountain path.

The old Daoist led the way.

The young woman walked in the middle.

Lin Jue followed behind.

They crossed a stream on a bridge made from a single tree trunk, then gradually made their way uphill along the narrow path.

As he walked, the old Daoist leisurely explained things to them. His voice remained as calm as ever, as if he were sitting indoors, speaking in quiet contemplation, wholly unaffected by the steep mountain path:

"As the saying goes, 'All under heaven belongs to the king.' That isn't actually true.

"Only places connected by roads fall within the government's jurisdiction and belong to the king. The smaller the road, the weaker the Imperial Court's control over the human world. The vast stretches of deep mountains and barren wilderness beyond that don't count as 'the king's land.'

"By the same token, only places connected by roads and with houses belong to humans. Only places where people live together belong to the Human Realm. The rest belong to monsters and ghosts, Earth Deities, and spirits.

"Monsters and ghosts generally don't harm people during the day. But in deep mountains and old forests, especially places the sunlight can't reach, daytime is still like dawn or dusk, a border between yin and yang. If ordinary people wander in by mistake, they'd best stay in the sunlight.

"Mount Yi is remote, with deep forests and heavy mist. Spirits and Demonic Ghosts often appear here. But there's no need to worry. Mount Yi has its own Mountain God, and he's a formidable one—much more powerful than the Mountain Lord we met the day before yesterday, and stronger than most Mountain Gods in the world. If you meet him, you must show him the utmost respect.

"This mountain falls within his domain. And since there's a Daoist temple here, Floating Hill Temple is well-known among the mountain's Spirits and Monsters, and has a reputation with the Mount Yi Mountain God too. As long as you don't do anything you're ashamed of, the Spirits and Monsters of this mountain won't make trouble for you lightly. Even if you encounter them, just be respectful and polite and say you're disciples of Floating Hill Temple. Most of them will let you go."

Lin Jue walked in silence, listening as he went. It felt as if he'd left the human world and entered somewhere entirely different.

Suddenly, he heard someone singing in the mountains:

"This mountain has hot springs to wash away worldly ties... This mountain has wondrous herbs to eat and live forever... This mountain has divine pills to transcend the mortal world..."

"It's a woodcutter," the old Daoist told them.

Lin Jue followed the voice and looked up. Deep in the clouds and mist, strange peaks and bizarre rocks began to emerge. Ancient pines bathed in mist—it truly looked like the abode of immortals.

He couldn't help stopping and looking back.

They had climbed so high without noticing. Their path back was almost impossible to see amid the dense forest and clouds. Even the hot spring they'd soaked in earlier was now just a plume of steam rising from the ground and ascending into the clouds; the spring itself was nowhere to be seen. As for the Spirit or Monster that had spoken before, Lin Jue still had no idea what it was.

Before long, a corner of a temple came into view among the trees, its roof corners slanting upward. Floating Hill Peak rose behind it.

"We're almost there."

Lin Jue followed the old Daoist onward. He heard the sound of flutes, ethereal and otherworldly, drifting from the treetops. He also caught the faint scent of incense, which put him at ease.

The temple gate soon appeared before them.

It was a faded vermilion gate. A cat lay lazily in front of it, and the plaque above bore the three characters "Floating Hill Temple." On either side was a couplet:

"Draw the pure breath of mountains and rivers;

"Gather the Spiritual Resonance of heaven and earth."

The old Daoist walked ahead. He stepped over the cat and casually pushed the gate.

"Creak..."

The wooden doors slowly opened, letting out the scent of incense.

The old Daoist had already gone in ahead of them.

Lin Jue stopped outside and looked to the left. Several plots of land had been cultivated there, with vegetables growing in them. Behind them were a donkey shed, a pigsty, and chicken and duck coops, housing livestock and poultry. Paths ran uphill on both sides, and seemed to be paved with flagstones and steps.

The footsteps ahead stopped.

Lin Jue turned his gaze back. The young woman had noticed he hadn't gone in, so she'd stopped and turned to look at him in silence. He smiled, carefully stepped over the cat in front of the gate, and followed her inside.

The temple wasn't especially large, but it wasn't small either. Including the ceremonial gate, it had three courtyards, with two halls in front and behind. The first was the Heavenly Elder Hall, dedicated to the Heavenly Elder, the Divine Mother, and the many Deities of heaven. The second was the Mountain Moving Hall, dedicated to the Mountain Moving Patriarch and some Deities found only in ancient myths and legends. That suggested this Daoist temple leaned more toward individual cultivation.

On either side were guest halls for pilgrims, meditation rooms for the Daoists, as well as a dining hall, kitchen, scripture library, storage rooms, and so on.

Lin Jue hadn't gone far before a middle-aged Daoist came out carrying a hoe.

"Master, you're back? Who are these two?"

"They're my new disciples, your Junior Brother and Junior Sister. Stop working in the fields and get their rooms ready first."

"I've already prepared one room. But didn't you say you were taking only one disciple? Why did you take two?"

"It was fate. Prepare another room."

"All right."

"This is my eldest disciple, your Senior Brother. His name is Lu Wu. I had seven disciples before you two. I'll introduce them all to you tonight," the old Daoist said with a smile. "Don't worry. My disciples are all easy to get along with. The temple is usually quiet, and there's not much to do. You can spend time with them."

"Greetings, Senior Brother."

Lin Jue quickly bowed to the middle-aged Daoist.

"Greetings, Senior Brother!"

The young woman followed suit.

"Welcome."

The middle-aged Daoist carried a hoe and wore straw sandals, with his trouser legs rolled up. He looked to be in his thirties and didn't actually seem old at all. But his expression was exceptionally gentle, and with his clothes and appearance, he gave the impression of someone older.

After greeting them, he went back the way he'd come.

Lin Jue stared at him wide-eyed.

The old Daoist led the two of them farther inside.

"Once evening comes, after you've paid respects to the Patriarch and the formal apprenticeship ceremony is over, you two will officially become my disciples—and their Junior Brother and Junior Sister."

"Shouldn't we choose an auspicious day?"

"Auspicious days don't have to come from heaven. Today I took you as my disciples, and you entered my school. That makes today an auspicious day."

"Oh..."

Lin Jue couldn't help turning his head to look around.

The flutes from the temple's upper halls grew clearer, as if they were close by. Along with the scent of incense in the air, there was also the fragrance of medicine and wine, both pleasant to breathe in. Cats and dogs lay sleeping in the courtyard, oblivious to those around them. A Cloud Leopard was even dozing on the ground in the inner courtyard. Just standing there, Lin Jue already had cats coming over to sniff him or rub against him.

He still didn't know what kind of place this was.