Visiting a Friend at Fuqing Palace

The fog was thick at the foot of the mountain, the rooms damp, and the cloth quilt, cold as iron after so many years, made Song You sleep poorly.

He already went to bed early and rose early. If the bedding was comfortable, he could linger beneath the covers a while longer, but when the quilt was cold, he truly had no desire to stay curled up in bed. Better to head up the mountain early.

So he got up decisively.

When he stepped out, he happened upon the Palace Master leading the young acolytes in their morning lessons. The acolytes were diligent and had already boiled water. After exchanging morning greetings, Song You washed up simply, then respectfully thanked them and bade them farewell. He had originally wanted to leave some money for his food and lodging, but the Palace Master refused, so Song You simply put it away.

This was precisely the difference between Buddhism and Daoism in Great Yan.

It was convenient to stay overnight at a Buddhist temple, but offering money was only proper. Staying overnight at a Daoist palace or temple was more difficult, yet if the temple master took a liking to you and nodded his assent, most would not take any money—and would certainly treat you to good food and drink.

Song You was actually more accustomed to the former.

He also asked the Palace Master for directions to Fuqing Palace. After receiving them, he took Three Flower Lady and headed up the mountain.

The way was a bluestone path, lightly frosted white. Every step left a footprint. Brushing aside dew and spiderwebs, they found Fuqing Palace before noon.

There were no telephones these days, and Song You did not know the trick of sending letters by paper crane, so he could only call in person.

As he climbed the steps, Daoist chanting already drifted through the air. He lightly knocked the door knocker, and before long, a young acolyte came to answer. Seeing that he wore Daoist robes but was unfamiliar, the child respectfully saluted him.

"This Daoist master is unfamiliar to me..."

"I am Song You of Fulong Temple, disciple of Daoist Duoxing. I have come to visit a friend."

"May I ask whom you have come to see, Daoist master? This humble Daoist can go in and announce you."

"Daoist Brother Guanghua Zi," Song You said. "Just tell him Song You of Fulong Temple has come to visit."

"Daoist Brother?"

The young acolyte blinked.

Guanghua Zi was the current Palace Master of Fuqing Palace, already over sixty. Those he usually associated with were all temple masters and immortal masters from the great palaces and temples in the mountains, without exception lofty figures with heads of white hair. Yet this Daoist master before him was at most a little over twenty, and he actually addressed the Palace Master as Daoist Brother.

The young acolyte's face was still tender; he had likely entered the temple only recently and had never heard the name Fulong Temple. Still, he did not dare slight him any further. After asking him to wait, he hurried inside.

Before long, the Daoist chanting within the gate stopped.

Then came the deafening toll of the welcoming bell.

"Dong..."

Each strike made Three Flower Lady tremble.

Soon, a jumble of hurried footsteps sounded from within. When the great gates opened again, a group of Daoists stood before them.

Three Flower Lady looked up at them blankly.

At their head was Guanghua Zi, his hair snow-white, yet his complexion ruddy and his face free of wrinkles. Leading a group of middle-aged Daoists, he came forward to greet Song You. Once before him, he saluted first, and when he raised his head, his face was already wreathed in smiles.

"Daoist friend, it has been a long time."

"Daoist Brother, you are hale and hearty."

"One year worse than the last..."

Guanghua Zi quickly welcomed Song You through the mountain gate. "Daoist friend, come in quickly. It is terribly cold on this mountain."

"It is somewhat chilly."

"There is a fire inside."

"Just what we need."

Song You tried not to exchange too many pleasantries, preserving the friendship passed down through two or three generations.

The group then headed toward the palace hall.

There were more than ten middle-aged Daoists behind them, and even more younger ones. The young acolytes were blocked from view in the rear, too numerous to count. Overall, Fuqing Palace seemed to be steadily flourishing. Apart from the young acolytes, the others naturally knew the name of Fulong Temple. Some showed respect, some friendliness; some kept stealing glances at Song You, while others looked at Three Flower Lady.

The elders said nothing, and the younger ones did not dare open their mouths either. Thus, they heard only Guanghua Zi and Song You exchanging pleasantries as they walked.

"Daoist friend, have you come out to travel?"

"My master finally kicked me out," Song You said with a smile. "I happened to pass through Yi Capital and stayed there for a time. Before winter came, I thought I would pay a visit to Daoist Brother's abode."

"Hahaha..."

Guanghua Zi laughed a few times, then suddenly grew somewhat wistful. "Time truly flies. This humble Daoist remembers that when I first met you, Daoist friend, you were still swaddled in blankets. The first time I followed my master to Yin Yang Mountain, your temple had only Dao Master Duoxing and Daoist Hei Yu. This humble Daoist was only in his twenties then. In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed."

"Time waits for no one."

"And this is...?"

Only then did Guanghua Zi seem to notice the Three Flower Cat that had been following behind Song You. Though she was a cat, he did not slight her.

"Three Flower Lady, who travels with me as my companion."

"So this is Three Flower Lady. This old Daoist greets you."

"Meow~"

Three Flower Lady stood upright and returned the salute.

There was still a couplet beside the entrance to the hall.

It read:

Kindness is the greatest treasure; use it all your life, and it will never run dry;

Let the heart be good farmland; cultivate it for a hundred generations, and there will still be more than enough.

As usual, Song You stood at the entrance and silently recited it once.

Once inside the hall, they gathered around the stove to brew tea.

Guanghua Zi summoned all the Taoist priests in Fuqing Palace in their twenties and thirties and introduced them to Song You one by one. These people would take over Fuqing Palace in the future, while Song You was Fulong Temple's sole heir. The continuation of this bond would depend on how these young people got along.

He then ordered people to fetch meat and slaughter chickens, catch fish and buy lamb, pull vegetables and purchase wine. Even the kiwis that had just ripened in the mountains had a few young attendants sent out to pick them.

To say nothing else, these Taoist priests were quite skilled cooks. With their usual leisure, they had probably put no small amount of effort into this.

After lunch came the performance and chanting of Daoist music.

Qingcheng Mountain's Daoist music was renowned. Sung in the local dialect, it had long formed a system and tradition of its own. Song You sat quietly and enjoyed it. Only Three Flower Lady could not listen to it; she lay on a meditation cushion and fell asleep.

After enjoying the Daoist music, they sat together and chatted.

Do not assume that monks gathering together meant debating scripture, or Taoist priests gathering together meant discussing the Dao. That was like two students getting together to explain problems to each other—such things did happen, but not often. Most of the time, they chatted like ordinary people, talking about lighthearted matters.

"Fellow Daoist, how long did it take you to come from Yi Capital?"

Song You answered honestly, "I set out yesterday morning and reached the foot of the mountain after nightfall. The master of Luqing Temple at the foot of the mountain was kind enough to let me stay the night, and I climbed the mountain this morning."

Someone across from him immediately said:

"Fine legs."

Song You looked up. It was a Taoist priest he knew, Guanghua Zi's disciple. He had accompanied Guanghua Zi on every visit to Fulong Temple over the past few years, and was likely one of the candidates to become Fuqing Palace's next Palace Master.

Then someone else said:

"Fellow Daoist Song is Fulong Temple's heir. Covering over a hundred li a day is naturally nothing to him."

This was also a Taoist priest who had visited Fulong Temple.

Within the Daoist sect, people from different mountains did not observe seniority. Cultivators themselves were also easygoing; so long as the difference in age and standing was not too great, they simply addressed one another as Fellow Daoist. Thus, even though they were Guanghua Zi's disciples, calling Song You Fellow Daoist was enough. There was no need to deliberately raise him another generation.

"I merely happened to encounter a group of merchants on the road, and they gave me a ride for part of the way," Song You said truthfully.

"Whatever the case, Fellow Daoist must be tired from this journey. I have already had Chuyun prepare the finest room for you. Please rest here for a few more days," said the Taoist priest who had spoken first.

"Senior Brother is right. Fellow Daoist has never been to Qingcheng Mountain, so naturally we must properly fulfill our duties as hosts," said another Taoist priest. "Please stay as long as you wish. Tomorrow, I'll have Yingfeng take Fellow Daoist up Qingcheng Mountain. Since you are traveling anyway, it would be nice to admire Qingcheng Mountain's autumn scenery."

"..."

Song You thought for a moment, then looked toward Guanghua Zi.

The old Taoist smiled with narrowed eyes and merely spoke of something else. "The master of Luqing Temple was kind enough to lodge an honored guest of our palace. Fuqing Palace ought to return the courtesy."

The two middle-aged Taoist priests immediately echoed him.

Somewhat helpless, Song You turned to Three Flower Lady and asked, "What does Three Flower Lady think?"

"Three Flower Lady thinks it is good."

The moment she spoke, everyone's eyes brightened slightly.

Since they cultivated Daoist arts, they had naturally long noticed that this Three Flower Cat was extraordinary. Yet they had only vaguely sensed it and could merely judge from the details. Only when the Three Flower Cat spoke did they become completely certain that she truly was a little cat demon that had gained spiritual intelligence. Still, most of them had seen demons, ghosts, spirits, and monsters before, so they were not overly surprised.

Only the younger Taoist priests, whose experience was lacking, widened their eyes in astonishment.

Song You then said, "Since Three Flower Lady also wishes to stay a few more days, then I shall respectfully accept your hospitality."

"Good!"

A Taoist priest immediately instructed the disciples behind him to catch more fish.

The man and cat thus stayed there for the time being.

The guest rooms here were far better than those at Luqing Temple the previous night. The rooms were spacious, neat, bright, and furnished with new bedding and everything else. It was not that Luqing Temple had slighted Song You; its circumstances had simply been limited. Fuqing Palace's scale and resources were far beyond Luqing Temple's comparison. Today, he was staying in Fuqing Palace's finest guest room, and last night, he had also stayed in Luqing Temple's finest guest room. In that respect, there had been no difference.

That evening, two young Taoist priests came to see him.

One was a male Taoist priest named Yingfeng.

The other was a female Taoist priest named Chuyun.

Yingfeng was tall and powerfully built, gentle and courteous. His smile was sunny and open, and the resonance of the Dao seemed to suffuse his words, mysterious beyond mystery. He should have been a rare talent at cultivating the Daoist Scripture, the sort well liked by Taoist priests.

Unfortunately, Song You was a fake Taoist priest.

Chuyun was a slender woman with fair skin and a beautiful face, delicate features, and an even more refined appearance in her Taoist robe.

Song You had no desire to form this sort of bond.

The two were disciples of the two Taoist priests from yesterday.

Song You understood the currents beneath this.

Clearly, those two middle-aged Taoist priests were powerful contenders in the struggle to inherit the flourishing Fuqing Palace. Both wished to form a bond with Song You; it was a gentle way of strengthening their own competitiveness. Guanghua Zi knew what they were thinking and doing, yet neither minded nor stopped them.

Song You did not mind this approach either.

Looking at it another way, Fulong Temple and Fuqing Palace had been friendly for decades, and Fuqing Palace came to visit every year. If Song You got along well with someone or liked someone more, he could show it openly and straightforwardly. Should that person truly take over Fuqing Palace in the future, then when they came to visit again, it would be someone he was close to, and he himself would feel more at ease.

It did not matter if the successor was not that person. Song You was merely expressing his preferences according to his nature; he was not meddling in the succession of Fuqing Palace's Palace Master. They could still interact as usual in the future.

He simply found dealing with people troublesome.

"Fellow Daoist Song, tomorrow Yingfeng and I will take you hiking," Chuyun said, sizing Song You up as he spoke. "My senior brother and I know this mountain like the backs of our hands. We'll definitely show you a good time."

"When would Fellow Daoist Song like to set out?"

Yingfeng asked warmly and enthusiastically.

Judging by the atmosphere between them, the two got along quite well. Their masters' disputes had not affected the fellowship between fellow disciples.

"The weather will be poor tomorrow. I fear it will be difficult to climb the mountain."

"Oh? Can Fellow Daoist foresee the weather?"

"Just a guess based on experience."

"Then we'll see tomorrow. If the weather is good, we'll come call for you early in the morning."

"Thank you for the trouble, Fellow Daoists."

"What are you saying, Fellow Daoist? Your temple and our palace have been friends for generations. This bond should be carried on."

"True enough."

Song You saw them out.

The next day, the weather was indeed poor: cold rain in the morning, wind by evening, and heavy fog in between. Song You mooched three more fine meals here. It was just the beginning of winter, the perfect season for cultivating in the mountains.