Meeting the other man's wary, astonished gaze, Jiang She gave a slight cupped-hand salute.
His tone was mild.
"I'm surnamed Jiang, and my name is She. I'm a mountain recluse from the Shu Region."
Li Bai stood at his side and gave a distant nod. "I am Li Bai, courtesy name Taibai, from Longxi."
The old man was startled. He looked them up and down.
Such Daoist arts...
He had never seen anything like them.
They could conceal their forms completely, leaving no trace of their presence. Before their words had even faded, no one in the courtyard had noticed their breathing or footsteps.
One of the men before him wore white, his eyes bright with spirit, his bearing exceptional.
The other wore a worn old blue robe. His features were handsome and refined, and he looked like an ordinary mountain recluse living near Lumen Mountain. He didn't seem to care much about his clothes or accessories.
Only his bearing, drifting like a cloud on the wind, carried an inscrutable air.
The old man had a decent memory. Hearing the white-clad man called Li Bai accuse him of deceitful conduct, he knew that these visitors meant no good.
These two...
Were enemies, not friends.
"What brings you both here?"
Li Bai's spirits lifted. Seeing Old Deer Mountain God made him feel emboldened.
He spoke loudly. "I heard Scholar Lu had encountered an immortal master, so I came to see for myself. I've just witnessed your 'Breath-to-Flame' skill, and heard that the old immortal master is two hundred years old and has lived for a hundred and forty, spanning two full sixty-year cycles. I'm deeply impressed."
"As it happens, I have a friend who is a mountain recluse, hidden from the world and accomplished in the Dao."
"He has some connection with this mountain. Hearing that an immortal master of profound and powerful Daoist arts had come to the foot of the mountain..."
"He came to see for himself."
"And wishes to seek your instruction."
"To set the record straight about the Dao."
By the end, Li Bai's expression had turned solemn.
When he finished, Jiang She smiled faintly. Unlike Li Bai, his words weren't edged with a sharpness that cut. He seemed mild-tempered and gentle.
"Your Daoist arts are impressive, sir. I've long yearned to learn them, and would be glad to ask your guidance."
The Lu Family courtyard grew lively. In the fading light of dusk, several guests gathered to whisper among themselves. Servants craned their necks to watch, exchanging murmurs.
The young medicine attendant tilted his head and kept fanning the furnace with a palm fan. He didn't even notice sparks flying out.
Bitter medicine bubbled in the furnace. Everyone was absorbed in the scene—even the physician Luo, who had finished acupuncture and stood with his hands folded, gazed on with narrowed eyes. Only the Grand Matriarch had yet to wake.
Matters concerning immortals had always been mysterious and unfathomable.
They weren't something ordinary people like them could easily glimpse.
Watching the old man exhale flames, then seeing the two men approach step by step, their forms ethereal and insubstantial, he held his breath and composed himself, yet couldn't resist the urge to keep watching.
The way of immortals was profound and mysterious.
What, exactly, were they like?
Physician Luo couldn't help thinking, "Immortals and Daoist masters aren't born with divine powers. By accumulating essence and refining qi, they become true immortals... This must be what true immortals are like..."
Meanwhile, beneath the old locust tree.
Yuan Danqiu stood rooted beneath it, unable to move. After a long moment, he nudged Meng Haoran's hand.
His lips moved, and he could barely hide his astonishment.
"...Tai, Taibai?"
Yuan Danqiu narrowed his eyes to make out the figure. "And the man beside him... is that Young Master Jiang?"
Hadn't those two gone in search of immortals, to find the traces of the ancient immortal encounter involving Pang Degong, the elder from the Jin dynasty? Why had they come to the Lu Family—and appeared before everyone in such an inconceivable manner?
When had they arrived? How long had they been here?
Before this, they had been in the courtyard with the Lu Family's eldest son, the physician and the medicine attendant, three young Daoist practitioners, four or five Lu Family servants, and six or seven guests nearby.
Not one of them had noticed. They had watched the old man demonstrate his "immortal arts" without ever sensing that anything was amiss.
Among the Lu Family servants, one recognized Li Bai and cried out in surprise.
"Master Li?"
He knew exactly how much substance Taibai had in his belly. It couldn't have been Taibai. That skill had to belong to...
Young Master Jiang?
They had met at the mountain temple two hours ago. There had been the art that kept the rain from touching his clothes, and the ability to restore rain-soaked plants to freshness. Then there were the words spoken by the porter at the temple. Putting it all together...
Yuan Danqiu and Meng Haoran exchanged a glance, both at a loss for words.
After a long while,
Meng Haoran said slowly,
"He may not be an ordinary man."
"I was thinking the same. Could it be that Taibai has encountered a true seeker of immortality?"
"Taibai's opening remark was that the immortal master had deceived Scholar Lu..."
"Could the old man be a fraud?"
"Judging by Taibai's manner, he must know plenty."
"After they finish their contest and leave the Lu Family, we'll go ask him!"
"Excellent!"
The two settled on this plan, hands tucked into their sleeves as they watched the two sides debate the Dao in the courtyard. Their ears caught Taibai's exchange with the young attendant, and they watched, utterly absorbed.
Jiang She turned his gaze away from the old locust tree and looked at the young Daoist in the courtyard as he listened to him speak.
"My master spent forty years amid the mortal world, seeing every kind of gold and silver treasure and delicacy from land and sea. Even the lips of the orangutan and the leopard's womb lost their flavor to him, and he gradually stopped eating."
The young Daoist said,
"My master has always devoted himself wholeheartedly to seeking the Dao and cultivating its arts, taking no interest in the affairs of the world below the mountain. Elsewhere, even if someone offered gold and silver to build a temple and begged to sweep his halls, he would hardly ever take a disciple. This time, he only wanted to test whether Scholar Lu of the Lu Family had a heart set on the Dao, because he thought the young man had a connection with him."
"Who would have thought that first a wild Daoist would come looking for trouble and provoke a fight?"
"And then a gentleman like you would claim to seek instruction, when in truth you mean to oppress and frame us, so you can make a name for yourself."
"My master and we three disciples are no more than idle mountain folk. We do not meddle in the affairs of the mortal world."
"Your appearance is upright and honest. Why behave like this?"
The young Daoist stood straight-backed. Having accompanied the old man through many experiences, he had been tempered by the mortal world into someone unshaken by surprises. His words came smoothly, and his reasoning seemed sound.
He appeared to be offering sincere advice.
Even Scholar Lu, standing to one side, couldn't help nodding along.
He recognized Li Bai and said, "Taibai, someone has deceived you. How can you offend the immortal master?"
"Say no more. My grandmother has always treated you well. Hurry and apologize. Then I can apologize to the immortal master as well and ask him to forgive your transgression."
He then quietly apologized to the old man.
"This is the son of a merchant from the Shu Region. He was invited to my grandmother's birthday banquet. His name is Li Bai, and he's an excellent poet, though a little rash and disrespectful. He must have been deceived by a scoundrel this time. I hope the immortal master..."
He didn't know that Li Bai had declined the invitation in the reception hall.
After glancing at the steward who had just berated and stopped him in the courtyard, Lu Pei explained everything to the immortal master in detail, his heart swelling with smug satisfaction.
Though Jiang She had been accused of being a treacherous fraud, he showed no anger.
He didn't much care to argue with these people of old. In his eyes, their every move, word, and deed was fascinating. It was a shame he hadn't studied classical literature or history in his previous life. If he had, seeing these ancients before him—chatting idly or angrily berating one another—might have given him a richer appreciation of the scene.
He only smiled.
Jiang She said, "If I had wanted to make a name for myself..."
"Then you probably wouldn't have had the chance to meet me face to face."
"I came today only to set you on the right path and urge you not to stray."
His words were far too arrogant. The young Daoist frowned, and the old man brushed Scholar Lu's hand aside, preparing to step forward.
Behind them, Li Bai stared at Jiang She, eyes blazing. When he had mocked the false immortal master, the words had spilled from his lips without a care. But now that a true immortal stood before him, he couldn't tear his gaze away.
This was the very thing he had yearned for.
He saw Jiang She turn toward the south and give a slight cupped-hand salute.
His voice was calm as drifting clouds and passing breeze.
"Mountain God of Lumen Mountain, please come and meet me."
Before you continue