May I Invite You to Accompany Me

In the blink of an eye, Cheng Zhi had already drunk half a cup of tea.

"Master, since that swindling old man was merely a trickster's art, does there truly exist a divine immortal's method in this world?" The county magistrate held his cup, sipping it slowly and preciously, not setting it down.

"There is."

The county magistrate probed further.

As if making casual conversation, he brought up the recent novelties in Xiangyang.

"I wonder if you've heard, Master. Those few who entered the dream at the Lu Family that day—after living out a lifetime in the dream, many of them have undergone miraculous changes. Some haven't even read certain books, yet their hearts recall the principles within, and their studies at the academy have advanced by leaps and bounds. Those unaware might think they've been possessed by Wenqu."

"And as for Lu the Eldest, he was previously somewhat pedantic in his studies, utterly clueless about poetry. Last night, at a gathering with friends, he blurted out a brilliant verse. My brother-in-law pressed him on it."

"Meng Haoran happened to be at the feast as well, and replied that the line sounded familiar, as if heard in a dream."

"Does the Master have any explanation?"

As the county magistrate spoke, his eyes gleamed with intensity.

Jiang She lowered his head and took a sip of tea.

"Probably just what Your Honor suspects."

He asked: "Is Your Honor inquiring about the matters of immortals?"

His mind read, the high person's words so direct caught him off guard. Cheng Zhi froze for a moment, then laughed without anger. "I've been seen through by the Master after all."

He said: "I am but a worldly man. In the past, I only thought of studying to enter officialdom. After passing the imperial exams, I scrambled and schemed in the bureaucracy, knowing little of the immortal path."

"It was only upon meeting you, Master, that I suddenly realized there exists another road in this world."

"The subtlety of the Dao—a single great dream can let one sleep for seven days, and the forty years of experience within that dream remain vivid before the eyes."

"I cannot help but sigh in admiration and yearn for it."

Jiang She asked: "Does Your Honor seek the Dao?"

Faced with such a high person, whose attendants were all spirits of mountains and rivers, and whose mortal associates were talents like Li Bai and Meng Haoran—

County Magistrate Cheng Zhi did not hide his thoughts, saying:

"I am somewhat curious."

He thought for a moment, then added: "Perhaps it's a bit like Lord Ye's love of dragons. If you asked me to read Daoist scriptures or meditate at dawn, I could manage. But to retreat deep into the mountains, cultivate the Dao, cast aside empty fame, and keep little company with men—that's another matter... I am a worldly man."

The magistrate's temperament was rather intriguing.

"To clearly see your own nature is already rare," Jiang She said.

"Your Honor's ability to recognize what you seek is something many cannot achieve in a lifetime. Few in this world are so open-minded."

The county magistrate laughed as well.

Just as the tea was finished, Jiang She poured him another cup. The two listened to the birds chirping in the forest, sitting together in silence, already tasting the true flavor of the moment.

"What is this tea called?"

"It refreshes the mind and clears the head." The magistrate raised his cup and asked.

"A coarse wild mountain tea, with no name," Jiang She said. "If Your Honor likes it, I'll have some wrapped up for you to take back. It can relieve the fatigue of desk work."

"Did the Master grow this yourself?"

"Yes."

"It's quite unlike the fashionable teas of today—a rustic charm, brimming with immortal air." The county magistrate praised.

He recalled something and added: "I nearly forgot. There is another important matter for this visit."

"Yesterday afternoon, the county office sent men to arrest those three swindlers—this affair isn't limited to Xiang Prefecture; the neighboring Deng Prefecture has suffered even more. I also heard that although those men lacked the 'Breath-to-Flame' fire technique, they truly used illusions to cheat people of their money."

"Fearing there might be a source behind it, I summoned them for questioning."

"That Zhang Zhenmei claimed he learned his illusions from a certain alchemist, who boasted of being like Luan Da from Emperor Wu of Han's time—'gold can be made, river breaches can be sealed, the elixir of immortality can be obtained'—possessing many talents."

"He traveled between mountains and rivers like a divine being, with many disciples in his retinue. Zhang Zhenmei was one who never entered his inner circle."

Cheng Zhi shook his head with a bitter smile.

He set down his tea cup, rose from the desk, and, in his capacity as the county magistrate, spoke solemnly—

"We mortals likely cannot distinguish the true from the false in these immortal arts. If they are real, we can do nothing about him. If you, Master, encounter this man or his disciples, please keep an eye on them. If he truly has skill and does no harm, let him be."

"But if he is a scourge, I ask you to eliminate him swiftly!"

"This is what I ought to do." Jiang She stood up, steadying the magistrate who was about to bow. "Thank you, Your Honor, for telling me."

"As a cultivator, it is my duty to extinguish heretical paths and uphold the true Dao."

"The Master is noble in spirit."

"I dare not accept such praise."

After seeing off the county magistrate, Jiang She sat alone in the courtyard.

He pondered over this man Luan Da.

Jiang She had once read about Luan Da in books. Originally a figure from Emperor Wu of Han's era, he first served as an official in a vassal state. When Emperor Wu heard of his immortal arts and his ability to comprehend divine matters, he appointed him to office. Later, he was enfeoffed as a marquis, famous for a time.

Later, because many of Luan Da's claims failed to come true and he could not communicate with immortals or gods, the Emperor Wu grew disappointed and had him executed by waist-cutting.

That alchemist compared himself to Luan Da...

Whether he was unaware of Luan Da's fate, or his Dao arts were so profound he cared nothing for such an omen, who could say?

Meanwhile, in another place, among the bamboo groves outside the city, a mountain stream flowed by.

Li Bai sat on the ground, facing the Old Deer Mountain God.

"Young friend, you summoned me here—what is the reason?"

Li Bai hesitated, not mentioning his conversation with the Master, and only said, "This Humble One admires the immortal Dao and wishes to learn more of these matters. Does the Mountain God have any path to offer?"

The White Deer Mountain God smiled, his skin creasing like pine bark.

He stroked his beard and said, "If you wish to understand cultivation, the Daoist school has many methods. Study and practice them, and not only can you clarify your mind and see your nature, but you may also step onto the path of the Dao."

Li Bai had read quite a few Daoist scriptures.

At fifteen, he entered the academy, where his classmates all studied the classics for the imperial examinations. But Li Bai knew he had no hope of passing the exams, so he often secretly read Daoist texts, wondering what true immortals were really like.

Later, he befriended the Daoist Yuan Danqiu and the reclusive sage Master Meng. The three of them shared similar temperaments and devoted themselves to cultivating the Dao for some time.

They had even tried to emulate the immortals—gathering herbs, eating wind and drinking dew, building thatched huts to live in.

But it only resulted in a severe illness.

The gateway to cultivation had never appeared to him.

Perhaps the herbs they gathered were not the herbs of immortals, not like the Ginseng King that the old Mountain God had raised for over eight hundred years. But the Ginseng King had already gained some sentience, and to harvest it would be unthinkable. The common people of the world were as numerous as ants, and in their entire lives, they could never glimpse even the threshold. Li Bai thought to himself.

He said, "I have some understanding of these things."

The Old Deer Mountain God smiled faintly and continued.

"Then it seems, young friend, you wish to learn about spirits, gods, and strange beings—or tales of Mountain Imps, Wood Guests, City Gods, and Earth Spirits."

Li Bai immediately said:

"This is precisely what This Humble One has in mind."

The Old Deer Mountain God couldn't help but chuckle.

The Mountain God did not expose him, but instead thought for a moment, stroked his long beard, and said slowly, "Seven days from now, an Earth Deity I know will celebrate his initiation into the Dao. On that day, he will open his gates wide and host a grand feast for demon gods. All the spirits and specters within five hundred li should come to offer their congratulations."

"Young friend, you may come and observe."

Having said this, the Old Deer Mountain God added another sentence.

"You may also invite the Master to accompany you."