Cold and Clear

A spring breeze brushed gently by, stirring the grass and trees.

Two figures, one tall and one short, slowly came along the side of the mountain road. It was afternoon. Though not hot, after walking for a long time, their throats had grown dry and they wanted a drink of water.

"Master, look, there's a stall up ahead. Why don't we go over and rest our feet?" He weighed the water gourd in his hand. There was still some water left inside, but sitting down ahead would be even better.

Hui Dao glanced at his disciple and smiled. "You."

"Master?" Not knowing why his master was looking at him like that, the young Daoist blinked, his expression becoming even more innocent.

Knowing this child was not quick to catch on, Hui Dao did not remind him further. He merely said, "It would be fine to go rest our feet. But when we get there, what you may do and what you may not do will all depend on my signals. Do not act rashly, understand?"

"Master, you're making me a little scared." The young Daoist was no fool. Since his master had put it so plainly, how could he not know there was something wrong with the stall ahead?

"Could that stall up ahead be run by a Monster?" The young Daoist scrutinized the place ahead. It was merely a grass shack propped up with wood, where a family of three was bustling about. Tea was brewing, and its faint fragrance mingled with the scent of food, making his hungry, thirsty stomach rumble twice.

The scene could not have looked more simple and rustic. But after his master's warning, once suspicion took root in his mind, it became easy to pick out all sorts of flaws.

No matter how the young Daoist looked at it, the stall seemed steeped in strangeness.

"That's right. There's no village ahead and no inn behind, and there are pitifully few travelers. How many customers could a stall opened here possibly have?" the young Daoist muttered. "With no customers, what are they so busy with? Oh no, judging by how busy they are, could they be..."

Were they sharpening their knives, preparing to cut down passing travelers and cook human flesh for sale?

Thinking of the Monster tales he had overheard, of how those Monsters deceived travelers, the young Daoist's little face turned pale with fright.

Hui Dao's expression remained unchanged. He shot him a sidelong glance. "What are you muttering about? With your master here, are you still afraid I cannot keep you safe?"

That was right! His master was incredibly formidable. Even if there were Monsters, there was nothing to fear. The young Daoist immediately straightened his back. "Master, you jest. This disciple isn't afraid at all!"

"Oh, two immortal masters! Rare honored guests—would you like to come in and sit?" As they drew near, the old man emerged from the shack and greeted them warmly. Hui Dao sighed. "Since that is the case, we shall trouble you."

He looked at the young Daoist, who immediately understood and followed closely behind him into the little shack.

"Sit at your master's side." Since their host wanted to put on an act, Hui Dao pretended not to know and had the young Daoist sit down directly. Looking around, he asked, "What do you sell here?"

The old man pulled the towel from his shoulder, came over to gently wipe the table, and replied, "Naturally, tea and some food. You immortal masters are traveling with a child, with no village ahead and no inn behind. You must have been hungry for quite some time, yes? Would you like some food and tea? This old man is not boasting—the things here are one of a kind."

"Is that so?" Hui Dao raised a brow.

"Indeed!" the old man answered with a beaming smile.

"Then bring us some of your signature dishes," Hui Dao said lightly. The old man responded with a smile and went over to help prepare them.

The young Daoist lowered his voice. "Master, we're really going to eat here?"

"Since they wish to keep guests, would leaving just like this not disappoint their good intentions?" Hui Dao said. A moment later, a pot of coarse tea, four vegetable dishes, and a plate of beef were set before them.

The old man said, "The times have not been good, and there is little with which to entertain you. Only this plate of beef is passable. Honored guests, please do not find it lacking."

"How could we?" Hui Dao smiled. "Coarse tea and plain food are quite good already, not to mention there is beef."

As he spoke, he picked up his chopsticks and began to eat. The young Daoist was greatly alarmed. "Master, you're actually eating it?"

In an agrarian society, plow oxen were vital. Cattle were the principal tools of cultivation, and raising them was costly. To increase their numbers, Great Wei had decreed that, aside from nobles above the rank of feudal lords and the military, officials and commoners alike were to use oxen for transport.

Great Zheng had inherited this system, which was why ox carts could be seen everywhere. To increase cattle numbers, anyone who privately slaughtered an ox without permission could be sentenced either to a year of imprisonment or three years of hard labor.

How could there possibly be beef?

"It tastes quite good. You should eat as well," Hui Dao said. Seeing that his master had eaten without incident, the young Daoist could no longer resist and began wolfing down the food. Once he had finished, he secretly thought, So there was nothing wrong after all. Master was just trying to scare me.

But just after they had finished eating, Hui Dao swept out a hand. "Still, only the food was real. You called us honored guests, yet look at the way you treated us. How is this the way to receive guests? Trying to fob us off with such things?"

The old man burst into laughter. The young Daoist felt his vision blur. When he rubbed his eyes and looked again, the surroundings had changed in an instant. The grass shack had vanished, leaving only an open stretch of ground. Even the tables and chairs were gone.

Lowering his head, he saw that he had not been sitting on a chair at all, but on massive rocks!

No wonder Master had made him sit close beside him. Never mind whether the Monster before them might strike and harm someone at any moment—if he had sat elsewhere, would his backside not have dropped into empty air, making a complete fool of himself?

As the young Daoist thought this, he looked again at the people before him. There were no longer three of them. The old woman and the man had vanished, leaving behind only a Daoist who looked rather young. Judging by his clothing, he was somewhat similar to Master.

Could he not be a Monster, but a fellow Daoist?

The young Daoist knew his master possessed true skill, and disciples from his master's sect who specialized in certain arts would be even more formidable.

Though Uncle Shen Cheng did not get along with Master and always made his skin crawl, the young Daoist still greatly envied his Daoist arts. Yet Master refused to teach them, saying they were "side-path arts."

Hui Dao had actually long guessed who this person was. Now that he had revealed his true face, Hui Dao was not surprised at all. He merely rose and made a Daoist salute. "So it is Daoist Brother Liu of the Yin Temple Sect. This illusion art, along with your ability to move things about, is truly astonishing."

"However, Daoist Brother has inherited the Fortune of a great sect and holds office in the capital. For you to descend the mountain on this occasion and even come here is truly rare. I wonder what instructions you have?"

Though Hui Dao was the master of Mount Tong Temple, he cared little for fame or profit and did not manage worldly affairs much. But the man before him was Liu Chen, head of the Yin Temple Sect. Of course, the Yin Temple Sect had only a dozen or so people, big and small cats alike, but its influence was not slight, and Liu Chen also held an official post. It would have been one thing if Hui Dao had not seen through him earlier, but now that he had, he had to show due respect.

Liu Chen's sudden appearance left Hui Dao feeling rather helpless. No matter what had happened, he did not wish to wade into this muddy water.

Liu Chen looked at Hui Dao's expression and inwardly sighed. After so many years apart, Hui Dao's temperament had not changed in the slightest. But such detachment, this attitude of do not disturb this Daoist master's ascension, would only cause his sect to swiftly fade away and vanish.

Back then, Mount Tong Temple had been majestic and renowned. But what about now?

Liu Chen waved a hand and said, "Daoist Brother need not act as though facing a great enemy. I bear no ill will. This time, I did not come for you. I pursued a great enemy here and am waiting for him."

"If you are pursuing a great enemy, Daoist Brother still has the leisure to toy with me here?" Hui Dao gave a light laugh, clearly unconvinced.

Liu Chen smiled. "After all, it has been many years since we met. I played around a little, but I did not expect Daoist Brother to truly be worthy of being Uncle Master Huai Hui's disciple. Though I thought it flawless as seamless silk, you saw through it at a glance. Your art of Heavenly Secret must have reached the height where fire is pure and green, no?"

Knowing Liu Chen's arrival could bring nothing good, Hui Dao also smiled lightly. "Daoist Brother's arts have grown ever more refined. I am far beneath you. Just now, it was merely mortal reasoning—who would open a stall in a place like this?"

"Daoist Brother is so confident, so what you seek will surely succeed. Let me offer my congratulations in advance." Hui Dao made it obvious that he had no desire to wade into muddy waters.

Seeing Hui Dao's attitude, Liu Chen sighed inwardly. Yet he also knew that when Great Zheng had been founded, Mount Tong Temple had likewise supported the Dragon Court. Seven of its members had died in battle, a tremendous sacrifice. Yet not only had they received little reward, they had also been dragged into the crown prince's power struggle, and Huai Hui had ultimately been granted death.

Mount Tong Temple had therefore established a rule: from then on, its disciples were forbidden from supporting dragons.

What a pity. What a terrible pity. Liu Chen felt some regret. If he had this man's help, along with the imprint, he would surely be able to find his great enemy and kill him while he was at his weakest.

Now, it seemed impossible. Liu Chen casually said, "Speaking of which, this commandery may truly be called a place where outstanding people and spiritual land gather. No wonder Mount Tong Temple was established here. After only a few years, talents have emerged in ever greater numbers."

"Oh? Has Daoist Brother taken a fancy to someone?" Hui Dao had actually felt something similar. He had not expected that he and Liu Chen, who had always been unable to agree on anything, would find common ground on this matter.

Liu Chen said casually, "Zheng Yingci has an extraordinary foundation. I happened to stop by and take a look, to see whether he could be accepted into my sect."

Hui Dao raised his brow slightly. He had not expected Liu Chen to have noticed this person.

Just as Liu Chen was about to say something more, his expression suddenly changed. He looked toward the prefectural city, and his face darkened.

Even Hui Dao was no exception as he turned his gaze there.

Within the "eye," a crimson rainbow burst from the previously still waters of Coiling Dragon Lake.

"Who has damaged the Sealing Recess of Coiling Dragon Lake?" Liu Chen's face was dark. Without another word, he turned and left. In only a few steps, his figure vanished.

"Master?" The young Daoist, the only one among the three unable to see the sight, tugged his master's sleeve in confusion.

Hui Dao gazed for a long while before sighing softly. "The Dragon Palace has opened. Alchemists hunting the Demon Race will be restrained, and the entire greater tide may change. These heavenly numbers are truly becoming ever harder to see clearly, ever harder to explain."

"Hmph. That is precisely why I am even less willing to intervene. Only at the moment of his death did Master comprehend the lesson—first, supporting the Dragon Court may only add flowers to brocade, never send charcoal in snowy weather; every government will tear down the bridge after crossing the river. Second, when it comes time to divide the fruit, it has never been merit that matters, but strength."

"For this very reason, I do not even wish to pass down the secret arts to the next generation. I will teach only the path of refining qi."

"If we fade among the multitude of Daoist sects, no one will keep spying on this temple at every moment."

The more Hui Dao thought of it, the colder his heart became. Mount Tong Temple had made such great sacrifices and rendered so much merit, yet not only had it received no reward, it had been suspected and granted death. That alone would have been one thing, but as one who cultivated the Heavenly Secret, how could he fail to know that for the past twenty years, the court's aura of surveillance had lingered faintly around them?

Even his good junior brother Shen Cheng had some connection to the court—not a direct connection, but one that could not be concealed from him.

After the granted death and all these years of surveillance, Hui Dao no longer held the slightest feeling for the court or the myriad people. He also knew that he had gained this understanding, but the next generation would not know this pain carved into flesh and bone. Naturally, they would forget. Perhaps they would once again turn to the court—indeed, not even the next generation was needed. Shen Cheng himself was filled with loyalty. That was why the court acted without restraint—after all, the next generation would not remember the pain.

Therefore, he would commit those secret arts to the flames. Once he died, no one would understand them again. Even if future disciples wanted to seek refuge with the court, they would have no door through which to enter.

At that thought, Hui Dao's gaze grew ever colder.

Kill their fathers and masters, then use their sons and disciples—what a beautiful dream!