The sun rose above the lingering mist and dew; the green pines looked freshly bathed in fragrant oils.
On the morning of his fourth day back on the mountain, the door of the thatched cottage in the Path-Seeking Courtyard on Dao-Treasuring Peak opened. The white-haired old Daoist stepped outside, well rested and brimming with vigor. He spread his arms, stretched, and walked forward, first glancing at the three-foot-tall Spirit Pine sapling.
He watered it with spiritual water, loosened its soil, added fertilizer, and casually bestowed a wisp of Dao resonance upon this spiritual root. Watching the Spirit Pine tremble its branches and leaves, Xuanming stroked his beard and smiled knowingly. He then carefully tended the other spirit plants. Only after breakfast did he leave the courtyard and walk through the mountain.
The familiar scenery of Floating Cloud Mountain stirred a spontaneous sense of warmth and belonging. The shaded woods lay still, the deserted surroundings silent. Xuanming's feet made faint sounds against the layers of dead branches and fallen leaves. As he admired the vegetation mingling red, yellow, and green, peace settled in his heart.
He walked through dense forests of ancient trees, climbed snow-white peaks, and entered quiet, secluded valleys. Amid the familiar mountains and waters, Xuanming sought fresh insights, testing what he had gained while pursuing the Dao over tens of thousands of miles.
An hour later, he returned to Dao-Treasuring Peak and entered the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion. A Daoist Scripture had been laid out on the desk, clear tea had been brewed, and Heavenly Incense had been lit beside it. As always, Changfengzi had prepared everything properly.
Seated upright at the desk by the window, Xuanming took a small sip of tea. The leaves had not changed, nor had the water or the person who