Knowing the Black, Upholding the White: Xuan Tong's Enlightenment

"Have you heard? The Chen Residence was wiped out. A century-old legacy vanished overnight."

"With all that commotion last night, half the cultivation world in Floating Cloud County must know. I didn't dare go near, though. When the city gates catch fire, even the fish in the moat suffer."

"I live nearby, so I know a little. I heard it was those ox-nosed... Daoist priests from Truth-Seeking Abbey up on the mountain. They secured an Execution Warrant. From now on, the Chen clan is history."

"Glorious yesterday, destitute today. Life is fickle. We should drink while there's wine and enjoy ourselves while we can."

"I beg to differ. Those who climb steep heights must beware of climbing too high; those who cross deep waters invite disaster by overloading their boats. The Chen clan's children have ridden roughshod over Floating Cloud County these past few years. Their destruction today was simply a heavy fall from a lofty height. They brought it on themselves."

"You've all missed the point. My Chang Household ranks second only to the Chen in Floating Cloud County, so we have some knowledge and resources. Grandfather said himself last night that Truth-Seeking Abbey's sword formation was no ordinary thing. The strike that destroyed the Chen's clan-protecting formation had already touched the Qi Refining Threshold. Those mountain priests aren't to be provoked."

"That's not all! My grandmother once said that Old Master Chen had long since reached perfection in the Fourth Realm. His strength was formidable.

"He didn't appear when disaster struck the Chen this time. Most likely, he went up Floating Cloud Mountain at night with ill intentions, angered those priests, and lost his own life, bringing calamity down upon his entire clan.

"Powerful as that sword formation is, setting it up takes ample preparation and enough people. If Old Master Chen had been discovered, Truth-Seeking Abbey wouldn't have had time to assemble it and kill him."

"There must be an expert hidden on Floating Cloud Mountain who has glimpsed the Qi Refining Threshold. That would explain why Old Master Chen met his bitter end. Truth-Seeking Abbey may soon produce a True Person. They're about to truly soar."

"Great minds think alike. My Liang Household's ancestor reached the same conclusion. He summoned his descendants overnight and warned us not to provoke Truth-Seeking Abbey.

He suspects this expert is a hidden reserve the mountain has kept concealed for years—either a Third Generation Daoist priest secretly nurtured there, or one of the few surviving old relics from the previous generation, keeping his abilities hidden.

"He even suspects that last night's sword formation was created by that unknown expert and only revealed now because it could no longer be concealed. Otherwise, why haven't we heard so much as a whisper of it all these years?"

As daylight spread, discussions of the Chen Residence's destruction filled taverns, markets, streets, and alleyways.

All of Floating Cloud County bustled with excitement.

Even ordinary people had something to say.

The common folk revered Truth-Seeking Abbey all the more, openly declaring that Divine Immortals lived up there. Cultivators grew more wary of it and dared not give offense lightly.

West of Floating Cloud County, in the Chen Residence's compound.

Watching the burning corpses and billowing black smoke, Daoist Xuan Tong, who normally greeted everyone with a smile, wore a solemn expression. Traces of bewilderment surfaced in his eyes.

"Senior brother, by our Daoist Karmic Burden, the Chen clan deserved punishment. But the common people have a saying: calamity should not extend to one's family. Our Daoist Tradition also teaches us to show mercy where we can. Was exterminating them all like this right or wrong?"

Xuan Yin did not answer immediately. He glanced at Xuan Tong, inwardly speechless.

You old rascal were already hesitating and dragging your feet when we struck. Now that the killing's done, I thought the sea would be broad and the sky wide, yet you've started doubting yourself and trapping yourself behind a barrier of the heart.

You certainly know how to make work for me.

Still, this was his own junior brother. He could not leave him alone to bind his own heart and sink ever deeper.

Gazing at the flames before him, Xuan Yin pondered briefly before explaining, "Junior Brother Xuan Tong, you oversee the abbey's incense offerings and receive the virtuous devotees seeking blessings and longevity from beyond the mountain. You handle everyone with ease and are among the cleverest of our brothers."

"That is both a blessing and a curse. Clever people think too much and can end up outsmarting themselves."

Xuan Yin paused, then continued:

"I understand what you mean."

"But if we spared the Chen clan out of momentary compassion, gratitude and grudges would become entangled afterward. Vengeance would follow vengeance, generation after generation, in endless conflict. That would only bring Truth-Seeking Abbey more trouble."

"Better to churn the waters of a thousand rivers than disturb a Daoist's heart. Vast as heaven and earth are, my Dao is paramount. If a moment's reluctance would deny us peace for a lifetime, our Dao hearts must be iron. We must cut vexation off at the root, lest it hinder our cultivation."

"By killing every member of the Chen clan, we settle everything once and for all. They need no longer be burdened by hatred, and Truth-Seeking Abbey gains peace. Two gains with one stroke—why wouldn't we do it?"

"In a sense, killing them was actually saving them."

At this point, Xuan Yin asked in return, "If the Chen Residence had besieged Truth-Seeking Abbey today, would they have shown mercy?"

With that, Xuan Yin watched the disciples carrying away scriptures, Spirit Materials, spirit herbs, and other goods, then shook his head with a smile.

Thinking of the Chen elders who had faced death so resolutely last night, then looking at the present scene, he had to admit they did resemble villains somewhat.

He looked back at Xuan Tong, who had lowered his head in thought.

Turning to gaze toward Floating Cloud Mountain, he continued, "Before descending the mountain, I went to Dao-Treasuring Peak to borrow a sword. I had the same doubts then and asked Senior Brother Xuanming whether slaughtering the entire Chen clan was too cruel."

He said, 'Heaven's Dao favors no one, yet always stands with the good! Who are the good? Those who do not disturb my heart are good; those who disturb it are evil. Our Daoist Tradition's cultivation differs from that of other schools. We need not repress ourselves or weigh ourselves down with endless concerns. Daoist Karmic Burden concerns neither past lives nor future rebirths. It values only the recompense for good and evil in this life.'

"So-called principles depend entirely on one's true heart. Ultimately, we seek to follow our hearts and be at ease."

"And black and white, right and wrong, have never had fixed standards."

"This world is not simply black or white, nor are all things fundamentally right or wrong. Absolute light is darkness; absolute darkness is light."

"All cultivators walk between Black and White. When Daoists cultivate the Dao and uphold their hearts, they seek their true selves between the two. We must learn Knowing and Upholding: knowing the black, upholding the white; Knowing the Masculine, Upholding the Feminine. Find a balance between them, Blending with the Light and Dust."

"Take our eradication of the Chen clan. Fail to act when the time demands it, and the ensuing chaos will turn upon you. Do you still not understand, junior brother?"

Xuan Tong trembled slightly as thoughts surged through his mind.

He felt that moments ago, he had been like a fish hovering between Clear and Turbid waters, unable to decide where to go.

Senior Brother Xuan Yin's guidance rang like great bronze bells, parting the clouds to reveal the sun and bringing sudden enlightenment.

Water too clear held no fish; water too muddy sustained no life. As long as his true heart could accept his actions, and he had not slaughtered innocents wantonly and without cause, why agonize over other judgments of good and evil, right and wrong?

The key was a heart at ease and a clear conscience.

Seeing Xuan Tong break through his confusion, his bearing growing simpler and more genuine as magic power surged around him and faintly approached a higher level, Xuan Yin felt both joy and a pang of envy.

He was glad because Xuan Tong's cultivation had advanced and his Dao heart had become clearer.

The pang came because, although he too had gained something from Senior Brother Xuanming's explanation, it had not produced such immediate results for him. Could his Dao lie somewhere other than Knowing and Upholding?

As Xuan Tong came back to himself, Xuan Yin gathered his thoughts and bowed in a Daoist salute. "Congratulations, junior brother."

Joy lit Xuan Tong's face. His smile sprang from the heart, brighter and warmer than ever, as he returned the salute.

"Thank you for your guidance, senior brother."

Xuan Yin hastily said, "I merely repeated Senior Brother Xuanming's teachings from last night. I dare not claim the credit."

Hearing the strings, he understood the melody's deeper meaning.

Xuan Tong gazed toward Floating Cloud Mountain and bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Xuanming."

Nearby, Xuan Yang rolled his eyes at the sight and muttered, "Clever people are such a nuisance."

Why think so much!

They say fools trouble themselves, but clever people seem no better to me.

"And such silver tongues, too!"

Sword-sharp gazes shot toward him. Xuan Yang stiffened, looking sheepish at first, then split his mouth into a grin that showed eight white teeth. He smiled ingratiatingly at Xuan Tong and Xuan Yin before darting over to Xuan Kong, hoping to hide behind his bulk. He had forgotten that he stood two heads taller than Xuan Kong and could not be concealed at all.

The Scripture Pavilion on Dao-Treasuring Peak.

The world below the mountain boiled with commotion, while the mountain remained tranquil.

Tea's fragrance filled his nose, the scent of books warmed his heart, and Heavenly Incense cleared his Divine mind. Xuanming sat beside the window, absorbed in the scriptures.

It was as though the Chen Residence's destruction had nothing to do with him.

He was even less interested in the reactions of those below.

For one thing, anyone with a brain could predict them: words of shock, wariness, fear, reverence, or anger. Some would mourn like foxes grieving a rabbit's death; others would clap and cheer.

For another, after living a second life, Xuanming had gradually become indifferent to fame and profit. Rather than speak of others' affairs, he would smile and point to the white clouds coming and going. He preferred to let matters below the mountain take their natural course.

In short, nothing mattered more than his own cultivation. So long as no one disturbed him, he cared little whether fair winds and timely rains prevailed outside or raging storms swept through.

All clamor was shut outside.

He cultivated a pure heart and preserved his own clarity.

Of course, Xuanming did not spend the entire time reading scriptures. Every two hours, he took a brief rest, either gazing at green peaks and jade-ribbon streams to ease his fatigue or looking out the window at cart after cart of supplies being hauled up the mountain, stroking his beard with a smile.

When the setting sun cast its late glow and rosy clouds filled the sky, Xuanming had just stepped out of the Scripture Pavilion when he encountered Xuan Yin, Xuan Tong, and Xuan Kong.

Xuan Yin had come to return the sword.

After taking back the Peachwood Sword and exchanging a few pleasantries, Xuanming watched Xuan Yin depart, his brow relaxing and his eyes brightening.

This junior brother was quick-witted and could shoulder responsibility.

Although he had ordered the Daoists down the mountain last night to surround the Chen Residence, the Chen had a century-old legacy and considerable reserves. The Third Generation Daoist priests could not all be gathered at such short notice, and only four had gone. Even with the One-Qi Eight Trigrams Sword Formation, the expedition might not be safe. Precautions were necessary.

Though Xuanming had not descended the mountain, he had never intended to stand idly by. With strength comparable to a Qi Refining True Person, he could not control a flying sword over a hundred li, but anything within that distance posed little difficulty.

Without stepping outside, he could command life and death, keep enemies beyond Floating Cloud Mountain, and kill within Floating Cloud County. That was enough to safeguard the Daoists, young and old.

Yet he had not expected Xuan Yin to come and request a sword as an added precaution. Besides easing Xuanming's worries, the gesture delighted him. The more capable his junior brothers became, the more burdens he could lay down and the more peacefully he could cultivate.

Drawing back his gaze, he saw Xuan Tong bow in a Daoist salute. "I-I came to thank Senior Brother Xuanming. This trip down the mountain..."

Xuanming was taken aback.

He had noticed the change in Xuan Tong.

He knew his trip down the mountain had likely brought other gains.

But he had not expected those gains to have anything to do with him.

Xuan Yin had actually used the principles he had imparted last night to enlighten Xuan Tong. Without coincidence, there truly would be no tale.

Xuanming said:

"What people gain from the same principle varies. Some dismiss it, some take it into their ears and hearts. Some see dust; others see Stars."

"Ultimately, your insight came because you proved worthy, junior brother. You seized that spark, broke through the barrier in your heart, and won this good fortune."

"This old Daoist merely spent a few words. I did nothing else."

Seeing Xuan Tong's clear gaze and restless magic power stirring the air around him, Xuanming noted that he was not far from Essence Refining Perfection. Black and White faintly appeared behind him, carrying a thin trace of Yin and Yang energy. He advised:

"After you return, junior brother, calm your heart and quiet your energy. While refining yourself, you might take the opportunity to read the Yin and Yang Foundation Establishment Manual. Perhaps you will see a different landscape."

Xuan Tong understood and thanked him gladly. Seeing that Xuan Kong had not left, he knew the latter had business to discuss. He did not linger, but took his leave.

Xuan Kong cast an envious glance at Xuan Tong. When Senior Brother Xuanming's gaze settled upon him, he looked around without speaking immediately. Understanding, Xuanming stepped forward and led him into the Path-Seeking Courtyard.

Thanks to Love Reading Xianxia, Jiang JDC, 1067...5269, and Nanxi101 for one monthly vote each, and to This Life Is Cold and 2024...0901 for two monthly votes each.