Fellow Daoists, Yet Not of One Mind; True Immortals Discuss the Dao

Early the next morning, the sun had just risen.

At the Immortal Grove Inn, Chang'anzi sat cross-legged on the eaves with his junior brothers, practicing breathing exercises and refining purple qi.

Once he finished his practice, he stayed in the courtyard, either practicing swordsmanship, tempering his body, or meditating, preparing for the martial examination.

Seeing this, Changqingzi also settled down to practice his swordsmanship. Sometimes, he sought out Chang'anzi to spar and exchange insights.

The other disciples followed their example and began training hard as well.

This greatly pleased Xuanxu and the others.

However, between bouts of practice, the other disciples would go out for an hour of sightseeing, unwilling to miss the bustle of the commandery city.

Watching the disciples leave, Xuan Yang asked in puzzlement, "Senior brother, with the martial examination approaching, why are you still letting the disciples go out?"

Letting them out before the written examination had made sense. They had never visited the commandery city, so it had been a chance to relax and satisfy their curiosity.

But why let them out before the martial examination as well?

Sect leader Xuanxu patiently explained:

"The disciples are young and restless. Better to channel the flow than dam it up. Only by letting their hearts roam can they gather them back, and only then can they keep them steady. Rather than leave them with regrets after returning to the mountain, we should let them enjoy themselves freely, so they can cultivate with peaceful minds once they return.

"If this makes their hearts run wild, and they cannot rein in the monkey of the mind and the horse of desire, then their affinity with the Truth-Seeking Abbey is insufficient. They should return to secular life and walk their own paths.

"Some share a road but not a heart; some share the Dao but not a road. Whether they leave or stay, let nature take its course."

Xuan Yang understood.

The other third-generation Daoists had no objections.

The disciples who had come this time were all elites of the sect. They trusted them to remain true to their hearts.

Even taking ten thousand steps back, should there truly be an exception, the Truth-Seeking Abbey had spent considerable effort nurturing them. Returning to secular life did not mean severing their ties. They would still have to help their sect manage worldly affairs.

They could build bridges and pave roads, root out violence and bring peace to the people, accumulating virtue for themselves and their sect while benefiting the common folk.

They could run businesses and amass wealth, providing resources for those cultivating on the mountain and repaying their sect.

Unlike his junior brothers, Chang'anzi had not left the courtyard for two consecutive days. Though he had gained a tremendous bargain in that transaction two nights earlier, he was also worried.

At first, he had not thought much of it. Only when the stallholder invited him home had his heart leaped into his throat.

Before he left the mountain, his martial uncle Xuanming had reminded him to keep his wits about him and not follow strangers far away. One seldom encountered virtuous lay practitioners blessed with good fortune, but those burdened with evil karma were far more common.

Whether the other two lamps were genuine or not, Chang'anzi had no intention of pursuing them. Away from home, one could never go far wrong by being careful.

To avoid unjustly suspecting the stallholder, when Senior Fei Bai came to see his martial uncle Xuan Kong, Chang'anzi asked him to send a disciple to that street to take a casual look without drawing attention.

Fei Bai readily agreed to such a simple favor.

Chang'anzi had not asked anyone from the Truth-Seeking Abbey because disciples of the same sect wore identical Daoist robes. If the man truly harbored ill intentions, his junior brothers would easily be recognized.

As it turned out, Chang'anzi had been right not to go.

The stallholder had still been there on the second night, but had failed to appear on the third. Curious, his martial uncle Xuan Kong had helped Daoist Fei Bai make inquiries about the man, yet they had found nothing at all, as though he had never appeared.

Even the nearby stallholders had no recollection of him. His presence had been so faint that they did not even remember a stall beside their own.

This strangeness put Xuanxu and the others on their guard. They specifically warned Chang'anzi to leave the matter alone and focus on the martial examination. Everything else could wait until the Dao Origin Assembly was over.

If he successfully entered the Heaven and Earth Academy, he could use his authority to inspect household registers or ask the ghosts and spirits under the City God to help search for the man using a portrait.

If the stallholder had spoken truthfully that day, he could apologize and offer compensation. If there really was something strange about him, they could deal with it according to his purpose. Either way, it would be better than guessing blindly.

At the same time, they kept the disciples in check and reported the matter to the Heaven and Earth Academy.

The Heaven and Earth Academy was responsible for maintaining security at the Dao Origin Assembly. The Truth-Seeking Abbey had little power, so leaving such matters to those above was the safer course.

Only then did Chang'anzi feel at ease.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the fourth day, the martial examination began under the eyes of an expectant multitude.

At the foot of Floating Cloud Mountain, a Daoist began his ascent.

He wore a sky-blue Daoist robe and cloud-patterned shoes, their blue and white making it seem as though he had draped the blue sky and white clouds over himself. As he strolled, he shrank the earth beneath his feet, covering three hundred zhang with each step. He was a True Person of the Daoist tradition.

Outside the Truth-Seeking Abbey's mountain gate, Xuan Tong and Xuan Yu had been waiting since early morning. Upon seeing the Daoist, they bowed with clasped hands:

"Boundless Heavenly Venerable. Xuan Tong and Xuan Yu pay our respects to True Person Yuanji. Your arrival truly brings radiance to our humble Truth-Seeking Abbey."

True Person Yuanji returned a half-bow and smiled. "The ancestors of the Heavenly Seal Sect and the Truth-Seeking Abbey shared an old friendship. The fault is mine for only visiting today."

True Person Yuanji put on no airs and was amiable in manner. Naturally, Xuan Tong and Xuan Yu welcomed him all the more warmly, and the group walked through the mountain gate.

As for the apology in the True Person's words, everyone could hear that it was a courtesy. No one was foolish enough to agree with it.

The visiting card delivered yesterday had stated matters clearly. Ostensibly, True Person Yuanji had come to discuss the Dao with their senior brother Xuanming. Thus, the two Daoists chatted with him as they led him straight to Dao-Treasuring Peak.

Inside the thatched cottage in the Path-Seeking Courtyard.

Xuanming sensed how far away Yuanji was.

He rose and stepped out of the courtyard, arriving at the foot of the peak in a single stride.

Although True Person Yuanji was not as strong as he was, all Daoist True Persons stood within the same major realm and could, in principle, address each other as fellow Daoists.

Moreover, the man had traveled a long way to visit.

By both courtesy and reason, Xuanming ought to welcome him.

When True Person Yuanji reached the foot of the peak, he found an elderly Daoist waiting there in a wide-sleeved robe. His complexion was ruddy, his hair and beard snow-white, and his long brows gracefully spaced. Holding a fly-whisk, he stood with his spine as straight as a pine, his spirit radiant as the sun. He had the bearing of an immortal and an air beyond the mortal dust.

As his visitor was a guest, Xuanming greeted him first with a bow. "Xuanming pays his respects to Fellow Daoist Yuanji."

Admiring him inwardly, Yuanji dared not neglect the courtesy and immediately returned the bow. "Yuanji pays his respects to Fellow Daoist Xuanming. Hearing of you cannot compare to meeting you. Your bearing truly transcends the mortal world."

"You flatter me, fellow Daoist. This old Daoist is merely a coarse mountain recluse, unlike you, a True Person holding high office and considerable authority in the Broad Dharma Bureau."

The two Daoists exchanged a few courtesies without lingering at the foot of the peak, and Xuanming invited him up the mountain for a talk.

In the Path-Seeking Courtyard, a gnarled old pine stood tall and green, its crown spread like a grand canopy, blocking the blazing sun and casting cool shade over the ground.

Xuanming and Yuanji sat facing each other.

Xuan Tong and Xuan Yu kept them company.

The fragrance of tea curled above the stone table as Xuanming personally poured tea for Yuanji. The tea came from the mountain, the water from a mountain spring, and the pot and cups were mundane objects. Everything was ordinary, yet the man pouring the tea was not, nor was the man drinking it.

The aroma greeted his nose. After a sip of clear tea slid down his throat, Yuanji praised him. "Savoring tea and studying scriptures, wandering at leisure among mountains and rivers, taking nature as your teacher... Your freedom and ease truly make me envious, fellow Daoist."

Taking a small sip of tea, Xuanming replied, "You preserve order for all living beings, accumulating merit and virtue, with Dao and virtue nurturing each other. That is what truly deserves admiration. I hide away in the mountains, cultivating my modest path. This little leisure is all I have left."

The two Daoists exchanged a glance, drank their tea, and let the subject pass. The mountain wilderness and the mortal world each had their wonders and their shortcomings, like the waxing and waning moon. Their earlier remarks had merely been idle conversation; neither would debate the matter.

Once they had finished a cup of tea and become somewhat acquainted, True Person Yuanji said, "It is said that those who establish a superior Dao foundation behold magnificent vistas when they become True Persons. I have come here for two reasons:

"First, to congratulate you on becoming a True Person and joining our ranks. Second, to discuss the Dao with you, so we may verify our insights against each other's and behold those vistas together. I hope you will agree."

As he spoke, True Person Yuanji took a jade box from his Wish-Fulfilling Pouch and set it on the stone table. "This is a congratulatory gift. Please accept it, fellow Daoist."

"Thank you, fellow Daoist. I shall shamelessly accept it, then."

Xuanming did not decline.

Since his visitor had brought out a gift, he had no intention of taking it back. Refusing it would be a slap in his face.

Knowing that, accepting it directly was best.

Feigning reluctance would only be hypocritical and beneath them.

Through this exchange, the two Daoists had formed an initial impression of each other. After Xuan Tong took the jade box for safekeeping, Xuanming and Yuanji exchanged a glance in tacit understanding and each began expounding his own Dao.

Yuanji raised a finger, and light blossomed at its tip.