Birds ride the wind, trusting the heavens, untouched by frost and dew; clouds gather over a humble hut, a mountain forging a bond with mist and rosy clouds.
- Guan Pingchao
Hearing the prefect, whom he had met only once, call him "no creature destined to remain in a pond," Xing Yan felt startled and stirred. Fortunately, he had heard plenty of such talk lately, so there was little danger of his losing his composure in wild delight. He merely expressed his humility in just the right measure.
Just then, several birds swept past nearby in the cloudy sky before Horseshoe Mountain. Something seemed to touch Prefect Yao. Pointing at the mountain birds gliding past with outspread wings, he admonished Xing Yan:
"A true man should soar like the great Kunpeng and the sparrow, with lofty ambitions in his heart, rather than spend his days muddling along in the streets and marketplaces. Stay trapped in a cesspit too long, and even inborn brilliance will eventually change beyond recognition."
Seeing the youth beside him knit his brows in thought, seemingly grasping his meaning, the prefect felt pleased and continued:
"The young must be especially mindful of their conduct. At your age, making a name matters more than making a profit. Set your sights above the clouds while you are young, and cherish your feathers. Once you soar into the azure heavens, what could you lack, and what could you fail to accomplish? Never cling to a paltry handful of gold and silver before your eyes."
Xing Yan was deeply moved by these heartfelt words, offered without regard for their difference in station. Remembering his behavior before the Three Purities Order's gold and silver earlier, he could not help feeling ashamed.
After the prefect's guidance, Xing Yan regretted having relied on a few impressions gleaned from hearsay and coveted that saddlebag of treasure, nearly agreeing to the Three Purities disciples' unreasonable request with its lofty outward appearance.
Yet as he humbly thanked the prefect, a thought stirred in his heart, and he cautiously asked:
"Your lordship, from what those Daoists of Mount Sanqing said earlier, Horseshoe Mountain truly is a blessed place of rare purity. Throughout the country, people now esteem Daoist teachings, and I too have often longed for the Dao. So my family has considered donating this mountain for a Daoist palace and an order to be established here. What does your lordship think? Please guide me out of my confusion."
The prefect admired the youth's discernment on hearing this question. After a little thought, Prefect Yao said:
"Horseshoe Mountain rises from level ground and towers into the heavens. It is no ordinary mountain estate. Let fate determine its disposition. A divine mountain has a spirit and will choose its own people. Perhaps you need not trouble yourself over it."
Having uttered these ambiguous words, Prefect Yao took his leave while Xing Yan still half understood and half wondered, then departed lightly down the mountain with his attendants.
Watching Prefect Yao and his party gradually disappear, the youth stood with the mountain wind brushing his face, his expression unusually solemn and thoughtful. Only after standing there a long while did he descend to the thatched cottage halfway up the mountain.
What even Prefect Yao had not anticipated was that this business of "the divine mountain choosing its people" would ultimately fall upon Xing Yan's shoulders. To the youth's surprise, it came astonishingly quickly.
Early the morning after the prefect's visit, Xing Yan went to the chicken coop on the western side of the stone clearing before the cottage. He opened its bamboo gate and let the chickens out to forage.
When he straightened up, however, he saw several people approaching from below, all dressed as Daoists. They were following the winding mountain path toward his home.
Huh? Surely those Daoists from Mount Sanqing haven't come back?
Xing Yan hesitated inwardly.
Seeing visitors approach, he did not hurry indoors, but stood beside the hedge around the stone clearing, watching them climb.
While they were still halfway up, the man at the head of the party lifted his face and called loudly toward him:
"Young Xing Yan, have you been well?"
"Huh?"
Xing Yan had keen hearing. Despite the distance, he heard every word clearly. He wondered:
Strange. Why does that voice sound so familiar?
Leaving his puzzlement aside, the visitors climbed briskly and soon arrived before him.
"Hmm?"
Once the handful of Daoists drew near, Xing Yan carefully studied the man who had greeted him. The more he looked, the more familiar the Daoist seemed.
"May I ask who you are, Reverend?"
"Ha! Young Zhang, I won't hold it against you for forgetting this old man. But surely you haven't forgotten Miss Ju Ying from several months ago?"
"You're Uncle Cheng?!"
One sentence awakened the dreamer. Hearing the Daoist's words, Xing Yan understood at once: who else could this man, with his immortal bearing and Daoist air, be but Uncle Cheng, whom he had met at the Rice Fragrance House several months earlier?
"Heh, Xing Yan, he is my martial uncle, Ling Chengzi-one of the Four Masters of Upper Clarity at Shangqing Palace on Mount Luofu!"
The man who stepped out from behind Uncle Cheng, his old face beaming, was none other than Qinghe, the old Daoist from Raozhou City!
"Ah..."
Only then did Xing Yan look closely. Most of those following Uncle Cheng-no, he ought to call him "Ling Chengzi" now-were old acquaintances: Qinghe from Shangqing Palace's Good Karma Office in Raozhou, and the two Daoists Jingchen and Jingming. Only one Daoist, about Qinghe's age, was unfamiliar.
Although Xing Yan was thoroughly puzzled by Uncle Cheng's sudden transformation into an immortal master of Shangqing Palace, he still observed the proper courtesies and hurried to usher his guests inside.
"Heh, young Xing Yan, there is no need to be puzzled."
After they sat down, Ling Chengzi volunteered an explanation for his previous guise as "Uncle Cheng":
"I have long been acquainted with Miss Ju Ying's family. Her father was uneasy about his daughter traveling far from home, so he entrusted me with looking after her along the way."
"Oh, I see!"
Ling Chengzi then introduced the stranger to Xing Yan. This solemn-looking Daoist was his disciple Qing Hu, who belonged to the same generation as old Qinghe.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with the Daoists, Xing Yan learned the broad outline of their purpose.
Shangqing Palace, distant though it was on Mount Luofu, was well informed. Learning that such a remarkable mountain had appeared within Raozhou, it immediately asked Ling Chengzi, who was traveling abroad, to approach Horseshoe Mountain's owner. Like the Daoists from Mount Sanqing yesterday, Shangqing Palace wished to build a branch sanctuary on this blessed Daoist mountain.
"To be frank, young man, my previous visit to your Horseshoe Mountain was prompted by accounts I had read in ancient texts. I wanted to see whether it was the immortal mountain and blessed land of legend. Rather shamefully, my powers were too shallow for me to perceive much immortal energy then."
The former Uncle Cheng even remembered to make a little joke:
"Speaking of that visit, I must thank you for your warm hospitality. As far as I know, Miss Ju Ying formed quite a favorable impression of you!"
Xing Yan had no idea how to answer and merely chuckled foolishly.
Host and guests were chatting pleasantly and about to discuss the details of building the sanctuary when several noisy voices sounded outside. Looking up, they saw Xing Yan's mother flusteredly ushering in several more Daoists.
Still bewildered, Xing Yan noticed two women among the newcomers. The older nun wore plain yellow Daoist robes and a solemn expression. The younger woman was strikingly beautiful, standing gracefully in plain clothes white as snow, conspicuous indeed among the blue headcloths and Daoist robes.
Seeing the somewhat rustic youth in the room staring at her, the lovely young woman gave a soft snort and turned her gaze away.
Only after hearing Ling Chengzi and his companions exchange greetings with the newcomers did Xing Yan learn that they came from two renowned Daoist schools as famous as Shangqing Palace: Wondrous Radiance Palace on Mount Weiyu, and the Celestial Master Order on Mount Heming. The haughty young woman was a disciple of Wondrous Radiance Palace, while the ruddy-faced man who had entered wearing a bamboo hat and straw sandals was actually the Celestial Master Order's current leader, Celestial Master Zhang Sheng!
What? Is Heaven really trying to exhaust my blessings?! To think I should meet so many great Daoist figures today, men and women I usually hear of only in legends!
Though the past few days had brought one astonishment after another, the sudden arrival of so many eminent figures still shook Xing Yan profoundly.
Yet amid his excitement, Xing Yan suddenly realized that his family faced an enormous problem:
One could recognize the melody's meaning from the sound of the strings. After yesterday's encounter with the Three Purities Order, it hardly needed saying why important figures from the three great Daoist schools had all come to the obscure Zhang family cottage today. They must have come to build a Daoist sanctuary on Horseshoe Mountain.
Before Xing Yan, the inwardly distressed host, could speak, these eminent Daoists were already crossing swords with their tongues. Wondrous Radiance Palace, which mainly accepted female disciples, had sent an elder, Daoist Nun Yu Shan. The cold beauty whose face seemed frosted over was Zhuo Bihua, a personal disciple of its leader.
From Ling Chengzi's greetings, Xing Yan learned that Zhuo Bihua, still in the bloom of youth, was an outstanding figure among Wondrous Radiance Palace's younger disciples.
As these lofty figures beyond the mundane world argued back and forth, Xing Yan could not get a word in and could only listen from the sidelines.
Though their language was courteous, Xing Yan could tell that every one of these Daoist masters was determined to secure his family's mountain estate and would yield nothing.
Ling Chengzi of Shangqing Palace, Celestial Master Zhang of the Celestial Master Order, and Daoist Nun Yu Shan of Wondrous Radiance Palace each offered numerous reasons, explaining their grand aspirations to found a sanctuary on Horseshoe Mountain and spread the true meaning of the Dao. Each hoped the other two would give way out of consideration for their shared Daoist lineage.
Xing Yan already knew Ling Chengzi, the former "Uncle Cheng," well. In his impression, Ling Chengzi was an exceptionally kindly elder. Perhaps because this affair concerned his school's future, however, he refused to yield an inch in their exchanges.
Of course, Ling Chengzi remained polite and courteous, whereas the female Daoist from Wondrous Radiance Palace spoke far more sharply. Though Zhang Sheng likewise refused to back down, Xing Yan found the Celestial Master rather broad-minded, with a carefree quality in his speech.
Sitting idly to one side, Horseshoe Mountain's owner grew thoroughly bored. Occasionally he stole a glance at Zhuo Bihua, the young nun his own age. Whenever she caught him and glared mercilessly back, he turned to make faces at old Qinghe instead. The old man from the Good Karma Office apparently had been dragged along by his martial uncle to show the way and had no interest in the affair himself. He was now thoroughly enjoying trading winks and grimaces with the youth.
While Xing Yan was bored, he suddenly heard someone mention his name. Unable to settle the dispute with his fellow Daoists from Wondrous Radiance Palace and the Celestial Master Order, Ling Chengzi had taken another path and brought Xing Yan into the matter. He said unhurriedly:
"Please wait, fellow Daoists. There is something else I should tell you."
"Hmm? What would that be, Brother Ling Chengzi?"
"Well, I have actually known Horseshoe Mountain's owner and his family for some time. Five months ago, I spent a night with the Zhang family. Although that was my first meeting with this young man, I felt he possessed an innate root of wisdom and a deep affinity with our Daoist path. Upon returning to Mount Luofu, I reported this to my senior brother, our leader. After my martial nephew Qinghe mentioned the young man's strong desire to pursue the Dao, we discussed the matter and decided to accept him into Shangqing Palace."
Ling Chengzi sipped his tea, then continued:
"Recently, I heard of young Zhang's many exploits, which only increased my hopes of bringing him into our school. Before I set out this time, my senior brother Ling Xu Zi, our leader, instructed me to make an exceptional appointment and grant this young man the position of deputy hall master of Four Seas Hall!"
These words astonished everyone present!
Except the person concerned, young Zhang Xingyan, sitting to one side.
Distracted as he was, the youth felt rather confused when he heard the name "Four Seas Hall," having no idea what it was. He was still hazily wondering why something that sounded like a martial-world gang had anything to do with Shangqing Palace.
Apart from this muddleheaded youth, every Daoist present was astonished by Ling Chengzi's announcement. Shangqing Palace was exceptionally strict in selecting disciples. Even those fortunate enough to enter its gates were often permitted only to study scriptures. Only a few of outstanding talent were assigned to its elders to learn Daoist arts.
Thus, on hearing Ling Chengzi propose elevating this village youth directly to deputy master of Four Seas Hall, which oversaw Shangqing Palace's lay disciples, everyone from Wondrous Radiance Palace and the Celestial Master Order, as well as Qing Hu and the others accompanying Ling Chengzi, stared dumbstruck.
After only a brief pause, Celestial Master Zhang Sheng and Daoist Nun Yu Shan, both quick-witted people, considered Ling Chengzi's words and understood. Whatever else might be said, Horseshoe Mountain was still the Zhang family's property. Anyone wishing to establish a school in this blessed Daoist place naturally needed the family's consent.
Clearly, if they could draw the Zhang family's only son into their own school, possession of Horseshoe Mountain would follow as naturally as water flowing into a channel!
Every Daoist present inwardly admired Ling Chengzi's seasoned cunning. He had spotted the crucial point at a glance.
At once, Daoist Nun Yu Shan and Celestial Master Zhang Sheng both discovered Xing Yan's innate gifts and roots of wisdom, and eagerly declared their strong desire to take him as a disciple!
Though the somewhat dizzy youth still did not understand many things, one thing was certain: thanks to his family's mountain estate, his wish to pursue the Dao-a wish he had failed to fulfill despite pestering old Qinghe relentlessly for years-seemed about to come true with ease today!
Alas, once he could not get even one school to accept him, and now three great schools were fighting over him. Despite his delight, the youth, who had undergone considerable trials over the past half year, could not help feeling a trace of wistfulness.
Daoist Nun Yu Shan was now introducing the cold beauty accompanying her to Xing Yan with extraordinary enthusiasm. Every overt and veiled implication in her words reminded him that Wondrous Radiance Palace on Mount Weiyu was full of beautiful women!
Daoism did not currently forbid its practitioners from marrying. Evidently Yu Shan was quick-thinking too: seeing this hot-blooded youth, she had chosen that point of attack!
Clearly, she was tempting him with feminine beauty.
Celestial Master Zhang Sheng, meanwhile, vigorously emphasized that his order's disciples were spread throughout the world. If Xing Yan joined the Celestial Master Order, he would certainly become a personal disciple. Thereafter, a hundred would answer his call, and he could travel anywhere in splendid style. This hinted at the order's extensive influence and the boundless prospects awaiting him within it. Zhang also turned to ask Old Zhang about his family genealogy, apparently hoping to use the rumor that they descended from Zhang Zifang to establish some kinship between this Zhang family and his own Celestial Master lineage.
This, it seemed, was temptation through power.
Hearing his two fellow Daoists abruptly change tack after his example, Ling Chengzi grew anxious. He inwardly lamented how quickly Wondrous Radiance Palace and the Celestial Master Order had arrived. Though Shangqing Palace had already put much effort into this matter, the present situation suggested that the slightest slackening today might betray his senior brother Ling Xu Zi's solemn trust.
In his anxiety, Ling Chengzi's gaze happened to sweep over the youth, who was growing restless in his seat. A faintly familiar aura seemed to flicker past his eyes.
An outstanding figure of Shangqing Palace, Ling Chengzi immediately recognized that aura. After a moment's thought, he understood everything. It was as though a sudden gale had swept all the clouds from the sky. His heart settled, and he could not help laughing aloud.
Seeing Ling Chengzi suddenly laugh, Yu Shan and Zhang Sheng were both greatly puzzled, unable to understand the reason.
Ling Chengzi turned, pointed at Zhang Xingyan, and said to those before him with a smile:
"You should both know that young Xing Yan has already cultivated our school's Upper Clarity arts."
While the other two exchanged bewildered glances, Ling Chengzi turned and summoned old Qinghe, who still looked as though none of this concerned him:
"I presume you were the one who taught this young man our Upper Clarity arts, Martial Nephew?"
"Ah... your discerning eyes burn like torches, Martial Uncle. Indeed, I gave this young man our Upper Clarity Scripture to recite. Please forgive my acting on my own authority. Actually, I only thought this young man..."
Qinghe was about to offer a few words in his defense, but Ling Chengzi laughed again and stopped him:
"Why cling to outward forms when spreading our true teachings of Upper Clarity? Today, you have not only committed no wrong, but rendered a great service. When I return, I shall report it to my senior brother and have your transgression of ten years ago pardoned."
"Thank you, Martial Uncle Ling Chengzi!"
Old Qinghe, who had remained indifferent throughout and had even asked forgiveness in a casual tone, suddenly seemed transformed. Again and again, he thanked his martial uncle humbly.
Huh? A transgression ten years ago? Heh! So old Qinghe didn't come to muddle along in Raozhou for that worldly training he talked about. He was sent here after doing something wrong!
What did he do? Play at gods and ghosts to swindle people out of their money? If that's it, this old fellow certainly hasn't mended his ways! Hee!
Hearing Ling Chengzi's words, Xing Yan could not resist these mischievous thoughts.
He had known old Qinghe for a long time and found the thought amusing, without any real malice.
"As you both can see, since Zhang Xingyan already possesses the arts of our Upper Clarity school, the position of deputy master of Four Seas Hall is all the more suitable for him!"
Having said this, Ling Chengzi felt greatly relieved. Yu Shan and Zhang Sheng, caught off guard by Shangqing Palace's unexpected maneuver, found themselves at a disadvantage. They could only make idle conversation while racking their brains for a response.
After remaining quiet for a while, Daoist Nun Yu Shan of Wondrous Radiance Palace seemed suddenly to make up her mind. She glanced at Zhuo Bihua standing beside her, then addressed Xing Yan:
"If you are willing to enter Wondrous Radiance Palace, I shall take it upon myself today to betroth Zhuo Bihua, our leader's cherished disciple, to you. The two of you can live on Horseshoe Mountain or Mount Weiyu as a carefree, happy pair of immortal Daoist companions. Would that not be splendid? What does the young master of the Zhang family think of this fine tale for our Daoist tradition?"
These words truly shattered stone and startled Heaven. They shocked everyone even more than Ling Chengzi's offer of a position in Four Seas Hall. Zhuo Bihua was the finest of Wondrous Radiance Palace's younger generation, and everyone present had heard of her distinguished reputation. Who could have imagined that, to win this blessed Horseshoe Mountain, Wondrous Radiance Palace would willingly marry its most outstanding disciple beneath her station to a rustic youth?
Zhuo Bihua, always proud and aloof, cold as jade and pure as ice, had even less expected her martial aunt to speak so suddenly of marrying her to this country bumpkin. Shock and shame overwhelmed her. Rosy color flooded her face; she tried to speak, but her lips trembled, and for a moment she could not utter a word!
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