In the Name of Divine Abilities, Part 39

The old Daoist said calmly, "Tell me about it."

Chapter 47: The Great Dao Is Innate

Lu Zhao gave him a general account of what had happened and explained his current situation at the border defense station.

After listening, the old Daoist asked, "Where do you think you went wrong?"

"I did nothing wrong," Lu Zhao said with certainty. "I was simply standing by what was right. You said cultivation requires great perseverance. If a few words from them could shake me, how could I accomplish anything great?"

"Hahahaha." The old Daoist's face showed a hint of approval. "I remember when the Jiajing Emperor entered the capital, Yang Tinghe welcomed him with the rites due a crown prince. The Jiajing Emperor demanded to be welcomed with an emperor's rites, or he would turn around and go home to remain a prince."

"You handled it well. A person who intends to accomplish great things should not submit to others."

Lu Zhao found that his teacher was quite talkative, rather than indifferent to worldly affairs as he had first thought.

Instead, he was like an old man at the village entrance who loved reminiscing, telling Lu Zhao about the Ming dynasty whenever he got the chance.

Of all the emperors, the old Daoist praised the Jiajing Emperor most lavishly. He even said that, among the rulers who came after the three ancient dynasties, Emperor Wen ranked first, with the Jiajing Emperor just behind him.

Lu Zhao badly wanted to retort, but he was no fool.

He was only "rigid" when it came to principles. There was no need to argue with his teacher over a personal preference like this.

Lu Zhao said, "It was all thanks to the Spirit Refining technique you taught me, Teacher. Without a spiritual attack, I couldn't have killed the criminals so quickly."

With their metal-nature Divine Ability and considerable physical prowess, they were practically unstoppable in a melee.

If Lu Zhao had not mastered a spiritual attack and caused them to lose focus for an instant, they might have escaped.

"That is where you are wrong." The old Daoist smiled and shook his head. "In five hundred years, you are the only one who has reached the Inner Landscape. If you could not get in, how could I have taken you as my disciple? If you were not exceptionally gifted, how could Spirit Refining have taken effect so quickly?"

"You were wrong about something else too. Do you know what it was?"

Lu Zhao looked thoughtful, but after turning it over in his mind, he still could not figure it out. He asked, "Please enlighten me, Teacher."

"Only titles and authority must never be entrusted to others."

The old Daoist murmured the words, then smiled without another word, playing the riddler again.

Lu Zhao did not press him further and instead brought up the bottleneck in his cultivation.

"Teacher, when I first began Spirit Refining, it felt like swallowing needles."

"A beginner is like a child learning to walk. It felt like swallowing needles because you guided your qi the wrong way while practicing."

The old Daoist was not surprised. He had deliberately withheld the trick when he taught him.

His main reason was to make Lu Zhao suffer a little. If cultivation went too smoothly, he would lose his sense of awe, which would be detrimental to his future growth.

Only by knowing how difficult cultivation was could one ride the wind and break through the waves.

"I will teach you a trick that will keep your practice from feeling like swallowing needles."

"Teacher, I have already found the trick."

Lu Zhao's answer made the old Daoist's expression stiffen slightly.

It had only been a little over ten days, and he had found the trick himself?

Back then, it had taken the old Daoist nearly half a year of trial and error to achieve "painless Spirit Refining," even though he had known the trick beforehand.

Impossible. Absolutely impossible.

A trace of severity appeared in the old Daoist's eyes as he chided him. "A gentleman values honesty above all."

Lu Zhao demonstrated on the spot. When he opened his eyes again, the old Daoist was as calm as ever.

"Good, good. You have half my flair from back then."

"How many days did it take you to learn it, Teacher?"

"One day."

The old Daoist answered indifferently, and Lu Zhao did not doubt him.

After all, he was already an enlightened true immortal. Surely he could not be worse than Lu Zhao.

"I imagine you should be nearing a bottleneck..."

"I have already noticed the bottleneck."

"..."

The old Daoist fell silent for a moment, then ordered, "From now on, when you come in, first report how far you have progressed in your lessons. Stop being so rash all the time. You cannot even finish what you are saying."

Lu Zhao was a little baffled, but he nodded nonetheless. "Yes."

The old Daoist said, "Do you now feel that your spiritual sense can no longer grow or increase?"

"That's right." Lu Zhao held out his hand and condensed a white worm, which had changed from a "thread" into something the size of a little finger.

Its power had grown from making people lose focus to making them dizzy. Lu Zhao had tested it on himself.

Once "fired," the thing was like a bullet, damaging anyone it hit.

"That means you are on the verge of Minor Accomplishment in Spirit Refining. You need only a slight opportunity to break through. Spirit Refining and Nature Cultivation are closely connected: the former is a method of application, while the latter is a method of Foundation Establishment."

The old Daoist took a book from his sleeve and asked, "I can directly impart my knowledge to you and lead you to Minor Accomplishment in Spirit Refining, or you can comprehend it yourself."

Lu Zhao asked, "What is the difference?"

The old Daoist answered proudly, "For others, cultivating on their own would naturally be better. But I can help you achieve a better breakthrough than you would by comprehending it yourself."

Lu Zhao looked thoughtful, suspicion in his eyes.

He did not doubt the old Daoist's ability, but suspected that the old Daoist was laying a trap for him. Would he seize the chance to pick up a disciplinary ruler as soon as Lu Zhao agreed?

"Since ancient times, there have been accounts of masters granting enlightenment. I have no need to lie to you." The old Daoist stroked his beard. "Since you do not believe me, I will explain."

"This method is called Comprehension of the Dao: understanding the Dao in one's heart. One should give rise to the mind without letting it dwell on anything. Thus, it is said that one must first comprehend the Dao before cultivating it."

"This is also why Nature Cultivation is difficult, and Dual Cultivation of Nature and Life is as difficult as ascending to heaven."

The old Daoist began recounting how grandmasters throughout history had comprehended the Dao.

Laozi read widely and observed the rise and fall of all under heaven. Upon reaching Hangu Pass, he wrote the Tao Te Ching.

Zhuangzi comprehended the Dao while fishing in the Pu River, and through his dream of being a butterfly, became one with nature.

Confucius traveled among the states, mastered the principles of ethics and social order, and determined the mandate of heaven.

There were no methods or formulas; it was like ordinary conversation.

At first, Lu Zhao found it very dull, but later he began to understand what the so-called method of Comprehension of the Dao was.

It was neither an object nor a method. It did not exist, yet it was everywhere.

Following one's predecessors led to a breakthrough; seeking one's own Dao brought it naturally. The two differed in process, but not in result.

Even so, this ancient method of cultivating the Dao was truly obscure. No wonder it had not spread widely in modern times, much less been included in textbooks.

After telling him how Wang Chongyang had comprehended the Dao in the Tomb of the Living Dead, the old Daoist asked, "Do you know how to comprehend the Dao now?"

Lu Zhao answered, "The Great Dao is everywhere. There is no method; one must comprehend it for oneself."

"You are a teachable student."

The old Daoist nodded and said leisurely, "Where does one seek the Great Dao? Laozi wrote it at the very beginning of the Tao Te Ching, and the grandmasters throughout history have all found it. Why must you walk a path your predecessors have already traveled?"

"Now I ask you, which path will you choose?"

Lu Zhao thought for a moment, then answered with a firm gaze, "Since the Great Dao is ever-present, I should seek it myself."

There was no difference in the Great Dao one comprehended, but it must have a bearing on the cultivator. Otherwise, why had the grandmasters of every dynasty sought to comprehend it themselves?

If he was going to cultivate, he would cultivate the best way, or at least do the best he could.

The old Daoist's smile grew, and he offered another piece of advice: "The Great Dao is innate; it is not borrowed from others."

"Go and try. If you have made no progress in half a year, obediently accept my enlightenment."

Chapter 48: A Transfer Order from the Public Security General Directorate

June 12. A light rain fell without letup.

Lu Zhao received word that Lü Jinshan's suspension had been set at one month and that he faced no other charges for the time being.

If nothing unexpected happened, he would be reinstated after a month.

It was only to be expected. Even without connections, Lü Jinshan could not have been removed for dereliction of duty. Otherwise, the iron rice bowl would hardly live up to its name.

The news soon spread. Its most noticeable effect on Lu Zhao was that things became much quieter.

The people who had kept running to his office were scarcely seen that day.

June 13.

At a routine flood-control meeting at the station, Chen Hongtao criticized Lu Zhao for acting autocratically for no apparent reason, and said that Liang Fei should take the lead on flood-control work.

He then stripped Lu Zhao of his position as temporary instructor.

The enemy was Lü Jinshan, but it was not just Lü Jinshan.

Without Lü Jinshan, there would be a Chen Hongtao. Without Chen Hongtao, there would be a Liang Fei to take his place.

After the meeting broke up, Lu Zhao was walking down a corridor in the administration building when he suddenly stopped and looked out at the fine rain.

He suddenly understood where his teacher had said he was wrong.

Only titles and authority must never be entrusted to others.

Turned around, it could also mean that titles and authority should not be bestowed by others.

What others promised him did not count. Only what he could decide for himself counted.

Temporary instructor?

"Just an empty title. It doesn't matter if I lose it."

Lu Zhao strode onward, paying no attention to the strange looks the people around him were giving him again.