As Though on a Sightseeing Trip, the Illusion Takes Form

The area by the window became quiet.

Chu Tianshu carefully examined the pulse but found nothing unusual.

"Could you tell me about the strange dream?"

Teacher Little Yuan casually said, "It's nothing, I just dream about different scenes, but in each one there's a blurry-looking Daoist priest chanting scriptures."

"Honestly, if I could hear what they were saying, I might feel a little better."

"However, there are many passages in the scriptures that don't sound like human speech at all; they sound like a cacophony of musical instruments playing together. Yet, it's clear to us that it's not a performance, but chanting."

Yuan Zhonglü sighed, "The discrepancy between cognition and hearing is quite frustrating."

"After all these years, I still only have a few fragmented sentences, which I can occasionally hear clearly and remember. They are scattered and insignificant, like a drop in the ocean, just like my mother back then."

Chu Tianshu asked, "What sentence was the part that I could hear clearly?"

Teacher Little Yuan smiled and said, "You should be able to guess it from my name."

"A girl actually chose the strange name Zhonglü because the sentences in her dream were from the Zhonglü's collection of sermons."

The "Collection of Teachings of Zhonglü" discusses the essentials of Internal Elixir alchemy in the form of questions and answers between Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin, master and disciple.

It consists of eighteen volumes, including sections on the four seasons, the five elements, water and fire, Dragons and Tigers, the court, and omens. It has been revised several times throughout history, and many of the versions passed down to later generations are incomplete.

Yuan Zhonglü's father studied the "Xueliang Xinfa" (Snow-Grain Mental Method) transmitted by the Chan Buddhism. Although he was not a monk, he did not know much about the Daoist teachings.

Her mother was not a spiritual practitioner; she was simply naturally healthy, living a life free of illness and disaster, and passing away peacefully in her later years.

Strange dreams were a source of distress for Yuan Zhonglü, but her mother was so carefree that she didn't care much and continued to sleep as usual.

In that era, the internet was not well-developed, and it was difficult to verify the fragments of information obtained in dreams.

It was only after her parents met Feng Jianhua in their middle age that they deduced that those sentences were fragments of the Zhonglü Collection.

At the time, Principal Feng also helped by pulling strings to have someone examine and diagnose the condition, but they couldn't find any signs of being haunted by a ghost.

It was as if it were truly just her mother's dream, a dream about articles she had never studied.

Feng Jianhua was amazed at the time, thinking that his sister-in-law might be a prodigy in the practice of Internal Elixir alchemy.

Unfortunately, her mother tried several times but couldn't get the hang of it.

After Yuan Zhonglü was born, in order to commemorate this extraordinary event, he even named himself Zhonglü. Of course, he was also supposed to try learning the Internal Elixir method.

However, when she Aperture Opening of things, she followed the path of a boxer.

To date, her progress in boxing has been steady, though not particularly rapid.

Even if she reads, learns, and practices other types of methods, she will still unconsciously return to this style of martial arts.

"It sounds like there's definitely more to this than meets the eye."

Chu Tianshu asked in surprise, "You still dare to run around alone like this?"

Teacher Little Yuan smiled languidly, picked up the teacup with her left hand, and took a small sip.

"Any oddity, once the timeframe is long enough, must be accepted. I can't possibly be fully armed and paranoid every day because of a strange thing that may never be revealed in my lifetime."

Teacher Little Yuan said, "When I first went on a long trip, I felt a strong sense of being called to something."

"On those trips, not only did my dad accompany me, but even the principal came with me to see what strange things could be happening."

But nothing happened.

"The places I travel to have changed several times over the years, so I've just become indifferent to it."

Chu Tianshu pondered for a moment and said, "Matsushita and don't show any resistance. I'll take a closer look."

Yuan Zhonglü raised an eyebrow and nodded.

A glint of light, like a needle, suddenly appeared in Chu Tianshu's eyes, which then expanded into a ring.

The halo has a wonderful color, crystal clear, and resembles both blue and red.

When Yuan Zhonglü was looked at like that, he felt as if he had been in a dark room for a long time and was suddenly exposed to the warm autumn sun.

Even with her eyes lowered, Teacher Little Yuan could still feel the warm red glow before her and even the slight light on her forehead.

It was unclear whether light shone into her forehead or emanated from within it.

"Alright."

Chu Tianshu's voice reached my ears.

When Teacher Little Yuan opened her eyes, she was surprised to realize that she had closed them completely.

Chu Tianshu withdrew his hand from taking her pulse, picked up his teacup, and took two sips.

"I can indeed sense something subtle in your mind, but given your current state, I can't quite grasp it."

Chu Tianshu said, "How about this, you find a place to sleep, and I'll take the opportunity to see if that aura becomes more active?"

Yuan Zhonglü pondered for a moment.

"I usually don't have strange dreams when I take a nap."

She picked up the teapot, poured herself another cup, and smiled. "Besides, I was supposed to be your guide today."

"Let's go out for a stroll during the day, then go back to the hotel in the evening. I'll sleep on the sofa fully clothed and see if I have any strange dreams."

Chu Tianshu looked at the street scene outside the window and nodded, saying, "That's fine."

The scenery outside was beautiful, and the sunlight was bright but not scorching.

He came to this city with the intention of investigating, but he had an open and honest heart.

Of course, it needs to be broad daylight and clear skies; let's go out and take a look first.

"I need to get to Mount Shenyue first, how do I get there?"

Upon hearing the question, Teacher Little Yuan immediately smiled and said, "That's a popular tourist attraction."

"I'm afraid about 40% of the taxis passing by on this street are going that way; I can just hail one later."

Chu Tianshu didn't ask any more questions after hearing this, and instead savored his tea while observing the kittens.

He wasn't actually very interested in ordinary kittens.

Teacher Xiaobai's advantage lies in his boxing skills. Even if he isn't as cute as some of the cats in the shop, Chu Tianshu will still favor him ten times over.

However, the atmosphere in this store is indeed very nice.

Watching the interaction between the kittens and people, Chu Tianshu felt a sense of peace and gentleness in his heart.

This quiet and gentle atmosphere underwent a dramatic change after about twenty minutes in the taxi.

As we approached Mount Shenyue, the crowds grew increasingly dense.

At the foot of the mountain, there are countless small shops and stalls, crowds jostling shoulder to shoulder, and street singers from who-knows-where performing on the spot.

Cars generally slow down when they reach this point, practically crawling along.

"It's so lively!"

Chu Tianshu felt like he was going to the market in the county town when he was a child.

Those street stalls, with their various kinds of preserved plums, nuts, fried rice candy, and candied winter melon packaged directly in large plastic bags, all looked so familiar.

Aside from the language difference, this place feels like stepping back in time to my hometown county town ten years ago.

"On the side of Mount Shenyue is Busan's largest secondhand market. Recently, perhaps because of the festival, many vendors from the secondhand market have moved here."

After getting off the bus, Teacher Little Yuan raised her voice slightly as she explained to Chu Tianshu.

Chu Tianshu looked in the direction Teacher Little Yuan was pointing.

From afar, you can see many stalls selling clothes, used books, and toys.

Many people were there choosing clothes, trying on whatever might suit them, and taking them off if they didn't.

Every place that sells clothes has a large sign; he doesn't recognize the Chinese characters, but he does recognize Arabic numerals.

Chu Tianshu muttered to himself, "Several zeros."

"Actually, if you convert it, it's equivalent to fifteen yuan a piece back home, fifteen yuan for everything."

Teacher Little Yuan laughed and said, "I've also seen similar two-dollar supermarkets back home."

Chu Tianshu blinked.

The information provided by the wasteland didn't mention whether there was a secondhand market around Mount Shenyue.

However, if the foot traffic remains this high, the evil faction probably won't set up its headquarters here.

He already had a premonition, but he still insisted on going up the mountain to take a look.

As you walk up the stone steps to the halfway point of the mountain, the crowd thins out considerably.

When we reached the top of the mountain, there were a few more people, but it was still nowhere near as crowded as it was at the foot of the mountain.

The ground at the top of the mountain is almost entirely paved with large stone slabs, and knee-high statues of Kṣitigarbha can be seen everywhere.

In South Korea, the most common form of Buddhist worship is the worship of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva.

According to legend, Kṣitigarbha was once reincarnated as a member of the royal family of Silla, named Kim Gyo-gak. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, he traveled to the Central Plains to study Buddhism and lived on Mount Jiuhua for several decades before passing away.

Silla was one of the ancient kingdoms on this land.

Therefore, the Kṣitigarbha faith has a very deep connection with this place.

However, the souvenir shop you first see at the top of the mountain doesn't have many Kṣitigarbha- themed items; instead, it displays photos of various young men and women.

"This shop is full of items worn by idols, like bracelets, rings, and necklaces. The ones most closely associated with temples are the zodiac-themed candles."

Yuan Zhonglü provided the introduction from the side.

Those zodiac candles were all made in the shape of animal heads and human bodies, plump and chubby, with an endearing and simple appearance.

"Those who come here to pray for blessings often choose a zodiac animal that corresponds to their own and go inside the main hall to pray to the largest Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva."

"Many people choose their idol's zodiac sign to pray for their idol's well-being. I've heard that they are even more devout than when making wishes for themselves, and their spending power is also higher."

Chu Tianshu didn't buy anything; he strolled around and looked around inside and outside the main hall.

There were several monks in the hall who appeared to be practicing Buddhism, but their aura was exactly the same as that of the Kṣitigarbha statue, and they were not the people Chu Tianshu was looking for.

According to the information provided by the Wasteland, the evil sects here on Mount Shenyue originally practiced the Mahākāla Technique. However, due to the passage of time and the incompleteness of their own lineage, coupled with their burning greed, they switched to worshiping the Spirit Realm's Ghost God, the "Longhua Treasure Tree."

When the zombie outbreak occurred, Mount Shenyue was the biggest and earliest source of trouble in Busan.

The initial scale of the other locations was much smaller than that of Mount Shenyue.

Chu Tianshu was not familiar with Mahākāla, but he had dealt with Dragon Flower Tree back in the Macau.

That smell isn't there.

"You're really okay."

Chu Tianshu seemed a little disappointed, but also a little relieved.

If there's no sign of major disaster, that's a great thing.

On the way down the mountain, he felt much more relaxed. Passing by the bustling crowds, he didn't find it noisy at all; instead, he became more interested.

"I haven't had fried rice candy in years, give me two pounds, and some winter melon candy too."

Chu Tianshu went on a shopping spree, and soon he had four or five plastic bags in his left hand. He reached inside with his right hand, grabbed a little bit, and tasted it.

He remembered that he didn't like eating winter melon candy when he was a child, but the taste of the candy was so unfamiliar to him that he became curious about it again.

After eating a piece, he confirmed that his taste was still the same as when he was a child.

It was overly sweet and had a strange, indescribable plant-like taste.

The fried rice candy, however, was quite good.

"Would Teacher Little Yuan like to join us?"

Yuan Zhonglü did not refuse.

The two strolled around the mountain again, and before they knew it, evening had arrived.

Yuan Zhonglü called a car and took him to the hotel he had booked.

Teacher Little Yuan doesn't have the habit of saving money. When she travels, she never skimps on herself. She booked a suite, and she booked the same for Chu Tianshu.

The room has a living room, study, bathroom, bedroom, and balcony.

Chu Tianshu opened his bedroom door and glanced inside, saying, "Perfect, the sofa covers here are all new, why don't you try sleeping here?"

Teacher Little Yuan didn't refuse. After Chu Tianshu went in and put down his purchases, she changed her shoes and came in as well.

When Chu Tianshu went to draw back the curtains and turned around, Teacher Little Yuan was staring at the floor with a look of envy on her face.

Chu Tianshu asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

Yuan Zhonglü said, "No wonder you don't need to change your shoes; there's not a speck of dust on the soles."

Chu Tianshu saw the clean floor and said "Oh".

He has recently been practicing the Drifting Tumbleweed Sun-Chasing True Art, and his internal energy is so abundant that it is about to burst forth. He has protective energy around him at all times, and it is not surprising that his energy reaches the soles of his shoes.

"This must be a wonderful application of internal energy."

Yuan Zhonglü walked to the sofa. "I've tried to develop a sense of qi before, but it was quickly absorbed by my body. It's not as good as practicing boxing normally."

Chu Tianshu laughed and said, "If we can resolve the strange situation surrounding you, you can try practicing whatever you want in the future."

"By the way, with me here, can you fall asleep? Should I give you an acupuncture to help you fall asleep faster?"

Yuan Zhonglü shook his head. "No need, I can fall asleep whenever I want."

She didn't lie down, but sat cross-legged on the sofa, gently pressing her hands on her knees, leaning her back slightly, and closing her eyes.

Chu Tianshu stood by the coffee table, listening to her heartbeat and breathing. After counting only thirty-three breaths, he realized she had fallen asleep.

The window faces east, and through the glass, one can see the eastern sky gradually darkening.

A very subtle ripple appeared on Teacher Little Yuan's forehead.

Chu Tianshu's eyes brightened slightly, and he reached out and grabbed at the air.

That subtle, ethereal aura, though grasped by him, did not slip away from Teacher Little Yuan.

On the contrary, the greater the force with which Chu Tianshu pulled, the more illusory flames surged forth, and the stronger the aura became.

In the blink of an eye, it seemed as if a flame more than three meters long shot out from between Teacher Little Yuan's eyebrows.

The flame's tail, burning to a height more than a person, transformed into a phantom image of a Daoist priest.

The flame was like a fleeting illusion, bringing no heat, but rather a serene chill.

The Daoist priest was slender, carrying a long sword on his back and holding a whisk in his hand. When his facial features appeared, they were those of a woman with a cold and aloof expression.

(End of this chapter)