Chapter 134: Chechi Kingdom Dharma Battle
After Ao Tu finished speaking of the monk’s affairs, the four gathered together, recited scriptures for a while, and discussed Dao for a while.
They first discussed Heaven and Earth, the universe, the sun and moon’s brilliance.
Then they discussed the stars shifting east, the stars migrating south.
Next they discussed the Four Great Continents, the Overseas Islands, what is spiritual, what is longevity.
They also discussed the methods of the three teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, and the distinctions among the three schools of Taiqing, Yuqing, and Shangqing.
Finally, they discussed how all living beings cultivate and how to achieve longevity.
The four each expressed their views. Great Immortal Hu Li spoke of “martial fire,” refining essence and qi to converge into one body; Great Immortal Lu Li spoke of “literary fire,” warming essence and nurturing qi, cultivating emptiness and tranquility; Great Immortal Yang Li spoke of maintaining harmony, carrying yin and embracing yang, centered and unbiased.
These three complemented each other perfectly.
What Ao Tu spoke of differed from the three.
Ao Tu directly spoke of the path to immortality. The three listened as if seeing flowers in the mist or the moon through clouds—able to see, yet hazy and indistinct, hard to grasp clearly.
Afterward, they spoke of specific spells.
Great Immortal Hu Li and the other two had received Dao transmission from an immortal on Zhongnan Mountain, learning orthodox Daoist Five Thunders Method, but unfortunately their affinity had not arrived, and they ultimately failed to enter the immortal’s sect.
All three were skilled in talisman arts, and what they taught their disciples was mostly talisman methods.
Besides that, each had their own strengths. Great Immortal Hu Li could summon wind and rain; Great Immortal Lu Li could divine and foretell; Great Immortal Yang Li had a Cold Dragon.
Ao Tu said: “Cold Dragon, may I see it?”
Great Immortal Yang Li took out the Cold Dragon and said: “True Person, please look.”
Ao Tu examined it, and it was a White Chi.
Great Immortal Yang Li was quite fortunate, having obtained a young chi from who knows where.
Like attracts like, and sensing Ao Tu’s aura, the White Chi flew into Ao Tu’s hand, coiled around the thumb of his left hand, and refused to leave.
Great Immortal Yang Li saw this and felt heartbroken, yet could not ask for it back.
Ao Tu laughed: “This little fellow knows how to seize opportunity. How about this—I won’t take yours for nothing. I’ll trade this with you, how’s that?”
Ao Tu took out a small seal from his bosom, half a palm in size, with flowing water luster and radiant treasure light.
Great Immortal Yang Li saw it, his eyes unable to hide his delight.
Ao Tu handed the small seal to Great Immortal Yang Li.
Great Immortal Yang Li reached out to take it.
Ao Tu said: “Receive it with magic power.”
Great Immortal Yang Li, not understanding, used magic power to hold the small seal.
Ao Tu let go, and Great Immortal Yang Li stumbled, nearly falling from his seat, his arm trembling as he said: “Big Brother, come quickly, this seal is extremely heavy!”
Great Immortal Hu Li hurriedly helped Great Immortal Yang Li support the small seal, finally steadying it.
Great Immortal Hu Li said: “Indeed, it is not light.”
Great Immortal Lu Li said: “Such a small seal, just two inches square at most, how heavy can it be? Let me try!”
Great Immortal Hu Li and Great Immortal Yang Li, seeing this, handed the small seal to Great Immortal Lu Li.
Great Immortal Lu Li took it with both hands and immediately felt it extremely heavy, his body pitching forward. Seeing this, Great Immortal Lu Li hurriedly leaned back, but unable to control it for a moment, he fell backward, saying: “Ouch, so heavy! So heavy!”
Ao Tu laughed: “This is the Water Covering Seal, weighing the amount of one storehouse. Among the treasures of the mortal world, the extremely precious ones are called spiritual treasures. This seal was forged from the sea storehouses of the Four Seas. In water, it can control four water veins, thus barely qualifying as a spiritual treasure. Once you refine and practice with this treasure, you won’t find it heavy.”
Great Immortal Yang Li hurriedly thanked him: “Many thanks to True Person for granting the treasure!”
Ao Tu said: “No need to thank. You and I traded treasures; it is not a grant.”
With that, Ao Tu poked the White Chi on his hand with a finger.
This White Chi could be raised as a mount hereafter.
The White Chi doubtfully raised its head, then settled back on Ao Tu’s hand.
Hearing this, Great Immortal Yang Li still thanked him.
Though the White Chi was precious, it was far less valuable than this treasure seal—how could he not know?
After discussing Dao, the three took Ao Tu to tour the Taoist temple and admire the garden scenery.
Ao Tu saw a medicine field and asked: “Do you also practice alchemy?”
Great Immortal Hu Li said: “We three only know how to draw talismans, not alchemy. Only because His Majesty is advanced in age and recently afflicted with illness have we collected herbs and studied alchemy principles, hoping to find a good remedy.”
Ao Tu nodded: “I see. What illness does the king have?”
Great Immortal Hu Li said: “Limbs not functioning well, meridians blocked, wind, cold, and damp qi mixing together into bi syndrome.”
Great Immortal Lu Li said: “Spirit fatigued and weak, short of breath and lazy to speak, waist and knees sore and soft, face sallow and withered—it is virtual exhaustion illness.”
Great Immortal Yang Li said: “Cough with much phlegm, chest stuffiness and asthma, heart failing and strength exhausted, limbs swollen—it is phlegm-fluid retention illness.”
Ao Tu said: “How old is the king this year?”
The three said: “Seventy-two.”
Ao Tu said: “At the age of ancient rarity, such symptoms are not surprising.”
Great Immortal Hu Li said: “Though that is so, we have received the king’s grace for a long time and cannot sit by while he is plagued by illness.”
Ao Tu said: “That is true. I have a sworn brother who knows some alchemy methods. I often watch him practice alchemy and have learned a bit myself, though I have never tried it. If I see the king, allow me to examine his condition before deciding.”
The three, hearing this, hurriedly thanked him: “Many thanks, True Person.”
The next day.
All the Taoist priests in the temple bathed and burned incense, tidied the halls, and prepared the ceremony.
The Taoist priests lined up on left and right, playing sheng and xiao, holding jade slips, prostrating to offer tribute.
Ao Tu stepped the gang steps, wearing purple sash immortal robes, walking at the front.
Great Immortal Hu Li, Great Immortal Lu Li, and Great Immortal Yang Li donned ritual garments and followed behind Ao Tu.
Ao Tu pinched incense and prayed, with a jade slip stating the recitative text, but as soon as Ao Tu pinched the incense, his figure had already arrived above the Thirty-three Heavens, at Li Hen Heaven.
Before his eyes was not Dou Shuai Palace, but a Flower Realm, a sea of flowers stretching as far as the eye could see.
Ahead was a person holding a hoe and carrying a back basket—it was Ao Tu’s acquaintance, Golden Horn Boy Servant.
Golden Horn bowed: “Elder Brother!”
Ao Tu said: “Virtuous Younger Brother, I wonder why Grand Master summoned me here.”
Golden Horn said: “Grand Master said Elder Brother has drawn sun, moon, and stars, alarming the various gods. Soon a divine official will descend to the mortal realm to invite Elder Brother to heaven to take office. This cannot be refused. Rather than take office elsewhere, better to be a steward here, so he asked you over to give advance notice.”
Ao Tu looked around and asked: “What place is this?”
Golden Horn said: “This was originally one of Grand Master’s casually opened medicine fields, used to plant some immortal medicines and spiritual plants.”
Ao Tu said: “Then why now is it all flowers and grasses, with no immortal medicines to be seen?”
Golden Horn said: “Only because Queen Mother loves flowers and planted many spiritual flowers in Jade Pond. Those improper flowers and grasses were pruned and, as a favor, sent over as fertilizer. Who knew that over time, with no one managing, some resilient ones regrew from roots and gradually took over, becoming like this.”
Ao Tu said: “I see.”
Golden Horn said: “Originally meant to remove these flowers and grasses, but Grand Master said they regrow from broken roots, which is truly not easy, so he told me to spare them, harvested the original spiritual medicines, and gifted this place to Queen Mother.”
Ao Tu said: “So I’m to manage flowers and grasses for Queen Mother?”
Golden Horn laughed: “Said that way, not wrong. But after all, this is Li Hen Heaven, before Grand Master’s gate.”
Ao Tu nodded, understanding Golden Horn’s meaning.
Golden Horn said: “This place is vast, with many flowers and grasses obscuring it. Please help me, Elder Brother, and search for medicines together.”
Ao Tu agreed.
