Chapter 27: Looking Up To The High Mountains
Although Xiahou Ba entered the palace in time to explain to the Emperor, the Initial Emperor also expressed forgiveness. But everyone knew this was just superficial kung fu; the Emperor could not possibly pretend nothing had happened. Likewise, the Xiahou Clan would absolutely not truly believe the matter was over, allowing them to rest easy from then on.
A storm seemed ready to arrive at any moment. In Luojing City, the clan leaders and elders of the various clans held frequent consultations, and the various clans began frequent communications with each other. The leaders of the major noble clans were all pondering what stance to take in the impending conflict, how to protect their own families from being affected, and how to fish for benefits in the chaos…
The unusual movements in the capital soon reached Mount Taishi of Songyue, eighty li away.
At the foot of Mount Taishi, on a two-zhang-high white jade archway, four large characters “Looking up to the high mountains” were engraved in a vigorous and graceful style, written by the Founding Emperor of the current dynasty. Standing under the archway and looking up at the long bluestone mountain path, one could see the majestic Mount Taishi with its overlapping peaks and lush greenery, forested buildings, green trees and bamboo in the mountains, concealing countless Taoist temples!
This was the site of the Heavenly Master Dao, the state religion of the current Great Xuan Kingdom!
The Heavenly Master Dao had been established for five hundred years, with ups and downs during that time, and even its grounds destroyed several times. Until True Person Zhang Xuanyi took over the position of Heavenly Master, re-established the sect on Mount Songyue, reformed the old and introduced the new, and fully supported the Founding Emperor in seizing the world under heaven! The Founding Emperor reciprocated by designating the Heavenly Master Dao as the state religion, leading all Taoism under heaven!
The Heavenly Master Dao thus reached its peak! From princes and nobles to peddlers and porters, all were its devotees. Even when the Founding Emperor established the country and ascended the throne, he personally came to the top of Mount Taishi to receive the talisman on the altar, showing he was mandated by heaven!
Subsequent two generations of emperors followed this example, and the Heavenly Master Dao was regarded by people under heaven as the spokesman of the Heavenly Dao, with its status becoming increasingly lofty and transcendent, and its influence unmatched!
At the highest point of Mount Taishi was the Sanqing Hall of the Heavenly Master Dao. On the square outside the hall, over a thousand Daoist priests were meditating in morning lessons. Their masters sat cross-legged on the front steps, expounding scriptures for them. Usually at this time, the Sect Leader Heavenly Master would be present, but today, under the plaque “All Laws Return to One,” the purple cushion was empty…
The Heavenly Master Dao had strict rules, so no one slacked off because of this; the neat chanting was no different from usual. But a few peers among the Daoist priests couldn’t help muttering in their hearts: before the evening lesson, the Sect Leader received a homing pigeon message and went straight to the rear mountain top peak. They wondered what major event had occurred that required disturbing the Senior Brother in seclusion…
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At this moment, Heavenly Master Dao Sect Leader Xu Xuanji had already stepped on a row of wooden stakes embedded in the cliff and climbed to the cloud-shrouded Guiyin Peak.
The peak top was only about one mu square, with only a few thatched huts on it, nothing else, a world apart from the resplendent temples at the mountain base.
But in the eyes of the Heavenly Master Dao, and even people under heaven, this was a sacred place! Because Zhang Xuanyi was here! Although he had passed the Heavenly Master position to his junior brother Xu Xuanji, in the eyes of people under heaven, there was only one true Heavenly Master— the former number one on the Heavenly Rank List, True Person Zhang Xuanyi!
Ten years ago, Zhang Xuanyi broke the iron rule of the Heavenly Master Dao not interfering in court struggles and participated in the coup to overthrow the Qianming Emperor. After returning to the mountain, he resigned from the Sect Leader position, punishing himself with seclusion for reflection, and had not descended Guiyin Peak for ten years.
There were no attendant boys on this Guiyin Peak, only a girl in white Daoist robes, sitting cross-legged on a protruding boulder at the mountain top, with an ancient-style precious sword across her legs, cultivating in a state of forgetting self and object, oblivious to Xu Xuanji’s arrival.
The mountain wind lightly brushed the sea of clouds, also gently blowing the girl’s waterfall-like long hair, like light clouds veiling the moon or flowing wind returning snow, ethereal as an immortal.
Xu Xuanji was not surprised, slowed his steps to the central thatched hut, and respectfully announced: “Senior Brother, Xu Xuanji requests an audience.”
“Come in.” After a moment, Zhang Xuanyi’s low and ethereal voice sounded.
Xu Xuanji removed his shoes and entered the hut, seeing an old Taoist priest with an ancient and simple appearance, sitting cross-legged on a cushion. The thatched hut was extremely simple, with an incense burner, a few scrolls of Daoist scriptures, and a Tai Chi diagram on the wall—nothing else.
“Greetings, Senior Brother.” Though he was the Heavenly Master, Xu Xuanji still bowed respectfully to Zhang Xuanyi.
Zhang Xuanyi gestured to dispense with formalities. Xu Xuanji rose to a kneeling sit, looking at Zhang Xuanyi sitting upright before him. Though he was clearly sitting right there, he gave a feeling of being ethereal and traceless, as if reaching out to grasp him would grasp nothing.
Xu Xuanji couldn’t help asking in surprise: “Senior Brother, have you broken through?”
But Zhang Xuanyi shook his head and said softly: “Near at hand yet far at the horizon. Who knows if the Innate Realm is legend or real.” With a sigh, he looked at Xu Xuanji and said: “What matter brings the Sect Leader here?”
Xu Xuanji hurriedly reported the news from the mountain to Zhang Xuanyi, ending softly: “This is a major affair, I had no choice but to disturb Senior Brother’s quiet cultivation.”
After hearing it, Zhang Xuanyi was silent for a long time before sighing: “The world under heaven is going to be in chaos…”
“Yes.” Xu Xuanji deeply agreed: “Ten years ago, the Qianming Emperor ruled tyrannically, and Senior Brother drew his sword for peace under heaven. But after ten years, the Xiahou Clan and the imperial family have grown increasingly at odds. This imperial seal matter is just a trigger; it might lead them to fight outright…”
“It’s not that simple.” Zhang Xuanyi slowly shook his head: “The Xiahou Clan cannot cover the sky with one hand alone.” He sighed lightly again: “However, after the Baoen Temple Incident, the imperial family has not recovered its vital energy. If it overstimulates the Xiahou Clan, with Xiahou Ba’s personality, he might act desperately.”
“Senior Brother is right.” Xu Xuanji nodded in agreement. In the Baoen Temple battle, the forces loyal to the imperial family were completely swept away by the Xiahou Clan, four of the imperial family’s five Grandmasters dead or crippled, leaving only Zuo Yanqing barely clinging to life. The imperial family’s strength plummeted! The Xiahou Clan took advantage to grow big, and after ten years, it was unstoppable! “Our Heavenly Master Dao has a blood pact with the Founding Emperor to protect the stability of Great Xuan’s rivers and mountains; we cannot sit idly by!”
“Indeed.” Zhang Xuanyi nodded slowly and sighed lightly: “Send two Heavenly Master talismans to the Emperor and Xiahou Ba.”
“I had the same intention.” Xu Xuanji looked at Zhang Xuanyi, slightly embarrassed: “But I’m afraid they won’t buy my account.”
“Understood.” Zhang Xuanyi nodded: “Also, help me send my regards to them.”
“Thank you, Senior Brother!” Xu Xuanji finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although he had led the Heavenly Master Dao for ten years, in the eyes of those in Luojing City, the true Heavenly Master was forever Zhang Xuanyi. Only Heavenly Master talismans endorsed by Zhang Xuanyi could make them realize the Heavenly Master Dao’s authority was unchallenged…
True Person Not Two says it, and it is so! Whoever dares not obey, the Qianming Emperor is the example!
After Xu Xuanji left, Zhang Xuanyi was silent for a moment, then called: “Disciple.”
After a moment, the girl in white appeared at the thatched hut doorway and respectfully said: “Master.”
Zhang Xuanyi looked at the girl who was like the fairy of Lady of Mount Guye, untouched by mortal smoke and fire, and said slowly: “The demoness of Taiping Dao has emerged; go down the mountain for a trip.”
“Yes.” The girl respectfully accepted the order, returned to her thatched hut. Her living quarters were equally extremely simple; she packed a few clothes and a few token items into her baggage. She wrapped the ancient-style precious sword in cloth, shouldered the baggage and sword, kowtowed toward Zhang Xuanyi’s thatched hut, then like a drifting leaf, lightly stepped on the wooden stakes on the cliff and left Guiyin Peak.
After the girl left, only the sitting dry old Taoist priest remained on Guiyin Peak. In the thatched hut, an extremely rare look of sadness, hatred, loneliness, ruthlessness, reminiscence, self-blame, shame… a heavy mix of complex emotions appeared on Zhang Xuanyi’s otherwise calm face.
When the various emotions reached their peak, Zhang Xuanyi formed a hand seal, roared, and the seven emotions turned into seven streams of forceful energy, shooting seven holes in the thatched hut.
Only then did True Person Not Two calm down and close his eyes to continue his arduous cultivation.
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When the girl reached the Sanqing Hall, the morning lesson was just ending, and the Daoist priests were preparing to disperse.
But as soon as the girl’s figure appeared in the morning light, all the Daoist priests stopped, bowed neatly to her, and said: “Greetings, Heavenly Maiden!”
The girl was accustomed to this, nodded slightly to the crowd, and saluted the several elders below the Sanqing Hall: “Martial Uncles, this junior is ordered by Master to go down the mountain.”
“Good, be careful on the road.” Xu Xuanji nodded and smilingly watched the girl disappear on the mountain path.
“Sect Leader, this is the Heavenly Maiden’s first time going down the mountain; should we send disciples to protect her secretly?” A purple-robed old Taoist said worriedly.
“Yes, Sect Leader, the Heavenly Maiden’s status is so noble; going down alone like this, what would it look like?” Another purple-robed Daoist also said worriedly.
“Senior Brother means for the Heavenly Maiden to go down for training, to see through the mortal world to achieve supreme Sword Dao.” Xu Xuanji, wearing a golden Daoist robe, resolutely shook his head: “Moreover, any ghostly thoughts are nowhere to hide before her Sword Heart Wisdom Eye; we must not botch it by overdoing.”
“Sigh…” The old Daoists could only sigh and let it go.
