infodatos Chapter 131 Seeking a Point of Transcendence Through the Path of 'Ghost Immortal' or '
Chapter 131 Seeking a Point of Transcendence Through the Path of 'Ghost Immortal' or '
Seeing that Lu Yuan was getting more and more carried away and was completely immersed in a fanatical fantasy.
The old man was so angry that he trembled all over. He suddenly took a step forward and gave Lu Yuan a loud slap on the forehead!
"Alas!!!"
The angry shout was unlike any of his usual banter; it contained genuine rage and fear.
"I think you're completely bewitched!!"
His voice wasn't loud, but every word was like thunder, carrying an undeniable severity that struck Lu Yuan's ears hard.
"What do you think a temple is?!"
"Is this just children playing house, randomly finding a place to sculpt a clay figure and calling it a day?!"
The old man's eyes were wide open, with bloodshot veins bulging from the bottom of his eyes.
"A temple! It's the 'central hub of Heaven, Earth, and Man,' which receives the mandate of Heaven above, stabilizes the earth's veins below, and gathers the people's hopes in the middle!"
"It is a sacred place that connects Yin and Yang, guides spiritual energy, and carries the wishes of all living beings!!"
The old man paced anxiously back and forth, his fingers nervously gesturing in the air as if tracing unseen threads of rules. "Let's start with that 'Goddess of Beauty'!"
"You think she was able to be tempered by the ancestral master's thunder and fire, and to have her current 'true form,' just because of luck?!"
It's all about "foundation" and "opportunity"!
"Firstly, although her previous incarnation was an evil god, her origin was a porcelain beauty personally crafted by Liu Ruyan; she is a 'spirited object'!"
"What is the object?"
"It's an inanimate object gaining sentience! It inherently possesses a trace of 'the power of creation' and a blank opportunity for 'acquired enlightenment'!"
"The ancestral master's thunder and fire are not creation, but 'refinement'! It washes away the filth acquired later, restoring her to the purity of her 'essential nature'!" "It's like polishing a piece of raw jade soaked in blood back into a jade blank! This is called 'returning to the source'!"
Secondly, although the rules of "beauty" she embodied were twice distorted by the evil thoughts of the Ghost-Controlling Liu family and the Fate-Cutting Wang family, the rules themselves are neither good nor evil!
"Beauty can tempt people to depravity, or it can purify the soul."
"The patriarch, through the incense and vows of the glorious righteous path, has infused this ownerless blade with the handle of the righteous path! This is called 'restoring order'!"
"Thirdly, and most importantly!"
The old man suddenly stopped, a startling aura emanating from his withered body as he stared intently at Lu Yuan:
"She was at Luoyan Slope! It was a once-in-a-lifetime 'moment of destiny' where the right time, place, people, and Dharma connections all converged! None of these could be missing!" The old man gasped for breath, his tone becoming even more urgent and heavy.
"Now, take a look at Gu Qingwan!"
"Who is she?!"
"She is the resentment of someone who died a violent death! She is an aggregate of malevolent spirits, malevolent energy, and remnant souls!"
"Her very existence is a trampling and erosion of the rules of life!"
"You think the amulet money she carries is just for suppression?"
"idiot!"
"Those are the 'coffin nails' that restrain her overwhelming resentment and prevent it from fully erupting and destroying the world!"
"You still want her to receive offerings?!"
"Do you even know what the power of incense offerings and prayers really are?!"
The old man's rage was like a torrent, silencing Lu Yuan completely.
Before Lu Yuan could speak, the old man glared at him and shouted:
"Have you forgotten why you stole the incense and prayers of the Three Pure Ones to cleanse her of her evil magic?!"
"That is the purest and most fervent belief and prayer of all living beings!"
"It is the most yang and strongest force in this world!"
"You poured this power into an entity whose essence is an aggregate of 'death' and 'resentment'?!"
The old man slapped his thigh hard, making a crisp sound.
Lu Yuan, just as he had been caught off guard by his cultivation deviation, suddenly came to his senses and seemed to understand.
The old man continued to glare and shout:
"That's like pouring boiling oil into ice, or throwing a raging fire onto dry wood!"
"The fierce clash between her willpower and resentment will obliterate both her soul and body! All her merits and true form will be nothing but illusions!" Finally, the old man frowned and looked at Lu Yuandao:
"As for building a temple?!"
"Once a temple is erected and the statues of deities are consecrated, it automatically draws upon the spiritual energy of the local land and senses the wishes and desires of the people around it."
"You've allowed a vengeful spirit to reside within it?"
"Then the temple is no longer a blessed place, but a 'ghost's den' and 'demon's lair' that gathers yin energy and breeds evil spirits!"
"Within three days, something extraordinary will happen, and the surrounding area for dozens of miles will be in turmoil!!"
"All those who pray to you will not only fail to receive protection, but will also have their vitality drained, be tainted with bad luck, and be plagued by misfortune!"
"Can you bear this overwhelming karmic burden?!"
The old man approached Lu Yuan, almost gritting his teeth as he said:
The old man took a step closer, almost gritting his teeth as he squeezed out each word:
"You think you can just apply the 'Goddess of Beauty' example to anything?!"
"Completely wrong!"
"She took a narrow, almost unrepeatable path to success—a path of 'survival from the brink of disaster and a reshaping of the rules'!"
"But Gu Qingwan, she chose a different, more perilous, and treacherous path!"
"The only thing you can do now, and the only thing you must do, is to first 'complete' her, then 'purify' her, and only then dare you even dream of 'transforming' her!" "Complete her three souls and seven spirits, and stabilize the foundation of her existence!"
"Dissolve the resentment and obsession emanating from her, and eradicate those damned amulets and all evil practices!"
"Once the resentment dissipates, the soul stabilizes, and the mind becomes clear, perhaps..."
A hint of uncertainty finally crept into the old man's voice.
"Perhaps, with the good deeds and merits she has accumulated, she can gain a sliver of opportunity."
"Seek a little transcendence through the paths of 'ghost immortals' or 'spiritual cultivation'."
The old man was actually quite taciturn, always sparing with his words.
He usually only talks to Lu Yuan a few words.
If it were anyone else in the Taoist temple, he wouldn't exchange more than three sentences with them on a normal day.
It's not "um," it's "okay."
But he rarely talks this much with Lu Yuan.
Now, furious with Lu Yuan and having uttered so much in one breath, he was breathing heavily, nearly fainting. Lu Yuan, having completely calmed down, felt his face burning. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head and muttered under his breath:
"...Okay...Why are you yelling so loudly? It's not like I can't hear you..."
The old man's chest heaved violently for a while before he calmed down.
Seeing his apprentice's state and hearing his words, the old man, as the master, naturally understood that his apprentice knew he was wrong.
For a moment, the old man's tone softened slightly, but became even more earnest:
"I know you appreciate her and want to find a safe and secure future for her."
"But the Tao follows nature, Yin and Yang are in order, and all things have their own way and their own destiny."
"Forcing a graft is going against nature and will only lead to a terrible disaster, harming her and ruining you as well."
At this moment, Lu Yuan finally lowered his head and said with utmost seriousness:
"Master, I understand. It's just that even the 'Goddess of Beauty' can reshape her divine body, but Qingwan can't. It's making me a little anxious."
The old man simply waved his hand, his voice tinged with weariness.
"It's not your fault. Everyone is impulsive at twenty. Just listen to my advice."
Lu Yuan nodded seriously, and the old man added a word of comfort at the end:
"The best way to repay her kindness is not to build her a temple and create a deity."
"Instead, we should be down-to-earth, first helping her settle her past life, restore her soul, and remove all constraints."
"As for how far she can go in the future... that depends on her fate and your own opportunities."
"It cannot be forced."
"Even more...we can't rush it!"
The old man wasn't the type to ramble on, but today he was completely exasperated by Lu Yuan.
However, after saying that, the old man stopped talking and didn't repeat himself over and over again.
He simply uncorked the gourd and slowly took a sip.
Lu Yuan, meanwhile, was left to process the old man's long lecture on his own.
The two of them walked slowly to Lu Yuan's door.
Lu Yuan looked at the old man beside him and said seriously:
"Then I'll go inside and pack my things."
"Once I'm all packed, I'll head straight to Fengtian City."
"You haven't slept all night, you should get some rest, or you might suddenly die."
"From now on, you'll have to help me take care of the children!"
The old man was taken aback, and immediately glared at him, saying:
"Hey!! You little rascal, saying things like that during the New Year!"
Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow and said:
"It's still Chinese New Year? The Lantern Festival was over several days ago!"
The old man, however, said with righteous indignation:
"The New Year celebrations begin well before the first month of the lunar calendar is over!"
Lu Yuan grinned and didn't say anything more.
The old man then raised the gourd in his hand and shook it.
"Tell your wife to get you some toilet paper!"
"Honestly, now that they're married, they don't even bother to bring a little something to show their respect to their master!"
Lu Yuan couldn't help but laugh:
"You really can't blame them for this."
"I came back in such a hurry this time that I didn't bring the two of them with me."
"The plan is to bring them back together after the Heavenly Venerable Ceremony is over."
Having said that, Lu Yuan said:
"Once I return to Fengtian City, I'll have someone send you some immediately."
The old man yawned and stretched.
He walked towards the quiet room next door, and a sound came from there:
"I need toilets!"
Lu Yuan grinned. Hey, this old man, he said it twice already!
They're quite picky!
It was a little after 4 p.m.
In the Guandong region outside the Great Wall, it was already getting dark at 4:30 PM.
Lu Yuan boarded the carriage that had been arranged in advance and slowly made his way towards Fengtian City.
The carriage creaked and groaned as it traveled along the twilight-shrouded official road.
The old horse pulling the cart puffed out white steam, its hooves making a monotonous sound.
Inside the carriage, Lu Yuan wrapped his cotton-padded coat tightly, leaned against the bumpy carriage wall, and closed his eyes to rest.
The old man's sharp rebuttal and the cold, cruel truth it contained echoed repeatedly in my mind.
When objects gain spiritual power, resentment gathers, resentment returns to its source, and yin and yang are reversed...
Each word weighed heavily on my heart.
Lu Yuan understood that the old man was right.
My previous thoughts were indeed too naive and ardent.
I was almost blinded by the exceptional nature of the "Goddess of Beauty" and overlooked the inherent danger and difference of Qingwan.
"You can't rush it... You can't force it..."
As Lu Yuan pondered these two words, the flame that had ignited in his heart because of the example of the "Goddess of Beauty," eager to find the "right path" for Qingwan, was gradually replaced by rationality and a touch of helpless clarity.
But the obsession with doing something for her did not die out.
They simply calmed down and became more specific, first dealing with the curse of the talisman, and then seeking a way to replenish the soul.
After Lu Yuan finished sorting out all these matters, things seemed to be back on track.
The first thing is to make Zhenlong Temple famous.
It attracts more and more worshippers.
If we can help the old man obtain the title of "Celestial Venerable" this time, then the name of Zhenlong Temple will resound throughout Fengtian City! At that time, who in Fengtian City wouldn't want to come to the Taoist temple where the Celestial Venerable resides to offer incense and pray for blessings?
It has been a hundred years since the Celestial Venerable was stationed in Fengtian City.
The last time was a hundred years ago, with the abbot of Baiyun Temple.
Speaking of Baiyun Temple, Lu Yuan thought that the Baiyun Temple in Fengtian City had collapsed and gone out of business.
Is it possible that Zhenlong Temple could be moved to the vicinity of Fengtian City?
After thinking about it carefully, I'll pass.
With the current manpower of Zhenlong Temple, it's really impossible to handle a place as large as Fengtian City.
If they try to forcibly recruit Taoists, trouble is bound to ensue.
Take it one step at a time, slowly.
It was past 10 p.m.
In his drowsy state, Lu Yuan heard the coachman outside knocking on the door frame and whispering:
"Master Daoist~"
"Master Lu Yuan~"
Ok?
Lu Yuan woke up groggily.
The driver lifted the curtain, and a head poked in, grinning as he looked at him.
"Master, we've arrived at Qujia Town. Shall we stop and get something to eat, rest a bit, and then continue our journey?"
Lu Yuan ate before leaving and slept halfway through the journey.
But the driver had been driving the carriage outside since the afternoon, and was naturally cold and hungry at the moment.
Lu Yuan immediately nodded and smiled:
"Okay, let's eat something hot, it's on me."
As soon as Lu Yuan spoke, the driver waved his hands repeatedly:
"No, no, if anyone should be paying, it should be me treating you!"
Lu Yuan was taken aback.
He thought the driver was just being polite.
After all, normally, if a driver takes his employer to a place and the journey is long, the employer is expected to treat him to meals along the way.
Even if it wasn't out of politeness, it was mostly because of his status as a Taoist priest.
Lu Yuan was certainly not the kind of person who would take advantage of his status.
After getting off the bus, he looked around.
Qujia Town is quite lively.
Although there's an old saying that the New Year celebrations begin well before the end of the first lunar month, for the working class, once the seventh or eighth day of the first lunar month is over, they should go back to work. If they wait until the end of the first lunar month to start work, they'll go hungry.
There is a post station in Qujia Town.
It is a place specifically for passing vehicles to rest and eat.
Lu Yuan glanced around and saw that there were quite a few delicious things to eat.
They have everything from wontons and big meat noodles to hot pot and even mutton hot pot.
"Come on, let me treat you to a hot pot."
After getting off the carriage, I waited for the driver to stop it.
Lu Yuan rubbed his hands together and breathed on them.
The driver was taken aback.
The next second, he patted his chest and shouted:
"No, Taoist Priest!"
"I have to treat you to this meal!"
This?
Lu Yuan looked at the coachman with some surprise.
Hey……
This isn't like giving out red envelopes during Chinese New Year, why all the fuss about declining three times!
If you keep yelling, you'll really get what's coming to you!
Lu Yuan grinned, about to insist that he would treat everyone.
The coachman suddenly stared at Lu Yuan's face, his eyes lighting up as if he had thought of something.
He quickly shouted:
"Master Lu, it's me!"
"You forgot??"
"Around this time last year, you saved my little girl's life at my house!"
ha? ?
Lu Yuan stared blankly at the eager coachman in front of him.
A thick cotton curtain hangs at the entrance of the hot pot restaurant.
As soon as the lid was lifted, steaming white vapor mingled with the rich aroma of mutton soup, and the warmth of the charcoal fire rushed out, instantly dispelling the chill of the winter night. The restaurant was bustling with activity, full of the lively atmosphere of a smoky feast.
Coachmen on their way, shrewd merchants, and idlers from the town gathered around a few greasy square tables, some slurping up hot soup noodles, others dipping thin slices of meat in small copper pots, creating a noisy and lively scene.
Lu Yuan and the driver finally managed to find an empty table in the corner and sit down.
The driver was a man in his thirties, his face etched with the dark red of the elements, his hands large and rough with prominent knuckles, and the cuffs of his cotton-padded jacket worn smooth and shiny.
Before Lu Yuan could speak, he quickly ordered the food.
"One pound of mutton, sliced thinly!"
"A plate of frozen tofu, a plate of cabbage, and some braised glass noodles!"
"Boss, a pot of strong liquor, please!"
The small copper pot over charcoal was quickly served, the clear soup bubbling and bubbling under the licking of the charcoal fire, its aroma filling the air.
The driver quickly prepared a bowl of sesame sauce and chive blossom sauce for Lu Yuan, and then prepared one for himself as well.
After doing all this, he rubbed his calloused hands, his eyes, slightly red from the rising steam, fixed intently on Lu Yuan. His voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.
"Master Lu, you really don't remember me?"
He leaned forward slightly and added urgently:
"Last spring! In Zhuanglitun, under that old locust tree at the west end! The family with the three mud-brick houses!"
"My little girl, Chunni! She was only seven years old then!"
Lu Yuan was taken aback by his enthusiasm, carefully examining his face and racking his brains for the answer.
Zhuanglitun...
I have a vague impression of this place name.
Lu Yuan could only answer somewhat awkwardly:
"I think... I vaguely remember it."
I actually have no recollection of it at all.
Little did they know that this polite remark would set off a fuse.
The driver slapped his thigh excitedly, and started talking non-stop, gesturing as he added slices of mutton to the boiling soup with trembling hands.
"You must remember now!"
"Back then, my Chunni was acting strangely!"
"She's listless during the day, but at night she points to the corner and cries, saying an old lady in a red coat wants to take her away!"
"You're burning hot, talking nonsense!"
"The town doctor gave the child several doses of medicine, but it was completely useless. The child's face turned ashen, and he was about to pass out!" "The village chief found a wandering Taoist priest, and good heavens, he demanded eighteen yuan right off the bat, not a penny less! Where was I supposed to get that kind of money?" "Right then, you and your two junior brothers passed by my house..."
At this point, a hint of guilt appeared on the rough old man's face, and he scratched his head sheepishly.
"To be honest, and I'm not afraid to say this, you're so young, I honestly don't believe it..."
"If I really didn't have to pay those eighteen yuan, I would never have dared to invite you."
Upon hearing this, a long-buried memory finally became clear in Lu Yuan's mind.
Yes, that's true.
At that time, he had only recently come down from the mountain, and he had no reputation or prestige. When he went to work for someone, people looked at him with scrutiny and suspicion. If it weren't for having no other choice, or because they were attracted by his low prices, no one would be willing to hire a young, inexperienced Taoist priest.
In order to establish the reputation of Zhenlong Temple, he took on jobs during that period with low pay, and sometimes even for free.
And if they encounter someone in real need along the way, they have to pay out of their own pocket a few cents for medical expenses.
The purpose is to build a reputation and make others remember their good deeds.
Looking back now, what we did back then was definitely worthwhile.
"That's incredible!"
The driver slapped his thigh again, his voice rising eight octaves, making the wine bowls on the table vibrate.
"The night after you left, Chunni didn't cry or make a fuss at all; she slept like a log!"
"The fever was completely gone by the next morning!"
"Give her a few more days, and she'll be running around everywhere again, like a little wild girl!"
He picked up a large piece of freshly cooked, steaming mutton with his chopsticks and stuffed it into Lu Yuan's bowl without saying a word.
His voice was already heavily nasal and somewhat choked up.
"Master Lu, what our family will never forget is what happened next!"
"My wife thought she should thank you somehow, so she packed twenty eggs that she had saved up at home and scraped together ten yuan to send to you at the temple."
"You absolutely refuse to accept it!"
"You said, 'It's good that the child is better. You're not exactly well-off either, so take the money back and buy the child some good food to help them recover!'"
"That's not all..."
The driver's eyes were completely red, and his voice was terribly hoarse.
"You...you even took two yuan out of your own pocket and insisted on giving it to my wife."
"You said, 'My child was sick and is weak, so I went to the pharmacy to get two doses of Codonopsis pilosula and Astragalus membranaceus to make a soup to replenish his energy...'"
A man in his thirties, by the end of his story, was so overwhelmed that he could hardly continue, as if he were about to cry.
Lu Yuan was also somewhat moved, and quickly waved his hand, saying:
"It's good that the child is alright, it's all over now, eat meat, eat meat."
The driver wiped his eyes hard, picked up his wine bowl, stood up, and toasted Lu Yuanyi to the very end.
"Master Lu, I'm a rough man and don't know how to say nice things, but my whole family will remember your kindness and virtue for a lifetime!"
"Later, I went to Zhenlong Temple to offer incense several times, but they all said you were out working and they didn't see you."
"From then on, the incense burner in my house was dedicated to Zhenlong Temple. I would tell everyone I met that Master Lu of Zhenlong Temple was a truly capable living immortal!" After saying that, he gulped down the strong liquor in the bowl, exhaled a long breath of alcohol, and a sigh appeared on his face.
"It's quite a coincidence, I just returned from leading a group to Fengtian City to offer jade beans to Zhenlong Temple."
"I just got home when I heard that Zhenlong Temple was looking for a car to go to Fengtian City, so I rushed over."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan felt a warmth in his heart, and then asked curiously:
"Go to Fengtian City to throw jade beans?"
Upon hearing this, the driver's face, which had just calmed down, instantly regained its temper, and he curled his lip.
"hold head high!"
"Isn't it supposed to be the Heavenly Venerable Ceremony? We who have received your favors are all thinking of going to offer you jade beans."
"As soon as I heard the news, I immediately took a whole carload of people to Fengtian City, and then... damn it!!"
People say this is some bullshit "public opinion period," not a "voting period"...
"I don't understand either, but they just won't let me submit it! They said I have to wait until the 6th of next month!"
Hearing this, Lu Yuan couldn't help but sigh that this old man was truly an honest person.
Before he could even say thank you, the driver took another gulp of wine, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of resentment:
"Because of this ridiculous matter, Fengtian City is practically in chaos!"
"The village chief of Qingniu Village alone led several hundred people, and they're all making a scene in front of the city hall!"
"There are several other villages too. Several thousand people have gone there in the last two days, and it's causing quite a commotion!" Lu Yuan: "???"
The driver was still cursing:
"Those people are crazy, aren't they? They're all here, so just let them vote first!"
"We villagers aren't like those city people; going to the city is such a hassle for us!"
"It's so cold in winter, all this running around is unbearable for the elderly and children!"
Lu Yuan: .…….…”
The next second, after regaining his senses, Lu Yuan turned directly to the waiter beside him and said:
"Two more pounds of mutton and half a pound of hand-pulled noodles, please."
Having said that, Lu Yuan turned to the coachman in front of him and quickly said:
"Uncle, this meal is on me, don't argue!"
"You don't earn money easily either."
"Let's finish eating quickly, then stop resting and get on our way."
"I slept well for the first half of the night. I'll drive the horses from now on, and we'll take turns. We should try to get to Fengtian City by tomorrow morning."
Good heavens!
If we don't go quickly, things are really going to fall apart!