The weather is cold and there have been several heavy snowfalls. Looking at the mountains from Cuiyun Peak, the vast white snow has covered several mountaintops into silvery gray. The morning light casts down, forming a world of gold and silver, which is clean and dust-free, and is extremely beautiful.
, the majestic mountains and rivers suddenly looked a bit unreal.
The days of studying art in Shangqingguan have gradually become boring day after day from the novelty and fun at the beginning - two meals a day, chanting sutras in the morning and evening, practicing martial arts and meditating in the morning, doing some cleaning in the afternoon, drying grain and helping in the kitchen, etc.
All chores must be done in the living room after nightfall, and the toilet and defecation are all done in a wooden bucket with a lid in the corner of the room.
Occasionally, a Taoist would teach some chess, calligraphy and painting in the Jingshi, which was one of the few entertainment activities. Yang Chaoxi was quite familiar with the music scores of the zither, but Guan Huer and Niu Pang'er often fought for a long time guarding a chessboard. Only Sun
Hu Nianxi wrote a few big characters and drew two plum blossoms in front of the desk. The four Taoist boys each had their own interests, which was due to their childlike innocence.
Although Taoist priests have the obligation to take turns to know the guests, there are only a few pilgrims in the winter months. If one comes occasionally, the Taoist boy who is on duty to know the guests will feel like he has found a treasure. He opens the door warmly to welcome the pilgrims, offers incense to the pilgrims, worships the Taoist, and then leaves.
The master of the temple, Gongsun Zhenren, accompanied him and had a chat, whether it was simple talk, some divination, and even asked about topics such as yin and yang, prophecy, prediction, Qihuang, health preservation and other topics.
Yang Chaoxi, Guan Huer and others were sincerely convinced.
On this day, Master Changyuan took Yang Chaoxi with him and stood under an ancient tree behind the Taoist temple. He was reciting a passage from the "Tao De Zhen": "The five colors blind the eyes, the five tones make the ears deaf, the five tastes refresh the mouth, and the galloping tires
Hunting makes one's heart go crazy, and rare goods make one's journey difficult..." Yang Chaoxi imitated the master's example and chanted in a longer tone, and Master Changyuan nodded in approval.
Changyuan Zhenren has been known as a "child prodigy" since he was a child. However, he doesn't like political intrigues and is indifferent to fame. He feels that his Taoist heart has been damaged, and he has always been wandering on the edge of the court. Although he knew that this disciple had spiritual roots, he saw it with his own eyes.
A smart child is making rapid progress every day, just like seeing himself back then, and he feels really happy.
After Yang Chaoxi recited this passage, he eagerly asked Changyuan Zhenren what the explanation of the sutra was. Changyuan Zhenren looked at him who was thirsty for knowledge, smiled and slowly explained: "The colors in the world are dazzling, making it difficult to see clearly.
The truth is like a blind man. Silks, bamboos, gold, stones, and all kinds of music disturb people's minds, and they will not be able to hear the truth of warnings, and they will be like a deaf person. The sweet, sweet, bitter, spicy, and the taste of various foods make people indulge in it, but they cannot appreciate the grain.
Vegetables extend the nourishing virtues to people..."
"Master, if it is as you understand, then won't my disciple no longer have to go see mountains and trees? No more playing the harp and flute and ringing the bell? No more food?" Yang Chaoxi frowned and resisted asking.
road.
"Looking at color is only for awareness, but food is for food. How can it be black and white and biased? It's just the five tones, which should be tasted briefly and not indulged in. It should be noted that singing on silk and bamboo is a way to express your feelings.
Like wine, it can empathize with one's emotions, confuse one's emotions, and even do some extreme things, but it can be considered harmful..." Changyuan Master smiled, but his tone was already somewhat formal.
Yang Zhaoxi listened for a long time, but was not convinced, which was rare. Master Changyuan was surprised at first, and then smiled with relief, but he seemed to be a bit stupid, and what he just said was quite preachy, which was disappointing.
After understanding the Taoism, he twitched his beard and smiled and said: "Master is afraid that you will lose your ambition by playing with things, so I said this. But I was a little too hasty."
Yang Zhaoxi hurriedly bowed his hands and said, "Disciple, I don't dare to speak nonsense. I just heard from a few senior brothers that the master also knows some magic and magic, such as flying to the sky and the earth, soaring into the clouds and controlling the wind, etc., but he has never taught the disciple a single step."
Are you worried that the disciple will get into trouble, or that the master is hiding his clumsiness?" After finishing speaking, he felt that his words were stiff and slightly disrespectful. He was afraid that the master would be angry, so he quickly added, "It is a rare blessing for a disciple to meet his master, and he should not be greedy. It's just...
…It’s just that the other senior brothers have quite powerful Taoist skills, and my disciple is really jealous when he sees them.”
Master Changyuan stretched out his hand, patted Yang Zhaoxi on the head, and said with a smile: "You are a little kid! I can't complain a few words for you, but you can also be so successful and comprehensive, and it is a bit like the worldly nature of my teacher.
However, if you want to take it, you must first give it to you. It is okay if you want to be a teacher to teach you Taoism. But as a teacher, I want to see your foundation first so that I can know what you can learn.
Teach students in accordance with their aptitude.”
When Yang Zhaoxi saw that his master was going to test him, he immediately became interested. He took a wrong step and waved his palms, and practiced the two sets of boxing techniques he had learned since entering the temple. Changyuan Zhenren nodded and said with a smile: "The body and spirit are unified.
You have some Taoist charm, but your skills are still shallow and you cannot exert the power of your fists. I see that your fists and kicks are somewhat fierce. You must have practiced some other fists and kicks, right? Let me demonstrate it to my master."
Yang Zhaoxi was quite proud: "Before we went up the mountain, we all followed Guan Shibo and learned some boxing, kicking and marksmanship skills. Guan Shibo is also a person who knows martial arts well!" After finishing speaking, he played out several sets of capturing and killing boxing techniques in the army.
Although crude and crude, it is simple and practical. It is indeed some of the common fighting moves in the army. After Yang Chaoxi punched him, but it was not enough, he pulled out a branch about seven feet from the mountain and simply dealt with the side branches.
Then he pretended to be a spear and started playing with it like a tiger.
Although the winter snow has stopped, there are few people in the mountains. The snow is piled among the rocks and grass. Yang Chaoxi swept his spear, causing snow stars to scatter in all directions. He drew back the spear and made a deep mark in the snow, "Whoops"
After finishing playing with the spear, all the remaining snow within two feet of the surrounding area also suffered. After Yang Zhaoxi finished his attack, he threw the branch again, rubbed out a few hard snowballs on the ground, and ran out.
Six or seven feet tall, he stared at the ancient tree just now, threw it with his hands, and shouted: "Hit!" Several snowballs hit the trunk of the tree and shattered into snow flakes.
The clear light shines on the snow, and the shadows of the trees flow golden. Changyuan Zhenren stroked his beard with one hand, holding a light mist in his mouth, and said with a relaxed expression: "Not bad, not bad! His foundation is acceptable, he knows some fists, feet and marksmanship, and he can be considered a martial arts practitioner. But what he has learned is a little complicated.
, fell down again. Martial arts people all say, 'Practice boxing without practicing kung fu, and you will be in vain', but it is true. What I want to teach you as a teacher is the method of 'practicing kung fu'. Are you willing to learn it?"
Yang Chaoxi was so excited that she bowed her hands and said, "Disciple is willing to learn!"
Master Changyuan then sat down cross-legged on the snow and said slowly: "Exhale as the sky, inhale as the earth, the breaths are connected and cannot be detected. If you want to practice breathing, you must first sit cross-legged and calm down, so that your mind is not clear.
Waves. First exhale through the mouth, like spinning silk, and gradually exhaust it; then inhale through the nose, like winding silk, slowly and fully. When the air is full, stop. If you don’t inhale or exhale, recite the scripture silently in your heart. If you feel upset in your chest
, then the lips are slightly open, still like spinning threads, and the breath is extended. If you practice this diligently, the longer you recite the sutra silently in your heart, the more advanced your skill will be. Until the breath has the four qualities of "light, thin, continuous, and long",
Only when you come out less and come in more, and your hair doesn't move even when you blow your hair, can you be considered successful."
"Can you practice Kung Fu just by inhaling and exhaling like this?" Yang Chaoxi asked doubtfully after hearing this.
"If you use force to hit it, it will scratch the itch, just like your snowball. Although it hits the ball, it will break when it is strong, and it will not have much impact on the tree trunk. If you use Qi to blow it, the softness can control the hardness, even if it is strong.
Even if it is as hard as a tree trunk, it will be injured. Look -" After Chang Yuan said this, he also rolled out a snowball and threw it gently. In an instant, the snowball was like a huge stone hitting the tree trunk, and it hit the tree trunk.
The ancient trees were shaken by the vibration. Most of the residual snow that was perched on the branches fell to the bottom of the tree, forming a round white blanket.
Yang Zhaoxi ran to the tree and took a look. The snowball was embedded in the trunk of the tree more than a punch deep, but it was still intact! Looking up again, he saw that Master Changyuan had walked towards the temple, and his voice came from far away: "I will teach you these today.
If you want to succeed in your studies, you should work hard for a long time..."
It was a warmer night, and in the clear view, sparse snowflakes danced down, covering the courtyard in the dark night. The faint sound of flutes spread from the mountains, and the falling snow was silent.
However, he was paused by the sound of the flute, as if his mind was moved, and he suddenly became confused, like locusts crashing on the Cuiyun Peak. At the foot of the courtyard wall in eight directions in the Shangqing View, eight golden beams of light instantly flew out, in the courtyard.
They met in the sky and formed a pair of Tai Chi yin and yang fish. They rotated and chased each other, and then enveloped themselves in all directions, forming a barrier. The crazy snowflakes hit the barrier with a "ding-ding-dong-dong" sound, and it took a long time to disperse and return to normal.
Immortal Gongsun and Immortal Changyuan were already alarmed, and got up one after another and came to the courtyard. Immortal Changyuan listened to the melody of the flute, and felt a little calmer. He stopped Immortal Gongsun from preparing to ask people to set up a formation, and he raised his hands and said:
"Brother Gongsun Taoist, don't be surprised! It's an old friend who's visiting. There must be no ill intentions. I'll come back as soon as I go!" After saying that, he left the Taoist temple through the back door. He saw a jade flute lying in the air from a distance, and the tune came from the flute.
outgoing.
Master Changyuan laughed loudly and said: "An old friend is here to visit, why don't you show up and talk about it? Such a prank is a bit child's play." After saying this, no one responded, and the jade flute kept playing on its own. Master Changyuan felt a little helpless.
, and said, "In the past, I went there, and the willows lingered. Now I come to think about it, and the rain and snow are falling. The girl's song "Breaking Willows" is suitable for such weather, so I might as well show up and discuss it in detail."
"Little Taoist! How dare you talk to your peers about friendship? Is this how your Taoist Ye trained you?" The tone is gentle and ethereal, like the sound of a piano, shaking people's minds. And this "old friend" also emerged from the snow.
Her body was revealed, all white, with buns and buns, but her stature was not as graceful and luxurious as that of the prosperous dynasty. Instead, she was a bit thin and cold, but she was a woman with a stunning appearance.
"The girl's Taoism is profound, and she is also good at all kinds of skills. Xiaodao has always admired her. People who practice Taoism are not bound by these longevity, body, and seniority. Besides, girls are spiritual beings, so why should they take advantage of corrupt Confucianism?
Isn't it unworthy of me to come to question and accuse?" Master Changyuan was not embarrassed and answered calmly.
"My surname is Liu, you have known it since you were a child. Calling me Senior Liu doesn't count as bullying you. I won't use your quick talk today, but I came here because of the vision a few years ago -
- Tongyun transformed into an inscription, and Qi penetrated the rainbow. It was rumored in the three realms that the sign of the birth of the 'Chosen Son' appeared in Luo City, but I don't know who of the children answered this prophecy?" The girl surnamed Liu no longer cares about the minutiae.
After getting entangled, change the subject and get down to business.
Master Changyuan smiled and said: "The girl has been in Taoism for a hundred years, but she still has such obsession. Although Xiaodao feels that it is not worth it, she also admires it very much. However, even though I have been traveling around Luoyang in the past few years, I have seen some people with good spiritual roots.
Children, but I don't know how this 'Chosen One' can prove his true identity, so I have to use some stupid methods of 'better wrong than wrong' to take care of these possible children. I don't know if I can really help the girl like this?"
Miss Liu said proudly: "Since he is the 'Chosen Son', he naturally waits for Heaven to verify his true identity. The 'Chosen Son' is not much different from ordinary people, but he has slightly better spiritual roots and can turn disaster into good luck.
.If you die young, what's the use of being the 'Chosen One'?" After saying this, he looked at Master Changyuan meaningfully, "Although you were a Taoist boy under Master Luofu back then,
But despite his talents, he was also said to be the 'Chosen Son', but now he has been 'proven'?"
Master Changyuan smiled bitterly and said: "Girl, please stop making fun of me. My teacher Master Luofu also once said, 'The chosen son of heaven must cultivate the Tao with great pains to receive God's blessing before he can enter the gate of Xuanfei.' It can be seen that to achieve the Tao, all need self-cultivation.
, not a natural thing. Although I have practiced Taoism for many years, I still think that the day when I will achieve Taoism is still far away."
"You are neither arrogant nor impetuous, and you are somewhat self-aware." After Miss Liu finished speaking, she took out the snowball embedded in the tree trunk, "It's just that when you preach and teach, you are too arbitrary! I'm afraid you might mislead others.
He’s a son.”
Master Changyuan burst into laughter: "Naughty Taoist boys cannot be taught by ordinary methods. What I am confused about is that your spiritual race also has a 'Chosen Son', so why are you looking far away from the near and looking for this Chosen Son in my human race?
?Could it be that you want to find a Taoist partner so that you can practice together?"
Miss Liu was slightly angry when she heard this, but she was not shy at all: "A demon is a demon, so there is no need to resort to such rhetoric. We, the demon tribe, have always behaved magnanimously. We will save people when we save them, repay kindness when we repay kindness, do evil when we do evil, and kill when we kill."
, there is nothing to hide. We are both cultivators, and there is no distinction between monsters, but your human race is deep-minded, good at guessing, hesitant and cunning, but it is even more so than the monster race. I am just curious and want to compare, the monster race's heaven
How are the Chosen Sons different from the human race?"
Master Changyuan put away his casual demeanor and said seriously: "Although you and I are from different races, we can help each other on some things, and each has his own place, which is a rare friendship. From this point of view, all things are the same, and humans and monsters are actually the same.
There is no big difference." Seeing that Miss Liu was silent, he smiled again and said, "A few years ago you taught me the "Sword Song of Ru Shui" and made it pass down to the world. Although it is inconvenient for me to go into it, it is the same as the Jianghu grassland.
Like many people, I am a little curious. Is there really such a 'water-like sword' in the world?"
Miss Liu smiled sweetly, with a bit of unpredictable cunning: "The sword is just like the Tao. If you believe it, you have it, if you don't believe it, you don't have it. Besides, is it really that important if you have it or not?" After Miss Liu finished speaking, her figure changed.
Gradually it becomes transparent until it disappears, leaving a few scattered bursts of snow to sweep the ancient trees into the cold night.