The light of the sword is like the moon reflecting on Kyushu

Chapter 2017 Golden Grass

The elderly Tibetan man was named Hasang, and his face bore the marks of time.

Feng Jiuxiao raised his wine cup and drank a cup with the old man.

The liquor was Jiannanchun, brought from Wenchuan. Wenchuan's local liquor, "Wenchuan Chun," was the best-selling, but Feng Jiuxiao was willing to pay double the price to buy some Jiannanchun. This was because Jiannanchun was a tribute liquor.

The fact that it could be used as tribute wine at least indicates that its quality is extraordinary!

Those who drank the tribute wine were either the emperor, royalty, or the emperor's favorite ministers—because they were favorite ministers, they had more opportunities to taste the palace's fine wines!
Therefore, any wine that can be included in the list of tribute wines must be of excellent quality. That's why Feng Jiuxiao's carriage was full of fine wines.

The Tibetan elder swallowed a mouthful, and a line of fire shot from his throat to his abdomen, as if he had swallowed a stream of fire; his entire esophagus seemed to be on fire!
That's strong liquor!

It tastes so much better than highland barley wine!
The Tibetan elder exhaled a long breath, seemingly amazed by the intense aroma of the wine. "Now you can tell me your name, right?"

Feng Jiuxiao laughed and said, "Does the old man really need to know my name?"

The Tibetan elder's deep gaze revealed a hint of fortitude. "I'm not usually one to make friends, but you're one of the few people who have piqued my interest! If you're unwilling to tell me, I can only watch helplessly." He then revealed a touch of melancholy.

Feng Jiuxiao thought to himself: This old fox is indeed very slippery! We've only met by chance, who would open their heart to him? Your feigned kindness is nothing more than trying to build a good relationship! As for who I am, it's completely unimportant! After tonight, will you ever see me again in this lifetime? I refuse to believe that even if I tell you my name tonight, you can't do anything to me!

He smiled calmly, "My name is Feng Jiuxiao!"

The Tibetan elder clasped his hands in greeting: "I have long admired your name! I am Hassan!"

In fact, Feng Jiuxiao had already heard the old man introduce himself when Pang Shiwu struck up a conversation with him; he was just repeating it now!

Feng Jiuxiao asked, "Uncle Hassan, how many yaks did you use to carry your things on this trip?"

Hassan said, "Seventy heads!"

"What are they mainly?"

"Saffron, cordyceps, Tibetan carpets, Kunlun jade, and of course some yak jerky, Qaidam goji berries and the like."

Pang Shiwu interjected, "Does 'Cordyceps' refer to Cordyceps sinensis?"

Hassan said, "That's right!"

Pang Shiwu asked, "Brother, I've heard of cordyceps. Why is it called cordyceps? It looks like a worm."

Feng Jiuxiao said, "Its full name is Cordyceps sinensis. Can you guess why it's called Cordyceps sinensis?"

Pang Shiwu's eyes flickered. "Winter insects...like to eat summer grass?" Seeing that Feng Jiuxiao didn't react, he immediately realized that he was wrong. "Could it be...that winter insects...and summer grass?"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "It's not just similar, it's... it is!"

Pang Shiwu was taken aback: "Insects in winter, grass in summer?"

Hassan suddenly laughed, and the two young men beside him laughed along with him.

Pang Shiwu did not understand why Hassan was laughing.

Hassan laughed and said, "Let me tell you a story about a family member who recommended someone!"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "I'm all ears!"

Chili was eating grilled meat when she became interested and started listening intently.

Hassan said, “Legend has it that long ago, when Guru Padmasambhava came to Tibet to spread the Dharma, he saw that the people of the plateau were suffering from cold and lung disease. So he inserted his vajra into the snow mountain and chanted mantras to bless it. In an instant, the snow on the mountaintop melted, and countless golden ‘cordyceps’ sprouted from the ground. The master explained: This is the manifestation of Bodhicitta. It lies dormant in winter like an insect and grows as grass in summer. It can cure the physical ailments of all beings and also heal the poison of the heart.”

Feng Jiuxiao, Yuan Zishan, and the others secretly repeated: "This is the manifestation of Bodhicitta. It lies dormant in winter like an insect and grows as grass in summer. It can cure the physical ailments of all beings and also heal the poisons of the heart. This Guru Padmasambhava is indeed a compassionate bodhisattva."

Hassan's weathered voice rang out again: "Of course, there's more than one legend. The Epic of King Gesar records that when the hero Gesar was conquering the Demon Kingdom, the mane of his white lion horse scattered on the snow. The following spring, the mane transformed into cordyceps, which, when eaten by the soldiers, gave them immense strength. The epic sings: 'The lion horse's golden mane fell on the snowy plain, where cordyceps grows, divine grace prevails; brave warriors eat it and defeat ten thousand enemies, the old and weak consume it and gain immortality!'"

With beef dangling from his mouth, Chili asked indistinctly, "Who is King Gesar?"

Hassan smiled. He really enjoyed being consulted. Many of his young men were former servants who didn't even have the courage to speak to him; they'd been incredibly bored the whole way.

Seeing the mischievous girl in red staring at him with wide eyes, Hassan laughed and said, "This person is amazing; his stories could go on for three days and three nights!"

Chili laughed and said, "Then let's get to the main points."

Hassan laughed, “Good! King Gesar is the greatest hero of our Tibetan people! Legend has it that he was the third son of the White Brahma King, and seeing the rampant demons and suffering of the people, he volunteered to reincarnate and subdue them. Guru Padmasambhava prophesied that a golden-armored hero would be born in Ling Kingdom, wielding a divine spear and riding on lightning, to unify the snowy land. That's him.” Chili was about to speak when Yuan Zishan covered her mouth and whispered, “Are you about to say—why are we talking about Guru Padmasambhava again?”

Chili pepper stared with her innocent, big eyes and nodded!

Yuan Zishan said, "You listen first, otherwise when will this Gesar epic be finished? When will we be able to get back to the topic of cordyceps?"

Chili blinked, indicating that she understood.

Yuan Zishan immediately let go, and Chili herself covered her mouth!
Yuan Zishan gently poked the chili pepper's forehead with her finger and said with a doting smile, "Aren't you going to swallow the meat in your mouth?"

Hassan, oblivious to Yuan Zishan and Chili's subtle movements, continued, "When Gesar was born, it is said that a rainbow appeared in the sky and the earth shook! His mother, Gom, dreamed of a white lion entering her womb, and then gave birth to him in a tent. The baby could speak immediately upon birth, holding a stone spear that fell from the sky, and was covered in golden light, startling all directions!"

Zeng Yongdao said, "Indeed, every legendary hero is born amidst extraordinary celestial phenomena!"

Hassan said, “Now that I’ve told you about his birth, let me tell you about his upbringing. Gesar was called ‘Jue Ru’ in his childhood. Due to the persecution of his uncle Chao Tong, he and his mother were forced to wander in the wilderness and make a living by herding sheep. He often used his divine power to help the herders, such as subduing the man-eating black bear demon and turning stones into sheep, gradually revealing his divinity!”

Feng Jiuxiao looked up and saw the sky full of twinkling stars. He wondered if there were any gods watching over the mortal world from beyond the Nine Heavens!

Hassan said, "Later, the Ling Kingdom held a grand horse racing competition, and the winner would become the new king. Jue Ru rode a thin Jiang Ga Pei Bu and ultimately made a comeback to win the championship. Later, everyone learned that the thin horse that Nei Tui rode was actually a celestial horse in disguise!"

Hassan's gaze, illuminated by the flames, revealed genuine reverence. "At the coronation, he revealed his true form—shining in golden armor, wearing the crown of victory, and officially becoming—Gesar, the Lion King of Jambudvipa!"

He paused, his gaze deep, "Next, let me tell you about his war against the demons and monsters, and his unification of the snowy region! First, he destroyed the Northern Demon King Ruzan. The Northern Demon King Ruzan had a human body and a bull's head, and he ate children! Next, he destroyed the White Tent King of Hor. The White Tent King of Hor plundered the Ling Kingdom and abducted his queen, Zhu Mu. Then he destroyed the King Sadan of the Jiang Kingdom and the King Xinchi of the Men Kingdom. The King Xinchi of the Men Kingdom was the most powerful; he could control an army of zombies!"

Feng Jiuxiao's expression suddenly changed: "What? Controlling a zombie army?"

Hassan said, "Not bad! Impressive, right?"

Feng Jiuxiao exclaimed, "Impressive!" Zeng Yong noticed his absent-mindedness and knew he was thinking of the White Bone Commander and the Corpse-Controlling General of the Demonic Sect! Weren't these two demonic generals also skilled in "driving bones and controlling corpses"? Could it be... that Jiuxiao believed this evil technique of the Demonic Sect originated from the legendary Xin Chi Demon Kingdom?

Hassan continued, "Every time Gesar vanquished a demon, he would build a stupa or monastery. Tibetan Buddhism regards him as a guardian deity—on par with Mahakala—and says that his conquests were actually—using force to transform sentient beings. In his later years, Gesar passed the throne to his nephew and returned to the heavens. Before leaving, he buried his sacred sword, armor, mirror, and other artifacts in the veins of the snow-capped mountains, prophesying: 'If sentient beings encounter great calamities in the future, they can dig up these treasures and call my name again!'"

Zeng Yongdao said, "If the legend is true, I'm afraid quite a few people will go digging for treasure, right?"

Pang Shiwu said, "Of course! The sword is invincible, the armor is unbreakable, and the mirror seems to be a demon-slaying artifact. If it were used to reflect people, they might melt away with a single glance. It would be an absolutely invincible existence. Who wouldn't want to dig it up?"

A young man next to Hassan suddenly said, "You must not disrespect the gods!"

Pang Shiwu laughed and said, "How have I been disrespectful?"

The Tibetan young man braced himself and said, "We mortals cannot covet divine artifacts left behind by the gods!"

Pang Shiwu laughed and said, "Silly boy, King Gesar himself said that if all living beings encounter great calamities in the future, they can dig up this treasure and call my name again."

The Tibetan young man said, "That means that this treasure can only be unearthed when all living beings encounter great calamity!"

Pang Shiwu laughed and said, "It seems you're living a very happy life now, without encountering any major disasters!"

The young man suddenly stopped talking!
He had only offered a friendly reminder because he felt the Han Chinese boy didn't seem particularly respectful to their King Gesar. He had already taken a huge risk! He was just a serf, his life entirely in Hassan's hands! Hassan wasn't his master; he had been rented from his master for five taels of silver! Although it was a rental, Hassan had the right to whip him during the lease period!
He glanced at Hassan and saw a hint of a smile between his brows, which he could hardly believe!
Hassan said, “Now that we’ve talked about King Gesar, let’s move on to our cordyceps! There’s a third legend about cordyceps: Once upon a time, a shepherdess knelt before the mountain god for a hundred days to save her critically ill lover. The mountain god transformed her into a ‘half-insect, half-herb’ being, instructing her to hibernate and gather strength in winter, and to offer medicine to save lives in summer. Her lover recovered after eating it, while the girl was forever absorbed into the permafrost of the plateau, reborn year after year.”

Chang Zijing suddenly felt a pang in her heart, as if she had sensed something, and her eyes welled up with tears! The girl in the story was so much like her own fiancé, sacrificing herself for the sake of others...

Hassan said, “There is another legend that cordyceps is a pact between the gods and the earth spirits! The Bon scripture, the Ten Thousand Dragons Sutra, records that cordyceps is a product of reconciliation after the battle between the heavenly dragon and the earth goddess—the essence of the heavenly dragon (the insect) and the energy of the earth goddess (the herb) merge to form a purifying medicine that nourishes both yin and yang. Before harvesting it, one must recite the Ambrosia Mantra, otherwise one will anger the mountain god!”

Yuan Zishan said quietly, "The essence of heaven and earth? There's actually such a saying?"

Hassan said, “There are also strict rules for collecting cordyceps. You can’t use iron tools to collect cordyceps; you have to dig it out with yak horns, and leave one-third of the cordyceps unharvested. There’s a proverb that says, ‘Cordyceps is the button of the mountain god; only by untying it can you see the true heart.’”

Chili couldn't help but ask, "What are the main benefits of cordyceps?"

Hassan laughed and said, "Cordyceps, along with saffron and snow lotus, are known as the three treasures of the snowy land, and they have miraculous effects in treating kidney deficiency and coughs and asthma! That's why many Han Chinese also call Cordyceps 'Golden Grass'!"

Chili gave an "oh." She was simple-minded, happily devouring her food, her expression unchanged. But Zeng Yong, Pang Shiwu, and the others exchanged glances, their eyes lowered, and remained silent.

Hassan laughed heartily, "Young people shouldn't think they're healthy just because they're young. They need to take supplements when they need them, otherwise it'll be too late to fix their bodies once they've damaged them!"

Only then did Chili realize what was going on. "Treating kidney deficiency? Miss, I remember the master once mentioned to his wife that his kidneys weren't doing so well and he needed to take some supplements. Why don't we buy them some?"

Yuan Zishan's face darkened. "Chili pepper, shut up!"

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