Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 873 Rehearsal
As I entered Baiyun Temple, I greeted the Taoist priests I happened to meet along the way. Before long, I was led into a large hall.

Today, all the high priests of Baiyun Temple were dressed in new clothes, all wearing dark blue Taoist robes, with the only difference being the Taoist hats they wore on their heads.

Those who wear the Hunyuan scarf belong to the Quanzhen School, while those who wear the Zhuangzi scarf belong to the Zhengyi School.

Master Liu was wearing a Taoist hat and a mantle, with two cloth strips trailing behind him.

However, the ceremony hasn't started yet, so everyone is wearing Taoist robes, not their ceremonial robes. The Taoists from other temples were only wearing casual clothes and are now busy changing into their robes.

Like ceremonial robes, Taoist robes are distinguished by color within Taoism to indicate different ranks, but this is not particularly strict. Generally speaking, novice Taoists can wear white or black robes, intermediate Taoists wear yellow robes, and "senior Taoists" with more experience and Taoist skills wear dark blue or navy blue robes.

Bright yellow, purple, red, and green are all colors used for religious robes and are generally not used to make Taoist robes.

The rules regarding Taoist robes are not strict. If a young Taoist priest wears a dark blue robe, no one will blame him, and no one will order him to take off his robe and change.

This color distinction is more of a conventional practice.

In comparison, the robes of the dharma are much more solemn and strict.

Junior Taoist priests wear green robes, intermediate priests wear red robes, senior priests wear cyan robes, and the highest-ranking priests in Taoism wear purple robes.

There is another very special type, which is above purple and also requires special attention: the yellow robe that Chen Fan wore.

This yellow robe is different from a yellow Taoist robe. A yellow Taoist robe represents the earth element in the Five Elements theory, so to be precise, it is earth yellow. It is generally worn by more senior intermediate Taoist priests. For example, Uncle Nine in Hong Kong movies often appears in a yellow Taoist robe and almost never wears a robe, let alone a purple or yellow robe.

This shows that Uncle Nine is just an ordinary mid-level Taoist priest in the Maoshan Sect, not yet in a high-level position.

In ancient times, yellow robes were a color reserved for contemporary celestial masters or living immortals bestowed with titles by the emperor. It represented the emperor's supreme status, hence the use of bright yellow, a color reserved for royalty, to highlight their nobility.

Aside from royalty, who else would dare to openly wear bright yellow?
Although modern society no longer has emperors, Taoism still vaguely adheres to this rule.

So, what kind of person is qualified to wear the yellow robe?
It's very simple, they have an "official position"!

He held a high position in Taoism and also held an official post... so he was certainly not a nobody.

This way, one would be qualified to don the yellow robes and experience the life of an ancient celestial master.

In the early years, it was a little better. Only the senior priests of the Taoist Association would wear yellow robes. Later, since no one cared, more and more people in the local area wore yellow robes, and the ancient Celestial Masters' nobility became commonplace.

However, at this time of year, the yellow robes are still quite eye-catching.

So when Master Liu saw Chen Fan take a purple robe from Lei Kongyun and put it on, he was quite surprised and went over to ask, "Junior brother, why aren't you wearing a yellow robe?"

Chen Fan flicked the sleeves of his robe and said with a smile, "You are the main characters today, what's wrong with me wearing a yellow robe?"

Seeing their reaction, Master Liu smiled and stopped insisting.

Anyway, the purple robes held almost the highest status within the sect. Apart from lacking "royal aura," they were otherwise quite similar, so let it be.

After putting on his Taoist robes and greeting the many high-ranking Taoist priests and abbots, Chen Fan, along with two young Taoist priests, huddled in a corner to watch the show.

Since the stormy weather passed, Taoism across the country has only held two Dharma assemblies. One was the opening ceremony of Chaoyang Temple, which was slightly more formal, as it involved worshipping all the gods in the sky. The other was a trip to the Zhou family to worship their ancestors, which was purely a "commercial activity" and not serious at all.

Both of these incidents were related to Chen Fan.

Today's Jade Emperor's Birthday Ceremony is Chen Fan's first time participating in a formal ceremony, and also his first time participating as a "supporting actor." Feeling relaxed, he couldn't help but find it quite interesting.

Just as he was craning his neck and looking left and right, Master Liu walked to the middle of the main hall, clapped his hands vigorously, and said, "Everyone's here! Since we still have time, let's rehearse one more time. Five minutes to prepare, five minutes to begin."

"Well, those going to Dongyue Temple, please enter first and get ready."

Chen Fan was taken aback. He looked at the departing Taoist priests, then turned back to Lei Kongyun and the other man. "Does the ceremony still need rehearsals?"

Lei Kongyun opened his mouth, his face full of confusion, not knowing how to reply.

Fortunately, Master Liu walked over at this moment, heard his words, and immediately said, "How novel! You think everyone is like you, able to sing, recite, act, and fight as they please?"

With so many people participating in the Dharma assembly, and the various rituals being so intricate, what if things get chaotic if we don't rehearse them several times?

Then he said to Lei Kongyun and the other person, "You two go and prepare too. As for your abbot, just have him stand aside later."

Lei Kongyun and Lei Kongfeng immediately performed a Taoist curtsy, lifted the hems of their Taoist robes, and ran off as if a tiger were chasing them.

Chen Fan shook his head repeatedly, "Not steady enough. And after practicing for almost a year, your foundation is still unstable. You must go back and practice more."

Master Liu pulled him away, saying, "Don't bother those kids anymore. Chaoyang Temple is busy with worldly affairs all day long, which is tiring enough. They also have to get up early and work late to practice. I feel tired just watching them."

Chen Fan didn't exert any force, letting him pull him along, while saying, "Children should practice more. Now that you're enduring the hardships of training, you'll be able to enjoy the blessings of becoming a living immortal in the future. Even if you can't reach the Transformation Realm or become an immortal, you'll still have strong muscles and bones, which is better than someone like you who can be blown over by a gust of wind."

Master Liu pulled him to another corner and said irritably, "I just have no interest in practicing martial arts. Otherwise, with the Qingwei Sect's thunder magic, I might be able to achieve the cultivation level of a True Person."

Chen Fan nodded without thinking, "Right, right. It's a pity you didn't practice."

Suddenly, Master Liu didn't want to talk to him anymore, so he changed the subject and said, "We arrived in the capital on the morning of the sixth day of the month. After returning and resting for a while, we started rehearsing that afternoon. This is the last time."

He pointed to the spot under his feet and said, “You can stand here from now on and not move at all. You can chant scriptures if you want, or offer praises if you want. If you’re too lazy to chant, you can just stand there, as long as you don’t bother anyone else.”

Chen Fan looked around and saw that everyone else was in groups of three or five, and there were also quite a few old Taoist priests dressed in colorful robes, carrying weapons in their hands. He couldn't help but wonder, "Am I all alone? Don't I need to cooperate with the others?"

Master Liu nodded and said, "Yes, just you. You don't need to cooperate with anyone else. I'm mainly afraid of messing up the rehearsed order."

Chen Fan immediately turned to look at him, "Huh?"

Master Liu gave an "uh" sound, "I mean, you're the only living immortal here, and you're from our Qingwei Sect, so of course I have to take care of you. With you standing here, you're truly unique!"

Chen Fan hesitated for two seconds, "Actually, senior brother, I have a good mental fortitude, you don't need to be so perfunctory."

The most crucial point is that they are perfunctory and don't put any effort into it.

Master Liu chuckled, then, noticing someone looking at him from a distance, quickly said, "I have to go oversee the rehearsal. You stay here and don't wander off." With that, he hurried away.

Chen Fan looked around and thought the location was pretty good. It was located to the side of the main hall, although it was quite far to the side. However, it was still relatively close to the Jade Emperor statue, almost parallel to the offering table. In terms of location, it was indeed the most "expensive" spot.

Alright, I'll stand here then.

Once he was in position, Master Liu suddenly shouted, "Ready? Three, two, one, begin!"

The next second, two rows of young Taoist priests appeared, each holding a different musical instrument and playing it as they walked.

And they were even lined up during the performance?
Chen Fan couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Why do they look like a military band? They're even posing as they walk?"

Master Liu, who was in the distance, couldn't help but glance at him. Seeing that he was sitting obediently and looked very composed, he nodded in satisfaction and then ignored him, focusing on observing the rehearsal.

These young Taoist priests, though said to be young, were actually about the same age as Chen Fan. Moreover, they had joined various Taoist temples before the Great Wind Day, and their basic skills were very proficient; otherwise, they wouldn't have been chosen as the ceremonial attendants to play music.

However, people have different fates. At the same age, they are still young Taoist priests who follow orders, while someone else can already stand in the place closest to the Jade Emperor and be respectfully called "True Man" by fellow Taoists.

The Taoist priest watched with great interest, while the young Taoist priests slowly lined up and finally settled in a certain spot on the side.

Then music started playing loudly.

A variety of musical instruments were on display, including sheng, xiao, dizi, cymbals, qing, bells, drums, pipa, erhu, zheng, guqin, castanets, and various other ritual implements. Judging from their setup, they were comparable to a symphony orchestra.

The only difference is that the symphony orchestra plays famous pieces, while what they played was "celestial music".

With Chen Fan's musical talent, he was already able to accurately understand the meaning of the music. When he heard this piece, he didn't know who composed it. Listening to it made him feel immersed in it, as if he was floating up into the clouds and suddenly arrived at the Lingxiao Palace.

After the music had been played for a while, Master Liu waved his hand, and two rows of Taoist priests dressed in various colored robes and wearing Taoist hats entered from behind the band, each holding a whisk, a jade ruyi, a scepter, a Bagua bell, and other ritual implements.

These Taoist priests walked and sang... they sang for real, but they weren't singing songs, but rather eulogies praising the Jade Emperor.

Accompanied by the band played by the young Taoist priests, the chanting was melodious and varied, creating a unique flavor.

Moreover, these Taoist priests didn't just stand there singing; they walked around singing, while also forming different formations.

They sometimes kneel, sometimes stand up, sometimes twirl gracefully, and sometimes suddenly prostrate themselves before the statue of the deity, then stand up and spread out their robes to dance.

Listening to solos and ensembles of various instruments and watching the Taoist priests perform rituals, chants, and martial arts, Chen Fan felt as if he were watching a movie in an immersive way.

Even 5D movies of later generations can't compare!

After watching for a while, even without anyone explaining, Chen Fan could figure out some of the tricks of the trade.

These bands didn't play randomly, and the Taoist priests didn't just move around haphazardly.

Instead, the two work closely together. When the bell rings, it is the red-robed monk's turn to appear and sing hymns of praise. When the chime rings, the green-robed monk comes out to perform the ritual steps.

After a chapter was completed, several high-ranking priests in purple robes, led by Master Liu, took up their scepters and went to the Jade Emperor statue. They performed the three kneelings and nine kowtows, and chanted various incantations over the scepters.

Throughout the entire ceremony, there was never a moment without music. Even the most ordinary recitations were melodious and followed the rhythm of the instruments, like singing.

Master Liu first recited the "Jade Emperor's Precious Proclamation," and after that, he chanted, "May the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, the Supreme God of the Mysterious Vault, live a long and prosperous life. May the Supreme God have compassion on all living beings, and spread divine light to illuminate the Dharma realm. May all beings in the six realms and the four saints enjoy the blessings of the Dao."

Above, I pray for peace and tranquility for my family and nation; below, I earnestly plead for protection of my life and salvation from calamities; to sweep away all misfortune, to shatter the iron-encircled mountains, to drain the bitter seas; to break through the great hell, to extricate me from heavy sins and suffering; to subdue the violent demons, to protect all lands; I beseech the Supreme God to unleash his seventeen divine lights, to cure all serious illnesses, to dispel all evil poisons, to drive away all wicked people, to destroy all ferocious beasts, to crush all evil paths, and to make all the heavens submit.

The other monks in purple robes took turns reciting other incantations.

By this time, more than an hour had passed without us realizing it.

But the calculations aren't finished yet.

Chen Fan watched as Master Liu and the others, along with other Taoist priests in their robes, walked out of the main hall and stood before an offering table outside. He couldn't help but exclaim, "This is longer than a movie!"

Then I saw the empty hall and suddenly realized, wait a minute, they've all gone out, and I'm still here?

He immediately looked at Master Liu, but Master Liu was too busy flattering the Jade Emperor to pay him any attention.

So what should I do now?

Chen Fan pondered silently, remembering his senior brother Liu's repeated instructions, and decided to stand still and watch the show in peace.

Including Master Liu, the three Taoist priests in purple robes took turns chanting scriptures for a long time before leading everyone to pay their respects and kowtow to the offering table.

Throughout the ceremony, Lei Kongyun and his companion, along with dozens of Taoist priests carrying banners representing their respective temples, chanted incantations while holding up the banners.

One thing that's alright is that they barely moved around, which must have saved them a lot of effort.

After the worship was completed, Master Liu led the senior priests back to the main hall, offered incense to the Jade Emperor statue, and a melodious chime sounded. Without anyone having to call them, the priests dispersed.

Chen Fan then realized that the sound of the chime meant the end of the event?
Before everyone had left, Master Liu clapped his hands and said loudly, "Good, the rehearsal just now was excellent. We'll follow that procedure from now on."

He then asked the others about their times and continued, "The auspicious time is almost here. The host should go outside and open the door to welcome all the invited pilgrims. Everyone else, please get ready. Once the auspicious time arrives, we will officially begin."

After finishing his work, he grabbed the teapot and took a few sips of water. Then he finally remembered that there was still one person he hadn't taken care of. He quickly wiped his mouth and ran over to Chen Fan, smiling, "Junior brother, how was our rehearsal?"

Chen Fan nodded. "Yeah, it looks pretty good."

He asked curiously, "Did you invite any pilgrims today?"

Master Liu smiled and said, “My Dharma assemblies usually have believers participating, otherwise it would be like performing a play behind closed doors. However, there aren’t many people here today. They are all old pilgrims who have been coming regularly since before the windy day. It is only right to inform them.”

After chatting with Chen Fan for a while, and seeing that the auspicious time was approaching, the Taoist priests and worshippers all took their places. Only then did Master Liu hurriedly give Chen Fan a few instructions before rushing off to preside over the ceremony.

(End of this chapter)