Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 10: Jinhua Jue
Taiyi River,

Lü Shang sat on the ground. It was already autumn, and the mountains were gradually becoming bleak. The autumn wind blew, and red maple and ginkgo leaves fluttered, landing on the clear Taiyi River, creating ripples.

He looked at the scenery of Mount Zhongnan and gradually became lost in thought. The mountain stream gurgled, making a clear echo. Not far away, the Gaoguan Waterfall cascaded down from a height, splashing up a misty mist. The water vapor from the waterfall spread out, making the surrounding air moist, and his breathing became more fresh and natural.

Over the past year, Lü Shang has traveled extensively throughout Zhongnan, making his home in caves amidst the pine and cypress valleys. He has experienced the precipitous heights of Cuihua Mountain and witnessed the sea of ​​clouds at sunrise and sunset. Although he hasn't encountered a true immortal, he feels his year has been well spent, as his mind and character have improved significantly compared to before.

He made birds and beasts his friends, and nature his teacher. Suddenly, his mind broadened, and he began to perceive the world with a new appreciation, leading to a new understanding of the Daoist scriptures. While these insights might not translate into true magical powers, Lü Shang's intuition told him they would be of great benefit to his future.

Just as Lü Shang was mesmerized by the beauty of Mount Zhongnan and the natural splendor, an old woodcutter wearing a conical hat and looking vigorous was walking leisurely along the upper reaches of the Taiyi River.

The old woodcutter had white hair and beard, wore coarse linen clothes, carried a backpack, and had an axe for chopping wood slung over his waist. He walked with an upright posture and his steps were brisk and neat.

When he got close to Lu Shang, the old woodcutter stopped leisurely, looked at Lu Shang who was still unmoved by external things, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

Then, the old woodcutter threw down his backpack, took out his axe from his waist, looked at the surrounding scenery, and nodded with satisfaction.

“It’s a really good place.

The old woodcutter stroked his beard, pointed to the pine and cypress trees beside him, and said with a smile: "Especially this pine and cypress, wow, it's growing so well."

As he spoke, the old woodcutter rolled up his sleeves, revealing his skinny arms, and grinned, "It must be top-quality firewood if used for firewood."

After saying that, the old woodcutter walked into the pine and cypress forest with an axe, selected a green pine, held the axe handle tightly with both hands, and chopped the trunk hard.

click!
The axe blade fell heavily on the tree trunk, making a dull chopping sound.

"Accompanying the mountains and forests, watching the universe, and living a free life. Riding on the green phoenix, traveling all over the world. Returning with a smile, living the same life. The axe is broken, but the chess game is not over yet, looking back at the broken axe. It is deep spring, the peach blossoms are in full bloom, where can I find the spiritual raft?" The old woodcutter chopped wood while singing "Mantingfang" aloud.

This a cappella singing voice immediately attracted Lu Shang's attention.

In this mountainous area, it is quite rare for an old woodcutter to be able to sing such unconventional lyrics.

Lu Shang turned around and looked at the old woodcutter with great interest. When the old woodcutter finished singing, he stepped forward and said with a smile, "Sir, your poem Man Ting Fang has a fairy-like quality. It is indeed a rare and fine poem."

"Hahaha!!"

Facing Lu Shang's praise, the old woodcutter laughed heartily but said, "What's so special about being immortal? I don't understand that. I only know how to work from sunrise to sunset, selling firewood and drinking wine. I don't know how to scheme or scheme, I don't care about honor or disgrace, I live a peaceful and peaceful life, and I sleep until dawn."

Seeing that the old woodcutter's speech was unusual and not like that of an ordinary mountain woodcutter, Lu Shang immediately became alert.

"The old gentleman has such insight, which makes the younger generation look at him with new eyes."

The old woodcutter said, "Young Master, you are too kind. What knowledge can a mere old man have? I have simply lived longer, met more people, and experienced more things. The more you see and experience, the more you can see things more clearly."

"However, I see that the young master has a remarkable appearance and thinks he is an extraordinary person. Why doesn't he enter the government, perhaps to govern the country, or to bring peace to the people, and realize his ambitions, but instead waste his years in Zhongnan?"

Even though Lu Shang was wearing a tattered Taoist robe, his innate nobility could not be concealed in any way, so the old woodcutter asked this question.

In response, Lu Shang said softly: "I am not interested in a career in politics."

The old woodcutter understood and nodded, saying, "It's fine if you don't have that ambition. The bureaucracy is full of right and wrong, vying for fame and fortune, all of which kill without bloodshed. Young Master may not be suited to such a lifestyle."

"However, young sir, you are still young. It would be a waste of your best years to live in seclusion in Zhongnan. Even if you don't want to enter the officialdom, you don't have to give up the prosperous world. It is better to mingle in the secular world than to live in isolation in the mountains, braving the wind and rain and enduring the frost."

Lu Shang confessed, "When I entered the mountains, I swore a vow that I would not leave Zhongnan unless I could fulfill my wish. That vow is still ringing in my ears, how can I break it?"

He just didn't believe that he couldn't find the hidden immortal in Zhongnan. If he couldn't find it in one year, then ten years would be enough. If he couldn't find it in ten years, then a hundred years would be enough.

The old woodcutter muttered: "Young man, you are so stubborn."

"well,"

After chopping for a while, the old woodcutter glanced at the sun and sighed, "I'm old! I'm old! The older you get, the less useful you become. I've been chopping for so long, and I haven't even managed to chop a single load of firewood. When I was young, I could chop three or four loads of firewood in one go without feeling tired. Now I can't do that anymore."

"Young man, could you lend me a hand and help me chop some firewood? If you can chop a load of firewood sooner, I can get home sooner, right?"

Facing the old woodcutter's plea, Lu Shang's heart moved, and he said, "Of course."

Seeing that Lu Shang agreed readily, the old woodcutter quickly handed the axe to Lu Shang and said, "Thank you very much, young master."

"I am just a lonesome man in the mountains, so it's not worth mentioning that I can help you with this little thing."

After Lu Shang took the axe, he weighed it and felt its weight.

An average adult can only chop two loads of firewood a day at most. For an old woodcutter of his age, it is indeed not easy to chop one load of firewood a day.

"Old man, you might as well take a rest here for a while. This little bit of firewood will be chopped in no time."

Chopping this little bit of wood wasn't even a warm-up for Lu Shang. Not long after the old woodcutter sat down, Lu Shang had already chopped more than half a load of firewood.

After chopping the wood, Lu Shang and the old woodcutter carefully sorted the firewood into a load, and finally the old woodcutter carried it slowly down the mountain.

"Leaving now?" Lu Shang muttered to himself as he watched the old woodcutter's back.

"Could it be that I'm mistaken? This guy is really just an ordinary woodcutter, and not some otherworldly master? A woodcutter? Why can't I believe it? He's really just a woodcutter."

------

The next day,

The sudden sound of chopping wood by the Taiyi River startled Lu Shang from his sleep. He stood up in surprise and looked towards the pine and cypress forest beside him until he saw a familiar figure. He was still wearing coarse linen clothes and a bamboo hat, and his figure was strong. The old woodcutter from yesterday had come back to chop wood.

Lu Shang was silent for a while before he said, "Is the old man here again?"

"Hahaha, I disturbed the young master's sweet dream. Don't blame me, don't blame me. For the sake of livelihood, I can only shamelessly disturb you."

The old woodcutter, holding onto the tree trunk while panting, said directly, "How about it, young master, won't you come and give me a hand?"

Although the woodcutter was asking for help, his tone was obviously more matter-of-fact than last time.

Seeing the woodcutter panting, Lu Shang narrowed his eyes and said, "Old man, why don't you take a rest for a while and let me chop wood."

"it is good,"

The old woodcutter really didn't know what politeness meant, so he agreed directly. After handing the axe to Lu Shang, he sat aside and sang "Mantingfang" again.

Lu Shang took the axe and continued to chop wood, and another day passed.

At dawn on the third day, the sound of logging rang in Lu Shang's ears again.

When Lu Shang woke up, he saw the old woodcutter holding out an axe to him. This time, the old woodcutter's attitude was even more rude than the previous two days, as if it was natural for Lu Shang to chop wood for him.

Lu Shang still said nothing, took the axe and started chopping wood.

On the fourth day, the fifth day, and even the thirtieth day, for a whole month, the old woodcutter's attitude became more and more excessive, which was a perfect example of what it means to be greedy and insatiable.

But Lu Shang was happy to do it and chopped firewood for a whole month.

"Young sir, I originally said you weren't suited for officialdom, but the truth is, I was wrong. Someone like you, who can endure what ordinary people can't, is the material for great things."

On the 30th day, after the old woodcutter finished singing "Mantingfang", he looked at Lu Shang who was still chopping wood diligently, and finally sighed.

"I am convinced,"

The old woodcutter said leisurely, "You were able to guess that I'm not a woodcutter. That's not difficult. I can only say that you are smart and talented."

"What I really admire is that you were able to restrain your arrogance and honestly chop firewood for me for a month."

"That's rare,"

The old woodcutter knew that Lu Shang was born into a royal family, and he also knew that people like him were the most arrogant. It was not easy for him to condescend to chop wood for a woodcutter for a day, let alone chop wood for thirty days in a row.

Just as the old woodcutter was speaking, a thick fog suddenly rose from the pine and cypress forest. It disappeared just as quickly as it had come. When the fog cleared, there was no trace of the pine and cypress forest left, only a white jade whisk hovering in the air.

The old woodcutter raised his hand to call back his whisk, and his appearance changed. He turned into a Taoist priest with a lotus crown on his head, a ruddy complexion and bright eyes.

"Disciple Lü Shang, I pay my respects to the teacher,"

Seeing the Taoist reveal his true form, Lu Shang hurriedly stepped forward, knelt down, and called him "teacher".

"You cunning boy, don't rush to call me master yet. I will not accept you as my disciple."

The Taoist knew all about Lu Shang's little thoughts, so he laughed and scolded him.
"Please, teacher, have mercy on me,"

Lu Shang kept kowtowing.

The Taoist waved his hand and said, "Alright, I said I won't accept it, and that's it. But even if I don't accept it, after all, you've been chopping wood for me for a month, so I should give you some reward."

"look,"

Following the Taoist's finger, Lu Shang looked down at the axe at hand. At this moment, the axe had unexpectedly turned into a scroll of Taoist scriptures and was lying quietly on the ground.

"The axe you've been using for a month is actually the product of a precious sutra. Practicing this sutra can lead to ascension. You must use it wisely."

Lu Shang's fingers trembled slightly as he picked up the treasured scripture, which had revealed its true appearance. On it was written "The Secret of Jinhua, the Founder of Fuli".

"Disciple, remember the teacher's teachings,"

Although the Taoist repeatedly said that he would not accept disciples, Lu Shang still treated him as a teacher.

(End of this chapter)