Notes on Longevity

Chapter 124 Ancient Trees Block Out the Sky, Cat Demon in the Courtyard

Ping An's steps were light as he slowly approached the ancient tree that looked incredibly imposing—the true form of the mountain god—carrying his chest on his back.

Ping An stood outside the shade of the tree, put down the box, and slowly raised his hands.

The left hand represents the Way of Heaven, and the right hand represents the Way of Earth.

The Tao Te Ching says: "The nameless is the origin of heaven and earth."

With palms facing inward, press firmly against the back of your right hand. The Heavenly Path rotates counter-clockwise, the Earthly Path rotates clockwise. Gently press your left thumb against the base of your right ring finger, then interlock your right and left thumbs, pinching the tip of your right middle finger.

According to the twelve Earthly Branches, the base of the ring finger is the first of the twelve Earthly Branches—Zi (子). It also marks the beginning and end of a day in the twelve two-hour periods of the day. It belongs to the Water element in the Five Elements theory. Water is Yin, representing ultimate gentleness and benevolence, encompassing all things.

The tip of the middle finger corresponds to the Earthly Branch "Wu," which represents noon. It belongs to the Fire element, representing extreme Yang and strength.

The shape of the hands clasped together resembles a Tai Chi symbol.

Zi (子) corresponds to the Kan (坎) position in the Later Heaven Bagua; Wu (午) corresponds to the Huo (火) position in the Later Heaven Bagua. These two positions represent the extremes of Yin and Yang in the Later Heaven Bagua, directly opposite each other. The left hand carries Yin and the right hand carries Yang, achieving a balance of water and fire, and the interaction of their energies creates harmony. This is the Zi-Wu formula.

Perform the Peaceful Meridian Pose, bow slightly, place the gesture above your eyebrows, bend your waist no more than your abdomen, and pay homage to the ancient tree.

After bowing three times, Ping An stood upright outside the shade of the tree, his eyes fixed on the ancient tree. Suddenly, a deep, resonant, and powerful laugh rang out from the ancient tree in front of Ping An.

Ping An was startled by the sound, and his whole body trembled involuntarily and uncontrollably.

He tried to speak, but then he heard an old voice laugh and say, "Your name is Ping An."

Ping An was slightly shocked, but he answered truthfully, "This humble Taoist Ping An greets the Mountain God."

An aged laugh rang out again: "You are quite polite."

Ping An laughed upon hearing this, saying, "Propriety is the foundation of being human. Without respect for propriety, one is no different from livestock."

The old man's laughter remained unchanged: "Indeed, indeed."

He paused for a moment, then slowly spoke again: "You were born in the ninth year of Wenshang, in midsummer, on the 25th day of the fifth month, at the hour of Xu (7-9 PM). On the 27th, at the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), you were rescued by your master Qingxuanzi and given the name Ping'an."

His voice was old and magnetic, and his words were gentle and unhurried.

Ping An was shocked upon hearing this. His master had told him when he was born, but he had never told anyone. Yet this ancient tree in front of him had never asked him, but had given him his exact birth date.

"Don't overthink it. There's nothing in this world I don't know, except for immortals." He saw through everything Ping An was thinking and revealed his abilities.

Ping An frowned, his heart unable to find peace for a long time. According to the ancient tree, he knew everything in this world.

The old man's laughter remained unchanged: "Although I know, I cannot tell you."

He saw through everything in Ping An's heart, which left Ping An somewhat at a loss. He had only come to ask Him some questions, but now he felt like a naked man, with no secrets before Him.

"Child, come in," the aged voice said to Ping An.

The mountain god said so, and he did so.

As he approached the shade of the trees, he was suddenly greeted by the fragrance of flowers and the chirping of birds in his ears.

He felt a strange impulse.

He walked toward the tree trunk and reached out to touch its smooth surface.

He walked around the tree trunk for over a hundred steps before returning to his starting point.

He was shocked. He looked up along the tree trunk.

The tree is three zhang tall, with its branches intertwined and lush at the top.

He stood under the tree like an ant, hiding under an oil-paper umbrella.

Although the ancient tree is not towering, it is enormous, like something that can cover the sky.

The mountain god's laughter rang out: "How about it?"

“Ping An doesn’t understand, please enlighten me, Mountain God.” Ping An frowned, not knowing what He meant by that, so he took a few steps back and performed the Midnight Ritual before Him.

He did not answer, but just smiled blankly.

Suddenly, a spring breeze swept through the ancient trees, bringing warmth.

The branches and leaves of the ancient tree rustled along with the aged laughter. And the trunk of the ancient tree twisted and contorted at that moment.

The laughter entered Ping An's ears, but it didn't feel harsh or noisy. Instead, it gave her a sense of calm and tranquility, and an unprecedented feeling of relaxation spread throughout her body.

Then, he felt his body suddenly become weak, his limbs were powerless, his head and eyes were dizzy, and he was about to collapse.

Just then, the twisted tree trunk suddenly became still. A face, the same color as the tree trunk, like an ancient tree face carved into it, appeared before Ping An.

Ping An had never seen anything like this before, and coupled with his current weak and frail state, he felt a sudden darkness engulf him and fainted when he saw that face.

Seeing that Ping An had fainted, He smiled and removed the tree eyebrows above his eyes from the tree face, which transformed into dozens of tiny vines that flew towards Ping An.

Tree Eyebrow then lifted him up, then slowly pulled him back down, gently letting him sit against its trunk.

He gently patted Ping An's head with his tree-like eyebrows, still smiling foolishly: "This child, his heart is as clear as a mirror and as kind as water in a bowl, but I never expected him to be as timid as a fledgling bird."

His laughter lingered in the ears of the sleeping, peaceful man, as he muttered to himself, "Indeed, I am now three thousand years old. Who wouldn't be afraid of me when they see me like this?"

The laughter remains
-

She Li and the others followed Zhou Yanliu down the mountain, across the fields, and finally arrived at his home.

The group stepped into the mud-brick courtyard and looked around at the spacious courtyard.

In the mud courtyard, various tools for working in the fields were neatly arranged in the corners. In the center of the mud courtyard stood a wooden table and four long benches placed around it.

Directly opposite is the room, and to the left are the kitchen and grain storage area.

"Grandpa, I'm back."

As soon as Zhou Yanliu entered the courtyard, he put down the black-faced dog and let it run around freely.

"came back?"

Zhou Yanliu's grandfather, Ziping, was nearly sixty-five years old. After hearing Zhou Yanliu's voice, he rolled up his sleeves and came out of the kitchen.

He looked at She Li and the others, then quickly walked over and greeted them with a fist and palm salute: "My surname is Zhou. If you don't mind, you can call me Old Zhou."

"I wouldn't dare. You are an elder; how could I address you like that?" Yang Shouren quickly replied upon hearing this.

“That’s fine. Call me whatever you like,” Zhou Ziping said with a smile.

"Old Zhou greets the Taoist priest." Although he said this, he was extremely respectful to She Li.

Although Taoists are not bound by some cumbersome etiquette, etiquette is the foundation of being human, and Taoists are also human. Naturally, he would not dare to act in such a way, so he cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Grandpa Zhou, you are too kind."

"I won't call him grandpa anymore. By age, he should be calling me great-grandfather." Xiao Changgong felt a little uncomfortable with their politeness, so he walked to the side and continued to look around the mud courtyard.

Zhou Ziping found it strange upon hearing this. He looked at Xiao Changgong, whose demeanor and actions were rather lazy, and asked, "May I ask who this gentleman is?"

“He’s a vixen,” Zhou Yanliu said from the side.

"Hmm?" Zhou Ziping turned around upon hearing the sound and saw Zhou Yanliu holding Black Face in his arms, staring at Xiao Changgong with slightly narrowed eyes.

"You brat!" Zhou Ziping walked towards Zhou Yanliu, raising his hand to slap him: "How dare you talk like that?"

Upon seeing this, Zhou Yanliu quickly raised the black face in front of him and said nervously to Zhou Ziping, "Grandpa, it wasn't me who said it. It was the black face who told me."

"Did the dark-faced guy tell you that?"

Zhou Ziping looked at the black face that had been raised, and heard it say, "Grandpa, don't hit him, he really is a vixen!"

After saying that, he transformed into a boy about the same size as Zhou Yanliu, looking at Zhou Ziping with the same nervous expression.

"You're the fox spirit! From now on, please call me Fox Fairy, or I'll beat you up." Xiao Changgong wasn't angry at being called a fox spirit, because he was right, but what he liked most was being called Fox Fairy.

"This" person is handsome, and aside from being lazy, has an excellent demeanor. Although the dark-faced man said it, and Xiao Changgong himself admitted it, he still didn't quite believe it.

Xiao Changgong could also see Zhou Ziping's disbelief, so he teased, "How about I show you my true form right now?"

"Are you asking for a beating again?" Upon hearing this, She Li walked towards Xiao Changgong, rolling up her sleeves as if preparing to punch him. Xiao Changgong immediately ran behind Yang Shouren to hide, and She Li also walked towards Yang Shouren.

"No need, that's not necessary." He looked at Xiao Changgong's expression and She Li's actions and they didn't seem to be joking, which meant that he really was a fox demon, no, a fox spirit.

The boy with the black face watched the two chasing each other and turned to Zhou Yanliu with annoyance: "I'll never help you again. You betrayed me and used me as a shield."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yanliu immediately smiled apologetically and said, "Brother Face, I was wrong."

As Zhou Ziping watched She Li and Xiao Changgong playfully fighting, he wondered why Daoist Ping An would be traveling with a fox demon.

Yang Shouren was being used as a shield by Xiao Changgong, who kept hiding behind him. Yang Shouren felt somewhat helpless and wondered if these two could just act normally.

After some playful fighting, Zhou Ziping and Zhou Yanliu brought out the steamed buns and porridge they had made from the kitchen and placed them on the table in the yard.

Xiao Changgong, who was already sitting on the stool, rubbed his hands together, then picked up a steamed bun and started eating.

Before he could even take a second bite, She Li slapped him on the head.

With a steamed bun in his mouth, Xiao Changgong looked at She Li in confusion and asked, "What are you doing?"

"You started eating before the host even sat down at the table, you have no manners at all." She Li rolled her eyes at him and sat upright to the side.

Xiao Changgong glanced at She Li speechlessly, but ignored her and continued eating.

She Li, Xiao Changgong, and Yang Shouren each sat on one side, while the upper seat was reserved for Zhou Ziping and his son.

Only after the father and son brought out the last of the stir-fried vegetables did they sit down. Meanwhile, Black Face had already transformed back into a black cat, running wildly around the yard by himself.

After everyone was seated, Zhou Ziping was the first to pick up a steamed bun and start eating. Everyone else, except Xiao Changgong, picked up their first steamed buns and started eating.

"Grandpa Zhou, I heard from Young Master Zhou that you met with Ping An last night. And then he went to see the Mountain God?" She Li took a small bite of her steamed bun and began to ask questions.

Upon hearing this, Yang Shouren stopped what he was doing and looked at Zhou Ziping. After hearing She Li and the others talk about the origin of the mountain god when he came down the mountain, he was also curious about what was going on.

“Last night, Liu’er and I went up the mountain to look for the cat and happened to meet Master Ping’an. We chatted for a while and the topic of the mountain god came up. So he asked me for the location of the mountain god.”

Zhou Ziping explained, recounting the events of the previous night.

The others nodded in agreement. "I see."

"But what is Ping An going to see the mountain god for?" Xiao Changgong asked curiously.

Zhou Ziping shook his head, "I don't know either. He told me he was going to Penglai to seek immortals. I guess he was just asking questions like that."

"Grandpa Zhou, I have a question I'd like to ask you. I wonder if you could answer it for us?" She Li nodded, thinking that it made sense; someone who could become a mountain god was certainly no ordinary being. Ping An was going to Penglai to seek immortals again, so perhaps this would be helpful to him.

But there was one question he had been wanting to ask, which he hadn't had the chance to ask earlier.

"Please speak freely, Master," Zhou Ziping said with a smile.

"Did you raise this cat since it was a kitten?"

(End of this chapter)