I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 115 Imperial Edict (+6)

The person who wrote those Taoist principles was watching from not far away. The old man stroked his beard, feeling delighted.

Finally, I had a chance to show my skills in front of Mr. Jiang.

It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over their heads. The unconscious people gradually regained consciousness, and after a moment of confusion, they saw an old man riding a donkey in front of them amidst the exclamations of the crowd.

His hair and beard were as white as fresh snow, and he smiled as he looked at them.

Several people hurriedly performed a grand salute.

Upon seeing this, an official from the Prince's residence stepped forward and couldn't help but exclaim, "The esteemed one is..."

The monk respectfully asked:
"Could it be a Taoist manual written down by a senior?"

The old man's smile faltered. He looked into the distance, stroked his beard, and said, "It was written by a good friend of mine. I just happened to come across it today."

"I'll just save you for now!"

Not far away, Jiang She raised his eyes.

He had only known the old man for two days, and they had become friends after only two meetings.

Upon hearing the old man's words, the unconscious men all bowed in respect. The others, seeing his profound Taoist magic, his riding backwards on a donkey, and his aged appearance, suddenly had a thought.

"Thank you, senior."

"Thank you for saving me, senior..."

The officials of the Prince's Palace and the officials of Yanzhou, unaware of the reason, also bowed along with the others.

The officials of the Prince's residence had long been puzzled, and they respectfully asked the old man:
"Why did the masters faint?"

Snowflakes drifted down from the sky. Zhang Guo's hair and beard were completely white, his sleeves billowing in the wind, moving as gracefully as a cloud, like a celestial being. He smiled and casually asked in return:

"The mysteries of Taoism are beyond the comprehension and copying of ordinary people."

"If it weren't for my friend intentionally softening the brushstrokes when he wrote it."

"It is not intended to punish you for secretly learning the law."

Zhang Guo glanced at the group of people in front of the temple and said in a solemn voice:

"It's probably not as simple as just fainting!"

The monks, Taoist priests, women, hermits… all of them looked ashamed. Upon seeing this wondrous method, they were only filled with wonder and wanted to quickly memorize it and begin learning.

But I never thought of it.

This is indeed an act of stealing the law...

Not only were they caught red-handed, but they also fainted while they were searching... It's truly shameful.

Several people bowed and apologized.

The monk bowed his head and said, "Indeed, we have acted recklessly and offended the venerable elder."

The old man smiled and glanced at a certain spot.

Jiang She nodded slightly.

The old man saw this and said:
"The desire to seek the Way is inherent in all people. As long as my friend doesn't mind, it's really not a big mistake. You don't need to apologize any more. You don't even feel tired from bowing."

"I will be more careful from now on!"

The group thanked them repeatedly.

Fortunately, the person they encountered today was good-natured...

The old man's gaze fell on the guards behind him, and the knives, axes, and hammers in their hands. He asked, "My friend saw the good deeds performed by the Stone Goddess here, helping the people, and specially wrote down the laws to protect her."

"The temple in the wild is real."

"It's harmful but fake."

Zhang Guolao looked at the people apologizing and slowly asked:

"Why do you all call it a lewd shrine? Do you intend to vandalize it and harm its inhabitants?"

Several officials present broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this. The old man asked with a smile, but his question was not easy to answer!

Not only the monks, but also the monks, upon seeing the wishes tied to the tree, all agreed that it was a harmful and immoral act that hindered the health of the King of Qi, and together they decided to smash the temple.

Despite the freezing weather, sweat beaded on the foreheads of the officials in the Prince's residence. It was his order to smash the temple.

After a moment of silence, before anyone could speak,

The monk rose, brushed the dust and snow off his clothes, and bowed respectfully without mentioning anyone else's faults.

He apologized, saying:

"This is my fault..."

"I will act more cautiously in the future and will not do so again."

The old man looked worried upon hearing this and shook his head repeatedly.

"Hey, don't be so stubborn."

"Today, since this is a deserted temple and has not harmed anyone, we should forgive it. But if it had taken lives and committed evil deeds, you should naturally destroy it!"

"Do you remember?"

"These idiots, the old man is leaving now..."

The old man spoke as he rode his donkey.

It has gradually faded into the distance.

Seeing the master about to leave, the officials of the Prince's residence hurriedly chased after him, calling out hastily, "Master, master—"

"My king is seriously ill!"

The officials in the Prince's residence looked on with longing and asked in a raised voice, "Does the master have a way to prolong life?"

That aged yet graceful figure gradually blurred into the wind and snow.

Without pausing, they gradually disappeared into the wind and snow, their aged voices echoing in everyone's ears: "Fate is hard to defy, and the will of Heaven is hard to change."

"If one is destined to die young, why try to prolong it?"

Everyone was taken aback and horrified, unable to believe that what they were saying was true.

There was another voice.

It only reached the monk's ear.

The old man's voice was tinged with laughter: "Monk, this is the first life I've saved for you."

The monk was taken aback, not expecting why the old man would save him; it seemed that he had been saved alone.

Could it be that we knew each other before?

The monk thought carefully, recalling that he had just copied down that sutra. His head was spinning, and even a slight thought caused him excruciating pain. He couldn't immediately recall whether he had encountered the old man.

Seeing that the figure had completely disappeared, the experts were filled with disappointment.

Someone said:
“I recognize this old man. He’s riding a donkey backwards and looks very old. He must be Zhang Guolao!”

"That white donkey can travel ten thousand miles a day; it's truly a divine being!"

The group then looked at the sutra in front of the temple, its Taoist teachings incredibly profound, which astonished them. For a moment, no one spoke, only the sound of the cold wind howling from the sky.

After a while.

Then someone remarked with emotion, "Zhang Guolao claimed that it was written by his friend..."

"I wonder which senior wrote this?"

Someone said:
"This must be the work of a celestial being!"

They suddenly remembered something and urged the eunuch, "Zhang Guolao said that person doesn't mind others secretly learning the laws. Quickly, bring us paper and pen, let's copy it down quickly—"

The eunuch was puzzled.

Casually ask, "What if she faints..."

The Taoist priest laughed heartily. He had cultivated Taoism all his life, but he never expected to have such an opportunity to learn the wonderful methods written by a divine master.

"Then wake us up!"

The eunuch hesitated before asking, "What about the other temples, and the body of Prince Qi..."

"Go find that monk!"

……

……

The old man hadn't gone far either.

The donkey walked step by step on the snow, gradually disappearing from sight, and stood with Jiang She.

I found it fascinating to watch these people copying things.

"Sigh, another one has fainted."

Jiang She looked over.

The Taoist priest fainted again, and the eunuch beside him looked helpless.

He couldn't help but smile.

Jiang She heard the old man's words and asked, "Old man, you said this is the first time you've saved someone. Do you expect to save someone again?"

Zhang Guo nodded.

"This monk is destined for three perilous times; this is only the first one."

He said, "Back then, I rested in the Zhongtiao Mountains, and this monk gave me water. I have to repay his kindness."

"What a hassle, what a hassle!"

The old deer mountain god, who was watching from the side, suddenly asked:

"Only one lifetime and one person?"

Zhang Guolao glanced at him, looking him over from all angles, and felt that this man was older than him, and didn't quite like him.

“They shave their heads and never marry, and this monk is also destined to have no marriage or children. Saving him three times is enough.”

As they were talking, the Taoist priest was woken up, covered his head, and stubbornly copied the contents of the paper.

Another person fainted.

Zhang Guo withdrew his gaze and shook his head.

"Foolish child, the Daoist arts are ever-changing; how could they possibly be copied completely?"

As he spoke, he enlarged the donkey again, invited several people to ride on it, and gradually walked away from the group of people copying the text in the wind and snow.

On the way, Zhang Guo asked:

"I wonder what it says? Is it some profound and auspicious scripture for protection?"

Jiang She shook his head.

"Only one word was written."

Zhang Guo was very interested. "What character is it?"

The mountain god, Li Bai, and Yuan Danqiu were also curious. At the time, they thought the same as Zhang Guolao, that it was just a protective Taoist practice. But now it seems that it might not be so.

In heavy snow.

Jiang She thought for a moment and said:

"Edict."

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)