I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 12 A Predestined Connection

He looked at Lu Sheng and beckoned, saying, "What do you think?"

Lu Sheng's eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the "old man" kneeling on the ground. He gritted his teeth and said after a long while, "Could you please teach him to return the money to this junior?"

"You gave him the money willingly."

Jiang She said with a playful tone, "Didn't you say you wanted to become a disciple of a celestial master, build a family fortune, obtain an official position, and marry a princess?"

"How can I get it back?"

Lu Sheng was speechless for a moment.

After a long silence, he said.

"If one can become a disciple of a celestial master and seek the Great Dao, then giving up these worldly riches is nothing. However, these people are nothing but swindlers and petty fraudsters in the martial world. I... am unwilling to give my money to such people."

Lu Pei quickly added.

"This junior wishes to become your disciple!"

"Sir, you remain calm and composed in all matters, and the people you associate with are all like local mountain gods. You are kind-hearted and willing to set things right. Even the most deceitful person will be shown the way."

"Today I see that the path you follow is the Great Way."

"I am willing to become a disciple of the Immortal Master!"

After speaking, he performed a deep bow and was about to kowtow.

For some reason, despite bending his knees, Lu Pei found that he couldn't kneel down, as if he was being prevented by some mysterious force.

Upon hearing this,

The guests and servants around all stared intently at him.

The mountain god stood by and watched, secretly observing as well.

Li Bai raised his head and stared at Lu Pei. He had seen this man before, but he was just a bookish nerd who had become somewhat pedantic. His learning was mediocre, and he was completely ignorant of poetry. How could he have the audacity to ask to become Li Bai's student?
Jiang She smiled.

His tone was very gentle.

"Do not teach those who are not suited, and do not impart knowledge to those who are not truly qualified. Our connection does not lie here."

"You cannot enter the room."

The meaning is clear and straightforward.

He who is not the right person will not be taught the way of immortality. He who does not sincerely and devoutly seek instruction will not be taught the true methods of immortality.

You will not be my disciple.

The old deer mountain god stood to one side, like an immortal sitting down to protect his Dharma, or like a clerk beside a magistrate.

He hit the nail on the head.

"Can anyone become your disciple, regardless of their background?"

The words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Lu Pei. All his secret expectations and hopes, his hidden self-confidence, and his lingering wishful thinking were extinguished by those one sentence.

Night fell dark and low, and no lamps were lit, so no one could see that Lu Sheng's face was deathly pale.

Li Bai raised his head and watched from the side.

This question was addressed not only to Lu Sheng, but also to the guests, pharmacists, and servants in the courtyard who were watching intently, reluctant to leave, and yearning for the Dao.

The mountain god of Lumen Mountain has been sitting in one place for eight hundred years, and has seen mortals cultivate themselves in arduous ways, hoping to become immortals.

Some people are naturally gifted, and in their old age they hear the Way, regretting that they did not encounter the right path before. Before they die, their resentment remains, and they cry out in deep sorrow. Others resign from their official posts to seek the Way, and after forty years of wandering, they have made some progress. On a drizzly spring night, they die in a temple far from home.

Pang Degong was not the first.

Lu Sheng was not the last one.

As mortals, a couple with two or three children, living through the four seasons, eating grains to survive, they cannot escape the cycle of reincarnation, and cannot let go of the seven emotions and eight sufferings, nor the nine relatives and friends they have.

Why get lost on the path?
The path to enlightenment is arduous; is it so easy to traverse?

Today, through this karmic connection, I have been able to see the face of the immortals and encounter their destiny. This is something that countless beings would rather die than even dream of.

Want to become an apprentice?

Even the mountain god of Lumen Mountain shook his head at these people's infatuation.

He advised the mortals in the courtyard.

Stop overthinking it.

A bright moon hung in the sky, its silvery light spilling across the earth. Jiang She gazed leisurely at the crowd, the darkness unable to obscure his vision.

Looking at Lu Sheng, who was half-kneeling and half-bowing, and at the eyes of the people in the courtyard, which shone like stars, with longing in their eyes.

Not far from Lu Sheng, the account book the steward was holding had already fallen to the ground with a thud. Beside him, the three con artists sat slumped on the ground, listening to the questions, the few words of which were deafening, completely unaware that the account book they had longed for was right behind them.

The firewood in the medicine stove had almost gone out, with only occasional sparks rising from the ashes. The young apprentice's eyes shone brightly as he craned his neck to look into the courtyard. Beside him, Physician Luo stood motionless, lost in thought. In the courtyard, a maidservant carried a needle case, and a servant carried a medicine chest, completely unaware that Madam Lu had actually awakened and was listening to these words with her eyes closed.

Under the locust tree in the courtyard, Yuan Danqiu's eyes shone brightly, sometimes looking at Li Bai, sometimes staring at him.

Although it was dark and visibility was poor, the guests kept looking in their direction and huddled together. Meng Haoran's legs were stiff and numb, but he was reluctant to move.

Even after living here for ten years, Jiang She still couldn't help but be momentarily stunned when he saw these ancient figures.

Suppress the feeling of being adrift in a foreign land.

The attire of the Tang people was right before their eyes. Their eyes were filled with longing, and they craned their necks to look on. Whether it was wonder or joy, it was a rare and wonderful encounter in their lives.

Life is fleeting, why ponder so much?
Although I won't take on apprentices, I might as well add another one.

Although there is no master-disciple relationship between them.

Jiang She said:
"I have come here today because of a kind person's request and the fortunate coincidence of this heavy rain. So... I will bestow upon you all a blessing."

Whether you can obtain it, and what you can gain from it, depends on yourselves.

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts were stirred.

All of these are aspirations.

Having said that, Jiang She looked at the Old Deer Mountain God and said gently:

"I've troubled the mountain god to protect them on their journey."

……

……

When Lu Sheng woke up from his nap, his head was spinning.

The encounter with the gods was too bizarre. The money he was swindled out of was given to his younger sister, who then took charge of the household finances. Lu Pei was frustrated and called his friends to drink together. The group leaned against the locust tree in the courtyard and shared a whole jar of yellow wine.

He was half asleep when someone woke him up.

He claimed to be an envoy from the Kingdom of Huai'an and invited him to come for a chat.

They saw a small, green-painted carriage, pulled by four horses, with attendants on either side, and a total of seven or eight people. Lu Pei noticed that the carriage was not the kind of carriage one would normally be given, and began to believe the story. He then followed the carriage to the Ancient Locust Kingdom.

The scenery and customs of the ancient Huai Kingdom are quite different from those of Xiangzhou.

After traveling dozens of miles, the carriage entered the city and saw the king's envoy standing in front of the city gate, inviting him to come over.

The surrounding drivers reined in their horses to make way, and pedestrians retreated. Lu Sheng lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and saw the way people on the main road were making way. A strange and smug sense of satisfaction rose in his heart.

Outside the palace gates, there was a long procession of people getting married. Lu Pei, with his sharp eyes, even spotted some familiar faces from his hometown among them.

The Right Chancellor, named Meng Haoran, dressed in finery, personally led him inside.

The palace was adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, and was heavily guarded, which was truly astonishing.

The Way of the Ruler:
“I have a daughter who is not yet married. I wish to give her to you as my wife.”

Lu Pei became suspicious.

"Why would such a noble and precious princess want to marry me?"

The king said, "I have heard that you are learned and that you take care of your grandmother while studying hard. Your reputation for filial piety has spread throughout Xiangzhou and has even reached the ancient Huai Kingdom."

This was indeed Lu Sheng's experience, so they believed it and agreed to hold the wedding ceremony a few days later.

Back at the inn, Lu Pei still felt a bit strange, so he took the opportunity to go out for a stroll. He came to a temple with incense burning continuously and saw a Taoist priest setting up a fortune-telling stall by the door. Thinking that he was about to marry the princess, he felt strangely confident and went over.

The Taoist priest's surname was Luo, and he asked Lu Sheng to draw lots.

"The commander's mansion opens amidst the light of the Big Dipper, and a marriage alliance is formed amidst the flowers of the southern branch. If you ask what one's lifelong wish is, it is to wear gold and purple robes and pay homage to one's beloved."

Lu Sheng held the fortune stick, but hadn't yet explained its meaning in detail.

Then three people came out of the Taoist temple, looking very imposing, and chased away the fortune-telling stall with brooms.

The pedestrians on the street laughed.

"Master Zhang, Master Wang, Master Song, you're late today. This stall has already made quite a bit of money."

(End of this chapter)