I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 251 Shelter from the Rain, What is the Way? (+13)

The disciple remained quiet for a while.

Sima Chengzhen gently picked up the paper, read the poem on it, and after a long while, sighed:

"What a beautiful poem..."

"His words transcend the heavens and earth, and his thoughts surpass even the spirits and gods; he can be called a poet of his time. Our Great Tang has more than 40 million people, and in terms of poetic talent, Bai Juyi's poems are among the best."

The Taoist priests thought it was well written, but they never expected their master to give it such high praise.

Everyone started talking about it.

Sima Chengzhen's comments also spread.

……

……

On the way, Yuan Danqiu asked:
"Have you named your poem yet?"

Li Bai, holding the wine jar given to him by Sima Chengzhen, laughed and said, "A Farewell Poem Written in a Dream of Visiting Tiantai."

Yuan Danqiu found it strange.

"How could it be sleepwalking?"

Li Bai glanced at Danqiu Zi. Could it be that he really went on a spiritual journey in the painting? Who would believe that? Li Bai recalled that last night, Yuan Danqiu had woken him up to talk, but he was drunk at the time and didn't hear what was said.

What did you say last night?

Yuan Danqiu then smiled and recounted how the fruit in Sanshui and Chuyi's bundles had disappeared.

Zhang Guolao astutely grasped the key point:
"In the painting?"

Yuan Danqiu nodded, a hint of melancholy in his voice.

"Yes, in the end, who could have imagined that those spiritual fruits brought out would just be a pile of powdered colorings?"

As he spoke, Sanshui and Chuyi took out their empty bundles and showed them to the others. They were completely empty except for some powder that hadn't been shaken off.

Li Bai was intrigued and reached out to pick it up.

It really is mineral pigment used in traditional Chinese painting. The vermilion color seems to be finely ground cinnabar powder.

Li Bai brushed the dust off his hands and let it drift away in the wind.

He exclaimed, "It can make people young again and cure all diseases. The elixir of immortality that the Qin Emperor sought in the past was nothing more than this."

"The painting depicts a spiritual fruit, while the painting itself is filled with the ashes of calamity."

Li Bai found it increasingly wonderful and savored it repeatedly in his mind.

The old deer-like mountain god listened intently. The group walked along the road, then paid to sit at the bow of the boat, letting the current carry them along, the boat bobbing up and down with the waves. After an unknown amount of time, the mountain god suddenly bowed to Jiang She.

"gentlemen."

Jiang She raised his head and looked at the old deer mountain god.

In recent years, whenever he had free time, the mountain god would meditate and contemplate profound mysteries. He would also enlighten the ignorant people on the mountain, teaching them to stay away from eating meat and fish, and to escape the suffering of being lost and wandering in endless cycles of birth and death.

Jiang She saw all of this.

The old deer god paused. He had just made up his mind, but didn't know how to start. Just as he was hesitating between the two options...

Jiang She smiled and said, "I think the mountain god intends to leave."

The Old Deer Mountain God was not surprised; he bowed respectfully.

"So you saw it all along, sir..."

"Actually, I had this idea when I was meditating on the mountain in Yanzhou. But traveling with immortals and gods is a rare opportunity in this life, and I couldn't bear to give it up, so I followed them all the way to Yuezhou."

“I have traveled with you all the way and have come to understand many principles and heard the true Dharma.”

"I also have a clue about the path of cultivation ahead."

"This is the way."

"I have received great kindness along the way."

Unbeknownst to them, the boatman's bamboo pole glided across the stream, and he shouted his work songs, but suddenly they could no longer be heard.

The silence was terrifying.

In the vast expanse of heaven and earth, only the conversation between Jiang She and the mountain god could be heard.

Jiang She scrutinized the old mountain god. The mountain god still looked old, but his expression had become much more resolute. He wondered how many days and nights he had pondered before finally letting go.

Once you decide to let go, even if you hear amazing stories like immortals traveling in paintings, your resolve will remain firm, and you'll burn your bridges.

Jiang She was quite pleased.

Li Bai and Yuan Danqiu had already glanced sideways and stared at the mountain god the moment he admitted he wanted to leave. Sanshui and Chuyi were even more surprised, still trying to figure out the key point. Zhang Guolao, who was stroking the donkey, looked at the old deer with a rare hint of appreciation.

The sky was overcast, and rain clouds gathered together.

It's about to rain.

The old deer mountain god continued to bow, unaware of what the others were thinking.

He continued:

"Of course, I can continue to follow you, sir, and drink the immortal wine. Or, if I'm lucky, I might get a pill that would extend my life by a hundred years."

"Just by following the master and being protected all the way, without experiencing any hardships, the longevity and Taoist magic I gained were all thanks to the master alone."

"That is not my path."

"Now that the great path has been clearly understood..."

"How can we delay our departure because of our desire for the Azure Spirit Wine or the immortal pills?"

As they spoke, rain began to fall softly. The boatman, prepared for this, found his raincoat, put it on, and continued punting. Seeing that the group wasn't seeking shelter, the boatman was puzzled. He called out twice, but no one turned around, so he simply gave up.

Jiang She's smile deepened.

"The fact that the mountain god could say such a thing shows that he has gained a lot of understanding."

“I am showing you the way, not that I mean for you to follow my old path. It is a great joy that the mountain god has found his own way.”

"Where should I go to cultivate myself?"

Mount Tai.

The old deer mountain god bowed deeply.

When Jiang She entered meditation, he had also been cultivating on Mount Tai for three years, reciting Taoist teachings. Birds and beasts on the mountain were gradually awakened and gained intelligence. Some birds, snakes, and pythons that had originally entered the Tao had even refined the transverse bone in their throats and could speak human language.

He can also use the beauty of mountains and rivers to observe his own path.

Jiang She nodded.

"It is indeed a good place."

A torrential downpour soaked the clothes of several people, but none of them sought shelter from the rain. Jiang She sat amidst the clean water, gazing into the distance.

The mountains gradually receded into the distance, and a heavy rain began to fall. Heaven and earth floated in the mist, a vast emptiness above and below.

The Old Deer Mountain God also looked over.

Just as he had said years ago when he left Xiangyang, the old deer mountain god laughed, his wrinkles deepening.

"I'll see you off one more time, sir."

After saying this, the mountain god waved his sleeve.

He had been regulating the mountains and rivers for many years, and still possessed some magical powers. Although the immortals were unaffected by the rain and did not care whether the rainwater was dirty or not, the Old Deer Mountain God still sheltered everyone from the rain for a while.

The boatman thought the rain had stopped and took off his raincoat. But when he looked around at the water, it seemed as if rain was still falling, and he couldn't figure it out.

He muttered one last time, "This is really weird."

We walked until we reached the ferry crossing.

The old deer mountain god disembarked, stood at the ferry, bowed deeply, and watched the group leave.

The wind was high and the rain was heavy; a lone boat was sailing.

……

……

On the boat.

After a long silence, Jiang She looked at the group, who were soaked to the bone, and asked with a smile, "Why are you all so quiet?"

Sanshui wiped the rain off his face and asked.

Why is the mountain god leaving?

When they met in Luoyang, the mountain god was with them; they were both very young then. Upon learning that their senior was accompanied by a mountain god, they and their junior brother speculated about it for a while, utterly astonished.

Having traveled together for so long, the two were reluctant to part.

Sanshui and Chuyi turned their heads back to look, but the boat had traveled a hundred zhang away. The rain was heavy and the sky was gloomy, so they could no longer see the figure standing at the ferry in the rain.

"Because we have our own path to follow."

Jiang She looked gently at the two young men: "It's impressive that you have your own path."

"Didn't you all come down the mountain to seek the Dao?"

Only then did the two realize that they had such an important mission.

They looked at each other.

Sanshui tilted his head back: "What is that?"

Jiang She smiled slightly, brushed the rainwater off their heads with his palm, and his hair returned to its messy and dry state.

"You'll have to figure that out yourselves."

The two young disciples thought about it carefully. They racked their brains but still couldn't figure out what the path they were supposed to cultivate was.

In their eyes, going down the mountain is a lot of fun. They can travel around with swords, just like in the folk tales, and deal with injustices in the world.

After thinking about it for a very long time, I finally came up with one.

"I want to be a wandering knight!"

Sanshui sighed after speaking, "The storybooks all say that there are many bandits on the road, but unfortunately we didn't encounter a single one, otherwise we could have sparred with them. I heard that bandits' heads can be exchanged for rewards at the yamen..."

In the first year of junior high, we read the same storybook.

He nodded.

"I heard that a bandit leader can get a hundred strings of cash."

He and Sanshui were both short of money. Their purses were jingling, containing only loose change, no coins, and no silver ingots.

Li Bai laughed heartily.

"How can there be so many?"

"Only the most vicious villains receive a reward, and most of them only receive ten strings of cash."

Sanshui and Chuyi looked at him suspiciously.

How did Mr. Li know all this so clearly?
【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)