I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 33 Still Cultivating
The earth spirit looked at Jiang She.

"My surname is Jiang, and I am a mountain dweller from Sichuan."

"So it's Mr. Jiang!"

The old abbot greeted him respectfully and dared not underestimate him.

Behind him, several Taoist priests also bowed, not taking offense at the other's humility. The young Taoist was even more puzzled; wasn't this tall, elderly man supposed to be the mountain lord? Why was this gentleman speaking to him?

The old abbot was accompanied by many Taoist priests, and all the worshippers looked over.

Whisper.

I was curious what had happened at the temple, why so many Taoist priests were gathered together.

Could it be the county magistrate?
The old abbot smiled slowly and said, "It's noon now. Have you two distinguished guests had lunch? If not, why don't you move over and have some vegetarian food?"

"Regardless of what we have at Qingxu Temple, the vegetarian meal here is quite palatable, and I'm sure it won't disappoint our distinguished guest."

Jiang She should go down.

"Then it's annoying."

As the group walked together, they overheard pilgrims talking privately about encountering deities on the mountain.

Upon arriving at the dining hall, one could still hear people holding bowls and discussing among themselves, muttering, "I've been to this mountain at least fifty times, if not a hundred. I come up to offer incense on the first day of every month and during festivals. How come I've never seen any immortals?"

"Let alone gods and immortals, we haven't even seen any legendary monsters. As for the monsters having a feast in the mountains, I think that's just Erniu talking nonsense!"

Jiang She couldn't help but smile upon hearing this.

The old abbot noticed this and said with a smile, "Mr. Jiang finds it interesting?"

Jiang She nodded: "To live a life of ignorance and unawareness, in peace and good health, is the best outcome. There is no need to ask about ghosts and gods."

The old abbot thought about it and said happily, "Indeed, such good fortune is rare."

He hinted indirectly: "Some people have said that the famous mountains and rivers in this world actually contain mystical things, but ordinary people cannot see them. It doesn't affect anything."

Suddenly, the Earthly Deity Mountain Demon spoke, saying:
"The mountain gods and earth spirits hold a night banquet, and mountain ghosts and demons gather there, so people naturally cannot see it."

The old abbot paused.

This means...

The rumors about the mountain immortals that have been circulating these past two days are indeed a feast for the spirits and demons of the mountains. A few words were slipped out during the conversation.

Did mortals hear this?

Jiang She suddenly remembered something the county magistrate had entrusted to him, so he asked the old Taoist priest about it.

"Master, have you ever heard of a Taoist priest who claims his Taoist magic is comparable to that of Luan Da during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han? He claims he can turn stones into gold, stop rivers from overflowing, and concoct elixirs of immortality. He has one disciple who didn't even enter the sect, and he swindled several thousand strings of cash from the locals. The county magistrate has already convicted him."

The old abbot solemnly asked:

"Do you know this person's name, sir?"

Jiang She shook his head.

"The magistrate only said that this person was quite skilled in illusion magic, had many techniques, and had many disciples who had become his disciples and served him."

The old abbot thought carefully and said regretfully, "I seem to have some recollection of it, but I don't know where I heard it before. I will have my disciples search for it carefully."

The mountain god and the earth deity replied, "I will go back and investigate, or ask other earth deities."

They were sitting at a table quite far out in the dining hall, which was noisy enough that ordinary conversations could not be heard from two feet away.

The young Taoist brought in food, interrupting their conversation, and gave each of them a bowl.

The old abbot heard the mountain lord refer to himself.

I almost dropped the chopsticks on the table.

Before he began his cultivation, the master of Black Stone Mountain was violent and tyrannical. Even after he began his cultivation, he didn't like to associate with mortals. He had assumed that this Mr. Jiang was an old friend of the master, but then he suddenly heard the words "minor god."

The old abbot was so shocked he nearly lost his mind.

It could make the local mountain gods call themselves "minor gods".

So, who is this Mr. Jiang in front of us...?

"I dare not accept such praise," the old abbot said immediately. His aged hand trembled as he held the chopsticks steady, looked around the dining hall, and beckoned a young Taoist priest over.

I spoke with him about it.

"Go and ask if anyone knows. If not, then go and investigate," the old abbot said.

"Thank you, Abbot," Jiang She said.

The old abbot said, "Something has happened in Xiangyang where people are being deceived by Taoist magic. We should investigate it thoroughly to uphold the Tao."

"Although my Qingxu Temple is not a famous temple, it should still have this meaning."

……

……

The vegetarian meal at Qingxu Temple lived up to its name; it was actually a bowl of five-grain rice, cooked together with millet, rice, yellow millet, wheat, and beans, and the portion was quite large. It was topped with seasonal vegetables grown by the Taoist priests on the mountain: tender shepherd's purse, refreshing cucumber, eggplant in sauce, and two slices of tofu. Such a bowl of rice cost only eight coins and was refreshing to eat.

The three chatted casually during the meal.

During this time, Jiang She asked the old Taoist about some alchemy recipes. The old Taoist was very generous and did not keep anything to himself, explaining everything clearly.

"The elixir is born from the primordial energy of heaven and earth."

"The Great Elixir relies on the Five Elements, each serving as the progenitor..."

"For example, the Golden Elixir is made by taking one pound of gold and soaking it in the Jade Pool for one hundred days... The golden essence is ingested and appears as purple frost. When this golden elixir enters the mouth, all five internal organs will produce gold."

"It is based on the principle that metal and stone are immortal and indestructible."

The old Taoist priest finished speaking.

He added, "The Golden Elixir is a recipe passed down through generations. Qingxu Temple is small and lacks sufficient funds, so we have not yet tried it."

Although he didn't know the master's identity, the old Taoist still offered a word of advice.

"I have only heard that a Taoist priest in Junzhou died after taking an elixir. The art of alchemy is a Taoist practice, but one must be cautious about taking pills. Of course, if you have other methods that are different from those of us ordinary people, that is certainly acceptable."

The old abbot's explanation was more detailed than Yuan Danqiu's.

This gave Jiang She a nascent idea. He vaguely had a desire to seize it as soon as possible.

He thanked the abbot, saying, "Thank you very much, Master."

"May I borrow your esteemed space later? I would like to give it a try."

"Please use it, sir!"

The group had finished their meal and sat at the table, listening to the commotion in the dining hall. Some men wiped away tears, praying for the health and safety of their families. Others, dressed in fine clothes, told their companions that they had bought a string of beads from a stall near the entrance, which they believed would bring wealth. A young woman, her face flushed with shyness, was being led by her mother to offer incense, hoping to find a good husband.

Some students from the county school vowed to pass the imperial examinations with flying colors, hoping for the protection of the Wenqu star and the assistance of the Wenxing star.

Life is full of different experiences, and everyone has different desires.

The old abbot hesitated for a moment.

The opportunity to meet the mountain master and a master is extremely rare.

Even though it was somewhat presumptuous, he couldn't help but ask:

“When I was young, I met an old man who saved my life. The old man claimed to be the master of the mountains and rivers, but he did not say which mountain he was the lord of. Now, seventy-eight years have passed, and I am old.”

"Does your esteemed guest recognize him? Is he... still alive?"

The old abbot then described the old man's characteristics: he was an elderly man with white hair and beard, and a gentle and natural expression.

This corresponds to what the local deity, the mountain spirit, just said.

Looking at the old Taoist priest before me, whose hair and beard were also completely white, his body was somewhat hunched, and his skin was as thin as a cicada's wing, covered with wrinkles.

Jiang She spoke up: "That person is still in the process of cultivation."

"That is the mountain god of Mount Lumen."

The old abbot's hunched back suddenly relaxed. "That's good, that's good..."

He was somewhat dazed, and murmured with emotion:
"So it's the mountain god of Mount Lumen, no wonder... it's so close, so very close..."

Seventy-eight years have passed in the blink of an eye.

A hundred years for an ordinary person is but a fleeting moment for an immortal or god.

He was so old he was about to die, while his benefactor from back then was still practicing cultivation.

very nice.

Tears streamed down the old abbot's face. He lowered his head and wiped them away with his rough, bark-like hands, whispering:

"I apologize for making this a laughing matter, distinguished guest."

"Thank you sir."

Neither Jiang She nor the Earth God spoke, giving the old Taoist priest time to grieve and rejoice.

A Taoist priest from the temple noticed something amiss with the old abbot from afar and bent down to investigate. The old abbot couldn't speak for a moment, but simply waved his hand to let everyone know he was alright.

After a while.

He raised his head again, his eyes red and his temples gray.

The old abbot said, "Since you wish to try refining elixirs, please follow me to the alchemy room."

……

……

Following the operations manager's advice, we will update and post together every day, at 9 PM, with two updates three minutes apart.

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(End of this chapter)