I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 65 A Little Child Asks About Life and Death

Jiang She looked at his young disciple, who was barely a little bit old.

He asked with a laugh, "You mean... you can?"

Sanshui chattered on and on, saying, "Yes, I can! I learned it faster than the first year of junior high; I learned it last year. I'll demonstrate it for the seniors!"

With that, she leaped down the mountain in a flash, her body gliding through the air for a short distance before quickly covering several meters, her silhouette becoming smaller than it appeared. She had, in a sense, taken flight.

Another disciple, Chu Yi, said indignantly:
"That's not true! She only learned it two days earlier than me, it would take her two years to learn it."

His face was full of resentment as he muttered that they were the same age, but because Sanshui had spoken up first about becoming his apprentice, he became the junior. He didn't know why, but Sanshui was growing faster than him. When they measured him the other day, Sanshui was a full two inches taller than him. Master said that he would grow taller in the future, but he didn't know when "the future" would be or why it hadn't happened yet.

Jiang She listened and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Then you should give it a try too."

Having received the order, the two disciples darted away like monkeys through the mountains.

Their movements startled the cat, which straightened up, craning its neck to look into the distance.

Beside him, the middle-aged man said apologetically, "These two disciples have been spoiled by the elders of the sect. Please forgive them, senior."

"What's this?"

Jiang She didn't mind the child's offense at all; on the contrary, he found it quite amusing.

People are small, and so are their troubles.

The two teenagers "flew" for a while, then stopped and turned around to wait for their elders to come down the mountain. They didn't actually disappear like wild monkeys in the mountains.

The middle-aged Taoist priest frowned.

He scolded, "You're always so unprofessional! How can you behave like this in front of your elders?"

The two boys stood up straight and formally apologized to Jiang She.

Jiang She patted their heads, stopping the two children from speaking, before answering Sanshui's question with a slight smile.

"If the art of flying is like this, then I should not know it."

The two young disciples looked up.

They possessed supernatural abilities when they were eight or nine years old. How could a master like them not possess them now that they are so old?

My gaze was momentarily filled with sympathy.

Sanshui hesitated for a long time before obediently walking beside the master. He didn't attempt any supernatural feats like flying or leaping down the mountain, fearing that showing off in front of the master would upset him.

We walked along a mountain path for a while longer.

After hesitating for a long time, the two young disciples whispered a few words to each other behind the adults' backs.

Sanshui, with her hair in two buns held high, whispered:

"If you don't know how, senior, I'll teach you."

Jiang She asked with a smile, "Oh? How do I learn it?"

Sanshui thought for a moment: "First, I need to meditate and exhale to make my body feel light and sense the energy of heaven and earth."

Chu Yi leaned over and added, "Then you can try it. First, you have to make sure you leave no trace in the snow, or if there's no snow, you can leave no trace on the water."

"Then you can try riding the wind!"

"By harnessing the power of the wind and the energy of the heavens and earth, and by following the natural order, one can achieve flight."

"Just like us!"

The two of them took turns speaking, filling in the gaps in the flying techniques they had taught their son at Yunmeng Mountain. They simply recounted how their elders had taught him.

He spoke with his head held high and chest puffed out, very proud.

Jiang She nodded. "I see. Thank you."

The cat also tilted its head back.

It's as if they're listening.

Both of them blushed.

"You're welcome, you're welcome..."

Seeing how cute the cat was, they quietly went around to the other side, carefully walking close to it, secretly rubbing their calves against its smooth fur, feeling secretly pleased.

When we were almost at the foot of the mountain.

After hesitating for a long time, Chu Yi asked, "Did Master Uncle harm people to prolong their lives because he was about to die?"

"I think so."

Death was so far away for them. Sanshui and Chuyi were only ten years old. They had been practicing Taoism since childhood and had stayed away from the secular world since they were young. They had only heard about death when people told stories in the county and had seen coffins and white coins from afar. But that was something that happened down in the mountain. When people on the mountain died, it didn't seem to be like that.

My master said that the death of a person who cultivates spiritual practice is called "feathering".

One's body is one with heaven and earth; burying it in the green hills is sufficient. There is no need for burial with gold and silver, nor for burning paper money.

He thought for a moment and asked:

Will this happen when I'm dying?

Jiang She looked at them. The two disciples were both young, dressed in plain Taoist robes, with their hair tied in small buns and wearing cloth shoes with cloud patterns. Their faces were youthful, and their eyes were clear.

"I do not know."

He thought for a moment and then said.

"This is a question you'll have to discuss yourselves later. Facing life and death with equanimity has never been an easy thing."

"But if someone takes an evil path and harms others in order to prolong their life, they should be eliminated."

As the group gradually descended the mountain, they faced the Luo River. The sun was beginning to set in the west, and a faint glow appeared in the sky.

Deep within the clouds lies the place where the group came from.

Jiang She patted his head.

Looking at the Luo River shimmering in the rosy light, he said gently, "I hope you will take the main road. If it is truly difficult, you don't have to. But at least don't harm others."

"A practicing person."

"Looking up, I have no shame before Heaven; looking down, I have no shame before Earth."

The two children nodded as they listened, gazing at the Luo River bathed in the glow of the sunset, and listening to the immortal's words.

They glanced at each other.

Sanshui said to Chuyi, "If you ever harm anyone in the future, I will end your life."

Chu Yi also said, "Your swordsmanship is not as good as mine. If you want to kill someone to prolong your life in the future, my sword will definitely be faster than yours."

Jiang She couldn't help but smile.

The group walked to the ferry and waited for the fishing boat.

The middle-aged man watched them argue, smiled, and then felt a pang of regret. He stroked his beard and said:

"I don't know what will become of them in the future, but I hope they will not fail in their journey."

Jiang She listened, and the two started arguing as they talked.

In the twilight, one person complained that the other's swordsmanship wasn't as good as theirs, while another said it would improve. One then started arguing that last time they plucked feathers from their master's white crane, she was the one who took the beating for them. Another said, "Last time you were stealing offerings, I was the one who got punished, while you were busy eating."

I thought about it.

"Cultivating the Tao is difficult, and being an ordinary person is also difficult."

"If I can be as happy as I am today, that would be good."

After waiting for a while, the fishing boat came up.

The two disciples stopped arguing and obediently came forward, their faces still flushed with anger.

Jiang She paid the fare for the two men as usual. It was getting late, and the fare was high, so he counted out fourteen coins and handed them over. The boatman counted them curiously and looked him over.

After hesitating for a moment, he handed seven of the coins back.

"Young man, you've overpaid."

The boat traveled swiftly on the water, quickly passing over several mountains and entering the city gate. There, one saw rows of walls and throngs of pedestrians, with vendors hawking their wares on the streets.

Behind him, twinkling lights gradually began to appear.

When we reached a certain body of water, there were faint ripples.

Jiang She leaned on the side of the boat and whispered, "Don't be too greedy!"

The boatman didn't hear it, but the middle-aged man and his two disciples did. They looked down at the azure Luo River and could vaguely see a dark shadow flash by.

The two young disciples exchanged a glance, both showing some excitement.

Sanshui exclaimed in a low voice, "Is this a spirit or monster?"

……

……

I messed up the chapter order earlier, so I deleted it and reposted it. It should be normal now, right?

　Don't let it get fat!!
　　Thanks to "Dumb Fat Otaku Old Bookworm" for the donation!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)