National Division

Chapter 18 The Three Flowers Gathering at the Top is an Illusion, and Soaring on Clouds is Not Real.

In a side hall of Qingyang Temple—

In fact, as usual, Daoist He Shou would not meet Shen Xian directly; he would simply dismiss him with a single sentence.

Having just lost face in front of Xue Zhi, he found a way to save face and went to see Shen Xian instead.

Shen Xian was now at ease, pondering how to get the Qingyang Temple Master's help in their upcoming conversation.

I hadn't noticed before, but the Qingyang Temple is filled with top-quality furniture and tea.

Thinking of this, Shen Xian felt that the tea in his hand didn't taste very good.

Just then, the abbot of Qingyang Temple, Daoist Heshou, came out, and everyone greeted him.

Shen Xian stood up and went to greet him, saying, "This student greets the teacher."

The abbot of Qingyang Temple said, "No need for formalities. Just now, Shi Xing mentioned that you have something important to tell me?"

Shen Xian said, “Teacher, I just came from the county government. My father has recently encountered some tricky cases. Demons and evil spirits are harming people in the countryside. Demons are good at hiding their presence. Although my father is a Xiantian martial artist, I know that you are a Dao Quanzhen master. I would like to ask you for one or two talismans to help my father subdue the demons.”

Actually, he saw that Master He Shou was kind and gentle during his daily classes, and didn't seem like someone who would abandon someone in distress.

Could it be because he dislikes dealing with government officials?

After all, are government officials known for their menacing aura?

Upon hearing this, Daoist He Shou frowned and said, "Shen Xian, let alone the fact that I am not proficient in the art of exorcising demons, even though Daoist sects are pure places, we do not participate in such filthy and evil matters. Your father should seek help from the government; I am unable to assist you."

Shen Xian: "..."

As the saying goes, hearing about something is not the same as seeing it, and seeing it is not the same as experiencing it yourself.

As later generations have said, the first disappointment in life begins with reporting it to the authorities.

Although it is somewhat biased, it is enough to illustrate the disappointment of unmet expectations.

Yesterday he also said that Crane Guardian Daoist was a Daoist of Complete Truth.

Crane Guardian said, “Shen Xian, such matters are the responsibility of the government. Qingyang Temple is a secluded place, a place for quiet cultivation, and it is not appropriate for us to get involved in such fighting and killing.”

Shen Xian said, "But you are a true master of Tao, and the people of the county praise you highly. If you were to show great compassion and punish evil spirits, you would be even more loved by the people."

The so-called principle is to explain the greater good to them and then entice them with the benefits and harms.

Crane Guardian's aged voice carried a hint of coldness: "Why should a Taoist cultivate the Tao with such utilitarian motives?"

Shen Xian: "???"

What does it mean?
Explain the greater good to them, but they don't understand it. When you try to lure them with the promise of gain or loss, the moral high ground is wielded against them instead.

"Then, out of pure, true and virtuous heart, shouldn't the teacher also step in to subdue demons and monsters and uphold justice for the world?" Shen Xian said, wearing a tall hat.

Xue Zhihua listened in the shadows with great interest; this person was indeed a skilled talker.

"Demons and evil spirits have their cycles of waxing and waning, prosperity and decline are inevitable. The way of Heaven is natural, and outsiders should not interfere forcibly, lest their fate be reversed. As for subduing demons and eliminating evil spirits to uphold justice for the world, that is not my true intention. Yesterday's 'Free and Easy Wandering' is what truly represents our true intention." Crane Guardian Daoist came to the window, looked at the lotus leaves swaying in the wind in the courtyard, and said in a deep voice.

Actually, if it weren't for Shen Xian's poem, Daoist He Shou wouldn't have said so much and would have had to ask someone to see the guest out.

Because Shen Xian's poem embodies a Taoist philosophy of tranquility and non-action.

In fact, the Jiajing Emperor was solely focused on Taoist cultivation and neglected state affairs.

Shen Xian was momentarily stunned.

Because he saw that Crane Guardian's expression was serious and not feigned, and that's what people thought.

This is a difference in ideology.

Shen Xian quickly said, "But since you, teacher, are here and have heard of this matter, it means that fate has arranged things in the dark. If you help your student punish the demons, it is in accordance with the natural order and destiny."

Crane Guardian: "???"

It's clear that they've completely outmaneuvered Tsurumori.

Behind the pine and crane screen, Xue Zhihua, who had been listening to the whole thing, twitched at the corner of her mouth.

This young man is quite good at debating.

Seeing this, Shen Xian pressed on, saying, "This means that your opportunity has arrived, Teacher. You usually don't care about these mundane matters, but today you've acted out of character, implying that the way of heaven is constant, while opportunity is a variable." This is also the principle of change and destiny that Shen Xian learned in his previous life from the Book of Changes. The former, which follows the conventional choices of one's own personality and destiny, is called fate, while the variable that goes against the natural order is called fortune.

Crane Guardian frowned and said, "You're just a greenhorn, you haven't even opened the Heavenly Gate yet, how dare you talk about the will of Heaven?"

He, a cultivator at the fourth realm, dared not even know the will of Heaven, yet this brat dared to speak so arrogantly.

Upon seeing this, Shen Xian's expression changed slightly, and he remained silent.

Is this the true path of Taoism? Or is this a selfish and self-serving parasite on the nation?

Since you cultivate the supreme path of detachment, why not emulate the sages of the past, abstain from grains, and live as a hermit in the deep mountains and forests?
Why should we accept incense offerings from the world and land allocated by the imperial court?

Suppressing the surging anger within him, Shen Xian said, "Teacher, the sage said, 'Heaven and Earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs,' which is..."

Crane Guardian Daoist lightly flicked his sleeve, cutting off the conversation, and said unhappily, "Today is not a day for lecturing. Someone, see the guest out."

With that, Crane Guardian Daoist said no more and turned to leave.

Shen Xian's face was ashen, but a cold smile rippled through his heart.

He originally wanted to debate the scriptures, but the Taoist Master Crane Guardian didn't give him the chance at all.

At this moment, he deeply understood what it meant to be on different paths and not work together.

“Yesterday, the teacher asked the students to compose a poem. I didn’t do well yesterday, so I will compose another poem today to present to the teacher.” As Shen Xian spoke, he went to the desk next to him and began to write on the yellow paper. His writing was swift and graceful, like dragons and snakes moving and clouds and smoke on the paper.

"Farewell."

After Shen Xian finished writing, he put down his brush, bowed to the back of the Crane Guardian, and then turned and left.

As Crane Guardian Daoist, holding a silver whisk, walked to the threshold, he stopped in his tracks upon hearing the voice of the young man behind him, and his face, which had been as calm as a still lake, stirred slightly.

Xue Zhihua flashed forward and picked up the yellow paper, beginning to read it aloud softly.

So many tales of rise and fall, like the endless flow of the Yangtze River. From afar, lotus leaves sway in the wind; up close, a weary horse rests. The gathering of three flowers at the crown is but an illusion; the soaring clouds beneath one's feet are not real either. A great dream must eventually end; rootless and boundless, we return to dust.

Xue Zhihua, dressed in a red dress, smiled and said, "This is truly a fine poem. If I hadn't seen it written by a young man, I would have thought it was written by some immortal of the eighth realm."

Who would have thought that such a young talent could exist in such a small county as Guhe?
So many events have occurred in the rise and fall of dynasties, yet the mighty Yangtze River flows on and on.

Such a magnificent sight would surely delight the Empress Dowager, who would then admire it greatly.

A sick horse needs a rest, but who exactly is the sick horse? Who is being blamed?
The phrase "Three flowers gather at the top of the head... soaring through the clouds beneath one's feet" is used to distinguish between the real and the fake, and is also a way of rebuking certain people in the immortal path.

It can be said that this poem, or rather the combination of poems, perfectly blends the affairs of the world with the Taoist ideal of longevity and carefree living. With the well-being of all people in mind, it points out that the so-called "Free and Easy Wandering" is nothing but an illusion, ultimately without roots or limits, returning to dust.

As a member of a prominent family in the capital, a descendant of the Duke of Xue, Xue Zhihua was carefully nurtured from a young age and had access to the highest levels of society. How could he not know the imagery in this poem?

Crane Guardian Daoist stood there in a daze, carefully savoring the poem left behind by Shen Xian. His expression changed, and ripples spread across his Dao Heart Lake.

These are the lines of poetry written by the Jiajing Emperor at the end of his reign. The last two lines did not appear in the TV series, but they added to the melancholy of the emperor's passing.

What could be more impactful than the lament of a monarch who, in his later years, finds his quest for immortality futile and realizes it was all just a dream?
It can be said that the mindset of a human emperor who reigns over the entire country and commands the vast lands is far beyond that of a fourth-realm Daoist who aspires to transcend the mundane and attain divine status.

Immortality and carefree wandering are ultimately nothing but a fleeting dream!
Ultimately, it seems to confirm yesterday's "Zhuangzi's Dream of a Butterfly".

This can be described as a Taoist poem brimming with sarcasm, forming a perfect closed loop with yesterday's self-proclaimed carefree poem, "Clouds in the blue sky, water in the bottle."

Behind it all is the story of an emperor who once ruled over hundreds of millions of ordinary people, and the unfolding of his life.

The more profound a Taoist's cultivation, the more they feel the weight of history and the vicissitudes of humanity within it.

Thunder in silence!
The more Xue Zhihua looked at the poem, the more she liked it. She planned to take it back and appreciate it slowly, so she said, "Senior, how about giving me this poem?"

Crane Guardian Daoist suddenly came to his senses and said leisurely, "If you like it, take it."

Xue Zhi happily accepted the painting and gracefully left Qingyang Temple.

After Xue Zhihua left, Crane Guardian also smoothed away the ripples that had spread across the Lake of Dao Heart.

"I have three virtues: diligence, frugality, and not daring to be the first in the world." The voice of the Crane Guardian Taoist echoed in the Qingyang Temple, old and decaying, as if he were refusing in vain.

Only in the side hall, in the presence of the Taiqing Dao Ancestor, a three-legged bronze incense burner stood before him, with wisps of smoke curling upwards.

(End of this chapter)