As Jiang Yuan watched the totem in the sky dissipate, golden light scattering in all directions, he was puzzled.
Not understanding the reason, he saw that it did not come to him and his Master, so he put away the Yu Ding.
The Master stepped forward, gazing toward the horizon, and saw the golden road of the Four Barbarians, saying, "The Southern Zhanbu Continent is in chaos."
Jiang Yuan, confused, asked, "Master, why is that?"
The Master replied, "Child, you have been cultivating for over fifty years. The Southern Zhanbu Continent is not at peace; dynasties rise and fall. This morning, the name of the Zhou Dynasty exists in name only, while its fate is entirely in the hands of the Four Barbarians."
The Zhou Dynasty exists in name only, and its fate lies with the Four Barbarians!
Jiang Yuan was greatly shocked upon hearing this.
After cultivating for over fifty years, the Zhou Dynasty had reached the point of changing dynasties.
He knew that the Zhou had lasted for eight hundred years, and during the Eastern Zhou period, it was already in name only.
Yet, in his time of cultivation, the dynasty had already changed.
Such feelings left him astonished.
Moreover, he had witnessed the fate of the Zhou Dynasty heading toward the four directions.
"The Son of Heaven has lost his authority; learning is found among the Four Barbarians!"
This saying surfaced in Jiang Yuan's mind.
This was no different from asking where the fate of the Zhou Dynasty was headed.
Jiang Yuan raised his question, "Master, that light in the distance, is it the fate of the Zhou Dynasty? I, as a disciple, lack the power and my life is shallow; how can I glimpse it?"
The Master answered, "Child, your primordial spirit is different from others. Your primordial spirit is agile, and you have partially returned the Heart Monkey. With your primordial spirit assisting you, you can naturally glimpse it."
Jiang Yuan, astonished, asked, "Is the primordial spirit of others not like mine? Master, in the past, what I observed in the Ding, my primordial spirit was heavily burdened and difficult to rise, resembling a serious illness."
The Master extended a large hand from under his sleeve and pointed at Jiang Yuan's Ni Palace, smiling, "People from the Southern Zhanbu Continent do not cultivate their primordial spirits, hence the illness. However, there are different types of illness: evil illness, serious illness, and minor illness. Evil illness is hard to cure, serious illness is difficult to treat, and minor illness is hard to nurture. Your primordial spirit is a minor illness; with the Heart Monkey, Yu Ding, and Tai Xuan Qing Sheng Fu, it is now naturally agile."
Jiang Yuan suddenly understood.
His spirit was refreshed and his body healthy, which was indeed due to his agile primordial spirit, granting him such divine abilities.
Now, he was no longer the same as before.
Jiang Yuan looked toward the distance again, but the extraordinary phenomena had vanished, leaving no trace.
Yet he vaguely sensed a mysterious feeling from the four directions.
The Zhou Dynasty...
He had grown up there.
He felt a sense of regret in his heart but said nothing.
The Master suddenly said, "Child, go inside and tidy up; it is time to leave this place. I should have waited for you to enter the Dao before departing, but there have been changes here. We must head westward to the Xiniu Hezhou. Once we arrive at the Ling Tai Fangcun Mountain, I will establish a cave dwelling and cultivate in peace."
Jiang Yuan did not ask further and responded with a "yes," turning back into the cave dwelling to gather his clothes, mat, and other items.
However, as he tidied up, he was at a loss.
The cave dwelling was simple, with two quiet rooms.
Besides the mat and clothes, there was little else to take; he could not possibly move the bed.
The Master approached, saying, "Child, there is no need to move the bed. Leave it here; if any travelers pass by and have nowhere to go, they will have a place to rest."
Jiang Yuan agreed.
The Master took the mat and clothes from Jiang Yuan's hands, lightly waving his sleeve, and they vanished without a trace.
Jiang Yuan's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Master, what kind of technique is this?"
The Master pointed to his wide sleeve and smiled, "This is the 'Sleeve Universe' technique, a side method. There are three hundred and sixty side methods within the Dao, each capable of yielding true results. Child, do you regret it? If you do, I can teach you the side methods. Don't say it's just the Sleeve Universe; I can teach you many side methods if you wish."
Jiang Yuan waved his hand, saying, "I won't learn it, I won't learn it! Learning the Golden Core orthodox path is enough. Without the orthodox path, grasping at the moon in the water is difficult for attaining longevity, like the Tai Xuan Qing Sheng Fu."
The Tai Xuan Qing Sheng Fu is marvelous, granting immortality, but once taken off, one dies and the Dao is lost, never to return.
This is a side method.
As the saying goes, "To forge iron, one must be strong oneself."
He was already cultivating the Golden Core path; there was no need for anything else.
The Master smiled and nodded, walking outside.
Jiang Yuan followed closely behind.
The two walked out of the cave dwelling, one in front and the other behind.
When Jiang Yuan reached the entrance of the cave dwelling, he paused and turned to look.
A withered tree branch had just blossomed at that moment, as if to express gratitude for the years of care.
Jiang Yuan smiled and followed the Master's footsteps.
The new flowers on the withered tree trembled, and among the surrounding mountains and forests, flowers bloomed everywhere, their fragrance wafting for miles.
With each step Jiang Yuan took, a gentle breeze came, clearing the small path.
Seeing this, the Master clasped his hands and exclaimed, "You have thus bowed to me under this withered tree, and the withered tree has come to life because of you. After decades of care, fragrant flowers send you off for miles. Wonderful, wonderful!"
Jiang Yuan said, "Master, this tree can find peace in the mountains. If any travelers come by and encounter difficulties, this tree may assist them."
The Master looked at Jiang Yuan for a moment and said, "It is indeed similar to my bed!"
Jiang Yuan laughed, "Master, we are master and disciple."
The Master laughed heartily, saying no more, and walked down the mountain.
Jiang Yuan closely followed behind.
...
The two descended from the Shangjing Mountain, and this journey lasted seven or eight days.
The Master was a remarkable person, showing no signs of fatigue.
Jiang Yuan had subdued the Heart Monkey by more than half; his body felt light.
Not to mention walking for seven or eight days, even if it were seven or eight years, he would not feel tired.
The journey was uneventful and leisurely, passing through small counties and large streets.
Others only felt it was strange; the master and disciple faced no obstacles.
They arrived at a small path by the river.
Suddenly, Jiang Yuan felt a purple qi rising in the eastern sky.
He looked up and realized it was again his primordial spirit assisting him.
He asked, "Master, what is this purple qi?"
The Master looked up and said, "A noble person descends upon Luoyi, bringing purple qi with them."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan looked toward the source of the purple qi.
Luoyi is Luoyang, known as "the center of the eight directions, with Zhou and Luo at its core," and it is the heart of China.
However, during his time in the mortal realm, the Zhou Dynasty was in Haojing, which has now changed greatly.
The Master mentioned a noble person descending upon Luoyi, but Jiang Yuan wondered who this noble person could be, to be referred to as such by the Master.
The Master turned and said, "Child, go to Luoyi and meet this noble person; you are also acquainted with them."
Jiang Yuan followed and asked, "Master, is the noble person perhaps Mr. Boyang?"
To be called a "noble person" by the Master and to have purple qi surrounding them, the only one he knew was Laozi.
In mythology, Taishang Laojun often spoke of "purple qi coming from the east for thirty thousand miles."
It was not hard to guess the identity, but he did not know why such a celestial being would go to Luoyi.
In the past, Laozi mentioned entering the world for a visit, perhaps related to matters here.
The Master nodded, saying, "Indeed, it is Mr. Boyang. Just right, you should thank Mr. Boyang again. The Yu Ding has granted you much assistance; without the Yu Ding, the Heart Monkey would not have been subdued so easily."
Jiang Yuan understood that the Yu Ding was a divine object, bestowed upon him by Laozi.
He had not known its significance at the time, and now reflecting on it, he felt he had been somewhat lacking in courtesy and should indeed thank Laozi again.
The Master headed toward the direction of the purple qi.
Jiang Yuan followed.
The two walked slowly, not resembling celestial beings, but rather ordinary mortals.
However, in their words and actions, they were in harmony with nature.
Others who saw them did not feel anything unusual, and this was also part of the reason.
Jiang Yuan did not ask the Master why he did not use divine abilities; he felt that this way of walking was very comfortable.
Along the way, he could still temper his Heart Monkey.
Such gradual cultivation was best done at any time, dining on the wind and drinking the dew, day after day...
(End of Chapter)