It is said that Laozi heard that Yin Xi was requesting to write a book to leave a name for himself, and he pondered in silence.
Yin Xi bowed down and said, "I earnestly request the Sage to leave a book, to teach those who hear the Dao to understand the Dao. I wish to exchange my lifespan for the transmission of the Sage's wisdom, so that those who hear the Dao across the world will not be troubled by the two gods!"
Laozi remained silent, sitting on the Green Ox, pretending to close his eyes.
Jiang Yuan stood beside him, also pondering how this Dao De Jing should manifest in the world, as it should serve as the vitality of the Southern Zhanbu Continent.
As Yin Xi said, there are many who have heard the Dao but do not advance, yet there are also many who have heard the Dao.
Now that the Sage is present, those who hear the Dao later are unable to see him.
If there were a scripture written by the Sage, it would teach those who hear the Dao later not to stop due to the obscurity and lack of clarity of the Dao.
This would be a great kindness.
There is a saying: "Those who hear the Dao are one and the same."
Thus, Yin Xi is both an early hearer of the Dao and a later hearer of the Dao.
Yin Xi bowed again and pleaded, "I earnestly request the Sage!"
After three requests, Laozi opened his eyes, looked at Yin Xi, and said, "On this third day of the third month, you have treated me with the rites of a disciple, yet I also teach you the Dao to listen to. This is a mutual exchange. Now, having accepted your three bows, I will leave a book here to teach those who come after."
Yin Xi was overjoyed and bowed, saying, "Please, Sage, write the book!"
Jiang Yuan calmed his mind and focused, wishing to listen to Laozi's teachings and gain insight into the principles.
Perhaps it was because he saw Guan Ling performing the rites, or perhaps it was because he saw Laozi riding the Green Ox backwards, the common people and soldiers nearby, yet none were worthy of fate, merely witnessing a spectacle.
Laozi pondered for a long time, then dismounted from the Green Ox, looked at Jiang Yuan, and smiled, "Guangxin, why are you carrying a burden?"
Jiang Yuan replied, "Baiyang Xiansheng, there is a household in the mountains at home that lives in peace. I have a good relationship with them. Seeing that I am going down the mountain for a long journey, I took some grains from their fields to sustain myself."
Laozi smiled broadly and said, "I have not tasted grains from the fields for a long time. Guangxin, can you spare me some to fill my stomach?"
Jiang Yuan presented the bundle: "Baiyang Xiansheng, please!"
Laozi untied the bundle, took the grains without complaint, and chewed them, laughing, "Good grains, good grains!"
After saying this, he pointed between his fingers, and a grain fell, landing on the ground.
Thud!
The grain fell silently, yet it resonated in Yin Xi's heart like a great bell.
He suddenly saw words appearing before him, as if endless and boundless, the creation was immense.
In his surprise, his mind settled, and he tried to remember the words, knowing deeply that this was the wisdom of the Sage.
There is a saying: "Great soundless, great formless."
The wisdom of the Sage cannot be measured by common reasoning.
Seeing Yin Xi in this manner, Laozi smiled and nodded.
He was about to turn to speak to Jiang Yuan when he noticed Jiang Yuan in a meditative state, indicating he had gained some transformation.
Laozi couldn't help but chuckle: "I almost forgot about you, the Dao-hearing child."
Upon seeing the common people and soldiers, none of them had heard the Dao, and seeing this was colorless, they scattered like birds and beasts.
Just like in Luoyi, where the purple qi was always present, yet none could see it.
The Dao has always been there.
The Dao has never left.
The Dao does not reject those who come.
Yin Xi saw the Dao and began to write words, recording what he remembered, wishing to write down more characters.
Jiang Yuan saw the Dao differently; he saw in front of him a furnace, with a small fire simmering beneath it, and inside the furnace were two pearls.
This represented his lung palace.
Jiang Yuan, upon arriving at this place, felt a divine influence and blew air towards the lung palace.
With one breath blown, the small fire blazed, and the two pearls inside the furnace began to reveal their presence.
Jiang Yuan felt that his cultivation had made progress, and joy arose within him.
Following the subtle methods passed down by his master, he controlled the fire, causing it to fluctuate, making the lung furnace glow red all over, allowing the Golden Sovereign to take shape.
The child became a "fire attendant."
He did not know how long it had been when suddenly a voice arose.
"Excess is as bad as deficiency."
Laozi's voice rang out.
Jiang Yuan awoke as if from a dream, opened his eyes to see the sky brightening, and saw Laozi sitting on the Green Ox, smiling and looking around.
He asked, "Baiyang Xiansheng, can we delay our journey west?"
Laozi shook his head: "Just a meal's time."
Jiang Yuan realized, having burned fire for many years, that it was indeed just a meal's time, truly "days feel like years."
He saw that in the lung palace, the two pearls had form, one black and one white, and he was overjoyed, not even thinking that in the time of a meal, he could save years of hard cultivation.
Laozi laughed and said, "You, Guangxin, how is it that after entering the Dao for so long, you still think of longevity, yet do not forget to cultivate after hearing the Dao?"
Jiang Yuan replied, "Baiyang Xiansheng, I have not yet achieved longevity after entering the Dao."
Laozi said, "Entering the Dao is like half of longevity. You possess the Tai Xuan Qing Sheng talisman given by Bodhi; how can you not achieve longevity?"
Jiang Yuan replied again, "Half of it does not equate to the marvelous path of longevity. The Tai Xuan Qing Sheng talisman is from a heterodox school. Now, holding the orthodox path, if one loses the orthodox path for the heterodox, it is indeed a grave mistake."
Laozi clasped his hands and spoke of the marvelous: "The orthodox path is indeed difficult, but if you walk it, you will arrive! Guangxin, set forth!"
After saying this, he pretended to close his eyes.
Jiang Yuan glanced at Yin Xi, who was still in meditation, knowing that Laozi did not wish to speak more with him.
He gently patted the Green Ox.
The Green Ox let out a low moo and walked slowly, exiting the pass.
...
By dusk, Yin Xi finally awakened, realizing that Laozi and Jiang Yuan were not present.
He felt a great urgency in his heart and inquired with his servants, only to find out they had long since gone west.
Yin Xi could only give up.
When he heard the Dao, he had gained many characters; he only remembered three thousand characters.
Before he could remember the rest, he had already awakened.
How could he not know what a great opportunity this was? He wished to remember a few more characters to make it clearer for those who hear the Dao later, yet Laozi had already gone west.
"What a pity, what a pity!"
Yin Xi sighed, recording the three thousand characters he had learned, and supplemented them to make five thousand characters, forming a book.
...
The purple qi came from the east for thirty thousand miles, and the Sage traveled west past the Hangu Pass.
Jiang Yuan and Laozi set forth westward, walking through the wilderness for many days.
It was not like the journey he had taken with his master, where golden light paved the way straight to the end; they simply allowed the Green Ox to walk, not knowing where they were headed.
Although Jiang Yuan did not know where they were going, he understood that this direction was the same as Ling Tai Fang Cun Mountain, yet it was not the same destination.
This path was indeed "blazing fiercely, filling the sky with flames, radiating magnificently and spreading red across the land," and the heat was far greater than before.
Jiang Tong'er felt quite at ease; he had heard the Dao and was cultivating, making progress.
Now the fire in his lung palace was vigorous, yet it was time to rest, gradually advancing to ensure the fire was steady, and the Golden Sovereign would not be harmed.
Laozi rode the Green Ox backwards and saw Jiang Yuan walking under the blazing sun, saying, "Guangxin, are you not feeling bored while protecting the law for me?"
Jiang Yuan shook his head: "To protect the law for Baiyang Xiansheng is my fortune."
Laozi laughed: "Guangxin, do you know why I ride backwards and do not point the direction?"
Jiang Yuan replied, "I heard my master speak of the principles, saying that the Dao naturally exists. Baiyang Xiansheng rides backwards so that the Green Ox can walk freely, which aligns with this principle."
Laozi nodded and said, "Indeed, you have received the true transmission of Bodhi. Bodhi is proficient in both Dao and Buddhism. Guangxin, do you know what this westward journey should accomplish?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan pondered and said, "According to my master's words, Baiyang Xiansheng's emergence is to bring vitality to the Southern Zhanbu Continent and the Western Niuhe Continent. Earlier, Baiyang Xiansheng left Yin Xi to create vitality, which should be for the Southern Zhanbu Continent. This journey must be to bring vitality to the Western Niuhe Continent."
Laozi said, "Exactly! This journey should aim to transform the barbarians into Buddhists, to teach and enlighten."
Jiang Yuan asked, "The Ling Mountain Sacred Realm has a Buddha. The Buddha you speak of, Baiyang Xiansheng, is not the Buddha of the Ling Mountain Sacred Realm, but rather a teaching Buddha."
Laozi smiled without speaking, at ease and carefree.
Jiang Yuan also remained silent, continuing to protect the law, holding the Yu Ding.
If any demons or monsters dared to offend, he would certainly not tolerate it...
(End of Chapter)