Time passed swiftly, through summer and into autumn, as the sound of cicadas echoed amidst the withered willows, and the great fire flowed westward.
Jiang Tong'er quietly sought the Intent Horse, having cultivated for over forty years, yet he did not know in which year he would attain True Longevity.
After cultivating for over forty years, he observed the disciples in the cave coming and going, generation after generation, most of them cultivating for two or three years before departing.
Tong'er remained as calm as an ancient well, focused solely on cultivating the Right Path.
Though he could not find the ‘Intent Horse’ to hide in, he was never anxious.
This Intent Horse comprised three out of five.
The Ancestor Master had said that two spirits would surely bring disaster, teaching him that he could not find the Intent Horse.
This journey, he must not rush, to prevent the two spirits from causing calamity.
Tong'er was at ease; when the Ancestor Master ascended the platform to preach, he would go, and during idle days, he would quietly cultivate in peace.
On this day,
Jiang Yuan sat in the Yao Platform, listening to the Ancestor Master expound the teachings, absorbing the wondrous sounds.
Among the class, he was the only one left, as most of the junior brothers had departed to pursue side paths, believing themselves to be true cultivators, and had gone down the mountain.
Tong'er, upon hearing the profound points, shook his head and nodded, his spiritual platform clear.
Suddenly, he heard the Ancestor Master stop speaking.
Jiang Yuan opened his eyes, unsure of what had happened.
The Ancestor Master pointed outside the Three Stars Immortal Cave and said, “There is a cultivator who has arrived; you may go and receive him.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan rose and bowed, saying, “Yes, Master.”
He was somewhat surprised, as it was common for disciples to descend the mountain and for cultivators to ascend.
Before long,
Jiang Tong'er walked out of the Three Stars Immortal Cave, the cave door wide open, and saw a man dressed in coarse clothing outside.
The man bowed and said, “Immortal, Immortal! Disciple greets you!”
Jiang Yuan stepped back and replied, “I dare not accept; I am no immortal.”
The man said, “I have heard that there is an immortal cave on this mountain called ‘Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave,’ and that there are immortals within. Today, seeing you come out from the cave, how could you not be an immortal?”
Jiang Yuan replied, “I am merely a cultivator, currently practicing under my master, the Bodhi Ancestor. This immortal cave is merely where my master resides. Just now, my master ascended the platform to preach and suddenly told me that a cultivator had come, and it must be you.”
The man bowed deeply and said, “It is I, it is I! Master, I have come from the Western Bull Hezhou across the sea, wishing not to live in the mundane world, seeking the path to enter the mountain and cultivate!”
Jiang Yuan nodded and said, “Come with me.”
With that,
He turned and walked back into the cave.
He had seen such scenes many times before.
The man, feeling awkward and uneasy, followed behind.
The two walked one in front and one behind, arriving at the Yao Platform in front of the Three Stars Immortal Cave.
Jiang Yuan stepped forward to report and took his seat in the class.
The man knelt before the Ancestor Master and said, “Old Immortal, I sincerely wish to cultivate, and I ask the old immortal to accept me as a disciple and teach me the path!”
The Ancestor Master said, “Do not rush in your cultivation; first, tell me your hometown and name clearly.”
The man anxiously replied, “Old Immortal, I live in the Qin Kingdom of the Southern Zhanbu Continent, my name is Zhao Heng. My family has suffered three disasters, and I have heard that there are predecessors who have traversed the water route to the Western Bull Hezhou, hence I have come to the Western Bull Hezhou to do business.”
The Ancestor Master nodded upon hearing this: “If that is the case, why do you not do business and instead wish to cultivate?”
The man bowed and said, “Old Immortal, I do not wish to live a mundane life; I have come to cultivate the path.”
The Ancestor Master asked, “If I were to teach you the path, what would you do?”
The man’s eyes rolled around and he said, “I would teach and enlighten the world.”
The Ancestor Master further inquired, “How would you enlighten them?”
The man replied, “I have heard that the various nations are at war, and the royal families do not care; if one cultivates the true path, they will surely restore the royal families and reestablish the rites of Zhou, bringing an end to the wars among the nations.”
The Ancestor Master pondered for a moment and said, “It is easy to deceive others, but difficult to deceive oneself. If you wish to cultivate the path, I hope it is as you say. Now that you have entered under my tutelage, I shall give you a Dharma name.”
The man was overjoyed and bowed countless times, saying, “Please grant me a name, Master!”
The Ancestor Master said, “I have twelve characters under my name, which are ‘Vast Wisdom, True Suchness Sea, Enlightened Understanding, Complete Awakening.’ You will be placed in the ‘True’ character lineage, and your Dharma name shall be ‘True Insight.’ As you have just begun your cultivation, I will teach you to fetch water daily, so that the cave does not lack water.”
The man bowed again and again, repeatedly agreeing.
The Ancestor Master instructed the man ‘True Insight’ to find a quiet room.
The man accepted the order and left the Yao Platform.
Jiang Yuan sat in the class, remaining silent and still.
The Ancestor Master looked around and smiled, saying, “I expected Tong'er to ask, but I did not think Tong'er would be so calm. These forty years of time have transformed Tong'er, making him seem like a true cultivator.”
Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, “Master, I know this junior brother; his heart is restless. If the Master teaches him to fetch water, he will surely become negligent and find it difficult to cultivate the path.”
The Ancestor Master smiled and said, “The path is beneath your feet.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan suddenly thought of what this junior brother had said about ‘the nations at war, and the royal families do not care.’ Since the Eastern Zhou, the royal family's authority has vanished, existing only in name, a great dream known as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.
He thought that it must be close to the Warring States now.
Jiang Yuan asked, “Master, if this junior brother truly cultivates the path and wishes to revive the royal family, can it be done?”
In the past, the things that the old sage could not accomplish, even if someone cultivated the path, how could they achieve it?
The Ancestor Master shook his head and said, “Bring me a rope.”
Jiang Yuan was puzzled, but upon hearing the Ancestor Master’s words, he turned and went down from the Yao Platform, taking a grass vine and weaving it into a rope, then returned to the class.
He handed the grass rope to the Ancestor Master and said, “Master.”
The Ancestor Master stepped down from the platform, took the grass rope, and pointed to an empty spot on the platform, saying, “Tong'er, look here; there is a grass rope. How would you stop the grass rope from moving forward?”
With that,
He gently placed the grass rope on the ground.
Jiang Yuan pondered and said, “Master, how about tying a knot?”
The Ancestor Master smiled and stepped forward to tie a knot in the grass rope, but found that the end of the rope still pointed forward.
He said, “This rope from the Southern Zhanbu Continent, if one truly cultivates, it is merely tying a knot; the result does not change. This rope is like cause and effect; once the cause is born, how can it stop without a result?”
Jiang Yuan bowed deeply: “Disciple has learned.”
The Ancestor Master continued, “Cultivation is also this principle. Tong'er, as you seek the ‘Intent Horse,’ it is like the grass rope. If the two spirits disrupt your cultivation, the end of the grass rope points to the two spirits, and it will be too late to regret. If you find the Intent Horse, the end of the grass rope points to you, then the Right Path can be achieved.”
Jiang Yuan nodded, taking the Intent Horse more seriously.
At this moment, he was at the most difficult time in his cultivation; whether he succeeded or failed depended on the Intent Horse.
Upon hearing this, the Ancestor Master ascended the platform and began to preach.
……
After the Ancestor Master finished preaching, Jiang Tong'er served the Ancestor Master back to the room and then entered his own quiet room to cultivate.
He sat cross-legged on the mat, holding the Yu Ding before him, his mind entering a state of meditation, and then he began to explore the kidney area, trying to see if he could find the location of the Intent Horse.
Jiang Yuan searched for a long time but found no trace of the Intent Horse.
For over forty years, it had been like this.
“The Intent Horse is indeed difficult to find; the five organs represent five people, and the Golden Lord needs to be burned by fire. Where could the Intent Horse be?”
Jiang Yuan thought to himself.
In his great dream, the Intent Horse took the form of the White Dragon.
Yet he did not know how his Intent Horse was or where it was located.
Jiang Yuan understood that at this time, he could not find the trace of the Intent Horse; once the suspicion of the Intent Horse being difficult to find arose, and with the two spirits obstructing him, he could not seek it out.
At this moment, it was just like when he first recognized the ‘five people’; the spirit obscured his heart, and the desire clouded his eyes, preventing him from finding the path, leaving him in a state of confusion.
Jiang Yuan sighed and said, “Difficult, difficult, difficult! Do not treat the Golden Elixir as trivial!”
The Right Path is indeed difficult…
(End of Chapter)