In a daze, when Jiang Yuan opened his eyes again, he found himself back in the quiet room.
The Master was smiling and gazing at him, his eyes filled with generous praise.
The Master pointed at the chessboard and said, "In this game, you have won, child."
Jiang Yuan lowered his head to take a look; the brown pieces of the Yellow Emperor had already wiped out the white pieces of Chi You.
In the end, with the 'Crouching Horse' move, Chi You was trapped, and the chariot achieved a decisive kill.
The chess game mirrored his command of troops on a desolate battlefield, dreamlike and illusory.
Jiang Yuan stood up to bow and thank the Master, but as he rose, he nearly stumbled in surprise.
How was his body so light?
The Bodhi Master said, "When coming, mortal bones and mortal bodies are heavy; upon entering the Dao, the body becomes light. Your body is much lighter now; this is a good thing."
Jiang Yuan's brows lifted in joy as he asked, "Master, does this mean I have entered the Dao?"
The Master shook his head and said, "You, child, must beware of being hasty and impatient. To leap a hundred zhang is to enter the Dao. You are still far from it. Jump and see how many zhang you can reach."
A leap of a hundred zhang signifies entering the Dao.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan, filled with joy, walked to the front of the quiet room.
He gathered his strength and leaped, his body light and springy as he soared into the air.
Looking down, he had a sense of how high he had jumped.
One zhang!
A far cry from the hundred zhang needed to enter the Dao.
Yet being able to leap one zhang was already extraordinary.
Jiang Yuan understood that this was the beginning of his longevity.
The Master watched Jiang Yuan jump with a smile, feeling delighted.
Having initially severed his karmic ties, he could leap a zhang high.
Those born in the southern part of Zhanzhou were tainted by turbid qi; mortal bones were heavy, and mortal bodies even heavier.
Even for those of the immortal lineage, to carry mortal bones and bodies together was quite a challenge.
This child of his could bear mortal bones and bodies, initially severing karmic ties, and leap a zhang high, which showed he was quite spirited.
The Master said, "Jiang child, you now have no karmic ties, yet you can cultivate the Dao."
Jiang Yuan bowed, saying, "I hope Master will teach me."
The Bodhi Master looked outside the room and shook his head, saying, "Come back tomorrow, and I will teach you a way."
Hearing the Master's words, Jiang Yuan did not dare to disobey.
He thanked him and bowed, then slowly retreated from the quiet room.
As he stepped outside, he saw the bright moon and clear dew, surprised that half a day had passed since he had entered and exited.
The scene of commanding troops on the desolate battlefield was still vivid in his mind.
Gurgle, gurgle...
Jiang Yuan's stomach rumbled, and feelings of hunger and fatigue surged within him.
Remembering today's 'immortal experience,' he shook his head and smiled, heading outside the cave to find something to eat.
...
The next day, Jiang Yuan, dressed in plain clothes, walked out of the quiet room to water the withered trees.
Everything had changed, yet nothing had changed.
Jiang Yuan felt his mind clear and lightness he had never experienced before.
After thirty years of dust, all the dust had finally settled.
Returning to the cave, he walked towards the Master's quiet room; today was the day he sought the Dao.
Before he could enter, the Master's leisurely voice came from within.
"The Flame Emperor was Jiang Shui, the Divine Farmer. He was born in Jiang Shui and took water as his surname. He accomplished great deeds for the heavens, testing a hundred herbs with the 'Red Whip,' practicing slash-and-burn agriculture, creating the plow and the five-stringed zither, earning the title 'Flame Emperor.' In later generations, those with the surname Jiang regard him as their ancestor. Those born later should not be ashamed of their ancestor and should show three parts of respect."
"The Jiang surname should add one more ancestor, which is you, Jiang child, the ancestor of the Jiang clan in the capital!"
"Jiang child possesses great talent, creating 'Xiangqi' and 'Weiqi' to derive the heavenly Dao, inventing the technique of grafting, skillfully surpassing nature, and speaking various teachings to satisfy all desires for speech."
"If you, Jiang child, wholeheartedly enter the world, given time, you will surely become an 'Emperor.' Why not?"
The Master's voice was like the sound of a Qiongqi, tempting the heart and stirring greed.
Jiang Yuan's gaze was clear; he was not swayed.
He bowed and said, "Master, I am wholeheartedly seeking the Dao."
The Master's voice continued, "Child, upon entering the quiet room, it is as if the dust has settled; think thrice before acting."
Jiang Yuan stood up and stepped into the quiet room without hesitation.
Perhaps he could become a sage among the hundred families, a great virtuous person in the world, or even be regarded as the ruler of the world, yet that was not what he sought, nor what he desired.
As Jiang Yuan entered, the Master looked at him, a glint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes, secretly praising him.
This child had severed his karmic ties, had an open heart, was not arrogant due to his talents, and was indeed someone who could cultivate the Dao.
The Master sat on the mat and smiled, "Child, you are wise. Come, come, come! Get closer, so that the six-eared can’t hear the teachings."
Hearing this, Jiang Yuan felt joy, knowing the Master was about to pass on the teachings to him, granting him the mysteries of longevity.
He did not approach immediately but first performed a 'salutation' before kneeling and sitting in front of the Master to listen.
The Master clasped his hands and said, "What Dao do you wish to learn, and what sutra do you wish to discuss?"
Jiang Yuan replied, "Master, which Dao can grant longevity, and which sutra can lead to the great Dao?"
Upon hearing this, the Master held the ruler and pointed it at Jiang Yuan, saying, "You child, how can you speak like this? How should I respond?"
Jiang Yuan was not afraid and smiled, "If Master can pass on the mysteries of longevity to me, then if you want to hit me a few times, just go ahead."
Saying this, he leaned his head forward.
The Master stood up, holding the ruler, and lightly struck him once, scolding with a smile, "Do not be foolish."
He felt both joy and anger towards this child.
Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "Master, I truly wish to seek the mysteries of longevity."
As soon as these words were spoken, the Master put away the ruler, stood up slowly, and shook his head, saying, "With a child like you saying this, what Dao can you learn? In the door of 'Dao,' there are three hundred sixty side paths. The external paths can all achieve the right fruit, but as you wish, it cannot be the right path. The paths of techniques, the paths of flow, the paths of stillness, the paths of movement, etc., cannot be learned by you."
"Though the right path can grant the mysteries of longevity, it is indeed a difficult road."
The Master pondered for a moment, seemingly considering whether to pass on the teachings to Jiang Yuan.
Jiang Yuan understood that whether he could obtain the mysteries of longevity depended on the present moment.
He said, "Master, teach me! I am not afraid of difficulty!"
The Master thought again and said, "The right path is the Golden Elixir path; this path directly points to the great Dao. How can the word 'difficult' be spoken?"
Jiang Yuan replied, "I am not afraid."
The Master still refused, saying, "I fear that after you cultivate for a long time without achieving results, you will resent me."
Jiang Yuan answered again, "I will not resent you."
The Master did not respond, looking off into the distance.
Jiang Yuan knelt before the Master, not daring to speak.
After a while, the Master half-sang, half-intoned, saying, "Difficult, difficult, difficult! The Dao is the most profound; do not treat the Golden Elixir as trivial. Without encountering a true person to pass on the wonderful formula, empty words will only trap your tongue!"
"Child, the Golden Elixir right path is not something born of heaven and earth; it is difficult to achieve. Thus, do you still wish to learn?"
The Master's words were filled with helplessness.
Jiang Yuan bowed again and again, saying, "I wish to learn!"
Longevity is difficult, and the great Dao is even more difficult!
Since he was four years old, he had set his aspirations and labored for twenty-seven years, enduring hardships that were not spoken of to outsiders.
Today, the right path lay before him; how could he retreat?
To hear the Dao in the morning and die in the evening would be acceptable!
If he were to attain the right path but not longevity, then that would be his fate!
The Master nodded and said, "I will teach you, child. The Golden Elixir right path is difficult to achieve for those born in the southern part of Zhanzhou. Do you know why?"
Jiang Yuan shook his head, "I do not know."
From the Bodhi Master's words, he already understood that the capital mountain was in the southern part of Zhanzhou, and he too was a person born in Zhanzhou.
Among the four great continents, only the southern part of Zhanzhou suited him.
The other three continents, just in terms of appearance, did not resemble him at all.
As for lifespan, there was no need to elaborate further.
Jiang Yuan waited quietly for the Master to speak again.
(End of Chapter)