It is said that Jiang Tong'er rode a white deer down the mountain, heading eastward towards the desolate land.
Unbeknownst to him, half a month passed without any obstacles along the way.
This taught Jiang Yuan a lesson about the principle of bullying the weak and fearing the strong.
In the past, his magical power was shallow, plagued by demonic obstacles, and tormented by monsters, leaving him no peace.
Now, with numerous treasures at his disposal and riding a white deer, how could he encounter demonic obstacles or monsters? Even if they appeared, they would not leave a trace.
Jiang Yuan knew that such demonic obstacles and evil beings were aware of his powers and dared not invade him, so he continued on his journey.
One day, Jiang Yuan rode the white deer back to his old haunts, which was precisely the Baoliang Kingdom.
Upon seeing this kingdom again, it was nothing like the past.
He observed the towering city walls; from the gates, he could see the people living peacefully in the market.
Further in, there were layers of palaces and corridors, a stark contrast to the small tribe of years gone by.
Jiang Tong'er felt joy in his heart and said, "That young man must have gained enlightenment, right?"
He urged the white deer forward, entering the kingdom.
As he approached the city gates, someone stopped him and asked, "Who comes here?"
Jiang Yuan dismounted the white deer, took out a dust whisk, and respectfully said, "I am a wandering scholar, passing through this place, seeking a meal and a place to stay for the night, planning to leave tomorrow."
The man was a sturdy fellow, and upon seeing Jiang Yuan's celestial demeanor, he did not dare to be negligent.
He said, "You are no different from a sage. Our kingdom admires sages. Today, our monarch wishes to see you, and will surely be delighted. Please, wise one, accompany me to meet the monarch. At that time, we will present you with tea and meals, and prepare a room for you to stay."
Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Very well, very well."
The man stepped forward, saying, "Wise one, let me lead your deer."
Jiang Yuan gently patted the white deer, allowing it to be led without resistance, and he followed the man into the kingdom.
Once inside the city, walking through the bustling streets, he secretly praised that this kingdom was indeed incomparable to the past.
Jiang Yuan pointed to the road ahead and asked, "With such prosperity in the city, it must be that the monarchs of past generations valued virtue and loved the wise, which has led to this enduring grandeur."
The sturdy man laughed and said, "Not at all, not at all! Wise one, you are mistaken. Two hundred years ago, our Baoliang Kingdom was still a small nation. It was only with sages like you that our kingdom could flourish. Although the monarchs of past generations were virtuous, without wise ones, they could not achieve this."
Jiang Yuan further inquired, "I have traveled widely and seen many wise individuals, some referred to as masters or teachers, yet I have only seen your kingdom refer to them as wise ones. What is the significance of this term?"
The man replied, "You may not know, but in the past, a wise one came to our land and taught us, leading to our current prosperity. Before leaving, he said, 'In the future, there will be a wise one, and that will be him.' Thus, the term 'wise one' is our respectful address. Upon seeing your wise demeanor, we honor you with this title."
Jiang Yuan performed a salute and smiled, saying, "So it is, so it is! I am indeed not well-versed in such matters."
The man dared not accept the courtesy, responding, "I cannot accept such respect! How could I receive your courtesy?"
Jiang Yuan smiled without speaking, following him along.
Before long, they arrived at the palace, where someone went inside to announce their arrival.
Upon hearing that a wise one had come, the monarch was overjoyed and personally came out to greet him.
Upon seeing Jiang Yuan's appearance, the monarch secretly sighed, "Indeed, he possesses a graceful demeanor, the bearing of a wise one."
He stepped forward to bow, but before he could fully bow, Jiang Yuan stopped him.
Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "You are the monarch of a nation, the backbone of your country; you must not do this."
The monarch then ceased his bowing and welcomed Jiang Yuan into the palace, not daring to make any mistakes.
Once inside the palace, the monarch offered a seat to Jiang Yuan and asked, "Wise one, what teachings do you bring?"
Jiang Yuan shook his head and smiled, saying, "Not at all, I am merely a wandering scholar, seeking a meal and a place to rest for the night."
Upon hearing this, the monarch called for someone to bring tea and food, and to prepare a room for Jiang Yuan to stay.
Jiang Yuan accepted with a salute of thanks and ate the food.
He said, "Your Majesty, I have traveled to many countries and have never seen one like Baoliang Kingdom. I have heard the people say it is due to the teachings of the wise one, but I do not know how the wise one taught to achieve such a state."
The monarch replied, "The wise one taught us about etiquette, clothing, and food."
Jiang Yuan said, "If that is the case, how could this country be so prosperous?"
The monarch shook his head and said, "The wise one does not know. In the past, that wise one, before leaving, left a message saying 'Awakening.' Some citizens understood this after decades, and before dying, they gained insights, teaching the people to think: if food is insufficient, think of ways to increase it; if the people are in trouble, think of ways to resolve it. Thus, we have the current Baoliang Kingdom."
Jiang Yuan suddenly understood and praised in his heart.
It was that young man who, at the end of his life, gained enlightenment, allowing the people to 'see confusion and think, see obstacles and gain wisdom.' Hence, Baoliang Kingdom became strong.
He said, "Baoliang Kingdom must be strong!"
The monarch said, "This is not my merit; I cannot shamelessly claim it."
Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Do you have any questions now? I may be able to resolve one or two of your doubts."
The monarch said, "Wise one, I have a doubt."
Jiang Yuan said, "Speak."
The monarch asked, "Wise one, the old wise one who taught our country in the past did not wish to leave a name, only saying, 'In the future, there will be a wise one, and that will be him.' Why did he act in such a way, detached from worldly fame and profit? How should one conduct oneself in this manner? I admire this path, but to ask me to give up my throne is utterly impossible."
Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "Your Majesty, have you heard that within a person's body, there are five beings, each governing different matters? Among them, the one governing desires is called 'Mu Mu.' If you wish to not desire, you must subdue Mu Mu."
The monarch asked again, "How does one subdue Mu Mu?"
Jiang Yuan said, "If you do not cultivate, it is difficult to subdue it. I will give you a piece of advice: 'When thoughts arise, cut them off.' If you do this, your desires will be greatly reduced."
The monarch noted this down and did not dare to trouble Jiang Yuan further, inviting him to stay in the guest room to rest well.
Jiang Yuan naturally agreed.
He entered the guest room and sat cross-legged, nurturing his primordial spirit.
Now, the primordial spirit was being nurtured alongside the five beings in the cauldron, and the medicinal aura had yet to change; the primordial spirit had not grown weary, so there was no rush to adjust it.
Jiang Tong'er closed his eyes in quiet cultivation.
...
The next day.
Jiang Yuan mounted the white deer and departed from Baoliang Kingdom, heading towards Wanshou Mountain.
The monarch of Baoliang Kingdom personally tried to retain him, wishing for Jiang Yuan to stay a little longer, to teach the people as the wise one did back in the day.
Jiang Yuan politely declined the monarch's good intentions, saying, "Currently, Baoliang Kingdom does not require teachings; as long as there are no calamities among the people, all will be well."
Thus, he took his leave.
The monarch of Baoliang Kingdom could only accompany Jiang Yuan as he departed, not daring to disobey.
Jiang Yuan rode the white deer eastward, traveling in silence, with demonic obstacles not daring to disturb him and evil beings not daring to offend.
After a long journey, he arrived at the high mountain where Li Xingshi had once taken him as a disciple.
Tong'er originally intended to visit Li Xingshi, but upon using his qi to observe, he found no traces of true cultivators in the mountain, only the forest, grass, and wild animals.
He asked a passerby and learned that a century ago, there was an old immortal cultivating in the mountain, who seemed to have achieved perfection and ascended, along with his disciples, leaving no trace behind.
Since then, the mountain had been devoid of signs, and some named it 'Immortal Mountain.'
This made Jiang Yuan realize that Li Xingshi had most likely ascended with that true cultivator.
It was uncertain whether he had gone to the Heavenly Court or elsewhere.
Although he did not know how Li Xingshi was cultivating, he believed that with a true cultivator present, there must be a path to follow.
He hoped for his success, wishing to see him again in the future.
Unable to visit the old acquaintance, Tong'er could only continue eastward, heading towards Wanshou Mountain with a single-minded focus.