Jiang Yuan entered the quiet room and bowed before the Master.
The Master helped the boy up and said, “Ying Cang, I will speak to you about good and bad; you should go quickly down the mountain.”
Ying Cang, with tears in his eyes, said, “Master, where should I go?”
The Master replied, “I remember when you entered the sect, you spoke of your hometown, which is the Western Bull Hezhou, the Prince of the Western Jade Kingdom. You came from there, so you should return there.”
Ying Cang could only take his leave, not daring to say more.
After Ying Cang left, the Master looked at Jiang Yuan and asked, “Child, do you understand the matters here?”
Jiang Yuan answered, “Master, I have participated in the discussions here.”
The Master said, “What do you think of the matters here? I remember you often used the ‘fire’ character to obscure others in your early years.”
Jiang Yuan replied, “Master, there is a saying: ‘Rare and precious items should not be shown to greedy and deceitful people.’ The matters here are exactly in accordance with this principle. In my early years, I feared calamity and knew that wealth should not be displayed, so I showed weakness to others, dispelling their greed. Later, with your protection, I no longer concealed myself.”
The Master nodded and said, “You understand this principle, child. When your merit is complete, you must remember not to flaunt your abilities recklessly. Even when you achieve the Golden Core, you should cultivate your heart and must not become arrogant.”
Jiang Yuan bowed and said, “Master, I understand.”
The Master spoke to him, using Ying Cang’s matter as a lesson that when he achieves success, he must not forget to cultivate his heart.
If arrogance arises, calamity will surely follow.
The transformation that comes with the completion of the Golden Core, the change of life and death, longevity, and boundless magical power, the Master worried he might forget his heart.
The Master asked, “Child, when will you complete the three trials?”
Jiang Yuan replied, “Master, I intend to complete the three trials and achieve the Nine Turns into Dan within five to six years.”
The Master said, “Child, this is indeed a true difficult trial.”
Jiang Yuan smiled and said, “Master, I have been cultivating for many years and have encountered many difficult trials. How could I hesitate at the final step?”
Upon hearing this, the Master was greatly pleased and said, “Your determination is unwavering; you will surely achieve success.”
After saying this, the Master no longer spoke of the ‘difficult trial’ and instead chatted with Jiang Yuan about matters in the cave.
From the Master’s words, Jiang Yuan learned that none of the disciples in the cave had cultivated the true path; they all practiced side paths.
It was not that the Master did not pass on the true path; in the past, there were indeed disciples who caught the Master’s eye, but when the Master spoke of the difficulty of the true path, none held on to it, all discarded it like a shoe, and practiced side paths instead.
Jiang Yuan sighed inwardly at the lack of those destined for the true method.
The two of them talked for a long time and played a game of chess, which the Master won.
…
Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, two years had gone by.
Jiang Yuan was in the Three Stars Immortal Cave, nurturing his nature and preserving his spirit, neither hurried nor anxious, waiting for the completion of his merit before he would undertake the step of ‘Nine Turns into Dan.’ The remaining steps of the Dan path were difficult trials, and with the Master’s words, he did not dare to be careless.
During these two years, he either listened to the Master’s teachings, discussed with his fellow disciples, or took care of the Zuo family, teaching the white deer a thing or two.
On this day, Jiang Yuan sat cross-legged on a mossy stone not far from the Three Stars Cave.
He observed the Zuo family woodcutter in the distance chopping wood, muttering the true words he had taught him in the past.
The Zuo family had remained unchanged for several generations, and for quite some time, their household had flourished, with five or six members, while at times, only the elderly mother and young child remained.
Jiang Yuan thought to himself, “This is also the appearance of sentient beings; generation after generation, they ultimately cannot attain freedom.”
The woodcutter, carrying a bundle of firewood, returned home and passed by where Jiang Yuan was sitting, saying, “Master, why are you still sitting here? It has been more than half a day.”
Jiang Yuan replied, “I often meditate here; you should return home and not let your mother worry.”
The woodcutter said, “Master, I am just returning home now, so my mother won’t worry, but seeing you sitting here alone, it seems lonely. You might as well come to my house for a visit?”
Jiang Yuan, hearing the woodcutter’s concern for his ‘loneliness,’ could only smile wryly and said, “You rascal, go on, go on! Do not disturb my quiet cultivation!”
The woodcutter complied and went home.
Jiang Yuan closed his eyes to nurture his spirit, just about to enter a state of quiet meditation when suddenly he felt something in his heart.
He opened his eyes and looked far away, only to see auspicious clouds in the distance, a thousand strands of purple mist spraying forth, a sign of good fortune and nobility.
The child rose from the mossy stone, knowing this was a sign that a noble person was about to arrive; he had seen such a sign before with Laozi.
“Child.”
The Master’s voice sounded.
Jiang Yuan turned to look, and the Master was not far behind him.
He stepped forward to bow and said, “Master, a noble person is about to arrive.”
The Master nodded and said, “Lao Jun is coming; child, follow me to welcome him.”
Jiang Yuan accepted the order, standing behind the Master, quietly waiting for Lao Jun’s arrival.
In the past, when Lao Jun entered the world, he walked as ‘Laozi,’ and now he returned to the heavenly realm, residing high above in the 33rd Heaven’s Dou Shuai Palace.
Before long, he saw auspicious clouds descending from the sky, landing before the Three Stars Immortal Cave, dispersing the clouds.
It was indeed Lao Jun, accompanied by a green ox and a boy leading the ox.
The Master stepped forward and said, “Lao Jun, I failed to welcome you!”
Lao Jun smiled and said, “Bodhi, I was passing by and intended to return to heaven, but seeing that I was not far from your cave, I came to visit you.”
Lao Jun then looked at Jiang Yuan, surprised, and said, “What a broad heart! It has been two or three years since we last met, and you are about to achieve the Dan path, truly remarkable.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan suddenly realized, knowing the saying ‘one day in heaven is a year on earth.’ He bowed before him, attributing it to the ‘merit of my master.’
The Master smiled and said, “Since Lao Jun has come to see me, please enter my cave and have a look.”
Lao Jun smiled in agreement and walked into the cave with the Master.
Jiang Yuan approached the boy leading the ox and said, “Tie the ox outside the cave, and you can enter the cave.”
The boy leading the ox, upon hearing this, simply let go of the ox rope, overjoyed, and hurried to follow Lao Jun.
Jiang Yuan caught up and grabbed the ox rope, thinking to himself, “How could Lao Jun’s boy leading the ox be so careless? How can he fulfill the task of leading the ox?”
He led the green ox to the entrance of the cave and tied the ox rope.
Jiang Yuan gently patted the green ox’s head and said, “Stay calm; we are familiar with each other, do not cause any trouble.”
The green ox raised its head and looked around, making a sound as if in response.
The boy was then at ease and entered the cave, catching up with the Master and Lao Jun, the boy leading the ox, all arriving at the pavilion and taking their seats.
Once seated, the Master asked, “Lao Jun, why are you not residing in Dou Shuai Palace but coming down to the mortal realm?”
Lao Jun pointed to the boy leading the ox and said, “In the palace, each child has their duties, and one is needed to watch the ox. This child has a connection to the method, so he came down to collect it for heaven.”
The Master laughed and said, “So it is a matter of connection; we should thank Lao Jun for coming to see me.”
Lao Jun said, “Coming to see you today is worthwhile; if it were not for this, I would not know how far Broad Heart has cultivated.”
The Master said, “This is the step before achieving the Nine Turns into Dan, not yet complete.”
Lao Jun looked at Jiang Yuan and said, “Broad Heart has reached this step; you will surely achieve success. It only lacks a little time. By the way, Bodhi, when Broad Heart achieves the Dan, where will you guide him on the path?”
The Master said, “When the merit is complete, the child will know. There is a saying: ‘Upon completion of merit, one becomes a Buddha and an Immortal.’ What kind of path this is, the child will understand.”
Jiang Yuan, upon hearing this, felt his heart calm like water, just as the Master had said, upon completion of merit, one becomes a Buddha and an Immortal.
He had not yet completed his merit, and such words were not to be mentioned; he only thought of wholeheartedly achieving the Dan.
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There are still two days until the explosive update.
(End of Chapter)