It is said that as Jiang Yuan arrived at Wuzhuang Temple, before he could enter the hall, Zhen Yuanzi, just like in the past years, came out of the hall to welcome him.
Jiang Yuan performed a bow and said, “Greetings, Great Immortal.”
Zhen Yuanzi welcomed him with a smile, saying, “No need for such formalities. Guangxin should now be called a True Person, no need for this.”
Jiang Yuan shook his head and replied, “Etiquette cannot be neglected. Moreover, my Dao is far inferior compared to yours, Great Immortal.”
Zhen Yuanzi said, “How many tribulations have you cultivated through? Nearly a thousand years, how can you compare with me? Your Dao is already formidable.”
After saying this, Zhen Yuanzi invited Jiang Yuan into the hall.
Once inside, he set up a seat for Jiang Yuan, and a Daoist boy presented seasonal fruits, observing all the proper courtesies.
At this moment, it was different from when Jiang Yuan first arrived; back then, he was just a young boy, his Golden Core not yet formed, but now he had achieved success and was a True Person.
Zhen Yuanzi said, “Qingfeng, go fetch a Golden Strike Child and a Dan Pan, and bring a Ginseng Fruit to quench Guangxin's thirst.”
The Daoist boy ‘Qingfeng’ made a face, responded, and turned to leave the hall.
Jiang Yuan said, “Great Immortal, how can this be? There is a saying, ‘No merit, no reward.’ I was invited by you, yet I have not done anything to deserve it. Why do you treat me this way? How can I accept it?”
Zhen Yuanzi replied, “Why must there be merit? It’s just a fruit. If Guangxin had not achieved success, this fruit would be hard to obtain. Now that Guangxin has succeeded, achieving longevity and clarity, this Ginseng Fruit is merely for quenching thirst, do not place too much importance on it.”
Upon hearing Zhen Yuanzi's words, Jiang Yuan couldn't help but ponder why the Great Immortal had summoned him, but if what the Great Immortal said was true, then the Ginseng Fruit was indeed just for quenching thirst for him, as his immortal body was flawless, achieving longevity and clarity.
After a short while, Qingfeng returned with the Dan Pan and presented it before Jiang Yuan.
On the Dan Pan lay a fruit, resembling a child not yet three years old, with a rich fragrance.
Zhen Yuanzi dismissed Qingfeng and designated the Dan Pan, saying, “Guangxin, eat the fruit. This Ginseng Fruit cannot be left out; if left, it will wither, and then it will lose its efficacy. You can eat it; if you prefer it cooked, take a ceramic dish; if you prefer it raw, it is also light.”
Jiang Yuan found it hard to refuse the warm invitation and had no choice but to consume the Ginseng Fruit.
The fruit was very delicious, but he ate it merely for the sake of appetite, as it was of no use to him.
After finishing the Ginseng Fruit, he asked, “Great Immortal, I still do not know what matter requires my attention?”
Zhen Yuanzi smiled and said, “It is a small matter. I have many disciples, yet they are not united, fond of fighting, ignorant of the true Dao's marvelous uses, and instead think of the sidetracks. I wish to invite you here to teach them a lesson, so they can unite and not let their spirits leak.”
Jiang Yuan, upon hearing this, replied, “Great Immortal, my Dao is shallow; how can I teach?”
It is because teaching the Dao is easy for children, but difficult to expound upon; those who are not deep in the Dao cannot speak of it.
Zhen Yuanzi said, “It is not about teaching you, but rather asking you to demonstrate your divine abilities so that my disciples can see your prowess.”
Jiang Yuan had no intention of showing off his divine abilities.
He said, “Great Immortal, if it is about teaching unity, there are still methods. Why do it this way? If divine abilities can be used, your divine abilities are far superior to mine.”
Zhen Yuanzi replied, “Because when you achieved the Dao, all my disciples knew it. If you teach them to use divine abilities, it will be even more effective.”
Jiang Yuan had no choice but to agree, secretly pondering, “The Great Immortal and my Master are indeed different. The Great Immortal teaches his disciples to be unrestrained, free-spirited, and to grasp the mysteries of the Xuanmen. My Master, with the three families cooperating, is more focused on karmic ties; when karma comes, karma disperses, and cultivation relies on the individual.”
He responded, “Since that is the case, I will give it a try, but I do not know if I can make them unite.”
Zhen Yuanzi said, “Just do your best.”
Jiang Yuan could only agree and spent a few days in the temple with Zhen Yuanzi.
After discussing this matter, Zhen Yuanzi then asked, “Guangxin, how has Bodhi been lately?”
Jiang Yuan replied, “Thank you for your concern, Great Immortal. My Master is well.”
Zhen Yuanzi said, “I have not asked you, what methods have you cultivated since achieving success?”
Jiang Yuan said, “It is some major methods, like the Sleeve Universe, and there is also the True Fire of Samadhi, which I have not yet fully mastered.”
Zhen Yuanzi, upon hearing this, was astonished and said, “We usually learn the Earthly Fiend and Heavenly Gang numbers; one of them is enough. The Sleeve Universe, few can gather in the Three Realms; this method surpasses thousands. Why would Bodhi want to pass all the methods within him to you?”
Jiang Yuan laughed and said, “My Master pities me.”
Zhen Yuanzi said, “It is because you are exceptional and understand well. Otherwise, how could he pass on so many methods to you? If you were not sufficient, even if he passed the methods to you, you would not be able to cultivate them. Guangxin, I have heard that Celestial Immortals came to guide you to the Heavenly Realm, and the Great Heavenly Sovereign conferred upon you the title of True Monarch, yet it could not be accomplished. What do you think?”
Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, “Great Immortal, cultivation is for achieving longevity and freedom, not to become a celestial immortal. If one is solely focused on becoming a celestial immortal, why bother cultivating the right Dao and endure countless hardships?”
Zhen Yuanzi laughed heartily upon hearing this and continued to converse with Jiang Yuan for a long time, discussing matters of cultivation, before sending two Daoist boys to escort Jiang Yuan to his resting quarters.
The two Daoist boys were old acquaintances, escorting Jiang Yuan into the Daoist room.
Jiang Yuan wished to reminisce, so he invited the two Daoist boys to sit down.
Once seated, the two Daoist boys bowed and said, “Thank you, Senior Brother Guangxin, for your guidance.”
Jiang Yuan had just taken his seat and did not understand their meaning, so he asked, “Junior Brothers, why do you say this?”
The Daoist boys replied, “We know that in the past, our Master asked Senior Brother Guangxin for opinions regarding us, and it was Senior Brother Guangxin's words that led our Master to pass on the teachings to us.”
Jiang Yuan then understood and said, “In the past, the Great Immortal asked me, and I spoke the truth; you two indeed have sincere hearts, not out of gratitude.”
The Daoist boys bowed again, unable to stop tears from falling, saying, “This is the kindness of Senior Brother Guangxin, which we recognize.”
Jiang Yuan, upon hearing this, felt helpless but realized, as the Ancestor had said in the past, that for cultivators, ‘opening the mouth scatters the spirit, and the tongue stirs up disputes’; this is precisely the principle.
His words to the Daoist boys led to today's kindness; if he had spoken ill of them back then, would it not have sown the seeds of disaster?
The fruit of cultivation is ‘three seals on the mouth’, preventing the arising of cause and effect.
Jiang Yuan helped the Daoist boys up and said, “You two should cultivate well, do not act this way.”
Only then did the Daoist boys rise.
Jiang Yuan asked, “Junior Brothers, I heard the Great Immortal say that the disciples in the temple are not united and have thoughts of sidetracks. Do you know the reason?”
The Daoist boys replied, “It is not that the hearts are not united! It is that Qingfeng and Mingyue often do not get along with the other senior brothers, leading to many disputes, which reached our Master’s ears.”
Jiang Yuan asked again, “Which are Qingfeng and Mingyue? Have I seen them before?”
The Daoist boys said, “Qingfeng is the one who brought the Ginseng Fruit to Senior Brother Guangxin today; Mingyue is the other one.
In the past, when Senior Brother Guangxin and we guarded the temple, Mingyue returned and went to the Ginseng Fruit orchard, fearing that we would engage in some mischief with Senior Brother Guangxin, so he did not like him.
Many senior brothers in the temple hold grievances against him; our Master once reprimanded him and sent him to the Southern Zhanbu Continent to learn the rites from the Kong family, but it was of no use, of no use!”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan understood the situation.
He said, “In that case, I have understood. Thank you, Junior Brothers, for informing me.”
The Daoist boys said, “We dare not take credit!”
Jiang Yuan did not inquire further about this matter and instead spoke with the two junior brothers about cultivation and various trivial matters.
As the sky began to darken, the Daoist boys brought tea and food, and then they took their leave, not daring to disturb Jiang Yuan's rest any further.
(End of Chapter)