At this time, a round of rising sun broke through the fog and burst out. A ray of rays of rays burst out from the gaps in the clouds, and happened to shine on this huge, tall, and upright figure...
The erratic red light seemed particularly lonely and unexpected.
This huge figure seems to tower into the clouds upwards; downwards, it pierces the center of the earth and reaches the underworld. For a moment, he was like a pillar holding up the sky, and for a moment, he was like a jade tree facing the wind...
In fact, that huge figure is just a peak formed by steep rocks.
The uncanny workmanship of nature has carved it so lifelike that it looks like an immortal standing in the wind, as if he might ascend to heaven at any moment.
Therefore, people in the mountains call it Immortal Peak; there are many wonderful legends surrounding it... There is an ancient Taoist temple under the peak, and wonderful fairy music comes along with the wind.
No, what Zhang Shaofei heard was not the ethereal fairy music, but the cry of the crane. He saw two white cranes hovering down from the clouds, landing on the platform in front of the Taoist temple, and dancing gracefully.
At the same time, a Taoist priest with fluttering white beard floated out from the door, dancing and spinning with two cranes...
The mountain people in this area all know this Taoist priest as Taoist Master Yunwushan.
All the old people said: When he was a child, he looked like this with his hair and beard all white.
Some people say that he drank dew in the morning, ate the breeze in the evening, and never ate the fireworks of the world. Some people say that he can soar into the clouds and ride on the mist, and he has already become an immortal through cultivation...
Zhang Shaofei didn't know whether he would become an immortal or not, but for people and cranes to be so close, to dance so harmoniously and to know each other so happily, it was definitely not an ordinary state.
Zhang Shaofei was so mesmerized by what he saw that he sat on the tree without realizing it and began to think...
Zhang Shaofei once heard Lu Xueru, an old scholar, say: The white crane is the most arrogant among all birds. It soars in the nine heavens, chirps among the colorful clouds, plays in the wilderness, and never associates with humans.
However, it can be with Taoist Priest Yunwushan.
It can be seen from this that human beings can coexist peacefully, harmoniously, and treat each other in kindness with other living beings.
It can be said that it is precisely because of the harm done to animals by humans that they either stay away or resist fiercely.
If people are kind to cranes, cranes will naturally be close to people...
As a result, a harmonious, wonderful, vivid and magical new world appeared in Zhang Shaofei's mind...
I don't know how long it took, but when he returned from the wonderful fantasy reverie to the reality in front of him, he found that the Taoist priest was already standing under the tree.
The Taoist priest said with concern: "You kid, you have been sitting in the tree for a long time. What are you thinking about? Are you okay?"
"What's the matter with me?" Zhang Shaofei had not yet completely escaped from his hallucinations, so he asked with a confused look on his face.
"But you have been sitting in the tree for most of the day!"
"No, I feel like I've only been sitting for a while." Zhang Shaofei came down from the tree and stood in front of the Taoist priest and said.
The Taoist priest pointed to the sky, "Look at the sun."
Zhang Shaofei turned around and saw that the sun was approaching noon! He was surprised and said to the Taoist priest: "Oh my god, what is going on?"
The Taoist priest smiled and said: "Seven days in the cave are a thousand years in the world. Time is relative, it can be long or short."
Zhang Shaofei nodded and said with understanding, "Yes, it's all the result of the heart."
The Taoist priest was shocked. Because, he never expected that such mysterious words could come out of the mouth of this seemingly ignorant boy with wet nipple hair.
He couldn't help but look Zhang Shaofei up and down carefully, and asked, "What are you doing in the mountains?"
"Get firewood." Zhang Shaofei answered casually.
The Taoist priest's eyes like a torch searched Zhang Shaofei's whole body, "Where is the firewood you fetched?"
Zhang Shaofei was speechless for a moment. He sensitively sensed something mysterious from the Taoist Priest's words.
But what is that? He couldn't tell for a while.
So Zhang Shaoji cleverly asked, "Taoist Priest, what are you doing living in the mountains?"
The Taoist priest also answered casually: "Practice the Tao."
"Where is the Tao you cultivate?" Zhang Shaofei tilted his head playfully and looked at the Taoist Master with a smile.
The Taoist priest couldn't help laughing, said nothing more, lifted his legs and left.
He floated on the rugged mountain road, just like flowing clouds and flowing water, with an indescribable freedom and ease. After a while, he disappeared into the green mountain forest, and his chanting voice echoed in the mountains and fields:
The Tao can be Tao, but it is not Tao; the name can be named, but it is not named.
The beginning of all things without a name, the mother of all things with names.
Therefore, there is always no desire to observe its wonderfulness, and there is always desire to observe its beauty...
Mysterious and mysterious, the door to all mysteries...
A Xuan Kong fantasy has delayed his time of gathering firewood for most of the day. If he continues to "Tao" or "Xuan" today, he will not be able to collect firewood. If we can't get firewood to sell, we won't have money to sell rice. The whole family will be hungry today.
…
Zhang Shaofei carried firewood and came to a small bridge. A monk was lying on his back in the middle of the single-plank bridge. His relaxed and contented expression was as if he was lying on the most comfortable couch in the world, intoxicated in a wonderful dream.
The water was gurgling under him, and the clouds were leisurely. He just lay on his back among the mountains and rivers, as if he had merged into the heaven and earth. Everything was so perfect, harmonious, and natural.
What makes Zhang Shaofei even more strange is that he seems to have some kind of connection with this monk, as if he had known him a long, long time ago.
However, Zhang Shaofei could not remember him anyway. He had never seen him in Xihai, Qiu County, Hepu or Wudang.
Zhang Shaofei was feeling an adventure when suddenly, a familiar voice came from the hillside that sounded like chanting, singing, poetry, and song:
The clouds and mist of Shanxi's fairy tales are told, and the white clouds are deep and cut off the dust and smoke.
The elegant and clever way leads to the three islands, and there is a pot of sky in the deep.
Peach blossoms have fallen along the water for thousands of years, and medicinal vines have been hanging in the clouds for eternity.
Zhang Shaofei raised his eyes and took a closer look. It turned out that the Taoist Priest of Yunwu Mountain was floating there.
The Taoist Master of Yunwu Mountain saw the monk lying on the single-plank bridge, blocking his way. He smoothed his silver beard with his hand, and was about to call him up to get out of the way. Suddenly, a strong wind blew, and the sky that was sunny just now turned into dark clouds. .
A thunderclap...
"No, a violent storm is coming! Two masters, please find a place to take shelter from the rain." Zhang Shaofei said urgently.
"Okay!" The monk stood up from the single-plank bridge and ran towards the cliff not far away.
There is a naturally sunken cave on this cliff.
So, Zhang Shaofei followed the monks and Taoist priests and hurriedly got in.
As soon as it stopped, it began to rain heavily.
The sound of the howling wind, the falling rain, and the sound of tree branches being broken by the wind continued to enter the cave from the outside.
Inside the cave, despite the wind and rain outside, it feels like sitting at home, forming two completely different yet unified and harmonious worlds with the outside. Just like a Taoist priest and a monk, they compete with each other and understand each other well.
There is a stone table in the cave, and four stone benches are placed around the stone table. At some point, chess enthusiasts carved a vertical and horizontal chessboard on the stone table.
"It's a pity that there are no chess pieces, otherwise, we can stage a good show of Taoist priests fighting monks." Taoist Master Yunwushan suddenly became excited.
The monk laughed loudly: "Old Taoist, how can we catch it without chess?"
The Taoist priest patted his chest and said something astonishing: "Although there are no chess pieces on the chessboard, there are chess pieces in my heart. Please keep it high, brother Taoist."
"This..." As a Go master from the north of Wei Zhenci River, the monk did not expect that a Taoist priest could actually play blind chess, and he had never tried it before, so he couldn't help but feel a little at a loss.
The considerate Zhang Shaofei picked up some small black pebbles and placed them on the stone table, proudly becoming vivid chess pieces.
Go, a black and white game of wits and courage, can best reflect a person's talent and cultivation and show his mental ability.
The monk pretended to be a master of Go and politely let the Taoist priest play first.
The Taoist priest takes the lead and takes advantage of the opportunity to seize the ground and break through the sky with force.
The monk fought back and made a big move in the upper right corner.
The Taoist priest responded calmly and penetrated the black corner as he wished, but the monk gained external power and the Taoist priest lost more than he gained.
Seeing that the situation was not good, the Taoist attacked the black formation below.
The fat monk refused to give in and fought back.
After a melee, the black and white men held by the Taoist priests and monks fought against each other below, forming a situation of "great disaster in the world".
The Taoist priest is as proud as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, strategizing and firmly grasping the situation of the battle, while the monks can hardly shake the victory.
In the end, the Taoist priest established the victory in one fell swoop and defeated the Go master.
The Go master felt unwilling: "It was such a good game, but I suddenly killed it..."
Zhang Shaofei lay on the stone table and said happily: "This good situation can lead to death, the master is indeed a talented person..."
The Taoist priest was on the side to mediate: "There are stones to lose in chess, why do you have to be serious!"
The monk smiled bitterly: "Chess is like life, no one can always win." After that, he swept down the "chess pieces" all over the board with his hand, "There have been fifteen ways, but how many people have been lost! There are stones to lose in chess."
Outside the cave, the heavy rain has stopped, and a ray of sunlight shines into the cave from the outside.
The Taoist Priest of Yunwu Mountain said deeply: "Tai Chi creates two rituals, the heaven and the earth are divided, yin and yang exist, black and white stand, and the great road is determined."
"This..." The monk was speechless.
Yes, if there is no distinction between black and white, how can we determine the right path? Zhang Shaofei once received advice from an expert in Hepu and got it right, but now, he has fallen into confusion...
The monks and Taoist priests drifted away, but Zhang Shaofei was left with puzzled questions.
...
On this day, Zhang Shaofei saw a woodcutter in the mountains. He saw a dry tree full of knots in front of him and refused to cut it, so he was looking for firewood everywhere.
Zhang Shaofei felt strange, so he stepped forward and said, "Brother, isn't this dry firewood in front of you very good?"
When the man asked, he looked around Zhang Shaofei with his bright eyes. Seeing that the young boy in front of him was kind-hearted and talented, he behaved upright and didn't look like a bad boy. So, he looked at Zhang Shaofei and said, "Since ancient times, we have experienced People who go to the mountains to collect firewood deliberately avoid knots and look for smooth spots on the trees to chop them with hatchets."
Zhang Shaofei asked puzzledly: "Why?"
"Because, in everyone's mind, the knots are thick, and the wood is hard, so naturally it is not easy to cut. As for this firewood, the top and bottom of the wood are either knots or scars, and there is no suitable place to cut. Perhaps, because of this, over the years, countless woodcutter saw this kind of dry firewood, but no one had ever cut it." The man explained in detail.
"Oh?" Regardless of the black and white, it doesn't matter what the move was. Gan Chai is full of knots. Where did your sword land? Zhang Shaofei asked himself subconsciously, almost out of inertia.
A good tree will never grow knots for no reason. The reason why it grows unsightly knots is because it has been damaged by external forces, and its trunk has become fragile and easily broken. It has to grow additional knot-like knots to wrap up the injured area and strengthen it. Ability to withstand wind. When Zhang Shaofei thought of this, he suddenly understood: only the places that are easy to break need to be protected.
This means that trees have knots because they break easily there! In other words, the knotty areas may seem thick and the wood is hard, but they are the places where they are most likely to break!
Zhang Shaofei told the firewood elder brother his idea. After hearing this, he felt that it made sense. He nodded without hesitation, raised the hatchet, and chopped down on Knot...
Sure enough, after cutting off the surrounding bark, a dead knot was inserted diagonally in the scarred trunk.
The man gently broke the tree trunk, and the entire tree trunk was broken.
