Uncle Zhang had already finished his work and even looked around, but he didn't see Hu Xiaocao, and he almost became anxious.
Seeing Hu Xiaocao's figure, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Xiaocao, where have you been? I thought you were lost, and I almost died of panic."
Hu Xiaocao was a little embarrassed, "I'm sorry, Uncle Zhang, for making you worry."
Seeing that Hu Xiaocao was safe and sound, Uncle Zhang could rest assured, and then he noticed the presence of Xie Yixuan next to him.
"As long as I am fine, who is this?"
Hu Xiaocao said quickly: "This is the kind policeman, he sent me back."
Uncle Zhang quickly thanked him again.
Xie Yixuan waved his hand and said not to worry, "It's okay, this is all my responsibility."
Seeing that Hu Xiaocao didn't mention going to the Taoist temple, Xie Yixuan didn't say anything.
After successfully delivering Hu Xiaocao safely, he was ready to leave.
"Next time, don't run around alone again."
Uncle Zhang didn't understand what Xie Yixuan said was a pun, but Hu Xiaocao did, and his face suddenly turned red.
"I understand, thank you, big brother."
As the sun set and evening fell, the two returned to the village.
"Uncle Zhang, thank you today."
Uncle Zhang waved his hand nonchalantly, "It's a trivial matter. How can you be so polite from a village? If you want to go to the city next time, come see your uncle again."
Hu Xiaocao nodded, thanked Uncle Zhang and hurried home. Amidst the smoke, after running around outside for a day, Hu Xiaocao realized that his stomach was already growling with hunger when he smelled the delicious food.
When she opened the door, the woman had already gone home and prepared a meal.
"Mom, I'm back."
Hu Xiaocao said hello and was about to wash his hands and eat.
The woman looked at Hu Xiaocao and saw that she was safe and in good condition. She could finally let go of her worries after hanging on for a day.
"Xiaocao, where have you been today?"
The woman suddenly asked, which made Hu Xiaocao a little confused, "No, I didn't go anywhere. I just walked around. Mom, why do you ask like this suddenly?"
Hu Xiaocao felt guilty inexplicably and lowered his head subconsciously.
"But why did I hear that you ran away to the city?"
Hu Xiaocao never expected that Aunt Zhang would accidentally say this when she went to burn incense in the temple today, and she would also praise women for being so lucky to have such a filial child like Hu Xiaocao.
The woman's voice was gentle, but the more it sounded, it made Hu Xiaocao even more tormented inside, and he immediately confessed everything.
"I'm sorry, mom, I lied. I went to the city with Uncle Zhang today."
When she saw her daughter lying, the woman did not immediately get angry or hold her accountable. Instead, she continued to ask carefully: "Why did you go to the city? Why did you lie to Uncle Zhang and the others?"
"I went to the city to do something for Grandpa Mountain God. Grandpa Mountain God entrusted me with a dream last night and asked the messenger sister to come over and ask me to find a nearby Taoist temple."
The woman did not expect that Hu Xiaocao would actually take the dream seriously, and because of a dream, he would hide it from her, hitch a ride with Uncle Zhang, and run to the city alone.
She sighed, really not knowing what to say.
"You, you, are so brave. Do you know that doing this makes me worried? You are running around the city alone. What if something happens?"
"Not only will my mother be sad, but Uncle Zhang and Aunt Zhang will feel guilty for the rest of their lives."
After hearing what the woman said, Hu Xiaocao realized the seriousness of the matter, but she didn't think too much about it at the time, not to mention that the mountain god would protect her.
Hu Xiaocao quickly apologized after serious reflection, "Mom, I will never do this next time."
Hu Xiaocao had a good attitude in admitting his mistake, and with his repeated assurances, it was hard for the woman to blame him. "Okay, next time you must not be impulsive and reckless when doing things, consider the consequences."
After the mother and daughter finished eating, Hu Xiaocao helped clear the dishes and quickly went to bed to rest.
"Why did you go to bed so early today?"
Women can't help but feel a little strange.
The answer given by Hu Xiaocao was ridiculous, "I have to go to the dream to report the situation to the messenger sister and the mountain god."
"This child is just a dream, why is he so confused?"
The woman muttered a few words and let Hu Xiaocao go, assuming that she was tired from running around the city during the day.
Maybe he was really tired today. Hu Xiaocao fell asleep with his pillow on his face. The familiar pulling feeling came over him again, as if his whole body became light and airy.
Someone could vaguely hear his name being called.
Following the sound, the surrounding blurry scenery gradually became clear, it was still the mountain temple.
What happens once is familiar twice, and this time, as expected, I saw a familiar figure.
Hu Xiaocao happily ran over to say hello, "Sister Messenger!"
"Um."
The woman nodded as a greeting.
"I found out that there is a Shangqing Temple nearby, but there are not many people in the Taoist temple. There are only two Taoist priests, and there are not many people. By the way, I also met a kind-hearted policeman, who sent me there. of."
Hu Xiaocao talked endlessly about what he saw and heard on the road.
The woman listened quietly.
Hu Xiaocao knew that although Grandpa Mountain God did not show up, he could definitely hear what she said.
At the end of the sentence, her eyelids started to tremble, and the irresistible tiredness came over again, sweeping over her body.
"Sister Messenger, please tell Grandpa Mountain God that Xiaocao is very serious about completing the tasks he assigned -"
As the words fell, the woman's figure dissipated little by little, like clouds and mist, and the originally clear mountain temple around her became blurry in an instant.
…
On the other side of the mountain, Ye Qin also opened his eyes and said thoughtfully, "Is it a small Taoist temple?"
According to Hu Xiaocao's feedback, this Taoist temple should be the nearest one, but the incense there doesn't seem to be very good, and there are very few people going there.
But basically everything that should be there is there.
And Ye Qin didn't pay much attention to incense. After all, he didn't go to burn incense. As long as the Taoist temple was old enough, it would probably have a lot of books.
"Perhaps you can go to this Shangqing Temple to have a look."
Ye Qin is a man of action and quickly decided to take a trip here.
His current speed is very fast, and with the blessing of his cultivation, he can be said to be flying at lightning speed, flying like stars and moons along the way.
There are two completely different styles between the city and the mountains. Traces of industrialization can be seen everywhere, and the sea of neon lights embellishes the night like day.
All kinds of people walk in the middle of the road, all busy with their lives.
Ye Qin tried his best to take the path or use the green belt, so he did not attract the attention of passers-by along the way.
After all, according to his current size, he is out of the range of small snakes and can easily scare passers-by.
Because Ye Qin has absorbed the energy of heaven and earth, he has been able to converge his aura very well and blend with the surrounding environment. Even dogs with a sensitive sense of smell cannot smell its presence.
There was someone walking with a dog on the road, but no dog could detect his presence.
Recalling that when Ye Qin first entered the city, he was chased by a teddy dog. Now that he thinks about those scenes, he still vividly remembers them.
Although the sky was still dark when Ye Qin arrived, there was a faint hint of morning light.
From an environmental point of view, although this place is not as good as the hilltop where he is, it is still quite quiet. There are many green plants around, but the roads are a bit bad.
Probably because of the disrepair, not to mention the potholes, some places are very narrow and it is really difficult for a car to drive in.
Then there is a layer of bluestone steps covered with green moss. After passing this small slope, you can see a corner of the red building.
Ye Qin looked at the buildings not far away. As Hu Xiaocao said, they were indeed somewhat dilapidated and not very popular.
The moonlight shrouded the cornices, and underneath were some faded bricks and tiles, wrapped in silver gauze, which gave these tiles a bit more texture and a bit of ancient charm.
A lot of the wall's outer skin has also peeled off, and the color is mottled, making it look a little desolate.
A sense of history comes over me. This Taoist temple must be quite old. Even the handwriting on the plaque is a little faded, but the handwriting is strong and powerful, giving off a sense of freedom and ease.
"Shangqing Temple."
Ye Qin squinted his eyes. There seemed to be an invisible gas covering the Taoist temple in the night, adding some indescribable Taoist charm to the originally dilapidated Taoist temple.
He took a closer look and realized that the power contained in this breath was not great, it was a bit like spiritual power. It enveloped the entire Taoist temple, making the magnetic field here different from the surroundings.
Ordinary people can't see it or feel it, but Ye Qin can feel it because of his cultivation and the ability to absorb the emperor's liquid to communicate with the energy of heaven and earth.
Ye Qin looked at it for a while, but didn't understand what it was. Since such a special magnetic field can be formed here, there must be something special about it.
According to Hu Xiaocao, there were not many people in the Taoist temple, only two Taoist priests, and Ye Qin did not want to alarm them.
In the past, the location in the library was large, and Ye Qin was small in size at that time, so he did not attract attention at all. Now that the Taoist temple is small, it is not easy to find a hiding place, and it is easy to be discovered.
After all, his current size is no longer that of a small snake. In order to avoid causing panic, Ye Qin decided to use his dream power to put the two Taoist priests into a deep sleep, which would make it easier for him to act.
Ye Qin closed his eyes, and wisps of white mist rose up around him, drifting towards the Taoist temple, and soon came to the room where the two Taoist priests were.
There were two beds in the room, and the interior decoration was very simple. Apart from the beds, there were only a few tables and chairs, and a picture of a Taoist priest meditating at the foot of the mountain hung on the wall.
There are two futons placed on the ground. It can be seen from the depressions above that people often meditate on them.
The two Taoist priests were sleeping on the bed, unaware of the approaching white mist.
It can be said that entering Hu Xiaocao's dream world was extremely smooth, and he quickly entered it.
But when he got here, Ye Qin always felt like there was an invisible wall in front of him, blocking the way, as if there was something protecting this spiritual passage.
"Huh."
Ye Qin opened his eyes, a flash of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he looked at the Taoist temple in front of him. His spirit was unable to enter the spiritual world of these two Taoist priests.
"how so?"
The white mist slowly dissipated. Ye Qin had wasted a lot of time just now. At this moment, the sky had begun to show a fish-belly white look.
"Could it be that because the magnetic field here is special and protects these two Taoist priests, my dream magic power has no effect on them?"
Of course, there is another very important reason, which is that they are sincere and have no distracting thoughts. For people with such strong spirit and will, coupled with the special magnetic field of this place, they form a natural barrier.
Therefore, his dream powers are ineffective against the two Taoist priests.
However, in the final analysis, Ye Qin is still too weak now, otherwise all obstructions will be in vain.
"It seems this method won't work."
Ye Qin pondered for a moment. He had been struggling for a long time to no avail, and he did not intend to continue to waste energy. He thought this might be God's will.
The magical power of dreams had no effect, and the same was true for the magical power of fantasy. Ye Qin didn't want to attract attention, but he had no choice.
After coming to this world and practicing cultivation, Ye Qin had a deeper understanding of the word "karma and fate". Maybe God had already planned it.
What's more, he is here to read Taoist classics. If he hides his head and shows his tail secretly, it will be a bit disrespectful. It is better to be open and generous.
After thinking about this obsession, Ye Qin felt relieved and crawled towards the Taoist temple.
After so long delay, it is now almost early morning.
At this moment, there was movement in the Taoist temple. I didn't expect the two Taoist priests to get up so early to do morning classes. It could be seen that even though the incense was not good, they were still doing their jobs well.
The old Taoist priest always slept lightly as he got older, and the young Taoist priest was also influenced by him, so both the master and the disciple always got up very early.
Soon the two of them washed up and prepared to go to the main hall to do morning classes.
"Disciple, do you still remember what you learned yesterday?"
"Remember! What I studied yesterday was the contents of "Baopuzi"."
"Then I'm here to test you. What is this article about?"
"Xuanzhe is the ancestor of nature and the great master of all kinds of things. It is as narrow as it is deep, so it is called Weiyan. It is as narrow as it is far, so it is called Miaoyan. When it is high, it can be covered by the crown of the sky, and when it is wide, it is shrouded. Almost eight corners"
The little Taoist said something catchy, and the old Taoist nodded with satisfaction, "Yes, it seems that you have not forgotten the knowledge I taught you. Do you know what this sentence means?"
This did not faze the little Taoist priest. He smiled and said, "Xuan Dao is the ancestor of nature and the foundation of all things. It is so deep and vague that it is called "micro"; it is so long and vast that it is called "" wonderful"."
While the two were talking, they entered the main hall, placed a stick of incense on the statues of the Patriarch and the Sanqing God, and worshiped devoutly.
Then, the master and apprentice sat opposite each other.
"Then let's continue to study the contents of "Baopuzi" today."
"There is a saying in the Golden Elixir chapter that the five grains can still live people. If a person gets it, he will live, and if he takes it, he will die. What's more, the top-grade magical medicine will benefit people ten thousand times as much as the five grains. The golden elixir will benefit people ten thousand times. It is a thing, and the longer it is burned, the better it will change."
The little Taoist priest was fascinated by what he heard and couldn't help but be a little confused.
"It is said here that gold is incorruptible. If you take the golden elixir made from gold, then a person can become immortal like gold. Is it really such a magical thing?"
The old Taoist priest smiled and shook his head, "How can it be so easy? If taking gold can achieve such an effect, wouldn't it be as simple as drinking water?"
"Everything should be done step by step. Nothing can be achieved overnight, and the golden elixir is not so easy to practice. Those are legendary things and a state of mind. Remember, being down-to-earth is the most important thing."
The young Taoist priest seemed a little disappointed, but he was still full of yearning for the golden elixir mentioned by the old Taoist.
"Then master, do you know if there is anyone in this world who can practice the golden elixir?"
This question really stumped the old Taoist priest.
The old Taoist was suddenly silent. At least in his impression, from ancient times to the present, no one has clearly said that he has mastered the golden elixir, and there is no record in various Taoist classics.
It seems that except for those immortals who have already become immortals in their faith, such as Sanqing Taoist Ancestor. In this world, it is extremely difficult for ordinary people to enter the Tao through the mortal body and then cultivate to become immortals.
Including the author of this scripture, Ge Hong, who is known as the Little Immortal. He has searched for it all his life and firmly believes that refining and taking the golden elixir can lead to immortality. He has a very rich theoretical and practical foundation.
But even this was not successful, but "Baopuzi" he wrote had a great influence on the subsequent development of Taoist alchemy and is also a famous Taoist classic.
Although there are many legends left by our ancestors, some of them cannot be studied, and some are exaggerated. It seems that there has never been anyone who has mastered the golden elixir.
Although he practices Taoism and believes in Taoism, the old Taoist priest also knows that some things do not exist.
After thinking for a moment, the old Taoist priest said: "But do good deeds and don't ask about the future."
The result is not important, what is important is the process.
There are many cultivation methods in Taoism. It cannot be said that these methods are useless, but they are slowly accumulated from the experience of predecessors and have left a lot of inspiration for future generations.
Maybe the actual effect is not great, but from an ideological point of view, it still has the effect of educating the world.
"When a person is in this world, every day he loses is like leading an ox or a sheep to a slaughterhouse. Every time he takes a step forward, death becomes closer. Although this is an ugly example, it is true. The reason why a master does not worry about the dead is not because he does not have desires."
Amidst the curls of cigarette smoke, the old Taoist priest taught attentively, and the young Taoist priest listened very seriously. Just as the first ray of morning light fell in, it shone on the two of them.
Everything is so peaceful and peaceful.
At this moment, Ye Qin was outside the main hall and could faintly hear voices coming from inside. It seemed that the old Taoist priest was teaching the young Taoist priest something.
He leaned closer to take a closer look.
In the hall, there are several important statues of gods such as Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, Daode Tianzun, Jade Emperor, Zhenwu Emperor, Queen Mother of the West, and Wenchang Emperor.
In addition, there is a statue of a person tall in the corner next to it. Ye Qin cannot tell which god it is.
However, some of the residents of the nearby generation worship such statues. It seems to be the kind of statue that prays for the safety of the family and home. It should be the local local god.
It can be seen that these statues have a long history, the colors are no longer bright, but a little dull, and even peeling off in some parts.
The local statue next to it was in even worse condition. I don’t know if it was because it was not kneaded properly from the beginning, or because there was an error in the placement process and it was accidentally bumped.
Ye Qin's sharp eyes saw a crack running from the back to the entire knee, but it was blocked, so he couldn't see it clearly.
It can be seen that the incense of this Taoist temple must not be good, otherwise money would definitely be spent on repairs, so that it would not look so shabby.
Although these statues are in disrepair, they are still very exquisite. The murals and decorations throughout the hall are also very good. It can be seen that a lot of effort was put into them.
"Maybe the incense was good before, but it gradually faded away later."
Ye Qin felt a little emotional that all things in the world are changing rapidly, and their rise and fall are just a matter of a moment.
He originally wanted to go and see other places by himself, but what the old Taoist priest said was pretty good.
Since Ye Qin was very close, the sound of the two talking could be heard clearly, and it was also easy for others to discover his presence.
The young Taoist priest glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw the shadow outside the hall. He thought he was hallucinating. He couldn't help but rub his eyes and interrupted the old Taoist priest's words.
"Master, look there is a snake there!"
The young Taoist priest was a little panicked. In contrast, the old Taoist priest was much calmer.
There is a lot of vegetation around, and it is normal for there to be a lot of snakes, insects, rats, and ants.
It's not like there weren't snakes, weasels and other creatures that accidentally broke into the Taoist temple before, but they left quickly and had little impact on them.
The old Taoist priest looked back and saw that the snake's body was thick and long, and its scales were green, like fine jade, but mixed with a bit of ink, making it look very transparent.
It's more of a handicraft than a snake scale. The old Taoist priest is well-informed, but he has never seen a snake that looks like this, and he can't see any animality.
I always feel that the snake in front of me gives people an unusual feeling.
The heads of venomous snakes are generally triangular, while the heads of non-venomous snakes are generally oval, and the patterns on the back of venomous snakes are generally brighter in color.
Although this snake was not venomous, the master and apprentice looked at it for a long time and did not know what kind it was.
Most snakes will not come to provoke you as long as you don't take the initiative to provoke them, not to mention that this snake is still some distance away from them.
The old Taoist priest said in a calm voice, "It's just a snake, and it's non-venomous, so there's no need to panic."
He neither stood up to drive away nor showed a particularly panicked expression, as if the presence or absence of the snake was nothing special.
The little Taoist priest soon became calm after hearing this, his face full of admiration and worship.
I don’t know when he will be able to cultivate to a state like his master, and be able to remain calm even when Mount Tai collapses.
"Disciple, you must understand that everything has its own laws. We humans should not interfere too much and should do what we are doing."
"Tao follows nature, we should conform to nature, tranquility is the sect, and emptiness is the body."
The little Taoist priest suddenly understood and nodded.
The old Taoist priest continued to explain the contents of "Baopuzi".
It can be seen that the old Taoist priest is knowledgeable and able to quote scriptures. In addition to "Baopuzi", other Taoist classics are also at his fingertips, and they speak clearly and clearly.
Among them are records about Dantian and the art of inner alchemy.
Dantian occupies a very important position in Taoism, and is where the inner alchemy of Taoism is manifested.
It was first seen in the "Laozi Ming" during the reign of Emperor Huan of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and later there are many records in ancient books such as "The Immortal Prince Stele" and "Baopuzi Di Zhen".
"The upper dantian is the root of nature, and the lower dantian is the pedicle of life. By cultivating the nature and life together, you can open up the big and small heavens and reach the state of refining the spirit and returning the void."
"The Difficult Sutra holds that the Lower Dantian is the ancestor of life, the source of vitality, the root of the internal organs, the root of the twelve meridians, the meeting of yin and yang, the door of breathing, and the place where water and fire meet."
After all, the little Taoist priest was too young, and the records and quotations in these classics were still a bit unfamiliar and difficult for him to understand. In addition, he got up early, and a fight accidentally broke out.
At first he could barely hold on, but later on, the old man's voice seemed to have magical hypnosis, making him feel sleepy unconsciously.
"Ah!"
The little Taoist priest only felt that the tip of his nose was itchy, as if something was brushing against him. He couldn't help sneezing, and he immediately became sober.
Looking up, he saw the fly whisk in the old Taoist priest's hand, and his face that was full of hatred.
"Master, I was wrong."
The little Taoist apologized quickly.
The old Taoist priest shook his head, and whisk pointed at the door of the hall, "You, you, let me tell you what you are good at. You have been with me for so long, and you still doze off in the morning."
As he spoke, the old Taoist priest looked out the window.
"A snake would listen more seriously than you."
The little Taoist priest quickly looked over and found that it was true.
The snake did not leave, but hovered at the entrance of the hall. After all this time, it still maintained its previous position, never changing, and keeping a safe distance from them.
It gives the impression that he understands and listens very carefully.
When the old Taoist priest finished speaking, the snake head nodded in a humane manner, as if he was echoing what the old Taoist priest said.
? ? ?
Little Taoist: I'm offended.
(End of chapter)
