"Tao can be said, but it is not Tao; name, it can be named, but it is not named. Nameless..."
In the school, the sound of reading was audible, and more than ten children in the corner were holding the "Tao Te Ching" in their hands, shaking their heads and reciting in unison.
After a while, after reading a volume, all the children sat with their mouths shut and looked at the master. The latter was wearing a black robe and half leaning on the master's chair. His eyes were slightly closed and his beard and hair were gray. He didn't know whether he was sleeping or recuperating.
After a while, the master came back to his senses, but he still didn't open his eyes. He just waved his sleeves and said calmly: "This is the end of today's lessons. You can leave on your own."
All the children stood up in response and respectfully replied: "Yes, sir." After saying that, they packed up their books and left in twos and threes.
After a while, the master slowly stood up, but saw that the little boy was still sitting on his seat, his brows furrowed, as if he had an unknown problem.
"Yuan Qing, why did you stay here and why don't you go back?" He adjusted his sleeves and asked in a deep voice.
After hearing the words, the child woke up like a dream, stood up quickly, bowed, and replied: "In reply to Mr. Zhu, there is a saying in the book, 'The Tao is always there.' However, the student is stupid and has never seen what the 'Tao' is, so he has been thinking about it. , what exactly is this way?”
When the master heard this, the corner of his mouth raised slightly, which was almost unnoticeable. After pondering for a moment, he replied calmly: "Let me ask you, if everything in this world wants to survive, it cannot live without water, but have you ever heard of anyone valuing water? "
Yuan Qing thought for a moment after hearing this, and then replied: "Everyone in the world regards jasper as precious and gold and silver as precious. I have never heard of anyone who cherishes water and loves water."
Mr. Zhu nodded and continued to ask: "The "Tao Jing" says, 'The best good is like water. Water is good for all things and does not compete with it. It is what everyone hates, so it is not close to the Tao.' Why is such a cherished thing not seen in the world?"
Yuan Qing did not answer; Mr. Zhu continued: "It is because this water has already seeped into every bit of the world, so although we can feel it all the time, it is not valuable. The same is true for Tao. The so-called 'not knowing the true face of Mount Lu is just because I am in this mountain' 'That's it."
"Sir, what you are saying is that this Tao exists in every word, deed, and action of us, like water moistening all things, so the world cannot notice it." Yuan Qing asked.
When the master heard this, he twirled his beard and nodded. When Yuan Qing saw this, he asked: "Then the horse eats grass and the craftsman forges iron, can it be praised?"
The master smiled, but did not reply directly, but told an unrelated anecdote: "I once discussed the art of martial arts with a master, and it turned out that knowledge is the basis of technique, and technique is its use. If the skills are combined, one can be small and broad. With a small number against a large number, the strength of five taels can be used to fight against the weight of a thousand catties.
However, skills will eventually run out. There are rumors that there is an immortal who can cut through mountains with a body of seven feet. This is beyond the power of skill, but it is the basis of both, Taoism. The Tao has no end, so those who gain the Tao and become immortals can move mountains and fill seas in just a few seconds.
It’s just that in the world of mortals, there are only a few people who have attained the Tao, and the rest are all ordinary mortals, all living beings. Those who are mortally born in the flesh do not know the way, but they are good at their skills. How can it be said that the way does not exist? "
After saying this, Mr. Zhu didn't care whether Yuan Qing understood or not, he staggered and left the school.
Yuan Qing naturally didn't understand what it meant, so when he saw his husband leaving, he didn't stay any longer. However, his mind was filled with the words of his master, and he bumped into things along the way, as if he had lost his soul.
Somehow, the words were gradually forgotten and dispersed, becoming a blank, and then sporadic words emerged from the blank, converging into a sentence, imprinted in his heart, with inexplicable meaning.
"Skills are the use of Tao, and Tao is the foundation of Dharma. There are endless tricks, but Tao is always the only one. If you take one, all Dharma will come into being..."
The next day.
Yuan Qing went to school as usual, thinking that no matter how good he was, he asked his master, but unexpectedly he was told that his master had gone far away, leaving only a letter saying, "I feel something in my heart, and I have gone to find the way."
As for what these disciples should do, he did not say much, only saying, "Read the scriptures more and more. It is said that if you read the book a hundred times, its meaning will appear by itself."
As soon as the news came out, all the children were overjoyed and dispersed shouting. However, Yuan Qing felt a touch of loneliness and relief lingering in his heart. He didn't know where it came from and couldn't understand its meaning.
Five years later.
In the dim light of morning, Yuan Qing was standing in a small independent courtyard wearing a thin green shirt. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying this moment of cool summer.
The sun was getting heavier, and the young man frowned slightly. He raised his eyes to look at the sky, then waved his long sleeves and walked out of the courtyard. But it was time to say hello to his parents and grandfather.
Unexpectedly, after walking a few steps, he saw his grandfather standing in the atrium with his hands behind his hands. Opposite him stood an old man in mysterious clothes. Although his face was thin and his appearance looked haggard, his posture was as straight as a strong pine tree.
As the grandfather nodded slightly, the old man in mysterious clothes cupped his fists, turned and left, leaving behind the girl behind him, who was beautiful in plain clothes and white skirt.
"Buzz!"
At the first glance of Quedao, Yuan Qing felt a roar in his mind. The world in his eyes changed and everything became an illusion. Only the figure of the girl was bathed in the shining light, her face blurred, and her white dress fluttered in the wind, like Fairy banished to dust.
"Qing'er, what are you doing standing there? Why don't you quickly go into the house and offer tea to say hello."
When the words came into his ears, the young man acted as if he hadn't heard them until the old man used his inner energy to transmit the sound into the secret.
I woke up only after giving out a loud drink.
"ah!"
Yuan Qing swayed slightly, then gave a quick salute and replied: "Yes, Grandpa."
During the morning tea, Yuan Qing looked absent-minded. During this period, the old man seemed to have given instructions, but they failed to reach the young man's ears. Instead, he remembered the girl's name firmly and kept repeating it in his heart.
"Zhu Ling'er..."
Another five years.
It was the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, and the Yuan family was decorated with lanterns and colorful banquets. It was the wedding ceremony of the eldest son Yuan Qing and his adopted daughter Zhu Ling'er!
They held the red rope, straddled the pommel horse, and bowed three times to complete the ceremony. Yuan and Qing drank several bowls of fine wine to honor their relatives and friends, and then entered the bridal chamber amidst the noise of the crowd.
There is a saying that a spring night is worth a thousand gold. The young man's face was full of spring breeze. Little did he know that Zhu Ling'er had already lifted his head and was sitting alone on the red bed, with a sad face and tears in his eyes.
Seeing this scene, Yuan Qing's heart suddenly became tense, and he hurried forward and asked warmly.
At first, Zhu Ling'er didn't want to say much, just saying "it's okay", but after Yuan Qing asked again and again, she still lamented and told the reason with a tearful tone.
It turns out that she was also a daughter of a famous family. After becoming a wealthy gentry, she was already famous for her natural beauty in her early years.
When the powerful and powerful heard about it, they coveted her and wanted to use money and power to marry her and take her as a concubine.
However, his father was upright, proud, full of awe, and deeply loved his daughter. Therefore, despite the lobbyists and coercion from all sides, he still refused to obey.
As a result, the powerful man was ashamed and furious, so he blamed the crime and withheld the stigma. As a result, his residence was sealed, his property was confiscated, and a family of more than ten people lived on the street with nowhere to return.
His father was unwilling to give up, so he took his relatives and went to Kyoto to write to the emperor.
Unexpectedly, everyone in the court is colluding with each other and they are all of the same species!
The imperial letter was rejected before it reached Tian's hearing. Later, officers and soldiers arrested him and expelled him from the city, never to enter again.
This was not the end yet. On his way back, there were more than ten people crouching in the forest, holding knives and covering their faces. They wanted to cut the weeds and eradicate them and avoid future troubles forever!
A group of old and weak people couldn't stop the evil man's bloody sword, but in the blink of an eye, they were all killed by the sword. Fortunately, at the critical moment, an expert took action, rescued the orphan girl, and sent her to a foreign country under the pseudonym Zhu Ling'er...
"My parents' vengeance has not been avenged, and the injustice done to my family has not been cleared up, but I am here wearing a red dress and enjoying wealth and honor. How unfilial this is, how can I feel at ease!" Zhu Ling'er said in a trembling voice. weep.
Yuan Qing listened silently, and after a moment, he came to Zhu Ling'er and hugged her into his arms.
"Tomorrow morning I will go to my grandpa to ask him to teach me martial arts. Grandpa is proficient in martial arts and will definitely be able to become a master within three to five years. By then, whether they are corrupt officials or murderous villains, I will kill them all to comfort them. Your whole family is in heaven!" The young man said softly, but every word was sonorous.
But as soon as he finished speaking, there was a "squeak" and the old man walked into the room wearing a green shirt.
"Grandpa!" Yuan Qing was startled and hurriedly let go of Zhu Ling'er. He was about to say something, but was interrupted by the old man raising his hand.
The old man took a deep look at him, and then said slowly: "The scorching sun is high but no light can be seen, it is under the umbrella cover. However, if the umbrella cover is big enough to cover the sky and the sun, it must have huge roots and strong branches. A common man. A brave man who wants to shake the towering tree with his own power is just a fool's dream. Only by going deep into it and turning it into a spark can the roots and branches be entwined and burn it to death."
After the old man finished speaking, he waved his sleeves and left; Yuan Qing looked at Zhu Ling'er thoughtfully and made a decision in his heart.
In the early morning of the next day, after morning tea, the young man announced in public that he vowed to obtain merit and become an official in the court.
In the following years, Yuan and Qing worked hard and successfully became an official.
Because he acted upright, did not get involved in party disputes, was not afraid of powerful people, and was shrewd in governing during his official career. He had a good reputation among the people, so he was deeply favored by the emperor, and he rose through the ranks and became a highly respected minister.
Because of his uprightness, he tried to clear the world and rectify the world with one person's power, so everyone in the dynasty was an enemy.
As the saying goes, it is easy to hide from an open gun and hard to guard against a hidden arrow. Yuan Qing was cautious and cautious for most of his life, but he was framed by a traitor and lost his official title and power. Then he followed in the footsteps of Zhu Ling'er's father and was hunted down and fled to the end of the world.
Finally, after a year on the run, the couple came to a small village on a cliff. Unexpectedly, before they had settled down for a few days, the pursuers arrived again.
The two of them were trapped on the edge of the cliff. Seeing that there was no way to escape or avoid, Zhu Ling'er sighed softly, turned her head and said affectionately to Yuan Qing: "Holding my hand for half a century, it is God's blessing. Ling'er is satisfied! In this life, Ling'er is Ling'er. I have dragged my husband down. If we could do it all over again, Ling'er would rather not meet her! It is better to forget each other in the world than to let each other know each other."
After saying that, he jumped and fell to the bottom of the cliff.
After hearing the words, Yuan Qing was in a trance. The night green mountaintop seemed to appear in front of his eyes, full of warm fragrance. The girl's red lips touched lightly, and then disappeared with the wind.
After a while, he came back to his senses, but he no longer saw the beautiful woman beside him, only the murderer on the opposite side was approaching step by step.
Seeing this, Yuan Qing smiled casually, thought for a moment and then waved his sleeves, only to see that all the murderers on the cliff were disillusioned like nothing!
Then the world collapsed and returned to chaos. Yuan Qing fell on his back and sank into this void.
"Ling'er, stay with me for the rest of your life..."
