There is a saying in the officialdom of the Tang Dynasty:
The free immortal in heaven, the free king on earth.
The prince who is happy and happy on earth in the sentence refers to Li Jing, the king of Ruyang, who is entertaining Chang Chiman in his mansion.
The book says that the King of Ruyang of the Tang Dynasty, who was listening to the story on the throne, was an outstanding figure in his own right. He was of royal blood, good-looking, rich, powerful, and very talented. What was even more annoying was that he was a bowman. Skilled and in great shape. It is said that such a nearly perfect life should be absolutely carefree and carefree like a god. But this high-ranking prince who was envied by others in the officialdom also had troubles. He also had his own desires. His desires were ordinary to say the least. They were just to live for a few more decades, preferably to live a hundred years without dying. Destroy!
The short Taoist Chang Chiman, who was sitting in the lower seat and was treated as a guest of honor, was indeed very proud at this moment. This distinguished prince shouted to him like a master, complimenting him to the extreme. Chang Chiman himself also knew that most of the prince's goodwill was due to his enigmatic master, and he himself was just getting some light. If he really wanted the prince to admire him, it would not be enough just to praise his master. , If you don’t show your dazzling skills, you won’t be truly appreciated by the other party!
After Chang Chiman finished talking about how his master borrowed rivers from the sky to break the monk's demonic method, and accepted the Dragon God as his disciple, King Ruyang was naturally overjoyed. He continued to ask with a smile on his face:
"The lonely king once heard that Master Ye Xian was summoned to the palace by his majesty. He performed magic on the stage, killed dragons to get meat, raised clouds and prayed for rain, summoned gods and exorcised ghosts, killed fox demons with swords, and lectured on the way to immortality. I was so curious. Hey, I wonder if Master can tell you more stories about your mentor, I would be very grateful! Come here, bring me some more wine and food, and serve Master Chang with all your heart!"
As soon as the prince finished speaking, Chang Chiman quickly waved his hand and declined. Many beautiful maids came in immediately and quickly changed a batch of banquets. King Ruyang made toasts and offered dishes, and the guests and hosts were enjoying themselves for a while.
"Back to your lord, this matter has happened. It was in the early years of Kaiyuan. His Majesty the Emperor, because the Queen had been childless for many years, ordered the Master to report to the Emperor of Heaven in Jade Palace and ask the Queen if she had any children. The Master did not dare to slack off and opened the forum immediately. After starting the hexagram, a chapter came down from the sky after a long time. The word "Wu Zi" was very clear. His Majesty the Emperor didn't believe it at the time. But today, the hexagram has come true. "
The short Taoist Chang Chiman thanked King Ruyang for his kindness while continuing to talk about his master Ye Jinneng.
It turns out that Emperor Xuanzong of Kaiyuan has been interested in Taoism since he was a child. In his heart, he actually disrespects the Buddhist sect and has always looked down upon those bald donkeys. Of course, the Li family royal family, which has recognized "Laozi" as their ancestor, does not believe in the teachings of Huang and Lao. Disloyalty and unfilial piety, the Buddhist lineage is ultimately transmitted from outside. Later, the emperor worked for a long time and understood the top secrets of the Taishi Bureau. The emperor himself had just come into contact with the world of cultivation and was extremely interested in seeking immortality. He was fully satisfied with practicing and becoming an immortal, so he kept pestering those in the Taishi Bureau. The old doctors introduced the great monks to them. Ye Fashan, Dan Qiusheng and others had no choice but to unanimously recommend Ye Jinneng, the hermit master who was known as the number one hermit in the world. The emperor sent someone to summon Ye Jinneng, who was strongly recommended by everyone. After Ye Jinneng became famous in Chang'an, Li Longji impatiently went to the Dashen Palace to seek advice from him to see if he had any good ideas. It can help you cultivate immortality as soon as possible.
Speaking of Ye Jinneng, he may not be as good as Luo Gongyuan in deducing heavenly secrets, he may not be as good as Ye Fashan in relocating luck, and he may not be as unpredictable as Zhang Guo, but when it comes to slaying demons and hunting for heavenly materials and earthly treasures, Ye Jinneng is the best. It was so powerful that his swords and talismans were the most lethal in the world. He heard that the emperor wanted to cultivate immortality, but he was actually disdainful in his heart. Although the emperor in front of him was born with the emperor's star and was blessed with luck in the world, in the end his eyes were blinded. Although he could enjoy all the wealth and honor in the world, he would not be able to enjoy all the wealth in this life. The physical body will eventually be fooled by heaven! Therefore, his many inquiries about the emperor were always false and condescending. He did not teach magic or magical powers, but talked more about the principles of governing the country. He hoped that the arrogant emperor could do his job well and benefit the people.
The emperor didn't understand the Taoist's painstaking efforts, and just asked about his practice: "Master, the Taoism is pure and subtle. I wonder if there is a way to live forever?"
Ye Jingneng was afraid of backlash because of the fear of heaven, so he could not tell the truth inside, so he could only say:
"With the talisman ascending to heaven and earth, it can eliminate the evil spirits, monsters and evil spirits; combined with the Chen Shendan, it cannot be blocked. If your majesty seeks the method of immortality, it will be easy!"
When the emperor heard Ye Jinneng's performance, he was delighted and used the talisman to make elixirs. It seemed that he had hope for immortality. He immediately worshiped his master diligently:
"I would like to be your respected master's disciple, and I also ask your respected master to become my teacher."
Immediately afterwards, without waiting for Ye Jingneng to agree, His Majesty arranged manpower to rebuild a Taoist temple for Ye Jingneng in the best geomantic location in Chang'an City. The Tian family was busy in all directions, and the Taoist temple soon began to be built. All the decorations in the temple were of the highest cost, and all kinds of rare and precious things were sent here for free. The emperor issued an edict and sent people to prepare it every day. The emperor himself visited the courtyard of his master Ye Jinneng every day. Ye Jinneng had no choice but to accept this difficult and domineering disciple. From then on, the two masters and disciples often discussed Taoism. During this period of time, Ye Jinneng often showed his magical powers to the emperor. Seeing those unimaginable immortal methods, the emperor was even more itchy. Many times, he would rather leave government affairs behind and study magic. The imperial ministers, civil and military officials who were attracted by the emperor's actions were all enthusiastic and eager to follow the emperor's steps. When the common people saw how enthusiastic the dignitaries were about cultivating Taoism, they naturally chose to follow suit. From then on, Chang'an City and even the entire Tang Dynasty respected Taoism, and all the people began to practice immortality.
"Your Majesty is indeed very talented. No wonder His Majesty has respected your Master so much from the beginning. He is truly a master from this world..."
King Ruyang listened to the short Taoist's description and praised him with emotion. As soon as he finished speaking, the short Taoist Chang Chiman shook his head and interrupted King Ruyang rudely.
"Your Majesty, what you said is wrong. You don't know something. Although the master has a distinguished reputation, he is not acquainted with His Majesty. The Master is also highly respected by others and was summoned by Your Majesty. He was not so favored from the beginning!"
"Oh? I'd like to hear the details!"
It turned out that Ye Jingneng was born in the third year of Zhenguan. When he was summoned by the emperor Li Longji in the early years of Kaiyuan, he was actually eighty-three years old. This age is already extremely long among ordinary people, but there is no age in the mountains. In this foreign world, eighty-three years old is only in the prime of life. Ye Jingneng was extremely intelligent when he was young. He was familiar with Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Mohism. He was familiar with various classics. He was especially interested in Huang Lao's studies, and he was fascinated by the talisman method in it at first sight. Later, when his family saw him like this, they sent him to Huiye Temple in Kuaiji Mountain to study. He lived in the temple as a boy and became a little Taoist boy. After entering Taoism, he practiced intensively day and night, and studied diligently until he was twenty years old, when he officially became a Taoist priest. After becoming a Taoist priest, under the guidance of a famous teacher and because of his outstanding talent, his cultivation speed was far behind his peers. The crown and yellow quilt are rolled up in the hand, and the spirit is felt, and the god is seen. One day, he was meditating in a cave and met Emperor Shi of the Great Luo Palace in the chaos. Emperor Shi liked his talent and loved his hard work even more, so he sent a divine man to give him a scroll of talismans, asking him to Be determined and diligent in learning, and don't send others to know.
After Ye Jingneng woke up and came back, he told his master about the matter. The master didn't know what the god meant, but he just advised him to practice the magic of talismans well and not to waste such an opportunity. Ye Jinneng has always been devoted to Taoism, and now that he has won the fate of being a god, he has no intention of retreating. Then he opened the talisman and read it. His feet were clearly marked, and the names of ghosts and gods were noted, all talking about the evil spirits in the world. After mastering it, even a single magic talisman can mobilize the ghosts and gods of heaven and earth, and move mountains and rivers. Ye Jingneng was able to go to Ji Mountain, practice Taoism and talismans, study the talismans, respond to the Heavenly Gate, and understand the geography. After practicing, the ghosts and gods in the world can do whatever they want, and they can do whatever they want.
After a few decades, Ye Jingneng succeeded in the magic of the Talisman. From then on, the names of all spirits in the sky and on the earth were left in the Talisman for his use. When it comes to the most outstanding talismans, there is no one better than Ye Jingneng in this universe. His master knew that he had developed his skills, so he asked him to practice in the next life, firstly to practice his magical powers, and secondly, to realize that there are many good connections in the world, and strive to ascend as soon as possible. In the years that followed, Ye Jing was able to travel across mountains and rivers, conquer demons, save people, and gained a great reputation in the spiritual world. As the saying goes, a big tree attracts the wind. Emperor Xuanzong, who is on the path to immortality, ordered to recruit monks from all over the world. With such a dazzling figure as Ye Jingneng, he is even more important! Although he was outside, he had never ascended. He still had to obey the orders of the emperor in the world. He could not openly disobey orders, so he could only arrange everything in the Kuaiji Mountain Dojo and rush to Chang'an. On the way, he exorcised demons and subjugated demons, manifested miracles and cast spells. People who practice Taoism pay attention to following the circumstances. Ye Jinneng himself is a free and easy-going character. He is beautiful and smooth, and his heart is relaxed. If he goes to the extreme place, he has the same priorities. Once he wants to wander, he will only care about himself. In a moment. You can travel 35,000 miles a day, but you can stay still for three to five days. If you don't want to eat, you can go without food for thirty or fifty days; if you want to eat, you can eat sixty or seventy livestock in one meal. When you are happy, you will disappear into the world of games. When you are unhappy, you will turn into hundreds of versions of yourself to scare others. He wandered like this for ten days, and finally arrived at Chang'an City.
Arriving at Chang'an, the imperial capital from all directions, Ye Jinneng was not in a hurry to see the emperor. He just casually placed his Taoist luggage in Xuandu Temple. It's only been a month, but he has not been seen in the hospital. He only plays the piano and whistles to relax his mood. The servants and maids who were waiting in the Taoist temple peeked in and saw no cooks operating, and no place to eat. It was strange that he was just leisurely without eating or drinking. Some people came to visit and inquire about his Taoist skills. Ye Jingneng said that the power of the talisman and the evil spirits caused by it were all unexplainable. In this era when the art of external elixirs is prevalent and the method of talismans is in decline, Ye Jingneng despises the art of external elixirs and specializes in talismans. It is like an alien. One person's mouth can reach the ears of thousands of people. Without trust, the two cities of Chang'an City The people all knew that a Taoist priest had come to Xuandu Temple. He was crazy in speech and arrogant. He boasted that he could cure evil diseases and had the power of talismans.
It happened that at this time there was a resident of Jixianfang named Kang Taiqing. He had a daughter who was sixteen or seventeen years old. For some reason, the little girl started laughing, crying, walking, sitting, or running around in the street. He even cursed and bit people when he saw him, and the neighbors talked a lot, saying that this poor baby was probably obsessed with the vixen. It happened that a neighbor heard Ye Jinneng's gossip, so he ran to tell Kang Taiqing: "There is a Taoist priest in Xuandu Temple who said he could cure the disease of wild foxes." When Kang Taiqing heard this, he didn't say anything. He said, he picked up his wife and went to the temple to look for Ye Jinneng together. The couple came to Ye Jingneng's door, but they didn't go in, and they didn't ask whether it would work or not. They just bowed and bowed, banging their heads, and cried loudly into the house about their daughter's condition, praying for Ye Jingneng to save her life. . The couple cried and shouted: "I have surrendered to my respected master for treatment, but I am not worthy of my kindness!"
Ye Jingneng was taking a nap indoors when he was suddenly disturbed. He heard some noise and immediately came to the courtyard. After some questioning and calculation, he had an idea. He said to the couple: "This disease is caused by wild foxes. If you want to cure it, you can just bring a piece of felt and nail four big nails to cure it." Kang Taiqing was ill and went to the doctor in a hurry without asking. True or false, he went back immediately, brought a blanket and four large nails as ordered, tied up his daughter and came to the temple together. As soon as Ye Jingneng saw the girl, his eyes flashed. He strode forward and with a move of his left hand, a sword flew out from the house. He was holding the sword in one hand and clamped the Kang family's daughter's arm with the other. After asking, he actually waved his sword and cut the girl into three pieces with two swish swords.
For a moment, blood flowed all over the ground, and everyone in the hospital was shocked. Kang Taiqing and his wife froze on the spot for a while, and then they woke up after a while. They collapsed on the ground with a plop, and started crying to the sky and the earth with their souls shattered. Their voices were hoarse. Shouting: "Killing people! Taoist priests killing people! Come quickly, my son, who will save my son!" The onlookers were also backing away at this moment, while clamoring to go to the county government office to report Xuan Xuan to him. The crazy Taoist priest in Duguan killed people with his sword!
Ye Jinneng, who committed the murder, was not in a hurry. He covered the girl's body with a blanket and fixed the four corners with nails. Blood flowed out along the blanket. Ye Jingneng was busy, and the countless people who were watching were also rushing to tell each other, saying that if anyone dares to do this in the imperial city, they will not scream. After Ye Jingneng finished his work, he didn't look at the couple, let alone those who were watching the excitement, and went back to the house. Naturally, he didn't sleep anymore, and simply started playing the piano and whistling, with a calm demeanor, as if nothing happened. look.
To say it had to be the capital, not long after, the thief officer led the soldiers to Ye Jinneng's yard, shouted loudly and asked: "Where is the evil Taoist priest?" Hearing this, Ye Jinneng stopped whistling his piano, while Stepping out, he replied: "Here, here! Why do officials rush to make assertions! A poor man can cure the disease of wild foxes, and idle people are ignorant and make false claims." The leading official was also confused when he heard this, so he turned around and asked Kang Taiqing, Kang Taiqing cried and replied: "Sir, don't listen to this devil's sophistry. What's lying under this blanket is my baby's body!" Before he could finish speaking, the couple hugged each other and cried again. stand up. The leader heard the old couple crying as if they were about to die, and saw blood flowing under the blanket to the ground. The crowd of onlookers were all shouting for murder. He immediately angrily rebuked the Taoist who had come in front of him: "This is a terrible thing." , still dare to refuse! How brave!" Ye Jinneng still spoke calmly, pointing to the carpet on the ground and said: "Why don't you peel off the carpet and check it out! Don't flout the laws and enforce the law laxly." The official was frightened. Ye Jinneng was so magnanimous that he asked the soldiers to remove the blanket for examination. The examiner watched for a while and then loudly reported: "The woman from Kang Taiqing was lying next to a wild fox. The woman seemed to be intact, and the wild fox chopped it into three pieces." When the officer who caught the thief heard this, he was stunned. He took two steps quickly. Regardless of the tragedy of the scene, he lifted up the blanket and looked around. He saw a woman lying on the ground, and next to her lay a man who had also been chopped into three pieces. The mixed-haired fox, the people watching were all stunned at this moment. They clearly watched the Kang family's daughter being chopped into three parts. Why was it intact at the moment? Where did the bloody fox next to her come from? Everyone was whispering to each other, and they couldn't understand for a long time. what happened.
When Kang Taiqing and his wife saw that their daughter was not dead, they crawled over and woke her up. The girl woke up as if from a dream and didn't know what had happened. She only saw her parents with tears in their eyes, hugging her and refusing to let go! After crying for a while, the family of three knelt down and prostrated, crying and thanking Ye Jingneng for saving their daughter from the evil fox disease. When the officer who caught the thief saw that the incident was over, he knew that the Taoist priest in the temple was not a trivial matter, so he immediately went back and reported the truth. After hearing this, Shangyin did not dare to neglect and went to the temple in Xuandu to pay homage. Then he asked his name and found out the Taoist priest. It turned out to be someone who was personally ordered by His Majesty, and he looked up to him with great admiration. After Shang Yin returned, he immediately recorded the matter in a book and reported it to His Majesty the current emperor!
Two days later, the emperor saw this memorial, and his blood was boiling even before he finished reading it. He just heard from Ye Fashan and others that there was a talisman master in the mountains and fields with extremely sharp magical powers. He was a powerful hermit. This person was named His name is Ye Jinneng. Since the emperor is looking for a powerful person, he can invite him to the capital to form a good relationship! It's just that many days have passed and there is no movement from this master. Today, after reading the memorial, I found out that this master had arrived in Chang'an City a long time ago. He had not been famous for a month, but he used a sword to kill the fox demon two days ago. Suddenly he became famous and in the limelight. The emperor immediately summoned Gao Lishi and ordered him to send a team of Jinwu Guards to Xuandu to visit the Taoist named Ye Jinneng!
Emperor Xuanzong was only twenty-eighty-nine years old at this time. He had just promoted his emperor father to be the Supreme Emperor. He was full of power and high-spirited. Suddenly he was attracted by the magic of the Taishi Bureau. He devoted himself to the Taoism and devoted himself to seeking immortality. Covering the liver, thinking about immortality. He coveted Luo Gongyuan's deduction skills, coveted Ye Dharma's goodness to penetrate the heaven and earth, and coveted Zhang Guo's longevity. Later, after meeting Ye Jinneng, he coveted the wonders of talismans. He spent every day thinking about how to combine these I have learned all the magical powers and techniques from myself. When the time comes, I can fly to the sky and escape from the earth, deduce thousands of miles, ask the gods to eliminate demons, and do whatever I want. How free and easy. As for immortality, he is not too concerned about it. After all, for a young man in his twenties, death still seems very far away!
As the saying goes, what you think about every day is what you dream about at night. The emperor who was obsessed with the magic of immortality dreamed of a divine being one night. This divine being was three feet tall, with colorful auspicious clouds at his feet. He was wearing golden armor and holy clothes. His face was red, his back was strong and his waist was strong, and his eyes were bright. , like an electric switch, surrounded by thunderbolts, the power of heaven is mighty, the divine light is dazzling, and the true nature is majestic. Behind the god-man were many fairy boys and girls, with fluttering feathers and fairy sounds.
This man of God came to the emperor, bowed first, and then said that he was specially ordered to give dragon liver to the current emperor! The emperor said to the divine man: "Where does this liver come from?" The divine man replied: "The Emperor Ziwei from the upper realm ordered the gods to send it!" Emperor Xuanzong was shocked. It turned out that this divine man was actually the divine general of Emperor Ziwei. The Great Emperor is the highest-ranking Emperor among the gods. His full name is "The Great Emperor of Zhongtian Ziwei Arctic". He is ranked among the four emperors, second only to the Patriarch of the Sanqing Dynasty. Unexpectedly, Li Longji would be favored by the Emperor of Heaven and be given the sacred dragon. liver.
The god gave him the dragon's liver and ordered him to eat it immediately. Li Longji did not dare to disobey, so he took the dragon's liver and swallowed it in one gulp. There was nothing left about the God A and the divine object Dragon Liver, and then I realized that it was just a dream. The emperor recalled the scene in the dream and ordered Ye Fashan to come and ask. When Ye Fashan came and heard about the dream, he understood the reason in his heart. He did not hide it and told the truth! It turns out that although the dream was just a dream, it was not entirely a dream. The god and man in the dream and the dragon liver given to him were real. Ye Fashan told the emperor with great certainty that Emperor Ziwei and the golden armored general were indeed gods. The emperor did not need to doubt that this was the auspiciousness specially given by the emperor for his excellent virtues and recognition from heaven. Your majesty would be able to eat dragon meat together!
After listening to Ye Fashan's explanation, the young emperor calmed down, but he couldn't help but feel proud. It seemed that he had done a good job as an emperor. Even the gods and gods in heaven knew about him and praised him! Recalling the mythical dragon liver in his dream, it tasted really good, and he couldn't help but think about it. He asked Ye Fashan:
"The dragon liver I just had in my dream tastes wonderful. I wonder if the Heavenly Master has a way to get it again?"
Although Ye Fashan had extraordinary Taoist and magical powers, he had to kill dragons to get dragon meat. He was not very good at killing dragons, so he told the truth immediately. The emperor couldn't help but feel a little regretful after hearing this. Ye Fashan was the ancestor of the fourth generation of heavenly masters. In his generation, he even held the title of Duke of Yue. As the actual helmsman of the Taishi Bureau of the Tang Empire, he was the most obscure pillar of the entire Tang Dynasty. Due to the constraints of fate, he became One of Li Longji's most trusted people would rarely refuse the emperor's orders. After thinking for a while, Ye Fashan told the emperor:
"Actually, there is someone who may be able to make His Majesty's wish come true!"
The emperor was immediately overjoyed when he heard this and asked hurriedly:
"Who is the person the Heavenly Master is talking about?"
Ye Fashan replied extremely seriously:
"Ye Jingneng!"
The emperor trusted Ye Fashan. After hearing this, he fell into deep thought and whispered, "So it's him"! After a while, the emperor raised his head and continued to say to Ye Fashan:
"I have troubled the Heavenly Master to rush around all night, and I am terrified, just as the Heavenly Master said. Just a few days ago, I summoned this man to kill the fox demon with his sword. He is indeed a very capable person. I will trouble the Heavenly Master to go there in person tomorrow. Come on, invite him to the palace again!"
The two top land gods in the spiritual world of the Tang Dynasty are finally going to meet!
