The land of Dongzhou is vast, with the Endless Sea close to the southeast and towering snow-capped mountains to the northwest. The land of Dongzhou has a peculiar terrain. It not only has vast fertile plains, wild and deep forests that are inaccessible, but also has polar regions with cold climates.
However, most places in Dongzhou have abundant rainfall, sufficient sunshine, and a mild climate, which makes Dongzhou very rich in various products.
On the edge of an inaccessible wild forest in Dongzhou, there is a river that winds like the Milky Way through the mountains wrapped in clouds and mist with towering peaks. After flowing through Lu, Qi, Chu, and Jin, it then passes through the land of hundreds of mountains in Wuyue. The river is called the Yulong River, and finally the Yulong River flows into the endless sea in the southeast.
Regardless of the rainy season or the winter with little rain, the water level of the Yulong River is like a sleeping dragon, with few floods!
Regarding strange things like the Yulong River, there are also good people who want to go to the source of the Yulong River to see what is going on. However, the upper reaches of the Yulong River are among the hundreds of thousands of mountains with towering peaks, high mountains and dense forests. The good people have also formed teams to enter the Yulong Mountains many times. Exploring the secrets, it’s just that when ordinary people enter the Yulong Mountains, they are blocked by strange peaks and cliffs and miasma and fog, so the explorers lose interest in exploring the secrets.
There is a small town called Hekou on the edge of the foothills of Yulong Mountain. A few dozen miles away from the small town of Hekou, there is a small mountain called Jiming Mountain. The mountain is not very high, only a few hundred feet high.
Although the mountain is not high, Jiming Mountain is quiet and peaceful, with dense forests and clear springs running through it, just like a paradise! There is a Taoist temple built on the mountain. The Taoist temple is built near the mountain and the water. The Taoist temple consists of a main hall and left and right side halls. Although the Taoist temple is old and not big, it is simple, natural and quite beautiful.
Behind the main hall of the Taoist temple are several tile-roofed houses and a courtyard. There are several towering ancient trees in the courtyard. The ancient branches and leaves cover most of the sky above the courtyard.
It is now almost dusk and the sun is setting in the west. The sunset glow from the sky passes through the gaps between the leaves of several large branches in the yard, making the mottled ground in the yard look particularly strange. Although the yard is not big, it is kept very clean.
There is a teapot and two cups on the stone table in the courtyard. There is a bamboo chair beside the stone table, and an old Taoist priest with white beard and hair is sitting there. The old Taoist priest is holding an antique book in his hand. The book looks more beautiful due to long time reading. Shabby!
The old Taoist priest read the contents of the book attentively, sometimes frowning and sometimes shaking his head.
Maybe he was tired of reading, or maybe he felt that it was getting late. The old Taoist priest sighed softly and closed the book in his hand. He turned around and looked at a little Taoist priest who was only seven or eight years old not far away from him.
This little Taoist priest was reciting a Taoist classic, with a pious look on his face! But as if he felt the old Taoist priest's gaze, he stopped reciting and turned around to look at the old Taoist priest with his spiritual eyes.
Perhaps because he had some questions while reciting Taoist classics, the young Taoist stood up and walked up to the old Taoist priest and asked in a childish voice: "Master, what is Tao!"
After hearing this, the old Taoist priest thought for a while and said: "Tao is the way of heaven! Tao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things! Everything you see and hear is Tao!"
After hearing this, the little Taoist priest nodded in understanding, and then asked: "Master, you said that everything you see and hear is the Tao. How can it be said in any classic that it is the Tao but not the eternal Tao? Is the Tao of Heaven also not the eternal Tao? As the master just said, everything is the Tao, so why do you worry about enlightening the Tao?"
After hearing this, the old Taoist priest was a little embarrassed and was thinking about how to answer.
The little Taoist priest then asked: "Master, when you read this Sutra of Immortality every day, are you understanding the way to immortality?"
The old Taoist priest touched the little Taoist priest's head with his hand and said sadly: "Master is too stupid to understand the way of immortality! The way of heaven goes back and forth, so how can there be a way of immortality? If there is a way of immortality, it should not be contrary to the way of heaven. OK!"
"Against the way of heaven?" The little Taoist priest asked in confusion after hearing this.
The old Taoist priest did not continue to return to the younger Taoist priest's question, but asked: "Jining, how was your Lianshan Yi practice that Mr. Yu taught you last time?"
When the young Taoist priest heard the old Taoist priest's question, he lowered his head with some shame and replied: "Mr. Yu said that Lian Shan Yicheng is the study of Xingtian. Lian Shan Yicheng includes elephants, numbers, and Neo-Confucianism, but the disciples have not been able to understand its fundamentals." , Disciple is ignorant! Disciple believes that hard work can make up for weakness, and will study harder in the future, so as to get a glimpse of the skills of elephants, numbers, and reasoning in the mountains of Yi as soon as possible!"
The old Taoist priest looked at the little Taoist priest lovingly, thinking of Ning Fengzhou, a strange man of that time! I secretly sighed in my heart that everyone said that the general is a tiger, but as expected, his understanding at a young age is already like his father's!
He touched his head and said with a smile: "Those who can achieve things easily are all great wise men. You are already very good. You can memorize this obscure book in a short time! Master believes that you will be able to understand it given time." Get the true meaning!”
The old Taoist priest looked at the smart disciple's thoughts, and sighed in his heart that his good intentions back then turned into a big mistake, and the Ning family was exterminated. Although it was a big mistake, Mr. Yu and I later used our brains and went through all kinds of hardships to rescue him from his infancy, so that his bloodline could be preserved, which was also an apology to him!
When the young Taoist priest saw his master suddenly in a daze, he was a little at a loss and thought he had made some mistake. However, the old Taoist priest realized it immediately and ordered the young Taoist priest to light a fire and boil water to prepare dinner!
Looking at the back of the little Taoist priest, I felt as if I could see the figure of Ning Fengzhou, the unruly generation of geniuses back then!
A young man becomes famous. He can write articles at the age of six. He can read classical books to correct his mistakes at the age of nine. He has read the Six Classics at the age of ten. At the age of twelve, he knows the three talents and the number of jade cabinets. At the age of sixteen, he passes the examination. This is The achievement became unprecedented in the Lu country. He became famous because of his youth and was proud of his talent. Being independent in the court and not looking into the eyes of all the officials in the court will end up causing harm to oneself.
Among them, "Xi Zhaohe Wang Zhiwen" was the turning point of his prosperity and decline. The art of fighting was popular in the State of Lu.
One day, the retainers of the prince of Lu and the retainers of the prince of Showa competed in fighting skills! Ning Fengzhou was encouraged by everyone to write an "Essay on the King Zhaohe" to cheer up the prince. Because of his sharp words, many people kept this article, and eventually it reached the hands of the king of Lu. The king of Lu believed that the content of this article was a contempt for the authority of the royal family and an attempt to sow discord between the princes! Therefore, Ning Fengzhou was demoted and expelled from Luodu, the capital of Lu.
However, Ning Fengzhou, who was expelled from the capital, did not put down his arrogance. Because of his arrogant personality, he did not get along with his colleagues. Later, he was falsely accused by other fellow officials of embezzling food and salary. Ning Fengzhou's official career came to an end.
After being convicted and released from prison, Ning Fengzhou had no interest in officialdom and even regarded it as a career. Although the court later found out that he was not corrupt, the monarch of Lu thought that Ning Fengzhou, who became famous at a young age, could be regarded as a genius of Lu and wanted to resume his career. His old job.
However, Ning Fengzhou, who became famous at a young age, had never suffered such a blow. This blow left him physically and mentally exhausted and discouraged, so he refused to return to his official career.
After returning to ordinary life, relying on the family business inherited from his ancestors, he indulged in reciting poems, painting, and sensuality all day long!
The old Taoist priest recalled an accidental opportunity at that time that allowed everyone to get to know each other.
Later, they often sat and drank together and talked about the past and present. Although they were much older than Ning Fengzhou, they both admired the young scholar's quick thinking. The rebellious Ning Fengzhou also admired the two talents. I also admire him very much.
Gradually, Ning Fengzhou became close friends with himself and Yu Qingyuan!
The old Taoist priest recalled that when a few people were drinking together, Ning Fengzhou looked at the poem he composed casually with the green plum wine in the cup, and softly read in his mouth: "Singing to wine, how long is life? Even the mortal world can be forgotten! Weijun, my worries are unforgettable!"
He and Yu Qingyuan admired his talent and did something beautiful for adults, but in the end it brought him the disaster of killing and annihilating his family!
The old Taoist priest was still thinking about the past. At this time, the young Taoist priest came over to remind him that the hot water had been boiled, and the old Taoist priest calmed down. Although Taoists have the habit of not eating after lunch, Jining is still young, so he got up and went to Jining for help. Off to make dinner!
Dinner was very simple, just some green vegetables, tofu and white rice. Xiao Jining lowered his head and ate the delicious food. The old Taoist priest himself drank this cup of tea.
Xiao Jining seemed to have thought of something and said obediently to the old Taoist priest: "Master, go and practice the Sutra of Immortality. I will clean it up later!"
The old Taoist priest looked at Xiao Jining with a look of relief on his face and nodded. He thought that growing up in the mountains was not a bad thing. He would be free of the vulgarity brought about by worldly money and fame. This would make him feel at peace! What about just living in this dangerous world? Can a person who is indifferent to the world and does good deeds wholeheartedly be tolerated by this world?
I can't help but feel a little worried in my heart. How will he live after I leave him?
After sighing secretly in his heart, he went to sit down under a tree in the yard and began to practice "The Art of Immortality". As the true energy in the body moved according to the key points of the Art of Immortality, week after week...
A trace of fish white appeared on the horizon. The old Taoist priest slowly opened his eyes, stopped practicing, and gently exhaled a breath of turbidity. It's just that his face looks a little lonely. It has been almost ten years since he practiced this technique, but there is still no progress.
When Yu Qingyuan gave him the book, he once mentioned that practicing this technique requires luck! However, he himself had not received this fate for many years after getting this book, so he gave this strange book to him to see if he had this fate!
Yu Qingyuan said that if you succeed in practicing this longevity secret, you will feel a different kind of Qi in your body. This Qi is different from the Taoist Qi that is usually cultivated. It seems that this Qi is called spiritual power. When the spiritual power is sensed in the body, It can be regarded as entering the door of longevity secret cultivation.
Thinking of this, the old Taoist priest secretly sighed in his heart!
