bookbashuk Chapter 19 Hue
Chapter 19 Hue
The mountain god temple, where sermons are being held in the courtyard.
With the dark magic sword lying across his lap, Zhong Xuan spoke unhurriedly:
"...When metal and wood meet, they do not counteract each other, but rather complement each other."
"Lead and mercury complement each other, water and fire achieve harmony..."
Four mountain spirits scattered around, quietly listening to the old Taoist priest sitting cross-legged in the courtyard.
It's warm and moist, like spring rain, with light, crisp undulations and turns, very comfortable.
Beside the temple entrance, there was a gray stone about the size of a small calf squatting down. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a bluish-gray stone clam. The bumps on its skin and back were cracked like weathered rocks, and only its bluish-gray eyes occasionally moved. It turned out to be a stone clam spirit from the nearby Toad Pool, which had somehow come from the stream behind the temple and squatted down here, becoming a living stone pillar for the mountain god temple.
The old locust tree in the courtyard, though still bare in early spring, now had a chubby little dumpling sitting on it. It turned out to be a plump little boy, not even as tall as a person's knee, with a few tender green peach leaves on his head, trembling slightly—it was the natural spirit of the plants and trees in the peach grove behind the temple, who appeared after hearing the melodious Taoist chants and because of the closeness of the mountain god's aura.
Besides that, there are two little goblins that are common in the mountains.
These two half-transformed little demons are a rabbit and a fox.
They were all young, pretty, and intelligent girls.
It was this spirituality that resonated with him in the unseen realm, which led him to appear and listen to the teachings.
The Jade Rabbit Spirit, in the form of a young girl, was pretty and delicate, with a human body but a pair of long, snow-white ears that trembled as she listened to the old mountain god's tale; the little fox spirit was lively and charming, in the form of a young girl with a fiery red fox tail, listening attentively, but her fox tail unconsciously swayed slightly, revealing her clumsy nature.
She was about to fall asleep when the mountain god threw a pebble at her head.
He cried out in pain and immediately covered his head with his hands.
"Little Rabbit, don't doze off."
Zhong Xuan's voice, too, seemed warm and languid in the afternoon sunlight.
The half-transformed rabbit spirit covered its head and hurriedly said, "I understand," and sat down obediently.
She looked around again, quite pleased with herself.
It turns out she was a jade rabbit spirit from the mountains. Although she was happy all the time, she was always occasionally uneasy. But after listening to the new mountain god preach for a long time, the long-standing emptiness and loss in her heart was suddenly filled.
In her joy, she even received a "name"—Tu Xiaoyu—though it was just something the mountain god called her casually, she was very happy about it.
The little ones listening to the lecture also developed their own names.
The one that came along the stream through the forest is called Old Stone Clam; the pink dumpling on the tree is called Peach Girl; and the flirtatious one next to her is called Little Red Fox by the Mountain God, also known as Little Red Fox.
These little spirits were without any sect or school, and didn't even know the basic methods of cultivation. They usually just breathed in the essence of moonlight, or like the old stone toad, they gradually became spirits by absorbing the spiritual essence of the mountains. No one knew how they came to be. One day, they suddenly had an idea.
Each of them was drawn to Zhong Xuan's profound Taoist teachings and unconsciously spent more than a day listening to his lectures.
Although I still only vaguely understand the profound principles behind them, I feel a sense of peace in my heart, and a seed of light gradually takes root in my mind.
……
At the edge of the open space, about ten feet apart, stood three or five figures.
These few rogue cultivators were leaning against a tree, two of whom were wild cultivators stuck at the threshold, almost touching the edge of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top.
One of them, with a mocking expression, sneered, "A dignified seventh-rank mountain god of the Heavenly Court, actually preaching to some insignificant cats and dogs—how beneath him!"
Standing next to him was that old Taoist priest, Li.
He was the Taoist who had listened to the teachings at the Mountain God Temple before reaching the Three Flowers True Man realm.
He was actually touched by Zhong Xuan's Daoist theories and vaguely felt that he had gained something.
But he couldn't bring himself to stand with the little monsters and was too embarrassed to go over and listen.
When others mocked him, he could only awkwardly agree: "After all, he is just a mountain deity, lacking in knowledge. What profound truths can he possibly speak of when he associates with these minor demons?"
Despite saying that, his eyes were fixed on Zhong Xuan, and his ears were perked up.
A young Taoist priest asked in a low voice, "Even so, what that old mountain god said actually has some profound truths."
……
On the other side of the open space, two figures were busy at work.
The fat clerk, having lost his left hand, leaned on a wooden stick and listened with great eagerness.
He was still holding a twig in his hand, drawing on the ground to remember the principles Zhong Xuan had taught, while muttering to himself.
It turned out that Zhong Xuanxu and the other person were on leave, and he happened to be able to listen carefully to the lecture at this time.
Further away, the skinny clerk, having lost his right leg, squatted miserably on the ground, combing through the earth's veins.
He would occasionally glance back at the mountain god and the fat clerk who were preaching, his eyes full of envy.
He muttered to himself, "Why can he listen to the sermon comfortably while I have to dig in the dirt? It's so unfair!"
The thin clerk sensed the second golden flower about to form at the Baihui acupoint, and became increasingly displeased.
It must be agreed in a moment that when the sermon is given again tomorrow, it will be his turn to listen. This mountain god is a truly accomplished Taoist master with real abilities. He has only known him for about two days, but he is already convinced of his abilities. He only hopes to hear more of the profound Taoist teachings before things change, and perhaps he can also achieve the status of a true immortal. He is no longer content to be just a minor official.
……
The sermon gradually faded away.
Zhong Xuan had been lecturing for a while when he suddenly stopped and his gaze fell on the locust tree.
But it was Peach Girl who suddenly jumped down.
He spread his sleeve and let the little creature fall into his robe, but it darted out in a flash.
With its chubby body, it first bowed to the mountain god, its voice sweet and joyful: "Master, Master! I understand! Ah! I understand!"
Zhong Xuan smiled, then put on a stern face and asked, "Tao Yaoyao, what have you realized?"
The peach spirit turned her head and, under the watchful eyes of the other three little spirits, aimed at a weed on the ground and strained with grunts, causing a burst of laughter from those around her.
At first, nothing seemed amiss, but gradually a wisp of pink plant spirit magic flew out.
The weeds suddenly grew rapidly, reaching the length of an adult's arm, and began to sway and curl at will.
Fox Little Red's leg was touched, and it felt like it had touched a grass snake. Its fox tail, which had been gently swishing behind it without ever stopping, suddenly burst open, and its whole body jumped backward.
"It can use magic!" Fox Little Red exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.
Upon hearing this, Tao Yaoyao's proud head trembled even more violently with the peach leaves on it.
Rabbit Xiaoyu's face scrunched up. Though in human form, she nimbly hopped a few steps forward, her round, jewel-like black eyes wide open, pleading, "Mountain God, please have mercy! Teach me a little magic trick too!"
Zhong Xuan tapped the rabbit's head with his sword sheath and scolded, "Greedy! Others attained enlightenment on their own, but you insist on begging for it?"
Hearing this, Fox Xiaohong laughed, and even the old stone toad opened its mouth and chuckled, seemingly in agreement.
Seeing that she was outnumbered and outmatched, Little Rabbit was about to pout when Peach Yaoyao came over and started babbling and waving her fingers, saying she would teach her—this lively white rabbit spirit immediately beamed with joy and gave the little one a kiss.
Zhong Xuan smiled with pursed lips, then suddenly looked up at the sky and saw the changing, invisible, fluid energy filling the heavens.
A familiar, eerie wind swept in from afar.
Knowing that the two unruly boys had returned, Zhong Xuan took the opportunity to announce loudly, "That concludes today's lecture. Return to your respective positions and cultivate diligently."
Upon hearing this, the little fairies all stood up, each leaving a small token of their affection, and then dispersed.
Rabbit Xiaoyu kept a beautiful piece of jade that she had picked up.
Fox Xiaohong left behind a string of bright purple fruits.
The old stone toad left nothing behind, but walked away and sat cross-legged between the temple and the peach grove—it didn't intend to leave. As long as the mountain god didn't chase it away, it would stay here and guard the gate, as it was by nature averse to moving around.
Tao Yaoyao took out a peach she had picked from the peach grove behind her, and then jumped onto the back of the old stone toad.
Zhong Xuan smiled gently, his gaze warm and joyful.
Compared to their previous lives, these little monsters have their own charm.
He got up again and looked up at the western horizon.
A gust of wind carrying two figures was flying rapidly toward them.
Just then, the little fairies were about to leave the courtyard, but the demonic wind just wouldn't stop.
It charged straight down, unable to stop, and nearly crashed into a dilapidated wooden door.
"naughty."
Zhong Xuan spoke calmly, this time without using any hand seals, merely with a thought.
The Righteous One Slaying Evil Sword at his waist transformed into a streak of light and gently slashed out.
A loud, crisp snap.
The white-furred demon that had just landed immediately cried out in pain.
The tiger demon was thrown off balance by the sword energy, tumbling out of the demonic wind and rolling twice on the ground.
She transformed back into the white-haired female Taoist Tiger Girl and immediately covered her bright red bottom.
With a face full of shame and indignation, she ran over and grumbled, her face full of resentment: "The Mountain God is unreasonable! He hit me too hard, my butt is going to be swollen from being beaten!"
The monkey had already jumped out of the demonic wind, clutching a large bundle tightly in its arms.
When it saw Zhong Xuan, its eyes lit up and it ran over excitedly.
It first laid out all the prizes of the package at once, like presenting a treasure:
"Brother Ren! Brother Ren! I'm back! I won all of this...!"
As the monkey spoke, it looked up at Zhong Xuan, but suddenly froze.
It scratched its head, its eyes showing hesitation.
The man before me still had those gentle, warm eyes.
But the wrinkled face, the Taoist robe of the mountain god, and the faint air of majesty made it feel somewhat unfamiliar.
This is also a fellow human being, but where is that other fellow human being? Who has always been the one?
The monkey was momentarily bewildered.
It shrank back and muttered, "Old man, he looks... but not quite like a human."
Zhong Xuan found this sight amusing.
However, when it comes to appearances, he was not entirely able to see through them.
Therefore, he laughed and sighed, "What difficulty is there in breaking through all forms and appearances?"
The monkey looked somewhat melancholy, a sight rarely seen by the tiger demon beside him.
It suddenly remembered something, pulled the two broken pieces of the stick from its pocket, and muttered to itself, "The stick that Brother Ren gave me... I broke it..."
Zhong Xuan looked down.
The two pieces of broken wood were rubbed smooth and shiny, clearly indicating that the monkey had touched them repeatedly along the way.
He reached out and took it, saying softly, "If it's broken, it's broken. I'll put it back together for you later."
The monkey looked up, its eyes a little red, and it missed its brother even more.
The tiger demon coughed beside him.
The monkey came to its senses, put the bundle on the ground, and recounted its experiences over the past few days.
"...I challenged people in the arena! Many cultivators came to fight!"
"They lost, so they have to leave something behind... these are all things they won..."
It became more and more smug as it spoke, yet inexplicably felt guilty, constantly glancing at Zhong Xuan's expression.
Zhong Xuan looked down at the scattered pieces on the ground, then glanced at the monkey's new outfit.
The monkey was wearing a suit of iron armor with a breastplate, and clutched a black iron rod in its hand. Its eyebrows had become more lively and fierce. After going out to roam for two days, it was now a veritable little bandit.
But the light in those eyes was also brighter than it had been in Qing Shi Town.
In the distance, one can vaguely discern the figure of the unruly Monkey King from the future.
He was slightly lost in thought, but this appearance was misunderstood by others.
The tiger demon quickly chimed in, "Mountain God, you wouldn't believe how much this monkey misses you! It said it missed you and wanted to come back to help you repair your temple. It didn't want to play around for even a couple more days—it just wanted to collect more incense offerings for you!"
Zhong Xuan looked up at the tiger demon, his gaze lingering on her for a moment.
Indeed, there are now more than 500 incense sticks, just short of 2,000.
His gaze then passed over her and looked toward the edge of the woods.
A dusty figure was slowly walking towards them, with a hairy face and a thunder god's mouth, wearing a gray robe.
The monkey followed his gaze and immediately became delighted, waving and calling out, "Brother! It's a clever monkey too! It can talk! Its name is Feng Lisheng! It's incredibly quick-witted!"
Feng Lisheng walked closer, cupped his hands in greeting, grinned, revealing a set of sharp teeth: "Greetings, Mountain God. I'm just a wild monkey spirit passing by. I found this young brother interesting, so I came to see what the fuss was about."
Zhong Xuan gazed at it, his eyes as gentle as a mirror.
The gray-robed monkey spirit met those strange eyes and his heart skipped a beat.
The old Taoist's eyes were so clear, so clear that they seemed to see into the depths of people's hearts.
It instinctively wanted to look away, but felt that would be too cowardly, so it stubbornly stayed still!
Zhong Xuan nodded slightly, said nothing, and turned to the monkey.
"In that case, if you want to stay a few more days, that's not impossible."
Upon hearing this, the monkey's face lit up with joy. Just as it was about to jump up, a hand was raised and held down.
Zhong Xuan continued, "But since you said you would build a temple for me, you can't just say it empty-handed."
His gaze fell on the dilapidated house in front of the temple.
The monkey scratched its head, not understanding.
"This temple is dilapidated and can't keep out the wind or rain, so it can't be considered a real temple."
"In that case, you may all step aside."
After saying this, Zhong Xuan turned around and slowly paced around the dilapidated temple.
Like an old farmer surveying his fields, his gaze first fell on the earthen walls and wooden beams of the temple, discerning the interconnected energy flow, and his heart reflected the structure of the building.
Beside them, the two clerks, one fat and one thin, stopped what they were doing and looked over curiously.
Having been detained here by Zhong Xuan to sort out the earth's veins, he had been working all day and just wanted to take a break.
The monkey was even more puzzled and just stared with its eyes wide open.
Suddenly, Zhong Xuan raised his hand and waved.
A force surged from the ground and enveloped the entire mountain temple.
It was he who wielded the power of the mountain god and manipulated the earth's veins.
boom!
The dilapidated mountain god temple slowly collapsed amidst a low rumble.
The earthen walls collapsed, roof tiles fell, beams and pillars tilted, and smoke and dust rose.
The old temple was reduced to ruins in the blink of an eye.
This century-old dilapidated temple has now been completely demolished.
The three demons and the two officials were all taken aback, and the latter hurriedly stepped forward.
The monkey panicked first: "Brother, brother! This temple is dilapidated, how can it be repaired?!"
The tiger demon was also surprised: "Could it be that we're going to rebuild?"
The gray-robed monkey blinked, but still didn't understand.
The two clerks wore long faces, thinking that they wouldn't even have a roof over their heads tonight! What a miserable fate.
Amidst a stunned reaction.
Zhong Xuan's mountain god avatar smiled leisurely and extended his sheathed magic sword.
He gently tapped the monkey on the head and asked:
"Monkey, monkey, if this old temple weren't empty..."
His smile was unusually mischievous, and the tip of the sheath pointed again at the monkey's heart.
"If we don't have any space, how can we build a sturdier new house?"
After speaking, Zhong Xuan smiled, his gaze reflecting the changes in everyone as if it were a mirror.
After he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence.
How can a new temple be built if the old one is not empty?
Each word elicited different reactions from all sides.
Some of them felt like a bolt from the blue, their echoes lingering in the mind for a long time.
All that remains is the ripples spread by the small stones in the lake before returning to calm.
Some faces remained unchanged, filled with bewilderment, like stubborn rocks.
The monkey touched its head, looked at its chest, and then at the site of the collapsed temple.
It was just an empty space, but at least it had sheltered us from the wind and rain.
Now they've all turned into a pile of broken junk on the ground, utterly useless.
Why is that? Why is that?
The monkey's head began to ache, and its flashes of inspiration became tangled and impossible to unravel.
The gray-robed monkey spirit remained silent, his eyes flashing intensely, and his breathing slightly unsteady.
The tiger demon was startled, sensing the unusual aura leaking from this guy, and was about to make a move.
Suddenly, the mountain god brandished his magic sword, as if issuing a warning!
She immediately covered her bottom, her mind quick with energy, and cried out, "No! No! You can't hit me anymore! The mountain god himself broke the house, what are we going to do if it can't be fixed tonight!"
Of the two clerks, the fat one frowned in confusion, while the thin one seemed lost in thought.
The portly official chimed in, "Indeed! Mountain God, we may be able to repair houses, but how would we know how to build dwellings?"
Zhong Xuan simply hung the magic sword back at his waist; though he was old, his demeanor was still unrestrained.
Just like his youthful spirit, it was now evident through his appearance.
He strolled leisurely, unleashing his magical power, and chanting incantations:
"The rammed earth forms the foundation, condensing the essence, and the qi flows through all the meridians, encircling the steps."
"Molding mud to build walls, refining essence, a wisp of spiritual root penetrates the roof tiles..."
As he spoke, he harmonized the power of the immortal's magic with the power of the earth's veins.
The collapsed bricks and tiles were all swept away by the magical wind.
Suddenly, a large, white, open space appeared.
The three demons and two assistants couldn't help but retreat step by step, showing awe and respect for such methods.
It's not that he possesses extraordinary magical power, but rather that his methods are so subtle that they leave no trace of smoke or dust.
Using this earth-controlling supernatural power, it was as gentle and silent as a spring breeze and drizzle!
The few small creatures outside the courtyard looked over with even greater awe.
Zhong Xuan performed the ritual steps, chanting incessantly:
"Raised earth forms the foundation, embodying the essence... erecting the beams and pillars, creating the three flowers..."
As the song fades and people walk behind, earth and stones rise up, and walls gradually form.
"The balance of Yin and Yang ensures stable pillars... The intertwining of dragon and tiger makes the courtyard steadfast..."
The three demons and two assistants listened with rapt attention.
Several small demons and spirits that had returned from the vicinity also reacted.
Rabbit Xiaoyu and Fox Xiaohong peeked out from behind the tree, their eyes wide with admiration.
Tao Yaoyao slid off the old stone clam's back, stumbled over, and tried to touch it too.
In the old stone clam's murky, bluish-gray eyes, one could almost vaguely perceive the changes in the earth's energy and the stone's energy.
The young Taoist priest, who was further away but hadn't gone far, listened with rapt attention.
Only the gray-robed monkey spirit Feng Lisheng, upon hearing the words "dragon and tiger intertwined," had his pupils slightly constricted, as if deep in thought.
"...cultivate a magnificent hall to shelter from wind and rain, and refine an immortal body to live for ten thousand years."
As the song ended, a brand-new small temple dedicated to the mountain god rose from the ground.
While the onlookers were still savoring the moment, Zhong Xuan turned around and flicked his wide sleeves.
He smiled and said, "The temple can rise and fall at will; it can be created with a mere thought. What do you say?"