Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 328 The East Wind Thaws the Ice, Springtime is in Full Bloom

The lion took flight, its four paws lightly treading the air, wagging its tail and shaking its head, appearing extremely happy.

Cheng Xinzhan sat on the lion's back, his right leg bent and crossed, while his left leg stretched out naturally, looking relaxed and at ease.

Although the victory was somewhat unfair and relied on the assistance of many parties, the feeling of personally eliminating a fourth-realm demon is always different. Moreover, killing a wicked demon and revitalizing the long-established Wuliang Mountain is an immense merit.

He practiced breathing exercises for a while, and the feeling of exhaustion caused by the surge of blood and qi due to the self-destruction of the demonic golden core and the excessive consumption of magical power gradually improved.

He watched the lion wagging its tail and couldn't help but laugh.
"What do you mean you're so happy?"

The lion then returned.

"Master always says the Immortal Mountain is good, Daoist Feng also says the Immortal Mountain is good, Bai Long Zhaoli also says the Immortal Mountain is good, and now I am also going back to the Immortal Mountain. How can I not be happy? I want to see the Goddess Peak that Zhaoli mentioned, I want to see the Lord of Kui Mountain, I want to see the Eastern Heavenly Path in the clouds, I want to see the Three Dragons Emerging from the Sea, and I also want to see the Lotus Blessed Land."

Cheng Xinzhan smiled upon hearing this, realizing that he also wanted to try. But it was strange; he had lived in the mountains for decades, and had even taken some time to return last year, not long ago, yet he never seemed to tire of the scenery there.

The lion was overjoyed and eager to reach the sacred mountain, so it flew at a fast pace, passing through Yunnan and Miao regions, and soon arrived in Badong, which is the border area between Sichuan and western Hunan.

Last winter, after the great plague in Sichuan had subsided, Feng Jihu traveled from west to east across the region, treating the sick, refining medicines, and collecting herbs. He then built a hermitage in Badong to prepare new medicines in the spring, and he still remains there today.

Following Feng Jihu's instructions, Cheng Xinzhan quickly found a valley.

At this time, the snow was still thick in the shady areas of the deep mountains, but new buds were already sprouting on the sunny slopes. The contrast between the white snow and the tender green was striking and very beautiful.

At this moment, the lion landed, leaving no trace in the snow. Cheng Xinzhan looked at the lion and noticed that the color of its fur was quite similar to the spring buds and winter snow on the ground, creating a harmonious scene. He secretly admired the lion for its beautiful appearance.

Cheng Xinzhan suddenly remembered that this lion had always been called "Lion" or "Lion King" since it followed him in Xikang, and had never had a formal name. He immediately said...

“Since you’re coming back to the mountains with me, it’s time to give you a name. We’ll need it when you register your citizenship.”

Cultivators on the mountain have a long and arduous path to enlightenment. In addition to taking on disciples, they will naturally also take on servants, spirit pets, mounts, and so on. This is perfectly normal. The Sanqing Mountain is extremely permissive and free in its approach to disciples taking on servants.

However, everything has its rules. In this regard, the rule of Sanqing Mountain is that if you take in disciples, you must register their names when they return to the mountain. If you only take in servants, and their cultivation level is relatively low, then you don't need to register their names, and the mountain won't care.

For example, when Cheng Xinzhan first took in the cats, dogs, and even Bai Yongliang, he didn't register their names. However, without registration, these servants couldn't practice the orthodox methods of the mountains, and there were certain places in the mountains they couldn't freely enter or leave. So later, for the sake of these servants' spiritual path, Cheng Xinzhan sent the cat to Danxia Mountain, the dog to Mingzhi Mountain, and Bai Yongliang to Wanshou Garden—all of them were registered. And once they were registered, if there was any trouble in the mountains and these servants were summoned, they would obey orders.

Another rule is that if these servants gradually cultivate to the third realm in the mountains, or even return to the mountain at the third realm, they must be registered. This is because once they reach the third realm, their daily cultivation within the sect, including absorbing the spiritual energy of the mountains and their own cultivation techniques' interaction with the flow of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, becomes crucial. The mountain's grand formations must consider these factors when maintaining the supply and flow of spiritual energy. Furthermore, a sect must keep track of the number of Golden Core cultivators within its ranks. In the event of a major incident, Golden Core cultivators are always the backbone of the fighting force, and these servants must be ready for deployment.

Therefore, like a lion returning to the mountain, its name must be recorded.

Besides, there's another issue with the lion. When Cheng Xinzhan first subdued this spirit, he specifically returned to his sect to borrow the "Golden Cup Flawless Heaven-Mending Technique" from Goddess Peak to repair its Dao injuries. It was only because Cheng Xinzhan, as the Master of Ten Thousand Laws, had considerable influence and guaranteed its survival that Goddess Peak was willing to lend it the technique. Therefore, even if the lion hasn't reached the third realm, with this karmic connection from the secret technique of the cultivation sect, it's already considered a member of Sanqing Mountain. Whether it will remain nominally affiliated with Mingzhi Mountain or Goddess Peak in the future is still uncertain.

The lion's eyes lit up upon hearing this.
"Please bestow a name upon me, sir."

In fact, the lion had given himself a name, but he never said it, so no one knew. At this moment, the lion decided to first hear what Cheng Xinzhan thought of the name; if it sounded good, he would use it; if it didn't, he would say that he already had a name.

Cheng Xinzhan thought for a moment, then said,

"Since you are in the form of a lion deity, then let 'Shi' be your surname, and your given name be 'Bao Lu'. In our Taoist school, the character 'Bao' means 'Tao,' so 'to obtain Bao' means 'to obtain Tao.' As for 'Lu', it means precious jade. Considering your origin as a mountain lord, if we break down the characters, 'Wang' represents the quality of jade and nobility, and 'Lu' signifies green color and recruitment."

"Furthermore, considering your name as a whole, our Taoist school has the concept of the Three Treasures: Tao, Scriptures, and Master. Among them, 'Master Treasure' signifies the orderly transmission of Taoist teachings, which aligns perfectly with your entry into our sect today. The name 'Master Treasure Lu' also expresses the hope that you will receive the 'Precious Register of the Master's Teachings.' What are your thoughts?"

"Shi Baolu, Shi Baolu."

The lion repeated it twice, then beamed with joy and said repeatedly,
"That's good, that's good, then I'll call you Shi Baolu from now on!"

Seeing that the lion seemed satisfied, Cheng Xinzhan smiled, then got off and walked into the deep valley.

Before long, he saw a thatched hut in front of him, with smoke rising from it, carrying the scent of medicine.

"Brother Tao!"

Cheng Xinzhan shouted.

Immediately afterwards, a young Taoist priest with his sleeves rolled up lifted the curtain and came out, bringing with him a large cloud of medicinal smoke.

"Ahem, Xinzhan's here."

Feng Jihu waved his hand, shooed away the smoke, and walked out of the thatched hut.

Cheng Xinzhan approached, and upon seeing the situation, asked,

"Brother, what happened? Did it catch fire or did the medicine dry out?"

Feng Jihu shook his head and explained,
"No, no, it's just that at this time of year, the winter snow is thawing and there's continuous spring rain, so the humidity is too high. Plus, the insects have woken up from hibernation and are running around. I was afraid of ruining the medicinal properties, so I specially burned grass to make smoke to drive away the insects and dampness in my medicine hut."

"I see."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded, then looked at the medicinal smoke. Suddenly remembering something, he smiled at Feng Jihu and said...
"Brother Dao, I'm giving you something good that will ensure you'll never have to worry about dampness and insects again when making medicine."

Upon hearing this, Feng Jihu smiled. Knowing that Cheng Xinzhan possessed many treasures, he replied,
"What is it? Let me make it clear first, I don't want anything too valuable, nor do I want anything that's very useful to you, but I'm willing to accept anything else."

Cheng Xinzhan laughed loudly, then took out a gourd-sized egg from his leopard pouch and handed it to Feng Jihu.
"Brother, rest assured, please accept this."

Feng Jihu looked at the large egg and keenly noticed that as soon as it was taken out, the rustling of insects around it immediately disappeared, and a warm feeling filled the air. Moreover, he could feel a vigorous life force inside the egg.

"Is it a living thing?"

Feng Jihu asked.

Cheng Xinzhan nodded. "What kind of demon species is it?"

"You take it first, I already have a lion, so I definitely won't need this."

Cheng Xinzhan extended his hand forward.

Feng Jihu looked at the lion with its head held high, smiled, and then reached out to take the egg.

Cheng Xinzhan then explained,
"This is the egg of a red-headed centipede. It belongs to the fire element and can breathe fire and smoke. Moreover, this demon has dragon blood and dragon power. If you keep this insect by your side, it will be very effective at repelling insects and dampness."

Feng Jihu was surprised to hear this.

"Dragon blood? Where did you get it?"

“The Five Poisons King has a dragon centipede mount, and this is the son of that dragon centipede.”

Feng Jihu frowned. This single sentence seemed to involve quite a few things, and also went a bit too far afield.
"How did you get this? What have you been doing all this time? Tell me properly."

Cheng Xinzhan smiled and then briefly recounted the story of killing the Five Poisons Heavenly King.

Cheng Xinzhan spoke simply and casually, his tone even more indifferent and calm, but Feng Jihu felt as if he were being deafened, and his heart was also filled with turbulent waves. He looked at Cheng Xinzhan, still somewhat incredulous in his eyes. Has his dear friend really come to this point?
Cheng Xinzhan smiled as he looked at Feng Jihu's expression.

"Why are you looking at me like that, fellow Daoist? I've already said that I only managed to escape by seizing the opportunity presented by the Five Poison Heavenly Kings, and I also received assistance from the Xuanmen sect."

Feng Jihu smiled upon hearing this. Such words might fool those who have never cultivated, but he himself was already at the third realm. Did he not understand the difference between the third and fourth realms? Most people at the third realm in this world would have difficulty even lifting a hand or foot in the fourth realm's Dao domain, let alone killing someone.

Well, I shouldn't be surprised by anything Xinzhan does. I actually figured this out a long time ago, but what I heard today was just too shocking, and I've fallen for it again.

Feng Jihu collected the centipede eggs and then asked,

What are your plans next?

Cheng Xinzhan then answered,
"I'm getting ready to go back to the mountains and rest for a while."

Feng Jihu nodded, then looked at the lion behind Cheng Xinzhan and asked,
"Are you taking Lion King back with you this time when you return to the mountain?"

Cheng Xinzhan nodded, and the lion raised its head.

Upon seeing it, Feng Jihu asked curiously,
"Have you thought this through? Lion King is quite famous in Xikang and Xuanmen now, not to mention you in the East. If people see Master Wanfa riding Lion King of Kanli Mountain when you go back, your position as the head of Guanxuan Temple will be in jeopardy."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan smiled and said,
"It's already too late. I used 'Tao Du' in front of the Xuanmen disciples, so they must already know my identity. The truth will eventually come out."

"Moreover, after ten years of exorcising demons in Xikang, it's time for me to return to the mountain. I won't be coming back for a while. When I come again next time, I will do so openly and honestly. The identity of the abbot of Guanxuan Temple is no longer important."

As he spoke, Cheng Xinzhan looked at the lion again.

“I can’t keep hiding the lion forever. Besides, there’s Uncle Gu. As long as Uncle Gu goes out into the world, my identity will naturally be exposed. Now that the Five Poison King has been eliminated, it’s an opportunity. The time has come.”

Upon hearing this, Feng Jihu nodded, agreeing with the statement. He smiled and said...
"I wonder what kind of interesting expressions those people in the Xuanmen had when they learned that the Xuan Guan Master of Kanli Mountain in Xikang was the Wanfa Jing Master of Sanqing Mountain in Yuzhang."

Cheng Xinzhan shook his head with a wry smile. To be honest, during his years in Xikang, he had made some like-minded friends in the Xuanmen (Taoist sect), but their stances differed. He didn't know what their circumstances or attitudes would be when they met again. "Forget it," Cheng Xinzhan thought, not wanting to dwell on the matter, and skipped over the topic, asking...
"Brother Dao, would you like to come back to the mountain with me? My identity has been exposed, and you will naturally be suspected as well."

Upon hearing this, Feng Jihu shook his head.
“What am I afraid of if I build a hut in Badong? I can reach western Hunan in no time. This is a good place with a wide variety of herbs, and the local folk medicine practices are also very interesting. I will stay here for a while longer. You should go back first.”

Cheng Xinzhan nodded; he had only come to give a reminder and say goodbye.

In this world, everyone's path of cultivation is unique and wonderful. It is already very rare to be able to walk together for a period of time; it is impossible to walk side by side forever.

Even masters and disciples, or Daoist partners, cannot live together day and night. People like Cheng Xinzhan do not force their adopted spirit pets, corpse puppets, and mounts to stay by their side, but let them pursue their own Dao.

The pursuit of the Great Way has always been a solitary endeavor.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After bidding farewell to Feng Jihu, Cheng Xinzhan rode a lion and flew away. Just as he passed the mountaintop, he encountered an east wind. The east wind thawed the ice, blowing away the snow on the mountaintop, melting the ice in the mountain streams, calling for wildflowers to bloom, and urging the swallows to return.

Springtime is in full bloom, as the saying goes:
On a fine day, I sought my hometown amidst the distant clouds and sandbars, where boundless scenery was suddenly renewed.

The east wind is easily recognized; spring is always a riot of colors.

Thus, the lion, arriving in the East for the first time, quickly became captivated by the beautiful scenery, unconsciously slowing its pace, looking around, and walking with the wind.

Cheng Xinzhan was in no hurry. The road home always seemed to get closer with each step. He simply leaned back and lay down on the lion's back, using his left hand as a pillow and taking out his gourd with his right hand. He drank the gourd sip by sip, feeling extremely relaxed.

Riding the east wind and enjoying the spring sunshine, the lion soon arrived in Yuzhang.

After crossing Poyang Lake, the lion soon saw a sacred mountain ahead, shrouded in mist and radiant with divine light. The lion's spirits lifted; it knew it was finally approaching the long-awaited Sanqing Mountain. So the lion roared, bidding farewell to the east wind, and began its descent.

The mountain gate of Sanqing Mountain is very easy to recognize. In the vast sea of ​​clouds, there is a lush green grassy slope, and behind the grassy slope is the huge mountain gate formed by two mountains. The lion flies in through the mountain gate.

After passing through layers of white clouds, the lion's eyes were suddenly opened to reveal a fairy mountain:

Towering majestically, soaring into the sky. Crimson cliffs and strange rocks carved out of the mountains, like jade steps sculpted from a purple palace. Azaleas bloom bright red on the ridge, while jade-like grasses grow lush and green along the stream. When white cranes cry, fragrant mists swirl around them; when blue phoenixes soar, colorful clouds rise.

Indeed: A pure land that remains unmoved through countless eons, a place of enduring beauty that surpasses even Penglai Island for a thousand years.

Upon first entering the fairyland, the lion held its breath, slowed its pace, and looked around cautiously, afraid of disturbing the immortals.

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(End of this chapter)