I have a relic of heaven

Chapter 177 I asked Confucius for advice, and Confucius asked me for advice
The ancient building is majestic, and the smell of books is strong. This is the Zhou Dynasty to the present, and it includes the books of previous generations of human beings.

As of this time, 99% of all the books in the world are kept in this building.

"Master, have some tea."

Seventeenth year.

Early in the morning, Mai Baiju, as usual, boiled water, served tea, and lowered his head slightly.

The old man drank it for a long time.

Put down the tea cup.

"Bo Ju."

"Master, I'm here."

"You are fifty years old this year, right?"

"To answer your question, sir, I will be fifty years old tomorrow."

Zhou Mu nodded gently. In the past seventeen years, he had not read a single book. The restrictions of not being able to speak, not being able to practice, and not being able to comprehend were finally lifted.

But this is not your true body; it is just a thought. It cannot be achieved through practice, but it can be comprehended.

For seventeen years, without the Mysterious Gold Bronze Token, he naturally could not redeem it for the Great Enlightenment Field. He spent seven years to comprehend the twentieth immortal art - [Scenery Shifting].

Shifting scenery is a technique to change the appearance of the scenery with just a thought. It can turn a mountain into a lake and a desert into an ocean. It has great power.

Another ten years were wasted, but in vain I gained anything in terms of moral attainments.

After all, without the orthodox method of cultivating virtue, it is difficult to make any progress.
But it doesn't feel boring.

"You'll be fifty tomorrow?"

Zhou Mu nodded slightly and said slowly:
"This is the age of knowing your destiny, Bai Ju, let me ask you, do you know your destiny?"

Bai Ju was stunned, pondered for a moment, and shook his head in confusion:

"I don't know, sir."

"Seventeen years." Zhou Mu said with a smile, "You have been working as a clerk in this storage room since you were thirty-three years old. Now, after seventeen years, you are still a clerk. Your path to becoming a noble is still a long way off."

Bai Ju lowered his head in shame and said sadly:
"I have not cultivated virtue, so I cannot be a minister."

Zhou Mu smiled:
"Your fate may change when you are sixty-three years old."

Bai Ju was sixty-three years old, which was the year when Zhou Mu resigned from his official position thirteen years later.

Bai Ju remembered it in his heart and said with a smile:
"There are still thirteen years left? I just don't know if my mother will be able to see that day."

Zhou Mu nodded slightly, said nothing more, and sat cross-legged in the middle of this 108-story hollow ancient building.

He then raised his head and gazed at the mysterious wooden dome on the 108th floor, and the eight bamboo slips were also in his sight.

He was thinking about what virtue was, what yin and yang were, and what heaven and earth were.

How was it possible for Lao Tzu to go from nothing to something and become divine in just thirty years?

This is certainly due to the transformation of the Supreme Being, but it is also closely related to this room where all the books in the world are stored - then, why can't I find that opportunity?
Even if you don't have to become a saint, at least you should be a great sage and a virtuous person, right?

Zhou Mu didn't understand and just continued to stare at the dome.

That day, dusk.

"Sir, a minister from Zhou is visiting."

"not see."

"Yes, sir."

The next morning.

"Master, a virtuous man from the State of Chu is visiting."

"not see."

"Yes, sir."

On the same afternoon.

"Master, the Emperor of Zhou invites you to enter the palace. The messenger is outside."

"not see."

"Yes, sir." Bai Ju was not surprised. A few years ago, a world-famous knight broke into the storage room, and the master just said "drive him away", and the knight was driven out of Luoyang by heaven and earth.

From then on, the emperor had to show respect to the master.

That night fell.

After Bai Ju cleaned the storage room, he was about to bow and take his leave, but he saw the master who was staring at the dome in enlightenment suddenly lower his head.

"Bo Ju."

"Master, I'm here."

Bai Ju hurriedly performed the ceremony, very respectfully.

"Today is your fiftieth birthday." Zhou Mu said calmly, "You have been with me for one hundred and seven years."

Bai Ju was stunned. One hundred and seven years?

He was a little confused. It should have been seventeen years, but he didn't point it out.

Zhou Mu continued:
"You are already fifty years old, you don't know the way forward, you don't see the future, you don't know your merits and demerits, and you don't understand your destiny."

Bai Ju's heart tightened and he felt a little panicked. Was the master going to drive him away?
Zhou Mu continued:

"I see that you will receive the order from Lord Yama one day, so I will teach you a technique. You may not be able to learn it today, but if you have good moral character in the future, you will be able to use it."

The big stone hanging in Bai Ju's heart fell to the ground, and he felt confused again - technique?

The order of Yama?

He was puzzled and didn't dare to ask.

Zhou Mu said to himself:

"This skill is called [Tongyou]."

Tongyou is one of the seventy-two immortal arts, and also one of the twenty immortal arts that Zhou Mu knows.

Those who can understand the netherworld can reach the netherworld, see through the underworld and hell, and have deep insights into the world. If their magical powers and virtues are deep enough, they can even command ghosts and gods.

When Zhou Mu first learned this technique, it took him two great enlightenment sessions, but in the end it was useless - the connection between heaven and earth was cut off, and the human world and the underworld were severed, so this technique was useless.

But it was just right to pass it on to Bai Ju.

"Just listen carefully."

His virtue is now so profound that it is equivalent to the celestial realm of a cultivator of magical powers. Now when he talks about Taoism, it is like thunder in spring, shocking the deaf.

Although there were no various wonderful appearances, no fairy lotus flowers, and wonderful music of golden springs, but listening to every word and every sound made Bai Ju feel like he was crazy and intoxicated.

By midnight, the magic trick had ended. Bai Juren remained kneeling, his body motionless, his head lowered, his eyes slightly closed. It was obvious that he had not yet recovered from the magic trick and was still immersed in it.

Zhou Mu clearly saw that there was a faint light on his body, fluctuating.

Have you learned this?
He fell silent.

Tongyou, among the 72 immortal arts, is considered to be the most difficult one.

When I first learned this magic, it took me two great enlightenment sessions.

twice! !
Zhou Mu felt a little bit of a toothache for a moment, and suddenly he understood why the Supreme "Laozi" was willing to accept Bai Ju as his student.

This is just a student, not an apprentice.

Moreover, Bai Ju's name has never been recorded in history. Although he is not an unknown person, he is not much better either.

and so.

What does Laojun see in me?

Zhou Mu pondered, unable to figure out the answer - his physique was just that good, and his comprehension was even worse than Bai Ju's.
As for one's origin, no matter how great one's previous life was, at most he could only be sacred - otherwise, Daluo Yongzheng, he should be Daluo at this moment!
In Laojun's eyes, the sacred being is probably no different from a stray dog begging for food on the roadside.

Forget it, if I can’t figure it out, I won’t think about it anymore. Instead of thinking about this, I might as well think about how to borrow the countless treasures in the Tushita Palace!
Seeing that Bai Ju was still contemplating the truth, Zhou Mu did not disturb him. He also began to quietly contemplate the illusory virtue and the illusory future.

"Such a huge storage room doesn't even have a book on cultivating virtues!"

Zhou Mu sighed, but he could understand it. The practice of virtue started with Confucianism. Before Confucianism, there was no orthodox way to practice virtue. The human race also had no real moral cultivation. Even if he had such a great virtue, he could walk around in the capital Luoyang!
Celestial beings, even in the ancient Zhou Dynasty, were considered celestial beings.

What about Confucianism?
Not yet.

At this time, Confucius had no reputation at all and was working as a minor official somewhere.

I sat in meditation until dawn, and then until noon.

"Tongyou"

Bai Ju slowly opened his eyes, sighed softly, and came back to his senses. He looked outside and saw that the sun was shining brightly!

He stood up in a hurry, and then crawled down again in a hurry:
"Thank you, teacher, for teaching me the magic trick!"

Zhou Mu stared at Bai Ju, nodded slightly, and said calmly:
"It took me one night to figure it out. My comprehension is a little slow, but it's still okay."

Bai Ju prostrated himself and dared not speak, feeling somewhat ashamed.

Zhou Mu continued calmly:

"The art of communicating with the netherworld, at a shallow level, can dispel illusions and illusions, and at a deep level, can reach the netherworld, and see the netherworld from the human world. At a deeper level, one can see through the vast netherworld, and at the deepest level, one can even command ghosts and gods."

"You have learned this skill, but you cannot use it recklessly. Before you receive the order from Lord Yama in the future, you cannot use it. Do you understand?"

He was afraid that history would be disturbed, causing everything to be corrected by Senior Yuanshi, or that the cause and effect of a major change in history would crush him to death.
Bo Ju bowed quickly:

“Students understand!”

Once you have received the teachings, you are considered a teacher and a student. If you then kowtow three times and kowtow nine times, perform rituals, invite immortals and gods to witness, and present visiting cards and tea, then you can be considered a master and a disciple.

Zhou Mu had no plans to accept any disciples.

In the original history, Bo Ju was only a student of Lao Tzu, not a disciple.

"Okay, everything goes on as usual."

"is teacher."

The days that followed returned to normal, except that Bo Ju's way of addressing Zhou Mu changed from "master" to "teacher".

As for Zhou Mu, he was comprehending the principles of the future and sometimes reviewing the old to learn new things. He did not comprehend the new principles, but his understanding of the old things he had learned was becoming increasingly profound.

He has even comprehended the magic arts that require magical power and virtue to the point where he can use them without using magical power or exercising virtue.

For example, to invite or drive away, or to give medicine or stop the flow of blood.
And he gradually mastered the magical arts such as [Lying in the Snow], [Drinking Water], [Immobilization], etc., which he was not very familiar with before.

Year, year, and another year.

This was the 29th year in the treasury guarding room, and also the 119th year in total that Zhou Mu had spent in the treasury guarding room.

His virtue had finally improved without any other methods, approaching the level of a false immortal, and his understanding of the Tao was also profound.
However, his words, actions and manners exude a genuine air of virtue, like that of a sage who has attained enlightenment.

The end of the twenty-ninth year.

"Teacher, there is a virtuous man named Confucius outside the door, who wants to visit you."

Early this morning, Bo Ju said respectfully as always:

"Want to fight and leave?"

"No need."

Zhou Mu opened his eyes and spoke gently:
"Confucius, Confucius, is a saint."

"Invite him in."

Hearing this, Bo Ju's eyes widened. Saint? ?
Confucius, indeed, had some reputation, but he was not actually virtuous. I was just calling him a respectful term - but the teacher called him a saint? ?
What is Confucius’ virtue and ability?

Bai Ju was puzzled, but he did not dare to delay. He hurried out of the storage room, changed his previous calm attitude, and respectfully invited Confucius in.

Kong Zhongni walked in, and Zhou Mu looked over. He used his qi-gazing skills and saw a huge glow of light covering the sky and blocking out the sun.

Even in Luoyang city, the Zhou emperor's prosperity, which was at the peak of his powers, seemed extremely insignificant in comparison, like an ant compared to the sky.

"Confucius, Kong Zhongni, met Lao Dan."

Confucius performed the ceremony meticulously, without any airs of having attained enlightenment; his behavior and manners were even filled with deep respect.

"This is my second time and fourth time meeting the old gentleman," he said.

Zhou Mu gazed at this later Confucius, this later Confucius who had already spanned the past and present.
He stood up solemnly, returned the greeting, and then sat down.

Zhou Mu smiled and said:

"I accept your courtesy because I am Li Er, and I return your courtesy because you are Confucius, but I am not Li Er yet."

Zhou Mu had great respect for Confucius, a true sage of mankind who pioneered Confucianism, promoted etiquette, and preached benevolence and righteousness.

Bai Ju was confused. What were these two people talking about?

The second time you meet someone, the fourth time you meet someone, you receive a gift and return it.
He couldn't understand.

After a pause, Zhou Mu said softly:
"Is the saint here to ask questions of people or to ask questions of the Tao?"

"I dare not call myself a saint in front of the old gentleman."

Confucius and Zhou Mu sat opposite each other. Bai Ju brought them two cups of tea, then knelt down respectfully beside them with his head lowered.

Confucius smiled and said:

"This is the second time I have met you, sir. The last time was when I was seventeen years old. I asked you about etiquette, but I guess you don't remember it."

Zhou Mu nodded. What Confucius saw at that time was Tai Shang.

Confucius continued:
"And this is the fourth time I have met you in all these years. I don't know who you are, or what kind of omniscience you have, but since you have become Lao Dan, I want to ask you a few questions."

Zhou Mu bowed:

"In front of Confucius, I cannot even be called a master, let alone a master of heaven and earth."

After a pause, he looked at Bo Ju who was kneeling beside him and said in a gentle voice:

"Bo Ju, go and prepare some food."

"Yes, teacher." Bai Ju understood and quickly left the storage room and closed the door.

Zhou Mu looked at Confucius at this time and said with a smile:
"If Confucius saw me, he should have known my true strengths and weaknesses. Now, I am not worthy of the title of Confucius."

Unexpectedly, Confucius shook his head:
"I can't see it."

After a pause, he continued:

"I see, sir, a man whose virtue is comparable to that of a god, a man whose spirit is incredible, and a man who has no magical power at all."

"I also saw a shadow that penetrated the sky, and it seemed that I saw the moon and the sun, and saw the seventy-two colors of the clouds, like a dream."

Hearing this, Zhou Mu was stunned for a moment, then reacted. The moon, the sun, and the seventy-two colors of the rosy clouds
This is Senior Yuanshi.

Confucius saw a corner of Yuanshi through himself.

He didn't explain, just smiled:
"What Confucius said before is correct. My virtue is only comparable to the power of the gods. I don't know the way forward, I don't have great enlightenment, I am just an ordinary person."

Confucius shook his head:
"Since you are Lao Dan, how can you be called ordinary?"

After a pause, he changed the subject:
"I came to visit you because I really have some doubts, and I want you to answer them."

Zhou Mu pondered for a moment and said:

"I think I am not talented enough and not well-educated enough to answer the questions of the saints, but I am willing to listen and try. However, I also have questions and I want the saints to answer them for me."

"Good." Confucius smiled and said, "I learned Tao from Lao Dan, and I was Lao Dan's teacher. Now Mr. Zhou learned Tao from me. It's natural."

Zhou Mu was slightly surprised. Confucius said that he could not see clearly, but he revealed his real name.
He suddenly felt relieved.

After all, it was Confucius.

Zhou Mu even suspected that Confucius was not just Daluo - the great senior said that the three schools and three religions were Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.
The Confucian saints who can be ranked with Buddhism and Taoism, even if they are not the supreme ones, should not be far away. It is not strange to be able to see your true name and even know who you are in the [real present].
What is more likely is that Senior Yuanshi did not hide himself or the name of Zhou Mu in front of Confucius.

Zhou Mu smiled and said:

"So, I ask the sage Confucius for the way, and the one who asks me for the way should be Confucius."

The sage Confucius is Confucius, but Confucius is not the sage Confucius; Laozi is Zhou Mu, but Zhou Mu is not Laozi.

Zhou Mu, with his head full of white hair, and the gentle and benevolent saint bowed to each other.

It was Zhou Mu who worshipped Confucius, and it was Confucius who worshipped Laozi.

(End of this chapter)