The Great Way to Truth, Starting from Jiazi Laodao

Chapter 104 Meeting the Tiger King, the Confucian Demon Plan

In the village inside the mountain, there is the sound of cockcrows and morning smoke rising from the old trees.

The next morning, when the night was still there and the first rays of light appeared in the sky, Xuanming got up quietly, led his donkey, found a secluded place, and breathed in the purple air of the morning sun.

He came back half an hour later, saying that he had gone for a donkey walk. After breakfast, Xuanming began to wander around Crouching Tiger Village, asking for information. He learned that Crouching Tiger Village was formerly called Qingshan Village, and was renamed Crouching Tiger Village ten years ago to worship mountain kings.

Some of the villagers are aborigines, and some came here originally to seek medical treatment and later settled here. This is because Wohu Village has no taxes from the court. As long as they offer sacrifices to the mountain king regularly, they don't have to worry about excessive taxes and being bullied. Although there are inevitable family disputes, they generally live and work in peace.

Xuanming also visited the Crouching Tiger Temple. In addition to the Crouching Tiger, there were also two community masters and community ladies. The villagers said that they were the original temple priests of the Crouching Tiger Temple and were highly respected people in the village. After their death, they were taken in by the mountain king and followed him to practice.

Later, they were granted official deity status by the mountain king and became nominal community leaders and community women in the Fengyang County Pantheon. Usually, they appeared in person to handle chores for the villagers.

I didn't take a close look last night, but after a walk today I discovered that this mountain king is not entirely a wild god. Perhaps it is there to protect the forest, or perhaps because of its identity as the king of beasts, or for other reasons. In short, the statue has a vague connection with the Daqing Mountain.

If the Mountain Lord can keep his original intention and continue to benefit the people, he may be able to condense the status of a mountain god in a hundred years. By then, even the Great Xuan Divine Dynasty will acknowledge his existence.

As for why it has not been discovered by the Great Xuan Divine Dynasty, in addition to the special connection between the Mountain King and the Daqing Mountain, it may also be because the Confucian scholar of the demon clan has the cultivation level of a Saint Embryo, and the mysterious cloud and mist formation may have been set up by him. In addition, the place is remote, and the community leaders and women have covered it up, so it has been concealed until now.

As for why a mountain king could be enthroned as a community leader or community lady, Xuanming guessed that it had something to do with the Confucian scholar. After all, it was obvious that the mountain king was ignorant of worldly affairs, while the Confucian scholar seemed to be away from home all year round, so it was possible that he had the face and connections.

---

That night, the village chief organized those who came to seek medical advice to worship the gods again in front of the tiger temple. Xuanming still followed the crowd and offered a stick of incense. He didn't care whether the tiger tiger and the Confucian scholar would come tonight. He just let fate take its course.

If someone shows up, they will have a conversation as a greeting to the landlord; if they don’t come, they will stay for a few days and then leave.

After worshipping the gods, he leisurely returned to the guesthouse. At the same time, deep in the jungle, in the tiger cave, the naive tiger swallowed the incense with force. When she tasted that special incense again, her eyes widened and her eyes lit up. It was so fragrant.

I must go and check it out tonight.

"Stinky scholar, accompany me for a while."

Tiger Girl walked to the table and saw her father buried in reading poetry, ignoring her. She stretched out her claws and snatched the poetry collection. The scholar then noticed her angry fat daughter. With a wave of his hand, he easily snatched the poetry collection from Tiger Girl and put it back on the bookshelf. Then he walked out of the cave.

"Let's go, aren't we going to Crouching Tiger Village?"

The tiger gnashed his teeth, realizing that he had been fooled by his unscrupulous father again. He clearly heard what he said but pretended not to know.

With her chubby little legs, she followed him angrily. After coming out of the cave, she roared, rode the strong wind, and took her father to the sky. She deliberately swayed left and right, and bumped up and down, wanting to make her father look bad, but he looked very happy, as if he really enjoyed this kind of excitement. Instead, the tiger was so angry that he stopped making trouble.

It was late at night and the mountain wind was howling, making a rustling sound in the village chief's house. The old village chief was awakened, and when he opened his eyes he saw the wooden sculpture of the tiger he enshrined was glowing. He was so scared that he almost bit off his tongue. He immediately got out of bed and kowtowed in fear and trepidation, feeling excited and nervous, fearful and excited.

"I didn't know the mountain king was coming, and I failed to welcome him from afar."

Outside the village chief's house, Shanjun deliberately pinched his throat to make his voice as deep and as androgynous as possible, and transmitted it through the statue: "These vulgar rituals, I don't care. Let me ask you, are there any outsiders who come here to worship the gods and pray for blessings with special identities?"

Upon hearing this, the old village chief racked his brains and thought quickly, and soon thought of someone: "Sir, there is a Taoist priest among these people seeking medical treatment."

Apart from answering, the old village chief did not ask any more questions. At this age, he knew what to say and what not to say. He should not interfere in matters that he should not interfere in, and should not ask about matters that he should not inquire about. Only in this way can he live a relaxed and long life.

The tiger was satisfied and flew away. The light from the tiger statue in the room faded away, and the old village chief kowtowed and said, "Farewell, tiger."

When he was sure that the god was really gone, he collapsed to the ground with a thud, cold sweat on his back. He was terrified but also extremely excited. He couldn't help but hold his head up with his chest puffed out, his face full of glory.

The fact that the tiger came to him alone meant that he was a blessed man. Would it be possible for him to follow the tiger in spiritual practice a hundred years later?
correct!

And that Taoist priest!

To be noticed by a tiger must be extraordinary. You must work hard to make friends with it, and maybe the tiger will look at you differently.

Why did I think he was just an ordinary Taoist priest before?

---

After getting the answer he wanted, the tiger took his father on a journey of wind to the guesthouse. As soon as they arrived there, they found a white-haired Taoist priest sitting cross-legged on the eaves, having been waiting for a long time.

Holding a whisk in his hand, he stood up and saluted, saying, "I am Xuanming, the poor Taoist, and I am honored to meet you, Mr. Shan and your fellow Taoists."

The mountain king didn't react much, just staring at Xuanming with shining eyes. The scholar in plain clothes was well-informed, having traveled to various counties in Fengyang County. Knowing Xuanming's identity, his body trembled slightly. His face was serious, and he did not dare to neglect him. He bowed and returned the greeting quickly, saying: "I have met the Taoist master in Bai Tingshan. I didn't expect that I would travel with you that day. It is really a honor."

Having said that, the commoner scholar was filled with anxiety, because he had discovered nothing during their journey together, which was terrifying. You know, he was a great demon in the Holy Embryo Realm and had built up a seventh-grade Taoist foundation, while the legend said that True Man Xuanming was only in the Golden Core Realm. Could it be that this True Man possessed an eighth-grade Taoist foundation or that his cultivation was more than just the Golden Core Realm?

Seeing that his silly daughter was slow to react, the scholar in commoner clothes reached out and patted her head. The latter reacted, stood up, clasped her paws and saluted. Her silly fat face and actions made her look like a fat orange boy trying to please others.

The common scholar tried hard to ignore this silly feeling. He strongly asked his daughter to go on a diet because he was afraid of this kind of situation. He had no domineering attitude like the king of beasts at all.

"I wonder why you came here this time?"

Facing the question from the scholar in plain clothes, Xuanming told the truth: "Fellow Daoist, there is no need to be nervous or worried. I have no ill intentions. I came down the mountain to travel and saw a hint of demonic aura on Qiao Da. I came here out of curiosity."

The commoner scholar breathed a sigh of relief, but he was only relaxed on the surface. In his heart, he did not dare to let his guard down completely. He walked to the eaves of the house, waved his sleeves lightly, and a small table and teacup appeared in front of him. He lit a fire and boiled tea, and the commoner scholar talked with Xuanming.

The tiger lay beside his father, his tiger eyes fixed on the Taoist priest opposite him, his head tilted, full of curiosity.

Xuanming and Bai Tingshan drank tea and chatted. One of them was well-versed in Taoism, and the other was well-read. They had a lot to say to each other, and the more they talked, the more they got along. They soon hit it off. However, Shanjun felt drowsy after listening to them and began to doze off.

The man and the demon chatted from late at night till early morning. When the east was already bright, Bai Tingshan woke up his silly daughter, and the father and daughter left together. Xuanming began to breathe in and out, collecting the purple air of the morning sun.

In front of the tiger cave, the scholar asked his silly girl to go and rest, and he stayed outside alone, looking up at the waning moon with a deep gaze.

That day, there was a natural aura on Taoist Xuanming that made the demons feel comfortable. This aura was somewhat similar to that of Huniu's mother. If possible, he hoped that this Taoist friend could give Huniu some pointers. It would not be too late to ask directly today as it was their first meeting. It would not be too late to ask after they were more familiar with each other.

Of course, I won't let it suffer any loss.

(End of this chapter)