The Great Way to Truth, Starting from Jiazi Laodao

Chapter 114: A sword flies a thousand miles, the true meaning of the world is revealed
Heyan County is where the Yang family is located.

The city is surrounded by a hot river. Although it is icy and snowy outside, Heyan County is as warm as spring.

As you step into it, you will see vast fertile fields and continuous houses. There are farmers waving whips and oxen plowing the fields; there are men carrying loads and applying fertilizer to the vegetable fields; there are also women squatting between the ridges, weeding and working hard.

Xuanming passed by leading the donkey, attracting the attention of many farmers. The older generation believed in Taoism and performed an informal Taoist salute to Xuanming with smiles on their faces; the young and middle-aged men looked at the donkey with eyes full of greed and envy. The donkey was really strong and must be an expert at plowing the fields. The explicit look made Linglu Changshou's fur shiver and he was frightened. He could not help but quicken his pace, which made Xuanming laugh.

Passing through farms and fertile fields, Xuanming arrived at the foot of the towering city wall, and Heyan County was just around the corner.

Walking forward and passing through the city gate, the rich smell of fireworks hits you in the face. Compared with Yuequan County, Heyan City has only a history of more than 500 years, and the vicissitudes of time are relatively thin. The architecture and layout are less elegant and more rough.

This is because this is a military city with fewer scholars but a large number of warriors. Sword-wielding warriors can be seen in the streets and alleys. The people are tough and the atmosphere is relatively warm.

There was an old woman with gray hair pushing a grinding wheel weighing dozens of kilograms with ease, selling tofu on the street; there was an eight-foot-tall old man carrying a hundred kilograms of sorghum on his shoulders, striding forward; there was a young woman with a delicate appearance, uprooting a weeping willow tree by her own strength; there were little children with pancakes hanging around their necks and holding wooden swords, chasing and playing with each other.

The whole city is warm and bold, with big bowls of wine, big mouthfuls of meat, big tables, and big benches. Even the street wontons are bigger, have more generous portions, and have spicier fillings than elsewhere. The people are also taller and have bigger frames than elsewhere.

After drinking a pot of strong liquor and eating a plate of peanuts, Xuanming led the donkey through the street to Yang's residence.

---

To the west of Heyan County, there is an ancient building complex. The houses are connected, the courtyards are located in a square shape, and there are pavilions and towers lined up. The architectural style is magnificent. There are several stone lion statues about ten feet long lined up in front of the door. The gate is tall, and the oppressive feeling of belonging to a martial arts family is overwhelming.

This place is the Yang family's ancestral home. The family has been passed down for more than four hundred years and has been promoted to an aristocratic family for a hundred years. Although the Qi training ancestor has only the Zhoutian realm cultivation level, the family has a deep foundation and is quite famous in the Tianhe County world. It also assists the Daxuan Divine Dynasty in governing Heyan County.

"I am Xuanming, from the Qiuzhen Temple in Fuyun County, Fengyang Prefecture. I am also the uncle of Yang Ming's first wife. I have come here specifically to visit relatives. I hope you will inform me."

After knocking on the door, Xuanming introduced himself.

The gatekeepers did not dare to be negligent and divided the work among them. One invited the person into the gate while the other quickly walked towards Yang Ming's house.

He always felt that the name Xuanming was somewhat familiar, but he couldn't remember it for the time being. Halfway through the journey, the servant suddenly stiffened, and then trembled with excitement, extremely excited.

He remembered!
Xuanming, the first true man in the Qiuzhen Temple!

A Qigong practitioner at the Golden Core Realm!

Because of him, Yang Ming's lineage's status in the Yang family rose sharply.

Unexpectedly, such a being would quietly visit Yang's house. The servant danced with joy, and changed from walking fast to running, shouting as he ran: "Hurry, hurry, hurry! Xuanming Zhenren is coming to my Yang's house! Xuanming Zhenren from the Qiuzhen Temple is here!"

The shouts became louder and louder.

The emotions get more and more excited.

When the others heard this, those who reacted quickly became excited, and those who reacted slowly were also very happy after being told by others. They ran around to tell others, and some of them were quick to run past the servant and ran to Yang Ming's yard, while some went to look for the head of the family or the ancestors. Seeing this, the servant was angry and anxious, and couldn't help but scolding:
"You are not worthy of being human!"

If I can't beat them, I'll just give them a kick.

The entire Yang Mansion became bustling. The clan elders, the head of the family, and the ancestor of the Yang family were all alarmed and brought people to the scene. However, they did not immediately go to the gate to greet them. Instead, they first met up with Yang Ming and his wife, especially his wife Zhou Zhilan, before going to greet them.

---

"Yang Dingtian of the Yang family greets fellow Taoist."

"Zhilan has met uncle."

"I have traveled here and come to your house without permission. I hope that fellow Daoist Yang and you will not blame me."

……

Xuanming was not surprised at the hasty arrival of the Yang family. After a simple greeting and meeting his niece, he entered the reception room surrounded by the Yang family's top leaders, drank some spiritual tea, and had a brief conversation. Then, everyone in the Yang family tactfully said goodbye and left.

After everyone left, Xuanming went to the house where Yang Ming and his wife lived. Yang Ming was the sixth child in the direct line of the Yang family and was known as the Sixth Young Master or the Sixth Lord. His house covered an area of two acres and was equipped with rockery and flowing water, a training room, an armory, etc.

In front of Xuanming, Yang Ming, an eight-foot tall man, was quite reserved. Most of the time, Zhou Zhilan was talking and he was responsible for supplementing the explanation. The couple cooperated well and the topics were not boring.

That night, Yang prepared a sumptuous dinner. After enjoying the warm hospitality, Xuanming returned to the guest house and had a comfortable sleep.

The next day, the sun rose in the sky and was bright. Xuanming sat cross-legged on the treetops in the courtyard, collecting the purple air of the morning sun. This was the Yang family's best guest house. It not only had a private hot spring, but also had a spirit gathering formation. Breathing here would get twice the result with half the effort. For this reason, he decided to stay for a while longer and leave after the New Year.

The aristocratic families are indeed different from the Xu family. The carefully prepared breakfast is far beyond what the Xu family can match. Although Xuanming does not care about these external things, he can still see the gap between the aristocratic families and the wealthy families.

After breakfast, Zhou Zhilan came to visit and asked about Xuanming's well-being. Xuanming was very pleased. Girls are indeed more attentive than boys. She even replaced the incense he used last night with Taoist incense, and placed some rare Taoist scriptures on the bookshelf in the room for easy reference.

After chatting, Xuanming took out a book and handed it to Zhou Zhilan, explaining: "This is a book on the cultivation experience of an innate warrior. It can be regarded as my support for the cultivation of a junior like you. Please accept it and don't refuse it."

Zhou Zhilan's heart was filled with emotion. There was only one book in the entire Yang family that contained the experience of an innate warrior, and it was obtained by the ancestor by chance. After studying it for a hundred years, there was still no guarantee of a breakthrough. Now that she had another book, the probability of a breakthrough would definitely increase greatly.

She accepted it generously without any pretense, and asked tentatively: "Uncle, I wonder if you can give a share of this experience to Yang?" Looking up at his niece, Xuanming said calmly: "Since it is given to you, it is naturally up to you to deal with it."

He copied his thoughts and gave them to Zhou Zhilan. He asked, "Can you find where the evil creature is hiding?"

This was a nonsensical statement, but Zhou Zhilan understood it, gnashing her teeth as she said, "A few months ago, when my husband was cultivating in Chiyao Mountain with the power of earth fire, he saw this evil creature appear. Later, I followed the ancestor to investigate, but came back in disgrace.

This monster has already broken through the realm, advanced to Qi training, and become a great monster. He is even more insidious and cunning. He relies on the geographical advantages of Chiyao Mountain to hide in it and does not come out easily. Even for an innate warrior, it is very difficult to capture him. "

Then she looked at Xuanming in surprise, fell to her knees, and begged, "Uncle, please avenge my parents."

Raising his hand and lifting up his niece with a magical power, Xuanming comforted her, "I came here, firstly to see you and to support you in the Yang family, and secondly to avenge your parents. This evildoer has been hiding for ten years, and now that he has appeared, I will not tolerate him."

A few months ago, it was the eldest sister's 80th birthday, but her niece Zhou Zhilan was not there to attend the ceremony because of this incident. Ten years ago, when the second sister and her husband went into the mountains to look for spiritual materials, they encountered this monster and were brutally killed. Since then, the monster has disappeared.

Now that this evil creature has reappeared, as the younger brother, he cannot sit idly by and do nothing for both moral and logical reasons. If he gets rid of this monster and avenges his second sister, he can finally put his worries to rest.

Zhou Zhilan felt relieved and chatted with Xuanming for half an hour. She then left respectfully and Xuanming left the guest house. After touring the Yang family's land accompanied by his nephew and son-in-law, he left the mansion alone and walked around Heyan County, tasting the various flavors of life, observing the ways of the world, and tempering his heart in the old way.

In the next month, I collected the essence of the sun and the moon, read the scriptures and gained enlightenment, experienced the mundane world, observed the heavens and the earth, guided my niece and her husband in their cultivation, and discussed the Dao with the ancestor of the Yang family...

Xuanming was very busy, his life was fulfilling and comfortable, his practice was orderly, and in his spare time, he would buy a jar of rice wine from a tavern on the street, go fishing in Rehe River outside the city, use local ingredients, and cook a specialty red lotus fish with his own hands.

The fish has a light fishy smell, tender meat, and is fresh and delicious. It leaves a lingering fragrance on your lips and teeth after swallowing it. Paired with a pot of rice wine warmed by Rehe, you can go boating on the river, drifting with the current, seeing the red sun shining on the warm water and the fish, and the green village hiding the crows in the dark evening. The taste is wonderful and life is comfortable, as if you are baptized by the scenery and food of Rehe.

---

Time flies, and in the remaining half month, Heyan City is much more lively than usual. No matter whether it is the mansion of the rich and powerful or the houses of ordinary people, they are all decorated with lights and colors. Every household dusts and sweeps the house to get rid of dust and filth.

In addition to purchasing new things, wealthy families would also give away some of their old things to the common people to help the poor and the needy and to get rid of the old and welcome the new.

The streets are crowded with vendors and the shops are filled with customers, all because New Year's Day is approaching, which is a big event for the Great Xuan Divine Dynasty.

Some prepared Tu Su wine, some carved peach charms by themselves. Xuanming was one of them. Feeling the increasingly strong New Year atmosphere, he found a century-old peach tree in the mountains near Rehe after returning from fishing. He took a branch from the tree and gave it a ray of inspiration as a reward. After returning to Yang Mansion, he carved a pair of large peach charms and several small peach charms by himself.

Inscribed on the big peach charms are the names of two gods, Shentu and Yulei, who have never existed in this world. They have the power to ward off evil spirits, drive away ghosts and eliminate evil. As for whether divinity will be born in the future, it depends on fate, and what its image will be depends on the imagination of the people.

The big peach charm is a New Year gift to Yang, and the small peach charm is a peace charm, a talisman given to the niece's family.

On New Year's Day, after collecting the purple air of the morning sun, Xuanming stayed in an independent courtyard. He released his spiritual sense, crossed the mountains, passed through the rivers and lakes, flew over the county town, and landed on Chiyao Mountain. After some searching, he opened his eyes and waved his sleeves lightly.

A two-foot wooden sword flew out, making a clanging sound, and suddenly broke through the air and flew thousands of miles away. Xuanming started a fire to boil water to make tea. As the water just boiled, a big monster hidden in the magma in the Chiyao Mountain was pierced through the heart by the sword light and died instantly.

When the cup of tea was finished, there was a sound of breaking through the air, and the peach wood sword, carrying the corpse of a hundred-foot-long firebird, flew back to the Yang residence and landed on the Yang martial arts field, attracting many Yang clan members to watch and discuss.

Yang Dingtian, the ancestor of the Yang family, showed up and recognized the identity of the Firebird. In addition to being surprised, he looked at the peach wood sword on the Firebird. He admired and awed Xuanming. Looking around the Yang family, only this real person had this ability. He could slay demons and monsters thousands of miles away without leaving his home.

The next moment, Xuanming's calm and steady voice sounded: "Friend Yang, the New Year's Day is approaching, and I am greedy for food. How about using this bird as a snack for you?"

Yang Dingtian was overjoyed, clasped his fists in salute, raised his eyebrows and beard and said: "Thank you for your generosity, fellow Taoist."

The Yang clan members also said excitedly: "Thank you, Master!"

The peach wood sword hummed and flew back to the guest house. Xuan Ming waved his sleeve to put away the sword. A drop of blood appeared on his fingertips. This was the blood condensed from the heart of the Fire Bird Demon. He sealed it and put it away. He poured a cup of tea, sniffed the refreshing aroma, and tasted it leisurely.

After getting revenge, I tasted the tea again. It was obviously the same pot, but the taste was completely different. The sweetness outweighed the bitterness.

That night, the whole Yang family was bustling with noise and the atmosphere was joyful. They ate the monster meat with wine. The more they chewed the meat, the more delicious it became. The more they drank, the stronger the wine became. Everyone had a beaming look on their face. As they toasted each other, many warriors enjoyed fighting. Some punched in unison, some danced with swords in unison, showing their strong arms and developed pectoral muscles. They walked with their heads held high, exuding a strong masculine beauty.

The women used chopsticks to knock on the bowls and sang the Yang clan song. Their voices were heroic and melodious, which made people's blood boil and they looked heroic.

Xuanming blends in with the carnival, accepting everyone and never getting drunk, or directing the wine with his sword. With his white hair and sleeves flying, he performs a Taoist sword ceremony to pray for blessings, draws the inspiration of heaven and earth into the wine dragon on his fingertips, and chants Taoist prayers. His voice is old and broad-minded, as if it floats from endless time and space, bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new.

After the ceremony, he raised his finger and swung it, and the wine dragon went up to the sky, straight into the clouds, making a deafening dragon roar, and exploded with a bang, turning into a rain of wine all over the sky, making the people in the city drunk and bringing blessings to all the people in the county.

Then he walked out of Yang's house, experienced the bustle and prosperity of New Year's Eve in various places in Heyan County, tasted the fireworks of the New Year's Day, watched the lights all over the city, saw dragon and lion dances, walked through the gorgeous iron flowers, swam in the black-sailed painted boats, lit fireworks with children, and drank Tusu new wine with the old man...

He felt that he had truly become an ordinary citizen, a commoner, a gentle scholar, and an unruly knight. A sense of worldly life was ignited in his heart, burning his Taoist heart and his entire body.

After a night of excitement, the new year's sunrise was just like the clouds parting to see the sun, bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new. His Tao heart became clearer and his Tao body became more relaxed and light. The 365 acupoints in his body opened up, holding the brilliant starlight, his magic power was as vast as the sea, and he went to a higher level. His Tao practice increased greatly, and he had a new understanding of the Hunyuan Dao:
Hunyuan, in the human world, is the bustling excitement of everyone's heart and soul. Everyone's heart is united. It is so big that there is no outside, and so small that there is no inside. It is hidden in all things, and yet it transcends all things. It is between the virtual and the real, and it transforms into each other. Just like the celebration of New Year's Day, there are various forms, but it conveys an invisible happiness.

Xuanming's Taoism improved greatly and he felt relaxed. He laughed out loud and tapped his toes to fly into the air. Birds chirped and a black swallow flapped its wings and flew down from the silent night sky. Deer cried and a majestic white deer came running out from the fireworks and took a step forward.

The white-haired Taoist priest held a whisk in his hand, a gourd around his waist, and rode on a white deer, with a black bird leading the way. He ran out of Heyan County and headed towards the dawn. The people in the city were surprised and overjoyed.

(End of this chapter)