The Great Way to Truth, Starting from Jiazi Laodao

Chapter 22: The Wildness Needs No Restraint, Who Can Forgive the Taoists?

"Why are you here, brother?"

Under the vigorous old pine, on the marble bench.

The two Taoists sat opposite each other.

Xuanming asked curiously as he served her a cup of hot tea.

Since the opening of Jianya, these junior brothers and sisters have been very sensible and don't come to disturb them easily.

What's more, Xuan Yang was in a hurry this time.

Anyone with a normal brain could guess that he came here for a reason.

In fact, it is true.

The aroma of tea is in the air and white mist is rising.

Looking at the emerald tea soup, Xuan Yang didn't care about the burning throat. He picked up the teacup and drank it all in one gulp like a cow chewing a peony.

His movements were heroic and his face was flushed.

I don’t know if it’s because it’s urgent or because it’s hot.

Xuanming's mouth twitched slightly when he saw this, and he hurriedly lowered his head to drink tea, covering his speechless and upturned mouth.

You know, you're drinking tea.

If someone doesn’t know, they would think you were drinking.

Xuanming complained in his heart, but it didn't show on his face.

Both because he was used to it and because Xuan Yang's intention was more serious.

Fortunately, Junior Brother Xuanyang has always been a straightforward person, and he didn't beat around the bush. He put down his teacup and went straight to the point.

"Brother, someone has come from the Chen Mansion at the foot of the mountain."

"Early this morning, the current patriarch Chen Liang came personally with his son and a valuable gift to pay his respects to the head master, hoping that his son could join the Qiuzhen Temple and become his disciple."

"At that time, I happened to be at Zhenxuan Peak for some business, and Changchunzi informed me of this matter. I also received a message from the head teacher, asking me to tell you first so as not to be caught off guard."

"The Chen family is a powerful family in Fuyun County. Over the years, they have kept to themselves and have never had any conflicts with me."

"The two families worked together to control the flood last time, and this time they lowered their stance again, showing great sincerity."

"Master, we have to give you face. I'm afraid it won't be delayed for long. I'm afraid you will soon ask Changchunzi to come and invite you."

"Whether to accept or reject, you should make plans early."

Xuanming didn't reply immediately.

He picked up the teapot and poured Xuan Yang another cup of tea.

The air is filled with white mist and the fragrance of tea.

When this cheap junior brother raised the cup and was about to gulp down another gulp, he glared at him.

Xuan Yang's heart skipped a beat and he reacted quickly. He immediately sniffed the tea fragrance, blew the tea mist, saw the tea soup, and then took a sip of the tea, slowly enjoying the pleasure of tea tasting.

Tea is bitter.

Taste buds bitter.

Xuan Yang felt even more bitter.

He is really not good at drinking tea.

I never understand why this thing is so bitter, so particular, and so troublesome. What's so good about it?

Especially since my senior brother is old and has a strong taste, he likes to drink strong tea, which makes the tea even more bitter.

Although the bitterness will be diluted by the sweet aftertaste, he still doesn't like sweet food.

Compared to tea, Xuan Yang prefers wine.

The older the wine is, the more fragrant it is, and the stronger and more refreshing the taste is.

When you have wine in your life, you must get drunk. One drop can soar up to the sky.

It’s a pity that my senior brother likes tea but doesn’t understand the beauty of wine.

Every time I come here, I am forced to drink tea.

There were several times when I was scolded by my senior brothers for being too aggressive. I drank three pots of tea in a row and tasted three flavors in one cup. After returning to Lieyang Peak, I was physically tired, mentally excited, and couldn't sleep all night.

After a few times, he learned his lesson.

This time, because the matter happened too suddenly and I was busy reporting the news, I forgot the rules.

Now that he was reminded, Xuan Yang immediately slowed down, sipped the drink slowly, and although it didn't show on his face, he felt uncomfortable all over. However, he had to be patient and not get angry.

---

The wildness is not restrained, who can forgive the Taoists?

Taoists like to follow their hearts and hate being restricted.

Xuanming is the same. He doesn't care about rules and red tape, nor does he care about the steps and posture of drinking tea.

A thousand people share the same tea but they all have different tastes; ten thousand people share the same path but they all don’t need to be attentive.

If it were any other Taoist priest, Xuanming would not emphasize it so much. You can drink as much as you want, and it’s okay if you don’t want to drink.

The only exception is Xuan Yang.

This cheap junior fellow apprentice has an impatient personality, does things in a rush and gets easily carried away. The tea ceremony can soothe one's mood and temper one's state of mind. Every time they meet while making tea, Xuanming takes the opportunity to temper Xuanyang's Taoist heart.

While Xuanyang was sipping tea, Xuanming lowered his head in deep thought.

Chen Mansion and Qiuzhen Temple are the two major spiritual forces in Fuyun County.

One is at the foot of the mountain, and the other is on the top of the mountain.

One is worldly and the other is out of the world.

A family, a sect.

A bloodline system and a master-disciple system.

The two companies have different focuses, different paths, different pursuits, and different fields, and there is not much overlap in many aspects.

In some places it's quite the opposite.

That is why we have been able to live in peace over the years.

This time, the head of the Chen family suddenly came to the door and asked his son to join the Qiuzhen Temple, which was enough to arouse people's speculation.

He then deliberately proposed that he wanted to become his disciple.

As long as you are not confused, you will know that there is something strange.

After all, in the first fifty-five years of his life, he was as pure as a newborn baby and was known to the world for his innocence. In the last five years, he became less famous and hid himself in the Sutra Repository, ignoring external affairs, studying Taoist scriptures diligently and comprehending the mysteries of the Dao.

His fame started to rise last year, when he shed the label of naivety and became a representative of late bloomers.

On the surface, he was only a cultivator of the third realm, not as good as Xuanxu, Xuanyang, Xuansu and others, and was mediocre. Not as good as the best, but better than the worst.

He is not qualified at all to accept the son of the master of the Chen family as his apprentice.

Xuanming then enumerated his obvious advantages:
[The most senior Taoist priest in Qiuzhen Temple]

[The previous headmaster’s youngest son]

[Uncle of the Xu Family in Cangyue County]

【Uncle of the Yang Family in Tianhe County】

The latter two are the in-laws of Xuanming's two elder sisters in this life:
A family with similar strength to the Chen family, but with a longer heritage, deeper foundation, and wider network of contacts.

A powerful family with profound background, wide sphere of influence, five hundred years of inheritance, with powerful Qi-cultivating masters in charge and many talented people. It is a genuine family of cultivation.

---

Zangdao Peak, Daoyuan.

Xuanming's thinking is divergent and he makes careful guesses.

In just a cup of tea, my mind was full of thoughts.

After finishing his cup of tea, he thought of several purposes:
【Strong Alliance】

The children of the Chen family entered the Qiuzhen Temple.

The two families then had a bond of connection.

The strong forces join together, help each other and greatly increase their strength.

The influence of both families extends beyond Fuyun County, and they are even well-known in Fengyang County, occupying a place.

【Stealing power】

He is the most senior person in Qiuzhen Temple, and he is the only one among the three generations of disciples who has not yet accepted a disciple.

If a disciple of the Chen family took the position of his first disciple, he would immediately stand out among the four-generation disciples.

Coupled with the strong support of the Chen family and the legacy of the previous headmaster, the status of the Chen family's children will be even more special.

In the future, he is very likely to hold great power in Qiuzhen Temple and become an influential elder.

If conditions permit, he may even have a chance to compete with Changchunzi for the position of headmaster.

【Curve Communication】

Compared to the Qiuzhen Temple, the Yang family and the Xu family, both of which are family forces, provided greater help to the Chen family.

If the children of the Chen family take him as their master, the Chen family can use him as a springboard and take the opportunity to make friends with the Yang and Xu families.

In this way, we can share what we have and support each other.

【Number of places for further studies】

The Chen family disciple wanted to become a disciple of Qiuzhen Temple, but why didn't he strike while the iron was hot after the flood control was successful, but waited for half a year before coming? Why didn't he become a disciple when he was promoted to the third realm?

It can be seen that their intentions are not sincere, and they most likely have other purposes. There are not many things in Qiuzhen Temple that the Chen family would be coveting. If they wanted to plot, they could have done it before.

Compared with the previous time, the biggest difference of Qiuzhen Temple is that it has two admission places to Tiandiyuan.

In the past, when Xuanming was tired of reading the scriptures, he once went to chat with Xuanxu. He learned that the Chen family had obtained a place to enter the Qiankun Tower. Could it be that they were greedy and wanted to occupy another place for further studies?
With his background and status, if the children of the Chen family wanted to become his disciples, they would indeed have a chance of getting a place.

---

"What a great move!"

After figuring it out, Xuan Ming said to himself with a sneer on his face.

Although these were just guesses, they still frightened him and made him feel cold all over.

The benefits of having him as your teacher are so great.

However, he would not accept a disciple just to verify the authenticity.

At present, Xuanming has no such plan.

A teacher is someone who imparts knowledge and resolves doubts.

His practice is not yet complete.

If I accept disciples, I will not only mislead them, but also distract my attention, waste time, and delay my own practice.

On balance, some things are not worth the cost.

More importantly, Xuanming was unwilling.

As long as he refuses to accept a disciple and does not accept the challenge, no matter what the Chen family is planning, and no matter whether the speculation is true or false, there is no need to worry, the problem will be solved and the hidden dangers will be eliminated.

Even if his guess was wrong, and Xuanming was thinking too much and judging others by his own mean character, the fact that the Chen family's disciples sincerely wanted to become his disciples without any other calculations could only mean that they were not destined to be master and disciple.

There are countless things in the world that are not as we wish.

It is not that every person becomes a disciple and every person must be accepted as a disciple.

This is a mutual choice, and it depends on both parties' consent.

After figuring it through, Xuanming's thoughts became clearer, and he felt less calculative and troubled. He felt more steady and calm. He felt more relaxed, and his temperament became more free and unrestrained.

Seeing from the corner of his eye that Xuan Yang's tea was almost gone, Xuan Ming picked up the teapot and refilled it with water without hesitation.

Xuan Yang, who had just finished a cup of tea with great difficulty: ...

If I could beat you, believe it or not, I would ask you to drink three jars of liquor and show off to me on the spot?
Drink as much as you can for me!

You can't leave unless you are drunk!
Of course, Xuan Yang only dared to think about it in his heart.

The reality is that he grinned, showing his big white teeth, and with his burly body and beard, he smiled like a fool and said loudly: "Thank you, senior brother."

Pick up the teacup and continue to sip tea slowly.

I feel miserable.

I dare not say.

Xuanming was very satisfied with Xuanyang's understanding. Otherwise, if his thoughts were not clear, he would definitely have to take the trouble to reason with this cheap junior brother.

He poured himself a refill of tea and sipped it slowly. After three cups of tea, Changchunzi came to invite him to leave. Then he stood up, walked out of the Taoist temple, tiptoed away, and flew away.

Seeing his senior brother walking away, Xuan Yang felt relieved.

He raised his hand to pour the remaining tea to the old pine tree, but with a slight turn of his wrist, he immediately retracted his hand, closed his eyes and drank the remaining tea in one gulp. Then he slipped away quickly, as if there was a ferocious beast chasing him from behind.

He wanted to go back and drink to soothe his wounded heart.

Never stop until your thoughts are clear.

　I'll take care of my health and resume normal updates tomorrow, with a minimum of two chapters and three chapters to maintain stability. I'll slowly make up for what I owed previously.

　　感谢2023……6872大大、2019……9435大大、2018……8174大大的一张月票；感谢2023……6091大大的两张月票

　　
　
(End of this chapter)