The Great Way to Truth, Starting from Jiazi Laodao

Chapter 6: The dragon walks into the water, the Taoist priest goes down the mountain

The morning light shines, and the clouds are dyed with rosy clouds.

Xuanming had just finished meditating when he suddenly felt a sense of alarm.

The next moment, the ground of Fuyun Mountain shook violently.

Rocks rolled down, grass and trees swayed, and waves rose in the stream.

In the courtyard, the old pine trees were shaking their branches, stones were jumping, stone benches and tables were vibrating, the desks and bookshelves in the thatched cottage were shaking, and a strong wind was howling.

With his qi sinking into his dantian, Xuanming lightly stomped his left foot, and the vast magical power extended in all directions with him as the center.

The Sutra Repository and the Daoist Court became completely still and silent in an instant, as if the scene just now was just an illusion.

But Xuanming knew that things were not that simple.

He soared into the air and landed on the eaves of the third-floor Sutra Repository. He raised his hand, made a gesture, and his fingertips glowed as he lightly tapped the ground below.

The stream of light fell into the Sutra Repository, and the Sutra Tower suddenly became bright. A large formation was formed with the Sutra Tower as its center, stabilizing the Cangdao Peak.

This is the formation left by the founder, and it was perfected by three generations of Taoists in Qiuzhen Temple. Its power should not be underestimated.

It is located on the Zangdao Peak to protect the inheritance.

The Sutra Repository is both a protected object and the center of the formation.

After he reached the third level of cultivation, he was taught the art of controlling formations by his disciple, the head teacher, and served as the guardian of the Sutra Pavilion.

Xuanming did not object to this.

He stayed in the Sutra Building every day and lived nearby. Could he really just stand by and do nothing if something happened?

It's not bad to be a secretive Taoist priest.

Although the routine is vulgar, as long as it does not disturb me, it is vulgar, and the most vulgar is the most elegant.

After stabilizing Zangdao Peak, Xuanming looked around.

Stand high and look around.

On Fire Cloud Peak, the spirit crane soared into the sky, looking restless.

On the Zhenxuan Peak, a ten-foot sword shadow soars into the sky, and the inherited magic sword shows its power, stabilizing the main peak.

On top of Lieyang Peak, a huge cauldron is suspended in the air.

On the Su Nu Peak, hundreds of lotus flowers are in bloom.

The other peaks each have their own mysteries, stabilizing the earth's veins.

As for the panicked birds and beasts in the mountains, there was nothing we could do to help them. The abilities of the Taoists were limited, and they were lucky enough to be able to protect the one-third acre of land of the Qiuzhen Temple.

---

The earthquake does not last long.

After a cup of tea, the fight died down.

Many Taoists took action.

Some comforted the disciples, while others tried to find out the reasons.

In the Sutra Repository, Xuanming brewed tea and read sutras.

Who made him the most senior person in Qiuzhen Temple and an idle old Taoist priest without power?

His old arms and legs were not able to perform great feats, so he naturally just focused on reading his scriptures and waited for his fellow apprentices to find out the truth.

There are few Taoists in Zangdao Peak.

Chang'anzi can definitely handle it.

After one stick of incense, Changchunzi came in person to invite him.

Putting down the scriptures, Xuanming stepped out of the pavilion, lightly tapped his toes, jumped dozens of feet, and headed straight for Zhenxuan Peak.

His white hair flutters and his Taoist robe flies.

Holding a whisk, he looks like an immortal.

At this moment, he was like an immortal in the world, floating among the mountains and forests.

Zhenxuan Peak is about 500 feet high and is shaded by dense green pines and cypresses. Various large and small buildings are scattered around in an orderly manner, complementing each other and looking magnificent and majestic.

After six years, I returned to this peak.

A ripple appeared in Xuanming's calm heart, with a hint of regret that things and people have changed.

But that's all.

The Sutra Repository has been a place for cultivating one's energy and mind for six years, a period of sixty years of accumulation. In addition, in the previous life, one had been in the world of wealth and fame, where one was disillusioned with money and spent money like water. In the end, life and death were not in one's own hands, and one did not know to whom the billions of wealth that he had accumulated with great effort would be given away.

He has become indifferent to many things.

Many Taoists gathered in the Xuanfa Hall.

When they saw Xuanming, they all stood up to greet him.

They bowed to each other and took their seats in turn.

Just like in the Sutra Repository, Xuanming still sat at the upper right, which was the seat second only to the head monk.

In the past, he sat because of seniority.

Now, he sits in the position with both seniority and strength.

Knowing the seriousness of the situation, the Taoists stopped talking and all their eyes fell on Xuanxu.

Just now he went there in person to find out the truth.

Xuanxu looked happy and worried, and said in a deep voice:
"Brother, fellow disciples, I have already investigated clearly. The earthquake in Floating Cloud Mountain was caused by a dragon running away."

"This monster passed through the water vein of Floating Cloud Mountain. The water and the land are one, and the two veins are connected, which caused the earthquake."

"Now, the dragon has gone away, Floating Cloud Mountain is out of danger, and my Truth Seeking Monastery is safe."

Upon hearing this, the Taoists breathed a sigh of relief.

They heard the master's subtext and understood why he was worried, because they were in the same mood. There was no danger in the mountain.

Seek truth and observe stability.

But what about down the mountain?

What about the common people?
They have no magical powers and no teachers to support them.

When a dragon walks into the water, it is hard to predict whether it will be good or bad.

If the dragon is virtuous, it can use its magic power to stabilize the water flow and protect the water veins. Even if the water level rises and overflows the embankment, it will not endanger the people and cause casualties.

But if the dragon is immoral, there will be devastating floods, and the people will suffer, be displaced and homeless. There may even be piles of floating corpses and starving people everywhere, which is a tragedy on earth.

Since ancient times, virtuous dragons have been few and many, while dragons without virtue have been many. Otherwise, dragons would not have the bad reputation of being evil.

However, the Taoists did not sense any virtue in this dragon, but only evil. Otherwise, Floating Cloud Mountain would not have shaken so violently, and they would not have to take action to stabilize the Qiuzhen Temple.

Evil dragons wander in the water, and evil water and evil waves.

The people living at the foot of the mountain are in trouble.

---

There was a loud bang in the Xuanfa Hall.

Xuan Yang had a hot temper and slammed the table and stood up.

"This dragon is hateful!"

"If I could defeat him, I would go down the mountain myself, kill the dragon and eliminate the evil, and rid the people of the harm."

Everyone nodded helplessly.

Who made them unable to defeat?

Flood dragons are different from flood snakes. Such creatures have entered the Qi training realm. A flood dragon that can walk on water and transform into a real dragon is at the pinnacle of this realm. In a one-on-one fight, even a real person who has completed Qi training is no match for it.

"All right."

"There are experts who will kill the evil dragon."

"Neither my Taoist elders nor the current imperial court will sit idly by."

"The key right now is how to help the people."

Xuanming spoke.

Xuanxu nodded: "Brother, what you said is very true."

As everyone agreed, their eyes fell on Xuanxu and Xuantong.

Who makes them good at handling mundane affairs?

Xuanxu's eyelids twitched, and Xuantong's heart trembled.

Although I don't want to take on this troublesome matter, the people are not guilty!

At this critical moment, no matter how unwilling you are, you have to bite the bullet and go ahead, otherwise you will not be able to rest in peace.

Go up the mountain to practice in prosperous times, and go down the mountain to save people in troubled times.

This is the iron rule of Taoism and also the spirit of Taoism.

When the people are in trouble and suffering, as Taoists, it is their duty to help the poor and the needy.

Xuanxu: "Brother Xuantong, what do you think?"

Seeing the headmaster throwing the question to himself, Xuan Tong lowered his head and rolled his eyes, thinking silently. When he looked up again, his expression was gentle, his eyebrows were kind, and he endured the pain and replied:
"Reporting to the headmaster, Fuyun County at the foot of Fuyun Mountain has been free of disasters for ten years, and the incense money we have received from the benevolent and long-lived people has accumulated to 10,000 taels. I grow crops and raise poultry in the Qiuzhen Temple, and I am self-sufficient. I only spend a small amount on rituals every year, and I still have 8,000 taels."

"Take from the people and use it for the people. I think we can use the money from incense offerings to help the people."

Xuanxu nodded: "Good! Junior Brother Xuantong is thoughtful."

After Xuantong sat down, everyone was silent for a while. No one disturbed Xuanxu's thoughts. After a moment, he finally spoke and gave orders:

"Fuyun County has always supported my Qiuzhen Temple. This time, the evildoers are causing chaos and they are suffering innocently. This is really unjust. My Qiuzhen Temple cannot sit idly by and watch.

Junior Brother Xuankong, please check how much grain and oil are stored in the temple. After ensuring the daily needs of the disciples in the temple, use the remaining part and transport it to the foot of the mountain to open a porridge shed."

"Junior brother, take the order."

"Junior sister Xuansu, the nephews and sisters of Su Nu Peak are kind-hearted and good at medicine. I'd like to trouble you to take them down the mountain to treat the people."

"Brother, rest assured. I will do my best."

"Junior Brother Xuanyin, thank you for taking care of the supply of medicinal herbs and other materials."

"Master, your words are too kind. I have no choice but to accept your responsibility."

"Junior Brother Xuanyu, you go down the mountain with me and perform a ritual to control the flood so that it won't get out of control. Junior Brother Xuanyang, you are responsible for keeping watch to prevent other evildoers from taking advantage of the opportunity to cause chaos."

"Yes!"

"Brother!"

Seeing that it was finally his turn, Xuanming became concerned.

"I'd like you to stay in the temple and prevent the villains from taking advantage of the situation and breaking in."

Upon hearing this, the other Taoists nodded.

In the past six months, they have studied with Senior Brother Xuanming.

Although he is in the third realm, his magical powers are so profound, his Taoist body is so broad, and his strength is so strong that even they cannot defeat him.

Even the head master could only fight him to a draw without using the inherited magic sword.

If Senior Brother Xuanming had not been practicing Taoism for a short time and his attainments in magic were not as profound as theirs, he would probably be able to defeat them.

Everyone truly admires this senior brother who has achieved success late in life and is becoming more and more vigorous.

Of course, having witnessed the power of the superior foundation-building method, they also spent more time privately studying the Yin-Yang Foundation-Building Chapter, and each gained something.

(End of this chapter)