Sword from the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 71 The Ten Friends of the Immortal Sect (Thanks to Alliance Leader "The Little Fatty Who's Advancing"!)
A single, unexpected sentence caused Zhou Yi to freeze on the spot.

"What kind of manor or temple?"

Crow Taoist: "Wuzhuang Temple".

Zhou Yi stared blankly at the dilapidated Taoist temple, then asked again, "What temple?"

Why do you like to talk nonsense so much?
The Crow Taoist roared in desperation, causing the mountains and forests to tremble: "Wuzhuang Temple!"

Why are you staring at me like that?

The Crow Taoist felt a little uncomfortable under Zhou Yi's gaze as he turned his head.

"Brother Crow, what is the origin of this temple's name?"

"Oh, it was originally five impoverished small farms that were joined together to form this name. What's so strange about that?"

Zhou Yi rubbed his hands together: "Are there any fruit trees in the temple?"

“Yes,” a look of reminiscence flashed in the eyes of the Crow Taoist, “there is a peach tree in the backyard, which was planted by my master back then, and now it stands tall and spreading like a canopy.”

"Let's go in and observe."

Zhou Yi was both surprised and regretful, and followed them into the temple.

The familiar three-legged bronze vessel, the familiar statue of Lao Tzu.

Apart from being larger than the Wuyan Temple in Fugou, the rest of the layout is remarkably similar.

Zhou Yi first went to the altar to offer incense, and the Crow Taoist cleaned the utensils and brewed tea, serving a cup of clear spring mountain tea. The two sat facing each other in front of the Laozi statue.

"This temple is quiet and elegant. Perched on the hill, one can listen to the mountain breeze and watch the morning clouds and evening rain. It is a good place for Taoist practitioners to cultivate themselves."

Zhou Yi asked in bewilderment, "Brother Ya, why do you want to abandon me and go to the Misty Temple instead?"

The Crow Taoist casually replied, "The Misty Mist Temple is my family's ancestral temple. Besides, I cultivate the Dao of 'Qi Observation' and study the 'Supreme Pure and Tranquil Classic.' Do you understand now?"

Zhou Yi pondered for a moment and nodded.

The crow-like Taoist's dark pupils contracted, a hint of disbelief in his eyes: "You really understand?"

Zhou Yidao:
"The Pure and Wondrous Sutra speaks of the essentials of observing qi."

"The so-called introspection of one's mind is that the mind is without mind; the outward observation of one's form is that the form is without form; and the distant observation of things is that things are without things."

"Therefore, Brother Ya believes that the highest realm of all wonders is to return to the word 'emptiness,' in which the beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers becomes without intention, form, or object."

He added after he finished speaking, "That's not hard to understand."

Upon hearing this, the Crow Taoist lowered his head, picking at the dirt under his other fingernails with his thumbnail, looking utterly dejected.

Who is this kid?
how
How do you even know the secrets of our sect's exterior and interior?
Some old monsters in the martial arts world have the art of preserving their youthful appearance and always maintain a youthful state.

Thinking of this, he asked, "How old are you, Fellow Daoist Yi?"

"The 29th and 11th month."

Which classic text should be consulted?

Zhou Yi said, "I have a broad knowledge of Huang-Lao thought, and I am familiar with the commentary on Laozi. I also have some knowledge of Zhuangzi's 'Human World' and 'Yu the Great's Plan,' as well as some other miscellaneous classics. However, I am not as specialized as you, my brother."

The more the Crow Taoist listened, the more uneasy he felt.

So he chose to ask someone he knew: "Do you also understand the 'Great Yu's Plan'? Do you only study the classics, or do you delve into martial arts?"

Seeing his serious expression, Zhou Yi smiled slightly, not daring to be presumptuous: "I only know a little bit."

After saying that, Zhou Yi flipped his hand and pointed.

The incense smoke from the altar rose gently, but it was pierced and dispersed by his powerful energy.

Upon seeing this, the Crow Taoist bristled and jumped up in a flash.

His eyes widened in disbelief: "The secrets of introspection! The secrets of introspection!"

"How...how could you know the Dharma teachings of my sect!"

"Did the teacher accept you as a disciple? This is outrageous! Am I suffering from amnesia? I have absolutely no recollection of it!"

He suddenly realized:
"By the way, it must have been Wang Jianshen who taught you. Okay, then you're my junior apprentice."

Zhou Yi was furious at being demoted a generation in an instant.

"This is the first time I've heard the name Wang Jianshen. I've only heard a few tips about this skill from others; the rest I figured out on my own."

"Your sect's founder must have received similar inspiration when he created his techniques, which is why my mental journey is so similar to that of your sect's founder."

Before Zhou Yi could say anything more, the Crow Taoist quickly raised his hand to stop him, repeatedly shouting "Stop!"

He couldn't bear to listen anymore.

This guy in front of me is too good at arguing. If I let him keep going on and on, I'll get to the bottom of things. I'll lose my cheap nephew, but instead I'll have another ancestor.

Then they'll start cursing.

"Please exert your energy again."

Zhou Yi glanced at him and flicked her fingers to cut through the wind.

The Crow Taoist nodded, his eyes showing even greater approval than before: "We are indeed destined to be together. From now on, we shall be equals."

Seeing Zhou Yi's composed demeanor, the Crow Taoist confidently declared:

"You should know that I have an apprentice named Pan Shizheng, who is older than you."

"From now on, when he sees you, he will still have to call you 'Shishu' (a term of respect for one's senior martial uncle)."

Zhou Yi didn't pay attention at first, but then suddenly asked, "What's your apprentice's name?"

"Pan Shizheng."

The Crow Taoist found it a bit troublesome to talk to Zhou Yi, as he always liked to ask twice.

Pan Shizheng—Zhou Yi had heard of this man's name before, but he never expected him to be the disciple of the Crow Taoist!
A thought crossed my mind:
This Master Pan will have a disciple named Sima Chengzhen.

Who is Sima Chengzhen?

He, along with Li Bai, Meng Haoran, Wang Wei, He Zhizhang, Chen Zi'ang, and others, were collectively known as the "Ten Friends of the Immortal Sect".

In other words, I might become Sima Chengzhen's grand-uncle, and the patriarch of a group of immortal figures such as Li Bai and Wang Wei.

Haha, this is quite interesting.

"What, you know my apprentice?"

"We've never met, I just have a vague impression of them, but I don't know where that impression comes from."

The Crow Taoist snorted: "He's getting close to the number one Taoist master now, so it's not surprising that you've heard his name by chance."

Seeing that he didn't want to bring up the topic, Zhou Yi didn't press him further.

A thought flashed through my mind, and I asked:

"Brother Daoist, do you recognize the Wooden Daoist?"

“Of course I recognize him,” the Crow Taoist scoffed. “Back then, he almost went mad while practicing his skills. Master Lai guided him with the principles of danger, subtlety, refinement, and unity, and also led him to cultivate Zhuangzi’s teachings. That’s how he acquired his skills.”

"But this guy is incorrigible and likes to cause trouble in the martial arts world, unlike me, who can observe mountains and rivers and achieve mastery."

At this moment, he couldn't help but look Zhou Yi up and down: "Could it be that you are on the same path as him?"

Zhou Yi shook his head: "No, I am well aware of the principle of 'attaining utmost emptiness and maintaining steadfast stillness'."

"Never causes trouble."

The Crow Taoist clapped his hands and said, "Good."

Zhou Yi had already grasped the key point: that Wang Jianshen must be Old Ma's friend, the disciple of the senior mentioned by Mu Daoren who had returned to secular life.

"Is this Wang Jianshen your junior brother, fellow Daoist?"

"He's only half a disciple. He became a disciple later than me, and he's older than me. My master only accepted him because of our past friendship."

The Crow Taoist sighed helplessly:

"He was a loyal and grateful person. Unfortunately, he did not heed his master's words and could not maintain his cultivation, which is why he died in the chaos of war."

"The situation is similar to that of the person who delivered your letter home."

Zhou Yi sighed softly, feeling the weight of the family letter in his hand.

"I'm afraid that when Uncle Xie sees this letter..."

“No need to worry,” the Crow Taoist interrupted directly. “Old Xie already knew about his son’s affairs. After you let him read this book, he will most likely burn it.”

"Oh? Why is that?"

The Crow Taoist smiled mysteriously: "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed."

"in addition."

"Your journey of delivering this letter home was arduous, but you were incredibly lucky."

I want to congratulate you in advance.

……

(End of this chapter)