Controlling the Five Thunders and the Two Worlds

Chapter 122 The Vajra Mystic Talisman is Obtained
Gu Zhao couldn't help but chuckle, thinking to himself that this old Taoist priest was really straightforward.

So he was just as direct, saying, "Thank you for your high regard, but I can't come to the Celestial Master's Mansion. The reason I'm visiting you this time is that I have a favor to ask."

Master Mingyu asked curiously, "What is it?"

Yun Yang also looked at Gu Zhao with curiosity. Gu Zhao had come here in a mysterious manner, as if he had Yun Yang completely under his control, which made Yun Yang want to know what he was up to.

“I want to read the ‘Diamond Mystery Record’ from the Celestial Master’s Mansion,” Gu Zhao replied.

"Why would you want to see that thing?" Master Mingyu asked, puzzled. "Even if you want to see it, isn't it in the Daoist canon?"

Gu Zhao shook his head. "I don't want to look at those superficial concepts. I want to look at the Xuanlu calligraphy techniques and the formulas for preserving the spirit and circulating qi when writing the talismans."

Master Mingyu and Master Zhiqing's expressions changed simultaneously, and their gazes toward Gu Zhao turned scrutinizing.

It's not that I'm wary of him being a fraud or anything like that. Although the Vajra Mystic Talisman was a closely guarded secret of the orthodox righteous path in ancient times, in modern times it can basically be considered feudal superstition... a religious belief.

Even if they don't want to put it in public, it's perfectly fine for a fellow countryman who has also cultivated true Qi to see it.

What they were examining was...

"Do you really intend to write out the true Vajra Mystic Codex?" Master Mingyu asked with a chuckle.

Master Zhiqing chimed in, "That breathing technique is very awkward; you can't keep up with a single breath."

"I want to give it a try," Gu Zhao said with a smile.

"Let's give it a try." Without saying a word, Master Mingyu instructed the young Taoist priest next to him, "Go to the second floor of the Scripture Pavilion and bring over the latest revised edition of the 'Shangqing Cave Heaven Three-Five Vajra Mysterious Talisman'."

"Yes." The young Taoist bowed and accepted the order, glanced at Gu Zhao curiously, and then jogged away from the courtyard.

"Thank you, Daoist Master!" Gu Zhao bowed and expressed his gratitude.

"It's all a small matter." Master Mingyu waved his hand. "There aren't many people who can cultivate true qi these days. Let alone the Vajra Mystic Talisman, you can even read the 'Supreme Unity Dharma Text Scripture' without any problem."

Gu Zhao smiled and said, "I might really need to have more exchanges with the Taoist priest in the future."

Master Mingyu laughed and said, "I won't have many more days to communicate with you. In the future, I'll have Zhiqing communicate with you more, or you can ask Mingchong and Zhixiu to do it too."

Gu Zhao's eyes lit up, "Master Mingchong and Master Zhixiu..."

"They went out to preside over the initiation ceremony and are not at the Celestial Master's Mansion now." Master Mingyu nodded, then shook his head. "It's a pity that the Chang generation is useless. The only one who has achieved Qi Refining has gone abroad to study!"

Yun Yang, who was standing next to him, was also stunned. "Goed to study abroad?"

Master Zhiqing nodded. "He said that all the ghosts in the country have been caught by the seniors, so he wants to try his luck abroad."

Gu Zhao couldn't help but ask, "Where did you go?"

“Citibank,” Master Zhiqing replied.

"What are you studying?" Yun Yang asked.

“Of course it’s Western philosophy,” Master Zhiqing sighed. “He doesn’t have the ability to study science and engineering even if he wanted to!”

Gu Zhao looked at Yun Yang, "Aren't you envious?"

Yun Yang asked, puzzled, "What's there to envy?"

Gu Zhao teased, "A foreign woman, huh?"

Yun Yang collapsed in disbelief, "Screw you!"

The group exchanged laughter. Gu Zhao noticed the scissors, red paper, and artwork next to Daoist Mingyu and couldn't help but ask, "Daoist Master, do you like paper cutting?"

“I learned how to cut paper by watching my mother when I was little.” Master Mingyu picked up the scissors and red paper again. “When I was little, I cut paper-cuts for my family. When I grew up, I even sold them for money. Later, I became a disciple of the Celestial Master’s Mansion and also cut paper-cuts of gods and generals.”

“Every time I do paper cutting, it’s like going back to my childhood,” Master Mingyu said with a smile. “When people get old, they tend to miss the past.” Master Zhiqing nodded with a slight sense of sentiment, but Gu Zhao and Yun Yang did not have the same feeling.

"But I've heard that paper cutting has kept up with the times now." Master Mingyu broke the slightly somber atmosphere, picked up scissors and red paper, and made a few snips. "Do young people these days like this?"

Gu Zhao and Yun Yang looked up and saw a pointed head and egg-shaped eyes.

"Ultraman?"

"As you all know, it's definitely something young people like," Master Mingyu chuckled. "I've seen all the kids coming to the Celestial Master's Mansion carrying this and this..."

Snip, snip, snip—a few more snips of the scissors.

Looking at the lifelike silhouette in front of them, Gu Zhao and Yun Yang easily recognized the paper figure's identity: "Naruto Uzumaki."

"But the most famous one right now seems to be this one..."

"Nezha!"

Master Mingyu put down the scissors. "Finally, we have something of our own."

Yun Yang advised, "There will be more and more."

Master Mingyu nodded, then looked at Master Zhiqing, "If you have any new things in the future, remember to burn them for me."

Master Zhiqing sighed, "But we don't know how to do paper cutting either."

Master Mingyu snorted, "Who said I have to cut paper? Can't I burn a photo?"

Master Zhiqing nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, I'll burn the model along with it for you!"

“That’s right.” Master Mingyu was finally satisfied. “The rules passed down from our ancestors are that things only work when they are burned. Those things that are just photos or models are for the living to see. How are the people in the underworld supposed to see them?”

Everyone was speechless.

Just then, the young Taoist priest returned with a book and handed it to Gu Zhao.

Gu Zhao took it and saw that it was a modern edition with a cover featuring the scenery of Longhu Tianshan, and the title "Shangqing Dongtian Sanwu Jingang Xuanlu Yi" was marked in the upper left corner.

Upon opening it, I found that it was also a printed version, with large print that conformed to modern people's reading habits of reading from top to bottom and from left to right.

Master Zhiqing explained, "The original layout and text of the ancient book were very difficult to read. This was compiled and cross-checked by more than a dozen seniors, including Uncle Mingyu, and the final version was typed and formatted. There are absolutely no problems with the content."

Gu Zhao nodded repeatedly and carefully looked through the document.

Master Mingyu waved his hand, "Take it back and read it. I'll have them replace it with another copy. There are also other books in the Scripture Pavilion. You can go and take a look. Take whatever you want."

Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow and asked, "These are all secrets of the Celestial Master's Mansion. You really don't care at all?"

Master Mingyu waved his hand, "You're not an outsider."

Gu Zhao sincerely thanked him, "Thank you very much, Daoist Master."

"You're welcome." Master Mingyu had been talking for a long time and was also a little tired. Although he possessed true qi, it was too little and was now barely perceptible, making it difficult to resist his body and illness.

"Please feel free to wander around," said Daoist Mingyu. "We'll have someone prepare two rooms for you; you can stay here tonight."

Gu Zhao closed the book. "Can I stay a few more days?"

"Stay wherever you like, for as long as you like," Master Zhiqing said with a smile. "If you want to stay permanently, I'll prepare a private room for you in the backyard."

"No need, no need," Gu Zhao waved his hands repeatedly. "I'll just stay for a few days. I want to explore Longhu Tianshan properly."

Gu Zhao and Yun Yang bid farewell to Daoist Mingyu and left the courtyard. Daoist Zhiqing then called Changning over, saying, "You young people are easy to talk to. Let him accompany you for a stroll. We'll have dinner together tonight."

(End of this chapter)