Dao Qi Wu Zang Guan Guan: I became a Daoist Master in the 1990s

Chapter 138 Entering the Five Viscera View
As Qi Yun's chanting ceased, his blood and energy lingered, yet he had already sheathed his sword.

He stepped over the mess and walked toward the villagers who were cowering in fear.

When the crowd saw him approaching, they were as if they had seen a ghost or a god, and they all retreated. Women and children were even more silent and wept, not daring to look directly at him.

He stood before the crowd, his gaze sweeping over their bewildered faces, his voice resonating like a bell.

"Fellow villagers, this matter is over, but we cannot stay here any longer."

If officers and soldiers are killed or wounded here, the imperial court will surely investigate, and you will all be implicated.

Quickly pack up the food and clothing, and take the old and the young with you to hide in the deep mountains for a while.

Though life in the mountains is harsh, there is still a chance of survival; staying here means certain death.

He paused, then said, "The world is what it is, and neither you nor I can change it. We only ask to survive, rather than die in vain."

An elderly man with white hair walked out shakily from the crowd, suddenly knelt down and kowtowed, tears streaming down his face: "Thank you so much, Taoist priest, for saving my life! If it weren't for you, my son would have been captured and sent to the army, and my family... would have been ruined!"

One word stirred up a thousand sorrows; the crowd behind him seemed to awaken from a dream, and they all knelt down, kowtowing repeatedly, their sobs rising everywhere:
"The Taoist priest is a living deity!"

"I am willing to erect a longevity tablet for the Taoist priest and burn incense for him every day!"

"The Taoist priest should take this bag of coarse bread with him on the road!"

Qi Yun shook his head slightly, but did not accept anything, only saying, "I understand your intentions, everyone please go quickly."

After saying this, he turned around, walked on the blood-stained path, and his figure gradually disappeared into the distance.

The crowd remained kneeling as they watched him go until his figure disappeared into the shadows of the hillside forest. Only then did they hurriedly rise, running around shouting and gathering their valuables and provisions. They helped the old and carried the young, and hastily fled into the deep mountains.

The old Taoist priest, Qiu Shangsongfeng, was already deeply moved by what he had seen. Upon seeing Qi Yun return, his face still showed admiration and he bowed deeply to the ground, saying, "Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable!"
The Taoist priest's actions today truly embody 'compassion in heart, thunder in hand'!
In the past, I only knew how to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune; today I finally understand what it means to 'relieve suffering and rescue from calamity'! I admire you! I admire you!

Qi Yun simply waved his hand, his expression unwavering: "Empty praise is useless. It's getting late, let's hurry."

The two then said no more and hurried north along the official road.

Although Songfeng was old, he seemed to be spurred on by Qiyun's momentum, and his pace quickened.

We traveled in silence, the only sound the wind passing by.

Song Feng's heart was surging like a tide as he repeatedly pondered Qi Yun's earlier words.

"Who has the right to assert that the survival of a nation is more important than the life and death of thousands of individuals?"

"This is using false righteousness to commit true evil!"

Each word was like a hammer blow, shattering the illusions that had bound him for years.

It turns out that the "dilemma" was nothing more than a cowardly excuse to submit to power.

The true path should be as clear and decisive as Qi Yun: cut down evil upon seeing it, save those in distress upon encountering them, and not shrink back or tolerate it because of its grand name!
His mind was racing with thoughts, and he couldn't help but ask, "Master Qi, there is still one thing I don't understand. If we follow your advice to kill evil on sight, wouldn't the corrupt government be making us enemies of the entire court?"

How can one person possibly contend with an entire nation?

Qi Yun continued walking, his eyes fixed ahead, his voice calm yet profound:
"It's not about directly shaking a country. Rather, you must understand that protecting one person is a merit, and saving a village is a virtue."

When one's understanding of the Way is still shallow, one should do small things; when one's understanding of the Way is profound, one can do profound things.

But one thought must not be lost—that is, not to associate with evil, and not to follow the powerful because of their strength.

He glanced at Songfeng.

"A spiritual practitioner holds their mind like a scale. What they weigh is good and evil, what they measure is cause and effect, not the size of power or influence."

I am killing these soldiers today not because they represent the court, but because they are committing evil.

If one day the emperor himself comes here to force the people to their deaths, I will also cut him down with my sword.

Even though Song Feng was a member of the Taoist sect, he was still shocked as if struck by lightning when he heard Qi Yun speak of killing the emperor in such a calm tone.

After a long pause, he murmured, "But wouldn't the karmic entanglements be enormous in this case?"

Qi Yun said calmly, "There are things to do and things not to do. If you do something, you will reap the consequences; if you don't, you will also reap the consequences. The only thing to do is to have a clear conscience."

The pine breeze was silent, yet my heart felt as clear as the moon emerging from the clouds.

All the confusion and hesitation of the past have now become clear.

Before they knew it, the sun was setting in the west, and the two had already arrived at the Qingfeng Mountain area.

In the distance, the mountains stretched endlessly, dark and inky, their peaks tinged with the glow of the setting sun, as if edged with gold. Clouds and mist rose from the mountains, swirling around the forests and valleys, and a profound and secluded atmosphere enveloped the viewer.

Weary birds return to the forest, their cries scattered, making the empty mountains seem even more desolate.

The pine breeze led the way, pointing to a barren slope ahead: "That is Baiyang Slope."

The slope was covered with wild grass and miscellaneous trees, and there were protruding rocks, but nothing particularly special about it.

Songfeng hurried a few steps and pointed to a slightly flat area: "Eighteen years ago, the Five Internal Organs Coffin Temple suddenly appeared here and then disappeared just as suddenly... like a dream."

Qi Yun's expression hardened, and he quickly stepped forward, bending down to examine the area closely.

The soil and stones were ordinary, the grass traces were natural, and there were no architectural remains or unusual remnants.

His brows furrowed more and more tightly.

His connection with the Five Viscera Temple was extremely profound. The stone boy with his name and face entered the temple and said, "Qiyun Gui Temple".

Is it all just to take his place in the cause and effect?

What exactly is hidden within that temple? Is it the continuation of the sect's legacy, or...?

The more he thought about it, the colder he felt, and his expression turned ashen.

Seeing this, Songfeng, fearing that his "old illness" would relapse, whispered a suggestion: "Master Qi, that temple seems to have a connection with the moonlight."

Why not wait until nightfall and see if any unusual phenomena occur?

Qi Yun nodded, and the two then retreated to the woods on the side of the slope to gather firewood and start a fire.

Songfeng took out some dry food cakes, heated them over a fire, and gave half to Qiyun.

After the two finished their meal in silence, Qi Yun suddenly asked, "Is there any record of Qingfeng Mountain in the county annals? Were there any Taoist temples or monasteries there in the past?"

Songfeng shook his head: "I consulted the county annals eighteen years ago after the incident, and there is no record of any Taoist temple in the past 120 years. This mountain has always been desolate and has no incense offerings."

Qi Yun's gaze sharpened.

Indeed, this was not the original site of the Five Organs Temple. The temple appeared abruptly due to some unforeseen event!

It was no coincidence that the stone boy happened to be nearby and was able to enter at that time!
"It has impersonated me and taken over my karma!" Qi Yun was secretly shocked. "The Five Internal Organs Observation that I was supposed to enter today was taken over by it eighteen years ago!"

"What do you want to take from the temple? Could it be... a jade slip containing an alchemy furnace?"

He suddenly stood up and said to Songfeng, "I'm going for a walk in the mountains to clear my mind and find some peace."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked into the deep forest.

The sun had already set, leaving only a faint crimson glow on the horizon, and the mountains and forests quickly darkened.

As Qi Yun strolled through the area, he saw ancient trees with gnarled roots, craggy rocks, and babbling brooks in the distance, which only accentuated the desolation of the surrounding wilderness.

He focused his mind, carefully sensing the flow of energy around him, but found nothing.

Unbeknownst to them, night fell, and a thick fog suddenly rose from the mountains, like milk or gauze, filling the forests and valleys, making it impossible to see anything more than a few steps away.

The fog was damp and cold, making clothes feel wet, and even the path underfoot gradually became blurred.

Qi Yun stood in the mist, his eyes shining like stars.

How similar this change is to his experience of entering the Five Viscera Observation in the Immortal Mountain?

(End of this chapter)