Mythology Returns! Starting with Folklore and Strange Tales

Chapter 111 is here!

As the end point of all life, everyone wants to leave themselves a place to stand in the future.

The mortal world has become a battleground for all sides, and as a result, travelers can encounter various deities in silhouettes and receive all sorts of blessings, but rarely actually see them...

Come to think of it, I made this decision hastily, and I don't know what it was about this monkey that attracted that person's attention.

This teaching session can also be used as an opportunity to take a look around.

Thinking this to himself, "Master Yiming" stood up, bowed respectfully to the Three Pure Ones above his head, and then beckoned to Zhang Wei, saying, "Come with me!"

After turning a corner, the two arrived at a small room located on one side of the Sanqing Hall. Pushing open the door, Zhang Wei could see rows of bookshelves in the room through his prospective master's shoulder, each filled with books of different sizes and thicknesses.

"hiss!"

Looking at the room filled with at least a thousand books of various kinds, Zhang Wei couldn't help but gasp.

Is this really learning in the literal sense?

Of course, he doesn't hate studying; after all, if he weren't academically inclined, he wouldn't have gotten into university in the first place. But studying now is different from studying before. Back then, as long as you could pass the exams, that was enough. Now...

Turning around and looking at Zhang Wei, who was staring blankly into space, "Master Yiming" said, "What's wrong? Scared?"

"No, it's just that these things don't seem like they can be learned in a short time. I had a friend with me before I came in, but now we're separated, and I can't help him for a while. I'm worried something might happen to him!"

"It's alright!" Master Yiming said calmly, "The real drought will begin a year from now. If you learn well, we can leave this temple and go down the mountain to combine it with reality. We will encounter it then."

Ah!

Ok?

So you didn't just steal an identity and smuggle yourself into the world, you also reversed the timeline of the silhouette, right?

Any one of these three is outrageous enough on its own, but when these three are put together, it's safe to say that the identity of this prospective master is not evil, but are you sure you are the founder of the Shenxiao Sect?

Although Wang Wenqing and Lin Lingsu were very famous, according to Zhang Wei's understanding, these two were only the founders of a sect, not included in the Heavenly Court or the genealogy of gods.

While some of the later Shenxiao Ancestors may have been outstanding, it is unlikely that they could surpass the two founding ancestors.

Otherwise, the Shenxiao Sect, which once dominated the world during the Song and Yuan dynasties and rivaled Longhu Mountain, would not have been submerged in the long river of history, and in later generations, after the Qing dynasty, only Master Yiming remained as its sole heir.

So, not only the three mentioned above, but even the title of Shenxiao Patriarch was borrowed?

This unexpected meeting, while clearing up many of Zhang Wei's doubts, left him with even more questions that left his mind in turmoil.

Later, he walked into the study in a daze and watched "Master Yiming" walk back and forth in front of the bookshelves, using his magic to lift one book after another onto the altar in front of him: "Since you have already cultivated your magic power and laid a solid foundation, then we don't need to start from scratch."

"Today we'll start with the pantheon. These books are a compilation of the changes in the pantheon from the Qing Dynasty to the Han Dynasty. You should thoroughly understand them and memorize them so that you won't lose face if you encounter someone you don't recognize in the future."

"Once you've mastered the pantheon, then you can look into divination, talismans, martial arts, and medicine. Learning about two or three tenths of each of these arts will be enough for your temporary needs. The rest is just a matter of diligent practice."

You have no shortage of Dharma teachings. I will talk to you about various classics as I learn them later. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. As for the details, you don't need to know them. In this era of great change, where is there time for meditation and sitting in meditation? Ritual is even more useless to you.

So-called rituals are nothing more than reciting from a script, either paying respects to the ancestral master as usual at dawn and dusk, or maintaining relations with the gods in heaven so that it is convenient to ask for help when necessary.

The opening of the altar and the dissemination of the Dharma are nothing more than this.

However, during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the gods disappeared. Even some city gods and local deities had their underlings who, apart from serving as figureheads and doing odd jobs, were not as convenient as diligently practicing thunder magic when encountering evil spirits.

In the early years of the Song Dynasty, it was even more useless. If there was anything that could not be solved, just call me. For... cough, even if this poor Daoist did not come, your senior brother is also a kind-hearted person.

The real root lies in law and technique. Once you have enough skill to fight your way up, attain your rank, and live forever, if you still have the interest then, you can return to learn it.

The true teaching can be conveyed in a single sentence, while false teachings fill countless volumes.

This is the difference between having a teacher and not having one.

Why is it difficult to achieve success through unorthodox or unorthodox methods?

The elders in the sect didn't leave much of a legacy, so he could only piece together scraps from various inheritances, and even then, the gains were meager. Besides the fundamental techniques, he also had to find resources, forge magical artifacts, seek guidance from seniors, and verify his learning with others. Even if he took every step cautiously, he couldn't help but feel great regret in his later memories.

Having finally accumulated some knowledge, he thought of the hardships he had endured and worried that his apprentices and descendants would be unfilial. He just wanted to hold onto it until he was about to kick the bucket before teaching it to his students.

If they wait like this, some unexpected event might take them away prematurely, and the younger generation who didn't learn the key skills would have to repeat the path their predecessors took.

Even if the legacy is preserved, war, chaos, natural disasters, or man-made calamities can all severely damage it once again.

As the saying goes, "There are no poor people for three generations," and the same principle applies to the world of spiritual cultivation.

However, practitioners are more capable of withstanding risks and have a longer lifespan if there are no accidents, so it is not so easy for their lineage to be completely severed.

But throughout the long history books, how many traditions have been submerged and how many have been passed down?

Zhang Wei was unable to feel the pain of others.

He is now like a piece of iron ore that has just been mined from a vein, being hammered and polished to remove the dross and retain the essence.

During the day, he would memorize various deity names, clothing, and biographies in the library, with explanations interspersed throughout to help him understand them more quickly.

In the evening, the practical training class on magic techniques was held. From the Five Thunder Orthodox Method and the Yazi Method to the Eight Great Divine Incantations, various talismans and sword techniques were demonstrated one by one. As soon as they were mastered, they went straight into the practical teaching session.

By the time the sun was about to rise, Zhang Wei's blood-red robes were often full of holes, and he looked dusty and a bit heavier than he had been at night.

In other words, the golden disc in his hand was reforged into a precious mirror by Master Yiming on the spot. With the mirror facing the sun and the mirror facing the shadows, it not only gained new functions but also strengthened its original ability to absorb the essence of the sun and moon to nourish the body, which is why he did not suffer any hidden injuries.

Zhang Wei's quick wit and sharp mind were also one of the reasons why he was able to persevere through such a heavy workload.

Thus, the cold of winter and the heat of summer come and go, spring goes and autumn comes.

The one-year deadline at the Sanqing Hall is drawing ever closer...

One day, at noon.

Zhang Wei was sitting on the steps outside the library, engrossed in reading a volume of "Liu Ren" when he suddenly heard a commotion outside the small temple. The voices seemed to be searching for something, but the existence of the temple prompted them to put aside their business and come to visit.

He glanced back at the old Taoist priest sitting cross-legged in the room, resting with his eyes closed.

Seeing the other party nod slightly, Zhang Wei flashed to the temple gate with magical power flowing beneath his feet.

Before the stranger could knock, he opened the two slightly closed wooden doors.

Standing outside the door was a man of ordinary appearance, wearing a cotton-linen vest. Seeing the temple door suddenly open, he paused for a moment, then said with slight surprise, "Hey, hey? We came over before we even had a chance to knock, and you already noticed! Young Taoist priest, you're amazing!"