How can one cultivate immortality without learning modern knowledge?

Chapter 148 Huangye Temple gave a prophetic inscription: Far West

"Yes! Yesterday, I went to Huangye Temple and received a petition with two characters on it. Brother Zhou, please take a look!" He gently stretched out his hand, and a green leaf appeared in his palm.

Green leaves, the most common mulberry leaves.

It's the kind of mulberry leaf that you can see everywhere outside Huangyeguan.

The mulberry leaf has countless tiny holes, which are from insects gnawing at it.

The tiny holes gnawed out by the insects formed two indistinct characters —

"The far west!" Zhou Wenju said.

"Yes, the far west!" Cui Wusheng said, "This is the inscription at Huangye Temple, which tells me that if I want to resolve my inner turmoil, I must travel to the far west."

"Brother Cui—where does the road to the far west end?" Zhou Wenju stared at the leaf for a long time.

This world has a premonition.

From his perspective, he shouldn't have believed in these superstitious things.

However, he couldn't help but believe in this world.

Because this world has the law of cause and effect, and above the Heavenly Dao is the causal compass, the power to comprehend cause and effect is to predict human affairs.

"As a son, I am deeply grateful for my mother's love. For her sake, you have traveled to the far west. I can only wish you, Brother Cui, all the best!"

"Today was supposed to be a day for the three gentlemen to visit and catch up, but instead, I've troubled you all with my worries. It's truly inexcusable!" Cui Wusheng smiled broadly. "How about we change the subject?"

The three of them laughed at the same time.

I felt more relaxed in the pavilion.

Cui Wusheng's gaze fell on Zhou Wenju's face: "Brother Zhou, at the Qingshan Literary Gathering that day, everyone present heard your wonderful piece that opened the way with the seven notes, but I was the only one who had not heard it. I wonder if Brother Zhou would be willing to grant me this wish when we part?"

"Of course!"

Zhou Wen raised his hand slightly, and a bamboo flute appeared in his hand.

Hold the flute to your lips and gently blow—

A melodious sound emanated from Tingyuxuan and spread outwards.

The rain and mist dissipated, soaring straight into the sky. Above the sky, the scene that once appeared in the green mountains was once again presented to the world in Luoyang!

An ancient border town.

The desolate landscape beyond the Great Wall.

A lone figure, holding a flute, walks away into the distance.

The two maids in the pavilion suddenly opened their eyes wide.

In the backyard of the abandoned house, Cui's mother, sitting on the edge of the bed, trembled violently. She rushed to the window, her face filled with infatuation, her heart in turmoil. It was as if she had stepped back thirty-one years, watching her beloved, her son's father, embark on his journey westward—

The restaurant suddenly fell silent.

Several courtesans in the brothel, who were playing their instruments halfway through, suddenly stopped playing.

Everyone wore an incredulous expression as they listened to the unforgettable, soul-stirring music that had never been heard before bursting through the window, and watched the lone traveler walking away step by step in the desolate borderland.

In Lin Shuiyao's room, the beautiful woman, who had been lying lazily on the bed, suddenly stepped to the window. A gentle breeze carried the raindrops in, and she stood by the window shrouded in rain and mist, half of her face looking dreamlike.

Lin Shuiyao, standing behind her, stared in astonishment at the red pavilion a hundred meters away, and at the person playing the flute inside.

He can even play the flute!

His flute playing was so magical that even though she was in Zuihuayin, the most decadent and extravagant place in the capital, she had never heard such music before.

Every twist and turn was so thrilling.

Every note is so beautiful.

Why?

Why is that?

Why is every step he takes after leaving her so stunning?

The young lady sighed softly, "A single flute melody paints such a stunning imagery in the heavens—is this the charm of the Seven Musical Path?"

The heavens left their mark; it was the ultimate extraordinary phenomenon of literature and the Way.

It represents the ultimate perfection of this art.

On that day, Zhou Wenju composed a poem, "Qing Yu An," in Luoyang, leaving behind a celestial marketplace in the sky, allowing tens of millions of people in Luoyang to witness this magnificent literary spectacle for the first time in their lives.

Based on this poem, Cui Wusheng created the music "Qing Yu An". His greatest dream was to leave a celestial marketplace in the sky when the music was played. Unfortunately, he was poisoned at the last moment and collapsed, and his "Qing Yu An" died in the womb.

Now, he can no longer capture the image of "Qing Yu An" in the sky.

Why?

Because the boundaries of the Way of Joy have been broken.

It rose from five notes to seven notes.

His pinnacle in the five-tone era could no longer be described as "perfect and flawless" in the seven-tone era.

In this era of seven-tone music, Zhou Wenju effortlessly and flawlessly performed "The Shadow of the Sky" with just a bamboo flute.

This also caused immense turmoil within the heart of the legendary "Miss" of Drunken Flower Shade, located upstairs—

A maidservant nearby asked, "Miss, does music have seven notes? Isn't it five?"

"Yes, since the Sage of Music established the Way of Music, the five tones have almost become synonymous with the Way of Music. However, there is just one genius who has emerged out of nowhere, pushing the Way of Music from the five to the seven tones—such a genius, so amazing, truly breathtaking!"

Her gaze suddenly fell.

On the street below, a small green felt sedan chair travels through the rain.

On the sedan chair, there was a blue wooden plaque.

"The Prime Minister's residence!" The young lady sighed softly. "Even the fourth young lady of the Prime Minister's residence, who claims to have 'lived for music,' can't bear to miss the gathering of two great masters of music, 'The Abandoned Sounds'?"

She was wrong about one thing after all.

The person sitting in the green felt sedan chair was not the fourth young lady of the Prime Minister's residence, but the seventh princess of the imperial dynasty.

"Stop! Stop!" the seventh princess whispered.

The sedan chair carriers stopped.

The Seventh Princess gently lifted the sedan curtain, her gaze piercing through the boundless mist and rain to the red pavilion, trying to catch the sound of a flute emanating from within.

Her face was flushed.

Her eyes were filled with fascination.

"Your Highness, this servant thinks—this servant still thinks that Your Highness should not have come out," said Xiao Suotou.

"Shouldn't I have done that?" The princess glared at her. "This is the most proper thing I've done all year. How could I have heard such a wonderful tune from the Prince Consort if I hadn't left the palace?"

Prince Consort —

OMG----

Little Lockhead nearly banged his head against the wall, but his fear outweighed his urge to complain: "Your Highness, we're already out here, let's just take one look and leave, please don't do anything too outrageous—"

"Don't worry! We're carrying the title of the Prime Minister's daughter. If anything goes wrong, we'll let that pitiful little wench take the blame!" The princess said, "Little Lockhead, aren't you impressed by my cleverness?"

God is my witness, the little padlock nodded in agreement.

Does nodding mean approval?

fart!

Nodding is to avoid getting punished.

Her inner emotions were flowing freely at that moment—

Princess, I truly admire you. How can a princess be so shameless?

I admire myself, I admire my own luck! Following someone like you for so many years, and still not having sunk to the bottom of a well, that's truly remarkable.

The flute music drifted hundreds of feet away, sweeping across the brothels and restaurants on the side of Mirror Lake.

Those who heard it were all drunk.

Cui Wusheng, who was in the Red Pavilion, also felt a sense of intoxication.

The music faded away.

The wind and rain in the Red Pavilion seemed to have rushed to the frontier with this melody.

Until the flute music stopped, the brief respite from the wind and rain enveloped Tingyuxuan once again.

Chung-hachi sighed softly: "The Seven-Tone Melody is truly wondrous. This gateway to the Way of Music is so captivating that one lingers there, reluctant to leave!"

Brother Zhou, what is the name of this piece?

"Yangguan Sandie!"

"Yangguan Sandie, I really saw the scenery beyond the Great Wall, just like my journey to the west," Cui Wusheng said.

"Therefore, our meeting today at Tingyu Pavilion is our way of bidding farewell to Brother Cui!"

"There should be wine here!" Cui Wusheng raised his hand, took the pot, and poured a cup for each of the three men: "Since we are on our journey westward and do not know when we will return, let us have a cup of wine at Tingyuxuan! I would like to offer a toast to the three of you brothers."

The three of them raised their glasses.

Zhongba chuckled softly, "Since Brother Cui has already recited a poem, shouldn't our master of poetry, Brother Zhou, also join in with a couple of lines?"

Zhou Wenju laughed and said, "Brother Zhong, I've already played a tune, isn't it your turn now? How about you recite a poem?"

Zhongba chuckled softly: "Brother Zhou, are you aware that there's been a saying circulating in the literary circles of the capital lately, that you, Brother Zhou, have exhausted all your literary talent at the Qingshan Literary Society, and are now at the end of your rope, a man at the end of your rope. Therefore, I believe that—Brother Zhou, you should set the record straight with a poem!"

Zhou Wenju was slightly taken aback.

Cui Wusheng shook his head and sighed: "Since ancient times, scholars have been belittling each other. Before Brother Zhou participated in the Qingshan Literary Gathering, some people kept saying that Brother Zhou had not yet grasped the essence of literature and that his foundation was ultimately shallow. Now that he has performed so amazingly at the Qingshan Literary Gathering, such a statement has emerged. They really will stop at nothing to belittle Brother Zhou."

Zhongba said, "Deliberately belittling and stirring up trouble is certainly a common tactic they use, but the angle they chose to belittle this time is quite ingenious. Do you two know that the angle they chose is—a poem from Huangye Temple?"

"A visit to Huangye Temple?" Zhou Wenju frowned, then heard Huangye Temple again—

"This proclamation was actually initiated by His Majesty—" Chunghachi lowered his voice, sounding rather mysterious.

Zhou Wenju and Cui Wusheng were both startled.

Huangyeguan itself is synonymous with mystery.

The appearance of His Majesty behind the mysterious Yellow Leaf Temple was enough to stir up everyone's emotions.

Chung-hachi added, "After the Qingshan Literary Gathering departed that day, His Majesty was still worried and ordered my Lord Siming to personally go to Huangye Temple to inquire about the outcome of the Qingshan Literary Gathering. Huangye Temple granted me a memorial, consisting of four lines: 'Seeking change on the high platform, inquiring about the great classics; this life's final song sighs at the fleeting clouds; a clear melody shakes heaven and earth; the battlefield is not merely about weapons.'"

Xin Shisan continued: "The main tone of this proclamation is not optimistic. His Majesty was disheartened upon receiving this proclamation brought back by the Chief of the Bureau, and locked himself in his study, unable to sleep all night."

Cui Wusheng was suddenly startled: "There's a hidden meaning in this verse!"

"Brother Cui, you've realized that?" Zhongba asked.

Cui Wusheng said, "Seeking change on the high platform and inquiring about the great classic, this must refer to the first debate on the Dao, where Master Xiang Bo debated the *Tao Te Ching*. The key to his victory was the transformation of the *Tao Te Ching*. The second line, 'This life's masterpiece sighs at the fleeting clouds,' refers to the master painter Wu Tianliang, who sacrificed himself for the Dao, leaving behind his masterpiece. The third line, 'A clear melody shakes heaven and earth,' refers to Brother Zhou's creation of the Seven Sounds Era. The fourth line, 'The battlefield is not just about weapons,' refers to Brother Zhou's poetry. On the battlefield, they fought not with weapons, but with war poems! These four lines actually describe the four victories of our Great Yu Kingdom, without the slightest discrepancy!"

Zhou Wenju's heart pounded.

You can say Huangye Temple is all hype and gimmicks, but you can't say it's completely devoid of substance.

All four lines of verse came true.

The person seeking an audience does not understand at first.

Even if he knew these four verses beforehand, he was unlikely to understand their specific meaning. Only after the results came out and were verified could you know how incredibly accurate Huangye Guan's verses were.

The Way of Cause and Effect, Predicting Fate —

What a magnificent ancient Taoist sect, the Heavenly Secrets Sect!

Cui Wusheng said, "Brother Zhong said that the literary circles in the capital are targeting Brother Zhou. Is this related to this eulogy?"

"Exactly!" Zhongba said, "There's a saying in literary circles: 'This life's masterpiece is but a fleeting cloud,' which perfectly describes Brother Zhou. Brother Zhou's rise to prominence is like a miracle, and his performance at the Qingshan Literary Gathering is indeed his masterpiece! Afterwards, he will surely fade away!"

"Nonsense! 'The final song of this life is but a fleeting cloud' clearly refers to Wu Tianliang, yet you've misrepresented it to Brother Zhou. Your intentions are despicable!" Cui Wusheng roared in anger.

Xin Shisan sighed, "Who can say otherwise? You and I both know this, and the people who fabricated the rumors must know it too. But in order to suppress Brother Zhou and break his momentum, they resorted to this kind of trickery."

Break through the momentum!

This word is mysterious.

Zhou Wenju met at Qingshan, and his literary fame soared to its zenith.

A literary reputation may seem intangible, but sometimes it is real.

Seeing his promising future, powerful forces will try to recruit him and get close to him. Once they get close, his strength will increase significantly. This is the real benefit that "power" brings.

Those people couldn't deal with him directly.

Use these rumors to break his momentum.

Let those powerful figures and influential people who have a favorable impression of him stop in their tracks!

This is the effect that rumors can have.

Zhongba let out a soft sigh: "So, Brother Zhou, today you really will have to use a seven-colored poem to shatter this rumor!"

Zhou Wenju slowly raised his gaze: "Brother Zhong, your intentions are truly admirable! In that case, I will use the imagery of 'Yangguan Sandie' to write a poem, a farewell poem for Brother Cui on his journey west!"

Holding the precious brush, spreading out the gold paper, he wrote down ————

"Farewell to Cui Wusheng on his westward journey: The morning rain in Luoyang dampens the light dust, the guest house is green with fresh willow leaves—"

A ray of colorful light blooms at the tip of the pen.

Everyone's eyes lit up at the same time —

Before the poem was finished, colorful light appeared!

In the realm of poetry, has such a thing ever happened before? As long as the rest doesn't fall apart, a magnificent and colorful poem is guaranteed!

If he opens the Daohai Pass again, he can use his actions to shatter the rumors that have spread throughout the city overnight.

The Qingshan Literary Gathering was not Zhou Wenju's final masterpiece!

It was just a brand new beginning on his literary journey!

This is the shared wish of Chung-pa, Shin-ssan, and Choi Oh-seong at this moment.

As Zhou Wenju's precious brush fell to the ground, the last two lines of poetry leaped onto the paper—

"I urge you to drink another cup of wine, for beyond Yangguan Pass you will find no old friends!"

The last two lines were spoken.

Chung-hachi's eyes lit up —

So wonderful?

It far exceeded his expectations!

Seven colors, without a doubt!

This was his prediction as a top-notch writer.

However, the scene unfolded unexpectedly—

The seven-colored light in Tingyu Pavilion was mesmerizing, completely different from ordinary seven-colored lights.

The next moment, a soft buzzing sound!

The sky was filled with a blue light!