The story begins with the bride marrying off her daughter, and the woman, at the age of one hundred,

Beneath the Jade Terrace.

Chang Shou glanced around.

Bodhi Patriarch was sitting upright on the table.

He wore a plain white Taoist robe with cloud patterns, a lotus crown on his head, and a whisk in his hand. His hair and beard were all white, and he had a kind face and gentle eyes. He exuded an air of otherworldly elegance.

There were about thirty minor immortals on both sides, Taoists, monks and Confucian scholars gathered together, each with different appearances, different levels of cultivation and different styles.

Indeed:

The Greatly Enlightened Golden Immortal has no defiled form; the wondrous appearance of the Western Patriarch Bodhi. Neither born nor dying, practicing the Threefold Path; possessing complete Qi and complete Spirit, infinitely compassionate.

The Monkey King was already standing to the side.

Chang Shou was the only one left in the audience.

He bowed down, kneeling on both knees and kowtowing.

"Chang Shou, a native of Tao Village in the Great Qin Dynasty of the Southern Continent, pays homage to the Ancestral Master, wishing the Ancestral Master boundless blessings and longevity."

Chang Shou introduced himself, and his attitude was appropriate.

On the Jade Platform, the Patriarch nodded slightly and spoke:

"I have already learned about your matter from that talkative monkey. I have twelve characters for naming my disciples: Great Wisdom, True Nature, and Perfect Enlightenment. The monkey is the tenth generation."

Logically speaking, you should be given the name Wu (悟).

"But all my disciples have attained immortality under my tutelage, inheriting my lineage to varying degrees. You, however, came to my sect with pre-existing skills and cultivated into a ghost immortal outside the cave, acquiring only a minor path. Therefore, I cannot directly accept you as my disciple."

That's all for now.

Bodhi Patriarch paused deliberately.

Let's watch the slovenly old immortal's reaction from below the stage.

Chang Shou was initially flustered, but quickly regained his composure.

Firstly, he accurately grasped the key words and understood the implied meaning: he couldn't directly accept a disciple, but there was still an indirect way. He believed that Bodhi Patriarch's order for the monkey to call him in wasn't simply to reject him; that would be too undignified and completely unnecessary. He could just not open the door directly; why go to the trouble of adding unnecessary steps?

Secondly, after the moral test he underwent in front of the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars when he achieved the status of a Ghost Immortal, he gained more insights and a deeper understanding of the concept of "what I gain is my fortune, what I lose is my fate." Although he hoped to become Subhuti's disciple, he would not force it if it was not possible, and he had become somewhat indifferent to such matters.

Why create unnecessary troubles?

Ultimately, even after two lifetimes, he was still just an ordinary old man in the mortal world. He started cultivating much later than his fellow cultivators, and it was already a stroke of luck that he was able to become a ghost immortal when his life was hanging by a thread.

Changshou was able to maintain his original mind.

Bodhi Patriarch nodded, somewhat satisfied.

Several fairies on either side also looked on with admiration.

The Monkey King, who had been worried about Old Man Chang, breathed a sigh of relief and then grinned, showing his teeth, knowing that the old man had passed the test.

It was as if to confirm what the Monkey King had in mind.

On the Jade Terrace, Patriarch Bodhi spoke again.

"However, since you attained enlightenment on Fangcun Mountain, we have some connection, so I cannot turn you away. My cave is still lacking a guardian for the scripture pavilion. If you do not mind, you can temporarily serve as a steward in the cave, cleaning, tidying, and managing the scripture pavilion for me."

I will give a short lecture once a month and a long lecture in the middle of each quarter. As your steward, you may attend the long lecture each quarter. At other times, as long as you manage the library well, you can arrange your own time.

The voice just fell.

Changshou performed the grand shrine worship ceremony again.

"Thank you for your compassion, Master. I am willing to serve as the steward of the scripture hall."

He spoke these words with genuine feeling, without the slightest sense of grievance.

Bodhi Patriarch smiled slightly.

"Now that you have entered my cave, you shall have a different name."

Your secular name is Changshou, so I bestow upon you the name Changshou. May you diligently cultivate yourself in the future, achieve your wishes, live a long and healthy life, and enjoy peace and tranquility amidst nature.

Changshou made his third grand pilgrimage.

"This junior thanks the ancestor for bestowing this name upon me."

The words were spoken.

He slowly got up.

Bowing and paying respects to the patriarch.

"Changshou pays respects to the Cave Master."

The first three times are for juniors.

This time it was a subordinate's greeting.

---

This matter is settled.

Bodhi Patriarch ordered his disciples to take the monkey and Changshou to settle them down, while he disappeared silently and returned to his residence.

The immortals filed out.

Changshou and the monkey followed them out.

On the corridor, the immortals reacted in different ways.

Some looked disgusted, while others didn't even glance at Changshou and the monkey before hurrying away.

He nodded to Changshou and the monkey from a distance, as if to say hello, and then walked away.

Some smiled gently at Changshou and the monkey.

People with long life become mature with age.

Monkeys are more cunning.

They observed silently, and through the reactions of the immortals, they initially narrowed down the scope, clarifying who was easy to get along with, who was difficult to get along with, who was worth befriending, and who was not worth the trouble.

I plan to test the waters gradually in the future.

In the end, only a middle-aged Taoist priest with graying temples remained in the corridor. He was dressed in a blue robe, with ordinary features but an exceptionally outstanding temperament, and his posture was as upright as a green bamboo standing proudly in the wind.

They walked up to a monkey and a person.

The middle-aged Taoist bowed and said:

"I am Zhen Li, a disciple of the Ancestral Master. I will now lead you down to settle in. I hope you will quickly familiarize yourselves with the rules of the cave and the affairs of the mountain."

Changshou and the monkey returned Zhenli's greeting and left with him. Along the way, the two and the monkey talked as they went.

The monkey talks a lot, mainly because he's asking questions.

Chang Shou listened attentively, occasionally interjecting a few words.

Zhen Li was fairly friendly to them, and through their conversations, Chang Shou learned some information.

For example, the cycle of the sexagenary cycle brings about a renewal of all things.

The twelve disciples designated by the patriarch are divided into generations, each lasting five years, and the cycle continues until all twelve characters are used, which corresponds to a full cycle of sixty years.

At that time, the patriarch may start another round.

For example, the patriarch taught without discrimination.

Although the majority of his disciples were human, there were also disciples who came from the backgrounds of birds, beasts, flowers, insects, and fish. Zhen Li frankly admitted that he himself was an anomaly who had attained enlightenment.

Therefore, he was not prejudiced against monkeys.

For example, Zhen Li is the last disciple of the Zhen generation. The disciples of the same generation have already graduated and left the mountain. He is the disciple with the highest seniority in the cave and has been a disciple for more than 20 years.

Soon, they arrived at a cluster of houses.

This is the disciples' residence.

Each residence is a neat little courtyard.

Square and rectangular, with blue bricks and gray tiles, it exudes a sense of vitality.

From then on, the monkeys lived here.

The monkey, who had already been given the name Sun Wukong by his ancestor, happily moved into a courtyard with peach trees.

Only Zhenli and Changshou remained to continue their journey.

---

Walk through several corridors.

It will be open to the public after a few months.

The surrounding environment became increasingly quiet and peaceful.

Along the way, many pine, cypress and bamboo trees were planted, and many exotic flowers and plants were planted among the pine forests and bamboo seas. A cool stream flowed by.

Occasionally, the figures of strange beasts and mythical birds would appear.

They either live in groups or in solitude.

Changshou saw two chubby bamboo rats taking a walk with their babies.

Passing through a bamboo forest, a courtyard comes into view, but even more eye-catching is a building with carved beams and painted rafters.

Seeing that Chang Shou's gaze was drawn to the scripture tower, Zhen Li patiently explained in a gentle voice:

"Fellow Daoist Changshou, ahead are the pavilion and the scripture tower. The pavilion is square on all four sides, while the scripture tower is circular, symbolizing the ancient Chinese concept of a round heaven and a square earth..."

We must truly understand and explain as we go.

Chang Shou listened as he walked, nodding occasionally to indicate that he understood.

After crossing the arched bridge, Changshou could see more clearly.

The three large characters of "[Scripture Pavilion]" are vigorous and powerful.

Seeing Changshou pause, Zhenli said proudly:

"This was written by Confucius, the sage of Confucianism."

In the past, the patriarch transformed into Guiguzi and traveled to Jambudvipa, where he encountered Confucius and obtained his handwritten letter.

It is said that the inscriptions by Confucius contain the Confucian teachings. In the past, a fellow student studied the calligraphy here and practiced it for more than 30 years. He finally gained something and cultivated a noble and righteous spirit.

After completing his apprenticeship, this senior brother lived in seclusion in the mountains, remaining unknown. However, his disciple, whom Fellow Daoist Changshou should have heard of, was revered as a sage by Confucian disciples and called Mencius.

Chang Shou was startled.

He never expected that these three words had such a significant origin, involving several stories. But considering that this place was the Bodhi Patriarch's sacred site, he immediately felt it was only natural.

However, he was not a Confucian disciple and did not cultivate a righteous spirit.

The breathing techniques and water control skills given to him by his granddaughter's husband, the Dragon King of Qinghe, are clearly Taoist. After he became a ghost immortal, he had already established a Taoist foundation.

Although Confucius's inscription is excellent, it is of little use to him at present.

I am just a little fairy.

Limited natural talent, mediocre start.

Unable to achieve the unity of the three teachings like the patriarch.

You can not have it both ways.

What is honey to one is poison to another.

Distracted thinking leads to trying to do too much at once and ultimately achieving nothing.

Seeing that Chang Shou regained his composure in a moment and looked at the three words "Scripture Pavilion" with a more ordinary expression, Zhen Li couldn't help but look at him with higher regard.

He realized that his performance was far inferior to that of the old immortal in front of him, and he was stunned for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before he came to his senses and figured out the key to it.

No wonder this old man was able to survive a near-death experience.

Changshou was unaware of the true meaning of heartbreak.

Entering the courtyard, we approached the scripture building.

He saw it more clearly.