Don't farm, cultivate immortality!

"Please speak, Taoist priest."

"Before the end of this year, you must cultivate true Qi, and then participate in the Bai Sui disciples' kowtow ceremony at the beginning of next year."

Master Qingxu put away his whisk and touched the white tassels on Zhuang Xing and Yunling's sleeves.

“Ordinary Bai Sui disciples need three to five years of training to break through their own acupoints and cultivate true Qi. But you two already have innate Qi, and all your acupoints are opened up by innate Qi. If you practice diligently, three months should be enough.”

I thought it would be some difficult request, but it turned out to be just this.

Zhuang Xing could actually let his true qi circulate right now and show it to Daoist Qingxuzi.

However, while true qi was simple, he had no idea what the so-called kowtow ceremony of the Bai Sui disciples was.

If you don't know, just ask.

"Master, what is required during the kowtow ceremony?"

Master Qingxuzi said, "After the kowtow ceremony, you will be assigned to different schools."

Qingxuzi briefly introduced the several schools within Xuanqing Temple. In addition to the basic swordsmanship and magic that every disciple had to learn, Bai Sui disciples also had to undergo targeted learning before becoming Qing Sui disciples.

The different schools teach different things, but basically, they divide Bai Sui's disciples into several schools such as the Sword Arts School, the Magic School, and the Pharmacist School, based on their demonstrated talents and their own wishes.

Zhuang Xing immediately understood; this was just like filling out college application forms.

The kowtow ceremony is actually an exam. Before the exam, you fill out your application. If you score high enough, you'll be admitted. If not, they'll check your second and third choices one by one. If you can't get into any of the schools, you'll have to train for another year and wait for the next White Rice Disciple Kowtow Ceremony before you can become a Green Rice Prospective Disciple.

Zhuang Xing hadn't expected Xuanqing Temple's teaching system to be so complete. Sure enough, any useful system would be figured out by someone.

"I understand, Daoist Master, we will try our best," Zhuang Xing said.

"Good child." The old Taoist smiled. "Go and rest. There will be no more accidents tonight."

"Yunling, you should go and rest first," Zhuang Xing said.

"Aren't you going?" Yunling asked.

"Actually, I didn't get up because of the clam's breath," Zhuang Xing said, scratching his head.

"If it's not because of the clam's energy... then what is it?" Yunling wondered for a moment, then suddenly understood, and lowered her head. "Yes, I understand. You can go now."

Zhuang Xing chuckled twice, ran to the grove where the Taoist priests had been gathering firewood during the day, unbuckled his belt, and gave a shiver.

How wonderful!

...

The night was peaceful, and in the early morning, a pleasant fragrance woke Zhuang Xing.

He rubbed his eyes and looked towards the campfire.

The portly Taoist priest was making pancakes with a spatula in hand. A large flame was burning beneath the pan, and wisps of smoke drifted into the sky.

On the edge of the large wood-fired wok, glutinous rice cakes were being fried, each filled with red beans and smoked meat, sizzling as they were grilled in clear oil.

The aroma of roasted rice mixed with the saltiness of smoked meat wafts out, making one's mouth water.

Zhuang Xing agreed with what the fat Taoist priest said, that eating was a very important thing.

He immediately got up from the carriage, grabbed a towel and a brush, and went to the river to wash up in the morning.

Once all the pancakes were cooked, the Taoist priests began packing up, leading the horses back and tying them to the front of the carriage.

Zhuang Xing was given a hot pancake wrapped in reed leaves. He and Yunling sat on the side of the carriage, holding the pancake and taking a bite.

It's very crispy when you bite into it, with the glutinous rice on the outside fried into a crispy crust, while the inside is soft. The texture is a bit like a roasted rice dumpling, leaving a lingering fragrance on your lips and teeth.

After traveling for a while, the Taoist priest driving the horse in front suddenly started singing a folk song. It seemed to be the priest's hometown dialect, which was a bit difficult to understand.

But being a practitioner, his breath was long and deep, and his singing voice possessed extraordinary power.

As the long, drawn-out song played, Zhuang Xing looked up at the sky and saw a flock of geese flying by in a V-formation.

He thought to himself that his father and mother should be up by now.

The fields at home have all been harvested, so Dad won't need to work in the fields this autumn.

Father is probably keeping Mother company while she makes tofu, or maybe she's not doing anything at all; the two of them are just sitting together thinking about their son.

Sitting in the swaying carriage, Zhuang Xing felt himself getting further and further away from his home.

Because the weather was nice and the road conditions were good, they arrived at another village at dusk that day.

The village chief knew the Taoist priests were coming and had prepared a place for them to rest.

Just like in Zhuangxing Village back then, the Taoist priests stayed here for two days, and a few more children joined them on the carriage.

They traveled on, stopping and starting, for twelve days.

After crossing a small slope, Zhuang Xing suddenly saw the mountain gate of the green mountain.

Below the mountain gate stands a plaque that reads "Qingxuan Mountain".

The steps of bluestone, like a ladder to heaven, stretch towards the mountaintop, with no end in sight.

At the foot of the mountain, there was not nothing but a small town. Taoist priests in robes and the local residents came and went, making it quite lively.

Master Qingxuzi let out a breath, seemingly much more relaxed.

"This is it." The old Taoist pointed to the green mountain. "Xuanqing Temple is located on Qingxuan Mountain."

The Taoist priests led their horses, and someone came to greet them. Finally, they arrived at their destination.

Chapter 61 Old Friends

The town at the foot of the mountain is small, but it is well-maintained and beautiful. The ground is paved with stone bricks covered with green moss, and all you can see are stone houses with blue bricks and green tiles.

"Children, come down, we've arrived," said Master Qingxuzi. "Remember to take your things down, don't leave them on the carriage."

Zhuang Xing picked up his wooden box and, together with Yunling, lined up to get off the carriage.

Upon arriving in the town, a Taoist priest came over and led away the horses.

The town entrance is located at the stables, where there are many horses, and even foals that have been bred.

The Taoist priests forked the fodder into the stone trough, and the horses, which had traveled a long way, lowered their heads and began to chew.

Zhuang Xing followed the group to an inn at the entrance of the village. This inn seemed to be specially prepared for Taoists, as there were Taoists coming and going.

Many people greet Master Qingxuzi by calling him "Uncle-Master" or "Master".

"Lingwei, take the children to their rooms to rest first. We'll go up the mountain tomorrow morning."

"Yes."

Master Lingwei invited the children to rest in their rooms. The boys and girls separated and went to different rooms.

Zhuangxing was already very familiar with this process. Whenever they stopped in the village to rest, they would sleep in the large communal room like this.

But the rooms they slept in today were different. Unlike the temporary resting places in the village, there were only four people in one room today, and each person had a separate bamboo bed.

A Taoist priest, whom no one knew, entered the room and measured the height and waist length of each of them with a rope ruler.

"Are you Zhuang Xing?" the Taoist priest asked softly when it was Zhuang Xing's turn.

"Yes." Zhuang Xing nodded.

"Zhu He...is your mother?" the Taoist priest asked in a low voice.

Zhuang Xing looked up and examined the Taoist priest. The priest looked about the same age as Zhuang Xing's father. He wore a hair crown, had a sword at his waist, and was dressed in a gray Taoist robe. A red tassel was tied to the hilt of his sword. He was of the same rank as the fat Taoist priest who cooked.

Zhuang Xing thought that the news of his extraordinary talent had been leaked, which was why the Taoist priest had come to ask him about it. He never expected that the Taoist priest would reveal his mother's name.

"Does the Taoist priest know my mother?" Zhuang Xing asked.

"Your mother used to help serve meals in the cafeteria, and sometimes she swept the yard. That's how I got to know her..."

As the Taoist priest spoke, a look of nostalgia appeared in his eyes.

My mother has been working odd jobs on the mountain for more than ten years, how can this Taoist priest remember things from more than ten years ago so clearly?

Zhuang Xing thought to himself, "So my mother has such a past. At that time, my mother and this Taoist priest must have been only a little over ten years old, right?"

However, although the Taoist priest claimed to know her, Zhuang Xing felt that he and his mother probably hadn't exchanged more than a few words.

Over the years, Zhuang Xing had hardly heard his mother talk to him about anything on the mountain. Even when she was leaving, she only told him that he could go to Master Qingxu if he needed anything, without mentioning that she had an old friend on the mountain.

But the Taoist priest seemed to still remember the girl who used to bring him food. He patted Zhuang Xing's head and asked, "How is Zhu He...?"

"My mother is doing very well. Before I left, my father and mother even said they wanted to give me another brother or sister," Zhuang Xing said in a childlike tone.

The Taoist priest paused for a moment after hearing Zhuang Xing's words, then smiled with relief.

"Alright."

The Taoist priest then measured Zhuang Xing's height. He didn't seem to have much regret, after all, it had been more than ten years. He probably just heard that the girl even had a child, so he came to take a look.

He may not miss his mother, but rather that fleeting moment of beauty that has passed through his life.

Perhaps one evening more than a decade ago, when he was being punished by his master and not allowed to eat, a girl named Zhu He left him a pancake.

As he ate the pancake and watched the girl diligently washing the dishes and sweeping the floor, all his gloom from the day vanished.

“My name is Linghui,” the Taoist priest suddenly said. “Your mother and I are old acquaintances. If you encounter any difficulties on the mountain, you can come to me.”

“Yes, Master Linghui,” Zhuang Xing replied.

The Taoist priest patted Zhuang Xing's head one last time before leaving.

Despite being just sitting in a carriage, Zhuang Xing felt very tired after the long journey.

The roads in the suburbs were uneven to begin with, and the carriage jolted so much that my backside felt like it wasn't even mine anymore, as if I had been shaken into eight pieces.

After putting his things away, he lay down on the bed to rest.

The Taoist priest said that hot water would be available later, and that he would arrange for them to take a bath then.

In the evening, Master Linghui called them out for dinner.

Each child with a white tassel tied to their sleeve received two new outfits.

They were wearing plain white practice clothes. No wonder we measured their height earlier; it was to choose suitable clothes.

In addition to their training clothes, they were also given a wooden sword.

Unlike the wooden sword that his father carved from wood, this wooden sword, although made of wood, was quite heavy in the hand. Zhuang Xing estimated that it was only slightly lighter than an iron sword.