bookrandom Chapter 5 Do you approve of him?
Chapter 5 Do you approve of him?
Zhong Ming stood up abruptly.
.....
Uh, I stood up too fast, I'm a little dizzy.
His qi and blood deficiency was already very serious. Zhong Ming stood there for a while to regain his senses before picking up the medicine bowl he had finished drinking and walking towards the Taoist temple.
The Taoist temple is built against the mountain in a very strange location. The main gate faces the Yelan River, and right outside is a mudflat, which seems to be submerged by a single flood.
Upon entering, one is greeted by a natural cliff face, over ten zhang high, with side rooms on either side. Zhong Ming was just thrown out from the east side room. There are steps on both sides of the cliff, leading to a natural stone platform. The main hall in the center enshrines the Jade Emperor and a host of deities, with "side halls" on either side. One side has wisps of smoke rising from its chimney, while the other has a huge bronze bell hanging from its ceiling.
There are stairs leading up the mountain, and further up should be the main hall where the Three Pure Ones are enshrined and the residence of the Taoist priests.
However, as soon as Zhong Ming stepped onto the small platform on the cliff, he saw a woman.
The person was dressed in a snow-white long dress with cloud patterns, tied with a white jade silk ribbon. With few ornaments, she was tall and stood there quietly, like snowflakes perched on a branch. Although she did not move, she gave people a sense of agility and elegance.
"Hello... May I ask where Master Tianfeng is?"
Zhong Ming mustered his courage and spoke, each word carrying the air of questioning a celestial maiden.
The beauty glanced sideways, and Zhong Ming gasped.
While she might not be considered stunningly beautiful, she possessed a unique charm that lingered around her.
She seemed to stand atop a mountain, clad in white, alone, bathed in moonlight, her beauty indescribable, with fair skin, delicate features, and bright eyes.
The ice and snow gleam, the jade chimes melodiously. The crescent moon hangs low, the starlight shines brightly.
She didn't speak or show any expression. She simply turned to look at Zhong Ming. Although she maintained a cold and aloof demeanor, a strong sense of sadness lingered around her, making one's body ache.
At this moment, Zhong Ming didn't think his white clothes looked good; on the contrary, he looked...like he was wearing mourning clothes.
As if possessed, he blurted out, "Please accept my condolences..."
Realizing his mistake, Zhong Ming immediately slapped himself and bowed slightly, saying, "I'm sorry, young lady, I meant no offense."
The girl snorted coldly.
Not long after, just as Zhong Ming, dragging his weak body, took a few steps forward, the old Taoist priest's shouting echoed from the upper hall: "Stop right there!!!"
The big orange cat, carrying a grilled fish, nimbly leaped onto the ancient elm tree beside it, nimbly landed on the steps, and strutted down to the woman's feet with its tail held high. It rubbed its body against her skirt before happily devouring the fish.
The old Taoist priest was chasing after her with great speed and vigor, but the moment he saw the woman and Zhong Ming, he suddenly became serious... even a little timid.
"Ahem... Young friend, let's not talk about what happened before. If you want to eat, just go to the Kitchen God."
The old Taoist priest pointed to the "side hall kitchen" where smoke was rising from the chimney. "The Kitchen God is also a god, and we should worship him too."
"Immortal Master, please accept me as your disciple."
Master Tianfeng and the woman exchanged a glance, while the big orange cat licked its paws after finishing the fish and began to wash its face.
"Well, about this matter..." The old Taoist stroked his beard, then turned and walked back uphill.
"Taoists accept disciples based on fate; it all depends on yourself."
"Thank you, Daoist Master." Zhong Ming bowed his head and kowtowed, but when he looked up, he found that the woman in white had disappeared without a trace.
They had no choice but to follow the Taoist priest up the mountain. After passing the main hall of the Three Pure Ones, they turned to the side and found a small side room with a long sword enshrined inside.
The sword has a long, narrow blade and a peach wood hilt, exuding a sense of antiquity while subtly conveying a sharp edge.
In front of them was a prayer cushion specifically for kneeling, covered with a yellow cloth with a yin-yang pattern.
The old Taoist priest stepped in first, then turned and asked, "What do you think of this sword?"
Zhong Ming's heart was filled with the idea of "self-reliance and personally killing the enemy".
"A peerless weapon, it's a pity it hangs in this useless place." The moment he saw this sword, based on his experience as a knife sharpener and mirror polisher, he knew it was no ordinary item.
“Oh,” the old Taoist priest said, taking out a whisk from somewhere and gently sweeping it around. “Tell me, why is it useless?”
“I’ve been sharpening knives and mirrors for several years. I always use kitchen knives to cut meat as soon as they’re sharpened, and I put mirrors in my boudoir after they’re sharpened. I believe that the person who forged such a powerful weapon used it to kill people, and it’s definitely not meant to hang here to collect dust.”
Although Zhong Ming hadn't received much formal education, he could still distinguish between kind and harsh words.
The phrase "swords and spears are put away" is usually associated with "horses grazing on the southern hills" and "lax military preparedness." Whenever you hear these phrases, the story that follows is usually one of an army that has been lulled into complacency by peace being ambushed by the enemy. In any case, these are not positive terms.
"A sword must draw blood, but that depends on the timing. My young friend, from the moment it is forged until it breaks, it cannot kill people continuously; it also depends on the timing."
"Timing..." Zhong Ming thought of Gao Jin. The timing was perfect; the whole town had eaten dragon meat, and everyone was exhausted after the celebration. That perfect timing... was created by that bastard Gao Jin himself!
"Opportunities can also be created by people."
Zhong Ming stopped looking at the longsword and looked at the old Taoist priest. "Taoist priest, please teach me swordsmanship. I am willing to use this sword to cut off the head of that evil man. I do not understand what the Tao is, but I believe that what I am doing is definitely right."
The old Taoist priest was not angry at his overstepping of authority. Instead, he asked with a smile, "After you killed your enemy with this divine sword, what did you do? As the sword's owner, did you continue to let the sword hang in the house and collect dust?"
"Ah this..."
Zhong Ming was stunned by the question. He had never considered this matter before, and even thought that he might never be able to kill the other party in his lifetime.
"Look, you haven't figured out the most important question in life: 'What should I do?' Let me ask you, practicing swordsmanship is tough. Do you feel so tired that you can't keep going?"
"No!" (With absolute certainty)
"Then let me tell you, practicing swordsmanship won't kill your enemies. If I force you to practice swordsmanship, can you endure it?"
"That's for sure..."
"You see, this is the difference. When you have a clear goal in mind, you will be able to calmly face the hardships you encounter on your journey."
The old Taoist priest seemed to be carefully choosing his words, pausing for a moment before saying, "If my...eldest brother asked me what the Tao is, I would answer: 'Eat when you're hungry, sleep when you're tired.'"
Zhong Ming tilted his head, as if he understood something, yet also as if he understood nothing, and tentatively asked:
"Because... when I'm hungry, I know I should eat; when I'm sleepy, I know I should sleep? So I don't feel... lost when cooking or making the bed?"
The old Taoist priest flicked his whisk and blurted out, "I think it's fine."
Zhong Ming: ? ? ? Are you asking me or am I asking you?
"Alright, you can stay at my Taoist temple for now. You have nowhere else to go anyway. I'll go and perform some rituals to pay respects to the Heavenly Venerable and ask for his permission. You can go and have your meal first."
.......
After Zhong Ming left, the woman in white suddenly appeared.
The old Taoist priest moved his left hand slightly, and a layer of light faintly appeared from his tattered Taoist robe. He asked, "That boy just said 'please accept my condolences,' are you really not bothered?"
"The sword is so polished that it can be used as a mirror."
"His entire town was wiped out, of course he was sad, but you... you really didn't feel a single bit..."
Before the old Taoist priest could finish speaking, the other party vanished from the spot.
Well.....
The Taoist priest stroked his long white beard, muttering to himself in puzzlement:
"Now even artifact spirits have a rebellious phase?"