Chapter 140 Questioning
Chapter 140 Questioning (asking for monthly tickets at the beginning of the month!)
"Seeing your letter is like meeting you in person. Reading your letter makes you happy."
Eleventh Lady, from today on I have started to practice alchemy. I deeply feel the difficulty of it. I destroyed the medicine sixteen times before I saw the elixir succeed.
The first pill I refined today is called "Eight Treasures Regenerating Pills", and one furnace made five pills. My teacher has tasted the pill, and the elder said it is a good pill.
Taking this pill can make your skin white, your mouth clear, and your saliva fragrant. I would like to give it to you, but I am unable to get away due to my heavy workload in cultivation, and the elders in the mountains do not want me to leave the sect, so I am ashamed to ask you to send someone to get it.
I still remember the last time we parted in Changbai. Eleventh Lady said that she would come down to the mortal world to find me after returning to Peacock City. However, the cicadas in the mountains have been chirping three times, but still no one has come. If you have time, I hope you will come in person to get the elixir this time.
In addition, my teacher asked me to collect more gold materials for alchemy for my own use, but I have a lot of work to do in inner alchemy practice, so I really don't want to spend time on this. Eleventh Lady runs a business, please keep an eye on her for me, I can make an elixir to offset it.
..."
After Cheng Xinzhan finished writing, he put the letter aside, closed his eyes and recalled the details of today's alchemy, going over them in his mind over and over again.
Before, he thought his fire skills were decent, but after trying it today, he realized how shallow his skills were.
He chewed over what he had learned yesterday over and over again. He didn't know how long it had been, when he heard two rooster crows in his heart. Cheng Xinzhan knew that it was the hour of Mao.
He opened his eyes and found that there was already a response on the letter on the table, which read,
"The joy of receiving your letter is as great as seeing you face to face again."
Congratulations on your entry into the path of alchemy. I hope that from now on the elixir will be successfully completed and the elixir will be restored to its original state through nine transformations.
If you ask me, I am still being modest. I have never heard of anyone achieving success in one day after learning the method. I don't know how to evaluate it.
I am an idle person, and I am afraid that Xinzhan is busy with his practice, so I dare not disturb him easily. Since Xinzhan has invited me, I will come immediately. Please ask Xinzhan to set a time.
Also, I am extremely happy to have obtained Xinzhan's first elixir. As for the gold material, Xinzhan, please do not be distracted by this matter, I will come to find it myself.
..."
Xinzhan smiled and wrote back,
"Eleventh Lady can pick up the invitation today. I will reply to you with the specific time after I sign the invitation."
After writing, he hurried to Danxia Mountain to continue studying the Fa, and warmed up the stove before Master Ren came.
However, no elixir was made on this day. Ren Wushi took Cheng Xinzhan to review yesterday's mistakes and explained the key points.
Cheng Xinzhan thought about it all night, but there were still many things he didn't understand. After Ren Wushi's guidance, he immediately understood a lot.
Ren Wushi was even more satisfied with Cheng Xinzhan, because when he asked Cheng Xinzhan about improvement measures for some problems that occurred during yesterday's alchemy, the young man was able to answer most of the questions. Even if there were some that he really didn't know, he could still make guesses by analogy with pharmacology and spiritual practice, and basically his answers were meaningful.
This is good, which shows that the child thought about it before going home last night.
The day ended with conversation and gestures between the master and the disciple, and both of them were very happy.
Cheng Xinzhan said goodbye to his teacher, but let Wushi say,
"The mountain council has passed a resolution to officially appoint you as the White Tiger Envoy. The headmaster asked me to tell you to go to the White Tiger Mountain Inspection Office tomorrow to pick up your things.
"There has never been a White Tiger Envoy of the Second Realm since ancient times. I know that this is the intention of the Immortal Resident. His original intention should be to let you quickly familiarize yourself with the sect and participate in the confidential matters as soon as possible.
"But you are also an alchemist now. We alchemists do things seriously and meticulously, taking care of every detail. So when you become the White Tiger Envoy, don't treat this as a sinecure, and don't worry about your face. In the future, you should work hard and make some achievements to show everyone.
“So you don’t have to come here every day. Come here in the first half of each month. In the middle and last half of the month, you can practice on your own and do the supervision work.
"Tomorrow you will go to Baihu Mountain and get familiar with the inspection work. You don't need to come this month. In these three days, I will tell you the general principles of alchemy on the first day, teach you to start the furnace to make the elixir on the second day, and teach you to summarize your mistakes on the third day. In the future, you can also follow this order when making the elixir yourself. Think about the principles of the elixir before starting the furnace, concentrate on making the elixir, and summarize your mistakes after the elixir is made. This way, you will make rapid progress and have a solid foundation."
Cheng Xinzhan was extremely grateful at this moment. His master, Master Tongxuan, Master Tao Jianxian of the Beiji Division of the Shuji Mountain, Master Di Jianping of the Penglai Division, Masters Fu Shouzhen, Zhou Shouxin, Sun Duheng of the Wulei Academy, Master Jiang Weishan of the Weapon Academy of the Baihu Mountain, Master Ke Weixi of the Toujian Mountain, and now Master Ren Wushi, all the teachers he had followed to learn the Dharma had taught him earnestly and sincerely along the way.
Outsiders say he is a genius, but without these mentors, although he is still a genius, he will inevitably move slower and even take some detours.
He bowed deeply to Ren Wushi.
"Follow Master Ren's instructions."
Ren Wushi smiled and nodded.
----
the next day.
He got up early again and arrived at Baihu Mountain at the beginning of the morning.
He was quite familiar with the Baihu Mountain Inspection Office. Among the two departments and two academies, he was half-disciple of the Weaponry Academy, he often visited the Puppet Academy, and had a brief dealings with the Inspection Department. Only the Inspection Department was not familiar to him at all.
Today he went straight to the Discipline Inspection Commission, the place he was least familiar with.
So he got up early to avoid taking the wrong road and wasting time.
The two divisions of the Jiuchafu and Tongcha, like the Shujishan Yingyuanfu, all had to work in the yamen. According to the rules of the mountain, they had to report to the yamen before the end of the morning and the beginning of the evening.
The Discipline Inspection Office is located in the deepest part of the Supervision Office. It is a large and dark courtyard.
There was someone guarding the gate. Cheng Xinzhan knew that he was on duty, but he got up early and found the Discipline Inspection Commission relatively easily. It was not even the first quarter of the morning yet, so he waited at the gate.
However, as soon as he walked near the gate, the guard recognized him and told him that the mountain master and the department master were waiting for him inside.
Cheng Xinzhan was a little surprised. How could it be so early? It was already past summer and into autumn, but it was still dimly lit.
Cheng Xinzhan walked into the yard, but found that there were already many people inside. The disciples coming and going were all silent, but walked in a hurry, and seemed to be very busy.
It was very similar to the scene when Cheng Xinzhan first entered Ying Yuan Mansion.
The disciples of the Jiufengsi all have Bi'an embroidered on the chest of their robes. The Bi'an mythical beast also has its mouth tightly pursed, with only its eyes shining.
When these people saw Cheng Xinzhan coming in, they must have known the news and looked at him curiously.
Another person took the initiative to lead Cheng Xinzhan inside, but did not say a word along the way.
What puzzled him the most was that in such a large courtyard with gray walls and black tiles, why was the light in the courtyard also dim, with a little orange in the lanterns, like the flickering incense ashes in an old mountain temple.
Is this the Palace of Justice or the Underworld?
They arrived at a house at the very back of the house. The guide stopped at the door and gestured for Cheng Xinzhan to go in.
This house is very strange. There is a doorway, but there is no wooden door on it.
Anyone coming and going in the yard can see what is happening inside the house, and of course, people inside the house can also see what is happening outside.
He nodded in thanks, then stepped inside and found that the room was equally dark, so dark that he couldn't see the whole picture.
But this should be a study, or a government office. Opposite the doorway is a table filled with case files, and there is a green lamp on the table.
There are two people standing in front of the table at this moment.
He had seen a man before. He was not tall, but had a strong build and a square face. He was Gong Weijian, the master of Baihu Mountain.
The other man had droopy eyebrows and eyes, a long face and narrow forehead, and a few wisps of sparse beard under his chin. He had never seen him before.
Cheng Xinzhan took two steps forward and saluted.
"Greetings to Master Gong, and to this Taoist priest."
Gong Weijian nodded and introduced him.
"This is the Director of the Correction Department, Ma Jingyi, and this is Cheng Xinzhan."
Cheng Xinzhan immediately bowed to Ma Jingyi.
"Hello, Master." Ma Jingyi nodded towards Cheng Xinzhan, with a slight movement that was almost unnoticeable, and did not say a word.
"Although the White Tiger Envoy has high authority and his appointment is decided by the headmaster and all the other mountains, his position is still in the Correction Department. In the future, the mistakes you correct while out there must be recorded and reported to the Correction Department for future reference. Your annual salary will also be paid to you by the Correction Department."
Gong Weijian said.
Cheng Xinzhan should be.
"The White Tiger Envoy has a specially made White Tiger robe and a writing pad, which are kept in Jingyi's hands. Jingyi, give them to Xinzhan."
Ma Jingyi nodded again imperceptibly without even raising his eyelids. It seemed that he treated everyone like this.
Ma Jingyi flipped her palm and a wooden tray appeared. On the tray were a silver bracelet, a red pen, and a notebook with white paper and black cover.
Cheng Xinzhan looked around, but didn't see any robes.
"Put it on your left hand."
Gong Weijian said.
Cheng Xinzhan nodded and picked up the bracelet.
The bracelet was extremely heavy and cold to the touch, as if made of silver, with a pattern of a white tiger chasing the wind lightly carved on it.
He put the bracelet on his left wrist, and the bracelet shone with brilliant light, enveloping Cheng Xinzhan completely. When the light faded, he discovered that his Taoist robe had changed.
He was originally wearing one of the standard Taoist robes of Sanqing Mountain, a lake blue robe with the same pattern throughout the sect: on the chest was a picture of mountain mist, with three high mountains surrounded by clouds and mist, and on the back was a picture of the Eight Diagrams of the Later Heaven Tai Chi. In addition, in front of his left chest was a miniature red dragon, which was a "dragon car" driven by clouds. Although he rarely used the "dragon car" to travel since he could walk in the air, he still kept this cloud.
But now, the base color of his robe seemed to be deepened, from lake blue to dark green. The red dragon on his left chest and the eight trigrams on his back were still there, but the mountain mist pattern on his chest was turned into a picture of a white tiger with bared fangs and claws.
The most amazing thing is that if you look directly at the white tiger on the robe, you will find that the white tiger is moving, as if it is about to leap out and choose someone to devour.
Gong Weijian looked at Cheng Xinzhan and nodded with a smile.
"If nothing else, it would still be better for young people to wear the White Tiger robe, so as not to look old."
Then he pointed to the remaining notebooks and said,
"This is your investigation notebook. Everyone in the Investigation Office has one, but yours is extra thick. As a White Tiger Envoy, if you find anyone or anything that ruins the family's reputation or harms the clan's atmosphere, you can criticize their mistakes to their faces and record them in the notebook. If there are any disputes or dissatisfaction, you can bring them to the Investigation Office for public debate. If someone refuses to change, the clan will punish them."
Cheng Xinzhan picked up the notebook.
"When this bracelet is worn on the right hand, the robe will not appear. When worn on the left hand, the White Tiger robe will appear. Wearing the White Tiger robe and holding a notebook, you are the White Tiger Envoy. In Sanqing Mountain, those who are questioned must stop and explain, or defend themselves, or listen to the training and make corrections. There is no third way. If anyone turns a blind eye to the White Tiger Envoy, it is considered a violation of the sect rules and will be arrested by the Inspection Office."
Cheng Xinzhan looked down at the notebook in his hand and the robe on his body, and suddenly felt the weight.
He looked at the dark sky outside the door and the people coming and going in the yard, then looked at Gong Weijian and Ma Jingyi, calmed himself down, and asked,
"Master Ma, may I ask, according to the rules of the mountain, those who sit in the yamen should arrive at the yamen before 8:15 on the morning of the 12th, and arrive at the yamen before 8:15 on the morning of the 12th. Why is it that the yamen is already crowded before 1:15 on the morning of the 12th? Master Ma, have you privately changed the rules of the mountain gate and ordered the fellow disciples to arrive at the yamen early?"
Cheng Xinzhan's voice was very clear.
It is also loud in the quiet atmosphere of the company.
It was so loud that everyone walking in the yard could hear it, and the yard became even quieter.
Ma Jingyi finally lifted his eyelids, as if this action was very strenuous for him. He glanced at Cheng Xinzhan's face, then at the white tiger on Cheng Xinzhan's chest, straightened his face, and answered,
"Yes."
Cheng Xinzhan nodded, turned to the first page, and then wrote on a blank piece of paper.
"In the 432nd year of the Ming Dynasty, on the 5th day of the 7th month, at the first quarter of the morning, I questioned Ma Jingyi, the chief of the Discipline Inspection Office of Baihu Mountain,
The recording is as follows:
..."
"According to the rules of the mountain sect, Sanqing Mountain teaches the Dharma to the disciples and passes on the Dharma lineage. The disciples respect and obey the master, and all the powers of the office are only effective in official matters and only in public hours. As far as I know, these fellow disciples in the department are not all your disciples. Then, may I ask, Master Ma, when you ordered the fellow disciples in the department to arrive at the office early, did you say so during public hours or outside of public hours?"
Ma Jingyi was silent for a while and said,
"I can't remember clearly."
Cheng Xinzhan shook his head.
"Master Ma, you are a great cultivator at the Golden Core Realm, so how could you not remember? Just now, Master Gong told me that anyone questioned by the White Tiger Envoy must stop and explain, or defend himself, or receive training and make corrections. There is no third option. Is lying the third option?"
Ma Jingyi was silent for a while and said,
"Within public time."
Cheng Xinzhan said,
"During official hours, you can only assign official duties. The times for the various offices in the sect to go to the government office are set by the several heads of the sect. It is not within your authority. You have violated the sect rules."
"I remembered it wrongly. It seems to be outside public hours."
"You have no right to instruct your fellow disciples outside of official duties. You still violated the sect rules."
Ma Jingyi fell silent again.
"Let me ask you again, when facing the White Tiger Envoy's questioning, you lied first, then you were vague and changed your tune. Are you disrespecting the White Tiger Envoy?"
Ma Jingyi quickly shook her head in response,
"No."
"Is it because he looks down on the current White Tiger Envoy because he is young and weak, and therefore has a frivolous attitude?"
Ma Jingyi was silent for a while, then nodded.
"Please answer with words."
"Yes."
Cheng Xinzhan wrote it down truthfully and asked again,
"The office of the Correction Division is dark and the lights are not on at night. What's going on? Is it intentional to create a depressing atmosphere to intimidate fellow disciples in the division or those who are here to debate?"
Ma Jingyi's cheeks were moving and the sound of his teeth grinding could be heard clearly in the room. He really never thought that this young man who had just put on the White Tiger robe would talk about the internal affairs of the Jiufeng Department in public and grind them down.
Cheng Xinzhan saw that Ma Jingyi didn't reply for a long time, but just clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, and then urged,
"Master Ma, please reply."
Ma Jingyi nodded with difficulty and said,
"yes.".
Cheng Xinzhan also nodded and said to Ma Jingyi,
"Master Ma, I still have many questions for you, such as whether you abused your power and whether you ordered people to leave late, but I won't ask you about these in detail. Your fellow disciples from the Correction Department will naturally come to question you later, so please don't treat them with disrespect like you did to me."
After saying this, Cheng Xinzhan stopped looking at Ma Jingyi, turned a new page in the notebook in his hand, and started writing.
"Continuing from the previous article, I questioned Gong Weijian, the leader of White Tiger Mountain.
The recording is as follows:
..."
After finishing writing, he turned to look at Gong Weijian, the leader of White Tiger Mountain, and asked seriously,
"Master Gong, when Master Ma revised the document, were you, as the master of White Tiger Mountain and the master of the Inspection Office, aware of it?"
Gong Weijian looked at the overly young White Tiger Envoy in front of him and couldn't help but smile bitterly.
He thought:
Yes, how could the immortal make a mistake? It was a waste of time for us to argue with the headmaster.
(End of this chapter)