Chapter 228: Testing the sharp and blunt, distinguishing good from evil

Chapter 228: Testing the sharp and blunt, distinguishing good from evil

Chapter 228: Testing the sharp and blunt, distinguishing good from evil

After receiving the Master's teachings, Cheng Xinzhan gained some insights and came to the conclusion that cultivation is nothing more than movement and stillness.

For him, fighting demons and defending the way outside the mountains is action, and practicing peacefully in the mountains is stillness.

This can also be called [tension and relaxation], [work and rest], [work and rest], [civil and military], but ultimately it is still [yin and yang].

There is a saying in the Yin-Yang theory: "Yang alone cannot produce, Yin alone cannot grow." Cheng Xinzhan also has a clear understanding of this in the two states of movement and stillness in spiritual practice, which is the so-called:
"If you move without stillness, you will be exhausted; if you are still without moving, you will be empty."

If you only know movement but not stillness, you will suffer from heart failure. If you only know stillness but not movement, you will fall into nothingness.

Yin and Yang can be divided infinitely, and he believed that stillness can be divided into [Yin stillness] and [Yang stillness].

[Yin Jing] means the state of mind being empty and tranquil, which is what the sage Lao Tzu said: "Reach the utmost emptiness, and observe the profound stillness. All things are in motion, and I watch their return." It is the state of extreme tranquility in which one sits and watches all things in the world operate while one's original heart is not shaken.

[Yang Jing] is strolling leisurely in the garden. It is the state of mind described by the sage Zhuangzi: "The heaven and the earth are born with me, and all things are one with me." It means that my heart is quiet, but not separated from all things in the world, but rather mutually influences each other and is born as one with me.

Yin and Yang coexist rather than oppose each other. Cheng Xinzhan believes that when in a state of tranquility during practice, one must grasp the two states of [Yin Tranquility] and [Yang Tranquility]. Sitting for a long time will make one empty, while walking for a long time will make one superficial. Both are indispensable.

In terms of time arrangement, everyone may have different choices, which should be in line with their own heart. Cheng Xinzhan practices the way of yin and yang, the art of inner alchemy, and the method of conserving the spirit, so naturally he focuses on [Yang Jing] and supplements [Yin Jing].

Although he was busy practicing most of the time, he believed that the small world of the human body and the large world of nature were inseparable, so he rarely closed himself off. Even for time-consuming tasks like refining elixirs and treasures, he would ask his incarnation and inner spirit to assist him, and try not to sit still for ten days or half a month.

He believed that the five senses of human beings could not be disconnected from the heaven and earth. So if it was a sunny day, he would take time to watch the sunrise and sunset, and take photos of the purple clouds; if it was a rainy day, he would sit and watch the wind and clouds, and listen to the rain and thunder.

If the season arrives, you have to try spring bamboo shoots and summer pears.

Ever since the two children had successively opened up their minds and were promoted from nominal disciples to true disciples, they moved from Xiaowan Mountain to Lixue Mountain. Cheng Xinzhan also adjusted his living arrangements and chose to live in Meizhi Mountain and Lixue Mountain for half a year each.

In the first month of the year, go to Zhushan and the winter bamboo shoots are delicious; in the second month of the year, go to Lishan and the pear blossoms are in bloom; in the third month, go back to Zhushan and the spring bamboo shoots have already emerged; in the fourth month of the year, go to Lishan and the fallen flowers are colorful.

In May, you can escape the heat in the bamboo mountains, and in June, the pear trees will bear fruit. In July, you can enjoy the coolness in the bamboo forests, and in August, you can enjoy the moon in the pear orchards.

You have nothing to do in September and October, so you can practice with peace of mind and enter a state of [yin and tranquility].

Winter bamboo shoots sprout in November, naturally in Meiji Mountain, and the persimmons in front of the cave are the reddest at this time, as if they were burned by fire.

When I returned to Lixue Mountain in December, the snow covered the branches, and it was as if a spring breeze had blown in overnight, and pear blossoms were blooming all over the mountain.

The years in the mountains were peaceful and quiet, and before the blink of an eye it was the summer of the 456th year of the Ming Dynasty. Two years had passed since he had dreamed of traveling to Xikang, but he had yet to set off.

This was due to his understanding of the changes between movement and stillness, the reason why he was no longer impetuous in his actions, and also the influence of the outside world.

During these two years, a few things happened.

Zhu's harmony was gone, and when he was forming the elixir, the yin and yang became unbalanced, and the Gang fire burned his body, burning it completely from the inside out.

The old master of Yulin Temple, Zhenwei, passed away. He lived a life without illness and disaster until he was 128 years old and was buried in peace. This is an extremely long life for a person who only practiced the Breathing Method and did not open a palace.

And if he is able to achieve the goal of not forming the elixir, relying on the longevity gained from opening up the five mansions and two palaces, he should be able to live for two to three hundred years.

The world is so unpredictable, and the pursuit of the right path is so difficult.

He He's funeral was simple. Everyone drew a crane talisman and released it, implying that he had passed away as a Jindan Feather Master.

Miaoyuan died in West Kunlun, Miaoyin died in the East China Sea, and Ronghe passed away in the mountains. This was the third close friend he lost after entering the mountains.

The old abbot’s funeral was a grand affair, and this grand affair was not held by Sanqing Mountain, but by Yulin Temple and Guangxin Prefecture in the secular world.

The old master actually left a will, asking to be buried with only a bead, keeping everything simple. However, his disciples and local officials and gentry in Guangxin Prefecture disagreed, so he was still buried in a grand ceremony.

Cheng Xinzhan attended the old abbot's funeral as an immortal from Mount Sanqing. Although he only appeared for a brief moment, it was enough to make the old abbot's name prominently recorded in the annals of the mortal world.

This day is the fourth day of June, a good day for traveling and getting married.

Cheng Xinzhan was at Lixue Mountain. He took a bite of a green pear. It was a little astringent at first, but had a sweet aftertaste. He felt it was time to set off.

"Master, are you there?"

At this time, a voice came from outside the hall.

"Here, come in."

Cheng Xinzhan replied.

Then, a boy and a girl walked in together.

Both of them looked to be in their twenties. The boy was about the same height as Cheng Xinzhan and looked very strong, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. His figure and appearance were somewhat similar to Bai Longnai.

But Bai Long was more lively and active, as warm as the summer wind, while the young man in front of him looked much calmer and more stable, as calm as a mountain on the northern plains in winter.

But the child's eyes were very bright, like spring pine trees containing dew.

With the fresh green pines on the mountain, the mountain no longer seems dull and lonely, but instead exudes a warm atmosphere like the winter sun.

Moreover, Cheng Xinzhan thought that the child's skin color would gradually become whiter after practicing in the mountains, but he didn't expect that after so many years, it has not changed at all, and still looks like a child. But it's also good this way, the skin is like wheat brown, which makes the body look more healthy and masculine.

The girl is slightly shorter than the boy, but she is already very tall among women.

The girl looked bright, confident and resolute, which was completely different from when she first entered the mountain. This was also the change that made Cheng Xinzhan most satisfied.

The girl was born into a wealthy family, was well-educated, and had an elegant, dignified, gentle and quiet temperament at a young age. However, Cheng Xinzhan at that time could naturally see at a glance that this was the result of following the rules and feudal ethics.

The girl is extremely talented, but after being in a wealthy family in the secular world for too long, she has become a pearl covered in dust.

Therefore, since the young girl entered the mountains, Cheng Xinzhan has always reminded her that "to act according to one's nature is called Tao, and to obtain one's nature is called virtue." When dealing with the feudal ethics of the mortal world, one must take its essence and discard its dross. Since one has entered the mountains to practice Taoism, one must adhere to the principle of "Tao follows nature."

What comforted him was that both children did very well. The boy's humble background did not become a barrier to his heart, and the girl's high-class background did not become a shackle for her.

So when the two children were born, he gave them Taoist names "Xu" and "Yue" respectively.

The generation structure of Lixue Mountain is not based on the Meiji Mountain, but follows the latest generation in the mountain, the current Sanqing Mountain and the "Ming" generation that has been passed down.

So the people who came were the young boy Lin Mingxu and the young girl Zhu Mingyue.

"I've met Master."

The two young men saluted Cheng Xinzhan.

"What is it?"

Cheng Xinzhan asked kindly, his eyes directly looking at the girl, because Mingxu was taciturn and Mingyue was talkative, so whenever these two were together, Mingxu would be silent and Mingyue would speak.

Zhu Mingyue said,
"Master, my brother and I want to join the Haoran League to gain experience and work, so we came here to ask for your advice."

The girl is actually a little older than the boy, but because the boy passed the magic test first, they decided to call each other brother and sister.

Cheng Xinzhan nodded when he heard this. It turned out to be about this matter.

These two children have been practicing Taoism for eight years. They have both become people of the fourth level and will soon enter the second level. It is only natural for them to go to the alliance to gain experience now.

This was not the first time for the two children to go out for training. Previously, under Cheng Xinzhan's arrangement, they both went to Yuyang to kill the water monster. At that time, Cheng Xinzhan secretly watched over them in the form of the Dustless Lotus. The performance of the two children in battle formations and fighting techniques was also remarkable. Now that they were going to the alliance, Cheng Xinzhan was not too worried.

"Alright."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded. Both children were delighted.

"Thank you Master!"

Cheng Xinzhan looked at the two children happily and a smile appeared on his face. He took out the things he had prepared for the two children a long time ago.

He took out a huge bow, a horn bow first.

"Mingxu, come forward."

The boy took a few steps forward.

"Come here. I know your family has been hunting for generations. You have also been fond of bows and arrows since you were young. Even after you entered the immortal sect, you have not changed this way. Since you have decided to go out and explore, I will give you a bow."

Cheng Xinzhan handed the bow to Lin Mingxu.

The boy was very happy and took the bow with both hands.

The young man was tall, as strong as a mountain and as tall as a pine tree. The bow was extremely large, but it fit perfectly in his hand. This was obviously the result of careful consideration and refinement by Cheng Xinzhan.

"The horns and tendons of this bow were taken from Yuyang water dragons. The mulberry wood of the bow frame was found by Yongliang from Taihang Mountain. You should thank him. I drew the string from red copper and then refined it with yang fire. It has all five elements. As for the name, you can choose it yourself."

Lin Mingxu looked down at the bow in his hand. The bow was black in color, with a beautiful arc, like a swimming black dragon. The string was golden, as if it had been made from a ray of morning light.

He was very happy; it was much better than the bow he had made himself.

"Thank you Master!"

Cheng Xinzhan smiled and nodded, then said,

"The bow is ready for you, you can refine the arrows yourself. Since you have chosen the bow as your weapon, you can study the art of arrows carefully, there are many tricks involved.

"Back then, Master was very interested in talisman arrows, but later on, flying swords became weapons, so the art of talisman arrows was put aside. This is a pity for Master. By the way, if you need materials to refine talisman arrows in the future, you can go to Poyang Lake to find the Jiang family of the Jinxiang Sect. Master has connections there, so just tell them your name."

"Disciple, obey."

Lin Mingxu retreated with the longbow in his arms, as if he was reluctant to let go for a moment.

"Mingyue, come forward."

The girl smiled and stepped forward and asked,
"What treasure can Master give me?"

Cheng Xinzhan was about to take out his things, but when he saw his apprentice asking a question, he stopped and asked with a smile,

"Then take a guess?"

The girl said without hesitation,
"Master knows that I like fire fans, so did you prepare a fire fan for me?"

Cheng Xinzhan smiled and shook his head.

The girl was a little surprised.

"Is that a bell?"

Cheng Xinzhan still shook his head.

"Then this disciple can't guess it, Master, please take it out quickly."

the girl said.

Cheng Xinzhan smiled and conjured up something.

It is a string of fiery red beads.

"take it."

Cheng Xinzhan handed it over.

This is a string of flowing beads with the number 9981. The beads are about the size of tung nuts. The main bead is scarlet, the spacer beads are amber, and the mother bead is golden. The colors are very bright and rich, and it looks very beautiful.

The girl's eyes sparkled. She took it with both hands, held it in her palms and looked at it carefully for a while before wrapping it around her left wrist, making exactly four circles. It was neither tight nor loose, and it was obvious that Cheng Xinzhan had put a lot of thought into it.

"The main bead of this flowing bead is made of cinnabar from Chenzhou in western Hunan, which was collected by my master when he traveled to western Hunan. The spacer bead is made of sulfur beeswax, which was taken from the fairy island overseas. The mother bead is made of Mars meteorite iron, which was a precious material given to me by Master Hong from Fuxia Lake in Miaojiang.

"This is a treasure that can be used for both offense and defense. When used for attack, it can hit, pull, entangle, and tie. When used for defense, it can turn into a river of fire and smoke to help you escape. And with sulfur and beeswax, you can be said to be immune to all poisons when you wear this.

"Of course, I gave you the Flowing Pearl so that you can hold it in your mind. You should focus on cultivating the internal elixir fire. You are always a little slack in this regard."

Zhu Mingyue was still raising her hand for Lin Mingxu to see. After hearing what Cheng Xinzhan said, she finally understood the preciousness of this treasure and the intentions of her master. She immediately straightened her expression and replied respectfully,
"Disciples, please remember Master's teachings."

"Ah."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded with satisfaction.

He had indeed put a lot of thought into the magic weapons he prepared for his two disciples.

Mingxu is a calm child who does things steadily and practices diligently, but he lacks a bit of edge, so I made a bow for him.

The bow is a sharp weapon for attack, it is meant to let him show his edge, but it is also telling him that cultivation is like drawing a bow string, it must be relaxed in moderation.

Mingyue is a lively and decisive person. She is proactive in everything she does and in her practice, but she also lacks a sense of stability. Sometimes she would go too far in her practice, so she gave herself a string of flowing beads.

The flowing beads can attack and defend, in order to protect the child. At the same time, it also reminds the child that he should know when to advance and retreat when practicing and doing things. While striding forward, he should also look at the way to retreat and the way back.

The Liuzhu was originally a Taoist instrument for inner alchemy, used to count the degree of inner alchemy, breathing and qi circulation, and the circulation of the meridians. This child does not have a solid foundation in this area, and he needs to strengthen his practice in the future.

Generally speaking, both children are very talented, their merits outweigh their flaws, and they are both smart kids. After I gave them the magic weapons, they were naturally able to understand the expectations behind them.

"You are going out for adventure after all. Eliminating demons and defending the Way is important, but your own life is the most important. You have to remember this. Also, you must not forget the three prohibitions and two don'ts."

Cheng Xinzhan instructed.

"Disciple, please remember this."

The two children bowed.

"Master has made amulets for you two, keep them close to you. For people in the devil's way, it shouldn't be a problem to save your lives after three washes of the golden elixir. You are only in the first realm, so don't be too jumpy when you go out."

Cheng Xinzhan handed over two more talismans.

The two children naturally accepted it with many thanks.

"Okay, go ahead. The founder Ge Hong once said, 'If you don't try, your sharpness won't show; if you don't hone your skills, you won't be able to tell good from evil.' It's time for you to hone your skills. Likewise, it's time for you to make a name for yourself."

Cheng Xinzhan said with a smile.

The two children also said yes with a smile, then bowed and left.

Cheng Xinzhan watched the two children leave until he could no longer see their figures, then he stood up.

(End of this chapter)