Chapter 231: Living on the balcony, compiling the book of the earth

Chapter 231: Living on the balcony, compiling the book of the earth

Chapter 231: Living on the balcony, compiling the book of the earth

“It is true that I am from the Xuanmen sect in Shu, but I am not the kind of Xuanmen sect that Yunlai wants, nor the kind of Xuanmen sect that Emei wants. My Xuanmen originates from the righteous deeds of Zhenjun, from the desire to save the world, and also from Taoism.

"Xuan and Dao have never conflicted. Xuan comes from Dao. The Xuanmen in Shu is like Zhengyi in the south and Quanzhen in the north. We are also disciples of Sanqing."

The drunken man said.

At this time, Di Baisanren and Hu Qingsanren also nodded with solemn expressions.

Cheng Xinzhan nodded slightly upon hearing this, but did not ask why Mingting Sanren, who was committed to saving the world, would appear on this snowy mountain, dressed like a hermit.

It seems that all hermits in the world are the same. They all had great ambitions before choosing to leave the world. They are just pretending to be hermits. So why is this old man in front of him doing this?

"So Daoxuan can live in the same mountain with me. We also believe in Laozi and Zhuangzi. There are many disciples of Xuanmen like me in Yanhuai Mountain. Yunlai, follow me into the mountain."

The drunken man stood up and invited Cheng Xinzhan to go into the mountain.

Cheng Xinzhan naturally nodded in agreement.

So a few people walked out of the pavilion, continued to climb the stairs, stepped into the howling wind and snow, and disappeared in an instant, leaving only the aroma of wine lingering on the beams.

----

After passing through the wind and snow, Cheng Xinzhan's eyes lit up and he felt suddenly enlightened. This was another paradise on earth.

The ice and snow on the top of the mountain are like a dragon, winding and flying from one mountain top to another, and it seems that it will never stop.

There is a formation in the mountain that blocks out the whistling wind. The top of the mountain is winter, the middle of the mountain is spring, and the foot of the mountain is summer. The blue and white are distinct, but there is no trace of the sad autumn.

White snow and green trees come into view, and the sounds of birds singing in the stream are heard.

Looking from the outside, the view was obscured by the wind and snow, and blocked by the formation, so it was difficult to see clearly. I only felt that the snow-capped mountains were tall and stretched out in a continuous stretch. Now that I had passed through the wind and moon and arrived at this cool and beautiful place, I began to know the true appearance of the fairy mountain.

In fact, the twelve mountains are not lined up in a row, but in a crescent shape. No matter which mountain you look from, you can see the other eleven. Monks from different mountains do not need to cross other mountains when traveling between them.

Mingting Sanren brought Cheng Xinzhan to the third mountain from the north, Yanhuai Mountain.

As soon as Cheng Xinzhan landed in the mountain, he understood the reason for the mountain's name. There were many white-feathered snow swallows flying up and down here.

Seeing this, Mingting Sanren also explained,
"There are many snowball azaleas on Yanhuai Mountain. Snowball azaleas are extremely beautiful, with white petals and blue stamens, but they are prone to a pest called ice borers. This pest is very poisonous. If azaleas come into contact with it, they will turn yellow in January, fall in February, and die in March. However, this ice borer is a delicacy in the mouths of Snow Swallow.

"We drove away the snow vultures, and the snow swallows lost their natural enemies. They multiplied and thrived on the snowy mountains. That's why we have snowballs all over the mountains and snow swallows flying everywhere."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded. Snow vultures, snow swallows, ice borers and cuckoos, it can be said that each thing has its own conqueror. Cultivators like flowers and swallows, and hate small insects and birds of prey. However, with a little intervention, the situation will be completely different.

"Yunlai, look."

The drunken man pointed to the mountain and introduced it to Cheng Xinzhan.
"The scenery at the top of our Yanhuai Mountain is very different from that at the foot of the mountain. You can enjoy the snow on the top of the mountain, and you can also collect the strong wind to refine elixirs and treasures. If the weather is good, you can also appreciate the view of the golden mountain in the sun. It is a good place to take in the purple clouds, swallow the wind and drink the snow.

"There are flowers and grass, pines and bamboos, springs and streams on the hillside, and the scenery is pleasant, making it a good place for seclusion.

"The foot of the mountain is close to the ground and adjacent to the river, so it is a good place to absorb the earth's energy and water energy. The foot of the mountain is vast, so it is very convenient to build a yard and raise a mount. In addition, if Yunlai likes fishing and boating, the foot of the mountain is also very suitable."

After a brief introduction, Zuiting Sanren looked at Cheng Xinzhan.

Cheng Xinzhan thought everything was fine. He was attracted by the flying snow swallows. Perhaps there were many cuckoos on the mountainside, so the snow swallows built their nests on the mountainside. So he said,
"I don't know the customs in Kangdi. Where I live, swallows building nests means that this place is blessed, so I'd better live on the hillside and choose a place on the sunny slope where swallows can settle down!"

Mingting Sanren smiled and agreed, then he took Cheng Xinzhan for a walk around the hillside east of Mount Dashan, and told him which places were owned and which were unowned.

"Then let's do this."

Cheng Xinzhan pointed to a place and said.

There is a platform protruding from the north side of the mountainside facing east, like a protruding tiger's head. On the top of the tiger's head grow many emerald green banana trees and snow-white rhododendrons, and there are swallows carrying mud to build nests.

There is a ready-made cave carved out on the cliff at the end of the tiger's neck. There should be a skylight in the cave, and light can come in, so it does not appear dark even from a distance.

The drunken man looked at that place, hesitated, and said,

"Although that place is now ownerless, the previous owner passed away less than a month ago. Why don't we change to another one? Either an old cave or a new one."

Cheng Xinzhan smiled and said,

“The living are temporary, the dead are home. The earth bears me in form, toils me in life, eases me in old age, and gives me rest in death. Therefore, if you make good use of your life, you will make good use of your death.”

When the drunken man heard this, he was startled, then he bowed to Cheng Xinzhan and said shamefully,
"I have read Honglie in vain, and I feel ashamed of the wise man."

Cheng Xinzhan smiled and took the drunken man's hand and went down to the platform.

The scenery here is pleasant. Facing east, there is a stream of snow-capped mountains next to it, and the water splashes on the banana leaves, like a piece of music, and also washes the banana leaves greener. The banana leaves are lush and green, and at the same time, the hydrangeas and azaleas in the banana bushes are highlighted as bright and white as the moon.

The sunlight shone on the stream, creating a rainbow that fell on the cliff, just enough to frame the entrance of the cave with a rainbow edge.

There are three characters engraved on the top of the cave:
"Tiger Head Cave".

Cheng Xinzhan looked up at these three words and couldn't help laughing. He said to the drunken man,
"The previous cave master must be a casual person, and he named the cave so straightforwardly."

He said this casually, raised his hand and waved his sleeves, a few points of light fell on the stone wall, and the three words became,

"East balcony".

"Boy, go and clean the place to welcome the guests."

Cheng Xinzhan said.

Bai Long agreed and stepped into the cave. He practiced wind magic, and when the spiritual wind passed, all the dust and dirt were blown away. Zhao Li followed him in, and then spit out golden smoke to burn away the moisture, and the cave was ready for habitation.

Then, the two boys began to take out things. The first ones were Cheng Xinzhan's favorite piece of lichen with Bagua pattern and the huge agarwood desk. Then, the crane lantern, the futon, and all kinds of classics were taken out and placed one by one.

The classics that Cheng Xinzhan brought out this time were all geographical records of various places collected from Sanqing Mountain. They were not the classics of any major sects, so they could be displayed openly.

Cheng Xinzhan planned to stay for a long time this time, so he brought all his commonly used belongings with him.

"Master, clean it up."

Two children stood at the entrance of the cave, inviting people to come in.

Cheng Xinzhan made a gesture of invitation and asked the three drinking buddies to come in first.

"Yunlai is very elegant and has a good family background."

After a few people came in, Mingting Sanren looked at the furnishings that had immediately filled the cave and couldn't help but admire them.

Especially the sandalwood desk. Others used it to scrape powder and burn incense, but he actually found such a huge piece of wood to use as a desk.

Cheng Xinzhan just smiled and said,
"But it was a coincidence."

"Yunlai likes to read geographical records?" The drunken man also saw the neatly stacked books on the bookshelf on the desk.

Cheng Xinzhan nodded and explained,

"I like to travel, visit ancient sites, and collect myths and legends. I am good at both painting and writing, so I recently came up with an idea."

Cheng Xinzhan's eyes sparkled as he spoke.

"I am going to compile a book, a book that combines maps, geography, and travel notes. It contains pictures of local landscapes, stories about local gods and immortals, and my own travel notes, either in prose or poetry. I will write as I travel, until I have traveled all over the world, or until I die."

The three wanderers also showed excitement when they heard this. Among them, wanderer Bai seemed very interested and said,
"What a great ambition and taste! But I have never heard of such a style of writing."

Cheng Xinzhan smiled and said,
"I am just entertaining myself by forcing the book together with pictures, records and notes. I don't know what to call it, but I plan to divide the chapters according to the place names, so I will just call it the Book of the Land!"

"Has it been completed yet?"

Asked Bai Sanren.

Cheng Xinzhan shook his head and said,
"I have been to many places and read many geographical records. I have had the idea for a long time, but I have never calmed down to compile a book. This time I came to Xikang, not only to appreciate the beautiful scenery of the Hengduan Mountains and the Five Parallel Rivers, but also to use the snow-capped mountains to calm my mind and sort out my thoughts. I am going to use this precious place to compile the book."

Bai Sanren was very excited and kept saying,

"A book like this will surely be a magnum opus when it is completed. When Yunlai starts drafting it, can you allow me to contribute?"

Seeing that Ding Bai had lost his composure, the drunken man was afraid that he might have offended the elegant scholar, so he hurriedly explained.

"Yunlai, before becoming a Taoist, Zhui Bai was a Confucian scholar who was good at writing. After becoming a Taoist, he became a bookworm and often forgot about practicing because of reading. Please don't be surprised."

Cheng Xinzhan was so happy that he didn't have time to be surprised. His desire to compile a book of the earth was not a cover-up, but his true inner thoughts. He had traveled all over the world, and he was also very interested in fairy tales. He really wanted to write such a book of the earth that encompassed the universe.

He had enjoyed it very much when he wrote "The Thunderbolt to Sweep the Demons" in order to visualize the gods inside the Lei residence.

Besides, refining elixirs is a form of spiritual practice, decocting medicine is a form of spiritual practice, engraving is a form of spiritual practice, and writing books is also a form of spiritual practice.

He observed the mountains and rivers and put them into words. His understanding of the five elements, earth and water, naturally increased, and his comprehension of the curses of "flooding" and "suppression" naturally became more thorough.

He collected stories about gods and immortals, and wrote poems and biographies about them, which was naturally of great benefit to his practice of the art of spiritual concentration.

In addition, this is also an excellent method of [Yang Jing] for him.

Hearing that Bai Sanren was willing to help, he was naturally happy to do so.
"If you have such a taste, that would be great. Besides, I have just arrived in Kangxi, and I have not yet collected the local mountain maps and biographies of gods and immortals. I would like to trouble you to give me some advice.

"Lian Bai is from Shu, and I know nothing about the mountains, rivers, and wonders in Bashu. I have to ask Lian Bai to help me."

Cheng Xinzhan said earnestly.

Bai Sanren was very happy and wanted to start writing with Cheng Xinzhan right now.

Mingting Sanren knew his limits, so he winked at Liebai Sanren, then said to Cheng Xinzhan in a friendly manner,

"Yunlai, you have come from a long way and have been kept chatting in the pavilion by the old Taoist for a long time. You must be tired. We will not bother you today. You are happy to move into your new home. Have a good rest first. We will come to see you again in a few days and then take you to meet fellow Taoists in the mountains."

The three of them stood up, and Cheng Xinzhan also stood up to see them off.

"correct."

Before leaving, Drunk Sanren looked at Cheng Xinzhan again and asked,
"Is Yunlai's visit here short-term or long-term?"

Cheng Xinzhan replied,

"Since I have been here for a long time, I am planning to collect the key points and compile the ancient texts to write a draft for my book. This is not something that can be done overnight."

"well."

The drunk man nodded with a smile and said,
"I wonder if Yunlai would be interested in something?"

"What's the matter?"

“Although our Bailongqi Mountain is not a large family, it is still a gathering place for many cultivators. We hermits are not just stubborn stones in the cave. When there are people, there are problems. Therefore, there are naturally mountain governance in the mountain. We have both Xuanyan governance and Bailong governance.

"Since Yunlai is going to stay for a long time, I wonder if he would like to join the government. I can also introduce him to you."

The drunken man said.

Sanji.

Cheng Xinzhan muttered to himself that this thing was very common in places where independent cultivators gathered. The most famous one was naturally Huang Shanzhi in Qingzhou. There were also immortals in the fifth realm there, so it was not surprising that there were Shanzhis in Bailongqi Mountain and Yanhuai Mountain.

Joining Sanji would certainly have its benefits, and he would be able to better understand the movements of the Xikang Demon Sect and the Shuzhong Xuanmen. However, Cheng Xinzhan did not immediately agree, but said,
"There's no rush for this matter, let's talk about it later."

Mingting Sanren was not surprised to hear this, he nodded and said,
"Okay, there is really no rush. Yunlai has just arrived, so he should take a closer look. Then we won't disturb him for now. Yunlai, have a good rest."

The three of them had already reached the balcony outside the cave. They were about to leave when they heard Cheng Xinzhan say,

"Wait a minute."

The drunk man turned around and asked,
"What else is there, Yunlai?"

Cheng Xinzhan took out three pill bottles from his arms and said with a smile,

"I am indeed a newcomer, but I felt like I have known you three for a long time. You welcomed me in the snow and sent me to your house, which made me feel like spring breeze on my face even in the snow. I have also prepared some small gifts to express my joy of settling down here."

The three of them shook their heads upon seeing this.

"Can't, can't."

The drunken man pushed the pill bottle into Cheng Xinzhan's arms.

"We are very happy to have a good friend. With Yunlai's realm and talent, he can go anywhere. Even if he enters Bailongqi Mountain, he will be a figure that all the peaks are fighting for. Today is just our turn to take the literary examination. We happened to meet Yunlai, and Yunlai is willing to give the old Taoist a little face. We are satisfied to be able to come to Yanhuai Mountain. How can we ask for Yunlai's gift?"

Cheng Xinzhan refused and stuffed the pill bottles into the arms of several people one by one.
"The three Taoist brothers like me, Yunlai's letter, but it is also true that the three Taoist brothers helped me, Yunlai naturally has to thank me, it's just a small gift, I hope the Taoist brothers will not push and shove, so as not to make the children laugh."

Upon hearing this, the three of them had no choice but to accept it, and said that after Cheng Xinzhan had rested well, they would definitely hold a welcoming banquet for him.

Cheng Xinzhan did not refuse and agreed with a smile.

After watching the three people go away, he returned to the cave.

“Chirp—Chirp—”

Suddenly, there was a clear sound of birds singing overhead.

Cheng Xinzhan raised his head and looked towards the top of the cave, only to see two snow swallows carrying mud to build a nest at the edge of the inner well. It seemed that the nest had already taken shape.

(End of this chapter)