Chapter 88: Divine Snake! (Second update)

Uncle Zhang had already finished his work a long time ago, and even went around looking everywhere, but still didn't see Hu Xiaocao, almost making him frantic.

Seeing Hu Xiaocao's figure, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Xiaocao, where did you go? I thought you got lost; I was almost scared to death."

Hu Xiaocao felt a little embarrassed, "Sorry, Uncle Zhang, for making you worry."

Seeing that Hu Xiaocao was safe and sound, Uncle Zhang could finally put his worried heart at ease, and only then noticed the presence of Xie Yixuan beside him.

"As long as you're fine, that's good. And who is this?"

Hu Xiaocao quickly said, "This is the kind older brother police officer who brought me back."

Uncle Zhang also hurriedly thanked him.

Xie Yixuan waved his hand, indicating it was no trouble: "It's fine; this is just part of my duty."

Seeing that Hu Xiaocao didn't mention going to the temple, Xie Yixuan didn't say anything more.

After successfully delivering Hu Xiaocao safely, he also prepared to leave.

"Next time, don't run around alone like that."

Xie Yixuan's words had a double meaning; Uncle Zhang didn't catch it, but Hu Xiaocao did, and her face instantly turned slightly red.

"I understand, thank you, big brother."

As the evening sun approached and dusk fell, the two also returned to the village.

"Thank you today, Uncle Zhang."

Uncle Zhang waved his hand indifferently, "Eh, it's just a small thing; no need for formalities in a village. If you want to go to town again next time, just come find your uncle."

Hu Xiaocao nodded, thanked Uncle Zhang, and hurried home; amidst the cooking smoke, after a day of running about outside, she smelled the food and realized her stomach was growling with hunger.

She pushed the door open; the woman had already returned home and had the meal ready.

"Mom, I'm back."

Hu Xiaocao greeted her and was about to wash her hands and eat.

The woman looked over Hu Xiaocao; seeing she was unharmed and in good condition, the worry she'd held all day finally eased.

"Xiaocao, where did you go today?"

The woman suddenly asked, catching Hu Xiaocao off guard: "I didn't go anywhere; I just wandered around the vicinity. Mom, why are you suddenly asking this?"

Hu Xiaocao inexplicably felt guilty and instinctively lowered her head.

"But I heard you ran off to the city."

Hu Xiaocao never expected that today Aunt Zhang went to the temple to offer incense, unintentionally mentioning this, and even praised the woman for her good fortune, having such a filial child as Hu Xiaocao.

The woman's voice was gentle, but the gentler it was, the more Hu Xiaocao's inner torment grew, and she immediately confessed everything.

"Sorry, Mom, I lied; I went to the city today with Uncle Zhang."

Seeing her daughter lie, the woman didn't immediately get angry or blame her, but continued to ask gently: "What did you go to the city for, and why did you also lie to Uncle Zhang and the others?"

"I went to the city to run an errand for the Mountain God Grandfather; last night the Mountain God Grandfather gave me a dream, telling the messenger sister to come and have me look for a nearby temple."

The woman never imagined that Hu Xiaocao would take the dream seriously; because of a dream, she kept it from her, hitched a ride with Uncle Zhang, and ran off to the city alone.

She sighed, really not knowing what to say.

"You, you, your courage is too big—don't you realize how worried this makes me? Running around the city alone, what if something happens?"

"Not only will I be heartbroken, but Uncle Zhang and Aunt Zhang will also feel guilty for the rest of their lives."

Hearing the woman say that, Hu Xiaocao finally grasped the seriousness, though at the time she hadn't thought that much, besides, the Mountain God Grandfather would protect her.

After seriously reflecting, Hu Xiaocao quickly apologized, "Mom, I will absolutely never do that again."

Hu Xiaocao's sincere apology and repeated promises meant the woman couldn't keep blaming her: "All right, from now on you must not act impulsively; consider the consequences."

After the mother and daughter finished their meal, Hu Xiaocao helped clear the dishes and soon lay down to rest.

"Why are you sleeping so early today?"

The woman found it a bit strange.

Hu Xiaocao's answer was both laughable and exasperating: "I need to hurry to the dream to report the situation to the messenger sister and the Mountain God."

"This child, it's just a dream—how can you be so obsessed?"

The woman muttered a few lines, then let Hu Xiaocao be, thinking she was just tired from running around the city during the day.

Perhaps she really was exhausted today; Hu Xiaocao fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, and that familiar tugging sensation came over her again, as if her whole body had become light and floating.

Faintly, she could hear someone calling her name.

Following the sound, the surrounding blurred scenery gradually became clear—it was still that Mountain God temple.

First time shy, second time familiar; sure enough, she saw that familiar graceful figure.

Hu Xiaocao ran over excitedly and greeted, "Messenger sister!"

"Hmm."

The woman nodded, counting it as a greeting.

"I heard there's an Upper Purity Temple nearby, but the temple has few people—only two Daoists, and hardly anyone around. By the way, I also ran into a kind older brother police officer, and it was he who escorted me here."

Hu Xiaocao chattered on and on, recounting everything she had seen and heard along the way.

The woman listened quietly.

Hu Xiaocao knew that although the Mountain God Grandfather hadn't appeared in person, he would surely hear what she said.

By the end of her speech, her eyelids began to droop, and that irresistible drowsiness welled up again, sweeping over her whole body.

"Messenger sister, please tell the Mountain God Grandfather that Xiaocao is seriously carrying out the task he entrusted—"

As her words fell, the woman's figure gradually faded away like mist, and the once-clear Mountain God temple instantly became blurry.

…

Meanwhile, on another mountain peak, Ye Qin also opened his eyes, pondering, "A little temple?"

According to Hu Xiaocao's feedback, this Taoist temple should be a recent one, only the incense there seems not to be doing well, and few people go there.

But the necessary things are basically all there.

Moreover Ye Qin doesn't care about incense, after all he's not going to offer incense; as long as this Taoist temple is old enough, there will likely be many scriptures.

"Perhaps we can go check out that Upper Purity Temple."

Ye Qin is a man of action, and quickly decided to make a trip there.

His speed is quite fast now, and with the boost of his cultivation level, it can be said he travels like wind and lightning, journeying under stars and moon.

Between city and mountains are two completely different styles; traces of industrialization are everywhere, and the ocean of neon lights decorates the night as if it were daytime.

All sorts of people walk the roads, all busy making a living.

Ye Qin tried to take small paths, or else use the green belts, so along the way he didn't attract passersby's attention.

After all, according to his current size, he has already left the range of small snakes, and it would easily startle passersby.

Because Ye Qin has absorbed Heaven and Earth Qi, he can already restrain his breath well, blending with the surroundings; even a dog with a keen sense of smell cannot detect his presence.

On the road there were still people walking their dogs, yet not a single dog could discover his presence.

Recalling back then, when Ye Qin first entered the city, he was even chased by a Teddy dog; thinking of those scenes now, they remain vivid in his mind.

When Ye Qin arrived, the sky was still dark, but a faint dawn was beginning to show.

Judging by the environment, although this place doesn't compare to the mountain where he resides, it is still fairly secluded, with plenty of greenery around, except the roads are somewhat dilapidated.

Probably due to long neglect, not to mention the potholes, some places are especially narrow, making it indeed difficult for vehicles to enter.

Next comes a layer of blue stone steps, covered all over with green moss; after passing this small slope, one can see a corner of the red building.

Ye Qin looked at the building not far away; as Hu Xiaocao said, it indeed looks somewhat dilapidated, and the incense is not flourishing.

Moonlight shrouds the flying eaves; below are some faded bricks and tiles, wrapped in plain silver gauze, which instead gives these tiles a bit more texture, imbuing them with a hint of ancient charm.

The walls also have much of their outer skin peeled off, the color mottled, appearing somewhat desolate.

A sense of history hits you; this Taoist temple should be quite old, even the characters on the signboard have faded somewhat, yet the calligraphy is vigorous and strong, exuding a carefree feeling.

"Upper Purity Temple."

Ye Qin narrowed his eyes; in the night it seemed as if an invisible gas enveloped the Taoist temple, giving the originally dilapidated temple a hint of ineffable Dao rhythm.

He carefully sensed it; the power contained in this breath is not great, somewhat like mental energy, enveloping the whole Taoist temple, making its magnetic field differ from the surroundings.

Ordinary people cannot see it, nor perceive it; but Ye Qin, because he cultivates, and also having absorbed Imperial Flowing Paste, which communicates Heaven and Earth Qi, is able to sense it.

Ye Qin looked for a while, also didn't understand what this was; since this place can form such a special magnetic field, there must be something special about it.

According to Hu Xiaocao, there aren't many people in the Taoist temple, only two Taoist priests, and Ye Qin also doesn't want to disturb them.

Earlier the library had a spacious location, plus back then Ye Qin's size was small, so he attracted no attention; now the Taoist temple is cramped, wanting to find a hidden spot is not easy, and he would easily be noticed.

After all, his current size is no longer that of a small serpent; to avoid causing panic, Ye Qin decided to use Dream Divine Ability, making the two Taoist priests fall into sleep, thus facilitating his actions.

Ye Qin closed his eyes; around him, faint white mist rose and drifted into the Taoist temple, soon arriving at the room where the two Taoist priests were.

In the room there were two beds; the furnishings were very simple, aside from the beds there were only a few tables and chairs, and on the wall hung a picture of a Taoist priest meditating at the mountain base.

On the floor were placed two futons; from the depressions on them it can be seen that someone often sits in meditation there.

The two Taoist priests slept on the beds, utterly unaware of the approaching white mist.

Earlier, entering Hu Xiaocao's dream world could be said to have gone smoothly, and he quickly entered it.

But upon arriving here, Ye Qin always felt as if there were an invisible wall before him, blocking the way, as if something were protecting this mental passage.

"Huh."

Ye Qin opened his eyes; a flicker of surprise crossed his snake pupils as he surveyed the Taoist temple before him; his spirit actually could not enter the mental world of those two Taoist priests.

"How could this be?"

The white mist slowly dissipated; Ye Qin had just wasted quite a bit of time, and now the sky began to show a fish-belly white hue.

"Could it be that because this place's magnetic field is special, it protects these two Taoist priests, so my Dream Divine Ability has no effect on them?"

"Of course, there is also a very important reason: their minds are sincere and free of distracting thoughts; for such people of strong spirit and will, combined with this place's special magnetic field, a natural barrier is formed."

"Thus his Dream Divine Ability is ineffective on the two Taoist priests."

"But after all, it's simply that Ye Qin is still too weak now; otherwise any obstruction would be futile."

"It seems this method won't work."

Ye Qin pondered a moment; he had just spent half a day to no avail, and he doesn't intend to keep expending energy; perhaps this is heaven's will.

"Since Dream Divine Ability has no effect, one would expect Illusion Divine Ability to be the same; Ye Qin originally didn't want to attract attention, but there's nothing he can do."

"After coming to this world and embarking on cultivation, Ye Qin has gained a deeper understanding of the word 'fateful encounter'; perhaps in the dark heavens have already made arrangements."

"Moreover, he came to view Taoist scriptures; if he were to hide his head and sneak about, that would actually be somewhat disrespectful, so better to be open and aboveboard."

"Having thought through this obsession, Ye Qin felt somewhat relieved and crawled toward the Taoist temple."

"Having delayed this long, it is now approaching dawn."

"At this moment, sounds are already coming from inside the Taoist temple; I didn't expect those two Taoist priests to rise so early to do their morning service; it's clear that even though the incense is poor, they still faithfully perform their duties."

"The old Taoist priest, being older, is naturally a light sleeper; the young Taoist priest is also influenced by him, so the master and disciple have always risen early."

Soon the two washed up and prepared to go to the main hall for morning lessons.

"Disciple, do you still remember what you learned yesterday?"

"Remember! Yesterday we studied the content inside the Baopuzi."

"Then let me, your master, test you: what does this passage discuss?"

"The Mysterious One is the primordial ancestor of nature and the great source of all things. Its profundity is so subtle that it is called 'Wei'; its vastness is so remote that it is called 'Miao'. When lofty, it crowns the nine heavens; when vast, it envelops the eight corners."

The little Taoist's recitation was smooth and clear; the old Taoist nodded satisfiedly, "Not bad, it seems the knowledge I taught you hasn't been forgotten. Then do you know what this sentence means?"

"The Mysterious Dao is the primordial ancestor of nature and the foundation of all things. It is so deep and obscure that it is called 'Wei'; it is so distant and vast that it is called 'Miao'."

While they were talking, they entered the main hall, each offering a stick of incense to the patriarch and the Three Purities statues, and then devoutly bowed.

Afterwards, the master and disciple sat facing each other.

"Then we will continue studying the content of the Embracing Simplicity today."

"In the Golden Core chapter it is said: 'The five grains can still sustain life; if one obtains them, one lives; if one lacks them, one dies. Moreover, what of the top‑grade divine medicine? Its benefit to people is surely ten thousand times that of the five grains.' As for the nature of the Golden Core, the longer it is burned, the more wondrous its transformations."

The young Daoist listened, utterly absorbed, and could not help but feel doubtful.

"It says here that gold does not decay; if one consumes the Golden Core refined from gold, then a person can become like gold, an imperishable body. Could such a miraculous thing really happen?"

The old Daoist laughed and shook his head: "Where is there such an easy thing? If consuming gold could achieve that effect, wouldn't cultivation be as simple as drinking water?"

"Everything stresses gradual progress; nothing can be achieved overnight. Moreover, the Golden Core is not so easily cultivated; those are merely legendary things, a kind of mental realm. Remember, staying grounded is most important."

The young Daoist seemed a little disappointed, yet he remained full of longing for the old Daoist's talk of the Golden Core.

"Then, Master, do you know whether anyone in this world can actually cultivate a Golden Core?"

This question momentarily stumped the old Daoist.

The old Daoist fell silent at once; at least in his memory, from ancient times to the present, no one has clearly claimed to have cultivated a Golden Core, and Daoist scriptures contain no record of it.

It seems that, aside from the immortals of faith who have already become immortals, such as the Three Pure Ones Patriarch, for ordinary people in this world to enter the Dao through a mortal body and then cultivate to become an immortal is exceedingly difficult.

Including the author of this scripture, Ge Hong, who bore the epithet "Little Immortal Elder," he devoted his life to seeking, firmly believing that refining and consuming the Golden Core could yield longevity and immortality; both its theory and practical foundation are extremely rich.

Yet even so he did not succeed; however, his book Embracing Simplicity greatly influenced the later development of Daoist alchemy and is also a renowned Daoist classic.

Do not look at the many legends left by the ancients; some of them cannot be verified, and some are exaggerations. Truly speaking of those who have cultivated a Golden Core, none seem to have appeared.

Although one cultivates the Dao and penetrates the Dao, the old Daoist also knows that some things truly do not exist.

After pondering a moment, the old Daoist then spoke: "Do good deeds, do not ask about the future."

The result is not important; what matters is the process itself.

Within Daoism there are many cultivation methods; one cannot say they are all useless, but they are the gradual accumulation of predecessors' experience, leaving much inspiration for later generations.

Perhaps the actual effect is not great, but in terms of thought it still possesses the function of educating the world.

"People in the world lose a day each day, like leading oxen and sheep to the slaughterhouse; each step forward brings death nearer. This analogy may be ugly, but it is sound reasoning. The enlightened do not grieve over death not because they do not desire to seek"

Amid the curling incense smoke, the old Daoist taught attentively; the young Daoist listened with utmost seriousness, and just then a thread of morning light streamed in, shining upon both of them.

Everything was so peaceful and tranquil.

At this moment Ye Qin was just outside the main hall, faintly hearing voices from within, as if the old Daoist was teaching the young Daoist something.

He drew near and examined carefully.

Inside the hall were placed the statues of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Venerable, the Morality Heavenly Venerable, the Jade Emperor, the True Martial Emperor, the Queen Mother of the West, and the Literature Prosperity Emperor—several important deities.

Besides that, in a side corner stood a statue about a person's height; Ye Qin could not tell which deity it represented.

However, some of the local residents still worship such a statue, seemingly praying for household peace; it should be a local deity of the area.

It is clear that these statues have considerable age; their colors are no longer vivid, but rather dim, and even show signs of flaking in places.

The condition of that local deity statue nearby is even worse; perhaps it was never shaped correctly from the start, or something went wrong during its installation, and it got accidentally bumped.

Ye Qin's keen eyes saw a crack running from the back all the way to the knee area, only obscured, so it was not clearly visible.

From this one can see that the incense offerings of this Daoist temple are surely poor; otherwise they would certainly spend money on repairs, and it would not look so shabby.

Although these statues have long been neglected, they are still exceedingly exquisite; the hall's murals and decorations are also quite fine, showing that considerable effort was originally put in.

"Perhaps the incense offerings were once all right, but later they gradually declined."

Ye Qin felt some emotion; all things in the world, the turning of the stars and the rise and fall of fortunes, are merely a matter of an instant.

He had originally wanted to go elsewhere to look around, but the old Daoist's talk was actually not bad.

Because Ye Qin was quite close, the voices of their conversation could be clearly heard, and likewise it was easy for others to notice his presence.

The young Daoist caught a glimpse of a shadow outside the hall in his peripheral vision, thought he was having a hallucination, couldn't help rubbing his eyes, and interrupted the old Daoist's following words.

"Master, look, there is a snake over there!"

The young Daoist was somewhat panicked; by comparison, the old Daoist was far more composed.

The surroundings have plenty of vegetation; it is normal for snakes, insects, rats, and ants to be abundant.

Before, it was not unheard of for snakes, weasels, and similar creatures to accidentally wander into the Daoist temple, but they soon left again, causing no effect on them.

The old Daoist glanced back; the snake's body was thick and long, its scales were green like fine jade, yet mixed with a hint of black, appearing very translucent.

Rather than saying it is snake scales, it looks more like some kind of craftwork; the old Daoist, well‑learned and experienced, had never seen a snake of this pattern, and could detect no animality in it.

Overall, the snake before them gave a feeling unlike the ordinary.

A poisonous snake's head is generally triangular, a non‑poisonous snake's head is generally oval, and the markings on the back of a poisonous snake are usually more vivid.

This snake, although not poisonous, the master and disciple stared at it for a long time yet still did not know what species it was.

Most snakes, as long as you do not provoke them, will not come to provoke you; moreover, this snake is still some distance away from them.

The old Daoist spoke calmly: "It's just a snake, and besides it's non‑poisonous, so there's no need to be overly alarmed."

He neither rose to drive it away nor showed any particular panic, as if the snake's presence or absence made no particular difference.

The young Daoist soon heard this and also calmed down, his face filled with admiration and reverence.

He did not know when he would be able to cultivate to such a realm as his master's, where even if Mount Tai collapsed before him he could remain unmoved.

"Disciple, you must understand that all things have their own laws; we humans should not meddle too much, but should attend to our own affairs."

"The Dao follows nature; we ought to conform to nature, with purity and stillness as the sect and emptiness as the substance."

The young Daoist nodded in sudden realization.

The old Daoist continued to explain the content of the Embracing Simplicity.

It is evident that the old Daoist is erudite, able to cite scriptures and classics; besides the Embracing Simplicity, other Daoist texts come to hand easily, and his explanations are thoroughly reasoned.

Within it there is mention of the dantian and the record of the internal elixir method.

In Daoism the dantian occupies an important position; it is the place where the internal elixir method manifests the formed elixir.

The earliest appearance is in the Laozi Inscription from the time of Emperor Huan of the Eastern Han; later, the Immortal Prince Stele and the Embracing Simplicity Ground Truth, among other ancient texts, also contain many records.

The upper dantian is the root of nature, the lower dantian is the root of life. Cultivating both nature and life, one can open the minor and major heavenly circuits and reach the realm of refining the spirit and returning to emptiness.

The Classic of Difficulties considers the lower dantian the ancestor of nature and life, the source of vital energy, the foundation of the five viscera and six bowels, the root of the twelve meridians, the meeting point of yin and yang, the gate of breathing, and the place where water and fire meet.

The young Daoist is simply too young; these recorded classics and sayings are still somewhat obscure and hard to understand for him, and besides, he got up early, and before he knew it his eyelids started to droop.

At first he could barely support himself, but later the old Daoist's voice seemed to have a miraculous hypnotic technique, causing him to unconsciously feel a wave of drowsiness.

Ahchoo!

The young Daoist only felt an intense itch at the tip of his nose, as if something had swept past, and he couldn't help but sneeze, instantly making him fully awake.

Looking up, he saw the old Daoist's whisk in hand, and also a face full of exasperation, as if resenting iron for not becoming steel.

Master, I was wrong.

The young Daoist hurriedly apologized.

The old Daoist shook his head, pointed his whisk at the main hall's door, and said, "You, you, what can I say about you? You've followed me this long, yet you still doze off in the morning."

Saying that, the old Daoist looked out the window.

Even a snake listens more attentively than you.

The young Daoist hurriedly looked over and indeed found it to be true.

That snake didn't leave either; it just coiled at the main hall's door, maintaining its original position for a long time without changing, keeping a safe distance from them.

It gave the impression that it could understand them, and it listened very attentively.

When the old Daoist's words fell, the snake's head even gave a somewhat human-like nod, as if echoing what the old Daoist had said.

???

Young Daoist: Feeling offended.

(End of chapter)