Chapter 335: Discussing the Dao with Fan Tiansheng

This farce came to an end with the reconciliation of both sides.

I made a demand: one of them was that if Fang Xin found out the whereabouts of the Troop Talisman, the Cat Immortal must be severely punished no matter what, since Qingqing was killed by her, and I cannot let the murderer go free.

Fang Xin agreed to my demand without hesitation, saying that after this matter is settled, he will personally go to the south to give me an explanation.

Gui Tian Tong still seemed to have something to ask Patriarch Yu Tai, and at his gesture, all the immortals left the hall.

I and Fan Tiansheng, together with the other Yin Masters, stood guard outside the door, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

At this moment, I still feel extremely guilty; this second, I began to deeply hate my own impulsiveness—acting rashly without clarifying the situation, which led to this great disaster.

To be honest, I am the chief culprit, owing the Northeast Immortal Hall a great favor.

"Actually, neither of you owes the other; this is all due to karma. You are destined to take this step, destined to realize this point. And the Northeast Immortal Hall is also destined to suffer this calamity—you are merely the one fated to endure this great tribulation."

Fan Tiansheng wore a black robe and stood behind me; he seemed to have seen through my thoughts.

Yet his words only brought me greater doubt.

"Master Ancestor Fan, am I not wrong? The 'Dao' should be like water—supremely good and non-contentious, acting without striving. 'My heart is filled with confusion; I feel I have violated the essence of the Dao, and everything I have done goes against the Dao."

"Your direction is correct; you are merely on the way," Fan Tiansheng replied with a light smile. "In fact, Patriarch Yu Tai has long seen through everything; his actions merely lend a hand to the Northeast Immortal Hall, and at the same time, he harshly strikes down those petty scoundrels who dare infringe upon the Yin Mountain Dao Orthodoxy."

"Moreover, it is to temper you well..."

If I was completely bewildered at first, now I am utterly dazed.

"As that yellow-robed youth said, any sect that rises greatly will eventually decline. The weakening of these great sects may not come from outsiders but could come from within. The Northeast Immortal Hall now dominates a region and has reached the point where it can contend with the Daoist Sect and the Buddhist Sect. Consequently, some petty scoundrels have arisen, invoking the Northeast Immortal Hall's name to play the fox borrowing the tiger's might, casually impersonating heavenly deities, possessing ordinary people to seek spirit-medium horses, and extorting wealth and incense."

"If this continues, even if my Yin Mountain Sect does not intervene, we will likely clash with the Daoist Sect. By then, it will probably be the calamity of the Northeast Immortal Hall."

"Therefore, this tribulation appears harmful but is actually beneficial! If the Northeast Immortal Hall can promptly rectify its improper practices, it will surely advance further," Fan Tiansheng said, word by word.

I nodded, half-understanding, as if I had glimpsed a hint of the way, and involuntarily thought of a Chinese dynasty—the Qin Dynasty.

Taking the Qin Dynasty as an example, Qin Shi Huang unified the six states and became the first emperor in the history of the Yan and Huang. In its later years, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang led a peasant uprising, proclaiming they would overthrow the Qin Dynasty. It is astonishing that this massive entity actually fell apart because of it. Finally, the Qin lost its deer—under heaven all chased after it—and was replaced by the Han Dynasty.

On the surface, the Qin Dynasty lost—lost to Chen Sheng, lost to Xiang Yu and Liu Bang. But the true cause of the Qin's decline was the Qin itself. After a dynasty rises, it is inevitable that worms breed; after eliminating all external enemies, it is inevitable that arrogant thoughts arise. If there is no tribulation along the way, if it is not struck, and if it lets down its guard, then the dynasty is not far from decline.

This saying also fits the Northeast Immortal Hall perfectly. Over the years, the immortals have gradually been acknowledged by the world. Finally, the folk even came up with a proverb: "Everyone in the Northeast believes in spirit-medium horses," showing how rapidly the hall has developed.

However, in this era, the immortals have changed. Many animal immortals, having gained spiritual intelligence through the blessings of the Heavenly Dao, are no longer the benevolent spirits that exorcise evil and guard homes for people, collecting incense. Some have become excessive, seizing and plundering; when they take a fancy to a disciple, if you refuse, they cling to you, afflicting your whole body with illness, forcing you to become a spirit-medium horse, forcing you to leave the hall.

When encountering Daoist practitioners, they often spout grandiose words, impersonating the names of certain true gods, to destroy others' Dao lineages.

Of course, we cannot therefore judge the hall's good or evil. After all, the doctrine of the Shaman Immortal Hall is correct; every sect has those who break precepts, knowingly committing faults. However, a careless mistake could let these bad elements become a major cause of the sect's downfall. Moreover, the ignorant may, because of one person, label this great teaching as a cult.

Therefore, what Fan Tiansheng said is correct. After this chastisement, if the Northeast Immortal Hall can promptly rectify its conduct, it will surely advance further.

"But... even if we unintentionally helped the Northeast Immortal Hall, am I truly not wrong? Have I truly not deviated from the Dao's direction?" I still felt somewhat confused.

"How can you be so stupid!" Even though Fan Tiansheng now wears a cloak, I could still hear his helplessness in his tone.

I hehehed a laugh, humbly asking him to teach me.

Fan Tiansheng pondered for a moment; after a long while, he drew a yin-yang fish (Taiji diagram) on the ground.

"The Dao gives birth to One; One gives birth to Two; Two gives birth to Three; Three gives birth to all things. All things arise from the Dao, but ultimately return to emptiness; after emptiness comes a new beginning..."

I calmed my mind and quietly contemplated his words. At that moment, I could not describe my feelings—agitated, my whole body heating up, my blood seeming to circulate along with the Taiji diagram on the ground.

The wind blew softly; I closed my eyes and quietly sought understanding. When my blood shifted from agitation to ease, I then grasped Fan Tiansheng's meaning.

It turned out he was not wrong; I was. I had gone with the flow, just like everyone else, believing the Dao must be like water—supremely good—and that a Daoist must be non-contentious, unable to have even a trace of temper.

Little did I know, life and the Dao are both a gradual process, like the Taiji diagram on the ground: from nothing to being, from being back to nothing, and from nothing again giving rise to all things, cycling endlessly, life unceasing.

No one is born a qualified cultivator; no one is born able to sever the seven emotions and six desires. Only after you have taken them up do you learn to let go. Only after you have wept, laughed, suffered, hated, and experienced all seven emotions and six desires can you see through.

All along, I could not comprehend this. Even ordinary people think that after studying the Dao, even if the heart is not divided, they must still suppress it tightly. Unbeknownst to them, this has fallen into an extreme of the Dao, going against the Dao. The Dao speaks of nature—you cannot cry, cannot laugh, cannot speak of sorrow, cannot express joy outwardly. If this continues, psychological repression will eventually erupt, turning one into a madman.

"The mortal world is a furnace; travel a thousand miles, experience myriad things, undergo all kinds of karma, dwell in bustling markets. If one can maintain a mind undisturbed between motion and stillness, one truly transcends the world, incomparable to ordinary folk. Living outside mountains and forests, in remote wilderness, one seems to withdraw from the world. But if the heart harbors greed, hatred, delusion, and still clings unwillingly to let go, then in truth one is immersed in the world, no different from ordinary people."

"Remember, whether Daoist law, Buddhist law, or any other teaching, they all originate from worldly law and ultimately return to worldly law. Daoists, Buddhists, and all cultivators of the world began as ordinary beings among the myriad peoples; in the end, they too return to secular life. Only after gradual transformation does their heart become that of an infant, a fetal breath, having returned to simplicity and truth, back to nature's essence."

Fan Wuchang stood behind me, his voice devoid of sorrow or joy, yet carrying a trace of natural tranquility; his words sounded like exquisite linked melodies, giving me an enlightening sensation.

"Do you understand?" Finally, he patted my shoulder and said, "You are not going against the Dao; you are merely on the way."

"I understand!" I grew more reverent toward Fan Tiansheng. Who says the Yin Mountain Sect values law over Dao? Who says all teachings in the world are heretical? Our Dao is walked out with our own feet, not deduced by staying shut in a room.

This conversation, this discussion of the Dao, has advanced my state of mind by a step. At the same time, I revere the heavenly Dao even more; the word 'Dao' grows ever more mysterious in my heart. I thought I was near the Dao, but now I realize I still have a very long, very long road ahead.

As Fan Tiansheng said, the Horse Immortal Hall has gradually changed because of me, and my state of mind has advanced a step due to this experience. If we speak of who owes whom, there truly is none. We are merely caught in this web of karma, unable to untangle or explain it, yet each bears their own responsibility.

Truly hard to fathom! I stretched lazily and softly sighed at the white clouds and blue sky.

Not long after, the Five Ghosts carried out the bronze coffin of Patriarch Yu Tai.

To be honest, I have always been curious about Patriarch Yu Tai's true appearance, but he has kept himself well hidden; even when he appeared, he never came out of the coffin, and even if I wanted to look, I dare not casually inquire.

"Junior, cultivate well; do not weaken the reputation of my Yin Mountain Sect!" After a long silence, Patriarch Yu Tai actually said this to me.

I was about to reply respectfully when suddenly my head felt heavy and I nearly fainted. When I dazedly regained consciousness, Patriarch Yu Tai and the other Yin Masters had already vanished without a trace.

At that moment, I felt as if something had appeared in my mind. When I tried to sort out clearly what had surfaced in my thoughts, I could not help but be greatly astonished; after the surprise came a joy that was hard to contain.

The content that appeared in my mind turned out to be a cultivation method, and moreover, it was Patriarch Yu Tai's famed martial art—the Thousand Catties Pin.

Among the martial arts of the Dharma teachings, there are different paths to the same effect. For example, the Thousand Catties Weight used by Elder Yang Seven is actually just one branch transmitted from the Thousand Catties Pin. The true Thousand Catties Method can not only be used to weigh down objects and bind ghosts, but also for self-defense, breaking evil, fighting in Dharma, and exorcising demons—it has myriad wonderful uses.

Now, Patriarch Yu Tai has actually transmitted the complete Thousand Catties Method to me; it is as if a pie had fallen from the sky for no reason, smashing me into dizziness—nothing but dizziness.