Chapter 220: Twenty-Four Years in a Snap (Seeking Monthly Votes)

The 448th year of the Ming era, the 22nd day of the second lunar month, Qingming Festival.

Yu Zhang Region, Guangxin Prefecture.

The sky had yet to brighten, but Yuxiu Mountain, a sacred site of the Daoist sects, was destined to be exceptionally bustling today.

No one knew where all these people had come from; rooms in Zhangxiangzhen at the foot of the mountain were impossible to find. Many parked their carriages on the town's stone paths and slept inside them, while those who were less well-off simply sat on the ground, wrapped in straw mats or huddled under makeshift tents.

Qingwa Lane, in particular, had every inch of space along its walls occupied.

As for those who arrived late, they could only set up camp outside the town.

The moonlight was bright, illuminating every person's face, yet not a single soul was truly asleep.

Around the Yin hour, when the sky was a dark, bruised blue, these people began to rouse their spirits, preparing to set off.

Qingwa Lane was the "Immortal's Residence," and the master here naturally possessed a different air; at the crack of dawn, the doors were opened to provide food, allowing everyone to fill their bellies before departing.

Whether they were noble scions or humble fishermen, farmers, woodcutters, or hunters, all accepted the offering with profound gratitude.

Once full and with hands wiped clean, and upon receiving the master's permission, the crowd proceeded in an orderly fashion to touch the door plaques hanging under the eaves of the houses in Qingwa Lane—this was considered an omen of immense good fortune.

As for the plaque of the first house in the lane, "Cheng Xinzhan's Beginning," no one dared to touch it; they only stared at it with burning eyes.

"Father, higher."

A child, looking only eight or nine years old and full of vigor, was lifted up by a hunter to reach for the plaque.

The hunter complied, rising onto his tiptoes to hoist the child higher.

"I touched it, I touched it! Father, put me down now."

Having touched the plaque, the child wore a look of complete satisfaction.

The hunter, however, did not put the child down; he held the boy in his arms and headed to the next house.

"Father, put me down, let's walk."

The hunter did not listen, saying only, "It's faster to carry you; we can touch more houses."

Carrying the child, the hunter squeezed through the crowd in the lane, his footsteps steady and firm.

Afterward, he whispered to himself,

"Father will carry you more. If you truly become an immortal, I won't be able to hold you anymore."

"Father, what did you say?"

"Nothing."

The hunter shook his head, his pace quickening.

By the time the sky began to pale, everyone started heading toward Yuxiu Mountain. The hunter and his son had touched seventeen plaques, and they joined the main group, leaving the town behind.

Yuxiu Mountain was closed to the public today. Thick fog had risen on the southern slope's mountain path. People who had rushed from all over gathered at the foot of the mountain, waiting on the north bank of the Jin Sha Creek. Including the onlookers, there were likely tens of thousands of people.

The hunter and his son had started early and walked fast, and now, squeezed near the mountain path, they suddenly heard a wave of commotion from the front.

"What happened?"

The hunter asked repeatedly.

The child had sharp ears and clearly heard the murmurs drifting back from the front.

"Everyone is shouting about the Temple Master, Daoist Zhenwei, a living immortal, and things like that."

The hunter gave an "oh." He had never heard of them; he spent his days hunting and gathering herbs, with no time to study Zen or visit Daoists. As a mountain man, the most he did was pay respects at the Earth God shrine under the big tree at the village entrance during festivals.

"Is that living immortal taking on disciples?"

He asked.

The child tilted his head to listen again but couldn't make sense of it.

"There are too many people. Let the children climb the steps. The morning fog is thick, so watch your footing. Those who brought them, do not follow; stay where you are."

At that moment, a crisp voice of a young girl rang out in everyone's ears. The voice was not loud, yet it was completely unaffected by the surrounding clamor, ringing out clearly in every person's ear.

This was an immortal's method!

Parents were naturally reluctant to let go, but the chance to enter the Dao and seek immortality was a stroke of luck that might not come in several lifetimes. It had already been twenty-four years since the last time the Three Pure Xianshan took on disciples.

That time, they only took one person: Cheng Xinzhan from Zhangxiangzhen. People in Zhangxiangzhen said that twenty-four years had passed, and Cheng Xinzhan hadn't changed a bit.

The immortal's appearance remained unchanged, but Zhangxiangzhen had undergone earth-shaking changes. The town still produced incense, but the townspeople no longer relied on it for a living; they were now wealthy families who called it "cultivating one's character." Of course, this didn't stop the incense of Zhangxiangzhen from selling for higher and higher prices, with even Nanchang Prefecture and the imperial capital of Jin Ling specifically requesting incense produced here.

The main income for the townspeople was collecting rent. Over these years, the incense at Yulin Temple had become increasingly prosperous. The old immortal Zhenwei had lived to be a centenarian, his Daoist arts were profound, and the protective talismans he drew were hard to come by. The number of people coming to offer incense and pay respects was immense, including imperial relatives, nobles, and high-ranking officials.

The more important reason for Yulin Temple's prosperity naturally lay in the Three Pure Xianshan behind it.

Every few years, or perhaps every hundred years, the Three Pure Xianshan would send down a decree to Yulin Temple, ordering them to plan for the search for spiritual children to enter the mountain and undergo the Dharma examination. Those who passed could stay in the mountain and become immortals.

The most recent time was twenty-four years ago. Over a hundred people entered, but only Cheng Xinzhan remained. However, the others who were returned to the mortal world all vividly described the splendor inside the immortal mountain to outsiders.

Things like riding clouds to fly, giant snakes as big as mountains, colorful seas of clouds, and immortal arts like the soul leaving the body.

The Three Pure Mountain's Dharma examinations for disciples had never ceased, and such immortal legends naturally never ceased either, which was why Yulin Temple's incense became more and more prosperous.

Almost everyone who came to Yulin Temple chose to rest in Zhangxiangzhen at the foot of the mountain. Some wealthy nobles who were single-mindedly seeking the Dao and immortality often stayed for half a year or more. No one in Zhangxiangzhen sold their ancestral homes, and no one dared to force them, so those who came had to pay rent.

The people of Zhangxiangzhen didn't worry about wealth, and everyone enjoyed longevity, aging slower than others. In their daily lives, they saw no disasters or illnesses, and everyone said this was because they had been touched by Cheng Xinzhan's immortal aura.

Therefore, one person attaining the Dao, achieving immortality, and even the chickens and dogs ascending to heaven—this was the proof.

So, when news came from Yulin Temple at the end of last year, after a twenty-three-year interval, that they were once again calling for disciples to enter the mountain for the Dharma examination, the entire Guangxin Prefecture, as well as the Yu Zhang and Qingzhou regions, were stirred.

What made people most ecstatic was that the condition of being under sixteen years old had not changed, but in addition to possessing "Clear Spiritual Qi," those who were excellent in painting, music, memory, or fearlessness could also enter the mountain to participate in the Dharma examination.

Consequently, countless families flocked there.

The hunter Lin family lived in a remote area and only heard the news half a month ago from a Daoist who came to the village to treat illnesses and preach. A hard-working hunter naturally had nothing to do with painting, music, or memory; the first two were things only wealthy families could touch, and those with the ability of "memory" naturally went to study and become officials, not struggling for a living in the deep mountains.

According to that Daoist, "fearlessness" meant that the child was bold, their soul was stable, and they wouldn't be easily frightened from a young age, avoiding things like waking up in terror or crying in the night.

When Father Lin heard this, he thought his child seemed to be "fearless"!

So, encouraged by the preaching Daoist, the Lin father and son rushed all the way to Zhangxiangzhen.

Therefore, at this moment, these parents, including Father Lin, no matter how reluctant, had to let go of their children, urging them with tears to walk into the thick fog and climb the steps.

However, many knowledgeable wealthy families were curious: "Clear Spiritual Qi" was something that was either there or not, and it was easy to distinguish. But how could things like painting, music, memory, and fearlessness be distinguished?

There were four or five thousand children climbing the mountain steps, and this was already the result of a preliminary screening by the Daoists of Guangxin Prefecture.

Some children couldn't even hold a brush steadily, their work looking like ghost-drawn talismans, yet their parents insisted they were good at painting and had to be sent to the immortals to see, which gave the Daoists a huge headache.

It was mainly because the conditions this time were too broad, so even after the Daoists screened them again and again, there were still so many children at the foot of the mountain.

Lin Fengnian also walked into the white fog.

The fog was very thick, and he couldn't see anything clearly, only the two or three steps beneath his feet. Lin Fengnian thought to himself, it seemed he had never seen such thick fog before.

Truly an immortal mountain!

Lin Fengnian wanted to become an immortal. He heard that immortals could command clouds and rain. If he became an immortal, he could have sunshine when he wanted sunshine and rain when he wanted rain. Then the crops would be good, and he could fulfill the wish of his parents and fellow villagers for a bountiful harvest every year.

He heard people say that to enter the immortal mountain for the Dharma examination, one had to first enter the Daoist temple on this mountain. The temple was at the end of this mountain path. If he couldn't even walk up this path, how could he talk about becoming an immortal or a bountiful harvest?

So this somewhat vigorous child gathered all his strength and walked quickly upward.

————

The square in front of the temple, usually bustling with noise, was empty.

Old Daoist Zhenwei sat on the edge of the cliff outside the square, stroking his beard and laughing heartily.

A young girl served behind him, pounding the old Daoist's shoulders.

The girl looked about twelve, dressed in colorful clothes, with big eyes and a round face. Her hair was golden and dazzling, like flames, but it was tied into two buns, which offset the dazzling feeling and made her look even more bright and cute.

"Just like back then, just like back then!"

The old Daoist looked at the grand scene below the mountain and laughed loudly.

The girl then asked, "Did the Temple Master see anything different about the Master compared to others back then?"

The old Daoist nodded slowly. "Naturally. What kind of bearing did Yunqi have? Among that batch of people, Yunqi was slightly older, and he truly stood out from the crowd. Even when he met the immortals in the mountain, he was neither humble nor arrogant. I saw it back then—it had to be him!"

The girl covered her mouth and giggled.

"Nannan, how many people do you think will walk up this mountain path?"

The old Temple Master asked.

"The Master is opening the mountain to take on disciples, so he must want more, which is why he made such a big scene. He probably hopes to take on more than five. But in Nannan's opinion, two or three would be good."

"Oh? Why is that?"

The girl's eyes squinted with a smile. "The Master wants to take on more people, but he made the illusion array so difficult. How could it all go according to his wishes?"

The old Temple Master laughed upon hearing this.

The two, like grandfather and granddaughter, chatted while waiting for the fated ones to climb up. The girl could always make the old man laugh heartily.

After a while, a gust of wind suddenly blew past them. When the wind dissipated, a person was revealed.

This was a young man in his early twenties, dressed in white, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, a dragon-like forehead, and a high nose—very handsome.

The girl was not even as tall as the young man's chest, but upon seeing him, she jumped up and grabbed his ears.

"Bai Longnai! The Master is opening the mountain to take on disciples, why did you come back so late? Does it take a long time to go back and forth to Western Hunan?"

The young man hurriedly bent over to beg for mercy. "I met my old big brother, and he insisted on holding me back, not letting me leave."

Thinking that there were outsiders present, the girl decided to give him some face, snorted through her nose, and let go.

The young man glanced into the white fog and saw that the children were all trapped in the illusion, most still standing at the start of the mountain path, so he knew he hadn't come too late.

The old Temple Master had been busy with these two children for the past few months regarding the recruitment of disciples, so they were naturally familiar. Thus, he asked him the same question.

"Little Nai, how many people do you think will walk up here?"

"In my opinion, one or two would be good."

"Oh? Why?"

The young man habitually sniffed. "The Master made the array too difficult."

He gave the same answer as the girl.

"Eh?"

But just after saying it, he let out a light "eh" himself.

"What is it?"

The girl asked repeatedly.

"Look inside the array, there is one walking very fast!"

Bai Longnai said.

The girl looked in the direction the young man was pointing. Golden light flashed in her pupils, and then a hint of surprise appeared on her face.

"He is fast. He doesn't seem to be affected by the Dharma array at all."

Hearing the two talk, the old Temple Master was extremely curious, but as a mortal with flesh eyes, he couldn't see anything, so he had to pretend to be indifferent and composed.

"Ah, he walked all the way up!"

The girl said in surprise.

Immediately, the old Temple Master saw a vigorous child walk out of the white fog. This child, if nothing else, had an extremely good physique. Having walked such a long mountain path, he wasn't even red in the face or out of breath.

The child was wearing coarse cloth clothes, a bit dark-skinned, and sturdy. One look and you knew he was a farm child, but the kind who was well-raised by his parents and had never gone hungry.

The child looked around and found that there were very few people on the mountain, seeing only an old man with a white beard, a big brother, and a big sister looking at him.

The child was bold, so he asked,

"Are you immortals?"

The girl smiled and beckoned to the boy. "Come here."

The child walked closer, looked at the three of them, and finally knelt down with a thud in front of the old Temple Master.

"Greetings, Immortal Master!"

The three laughed loudly.

The child didn't know what had happened.

The old Temple Master helped the child up and touched his round head.

"Good child, you've knelt to the wrong person!"

Then the old Temple Master looked at the young man and the girl, the meaning very clear:

Didn't you two say the Dharma array was very difficult?

The child was confused.

The girl asked at this time, "You walked through this white fog, did you have any special feelings?"

The child thought for a moment, then touched his clothes and said,

"The fog in the mountains is wet, but the fog here is dry."

"Anything else?"

The child thought this was an immortal's test, so he tried hard to think again, but he really couldn't think of anything else and shook his head.

The girl and the young man were both very surprised.

The Master had really found a treasure.

Afterward, the few continued to wait, while the girl chattered away, asking about the boy's situation; she was very curious how this child had managed it.

They waited from sunrise until noon, and finally, a little girl walked up.

This girl looked older than the girl, and she was clearly different from the boy named Lin Fengnian. She was dressed in wealth, covered in beautiful jade and pearls, and her own face was like carved pink jade.

"Little sister, come here!"

The girl beckoned to the little girl.

This girl was watched by the girl and the young man as she passed through the layers of illusion assessments. She possessed "Clear Spiritual Qi" and the ability of photographic memory; she was good at painting and skilled in music. Truly impressive.

"What is little sister's name?"

The girl couldn't guess if the girl had also passed the test or if she was an immortal in the mountain, so she answered properly,

"My name is Zhu Shuyu."

From then on, until sunset, not a single child walked out of the white fog.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 221 =====