[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-book-of-strange-tales":3,"chapter-the-book-of-strange-tales-the-book-of-strange-tales-chapter-33":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Book of Strange Tales",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2317313,4532,"Chapter 33: Fuxiu Observatory","the-book-of-strange-tales-chapter-33",33,"\u003Cp>\"How many Daoist observatories are there in this mountain?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Five, maybe more hidden away. This mountain is vast, with peaks like forests and jagged rocks—I’ve never seen it all. I’ve dealt mostly with two: Immortal Source Observatory, also of the Spirit Law Sect, and Nine Dragon Observatory, of the Alchemical Cauldron Sect. In recent years, several Buddhist temples have appeared as well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do temples also build here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This mountain is large and scenic. Not just Daoists like it—monks enjoy it too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That makes sense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue nodded and bowed slightly to ask: \"What’s the difference between the Alchemical Cauldron Sect, the Spirit Law Sect, and the Talisman Sect?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No rush. There’s a hot spring below—we can soak in it and talk slowly.\" The old Daoist smiled carelessly. \"I’ve walked for days. Even with my cultivation, I’m practically crawling with lice. The mountain’s hot springs are wonderfully soothing—I’ll take you there to enjoy them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group continued forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They gradually entered a forest thick with mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There truly was a hot spring, perfectly warm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the spiritual energy here was dense, quiet and uninhabited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An old man and a young man sat in the spring; a short distance away, a girl sat with her back to them, silently poking holes in the ground with a stick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Few came here—peaceful and serene, with only the sound of flowing water and the old Daoist’s voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Alchemical Cauldron Sect, as the name suggests, primarily cultivates elixirs. This splits into external and internal elixirs. External elixirs use copper cauldrons, with rare celestial treasures, gold, silver, dew, and rain as ingredients—truly miraculous in application. Internal elixirs treat the body as the cauldron, cultivating the Golden Core using the essence of heaven and earth’s spiritual harmony.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In ancient times, cultivators focused on elixirs—this meant external elixirs. To cultivate the elixir meant internal cultivation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Later, perhaps realizing the limitations of external elixirs, the method of internal cultivation gradually emerged.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Though the world’s magical arts are countless and ever-changing, they still relate to the Alchemical Cauldron Sect. As external elixir cultivation declined, internal cultivation retreated into deep mountains, leaving the rising Spirit Law Sect as the mainstream.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then, over time, more and more beings in the world ascended to godhood and immortality...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old Daoist paused here, as if holding back words, then continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thus arose the Talisman Sect.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"‘Lu’ means rank, means credential. ‘Fu’ means union. The Talisman Sect requires both fu and lu to function—its essence lies in summoning divine power, not one’s own ability.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue listened intently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hot spring was hot, and soaking felt comfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this setting, receiving instruction and clarification was a scene Lin Jue had never imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet it felt strangely soothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Lin Jue pondered, splashing water to scrub dirt from his skin. His gaze flickered—and he saw the girl sitting before them, scratching her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, she was listening too—though she seemed confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The place was quiet; no need to draw near to hear clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue thought a moment, then asked for her:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What does that mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Simply put: the lu represents your status—perhaps your rank among celestial deities, or among earthly earth spirits, even wild or demonic gods. It signifies their recognition. Some lu even record your position and which spirits you may summon, which abilities you may wield. With the lu, you may set up an altar and draw talismans. The talisman is like a military token: with status and token, you may command spirits and unleash divine arts, even summon deities to descend.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl continued lowering her head, poking the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then, a voice suddenly rose from the forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was strange, unfamiliar—not human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You old Daoist speaks falsely. In ancient times, cultivators shifted from external to internal elixirs because celestial treasures grew scarce—many elixirs could no longer be made, let alone Golden Cores.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue instantly tensed, turning toward the voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl sitting on the shore froze in shock, twisting her head to look far off, then cautiously glancing back at the two in the spring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But all they saw was rising steam, dense forest, distant mountains and mist blending together—no figure anywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he looked at the old Daoist before him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old Daoist still sat in the spring, grinning, showing no interest in tracking down the voice’s source.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the voice continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You old Daoist—you’re no Talisman Sect priest who worships deities, and you’ll never join the Immortal Ranks. Why speak so timidly? Just say it plainly: the ultimate goal of Alchemical Cauldron and Spirit Law cultivators is to become the ancient carefree immortals—or live a hundred peaceful years. The Talisman Sect? Merely an appendage of today’s incense-based divine path.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hehehe...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old Daoist chuckled, smiling but saying nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who’s speaking?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue asked him, assuming he knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t know. Don’t recognize. But this is Yishan—rarely visited for a thousand years. Spirits and demons are common here. Ha, this one’s surely lived longer than we have. His words may hold truth.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old Daoist only grinned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So that’s it...\" Lin Jue mused. \"But on my journey, I’ve encountered too many spirits and demons.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need to be startled. Humans have their destiny. And now, with the world in chaos, spirits and demons are far more numerous than a few years ago. If you’ve encountered one, your yang energy or blood qi must have weakened—or you’ve been tainted by demonic energy. Walking at night or on mountain paths, if spirits appear, they’ll naturally be drawn to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The old Daoist isn’t entirely right,\" the voice echoed again from the forest. \"For mortals to encounter mountain spirits or demons without cause is unusual—but if you enter the domain of mountain spirits and demons, isn’t that like entering a village and seeing people? What’s so strange?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That makes sense,\" the old Daoist agreed, nodding as he soaked. He turned to Lin Jue. \"See? Encountering such a spirit once in a while isn’t bad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue studied his expression, as if gaining insight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, the voice never spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After soaking, the two wanted to call out to the girl, but she refused—whether from shyness or fear of encountering spirits if she left their sight, she wouldn’t budge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So they continued onward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They gradually neared the mountain shaped like a pair of shears and its neighboring Fuxiu Peak—so close now that their full shapes were no longer visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pushing aside tall reeds, they found a narrow mountain path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old Daoist walked ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl walked in the middle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue followed last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crossing a stream on a single log bridge, they began ascending along the narrow trail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old Daoist walked slowly, speaking as calmly as if seated indoors—unaffected by the steep path:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The saying ‘Under heaven, all land belongs to the king’ is wrong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Only roads under official control count as the king’s land. The smaller the road, the weaker the court’s authority. Vast stretches of deep mountains and wastelands are not ‘king’s land.’\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Similarly, only places with roads and dwellings belong to humans—only where people gather counts as the human realm. Elsewhere belongs to spirits, demons, earth deities.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Spirits and demons rarely harm people by day—but deep forests, especially where sunlight never reaches, are still twilight zones, boundaries of yin and yang. Ordinary people who wander in should never leave the sunlight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yishan is remote, thick with forest and mist, home to many spirits and demons. But don’t worry—Yishan has its own mountain god. He’s formidable—far stronger than the mountain lord we met the day before yesterday, and stronger than nearly all mountain gods in the world. If you meet him, show him proper respect.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This mountain is his domain. And with our observatory here, Fuxiu Observatory is well-known among the mountain’s spirits—and recognized by the Yishan mountain god. As long as you do no evil, none of the mountain’s spirits will trouble you. Even if you meet one, just be respectful, say you’re from Fuxiu Observatory, and most will let you pass.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue walked silently, listening, feeling as if he’d stepped from the human world into another realm entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a voice sang from the mountain:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This mountain holds hot springs, to cleanse worldly ties... This mountain holds jade herbs, to eat and never age... This mountain holds divine elixirs, to obtain and transcend the mortal realm...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s a woodcutter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old Daoist told them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue looked up toward the voice—clouds and mist deep, strange peaks emerging, ancient pines bathed in mist, truly a divine abode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped, turned back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unconsciously, they had climbed high—the path behind was nearly lost in dense forest and mist; even the hot spring they’d soaked in was now only a wisp of steam rising, invisible in form. As for the spirit who interrupted them earlier, Lin Jue still didn’t know what it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, a corner of a temple appeared ahead—eaves curving upward, behind it loomed Fuxiu Peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’re almost there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue followed him forward, hearing faint flute music—ethereal and otherworldly—rising from the treetops, and a faint, soothing scent of incense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The observatory’s gate soon appeared before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faded vermilion door. Before it, a cat lay lazily. Above the gate, two characters: \"Fuxiu Observatory.\" On either side, couplets:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gaining the clarity of mountains and waters;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gathering the spiritual essence of heaven and earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old Daoist walked ahead, stepped over the cat, and pushed the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Squeak...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wooden door creaked open, releasing a waft of incense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old Daoist had already stepped inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue paused outside, glancing left—where several plots of soil had been tilled, growing vegetables; behind them, a donkey shed, pigpen, and chicken coops, housing livestock. Paths on both sides led up the mountain, paved with blue stone slabs and steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ahead, footsteps halted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue looked up—the girl had noticed he hadn’t entered, stopped, and turned back to silently watch him. He smiled, carefully stepped over the cat, and followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The observatory wasn’t large, but not small either—three courtyards with ceremonial gates, two main halls: Tianweng Hall, dedicated to Tianweng, Shenmu, and celestial deities; Boshan Hall, honoring Boshan’s ancestral master and deities known only in ancient myths—indicating an observatory focused more on personal cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On either side were guest halls for pilgrims, quarters for Daoists, a dining hall, kitchen, scripture library, storage rooms, and more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue hadn’t walked far when he saw a middle-aged Daoist emerge, hoe on shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master, you’re back? Who are these two?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My new disciples—your junior brother and junior sister. Stop tending the fields. Go prepare rooms for them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’ve already prepared one room, but didn’t you say you’d only take one disciple? Why two?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s all fate. Prepare another room.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Understood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is my eldest disciple, your senior brother, named Lu Wu. Before you, I had seven disciples—I’ll introduce them to you tonight.\" The old Daoist smiled. \"Don’t worry—my disciples are all easygoing. The monastery is quiet most days, with little to do; you can play with them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Senior brother, hello.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue quickly bowed to the middle-aged Daoist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Senior brother, hello!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl followed suit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello to you both.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged Daoist carried a hoe, wore straw sandals, and had rolled up his pant legs. He looked to be in his thirties—not old at all—but his expression was exceptionally gentle, and with this attire, he seemed anything but young.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After greeting the two, he walked back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue stared wide-eyed at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old Daoist led the two further inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tonight, after you pay respects to our ancestral master and complete the formal initiation ceremony, you two will officially become my disciples—and their junior siblings.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Auspicious day? Don’t you pick one?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"An auspicious day isn’t in the heavens. Today, as I take you as disciples and you enter my sect, is the auspicious day.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue couldn’t help turning his head, glancing around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flute music from the monastery’s pavilions grew clearer, as if nearby. Beyond the scent of incense, the air carried the aroma of herbs and wine—both pleasant. Cats and dogs lay sleeping in the courtyard as if unbothered; even in the inner courtyard, a cloud leopard dozed on the ground. As Lin Jue stood in the courtyard, cats came over to sniff him, rub against him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he had no idea where this place was.\u003C\u002Fp>",2062,"2026-06-20T14:45:35.226Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","6e909cce997388584a32fe9f1a2156e528547c7c0d7d2371fd2030c4e7dcb77b","the-book-of-strange-tales-chapter-34","the-book-of-strange-tales-chapter-32",608,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-book-of-strange-tales-cover.jpg"]