Chapter 85: Bestowing the Teachings Once More

After leaving Mount Flat Top, Cheng Xinzhan first returned to Mount Mingzhi.

Upon seeing his master, he briefly recounted what had happened in Qingzhou, also mentioning that the sect leader had suddenly asked to speak with him.

Wen Sukong smiled, “He is the sect leader; nurturing disciples and seeking a successor are his chief concerns. If he sees a promising seedling, of course he'll want to have a talk. In fact, Patriarch Tongxuan spoke to me about this as well. I didn’t tell you before, lest it distract you.”

She paused, then continued, “This time, you managed to find the source of the corrupted earth veins, which means you’ve already read the part about seeking tombs and corpses in the 'Green Money Rebirth Scripture.' Now, let me ask you: have you studied the sections on nurturing, refining, and commanding corpses? Has the corpse-insect I gave you shown any signs of movement?”

Cheng Xinzhan shook his head and replied, “Master, I’ve read a bit, but I haven’t practiced yet. From what I gather, the method of nurturing corpses focuses on fostering vitality and the transformation between life and death. I believe nurturing vitality aligns with earth and water elements, while the change between life and death belongs to wood.

“I’ve first opened the Palace of Heart. After hearing Senior Jin Mingzi’s words last night, I’ve gained some insight into the Golden Immortal and decided to visualize the Kirin Golden Corpse as my internal divine image, then open the Palace of Lungs next, and only afterward address the matters of earth, water, and wood.

“When the five palaces are opened, I’ll use the metal-insect corpse as a base, nurture it with the essence of water and earth, awaken it with the force of wood, and temper it with thunder and fire. Only then will the corpse be truly presentable. For now, my abilities fall short.”

Once he finished, Wen Sukong did not respond immediately, instead falling silent for a while.

Cheng Xinzhan grew uneasy, wondering if his master was disappointed by his lack of progress in corpse cultivation.

But to his surprise, after a while, his master burst out laughing.

“Well done! You have your own plan, and it’s even more comprehensive than mine.”

“Disciple dares not claim so,” he replied hastily, bowing.

“No, that’s not it.” Wen Sukong spoke earnestly. “A sage once said: ‘A disciple need not be inferior to the teacher, nor must the teacher be superior to the disciple. There is precedence in learning, and specialization in the arts—nothing more.’ I pass you the scripture, but that doesn’t mean my skill on this path must exceed yours.

“At most, I’ve only cultivated longer and possess deeper power. I had intended for you to nurture the golden corpse with yang fire, which would suffice to create a fine specimen. Especially since you visualize the Pleiades, you needn’t fear the infiltration of yin and evil, and can comprehend the five elements and their interactions while nurturing the corpse. But since you believe you should first study the five elements and then incorporate thunder to refine the corpse, that is naturally better.

“This is your first time as a disciple, and my first time as a master. Sometimes, I unthinkingly impose my views on you. If this happens again, speak up, and we’ll discuss it together. I’m very pleased with you.”

Cheng Xinzhan was deeply moved and encouraged, bowing respectfully.

“In that case, I was concerned that learning too many things might distract you from your cultivation, but seeing that you have a plan, I’ll teach you two more arts, both true transmissions of Mount Mingzhi.

“The first is the art of wind. Beyond the five elements, since you’ve already studied thunder, you must not neglect wind. I will now impart to you 'The Canon of Heavenly Power, Earthly Compliance, and Human Spirit,' and the 'Secret of Summoning Wind and Guiding Fortune.' The former defines the nature of wind, discussing its forms and effects in both the macrocosm and the microcosm, while the latter details its practical application. To truly understand wind, you must study wind-grass, just as learning thunder required learning thunder-seals. I’ll give you three books: 'Zhang Taidian’s Calligraphy,' 'Wild Wind and Night Rain Manuscript,' and 'Collected Interpretations of Zhang Taidian’s Calligraphy by the Successive Masters of Mount Mingzhi.' Study them well.”

“The second is the art of the primal spirit. The primal spirit is the composite of soul, thoughts, memories, and all intangible aspects of being. Once you achieve the primal spirit, you must contemplate union with the Dao and immortality. I previously instructed you to build a vision in your mind—you haven’t neglected that, have you?”

Cheng Xinzhan shook his head. The Palace of Light had been established, and lately he’d been considering building the Palace of Thunder; his mind was never idle.

“Good. That is the method of focusing thought. Keep practicing it. Now I will teach you how to command and strengthen the three souls and seven spirits, called 'The Secret Instructions for Manifesting the Primal Spirit of Longevity.' Practice it as well.

“Cultivate essence, energy, and spirit together; do not neglect any of them. If you don’t understand something, come ask me.”

Cheng Xinzhan accepted the golden books and jade scrolls Wen Sukong handed him, nodded in agreement, and then produced the lotus seed bestowed by the sect leader, asking what it was.

Wen Sukong glanced at it and said, “This is a seed of the Nine-Orifice Dustless Lotus. The rhizome, stem, and pod all have nine orifices. It rises unstained from the mud, straight and pure, untainted by dust. If cultivated in the temple, it transforms filth into nourishment, purifies pools, and can serve as a spiritual eye for array formations.

“But it is very difficult to make it bloom—you’ll need spiritual soil or water to nurture it. If you manage to get it to flower, the entire lotus can be refined into a spiritual avatar. However, such an avatar can at most serve as a vessel for the soul; it lacks agility and can’t recreate the subtlety of the flesh, far inferior to the bamboo body you now possess.”

Cheng Xinzhan nodded. Of course, he wouldn’t say the sect leader was stingy; a spiritual plant capable of becoming an avatar was already a treasure, though naturally it couldn’t compare to the bamboo staff passed down through generations on Mount Mingzhi.

He thanked his master for the teachings and took his leave.

As soon as he returned to the Worry-Free Cave, White Dragon immediately rushed over, leaping onto him and whining pitifully. He’d neglected the dog during his days away.

Cheng Xinzhan glanced at the bowl on the ground, which contained leftover flatbread from the general kitchen. He had torn the bread into pieces, but it had barely been touched—the dog clearly disliked grains and had gone hungry these days.

After soothing the animal for a while, he rode the clouds to the Eastern Celestial Way.

The Eastern Celestial Way lay atop Mount East Screen, shrouded in drifting mist. The avenue was extremely wide, at least a hundred paces across, so both sides were lined with pavilions and shops, as well as scattered street stalls. Some were run by the sect, like the general kitchen’s branch, Danxia Mountain’s pill workshop, White Tiger Mountain’s puppet workshops, Dujuan Valley’s greenery, or Rainbow Mountain’s spiritual grains. Others were private shops run by disciples to make some money on the side.

He had come to see if there were any suitable spiritual foods or methods for feeding beasts with vital energy. He never had much silver or gold, but the medicinal herbs sent from Redwood Ridge could be used for barter.

As he wandered, he suddenly noticed a shop sign in the distance: “Spirit Pet Provisions.”

Such a shop existed? He was surprised and walked over, only to find it crowded with people—there was even a queue. Clearly, many in the sect kept spirit pets.

Cheng Xinzhan joined the line and finally saw that the sign read, in smaller characters, “Spirit food recipes derived from the Goose Patron Sect of Heluo.”

Curious, he asked the person in front of him—a white-haired elder who, surprisingly, kept a spirit pet. “Fellow Daoist, may I ask, what kind of sect is the Goose Patron Sect? I confess my ignorance.”

The old man turned around; it was an ancient Daoist. “Master Yao!” Cheng Xinzhan exclaimed. It was the Daoist Yao, gatekeeper of the Minor Myriad Mountains’ General Affairs Office—the very elder who had been on duty the day Cheng Xinzhan first joined. He recalled then that Master Yao kept a cat who always slept on the office counter.

Master Yao was delighted. “Oh, it’s Yunqi—no, now you’re Xinzhan. Xinzhan is remarkable—opened the Palace of Heart in just two years! I said at the time, anyone from Mount Mingzhi wouldn’t stay long at Minor Myriad Mountains.”

Cheng Xinzhan grinned. “Master Yao, call me whatever you like; Xinzhan or Yunqi, it’s all the same to me.”

Master Yao smiled. “Xinzhan, you’re here buying pet food, yet you know nothing of the Goose Patron Sect?”

Cheng Xinzhan was embarrassed. “I adopted a spirit pet while traveling; I never paid much attention before. Out in the wild, I just let it hunt rabbits and deer, but since returning to the sect, I’ve found it inconvenient.”

Master Yao laughed and explained, “The Goose Patron Sect is a great sect in the Heluo region. They don’t practice magic or alchemy, but excel at raising pets—cats, dogs, birds, fish, all manner of creatures. Those who love pets can always find their favorite there. They have a custom: you don’t ‘buy’ a spirit pet, you ‘seek a patronage.’ Besides the marked price, you must also bring a goose as a dowry, hence the name. Every year, they release wild geese on their mountain, or else there’d be no place for them to roost.”

The young man marveled—so there were sects like this, and so many pet lovers in the cultivation world.

“Goose Patron doesn’t just sell pets; they sell pet food, too. This vendor learned the craft from them by chance—it’s special. My cat, Li Nu, eats nothing but her food now, picky as can be. They also offer grooming, beautifying—anything related to spirit pets, you name it. Business is booming.”

Seeing his surprise, the old Daoist laughed. “Cultivation is a long journey—a spirit pet for company is wonderful. My Li Nu is my Dao companion.”

Cheng Xinzhan nodded, then asked, “With business this good, when does the vendor find time to cultivate?”

The old Daoist replied, “This stall only opens on the ninth of each month; you’ve caught it just in time. The vendor also brought in some fine cats this time, so people are lining up to see if they want to seek patronage. I heard the news late myself.”

“I see.”

The two chatted as they waited. When they neared the front, Cheng Xinzhan saw that the vendor had only a few leaf-wrapped packets left, unfamiliar to him. He sought Master Yao’s advice; the old man explained, “That’s cold-frost banana leaf. It stays icy for months after picking, frost forming on its surface, keeping pet food fresh—a hallmark of Goose Patron craftsmanship.”

Cheng Xinzhan nodded. He saw writing on the leaves: some for cats, some for dogs, some for birds, some for snakes. Altogether, about twenty or thirty bags remained—he should be able to get some.

There were also two kittens on the stall. He’d seen three or four others taken already, so these must be the leftovers.

As the line moved forward, another kitten was taken, and still more of the leaf packets disappeared. Someone tried to grab extra, prompting Master Yao to shout, “Do you think you’re the only one with money? If you take too much and my cat goes hungry, I’ll come eat at your place!” The crowd burst out laughing. Master Yao was a fixture in the General Affairs Office; every new disciple in decades knew him. The offender bowed in apology and hurried away.

At last it was Master Yao’s turn. The old Daoist examined the last kitten, first delighted, then shaking his head. Cheng Xinzhan asked why, and the old man replied, “Look at this little calico—longhaired and tricolored, quite rare. But it looks three or four months old, and the blue film on its eyes hasn’t faded—likely blind. I dare not seek its patronage. Jihan, give me two bags of cat food with added grass.”

He handed over the silver.

The vendor was a young woman in a floral dress, the green fabric embroidered with a riot of colors. Yet her beauty outshone her attire—her face more radiant than a hundred flowers, her long black hair braided with fresh green vines that bore tiny blossoms.

Cats clustered at her side, and a brilliantly colored parrot perched on her shoulder. Hearing Master Yao, she deftly gave him two grass bags and replied brightly, “Master Yao, not taking this calico? Its white is like snow, black like ink, yellow like mist—all perfectly patterned. Such coloring is rare.”

Master Yao shook his head. “Don’t fool me, Jihan. That kitten’s blue film is streaked with white; at least four months old, not yet cleared, probably blind. And in all this time I haven’t heard it meow—if not mute, then frail.”

The young woman smiled mysteriously. “You never know, Master Yao. With the right care, it might recover. Besides, this calico has the bloodline of a Suanni!”

At this, Master Yao’s brows twitched. He felt it again and whispered, “What’s the dowry?”

She held up three fingers.

Master Yao instantly withdrew his hand, took his cat food, and left, reminding Xinzhan to visit the Minor Myriad Mountains from time to time.

Cheng Xinzhan agreed, and finally it was his turn. “Greetings, fellow Daoist. I have a dog, brought from the southern wilds—less than a year old, but already quite large, about this high.” He gestured to his knee. “Could you recommend two bags of food?”

The young woman was surprised. “A dog from the southern wilds, less than a year old and already that size? Could it be a White Dragon?”

Cheng Xinzhan was even more surprised by her guess and nodded.

“That’s rare! White Dragons seldom leave the southern wilds; you’re fortunate to have one.”

She took two large grass bags from the stall and handed them to him. “The White Dragon has a hearty appetite and loves meat. Feed it this.”

“How much?” he asked.

“Four taels for two bags. If you have herbs or pills, I also do barter—show me what you have, and I’ll pick what I like.”

Two taels per bag—not cheap, but at least she accepted barter. He produced some of the herbs sent from Redwood Ridge.

“This bloodvine will do!” she said, pointing to a red-stemmed vine. “Excellent for making wooden bracelets and hairpins.”

“How many for a trade?” he asked.

“Four stalks—yours are old, but unprocessed.”

He agreed, handed over four vines, and began to put the rest away.

“Wait, fellow Daoist!” the young woman called, stopping him. She pointed to a green orchid still wrapped in earth. “May I see that one?”

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