Chapter 1481 - 801: Rise and Fall of the Clouds (Double-Length)

As they got closer to Zhongnan Mountain, the roads became increasingly crowded with pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages. Upon reaching the market town, the place was already swarming with people, and the main roads as well as side paths were nearly impassable.

A dozen or so official sedan chairs bobbed like small boats in the sea of people, and streams of devout men and women came and went incessantly. Along the way, one could spot the Taoist's cap and the monk's shaved head, while on both sides, vendors hawked various miscellaneous goods, and the noise of the crowd reached the heavens.

The crowd was overwhelming.

Chen Yi and Yin Weiyin had to disembark from their carriage early, with Chen Yi leading the way and Yin Weiyin following behind. The female crown adjusted her veil hat, furrowed her brows, and showed her displeasure at the surrounding clamor.

Due to the talisman, the passing crowd naturally parted slightly around them, so although the throng was overwhelming, it wasn't impossible for the two to make their way.

Looking up from afar, they could glimpse the flying eaves and ornate structures peeking through the forests, likely Liuyun Palace, enveloped in mist like an immortal palace descended to the mortal realm. Even a relatively recent Taoist temple had such an atmosphere; the name of Zhongnan Mountain's Taoist enclave, the first heavenly grotto, was truly well-deserved. Yin Weiyin lamented that the crowd was too overwhelming and the incense offerings never ceased.

Liuyun Palace was not high, merely located at the mountainside. The two soon arrived at the steps leading from the temple gates to the foot of the mountain. As they traversed, the woods on both sides were gray and dull, with occasional small leaves. As they neared the temple and glanced to both sides,

there were peach blossoms planted along the way.

The buds were still small, their color resembling peach wood, slightly shriveled inward. By spring, from the foot of the mountain to the temple gates, the peach blossoms would be extraordinarily beautiful.

Yin Weiyin didn't like this and commented, "It's too flamboyant, when spring comes, the path lined with peach blossoms will be too eye-catching, disrupting one's peace of mind."

Chen Yi listened to her remarks, glanced at the unopened peach blossoms along the way, and chuckled, "The temple gates wouldn't look good without decoration."

"Looking good is useless, it disrupts my serene cultivation," Yin Weiyin remarked blandly.

Chen Yi, accustomed to her, did not retort.

"Isn't that so? If Zhou Yitang and Lu Ying were here, they might feel the same," Yin Weiyin added, having just recalled the previous divination.

Previously, for some unknown reason, Lu Ying was implicated in a divination, leaving her concerned for the past few days.

"They... might be," he replied.

Chen Yi was capable of appreciating elegant beauty, but he preferred the vibrant and lush gatherings of colorful blossoms. He thought of Great Yin's preference for tranquility and solitude in aesthetic choices, perhaps due to differing backgrounds; incidentally, Lu Ying was the same.

When he didn't respond, Yin Weiyin sensed he was not enlightened and needed guidance, asking, "Do you know the story of Du Zichun?"

Seeing Chen Yi shake his head, perhaps due to the Xuan Sect stories not being widespread, the female crown asked again, "Do you know the story of Nanquan Cat Slaying?"

"I've heard some of it."

Chen Yi had heard this story in his previous life. The Taoist Collection mentions that celestial true immortals speak in Sanskrit, and the Taoist sect often uses Zen tales for teaching and illustrating principles. The so-called Nanquan Cat Slaying was merely a story from a certain year, certain era, and certain temple, where monks diligently practiced and chanted Buddha's name, yet a cat entered the temple. The monks vied for the cat, named Hakimi, nurturing it in their halls. Seeing this, the Nanquan Monk posed the question, "If anyone can express the Dao, save the cat; if not, slay it." None of the monks responded, leading Nanquan to resolve to kill, and with one strike, Hakimi became split, severing the monks' distractions... This story was told by Lu Ying to remind herself to sever distractions while cultivating.

Somehow, he thought of the occasionally melancholic senior sister.

Glancing once more at the budding peach blossoms, he recalled her words shortly after returning to the mountain in his past life, "It will soon be the season for peach blossoms to bloom, and plum blossoms will fade."

Though a disciple of Sword Armor, she seldom exuded an immortal aura, yet occasionally expressed sorrowful words. Chen Yi rarely lamented the passing of spring and autumn; at that time, he hadn't liked her, unable to comprehend the sentiments of a young girl.

Seeing no response from him, Yin Weiyin tugged at his hand, and when Chen Yi turned his head, he saw the female crown slightly furrowing her brows, able to tell from a glance he was thinking of another woman. Chen Yi smiled helplessly, but what she didn't know was that because she, the Immortal Lady, was beside him, he ended up thinking of other Immortal Ladies.

"You're thinking about another woman again," she said.

"No," Chen Yi denied flatly.

Yin Weiyin certainly didn't believe him, aware he wouldn't admit it. She was about to give up when she reconsidered and said, "Who told you the story of Nanquan Cat Slaying?"

"Lu Ying," he said.

Upon hearing this, Yin Weiyin replied, "I thought so."

After saying this, Yin Weiyin regretted the earlier guidance. She had long known his thoughts were mostly not on the philosophy in the story but rather on women. She remembered that Chen Yi had said Lu Ying was considered his senior sister and that he wouldn't harbor intentions, but knowing he was inherently lustful was saying he wouldn't harbor intentions and then doing just that.

When he would have a change of heart, switching new for old, what if in the future, he and Lu Ying ascended, leaving her all alone... Thinking of this, Yin Weiyin couldn't help but sigh at herself for bringing up this topic, worrying what if it came true.

The female crown beside him fell silent, no longer offering guidance. Chen Yi glanced over, knowing she was indeed jealous. They were not far from the foot of the mountain when they saw a vendor occupying the roadside selling candied hawthorn.

After all, it was a trip out, possibly a gift for her birthday, tolerating his Great Yin, Chen Yi thought to himself and said:

"What are you angry about? I'll buy you a candied hawthorn."

"How am I like Tingxue, so easily deceived?"

"Then I'll buy one for Miss Donggong later."

"As you please."

"How can I make you willing to be deceived by me?"

"Ascend to immortality with me, and then you can deceive me as you wish."

"If we become immortals, can I still deceive you?"

Originally thinking of saying that even without becoming immortals, he couldn't deceive her, but that would be too immature; as she swallowed the words, she instead said: "Attaining great freedom, blocking the skies with a single hand, myriad destinies, leisurely leading a yellow dog in a village, a land immortal."

She didn't answer but asked, "Are you afraid of being deceived momentarily?"

Afraid of being deceived momentarily?

When Great Yin was hard to coax, it was indeed hard to coax. Chen Yi sighed, thinking that candied hawthorn was the Little Fox's specialty. If he gave candied hawthorn to every woman, it would be somewhat dull.

The two then proceeded without speaking, slowly ascending to Liuyun Palace's mountain gates. The passing travelers paused briefly before orderly entering through the gates. Chen Yi looked up at Liuyun Palace's temple entrance.

It is said that after the Liuyun Palace ancestor returned from debating scriptures, he was impressed by the magnificent aura of the Jiangxin Temple and built this Daoist Temple on the mountain in imitation of Jiangxin Temple, with three courtyards, the Vajra Hall was changed to the Spiritual Official Hall, side enshrining the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, and the couplet at the gate remained that pair—

The clouds clear, clear, clear, clear, clear, clear...

The tide recedes, recedes, recedes, recedes, recedes...

"The clouds rise and fall, the tides ebb and flow."

Chen Yi looked at the couplet, unsure how to read it. Yin Weiyin didn't just hand over fish directly but hinted with a sentence.

Suddenly enlightened, Chen Yi pondered for half an hour and then said, "Clouds, early morning assembly, early early assembly, early assembly early disperses; tides, long rise, often often rise, often rise often recedes."

Da da da.

At that moment, a Daoist swiftly walked out from inside, happened to hear, and greeted Chen Yi with a nod,

"You have a Spirit Root, benefactor."

Facing him directly, Chen Yi squinted slightly; this Daoist looked somewhat familiar.

The Daoist then nodded towards Yin Weiyin and said, "Fellow Daoist, we meet again, on that day I failed to recognize Taishan when right before me."

"No need for such formality, Fellow Daoist Changyu."

Yin Weiyin returned the courtesy. Only then did Chen Yi remember that this Daoist was the same Chang Yuzi who had designed the capture of the Spirit Deer that day.

After parting ways in the past, meeting again today was indeed unexpected. Chang Yuzi had not anticipated that after that day, when he carefully divined, he couldn't find where the mistake lay. By chance, he recalled the trio encountered then, suddenly having a slight epiphany whether it was fulfilled that layman's words, "Seeking the Spirit Deer with human greed, how could one truly obtain the deer?" Initially indifferent, now pondering anew, a different deep meaning emerged.

That layman appeared very young, however, mountain folks most avoid judging cultivation by appearance, and the elderly do not mean high attainment, nor the young child low attainment. Numerous people have an unaging appearance, unblemished divinity, yet Chang Yuzi couldn't discern what kind of deity that layman was.

Thinking that after parting, there would be no chance to meet again, considering anew, the Sect Leader True Man's ascension ceremony had already spread throughout Central Pass. That day, the layman visiting to witness the ceremony was indeed a chance meeting within no chance.

"The layman need not crowd with others, you may follow me in through this gate."

"Then I thank the Daoist."

Not having to squeeze among others, Yin Weiyin naturally agreed.

Moreover, this time he brought Chen Yi to witness the sights of this mountain; being welcomed by a Daoist was good indeed, letting him feel the atmosphere, not to mention squeezing among a sweating crowd leaves no scenery to see.

As a guard, Chen Yi didn't speak much, just followed Yin Weiyin into the gate.

Before the gate ancient cypress, behind the gate a sea of bamboo, hurried passersby, brushing shoulders, each wanting to witness the grand event, hence the begonia, magnolia, and other flowers under the corridor weren't appreciated, flower cups faced skyward, winter jasmine yellow in the corner, with dots of apricot blossoms, various famous flowers budding to bloom; here they all could be found, walkers swiftly weaving through blurred colorful hues; the Goddess leading her Daoist companion walked more slowly, so each hue was a crisp, frozen literary painting, stitched side by side.

How the female crown thought, Chen Yi needn't guess, it was just to show him the mountain scenery, that he may return to the Dao heart. For some reason, she always felt her unwillingness to become immortal stemmed from not seeing the scenery she saw. If he saw it, he surely would ascend to immortality.

But she thought too well, from this perspective, his family's Great Yin was truly adorable, Chen Yi couldn't help but glance at her more.

"Why look at me?"

Yin Weiyin asked softly.

"The Liuyun Palace's scenery is indeed nice."

The female crown felt this response justified the trip bringing Chen Yi to Liuyun Palace, for he was indeed imbued with the heavenly aura of this place.

Chang Yuzi led the female crown and Chen Yi all the way deeper and around the corridor to the guest quarters. Many of the rooms already had shadows within, mostly famed monks and Daoists friendly with Liuyun Palace.

Chang Yuzi found a quieter guest room for the two, which hosted a simple-clothed nun and a properly clothed Taoist. Upon meeting, each reported their name and origin, and Yin Weiyin returned the courtesy in sequence, then waited for the ascension ceremony to officially begin.

With new arrivals, conversations became lively in no time, discussing Buddhist Taoist classics.

Chen Yi had little interest and hence rose to wander outside, which the Illuminant Sage allowed.

Before the Three Pure Ones Hall, tourists pushing to offer incense just to get a piece of the ascension blessing, Chen Yi found it amusing, often saying sincerity brings effectiveness, not precedence, yet at such times, people still vie to be the first to arrive, while passing the hall entrance, a sudden silhouette almost collided with Chen Yi.

Chen Yi sidestepped; the person instinctively reached out, Chen Yi also did not evade, flicking a finger, the hand was instantly as if struck by lightning, the person moving but the hand numbed in place.

A muffled groan, buried among the crowd's buzz.

Once the person returned to senses, Chen Yi was nowhere to be seen.

"Must be a White Lotus Sect member, better report to the boss quickly."

On the tiles of the Three Pure Ones Hall, Chen Yi lowered his gaze, a slip of the Heavenly Eye's golden light was gathered.

Seems like the Inspection Department people had long set vigil during the ascension ceremony.

White Lotus Sect is here too?

Since the confrontation on Dragon and Tiger Mountain, it had been ages without conflict with White Lotus Sect, and while probing during the Southern Border, after Forbidden Army's deployment, White Lotus chaos had largely subsided. Unexpectedly, they showed up again in Western Jin.

Chen Yi recalled the soon-to-ascend Master Yunzhou, remembering past dealings with a White Lotus Sect lady, though ties severed long ago, but why would White Lotus Sect come amidst this ascension moment?

With new and old grudges against White Lotus Sect, Chen Yi couldn't help but feel vigilant.

No matter what, White Lotus Sect visiting surely targets Master Yunzhou, best to seek him too.

Once thought settled, Chen Yi was about to turn, when suddenly, a voice reached from behind:

"Young friend, are you seeking the old man?"