Back in the shabby room, it was already past noon.
After a hasty lunch, Old Zhang didn't continue drawing symbols, but swiftly packed up all the things including the materials for the establishment that I had cleaned earlier.
According to him, the establishment requires a quiet environment and cannot tolerate any disturbance. Although the school is on break now, most of the students have not actually left, so it's not an ideal place for the establishment.
Moreover, the medicinal soup needed for the establishment also requires cooking over a fire. When the thick smoke billows, it's feared that as soon as a fire is lit, it will be removed by the school's security personnel! Therefore, he had already found another establishment site for me in advance.
I had long been accustomed to following Old Zhang's arrangements without asking too much. I took the package he handed me and swiftly left the school with him.
However, when we arrived at our destination, I couldn't help but be stunned and involuntarily exclaimed, "Yangming Temple!"
With a suspicious glance at Old Zhang and a look at the closed vermilion gate, I couldn't help but scratch my head and ask, "Is this the establishment site you mentioned?"
"Heh heh, surprised?"
Old Zhang smirked triumphantly, then stepped forward and thumped the verdigris-riddled copper door handle. After almost ten thumps, the tightly closed vermilion gate was finally opened by someone.
To my surprise, it was Xia Xiaoyi who opened the gate!
How come she's here?
Could this be where she's staying?
Filled with doubts, I quickly followed Old Zhang through the gate, and Xia Xiaoyi directly hung a "Closed" sign on the door and then tightly locked it again.
Actually, this wasn't my first time here. Because it's the nearest scenic spot to the school, I had visited with my classmates at the beginning of the school year.
But I never expected Old Zhang to choose this place as my establishment site. Even more unexpectedly, the "Fufeng Teahouse" I had visited before was operated by Xia Xiaoyi, no wonder she's staying here...
Yangming Temple was built in the nineteenth year of the Qing Dynasty, and it has a history of nearly two hundred years. It was specially built in memory of the Ming Dynasty great scholar Wang Yangming, so it's called the "Yangming Temple."
Although it's called Yangming Temple, it's not just a temple; it consists of three groups of ancient buildings, including Yangming Temple, Yindaozhen Temple, and Fufeng Temple. The three groups of ancient buildings collectively form the serene and picturesque Fufeng Mountain Scenic Area, which the Southwest Confucian Zheng Zhen praised as "a green hibiscus that pierces the sky."
But what I really can't understand is why Old Zhang chose this place as the establishment site?
After all, this is a scenic area! Although Xia Xiaoyi hung the "Closed" sign outside, it can only deter ordinary tourists. For those with real authority and status, that sign is practically meaningless.
You see, this place is frequently requisitioned by the government to hold exhibitions, literary seminars, and even annual meetings. And now, it happens to be the peak period for such events at the end of the year!
In response to my question, Old Zhang did not answer, but just smiled slightly and led me to the back of the mountain, pointing to a cave halfway up the mountain and asking, "Do you know what this is?"
Isn't that a stupid question?
I felt somewhat speechless, then unenthusiastically said, "I'm not blind, this is just a cave, right?"
"Yes! It's a cave!"
Old Zhang nodded seriously, then changed the subject, "But it's not an ordinary cave, it's the place where Master Yangming practiced, called the Yin and Yang Cave!"
"The Yin and Yang Cave?"
I muttered softly, then couldn't help but ask, "Are you saying, Master Yangming was also a practitioner in his day?"
"Of course!"
Old Zhang nodded very affirmatively, then smiled, "Master Yangming was the founder of the 'Lu Wang's Heart Study,' not only well-versed in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, but also adept in battle. He was an incredibly rare versatile Confucian in Chinese history. I reckon, in his later years, he had likely broken through to the Earthly Immortal Realm!"
"Earthly Immortal?"
Upon hearing these words, I couldn't help but take in a deep breath. The so-called "land immortal," also known as the "land god," refers to the gods who reside in the human world.
The great scholar Ge Hong of the Jin Dynasty once said in "Baopuzi.Lun Xian": "The superior person gains enlightenment and ascends to the emptiness, known as the heavenly immortal; the middle person roams in famous mountains, known as the land immortal; the inferior person dies and then sheds the mortal body, known as the corpse-disposing immortal."
From this, it can be seen that the land immortal is almost the highest level that an ordinary person can achieve in their practice! And did Master Yangming actually reach such a height back then?
This is too terrifying, isn't it?
Because according to historical records, Master Yangming only lived to be 57 years old. Even if he began his practice in the womb, he only had a few decades until he completely cracked the mystery of the land immortal. So how could he have died?
Of course, this is not the issue I'm currently concerned about. What I care about is whether this "Yin-Yang Cave," which assisted Master Yangming in his enlightenment, can also play a certain role in assisting my future practice?
"Ha, his surname is Wang, and so is yours. Maybe you two are related!"
While making such jokes, Old Master Zhang led me inside. The cave was natural and not too big or too small. Outside, the sunlight was brilliant, but inside, there was the sound of dripping water.
As soon as I entered, I clearly felt its extraordinary nature.
At that moment, my heart became incredibly peaceful, as if completely isolated from the outside world. That feeling was like being placed outside the boundless world, serene, profound, and selfless... This was indeed a blessed land for high-level Daoist practice!
"Tsk tsk... It's no wonder it's where Master Yangming once achieved enlightenment!"
Old Master Zhang praised, then proudly said, "How about it? Did I pick a good place?"
"Yes!"
I quickly nodded, thinking to myself, this is more than just good, right? It's probably the best place in the whole Qianyang!
"Heh heh, of course!"
Receiving my affirmation, Old Master Zhang was also very pleased and said, "How about this, why don't you meditate and adjust your energy here for a while, trying to restore your vitality to its peak. I will go down to prepare the herbal medicine symbols for your foundation building. When the time comes tomorrow at noon, I will immediately help you lay the foundation!"
"Okay!"
This was exactly what I had in mind. His suggestion struck a chord with me. Without any hesitation, I quickly agreed and said, "Thank you for your trouble!"
"Heh, don't be so polite with me!"
Old Master Zhang chuckled, then left the cave. I promptly sat cross-legged and began practicing the "Fourteen Pieces of Brocade" from Daoism!
As expected, the acquired essence in my body had indeed become much stronger than before I passed out! The almost imperceptible warmth flowing inside me before was now remarkably clear. With a slight activation, it immediately started circulating. It naturally followed the path of the "Fourteen Pieces of Brocade," nourishing my limbs and bones constantly within my body!
This was certainly a good thing! But what puzzled me was, why did my vitality inexplicably become stronger after I passed out?
This clearly defied common sense!
Could it be that someone did something to my body after I passed out?
Once the essence began to circulate, the dragon's energy in my body also started to stir. I didn't deliberately suppress it, allowing it to slowly wander through my limbs and bones...
That feeling was extremely pleasant, with the two forces converging, almost unstoppable. When encountering some slightly blocked meridians, with just a little force, they could be immediately cleared!
"Huh?"
Suddenly, a bold idea flashed in my mind. I couldn't help but think, why not try to directly penetrate the Governing Vessel and Conception Vessel?
According to Old Master Zhang, laying the foundation was about refining essence into Qi. Its ultimate goal was certainly to open these two meridians, right?
Since they would eventually need to be opened, and now I had such an opportunity, why not give it a try? If I could really open them, wouldn't it save the whole process of laying the foundation?