Chapter Nine, Sanqing Mountain

The old man was taken aback, quickly grabbing the young girl and wiping away her tears, then inquiring about the situation in detail. Jia Chen felt a deep sense of familiarity and proceeded to recount the entire story regarding Lai Buyi's request, taking out the "Cloth Robe Secret" from his bosom to show to the white-bearded Daoist.

Returning to the room, under the light, Feng Buyi gently opened the "Buyi Jue". A line of powerful and vigorous characters on the first page caught his eye: "Only the leader of the Jiangxi faction may read this." Feng Buyi sighed, closed the cover, wrapped it up again, and gently placed it beside the sleeping Xiao Jiachun. He then picked up the black dragon-seeking ball and brought it under the light for a closer inspection. The ball was the size of a bowl, neither copper nor iron, jet black, with no luster whatsoever, and felt unusually heavy in his hand. After observing for a long time, Feng Buyi still could not grasp its essence and could not discern any peculiarities. Unintentionally, the light in the room dimmed significantly, and it continued to grow darker. He focused intently and discovered that the light emitted by the electric bulb in the room was being actively absorbed by the black ball! ... In no time, the room was completely dark, with only the tungsten filament of the 100-watt bulb still glowing red...

"Indeed," replied Feng Buyi

Heaven and earth create wonders; it is unexpected that the Jiangxi School, which has been lost for eight hundred years in the martial world, still has a successor. The old Daoist sighed repeatedly. He then took Jiachen's small hand and chuckled, saying: "According to the ancient records, the former leader of your esteemed school, Lai Buyi, had a profound connection with our Sanqing Palace and had once rendered kindness to the Sanqing. Now that the leader of the Jiangxi School has come to visit, our Sanqing Palace must not be lacking in courtesy."

"Before my master departed, he conveyed a message: if Feng Buyi comes to visit, you may go to Sanqing Mountain to meet her". The Daoist's attitude became much more respectful.

The Ancient Observation Pavilion of Kaitian is located in the southeast of Jiujiang city. After leaving the highway and traveling east along a narrow cement road for several miles, one arrives at the entrance of the pavilion. The host monk said to Feng Buyi, "Master Hua Qing has gone to Sanqing Mountain and will not return for half a month." Feng Buyi was greatly disappointed and turned back with a heavy heart, when he heard the host monk calling from behind, "Is your name Feng Buyi?"

"He has arrived," someone whispered, and the crowd fell silent in an instant

The abbot of Sanqing Palace, Daoist Huaxu, with a beaming smile, was the first to catch Feng Buyi's eye. Behind him, two young Daoists were carrying a sliding pole, on which sat the little Jiachen, who was playfully making faces at him

The next morning, Feng Buyi did not mention a word about the strange events of the previous night involving the black orb. Meanwhile, Xiao Jiachun happily took her small stool to read the secret manual that only the sect leader was allowed to see, not even stopping for a meal. Throughout the day, Feng Buyi felt listless and pondered deeply; the events of the previous night were increasingly bizarre and unfathomable, simply unheard of. Realizing that he could not find an answer on his own, he decided to seek advice from others and thought of Daoist Hua Qing.

At the foot of Yujing Peak lies the Sanqing Palace, where it is said that Ge Hong of the Eastern Jin Dynasty built a hut and practiced alchemy 1,600 years ago

Sanqing Mountain is located at the junction of Dexing and Yushan in Jiangxi Province. The mountain resembles a lotus leaf, featuring sixty-four peaks and a hundred miles of clear streams. It is renowned for its eastern peril, western wonders, northern elegance, and southern seclusion, historically celebrated as the 'First Immortal Peak of Jiangnan.' On the mountain path, Xiao Jiachun bounced along, full of excitement, running ahead along the granite stone steps, and soon disappeared from sight.

Thank you, Daoist. Feng Buyi thought to himself, it seems that a trip to Sanqing Mountain is in order

Xiao Jiachun discovered a spotted squirrel foraging in the bushes and joyfully chased after it. After several rounds of pursuit, the squirrel disappeared, and when she turned back, she could no longer find her way. The little girl became frightened and hurriedly crawled out of the thicket, only to see a green stone archway. On the columns on both sides were inscribed couplets. The little girl stopped and looked closely; she recognized the traditional characters and couldn't help but read aloud: "Ascending the hall, stepping into the void, there is no gate to the supreme void; entering the gate, seeking the path, understanding the true way, profound beyond the profound."

In the main hall of the Sanqing Palace, the sound of bells and drums resounded, and the ceremonial music played in harmony. The Taoist priests adjusted their caps and garments, filing out in an orderly manner, standing in front of the hall. Among those at the forefront were Daoist Master Hua Jing, the head of the Zhengyi Temple on Longhu Mountain, and Daoist Master Hua Qing, the head of the ancient Kai Tian Temple in Jiujiang. It had been many years since the Sanqing Palace had witnessed such a grand occasion, and the priests were all filled with excitement, engaging in lively discussions among themselves, unaware of the significance of this 'Commoner Ancestor.' Daoist Master Hua Jing and Daoist Master Hua Qing had originally come to the Sanqing Palace to discuss matters at the invitation of Master Hua Xu, and at this moment, they were equally perplexed. While waiting in the hall, Feng Buyi sensed that something significant was about to happen in the palace, so he also followed out and stood to one side to watch.

Upon entering the grand hall, please inform the host to announce my arrival. Turning back, I still do not see any trace of my daughter

On the gate of Dadian Mountain, there is a plaque inscribed with "Cave Heaven and Blessed Land." On either side, there are stone carvings; to the left, it reads "The hall opens to the daylight, the wind sweeps in," and to the right, "The gate reaches dusk, the clouds seal themselves." Feng Buyi marveled at the beauty of the mountains and rivers in Jiangnan, which is entirely different from the grandeur of his hometown, Wuling Mountain. Indeed, it is better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books.

"Oh, whose child is so well-behaved?" An old Taoist priest with white whiskers looked at the little girl with disheveled hair and scratches on her face in surprise. Upon hearing the voice, Jia Chen turned around and saw the old man with kind eyes and a gentle demeanor, especially his white beard that resembled her master. She couldn't help but feel a warmth in her heart and blurted out, "Master." Tears streamed down her face.

The humble Daoist Huaxu, the abbot of the Sanqing Palace, after introducing himself, found himself in quite a quandary. "The little sect leader is a disciple of Lai Wenjun from the Northern Song Dynasty, who lived over eight hundred years ago, how should I address him?" After pondering for a while, he suddenly slapped his forehead and laughed, saying, "Well, since the affairs of the world are indeed shaped by fate, and since we are of the commoner sect, how about calling him 'Patriarch of the Commoners'?" He quickly ordered a young acolyte to go up the mountain to convey the message.