Chapter 0002: Questions and Answers from the Ancestors

If one comprehends the profound mysteries within, the mountains and rivers of the great earth will all turn to gold

Zhang Bairen remained silent, not speaking further

There are various profound and mysterious abilities cultivated, but they are not to be disclosed to outsiders

Modern individuals can understand traditional Chinese characters to a considerable extent, but if you were to ask someone from ancient times to read simplified characters, it would be akin to deciphering a celestial script

Indeed, it is a small courtyard, and the dilapidated house is just enough to shield against the north wind. This is a mud house. Zhang Bairen is holding two cages woven from bamboo strips, inside which two mountain chickens are anxiously looking at Zhang Bairen, much like Zhang Bairen's own ignorance and confusion regarding his fate.

"Bairen, did I not tell you not to go out? How could you run out again? The Turks are invading our borders. If you are captured by the Turks, what will your mother do? How will you survive?" The woman, in her thirties, although dressed in tattered clothes, was clean and had smooth, tender skin, showing no signs of being a villager. Her appearance was exceptionally beautiful.

Zhang Bairen nodded and said, "Mother, our small place is very secluded, the Turks can hardly find it, so there is nothing to worry about"

In the twenty-first century, the transmission of the Daoist tradition has been severed, not because esteemed masters are unwilling to impart their teachings, but because there are no disciples available to inherit the Daoist lineage. Under the influence of the red revolution and the wave of technology, young people are hardly inclined to believe in any path of cultivation. They are preoccupied with the daily grind of making a living, leaving little room for the contemplation of the ethereal world of spirits and deities.

Zhang Bairen, feeling helpless, repeatedly raised his hand to assure

Zhang's mother said: "I heard it from your uncle"

In the twenty-first century, it is not the difficulty of finding methods that is the issue, but rather the rarity of encountering exceptional disciples

Zhang Bairen helplessly said: "Alright, alright, the child will not run around, you can rest assured, mother."

What are ancestors? Life? Roots? Dragon and tiger? Knife and silicon? Golden public and yellow grandmother? What are dragons and snakes, restless hearts and wandering minds? Host and guest awareness?

After speaking, Mother Zhang hurriedly reminded, "The Turks have begun to move south again; you must not recklessly go out and play, lest you be captured by the Turks"

Although I am not in the temple and do not adhere to the strict rules and regulations, I am still a monk! But how can I, as a monk, return home again!" Zhang Bairen said with a smile on his face while eating chicken, "Mother, have this chicken leg, you are weak, you need to nourish your body more.

Zhang Bairen is not a fool; he sees the banners of the Great Sui Dynasty very clearly

May I ask the ancestral master? What are the Dragon and Tiger?

Three points resemble stars, the reasoning is profound; the hook hangs like a crescent moon, determining rise and fall

Bairen, Bairen, what are you thinking about? Hurry up, it's time to eat.

"You child, are you daring to talk back?" Mother Zhang glared at Zhang Bairen

"Mother doesn't eat, you are still at the age of growing, you can eat by yourself." Zhang's mother placed the chicken leg into Zhang Bairen's bowl

How did mother know?" Zhang Bairen was taken aback

May I ask the ancestral master, what are the Supreme Being, the Three Treasures, and the Nine Stars and Five Rigidities?

In the twenty-first century, having experienced the invasion of the Eight-Nation Alliance, various schools of thought have lost their lineage and been severed. However, numerous secrets have emerged. It is undeniable that many of those circulating online are of common quality, yet there are also genuine mystical techniques from immortal practitioners, as well as the unique secrets of various schools.

Scenes flickered before Zhang Bairen's eyes, in the blink of an eye, as if he were present: "May I ask the master, what does it mean to leave home?"

"Today, the Turks have invaded the borders again?" Zhang's mother spoke up

As a result, the predecessors in the cultivation community were deeply pained and left with no choice. Some chose to share their secret techniques online, hoping that those with affinity could cultivate and inherit their family traditions. However, later on, unknown entities began to circulate various fakes online, making it difficult to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit techniques, which was truly infuriating for many.

Since I have come to this world, I shall promote the orthodox teachings of my sect. Since I have nothing better to do, it would be worthwhile to meet the heroes of this era and inquire who among them is my rival. The matters of subduing dragons and tigers, dressed in a green robe, I shall smile like a nobleman. At the very least, I should strive to become a local landowner; otherwise, living on this coarse rice cake every day is truly unbearable. Zhang Bairen tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and began to contemplate, as the events of his past life flashed before his eyes. The matters of subduing dragons and tigers, dressed in a green robe, I shall smile like a nobleman. At the very least, I should strive to become a local landowner; otherwise, living on this coarse rice cake every day is truly unbearable. Zhang Bairen tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and began to contemplate, as the events of his past life flashed before his eyes.

Mother, I am back" Zhang Bairen stomped his feet as he walked into his family's small courtyard

At that moment, a pair of arms reached out to tuck the blanket for Zhang Bairen, and the night continued to regain its darkness

Cultivation! Zhang Bairen's mind stirred. Cultivation is not that simple; the true essence of cultivation has long been mystified by novelists. The subtleties of cultivation are indeed beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. Even with extraordinary abilities, it is not as exaggerated as novelists portray, where one could easily destroy the heavens and extinguish the earth.

What is the concept of adjusting the cooking time?

"Understood, Mother." Zhang Bairen jumped down from the earthen bed, set up the kang table, and Zhang's mother served the chicken soup. The mother and son enjoyed a harmonious moment together

At the age of four, although still somewhat young, it can no longer be delayed. If it continues to be postponed, one cannot know whether they will survive in this tumultuous era. Time flowed slowly as Zhang Bairen read, and as the sky gradually darkened, suddenly the front door opened, and a gust of north wind swept through the entire room

In the midst of the haze, thoughts in Zhang Bairen's mind were severed, transforming into a statue

There is a village in that place, home to more than thirty households

In the restless thoughts of the night, Zhang Bairen finds it difficult to distinguish between past and present lives. Although the 21st century is rife with material desires and the prevalence of dark forces, it is also a time of luxury and abundance, leading one to prefer to indulge in that world of rampant materialism

Looking at Zhang Mu's expression, Zhang Bairen could only smile wryly, then finished the chicken soup in one gulp: "Mother, I have finished drinking, I will go to sleep now"

Zhang Bairen looked at the worn-out quilt, wrapping his small frame in it. He casually picked up a book from the earthen bed and read it with great interest

The mother appeared to be a refined lady, literate and knowledgeable, yet it was unclear how she ended up in this remote and harsh land, enduring such suffering. Zhang Bairen tightened his clothing; from birth until now, he had been nurturing the meridians within his body, constantly contemplating and meditating. Although still young and unable to practice the art of refining essence into qi, he diligently filled in the gaps and continuously observed his own meridians, achieving a level of mastery. He was intimately familiar with every meridian and acupoint in his body, as if he were examining the lines on his palm.

The master replied: "Those who can return all things to the universe, and who possess the virtue of diligent practice and cultivation, are those who can renounce the worldly life."

Mother will make chicken soup for you tonight

"The child knows now, look, we are blessed, the two of us." Zhang Bairen proudly lifted the cage in his hand, inside which the wild chicken was clucking incessantly, quite restless

Zhang Bairen's location is in the three northeastern provinces, adjacent to the grasslands, or rather, with the rise of the Celestial Empire, a portion of the people from Guanzhong were relocated to the borders to expand the territory of the Great Sui Dynasty.

The howling north wind swept by, and in front of Zhang Bairen appeared the compassionate visage of the ancestral master. Now, alone as a guest in this foreign land, a wave of loneliness surged forth, akin to the tide, overwhelming him in an instant

Gently picking up the biscuit, Zhang Bairen slowly broke it into pieces, soaked it in chicken soup, and then carefully placed it into his mouth

"You are quite clever," the woman said as she took the chicken cage. "Quickly go warm yourself up; Mother is going to take that wild chicken to Uncle Zhang's house to be killed."

Zhang Bairen set down the book in his hands and slowly lit the oil lamp: "This time, there will be a feast for the palate."

Zhang Bairen only eats chicken, and does not touch any other food at all. It is not that Zhang Bairen does not want to eat, but rather that he truly cannot stomach it. Having grown accustomed to the refined rice and white flour of the 21st century, he finds it impossible to eat the dark, unidentifiable flatbreads before him, which are so hard they could scratch his throat. After four years in this world, Zhang Bairen still has not adapted to these dark flatbreads.

The silver-armored young general on the battlefield squinted slightly, his eyes fixed on the mountain where Zhang Bairen had departed, and said to his aide beside him: "What place is that"

The 21st century, although characterized by rampant material desires, is undeniably the era in which the true principles of Dao flourish and contend. Those who claim that the 21st century is the age of decline in the teachings find it amusing to listen to Zhang Bairen.

Gazing at the dim candlelight, Zhang Bairen's eyes seemed to transcend time and space, returning to the moment when he first stepped through the threshold of the Dao.

Watching his mother walk away, Zhang Bairen took off his fox fur hat and with a whoosh, he burrowed into the earthen kang, his nose slightly red: "Mother, please walk slowly. I still have some medicinal herbs. I will take them to the border troops tomorrow to sell and exchange for some silver."

Watching the joyful men from the border, who were stripping the clothes off the dead, Zhang Bairen's words were scattered by the sobbing cold wind, and he himself vanished into the frigid northern breeze

Sleep! Sleep!