Techniques and Dao

Chapter 5 The Academy of Arts and Crafts
The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name.

The Taoist Academy opens its doors for meditation at dawn (5-7 AM), when students and disciples rise and wash. Meditation ends at dusk (9-11 PM), and lights are turned off for sleep. Each morning and evening, disciples serve as bell ringers and drummers, striking the bell and striking the gong to signal wake-up or light-out. According to the academy's rules, no one is allowed to sleep in, regardless of the weather.

After everyone had washed and dressed in the early morning, they would hold the "Morning Altar" in the courtyard beside Zuixin Lake. At 5 PM, they would have their evening meal. After the meal, the disciples would return to the courtyard beside Zuixin Lake for the "Evening Altar," mainly to study doctrines and practice spells. At 7 PM, the sound of the cloud-shaped clapper would ring out in the courtyard, announcing preparations for bed. Then, at 9 PM, the clapper would be struck again, and all the disciples would go to sleep, forbidden to talk or laugh.

In terms of food, the academy has several dining halls called "Xinzhai Hall". Xinzhai Hall provides various kinds of food for teachers and students every day. Although it is ostensibly for immortal masters and disciples, more than 90% of the food is specially prepared for mortal disciples, while immortals and spirits mainly choose drinking water and vegetarian food.

These past two days, Tai Shang Xiao Jun has been showing his new roommate, Hua Sheng, around the Magic Academy. The academy is quite large, and it would take at least four or five days to get to know it.

One day after noon, the two changed into the light blue academy uniforms and cloth shoes of the Magic Academy and strolled around the academy. The wide sleeves of the uniforms were embroidered with two lines of purple and gold thread, which upon closer inspection turned out to be densely packed magical incantations. Although the uniforms were loose, like the tracksuits, they were light and cumbersome.

Hua Sheng stepped onto the bluestone path and raised his wide sleeves: "This academy uniform is amazing. I can't feel anything when I wear it."

Tai Shang Xiao Jun: "Don't underestimate this academy uniform. The fabric used for the academy's uniform is the best in the entire Holy Pingning region. It was woven by the silkworms raised by the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden herself. Only academy students are qualified to possess it. Moreover, because the Mystic Maiden embroidered the 'All Laws Return to the Source' immortal incantation with purple-gold thread, wearing the uniform greatly enhances the effectiveness of spells. Even when we occasionally go out, we shrink the uniform and carry it with us."

"I see. It seems I really need to learn more from you."

"Are you settling in well in Shengping?" Taishang Xiaojun asked, pacing back and forth.

"This place is completely different from the world I live in, it's so new. I never imagined there would be such a paradise. Before, it was just a myth for us mortals. But I never thought that gods and immortals would actually exist."

"The Holy Peaceful Wonderland is vast. Immortals, humans, and spirits have coexisted here for thousands of years. Although isolated from the world, it is not a primitive society. They are concerned about mortal affairs, but they do not interfere. In recent years, mortal technology has made great progress, and we also introduce some new things and technologies from the mortal world. Technology and immortal arts are not contradictory; they can be integrated. Now, mortal technology is as advanced as immortal arts, not to mention what it was a thousand years ago, but even for people a few decades ago."

“Sometimes, without constraints and purpose, the faster you run, the more dangerous it may be. Everyone understands this principle, but it's easier said than done. Perhaps when things really get out of control, Saint Pingning won't stand idly by,” Taishang Xiaojun said calmly. “But who knows? Let others ponder these difficult questions; we'll just enjoy ourselves.”

Tai Shang Xiao Jun pointed to the surrounding scenery: "The Academy of Arts and Sciences is a place for teaching all methods, an excellent feng shui location. Legend has it that this place was originally the shell of the ancient divine beast Xuanwu. The Book of Rites in the mortal world says: Xuanwu is a tortoise. Tortoises have shells, which can be used for defense. The shell of the Xuanwu spirit tortoise has the energy to connect heaven and earth and penetrate the sun and moon. Therefore, the shell of the Xuanwu spirit tortoise was chosen as the basis for building this academy."

Hua Sheng asked, "I read in a book that the Xuanwu divine beast is a tortoise and a snake. If the spirit tortoise transformed into the Daoist Academy, then where is the Xuanwu spirit snake?"

"Most of the ancient mythical beasts now reside in their respective regions, integrated with the mountains and rivers. But this Xuanwu Spirit Serpent is actually also within the Academy. The founder of the Academy sealed the spirit serpent in the Lingyan Tower atop Xuanwu Divine Mountain, where it has been hibernating under the protection of ten thousand years of mysterious ice for over a thousand years. Every year during the Academy's celebration, all the teachers and students ascend the mountain to offer sacrifices to the spirit turtle and the spirit serpent."

Tai Shang Xiao Jun continued, “The main road in the center of the Academy of Arts and Sciences is called the ‘Spiritual Heaven Sacred Road,’ which is about one hundred zhang wide. It leads directly to the Xuanwu Divine Mountain in the north. The east side is where students and teachers rest and stay, and also includes sports fields, a library, and various halls. The west side is the place for teaching and cultivating the Tao, with about forty buildings of various sizes.”

The two strolled up Xuanwu Mountain and found a cool pavilion halfway up the mountain to sit down. Hua Sheng looked up and saw a plaque on the pavilion that read "Buxian Pavilion".

When asked about her experiences before arriving in Saint-Pingning, Hua Sheng said she only remembered boarding the cruise ship because of Xu Ge, and then falling into the sea. She had completely forgotten everything else.

"Can't remember anything?" Taishang Xiaojun asked.

"I only remember boarding a cruise ship, and I don't know how long I stayed on the ship. The only impression I have is seeing the firelight above after I fell into the sea. My memory of the rest is blank."

“This situation isn’t exactly rare. Sometimes, the human brain uses a self-protective mechanism to forget extremely painful or frightening memories. But it could also be due to some kind of spell,” said Taishang Xiaojun. “Let it be. This pavilion, which we also call ‘Pavilion of Forgetfulness,’ is a place where worldly worries are all gone. I’ve ordered a pot of tea; let’s have some!”

Perhaps because many teachers and students come here to climb the mountain, a small teahouse has opened next to the pavilion. A waiter who looks like a student of the academy brings over a pot of hot water, a teapot, and two teacups; he is probably a student working and studying here.

"I love drinking the tea here the most, the authentic Wuyi rock tea Da Hong Pao, which combines the fragrance of green tea with the mellowness of black tea." Tai Shang Xiao Jun poured hot water and slowly rinsed the teacup. "Although immortal magic can conjure tea, it is mostly only for quenching thirst. It cannot conjure this Da Hong Pao, which contains the spirit of heaven and earth, nor can it conjure this Zisha teapot made by Gong Chun of the Ming Dynasty! So many stories in history that envy the mortal world more than the immortals are not without reason or baseless."

Hua Sheng couldn't help but think to himself, "Everything has two sides. Mortals envy immortals, but there are also things that immortals envy." "Supreme Lord, you're a typical third-generation official, with such a powerful background, why would you envy others?"

"Not a third-generation official, strictly speaking, a third-generation immortal! Cough cough!" Taishang Xiaojun corrected, "But the immortal realm is different from the mortal realm; it doesn't consider birth background. If you want to be on par with my grandfather in the future, you probably won't be able to catch up to him without cultivating for three to five thousand years."

"Three to five thousand years from now, I'll probably have turned to dust. You're not thousands of years old now, are you?"

"Haha, immortals certainly live long lives, but have you ever seen someone thousands of years old still in school? How bad must their grades be, how many grades must they have repeated?" Taishang Xiaojun laughed. "I'm the same age as you, which is why we can be classmates."

Hua Sheng thought about it again and realized it made sense. He had never seen a student repeat a grade in middle school until they were thirty. If someone couldn't graduate for a long time, they would have been expelled long ago; how could they possibly continue studying? Someone from a prestigious family like Tai Shang Xiao Jun would certainly not fall behind.

"Everywhere is peaceful and tranquil, so there would be no worries living in St. Pingning, right?"

Tai Shang Xiao Jun poured Hua Sheng another cup of tea: "In Sheng Ping Ning Li, the three races of immortals, humans, and spirits coexist. Immortals are gods. Spirits are the transformations of all things in the world. They are originally animals, plants, or even a stone. By absorbing the essence of heaven and earth and cultivating diligently, they transform into immortal spirits and take human form."

Hua Sheng said, "This Shengping Ninghe Academy of Arts and Sciences is amazing! It's like a paradise on earth. I can't wait to explore it!"

After sitting for a while, the two were about to get up and descend the mountain when they saw seven or eight disciples walking down the mountain. The one in the lead was eight feet tall, tall and imposing. Upon closer inspection, the young man had a face like jade and exuded an aura of immortality. He was clearly a descendant of a celestial sect. He held a whisk in his hand, and the disciples around him, like stars surrounding the moon, crowded around him as they walked up the mountain.

Hua Sheng was about to leave Buxian Pavilion when he was stopped by Taishang Xiaojun.

"Let's wait a moment and let them go first."

"What? The road is wide enough."

"No..." Tai Shang Xiao Jun was about to say something when he saw the group of people suddenly stop as they passed by the pavilion.

One of the male disciples glanced into the pavilion and said, "I wondered why the air on the sacred mountain was so foul today; it turns out someone brought the vulgarity of the mortal world here." Another disciple beside him said to the young man holding a whisk, "Chief Clerk, I never imagined our Magic Academy would recruit such an incompetent person. How pathetic!"

Hua Sheng glanced at the young man and saw that he was not only arrogant but also some kind of registrar. Although he had never heard of him, he seemed to be the leader among these disciples.

Hua Sheng was about to retort to their rudeness when he saw Tai Shang Xiao Jun shake his head. Then, remembering Hei Yun's advice to be careful upon arrival, he lowered his head and remained silent, waiting for them to leave.

But the leading youth did not leave. Instead, he took two steps closer to them and said, "When I was reviewing the files a couple of days ago, I heard that an ant was coming to this place. I didn't expect to run into it so soon."

A disciple beside him added, "It's really bad luck."

When the other party called him an ant, Hua Sheng couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. But considering that there were many of them, and to avoid trouble, he held back.

Another disciple said to the young man, "Registrar, let's go. Let's not waste our time here with these ants!"

The young man glanced at Taishang Xiaojun and said, "I never expected that Taishang Xiaojun, who comes from a prestigious family, would be hanging out with this guy."

Taishang Xiaojun said, "This is Shengping Ning, not the Heavenly Court. What distinction is there between the noble and the lowly among its inhabitants?"

The young clerk said, "Shengpingning is not a lawless place, so it naturally has its rules. You become like the people you associate with."

Having said that, the young clerk turned and left, leading his disciples up the mountain.

After the group of people walked away, Hua Sheng asked, "Who was that? How come they acted like officials at such a young age, and their manners were quite impressive?"

Upon hearing this, Taishang Xiaojun suddenly stopped smiling and said with a serious expression, "You must be careful here and do not wander around unnecessarily. Although Shengping Ning is stable and peaceful, it is different for you."

Hua Sheng was startled by his serious expression: "What do you mean?"

"For thousands of years, the immortals, spirits, and humans have lived in peace in Shengpingning. However, you entered here through a hidden amendment to the Law on the Protection of Minors."

"I am just a mortal, how am I any different from the people here?"

“There are significant differences. The humans here are born here and learn immortal techniques from a young age. You, on the other hand, are an outsider. More importantly, the ‘implicit amendment’ you are using has only been in operation for thirty years and can only be said to be in the trial phase. Due to the differing opinions among the residents of Saint Pingning and the increasingly fierce opposition, this regulation may be repealed at any time.”

"Why?" Hua Sheng asked hastily when the topic turned to him, "Isn't saving people a good thing?"

"It's a good thing for you, but Shengpingning is a paradise on earth, which has long been cut off from the mortal world and has lived in peace for over a thousand years. However, if mortals are allowed to enter the paradise unilaterally, it may bring great disaster to Shengpingning in the future, leading to the collapse of the paradise."

"How could letting a few ordinary children in cause a disaster?"

"Yes. The number of these opponents is increasing dramatically, and to put it bluntly, don't worry too much. They call those who entered Saint-Pinnes because of the 'implicit amendment' 'mole ants'."

"Is it the mole worm that those people were talking about?"

"A thousand-foot dike can be breached by the hole of an ant. A house a hundred paces in size can be burned down by a wisp of smoke from a crack."

"So that means that even though there are few people, if we let the wrong people in, one day this amendment will lead to a huge disaster?" Hua Sheng gasped.

“That’s right. It’s what people often call the butterfly effect,” said Taishang Xiaojun. “Although all enlightened immortals advocate equality for all beings, you have to be careful, because you never know who you might meet who might have such thoughts. You might encounter someone who could be detrimental to you.”

“Indeed. After all, this kind of discrimination isn’t written on a person’s face.” Hua Sheng’s mind was filled with thoughts. “Was that someone who discriminated against so-called ants just now?”

“That’s right.” Tai Shang Xiao Jun replied with a solemn expression, “Have you heard of the Disciples’ Association within the Xi Academy?”

"It sounds a bit like an organization that gathers the best disciples of Xi Jinping?"

"Yes, many high-achieving students are in the student council. And..."

"And what? Don't keep me in suspense!" Hua Sheng said anxiously.

"The head clerk of the academy's student council who was leading the discussion earlier, his name is Tianjizi, and he's a fierce opponent of this 'implicit amendment'!"

So his name was Tianjizi. Hua Sheng thought to himself, "That sounds like an arrogant guy. Does that mean all outstanding students think like that?" Hua Sheng suddenly felt uncertain about his future.

Taishang Xiaojun comforted him, saying, "That's not necessarily true. But the fact that the registrar is like this means that there are more than just one or two people with this idea in the Academy of Arts and Sciences. It's the same in Shengping Ningli. So you have to be careful and cautious in everything you do."

"You make a good point." Hua Sheng took a deep breath, feeling somewhat conflicted as he realized that his situation was not as he had imagined.

(End of this chapter)