Yinshan Record

Chapter 34 The First Appearance of the White Deer
Zhang San carried two bowls of braised pork noodles on a wooden tray, and on his own initiative bought a pot of wine and added a dish of braised pig's head meat drizzled with vinegar.

He had already learned about the changes in the county after going out for a while.

Magistrate Jiang and County Commandant Su had a falling out.

This made Zhang San hesitate.

It's true that County Magistrate Su is a powerful figure who has crossed the river, but County Assistant Magistrate Jiang is no local bully either.

They are like a tiger sitting on a mountain.

In the midst of such fierce competition, the flowers and plants nearby are naturally doomed.

Zhang San felt that he was just an ordinary yamen runner, but now that he had caught the eye of County Magistrate Su, he had to make the most of this opportunity to perform well.

Don't those storytellers have a saying?

A strong wind reveals the strength of the grass. Now I must be that strong grass.

I gently knocked on County Magistrate Su's door, but there was no response.

Zhang San mustered his courage and called out "County Commandant" twice more.

But there was no sound at all.

That shouldn't be the case. Even if they really wanted to do something with Lady Qi, there should have been some noise inside.

He gently pushed the door open a crack, only to find that apart from the sleeping Lady Qi, there was no one else in the room.

Three sticks of incense remained inside the incense burner, which was used to enshrine the wooden box brought by County Magistrate Su.

What about people?

Su Che is on the road.

He was dressed in a blue robe and quietly left the county government office.

Night was falling, and a chill was creeping in.

A bright moon hangs high in the sky.

A white shadow floated beside him.

It was about five feet tall, with long, flowing hair and a pale face without any facial features.

This is Qingqiu.

"Does it have to be like this? Even if it doesn't look good, there's no need to scare people with a blank face. If any old man sees you, the whole neighborhood will be celebrating."

Su Che looked at Qingqiu's face beside him.

"Don't talk nonsense if you don't understand."

The little fox was speechless at the guy's ignorance of the concept of cultivation.

"Considering your shallow cultivation, I will explain to you that if one's cultivation does not reach the seventh rank, the manifestation of the Yin spirit cannot have five senses."

Is there such a saying?

“When I was in Donghai, I heard this story from my elders. I’ll tell it to you today.”

The little fox's talkative nature is unmistakable.

“A long, long time ago, there was a god named Chaos who was born without seven orifices. He had two friends who were also gods, one named Xi and the other named Hu. They felt sorry for Chaos because everyone else had seven orifices but he did not, so they opened one orifice for him every day.”

"In seven days, the seven orifices were carved out, and Chaos died." The little fox said, "This is the principle of cultivation. According to Taoism, a person is born with a bit of innate spirit, which is the foundation for achieving the Great Dao and the basis for future cultivation and consumption."

“My elders say that chaos is this innate spirit, while Xi and Hu are time. As time disappears, the innate spirit gradually fades away, and when it is completely exhausted, one’s lifespan comes to an end. Cultivation is the process of replenishing and strengthening one’s innate spirit.”

"When one cultivates to the seventh grade, the innate spirit can be secured and will not be lost to the world. Even if it is lost occasionally, it can be replenished by the essence of the world. It is only at this stage that the Yin spirit can gradually evolve into the five senses, merge with the physical body, evolve into the primordial chaos, and directly point to the root of the Great Dao."

Is this how demons view cultivation?
This may be the reason why there are so many different methods of spiritual practice in the world, or it may be due to different understandings of the world.

The distinction between saints, immortals, demons, Buddhas, and devils may be due to this.

To summarize in my own words from my past life, different worldviews lead to different methodologies, and different philosophies naturally lead to different cultivation methods.

Seventh rank?
A ninth-rank cultivation level is merely the beginning; only at the seventh rank can one be considered to have established a firm foundation. A fifth-rank master is considered a pillar of the state. Many generals and important officials of the imperial court are fifth-rank cultivators. In Confucianism, the fifth rank is called "Golden Seal" or "Pillar of the State," meaning that reaching this level allows one to become a prime minister or a powerful minister.

The Yin-Yang Dharma King of the neighboring Guobei County, with only a fourth-grade cultivation level, could lead hordes of ghosts to gather in one area, and even the imperial court dared not interfere with him.

This is why so many people covet the old lion deep within Xuan Mountain.

Even if I can't reach the third rank, it would be good if I could take this opportunity to cultivate to the fourth or even the fifth rank.

Furthermore, one can attain longevity and immortality, roaming freely between heaven and earth, observing the ever-changing world, laughing and cursing the mortal realm—truly an immortal of the earth.

Even if he fails, he can still enjoy worldly riches, live in a luxurious household, eat from the finest food, and control the world with ease, making people sigh that a true man should be like this.

"You don't display your facial features because you're not yet of the seventh rank?"

Su Che suddenly realized a problem.

The little fox's skills weren't much better than mine.

I am considered to be at the tenth rank of Great Perfection, just entering the ninth rank, while the little fox is considered to be at the eighth rank.

What's this? A chicken with a dog?
"Sigh, how can I describe it to you?" The little fox hesitated for a moment: "As long as that person is not at the sixth rank, I should be able to kill her if I'm serious."

Bold and arrogant.

If this phrase were simply "I can kill him," it would likely be a line spoken by a lesser-known general like Gan Xingba or Zhang Junyi in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Adding "If I'm serious," tsk, it takes on the air of a shrewish old man: "Pour the wine, I'll be right back," "Selling the best," and "Using cheap tricks."

"What if it's the sixth rank?"

Su Che was genuinely curious about just how strong this fox was.

"If it's a sixth-rank, what's the point of fighting? Of course, we should just hide." Although it didn't have a mouth on its face, the little fox said very seriously.

A true man can bend and stretch; that is the mark of a strong man.

"Miss Qing, I was foolish and offended you in the past."

Su Che recalled his previous experience of using the rope that Huang Tiandao had kindly provided to tie up the little fox, and was worried that she would "seriously" seek revenge.

"Oh, no problem, no problem. Ignorance is no excuse. Just prepare some gifts to apologize."

"I understand, I understand, it must be very generous."

"Young Master Su is truly intelligent and quick-witted; I adore him."

Under the bright moon, in the alley, on the blue bricks.

A shrewd young page watched Su Che approach from afar and a smile crept onto his lips.

"Young master, it's quite alluring to walk with a female ghost at night. It's just that it might be a bit scary if mortals saw it."

Su Che looked at the page who had accompanied him all the way from Jiankang to Shanyin and let out a long breath.

"Sir, you've had a long and tiring journey with me."

The pageboy looked completely bewildered.

"What are you saying, young master? I don't quite understand. You're not bothering me, so why should I be suffering?"

Su Che looked at the pageboy: "I have heard that the gentlemen of Bailudong Academy are concerned with benefiting the world, and uphold the four sentences of Zhang Zai, vowing to establish a heart for heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of the past sages, and to create peace for all generations. They are the most upright among the four great academies, preferring to give up in the straight rather than gain in the crooked. Along the way, you have flattered me, and I have repeatedly tested you. I have really offended you in many ways."

"Hahahahahahahahaha..."

The pageboy seemed to have heard a funny joke, and tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Su Che, do you also know what the Four Lines of Hengqu are?"

I apologize for the numerous typos. I'm fined three chapters, to be paid over the weekend.

Thank you all for your understanding and support.

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(End of this chapter)