Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 523: Deceiving oneself and one’s ancestors
"Standing tall to greet the sun in the summer, sleeping soundly in the snow in the winter."

Zhang Xuansong stood proudly by the window, saying with a face full of pride, "Our ancestor Wang Yuyang lived in Yanxia Cave on Kunyu Mountain in Shandong. He refined his body for nine years, obtained the essence of the Great Dao, used the false to cultivate the true, and obtained 'true nature, true skill, and true conduct.' He was well-versed in Taoist rituals, medicine, magic, internal alchemy, martial arts, literature, and calligraphy, and was known as the True Lord Yuyang Tixuan Guangci Pudu."

He turned around, looked at Chen Fan and smiled, "As long as you become my disciple, the nearly thousand-year-old secret teachings of my Yushan lineage will all be yours!"

Chen Fan sat in the chair, flipping through a handwritten book, and said without looking up, "No."

Zhang Xuansong frowned. "Hey, kid, you need to get this straight. I'm talking about the supreme true teachings, not some cheap, fake qigong that's everywhere. You've experienced the effects of this Pure Yang Elixir Technique, haven't you?!"
But let me tell you, this is just a basic internal energy cultivation technique. Above that are the secret techniques and methods passed down by Lu Zu and Chongyang. Not to mention the Seven True Men of the North, you can count on one hand the number of Quanzhen Taoist temples across the country that still preserve these techniques.

Not to mention our Chaoyang Temple's unique martial arts, secret medical techniques, magic arts, and Taoist practices..."

Chen Fan suddenly raised his head, his eyes shining, "A Taoist technique that allows one to fly, escape into the earth, and subdue demons?"

Am I not transported to a bygone era, but to a world of high martial arts... no, fantasy?

Zhang Xuansong looked slightly embarrassed and coughed lightly. "Young people shouldn't be involved in feudal superstitions. There are no demons or monsters. Taoist practices are Taoist rituals, which include martial arts, qigong, and some other things. The main thing is cultivating the Tao. Don't think too much about it."

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly, and he continued to bury himself in his book.

This book was written by Zhang Xuansong. I won't go into the literary style, but the general content is: "The essence of the 'Fanzi Chuojiao' technique is to attack multiple points with a ruthless strike. Be careful of the throat, lower abdomen, and groin, and pay special attention to avoid being stepped on."

"Be careful of those who practice Xingyi Quan; they're incredibly ruthless, even more so than Fanzi Quan."

"Practicing Bagua is too clumsy; it just goes around in circles. If you can't beat someone, you run away. But you have to be careful of their sneak attacks."

"Stay away from those who practice monkey boxing; they love to scratch your face."

Furthermore, "Wudang swordsmanship is alright, but it can't withstand a single move of Lu Zu's secret technique, the Green Snake in the Sleeve. Quanzhen swordsmanship is still superior. However, Wudang is also a branch of Quanzhen, so Quanzhen is indeed the best."

"The Xingyi spear is nothing special. Ninety-nine percent of people can't master the ability to unleash power and control the length of the spear at will. Just get close and strike him."

"Be careful if you see the Bagua Mandarin Duck Axe. That thing doesn't know any martial ethics. You have to find an opportunity to take it down by surprise."

"Let's practice shooting instead. No matter how high your martial arts skills are, one shot is all it takes to take someone down. Bang!"

And so on.

Chen Fan suspected that Old Man Zhang hadn't studied properly at the Taoist temple and didn't possess even a fraction of Yu Yangzi's literary talent.

However, the book's descriptions of the key points and countermeasures of various martial arts styles broadened his horizons.

Seeing that Chen Fan didn't react, Zhang Xuansong looked at him with a troubled expression and asked, "Why?"

So many people want to become his apprentice, but he doesn't approve of them all. Why is it that when he finally approves of one, he refuses to accept him no matter what?
Chen Fan sighed softly, raised his head and said, "Uncle Zhang, you yourself said that the Yushan Sect is a branch of the Quanzhen School, and the Quanzhen School requires people to become monks. You want me to become your disciple and rebuild the Chaoyang Temple, but what about my wife?!"

Just kidding, not even the Supreme Secret Teachings have Lili Xiang, let alone the Quanzhen Secret Teachings.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xuansong was stunned. After a long while, he frowned and said, "Didn't I say I would accept you as a lay disciple?"

Chen Fan blinked. "A lay disciple?"

Zhang Xuansong nodded, coughed lightly twice, turned around and said, "You know, I've already returned to secular life, so why would I ask you to become a monk? It's not appropriate."

Then he turned back to the point, "However, if you become my disciple and receive the true teachings of Chaoyang Temple of the Yushan Sect, you will have the responsibility to continue to pass on these teachings. Ahem, if you still have the strength, it would be best to find a suitable opportunity to rebuild Chaoyang Temple."

Chen Fan slapped his thigh, stood up, and said, "No problem! Are there any requirements for the reconstruction location? How about Chaoyang District?"

If he could learn it without becoming a monk, he would be quite interested in this secret technique of the Yushan Sect. The Pure Yang Dan Gong he had just practiced was quite good. It was completely different from the boxing, breathing, and internal cultivation methods taught by Old Man Lin. It seemed to be more focused on health preservation and longevity. He practiced it only once and felt warm all over. He felt much more relaxed, which was just right to neutralize the domineering nature of internal cultivation techniques.

Moreover, after practicing it once, my internal energy and strength have even improved slightly. It is indeed a good thing.

In this way, he would naturally want to know what other secrets were, such as the "Green Snake in the Sleeve" sword technique, and whether it had anything to do with Lu Zu's poem "The Green Snake in the Sleeve is bold and courageous".
Moreover, putting that aside, he felt no resentment whatsoever about taking a battlefield hero as his teacher.

Seeing Chen Fan's dramatic change, Zhang Xuansong was momentarily stunned. When he came to his senses, his lips twitched slightly, and he hesitated for a moment before saying, "It doesn't matter. Anyway, our Chaoyang Temple was moved from Zhangshiyan in Hebei by our seventh patriarch hundreds of years ago. It's no big deal if we move to the capital now."

Chen Fan nodded vigorously, "Alright, don't worry, I will definitely rebuild the Taoist temple within ten years at the latest."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xuansong grinned from ear to ear. "No need to be in such a hurry. Our Chaoyang Temple has been destroyed for decades, so a few more years won't make a difference. Just keep it in mind."

Chen Fan grinned. He had no choice but to hurry. If he didn't buy within the next ten years, he would lose out if land prices skyrocketed later.

As for rebuilding on the original site in Shandong? He doesn't have that much free time.

Don't think that rebuilding a Taoist temple is just about buying a piece of land and building a house. There are rules and regulations governing the resident Taoist priests, the classic texts that form the foundation, the communication with the Taoist Association, and the exchanges and connections with Taoist temples all over the world.

If this happened in the capital, wouldn't these matters fall under Old Zhang's purview?!
Even if you don't go looking for him, he'll take care of it himself, so why bother going to such lengths?!
Thinking of this, Chen Fan pulled Zhang Xuansong aside and asked, "By the way, does the Taoist Association still exist? Do they still recognize our Chaoyang Temple?"

Zhang Xuansong's face darkened, and he stammered, "The Taoist Association is definitely there. Although it caused a lot of damage a few years ago, it recovered quite a bit last year. Also, the Baiyun Temple in Beijing has the lineage records of all the Yushan Sect, and Chaoyang Temple is also included. The Taoist Association will definitely recognize it."

Chen Fan instantly understood. It seemed this matter was not easy to handle. Even if it was successful, Old Zhang would only be a gofer at best; the main force would still depend on him!
He sighed softly. Oh well, there's always a price to pay for every benefit. If he can't even handle this little thing, then he's wasted the whole year.

Zhang Xuansong glanced at Chen Fan, then suddenly his expression turned serious as he looked at him earnestly and said, "Little Chen, so you've agreed to become his disciple?"

Chen Fan nodded solemnly and cupped his hands without hesitation, saying, "Disciple greets Master."

Zhang Xuansong grinned from ear to ear, "Hahaha, good, good, good."

Then he began to instruct him, “Look, the cupped-hand salute is used when meeting peers or when Taoists and laypeople meet, and it is not to raise it too high like you are doing. Just raise it to your chest and stand upright without bowing.”

"To show respect to elders and deities, you should use the 'Midnight-Noon Seal.' Come, follow me. Do it like this, then like this, and then like this again. Hold your hands in a Tai Chi shape, and then pinch the Midnight-Noon Seal inwards. ...Well, for now, the apprenticeship ceremony doesn't need to be too complicated. Let's go to the main room, have Old Lin and Old Li be our witnesses, and you can just offer them a cup of tea."

After saying that, she opened the door and walked out, as if afraid that Chen Fan would change his mind.

Chen Fan followed behind him and asked in a low voice, "Do we have to kowtow?"

Zhang Xuansong waved his hand without turning his head, "No need, a bow and a cup of tea will suffice."

Chen Fan blinked, thinking to himself, "How casual! Even more casual than Zhang Cuie bowing to me. At least that girl kowtowed three times."

Zhang Xuansong, leaning on his cane, arrived at the main room, and unsurprisingly, he started arguing with Lin Yuanxiang again.

Finally, with Old Man Li's mediation, Zhang Xuansong and Lin Yuanxiang sat on the Luohan bed, one on each side. Chen Fan held a teacup, first kowtowing and serving tea to Lin Yuanxiang, and then doing the same to Zhang Xuansong, thus becoming the disciple of two masters at once.

Zhang Xuansong placed the teacup on the bedside table, coughed lightly, looked at Chen Fan's face full of relief, paused for two seconds, then suddenly took out a thread-bound book from his cotton-padded coat, handed it to Chen Fan, and said solemnly, "This is the true secret record of my Chaoyang Temple, and I will entrust it to you today."

Chen Fan stepped forward and took it with both hands, somewhat puzzled, "The true teachings of Lu Zu, Chongyang Zushi, and Yuyang Zushi that you mentioned are all inside?"

Zhang Xuansong coughed lightly, picked up his teacup and took a sip of tea, then looked at Chen Fan who was flipping through a book. "The secret record means a secret catalog. The manual is under my bed in my room. Go and get it."

Chen Fan blinked, then turned and went to his room.

When they returned, they carried two large sandalwood boxes, placed them on the floor of the main room, and opened the lids to reveal that the boxes were filled with old thread-bound books.

Looking at the two boxes of books, Zhang Xuansong's eyes were full of emotion. "Back then, when we broke out of the temple and went down the mountain, my master hid these two boxes of secret books in a stone cave on the mountaintop. They were hidden there for nearly thirty years. It wasn't until I returned from the northern battlefield that I went to retrieve these two boxes of books. It was only then that I didn't see any traces of my master and fellow disciples, and I realized that they probably wouldn't be coming back."

He then looked up at Chen Fan, his expression more serious than ever before. "Today, I'm entrusting all of this to you. The legacy of Chaoyang Temple cannot be broken in your hands."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Furthermore, according to the rules of our sect, those who are not admitted to the sect are not allowed to receive the true teachings, and it is especially important not to pass these things on to outsiders."

Chen Fan nodded, blinked gently, and wanted to ask, "What does 'those who are not accepted into the sect will not receive the true teachings' mean?"
Then Zhang Xuansong coughed and said, "After all, the Yushan Sect has its rules. You should first memorize two Taoist classics. Later, I'll find someone to contact the Taoist Association and get you a Taoist certificate. Then you can return to secular life. That way, you won't be breaking the rules."

Chen Fan was speechless. So you're just a self-deceiving grandmaster, huh?!
Chen Fan couldn't carry these two large boxes of books with him, so he picked out a few books from them, including Lu Zu's Secret Transmission of Dan Gong, Chongyang Patriarch's Secret Transmission of Innate Qi Gong, and Yu Yangzi's Dan Yang Gong, all of which are superior Qi cultivation methods of the Quanzhen Taoist School.

Lin Yuanxiang and Li Shangde deliberately stepped aside and watched from the sidelines, their eyes full of curiosity.

Old Zhang had kept these things hidden for decades. Of course, they were curious about what was inside, but both of them were principled people. Even though Old Zhang just stuffed the box under the bed, they never even considered looking through it.

Zhang Xuansong glanced at the books Chen Fan had chosen, pondered for two seconds, and then pointed to another book, saying, "This is the secret Pure Yang Sword Technique of Lu Zu, which is even more exquisite than the Wudang Sword Technique published by Song Weiyi and Li Jinglin. I see that you don't seem to have practiced swordsmanship, so you might as well take a look at this book."

Chen Fan readily agreed, took the sword manual in his hand, flipped through it, and said, "Actually, I have practiced swordsmanship."

Zhang Xuansong was taken aback upon hearing this and turned to look at Lin Yuanxiang.

Lin Yuanxiang was even more confused. He looked at Chen Fan and asked, "Who did you learn from?"

He hadn't been taught by himself, nor by Lao Xiao, so who else could have taught him?
Without looking up, Chen Fan flipped through the book and said, "No one taught me, so I bought some books at Xinhua Bookstore. A few days ago in Shanghai, I also bought a lot of used books at Shanghai Bookstore, including dozens of martial arts picture books, and I practiced them for a few days."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xuansong couldn't help but chuckle. "Martial arts need to be taught; you can't understand much of its intricacies just by reading books."

Unless you're a martial arts master, you're unlikely to be able to understand the secrets of a martial arts manual at a glance.

Chen Fan looked up, smiled, and asked, "Master, do you have a sword?"

Lin Yuanxiang immediately stood up and said, "What kind of sword could someone with missing arms and legs have? I happen to have one here, so I'll give it to you as a return gift for your apprenticeship."

Chen Fan then realized that he hadn't yet given the apprenticeship gift.

As if knowing what he was thinking, Li Shangde smiled and said, "You cooking two meals is the best gift for becoming an apprentice."

Zhang Xuansong nodded vigorously in agreement, "Indeed."

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly. Just as he was about to speak, Lin Yuanxiang entered carrying a sword, held it up horizontally, and handed it to him, saying, "Take it."

Chen Fan took the sword with both hands. It looked unremarkable. He gripped the hilt and drew it. With a whistling sound, a flash of cold light appeared. He immediately exclaimed, "A fine sword!"

The sword is 33.3 inches long, with a 7-inch hilt and a 26.3-inch blade, which is slightly longer than a regular longsword.

He drew his sword and leaped outside. As he landed, a flurry of swordplay appeared, and he unleashed a set of Wudang sword techniques. He had learned them from an old book he bought in Shanghai, "Wudang Sword Manual," written by Li Jinglin. "The feinting sword is valued for its composure, the real sword for its agility. Advance and retreat show east and west, north and south can also be generalized. There are three lines in practice, but only the center is in battle. Changes arise from the mind and must be unexpected."

Zhang Xuansong walked outside with his cane, his eyes growing brighter, and he murmured, "I have truly mastered the essence of this Wudang sword technique."

Chunyang carries a sword on his back, waves a fan in the wind, a fairy boy lifts the curtain, and a jade flute is played horizontally...

As Chen Fan wielded his swordsmanship, he simply closed his eyes. The Lu Zu Chunyang Sword Technique he had just studied transformed into a gentle stream, flowing into his martial arts skills, causing his experience points to surge dramatically.

The Pure Yang Elixir Technique I had just practiced, combined with this set of Lu Zu Pure Yang Sword Technique, pushed my previously stagnant experience points forward by a huge margin. In the blink of an eye, my second LV6 skill was successfully created.

The next second, Chen Fan's sword stance changed, countless sword lights around him dissipated, and the long sword in his hand suddenly became more agile, appearing and disappearing in his hand.

Zhang Xuansong stared wide-eyed as if he'd seen a ghost, and exclaimed in disbelief, "Pure Yang Sword Technique???"

Lin Yuanxiang and Li Shangde exchanged a glance, both of them seeing the shock in each other's eyes.

If what they had just speculated was now completely confirmed, this kid is a prodigy, he can learn things in no time!

Just when Zhang Xuansong thought he could never see anything more outrageous than what he was seeing, the long sword in Chen Fan's hand suddenly disappeared.

Chen Fan stood facing the three old men with his hands hanging naturally at his sides, smiling without saying a word.

Lin Yuanxiang and Li Shangde looked at each other in bewilderment. Where was the sword?

Zhang Xuansong was also a little confused, but then his mind went blank for a moment and a possibility came to mind. He stared at Chen Fan, his mouth agape, unable to speak.

Seeing that he seemed to understand, Chen Fan laughed and raised his hand. A ray of sword light shot out as if from his sleeve, and the long sword was already embedded in the wooden rafter of the eaves, making a buzzing sound.

Only then did Zhang Xuansong swallow hard, staring at the longsword and saying, "A hidden green snake in the sleeve???"

How did you manage to master the most difficult move in the Pure Yang Sword Technique?

Regardless, the three old men had mixed feelings, but they were also very happy.

Geniuses are indeed enviable, but it's even more delightful if a genius is your own student.

Even Old Master Li, who hadn't been formally accepted as a disciple, couldn't stop smiling. Lin Yuanxiang had passed on the Tiger Leopard Thunder Sound to him, effectively establishing a master-disciple relationship between him and Chen Fan. A good disciple deserves recognition, so of course, it was something to celebrate!

Even the most talented person has to cook.

Chen Fan prepared all the ingredients. He didn't go into too much detail today, but simply made four dishes. He would eat one now, and the other three could be put in the cupboard and reheated when needed.

Although it was a large-scale cooking operation, the taste was just as good. The three old men ate so much that they didn't even have time to talk. When he said he wanted to go out, they just waved their hands and told him to do what he wanted.

……

Chen Fan strolled out, asked a few questions, and then headed straight for the nearby post office.

Before even stepping into the post office, I could hear a noisy commotion inside.

Some people were filling out forms at the counter, while others were sitting on chairs in the waiting area. When it was their turn to make a phone call, they were shouting frantically in the small cubicles, "Hello, hello, hello..."

Chen Fan turned his head and looked around, then silently walked to the counter, bent down and said, "Hello comrade, I want to make a long-distance call."

Without even looking up, the staff member swiped an application form at him and said, "Fill out the form."

Chen Fan glanced inside, then at the form in his hand, and dared not utter a sound. He picked up the pen on the table and began to fill it out.

The application form has two columns. One column is for the information of the called party, including the region, organization, and name of the called party. The other column is for the name of the caller and the expected call duration.

Just in case, he wrote down the call duration as ten minutes before handing the form to the salesperson.

The salesperson didn't look up as usual. "Call charges need to be prepaid. The queuing service is 3 cents per minute, and the long-distance call service is 6 cents per minute. Which one do you want?"

Chen Fan blinked. "What do you mean?"

The salesperson explained, "The queuing service counts as long as the line is open, regardless of whether the person has arrived or not. The 'calling person' service starts counting from when the person arrives."

Chen Fan clicked his tongue, silently took out 6 yuan and handed it in, "Call someone to serve you."

The salesperson tossed a receipt at him and said, "Wait."

Chen Fan turned and left, feeling sorry for her missing a chance to see a handsome man.

He stood by the waiting area and noticed that whenever someone's turn came, someone would call their name. Reassured, he went to the telegraph counter next door to send a telegram.

There's no need to take photos for too many people. Just send one to Jiang Lili to let her know she's safe, and she'll naturally tell Jiang Tiantian. Besides, tomorrow is Sunday, so they'll meet soon. It won't be long.

I also sent a letter to the Lujiawan Brigade headquarters to let them know I was safe and to let them know my whereabouts.

The last Jiangnan Writers Association member will be called soon.

After sending the telegram, Chen Fan sat down on a chair to wait, while taking out several books he had brought with him to read.

After he had memorized several books, more than half an hour later, he heard the salesperson call his name, "Chen Fan, call to the Jiangnan Writers Association, room 66."

He quickly got up and ran over.

Meanwhile, the already noisy post office hall became even noisier.

"The Jiangnan Writers Association? This young man must be a writer?"

"You know what, there really is a writer in Jiangnan named Chen Fan, but I don't know if it's him."

"Could you please tell me what articles Chen Fan has written?"

"He doesn't write many articles, but they are all quite good. They are mainly published in their local magazine, Jiangnan Literature and Art."

There was a burst of discussion all at once.

Chen Fan ran into the small cubicle and closed the door. Although it couldn't completely block out the noise, it didn't affect the call.

He picked up the phone and put it to his ear, "Hello, is anyone there?"

He Qingsheng's voice immediately rang out, "It's me, who are you?"

It's no wonder he couldn't recognize Chen Fan's voice; the call quality was simply terrible.

Chen Fan said loudly, "I am Chen Fan."

He Qingsheng: "Oh, Director Chen, have you arrived in Beijing? Have you reported to the Writers' Association yet?"

Chen Fan: "I just arrived yesterday and stayed at a relative's house for one night. I'm planning to go over there later. Hey, when are you guys coming?"

He Qingsheng: "Oh, we have train tickets for tomorrow night, so we should arrive in Beijing on the morning of the 14th."

Chen Fan's face darkened upon hearing this. "Then why did you urge me to come over so quickly?"

Today is only the 11th! There are still 3 days left!
The average speed of trains now is 43 kilometers per hour, which is quite touching.

He Qingsheng: "Hehehe, I didn't expect you to be flying."

Chen Fan pursed his lips helplessly, "Okay, do you need me to pick you up?"

He Qingsheng: "No need, I've already sent a telegram to the Writers' Association. They will arrange for someone to pick us up at the station. We can meet at the Federation of Literary and Art Circles' guesthouse."

Chen Fan: "Alright, see you later."

After hanging up the phone, he ran back to the window with the form, got back a few dollars, and then received a receipt.

(Receipt for long-distance telephone call in 78, 6 cents per minute)

After leaving the post office, Chen Fan checked the time and saw it was 4 p.m. He thought for a moment and decided to go to Peking University to see how Xiao'e and the others were doing.

The bus was too slow, so I found a nearby taxi stand, bought a taxi ticket, and took the Volga straight to Peking University.

In less than half an hour, the car arrived at the entrance of Peking University.

He got out of the car and walked into the campus, and surprisingly no one stopped him?

At this point, no one knew where the students had gone. The school was deserted, with hardly anyone in sight and no sound of classes being taught.

After walking for a while, Chen Fan finally saw two slightly older women ahead. He quickly went up to them and asked, "Excuse me, how do I get to the girls' dormitory in the Chinese Literature Department? My sister is studying here; she's a freshman who just got in."

The woman looked at him, pointed in a direction, and said, "Go that way."

He paused for a moment, then added, "But they probably aren't here now; all the students have gone out."

Chen Fan was taken aback when he heard this, "Where did you go?"

The woman laughed and said, "It's a parade. Both freshmen and old students went, but they should be back soon. If you're not in a hurry, you can wait."

(End of this chapter)