Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 739 Master of Qinglian Temple
Over the next few days, Zhang Xuansong experienced both pain and joy, keeping himself extremely busy.

Chaoyang Temple was finally completed and the opening ceremony was about to be held, much earlier than he had expected.

We must thank Bai Nian Tang!
After setting the opening date, he went to Baiyun Temple and asked Master Liu to preside over the preparations for the opening.

Master Liu's ancestors were musicians and dancers at the Guandi Temple during the Qing Dynasty. They were Taoist priests who served the royal family in sacrificial rites and held official positions with salaries. Their positions were passed down through their descendants.

After the Guandi Temple was demolished, he went to live in Baiyun Temple. Although he was originally a Taoist priest of the Zhengyi sect, the Taoist traditions were now confused, and he had been in Baiyun Temple for many years, so he no longer distinguished between any sects.

However, he had a family background in Taoist rituals and was very familiar with them, far surpassing Zhang Xuansong, who was only a dabbler.

Even though Chen Fan had read the relevant materials, he had no experience in actual application, so he naturally couldn't compare to him.

Moreover, a temple opening ceremony requires the participation of many Taoist priests, and without Master Liu's help, Zhang Xuansong and Chen Fan really wouldn't have been able to do it.

Fortunately, when Zhang Xuansong took Chen Fan to visit the Taoist Association, it was Master Liu who received them. Chen Fan also gave them 500 jin of national grain coupons and a sum of money, which greatly alleviated their predicament and was a great favor.

At this time, when Zhang Xuansong invited him, Master Liu naturally did not refuse. He not only took charge of the work, but also used his personal connections to invite many high-ranking Taoist priests from the capital to come and help.

Within just a few days, all the Taoist sects learned that a branch of the Quanzhen School, the Yushan School, called Chaoyang Temple, was going to reopen its temple in the capital. They were overjoyed and responded enthusiastically.

On the other hand, Zhang Xuansong, Lin Yuanxiang, and Li Shangde were not idle either.

It's important to know that Chaoyang Temple is not just a simple Taoist temple. Its founder, Wang Chuyi, was also a martial arts master. Furthermore, after the country stabilized, Zhang Xuansong and Lin Yuanxiang visited many famous masters in the capital to organize martial arts, and they gained some reputation in the martial arts world.

For those martial arts practitioners, the opening of Chaoyang Temple is similar to someone wanting to open a martial arts school in Beijing during the Republic of China era; they have to follow the rules no matter what.

Before the 80s, there were still many elderly martial arts practitioners in Beijing. They had their own small circle and still acted according to the old martial arts rules.

If we don't follow the rules, then we shouldn't mention our martial arts identities. After all, it's a new era, and they won't cause trouble. But passing on messages is still acceptable. However, if we do that, it's equivalent to Chaoyang Temple automatically withdrawing from the martial arts world, separating itself from all the other martial arts schools and sects, and never interfering with each other again.

Zhang Xuansong would naturally disagree with this. If he didn't acknowledge Chaoyang Temple as a faction in the martial arts world, then wouldn't the martial arts of Chaoyang Temple have been passed down in vain?

So these days, Lin Yuanxiang has been accompanying him to deliver invitations to various martial arts sects that are unknown to outsiders and are passed down in seclusion at home.

I sent out twenty or thirty invitations to the inheritors of various Tai Chi schools such as Chen, Yang, Wu, and Sun, the three major Bajiquan schools, as well as Xingyi, Bagua, Pigua, Tongbei, Chuojiao, Tan Tui, etc.

It was only then that Zhang Xuansong realized that quite a few martial arts styles had been preserved; he had thought that some of them had been blown away by the wind.

Unfortunately, the true masters of Shaolin Kung Fu and Wudang Sword have long since left overseas, and there are no worthy grandmasters in Beijing. The loss of these two great witnesses makes it somewhat imperfect.

Finally, there's Li Shangde's side, responsible for delivering letters to some old friends in the military. Some of them have already retired, while others are still in the army. Whether they come or not is up to them, but they must send their gifts!
Otherwise, wouldn't they have been using the title "Zhang the Taoist" for nothing?

Busy as we were, April 9th ​​arrived before we knew it, the day Chaoyang Temple would reopen.

Yesterday afternoon, Jiang Tiantian and Jiang Lili took two days off and rushed back from Shanghai.

They had accompanied Chen Fan from Guangzhou to Beijing, but due to their studies, they only stayed for two days before returning to Shanghai. They only came back yesterday after taking leave.

Chen Fan had told them not to go through all this trouble, but Jiang Lili was worried and insisted on coming to check on them.

That's true. What woman could sit still when she saw her fiancé was about to become the abbot of a Taoist temple?

As the sun rose in the morning, Chen Fan was making preparations in the backyard of Chaoyang Temple on the east shore of Beihai.

Jiang Lili pulled the Taoist robe onto him, then carefully adjusted it. She took two steps back and turned to look at Jiang Tiantian, "Sister, what do you think?"

Jiang Tiantian circled around Chen Fan, scrutinizing him closely. Suddenly, she blushed slightly and shook her head, saying, "He's fine. I can't see anything wrong with him."

Chen Fan was dressed in a white Taoist robe underneath a yellow Dharma robe, with white-soled black cloud-patterned Taoist boots on his feet, and a round hat with a golden crown on his head. He had bright eyes, white teeth, and skin as white as jade. He was truly a celestial child descended from heaven.

It's hard not to blush.

Chen Fan flicked his wide sleeves, looked at the densely embroidered auspicious patterns of gods and immortals on his robe, and couldn't help but twitch his lips slightly.

Excessive extravagance is just cumbersome, and it can be quite dizzying to look at.

After pausing for two seconds, he decisively took off the top-grade Taoist robe he had borrowed from Master Liu, folded it neatly, and placed it aside.

Jiang Lili stared at him wide-eyed. "What's wrong?"

Chen Fan waved his hand, walked to the table, opened the small rattan box he had brought, took out a white robe, shook it out, and put it on.

Goodness, his appearance changed drastically in an instant, leaving the two sisters speechless.

This robe is white with black trim, and the wide sleeves are printed with the Bagua (Eight Trigrams). The back features a Taiji diagram, and other areas have some cloud patterns and cranes that are faintly visible. It looks much simpler than the yellow robe, but it adds a touch of otherworldly elegance to Chen Fan.

Jiang Lili pressed her finger to her lips and murmured, "Xiao Fan, you're not really going to become a nun, are you?"

Chen Fan was both amused and exasperated. He flicked his wide sleeves and said, "This is just a costume. You'll take it off after you've worn it. You actually took it seriously."

Jiang Tiantian walked to her younger sister's side, blushing as she whispered, "But it really looks very good, just like a real Taoist priest."

Chen Fan pursed his lips helplessly, "Of course. To make it more realistic, I studied with Liu Gaogong and the others for three days. I could play a Taoist priest in a movie without any problem."

After saying that, he turned around and walked to the mirror, looked at himself, and finally nodded in satisfaction.

He hadn't liked the elaborately patterned robe before, so he secretly prepared this one for himself. Sure enough, something simpler looks better.

As for whether it conforms to Taoist rituals, well, we'll discuss that later.

Just then, Master Liu, dressed in a purple robe, walked in. He was about to remind him to go to the front when he saw him in a white robe and was immediately dumbfounded. "Why are you wearing this?"

Chen Fan coughed lightly, "I felt that yours was too flashy, and I couldn't quite pull it off, so I made a simpler one."

Upon hearing this, Master Liu's face showed a strange expression. He said, "Taoist robes come in nine colors: yellow, purple, red, cyan, green, black, white, crimson, and dark blue. Each color has its own corresponding color, with yellow being the highest, worn by the Celestial Master. The colors decrease in rank from yellow to yellow. White robes are made by the underworld and are only worn during rituals to communicate with the spirits and appease the dead. Yours..."

Chen Fan's face twitched a few times. He wanted to argue that the robe he had prepared was not pure white, but white with black trim, symbolizing the Yin and Yang of Tai Chi, and it also had cloud patterns, just not very obvious. This is what is used in online games in later generations, and many people like to see it.

However, considering that Comrade Zhang is old and cannot be easily agitated, he quietly took off his handsome white robe and put on the yellow one.

Seeing the familiar yellow robe, Master Liu finally breathed a sigh of relief, performed a Taoist curtsy, and said with a smile, "Abbot Chen, the ceremony is about to begin. Please move to the main hall in the central courtyard."

Chen Fan returned the greeting with a Taoist bow, "I'll be right there, Taoist Master."

After Master Liu left, Jiang Lili leaned close to Chen Fan and whispered, "I also think the white robe looks better."

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly. "No matter how good it looks, I can't wear it now."

After saying that, he walked out dejectedly.

The two sisters exchanged a smile and followed closely behind. By this time, the two courtyards in front were already bustling with noise, and the large central courtyard was packed with nearly a hundred people.

These people were clearly divided into three groups.

First came about thirty-odd elderly Taoist priests, all dressed in Taoist robes and wearing Taoist headscarves, their expressions solemn and dignified.

These people were naturally Taoist priests from various Taoist temples in the capital who came to observe the ceremony. Some of them even brought their juniors, but they were all assigned by Master Liu to help out.

The other group consisted of twenty or thirty middle-aged and elderly people, mostly in their fifties. Judging from their ordinary appearance but the occasional glint of shrewdness in their eyes, Chen Fan knew that these were probably fellow martial artists from the capital.

Behind them was a group of young people of roughly the same number, presumably disciples from various sects.

The last group was the smallest, with only eight people, all estimated to be over 60 years old. They all stood ramrod straight, neither sitting nor standing slouching, and some even had scars on their faces and hands. Without asking, you could tell they were friends that Master Zhang and his men had met in the army.

But Master Zhang said he had many friends, so why are there only a few people here today?

Before Chen Fan could even ponder this, Master Liu led him into the main hall. He picked up a whisk, walked to the hall entrance, flicked the whisk, and shouted, "The opening ceremony of Chaoyang Temple is about to begin. Fellow Daoists and believers, please be quiet."

After a two-second pause, he shouted loudly, "The consecration ceremony begins. Please receive the divine light from the sun, moon, and stars, and bestow upon the statue the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to bring blessings to all people."

The scene quickly quieted down, and everyone stepped back, leaving the space to the Taoist priest who was conducting the ceremony.

Inside the main hall, the statues of gods, meticulously sculpted by Chen Fan, were covered with huge pieces of red cloth, tied together with red ropes in one corner, and then led outside the hall.

In the middle of the courtyard, a Taoist priest held a bronze mirror with the Bagua symbol in his hand. The other end of a red thread was tied to the mirror. He found the sun's position, held the bronze mirror, and shone the light into the main hall.

At the entrance of the main hall, two Taoist priests stood solemnly on the left and right. One priest was responsible for guiding the light and shining it on the other priest, while the last priest aimed the light at the statues inside the hall. The three of them moved at the same time, illuminating all the statues inside the hall.

At this moment, Master Liu waved his whisk again, and "the three lights converged, and the divine image manifested its power."

The Taoist priest in charge of guiding the heavenly light immediately tightened the red rope and pulled back with all his might.

The red cloth covering the head of the statue in the main hall was pulled back, revealing the statue's true appearance.

All the guests in the courtyard looked into the hall, where the statues of gods were lifelike and incomparably majestic, seemingly possessing a trace of divinity. They couldn't help but hold their breath, becoming even more solemn.

If a master sculptor were here, they would be able to tell that only a sculptor of such high skill could create a deity statue with such "temperament".

If such a statue were overseas, it would probably be priceless to find among believers.

Moreover, statues of deities with "divine" qualities are generally not large, usually around one foot in size, making them convenient for believers to worship at home. Statues as large as those in the temple are indeed extremely rare.

But this only further demonstrates the skill of the carving.

As the statue was unveiled, Master Liu handed a silk scarf to Chen Fan, saying, "Please, Master, wipe away the dust and imbue it with spirit."

Chen Fan took the silk scarf, stepped over the offering table and onto the altar, gently wiped away non-existent dust, then handed the scarf to Master Liu. He replaced it with a long needle and lightly touched the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hands, and feet of the statue, symbolizing spiritual enlightenment.

Then, using a different brush, I applied the same brush to the same spot; this is called "enchanting the spirit."

After doing all this, the silk scarf, steel needle, and brush were placed in order. Immediately, a Taoist priest brought trays of offerings and ancestral tablets and placed them on the offering table before quickly retreating.

Master Liu took a spirit tablet, stood beside the offering table, and shouted, "The gods will respond to all."

Inside and outside the hall, all the Taoist priests responded in unison, "Divine light shines everywhere, bringing light to the world."

Several Taoist priests, carrying gongs and drums, immediately began to play music.

Chen Fan stood there for a long time before it was finally his turn to go on stage.

He picked up a ceremonial tablet from the offering table, and first read a few words to comfort the ancestors of the sect, explaining that Chaoyang Temple was reopening today, and asking the spirits of the ancestors in heaven to protect him.

He then recited the Pure Heart Mantra while simultaneously performing the Divine Steps.

Thanks to his exceptional memory and martial arts skills, he was able to easily memorize the eight divine incantations and the complex and strange Yu Steps. When he performed them now, they were as smooth as flowing water.

Especially when accompanied by Taoist music such as bells, drums, and cymbals, Chen Fan's Taoist robe fluttered gracefully, giving rise to a mysterious aura.

The ceremony ended shortly afterward, but the real ceremony had only just begun.

There is more than one main hall here; there are also statues of gods in the left and right side halls and the front courtyard, and there are quite a few of them.

Under the guidance of Master Liu, Chen Fan walked around in circles, visiting all the halls where the statues of the gods were enshrined.

After the entire ceremony was completed, he led all the Taoist priests back to the main hall.

The other Taoist priests, the older and more accomplished, sat on prayer cushions inside the hall, while the younger ones sat cross-legged in the courtyard outside the hall. Under the guidance of the abbot of Chaoyang Temple and Taoist Qinglian, they first recited the purification mantra, then the calming mantra, the purification altar mantra, and the purification of heaven and earth mantra...

Zhang Xuansong stood with his old friends, watching this scene with tears welling up in his eyes. He murmured something, but even though Lin Yuanxiang was right next to him, he couldn't hear him clearly.

Lin Yuanxiang couldn't help but ask, "Old Zhang, what are you saying?"

Zhang Xuansong glanced at him and muttered, "Today is the big day for the reopening of Chaoyang Temple. If I don't participate at all, how can I explain it to my master and fellow disciples? But I don't know how to recite those incantations, so I can only mumble along at this time. That counts as participating, right?"

Lin Yuanxiang's face darkened. You still think you can fool your master and the others at a time like this? You're really something!

As the Taoist priests were chanting incantations, Chen Fan suddenly stood up, picked up a writing brush from the offering table, and began chanting the incantation for the writing brush.

After reciting the incantation, place the purification talisman inside the inkstone, light it, and wait for it to turn to ashes. Then, pour in clean water and cinnabar to mix it, making cinnabar ink. Next, take a brush, dip it in the ink, and write a line of incantation on the Bagua bronze mirror while reciting, "By order of the precious mirror, may its light shine forth, and may the sun, moon, and stars follow in its wake. May it illuminate the heavens and bring clarity, and the earth and spirit. May it grant longevity to all, and may it inspire divine response. May the elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth be born from me, and may its precious light shine for a thousand miles. May demons and ghosts vanish into the void, and may I, by the order of the Supreme Lord Laozi, wield this power. May the divine soldiers act swiftly as commanded by law."

Then they used a Bagua mirror to direct sunlight to the statue, shining it from head to toe.

After taking the photo, he recited the mantra for entering a state of divine possession.

Only then was the consecration ceremony of the Taoist temple considered complete.

Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, Chen Fan shook the wide sleeves of his magnificent Taoist robe, picked up the calming talisman and the purification talisman, burned them, and lit three sticks of incense.

After he turned around, Master Liu stepped forward and shouted loudly towards the outside of the hall, "The Chaoyang Temple of the Yushan Branch of the Quanzhen Sect, stand guard!"

All the Taoist priests stepped forward at the same time, performed a Taoist curtsy to Chen Fan, and said, "Congratulations to the Abbot of Qinglian Temple."

Chen Fan held up the Yin-Yang Meridian Linked Hand Seal with both hands, raised his hands and bowed his head to the crowd, saying, "Thank you, fellow Daoists."

Behind the crowd in the courtyard, several people stared wide-eyed at Chen Fan, who looked like an immortal in the hall, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Master of Qinglian Temple?"
Could he be the Qinglian Daoist who painted the Immortal Lotus Picture in Rongbaozhai?
So young?

(End of this chapter)