I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 46 Wang Wei Seeks Immortality
Lu Xiang was startled.

"You came after seeing the letter?"

Wang Wei sat opposite him, head bowed, drinking wine to quench his thirst, his clothes still dusty. He had traveled all this way, only to arrive because of the letter Lu Xiang had written.

He nodded.

"A dozen or so people actually had a dream in which forty years of life unfolded vividly?"

Lu Xiang then recounted the story of how Master Meng had visited the Lu family to offer birthday wishes. He knew it by heart, and whenever anyone mentioned it recently, he would tell the story.

the end.

Lu Xiang accepted the ice cream offered by the servant.

While eating, he added a sentence.

"You're late."

Wang Wei raised his head.

Lu Xiang said, "Brother Haoran told me today that the immortal, along with Taibai and Yuan Danqiu, have all disappeared."

Wang Wei's expression rarely showed hesitation.

"This is……?"

"Brother Haoran asked the neighbors and learned that they had already left. A few days ago, they spent an afternoon packing up carriages and horses, but they couldn't even get a glimpse of the Prefect of Xiangzhou and the Magistrate of Xiangyang County."

Lu Xiang said, then sighed.

"You missed your target."

Wang Wei pressed further, "Do you know where you're going?"

"Brother Haoran didn't mention it. I'll ask him tomorrow."

Wang Wei then relaxed his brow.

Upon seeing this, Lu Xiang burst into laughter.

"Mojie, it's rare to see you here today. I've written to you many times, inviting you to Xiangyang, but you wouldn't come. You only mentioned immortals in your letters, yet you've come so quickly."

"In my letter, I only mentioned the dream-inducing things, but I haven't said what followed."

"Is there more to the story?"

Lu Xiang raised his chin. One of them was from a branch of the Lu family of Fanyang, and the other was from the Wang family of Hedong. Both were descendants of prestigious families and had been friends for many years. Lu Xiang leaned against the armchair, eating ice cream while recounting anecdotes and stories about immortals to him.

"There have been quite a few stories about immortals in Xiangyang lately."

"First, a hunter encountered a fairy and heard the sounds of ghosts and gods feasting in the mountains. When he woke up, he told the village about it, and the story spread throughout Xiangzhou. Even I heard about it."

Wang Wei leaned forward slightly.

"What did they say?"

Lu Xiang spoke slowly and mischievously, watching his friend's eagerness. After enjoying the show for a while, he said, "There are roaring tigers, weeping monkeys, gods and ghosts attending a banquet, and immortals suppressing demons."

"To preach to them and show them the way."

"They drank until they were completely drunk, and only stopped when dawn broke."

"If you meet Li Bai in the future, he should know more about this. When the hunter from Chenjia Village encountered the immortal, there was a white-clad attendant by the immortal's side. That was him."

"Li Bai?"

Lu Xiang nodded: "All the sages and worthies of the past have died, but only the drinker has left his name, and that is his poetry."

"Is he a poet?"

Lu Xiang agreed, praising Li Bai's poetic talent, saying, "He talks about ghosts and gods as if he were chatting with an old friend. Even I am amazed and envious."

"To travel with the immortals is truly a delightful thing."

As he spoke, he instructed his servant to fetch a book of poems from the study and pointed out a newly added poem to Wang Wei.

Wang Wei examined the poem closely and realized it was newly written; he hadn't seen it when he left Luoyang.

The poem describes the poet's dream of attending a banquet of gods and spirits, beginning by stating that it was the day the gods entered the Dao and that he was invited to attend.

The poem describes a giant python that is half human and half snake, half beautiful woman and half fierce beast; a bluebird that once delivered messages for the Queen Mother of the West; a fierce tiger that studies Taoism; and a monkey that laments that it has made no progress in decades and cries out in grief. Just like humans, they have the seven emotions and six desires, and their pursuit of Tao is difficult.

There are immortals preaching the Dharma, and fierce tigers attaining enlightenment.

There is fine wine and delicious food.

Poets say, what are fame and fortune worth? The tombs of Emperor Wen and Emperor Wu of Han are now nothing but withered grass, lonely for a thousand years.

Only those who feast together tonight will live on and be remembered forever.

Wang Wei remained silent for a long time.

Lu Xiang pointed and asked with a smile, "How is it?"

after a long time.

Wang Wei said, "Nothing special."

He added:
"But it describes immortals."

"To become an immortal and roam freely, one must carry one's spirit and ascend to the rosy clouds, veiling the floating clouds as one journeys upwards."

"Riding the clouds and flying dragons, I roam beyond the four seas. I manage the four wildernesses and travel through the six deserts."

"There were also gains."

Lu Xiang smiled, leaned against the armchair with a languid posture, and held an ice cream in one hand, asking him, "Aren't you chanting Buddhist scriptures?"

Wang Wei looked at him, rolled up his sleeves, and stood up with an elegant posture. "Don't tease me anymore. Both Buddhism and Taoism have their benefits. We can learn from each other's strengths to make up for our own weaknesses."

……

The next day, Meng Haoran received the letter and read it. Just then, Lu Xiang was asking about Li Bai.

He then said, "They are going to Luoyang."

Lu Xiang couldn't help but smile.

Seeing his odd expression, Meng Haoran asked, "What happened?"

Lu Xiang shook his head and said only, "It's sad that some people go through all that trouble only to miss each other; it's all just fate."

Wang Wei rushed here from Luoyang for the sake of becoming an immortal, but he never expected that the immortal would be going to Luoyang.

The two just missed each other.

After returning home, he told Wang Wei what he had said.

Wang Wei turned around and went to pack his bags.

Lu Xiang was taken aback: "Where are you going?"

A white-robed scholar, his robes fluttering, stood in the main hall, his handsome appearance and extraordinary bearing drawing the attention of all the servants, who mistook him for a divine being.

"I'm going back to Luoyang."

Wang Wei then asked, "Did the immortals ever take Li Bai as their disciple?"

Lu Xiang shook his head.

"I've never heard of that before."

That evening, Wang Wei left.

Lu Xiang told Meng Haoran about this, his words carrying a strange undertone:

"Why the rush? Why not even rest? When the governor of Xiangzhou heard that the Wang family's son was coming, he sent someone to ask if he wanted to attend the banquet, but he refused."

"They left before the city gates closed, because traveling at night is not an easy task."

Meng Haoran stopped eating.

"Were you talking about Wang Wei, Wang Wei, the other day?"

"He came to Xiangyang hoping to make acquaintances with immortals?"

“That’s right.” Lu Xiang and Meng Haoran had always been on good terms, so he whispered to him, “He was demoted to Jizhou before, but he resigned this year and is now traveling around Luoyang, visiting famous scholars.”

“Every time he writes to me, his writing is unrestrained, free and uninhibited, and he is also a good poet.”

"I thought he had come to terms with it, but I never expected this..."

Unlike Lu Xiang, Meng Haoran was a firsthand witness to the events surrounding the immortals.

They also understood the mystery behind it.

"The affairs of immortals and gods are not so easy to explain..." Meng Haoran said, "It's just that I didn't know Taibai and the others had left. If I had known then, I'm afraid I would be kneeling in front of the door."

"I also wish to travel with you."

Lu Xiang thought so too.

"I wonder if Wang Wei will ever meet a deity. Alas, it's too late!"

……

……

It rained again.

Everywhere you look is green. Now that the rain has stopped, the rainwater has made the mountain scenery even clearer, giving it a touch of spirituality.

The Tang Dynasty had a vast territory, stretching from the Anxi Protectorate and the Beiting Protectorate to the southern Gobi Desert, extending east to the Bohai Kingdom and west to the Nanzhao Kingdom, a third larger than its predecessor.

The population is approximately 40 million.

The official road in Ruzhou was mostly empty, with only a few carriages and horses occasionally passing by, and a few people pulling carts.

Jiang She and his companions sat down to rest under a tree.

The journey took eight or nine days, and they arrived at a village on the outskirts of Ruzhou. They were very close to Luoyang; another two or three days' journey would take them there.

The group had heard many stories along the way, but upon arriving here, they found the worship ceremony in full swing, so they stopped to observe. They borrowed a spot, took out steamed buns, opened a jar of pickled vegetables and cured meat they had bought, and each drank a pot of wine.

That would be enough to soothe the weariness of the journey.

The village children curiously gathered around, not recognizing the group of people. Seeing that their clothes were different from those of the villagers, they watched timidly from a distance, filled with both curiosity and fear.

The aroma in the air made my mouth water.

Just then, a tall carriage drove up from the official road and stopped in front of them.

A scholar in white robes stepped out of the carriage, parting the curtain.

They saw people lighting a fire here to rest and eat.

He got out of the car and bowed with his arms crossed.

asked:

"Have you heard of any tales of immortals here?"

(End of this chapter)