I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 99 Discussing the Five Sacred Mountains is as commonplace as it gets (+2)

Jiang She and the others watched for a while, then raised the clouds and mist a little higher.

Now, even the mountains and rivers are nowhere to be seen.

The scenery in the sky is unique.

The smoke and dust have dissipated, no more wind or snow, only eternal silence. They walk above the sea of ​​clouds, shining as brightly as the sun. In this place, ten thousand years seem as fleeting as a moment.

The two asked in astonishment, "Is this the sky?"

Where is the Jade Pool?

This was the first time the Old Deer Mountain God had ever seen such a sight; he had never imagined that above the clouds and mist lay such vast and silent desolation.

Jiang She countered with a question:

What can you see when viewing Yunmeng Mountain from the foot of the mountain?

The two understood each other perfectly. "Sir, are you saying that the celestial palaces and the Jade Pool in heaven are also hidden from the world and cannot be seen by people?"

Jiang She responded.

"Therefore, someone needs to visit."

Li Yuandu accepted this explanation, since Yunmeng Mountain was the same; from the foot of the mountain, one could only see a low peak. Previously, when they were cultivating the Tao and seeking out reclusive masters, they had visited each mountain in this manner.

Only the old deer mountain god pondered this, and quietly asked:

Are there really immortals in heaven?

Jiang She held the cat, stroking its fur repeatedly, his thoughts unreadable.

He simply said, "I hope so."

They didn't linger above the sea of ​​clouds for long.

They then returned to their low, unassuming position, gazing at the mountains and rivers.

Amidst the cold wind, the two people beside him felt a surge of joy and let out a long howl.

Jiang She felt relieved upon hearing this, and even found himself somewhat amused.

In the distance, towering peaks rose in rows. He casually pointed and laughed:

"This is Mount Tai."

Jiang She then gestured for them to look to the other side, and said in turn, "These are Hengshan, Songshan, and Huashan. You can't see them from here, but if you go south, you can see Hengshan."

"These are the Five Sacred Mountains!"

Li Bai, Yuan Danqiu, and the mountain god all went to see it.

From the sky, the mountains stretch endlessly, towering into the clouds with a majestic presence.

Li Bai had read articles about mountains and rivers and knew that this was called a dragon vein.

For a moment, I was captivated by what I saw.

The old mountain god observed even more closely. Although he had once been a mountain god of a region, his understanding of the world's terrain was still not as extensive as the master's. Nor would he discuss the Five Sacred Mountains as if they were trivial matters.

A cold wind howled. In the blink of an eye, we would soon arrive in Yanzhou.

Mount Tai is closer now.

The wind howled in my ears, and it was snowing in Yanzhou as well. The snow and wind on the road resumed, and the sky was filled with white fog, obscuring the sun.

The wind was biting cold, and the sky was exceptionally cold.

None of them felt the chill; instead, they felt the exhilaration of roaming the world and chatting about the Five Sacred Mountains.

Carefree and unrestrained, extremely enjoyable.

Jiang She laughed loudly:
"The terrain is high in the west and low in the east, with continuous mountain ranges and two rivers flowing through it, supporting millions of people."

"The waters surge endlessly, flowing into the East China Sea."

"These are mountains and rivers, waterways."

Vast and mighty, with overwhelming momentum, it is like a river of spring water flowing eastward!
Mount Tai seemed closer. From the sky, it appeared to be right beneath their feet. Looking down upon the world, everything seemed like floating duckweed.

The group of people felt an indescribable sense of pride.

Is this the world as seen by the immortals?

……

Jiang She waited until they had seen enough before slowly descending.

The group landed back on the ground.

Gradually, I began to feel the wind and snow hitting my face, chilling me. Then I heard the cries of vendors in the distance, their calls ringing out loudly as they roamed the streets and alleys, while children played and frolicked. A heavy snowfall brought both joy and sorrow.

All that happened in the sky just now felt like a dream.

They then gazed at Mount Tai in the distance.

It is several tens of miles away.

Tall and majestic, standing silently between heaven and earth.

Their minds were in a daze, and their legs felt a little weak. After a long while, the poet, the Taoist priest, and the mountain god finally came to their senses and started walking.

They watched as the gentleman shook his sleeves, and before they climbed Yunmeng Mountain, their packed carriages and luggage appeared in the alley.

The cat looked on in surprise; there had been nothing here just moments before.

The two horses had been hidden in the sleeve for months, and when they emerged, they found themselves in an unfamiliar place. They neighed and trotted their hooves lightly.

Yuan Danqiu snapped out of his daze.

He stepped forward and comforted the horse.

The residents in the alley noticed something was amiss and peeked out from their courtyards.

Jiang She said gently, "I'll just borrow a place and leave in a bit."

He took a basket of fruit from the trunk of the car; it was something they had bought in Luoyang during the summer, and it was still fresh. He gave two to everyone in the alley.

Citrus fruits are a rare treat in winter; even the kings and princesses in the palace can't afford to eat many.

The old woman was taken aback and declined to accept the gift.

"Young master, you can borrow this place, but you're being so polite."

"These fruits are for tribute purposes only, we dare not accept them!"

Jiang She realized this and replaced it with mutton and sesame cakes. This time, the residents in the alley no longer refused and happily accepted them.

"My lord, please just lend me this space!"

The old woman accepted the cake, unusually generous, and asked solicitously, "We still have some soybean residue left over from grinding soybeans. Does the horse need some to chew on?"

The ancients were too enthusiastic.

Jiang She finally made his way back, carrying a bag of soybean dregs and a bag of pickles.

Yuan Danqiu led the horse and the carriage out of the alley.

Yanzhou suddenly appeared before our eyes—

Snowflakes covered the rammed earth city walls. It was noon, and the sound of drums could be heard intermittently. People were walking on the street, heading towards the market.

Children chased after vendors selling "sticky candy," and Jiang She looked at it for a while before realizing it was actually maltose. He took a sip and tasted the sweetness from the bottom of his heart.

Perhaps a certain dragon loves to eat it.

A man in a round-necked robe rode on horseback, presumably an official, patrolling the streets.

The fluttering white snowflakes were swept to the ground by the wind. The black cat leaped up to the highest point of the carriage in a few steps and lay down, its tail held high, looking around with a surprised expression.

Jiang She and his group strolled leisurely through the streets of Yanzhou, their mouths and noses filled with the cold air, much colder than Yunmeng Mountain.

Yuan Danqiu was wearing a fur coat worth a thousand gold pieces.

Li Bai was no less impressive; these two, however, didn't get cold.

The group found a tavern, where a servant led the carriage away and added fodder.

After Jiang She paid, he handed the bean dregs he had just received to the servant and asked him to add them to the fodder.

The servant touched the fifteen coins his master had given him, and hesitated.

Logically, since the guests brought their own things, they shouldn't be charged so much.

"Just take it."

Jiang She comforted him, saying, "Take the extra money and buy some fried fish for yourself."

Jiang She spent money all the way from Xiangyang, his pockets jingling. He was indeed influenced by his previous life and spent money lavishly.

They were unwilling to shortchange themselves or others.

The servant smiled and quickly went to feed the horse.

After a while, good wine and good food were served. Steaming hot mutton soup was emitting white mist and its aroma could be smelled from afar.

Jiang She sat in the main room and could hear the diners discussing the emperor's plan to perform the Fengshan ceremony.

Some people were also curious about what the emperor looked like.

They say that Yanzhou has been under strict control lately, and not a single thief has been seen, not even the bandits from outside the county.

A strong, burly man, holding a wine cup, drunkenly said with anticipation, "The Emperor has exempted all the counties along the way from taxes. Maybe Yanzhou can also be exempted from taxes, and this year will be much easier."

"I'll go to the temple to pray later. If I don't have to pay taxes, this year will be much easier."

A person nearby asked:

Which temple are you going to?

The man, without any formality, said to him:

"There's a Stone Goddess Temple just outside the county, it's incredibly efficacious! My wife's illness was cured by praying to the Stone Goddess."

Jiang She listened.

I took a sip of wine.

(End of this chapter)