Dao Qi Wu Zang Guan Guan: I became a Daoist Master in the 1990s

Chapter 64 The Mountain Sage Invites a Feast!
Xuanqing's voice pierced through the wind and rustling through the forest, reaching us clearly.

He flicked his sleeves slightly and pointed to a clump of unremarkable short grass growing in a crevice between the rocks.

The grass stems and leaves were as black as ink, yet the veins were a deep, vibrant red, giving them an eerie quality in the shadows.

"This is 'Ink Vein Grass,' which is extremely cold and poisonous. Touching it will feel like being pierced by ice."

However, its potency can also forcefully break through blocked meridians. If it is combined with snake molts that are more than ten years old and calcined into ash over a low flame, its yang fire nature can be used to stimulate the ash. This is an indispensable ingredient in the preparation of "Fire-Activated Stagnation-Breaking Powder".

A physician's ability to discern the properties of plants is akin to a Taoist's ability to perceive the flowing energy of spirits and the principles of yin and yang in the universe; it requires keen eyes, meticulous attention, boldness, and focused concentration.

Throughout the journey, Xuanqing spoke incessantly, pointing out the medicinal properties and pharmacology of the plants, trees, insects, and stones he encountered along the way.

The sun was about to set, its last rays of dim, yellow light struggling to paint the cliff face.

Xuanqing's figure suddenly stopped on an extremely steep protruding rock in the middle of the hundred-zhang cliff, his robe sleeves fluttering without wind.

"Huh?" With a soft exclamation, his sharp, hawk-like gaze instantly fixed on a narrow, deep crevice in the dark mountain rock.

The crevice in the rock seemed to have been cleaved open by a giant axe, its depths unfathomable.

Before anyone could see what Xuan Qing did, he simply rolled up his wide robe sleeves like flowing clouds, bent and stretched his five fingers like hooks, and reached out to grab the depths of the crevice in the air!
An invisible suction force suddenly formed.

With a few soft whooshing sounds, three round fruits, each the size of a longan and shimmering with a dark gold luster, flew out from the depths of the crack as if drawn by invisible threads, and landed steadily in his palm!

Several pebbles tumbled down as if startled, falling into the bottomless ravine at their feet. After a long while, a faint, muffled echo could be heard, further emphasizing the deathly silence of the surrounding area.

“Red Sun Serpent Fruit!” Xuan Qing picked up a vermilion fruit, his tone revealing a rare delight.

The surface of the fruit glowed faintly with a red light, like solidified flames, and a pure and gentle warmth could be clearly felt even from several steps away.

"What a wonderful opportunity! This creature grows deep in the snake's lair on a cliff, nourished by the earth's fire, yin energy, and the essence of snakes. Not only is it extremely difficult to find, but it also takes fifty years for it to sprout and bloom once, and only one in ten thousand can bear fruit."

Its nature is purely Yang, best able to warm and replenish the true fire of the gate of life, nourishing the source, which is exactly what your foundation was damaged by excessive Qi cultivation yesterday.

He carefully put the fruit away, a rare look of satisfaction on his face.

As dusk settled, the mountains and forests were completely plunged into darkness.

Xuanqing found a sheltered mountain hollow, cleared out a space, and lit a bonfire.

The flickering firelight dispelled some of the chill and the impenetrable darkness, illuminating Qi Yun's young but slightly weary face.

"Yun'er, wait here quietly." Xuan Qing placed the water pouch and dry rations beside Qi Yun, then turned his gaze to the deeper, more secluded forest beyond the reach of the firelight.

"We are master and nephew, and we will part ways when we reach Jiujiang Prefecture."

The mountain hollow ahead is filled with stagnant energy, and there may be old red or purple Ganoderma lucidum growing there.

"Go and search for it, and if you find anything, consider it a final token of my affection before we part."

Having said that, Xuanqing gently patted the donkey's neck.

The blue donkey, being intelligent, let out a low bray and, carrying the Taoist priest, lifted its four hooves lightly, stepping unhurriedly into the thick, inky darkness.

The clear, crisp sound of copper bells, "ding-dong... ding-dong...", rang out. At first, it was clearly audible, but gradually it became distant and ethereal, and finally, along with the quietly rising, cool moonlight, it completely disappeared into the boundless darkness and silence of the vast mountains.

All that remained was the crackling of the campfire and Qi Yun's breathing as he faced the vast, unfamiliar, and unknown wilderness alone.

…………

The moonlight, like a veil, spilled into the secluded forest, and Qi Yun slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

The firelight flickered, illuminating his pale face.

Once again, the five vital energies converged, and the five internal organs felt as if a layer of essence and blood had been ripped out, while the dantian in the chest remained lifeless and deep.

He smiled bitterly: "A bottomless pit?" He sighed inwardly.

He couldn't help but think of the miraculous effects of the Crimson Hunting Fire, and suddenly felt an overwhelming longing for it. However, along the way, every wandering ghost that dared to show its face was reduced to wisps of smoke beneath the Xuanqing Sword.

It wasn't even Qi Yun's turn to make a move; the Crimson Hunting Fire hadn't even extinguished a single evil spirit!

"Although following my master is as safe as a mountain and I can learn a lot of skills, it is still inconvenient in the end!"
"Now that my uncle is temporarily away, if a ghost were to come looking for me in these deep mountains, then..." The thought had barely formed when...

"Buzz!"

The crimson flames in his heart pounded wildly!
That tiny flame, as if under invisible pressure, suddenly became scorching hot!

From the depths of the forest ahead, a chilling, bone-deep ghostly aura, like a venomous snake, broke through the fog!

Whoops!

The campfire flickered and swayed, its orange-red glow turning into a deep blue!
The moon's shadow suddenly darkened, and dark clouds swallowed the icy wheel!
In the eerie blue firelight, the thick, juice-like mist began to writhe.

A shadowy figure emerged from the crowd, dressed in a tattered robe, with a face as white as if powdered, resembling a scholar.

A smile was on his face, but the corners of his mouth remained stiff and motionless, as if painted on.

"Please, Taoist priest, attend the banquet!" The scholar's voice was faint and ethereal, yet each word was sharp and penetrating.

Qi Yun abruptly stood up, his muscles taut like a bowstring! A fierce glint flashed in his eyes: "You wretch, how dare you!"

With a thought, a cluster of crimson flames rose from the bottom of the loosely clenched fist.

The scholar hurriedly bowed deeply and said, "Master, please calm down!"
"Your uncle, Daoist Xuanqing, is currently feasting with the Holy Master of the mountain. He has sent me to invite you to come and meet him!"

As he spoke, he took something out of his bosom and held it high above his head.

A wooden hairpin, with its entire body covered in green wood grain and its tip worn smooth and warm, is the very hairpin Xuanqing used to tie her hair!

Holding the scorching Crimson Hunting Flame, Qi Yun's heart trembled violently.

"My uncle's cultivation shouldn't be easily lost!"
Could it really be that the 'Holy Lord' hosted a banquet for him and even sent a ghost to invite him?
What methods were used?

Surprise and doubt entwined my heart like vines.

It is only natural for Taoist practitioners to capture ghosts and subdue demons, so why does my uncle seem to be sitting and drinking with these ghosts in the mountains?

This is absurd.

The scholar saw that Qi Yun's gaze was fixed on the wooden hairpin, and the chill intensified. The eerie red flame in Qi Yun's palm danced like a living thing, making one's soul tremble with fear.

He buried his head even deeper, not daring to get up: "The Holy Lord has already swept the bed and prepared the wine, only waiting for the Taoist priest..." His words were as cold as ice silk.

Qi Yun's eyes flickered with uncertainty, as hundreds of thoughts raced through his mind in a matter of seconds.

He slowly released his five fingers, and the Crimson Hunting Flame silently extinguished in his palm.

A low hum drifted into the night wind: "In that case... lead the way."

A flicker of wild joy crossed the scholar's pale face: "Thank you for your honor, Daoist!" He swept his long sleeves behind him!
puff! puff! puff! puff!
Four plumes of black mist suddenly rose from the ground!

As the fog dissipated, four burly, ferocious ghosts were revealed!

His face was dark blue, his fangs curled back, and the muscles on his neck were knotted like old roots.

They were carrying something on their shoulders.

Made of rough paper, four pale white bone beams support a roofless sedan chair!

Red paper forms the curtain, and the two characters for "Welcome Guests," drawn with vermilion ink and stained with still-dry scarlet blood, sway eerily in the ghostly blue flames, like a betrothal gift drifting from a ghostly realm.

(End of this chapter)