A Tale of Encounters with Immortals: A Peach Blossom Temple in the Martial World

What is immortal?

Am I an immortal?

Zhang Zhengdao didn't know. Because apart from himself, this outcast, there seemed to be no immortals.

The powerful beings like immortals and Buddhas that I had worried about for so long seem to have never appeared, so I guess it's a world without immortals and Buddhas.

Zhang Zhengdao looked at Wan Gusheng and then patted the young man on the head.

Young people are prone to acting impulsively.

Have you seen this person?

Zhang Zhengdao found a rock and sat down, pointing to the grave that Guo Lanying had just filled in.

Guo Lanying clapped her hands: "It's buried, we're done."

The young man looked at Guo Lanying, a master of innate talent, who was doing this kind of work.

"I see!"

The young man's gaze shifted to the grave, and he nodded.

"died!"

young people:……

Isn't that obvious? If you're not some kind of immortal, I'll fucking kill you!

"Do you know that he ruined a woman's life?"

"I know! I was watching the commotion in the crowd just now," the young man nodded.

Zhang Zhengdao beckoned with his finger and pointed to the stone beside him.

The young man walked over and plopped down next to Zhang Zhengdao.

"That woman was also a member of the martial arts world. She wandered the land without making a name for herself, but she did have a child. He was originally engaged to the man who committed murder. Childhood sweethearts couldn't compete with a child born from heaven!"

The young man was startled: "Does the immortal master know them?"

"I don't know... I'm just guessing!"

young people:……

Zhang Zhengdao laughed and said, "You are a successor of the Xiaoyao Sect. Xiaoyao, do you know what Xiaoyao means? Is it like traveling to the North Sea in the morning and Cangwu in the evening?"

The young man nodded: "My master once said that this is true freedom."

Zhang Zhengdao laughed heartily: "That's your idea of ​​freedom, not mine. In my opinion, it's just about running a little faster, right? If being fast counts as freedom, then I wish you become a boy who chases the light..."

young people:???

"How can one know true freedom without entering the mortal world? Wine and meat pass through the intestines, but Buddha remains in the heart—that is freedom; the sky is high enough for birds to fly, the sea is wide enough for fish to leap—that is also freedom; a thousand cups of wine are not enough when drinking with a bosom friend—that is also freedom; roaming the martial world for decades, with a bold sword spirit reaching the heavens—that is still freedom..."

The young man looked bewildered.

"You're obsessed with becoming an immortal or a Buddha to achieve true freedom, but you should know that even immortals are governed by the Heavenly Dao, and even Buddhas crave incense offered before the Buddha. Do you really think you can be truly free after becoming an immortal?"

The young man was stumped by the question!

Hu Yunying quietly came over and tugged at Zhang Zhengdao's sleeve, saying, "This kid is almost completely fooled, take it easy."

Zhang Zhengdao nodded, deciding to wrap things up.

"I'm staying at your inn and you don't charge me, which makes me feel quite carefree. A day of contentment is a day of carefree living. That's all."

Zhang Zhengdao bowed to the young man: "To give you an example, if your store could also provide three meals a day for free, that would be a great relief for me."

The young man wondered, "Can money and possessions be considered a form of carefree living?"

Zhang Zhengdao laughed heartily: "You've gone mad again. Money may be an external thing, but it is a spiritual anchor, just like how martial artists place their spiritual hopes on their ranking in the Mount Hua Grand Competition."

The young man seemed to be deep in thought.

"My pursuit of money is nothing more than a pursuit of solace for the soul." Zhang Zhengdao stood up, took a step forward, and was already far away, with only his voice faintly echoing in the distance.

"Those who acquire great wealth attain great freedom. The roc soars ninety thousand miles, gaining freedom by borrowing the wind; the mayfly borrows the earth and sky to gain freedom... A valiant warrior kills his enemy in the marketplace; a great swordsman debates swords on Mount Hua and ascends to the summit... In this mortal world, where is there no freedom? It only depends on whether one's heart is as vast as the heavens and the earth..."

The Taoist priest had already gone far away.

The voice still resonated in the young man's ears like a resounding bell.

The young man pondered for a long time, pacing back and forth.

Hu Yunying and Guo Lanying followed Zhang Zhengdao all the way to the town.

"This young man has been completely fooled!" Guo Lanying said with some sympathy.

Hu Yunying scoffed: "He did it willingly; they're all people seeking the Great Dao. Heh, I know what you're saying, sir. If I said it, this young man definitely wouldn't listen; he'd just find it laughable. He'd say, 'Ha! You, a Grandmaster, dare to discuss the Dao with me?' But it's different when my master says it. After all, last night..."

What happened last night?

"Children shouldn't pry into adults' affairs."

Guo Lanying became increasingly curious and kept asking, "Master, what happened to this young man? Did the master beat him up?"

"That was a pretty good beating!"

"No wonder you came out like this today..."

"Therefore, a single word from a strong person is worth more than ten thousand volumes of scriptures!"

By evening, the inn had not yet prepared dinner, and Zhang Zhengdao was somewhat disappointed. This young man seemed a bit obsessed, still going in circles, unable to figure things out.

However, after waiting for a while, a cheer suddenly came from outside the inn.

"Immortal Master, I understand now, I understand!"

Zhang Zhengdao stepped out of the room and saw the young man enter excitedly. He looked up, saw Zhang Zhengdao, and exclaimed joyfully, "Immortal Master, I understand now! So, Xiaoyao is..."

"Shh!"

Zhang Zhengdao made a "shh" gesture.

"Freedom varies from person to person. You understand it yourself, there's no need to tell me."

The young man nodded vigorously, then rubbed his hands together, too excited to know what to say.

Zhang Zhengdao glanced at the sky and sighed, "That... about the free meals..."

"Right away, right away..."

The young man shouted happily, "Old Liu, bring out all the good wine and food! I want to drink with the Taoist priest!"

Before long, the innkeeper himself came out with his staff, and the food was served free of charge, filling the table to the brim. However, it was all vegetarian dishes.

Zhang Zhengdao held up his chopsticks and sighed.

"This humble Taoist has no dietary restrictions!"

The young man immediately told the shopkeeper and the waiter to replace some of the vegetarian dishes and add meat, filling the table to the brim, and also brought out two jars of fine wine.

Zhang Zhengdao, Hu Yunying, and Guo Lanying ate the meal with their mouths greasy.

After a satisfying meal, Zhang Zhengdao said "thank you" and went to his room to rest.

After Zhang Zhengdao and his companions left, the innkeeper quietly asked the young man, "How are the lodging and meal fees calculated?"

The young man waved his hand: "The immortal master is a virtuous person, so naturally there is no need to pay. You just need to treat him to good wine and food. You must not neglect his three meals a day."

"Yes!"

The old shopkeeper didn't quite understand, but since it was the owner's business, he couldn't very well ask why.

As night fell, a figure reappeared atop Mount Hua.

This time, the young man arrived at the place where the sword was stuck in the ground.

The sword is still stuck in the ground, and no one can pull it out.

During the day, the Four Masters quietly approached, intending to draw their swords, but they were left empty-handed and slunk away.

Now the young man has arrived again. This time, he is not in a hurry to draw his sword. Instead, he sits cross-legged beside the sword, thinking about what Zhang Zhengdao said during the day and his own insights, and enters into meditation.

Hu Yunying pushed Zhang Zhengdao.

"He went again; he went to the summit of Mount Hua again."

The three of them were sitting in Zhang Zhengdao's room with the window open, and they could see the young man flying up the mountain from the foot of the mountain in the distance.

"It's a good thing that young people are diligent and inquisitive."

Zhang Zhengdao turned to look at the two of them and said solemnly.

"But... don't get stuck on the details. The so-called 'free and easy' theory is a matter of opinion, and it's a philosophical issue... but you wouldn't understand even if I explained it to you."

Hu Yunying:...

Guo Lanying: ...

"From now on, stay far away from anyone who talks to you in a way that you can't understand or comprehend. Understand? If you're going to be a tough guy, don't let intellectuals fool you."

Guo Lanying was delighted to hear that Zhang Zhengdao cared about her.

"I understand, sir!"

The crisp, joyful sound brought Zhang Zhengdao comfort.

"Master, can that young man truly cultivate to become an immortal and achieve a carefree life?"

Hu Yunying continued to ask.

She was actually a little tempted herself.

Especially since there's a ghost in my own Taoist temple. And this ghost's condition is becoming increasingly incomprehensible. Last time I pinched her cheek, the flesh was even softer than my own.

At that time, a single sentence from that ghost, Shu Baimei, could have driven her to her death.

"Of course I'm younger than you. You're almost thirty. I've just transformed into human form, and my skin is like a baby's. Hehe, you—Hu Yunying—are nothing but an old woman."

Listen, is it human language?

Once I've cultivated myself into an immortal, in a hundred years... no, a thousand years, my skin will be as tender as a baby's. I bet you'll be furious then.

What the hell is this?

Zhang Zhengdao laughed heartily after hearing Hu Yunying's words.

“Instead of trying to understand these inexplicable philosophies, it’s better to absorb more spiritual energy in my peach blossom grove.” Zhang Zhengdao chuckled. “Spiritual energy is the real path to nourish the physical body and transform from mortal to immortal.”