Chapter 3 Dogen Shinkai
how so?
In the city lord's mansion decorated with lanterns and festoons, Fang Yuan sat alone on a table in the outer hall, looking at the colorful fish swimming in the pond next to him, dazed, and suddenly wanted to jump into the pond and become one of them.
He had almost forgotten how he got off the Taoist platform, and how he was dragged here by the servants of the City Lord's Mansion.
At this time, the City Lord's Mansion is hosting a banquet.
According to the usual practice, after the big exam every three years, the city lord will hold a banquet for those who have made the ranking in the big exam and are about to become disciples of the Immortal Sect. This year is no exception, and even more lively because his daughter is also on the ranking. It's just that Fang Yuan, who was supposed to sit at the VIP seat in the inner hall during this big banquet, could only sit blankly in the outer hall, guarding the empty tables.
He could feel the sympathy, pity, ridicule, and even gloating eyes around him, and felt extremely tired.
He shouldn't be here!
Daoyuan Zhenjie was cancelled, not only was he no longer the top of the Jiazi list, he couldn't even enter the Xiaoyi list...
Because he has spent too much effort on the true understanding of Daoyuan. Whether it is other medicine, divination or utensils, it is naturally impossible to have too many attainments. He even said that he is close to ignorant of other things, because Mr. Zhu said very early on that if the subject of the true understanding of Daoyuan is well learned, it is worth the sum of all other knowledge...
After all, other knowledge can be learned slowly after entering the immortal gate, but the true understanding of Taoism must be learned from elementary school.
The fact is also the same, in the Immortal Sect assessment, Fang Yuan only took the test of Daoyuan True Solution, and got the first place in the Jiazi list.
But who would have thought that before he received the jade talisman, there would be such a horrible sound?
He was no longer on the list, but the city lord seemed to have good intentions, so he asked the servants to pick him up and arranged a seat for him.
However, he didn't mention the matter of recruiting a son-in-law again, and there was no room for him in the honorable seat in the inner hall.
The other people in the outer hall, either intentionally or unintentionally, avoided him at this time, so that he alone occupied a large table, as if an invisible force field appeared around him, isolating others far away!
Oh, the little brother of the Fang family is really pitiful. He should be at the top of the list, but in the end...
Heh, it's not easy for a disciple from a poor family to get ahead, even the heavens can't get along with him...
What do you think he is still sitting here, waiting to humiliate himself?
Whispering voices spread around, sneaking into Fang Yuan's ears like mosquitoes.
He did feel that it was time for him to leave.
Since you're here, why rush to leave?
A big hand pressed on Fang Yuan's shoulder, pushing him back to his seat when he was about to get up.
Fang Yuan turned his head to look, and saw an old man in a green robe, in his fifties or sixties, he was thin and hale, not angry and majestic, he sighed, sat beside Fang Yuan, picked up the jug and poured a full glass, and handed it to Fang Yuan.
Mr. Zhu...
Fang Yuan hurriedly stood up and saluted, showing great respect to the old man in front of him.
This old man is the Taoist of the Fairy Hall, and was once an inner disciple of the Qingyang Sect. It was he who led Fang Yuan, who was eavesdropping outside the Fairy Hall, into the Fairy Hall ten years ago.
... Although, the current Fang Yuan is just an unlucky guy who is not on the list!
Sit down and talk!
Mr. Zhu waved his hands, turned to look at Fang Yuan, and said softly, Are you disappointed?
I……
Fang Yuan's expression darkened, ten years of hard work was ruined, how could he not be disappointed?
But looking at the Taoist's concerned eyes, he just smiled and said: I was just thinking, does the city lord want me as a son-in-law?
Haha, you are now unknown on the list, and your future is bleak. Who will betroth your daughter to you?
Mr. Zhu also laughed when he heard the words, drank a full glass of wine, forced it into Fang Yuan's hand, and then sighed a long time, saying: Actually, the True Explanation of Dao Yuan has been proven to be false, as expected!
The forced smile on Fang Yuan's face froze, and he looked up at Mr. Zhu.
Mr. Zhu poured himself a cup, drank it all in one gulp, and sighed in a low voice: It is said that once in three thousand years, a great catastrophe came to the world and slaughtered all living beings. None of them survived, and I still don’t know why!”
However, although all the masters of the Three Vessels perish in Yuxu Cave, there are rumors in the world that they have deduced a Taoist scripture called True Explanation of Daoyuan, which records the wonderful meaning of fighting against the three thousand years of catastrophe. All major forces will spare no effort to find True Explanation of Daoyuan!
But no one thought that this Taoist book really appeared. Not only did it appear, but there were tens of hundreds of copies as soon as it appeared. Among so many true interpretations of Taoism, some of them are similar in content, but more are completely different in content. At the moment, no one in the major powers knows which one is true and which is false.
The Qingyang Sect...
Fang Yuan spoke subconsciously, with a hesitant expression.
The True Explanation of Dao Yuan of the Qingyang Sect was obtained by Grand Master Gu Song 700 years ago. He studied it for more than 100 years and passed it on to fellow sects of the Qingyang Sect. However, no one could understand it thoroughly, so he had to share this scripture with the other four great immortal sects of Yue Kingdom. Countless masters of the five immortal sects have spent countless efforts on this scripture, but they still found nothing...
Since then, there have been various speculations, one of which is a hexagram master from Yilou!
The hexagram master is a good friend of Grand Master Gu Song's uncle who has known each other for eight hundred years. After deliberating on the scriptures, he thinks that the true solution of Dao Yuan is mysterious and unpredictable. It contains great opportunities. The higher the level of cultivation, the easier it is to be blinded. Instead, you can't see the truth. Therefore, to get a glimpse of the scriptures, the generation of good fortune should be found among children who have not yet been exposed to the road of cultivation. Grand Master Gu Song deeply believed in his words, and started recruiting disciples from the mortal world three hundred years ago. The three-yearly Immortal Gate Exam...
Speaking of this, Mr. Zhu sighed again: But three hundred years ago, I don't know how many people were admitted into the immortal sect, but they still found nothing in the interpretation of the true interpretation of Dao Yuan. On the contrary, the immortal sect's big test found many good immortal seedlings left in the mortal world for the immortal sect. Going his own way, no one dares to disobey his old man's will, and because of this, until yesterday, the true understanding of Daoyuan was the most important one in the grand examination of the immortal sect...
Then...then why today...
Fang Yuan hesitated to speak, he was a little puzzled, why did he cancel it when he won the top spot?
Because Grand Master Gu Song passed away three days ago!
Mr. Zhu's face was full of emotion, and he seemed to be a little sad.
Fang Yuan was stunned, not knowing how to answer.
Mr. Zhu smiled wryly, and said: Actually, most of my life has been spent on this sutra. Every time I feel that I have gained something, but in the end I still have nothing. I have long suspected that this sutra is fake. I have a premonition that such a day will come, but I have been teaching you all the time. It's not that I want to harm you. It's just that no matter whether this Taoism is true or not, it is after all the most important part of the immortal gate exam. If you can use this method to enter the immortal gate, that would be a good thing. Even if it’s time to learn from the beginning, it’s better than being rejected. For more than a hundred years, I have sent many good seedlings from poor families to the immortal gate with this method, but it’s just hard for you...
Did it hurt me?
Fang Yuan was slightly absent-minded, and the smile on his face was a bit bitter.
Mr. Zhu sighed and said, I didn't come here to say these things, but I just want to tell you something!
Fang Yuan came to his senses, and said with a wry smile: If Mister wants to comfort me, why don't you give me a jar of pear blossoms from your kiln for free...
If I have a daughter to marry you, I can't defend myself, but if I want my pear blossoms to be white, I'd better give up my heart...
Mr. Zhu cursed with a smile, then looked into Fang Yuan's eyes, and after a long while, he opened his mouth: I'm not trying to comfort you, but just telling you a fact... The true solution of Dao Yuan may be false, but your top spot is not false!
Fang Yuan was slightly startled, and looked up at Mr. Zhu.
Let's not talk about Dao Yuan's true explanations and false ones. If it is said that he is the most difficult to learn, no one will object to it. This sutra is difficult and convoluted, and its meaning is difficult. Every word, every sentence, can lead to a lot of interpretation and extension. If you want to achieve success in this school, you must not only memorize all the scriptures. , In order to participate in the study of this Daoyuan True Explanation, I don’t know how many people have delayed their practice, and even fell into madness, let alone you children with weak hearts?
When he said this, Mr. Zhu looked at Fang Yuan with doting eyes: I have been teaching in the Fairy Hall of Taiyue City for decades, and I don't know how many amazing and brilliant prodigies I have seen, but I have never seen one who works as hard as you. Those countless great practitioners and learned elders can't do things, but you have done it. Even this old man admires you...
so……
The honor of being the top of the list is the result of ten years of hard study and hard work by you. You won it out of the 100,000 students from the seven counties of the Yue Kingdom. You originally stood in the same position as others, and even because of your family background, the conditions were much worse than others. Then it took ten years to stand at a higher position than them. Who can say that your top position on the list is fake, and who can deny that you are better than them?
With a dignified expression, Mr. Zhu patted Fang Yuan's shoulder heavily, and said in a low voice, Son, today is the last lesson I will teach you. Don't forget how you have come here in the past ten years, and you will embark on the road of cultivation in the future. This is your Taoist heart!
After saying these words, Mr. Zhu drank a glass of wine, turned and left.
How did I get through the past ten years...
Fang Yuan looked at Mr. Zhu's back, and gently repeated what he said just now.
Yeah, how did you get here in the past ten years?
When I was five years old, I rode on the locust tree outside the Fairy Hall to listen to Mr. Zhu's lectures, and got stung all over my head by a hornet...
When I was seven or eight years old, I was busy in the fields with my uncle and aunt, and memorized the words taught by Mr. Zhu in my heart. I cut my hand with a sickle, but I didn't realize it. When I looked back, I saw blood sprinkled on the seedlings, crystal clear...
When I was a teenager, I dreamed of those difficult scriptures every day...
A feeling of sadness and pride rose in Fang Yuan's heart...
How did I get here?
I have paid ten times more painstaking efforts and ten times more effort than others to get to where I am today...
Mr. Zhu is right. You can say that Yuan Zhen Jie is false, and you can cancel my name on the list, but who can deny that I have indeed won the top spot of this Jia Zi list by virtue of my strength, and put all of you under my name?
He poured the wine that Mr. Zhu had poured into his mouth, and poured another full glass.
Then he looked up at the direction where Mr. Zhu left, and said silently in his heart: Don't worry, Mr. Zhu, I won't be depressed!
After the knot in his heart was untied, Fang Yuan's previous confusion disappeared like smoke, and his body also gained strength. He took a long breath and was about to leave, but when he got up, he couldn't help but think of another question: If the True Explanation of Dao Yuan is fake, then what happened to the faint touch in my heart when I was studying the content of the scriptures in the past few years?
Thinking of this question, he couldn't help but think again a month ago, he didn't know how many nights he read Dao Yuanzhen's interpretation and fell into a dream. When he was half asleep and half awake, his heart suddenly became clear, and he felt the feeling of mysterious and mysterious power...
He didn't know how to describe that feeling of seeming illusion, and he never told anyone about it!
He used to think that when he really started to practice, with the guidance of that feeling, he could discover the true truth contained in the Dao Yuan True Explanation, but who would have thought that at this juncture, the Dao Yuan True Explanation would be proven to be false?