Chapter 87 The Reasonable Temple Owner Came to this Mountain

Zhang Shouqing spoke casually, but in fact, Ge Hong was restless in his heart, almost like overturning rivers and seas. As the host of the mountain, Ge Hong was not at a high stage, but with the foundation of Yuwu Mountain, he was one of the best in Liangxi and even in the Taoist sect in the whole world, so nobody had ever spoken to him in this way at ordinary times. Nobody argued with him, not to mention falling out with him. However, now the Taoist in yellow and purple Zhang Shouqing in front of him was not an ordinary person. He had the huge Chenxie Mountain behind him, and he had the reason.

The people on Chenxie Mountain had been rude and unreasonable for many years, and all the Taoist temples on the famous mountains in Liangxi knew that, yet nobody dared to say anything. However, the people on Chenxie Mountain were reasonable this time, so they were naturally aggressive.

In fact, Ge Hong had worried when the people on Yuwu Mountain decided to attack the gifted Dao cultivator Ye Shengge. After all, Chenxie Mountain was powerful. If they were careless and the news was let out, even though Sage Chen was from Yuwu Mountain, it would be difficult to handle when they faced Chenxie Mountain’s anger. However, since they learnt that the gifted Dao cultivator went down the mountain to have a travel, the old masters on Yuwu Mountain who were still alive got excited. They took out the valuable tool of the sect, the Telltale Umbrella and even used a Ghostly talisman drawn by Sage Chen. The Telltale Umbrella was used to ensure that nobody knew that Yuwu Mountain tried to assassinate the girl, and the Ghostly talisman could guarantee complete success of this assassination.

Unfortunately, since Zhang Shouqing came up Yuwu Mountain, Ge Hong knew that at least the first thing had been exposed. And after Zhang Shouqing patiently stayed here for so many days, Ge Hong guessed that the second thing had probably failed, too.

If the person who was sent down Yuwu Mountain had successfully killed Ye Shengge, probably not only one Taoist in yellow and purple would have come here, and the temple owner might walk out of the Sky Building and come to Yuwu Mountain.

Ge Hong was clear about one thing. Even if Chenxie Mountain and Yuwu Mountain knew this, Yuwu Mountain couldn’t admit it. No matter who would take the blame on Yuwu Mountain then, it was not him, the host of the mountain.

After all, even though most of things on the mountain were not under his control, as the host, he stood for Yuwu Mountain. If he was pushed out, it meant that they admitted that it was done by the people from Yuwu Mountain.

So after Zhang Shouqing said that, Ge Hong didn’t stay on the Cloud Terrace. He left directly and then came to the Tranquilization Pavilion on the mountain.

The Tranquilization Pavilion was built on the top of Guiyun Peak under the Cloud Terrace far away and was always an important place on Yuwu Mountain. The Taoists of the highest rank in seniority on the mountain would gather in the Tranquilization Pavilion almost whenever something significant happened.

Ge Hong was the host of the mountain but never of the highest rank in seniority on the mountain or at the highest stage, so his status was not like the temple owner’s on Chenxie Mountain. In fact, it was not even his decision to assassinate the gifted Dao cultivator.

His master’s fellow apprentices who were still alive had the final say on the mountain.

Before Ge Hong came to the Tranquilization Pavilion, some people fought tooth and nail in the Founder’s Hall. Several old Taoists with a high status argued about Zhang Shouqing’s issue.

The old Taoist with white hair sitting at the head, Yang Changsheng was the oldest Taoist on Yuwu Mountain, and he was at the highest stage. As a matter of fact, this old Taoist had a great chance to become the host of Yuwu Mountain that year, but he wanted to make more progress in cultivating, so he didn’t have an interest in fighting for power and profits. However, when it came to the stage, it was not that he could walk farther if he did it intently. Although he had cultivated hard on the mountain for hundreds of years, he didn’t promote himself a lot later. He wanted to attain a higher goal, but it was just empty talk till now. After he knew that he couldn’t enter a higher stage, Yang Changsheng started to care about the affairs on the mountain. He said that he considered for the late generations, yet anybody who had sharp eyes could find at a glance what he was thinking about. However, because of his position, nobody dared to say anything.

The host Ge Hong never argued with this master to his face these years, but anybody wouldn’t be happy after he was elbowed out.

In the Tranquilization Pavilion, although Yang Changsheng was still the center of the meeting today, when he suggested killing Zhang Shouqing on the mountain earlier, all his fellow apprentices in the pavilion didn’t agree with him, so it caused the quarrel. Now Ge Hong entered the pavilion, so all people looked at him. After all, the one who talked with Zhang Shouqing was the host from beginning to end.

Yang Changsheng narrowed his eyes and asked with no emotion, “Host, how do you want to deal with this Taoist in yellow and purple from Chenxie Mountain?”

Ge Hong’s expression changed slightly. Looking at the masters present, he answered in embarrassment, “The people on Chenxie Mountain are always unreasonable, and this time once they believe that we did it, they won’t show any evidence. However, after all, Yuwu Mountain is the place where Sage Chen attained enlightenment, and the gifted Dao cultivator didn’t have an accident, so I think the people from Chenxie Mountain wouldn’t go too far, but we probably have to take out some magic tools so that we can make this guy go down the mountain.”

Yang Changsheng responded impassively, “Oh. So you prepare to make concessions to avoid trouble, Host?”

Ge Hong turned to the other masters and replied hesitantly, “We were wrong, and now he has come here to find fault, yet you still try to insist. Will you give up only after the temple owner comes in person, Master Yang?”

At the mention of that temple owner, not only Ge Hong, in fact, several other old Taoists who were of high positions were in low spirits. After they looked at one another, they saw scruples in the other party’s eyes.

An old Taoist dressed in a grey robe frowned. “When you planned to harm that gifted Dao cultivator, I didn’t agree. Now what? We have lost an important treasure of the sect and only Sage Chen’s Ghostly talisman was quite precious. Now it is fine that the job wasn’t finished, but we have brought disaster upon ourselves and a person came from Chenxie Mountain. However, you even want to kill the Taoist in yellow and purple on the mountain, Yang Changsheng. Do you think that Sage Chen is still here so that you can do whatever you like?”

Yang Changsheng stated casually, “Li, how can the things on mountains be so simple? The more we shrink back, the more aggressive the others would be. Since Sage Chen was from Yuwu Mountain, how can we be bullied?”

The old Taoist in grey sneered. “So Yang, is it the best way if you kill that Taoist?”

Yang Changsheng kept silent and seemed to be unwilling to argue with him.

The old Taoist in grey turned to Ge Hong. “Host, since you are the head on Yuwu Mountain, you should make a decision for this matter.”

Yang Changsheng then expressed, “In this case, make a decision, Host.”

Ge Hong’s face stiffened, and he thought, “When you discussed it and decided to assassinate the gifted Dao cultivator at all costs, you didn’t remember that I am the host. Now you need to solve the problem, so you realize that I am the host?”

But after all, they were not ordinary cultivators, so Ge Hong didn’t speak it out in public. He just found an excuse and responded that he would think it over. Then he quickly left the Tranquilization Pavilion.

Later, the old Taoists in the Tranquilization Pavilion also scattered in an instant and only Yang Changsheng and the old Taoist in grey were left. They looked at each other and neither of them spoke. Only they had something hard to explain in their eyes, yet it was uncertain what exactly it was.

At last, the old Taoist in grey left the Tranquilization Pavilion, and only Yang Changsheng was left.

Looking at the memorial tablets displayed in the Tranquilization Pavilion, this Taoist who was of the highest rank in seniority on the mountain laughed in a low voice. “Only the virtuous one can be a king.”

Ge Hong went away from the Tranquilization Pavilion and didn’t go in a hurry to discuss the countermeasures but returned to the Cloud Terrace. After he went and came back, Ge Hong’s mentality changed.

Seeing that Ge Hong returned after going away, Zhang Shouqing didn’t say more. He just invited Ge Hong to continue to play the game of Go. He didn’t ask first, which surprised Ge Hong.

Ge Hong won the first round with the absolute advantage, and then he asked cautiously, “Zhang, Chenxie Mountain where you live is the number one of the Taoist sect in Liangxi because of the temple owner’s cultivation base besides it has a deep foundation. If the temple owner says something, nobody on the mountain dares to make comments. However, not everywhere in the world is like Chenxie Mountain. You must know this.”

Zhang Shouqing stayed silent for a while and then laughed. “There are old masters on every mountain, and each master has a different temper, which is normal. There are old masters on this mountain, Host, but you live a difficult life.”

Ge Hong showed a complicated expression and didn’t say something that he almost spoke out.

Zhang Shouqing looked at the black and white stones in front of him and was self-involved, adding, “Host Ge, the reasons in the world are endless, but in fact, not many people are reasonable. If this mountain is not named Yuwu Mountain and no sage came from here, do you think that the people from Chenxie Mountain would be so good-tempered and reason out with you patiently? You know the ending of a certain Taoist temple. Moreover, the problems on mountains can’t be solved only by reasoning. If we can solve the conflicts by reasoning, the big war wouldn’t have broken out that year, and I wouldn’t have come here.”

Ge Hong looked depressed and asked directly, “How can we cover up for this case?”

Zhang Shouqing chuckled. “I have heard that there are different thoughts in the Tranquilization Pavilion on Yuwu Mountain. Can you make the decision, Hose Ge?”

Ge Hong whispered, “The old masters on the mountain are old and powerful with more reasons, and they have other thoughts. In fact, I am not sure.”

“Then why did you ask that question?” Zhang Shouqing looked indifferent.

Ge Hong frowned and pondered in silence.

Zhang Shouqing suddenly asked with a smile, “If the people on Chenxie Mountain want this old pine, what would you do, Host?”

Ge Hong raised his head in confusion and then responded seriously, “I want to make a deal with Chenxie Mountain.”

Zhang Shouqing responded, “Oh.” Then for the first time, he took out the book that the temple owner had given him in the Sky Building that day.

“Under the earlier situation, I didn’t dare to agree to this deal, but now, we can discuss it.”

After speaking, Zhang Shouqing opened this book, and there was no word in it. However, it made people feel happy somehow.

Maybe it was because somebody often turned its pages.

A middle-aged man who was plainly dressed had been to many places after leaving a mountain. He fished a fish for his disciple in Dayu first and then walked almost everywhere in this country. This man had stayed in the Sky Building most of the time these years after he returned to the mountain from Yanling that year, and this time he had been to many places freely that he had seen only once.

He had eaten the local specialty dish in the best restaurant in Dayu and had been on a bamboo raft, letting it drift down on the longest river in the country. Then he came to a ferry-place and even watched with interest two warriors fighting. The two warriors in society could even hardly rise to several meters higher yet made an agreement to fight till death in that ferry-place. They fought against each other and made many tourists watching around think that the heroes in society should be like this. He stood behind the crowd and looked at the two warriors who had weaknesses while fighting. He nodded frequently and even commented on the two’s movements when he was in a good mood, which made many onlookers subconsciously turn around to see him. After noticing the man’s clothes, they even thought that this man must be a great master who lived in seclusion. Otherwise, why could this man explain reasonably while they couldn’t even see the two heroes’ movements clearly? In the end, a young tourist knelt down in public all of a sudden unexpectedly and kowtowed several times before shouting, “Great Master, please accept me as your disciple.”

Later, this middle-aged man didn’t laugh or say that this was really a rare genius that he hadn’t met in the past one hundred years while touching the young man’s root bone, and he didn’t pretend to be a great master and say that the young man wasn’t suitable to learn martial arts from him. He just helped the young man up and then replied with a smile that he wanted to accept some disciples, who would massage his shoulders and legs when they were free, but first, his only disciple was jealous and would get mad if she knew that he accepted one more disciple; second, his disciple kept him worrying about her. When she was lazy, she just stayed at home and she was bullied as soon as she went out. He went out this time in order to avenge his disciple and might be unable to go back. At last, he added with a smile that it was no big deal if his disciple got mad, and if the young man didn’t fear death and dared to go with him, it was fine.

The young man was not a fool and thought that such a great master living in seclusion said that he probably couldn’t go back when he went to cause trouble to somebody else, so it must be not simple. He might get into trouble and die outside after going with the master, so he changed his mind and said that he had to serve his old mother at home, and there was a saying that when the parents were alive, the children shouldn’t go far away. Therefore, he wouldn’t go with the master.

Although the middle-aged man was refused, he didn’t get angry. He just said with a smile that it was true, but he reminded the young man, “There are more words, ‘If they have to go out, they should have a goal and tell their parents as well as figure out a way to take care of their parents.’ Did you forget it?”

The young man blushed, yet he was unwilling to leave with the master no matter what he said.

In the end, fortunately, this “great master” didn’t get mad. He just shook his head and stated, “Forget it. We are not bound to be master and disciple.”

At the moment, the two warriors’ life-and-death struggle was over, but they didn’t fight till death. At last, they even smiled at each other and forgot their gratitude or enmity.

The middle-aged man shook his head helplessly and then saw that a street vendor who sold snacks rushed over and found that the fight was over and all the tourists had scattered, so he patted his head with regret.

The middle-aged man didn’t leave in a hurry. Instead, he craned his neck to see what the vendor was selling. Then he bought several kinds of food and sugarcoated haws on a stick. Although the profit result was much worse than what the vendor had expected, he had sold something as a start today. The vendor’s face softened and then he walked with the middle-aged man for a distance. When they were about to get separated, the vendor expressed sincerely, “Sir, you must be a cultivator. Otherwise, how can you make people feel happy after seeing you?”

The middle-aged man didn’t make comments and just waved his hand to say goodbye.

He ate all the food he had bought on the way, and at last, he started to eat the sugarcoated haws on the stick. His disciple had said that if it was her turn to guard the mountain in the future, she would plant peach blossoms everywhere on the mountain. In fact, he once had this thought those years, but he didn’t want peach blossoms all over the mountain. He just wanted to plant hawthorn trees everywhere someday. But when he should guard the mountain, he thought it was good. Even if he would plant some trees, he would just plant some outside the Sky Building. However, he always read books inside these years and had forgotten this matter. When he came back to the mountain this time, he would plant some trees in front of the Sky Building, but he would forget the hawthorn tree. He would just plant some peach blossoms. He had only one disciple, and she made him worry about her all the time. If he didn’t spoil her, it seemed not right.

But the disciple he spoilt was bullied as soon as she went down the mountain. This man thought that it shouldn’t have happened. His disciple was not a lonely ghost or wild demon. How could she be bullied easily? Did they think that he was not alive?

So after he watched the scenery in Dayu, he returned to Liangxi and prepared to go to a mountain to cause trouble.

That mountain was just a little lower than the mountain he guarded, yet he didn’t care at all. It would depend on his mood whether he would raze the mountain to the ground or cut half of it.

When he was almost close to Yuwu Mountain, the middle-aged man could see the scenery on the mountain in the distance and laughed loudly without precedent.

It happened that a young Taoist who just went down the mountain and planned to travel around heard that and looked into the distance following the middle-aged man’s eyes. Then he found that the middle-aged man was facing Yuwu Mountain and laughing. The young Taoist kowtowed to him in an instant and asked gently, “Master, why are you laughing?”

The middle-aged man who seldom wore a Taoist’s robe except that he liked to wear one when he was a teenager replied with a smile, “I am laughing at this mountain which is high.”

The young Taoist was proud. “This is Yuwu Mountain, one among the most famous mountains of the Taoist sect in Liangxi, and Sage Chen came from here. Why is it not high?”

The middle-aged man nodded. “It’s high indeed, but I want it to be lower.”

The young Taoist furrowed his brows and thought, “Why did you say that? You are unreasonable.”

It seemed that the middle-aged man felt that, and he stated peacefully, “I didn’t come to reason with them.”

The young Taoist wanted to say more. However, the middle-aged man had flown away and couldn’t be seen in a flash.

He came to the foot of the mountain directly and then started to climb it.

While climbing, this middle-aged man just asked himself, “Is Sage Chen awesome?”

“Right, he is awesome. After all, he is one of the six sages of Taoism.

“But now, I, Liang Yi, would climb up Yuwu Mountain to destroy the Tranquilization Pavilion. What can you do?”