Chapter 63: Becoming a Disciple (Part 2)
“Master, are we from the Kunlun Sect or Wudang? Or perhaps the Way of the Celestial Masters?”
Su Xiaofan was very curious about the whole idea of sects.
Hadn't all those novels said that whenever people from the martial world met, they would first announce their sect and background?
Usually, whoever had the more powerful background was the stronger one. Whenever a small sect or minor faction heard that the other person was a disciple of a major sect, they would usually immediately back down.
“What Kunlun or Wudang? You've been reading too many novels.”
Jing Shizhen glared at Su Xiaofan irritably.
“Isn't Laozi a Daoist?”
Su Xiaofan asked, “Aren't Kunlun, Wudang, and the Way of the Celestial Masters all Daoist sects?”
“Our lineage doesn't belong to any sect.”
Jing Shizhen shook his head and said, “My lineage only has a tradition of inheritance. And what we inherit isn't Daoism as a religion, but Daoist philosophy...”
“Daoist philosophy and Daoism are different? Aren't they both based on Laozi as their founder?”
Su Xiaofan was a little confused.
“Of course they're different. Daoist philosophy is Daoist philosophy, and Daoism is Daoism.”
Seeing that Su Xiaofan really didn't understand, Jing Shizhen explained:
“Daoist philosophy is a school of philosophical thought founded by Laozi and Zhuangzi. It emerged during the late Spring and Autumn period. Daoism, on the other hand, took shape during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and originated from the Five Pecks of Rice movement founded by Zhang Ling.
“Daoist philosophy is a philosophical and cultural school, while Daoism is a religious organization. The two have completely different natures in terms of their cultural forms.
“Daoist religious thought originated from Daoist philosophy, but the two cannot be confused with each other.
“You can understand it this way: Daoist philosophy is metaphysical theory, while Daoism is the application and promotion of those ideas...”
“The difference is that big?”
After hearing Jing Shizhen's explanation, Su Xiaofan finally understood.
So the concept of the Dao was divided into Daoist philosophy and Daoism, and the two could not simply be lumped together. Even their representative figures were different.
The representative figures of Daoist philosophy during the pre-Qin period included Laozi, Zhuangzi, Yang Zhu, Song Xing, Yin Wen, Liezi, and others.
The representative figures of Daoism included Zhang Jiao, Zhang Ling, Zhang Lu, Ge Hong, Tao Hongjing, Wang Chongyang, Cheng Xuanying, and others...
These two groups of figures could not replace one another. One group consisted of the founders and thinkers of a philosophical tradition, while the other consisted of the founders and developers of a religious tradition.
“Master, then which one is stronger, our lineage or Daoism?” Su Xiaofan asked excitedly.
“I told you to learn our inheritance, not go around fighting.”
Jing Shizhen was somewhat speechless.
Su Xiaofan usually seemed quite steady and mature, so why had his personality suddenly become so excitable?
“Actually, strictly speaking, our lineage derives more from the philosophy of Zhuangzi...”
Jing Shizhen explained it to Su Xiaofan. After all, he couldn't let his only disciple remain confused about where their inheritance came from.
Laozi's 'Tao Te Ching' was the general foundation, while the theories of Zhuangzi and others that came afterward were derived from it. Therefore, there was absolutely nothing wrong with considering Laozi their Patriarch.
However, there were still differences in philosophical thought. According to Jing Shizhen, their lineage drew more heavily from Zhuangzi.
Laozi advocated 'wu wei', or “non-action,” believing that only through non-action could one accomplish everything.
“The sage attends to affairs through non-action and practices teaching without words.”
During the early Han Dynasty, Huang-Lao thought absorbed the pre-Qin Daoist concept of governing through non-action. It suited the political situation after the turmoil at the end of the Qin Dynasty, when the people longed for peace and stability. It emphasized tranquility and non-action, advocated reducing taxes and labor obligations, and allowing the people time to recover.
At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty and the beginning of the Song Dynasty, rulers also used the philosophy of governing through non-action to resolve and coordinate social conflicts of their respective eras, achieving some success.
Many people had been misled by Tang Xuanzang's journey to the West in 'Journey to the West', believing that Buddhism was the dominant religion during the Tang Dynasty.
In reality, the state religion of the Tang Dynasty was Daoism, and its governing philosophy inherited the ideas of Daoist thought.
Laozi regarded “non-action” as a means for the sage to “take possession of the world” and “govern the world.” Therefore, fundamentally speaking, Laozi's philosophy still hoped for engagement with the worldly realm.
This was different from Zhuangzi.
Zhuangzi was famous for his philosophical ideas and his pursuit of a carefree life beyond worldly affairs. He advocated reverence for the Way of Heaven and proposed the principle that “Heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows what is natural.”
The “natural” that Zhuangzi referred to here was not the “nature” that people mean today, but rather a state beyond material interests and practical concerns.
Zhuangzi creatively proposed the philosophy of withdrawal from society while remaining inwardly detached—“the mind retreats while the body remains in the world.”
Its starting point was preserving one's life and avoiding harm, ultimately achieving carefree freedom.
On one hand, he established an outward model of “wandering through the world,” allowing one to avoid dangerous circumstances in reality.
On the other hand, Zhuangzi established the ideal of “following one's nature” and achieving inner freedom in order to resolve the anxieties caused by fame and worldly attachments.
From this, it could be seen that Zhuangzi's philosophy of withdrawal was based on completely distancing oneself from the outside world.
In other words, Zhuangzi advocated comprehensively avoiding the world in order to prevent any possible harm, refusing to be controlled in the slightest by external matters, thereby achieving genuine freedom and ease both internally and externally.
Another important point was that Zhuangzi placed great importance on health cultivation. He had written 'The Essentials of Nourishing Life', in which he discussed the principles of maintaining and cultivating one's health.
“Master, is our health-cultivation technique inherited from Zhuangzi?”
At this point, Su Xiaofan had finally sorted everything out.
His teacher's meaning was probably that Laozi was the ultimate authority, and the 'Tao Te Ching' was simply too profound for anyone to surpass.
But Zhuangzi's idea of “wandering together with the spirit of Heaven and Earth” had also established its own school of thought, and philosophically, he could stand alongside Laozi as an equal.
“The inheritance I received really does come from Zhuangzi...”
Jing Shizhen's tone was firm because the inheritance of his lineage had never been broken.
“Zhuangzi still didn't do as well as Laozi.”
Su Xiaofan curled his lips and said, “Laozi became the Supreme Old Lord, while Zhuangzi didn't even make it into the Three Pure Ones...”
“That was because of Zhang Daoling. When he founded Daoism, he honored Laozi as the religion's founder and established the ‘Dao’ as its supreme object of faith.”
Jing Shizhen knew the various branches of Daoist thought like the back of his hand.
When Daoism was first established, Laozi's supreme divine status had already been established.
Zhuangzi, on the other hand, was largely overlooked during the formation of Daoism.
However, Zhuangzi's own lineage had survived. That was the very lineage Jing Shizhen belonged to, and it had already been passed down for several thousand years.
“Kid, don't think that our inheritance is inferior to Daoism.”
Jing Shizhen glanced at Su Xiaofan and said,
“Although Daoism has many believers, its inheritance was interrupted for several generations in the past, and many of its traditions have already been lost.
“But our branch of Daoist philosophy has always remained hidden from the world. Our inheritance has been passed down from generation to generation and has never been interrupted...”
Daoism became involved in worldly affairs, and therefore was inevitably influenced by secular society. Wars and the historical conflicts between Buddhism and Daoism had all affected the transmission of Daoist teachings.
Although Jing Shizhen's branch of Daoist philosophy was unknown to the outside world, its lineage had remained orderly and unbroken. There was even a genealogical record left behind for every generation of successors, and it had continued for several thousand years.
“This is the genealogical record of our lineage. It contains the names and records of every successor throughout the generations. You can come here and slowly read it in the future.”
Jing Shizhen walked over to an antique shelf, took down a sandalwood box, and opened it.
Inside was a thick book.
From its appearance, the material used for the pages didn't seem to be ordinary paper.
“It has been passed down for several thousand years? Teacher, can I take a look?”
Su Xiaofan's eyes lit up because the Repair System in his mind had already given him information.
【Appraisal Catalog: High-grade magical artifact, cannot be repaired!】
“This book is actually a high-grade magical artifact?”
Seeing the information in his mind, Su Xiaofan couldn't help being stunned.
It seemed that almost everything in this secret room was related to magical artifacts.
After receiving Jing Shizhen's permission, Su Xiaofan quickly picked up the gloves from the long table, put them on, and then took the catalog out of the wooden box.
“Teacher, what is this paper made of?”
The book felt very heavy in Su Xiaofan's hands, and he couldn't tell what material its pages were made from.
The entire book was golden in color. Each page was as thin as a cicada's wing, and when he touched it, it didn't feel like paper at all.
“This is made from golden silkworm silk. The manufacturing technique has already been lost, but this particular book should be able to survive for another thousand years.”
Jing Shizhen said,
“It is impervious to water and fire, and does not decay with age. It is extraordinarily tough, which is why it has been preserved for so many years.”
“No wonder it's a magical artifact. Even the material used to make it has already been lost.”
Su Xiaofan secretly thought to himself.
Seeing that Su Xiaofan was about to flip through the book and examine it carefully, Jing Shizhen waved his hand and said,
“You can take your time reading it later. First, I'll explain what spiritual power is and what magical artifacts are.”
“Yes, Master. I've never really understood what these magical artifacts are actually used for.”
Su Xiaofan put the book back.
“By the way, Master, how were you able to identify magical artifacts?”
“Magical artifacts are objects that contain spiritual power within themselves!”
“By cultivating our health-cultivation technique, you can gradually develop spiritual power within your body.”
“Our inheritance doesn't only contain the health-cultivation technique. There are also several techniques for practical applications.”
“Once you have developed spiritual power, you can learn the art of observing qi. Naturally, you'll then be able to distinguish magical artifacts.”
Jing Shizhen's explanation was concise, but Su Xiaofan still had many things he didn't understand.
“Master, what exactly are magical artifacts useful for? They're sold for such ridiculous prices!”
“In the past, magical artifacts were used to seek good fortune, avoid misfortune, and turn disasters into blessings.”
Jing Shizhen thought for a moment before continuing,
“But nowadays, the greatest use of magical artifacts is protection. They can help one's body resist the erosion of external forces...”
“External forces? What does that mean?”
“The Yin Stone you found before contained Yin Sha energy. That is an external force.”
“There are also some special places that can only be entered if you have a magical artifact protecting your body. I'll tell you about those things later.”
Looking at Su Xiaofan's eager, inquisitive expression, Jing Shizhen couldn't help laughing.
“First, practice the cultivation method of our lineage. Once you have achieved a certain level of mastery, there are some things you can know.”
“So there really are things I'm not allowed to know yet.”
Su Xiaofan gave a bitter smile.
“Master, is this technique easy to learn? The novels I've read say that many cultivation techniques can't be properly practiced once a person reaches adulthood. Isn't it too late for me to start now?”
“This isn't a combat technique. It's simply an internal cultivation method that generates spiritual power and nourishes the body. It doesn't matter how old you are when you start practicing.”
Jing Shizhen shook his head and said,
“Cultivation methods also depend on destiny. Some people practice their entire lives without ever producing spiritual power, while others grasp it very quickly. It all depends on your opportunities and fate.”
“There really is such a thing?”
Su Xiaofan wasn't very confident.
“What if I can't develop spiritual power?”
“You'll definitely be able to.”
A smile appeared on Jing Shizhen's face.
“Otherwise, your younger sister wouldn't have been admitted to Yanjing University.”
Su Xiaofan suddenly understood.
“Xiaoxiao is also studying a cultivation method at Yanjing University?”
Hearing this, Su Xiaofan suddenly realized that the things that hadn't made sense before now completely fell into place.
No wonder that special-recruitment class had been so mysterious and offered such excellent treatment. It turned out that the university his younger sister attended was completely different from an ordinary university in the conventional sense.
“Master, what's the ratio between people who can develop spiritual power and those who can't?”
Su Xiaofan asked.
“Lower than the odds of winning the lottery. About one in ten million.”
Jing Shizhen shook his head and said,
“Bloodline testing has only been developed within the past three years. In the past, there was no way to determine whether someone possessed the aptitude for cultivation.”
During Jing Shizhen's younger years, finding a suitable disciple was much harder for a master than it was for a disciple to find a master.
Take their lineage, for example.
Although the inheritance had continued uninterrupted, not every successor was able to cultivate spiritual power. Many of them were simply ordinary people.
However, in recent years, certain changes had appeared in Heaven and Earth, and the number of people capable of cultivating spiritual power had clearly increased compared with the past.
With the involvement of the relevant government departments and the use of technological methods, researchers had finally developed a way to determine cultivation aptitude through bloodline testing.
“The reason you keep finding hidden treasures is because your luck is good. Your ability to encounter magical artifacts may be because you are especially compatible with spiritual power.”
Jing Shizhen gave Su Xiaofan a meaningful look before continuing,
“You might even have some other kind of special opportunity. That's your good fortune, and I won't ask about it.”
“Master, I once dreamed about an old man with a white beard. Could it be that our Patriarch came to me in a dream?”
Su Xiaofan's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained unchanged. He continued spouting nonsense.
Su Xiaofan realized that he had still underestimated his master.
They said that people became wiser with age. Although he felt that he hadn't revealed any flaws, all these fortunate encounters had happened to him, and that alone was abnormal.
“You brat, stop changing the subject.”
Jing Shizhen smiled and shook his head.
“Having a fortunate opportunity is a good thing, but you must be careful with your words and actions, so that you don't bring disaster upon yourself.”
“I understand, Master.”
Su Xiaofan could feel the genuine concern in Jing Shizhen's words.
“Good. As long as you understand. You'll memorize this cultivation method here. You can't leave until you've memorized it thoroughly.”
Jing Shizhen took another book out of the wooden box and placed it in front of Su Xiaofan.
“This is our health-cultivation technique? Why is it so thin?”
Su Xiaofan glanced at it. Calling it a book was actually an exaggeration. It was merely three sheets of paper, containing at most a few thousand words.
As someone who had once been an excellent student, memorizing it after spending a few hours studying it would be completely effortless for him.
“By the way, Master, what cultivation method does Xiaoxiao study? Is it our health-cultivation technique?”
Su Xiaofan suddenly thought of another question.
“No. The technique she studies should have been revised by combining the strengths of various schools. It's different from ours.”
Jing Shizhen shook his head.
The standards of the special-recruitment class were extremely high, and its confidentiality was also very strict. Jing Shizhen only knew the general situation regarding the special-recruitment class; he had no way of knowing the specific details.
“I'll ask her about it later. Xiaoxiao will definitely tell me.”
Su Xiaofan chuckled.
“No. Cultivation inheritances cannot be mixed together.”
Jing Shizhen's eyes widened when he heard this.
“Circulating energy and guiding qi follow different methods in different traditions. There are great dangers involved. Don't mess around!”
“Yes, Master. I'll memorize our health-cultivation technique first.”
Su Xiaofan had been itching to get started for a long time.
As someone who had grown up reading online cultivation novels, he obviously had absolutely no resistance to the cultivation technique in front of him.
(End of Chapter)
✨ Love this novel?
Visit my Patreon for fast access and advanced chapters! patreon.com/BbingTranslations Thank you for your support.❤️
Comments
Post a Comment