Heaven’s Fall, Earth’s Rise

"It's only been seven days since spring began, and I've already been away from home for two years. People return after the wild geese have flown away, but thoughts spring before the flowers bloom." At the Yongqiu Taiping Daoist temple, Zhou Yi lay half-sleeped on a bamboo couch, his face buried in an ancient book. On the cover, five large characters read: "Laozi Wants You to Note." The text obscured his presence, obscuring his mood. Beside the couch stood a table, about five feet long. In the center lay a Hunyuan scarf and two stacks of talisman paper. To either end stood a young Taoist child, a boy and a girl, about twelve or thirteen years old. They each held a bamboo slip, examining a talisman painted in cinnabar to ward off disaster. The girl glanced sideways at Zhou Yi and exclaimed in amazement, "Master's talisman water is truly effective. Five days ago, my senior brother was a living dead, but now he's full of life." "It must be Master's profound Taoist skills," the boy said, looking up with a mysterious expression. "That night I was awakened by the sound of chains. I saw the flickering candlelight in my senior brother's room and two black shadows were reflected on the window paper. I thought it was the cattle and horses from the underworld coming to take him away. Fortunately, Master took out the Five Mountains True Shape Mirror, communicated with Yin and Yang, and looked at it for an hour. Finally, he recovered my senior brother's soul and he woke up." "Ouch! Ouch!" Erwa covered his head and cried out in pain. Zhou Yi held the "Laozi Xianger Zhu" and knocked left and right. "You don't do your homework seriously, but you still communicate with Yin and Yang. How can Master have such a job?" Yan Qiu covered his forehead and complained: "There are many mediums in the world who are proficient in witchcraft. For example, Tongtian Shenlao of the Bashu Heyi School can communicate with Yin and Yang. Xia Shu, don't you think so?" " Yes." The little girl shrank her neck, "but Tongtian Shenlao is a senior master of the Heyi School. It is too disrespectful to call her a medium. "Besides, my senior brother was poisoned, so the talisman water naturally detoxified him. ” “…” The two naive guys, Zhou Yi’s depressed look eased a little, and he smiled lightly. They argued for a while, and when they saw that the senior brother ignored them, they came closer again. Xia Shu held the chubby face, with curiosity in her eyes: "After recovering from a serious illness, senior brother has changed a lot. Recently, he has been feeling sad about the passing of spring and autumn, and always feels like writing poetry." "Yes, yes," Yan Qiu imitated Zhou Yi, shaking his head and chanting, "something like there is no trace of footsteps in the room, and the grass in the yard is green. Moss clings to the empty walls, and spider webs are all over the house." "I went to ask the master, and what senior brother meant was to clean the Taoist temple and remove the cobwebs and moss. The master said I was stupid, and replied something like 'I am filled with emotion and worry, and my heart is filled with sorrow'." Yan Qiu was more simple and didn't understand what he meant. "He is worried about something," Xia Shu was smarter, and asked: "What senior brother just recited, was it a new work?" "No. " Zhou Yi shook his head. After traveling through time, he felt that his brain became clearer, but he always felt a dull pain. He rubbed his forehead, "That was written by Xue Daoheng from Hedong. I heard it occasionally." The two children muttered the name, frowning and thinking. It seemed like they had heard it somewhere, but they couldn't remember it clearly. This feeling was the most irritating. Just as they were about to speak out to find out, suddenly an old voice came to the courtyard. "It's a pity for Xue Daoheng. He failed to see through Yang Guang's vanity and self-righteousness. He wrote "Ode to Emperor Gaozu Wen" to displease him. Even if he had a lot of talent, he could not escape." The old Taoist in a gray-white Taoist robe walked out slowly from the corner of the moon cave. He had a thin face, slightly protruding cheekbones, and his eyebrows had long been gray. His long eyebrows hung down to the corners of his eyes. He stroked his beard and came with the demeanor of a Taoist master. This old Taoist priest was the leader of the Taiping Dao, Taoist name Jiao Wuzi. "Master. " Zhou Yi, Xia Shu and Yan Qiu, the three true disciples of the Taiping Sect, each greeted respectfully. The two little Taoist boys immediately straightened their hats and robes, stood by with their hands hanging down, and put away their previous liveliness. The kind and gentle Jiao Wuzi was extremely majestic to them. "Go and guard the Taoist altar and serve the pilgrims." "Yes." Xia Shu and Yan Qiu immediately agreed. After they left, the old Taoist led Zhou Yi into a quiet room, held his wrist and carefully felt his pulse. After a while, his closed eyes opened. "The pulse is calm, there is nothing serious. " Jiao Wuzi breathed a sigh of relief. He was no longer pretentious, and his immortal aura had faded, making him look like an ordinary old man. Zhou Yi knew his master's background, so it was not surprising at all. The Taiping Taoist Temple was located in the western suburbs of Yongqiu, standing on a lonely mountain. Including the altar and drum tower, it was no more than seven or eight acres. In addition to Jiao Wuzi and the three true disciples, there were also some unaccredited disciples who were only considered believers. They had received the Taiping Talisman from Jiao Wuzi and were one step away from becoming a disciple. The rest were just helpers and odd jobs. Jiao Wuzi used talismans to heal illnesses and spread the good way. Education, so as to bring peace. He gained some fame among the people, and later on, word of mouth spread, and people followed suit, and gradually he became a master who was well-known in Yongqiu among the people of the world. With such a reputation, the villains did not dare to offend, and he tasted the sweetness. Although some people from the world came here because of his reputation, they could just fool them and it would be over. After a few times, it became what it is now. However, Zhou Yi looked at Jiao Wuzi and expressed his concerns: "Master, the world is in turmoil now, and there is no peaceful world. You must know that during the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty, the great virtuous teacher founded the Taiping Sect and established the Thirty-Six Sects to fight for justice for the world. As history has shown, now is the time when the court is raising troops to suppress the bandits. If we continue to use the name of "Taiping Dao", I am afraid... I am afraid that Zhang Xutuo will fight from Changbai Mountain to the foot of our Fuzi Mountain. " He stretched out his hand and pointed in the direction of the altar. The master and the disciple looked up and saw thick smoke billowing over the altar of the Taiping Taoist temple, and the incense was booming. The more chaotic the world is, the more prosperous the incense of the Taiping Dao will be. Jiao Wuzi's face suddenly darkened, and he couldn't help cursing: "Yang Guang, this tyrant!" "Even if he lived in Ziwei Palace and didn't care about the affairs of the court, just eating and waiting for death, the world would not be in such chaos." Zhou Yi blinked his eyes. What can you do if Guangshen wants to manipulate you? "It's the time and the fate." Hearing his soft sigh, Zhou Yi secretly felt relieved. It seems that the master has listened to the advice, and the name of "Taiping Dao" can no longer be carried. However. The old Taoist suddenly had a gleam in his eyes, stroked his beard and said in a loud voice: "The blue sky is dead, the yellow sky should be established, the year is Jiazi, and the world is prosperous. " The sixteen words were uttered slowly and clearly, which was so shocking. If one was not an insider and it happened to be a time of chaos, one would not be able to guess his true identity. Zhou Yi was shocked. This master also wanted to dance? "Are you going to emulate Zhi Shilang?" "Not me, the master, but you. " "Me?" Zhou Yi pointed at himself and immediately shook his head like a rattle. "Don't joke. I am not even twenty years old yet. I still want to live a few more years." Five days ago, as an art student who could not find a way out, he received the news that he had failed the civil service exam. He drank some wine out of sadness. After waking up, he was stunned. What was I supposed to be doing? After some inquiries, he realized that this was Master Huang's chaotic Tang Dynasty. A world teeming with experts and great minds. If he launched an uprising under the banner of the Taiping Dao, wouldn't that mean he was fighting for both orthodoxy and the rule of the land ? How could he fight for it? Only by using the sixteen-character mantra of "Heaven is dead" and so on. Jiao Wuzi had anticipated this reaction. "You were poisoned deep within your lungs, and your death was inevitable. Your unexpected resurrection is truly miraculous. And since you're a disciple of my Taiping Sect, facing turbulent times is destiny, isn't that fate?" Zhou Yi listened with one ear and out the other, refusing to believe his master's lies. Seeing he couldn't fool him, the old Taoist priest smiled. "I didn't create the Taiping Daoist temple to emulate the Great and Sage Master; I truly carry on the orthodox tradition." Zhou Yi uttered an "oh," piqued. Jiao Wuzi said, "Our sect cures illnesses with talismans and water to disguise them. The medicines patients drink are all derived from the Taiping Dan recipe. Master, I obtained this recipe and diligently studied it, acquiring a wealth of medical skills. In gratitude for your teaching, I established this sect. Besides the Taiping Dan recipe, there's another volume of records expounding on the profound mysteries of martial arts." "This method inherits from the Daodejing, the founder of Taoism, Laozi, and integrates the Taoist teachings of the Han Dynasty. It originates from Huang-Lao, and its teachings are imparted to the gods and men. It's unmatched by ordinary martial arts." The old Taoist priest calmly stroked his beard, observing his disciple's reaction. Zhou Yi's breath caught at this. "So, Master's Taiping Dao isn't a scam, but rather a successor to the Southern Daoist school after the fall of the Yellow Turbans. Then, this martial art is about to emerge—isn't it the Huangtian Dafa? It's on par with the Four Great Books!" Jiao Wuzi asked with a smile, "Do you want to learn?" Zhou Yi's thoughts raced, and his attitude changed drastically. At that moment, he followed the master's wishes and chanted with a generous tone: "In front of Changbai Mountain, Zhishilang was wearing a red silk brocade back crotch." "Since Master has such a wonderful method, what is there to be afraid of? Zhishilang built the Changbai Mountain Holy Land, and we will build a Fuzi Mountain Holy Land. The emperor is unkind and the chaotic world needs to be pacified. Master, if you want to rebel, we will rebel!"