In the second month of spring, the second year of the Taihe era, a balmy breeze blew down the ten-thousand-mile Luo Water. Peach blossoms on both banks bloomed with such intensity, as if they would burn through the entirety of spring. At the Men-shen Mountains, the peaks stood a thousand feet high on either side, resembling majestic divine generals. Legend had it that these were two ancient deities, suppressed here by the Taoist Master to guard the path to Xuandu Mountain—the ancestral home of Taoism located behind them—hence the name.
The names of these two deities had long been buried in the vast, unfathomable scrolls of history. As the Luo Water washed away the ages, even gods lost their names, unable to ever awaken again. Yet, these two high mountains remained places of exquisite beauty, occupied by two Taoist temples that served to stand guard.
Today, the ancient temples were exceptionally bustling. For days, the young Taoist acolytes had been tasked with scrubbing every hall clean to welcome the coming distinguished guests. While they were called "distinguished guests," they were, in truth, one of their own. Although Zhou Tieyi had not entered the Taoist path, his mother remained the most esteemed seed of the Sub-Sage in Taoism, and his current Taoist partner was a direct disciple of Taiyi Temple—the Taoist Xuànpìn, recently bestowed the title of Guardian Purple Cloud Lady by the Great Xia Emperor, a status beyond measure. With nearly three "saints" returning to this …
Chapter 518