Longhu Mountain is located twenty kilometers southwest of Yingtan City in Jiangxi Province. As a famous mountain in Taoism, the *Chronicles of Longhu Mountain* records: "The mountain was originally named Yunjin Mountain. The First Celestial Master refined the Nine Heavens Divine Elixir here; when the elixir was completed, dragons and tigers appeared, hence the mountain's name." In the middle of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Daoling and his disciples went to Longhu Mountain to practice the cultivation of the "Nine Heavens Divine Elixir." Legend has it that after three years the elixir was completed, and blue dragons and white tigers coiled around the elixir cauldron.
As the ancestral court of Taoism, starting from Zhang Sheng, the fourth Celestial Master in the late Han Dynasty, successive Celestial Masters of the Zhengyi sect have resided here, passing down the Taoist lineage for sixty-three generations and guarding it for over 1,900 years. They were repeatedly revered and enfeoffed by feudal dynasties, reaching the first rank at their highest—a position second only to the monarch. At its peak, it could even rival Confucius. However, in this world, it is very clear that the historical status of the Zhengyi sect remains formidable, having already been passed down to the 65th generation.
Unlike Zuo Zhe's world, where things were divided in two and even a massive amount of heritage was cut off in the Central Plains—after all, in that world, such things were truly passed down only within families—in this world, outstanding disciples could become adopted-surname disciples simply for being too exceptional, and subsequently inherit the position of Celestial Master.
The Outsiders of this world still retained a profound sense of patriotism and duty to their country. When the nation was invaded, a vast number of talented individuals and extraordinary Outsiders disregarded their own lives, and even cast aside old grudges, to strike at the enemy.
Zuo Zhe deeply admired this. The Tao that Zuo Zhe primarily practiced nowadays was closely intertwined with the Way of Literature.
He believed that within this ancestral court of Taoism, which had inherited a thousand years of tradition, there would be methods regarding how scholars cultivate themselves. Because this world had Outsiders, and the Zhengyi sect could be considered a thousand-year-old sect, the Celestial Masters of the Zhengyi sect were often the strongest individuals of their era. Therefore, within this sect, many things from past eras must have been preserved. They had been minimally affected by the ravages of war, whereas in the present era, most people practiced only techniques while neglecting the cultivation of the mind.
Only in this ancestral court of Taoism was it possible to find truly authentic Confucian cultivation methods. The original household of Confucius and Mencius had long since lost its pursuit of Confucian moral principles; after all, their descendants had spent generations submitting letters of surrender. Even in that province, the ambition to take civil service exams was carved right into people's bones. Still, that was understandable, seeing as government jobs provided a comfortable life.
Studying could cultivate the mind and, even more so, grant clarity of wisdom. But if one merely studied by rote, or read the works of only a few select individuals, it would ultimately be impossible to forge one's own Dao.
Dao and principle—if neither is cultivated, understood, or debated, truth remains obscured.
"Hello, please purchase an admission ticket."
Standing at the ticket window, Zuo Zhe leaned forward slightly and passed his tour guide license through the opening.
"Oh, right. I have a tour guide license. Does the policy here exempt me from the ticket fee?"
The ticket seller replied in a clear voice.
"Well, if you are visiting completely by yourself, then I am very sorry, but the fee cannot be waived. Our ticket exemption policy requires you to be leading a tour group. However, a discount is available."
Zuo Zhe inquired about the ticket price. Mobile payments did not yet exist in this era; transactions relied primarily on bank cards and cash. He took several hundred-yuan bills from his wallet.
"Ah, I see. Well then, how much is it in total?"
"Not much. The original ticket price is 250, and after a ten percent discount, it's 225."
"Alright, here you go. Ah, thank you."
After Zuo Zhe handed over 250, the ticket seller gave him his change along with a small booklet.
"Here, this booklet is for you. With this booklet, you can go to Longhu Mountain's communal cafeteria to cover your three meals for the day."
Zuo Zhe accepted the booklet, thanked the ticket seller, and strode into Longhu Mountain.
Zuo Zhe had already landed at the airport a while ago, figuring he would visit Longhu Mountain first.
Yet in an era like this, even Longhu Mountain required a purchased ticket just to enter.
The local government placed great importance on Longhu Mountain. Basically, every interval of time brought another official to visit the mountain. This resulted in many tourist photographs featuring the Old Celestial Master extending the index and middle fingers of his right hand.
"It looks like the Old Celestial Master is forced to put on a show as well," Zuo Zhe muttered with a sigh as he looked at the walls covered in photographs.
"Only in today's era of peace and prosperity would one witness such a scene. Back in the feudal dynasties of the past, while such things might have occurred, they could never have been so frequent."
Longhu Mountain possessed a typical Danxia landform and belonged to the mid-subtropical warm and humid monsoon climate zone, featuring distinct seasons, a mild climate (with an annual average temperature of 17.9°C), abundant sunshine, ample rainfall, and a long frost-free period. Consequently, visitors rarely needed to wear particularly heavy clothing no matter when they came.
Beginning the tour from the nearby waters—coincidentally during the Taoist Cultural Festival—Xianshuiyan and Taohuazhou offered quite pleasant scenery and a rich Taoist cultural atmosphere.
Bamboo rafts drifted on the murmuring currents while waterfalls cascaded in multiple layers; tree roots gripped the earth's corners while mountain peaks touched the heart of the sky. Looking afar, grinding mists severed chaotic cloud traces; viewing closely, the clear expanse swallowed the pale moonlight. Thousands of peaks vied in beauty, and ten thousand ravines contended in their flow. Slanted waterfalls flew like ribbons, and creeping vines hung upside down. When the tiger roared, wind rose at the valley's mouth; when the ape cried, the moon dropped to the mountain's waist. It was just as if dark indigo had dyed a thousand pieces of jade, and green gauze enshrouded ten thousand piles of mist—a landscape where nature's spirits shone brilliantly.
Upon reaching the designated area, various Taoist structures came into view. Temple palaces and halls were everywhere, prompting Zuo Zhe to recite Pan Lang's poem *Visiting Longhu Mountain to Present to the Celestial Master*:
"From afar I draw in the lofty wind handed down since the Han,
The ancient pines still retain the verdure of years gone by.
The Marquis of Liu lies in high repose, his ceremonial robes remaining cold,
The founding ancestor has returned anew, his seal and sword gleaming with spirit.
Cranes harmonize and apes chant to the depths of purity,
Dragons coil and tigers crouch, forming a verdant screen.
At a single smile from the True Man, the plum blossoms bloom,
For thirty-six heavens, spring is never locked away."
However, the activities of the Outsiders took place mainly in the back mountain, whereas the first three parts served as tourist attractions.
Zuo Zhe was in no rush to meet the Old Celestial Master immediately.
After all, the Old Celestial Master was right there and wasn't going to run away.
He needed to rest well first and restore his vigor. Only then could he ask more questions and learn more things.
Still, the food at Longhu Mountain's cafeteria was decent. At least it didn't feel hastily put together, though it was perhaps a bit too vegetarian; eating it constantly wouldn't be ideal. The three daily meals included with the ticket price were acceptable.
He respectfully presented his visiting card to the High Merit Priest in charge of Outsider affairs.
It was a very formal procedure; after all, this wasn't some under-the-table affair, and he had previously arranged for Zhao Fangxu to give the Old Celestial Master here a heads-up in advance.
There was nothing shameful about it. When asking a favor of others, one's manners had to be properly observed.
Courtesy costs nothing, and if Longhu Mountain truly guided him onto the Great Dao, he would still owe them a massive favor.
"I've already arrived at Longhu Mountain, and I've taken quite a few photos. How wonderful it would be if you could come over and see this sometime. Are Duoduo and the others doing alright? They shouldn't be making too much of a fuss or crying their eyes out, right?"
Of course, they were communicating via phone here, given that it was modern society, after all.
"Uncle, you're a big dummy."
The voice coming through the phone startled him so badly he almost dropped the device.
*Making such a sudden racket, what is she playing at?* Zuo Zhe muttered to himself.
"Bzz... bzz... Oh dear, bad signal, bad signal, I'm hanging up now."
He was using a universal charger clamped onto the phone's battery to charge it. This era possessed quite a distinct local character, except that this universal charger was a bit too flashy.
Not only did it feature colorful flashing lights, but it actually played the tune of *A Good Day*.
"Ah, I bought the wrong one."
The fortunate part was that the volume wasn't high, lingering right at the level where every single word of the song could be clearly heard. Oh well, his practice was the art of sleeping meditation anyway.
The moon had climbed high into mid-air, and few traces of stars were visible. Yet because the altitude on the mountain was quite high, many stars still stood out distinctly.