19: Chapter 19 The Travel Order is Issued

When the morning light pierced through the clouds and spilled onto the snow-covered peak of Zhongnan Mountain, Lu Mingyuan had already finished packing.

He placed several changes of clothes, the authentic volume of the classic of mountains and seas, the Jade Slip of the Classic of Purity and Tranquility, the baize heart scale, and the three Magic Treasures gifted by Xuanweizi—the tingchao staff, the virtue jade pendant, and the qiankun bag—into his luggage one by one. Although the qiankun bag was only three feet square, it accommodated all these items perfectly. The bag did not bulge; it hung slightly from his waist, feeling as light as ever.

After finishing his preparations, he went to the main hall.

Xuanweizi was already waiting in the hall. Today, the old Daoist had changed into a cyan Daoist robe with cloud patterns, wore a bamboo crown, and held a fly-whisk. He sat solemnly on a prayer mat in front of the taiji diagram. Green smoke curled from the incense burner in the hall, and the air was filled with a mixture of sandalwood and the scent of scriptures. Qingfeng and Mingyue stood on either side; the playful smiles were gone from their small Faces, replaced by a touch of solemnity.

Lu Mingyuan walked to the center of the hall and bowed respectfully. "Teacher."

"Are you all ready?" Xuanweizi asked.

"Yes."

"Good." Xuanweizi stood up and walked to the desk at the side of the hall. A long scroll was spread out on the desk, the ink still fresh. It was a simplified map of the Nine Provinces, with over a dozen locations marked in cinnabar: Longhu Mountain, Wudang Mountain, Mount Qingcheng, Shaolin Temple on Mount Song, Daxiangguo Temple, the ruins of Leiyin Temple, Yuelu Academy, White Deer Grotto Academy, the Jixia ruins... it covered almost all the famous mountains, ancient temples, and academies of the Three Teachings.

"Come look." Xuanweizi pointed at the map. "From today onwards, you shall descend the mountain to travel. I have already planned the route for you—first visit the Three Mountains of Daoism, then pay respects at the Three Temples of Buddhism, and finally study at the Three Academies of Confucianism. If you have spare time in between, you may also experience the various martial arts sects. Finally, travel through the famous mountains and great rivers, as well as the Mortal World's marketplaces. Use your eyes to see and your heart to comprehend."

Lu Mingyuan gazed at the map. He had only read about most of these place names in books, but now he was to set foot in each of them. A strange mix of excitement and trepidation stirred in his chest.

"Teacher, for my travels... what specifically should I do?"

"Four things." Xuanweizi held up four fingers. "First, seek learning. The Talismans of Longhu Mountain, the Zhenwu Dao of Wudang, the Sword Cultivators of Qingcheng, the Zen mysteries of Buddhism, the school of mind of Confucianism... you must learn, observe, and inquire about the essence of each school. You don't necessarily need to master them, but you must know where their 'Dao' lies."

"Second, seek the Dao." He lowered a finger. "At every place you reach, seek out local Cultivators, recluses, and even extraordinary people in the marketplaces. Converse with them, spar with them, and debate with them. Principles become clearer through debate, and the Dao becomes more distinct through inquiry."

"Third, experience affairs." Xuanweizi looked outside the hall. "The Mortal World naturally has ten thousand matters. Speak up when you encounter injustice, assist when you encounter hardship, and seize when you encounter Opportunity. Temper your Dao Heart through affairs and test what you have learned through practice."

"Fourth..." He paused, his gaze deep, "Observe the heavenly dimension."

Lu Mingyuan's heart skipped a beat.

Xuanweizi pointed to seven locations on the map circled in ink—the very points where the heavenly dimension was weak as shown last night. "During your travels, if you are near these places, you must observe them carefully. Changes in The Rift, anomalies in Spiritual Qi, traces of evil creatures... all must be recorded in detail. This is not just for yourself, but for all living beings of the Great Desolation."

Lu Mingyuan nodded heavily. "This Disciple has noted it down."

"Furthermore, there are Three Precepts." Xuanweizi's tone became serious. "First, refrain from bullying the weak with your strength. You have already reached Foundation Establishment and have Magic Treasures for Body-Protection; ordinary Martial Artists and low-level Cultivators are no match for you. However, a person of cultivation should win people over with virtue, not suppress them with force."

"Second, refrain from killing the innocent. When you encounter evil people, educate them if possible, punish them if necessary, but unless they are beyond redemption or threatening your life, do not take a life recklessly. You cultivate Noble Spirit; if you kill indiscriminately, your Noble Spirit will surely be damaged."

"Third..." Xuanweizi looked at him deeply, "Refrain from forgetting your original heart. The prosperity of the Mortal World and the temptations of fame and fortune are traps everywhere on the path of cultivation. No matter where you go or what you experience, remember why you cultivate and remember your initial heart from these four months on Zhongnan Mountain."

Lu Mingyuan pulled back his robe and knelt, saying word for word, "I, your Disciple Lu Mingyuan, respectfully obey my master's orders. To seek learning and the Dao, to experience affairs and observe the heavens, to uphold the Three Precepts and guard my original heart—I shall never fail your teachings, Teacher!"

Xuanweizi reached out to help him up, a hint of warmth finally appearing in his eyes. "Rise. Between us, master and Disciple, such formalities are unnecessary."

He took a bronze token from his sleeve, about the size of a palm. The front was engraved with the word 'Xuanwei', and the back featured a Taiji pattern. "This is the token of Xuanwei Temple. By holding this, the various sects of the Daoist Gate will give you some Face. If you encounter difficulties, you can also use this token to seek help from local Daoist temples."

Lu Mingyuan took it with both hands. The token felt warm to the touch, with a faint Daoist charm flowing through it.

"And this." Xuanweizi took out a small jade bottle. "Inside are three 'Spring-Returning Pills' for healing and saving lives. Although they are not Immortal Pills, they have miraculous effects on injuries below the Golden Core Stage. Use them sparingly."

Lu Mingyuan carefully stowed away the token and the jade bottle. At this point, the items Xuanweizi had prepared for his travels were complete: the tingchao staff for offense, the virtue jade pendant for defense, the qiankun bag for storage, the Xuanwei Token for credentials, and the Spring-Returning Pills for medicine. Not to mention the authentic volume of the classic of mountains and seas and the baize heart scale. This thoroughness and weight of care made his throat feel a bit tight.

"Teacher... once I leave, I don't know when I will return."

"Three years," Xuanweizi said. "Three years from today, no matter where you are or what your cultivation level is, you must return to Zhongnan Mountain once. At that time, I will have something to say to you."

Three years. Lu Mingyuan silently repeated this deadline in his heart. By then, to what extent would the Northwest Rift have expanded? How many chaotic evil creatures would have invaded? And he himself... to what level could he grow?

"This Disciple will certainly return as scheduled."

Xuanweizi nodded and lightly waved his fly-whisk. "Go then. While the day is still early and the snowy path is easy to walk."

Lu Mingyuan took three steps back, gave Xuanweizi a deep bow, and then cupped his hands to bid farewell to Qingfeng and Mingyue. The two little Daoist boys' eyes were red. Qingfeng handed over an oil-paper bundle: "Mr. Lu, these are pancakes Mingyue and I made overnight. Take them to eat on the road."

Mingyue also said softly, "Mr. Lu... come back soon."

Lu Mingyuan took the still-warm pancakes and rubbed the two children's heads. "Listen well to your Grandmaster and cultivate diligently."

Turning around, he stepped out of the main hall.

The snow in the courtyard had begun to melt, and icicles under the eaves were dripping water, looking crystal clear in the morning light. He took one last look back at Xuanwei Temple—cyan tiles and grey walls, hidden by ancient pines, with incense smoke curling up. This Daoist temple where he had lived for over four months felt exceptionally dear to him at this moment.

Four months ago, he was a destitute scholar whose path to the imperial examinations had been cut off by a mountain flood.

Four months later, he was a Cultivator who had achieved Foundation Establishment and possessed extraordinary talents.

All of this began with this mountain, this temple, and this teacher.

"Lu Mingyuan." Xuanweizi's voice came from inside the hall, calm and distant. "Remember: reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. No matter how deep the principles in books are, they are ultimately the words of others; what you see and comprehend on the road is your own Dao."

Lu Mingyuan bowed once more toward the hall door, then resolutely turned and stepped out of the temple gate.

The stone steps were covered in snow, leaving one footprint after another. He leaned on his tingchao staff and carried his luggage—actually, most of his things were in the qiankun bag, and he only carried a small bundle on his back for appearance's sake. The mountain wind blew his robes, the virtue jade pendant at his waist emitted a warm aura, the baize heart scale at his neck grew slightly hot, and the ancient scroll of the classic of mountains and seas in his arms seemed to be whispering.

Everything was ready.

The road was beneath his feet.

He walked along the small path down the mountain with steady steps. As he passed the bamboo forest, the snow on the bamboo leaves rustled down, sprinkling fine white bits on his shoulders. He thought of the days and nights he had spent standing in stance and practicing boxing here, and of Xuanweizi's figure demonstrating the Hunyuan Fist move by move.

When he passed the ruins of the old temple—the place where he first met Xuanweizi—it was now completely covered by heavy snow, with only half a broken wall showing. He stopped for a moment and gave a bow toward the ruins from afar.

He continued downward.

The mountain road wound along, and the silhouette of Zhongnan Mountain gradually grew smaller behind him. When he reached the foot of the mountain and looked back for the last time, he saw only clouds and mist; the silhouette of Xuanwei Temple was no longer visible. Only that towering peak stood between heaven and earth like a silent giant.

Lu Mingyuan took a deep breath and turned to Face the world outside the mountain.

Ahead were vast plains, crisscrossing roads, and scattered villages. Further away, Longhu Mountain lay to the southeast, a thousand miles distant.

Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles.

He tightened his grip on the tingchao staff and set off.

The journey had officially begun.