I changed the world.

Page 232

Qingyun Temple, located in the northern suburbs of Beijing, is a famous Taoist temple in the capital. It is the largest Taoist temple of the Celestial Master's Mansion on Danding Mountain in the north and has a history of more than 600 years.

It was already night. In a secluded study in the back mountain of Qingyun Temple, the contemporary Celestial Master Zhang Sicheng was sitting cross-legged on a meditation chair, meditating and cultivating his mind. At the age of eighty-three, he was thin, with gray hair and beard, his hair tied up in a bun, and some age spots visible on his skin. He was dressed in a casual Taoist robe, and his eyes were half-open and half-closed.

Clear footsteps came from outside the door, and soon after, there was a knock on the study door. The knocking was not loud, and it stopped after a few knocks.

"Come in." Zhang Sicheng slowly opened his eyes and then spoke.

The door was gently pushed open, and a middle-aged Taoist priest who looked to be in his fifties walked in. He bowed to Zhang Sicheng and said respectfully, "Master, I have heard that this morning Her Majesty the Empress summoned Abbot Li of Yunxiao Mountain to the palace. He did not return until nightfall. Judging from the time, he must have been given dinner. It is said that he was even sent back by a royal carriage."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Sicheng pondered for a moment before asking, "Is it merely a summons from the Empress?"

"I don't know the specifics, as it involves matters of the palace." The middle-aged Taoist priest looked troubled. After thinking for a moment, he took two steps forward and lowered his voice, saying, "However, this has indeed taken quite a long time. I think... perhaps... we might be able to get a summons from His Majesty."

Zhang Sicheng nodded slightly, indicating that he understood, but his face remained expressionless. He slowly closed his eyes, as if he were thinking about something.

The middle-aged Taoist priest did not urge him on, but stood respectfully. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the soft sound of breathing.

After a while, Zhang Sicheng opened his eyes again and asked, "Is there any news from Zeping?"

“I know Master is concerned, so I spoke with Junior Brother Zeping before coming here. He said that they drove to the Monkey Head Mountain area today to search for information. They had lunch in Li Village and also inquired about the hermits on the mountain from the village elders. However, so far, they have not found anything. They plan to stay in Li Village for three days to thoroughly investigate the situation on Monkey Head Mountain.”

After the middle-aged Taoist priest finished speaking, he paused, seemingly hesitant. Zhang Sicheng noticed this and said, "Speak what you have to say, don't hesitate."

“Master, in my opinion, the matter of seeking out masters cannot be rushed. After all, those masters are elusive, and we have no fixed location. Whether we can find them depends entirely on fate…”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Sicheng frowned slightly, then sighed and shook his head, saying, "I have my reasons. It's not that I'm in a hurry, but I have no choice but to do this..." without offering any further explanation.

The middle-aged man wanted to ask a few more questions, but seeing that his master looked tired, he dared not ask any more and said, "If Master has nothing else, this disciple will take his leave."

Zhang Sicheng nodded, then waved his hand, watching his disciple leave the study. He then sighed again, recalling the shocking video materials that Director Qian of the Religious Affairs Bureau had brought during his previous visit. If he hadn't been so composed, he probably would have lost his composure on the spot.

Even so, feeling somewhat at a loss when Director Qian asked for his opinion, he could only evade the question with cryptic remarks. At the time, Director Qian assumed that the Celestial Master was unwilling to speak, but given his status—the Celestial Master's Mansion was known as the foremost family in the South, receiving a Duke's salary, and wielding considerable influence in both the Taoist and secular worlds—Director Qian, as the Director of the Religious Affairs Bureau, couldn't force the Celestial Master to speak if he didn't want to. So, he could only politely decline and leave. However, the Celestial Master, as perceptive as he was, could naturally see that Director Qian was somewhat disappointed.

In the days that followed, he also had people compile all sorts of unusual information, big and small, obtained from the internet and other channels. Even the Bureau of Religious Affairs sent him some new information briefings.

Undoubtedly, all of this information made Zhang Sicheng feel that his values, accumulated over the previous eighty years, had been shattered.

Originally, Zhang Sicheng believed that he had a profound understanding of Taoism, Buddhism, and even the religions of Western countries. After all, as the contemporary Celestial Master, he had been immersed in this field all his life, and based on his life experience, he was quite knowledgeable and well-versed in religious texts.

In his original understanding, while the Xuanmen classics certainly had their merits in guiding people towards goodness and cultivating their character, the claims about cultivating oneself to become an immortal or possessing great supernatural powers were mostly based on hearsay and were simply due to the limitations of the ancient people's era and their lack of understanding.

Of course, as the leader of the Xuanmen (Taoist sect), there are some things others can say, but he cannot. However, although he cannot speak of them, Zhang Sicheng does have concerns. He worries about how the ancient Xuanmen system will survive and adapt to modern society under the impact of modern technology and cognition.

Based on this, since more than a decade ago, there has been a growing call within the Xuanmen (Taoist sect) for "re-examining and revising the classics" and "reforming the Xuanmen." Some of the younger generation of high-ranking Taoist priests have even directly proclaimed the concept of "New Xuanmen." As the leader of the Xuanmen, the Celestial Master Zhang Sicheng has always held an ambiguous or even implicitly supportive attitude towards this trend of thought.

However, the recent series of messages were like a giant hammer, completely shattering all the knowledge and ideas he had accumulated over the past decades. In particular, the figure of the "master of the Xuanmen" appearing in those documents—from the familiar clothing and even the details of etiquette, the old master could tell at a glance that it must be a member of the Xuanmen.

Although the Xuanmen sect has had legends of immortal masters who roam the mortal world and exorcise demons since ancient times, in Zhang Sicheng's previous understanding, those were mostly just means for the sect to attract believers, and even if they were true, they were not as mysterious as they were described.