Chapter 24: The Letter Finally Delivered

The Emperor did not know whether he was moved by Shi Miyuan’s words or bought off by his money. In any case, he chose to turn a blind eye to Shi Miyuan’s distortion of facts and his tendency to shift the blame.

A faint voice drifted over: "I do not wish for anyone to mention the issue of withholding military pay to me again. I have entrusted the grand imperial court to you, and I trust that you can handle these matters! I am tired; return now."

Upon hearing this, Shi Miyuan hurriedly performed a salute, and the Emperor departed after returning a casual gesture.

Shi Miyuan knew that when the Sovereign referred to himself as "Zhen," it was a clear sign of dissatisfaction. At this stage, Shi Miyuan had not yet reached the pinnacle of his power as a grand chancellor, so he naturally dared not challenge the Emperor. Although his heart ached for his lost money, power was far more important than wealth. Maintaining the Emperor’s trust was the absolute priority.

Qiu Zhiqing felt a sense of relief as he watched the pair depart from the palace grounds, yet he was filled with curiosity. He felt an urge to follow them, wanting to see how Shi Miyuan would manage to leave, given that the palace gates had already been locked.

If the city gates were locked, they could not be opened, let alone the palace gates. However, Qiu Zhiqing ultimately abandoned this tempting thought; he decided to deliver the letter first. Having been away from the mountain for half a year, he suddenly felt a longing to return.

Walking around to stand before the octagonal pavilion, Qiu Zhiqing knew that since he had found this Uncle-Master Cuixuzi, he would not be treated like a stray dog to be chased out of the palace if discovered.

"Junior Qiu Zhiqing, Daoist name Chonghe, pays respects to Uncle-Master Cuixuzi!" Strictly speaking, by seniority, Qiu Zhiqing was actually an uncle-master to this Cuixuzi, but that was hardly the case; the Southern Quanzhen lineage did not acknowledge being one and the same with the Northern Quanzhen.

They would be lucky not to beat you up. Empathize for a moment: if someone suddenly popped up claiming to have received the true teachings of your grandmaster and insisted on being treated as your grandfather’s generation, would you not want to strike them?

The Cuixuzi before him did not show his age; he appeared to be in his sixties or seventies, yet the sense of vicissitudes in his eyes was even more profound than that of an eighty-seven-year-old Daoist priest Qiu Zhiqing had once met.

"You have come." The Uncle-Master’s voice was unexpectedly clear and resonant, not at all what one would expect from a man of such advanced years.

Qiu Zhiqing asked curiously, "Did Uncle-Master know I was coming?" Cuixuzi shook his head. Qiu Zhiqing was confused, and not being one to let a question linger, he asked, "Then what did you mean, Uncle-Master?"

"The old Daoist had a premonition that someone would come, though I did not know who. It could have been you, Chonghe, or perhaps Chongxu, or even someone like Chongding. But whoever it was, they would arrive at this very hour."

Qiu Zhiqing’s eyes brightened: "Uncle-Master, have you attained the Dao and become an Immortal?"

The immortality he spoke of was not the kind people imagined—flying through the heavens or diving into the underworld—but the secret transmission of the Quanzhen Golden Elixir: the state where the five energies converge, where the eight evils cannot harm, and where the body is immune to ordinary illness.

Qiu Zhiqing’s sudden outburst was a bit too much for even the elderly Cuixuzi to bear. He thought to himself that he truly disliked talking to you young ones; there was no composure at all!

Cuixuzi did not answer the question but stretched out a hand and said, "Give it to me." Qiu Zhiqing was stunned; the topic had shifted too quickly, catching him off guard.

He soon reacted, however, and reached into his robes to produce an oil-paper-wrapped book, handing it respectfully to Cuixuzi. In Qiu Zhiqing’s eyes, after his Uncle-Master took the package, the hemp thread binding it began to unravel and fall away on its own.

By the time the book reached the Uncle-Master, only the oil paper remained. He gently peeled back the paper, not looking at the letter first, but examining the book itself before looking at the contents of the letter with satisfaction.

A moment later, Uncle-Master Cuixuzi began to pace around Qiu Zhiqing with curiosity, then shook his head and sat back down. Qiu Zhiqing did not understand the meaning, but he kept his composure and refused to ask.

Do not be fooled by how these old Daoists appear as enlightened masters; Qiu Zhiqing knew that they were often quite playful and would occasionally tease others, especially their juniors. He had experienced this many times on Mount Zhongnan and Mount Hua.

When they discussed the Dao with you in all seriousness, they were treating you as an ordinary fellow practitioner. The wisdom shared was of the kind that could be told to anyone; it made no difference if you were the one listening or another.

However, when they shed that "masterly demeanor" in front of you, it meant they were treating you as a junior or peer with whom they could share anything—except for the core secrets of the sect.

Qiu Zhiqing was all too familiar with his uncle-master’s current expression. *Hehe, trying to make me anxious? I won't bite; I'll just play along.* Qiu Zhiqing simply mimicked him, sitting cross-legged, resting his chin on his hand, and watching the performance with curiosity.

The old and young Daoists stared at each other, as if competing in a contest of patience.

Half an hour later, Master Cuixuzi smiled at Qiu Zhiqing and said, "Little nephew, this is the heart of the Imperial Palace; carrying a sword is perhaps not quite appropriate, is it? If the patrolling guards see you, it might be quite troublesome."

Qiu Zhiqing cursed inwardly; this uncle-master played dirty by resorting to threats. There was no help for it; when one is under another's roof, one must bow one's head.

Qiu Zhiqing complained internally but complied externally, saying honestly, "Very well, Uncle-Master. May I ask, what was the reason for your behavior earlier? Is there something amiss with me?"

Master Cuixuzi stroked his beard and laughed, "Nothing is amiss. It is just that Brother Danyang saw a glimmer of hope in the decline of the Quanzhen sect, yet he feared his own judgment, so he sent you to me to take a look. You are indeed as Brother Danyang described: pure by nature yet not pedantic, sincere in heart and reasonable—a fine seedling for cultivation. It is a pity, though..."

Qiu Zhiqing rolled his eyes, knowing he would say that, but he remained curious and prompted, "Might I ask, Uncle-Master, what is a pity? Please speak plainly!"

"It is a pity that your destiny is lackluster, likely due to a life-threatening tribulation when you were one year old, which damaged your fortune. However, surviving a great disaster often brings future blessings. You must have... well, you certainly are not as accomplished as my disciple, Yuchan. His achievements are surely far greater than yours!"

Cuixuzi did not specify what he had "not lacked," and Qiu Zhiqing did not care to ask. At least he was alive and well now. As for why his uncle-master knew about the crisis at age one and his dim fortune, Qiu Zhiqing was used to it; this was not the first time he had heard such things.

Sometimes, just because you do not believe in something does not mean it does not exist.

When it came to this uncle-master’s disciple, Qiu Zhiqing asked with great curiosity, "Uncle-Master, may I ask where Brother Yuchan is now? Hearing you speak of him, I am quite full of admiration..."

Master Cuixuzi laughed, "I see you are unconvinced and want to ask how old he is, don't you?" Seeing his thoughts laid bare, Qiu Zhiqing did not feel embarrassed but nodded generously in admission.

Seeing this, Master Cuixuzi appreciated him even more and chuckled, "Him? Let me think... he should have been born in the fourth year of Shaoxing. What year is it now... Ah, this is the thirteenth year of Jiading, so that makes him, oh! Exactly eighty-six. As for the man himself, he has gone off wandering somewhere, claiming he wants to preach the Dao just like you Northern sect members. Tell me, isn't that just being idle? Wouldn't it be better to save a few more lives while you're at it? Those meant to believe will believe; those who don't, even if you talk until the sky falls, it won't matter. It’s just a lack of affinity—why bother preaching to the birds?"

Qiu Zhiqing was speechless. This man’s disciple was eighty-six, while his own master was only sixty... Calling him "Uncle-Master" was not a loss at all; it was a huge bargain!

Qiu Zhiqing did not fully agree with his uncle-master’s words and countered, "Uncle-Master, I cannot agree with that. Preaching the Dao has always been the wish of my master and grandmaster. Although we emphasize affinity, the Dao is preached to all, and affinity flows into the deep mountains. My master and grandmaster truly hope to use the Dao to benefit the world!"

Master Cuixuzi listened with interest, then asked, "Nephew, you have come from Guanzhong; what do you think of the Feng Shui of Chang'an?"

Not understanding his intent, Qiu Zhiqing replied cautiously, "A place surrounded by dragon veins, a gathering point for spiritual energy!"

Master Cuixuzi asked again, "And what of the Han and Tang dynasties?"

Qiu Zhiqing began to understand, but he answered truthfully, "The Han and Tang were powerful, yet they only lasted three or four hundred years."

Master Cuixuzi laughed, "Do you understand, nephew?" Qiu Zhiqing was bewildered; understand what?

Seeing this, Master Cuixuzi stopped playing games and revealed the answer: "Chang'an is a place of the True Dragon, yet the Han and Tang lasted only three or four centuries. What use, then, is this land of favorable Feng Shui?"

Without waiting for an answer, Master Cuixuzi answered his own question: "Not so. It is said that man follows the earth, earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows nature. Therefore, the heavens are vigorous, and the gentleman should strive for self-improvement. People must save themselves, not rely on our Daoist school to save them!"

However, a moment later, Master Cuixuzi changed his tone and smiled, "But the Dao is profound and distant; having more fellow practitioners is always a good thing..."

Qiu Zhiqing was speechless. After all that, his uncle-master’s point could be summarized in one sentence: *I am too lazy to preach the Dao, and I don't care for your theories on preaching, but I do enjoy reaping the rewards of it...*