Chapter 24: The Great Sacrifice Approaches, Turmoil Stirs

Jiang Sheng spoke!

Tian Ming'an shuddered violently upon hearing Jiang Sheng’s words, but he forced himself to stay alert and said, "Sir, this boy will just continue to kneel."

"Have you never considered that even if I eventually take you in, I might teach you nothing at all?" Jiang Sheng asked again.

Tian Ming'an replied, "This boy seeks the Dao with all his heart, and I will not regret this choice."

"Truly no regrets?" Jiang Sheng asked.

Tian Ming'an gritted his teeth and said, "No regrets!"

Jiang Sheng smiled. "Then you may continue to kneel."

Tian Ming'an’s heart, which had just been stirred by excitement, sank once more. Yet, he braced himself, kneeling for the entire day until evening, when he finally struggled to his feet and stumbled down the mountain.

Jiang Sheng watched Tian Ming'an’s retreating figure, his eyes devoid of either sorrow or joy.

On the ninth day, Tian Ming'an returned to the mountain. Even though Tian Guofu felt heartbroken for his son and wanted to have others carry him up, and even though his mother wept and begged him to give up, Tian Ming'an climbed the mountain regardless.

Leaning on a branch, he arrived before the Taoist temple. In the dead of winter, he knelt on the frozen ground, unmoving. The eight days had already taken a toll on his body, yet Tian Ming'an knelt firmly once more.

At the hour of the Dragon, Jiang Sheng slowly opened his eyes, looking at the figure kneeling outside the hall, motionless in the biting wind. "Are you still breathing?"

Tian Ming'an murmured, "The boy is still alive."

"Good. That is enough."

As Jiang Sheng’s words fell, Tian Ming'an suddenly felt the cold wind surrounding him dissipate. A warm, gentle energy filled his body, restoring a touch of warmth to his stiff, frozen limbs.

"Can you stand up on your own?" Jiang Sheng asked again.

Tian Ming'an gritted his teeth and crawled up from the ground. "This boy can."

Jiang Sheng nodded again. "Then come in."

Tian Ming'an’s heart leapt with excitement. He suppressed his joy and entered the hall, immediately feeling an immense warmth, a stark contrast to the bitter, desolate cold outside.

Jiang Sheng opened a scroll of Taoist scripture and spoke slowly, "Is there anything you wish to ask?"

Tian Ming'an was somewhat nervous. "Is the Daoist priest willing to accept this boy as a disciple?"

Jiang Sheng nodded. "Hmm, your attitude is acceptable."

Tian Ming'an was stunned, then asked with some confusion, "Daoist, I often read storybooks. When high masters take on disciples, they look for sincerity, a desire for the Dao, and one's temperament and aptitude."

"Why does the Daoist not test why I seek the Dao?"

Jiang Sheng glanced at him. "Why you seek the Dao—what does that have to do with me? I am merely looking at your sincerity."

Tian Ming'an was taken aback. Indeed, why he sought the Dao—what business was it of anyone else? As long as his heart was sincere and his resolve firm, why did he need to explain it to others?

Jiang Sheng continued, "In truth, I do not expect you to have much aptitude, but your temperament is indeed good. Stay by my side for now. Whenever I recite scriptures, you shall come and listen."

Tian Ming'an quickly replied, "The disciple will remember."

Jiang Sheng pondered for a moment, then added, "Those who practice the Dao must first temper their bones and physique. You are still far from true cultivation. Focus on tempering your sinews and bones first; only then can you speak of sensing the energy of the world and drawing it into your body."

Tian Ming'an nodded repeatedly. "The disciple will keep the Master’s teachings in mind."

"Find a place to sit," Jiang Sheng said, and began to chant the scriptures slowly.

Tian Ming'an found a straw mat, sat cross-legged, and listened quietly. He listened for an hour.

By the hour of the Snake, Jiang Sheng saw that Tian Ming'an was still immersed in the scriptures and did not force him to wake. It was not until the hour of the Sheep that Tian Ming'an regained his senses. Seeing the sun high in the sky, he felt a bit dazed. "A single scroll of scripture, yet it made me lose myself so completely that two hours passed before I came to my senses."

Jiang Sheng chuckled. "The path of seeking the Dao is long and arduous. In the future, you will need to live in seclusion in the mountains for years on end. Can you endure the loneliness?"

Tian Ming'an replied with a firm expression, "This disciple can."

Jiang Sheng was noncommittal. "I shall take your word for it for now. Go down the mountain first. Inform your grandfather and parents, and return tomorrow."

"Enjoy this day of reunion, for such gatherings will not be easy to come by in the future."

Tian Ming'an smiled, "The disciple believes that once I have succeeded in my cultivation, I will be able to bring my family together. Perhaps I will even be able to help my grandfather and parents live longer lives."

"Heh, having hope is not a bad thing. Off you go." Jiang Sheng waved his hand.

Tian Ming'an stood up, bowed respectfully to Jiang Sheng, and then excitedly headed down the mountain.

Watching him leave, Jiang Sheng recalled the kind old man who had raised him until his death. He looked out at the snow-covered mountains beyond the hall and sighed softly, "The Great Dao, eternal life. Even if one attains longevity and watches the cycle of human life from above, living for ten thousand and eighty years, in the end, 'the child wishes to serve, but the parents are no longer there.'"

"In the future, there will be days when this boy cries."

With that, Jiang Sheng swallowed a Yuan-Gathering Pill and resumed his cultivation. He needed to reach the late stage of Foundation Establishment before the River God’s Grand Sacrifice to have enough certainty to deal with the demon in the river.

The next day, Tian Guofu brought his son, daughter-in-law, and Tian Ming'an up the mountain. First, the three of them bowed to Jiang Sheng and offered tuition, then Tian Ming'an formally knelt and kowtowed three times to Jiang Sheng.

After Tian Guofu and his family departed, only Jiang Sheng and Tian Ming'an remained in the mountain temple. The place became suddenly more tranquil and lonely.

Tian Ming'an had a good temperament; after only a brief moment of melancholy, he regained his spirits. He followed Jiang Sheng, listening to the scriptures, cleaning the temple, and practicing martial arts while cooking his own meals.

Although Jiang Sheng had long since passed the need for food, Tian Ming'an had not. He had to fetch water, chop wood, cook, clean the temple, and train his body every day. For the twelve-year-old boy, this was undoubtedly strenuous, yet Tian Ming'an persisted, and even seemed to find joy in it.

Jiang Sheng also set aside time each day to guide Tian Ming'an’s martial arts. Watching the boy practice in front of the hall, Jiang Sheng said, "Remember, those who practice the Dao must cultivate their heart, their nature, and their body."

"The physical body is the raft that carries one across the world, housing the essence, energy, and spirit. When a practitioner senses the energy of the world and draws it into their body, they do not immediately become immensely powerful."

"In the Qi Refining stage, martial arts and weapons still play a vital role."

"Even a cultivator in the late stage of Qi Refining faces fatal danger if caught off guard by a powerful bow or a close-quarters ambush from a body-cultivator in the middle stage."

"In Penglai, we practice not only the techniques but also the body. Only by cultivating both nature and life can one follow the true path of Penglai."

Tian Ming'an shouted in reply, "The disciple will remember!"

Jiang Sheng said nothing more, continuing to watch him practice. This process reminded him of the time when he was eight years old, following the old man who taught him martial arts. This image of the predecessor passing knowledge to the successor, generation after generation, gave Jiang Sheng a deeper understanding of the word "inheritance."

In the days that followed, Jiang Sheng’s guidance shifted from daily to every three days, and eventually to every seven days. Tian Ming'an’s talent allowed Jiang Sheng to save much time, and such instruction served as a verification of his own cultivation, subtly reflecting his own path.

Time passed day by day. Unbeknownst to them, the dead of winter ended, and the last lunar month was nearly gone. As the time for the River God’s Grand Sacrifice approached, the atmosphere in Qingshan County became increasingly bizarre.

Jiang Sheng’s execution of the Eight Wolves of the Eastern Prefecture had indeed deterred the evil cultivators for a time, but after a few bold ones tested the waters and confirmed that as long as they didn't approach Qingping Mountain, they wouldn't provoke the terrifying Daoist Jiang, they became active again.

This time, Xu Xiao was ruthless. Using the talismans she had purchased from Jiang Sheng at a high price, she tracked down several evil cultivators in the Foundation Establishment stage. Together with Sanren cultivators Wang Tianfang, Li Hao, Han Li, and Qian Ming, they launched a coordinated strike, killing four or five of them in succession.

Following Jiang Sheng’s example, they hung the corpses of these cultivators before the county office, using the bloody reality to strike fear into the hearts of the others once more.

Though the evil cultivators were deterred, rumors began to spread throughout the city. At first, it was whispered in small circles that Magistrate Zhang wanted to kill the River God not out of righteousness, but because he was dissatisfied that the sacrifices were unrelated to him, and he wanted a share of the spoils from the Grand Sacrifice.

As the rumors spread, they transformed into claims that Magistrate Zhang wanted to forge a golden body for himself to enjoy the incense and attain immortality.

Further still, it was said that Magistrate Zhang had conspired with the Sanren cultivators to carve up the people of Qingshan County once the River God was dead: the Magistrate would dominate the county seat, and the cultivators would claim the towns. The entire county would become their independent kingdom, where they could kill for amusement at will.

The rumors grew more absurd, yet many ignorant people believed them: if not to take the River God’s place, why would the Magistrate go to such great lengths to kill him, when sacrificing six pairs of children every year guaranteed good weather and peace?

As these rumors spread, many gentry and merchants began to doubt Zhang Qingyun’s intentions. Coupled with the frequent incidents of evil cultivators killing people for their dark arts, the horrific scenes of mangled bodies truly terrified the elites.

Consequently, the gentry and merchants sought to demand an explanation from Zhang Qingyun. Once they took the lead, the common people, hearing the rumors, felt even more convinced that the Magistrate harbored malicious intent and began to petition him not to disrupt the River God’s Grand Sacrifice.

Before Zhang Qingyun could take any action, he found himself trapped by the very people he governed.