Chicken feet delivery, what's not to like?
...We started studying the map again, trying to decipher the Qimen Dunjia formations set up outside. Moreover, the entire immortal land was arranged according to Yin-Yang and Bagua, and one could not wander around inside.
After a moment, we got a clue and Xiang Fei and Uncle Liu from Hunan led the way inside. The surroundings seemed flat, but in fact, they were fraught with danger.
What looked like a short distance took us more than ten minutes to walk, and we were sweating profusely when we finally saw a stone wall in front of us.
"The Immortal Land of Shu Mountain," Xiang Fei read aloud.
We were all taken aback. "Could this be the legendary Mount Shu?"
Since ancient times, legends about the Shu Immortals have been passed down in Sichuan. Legend has it that the Shu Immortals are in Mount Emei. "There are immortals in Sichuan, and that is Mount Emei." This is why Sichuan was also known as Shu in ancient times.
This is Mount Shu, a legendary fairyland. We were thrilled, never expecting to actually arrive at such a place. According to the map, this was originally an ancient Taoist temple, where some people ascended to immortality, presumably the immortals of Shu.
"Is there no danger now?" Luo Wanjun asked.
"There shouldn't be any more."
Upon hearing this, Luo Wanjun immediately ordered his men to search for the 'method to become an immortal'. They were equipped with advanced instruments and could conduct some explorations.
Upon arriving at this place, we were naturally unable to remain calm, desiring to inherit the ancient Taoist methods, something that Onmyoji have been dreaming of ever since.
We walked toward a grand hall, which was located in the very center and built on a high platform. It was magnificent and imposing, clearly an important place.
But just then, I suddenly heard the sound of a piano, sometimes near, sometimes far, as if it were right around me.
I asked Xiang Fei and the others if they heard it, and they all said they didn't.
But I heard it clearly, and I immediately became nervous, wondering if something strange was about to happen.
The ethereal sound of the zither made me increasingly uneasy the more I listened. The zither sounded so familiar, just like the one I heard in the Shu Tomb.
The music followed me like a ghost, and I couldn't escape it. My face turned pale, and I looked around but didn't find anything unusual.
"What's wrong with you?" Xiang Fei asked.
"It's nothing, I probably just misheard," I said softly.
“Let’s go in and take a look,” said Uncle Liu from Hunan.
Luo Wanjun and the others had already gone inside. The door was pushed open, and although it had been empty for many years, the place was still spotless, as if someone regularly cleaned it.
Inside the main hall, the layout was typical of ancient Taoism. Once inside, even the old blind man couldn't sit still and started searching around aimlessly.
Above the main hall is a portrait of an old man with an air of otherworldly grace, walking through the air on clouds.
Xiang Fei and I were surprised. Wasn't this exactly the same person we saw in the mural at the Ninefold Burial in the Qiang ethnic region last time?
"This should be the portrait of the founder of the Shushan School, also known as the White-Browed Taoist in later legends. It is said that he really ascended to immortality."
We suddenly realized that the map said this was an ancient Taoist temple where someone had ascended to immortality; it must be referring to the White-Browed Taoist.
According to ancient records, the White-Browed Taoist was a figure on par with the Three Venerable Ones of Taoism, but he appeared earlier than the Three Venerable Ones and could even be considered one of the earliest founders of Taoism.
The legendary White-Browed Taoist actually existed. Perhaps he was overly deified, but one thing is certain: Mount Shu did exist, located in the area of Mount Emei.
However, we soon discovered that the main hall had already been emptied, leaving only a frame. The vast hall felt very empty, and we could hear our footsteps as we walked inside.
However, it is not hard to see the former glory of this place. The pillars in the main hall are so thick that you have to hold them with both hands, and the walls are all gold, making this place dazzling.
We searched carefully, but found nothing except the portrait in the center.
They looked at each other in bewilderment. Please don't tell us that the place we painstakingly found to become immortals is now worthless, with only the house remaining; everything of value has been taken away.
"Immortal, have we come all this way for nothing?" the old blind man muttered, then walked to the portrait in the center and began to study it.
Suddenly, the old blind man staggered back, his face pale as if he had seen a ghost.
"I...I didn't see wrong, did I? He's smiling at me?" the old blind man stammered.
The old blind man's words piqued our interest. There was only one portrait left in the main hall; could it hold some secret? We all gathered around. The portrait was incredibly lifelike, as if a real person had been imprinted on it. Despite the passage of countless years, it remained undamaged, retaining its ancient and natural charm.
Upon closer inspection, we found nothing unusual, and we all thought it was just that the old blind man's eyes were failing. But suddenly, my vision blurred, and I clearly saw the white-browed Taoist in the portrait smiling at me, as if he were about to step out, like a deity emerging from the clouds.