Li Baolong drove alone to Qingcheng Mountain, stopping briefly in Dujiangyan to buy some food before heading straight for the back of the mountain. Along the way, he stopped several times to ask for directions, and finally found Tai'an Town at the foot of the mountain.
The town had a small population, and the villagers were all very simple and honest; few tourists usually came here. Li Baolong went into a small shop and asked the owner how many Taoist temples were along the way up the mountain. The owner told him there were seven or eight, large and small, but some were abandoned and no one lived there anymore. The largest temple at the top of the mountain was called Baiyun Temple, and there were still people living there. Upon hearing this, Li Baolong thought to himself, "This must be Baiyun Temple." He suddenly remembered that the old Taoist's disciples were all named Yun Yi to Yun Shiba, so it must be correct.
He grabbed a bottle of water and started climbing the mountain. This mountain was difficult to climb; after an hour, he had only covered a third of the distance. Along the way, he saw several abandoned Taoist temples, but they offered no useful information. Continuing up the almost deserted stone path, he found many ropes broken and no one had come to repair them. Judging by the condition, the Baiyun Temple at the summit was probably in no better shape.
After a great deal of effort, Li Baolong finally reached the summit after more than three hours. Along the way, seven or eight Taoist temples were dilapidated and abandoned. The gate of Baiyun Temple was also broken and tattered, and the words on the wooden stakes were too blurred to be read. The entrance was deserted; if it weren't for the relatively clean stone slabs in the square in front of the temple, one would have thought that no one lived there anymore.
Li Baolong entered the main hall of the Taoist temple and saw several statues of the Three Pure Ones, all covered in cracks, with most of the gold paint peeling off, looking extremely dilapidated. He passed through the main hall and came to the courtyard at the back, where he saw two young Taoist priests cooking. These priests probably only ate two meals a day, living a very frugal life; their robes were tattered and hadn't been replaced in years. Li Baolong felt a pang of sadness seeing this.
At this moment, an elderly Taoist priest approached Li Baolong and said, "Sir, you've come all this way. What brings you here? Strangers rarely visit our temple." Li Baolong smiled and replied, "I heard that the Baiyun Temple on the mountaintop is quite old, so I wanted to come and visit. I'm also quite interested in Taoist culture. I even know Master Mingyue from the Qingyang Palace in Chengdu." Upon hearing this, the elderly Taoist priest quickly said, "Sir, please come in. I'll have my master, Master Qingfeng, discuss Taoist scriptures with you." Li Baolong nodded slightly and politely said, "Thank you for your trouble, Master."
Li Baolong followed the middle-aged Taoist priest to a Taoist temple in the backyard, near the mountain. There, he saw a young Taoist priest clearing the table of dishes. Upon seeing the middle-aged Taoist priest, the young priest greeted him, "Greetings, Senior Brother," and said that their master had just finished eating and was resting inside. The middle-aged Taoist priest then led Li Baolong into the back room.
Inside the room sat an elderly Taoist priest, appearing to be in his sixties or seventies, with a refined and otherworldly air. He wore a worn-out Taoist robe and sat on a wooden chair, eyes closed in meditation. A middle-aged Taoist priest approached and said, "Master, this layman has come all the way from Chengdu to learn about Taoist culture. He says he knows Master Mingyue of Qingyang Palace in Chengdu." Upon hearing this, the elderly Taoist priest opened his eyes and looked at Li Baolong: "What is this layman's surname?" Li Baolong quickly replied, "Master, my surname is Li." Master Mingyue then asked, "Layman Li, how long have you been studying Taoist practices?" Li Baolong replied, "I have been studying Taoist practices for three years, but I only know some basic knowledge." Master Mingyue invited Li Baolong to sit down and had a cup of tea served.
After Li Baolong sat down, he asked, "How many years have you been in charge of Baiyun Temple, Master? Why haven't you repaired it?" The old Taoist priest, Qingfeng, smiled slightly and said, "I've been in charge of this temple for almost twenty years. The roads here are difficult to travel, so few pilgrims or tourists come. We live a self-sufficient life, never asking the government for a penny. We usually cultivate wasteland to grow grain, barely enough to eat. Occasionally, lay Buddhists from the foot of the mountain bring us some oil and salt. Life is a bit hard, but isn't that what Taoists must do—endure hardship and maintain their composure?" Li Baolong nodded and asked again, "Master, is your master still in the temple?" The old Taoist priest, Qingfeng, glanced at Li Baolong and continued, "My master is almost ninety years old and no longer cares about worldly affairs." Li Baolong quickly calculated in his mind that, based on the timeline, this old Taoist priest's master must be Yun Shiba.
So he said, "Master, could you introduce me to the old Master? I consider myself a person with a special connection to visit you, and I wish to donate one million Chinese Yuan to the Taoist temple as incense money." Old Master Qingfeng's eyes widened: "Layman Li, is this for real? This is no joke." Li Baolong smiled faintly: "Master, just go and report it. I can give the incense money anytime." After saying that, he picked up his tea, took a sip, and praised: "This tea is excellent, with a fragrant aroma. Drinking it makes me feel refreshed and all my fatigue is gone."
Li Baolong slowly finished his cup of tea. Only then did he hear footsteps approaching. He saw the old Taoist priest Qingfeng carefully helping an elderly Taoist priest with snow-white hair and beard into the house. Li Baolong quickly stood up, performed a Taoist salute, and respectfully said, "I am Li Baolong, and I have come here specifically to pay my respects. I am truly sorry to disturb your peaceful cultivation, Taoist priest."
The white-haired Taoist priest slowly sat down, his gaze falling on Li Baolong, and said, "This layman, since you have gone to the trouble of coming to Baiyun Temple, you must be someone with a connection to Taoism. As for me, I have not cared about worldly affairs for many years, and my Taoist cultivation is only mediocre. In this degenerate age, there are too few people willing to devote themselves to learning Taoist arts. In our Taoist temple, we hardly see any people all year round."
Li Baolong said sincerely, "I would like to donate some money for incense offerings so that my fellow Daoists can buy some new clothes and daily necessities." The white-haired, silver-bearded old Daoist quickly replied, "Thank you for your generous help, Layman Li. My fellow Daoists and I are deeply grateful to you." Li Baolong waved his hand gently and said, "No need to be so polite. I came here today to learn about some things. Daoist culture says that everything has a cause and effect, and there must be a cause and effect relationship between us as well."
The white-haired, silver-bearded old Taoist priest seemed to understand but not quite, looking at Li Baolong with a puzzled expression. Li Baolong turned to the old Taoist priest Qingfeng and said, "Master Qingfeng, please excuse me for a moment. I would like to speak with my master alone for a few minutes." The old Taoist priest glanced at Qingfeng and nodded in acknowledgment. The old Taoist priest Qingfeng then silently turned and left.
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