The samurai replied respectfully, "I have not heard of such a thing."
Seeing that he couldn't get any information out of him, Bai Qi waved for him to leave and said, "Go back and report to His Majesty that I have instructed the soldiers and will return to report."
The warrior dared not utter a word and bowed as he withdrew. Bai Qi waited a short while, then ordered his men to tidy up the army's positions before bathing and changing clothes, washing away the dust and grime in preparation for his audience with Qin Shi Huang. Immediately, Bai Qi led three thousand soldiers and set off for Xianyang, unaware of the conspiracy that awaited him.
In the Zhou Dynasty, there lived a woman named Lishan Nu, who from a young age loved cultivating Taoism and frequently worshipped the Three Pure Ones. At that time, a snake demon was causing havoc in the water, harming all around. Lishan Nu donned her armor, took up her sword, and slew it underwater. The battle was earth-shattering, and afterwards, people called her the Fairy of Lishan. Lishan Nu cultivated Taoism for eighteen years, only achieving some success, but in her quest for the true Tao, she searched mountains and rivers, seeking a master, but to no avail. One day, while walking on a mountain, feeling weary, she sat down on a rock to rest. Suddenly, she heard an old woman's voice calling out, "Young woman ahead, this old woman is exhausted. Could you give me your seat to rest for a while?" Lishan Nu turned around and saw an old woman walking unsteadily towards her.
The woman from Lishan quickly got up and rushed to help the old man to a seat, saying, "Old man, you are so old, why have you come to such a place?"
The old woman replied, "I can no longer live in the human world, so I will go to the desolate mountains and forests to wait until I grow old."
The woman from Lishan laughed and said, "Old man, you are joking. You are already so old, how can you say that your youthful appearance has not faded?"
The old woman said, "People say that when you get old, your beauty fades away, but that's not true. As long as you have your skin, you'll still have your looks. It's never too late."
Upon hearing this, the woman from Lishan suddenly had a thought and asked, "Is it possible to live another hundred years?"
The old woman smiled and said, "Jiang Taigong was able to be appointed prime minister at seventy, so why is it impossible for him to live even longer?"
The woman from Lishan asked again, "Old man, your teachings are true and I will never forget your kindness. May I ask where you come from and where you are going?"
The old woman said, "We came from the sea and will go to the island."
The woman from Lishan was a clever and perceptive person. With her deep spiritual roots, she understood things immediately. Thinking about the old woman's strange appearance, she realized that the old woman was a Taoist immortal. She quickly knelt down and said, "Oh dear, so you are a true immortal. I was blind. I, the woman from Lishan, pay my respects to the immortal. I beg you to have pity on my arduous pursuit of the Tao and to take me as your disciple, to teach me the true Tao, and to take me away from the mundane world."
This old woman was none other than Huixin in disguise. She took a liking to the Lishan woman upon seeing her, delighted that such a spiritual being still existed in the mortal realm, and thus transformed herself to enlighten her. Seeing the Lishan woman kneel, Huixin quickly helped her up, saying, “We are not destined to be master and disciple, but our meeting is fate, and I cannot let your sincere dedication to cultivation go to waste. Here is a book of orthodox Taoist methods from my Penglai Island, which you can cultivate; I hope you will achieve something.”
When the woman from Lishan heard Huixin say that she was taking on a disciple, she felt disheartened, but after hearing what he said next, her mood improved. So she bowed again and thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, elder."
At that time, Huixin revealed herself and began teaching the Lishan maiden the Dao. The orthodox Daoist teachings of Penglai Island were profound and complex, not easily grasped. Even with the Lishan maiden's aptitude, she only understood the basics, yet Huixin repeatedly praised her rapid progress. Overjoyed, Huixin impulsively gathered spiritual energy from the mountain ridge using great supernatural powers, and set up an array to build a cave dwelling for temporary use. After the Lishan maiden achieved some success in her cultivation, Huixin departed. The Lishan maiden was very reluctant to part with her and repeatedly expressed her gratitude.
From then on, the Lady of Lishan remained here to cultivate, naming the mountain Lishan and calling herself the Old Mother of Lishan. Having received the great grace of Huixin's teachings, she stayed in the mortal realm to teach the profound teachings of Penglai Island, finally allowing the Penglai Island sect to spread its Daoist lineage in the mortal world, thus truly establishing the legitimate lineage of Pangu on Penglai Island. Every action has its consequence, and karma is predetermined.
The Lady of Lishan was originally the spirit of Doumu, the primordial Yin deity, also known as the innate Dao body. Therefore, she was perfectly suited for cultivation, and her progress was incredibly rapid. She was already exceptionally beautiful, and after becoming an immortal, she was enveloped in celestial energy, becoming even more graceful and peerless. When the First Emperor Qin Shi Huang traveled there, he heard of her beauty and seized the opportunity to pay his respects. However, upon seeing the Lady of Lishan, Qin Shi Huang was so astonished by her divine beauty that he actually dared to make suggestive remarks to her.
The woman of Mount Li was furious and used her magic to punish Ying Zheng. Afterwards, fearing that her beauty would be detrimental to her preaching, she followed the example of Yunxiao in the past, transforming herself into an old woman and calling herself the Old Mother of Mount Li.
That day, the Old Mother of Lishan was preaching when suddenly her mind stirred. She stopped preaching and dismissed her disciples. After they left, a figure suddenly descended from the open space. The Old Mother of Lishan looked up and saw a majestic man dressed in imperial robes, noble yet dignified. Lishan immediately determined that this was not a mortal emperor; the man's magical power far surpassed hers. He must be a celestial emperor descended to earth. The Old Mother of Lishan asked in surprise, "May I ask which celestial emperor has descended to earth? What important matter do you wish to discuss with me?"
The emperor looked at the woman from Lishan and praised her, "The fairy of Lishan is indeed extraordinary, truly possessing the great Taoist arts. I am Zhenwu. Today, the great shaman Bai Qi is assisting Emperor Ying Zheng in training shamanic soldiers. Emperor Gouchen and I have descended to the mortal realm one after another to stop Bai Qi from wreaking havoc on all living beings in the Three Realms."
Upon hearing that it was the Heavenly Demon-Slaying Emperor Zhenwu, the woman from Lishan was filled with awe. However, she was puzzled as to why Zhenwu had come here. So she asked, "The two emperors have descended to the mortal realm to slay demons and monsters. They should be fighting Bai Qi right now. Why have you come here?"
Zhenwu said, "I have come here precisely to ask for your help, Fairy, to subdue Bai Qi together."
The woman from Lishan was very puzzled and said, "It is only right to help the Great Emperor subdue demons, but the Taoist cultivation and magic of Lishan are worlds apart from those of the two Great Emperors. It is difficult to help them even if we want to!"
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