getting Started
One morning, Xiao Wan'er limped to the main hall to attend class.
"Yes, you can still walk. It seems that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth has indeed transformed and repaired your body to a certain extent," Liu Yun said happily on the podium. "Your master carried me here the next day."
Xiao Wan'er sat trembling on the stool, and happened to touch the painful spot, making her grimace in pain.
Before starting the lecture, Liuyun briefly explained the levels of monks.
"Yesterday you successfully entered a state of meditation, drawing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into your body. Essentially, you're already a cultivator. But you're only a beginner, and your strength is very weak. After entering the realm of cultivation, a cultivator faces three levels: entering the Dao, transcending the mortal realm, and returning to the true self. When you begin to sense your own Dao, you enter the Dao-entering realm. At this stage, although your strength is far greater than that of an ordinary person, you are still a mortal with special abilities. Your senior brother is at the Dao-entering realm. When you cultivate to a certain level of strength, you will enter the Transcendental Realm. At this level, you are equivalent to what ordinary people consider an immortal. After entering the Transcendental Realm, if nothing unexpected happens, you will enjoy a lifespan of approximately two hundred years, and your appearance will not age. I, your master, am also at the Transcendental Realm."
"What about the Return to Truth Realm?" Xiao Wan'er continued to ask.
"Return to the Truth... that is a realm that belongs to the legend. No one in the cultivation world has entered the Return to the Truth realm since the Jin Dynasty. I, your master, have only read in the classics that one needs to thoroughly comprehend one's own path before entering the Return to the Truth realm." Liuyun was also quite emotional and yearning when he mentioned Return to the Truth.
"But these are too far away from you now. What you need to do now is to learn to read. Okay, let's officially start practicing calligraphy today." After finishing the story, Liuyun threw a book to Xiao Wan'er. She took it and saw that it was the "Tao Te Ching".
"The Tao Te Ching is the most fundamental scripture of Taoism. It is the most suitable book for enlightenment for those who practice Taoism." However, Xiao Wan'er not only did not understand Taoist thoughts, but was also illiterate. This enlightenment was double.
Xiao Wan'er opened the Tao Te Ching. The words inside were like ferocious blocks, assaulting her nerves. She was lost in thought when Liuyun snatched the book from her hand and gave it to her. Xiao Wan'er looked up in confusion.
"I took the wrong one." Liuyun coughed a few times unnaturally, and then started the class as if nothing had happened.
Because we had to recognize and write words as well as explain their meanings, the course progressed very slowly and we only learned a few sentences in the whole morning.
"Remember this paragraph and its meaning. I will test you before class tomorrow. Write this paragraph three times on a piece of paper before you meditate in the evening and give it to me tomorrow." Liuyun said this before letting her go to have her lunch snack.
The lunchtime snack was plentiful, consisting of Western fruits and Hu pancakes. After feasting heartily, Xiao Wan'er returned to her cabin to copy out the morning's passages. Then, enduring the pain, she headed for the training ground. She gritted her teeth, her face serious, as if ready to die.
"Those who have rarely exercised before will experience soreness all over their body when they first start practicing martial arts. If they persist, their condition will gradually improve. If they give up, they will never make any progress." Liuyun also noticed her expression and explained briefly, "Now let's continue with the horse stance."
The same process as the previous afternoon happened again. Due to the soreness all over her body, Xiao Wan'er could only barely reach the amount of exercise she had yesterday, and then she completely collapsed to the ground.
"I haven't retreated, so I guess I can manage." Liuyun said, raising his right hand. A cloud appeared at his feet. The cloud flew over to Xiao Wan'er, suddenly flattening, squeezing under her body before expanding again and lifting her up. Liuyun waved, and the cloud steadily moved toward him. Xiao Wan'er didn't feel the slightest jolt on the cloud.
"Master, is this magic?" After resting for a while, Xiao Wan'er recovered some strength, propped herself up and sat up, touching it curiously.
"Yes, this is magic. You will have the opportunity to learn it after you are enlightened."
Liuyun's words swept away some of Xiao Wan'er's fatigue.
Pei Yingguan joined them for dinner. Dinner consisted of Hu pancakes, boiled vegetables, and pheasant soup. The pheasant was caught that afternoon by Pei Yingguan in the forest, and the vegetables were picked from the fields behind the temple. Adhering to the ancient precept of not talking while eating or sleeping, the three of them ate in silence. As usual, cleaning up the mess was left to Pei Yingguan.
Xiao Wan'er went back to her room to write big characters and meditate. Pei Yingguan used magic to wash the pots and pans and then went to the training ground to practice sword.
This continued for a long time. Finally, when the autumn of the second year of Tianshou arrived, the Taoist temple underwent a change.
After dinner that night, Liuyun called Pei Yingguan and Xiao Wan'er.
"I will be going down the mountain to do some shopping tomorrow and will be away from the Taoist temple for twenty days. Xiao Wan'er's lessons will be handed over to you, Ying Guan."
"Yes, Master." Pei Yingguan accepted the order.
Xiao Wan'er was nervous, but she agreed obediently.
Just like that, a new day arrived amid Xiao Wan'er's nervousness.
When she walked into the main hall early in the morning, there was only food for her on the table.
"There's water and basins in the kitchen. Wash your own dishes after you finish eating."
Pei Yingguan walked into the classroom without giving Xiao Wan'er time to react. Xiao Wan'er finished her breakfast in silence, washed the dishes by herself, and then sat down at the desk with her homework.
The book left by Liuyun indicated the lecture progress. Pei Yingguan had already read it and would first test the previous content after the class started.
To his surprise, Xiao Wan'er answered all his questions fluently. He then asked her to copy sentences from the book, which she completed successfully, her handwriting neat and clear. He secretly clenched his hand around the book, and after checking, he began to teach.
In the afternoon, Xiao Wan'er was still doing the same old things. But Pei Yingguan had no ability to predict the future, and Xiao Wan'er waited for a long time without a break, and she collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.
Without waiting for Pei Yingguan to say anything, Xiao Wan'er pushed herself to her feet and began stretching. Afterward, she jogged around the training ground. After months of training, Xiao Wan'er's ability to hold out had greatly increased. By the time she could no longer hold out, dusk had already fallen.
They each ate their own dinner and dealt with their own affairs. Pei Yingguan then went to practice martial arts, while Xiao Wan'er finished her homework and meditated. Sitting cross-legged on the Hu bed, Xiao Wan'er began to think about her master.
Meanwhile, Pei Yingguan, who was constantly swinging his sword, was also becoming increasingly irritated. Xiao Wan'er was already exceptionally talented and diligent, which made him unhappy. However, he had to fulfill his duties as acting master, as his master had ordered him to do.
That night, both the brother and sister were looking forward to their master's quick return.
Taishang Laojun probably heard their prayers, and within half a month, Liuyun returned with the purchased supplies.
He placed the supplies in the main hall, sorting them one by one. Xiao Wan'er leaned over and saw clothing, spices, seeds, swords, bows, spears, medicinal herbs, and even writing brushes, inkstones, paper, and inkstones. Then, with a few gentle waves of his right hand, a dead sheep suddenly appeared before Xiao Wan'er.
"A little magic," Liu Yun forced a smile. He hadn't smiled since entering the main hall, and his eyes were filled with unbearable melancholy. "Your Majesty is a Buddhist and has ordered his subjects not to kill. I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to eat meat in the future."
"Heh." Pei Yingguan, who was also in the main hall, sneered.
Liuyun ignored it and half raised his hands with his palms facing the sheep. Ice gradually appeared around the sheep's body and soon it was completely frozen.
"Things have changed now. We need to save the sheep. Our daily diet will still primarily consist of wild game from the mountains and fish from the river." He then carried the frozen sheep to the vegetable patch, holding it in one hand and lifting it with the other. Soon, a large pit formed in the ground beside the vegetable patch. He didn't let go of his hand, and soon a thick layer of ice formed in the pit as well. Liuyun dropped the sheep into the pit, gently stroking it with his right hand, and the entire pit returned to flat land.
Xiao Wan'er was stunned watching from the side.
"Okay, stop looking and go to the training ground." It was already afternoon, and it was Xiao Wan'er's daily martial arts practice time. Liuyun, who had returned from outside and taken over his master's duties, went into the training ground with her.
"No horse stance today." As soon as he stood still, Liuyun threw out a huge rock.
"You've been in Biyun Temple for over half a year. It's time to review your training results. After stretching, go jogging. Don't stop until you can't stand up."
Xiao Wan'er obeyed the order, stretched, and then jogged until it was completely dark. By then, dinner was ready.
Pei Yingguan prepared dinner, which consisted of rice, grilled fish and vegetable soup. Xiao Wan'er, who was very tired, ate the rice voraciously. After finishing the bowl, she still felt it was not enough, so she added another half bowl of rice.
After dinner, Xiao Wan'er had to finish her homework as usual. Liuyun kept Pei Yingguan and asked about his teaching progress.
"What do you think of your junior sister?" Liuyun suddenly asked Pei Yingguan after he finished his report.
Pei Yingguan didn't expect that his master would ask him such a question. His breathing stopped, and after thinking for a moment, he clenched his fists and finally told the truth.
"Highly talented, hardworking, humble and polite." Even though he had a preconceived impression, he had to admit that his junior sister really had no shortcomings.
"You've done well these days. Go practice swordplay." After receiving Liuyun's approval, he took his sword and headed for the training ground. From the sound of swords being swung, it was clear that it was another restless night.
On the morning of the second day, Liuyun briefly reviewed her lessons and then continued teaching. Coincidentally, Xiao Wan'er had just finished studying the Tao Te Ching that day.
"Study on your own tomorrow morning, and I will give you a big test the day after tomorrow morning. The content of the test will be the "Tao Te Ching." Only if you pass the test can you study the next classic.
In the afternoon, various weapons appeared in front of Xiao Wan'er.
Over the past few months, Xiao Wan'er had long since shed her sickly appearance. Her sallow cheeks had become rosy, her lifeless eyes had brightened, and she had grown considerably taller. Her previous clothes had outgrown her. She now wore a round-necked robe that Liuyun had the villagers at the foot of the mountain hastily made all morning. With the brocade round-necked robe and the jade lotus crown, Xiao Wan'er now truly looked like a fairy.
"Through previous practice, you have built up a good foundation for physical strength. It's time to practice using weapons. There are many types of weapons in the world. Except for monks who enter the Tao with a certain type of weapon, other monks will master several types of weapons. Let's start practicing with the sword first." Liuyun said, picking up the sword he carried with him and performing a set of sword moves.
From drawing the sword to sheathing it, the entire set of movements flowed like flowing water, so fast that Xiao Wan'er couldn't keep up. As the sword danced, the air currents transformed into sharp winds, scratching Xiao Wan'er's skin painfully.
Liuyun knew that it would be impossible for Xiao Wan'er to learn the moves in such a quick demonstration—she would have a hard time even seeing them clearly. After the demonstration, he broke down the entire set of sword moves step by step, and Xiao Wan'er followed each move.
After working hard for an afternoon, Xiao Wan'er was finally able to imitate the instructions with some difficulty.
"This is just the simplest set of sword moves," Liuyun once again gained a profound understanding of Xiao Wan'er's pathetic talent in martial arts. "Starting tomorrow, every afternoon after stretching, swing your sword 100 times. The movements must be standardized."
"Yes!" The difficulties encountered in practicing sword also aroused Xiao Wan'er's fighting spirit. She would never give up until she completely mastered the sword moves.
The master and apprentice practiced too late, so the task of preparing dinner naturally fell on Pei Yingguan. Xiao Wan'er held the bowl and ate hard. She had to admit that Pei Yingguan's cooking was delicious, better than Liuyun's.
Liuyun naturally didn't need to worry about meditation; he only watched for a moment before leaving satisfied. The next day, Xiao Wan'er diligently reviewed the Tao Te Ching in the morning, continued sword practice in the afternoon, and meditated as usual in the evening. On the morning of the third day, she passed the exam.
"Very good. From now on, you can study the Taoist scriptures of my Biyun Temple and browse the various books in the library inside the temple. As a reward, you can eat whatever you want for your lunch snack. Is there anything you would like to eat?"
Xiao Wan'er thought about it.
"I want to eat cherry biro."
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