Chapter 71 Seven Cultivations
Gong Mengbi jokingly said, "Just the word 'greedy' is not bad, but if you add the word 'lazy' to it, even a god can't help you."
The little fat fox immediately shouted: "I'm not lazy, I'm very hardworking!"
Granny Shi scolded him, "You're not lazy yet. How's your Earth Escape training going? Can you jump over rocks?"
The little fat fox suddenly wilted and muttered, "Stone is not soil. Stone is so hard that it will get stuck."
Granny Shi shook her head. "Practice well. Once the Fox Courtyard is built, you must also study hard. Reading can open your mind, and understanding the principles will help you learn how to be a good person. If you can't be a good person, you will have an even worse time becoming an immortal."
The little fat fox pulled Granny Shi's dress and said coquettishly: "I will practice well and be filial to Granny in the future."
Granny Shi smiled, with a hint of melancholy in her eyes.
She patted the little fat fox's butt and said, "Go find Hua Niang and read some books with me and learn some words."
The little fat fox agreed, "I know." Then he trotted out of the cave.
Granny Shi sighed, looked at Gong Mengbi and said, "I'm old now, I'm afraid I can't take care of the little fox at Ruyun Peak anymore."
"Hua Niang and Jiu Niang have been with me the longest, and I've taught them the most attentively. Shi Niang and Cha Lang were brought up later, so I didn't have as much energy to discipline them. Hua Niang and Jiu Niang have to take on more care of them."
"They have been with me for many years, and I know them well. Although they have some talent, their fate with immortality is shallow. They may be able to gain a life in the human world, or even become a mistress in the mountains, but in terms of cultivation, I'm afraid they will never reach the middle level in this lifetime. They will only be stuck in the lower level, without any great achievements."
Gong Mengbi comforted her: "Low rank isn't bad either. You and I are only at the eighth rank now. It's enough to protect ourselves."
Granny Shi said, "It's enough to protect myself, but it's difficult to protect Ruyun Peak."
Granny Shi looked at Gong Mengbi meaningfully, "The tigers are all around me, and they won't give up even after I die. With their meager abilities, they'll be devoured clean, leaving nothing behind."
At this point, it should have been Gong Mengbi who expressed his stance, such as protecting Ruyun Peak and protecting this clan of foxes.
But Granny Shi didn't want to force him to make a promise, or perhaps she didn't want to put the responsibility on him. So just as Gong Mengbi was about to speak, she patted his hand, stopping him and saying, "When I leave, I will send them away. If you can help me in the future, I hope you can."
Granny Shi's eyes were gentle. "A fox like you is not born to be ordinary. Sooner or later, you will jump out of small Wuning County, jump out of this corner of Longpan Mountain, and fly into the sky."
"I have a favor to ask of you."
Gong Mengbi sensed the sincerity of her words and said, "Please speak."
Grandma Shi stood up and gently scratched the stone wall in Chuyun Cave. A square brick fell out of the stone wall and fell to the ground.
Granny Shi reached out and took out one of the jade boxes, saying, "I originally wanted to pass it on to a promising youngster, but the four of them are no match. Little Yi'er might still have a chance, but I won't be able to wait until he grows up."
The little fat fox is named Yi, Shi Yi.
Granny Shi opened the box, revealing a silk book as thin as a cicada's wing and a string of silk.
Granny Shi said, "I once told you the story of the Tiger King and the Seventh Elder. You should still remember it."
"Remember."
Granny Shi laughed. "Elder Qixiu practiced Taoism in the previous dynasty and achieved enlightenment this time. In the previous dynasty, he was from an official family, but he was implicated in political affairs and fell into poverty early on."
"Having seen the hardships of life and the treacherous politics of officialdom, he had no desire to rise again. After a period of wandering, he decided to leave the world and cultivate Taoism in Dalei Mountain, Taizhou. He found pleasure in seven things: flowers, wine, poetry, tea, painting, foxes, and the plum blossom zither. He named these seven virtues and called himself the Seven Cultivators."
"You know even without me telling you that the fox here is me."
When Grandma Shi told this story, her eyes were filled with longing and tenderness.
Granny Shi's name was Menggu. When she was cultivating in Dalei Mountain, Elder Qixiu had not yet become a monk. Later, Elder Qixiu began to cultivate, and she benefited greatly from him. Granny Shi asked Menggu for guidance on reading, and Menggu asked Granny Shi for guidance on cultivation.
Because they always met in dreams, he called her "Dream Aunt", and Granny Shi obviously approved of this name.
The two of them are the epitome of a perfect couple.
Old Man Qixiu is used to seeing separations of life and death. He is a clear-headed person who devotes his emotions to the mountains and rivers and is never disturbed by any troubles.
Granny Shi was devoted to spiritual practice, and she and he hit it off immediately, becoming a Taoist couple and supporting each other.
Later, the previous dynasty collapsed and Qingxu Temple was also affected. Taoists came down from the mountain one after another, either to follow the dragon or to exorcise demons.
Old Man Qi Xiu took Granny Shi to travel around the world, catching tigers as their feet, exorcising demons and correcting evil along the way, but he was not at all burdened by worldly conventions.
By this day, Elder Qixiu had already achieved the middle level of cultivation and could be considered a wandering immortal.
However, despite the high level of cultivation, Elder Qi Xiu could not achieve immortality. Granny Shi tried to prolong his life, even vomiting her fox pill, but in the end, she was unable to save him.
Because he has become indifferent to life and death and is not afraid of death.
After the death of Elder Qixiu, Granny Shi was still managing his former residence. Later, a mountain king rebelled, stole Elder Qixiu's inheritance and fled to Longpan Mountain. Only the silk book containing the cultivation method was kept by Granny Shi and was not stolen.
Granny Shi couldn't let the tiger ruin the reputation of Elder Qixiu, so she chased him all the way to Longpan Mountain and finally settled down at Ruyun Peak, keeping him under control from afar and making him cautious.
But Granny Shi was old, and she had lost her fox elixir while trying to save Elder Qi Xiu, so her abilities were far less than before. Therefore, Shanjun was not very afraid of her and only wanted to starve her to death, which would naturally bring peace and prosperity to the world.
Granny Shi pushed the jade box in front of Gong Mengbi and said, "This box contains the Seven Cultivators' Commentary on the Scriptures. It contains his insights and Taoist methods from his practice. I would like to give it to you for safekeeping so that I can find him a successor in the future."
Granny Shi sighed, "His lifelong cultivation was nothing more than using objects to express his emotions and the universe to preserve his spirit. It requires a very high vision and profound wisdom. Those younger generations are not destined to do this. Xiao Yi'er may have some connection, but it's hard to say. I can't let it be lost, so please keep it for me. If you're willing to practice on your own, that's great. If you're not willing, you can pass it on if you find someone with a predestined relationship in the future, or if Xiao Yi'er is able to cultivate his skills."
Gong Mengbi looked at the jade box, but felt heavy in his heart.
He did not refuse Granny Shi, but took the jade box in his hand and said, "Thank you very much for the gift, Granny."
When Granny Shi saw that he accepted it, she was actually delighted and said, "Very good. That bundle of silk strings is made of golden spider silk. It was originally meant to replace the strings on the Plum Blossom Harp, but the Harp was stolen by a tiger, so I'm giving it to you as well."
Gong Mengbi looked at Granny Shi worriedly: "Granny..."
Granny Shi laughed and said, "Life is short, and I have suffered a lot. You should be happy for me."
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