Just then, an immortal who was about to enter the Heavenly Court's Foreign Affairs Committee saw Wang Yao and suddenly stopped and asked, "Which unit are you looking for?"
Wang Yao discovered that he actually recognized this immortal. It was Director Qiu, whom he had met when he climbed to the human world through the Corpse Qi Tomb during his tribulation in the underworld. He was the one leading the patrolling celestial generals who were about to close the passage between the underworld and the human world.
"Hello, Director Qiu. I'm going to the Liuan Committee." Wang Yao could tell at a glance that Director Qiu's cultivation level was also at the Mahayana stage. He immediately felt a jolt of excitement and hurriedly replied with a smile on his face.
"Wang Xian, it's only been a few years since I last saw you, you've really impressed me." When Director Qiu heard Wang Yao call him by name, a slight smile appeared on his face.
"Not at all, it's all thanks to the Heavenly Court," Wang Yao quickly replied politely.
"It's good to know that it's thanks to the Heavenly Court. I heard that you've caught the eye of the Supreme Lord and will be serving as the Women's Director?" Director Qiu asked again.
“She is the director of the Sixth Women’s Federation,” Wang Yao nodded.
"Good, good, keep up the good work, young man. I've had my eye on you for a long time. Don't let the Heavenly Court down." Director Qiu said, pointing to the last side hall on the east side of the square. "The Sixth Security Committee and the Heavenly Court Secretariat work together. Go take a look over there."
Wang Yao thanked him and ran to the last side hall on the east side. Sure enough, he saw two signs hanging in front of the side hall: "The Six Realms Security Committee of Heaven" and "The Secretariat of Heaven".
"Who are you looking for?" As soon as Wang Yao stepped into the side hall, an old woman's voice came from the gatehouse on the left. Wang Yao turned his head and saw a plump fairy-like auntie knitting a sweater while casually looking at Wang Yao through the gatehouse window.
"Um... I am the Matchmaker, summoned by Laozi, and came here on special occasion." Wang Yao thought to himself that this person was probably similar to the hard-of-hearing old man Chang from the Department of Merit Examinations, both being elderly immortals who were still contributing to the Heavenly Court's institutions. Old immortals were the most difficult to deal with, so Wang Yao was even more polite to the fairy aunt.
"Register." The fairy aunt gestured with her head to a worn-out notebook on the table in front of her. Wang Yao leaned close to the window and saw that the notebook was already filled with thin, long lines, indicating that a fairy had registered before.
"Name: Li Xunhuan, Unit: Heavenly Court Rites and Music Department, Visiting Unit: Heavenly Court Secretariat. Visiting Immortal: Zhang Cuishan, Purpose of Visit: To receive the latest 168 guidelines for artistic performances from the Heavenly Court."
Wang Yao then copied the example and filled in the next line with "Name: Wang Yao, Unit: Women's Federation of the Six Realms of Heaven, Visiting Unit: Security Committee of the Six Realms of Heaven, Visiting Immortal: Taishang Laojun, Purpose of Visit: To receive work instructions from Taishang Laojun".
After filling out the form, Wang Yao looked at the fairy aunt with a questioning gaze.
"Go in." The fairy aunt glanced at the form, then turned her head inwards. Wang Yao thanked her and then walked into the side hall.
Upon entering, I noticed that the side hall was not large, perhaps only about twenty square meters. It was likely that the offices on both sides took up a lot of the hall's space. On the wall facing the hall's entrance hung a central scroll painting depicting a peaceful scene of everyday life.
At first glance, it looks like a section of "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" has been cut out and hung here. On both sides of this "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" fragment, there is a couplet: "The blessing of ordinary people lies in inaction, like a gentle breeze on the face. The success of all things depends on perseverance, like water dripping on stone."
Above the main hall still hangs a plaque with four large characters: "Be Cautious and Prudent".
Seeing that many immortals were busy at their desks in the offices on both sides of the hall, Wang Yao knew that this was unlikely to be where Laozi was refining elixirs. So he just glanced around and walked around the central hall. There was a small door behind the central hall. After walking out, the view suddenly opened up.
Behind this side hall was a lush garden, with artificial hills and strange rocks hidden among the flowers, trees and shrubs, and the sound of flowing water. Wang Yao looked around and saw nothing but red flowers and green grass; he could not see any office space. It must have been hidden by the dense vegetation.
However, with Wang Yao's current Mahayana realm, his five senses are extremely sharp. He was slightly stunned, and immediately smelled a faint fragrance of pills. The fragrance was refreshing and invigorating. Although it was only a very faint trace, it still made Wang Yao's spirits soar.
The source of the elixir fragrance must be the alchemy chamber of Laozi. Wang Yao followed the scent and walked towards it, turning left and right among the flowers, plants, artificial hills and strange rocks. After walking for a while, a treasure bottle door appeared in front of him, the door ajar.
Wang Yao gave the door a gentle push, and the wooden door creaked open easily.
"Wang Yao has arrived?" Laozi's voice suddenly rang in Wang Yao's ears.
"This humble fairy has come to pay her respects to the Supreme Lord." Wang Yao discovered that behind the Treasure Bottle Gate was still a small garden, with a winding cobblestone path and lush green vegetation on both sides.
"Come in," Lao Tzu greeted.
Wang Yao entered through the Treasure Bottle Gate and followed the cobblestone path. The path seemed long and winding, but the further he went, the stronger the fragrance of the elixir became. By the end, Wang Yao felt his spiritual energy was vibrant and alive, as if he were about to advance to the next level.
Finally, they reached the end of the path, where a small house resembling a vase stood before them. It looked quite similar to the vase-shaped gate that Wang Yao had just seen, just like a huge plum vase standing upright in the garden. The vase was bluish-white all over, smooth as jade, without a trace of other colors.
However, there was neither a door nor a window on the plum vase, but Wang Yao could feel that the fragrance of cinnabar that had been lingering around his nose was coming from the mouth of the upright vase. He wondered if he had to go down into the vase through the mouth.
He didn't know if he could fly here, and in his dilemma, he thought of going around the plum vase to take another look. Unexpectedly, his feet suddenly trembled slightly, and a dark cave appeared, with a series of blue stone steps leading down.
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