Chapter 11: Xuanyuan

Chapter 11: Xuanyuan

"Only the Three-One Sages~ embody a minor Taiji~ universally receiving the mandate of the great calamity~ bearing boundless praises of myriad ranks~... bestowing blessings and dispelling misfortunes, universally saving the living and the dead, their Dao crowning all heavens, their grace extending through the three realms, great compassion and great vows, great sage and great mercy..."

The rhythmic, cadenced chanting of sutras echoed ceaselessly through the spacious cavern, as all six disciples of the Qingfeng Temple, including Li Huowang, sat cross-legged on rush cushions, attending the morning liturgy with their master.

There were no scriptures laid before anyone; Li Huowang could only mumble along indistinctly, mimicking his senior brothers through the morning recitations.

While chanting, Li Huowang raised his head, his gaze fixing upon Danyangzi seated at the very front; the hostility that had just flickered in his eyes was swiftly suppressed.

Toward this repulsive creature, he now harbored a visceral urge to devour his flesh and flay his skin, yet Li Huowang knew he was far too weak at present, utterly no match for him.

The man possessed formidable power, so recklessness was out of the question; his utmost priority now was to endure in silence and seek opportunities in the shadows.

This path might be fraught with perils, and he might even be discovered by Danyangzi and meet a gruesome end, but Li Huowang no longer cared about anything.

Seeing Danyangzi shift slightly to the side, Li Huowang swiftly moved his gaze upward, past the three tall sticks of incense, toward the three divine statues nestled within the hollowed-out rock wall.

The three immortals, each with distinct features, wore yellow Daoist robes and cradled fly-whisks, their eyes devoid of sorrow or joy, gazing down upon the minuscule mortals below.

They bore not a trace of transcendent, otherworldly grace; rather, their features were utterly ordinary, and were it not for their Daoist robes, they would have looked like nothing more than three oversized commoners.

Li Huowang naturally had no idea who these three deities were, but he etched their visages deeply into his memory.

At this moment, the chanting began to slow, and as the final short passage of the scripture left their lips, an attendant boy struck the red drum heavily three times, signaling the end of the morning liturgy.

All the disciples rose in unison with Danyangzi, simultaneously pinching the thumb of their left hand with their right, resting the four fingers of the left hand atop the fingers of the right, and raising both hands above their heads to bow toward the statues.

Having completed the bow, Danyangzi turned around slowly, surveying the disciples behind him.

Upon seeing Li Huowang, clad in his Daoist robe, standing at the very back of the crowd with a placid expression, he nodded in satisfaction.

"Xuanyuan, Xuanyang has just entered our sect and surely knows little of our ways; as his senior brother, you shall instruct him."

"Yes, Master," a middle-aged man with a round, slightly plump face and a mild expression bowed to Danyangzi.

"Very well, the hour of Mao has passed and there is nothing more to attend to; go and take your meal," Danyangzi said, clasping his hands behind his back as he walked toward a nearby cave opening.

A gloomy-looking young man wearing a Hunyuan cap followed closely behind him as they departed.

"That is Senior Brother Zhengkun; ever since Senior Brothers Zhengkan and Zhengzhen defected, he has been the Master's sole inner-sect disciple. When you encounter him in the temple, remember to show respect—he lacks the Master's amiable temper."

Xuanyuan walked up to Li Huowang, explaining the man's background to him.

Li Huowang nodded. "Thank you for the clarification, Senior Brother Xuanyuan. Does he also possess supernatural arts like the Master?"

He knew little else, but Li Huowang was aware that Danyangzi possessed the ability to telekinetically manipulate objects and had astonishing strength, capable of lifting stone jars weighing hundreds of catties.

Yet these were not the most daunting aspects; what Li Huowang dreaded most was the man's omniscience regarding everything that transpired in the cavern, whether it was Li Huowang calling him a fart or his earlier refusal to flee together.

If he truly intended to deal with him, this particular matter had to be thoroughly understood.

"He is an inner-sect disciple; how would I know what the Master has taught him?" Li Huowang detected the jealousy laced within the man's words.

"A single person's strength is too feeble; should I seek other allies within the Qingfeng Temple?" A thought rippled through Li Huowang's mind, but it was swiftly extinguished.

Those with a rebellious spirit had likely already been devoured by the Black Taisui last time; those who remained, if not utterly devoted to Danyangzi, were surely timid and cowardly sorts.

"Let us go, we can talk as we walk," Xuanyuan said, turning to lead Li Huowang toward the kitchen. "I know what you are thinking. Do not covet the Master's immortal ascension art; when it comes to passing it down the ranks, you will be the very last."

"As for you, just focus on your duties and do whatever the Master commands. When your turn comes according to seniority, it will naturally be passed to you."

By now they had arrived at the dining cavern, where the senior brothers who had arrived earlier were already sipping their porridge.

He recognized three of them: the two sword-bearing Daoists were Changming and Changren, and there was also Xuanyin, whom he had briefly met before.

Adding Xuanyuan beside him and himself, Xuanyang, all five registered disciples of the Qingfeng Temple were now gathered here.

"The rule of the Qingfeng Temple is silence during meals and sleep; I will teach you the rest after we finish eating," Xuanyuan said before sitting down to share the porridge.

Li Huowang sat down, lifted his black clay bowl, and took a sip, his gaze silently observing the behavior and mannerisms of his senior brothers.

These men had varied appearances, none particularly striking nor exceedingly ugly. Yet, seeing them seated together in their Daoist robes, Li Huowang felt a lingering sense of oddity.

When he saw Xuanyin press one side of his nose and blow forcefully onto the ground, while the other two senior brothers frowned slightly, Li Huowang finally realized it was their auras that differed.

Among these men, some carried a more scholarly air, while others had thick, coarse joints on their hands and feet, looking as though they were accustomed to hard manual labor.

"Where did Danyangzi find these five disciples? Could they have been promoted from being medicinal catalysts, just like me?"

As empty bowls were set down one by one, the other senior brothers did not spare a single glance at the newly arrived Junior Brother Xuanyang, striding boldly toward the exit.

After the meal, Xuanyuan continued to show Li Huowang around the Qingfeng Temple; from him, Li learned that the five registered disciples were each responsible for different areas of the temple.

Some managed the novice boys, some handled procurement outside the temple, and others were in charge of feeding the Black Taisui, with the more senior members even juggling multiple duties.

It had not always been this busy, but after so many died previously, their responsibilities were forcibly distributed among the remaining disciples.

Li Huowang's duties went without saying; he was in charge of everything in the ingredient room, and all the work these disciples did was to assist the Master in his ascension to immortality.

Wandering about in this manner for an entire day, Li Huowang finally gained a detailed understanding of the entire temple from Xuanyuan.

Li Huowang committed all these details firmly to memory; this was no longer an illusion he could leave at any moment, and whether he could kill Danyangzi or not, this information might prove immensely useful.

After spending the day together, the relationship between Xuanyuan and Li Huowang had warmed slightly, and the two were now walking back from the Zhengyi Hall.

"Junior Brother Xuanyang, there is really no need to be so tense. Your tasks will not be that burdensome, and the Master does not refine elixirs every day."

"Oh? Please enlighten me, Senior Brother Xuanyuan."

"The refinement of elixirs is closely tied to celestial phenomena and specific hours; certain pills must be crafted at fixed times to achieve their maximum efficacy. For instance, today and tomorrow are unsuitable for alchemy, but the hour of Zi on the day after tomorrow will be an exceptionally auspicious time."

(End of Chapter)