Asking About Longevity

Chapter 42 Thoughts

There are clouds and mist in the mountains, and there is a courtyard in the clouds and mist. There is a bamboo gate in the courtyard, and a small path at the door winds to the foot of the ink painting.

 There doesn’t seem to be anything unusual about it.

 Mo Hua stepped onto the path, and then his consciousness felt a fluctuation, as if something was triggered.

 But looking around, the surrounding peaks are still peaks, the trees are still trees, and the flowers and grass are still flowers and grass, without any change.

Mo Hua stopped and looked around, but still didn't see anything.

Mo Hua walked to the bottom of the mountain and found Yan Jiaoxi still waiting at the foot of the mountain. When he learned that Mr. Zhuang agreed to accept Mo Hua as his apprentice, he was relieved and said happily:

“It is your blessing to be valued by Mr. Zhuang. You must cherish this opportunity. Mr. Zhuang is an expert, and you must respect him more.”

"When I walked along that path, I vaguely saw some pictures. These fleeting pictures told me that Mr. Zhuang is willing to accept you as his disciple, and that you will become an amazing array master in the future."

Yan Jiaoxi looked at Mo Hua’s dark and clear eyes and smiled, “Let it go.”

 But what exactly is the formation?

Mo Hua was a little nervous, but after thinking about Yan Jiaoxi's previous instructions, he still said truthfully: "I didn't see anything else..."

"Besides that?" Mr. Zhuang asked with interest, "Didn't you see anything else? Like someone or something?"

 “Then can I see you again?”

Mo Hua couldn't help but ask: "Teacher, are you leaving Tongxian City?"

 The direct disciples are called "Master", and they are passed down from master to father. It is emphasized that "one day is a teacher, and a lifetime is a father." The relationship between masters is very deep.

Mr. Zhuang looked at the formation drawn in the ink painting, raised his eyebrows slightly, and then said:

 The middle-aged monk said: "My surname is Zhuang. You can just call me Mr. Zhuang."

Mo Hua saluted and said: "Okay, sir."

Since he is a formation master and his consciousness fluctuates, there should probably be a formation on this path.

“Array masters seek the way of heaven, but the way of heaven is infinite, and human life is limited. Only by passing on the formation from generation to generation can monks be able to explore the way of heaven, and the formation can benefit all living beings.”

However, Mr. Zhuang is already very grateful for being able to accept Mo Hua as his named disciple.

Mr. Zhuang said: "There is a formation on that path. It was given to me by a Taoist friend in the past. The formation is called the Water Mirror Formation. Walking up for the first time can reveal some of your fate or predict something. future."

Yan Jiaoxi reached out and touched Mo Hua's head, "Go back early and talk to your parents."

Sitting in the middle of the room was a middle-aged monk in white clothes. He had an extremely handsome face and a graceful manner. When he looked around, he showed a bit of freedom and unruliness, as if nothing in the world had ever lingered in his mind.

Yan Jiaoxi waved his hand and said warmly: "Go." Then he kept looking at the ink painting until the back of the ink painting became smaller, and then turned and left.

I don’t know why, but the ink painting seems to have passed Mr. Zhuang’s test.

 “Yes, sir!”

Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, "There are mountains, trees, flowers, grass, and a path."

 The formation this time is more proficient than the last time, and the handwriting is more neat.

Walking like this, he had already reached the door of Tingluo.

The two of them walked along the mountain road for a while, and Mo Hua suddenly asked curiously: "Jiaoxi, have you been to Mr. Zhuang's courtyard? What did you see when you passed that path?"

Yan Jiaoxi turned his head and looked at the ink painting silently. After a moment, he said:

Mo Hua heard that some senior masters like to set up some formations or set up some situations to test others. I wonder if the gentleman on the mountain also has this habit.

After saying that, he led the ink painting into a bamboo house. The bamboo house was elegant and windy from all directions.

 Mo Hua suddenly felt a little heavy on his shoulders. He saluted Yan Jiaoxi and solemnly said: "Disciple, remember this!"

The bamboo gate of Tingluo is simple but quite interesting.

Or could it be said that the path in front of you is actually a test?

 Ink Hua felt a little nervous for no reason.

This is the most celestial character I have ever seen in Mo Hua.

 One hundred and seventy-six. Two hundred and thirty. One hundred and thirty-seven. Ninety

Mr. Zhuang was slightly surprised, then nodded and said: "I understand." Then he took out a formation diagram and continued:

“There is pen and ink here. You can draw this formation as much as you can.”

There are two types of master-disciple relationships in the cultivation world: one is a registered disciple, and the other is a personal disciple.

Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly and said, "I just passed by the path on the mountain. What did you see?"

The naming of disciples is much more casual. You can teach whatever you like. Disciples cannot call them "master", but can only call them "sir." There is a friendship between master and disciple, but it is not as deep as that of a personal disciple.

 Mo Hua saluted again, "Mr. Zhuang."

Mo Hua took a look at the formation diagram and saw that it was the Dingshui Formation, which was also the formation used by Yan Jiaoxi to assess before.

After passing the bamboo gate, the view suddenly opens up. What you see is a beautiful courtyard with several unique and elegant bamboo residences. The courtyard is paved with green grass, the pool is full of water, and the cranes are drinking dew. Just looking at it makes you feel relaxed and happy.

Yan Jiaoxi looked at the ink painting and suddenly said solemnly: "Ink painting."

“Yes, teaching.” Mo Hua agreed.

 An hour later, the ink painting spirit was exhausted, and he could still only draw five and a half formation patterns. It has only been a few days since the last time he drew a fixed water formation, and Mo Hua's spiritual consciousness has not grown so fast that he can draw a six-line formation in such a short time.

Yan Jiaoxi nodded, "I can't stay at Tongxian Sect anymore, and I have some personal matters, so I will leave soon."

With limited experience in ink painting formations, I have no clue at all. At the same time, no matter how you look at it, you don’t feel that the surrounding scenery is any different.

Mo Hua was overjoyed, and then he saluted Mr. Zhuang respectfully and said, "Thank you, sir, my disciple is willing!"

 Yan Jiaoxi looked relieved.

Mo Hua turned around, Yan Jiaoxi paused for a moment and said:

Mo Hua thought about it as he walked, but he couldn't think of anything.

When the middle-aged monk saw Mo Hua, he said with an easy-going smile: "You are Mo Hua, Mr. Yan told me. I ask you, you just answer, don't be formal, just say whatever you think."

"One day in the future, if you become a first-level formation master, or even a first-level formation master, and meet a monk with a good character and talent for formations, I hope you will not hesitate to give me advice. The formation path is like water, and it will only last if it is passed down. Otherwise, It will just be a pool of stagnant water that cannot flow."

Mo Hua walked towards the city gate. After walking a few steps, he turned back and saluted Yan Jiaoxi.

He had no choice but to remember the instructions given by his teacher, with a clear mind, and let things take their own course, neither forcing nor being discouraged.

"Not bad. Are you willing to be my registered disciple? I won't teach you some of the sect's formations, but if you want to learn the formations that are common in the monastic world, I can teach you."

 “I am not the sir, the sir is inside, you come with me.”

Mo Hua saluted again, this time as a disciple saluted Mr. Zhuang. Then he said goodbye to Mr. Zhuang and left Mr. Zhuang's court with brisk steps.

The voice of the old man was hoarse and dry, like the sound of a piece of rotten wood weathered:

There was a skinny old man standing in the courtyard. Mo Hua quickly saluted and said, "Hello, sir."

Mo Hua was shocked, how could such a formation exist? Can it reveal fate and future?

Then I didn’t see anything, what does it mean? Doesn’t it mean I have no future?…

Mr. Zhuang nodded, "You will go back today and come over tomorrow at Chenshi. I will start to teach you some formations."

After Yan Jiaoxi finished speaking, the two of them had reached a fork in the road, and in front of them was Tongxian City.

"yes."

Mo Hua took the paper and pen, compared it with the formation diagram, and began to draw the formation.

At this time, Mo Hua also turned around, looked at Yan Jiaoxi, and bowed deeply.

Yan Jiaoxi's figure gradually moved away, disappearing faintly in the misty mountains.

 (End of this chapter)