Seeing his disciple in such a state, Wang Chongqing sighed and asked, "Disciple, a good man does not boast of past glories, let alone something that happened generations ago..."
"Let me ask you, why does Qingyun Temple stand out among all the Daoist sects in the world? Is it simply because the current emperor favors True Person Qingyunzi?"
The disciple hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Because that old fellow Qingyunzi has a high status?"
Wang Chongqing shook his head, a bitter smile flashing across his face.
He said, "You are wrong. It is because True Person Qingyunzi was already the foremost in the Daoist world even before he received the emperor's help."
The disciple was stunned again and asked incredulously, "Is this true, Master? Is this what I heard?"
Wang Chongqing sighed and explained, "Back then, you weren't even born, so it's normal that you don't know the real situation..."
"I am over sixty years old now. When I was young, I was fortunate enough to witness how powerful True Person Qingyunzi's reputation was in the Daoist world..."
"The title of 'number one Daoist in the world' was not given to True Person Qingyunzi by the current emperor; he earned it himself, with his own sword."
"And the reason the current emperor values True Person Qingyunzi so highly is precisely because of his status as the number one Daoist in the world."
...
"It is precisely because he has the highest utility value that True Person Qingyunzi was appointed the National Teacher."
"And do you think our Quanzhen Sect lacks gold, silver, and jade?"
"Do you think Qingyun Temple, which is even more powerful than us, truly cares about these external possessions?"
"Everyone sees things differently and thinks differently because they stand in different positions..."
"The things the current emperor sent, while seemingly precious, are commonplace in high society. What household doesn't have similar items..."
"Just you wait. Once True Person Qingyunzi dies, Qingyun Temple will immediately fall from grace."
"At that time, Qingyun Temple might not even be as good as our Quanzhen Sect?"
"The winds of fortune shift; that's how things are in the world."
"People will support you only if you have value. Otherwise, who would bother with you?"
The disciple replied blankly, "But they stood at the pinnacle of the world. The name Qingyunzi has also left a deep mark in history..."
"Why do we live such obscure lives, with nothing?"
"I believe if I were in his position, I would do even better than him..."
Wang Chongqing heard this, patted his disciple's head, and explained with a hint of amusement, "In this world, some things are far beyond what you can understand at your current level..."
"You must remember one thing: True Person Qingyunzi ascended to his current position through his own efforts..."
"It's not that he was in that position from the start and then achieved his current accomplishments..."
"If you, my disciple, believe you are stronger than True Person Qingyunzi, then first strive to reach his position, and then prove to the world that you are better than him!"
The disciple was rendered speechless by his master's words.
Afterward, Wang Chongqing began to tell his disciple the story of Qingyunzi.
The disciple never imagined that the deeds of the number one Daoist in the world would be told so plainly by his master.
In the narrow carriage, intermittent voices echoed.
However, most of the time, it was Wang Chongqing asking questions, with the disciple occasionally interjecting.
For a short while, it was quite harmonious.
"Qingyunzi was an orphan, joining Qingyun Temple at the age of three. He didn't reach the Grandmaster realm until he was over sixty or seventy? What was he doing in Qingyun Temple during all those years?" the disciple asked curiously.
"Cultivating and reading Daoist scriptures."
Wang Chongqing said softly.
The disciple was immediately stunned.
Qingyunzi had no intention of hiding his past experiences, which was why Wang Chongqing could recount them accurately.
From his family being destroyed and him wandering the streets begging, to being taken in by Qingyun Temple and becoming the disciple of the Abbot, all those legendary tales.
The disciple listened with great interest to the stories, occasionally offering his own comments.
"So, Qingyunzi's talent wasn't very good? He only entered the Grandmaster realm with one foot in the grave..."
"If not for Qingyunzi's long lifespan, he would likely have just been an ordinary Daoist."
After hearing his master's account, the disciple commented.
Wang Chongqing smiled, "In this world, things are judged by their results, not intentions. Regardless, True Person Qingyunzi ultimately succeeded!"
"The process is not important; a good outcome is all that matters."
"Diving too deep into the specifics is of no practical use."
"Is that so?"
The expression on the disciple's face was one of surprise.
At some point, the disciple suddenly realized that his master, Wang Chongqing, had fallen silent.
This was because they had now arrived at the foot of Qingyun Temple.
A dense crowd stood below Qingyun Temple. The dozens of horse-drawn carriages filled with congratulatory gifts left the Daoists waiting outside the temple gates in awe, pointing and chattering.
Many Daoists even gathered around the young disciples guarding the temple gates, deliberately trying to curry favor.
The young disciples guarding the gates, while fending off greetings from others, proudly puffed out their chests.
The entire Qingcheng Mountain had already transformed due to Qingyunzi's 127th birthday.
From the foot of the mountain to its slopes, celebratory arches were erected, and a continuous stream of celebratory pavilions, lantern workshops, lantern towers, and lantern corridors.
The common folk and various shops adorned their homes with banners and altars, burning incense for blessings. Countless Daoists held grand celebration altars, and the houses along the road also erected scripture sheds and built pavilions, making the area incredibly lively.
However, upon arriving at Qingyun Temple, the visiting Daoists realized that compared to the changes within Qingyun Temple, the festivities outside were nothing.
The temple gates were already open, and the well-wishers were entering one after another. The grandeur of the temple astonished them.
Inside Qingyun Temple, workers had used painted drawings, cloth, and silk to create Daoist scriptures, covering the entire temple as if it were a sacred Daoist site.
Silver threads were woven into patterns of green jade, forming large characters like "Eternal Longevity" and "Ancestors Live Ten Thousand Years," which were prominently displayed on the walls.
As far as the eye could see, the trees within the temple were all adorned with high-quality green silk, exuding an ancient and dignified aura.
High pavilions were erected everywhere, with Daoists placing statues of Daoist ancestors.
Books such as Laozi's "Tao Te Ching," Zhuangzi's "Nanhua Jing," Liezi's "Qingxu Jing," Ge Hong's "Baopuzi," and Sima Guang's "Zhuowang Lun," as well as Zhuge Liang's "Da Dao Lun," were piled high within the temple.
Qingyun Temple had spent a total of three hundred thousand taels of silver for Qingyunzi's birthday celebration.
...
Upon entering the temple, the congratulatory gifts were arranged and moved by the temple staff, while the well-wishers proceeded to the inner hall to wait.
As they looked around, they realized that most of the people in the hall knew each other.
In fact, due to the sheer number of people coming to congratulate Qingyunzi, Daoists below the rank of sect leader had to wait outside the hall to pay their respects from afar.
Perhaps because the Quanzhen Sect had declined, although there were many Daoist sect leaders in the hall, few were interested in forming connections with Wang Chongqing. Most were gathered around the sect leaders of Longhu Mountain, Baiyun Mountain, and others.
Accompanying Wang Chongqing was only a long-time friend, Zhao Wenxuan of the Jinshan Sect.
The two were engaged in idle conversation.
Just as Wang Chongqing was feeling bored, bells, drums, and chimes sounded, and Wu Tao arrived, surrounded by his disciples and grand-disciples.
"My fellow Daoists have indeed shown me great respect by traveling such a long distance to celebrate my birthday."
After a round of flattery from those in the hall, Wu Tao continued, "I am very happy today, not because it is my 127th birthday, but because of everything my friends have done for this ceremony. It shows me the unity and strength of our Daoist community..."
"It shows me the heart of all Daoist sects, and it shows me the harmony among Daoist sects. With this, how can our Daoist community fail to continue suppressing Buddhism and remain the foremost sect in the world?"
As Wu Tao's words fell, the many Daoist sect leaders in the hall, whether willingly or unwillingly, showed smiles and applauded, giving him plenty of face.
Wu Tao then continued, "To express my sincerity, everyone who has come to celebrate today will receive a small gift. Remember to collect it at the temple when you leave!"
After another round of enthusiastic praise, Wu Tao coughed and then said, "The birthday ceremony begins, let the music play!"
The rules of the Daoist sects were actually quite strict.
The reason for such strict rules was to enhance the solemn atmosphere and imbue it with a more profound meaning, making the rules and etiquette extremely complex.
First, the Daoists of Qingyun Temple, led by Wu Tao, along with the numerous Daoist sect leaders who had come to celebrate, had to pay their respects to the Dao Ancestor.
After the bows, it was the turn of the esteemed sect leaders of the Daoist sects to offer congratulatory words to Wu Tao in turn, according to their status.
Such as "All things begin from nothing, the Dao is naturally effortless yet accomplishes everything, things are born and thus gain virtue, with many paths one loses sheep, scholars lose life in many ways, much talk leads to the end, it is better to remain centered."
Or perhaps "The heavens and earth are without action, yet accomplish all actions. Within the great heaven, there are small heavens. All things in the world are born from existence, and existence is born from nothing. Fish live in water and die when taken out, while humans die in water. That which is formless and nameless is the source of all things. Metal and stone have sound, but without being struck, they do not ring."
"Things that are strong will age, this is called not the Dao, and not the Dao has long passed."
To be honest, the wording and phrasing of these essays were even more demanding and difficult to understand than the classical Chinese spoken by elderly scholars.
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