"how so?"
In the city lord's mansion, which was decorated with lights and colorful decorations, Fang Yuan sat alone on a table in the outer hall, looking at the colorful fish swimming in the pond next to him. He was in a daze, and suddenly wanted to jump in. In the pond, become one of them.
He had almost forgotten how he stepped off the platform and how he was carried here by the servants of the city lord's palace.
At this time, a banquet was being held in the city lord's palace.
According to the usual practice, after the big exam every three years, the city lord will hold a banquet for those who have made the exam and are about to become the disciples of the Immortal Sect. This year will be no exception, even because his daughter has also made the exam. The reason is even more lively. But Fang Yuan, who was supposed to be sitting at the VIP table in the inner hall during this grand banquet, could only sit blankly in the outer hall, guarding the empty table.
He could feel the eyes around him that were mixed with sympathy, pity, ridicule, and even gloating, and he felt extremely tired.
He wasn't supposed to be here!
Daoyuanzhenjie has been cancelled. Not only is he no longer at the top of the top rankings, he can't even enter the small second rankings...
Because he spent too much effort on Daoyuan True Interpretation, other pharmacology, divination, and utensils, it is naturally impossible for him to have too many attainments. It is even said that he has knowledge of other things. Close to knowing nothing, because Mr. Zhu said very early on that if one subject of Daogen Zhenjie is learned well, it will be worth the sum of all other knowledge combined...
After all, other knowledge can be learned slowly after entering the immortal sect, but the true knowledge of Daogen must be learned from elementary school.
This is also true. In the Immortal Sect assessment, Fang Yuan only took the Dao Yuan True Knowledge subject and got the top spot on the ranking list.
But who would have thought that before he received the jade talisman, there would be such an evil sound
He was no longer on the list, but the city lord seemed to be kind and asked his servants to pick him up and arrange a seat for him.
However, he did not mention the matter of recruiting a son-in-law again, and the distinguished seat in the inner hall could not accommodate him.
Other people in the outer hall, either intentionally or unintentionally, avoided him at this time, leaving him alone to occupy a large table, as if an invisible force field appeared around him. , isolating others far away!
"Oh, the little brother from the Fang family is so pitiful. He should be at the top of the list, but in the end..."
"Oh, it's not easy for a disciple from a humble family to get ahead. Even God can't deal with him..."
"What do you think he is still doing sitting here, waiting to humiliate himself?"
Whispers spread around, worming their way into Fang Yuan's ears like mosquitoes.
He really felt like it was time to leave.
"Now that you're here, why bother leaving in a hurry?"
A big hand pressed on Fang Yuan's shoulder, pushing him back to his seat as he was about to get up.
Fang Yuan turned around and saw an old man in a green robe. He was in his fifties or sixties. He was slim and lanky. He was not angry or intimidating. He let out a long sigh, sat down next to Fang Yuan, and drank. The pot was filled with a cup and he handed it to Fang Yuan.
"Mr. Zhu..."
Fang Yuan hurriedly stood up and saluted, showing great respect to the old man in front of him.
This old man is the Taoist master of Xianzi Hall, and he was once an inner disciple of Qingyang Sect. It was he who brought Fang Yuan, who was eavesdropping outside Xianzi Hall, into Xianzi Hall ten years ago. It was also he who worked hard over the past ten years. Teaching made Fang Yuan what he is today...
...Although, Fang Yuan now is just an unlucky egg that is unknown on the list!
"Sit down and talk!"
Mr. Zhu waved his hand, turned to look at Fang Yuan, and said softly: "Are you disappointed?"
"I… "
Fang Yuan's expression darkened. Ten years of hard work were ruined. How could he not be disappointed
But looking at the Taoist master's concerned eyes, he just smiled and said: "I was just thinking, does the city lord still want me as his son-in-law?"
"Haha, you are not on the list now and your future is bleak. Who will betroth their daughter to you?"
Mr. Zhu also laughed when he heard this. He drank a full glass of wine and stuffed it into Fang Yuan's hand. Then he sighed longly and said, "Actually, "Daoyuan Zhenjie" has been proved to be It’s fake, it’s already expected!”
The forced smile on Fang Yuan's face also froze, and he looked up at Mr. Zhu.
Mr. Zhu himself poured a cup, drank it all in one gulp, and sighed in a low voice: "It is said that once every three thousand times, a great calamity comes to the world and kills all living beings. A thousand years ago, in order to fight against the great calamity, the Immortal Sect, the Demonic Sect, and the Demon Sect The top masters of the clan put aside their past grievances and gathered in Yuxu Cave in Kunlun Mountain to work together to propose a method to fight the catastrophe. However, they did not expect that after ten years of seclusion and research, when they were about to come out, a big change suddenly occurred. Fire fell from the sky, Yuxu Palace was destroyed, and none of the three masters could come out alive, and I still don’t know why!”
"However, although the masters of the Three Meridians all died in Yuxu Cave, there are rumors in the world that they have produced a Taoist scripture called "Daoyuan Zhenjie", which records the battle against the Three Thousand Years of Daoyuan. The wonderful meaning of calamity, all the major forces will do anything to find the "True Solution to Daoyuan"!"
"But no one expected that this Taoist book really appeared. Not only did it appear, but as soon as it appeared, there were dozens or hundreds of books. Among so many Taoist true interpretations, some contents are similar, but more contents are different. They are completely different. No one among the major forces knows which one is true and which one is false. However, every immortal sect who has obtained the "True Interpretation of Daogen" dare not take it lightly. Countless geniuses have worked hard to I went to study the secrets inside, but unfortunately hundreds of years have passed, and without exception, they have all been proven to be false!"
"Then Qingyang Sect..."
Fang Yuan spoke subconsciously, looking a little hesitant.
"The true explanation of Daoyuan of Qingyang Sect was obtained by Grand Master Gu Song's uncle seven hundred years ago. He studied it for more than a hundred years and couldn't find the method, so he taught this scripture to his fellow Qingyang Sect members, but no one could understand it. It is so transparent that I have no choice but to share this scripture with the other four major immortal sects in the Yue Kingdom. Countless experts from the five major immortal sects have spent countless efforts on this scripture, but still got nothing... "
"Since then, there have been various speculations, one of which was made by a hexagram master from Yi Lou!"
"That hexagram master is a good friend of Grand Master Gu Song's uncle who has known him for 800 years. After scrutinizing the scriptures, he believed that the true interpretation of Dao Yuan is mysterious and unpredictable, and contains great opportunities. The higher the cultivation level, the easier it is to be blinded. On the contrary, we cannot see the truth in it. Therefore, to get a glimpse of the people created by this sutra, we should look for them from children who have not yet come into contact with the path of spiritual practice. Grandmaster Gu Song’s uncle believed his words so much that he began to recruit disciples from the mortal world three hundred years ago. Over time, the triennial Immortal Sect Examination came into being..."
Having said this, Mr. Zhu sighed again: "But three hundred years ago, I don't know how many people were admitted to the Immortal Sect, but they still found nothing about the interpretation of Daoyuan's true meaning. The sect has found many good immortal seedlings left behind in the mortal world. Gradually, several other immortal sects have long since given up hope of deciphering the true meaning of Daoyuan. When selecting disciples, they only select those who are outstanding in other aspects. Qingyang Sect has already More than a hundred years ago, someone also raised this point. It's just that the Grand Master's uncle insisted on going his own way and no one dared to disobey his old man's wishes. It is for this reason that until yesterday, Daoyuan Zhenjie was the last in this immortal sect exam. An important one…”
"Then...then why today..."
Fang Yuan hesitated to speak, a little confused, why did he cancel it just when he won the first place
"Because Grand Master Gu Song's uncle passed away three days ago!"
Mr. Zhu's face was full of emotion, and he seemed to be a little bit sad.
Fang Yuan was stunned and didn't know how to answer.
Mr. Zhu smiled bitterly and said: "Actually, I have spent most of my life reading this sutra. I always feel like I have gained something, but in the end I have gained nothing. I have long suspected that this sutra is false, and I have a premonition that it will. It's such a day, but I still teach you all the time. It's not that I want to harm you. It's just that no matter whether the true explanation of Daoyuan is true or false, it is after all the most important part of the Immortal Sect exam. And learning this way doesn't have to be like learning. Other knowledge generally costs a lot of money, and is most suitable for disciples from poor families. If you can use this to enter the Immortal Sect, that is a good thing. Even if the time comes to save the truth and learn from the beginning, it is better than being shut out. Over the past hundred years, using this method, I have also sent many good seedlings from poor families to the Immortal Sect, but I have only suffered a lot from you... "
"Did it hurt me?"
Fang Yuan was slightly absent-minded, and the smile on his face was a little bitter.
Mr. Zhu sighed and said, "I didn't come here to say this, I just have something to tell you!"
Fang Yuan came to his senses and said with a wry smile: "Sir, if you want to comfort me, you might as well give me a jar of pear blossoms hidden in your kiln for free..."
"If I have a daughter to marry you, I have nothing to worry about, but if you want my Lihuabai, I'd better give up..."
Mr. Zhu laughed and cursed, and then looked into Fang Yuan's eyes. After a while, he spoke seriously: "I am not comforting you with this sentence, I am just telling you a fact... Daoyuan's true interpretation may be false, but Your ranking at the top of the list is true!"
Fang Yuan was slightly startled and looked up at Mr. Zhu.
"Not to mention whether Dogen's true interpretation is false or not, if he is said to be the most difficult to learn, no one will object. This sutra is difficult and convoluted, and its meaning is difficult. Every word and sentence can lead to a large number of interpretations and interpretations. By extension, if you want to achieve success in this sect, you must not only memorize all the scriptures, but also the published versions of other immortal sects, as well as the interpretation experiences of countless practitioners, you must fully memorize and understand them. , Haoshouqiongjing is not enough to describe the hardships involved. Even the great practitioners in this world have delayed their practice and even fallen into madness in order to study the true meaning of Daoyuan. Not to mention you little ones with weak minds. child?"
When he said this, Mr. Zhu looked at Fang Yuan with doting eyes: "I have been teaching at the Fairy Hall in Taiyue City for decades, and I have seen many amazing and brilliant prodigies, but I have never seen him. To live a life that is as hard-working as you, those countless great practitioners, and learned elders cannot do it, but you have done it. Even I admire you for this... "
"so… "
"This honor of being at the top of the list was earned by you through ten years of hard study. You were won among hundreds of thousands of students from the seven counties of the Yue Kingdom. You were originally in the same position as others, and even because of your family background, you were in a better position. Others are still far behind, and it took them ten years to reach a higher position than them. Who can say that your top position is fake, and who can deny that you are better than them?"
Mr. Zhu looked solemn and patted Fang Yuan's shoulder heavily. His voice was a little low: "My child, today is the last lesson I teach you. Don't forget how you have come through these ten years and embark on a spiritual journey in the future." The road, this is your Taoist heart!"
After saying these words, Mr. Zhu drank a glass of wine and turned to leave.
"How did I get through these ten years..."
Fang Yuan looked at Mr. Zhu's back and softly repeated what he had just said.
"Yeah, how did you get here these ten years?"
"When I was five years old, I rode on the locust tree outside Fairy Hall to eavesdrop on Mr. Zhu's lecture. I was stung all over my head by wasps..."
"When I was seven or eight years old, I was busy in the fields with my uncle and aunt, while memorizing the words taught by Mr. Zhu. I cut my hand with a sickle, but I didn't notice it. When I turned around, I saw blood sprinkled on the seedlings. Above, crystal clear and bright..."
"When I was a teenager, what I dreamed about every day were those difficult and convoluted scriptures..."
A feeling of sadness and pride rose up in Fang Yuan's heart...
"How did I get here?"
"I have put in ten times more effort and ten times more efforts than others to get where I am today..."
"Mr. Zhu is right. You can say that Dao Yuan Zhenjie is fake and you can cancel my name on the list. But who can deny that I did win the top spot on the list with my strength, and will all of you be eliminated?" Under my name?"
He poured the wine that Mr. Zhu poured for him into his mouth, and then poured another full glass.
Then he looked up at the direction Mr. Zhu was leaving, and said silently in his heart: "Don't worry, Mr. Zhu, I won't get depressed!"
The knot in his heart was untied, Fang Yuan's previous confusion suddenly disappeared, and he gained strength. He took a long breath and prepared to leave, but just as he stood up, he couldn't help but think of another question: "What if "Dogen True Interpretation" is fake, so what happened to the faint feeling in my heart when I was studying the contents of the scriptures in the past few years?"
Thinking about this question, he couldn't help but think of the countless nights a month ago when he read Dogenzhen's interpretation and fell into dreams. While half asleep and half awake, his heart suddenly became clear and he felt the mysterious and mysterious power. Feel…
He didn't know how to describe the feeling that was both real and illusory, and he never told anyone about it!
He once thought that when he really started to practice, he would be able to discover the true truth contained in the Daoyuan True Solution with the guidance of that feeling. But who would have thought that at this juncture, the Daoyuan True Solution would actually be revealed? Proved to be false
(End of chapter)