Instruction

Primordial. Lu Zhao emerged from the mental mire and arrived at the small Taoist temple standing amid the chaos. As always, the old Taoist sat in cross-legged meditation with his eyes closed. Lu Zhao waited outside the doorway. He couldn't help wondering what an immortal like the old Taoist practiced during his everyday cultivation. From what Lu Zhao understood, among experts who attained the level of Martial Marquis, only a minuscule few were still able to maintain daily life-force development, because they had already reached the end of the road. How far a person could go seemed predestined in the dark. Once someone reached a certain threshold of life force, all growth ceased. No matter how many life supplements they consumed or how rigorously they trained, they could not make even the slightest fraction of progress. In academic terms, this was known as the life-force ceiling. If a person could still cultivate and gain even 0.001 a day, it proved they had not yet hit their limit, and perhaps they only needed the right opportunity to soar straight into the sky. The old Taoist was still cultivating at his level. Did that mean he could take yet another step forward? If someone had already achieved immortality, could they still advance further? *I wonder how much of Master's skill I'll be able to learn in the future.* Roughly half an hour passed. The old Taoist slowly opened his eyes and said, "Come in. What is it today?" Lu Zhao stepped into the temple, first bowing with clasped hands. Compared to his first visit, his movements were now completely practiced. Although the old Taoist had always said he didn't care for mundane etiquette, Lu Zhao wasn't foolish enough to think he actually welcomed someone who forgot their place. He sat down on a rush cushion and described his recent cultivation. "Master, while contemplating the Visualization Method, this disciple gained some insights, yet I am unsure whether they are correct." A flicker of surprise crossed the old Taoist's face, though he quickly regained his composure. "Doubt is the beginning of thought, the threshold of learning. Let me hear it." Lu Zhao said, "I feel that concentrating on the five senses does not refer to the physical five senses." The old Taoist nodded slightly, a hint of satisfaction showing in his eyes. To learn the form without learning the intent was a hundred years of wasted effort. Intent was a profound, elusive thing. Some people studied for decades without grasping even the surface, while others understood it in just a few days. His student possessed exceptional talent, so it was only natural for him to have epiphanies. If he lacked even this much aptitude, how could he be worthy of being his disciple? Besides, the method he had created himself was bound to be superior to those of the prestigious sects. "How many layers have you realized?" "Smell, taste, and touch," Lu Zhao answered. "Taste is my perception of the presence of food; smell is my perception of time; touch is my perception of the presence of others." The old Taoist did not refute him, merely asking, "Then what are sight and hearing?" Lu Zhao replied, "Hearing is discerning the human heart. When I employ the Visualization Method, I can sense subtle emotional fluctuations in people." Though it fell short of mind reading, whether someone was nervous or calm could not escape Lu Zhao's eyes. Lin Zhiyan, for instance, had impeccable control over her expressions and rarely displayed personal emotion. Even when she did, it was only because she wanted others to see it. That was a facade. Yet through the Visualization Method, Lu Zhao could gauge her mental state from multiple angles. As for sight... Lu Zhao pondered briefly, sinking into deep thought. What was sight? It was clearly the most direct of the senses, yet it seemed shrouded in mist. If one could simply see, why would they need psychic power to perceive? Lu Zhao admitted frankly, "This student is foolish. When it comes to sight, I have not the slightest clue." The old Taoist smiled, secretly breathing a sigh of relief. At least there were things the lad couldn't figure out on his own. He had genuinely feared that if the boy could master whatever technique was tossed at him, would there still be any need for him as a teacher? How would he take disciples in the future? He offered a hint. "Modern formal language has been simplified. Why not consider what the five senses were in ancient times?" Lu Zhao understood instantly, his thoughts moving like lightning. Form, sound, scent, taste, touch. Sight corresponded to form, referring to appearance and shape—long, square, flat, round—and all manners of form and direction. "Form is the world I see?" "Good." The old Taoist nodded and elaborated, "Zhuangzi said, 'Without other there is no self; without self nothing can be grasped.'" Without an external world, the "self" could not exist. Sight was about clearly perceiving that external world. Then how, exactly, was one to perceive it clearly? Lu Zhao recalled how Master had described the greatest sages of history; their process of comprehending the Dao had always been about studying the world and expounding upon it. Then the answer was simple. At least for Lu Zhao, the answer to the Dao was like a fallen leaf floating on a stream. He could not gather them all, but he could easily scoop up a single leaf. "To perceive the world and to transform it—this is what scent and form are." "..." The old Taoist stared at him for a long time, full of heartfelt admiration. A genius of the immortal path—a true immortal talent. Lu Zhao was no longer merely visualizing the five senses; he was forging a Dao heart, just like those transcendent sages who had stood peerless throughout the ages. He said languidly, "When the spirit departs, there is death; when the spirit is kept, there is life. This is the key to uniting the five senses." At times it wasn't that he wanted to speak in riddles, but explaining things too deeply would only end up harming Lu Zhao. *When the spirit departs, there is death; when the spirit is kept, there is life.* *Hold fast to one's original heart?* Lu Zhao was already able to keep pace with the old Taoist's rhythm, at least understanding enough to follow along. Just as his thoughts began to wander, a ferule came swinging down, striking him squarely on the forehead. *Smack!* The pain struck directly at his consciousness body, making him grimace. Ferule in hand, the old Taoist said, "Haste makes waste. You seem anxious. Has something happened in the mortal world?" Lu Zhao collected himself. While the pain diverted his attention, it also allowed his mind to relax slightly. He asked, "Master, aside from my cultivation, there is another matter this student does not understand." The old Taoist said, "A teacher exists to pass on the Dao, impart learning, and resolve doubts. Resolving doubts makes no distinction between cultivation and other affairs." Lu Zhao then recounted the events he had recently uncovered. Previously, the old Taoist had already learned about Lu Zhao's circumstances, even giving him the nickname "Lu Gangfeng." In everyday life, apart from cultivation, the old Taoist enjoyed nothing more than engaging him in conversations about modern times and drawing parallels to history. Having heard him out, the old Taoist cut straight to the heart of the matter. "You wish to intervene in the feud between the Lin and Chen clans, yet you don't want to throw in your lot with either side. "At the same time, you want to use the momentum to advance yourself, seeking a way to pull chestnuts from the fire." Although it had been less than a month since they became master and disciple, he saw through Lu Zhao completely. Lu Zhao bowed with clasped hands. "I beg Master to resolve my doubts." "Use history as a mirror; the affairs of the past and present share common ground." The old Taoist asked, "Between Hai Rui and Yan Song, who do you think was a loyal minister of the Great Ming?" Hai Rui and Yan Song? Lu Zhao answered without hesitation, "Naturally Hai Rui." The old Taoist asked again, "Was Yan Song not?" "..." Lu Zhao's mouth opened slightly, and he fell into thought. If Master were asking who had benefited the world and cared for the common people, it was unquestionably Hai Rui. However, the qualifier had been "a loyal minister of the Great Ming"—meaning one had to look at it from the perspective of the Great Ming, or even from the perspective of Emperor Jiajing. He said, "From Jiajing's perspective, Yan Song could be considered a loyal minister." "And not for the Great Ming?" "The Great Ming was not established by a single man, nor was its bureaucracy held up by Jiajing alone, so he does not count. Truth be told, the blunders of the Jiajing reign were Jiajing's own fault, not on the heads of Hai Rui or Yan Song." Lu Zhao spoke his mind freely, stating bluntly, "If you ask me, Jiajing was the greatest pest in the Great Ming." "..." The old Taoist tilted his head slightly, squinting sideways at Lu Zhao, and brought the ferule swinging right down. *Smack!* "Master, was I mistaken?" "If you're right, I can strike you; if you're wrong, I can strike you all the same. That is the prerogative of a teacher."