Chapter 37 Official Apprenticeship
Zhongnan Mountain.

The terrain is difficult and the roads are rugged. There are five large valleys and more than 100 small valleys, stretching for hundreds of miles. The mountains are high and the valleys are deep, with mountains alternating with river valleys and terraces. The main landforms include piedmont alluvial deposits, alluvial fan groups, loess terraces, horst fault-block mountains (Lishan), loess high hills eroded by running water, large undulating medium mountains eroded by running water, and extremely undulating high mountains caused by ancient glaciers.

Mount Zhongnan is like a paradise of caves and caves that are isolated from the world and have kept their original appearance. The Taoist disciples who call Mount Zhongnan their home have dug caves to live in and built simple houses with bamboo and wood. Although there are a few more spectacular pavilions and towers, forming a series of magnificent Taoist temples, these Taoist temples are used to worship Taoist sages such as Laozi, Yin Xi, and Zhuang Zhou, as well as to entertain outsiders. Taoist disciples who advocate natural inaction rarely live there.

Too pure and clear.

It is the most important of the many Taoist temples in Zhongnan Mountain, and enshrines tablets of Taoist sages such as Laozi, Yin Xi, and Zhuang Zhou. Under the shrine, Taoist disciples carved a simple and heavy incense burner from rocks. Incense sticks are lit, emitting a light and elegant fragrance that envelops this quiet and simple place.

"Disciple Tianxuan, hello to the master!"

Many Taoist sages are enshrined in this hall, which is called the Great Hall but is actually no different from a dim small room.

Tianxuan, wearing a gray-black Taoist robe, was bathed in the clear light coming in from the door, and kowtowed to Beimingzi in front of him. Around him, Xiaoyaozi led Muxuzi and other high-ranking members of the sect, and Chisongzi led the high-ranking members of the Tianzong, neatly divided into two rows to witness this scene.

boom! boom! boom!
With Bei Mingzi, such a famous teacher, in front of him, Tian Xuan kowtowed to him willingly. Three consecutive crisp sounds, as dull as a bell.

"Get up!"

After three kowtows, the master-disciple relationship between Bei Ming Zi and Tian Xuan was formally established. From now on, if Tian Xuan achieved success outside, Bei Ming Zi and the entire Taoist sect would naturally help boost their reputation; on the contrary, if Tian Xuan did evil outside, Bei Ming Zi and the Taoist sect would inevitably lose face.

Having received a piece of fine material and beautiful jade as his apprentice, Bei Mingzi bent down and helped Tianxuan up from the ground.

“Tianxuan, your name carries a sense of Taoism,” Bei Mingzi looked at Tianxuan and said earnestly after helping him up, “So, your Taoist name is still Tianxuan. As for whether you can become Tianxuanzi in the future, that depends on your ability!”

"Disciple understands." Tianxuan nodded heavily.

At this time, the title "Zi" had not yet become widespread, and not everyone was qualified to be called "Zi".

"Chisong, take your junior brother down to familiarize himself with the environment."

Taoism advocates inaction, and naturally does not pay attention to red tape like Confucianism. This apprenticeship ceremony started quickly and ended even faster, Bei Mingzi instructed Chi Songzi.

"By the way, let me explain the rules of our Tianzong to your junior brother!"

"Here."

The current head of the Taoist Tianzong, Chisongzi, has snow-white hair and beard, is tall, and wears a gray-black Taoist robe. He has been in a high position for many years, and he is majestic. He has a ruddy face and a strong body. Just one look at him will make those with weaker cultivation feel impressed and sigh that he is really a Taoist master.

"Junior brother, the Tianzong's rules are relatively loose, with only ten rules." Immediately, Chisongzi took Tianxuan out of the gate, talking as he walked.

"First, you shall not rape or plunder!"

"Second, don't pass on your skills lightly!"

"Third, you must not be disrespectful to your teachers!"

……

"Tenth, you must not interfere with the enforcement of the sect rules!"

……

It was summer, but Tianxuan didn't feel hot at all as he walked along the path he had opened up in the lush forest. Occasionally, the mountain breeze brought the elegant scent of the forest into his mouth and nose. Chisongzi took Tianxuan for a walk on the majestic mountain of Zhongnan Mountain and told him the ten rules of the Tianzong sect.

"Brother, I have memorized them all." The ten sect rules that Chisongzi talked about were just as he said, not complicated at all. Tianxuan listened to them and engraved them in his heart.

"Just remember it." Chi Songzi glanced at Tian Xuan after hearing this. Then, he picked out a few rules to test Tian Xuan, but Tian Xuan repeated them word for word. Tian Xuan only listened once and really remembered all ten sect rules. Chi Songzi was secretly happy: I really found a treasure!
His face was still dignified, as if he didn't care.

"Next, I will show you the scenery on the mountain!" Chisongzi said, "My Taoist predecessor chose Zhongnan Mountain as his base. In addition to being not far from Hangu Pass, there is another very important reason: there are all kinds of strange landforms on Zhongnan Mountain, and it is very likely that a true immortal has practiced here."

"As for my Tianzong's unique skills, it won't be too late to teach them to you later!"

"Okay!" Tianxuan agreed.

"Look, that's Taiyi Stargazing!"

“This is a wind tunnel!”

"This place is called a line of sky!"

……

"Crouching Tiger guarding the stage!"

"Pisces in the sea!"

"The silver toad carries its child!"

……

Under the guidance of Chisongzi, Tianxuan, who had heard of the wonderful scenery of Mount Zhongnan created by thousands of years of rain, wind and geological changes in his previous life, but never had the chance to see it, got a glimpse of the various beauties of Mount Zhongnan. All of these were created by nature and were extremely beautiful.

Of course, the Taoists at that time simply thought that these landscapes were strange, and they did not derive a series of dreamlike, magnificent and gorgeous mythological stories from these landscapes. Although Tianxuan knew the reasons for the formation of these strange phenomena, he would not be so stupid as to say it out loud and make himself look bad.

…………

'The peerless Taoist master Bei Mingzi accepted another disciple after forty years. Qin Wangzheng personally ordered a marriage between Bei Mingzi's little disciple and a woman from the Yin-Yang family!'

A violent storm came from nowhere, spreading across all schools of thought at lightning speed, bringing great shock to everyone in them.

Farmhouse, Dazeshan.

"Has Bei Mingzi accepted another disciple?"

Tian Guang, the leader of the peasant family, was practicing martial arts in the martial arts arena. Unexpectedly, one of his most trusted people, Tian Meng, the leader of Lieshan Hall, suddenly came and reported such news to him. Immediately, Tian Guang's sword, which had drawn layers of phantoms, suddenly retracted and began to play with playful words.

"Xia Kui,"

Tian Meng, the head of Lieshan Hall, looked like a dignified man. He said to Tian Guang, "I think that the reason why Qin Wangzheng wanted to arrange a marriage between Bei Mingzi's disciple and the Yin Yang School member is that he wanted to win over the Taoist Tian Sect, but he probably values ​​the boy named Tianxuan himself!"

Brush and pull!

After saying that, Tian Meng took off the package on his back, untied it carefully, and revealed the contents.

Three linear paper books were stacked together. The breeze blew and rolled up the cover. The word "Honghuang" came into Tian Guang's sight. After the Qin State invented paper and printing, although it strictly guarded it, some of the secrets of paper and movable type printing were inevitably leaked.

(End of this chapter)