073. Learning Skills and Other Matters
After a moment of absent-mindedness, unable to discern truth from illusion, Li Xi ceased to press the matter further.
Just after noon, the three arrived beneath the Eagle’s Head. Gazing upward, their necks ached from the strain; the mountain was so high, so steep, so reminiscent of… well, not so much an eagle’s head as something else altogether.
At the base of the mountain, a small stream flowed crystal-clear, pooling beneath a stone wall into a shimmering pond. On a great boulder beside the water, three large characters were carved: Emerald Wave Pool.
Li Xi blinked several times, staring at the inscription in a daze, while Li Thirteen and Wang Cai circled the Eagle’s Head and returned, declaring that there was no way up the mountain. Li Xi rebuked them, “Nonsense! If there’s no path, how did the master get here?”
Everyone looked and was startled. From within the Emerald Wave Pool, a bamboo raft emerged, bearing a young Taoist clad in azure. None had noticed where the raft had come from—strange indeed. The youth stood motionless atop the raft, not even touching a pole, yet the raft moved of its own accord—stranger still. The Taoist’s features were exquisite—delicate brows, bright eyes, red lips, and pearly teeth—a face of striking beauty, though dressed in male garb and mannerisms, leaving all three uncertain of their gender—strangest of all.
The raft reached the shore, and the Taoist youth leapt onto the bank, bowing deeply to Li Xi. “My master foresaw your arrival today and sent me to welcome you. Please, follow me, elder brother.”
Li Xi fell into another daze, returning the bow. “Ah, are you an elder brother or sister? I return your courtesy. My master knew I would come, yet we have never met.”
The youth smiled. “You need not doubt, elder brother. My master possesses vast powers and boundless insight, seeing you arrive from the mountaintop long before.”
The three craned their necks upward. The Taoist spoke true; from the summit, one could see for miles around. Li Xi forced a laugh, brushing aside his earlier doubts, but felt a pang. He had come a long way from the city to seek a master, but this one seemed somewhat unreliable—accepting a disciple before even meeting him? At least some formality was expected: a registration, a few questions about name and origin. This approach seemed rather unconventional.
Still, having come this far, he resolved to meet the master. At worst, they might confiscate his belongings and strip him bare, but at least he was not a woman to be made into the mountain’s captive groom.
The three boarded the raft. Wang Cai wanted to bring their baggage aboard, but the Taoist stopped him. “The raft is too light for worldly burdens. Leave them below; after you’ve seen my master, let the fire monk fetch them.”
Li Xi felt a chill. A fire monk? Was Master Wuchen a disciple of the Three Pure Ones or a Buddhist monk? A Taoist temple harboring monks—truly odd.
Suppressing his disdain, Li Xi rode the raft, swaying gently toward the stone wall. The youth stood unmoving at the prow, the raft gliding without guidance, turning Li Xi’s scorn into unease, as if the journey’s outcome might be unpredictable.
The raft abruptly collided with the stone wall. Before Li Xi could react, darkness enveloped him—he was inside the “wall.” It was not stone at all, but a massive painted canvas with a door cut into it, barely discernible from afar but clear up close. Beyond it, another waterway led into shadows unknown.
Li Xi checked himself—he was unharmed, though his head buzzed with confusion. Li Thirteen and Wang Cai were equally bewildered, faces full of disbelief.
The Taoist youth smiled without explanation. “Please, elder brother, follow me.”
He leapt ashore and led the trio along a damp path to a stone door, ajar yet heavy. With a casual push, it opened. Li Xi suspected another trick, knocking around the door’s edge—his knuckles hurt; this one was real.
Inside, a spiraling stone stair ascended. The youth explained, “This is the Stairway to Heaven, leading to the summit. The Eagle’s Head is treacherous; only the master’s disciples use this path. Take care, elder brother—the steps are slippery.”
The stairway was carved from a natural fissure within the stone peak, just wide enough for a single person to crawl through. It was like traversing a mine shaft, though unlike miners, there were no lamps—only the intermittent natural light filtering through cracks in the mountain, alternating between brightness and shadow.
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The steps were indeed slick and steep. Before long, the guide was above Li Xi’s head; looking up, Li Xi saw only the youth’s backside, and wondered again about their true gender. But regardless, he prayed they wouldn’t pass gas at such a moment.
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than he himself let out a fart, startling Li Thirteen, who nearly slipped and fell.
At the end of the Stairway to Heaven stood another stone door. This time, the youth didn’t push but pulled a rope nearby, tugging four times. Soon, the door swung open and sunlight flooded in, dazzling the trio so they shielded their faces with their sleeves. Meanwhile, four Taoist youths stationed outside scrutinized them thoroughly before addressing their guide, “Which of you has come to seek a master?”
Before the youth could answer, Li Xi raised his hand. “I am the one.”
The questioner was indeed a woman. Seeing Li Xi’s excitement, she replied coldly, “Follow me. The other two may stay for tea.”
As his eyes adjusted to the afternoon light, Li Xi looked around and cried out in awe. From the Eagle’s Head, Lingjiu Mountain was truly a celestial realm.
“What are you shouting for? Our master is napping; can you bear the blame if you wake him?” The female Taoist glared, resembling a rooster ready for a fight. She was tall and robust, her appearance quite fine, but Li Xi had never been drawn to such imposing beauties. He hurriedly apologized, his voice barely audible.
Someone behind him snickered—it was the guide, the youth who had brought him up. Now, in the sunlight, Li Xi discerned her gender clearly: she was a charming, sunny young woman.
Li Xi smiled at her. “Elder sister, you’re quite something. Who are you?”
She smiled, lips pressed together. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
Seeing her lively demeanor, Li Xi felt a surge of satisfaction—his trip was not wasted. Whether Master Wuchen was a true immortal or a fraud, he was determined to become his disciple.
Atop the Eagle’s Head was an acre of flat land. To the southeast, slightly elevated, stood a Taoist temple and several small courtyards. Master Wuchen’s residence was a modest cottage at the southernmost edge—three humble thatched rooms.
The robust female Taoist instructed Li Xi to wait outside, leaving the guide to keep watch, while she went in to inform the master. She did not return for some time. Bored, Li Xi struck up a conversation with the guide. “Elder sister, how should I address you?”
She replied, “Song Qing. I’m younger than you and not a formal disciple, so I don’t deserve the title.”
“Song Qing—a lovely name, much better than ‘Green Pine’…”
Li Xi and Song Qing soon became acquainted. From her, he learned that the robust Taoist was called Xiu Mao, Master Wuchen’s senior disciple. Though she looked barely in her teens, she was actually forty-three. Master Wuchen had six formal disciples—three men and three women—and seven named disciples. However, only four female disciples lived on the mountain; aside from Xiu Mao, the others were named disciples. Song Qing happily told Li Xi, “You’re lucky. The senior brothers were all sent down the mountain by the master for tasks; they won’t return for a year or two. Without any men here, there’s no one to do the heavy, dirty work, so the master decided to take another disciple—and you just happened to arrive. Truly, timing is everything.”
Li Xi blinked and asked, “Did the master take a disciple just to have someone do the heavy, dirty work? Is this apprenticeship or hiring a laborer?”
Song Qing laughed quietly. “Don’t worry. Whatever the reason, once you’re accepted, you’ll be treated as a disciple. The master is indifferent by nature and rarely interferes; cultivation depends entirely on oneself. If he’s in a good mood and offers guidance, you’ll be grateful for it.”
Just then, a voice shouted from the cottage, “Song Qing, speaking ill of the master again? Do you want to be sent down the mountain to marry?”
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Song Qing’s expression changed, and she fell silent, hands folded and head bowed, showing a measure of respect.
The voice from within called again, “Let the one who disturbed my nap come in; let me see if you have the roots of wisdom.”
Li Xi scratched his head, glanced at Song Qing, and reluctantly entered the cottage. This master seemed unreliable in every way.
Yet, appearances can be deceiving. At the very first sight of Master Wuchen, all of Li Xi’s doubts vanished. He bowed sincerely, begging the old immortal to accept him as a disciple.
Li Xi’s sudden change of heart was not without cause; Master Wuchen’s appearance matched the old Taoist he had seen in his dreams—about six feet tall, with striking features, gaunt and thin, his hair white and tied in a tall topknot secured with a jade hairpin, three wisps of beard beneath his chin, unmoving in the wind, unshaken when he moved.
If this was not an immortal, it was a ghost—either way, Li Xi felt compelled to kneel in earnest.
“Rise. Song Qing’s chattering has said it all—what I need is a capable man, and you have arrived, fitting my requirements. We share a bond as master and disciple, so stay.”
Li Xi asked, “Master, am I to be a named disciple or a formal disciple?”
Master Wuchen laughed. “Do you know what a named disciple is? It means she has another master and came here to study. Do you have another master? Any teacher?”
Li Xi shook his head. “No.”
Master Wuchen said, “Then why ask?”
Xiu Mao, standing nearby, sneered, “From now on, you are the ninth formal disciple of the Supreme Palace of Xuantian on Lingjiu Mountain. Pay your respects to the master with three kneelings and nine kowtows.”
Li Xi rejoiced, rising to adjust his robes and ready himself to bow, but Master Wuchen and Xiu Mao shouted in unison, “Wait!”
They exchanged glances. Xiu Mao said, “Master, you ask first.” Master Wuchen replied, “You go ahead.”
Xiu Mao declared, “Then I won’t be polite.” She asked Li Xi, “What is your surname and given name, where are you from, do you have parents, how old are you, what do you do for a living, and why have you come to the Supreme Palace of Xuantian on Lingjiu Mountain to seek apprenticeship? Answer each in turn.”