Journey to the West: The Great Sage's Guide

Chapter 64 Assessment of Incense Offerings and Merits

The assessment of incense offerings and merits has begun at this very moment!

The seventh-grade Mountain God Seal in Zhong Xuan's arms suddenly trembled, as if someone had struck an invisible bronze bell.

Everyone was startled, and their eyes all fell on his waist.

The Mountain God Seal was faintly glowing.

"It seems we should pause the meeting."

Zhong Xuan remained calm, waving his hand to dismiss everyone and return to their places.

Feng Lisheng was extremely agile; he vanished in a flash.

After a moment's hesitation, the tiger demon also led a few lesser demons away.

Rabbit Xiaoyu and Fox Xiaohong exchanged a glance, then timidly shrank into the corner, not forgetting to pick up Tao Yaoyao.

Only Li Gongcao remained still. This usually timid gray-robed clerk strode quickly to the back hall, and when he came out again, he had changed into a neatly pressed gray immortal robe.

This outfit immediately caught everyone's eye.

Although the gray robe was the lowest rank in the Heavenly Court, the material was not decent, and it could not possibly have any protective function.

Li Gongcao clearly didn't want to wear this on ordinary days, keeping it at the bottom of his trunk for a long time, preparing it specifically for today's occasion. He had also changed into a coarse cloth shirt when he was sorting out the earth's veins on the mountain.

"He really does have a bit of an official air about him!" Even Feng Lisheng scratched his chin and made a couple of jokes.

Li Gongcao wasn't angry at all, and even said proudly, "I was just an ordinary Taoist before, with only the basic skills of the Innate Foundation Establishment stage and the Three Flowers not yet condensed... yet I was able to pass the Heavenly Court's examination for a celestial position, which is no easy feat."

Zhong Xuan glanced at him and nodded slightly.

In no time at all.

Two white clouds drifted leisurely down into the daytime sky.

Two celestial officials descended from the clouds.

The leader was thin and gaunt, with a few sparse strands of long beard under his chin, and his white robe shimmered faintly in the sunlight.

"I am Pang De, the Commander of the Mountain and River Bureau," he announced loudly.

The other person was slightly shorter, with a fair complexion and no beard, and had a pair of slender eyes. The corners of his mouth were slightly upturned as if in a half-smile. He was also dressed in a white robe.

Pound then turned to the side and pointed to his companion, "This is Fellow Daoist Wang Tong."

Zhong Xuan rose with a flick of his sleeve, his expression calm.

Li Gongcao followed closely behind, standing half a step to his side with his hands at his sides.

After the two celestial officials landed, they first glanced at the layout of the mountain god temple, their gaze lingering briefly on the newly built side rooms and rear hall before returning to Zhong Xuan.

The gaunt celestial official stepped forward, bowing slightly, and asked in a friendly tone, "May I ask if you are Fellow Daoist Zhong Xuanzhong, the mountain god of Cuiyun Mountain?"

"That's right," Zhong Xuan returned the greeting.

Pound: "We two are here on the orders of the Ministry to conduct this once-in-a-century assessment of your incense offerings and merits."

Zhong Xuan stepped aside to let them in, saying, "You two have come a long way and must be tired. Please come inside and have some tea."

Wang Tong, however, was in no hurry to go in. His gaze swept over Zhong Xuan, then landed on Li Gongcao's gray immortal robe. He smiled and said, "The Cuiyun Mountain God certainly has quite the grand entrance, bringing a Gongcao to greet you. In all my years working in the Mountain and River Bureau, I've seen many mountain gods and local deities, but few are as particular as you, Fellow Daoist."

These words were spoken politely, but the tone was somewhat ambiguous.

Zhong Xuan didn't respond to that question, but simply said, "Li Gongcao is a guest of mine at Cuiyun Mountain. Knowing that I was going to welcome an official, he took the initiative to accompany me. It was nothing to do with pomp and circumstance."

Li Gongcao stood with his head bowed, not daring to say another word.

Pang De, being good at easing tensions, waved his hand with a smile: "Fellow Daoist Wang is just like that, always joking around. Don't mind him, Mountain God of Cuiyun. Let's get down to business first."

With that, the two followed Zhong Xuan into the main hall.

After they were seated, Rabbit Xiaoyu and Fox Xiaohong served fruit and tea. The two little fairies were quite quick, but their hands trembled slightly when they served the tea, clearly because it was the first time they had seen such a scene.

Pound picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and praised it as "good tea." Then he put down the teacup and asked casually:

"Fellow Daoist Zhong, you manage Cuiyun Mountain quite skillfully. I wonder which senior mentor you were so kind as to allow you to establish yourself in a place like Xiniu Hezhou?"

Zhong Xuan sensed the probing intent in those words, but remained expressionless: "I was merely following the rules of the Heavenly Court and doing my best. As for any promotion, I wouldn't call it that."

Wang Tong chimed in, maintaining his usual indifferent tone: "Oh? That's even more admirable! Fellow Daoist Zhong, at such a young age, you've managed to single-handedly maintain the grandeur of a mountain god temple. Truly, the younger generation is to be feared."

He paused, his narrow eyes narrowing slightly. "However... serving in the Heavenly Court is ultimately difficult without someone to rely on. Do you understand what I mean, fellow Daoist?"

Zhong Xuan picked up his teacup and took a slow sip: "I understand what Your Majesty means, but I really don't have any powerful backers to speak of, so I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you both."

Pang De and Wang Tong exchanged a glance, both showing displeasure.

Their trip down the mountain for the assessment was, to put it nicely, to be on official business; to put it bluntly, it was just running errands for their superiors.

The assessment of local mountain gods is a trivial matter within the Heavenly Court's system.

If it weren't for the recent rumors that the origin of the Cuiyun Mountain God's position was somewhat unclear, they wouldn't have had the opportunity to make this special trip.

Now that we're here, we naturally need to find out more about them.

If Zhong Xuan has someone backing him, then things will be much easier.

Find out who your backer is so you can be more tactful when reporting back. You can be lenient when necessary and give them a warning when needed. These are all normal interactions within the system.

But this person was completely unresponsive, refusing to answer any questions and adopting an attitude of "I'm innocent, you're just doing your job."

That's rather tactless!

While Pang De and Wang Tong were pondering this.

Zhong Xuan saw the expressions on their faces, but he understood perfectly.

He lived to be a hundred years old in his previous life. With a sincere heart for cultivating the Tao, he also studied the situation at the grassroots level within the system when teaching his disciples. How familiar he was with such probing rhetoric!

What the other party might want is simply an attitude, a statement that gives them something to rely on when they go back to report.

But he really didn't have any powerful backers to rely on, and he didn't want to create one out of thin air, lest it give others a handle to use against him later.

So why were these two unhappy about it?

Then let's not be happy.

Zhong Xuan lowered his eyes, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over Li Gongcao's gray immortal robe, and suddenly remembered the Heavenly Court's ways that Li Gongcao had told him before.

Those wearing gray robes were of the lowest status, serving as local miscellaneous officials.

Those in white robes are next, often local administrators or celestial officials from the Heavenly Court headquarters.

Above them are those in yellow robes, who are proper local officials or minor officials in the Heavenly Court.

Lu Qian, the former inspector of Xiniu Hezhou, was a high-ranking official of the sixth rank or above, dressed in a red robe.

The purple robes and purple-gold robes above them are not something that ordinary celestial officials can see.

The purple robe signifies a bureau-level official, similar to those in the capital in my previous life.

The purple and gold robes were the standard for the Four Heavenly Masters, close ministers of the Jade Emperor, equivalent to ministerial-level figures.

This strict hierarchical system of robes is the most direct microcosm of the Heavenly Court's system.

Zhong Xuan inexplicably thought of what Bodhi Patriarch had pointed out back then.

A pine forest, lush and vibrant with life.

It looks so beautiful, but only the pine trees remain.

It is difficult for any other tree species to take root and grow.

"Gentlemen, please have some tea."

Zhong Xuan calmly brewed another pot of tea and poured it for the two of them.

He must have drunk too much in his past life, because his technique is so fluid and skillful.

Even the two celestial officials who saw it found it charming and rhythmic.

They comfortably accepted the teacups, their expressions showing great enjoyment.

However, this revealed even more information.

Zhong Xuan had a perfect Dao heart, which had laid the foundation for his Dao. His heart was like a mirror, reflecting many clues in the blink of an eye. He realized that the two white-robed immortal officials in front of him did not have any great background.

They might have some standing in the local area, but in the Heavenly Court headquarters, they're nothing more than errand runners.

Otherwise, the art of tea contained in just this one cup of tea...

How can we make them have such a change in expression?

He pondered these things in his mind, finding them somewhat amusing.

Many people believe that spiritual practitioners, by avoiding the petty squabbles and intrigues of officialdom or large organizations, have lost their spiritual essence.

Little did he know how difficult it was for him to use the Tai Xuan Heart Lake Illumination Technique to sort out and find spiritual energy from the countless strands of world energy.

Unraveling the mystery is a piece of cake.

To practice the mountain god's ability to manipulate mountains, rivers, and earth veins, one must listen to the massive energy waves of earthquakes and analyze the "Taoist rhyme" contained within them. This is similar to how sonar fractals work; one must reverse the process to comprehend the fundamental principles.

Simply put, it's similar to building a specialization analysis model.

The art of judging character by appearance in officialdom is nothing more than this.

At their core, all things in the world are interconnected.

"Fellow Daoist Zhong..." Pang De continued with polite platitudes.

They don't actually have any powerful connections or background.

That is why they are particularly concerned about the word "backer".

Unable to climb the social ladder themselves, they wanted to use their official duties to make connections with influential figures so that they could have someone to look after them in the future.

This is why I came to Cuiyun Mountain.

Within the Heavenly Court system, Li Gongcao, who was accompanying Zhong Xuan to greet the celestial officials, was wearing his own gray celestial robe. Standing before the two white-robed celestial officials, he felt so nervous that his back was soaked with sweat.

He knew better than anyone what that gray robe meant.

This means that in the Heavenly Court's hierarchy, he is among the lowest ranks.

This means he doesn't even have the right to say that he has no backing.

Even without a powerful backer, a white robe is still a white robe.

Those without powerful backers will remain gray-robed for life.

He couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his forehead again.

Pang De observed Li Gongcao's actions but said nothing.

He had seen far too many of these lowly officials in gray robes!

In the Heavenly Court, the rank of a prostitute is equivalent to that of a courtesan.

The background and support are the substance.

Pang De withdrew his gaze and looked at Zhong Xuan again, his tone returning to its usual businesslike indifference: "In that case, let's begin the review. Please have Fellow Daoist Zhong bring over the incense and merit register so that we can check it one by one."

Zhong Xuan nodded, signaling Li Gongcao to fetch it.

Li Gongcao felt as if he had been granted a pardon and hurried towards the back hall as if he were fleeing.

A moment later, he returned with a thick stack of books and carefully placed them on the table.

Pound took the top volume, opened it to the first page,

He cleared his throat and began to sing.

"Near Cuiyun Mountain, the Li family of Lijiazhuang offered a stick of incense with sincere devotion on the 10th day of the fourth month of the Jiazi year, praying for peace and safety for their household..."

Wang Tong took notes quickly from the side.

Zhong Xuan sat upright, his expression calm.

……

Outside the temple, the demons crowded around the doors and windows, holding their breath and eavesdropping, jostling each other.

The tiger demon squatted outside the threshold, its furry ears perked up. When it heard the words "Li Family Village," its eyes lit up.

She recognized the man from that family; he had encountered wolves while chopping wood in the mountains a while ago, and it was the mountain god who reminded her to rush to his rescue.

That stick of incense, offered with devotion, was the one Li Hanzi made when he later went to the temple to fulfill his vow.

As she thought of this, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.

To say that the Green Cloud Mountain God's group has grown so strong, I, the tiger demon, have contributed a great deal of effort.

In the past, relying on her impressive wind-controlling magic, she was often ordered around by the Mountain God to run errands. However, there were many benefits as well. He would often give her private lessons and even use his magical techniques to help her resolve any hidden health problems.

Rabbit Xiaoyu and Fox Xiaoyu huddled together, clinging to the doorframe, their long ears, not yet fully transformed, twitching.

Wukong squatted on a stone stool to the side, his golden fiery eyes staring at the two white-robed celestial officials in the hall. He scratched his ears and cheeks, trying to speak several times, but he couldn't understand their literary pronouncements.

But it can sense it.

The gray monkey spirit Feng Lisheng reappeared at some point, leaning against the corner of the wall, twirling a green fruit in his hand, gazing leisurely at the scene inside the hall, seemingly lost in thought.

"Little monkey, what are you thinking about?"

"Those two guys in white robes are no good!"

Wukong said it casually, but he was actually a little nervous.

I wonder if Brother Mountain God will be able to get through this smoothly?

The Heavenly Court, with its hundreds of thousands or even millions of heavenly soldiers and generals, is uncertain how much help it can actually provide in a real conflict.

The chanting inside the hall continued.

"On the first day of the fifth month of the Jiazi year, the demons of Peach Valley near Mount Cuiyun offered fruits and incense, praying for the protection of the mountain god..."

"Near Cuiyun Mountain, the Wang family of Wangjia Village, on the fifteenth day of the sixth month of the Jiazi year, came to the temple to offer incense as a token of gratitude for the tiger demon under the mountain god's command that had driven away a vicious beast that had harmed people..."

"Near Mount Cuiyun..."

Pound recited the various matters related to incense offerings in a calm and monotonous manner, one by one.

The origins of these incense offerings are complex.

Some of them were offered with sincere devotion by nearby villagers.

Some of them were spontaneously set on fire by the lesser demons who were attached to the mountain god.

Some of them were spirits and demons who came to the temple to express their gratitude after the previous sermons.

One pile, one piece.

All of this is the best testament to how Zhong Xuan's avatar has gradually established itself and cultivated its foundation in Cuiyun Mountain over the past month.

Even Zhong Xuan himself felt a little emotional listening to this.

At first, Wang Tong wrote very quickly, but later he slowed down. He looked up at Zhong Xuan, then lowered his head again to continue recording.

He was quite surprised.

Unexpectedly, this mountain god, who had taken office in a hurry, seemed to be in a real rush in Cuiyun Mountain, which was occupied by monsters and rogue cultivators, and managed to gather a full 2700 sticks of incense.

Pound read aloud again:

"A wandering cultivator named Zhao, from the vicinity of Cuiyun Mountain, on the third day of the seventh month of the Jiazi year, gained enlightenment upon hearing the mountain god preach, and his cultivation progressed. Therefore, he came to offer three sticks of incense to express his gratitude..."

"Near Mount Cuiyun..."

Much later.

Pound closed the last book and let out a long sigh.

Being able to chant and recite for so long is a testament to his skill honed through practice!

Being a servant in Heaven is no easy task; one must cultivate specialized magic to perform any task.

His magic is that he can use a falsetto voice to sing out a large amount of content clearly and systematically for a long time.

If he practices well, his superiors often call on him to give reports, leisurely listening to his subordinates with good voices deliver their work reports as if they were singing a song.