Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 17: Meeting Wang Ye, Official Meeting

As the sun rises, the magnificent sunrise hangs in the eastern sky just as it did yesterday.

A bright red ray of sunshine dispelled a shadow on the horizon and brought a new day's light to the world, though the light was still very faint.

The sky was still pitch black, but under the sunlight it appeared dimly lit, allowing people to make out the distant scenery slightly.

Zhou Meng sat cross-legged on the mountain path with his eyes closed. His small figure seemed insignificant on the long mountain path, but the presence of this Wudang sect leader could not be ignored.

"Da da da..."

Hearing the familiar footsteps, Zhou Meng opened his aged eyes and looked at the approaching Daoist Yunlong in the faint morning light.

"Is it all buried? Is it cleaned up properly?"

As Daoist Yunlong approached, Zhou Meng deftly flipped in the air and stood firmly in place.

He glanced at the few drops of dew on Daoist Yunlong's clothes, put his hands behind his back, and asked with a hunched back.

Master Yunlong, carrying an extinguished lantern, walked along the mountain path to where Zhou Meng had been. When asked about it, Yunlong immediately replied.

"You can rest assured that I'll handle things well, sir."

"OK!"

Zhou Meng nodded, expressing his approval of Daoist Yunlong's handling of the matter.

"It's getting late, I'll go back and rest for a while. It's already getting light, they won't be coming anymore, you should go back too, the morning classes are about to start."

He slowly turned around and walked along the mountain path towards the back of the mountain.

"Yes, sir!"

Master Yunlong nodded to Zhou Meng's departing figure, then turned and walked away with his lantern.

On the mountain path, the two walked slowly in opposite directions and soon disappeared without a trace.

……

As dawn broke and the main hall was dimly lit, Wudang disciples were reciting scriptures.

The candlelight on the candle holders on both sides illuminated every corner of the hall and also shone on the disciples.

Inside the main hall, the scent of incense wafted through the air, creating a pleasant and refreshing atmosphere.

Lu Qian was dressed in a black Taoist robe, with his hair tied in a bun and a headscarf on his head, chanting scriptures along with the Taoist chants.

The morning prayer routine includes rituals such as chanting scriptures and worship, aiming to achieve a state of "calmness of mind" and "unmoved mind" through cultivation. Furthermore, morning prayer can preserve one's energy and spirit, and eliminate distracting thoughts.

Time passed quickly, and the morning class ended after the sun had fully risen.

After visiting the vegetarian hall and having breakfast, Lü Qian's full day on Wudang Mountain was about to begin.

He followed his fellow disciples to the Wudang martial arts training ground and began his daily practice.

"Junior brother, do you know what? We're getting a new kid today."

As he was practicing his punches, Lü Qian heard De'an's quirky words.

"I've heard my senior brothers mention him, is his surname Wang?"

Lu Qian did not stop. He continued to circulate his Qi and throw punches as always, undisturbed by his fellow disciples.

"Yes, I heard that they felt the mountain was peaceful and came here specifically to practice with the masters."

Deqing's voice then rang out, recounting the gossip and inside stories he knew.

"That kid looks about the same age as our Junior Brother Lü, and he seems like a promising cultivator. Do you think he might also go to Wudang Mountain and become our junior brother someday?"

Without their master's restraint, the disciples practiced their punches and discussed their techniques enthusiastically under the rising sun.

Life on the mountain was austere, and some disciples who couldn't stand the loneliness naturally passed the time by listening to these kinds of random stories and anecdotes.

As Lü Qian swung his fist, he responded with a few words, but his movements appeared natural and smooth, his breath flowing freely, as if he were not affected by the noise at all, and his mind was filled with his own reasoning.

In his hands, the fist techniques seemed to come alive, and the power of the fist flowed and evolved continuously.

"snort!"

Just as the fellow disciples were discussing who they would take as their master if Wang Ye were to become a monk, a cold snort rang out from behind them.

The disciples' voices immediately fell silent, like fire encountering a torrential downpour.

"Wow, everyone's pretty busy."

Master Yunlong flicked his sleeves and strode up to the group. Looking at the disciples who were quietly practicing their fists, he stared straight ahead, his mustache taut, and looked at them with an imposing air.

"snort!"

Seeing everyone immediately begin practicing their fist techniques seriously, Master Yunlong let out another cold snort. He walked into the disciples' formation and began to give them individual guidance.

"Raise your hand a little higher!"

"Sink your waist down further, keep your lower body stable, and don't let your legs shake!"

"Keep your arms flexible, don't be too stiff!"

……

Master Yunlong walked among his disciples, pointing out their mistakes one by one and watching them correct them.

He quickly arrived in front of Lü Qian. Looking at Lü Qian's smooth and natural fist movements, he nodded in satisfaction, and the corners of his drooping mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.

He stepped back to the front of the disciples' formation, nodded at their somewhat normal performance, and then called out to Lü Qian at the back of the formation, "Lü Qian, come with me."

After saying that, Master Yunlong turned around and walked away.

"Yes, Master."

Lu Qian finished his practice and responded with a word of agreement, then followed Daoist Yunlong to a side hall.

"I called you over here today so you can experience what it's like to be a master."

Master Yunlong led the way, then turned to Lü Qian, who had followed him, and said...

"Do you remember that young master Wang, Wang Ye, whom you mentioned yesterday?"

"I know, he's the son of our Wudang's biggest benefactor."

Lu Qian nodded to Daoist Yunlong.

"What do you mean by 'sugar daddy'? Watch your words. That's called a 'benefactor'."

Master Yunlong glared at Lü Qian and then said, "He wants to come to Wudang to train. I thought you're about the same age as him, so you should be able to talk to him."

"I'll lay a solid foundation for him first, and then you can guide him through the practice."

As they spoke, the two arrived in front of the side hall, where a boy with a bowl cut hairstyle, who looked about the same age as Lü Qian, was standing on the stone steps of the side hall looking in their direction.

"Master Yunlong!"

He nodded to Daoist Yunlong, then looked at Lü Qian, who was standing next to Yunlong, with a hint of curiosity.

"Young Master Wang, this is my apprentice, Lü Qian. Lü Qian, this is Boss Wang's son."

"Greetings, Brother Lü Qian. Daoist, you and this brother can both call me Wang."

Wang Ye was the first to greet Lü Qian.

"Alright, then I've met Brother Wang Ye. You can just call me Lü Qian."

Lu Qian nodded, looking with some curiosity at this young man who came from a wealthy family, was intelligent from a young age, yet was willing to become a monk.

"I brought Lü Qian here today because I thought it would be easier to talk to someone your age. If you have any questions later, you can just ask him."

"Don't be fooled by the fact that he just started practicing yesterday; he's been training for quite some time now."

Master Yunlong pointed at Lü Qian and said to Wang Ye.

"Okay, then I'll leave it to you."

"fine."

"Alright, Wang Ye, now that you're ready, let's begin. I'll teach you Zhan Zhuang (standing meditation) first."

Seeing that the two got along well, Master Yunlong nodded and said.

"I will follow Master Yunlong's instructions."