Chapter 186: Four Great Celestial Masters

Across the Land, Beacon Fires Played for Feudal Lords

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Appendix: Baidu Tieba QQ Group Arbitration Team: 11043035 / Prodigy Club YY: 1655

Since the outsider Qi Xuanzhen ascended to heaven in broad daylight, it has been exceedingly rare for the Four Great Celestial Masters of Longhu Mountain to gather together. Even when Xu Xiao, the Butcher of Men, led thousands of iron cavalry to the foot of the mountain in those years, Zhao Xiyi, the foremost of the ‘Xi’ generation on Longhu Mountain, did not emerge from his seclusion. During the 36,000 Grand Daoist Rituals in Xiangfan, only two of the Four Great Celestial Masters attended. For nearly twenty years, Zhao Danping served as the "Green Scroll Prime Minister" in the capital, shining brightly alongside Zhao Danxia, the "Feathered Robe Minister," in the north and south respectively, but they rarely met.

Huan Wen, the Left Libationer of the Imperial Academy, and Zhang Julu, the current Grand Chancellor, were fellow disciples. They shared similar philosophies and political alignments, and were as close as brothers, differing only on one matter. It was widely known that Grand Chancellor Zhang exclusively honored Confucianism and disparaged Buddhism and Daoism, whereas Huan Wen, from an orthodox Confucian background, highly advocated the quietude of Huang-Lao Daoism and had a profound connection with Zhao Danping in the capital.

Although Zhao Danping was a thousand miles from the Celestial Master's Mansion, he still oversaw two major categories of Longhu Mountain's affairs: its precepts and monastic rules, and its fasting rituals. Zhao Danxia commanded Daoism throughout the land externally, and internally only managed its doctrines symbolically. As for cultivation techniques, they were nominally led by the Old Celestial Master Zhao Xiyi, but in reality, specific matters were handled by several disciples of the 'Jing' generation. Zhao Jingshen, a member of the Zhao clan, was responsible for receiving guests at the mansion's entrance. Bai Yu, who had been granted the imperial purple and a title by the Emperor, was responsible for doctrinal debates and frequently lectured on scriptures. Qi Xianxia, an outsider Daoist like Mr. White Lotus, focused solely on sword practice and occasionally taught sword arts to Daoists below the 'Jing' generation. The various branches of the Celestial Master's Mansion were interconnected, each flourishing and mutually supporting one another, leading to the glorious era of yellow and purple prominence on Longhu Mountain today.

To the west of the Jade Emperor Hall, the main hall of the Celestial Master's Mansion, lay a long corridor lined with ancient steles. Among them, a massive jade stele, three zhang (approx. 10 meters) tall, stood prominently among the others. It was erected by the fourth generation patriarch of Longhu Mountain when he moved here, and bore the inscription "Purple Cloud Blessed Land." Legend had it that this stele, along with the one on Huangniu Ridge in Huishan, inscribed with "Solely Enjoying Terrestrial Bliss," formed a pair of mother-and-child steles. At this moment, a Daoist wearing a noble, bright yellow robe stood atop the stele, gazing indignantly towards the Great Snow Plain of Huishan. At the foot of the stele stood three aged Daoists, each dressed in their distinct style. The eldest had snow-white hair and beard, wore sandals and clean socks, and was clad in an ordinary off-white su-silk Daoist robe that was not particularly striking. However, he also wore a transcendent Daoist's crane cloak, faintly exuding the aura of an immortal who had attained the Great Dao.

The next oldest Daoist was far more disheveled. He wore a thick, stained blue cotton robe, seemingly afraid of the cold. He had thick-soled warm shoes and cotton leg wrappings, which made one wonder how this old Daoist was qualified to be in the inner quarters of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

The last one was rather striking. Not only was his inner robe bright yellow, but he also wore a purple overcoat, making him look extremely magnificent and noble. Direct descendants of the Celestial Master's Mansion could wear yellow, as was the case with Zhao Jingshen and his son Zhao Ningyun. The few esteemed Perfected Ones of Longhu Mountain could wear purple, and Bai Yu belonged to this category. And the only Daoist who could wear both yellow and purple was, without a doubt, Zhao Danxia, the head of the Daoist sect!

The Four Great Celestial Masters, who shared the imperial surname, finally met: Zhao Xiyi, who spent most of his life in seclusion attempting to achieve breakthroughs; Zhao Xipo, exceptionally talented yet naturally uninhibited; Zhao Danxia, the leader of the Daoist sect; and Zhao Danping, skilled in writing profound "green scrolls" and grand essays. The unusual phenomena on the Great Snow Plain of Zhaoyao Mountain were witnessed by the Celestial Masters. Li Chungang's prophetic "Sword Come!" was indeed blocked by Zhao Danping, preventing the Celestial Master's Mansion's peach wood sword from flying out of its sheath. Later, it was also Zhao Danping who demanded that the old Sword God return the sword. Upon hearing the reply, Zhao Danping's hair bristled with rage, pushing against his Daoist headdress. Zhao Xipo, disregarding his elder status, laughed uncontrollably. Zhao Danxia and his father Zhao Xiyi exchanged smiles. Regardless of their individual cultivation levels, their self-composure was almost unmatched in the world.

Even in his youth, Zhao Xipo was not close to his nephew Zhao Danping. He always felt that the child was unlikable from a young age, gloomy and lacking the magnanimity characteristic of a Zhao descendant. Therefore, the old Celestial Master never concealed his favoritism towards Zhao Danxia. It could be said that Zhao Xipo and his nephew Zhao Danping were fated to be at odds. Despite their close blood ties, they never showed each other good manners when they met. Zhao Danping's return home from the capital this time was largely to discuss with his elder brother how to respond to the court's latest political matters. With the reform of the empire's administrative divisions, the Daoist sect's original twenty-four administrative districts would inevitably have to be modified accordingly. Furthermore, after the establishment of the position of Sangzheng (Monastic Registrar), the Bureau of Esoteric Studies was very likely to separate from the Court of State Ceremonials. The conflict between Buddhism and Daoism, and the debate over doctrines on the surface, were actually a struggle for destiny and influence underneath, and could not be taken lightly. With the Sangzheng, it meant the court would forcibly select an officially recognized Buddhist leader, who would then inevitably compete with Zhao Danxia, the head of the Daoist ancestral temple. A smaller reason was that the Prince of Beiliang had arrived at Longhu Mountain, and since King Xu Xiao of Beiliang had stirred up a great commotion in the capital, Zhao Danping harbored no goodwill towards anyone named Xu, and perhaps harbored the intention of taking the opportunity to discipline the young prince upon returning to the Celestial Master's Mansion.

"Zhao Danping, what are you still doing standing on our patriarch's stele?" Zhao Xipo said irritably. "Li Chungang didn't want to bother with you, and screaming until your throat bursts would be useless. Why don't you send out a flying sword and go fight Li Chungang until the sky turns dark on the Great Snow Plain? Your uncle will vigorously cheer you on."

Zhao Danping snorted coldly, but still floated down from the stele to the ground. Leaping onto the top of the stele was inherently impolite. At the time, he was simply annoyed by Li Chungang's overbearing methods, so he disregarded propriety. Now, having calmed down slightly, Zhao Danping no longer insisted.

Zhao Xiyi, whose quiet cultivation had been disturbed by Xuanyuan Jingcheng's forceful breakthrough, stood with his hands in his sleeves and sighed with emotion: "It's truly lamentable that this man risked his life to enter the realm of a Terrestrial Immortal. If he had been willing to proceed step by step, he would have had a real chance of ascending."

Zhao Danxia, who possessed the most immortal demeanor, nodded and said: "After this battle, the destiny of Huishan has been completely depleted."

Zhao Xiyi looked sorrowful: "Calamity and blessing have no gates, only humans invite them. This ancient warning must not be overlooked; our Longhu Mountain must take it as a cautionary tale. Danping!"

Although Zhao Danping had an extreme personality, his Daoist methods, martial arts, intellect, and talent were all top-notch in the current era. Upon hearing his father's reprimand, his original thought of arguing with his uncle Zhao Xipo immediately vanished. He calmed his mind and focused his spirit, instantly retracting his sharp edge, with no further signs of wanting to contend fiercely with Li Chungang. The Celestial Master's Mansion had a legacy of 1,600 years, and in most cases, the lineage was passed down from father to son. If a Celestial Master had no male heir, the position would be inherited by a brother or nephew, with absolutely no precedent for an outsider Daoist or a woman to take over. The previous Celestial Master, Zhao Xici, had no male heir. Originally, the Celestial Master's Mansion was divided on whether his younger brother Zhao Xipo, or his nephews Zhao Danxia or Zhao Danping, should take over the three sacred artifacts: the Seal of Pure Governance, the Sword of Suppressing Destiny, and the Classic of the August Sovereign. A highly respected elder on the mountain originally intended for Zhao Xipo to assume the great responsibility. Zhao Xipo, however, was straightforward; he simply fled down the mountain to roam the jianghu (martial world), leaving a remark that "it's better to pass it to Danxia than to me." This is how Zhao Danxia became the head. Zhao Danping naturally harbored resentment. Later, when he went to the capital, everyone with discerning eyes knew there was a defiant meaning behind it. The head of Wudang Mountain could not compare to the Celestial Master of the Mansion; the latter had been recognized as the ancestral temple of Southern Daoism for five hundred years. After Wang Chonglou of Wudang Mountain died, the squabbles over succession seemed insignificant to many Daoists on Longhu Mountain, who saw it as merely a struggle for the head of a single mountain, not worth contending for, and certainly not comparable to the Celestial Master's Mansion. Perhaps Wudang of five centuries ago might have been comparable. Fortunately, under Zhao Danxia's leadership, the Celestial Master's Mansion advanced even further, becoming the recognized leader of all Daoist sects in the world. It was only then that Zhao Danping, who had originally intended to establish his own independent branch under the Emperor's nose, truly bowed his head. This is why his father, Zhao Xiyi, had spoken those sharp words about calamity and blessing having no gates.

"It's true that Li Chungang's return to the Sword Immortal realm is a magnificent feat," Zhao Danping said indifferently, "but he just had to borrow a thousand swords from our Longhu Mountain on the Great Snow Plain. If this gets out, what face will the Celestial Master's Mansion have left?"

Zhao Danxia smiled softly and said: "As for face, if it's lost on my side, then Danping, you can pick up more of it in the capital. The capable do more work; your elder brother apologizes in advance."

"Brother, what kind of respectable demeanor is this, with such rascally talk?" Zhao Danping said helplessly, his tone no longer stiff and rigid. After all these years away from Longhu Mountain, serving by the Emperor's side could not have been merely about writing "green scrolls." He had encountered many fortuitous coincidences and comprehended the Heavenly Dao, which led to his "Horse-tail Whisk Breaking a Hundred Armors" feat and his sharp-witted debates with the black-robed monk Yang Tai. Zhao Danping's personality had gradually become more enlightened and pliable, no longer as fiery as in his prime, where he would readily seek mutual destruction with others. A decade or so ago, Zhao Danping would have long since taken up his sword and gone to Huishan to confront Li Chungang.

Mysteriously, the Celestial Master's Mansion's current harmonious atmosphere owed much to Zhao Jingsi, a son Zhao Danping had in his later years. This child was at the bottom of the 'Jing' generation. While his talents in martial arts and the Heavenly Dao were unremarkable, his strength lay in his gentle and honest character, like warm jade. He was a deeply sincere and genuine junior, utterly devoid of cunning. Even Zhao Xipo, who had a peculiar temper and didn't get along with Zhao Danping, would smile knowingly when he met Zhao Jingsi. Everyone in the Celestial Master's Mansion enjoyed joking about Zhao Jingsi's amusing blunders and anecdotes. What was even rarer was that some of the most outstanding non-Zhao Daoists in the mansion, like Bai Yu and Qi Xianxia, had been so close to Zhao Jingsi since childhood that they were practically inseparable. Even the female Daoists and nuns cultivating on the mountain enjoyed teasing this yellow-robed Daoist of the Celestial Master's Mansion; even young girl-nuns dared to joke with him boldly. The Old Celestial Master Zhao Xipo openly declared that Zhao Danping's greatest achievement and merit in this life was fathering such a son. Zhao Jingsi's most prominent trait was his tendency to space out; one moment he would be chatting, the next he would be staring blankly and silent. People on the mountain feared most when he read books and sought clarification, because no matter how simple the book, he could extract hundreds of bizarre questions from it. Even a patient elder like the Head Celestial Master Zhao Danxia could be questioned until he puffed out his cheeks and glared. Mr. White Lotus, whose eyes were damaged from reading, possessed knowledge that could certainly rival Zhao Danxia. He humorously claimed three fears in his life: fear of thunder, fear of walking, and fear of Zhao Jingsi asking questions. This illustrates the formidable power of Zhao Jingsi's relentless questioning.

"Old Man Li's return to the peak of swordsmanship means he's very likely to have a battle with Wang Xianzhi," Zhao Xipo tsk-tsked.

Zhao Xiyi stroked his beard and smiled: "It seems a battle with Deng Ta'a will happen first."

Zhao Danxia and Zhao Danping, the two brothers, exchanged smiles. The two elders in their family, Li Chungang and Wang Xianzhi, were all of the same generation. Their attitude towards Li Chungang reaching the Immortal realm naturally held "ulterior motives." With their high cultivation and status, apart from dedicating themselves to Daoist cultivation for immortality and paying attention to the fate of Daoism, it was truly difficult for them to find anything else to occupy themselves with or to slack off from. To outsiders, Celestial Masters were unreachable, but within the Zhao clan of the Celestial Master's Mansion, they were not so extraordinary; after all, they were a family, viewed with the ordinary perspective of descendants towards their elders. Zhao Xiyi waved his hand and said, "Danping, you and Danxia go discuss important matters. I've barely managed to crawl out of my coffin to catch my breath; I want to chat with your uncle."

Zhao Danxia and Zhao Danping acknowledged the command and left the stele corridor.

Zhao Xiyi looked at his younger brother and said wistfully: "Each time we meet, we're older, Xipo. I wonder how many more times I'll see you in this life."

"How sentimental," Zhao Xipo retorted irritably. "If you didn't go into seclusion, wouldn't we see each other every day until I'm sick of you?"

Zhao Xiyi shook his head and said: "Wang Chonglou cultivated the Great Yellow Court, but I still can't ascend to the Jade Emperor Tower, which our patriarch once guided to. I have shamed our ancestors."

Zhao Xipo huffed: "If you haven't entered the Jade Emperor Tower to become a Celestial, do you have no face to meet our ancestors? Then wouldn't I make our ancestors so angry they'd ascend and then descend again?"

Zhao Xiyi laughed: "Let's not talk about that. How's your disciple's cultivation level?"

Zhao Xipo beamed, sticking out his thumb like a mischievous child and said: "Excellent!"

"When will he descend the mountain?"

"He can descend after he defeats Qi Xuanzhen's black tiger."

"Good."

Zhao Xiyi nodded, then expressed some concern: "During the last decade-long Buddhist-Daoist debate at Lotus Peak, our Daoist sect won with great difficulty because that white-robed monk was preoccupied and did not attend. If not for Bai Yu turning the tide, we might not have won. I hear that Liangchan Temple is acting very strangely this time; not only are Li Dangxin and several other eminent monks not serving as chief debaters, but they are also sending a young monk to represent Liangchan Temple. Oh, and Bai Yu mentioned that this young monk came to the Celestial Master's Mansion with a young girl. Bai Yu said the young monk has great spiritual potential, and his future achievements might even rival Li Dangxin's."

"I couldn't be bothered to worry about this," Zhao Xipo said, with a headache. "It's just a war of words, inherently boring. Sitting on Lotus Peak for days and nights, exposed to wind and sun – what is that if not suffering? In the end, it's just an argument, and there's nothing to be proud of even if you win."

Zhao Xiyi said worriedly: "Originally, it wouldn't be much; if we win, we win, and it's just gaining some face for Daoism. But now, the court's strategy holds profound mysteries; it's like casting a vast net of Heaven. If we win, it's fine, but if we lose, with the rise and fall of the three religions' destinies, our Daoist sect would likely suffer the most."

"If our patriarch hadn't insisted on making a small bet with someone, we wouldn't have this trouble," Zhao Xipo said carelessly. "Elder brother, do you know who the patriarch is betting with, what he's betting on, and what the stakes are?"

Zhao Xiyi hesitated for a moment, then whispered: "I only know it's a bet between those with the same surname, betting on who ascends last, and the stake is a seal for a seal."

The usually lazy Zhao Xipo felt a headache coming on: "Only our patriarch likes to fuss around. If he had been willing to ascend to immortality with Qi Xuanzhen back then, with Qi Xuanzhen transforming into a rainbow in broad daylight and us Zhaos ascending on cranes, that would have been truly satisfying!"

Zhao Xiyi smiled but remained silent.

Zhao Xipo chuckled: "Actually, I know a bit about our patriarch's subtle thoughts. Our Longhu Mountain is famed for having a Great Perfected One attain the Dao every century, and it's our fault, us brothers and nephews, for not living up to expectations. If he had ascended early, and then no one achieved immortality within fifty years, it would be a huge loss of face. I guess that's why he hardened his heart and bet with that person on who would ascend last."

Zhao Xiyi glared: "Watch your words!"