One gazed at Blackwater Mountain, towering and stretching across the peaks.
A stone stairway was not far away.
Beside it, a wooden sign, the lettering appearing new.
"Blackwater Temple is this way," with a red arrow.
"Let's go!"
Uncle-Master glanced, then spoke directly.
And walked forward.
Lao Mo and I, carrying our respective belongings, followed.
The air here was good, and the spiritual energy was much denser than outside.
Along the way, we were not in the mood to appreciate the scenery, simply walking onward.
The higher we climbed, the more people we saw.
From time to time, one could spot groups of people scattered throughout the mountain forests.
Men and women, young and old.
Some, like us, wore casual clothes.
Others wore Taoist robes.
Uncle-Master, observing those in Taoist robes, kept introducing them to Lao Mo and me:
"See that person? He's from Longhu Mountain!
That one over there, from Maoshan.
These are the major forces of Taoism today.
Their disciples are all paragons in the field."
I watched silently.
Lao Mo watched with excitement.
Soon, we arrived before the temple.
A very small temple, looking somewhat dilapidated.
Above it, a large plaque bore the three characters "Blackwater Temple."
We followed Uncle-Master directly to the temple entrance.
Two fellow Taoists stood guard.
One was older, around thirty-four or thirty-five.
The other was younger, about fourteen or fifteen.
Seeing us approach, they formed hand seals and bowed.
Shouting in unison, "Wuliang Tianzun!"
Uncle-Master, seeing this, also formed a hand seal and bowed;
"Wuliang Tianzun!"
Lao Mo and I, witnessing such a formal grand occasion for the first time, also formed hand seals and bowed.
"Three fellow Taoists, how should we address you?"
The older fellow Taoist inquired.
Uncle-Master smiled faintly:
"This humble Taoist is Hu Xiao, a solitary cultivator.
These are my disciples and nephew.
Responding to the call of the Taoist sect, we are here to expel evil and uphold righteousness."
The fellow Taoist did not look down on us for being solitary cultivators.
Instead, he greeted us with a smile:
"Welcome, Taoist Master Hu Xiao.
Please sign here and take your name badge."
Saying this, he gestured for us to proceed.
Further inside the temple, there was a small table.
The younger Taoist offered the registration book.
Uncle-Master did not hesitate, directly signing his Taoist name.
At the same time, he heard the young Taoist say:
"Taoist Master Hu Xiao, this is your room number and key. Please keep it safe."
Uncle-Master nodded and offered a polite word.
Taking the wooden plaque and key, he led Lao Mo and me into Blackwater Temple.
Upon entering, we saw a small square with a large incense burner in the center.
Around the square, people gathered in small groups.
"Brother Li, I heard you single-handedly killed a fierce ghost some time ago?"
"It was alright! Not as good as you, Brother Zhang!
At twenty-seven, you've already reached the peak of Qi Condensation."
"Did you hear? A third-generation disciple of the Maoshan Sect got involved with his master's wife."
"Damn, that's explosive!"
"..."
All along the way, there were people of all ages, and their conversations were varied.
Seeing us appear, they cast glances our way, sizing us up.
Upon realizing we were strangers, they paid us no further attention.
Lao Mo and I looked around curiously, listening to their casual conversations.
It felt quite interesting.
In the past, it was difficult to even meet one fellow cultivator from a different sect.
But today, we had encountered so many at once.
We had already seen twenty to thirty people on the way here.
At this moment, Xia Qiu Xi's voice carried from not far away:
"Uncle Tang, Qin Ze, Mo Ting."
Hearing the voice, we all turned our heads.
We saw Xia Qiu Xi and two young men approaching us from nearby.
Seeing Xia Qiu Xi, Lao Mo waved:
"Hey! Qiu Xi!"
I also nodded with a smile.
Xia Qiu Xi hurried forward.
"Uncle Tang, my master asked me to wait for you here.
These are my two senior brothers.
Xu Han Chi and Luo Fei."
As soon as she finished speaking, the two young men beside Xia Qiu Xi cupped their fists and said:
"Seniors!"
Uncle-Master nodded:
"Very good, very good, all young and promising talents."
Xu Han Chi, after hearing this, spoke again:
"Seniors, the accommodation is on the mountain behind the temple.
The grand gathering will only be held in the evening.
Since you have just arrived, you can return to your quarters to rest!"
Uncle-Master nodded:
"That would be good!"
"Seniors, please this way!"
The other fellow Taoist, Luo Fei, also spoke.
Despite meeting for the first time, they were all courteous to us.
They did not look down on us for being solitary cultivators.
Subsequently, we followed Xia Qiu Xi, Xu Han Chi, and Luo Fei towards the back of Blackwater Temple.
Blackwater Temple was a small Taoist temple.
Including the main hall, it was only about ten rooms.
Yet, since our arrival, we had seen at least a hundred people.
The temple simply could not accommodate so many.
Therefore, at the mountain behind Blackwater Temple, temporary prefabricated houses had been erected.
For everyone to stay temporarily.
Xu Han Chi and Luo Fei, while leading the way, also introduced us:
"Seniors, you arrived late.
Most sects with some reputation have already arrived.
See that one over there? That's Nun Jing Yi of the Emei Sect..."
We looked up and saw a nun in her fifties meditating not far away.
"Fellow Taoist, those monks over there, aren't they from the Shaolin Temple?"
Lao Mo asked, looking at a few young monks on the other side.
Luo Fei replied:
"No, they are monks from Xiaolin Temple on Mount Wutai.
After all, Buddhism and Taoism are not separate. In this era of chaotic demons and spirits,
various sects have sent representatives, more or less.
Some have five or six people, while others have one or two..."
I listened to these introductions and looked at the three monks.
They sat together in a circle, chanting scriptures.
It was the "Heart Sutra" that I knew.
But when recited by these monks, it produced a different, peculiar effect.
They recited quickly, yet each character was clearly audible.
Even, I could faintly feel.
Waves of peculiar energy emanating with these scriptures.
A stream of qi flowed from these monks.
This, perhaps, was the power of scriptures and Buddhist dharma...