Xu Baozhao asked softly, “Among the thirty-six sacred grotto-heavens of Taoism, do the mountains truly house caverns that lead directly to the celestial court? And in the seventy-two blessed lands, do practitioners truly receive unparalleled fortune and divine favor?”
Xu Fengnian replied indifferently, “For a thousand years, belief does not guarantee existence, nor does disbelief negate it. But in the centuries to come, perhaps such things will indeed cease to be.”
Xu Baozhao felt as though she were lost in a fog but, unwilling to lose face by pressing further, muttered, “Always with the mysticism.”
Suddenly, her expression turned awkward. “The Celestial Master’s residence is, after all, a private estate. We didn’t send a formal request for an audience—how could we possibly enter? Even if we tried, given our current status, they’d likely refuse us politely, wouldn’t they?”
Xu Fengnian chuckled. “Bai Yu and Zhao Ningshen aren’t in residence at the moment. Only a few young Zhao family disciples and some non-family Celestial Masters remain. If you truly wish to enter, there’s a way—we simply won’t announce ourselves. Let’s play the part of uninvited guests.”
Xu Baozhao wrestled with her conscience, hesitating.
Xu Fengnian sighed dramatically. “The master of the Weiyu Study, the White Lotus Scholar, had three fears and two joys. He feared thunder, walking, and Zhao Ningshen’s questions. His joys were reading to the point of enlightenment and speaking to the point of mutual understanding. Bai Yu had few true confidants in life, so moments of mutual understanding were rare. But it’s said his study holds an extraordinary collection of books…”
Xu Baozhao made up her mind instantly. “Fine! Let’s say you forced me to sneak into the Celestial Master’s residence. I’m just a helpless woman, powerless to resist!”
Xu Fengnian teased, “How terribly inconvenient for you.”
He led her to a secluded spot, grasped her shoulders, and vanished in an instant.
They reappeared in the rear hall of the Celestial Master’s private residence, before the last elegant library—not Bai Yu’s study but the Imperial Scripture Pavilion, where generations of Zhao family Celestial Masters stored their sacred texts. The doors were tightly locked; even resident Taoists had to report to the designated guardian of the pavilion before entering. No candles were allowed at night, and books could not be removed. Xu Fengnian took Xu Baozhao directly to a side door on the second floor, pushing it open with practiced ease. Xu Baozhao frowned. “Why isn’t this the Weiyu Study?”
Xu Fengnian explained, “There are young acolytes cleaning over there. No rush. Browse the books here for now. I’ll go to the Dragon Pool to check on the Purple Gold Lotus, which shares its fate with Longhu Mountain.”
Xu Baozhao snapped, “I’m coming too!”
Xu Fengnian grinned. “Feel free to shout louder. Then we won’t even get to play uninvited guests.”
Xu Baozhao immediately clammed up, even covering her mouth for good measure.
After a moment’s thought, Xu Fengnian gave her a deep look, then turned to the window and murmured, “Very well. Let’s go together.”
In the next instant, Xu Baozhao found herself in a breathtaking grotto-heaven, bathed in radiant light. In the center of a crystal-clear emerald pool stood a solitary lotus, slender as a delicate maiden, towering nearly two zhang above the water, evoking the wondrous sight of “a green pond shimmering beneath the stars.”
The stem of this unadorned lotus bore no leaves, but beneath the water, fibrous roots swayed gently, brimming with spiritual energy.
Eternal spring in a hidden paradise.
Xu Baozhao looked up. The stem shimmered in an otherworldly hue of purple-gold, sprouting buds—some tiny, others nearly ready to bloom, yet none fully open.
Xu Fengnian whispered, “The Great Yellow Court of Wudang Mountain and the Jade Emperor’s Tower of Longhu Mountain—both cultivation methods can lead to ascension. The Jade Emperor’s Tower has eighteen realms, each step ascending toward heaven, inspired by this eighteen-foot Purple Gold Lotus of Fortune.”
Dazzled by the celestial scene, Xu Baozhao stood speechless.
Xu Fengnian smiled. “Notice anything? There are three buds on the south side, four on the west, six on the north, but the east…”
Xu Baozhao suddenly grabbed his sleeve, pointing excitedly at the pool. “Look! Buds are appearing out of nowhere on the east side! Two? No—three…”
From the base of the towering stem, four purple-gold lotus buds emerged in rapid succession.
Xu Fengnian sighed. “So that’s it. What a grand gesture. You’ve gone to such lengths—I’ll humor you. For the sake of the late Celestial Master Zhao Xituan, I’ll let you make the first move.”
Oblivious to his words, Xu Baozhao gazed enraptured. “So beautiful.”
Xu Fengnian murmured, “Time to go.”
She asked innocently, “Can I take one home?”
Xu Fengnian laughed. “What do you think?”
Xu Baozhao scoffed. “And here I thought you were some martial arts master. So timid.”
Xu Fengnian sighed. “Truly, only women and petty men are hard to please. Familiarity breeds contempt, distance resentment. The Sage of the Zhang family spoke wisely.”
Xu Baozhao smirked. “Oh? I see you’ve picked up quite a few pompous sayings.”
Xu Fengnian smiled. “Indeed. I’ve known many scholars.”
He wasn’t exaggerating.
He had known Huang Longshi, the first Sage of the Zhang family; the current Zhang family Sage; Cao Changqing; Xuanyuan Jingcheng; Cheng Baishuang; Zhang Julu; Qi Yanglong; Bai Yu; Song Dongming; Huang Shang; Wang Jijiu; Han Guzi; Wei Jingtang; Lu Xu; and more.
Not to mention his mentor, Li Yishan; his second sister, Xu Weixiong; Wang Chudong, who triumphed in the eastern wing; Xu Beizhi; Chen Xiliang; Chen Wang; and Sun Yin.
They reappeared in the Weiyu Study, its doors unlocked. Xu Fengnian strode in and sat down casually, while Xu Baozhao, awestruck by the White Lotus Scholar—second only to the young Celestial Master Zhao Ningshen in her esteem—handled the books with reverence. She picked up a self-compiled manuscript titled *The Strike of the Earth*, rumored to be Bai Yu’s work before he descended the mountain for Liang Province. Though naturally gifted, Bai Yu had studied relentlessly, enduring winters without warmth and summers without fans, synthesizing the wisdom of a hundred schools. This text had earned him acclaim across the southern literary circles.
Xu Baozhao cradled the book like a treasure. “A first edition! Priceless! Each page is worth a fortune!”
After perusing *The Strike of the Earth*, hailed as a work of profound insight, she discovered another stack of manuscripts in a bamboo drawer. Unlike the free-flowing calligraphy of the former, these writings were meticulously composed. At first, Xu Baozhao frowned, but gradually, she became engrossed, murmuring, “As the White Lotus Scholar said in the preface, ‘To nurture innocence toward righteousness is the sage’s achievement.’ This work, once completed, will benefit generations. Establishing wisdom, merit, and virtue—no doubt! The world sees Bai Yu as a Taoist master but misses the Confucian sage within.”
Xu Fengnian, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and smiled. “That’s *Enlightening the Innocent*, half-finished. Calling him a ‘Confucian sage’ would delight Bai Yu—precisely what he’d call a ‘moment of mutual understanding.'”
Xu Baozhao huffed. “As if you know the White Lotus Scholar personally. How can someone be as shameless as you?”
Xu Fengnian didn’t bother retorting.
After the fall of Northern Mang was assured, Bai Yu, unlike Li Gongde and Song Dongming, who entered the imperial court, returned to Longhu Mountain to immerse himself in scholarship. He declined three invitations—from the Ministry of Rites, the Secretariat, and Emperor Zhao Zhu himself—before joining Zhao Ningshen in solitary cultivation at Difei Mountain. Among Liang Province’s officials, he was an anomaly. Veteran generals like Yan Wenluan and Chen Yunhui retiring was unsurprising—they’d always despised the Zhao dynasty. As Yan Wenluan put it, “I’ve got no patience for the Zhao family’s lackeys.” But for scholars like Bai Yu, this was their moment to shine. His withdrawal was baffling.
With Longhu Mountain in decline and Zhao Ningshen too young to shoulder the burden alone, logic dictated Bai Yu should have entered politics to advocate for the Celestial Master’s residence. As a former Liang Province governor of the second rank, under the new dynasty’s unwritten rule of promoting Liang officials by at least half a rank—often more—he could’ve easily secured a ministerial post or a vice position in the Secretariat or Chancellery, eventually earning a title among the Six Grand Academicians.
Xu Fengnian couldn’t fathom it. While Xu Beizhi’s refusal to serve the Zhao court made sense, Bai Yu’s repeated rejections, even of the emperor’s personal invitation, defied explanation.
Former Chief Administrator Li Gongde led sixteen Liang officials to the capital, including Deputy Chief Administrator Lu Dongjiang, You Province Governor Huang Yan, Ling Province Governor Chang Sui, and Golden Thread Workshop Director Wang Luting.
Former Deputy Military Commissioner Yang Shenxing led twenty-one Liang generals, including Kou Jianghuai, Cao Wei, Yu Luandao, Li Mofan, Cao Xiaojiao, and Hong Xinjia.
Overnight, a “Northwest Liang Faction” emerged in the Zhao court.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage