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

Chapter 70 The Black Old Lady Appears, Do You Want a Real Xuanwu?

As evening fell, Lü Qian and Deng Youcai walked down the street, the noisy crowd around them gradually quieting down with the arrival of night.

The evening breeze was lonely, yet carried a slight chill, prompting people on the street to retreat indoors and enjoy the warmth of everyday life.

"Brother Lü, your reputation is really effective. Those Japanese haven't dared to make a move these past two days."

Deng Youcai took a puff of his cigarette, then slapped his forehead apologetically when he saw Lü Qian's Taoist robe. "Sorry, I've only been running my own shaman for a short time, so I can't be without cigarettes and alcohol."

"It's alright, Brother Deng is a man of principle. We've arrived."

As he spoke, Lü Qian stopped and looked at the Taoist temple with its vermilion gates and black tiles before him, "Taiqing Palace!"

"That's right! This is the place."

Looking at the plaque of the Taoist temple, Deng Youcai quickly stubbed out his cigarette.

"Let's go."

Lu Qian straightened his clothes and walked towards the entrance of the Taoist temple with Deng Youcai, whose smell of smoke had dissipated.

It was evening, and the tourists had already left Taiqing Palace, leaving only a somewhat desolate palace.

Lu Qian handed his ordination certificate and credentials to the gatekeeper for inspection and then allowed him to pass, while Deng Youcai simply walked in using his face.

"Brother Lü, please. Master instructed that if you arrive, you should be taken to see him. Brother Youcai, please follow my junior brother down to rest."

The two parted ways, and Lü Qian followed the gatekeeper to the Guo Zu Temple. As soon as he entered, a kind-looking old Taoist priest looked over.

"Disciple Lü Qian greets Master!"

"Hmm! You appear refreshed and light-hearted, your steps firm; you're walking this path steadily!"

The old Taoist priest nodded at Lü Qian. "The letter from Baiyun Temple has already been delivered, and I have arrangements for you as well."

As he spoke, he turned around and made way for the prayer mat and offering table behind him, saying in a rather mysterious way, "I will leave you here alone for a while. After you offer incense, you can meditate and cultivate here. Whether you succeed or not depends on your own destiny."

After saying this, the old Taoist priest turned and left Guo Zu Hall, leaving Lü Qian alone in the hall before he left.

At this moment, only Lü Qian was in the Guo Zu Temple. After the advisor left, he turned his gaze away from the gate and looked at the altar.

On the altar, there are two statues of deities arranged in order of importance: Guo Shouzhen, the founder of the Quanzhen School of Taoism in Northeast China, and the guardian deity of the Northeast Taoist lineage, the Black Old Lady.

Although Lü Qian was somewhat confused about the advisor's arrangements, he still followed the other party's instructions.

He took off his bundle and placed it on the ground. He picked up three prepared incense sticks from the offering table, blew out a breath of fire to light them, and then bowed to the two statues in order.

After finishing his prayers, Lü Qian inserted the incense sticks in his hand into the incense burner in front of him, then sat on the prayer mat in front of the offering table, closed his eyes and entered a meditative state, using the alchemical methods of Wudang and Baiyun Temple to cultivate.

Inside the somewhat dark hall, only two candles on the altar were burning, dispelling some of the darkness.

Three sticks of incense burned slowly in the incense burner, their wisps of smoke rising straight into the void, as if connecting with somewhere.

Lu Qian sat on the futon with his palms facing upwards. A golden-red light emanated from the Niwan Palace between his eyebrows, and five colors of light—red, white, blue, black, and yellow—shone brightly from the position of his five internal organs in his abdomen.

As time passed, the three sticks of incense in the incense burner burned down to almost nothing, and the wisps of smoke became increasingly dense, like three white lines.

"Boy, your cultivation is really strong. It would take a lot of effort for this old Taoist to pull you here."

Suddenly, a clear and loud voice came from the void, and then the scene inside the hall changed abruptly.

The originally solemnly decorated main hall has been transformed into a simple cave, where Lü Qian sits.

Lu Qian opened his eyes, looked at the changing scene around him, and showed a look of surprise. He calmed down and tried to sense it.

"Junior Lü Qian of Wudang greets Senior! May I ask why Senior has pulled me into the inner realm?"

"Hahaha... Interesting, very interesting! You're the first guy in all these years to realize the true nature of this place the moment he walked in."

The sound echoed throughout the cave, coming from all directions around Lü Qian, and it was clear that the other party was very pleased with Lü Qian's answer.

"Fine, I've gone to so much trouble, I have to see you at least once."

As soon as he finished speaking, a stone platform suddenly appeared in front of Lü Qian, and a middle-aged woman dressed in a Taoist robe and holding a whisk sat cross-legged on the platform.

She had white hair and eyebrows, and wore a black headscarf tied with a simple wooden hairpin. Although she was not particularly beautiful, she exuded a very dignified air and radiated an aura of authority without anger.

Looking at the other person, who exuded an ethereal aura but spoke with a strong Northeastern accent, Lü Qian immediately realized that she was none other than the legendary Black Old Lady.

This dark-skinned old woman was originally a mountain spirit from Northeast China, and she cultivated in the Hanging Stone Cave of Jiuding Iron Fork Mountain.

Later, Guo Zu went to the Northeast to spread the Tao. Due to the suppression by local shamans and spirits, he could only settle down at the Babao Yunguang Cave on Jiuding Tiesha Mountain, where he was neighbors with the Black Old Lady.

As neighbors, they often visited each other and soon became familiar with each other.

Later, the old woman, Blackie, submitted to Guo Zu's Taoist magic and willingly joined his ranks, becoming his guardian deity.

Later, when Guo Zu went down the mountain to pray for rain and disaster relief, the old woman in black helped him succeed.

With the arrival of Ganlin, these two gained fame in Northeast China, and the Quanzhen School of Taoism took root there.

This dark-skinned old woman has officially become a guardian deity of the Quanzhen Taoist lineage in Northeast China, second only to Guo Zu in status, and the two share the incense offerings of the Taoist sect.

He could be considered to have successfully transformed from a wild mountain spirit into a respected immortal with official Taoist status.

"Hahahaha... Who would have thought that the world would change so much? Our Quanzhen sect actually produced such a genius as you!"

She sat on the stone platform, glanced at Lü Qian, and nodded with satisfaction. "I've heard all the news about you from Baiyun Temple. Now that I see it, it's true."

Lu Qian was about to bow to the other party when he was interrupted by a wave of his hand. "Why bother with all that formalities? We're family, let's not stand on ceremony. Just say it, what do you want, kid!"

"Look at my brain! The news from Baiyun Temple says you want to see the [Celestial Thief]."

The old woman on the stone platform slapped her forehead. "I was so happy to see such a talented junior like you today. Oh, I almost forgot."

After calming down, the old woman seemed to remember something and asked, "Wait a minute, your matter is easy to discuss, but I have a favor to ask you. If I remember correctly, you also know the [Black Tortoise True Meaning]?"

"yes!"

At that moment, Lü Qian showed no modesty, and his whole body surged with a force like waves.

This force layered upon layer, like waves on the seashore, one higher than the next, leaving ripples in the void.

"Splash splash splash..."

The sound of the waves soon rose, and as Lü Qian turned, the waves surged even more violently, with an overwhelming momentum rising from his body.

"Hush——"

Soon, the Xuanwu divine form condensed from the waves, with the tortoise and snake intertwined to protect Lü Qian in the center.

Lu Qian stood on the back of the Xuanwu tortoise, surrounded by agile snake-like shapes, with waves of power surging beneath its feet.

"senior,"

Looking at the shocked expression on the old woman's face, Lü Qian asked in a deep voice, "This junior can only stack up to the ninth level of cultivation, relying on my life force. With Xuanwu by my side, I wonder if my [Xuanwu True Meaning] is worthy of your attention?"

"Enough! Enough! Enough!"

"Hey, you've really come at the right time!"

After regaining her senses, the old woman slapped her thigh vigorously and shouted, "I have two old friends who need your help. Of course, I won't let you work for nothing; you might even be able to get a real Xuanwu to accompany you!"

"Those stinking worms and stinking turtles, I don't know what good fortune they accumulated to actually have someone like you, a true martial artist, descend to earth!"