HLnovel Chapter 297 Mu Xuan and Tong Xuan finally arrive in Nasen
Chapter 297 Mu Xuan and Tong Xuan finally arrive in Nasen
"The path I've walked has never left room for anyone else beside me; I can only walk side by side with a few fellow practitioners."
Lu Qian's calm words were filled with a hint of domineering arrogance. For him, this life was only that of a wanderer, and the only path was the Tao.
Everyone has their own path to walk and their own choices to make.
"The future that these choices lead to, whether good or bad, is the path that people choose for themselves. As long as they reflect on themselves and have no regrets, that is enough."
He stood up from the deck, turned his back to the crowd, and slowly said to the distant raging wind and waves, "Life is nothing more than the turning of time, the cycle of life and death. We are all on the road. Just walk boldly and carefully, that's enough. Why think so much?"
"Be true to yourself and to your heart. Everyone is a practitioner, cultivating their own path. Do not let yourself be unable to control your own destiny."
"Been taught a lesson."
The crowd standing behind him fell silent. They looked at Lü Qian, who appeared to be an ordinary person, at the front of the deck, and for a moment they began to understand what a supreme saint or sage was.
It is not only those who perform great acts of kindness and salvation that can save the world and alleviate suffering that can be called saints.
Zhuangzi said in "Free and Easy Wandering": "The perfect man has no self, the divine man has no merit, and the sage has no name."
Whether it is a "perfect person," a "divine person," or even the final "sage," it is not a state reached by seeking outwards, but rather a state achieved through inward cultivation.
"The perfect man has no self" means to follow nature, forget the self, and thus forget both self and things.
"The divine man has no merit" means to look inward from the outside, to abandon external things and seek within, not to be pleased by external things, but to cultivate oneself.
"The sage is nameless" means letting go of false attachments and achieving true tranquility and naturalness.
These three realms progress step by step, advancing the pace of inward cultivation. In the end, one achieves only one's own "original mind and true nature," and one is the only one who is enlightened, not the general public.
Fortune and misfortune have no fixed gate; they depend on one's own reflection. The path to enlightenment is difficult to achieve; it depends on one's own cultivation.
The Buddha is the one who has attained perfect enlightenment, and the Tao is the one who reflects on himself. There is no difference between the two; both are about self-cultivation to attain enlightenment, and what they seek is nothing more than self-transcendence.
Everyone has their own path and their own way of self-cultivation; no one else can or should interfere.
Throughout history, those accomplished sages and saints have served as a guide for future generations, pointing out a path and offering a guiding light to all beings.
Whether one achieves enlightenment or engages in self-reflection depends on each practitioner's own circumstances and opportunities.
This may seem selfish and cold-hearted, and it doesn't align with the expectations that ordinary people have for so-called saints and sages.
But this is the way of the world: the Great Dao is fifty, the Heavenly Evolution is forty-nine, and one is hidden away.
Everyone has the potential for self-reflection and the potential to become a saint or sage.
Do not seek externally, but cultivate yourself internally.
Only you can fulfill yourself, only you can enlighten yourself, and only you can become a sage.
Today, Lü Qian stands on the path of Tao. To the patriarchs, he is a successor, following in the footsteps and brilliance of his predecessors to enlighten himself.
But for all living beings in this world, he is the guiding light that leads the way, showing them the direction of their cultivation.
The word "cultivation" is not actually that mysterious; it is simply the four words "cultivating truth and cultivating oneself."
There are no mystical methods or supernatural powers in the Taoist scriptures, but rather the golden rules left by our predecessors that guide people to the "gateway to all wonders".
Many people admire the profound, but they do not know that the profound path lies within their own hearts; they admire the profound but do not understand it.
The three-foot wooden and stone threshold in their eyes is nothing but rotten wood and stubborn stone that binds them. Only when they break through the threshold in their hearts can they attain enlightenment.
Otherwise, they are merely guests in the Xuanmen (mysterious sect), not travelers on the path of Tao.
In Journey to the West, when the Bodhi Patriarch was imparting the Golden Elixir to Sun Wukong at night, he also softly recited a line.
Difficult! Difficult! Difficult! The Dao is most profound; do not take the elixir of immortality lightly.
Without encountering a wise person to impart the secrets, empty words will only leave your mouth weary and your tongue dry!
If one cannot awaken to self-awareness, seek within, and open the gates of one's heart, then it will ultimately be nothing but a mirage, a fleeting illusion.
All that Lü Qian and the other patriarchs and sages could do was point out a direction for future generations, letting them figure it out and walk the path on their own.
Why worry about the rest? Just do your job well.
"This is also Yang Zhu's way of preserving one's true nature."
Looking at the vast ocean stretching out before him, seemingly merging with the heavens and earth, Lü Qian had a sudden realization.
During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, a hundred schools of thought contended on the land of China, and various ideas and doctrines emerged one after another, with the Dao (the Way) coming first, followed by the other schools in turn.
Among the many schools of Taoism, there was one named Yang Zhu, who was later respectfully called "Master Yang".
The wisdom of this sage can be summarized in one sentence: "I would not pluck a single hair to benefit the world, nor would I take a single hair to harm the world."
Although this sentence uses parallel structure and pauses, its meaning is very simple: it tells people to "do their best and live in peace."
The phrases "a penny" and "a hair" in the text describe extremely small benefits that originate from each individual's own interests.
If each person's contribution of even a small amount of their own benefit can benefit all living beings, then they should not do so.
Even if taking even the smallest benefit from the world's beings could benefit oneself, one should not do so.
Thus, the idea of each person settling down and following their own path is Yang Zhu's philosophy, and it is also the original philosophy of Quanxing.
Unfortunately, later generations were unworthy, and the "Quanxing" sect, which originated from Taoism, became a notorious and wicked "devil's den".
"It is clear that enlightenment is so simple, but unfortunately people are confused and often go astray."
Lu Qian felt the respectful gazes from behind him, and silently continued to pose. The sea breeze blowing in his face was salty and damp, bringing a refreshing feeling.
The wind and waves whipped at his robes, causing dust to rise and his hair and sleeves to flutter and dance. A mixture of unrestrained worldly air and transcendent saintly demeanor made Lü Qian appear exceptionally real.
"We've arrived."
Gazing at the outline appearing on the distant coastline, Lü Qian chuckled and said, "Nathan Island, we've finally arrived."
As Lü Qian's voice shattered the veil of sainthood and immortality, the somewhat stunned crowd snapped out of their daze. They followed Lü Qian's gaze to the increasingly clear outline of the island in the distance and began to return to their posts.
"Attention all units, we are here to cooperate in a friendly manner. Let's give the signal first, and then approach slowly."
The person in charge of this operation was Huang Boren, one of the company's six directors. He covered his hat, which was about to be blown up by the sea breeze, and gave instructions to the control room.
"Also, be aware of fleets sent by other forces and remain vigilant."
"yes!"
At this moment, the company employees seemed to have undergone some subtle changes, and a hint of inspiration flickered in their eyes.
"Chairman Huang, the company's instructions are to bring back the Chinese immigrants residing on the island, is that right?"
Lu Qian turned around and looked at Huang Boren walking towards him. With a flick of his whisk, he stopped the giant wave that was about to crash down on him.
As they approached Nathan Island, the previously calm sea suddenly erupted into a raging storm, with white foam floating erratically and constantly dissipating amidst the turbulent waves.
The company sent an armed ship this time. Although its speed was slowing down, it continued to cut through the waves as always, speeding towards Nathan Island.
The turbulent waves crashed against the ship's deck and bridge, but failed to shake this steel behemoth. In fact, many agile superhumans were seen riding the waves and running through the various compartments.
Huang Boren braved the wind and waves to reach Lü Qian's side. The gale nearly tore his hat off, but once he was within a zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) of Lü Qian, the disturbing wind and waves immediately subsided and calmed down, no longer raging.
Enjoying the gentle breeze and the sound of the waves, he was somewhat unfazed by such miracles. He let out a long sigh and replied, "Thank you, Daoist Lü Qian."
"This is the official instruction from the company, and we hope that the whole thing will calm down like this storm, but other companies don't think so."
"To ensure that the company's rights and interests are not infringed, we must prepare for both possibilities."
Huang Boren spoke in extremely standard official language, patted the water droplets off his clothes, and looked at Lü Qian meaningfully.
"The agreement between Nathan Island and the outside world is that large-scale weapons are not allowed on the island; only troop-style personnel can be sent to the island for operations."
"But we all know that it's not just people who can take over the island."
As he spoke, he glanced at the gun turrets mounted on the ship behind him. The dark muzzles were almost as big as a human head. These turrets were scattered across the ship, their muzzles pointing in all directions, like an invisible deterrent.
"The nation's most important instruments should display their might."
Lu Qian nodded and continued, "I'll leave the matters outside the island to Chairman Huang, and the matters inside the island to me."
"Don't worry, I'll clean it up perfectly."
Huang Boren looked at Lü Qian with a hint of hesitation, recalling some records kept by the company over the years about Lü Qian's actions.
According to the records, this Taoist priest was ruthless in his actions, dismembering corpses, burning spirits, and scattering bones to ashes. He had been doing this since he started out, and his skills were top-notch.
This method of treatment is absolutely clean, but the problem is, isn't it a bit too clean, almost to the point of obliterating even the ashes?
His mouth opened and closed several times, but he ultimately failed to utter the question, letting it flow down his throat with his breath.
"Ahem, the company has faith in Master Lü Qian's abilities, but you might need to be careful this time as Behemoth may have a trump card up his sleeve."
Huang Boren scratched his head and touched his shiny scalp, as if carefully feeling the hair that did not exist.
"Behemoth might go a little crazy this time, because Nathan Island could be their key breakthrough, and they won't give up the allure of Nathan Island."
"In their view, that is the direction of longevity and evolution."
In that country across the Atlantic, the organization related to superhumans is called Behemoth, and they are different from other superhuman forces.
This organization, less than two centuries old, lacks sufficient foundation and is an alliance built on money and power.
They hope to use technological means to analyze the supernatural system and thus grasp the most crucial energy—[Qi].
According to Behemoth, these extraordinary beings possess unique abilities and live longer than ordinary people. By mastering the Qi, they have grasped the direction of life's evolution and the key to immortality.
They searched for materials about supernatural beings worldwide, including but not limited to living people and living things, which can be said to have taken the path of technology to a crazy level.
When discussing his field, Huang Boren, the company's research leader, couldn't help but become serious.
"They once attempted to develop a drug that could alter the aptitude of ordinary people, thereby transforming them into extraordinary individuals."
"But the experiment was too risky. As far as I know, many test subjects died before the somewhat unstable drug product was created."
"As the saying goes, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. Great risks often mean great results. Among the survivors who survived the experiment, there are many who are powerful enough."
At this point, a fleeting coldness and darkness crossed Huang Boren's face. He turned to face Lü Qian, made a knife-like gesture with his right hand, and drew a line across his neck before solemnly speaking.
"If you encounter Master Lü Qian, you should act with caution."
"After all, these experimental subjects aren't exactly stable for the situation either."
A smile played on his face, but it was no longer the affable one he had been before; instead, it was filled with a chilling killing intent. At this moment, he seemed less like a researcher in a white lab coat and more like a general wielding a weapon on the battlefield.
Lu Qian took in Huang Boren's exaggerated performance. He held the whisk in his right hand and made a knife with his left hand, imitating Huang Boren's manner as he slashed down diagonally.
"Chairman Huang, you're amazing!"
"Master Lü Qian is tough!"
"Hahaha......"
The two, who had been serious and solemn just moments before, seemed to have their distance between them melt away, and they put their arms around each other's shoulders, looked ahead, and burst into laughter.
"Planting flowers is both tall and tough!"
"Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! When will Brother Lü Qian come to the company to have tea with me? I'll definitely welcome you."
"Let's have a good drink when Brother Huang takes over as chairman. Don't forget the favor I did for you this time."
"Don't worry, Brother Lü Qian. Chairman Zhao's time is almost up. When the transfer order comes out, we'll get to experience being the chairman."
The two seemed to have reached some kind of agreement, and they strolled around on the deck with their arms around each other's shoulders. The surrounding wind and waves happened to muffle and disperse their laughter, and no one else heard it.
Although this mission was led by Huang Boren, who is a director, a closer look reveals that this matter was not under his jurisdiction as a researcher, but rather under the responsibility of Bi Youlong, who is in charge of external affairs.
The company wouldn't make such a basic mistake as unclear division of responsibilities. The only possibility is that Huang Boren started interfering in other matters to gain seniority.
As a company director, to further enhance his qualifications, he would have to aim for the next level, namely the position of company chairman, the chair that Zhao Fangxu is currently sitting on.
Now that this operation is linked to Huang Boren's promotion, Lü Qian, who stepped in to help resolve the trouble, has become his benefactor.
Every sip and every bite carries consequences; this is the law that governs the chaos and disorder of the mortal world.
"Chairman Zhao comes from a very prominent family, and he was the one who spearheaded the establishment of the company. Is Chairman Huang so certain that Chairman Zhao has reached a certain age?"
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It's finished. I've started preparing my report recently, so time is tight. Thank you for your understanding!