A Daoist Encounters Evil?

Inside the stone chamber, the candlelight flickered dimly.
The faint light cast upon Tai Yuan's cold and solemn face, seemingly gilding it with a thin layer of pale gold. His gaze was locked intently on the nameless manuscript in his hand, his brow furrowed, his expression revealing a trace of doubt and gravity.

Previously, Tai Yuan had been immersed in pondering the contents of the manuscript, carefully weighing the profound meaning of its delicate language, never thinking to examine the manuscript itself. But at this moment, he clearly sensed a faint yet real spiritual fluctuation emanating from the yellowed pages. This vibration was as thin as gossamer, yet undeniably present.

Tai Yuan could not help but feel a surge of suspicion.
What on earth was going on?
For a moment, the words "encountering evil" flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed the thought. With his current profound cultivation base and extraordinary abilities, even if he truly encountered a calamity, what was there to fear? Moreover, in this current world, it was still unknown whether such evils could even be born.

Eliminating all impossibilities, and considering that this manuscript was handwritten by Zhu Xi himself, containing his life's blood, a bold conjecture gradually formed in Tai Yuan's mind: "Could it be Zhu Xi's spiritual intent attached to it? Is Zhu Xi not dead?"

He drew in a sharp breath! The moment this thought arose, Tai Yuan could not help but gasp. If this were truly the case, then the significance of this manuscript far exceeded that of any ordinary ancient text.

Tai Yuan's gaze grew even more solemn, his mind filled with countless thoughts. If Zhu Xi's spirit was indeed preserved within this manuscript, what was his intention? Was it simply that his devotion had caused his spiritual intent to cling to the pages, or was there some deeper meaning? Could he even have the intention of reappearing in the mortal world?

Although Zhu Xi was revered as "Zhu Zi," the ultimate hardship throughout the ages was death. Countless famous ministers, generals, and emperors of past generations had sought longevity. Ying Zheng, the Ancestral Dragon, sought the elixir of immortality across the seas, and Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, worshipped the new immortal path, all for this purpose. If Zhu Xi had indeed left a contingency plan to prolong his existence in some way, it was not entirely impossible.

Just as the "Dinggui" chapter of the *Lunheng* stated: "In the universe, ghosts are not the spirits of the dead. They are created by the deep thoughts and memories of the living. This mental state arises from illness. When people are ill, they become fearful, and fear breeds illusions. A healthy person does not fear. Thus, as an illness worsens, fear of ghosts arises. Fear leads to memory, and memory leads to seeing illusions."

Tai Yuan's gaze fell upon the manuscript once more, his expression carrying a few more degrees of scrutiny and deep thought. If Zhu Xi's spirit was truly preserved within, this might be a rare opportunity to directly converse with this ancient sage.

After a long while, Tai Yuan made his decision. He slowly extended his consciousness downward.

Tai Yuan reasoned that he had been reading this manuscript for three days; if this spiritual intent harbored malice, he would have been controlled by it long ago. Since he was currently unharmed, either this spiritual intent held no malice, or it lacked the power to harm. Furthermore, the path of seeking the Dao was fraught with hardships and obstacles; one must advance or face retreat. If Tai Yuan backed down now, a flaw would appear in his Dao Heart, shrouded in shadow, which would hinder his future cultivation.

Recalling this, Tai Yuan took a deep breath, a flash of determination in his eyes.

He approached.

*Whoosh—* In an instant, a grand, righteous, and majestic aura that connected heaven and earth surged forward like an invisible wave, completely enveloping his consciousness.

Under the shroud of this aura, Tai Yuan felt the scene before him warp and spin instantly, as if he were swept into another space-time dimension. His perception became utterly chaotic; his physical awareness and conscious judgment began to drift apart, his thoughts falling into a dense fog, losing all sense of direction.

Crisis! A massive crisis!

Tai Yuan instinctively realized that if he truly sank into this unconscious state, he might never wake up again!

"Suppress!"

At this critical juncture, Tai Yuan bit the tip of his tongue and shouted the word "Suppress!" Seizing this fleeting moment of clarity, he immediately formed the "Lin Character Formula" with his hands, his index fingers pointing upward while his other fingers intertwined.

"Lin" represents the position of heaven and earth, comprehending the origin of all things. One who embodies the intent of the Three Powers (San Cai) will, upon invoking "Lin," comprehend heaven and earth, nature, and the true essence of existence, achieving an immovable and unperplexed will. If one can constantly comprehend heaven and earth and the natural existence of all things, they can attain the pure and selfless essence of the Lin Character Formula. As the saying goes, "If one can remain constantly tranquil, heaven and earth will surely return to them."

Under the influence of the Lin Character Formula, Tai Yuan's true soul consciousness slowly cleared, taking a dominant position in this spiritual clash.

Tai Yuan's mind was now exceptionally clear, devoid of any stray thoughts or sensations. In the empty void, he faintly saw his Primordial Spirit shining within, as if the five skandhas were empty and the four elements were illusions, leaving only the true self.

In his daze, Tai Yuan saw fragments of images.

When Zhu Xi was born, there was an auspicious sign: seven black moles grew near the corner of his right eye, arranged like the Big Dipper. At five, Zhu Xi entered primary school and could read and understand the *Classic of Filial Piety*. On the book cover, he wrote a self-encouraging inscription: "If I do not achieve this, I am but a disabled person." At six, he played with other children, drawing the Eight Trigrams with his finger in the dirt in front of the Zheng Family Inn in Jiuzhou. He would look at his father, asking about the sun and heaven.

At thirteen, his father Zhu Song died of illness, entrusting him to his adoptive father Liu Ziyu. Liu Ziyu treated him as his own son, arranging for Zhu Xi's family to live in the bamboo house next to his own, naming it Ziyang Tower. At eighteen, he took the imperial examination in Jianzhou and became a tribute student. The following year, Liu Nuli married his daughter Liu Qingzi to Zhu Xi. In March of that same year, Zhu Xi went to the capital for the imperial examinations, ranking fifth in Wang Zuo's list and being awarded the title of Jinshi of the Fourth Class.

Later, Zhu Xi passed another intermediate examination and was appointed as Zuo Digong Lang and Registrar of Tong'an County. He promoted rites and customs, impeached corrupt officials, and sympathized with the plight of the common people. Later, he took Li Tong as his master, inheriting the "Luo Academy" of Guizi and An, no longer seeking official promotion.

In his later years, applying his knowledge to statecraft, Zhu Xi gradually realized the flaws of the "Old Theory of Equilibrium and Harmony." Using the concepts of "Reverence" and "Dual Cultivation," he re-read the works of Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, and from a brand-new perspective, wrote his "New Theory of Equilibrium and Harmony." At forty, Mother Zhu passed away. Zhu Xi built the Hanquan Villa to guard his mother's grave, beginning a six-year period of seclusion in Hanquan.

Participating in the "Hanquan Meeting" with Lu Zuqian, and the "Goose Lake Meeting" with Lu Jiuling, Lu Jiuyuan, and Liu Qingzhi, Zhu Xi realized that Mind and Principle are two different concepts: Principle is the essence, while Mind is the subject of perception. Later, he rebuilt academies, studied diligently, and governed until his final years, remaining in Jianyang due to the "Qingyuan Party Ban" until his death.

The images ended here.

Meanwhile, Tai Yuan's body remained motionless, his eyes closed. His surroundings were enveloped in a death-like silence. However, beneath this seemingly calm exterior, a peculiar "Aura" was slowly condensing within Tai Yuan's body. This "Aura" was like a trickling stream; with every heartbeat, new strength was infused.

"It seems... things have become a bit different..."

Tai Yuan had a faint realization in his heart. Though he had not opened his eyes, he could clearly sense the changes within his body. This brewing "Aura," for him, would likely bring a significant elevation.