Da Shun, Year 995. Shu Region, Changle County, Longxing County, Qian Village.
The winter was bitterly cold. The bleak autumn wind had grown crueler by the day, like countless invisible blades hacking away at the life upon the earth.
Yet even so, as dawn broke, the Common People of Qian Village still wrapped their thin clothes tightly around themselves, pushed open their doors, and stepped out into the biting cold. Some were determined to head up the mountain to chop firewood; others resolved to try their luck in the nearby Longxing County Town, hoping to find work.
People converged on the muddy village paths.
No one spoke. Even neighbors merely nodded to one another as they passed. To open one’s mouth was to be filled with the biting, cold wind.
The sprawling village was deathly still.
There was only the muffled sound of the Common People’s footsteps and the whistling of the wind. The entire village seemed like a great beast, frozen to death and lying prone in the depths of the mountain forest.
........
Once the crowd reached the village entrance, they split off in different directions. Some headed for the mountains behind the village, others for the county town, while a third group walked toward the northern edge of the village.
A Daoist Temple stood there.
The Daoist Temple did not look large from the outside; it could even be described as crude. Yet, as one drew near, a blast of scorching air greeted them.
Stepping inside the Daoist Temple, they saw a massive incense burner in the center. Large quantities of charred stones had been thrown in and set ablaze, sending billows of heat into the air and banishing the winter’s chill. The sound of human voices coming from within made this the only place teeming with life amidst the bleak winter.
"Ahhh... much better!"
A few villagers from Qian Village entered the Daoist Temple, letting out a collective sigh of relief. Just then, a young man in a Daoist Robe emerged from the rear courtyard.
"Is everyone here?" the young Daoist asked.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Xie."
The villagers all bowed, their faces alight with an indescribable fanaticism. Their hands came together, fingers intertwining to form the shape of a lotus as they chanted:
"The Lotus descends to the mortal world, to bring salvation to all."
The young Daoist formed the same seal in return before saying, "Master has been waiting for you. Everyone, come with me."
The group followed him into the rear courtyard. Inside, more than a dozen men in the prime of their life, each built like a young bull, were practicing their martial forms. It was obvious they ate meat with every meal. They threw punches with energetic shouts of "Heigh! Ha!", sweat flying as they trained with youthful abandon.
Leading them was another young man.
He was shirtless, sweat rolling down his shoulders and back. His skin, well-defined, gleamed like bronze in the sunlight, and his face was handsome and refined.
"Junior Brother, stop for a moment."
The young Daoist called out, but the young man didn’t respond. He stood frozen in place, seemingly lost in thought, and didn’t come to his senses for a long moment.
"Junior Brother?" the young Daoist asked, his curiosity piqued.
"...It’s nothing."
Wang Ping shook his head, clearing the daze from his eyes. He quickly composed himself and smiled. "Master is back? And he wants to see us?"
"He is."
The young Daoist smiled. "Junior Brother, you’ve been working tirelessly to organize the faithful from Qian Village. Your contributions have not been small. In fact, Master returned specifically for you."
"Your lucky day has come, Junior Brother!"
A look of joy spread across Wang Ping’s face.
Deep down, however, he felt nothing. He even felt a little like laughing. ’An ancient dynasty, a feudal society... What kind of "lucky day" could there possibly be?’
’Just being alive is a blessing from the heavens.’
’It had been twenty years since he’d transmigrated, twenty years of just scraping by in this broken-down place called the Da Shun. He had completely integrated into life here.’
’If nothing unexpected happened, he would end up just like Er Gou from next door: find a wife in the village, have a few kids, and work from sunrise to sunset. If he managed to live his whole life in peace like that, he could successfully die on this little patch of dirt around the age of thirty.’
’When he first arrived, he’d held out hope for some kind of cheat system.’
’But now, after countless cycles of anger, despair, and self-consolation, he had given up on such unrealistic fantasies.’
That being said, Wang Ping hadn’t just given up and let himself rot.
Over the past twenty years, he had been resourceful and tried every method he could think of. He had finally found a decent gig that not only allowed him to support himself but also to set aside a small amount of savings.
"Come on, everyone over here."
The young Daoist beckoned with his hand. Wang Ping followed close behind, and soon everyone in the Daoist Temple had gathered and proceeded solemnly into the main hall of the rear courtyard.
On the pillars flanking the main hall, a couplet was inscribed:
The land shakes the high peaks; a scene of streams and mountains, beautiful for a thousand ages.
The gate faces the vast sea; the waters of three rivers converge, flowing for ten thousand years.
Wang Ping looked up and saw a four-word horizontal banner hanging above the main entrance:
Boundless Compassion and Aid
Just then, an aged voice suddenly rang out:
"When our Founding Master established this lineage, he was moved by the sight of the natural world. These are the words he left behind as a commemoration."
Wang Ping turned toward the voice and saw that, in the place of honor within the hall, there stood an altar table. Upon it were various offerings and a spirit shrine. Leaning against the shrine was an old Daoist in a tattered Daoist Robe. He casually grabbed an offering from the table and began to eat, smacking his lips.
"Master!" the young Daoist exclaimed with a frown. "You’re eating the Founding Master’s offerings again!"
The old Daoist waved a dismissive hand. "Can’t be helped. A foolish emperor is on the throne, and the world is in chaos. We’re just trying to survive. The Founding Master will surely understand."
"That’s still no reason to eat the offerings."
The young Daoist shook his head and said in a low voice, "Master, you will regret this."