pjbooks Chapter 181 The greatest treasures are unadorned, the greatest skill appears clumsy.
Chapter 181 The greatest treasures are unadorned, the greatest skill appears clumsy.
At 8:00 AM, Qingfeng Mountain, Lu County.
At the foot of the mountain, a black SUV was parked on the side of the road.
Mr. Qin stood in front of the car, looking up at the small Taoist temple on the mountainside.
The Taoist temple was small, nestled among withered yellow trees, and looked quite ordinary.
But at this moment, President Qin's eyes were filled with awe.
"President Qin."
The driver walked up to him and whispered, "I'll be waiting for you and Senior Xuanming at the foot of the mountain."
President Qin nodded.
He took a deep breath, turned around, and took a wooden box from the trunk.
The wooden box was small, about a foot square, and finely crafted. Inside was a withered lotus flower.
Master Xuanming also took out a wooden box from the car, inside which was the bamboo tube.
The two exchanged a glance.
Then, I started walking up the mountain.
The stone steps are still the same stone steps.
The bluestones, polished smooth by time, gleam softly in the sunlight.
President Qin walked very slowly.
It's not that I can't walk fast.
They dared not walk too fast.
With each step he took, he was thinking about what to say and how to say it when he met Master Li.
How do you explain lotus flowers and bamboo tubes?
How should we report discoveries made in secret realms?
and also……
What will Master Li's reaction be?
Just then, the sound of an engine suddenly came from behind me.
President Qin turned around and looked.
At the foot of the mountain, a silver-gray sedan sped towards us and stopped by the roadside.
The car door opened, and a young man strode out.
It was Jin Hao.
He was wearing a black down jacket and carrying a bag. As soon as he got out of the car, he saw President Qin and Master Xuanming heading up the mountain.
Jin Hao was stunned for a moment.
President Qin? Senior Xuanming?
What are they doing here?
Jin Hao quickly stepped forward and greeted him politely:
"Greetings, President Qin! Greetings, Senior Xuanming!"
President Qin looked at him and smiled.
"Xiao Jin, what brings you here?"
Jin Hao shook the bag in his hand.
"Mr. Qin, I've come to deliver something to Brother Daoshi."
He paused, looking curiously at the wooden boxes in President Qin's and Taoist Master Xuanming's hands.
"President Qin, you and Senior Xuanming...are you here to see the Taoist priest too?"
President Qin nodded.
"Yes, let's send something to Master Li."
Upon hearing this, Jin Hao chuckled and said, "That's quite a coincidence."
President Qin looked at the bag in his hand and a thought struck him.
"Little Jin, what is this?"
Jin Hao opened the bag, revealing its contents.
It's a red box.
It is finely crafted, with auspicious cloud patterns carved on the surface and a red velvet lining, making it look quite festive.
"This is it," Jin Hao said. "The Taoist priest said it's to be used to hold the statue of the Two Immortals of Harmony and Union."
President Qin stared at the box, momentarily stunned.
Then, he subconsciously lowered his voice:
"Little Jin, have you seen the statue of the Two Immortals of Harmony and Union carved by Master Li?"
"Yes, I've seen him. The Taoist priest even sent me a picture last night."
"Then... was there anything supernatural about it?"
President Qin's eyes lit up, his face full of anticipation.
He had seen the scene of the two immortals of harmony and union appearing and bowing in worship in satellite images.
How mystical must that statue be?
however……
Jin Hao scratched his head, looking bewildered.
"Miraculous?"
He thought for a moment, then shook his head and said:
"I saw the photos yesterday and thought they were beautiful, the carving was so lifelike."
"But speaking of the miraculous..."
"I didn't notice."
"I thought I'd come here today to broaden my horizons and see the real thing with my own eyes."
Upon hearing this, President Qin was somewhat disappointed.
But he quickly came to terms with it.
Divine things are naturally obscured.
Truly good things often look ordinary.
Just like Master Li himself.
Standing there, he was ordinary, like a handsome, unassuming Taoist priest.
But who dares to underestimate him?
"Let's go."
President Qin put aside his thoughts and greeted them:
"Let's go up the mountain together."
The three of them began climbing the mountain along the stone steps.
The mountain path was lined with withered yellow grass and sparse trees, and occasionally a few birds could be heard chirping.
soon.
Ahead, the Taoist temple is getting closer and closer.
The courtyard walls are mottled, the green tiles are mottled, and the red lanterns hanging from the eaves sway gently in the wind.
A figure was standing at the doorway.
Sunlight fell on him, casting a faint shadow behind him.
President Qin paused in his steps.
Master Li...
Waiting at the door?
He felt a surge of overwhelming gratitude.
Someone like Master Li personally greeted us at the door?!
President Qin quickly quickened his pace, almost jogging, to the front of the pavilion.
Master Xuanming quickly followed.
The two men walked up to Li Jun, clasped their hands in a respectful salute.
"Greetings, Master Li!"
"This humble Taoist priest pays his respects to Master Li!"
Li Jun stepped aside to let the two men pass.
"President Qin, Senior Xuanming, there's no need for such formalities."
His tone was very flat.
But to President Qin and Daoist Xuanming, it had a different meaning.
Master Li...
You're too kind.
That's too modest.
Despite being someone who can stir up world events, he never puts on airs.
This is the true demeanor of a master.
At this moment, Li Jun's gaze swept over the things in the hands of the two people.
Bamboo tube.
Lotus flowers.
He could sense energy fluctuations emanating from both items.
The fluctuations were extremely restrained, yet very strong.
Moreover, it gave him a sense of...
An indescribable sense of familiarity.
Li Jun had some doubts in his heart, but he remained outwardly calm.
He extended his hand, gesturing for him to proceed.
"Please come in."
The three followed Li Jun, crossed the threshold, and entered the courtyard.
In the courtyard, the old Taoist priest was sitting at the stone table drinking tea.
Seeing the group enter, he stood up and greeted them with a smile.
Seeing the group enter, he stood up and greeted them with a smile.
"President Qin is here? Fellow Daoist Xuanming is here too?"
President Qin and Daoist Xuanming quickly bowed.
"Master Zhang!"
"This humble Taoist greets Master Zhang!"
The old Taoist priest waved his hand.
"You're too kind, please come in and have a seat."
He invited the group into the house, then looked at Li Jun.
"Jun'er, go pour some tea."
Li Jun nodded and turned to go to the kitchen.
The old Taoist priest led his men into the house and chatted with President Qin and Master Xuanming for a few minutes.
But he soon noticed that although the two men agreed verbally, their eyes kept glancing towards the door.
That look in his eyes clearly indicated that he was waiting for his apprentice.
The old Taoist priest knew exactly what was going on.
The reason why President Qin and his team came to see Jun'er must be because they have something important to discuss.
He smiled and stood up.
"Mr. Qin, please have a seat. I'll go for a stroll."
President Qin was taken aback.
"Master Zhang, what's wrong with you...?"
The old Taoist priest waved his hand.
"I'm getting old and can't sit still anymore, so I need to go out for a walk."
He looked at Li Jun, who was walking in with a teacup in his hand.
"Jun'er, please take good care of President Qin and his group."
Li Jun nodded.
"Master, please slow down."
The old Taoist priest walked slowly out of the room with his hands behind his back.
As soon as he left, Jin Hao couldn't hold back any longer.
"Taoist priest! Where's the statue?"
"Let me see!"
Jin Hao moved closer to Li Jun, his face filled with barely suppressed excitement.
Although President Qin and Daoist Xuanming did not speak, their longing gazes said it all.
Looking at the three of them like this, Li Jun felt helpless.
He had expected this to happen.
"That statue isn't anything special; you'll probably be disappointed when you see it."
As he spoke, he took the bag containing the packaging box from Jin Hao's hand.
"Go to my room and bring the statue over; it's in the cardboard box on my desk."
Jin Hao's eyes lit up.
"Okay!"
He dashed off to Li Jun's room.
Soon, he returned carrying the wooden sculpture.
Sunlight fell on the wood carvings, making the two immortals appear as warm and smooth as jade.
President Qin and Daoist Xuanming quickly stood up and went to greet them.
The two stared at the wooden sculpture, their expressions showing some excitement.
This is the divine object that caused the two immortals of harmony and union to manifest and worship!
This is a priceless treasure personally carved by Master Li!
however……
As I watched...
The excitement on their faces gradually turned into bewilderment.
This statue...
very beautiful.
The carving is superb, with smooth folds in the clothing and a serene expression.
But besides that...
There's nothing special about it.
There are no energy fluctuations.
There is no flow of Daoist energy.
It lacked the imposing aura that a divine being should possess.
It looks like an ordinary wood carving.
President Qin and Daoist Xuanming exchanged a glance, both seeing the doubt in each other's eyes.
This……
How could this happen?
Undeterred, the two carefully sensed the surroundings again.
There's still nothing there.
President Qin subconsciously looked at the box in his arms and the box in Master Xuanming's hand.
The contents of the box have been emitting faint energy fluctuations ever since they were brought out of the secret realm.
But now, even though I'm so close to this wooden sculpture, there's no reaction at all.
There was no unusual activity whatsoever.
President Qin was stunned.
What's going on?
Is it...
Is it truly a divine being concealing its own nature?
That must be it!
This statue of the Two Immortals of Harmony and Union has reached the realm of returning to simplicity and authenticity!
Its mystique is contained to the extreme.
Ordinary cultivators cannot sense it at all!
It will only manifest when it is truly needed!
Master Xuanming, standing nearby, was also wildly imagining things.
He recalled a sentence recorded in an ancient book:
"The greatest treasures are unadorned, and the greatest skill appears clumsy."
The statue in front of us is the best example!
The carving is exquisite, but if it were just an ordinary wood carving, how could it possibly attract the appearance of the Two Immortals of Harmony and Union to worship?
Yesterday's strange phenomenon shocked the whole world!
What does this tell us?
This demonstrates that the statue's supernatural qualities transcend the realm of mere "form".
There is absolutely no need to use energy fluctuations to prove oneself.
The more Master Xuanming thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed, and his gaze toward the wooden sculpture grew increasingly reverent.