My curiosity was piqued, and with a signal available, I searched for "Purple Qi Arriving from the East" on my phone, yielding unexpected results.
According to the encyclopedia, legend has it that before Lao Tzu passed through Hangu Pass, Guan Yinxi saw purple qi arriving from the east, recognizing it as a sign that a sage would pass. Indeed, shortly thereafter, Lao Tzu appeared, riding a green ox.
Bian Que was born over a hundred years after Lao Tzu. Therefore, this should be the earliest record in historical texts concerning Daoist arts like "physiognomy of qi," though the one skilled in it wasn't Lao Tzu himself but this "Guan Yinxi" from the same era. Lao Tzu was merely the first "purple qi master" recorded.
I further researched "Guan Yinxi," discovering he was a disciple of Lao Tzu and a prominent figure in Daoism. Both Su Shi and Tao Yuanming likened Guan Yinxi to Lao Tzu, attesting to their profound Daoist abilities. Given the considerable age difference between Guan Yinxi and Lao Tzu, a sudden thought struck me: could these three, Lao Tzu, Guan Yinxi, and Bian Que, have a lineage of transmission?
Lao Tzu and Bian Que had no overlap; Bian Que was not yet born when Lao Tzu passed away. However, based on their birth and death years, Bian Que and Guan Yinxi's lifespans did intersect. Could it be that Guan Yinxi's physiognomy of qi was taught by Lao Tzu, and Bian Que's "physiognomy of qi" was then inherited from Guan Yinxi?
The encyclopedia offered no information regarding their relationship, but this possibility remained, and I considered it quite plausible.
Yet, I remained unclear as to how the physiognomy of qi from the Central Plains Daoist sects found its way to Li Chengfeng in the northeastern region, while it apparently became lost in the Central Plains itself.
Continuing our journey, after passing through a forest farm, we arrived at the main entrance of the Changbai Mountain Scenic Area.
The area was already beginning to clear out. A checkpoint had been established in the small town where the down jackets were purchased, preventing tourists from entering the mountain. All the buses, minibuses, and private cars encountered while traversing the forest farm were heading down, filled with grumbling passengers. More tourists were gathered at the scenic area's entrance, many indignant and seeking explanations from the management. Perhaps it was due to the rare fine autumn weather, but having traveled from afar, everyone wished to witness the beauty of Tianchi (I did too). The reason for the mountain closure surely couldn't be the truth; the fabricated reason failed to convince the tourists.
I went down to inquire and, as expected, the scenic area management, seemingly lacking in sense, had falsely claimed that the volcano of Changbai Mountain, the very body of Tianchi, was about to erupt!
A tourist from Sychuan complained, "I don't believe a word of it. If it were truly erupting, wouldn't the experts and scholars have spoken up already!"
Another, more unfortunate tourist from Hainan, with a distinct northeastern accent, cursed, "Damn it, it's rare to come back home to cool off and I can't even see my own Tianchi. You're making money with your eyes closed and not earning? What's wrong with you people!"
An auntie from Shanghai said something I couldn't quite understand, but it certainly wasn't complimentary.
The tourists blocked the scenic area's entrance and exit, preventing our vehicle from passing. Lin Xi didn't want to disturb the common folk or resort to special privileges.
The eagle demon asked if I wanted her to go down and scare the tourists.
I dismissed the idea, pointing out that there were at least two thousand people crowded into the small plaza at the entrance, on an incline. If they were scared and a stampede occurred, the consequences would be unimaginable.
We had no choice but to disembark and walk through the crowd to the scenic area entrance. The tourists near the entrance, seeing us being allowed through a special passage, became even more incensed, questioning the reason. Lin Xi reached for her credentials, but I stopped her. I leaped onto a platform, waved to the crowd, signaling that this spiritual guide was about to speak. However, far from quieting down, they only cursed louder and threw bananas, biscuits, and other items at me.
"Comrades, listen to me, listen to me!" The more I shouted, the more agitated the crowd became.
Lin Xi told me to ignore them and just go in. I felt this situation was unstable. So many people gathered together, what if something happened? Even if nothing occurred here, what if we later encountered conflict with Long Yue and the others in some underground forest, and some demons escaped and were seen by so many people? Wouldn't that make the news!
Therefore, it was safer to persuade them to leave.
"Oh my boss, you're wasting your breath. Why would they listen to a young person like you? You're not some important leader. Let's hurry up and go!" Chen Ke also advised me.
Looking at Chen Ke, a flash of inspiration struck me. I jumped off the platform and, pulling Chen Ke with me, entered a restroom not far inside the scenic area...