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墨書 Inktalez
Even though the phenomenon of water shattered their decades-long conventional understanding, as long as it was attributed to the actions of an immortal, everything seemed reasonable. Water had arrived, and there was no need to delve deeper into the matter. It was a miracle from the immortal!
The villagers of Zhao Jia Zhuang soon discovered that although the Xian Shui flowed within certain boundaries, as long as they moved this water beyond those limits, it behaved like ordinary water, naturally flowing downhill. However, the land had been dry for so long that even water drawn from the immortal spring would be absorbed by the parched earth after just a few steps.
This did not hinder their efforts. Although this small amount of water was insufficient to quench the thirst of many families, it was enough to nourish the land of the entire village. Thus, the villagers worked together to dig a channel about one width wide, one end receiving the Xian Shui and the other connecting to the fields. No longer did they need to carry water in burdensome loads; only a few villagers were needed to scoop water from the source and pour it into the channel, ensuring that it flowed onto the fields and revived their long-dry crops.
Watching the continuous flow of water, the smiles on the villagers' faces grew brighter. Their hearts were filled with immense satisfaction, even surpassing the joy of celebrating New Year’s, for the revival of their fields brought them hope for the future. Everyone knew who was behind these changes. Whenever Yun Xiao Yi walked through the village, the villagers showed him utmost respect, immediately bowing down in greeting upon seeing him. Although he could not understand their specific words, from their respectful gazes, Yun Xiao Yi could feel their deep gratitude.
In such a drought, the arrival of life-giving water had nearly saved the entire village. Even if he were just an ordinary person, people would have turned him into a deity in their minds; not to mention, he was a true immortal. Such kindness deserved a bow or a gesture of respect, so what harm could it do? If they could truly find such a powerful immortal, they would not hesitate to bow and offer incense every day.
However, Yun Xiao Yi was not accustomed to such forms of worship. Every day in the village required considerable effort to dissuade those who wished to bow down before him. To avoid this situation, he planned to establish a set of appropriate social etiquette as soon as possible. Although he intended to harness the power of faith, he still hoped to unite the villagers through common ideals rather than imposing strict levels of reverence.
Thus, to prevent frequent encounters with those wanting to kneel, Yun Xiao Yi chose to take a detour and eventually arrived at the village market. At that moment, Zhao An was busy organizing the handling of the short deer and wild wolves captured by Zhao Yun. The wild wolves were relatively small, most weighing around fifty pounds, with even the largest not exceeding one hundred pounds. After accounting for bones and inedible parts, and considering there were several mouths to feed in the village, each person's share seemed particularly meager.
In a place where meat was rarely seen, even a small amount was considered a luxury for the villagers. Therefore, when they saw there was meat available, even if it was little, their hearts were filled with gratitude. Upon seeing Yun Xiao Yi arrive, Zhao An quickly instructed everyone to stop their work and was the first to bow his head in respect.
Yun Xiao Yi felt quite helpless. After helping them up one by one, he borrowed some ink and wrote: "There is no need to kneel before me; if you wish to show respect, a gesture of palms together will suffice." In this way, Yun Xiao Yi adapted the future Taoist gesture of palms together into a set of etiquette suitable for the current situation. In this era, the common forms of this gesture primarily included hands placed together or fist over palm.
The Taoist hand gestures were entirely distinct from other forms of etiquette.
Within it lies a universe, its exterior resembling the Taiji diagram. The left arm covers the right, symbolizing the interplay of Yin and Yang, embodying completeness. This ritual lacks any practical effect; its primary purpose is to distinguish it from other ceremonial forms. If there is any advantage to it, it lies in enhancing cohesion and mutual understanding among the group. It also serves to reduce the instances of Yun Xiao Yi being bowed to by the masses. Although he understands that such actions stem from the villagers' admiration for him, he feels somewhat uncomfortable whenever he sees those old enough to be his father kneeling before him. Nevertheless, this change in etiquette can only be considered superficial. To face all of this with composure, he must gradually adapt.
The gestures of Daoist etiquette are not difficult to learn; with determination and a few practice sessions, one can master them. Thus, it wasn't long before this ritual spread throughout Zhao Family Village, becoming a way for people to greet one another. Especially when everyone learned that this gesture was imparted by an immortal, they eagerly sought to learn it, fearing they would fall behind. After teaching the gesture of etiquette, Yun Xiao Yi turned to Zhao Yun to study Classical Chinese. In this era of complete unfamiliarity, communication with others is crucial. While writing can suffice, verbal exchange is far more convenient. The language of the Han Dynasty belongs to Classical Chinese, which differs significantly from modern Mandarin, particularly in its more complex pronunciation techniques.
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