Chapter One  The Daoist Temple Below Mount Zhongnan

 终南山下,一个深山洼地里,有一个永远不会出现在中国地图上的村庄.

 据村里褪色的羊皮纸族谱记载,其历史可以追溯到很久以前.明朝万历年间,村里的先民就已在终南山下的这片山洼里扎根,一直延续至今.

 其中以"顾"姓为主,世世代代的族长,原来现在的村长,都是顾氏家族.

 几个世纪以来,这个村子里一直有八十一户人家,从不超过也不低于一户——这证明了村里的三规矩之一.

 第一条规定,村里必须有八十户;加一会导致开除,减一会导致生产.

 第二条规定,这八十一户的祖屋只能修毁,不能停止,搬迁.从本质上讲,村里的房子必须保持原来的样子,即使倒了,无法居住;它们在同一地点重建.

 虽然前面的配额规则看起来很严格,但第三条规则尤其特殊.

 八十一户人家都要供养村里道观里的道士.任何不服从的行为都会导致被逐出顾氏祖宗.

 违反前置规则的处理方式类似!

 尽管经过境迁,现在还没有完全理解这些规则矩的由来,但他们都认识到一个事实:很少遭受疾病和灾难的困扰.家户户过着安宁的生活,全村 312 人都安享晚年.悟的是,其中有109人已经年过百岁,农时节仍能看到九十多岁的老人在地里干活,坚持着日出而作,日落而息的作息. ,也只有这个村子,长寿者如此之多,实属奇观.

 相反,那些离开村庄的人却没有经历同样的长寿,尽管没有经历过巨大的灾难.

 这个村子叫古井村,所支持的寺庙叫古井寺.

 古井寺位于古井村中心的一座小山丘上,周围是排列着的古氏祖屋.

 如果站在高处观察,就会发现,这八十座房屋的排列,与八卦阵的位置完全一致,而寺庙恰好位于八卦阵的中心.

 遗憾的是,至今无人登上终南山的高处亲眼目睹这一奇观.即使是坐飞机飞过去,也只能看到古井村和古井寺上空笼罩着一层白雾,看不见了.

 古井村不大,古井寺更小,不仅面积大,而且经年久失修.

 该寺历史悠久,全部与古井村同时建.几个世纪以来,从未进行过修毁.院里的赤红墙壁数十座崩塌,两扇大门如今歪斜,院里的地砖都碎裂了,寺庙的殿宇巨大破败.

 看上去是一座寺庙,没有任何香火,也没有棍子.

终南山下,在深山洼地里,有一个注定永远不会在中国地图上标出的村庄.

根据村里褪色的羊皮纸族谱,它的历史可以追溯到几个世纪前.明朝万历年间,该村先民在终南山下的山洼中扎根,传承至今.

主要由古姓组成,历代氏族首领,包括现在的村长,都使用古姓.

几个世纪以来,这个村子一直保持着八十一户的稳定人口,不多也不少,并将其奉为三村规之一.

第一条规则规定,村庄必须养活八十一户人家.任何增加都会导致开除;任何减少都需要新的诞生.

第二条规定,祖屋八十一间,只能修缮,不得搬迁.即使房屋倒塌并无法居住,也必须在原地重建,与原来的房屋相同.

虽然前两条规则可能看起来很严格但可以接受,但第三条规则很奇怪.

全村八十一户人家,有义务世世代代供养村庙道士,不得违抗.违反规定会导致被古老氏族驱逐.

这三项规则从未被违反.尽管时光流逝,村民们虽然不知道这些习俗的由来,但都明白一件事——村民们很少有疾病和灾难.家家户户都过着安宁的生活,三百十二名村民中,年龄超过百岁的有一百九人,令人震惊.甚至在农忙季节,还能看到这些百岁老人在田间劳作,这是这个方圆两百多里的村庄特有的现象.

相比之下,那些离开村庄的人,即使躲过了重大的不幸,也很少能拥有如此长寿.

这个村子叫古井村,所照管的寺庙叫古井寺.

位于古井村中心的一座小山丘上,八十一间祖屋井然有序地环绕着古井寺.

如果从高处观察,将会看到一幅非凡的景象:八十一座房屋的排列,精确地反映了八卦的图案,而寺庙则战略性地位于中心.

遗憾的是,从未有人在终南山的高空发现过这一景象.就算是乘坐飞机飞过去,也只能看到古井村和古井寺周围笼罩着一层白雾.

古井村很小,古井寺更小,更不用说破烂不堪了.

该寺庙历史悠久,与村庄同时建造.尽管已经过去了几个世纪,这座寺庙从未经过修复.深红色的院墙早已倒塌,两扇大门摇摇欲坠地向一侧倾斜.殿内的地砖也已破碎,大殿已是一片废墟.

这座寺庙似乎没有香火,也没有信徒.

事实上,这座寺庙很少吸引任何信徒.数百年来,很少有人进入古井寺,就连当地村民也不敢轻易进入.每逢重大活动,只有族长或村长才能进入寺庙,平日里很少有人进来.

因为古井寺只有三个半人.

其中一位是一位蓬头垢面的老人,穿着破烂的道袍,永远在寺院内的一棵古槐树下打盹.

三清殿内,一名中年男子坐在三清神像前,手握一把锈迹斑斑的铁剑,沉默不语.

最后,一名二十多岁的年轻人住在寺庙的经阁里,很少外出.

至于一半,则是八年前离开古井寺,再也没有回来的前辈弟子.

...夕阳西下,夜幕降临终南山!

古井村大部分家庭都开始做饭了.不多时,三十九户的一位中年妇女快步朝自家后山上的寺庙走去.到了寺庙门口,她把一个木桶放在破旧的门中间,恭敬地向寺庙鞠了一躬,没有朝里面看,然后转身离开.

这是古井村几个世纪以来一直延续的传统——家家户户每天都会把饭菜送到寺庙门口.

槐树下的衣衫褴褛的老道士睁开浑浊的双眼,缓缓站起身来,走到庙门口,拿起木桶,回到槐树旁.此刻,大殿中手持铁剑的中年男子,也缓缓靠近.藏经阁里的青年是最后一个到达的.三人在树下围坐,打开木桶,露出刚煮好的米饭和三道家常菜.

用餐场景诡异.三人之间没有说过一句话;只有微弱的咀嚼声在回响.他们吃东西的速度非常慢——每一口都要咀嚼三十六次,缓慢得令人难以忍受.因此,通常一顿简单的晚餐就延长了近一个小时.

吃完饭后,他们同时把碗和筷子放在一边.邋遢老道的右手食指和中指竟然颤抖起来,皱起了眉头.他从道袍中取出三枚铜钱,放在手中随意掂了掂,然后扔到了身前的地上.

衣衫褴褛的老道士和年轻人都盯着地上的钱币.青年神色变得疑惑,而衣衫褴褛的老道则默默的望向西北.

中年男子手持铁剑,站起身来,拿起木桶,放在庙门外,然后转身返回大殿.片刻后,大厅内传来清脆的声音.中年男子回来,将一块二十厘米长的锈迹斑斑的铁片递给了年轻人.

青年盯着怀中仅剩的半截铁剑,道:"师叔,何必再费心?"

中年男子平静道:"你要离开神殿,我也没有什么更好的东西可以供奉.而且,我用的是剑...锋利与否并不重要."

与此同时,那名衣衫褴褛的老道人,目光依然望向西北,将三枚铜钱捡了起来,递给了青年.少年二话不说,这次接受了,并在槐树下老道士身边坐下.

This time, the three of them did not return to their respective places but sat cross-legged under the old locust tree.

...Two days ago, northwest of Mount Zhongnan.

Three off-road vehicles with license plates from Hebei province arrived at the foot of Mount Zhongnan, covered in dust. Once they reached the mountain base, the vehicles could go no further, and to ascend the mountain, they would have to proceed on foot. After the vehicles came to a stop, several people from the first two cars stood beside their vehicles, and a middle-aged man in his fifties emerged from the last off-road vehicle. He wore a tight-fitting black woolen coat, with a constantly furrowed brow and an extremely exhausted expression.

The middle-aged man seemed to sigh deeply as he looked towards Mount Zhongnan. He then turned to a man in his thirties by his side and said, "Jinzhong, you and I will go up the mountain. The others should wait here."

Jinzhong, the man he addressed, hesitated and asked, "Boss... we should bring a few more people for convenience. In these mountains..."

The boss waved his hand indifferently and said, "Just you and me. More people will only complicate things."

Jinzhong knew well that once his boss made a decision, there was no possibility of changing it. Without further words, he took out a large travel bag from the car, slung it over his shoulder, and followed the middle-aged man into the mountains.

For two days, the two city-dwellers endured a journey reminiscent of the Long March. The mountain roads, which took just over a day to traverse, had taken them two days, leaving their bodies in agonizing discomfort. However, neither of them uttered a word.

The more the middle-aged man walked toward their destination, the more his exhausted expression relaxed. The boss endured the journey in silence, while Jinzhong, unable to speak, followed suit.

Two days later, as night fell, Jinzhong and the boss reached a mountaintop. Holding binoculars in their hands, they gazed towards the northwest. The outlines of a small mountain village were faintly visible in the lens. The boss let out a long breath, and the tension in his expression completely dissipated as he sat down on the ground, panting heavily.

"Boss, I think that's where we need to go."

"Mount Zhongnan... People only know that Mount Zhongnan harbors hermits and the founder of Taoism, the Quanzhen sect. Heh, but few know that Mount Zhongnan also has an Ancient Well Temple," the boss said, standing up and walking towards the foot of the mountain with his hands behind his back. "From now on, everything you see and hear, keep it to yourself. Don't let a single word slip out."

Jinzhong looked bewildered for a moment. Even though he and his boss were close, his expression became serious at this moment. He couldn't recall the last time his boss had issued a warning to anyone since he began following him.

Since joining his boss, no one within their territory could warrant a warning from him.

Three and a half hours later, the sky was dark, but thanks to the accelerated pace, the two finally reached Ancient Well Village. At this point, most of the lights in the village had already gone out, and the majority of households were at rest. Without pausing, Jinzhong and the boss went straight to the hill in the middle of the village, where Ancient Well Temple was located.

Arriving at the foot of the hill, the boss instructed Jinzhong to wait below while he went up alone to Ancient Well Temple. The dilapidated state of the temple made the boss briefly hesitate, but he quickly regained composure. He approached the temple gate, tapping the crooked door that had fallen to the side.

After a moment, a young man walked up to the boss. Without hesitation, the boss spoke, "Descendant of Chen Liang, your ancestors advised seeking refuge in Ancient Well Temple in case of adversity. I've come."

The young man nodded and said, "Rest somewhere as you please. I'll accompany you out of the mountain at dawn."

In Tangshan, Hebei, there exists a colossal business empire known as the Baoxin Group.

Half of Hebei's energy resources, minerals, and real estate fall under the influence of the Baoxin Group. In the commercial landscape of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the name of the Baoxin Group consistently takes a prominent position. Over the past few decades, its influence has extended beyond these areas, yet Baoxin remains a discreet presence.

The average citizen has no knowledge of the Baoxin Group, and even the majority of businessmen in the market are oblivious to its existence.

Baoxin is a synonym, representing a conglomerate that controls dozens of companies. What's even less known is that the helm of Baoxin is held by a person named Chen. Whenever the domestic rich list is published, the Chen family members simply smile indifferently upon seeing the names at the top. They seem to regard it with a touch of disdain.

Among the Chinese elite, there are individuals who, even if paid handsomely, would refuse to be listed. The Chen family unquestionably belongs to this category.

The rise of the Chen family, the masterminds behind the Baoxin Group, is a history known to very few. Some have heard rumors suggesting that in times of war, the ancestors of the Chen family had some dealings with a Daoist. It is said that it was from that point onwards that the Chen family began to show signs of prosperity.

Regarding these speculations, the Chen family never offers explanations, denials, or confirmations. Most members of the Chen family are unaware of how their business empire was constructed. The true architects are known only to the person steering the Chen family ship.

In this generation, the person at the helm of the Chen family is named Chen Sanjin.

Standing upright at the foot of Mount Zhongnan, before the gates of Ancient Well Temple!