In epochs long gone, in obscured lands, a cryptic assembly called the Plum-Robed Sages held sway. Their profound insights echoed in hamlets far and wide, and villagers anticipated their words, yearning for elucidations to life’s enigmas.
The Quest of Chao Mu and the Secrets of the Plum-Robed Sages
Motivated by a quest for life’s meaning, a young Chao Mu pledged allegiance to the revered leader of these Sages. Throughout their sojourns, Chao Mu delved deeply into the master’s doctrines, insatiably absorbing his profound wisdom.
In every township they graced, locals flocked to hear the master speak. Though faces and timbres shifted, the sage’s message stood unaltered, resonating as a timeless refrain to all souls.
Days merged into weeks, and weeks into months. The sun-drenched days of summer transitioned to the amber and bronze tints of fall. As their journey unfolded, the ranks swelled with disciples, though many departed, unprepared for the rigorous path to enlightenment.
One dusk, beneath a waxing crescent, Chao Mu queried, “Master, whence comes this vivifying force? Our raison d’être?”
The sage, eyes brimming with profundity, counseled, “Endurance, dear Chao Mu, holds the key. Answers will manifest in due course.”
With each passing month, Chao Mu observed the master’s uncanny gift to intuit the energies of beings and locales. Once, a distraught villager sought counsel, his household amiss. With mere scrutiny, the sage deduced the disarray originated from misaligned colors and elements. He proffered precise alterations to habitat and attire, restoring equilibrium.
A bemused Chao Mu inquired, “Master, why such profound influence from colors and entities?” The sage expounded on Earth’s intrinsic energies — some uplifting, others not — and the equilibrium between them shaping our existence.
As winter loomed, their odyssey ushered them into snow-laden highlands. Braving the chill, the master tutored Chao Mu to harness cerebral warmth. Evenings saw them encircling a blaze, basking in its radiant embrace.
In winter’s profoundest cloak, Chao Mu was escorted by the sage to a secluded glen. There, cloaked in pristine snow, a sanctuary stood — the abode of the Plum-Robed Sages.
On its threshold, the sage presented Chao Mu with a bamboo seat, instructing, “Here, remain still until my return.” He complied, in stillness, as peers congregated beside him.
Seasons cycled. Disciples, one after another, surrendered to allurements, abandoning their stations. Yet, Chao Mu persisted, sustained by resolve and nature’s modest endowments.
A year hence, the sage reappeared, discovering a steadfast Chao Mu. With a gratified smile, he ushered him inside, proclaiming, “Your tenacity has proven true, young Chao Mu. You shall now ascend as a Plum-Robed Sage.”
Decades witnessed many a seeker approach the sanctuary, questing for sagacity. Yet, scant few, akin to Chao Mu, truly merited the Sage’s mantle.
As millennia elapsed, tales of the Sages transformed into legends, obscured to most but ever vibrant in truth-seekers’ souls.
The tale, “The Plum-Robed Sages,” is a singular creation by FUN-CHANG. Acknowledging its origin is esteemed.
