Young Master Liu first made a decision in his heart, then solemnly posed a question to everyone: “We have three buttons before us. Honestly, I don't know what each one does. But the person just now said one destroys the ‘Ninety-Nine Heavens,’ one sends us back, and the last one allows us to achieve immortal enlightenment. I want to ask, besides the one that destroys the ‘Ninety-Nine Heavens,’ how would you choose between the remaining two?”

Everyone looked at Young Master Liu in silence. He carefully met each pair of eyes, and curiously, everyone's gaze seemed utterly resolute.

Suddenly, Scholar Jia looked up and asked him, “Young Master, if it were you, which would you choose?”

Young Master Liu smiled and answered without hesitation, “I would choose to return to my planet, my nation, the place where my loved ones reside.”

They looked at him and suddenly all broke into smiles—sincere smiles, yet tinged with a hint of slyness. Young Master Liu’s heart warmed suddenly, and he laughed along with them.

Young Master Liu turned and, with evident pleasure, pressed the first button on the right. The screen of the communicator flickered again, and then a voice sounded: “Thank you for first choosing to help me destroy this temporal station, which has turned into a place of evil. The station will self-destruct in one minute. Please choose another button within that minute: either enter the Immortal Realm beyond the borders or return to your own world.”

Young Master Liu looked back deeply at everyone; all nodded to him with smiles. Looking at the remaining green and grey buttons, he recalled that familiar voice: “Left one, right one, left two, right two, the answer, rebirth…”

Young Master Liu placed his finger on the green button. He believed that Earth, the human world, was green, and his path to rebirth must also be green. He trusted even more that the familiar voice guided him correctly to choose the third one, the left two green button. People of every planet, every nation, no matter how many wonderful temptations they encountered, would choose to return to the place that belonged to them.

Young Master Liu pressed down heavily. The green button gave a soft 'snap.' This time the communicator did not flash; instead, a deep blue image appeared on the screen. The spacecraft vibrated slightly and slowly began to move…

The year 1993. Longhu Mountain, Jiangxi Province, under a sky utterly clear.

At this moment, within the Sihan Celestial Master Mansion, a handsome middle-aged man dressed in a straight Taoist robe was bending over, carefully serving tea to the day’s visitor. This action inevitably prompted whispered gossip from the two young gate-keeping Taoists at the entrance.

“Hey, Qingfeng, do you know who this kid is? He carries himself with such airs, even the Celestial Master Zhang has to pour his tea and water.”

“Tell me about it!” Mingyue wiped his brow. “If I hadn't seen Celestial Master Zhang speaking so gracefully and appropriately, I’d really think the old man had a fever.”

Their chatter grew louder. Zhang Jintao heard it, and his brow involuntarily furrowed. He cleared his throat lightly. The two young Taoists immediately turned pale with fright, quickly found an excuse, and fled with hurried steps.

Zhang Jintao glared angrily toward the entrance, but as he turned back, his face was already fixed in a smile. He courteously brought the tea to the man sitting in the chair with his legs crossed, showing an almost excessive reverence.

“That… Martial Uncle, please have some tea! This is dew tea freshly picked by my disciples this morning. Though it may not compare to Longjing or Houkui, it is still a specialty of our Longhu Mountain.”

“Haha, you’re too kind,” Young Master Liu accepted it without pretense, swallowing it down in a few hurried gulps regardless of decorum. “Is there any more? Your mountain is too high; climbing up exhausted me. I was nearly parched to death.”

“Yes, yes!” Zhang Jintao wiped his brow and hurried off to brew more tea.

“Wait!” Young Master Liu called out from behind him.

“Does Martial Uncle have any other instructions? Your disciple will attend to them immediately!”

“That’s not what I meant.” Young Master Liu seemed to recall something, his expression darkening. “Celestial Master Zhang, could you trouble yourself to show me where my Master’s memorial tablet is kept?”

Zhang Jintao froze momentarily, then cupped his hands in salute. “I shall obey Martial Uncle’s command. Please follow me!”

In the side hall, the empty space was illuminated by flickering candlelight. The memorial tablets of the sixty-three successive Patriarchs seemed ancient and desolate under the candlelight. The very last tablet bore the three characters, Zhang Enpu, written in his unique cursive style.

Young Master Liu lit incense sticks and sighed, “Master, regardless of everything, we can be considered to have returned to the lineage. May your spirit in heaven finally rest in peace!” Unconsciously, the corners of his eyes grew slightly moist.

Perhaps influenced by him, Zhang Jintao also wiped a tear, though he still offered advice: “Life and death are decreed by Heaven; Martial Uncle should not dwell too much on it.”

“Indeed, I am not as open-minded as you, haha!” Young Master Liu laughed, taking Zhang Jintao’s hand. “Come, accompany me for a walk. I’m unfamiliar with this place; you can be my temporary tour guide!”

Along the way, Zhang Jintao did his duty diligently, explaining much about Longhu Mountain’s architecture and historical sites, and detailing the development trends of Taoism over the recent years. Young Master Liu simply smiled and nodded, saying little.

When they reached a pine and cypress tree, Young Master Liu suddenly turned, raised an object in his hand high towards the sky, and commanded, “Zhang Jintao, the sixty-fifth generation disciple of the Orthodox Celestial Master Dao, receive this order!”

Zhang Jintao jolted entirely. Seeing the object in Young Master Liu’s hand—the very token representing the sect’s leadership—his expression changed drastically. He immediately knelt on one knee, not daring to utter a word: “Martial Uncle, what is this!”

“I have already returned the Celestial Master Sword; my only remaining tie was this token. Cherish it well and accept it!” Young Master Liu smiled faintly and handed the token to Zhang Jintao. Zhang Jintao blinked, a flash of intense excitement and emotion crossing his face. His trembling hands hovered in the air, unsure whether to accept or not.

“Take it if I give it to you! Why so many formalities!” Seeing Zhang Jintao’s hesitation, Young Master Liu was slightly amused and directly pressed it into his hand.

“Martial Uncle, what exactly…”

Young Master Liu closed his eyes and sighed. “This thing is merely a burden to me, but to you, it is the symbol of unifying the Daoist sects. By giving it to you now, both of us are at ease. Remember, in every word and deed, you must live up to what it represents!”

Zhang Jintao’s face became solemn, and he clasped his hands in salute: “I strictly abide by Martial Uncle’s command!”

“Alright, old man, I have done what needed doing and said what needed saying. The future is up to your disciples and their descendants! After decades of burdens, shedding them feels truly lighter than usual!” With that, Young Master Liu ambled casually down the mountain.

Watching Young Master Liu’s retreating back, Zhang Jintao nodded deeply.

The scene shifted to a villa in Hangzhou, China, where life was joyous and harmonious. At this moment, the old bachelor Uncle Diao was waving a plush toy in front of a baby, while Wang Feifei and Ma Xiaoyan were happily chatting with Old Mr. and Mrs. Liu. Months ago, right after Young Master Liu and his companions completed their mission, the Major General had fulfilled all his earlier promises. Even more unexpectedly, in distant Yunnan, the People’s Liberation Army units had stumbled upon Uncle Diao and Wang Feifei. Why they were there remains unknown—perhaps they had slipped through another temporal wormhole! Initially, upon seeing Wang Feifei and Ma Xiaoyan together, Young Master Liu felt awkward about how to manage future relationships, but turning to see the two women interacting so intimately, he let go of that worry.

Scholar Jia, Fan Debiao, Cai Qingchong, and Su Yougui had all received brand-new identity cards. These four former grave robbers had transformed into professors in the Archaeology Department at Peking University, reportedly even enjoying special state stipends—a sort of triumphant return home. However, after a few peaceful months, their hands started to itch, and they resumed their old trade. From then on, the main figures in photos accompanied by banners for Project Hope gradually shifted from Da Guoguo to them. This was less an act of charity and more a continuation of faith. Wasn't it so?

The setting sun scattered its fragments upon him, soft and gentle. In the small garden, Young Master Liu slowly set down his watering can and murmured a phrase only he could hear: “If this life could grant happiness and stability, who would willingly choose to wander?”

November 1956: Leading figures in the Taoist world—Yue Chongdai, Chen Yingning, Yi Xinying, Qiao Qingxin, Meng Minghui, and others—held an initiating meeting in Beijing to begin the preparatory work for establishing an association.

In April of the following year, representatives from all Taoist sects, famous mountains and temples, and Taoist scholars convened the First National Congress of the Taoist Community in Beijing, formally establishing the Buddhist Association of China and electing Yue Chongdai as President.

In 1980, the White Cloud Temple in Beijing and other famous temples nationwide had undergone renovations and resumed religious activities. Research also saw new progress: relevant historical materials were compiled, and important scriptures were studied; specialized Taoist knowledge classes were initiated to cultivate administrative personnel.

In May 1990, the China Taoist College was established, marking a new assessment by the Chinese government regarding this indigenous national religion rooted in the land of China.

In 2000, Min Zhiting, President of the Buddhist Association of China, represented Chinese Taoism at the UN Millennium Peace Summit of Religious Leaders.

In 2001, UNESCO conducted new surveys and evaluations of several Taoist cultural heritage sites in China.

In July of the same year, the World Fellowship of Dharma Protectors formally extended invitations to dozens of Chinese Taoist cultivators. Simultaneously, Taoist followers began to appear and steadily grow in number in European countries such as the US and the UK.

From the vast Northeast Plain to the tranquil frontier of Yunnan. From the fertile islands of Taiwan to the sacred grounds of all Southeast Asia. Wherever people existed, the traces of Taoist believers could be found. Just as Zhang Enpu had once hoped…