In the distant ancient times, there was a scholar named Zixuan. He came from a scholarly family, yet his family was not wealthy. Zixuan had been intelligent and eager to learn since childhood. He was filled with a strong curiosity and thirst for knowledge about everything in the world, and he was wholeheartedly longing to achieve something in his official career so as to bring honor to his ancestors and benefit the common people.

The small town where Zixuan lived was surrounded by mountains and had beautiful scenery. In the town, there was an ancient temple which was said to have withstood the vicissitudes of hundreds of years but still stood firm. This temple usually had a flourishing incense offering and was a sacred place where the townspeople prayed for peace and blessings. Many mysterious legends were circulating about it. Some people claimed to have seen strange lights in the temple, while others said that they had heard ethereal fairy music coming from inside the temple in the dead of night.

One morning, Zixuan went to study in the mountains as usual. When he passed by the ancient temple, he suddenly noticed that the temple door was slightly open, and there seemed to be a mysterious force inside attracting him. An inexplicable impulse surged in Zixuan's heart, and he involuntarily walked into the temple.

As soon as he stepped into the temple, he was stunned by the sight before him. A magnificent purple qi was slowly floating in from the east. The purple qi was like a lively cloud, emitting a soft and mysterious light, and instantly filled the entire temple. In the midst of the purple qi, a celestial being wearing a Taoist robe with an otherworldly and refined air gradually appeared. The celestial being had a serene face and deep eyes, as if he could see through all the vanities in the world.

Zixuan quickly knelt down and saluted, his heart full of awe and trepidation. The celestial being slightly raised his hand, signaling him to rise, and then said softly, "Zixuan, you are born with an extraordinary fate and will achieve great things in the future. However, there is a prerequisite for all this. You must uphold diligence and adhere to honesty. Only in this way can you accomplish a great cause in this long journey of life and live up to the trust of heaven." Zixuan listened respectfully to the celestial being's teachings and engraved every word in his heart. He knew deeply that this was the turning point of his fate and also the test and opportunity given to him by heaven.

Since that day, Zixuan studied even more diligently. Whether it was in the sweltering summer or the freezing winter, he never slackened off for a moment. His family was poor and couldn't afford to buy more books, so he borrowed books everywhere and then copied them word by word, studying them over and over again. Every book in his hands was worn out from being read repeatedly, and the pages were densely filled with his annotations and insights.

In his interactions with others, Zixuan always adhered to the principle of honesty. He never lied or deceived. Whether facing classmates and friends or teachers and elders, he treated them all with sincerity. Once, he went to an important literary gathering with a classmate. At the gathering, his classmate performed poorly due to nervousness and, out of envy, wanted to frame Zixuan for cheating in order to save his own face. However, Zixuan was not angry at all. Instead, he calmly told everyone the truth and expressed his willingness to help his classmate improve his studies. His honesty and magnanimity won the admiration of everyone, and the classmate was so ashamed that he became Zixuan's bosom friend from then on. The two of them encouraged each other and made progress together.

As time went by, Zixuan's knowledge became increasingly profound, and his virtue was highly praised. Finally, the imperial examination period arrived. Zixuan stepped into the examination hall full of confidence. Relying on his solid learning and calm state of mind, he stood out in the imperial examination and passed with flying colors. Subsequently, he embarked on his official career.

When he first entered the officialdom, Zixuan was not eroded by its complexity and darkness. He adhered to the beliefs of diligence and honesty and conscientiously handled every administrative affair. He often went deep into the folk to understand the hardships of the common people and relieve their sufferings. Whether it was building water conservancy projects or improving people's livelihoods, he was personally involved and spared no effort. In the face of various temptations and traps in the officialdom, he always stuck to his original intention and remained unmoved.

Once, a wealthy merchant, in order to seek personal gains, wanted to bribe Zixuan, hoping that he would show favor in an important commercial policy. The wealthy merchant brought a large amount of gold, silver, and jewels to Zixuan's home and flattered him in every possible way. However, Zixuan refused him without hesitation and severely reprimanded the merchant's behavior. Zixuan knew deeply that his power was given by the people and was a tool for benefiting the people, not for seeking personal gains.

Zixuan's integrity and incorruptibility caused a stir in the officialdom. Some corrupt officials hated him to the core and secretly colluded to frame him. They fabricated all kinds of lies and accusations, attempting to bring Zixuan down. But Zixuan always believed that the truth would eventually come to light. He had no fear at all and still remained at his post, continuing to work for the people.

During a major political crisis, the court was faced with the dual dilemma of foreign invasion and internal rebellion. Many officials were panic-stricken and didn't know what to do. However, Zixuan calmly analyzed the situation and, relying on his wisdom and courage, put forward a series of effective countermeasures. He personally led the troops to fight bloody battles against the foreign enemies and at the same time skillfully resolved the internal rebellion crisis. His heroic performance and outstanding abilities won the appreciation of the emperor and the love of the people. His official position was continuously promoted, and finally, he became a high-ranking official in the court with outstanding achievements and a glorious reputation.

Looking back on Zixuan's life, the purple qi coming from the east was undoubtedly the turning point of his fate, and the appearance of the celestial being pointed out the direction for him. However, without his own diligent efforts and honest virtues, even with the most powerful external help, it would have been difficult for him to achieve such brilliant achievements on this challenging life path.

In Taoist thought, emphasis is placed on conforming to nature, cultivating one's moral character, and accumulating good deeds. Zixuan's experience precisely embodies the connotations of this thought. He conformed to the arrangement of fate and accepted the guidance of the celestial being, which was a manifestation of conforming to nature. His diligent study and efforts to improve himself were part of the process of cultivating his moral character. And his adherence to honesty, integrity in serving the public, and benefiting the people were specific actions of accumulating good deeds.

As the Taoist classic says, "The Tao gives birth to them; Virtue fosters them; Matter shapes them; Circumstances complete them. Therefore all things venerate the Tao and value Virtue. The Tao is venerated and Virtue is valued not because this is decreed, but because it is natural." Zixuan's success in his official career was not only his personal glory but also a manifestation of Taoist thought in real life. His story is like a bright lamp, illuminating the path for people to move forward, reminding people that in the pursuit of their dreams, they should not only be good at seizing opportunities and relying on external forces but also pay attention to the cultivation of their own virtues and the dedication of their efforts.

In the long river of history, there were many people like Zixuan. Under the coincidences of fate, they received certain revelations or assistance. However, those who could go down in history and be remembered forever were all relying on their own excellent qualities and unremitting efforts. Their stories and Zixuan's legend intertwined with each other, jointly forming a rich and colorful history of human struggle. It also made the wisdom and philosophy in Taoist thought shine even more brightly in the grinding of the years.

And that ancient temple, after Zixuan achieved great success, was regarded by the townspeople as the most sacred place among sacred places. People flocked to the temple to pray, hoping to be favored by heaven and guided by celestial beings like Zixuan. The incense in the temple became even more prosperous, and the purple qi coming from the east became a mysterious symbol that was always praised in people's mouths, inspiring generation after generation of people to cherish their dreams, forge ahead bravely, and adhere to the beliefs of diligence and honesty in the pursuit of a beautiful future, exploring the infinite possibilities of fate.