Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists
Chapter 930 - 786 The Old Taoist

Chapter 930: Chapter 786 The Old Taoist

Green Xuan Temple.

Red walls and green tiles, forests shrouding.

Gan Yu lifted his head to glance at the plaque, then walked into the Taoist temple.

As soon as he entered the Taoist temple, he saw a courtyard paved with stone slabs, and in the center of the courtyard, there was a huge bronze incense burner.

Clusters of incense sticks burned down to their ends, releasing a rich scent of sandalwood.

"Xuan Zhen Hall?!"

As Gan Yu walked into the great hall, he saw an imposing divine statue enshrined upon the altar.

It was dressed in ceremonial robes, wearing a Pingtian Crown, hands naturally dangling over its knees, strands of bead curtains falling down, concealing its face.

According to the rules of the Taoist court, within the Taoist temple, only the ’Heavenly Emperor’ could be the main deity of worship, subsidiary worship was for the various gods and ancestral masters; anything else was deemed evil worship!

This statue must certainly be the embodiment of the ’Heavenly Emperor’.

At that time, there weren’t many worshippers, the hall vast and expansive, exuding an air of majesty and mystery.

Gan Yu immediately became solemn, first offering incense with great respect, then he approached the donation box and dropped in several silver coins.

"Thank you for your piety!"

A Taoist child who saw this scene immediately came forward with a joyous face, bowed, and presented the merit book: "Please, leave your name and surname..."

Gan Yu picked up the pen and casually wrote down ’Gan Yu from Bai Gan Village’ in five bold characters, then heard the Taoist child continue, "Since the pious donor has come from afar and must be weary, would you like to come inside for some tea? Our temple’s ’Green Leaf Tea’ is quite refreshing and known for its revitalizing properties, it is well-known in the county town."

Although there were still worshippers present, those who offered multiple silvers at once were still a rare few, usually only the wealthy households during the festive seasons.

The Taoist child’s behavior could be seen as judging people by their offerings, yet no one objected, but rather took it for granted.

"That would be acceptable..."

Having given such a donation, Gan Yu naturally wouldn’t leave empty-handed, and with a smile, he followed the Taoist child to the back of the temple.

Behind the temple lay a garden covering several acres, quiet and elegant, with various flowers planted, presenting a unique and grand spectacle.

The Taoist child invited Gan Yu to sit in a small pavilion, and before long served tea along with four-colored tea snacks.

Gan Yu tasted a sip, finding the flavor exquisite, lamenting only that he couldn’t take some home for his mother to taste.

As he sipped his tea, he heard the rustling of robes, as an elderly Taoist with a sword strapped to his waist approached, greeting with a clasped fist: "Taoist Ming De greets the pious donor!"

"Taoist Ming De is too kind..."

Gan Yu hurriedly returned the greeting, and as the two of them sipped tea, they discussed some teachings from the Taoism Scripture. Ming De was astonished, feeling that this young man’s understanding of the Taoism Scripture was incredibly deep and nuanced, matching even some of the older Taoists.

Some of the deeper meanings even inspired him.

Upon further inquiry, knowing that Gan Yu was here for the Exam for Adolescents, his tone became even warmer.

In Ming De’s view, if nothing went wrong, this young man was bound to pass the examination; even without any prior investment, it was good to build a favorable connection.

After chatting for a while longer, Gan Yu brought up some questions about the rituals of the God Path.

Hearing this, Ming De chuckled, "Indeed, during the examinations at the Tribute Academy, there are often disturbances by ghosts and spirits... but if the pious donor has come to our temple with such inquiries, I’m afraid you’ve come to the wrong place. You’d be better off going to the City God Temple and asking the temple keeper for a protective talisman to safeguard yourself."

Gan Yu was resolute, yet somewhat puzzled, "I heard that within the county, there are official and dragon spirits offering protection, and the ghosts should not be divine... The Tribute Academy is known for its strict prohibitions, so I wonder why such disturbances occur?"

Ming De laughed, "It is by special permission of the City God... The Taoist Court selects talent based on both morals and abilities, and if a wealthy young master, learned as he may be, is unkind and has blood on his hands, should he still be allowed to pass the examination? Therefore, before each examination begins, the magical protections are deliberately lifted to allow wronged souls to seek their revenge."

"I see..."

Gan Yu suddenly realized, yet he felt a twinge of unwillingness in his heart.

His own circumstances were not due to being unkind in wealth, but rather a calamity from heaven.

Did he also have to endure the revenge of the Well Dragon King?

Ming De sipped his tea, merely smiling without a word.

In truth, the rules of the imperial examination in the Taoist Court had mostly fallen into disuse... to give an example, those wealthy young masters who are unkind could find protection from those with profound Taoist cultivation or deities, or they might have cultivation themselves, naturally fearing no vengeful spirits.

Even more, if someone harbored darker intentions, they could cast spells that make others despise them, harming those students outstanding in their studies.

If someone had strong backing and had not caused any major trouble, even the wandering spirits of the day and night would likely not take it too seriously.

But there was no need to mention these things.

The Taoist Court selects both talent and strength!

Whether it be fortune, wealth, or background... they are all forms of ’strength.’ The strong prevail, following the natural law of the survival of the fittest!

Of course, for those outstanding in learning, like Gan Yu, as long as their luck wasn’t too poor, they could pass the examination.

"Thank you for the guidance..."

Gan Yu sincerely expressed his gratitude, planning to go to the City God Temple afterward to obtain a Spirit Talisman.

Just as he was about to take his leave, seeing that Ming De was wearing a sword, he also thought of the wanted notice he had seen at the city gate, and couldn’t help asking, "Does the Taoist also practice martial arts? May I ask if you possess any magic power?"

"In my free time, I practice martial arts for physical fitness... As for magic spells? They’re just chasing the minor at the expense of the major."

Ming De clearly expressed his disdain.

"Oh? What do you mean by that?"

Gan Yu was a bit puzzled.

After all, he was still young, and who doesn’t have a dream of roaming the world sword in hand, or even aspiring for Long Life through Cultivation?

"Cultivating within a formal sect is good, but beyond that, all other techniques seem profound, yet in reality, they are like the moon reflected in water, flowers in a mirror, nothing but wild fox Chan!"

Ming De, the aged Taoist, chuckled lightly; with these words, he signaled the Taoist Child to see Gan Yu out.

After Gan Yu had left, the old Taoist gave a deep sigh. A flash of light sparkled in his right hand, and a piece of Green Leaf appeared, its blade lush and vibrant, its stem and veins clearly visible.

It hovered in midair, emitting a faint radiance that was quite mysterious.

If ordinary people saw this scene, they would surely shout about immortals, or at the very least, consider him a virtuous person, and then beseech the Taoist eagerly to take them under his wing, to learn the Taoist ways.

But Ming De, the aged Taoist, let out a wry chuckle: "Cultivation... Heh... The Heavenly and Earthly Fate is suppressed by the Heavenly Articles of Taoist Law. Even the occasional leak becomes the target of contention among countless demons, spirits, and cultivators... Even if one is gifted, steadfast, and spends decades or even a century cultivating with some success, it’s still not as good as an official acknowledgement by the Taoist Court... Cultivation, what’s the point of it all!"

Ming De suddenly cursed out loud.

He was once like Gan Yu, a youth enamored with the Tao, and he was fortunate enough to be taken in by the Green Xuan Temple and taught the true Taoist ways.

But what of it?

Decades of arduous cultivation still hadn’t yielded much success.

This bit of magic power was only obtained because he swallowed his pride and took exams alongside a bunch of ignorant kids, managing to earn a Scholar title and cultivate it painstakingly.

In his dantian, the ’Supreme Child Spirit Official Instrument’ took its place at the core, governing all the magic power and aura.

Without it, it’s hard for the Taoist ways to flourish!

In other words, if Gan Yu became a Scholar this time, he would immediately be on the same level as Ming De...

In such a prosperous age for the God Path, it leaves countless self-cultivators in despair.

"Heh..."

Just then, a cold laugh suddenly came from behind the artificial hill.

"Who?"

Ming De was startled, flicked his fingers, and a streak of green brilliance flashed by.

The Green Leaf swiftly transformed into an arrow-like projectile, piercing straight through the artificial hill!

Whoosh!

A figure darted out from behind the artificial hill.

He wore a Taoist robe, his features gaunt, hair half black and half white, looking extremely haggard.

"You?! Mei Changkong!"

Ming De was shocked, and his initial thought of shouting for help was immediately swallowed down.

He first glanced around, swiftly formed a Magic Spell, causing a layer of faint brilliance to emerge and envelop the surroundings before lowering his voice, "Are you out of your mind, sneaking into the county city... You are now a major fugitive on the Taoist Court’s wanted list. If any of the nocturnal spirits see you, you’ll be finished..."

This Mei Changkong was none other than the aged Taoist on the wanted poster, worth fifty gold, who Gan Yu could not stop thinking about.

It seemed that he was somehow acquainted with Ming De.

"I cannot rest with my great vengeance unfulfilled..."

Mei Changkong took Gan Yu’s previous seat and began to rudely gobble up the pastries, as though he hadn’t eaten in ages.

"Sigh... We were once good friends, and it truly pains me to see you come to this..."

Ming De gazed at Mei Changkong, filled with regret.

There was a time when this Daoist brother was handsome and dashing, immensely talented, and the object of countless Daoist nuns’ affections.

Now, he had lost everything, appearing haggard and much older despite being of a similar age to Ming De himself.

"I don’t wish for this either... The Taoist Law is strict. My ancestor sought a new path with immense effort and died before thirty, followed by my master, who died in the mountains seeking an opportunity... and then it was passed down to me."

Mei Changkong wiped the crumbs from his beard, his voice somber, "I never cared for recognition or status; my only desire was to pursue cultivation and the Immortal Path... After barely managing to cultivate a little something, the local inspector snatched it away, branding me a criminal for any small defiance. My Ancestral Taoist Temple was smashed and labeled a cult, and I became a wanted man... Unable to bear it, I killed the inspector and became an even bigger criminal in the eyes of the court. Now tell me... where is justice and righteousness in all of this?"

Ming De’s lips parted, but he was speechless for a long while.

He wanted to say that with Mei Changkong’s intelligence and talent, the county and provincial exams would have been as simple as reaching into a bag to take something, and even high hopes for the Imperial Examination were within realm of possibility.

Even if not an actual Jinshi, having a ’scholar’ title alone would have kept the inspector at bay.

But this man was obsessed with the Immortal Path and too proud and self-assured, which ultimately led to his fall from grace into the mire.

Ming De realized that saying all this was pointless; Mei Changkong already knew it all too well. The more talented the individual, the more pride they carry!

Besides, Mei Changkong had already lost too much on this path; he cannot simply renounce everything—he only has his Taoist Cultivation left...

"You’ve secretly entered the county city, there must be something significant planned; don’t tell me you seek revenge? Isn’t that inspector already dead?"

Ming De was puzzled.

The inspector, though a ninth-grade official, was still a government appointee. Killing a government official is the same as rebelling, challenging the most sensitive nerves of the Taoist Court.

Instead of choosing to hide away in the mountains, ending his days in obscurity, why would Mei Changkong risk sneaking into the county city?

"Of course, I still seek revenge... I’ve found out that there were others behind the scenes of what happened, not just the inspector. And now, they’ve risen in rank, becoming the County Chief!"

Mei Changkong said with a cold laugh.

"You’re crazy, Mr. Cao of the County is actually a seventh-grade!"

Ming De was startled, in the Taoist Court, the grade symbolized power!

A County Chief of the seventh-grade, even if not very hands-on, held a part of the city’s civic spirit and faith, with enough divine power to crush a small cultivator like him more than ten times over!