Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

Li Xiuyuan said calmly, "As long as the Daoist is satisfied, that's fine."

He knew in his heart that Yan Chixia was a generous and unconventional person, and that this drinking and eating had actually improved their relationship, developing them into friends.

Li Xiuyuan and Yan Chixia drank and ate meat, while exchanging information about their origins. Li Xiuyuan learned that Yan Chixia was originally a constable who later became a disciple of Kunlun Mountain. In recent years, he had traveled the world, slaying demons and monsters. This Taoist priest was very famous within a radius of a thousand miles.

belch!

The two men let out a burp, and Li Xiuyuan asked, "Brother Dao, I see black mist swirling around here, which clearly indicates the presence of a demon. I wonder what kind of demon it is?"

As he spoke, he wiped the oil from the corner of his mouth.

Yan Chixia sighed softly, "Alas! Lanruo Temple was originally a thriving temple, but at some point a thousand-year-old tree demon appeared and killed the monks in the temple."

Later, after many years of evolution, this place became a mass grave teeming with ghosts. Unfortunately, my magical powers are too weak, and the tree demon is too cunning to rid the people of this scourge.

In terms of combat power, he was stronger than the tree demon, but unfortunately, this was its territory, a mountain range stretching for hundreds of miles, so he had no way to hide.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan asked in confusion, "Oh, this demon is harming the people. In my opinion, it must be eliminated as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences will be endless."

In his view, the tree demon was a merit point; this thousand-year-old tree demon had harmed many people, so the reward would be substantial.

Moreover, Lanruo Temple was once a thriving place of worship, and if I could rebuild it, I would definitely be able to continuously gain merit.

However, the troublesome thousand-year-old tree demon must be dealt with first.

Yan Chixia took a sip of wine and said, "This tree demon isn't too evil. Whenever a stranger passes by Lanruo Temple, it sends its female ghosts to lure them. If they are not strong-willed, they will be eaten by it."

In his mind, although the tree demon was hateful, those who died also bore some responsibility. If they hadn't been so attracted to the female ghost's beauty, they wouldn't have ended up like this!

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan shook his head and said, "No matter what, this tree demon has caused a lot of harm. Why don't we join forces to kill it? It would be a good thing for the people."

Chapter 100 Eating Wine and Drinking Meat

He somewhat disagreed with Yan Chixia's words. The people the tree demon seduced by the female ghost were all ordinary mortals who lost their lives because of their lust for beauty. It was all understandable.

Imagine if a beautiful female ghost suddenly appeared in the middle of the night to tempt you, who would dare say they wouldn't be tempted!

For ordinary people, it is a fatal temptation; otherwise, they would be like Liu Xiahui (a legendary figure known for his virtue and integrity).

Yan Chixia replied, "Alright! But let's think of a way to lure the tree demon out."

For the past two years, he has been living in seclusion in Lanruo Temple, all to prevent the tree demon from harming people.

Li Xiuyuan said, "Yes, of course. I wonder if you have any good ideas?"

If the tree spirit were to appear, it would be an easy task for the two of them to capture him.

After all, Li Xiuyuan is not Ning Caichen from the original novel, that burden.

Suddenly, Yan Chixia slapped his forehead and laughed loudly, "I've got it! I've come up with a great idea!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan's lips curled up, and he chuckled, "Oh, what is it?"

Yan Chixia whispered a few words in Li Xiuyuan's ear, and he finally understood that this method was the same as in the original work, only the characters were reversed.

Li Xiuyuan said calmly, "Don't worry, bearded man, this humble monk understands!"

Simply put, Li Xiuyuan used his charm to lure the female ghost out first, and then the two of them attacked and killed the tree demon grandmother at the same time after she appeared.

Yan Chixia replied, "Yes, I will wait outside the house. I will intercept him as soon as you make a move and prevent the tree demon from escaping."

As he spoke, he stood up. Only Li Xiuyuan could handle this task. After all, he had become very familiar with the tree demon during his two years at Lanruo Temple. The tree demon knew his power and dared not provoke him easily.

And Li Xiuyuan, this newly arrived young monk, will definitely attract the attention of the female ghost.

Li Xiuyuan nodded and said, "Yes, Big Beard, you'd better be careful, don't let the tree demon escape."

Given how cunning Granny Tree Demon is, if we fall for her trick this time, she'll probably hide for a while. As the saying goes, "Opportunity knocks but once!"

Yan Chixia nodded upon hearing this and leaped away. Li Xiuyuan looked at the mess on the ground, used a small spell to clean it up. It has to be said that there are still quite a few useful things in the memories of the subdued dragon.

To lure the female ghost out, Li Xiuyuan naturally had to act convincingly, appearing as an ordinary monk.

…………

dong dong!

In the dead of night, Li Xiuyuan tapped a wooden fish with his hands and chanted an unknown Buddhist scripture. It was already midnight.

Suddenly a cold wind swept in, blowing open the tightly closed gate. A melodious and ethereal female singing voice came from behind the temple, and Li Xiuyuan immediately smiled.

The female ghost came out immediately after Yan Chixia left. But thinking about it carefully, it made sense. If he returned, it would be difficult to make a move!

Moreover, the female ghost, out of caution, tried to lure herself to the back mountain, but unfortunately Yan Chixia was already hiding in the temple. If he saw Li Xiuyuan move, he would naturally follow.

Li Xiuyuan hadn't forgotten that he was now an ordinary monk. Guided by the female ghost's seductive voice, he headed towards the back mountain.

With this thought in mind, he took a step, turned around, walked to the left side of the main hall, and slowly walked out. As for Yan Chixia, seeing Li Xiuyuan move, he also secretly followed.

Li Xiuyuan stepped out of the side door and walked towards the back of the temple, following the direction of the singing. After a few breaths, the water vapor gradually condensed, and a lake suddenly appeared before him.

On the lake, the water ripples gently, and mist rises. A wooden boardwalk connects to the central pavilion, with candlelight flickering on both sides, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

Upon seeing this, Li Xiuyuan frowned slightly and muttered, "What a strange illusion! But how could it deceive my eyes?"

He calmed his mind, closed his eyes, and spread his spiritual power. The illusion before him immediately became ineffective. In his perception, the lake had disappeared, and the pavilion in the middle of the lake had also vanished without a trace.

He found himself in a mass grave, with several tombs around him emanating eerie auras that seemed to be drawn together by some force, subtly interconnected.

A moment later, Li Xiuyuan opened his eyes. He could sense that these auras seemed to be the key to forming the illusion. He thought to himself that he had not expected that the old monster in this desolate mountain wilderness would know the formations of Buddhism. Could it be that they were left behind by Lanruo Temple in the past?

Li Xiuyuan stared at the clear lake and the pavilion in the middle of the lake. He struck what he thought was a dashing smile and pose, and strolled toward the wooden boardwalk.

As Li Xiuyuan crossed the two stone statues on the shore and stepped onto the boardwalk, a gentle breeze suddenly blew from the direction of the pavilion in the middle of the lake.

The white gauze curtains surrounding the pavilion were lifted by the breeze, and a stunningly beautiful woman appeared and disappeared among them—none other than the famous female ghost, Xiaoqian.

It had previously seduced many passersby, succeeding in doing so each time. If Yan Chixia hadn't been there just now, it probably would have already made its move.

After sensing that Yan Chixia had disappeared from Lanruo Temple, Xiaoqian, just like in the original story, routinely created an illusion, played a haunting and deadly melody, and sang a song that bewitched and captivated souls.

Li Xiuyuan quietly walked towards the pavilion in the middle of the lake. Inside, a stick of incense was burning, and under the dim candlelight, the gauze curtains fluttered in the wind, as if dancing and singing.

As he drew closer, he could see clearly that in the middle of the pavilion, Xiaoqian was dressed in a light pink dress. Her silver earrings swayed gently, and a few strands of her hair veiled her face as the breeze blew behind her.

Beneath her long hair lay a pair of bright, expressive eyes. Her pretty face, lightly made up, was pale, and her brows seemed to hold an unspeakable sorrow, yet also an infinite tenderness.

As Li Xiuyuan entered the pavilion, with a "thud," the strings of Xiaoqian's guqin suddenly broke.

She looked up and caught sight of Li Xiuyuan. Instantly, she flinched back like a startled deer, her pupils contracting slightly, looking utterly pitiful and captivating.

Such a beauty can only step out of a painting; she is hard to find in the real world.

Chapter 101 The Female Ghost Xiaoqian

Her beautiful eyes seemed to hold a thousand turns of resentment and ten thousand sorrows; any normal man would find it almost impossible to resist the gaze of those eyes.

If someone is even slightly indecisive and deeply infatuated, they would likely be willing to open their heart and soul and do anything for her the moment Xiaoqian gives them that look.

This tangible, almost sickly beauty is more real than anything seen in movies before, and it touches the heart more deeply than any actor could express it.

No wonder she attracts so many men to her embrace; she truly lives up to her reputation. It really does live up to the saying: "To die under a peony is to die a romantic death!"

Li Xiuyuan seemed to be engrossed in the music as well. When he saw that the strings had broken, he suddenly realized what was happening and couldn't help but ask her, "Female benefactor, it's already late at night. Why are you still lingering in the pavilion?"

Upon hearing this, Nie Xiaoqian gave him a deep look, then pulled up the broken string, her brows furrowed slightly, and then looked at him again with a mournful expression.

Li Xiuyuan quickly cupped his hands and said, "Amitabha, it was my rudeness that frightened you, Miss. I am so sorry! I wonder why you played music in the middle of the night? The melody is so sad. Is something troubling you?"

As he spoke, he sat down opposite Xiaoqian, then reached out and took the broken wire from her palm.

As their fingers touched, a chilling sensation, like ice, emanated from their fingertips. Nie Xiaoqian immediately gasped and abruptly withdrew her hand.

Li Xiuyuan immediately put on an apologetic expression, seemingly flustered, and hurriedly apologized, saying, "This humble monk has offended you, and I hope you will forgive me, benefactor."

After speaking, he lowered his head, pulled on the string, and quickly wrapped it to secure it, easily fixing the string for Nie Xiaoqian.

Then, Li Xiuyuan raised his head, gave Nie Xiaoqian a gentle smile, and rearranged the guqin.

He smiled and said, "That's perfect!"

Nie Xiaoqian was somewhat surprised. In the past, every passerby she had encountered had been captivated by her beauty and wished they could immediately turn into wolves and pounce on her.

From her death to being bound by the tree demon, all this time has passed, and Li Xiuyuan is the first man she has encountered with clear eyes, eyes that hold only appreciation and no lust.

This reminded her of her parents' teachings when she was still unmarried, and she wondered, "Could there really be such gentlemen in this world?"

"Alas! It's a pity this man is a monk, while I am but a wandering ghost!"

Thinking of this, Nie Xiaoqian did not show her usual charming smile. Instead, she sat up straight and replied in a low voice, "Xiaoqian thanks Master. May I ask what Master's Dharma name is?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan replied, "This humble monk is Daoji. So your name is Xiaoqian. It's a beautiful name, and only such a wonderful name can match your indescribable beauty."

Hearing his praise, Nie Xiaoqian met his gaze. After a moment, she lowered her eyes shyly and said nothing more.

Ultimately, she was nothing more than a wealthy young lady from a noble family, kind-hearted and naive to the ways of the world.

Although driven by the tree spirit after death, causing harm to many living people, her time as a ghost was still short. The innocence in her heart had not been completely extinguished.

This is also why, in the original story, after sensing Ning Caichen's kindness, Nie Xiaoqian did not choose to feed him to the tree demon, but instead protected him.

At this moment, how could the innocent Nie Xiaoqian possibly be a match for Li Xiuyuan, who was experienced in the ways of men and women and had a lot of lovers? How could she see through his disguise?

However, if she continues like this for another hundred years or so, and experiences more of the ways of the world, then things might not be so easy to say.

Even though she still couldn't see through Li Xiuyuan's true nature at that time, she wouldn't let him so easily exploit her psychological weaknesses.

With her slender hands resting on the strings again, Nie Xiaoqian said, "Thank you, Master, for fixing my instrument. Let me play a piece to express my gratitude!"