Uncle Jiu's Senior Brother

A day later, Lu Li finally arrived at the border between Xiangxi and Qingfu. He looked at the towering mountains in the distance, and after climbing over the two mountains in front of him, he arrived at Qingfu.

The mountains here are majestic, like two inverted jade bowls, with rivers flowing down the valley. He and Uncle Jiu have studied Feng Shui and know that this is a jade belt with two mountains and a river around the waist. Living here means that there will be help from noble people.

Without further delay, Lu Li continued to climb the mountain along the narrow path. Standing on the top of the first mountain, he suddenly felt his vision was broad and all he could see was emerald green. The mountain breeze blew away the heat, making him feel relaxed and happy.

When I looked up, I saw that there seemed to be a building on the opposite mountain. Who would build a house in such a deep mountain? I decided to go and take a look.

With his steps, Lu Li was like a breeze blowing towards the foot of the mountain. In less than a quarter of an hour, he arrived at the valley between the two mountains. The river water was crystal clear and a few small fish swam by from time to time. He scooped up the river water to wash his face. The cool feeling washed away Lu Li's fatigue.

After a while we arrived in front of the building, which turned out to be a Taoist temple, the Two Mountain Temple, which fitted in with the scenery of the place. The Taoist temple looked quite old, and the paint on the outside of the walls was peeling off.

The door was closed, and Lu Li walked forward and rang the door knocker.

"Who!"

A steady voice came from the courtyard.

The door creaked open, and the person who opened it was a middle-aged Taoist priest in a blue Taoist robe. The clothes were a little worn out from starching, and he wore a Taoist hat and had a goatee. He was a little surprised to see Lu Li in front of the door, and he didn't seem to expect that there would be someone here.

"You are?"

Lu Li bowed and said, "May you be blessed with great fortune. I am Lu Li, a disciple of Mount Mao. I passed by here and came to visit the Taoist temple."

The middle-aged Taoist priest returned the greeting and stepped aside to let Lu Li in. "I am Qingshan, you are a disciple of Mount Mao. Please come in."

After closing the door, the Taoist temple is not very big. In the front is a main hall where the Three Pure Ones are enshrined. On both sides are the rooms where the Taoist priests live. Qingshan is the only person in the temple.

Lu Li lit the incense and walked forward to respectfully worship the Three Pure Ones before leaving the hall. Taoist Qingshan led Lu Li to a room next door.

It can be seen that although Qingshan lives alone, he is very clean. There is a portrait of an old Taoist hanging in the room and an incense burner with burning incense in front of it.

Seeing Lu Li staring at the portrait, Qingshan said, "This is my master. He raised me from childhood. He passed away ten years ago, and I came back to inherit this Taoist temple."

So that's how it is. Lu Li hurried forward to pay his respects.

Then the two of them sat opposite each other at the table and made a cup of tea for Lu Li. Seeing that Lu Li was only in his twenties and was traveling alone, Qingshan asked, "Master Lu, are you here alone? The world is not peaceful now, and there are many wild beasts and monsters in the mountains."

Lu Li took a sip of tea and praised, "Good tea. I'm going to Sichuan Prefecture to do some work. What can a wandering Taoist priest worry about? Besides, people like us are not afraid of those mountain monsters."

As soon as they met, Lu Li could tell that Taoist Qingshan was also a person of cultivation, and his level of cultivation was quite high. He was already in the middle stage of foundation building, which was comparable to Uncle Jiu.

The two of them smiled. Would a real Taoist be afraid of ghosts? He would be eager to exorcise demons and monsters.

"It seems that the Taoist priest has strong cultivation base, so why would he live in seclusion here?" Lu Li asked the question that was in his mind.

Taoist Master Qingshan smiled bitterly, "To be honest, we have learned everything about Feng Shui. My master and I also traveled to famous mountains and rivers and saw all kinds of Feng Shui situations. That's why we have learned so much."

"I never thought that one day when I was traveling near Changbai Mountain, I met a group of Fuso people who were looking for something in the mountains."

"Japanese? The Taoist priest is not mistaken!" Lu Li was shocked.

Taoist Master Qingshan said firmly: "It is absolutely correct, it was twelve years ago. Unfortunately, my master and I do not understand Fuso language, but we can hear that they are looking for something related to the dragon vein."

"Dragon Veins?"

"Yes, there were about twenty people in their group. My cultivation was still weak at that time. I was discovered by them and it was only because my master used the power of the earth veins to save my life. However, my master was also seriously injured and passed away less than two years later."

Taoist Qingshan looked at the portrait on the wall, his eyes full of guilt.

Lu Li sighed, he had fought with those people before, and he was able to protect himself and his apprentice in that situation, which showed that Qingshan's master was also a master.

"After that, I also investigated that they were looking for something related to the dragon vein, but the dragon vein was cut off by Liu Ji in the early Ming Dynasty. Although there are some remaining veins in Changbai, they have been sealed. After a long time of investigation, I found nothing. My master passed away again, so I returned here to live in seclusion and worship my ancestor."

Qingshan's tone was full of reluctance and powerlessness.

"To be honest, Taoist Priest, I have had contact with them. It seems that they had some plans in our Central Plains, but I discovered them once, and we have a grudge since then."

"Oh?" Taoist Qingshan stared at Lu Li in surprise. He didn't expect that this young Taoist priest could travel safely even though he had a great feud with the Fuso people.

After laughing for a while, Lu Li continued, "These people belong to an organization in Fusang. They have been secretly deploying here many years ago. The Dao Sect has also noticed it a long time ago. I was ordered to investigate."

Taoist Qingshan didn't expect Lu Li to shoulder such a responsibility. He lowered his head and thought for a long time, then told a big secret.

"I have investigated them for several years. Because I am a Feng Shui master, I found that they always appear in places with good Feng Shui. Which places do you think have good Feng Shui?"

Lu Li's expression changed, and he slightly tightened his grip on the cup, looked into Taoist Qingshan's eyes and said, "Tomb!!"

Taoist Priest Qingshan said solemnly, "Yes, they often appear in some tombs, first they explore and then go in. But they don't seem to be interested in the treasures in the tombs. They are always looking for something, and if they don't find it, they will quickly leave."

Apart from antiques, what else is there in the tomb that could arouse the interest of these people and make such a big fuss about it?

"Master, have you discovered anything else?" Lu Li now seemed to be trapped in a puzzle. The answer was right in front of him, but he couldn't grasp it because of insufficient conditions.

Taoist Priest Qingshan shook his head. "That's all I've investigated. They have the ability to control ghosts. They always send ghosts to guard the surroundings. I can't get too close."

Lu Li clasped his fists in thanks, "With the information provided by the Taoist priest, I also know where to focus my search. Sooner or later, I will be able to eliminate these people with bad intentions."

Taoist Qingshan waved his hand and said, "If you need my help, Taoist Lu, feel free to come find me. I have a great grudge against these people, and I will not hesitate even if I lose my life. Besides, it is the Taoist's responsibility to protect the mountains and rivers."

Lu Li felt like there was a fire burning in his heart. He had heard about Taoism in troubled times in his previous life, and in this life he was fortunate enough to become one of it, with good and evil opposing each other and fighting for the rest of their lives.

The two chatted for a while while Taoist Qingshan went to prepare the meal. Lu Li stood in the courtyard of the Taoist temple, thinking about what he should do next.

I will go to Sichuan Prefecture to deliver the Bronze-Armored Corpse from Xishuangbanna. It should arrive in a month or two. After that, I will return to East Prefecture to hand over the elixir to Master. When Uncle Jiu breaks through the late stage of foundation building and his cultivation becomes stable, I can go investigate those Fuso people.

You can also let the people in Xiangling keep a secret eye on them first. They are no match for those people and they cannot afford to lose their lives in vain.