A Tale of Encounters with Immortals: A Peach Blossom Temple in the Martial World

Xia Dynasty.

With peace restored throughout the land, the emperor changed the era name to Jiqing and granted a general amnesty.

The Zhu family ruled for 200 years, a golden age of prosperity, peace, and tranquility.

Lingzhou, Daoxian, Linbin Town. The town borders the Binhe River, which is a hundred zhang wide and stretches to an unknown length.

The early morning market in Linbin Town is bustling with people, a lively and lively scene. Vendors hawk their wares, haggle over prices, call out to friends, and laugh and play. The vibrant atmosphere is too numerous to describe.

"Qingfeng Guards are handling this case; please recuse yourselves immediately!"

"Get out of the way immediately!"

……

Ten riders swept in, and as soon as they passed, the people in the town scattered to the sides, fearing that they would be trampled by the horses and either die or be injured.

It sped off at breakneck speed, thankfully without anyone hitting it.

As soon as the horse caravan passed, the path that had been cleared was immediately filled with people.

"Qingfeng Guard, this is the Qingfeng Guard!"

On the streets and alleys, busybodies whispered among themselves, but dared not speak loudly.

The Qingfeng Guard was an agency established by Emperor Shizong to investigate and monitor officials and protect imperial power. As the emperor's personal guard, it was granted the special privilege of executing without prior approval. Its power was so great that officials and commoners alike trembled at its name.

However, during Emperor Longjing's reign, he felt that the Qingfeng Guard had become too powerful and its misdeeds were becoming increasingly apparent. Furthermore, during the reign of the previous emperor, they had participated in the struggle for succession among the eight princes, creating numerous problems for Emperor Longjing's ascension. Once the throne was consolidated and the court was stable, Emperor Longjing, in a fit of anger, dismissed Xiang Gang, the commander of the Qingfeng Guard, and imprisoned him to await execution. Many officials of the Qingfeng Guard were implicated and all were demoted to local posts.

At this point, the power of the Qingfeng Guard was greatly diminished, and it was only responsible for local investigations, no longer having the great power to supervise officials and protect the imperial authority.

Even so, the Qingfeng Guard is a force to be reckoned with in the region. This is because the Qingfeng Guard has extremely strict recruitment requirements. Not only must they be highly skilled in martial arts, but they must also know many detective techniques and have the ability to infiltrate and launch surprise attacks.

With the Qingfeng Guard demoted, various factions rose up in the court. Although the era appeared prosperous and splendid, like flowers in full bloom, undercurrents surged beneath the surface, like oil being poured on a raging fire. Without the Qingfeng Guard's suppression and oversight, the open and covert struggles between these factions intensified day by day.

There is a mountain in Linbin Town called Peach Blossom Mountain.

There is a Taoist temple on Peach Blossom Mountain. It has been neglected for many years and its walls are dilapidated and its tiles are broken.

There was a Taoist priest in his twenties in the temple. Facing the statue in the main hall, he plopped down on a worn-out prayer mat and dozed off.

Zhang Zhengdao has been in this world for over a month. His predecessor was an Earthling who couldn't find a job after graduating from university, so he took the recruitment exam of the Qingzhou Taoist Association.

A legitimate government-affiliated position, a secure job.

There were only five spots available, but more than 500 people applied, resulting in an acceptance rate of 100 to 1.

After undergoing qualification review, written examination, interview, physical examination, and review, followed by public announcement, Zhang Zhengdao successfully became one of the lucky one percent, becoming a member of the Qingzhou Taoist Association and assigned to Fuyun Temple on Tianmu Mountain in Qingzhou as a Taoist priest. His main responsibility was library management.

Fuyun Temple is very popular with tourists, especially during holidays when it is packed with people.

Everyone in the Taoist temple was very busy, but Zhang Zhengdao was quite relaxed. He had a broad knowledge of Taoism, mainly because he crammed a lot for his civil service exam.

When I became a librarian, I had nothing to do, so I read Taoist books, dabbling in all sorts of things.

He just hadn't expected the library to have a secret passage, which he discovered by accident. The passage was old, worn, and covered in dust; it was probably untouched for many years.

At the end of the secret passage is a cliff, and at the end of the cliff is a stone tablet with the words "Fallen Dragon Valley" written on it.

Beneath the stone tablet, the incense-offering altar was damaged, and there seemed to be something there.

Pulling it out, I found a sandalwood box. The lock was rusted. Opening it, I found a small, exquisite ruyi (a type of scepter). Holding it in my hand, the dull jade-like surface suddenly shone brightly, rising into the air like a luminous sphere.

Zhang Zhengdao was terrified and scrambled to his feet, ready to run away.

Who knew that the ball of light would chase after him, moving against the wind, and before he could reach the entrance of the secret passage, the ball of light flashed and disappeared into his body.

Zhang Zhengdao: Damn it, I'm doomed!

It plunged headlong into the endless darkness.

It was as if a passage had suddenly opened, and suddenly the light shone brightly. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a different world, and in a different body.

Zhang Zhengdao of Peach Blossom Temple.

Good news: The imperial court has officially appointed staff members with official ordination certificates.

Bad news: The temple has been in arrears with wages for many years and is in a state of disrepair.

Lingzhou's finances are in dire straits, with little funding allocated to the Taoist temples in the counties, leading to years of neglect and disrepair. Sending anyone to reside there is out of the question. No one wants to come to Peach Blossom Temple because the local people are known for their fierce nature, few are religious, and even fewer come to offer incense, let alone donate money. Even for matters in town, monks are usually called upon to chant scriptures; Taoist rituals are rarely invited. Therefore, Zhang Zhengdao is currently penniless.

I finally got a government job, but now I've been transported to another world. I still have a government job, but I'm now a penniless nobody, barely able to make ends meet.

Fortunately, this poor child matured early, knew how to cook, and knew how to catch birds.

As he awoke from his dream, he stretched and with a wave of his hand, a pheasant appeared out of thin air in his palm.

Pheasant: ...

Taoist immortal techniques.

The various cultivation techniques described in Taoist classics on Earth are actually feasible in this world.

If Taoist magic works, will this world be filled with immortals and Buddhas, demons and monsters, fox spirits sucking away life force, and seductive ghosts bewitching young Taoist priests?

Zhang Zhengdao felt he should remain unmoved, sit quietly and cultivate his inner strength, waiting for the Jade Emperor in Heaven to issue a recruitment notice, and then work hard to try and get a government job in Heaven.

As long as I don't encounter a wicked fellow like Sun Wukong, I'll live a life of plenty, and maybe even bully the weak and fear the strong... punishing evil and promoting good, becoming a minor official until retirement. As a Heavenly official, when I descend to the mortal realm, no demon or monster will dare provoke me. I'll roam freely in the mortal world, doing whatever I want... a carefree immortal.

This is a long-term plan, and the direction Zhang Zhengdao is striving for.

No matter which world or universe, whose end isn't a machine?

"Someone has gone up the mountain!"

Zhang Zhengdao had a pheasant leg in his mouth, juicy and falling off the bone. He threw away the bone, quickly swept the surroundings clean, sat cross-legged on the futon, and closed his eyes to chant scriptures.

"Greetings, Daoist Master!"

Zhang Zhengdao opened his eyes, and the three people were standing in front of him.

The leader, dressed in fine clothes, had a long sword at his waist with an embroidered scabbard, named Xiuchun. Two others stood beside him, also wielding Xiuchun swords, and were his subordinates. Seven more men and ten horses stood in the courtyard.

Although he was a mortal, he was a member of the imperial court.

They should be treated well!

He got up, bowed, and said, "Sir... Your superior greets you!"

"We need to stay here for the night, and we hope the Taoist priest will be so kind as to grant us this favor!" The leader handed over a silver ingot.

"Convenient, convenient!"

Zhang Zhengdao initially wanted to decline before accepting, but judging from the man's appearance, he was afraid that if he declined, the man really wouldn't give it to him. He took it and weighed it in his hand; it was at least ten taels.

Ten taels of silver, in this prosperous feudal era, was enough to support a middle-class family of five in the town for at least half a year.

Officials are always generous.

"Shangguan, should we make way for them?"

"No need, just do it the way it is!" The officials are quite particular.

The originally small Taoist temple now houses ten people in its backyard. The front courtyard has been turned into a horse ranch. Ten horses are tethered to a large tree, with fodder provided by Zhang Zhengdao.

Ten taels of silver.

This money is too easy to make.

Although the conditions were a bit harsh—such as not letting the grass touched the ground at noon or in the evening, the grass having to be dried until semi-dry, and eating wheat straw at night—…

For the sake of money, these are no big deal.

When mowing the lawn, one can easily and discreetly use a Taoist technique to precisely achieve these requirements. However, these people are very cautious; the lawn that Zhang Zhengdao mows is inspected by designated personnel.

There wasn't much food at the Taoist temple; they didn't have much grain or oil.

Fortunately, Zhang Zhengdao didn't cook for them; they ate the dry rations they brought themselves.

At night, Zhang Zhengdao slept in the main hall. Outside the hall, there were his men; one slept in a tree, and another hid in a corner of the hall. There were no lights, and they blended into the darkness.

The main hall was covered with straw, which served as Zhang Zhengdao's temporary sleeping quarters.

Nothing happened that night, and the ten Qingfeng Guards went out and left.

Before leaving, the official warned Zhang Zhengdao not to tell anyone about his lodging.

Zhang Zhengdao agreed to such a trivial matter without even flinching, and even patted his chest in assurance. Even after they had walked a distance, he could still faintly hear one of them speaking.

"Boss, why not just kill him? Leaving the young Taoist priest around could be a problem."

"Shut up! You kill people at the drop of a hat? Do you think this is still the time of the late emperor?"

The voice of an official.

Indeed, in this world, officials love to act tyrannically and kill people like dirt. Alas, even in this sham of peace and prosperity, the people are treated like fish on a chopping block.

After waiting a while, another voice came over.

"Do it cleanly!"

It was still that official's voice.

Fortunately, he used a Taoist technique to listen to all things around him.

Then a figure broke away from the crowd, silently weaving through the trees and grass, and crept towards the Taoist temple.

Zhang Zhengdao flicked his finger, and a faint light shot out from his fingertip.

The light vanished into thin air and then landed on the approaching person a hundred feet away, exploding into a fireball.

Before they could even scream, their bodies turned to ashes.

Taoist magic, the Five Elements, Fire.

Now that he had already taken action, this matter could not be left unresolved. He flicked his finger again. Another beam of light shot out from between his fingers and disappeared into the air.

"Who goes there?" The firelight behind them startled the people in front, and the official turned around sharply.

Suddenly, a firefly appeared out of nowhere in the sky. As it approached them, it split into nineteen sparks, which instantly landed on them and their horses.

The whole process was so fast it took the blink of an eye.

The fireball magnified in the official's pupils before landing on him and exploding into a fireball.

The official Qingfeng Guard made a diving and dodging gesture, which was burned into human-shaped ashes. Then, a gust of wind blew it away completely, leaving not a trace.