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

In the end, Hu Yunying still gave the money to Zhang Zhengdao to keep.

It felt like throwing good money after bad, but I wasn't entirely sure, and I looked at Zhang Zhengdao with suspicion. What annoyed me most was that Zhang Zhengdao hadn't agreed to become my husband.

Even in summer, the peach grove is very cool.

Drinking and eating meat with two beautiful women and a female ghost in a peach blossom forest, while absorbing some spiritual energy from heaven and earth, gave Zhang Zhengdao the illusion of singing, drinking, and smoking at a karaoke bar.

Sometimes, when people are doing period costume cosplay, they'll encourage Hu Yunying and Guo Lanying to play the xiao (vertical flute) or dizi (traditional Chinese wind instrument) together, while the female ghost dances, sips some wine, and eats braised meat.

Why is life always so dull and empty?

While completely drunk, he supported Guo Lanying with one hand, looked her over carefully, and laughed, "Number 18? You're quite pretty! We must have met before!"

Guo Lanying, No. 18: ...

Hu Yunying leaned closer and asked Zhang Zhengdao, "Look at me, what's my number?"

Zhang Zhengdao reached out and touched his face, finding it smooth and slippery. He then looked at Guo Lanying in comparison and said, "I understand, you're number eighteen. Hehe, come on... have a drink with me..."

The glass was emptied of wine.

When it comes to spending money at KTV, Zhang Zhengdao is never ambiguous.

In my previous life on Earth, although I was a Taoist priest with a government-affiliated position, I still received so much money from incense offerings and so many bonuses and performance-based pay, so I would often go to KTV to spend money.

"What's my number?!"

Guo Lanying stamped her feet in frustration.

Is this number some kind of mysterious mark? Or does it represent one's aptitude for cultivating immortality?

“Number 88! I guessed right! Haha... Come on, let’s have another one, this time let’s have a leather cup…” Zhang Zhengdao held up the wine cup, took a sip, and then leaned towards Guo Lanying.

Guo Lanying blushed and almost leaned forward to kiss him, but was glared at fiercely by her master, Hu Yunying.

Then Zhang Zhengdao buried his head in Hu Yunying's arms, all his ambitions buried deep in the mountains, and began to snore loudly.

"You two vixens, look what you've done!"

Shu Baimei stomped her foot and glared fiercely at the two of them.

Zhang Zhengdao had a dream, a dream that took him back to Earth, a dream where anything was possible.

Dating, getting married, having children, children going to kindergarten, children going to elementary school, children going to middle school, children going to university, children getting jobs, children getting married, children having children of their own, and finally retiring to take care of grandchildren, grandchildren growing up, and finally passing away, soul floating in the air, watching the body turn to ashes.

My wife cried very sadly.

Zhang Zhengdao's soul was anxious and wanted to comfort it.

Unexpectedly, when his wife looked up, a ghostly face startled Zhang Zhengdao awake.

Panting heavily, he saw a ghostly face right in front of him.

An instinctive punch!

"Oh!"

Shu Baimei screamed and disappeared into the night sky like a shooting star.

I was awakened by screams, and looking around, I realized I was still inside this damned Taoist temple. It was all an illusion; the only thing I seemed to remember was last night's karaoke session.

"Master, look, a shooting star—"

Guo Lanying pointed to the shadow streaking across the sky and said.

Hu Yunying said, "What kind of shooting star wears a red dress!"

"Oh!" Guo Lanying nodded, wondering what her number eighty-eight meant.

"Master, do you think number eighty-eight is more powerful than number eighteen?"

"Nonsense! Who's more powerful, the number one or the eighty-eighth?"

Hu Yunying retorted without even thinking.

In her mind, number 18 was much more powerful than number 88.

Guo Lanying respected her teacher and did not argue with her, but asked again, "Does this represent aptitude for cultivating immortality?"

"I think so. So, I could do it too!"

"Probably, but Master, will the Taoist priest teach you immortal techniques?"

Hu Yunying became somewhat insecure again: "I guess so, after all, I'm going to become..."

"Oh!"

Shu Baimei, who had drifted back from the night sky, spat into the air at the shameless Hu Yunying. She walked past the master and apprentice with disdain and arrogance.

The night at Peach Blossom Temple is a peaceful night.

The night in Lingzhou City was an uneasy night.

The Prince's Residence.

The Crown Prince's main room was brightly lit.

"I'm not reconciled!" the young man sighed, patting the armrest of the pearwood chair he was sitting on, and turning to look at Hai Tianfu. For Zhu Ying, the son of the Prince of Xiao County in Lingzhou, a fiefdom he desperately wanted to advance in, this was a regrettable situation.

Guo Lanying is very important.

The Qingfeng Guard finally found a clue in Linbin Town, discovering that Zhu Lanying, the orphan of Prince Fu, had been adopted by Guo Chengjin and renamed Guo Lanying. Prince Fu was the youngest daughter of the Prince of Fu during the struggle for the throne among the eight princes. Unfortunately, Prince Fu lost, implicating his entire family. Overnight, they were wiped out by martial arts figures, and only the youngest daughter disappeared that day.

Everyone knows that the so-called "Jianghu figures" are actually assassins sent by the emperor.

He could have captured Guo Lanying and presented her to the Crown Prince, thus establishing a connection with the prince, but things still went wrong.

This was such a big mistake that he dared not have any ulterior motives.

Even Hai Tianfu, one of the Four Great Masters, dared not harbor the slightest thought of resistance; how could he possibly have any other thoughts?

However, since he can't move himself, perhaps he can let someone else do it.

It's really fun to avoid falling into the trap yourself, but to trick others into doing so.

"Somebody come!"

Zhu Ying finally made up her mind.

A burly man, as tall as an iron tower, entered and bowed to Zhu Ying with his hands clasped.

"Block all news related to Guo Lanying in Lingzhou City."

"Yes!"

The towering man bowed, went out, and glanced at the old eunuch Hai Tianfu.

Zhu Ying glanced at Hai Tianfu and smiled, "You don't need to mind, Da Ban."

Hai Tianfu smiled and nodded, without saying a word.

Zhu Ying waved his hand.

Hai Tianfu stepped down.

Zhu Ying sat in the room for a long time, then wrote a letter and ordered it to be sent to the capital as soon as possible.

The emergence of such a figure in Peach Blossom Mountain near Lingzhou City has made him uneasy. If he could win him over, that would be fine, but given Hai Tianfu's situation, it seems unlikely.

However, he firmly believed that everyone has their weaknesses. Just like when his father subdued Hai Tianfu, one of the Four Great Masters, there's always something that will move you.

As long as you're human, there will always be something that touches your heart, whether it's wine, women, wealth, anger, relatives, friends, or close confidants.

There has been no rain in the Lingzhou area for several months.

Not only are the fields around Linbin Town cracked, but the water level of the Binhe River has also dropped significantly. In some areas downstream of Linbin Town, the riverbed has even been exposed, and many children are happily playing in the water there.

The harvest was about to turn into nothing.

It wasn't just Sun Zhenjian who was anxious; the farmers and farmers in the surrounding areas were even more worried. Even those doing business around Linbin Town were listless. Because of the drop in the river level, there were far fewer boats traveling north and south, fewer customers, and business was bad.

So Sun Zhenjian convened a meeting with the village elders and gentry.

"Let's all come up with some ideas!" Sun Zhenjian sighed.

A few days ago, people upstream tried to divert water and got into a fight with people in Linbin Town. In the struggle for water rights, people were almost killed.

"We'll organize more able-bodied men; I don't believe we can't beat the villages upstream!" a middle-aged gentryman said indignantly.

"What's the use of winning? How much water will flow over? And even if it does, how much water can we take up?" An old villager thought things through quite comprehensively.

"What can we do? I can't think of a solution!" another gentryman couldn't help but complain.

"Stockpile more grain!"

This person is definitely trying to profit from the national crisis.

He was immediately rebuked by a gentryman as soon as he opened his mouth. However, the gentryman had already planned ahead, intending to buy more grain, hoard it, and make a fortune.

The people holding this meeting are actually secretly stockpiling food.

But don't say what's on your mind. If you do, we'll morally blackmail you! You'll become our scapegoat; if you don't die, who will?

"Shameless!"

"He's heartless and rotten!"

"They treat the people like fish on a chopping board!"

……

After a barrage of insults, the middle-aged gentry who had given the idea immediately broke out in a cold sweat. It turned out that this was a denunciation meeting held specifically for me.

If this kind of talk gets out tomorrow, will my whole family be wiped out by those peasants?

He was trembling all over, stopped the meeting, and ran away as fast as he could, looking utterly dejected.

With the target gone, everyone started coming up with all sorts of ridiculous ideas again.

In the end, no one could come up with a good solution, so everyone fell silent.

After a long pause, Sun Zhenjian coughed and said, "I do have a way!"

Everyone immediately perked up and looked at this scapegoat.

It's easy to come up with ideas, but if the ideas are useless and only waste resources, then they will definitely have to be thrown out to take the fall. Now that the town supervisor, Sun, is out to take the fall, it's the best thing that could happen. The original gentry was not quite qualified.

"Speak, Your Excellency, we'll all listen to you!"

Everyone unanimously agreed to begin the kidnapping.

Sun Zhenjian dared to speak only after careful consideration. After all, when the heir of Lingzhou Prefecture left, his high-ranking eunuch had told him, "Master Zhang of Peach Blossom Temple is a capable man," which gave him some confidence.

If the drought isn't resolved, the inability to collect taxes will be far more serious than a lack of rain or lightning – clearly, failing to collect taxes is worse. But who can blame him? He's an official. He's used to enjoying the benefits of being an official, so now he has to find a way to deal with it.

"Please ask Master Zhang of Peach Blossom Temple to pray for rain!"

Sun Zhenjian tentatively said.

"Good, good, everyone will listen to you!" The crowd clapped and cheered. They were genuinely happy. Someone was taking the blame, and they could finally sell grain at high prices openly.