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

Late spring in Linbin Town was sultry, but the rain just wouldn't come.

Not only Linbin Town, but the entire Lingzhou is experiencing drought. If this continues, it will be another drought year. During the last drought, Zhang Zhengdao helped pray for rain, and Linbin Town managed to get through the difficult period.

The new prefect of Lingzhou arrived early today and came to the Taoist temple in person.

For no other reason than to pray for rain.

Senior Brother Qingyangzi received them.

After much back and forth, Qingyangzi said, "You have come from afar, seeking only to address the people's livelihood. Our Daoist teachings inherently include the purpose of relieving the suffering of all people and taking the world as our responsibility, so we will naturally consider it."

The new prefect was a junior official from the Ministry of Works, sent down from the imperial court after the previous prefect was demoted due to the rebellion at the Prince's residence. Before he took office, someone from the imperial court informed him that there was a Taoist temple in Lingzhou that he absolutely could not bypass, namely the Peach Blossom Temple in Linbin Town, Daoxian County.

This Taoist temple has an incredibly prestigious background.

The emperor came to pay homage to the mountain, and princes and princesses came here to listen to the Taoist teachings. The imperial advisor even resided here permanently.

Therefore, the newcomer came to the mountain to pray for rain.

The supplies and money used for praying for rain were the gifts offered during the mountain worship ceremony.

The only legitimate way to give money is to get projects or contracts done!

The successful rainmaking was a remarkable achievement worthy of being celebrated. The newly appointed prefect, who had come to the prefecture intending to accomplish something, was naturally overjoyed upon hearing this.

So he thanked them repeatedly.

He left some gold and silver behind and then went to pay his respects to the Imperial Preceptor and the Princess.

Praying for rain is a big deal.

People from all around came to see it. Even officials from as far away as Lingzhou came to observe the ceremony, and people from the martial arts world and the Taoist community also came to show their respect.

Of course, there are also some people who are just there to watch the show.

Especially among those in the martial arts world, Peach Blossom Temple has been making headlines for the past two years. In particular, the feat of two disciples of Peach Blossom Temple bravely defeating the six major sects in front of Shaolin Temple has become legendary throughout the martial arts world.

What about the Golden Phoenix Burning the Mountain?

Something like "three doors decide the winner".

The fact that so many martial arts practitioners have come to witness this ceremony is, to put it mildly, a gesture of respect to watch the spectacle; to put it bluntly, many sects want to see if Peach Blossom Temple truly possesses such supernatural powers.

The cultivation practices of martial arts sects now all want to shift.

After all, the Peach Blossom Temple has already unleashed its supernatural powers and magical treasures. If they don't explore the possibility of changing their strategy, they can forget about dominating the martial arts world for hundreds or thousands of years to come.

With Master Zhang absent, many people are eager to see Peach Blossom Temple make a fool of itself.

Qingyangzi knew this, but he wasn't worried.

I asked Yang Shengtian.

Yang Shengtian said confidently, "Using the magic fan to fan away the rain is no problem at all. The key is that I don't know my own limits and have never used my full strength."

The platform took three days to build, and it was much larger than the makeshift platform Master Zhang Zhengdao used for his last rain-seeking ritual. It was also very elaborate and sturdy, and could easily accommodate a group of people performing shamanistic rituals on it.

It's only morning, but the sun is already very restless.

The stage was already surrounded by people. Despite their foreheads being covered in sweat, everyone craned their necks and stared intently at the stage.

Yang Shengtian was still adjusting his clothes on stage.

A Taoist robe, a fan, and a peach wood sword.

This sword was left to me by my master. It's useless anyway, but it's good for showing off.

Following his master's teachings, Qingyangzi agreed that such a large-scale event as praying for rain must be grand, the ceremony must be fully performed, and the attire must be dignified.

According to Yang Shengtian, he simply waved his fan three times and that was it.

But everything depends on the senior brother's arrangements.

The first thing to do when praying for rain is to dance.

The dance was a ritual performed by a shaman at a temple fair that Qingyangzi had previously watched, and he borrowed it from it.

The dancers were Guo Lanying, the Seventh Princess, Qing Xuzi, Liu Yunfei, Zhu Jingyan, and Little Mouse, among others. Their dance, performed in two rows and three columns, was perfectly synchronized and had been rehearsed for two full days.

The dance was choreographed by the Seventh Princess, who had watched many court dances, so she was very good at choreographing them.

Back in the day, when Zhang Zhengdao prayed for rain, he was a shaman performing a ritual all by himself. He was so busy and flustered, and he even had to improvise his own dance on stage.

Now his apprentices are doing much better than him.

Several elders and guardians played music on both sides of the stage.

Xiaoyaozi was a Taoist practitioner and skilled at playing the flute; Qin Shouzhong was skilled at playing the pipa; and Hai Tianfu was adept at playing the xiao (vertical flute). The female corpse would occasionally strike a gong.

Shu Baimei and Hu Yunying sang Taoist scriptures.

It's really lively.

"it is good--"

Some people in the audience clapped and cheered.

Many people rarely get to see such a performance, especially one from the world-renowned Peach Blossom Temple. It was absolutely spectacular, and the people of Linbin Town naturally rallied to support their own, with cheers and applause rising and falling throughout the venue.

The second part of the rainmaking ritual is the sacrificial text.

The eulogy was written by Qingyangzi.

Now, in the Taoist temple, only Qingyangzi has any literary talent. After all, he's the only one among all the disciples who truly excels in scholarship!

Qingyangzi, wearing a tall hat and a dharma robe, flicked his wide sleeves, burned incense, and bowed three times.

I, Qingyangzi, the eldest disciple of the Venerable Master Zhang Zhengdao, the founder of Peach Blossom Temple, bowing deeply in reverence, dare to proclaim to the High Heaven: I humbly submit that the Mysterious Origin bestows its blessings, and Yin and Yang maintain their order; Heaven and Earth contain their brilliance, and wind and rain respond in due season. Now, within the territory of Lingzhou, the scorching sun rages, leaving the land parched for thousands of miles. Springs have dried up, and crops withered and scorched. The common people live in fear, as if treading on boiling water and burning embers. I, Qingyangzi, have heard that the Supreme Dao is selfless, giving birth to all things; and that the Mysterious Virtue responds, universally benefiting all living beings. I humbly beseech Heaven's mercy to have compassion on these people. I command the Thunder Master to beat the drums, and the Rain God to pour out his jars, sprinkling sweet dew upon the nine realms and abundant rain upon the four fields. May withered seedlings flourish again, and dried-up lakes be filled once more. Then the people will sing praises of the Holy Virtue, and all grains will thrive under this abundant blessing.

We respectfully offer this pure and sweet wine and seasonal fruits, and sincerely wish you to accept it.

After the prayer was finished, the yellow paper suddenly caught fire without any wind.

The ashes drifted through the air, then suddenly swirled into the sky and disappeared.

Qingyangzi bowed three more times.

Then he winked at Yang Shengtian next to the stage, signaling him to get ready to go on stage and to quickly tidy his clothes so he wouldn't be flustered later.

After finishing all this, Qingyangzi prepared to call it a day.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze arose and swept across everyone's faces.

People who had just been sweating profusely suddenly felt a sense of lightness, and someone shouted, "A breeze is blowing!"

Is the wind picking up?

Qingyangzi was dumbfounded. He had only done this part to make it look like a formality, to make the process a little longer so that it wouldn't end hastily and seem unceremonious.

"Did you fan yourself?"

Qingyangzi asked Yang Shengtian quietly.

Yang Shengtian was puzzled and somewhat confused, and said, "No, I haven't even touched it yet, I haven't even taken out the fan."

"That's strange!"

The words had barely left his mouth when a sudden gust of wind swept in, nearly knocking over the flags planted nearby. The sweltering heat in the air was instantly swept away by this unexpected gust.

Some people even shivered from the cold.

The people around the platform were horrified.

The wind really did pick up right after the eulogy was read.

Those martial arts practitioners and Taoists were all astonished.

However, before they could even recover from their shock, dark clouds rolled in, obscuring the sky and darkening the night sky, just like a pitch-black night.

Qingyangzi was dumbfounded.

Yang Shengtian asked, "Is it Master?"

Qingyangzi shook his head: "If Master had orchestrated something so attention-grabbing, he would definitely have made a scene, not kept it so quietly..."

Qingyangzi: "Let me ask my aunt."

Unexpectedly, Hu Yunying, who was standing next to her, said quietly, "What else could it be? In what capacity did you read the eulogy?"

Qingyangzi: "I read the eulogy as the eldest disciple of Zhang Zhengdao, the founder of Peach Blossom Temple. Is there anything wrong with that? Oh, I see."

Yang Shengtian: "What did you find out?"

Su Tang slapped the back of his head: "Of course I know what I need to know."

Yang Shengtian: ...

Qingyangzi said excitedly, "I prayed in the name of my master's eldest disciple, which means that Heaven already knows about this matter and, out of respect for my master, has sent rain upon us..."

The audience at the Peach Blossom Pavilion suddenly understood.

While eating peanuts, Sister Gui, sitting in the audience, chattered to the martial arts enthusiasts who were visiting Linbin Town for the first time to watch the spectacle: "You don't know, back when Master Zhang was at Peach Blossom Temple, he shouted to the gods in heaven, 'Hey—Gods of heaven, I want snow to fall on Peach Blossom Mountain, three feet and three inches deep, not an inch more, not an inch less. If you can't do it, I'll tear your tendons and skin you alive...'"

At this point, Sister-in-law Gui said mysteriously, "Guess what the gods in heaven thought when they heard this?"

The martial arts practitioners shook their heads in bewilderment.

"Hehe, the snow really did come down."

"And it was exactly the same size, not an inch more or less. It scared Peach Blossom Mountain so much that it made Peach Blossom Temple look so beautiful. It's the most beautiful place in the whole of Linbin Town."

Sister-in-law Gui paused here, then turned to the person next to her and said, "Then do you know who I am?"

The martial arts practitioners nearby were once again dumbfounded.

Sister-in-law Gui puffed out her chest and said, "I am the head chef of Peach Blossom Temple. I am in charge of the kitchen. Everyone in Peach Blossom Temple decides what to eat based on my arrangements."

These words made it clear that Sister-in-law Gui had completely forgotten what she had said about Zhang Zhengdao when it snowed at Peach Blossom Temple.

What was once incomprehensible has become today's glory.