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

This story circulated in the town for a long time.

The matter only calmed down after the town's monks specifically clarified things for the Taoist priest.

But from then on, Peach Blossom Temple finally started to see some worshippers again. People even invited Zhang Zhengdao to perform rituals and offer prayers. Winning business is an art.

For example, the story of Father appearing in the dreams of the two sisters.

Zhang Zhengdao received four qian of silver, and used the remaining one qian to have the two siblings do this advertisement.

The advertisement was very effective.

At least in the ignorant feudal era, attributing it to gods and Buddhas was simply a stroke of genius.

One evening, after offering prayers and blessings to the old lady of Huang Guangtian's family, a wealthy man in town, Zhang Zhengdao headed back. The distance from Huang Guangtian's house to the Taoist temple was over ten li, seven or eight li of which were mountain paths.

When we reached the mountain path, several masked men carrying knives jumped out.

"I planted this tree, I opened this road; if you want to pass, leave your toll!"

They've been robbed.

Zhang Zhengdao: "You bald monks, did Buddha send you to rob us?"

One of the monks was stunned: "How did you recognize us as monks?"

Zhang Zhengdao: "You're all wearing masks, but you haven't covered your bald heads!"

Upon hearing this, the monk touched his head, finding it completely bald. They each tore off a piece of cloth and covered their bald heads, then shouted again, "Robbery! Leave your clothes and silver!"

The monks committed robbery and murder mainly because Zhang Zhengdao had stolen their business.

The sky was dark and yellow, and the monk was on fire.

Killing a few monks is a piece of cake.

These monks have no real skills; they just lie and cheat people. They can't even chant the scriptures properly. All they want is money. If you don't give them money, they pretend to be gods and Buddhas, saying that people are unfilial and disloyal, and use the gods and Buddhas to demonize people, ultimately forcing them to submit.

The abbot of the town's temple eagerly awaited good news.

They waited and waited, but their idiots didn't return. The sun set and the moon rose in the east, but they still hadn't come back. They were starting to wonder if something had happened.

Suddenly, a firefly appeared on the horizon. This firefly instantly turned into a fireball in the night sky and crashed down on the temple, turning the temple into a giant fireball as well.

Why hold a grudge overnight?

I'm so worried!

Want to kill yourself? That's terrifying, you have to kill yourself!

As for whether there are bodhisattvas and Buddhas behind the monks, at most they will find a place to hide after those great beings arrive, and will not come out of the mountains for a hundred years.

Linbin Town.

The Buddhist temple burned down, and it's said that one monk died inside. The whereabouts of the rest of the monks are unknown. The people sent by the county government investigated for a long time and then closed the case.

The monks stole things from the temple, and when the abbot discovered it, they killed the abbot, set fire to the temple in the middle of the night, and destroyed the evidence.

Since the monks weren't around, the county reported to the prefecture, which issued an arrest warrant.

A few days later, wanted posters for the monks were plastered all over Linbin Town.

Zhang Zhengdao's business boomed.

The town of Linbin has a large population, equivalent to that of a medium-sized county. This is mainly because Linbin Town is located along the Linbin River, a naturally formed port that attracts many boats and raftsmen from other places, resulting in a large transient population.

When something happens, they go to town to perform rituals for people or to hold ceremonies for the dead.

This trip cost the price to rise from five qian of silver to one tael of silver per trip.

After each ritual, he would go to Qianji Braised Food Shop to buy some braised food, and then go to Maoyuan Restaurant, which was decorated with banners, to buy a few kilograms of old wine before returning to the Taoist temple. He lived a comfortable life.

They're so happy they've almost forgotten about home.

Returning to modern society on Earth?

Stop kidding, working 996 is already a blessing.

He was living a simple life, and all that was missing was a female Taoist priest to complete the relationship.

And so, a month passed.

A group of officials arrived in Linbin Town. Judging from their appearance, they weren't from the county government; they seemed to be from the Qingfeng Guard. This group of Qingfeng Guards stayed in Linbin Town for more than half a month.

He traveled all over the town and the mountains, and left after half a month.

Zhang Zhengdao knew what they were looking for, so he went to the Taoist temple to inquire. They were looking for the ten people and ten horses who had stayed at the temple earlier. He specifically questioned the leader.

He must be a very important person.

But what does this have to do with me? The person is burned; who would remember this?

A year later, things returned to normal.

Zhang Zhengdao had even grown a beard, but he didn't shave it. He only shaved his face in town, with fine hairs on his lips and a long beard on his chin. Coupled with his gray Taoist robe, he looked like an immortal.

The townspeople increasingly regarded him as an enlightened sage, and became more and more respectful towards him.

After a religious ceremony, the price of silver rose to one tael and five mace.

This is the value enhancement brought about by imagination.

With more money in hand, they renovated the Taoist temple, cleaning up the back hill and the front yard, and repainting and refurbishing the interior. They also bought new furniture.

Several peach trees were planted in the front yard and back yard.

Even the statue of Zhenjun in the hall has been repainted, and it looks radiant and delightful.

After finishing the job and settling the accounts, including the silver given by Qingfeng Guard and the money earned, only five taels and three mace remained. Fortunately, there was a steady stream of income afterward, so I wasn't too worried.

That day, Zhang Laoliu's relatives came over and asked him to perform a religious ceremony for Zhang Laoliu's wife.

According to this relative, Zhang Laoliu's wife suffered a fatal wound to her heart while digging for poria cocos in the nearby mountains; the blood had dried up. The county coroner examined her and determined that she had been stabbed through the heart with a sword.

Zhang Zhengdao was a little nervous.

Finally, a great being appeared. I had been living too comfortably this year and had lost my vigilance.

A sword piercing the heart! Has he encountered a sword immortal?

"To take a head from a thousand miles away!"

Zhang Zhengdao remained steadfast in his principles, and several times he wanted to lift the coffin to see the sword wound on the woman's chest. However, he restrained himself, fearing being beaten and, even more so, ruining his reputation.

They recited the "Taiyi Jiuku Duren Jing" (Scripture of the Great Unity Who Saves People from Suffering) and performed a ritual. After the entire ceremony was completed, the woman was taken to her burial pit the next day. The ritual bells were rung, the guide banners were raised, and chanting was done along the way.

The host paid the bill, and we left.

Just then, the officials from the yamen arrived and gave Zhang Laoliu a certificate confirming the case was closed.

When Zhang Zhengdao went to see what was happening, the officials said it was a fight between martial arts practitioners who had accidentally injured someone.

The meaning is clear: Zhang Laoliu's wife died because of an accidental injury in a江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the martial arts world) feud. Those martial arts figures are skilled in martial arts and difficult for the authorities to arrest, so she should just accept her bad luck and not go to the authorities to plead her case. The authorities are helpless.

With tears in his eyes, Zhang Laoliu admitted it.

Ah, the world of martial arts!

For the first time, Zhang Zhengdao felt very close to the martial arts world.

So this is how murders in the martial arts world can be closed. Why worry about powerful figures coming to settle scores after killing a few monks? I guess monks in a small town are just minor figures, like Zhang Laoliu's wife.

So what if someone dies? Who cares!

Except for Zhang Laoliu's family!

Another year passed in this way, and even without Zhang Laoliu's wife, life went on as usual.

That year, Zhang Zhengdao, having nothing else to do, tried to refine elixirs himself, following the methods in the Taoist scriptures. He didn't produce many elixirs; most of them were wasted. He dumped the wasted elixirs under the peach trees, hoping they would at least become organic fertilizer, just like the sewage in the Taoist temple's septic tank.

The peach trees in the front and back courtyards of the Taoist temple are in bloom.

Spring will arrive.

It is said that in April, when all the flowers in the human world have faded, the peach blossoms in the mountain temple are just beginning to bloom.

However, the peach trees in the Taoist temple bloomed earlier and more profusely than the peach trees in every household in Linbin Town.

That day, Zhang Zhengdao went to town to perform a blessing ceremony for Guo Chenshi, the mother of Guo Chengjin, a wealthy man in the town. Afterwards, he received three taels of silver. Half of it was a reward from the kind old lady.

Zhang Zhengdao was overjoyed. If there were more old ladies like this, he could make a small fortune.

After the ritual was completed, I was invited to a banquet. The table was laden with chicken, duck and goose meat, and the aroma was irresistible, which made my appetite very strong.

"This is the work of Wei Daozi, the head chef of Juxianlou Restaurant in Lingzhou Prefecture. It's a delicacy that ordinary people can only dream of in their entire lives," the fat man sitting next to him, dressed in a brocade robe and wearing a gauze hat, boasted proudly.

Zhang Zhengdao recognized Hu Lie, the son of Hu the butcher from Linbin Town.

Hu the Butcher was the biggest butcher in town, monopolizing all the slaughtering and butchering business. He had gotten involved with Master Guo Chengjin, and every year Hu the Butcher monopolized all the meat for Master Guo's household.

The number of pigs used in a year alone is two to three hundred.

They scooped up a huge amount of food.

Sure enough, as soon as the Guo family held a banquet, he immediately came over for the feast, bringing with him five taels of silver as a congratulatory gift.

He knew that the Guo family wasn't short of five taels of silver, but coming to join in the fun was already a favor, and they would be very happy. Hu Lie, the butcher's son, naturally knew the famous Taoist master Zhang Zhengdao in town, and so he started boasting.

Zhang Zhengdao listened and nodded, which didn't delay his eating at all.

His beard was a bit long, so it inevitably got greasy from soup and other liquids. The sleeves of his Taoist robe were also a bit too wide, so he had to use one hand to smooth them down while standing up to pick up food.

Everyone was having a great time.

Some listened to the opera, some drank alcohol, and some ate meat.

The entire front hall and courtyard of the Guo mansion were filled with banquets, and there was also a stage in the side courtyard where several actors were singing.

"Bam—"

Suddenly, a shadow flew through the air, leaping up from the front gate and flying across the front yard to the front hall. It crashed into the screen in the front hall, shattering it with a loud crash.

The person landed on the ground and remained motionless.

died.

Everyone was shocked and stood up.

Zhang Zhengdao also got up, peeked out, and saw that someone was dead.

Another one and a half taels of silver!