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

The teahouse owner is not actually the owner of the teahouse.

The real teahouse owner is dead.

The teahouse owner killed the real teahouse owner to take over the business, waiting for this prison van. He actually wanted to be the one who had the last laugh.

He almost succeeded, but he underestimated one faction... or rather, one person.

The teahouse owner is very capable.

Even a monk couldn't do anything to a master at the late stage of the Innate Realm, let alone someone who had ambushed him and used poison.

That's incredibly steady; this person must be the senior disciple.

Unfortunately, even such a steady person died.

A late-stage Innate Realm cultivator, and he died so simply. It's not what I imagined. Shouldn't he have fought three hundred rounds before dying from exhaustion?

The monk looked at Zhang Zhengdao and bowed with his palms together.

"Thank you, donor."

“I was thinking that if you died, I would hold a memorial service for you, and then I wouldn’t be able to ask your body for money. So I couldn’t let you die. But since you’re not dead, I can’t even hold a memorial service, let alone ask you for money.”

Zhang Zhengdao continued with great regret.

"Actually... I didn't really want to save you, it's just that this person said no one here can live, and if I don't kill him, he'll kill me..."

"Every drink and every bite is preordained!" The monk liked to talk about philosophy.

Zhang Zhengdao didn't reply, and continued to search the corpses one by one.

Among so many people, they managed to produce a total of twelve taels and six mace of silver and seventy-three copper coins.

Not everyone is poor.

Each member of the Qingfeng Guard alone possesses at least several hundred taels of silver. Not to mention the commanders of a thousand households, whose assets often exceed ten thousand taels.

But who would carry so much money on a mission for no reason? It's so heavy, it slows you down even when you're about to kill someone. Finding that much cash at all is already quite impressive.

"Taoist priest, who sent you?" the old man asked, looking at the Taoist priest who stood up with some regret after touching the corpse.

Zhang Zhengdao glanced at him sideways.

Does this old man really think he's so special that everyone comes for him?

“I am a gold digger sent by Emperor Zhenguan Li Shimin of the Great Tang Dynasty to Lingzhou City to retrieve silver,” Zhang Zhengdao said casually. He then looked at the monk and said, “I was going to charge you five taels of silver to help you pass on to the afterlife, but since you are not dead, I was too embarrassed to take your money. But since all these people are dead, you should at least dig a hole and bury them all. I will then chant some scriptures to try to help them pass on to the afterlife. Then you can give me five taels of silver, and we will be even.”

Upon hearing this, the old man burst into laughter.

"You're quite an interesting Taoist priest, I like you!"

Zhang Zhengdao glanced at him and said, "What business is it of mine if you like it? You're like this now, with no money, no looks, and no status. What good is it if you like it?"

Old man:......

The monk didn't say anything, but rolled up his sleeves and started working.

We can't just walk like this without digging a hole.

Since the Taoist priest has said so, he definitely wants the five taels of silver he has. If he doesn't perform the rituals for these dead people, then he'll definitely perform the rituals for me, the monk.

He is a monk, that's true, but he's not stupid. Otherwise, why would he wait until both sides were fighting before choosing the best time to strike?

The so-called wisdom of Buddhist philosophy is only good for fooling those superficial people who only look at the surface.

If he tried to deceive this Taoist priest, he'd be the next one to have his head sticking out of his head if he dared to leave.

He came to help his friend save someone, not to lose his head for his friend.

The monk called out to the old man, "Old man, come on over!"

He took a shovel and a hoe from the teahouse.

Zhang Zhengdao continued to brew and drink tea in the teahouse.

Two hours later, the two men managed to dig a large pit, dragged the bodies into it, and barely managed to bury them. They could only cover them with a thin layer of soil.

"All right!"

The monk wiped his sweat and said to Zhang Zhengdao.

If he hadn't been poisoned, he might have dug much faster.

The old man was so exhausted he was almost paralyzed, and he sat on the ground panting.

Zhang Zhengdao actually chanted sutras at the burial site, and after finishing, he spread his hands. The monk offered the silver and clasped his hands together in prayer.

"Thank you donor!"

The old man looked at Zhang Zhengdao and asked, "Are you really not someone sent by anyone?"

Even after all this, the old man is still very arrogant, believing that everything, good or bad, should revolve around him.

Zhang Zhengdao: "If you keep babbling, I'll send you to the afterlife!"

The old man shut up.

He took five taels of silver from the monk and twelve taels and six mace of silver and seventy-three copper coins. He made a profit on this trip. They say murder and arson bring wealth, and it's true.

After finishing the chanting, Zhang Zhengdao faced the monk and said, "This is not something to be told to outsiders."

The monk quickly nodded: "The Taoist priest did not pass by today."

Zhang Zhengdao was satisfied, and then looked at the old man.

The old man quickly replied, "I have never seen the Taoist priest before!"

Zhang Zhengdao then stood up, looked at the grave, and said, "When a dynasty prospers, the people suffer; when a dynasty falls, the people suffer. You think yourself a capable official, but have the number of people suffering in this world decreased because of one person? Or have they increased because of one person? How laughable!"

With that, he flicked his sleeves and walked towards the front of the official road.

"...Springtime brings the green of willows, autumn brings the yellow of chrysanthemums. Glory is but a dream at midnight, wealth is like frost in September. Who can take one's place in old age, sickness, and death? One must bear the bitterness and sweetness of life and death. People boast of their clever schemes, but Heaven calmly makes its own decisions..."

The people had all disappeared, but the sounds came from afar, incredibly clear.

The old man listened and gave a wry smile.

Upon hearing this, the monk was moved, put his hands together in prayer, and murmured, "Amitabha!"

The sound became faint and inaudible.

The monk helped the old man onto his horse, and the two slowly departed in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Zhang Zhengdao didn't regret meddling in other people's business. After all, he had made money, so he shouldn't say those hypocritical things like "it wasn't my intention" or "it violated the principle of keeping a low profile."

So what if I kill someone or set something on fire?

The one who kills is the one who wanted to kill him; touching the corpse is also payment for their efforts to help them pass on to the afterlife.

Every penny I earn is earned honestly and through my own labor. There's nothing wrong with creating a good life with your own hands.

This reflects the values ​​of Earth's civilization.

Zhang Zhengdao walked away, disappearing like a celestial being who had vanished without a trace.

The monk led the horse and the old man along the official road.

Taking the back path makes it even harder to predict what will happen next.

The old man asked, "Monk, how much longer can you take me there?"

The monk said, "I will take you to Qiufu Mountain in Lingzhou. There is a temple there called White Lotus Temple, and someone will be waiting for you there."

The old man then asked, "Can you suppress the poison in you?"

The monk laughed: "Of course. Although the poison is potent, I have suppressed it in my dantian. As long as I don't use my inner energy, I'll be fine. Don't worry, sir, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!"

The old man nodded.

"Is that Taoist priest well-known in the martial arts world?"

The monk replied, "I have never heard of it, nor have I ever seen it."

"Whose cultivation is more profound?"

"This humble monk dares not speak presumptuously!"

The two chatted casually for a while, and gradually walked away.

But along this main road, countless more wronged souls have been lost. This is the world of martial arts, where life is as worthless as grass. And there will be no one to come and mourn.

Zhang Zhengdao traveled at a leisurely pace.

In the evening, we passed through Daoxian County.

Daoxian County administers Linbin Town, and the county seat is slightly larger than Linbin Town.

Zhang Zhengdao entered the county town, found an inn to stay in, and planned to continue his journey early the next morning.

Daoxian is a medium-sized county with a relatively large population. Even in the evening, many people stroll along the streets, and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares fill the air.

Snack stalls, trinkets, and porters selling agricultural products roam the streets and alleys.

"Don't let him get away, catch him!"

Suddenly, a group of people darted out from an alley in the distance. Some carried knives, some sticks, some rakes, and others ropes, rushing towards Zhang Zhengdao.

"Taoist priest, there's a Taoist priest up ahead..."

Zhang Zhengdao looked up and saw that the group of people were heading towards him.

What the hell?

"Wrong, it's not a Taoist priest, it's a monk, an old monk... He ran ahead..."

Old monk?

A group of people shouted and whizzed past him.

Zhang Zhengdao pulled the last person aside and asked, "Why are you chasing an old monk?"

That person looked rather old; no wonder he was running behind.

I paused to catch my breath and took a break.

"An old monk cheated our master out of his money and is trying to run away. We're chasing him. Are you a Taoist priest? Or are you a fake one?"

Zhang Zhengdao took out his degree certificate and said, "How could it be fake? It has a diploma."

The man examined the object closely, turning it over and over. He couldn't read, but the object was exquisitely crafted and seemed genuine. He said, "That was a fake monk. He tricked us by saying he could cure my young lady's illness. But... he actually tried to defile her! He's truly heartless! Luckily..."

Did you encounter a lecherous monk?

Zhang Zhengdao's body trembled.