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

On clear, cloudless days, Zhang Zhengdao liked to ride his horse and watch the birds fly across the azure sky. Then he would think of two lines of poetry by Tagore.

There was no trace of wings in the sky.

But I have already flown.

Zhang Zhengdao initially found this poem very mysterious. It resonated with, yet did not resonate with, the thoughts of the Chinese people on Earth.

In fact, Zhang Zhengdao admired the idea of ​​"a wild goose leaves its cry as it flies by, and a person leaves their name as they pass through life" even more.

If there are no traces, how will anyone know if you flew through the sky?

This is somewhat like the general public, every ordinary person. Even if they exist in this world for decades or hundreds of years, once they die, they can still exist in the memories of their relatives for several decades. Then, as the relatives who remember you grow old and pass away one by one, your name and your body will disappear into the universe.

So when Zhang Zhengdao became an immortal, he realized that Tagore's words were not very applicable to immortals, which is the difference between immortals and mortals.

"I'm going to roam the world!"

Zhang Zhengdao spoke to Tieguai Li, who was drinking with him.

Tieguai Li's mouth was covered in oil from eating.

What should we do about the spider demon?

"I can't take her away either. She can do whatever she wants. Besides, whether she's a threat to the world or not, you can't be racist."

Tieguai Li smiled bitterly: "I did have selfish motives in this matter, but haven't I received my retribution for it?"

"Alright, stop complaining. Compared to the spider demon, you immortals have more power and freedom." Zhang Zhengdao said, downed a glass of wine, then got up and left the winery.

Tieguai Li watched Zhang Zhengdao leave, then turned to look at a spot not far away.

"Come out, everyone has left."

A Taoist priest turned in from another door of the winery.

It was Lü Dongbin.

He was seriously injured and had originally gone to recuperate, but he was so angry that he secretly ran away.

"Finally gone!"

Lü Dongbin said through gritted teeth.

If you still can't guess who made the sound of sharpening a sword during the battle with the spider demon in the reed marshes, then you might as well give up on living in the immortal realm.

"What does his departure have to do with you?" Tieguai Li glared angrily at Lü Dongbin. "If you cause any more trouble, I'll tell Laozi everything you've done."

Lü Dongbin's face turned ugly.

Only after Tieguai Li had long since left and disappeared without a trace did he sit down heavily, gritting his teeth.

The Qinhuai River remains a place of song and dance.

White Peony leaned lazily against the bow of the boat, watching the passing ships, and then said to the madam, "Madam, turn away all the guests from now on."

The madam was getting anxious.

Although these guests boarded the ship because they were all infatuated with the white peony, in the end, they all benefited from her in their dazed state. Following the spider demon, she specifically chose a method of intense combat from the "Two Elements Jade Maiden Heart Sutra," which made the guests feel good, and she also improved her cultivation.

It’s a win-win situation!

You can't be so willful!

"Miss, why don't you reconsider?"

The madam was indeed unwilling to accept it.

Bai Mudan glanced at her and couldn't help but scoff, saying, "What are you considering? Is it my decision or yours? Or I'll just find one of my sisters to replace her. It doesn't matter who we use anyway."

The madam quickly laughed and said, "Of course, I'm more comfortable using it. Alright, I'll turn down all your customers for now, since you have plenty of money anyway."

Ever since the spider demon stopped asking for money, Bai Mudan has been quietly saving all the money she earns.

To maintain such a luxurious lifestyle, if the fairies don't commit murder and arson, then the only option is to save money.

"Do you think the abbot will come to see me again?"

Bai Mudan's voice sounded like singing; she spoke in the soft, sweet Wu dialect, which the Taoist priest loved.

The madam served her wine and dishes, and sat down beside her, drinking a cup with her.

"Men are all heartless. Miss, you eat well, live well, and have fun. You're a perfect woman in every way. What do you need a man for?"

Bai Mudan: "Then if you learn the art of enduring hardship, what kind of man do you need?"

The madam smiled ingratiatingly: "This is just a hobby for me, not love. Your relationship with the Taoist priest has long surpassed that of buyer and seller. You two are merely customer and merchant, understand? Don't get involved."

The white peony sighed.

He kept drinking, one glass after another.

He was a little tipsy when he picked up a sword and started brandishing it on the ship's deck.

This dance immediately aroused the intense desire of the person watching from the shadows.

The flickering candlelight cast long shadows as Bai Mudan leaned against the boat railing, her bare feet tracing the light and shadow of the glass goblet. She tilted her head back and drank the last of the wine in the pot, then staggered to the rhythm of the swaying boat, spinning around as her sword flashed, instantly shattering the crimson waters of the river.

Moonlight spilled over the silver blade, as if crushing the snow-white petals fluttering in the air. Her hairpins seemed about to fall limply, but the sword's light grew ever sharper, like a dragon in flight. The red gauze lanterns on the boat exploded into countless fireflies. A faint fragrance seeped from the wooden deck, and the Qinhuai River reflected the fragmented sword shadows. Moonlight meandered and spread from the hem of her skirt.

"Excellent swordsmanship, excellent sword dance, and the beautiful white peony dancing with a sword under the moon."

The sudden sound startled Bai Mudan, who had just finished practicing her sword dance.

He turned abruptly, flicked his sword, and held it upright behind the back of his hand.

A Taoist priest stood before her, and the praise he uttered was like a bucket of cold water poured over her head, instantly dispelling Bai Mudan's intoxication.

"Lü Dongbin? You...you still won't give up?"

Bai Mudan angrily rebuked him, and with a flick of her wrist, the tip of her sword pointed directly at Lü Dongbin.

Seeing that things were not going well, the madam hurriedly slipped into the cabin.

Lü Dongbin chuckled: "Give up? You and I were destined to be together. In your past life, you were a maidservant to the Queen Mother of the West, the Peony Fairy. When you poured me wine, you exchanged glances. Later, the Queen Mother banished you to the mortal realm, where you were mistakenly transformed into a flower fairy. I descended to the mortal realm to continue our past life's destiny, but you refuse to acknowledge it. What is the reason for this?"

White Peony: "You can make things up? Why don't you go write storybooks?"

Lü Dongbin laughed loudly: "Whether you believe it or not, no one will come to save you tonight. That Taoist priest left long ago and can't save you. Besides, he's a heartless and ungrateful person. Only I am persistent in my pursuit of you..."

"Shut up!"

Bai Mudan didn't dare to make a move easily, but she cursed, "Get out of here! If you don't get out now, I'll call my sisters."

Lü Dongbin scoffed: "Your sister? Red peony or green peony, haha..."

"Of course it's Golden Spider Princess, the one you run away from when you can't beat her."

Upon hearing this, Lü Dongbin looked around warily, but found nothing, and then relaxed: "Distant water can't quench immediate thirst, so what can it do?"

After saying that, he leaned forward and reached out to put his arm around Bai Mudan's waist.

The tip of the white peony sword touched his eyes.

Lü Dongbin chuckled lightly, "A mere grain of rice, yet it shines? How presumptuous of you." With that, he flicked his finger at the tip of the sword that Bai Mudan had pointed at him.

"Snapped!"

The tip of the sword was slightly off-center.

but……

My finger is cut.

then……

There was also a cut on my cheek, and blood was gushing out like crazy.

How can it be?

Lu Dongbin was shocked and hurriedly retreated until he was standing in the air, looking down at the painted boat. Only then did he feel a little relieved.

"You...how did you do that?"

Although his cultivation level had dropped, he was still confident that he could easily deal with Bai Mudan. To put it bluntly, Bai Mudan was just a minor demon.

"Of course, it's all thanks to the Taoist priest!"

Bai Mudan was also pleasantly surprised. She hadn't expected that the Taoist priest's words about how eating the essence of the sun and moon he gave her every night would greatly improve her cultivation, allowing her to advance her cultivation by leaps and bounds every day.

I can't believe it's true!

It seems the Taoist priest is not a heartless person after all.

Lu Dongbin was unwilling to give up. He silently recited an incantation, drew his long sword, pointed his fingers at Bai Mudan, and a beam of light shot towards her.

This is his signature sword technique – the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique.

However, as the sword light hurtled towards Bai Mudan, Bai Mudan became confident, and her swordsmanship was not bad either. Besides, her current cultivation level was her source of confidence.

She twirled her sword, then caught the incoming Heavenly Shield sword light. Guided by her swordsmanship, she turned around one last time, and the rushing sword light went straight towards Lü Dongbin.

"Oh!"

Lu Dongbin was injured in the arm by the sword light again and panicked.

It seems that this White Peony has truly made great progress in her cultivation, and is probably even more powerful than herself. She felt increasingly wary of Zhang Zhengdao.

Not daring to linger in the fight, he scolded, "You demon, I won't bother with you this time. Considering you haven't harmed anyone, I'll let you go this time."

They left without hesitation, just like that.

"Pah, they really know how to flatter themselves!"

The madam reappeared at some point and spat in the direction Lü Dongbin had left.

"I'll taste your flavor sooner or later."

Bai Mudan laughed and said, "Don't panic. When my sisters arrive, we'll make your wish come true sooner or later."