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

"Have you heard? A fox spirit has appeared in Elder Ye's house, a huge white fox... it's become a spirit."

"...Then a flash of white light appeared, and a celestial sword descended from the sky, slaying the wicked demon..."

"She's not some demon, she's a deity from a sacred mountain, banished to the mortal realm. It's said that she had an affair with Miss Ye in heaven, and was banished to the mortal realm to continue their past romance... This offended the Heavenly Court, so they sent a divine general down to earth to capture the banished person and bring her back to the Heavenly Court to suffer..."

"Just then, the monster's gaping maw was about to swallow Miss Ye whole when a shout came from the sky: 'You beast, show your true form!' The monster rolled on the spot and transformed into a wild boar..."

……

Zhang Zhengdao had already heard many versions of the story while having breakfast at the inn.

The inn was bustling with people, and there were many people eating there, so different versions of the story circulated.

However, one thing is true: something happened at the Ye residence last night.

There are many more people in the county town than in the town.

Zhang Zhengdao ate while waiting.

Most of the guests here are itinerant merchants who have traveled far and wide or wanderers who have come from afar. The things they talk about cover a wide range of topics, not just the events that happened at the Ye residence last night.

A bowl of braised pork noodles tastes better than the one from Ma Laosan's stall in Linbin Town. Ma Laosan doesn't put much meat in his noodles; the bowl is full of broth.

After finishing the noodles and soup, and hearing several versions of the story, a man rushed over to the inn's door. It was the servant who had led him to the Ye residence yesterday.

Upon entering and glancing around, he saw Zhang Zhengdao and was overjoyed. He immediately came over and bowed, saying, "Daoist Master, the host invites you in."

Zhang Zhengdao nodded: "Lead the way."

I had already anticipated that they would come to invite me over, and there was still unsettled wages.

The atmosphere at the Ye residence was very heavy at this moment.

People from the yamen came, including the county magistrate and county commandant, who were all officials who had returned from mourning for their parents. Their ranks were several levels higher than his own.

The coroner is examining the body.

Miss Ye's face was deathly pale, and some female relatives were comforting and asking her questions.

The words coming from the side room were that the young lady said there was a white light above the door, and when she came out to look, she saw this corpse with a hole in its head, and she didn't dare to look closely...

The county constable found the young lady's words somewhat unbelievable. The head constable of the yamen, a capable middle-aged man, carefully examined the lintel but found nothing of the sort.

Everyone assumed that Miss Ye was just talking nonsense out of fear.

When handling cases, government offices certainly cannot use absurd statements like gods and ghosts as the basis for their investigations.

The only major discovery was based on the head of this person, which indicated that he was a wanted criminal from one of the four prefectures of Jiangnan. Some distinctive features and clothing, along with various sleeping pills and basic drugs found on the body, and a manual of the "Shadow Chasing Lightness Skill" carried by him, compared with the general appearance on the wanted poster, led to the conclusion that he was the infamous flower thief, Flower Butterfly.

After the coroner finished examining the body, he and the constables hurriedly cleaned up the body and carried it out.

The county magistrate and the county constable accompanied Ye Daoyuan to the main hall.

He truthfully relayed the coroner's and head constable's assessments to Ye Daoyuan, and then offered many apologetic words.

After all, it was within their own jurisdiction, and the victim was a high-ranking official from the imperial court.

"It's okay!"

What else can be said? When江湖人士 (jianghu figures) commit evil deeds, even a county magistrate is sometimes powerless to stop them.

After seeing the magistrate out, a servant stepped forward and said, "The Taoist priest has been waiting in the side hall for a long time."

Ye Daoyuan immediately perked up: "Let's go!"

He hurried to the side hall, stepped inside, reached out to Zhang Zhengdao who had stood up from his chair, grasped his hand tightly, and expressed his gratitude repeatedly.

"Thanks to the Immortal Master!"

"The Immortal Master's power is profound; the one who was killed was a martial arts practitioner who intended to commit evil deeds. Fortunately, the Immortal Master's talisman brought the villain to his death at the gate. How fortunate, how fortunate!"

"Serve some fragrant tea!"

Before long, a maid brought over fragrant tea and fruits, which filled the table.

Zhang Zhengdao has confirmed that the person he killed last night was just a petty scoundrel, so he can relax.

"It's a trivial matter, not worth mentioning."

"I must thank him." Ye Daoyuan naturally knew that befriending such a capable Taoist priest would elevate his own status, and he might need to deal with him again in the future.

One was deliberately flattering, the other was feigning humility.

It took quite a while.

Ye Daoyuan then called for someone to bring out a large plate of silver ingots, each ingot worth about twenty taels, a total of twenty ingots, which amounted to four hundred taels!

When Zhang Zhengdao saw it, his eyes were almost blinded by the glint of the silver.

Suppressing her surprise, she said to Ye Daoyuan, "It's just a small contribution, not worth all this fuss."

Ye Daoyuan repeatedly expressed his gratitude.

Zhang Zhengdao said, "If you really want to express your gratitude, that's not impossible. How about this, sir, please come closer..."

So Zhang Zhengdao whispered something in Ye Daoyuan's ear.

Upon hearing this, Ye Daoyuan nodded with a beaming smile and said to Zhang Zhengdao, "Daoist Master is a true immortal cultivator, and I will certainly grant your wish!"

At noon, Ye Daoyuan invited Zhang Zhengdao to stay for lunch, and Zhang Zhengdao accepted the invitation and ate and drank with him.

While they were eating and drinking, a maidservant said that the young lady had fainted.

Ye Daoyuan panicked and hurriedly asked Zhang Zhengdao if there was a solution.

Zhang Zhengdao calculated for a moment and said to Ye Daoyuan, "This is a mental illness, and I'm afraid ordinary medicines will not be able to cure it."

Ye Daoyuan naturally knew what Zhang Zhengdao meant. With a worried expression, he quickly bowed and asked Zhang Zhengdao to take a look at his daughter and think of a solution, considering that they had just had a pleasant conversation.

Zhang Zhengdao had Ye Daoyuan take him to Miss Ye's boudoir.

The young lady of the Ye family was terrified. She realized that her beloved was nothing but a treacherous villain, and that she had lost her virginity to him. She was afraid that she would never be able to face anyone again. It was only natural that she would faint in her confusion and fear.

"Master, how is it..."

Ye Daoyuan asked anxiously.

"It's alright. I have a profound Taoist talisman. Burn it to ashes, crush it, and drink it with water. This talisman is called 'Forget-Worries.' After drinking it, you will forget past love affairs and have no more emotional troubles."

As Zhang Zhengdao spoke, he took out a talisman.

Ye Daoyuan was overjoyed.

He already held Zhang Zhengdao in high esteem.

This is a true master who has attained enlightenment.

The mere fact that those talismans could kill people was already shocking, like a Taoist immortal from a folk tale.

Immediately, someone burned the talisman, and the ashes were dissolved in water. The old women in the manor carefully fed it to her. Before an incense stick's time had passed, a soft moan was heard, and Miss Ye woke up.

Hearing her father's voice from outside through the green gauze screen, she smiled and asked, "Has Father arrived?"

Upon hearing this soft laugh, Ye Daoyuan immediately understood that his daughter had fully recovered.

Tears streamed down his face as he grasped Zhang Zhengdao's hand.

"Why don't you stay at my residence for a few days, so that I can fulfill my duties as a host? Otherwise, it would be disrespectful to such an honored guest."

Zhang Zhengdao smiled and said, "I am a monk. If it weren't for the sake of my own Taoist temple, repairing the golden statue of the Taoist ancestor, and fulfilling my sincere desire to follow the Tao, I wouldn't be so active in the mortal world. I'll take my leave now."

He cupped his hands in farewell to Ye Daoyuan, flicked his sleeves, and strode away.

Ye Daoyuan was about to see him off when Zhang Zhengdao took a single step, seemingly so close yet so far away. When Ye looked again, only the faint sound of the Taoist priest's chanting remained; the man had vanished without a trace.

"The Daoist sentiment is no ordinary sentiment; it is a matter of heavenly secrets that cannot be taken lightly. Only when one has achieved this can one be truly fulfilled, and thus embark on the boundless path of creation..."

……

Ye Daoyuan bowed respectfully in the direction Zhang Zhengdao had left, having already made up his mind.

He returned to his daughter's room and spoke to her from behind the screen.

"Does my daughter remember who she has met during this time?"

Ye Daoyuan asked.

Miss Ye: "These days, I've only been strolling around the garden and haven't encountered any outsiders. Could it be that we've had guests at home recently?"

Ye Daoyuan breathed a sigh of relief.

"In that case, you can stay home and study more. In the future, we can ask someone to act as a matchmaker and find you a suitable family."

Miss Ye said shyly, "I wish to serve my father for a little longer..."

At this point, Ye Daoyuan truly felt relieved. Judging from his daughter's tone, she was shy and didn't seem to be refusing him; she must have forgotten that unpleasant past.

These days, let her rest and recover at home, and wait for the rumors outside to dissipate before letting her go out for some fresh air.

After Zhang Zhengdao left the Ye residence, he looked like a wise and enlightened master.

It takes two more days to travel from Daoxian to Lingzhou City.

Zhang Zhengdao did not use Taoist magic to travel, but walked step by step, wanting to see this feudal society. After all, it was roughly the same as the ancient society on Earth, and it was worth experiencing.

In ancient times, Taoist practitioners would stay in Taoist temples and practice asceticism.

This isn't some kind of brain repair surgery!

Scholars often say that one should read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles.

Of course, those who cultivate the Tao must also experience the mortal world, see their true nature, understand their mind and nature, and only then can they see themselves, and only after seeing themselves can they let go of their ego...

Let go of your ego?

What kind of Taoist practice is this?!

I am no longer myself, so whose path should I cultivate?

Zhang Zhengdao, being a free spirit, was mainly heading to Lingzhou City to accomplish a few things and build some significant good karma. This would ensure the road repair and expansion of the Taoist temple would be secured.

Unfortunately, they did not encounter any demons or monsters at the Ye residence.

He even doubted whether gods, Buddhas, demons, ghosts, and monsters truly existed in this world. Having been here for so long, aside from that unlucky Shu Baimei, he hadn't actually seen any other people who were different from those skilled in martial arts.

Although I felt somewhat relieved, I also felt inexplicably melancholy.

The good thing is, if it really is just a world of martial arts and chivalry, then I'm invincible in terms of magic, and I can kill whoever I don't like. The bad thing is, without immortals, Buddhas, ghosts, or monsters, will I still be able to ascend to the Heavenly Court in the future?

Do we really want to promote and develop Taohua Temple?

Then he lay down and lived a boring and tedious life of counting money until his hands cramped.