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

When we had breakfast at the inn, it was already packed with people.

Everyone started exchanging information.

"Last night, a man was chasing another man..."

"Qin Xin Xiu Jian Wang Luo Ying was murdered last night!"

"No way? Who's that bored..."

"Who else could it be but Wan Xiufeng, the Jade Flute Heart Sword!"

Zhang Zhengdao leaned closer and listened carefully.

"Isn't it all because Wang Luoying courted death? So what if she slept with Wan Xiufeng? We're all just people from the martial world..." A thin young man in blue sneered.

"Wan Xiufeng ran away?"

"No, he was caught on the spot. It's said that he was taken to a nearby grove of trees and hung up to be beaten. He was beaten for most of the night, and he was already beyond saving. It's estimated that he couldn't be saved."

"This has truly cemented the feud between the Diancang Sect and the Hanguang Pavilion."

"Hehe, if Wang Luoying hadn't killed Wan Xiufeng's lover, Luo Yufeng with the Golden Snake Whip, how could she have been killed in return? Although Luo Yufeng's martial arts skills are lacking, she has a powerful background; she's backed by the Jing Prince's Mansion..."

"That's true. Wan Xiufeng originally wanted to get in touch with the Prince Jing's mansion, but he failed and got himself into trouble. He has no choice but to be killed."

……

As they talked, someone called to their companions that it was time to set off.

People gradually dispersed.

Zhang Zhengdao and the other two, still somewhat reluctant to leave, stood up and said, "Let's go!"

They went outside and found their mounts. Guo Lanying shouldered the banner, leaped onto the little donkey, and, braving the early winter wind, the banner fluttered in the wind, still quite impressive.

Unfortunately, no one asked me to hold a Buddhist ceremony or even perform a simple ritual to help the deceased pass on to the afterlife.

It seems that while the lives of those in the martial world are indeed lives, each life has a price tag attached to it. After entering the martial world, such deaths become all too common; one sees or hears about them every day.

Hu Yunying, on the other hand, a seasoned veteran, didn't have so many feelings.

This is the norm in the martial arts world.

After traveling for another two days, they arrived at Chenjiazhuang at dusk.

Not many martial arts practitioners stayed here, because it was close to the county town. Those with money went to the county town, while those without money set up camp by the large lake outside Chenjiazhuang.

Old Chen's house was considered middle-class in the village; it was fairly spacious, and a painting of pine trees and cranes symbolizing longevity hung in the main room. The couplets on either side read: Upper line: "The evergreen pine stands tall and elegant, flourishing in all four seasons." Lower line: "The auspicious crane brings good fortune, wishing for a hundred years of spring." The horizontal inscription read: "A Prosperous and Auspicious Family."

Old Chen didn't want to stay overnight; he wasn't short of money.

However, when Zhang Zhengdao took out three taels of silver, Old Man Chen relented and even cooked noodles for the three of them. He also added charcoal to the brazier in the main room.

The two rooms were vacated; the rooms of the eldest and second sons were cleared out, and they went to the woodshed, laid out straw, and slept there, while also looking after Zhang Zhengdao and the other two's donkeys. The youngest son slept with him.

"Lan Ying!"

Hu Yunying sat by the charcoal fire, nudged Guo Lanying's leg with her knee, blinked, and whispered, "You're not a little kid anymore. It's not right for you to stay and sleep with your master all the time, is it?"

Guo Lanying: "Master...do you mean...I should sleep with the master?"

Hu Yunying:...

Is that what I mean?

Traitor!

Zhang Zhengdao glanced at Guo Lanying, then at Hu Yunying, without saying a word or expressing his opinion.

We kept warm by the fire until midnight.

Neither of them wanted to go to sleep first.

You stare at me, I stare at you.

Finally, Guo Lanying couldn't resist any longer. She yawned and said to Hu Yunying, "Master, let me go to sleep with you!"

Hu Yunying winked at Zhang Zhengdao, hoping he would keep her around.

But Guo Lanying didn't give her a chance and dragged her away by force.

This master and disciple were acting neither like masters nor disciples, which infuriated Zhang Zhengdao. There were only two monks, and they were already out of water?

Zhang Zhengdao closed his eyes and warmed himself by the fire, remaining as still as a mountain.

In a daze, it seemed that the golden core in his dantian was stirring, and the jade ruyi, like a huge, bright white sphere, suddenly appeared in the air. His soul followed the huge, bright white sphere, swaying and turning in the boundless, dark sky.

There appears to be a cliff ahead, and there seems to be a Taoist temple at the edge of the cliff.

There seemed to be the sounds of morning bells and evening drums still emanating from the Taoist temple, and from the deep abyss below, there seemed to be roaring sounds, like a huge wave of sound that instantly engulfed him.

Suddenly opening my eyes, I saw the charcoal fire flashing red, as if my soul had been instantly pulled to Chenjiazhuang.

The wind still blew loudly at night in winter, making a "whooshing" sound like the wailing of ghosts and wolves.

In the distance, something could be faintly heard, its roar like that of a bull mingling with the howling wind. Old Man Chen cautiously emerged from his room and asked Zhang Zhengdao, "Guest, do you know what it is?"

Zhang Zhengdao was startled, opened his eyes, and heard the voice. It was real, yet it also seemed to be the voice from his dream.

Seeing that Old Man Chen was very frightened, he shook his head and said, "I don't know!"

Not only did they hear it, but everyone in Chen Family Village and the martial arts practitioners who were camping out that night knew about it. The sound, like the roar of a bull, made everyone look in that direction.

The huge lake outside Chenjiazhuang.

Interspersed among them was the loud sound of rushing water.

Zhang Zhengdao also heard the sound of someone flying across the night sky.

The next morning, Zhang Zhengdao and his two companions bid farewell to Old Man Chen.

Several people rushed over to Old Man Chen, and when they saw Zhang Zhengdao, they quickly waved and said, "Daoist, please wait."

Zhang Zhengdao stopped and asked, "Is there something you need, layman?"

The middle-aged man at the head of the group bowed and said, "Someone in the village has died, and we need to hold a Taoist ceremony. We originally went to the city to invite someone, but we heard from Biaozi that there is a Taoist priest staying at his house, so we came to ask him."

It's a perfect match for my major!

Business that comes knocking on your door, of course you won't turn it down.

"Different levels of pomp and circumstance, different prices..."

“No problem, the price is negotiable,” the middle-aged man quickly replied. “We usually charge three taels of silver to hire a Taoist priest.”

Chenjiazhuang is indeed a large village, with prices twice as high as those in Linbin Town.

"Please lead the way!" Zhang Zhengdao gestured for him to proceed.

Guo Lanying looked at her banner, on which the four characters "Peach Blossom Sword Sect" were emitting a golden light.

We already have our own sect, why should we hold ceremonies for others?

She didn't want to play the flute.

Hu Yunying patted her shoulder and said, "You're still young. Is the master after money? For a master who seeks to comprehend the Dao, the most difficult thing is to refine the mind. And what is the most crucial aspect of refining the mind?"

Guo Lanying asked, "What is it?"

"Entering the mortal world, living within the mortal world, yet transcending the mortal world." Hu Yunying sighed, "I am a Grandmaster, you are a Primordial Master. You both have a certain status in the martial arts world. Is it because you lack a few taels of silver?"

Guo Lanying: "Missing!"

She only had one or three taels of silver on her, and she couldn't bear to buy many things.

“You’ll understand later!” Hu Yunying said. “I’m your master, I know more than you. If Master wasn’t a person of the mortal world, how could he transcend it? If you don’t enter the mortal world, do you still have hope?”

The youngest son of the head of Chen Family Village died.

The body was left in the main hall of the manor.

He died last night; he had a sword wound in his chest.

The tenants who came to help Zhang Zhengdao told him quietly that he had been stabbed to death with a sword. The person who killed him was a martial arts practitioner who killed him with a single blow and then fled far away, disappearing to who knows where.

There was also a rumor circulating among the villagers that the youngest son of the village head was so attracted by the beauty of a female knight-errant who was staying at their house that he climbed up the stairs to the roof and removed a few tiles from her room.

It is also said that the female warrior was preparing to undress and wash at that time...

Then he leaped into the air, ripped off the roof, and stabbed the youngest son of the manor owner, who was removing the tiles, with his sword.

And then... no more.

After killing the man, the female warrior made a hasty escape.

The manor owner was furious, but powerless to do anything about it. He could only send someone to report to the authorities and then hire someone to perform a ritual.

After Zhang Zhengdao arrived, the manor lord came over in person, said a few words, and cried a few times.

Zhang Zhengdao took out a list and asked the manor owner to prepare it.

Before long, the necessary equipment was delivered.

At 9:00 AM, Hu Yunying struck a gong to start the performance and began reciting the "Three Elements Repentance for the Extinction of Sins".

There will be a show at 5 PM.

The host invited them to dinner, and at 7 PM, the formal Taoist ceremony began. Many villagers gathered to watch, and Zhang Zhengdao did his best, performing the complete set of rituals including the Five Directions, the Yuan Deng, the Ten Palaces, crossing the bridge, and sending off the gods.

After everyone had left, the manor owner sent over more wine and food.

After finishing his meal and drinks, Zhang Zhengdao found a spot in the lobby to take a nap.

Listen to Hu Yunying chatting with the villagers who stayed here to serve.

Starting today, the villagers will no longer host martial arts practitioners. Many of them have gone to camp by the large lake outside Chen Family Village. They also mentioned that last night, something seemed to be calling from the lake…

Gradually, it was midnight.

Zhang Zhengdao listened in a daze, his voice gradually becoming weaker...

It seemed as if I were in a chaotic space again, or perhaps in the Fallen Dragon Valley in the backyard of Fuyun Temple in my previous life...

That night, the wandering martial artists who were camping by the lake gazed at the scattered lights of Chen Family Village, and could faintly hear the chanting, gongs, and flutes from a ritual being performed. Living in the open and exposed to the elements, some couldn't help but curse.

But there was nothing they could do.

After all, it is still the territory of the Great Xia Dynasty. It is a serious crime for martial arts practitioners to kill innocent civilians.

At midnight, a huge "splash" suddenly came from the dark center of the lake, followed by a deep, guttural sound like a bull's bellow from the water. This sent chills down the spines of the travelers camping by the lake.

"Brothers, light the torches! Let's see who's behind this!" someone suddenly shouted.

"Are you Lei Dong, the Soul-Summoning Judge?" someone asked loudly.

"I heard that the six members of the Water Moon Sect died at the hands of the Judge's Pen. Was it you who did it?"

The man laughed loudly: "I did it! I'm a Xiantian (a high-level cultivator), what can you do about it?"

"Oh, that's all. Have you had dinner yet?" the man said.

"There's something strange about this lake; there might be treasure inside. Everyone, don't miss this opportunity to find it. If we don't have some extraordinary encounters while practicing martial arts, how can we soar to the heavens and pluck the laurel from Mount Hua?" the man continued to clamor.

"We... are willing to lend a helping hand..."

Ultimately, the temptation was too great.

Mythical creatures and strange objects often have extraordinary effects on martial arts practitioners, a fact proven by many masters in the martial arts world. In the martial arts world, how can one rise above others without fighting their way through?