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

Following one's heart is never an easy thing.

Zhang Zhengdao really wanted to follow his heart.

But the two women were both fiercely competitive, each trying to outdo the other.

Reality doesn't allow it!

The two women were each doing their own thing in their rooms when, at night, they both ran out at the same time and stood in front of Zhang Zhengdao's door, staring at each other.

"come in!"

Zhang Zhengdao rudely let the two women in.

Hu Yunying sat at the head of Zhang Zhengdao's bed, so Guo Lanying sat at the foot of Zhang Zhengdao's bed.

Zhang Zhengdao sat at his desk, looking at the two women.

"Two female benefactors, this humble monk comes from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East, and wishes to seek the true scriptures in the Western Paradise..." Zhang Zhengdao put his hands together in prayer.

"master--"

Guo Lanying was the first to call out in a trembling voice.

"You're a Taoist priest, not a Buddhist monk!"

"I can be a monk or a Taoist priest if I want to, it's none of your business!"

Hu Yunying rolled her eyes at Zhang Zhengdao.

"We're all men of the martial world, sir. Just tell me straight, who are you choosing tonight?"

Zhang Zhengdao said, "Aren't we going to punish you today? Who else can we choose? Whoever makes the mistake will be punished!"

Hu Yunying proudly raised her head towards her apprentice.

Guo Lanying stormed out angrily, tears streaming down her face.

"Master is biased! I met Master first!"

After Guo Lanying rushed out, the door closed. Hu Yunying looked at Zhang Zhengdao with a smug, seductive gaze and said, "Master, come on, punish me. I'll consider it a loss if you even frown."

Zhang Zhengdao sighed. He had never seen a woman so eager for punishment; it was truly strange.

Guo Lanying rushed out, but she was unwilling to give up and stood angrily at the door, unable to move.

Then a sound came from inside.

"what--"

It was Master's pitiful scream.

Guo Lanying immediately pressed her ear to the doorway.

"what--"

Another pitiful scream rang out, mixed with a desperate cry of "Master—"

Guo Lanying felt like she was about to stop breathing, her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat, and she couldn't help but press one hand to her chest while self-torturing by pressing her ear even closer to her chest.

"Stop hitting me—"

The voice was trembling, like the pulsating tone of a steel wire being sprung.

"Please spare me, sir, I'll never do it again! Really..."

There were gasps for breath and pleas for mercy.

Guo Lanying felt her legs trembling, and her body went limp. She leaned against the door and made a "thump" sound.

Terrified, I tried to stand up, but my legs were weak, and I couldn't escape.

"Creak" sound!

The door was suddenly pulled open.

Guo Lanying stumbled in, her legs went weak, and she fell to the ground. She scrambled to her feet and tried to run out, but Zhang Zhengdao grabbed her by the collar and pulled her back.

"So young, yet you've already learned to eavesdrop?"

Zhang Zhengdao said angrily.

"I think you also want to be punished, don't you!"

Guo Lanying stood there dejectedly. When she glanced to the side, she saw clearly that her master was lying on the bench, fully clothed.

"Sir, I will never make the same mistake again."

Zhang Zhengdao rolled his eyes at her.

"Twenty lashes today. If you do it again, double the punishment. Now go back to your room!"

"Thank you for your kindness, sir!"

He turned his head and saw his apprentice snickering.

He roared, "You unfilial disciple, why aren't you coming over to help your master up?"

Hu Yunying would never give Guo Lanying and Zhang Zhengdao a chance to be alone together.

Guo Lanying pouted, feeling wronged, and went forward to help Hu Yunying.

The two women finally left the room.

The room is now quiet.

He vowed to learn from this experience and never take two women out with him again. Then, turning to the window, he yelled angrily, "Get out here now!"

A figure flashed past the window, and when he looked again, he was already standing on the other side of the desk, bowing respectfully to Zhang Zhengdao and saying, "Immortal Master, we meet again!"

"If it weren't for the fact that you just arrived, I would have slapped you to death."

Zhang Zhengdao said irritably.

The newcomer was none other than Wan Gusheng, the young successor of the Xiaoyao Sect.

Wan Gusheng chuckled and said, "I dare not disturb the Immortal Master, so I can only come closer after the Immortal Master has finished."

Is that all?

What did I just do?

"Spit it out!" Zhang Zhengdao sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, not even glancing at him.

Wan Gusheng quickly said, "I would like to express my special gratitude to the Immortal Master."

"No need, you've already treated me well, so we're even."

Zhang Zhengdao waved his hand.

“This is far from enough!” Wan Gusheng said, taking out a jade box from his hand and handing it to Zhang Zhengdao. “There is a lotus seed in this box. My master obtained it by chance at Qixian Lake in Kunlun.”

Zhang Zhengdao's heart stirred, but he accepted it without making a sound and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Thank you!"

Wan Gusheng laughed: "I also feel that these lotus seeds have some strange properties, but I can't sense where the strangeness lies, so it's useless for me to keep them. It would be better to give them to the Immortal Master, who might be able to use them."

"Where are you headed with this kind of behavior?"

Wan Gusheng smiled and said, "I want to return to Xiaoyao Valley, where my master once lived. Last time, I was fortunate enough to receive guidance from the immortal master, which gave me some insights. I plan to stay there permanently and comprehend the Great Dao."

Zhang Zhengdao nodded and said to Wan Gusheng, "I observe that the martial arts style and internal energy cultivation method of your Xiaoyao Sect do indeed have some subtle connections to the Great Dao. However, the Heavenly Dao is not manifest, making it difficult to sense the world. Come here."

Zhang Zhengdao beckoned, and Wan Gusheng obediently went over and stood in front of Zhang Zhengdao.

Although this young man was arrogant, he was still in a state of clarity of mind.

So he gently tapped his forehead with his finger.

Wan Gusheng suddenly felt a ray of light enter his brain as if from Zhang Zhengdao's fingertip. Then, the light traveled down from his head to his dantian and disappeared.

"This is a drop of spiritual energy from heaven and earth. If you have the affinity for immortality, this energy will be like the lotus seed you gave me, taking root and sprouting, eventually blooming with even greater brilliance. If not, you will be confined to the mortal world for this lifetime. After a hundred years, you will find a successor to carry on your Free and Unfettered Sect, which can be considered a kind of fate..."

Wan Gusheng sensed the dantian where the light had disappeared and vaguely felt that the internal energy within the dantian was showing signs of stirring due to the disappearance of that light.

I am extremely grateful.

I never expected that giving away a lotus seed that was of little use to me would bring me such a great opportunity.

Overwhelmed with emotion, he immediately knelt down and kowtowed to Zhang Zhengdao.

"You don't need to worship me. You gave me lotus seeds, and I'll give you a blessing, good or bad, it's up to you. That's all, you may leave now. If fate allows, we'll meet again!"

He waved his hand.

Wan Gusheng wanted to say something more.

He felt a sudden blur before his eyes, and when he regained consciousness, he found himself no longer in Zhang Zhengdao's room.

The wind was strong on the mountaintop, and there was a sword stuck in the ground beside him.

This sword is indeed his own.

With a thought, he couldn't help but walk over and grasp the sword with one hand. Instantly, a ray of light seemed to rise from his dantian and flow into his arm.

"呲-"

A soft sound.

He drew his sword with ease.

The sword, like a divine weapon unsheathed, suddenly shone brightly, as if illuminating the night sky.

The sword embedded in the ground was something that could not be pulled out with ordinary internal energy, no matter how hard one tried. Even with his extraordinary internal energy, it remained unmoved. But with just this little bit of spiritual energy, it could be pulled out with ease.

This is destiny with the gods!

Wan Gusheng was extremely excited.

The immortal destiny that Master had pursued his whole life but could not attain, he actually obtained it himself.

Facing the starry sky and recalling his master's instructions, Wan Gusheng was filled with emotion. He slowly knelt down and bowed repeatedly to the sky.

"Master, when I achieve immortality, I will surely comfort your spirit in heaven."

After kowtowing several times, Wan Gusheng stood up and, with a "whoosh," she inserted his sword into its sheath.

He then bowed respectfully to the inn at the foot of the mountain.

He leaped down into the depths of Mount Hua, which was thousands of feet high.

The figure moved swiftly, then touched a tree trunk halfway up the mountain, and the person took flight again, soaring gracefully in the air like a large bird.

In the town at the foot of the mountain, a child holding a string of candied hawthorns stared in astonishment at the night sky, sniffed, and cried out, "Master...Master...there are immortals..."