Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, but Thunderbolt Taoist Sect

The situation is somewhat awkward. The White Lotus Sect's sorcerers are secretly watching the pigsty, and the butcher has been instructed to slaughter the pig. Ren Yunzong discovers that the pig is not a real pig and tries to stop the butcher from killing it. However, if he tells the butcher that this is not a pig but a person, the butcher probably won't believe him.

The pig in front of him wasn't some kind of illusion. This kind of evil magic looked bizarre, and the two sides were separated by different worldviews, so Ren Yunzong couldn't unravel it all at once. The person who had been turned into a pig couldn't speak either, and there was no evidence.

"Please be careful, something's wrong with this pig."

The funniest thing was that Ren Yunzong chose a more tactful way of putting it, and luckily his appearance was convincing enough. He had been staring at the direction of the pigsty with a frown, making passersby think there was a monster in the pigsty. So when he said there was something wrong with the pigs, the butcher actually gave him face.

"But the monk asked me to kill a pig..."

But the butcher came with a mission. The Taoist priest in front of him looked impressive, but he was still not up to par with the White Lotus Sect master who had a certain status in the town. Ren Yunzong was, after all, an outsider.

“I will explain to the monk.”

You, a dignified master of the White Lotus Sect, who is usually so arrogant, suddenly ordering a butcher to slaughter a pig. This seems suspicious no matter how you look at it. You even specifically chose the target to be slaughtered and hid in the shadows to watch, as if you were afraid the pig would escape.

"Tsk, what a nuisance."

The mage, hiding in the shadows, saw the butcher being stopped by the man in the light blue Taoist robe. He knew that the man had seen through his spell. This man had been watching the pigsty before and probably noticed something was wrong a long time ago.

"That annoying Taoist priest."

From the moment he saw Ren Yunzong in the town, he knew that this was not an easy person to deal with. He had never seen a Taoist priest with such skill before, but he had never seen anyone like Ren Yunzong before.

To win people's hearts, the White Lotus Sect's sorcerers would portray themselves as immortals descended to earth. This young Taoist priest, on the other hand, just stood there like an immortal, without needing to say a word.

The person who was turned into a pig was actually his apprentice. This apprentice was not only dull-witted, but also usually more trouble than he was worth. Recently, he discovered that the apprentice was having an affair with his beloved concubine. He could no longer tolerate it, so he turned the person into a pig and planned to have the butcher kill him.

Anyway, his apprentice was as stupid as a pig. Once the butcher slaughtered the pig and sold the meat, the meat ended up in someone else's stomach, and no one could find the person or trace it back to him. Although he had recruited all the people in the town with his magic, many of them did not know how powerful his magic really was.

Just like this stupid disciple he took in, who has no talent whatsoever and can't even understand magic. If it were just because the money offered as a tribute was enough, he wouldn't have taken him in at all.

Just when it was about to be completed, it was stopped by this Taoist priest of unknown origin. His fellow practitioners at most knew that he had a similar magic trick. How did this guy figure out that the pig was a human in disguise?

Having been discovered, Ren Yunzong looked around as if searching for someone. The monk sensed something was wrong and turned to leave, but as soon as he turned around, he saw a strangely shaped flute blocking his way.

The flute is completely transparent, and you can see its internal structure at a glance. The sound holes are made of silver. Looking along the flute to the side, you can see the hand of the person holding the flute, the wooden ring and blue glass bead tied to the back of the flute, and then, the light-colored sleeves and Ren Yunzong himself.

"When...when did you..."

Looking back at the direction of the pigsty, only the butcher and his apprentice, whom he had turned into a pig, remained. The distance between him and the other side was quite large. How could this person have come over in the short time it took to turn around?

“Master, turning people into pigs and using others to do your dirty work is not the act of a gentleman.”

Although the White Lotus Sect originated from a branch of Buddhism and once advocated strict rules and regulations, its followers are now all "laymen who have become monks," with wives and concubines, wealth and land, and are no different from local tyrants. Therefore, the White Lotus Sect monk in front of us is dressed and dressed much like an ordinary country gentleman.

This is why he dared to hide nearby and watch the butcher slaughter pigs. As long as he didn't deliberately say anything or wear special clothes to hawk his wares, no one would recognize him as a White Lotus Sect monk at first glance.

Ren Yunzong could find him at a glance and even determined that he was the one who turned people into pigs. In the eyes of the mage, this guy was the one who was really suspicious.

Although he paid close attention to this young Taoist priest, harboring a selfish fear that the other party might undermine him, both sides were religious figures. As the saying goes, "competitors are enemies." The White Lotus Sect was only active among the common people, so it was normal for them to dislike these "orthodox" sects. He had every reason to dislike this Taoist priest.

"Young man, it's not good to convict people arbitrarily."

Startled by Ren Yunzong's sudden appearance from behind, he appeared somewhat guilty. Now that he realized what was going on, the White Lotus Sect was the local tyrant in this area, and this kid in front of him was just a young Taoist priest who traveled around. As long as he didn't admit it, this guy had no evidence to say that he wanted to harm anyone.

Besides, he didn't harm anyone. He just sent his apprentice to feed the pigs and then called the butcher to slaughter them. Where did his apprentice go? How would he know? He probably went home long ago.

“I am aware that some heretics are tarnishing the reputation of our religion. Young man, do not follow their example.”

The White Lotus Sect is just a general term used by the common people. If you really look into it, there are at least a dozen organizations that could be called the White Lotus Sect. Each of them has its own religious leader and doctrines. Some bribe officials, some commit arson, murder, and looting, some form cliques to rebel, and some bewitch people. In short, their business scope is wide-ranging, and they all dance on the court's red lines.

However, although none of the White Lotus sects are good, they also call each other heretics and believe that they are the orthodox lineage. In the process of cursing each other, a new sect may even split off. In short, it's a mess with complicated components.

"Young man, get out of the way if you don't want trouble."

Ren Yunzong, one by one, young people: ...

He admitted that he was of a lower generation, both at home and on the path to enlightenment. However, in terms of age, the person in front of him was probably not even a fraction of his age.

“If a monk has grudges against others, he can simply bring them up openly. Why resort to such methods?”

I definitely won't give in. This guy is unpredictable; he could disappear in the blink of an eye. He's been living peacefully with the townspeople for so long, so he's probably not one of those who want to rebel and harm the people. Turning people into pigs and killing them must have made him an enemy.

Getting involved with the White Lotus Sect would be troublesome. Ren Yunzong wasn't afraid, but he was worried about implicating innocent people. Therefore, he still planned to reason with them and first remove the insulting spell.

But to everyone's surprise, when the person on the other side heard Ren Yunzong ask him to put things out in the open, he immediately became anxious. How could he openly talk about his concubine having an affair with his disciple? If word got out, where would he, a dignified mage, put his face?

"I told you not to meddle in other people's business, or you'll be next!"

Swatting aside the transparent flute blocking his way, the mage approached Ren Yunzong, attempting to drive him away with threats. This man not only possessed an air of otherworldly grace, but also exuded an imposing aura when he put his face down. To gain the upper hand, the mage had to emphasize his own tone.

"Since you can tell that I'm the one who turned him into a pig, you know that there are more methods than these. I advise you not to meddle in other people's business, otherwise, not only you, but also that little girl you've been looking for, I can curse her too!"

Ren Yunzong had been asking around about the whereabouts of a young girl, supposedly his fellow disciple who had run away while playing. Everyone in town knew about it. She was so young, she probably didn't have much ability. Even though he didn't know her, it didn't stop him from using her to intimidate people.

In his eyes, no matter how peculiar Ren Yunzong seemed, he was only a few years older than his son. He had lived for half a year, and he couldn't even control a hot-blooded young man.

Ren Yunzong, whose real age is well over four figures: ...Never mind, I wouldn't understand even if I explained.

"In that case, please come with me, Venerable Master."

Seeing that the person had finished making threats and turned to leave, Ren Yunzong didn't turn around either. Instead, he reached out and pressed down on the person's shoulder, and the person was unable to move.

"Let go! What are you doing?"

This person was incredibly strong. With a single press on his shoulder, the monk not only couldn't move, but was also pulled away by the other person, unable to break free no matter how much he struggled.

"Go to the government office."

He also brought along the pig that had been turned into a human. Although the curse couldn't be broken, Ren Yunzong could still make it speak human language.

"Let go!"

A cloud of black smoke flew over, aiming straight for Ren Yunzong's face. He immediately retreated with the men in his arms, a few strands of black hair fluttering in the wind.

As he retreated, the mage seized the opportunity to turn around, opened his mouth at Ren Yunzong, and spat out a ball of flame, forcing the other party to let go.

If it were anyone else, being sprayed with fire in the face would probably have resulted in disfigurement. Fortunately, Ren Yunzong was no ordinary person, or rather, he was not human. The flames could not harm him. He waved his hand to disperse the black smoke, and apart from the person in his hand who managed to break free in the chaos, the rest seemed to have been unharmed.

It wasn't exactly uneventful; with smoke and fire, their commotion was so great that it attracted the attention of those around them.

"Aren't you afraid of fire?"

The monk was stunned to find that the burned person was unharmed. The black smoke was just a decoy. He had actually been gathering his strength to breathe fire. Fire is a dangerous thing; anyone who touches it will get hurt. He had aimed at the person's face, intending to burn them completely, but in the end, he didn't burn them. Instead, he injured even a single hair on the person's head.

"Immune to water and fire? Very well, so you are a demon in disguise. Today, I will subdue and exorcise this demon!"

Never mind, he'd stick the label on him first. If the other side wanted to report him to the authorities, he wasn't going to let them get away with it. Besides, everyone was watching now, and in terms of influence, he was definitely superior. The other side wasn't normal either; he'd see what they had to say.

Ren Yunzong, born into the demon race: a demon in disguise? You know what, you really don't know.

Ren Yunzong had mentally complained countless times and couldn't help but sigh. He didn't want to cause any more trouble; he just wanted the other party to break the evil spell that turned him into a pig and save his life. The rest of the grudges were their business, and Ren Yunzong wouldn't interfere.

But the other party seems unwilling and intends to make a scene to divert attention.

“The monk is not cooperating, and Ren Yunzong has offended him.”

A gust of wind began to rise around Ren Yunzong, and he raised his hand to form a hand seal.

"A dream of locust roots, mountains and rivers far away, mist and rain in the netherworld, good and bad alike. Alone I tread the clouds beyond the heavens, leaning on the railing to listen to the celestial music falling from the wind."

Then, the White Lotus Sect sorcerer who had just been shouting about exorcising demons was found bound hand and foot and thrown into the yamen, along with the butcher, the disciple who had been turned into a pig, and the disciple's father who had rushed from home after learning the news.

Monk: What just happened? Weren't we supposed to have a magical duel? You were reciting poetry so aggressively, and now you've tied me up?

Reciting poems is just a matter of course for a person of innate talent. Ren Yunzong was only reciting them as a ritual. Given the opponent's level, it wasn't worth it for him to use Taoist incantations. He just wanted to take people to the government office, not kill him.

Moreover, this sorcerer is a genuine "sorcerer." His various strange spells are powerful, but once someone gets close, he's finished. Before he can even cast a spell, Ren Yunzong can just kick him and that's it.

Of course, this was just an analogy. Ren Yunzong didn't actually kick him; he just used his flute to strike a few acupoints, rendering the other person unable to move.

The followers of the White Lotus Sect take the path of cult rebellion. The sorcerers who have learned magic are basically pure magic practitioners. When they preach, they are surrounded by a large number of people. No one dares to disobey them on ordinary days, for fear of being retaliated against and cursed. Today, however, they have seen it all. They were physically subdued at close range and had no chance to resist at all.

The mage said, "I saw him raise his hand to form a hand seal, but who would have thought that this kid would be so uncivilized and charge straight at me? He unleashed a barrage of physical attacks on me, who could withstand that!"

He did see the sword behind Ren Yunzong, but it looked too ornate and didn't seem like something for fighting. There were chains or something that held the sword in place. More than a weapon, the sword looked like a ritual implement, the kind that was set up to receive sacrifices.

Ren Yunzong's clothes were also like that. Although the basic shape was a Taoist robe, it was still a wide robe with wide sleeves that made it difficult to move. He wore several layers of clothes and his headdress was also complicated. He looked like he had been taken out of a painting of immortals. The sorcerer naturally assumed that the other party was also a magic user, at most just strong.

Actually, there's nothing wrong with his thinking, but unfortunately, the Bitter Realm always has its own unique style. Compared to many others, Ren Yunzong's outfit can be described as "simple." Everyone else is dressed in gorgeous attire and wielding weapons that are so ornate they don't even look like weapons.

Anyway, today, Ren Yunzong, this outsider Taoist priest, taught the people of the town a lesson: although the White Lotus Sect's sorcerers are powerful, they are not invincible or require military suppression. You can also succeed by going up close and using physical combat techniques.

Of course, the premise is that you must know close combat. Ren Yunzong himself has practiced swordsmanship. If you rush in without any strength, the White Lotus Sect mage will win in the end.

The apprentice who was turned into a pig was shocked. It turned out that his master was so easy to deal with. Why didn't he say so earlier? Why was he so timid before? This was just a matter of hitting him with a stick.

Seeing the overly human emotions in the pig's eyes, Ren Yunzong knew what the other party was thinking. However, after the confrontation, he already knew what this disciple had done in the past and why the sorcerer had turned him into a pig for slaughter.

You're not exactly a submissive kid either. You've already stolen your master's woman and had an affair with his concubine. What kind of submissive kid are you?

In conclusion, as expected of master and disciple, neither side is a good person. The biggest victim at present is probably the butcher who was almost labeled a murderer and used as a pawn by the sorcerer.

"The world is in turmoil. I wonder what my uncle might encounter while wandering around?"

Thinking of Ling Ziling, who had disappeared without a trace, Ren Yunzong felt helpless and could only hope that she wouldn't run into trouble like the White Lotus Sect.