Traveling Through Journey to the West: I Am the Dragon King

Early the next morning, Yun Chonghua arrived at the entrance of the Sanqing Temple, wanting to see what kind of Taoist he was.

He sat down at a tea stall not far from the Sanqing Temple, with a blade of grass in his mouth.

The area in front of the Sanqing Temple was quite lively, with many people coming early in the morning to burn incense, pray for blessings, and worship the Three Pure Ones.

Since Yun Chonghua began exorcising demons day and night these past few years, almost all the demons and monsters in the Jianghuai region have been wiped out.

The Taoist priests who were exorcising demons had no choice but to travel around to accumulate merit, and many Taoist temples were closed down.

Temples in various places mostly worship righteous gods such as the City God, the God of Wealth, the Old Man Under the Moon, the Kitchen God, and the Dragon King, and very few people "revere Taoism" and worship the Three Pure Ones.

The incense in front of the Sanqing Temple here is very strong, and the Taoist priest drawing talismans in front of us can be considered to have made great contributions.

Yun Chonghua deliberately pulled his straw hat down low, carefully observing the scene.

However, his act of concealing himself wasn't to protect himself from the Taoist priest, but rather to protect himself from the women around him.

Because of his handsome face, less than an hour after he left the inn, more than a dozen girls came to chat him up.

Even a young lady traveling in a bamboo sedan chair sent his maid to deliver a token to him, inviting him to meet her that evening.

Yun Chonghua couldn't help but sigh that sometimes being too good-looking can be a troublesome thing.

Of course, Yun Chonghua completely ignored the advances and entanglements of these mortal women.

Aside from the rules of heaven, their appearance was far inferior to that of the celestial fairies. They couldn't even compare to female demons.

Now he understands a little why the male immortals in heaven don't yearn for mortal life. Even if they do, they're usually looking for old lovers who are reincarnations of fairies.

Yun Chonghua sat at the tea stall for a long time, observing the Taoist priest.

This Taoist priest was tall and wore a yin-yang Taoist robe. His hair was tied in a Taoist bun, and he had a bushy beard. He looked to be around thirty years old and had a rather otherworldly and dignified appearance.

Although the Taoist priest appeared rugged, he was kind and spoke of boundless blessings and the Heavenly Venerable at every turn. He warmly received anyone who came to him seeking amulets for peace and safety.

Yun Chonghua originally thought he was a swindler who "raised bandits to enhance his own prestige" and took the opportunity to amass wealth.

Although he did not sit here for half a day without charging a penny, it was entirely based on the voluntary consent of those who requested the talisman.

He placed a water bowl on his table, and those who wished to make an offering could toss a few coins into it. However, it didn't matter if they didn't give anything; he would still draw talismans for them as usual.

Most of those who received the talisman went into the temple to pay homage to the Three Pure Ones. Whether or not incense was offered was irrelevant, and the temple keeper sincerely welcomed every believer and pilgrim who came to worship the Three Pure Ones.

The most interesting thing is this Taoist priest, who is not as responsive to every request as Huang Mei.

The Taoist priest had a good memory; once he had given someone a talisman, he would never give them a second time.

For example, someone sold the Taoist priest's talisman for a high price and then asked for it back. But the Taoist priest refused to give it to them again.

Even when the person made a fuss, he simply waved his hand. To those who unfortunately lost their talismans, he also waved his hand and said, "It's not meant to be."

Yun Chonghua observed him for a long time, but he really couldn't figure out what kind of person this was. In any case, he didn't seem like a swindler, nor did he seem like a monster.

Seeing that the number of people queuing for talismans had decreased, Yun Chonghua also went up to join them.

When it was his turn, the Taoist priest was taken aback when he saw his appearance.

Then the Taoist priest said, "Oh my! This young gentleman is truly handsome. Moreover, you possess an air of refined elegance, deeply imbued with the spirit of rivers and lakes. May I ask if you come from the riverbank?"

Upon hearing the Taoist priest's words, Yun Chonghua couldn't help but feel a chill on his neck.

Yun Chonghua replied, "Master, you are truly a divine being! I did indeed come by boat from Jiangdu. I have some important business to attend to at Wushan. However, I heard from an old man in the village that a man-eating monster has recently appeared in the mountains. I fear my life is in danger traveling alone. I humbly request that you bestow upon me a talisman to ensure my safety. I would be eternally grateful."

As he spoke, Yun Chonghua took out some money from his pocket and put it into the Taoist priest's water bowl.

Seeing this, the Taoist priest quickly drew the talisman with a flourish of his brush. He then folded it into a triangle and handed it to Yun Chonghua.

Yun Chonghua then bowed again, and the Taoist priest said "May you enjoy boundless blessings and longevity" before the two parted ways.

After Yun Chonghua left, the Taoist priest continued to draw talismans for other people who came seeking them.

Yun Chonghua looked back again, but saw nothing unusual about the Taoist priest. He was still dutifully receiving those who came to ask for talismans.

"Could it be that he really just happened to meet someone and then did some good deeds?"

Puzzled, Yun Chonghua took the talisman in his hand and quickly left the city.

Once they reached a secluded spot, Yun Chonghua rode auspicious clouds and went straight to the Jiangdu Dragon Palace.

Upon hearing from his attendants that Yun Chonghua had arrived, Qingbeilong hurriedly went out of the palace gates to greet him and brought Yun Chonghua into the palace.

The two settled down in the Dragon Palace, and the Green-Backed Dragon asked, "Has the Immortal subdued that demon?"

Yun Chonghua replied, "Not yet. After I arrived at Wushan yesterday, an old man in the village gave me some advice. He said that although the monsters in the mountains are rampant, there is a Taoist priest in the city who distributes protective talismans to everyone. I originally thought that the monsters in the mountains were related to that Taoist priest. After all, it is not uncommon for people to 'raise bandits to enhance their own power' and take the opportunity to make money. So I sneaked into the city to find out more about that Taoist priest."

The blue-backed dragon asked, "And what was the result?"

Yun Chonghua continued, "That Taoist priest set up a stall in front of the Sanqing Temple in the city, drawing talismans for those who sought them. Moreover, the donations were entirely voluntary. He didn't seem like a wicked Taoist priest who was taking advantage of the situation to make money."

As he spoke, Yun Chonghua took out the peace talisman drawn by the Taoist priest and handed it to the Green-backed Dragon.

Yun Chonghua said, "Although I am an immortal in heaven, I have little contact with the people under the Three Pure Ones. Can this talisman really ward off evil? Please take a look for me."

After taking the talisman, Qingbeilong unfolded it and examined it. He saw that the brushstrokes on it were vigorous and the incantations drawn were those of orthodox Taoist practices.

After reading it, the Green-Backed Dragon replied, "Immortal, this Taoist priest who cast the talisman is indeed quite skilled. The talisman he drew is indeed a Five Thunder Talisman for bringing good fortune and warding off evil, as well as for subduing demons and ghosts."

Yun Chonghua said, "So, that Taoist priest really is someone who relieves people's worries?"

The Green-Backed Dragon did not answer directly, but only said, "This little dragon can't see anything wrong with this talisman."

Yun Chonghua didn't say anything more in response to Qingbeilong's smooth answer.

Although he felt something was strange, and the coincidence was too much, he had no evidence at the moment, so he had no choice but to let it go for the time being.

After all, to speculate maliciously about someone who does good deeds is somewhat like judging a gentleman by one's own petty standards.

Yun Chonghua rested for half a day in the Azure-Backed Dragon's palace. After dark, he left the palace and went straight to the Wushan Mountains.

After descending from the clouds, he immediately concealed his celestial aura and then searched around for any clues.

The Wushan region spans over eight hundred li. Yun Chonghua, carrying his long sword, looked around, afraid that he might miss a monster.

He wandered along the mountain path for several hours when he suddenly heard a woman's cries for help: "Help! Is anyone there? Help me!"

Upon hearing the cries for help, Yun Chonghua immediately looked in the direction from which they came.

Not far away, a beautiful young woman of about sixteen was hanging from a tree branch.