The few individuals in Dragon Country capable of sealing his cultivation were only a handful. Even if he didn't say anything, the old Taoist priest would likely find out soon enough.
“It seems General Lin wishes for this old priest to unseal the acupoints on your body,” the Celestial Master stopped, observing Lin Xiao closely.
“If it’s possible, I would trouble the Celestial Master,” Lin Xiao said quickly.
The Celestial Master smiled, said nothing, and led Lin Xiao into a side hall, which also served as the Taoist temple’s reception area.
“General Lin, the acupoints on your body cannot be unsealed for now. Of course, if they could be, I would have unsealed them for you already, as this old priest prefers the defiant General Lin.” The Celestial Master spoke slowly.
As they spoke, two cups of tea were placed on the table.
“Is this… spirit tea?” Lin Xiao opened the cup and took a sip, immediately noticing the difference in the leaves. It was almost identical to the spirit tea from the Dragon Lord.
“Indeed. I send a jar to the Dragon Lord every year. He is most fond of it,” the old Taoist priest nodded.
“I knew it. How else would he have so much spirit tea? This is not a common item,” Lin Xiao asked after taking another sip, “Celestial Master, why can’t you unseal my acupoints for now?”
“Naturally, it is for your own good. You are a divine doctor; if you think about it carefully, you will understand. There is no need for this old priest to explain.” The Celestial Master looked at Lin Xiao.
Reminded by the Celestial Master, Lin Xiao finally realized the matter. He felt his own body carefully. The meridians within him were almost at a critical point, much like the Dragon Lord’s meridians had been. Without the corresponding medicinal treatment, it would take at least a few days of recuperation. At this time, if he used any spiritual energy, his meridians would likely explode instantly, leaving him half-dead. Sealing his acupoints to prevent his spiritual energy from circulating was, in fact, a good thing.
“Celestial Master, I don’t quite understand, is that place…” Lin Xiao stopped mid-sentence, noticing two young Taoist disciples in the room, and hesitated.
The Celestial Master waved his hand, and the two disciples tactfully left.
“General Lin wishes to ask if that is the main headquarters of the Shadow Assassins. It is indeed,” the Celestial Master nodded.
“Why didn’t he kill me?” Lin Xiao couldn’t comprehend the actions of that person, who had even sealed his acupoints, which turned out to be a form of salvation.
“I can only tell you this: if he had truly killed you, he would have died before you at the moment of your impending death, and you would have been unharmed,” the Celestial Master said.
“Why?”
“Heaven’s secrets are not to be revealed.”
The Celestial Master raised his teacup and said no more, which only made Lin Xiao more curious. Could someone be protecting him in secret? And if he couldn’t sense them, were they above the divine realm? Was he alive these past few years only because someone was protecting him? He suddenly felt a surge of things he wanted to know.
Since the Celestial Master had spoken this way, Lin Xiao didn’t press the matter further. He asked with greater curiosity, “Celestial Master, why were you in the imperial capital that day? Was that also a secret of heaven?”
“Ah, that matter.” The Celestial Master chuckled, “That was no heavenly secret. I was invited to preside over a Taoist cultural exchange conference in the imperial capital, so I went. When I encountered you that day, it was after my conference. I happened to divine that I would meet a very special junior, so I waited there.”
“Taoist cultural exchange… conference?” Lin Xiao blinked, feeling a bit confused. Were the people of the Celestial Masters’ Sect so in tune with the times?
“What, are you surprised? We not only have Taoist cultural exchanges but also Buddhist exchange conferences. These are commonplace, and both Buddhism and Taoism now participate. For example…” As the Celestial Master spoke, he fumbled in his robes and placed a certificate on the table. “Taoist priests nowadays are licensed practitioners. Without a license, they are not considered true Taoist priests.”
“There are licenses too?” Lin Xiao blinked, hearing this for the first time.
“Oh, and this. You must recognize this, right?” The Celestial Master produced another certificate. Good heavens, was this old Celestial Master also a People's Representative?
“I never imagined…” Lin Xiao felt his knowledge base was insufficient.
“This is one of the ways our Celestial Masters’ Sect connects with the modern world. If you hadn’t brought it up, I would have eventually explained to those in the inner realm that the world is no longer what it used to be. We need to connect with the world and practice in the secular world,” the Celestial Master said with some emotion. “Otherwise, if we remain insular, the heritage of our Dragon Country will be lost in these years.”
The loss of heritage was a very normal occurrence. Many sects, many clan families had been swept away and vanished in the torrent of time. The Celestial Master truly had the welfare of the nation at heart.
“General Lin, you can rest here at my Celestial Masters’ Sect for two days. This old priest can help you recuperate,” the Celestial Master suddenly said.
Lin Xiao was about to refuse when he saw the Celestial Master’s eyes. The meaning in those starlike eyes was clear. He could not refuse.
“Alright, then I shall trouble the Celestial Master,” Lin Xiao could only follow the Celestial Master’s lead. “However, Celestial Master, do you know if the Shadow Assassins have two different factions? The address was also given to me by someone from the Shadow, and their strength appeared to be beyond the divine realm.”
“This matter… since you have a guess, I can briefly explain it to you.” The Celestial Master appeared somewhat surprised by Lin Xiao’s statement. After a moment of thought, he began to explain to Lin Xiao: “The Shadow Assassins are actually two different… using your terminology, they are the collective name for two combined departments. They are divided into the Shadow and the Assassins, two distinct departments. The Shadow is primarily responsible for information gathering, the intelligence network, while the Assassins are the assassins.”
“I see,” Lin Xiao nodded. “Is it competition between the two departments?”
“Don’t overthink it, General Lin. You will naturally know about this in the future. For now, all you need to do is recuperate your body well. Then, one day, when your cultivation advances further, you will naturally have the ability to cause trouble for the Shadow Assassins.”
The Celestial Master seemed to have become more talkative and sociable after connecting with the secular world. Lin Xiao didn’t even feel any generation gap between the Celestial Master and the young people in the secular world. Most importantly, the Celestial Master was quite knowledgeable about cutting-edge culture, which surprised Lin Xiao even more.
“This Taoist temple of mine has gigabit fiber optic internet everywhere. I surf the web every day, General Lin, so don’t underestimate me.”