Chapter 521: Chapter 513: Someone is Picking a Fight, Come Quick
Master Chi Yuan was meditating when he heard from Qing Yuan, who came to report that two disciples from Jinhua Temple in Shengjing had come seeking an audience for a matter.
"Jinhua Temple?" Master Chi Yuan opened his eyes, flicked his horsetail whisk, and said, "Bring them here."
Xuan Qingzi and his junior sister Yao Feifei came to Master Chi Yuan’s Daoist School. Seeing him holding a horsetail whisk and standing inside the room, they respectfully entered, with hands clasped in front, and performed a Taoist ceremony, "Junior Xuan Qingzi, a disciple under Master Tai Cheng from Jinhua Temple, together with junior sister Qingling, pays respects to senior Chi Yuan."
Yao Feifei followed with a curtsy, her gaze falling on the hem of Master Chi Yuan’s robe where Taoist runes were embroidered. She could not discern what they were, but she noticed the robe looked rather old, lacking the imposing aura of her master’s.
Master Chi Yuan smiled, flicked his horsetail whisk, and gestured towards a cushion, "The disciples of Jinhua Temple are indeed outstanding. I have not seen Master Tai Cheng for many years, I wonder how his health fares."
Xuan Qingzi took a seat, nodding in thanks to the Daoist boy who offered him some clear tea, and replied, "My master is vigorous and stout. After a two-year retreat, his cultivation has advanced further. He has now reached Great Perfection in Qi Cultivation and successfully achieved Foundation Establishment."
He could not hide his pride and contentment when mentioning Foundation Establishment. For cultivators, successful Foundation Establishment would grant a lifespan of two hundred years and the ability to revert to youth.
If one were to advance further, forming a Golden Core, the lifespan could reach five hundred years, not to mention eternal youth. That would amount to immortality as mortals speak of it.
After all, a mortal’s life span is hardly a hundred years at most.
Master Chi Yuan sighed, "In the scarcity of spiritual energy in Da Feng, being able to successfully establish a foundation smoothly is a testament to Master Tai Cheng’s profound knowledge of Taoism. It is indeed a joyous occasion."
With this, when we come together to beat the Evil Buddha, we will have another strong ally. A good thing indeed.
Yao Feifei, sitting on her cushion with childlike innocence, asked, "Senior’s demeanor is ethereal, surely you have already established your foundation?"
Master Chi Yuan was taken aback.
Xuan Qingzi softly scolded, "Junior sister, do not be impolite. Apologize to the senior at once."
Yao Feifei shrank her neck and said, "I’m sorry, senior. Please forgive my rudeness."
Xuan Qingzi also said, "My junior sister takes advantage of the affection of our master and fellow brothers. Naive and blunt, she lacks tact. Please, senior, forgive her."
Master Chi Yuan waved his hand and said, "No harm done, a lively young lady is good. Like my disciple, spending all her days in cultivation and studying the Five Skills, not having any liveliness of her age at all. As for me, I fear I have no chance of establishing a foundation. It will be up to you youngsters to support the Mystic Sect in the future."
Xuan Qingzi replied, "Senior must not belittle yourself. My master also mentioned that senior Chi Yuan is close to achieving Foundation Establishment. It’s only that your opportunity has not yet arrived. Once it does, you will surely establish the foundation smoothly."
"These matters are up to fate. With Master Tai Cheng’s successful Foundation Establishment, he will surely be able to make great contributions to all living things, exterminate evil, and defend the Dao, accumulating great virtue," sighed Master Chi Yuan.
Xuan Qingzi sat up straight, his face full of righteousness, and said, "That is natural. We, Jinhua Temple, inherit the Zhengyi Sect lineage and place exterminating evil and defending the Dao as our highest duty."
Master Chi Yuan thought to himself that he dreaded their shirking responsibility, but for now, set them up for the task at hand.
"Speaking of exterminating evil and defending the Dao, my junior sister and I have come precisely for this matter. In the past year, while we were traveling, we discovered an Evil Ghost harming people in Zhou County. It had already harmed a family of five, sparing not even a three-year-old child, extremely vicious. After we discovered it, we almost scattered its soul. However, the Evil Ghost took the opportunity to devour the souls of that family, enhancing its Soul Power to cling to life, and fled all the way to the outskirts of Li City where it vanished."
Master Chi Yuan frowned, "Is there such a matter?"
"Yes," Xuan Qingzi said solemnly, "the Evil Ghost’s soul has the Soul Chasing Bell Seal from our Jinhua Temple inscribed on it. We have been tracking it this far by relying on that seal. It’s infuriating that my mana is still not enough, and now I can’t even locate it."
Yao Feifei offered words of comfort: "Eldest senior brother, don’t belittle yourself. You’ve managed to follow the seal for so long. If you can’t track it now, it must be because the Evil Ghost has once again surpassed us in ghost power, making it impossible to track."
Xuan Qingzi’s expression eased slightly as he spoke to Master Chi Yuan, "This is our suspicion, too. We think the Evil Ghost has devoured other Wandering Ghosts or even absorbed living souls to enhance its ghost power, and thus it has shaken off the Soul Chasing Bell Seal. Elder, if we don’t capture this Evil Ghost, it will surely bring misfortune upon all living things, and more innocent people will suffer its harm."
Master Chi Yuan said in a deep voice, "If that’s the case, it is indeed a big trouble."
"That’s why we’ve taken the liberty to come here. Firstly, we seek temporary residence at your esteemed Temple, and secondly, we also request your Temple’s assistance to find this Evil Ghost and prevent it from harming others."
They meant to have Qingping Temple work for free.
Master Chi Yuan remained unfazed and said, "All Mystic Sects are one family; there’s no reason for us to refuse your request to stay. You may take shelter in Qingping Temple for now. If you have spare time, conducting a lecture here would also be a blessing for the people of Li City."
A lecture?
Xuan Qingzi was stunned.
Yao Feifei was somewhat displeased. Were they being asked to lecture in exchange for their stay?
Xuan Qingzi, however, didn’t mind. Lecturing was no issue for him, but the most important thing was still the Evil Ghost. The longer it was left free, the more dangerous it became.
"Thank you for your esteem, Elder. It would be my honour to lecture for the people. My only concern is the Evil Ghost; I fear it might continue its malevolence. What do you think about this...?"
Master Chi Yuan signified his understanding and said, "You have been pursuing relentlessly and must be weary. Why don’t you rest for now, and later we shall try Summoning Soul or other methods to seek its trail?"
Hearing this, Xuan Qingzi could not insist further and accepted the suggestion. He then followed the Daoist attendant to the guest quarters for visiting dignitaries.
After they left, Master Chi Yuan immediately took talisman paper and a brush, wrote a note, folded it into a Paper Crane, and cast a spell, "Go find your little ancestor."
The Paper Crane fluttered its wings and flew out of the room, heading toward Li City.
Qin Liuxi had just finished performing acupuncture on Yue Ding, noting that his limbs were reacting more and more noticeably and becoming more agile. She said, "Same old advice: more activity will aid your recovery. You can also try standing up; don’t force it if you can’t manage now. In a few days, you should be able to stand."
She also handed over a bottle of elixir, "This is the Youthful Pill. I also concocted this for the old Marquis to treat atrophy. It helps strengthen the body and bones; one a day will suffice."
Yue Ding nodded.
Qin Liuxi put away her needles and turned around to see a Paper Crane folded from a talisman paper flying in and landing on her shoulder, even pecking at her arm.
"Can paper... Paper Cranes fly?" Leshui stared, dumbfounded.
Yue Ding thought to himself, having seen ghosts, what else could be considered odd or miraculous?
Qin Liuxi unfolded the Paper Crane, on which was written the old man’s handwriting: Someone’s causing trouble here, come quickly.