Taoist Myth: I am the last true immortal in the world

Chapter 849 The God of Wealth of the Southern Road, Lord Chai

After Zhao Kuangyin was recruited by Guo Rong, his status rose rapidly.

Everyone knows that Guo Wei currently has no direct blood relatives or nephews, making it highly likely that Guo Rong will inherit the throne.

In short, as long as Guo Wei does not have any more sons, the position of the second emperor of the Later Zhou Dynasty will basically belong to Guo Rong.

Knowing this, many people wanted to join Guo Rong's cause.

Unfortunately, Guo Rong didn't accept just anyone, so naturally very few people were able to join his ranks.

Now that Zhao Kuangyin has been personally recruited by Guo Rong to Guo Wei's command, it has immediately attracted the attention of many people.

As a result, many people gradually came to contact Zhao Kuangyin.

These people may have had ulterior motives at first, but some of them were immediately won over by Zhao Kuangyin's personal charm after formal contact and became true friends.

For example, Yang Guangyi, Shi Shouxin, Li Jixun, Wang Shenqi, Liu Qingyi, Liu Shouzhong, Liu Tingrang, Han Chongyun, Wang Zhengzhong, and others.

This group of people spent their days drinking and chatting, and their relationship gradually warmed up.

These people were the ten brothers of the Righteous Society who later became widely known.

Of course, they haven't sworn an oath of brotherhood yet, they just get together often.

Sure enough, three or five of them got together again today to discuss where to go for drinks.

At the entrance of the military camp, Shi Shouxin looked at Zhao Kuangyin and asked, "Want to go to your house for a drink?"

“Okay…no.” Zhao Kuangyin immediately rejected the idea, saying, “It’s not convenient at my home.”

Li Jixun said half-jokingly, "Kuangyin, are you perhaps afraid of your wife, worried that we'll be scolded by her if we go drinking with her?"

"Haha."

"He's definitely afraid of his wife."

"Otherwise, why won't you let us through?"

Yang Guangyi, Liu Qingyi, Wang Shenqi, and others burst into laughter.

“My wife is well-educated and comes from a respectable family. How could she be a shrew?” Zhao Kuangyin explained, “My childhood tutor is currently in the mansion. He is always very strict with me. If he finds out that I am drinking and making merry with you, I am afraid he will blame me. Therefore, we should go somewhere else.”

Wang Shenqi sneered, "You're so afraid of the scholar from your childhood? I don't believe it. You must be afraid of your wife."

Zhao Kuangyin rolled his eyes and said, "You're afraid of Chen Xuejiu too."

Upon hearing this name, Wang Shenqi seemed to have his memories awakened, and his expression changed instantly.

He once studied at Chen Yun's school, just like Zhao Kuangyin. How could he not be afraid?
Although Wang Shenqi was indeed quite afraid of Chen Xuejiu, how could he show any fear of his childhood friend when everyone was staring at him?

He pretended to be nonchalant and said, "I'm not afraid of Scholar Chen at all. Back when I was studying at his school, he was probably in his twenties or thirties. Now, more than twenty years have passed, and he's probably already in his fifties. I'm in my prime, so why should I be afraid of him?"

Zhao Kuangyin said with a half-smile, "Is that so? When you have time, come home with me to meet Scholar Chen, and let's see if you still dare to say that."

Wang Shenqi said defiantly, "I'm not afraid, even if Chen Xuejiu is right in front of me, I still say the same thing."

Li Jixun laughed and said, "Brother Zhao, the Wang brothers are indeed not afraid. You are afraid, and you want to drag others down with you? In my opinion, this is clearly an excuse for being afraid of your wife. No way, we brothers will not give up until we see you make a fool of yourself. We will go to your house today and see what kind of tricks your wife has to make you so afraid."

Zhao Kuangyin complained, "I'm not afraid of my wife, it's just that Chen Xuejiu is here."

A group of people were still making a fuss over there.

Which man would admit to being afraid of his wife?

Moreover, if Zhao Kuangyin truly wasn't afraid of his wife, it would be even less likely that he would admit it.

Finally, he got a little impatient with the commotion and said, "You can come to my house for drinks, but I'm making it clear beforehand that I won't be drinking because of Chen Xuejiu. You can all just drink and have fun."

At this point, he glared fiercely at Wang Shenqi, "You scoundrel, let's see if you dare to say no to Chen Xuejiu like you did just now."

Wang Shenqi was surprised that Zhao Kuangyin actually agreed to take everyone home. When he thought about meeting Chen Xuejiu, he instinctively shrank back. But then he thought, Chen Xuejiu is at least forty or fifty years old now, and he is strong and healthy. Why should he be afraid of that old geezer?

……

Zhao Mansion.

While teaching Zhao Kuangyi knowledge, Chen Yun also communicated with Wang E through telepathy.

Wang E transmitted his voice from a thousand miles away: "My lord, we have encountered some trouble in building the City God Temple."

Chen Yun asked, "What trouble is it?"

Wang E frowned and said, “In some places, the local government is not very strict in its enforcement. If there were city god temples, we could take them in. However, most places do not have city god temples, and building a temple requires the approval of the imperial court. Otherwise, it is considered an unorthodox worship. This matter cannot be done without the permission of the imperial court. It is very difficult for me to handle this.”

Although the belief in the City God originated in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, it has never been an official worship, so it belongs to the category of "wild gods".

In fact, the City God was not officially included in official worship until the Northern Song Dynasty.

Therefore, without the support of the mortal court, it is difficult to establish a City God Temple.

Even as a Taoist emperor, Chen Yun could not easily interfere in mortal affairs.

However, the City God Temple had to be built, since it was a great power that Laozi "rewarded" him with.

As the "boss" of the City God, how could Chen Yun allow his subordinates to not even have a temple?
After a moment's thought, he immediately came up with an idea and replied telepathically, "Don't rush. Come to Bianjing and I will write you a letter. When you arrive, go to the Prince of Jin's residence to pay him a visit, and he will persuade the Emperor."

Wang E said, "Yes."

Chen Yun then ended his conversation with Wang E.

He temporarily stopped teaching Zhao Kuangyi, picked up a pen, ink, paper and inkstone from the side, and began to write a letter.

Zhao Kuangyi knew that Chen Yun had something to do, so he immediately quieted down.

He looked at the characters written by Chen Yun and saw that each character was not only vigorous and powerful, but also gave people a sense of profound mystery.

It was as if he was not looking at words, but at the vibrant life of all living things.

Chen Yun explained the cause and effect in the letter.

Finally, he made a promise at the end: "I have nothing to repay you with but to ensure that after the King of Jin is a hundred years old, he will not fall into the cycle of reincarnation. If the time is right, I will also help you obtain an official position in the Heavenly Court."

The last sentence was added by Chen Yun on the spur of the moment when he thought of something.

He remembered that in mythology, Chai Rong became a god after his death, and was one of the Five Gods of Wealth, namely the Southern God of Wealth, Lord Chai.

Chen Yun had this in mind, which is why he added this sentence.

Unexpectedly, when he finished writing this line, it seemed that the heavens responded, causing the line on the paper to glow with a faint golden light, as if acknowledging his promise.

Chen Yun sensed the change in the Heavenly Dao, otherwise he would have smiled and shaken his head.

He knew that with his promise, Chai Rong would almost certainly become the God of Wealth of the Southern Route, Lord Chai, after his death.

He found it both funny and absurd, never expecting that the birth of the famous Southern God of Wealth, Lord Chai, would actually be related to him.

Zhao Kuangyi, who was standing nearby, also noticed the strange phenomenon, but he did not know that it was the approval of Heaven and thought that Chen Yun had used a great magic.

After signing his name, Chen Yun folded the letter and then stuffed it into the envelope.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. "My lord, Wang E has come to see you."

Chen Yun remained seated at his desk without moving. "Come in."

Wang E said, "Yes."

Zhao Kuangyi was taken aback, not knowing who had come over.

He cast a curious glance toward the door.

The next moment, the door was pushed open from the outside, and Wang E stepped over the threshold and walked in.

As soon as he entered, he respectfully greeted, "My lord."

Chen Yun handed over the letter and said, "Go to the Prince of Jin's residence and pay him a visit. Tell him that I sent you."

Wang E said, "I will obey Your Majesty's decree." After saying this, he took a few steps back before turning and leaving the study.

Wang E was different from the disciples of Huang Ting Temple. He was not a disciple of Chen Yun, but a subordinate deity of the Feng Lei Da Xian Temple. Therefore, he always addressed Chen Yun as "Lord" rather than "Teacher".

Although Zhao Kuangyi was very curious about who Wang E was, he was very polite and did not ask.

Chen Yun could tell the other person was very curious, so he casually said, "His name is Wang E, and he is from Shen."

Zhao Kuangyi, who was very interested in gods and monsters, asked, "Scholar, do you have many gods in your temple?"

Chen Yun said, "There aren't many right now, only three thousand divine soldiers and generals, and a dozen or so subordinate gods. Once the city god temples are built in various places, even a million Yin soldiers and generals would be considered a small number."

Zhao Kuangyi was greatly surprised and said, "Does the school really have so many followers?"

Chen Yun laughed and said, "The ghost soldiers and generals don't need any food or provisions, so a million or even tens of millions is not uncommon. But if you want to become an official in the future, you won't be able to support your subordinates if you don't have enough money and food. Alright, let's continue the lesson."

Zhao Kuangyi immediately put aside his distracting thoughts and began to study with utmost seriousness.

……

The day gradually came to an end.

As evening approached, bursts of laughter drifted in through the main gate.

Immediately afterwards, Zhao Kuangyin, Li Jixun, Shi Shouxin, Wang Shenqi, and others entered the mansion amidst laughter and cheerful conversation.

The group was carrying food and drinks, seemingly ready to enjoy themselves.

As soon as Zhao Kuangyin returned, he immediately saw Chen Yun and Zhao Kuangyi chatting not far from the gate.

He was so frightened that he immediately shut his mouth, no longer daring to make any jokes. "Brothers, wait a moment, I'll go and pay my respects to Scholar Chen."

"good."

"The Zhao brothers respect their teachers and value the Way, which is a good thing."

Li Jixun, Shi Shouxin, Liu Qingyi, and others all understood.

Despite saying that, their eyes darted around, trying to see what the old scholar, whom Zhao Kuangyin described as incredibly terrifying, actually looked like.

Unfortunately, Li Jixun, Shi Shouxin, Liu Qingyi, and others did not find the old scholar.

They only saw a young Taoist priest in his twenties chatting with Zhao Kuangyin's younger brother, Zhao Kuangyi.

Li Jixun, Shi Shouxin, Liu Qingyi, and others had previously heard Wang Shenqi say that Chen Xuejiu was probably in his forties or fifties, so they never connected the young Taoist priest in front of them with the old scholar.

Don't tell me that people who have never met Chen Xuejiu didn't make the connection.

Even though Wang Shenqi only glanced at Chen Yun briefly, he didn't mistake him for Chen Xuejiu.

Or perhaps Wang Shenqi didn't even look closely at Chen Yun's face.

He only noticed a young Taoist priest and then stopped paying attention.

After all, in his memory, Chen Xuejiu was about fifty years old, how could he be so young?

Zhao Kuangyin was about to walk towards Chen Yun and Zhao Kuangyi, but after taking a step, he seemed to remember something and said to Wang Shenqi, "You haven't seen the scholar for twenty years, so come with me."

Although Wang Shenqi was quite afraid of Chen Xuejiu, he still respected his teacher and hurriedly said, "Okay."

He quickly straightened his clothes before following behind Zhao Kuangyin and asking, "Where is Chen Xuejiu?"

Li Jixun, Shi Shouxin, Liu Qingyi, and others who were standing still also pricked up their ears upon hearing this.

They are really interested in Chen Xuejiu.

Or perhaps they wanted to verify whether Zhao Kuangyin was truly afraid of Chen Xuejiu, or simply henpecked.

Zhao Kuangyin pointed forward and said, "Look, isn't that Chen Xuejiu talking to my brother right now?"

"what?"

"Is he Chen Xuejiu?"

"Isn't he in his forties or fifties? He looks so young!"

Li Jixun, Shi Shouxin, Liu Qingyi, and the others were all slightly taken aback.

Not to mention this group of people, even Wang Shenqi was stunned for a moment, and then carefully examined the young Taoist in front of him.

It's better not to look at it closely.

Upon closer inspection, Wang Shenqi's "childhood memories" flooded back!

Although a decade or two has passed, Chen Xuejiu's extraordinary demeanor and appearance are deeply imprinted in his mind; how could he possibly forget them?
It looks just like Chen Xuejiu!
The young Taoist priest before me really looks like Chen Xuejiu!

Wang Shenqi was greatly alarmed.

He really couldn't believe it. Twenty years had passed, and Chen Xuejiu not only didn't look as old as someone in their forties or fifties, but he seemed even younger than he did in his childhood.

This puzzled Wang Shenqi. Could it be that the person in front of him was not Chen Xuejiu, but Chen Xuejiu's son, and Zhao Kuangyin was deliberately teasing him?

Just as he had this thought, Chen Yun looked at everyone and smiled, saying, "Wang Shenqi, it's been twenty years. Do you still remember your teacher?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Shenqi immediately confirmed that the person in front of him was indeed Chen Xuejiu, and not Chen Xuejiu's son as he had thought.

He quickly stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said, "This student greets the scholar."

At this moment, Zhao Kuangyin also stepped forward and greeted him, "Scholar."

what?
Is this young Taoist priest really Chen Xuejiu?
Li Jixun, Shi Shouxin, Liu Qingyi, and the others were also slightly surprised, exchanging incredulous glances, each seeing disbelief in their own eyes.

Chen Yun nodded to Zhao Kuangyin, then looked at Wang Shenqi and asked, "Have you forgotten the martial arts and military strategies I taught you back then?"

Wang Shenqi hurriedly replied, "I dare not forget you. My martial arts skills have now reached a high level, and I have also gained some insights into military strategy."

Chen Yun nodded and said, "I will test you again another day. Today, go and have some fun with your friends. Remember, drink in moderation and don't overindulge."

Wang Shenqi said respectfully, "This student will follow the teachings of the scholar."

At this point, he asked with some doubt, "Scholar, when I was still a child, you looked so young. You must have been in your twenties or thirties then. Why do you still look so young now?"

Chen Yun smiled and said, "I was not just twenty or thirty years old at the time, but over sixty. My Taoist cultivation has reached a high level, so I can naturally maintain my youth and live as long as heaven and earth. Not to mention not aging for ten or twenty years, even if it were another 108,000 years, I would not age in the slightest."

Well, he was being modest in his words.

Chen Yun's lifespan is not merely that of heaven and earth, but rather that he is practically immortal.

Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Kuangyi, however, remained calm.

They knew Chen Yun's true identity: he was a Taoist emperor, one of the rulers of heaven and earth.

What's so strange about the ruler of heaven and earth being eternally youthful and living as long as heaven and earth?
However, whether it was Li Jixun, Shi Shouxin, Liu Qingyi, and others who were meeting Chen Yun for the first time, or Wang Shenqi, who had known Chen Yun for a long time, they all seemed quite surprised when they heard Chen Yun's self-introduction.

Li Jixun, Shi Shouxin, Liu Qingyi, and others never expected that the seemingly young Chen Xuejiu was actually over eighty years old.

This made them immediately realize that Chen Yun was very likely a true immortal in Taoism who could control heaven and earth and grasp yin and yang, which was why he could maintain his youth and live as long as heaven and earth.

These people were somewhat surprised when they first met Chen Yun, but since they didn't have a direct understanding of him, their surprise was limited.

Wang Shenqi is different.

He had known Chen Yun for a long time.

I know that the other person really did look just like this one or two decades ago.

He thought Chen Yun was in his twenties or thirties, but he didn't expect that Chen Yun was already over sixty.

Now he is over eighty years old, but he still looks so young.

This greatly shocked Wang Shenqi, Chen Yun's former student.

Only today did he realize that the person he had followed and learned from was not an ordinary person, but a saint who played among humans!
(End of this chapter)