This is what an immortal should be like

Chapter 233 Flowers are not flowers, trees are not trees
The three members of the Bureau of Extraordinary Investigations acted quite naturally, following the old Taoist priest into the only hall that looked somewhat old.

Calling it a palace is a bit of an exaggeration; it's more like an old-fashioned small house, no more than twenty square meters in size, and possibly even smaller than some people's bedrooms.

There were no grand statues inside the hall, just a portrait of the Three Pure Ones.

The three of them, being from the Imperial Observatory, knew more about the subject than the average worshipper. Instead of bowing with their hands clasped together before the portraits of the Three Pure Ones, they performed the Taoist Meridian and Noon Mantra, a scene that earned a slight nod of approval from the old Taoist priest Xu Ming standing to the side.

After the three of them had lit incense and performed their prayers, Master Xu Ming's gaze fell on Xiong Xuguang, and he spoke with a smile.

"The three of you just mentioned that you came because you heard it was miraculous. I suppose you have something to ask for. I will help you if I can. Please tell me!"

One of the three quickly spoke up.

"We just came to Liuyun Mountain for a visit. We heard that this Taoist temple is very efficacious, so we came to check it out. We don't really have any requests, just wishing for the health and well-being of our family!"

"Yes, we just happened to be passing by and came to take a look. We're very interested in ancient architecture!"

Master Xu Ming already knew the identities of the three men, and simply smiled.

"Very well then. But I suppose I've disappointed you three. Hmm, you three must be tired from climbing the mountain and thirsty. Please have some tea from our temple."

The three of them had already walked around the area once, and it was unlikely that this was some kind of sacred place for immortal cultivation, but this made them gradually relax.

Like a tourist who arrived by chance, he chatted and laughed with the old Taoist priest and drank the tea he brewed.

Moreover, the tea was sweet and thirst-quenching, which greatly reduced the fatigue of the three of them from their climb up the mountain.

The other Taoist priests in the temple also finished their meditation and came over from under the peach tree one after another, chatting and laughing with the three unexpected guests.

As it was getting closer to noon, several Taoist priests in the temple invited Xiong Xuguang and his two companions to stay for a simple meal. After some initial hesitation, the three accepted.

The so-called "simple meals" refer to the situation at Taiji Temple. The only meat dish was steamed egg with dried shrimp, and the rest was clear soup and vegetables.

Perhaps it was the relaxing atmosphere in the mountains, or perhaps the pleasant conversation with the Taoist priests, but the simple dishes made the three of them feel very comfortable and satisfied after eating. It was even better than going out for a big meal on a regular basis.

After lunch, Xiong Xuguang and his two companions prepared to take their leave. They were fairly certain that this was just an ordinary rural Taoist temple guarded by a few Taoist priests, with only one building that was quite old, and nothing else particularly special.

Immortal cultivators in our imaginations roam freely, drinking dew and consuming qi, their aura ethereal and otherworldly.

The Taoist priests at Taiji Temple need to cultivate their own vegetable gardens, eat simple meals, and also go down the mountain to take orders for religious ceremonies.

Of course, the Taoist priests of Taiji Temple are all good people. They live in the mountains under harsh conditions, but they are peaceful and content.

When they left, the three insisted on leaving one hundred yuan. Master Xu Ming couldn't refuse and accepted it. He then watched the three leave the temple and head out. But at that moment, the old master called them back.

"You three, please stay!"

Xiong Xuguang and his two companions, who had walked a dozen steps ahead, turned around and saw the old Taoist priest give an instruction to his disciple, who nodded and then left.

"Master, is there anything else you need?"

Xu Ming nodded and looked back, seeing the disciple quickly run back and hand him a small cloth bag.

The old Taoist priest walked out of the temple, approached the three people, and handed the pouch to Xiong Xuguang.

"I see that this young friend does not look well, probably because he has been feeling down and unable to sleep lately. This is a calming sachet. Keep it with you and place it by your pillow when you sleep to help calm your mind!"

Xiong Xuguang didn't refuse these items that looked like they were often sold by Taoist temples and monasteries.

"Thank you very much, Daoist Master. I will give it a try!"

After accepting the sachet, the three bowed again and then left under the watchful eyes of Master Xu Ming and the other Taoist priests.

As they walked, the surroundings seemed to become hot again, and the feeling of the Taoist temple seemed to be missing. However, the three of them did not pay attention to it at the moment. After all, walking on the mountain path would naturally be tiring. Weren't we quite tired when we came here?

"Sigh, although it's just an ordinary old temple, it's quite comfortable to stay here!"

"Yes, the Taoist priests are all very nice. It's just that the place is a bit dilapidated. There are ancient buildings that need protection, and Jingzhou should allocate some funds to repair them."

"That's none of our business. By the way, Brother Xiong, do you have any particular feelings?"

As Xiong Xuguang walked along, he examined the sachet in his hand. He replied "No" and brought the sachet close to his nose to smell it. It had a faint, sweet scent.

The sachet was completely sewn shut and couldn't be opened, so Xiong Xuguang put it in his coat pocket.

At the Taiji Temple, four Taoist priests watched from afar. Even though the three had just walked quite far away, they seemed to be able to see them clearly.

"Grandmaster, Master, Uncle-Master, these three must be the officials of the Imperial Observatory in this era, right?"

The youngest Taoist asked a question, but Xu Ming continued to look into the distance, while the other two glanced at him.

"The two men have a faint aura of officialdom about them, but the one surnamed Xiong exudes an aura of officialdom, clearly indicating a promising future in his career. And given the timing, who else could it be but someone from the Imperial Observatory?" The young Taoist priest laughed.

"It seems that the people of the Imperial Observatory are not much different from ordinary people; they still cannot see the wonders of spiritual energy and do not recognize the true face of the otherworld!"

Xu Ming then glanced at the young Taoist.

"You brat, you've only just entered the path of immortality, and you're already so smug about having achieved some results?"

"Uh, Grandmaster, I know I was wrong. It's just that I've just made a breakthrough, so it's understandable that I'm a little overjoyed."

The young Taoist certainly had reason to be proud and joyful, after all, he had finally begun to open his meridians and had the opportunity to go to the sacred ground of the immortal sect. Even with his cultivated mind and character since childhood, he could not help but be full of expectations.
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After some time, Xiong Xuguang and his group personally visited every Taoist temple in Jingzhou that was related to Taiji Yin Yang, and even those that were only remotely related.

These Taoist temples vary in style: some are dilapidated, some are new; some are antique, some are magnificent; some are bustling with worshippers, some are deserted; but none of them seem particularly special.

There were two or three Taoist temples that might have some historical significance and a good appearance. After Xiong Xuguang and others left, other members of the Bureau of Investigation secretly observed them for a long time.

The first month of the lunar calendar has passed, and the hope of finding that immortal sect from my memory in Jingzhou is now extremely slim.

Many people within the Bureau of Extraordinary Investigations also understood that the immortal sect that existed in Xiong Xuguang's past life memories had most likely disappeared into the annals of history.

In a hotel in Jingzhou, Xiong Xuguang is on the phone with his wife.

"Hmm, it's okay. This business trip is almost over. Right, I should be able to go home in the next day or two. Has anyone from the bureau been looking for you lately? Oh, that's good. If they do, just cooperate. It's alright, it's normal not to remember what you dream about. By the way, do you want me to bring you some local specialties from Jingzhou?"

On the other end of the phone, Mrs. Xiong sat by the window, smiling as she spoke into the receiver. Although her husband had been very busy lately, she felt that their relationship was as sweet as when they first fell in love.

"Forget it, there's nothing I want. You should get some rest. How have you been sleeping lately? Are you still having a lot of nightmares?"

Xiong Xuguang felt a warmth in his heart as he once again pictured his wife in ancient costume.

"Much better! You know what, I've been sleeping really well lately, and I'm dreaming less. By the way, honey, why don't you give this a try? I've had a period costume custom-made."

"Pah, you idiot, let's talk about this when I'm in a better mood."

His wife's voice came from the other end of the phone, and Xiong Xuguang could even imagine her blushing.

They chatted for a while longer before hanging up. Xiong Xuguang took a deep breath and prepared to sleep, but after lying down on the bed, he noticed the sachet on the hotel bedside table.

To be honest, Xiong Xuguang hadn't been carrying the sachet at all lately; it had just been sitting on his bedside table. The hotel room service probably considered it a personal item and didn't remove it.

Furthermore, Xiong Xuguang has indeed been sleeping very well recently, and his sleep quality is also high. The dark circles under his eyes caused by the poor rest during the dream-realization part of the previous period have faded, and he has even rarely experienced those mental illusions during the day recently.

Could it really be because of this sachet?
And after all these days, the fragrance doesn't seem to have faded much.
His wife hadn't mentioned it before, but once she did, Xiong Xuguang became interested. He sat on the bed, picked up the sachet, and began to examine it, though he couldn't tell anything from its appearance alone.

After thinking for a moment, Xiong Xuguang took out the multi-functional knife hanging on his keychain, flicked out the blade, and prepared to cut the sewing thread and open the sachet to take a look inside.

Just before taking action, Xiong Xuguang seemed to have thought of something. He actually got up again, opened the equipment box in the room, and set up a small camera. This equipment had not been used since it was brought to Jingzhou, so he decided to put it to good use this time.

Once everything was ready and the camera was on, Xiong Xuguang sat back down on the bed, used a knife to pry open the stitching of the sachet, and then pulled the thread on one side apart.

After untying the sachet, the fragrance seemed to be a little stronger. Xiong Xuguang looked inside and was slightly startled.

Inside the sachet was a folded talisman, and on top of the talisman was a peach blossom!
Moreover, the peach blossoms are so vibrant and fresh, they look as if they were just picked from the tree!

Are they fake flowers?
Xiong Xuguang subconsciously put two fingers into the sachet, but just as he was about to take them out, he immediately realized something, quickly moved closer to the camera, recorded the situation inside the sachet, and took the initiative to speak.

"This is a sachet that the Taoist priest from Taiji Temple gave me a while ago. There seems to be a peach blossom inside. It still looks very fresh after all this time. I wonder if it's a fake flower. Let me check it!"

After muttering to himself like this, Xiong Xuguang faced the camera, pinched a peach blossom between his fingers, and took it out. The fragrance, the touch, and the visual experience all told him that it was a real flower.

"These are real flowers! And they smell so good, it's getting stronger and stronger! Is this an illusion? No, it's not an illusion, they really are getting stronger and stronger!"

Xiong Xuguang said this with a look of surprise, but suddenly saw that the peach blossom in his hand seemed to be breaking, or rather, slowly dissipating like dust blown away by the wind.

"What's going on? What happened? Why are the flowers dissipating like powder? Did you record it? Also, it smells so good, so very good."

Xiong Xuguang's voice was filled with excitement and panic. He frantically tried to protect Tao Hua, clasping his hands together while glancing at the camera and seeing the indicator light on.

But when Xiong Xuguang let go and looked at his palm, the peach blossoms had completely disappeared, as if they had never existed.

Xiong Xuguang froze on the spot, then belatedly looked at the sachet beside him, took out the talisman, and then suddenly slapped his forehead.

"It was a talisman! The flower and the talisman separated, so the flower disappeared! How stupid of me—"

At the same time, many guests throughout the hotel inexplicably smelled a floral fragrance.
In Xiong Xuguang's room, he was extremely annoyed, but after a long while, he gradually came back to his senses and for some reason remembered a casual remark made by the old Taoist priest Xu Ming.

"Neither flower nor tree."

(End of this chapter)