This is what an immortal should be like

Chapter 236 Chance Encounter
Strictly speaking, even without the matter of the Bureau of Extraordinary Investigations, Master Qingping would still need to take on disciples.

Or rather, recruiting disciples was a pre-existing plan of Taiji Temple. Even without the subsequent events and the script involving Zhuang Lin and Zhou Xianglin, recruiting disciples of the immortal path was still necessary.

However, this is naturally a crucial opportunity for the Bureau of Extraordinary Investigations.

On the one hand, a few people, such as Xiong Xuguang, who had become relatively familiar with the Taoist priests of Taiji Temple, still frequently visited Taiji Temple in a manner similar to volunteers.

The number of people remains fixed at the same level and will not change.

Furthermore, since Taiji Temple already knew that these people were not ordinary citizens, they simply promoted a list of religious sites for the restoration of ancient buildings in JZ City and added Taiji Temple's name to it.

In this way, a sum of money was approved without any problems, and Xiong Xuguang and others became civil servants who conducted preliminary research and investigation, as well as workers who provided counterpart assistance.

Whether the old Taoist priest of Taiji Temple believes it or not, the relevant documents from JZ City have been issued, and things are not necessarily a bad thing. However, we still need to see the opinions of the Taoist priests at Taiji Temple.

On this day, Xiong Xuguang and a colleague went to Taiji Temple again, carrying relevant documents from the JZ City Cultural Bureau.

It's better to be honest about some things than to hide them, such as when it comes to showing goodwill; sometimes it's better to be more obvious.

However, when the two arrived, there was no one in the Taoist temple that day. They weren't in a hurry, so they went into the kitchen to boil water and make tea, and then sat at the table outside the kitchen while drinking tea and waiting.

The cicadas chirped incessantly in the mountains, but this summer, I never felt particularly hot whenever I visited Tai Chi Temple.

In the afternoon, Master Xu Ming returned with his disciples and grand-disciples. When they arrived, Xiong Xuguang and his companion quickly got up to greet them.

"Master, you're back? This is the list of ancient buildings under renovation from the Municipal Bureau of Culture, and Taiji Temple is on it. We came here specifically to tell you this good news!"

When the three Taoist priests returned, they were carrying many artifacts and banners, clearly indicating that they had just come back from performing rituals down the mountain.

At this moment, Du Jinxuan walked quickly closer and looked at the document in Xiong Xuguang's hand. Sure enough, he saw the name Taiji Temple and the approved funding column showed five million.

"Wow! That's a lot of money, Master! We couldn't earn that much even after decades of performing religious ceremonies!"

Master Xu Ming walked over with a smile, and Xiong Xuguang's friends went over to help move the banners and boxes. Master Xu Ming did not refuse and then walked to the table with a smile.

"Renovation? That's a good thing, but we've all forgotten what Taiji Temple used to be like."

Wen Wentao, the Taoist priest from Qingyun, came in carrying his load and said with a smile.

"Whatever, having a few houses to shelter us from the wind and rain is fine. But, we shouldn't accept something for nothing. Our Taiji Temple is just a small, insignificant place. Why did the people from the JZ City government suddenly remember us?"

As he spoke, Qingyun Daoist glanced at Xiong Xuguang.

"I'm afraid you young friends also secretly pulled some strings, didn't you?"

Master Xu Ming stroked his beard and nodded, speaking to Xiong Xuguang and the others with a mix of seriousness and sarcasm.

"I know that you are officials, and your families must have some connections. However, it is better to use them for the right purposes. There is no need to make a big fuss over our little Taoist temple."

Xiong Xuguang and his friend exchanged a glance, probably understanding that the Taoist priest thought they had used personal connections to get the Taiji Temple to open the back door.

This also made the two realize that although the old Taoist priest was capable, he might not actually know everything, which also confirmed the deduction within the Bureau of Extraordinary Investigations.

"Alas, Daoist, you are mistaken. Taiji Temple has a long history, and the Daoists of that time also made contributions. In fact, it should have been on the list of those who helped with the renovation long ago!"

"That's right. In reality, Tai Chi Temple was squeezed out by other places that got in through connections. All we had was the elders saying a few words to help Tai Chi Temple get the recognition it deserved!"

Xiong Xuguang and his friend echoed the old Taoist priest's words, saying that what he said wasn't actually a lie.

In fact, Tai Chi Temple is definitely among the top in terms of both its historical and cultural heritage and its contributions to national salvation and resistance during the war.

Du Jinxuan also joked with a grin.

"Master, let's not postpone it. It's better if the food looks better here, so that if Uncle receives Junior Brother, he won't be scared away again!"

"You brat, how dare you talk nonsense about your martial uncle?"

Qingyun Daoist was tidying up the banners when he casually swept the flagpole across the room, aiming it at the young Daoist's head. The latter covered his head and immediately sat down on the table, dodging the flagpole while repeatedly shouting, "No, no!"

Master Qingyun also loves his disciple very much. He has a sharp tongue but a righteous heart, and his talent has even been recognized by his teacher. He doesn't really want to hit him; he just laughs and scolds him a few times before going back to his work.

Xiong Xuguang and his friends watched from the sidelines, grinning from ear to ear. Even though they had a mission to complete, the atmosphere at Tai Chi Temple always made them feel relaxed.

At this moment, Xiong Xuguang hurriedly picked up the teapot and poured tea for the young Taoist priest who had already opened the teacup, and took the opportunity to ask the question he was concerned about.

"By the way, Master Du, Master Qingping has been gone for over a month. How is he doing?"

"Yes, didn't Master Qingping get an old cell phone before she left?" A friend next to her quickly asked.

Upon hearing this, the young Taoist priest couldn't help but sigh.

"Sigh, don't even mention it. I called my uncle from the convenience store when I got back, but his phone was switched off. I don't know if it was out of battery or credit. But judging from what my master said, my uncle probably ran into a wall and will likely return empty-handed."

Xiong Xuguang and his friend exchanged a glance. They couldn't get through.
What were those colleagues doing outside? How could they let the Taoist priest's phone run out of battery and credit? Weren't they supposed to be creating opportunities at all costs?

"Uh, Master Xu knew even before the call went through?"

Xiong Xuguang asked another question, but the young Taoist priest just chuckled and drank his tea without answering.
-
In the Jiujiang area, a member of the Special Investigation Bureau was anxiously making a phone call to the head of their action team.

"Any news from the others? I've lost them again! Hey, please don't yell at me yet. I've been through this before. Master Qingping is no ordinary person. Sometimes you're following her normally, but if you're not paying attention for a moment, she's already far away when you try to find her again."

"Yes, yes, I'll try my best to overcome the difficulties. Oh wait, I've spotted the Taoist priest. I'll hang up now."

The person speaking ignored the voice on the other end of the phone, quickly hung up, and hurried away. It turned out that without anyone noticing, Master Qingping had already boarded a ferry.

Basically, Qingping Daoren was traveling along the Yangtze River, and this ferry was going to the other side.

The investigators took out their binoculars and looked at the ferry, only to see the old Taoist priest chatting with several high school students on the boat. This scene was recorded, and they even interpreted his lips from a distance.

On the ferry, when Qingping Daoist saw the students, especially the one in the middle, his eyes lit up. The person's aura was faintly bright, indicating that he was no ordinary person, so he couldn't help but step forward.

The students were leaning on the ferry railing, looking at the river view, when they suddenly saw a Taoist priest in old clothes with a cloth bag slung across his shoulder coming up, and they all turned to him.

One of them even reached into his pocket and pulled out coins of one or two jiao, five mao, and one yuan.

This scene startled Qingping Daoist. It turned out that he was being treated like a beggar. As a Daoist, he had no habit of begging for alms.

“Young friends, I am You Suzhen, also known as Qingping. I am not here to ask for anything, but I have noticed that you all look quite well and would like to have a chat!”

As they spoke, Daoist Qingping bowed.

The students looked at each other in bewilderment. However, the one whose fate was clearly extraordinary actually returned the Taoist's greeting with a perfectly standard bow, his movements completely natural and without any trace of affectation.

"May I ask this Taoist priest if he has something he wishes to ask?"

The way the student was speaking was clearly not like that of a typical high school student, even surprising his classmates.

Qingping Daoist was also delighted and couldn't help but ask a question directly.

"I observe that this young friend possesses extraordinary potential; a glimmer of light shines above his brow. If he were to embark on the path of cultivation, he would surely achieve great things in the future."

The student was stunned, and so were his classmates, before they all burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha, Chunming, does he want you to become a Taoist priest?"

"Hahahaha, this is hilarious! That Taoist priest, Chunming's family is very rich. You yourself are in such a state, do you really expect him to become a monk and suffer with you?"

"Master, I am but a student, still with studies to complete and parents to support. I fear it is difficult for me to live a carefree life. Thank you for your kind offer!"

"Hahahaha, Chunming, you're still pretending!" "Having good grades in Chinese is really impressive."

A group of high school students were making a ruckus. Master Qingping looked at the student, who showed no sign of mockery and appeared quite polite. However, when he said those words, he already knew in his heart that he and the student had no master-disciple relationship. Even though he knew this, he still wanted to try.

"Actually, spiritual practice isn't that strict. It doesn't necessarily require staying in a monastery for ascetic training, nor does it require giving up studies. You can still support your parents and even get married and have children."

Although our Tai Chi Temple is austere, it doesn't actually have that many rules; it's not like we're going there to become monks.
However, it was clear that no matter what Qingping Daoist said, the students would only find it funny.

Amidst laughter and conversation, the ferry reached the other side. The students greeted the Taoist priest and left, leaving only Taoist Qingping sighing repeatedly before also disembarking and departing.

Of course, Qingping Daoist still left a trace of her aura on that student. Such a talented and promising individual could not be ignored. We'll have to wait and see what happens next.

The investigators from the Bureau of Surveillance, who were still on another shore, maintained their observation through binoculars. They didn't read all the lip movements, but they roughly understood the meaning of the conversation. While continuing to observe, they immediately made a phone call to report.

Once the characteristics of several students are reported, relevant personnel will naturally investigate.

On the other side, the students returned to normal after leaving the ferry. The student who had been questioned chatted and laughed with his classmates, showing no particular unusual behavior.

After walking a short distance, Chunming couldn't help but look back into the distance at the departing Taoist priest. He wasn't considering the priest's words, but rather recalling a vivid memory from the past.

It's been a long time since I've had such a respectful and calm conversation with someone.
(End of this chapter)