The world is like a prison, my body is holy

Chapter 88 The Demon King of Confusion
After learning that his background was backed by the Great Master Tiandao, Wang Wen happily followed the Taoist Ji Liang to meet the True Man Hunkun.

He was previously somewhat afraid of these top monks in the world, fearing that their identity as a Yin official would be seen through at a glance.

After all, his identity as a Yin official is not legitimate, and it is not yet time for him to be exposed. If he is seen through by the leaders of the three talisman sects, it will be a disaster rather than a blessing.

But as long as the identity of the Yin official is not exposed, everything else... doesn't matter.

There is a saying: A gentleman is judged by deeds, not by heart, and judging by the heart, no one is perfect throughout the ages.

Just based on the series of actions that Wang Wen has taken since joining the Dusi Tianjian, who wouldn't give him a thumbs up and praise him as a man of justice and a hater of evil?
After a while.

Wang Wen met Master Hun Kun for the first time in the big tent of the camp.

It was quite different from the image of a great monk in the world that he had imagined, who was dignified, majestic, and awe-inspiring without even getting angry.

What he saw was a skinny old Taoist priest with white hair and beard, wearing a thick, patched gray Taoist robe. He was sitting on a mat, curled up in a ball, dozing off with his head nodding, just like those old men in baggy sweatshirts who took a nap in front of their doors.

When he first saw the old Taoist priest, a big question popped up in his mind: "Is this the headmaster of Maoshan?"

After a while, he suddenly felt relieved and thought to himself: "This is the headmaster of Maoshan!"

Master Hun Kun listened quietly to Taoist Ji Liang's retelling of Wang Wen's encounter last night. There was always a peaceful smile in his eyes when he looked at Wang Wen. It was a warm look that only an old man could have when looking at his younger generation.

Under his gaze, Wang Wen's vigilance inexplicably relaxed a lot.

"Brother Wang came at the perfect time..."

After listening to Ji Liang's retelling, the old Taoist bared his teeth and chuckled, "If you had come earlier, you would have had to hold your nose and pick off some worthless people. If you had come later, you would have had to watch me show off my sword skills and then helplessly pick off some worthless people... Xile, bring me that piece of blood-veined steel I forged a month ago."

"Blood-marked steel?"

Wang Wen looked at Taoist Ji Liang in confusion, and saw that Taoist Ji Liang first opened his mouth in shock, and then forced his mouth shut, with an expression as if he wanted to say something but stopped. He knew in his heart that this must be an extremely precious metal.

He quickly stepped forward and bowed, "Master, this is incredibly valuable! I've been seeking materials to forge a few hidden weapons for self-defense. As the old saying goes, 'Good iron is not good for making nails,' isn't it? It would be a waste to use such a precious treasure to refine hidden weapons for me!"

Human nature is so complicated.

With Wang Wen's temper, if the Taoist Hunkun was stingy and just gave him a few pieces of scrap metal to get rid of him, he would not only be angry with the Taoist behind his back, but he might also find an opportunity to cheat Maoshan out of a large sum of money.

But now that the old Taoist Hun Kun really wanted to take out the treasure in the bottom of the box and give it to him, he felt that it was a bit too much. It would be a waste and he would feel unworthy of it.

"If you can keep the things I refined, uphold righteousness and ward off evil, and do more good deeds, you will be accumulating merit for me. How can you say it's a waste?"

The old Taoist priest smiled and waved his hands: "Leaving it in my hands and treating it as a mere spectacle would be a waste of natural resources!"

As he was speaking, a pretty little Taoist nun with a chubby face poked half of her face out from the edge of the curtain and looked into the tent hesitantly and furtively.

Seeing this, the old Taoist priest frowned and glared at her unhappily.

The little nun was so frightened that she retracted her head with a "whoosh" sound and ran away.

Wang Wen also hesitated and glanced at Taoist Ji Liang.

Taoist Ji Liang hesitated for a moment, then said, "A gift from an elder cannot be declined. Since the headmaster is so determined, Erhu, you should accept it."

Wang Wen could only bow once more and said, "Thank you so much, Master... I feel unworthy to receive such a generous reward for such a small deed."

"Brother Wang, there's no need to be so modest."

The old Taoist priest stroked his beard and said with a smile, "I have heard of your great name a long time ago. It was you who destroyed the altar of the White Lotus Sect in Yangzhou, right?"

Wang Wen heard this and subconsciously glanced at Ji Liang, the Taoist priest: "Why do you keep telling everything to others?"

Taoist Ji Liang raised his hand and moved his five fingers, pretending to wipe the sweat off his face.

Wang Wen suddenly understood and nodded in response, "I'm a young man who's not afraid of tigers. It's really a stroke of luck that I stumbled upon the evil deeds of the White Lotus Cult."

The old Taoist priest remained silent, looking at him with admiration and nodding, saying, "Young hero!"

Wang Wen: "I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it. At most, I can be regarded as a young man who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth."

The old Taoist priest asked, "Brother Wang, are you willing to join my Lingbao Sect?"

Wang Wen: “Ah?”

The old Taoist priest said: "If you are willing to join my Lingbao Sect, I will be honored and willing to accept you as my disciple on my behalf!"

Ji Liang said, "Ah?"

The old Taoist priest glanced at him and asked, "Jingxu, do you have anything to say?"

Taoist Ji Liang bowed his head in a timid manner and said, "Disciple has nothing to say."

The old Taoist priest turned around with satisfaction and continued to look at Wang Wen: "What do you think, Brother Wang?"

Wang Wen was confused and thought to himself, "Does your Maoshan sect have another nickname called Amway?"

Seeing his hesitation, the old Taoist priest continued, "I've heard that you have a lot of insights into the art of thunder. While our Lingbao Sect's Five Thunders Orthodoxy isn't as authentic as the Tianshi Temple's, it's still a legitimate sect. Furthermore, our ancestor once held an important position in the Thunder Department of the Heavenly Court, and he passed down the 'Lightning Thunder Fist,' a tradition of thunder magic that uses martial arts to enter the Dao. It's perfectly suited to your current cultivation."

Wang Wen: “This…”

The old Taoist priest said: "It is my negligence. Young man, a young hero with natural talent, how could he be confined to a city and a pond?"

"The Huangting Sutra, the fundamental scripture of our Lingbao Sect, is the great Dao of the Mystical Sect, annotated and handed down by our Patriarch Ge Hong himself. If you practice it, you will have the potential to become a celestial being."

"There is also the fundamental sutra, the Shangqing Great Cavern True Scripture, which is the first sutra of the Shangqing Immortals. Studying it can gain infinite wonderful methods."

"There is also the 'Maoshan Dongxuan Lingbao Rune Secrets', which can unlock the power of talismans and spiritual treasures in the world."

"The Golden Palace of the Supreme Purity, the Golden Palace Chronicles, contains the Seven Yuan Talismans and the Golden Palace Immortal Cultivation Method."

"The Secret Talisman Method of Mount Mao: Covers the methods of summoning ghosts and performing rituals for ascetics..."

"If you are interested in learning various wonderful methods, I am willing to teach you on your behalf."

Ji Liang said: "This..."

The old Taoist priest glanced at him sideways again: "Jingxu, do you have anything else to say?"

Taoist Ji Liang's throat surged for several breaths before he bowed with difficulty and said, "Disciple has nothing to say!"

Wang Wen looked speechlessly at the old Taoist priest, who was smiling like a tiger, and then at the indignant and distressed Taoist Ji Liang, who was about to cry. He wondered if he didn't know what was good for him now, would the old Taoist priest give the order and have five hundred swordsmen jump out of the tent and chop him into minced meat? He hesitated again and again, but finally gritted his teeth and clasped his fists, saying, "The master is so kind to me, I shouldn't be ungrateful!"

"But I dare not deceive you. I grew up in the marketplace. My biological father and adoptive father were both leaders of the Cao Gang. I haven't learned much from the teachings of sages since I was a child, but I have accumulated a lot of bad habits. I'm idle, lazy, greedy, lustful, vain, competitive, bullying, robbery, murder and arson... I'm just like that!"

"It is said that it is easy to change the country, but difficult to change one's nature!"

"If someone like this kid were to join your sect, firstly, he would not be able to abide by the rules and regulations, and secondly, he would not be able to bear the heavy workload. Violating the rules and regulations would be a small matter, but ruining your sect's thousand-year reputation would be a big deal!"

"The real person is so kind, he thinks highly of me."

"But if I agree to it right away, I will be doing an injustice to the real person."

"Please think twice before you act, lest you make a single misstep that will lead to eternal regret!"

What he said was sincere and every word came from the bottom of his heart.

Upon hearing this, the corners of Master Hun Kun and Taoist Ji Liang's eyes twitched as if they were having epilepsy.

Their inner thoughts at this moment can probably be summed up in one sentence: 'I have never seen such a shameless person!'

With decades of experience in cultivating their Qi, they couldn't help but want to twist Wang Wen's clothes and loudly question him: "How can you be so confident in saying all these terrible things about yourself?"

The two old Taoists wanted to speak but stopped, and then wanted to speak again.

How to say?
This reckless man has made it very clear. He actively admitted his mistakes, but he would never change!

What else could they say?
What Wang Wen said was indeed to make the old Taoist think carefully and not be dazzled by the small benefits in front of him and fail to see the big thunder behind.

He was not stupid, so of course he could guess why the old Taoist priest offered such high welfare benefits and tried hard to invite him to join the Maoshan Sect.

It's nothing more than that he saw something from the purple divine thunder last night and felt that it was profitable.

This is normal. The world is bustling with people, all for the sake of profit. The world is bustling with people, all for the sake of profit. There is no love or hate without reason.

Naturally, he would not have any prejudice against the old Taoist priest because of his little thoughts.

But he would not join the Maoshan Sect just because of the benefits offered by the old Taoist priest.

The welfare benefits of Maoshan Sect are indeed very high and very good.

But it is not necessarily irreplaceable.

At least Wang Wen is confident that he can slowly collect substitutes through the City God's order.

It's just a little more effort.

For this little thing, he would rather give up his free-spirited life of wine, sex, money and power and abide by the rules and regulations to become a Taoist priest.

what?
Eat the sugar coating and fight back with the cannonball?
What did the Maoshan Sect do wrong? What did Taoist Ji Liang and Taoist Hun Kun do wrong? Why should we attack them with cannonballs?
Oh, there's a price to pay for converting this scumbag into the religion, right?
It's true that Wang Wen wants to live freely and to the fullest...

But deep down, he doesn't like those inhumane, heartless, and disgusting people!
No one has stipulated that you have to live as an anti-human, anti-social murderer in order to live as you please, right?
Isn't it true that if you close the door, drink your favorite Happy Fat Boy Water, eat your favorite Splatoon meal, and play your favorite games every day as a happy fat otaku, you are living a free and fulfilling life?
So, instead of settling the matter peacefully with a few words now, and then having a fight and a fight later when something goes wrong...

Wang Wen would rather speak the truth upfront, and if everyone can accept it, then they can do this together.

He neither resisted nor hated the Maoshan Sect. If this platform could save him a lot of trouble, there was no reason for him to give up the flat road and insist on taking the rugged and narrow path.

If you can't accept it, then it's better for everyone to go their separate ways.

Anyway, his purpose of coming to see Master Hun Kun today has been achieved, and he has not lost anything.

Wang Wen calmly waited for Master Hun Kun's response.

And Master Hunkun was indeed puzzled by the terrible problems he displayed, and even felt that the Lingbao Sect's thousand-year reputation was at stake in his own thoughts at this historical moment.

But... that is the Purple Sky Divine Thunder!
Others don’t understand what the Purple Sky Divine Thunder means, but as the leader of the Xuanmen sect, how could he not understand what the Purple Sky Divine Thunder means?

The Supreme Lord of the Three Realms knows this, right?
That is the great celestial being whose full name is “Taishang Kaitian, Zhuifu Yuli, Hanzhentidao, Jinque Yungong, Jiuqiong Yuli, Wandao Wuwei Dadao, Mingdian Haotian Jinque, Supreme Jade Emperor, Forgiveness of Sins, Great Celestial Being, Xuanqiong Gaoshangshang”.

Great Celestial Lord, you cannot use the Purple Sky Divine Thunder!
A son of destiny who was struck by the Purple Sky Divine Thunder simply because others deduced his background, his future achievements are guaranteed to be a Heavenly Master!

He is not the kind of Heavenly Master from the Heavenly Master Mansion, but the kind of Heavenly Master like Zhang Daoling, the ancestor of the Heavenly Master Mansion!

In this era when dragons and snakes are rising, if he could get such a person to join his Lingbao Sect, why would he worry about the sect's prosperity?

Master Hun Kun thought about it and finally turned his gaze to Taoist Ji Liang.

Ji Liang, the old Taoist priest, naturally knew what his master meant, but such a big decision... "You don't even dare to decide, and you ask me?"

But facing the rare serious look of his master, he could only hold back his anger and try to evaluate Wang Wen from a more fair perspective.

From his perspective, Wang Wen’s evaluation of himself... can be said to be extremely self-aware!

He even felt that Wang Wen had missed two points: vindictiveness and pettiness.

But he had to admit that although Wang Wen was not a good or kind person in the conventional sense, it would be unfair to say that he was an evil or bad person.

Even in Yangzhou, where everyone feared him like a tiger, the common people only said that he was a fierce and unruly man who could not be provoked...

It's not really a case of hating him or despising him.

Besides, what this scoundrel did after he was appointed as the Chief Astronomical Observer of Yangzhou seemed to be directed at the evil people and enemies.

I have never heard of Taoist Ji Liang harming anyone, whether it is his own people or the common people.

I often heard that he had invited some of the yamen's celestial guards to visit Lichunyuan...

Even he himself mostly admires and likes Wang Wen. If this guy was a bad person, would he be so close to Wang Wen?
Taoist Ji Liang hesitated for a moment, then nodded to Master Hun Kun imperceptibly.

Master Hun Kun felt relieved, turned around and smiled, "Junior brother, your sincere intentions are fully understood. I believe that since you are aware of your shortcomings, you will surely make improvements in the future. Our Lingbao Sect does not prohibit marriage or meat and drink. We uphold righteousness and ward off evil, and we often fight against evil spirits. The sect's rules and regulations are far less strict than you think. As long as you are determined to pursue the Tao, worldly affairs will not be a big problem."

Got it!
Your junior brother has shouted so many times, what else can I say?
Wang Wen knelt down in submission and kowtowed to Master Hun Kun with a "dong" sound: "Wang Wen, greetings, Senior Brother."

Master Hun Kun was so happy that he couldn't stop smiling. He quickly reached out and helped him up. "Okay, okay, this place is simple. After this matter is settled, I will follow you back to the mountain to recognize your ancestors. Today, on behalf of the master, I will grant you the Taoist name... Hun Shi. How do you think?"

Wang Wen: "This... Senior Brother, you are really good at judging people!"

Taoist Ji Liang: ...

(End of this chapter)