My Lord, you need to stand up!

Chapter 745 Now That's More Like It
Rang Weidong was originally a staunch atheist.

But now.

Right.

The main problem is that the scene is too similar to the monster garden in the 86 TV series "Journey to the West," which had a limited budget but created a gloomy and terrifying atmosphere.

Cheng Lang is extremely thin; his face is now so thin it looks like a skeleton.

This made Wei Dong a little uneasy.

I had originally thought of bringing Mao'er along when I set off, hoping that he could become Cheng Lang's apprentice.

Anyway, they all like to study these mystical and esoteric things like fortune and destiny.

But he was also afraid that Cheng Lang was a trap, and even more worried that Shen Laosan would be left without his younger brother to take care of him after he left, so he didn't take him with him.

I still prefer to have a helper, even if it's just two little kids, they've helped me a lot.

What can you do? You just have to pull up your pants, adjust the buckle on your belt to make it more convenient, and step over the high threshold.

As he passed by, Cheng Lang reached out and slipped something into his hand.

Before Wei Dong could even see what it was, he heard the door creak shut behind him.

Hey, hey, don't close the door and beat the dog!

Inside the main hall, drums and music had already begun to play.

It wasn't the kind of noisy, bustling kind; it was just a rhythmic prelude followed by a charming rap... oh, it started with chanting.

This actually made Wei Dong feel a little more relaxed.

With music and rap, it's not so bad.

Since he was already there, Wei Dong instinctively braced himself with his elbow against the hard fire at his waist to bolster his courage as he walked in.

But it is precisely this action of his that makes it appear as if he is holding an object in his right hand.

As a result, all the Taoist priests they encountered couldn't help but focus their attention on Rang Weidong's hands.

He looked down and saw that it was a warm, antique-looking gourd-shaped piece of yellow jade!
A tuft of old, reddish-brown, blackish-red beard hung from it.

As for the characters and patterns scribbled on the yellow jade, that was beyond the comprehension of a high school graduate like him.

He doesn't need to understand it.

All the Taoist priests who saw the yellow jade clearly were all smiles, laughing and bowing with clasped hands.

The old security guard, who had read some online novels, suddenly thought to himself, "Oh my god, no way, no way, could this be some kind of sacred treasure!"
Wei Dong was able to refrain from turning back and foolishly asking for advice at this moment.

He swaggered in and walked in, facing a middle-aged Taoist priest with his hair tied up in a bun, surrounded by people. He noticed that everyone's eyes were fixed on Huang Yu.

I simply handed the items over and let them look at them.

There was even a hint of mischief directed at Cheng Lang: if you dare to give it to me, I dare to give it to someone else.

Then, amidst a chorus of amazed and delighted applause, I found a grand chair nearby and sat down.

It also made it easy to turn around and see Cheng Lang step into the main hall, stretching out his arms and raising them high to worship the statue on the platform.

The crowd immediately stopped their postures and joined him in raising their hands in worship, increasing the volume of the music and chanting, making the entire hall seem to have entered the climax of some superstitious activity.

The only option was to let Wei Dong sit in the armchair next to him and watch the show.

A young Taoist priest even poured him tea, which made him feel very comfortable.

He doesn't even know which system bug caused his rebirth, so he shouldn't meddle.

Unexpectedly, the ritual ended quickly, and all the participants lined up to admire the gourd-shaped yellow jade that had been placed on the platform.

Cheng Lang then came over and sat down next to Rang Weidong.

“I have been practicing here since I was a child. At that time, the situation was critical, there were many different opinions, and there were many fights and injuries. I was responsible for taking the abbot’s token of the Taoist temple to hide. The current abbot is two generations younger than me.”

Wei Dong's understanding was that the chaotic situation at the beginning of the century, where Sichuan was in conflict with warlords, was quite different from that outside.

There wasn't so much bloodshed here; it was basically controlled by a few major warlords who, together with local gentry, acted as de facto rulers.

Therefore, the Sichuan Army was basically called "Qiu Ba" (a derogatory term for soldiers) like bandits. The common people did not have to suffer from the continuous war, but they did not have a good life either.

Whether it's the martyr photographed by Jin Zhuoqun or the head that hung on the gate of Kuizhou, both fell under the swords of warlords who refused to allow this situation to change.

It wasn't until the War of Resistance against Japan that the Sichuan Army made a significant contribution with great courage.

Therefore, it is easy to imagine the motivation behind the many online calls to "save the souls of the Sichuan Army."

So now they just smile and remain silent, waiting to see what the old man will find out during his family visit.

After the various Taoist priests who had come to pay their respects left the main hall, two prominent figures from the Taoist temple sat opposite them, with several people standing behind them.

Wei Dong suddenly realized that he seemed to be sitting at the head of the table, closer to the statue.
He had never sat in such a place before; he had no concept of it.

But Cheng Lang adopted a superior attitude, saying, "I am now following Mr. Rang to establish a sect in Hong Kong. Mr. Rang also has his own businesses and people in Jiangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangdong. He came back this time to see if Chiyang Palace has any legitimate lineage and can go out with us to promote it."

The other party responded respectfully: "Thanks to the blessings of our ancestor, things weren't so serious here in previous years, so the inheritance in all aspects is still quite good. The Crimson Sun Secret Technique has been passed down. Please check it, Grandmaster Uncle..." He waved his whisk, and two strong young men stepped out from the middle behind him.

After clasping his hands in a salute, he flung off his Taoist robe, bared his arms, and began practicing Tai Chi in a horse stance.

This isn't unusual; it was quite popular in tax offices for a while, which allowed Weidong to at least make some attempts at imitation.

But something about this person seems different. Their movements are simple and graceful, and it seems that their aura changes after a few moves. Immediately, someone next to them takes out a knife or stick and starts slashing!
The heavy, broad blade was visibly rusty, with even rough serrations on its thick spine. It could not cut open the flesh and blood body by slashing or pulling, leaving only a few white marks!
Wei Dong just wanted to shout, "Shen Laosan, come and see what kind of magic trick this is!"
It's definitely some kind of fake deception.

After being chopped with knives and struck with sticks, the two seemed to be possessed by divine powers, and they took a running start and leaped onto the roof beams using the pillars of the main hall!

This can't be faked, right?

It's somewhat like the agility with which Brother Long climbs over door frames and walls in later movies. It's not the kind of superhuman light-footed skill that's described in martial arts novels, but they can leap over roof beams that ordinary people can't climb no matter what, without using their hands.

Finally, he even managed to cushion the landing with two fingers on both hands!

It was this last action that suddenly reminded Wei Dong of something: "Are you... of that Master Hai Deng?"

In the 1980s, with the popularity of Shaolin Temple movies, people all over the country probably heard of this old master from Sichuan. Children all over the country enjoyed practicing his two-finger Zen. He was a big shot who had been featured on a special program on CCTV, made a documentary about him by the Newsreel and Documentary Film Studio, and even served as a martial arts instructor for the brigade.

Later, various fabricated and misleading reports from self-media outlets were exposed.

In short, during an era when qigong and human science were being touted, there were many, many such miraculous skills.

Cheng Lang definitely hadn't heard of it.

But the group of people all changed their expressions and said with disdain: "That's just a wild monk from a neighboring county who has only learned a little bit. How can he be compared to our orthodox Taoist sect?"

Cheng Lang then explained: "The Qingcheng lineage is divided into three branches. The main lineage specializes in talismanic rituals. Because it often uses an iron fan as a ritual implement, it is called the Iron Fan Sect. This branch was cut off at the turn of the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties. Its magical arts and rituals are scattered throughout various schools of Taoism. They are still used in funerals, housewarming ceremonies, geomancy, divination, and name selection today. I am continuing this lineage through the secret teachings of the Celestial Master."

Wei Dong was also thinking to himself, "Wow, damn it, those rich people later kept encountering these strange people from the martial arts world. Am I just believing in them?"

You absolutely cannot believe that.

So he was quite wary.

But that doesn't stop us from hearing the story: "The front of Qingcheng Mountain is the main sect, which focuses on refining muscles and bones. This is the secret sect in the back mountain, which specializes in cultivating one's true nature and mastering the art of dragon and tiger techniques, passed down through generations."

Wei Dong understood it as a way to recruit disciples widely in the front mountain, similar to undergraduate and associate degree programs. Only the best disciples would go to the back mountain to learn real skills and become master's or doctoral students, much like a Bodhidharma Academy.

So the next day, when they left, they took six doctoral students with them.

There were four men and two women, two of whom were married couples.

Cheng Lang explained to the mountain lord, "The Dragon and Tiger Technique not only has the combat power of external martial arts, but also the dual cultivation of Taoism. You should start practicing it too."

Damn it, Wei Dong has been on guard against this old guy all along, and now he can't help but be eager to try.

Shen Laosan kept joking that he should learn this kung fu from her, which Wei Dong found hard to believe.

So there really is a doctoral program here.

Even emperors in ancient times couldn't resist the bewitching power of Taoist priests using these things.

It's all thanks to their thin skin and heavy moral burden that they're still managing to ignore it.

Even the improved 212 could not seat eight people, so these six people had to have Weidong make two trips to take them to the town's bus station, and then they would take a bus to Chengdu to wait for orders.

Cheng Lang, the elder who protects the faith, also has to accompany the mountain lord to the front mountain to pay respects and show his face.

However, this is simple. After bringing back the Qiankun True Essence Gourd and obtaining certification from the back mountain, Wei Dong only needs to go to recognize the gate. As the mountain lord, he is roughly equivalent to an elder in the mortal world.

The boss's rank isn't as high as the sect leader or headmaster, but even the sect leader's grandmasters and grand-uncles have to follow him. So, how much weight does he carry?

They also gave him an antique-style bamboo-carved gourd, as a folk performance, and told Weidong to take it back for his daughter to play with.

But as soon as they entered the front of the mountain, Wei Dong was ready to take on the role of the mountain's owner: "Shouldn't we build a cable car here?"

Unlike the back mountain, which is actually hidden not far from the highway, the front mountain is meant to project the grandeur of a famous mountain and river.

All tourists must walk up the mountain upon arrival at the scenic area, while the mountain lord and the elders who protect the faith will certainly have sedan chairs available for them to ride in.

How could Wei Dong, who is strong and healthy, possibly sit on the backs of two weak people? In the future, when he gets old, he won't even be able to climb on them.

So Cheng Lang had no choice but to come down and climb the mountain with him.

After walking just one or two kilometers to the lakeside in the mountains, the frail old man could no longer walk.

Looking at the remaining steep mountain path and the throngs of tourists struggling to walk along the side, Wei Dong decided to build a cableway here.

Otherwise, how could their cable car factory survive without work since it opened?

Moreover, following his usual practice, I will definitely pay for the cableway construction, but the independent operating company will charge a fee, with a reasonable share going to the scenic area and the front gate.

You mainly earn revenue from entrance fees and the spending of more people after they come up the mountain.

What would normally be a project requiring negotiation and calculation among three parties is now being signed in a flash.

The mountain lord has that kind of style.

(End of this chapter)