Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 56 Taoist Priest Xuanji
The woman looked at Rong Wanyin for a long time, then slowly stretched out her finger and pointed in a direction. Her fingernails were very long and full of black mud.

The woman slowly stood up, as if suddenly coming to her senses, and ran away, clutching the child, mumbling something as she ran. As she passed, Rong Wanyin seemed to smell something familiar, but for a moment she couldn't place it. Everyone was still terrified, but at least they were certain this woman was a human, not a ghost. As long as she was certain she was human, Rong Wanyin was no longer afraid.

Everyone was very surprised, but they could only walk in the direction the woman pointed.

At this moment, Su Zhan suddenly felt that he had stepped on something. When he picked it up, he found that it was an exquisite little silver lock. There was a small koi fish engraved in the middle of the silver lock. The koi fish's eyes were like red beans, vivid, but also a little weird.

Su Zhan lifted up the small silver lock and took a look at it: "What is this? The workmanship is quite exquisite."

Rong Wanyin tilted her head and asked, "Do you think this silver lock could be the child's? Feel it and see if it's cold or warm. If it's warm, it means the child is alive. If it's cold..."

The silver lock felt cold to the touch, and Su Zhan was so scared that he threw it away. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands vigorously. At the same time, he felt as if there were thorns on his back and his whole body was uncomfortable.

Rong Wanyin saw Su Zhan was about to throw it away and hurried to stop him, but it was too late: "...Hey, wait a minute, don't throw it away...This belongs to Master..."

Yan Mingzhang was quick to act. He took out his handkerchief, wrapped the silver lock, and put it away.

Rong Wanyin was furious: "Hey, you..."

Yan Mingzhang smiled and said, "Those who are capable will get it..."

Rong Wanyin was a little confused: "Didn't you say no?"

Yan Mingzhang lowered his voice and smiled roguishly: "It's a different time now. Now I want it again. When I'm in a good mood, I'll give it to you... How fun!"

Yes, teasing you is so fun...

Rong Wanyin: “…”

Rong Wanyin pretended not to care, but was thinking in her heart how to get the silver lock.

Mo Yun looked at Su Zhan and jokingly said, "Master Su, didn't you say you are not afraid of ghosts?"

Su Zhan felt a little embarrassed, his face slightly red as he said, "I'm not afraid of ghosts, but that doesn't mean I'm not disgusted. Ghosts and gods are all nonsense... but seeing those creepy things, I still feel a little scared... disgusted."

Everyone laughed to show their agreement.

Yan Mingzhang put away the silver lock and said with a smile, "Let's go and see if it's a human or a ghost. Who is playing tricks?"

Rong Wanyin stood behind Yan Mingzhang, threatening to hit him.

Yan Mingzhang glanced at him and said calmly, "Oh, I'm suddenly in a bad mood!"

Rong Wanyin stopped what she was doing angrily.
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This mountain temple wasn't big, but it looked recently renovated. Behind the temple was a bamboo forest, and beyond that, a large mountain. The cave the old man had mentioned must be behind the bamboo forest. There was a long staircase in front of the temple, and many tourists had already finished burning incense and were heading back. As they climbed the stairs, they encountered a man before entering the temple. He was dressed in a Taoist robe and holding a whisk. He had a handsome appearance, with a white beard and long eyebrows, and looked like an immortal. He must be the Taoist priest from outside the village that the old man had mentioned. He carefully examined everyone's attire, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness, and greeted them warmly.

The Taoist priest wore a smiling face and bowed, saying, "Greetings to all distinguished guests. I am Taoist Xuanji. Yesterday, I observed the celestial phenomena at night and saw the Purple Star shining brightly, with purple air coming from the east. It seems that today, a distinguished guest has arrived!"

Everyone bowed and said, "Greetings, Taoist Priest! I dare not, I dare not."

Taoist Xuanji narrowed his eyes, counted on his fingers, pinched his beard, thought for a moment, sighed again, and said to Yan Mingzhang: "Your noble aura is overwhelming, but there is a faint trace of darkness in this noble aura... I think this is because of family difficulties! I wonder what you all come here to ask for?"

Yan Mingzhang looked disconsolate as he replied respectfully, "Master, you are truly an enlightened being, a living god. You can even guess what we are asking for. My surname is Zhang, and my given name is Ming. These are my second brother and third sister. A relative of mine has been bedridden for a long time, and I heard that this mountain temple is particularly effective, so I wanted to come here to pay my respects."

The Taoist priest invited everyone into the mountain temple and asked them to burn incense with a calm expression.

Yan Mingzhang continued to inquire, "I've heard that this mountain temple has the power to bring the dead back to life. Could you tell me a little bit about it?"

Taoist Xuanji stroked his graying beard and said with a smile, "Master Zhang, you're joking. Those are just rumors spread by the outside world. There is no such thing as resurrection from the dead in this world. If it really existed, wouldn't the world be in chaos?"

Su Zhan lowered his voice and said doubtfully, "But I heard that if we send someone to this mountain temple and then have you perform a ritual, they'll be back to life in three days. Isn't that bringing the dead back to life?"

Taoist Priest Xuanji looked a little uneasy, feigning reluctance as he took a few steps closer to them. He whispered, "It seems you gentlemen already know a lot. To be honest, the people we sent here aren't dead, they're just seriously ill. Secondly, the mountain god is incredibly powerful and will only treat serious illnesses, not minor ailments or disasters. Finally, to get the mountain god to cast a spell requires sincerity, and it's not easy."

Yan Mingzhang bowed deeply and said, "Master, please tell me the truth. Sincerity is not a problem. If you can really cure me, I will spend a fortune on it."

Upon hearing this, Taoist Xuanji smiled broadly and said to the crowd, "Dear guests, please come in! Please come in!"

Taoist Priest Xuanji led everyone into the side hall and asked the little Taoist boy to make a pot of good tea. The three of them sat down at an eight-immortal table, with Changfeng and Mo Yun standing behind them.

Taoist Xuanji rubbed his hands and said with a smile: "Then let's talk about this matter of sincerity?"

Yan Mingzhang nodded.

Taoist Priest Xuanji took out a piece of yellowed kraft paper and spread it on the table. "This tribute is divided into three, six, and nine categories. Naturally, the greater the sincerity, the faster the illness will be cured. I wonder which one you would like to know about?"

Yan Mingzhang said without hesitation: "Then tell me who is the most sincere."

Taoist Xuanji's eyes sparkled as he beamed, "These nine offerings are the six domestic animals: cattle, horses, sheep, chickens, dogs, and pigs, plus three kinds of fruit."

Su Zhan joked, "This mountain god eats quite a lot of meat!"

Taoist Xuanji quickly signaled, "Second Master Zhang, please don't talk nonsense. The mountain god is very powerful! If you find it troublesome, I can help you buy it. The villagers in this village all have their own offerings, and I'm quite familiar with them. These tributes are easy to prepare, but the trays are more laborious. Each tray must be made of one pound of pure gold and covered with white deerskin. However, I also have a familiar gold shop, so I guarantee that I won't delay you."

Su Zhan thought to himself that this old Taoist was really calculating: "I wonder what will happen to this golden tray after the Taoist priest finishes the ritual..."