On a rainy night, the school beauty knocked on my door and asked for shelter

Right now, the Taoist priest is mostly saying nice things, with only a few less pleasant things, but none of them are really bad. It's quite pleasant to listen to, and paying a little money isn't a big deal.

To Chen Xi's surprise, the old Taoist priest refused the thick red envelope he had handed out.

"No need. It is truly an honor for this old Taoist to witness such an extraordinary destiny today." The Taoist priest looked meaningfully at Chen Mo and Su Yuqing.

Chen Xi looked at the old Taoist priest with a surprised expression.

Logically, once you've provided something to help solve the problem, that's when you should start collecting money.

Why won't they accept the money when I offer it?

Is it because they think the money isn't enough?

Or perhaps his persona is too aloof, making him unsuitable for directly accepting money?

Chen Xi held the bulging red envelope that had been rejected, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge, her face full of confusion.

Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she immediately changed her approach, speaking with even greater respect: "Master, this jade of yours is clearly of superior quality, with a warm and lustrous texture and abundant spiritual energy; it is quite valuable. We cannot accept such a precious item from you for nothing; that would be against the rules. How about this, I will donate this money to the temple's donation box, as a way of contributing to the repair of the temple and the propagation of Taoism?"

She specifically emphasized that the purpose was to repair the Taoist temple and promote Taoist teachings.

As a monk, it is unlikely that his propagation of his faith would be refused.

Upon hearing this, the old Taoist priest smiled gently, stroked his long, snow-white beard, and said slowly, "If a believer has this intention and is willing to donate to the construction of the Taoist temple, it is naturally a meritorious deed. You can make your own choice, and I will not interfere in the slightest."

He paused, his gaze calmly fixed on Chen Xi, then sweeping over Chen Mo and Su Yuqing. "However, what I have said and done today is simply what I should do and what I should resolve. The jade pendant was given to the destined person because it was meant to be. The words that revealed some secrets of heaven were due to fate. All of this is not related to any monetary transaction or buying and selling."

These words were forceful and quite frank.

Chen Xi was completely stunned, and all the words she had prepared stuck in her throat.

Looking at the old Taoist priest's worn-out robe and the mud stains on his trousers, and then at the detached tranquility in his eyes, she truly felt for the first time that this old man was perhaps completely different from the "charlatans" she knew.

The scales in Chen Mo's heart also began to sway violently.

This old Taoist priest was indeed quite skilled; his pronouncements about fate were extremely accurate.

This left Chen Mo in a state of doubt.

Could it be... that he really saw something? The phrase "like a star falling from a different sky and returning upstream, the soul fire burning fiercely yet hiding the breath of the deep sea" was like an ice pick, precisely piercing the deepest secret of his soul—this rebirth that transcends time and space!

This is definitely not something that a charlatan could fabricate by observing people's expressions and demeanor!

The slight tremor in his fingertips became noticeable again. He subconsciously clenched his fist, forcing himself to maintain a calm demeanor, but the look in his eyes as he looked at the old Taoist priest had changed from initial disdain and wariness to deep inquiry and a hint of indescribable fear.

This old Taoist priest is too mysterious!

Su Yuqing, on the other hand, was completely immersed in another emotion. She was confused by those mysterious fortune-telling terms, but the Taoist priest's words when he gave her the jade, "Your destiny palace has a hidden gap, and you need the 'Dream-Tracing Jade' to send you a dream to complete the unfinished fate of the past," were like a seed that quietly fell into her heart, planting a seed of unresolved doubt.

She carefully held the warm, smooth mutton-fat jade pendant. The Taoist priest's refusal to accept money only served to confirm the jade's special nature and the priest's noble character.

Her eyes were filled with gratitude and an almost devout trust as she looked at the old Taoist priest.

"Master, your virtue is truly admirable." Chen Mo took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and once again bowed solemnly to the old Taoist priest.

This time, he adopted an even lower posture, and his tone carried a greater sense of genuine respect. "I have benefited immensely from the guidance of the Daoist Master today. I will certainly keep your golden words in mind."

However, I would like to ask one last question.

After Chen Mo finished bowing, he exchanged a meaningful glance with the old Taoist priest.

The old Taoist priest accepted the bow without hesitation, his meaningful smile deepening slightly, as if he could see through Chen Mo's inner turmoil.

He nodded slightly: "Please speak freely."

"Does this junior have any signs of dying?" Chen Mo asked cryptically.

"Hahaha." The old Taoist priest suddenly laughed.

Chen Mo and the other two looked puzzled.

"Ordinary people are a combination of essence, energy, and spirit. Essence is the physical body; energy is the nourishment from heaven and earth; and spirit is the union of soul and body."

The young believer possesses all three qualities, and his innate wisdom has not yet departed. Although his destiny is somewhat unusual, the workings of Heaven and the awakening of his innate intelligence are all due to the workings of creation. How can there be any indication of his fate being sealed?

After speaking, the old Taoist priest's gaze returned to Su Yuqing, his tone gentle yet solemn: "Young lady, please keep this 'Dream-Tracing Jade' safe. It only helps those who are destined to receive it. Wear it close to your body whenever you have free time or when you feel something. It may allow you to glimpse some unseen illusions and see some stories that should be clear but have been forgotten."

Su Yuqing already had a deep impression of the Taoist priest's earlier words that "the Fate Palace has a hidden gap". Now, when she heard "see the story in the forgotten corner", she couldn't help but feel curious and wondered what the Taoist priest was referring to.

She reached out and touched the jade pendant, feeling it become even warmer and smoother to the touch, as if a strange connection had formed between them.

When her fingertips touched the cool, delicate patterns on the jade pendant, her heart seemed to be gently struck by something. An extremely blurry image, like the moon's reflection in water, flashed through her mind—it seemed to be... an incredibly familiar figure, as if it were herself, yet also as if it were someone else. The feeling was so familiar that it was etched into her bones, yet it was fleeting, so fast that she couldn't grasp any specific information, leaving only an empty, lingering ache and an intense, unyielding sense of longing.

She instinctively gripped the jade pendant, as if trying to grasp that fleeting illusion.

"Thank you, Daoist Master!" Su Yuqing's voice trembled slightly, and her face showed a hint of confusion.

Master Liu nodded slightly: "The beginning and end of a relationship are predetermined. Take good care of yourself and cherish the people around you."

This last sentence seemed like a profound warning, directed not only at Su Yuqing but also, as if, at Chen Mo.

Having said that, he said no more, picked up the pipe at his feet, slowly refilled it with tobacco, took a puff, and cast his cloudy gaze towards the distant green mountains shrouded in mist, as if to see the guest off, as if the revelation of the mystery and the gift of the treasure had never happened. (End of Chapter)