Under One Person: Feng Shui Master, I Will Protect the Mountains and Rivers with My Own Body

"Tales of Extraordinary People: Wang Ye 1 -------- 'That little rascal! Where has he been again!'"

"On Wudang Mountain, the weather was clear. A young Taoist priest was sleeping soundly on the trunk of a tree, drooling. Not far away, a middle-aged Taoist priest was searching and cursing through gritted teeth."

Note: The anecdotes about extraordinary individuals do not follow the normal timeline of the main story!

----------------------------

Once again, facts have ruthlessly proven that in the face of absolute power, any fancy maneuvering is nothing but a paper tiger.

In the face of absolute pettiness, even breathing is wrong.

Yan Sen is now deeply reflecting on this principle.

Inside the main hall of the ancestral master, the atmosphere was solemn and dignified, with only an outrageously thick stick of sandalwood burning silently, emitting a strong and somewhat pungent fragrance.

Yan Sen, covered in filth, knelt on the prayer mat in a perfectly standard posture, but his expression was one of utter despair.

He held the extra-large sandalwood stick, which was at least 1.8 meters tall and as thick as his wrist, with both hands loosely clenched. The muscles in his arms were trembling slightly from the long period of static support.

"That old man, he's really ruthless..."

Yan Sen was inwardly cursing.

Recalling the quiet room just now, after his master finished eating strawberries, he said he was tired of sitting and insisted that Yan Sen accompany him to stretch his muscles and test Yan Sen's Golden Light Mantra.

There's a reward for passing, and you have to kneel and burn incense if you fail.

Before Yan Sen could even ask what constituted passing and failing, the old man grabbed him by the collar, lifted him up, and threw him into the yard. Before he could even stand up straight, he was slapped hard across the face.

And so... he showed the Lu siblings what it meant to be evenly matched with the Old Master, slapping him into the ground and leaving him dazed for nine minutes.

Yan Sen looked up at the giant incense stick in his hand that had just burned to the top, and estimated that at this rate of burning, let alone dinner, it was uncertain whether he could even get back to bed before 10 p.m. if he didn't find an excuse to get away.

The only two things to be thankful for right now are that I was so busy showing off to the Lu siblings in the orchard that I didn't eat much fruit. Otherwise, I would have wet my pants by now. If I had wet my pants here, well, I wouldn't be able to come back for the rest of my life. I would be too ashamed to face anyone.

When I returned, I had already asked the boy to deliver some fruit to Grandpa Tian, ​​which meant that I had only offended one old man.

"Sigh, it's like walking on thin ice with an old man..." Yan Sen sighed, and began to count the whiskers on the statue of the patriarch out of sheer boredom.

Fortunately, he wasn't bored for too long.

"Squeak—"

The heavy palace doors behind me were pushed open. Afternoon sunlight streamed in through the cracks, casting a long shadow on the ground.

Immediately afterwards, a series of slightly dragging, and somewhat limping footsteps came in.

Yan Sen's ears twitched.

The footsteps were unsteady yet heavy, and the heaviness carried a hint of grievance. You didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.

"What did you do to offend Master? It's one thing for him to beat you up to vent his anger, but why am I getting dragged into it too?"

A familiar voice rang out, tinged with deep resentment.

With a dark expression, Zhang Lingyu walked skillfully to the offering table, pulled out a spare prayer mat that looked like it was frequently used, and slammed it to the ground with a "thud".

Then, he picked up an extra-large stick of sandalwood from the side, exactly the same as the one Yan Sen was holding, and lit it.

"Thump!"

Zhang Lingyu knelt firmly, and the sound of his knees hitting the prayer mat was painful to hear.

Yan Sen was delighted. Even if he was being punished, having a hapless fellow to keep him company was a joyful thing.

He turned his head with difficulty, intending to make a joke, but what he saw immediately broke his guard.

"Pfft—cough cough cough!"

Yan Sen nearly choked on his own saliva, and the giant incense stick in his hand wobbled three times, with a large amount of incense ash falling "rustling" onto Zhang Lingyu's freshly washed Taoist robe.

"You...you look like this..." Yan Sen's face turned purple from trying not to laugh.

At this moment, Zhang Lingyu's once handsome and fair face was now covered in dirt, just like his father's.

But what was different was that right in the middle of his forehead was a bright red bump, as big as half an egg.

Viewed from the side, this Lingyu Zhenren looks exactly like a newly born unicorn that hasn't fully evolved yet.

"What are you laughing at?!"

Zhang Lingyu instantly bristled, instinctively wanting to cover his forehead with his hand, but he was still holding incense, so he could only forcefully restrain himself. His eyes were practically spitting fire as he glared at Yan Sen.

"It's all your fault! If you hadn't caused this mess, why would Master have gotten so angry for no reason? I hadn't even said a word when I walked in, and Master flicked my finger at me!"

Zhang Lingyu became increasingly aggrieved as he spoke, his voice trembling. He had stayed on the mountain for so many years, always diligent and conscientious, strictly adhering to the sect rules. How could he have ever suffered such an "unjust calamity"?

"Hey, hey, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want." Yan Sen forced down the smile on his lips and blinked innocently. "I was just trying to be a good son to the Grand Tutor, who knows if he's going through delayed menopause... cough, or maybe he's in a bad mood? Besides, I haven't even mentioned that your rigid, dogmatic, and inflexible personality has finally made the Grand Tutor tired of you."

"You're talking nonsense!" Zhang Lingyu glared angrily. "Master taught us that those who cultivate the Tao should maintain stillness and tranquility. How could it be because of this!"

Yan Sen raised an eyebrow but didn't reply.

A brief silence fell over the main hall, broken only by the faint crackling sounds of two giant incense sticks burning.

After a while, Yan Sen felt that the silence around him was too much and he was not used to it. He secretly glanced at Zhang Lingyu beside him out of the corner of his eye.

That glance made his heart skip a beat.

Just moments ago, Zhang Lingyu had been acting like a fighting rooster, but now he was bowing his head and staring intently at the prayer mat in front of him.

His shoulders trembled slightly, and a faint sob could be heard.

"suck......"

Zhang Lingyu took a deep sniff.

Yan Sen was numb.

"Seriously, buddy?" Yan Sen's eye twitched as he cautiously leaned forward. "Yu? Little Yu? Is it really that serious? All you did was kneel down to burn incense and get a flick on the head. When we were kids, we climbed trees to steal bird nests and got stung by wasps until our heads were swollen, and you never cried. You...really cried?"

Zhang Lingyu suddenly raised her head.

Those eyes, usually so cool and aloof, were now as red as a rabbit's, brimming with tears that seemed about to fall, making her look incredibly pitiful.

"Yan Sen..." Zhang Lingyu's voice was thick with nasal congestion, filled with confusion and panic, "You mean... Master... doesn't like me anymore?"

Yan Sen: "..."

That's it? Just for this?!

"Is your brain filled with mush?" Yan Sen rolled his eyes, speechless. "He doesn't like you? If he didn't like you, why would he bother punishing you like this? Is he bored? If he really didn't like you, he would have just kicked you off the mountain or thrown you into some remote corner to fend for yourself, wouldn't that have been enough? Why make you kneel here and burn incense? What are you thinking!"

"But... *sniff*..." Zhang Lingyu sobbed, and crystal tears finally rolled down her cheeks, past the comical "unicorn horn," and dripped onto her clothes. "But Master has never done this before. He punished me yesterday, and he punished me again today, and... *sniff*... and he didn't even tell me the reason. When I asked him what I did wrong, he just told me to figure it out myself."

The more Zhang Lingyu thought about it, the more heartbroken he became. The fear of being abandoned by his most respected elder gripped his heart tightly.

"I think... I might really not be suited for cultivation. I'm too stupid to understand Master's meaning..."

Yan Sen looked at Zhang Lingyu, who was crying like a baby, and felt helpless.

This kid is too well protected and too bound by rules.

He is like a delicate porcelain piece, seemingly perfect but actually extremely fragile. He will fall into self-doubt as soon as he encounters even the slightest "unreasonable" blow.

This is probably why the Grand Tutor insisted on having him take him down the mountain.

This porcelain needs to be broken once and then refired with other materials to become stronger.

"Alright, alright, stop howling. Anyone who doesn't know better will think I'm bullying you." Yan Sen sighed, leaned closer, lowered his voice, and put on a mysterious expression.

"Dude, considering how many times you've taken the blame for me these past few years, I'll give you a tip. This trick will definitely work and will immediately let you know what the Grand Tutor is really thinking."

Zhang Lingyu looked at him through teary eyes and sniffled, "Really? Don't lie to me, swear."

"If I'm lying to you, may I be your grandson," Yan Sen declared confidently.

"Then tell me," Zhang Lingyu said, wiping away her tears as if she had grasped at a straw.

Yan Sen narrowed his eyes, a glint of mischief in them, and slowly said:

"Now, put out this broken incense stick in your hand and throw it aside."

"Then, you stand up, go to the Grand Tutor's quiet room, and kick the door open—of course, if you don't dare to kick it, you can knock on it more forcefully."

"Once you're inside, point your finger at the Grand Tutor and loudly tell him: 'This disciple is not convinced! Why am I being punished? I don't accept it! Unless you explain the reasoning to me clearly, whoever wants to kneel before this incense can kneel, but I won't!'"

"After you finish speaking, turn around and leave without looking back."

After Yan Sen finished speaking, he looked at Zhang Lingyu expectantly: "How about it? Do you dare to try? If you dare to do it, I guarantee that not only will the Grand Tutor not be angry, but you can also avoid this punishment."

The air froze for three seconds.

Zhang Lingyu looked at Yan Sen, her eyes changing from expectation to shock, and finally to the look of someone looking at a madman.

"Are you... are you sick in the head?!"

Zhang Lingyu rolled her eyes at Yan Sen, then shifted her body to the side, as if afraid of being infected by Yan Sen's "madness".

"You're trying to trick me again! I'm not going! Master is an elder, a respected figure, and the current Celestial Master! If he punishes me, he must have his reasons; it must be because I didn't do well enough. As his disciple, I should reflect on my own actions. How could I question Master? And even kick down the door? This isn't just making me disloyal and unfilial; it's practically betraying my master and ancestors!"

Zhang Lingyu straightened her back, corrected her kneeling posture, and looked like she had come to a realization: "I'll kneel! Even if I kneel here until I die, I'll kneel until Master changes his mind!"

Yan Sen looked at this clueless blockhead and was utterly speechless.

"Fine, forget it. Good advice is useless against a damned devil." Yan Sen shrugged and leaned back on the futon. "Just pretend I didn't say anything. But Yu, don't blame me for not warning you. If you don't seize this opportunity today, don't regret it later if anything happens. And don't come crying to me like this."

"Hmph, don't even think about tricking me." Zhang Lingyu snorted coldly, closed her eyes, and began to silently recite the scriptures, ignoring Yan Sen.

Yan Sen shook his head and said nothing more.

That's just how messed up things are in this world.

Sometimes, what you say is the truth, but it just sounds ridiculous.

The main hall returned to silence, with only the sandalwood incense still burning.

Outside the palace gate, in an inconspicuous shadow.

Zhang Zhiwei, the old master dressed in plain clothes, stood there quietly and listened to the entire conversation between the two younger generation inside.

His aged face did not show any relief at Zhang Lingyu's "filial piety," but rather a hint of disappointment and exhaustion.

"well......"

A soft sigh escaped, almost imperceptible, and vanished in the wind.

Zhang Zhiwei shook his head, sensing the complex emotions in the eyes of the kneeling figure in the hall, who stood upright like a ruler.

"So well-behaved...so much like a 'Taoist priest'."

"Lingyu, if you can't even hold onto that last shred of 'self,' how can you possibly withstand the surging lightning magic?"

The old master turned around, put his hands behind his back, and slowly walked away into the distance.

"It seems that we can't delay getting him down the mountain any longer."