The Northern Song Dynasty returned south, seeking the truth of the Dao.

Upon hearing the young Taoist's words, Wang Zhenhuan froze on the spot. In this desolate wilderness, where one couldn't even see more than ten feet ahead in the middle of the night, where was this Taoist going?

"Master, it is getting late, and it is early autumn with a biting wind. Why don't you stay here for the night? Although this dilapidated temple is in ruins, it can still provide shelter from the wind and rain."

Wang Zhenhuan tried to persuade them to stay, saying that since the Jurchens invaded the south and the village was massacred, he and Lin Qingyan had never seen anyone else. They were completely ignorant of the outside world.

His knowledge of the Jurchens' southward migration was merely a guess based on fragmented memories from his past life. He was surprised to encounter such a courteous Taoist priest. He was now eager to discuss recent events with the priest.

"May you be blessed with boundless fortune. It is not that I am unwilling, but I bear a heavy responsibility and dare not fail you. I believe that you two are not destined to die young, and I trust that you two kind people will travel south safely," Lingyinzi said, cupping his hands in greeting.

"Master, please don't be in a hurry. May I ask where you come from? Have you seen any Jurchen scouts along the way? We heard that the Jurchens have already moved south, and my brother and I want to go south to seek refuge, but we are afraid of encountering the Jurchens on the way. Please enlighten us, Master."

As Wang Zhenhuan spoke, he gave Lin Qingyan a meaningful look. Lin Qingyan followed his gaze and saw the dried rations in the package. She immediately understood.

She walked to the bundle, divided the dry rations into thirds, wrapped them in cloth, and handed them to the young Taoist priest. Lingyinzi hesitated for a moment, but still accepted the rations.

He carefully packed the dry rations into his bundle, thanked the two men, and then said, "I was entrusted by my master to travel north. Along the way, I did see many Jurchens. I heard that Cizhou has fallen and the Jurchens are preparing to march south to Tokyo."

Upon hearing Ling Yinzi's words, Wang Zhenhuan was immediately startled; it was indeed much as he had guessed. He and Lin Qingyan would then head south, carefully avoiding the areas currently embroiled in conflict.

"To be honest, you two kind souls, I truly have no more food on me. I would be impolite to refuse this dry ration. Instead, I will give you this talisman. If you keep it close to your body, it will ensure your safety for the time being."

Lingyinzi seemed to be in a great hurry. After handing the talisman to Wang Zhenhuan, he hurriedly said goodbye to the two of them, then quickly walked out of the dilapidated temple and disappeared into the darkness.

Wang Zhenhuan stood at the temple gate, watching the young Taoist priest walk away into the distance. Then he turned back into the main hall and saw Lin Qingyan holding the yellow talisman, examining it carefully.

He smiled and stepped forward, sitting down next to Lin Qingyan. He asked, "What did you figure out? What's the use of these scribbles...?"

"Don't speak recklessly!" Lin Qingyan reached out and covered his mouth. Then she pointed to the yellow talisman and said, "When I was little, I saw the village Taoist priest draw talismans, and this one is similar in effect."

Upon hearing her words, Wang Zhenhuan immediately became interested. He moved closer, took the yellow talisman in his hand, and examined it carefully from top to bottom. After looking at it for a while, he still couldn't see anything special about it.

"This talisman keeps going back and forth, and I can't understand a single word of it. What's it for? What have you figured out?"

Lin Qingyan rolled her eyes at him, took the yellow talisman, pointed at it and said, "Talismans are a specialty of Taoism. Generally, only orthodox Taoists with cultivation can draw them. I heard that the old Taoist priest in our village was from the Shangqing lineage."

"The Shangqing lineage? What does that mean? Does it mean there are several lineages of Taoism?" Wang Zhenzhen asked with some doubt.

"I only have a vague understanding of it myself. My father is a Taoist, and I heard him talk about it when I was a child. The Three Pure Ones are the three patriarchs of Taoism, and Shangqing is one of them. Those who worship the patriarch Shangqing are the lineage of Shangqing."

After thinking for a moment, Lin Qingyan said somewhat uncertainly. Wang Zhenhuan, upon hearing her words, suddenly understood. He pointed to the talisman and said, "Then according to you, that Daoist Lingyinzi from earlier must have been a Daoist from Shangqing?"

"I guess that's the case, but I don't know why he rushed north. Look at this talisman, it has the Taoist priest's seal on it, so it must have been drawn by him."

Lin Qingyan looked at it for a while, then pointed to the vermilion mark and said. Wang Huanzhen looked down and saw that it was indeed so. There was a square mark on it, with some blurry characters inside.

He could vaguely make out the character "cloud." He examined it for a moment, then shook his head: "After all this talk, I still don't know what this talisman is for."

"Since that Taoist priest is a Taoist from Shangqing, he naturally wouldn't deceive us. Didn't the Taoist priest say to keep it close to your body? Then you should keep it safe." Lin Qingyan folded the talisman and stuffed it into Wang Zhenhuan's arms.

"I don't want it, you take it. You're a weak woman who can't even kill a chicken. If you encounter any ghosts or monsters, this talisman might save you. I'm young and vigorous, full of yang energy, I'm not afraid of these things."

Without a word, Wang Zhen snatched the yellow talisman from Lin Qingyan's hand and placed it in her palm. Then he bent down and lay down on the straw. Lin Qingyan didn't argue with him.

After carefully putting the yellow talisman away close to her body, she lay down next to Wang Zhenhuan. She gently reached out and placed her hand on Wang Zhenhuan's waist. Leaning against his back, she closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.

Wang Huanzhen lay on his side, his eyes wide open, staring at the bonfire not far away. A faint, sweet fragrance wafted from behind him, making him feel somewhat restless. He noticed the girl's arm around his waist.

As if by some magical force, he felt a surge of heat throughout his body. He wanted to get up and walk around, but he was afraid of waking the sleeping girl. They had done even more intimate things before.

But back then, he was either physically weak or Lin Qingyan was exhausted. He simply didn't have the means or the environment to think about these things. Now that things have suddenly quieted down, he feels somewhat lost.

And so, the night passed without incident. The next morning, Wang Zhen got up very early. With huge dark circles under his eyes, he went for a long walk to get his blood and energy flowing smoothly and prevent it from stagnating.

Although the surrounding area is a desolate wilderness, there are traces of people who once lived there. The few scattered houses around have all collapsed, but the plum trees in the yards are laden with fruit.

Wang Zhenhuan climbed the tree and picked a whole bag full. Then he picked one, rubbed it on his clothes, put it in his mouth and tasted it—ouch!—it almost made his teeth fall out from the sourness.

Just as he was standing on the branch, grimacing from the sourness of the plums, he suddenly noticed something. On the path not far away, the roadside weeds were swaying unnaturally.

When he looked closely, his expression changed drastically, and he felt a chill run down his spine! He saw a young golden-haired man dressed in a fox fur coat and wearing a felt hat, riding a chestnut horse towards him!