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

As the white crane landed, the old Taoist priest gathered his energy and lightened his body, a purple flash appearing on his skin. He flew across the air from the crane's back, directly arriving in front of the short, plump woman. He sized her up.

He nodded, stroking his beard, and said, "Hmm, not bad. Although he's an outsider, he has a simple and honest character. He's uncivilized, but kind-hearted. His true nature shines through in times of crisis."

When the woman saw the old Taoist priest approaching, her instinct was to run away. But when she saw the two people lying beneath her, she hesitated. In just a moment, the old Taoist priest was already in front of her.

She lowered her head and bowed respectfully to the old Taoist priest. Upon hearing his opening words, her expression changed drastically. She trembled all over, sweating profusely, wanting to run but daring not to, frozen in place for a moment.

Although the old Taoist priest revealed her identity immediately, thankfully he meant no harm. The woman was relieved, but a hint of embarrassment crossed her face. She pointed to the two people lying on the ground.

Then she knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the old Taoist priest. The meaning was self-evident. The old Taoist priest did not refuse and waved his hand at the woman. The woman felt an inexplicable force lift her up from the ground.

She opened her eyes wide in disbelief, carefully got up, and stood to the side. The old Taoist priest first walked to Lin Qingyan's side, reached out to take her pulse, and after sensing her pulse, frowned.

"The metal and wood have been inside his body for many days, and he hasn't eaten anything. No wonder his pulse is so weak. It's strange, how did such a weak body survive for so many days?"

The old Taoist priest looked up, as if talking to himself. Hearing his words, the woman hurriedly shook her head, indicating she didn't know. The old priest ignored her, instead channeling some spiritual energy to protect Lin Qingyan's heart meridian.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, he extended two fingers of his right hand and waved them a few times in the air towards Lin Qingyan's waist. A damp piece of yellow paper flew out from her waist.

The yellow paper was already soaked with water, but the traces of cinnabar were still faintly visible. Upon seeing this, the old Taoist suddenly realized, "It's actually the Golden Armor Talisman from Longhu Mountain! No wonder the poison didn't spread even though the metal and wood entered the body."

As soon as the old Taoist finished speaking, the yellow talisman in mid-air spontaneously combusted in the wind, and the fragments disappeared without a trace. At that moment, Wang Zhenhuan, who had just woken up from his coma, happened to witness this scene.

His eyes widened, as if he couldn't believe them. Seeing the "gods" from the sky actually standing in front of him, he struggled to stand up.

The old Taoist priest noticed his unusual movement, waved his hand at him, and a surge of spiritual energy entered his body through the Baihui point on the top of his head. This gave him a jolt of energy, and he felt a warm sensation all over his body.

He hurriedly got up from the ground and bowed to the old Taoist priest. But a force appeared out of nowhere in mid-air, preventing him from bowing. The old Taoist priest looked him over and seemed to recognize something.

Unfortunately, Wang Zhenhuan didn't notice these details; his mind was entirely focused on Lin Qingyan. Unable to kneel, he spoke to the old Taoist priest, "Are you a deity? I beg you to have mercy and save my wife."

The old Taoist priest smiled and shook his head, saying, "May the Heavenly Venerable grant you boundless blessings. I am not a deity. I am the Taoist of Gezao Mountain, my Taoist name is Luo Puzi. What is this 'wife' you speak of?"

"Replying to the Daoist Master, this woman's name is Lin Qingyan, and she is my childhood friend. After our village was massacred by the Jurchens, we traveled south together and established our relationship long ago," Wang Zhenhuan replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Although the old Taoist priest claimed he wasn't a deity, in Wang Zhenhuan's eyes, he was practically one. He remembered clearly seeing the old Taoist priest performing magic in the clouds before he lost consciousness.

It now seems that the torrential rain wasn't caused by angering the heavens, but rather by the old Taoist priest's magic. He summoned wind and rain, commanded thunder and lightning. Such actions were almost divine, if not divine.

"Hmm, good lad, you've got a sense of responsibility. But your wife's situation isn't good right now. The metal and wood elements have entered her body, and although she's been protected by the Golden Armor Talisman from Longhu Mountain, she's barely survived."

"But if the arrow isn't removed from his body as soon as possible, he won't survive the night," the old Taoist priest said solemnly.

The old Taoist priest's words struck him like a bolt from the blue, causing him to collapse to the ground. Where could he find a doctor in this desolate wilderness to remove the arrow from Lin Qingyan?

If the arrow lodged in his body isn't removed, wouldn't he be forced to watch Lin Qingyan die? He looked up at the Taoist priest named Luo Puzi, tears already streaming down his face.

"Master, please save my wife! I'm willing to pay any price. To be honest, we traveled south, and if it weren't for Qingyan's help, I might have died on the road long ago."

Although I was an orphan from a young age and grew up alone in a Taoist temple, this is the first time I've had the thought of living for someone. If her fate is truly sealed, then I only ask that the Taoist priest bury us together.

As Wang Zhenhuan spoke, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to the old Taoist priest. Unable to kneel, this was the only way he could think of to express his feelings. And as he clasped his hands...

Unconsciously, he used the same hand gesture as the young Taoist priest he had seen in the dilapidated temple before. Seeing this, the old Taoist priest nodded, reached out to help him up, and said...

"This time, I traveled north at the request of a friend to find his only daughter. The white crane that accompanied me is an ancient and rare species, a spirit beast of my Gezao Mountain. It can carry people a thousand miles a day."

Upon hearing this, Wang Huanzhen was overjoyed. He said to the old Taoist priest, "Then please have mercy, Taoist priest, and take my wife back to Gezao Mountain to save her. I will never forget the great kindness of Gezao Mountain and the Taoist priest."

"Don't be hasty, listen to what this old Taoist has to say. I had already made an agreement with my old friend to take his only daughter as my disciple. But this white crane is not yet an adult, so I can only take three people with me at a time."

"Besides the old Taoist priest, we can only bring two others. Have you decided who will go back with the old Taoist priest?" The old Taoist priest pointed at Wang Zhenhuan and the other two, stroking his beard as he spoke.

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhenhuan was stunned. He asked the old Taoist priest with a mixture of joy and hesitation, "Since you can bring three people, then bring this lady along. She can take care of my wife."

He emphasized the word "wife" with particular force. The old Taoist chuckled and said to him, "Don't worry, Gezao Mountain belongs to the Shangqing lineage, and marriage is not forbidden there. Besides, I see that you and I are destined to meet again."

"In that case, I entrust my wife and this lady in distress to you, Daoist Master," Wang Zhenhuan said, blushing and somewhat embarrassed. Hearing that Lin Qingyan had survived, his mind began to work more smoothly.

"Have you thought it through? You're not going with them?" the old Taoist priest asked again.

"Daoist Master, you said I have a connection with your Taoist school. If I go to Gezao Mountain, will I be able to cultivate Taoism?" Wang Zhenhuan asked in return after hearing his words.

"You are destined to be with me, but not with my Gezao Mountain..." The old Taoist shook his head regretfully.

"Then what am I still hesitating about? Since meeting this lady, she has never considered abandoning us. And naturally, I won't either!"