From Paper Craftsman to World-Suppressing Immortal

Tianjin is located at the confluence of nine rivers. The Haihe River sustains this vast city, and this waterway also supports countless fishermen who make their living from the water.

These fishermen, who live on their boats and make a living by fishing, often worship Mazu, the goddess of the sea, praying for smooth sailing, a bountiful harvest, and a safe return home every time they go fishing.

The Tianhou Temple in Tianjin is located in the northeast corner of the city. It was first built before the two dynasties and is located near a wharf on the Haihe River.

The Tianhou Temple in the northeast corner of Tianjin is not large in scale. It is built with gray bricks and blue tiles. The plaque above the mountain gate reads "Imperial Construction of Tianhou Palace". Over the years, exposed to the wind and sun, most of the paint on the plaque has peeled off. The temple entrance is deserted, with only a few old fishermen drying their fishing nets squatting and dozing under the wall.

Zhang Zhixuan walked through the mountain gate and passed through the front hall. He saw an old locust tree that was over a hundred years old in the courtyard. The trunk was so thick that two or three people could not wrap their arms around it. Under the tree was a large bronze cauldron, which was half full of rainwater and covered with a layer of withered leaves.

Inside the main hall was a statue of the Heavenly Empress, with a golden face and black hair, holding a jade tablet. On either side stood the Thousand-Mile Eye and the Wind-Following Ear. Only half a candle remained on the incense table, and there was hardly any incense ash in the incense burner. For some reason, it was cold and deserted.

Zhang Zhixuan bypassed the main hall and went to the side hall at the back. The door of the side hall was ajar, and a yellow talisman was pasted on the door. He knocked on the door, but no one answered for a long time.

"Is anyone there? Is anyone home?"

Zhang Zhixuan called out twice, but there was no answer from inside. Instead, a kind and gentle voice sounded from behind him: "This layperson, who are you looking for?"

Zhang Zhixuan turned around and saw an old woman with white hair and a kind face, wearing a gray cloth jacket, standing not far behind him.

"I'm looking for Master Pei Shouzhen. Does Grandma know where he is?" Zhang Zhixuan asked.

"Looking for Master Pei? Oh dear, what bad timing. Master Pei went out, saying he went to the docks to investigate a case. He left this morning, and should be back soon..."

"He's not here, oh well, okay..." Zhang Zhixuan sighed helplessly, wondering whether to wait or leave first. Before he could make up his mind, his stomach started rumbling.

After a long day of running around, Zhang Zhixuan had barely managed to eat a few bites of cornbread and half a melon. Now that he was inside the Tianhou Temple, he felt a little more relaxed, but he was also very thirsty and hungry.

"Since I have money now, I might as well go get something to eat first, and then come back. Pei Shouzhen might already be back."

Zhang Zhixuan was pondering his intentions and was about to explain his purpose to the old lady and ask her to pass on the message, but before he could even open his mouth, his rumbling stomach betrayed him.

Despite her white hair and advanced age, the old lady was sharp of hearing and sight. Hearing the rumbling in Zhang Zhixuan's stomach, she covered her mouth and chuckled, "Master, you haven't eaten yet, have you? I just cooked some noodles. If you don't mind, please have a bite."

"Oh! Then I'll accept it without hesitation!" Zhang Zhixuan never knew how to refuse free food and drinks.

The Tin Hau Temple is small and not very crowded. The old lady lives there all the time. The kitchen and dining room are combined into one small room that was originally used to store miscellaneous items.

When Zhang Zhixuan came in, he saw a small wooden table next to the stove. The table was not big, but it was full of plates and bowls.

In the center of the table was a bowl of cold noodles, next to which were a porcelain bowl of braised soy sauce and a large bowl of prepared sesame paste. On a large porcelain plate were neatly arranged cucumber shreds, radish shreds, bean sprouts and a plate of stir-fried shrimp.

Upon seeing this table, Zhang Zhixuan was stunned: "Grandma, are you alone? How many people did you cook for?"

"Including Master Pei who is staying at the temple, I'm just an old woman here. That bowl of food was originally prepared for Master Pei, but it seems he might not be able to come back for this meal. Why don't we eat it first?"

"The food we are serving you is a bit meager, please don't mind, sit down and eat."

"Not at all shabby, not at all shabby, it's practically lavish..."

Zhang Zhixuan looked at the basin, which was bigger than his face, and his face twitched. He thought the basin was for three or four people, but it turned out to be for Pei Shouzhen's own portion.

The old lady took two pairs of bowls and chopsticks, picked out a small half bowl of noodles, added the toppings, and then scooped out a spoonful of soy sauce gravy.

Zhang Zhixuan poured a spoonful of sesame paste into his bowl of noodles, mixed the noodles, and was about to start eating.

The old lady pushed a few cloves of garlic towards me: "Layman, if you eat noodles without garlic, you'll lose half the flavor."

Zhang Zhixuan couldn't help but chuckle, yet he couldn't refuse. The spicy and stimulating taste of raw garlic in his mouth, paired with simple side dishes and sesame sauce noodles, was simply divine. At this moment, there was only one word to describe the taste: "Absolutely amazing!"

"Are you the temple keeper of this temple?" Zhang Zhixuan asked.

"I wouldn't call myself a temple keeper. I'm just an old woman with nowhere else to go, so I've been tending to the temple here all this time. It's only since Master Pei came to stay here that it's become a bit more lively."

"That shouldn't be the case. There are many people in Tianjin who make a living by the water. How come the Tianhou Temple is so deserted?" Zhang Zhixuan asked, puzzled. The old lady also kept quiet. The two chatted briefly for a few minutes, and then they started showing off their food in tacit agreement.

Zhang Zhixuan was about 80% full when he heard steady footsteps outside.

"Master Pei is back." Before Zhang Zhixuan could even move, the old lady had already put down her bowl and chopsticks, walked to the door, and called out in the direction of the footsteps, "Master Pei, a layperson is looking for you; they're in the kitchen!"

As soon as the voice fell, a resounding reply came from outside: "Coming!"

Zhang Zhixuan put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up and walked to the door of the kitchen. From afar, he saw Pei Shouzhen, who looked like a little giant, striding towards him in a dusty and unkempt manner. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of him.

"Master Zhang, we meet again." Pei Shouzhen bowed.

Zhang Zhixuan returned the bow and sincerely thanked him: "Master Pei, you can probably guess why I came here to find you. That evil spirit has already come looking for me. Fortunately, your golden light talisman blocked it, otherwise I'm afraid I wouldn't be standing here unscathed now."

"It's good that the layperson is safe and sound."

"Master, besides that evil spirit, I have a few other things I'd like to ask you." Zhang Zhixuan was about to continue speaking when Pei Shouzhen raised his hand, indicating that they should wait a moment.

"It's lunchtime. I'll eat first, please wait a moment, layman." With that, Pei Shouzhen strode into the kitchen, picked up the large bowl of noodles, and slurped them down in a whirlwind, along with the vegetables and sauce.

In a side hall of the Tianhou Temple, Pei Shouzhen sat down opposite Zhang Zhixuan. His tiger-like eyes, like those of a door god, fell on Zhang Zhixuan. After scrutinizing him for a moment, he slowly spoke: "The Golden Light Evil-Repelling Talisman has been destroyed, but the mark on the layman's body is still there. The evil spirit has not been eliminated and will probably not give up. It may come looking for you again at any time."

"I know."

Zhang Zhixuan sighed helplessly. That night, in his dream, the paper wife's angry roars seemed to echo in his ears again.

"That's why I didn't dare delay and came to find you as soon as possible. Do you have a way to solve this, Taoist Master?"

"Many strange cases that have occurred in Tianjin recently have clues pointing to Panlong Mountain. Whether it is related to your matter, Mr. Zhang, or something else, I must make a trip to Panlong Mountain to investigate thoroughly."

"Layman, there is no need to worry. I have already contacted several fellow disciples from our sect to come and help. Once they arrive, we will set off immediately."

Zhang Zhixuan nodded, feeling more confident.

"By the way, there's one more thing I'd like to ask you, Daoist Master. Do you know what a 'Controller of Laws' is?"