Starting with Taoist priests from Maoshan to cultivate immortality

Jiang Yu waved his hand:

"Manager, settle the accounts!"

"Welcome, sir!"

Manager Xia of Wangchunlou came running over with a smile.

He had a mole the size of a soybean on the left side of his chin, with a tuft of black hair, making him highly recognizable.

Manager Xia checked the food and said with a smile:

"A total of eleven taels and six mace!"

Jiang Yu's eyes widened:

"You're robbing me!"

This food would cost at least two taels of silver.

"I'm sorry, it's one tael and six mace." Manager Xia realized what he meant, chuckled twice, and spoke apologetically:

"Today is my wife's 70th birthday, and we are short-staffed, so we apologize for any inconvenience caused!"

"His wife must be very wealthy, right?"

Jiang Yu took out some silver and said something meaningful.

Shopkeeper Xia exclaimed in surprise:

"Master, how did you know?"

"Hmph, heavenly secrets are not to be revealed!" Jiang Yu flicked his whisk, feigning profundity, and asked Manager Xia:

"Shopkeeper, is there a bald-headed beggar nearby?"

Although the general location has been given, it will still take some effort to find it.

Jiang Yu thought for a moment, and since Wangchunlou was always busy with customers, the manager must be well-informed. He might as well ask him directly.

Shopkeeper Xia was making change when he heard this name, and his face immediately fell:

"Master, what do you want with him?"

Jiang Yu pointed to the packaged food and wine:

"Do one good deed every day."

"Then you've come to the wrong person." Manager Xia shook his head, hesitating to speak further:

"Master, it's not that I'm heartless, it's just that the beggar has a strange temper and doesn't know the slightest bit of right and wrong!"

"I kindly gave him some clean leftover food from the shop, but he was so picky and complained about everything!"

Jiang Yu smiled and shook his head:

"It's alright, where is he?"

Seeing Jiang Yu's insistence, Manager Xia pointed out the window:

"It's right at the corner of the alley to the north; you'll see it as soon as you get there."

Jiang Yu carried the wine and dishes to his destination.

At the base of the wall, a beggar with a head covered in sores lay shirtless on a straw mat, legs crossed, dozing off.

Sensing someone approaching, he opened one eye halfway and glanced at them, then closed his eyes again and continued sleeping.

Jiang Yu didn't approach him to speak, but instead took out a futon, sat down, and stared straight at him.

Half an hour later.

The bald beggar frowned, tossing and turning in circles, and finally, unable to bear it any longer, opened his eyes:

"Hey kid, why are you staring at me?"

Jiang Yu remained calm:

"It's okay, you can go back to sleep."

Most cultivators, despite a lifetime of arduous practice, cannot accumulate much merit.

He only needs to complete one simple task each day to earn a stable income.

This is something that other monks can only dream of.

Therefore, he now has plenty of patience.

The bald beggar sat up, scratched the sores on his head, and shouted:

"What exactly do you want?"

Jiang Yu then slowly opened the lotus leaf wrapping the food:

"I'll treat you to a good meal."

The bald-headed beggar crossed his arms and sniffed.

"This roast chicken smells delicious."

But then, his face hardened:

"Who do you think I am? That I'd eat such mundane food!"

"Take it away, I'm not eating it!"

That's really strange.

Jiang Yu wasn't angry and continued to ask:

"What would you like to eat? I'll find it for you."

The bald-headed beggar rolled his eyes and said irritably:

"This beggar wants to eat dragon liver and phoenix gall, do you have any?"

"Okay, I'll bring it to you next time!"

Jiang Yu agreed without hesitation.

His goal was to give the bald-headed beggar a full meal and complete the "do a good deed a day" task.

As for when the next one will be, who knows?

"You're quite the braggart!" The bald-headed beggar couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this boast.

"I can give you a chance... I want to eat Widow Wang's Tofu from West Street."

"Okay!" Jiang Yu nodded and got up to act.

"I'll go and bring Widow Wang here right now."

The bald-headed beggar's head was covered in black lines:

"I'm talking about the tofu made by Widow Wang!"

Jiang Yu's lips curled slightly:

"I was just saying it offhand."

Watching Jiang Yu's departing figure, the bald beggar flicked his finger, a golden light flashed in his eyes, and a white mist enveloped Jiang Yu's head.

The bald beggar frowned as he withdrew his magic.

"What a strange little Taoist priest! He can't see through even a fraction of the secrets of heaven!"

Looking again at Wangchun Tower, there was a wisp of black mist above it that lingered for a long time.

The bald-headed beggar lay back down on the straw mat, muttering to himself:

"A dark aura is looming overhead; a great calamity is imminent within three days!"

"No!" The bald beggar suddenly stood up, his hands forming hand seals as he calculated again, his expression grave.

"The scope of this disaster is wider than I anticipated! A large number of innocent lives will be lost."

The bald-headed beggar sighed:

"Unfortunately, due to my duties, I cannot directly intervene in cause and effect."

……

West Street, Widow Wang's Tofu Shop.

This is a small two-room shop. The shop facing the street has a tofu stall, filled with various tools for grinding soy and pressing tofu, exuding a lively and down-to-earth atmosphere.

At the bedroom door, a seven or eight-year-old boy was holding a book, quietly reviewing his lessons.

"Big sister, I'd like to buy some tofu!"

As soon as Jiang Yu stepped into the store, he frowned.

Besides the strong smell of braised tofu, the shop also had a slightly foul odor, giving it a strange smell.

A woman in her mid-thirties emerged from the back room; she was slender and quite attractive.

"What a pity!" Jiang Yu shook his head.

Being widowed at this age must be very difficult.

Widow Wang casually picked up a towel, wrapped it around her hair, and asked:

"How much tofu would you like, sir?"

Jiang Yu glanced at her and noticed that she had large dark circles under her eyes, her breathing was weak, and her face was as pale as paper.

He wondered to himself: People say there are three hardships in the world: rowing a boat, blacksmithing, and selling tofu.

These three kinds of jobs are hard and tiring, but they shouldn't be so detrimental as to this extent.

He had only ever seen this kind of appearance on people who indulged in excessive sexual activity in brothels.

But this was ultimately none of his business. Jiang Yu took out some silver:

"Give me five jin."

He had already bought what the bald beggar wanted, and if the other party refused to eat it, he would force it into his stomach.

Seeing that Jiang Yu was a Taoist practitioner, Widow Wang cut off an extra piece of tofu and whispered:

"Taoist Master, I'll give you another half a catty, praying that the True Lord will bless my son with safety."

"May you be blessed with good fortune!" Jiang Yu nodded his thanks, but before leaving, he couldn't help but remind him:

"Elder sister, heed my advice: do not indulge in excessive desires; practice moderation!"

Widow Wang's face flushed red instantly, her almond-shaped eyes widening in surprise:

"Taoist priest, I was just trying to be kind and let you eat some tofu, how dare you spout such nonsense and slander my innocence?"

"I have remained a widow for many years and have always maintained a virtuous and upright character! Don't think that we, a widow and her children, are easy to bully!"

Jiang Yu bowed:

"I was just trying to give you a friendly reminder; just take it as me talking nonsense."

At this moment, the child came up to the two of them, his eyes clear, and said:

"Mother, I've been hearing men's voices coming from your room late at night for the past few days."

"Jia'er, what nonsense are you spouting!" Widow Wang trembled, and the last trace of blood on her lips vanished.

She grabbed a bamboo stick used for pressing tofu and lashed it hard against Jia'er:

"You're talking nonsense! You're talking nonsense!"

"That's right, that's right!" Jia'er clenched her fist, enduring the pain, and said firmly with her little face:

"That man came last night, making strange 'humming' noises."

"As he was leaving, he said: 'I felt good today, but it's a pity I can't come back for another three days.'"

The commotion attracted a crowd of onlookers.

"I don't want to live anymore!"

Seeing the neighbors looking over, Widow Wang was filled with shame and indignation, and wanted to bang her head against the wall to prove her innocence.

The neighbors all knew that Widow Wang was a virtuous and chaste woman, and they all came to comfort her.

Jiang Yu stroked his chin: This appearance doesn't seem like an act.

"Sanmao True Lord, shatter your illusions!"

He looked around and cast a revealing spell.

Finally, they found a tuft of reddish-gray fox fur in the gap between the bedroom door and the door.

"I see!" Jiang Yu exclaimed in realization.

"It's the work of a fox demon!"

With a gentle flick, a demonic aura materialized as smoke and dust.

Jiang Yu stopped the widow Wang, who was determined to prove her innocence with her death, and said gently:

"Elder sister, please listen to me. Your son is possessed by a demon, which is why he is talking nonsense."

As the widow Wang's weeping subsided, upon hearing that her son was possessed by a demon, her body went limp, and she hurriedly knelt down on the ground:

"Please, Taoist priest, save my son!"

Jiang Yu raised one palm and said gently:

"I will come to capture this fox demon in three days."

In reality, it was Widow Wang who was entangled by the fox spirit.

Jiang Yu said this to protect her reputation.

If we don't intervene, she will die within three days.

After making the promise, Jiang Yu left with the tofu.

As they were leaving, Jia'er handed Jiang Yu a yellow stone pendant, about the size of a baby's fist.

"Brother Taoist priest, this is a talisman left to me by my father. I'm giving it to you; you must catch the fox demon and save my mother!"

Jiang Yu rubbed his head and smiled:

Don't worry!

Jia'er was young, but he was not only intelligent, but also a filial son.

"Wait!" Jiang Yu sensed a warm, moist spiritual energy, and his eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"This is... a mid-grade spirit stone?"

This unassuming stone pendant is actually half a mid-grade spirit stone.

Its value cannot be measured by ordinary silver or white objects.

This cause and effect is indeed significant.

Jiang Yu accepted the spirit stones and handed Jia'er a talisman:

"If that fox demon harms you, use this to defend yourself!"

He looked very serious.

"Don't worry, I will definitely catch the fox demon who harmed your mother!"

After bidding farewell to Jia'er, Jiang Yu returned to the outside of Wangchun Tower and handed the tofu to the bald-headed beggar.

"This is it!" The bald beggar sniffed it lightly, immediately snatched the tofu, and began to swallow it in large gulps.

A golden coin appeared before Jiang Yu's eyes, and a line of small characters lit up on the coin on the right:

Daily Task [Do One Good Deed a Day]:

Giving the bald-headed beggar outside Wangchun Tower a full meal is enough to accomplish a good deed.

Reward settlement, Merit +1

……