A song from Chengdu revived a closed-down pub.

The two walked up the bluestone path, one in front of the other.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the temple, Su Fan looked up and saw a wooden plaque hanging above the door, its paint peeling off, but the three characters "Qingxu Temple" were still faintly visible.

It's small, even a bit shabby, and can't compare to the magnificent temples down the mountain.

Huixin skipped over the threshold and shouted inside, "Grandmaster, I've brought the person!"

"Come in," a voice came from inside.

Su Fan took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold.

The room was small, and the furnishings were so simple that everything was immediately apparent.

A wooden couch, a wooden table, and two futons.

A calligraphy scroll hangs on the wall, which reads "The Way follows nature".

The old Taoist priest sat cross-legged on the wooden couch, with a pot of tea and two cups in front of him.

When Su Fan saw that face, his heart skipped a beat.

He recognized that face.

It's the same Taoist priest who gave him the jade pendant ten years ago.

But after all these years, that face hasn't changed much.

A thought popped into Su Fan's mind: "How come this person doesn't age?"

Zhang Lingyuan seemed to see through his thoughts and said, "City dwellers breathe in gossip and rumors, while mountain dwellers breathe in the morning dew and evening mist. That's why the mountains are good for people."

Su Fan snapped out of his daze and casually remarked, "That's better than any cosmetic surgery."

Zhang Lingyuan laughed and said, "Then you can cultivate your mind and body here."

Su Fan quickly waved his hand: "I'm just an ordinary person, I don't care much about appearance. Besides, who would I be showing off by staying all clean and tidy here?"

Zhang Lingyuan glanced at him and said, "You can start a live stream. You can make a lot of money doing live streaming these days."

Su Fan asked in surprise, "Daoist Master, you even know this? It seems that the cultural development on the mountain is quite extensive."

Zhang Lingyuan said, "We are cultivating the Tao, not immortality. The Tao can be in the mountains or in the mortal world. The vast world is also a place for cultivation. The ups and downs of people's hearts are all lessons. When you are holding your phone and scrolling through videos, the Tao is not on the screen, but in the rise and fall of your thoughts."

He paused, then turned to look at Su Fan: "Going up or down the mountain is just a matter of changing clothes."

Su Fan listened in a daze, nodding repeatedly.

Zhang Lingyuan asked him, "Did you understand?"

Su Fan said, "Although I don't really understand it, it seems very impressive."

Zhang Lingyuan was amused by his words: "You'll understand later."

Su Fan dropped his nonchalant expression and said seriously, "That's for the future, but for now, I would like to ask the Daoist Master for clarification."

Zhang Lingyuan took a sip of tea and said, "When you were ten years old, I passed through your area and asked for a bowl of water. You had a high fever then and were talking nonsense. You should remember that, right?"

Su Fan nodded; of course he remembered.

The fire came suddenly and fiercely. Aunt Liu from the orphanage was so anxious that she was pacing around in circles. Just as she was about to call a car to take him to the hospital, an old Taoist priest came to the door asking for water.

Aunt Liu poured him a bowl of water, which he drank. Then he glanced at Su Fan lying on the bed and said, "Let me take a look at this child."

He pressed on Su Fan's forehead, muttered something, and the fever slowly subsided.

Su Fan said, "If it weren't for you coming, I think I would have gone crazy from the fever."

"Your illness was a hurdle, which I helped you overcome. But this year is your biggest hurdle, one that I can't help you with. That's why I left that piece of jade back then, hoping it could help you ward off some of the challenges."

Su Fan pulled the jade pendant out from his collar.

There is a crack in the center of the jade.

He handed the jade to the old Taoist priest.

Zhang Lingyuan glanced down at it and nodded: "It's cracked, but that's good."

Su Fan didn't understand and asked, "What do you mean by 'it's okay once it cracks'?"

"The fact that it cracked means it protected you from what it was supposed to protect you. It means you've overcome that hurdle, and things will be peaceful from now on."

Su Fan stood there, looking at the jade in his hand, thinking about his transmigration, and wondered, "Did it block the attack, or did it not?"

But then Zhang Lingyuan suddenly spoke: "The Great Dao is fifty, the Heavenly Evolution is forty-nine, and one is hidden away."

Su Fan's mind went blank for a moment.

Su Fan understood what the old Taoist priest was saying, but he didn't know if the old Taoist was referring to him as the one who had escaped.

Zhang Lingyuan continued, "Your fate has changed. Some things exist for a reason, so don't overthink it."

Su Fan's mind was in turmoil. He was certain that the old Taoist priest in front of him knew something.

Zhang Lingyuan didn't continue the topic, but instead said, "We have a master-disciple relationship. Would you be willing to become my disciple?"

Su Fan was taken aback for a moment, thinking to himself, "Does becoming a disciple mean I have to cultivate in the mountains? I'm supposed to be shouldering the important responsibility of promoting Earth's culture."

Zhang Lingyuan seemed to see through his thoughts: "Don't worry, I won't leave you on the mountain. Your cultivation is not in the mountains, but in the mortal world."

Su Fan breathed a sigh of relief and readily agreed, "I'll leave it all to Master's arrangements!"

"Three days from now is an auspicious day; the apprenticeship ceremony will be held then."

……

Next, Zhang Lingyuan introduced him to several of his senior classmates.

Senior Brother, Zhao Xiyan.

Second senior brother, Xu Xingzhi.

Third senior brother, Lu Junning.

Fourth senior brother, Deng Yi.

Fifth Senior Brother, Fan Xunsheng.

Several senior brothers practice the five arts of metaphysics: mountain medicine, fate, physiognomy, and divination.

Huixin is the disciple of the eldest brother.

Su Fan thought to himself, "No wonder that kid has such good stamina; he's a descendant of the Mountain Clan."

The senior brothers were very enthusiastic towards Su Fan.

Su Fan also enjoyed this kind of interaction between fellow disciples.

Among them, Huixin kept calling him "Little Martial Uncle".

In the two days since Su Fan went up the mountain, the online controversy has been even fiercer than when he was there.

Besides chasing after Yu Baye and Xiao Yu Bailongmen to curse, there was another issue that everyone was arguing about the most.

So, who is that voice in the recording?

Some say it's from a certain brokerage firm.

Some say it belongs to a big shot in the industry.

Some people even went so far as to investigate all the bars near Yulin Road based on the clue of "bar street".

These past two days, Yu Baye and Xiao Yu have been having a tough time, and the word "difficult" doesn't even begin to describe it.

Especially with the addition of the song "Nie," they became truly filthy.

They get attacked and insulted every day.

All their business collaborations were terminated, and GG's business partners are demanding breach of contract penalties. Even their wives' social media accounts have been exposed.

Furthermore, some people have already started doxxing them.

This panicked them.

The two of them had considered retaliating.

But what will they use to fight back?

In the recording, Wang Chuan personally named them.

Every line in Su Fan's song "Nie" seems tailor-made for them.

They tried to contact Wang Chuan.

But Wang Chuan only told them not to make a sound, and then stopped answering the phone.

Now, the two of them were completely at a loss.

So, these two brothers in misfortune came together.

After discussing it, the two decided to find a breakthrough by talking to Su Fan.

But Su Fan and his group couldn't find it, so they could only start with the equations.