With virtue

"Master Yuanmeng?" Zhao Yunshu frowned slightly upon hearing the name.

Why is it this monk again?

He went on to explain, "His medicine might make you feel a little better, Master Zhou, but it can never cure you. If you don't let this resentment in your body come out, it will recur sooner or later. By the time it turns into a viper, it will be too late."

At this point, he suddenly realized something, thought for a moment, and asked in a deep voice, "Has any craftsman at the kiln had an accident before?"

Upon hearing this question, Zhou Chengan was taken aback.

He frowned, his expression gradually changing: "A few days ago... Old Zheng passed away. But he was over fifty. The kiln workers who lived to that age weren't exactly in good health; it was a natural death, and nobody thought much of it. Could that be related?"

"I've already found a viper on the kiln," Zhao Yunshu said, looking at Master Zhou.

Zhou Chengan opened his mouth, startled.

Although he wasn't a cultivator, he had a general idea of ​​what a viper was after hearing Zhao Yunshu's story about the old man's resentment turning into a snake yesterday.

That's not a good thing.

Zhao Yunshu didn't urge him, but said in a low voice, "Master Zhou, everyone thinks I'm exaggerating, but you're an old friend of my master, and I can't just stand by and watch you..."

Zhou Chengan raised his head, looked at Zhao Yunshu's serious expression, and then looked down at his own trembling hands.

He recalled what Sun Shouxin had said yesterday, and then he remembered how Master Li had exorcised the demon at the kiln years ago, and how he hadn't even accepted any money...

After a moment of internal struggle, he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, your master saved me once back then, so I'll trust you this time. I did trust that monk a little too much."

He stood up, blinked, and the turbidity in his eyes cleared a bit. "I'll go talk to Foreman Sun right now and ask him to cooperate with you. Don't worry, although Old Sun is in charge of this kiln, I've been working at the kiln for over forty years, so my words still carry some weight. If I say I want you to treat it, he can't very well stop me."

He coughed twice as he said this.

After catching his breath, he waved his hand, "But Daoist Master, according to your logic, that Dream-Realizing Master... is not as good as you?"

At this point, he hesitated, as if he felt he shouldn't have said that, and finally dropped the topic: "Forget it, let's not talk about this. Getting better is the priority. What's the point of talking about whether it's better or worse?"

"Master Zhou, what exactly is this Master Yuanmeng's background? Do you also think he's powerful?" Seeing his expression, Zhao Yunshu knew that he doubted her abilities compared to the monk, so she simply asked directly, "I've seen that everyone at the kiln treats him with great respect, and Chief Sun is especially obedient to him. How can an outsider monk have such influence at the Ding kiln?"

Zhou Chengan then said, "The Taoist priest just came from outside and doesn't know anything about this place. As for the background of this Master Yuanmeng... well, he claims to be from Anguo Temple."

"Anguo Temple?" Zhao Yunshu vaguely felt that the name sounded familiar, but couldn't remember where he had heard it before.

Seeing the puzzled look on his face, Zhou Cheng'an began to explain in a long, drawn-out manner.

"This Anguo Temple is no ordinary small temple. It was originally one of the most important temples in Chang'an City. It was once known as the National Temple of the Tang Dynasty. It was originally located in Xuanfeng Ward, south of Shuai. It was originally the residence of Yang Wensi of the Sui Dynasty. Later, it was given to Fan Zigai. During the Tang Dynasty, it became the residence of Zong Chuke. Zong Chuke was later exiled to Lingnan, and the residence then belonged to Crown Prince Jiemin. After the Crown Prince became the heir apparent, in the third year of Shenlong, it was renamed Chongyin Nunnery. Later, it was renamed Weiguo Temple. It was not until the first year of Jingyun that the name Anguo Temple was finally settled."

He coughed twice at this point, then continued, "During the Huichang era, Emperor Wuzong persecuted Buddhism, and less than one in ten temples remained in the country. Anguo Temple was also destroyed, and its monks scattered and wandered the world. Although it was later rebuilt, it never regained its former glory. Nowadays, monks who travel outside often claim to be from Anguo Temple. Some of them do have genuine lineage, while others are just using the name."

He paused to catch his breath, then continued, "This Master Yuanmeng came to Dingzhou last year. Many high-ranking officials and nobles treated him with great courtesy. He was always willing to help with any difficulties the kiln faced. Moreover, he was skilled in the arts of water and fire. His method of creating water could conjure up a clear spring out of thin air. He also had a technique that could help the fire. Daoist, think about it, the porcelain-making business is ultimately about the interplay of water and fire. The porcelain clay needs to be mixed with water, and the body needs to be fired with fire. If the temperature is slightly off, the glaze will be ten times worse."

"Master Yuanmeng had this method. After arriving at the kiln, he instructed several masters, and they successfully fired several kilns of fine porcelain. The glaze was more lustrous and translucent than before. When it was sent to the governor's mansion, it received praise, so everyone respected him greatly."

"My illness flared up badly a few days ago, and Chief Sun invited him to come and examine me. He prescribed medicine for a few days, and I did feel a bit better. That's why Chief Sun didn't quite believe you yesterday when you said my illness wasn't really an illness. It's not that he doesn't believe the Taoist priest, but that he believes Master Yuanmeng more."

He paused for a moment, then said, "But apart from that, there's nothing particularly special about him. He's gentle and polite. Every time he comes to the kiln, he either treats patients or inspects the porcelain. He never asks for money or puts on airs like a monk. I don't think he's a bad person."

After listening, Zhao Yunshu nodded thoughtfully.

Then, he changed the subject: "Well, let's leave his matter aside for now. Master Zhou, go and prepare a sheep lung, four qian of almonds, five qian of persimmon frost, five qian of real ghee, three qian of real powder, and five qian of white honey. I'll try it out first." Zhao Yunshu said.

"Is this a lung-nourishing prescription? The monk prescribed the same thing, and he even gave me rhinoceros horn, rehmannia root, and razor clams. Will this work?" Master Zhou said.

"Add rhinoceros horn for excessive heat, add rehmannia root for blood deficiency, and add fritillaria bulb for excessive phlegm. These are indeed good prescriptions for moisturizing dryness, calming blood, and treating pulmonary atrophy. Master Yuanmeng's prescription is undoubtedly correct in terms of moisturizing the lungs and clearing heat."

However, he shook his head again: "Master Zhou, the root of your illness is not in your lungs. If you don't get rid of the resentment, even if you drink rhinoceros horn and rehmannia soup every day, it will only be a temporary fix. My prescription also seems to be about nourishing the lungs, but the method of use is different—these are the guiding herbs, not the main medicine."

Zhou Chengan seemed to understand but not quite, but seeing his certainty, he didn't ask any more questions and simply nodded, saying, "Alright, I'll go prepare it now."

"No rush," Zhao Yunshu raised her hand to stop him, and then said, "There's one more thing. After Master Zhou has prepared all this, please spread the word that I'm going to treat your illness. It would be best if everyone at the kiln knew about it, and even if some people came to watch."

Zhou Cheng'an was taken aback and asked, puzzled, "What's the reason for this?"

"Resentment doesn't come from nowhere; it must have a source. If there really is something haunting the kiln, it knows someone is trying to disturb its resentment, so it will probably get restless. Luring it out is better than us searching blindly." Zhao Yunshu chuckled as he said this. "Besides, Chief Sun doesn't believe I can cure diseases, right? Let everyone see. If I cure it, he won't always think I'm just here to scam people out of food and drink."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Cheng'an couldn't help but chuckle, then quickly composed himself and whispered, "Daoist Master, your method... won't it be dangerous?"

"It won't be dangerous, but you'll have to suffer a bit," Zhao Yunshu said. "The process of releasing resentment won't be comfortable, so you should be prepared."

Zhou Chengan waved his hand: "I'm not afraid of suffering. What kind of suffering haven't I endured with these old bones? Alright, let's do as the Taoist priest says. I'll go and make the arrangements now, and spread the news while I'm at it."