Starting as a stray dog, I embarked on a journey of cultivation.

If it didn't come back to life, why can a corpse still move?

Gou An didn't rush to expose the old man's conspiracy. Instead, he hid himself, wanting to see what the old man was up to.

Furthermore, Gou An also learned the old man's Taoist name from the subsequent conversation between Zhang Yuanwai and the old man.

He calls himself Master Lingdao.

It was early winter, and many refugees had gathered in the town from other places, barely surviving in the streets and alleys.

According to rumors circulating in the town, a powerful demon is causing trouble in the west, which is why many people have fled here to save their lives.

The Zhang family steward quickly set up a large pot at the entrance of the mansion and, along with several servants, distributed free porridge.

Upon learning that there was food available, many refugees gathered at the entrance and lined up to receive porridge.

Once a large number of refugees had gathered, the steward called out to them, "Listen while you eat. Our Master Zhang is kind-hearted and knows your hardships. Therefore, he plans to recruit some of you to work as servants in the mansion. You will be provided with food, lodging, and wages."

Upon hearing this, the group of refugees were immediately excited.

Many of the migrants who were still queuing for porridge even gave up queuing and crowded around the steward, eager to sign up.

Upon seeing this, the steward immediately waved his hand, summoning several strong servants to maintain order.

At the same time, he shouted to the crowd, "Don't rush, one at a time, line up on the side!"

"We are only recruiting eight people, regardless of age or gender. After registering your name and birth date, you will be asked to step aside and wait."

"Those who are destined to enter my household will have the opportunity to do so."

Soon, the line of people signing up to be servants was even longer than the line of people receiving porridge.

They lined up one by one, gave their names and birth dates, and then stepped aside to wait for the results.

The papers were filled with writing, and then the steward delivered them to the mansion for the Taoist priests to choose from.

This tactic proved extremely effective, and eight people who met the criteria were found.

Amidst the envious gazes of the displaced people, they were led into the mansion by the steward.

"I'm so envious of them! I wish I could go in there too!"

There was a lot of discussion among the crowd.

"That's right, they didn't want any strong and healthy women, but instead chose an old lady in her eighties!"

"There's also a child!"

"Alright, Mr. Zhang is kind-hearted. It's good enough that he gave us a bowl of hot porridge."

Soon, the crowd's attention returned to the porridge. It was a pity that they hadn't been chosen as servants, but they still needed to fill their stomachs first.

By the time the porridge was distributed outside and the crowd dispersed, it was already evening.

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the town in a crimson glow.

In the backyard of the Zhang residence, the eight selected individuals stood on an open space, their faces showing unease and tension.

An elderly woman in her eighties was holding the hand of a six or seven-year-old boy; both of them were filthy.

There was also a middle-aged woman next to her, whose body was covered in patches. Although she looked ordinary, she appeared to be in relatively good health.

The other five people are those whose birth charts are based on the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. They include both men and women, and all of them are in their twenties or thirties.

"Grandma, I'm hungry!" the little boy muttered pitifully from behind the old woman.

"Good boy! Child, you'll have food when you see the master soon." The old woman gently patted the child's head and comforted him softly.

Just then, Master Zhang finally arrived at the backyard, led by the steward, followed closely by the Taoist Master Lingdao.

"These are the masters!" the butler introduced respectfully.

Master Zhang glanced at them one by one, nodded, stepped aside to make way for Master Lingdao, and whispered to him, "Immortal, why don't we wait a couple of days before we make our move? At least let them have a good meal before they set off."

"Hmph!" Master Lingdao snorted coldly after hearing this, and laughed, "You really are kind-hearted. Why don't you just not save your wife?"

"No, no, no!" Master Zhang immediately shook his head upon seeing this: "Madam must still be saved."

"One day at most!" Master Lingdao said to Master Zhang. "Have them wash themselves clean, eat their fill, and then hand them over to me."

After he finished speaking, he went up to them and asked each of them to extend their hand.

Master Lingdao grabbed each of their wrists to compare and examine whether their destinies matched their birth charts, in order to avoid any errors.

When he examined the little boy, the boy looked at him curiously and asked, "Grandpa, are you a fairy?"

Hearing the child's words, Master Lingdao gave a cold laugh, merely patted the child's head, and said, "To you mortals, I am a god!"

"They said only gods can save us. You are a god, so we are saved!" the little boy said in his childish voice, his eyes shining with hope.

Master Lingdao did not answer his question, but turned and left. As he passed Master Zhang, he whispered, "Don't forget what I just told you."

"Yes!" Master Zhang nodded immediately, then said to the butler, "Take them to stay here first, and make sure they all take a hot bath tonight, eat and drink their fill, and then change into clean clothes."

"Yes, sir!" the butler replied hastily.

The eight chosen people all showed expressions of joy after hearing what Master Zhang said.

Hot water, hot food, shelter from the wind and rain, and clean clothes.

These were things that these refugees could only dream of.

All of this was clearly seen by Gou An, who was hiding in the darkness in the distance.

Unfortunately, these mortals don't realize that everything they're seeing now is just a bubble.

As night fell, everyone in the mansion had gone to sleep.

Only one side room still had its light on.

At that moment, Madam Zhang carried a basin of hot water to Master Zhang's side, her eyes vacant and her tone stiff: "Master, wash your feet!"

Mr. Zhang dared not refuse, and could only let Mrs. Zhang kneel on the ground to take off his shoes and then wash his feet by hand.

But Mr. Zhang wasn't enjoying himself; instead, he felt somewhat uneasy.

He glanced at the Spirit Dao Master beside him and said, "Immortal, this isn't right."

"Is something wrong?" Master Lingdao narrowed his eyes, his expression indifferent.

"My wife has never washed my feet!" Mr. Zhang swallowed hard, very nervous.

"Isn't this good?" Master Lingdao said with a smile, "Women should be like this! Your wife must have been moved by the fact that you sacrificed so much to bring him back to life."

"Is that so?" Mr. Zhang looked down at his wife, who was both familiar and unfamiliar, with a complicated expression.

A moment later, Master Zhang asked again, "Immortal, where do you plan to make your move the day after tomorrow? Please don't let it be this courtyard. If it gets exposed, it will be troublesome."

"Don't worry, just find an excuse to get them to come with me!" Master Lingdao stroked his beard. "I guarantee no one will know."