I am a wandering immortal in the mortal realm.

Hearing Old Chen's words, Shen Yuan remained silent, but his mind uncontrollably conjured up images of a fire-breathing takin, an invincible divine sword, and that wordless Daoist scripture that he had been studying for days without finding any clues...

"Could it be that my transmigration wasn't just a coincidence?" A ridiculous thought surfaced in Shen Yuan's mind. "According to the settings in those online novels, could I be some kind of chosen one, my soul transported to another world to save it?"

Shen Yuan: "..."

No way! I'm just a fake Taoist priest who's just wasting his life. I can't possibly shoulder the responsibility of "two capitals and thirteen provinces"!

He groaned inwardly. Old Chen, seeing his solemn expression, didn't dare to disturb him. He simply took out his pipe and silently took a couple of puffs.

After a long while, Shen Yuan finally came to his senses and turned to ask, "Layman Chen, I have a request that you might be willing to grant..."

Old Chen hurriedly replied, "You're too kind, Daoist Master. Please speak freely. As long as it's within my power, I will certainly not refuse!"

Shen Yuan pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, and then said directly, "I would like to ask the layman to teach me the incantations for carrying the coffin!"

"Huh?" Old Chen was taken aback, thinking he had misheard. He stared at Shen Yuan for a few moments before saying, "Does the Daoist Master want to learn my incantation?"

"Uh..." Shen Yuan nodded, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "It was my presumption. If you have any difficulties, please just take it as a joke!"

"No, no, no!" Old Chen waved his hands repeatedly, then suddenly chuckled, "If the Daoist wants to learn, there's nothing wrong with me here. I'm just a little surprised..."

He paused, glanced at Shen Yuan to make sure the other wasn't joking, and then hesitantly said, "After all, this incantation was originally passed down from Yiyuan Temple. As the abbot, why would you go to such lengths, seeking something far away when you can find it elsewhere?"

Shen Yuan explained with a smile, "So that you may know, sir, that I was appointed through the Yuanjing Daoist Examination, and am not a native disciple of Yiyuan Temple. Now that I see the lineage within the temple, I am somewhat tempted..."

"Ah...it's actually a Taoist priest from Yuanjing!" Old Chen exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise. "Oh dear, I've been so rude! Please forgive me, Taoist priest! Please forgive me!"

He had only arrived at the Zhuang family today and was unaware of Shen Yuan's background before. Now that he heard that the other party was from Yuanjing, his respect for him instantly intensified.

After all, for the people of Linquan Town, Yuanjing was far too prestigious. This magnificent city was renowned for its beauty, so exquisite it defied description. Just thinking about it stirred up a flood of thoughts.

This is probably the natural inferiority complex of a country girl meeting a city goddess; Old Chen's behavior became much more restrained.

Shen Yuan smiled and waved his hand: "Please don't be like that, layman. I only took the Daoist examination in Yuanjing, I'm not a native of Yuanjing. To be honest, you and I are the same, just country bumpkins in the eyes of the people of Yuanjing!"

"Hahaha……"

Hearing his joke, Old Chen laughed heartily, visibly relaxing, and nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, yes, the Taoist priest is right. Once we leave Yuanjing City, we're all country bumpkins!"

Shen Yuan smiled and then brought the topic back: "In addition, the reason why I want to learn that incantation is also because I want to find the inheritance of the Yiyuan Temple."

Old Chen's smile faded slightly as he waited for the next part to continue.

"As you, layman, are aware, Yiyuan Temple has been abandoned for many years, and its lineage has long been severed. Now that I am the abbot, I naturally wish to revitalize the Yiyuan lineage. To rediscover the past traditions is simply my duty."

"I see!" Old Chen nodded, his gaze filled with envy mixed with admiration, but he couldn't help but say, "Master, this is no easy task!"

Shen Yuan laughed and said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. If you do nothing, you will achieve nothing!"

"The Taoist priest is truly virtuous!"

Old Chen straightened his back and solemnly bowed to Shen Yuan with the salute of a江湖人 (jianghu person, someone from the martial arts world).

Shen Yuan stepped aside to avoid the bow, not daring to accept it, because he felt guilty.

Actually, he wasn't telling the truth just now.

Knowing that the world was about to undergo a major change, he was already secretly thinking about ways to protect himself.

Even though you have an invincible sword, you can't put all your eggs in one basket; you have to be strong yourself to succeed!

As a self-taught Taoist who had entered the profession halfway through his life, he had no master to protect him and no friends or neighbors to help him. Even if he wanted to cultivate, he would not be able to find the right way to start.

Nowadays, the only thing that can truly be seen to evoke any supernatural power is Old Chen's coffin-carrying incantation.

Even a small mosquito is still meat. Even if Shen Yuan thinks this incantation has limited power, as long as one understands its principle, one can unravel the mystery, reverse cause and effect, and develop one's own skills.

As for retrieving the lineage of the One Yuan Temple, it was merely a side effect!

After bowing, Old Chen looked somewhat embarrassed.

Shen Yuan saw it clearly, and a thought struck him. He took the initiative to ask, "Does the layman have any concerns?"

"Hey..." Old Chen shook his head and sighed, "It's an honor that the Daoist Master would take a liking to my meager skills. I have no reservations. I just... I just..."

"Please speak freely, layman!" Seeing his hesitation, Shen Yuan said directly.

"Since you say so, Daoist Master, then I will speak frankly!" Old Chen secretly glanced at Shen Yuan's expression, and seeing that he was not displeased, he said, "To be honest, this incantation is not some secret that is not passed on, but I have a small request of my own!"

Shen Yuan's gaze remained calm, which reassured Old Chen. He continued, "As you, Daoist, have witnessed today's events, I believe the world is about to change, and things will likely become even more turbulent in the future. If we ever encounter any intractable problems, I would be grateful... uh... I would be grateful if Daoist would be so kind as to lend a helping hand."

"Of course, I won't let you work for nothing, Taoist priest." Old Chen quickly added, then said awkwardly, "Taoist priest should know that our job is to deal with the dead. If demons and ghosts were to come back to life, we would be the first to be affected..."

Shen Yuan frowned. He wanted to agree immediately, but he knew his own situation best. He didn't have any real skills and relied entirely on the power of the divine sword.

If I agree to Old Chen's words today, and then encounter troubles that even the divine sword cannot solve in the future, wouldn't I be harming myself and others?

But if I don't agree to Old Chen's request, and he doesn't teach me properly, and I miss this opportunity, when will I be able to open the door to cultivation?

After much deliberation, he finally made up his mind, nodded, and said, "Since I have received your help, it can be considered that we have formed a good karmic connection. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, I will certainly not stand idly by."

"This...this..."

Old Chen was surprised that Shen Yuan agreed so readily, and he became visibly excited.

With such a wise person's guarantee, one's life is assured, and when the world descends into chaos in the future, one's fortunes will surely rise accordingly.

There's a saying: The bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish!

"Could the layperson be teaching now?"

The Taoist's calm voice reached Old Chen's ears, and he nodded repeatedly, replying, "I can teach! I can teach!"

After that, he became serious and, imitating his master's past actions, carefully taught Shen Yuan the key points of those incantations.

Shen Yuan's prediction was correct. This incantation was not as simple as just reciting it. Rather, it was about using the frequency and techniques of vocalization to achieve a brief communication between man and nature, thereby activating the flame in one's heart and boosting one's own yang energy.

The principle is simple, somewhat like the common belief that "a twitching left eye means wealth, while a twitching right eye means superstition." It simply uses the power of sound to influence people's thoughts.

When one's mind is unmoved, one is naturally fearless, and when one is fearless, no evil can invade!

The Taoist was not stupid to begin with, and with the vast flow of information from later generations to corroborate it, he quickly understood what Old Chen was trying to say, even though Old Chen spoke haltingly.

Old Chen exclaimed in amazement: "If only my apprentice had such comprehension!"

The teaching was quickly completed, and the rest was up to the student to comprehend on their own. As the saying goes, the master leads you through the door, but the cultivation depends on the individual. Whether you can learn the skills depends on your own destiny.

Shen Yuan felt he had gained a great deal and couldn't help but bow to Old Chen: "Thank you for imparting your skills, Layman. 'Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me.' The words of the ancient sages are indeed true!"

"Oh, Master, you flatter me! I am not worthy of the title 'Master'!" Old Chen waved his hands repeatedly, his face turning bright red with embarrassment.

Shen Yuanqing's clear eyes were fixed on him, and he said very seriously, "A teacher is one who imparts knowledge, teaches skills, and resolves doubts. Today's layman is certainly worthy to be my teacher!"

"This...this..." Old Chen was secretly pleased, but he didn't show it too much.

Just as the two were exchanging pleasantries, a faint arguing could be heard from the other side.

"...Funeral rites and rituals are the work of Taoist priests. Even if there are some setbacks, it's understandable to charge a little extra money. Why ask for more than ten taels?"

"You get what you pay for. You've seen the Taoist priest's skills yourself. If it weren't for him, it's questionable whether your father would even be able to leave the house today!"

"That's still less than ten taels!"

"So you're going to break your promise and get rich quick?"

"Uncle Zheng, you can have this money; I don't have any!"

"..."

Shen Yuan heard the whole story but couldn't help coming over to them, and the two immediately stopped arguing.

Shen Yuan smiled and asked, "Gentlemen, now that this matter is settled, I must return to the mountain. How shall we settle the payment?"

Zhuang Ping looked up at the sky, while Zheng Ren chuckled awkwardly, "I'll get married, I'll get married!"

Just as he was about to take out his money, Shen Yuan suddenly spoke up to stop him, saying, "Wait a minute, is this money Zheng Jushi's or Zhuang Jushi's?"

"Is there any difference?" Zheng Ren paused as he reached for his money.

Shen Yuan said, "This matter originated with the dealer, so it should be the dealer's responsibility to resolve it. If Layman Zheng wishes to take on this karmic burden, he can simply pay this sum."

Zheng Ren was startled. Who would dare to take on the karma of a ghost? Was this some kind of joke?

He couldn't help but look at Zhuang Ping, only to see Zhuang Ping sneer: "You Taoists also talk about cause and effect?"

Shen Yuan chuckled: "Taoism advocates non-action (wuwei), and non-action means there are no fixed rules, yet all methods can be used!"

Zhuang Ping was still a little uneasy, but taking out ten taels of silver at once made his heart ache.

After hesitating for a long time, he said rather shamelessly, "I don't have any money on me, can I buy it on credit?"

No credit allowed!

"Then there's nothing we can do!"

Zhuang Da glanced at Shen Yuan with an expression that said, "Let's see what you can do to me."

Shen Yuan laughed and said, "In that case, this humble Taoist will have no choice but to find another way!"

Zhuang Ping's heart skipped a beat: "What are you going to do?"

Shen Yuan's expression suddenly became inscrutable, and he said in a low voice, "There's nothing else to do but ask your father to make the decision for me!"

"Oh dear, that won't do!"

Before Zhuang Ping could react, everyone else was shocked.

After finally burying someone, if they come back to life, wouldn't that scare people to death?

Immediately, everyone offered their advice.

Zhuang Ping, recalling the scene in the mourning hall, suddenly chickened out. He took out ten taels of silver from his pocket and reluctantly handed it over.

"Here you go! Here you go!"

Shen Yuan smiled and reached out to take it, but as soon as his hand touched the silver, he felt an invisible net closing in on him.

The wooden sword in his hand seemed to sense something, and suddenly trembled. The sword light flashed, the net shattered instantly, and the silver became nothing special.

"Master Daoist! Master Daoist!"

Zheng Ren called out softly, not understanding why the Taoist had suddenly lost focus.

Shen Yuan looked at Zhuang Ping, his gaze sharpening, a hint of inquiry and amusement in his eyes…