I am a wandering immortal in the mortal realm.

"Taoist Master, what... what exactly is going on?" Zheng Baozhu's expression changed drastically.

She used to be able to casually say, "Confucius did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits," but now she is completely panicked.

Shen Yuan frowned slightly and reassured him gently, "Don't panic, layman. I'll go ask first and then answer your questions."

"Who are you asking? Isn't this Taoist temple just yours, Master?"

Shen Yuan smiled without saying a word, only saying, "Please wait a moment, layman." After saying that, he bowed and gracefully entered the backyard.

"Eh? Taoist priest..."

Zheng Baozhu stared at his back, filled with doubt, and couldn't help but call out softly from behind.

Suddenly remembering the many strange things about Shen Yuan, she immediately shut her mouth, found a place to sit down, and waited anxiously.

Sister Hu took a step back, licked her front paws, glanced at Zheng Baozhu, and then followed the Taoist priest with elegant steps.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard, Hu Xiaomei was battling a takin.

The fox leaped from the treetop, its black light flashing like an arrow released from a bow, and in the blink of an eye it was in front of the takin. Then it swiftly struck, slashing at the takin's head with its claw.

Upon seeing this, the Taoist priest couldn't help but sigh. This little sister Hu truly lived up to her reputation as a descendant of the War Fox. Just look at the cold light emanating from between her claws; she could probably tear through steel plates.

But this incredibly swift claw strike, when it landed on the takin, was like a tickle, only ruffling the fur on its head.

The takin, relying on its indestructible body, always remained unchanged in the face of any change, enduring the attacks head-on, seemingly certain that its opponent could not break through its defenses.

Just as Hu Xiaomei had exhausted her old strength and had not yet generated new strength, the takin's head finally snapped upwards.

This seemingly effortless thrust was actually extremely dangerous; the sharp horns on its head looked as if they were about to pierce through Hu Xiaomei's stomach.

Hu Xiaomei, of course, wouldn't sit idly by and wait to die. She grabbed the bull's horn with her claws, and with a "snap," she used the momentum to fly up into a tree, looking down at the takin below.

The takin couldn't climb the tree, so it could only watch from below. But no matter how aggressively it howled or nodded in invitation, Hu Xiaomei remained unmoved.

Once the takin gets tired of bellowing, it will calm down and slowly graze. Only then will Hu Xiaomei jump down from the treetop and play with the takin.

In the past few days, countless battles like this have occurred, and the Taoist priest has long been accustomed to them.

They don't really fight; they usually just stop short of a real fight.

Even the Taoist priest didn't expect that Sister Hu and the takin could get along so well.

"Master Dao!"

When Hu Xiaomei saw Shen Yuan, she called out in a very clear and crisp voice.

After spending a few days together, they gradually became familiar with each other, and Hu Xiaomei was no longer as afraid of the Taoist as she had been at the beginning.

Moreover, due to the restrictions placed by the patriarch, the two foxes have gradually developed a sense of belonging to the Taoist temple and speak much more freely.

"Fellow Daoist Xiao Hu, why are you bullying Brother Niu again?" Shen Yuan asked it.

Hu Xiaomei stuck out her tongue, licked her nose, and said slowly, "I didn't bully it; it was just angry and needed to vent!"

Shen Yuan tilted his head to look at it: "Hehe, are you trying to trick me on purpose because Brother Ox can't talk?"

"Really!" Hu Xiaomei said with certainty.

Shen Yuan snorted lightly: "Then tell me, why is it angry?"

Hu Xiaomei chuckled and shouted, "It thinks the food Daoist Master prepared for it is awful!"

"No way?"

Shen Yuan couldn't help but look at the takin. This thing ate a whole basin in one meal, and it didn't seem to have a bad appetite.

He called out, "Brother Niu!"

The takin barked once, but didn't raise its head. However, judging from its appearance, it didn't seem to be angry.

Hu Xiaomei skipped lightly to Shen Yuan's feet, looked up at him, and said, "Taoist, the stupid ox says the porridge isn't good; it wants to eat chicken!"

Shen Yuan: "..."

I suspect there's someone else who wants to win, right? Haha, he shouldn't have asked that question earlier!

"Fellow Daoist Hu, you probably don't know that Brother Ox is a herbivore, do you?"

"What is a herbivore?" Hu Xiaomei tilted her head, puzzled. "Does it only eat grass? But I saw it eat porridge, and I've fed it fruit too!"

"Uh..." Shen Yuan thought for a moment and said, "You can just understand it as it not eating meat!"

"It doesn't eat meat?" Hu Xiaomei turned to look at the takin, her eyes filled with pity. "It doesn't even eat meat; its life is truly miserable!"

Ha, are you two even the same species? You're even acting pitiful.

"Then how can it eat chicken?" Hu Xiaomei asked persistently.

The Taoist priest chuckled gently, "Does Fellow Daoist Little Fox want to eat chicken?"

Hu Xiaomei licked her paws: "We've caught all the rats in the temple."

"Fellow Daoist, why don't you go outside to find some food?"

Hu Xiaomei retorted, "Didn't the Taoist priest say it included meals?"

"Well……"

Shen Yuan was speechless for a moment. He had indeed said that, but while he did include meals, he didn't say he would include chicken! How many of his men could afford to do that?

He gave a wry smile: "Fellow Daoist, please forgive me, I am penniless and have no money whatsoever!"

"No, you have money!"

"I have no money!" Shen Yuan said helplessly. "All my money is with your sister. You can find out whether I have money or not just by asking!"

"I can smell it, Taoist priest..." Hu Xiaomei suddenly said meaningfully.

Shen Yuan's heart skipped a beat: "What do you smell?"

Hu Xiaomei raised her head, sniffed the air, then suddenly opened her half-closed eyes, her tone certain: "It smells of silver, Daoist Master, you'll be rich soon!"

Shen Yuan stared in disbelief: "You have this ability?"

The Taoist was shocked. He had previously thought that creatures like the "Gengjin Fox" could only smell money scattered outside. He had originally planned to use it as a treasure-hunting device, but he never expected it could even smell future fortunes. Wasn't that a bit too heaven-defying?

Sister Hu strolled forward slowly, glanced at Little Sister Hu, her eyes filled with pride: "This is the skill of the Gengjin Fox. It can detect the aura of wealth and absorb the light of gold and jade. It said, 'Master, if you have money, it means a big business opportunity is likely to come your way!'"

Shen Yuan was overjoyed: "Haha, thanks for your kind words, fellow Daoist! If I really make a fortune, I'll definitely treat you two to chicken—a really big, fat chicken!"

Hu Xiaomei quickly swallowed, then added, "However, Daoist Master, your wealth energy is quite strange. It's hidden within many causes and effects. Whether you can grasp it depends on your own choice!"

"Well……"

Shen Yuan was speechless. So the Taoist priest was happy for a long time, but in the end he told me that it was Schrödinger's fortune, and whether or not I could get rich, I had to make a choice first, right?

He couldn't be bothered with this cunning fox anymore. Remembering his business, he turned to Sister Hu and asked, "Fellow Daoist, you just transmitted your voice to me. Do you recognize the evil spirit that has afflicted Layman Zheng?"

Sister Hu nodded and said, "Does the Daoist know that demons, like humans, must first rectify their origins if they wish to cultivate the Great Dao? What must be rectified? It is the evil, the malevolent, and the wicked!"

What are evil, malevolent, and wicked?

"Evil spirits invade from the outside, like spider webs clinging to clothes. Talismans and golden light can subdue them, and they will be cleansed once brushed away. Misfortune, however, is the result of one's own actions. It is like branches growing wildly, and once it touches one's body, it is equivalent to cause and effect. It is like a tangled debt, a heartache, or a clump of dirt stuck to the sole of one's shoe that cannot be shaken off. It cannot be easily eliminated."

It suddenly drew closer, its pupils narrowing, and its tone became elusive: "Humans only know the horror of demonic arts, but they don't understand the desires of the human heart. The karmic debts born from the poison of desire far surpass any evil in the world. Unless one specializes in the demonic path, we generally prefer to attract evil rather than create karmic debts. After all, humans fear incurring debts, and demons fear being tainted. We demons understand the principle of bearing the burdens of the past!"

Shen Yuan listened in a daze, but he understood that this so-called "evil" was an extremely troublesome thing, so he asked, "Is there a solution?"

The fox jumped onto a stone platform and said with a coquettish smile, "To cut off one's own roots, to truly repay one's debt, to cut off the flow of poison, and to resolve the cause of evil, there are only these few methods. However... if someone is blessed with great fortune and merit, they can also offset the resentment."

Shen Yuan was taken aback, yet puzzled: "That doesn't make sense. The Zheng family has a clean and upright family tradition; they are a family that accumulates good deeds. How could they have gotten involved with these things?"

The fox merely scoffed: "How many times have you humans engaged in outward acts of benevolence and morality while secretly engaging in illicit sexual acts?"

The Taoist priest glanced at him and warned, "Fellow Daoist, your thoughts are dangerous!"

After saying that, he shook his head again: "That's true, but I've been to the Zheng family and had contact with them. They don't seem like the kind of hypocritical family!"

"Then it's very likely that he picked up something unclean from outside..." The fox's voice paused, then suddenly said, "I remember now, the man who came yesterday also had the same scent, only it was very faint, which would disgust me but not make me feel uncomfortable."

A sudden realization dawned on Shen Yuan, and he exclaimed, "I know what it is!"

The fox looked at the Taoist priest, but the priest had already hurriedly headed towards the front hall.

It thought about it for a moment, then decided not to follow, and instead began to groom its fur.

Suddenly, a dark shadow landed. Looking down, it turned out to be a dead bird.

Hu Xiaomei jumped in front of it and pushed the bird forward: "Big sister, this is for you."

Sister Hu remained elegant, not even glancing at it: "I don't need it, you eat it yourself!"

"Big sister, have you started eating grass too? I see you're enjoying your porridge, even the mice don't seem to like it much anymore."

Sister Hu glanced at it and laughed, "Why do you ask that? I just don't want to eat raw food anymore!"

Why?

The fox sighed softly and said, "Because humans don't eat raw food!"

……

Zheng Baozhu was getting impatient waiting when she caught sight of the Taoist priest approaching and quickly went to greet him.

"Master, have you gained anything?"

Shen Yuan nodded, took out a piece of official silver, and showed it to Zheng Baozhu: "Layman, have you ever seen this type of official silver in your home?"

Zheng Baozhu glanced at it and shook her head: "How could my family have such a large silver ingot! Is there something wrong with the silver?"

"This humble Taoist is merely guessing..." Shen Yuan frowned. "Speaking of which, this money was actually a reward from Layman Zhuang!"

"Zhuang Ping?" Zheng Baozhu slapped her forehead, annoyed. "He's a spendthrift; if we're talking about who's rich, he's definitely one of them. Oh dear, since it's a matter of money, could it be because we took in Sister Cui? Daoist, what should we do? My mother and third brother are both in poor health; we absolutely cannot afford to offend these evil spirits!"

Shen Yuan frowned, his intuition telling him that this wasn't the case. If it was because he took in Zhuang Ping's wife, why was Zheng Baozhu unharmed when she took the peace charm yesterday?

So the problem must still lie in the last two days, but it hasn't been noticed yet.

"Master, can you buy this on credit? I... I'd like to ask you to come down the mountain and take a look?" Zheng Baozhu asked somewhat shyly.

Shen Yuan chuckled, then suddenly a thought struck him. Remembering Hu Xiaomei's words, he thought to himself, "Could it be that my fortune is destined to come here?"

"Taoist Master, is it alright?" Zheng Baozhu asked hopefully.

Shen Yuan smiled: "No rush, no rush, let me ask first!"

"Ask again?" Zheng Baozhu was speechless.

Then the Taoist priest took out a cup made of ox horn and came to the altar where incense was burning.

For trivial matters, consult the fox; for important matters, consult the patriarch. It must be said that the Taoist priest has mastered this process quite well.

"I earnestly request the Ancestral Master to grant me a divine response. I, your disciple Shen Yuan, sincerely ask: Is it possible to make a fortune on this trip down the mountain?"

He silently recited the mantra and threw down the jade cup, only to see the two pieces of the cup spinning around without giving the Taoist any hint.

The smoke from the altar became somewhat disordered, as if the patriarch was pointing at him and reprimanding him: Taoists subdue demons and uphold the righteous path; how can they covet such material possessions?

Zheng Baozhu was stunned. That spinning motion wasn't a cup, it was a top!

Helpless, Shen Yuan could only say, "Our patriarch is content with poverty and possesses noble virtues, but we are a Taoist sect, not a beggar's clan. What's wrong with living in a dilapidated temple? If we make money this time, I will definitely renovate the main hall as soon as possible and never let our patriarch suffer from leaks again!"

"Clatter!"

The cup was placed down, and it was indeed a sacred hexagram, which meant that the patriarch had given an affirmative answer.

"Tsk tsk tsk, how can one cultivate the Tao on an empty stomach? It seems the Patriarch wasn't such a pedantic person after all!"

Shen Yuan silently put away the cup, and Zheng Baozhu hurriedly asked, "How was it?"

Let's go!

Without further ado, the Taoist priest rolled up his bundle and prepared to descend the mountain.

Zheng Baozhu was taken aback. They'd already decided to go down the mountain? Was it really that hasty?

"Master, wait for me!"

Seeing that Shen Yuan had already walked out of the palace gate, Zheng Baozhu hurriedly followed.

The Taoist priest thought to himself: Last time I went down the mountain to perform a ritual to deliver the deceased, and this time I'm going down to exorcise evil spirits. My scope of business is getting wider and wider!

……

As the two descended the mountain, before they even reached the Zheng family's house, they saw that the Zhuang family next door had once again hung up the spirit banners.

Zheng Baozhu's eyes widened: "No way, could Zhuang Ping be dead?"

She glanced around the crowd of onlookers and immediately spotted her father, whose face looked extremely grim.

"Father, what's going on now?"

When Zheng Ren saw his daughter and then the Taoist priest, he quickly greeted him respectfully.

After exchanging greetings, Zheng Rencai said angrily, "Your sister-in-law Cui received the news and brought Chen Jun's ashes back from the yamen. They are siblings, so that's understandable, and I won't say anything. But I never expected that your sister-in-law Cui would actually hold a ceremony at the Zhuang family's house. Doesn't Chen Jun have a home?"

"Huh?" Zheng Baozhu also found it unbelievable. "Brother Zhuang would agree to that?"

"Your elder brother Zhuang has vanished without a trace. I've already sent your brother to look for him," Zheng Ren said, exasperated. "I always thought your sister-in-law Cui was a good person, but I never expected her to be so muddle-headed when it comes to handling things!"

He glanced around and figured that most of the people who came today were probably there to see the bookmaker make a fool of himself.

It's a pity that Brother Zhuang's lifelong reputation was ruined here by an ignorant woman!

"Dad, why didn't you stop him?"

"You still think of your Uncle Zhuang when he was around? We are, after all, two separate families. This isn't a legitimate reason for us to interfere. How can I stop you?"

Just then, a shout came from the crowd: "Wang Duangong is here!"

Then an elderly man dressed in a blue robe, holding a bronze mirror, and exuding an air of refinement slowly walked over.

As soon as he arrived at the Zhuang family's house, he glanced at the funeral hall setup, nodded, and then turned his head and noticed the Taoist priest standing to the side.

Wang Duangong looked Shen Yuan up and down, then suddenly smiled and asked, "Is this Master Shen from Yiyuan Temple?"

"Greetings, layman! This humble Taoist is Shen Yuan!"

Wang Duangong said with difficulty, "Last time when Master Zhuang passed away, I heard that the Taoist priest was invited. I don't know why I was invited this time. Alas, we are all of the same kind. I have no intention of competing with the Taoist priest. It's just that the host invited me in person, and I really can't refuse."

Shen Yuan: "..."

So you've come to challenge the person in question, huh? You're so ungrateful, you know that?

Shen Yuan inwardly scoffed, but outwardly said, "My cultivation is low, and I cannot compare to you, sir!"

Wang Duangong laughed heartily and asked, "I've only vaguely heard that Master Zhuang was restless after his death, often disturbing his descendants. Did you come here to resolve this matter, Daoist?"

The Taoist priest replied with a forced smile, "Of course not!"

"Oh~" Wang Duangong nodded, seemingly having had his fill of showing off, before saying, "Then this old man will get back to work and won't disturb you any longer, Daoist!"

"Please feel free to do as you see fit!"

Wang Duangong swaggered toward the mourning hall.

Chen Cuier came out of the house, her face was sallow, her eyes were red and swollen, and she was listless. It was clear that she had been suffering from mental torment during this period.

Upon seeing the Taoist priest, she was first taken aback, then embarrassed. After thinking for a moment, she stepped forward and explained, "Taoist priest, my brother died a violent death this time, and there are many inconveniences at home, so I wanted to keep the funeral simple, which is why I didn't invite you..."

The Taoist waved his hand and said, "Layman, there's no need for further words. I understand. Please accept my condolences and take good care of yourself!"

Chen Cuier pursed her lips, curtsied, and then left.

She approached Wang Duangong and asked, "Duangong, I've heard that you can summon spirits. Is that true?"

Wang Duangong paused in his fiddling with the objects, coughed, and said, "This...of course!"

Chen Cuier lowered her head and sobbed, "My brother died a violent death, and now even his body has been burned. We don't know where his soul is wandering. If the exorcist truly has this ability, please be sure to summon my brother's soul so that he can rest in peace after death!"

Wang Duangong's eye twitched, and he suddenly glanced at Shen Yuan, scoffing, "Leave it. I'm not the kind of person who seeks fame and fortune, but this price..."

"The price is negotiable!"

Wang Duangong smiled and said, "Then please wait, Madam!"

The two had a conversation that was clearly heard by the onlookers, who were all curious about how Wang Duangong would summon the soul.

He asked for Chen Jun's birth date and time, burned it together with the talisman that had already been written, and then took a bushel of incense ash and mixed it together.

He drew talismans in the air with his fingers and chanted them aloud, and he actually looked quite convincing.

After a while, he carefully and evenly sprinkled the ashes around the urn.

Someone asked, "Master Duan, what are you doing?"

Wang Duangong smiled mysteriously: "The spirits are invisible; only with the help of external forces can others know whether they have been here!"

Everyone suddenly realized.

Wang Duangong stole a glance at Shen Yuan, and seeing that he had no reaction, he sneered inwardly.

He has a wonderful method to leave a mark on the incense ash, and today he will let the whole town see who the real master is.

Thinking of this, he worked even harder, and when everyone looked at him, it seemed that there was indeed a certain mysterious meaning to his actions.

Just then, a sudden gust of cold wind swept through the room, causing the incense and candles placed on the altar to flicker and scattering the ashes on the ground...

Wang Duangong felt a chill run down his spine, and goosebumps instantly rose all over his body. He thought to himself, "What's going on? Why is this different from before?"

Suddenly, he heard a "drip" sound, and something dripped onto his shoulder. He wiped it away and immediately smelled a putrid stench.

He looked up and saw a ghost head right in front of his face!

"A ghost!"

The crowd dispersed in a flurry, and Wang Duangong seemed to come to his senses. With a "whoosh," he threw down his copper coin sword and ran outside.

He had only run a few steps when suddenly a tremendous force grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back.

The Taoist priest looked at him with a smile and said, "You're really something else. You're unhappy when you can't invite a ghost, and you're not happy when it does. You're quite the character!"