I am a wandering immortal in the mortal realm.

Hearing Shen Yuan say he wouldn't leave, Zheng Baozhu's slight disappointment and unease vanished instantly, replaced by boundless joy at the prospect of seeing the Taoist priest often in the future.

She glanced discreetly at the Taoist priest opposite her, and carefully reminded him, "Since the Taoist temple is in such a dilapidated state, and the Taoist priest is going to stay there for an extended period of time, then the matter of repairing it must be put on the agenda."

Shen Yuan had already concealed the worry between his brows. Upon hearing this, he thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "It really should be repaired."

Zheng Baozhu's eyes lit up, and she smiled faintly, "My Zheng family has always believed in the Taoist sect, and we have made many offerings to the Jade Emperor Palace every year. Now that we know that the master intends to establish a mansion here, there is absolutely no reason for us to stand idly by..."

Shen Yuan turned to look at Zheng Baozhu, his eyes as clear as water and mist.

Zheng Baozhu's heart trembled slightly, and she quickly lowered her head, continuing, "However, my family is poor, and I am afraid I am unable to donate money or goods. But I have four older brothers who usually gather herbs in these mountains. They are all skilled laborers. If you need any help, please just give the order."

Zheng Baojuan, who was sold out without cause: "..."

"Even though I am a young woman and not as strong as a man, I have done a good job cleaning up the mess and tidying up. Please don't be so polite, Daoist!"

Zheng Baojuan was speechless, thinking to himself, "Brother, you've ruined my big business for no reason. You're quite adept at selling out your own brother. Normally, if I ask you to do something, you're always making excuses or giving me all sorts of excuses. But when it comes to this outsider, you're all over him. Truly, women are always more inclined to side with outsiders!"

Knowing that the imperial court would provide abbots with resettlement funds, and considering how dilapidated the Taoist temple was, he set his sights on Shen Yuan, planning to trick him into erecting a statue and take the opportunity to skim some money off him.

Despite his slippery nature and inability to endure hardship, Zheng Baojuan was indeed a man of wide social connections, able to chat with people from all walks of life.

There are certainly friends who paint these portraits, but their skill level is average.

Fortunately, he didn't intend to rip Shen Yuan off too badly. In fact, he thought that for his younger sister's sake, he would only make a little money.

But Zheng Baozhu didn't give him any chance at all, and even seemed to be on guard against him. Now she was even more determined to trick him into working for free at the Taoist temple.

Thinking of this, a surge of resentment rose within him, and he immediately retorted in a low voice, "Little sister, if you're going to be a good Samaritan, don't drag your brothers into it. We still have parents to support at home, and they have to work tirelessly every day. Where would they find the time to come up here on the mountain to help out!"

Zheng Baozhu was extremely embarrassed, her face instantly turning red. She turned to glare at her fourth brother and sneered, "What business is it of yours to support our parents? When have you ever brought home a single copper coin?"

"Hey, you!" Zheng Baojuan jumped up and down in anger, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Shen Yuan sighed softly, interrupting the siblings' argument, and declined, saying, "I appreciate the layman's kindness, but the layman Zheng is right, there is no such thing as working for nothing in this world. When the temple begins to be repaired, we will naturally have to spend money to hire people."

"But..." Zheng Baozhu hurriedly said, "Our meeting with you today is fate, and I only wish to do my best!"

Shen Yuan smiled and shook his head, saying, "I have a connection with you, but not with your brother. You agreed to help without even asking a question, which seems a bit too generous. It might cause resentment between us, turning good intentions into bad outcomes. Besides, I don't want to take advantage of such a thing, nor do I deign to!"

Zheng Baozhu opened her mouth, then lowered her head dejectedly and stammered, "The Daoist Master is right. I was just being inconsiderate."

"It's hardly a lesson," Shen Yuan said gently. "I should thank you for your kind offer of help!"

Zheng Baozhu blushed, shook her head shyly, and said dejectedly, "Master, please don't say that. I didn't do anything..."

"That's not how it works!"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Baozhu couldn't help but raise her head, meeting Shen Yuanqing's clear and bright eyes. She heard him say, "As the saying goes, 'A single good thought brings good fortune; a single evil thought subdues evil spirits.' You, sir, have the intention to help, yet you are completely sincere. The moment you have this thought, I have already felt your kindness. Once this good deed is sown, for both of us... isn't this also a form of spiritual practice?"

"Is...is it possible to interpret it this way?"

Zheng Baozhu was stunned. She felt that every word the other person said was precious and full of philosophy, which made her admire them wholeheartedly and her thoughts were also stirred by their words.

Her mood returned to calm and tranquility, and her gaze towards Shen Yuan became even more affectionate.

Zheng Baojuan saw it clearly and secretly thought to himself, "I finally managed to get rid of doing hard labor, is this good sister planning to go up and offer herself up again?"

He coughed, breaking the quiet atmosphere, and feigned an elder brother's air, saying, "I think the Taoist priest is right, little sister, you mustn't be so generous with other people's money!"

Zheng Baozhu glared at him, but unusually didn't reply.

Zheng Baojuan's eyes darted around a couple of times, then he suddenly chuckled and asked, "Master Shen, how long have you been here at the temple?"

"It arrived around noon the day before yesterday, so it must have been a full two days, right?"

"Two days..." Zheng Baojuan pondered for a moment, then turned to see his younger sister's unfriendly gaze. He pursed his lips and said, "Daoist Master, I've heard that every abbot receives a resettlement allowance. The Yuan Temple is so dilapidated; the imperial court must know this. I wonder if there's any compensation available, enough to cover the repair costs?"

Shen Yuan remained silent for a long while before shaking his head and saying, "The imperial court did not provide me with any compensation. The only resettlement allowance I received was three dou of millet and ten taels of silver."

"Only ten taels?" Zheng Baojuan exclaimed in surprise.

Shen Yuan nodded helplessly.

"have to!"

Zheng Baojuan shook his head vigorously, and suddenly lost interest in Shen Yuan.

I thought it was a big, fat sheep, but it turned out to be a poor rat.

Ten taels of silver isn't even enough to repair those few side halls, let alone the back rooms and the outer walls.

This person looks like he offended someone and was sent here.

It's best to stay away from it yourself, lest you end up losing money instead of getting any benefits.

Upon hearing that there were only ten taels of silver for resettlement, Zheng Baozhu frowned and said indignantly, "How can the court do this? With current prices, even just for food and drink, ten taels of silver won't last long!"

Her gaze towards Shen Yuan held a touch more tenderness. She presented the medicine basket beside her and solemnly said, "Daoist Master, I came up the mountain today with nothing of value, only this basket of Solomon's Seal, which may fetch a little money. I hope you won't find it disrespectful; please consider it my contribution to the Yuan Temple!"

"Little sister, you...you're crazy?!" Zheng Baojuan was too late to stop her and jumped up and down in a panic.

"I'm not crazy!"

Zheng Baojuan loudly reminded him, "That polygonatum isn't just for you; I got a share too!"

Zheng Baozhu said irritably, "At worst, I'll calculate the money and give it to you when we get home."

Zheng Baojuan immediately lost his temper.

Shen Yuan shook his head and firmly declined, saying, "I cannot accept a reward without merit. You must not do this, so please take it back quickly."

"What do you mean by 'no merit' and 'merit'? I've already said, this is my donation to the Yiyuan Temple!"

Zheng Baozhu and Shen Yuan chatted for a long time and gradually became familiar with each other. She no longer suppressed her true nature and revealed her spoiled and stubborn side.

Shen Yuan said, "Layman, you braved the rain to gather herbs. This basket of Polygonatum is Heaven's reward for your hard work; it is a divine gift. I, on the other hand, have not contributed anything, so how can I rightfully claim it as my own?"

Then, emphasizing his words, he added, "Layman, to gain without effort is more of a curse than a blessing!"

"is that so?"

Zheng Baozhu was startled and quickly put away the medicine basket, seemingly afraid of bringing trouble to Master Shen.

Zheng Baojuan rolled his eyes at the sight and simply turned his head away, preferring to ignore it.

"Master, you can't do this or that. When will Yiyuan Temple be repaired?" Zheng Baozhu asked with a worried expression.

Shen Yuan laughed heartily: "Don't worry, layman. There's a way to live on one penny and a way to live on one string of cash. Things will work themselves out. It's just a few houses. Home is where the heart is!"

Zheng Baozhu sighed inwardly. "What you said makes a lot of sense, but is it really just a matter of a few rooms? I'm just afraid you won't be able to bear the hardship and will run away quietly!"

"but……"

Just then, Shen Yuan changed the subject, and the Zheng siblings looked over. They heard the Taoist say, "Taoists value Dharma, companions, wealth, and land. Increasing income and reducing expenditure are the right principles. Although I am not worthy to receive your offerings, I would like to ask you for help with other matters."

"Daoist Master, please speak, I will do my utmost!" Zheng Baozhu's eyes lit up, and she said without thinking.

Shen Yuan pointed outside and laughed, "As you can see, the Yiyuan Temple is in dire need of reconstruction and can't even properly receive worshippers. Fortunately, I have some other skills. If any families down the mountain need rituals, ceremonies, or prayers for blessings, please help me spread the word."

"No problem!"

Zheng Baozhu was thrilled. Since the Taoist priest was actively expanding his business, he probably wouldn't leave easily.

"whispering sound!"

But a sneer suddenly rang out, and Zheng Baojuan said, "Daoist Master, I'm afraid your method won't work!"

Why?

"Nowadays, everyone knows that the Jade Emperor Palace is the largest temple in Linquan Town. Ordinary families hire people from there whenever they need to perform religious ceremonies. As for Yiyuan Temple, which is so unknown, what does the Taoist priest think it has to compete with the Jade Emperor Palace?"

Shen Yuan paused for a moment, then bowed respectfully and said leisurely, "Nothing special, just good quality at a low price!"

"It's tough! It's tough!" Zheng Baojuan shook his head, but didn't say anything sarcastic.

Zheng Baozhu replied with great enthusiasm, "Master, don't worry, I will definitely promote your work well."

Shen Yuan smiled and nodded.

And so the matter was settled. After chatting for a few more minutes, the rain outside stopped.

Zheng Baojuan jumped up, then, as if enraged, grabbed Zheng Baozhu and started to walk outside: "Sister, hurry down the mountain, or Mother will beat you if we don't go back soon."

He wasn't afraid of going back too late; he was afraid that if he left a little later, his sister would move the whole house to that Taoist priest.

This awful thing!

When Zheng Baozhu heard the other party mention her own mother, she did not resist, but kept turning back to look at her with reluctance.

"Bang!"

As the gate was slammed shut, Shen Yuan's back relaxed, and he instantly hunched over.

"Phew, I finally got away with it. Pretending to be a Taoist priest is really tiring." He rubbed his back and hurriedly walked to the back, sighing as he went, "Luckily, I watch a lot of TikTok videos and read a lot of inspirational quotes, otherwise it really wouldn't have been so easy to fool them today!"

Upon arriving at the rear hall, his gaze quickly locked onto a small black earthenware urn next to a pile of extinguished firewood in the corner of the kitchen.

"I'm so hungry, so hungry. We've been chatting for too long. I hope the porridge isn't cold yet."

As they were talking, Shen Yuan quickly walked to the pottery urn, looked down, and froze.

No, where's my porridge?

Where is my huge pot of porridge?

There was no trace of porridge left in the earthenware jar, not even a drop of soup remained, as if it had been licked clean.

"Who is it?!" Shen Yuan roared.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a series of loud stomping sounds rang out.

Turning my head, I saw a huge creature, neither cow nor sheep, with curved horns on its head, a short tail like a bear, and a憨厚 (honest and simple) appearance, emerge from a hole in the wall beside me.

"It's you!"

Shen Yuan gritted his teeth and harbored resentment.

The creature that arrived was none other than the infamous "King of Murder in the Qinling Mountains"—the takin, which had been making headlines on Douyin!