I am a wandering immortal in the mortal realm.

The next day, Shen Yuan unexpectedly got up very early.

No other reason than that stupid ox was snoring!

The sound was almost like thunder, and coupled with the fact that the Taoist temple had been in disrepair for many years, the two combined gave Shen Yuan the feeling that the main hall was about to collapse at any moment.

This left him feeling uneasy and unable to sleep at night.

So the next morning, he made up his mind that he had to move the stupid ox to a new place.

"Hey, get up, get up!"

Shen Yuan walked up to the takin and kicked it without hesitation. It was clearly awake, but it was pretending to be asleep.

Doesn't it know it snores when it's asleep?

The takin reluctantly got up.

Actually, it was also very nervous last night. This Taoist priest didn't sleep at night and secretly played with his sword, even laughing hysterically. It scared the ox to death!

It was terrified that the Taoist priest would use his sword to chop it in the middle of the night, so it waited for most of the night and, seeing that the Taoist priest had no intention of cutting the ox, finally felt at ease and went to sleep.

They were clearly getting along fine, but for some reason, the Taoist priest came over early in the morning to kick it again.

People like to snuggle in their blankets, so why can't it be the same if it's a cow?

But seeing the Taoist's bad expression and intimidated by the divine sword's power, it dared not act rashly and could only obediently sit and listen to the instruction.

"You are not allowed to sleep in the main hall tonight!"

The ox almost lost its composure as soon as the Taoist priest uttered his first words.

Sure enough, humans are all big liars. They said yesterday that we could continue living here, but today they want to drive the cattle away!

Go if you want, fortunes change, don't underestimate a poor ox!

But before it could react, the Taoist's second sentence rang out.

"Go find a place in the backyard. From now on, I'll sleep in the front hall, and you'll sleep in the backyard. We won't disturb each other. Understand?"

"Woof!"

The takin called out, hoping it wasn't being driven away; the takin didn't want to lose its beloved home.

It licked its wet lips, changed from sitting to lying down, just like a bored child in class, its bull-like eyes looking around everywhere.

Shen Yuan felt helpless seeing how lazy it was, but he couldn't punish it for it.

It is cruel to punish someone without teaching them. Although this is just a beast, it is also his tenant. Shen Yuan always believed that they were equals.

Moreover, being in the remote mountains, he couldn't help but think of them as friends and wanting to spend time with them.

So Shen Yuan got tired of giving a lecture.

Takins don't understand human speech, so we have to guess what they mean. Instead of wasting our breath here, it's better to guide them subtly in our future interactions.

He led the takin to a spot in the backyard, which should have been a vegetable garden that the Taoist temple had previously cultivated. However, it had not been cultivated for a long time and was overgrown with weeds, almost abandoned.

The Taoist pointed to the ox, then to the ground, and personally demonstrated the process of pulling weeds. He placed the weeds beside the antelope before announcing today's task: "See this patch of land? Your task today is to remove all the weeds from it. If you do well, you'll be rewarded with a pot of porridge. If you slack off, you won't get anything. Understand?"

"Woof!"

Shen Yuan thought he would have to teach it several more times before the other party understood what he meant, but unexpectedly, after the takin called out, it took the initiative to walk to the vegetable patch.

With a slight movement, the bull lowered its head, curled its tongue, and a clump of weeds fell into its mouth.

Without any effort, just a gentle tug, the weeds that would normally take an adult some effort to pull out were uprooted in an instant.

Even the soil was turned upside down.

Then it dug around a bit more, picked out all the edible grass inside, and ate it.

Sometimes, perhaps because they don't like the taste, they'll smack their lips a few times.

"oops!"

Shen Yuan's eyes lit up; this weeding efficiency was too high.

They even produce and sell their own produce, saving on fodder. All they need to do is buy some farm tools and till the land.

Moreover, the takin is incredibly strong and has great stamina; it's clear it was born to pull a plow.

The previously endless cleanup of the Taoist temple suddenly began to show signs of progress. Shen Yuan was overjoyed and couldn't help but praise loudly, "Brother Niu, you are so capable! Very good, excellent! You'll be rewarded with porridge later!"

"Woof!"

Takins are now very sensitive to the word "porridge" and become very excited when they hear it.

Seeing that he was pulling weeds with great enthusiasm, Shen Yuan didn't sit idle either. He first went to the kitchen to cook porridge, then took off his Taoist robe and began to clear away the surrounding ruins.

It was all just clods of earth, broken bricks, and dead wood, all of which he sorted and threw into a pile.

That's how housework is; before you start, you always have all sorts of excuses to put it off. But once you get busy, it feels like the exhilarating feeling of beating a video game.

Looking at the backyard that was originally messy, disorderly, and dilapidated, and gradually tidying it up, the sense of accomplishment was indescribable.

In fact, during the time he had been here, not a single day had passed without him feeling lost. He even fantasized that it was just a dream, and that when he woke up, everything would be gone.

Only after all illusions were shattered and I resolved to settle down here did that fighting spirit within me rekindle.

At this moment, the man and the ox were busy with their own tasks, and the sun gradually rose higher, piercing through the thick fog.

Fine, fish-scale-like spots are scattered across the courtyard, creating a tranquil and beautiful scene.

The human world is far removed from the world, the birdsong tells of tranquility, and when the heart is empty and at peace, one can transcend!

……

"call!"

Shen Yuan stood up, let out a long breath, rubbed his back, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and smiled as he looked at the courtyard, which now appeared twice as spacious. He called out, "Brother Niu, today's mission was a resounding success. Come with me to a celebratory banquet to reward yourself for your hard work this morning."

"Woof!"

The takin responded with a loud howl.

Eating grass and singing songs, and still having porridge to eat, the Taoist priest doesn't seem so bad after all.

After a morning of work, Shen Yuanzhen was a little hungry, so he divided up the portion of takin and began to eat heartily.

Unexpectedly, just halfway through the meal, there was a knock on the door.

A thought flashed through his mind: "Who could be coming at this time? Could it be Miss Zheng?"

After quickly finishing the porridge in his bowl, he told the takin "Don't come out" and then hurried to the front hall.

Upon opening the gate, the visitor was indeed Zheng Baozhu.

However, this time, he was not accompanied by Zheng Baojuan, but by a tall, handsome young man who looked to be around twenty years old.

"Oh, greetings, Master Shen!"

Although it wasn't the first time they had met, Zheng Baozhu was still stunned by her beauty and paused for a moment before remembering to greet her.

The Taoist priest looks even more handsome today!

After greeting him, Zheng Baozhu lowered her head shyly, her doe-like eyes glancing at the Taoist priest from time to time.

Because of his work, the Taoist priest had taken off his Taoist robe today, wearing only his undergarments, with the sleeves rolled up to reveal his well-defined forearms.

Her hair was a little loose, and beads of sweat were still hanging down on her forehead and temples.

The masculine energy is almost overwhelming!

If it were anyone else, they would certainly look disheveled, but on the Taoist, it was a kind of robust beauty that was no less than his previous otherworldly demeanor!

"Greetings, Layman Zheng!" Shen Yuan returned the greeting, then looked at the young man beside him and asked softly, "And this devotee is?"

Zheng Baozhu quickly introduced, "Daoist Master, this is my elder brother, Zheng Baojin!"

Zheng Baojin raised an eyebrow slightly, cupped his hands, and said, "Greetings, Daoist Shen. I've long heard of your great name, and seeing you today, I can see it's truly well-deserved!"

Shen Yuan glanced at Zheng Baozhu, who lowered her head guiltily. He smiled gently and returned the greeting with a slight bow: "Greetings, Layman Zheng!"

After saying this, he looked at Zheng Baozhu and asked, "May I ask what brings you two laymen here so early in the morning?"

Zheng Baozhu said "Oh," and then, as if she had just remembered, explained her purpose.

"Although the reward is only one or two taels of silver, everything is difficult at the beginning. As long as this ritual is done well and the neighbors around see it, we will not have to worry about people asking you to perform rituals in the future."

Having said that, as if afraid the Taoist priest would think the price was too low, he quickly added, "If the Taoist priest feels the price is not right, we can discuss it, but my neighbor here..."

He was interrupted halfway through his sentence by Shen Yuan: "Young Master Zheng is joking. Since it is the price your father agreed to, I will certainly not refuse. Moreover, one tael of silver is already quite fair. However, I am not dressed elegantly at the moment. May I freshen up before going down the mountain?"

Zheng Baozhu asked curiously, "What did the Taoist priest just do?"

Shen Yuan smiled and stepped aside, replying, "I just tidied up some miscellaneous items. Please come into the main hall and wait; I'll be done shortly!"

The three entered the Taoist temple one by one. Zheng Baojin, just like Zheng Baojuan yesterday, kept looking around with curiosity in his eyes.

Although the Taoist temple was dilapidated, it was well-organized inside, clearly having been deliberately tidied up.

Knowing that what the other party said was true, he nodded with some satisfaction.

"The temple is simple and we are sorry we did not serve you fragrant tea!"

"Master, please don't say that. We arrived unexpectedly, to begin with."

Shen Yuan chuckled and nodded: "Please wait a moment, you two!"

Seeing Shen Yuan walk into the backyard, Zheng Baozhu said proudly, "Brother, how about that? I wasn't bragging, was I?"

Zheng Baojin nodded: "He doesn't seem like a good-for-nothing who's lazy and only knows how to read Taoist scriptures. If you marry him, little sister, with your family's help, you shouldn't have a hard life!"

Zheng Baozhu was taken aback, then her face flushed crimson, like rouge applied to her cheeks. She gritted her teeth and scolded, "Brother, what are you saying?"

Zheng Baojin smiled and was about to make a joke when he suddenly heard a series of dull thuds.

He looked up and his eyes widened in shock; his body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Zheng Baozhu was startled, turned her head to look over, and also let out a sharp explosion.

A gigantic creature with two horns, resembling a monster, quietly appeared behind them.

It kept nodding, as if it were greeting someone.

"Bo Yi!"

Just as the two were terrified and at a loss, a deep shout rang out from inside the hall.

The Taoist priest had changed his clothes at some point and was walking out with an air of otherworldly grace.

The takin shrank its neck, withdrew its challenge, and reluctantly retreated.

"Master, this...this is..."

Shen Yuan reassured them, "Don't be afraid, gentlemen. This is actually just a sheep!"

Zheng Baojin's lips twitched: "Daoist Master, don't joke around. Have you ever seen a sheep bigger than a cow?"

"Did you raise this, Taoist priest?" Zheng Baozhu asked timidly, hiding behind her elder brother.

Shen Yuan shook his head: "No, this is one of my tenants. You can call him Boyi."

"Rent... a tenant?" Zheng Baozhu was completely bewildered.

Shen Yuan nodded: "Actually, it has a pretty good temperament..."

"Is this a matter of good or bad temperament?" Zheng Baojin thought to himself. "With that size, one hit would definitely kill him, right?"

This Taoist priest was able to scare away the strange beast with a single word. Could he really have some kind of supernatural ability?

Thinking of this, Zheng Baojin's gaze towards Shen Yuan became noticeably different.

"Brother Niu, you stay here and guard the place. Don't damage public property, and don't steal any food! Understand?"

"Woof!"

Looking at the takin's憨憨憨的 (simple and honest) response, Zheng Baozhu couldn't help but say, "It's so well-behaved!"

Shen Yuan smiled and reminded them, "Gentlemen, shouldn't we be heading down the mountain now?"

"Okay!"

Zheng Baojin snapped out of his daze and quickly agreed, his attitude showing a subtle increase in respect.

So the brother and sister led the way, and the three of them left the Taoist temple one by one.

The Taoist priest finally descended the mountain and began his first business transaction since taking charge of the Taoist temple!