Qingshan Temple.
Qingshan Temple today was no longer as grand as it once was, but its foundations remained. Thus, many people still came to the temple to pray and fulfill vows.
There was only one road leading to Qingshan Temple. With traffic flowing in both directions, it was a bit congested. By the time Nan Yuan'er arrived at Qingshan Temple, it was already close to noon.
After Nan Yuan'er offered incense and paid the temple donation, she walked over to a young Taoist priest who was sweeping in front of the main hall. She slipped a money pouch into his hand: "Please inform him, the Nan Prefecture's Nan Yuan'er requests an audience with Taoist Master Yun Qingzi."
The young Taoist priest glanced at the money pouch in his hand, then returned it to Nan Yuan'er. Just hearing the words "Nan Prefecture" made the young Taoist's heart pound. That day, his Martial Uncle Yun Qingzi, furious at something he had said, had rushed towards the capital. Less than half a day later, he had hurried back and left the temple that very day without delay. All of this was undeniably related to the Nan Prefecture. Moreover, his Martial Uncle had explicitly stated before leaving that he was never to get too involved with the Nan Prefecture, and if necessary, the temple could be sealed to avert disaster.
Listen to that, "to avert disaster"!
If he had a choice, the young Taoist truly wished he hadn't been so diligent today and had come to the main hall to clean the offering table!
"Respected guest, to be perfectly honest, Martial Uncle Yun Qingzi has already left the temple, so..." So please leave quickly!
Yun Qingzi was not here?
Nan Yuan'er's trip was specifically to invite Yun Qingzi. How long had it been since he last visited the Nan Prefecture? How could he be traveling again so soon?
"But when is he expected to return?"
The young Taoist shook his head: "Martial Uncle's travels are spontaneous; he returns when he feels like it, so there is no set return date!"
No return date?
Nan Yuan'er pondered for a moment and then said to the young Taoist priest, "Young Taoist, I truly have something to ask. If Taoist Master Yun Qingzi is absent, are there any other powerful figures in our Qingshan Temple who are skilled in expelling demons and subduing monsters?"
"Are you seeking someone to descend the mountain to expel demons and subdue monsters?"
Nan Yuan'er replied, "To be precise, it's to drive away ghosts!"
The young Taoist had grown up in the mountains and had never seen a single ghost to this day. Ghosts didn't appear in the deep, old forests or places with dense, miasmic, and sinister energy, but instead ran to the capital, where dragon energy was abundant and purple mist reached the heavens? What, was it trying to speed up its annihilation?
Just how defiled must the Nan Prefecture be to entrap a ghost and allow it to linger and survive within its walls!
However, if he refused this young lady from the Nan Prefecture, they might just turn their carriage and invite those bald donkeys from Linyin Temple. Wouldn't that be a benefit to them for nothing?
No, he had to take this job!
"In that case, please follow me, esteemed guest!"
The young Taoist's mind raced through a thousand thoughts. In the end, he led Nan Yuan'er into a side room in the back courtyard: "Please wait a moment, esteemed guest. I will go and seek instructions from the Abbot."
"Young Taoist, please go ahead. I will wait with all due respect."
Hearing her words, the young Taoist scratched the back of his head and said to her, "There aren't any flowers in the courtyard right now. If you're bored, esteemed guest, go about a hundred meters past this archway, and you'll find a pavilion. Due to its high elevation, you can see some beautiful scenery from there."
"Alright!"
Nan Yuan'er nodded, indicating she understood, but she had no inclination to admire the scenery at the moment. Her sole desire was to have a Taoist from Qingshan Temple descend the mountain and deal with that wretched Nan Yuqing who wouldn't even let people rest in peace after death!
...
"Master, Master!"
Out of Nan Yuan'er's sight, the young Taoist hitched up the hem of his robe and ran. Before he could even enter the room of Yun Lanzi, the Abbot of Qingshan Temple, his boisterous voice preceded him.
He pushed the door open with a "clang." Yun Lanzi, who had been halfway through hiding a braised pig's trotter, saw that he had been caught. He might as well not hide it anymore. He picked it up again, gnawing on the trotter while angrily scolding the young Taoist, "What's all the fuss about? You didn't even knock. Is this how I've taught you?"
"Master, who told you to eat pig's trotter!!!"
Yun Lanzi's mouth was slick with grease. What was more infuriating was that he was still eating. The young Taoist rolled up his sleeves, stepped forward, and snatched the trotter, glaring at Yun Lanzi and shouting defiantly, "What did the doctor tell you? To abstain from meat and greasy food, right? And what about you? This is what, the fifth time this month? The previous times you still knew to restrain yourself, but this time, you're still eating when I arrive? What, have you just given up completely? Are you throwing caution to the wind?"
Yun Lanzi was reprimanded by his disciple, and the old man was quite indignant: "Abstain from meat and greasy food, why should this old Daoist abstain from meat and greasy food? A doctor, can you believe what a country doctor says? I'll eat, I'll eat, I'll eat! At worst, I'll go see the Ancestral Master!"
"You..."
The young Taoist felt a pain in his chest from anger.
He really wanted to rush to the Ancestral Master and ask: Don't you look at the temperament and disposition when accepting disciples? What kind of people are you accepting!
The only two remaining from the Yun generation.
His Master, Yun Lanzi: in front of people, he was dignified and ethereal; behind closed doors, he was lazy and gluttonous!
His Martial Uncle, Yun Qingzi: in front of people, he was dignified and ethereal; behind closed doors, he was irritable and quick-tempered!
If the lay Buddhists and guests of Qingshan Temple were to see their true natures, they would surely turn to Linyin Temple!
"Dao Wu, why are you so serious at such a young age? It's not good, truly not good!" Yun Lanzi looked at the braised pig's trotter in Dao Wu's hands, touching his still-unsatisfied stomach. He just wanted to eat a piece of meat, just one piece of meat, why was it so difficult!
Dao Wu hid the trotter behind his back and glared fiercely at Yun Lanzi: "Don't look. I've confiscated the trotter. You'll only have vegetables tonight!"
Yun Lanzi's face immediately turned ashen: "Vegetables, vegetables, my face has turned green from eating them!"
"That's Martial Uncle. Your face is blue!"
Yun Lanzi: "..."
Is playing with words funny? Do you think you're hilarious by making jokes about their Daoist names?
"You little brat, this old Daoist will clean house today." Yun Lanzi sprang up, waved his hand, and the horsetail whisk on the bookshelf flew into his hand. Dao Wu instantly retreated, turned, and ran, shouting as he fled, "Master, Miss Nan Yuan'er from the Nan Prefecture said the Nan Prefecture is haunted by ghosts and wants to invite us to the Nan Prefecture to exorcise them!!"
The horsetail whisk was only inches away from Dao Wu's face. Yun Lanzi stopped his attempt to beat Dao Wu and clean house, frowning slightly: "Ghosts?"
He looked up at the sky. In this clear and bright daylight, ghosts actually existed in the residences of the capital's high officials?
This was truly a ghost of a chance!
"Yes, Master. Master, who do you think should be sent? Eldest Martial Brother? Or Fifth Martial Brother, Eldest Martial Brother..."
Yun Lanzi pointed at Dao Wu's nose and said, "You!"
Dao Wu shivered all over and shook his head like a sieve: "Whoever wants to go, let them go. I'm not going, you clean house!"
Yun Lanzi swung a horsetail whisk at him, sending Dao Wu face-planting.
"Go get your Eldest Martial Brother!"
"No, let's call your Fifth Martial Brother instead!"
After Dao Wu ran off, he shouted back at Yun Lanzi, "Master, don't think I don't know why you don't want me to call Eldest Martial Brother. Just wait, I'll go call Eldest Martial Brother right now!"
"Unruly disciple!!!!"