Hearing Venerable Cang Song speak in such a manner, and given that he was the alliance leader and had secured the consent of our elders, what else could we, the younger generation, say?
Furthermore, my life was dedicated to defying fate alongside spirits.
I was eager to slay more spirits and prolong my lifespan.
Seeing that my uncle had not yet spoken, we, without further ado, cupped our fists and addressed Venerable Cang Song:
"We will follow the alliance leader's arrangements!"
Venerable Cang Song nodded upon hearing our assent.
He then turned to Li Chunlong, the senior disciple of Wudang, and instructed,
"Chunlong, explain the incident and all the details to these young nephews!"
"Yes, Master!"
Li Chunlong cupped his fists and then turned to us,
"Yesterday evening, villagers from Lijia Village came to the Taoist temple.
They reported ghostly happenings in their village.
My two junior brothers were dispatched to expel the evil.
It wasn't until today that they returned, grievously wounded.
From their accounts, we learned that three Yellow-Clad Ghost Fiends had appeared in Lijia Village, causing continuous harm.
Their resentment was immense, and they were extremely ferocious..."
Li Chunlong stood in the main hall and spoke for several minutes,
meticulously recounting the cause of the incident to us.
He explained that Lijia Village had pooled resources for road construction.
During the digging behind the village, they uncovered a Mountain God stone tablet.
Following this, Lijia Village began experiencing hauntings, which had been ongoing for five days.
Someone died every night, totaling five deaths thus far.
The Wudang disciples had investigated yesterday and encountered three Yellow-Clad Fierce Ghosts.
Yellow-Clad level fierce ghosts possessed cultivation at least at the Soul Palace realm.
The two Wudang disciples were not particularly strong.
Had they not carried several Taoist magical artifacts for protection, they would not have escaped back to Wudang Mountain.
That was roughly the situation.
Due to the Yellow-Clad classification, the alliance leader and our elders decided to assign this mission to us juniors.
The first objective was to vanquish the demons and exterminate evil.
The second was for our training.
Old Mo, as always, became excited upon hearing of malevolent spirits.
He confidently declared,
"Just a few Yellow-Clad ghosts; with the few of us, we can resolve it by the first half of the night.
We might even return for a late supper."
However, as soon as Old Mo finished speaking, Yunlong and Yunhu chimed in,
"Exactly! I completely agree with this!"
"With Brother Li and Brother Qin leading, a few Yellow-Clad ghosts are not a significant problem!"
Seeing this, our uncle and Master Ju Cheng, who were seated nearby,
intervened with reminders:
"Xiao Mo, do not underestimate them.
The villagers' mention of excavating the Mountain God stone tablet likely refers to some kind of seal.
It's possible there might be unforeseen developments.
When you go there, you must be cautious and meticulous.
Look after your junior sister."
"Yunlong, Yunhu, do not be reckless either.
Dealing with fierce spirits and malevolent ghosts is not like a martial arts match on stage.
If you falter, you risk losing your lives!"
Both my uncle and Master Ju Cheng earnestly advised us not to be careless and to proceed with utmost caution.
Old Mo looked at his uncle and patted his chest, saying,
"Master, I understand what you've said.
You can rest assured."
He then glanced at Chen Yao,
"I will definitely protect my junior sister.
Moreover, consider our combined lineup.
Let alone a few Yellow-Clad ghosts, even if a Red-Clad ghost were to appear,
we could take it down together."
Old Mo was full of confidence, and Li Chunlong nodded in agreement.
Yunlong and Yunhu also expressed their concurrence.
Although we were all young, we were considered outstanding figures in our respective fields, with exceptional strength and cultivation.
Our cultivation had even reached the Mystic Core realm.
United, dealing with a few Yellow-Clad ghosts would not be a major issue...
Alliance Leader Cang Song then added,
"As you descend the mountain together, be vigilant in all matters.
Chunlong, should any unforeseen circumstances arise, or if the ghosts prove too formidable,
you may immediately use the talisman seal to contact the temple, and I will find a way to assist."
"Understood, Master!"
Li Chunlong cupped his fists.
The alliance leader nodded slightly,
"It's getting late, so you should depart promptly."
Upon hearing this, we did not linger any longer.
We bowed to the alliance leader, our uncle, and the other seniors.
Under the admonitions of our uncle and respective masters,
we exited the main hall.
As we reached the entrance, Li Chunlong addressed us,
"Everyone, allow me to introduce you first.
These two are my junior brothers,
Yu Bo and Yi Hai."
He then gestured towards two young men nearby,
similar in age to us, one tall and thin, the other somewhat stout.
We smiled and cupped our fists in greeting, acknowledging them.
Li Chunlong then asked his two junior brothers to prepare transportation, and we were to wait outside the temple.
Currently, most of the people on Wudang Mountain were tourists.
Emerging from the main Taoist palace, we passed through the crowds and waited by the roadside.
Shortly thereafter, Yu Bo and Yi Hai arrived driving two domestically produced Haval vehicles.
From their appearance, they were quite dilapidated.
Much of the paint had chipped off, and there were dents everywhere.
One of the headlights was broken, and the bumper was covered in cracks and holes.
Both vehicles were in this state, looking no different from scrap cars...
Personally, I had no particular requirements regarding transportation.
It was certainly better than walking.
However, I was somewhat puzzled.
The Wudang Sect, besides its immense prestige within Taoist circles, also had Wudang Mountain as a major tourist attraction.
Not to mention the income from specialized services like ghost expulsion and geomancy,
the annual tourism revenue from Wudang Mountain alone was astronomical.
Given such wealth, why was the Wudang Sect now using two nearly scrapped, run-down Havals for their demon-hunting expeditions?
The others also appeared slightly taken aback,
as the vehicles were truly in a terrible state.
Li Chunlong, seeing this, sheepishly stated,
"My apologies, everyone.
This is the condition we have; you'll have to bear with it."
Upon hearing this, Yunhu inquired,
"Brother Li, your Wudang Sect has such booming tourism.
Surely you can afford money for repairs, right?
Look at this car; the broken bumper is one thing.
The windshield is cracked; there's no need to use tape on it, is there?
Isn't it a bit... shabby?"
At these words, we all looked towards Li Chunlong.
However, Li Chunlong simply smiled, unfazed, and calmly explained,
"My Master once said, 'Taoist priests are like clay statues.'
As cultivators of the Way, we focus on refining our minds and bodies, conforming to the heavenly Dao.
Everything else is external; as long as it functions, it is sufficient.
As for our sect's income, apart from the necessary embellishments of the Taoist palaces and accommodating tourists,
the remaining after-tax revenue is primarily used for donations and welfare initiatives.
Therefore, the sect has always been frugal.
We do not possess many valuable items, and our transportation is utilized as is, without pursuing luxury..."