Marrying a White Snake Wife is Super Cool

Chapter 359: Chapter 203: Who Burst the Crystal?

Jinyiwei Commander Mao Xiang knelt on the floor, wiping the sweat beading on his forehead. Any intelligence report concerning Lu Yuan was often grounds for a scolding.

Ever since the time Mao Xiang had tried to avoid reporting to the Emperor himself, His Majesty had decreed that all intelligence concerning Lu Yuan must be submitted in person by the Jinyiwei Commander.

The Emperor did this to force the Jinyi Guard to take the matter seriously and stop them from slacking off or trying to muddle through.

The Emperor rose and walked over to Mao Xiang. He looked down at the kneeling man and circled him once.

The Emperor’s oppressive aura made it difficult for Mao Xiang to even breathe.

The Emperor spoke slowly. "Tell me, do you still want to be the Jinyiwei Commander?"

Mao Xiang bowed low. "His Majesty the Emperor, I have sinned!"

The Emperor roared, "Your sins are great indeed! Is this the kind of intelligence you bring Us? You can’t even figure out what that... that thing, that Demon Beast, is? What’s the point of the Jinyi Guard? A bunch of useless mouths to feed!"

As the supreme commander of the Jinyi Guard, Mao Xiang felt deeply wronged. ’These things Lu Yuan comes up with... no one has ever seen them before! How is anyone supposed to know what they are?’

’We can’t just go up and stop him to ask, "Lord Lu, what is this?" can we?’

’He wants the Jinyi Guard to do a good job, but he also forbids us from disturbing Lu Yuan. Isn’t he just making things impossible for us?’

The Emperor said, "Get out! Get out! Get out of here, and don’t come bothering Us again until you’ve figured it out!"

Trembling, Mao Xiang shuffled backward on his knees for several steps before finally rising and backing out of the room.

Lu Yuan and his party passed by Dongchang City without entering. However, instead of heading directly for Yandu, they took a detour and went to the Provincial City.

The reason was simple: while resting at a roadside teahouse, Lu Yuan and his companions had overheard a conversation between several Daoists from Dou Shi Temple.

These Daoists from Dou Shi Temple were on their way to the Provincial City to attend the Daoist Field of Death at Guyang Temple.

The so-called Daoist Field of Death, also known as a Yin Affairs Dojo, is a ritual field established specifically for the spirits of the deceased.

It’s not just the Human Race; all living beings possess emotions and desires. By chasing these desires, they commit various sins and transgressions. After death, they become entangled in their sinful karma, unable to re-enter the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Souls unable to enter the Six Paths of Reincarnation may wander the mortal realm, inhabit decaying corpses, or find their spirits locked in the depths of hell. They are unable to achieve rebirth and must endure immeasurable suffering. This is also why so many Wandering Evils now plague the world.

As the native religion of the Divine Ling Empire, Taoism is held in high regard by the Court. Through methods such as Rituals, chanting scriptures, and using Talismans to break spiritual blockages, Daoists can draw upon their Dao Power to help the world’s myriad spirits enter the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Just as there are Martial Daoists, there are also Scholarly Daoists. Celestial Masters and Grand Celestial Masters are all Martial Daoists, while those who specialize in chanting scriptures are Scholarly Daoists.

On a whim, Lu Yuan decided he wanted to visit Guyang Temple in the Provincial City and see for himself how these Daoists conducted their rituals.

Lu Yuan said, "Honey, what do you say we go to Guyang Temple in the Provincial City and check out their ritual?"

"If that’s where you want to go, that’s where we’ll go." Su Liyan, of course, had no objections.

A day later, Lu Yuan and his party arrived in the Provincial City and found a Post House to stay at.

The Daoist Field of Death at Guyang Temple was scheduled to be held in two days. Traveling by car, Lu Yuan and his companions were much faster and arrived well ahead of the Daoists from Dou Shi Temple.

The next day, as Lu Yuan and Su Liyan strolled through the streets of the Provincial City, they noticed a distinct increase in the number of Daoists compared to usual.

Daoists from different temples wore slightly different attire, and they gathered in groups of two or three to browse the shops and pick out goods.

After a bit of window shopping, Lu Yuan grew bored, a fact that Su Liyan did not fail to notice.

Su Liyan might not have understood men in general, but she knew her own man perfectly. She knew he wasn’t fond of shopping.

Lu Yuan truly disliked shopping. Accompanying his wife made it more tolerable, but only for a short time.

Five minutes of shopping: all smiles. Thirty minutes of shopping: getting antsy. Forty-five minutes of shopping: legs turning to lead. Sixty minutes of shopping: unable to stand. Seventy minutes of shopping: ’Just end it all!’

Su Liyan took the initiative. "Dear, there’s nothing much to do here. Why don’t we head over to Guyang Temple and check it out ahead of time?"

"Good idea. The Daoist Field of Death is being set up outside the temple grounds. We can go pay our respects inside Guyang Temple today and watch the Rituals tomorrow." Lu Yuan readily agreed with his wife’s suggestion.

As Lu Yuan and Su Liyan approached Guyang Temple, they saw that the Stone Mountain Gate was carved with two divine guardians: the Green Dragon on the left and the White Tiger on the right.

The Daoist Temple in the Provincial City was far grander and more imposing than Dou Shi Temple, with an endless stream of common folk coming to offer incense.

Starting from the mountain gate, Lu Yuan and Su Liyan made their way up, paying their respects in turn at the Spiritual Official Hall, the Jade Emperor Hall, the Four Imperial Lords Hall, the Three Pristine Ones Hall, and the Ancestral Master Hall.

The side halls flanking the Three Pristine Ones Hall were dedicated to Lü Zu, Wen Chang, the Eight Immortals, the Primordial Monarch, Ci Hang, True Martial, and the Thunder Ancestor—all of whom were major, renowned figures.

Just as the two finished their worship and were about to head back to the Post House, they heard a sudden burst of cheers from a side hall in the front courtyard.

Lu Yuan was quite curious. He said to his wife, "A Daoist Temple is supposed to be a place of tranquility. Why is it so noisy over there?"

This was, after all, Lu Yuan’s first time visiting a Daoist Temple.

Su Liyan, who had come to Daoist Temples with her mother to pray for blessings as a child, had a good idea what it was. "Dear," she said, "that side hall is probably where they certify a Celestial Master’s abilities."

"Oh, so that’s what it is. I’ve only ever heard of it, never seen it for myself. It’s still early, want to go take a look?" Lu Yuan asked.

"Of course," Su Liyan agreed with an obedient nod, taking his arm in a show of intimacy.

The moment they reached the entrance to the hall, a Little Daoist Child stopped them. "This is not a place one can enter freely. Patrons, please proceed to the main halls."