Free Web NovelChapter 258: Chapter 257: The Old Daoist of the Pure Yang Sect
Taoist Qingwei arrived at Daluo and had a delightful chat with the old Daoists on the mountain, each sharing their own stories and insights.
Gu Zhao, on the other hand, decided to slack off and return to the modern world. He met up with Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi to enjoy the night breeze along the Pearl River before finally heading home for a good rest.
...
Ever since *Black Monkey* came out, Jin Province had blown up.
As the saying goes: for underground artifacts, look to Qin Province; for those above ground, look to Jin Province. Due to its complex terrain and proximity to the Central Plains, it was the province with the best-preserved surface-level historical sites.
Of the thirty-six filming locations, twenty-seven were in Jin Province—a fact that spoke for itself.
However, Jin Province was mountainous, and the twenty-seven scenic spots were scattered across the province. Travel guides usually recommended road trips, as many of the attractions weren’t in big cities but were located in smaller counties or even villages.
To be honest, even with a car, visiting all twenty-seven of these sights was no easy task.
But for Gu Zhao, it wasn’t difficult at all.
’Being able to fly is the best!’
Using a "business trip" as an excuse, Gu Zhao did some sightseeing on the side. He couldn’t help but marvel at the divine craftsmanship of the ancient artisans. Their seamless fusion of structural engineering and aesthetics, combined with that unique, profound sense of history, made his national pride swell.
’So beautiful!’
Even though most of the sites were run by the Buddhist Family, they were still worth admiring. Besides, there were some Taoist Palaces and Temples among them as well.
Gu Zhao went to the Jade Emperor Temple, where he saw the colorful clay sculptures of the Twenty-Eight Star Constellations, which reminded him of the Twenty-Eight Star Constellations at Daluo Palace.
’Compared to these clay divine statues, Huang Yuan is too good-natured, He Feng is too warm and gentle, Yang Chi and Lu Yue aren’t domineering enough, Bi Yingying is overly quiet, and Hu Yufei is just a sweet girl.’
’None of them are as imposing as these clay sculptures,’ Gu Zhao thought, shaking his head with a chuckle.
After glancing at a family of three walking together, Gu Zhao found a secluded spot, waved his hand to conceal his form, then rose into the air. He flew west to the Great Chunyang Palace to once again admire the *Chaoyuan Map*.
The Great Chunyang Palace wasn’t an ancient building, but it had been standing for several decades and showed signs of age. The murals inside the hall, however, were genuine historical artifacts.
Gu Zhao strolled through the palace. It was bustling with tourists, and the air was thick with the smoke of never-ending Incense offerings.
’No wonder that kid Yunyang wasn’t afraid I’d look for people from the Great Chunyang Palace,’ Gu Zhao mused, slapping his forehead. ’Turns out this place is considered an Ancestral Court of Quanzhen Dao, and its abbot is from the Dragon Gate Sect.’
"However..." Gu Zhao chuckled slyly. "When it comes to gathering intelligence, how can one person’s abilities compare to a whole network? It’s like how everyone thought the Fengyue Sect was lost to time, but I still managed to find Uncle-Master Jing Feng, didn’t I?"
After leaving the Great Chunyang Palace, Gu Zhao flew straight north. Following a map and the lay of the mountains, he soon found a small temple located in a remote part of a county.
Gu Zhao descended and landed outside the temple, where he saw the three words on the plaque: Lü Zu Temple.
The small temple was quite dilapidated and not very large. There were no worshippers in the courtyard, just a few local children playing and two or three Daoists who lived there.
"The Fortune Star, the Star God of Rank and Affluence, and the Longevity Star on Penglai Island sent a message to Lü Dongbin, inviting the Eight Immortals to be their guests at sea."
At the entrance of the main hall, an old Daoist in a worn-out Daoist Robe and a goatee sat on the steps, telling a story to the children gathered around him.
"Do you know who the Eight Immortals are?" the old Daoist asked.
"Yes, yes! Lü Dongbin! Tieguai Li!"
"Zhang Guolao riding his donkey backward!"
"Han Xiangzi with his flute! And Lan Caihe!"
"The beautiful He Xiangu!"
"There’s another one with a fan... what was his name again?"
"That’s all of them!"
"No, no, there’s also an official. He wears red clothes on TV."
"Since when was there an official among the Eight Immortals?"
Chiming in one after another, the children managed to name most of the Eight Immortals.
The old Daoist chuckled and explained, "There’s also Cao Guojiu. He wasn’t an official, but you could say he was related to one."
"A relative of the emperor?"
"Something like that!" the old Daoist laughed.
"Grandpa, Grandpa, tell us about the Eight Immortals crossing the sea!" a little girl urged.
"Alright, alright, I’ll tell you about the Eight Immortals crossing the sea." The old Daoist pulled the little girl over to sit beside him and continued the story. "The Eight Immortals arrived at the East Sea Shore. Seeing the vast ocean, they suddenly felt inspired and decided not to take a boat, but to cross the sea using their treasures.
"Tieguai Li stood on his iron crutch, Han Zhongli made his fan grow large, Lü Dongbin stood on his Treasure Sword, Zhang Guolao was still riding his donkey, Lan Caihe enlarged his Flower Basket, Han Xiangzi turned his Bamboo Flute into a canoe, He Xiangu conjured a lotus flower, and finally, Cao Guojiu transformed the Jade Plate in his hands into a small boat."
"Wow!" The children gasped in amazement. One of the boys gestured with his hands and said, "My pencil case can float on water too, just like a boat."
"That’s right, that’s right!" the old Daoist laughed, then continued the story. The brilliant light from their treasures alarmed the Dragon Palace at the bottom of the sea. The Dragon King, enraged that the Eight Immortals were disturbing the East Sea, fought a great battle with them, which was finally mediated by Guanyin.
"Bodhisattva Guanyin is so powerful!" a child exclaimed. freewebnøvel.com
"Is Bodhisattva Guanyin more powerful than the Eight Immortals?" a little girl asked.
The old Daoist nodded gravely, his expression completely serious. "Bodhisattva Guanyin is indeed very powerful," he said. "But She used to be part of the Taoist Family, known as Ci Hang Master."
But Ci Hang Master was, after all, not as famous as Bodhisattva Guanyin. The children started to act out the story, playing the parts of the Eight Immortals and the Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals. In the end, an older girl played Guanyin and subdued everyone.
The old Daoist clicked his tongue. ’It felt so much more epic when I was telling it,’ he thought. ’How did the Eight Immortals end up on the same level as the Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals when these kids act it out?’
"Blessed Infinite Celestial Venerable!" The old Daoist tugged at his beard.
Gu Zhao chuckled, stepped forward, and bowed. "Greetings, Taoist Yuan He."
"Eh? You know me?" The old Daoist looked up at Gu Zhao.
Just now, when Gu Zhao had walked in, dressed like a college student and looking around like a tourist, Taoist Yuan He had assumed he was just a random visitor who had stumbled upon the place and paid him no mind. He hadn’t expected the young man to actually know him.
A look came into Taoist Yuan He’s eyes. He recalled some visitors who had come to the Taoist Temple a few days ago. They had politely inquired about matters of Qi Refining in the Taoist Sect and had learned that he had cultivated Inner Breath True Qi.
"What can I do for you?" Taoist Yuan He asked, clapping the dust from his hands as he stood up. "I told you guys already, in modern society, my little bit of Magical Power is useless. Even the evil cults are gone. If there’s trouble, call the police. If you’re sick, go to the hospital."
Gu Zhao smiled. "I heard you’re a successor of the Pure Yang Sect and once practiced with a Flying Sword, so I came especially to seek your wisdom."
Taoist Yuan He waved his hand dismissively and laughed. "That was ages ago. I was reading *Swordsmen of Shushan*, and since I’d just managed to cultivate a tiny bit of Magical Power, I was just messing around. At best, I could toss it around like a throwing knife. It didn’t count as a real Flying Sword."
