Free Web NovelChapter 259: Chapter 258: One Old and One Young, A Package Deal
Gu Zhao cupped his hands and smiled. "Would you be willing to show me?" fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
"Hello. May I ask who you are?"
Before Taoist Yuan He could answer, a younger Daoist stepped out. He looked Gu Zhao up and down with a suspicious gaze. "My master doesn’t make short videos, nor does he join MCNs."
Gu Zhao turned back in surprise, his eye twitching. He gave the young Daoist a long look before asking, "Have MCNs tried to partner with Taoist Yuan He before?"
MCNs were a new phenomenon born from the development of the internet. They were essentially talent agencies for online celebrities, helping influencers plan their growth, connect with business channels, and sometimes even get involved in content production themselves.
"They have. My master performed with his Flying Sword at a temple fair once and someone filmed it. Several MCNs came looking for him after that." The young Daoist looked at Gu Zhao. "You’re not with one?"
"I’m not." Gu Zhao shook his head, then asked, "I’ve seen a lot of Daoists online making short videos to share their lives. Have you never done that?"
The young Daoist said flatly, "We don’t have anything worth sharing."
Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow. "Is that because your daily Cultivation is so dull that there’s nothing to share?"
"Hm?" The young Daoist looked at Gu Zhao, confused. "What do you mean?"
Gu Zhao cupped his hands. "My name is Gu Zhao. And you are, Daoist?"
Gu Zhao was very polite. The young Daoist, realizing he had likely misunderstood, felt a bit embarrassed and returned the gesture. "I am the humble Daoist Lin Yangshuo."
"A pleasure, Taoist Yangshuo." Gu Zhao smiled. "I see you have a dignified bearing, Daoist. If you were willing to make videos, you could definitely get pretty popular. You could also sell some ritual items to supplement the Taoist Temple’s income. Are you not interested?"
"The system provides subsidies, and we also have income from Incense. It’s enough for the Taoist Temple." Lin Yangshuo shook his head. "We’re just a small Taoist Temple. Becoming famous would do more harm than good. We couldn’t handle that many visitors, and it would disturb our peaceful Cultivation."
Gu Zhao understood, simply smiling. "It seems you have received Taoist Yuan He’s true teachings, Daoist. You’ve not only learned his Flying Sword Technique, but also his detached mindset."
Lin Yangshuo looked at Gu Zhao in surprise. "How did you know?"
Gu Zhao smiled. "Because I am also a member of the Taoist Sect!"
As his voice fell, a palpable Daoist aura manifested around him.
Taoist Yuan He and Yangshuo were both accomplished cultivators, and they immediately sensed the natural Daoist aura swirling around Gu Zhao. Both were startled.
"So, a fellow Daoist has arrived." Taoist Yuan He chuckled. "Young friend, your Magical Power is so pure. This is truly a blessing for our Taoist Sect."
Gu Zhao also cupped his hands and smiled. "Daoist, you have a detached mindset, and Senior Brother Yangshuo is accomplished in his Cultivation. With such an orderly line of succession, this is the true blessing for our Taoist Sect."
Taoist Yuan He stroked his beard and smiled, first glancing at Yangshuo with gratification. Then he added, "His talent is decent, but he’s a bit arrogant, which isn’t a good thing. Meeting you today, young friend, is the perfect opportunity to pour some cold water on him."
Lin Yangshuo looked at Gu Zhao, who was even younger than himself. A flash of recognition for a kindred spirit appeared in his eyes, and a frank smile spread across his face. "Sorry about earlier. I’ve run into some unsavory types before, so my attitude wasn’t the best."
Gu Zhao smiled. "Let me guess, they came in, complained about the poor conditions here, and said they could definitely make you a lot of money?"
Lin Yangshuo nodded. "More or less."
"Let’s not talk about them." Taoist Yuan He waved his hand. "It’s rare to have a fellow Daoist visit. Let’s have a good lunch. Yangshuo, go get two sticks of the cured meat hanging in the back room."
It was almost noon, so Gu Zhao didn’t stand on ceremony and stayed at the temple for a meal.
For lunch, they had knife-cut noodles, a specialty of Jin Province. The side dish, however, was a pot of cured meat stewed with potatoes and green beans, which was quite a generous spread.
After lunch, remembering that Gu Zhao had mentioned the Flying Sword Technique several times, Taoist Yuan He and Lin Yangshuo, feeling a bit proud, led him to the temple’s backyard.
"We call it a Flying Sword, but it’s really more like throwing darts." Lin Yangshuo brought out some small swords, knives, and darts from a room.
"If it were just about throwing far and accurately, it wouldn’t be much different from what an ordinary person could achieve with long practice." Lin Yangshuo’s eyes lit up. "But we have Magical Power. By using a certain Technique, not only can we be exceptionally far and accurate, but we can also control the direction slightly!"
Then, he gave Gu Zhao a demonstration.
Ordinary people who throw knives or darts usually do so from within five meters. In professional competitions, the distance can be extended to ten meters, which is considered very far.
But Lin Yangshuo demonstrated on a twenty-meter target.
"SWISH!"
"THUD!"
The dart struck the target!
"Amazing!" Gu Zhao clapped enthusiastically.
Then Lin Yangshuo showed him a trick shot. From about the same twenty-meter distance, he actually managed to make the dart trace an S-shape in mid-air before hitting the target from the side.
Gu Zhao could sense it clearly. Lin Yangshuo wasn’t controlling it in real time. He had simply imbued the dart with a bit of Magical Power when he threw it, then applied a force in mid-air to guide it to the target.
Gu Zhao smiled. "You could actually enter a darts competition. You’d definitely come back a champion."
Lin Yangshuo shook his head casually. "Not interested."
"Then what are you interested in?" Gu Zhao asked.
"Cultivation." Lin Yangshuo looked at his own hands. "I’m willing to cultivate, and I enjoy it. Ever since I developed Inner Breath True Qi, my goal has been to continue my Cultivation."
"Immortality? Ascension by Riding the Clouds?" Gu Zhao asked with a smile.
"That’s too ethereal. But I just enjoy the process of Cultivation." Lin Yangshuo joked back, "And who knows, if the Spiritual Qi Revival ever happens, maybe all these skills of mine will finally be useful."
Gu Zhao chuckled. "Taoist Yuan He reads *Swordsmen of Shushan*, and you’re imagining a Spiritual Qi Revival. You two are actually ahead of the curve!"
Taoist Yuan He, who was watching from the side, heard this and laughed. "You’re not wrong. Back in those days, it really wasn’t easy for me to get my hands on a copy of *Swordsmen of Shushan*!"
Gu Zhao summarized, "So, in other words, you’ve spent your entire lives preparing for a potential change."
Taoist Yuan He chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "It’s not that grand!"
Lin Yangshuo also smiled. "And we enjoy the process."
Gu Zhao looked at the two of them and smiled faintly. "The change you’ve been waiting for has arrived."
"Huh?"
He extended a finger, and a Thunder Seed entered each of them.
A gentle breeze rose, sending fallen leaves spiraling into the air.
Lin Yangshuo was the first to open his eyes. A leaf drifting down beside him was split in two out of thin air, as if sliced by a sharp blade.
After a moment, Taoist Yuan He exhaled, but there were no strange phenomena around him. To Gu Zhao’s eyes, however, the old Daoist’s entire aura seemed to have become a unified whole, emitting a trace of pure Yang.
’Tsk tsk, as expected of an heir to the Pure Yang Sect. After activating his Innate Qi, this body of Pure Yang True Qi is just so characteristic. Truly warm as spring to his friends, and scorching as a blazing fire to his enemies.’
"How do you feel?" Gu Zhao asked.
Taoist Yuan He bowed deeply, and Lin Yangshuo hurriedly followed suit. "We greet the Sect Leader!"
Gu Zhao nodded. "Martial Uncle Yuan He, Senior Brother Yangshuo, welcome to Daluo Palace."
