Free Web NovelChapter 295: Chapter 294: Gu Zhao: I Know a Little Minor Magic
Taoist Huai Yi shook his head and chuckled, "We don’t know any Magic."
Taoist Tai Xian also laughed. "Young people should believe in science."
"Alright," Gu Zhao said with a smiling nod. "Seeing you gentlemen with your transcendent auras, I thought I might come seeking a bit of immortal fortune."
Taoist Xu Ning chuckled. "Immortal fortune is studying hard, living well, and staying healthy and happy. Do that, and you’ll most likely live to be a hundred."
Gu Zhao cupped his hands. "I am humbled by your teachings. That is precisely what I’ve always done."
Hearing this, the old Daoists all laughed, and Jingyi poured Gu Zhao another cup of tea.
Gu Zhao thanked her again as he took the cup. He gently blew on the surface, took a shallow sip, and set the cup down.
"Thank you all for your hospitality. I, Gu Zhao, am deeply grateful." Gu Zhao cupped his hands in an archaic manner. "You are all masters of Quanzhen Dao, practicing the Inner Cultivation of True Qi and the Dual Cultivation of Life and Spirit. You wouldn’t deign to perform cheap tricks. However, I happen to know a couple of Minor Magic techniques myself, and I invite you to appraise them."
"Hm?" The old Daoists all looked at Gu Zhao, their eyes filled with doubt. Jingyi’s lovely eyes also fell upon him.
’Being watched by a beautiful woman is always a pleasant experience.’ Gu Zhao first winked at Jingyi, then turned to the old Daoists and said with a smile, "The autumn air is crisp and clear. You’ve all treated me to tea, so allow me to treat you to some fruit."
As his voice fell, Gu Zhao took a gourd from his waist.
The gourd was only the size of his palm. It had been hanging from his waist the whole time, and everyone had assumed it was just an ornament, proof that Gu Zhao was fond of traditional culture.
The next moment, Gu Zhao turned the gourd upside down, extended a finger, and flicked the mouth of the gourd. Everyone saw a flash of green light from its opening, and four platters of fruit appeared on the table.
A platter of peaches, a platter of bananas, a platter of grapes, and a platter of watermelon that looked freshly cut, juicy, and crisp!
The five Daoists were all stunned!
No one was looking at the fruit on the table. Everyone’s gaze was fixed on the palm-sized gourd.
This wasn’t a magic trick, not a Blinding Technique. They had clearly felt a faint fluctuation of Magical Power and had even seen the afterimages of the fruit platters expanding from small to large.
"A Pot World?" Taoist Huai Yi asked, his voice hoarse.
The Short-bearded Daoist looked up abruptly. "Yangcheng?"
But Gu Zhao had already placed the gourd on the side of the table. He made a welcoming gesture with his hand. "Please!"
That single word, "Please," was like a celestial tone, startling everyone back to their senses.
Taoist Tai Xian took a deep breath and looked at Gu Zhao, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Meeting Gu Zhao’s warm and cheerful smile, Taoist Tai Xian nodded and reached for a slice of watermelon. "Thank you!"
Taoist Xu Ning also regained his composure and took a banana with a smile. "My teeth aren’t what they used to be. I’ll have a banana."
Taoist Huai Yi looked at the Short-bearded Daoist, who was staring at the four types of fruit on the table, a glint flashing in his eyes. He then looked at Taoist Huai Yi. "Senior Brother, you choose first."
Gu Zhao couldn’t help but laugh. "Daoist, you don’t need to overthink it. This is just some fresh fruit I bought at the morning market. There’s no special meaning."
"Ah?" The Short-bearded Daoist was taken aback and slightly embarrassed. He reached out and took a peach. "Then I won’t be polite."
Taoist Huai Yi also took a peach and began to munch on it.
Lastly, there was Jingyi. She plucked a grape and placed it in her mouth, not showing the slightest loss of composure.
Gu Zhao also peeled a banana. The sweet, soft texture was delightful. He then looked at the Short-bearded Daoist. "And how should I address you, Daoist?"
"Xuan Yong of the Yu Mountain Sect!" the Short-bearded Daoist said, cupping his hands in a salute.
"The Golden Mountain Sect, the Sui Mountain Sect, the Yu Mountain Sect, and the Pure Sect... it seems all the Lu Dong branches of Quanzhen Dao are gathered here!" Gu Zhao remarked with a sigh.
The Quanzhen Seven Elders passed down seven lineages. Not to mention the largest, the Dragon Gate Sect, there was the Sui Mountain Sect, the Yu Mountain Sect, and the Pure Sect in Lu Province; the Yuxian Sect and the Namo Sect in Yu Province; and the Huashan Sect, naturally, in Qin Province.
Of course, this only refers to their Ancestral Courts. Their branch Taoist Temples are naturally spread throughout the north. The Dragon Gate Sect even opened the Yuanfa Palace all the way in Yangcheng.
Hearing Gu Zhao name all their origins after only asking for Taoist Xuan Yong’s name, Taoist Huai Yi recalled being questioned by someone from the Taoist Office at the foot of Lao Mountain. His eyes lit up. "You know of us?"
Taoist Tai Xian immediately asked, "The Taoist Office?"
Gu Zhao nodded, then shook his head. "The Taoist Office did indeed give me your files, but I am not one of them."
Taoist Xuan Yong followed up, "The Taoist Research Institute?"
Gu Zhao smiled and pointed to the phone Jingyi had placed on the table. "You’re not wrong to guess. The person in that video is Martial Uncle Ming Yu of the Celestial Master’s Mansion."
"HISS—" The old Daoists all sucked in a sharp breath of cold air.
Gu Zhao looked at Taoist Huai Yi and said with a teasing smile, "And you weren’t wrong either, Daoist. It’s your turn now."
Taoist Huai Yi’s old face flushed, a rare sight. "You heard that?"
Gu Zhao nodded and recounted the events from the Berkeley video. "Senior Brother Changyi of the Celestial Master’s Mansion was framed by some foreign devils. Martial Uncle Ming Yu, in a fit of rage, mobilized his power and struck down Calvin Mansion with a single bolt of Five Yang Thunders. Then he sent their whole family, neat and tidy, to the Underworld."
The old Daoists listened, their hearts captivated and yearning.
Soaring Clouds and Mist, wielding the Five Thunders, commanding Celestial Warriors, the Golden Light Divine Curse...
They had originally thought such things were impossible, but one look at the fruit on the table told them that the world was no longer the same as it once was.
The next moment, Gu Zhao pointed a finger. Five Thunder Seeds flashed and vanished, sinking into the foreheads of the five people.
The sea breeze blew gently, the ancient cypresses rustled, and the pavilion behind Shangqing Palace fell into silence. Though six people were sitting there, it was as if they had merged with nature itself.
A moment later, a group of tourists came out from the back gate of Shangqing Palace, laughing, chattering, and pointing around.
"Shangqing Palace is so small, much smaller than Taiqing Palace."
"I wonder what Taiping Palace is like. But it seems a bit far."
"Let’s go to Mingxia Cave first. It’s not far from here."
"Huh? Why do those Daoists look like wax figures? They aren’t some kind of scenic display for Lao Mountain, are they?"
The tourists’ conversation jolted the old Daoists awake.
"Blessed Infinite Celestial Venerable!"
"To think that we would have such a fateful encounter!"
"Slaying demons and exorcising devils? Eradicating Evil and Accumulating Merit?"
"So that’s how it is... Greetings, Sect Leader!"
The four old Daoists expressed their amazement one after another. Only Jingyi was still a little surprised. She had thought only the elderly Daoists would get a chance. "There’s one for me, too?"
Gu Zhao nodded. "Since you encountered me together with your martial uncles, it means your fate has arrived. Naturally, there is a share for you. If you can’t bear to leave your family, you can always come back to visit."
Hearing this, Jingyi froze for a moment, then shook her head. "I don’t have a home anymore."
’So she’s someone with a story, huh?’
Taoist Xu Ning patted Jingyi’s hand. "Then come with Master."
Taoist Tai Xian shot to his feet, his eyes shining. "When do we go?"
Taoist Huai Yi couldn’t hold back any longer. He stuck a cigarette in his mouth, not even using a lighter. With a stir of the True Qi in his body, the cigarette lit itself. He then exhaled a puff of smoke that actually formed the shape of a flying bird.
Although Taoist Xuan Yong was usually composed, the words that came out of his mouth were anything but. "I can leave right now!"
