That Taoist priest twice declined to answer, saying he would wait until he had something to say, so I stopped pressing him for answers.
It was not until we reached the dock, boarded a small boat, and arrived at the Zhonghuang Daoist Temple that the first thing to catch our eyes were several familiar faces.
Firstly, of course, it was the supervisor elder Zhang Si.
The other two were a young Taoist in his thirties, whose right arm was wrapped in a bandage, dangling from his neck.
An elderly Taoist with white hair, his face grim and indignant.
Zhang Si wore a forced smile.
As the supervisor of the training site, he was on par with the senior Taoist leaders of all the Daoist temples. Given his demeanor, it was clear that the person across from him was of extraordinary status.
Naturally, Zhang Si's insincere smile was not directed towards the two men.
In the middle of the two, there was another person, who was tall and thin, wearing a deep blue Taoist robe with a cap, somewhat resembling the white-haired Taoist.
However, the aura he emitted was extremely thick and heavy, far surpassing both the white-haired Taoist and Zhang Si.
Only then did I realize why they said the matter had something to do with me.
It seems that these two Taoists are not my match, and they have brought in a backup?
This backup should be their supervisor.
And their arrival at Zhonghuang Daoist Temple must be to join forces with them to deal with me?
As it turned out, the Zhonghuang Daoist Temple was acquainted with me, so they invited me over.
That's why the Taoist priest before was unwilling to speak. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to explain himself clearly, and secondly, he was afraid of angering me.
I went straight ahead until I reached the door of the Daoist temple, then I bowed and said, "Elder Zhang, long time no see."
They had seen me from a distance. Zhang Si let out a breath of relief before saying, "Venerable Luo, it's polite of you."
Similarly, Zhang Si bowed in return.
After this greeting, I looked towards the three Taoist priests on the other side.
At the same time, I bowed again and offered a respectful bow, "The matter on the high-speed train was a misunderstanding. Old Gong was indeed overbearing, and I have already reprimanded her. The woman has a stubborn illness, and her facial features are also problematic. Old Gong treated and cured her, so she can at least make amends. I will also strictly discipline her."
"Last night's incident was even greater misunderstanding. Qiyoutiao is not an evil ghost, she has not harmed ordinary people. She has been injured and please kindly show mercy to her. Also, kindly ask the senior master for forgiveness."
The last sentence was addressed to the oldest Taoist, and I bowed deeply again as an apology.
"Haha, I said before that the junior master of Sigu Mountain, Luo Xian Shen, is a reasonable person and would never be an evil Taoist who raises ghosts to harm people. The Yang Shen Ghost was actually Wu Zhongkuan, the great master of Jin Yang, and it's impossible for him to openly harm women. This is a misunderstanding; there's no need for such a grand display or to pursue revenge to the death. Don't you agree, Master Ji?" Zhang Si interjected, looking at the oldest Taoist as if he had let out a breath of relief.
I looked up, and three pairs of eyes fell on me simultaneously.
The young Taoist and the white-haired Taoist were alright, but the oldest Taoist's eyes were very sharp, as if he were going to dissect me.
"Hmph." The white-haired Taoist said in a deep voice, "Elder Zhang Si, we can't just take your word for it, nor can we solely rely on the surface appearance of Luo Xian Shen. On the high-speed train, he used despicable means to humiliate my disciple and even gave him a talisman! Do you think we can't draw talismans?"
"Raising a master ghost, fine. I won't say anything. What about the ghost with resentful aura? We put a lot of effort into capturing her, and what about the accumulation of ghosts in Dashuang City? Does Luo Xian Shen really have tremendous abilities to make ghosts return to righteousness? The rumors that he has destroyed the Ghost Temple Organization are all false!"
"In fact, he has recruited her to his own use. Before I didn't know he was Luo Xian Shen, but now I see it clearly. That's why Juqu Mountain is trying to hunt him down!"
"Furthermore, the sentence mountain said that Luo Xian Shen ruthlessly killed five elders. This matter is not just an empty rumor!" The white-haired Taoist said with growing urgency, his voice as thunderous as a cannon.
"Elder Zhang Si, call him over. Settle the matter aside, and if it cannot be settled, there's nowhere for Luo Xian Shen to wash his name clean. Master, arrest him and hand him over to Juqu Mountain. It would be a righteous act to deliver justice for heaven, to expel evil from Sigu Mountain!"
Then, the white-haired Taoist bowed to the oldest Taoist with his hands.
"..." Zhang Si's face changed slightly. He immediately blocked in front of me and said in a low voice, "Master Ji, this is indeed a misunderstanding. There is a mountain gate struggle between Sigu Mountain and Jiuqu Mountain, and it's not just Luo Dao Long's problem. You guys should not interfere. Otherwise, even if you obtain benefits from Jiuqu Mountain, you may not be able to bear the anger of Sigu Mountain. The supposed assassination order and reward may not be worth what you do."
"Misunderstanding can be settled, but once the matter is blown out of proportion, it will become an unending deadlock. The Luo Daoist long called by Zhonghuang Daoist Temple won't just sit by and watch you attack him!"
Zhang Si's words contained a lot of information, were quite forceful, and his attitude was very clear. His expression turned severe and solemn.
For a moment, the Daoist temple inside was very quiet.
The white-haired Taoist and the young Taoist glared at me with anger.
The old Taoist known as Master Ji remained motionless, his gaze even more piercing in its analysis.
"Indeed, the disputes between Jiuqu Mountain and Sigu Mountain are not something I want to get involved in. The supposed assassination order and reward are just a way to gather some common Taoist cultivators. Luo Xian Shen's actions in the spiritual realm are truly amazing. I used to think he was a promising young talent."
"But now that I have seen him, it turns out he's not that great."
"This matter can be settled without making it a big deal. I won't intervene today, but there are several conditions that must be met."
"The first condition is that the ghost with resentful aura must be handed over to my disciple and his disciples to deal with. Whether it be exorcism or eradication, this kind of ghost must have a place of rest."
"The second condition is that the Yang Shen Ghost is kept here. As the great master, he should certainly have a high status. However, he did things that are not appropriate for a great master to do. Luo Xian Shen cannot discipline him, so I will recite an incantation and cast a talisman on him as a warning."
"The third condition is that our three disciples came to Dashuang City to see if the remnants of the Ghost Temple headquarters had been eradicated. This was to test our disciples and retrieve an item we had lost."
"Once these three conditions are met, this matter will be settled." Master Ji spoke in a light and casual manner, but his gaze still remained on me, locking my aura completely.
"The..." Zhang Si's face changed slightly before he said, "Master Ji, you've gone too far."
I narrowed my eyes and looked at him, answering, "Firstly, secondly, and thirdly, it's impossible. The third condition, the people of the Ghost Temple have already been bound by my life energy, I have ordered them to change their ways and turn good. The actions last night were a misunderstanding that we have explained several times. They will not be handed over to you for execution. There is no such thing as a substitute sentence. What you want from them can be obtained from me."
Even though it was clear that Daoist priests often have a strong and upright temperament, Master Ji's words still left me uneasy. After all, Lao Gong made a mistake first and could only bear it.
"Master Ji doesn't like to haggle," Master Ji's eyes narrowed slightly, as if they were fine blades, causing me to feel an uncomfortable sensation all over my skin.
The young Taoist raised his sword, and the white-haired Taoist's demeanor became even more arrogant, suggesting that he was about to take action!
"Master Ji has not been blaming that sideline family, this is already my magnanimity. Luo Xian Shen, you should weigh your own strength carefully. I am not a senior elder of Jiuqu Mountain, even though I may not be able to withstand a true spirit master, but neither am I deserving of any slight from you." Master Ji said quietly: "Take three breaths to think it over. Otherwise, I will explain my reasoning in detail, and you will only have yourself to blame."
My heart sank completely.
This is just like hitting a disciple, coming to the master, hitting the master, and then coming to the ancestor.
Even though Daoist priests are stubborn, they still adhere to logic, just like the ancient Qiang City.
These three wandering Taoists say they want to discuss things reasonably, but they are completely unreasonable, wanting to win people over with force?
