"Brother, isn't this my first time going on a long trip, and my first time flying by plane?"
Huang Ming smiled and chuckled, patting his head.
He was an orphan. He was taken into Baiyun Temple at the age of seven, practiced for fifteen years, and this was his first time leaving Beijing to go somewhere else.
"Let's go get something to eat; the plane still has some time before takeoff."
"Alright, I just looked; things in the airport are way too expensive."
"I'll treat you, have whatever you like."
"Haha, I've been waiting for you to say that."
They had some food at the airport and then boarded the plane for Jiangxi.
It was close to 11 a.m. when the three of them arrived at the Upper Clear Town of Longhushan, where there were ordinary tourists from all over the country visiting.
"The entrance fee is 260 yuan per person, but at the Baiyun Temple, it's only ten yuan!"
"Although we are foreign guests attending the Luo Tian Dajiao, we still need to buy the tickets for it."
Huang Ming looked at the ticket prices for Longhushan and compared them to their own Baiyun Temple, feeling the huge gap instantly.
"No wonder Longhushan is so wealthy; the tickets here are way too expensive compared to ours."
"These prices were set by the Tourism Bureau, and most of the money ends up in their pockets. So, the tourism industry itself doesn't benefit much from it."
"Compared to Longhushan, our Baiyun Temple is more free. Most of the front mountain here is controlled by the tourism bureau people."
Liu Xingyang adjusted his dark glasses and explained.
"There are advantages and disadvantages."
George nodded.
Although the Baiyun Temple has a low entrance fee, it's precisely because of this low fee that there's not much profit, so the tourism bureau isn't very concerned about it.
Essentially, the entire Baiyun Temple is still managed by the monks inside, so it's quite free.
But it's different with Longhushan. The front mountain is managed by the tourism bureau, and the real monks of Longhushan can only practice on the back mountain.
Only when there is a special need will they go to the front mountain.
"It's the senior exorcist. Let's say hello."
After going up the mountain, not long after, they saw this term's Taoist master Zhang Zhiwei, who was posing for a photo with inspecting leaders with a pair of scissors hand.
He is also widely recognized as the top master within China.
As fellow practitioners of Daoism, Liu Xingyang naturally knew the senior exorcist. He immediately approached him with Huang Ming and George.
It doesn't matter whether George goes over or not; he's not a member of the Daoist sect.
However, he was still interested in the top master within China and the senior exorcist of Longhushan. He wanted to observe him up close.
"Liu Xingyang from the Baiyun Temple, paying respects to the senior exorcist!"
Liu Xingyang performed a Daoist greeting with a clenched fist, and both Huang Ming and George followed suit.
Seeing Liu Xingyang approach, the senior exorcist smiled and said:
"Ah, it's Xingyang. How is your master doing lately?"
"My master is doing well, eating and sleeping well."
Liu Xingyang responded with respect.
Zhang Zhiwei stroked his snow-white beard:
"That's good, it seems like I can still live a few more years. These two are your disciples?"
"This is my younger brother Huang Ming, and this is one of our friends, a self-cultivator from abroad, who studies foreign sorcery."
Liu Xingyang introduced them one by one.
"Foreign sorcery?"
Zhang Zhiwei sized up George, noticing the small wooden stick hanging from his waist, and understood immediately.
"You're a wizard, aren't you?"
"The senior exorcist is indeed knowledgeable. My younger brother's father was doing business in London and got admitted to a wizard school there, studying magic for a few years."
George retracted his aura and replied with a smile.
Zhang Zhiwei, as the top master in China and with an age reportedly over a hundred years, knew about foreign wizards was normal.
"The school in London is probably the Flamel College. I visited there during my travels around the world. How is the dean?"
At the mention of the London magic school, Zhang Zhiwei couldn't help but sink into a state of reflection, taking a while to recover and ask George.
George was surprised to find out that Zhang Zhiwei knew Dean Taber, but he nodded anyway.
"The dean is doing well. Recently, he has been researching new ways to knit sweaters."
"Well, this guy hasn't changed at all."
"If you see him again when you go back next time, please tell him that if he has time, he can come and visit us in Longhushan."
Zhang Zhiwei's face showed a look of deep emotion.
"If I meet the dean, I will certainly pass on your message to him."
George didn't mention that he had already dropped out of the school, so it's unlikely that he would return in the short term. Instead, he agreed to help out.
Since Zhang Zhiwei is a friend of Dean Taber, George could use this connection to bridge the gap between their worlds. There's nothing wrong with that.
"Senior Exorcist, I will bring them to the back mountain to register, and won't disturb you any longer!"
After saying goodbye, Liu Xingyang led George and Huang Ming to the back mountain.
The official competition venue for the Luo Tian Dajiao is at the back mountain of Longhushan, a place off-limits to tourists and undeveloped, with no normal paths either.
"Liu Jing Shi, Old Huang, you two go ahead first. I'm new to Longhushan and want to take a look around here. I'll meet you there in a bit."
George suddenly stopped and stood still, halting his step towards the back mountain.
Hearing George say this, Liu Xingyang and Huang Ming didn't think too much of it.
"Okay, we'll wait for you in the back mountain."
For them, as monks, the temple was something they had seen countless times. Naturally, they wouldn't feel any interest in it.
But for George, who grew up abroad as a rich second-generation kid, it was quite normal to want to take a stroll around the front mountain of Longhushan for the first time.
It was the same in Baiyun Temple before.
"It's interesting."
As Liu Xingyang and Huang Ming walked away, George turned his head towards a girl sitting on the ground being deceived into buying things. His expression showed interest.
During his conversation with Zhang Zhiwei just then, he had been observing him carefully.
One could say that the top master in China should be genuinely deserving of his title.
Not to mention anything else, but the power contained within Zhang Zhiwei is far stronger than the Voldemort he encountered in London.
Even Dean Taber, the world's Dumbledore, is far behind Zhang Zhiwei.
For this, he was somewhat surprised, but it can be understood. After all, he is recognized as the strongest, and it is understandable that he has such powerful energy.
However, what really surprised him was that just as he passed by the girl squatting on the ground beside him, he felt energy within her that was almost on par with Zhang Zhiwei's.
How could a seemingly ordinary girl have an Qi amount that was not much different from Zhang Zhiwei's?
This made him curious and he wanted to stay and find out what kind of identity this little girl has.
"Sky Jewel, a spotted red jade strand. This was made by my ancestral master here, after he battled the ten-thousand-year fire phoenix for eighty thousand rounds and extracted its crystal to create this strand."
Today, not ninety-eight thousand, not nine thousand eight hundred, but only ninety-nine and eight, and you can take it home with you!
By the roadside, a Daoist master wearing robes, holding a string of red glass beads, was excitedly promoting it.
And the girl squatting on the ground immediately took out a lot of money excitedly and jumped up.
"Such a cool thing, I want it, I want it, sell it to me. Sell it to me."
"Isn't this some kind of idiot?"
George blinked, unable to help but question if he had just perceived wrongly a moment ago.
