Wet viviparity

Chapter 774 Grand Event, Institutional Success
In the ancestral hall of He Guan, Wen Daoyu and Mingyue Tongzi met Shande Gong Shu Si.

Inside, Lord Seondeok, wearing a crane-feather cloak, sat cross-legged in front of a three-legged crane-shaped incense burner.

Pale golden smoke billowed from the large furnace, with iridescent colors shimmering within it. The smoke obscured half of Shande Gong's body, making it impossible to see his face. Only his lower body could be vaguely seen sitting cross-legged on a futon, his palms gently wiping a magic sword on his knees. The movement was extremely gentle and delicate.

Wen Daoyu transmitted his voice to Mingyue Tongzi, saying, "That sword was obtained by your teacher when he was taking the Daoist exam at Qingping Rock. Later, it was given to Shande Gong, who regarded it as his own life and kept it hidden deep in the temple, rarely showing it to others."

"But he brought it out today, so it seems he already knew about your teacher's emergence from seclusion."

"Zhelongzi, you rarely come to the temple. Do you have any decrees to convey this time?"

"Rat Four asked."

The moment Rat Four opened his mouth, he put a lot of pressure on Wen Daoyu. Although he and Rat Four had been at odds in recent years, he did not want to worsen their relationship. Besides, there was still the statue of Xuanming Star General standing in the Ancestral Hall.

This is not an image for worship, but a real divine general.

The reason why Senior Brother Lingxu placed the Xuanming Star General here is because of Rat Four's outstanding achievements over the past few decades, as well as his sweeping reforms of the Daoist Service Department, which made Senior Brother worried about Rat Four's safety, so he kept the divine general by his side.

On the one hand, it's about protection; on the other hand, it's about honor and recognition.

Wen Daoyu stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said with a smile, "Lord Shande is joking. What qualifications do I have to issue you a decree? Look who has come today."

"Hehe." Rat Four chuckled lightly, the laughter seeming calculated, neither distant nor intimate, and said to the boy, "Aren't you going to guard the spirit peach tree in the mountains, and now you're planning to come here to beg for alms again?"

This tone made it seem as if he truly knew nothing about the purpose of Mingyue Tongzi's visit.

"I didn't try to freeload."

Mingyue Tongzi muttered something, then his expression turned serious, and he said to Shu Si, "The teacher has given you an imperial edict to go see him immediately."

Amidst the pale golden smoke, a burst of silver light suddenly emanated, spreading out the rich, shimmering incense smoke. A large, silver-haired rat with long eyebrows and a beard, dressed in Taoist robes, appeared, leaping to the boy's side and exclaiming with great joy, "Master has finally emerged from seclusion!"

Mingyue Tongzi never expected that Shande Gong would have such a lively side, completely shattering his previous impression of him as a cunning and calculating man.

However, upon further reflection, since Master Shande had already received news of his teacher's emergence from seclusion, he should be able to guess his purpose. Therefore, it was difficult to discern whether his joy was a genuine expression of emotion or merely an act.

"The teacher also summoned the eldest brother, but Uncle Wen said that the eldest brother had already gone to the Heavenly River Altar."

"It's alright. I will draft a decree in the name of the master and have it sent to the Heavenly River Altar to recall him." As soon as Rat Four finished speaking, his demonic body turned into light and disappeared, leaving only scattered silver fragments floating in the hall.

Seeing this, Wen Daoyu hurriedly chased after him, calling out, "Lord Shande, let me see you off."

Upon reaching the foot of Yanxu Mountain, the rat descended the mountain and walked there as if on a pilgrimage.

Although Wen Daoyu also wanted to go into the mountain and cave to visit his senior brother, he was constrained by the fact that he had not been summoned. He had already sacrificed a lot of face by finding an excuse to come here, and it would be an offense to his senior brother to follow him any further.

Upon reaching the cave, Rat Four squatted down and grabbed a handful of ash, putting it into his sleeve.

Rat Four followed Master all the way, starting from humble beginnings. He considered himself the most devout follower of Master in the world, and he understood that this devotion had long been a part of his life, the most core part of it.

Looking at the three characters "Shushi Cave" on the plaque above the cave, Rat Four was instantly transported back to the past.

When he entered the cave, his identities as Shande Gong, He Guan Zongguan, and so on disappeared. He felt that he was still the little mouse demon by the master's side, the little mouse Si who helped the master devise plans all day long and split every penny in half.

He rubbed the handful of ash in his sleeve, thinking to himself, "The Taoist service office in He Guan has already touched the sensitive hearts of many people. After decades of development, this trend of reform is no longer something I can control."

Whether I succeed or fail in the end, the ending won't be good. I hope the ashes from the grave where the old man once walked can be scattered on my tomb; at least then I can rest in peace.

"Why are you so distracted?" Ji Ming asked, setting up a chessboard under the Wisdom Bamboo in the cave.

Before Rat Four could speak, Ji Ming beckoned and said, "Come here and play a game of chess with me."

Shu Si swallowed his words, took small steps forward, came to the chessboard, saw a pot of cold tea next to it, turned around and brewed a pot of hot tea, and carefully poured it for the master.

Taking a sip of bamboo leaf tea, Ji Ming glanced at Shu Si.

Seeing that Rat Four had changed into a coat of silver fur, Ji Ming knew that it had digested the opportunity it had gained from the past connection with the treasure rat. However, its old appearance with long eyebrows and beard still made him frown and ask, "Did you give the Jiazi Peach to that protector?"

"It is the Protector of Mingchi."

When the rat does something wrong, it usually speaks softly.

"Since the peaches have been given to you, you can do whatever you want with them. Why put on such an act?"

I know you have a grand ambition to help demons enter the human realm, but you should act within your capabilities and not be greedy for complete success.

Now that you have established the Dao Yi Si (道役司) system to coordinate disciples of different kinds, you only need to follow the rules afterwards. Those demons who are devoted to the righteous path and have the ability to do so will find a recognized and promising position within this system.

"You used the Jiazi Peaches of Immortality to lure that great demon of Mingchi to serve as a protector under the Daoist Bureau, engaging in this 'buying a horse's bones with a thousand pieces of gold' act. While this may cause a sensation among the demons of Tiannan in the short term, in the long run, it will not benefit your grand ambitions."

Mouse Four did not immediately defend himself, but instead fiddled with the chessboard.

Ji Ming reached into his sleeve, took out a peach, and placed it on the edge of the chessboard. "I got this from Old Golden Rooster. Don't give it to me for any other purpose. Use it to refine into a pill and replenish your energy. There are some tough battles to fight next."

Rat Four held the peach in his hands and said in a trembling voice, "The second great calamity in Tiannan is no small matter. The Daoist Service Department is not only for my grand ambition, but also to accumulate strength for you, Master, in this great calamity. The Mingchi Great Demon is an example I have set for you."

As long as this example is set, there will be no shortage of righteous demons and monsters willing to serve you.

"The Daoyisi is a precious sword."

Ji Ming placed a piece on the chessboard, nodding in agreement.

While playing chess with the demons, Rat Four explained, "The Daoist Service Department has established a rigorous merit-based promotion system, which is jointly evaluated and verified by the Daoist priests of Crane Temple and the Yin Judges of the Taiping Mountain Examination Department."

"With the Peaceful Fireworks Contract and the Heart Lamp for Observation, this system can be sustained."

"Yes, Master Li was a great help."

If it weren't for her request for the old nun Xinru from Huangdeng Cave to refine the "Lamp of Enlightenment," allowing demons to periodically undergo examination before it and revealing the goodness or evil of their thoughts and the extent of their malevolence in the flame, the Daoist Bureau would not have been able to build trust with the demons in such a short time.

Ji Ming smiled and said to Rat Four, "The Firework Contract was originally drawn up by Taiping Mountain to protect the remuneration and interests of the Taoists in many Taoist properties. You have come up with a new level of skill by using this as a pretext to reduce the wariness of demons when signing contracts."

"All right."

Ji Ming waved his hand, interrupting Rat Four. He knew that Rat Four would then summarize all the achievements by attributing them to his foresight.

He was already tired of hearing those words.

He said, "Although Ruyi has been formally accepted into my tutelage, he has not formally become my disciple. When he returns to the mountain, I will use this as an excuse to invite everyone here. It's time to make some changes."

Rat Four put down his chess piece and earnestly asked, "Does the 'everyone' you mentioned, Master, include the Fire Ruins Cave as well?"

A list was pulled from Ji Ming's sleeve and gently placed beside the chessboard. The first thing Shu Si noticed was the name Qingyang Immortal. His heart skipped a beat, and he excitedly picked up the list and looked at each name. He exclaimed excitedly, "This is a grand event that has not been seen in Tiannan for five hundred years."

(End of this chapter)