If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1320 The Taoist Priest's Gift

The new version of "The Lady of the Pavilion" has been updated directly from 1.0 to 20.0. The decimal point is correct; it's a twenty-page upgrade all at once.

It can be said that this visit to Lü Zhi brought about a qualitative change in Xiao Yu's understanding of the power of the Human Emperor.

Looking at the human king's authority she created in Western Shu, she would spit out a look of disgust and say, "Trash!"

China is indeed blessed by heaven. Empress Lü was merely the wife of a village head, yet her grasp of power surpassed that of the "Prime Minister of Western Shu."

Looking back at the 1.0 version of "Madam's Skill" that she created, Xiaoyu would blush and mutter, "It's just that I was too young and naive back then."

Recalling the day she taught Lü Zhi the "Lady's Skill," she felt extremely fortunate.

Empress Lü Zhi was able to master version 1.0 of the "Lady's Skill" not because the skill she created was particularly exquisite, but largely because of her exceptional talent. Empress Lü Zhi's talent was "True Destiny."

Her husband, Liu Ji, is the "true emperor," and she is the "true phoenix of destiny." The true phoenix of destiny is like a divine bone, which can be regarded as a talent.

Version 1.0 of "The Lady's Skill" was like a low-class Taoist scripture, yet Lü Zhi "ascended to immortality" thanks to her exceptional talent.

Once Lü Zhi's insights were fed back, Xiao Yu immediately grasped the secrets of the Human Emperor's Heavenly Power, instantly upgrading the "Ninth-Rank Immortal Martial Skill" "Lady's Skill" to the "Third-Rank Immortal Technique".

The current version of "Madam's Skill" is still only third-rate, and there is still a lot of room for improvement.

Xiao Yu now has a strong urge to immediately go to Mangdang Mountain to find Liu Laosan and have him transmit his understanding of "Human Emperor's Skill - Yang" to her.

Yes, Lü Zhi's work is only "The Human Emperor's Merit - Yin," and she and her husband are Yin and Yang in harmony.

Lü Zhi was not the kind of "wife who gains status through her husband" who was a "village head's wife." She invested a lot of capital in Liu Ji's "village head's career" and owned the original shares.

Her chapped cheeks and cracked, rough hands were all the capital she had invested in the Liu family and Liu Ji.

"Master, this secret method of transmitting thoughts from mind to mind is truly miraculous!"

More than half an hour passed after the transmission of the technique ended before Lü Zhi finally came to her senses from the profound and mysterious technique that was more than ten times more complex.

"So much content seems to be imprinted in my mind. It not only saves me a lot of time on reading and memorizing, but also gives me a lot of new insights."

"I immediately understood the meaning of each incantation and how to cultivate," she said excitedly.

Wu Yazi also said with great emotion: "My method of 'transmitting mind to mind' was originally used to understand the suffering and joy of all beings and to transmit the supreme Dharma to them."

It is both a boat to ferry people across and another path to enlightenment.

It would be a huge mistake to simply regard "telepathy" as a mind-reading technique that allows one to peek into the secrets of others' minds.

The ability to read minds is one of the Buddha's six great supernatural powers, and its true function is to assist in spiritual practice.

Lü Zhi's eyes held a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. "Daoist Master, may I learn this method of mind-to-mind transmission?"

Wu Yazi frowned and said, "Passing on this method to you is not a problem, but I am worried that this method will be more harmful than beneficial to you, and may even ruin your originally promising path."

Lü Zhi asked in surprise and doubt, "Is mind-to-mind transmission some kind of evil magic?"

Wu Yazi shook his head and said, "It is a righteous method, but it can be used as an evil method. After you learn this method, you will easily become obsessed with taking shortcuts—directly prying into other people's thoughts, catering to their preferences, and winning their hearts."

Thus, your "Lady's Skill" has gone astray.

What you should really focus on studying is the 'Heart Sutra' that I taught you before.

A true 'lady' does not win the hearts of the people through power and scheming.

"A 'lady' should uphold the Great Way, spreading its principles and reason throughout the world, thus winning the hearts of the people."

Lü Zhi was stunned for a long time before bowing again and saying, "Thank you for your teachings, Daoist Master."

Wu Yazi thought for a moment and said, "Next time we meet, if you have cultivated the Heart Sutra to a minor level, I will teach you the method of 'heart-to-heart transmission'."

Let's leave it at that for today; it's getting dark. Your retainer has brought your daughter and is coming to see you.

Lü Zhi turned her head and looked out the window. Sure enough, the sun had set and the courtyard was completely dark.

"Could my retainer be Han Xin?"

"Let's go take a look in the front yard." Wu Yazi got up and walked out.

In the living room, Han Xin, dressed in a neat Taoist robe, sat next to Lü Gong, holding a book in his hands. He read by the light of the lamp while chatting idly with Lü Gong. There was also a chubby baby in his arms.

"Mother~~~" The little baby called out when he saw Lü Zhi coming.

Empress Lü immediately smiled kindly and said, "Daoist Master, this is my daughter with Liu Ji, Liu Meng."

The order of brothers is "bo, zhong, shu, ji". If sisters are included, it becomes "meng, zhong, shu, ji".

For example, Meng Jiangnu. Actually, her surname is "Jiang," and "Meng" is her birth order.

Similar to her father Liu Ji, Liu Laosan, Liu Meng means "Liu Daya". When she grows up, others can also call her "Meng Liu Nu".

Lü Zhi walked to Han Xin's side, took Liu Daya off his lap, put her on the ground, made the child kneel in front of the old Taoist priest, and pressed her little head down, saying, "Child, quickly kowtow to Grandpa Taoist Priest."

"Mother~~" The child was too young and only knew how to call out "Mother".

But she was very obedient, her big, dark eyes wide open, letting her mother's big, dark hands press her head to the ground.

"Han Xin of Huaiyin pays his respects to Daoist Wuyazi."

Han Xin glanced at Wu Yazi with curiosity, then left his seat and bowed deeply.

"Alright, alright, get up, all of you."

Wu Yazi bent down, patted Liu Daya's head, picked her up, and put her back in her mother's arms.

"I have been discussing profound matters with E'xu for quite some time, which has delayed everyone's meal. Master Lü, if the food is ready, we can begin now."

"It won't delay us. We usually have dinner around this time too," Lu Gong said with a smile.

An hour later, the banquet ended, and the old Taoist Wuyazi took his leave with Jinxunu.

Despite everyone's efforts to persuade him to stay, the second son of the Lü family spoke up before his father, saying, "Father, you are getting old. Please let me see the Taoist priest out of the city in your place!"

Master Lü and Madam Lü escorted Daoist Wuyazi away from the street where the Lü residence was located. Then, they returned to the Lü family with their daughter, leaving their son with the last chance to be alone with the old Daoist Wuyazi.

A moment later, Lü Shizhi returned to the Lü residence with a gloomy expression.

"Second Brother, how is it?" Lü Xu asked curiously.

Although Lü Gong and Lü Zhi did not ask any questions, they looked at him expectantly.

Lu Shizhi shook his head and said, "The Daoist is easy to talk to, but I'm not fortunate enough to have him!"

"What do you mean? Did the Taoist priest grant you a chance at immortality, or not?" Lü Xu asked疑惑地.

Lu Shizhi said, "I knelt down outside the Sanliting Pavilion and begged the Taoist priest to grant me a chance to become an immortal. The Taoist priest sighed and said that he had a great affinity with the Lu family, and since I was so devout in my pursuit of the Tao, it was only right that he grant me a chance to become an immortal."

But I have already formed the Human Immortal Essence Pill, and switching to cultivating immortal techniques would only waste one opportunity.

Perhaps we should save our fate for the next life.

In the end, the Taoist priest only gave me a Reincarnation Seal, promising that if I had the bones of an immortal in my next life, I could go to his Taoist temple to keep 'Golden Beard Slave' company.

"Next life?" Lü Xu clicked her tongue. "That's too far away. Who knows when the next life will be? Anyway, I won't be able to see it."

Besides, isn't being with Jinxunu just being a Taoist acolyte?

“Don’t underestimate Jin Xu Nu; his ‘qi’ is extraordinary. If Shi Xi were to have half of Jin Xu Nu’s cultivation in his next life, he would probably be a ‘high immortal’,” Lu Gong said solemnly. Lu Xu exclaimed in surprise, “Jin Xu Nu is that powerful? I didn’t even realize it.”

"With your mortal eyes, what can you see besides his appearance?" Lu Gong said.

"But my destiny lies in the next life!" Lu Shizhi sighed.

Lu Gong said with a melancholy expression, "For us mortals, the next life is a long way off, but for immortals like Daoist, they only need to stay in the immortal realm for a few months, and the dynasties of the mortal world will have risen and fallen, and all the old friends of the mortals will have withered away."

Lü Zhi comforted him, saying, "Second brother, if you follow the Taoist priest to become an immortal in your next life, you will awaken your innate wisdom sooner or later."

At that time, reincarnation will be nothing but a dream.

If you wish to continue being 'Lü Shizhi,' you will remain 'Lü Shizhi.'

Hearing her calm tone and seeing her composed expression, Lu Gong was somewhat alarmed.

Han Xin frowned and said, "Only those with immortal bones in their next life can become a Daoist acolyte. The Daoist's requirements are truly high. Second Young Master, may I ask what the Reincarnation Seal is?"

Lu Shizhi touched his forehead and said, "The Daoist Master touched my brow, and I only felt a moment of coolness."

Then the Taoist priest said, "As long as I accumulate good deeds in this life, when I see the King of Hell with this mark, the King of Hell will help me find a kind father and mother, which will increase the probability of obtaining immortal bones and blessings."

Lü Xu asked, "What if Second Brother doesn't have any virtue?"

"Without the mark of virtue, I hope King Yama will be magnanimous and spare me a few strokes of the cane, so I can continue to suffer in the eighteenth level of hell!" Lu Shizhi sighed.

Lü Xu laughed and said, "No wonder Second Brother looks so worried. To receive the Taoist priest's blessing, he has to cultivate diligently for a lifetime and then wait for the next life."

Madam Lü comforted him, saying, "Even without the Taoist priest's promise, my son should still do good deeds and accumulate merit for his next life!"

"Amitabha Buddha, now my son has a great hope!"

Lu Gong disagreed: "Instead of hoping for the next life, I should work hard in this one. As long as Liu Ji fulfills his destiny, my Lu family will be extremely wealthy and prosperous. It's not impossible for us to ascend to godhood or become immortals in one step."

Why would we still need Wuyazi's Reincarnation Seal?

Lu Shizhi looked at his sister and said, "I haven't had a chance to ask before, Third Sister, what benefits did the Daoist give you?"

Lü Xu immediately became smug and took out a palm-sized piece of purple jade from her bosom.

The jade pendant is shaped like auspicious clouds, deep purple, and shimmers with a bright spiritual light under candlelight.

The main room suddenly became as bright as day.

"What a wonderful treasure!" Lu Shizhi and his wife exclaimed in unison.

Lu Gong also abruptly left his seat, walked to the three women's side, and reached out to grab the jade pendant.

"Father, this is my dowry!" Lü Xu pulled her hand away, dodging it.

Lu Gong said unhappily, "I just took a closer look, why are you in such a hurry?"

Lu Xu reluctantly handed over the jade pendant.

As soon as Lu Gong touched it, he let out a soft "Ah," saying, "I never thought I would see such a treasure in my lifetime."

"Is this a celestial treasure?" Lü Zhi asked.

Lu Gong nodded slightly, his eyes glazed as he groped for the jade. “It has a natural Daoist charm and is surrounded by a faint aura of merit and fortune. It is probably a ‘primordial spiritual object’ born when the world was created.”

Lü Xu smiled smugly and said, "Father, you've finally misjudged me today."

Lu Gongqi asked, "Does the Daoist mean this is just an ordinary piece of immortal jade?"

Lu Xu shook her head and said, "The Taoist priest didn't say what it was made of at all. It's a talisman to protect the house and guard the home!"

But Dad kept talking about the material, wasn't that like buying the box and ignoring the pearl?

"A talisman?" Lu Gong quickly sensed it carefully.

"Boom!" He channeled his true energy and guided it with his mental power. A thunderous roar came from above, and a purple light suddenly shone in the sky outside.

"This is heavenly lightning! Could this talisman be the legendary 'Five Thunder Eight Trigrams Celestial Master Talisman'?!" Lu Gong exclaimed in surprise.

Lü Xu also showed surprise, "Father is indeed knowledgeable! It is indeed the Five Thunder Eight Trigrams Celestial Master Talisman."

The Taoist priest said I wasn't qualified enough and was getting married, so I had no chance to become an immortal in this life and could live a peaceful life as a noblewoman.

He taught me a set of exercises to prolong my life and also gave me this amulet.

It can be used for self-defense, and can also be left to future generations to protect the home and its inhabitants.

Master Lü's expression changed several times. He gripped the purple jade tightly and said, "Xu'er, you are a member of the Lü family! This Celestial Master Talisman should protect the Lü family!"

Lu Xu was stunned for a moment, then came to her senses and shouted in shock and anger, "Father, are you trying to steal my dowry?! This is the dowry that the Taoist priest gave me, not the Lu family."

Lu Gong was a little embarrassed, but once the words were out in the open, his expression became more relaxed. "Xu'er, aren't you a member of the Lu family? You are your dowry, your talisman, but I hope it can stay in the Lu family."

Even if it remains with the Lü family, it is still yours.

"No, I'm getting married soon, I have to take my dowry with me!" Lü Xu rushed over to snatch it, but Lü Gong dodged.

"You good-for-nothing! They say a married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl, but you're not married yet! I think you don't need to marry Fan Kuai. I can help you find a son-in-law who will live with you."

Lü Gong turned his head and shouted to Han Xin, "Han Xin, come to my house and become my son-in-law. I will give you a dowry of 100,000 strings of cash, and our children will still bear the surname 'Han'. What do you say?"

Han Xin waved his hands repeatedly, "Thank you for your kindness, Lord Lü, but a gentleman does not take another man's wife. I have no intention of getting married before establishing my career, and I would never ruin the marriage between Miss Han and Fan Kuai for the sake of 100,000 strings of cash."

After a pause, he added, "It's just a Bagua Celestial Master Talisman."

Lu Gong's strategic acumen alone is worth ten or even a hundred Heavenly Master talismans.

Why ruin the father-daughter relationship and the goodwill between the Lü family and Daoist Wuyazi for this?

Lu Gong wanted to vehemently refute the first few sentences, but the last sentence enlightened him: even Daoist Wuyazi himself told Shizhi that the Lu family had a great affinity with him! It was not worth ruining a good connection for a Celestial Master talisman.

"This is no ordinary Bagua Celestial Master Talisman!"

He held the purple jade tightly, saying with great reluctance, "Just now, when I slightly activated it, heavenly lightning descended."

Young friend Han, do you understand what this means? This Celestial Master Talisman can unleash 'heavenly thunder'!
Legend has it that when Zhang Tianshi ascended to heaven, he left behind a talisman that could unleash heavenly thunder, enough to suppress the fortune of a nation.

Giving such a treasure to Fan Kuai to suppress the luck of the dog meat shop is simply a waste of resources.

Taking advantage of her father's hesitation, Lü Xu rushed over and snatched the purple jade away, saying, "Leaving it in Fan Kuai's house to guard the residence is a waste of its preciousness. Does it have any value in the Lü family?"

"Alas, a daughter is like a tree that cannot be kept at home once she grows up," sighed Lord Lü.

Lu Shizhi withdrew his envious gaze from the purple jade and asked curiously, "A talisman is worth so much? What kind of health cultivation method did the Taoist priest give you?"

"It's a method to prolong life." Lü Xu stammered, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes darted around, as if she were embarrassed.

Seeing her expression, Lü Shizhi became even more curious, "I don't want your cultivation technique, why are you being so vague?"

Lu Gong sneered, "Your third sister no longer considers herself a member of the Lu family. She even keeps her secrets to the Fan family and tells them to Fan Kuai!"

Lu Xu was both angry and aggrieved, and blurted out, "The Taoist priest taught me the art of replenishing yin with yang energy, which can only be practiced by women. Father, do you want to try it?"

(End of this chapter)