Catching Monsters

Chapter 665 What do you do?
Today, the first Sanqing Temple is already quite prosperous with incense offerings.

When the Sanqing Temple first appeared, the common people, merchants, and high-ranking officials in the capital all felt that this thing was unreliable.

On the one hand, the imperial court still had a ban on Taoist temples, and on the other hand, people had never heard of the Three Pure Ones enshrined inside.

But things are different now; Jiang Yun is now a living advertisement for the Sanqing Temple.

There has always been a rumor in the capital that this commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was once just a down-on-his-luck scholar, but he rose to prominence after worshipping the Three Pure Ones.

Many people also come to offer their prayers out of common sense.

But after bowing, they discovered that the Sanqing Temple was indeed efficacious.

Of course, it's not necessarily that the Three Pure Ones manifested their power to protect these people.

Rather, those who come to pray to gods and Buddhas are people who have something they desire in their hearts.

They either hope their wives will give birth to a boy, or that their wives will make progress in their careers, or that their businesses will be more successful.

In short, people who come to ask for things usually have some initial signs of success, but they are not sure what to expect.

If ten such people come, or even just one, and their wishes come true, they will come back in a grand manner to give thanks and tell their relatives and friends how effective this place is!
Most people who make wishes that don't come true don't go around telling everyone that their wishes failed.

As a result, the rumors of the Sanqing Temple's efficacy gradually spread.

However, many pilgrims who came to Sanqing Temple today felt something was strange.

Because at the gate of the Sanqing Temple, there were many Taoist priests dressed in green robes, but judging from their attire, these people should not be from the Sanqing Temple.

Many onlookers couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

Some sharp-eyed people recognized the old Taoist priest standing at the very front.

This is an old immortal from Tianqing Temple!

"Why is this old immortal from Tianqing Temple here at Sanqing Temple? Surely he's not here to worship the Three Pure Ones also?"

"Keep your voice down, or this old immortal will hear you and give you a good beating!"

The surrounding noise reached Xuan Daozi's ears. He stroked his white beard, adopting an air of otherworldly elegance, and paid no attention to the opinions of these people.

At the entrance of Sanqing Temple, Wen Chen stood awkwardly in the doorway.

He never expected that this old immortal would suddenly come to the Sanqing Temple.

He knew that this Xuan Daozi had a good relationship with his master, and he couldn't afford to offend him.

But when the other party arrived, he asked me to invite his senior brother out.

There's no way this old immortal's senior brother could be found inside the Sanqing Temple.

Wen Chen took a deep breath, stepped forward, made the Zi-Wu Mudra with his hands, and said respectfully, "Senior Xuan Daozi, how could there be a senior brother of yours in our Sanqing Temple?"

"Why don't you wait until my master returns before making this decision? I can't make that decision myself."

Xuan Daozi smiled faintly and slowly said, "It's alright. Jiang Yun has already returned to the capital. I'll wait for him here."

Xuan Daozi had someone wait for him on the street outside the North East Garrison Command, and only came to Jiang Yun's door after seeing him return to the capital.

"This..." Wen Chen was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but touch his hair, thinking to himself, "Master is back?"
Just then, a young Taoist priest ran out from inside the door and whispered a few words in Wen Chen's ear.

After listening, Wen Chen's eyes flickered, and he bowed to Xuan Daozi before turning and entering the Sanqing Temple.

He hurriedly ran towards the backyard.

Sure enough, Jiang Yun was seen waiting in the backyard.

Jiang Yun patted his clothes, glanced back at the high wall of the backyard, and said, "We'll have to install a back door later. Climbing over the wall is never a very elegant thing to do."

"Master, you're back." Wen Chen breathed a sigh of relief, then quickly told Jiang Yun about the situation at the front gate.

After listening, Jiang Yun frowned and asked, "Where is Daoist Li Cheng?"

"He, Tian San, and Miss Dongfang Yao are all in that guest courtyard," Wen Chen said, pointing to a courtyard not far away.

Jiang Yun asked in confusion, "After they came to the capital, did they go out?"

Wen Chen shook his head: "No, the Imperial Guards who brought them here said that you, Master, gave instructions that they should not be allowed to leave the Sanqing Temple."

After hearing this, Jiang Yun couldn't help but curse, "That's strange, how did Xuan Daozi find out that he had returned to the capital?"

Wen Chen was quite curious and asked, "Could Junior Brother Li really be Senior Xuan Daozi's senior brother?"

"Yes and no."

Jiang Yun couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "Why bring up their past lives now..."

Seeing Wen Chen's curious gaze, Jiang Yun led him toward the courtyard where Li Chengdao lived, saying, "Do you remember that reincarnated Celestial Master from Tianqing Temple?"

"I think I've heard something about it." Wen Chen pondered for a moment, nodded, and then asked, "Could it be Junior Brother Li?"

Jiang Yun nodded and said, "Most likely."

"That Celestial Master is stuck at the third-grade Celestial Master realm and probably cannot break through, so he has chosen to start anew."

Wen Chen asked curiously, "But Master, you couldn't break through even when you were at the third rank in your previous life. You can just reincarnate and start over? Is it that simple? Then can't other experts in the Daoist sect do the same?"

Jiang Yun shook his head and slowly said, "This reincarnation and cultivation requires immense courage."

"Because there are too many variables. The Taoist sect's rebuilding is not the same as the demonic sect's possession of another's body."

"It's a proper second life, experiencing all aspects of life. In this process, he needs to break through to the second rank realm before he can recover his memories of his previous life."

"There are countless dangers in this process."

"For example, before he met me, he was a beggar who had fallen on hard times. If he had encountered bandits and been killed by them, he wouldn't have needed to start over..."

In this chaotic world, if one is reborn into a well-off family, it's alright to be able to cultivate.

If you encounter a poor family, where they go hungry one day and eat the next, they might starve to death...

Wen Chen understood, and his eyes lit up: "Master feels that he has great potential and wants to recruit him to our Sanqing Temple?"

Jiang Yun took a deep breath: "Go prepare the things needed for the apprenticeship ceremony, and have the old immortal Xuan Daozi wait outside the door."

"I'll have Li Chengdao acknowledge me as his master before the Three Pure Ones first, and complete the Taoist rituals before we talk about anything else."

"Yes." Wen Chen nodded repeatedly and hurriedly turned around to run to prepare.

Jiang Yun walked into the courtyard.

Li Chengdao, Dongfang Yao, Tian San, and a few others were sitting in the courtyard, chatting about something.

Upon seeing Jiang Yun enter, the group instinctively looked at him with some wariness.

"Lord Jiang is back." Tian San grinned and said, "I was just telling Yao Mei and Xiao Shisan that it's a real pity we can't go out and explore the capital now that we're here."

"It's alright, you can all leave after today." Jiang Yun smiled, then slowly walked up to Li Chengdao: "Chengdao, would you be willing to become my disciple and receive the baptism of the Three Pure Ones' Daoist teachings?"

Li Chengdao blinked; he couldn't understand the Three Pure Ones' Taoist baptism.

But he understood the meaning of becoming Jiang Yun's disciple.

Li Chengdao blinked and asked, "Lord Jiang..."

"Call him Master," Jiang Yun reminded him. "Go ahead and call him that, we won't lose out," Tian San whispered.

“Master,” Li Chengdao mustered his courage and asked, “If I become your disciple, can you help Uncle Tian open a roast duck restaurant in the capital?”

"Shall we open a rouge shop for Sister Yao?"

You know, Uncle Tian's favorite food is duck butt. He knows that Uncle Tian likes to eat duck legs, but he always saves them for himself and Sister Yao.

And since Sister Yao has come to the capital, she must find some work.

Sister Yao used to love rouge and face powder...

At his age, he couldn't think of any better conditions.

Jiang Yun was slightly taken aback, not expecting the kid's request to be so simple.

He smiled and said, "Okay, I agree."

"Any other requests? Tell me all of them, and I'll grant them all."

Li Chengdao shook his head: "That's all."

"Such a young age, yet not greedy." Jiang Yun patted his head and said slowly, "Let's go to the Sanqing Hall to formally become his disciples!"

Tian San and Dongfang Yao also came.

However, they both stood at the entrance and did not enter the main hall.

Inside the main hall, Wen Chen had already prepared everything needed for the apprenticeship ceremony.

Upon entering the main hall, Li Chengdao knelt on the prayer mat. Jiang Yun looked at him solemnly and said, "Li Chengdao, the deity worshipped by our Sanqing Temple is the true lineage of the Three Pure Ones."

"The Three Pure Ones are respectively..."

"Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun".

"Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun".

"Taiqing Daode Tianzun".

"Today, you formally become my disciple and pay homage to the Three Pure Ones..."

After Jiang Yun finished speaking, Li Chengdao took a deep breath and respectfully kowtowed to the statues of the Three Pure Ones in front of him.

Subsequently, Jiang Yun wrote a memorial and presented it to the Three Pure Ones.

Jiang Yun finally breathed a sigh of relief after burning the petition.

Li Chengdao also kowtowed to Jiang Yun and performed the apprenticeship ceremony.

"It's done!"

Seeing this, Jiang Yun nodded, then looked towards the entrance of the Sanqing Temple, and said to Wen Chen, "I'll go to the entrance."

After saying that, Jiang Yun quickly walked towards the gate of the Sanqing Temple.

Upon arriving at the gate, Jiang Yun saw Xuan Daozi staring at him calmly.

"Senior Xuandaozi." Jiang Yun respectfully performed the Meridian Incantation to pay his respects, then glanced at the many people from Tianqing Temple behind Xuandaozi.

"Senior, why did you bring so many fellow Daoists from Tianqing Temple today? Are you here to exchange Daoist teachings?"

Xuan Daozi frowned, walked over, and said in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist Jiang, we have known each other for many years. You should have heard about my senior brother's reincarnation and cultivation."

"How did my senior brother end up in your Sanqing Temple?"

Jiang Yun looked puzzled: "There's such a thing? How come I didn't know about it?"

At this point, Xuan Daozi took out a jade pendant from his robes and said slowly, "Fellow Daoist, have you forgotten that I have this jade pendant in my hand?"

"This jade pendant is connected to my senior brother's soul."

“A few days ago, the jade pendant suddenly flashed with light, and I knew that my senior brother had been reincarnated and entered the capital.”

“I searched extensively and discovered that the jade pendant shines even brighter when it is near your Sanqing Temple.”

Jiang Yun recognized the jade pendant.

When he first met Xuan Daozi, Xuan Daozi tested him with the jade pendant.

Jiang Yun touched her hair, realizing she had forgotten about this. It seemed she couldn't fool them anymore.

Jiang Yuncai said with a look of sudden realization, "Ah, I remember now, what Senior Xuandaozi was talking about must be that child Li Chengdao."

"I discovered that child by chance when I was on business in Hongjiang Prefecture some time ago. I saw that he was exceptionally talented, so I took him on as my apprentice."

“Oh dear, look at this mess. I’ve already taken him as my disciple and submitted a petition to the Three Pure Ones.”

"What should we do?"

Seeing the look of realization on Jiang Yun's face, Xuan Daozi did not suspect that Jiang Yun had any bad intentions...

After all, his senior brother was a reincarnation, so he was naturally a natural talent for cultivation. Jiang Yun took a liking to him and accepted him as a disciple.

That seems reasonable.

Xuan Daozi asked eagerly, "Fellow Daoist Jiang, may I see my senior brother?"

"This..." Jiang Yun said in a low voice, "Senior..."

“Look, you call him senior brother.”

"I'll call you senior."

He called me Master.

"How can this be argued..."

Xuan Daozi's face showed a hint of pleading.

Jiang Yun no longer refused, after all, the deed was done and it had become her foundation.

A cooked duck can't fly away, can it?

"The rest of you should stay here. Senior Xuan Daozi, please come with me."

There was nothing he could do; among the Taoist priests of Baiyun Temple, Qingfeng Temple, and Tianqing Temple, only Xuandaozi had a good relationship with him.

After all, both of them belonged to the Taoist sect.

Jiang Yun really couldn't refuse.

After entering the Sanqing Temple, the light emanating from the jade pendant in Xuandaozi's hand became even more intense.

Soon, Jiang Yun led him to the front of the Sanqing Hall.

“Senior Brother.” Xuan Daozi recognized Li Chengdao at a glance. He hurriedly walked into the hall, his eyes filled with excitement.

He was about to rush up and give her a big hug.

But Li Chengdao was so frightened by the strange old man in front of him that he took several steps back: "What are you doing?"

(End of this chapter)