Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 238 The Taoist Priest (Part 1)

While Lü Shang was exchanging pleasantries with Liu Chongxu, he was unaware that his imposing figure—with banners leading the way, a large entourage, and troops entering the city—had been witnessed by a disheveled Taoist priest by the roadside.

The slovenly Taoist clicked his tongue in admiration, saying, "What murderous aura! What deadly aura!"

"Hey, he's really top-notch material. He's already achieved great things in just a few years. If it weren't for the heavy karma he's accumulated, with his natural talent and my careful guidance, he would have achieved great things!"

The Taoist priest was tall, with a face covered in grime, his hair and beard matted, and his robe tattered and stained. He looked extremely destitute and wretched, but his eyes were bright and piercing, revealing a glimmer of spiritual light.

Although he was a commoner, he possessed a unique and extraordinary air about him.

"Um,"

The Taoist stroked his beard, gazing in the direction of the prefectural capital, his eyes gleaming even brighter. He murmured, "Should we go find him again and play a trick on him? Meeting on the roadside is fate, whether it's a good one or a bad one, it's still fate."

"Moreover, this kid actually turned my dignified Primordial Secret Transmission, the method of ascending to immortality, into a human martial art. Although it can't be said that he practiced it wrongly, since each has its own path, isn't his path too biased?"

The Taoist priest pondered for a moment, then raised his hand to rub the grime that had formed on his face, black ash falling between his fingers. He murmured, "However, he is truly a clever child. To be able to comprehend the Great Dao of Immortality in there is quite an opportunity for him."

"I wonder, with the passage of time, does he still possess the same Daoist heart and nature as before?"

"Do you still remember what I told him back then: cultivation is not easy, the path is long and arduous, cherish every step of the way,"

With this thought in mind, the Taoist shook the red gourd hanging from his waist, and a rattling sound came from inside the gourd.

The Taoist chuckled softly, uncorked the bottle, and a refreshing aroma of wine mingled with the smell of dirt and grime on his body suddenly wafted out.

The amber-colored liquor trickled down his fingers, splashing onto his patched Taoist robe, but he didn't care and tilted his head back to pour it into his mouth.

"Good wine,"

After taking a sip, the Taoist smacked his lips, and the sharp glint in his eyes dimmed slightly.

"Everyone says that attaining the Way is difficult, but they don't know that upholding the Way is even more difficult!"

Then, he pressed the stopper into the gourd, wiped his mouth casually, turned around and walked out of the crowd. His tattered Taoist robe swayed in the wind. Although he walked very slowly, he disappeared into the shadows of the street corner in the blink of an eye.

------

temporary barracks

After declining Liu Chong's offer of accommodations, Lü Shang, led by the Prefect of Diezhou, slowly stepped into the camp.

Within the camp, black-armored soldiers surrounded the area, and elite troops wielded halberds. The Liangzhou infantry and cavalry that Lü Shang brought with him when he entered the city had already occupied the camp when he went to the prefecture.

Before the central command tent, the crimson banners fluttered. The Prefect of Diezhou led the way, saying, "The soldiers under your command are truly elite. Since entering the camp, they have been disciplined and prepared. Even the cooking fires are arranged according to the ranks, with not a trace of disorder."

"Liangzhou is located in a border region,"

Lu Shang's gaze swept over the soldiers lined up outside the tent. These soldiers stood with their shoulders straight, their expressions solemn, and even their breathing was almost synchronized.

"Soldiers on the frontier live with wind, sand, and barbarian cavalry every day. If they can't even maintain discipline in their camps, they would have long since become bones in the wilderness."

As they spoke, a gust of wind swept past, carrying sand and dust from outside the camp, causing the flags in front of the tent to flutter loudly.

"My lord, the grain supplies have been counted as you instructed,"

A military officer dressed in short clothes and a leather belt strode over and said, "After accounting for losses along the way, we still have 800 shi of millet and 200 jin of dried meat."

Lü Shang withdrew his gaze from the soldiers standing solemnly outside the tent and landed on the military officer, saying, "The millet should be distributed at three liters per person per day, and the dried meat should be reserved as supplies for the scouts and night patrol soldiers. It must not be distributed among them."

"promise,"

The military officer bowed and responded.

The chief clerk stood aside, and after the military officer bowed and withdrew, he stepped forward half a step and said, "With your command, my lord, I have finally seen what the discipline of a frontier elite army is like."

"Now that you have made the necessary arrangements, I will not disturb your preparations for the troops any longer,"

Lü Shang nodded and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Chief Secretary."

“This is my duty,” the chief clerk bowed deeply to Lü Shang and quietly left the camp with his entourage.

Lü Shang stood before the tent, watching the chief clerk's back disappear into the distance, before turning and stepping into the central command tent.

Inside the central command tent of the temporary barracks, there were no superfluous furnishings, only a small table in the center, on which lay a yellowed map.

The candlelight flickered in the lamp, and Lü Shang sat down, about to examine the map closely.

Suddenly, light footsteps came from outside the tent, and General Xiao Ji lifted the curtain and entered.

"My lord, there is a Taoist priest outside the camp gate requesting an audience."

Lü Shang raised his eyes and asked, "What kind of Taoist?"

Xiao Ji replied with his hands hanging down, "He looks like a disheveled Taoist priest, with tangled hair and beard, and a red gourd hanging from his waist."

Lu Shang frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Slovenly Taoist priest, a red gourd at your waist?"

Xiao Ji said softly, "That Taoist also said that he was an old friend of yours from Zhongnan Mountain."

"Finally, Zhongnan Mountain,"

Lu Shang was initially taken aback, but after realizing what was happening, he suddenly stood up.

"Please, please hurry, don't delay,"

"Yes,"

Xiao Ji just stepped back in response.

"and many more,"

Lü Shang called out to Xiao Ji again, his knuckles clenching unconsciously, and said, "You don't need to go, I'll go to greet him myself."

After saying this, Lü Shang strode out of the central command tent. The soldiers in the camp held their breath as they watched their commander head to the camp gate in person.

The sandstorm outside the camp gate was fiercer than inside. The disheveled Taoist priest leaned against an old tree beside the camp gate, his red gourd hanging from his waist and swaying constantly.

Upon seeing Lü Shang approach, he first grinned, revealing two rows of clean white teeth.

Lu Shang stopped three steps away from the Taoist priest, cupped his hands in a respectful bow, and said, "Master, what brings you here?"

Although this Taoist priest looked completely different from the one he encountered when he met the immortal in Zhongnan Mountain, Lü Shang's cultivation level was now far superior to what it used to be, and his divine eyes could see through the flesh and bones to the essence of things.

Therefore, when Lü Shang personally went out to greet him and saw the Taoist, he immediately knew that the disheveled Taoist in front of him was the Hidden Immortal who had taught him the "Golden Flower Secret" that day.

The Taoist priest glanced sideways at Lü Shang, raised his hand to pick at the scabs on his face, and said, "I happened to be passing by and heard you've improved quite a bit since then, so I came to see you."

"What, aren't you going to invite me inside?"

Lü Shang quickly stepped aside to make way, gesturing with his palm in a gesture of respect, and said, "It is my honor that you have come, Master. The tent is simple; I hope you will not find it offensive."

The Taoist priest slowly stepped into the central command tent, his gaze sweeping over the inside. He paused for a moment, then sat down on a stool beside the table. His tattered Taoist robe swept across the ground, stirring up some dust.

"Don't keep such a long face,"

After sitting down, he placed the red gourd from his waist directly on the table. The bottom of the gourd hit the wooden table with a soft 'thud'.

"Your tent is quite simple and clean,"

Lü Shang stood beside the table, head bowed, and said, "Being in the military, I dare not indulge in trivial matters."

"You know, being too attached to clutter isn't good, but being too plain isn't good either,"

The Taoist priest took a sip of wine and said, "Do you have any wine left in your camp? I don't have much left in my gourd."

Lü Shang smiled and replied, "This disciple will immediately order someone to fetch the finest wine. Please wait a moment, Master."

(End of this chapter)