Controlling the Five Thunders and the Two Worlds

Chapter 258 The Old Taoist Priest of the Pure Yang Sect

When Master Qingwei entered Daluo, he had a pleasant conversation with several old Taoist priests on the mountain, and they had their own explanations.

Gu Zhao then took a break and returned to the modern world. He found Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi, enjoyed the night breeze from the Pearl River, and then went home to get some rest.

……

Since the release of "Black Monkey", Shanxi Province has become a hot topic.

As the saying goes, underground cultural relics are best seen in Qin Province, while above-ground cultural relics are best seen in Jin Province. Due to its complex terrain and proximity to the Central Plains, Jin is the province with the best-preserved above-ground cultural relics.

Of the 36 filming locations, 27 were in Shanxi Province, which speaks volumes.

However, Shanxi Province is mountainous, and its 27 scenic spots are scattered throughout the province. Cultural tourism ambassadors generally recommend self-driving tours because many of the attractions are not in big cities, but in county towns or even rural areas.

To be honest, even for a self-driving tour, visiting all 27 attractions is not an easy task.

But for Gu Zhao, it was not difficult at all.

"It's so great to be able to fly!"

Under the guise of a business trip, Gu Zhao took the opportunity to travel. He couldn't help but marvel at the exquisite craftsmanship of the ancient artisans, who seamlessly blended structural engineering and aesthetics. Coupled with their unique sense of historical vicissitude, it boosted his national confidence to the max.

"So lovely!"

Although most of it is Buddhist territory, it should still be appreciated, especially since there are also Taoist temples and monasteries inside.

Gu Zhao went to the Jade Emperor Temple and visited the colorful clay sculptures of the Twenty-Eight Mansions. He also thought of the Twenty-Eight Mansions of the Daluo Palace.

"Compared to these clay statues, Huang Yuan is honest and simple, He Feng is gentle and kind, Yang Chi and Lu Yue are not domineering enough, Bi Yingying is too quiet, and Hu Yufei is a sweet girl."

“Even these clay sculptures don’t have the same imposing presence as the real thing.” Gu Zhao shook his head and chuckled.

After glancing at the family of three who had come together, Gu Zhao found a secluded spot, waved to conceal himself, and then took to the air, flying westward to the Great Chunyang Palace to admire the "Chaoyuan Tu" again.

The Da Chunyang Palace is not an ancient building, but it was built several decades ago and bears the marks of time. However, the murals inside the hall are indeed historical relics.

Gu Zhao strolled through the palace, where tourists came and went in droves, and incense burned continuously.

“No wonder Yun Yang wasn’t afraid of me finding someone from the Great Chunyang Palace. It turns out that the Great Chunyang Palace is also the ancestral home of the Quanzhen School, and the abbot is from the Longmen School.” Gu Zhao patted his forehead.

“However…” Gu Zhao chuckled, “When it comes to gathering intelligence, how can an individual’s ability compare to a system? Just like how many people used to think that the Fengyue Sect had been lost, but I still managed to find Uncle Jingfeng.”

After leaving the Great Chunyang Palace, Gu Zhao flew straight north and quickly found a small temple located in a remote part of a county town, following the map and the mountain range.

Gu Zhao descended and landed outside the temple, where he saw three characters on the plaque: Lüzu Temple.

The small temple was quite dilapidated and not very big. There were no worshippers in the courtyard, only a few children playing around, and two or three Taoist priests living in the temple.

"The God of Fortune, the God of Prosperity, and the God of Longevity on Penglai Island sent a letter to Lü Dongbin, inviting the Eight Immortals to visit them at sea."

Inside the temple's main hall, an old Taoist priest in a worn-out robe and with a goatee sat on the steps, telling stories to the children gathered around him.

"Do you know who the Eight Immortals are?" the old Taoist priest asked.

"I know! Lü Dongbin! Tieguai Li!"

"Zhang Guolao rode his donkey backwards!"

"Han Xiangzi who plays the flute, and Lan Caihe!" "The beautiful He Xiangu!"

"And there was another one with a fan, what was his name again?"

That's all!

"No, no, there's another official, wearing a red shirt on TV."

"Which of the Eight Immortals is an official?"

The children, one after another, pieced together a rough outline of the Eight Immortals.

The old Taoist priest chuckled and explained, "There's also Cao Guojiu. He's not an official, but he's a relative of one."

"Royal relatives?"

"Almost!" the old Taoist priest laughed.

"Grandpa, Grandpa, tell us the story of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea!" a little girl urged.

"Alright, alright, let's tell the story of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea." The old Taoist priest picked up the little girl and placed her beside him, then continued telling the story, "The Eight Immortals came to the shore of the East Sea and saw that the sea was vast. Suddenly, they became interested and decided not to take a boat, but to use their treasures to cross the sea."

Tieguai Li stood on his iron crutch, Han Zhongli enlarged his fan, Lü Dongbin stood on his sword, Zhang Guolao rode his donkey, Lan Caihe enlarged his flower basket, Han Xiangzi turned his bamboo flute into a canoe, He Xiangu conjured a lotus flower, and finally, Cao Guojiu transformed his jade tablet into a small boat.

"Wow!" the children exclaimed in surprise. One boy even gestured with his hands, "My pencil case can float on water, just like a boat."

"Yes, yes, yes!" the old Taoist priest laughed, and then continued to tell the story of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, how the brilliance emitted by the treasure startled the Dragon Palace at the bottom of the sea, how the Dragon King was angry that the Eight Immortals had disturbed the East Sea, and how he fought a great battle with the Eight Immortals, and how Guanyin finally made peace with them.

"Guanyin Bodhisattva is so powerful!" a child exclaimed.

"Is Guanyin Bodhisattva more powerful than the Eight Immortals?" a little girl asked.

The old Taoist priest nodded solemnly and said in a serious tone, "Guanyin Bodhisattva is quite powerful, but Guanyin Bodhisattva was also a Taoist in the past, and was called Cihang Zhenren."

However, Cihang Zhenren was not as famous as Guanyin Bodhisattva. Several children played the Eight Immortals and shrimp soldiers and crab generals respectively, and finally an older girl played Guanyin to suppress the whole scene.

The old Taoist smacked his lips, thinking how he had really enjoyed telling the story, but these youngsters made the Eight Immortals seem like mere shrimp soldiers and crab generals.

"May the Heavenly Venerable grant you boundless blessings!" The old Taoist priest tugged at his beard.

Gu Zhao chuckled, stepped forward and bowed, "Greetings, Daoist Yuanhe."

"Huh? You know me?" The old Taoist priest looked up at Gu Zhao.

Just now, Gu Zhao stepped in, dressed like a college student, looking around. Master Yuanhe thought he was a tourist who had come here by chance and didn't pay any attention to him. He didn't expect that Gu Zhao would recognize him.

Master Yuanhe's eyes flickered as he recalled that a few days ago, visitors had come to the Taoist temple to politely inquire about matters related to Taoist Qi cultivation and had learned that he had cultivated internal Qi.

"What's wrong?" Master Yuanhe clapped his hands, stood up and asked, "I've told you before, in modern society, my little bit of magic power is useless. Even evil and crooked methods are gone. If there's a problem, call the police; if you're sick, go to the hospital."

Gu Zhao smiled and said, "I heard that you are a disciple of the Chunyang Sect and that you used to practice flying swords, so I came here to ask for your guidance."

Master Yuanhe waved his hand and laughed, "That was so many years ago. I was reading 'The Legend of the Swordsmen of Shu Mountain' when I had just developed some magical power, so I practiced it for fun. It could only be used as a hidden weapon, not a flying sword."

(End of this chapter)