Starting with the divine power of the Great Vajra, he traversed the heavens.

Chapter 281 The Treasure Hunting Team Assembles

Lulong Temple is located at the foot of the Lion in the northwest of Jinling City.

From afar, the green-tiled palace stands high above the lush greenery, with a white marble path leading directly to the majestic mountain gate.

At the palace gate stands a large gilded plaque inscribed with five large characters written by the emperor: “Imperial Construction of Lulong Temple”.

This place belongs to the royal family and no unauthorized personnel are allowed to approach. Before they even got close, the gatekeeper came up to them with a cold look and shouted, "Where did this madman come from? What are you running around for? Do you think this is a place you can come to?"

He frowned and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Hurry up and leave! Hurry up and leave! If the officials come, you'll lose your heads!"

Ren Shaoyang knew that he wasn't just taking advantage of his master's power; he was genuinely offering a kind reminder. So he smiled gently and handed over a jade pendant.

"Brother Dao, please take a look."

The Taoist priest frowned as he took the jade tablet, but upon glancing at the character "席" (xi, meaning seat/banquet) on it, he was immediately shocked, his face turning ashen. He hurriedly returned the jade tablet, bowing and saying, "Alas, I didn't know that the old immortal's disciple had arrived! I deserve to die, I deserve to die!"

"There's no need to die," Ren Shaoyang laughed. "I know you mean well, but just be gentler with your insults next time."

The Taoist priest blushed with embarrassment and bowed repeatedly, not daring to raise his head.

Seeing that they were driving a donkey cart, he quickly invited them to come in and take a look.

Upon entering the temple, one hears the sound of bells and chimes ringing out. The kind-faced abbot, along with various Taoist priests in charge of various duties, greets them, bowing and paying their respects to welcome them.

It turns out that the "Lulong Temple" was built by Zhu Yuanzhang for Xi Yingzhen. Xi Yingzhen joined his ranks and made outstanding contributions.

Zhu Yuanzhang was grateful for their contributions, and also because he was getting old and wanted to summon them at any time to ask how to prolong his life, so he built this Taoist temple at the foot of Lion Mountain.

Now that the three villains have arrived with Xi Yingzhen's jade token, they have alarmed all the Taoist priests who have come to greet them.

Upon seeing Ren Shaoyang and the others alight from the car, the head abbot, looking surprised and suspicious, bowed and asked, "Benefactor, may I ask what your relationship is with the old immortal?"

“Old Master Xi has been staying at my place for several years now,” Ren Shaoyang said casually, glancing at the abbot. “He also recognized my sister as his granddaughter.”

The little beggar proudly said, "Grandpa has something to tell you, Abbot."

"Oh dear!" The abbot quickly cupped his hands and said, "What divine decree does the venerable immortal have?"

Hongxiu stroked her non-existent beard and deliberately spoke in a rough voice: "He said: 'Xuan Yuanzi, if you covet less fame and fortune and do more good deeds, longevity will naturally come!'"

The little girl imitated Xi Yingzhen's movements and voices perfectly, exuding a refined and serene air, truly displaying the demeanor of a master martial artist.

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuanzi's face flushed red and then turned pale, extremely embarrassed.

The group then headed towards the temple gate, with Xuan Yuanzi following silently with a sullen face.

Ren Shaoyang glanced at him sideways, then looked at the little beggar: "This person's ability to calm his mind is lacking."

Hongxiu raised her eyebrows, her meaning clear: "That's why Grandpa wants to give him a talking-to."

Ding'an watched the two of them exchanging messages with their eyes, completely bewildered. Just like that silly kid who helped pass notes in school, he could only scratch the back of his head and chuckle sheepishly.

The temple was secluded and winding. After walking for a while, the group entered a cloud-shaped room, where they saw jade cranes, golden incense burners, and brocade carpets.

It doesn't resemble a Taoist family; it's more like the residence of a king or nobleman.

The three villains and the half-Taoist were somewhat stunned.

Then Hongxiu looked at Xuan Yuanzi and said, "Old Taoist, we don't need you here, please make yourself at home."

Xuan Yuanzi forced a smile and said kindly, "Alright, I'll go arrange the meal right away." With that, he left the cloud room, taking a few deliberate steps.

He turned around, and a fleeting hint of jealousy flashed across his kind face before he quickly returned to his original expression and left.

"Now I understand why Elder Xi doesn't want to stay in the capital." The little Taoist stretched and sprawled out on a chair.

Ding'an followed suit, sprawling out and sighing comfortably, "This place is too complicated, too restrictive, and too frustrating."

Ren Shaoyang laughed and said, "What do you think of this room?"

The beggar laughed and said, "That's too much! It doesn't look like a place for Taoist monks to live."

“Yes.” Ren Shaoyang took the kettle to boil water, then said lightly, “As the saying goes, ‘strong flavors are not as good as bland flavors, and vulgarity is not as good as elegance.’ Xuan Yuanzi is bewitched and will probably not have a good time.”

Everyone shook their heads and stopped talking about the abbot.

After waiting a while, the water boiled, Ren Shaoyang brewed tea, and everyone began to sip it.

The Taoist priest asked, "Shaoyang, have you come to the capital to play tricks?"

Ren Shaoyang looked at him and smiled, "You know I don't lie, so why don't you just ask me?"

The little Taoist scratched his head and laughed, "Of course! When you went to Yangshuo, you chopped down Bu Di, the 'werewolf' of the Zunxin Sect; when you went to Yingfeng Gorge, you destroyed one of Pang Ban's eyes; and when you went to Mili Valley, you killed Nian Liandan, the 'flower demon'."

At this point, Xiao Ban couldn't help but gasp, saying, "Wherever you go, people die; wherever you go, something big is bound to happen! I need to inform the Wudang disciples and tell them to leave immediately!"

Ren Shaoyang was quite surprised to hear this. He stared at the fat man for a while and hesitated before asking, "Did you come up with all of these things yourself?"

"That's right," the half-Taoist chuckled. "Isn't that a brilliant summary?"

Ding An clapped his hands and pointed at him, saying, "Ah! Fat Taoist, you actually see things so clearly!"

The little Taoist priest fiddled with the white jade teacup, shaking his head and saying, "I may be confused most of the time, but I'm not confused when it really matters!"

"Hey! Me too!" Ding'an shouted. The two looked at each other, felt instantly relieved, and patted their bellies, laughing.

Ren Shaoyang shook his head and laughed, "You two." After saying that, he didn't hide anything and told them that the "Yuan Emperor's Relics" were hidden in Jinling and that they were going to dig for the treasure.

Upon hearing this, the half-baked Taoist suddenly sprang to his feet, licked his lips, and exclaimed, "Oh, you should have said so earlier! I'm a professional Taoist!"

The fat Taoist priest then pulled out candles, iron awls, a shovel with a connecting hoop, and even pangolin claws from his bag.
The little beggar looked at the wide variety of things, swallowed hard, and said, "Fat Taoist, we're treasure hunting, not tomb raiding."

The young Taoist priest was taken aback: "What? It's not a tomb?"

Ren Shaoyang smiled and said, "The treasure is located inside a residential house in Jinling City, under a crooked tree." He paused when he mentioned the crooked tree, feeling a little strange, and then continued, "We probably won't need to dig a tunnel to find the treasure."

"So these tools are useless?" The half-baked Taoist blinked.

“Candles and ropes might be somewhat useful,” Ren Shaoyang said frankly. “Besides, your tools might not be as effective as my Dragon-Catching Technique.”

The young Taoist blinked rapidly twice, then shrank back into his chair and said, "Alright."

At this moment, Hongxiu asked, "Fatty Taoist, how come you have so many tomb raiding tools?"

The young Taoist priest was taken aback, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. He forced himself to remain calm and said, "I... I have a friend who's a 'tomb raider,' and I borrowed it from him."

"Oh! I have a friend!"

The three of them drew out their words, their faces full of mockery.

The fat Taoist priest's face grew paler and paler, and he couldn't help but cover his face and flee.
-
The moonlight was pale and white, and the long river was as if it had been washed clean.

In a manor west of Jinling City, amidst heavy curtains, a beautiful woman in a flowing robe is playing the zither.

The melodious sound of the zither drifted through the courtyard, and the light tune eased the frown on Leng Yan's face as he entered.

Suddenly the music changed, from joyful to melancholic, and the tone became deep and sorrowful.

Leng Yan stood at a distance, listening intently to the woman playing the zither. Only after the music ended did he step forward and praise, "Yu Ru's zither skills are even more beautiful now."

At this moment, the woman with the head held high finally raised her head, casually plucked the strings of her zither, and a series of melodious and lingering notes emerged, as if a lonely soul had drifted out. The surroundings were silent, filled with a sense of sorrow.

Shan Yuru stood up, slowly walked to the front of the curtain, and stretched out a delicate white hand to lift it up.

Leng Yan felt a sudden light in his eyes. He saw a beautiful woman with no hairpins or jewelry. She simply used a daisy to tie up her hair, and her skirt was embroidered with moon-white flowers. She was graceful and elegant.

"Beautiful, absolutely stunning!" Leng Yan exclaimed, clapping his hands in admiration.

Shan Yuru smiled and asked, "Is it the person who is beautiful or the music that is beautiful?"

Leng Yan laughed heartily: "People are like a wisp of frost on a glazed tile; even the most beautiful things can vanish without a trace with a gentle breath."

"And what about the music?"

"Fine and soft, drifting and swaying, even the setting moon stands alone."

Dan Yuru said softly, "What a poignant line, 'Even the setting moon becomes a solitary figure.'" She added with a hint of disappointment, "I'm still not as good as Lian Xiuxiu."

Leng Yan waved his hand and said, "She's just a prostitute. How can Yu compare to her?"

Shan Yuru then asked, "How does it compare to Ren Jianshen's 'Heavenly Music'?"

Leng Yan was taken aback, hesitated for a moment, and said awkwardly, "Why compare yourself to him?"

Dan Yuru's voice was clear and cold as she said, "What if I insist on competing?"

Leng Yan sighed and said, "It is unwise for man to contend with Heaven."

Shan Yuru's dark eyes swept across his face, then suddenly fell to the distance, and she said softly, "Brother Leng, did Fang Yeyu ask you to find out about the Three Fiends?"

Leng Yan's eyes flashed sharply, then dimmed: "That's right, as far as I know, the three villains are going to search for treasure in Jinling."

"Treasure hunting?"

Leng Yan said, "It is a relic of Emperor Yuan."

Shan Yuru frowned slightly and said, "Why is the treasure for restoring the kingdom not placed in the capital, but in Jinling instead?"

Leng Yan shrugged and casually said, "Nobody knows what Emperor Shun is thinking."

Where are the three villains staying now?

“Lulong Temple,” Leng Yan said, “The abbot, Xuan Yuanzi, is one of my men, and he reports their news to me at any time.”

Dan Yuru gave a soft "hmm," her beautiful eyes fixed on something, then suddenly smiled charmingly, revealing shallow dimples on her cheeks:

"A treasure hunt turned into a bloody battle, resulting in the deaths of everyone from the Demon Master's Palace and the Three Fiends. What do you think of that?"

Leng Yan was taken aback and said, "Ren Jianshen is no ordinary person. What if too many people are killed or injured, and it attracts the attention of our master?"

Shan Yuru stepped forward and gently stroked Leng Yan's cheek, raising her eyebrows slightly: "We don't need to fight them. Let's wait until they are almost dead or wounded before we stalk the mantis and stalk the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."

"The people are killing each other. The treasure is naturally ours!"

(End of this chapter)