This humble Taoist priest wants to take the college entrance exam.

Chapter 157 The Taoist Master Has Disappeared? (One update today)
Chen Shi'an left his bicycle at Grandpa Wang's house, and with his personal belongings and some meat and vegetables given to him by Grandpa Wang, he went up the mountain.

The Xuanyue Mountain range covers a vast area and has long been known as the "meeting place of immortals". Historically, it was a gathering place for eminent Taoist priests and had numerous palaces and temples, which is incomparable to today.

The majestic green mountains stretch for eight hundred miles, with the most famous Zixiao Peak rising straight into the sky. However, Luoxia Ridge on the west side of the mountain range seems to be a corner forgotten by heaven and earth, and Jingchen Temple is nestled in a fold on the north side of the ridge.

The route from the village at the foot of the mountain up the mountain is an undeveloped mountain path.

Chen Shi'an carried his bag and walked upstream along the mountain stream, with the black cat hopping and skipping beside him.

Once you get to this place, navigation is basically useless, but your phone still has a signal, so you can use the map to find out your approximate location.

However, for Chen Shi'an, he could walk back to the place where he was born and raised with his eyes closed.

At a normal pace, it would take most people about two hours to walk this mountain path.

Most of the time, Chen Shi'an walked up and down the mountain at a normal pace.

But as he was about to return to the Taoist temple, he quickened his pace like an impatient child, his movements as agile as a lynx, racing against Fei Mo, the two of them running and darting through the forest.

Passing through the perpetually misty Locked Mist Gorge, the white fog within rolls and swirls like a living thing, capable of swallowing up road signs and footsteps.

Only the local herbalists recognized the welcoming pine tree as a reference.

After passing the gorge, the turbulent flow of Duanyunjian came into view.

Once you get here, Jingchen Temple will be nearby.

It was a quiet autumn afternoon in the mountains, filled with the sounds of insects and birds. Returning here from the bustling city felt like stepping into another world.

Chen Shi'an walked close to the dense, verdant cedar forest.

The mountain paths, originally made by the villagers on foot, suddenly have a long stone staircase built here.

After a month without cleaning, many leaves had fallen on the long stone steps.

Occasionally, a few squirrels would pass by, holding pine cones and standing atop the stone steps, looking down with curiosity at the Taoist priests climbing the steps below.

"Meow?"

"Zhizhi——!"

Upon seeing the black cat, the squirrels were startled and abandoned their pine cones, running away in terror.

Chen Shi'an bent down, picked up the pine cones from the ground, and continued climbing the steps.

Before long, a dilapidated and shabby mountain gate appeared above the stone steps. The eaves of the gate were piled with withered branches and leaves, and some tiles had fallen off, making it look like it was about to collapse.

However, Chen Shi'an knew that although the mountain gate looked dilapidated, it was actually quite sturdy. After all, it was a facade, and it would be a laughing stock if it collapsed...

Passing through the mountain gate, a long, orderly stone staircase that seems to stretch endlessly upwards continues.

The deep stone steps are covered with moss and fallen leaves, with towering fir and camphor trees lining both sides, and the crisp chirping of birds echoing through the forest.

Being there, you are enveloped by a profound and ancient natural atmosphere.

After walking up this last stretch of straight stone steps, at the end of the steps, the Taoist temple that was all too familiar appeared before my eyes.

"Master, I'm back."

The ginkgo tree that was lush and green when we came down the mountain has been turned golden by the autumn wind.

Just then, a gust of wind blew by, as if in response to his words, and a few golden ginkgo leaves drifted down, swirling and landing on the drying stone in front of the temple.

The gate of the temple was still ajar, and the three large characters "Jingchen Temple" on the lintel had been reduced to faint traces after so many years of wind and rain.

The black cat didn't go through the main gate, but darted in from the side.

Chen Shi'an stepped forward, pushed open the half-closed temple gate, and a smell mixed with dust and incense ash wafted towards him—it was the same smell as before.

Taoism has a long history and many schools of thought. In addition to the two well-known schools, there are many other schools that have gradually disappeared from view.

The Chen Shi'an lineage, from the master's master's master... onwards, has always been active in the Jingchen Temple.

Jingchen Temple has been repaired and maintained, and its lineage has been passed down through a single lineage. Over the years, it has failed to grow stronger, but fortunately, the temple has not collapsed and the incense has not been cut off.

Their daily lives are more secular than those of Taoist priests who have left home. They are self-reliant in making a living, can marry and have children, and have few dietary restrictions except during religious ceremonies.

Compared to the famous Grand View Garden, Jingchen Temple naturally appears dilapidated, but though small, it has all the essential parts.

There are three main halls inside the temple. Although they are called halls, they are actually just larger rooms. There is a mountain gate, four living rooms, a kitchen, a study for storing books, an altar for performing rituals and prayers, and a quiet room for meditation and chanting. The overall layout is compact, harmonious, exquisite and unique.

As for gardens, there aren't any. In Master's words, "Where on this entire mountain isn't a garden?"

Chen Shi'an put down his luggage and called Fei Mo over. Together they lit incense for their master.

“Master, I’ve come back to see you. I’ll stay at the temple for two days before going back.”

"Meow."

With the arrival of incense offerings, this small Taoist temple hidden deep in the mountains came back to life.

Chen Shi'an never quite understood why people in the secular world always say, "Come back and visit often."

It wasn't until he went on a long trip that he truly understood the many indescribable emotions involved.

There was really no other reason for my trip back; it was simply because I wanted to come back and visit.

When Master was alive, no matter how successful Chen Shi'an was, Master still made the decisions on all matters, big and small, in the temple. Now that Master is gone, even Chen Shi'an himself has not realized that in just one month, his mentality has grown and changed rapidly compared to before.

This change made him feel somewhat lost.

In the past, my master was always there for me. When I was confused, my master would tell me whether it was right or wrong.

Now, he needs to experience, understand, and grow through all of this himself.

Just as the master said, if he follows the master, he will never be able to find his own path.

This was also the most important lesson his master had taught him during the eighteen years he raised and taught him, through his own departure.

……

Over the next two days, Chen Shi'an returned to the rhythm of life he had before descending the mountain.

I haven't taken my phone out since I got up the mountain, and the signal was poor, so I was offline most of the time.

Taking advantage of this rare moment of peace, he reflected on what he had seen, heard, thought, and felt during the month he had been down the mountain. With nothing else to do, he sat in front of the incense burner and chatted with his master.

In fact, he is inherently averse to loneliness. After being in quiet for a long time, he realized that he was not as able to sit still as he had imagined.

So Chen Shi'an picked up a broom and began sweeping the fallen leaves in the yard.

One fallen leaf after another was swept up and piled up in the corner, like a small golden mountain.

Without wasting anything, Chen Shi'an put the fallen leaves into a basket and took it to the kitchen, where they could be used to start a fire.

Wisps of smoke rose from the depths of the mountain, warming the long-cooled stove. Traces of medicine still remained in the pot from when it was boiled. Chen Shi'an poured water and washed it clean little by little.

In his leisure time in the afternoon, he would sit on the boulder in Duanyun Ravine and stare blankly at the rushing water of the ravine in front of him, which was sometimes visible and sometimes hidden in the clouds and mist.

Chen Shi'an wasn't thinking about anything; he was simply spacing out, completely emptying his mind, and didn't even meditate or cultivate.

Occasionally, when I feel sleepy, I simply stretch and lie down on the boulder to take a nap.

The cats were causing a ruckus; the mountain king's return to the mountain had thrown the chickens and dogs into chaos...

……

Two days passed in a flash, and on the morning of the 4th, Chen Shi'an still got up at five o'clock.

It was still dark outside, so he didn't rush down the mountain. Instead, he thoroughly cleaned the house inside and out again. After sunrise, he shouldered his pack, called Fei Mo, and together with his master, offered incense before turning to leave.

After resting in the mountains for two days, Chen Shi'an felt as if he had been fully charged, which would enable him to go out and go further and longer.

When I got halfway down the mountain, my phone started buzzing incessantly in my pocket.

Chen Shi'an took out his phone and saw that there were many unread messages and several missed calls.

The signal was already poor at the mountaintop, and his phone had been in his bag for the past two days, so the signal was even worse. The key point was that he hadn't taken out his phone to check it until now, when he finally saw that huge pile of messages.

Sister Wanyin - 4 missed calls, 6 missed WeChat calls, 7 unread WeChat messages;
Zhizhi - 3 missed WeChat calls and 6 unread WeChat messages;
Ling - 1 missed WeChat call and 38 unread WeChat messages;
Upon seeing this large number of messages, Chen Shi'an was startled, thinking he had disappeared. He had only been back in the mountains for two days!
Let me check the time; it's a little past eight in the morning.

Chen Shi'an then called Li Wanyin back.

The call was answered quickly.

"Hello? Is this Shi'an?"

His tone sounded somewhat nervous.

"Yes, it's me. Sister Wanyin has called me so many times these past two days?"

Before receiving her reply, Chen Shi'an first heard a heavy sigh of relief, followed by her sister's slightly resentful voice:

"I sent you a message but you didn't reply, and I couldn't get through to you on the phone. I thought something had happened to you, it scared me to death..."

"Don't worry, Sister Wanyin, what could possibly happen to me? The signal is bad up in the mountains, and I haven't been checking my phone these past two days. It's my fault; I forgot to tell you when I arrived."

"I'll hit you! I told you to send me a message when you arrived, but all I got was 'departed,' and then nothing! I even asked Zhixia, and she said she couldn't reach you either."

"Forehead……"

Chen Shi'an was embarrassed. He had indeed forgotten. He had just returned from a long trip and his mind was completely occupied by the Taoist temple as soon as he got to the mountains. He was so busy cleaning that he had no time to think about it.

"Are you okay?"

"It's alright. I'm already heading down the mountain now, and I should be home before noon."

"You're back now?"

"Okay, I'll ride my bike back in a bit."

"Then you have to be careful."

"Don't worry, if you're not in a hurry to eat lunch, you can wait until I get back. I have two pieces of cured meat that a fellow villager gave me; I'll take them back for you to try."

Hearing Chen Shi'an's carefree tone on the other end of the phone, Li Wanyin was truly at her wit's end. She had worried about him for so long, and this brat of a brother was acting as if he had ascended to heaven as soon as he returned to the mountains. She couldn't get through to him on the phone or contact him; he was too busy making that cured meat!

"Okay, let's talk about it when you get back. Remember to send a message to Zhixia, she's been worried about you for a long time."

"Ok, bye."

Chen Shi'an hung up the phone. Li Wanyin, who hadn't slept well for two nights, was finally exhausted and collapsed onto the bed, falling into a deep sleep.

On the other side, Chen Shi'an replied to Wen Zhixia's message.

After all, Wen Zhixia had been with her all along, so she obviously knew his whereabouts better than Li Wanyin and trusted him more.

At first, she only sent some photos she took on her road trip, but Chen Shi'an didn't reply at all.

Then she asked the Taoist priest if he had returned to the mountain, but he hadn't.

This made the girl nervous, since deep mountains and forests sounded very dangerous.

Zhizhi: [If you hadn't replied to my message, I was planning to call the police at noon!]
Chen Shi'an: [It can't be that bad...]
Zhizhi: [Have you been kidnapped? Right now, immediately, send me a selfie to prove your identity!]
Chen Shi'an: [Photo]
Wen Zhixia saved his selfie and then made a video call to him before letting him go.

Zhizhi: [By the way, your class monitor added me last night, saying there was something going on in the class and she couldn't reach you, so she asked you to send her a message.]
Chen Shi'an: [Huh? The class monitor added you? What's up in class?]
Zhizhi: [Does anyone know the meaning of "arrogance"?]
……

When she got to this point, Wen Zhixia was still a little surprised. She was stunned when she saw the friend request from Lin Mengqiu late last night.

The two had known each other for so long but had never added each other as friends. They never expected that this ice-cold person would send her a friend request through their old class group!
Just how important or urgent could this ice spirit be to send someone to her?
Until I saw the verification message: [Something came up in class and I can't reach Chen Shi'an. If you can get in touch with him, please tell him to reply to my message for me, thank you.]
Wen Zhixia then learned that Lin Mengqiu was also unable to contact Chen Shi'an and was looking for him as well.

At the time, they were both flustered and didn't think much about it. Surprisingly, the two of them didn't confront each other but instead talked calmly.

Zhizhi: [You can't contact the Taoist priest either?]
Ling: [Isn't he with you?]
Zhizhi: [No, the Taoist priest rode his bike back to the mountains this morning.]
Ling: [Did you message him to ask if he's gone to the mountains?]
Zhizhi: [Asked, no reply]
Ling: [Okay, I understand]
Zhizhi: [What do you want with him?]
Ling: [Class Matters]
Zhizhi: [If he replies to you, let me know. If he replies to me, I'll let you know too, okay?]
Ling: [Okay]
……

After hanging up Wen Zhixia's video call, Chen Shi'an opened Lin Mengqiu's WeChat.

There were a total of thirty-eight unread messages on the class monitor's WeChat.

Compared to Wen Zhixia and Li Wanyin, Lin Mengqiu, who was on vacation in the South China Sea for the past two or three days, was obviously the least aware of Chen Shi'an's whereabouts. The last time she knew about him, he was still at Fanrenchan's house.

Ling: [Good morning]
Ling: [...]
Ling: [Are you still at Wen Zhixia's house?]
Ling: [?]
Ling: [What did you guys do today?]
Ling: [Why aren't you replying to my messages?]
Ling: [?]
Ling: [Aren't you going back to the mountains?]
Ling: [Speaking]
Ling patted you on the shoulder and said, "Master, I was wrong."

Ling: [?]
Ling: [Did you all go back to the mountains together?]
Ling: [?]
Ling: [I'm home, wanna play badminton together?]
Ling: [?]
Ling called a missed WeChat call—

Ling: [Where are you?]
Ling: [?]
What followed was a series of question marks, with one appearing almost every half hour or hour.

If Wen Zhixia hadn't just mentioned it, Chen Shi'an wouldn't have known that Lin Mengqiu had actually gone to Wen Zhixia's place to find him.

Without delay, he quickly replied to the girl.

Chen Shi'an: [...]
The class monitor's reply was equally swift—

Ling: [Is there internet access on the mountain now?]
Chen Shi'an: [Sorry to have worried the class monitor]
Heaven knows how much Lin Mengqiu breathed a sigh of relief on the other end of the phone. That damned Taoist priest is really heartless! He went back to the mountain and disappeared as if he had vanished! He couldn't contact anyone at all.

In fact, besides asking Wen Zhixia, she also asked Li Wanyin. She, who never proactively contacts people, had never done this before…

Lin Mengqiu typed rapidly, and the input box contained a long passage explaining the reasoning behind the situation, the seriousness of the matter, and so on.

But in the end, I deleted everything, only posting one sentence:

Ling: [...] I really dislike you.
Chen Shi'an: [Selfie]
When Lin Mengqiu saw the stinky Taoist priest's bright and sunny selfie that suddenly appeared on the screen, she almost laughed out of anger.

Ling: [Who wants to see your selfies?]
Lin Mengqiu replied while clicking save.

Chen Shi'an: [To prove I'm still alive]
Ling: [Not bad, looks like you're doing quite well. [smiles]]
When Chen Shi'an saw this reply, he felt a chill run down his spine and quickly patted her profile picture.

You patted Ling on the shoulder and said, "I was wrong, I'll never do it again."

Chen Shi'an: [Class monitor, Xiao Zhi said you wanted to see me about something?]
Lin Mengqiu: "××××××××!!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Mengqiu knew that Chen Shi'an had gone back to Wen Zhixia first.

You stinky Taoist priest! You deadbeat Taoist priest! Everyone's looking for you, why did you reply to her first and not me?!

Five points deducted from your score!!
The girl who was worried about his safety last night now wishes she could bury him in the mountains right now.

Chen Shi'an patted you on the shoulder and said, "I was wrong, I'll never do it again."

Ling: [I attended evening self-study as usual on the evening of the 5th]
It's obvious he has to attend evening self-study! It's clear the class monitor needs him, not the other way around.

Chen Shi'an: [Oh]
Still 'oh oh oh'! Another point deducted!!

Just as the girl was relentlessly deducting points from his score, Chen Shi'an's message replies kept popping up on her screen.

Chen Shi'an replied to all the unanswered messages she had sent before.

Ling: [Good morning]
—Quoting news: Chen Shi'an: [Good morning]
Ling: [Are you still at Wen Zhixia's house?]
—Quoting news: Chen Shi'an: [Back in the mountains]
……

Ling: [I'm home, wanna play badminton together?]
—Quoting Chen Shi'an: [Great! I bought a new bicycle. How about I give the class monitor a ride to the gym?]
This series of replies, though belated, were all present and every single one was addressed.

"~~~~~~"

Lin Mengqiu quoted the message he sent.

Ling: [Okay]
(This is the first update today. I got a mycoplasma infection, and I'm coughing so hard my lungs feel like they're going to come out. I can't concentrate on writing at all, and I also have a low-grade fever and feel dizzy. I've been holding on for two days, but I just can't take it anymore...)
(End of this chapter)