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

Chapter 6 The Taoist Priest Hired by the School (Thanks to the Alliance Leader, 不语尘世离合)

Chen Shi'an grew up in the mountains and was already used to that natural, peaceful, and simple lifestyle.

At that moment, the hem of his blue Taoist robe swept across the sun-baked, scorching floor tiles. He stopped and looked up, and the towering buildings before him gave him a sense of being in another world.

The mountain streams have transformed into a bustling traffic flow;

The chirping of insects and birds turned into a cacophony of voices;
The fresh scent of grass and trees has been replaced by a more complex and elusive aroma here...

"Fei Mo, look at that building. It's almost as tall as my Taoist cultivation."

"Meow."

The black cat rolled its eyes, indicating that it only agreed with half of what he said.

Although he was a "country bumpkin" coming to the city, Chen Shi'an was different from other country kids. He had his own set of beliefs and his own system of understanding and cultivation. He was not easily disturbed by external things, nor did he appear flustered.

Faced with the stark contrast between the big city and the mountain environment, he felt a sense of wonder that was both analytical and serene.

His blue Taoist robe was reflected in the glass curtain wall of the shopping mall, standing side by side with the mannequins in suits in the shop window.

Every now and then, hurried passersby would pass by him. Chen Shi'an looked up at the sky, which was divided into pieces by buildings. What were the people here chasing after?

Like dandelions scattered by the wind, they may seem lively, but they lack the tranquility of being rooted in the soil.

"Hello, we are having our grand opening today, and everything is 20% off!"

A girl pulled a flyer from her bosom and handed it to the young Taoist priest.

Chen Shi'an took the flyer, stopped in his tracks with great interest, and carefully read the contents.

The colorful pages are filled with sensational words and bold exclamation marks, as if missing out would be a lifelong regret.

The young Taoist's attire was out of place in the big city, and his calm and composed demeanor was also quite different from that of others.

Even though he was in a hurry, he stopped and carefully examined the flyer.

On the contrary, the girl handing out flyers was getting impatient. After all, she had a lot of work to do and couldn't keep waiting for him. Seeing that he was only focused on reading the flyers and didn't say a word, she took the remaining flyers and turned to hand them out to other passersby. But the effect was not good—most people were in a hurry and didn't seem to have time to even take the flyers.

After a while, Chen Shi'an finished reading the flyer and politely returned it to the girl.

"Thank you, but I don't need it for now."

Such politeness and gentleness stunned the girl distributing flyers, whose forehead was still sweating.

Like a mountain breeze blowing into a city shrouded in the heat island effect, she felt cool and refreshed, and her restless heart calmed down.

"It's...it's okay..."

The girl took the flyer back from him in a daze. Before she could say, "You can take this back...", she looked up again, only to see the young Taoist priest already walking on unhurriedly.

……

Along the way, Chen Shi'an has gained a rudimentary understanding of big cities.

He doesn't judge whether the city is good or bad; he simply comes to experience, observe, and feel it.

Suddenly I understood what my master meant by 'refining the heart in the mortal world.' Indeed, what I saw in books and on my phone was completely different from my own personal experience.

Chen Shi'an was quite looking forward to his upcoming school life. What would be the differences between school and the outside world...?

Just then, my phone rang.

Perhaps because he rarely gets in touch with anyone, it took him a while to realize that his phone was ringing.

The screen lights up, displaying an unfamiliar number.

After the call connected, a middle-aged man's cheerful voice came from the other end—

"Hello? Is this Master Chen Shi'an?"

"Hello, this is [your name], may I ask who you are?" A friendly laugh came from the other end of the phone as the middle-aged man spoke:
"I am Lin Ming, the principal of Yunqi No.1 Middle School. A few days ago, I was entrusted by Master Chen to send the admission notice to your association. I wonder if you received it, Master Chen? These two days are the registration days for enrollment. I asked Teacher Liang and he said that you have not registered yet, so I got your phone number from the association and called to ask."

Once the other party revealed their purpose, Chen Shi'an realized what was going on.

"I'm sorry to have troubled Principal Lin. I'm on my way to the school now, and I should be there in about twenty minutes."

"Alright, alright." Principal Lin's voice was filled with concern. "Your master said you've never been down the mountain before, and asked me to take good care of you. Little Master Chen, if you have any questions, just tell me. Do you need me to arrange for someone to pick you up?"

"Thank you for your trouble, Principal Lin. I'll be there soon."

"Okay, we'll talk when you get there. I've already spoken to the security guard. When you arrive, just tell him to come to my office first."

"Okay, thank you, Principal Lin."

Chen Shi'an hadn't expected Principal Lin to make this special phone call. He hadn't realized his mentor had such influence; not only had he lent him a lot of money and secured a degree, but even now that the man was gone, he still cared so much about his entrustment.

Of course, that was a favor from his master, not his own, and Chen Shi'an was very clear about this.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Shi'an continued on his way.

Before long, a large campus came into view before Chen Shi'an.

As the best high school in Yunqi City, Yunqi No. 1 High School boasts an impeccable learning environment. Its annual undergraduate admission rate, key university admission rate, and number of students admitted to top universities are all among the highest in the city. The quality of its teaching staff and students is also the best, and places are extremely difficult to obtain; the high entrance exam scores each year eliminate countless applicants.

Chen Shi'an had never been to school and had no concept of these things, but he marveled at how big the school was, equivalent to dozens of Jingchen Temples...

Little did they know that students like him who transferred into Yunqi No. 1 High School midway through the semester were either academically outstanding, came from wealthy families, or had strong connections.

It's the last day for fall semester registration, and the school gate is bustling with activity. Students and parents carrying luggage can be seen everywhere, mostly freshmen. The sophomores and graduating students have already started classes, and occasionally you can see some sophomores and graduating students in their school uniforms who have taken a two-day break after their monthly exams and returned to school early.

Chen Shi'an stared blankly at the familiar blue and white school uniform—

Could that talkative girl on the bus just now also be from Yunqi No.1 Middle School?

It's quite a coincidence.

I should have let her come along; it would have been so boring walking in silence for fifty minutes...

Chen Shi'an glanced around but didn't see the talkative girl. He didn't look for her specifically; if everyone was in the same school, they would naturally run into each other if they were meant to.

The school gate was crowded with parents and stylishly dressed freshmen, making Chen Shi'an's blue Taoist robe stand out. As he approached, many parents and students cast curious glances his way.

"Huh, what's this Taoist priest...?"

"Have they come to beg for alms?"

"It's monks who beg for alms, you've never seen a Taoist priest begging for alms..."

"Was that hired by the school?"

"Is it possible that they specially invited a Taoist priest to pray for the students at the start of the school year?"

"I guess the school wants to build a new building and hired a Taoist priest to check the feng shui. I heard that Yunqi No.1 Middle School has made a lot of money in recent years..."

"The school leaders still believe in these things?!"

"But this Taoist priest is too young, is he even twenty?"

"Oh, Dad, I don't think you guys understand anything. This is cosplay! He's definitely not a real Taoist priest!"

Just as everyone was wondering about Chen Shi'an's identity and purpose, he stepped forward and said a few words to the gatekeeper. Then the gatekeeper respectfully led him into the school and headed straight for the principal's office.

"It really was the school that hired them!!"

(Thanks to the patron, "Silent World, Departed Scholar"! What a generous boss! Thank you so much for supporting my new book!)

　Thank you to 闲看风云聚散, 地球风暴组织, 星辰旅人, and 秋秋我的秋秋_ for the generous donations!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)