Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 199 The Taoist Priest Points the Way
The three leaders of Baoantang spent the night visiting various places in Tonglu County.

Then Xu Qing and the other person left before dawn.

Even if someone boasts loudly, you must be wary of your opponent's cunning and ruthlessness.

This demon is indeed extraordinary, and it has colluded with scum of the human race, showing a growing tendency to become more powerful.

A direct attack could very likely provoke public discontent, since the Water God Temple is a force that truly takes charge when things go wrong.

Offering blood sacrifices is cruel, and these scoundrels also abuse their power after gaining authority.

But the henchmen of the local tyrants were also ruthless, often destroying families and wiping out entire clans, making them even more vicious than demons.

Between two evils, choose the lesser. Therefore, it is not unreasonable that these wild gods could proliferate along the riverbank after the collapse of the Shinto system.

This is why dynasties throughout history have strictly prohibited the worship of wild gods, and human sacrifices and blood sacrifices were not valued by the rulers.

This was to prevent the proliferation and chaos of folk beliefs, thereby ensuring the exclusive status of the official sacrificial system.

It also formed the basis of the theory of interaction between Heaven and Man, which began to dominate in the Han Dynasty, and served as an endorsement of the correctness of feudal rule.

Therefore, Xu Xuan thought it over and over again and decided that he could not simply eliminate the demon and leave it at that. It should not be difficult to deal with some local landlords and powerful families as well.

I happen to have some ideas that I can try out.

Therefore, they abandoned the middle and lower-level strategies and adopted the more complex superior strategy instead.

Xiaoqing also chose to make another strategic retreat, but instead of creating tactical space, she went to the riverbank to carry out a secret mission.

Master Mao had also come to understand the style of these two giants; they were truly cunning and kind.

So he took on an important task.

Once outside the town, he shed his previous disguise as a doctor and changed into a new outfit.

He changed into a top-of-the-line, luxurious gold-threaded Taoist robe custom-made by the Ji family, wore a jade Shangqing crown, held a silver-handled whisk, had a yin-yang fish ornament at his waist, and wore cloud-patterned shoes.

Looking at himself in the mirror, the Taoist's pupils shone with an unusual color. His white hair, which had been dyed back to its original color, combined with his appearance that had made him look several years younger after entering the Taoist path, gave him a high-profile and mysterious aura. He was indeed a highly skilled Taoist master.

He then bought a beautiful blue ox as his mount.

And so, they arrived at the city gate, facing the gazes of the crowd.

"The Taoist priest flew to the bright wind and towering peaks, and three blue birds soared above and below the Xuandu. Fu Sang has already severed the Qinghai Pass, and Aoqiu has once again followed the floating and sinking of Luo."

"In the fourth year of the Huangwu era, this place was still a small town; I never imagined it would become a county seat today. Things have changed so much."

Composing songs upon entering the city is something only ordinary people can do.

Even in the affluent Jiangnan region, it is extremely rare to see a Taoist priest so flamboyant. After all, Taoists are usually known for their simple and unpretentious image.

This was also Xu Xuan's suggestion: since we are not ordinary people, let us show extraordinary demeanor.

Sure enough, it attracted attention from all sides even before any action was taken, which means that the initial persona has been established.

Everyone generally assumes that anyone who dares to be so flamboyant and still lives to such an old age must have some real skills.

This Taoist priest is indeed very capable. As long as the money is right, there is nothing he can't do: astrology, divination, healing the sick, and exorcising evil spirits.

Their moves are always as flamboyant as possible, often displaying miraculous powers.

If someone is sick, drinking a bowl of talismanic water can instantly prolong their life.

Someone was possessed by an evil spirit; light flashed in their hands, and they chanted a large number of Taoist scriptures, sounding incredibly powerful and highlighting their extreme professionalism.

When the ritual was performed, it stirred up wind and thunder, terrifying the onlookers so much that they ran away in terror. In just a few days, it became famous throughout Tonglu County.

Even the temple keeper and sorceresses of the Water God Temple sent people to keep an eye on it, since this was considered stealing their business.

Although this person is capable, he never goes to the countryside or the riverbank. He does know some rules, so let's just bear with him for now.

When I can't resist any longer, I'll ask the Water God to eat this cow's nose.

One night, someone used their connections to invite the Taoist priest to a private room for a chat.

The table was already set with food and drinks, and the host didn't come out until after a short while.

"I have been disrespectful to the Taoist priest."

He was originally a refined and cultured middle-aged scholar in his forties, who introduced himself as surnamed Zheng and said he had something to ask of him.

"Doctor Zheng lived near the West Gate, hence the surname."

"My ancestor was the magistrate of Ye, and the people built a shrine for him. His name is already known throughout the land. Why is the magistrate using an alias?"

"Besides, your natural talent and connections in officialdom cannot be concealed."

Master Mao bluntly pointed out that while his spiritual sense wasn't as extraordinary as Xu Xuan's, after investigating Tonglu County for many days, how could he not recognize the county's magistrate?

This was also his main objective in changing his clothes and making a high-profile entry into the city. Magistrate Ximen, however, was quite frank and apologized for concealing his identity.

"Alas, I am ashamed of my ancestors and unworthy of the surname Ximen. This secret banquet is for the demons in the Fuchun River. I would like to ask the Taoist priest to slay the demons and exorcise the evil spirits."

He was indeed from a distinguished family, but not a prominent one. After arriving in Tonglu County, he was eager to make his mark, but was stopped by the water god temple by the river.

Considering what his ancestors had done, this situation was an utter disgrace, yet there was nothing he could do about it.

It was only after becoming a county magistrate that he learned that there really were demons and ghosts in this world.

Moreover, although the villagers had been poisoned by that water god temple for many years, they still did not trust the imperial court, which made him even more resentful.

What is written in the classics is completely different from reality.

They had previously spent a lot of money to hire monks and Taoist priests, but within two days they had all become someone else's meal.

They were initially quite discouraged, but seeing Master Mao's appearance and actions rekindled their hope.

So they offered a large sum of money to have the demon exorcised.

The Taoist priest remained silent, caught in a mental struggle.

Magistrate Ximen's heart sank, a sense of despair washing over him. Was there really no other way?
Do you know what kind of monster that is?

"I don't know."

"It is a crocodile dragon with some dragon blood. In the water, only those with great supernatural powers can defeat it. Even I am not necessarily its match."

The word "not necessarily" is used well here, implying a certain possibility of victory.

Moreover, among all the people from other worldly affairs who come and go, only this ornately dressed Taoist priest revealed the true form of the demon, so he must be a true master.

Therefore, Magistrate Ximen became excited and was about to kneel down and pay his respects on the spot.

"Please, Taoist priest, have mercy on the people of Tonglu, capture and kill this demon, and restore peace to both banks of the Fuchun River."

This person is indeed of high moral and cultural standing; he truly knelt down for the sake of the people, and the force he used was not just for show.

The Taoist priest confirmed the other party's character once again, concluding that he was worthy of helping Young Master Xu.

So he helped the other person up and began to feign distress in the candlelight.

"If I were to subdue the demon, the people outside the city would surely be angry with me, and adding to the evil consequences would not be the act of a cultivator."

Magistrate Ximen wanted to say something but didn't know what to say. He knew a lot of principles from books, but he really couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't be spat on when he was exorcising demons.

Sigh
"It's because I'm not capable enough."

"If we can protect people's livelihoods, why make them worship a man-eating monster?"

“I have written letters to report this matter many times, but I have been stopped and reprimanded by the local officials. I really don’t know why the world is like this.”

He was an honest and upright man, but when this matter was reported, no one resolved it; instead, it embarrassed the leaders of Wu County.

It's only because there were many alumni from Bailu Academy that the academy was able to survive; otherwise, it might have been eliminated long ago.

At this point, Master Mao felt the time was right, so he gave a hint.

"Does Magistrate Ximen know Magistrate Song of Qiantang?"

There is no one in Jiangnan who does not know Song Youde. This good-for-nothing has become famous in Jiangnan in just one year, and it seems that he is on the rise.

The fact that such a greedy fat man, whom so many people looked down upon, has achieved what he has today is something many people never imagined.

Magistrate Ximen had thought the same thing, but considering that the other party could eliminate the sorcerer while he himself was at a loss, it was even more embarrassing.

But if the Taoist priest says so, could there be some hidden secrets involved?

"I see that you are sincere and earnest, so I will show you a way out."

“You should know Magistrate Song’s abilities, so the key here is not him.”

"Bring the person behind this to the fore, and this little river monster will die, while you, the magistrate, will rise to prominence."

Magistrate Ximen immediately understood. He said, "How could that good-for-nothing Song Youde become Song Qingtian? It turns out there's a mastermind behind him."

"May I ask the name of this esteemed sage from Qiantang? And where is his immortal home?"

Master Mao stood up, his face serious, and spoke in a solemn tone.

"This person's surname is Xu, given name is Xuan, courtesy name is Hanwen, and he is an instructor at Chongqi Academy."

"He is twenty-four years old, a confidant of Lady Chongqi Yin, valued by Master Shen of Bailu, a friend of Yu Gong, and promotes education, eliminates evil spirits, and controls floods. He is a truly capable man."

(End of this chapter)