I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 222 Death, Mars

A peculiar aura pressed down on the Taoist priest, forcing him to kneel and answer, unable to move.

Jiang She glanced at the old deer mountain god.

He stood with the others, listening to what Daoist Jingchen had to say.

“Cultivating the Tao is extremely difficult. I am lucky to have completed my lifespan and live to be 120 years old.”

"But no matter how I meditate and cultivate, I can't find the key to further cultivation. I've read hundreds and thousands of Taoist scriptures, but I only have some supernatural powers and minor skills. I don't have the affinity to directly point to the Great Tao."

"Having lived a hundred years, my remaining lifespan is dwindling day by day..."

The old deer mountain god listened for a while and learned how anxious the Taoist was in his cultivation, and how he discovered that when he did good deeds in the past, someone lit incense and found that he could benefit from it.

Because he had so little time left to live, he made many vows in one go.

There are good and bad aspects.

Some things seem virtuous, but in reality, they lead to disastrous consequences.

At first, when someone died because of him, the Taoist would feel sentimental, but later he gradually became numb and only rejoiced in his restored appearance and increased lifespan.

He also took in some disciples to cultivate Taoism with him, opened his own cave, killed the troublesome mountain god, drove away the old, weak and useless local earth god, and accumulated believers.

From then on, the incense offerings continued uninterrupted.

Since incense is the foundation, one must also have essence and blood to make up for one's incomplete lifespan.

The Taoist priest said, "The Taoist scriptures say that heaven, earth, and man are of one body."

"Humans are also part of heaven and earth."

"Therefore, the cycle of the universe continues endlessly."

“Those people live mediocre lives, begging their whole lives, never even able to get a full meal. They are despised and insulted. In times of famine, people even exchange their own children for food.”

"They live their lives in such a daze, not knowing where they will die. I think, though they are called living people, what difference is there between them and the dead?"

"Since that's the case, why not use their essence and blood to prolong my life?"

"I'm merely reclaiming my life from heaven and earth!"

……

Li Bai and Yuan Danqiu stood to the side, listening to Daoist Jingchen say many things, much of which they had heard before. Many people, before their death, go to such extremes, making desperate pleas.

Jiang She spoke calmly.

ask him.

"You have dozens of disciples, but the temple only has a dozen or so statues. It's likely that some other disciples, when they reached the end of their lives, heard your method of prolonging life and were unwilling to accept it."

Where are those people now?

Daoist Jingchen remained silent for a long time.

He was reluctant to speak, but the heavy burden on his shoulders seemed to intensify, forcing him to speak. His voice was strained.

"Those disciples have already passed away."

“I buried their bones at the foot of the mountain.”

Li Bai raised his head and asked sharply.

"Killed by you?"

Daoist Jingchen did not speak again, even though the immense pressure on him was about to squeeze his lungs out.

Jiang She looked down at him.

"It seems we won't get any information out of them."

He sighed, called over a few others, and turned to leave, having already heard a lot of similar things.

...They didn't kill him?

When Daoist Jingchen saw those people turn and leave, he was overjoyed. He didn't know what he had said that pleased the man, but the man had been spared his life.

He twisted his body, trying to stand up amidst that strange and intense pressure.

Suddenly, a spark appeared.

……

……

Outside the house.

The two men were still completely absorbed in fighting the crickets. They had already gone through several rounds, and the two green-headed crickets in the earthenware pot were locked in a fierce battle. They were hunched over, their eyes almost touching the rim of the pot, and they were even holding their breath.

They were completely unaware that someone had passed by them.

The two were locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle.

One of them suddenly felt his back getting hot, and he scratched his back impatiently.

"Don't make trouble..."

The other person looked up and glanced at it, his expression changed drastically, and he stammered.

"Look...what's that...?"

Behind them, flames soared into the sky from under the eaves, crimson flames leaping up the roof beams, accompanied by crackling and popping sounds, with sparks falling continuously.

"Fire!"

Their legs went weak, and they scrambled away. The fire was so big, it's amazing they didn't notice it for so long and weren't burned.

"Master, save me!" "Master, save me!"

The room was completely silent.

"The founder couldn't have left long ago..." Just as he was wondering, his companion grabbed his wrist and dragged him outside.

"Run! This fire is going to engulf people!"

"But our ancestor..."

"Are you crazy?" The man dragged him down the mountain, glancing back at the houses engulfed in flames. "What deity could be burned to death by mortal fire? Maybe this fire was cast by the patriarch himself!"

"Yes, yes, the patriarch knew fire magic."

The two of them scrambled away and ran far away.

The next moment, the house creaked twice before collapsing with a loud crash, sending dust and smoke billowing everywhere.

……

……

Several flames erupted from the mountain, and the young Taoist priest, perched on a tree, spoke to his companions below.

"The fire looks big!"

The other person thought of the loud noise they had just heard.

"Won't the house burn down?"

"How would I know?"

The young Taoist climbed down from the tree, dusted off his hands, and exchanged a glance with his companion: "Should we go back up the mountain, or continue down to find someone to make memorial tablets?"

His companion thought for a moment.

"Let's go down the mountain."

"It might be the fire magic of the founder, or it might be an illusion. Didn't someone learn to exhale and create flames?"

The collapse of the house is naturally someone else's responsibility, but guarding the incense and memorial tablets is their job.

The memorial tablet shattered right before their eyes.

The two men shrank back in awe and hurried down the mountain.

They walked for a short while longer, and then they saw the group of people who had just asked for directions walking over. The young Taoist looked at them curiously for a few more seconds and asked them a question.

"You didn't go up? Why are you coming down now?"

Jiang She smiled.

"I've already seen him."

The young Taoist glanced at them. If it were them, it would take them a long time to climb that mountain path. How long had it been? They had already gone up and down the mountain again.

Adults really love to boast.

Perhaps they never actually met the patriarch; they encountered other people along the way and were asked to leave the mountain.

The two thought this, but didn't say it aloud.

The young Taoist priest offered them a word of comfort.

"It's better that you don't go up the mountain. The mountain is on fire and it's not safe."

"Yes, that fire is huge!"

Jiang She smiled, and the others slowed their pace and followed them down the mountain.

"Why do you practice spiritual cultivation?"

The young Taoist said:
“My grandmother worshipped the deity, and later my father followed suit. They passed away early, and I was just thinking of going up the mountain to pray to the deity to bless them with peace in the afterlife.”

“I met a senior sister at the temple who said I had the aptitude to learn immortality and asked if I would be willing to become a Taoist disciple.”

“I asked her what the young Taoist boys were supposed to do, and she said they had to sweep and clean – that is, sweep the floor, which is much easier than farming.”

"Then he went to the mountains to cultivate Taoism..."

"Our senior sister is very kind to us. Sometimes she even gives us money to spend so we can go down the mountain to buy sugar figurines. The stall owner almost knows us by now."

Jiang She nodded.

After thinking for a moment, he asked gently:
"What is the rank of that senior sister? Is she enshrined in the temple?"

The young Taoist scratched his head, slumped his shoulders, and said dejectedly, "It's Senior Sister Seventeen. She passed away a few years ago."

"I see."

A warm breeze blew, and the greenery was lush. They chatted as they walked, and the two young Taoists kept their mouths shut, never revealing what they were going down the mountain for.

Before long, they descended the long steps in the mountain and heard many voices.

They arrived in the human world.

The two young Taoists breathed a sigh of relief, waved goodbye to them, picked up their bundles, and ran off in a flash.

After reaching the foot of the mountain, the local deity put down his bamboo staff and bowed.

I express my sincere gratitude.

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)