Dao Qi Wu Zang Guan Guan: I became a Daoist Master in the 1990s

Chapter 129 Carefree in Qingcheng, Coffin Rises in Wuling

Life in Qingcheng Mountain is as clear and refreshing as if it had been washed by a mountain spring.

Qi Yun settled in a small courtyard with white walls and gray tiles at the foot of the mountain. Opening the window, he was greeted by lush greenery and filled with birdsong and the sound of springs. It was indeed a good place for quiet meditation.

Song Wan, however, was so busy she barely had time to rest.

Although the Taoist temple on the mountain was coordinated by Bureau 749, she had to handle all the specific matters herself.

Every morning she would go out to negotiate with the original management department of Qingcheng Mountain regarding the handover of the temples and monasteries, and then she would verify the renovation plans with the construction team. She had to approve everything, from how the electrical wires were laid to how the water pipes were buried.

Building materials are transported up the mountain, but the trucks can only go halfway. The remaining section of stone steps has to be carried by hand, and she has to keep an eye on it.

At noon, she would often just eat a cold steamed bun for lunch, and in the afternoon she would have to supervise the work, watching the carpenters chisel tenons and the tilers lay blue tiles.

When he came down the mountain in the evening, his hair was often disheveled and he was covered in dust. He would carry a stack of documents back to the small courtyard and work through the night to check the accounts and write daily reports to fax back to headquarters.

In just over ten days, she had lost a lot of weight, and her eyes were often dark.

Once, Qi Yun saw her asleep on the stone table with a budget sheet spread out beside her. He just smiled, took a coat and put it on her, and went to practice his sword in the courtyard.

Qi Yun, however, had a leisurely life.

I practice boxing and swordsmanship every morning without fail.

In the afternoons, I often go to the mountains for aimless strolls.

Qingcheng Mountain is indeed a place of unparalleled tranquility; this is no exaggeration.

Ancient trees reached for the sky, blocking out the sun; the stone steps were slippery with moss, requiring caution to walk. Yet he walked as if on flat ground, admiring the layered peaks, the palaces and temples hidden among the deep greenery, and the clouds and mist clinging to the mountainside like the sleeves of immortals.

Occasionally, the sound of bells would echo down from a great height, startling the birds in the forest, which would flutter away to the deeper parts of the forest.

He stood still and listened for a while, feeling as if his internal organs had been cleansed by the serene and tranquil air.

Sometimes he sits in the pavilion watching the clouds, sometimes he stands on the edge of the cliff listening to the pines, the mountain breeze brushing against his clothes, truly giving him the air of a carefree immortal.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

That day, Song Wan came down from the mountain, covered in dust, with a deep weariness in her eyes.

She clutched a stack of progress reports, intending to go and report to Qi Yun.

Upon reaching the door, he knocked several times, but no one answered. He then called out "Abbot" twice, but there was still silence.

A slight doubt arose in her heart, and she pushed open the door to enter, only to find the room empty and the long sword not on the wall.

Qi Yun had vanished without a trace.

The twilight in Wuling County is always accompanied by the smell of firewood and cooking smoke.

As the sun began to set, its light became dim and yellowish, no longer harsh, casting a warm and soft glow on the town's blue tiles and gray walls.

The streets were gradually becoming deserted, with people carrying loads and pushing carts hurrying home.

Only the small tavern in the east of the city was bustling with activity.

A dozen or so men in short jackets sat around a few rough wooden tables and benches, most of them having just finished work and coming here to drink and relax.

The mingled smells of sweat and cheap liquor somehow created a kind of raw vitality.

The group was engrossed in their conversation, and the topic revolved around the strange incident involving the Zhou family, a wealthy household in the city.

A few days ago, a torrential rainstorm, accompanied by thunder and lightning, caused one side of the Zhou family's ancestral grave to collapse, revealing the old coffin underneath.

People in the city gossiped that the Zhou family had done too many bad things, and their ancestors were furious and wouldn't sleep peacefully.

The Zhou family was terrified and hurriedly invited Mr. Sun, a famous geomancer in the city, to select another auspicious burial site. They immediately moved the grave, hoping to rebury their ancestors.

Relocating a grave requires opening the coffin, with close relatives personally removing the remains and placing them into a new coffin.

To everyone's surprise, although the coffin looked rotten, the lid seemed to have taken root, and no matter how hard seven or eight strong men tried, it wouldn't budge.

This was an astonishing and bizarre event, and rumors spread like wildfire, with everyone saying that the old man of the Zhou family would rather die than let his children and grandchildren touch his remains.

Mr. Sun was at a loss and had no choice but to ask his master, the reclusive Taoist Songfeng, for help.

After examining the coffin, the old Taoist priest immediately decided: there's no need to open it. Tomorrow at noon, find a group of strong young men born in the years of the Dragon and Tiger to carry the coffin, soil and all, to the new burial site!

Since none of the Zhou family members matched this zodiac sign, they had to announce to the outside world: those willing to carry the coffin will be provided with plenty of good wine and meat, and each person will receive an extra string of copper coins afterward.

This is an enormous benefit.

A thin, dark-skinned man at the table clicked his tongue and said with frustration, "I was born in the Year of the Dog, so I guess I'll never make this money!"

A bystander laughed and said, "If you can't make money, you can at least enjoy the show?"

The old Taoist priest said that any man could stand on the outer edge; their yang energy was strong and could help maintain order! Maybe they could even get a free meal at the banquet!

Everyone readily agreed, saying that this excitement was not to be missed and that they would definitely go together tomorrow.

In a corner of the tavern, a young man in plain clothes sat alone.

His hair was neither long nor short, and he was dressed casually, eating a bowl of vegetarian noodles with his head down. Hearing the crowd's discussion, he slightly raised the corner of his mouth and said softly, "Interesting."

This person was none other than Qi Yun.

Three days ago, he returned to the ruins of the Five Organs Temple on Shenxian Mountain in his sleep.

Having learned his lesson from the previous experience, he now lies down fully clothed, and since receiving the ordination, his spiritual senses have become more acute, allowing him to perceive the signs of "transmigration" slightly.

In the nick of time, he used the Nine Netherworld Silk Seal to retrieve the longsword from mid-air and held it in his hand. This time, his return was not too disheveled.

After descending the mountain, they traveled south, dealing with several petty highway robbers along the way, exchanging money and clothes before finally arriving at Wuling County.

After checking into the inn and making a few inquiries, I was taken aback.

It was now the eighth year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign, twenty-two years since his last departure.

Twenty-two years... How many seasons have passed in this world? Are my old friends still alive?
He stood by the window of the inn, looking down at the bustling streets below, feeling as if he were in another world.

A thousand emotions welled up in my heart, and I remained silent for a long time.

He originally intended to set off immediately to visit Qingwei Temple on Nanping Mountain in Yongzhou, to fulfill the promise he made to Yunyangzi that day.

I wonder if that tradition still exists after 22 years?

He intended to finish this bowl of noodles and set off, but unexpectedly overheard this strange incident involving the Zhou family.

After a moment's thought, he decided to stay another night and go see for himself the next day.

Qi Yun left a few coins, got up and went out.

As dusk deepened, he returned to his room in the inn, closed his eyes, and began meditating, continuously cultivating his Qi.

As night deepened, he concentrated on drawing the second layer of the "Nine Netherworld Thread Seal".

This mudra is more than twice as complex as the first level. Even with the blessing of the Heavenly Talisman, progress is slow, and it has only reached halfway through so far.

After nineteen attempts, he was exhausted and finally gave up.

Before going to sleep, Qi Yun couldn't help but sigh to himself: The more he learns now, the more difficult the cultivation becomes, and with the added burden of traversing the mortal world, the time for cultivation becomes even more limited.

No wonder most true cultivators hide in deep mountains, untouched by worldly affairs.

I woke up the next day feeling refreshed and full of energy.

After having breakfast, he practiced his swordsmanship in his room for a while. When he heard the noise of people on the street, clamoring to see the Zhou family's coffin being unearthed, he went downstairs, mingled with the crowd, and left the city together.

Two miles from the county seat, there is a hilly area with graves.

Ghosts are rarely seen on ordinary days, but today the place was bustling with people and noisy like a marketplace.

At first glance, there were two or three hundred people gathered.

Zhou Lin, the young master of the Zhou family, looked pale and embarrassed as he gazed at the large crowd of onlookers not far away. He turned to an old Taoist priest beside him who was holding a Yin-Yang compass and whispered, "Master Songfeng, this... so many idlers gathered here is really inappropriate. Could you please disperse them?"

Before he could finish speaking, a hoarse, angry voice suddenly came from behind: "You wicked child! Now you know what shame is? When you did those despicable things, did you never think about the consequences!"

Zhou Lin trembled and turned around to see his father, supported by two concubines, walking unsteadily towards him, his face turning pale with anger.

"Father!" Zhou Lin cried out, feeling utterly aggrieved.

Weren't most of those things approved by you, sir?
Now they're blaming everything on me.

Even though he felt incredibly wronged, he dared not argue in front of everyone and could only lower his head.

The old man glared at him fiercely, then turned and bowed to the old Taoist priest, speaking in an extremely respectful tone: "Master Songfeng, I am truly grateful for your esteemed presence."

Alas, what misfortune for our family to have produced such a rebellious son! I am old and frail, and have failed to discipline him properly, thus bringing shame upon our ancestors. I am truly... utterly ashamed."

The old Taoist priest, Songfeng, remained calm and did not respond, only saying, "There's no need to drive people away."

"A large number of people brings abundant yang energy, which helps to suppress the accumulated gloom of the burial mound, making the exhumation of the coffin auspicious."

The old man repeatedly agreed, not daring to say anything more.

The old Taoist priest held a compass and positioned the grave for a long time before slowly saying, "The ancestral grave here originally had excellent feng shui."

This is a "jade belt encircling the waist" formation, with a mountain behind and water in front, and sandy landforms embracing it on the left and right, ensuring that the owner's descendants will enjoy wealth and prosperity for a long time.

However, the mountains and rivers are changing. A few days ago, heavy rain caused a landslide on the west side of the mountain, revealing a gap, just like a jade belt breaking apart. Auspicious energy leaked out and instead became a mouth that brings misfortune.

The malevolent energy poured directly into the grave, hence this change.

"We will relocate the grave today, and later plant pine and cypress trees extensively at that gap to ward off evil spirits with the properties of wood, which may alleviate the problem."

The Zhou family members nodded in agreement.

The old man looked up at the sky; the sun was almost at its zenith.

The old Taoist priest's expression turned solemn, and he said in a loud voice, "It's noon, the time when the yang energy is at its peak!"
Those born in the years of the Dragon and Tiger, please immediately descend from the grave and exhume the coffin!

(End of this chapter)