One person: Senior brother Zhang Zhiwei, the Celestial Master begged me to descend the mountain.

Early morning at Longhu Mountain.

The mist had not yet dissipated when two figures walked one after the other in the backyard of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

The old Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei walked steadily ahead, only occasionally glancing back with a strange look in his eyes.

Following behind him was a boy carrying a bald broom.

The boy yawned, his eyelids drooping, looking like he hadn't woken up properly. He walked with an unsteady gait, as if he could collapse and fall asleep by the roadside at any moment.

"Master... cough, Zhang Chu."

Zhang Zhiwei cleared his throat and stopped walking.

Just then, at the corner of the corridor ahead, Zhang Lingyu, dressed in white and exuding an ethereal elegance, strode over.

Upon seeing the Celestial Master, Zhang Lingyu immediately stopped and respectfully bowed:

"Master, you wanted to see me?"

Zhang Zhiwei nodded, turned to the side, and pointed to the boy behind him:

"Lingyu, let me introduce you to someone."

Zhang Lingyu straightened up, her gaze falling on the boy who looked a few years younger than herself, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.

The young man's Taoist robe was loose and baggy, his hair was just casually tied in a bun, and he was carrying a broken broom that he had picked up from somewhere. He didn't look like a proper Taoist at all.

"This is..." Zhang Lingyu hesitated for a moment.

Zhang Zhiwei, with his hands behind his back and his expression unchanged, said:

"This is a distant nephew of mine, named Zhang Chu. His family suffered a disaster, so he came to the mountain to seek refuge with me. After that, he stayed on the mountain to cultivate."

"A distant...nephew?"

Zhang Lingyu was stunned for a moment.

He had followed his master for many years and had never heard of his master having any distant relatives.

Moreover, since he's the master's nephew, wouldn't their generation be...?

Zhang Lingyu instinctively reached for the bow again: "That is Master..."

"Alright."

Zhang Taichu—the current Zhang Chu—who hadn't spoken until now, impatiently waved his hand, interrupting Zhang Lingyu:

"Stop with all that fancy stuff. I'm just here to make a living, I don't care about all that."

After saying that, he yawned again, and two tears squeezed out from the corners of his eyes:

"Hey you... pretty boy, just find me a place to sweep the floor. As long as no one bothers me, I'll even clean the toilets."

Zhang Lingyu's originally cool and indifferent face froze instantly.

pretty boy?

He had been cultivating in Longhu Mountain for twenty years, and this was the first time someone had dared to call him that to his face.

He frowned slightly and looked at his master, seemingly waiting for a reprimand.

However, to his great surprise, the usually most respectful of the old master was looking up at the sky as if he hadn't heard anything, and his lips even twitched slightly.

"Lingyu."

Zhang Zhiwei patted Zhang Lingyu on the shoulder and said earnestly:

"Zhang Chu... has a rather straightforward personality. Just do as he says and give him a quiet job. Remember, don't let the disciples from the sect bother him."

When he said the word "disturbance," Zhang Zhiwei emphasized it, and his eyes even revealed a hint of warning.

Zhang Lingyu's heart skipped a beat.

Master's gaze... why does it feel like he's guarding against some kind of monstrous flood?

Although filled with doubt, Zhang Lingyu could not disobey his master's orders, so he could only lower his head and respectfully reply:

"Yes, disciple understands."

He turned around and gestured for Zhang Taichu to enter, his tone polite yet carrying a coldness that kept people at a distance.

"Zhang Chu... Fellow Daoist, please follow me."

Zhang Taichu shrugged, picked up his broom, and swaggered after them.

As he passed Zhang Zhiwei, he paused, lowered his voice, and muttered something:

"Remember my sweet tofu pudding, put less sugar in it."

Zhang Zhiwei's face darkened, his beard twitched twice, and finally he sighed helplessly and turned his back.

……

Martial arts training ground.

The Luotian Grand Ceremony is about to begin, and this is the most lively place in the entire Longhu Mountain.

People from all over the world gathered here, some exchanging skills, others chatting in small groups, creating a lively atmosphere.

Zhang Lingyu led Zhang Taichu to a large tree at the edge of the training ground.

"This area is usually quiet and peaceful, just as you wished."

Zhang Lingyu pointed to the fallen leaves on the ground and said calmly:

"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."

After saying that, without waiting for Zhang Taichu's response, he turned and left, his steps a few seconds faster than when he came, clearly not wanting to stay a second longer.

Zhang Taichu didn't care.

He leaned against the tree trunk, threw the bald broom in his hand to the ground, slid down, and found a comfortable half-lying position.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell warmly on his face.

"This place is nice, good for sleeping."

He squinted, preparing to take a nap.

Suddenly, a cacophony of footsteps and voices approached.

"Wow! This is Longhu Mountain? Magnificent! Truly magnificent!"

"Bao'er, slow down, don't get lost! Xu San and Xu Si, keep a close eye on them!"

The sound came from afar, and had a loud and boisterous quality to it.

Zhang Taichu frowned slightly and opened one eye.

On a path not far away, a group of four people were walking towards them.

Leading the way was a young man wearing a cheap hoodie, with messy black hair and a smug-looking smile on his face. He was looking around like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world.

Behind him followed a long-haired, expressionless girl.

The girl was holding a cucumber and crunching away, her big eyes empty and lifeless, as if everything around her was irrelevant.

At the very back were two men in uniforms from the Nationwide Communications. One wore glasses and looked refined, while the other had stubble and a roguish air about him.

It was Zhang Chulan and his group.

As Zhang Chulan walked, his eyes darted around, taking in the strange people around him.

"There are so many people... It seems like this Luo Tian Grand Ceremony won't be easy to get by."

Zhang Chulan stroked his chin and muttered to himself.

Suddenly, his gaze fell on Zhang Taichu under the tree.

Upon seeing the other person's faded old Taoist robe and the bald broom lying on the ground, Zhang Chulan's eyes immediately lit up.

This appearance... clearly shows him to be a low-level Taoist priest who isn't doing very well in the mountains!

These kinds of people are usually the most well-informed and the easiest to fool!

"Sister Bao'er, you guys rest for a while, I'll go gather some information."

Zhang Chulan gave Feng Baobao a few instructions behind him, then straightened his clothes, put on his signature fawning smile, and ran over to Zhang Taichu with a scurrying gait.

"Oh dear, Taoist priest, you've worked so hard!"

Zhang Chulan moved closer, squatted down as if they were old friends, took out a pack of unopened cigarettes from his pocket, and deftly pulled one out and handed it over:

"Sweeping the floor in this sweltering heat, you're so dedicated! Here, have a smoke to relax!"

Zhang Taichu was about to fall asleep when he was woken up by the shout, and he didn't even lift his eyelids.

He shifted his posture, turning his back to Zhang Chulan, and said lazily:

"I don't smoke. Leave me alone."

Zhang Chulan's hand froze in mid-air, but the smile on his face remained unchanged.

He'd seen this kind of thing many times; as long as you're thick-skinned, there's no one you can't pry open.

He chuckled, and instead of leaving, he moved even closer, lowering his voice to say:

"Master, please don't be so cold. I'm a contestant here to participate in the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony. My name is Zhang Chulan. I'm new here and don't know anyone, so I just wanted to ask you a few questions."

"Judging from your extraordinary demeanor, you're definitely not an ordinary sweeping Taoist priest. On this Dragon Tiger Mountain, you must be someone of the 'All-Knowing Scholar' level, right?"

While flattering Zhang Taichu, Zhang Chulan observed his reaction.

However, Zhang Taichu remained motionless and even emitted a slight snoring sound.

Seeing this, Xu Si couldn't help but sneer and said to Xu San:

"It seems Chu Lan has really messed up this time; they're completely ignoring him."

Xu San pushed up his glasses, his brows furrowing slightly:

"Don't be careless. There are many hidden talents on Longhu Mountain. This young Taoist priest looks young, but I get a feeling that... is a bit strange."

Just as Zhang Chulan was preparing to press on and unleash his shameless divine skill...

Zhang Taichu suddenly moved.

He slowly opened his eyes and sat up straight.

Those dark eyes glanced indifferently at Zhang Chulan.

With just one glance, the smile on Zhang Chulan's face froze instantly.

He felt as if he had been stripped naked and thrown into the snow, all his secrets laid bare before his eyes.

Zhang Taichu didn't take the cigarette. Instead, he reached out, picked up the broom from the ground, and weighed it in his hand.

"Zhang Chulan?"

He spoke, his voice flat, revealing no emotion:

"Zhang Huaiyi's grandson?"

Zhang Chulan's pupils suddenly contracted.

Although he has some fame in the world of supernatural beings, it is all because of the rumors about the Qi Body Source Flow.

But the young Taoist priest called out his grandfather's name without any respect for the three words, which made his heart skip a beat.

Before he could reply, Zhang Taichu's lips curled into a playful smile as he looked him up and down:

"His talent is mediocre, and his physical constitution is average."

"But all that malice and cunning in my head is about to burst out of my throat."

Zhang Taichu shook his head and said without any mercy:

"Compared to your grandfather, you are far inferior."

Zhang Chulan's smile completely vanished.

He sheepishly withdrew the cigarette from his hand, a hint of wariness creeping into his eyes.

"Taoist priest...do you know my grandfather?"

Zhang Taichu did not answer the question.

His gaze passed over Zhang Chulan and landed on Feng Baobao, who was still munching on a cucumber not far away.

His originally languid gaze suddenly sharpened the moment it met Feng Baobao's eyes.

For a moment, the surrounding air seemed to freeze.

Xu San and Xu Si, who were watching the play, suddenly tensed up, a strong sense of crisis welling up in their hearts.

"Xu San...look at the way that Taoist priest looks at me..."

Xu Si's hand had already quietly reached towards his lower back, and a layer of cold sweat had seeped out of his forehead.

Zhang Taichu stared at Feng Baobao for a full three seconds.

Then, he withdrew his gaze and looked back at the bewildered Zhang Chulan, lightly tapping the broom handle with his fingers, and uttered a single sentence:

"It's one thing for you to be a good-for-nothing."

"But the little girl you're with..."

Zhang Taichu's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone present:

"The soul is incomplete, the spirit is disordered, and the vital energy in the body is like a stagnant pool, yet it is unfathomably deep."

"It's an interesting thing."

boom!

These words struck Zhang Chulan like a thunderbolt.

He froze on the spot, his mind blank.

Bao'er's background and current situation are top secrets of Na Du Tong!

Apart from the Xu family and him, no one knew that Feng Baobao's soul had a problem!

This young Taoist priest sweeping the floor actually saw right through it at a glance?!

Xu San, not far away, dropped his cigarette to the ground. Xu Si instantly pulled out a lighter, his Qi suddenly erupting as he stared intently at Zhang Taichu, his voice icy and chilling:

"Who are you?!"