I was selling peach wood swords on a live stream, how did I become a Taoist ancestor?

Chapter 13 This fish... is it sentient?

Early the next morning.

Li Jun hurriedly descended the mountain.

Upon arriving at the courier point, Brother Zhou pointed to a styrofoam insulated box: "This is it, it's quite heavy."

The box was labeled: Fresh Frozen.

Sender: Nanhai Diao'ao Ke (South China Sea Fisherman).

"What kind of names are these..." Li Jun muttered, picking up the box.

It is indeed heavy, weighing at least twenty or thirty pounds.

Back at the Taoist temple, the old Taoist priest was doing his morning exercises in the courtyard. He frowned when he saw Li Jun carrying a large box in.

"What is this now?"

"I don't know, it was sent by a fisherman from the South China Sea." Li Jun put down the box. "He said it was frozen."

The old Taoist priest walked over and looked at the label.

"Open it and take a look."

Li Jun opened the packaging.

The styrofoam box was stuffed with ice, and cold air was billowing out.

Push aside the ice, and inside is...

A fish.

The fish has a silvery-white body, is about half a meter long, and its scales shimmer with a faint golden light in the sunlight.

Its eyes were wide open, as if it were still alive.

The most peculiar thing is that there is a pair of small protrusions on the fish's head, which look like unformed horns.

"This is..." The old Taoist priest squatted down, examined it closely, and gasped, "This is... a dragonfish?"

"Arowana?" Li Jun squatted down as well. "You mean those really expensive ornamental fish?"

"Not that kind." The old Taoist priest shook his head, his tone solemn. "Ancient books record that dragonfish live in the deep sea, have two horns on their heads, and are covered in golden scales. Eating them can prolong life and ward off evil spirits."

He paused, then said, "But this thing... should have been extinct long ago."

Li Jun looked at the fish and the more he looked, the more he felt something was wrong.

This fish has been frozen for so long, it should be completely dead by now, but the look in its eyes... it seems to be alive?

"Master, is this fish... still alive?"

The old Taoist priest reached out and touched the fish's body.

It was cool, but soft to the touch, unlike the stiffness of a dead fish.

His expression changed: "Put it away first, and store it in a cool place."

The master and apprentice moved the fish to the well in the backyard and soaked it in well water.

Strangely enough, when the fish came into contact with the well water, their originally dull scales suddenly shone slightly.

Although it was very faint, Li Jun could see it clearly.

"Master, wasn't it... glowing just now?"

The old Taoist priest didn't speak, staring intently at the fish.

After a long pause, he slowly spoke, "Jun'er, what kind of people have you met during this time?"

Li Jun looked completely innocent: "I really don't know them. They're all netizens who bought things from me online..."

"A netizen can send something like this?" The old Taoist priest pointed at the dragonfish. "If this is real, it's priceless! No, you can't buy it even if you have money!"

Li Jun also realized the seriousness of the problem.

Previously, sending books, tools, and materials could be understood as supporting traditional culture.

You could give them a dragonfish from an ancient book...

This gift is too extravagant.

It's so heavy it's unsettling.

"Master, what should we do now?"

The old Taoist priest pondered for a moment: "Keep the fish alive for now, don't touch them. I'll go check some information."

He said this and hurriedly returned to his room.

Li Jun stood by the well, looking at the silvery-white fish in the water.

The fish floated quietly, its eyes occasionally shifting as if it were observing him.

"Just who are you...?" Li Jun muttered to himself.

……

The atmosphere at Qingfeng Temple became somewhat delicate over the next few days.

The old Taoist priest spent his days in a side room filled with old books, searching for records about dragonfish.

While busy processing orders, Li Jun would occasionally go to the backyard to check on the fish.

The fish's condition is strange.

He doesn't eat or drink, but he's in great spirits.

The well water seemed to have become clearer, and had a faint, pleasant fragrance.

What's even stranger is that there are far fewer mosquitoes, rodents, and ants in the temple these past few days.

It's like... being driven away by something.

"Master, have you found anything?" Li Jun couldn't help but ask during dinner.

The old Taoist priest put down the bowl, his expression complex.

According to ancient texts, the dragonfish is an auspicious creature; wherever it is, evil spirits cannot invade and no disease will arise.

He paused, then said, "But there's another record... When a dragonfish appears in the world, something big is bound to happen."

"What's the big deal?"

"I don't know," the old Taoist priest shook his head. "It could be auspicious, or it could be inauspicious."

Li Jun felt a chill run down his spine.

"Should we return this fish?"

"How can we return it?" The old Taoist priest smiled bitterly. "The address is fake, and we can't contact the person. There's nowhere to return it."

The master and apprentice remained silent.

……

Three days later, Zhou Wenyuan came again.

He came alone this time, carrying an old-fashioned wooden box.

"Master Zhang, Mr. Li, we're bothering you again."

The old Taoist priest ushered him into the guest room, where Li Jun served him tea.

"Did Researcher Zhou come here this time to urge for an order?" Li Jun asked.

"No rush, no rush." Zhou Wenyuan waved his hand with a smile. "The order isn't urgent, Li Jun can take his time."

He opened the wooden box he had brought: "I've come to deliver something."

Inside the wooden box was an exquisite tea set.

The set includes a purple clay teapot, four small cups, a tea tray, a tea spoon, and other accessories.

"This is..." The old Taoist priest frowned.

"It's just a small token of my appreciation," Zhou Wenyuan said with a smile. "I've heard that Master Zhang is a connoisseur of tea. I acquired this tea set by chance, and it would be a waste to keep it with me. I might as well give it to someone who understands tea."

The old Taoist priest glanced at the tea set.

The Yixing teapot has a simple and elegant shape and a warm and lustrous color, making it clearly not an ordinary product.

He wanted to refuse, but Zhou Wenyuan's next words made him pause.

"Also, regarding that dragonfish... Master Zhang, there's no need to worry too much."

The old Taoist priest and Li Jun both looked up at the same time, staring at Zhou Wenyuan.

"Does Researcher Zhou know about the dragonfish?" Li Jun asked.

Zhou Wenyuan smiled and said, "Nanhai Diao Ao Ke is my friend. He is impatient and impulsive. He sent the items without informing me. I hope you two will forgive him."

"A friend?" The old Taoist priest narrowed his eyes. "Researcher Zhou's friend... is quite special."

"They are all like-minded people," Zhou Wenyuan said calmly. "We are all very interested in traditional culture, especially the Taoist tradition."

He paused for a moment, then said, "The dragonfish is indeed an auspicious creature. Whether you eat it or raise it, it will be beneficial to the Taoist temple."

Having said all that, the old Taoist priest couldn't press the matter any further.

But his doubts only grew stronger.

This Zhou Wenyuan, and his "friends"...

What exactly is their background?

After seeing Zhou Wenyuan off, the old Taoist priest looked at the tea set, then glanced towards the backyard, and sighed deeply.

……

That night, Li Jun couldn't sleep, so he wandered off to the backyard alone.

At the well, the dragonfish floated quietly on the surface of the water.

The moonlight shone on its silvery-white scales, giving them a faint glow.

It's unrealistically beautiful.

Li Jun squatted down and looked into the fish's eyes.

The fish's eyes moved, meeting his gaze.