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

Li Jun stared at his phone screen, stunned for a full three seconds.

The order notifications in the backend are still there, crystal clear—

[South City Night Watchman] has purchased 1 Peach Wood Sword, paid 99 yuan.

"Are you serious?"

Li Jun couldn't help but mutter to himself.

His first thought was whether this guy was deliberately trying to sabotage him.

The live stream chat exploded with comments like "hahaha" and "666".

"Holy crap! Someone actually bought it? Dude, you're really stubborn!"

"@Nancheng Night Watchman, bro, stop messing around, the Taoist priest's just joking! This thing can't kill ghosts, it's only good for bargaining!"

"Master, run! The client wants you to keep your promise and come out of seclusion in person!"

"Send me the address, I want to go watch the Taoist priest perform the ritual!"

Li Jun quickly waved his hand at the camera, looking sincere: "My friend 'Southern City Night Watchman,' I was just joking. The peach wood sword is an art piece, an ornament, a toy! Not a magical artifact! If you don't want it anymore, you can return it anytime, and I'll even cover the shipping!"

He sounded a bit impatient. Although the product details page clearly stated "handmade crafts" and "decorative items," it could be quite troublesome if the other party really took it seriously.

But that netizen didn't post any more comments, and they can't be found in the list anymore.

Li Jun waited for a while and then breathed a sigh of relief.

He's probably just someone who enjoys himself; he joined in the fun and then left.

Moreover, the address left by the other party was "Special Office of Qingshan District, Nancheng City", which didn't sound like a legitimate organization.

I guess it's some kind of paranormal enthusiasts' group.

"Alright, alright, everyone stop spamming the comments, let's give this friend some privacy." Li Jun steered the conversation back on track, "Let's continue our chat, talk about scientific health preservation, the way of nature... Where were we?"

The regular viewers in the live stream knew what they were doing and helped steer the conversation off-topic.

The live stream ended at 10 PM.

After the broadcast ended, Li Jun tallied up his achievements for the night: a peach wood sword and thirty-two protective talismans.

Not bad, I made over a hundred.

Pushing open the door, I saw my master still practicing his boxing in the courtyard.

The moonlight shone on the old Taoist priest, and every move he made exuded a sense of composure.

"Master, let's take a break. We've been practicing for two hours," Li Jun called out.

The old Taoist priest slowly finished his practice and exhaled a long breath.

"As you get older, your bones will rust if you don't exercise."

He wiped his sweat and walked over: "Is the live stream over? You weren't talking nonsense, were you?"

"No way, it's a proper live stream," Li Jun said with a smile.

The old Taoist priest glanced at him, but didn't press further. He simply sighed, "Jun'er, our temple may be poor, but we can't make money through dishonest means. Those peach wood swords of yours..."

"I know, I know."

Li Jun quickly interrupted, "They're all handicrafts, clearly priced, and there's no deception of the young or old. Besides..."

He changed the subject: "We haven't settled accounts with Uncle Zhao yet regarding that Zhenwu Emperor statue. Five thousand yuan is enough for our Taoist temple to repair the roof."

Upon hearing this, the old Taoist priest's face immediately darkened.

"I'll go tomorrow!" the old man gritted his teeth. "I want to see how that brat Zhao explains himself!"

……

The next morning, the master and apprentice went down the mountain.

The mountain road was shrouded in mist in the early morning, and the headlights of the electric vehicles shone a beam of light through the fog.

Li Jun drove his master to Luxian Town in twenty minutes.

I went to the Fengshun Express delivery point first.

The deliveryman was an acquaintance, surnamed Zhou, in his thirties.

"Oh, Master Li, here to send another shipment?"

Brother Zhou greeted him with a smile, took the box containing the peach wood sword, and looked at it: "What's this time? A peach wood sword? Can you ship this?"

"It's a craft item, something to be admired and played with," Li Jun explained.

"Alright."

Brother Zhou quickly packed the items and attached a label: "Nancheng City...Special Office? What kind of unit is this?"

"I guess it's a cosplay club," Li Jun said casually.

"Young people these days really know how to have fun."

Brother Zhou shook his head and placed the package in the dispatch area: "It should arrive in Nancheng this afternoon."

After leaving the courier point, Li Jun checked the time; it was just 8:30.

"Master, Jubaozhai should be open by now."

"Walk!"

The old Taoist priest took the lead, walking quickly and steadily, not at all like an eighty-year-old man.

……

Jubaozhai is located on the old street in the west of the city. The storefront is not large, but the decoration is antique.

Mr. Zhao, the owner, was in his early fifties, chubby, and wore gold-rimmed glasses. He looked quite amiable.

Upon seeing the master and apprentice enter, he greeted them with a smile: "Master Zhang! What a rare guest! Oh, Little Li is back too? School's out for break?"

The old Taoist priest kept a straight face and didn't respond.

Li Jun took the statue of Zhenwu the Great from his backpack and gently placed it on the counter.

"Uncle Zhao, take a look at this."

When Boss Zhao saw this, his smile froze.

He picked up the idol and brought it to the window to examine it closely.

The crack extends from the back to the base, fine and even, not like it was dropped, but rather like it cracked naturally from the inside.

"This..." Boss Zhao frowned. "Master Zhang, after you took this statue back, did it get damp? Or was it placed in a place with large temperature differences?"

"fart!"

The old Taoist priest slammed his hand on the counter, making the copper bell next to it ring loudly.

"Please take it back and place it on the altar in the main hall. We burn two sticks of incense every morning and evening, and offer sacrifices on the first and fifteenth of each lunar month! We haven't even touched it!"

The old man grew angrier as he spoke: "Young Zhao, we've known each other for almost twenty years. Do you think I, Zhang Shouqing, am the kind of person who would cause trouble for no reason?"

Startled by the shout, Boss Zhao shrank back and quickly forced a smile, "Master, please don't be angry, I didn't mean it that way..."

He held the statue and looked at it for a long time, becoming more and more puzzled.

This statue is from the same batch as the factory's, made of clay and fired using mature techniques. How could it crack naturally?

"Well then, Master, this is my fault."

Mr. Zhao's attitude was sincere: "Would you like a refund or a replacement? I'll accept either."

The old Taoist priest's expression softened slightly as he looked at Li Jun.

Li Jun thought for a moment and said, "Uncle Zhao, we won't refund the money. Just give us a new one, but..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Is there a problem with the workmanship of this batch of goods? Why don't you check it first? In case it cracks again after being returned."

"Of course, of course."

Boss Zhao nodded repeatedly, then turned and called into the inner room, "Little Liu! Bring out all the statues from the storeroom!"

A young clerk in his early twenties responded and jogged to the back.

Before long, seven or eight clay statues of gods of different sizes were brought out and neatly placed on the altar.

There is Guan Gong, the God of Wealth, Guanyin, and a statue of Zhenwu the Great that is identical to the one that was cracked.

"Taoist Master, look, these are all from the same batch of deity statues."

As he spoke, Boss Zhao walked to the altar and casually took three sticks of incense from the altar.

He skillfully lit the incense, and wisps of smoke rose into the air.

"I'll offer a stick of incense to the God of Wealth first."

Boss Zhao respectfully placed the incense sticks into the incense burner, muttering incantations, nothing more than prayers for a prosperous business.

Then he looked at the old Taoist priest: "Master, would you like to offer a stick of incense? Consider it a blessing for the new statue."

The old Taoist priest snorted, but still accepted the incense.

Li Jun also followed his master and took three sticks of incense.

Smoke curled up and slowly filled the store.

Li Jun held the incense sticks in both hands, raised them above his head, bowed three times, and then stepped forward to insert the incense sticks into the incense burner.

The whole process was very natural.

He grew up in a Taoist temple and could do these procedures with his eyes closed.

After offering incense, Boss Zhao began to inspect the statue.

He picked them up one by one and examined them carefully against the light.

The first statue of Guan Yu is intact.

The second Guanyin statue is also fine.

The third one...

When he picked up the fourth statue of the God of Wealth, his hand suddenly froze.

A fine crack had appeared on the chest of the statue.

It's as fine as a strand of hair, but very clear.