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

Qingfeng Temple.

Li Jun slept in late and didn't get up until the sun was high in the sky.

The old Taoist priest had finished his morning prayers and was sweeping the fallen leaves in the courtyard with a broom, doing so idly.

"Good morning, Master," Li Jun greeted, rubbing his eyes.

"Early? The sun's already high in the sky." The old Taoist snorted, stopping what he was doing. "What happened yesterday... the more I think about it, the more something seems off. How come all the statues in Zhao's shop are cracked?"

Li Jun yawned: "It's probably a problem with the batch production process, like thermal expansion and contraction or something."

"Nonsense." The old Taoist priest shook his head. "What a coincidence! Seven or eight statues, splitting apart all at once?"

He lowered his voice: "Jun'er, tell me the truth, what were you thinking when you were offering incense yesterday?"

Li Jun was stunned by the question: "What was I thinking? I just... offered incense as usual, praying to the ancestral master to bless our Taoist temple with more worshippers, so that my videos would gain more followers and I could sell more goods..."

"this one?"

"Is that all?" Li Jun said innocently. "Oh, I thought about it for a bit. I hope Uncle Zhao won't cheat us and will quickly get us a better one."

The old Taoist priest frowned and stared at Li Jun for a long time, making Li Jun feel uneasy.

"Master, please don't look at me like that, it's scary."

"It's nothing." The old Taoist priest finally shook his head and continued sweeping the floor. "It's probably... the ancestral master manifested himself, unable to bear those poorly made statues, and gave me a warning."

Li Jun laughed: "That ancestor was quite trendy, knowing how to express dissatisfaction by cracking open."

"Get out of here, you have no manners!" the old Taoist priest chuckled and scolded, waving his hand. "Go wash your face quickly, there's some porridge left for you in the pot."

Li Jun ran off with a grin.

He didn't take yesterday's events to heart at all.

He was more concerned about the number of views on today's video than why the statue was cracked.

After washing up, he drank porridge while scrolling through his phone.

The video of "flying on a sword" has already surpassed 100,000 views and received several thousand likes.

The comments section remains cheerful.

"Master, I tried, but the sword flew away, and I couldn't get up there. How can I fix this?"

"Hey upstairs, I suggest you tie a sword to yourself next time."

"Am I the only one who noticed the calluses on the Taoist priest's hands? He's really practiced!"

"Nonsense, without some martial arts foundation, how could you wield such a heavy peach wood sword? (doge)"

Li Jun found it hilarious.

I casually checked my private messages as well.

Besides a few inquiries about purchasing services, there were also several asking if he accepted rituals, exorcisms, and feng shui consultations.

He replied politely: "Thank you for your trust, but I am just an ordinary disciple of a Taoist temple, and my knowledge is still shallow. I dare not mislead anyone. I suggest you find a regular temple or a virtuous master in the area."

I had just replied to a message when an order notification suddenly popped up in the backend.

Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

A series of sounds kept ringing.

Li Jun was taken aback, then clicked to take a look.

The peach wood sword that was left after it was hung up last night, along with more than sixty amulets, were all bought up.

Moreover, it was sold out instantly by three different accounts at almost the same time.

One of the account IDs looked somewhat familiar to him.

"The Northern Mountain Ranger"?

This format... it's kind of similar to yesterday's "South City Night Watchman"?

Li Jun scratched his head.

Are paranormal enthusiasts now using this kind of username?

However, it's always a good thing if the goods can be sold.

He put down his bowl and excitedly ran to the warehouse to check the inventory.

The peach wood sword was gone, but he had about forty amulets left—they were all overprinted and not in perfect condition; he had originally planned to keep them as freebies.

"How about... we hang them all up?"

Li Jun thought for a moment and decided to sell as much as he could.

He returned to his room, opened the Douyin backend, and created a separate link for the forty-odd "defective" amulets, titled "Clearance Sale, Minor Defects, Do Not Affect Use."

The price was set very low, 99 cents a piece.

The link has just been uploaded.

Less than ten seconds.

It's gone again.

Li Jun was completely stunned as he watched the inventory instantly emptied and the order notification pop up again.

What's going on?

Did we stir up a hornet's nest for paranormal enthusiasts today?

Or is it that...my luck has really turned around and I'm about to become famous?

He quickly switched back to his Douyin homepage and checked his follower count.

Well, it's a little over 100,000, and it increased by several hundred overnight, but it's not explosive.

The number of video views did not suddenly surge.

Where does the purchasing power that caused this product to sell out in seconds come from?

After thinking for a long time, Li Jun could only guess that it might be a group purchase by a club.

This explanation seems to be the most reasonable.

He breathed a sigh of relief, but was also a little excited.

Anyway, this is a good thing!

A peach wood sword costs 99, and a talisman costs 1, which adds up to more than 200 yuan!

However, the goods are sold out, so we need to hurry up and restock.

The peach wood sword has a long production cycle, and there's not enough time for it right now.

But we can quickly print a batch of amulets.

Also, is it possible to develop some new products?

For example... a Bagua mirror? Five Emperor Coins? Or even just a bracelet?

Just do it.

Li Jun went into the "studio," took out the wood, yellow paper, and cinnabar he had bought before, and started working.

The old Taoist priest watched for a while at the door, then shook his head and walked away with his hands behind his back.

He understands less and less about what young people are doing.

As long as it doesn't violate laws and regulations, let him be.

……

In the afternoon, Li Jun carried a large bag of packages ready to be shipped and went down the mountain again.

When Brother Zhou from the Fengshun courier point saw him, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Master Li, so many today?"

"Hmm, business is good." Li Jun handed over the package. "As always, handle it with care, Brother Zhou."

"Don't worry!" Brother Zhou took it, scanning the code while marveling, "Wow, Li, you're going to become an internet celebrity! Hey, these addresses... Nancheng, Beiyuan, Xiling... Special Office, Folk Culture Research Institute... Your customer base is quite unique."

Li Junqian chuckled twice: "They're probably all researchers, so their hobbies are rather niche."

"Niche hobbies are great, and you're willing to spend the money," Brother Zhou laughed, his subordinates quickly packing the items. "By the way, that peach wood sword I sent to Nancheng yesterday, it's been signed for there. You think there's a problem since you haven't contacted them?"

"No, I don't." Li Jun's heart skipped a beat. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it just seemed like they were in a rush. The tracking showed it was picked up as soon as it arrived at the station, they couldn't even wait for delivery," Zhou said casually. "I thought something had gone wrong."

anxious?

Li Jun recalled how quickly the "Night Watchman of the South City" placed his order.

He might just be an impatient paranormal enthusiast.

Without thinking too much about it, after sending the package, he went to town to buy some ingredients, as well as some meat and vegetables.

The Taoist temple is austere, and we usually eat mostly vegetarian food. Today we've "made a fortune," so we should treat our master to a better meal.

After buying his things, Li Jun rode his electric bike toward Qingfeng Temple.

He glanced at Jubaozhai as he passed by on the way.

The shop was closed, with a sign that read "Temporarily Closed".

"They've already rectified things so quickly?" Li Jun was a little surprised.

But he didn't think much of it and continued riding forward.

It was already evening when we got back to the mountain.

Li Jun personally cooked a braised pork belly and stir-fried two kinds of green vegetables.

The old Taoist priest ate the meat and drank a small cup of wine poured by his apprentice, and finally a smile appeared on his face.

"Jun'er," the old Taoist priest said earnestly at the dinner table, "You can never earn enough money. You're still in school, so your studies are the most important thing. Don't think about these things all day long and neglect your important matters."

"I know, Master." Li Jun put a piece of meat on his plate. "It's winter break, so I'm pretty idle anyway. When school starts, I'll definitely focus on my studies."

"Yes, it's good that you know what I mean."

After finishing his meal, Li Jun cleared away the dishes, while the old Taoist priest went to the main hall to perform his evening prayers as usual.

After washing the dishes and drying his hands, Li Jun strolled into the main hall.

The hall was dimly lit by only a few ever-burning lamps.

The air above the shrine was desolate, making it seem even more deserted.

The old Taoist priest knelt on the prayer mat, closing his eyes and chanting scriptures.

Li Jun did not disturb him, lit three incense sticks, and then took a prayer mat and knelt down beside him.

He didn't chant any scriptures; he just stared at the empty shrine and silently murmured something in his heart.

"Grandmaster, your disciple Li Jun has no great ambitions."

"I just hope that my master is in good health and safe and sound."

"I hope Qingfeng Temple can become more popular and stop being so dilapidated."

"I'll earn a little money to renovate the temple and make my master's later years more comfortable."

"And... to those netizens who bought my things, whether they were just having fun or genuinely believed, may they be safe and well."

"Oh, by the way, the statues in Uncle Zhao's shop... if there's really any problem, please, Lord Ancestral Master, have mercy and help resolve it. After all, Uncle Zhao isn't a bad person..."

He kept rambling on, as if he were having a casual chat with an unseen elder.

After saying this, he respectfully kowtowed three times.

When he got up, he found that his master had finished chanting the sutra at some point and was quietly watching him.

"Jun'er," the old Taoist priest said slowly, "you are a good child, with a righteous heart, which is better than anything else."

Li Jun grinned: "Of course, I was taught by you."

The old Taoist priest smiled, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out a bit.

"Alright, get some rest. Tomorrow... come with me to the back mountain to cut some peach wood."

"Huh? Why are you cutting down peach wood?"

"Weren't you going to make peach wood swords?" The old Taoist glared at him. "Look at those old peach trees behind there; they're far better than the wood you buy outside. Do you really think lightning-struck wood is chopped with a lighter's electronic flint?"

Li Jun's eyes lit up: "Master, you agree to let me do it?"

"You can do it, but you have to use real ingredients. Don't try to fool people with those crooked and unorthodox methods," the old Taoist snorted. "Even if our Qingfeng Temple's tradition is weak, we still have this much skill."

"Alright! Thank you, Master!" Li Jun was overjoyed.

Using old peach wood will definitely result in a different texture!

Maybe it can sell for a higher price... oh no, I mean it will have more collectible value!

The master and disciple locked the palace doors and returned to their respective rooms.

The night was deep, and the mountain wind blew through the dilapidated Taoist temple, making a soft, mournful sound.

Inside the main hall, the flames of the eternal lamps flickered gently.

Before the empty shrine, on the offering table, three sticks of incense, lit by Li Jungang, rose straight up, their smoke condensing and lingering.