I run a Taoist temple in a bizarre world.

A bizarre world, Changxi Village.

As the eerie fog dissipated, the morning light once again bathed the small village at the foot of the mountain.

Chickens and ducks feel the sunrise before people do.

Every now and then, a few roosters crowed, announcing to the villagers that it was dawn.

Soon, wisps of pale blue smoke rose from the chimneys of every household.

Chen Hao's family was no exception.

Chen Hao got up early this morning and busied himself cooking breakfast.

"Brother, you were so busy last night, why are you up so early today?"

Chen Cheng rubbed his sleepy eyes and leaned against the door frame, asking.

"We're going to Qingshan Temple today, and I'm worried there might be something we haven't taken."

Late last night, Chen Hao, still worried, checked his already packed luggage one last time.

This small family, whose parents died early and who relied entirely on Chen Hao to support them, didn't have much to pack.

The two bulging cloth bags on the table contained all the wealth the siblings owned.

"Xiao Cheng, let me tell you, once you get to Qingshan Temple and become the temple keeper, you need to rein in your current temper and stop doing things the way you always do."

"The abbot of Qingshan Temple is a man of great supernatural powers. Becoming the temple's keeper would be a very promising career!"

"Do you remember the previous temple keeper? He was so respected by the villagers!"

"Not to mention the village chief, even Lai Tou Zhang bowed his head and was very cautious when facing the temple keeper."

Chen Hao held a wooden ladle used for stirring millet porridge and spoke earnestly.

"Hey, here we go again, bro, I know that."

Looking at Chen Hao, whose figure seemed to be gradually merging with that of his talkative mother, Chen Cheng pouted.

"And when have I ever acted on impulse!"

Chen Cheng's eyes darted around.

"Brother, I have good news and bad news for you."

"Huh? What?"

Just as Chen Hao was about to continue instructing Chen Cheng, she interrupted him and asked in confusion.

Which one would you like to hear first?

Chen Cheng grabbed Chen Hao's hand, a smile gradually spreading across his face.

"Hmm... bad news."

Chen Hao, used to this, continued speaking in accordance with Chen Cheng's wishes.

After all, Chen Cheng would always drag him into playing some childish games, and he was already used to it.

"The good news is that I'm going to Qingshan Temple as a temple keeper today, so you can walk around the village with your head held high!"

"Okay, that's certainly good news, but there's no need to say it again now!"

Chen Hao smiled helplessly, then continued to ask.

"What's the bad news?"

"Um……"

As if deliberately stalling for time, Chen Cheng pondered for a while before finally speaking after seeing a long-awaited scene appear.

"The bad news is... we're going to be without breakfast!"

After saying that, Chen Cheng quickly turned and ran away.

Upon hearing the news, Chen Hao, completely bewildered, stood frozen in place.

A moment later, Chen Hao realized what was happening.

"Oh no, my millet porridge!"

He quickly turned around and removed the earthenware pot, which was already overflowing with millet, from the fire as fast as he could. Chen Hao mustered all his strength and roared angrily.

"Chen...Cheng!"

However, when he saw Chen Cheng frantically run to the table where his luggage was, then use the luggage to shield himself, leaving only his mischievous, smiling eyes looking at him.

The flame that had risen in Chen Hao's heart quickly died down.

He lifted the lid, stirred the slightly burnt corn, and murmured.

"Father, Mother, can you see this? With me here, Chen Cheng is doing very well, very well..."

After eating a breakfast that tasted burnt.

Chen Hao shouldered his bag and prepared to head to Qingshan Temple.

Chen Cheng rubbed his head, which had just been hit, as he closed the door.

"Brother, you went too far."

Chen Hao kept his eyes closed, not even glancing at Chen Cheng, who was feigning pitifulness.

"My mother said we shouldn't waste food. Why didn't you remind me sooner?"

"I……"

Faced with Chen Hao's attempt to invoke his mother's name, Chen Cheng conceded defeat and muttered under his breath.

"But I still finished the mushy corn porridge, didn't I?"

He ignored Chen Cheng's mutterings.

Chen Hao checked it again to make sure nothing was missed.

Only then did he begin to walk out of the village.

Before I had taken two steps, I bumped into a group of people.

"Hey, thank goodness I made it in time!"

"I told you not to eat, I almost let Chen Hao leave first!"

"I'm starving if I don't eat breakfast!"

……

The vast crowd, amidst the noise, stopped in front of Chen Hao and Chen Cheng.

The two men were leading the group.

These were the two men who had stopped Chen Hao at the village entrance earlier.

At this moment, one of them was carrying a basket of eggs in one hand and some fresh, tender green vegetables he had grown himself in the other.

The other one was much simpler; it simply involved two hens.

As for the other villagers who followed, they all carried various things in their hands.

"Xiao Cheng said you're going to be temple keepers at the Taoist temple in the mountains?"

"The mountain is nothing like our village. Their abbot has long since transcended worldly concerns. You can't do that. Here, take it!"

"Here, take all this stuff, don't go hungry on the way."

"The abbot is a celestial being, and we haven't seen him for years. Yet you all managed to see him and even received his permission to become temple keeper. Good, good!"

"That's wonderful! Our village is about to produce a powerful figure like the temple keeper we had before. Our village is truly blessed!"

"Sister Xiaocheng, what is a temple keeper?"

A large group of people, chattering away, quickly drowned out Chen Hao and Chen Cheng in the noise.

Chen Hao glanced at it briefly.

Good heavens, almost half of Changxi Village has come!

He had never seen anything like this before, and he didn't know where to put his hands. He could only keep putting them in front of his chest, trying to block the eggs being shoved at him.

Chen Cheng had already hidden behind Chen Hao, only his eyes peering over Chen Hao's shoulder, trembling as he watched the crowd, not daring to utter a sound.

In the end, it was the two men at the head of the group who managed to calm the crowd down.

"Alright, alright, everyone, don't rush. Take it one at a time. Look how scared they are."

A man named Zhao Zhu stood in front of Chen Hao, blocking the crowd and making them step back a few steps to give Chen Hao and his sister some space.

"Come on, Aunt Zhang, you go first."

Immediately, Zhao Zhu called out the name of the woman at the very front.

"Haozi, take this. Your second aunt's family doesn't have much to offer, so don't look down on it."

Aunt Zhang handed over the dried vegetables she was holding.

Chen Hao reached out and took it.

"No, no! How could I possibly dislike your things?"

Chen Hao quickly said.

"Sigh, you were so small back then, and now in the blink of an eye, you're taller than your parents."

"Alright, Aunt Zhang, time is short and the task is heavy. Now is not the time for sentimentality. Next up, Uncle Zhao!"

Zhao Zhu shouted.

Uncle Zhao immediately gave Zhao Zhu a flick on the forehead.

"Who are you calling Uncle Zhao? I'm your father!"

Only then did he speak to Chen Hao.

"Here you go. I've been eyeing those fruits of mine since I was a kid. Take them; you won't find anything like this on the mountain."

As he spoke, Uncle Zhao handed Chen Hao a small basket of still-unripe tree fruits.

Seemingly aware that the fruit wasn't fully ripe, Uncle Zhao scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"It's not fully ripe yet, so give it back if you don't want it."

Chen Hao grabbed it.

"Eat, eat, Uncle Zhao, I'll have some!"

"Alright, Uncle Zhao, it's time for you to give up your seat!"

"I've already told you, I'm your father!"

"No, no, I know I was wrong!"

……

Soon, under Zhao Zhu's direction, the villagers who came to Chen Hao's house to give him things all gave them to Chen Hao.

Looking at the ground covered with all sorts of farm items.

Chen Hao lowered his head, his vision blurry, and the egg he held in his hand felt so warm.

He was just thirteen years old when his parents passed away one after another.

Chen Cheng, on the other hand, had just learned to walk and couldn't even speak yet.

It's simply impossible for young Chen Hao to support two people on his own.

Changxi Village is very small, so small that the distance between people is very close.

"Thank you..."

Chen Hao choked up, unable to utter a single word.

The scene was completely silent as everyone watched the brother and sister weep uncontrollably.

"Alright, alright, stop it. If the abbot sees you like this later, he'll think we've been bullying you."

Zhao Zhu comforted him.

"That's all the stuff we have. We'll need a few people to help."

"I'll do it!"

"I'll come too. Maybe I can catch a glimpse of the abbot and absorb some of his divine aura!"

Upon hearing that they might even see the abbot's true face, people raised their hands and eagerly signed up.

Unlike the lively atmosphere around Chen Hao.

At the very back of the crowd, Lai Tou Zhang's face was contorted in a ferocious grimace.

"Why...why is Chen Cheng alright?!"