One divination a day, a trainee celestial master

In the early morning at Cuiwei Mountain, the fog had not yet completely dissipated.

A refreshing coolness permeated the air, and glistening morning dew clung to the leaves of the old locust tree, swaying gently in the breeze and occasionally dripping onto the nearby bluestone slabs.

Jiang Shou got up very early. After the blue light entered his body yesterday, coupled with the whole day's running around, he slept extremely soundly last night and didn't even have a dream.

He was wearing a loose tracksuit. He walked to the old locust tree in the yard and sat cross-legged on a flat bluestone slab. On his lap was the handwritten copy of "Shouyi Temple: Introduction to the Three Arts" left by his grandfather.

Having experienced that wondrous energy similar to "cultivation essence" yesterday, Jiang Shou is now filled with unrealistic fantasies about cultivating immortality.

Since that wooden plaque could infuse him with mysterious energy, perhaps he could actually master the "Guardian of Oneness" technique passed down from his ancestor. He decided to give it a try in the beautiful morning light.

"To guard the One, one must first guard the heart."

"Tongue pressed against the upper palate, mind focused and undistracted. Inhale the pure air of heaven and earth, letting it sink into the dantian; exhale the turbid air of the five internal organs, letting it dissipate into nothingness..."

Jiang Shou softly recited the incantation from the book, slowly closed his eyes, and began to try to control his breathing rhythm.

"Inhale—exhale—"

At first, he felt a little awkward, his mind wandering between thinking about how to spend the 20,000 yuan antique money and what to cook later. But after forcing himself to take a dozen deep breaths at a fixed rhythm, Jiang Shou gradually felt his heartbeat begin to slow down, and the distracting thoughts in his mind miraculously settled down little by little.

The cool, damp mountain breeze in the early morning is inhaled through the nose, as if it has cleansed the chest before being slowly exhaled.

a long time.

Jiang Shou opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he didn't feel any exaggerated effects of "true energy circulating throughout his body," yet he felt more refreshed than ever before.

My mind was as clear as if I had just washed it with spring water. Not only was I completely free of fatigue, but even my hearing and sense of smell seemed to be a little more acute than usual.

"Could the old man's cultivation technique really be something special?" Jiang Shou muttered, stroking his chin. "But it's also possible that the air on Cuiwei Mountain is just too good. After all, it's a natural oxygen bar. Breathing in it for half an hour is definitely much better than breathing in car exhaust in Shanghai."

Just as he was about to stand up and stretch his muscles.

"Shh shh..." Jiang Shou's keen ears picked up the sound of light footsteps and voices coming from the winding dirt road outside the Taoist temple.

The sound was still dozens of meters away at the bend in the mountain road, but Jiang Shou could hear it clearly.

"Qiangzi, when you see the Little Celestial Master, you must be respectful! He didn't mind your nonsense before because he's a magnanimous person. Today you're here to fulfill your vow, so you can't put on that lousy foreman attitude anymore! Apologize and thank him properly, understand?" The old woman's nagging voice drifted over on the morning breeze.

"Oh my goodness! You can rest assured!" This was Wang Daqiang's voice, full of energy, completely different from the weak and irritable tone he had given just two days ago.

"I'm treating Master Jiang like a living Buddha right now; I wouldn't dare to disrespect him even if you gave me ten lives!"

Upon hearing this conversation, Jiang Shou, who was sitting cross-legged on the bluestone slab, almost burst out laughing as a smile appeared on his lips.

"A fat sheep... no, a devout pilgrim has arrived."

Jiang Shou leaped off the rock with a somersault, dusted himself off, and hurried back to his room, quickly changing into the high-class blue Tai Chi robe.

He took a deep breath, put his hands behind his back, and walked out of the Taoist temple gate with measured steps.

……

On the mountain path, Wang Daqiang was carefully helping his elderly mother uphill.

Today's Wang Daqiang looks completely different from the unlucky guy who seemed like he could die at any moment just two days ago.

Although the dark circles under her eyes hadn't completely disappeared, the ashen, sallow complexion on her face had faded considerably.

Most importantly, he was full of energy and walked with a brisk pace; even his beer belly looked much more prominent than yesterday.

As soon as the two turned the last corner, they looked up and saw the entrance of the Taoist temple ahead.

Jiang Shou, dressed in a blue Taoist robe, bathed in the golden morning light, stood with his hands behind his back, a profound smile on his face, quietly watching them.

The scene was incredibly ethereal and otherworldly.

"Oh my! Little Master Jiang!" Wang Daqiang's eyes lit up. He immediately let go of his mother's hand and ran up the steps to Jiang Shou. He was so excited that he almost wanted to kowtow to Jiang Shou on the spot.

"Master Jiang! You're a living god!" Wang Daqiang exclaimed excitedly, his face trembling with excitement. "Last night, the moment my head hit the pillow, I was fast asleep for less than three minutes!"

Wang Daqiang gestured excitedly, exclaiming, "No chest tightness! No sleep paralysis! Not even a dream! The last time I slept this well was when I was ten years old in my rural hometown! Master Jiang, you're simply a miracle worker! That [Tranquilizing Talisman] is amazing! When I woke up this morning, I felt as clear-headed as if my brain had been washed clean!"

Jiang Shou looked at Wang Daqiang, who was so excited he was incoherent, smiled and nodded, saying casually, "It's good that you slept well. The evil aura has been broken and the spirit has been stabilized, so naturally there will be no more evil spirits to bother you."

The old woman, leaning on her cane, came up, her face glowing, beaming from ear to ear: "Little Celestial Master, your magic is truly profound! I said yesterday that you must have received the true teachings of Old Immortal Jiang! Qiangzi, hurry up and go in to offer incense and fulfill your vow to the Ancestral Master!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Let's offer incense! We must fulfill our vow!"

Wang Daqiang nodded repeatedly, following Jiang Shou like a lackey as they entered the main hall of the Taoist temple.

Jiang Shou led the two of them to first respectfully offer incense in front of the statues of the Three Pure Ones, and then to offer incense in front of their grandfather's memorial tablet in the side hall.

After offering incense, Wang Daqiang turned around and took a deep breath. He pulled out two neatly bundled stacks of 100-yuan bills from the Hermes leather handbag tucked under his arm.

That thickness, that vibrant red. A full twenty thousand yuan in cash!

Under Jiang Shou's watchful gaze, which he tried to maintain, Wang Daqiang held the two stacks of banknotes in both hands and walked to the peeling wooden donation box next to the main hall.

"Thump." "Thump."

Two extremely dull and pleasant thuds came from the donation box.

Jiang Shou's heart clenched twice with each of the two "thumps".

"Holy crap! Twenty thousand! This fat boss is really savvy! I knew that playing the long game would catch a big fish!" Jiang Shou's lips twitched slightly, as if he was trying to suppress something.

But on the surface, he merely lifted his eyelids slightly. His tone remained calm and composed, and he didn't even dawdle: "Amitabha. Layman Wang's sincerity is such that the Three Pure Ones will surely protect your home and bring you peace and prosperity."

Wang Daqiang, rubbing his hands together with a face full of shame, walked up to Jiang Shou and bowed deeply: "Master Jiang, please don't call me that. Before, at the Taoist temple, I, Wang, was blind and didn't recognize your greatness, speaking rudely and offending you. Not only did you not hold it against me, but you also personally came to save my life. I, Wang Daqiang, will remember this kindness for the rest of my life!"

"Layman Wang, you flatter me." Jiang Shou smiled faintly. "Ignorance is no excuse. As long as one has reverence in their heart, the Ancestral Master will naturally not blame them."

Wang Daqiang patted his chest and guaranteed, "In the future, in Lingxia Town, or even Qiyun County, if your Shouyi Temple ever needs my building materials—bricks, tiles, or repairs—just say the word, Master Jiang, and if I don't charge you a single penny, I'll be yours!"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

The old woman watched from the side, her face full of satisfaction and admiration. She repeatedly praised Shouyi Temple for its profound Taoist magic, saying that both Old Immortal Jiang and Little Immortal Master Jiang were truly living immortals who did not seek fame or fortune.

The two exchanged a few more polite words in the main hall.

Finally, after Wang Daqiang and his mother expressed their deepest gratitude and even said they would come to offer incense on the first and fifteenth of each lunar month, Jiang Shou escorted them all the way out of the Taoist temple gate.

From afar, one could see Wang Daqiang helping his elderly mother into the Mercedes-Benz S-Class at Banshan Pavilion. The roar of the car's exhaust pipe gradually faded into the distance until it disappeared completely at the end of the winding mountain road.

Jiang Shou could no longer hold back, and his previous dignified and otherworldly demeanor instantly crumbled.

"Bang!"

He turned around abruptly, slammed the door shut, and bolted it shut with the fastest speed he had ever used in his life.

Jiang Shou didn't even bother to lift the hem of his Taoist robe. Like a husky that had let loose, he spread his arms wide and let out a suppressed laugh. He ran wildly into the main hall and pounced on the dilapidated donation box.

"Twenty thousand! A full twenty thousand silver dollars! I'm rich again!! Old man, your grandson has finally made something of himself!!"