One divination a day, a trainee celestial master

"Bang!" The main gate of the Taoist temple was bolted shut, and the doors to the side rooms were also locked from the inside.

Jiang Shou sat at his desk and carefully took the black jar out of his backpack. He found a pair of scissors, cut the somewhat rotten red rope, and peeled off the thick layer of moisture-proof oil paper on top.

A musty, earthy smell wafted out. Jiang Shou dumped everything from the jar onto the table.

"Clang—" Several metal coins rolled twice on the table, along with a roll of paper tightly wrapped in plastic and a cloth bag.

Jiang Shou picked up the towel on the table and carefully wiped the items.

First, there were the metal coins. There were eight in total. After wiping away the black dirt, they revealed a grayish-white metallic luster.

The silver coin's surface was severely oxidized and blackened, with numerous signs of wear along the edges. Jiang Shou picked one up and held it in his palm; it was quite heavy, much heavier than modern coins, and felt icy cold to the touch.

On the obverse of the coin, you can vaguely see the profile relief of a bald, fat man, while on the reverse are two crossed ears of rice with the traditional Chinese characters for "one yuan" engraved in the middle.

"Yuan Shikai silver dollars!" Jiang Shou's eyes lit up. Although some of them had small pits on their surfaces caused by soil erosion, these things were definitely hard currency in the antique market.

Jiang Shou put down the silver coins and opened the plastic bag. Inside was a stack of small, yellowed, and brittle paper receipts.

Jiang Shou carefully unfolded one of the coupons, which was printed in old-fashioned red characters: "Jiangxi Province Grain Coupon," with a face value of "10 jin." Looking through the others, there were green "Qiyun County Non-staple Food Coupons" and blue "Cloth Coupons," with face values ​​ranging from "1 jin" to "5 jin." Some of the coupons had torn corners, exuding a strong sense of age.

Finally, Jiang Shou eagerly untied the small cloth bag. Inside lay a heavy bracelet.

This is a typical "gold-wrapped jade" bracelet. The outer ring is made of gold for securing the jade, while the inner ring is inlaid with a circle of jade. Due to its age, the outer gold has become somewhat dark and dull, but the intricate patterns carved on the surface are still clearly visible.

The jadeite in the inner circle is a pale green with a grayish undertone and isn't very translucent, but there are obvious signs of hand-polishing on the inner wall. Most importantly, the entire bangle is in excellent condition; after being stored in a jar for so many years, there isn't a single crack.

The phrase "gold in the soil" on the wooden plaque refers to this gold-wrapped jade bracelet.

Jiang Shou sat in the chair, looking at the pile of old objects on the table, his mind racing.

"Yuan Shikai silver dollars, various grain coupons, a jade bracelet wrapped in gold..." He stroked his chin, having basically guessed the origin of the jar.

This is probably some family's private savings buried deep in the mountains back in the 1970s or 80s.

In those days, ordinary people were not wealthy and had no concept of bank safe deposit boxes.

If a family has any heirlooms or valuables, and they're worried about thieves or their kids rummaging through them, the safest way is to put them in a jar and bury it in the ground late at night when everyone is quiet.

Unfortunately, the owner who buried this jar later either fell seriously ill or had an accident, and did not have time to tell his descendants the location of the treasure. It remained buried underground until it was swept out by the Suihan Order today.

"Senior, I'm sorry, but I'll gladly accept this unclaimed wealth." Jiang Shou clasped his hands together, bowed towards the northwest, and then chuckled, "Consider it a donation to Shouyi Temple's post-disaster reconstruction project. The Three Pure Ones will bless you to be reborn into a wealthy family in your next life."

His eyes lit up as he looked at the bracelets and silver coins on the table. "If I took these to the antique market in the county town… I wonder how much I could get for them? Maybe I could even pay off a small portion of my 250,000 yuan debt!"

……

"This is going to be a real fortune..." He carefully wrapped the old items in plastic again, stuffed them neatly into the bottom of his backpack, and then let out a long sigh of relief.

After tidying up, Jiang Shou picked up the Suihan Token that had made the greatest contribution once again.

Sure enough, the few lines of divination characters on the back of the wooden sign, which were shimmering with a faint light, began to twist and deform, eventually turning into a familiar wisp of blue light.

"Whoosh—" The blue light detached from the wooden sign and shot straight toward his brow.

Having learned from yesterday's experience, Jiang Shou was not flustered at all this time, and even took the initiative to lean his head forward.

A bluish light entered between his brows. Immediately afterwards, a strange warm current quickly traveled from his brow to every part of his body. The feeling was like taking a hot bath in a public bathhouse on a cold winter's day, a comfort that permeated even the deepest bones.

"Ugh—" Jiang Shou couldn't help but let out an extremely seductive and comfortable groan.

A few seconds later, the warm current dissipated. Jiang Shou opened his eyes, feeling all the fatigue from climbing mountains and digging soil that day swept away. He could now run five kilometers without even breaking a sweat.

He could clearly feel that his body, which was in a sub-healthy state due to staying up late playing games and delivering food for a long time, was being repaired little by little by this mysterious force.

The wooden plaque in his hand became dull and lifeless again, turning back into an ordinary piece of black wood.

"Hey, the skill is on cooldown again." Jiang Shou was not disappointed at all. Instead, he gently stroked the two characters "Sui Han" on the surface of the wooden sign with his thumb.

The movements were so gentle, almost like caressing the face of a first love. No, how could a woman compare to this thing? A woman would only hinder him from drawing his sword… she would only repeatedly draw his sword, making him unprepared. But this Frostbite Token was a real treasure trove, and it could even strengthen the kidneys and improve health!

"Old man, I misunderstood you. What's a little debt?" Jiang Shou chuckled as he carefully wrapped the Suihanling (a type of ancient Chinese writing material) and tucked it into his pocket. "You've practically left me a treasure trove that lays golden eggs!"

……

The night at Cuiwei Mountain possesses a tranquility that big cities can never offer. There is no roar of car engines, no neon lights that never cease.

Outside the room, only the chirping of insects could be heard. Nearby, the crisp "coo-coo-coo" of crickets echoed in the grass, while in the distance, the long, drawn-out calls of cicadas came from deep within the forest. Occasionally, a few short cries of unknown night birds could be heard interspersed among them.

The sound wasn't noisy at all; rather, it was like the entire mountain wilderness breathing in its own way.

Jiang Shou walked to the window and pushed open the slightly stiff wooden window. A mountain breeze carrying the dampness of grass and trees immediately rushed in, carrying not only the fragrance of bamboo leaves but also the unique coolness of the soil after being soaked by the night dew.

He turned and lay down on his grandfather's wooden bed, which was covered with a new sheet. Surprisingly, he didn't feel any discomfort at all.

The nights in the mountains cool down quickly, so there's no need for air conditioning, or even an electric fan. Jiang Shou only draped a thin summer blanket over his stomach and felt the temperature was just right.

He rested his hands behind his head, gazing at the dark, deep mountain shadows outside the window, listening to the nocturne woven from the chirping of insects and the sound of the wind, and began to plan his itinerary for tomorrow.

I went to the antique market to sell things, buy some Taoist supplies, and check out the situation in the county town...

His thoughts drifted away in the cool mountain breeze, and soon he fell into a deep sleep in the tranquil mountain night.