Hermit in the Mountains

The summer sun was shining brightly under a cloudless sky.

In the quiet courtyard of Li Jianguo in Xiahe Village, six white-haired elderly men sat around a tea table chatting.

Li Anlan wore her hair in a high bun and a light purple cheongsam. The tight-fitting cheongsam perfectly showcased her 'S-shaped' figure, with her curves in all the right places and her slender waist elevating her overall气质 (qi zhi - a combination of temperament, bearing, and style).

She wore a pair of light purple embroidered shoes on her jade-like feet, and walked with light steps and dignified manners as she poured tea for everyone around the tea table.

She stood out among the group of people with white hair in the room, looking like a junior, or more like a maid serving tea and water.

After refilling everyone's teacups, she quietly stepped aside and sat on a wooden chair, listening to their conversation.

The six people sitting around the tea table all had one thing in common: ruddy complexions and white hair.

Zhang Yuanfu was wearing a gray mandarin jacket and long robe, with a pair of walnuts twirled in his left hand;

Fang Shouchang was wearing a Zhongshan suit, with a black fountain pen clipped to his breast pocket;

Yang Mancang was dressed in coarse clothes and had a pipe in his mouth;

Shen Qingxu wore a Yin-Yang Taoist robe and held a whisk in his hand;

Master Yideng was wearing a pale yellow kasaya, and was turning the prayer beads in his left hand.

Li Jianguo was wearing a light brown training uniform, with a piece of jade in his right hand.

Each of the six harbored their own secrets, glancing at others out of the corner of their eyes. They chatted idly about trivial matters, waiting for someone to speak.

Yang Mancang's face showed a hint of impatience. He raised his right hand, took the pipe out of his mouth, and looked at Zhang Yuanfu beside him. "Old Zhang, what did you call me here for today?"

Zhang Yuanfu smiled without saying a word, glancing at the composed Shen Qingxu across from him, and giving him a meaningful look.

His eyes seemed to say, "I've gathered the people for you; now it's your turn to tell me what's going on."

Seeing Zhang Yuanfu's signal, Shen Qingxu nodded and slowly glanced at everyone. "The old monk and I have something to discuss today and would like to hear your thoughts."

Shi Yideng and Zhang Yuanfu had already discussed this, so their expressions remained unchanged, while the others looked puzzled.

Shen Qingxu got straight to the point, taking out a small wooden box, a book, and an envelope from inside his Taoist robe and placing them on the table.

He opened the small wooden box, revealing three pills the size of glass beads.

"These are my homemade 'Mind-Clearing Pills,' which have the effect of refreshing the mind and invigorating the spirit."

Shen Qingxu tapped the ancient book and the envelope with his right middle finger. "This book contains the cultivation technique I practice, the 'Qingxu Gong,' and the envelope contains the recipe for the Qingxin Pill and the alchemy method."

He paused, then said solemnly, "I wish to offer these three items to the Peak Master."

Li Jianguo and Fang Shouchang reacted the most, looking incredulous. In an instant, they seemed to realize something.

Shen Qingxu was preparing to be the first to pay homage to the mountain master, choosing to stake his entire fortune on the peak master in hopes of a chance encounter.

Shen Qingxu's things were indeed substantial, and he himself had embarked on the path of cultivation, unlike the two of them who didn't even have a sense of qi and could only persist in practicing health preservation techniques.

Of the six people in the room, only the two of them and Yang Mancang had not yet sensed Qi; the other three had sensed Qi and embarked on the path of cultivation.

Among them, Zhang Yuanfu's opportunity was the one they envied the most. After all, he was able to meet the peak master, receive a few pointers, and be given one or two spirit pills, which would allow his cultivation to take a big step forward.

During their conversations, they could tell from Zhang Yuanfu's tone that there must be even higher-quality pills above the Lesser Elixir.

Zhang Yuanfu spoke with the same confidence as if he had seen and taken the product himself, preferring to believe it rather than not.

Li Jianguo chuckled and joked, "Old Shen, you're really going all out. I admire you."

Shen Qingxu shook his head with a wry smile and sighed softly, "I had no choice but to do this."

"Wang Jiuyang from Zhongnan Mountain has a very keen sense of smell. He found out that I can refine elixirs, and so did the people from the National Spirit Bureau."

After saying that, he shrugged, indicating that he had no other choice.

"I am the only Taoist priest in my Qingxu Temple, so I might as well take this opportunity to move."

Li Jianguo's gaze darted back and forth between Yang Mancang and Shen Qingxu, as if he had guessed something. He asked in surprise, "Old Taoist, you're not thinking of moving to Xiahe Village, are you?"

Shen Qingxu nodded. "I've gathered everyone here today because I need your help. Regardless of whether it succeeds or not, I'll give each of you a Qingxin Pill for free."

Upon hearing that there were free pills to be had, everyone's eyes lit up. Who would refuse free pills? They all nodded to Shen Qingxu, indicating how they wanted his help.

Seeing everyone nod in agreement, Shen Qingxu looked at Zhang Yuanfu and said, "Brother Yuanfu, please take these three gifts up the mountain to present to the Peak Master. I'd also like to casually mention that I'm thinking of moving to the vicinity of Xiahe Village to rebuild Qingxu Temple."

Zhang Yuanfu did not agree to Shen Qingxu's request for the pills. He remained rational and asked in return, "Have you thought about where you want to build the Qingxu Meditation?"

Shen Qingxu had made thorough preparations beforehand, and he spoke immediately, "On the left side of the valley entrance, halfway up the mountain, I saw a flat area of ​​about 100 square meters, which is good enough to build a small Taoist temple."

After saying that, he looked at Yang Mancang and said, "Brother Mancang, I will pay the rent for the land as usual, and I can even pay double the rent."

"The construction of the Taoist temple was also fully managed by the village."

"We just need the village's help with the contracting process."

Li Jianguo and the others finally understood why they had invited Yang Mancang over today; this was exactly what they were waiting for.

The land lease approval process in Xiahe Village is the most stringent, directly under the jurisdiction of the State Administration of Grain. Without Xiahe Village's involvement, even if the town, county, or city submits a lease application, the State Administration of Grain will reject it directly.

When asked how they knew, they said it was because they were the ones whose applications were rejected. The rejection was faster than they could have imagined; their applications were rejected as soon as they were submitted because they lacked the guarantee of all the villagers of Xiahe Village.

In short, to rent an empty courtyard or develop a guesthouse in Xiahe Village, the entire village needs to agree. The National Land Administration Bureau will then verify who the lessor is, whether they have any connections with overseas entities, and whether the purpose of the lease is for personal use or land grabbing...

When Yang Mancang heard that Shen Qingxu wanted Xiahe Village to act as guarantor, he frowned, thinking to himself, 'As expected, the Qingxin Pill isn't so easy to obtain.'

He didn't understand the intricacies of the matter, so he went back and told Dashan about it, asking Dashan to ask Gu Changsheng for his opinion. Gu Changsheng neither refused nor agreed, saying, "This matter requires a village meeting. Master Shen will need to wait a few days. I will let you know when there is a result."

"Thank you very much, Brother Mancang. I will give you two more Qingxin Pills as a bonus after the matter is settled." Shen Qingxu clasped his hands in thanks.

Fang Shouchang, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, "Master Shen, Qingxu Temple is affiliated with the Taoist Association. Will they allow you to move to Xiahe Village?"

He saw it most clearly: Shen Qingxu had come seeking the protection of the Peak Master to escape the management of the Association and the supervision of the National Spirit Bureau. Otherwise, everything within Qingxu Temple would be known to the higher-ups immediately.

"Brother Shouchang's problem is indeed one of the difficulties." Shen Qingxu smiled and revealed his plan, "We still need Brother Shouchang's help in this matter."

"This humble Taoist is willing to hand over nine Heart-Clearing Pills and a prescription in exchange for your approval."

"If this matter is settled, I will give you two extra Tranquilizing Pills."

Fearing that Fang Shouchang wouldn't put in any effort, he offered a bargaining chip that the other party couldn't refuse: "Qingxin Pills can enhance the effect of entering a state of tranquility, which is beneficial for meditation."

As soon as he finished speaking, Fang Shouchang and Li Jianguo exchanged a glance. They were stuck at the very beginning of the meditation process, unable to sense the presence of spiritual energy, let alone the subsequent process of drawing energy into their bodies.

Fang Shouchang agreed to the request without hesitation, "Master Shen, I agree to this."

"Thank you! I am grateful for your help. I will repay you all after this is done." Shen Qingxu's face was full of smiles. The three things were interconnected, and he finally felt relieved that someone had helped him with each one.

Both the National Spirit Bureau and Wang Jiuyang invited him to join them, but he was used to his freedom, otherwise things wouldn't have turned out this way.

Whether it's Chongyang Palace or the National Spirit Bureau, their internal forces are deeply entrenched. He doesn't want to get involved in such complicated matters; he just wants to find a quiet place to cultivate.

Unfortunately, he couldn't reach the level of a peak master; among all cultivators in the world, he could only be considered an average existence.

It wasn't that he lacked confidence; it was simply that there were countless cultivators in the world, and the ancient Taoist temples, Buddhist monasteries, martial arts families, and sects had a foundation that he, a novice, could not match.

Master Yideng, who had been silent until now, coughed and put his hands together in prayer. "Amitabha, well, this old monk also has the same request as Brother Shen..."