Gou Zai Xianwu Wenjing Search for Opportunities

Li Shi was not only related to Master Xu, but also received his early education and literacy from him. Therefore, he was very close to Master Xu's students and spoke to them without much restraint.

"The Immortal Temple? It's a good place, but it's very difficult to get in! If you can get into the Immortal Temple as a serving disciple, you'll have made it in this life."

"Serving disciples? What's the meaning of that?"

"It's about serving the Taoist priests in the temple and doing odd jobs. The temple teaches reading and writing, martial arts, exempts you from corvée labor and taxes, and you even get a monthly allowance. Once you turn twenty-five, you have to leave the temple, but once you leave, you can get a job in the county government or the garrison. Moreover, the disciples who come out of the temple get promoted very quickly, which is more promising than my job as a bandit catcher."

"I see." Lin Yuan hadn't expected that even a menial disciple of a celestial temple would be so sought after.

"Sigh, I wanted to go in back then too, but I didn't make it. In the end, I could only practice martial arts and become a bandit catcher..." Li Shi said whatever came to mind, briefly recounting some things about the Immortal Temple.

Even to enter a Taoist temple as the lowest-ranking servant or Taoist acolyte, one must be recommended by a Taoist master; otherwise, one is not even qualified to apply.

Although the Li family managed to secure a spot, Li Shi didn't get one.

Lin Yuan couldn't help but sigh. It was already so difficult to become a menial disciple at the Immortal Temple. As for pursuing cultivation, he could forget about it for the time being.

After chatting for a while, he promptly steered the conversation back to the main topic, continuing to inquire about the situation at the Immortal Temple. Through this process of summarizing and analyzing, he finally understood that Xiao Zhongzheng, the abbot of the Lin Yuan Immortal Temple, held three core positions of authority:

I. Exorcising Demons and Protecting the Righteous Path: Patrol the local area, and if demons or evil spirits are causing trouble, dispatch immortal masters and Taoist priests to subdue them and protect the peace of the region. According to the "Great Liang Law," when immortal masters and Taoist priests are exorcising demons, they can directly conscript personnel from counties, townships, and garrisons, and this must not be violated.

II. Evaluation of Scholars: Every three years, the family background, moral character, and talents of all scholars in the locality are evaluated. The scholars are ranked from the ninth to the first rank, and evaluations are written. The evaluations are then submitted to the prefectural and state officials for review. The imperial court then selects officials based on the scholars' ranks and evaluations.

III. Selection of Immortal Seedlings: Every three years, the family background, aptitude, and character of local unmarried youths are evaluated, and outstanding youths are selected as Immortal Seedlings. The Immortal Seedlings are ranked from the lowest to the highest grade, and evaluations are written. After being reviewed by the County and State Grand Censors, the major immortal sects and Taoist schools select their disciples based on the Immortal Seedlings' grades and evaluations.

The abbot of the Immortal Temple has the power to select talents for both the imperial court and the Immortal Sect, making him a figure of extraordinary status, far beyond that of ordinary people.

Scholars were only eligible to participate in the selection process if they were recommended by a Taoist master, while those considered "immortal seedlings" required a higher recommendation from an immortal master.

These immortal masters and Taoist masters mostly come from aristocratic families. They only recommend their own people and will never give outsiders a chance.

"Where did the abbots of the Immortal Temple come from? Who appointed them?" Lin Yuan asked the key question. Power is only accountable to the source of power, and whoever appoints them has the greatest power to control the Great Liang Dynasty.

"I asked my uncles about this. Do you know Lord Li, the Earl of Duting? Lord Li is from the Li family of Taoli Township. I am from the same clan but different branches as Lord Li. According to seniority, I call him Third Uncle..." Li Shi continued to deviate from the topic, getting more and more excited as he spoke, showing a strong intention to show off his family background.

Lin Yuan also understood that in the Great Liang Dynasty, where powerful families held sway, elevating one's family background was an essential lesson for anyone who wanted to get ahead.

He was also somewhat curious about Marquis Li of Duting. After listening for a while, he steered the conversation back to the main topic: "Li the constable, what did your uncles say?"

Li Shi ate a slice of watermelon, pondered for a moment, and said, "They said it was some kind of alliance, like the Immortal Temple Alliance? It's been so many years, I can't remember. These temple masters live in seclusion and rarely show their faces. I've only seen one in my life, and her beauty was like a fairy descending to earth! Alas, she was breathtakingly beautiful..."

Lin Yuan didn't interrupt Li Shi, speculating that the organization capable of appointing the abbot was most likely an organization like the Immortal Alliance: "No wonder the Great Liang Dynasty reveres the Dao!"

In other words, the Great Liang Dynasty was actually indirectly controlled by these cultivation sects.

Li Shi snapped out of his daze, wiped the drool from his mouth, and said loudly, "Our martial arts are not bad either. The founding emperor established the country through martial arts, and those who practiced martial arts could become generals and ministers. As long as you can master it, even if you come from a humble background, you can still get a minor official position, ta-da..."

Li Shi continued to lavish praise on martial arts, much like a peddler promoting his own wares.

Lin Yuan nodded. For people from the lower classes, studying and practicing martial arts were both good options. Studying was the cheapest option, while martial arts had a high potential. As for cultivating the Tao, ordinary people wouldn't even dare to dream of it!

After a while, Master Xu came over in person and gave Li Shi a wink.

Li Shi understood, looked around, and led the person next to him away, but didn't go far, just lingered nearby, staring at the building.

"My esteemed teacher." Lin Yuan quickly stood up, preparing to pay his respects.

"Just sit down." Master Xu was a little intimidated by his Taoist talismans and waved for him to sit down. "You've suffered this time!"

"Hey, this is great food and drink, much more comfortable than back home." Lin Yuan chuckled self-deprecatingly, a laugh that sent chills down Master Xu's spine, reminding him of Manager Zhang's laughter when it was possessed by Lin Yuan.

"Cough, cough..." Master Xu coughed incessantly, trying to calm himself down.

"If my teacher is not feeling well, it would be best for him to rest. There is no need to worry about his student." Lin Yuan was somewhat wary of this old fox, fearing that he might come up with some kind of wicked scheme for him again.

"Manager Zhang was a good man, but he didn't live long. Now that he's gone, we can't fulfill our promise of the loan," Master Xu said after glancing around at his surroundings.

"You've always been clever, and I have high hopes for you. Since you're willing to study diligently with me, I'll waive your tuition fees from now on. I'll also recommend you for a job later; I hope you won't let your teacher down!"

Huh?

This old man suddenly tried to bribe me?

He'll use his own money!

Lin Yuan immediately became alert, guessing that the old man was worried that he would reveal the falsification of accounts, and had come to remind him not to say anything he shouldn't in front of the old Taoist master and Manager Qian.

If the second young mistress of the Marquis's mansion were to find out that Master Xu not only falsified accounts for Manager Zhang, but also devised a treacherous scheme, she might just wipe out the Xu family.

Indeed, there is no love without a reason.

However, Master Xu was too shrewd. At the slightest sign of trouble, he immediately spent money to resolve the issue without any hesitation.

This decisiveness is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

"Rest assured, Master, I will not let you down. I know nothing about what's happening here, and I will not cause you any trouble." Lin Yuan immediately declared his loyalty, while also emphasizing the key point: he wouldn't take the money for nothing.

"This child is teachable!"

After comforting Lin Yuan, Master Xu, seeing that he was a sensible person, left with satisfaction, waving his hand without taking away a single cloud, leaving only his student there to remain silent.

……

There was no sun at night, and Lin Yuan was locked in the house with his hands and feet tied, not allowed to move around. This made him feel uncomfortable, especially since he was forbidden to take a bath because of the talisman he had put on him. After sweating all day, the smell was really unpleasant.

Strangely enough, the talisman stuck to his body didn't get wet at all. He wanted to tear it off to study it, but he was afraid of causing trouble, so he had to give up.

We'll talk about it another time.

The next day.

When his older brother came to deliver living expenses to Lin Yuan, Li Shi, being straightforward, immediately let his older brother in to see him.

The elder brother was very worried when he saw the Taoist talisman on his body, but when he heard that Lin Yuan was eating and drinking well at the pharmacy and didn't have to work, the elder brother was eager to try it out.

In the following days, taking advantage of Manager Zhang's death, Manager Qian of the Jiuling Marquis's mansion replaced most of the shop assistants in the pharmacy and reinstated martial arts guards, thus completely taking control of the pharmacy.

From beginning to end, neither the county magistrate, the township head, nor the patrol officers came; the decision was made entirely by the Taoist priest and the Marquis's residence.

According to Li Shi, the government officials are reluctant to get involved in the Zhang family's affairs, as they find it troublesome and unprofitable, and they tend to push all the messy matters onto the Lishui Pavilion.

After taking control of the pharmacy, Manager Qian immediately ordered Zhang Tingzhang to remove his men and demanded that Zhang Tingzhang investigate the case as soon as possible and give the Zhang family an explanation.

This case is a headless case, and there is no clue to be found in a short time, so Manager Qian went to ask the old Taoist master for help.

The old Taoist priest dismissed the matter with a nonchalant remark: "This case is not the work of demons or evil spirits. Human affairs should be handled by human beings; we will not interfere."

"This..." Manager Qian naturally knew that the Immortal Temple did not interfere in the fights between mortals, but I had already given them money, and they were just going to dismiss me like this?

Seeing that he didn't understand, the Taoist priest immediately explained, "The method of summoning enemies by vengeful spirits can only be obtained by a celestial master. With the status of the Marquis's mansion, it shouldn't be difficult to invite a celestial master."

Manager Qian was taken aback. The only people in the Zhang family who could invite a master were the Marquis and the Heir Apparent. Why would they personally go out of their way to ask someone for help?

Then how am I supposed to get by?

Forget it, let's put some pressure on the subordinates!

Therefore, he used the name of the Marquis's Mansion to put pressure on the county government and the township government.

The county government and the township head immediately spoke up, putting pressure on Lishui Pavilion once again. This forced Zhang, the pavilion chief, to disperse all the people, seal off the dock, allowing entry but not exit, and conduct a house-to-house search for suspicious persons throughout the town.

After Li Shi left, Manager Qian sent a martial arts guard to watch over Lin Yuan, but he still provided Lin Yuan with good food and drink, fearing that he might cause another incident of being possessed by a ghost.

Lin Yuan was happy to do so, chatting and joking with the guards, and learning about some things related to martial arts.

On the morning of the third day, after the old Taoist master finished the ritual, he let him leave directly.

He wanted to talk to Li Shi, but Li Shi never came back.

Lin Yuan returned to the Xu family home and was somewhat surprised to find the schoolroom empty. He asked Granny Li, who was sweeping the floor, what was going on:

"Grandma Li, why isn't there a class today?"

"Mr. Xu is recuperating in his bedroom and will not be teaching for the next few days."

"Xiao Lin, Mr. Xu wants you to come back and see him."

"Oh, I'll take a shower and change my clothes before I go." He waved away the sweaty smell from his body.

"Then I'll fetch you some water."

"Thank you, Granny Li."

"Hey, no need to thank me."

Lin Yuan took a shower in the front yard, changed into old clothes, and soaked Xu Shan's clothes in a wooden tub.

He passed through the side gate and arrived at the backyard, where he learned that Master Xu was waiting for him in the main room.

Lin Yuan couldn't help but wonder if Master Xu had really fallen ill from fright?

That shouldn't be the case.

This is no ordinary person; they wouldn't be so scared that they'd get sick.