Calabash Fairy

Half a day later, outside Xiahe Village.

Lin Dongxuan slowly walked out of the forest and looked at the village covered in silver amidst the snow.

Unlike the other places he had traveled through, this place did not feel cold even though snow was falling from the sky, and the villages in the distance seemed quite lively.

Even just standing here, he could clearly feel that the closer he got to Qingfeng Mountain, the clearer and richer the spiritual energy became...

Ordinary people cannot absorb or perceive spiritual energy, but even just living here year-round is extremely beneficial to the body.

"May the mountain god protect you..."

Lin Dongxuan looked respectfully at the beautiful mountains surrounding the village, straightened his clothes, and walked towards the old man who was obviously waiting for someone at the entrance of Xiahe Village.

As soon as he approached the old man, the man cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and smiled, saying:

"May I ask if you are Abbot Lin of the Qingxuan Taoist Temple?"

Seeing that the old man in the Confucian robe possessed an extraordinary air and that a faint divine aura emanated from him, Lin Dongxuan returned the greeting with clasped hands:

"I am Lin Dongxuan. May I ask who you are, sir?"

Yang Sheng smiled upon hearing this:

"My name is Yang Sheng. I am the temple keeper of the Qingfeng Mountain God Temple and also the village chief of Xiahe Village."

"The Mountain God already knows that Abbot Lin is coming and has instructed me to wait here and escort Abbot Lin up the mountain."

Over the years, he has gradually adapted to his identity, especially during the month or so that the Mountain God was away from the mountain. With the help of the little demons, Qiu'er, and the two underworld messengers on the mountain, he has gradually learned a lot of common knowledge about the cultivation world.

Like the person before us, who may appear to be a young Taoist priest in his early twenties, but could actually be an being who has lived for hundreds or even thousands of years...

"Then I'll have to trouble Temple Master Yang."

After Lin Dongxuan bowed and thanked Yang Sheng again, he followed Yang Sheng and soon entered the village. There he saw children of all ages rolling and playing in the snow, with snowballs flying around in the air.

Upon seeing Yang Sheng, the children immediately stopped and obediently greeted the village chief. Only after Yang Sheng and Lin Dongxuan left did they resume their wild play.

As the two ventured deeper into the village, Lin Dongxuan soon noticed that the houses were arranged in an orderly fashion, and the sounds of various livestock could often be heard from the courtyards and sheds. The roads were also surprisingly smooth, without many potholes.

He chatted with Yang Sheng beside him for a while and then learned that all of this was the work of his third son.

In recent years, the number of livestock in the village has increased, and the number of various oxcarts and horse-drawn carts has also continued to rise. A carpentry workshop has also been added near the iron foundry, specializing in making these tools.

However, the old, bumpy dirt roads in the village were not good for these oxcarts and horse-drawn carts, so Yang Xiaoshan led the villagers to fill in and compact all the road surfaces, which is why they look the way they do now.

As Lin Dongxuan walked along, he felt that everyone in Xiahe Village had a smile on their face, and the place was so peaceful and serene.

As the two walked through the village to the foot of Qingfeng Mountain, they saw a stone tablet standing at the entrance to the mountain road, with ten golden characters engraved on it.

"When a thought arises in the human heart, Heaven and Earth know it all..."

Lin Dongxuan murmured to himself, feeling a sense of awe even from the imposing calligraphy before him...

Yang Sheng stroked his beard and smiled.

Over the years, villagers have always paid their respects to this stone tablet before going up the mountain. After all, this tablet was erected by the mountain god, and it holds immense significance for them.

The ten characters on the stone tablet were also regarded as the mountain god's prophecy, which instilled awe in the villagers. Even the ruffians in the village back then completely restrained themselves and dared not cause any more trouble.

Soon, Yang Sheng led Lin Dongxuan up the mountain until they arrived at the Mountain God Temple and stopped there.

"Master Lin, I have not been summoned by the Mountain God. Please enter the temple on your own. I will take my leave now."

"Alright, thank you very much, Temple Keeper Yang, for your help along the way."

Lin Dongxuan spoke solemnly, bowed to Yang Sheng again, and then stepped into the solemn and incense-filled mountain god temple.

Amidst the two rows of incense sticks and candles, he approached the gourd-shaped statue at the deepest part of the temple and bowed respectfully.

"This junior, Lin Dongxuan of Qingxuan Taoist Temple, has come to request an audience with the Mountain God to express my deepest gratitude for your great kindness!"

As a golden light flashed, Fang Yan slowly stepped out of the mountain god statue and appeared before Lin Dongxuan, smiling as he said:

"Get up, there's no need for such formality."

"Thank you, senior!"

After thanking him, Lin Dongxuan straightened up, while Fang Yan waved his hand, causing the two of them to appear in the stone pavilion on the back mountain.

At this moment, the stone pavilion is still surrounded by that tall bamboo forest. With the spiritual energy of Qingfeng Mountain, they remain evergreen and upright even in winter.

"Come, sit down. Since you already know that I have a past relationship with your ancestor, why be so reserved?"

As Fang Yan spoke, he casually sat down, and with a flick of his sleeve, a spirit jade wine pot, two wine cups, and many spirit fruits appeared on the stone table.

"Here, this wine is one I recently brewed. It has a rather unique flavor. Why don't you try it?"

Seeing Fang Yan pick up the wine pot, Lin Dongxuan quickly picked up the wine cup in front of him, bowed, and offered it to him. After the wine was filled, he thanked him, turned around, and sat down opposite Fang Yan.

"Thank you for the fine wine, senior."

"I have come here today to express my gratitude for the bag of treasures you bestowed upon me a few months ago."

"If it were before, I would never have dared to accept such a generous gift from you, senior. But now, the disciples of Qingxuan Dao Temple are in dire need of these treasures, please..."

Fang Yan waved his hand and shook his head, saying:

"There's no need for that. As you can see, the bag mainly contains low-level elixirs and talismans. Those things aren't particularly valuable to me."

"Since I am an old acquaintance of your grandmaster, it would be a good thing if I could help you."

"However, these things can only last for a while. I think you know that Qingxuan Dao Temple is currently lacking in cultivation resources. Your foundation is still shallow, and you have many disciples. Relying solely on a single spirit field..."

Upon hearing this, Lin Dongxuan couldn't help but nod with a wry smile and sigh softly:

"Senior has keen insight. When I established Qingxuan Taoist Temple, I was full of ambition and wanted to lead the temple along the path of Patriarch Qingxuan."

"But over the years, I have gradually realized that managing a sect and cultivating oneself are two completely different things, and cultivation resources are also extremely important."

"Especially those children who are relatively less gifted in cultivation, they absolutely cannot be delayed."

"To be honest, over the years, I have often felt indebted to my disciples and do not consider myself a qualified abbot."

After Lin Dongxuan finished speaking, he felt a sense of relief, as if the pressure that had been weighing on his heart for years had eased somewhat.

The biggest problem for Qingxuan Taoist Temple now is not those external enemies, but its inability to produce enough cultivation resources, which allows it to barely make ends meet.

This is similar to how insufficient blood and energy in the body can cause a series of problems, even leading to chronic death...