Weird Regulator

Following the little Taoist priest's guidance, Ji Li walked all the way back from the noisy front mountain.

The crowds were getting sparse, and the surroundings were filled with palaces that he couldn't name.

However, as the number of tourists decreases, there are more and more people who look like Taoist priests.

Seeing the little Taoist priest leading outsiders here, many Taoist priests who were busy looked sideways, but no one came forward to talk to him.

Passing by the residence of the Taoist priests, the little Taoist priest continued to walk towards the back without stopping.

After passing through the large and small courtyards, there was no one else here except the two of them.

The surrounding environment is extremely quiet, the air is very fresh, and the many natural smells and sounds make people feel particularly comfortable in it.

Ji Li secretly thought about the Grand Master who wanted to see him. He thought that this person had a very high seniority in Zhenjing Taoist Temple.

He knew nothing about this person, so what did he do when he saw him?

How did this Grand Master know that I was at Zhenjing Taoist Temple?

Although the chance of encountering danger in the real world is very low, this is a quiet place, so there should be no big problem.

Ji Li, who had been silent along the way, asked just to be on the safe side.

The little Taoist priest in front paused, slowly turned around and bowed to Ji Li before explaining:

Grand Master is now a hundred years old. Although he entered Taoism in middle age, he has the best qualifications and is the oldest.

I am skilled in Taoism and profound in Taoism. I have not seen outsiders for decades. I am inviting you today, which must have profound meaning.

When the little Taoist priest talked about this Grand Master, his eyes were filled with reverence.

Although he did not answer Ji Li's question directly, he obviously gave an answer.

For such a Taoist senior, knowing that Ji Li's visit was a normal thing for him.

However, Ji Li didn't feel anything after hearing this. Instead, he became suspicious of the Grand Master.

Cultivating Taoism and Buddhism are all about cultivating the mind. No matter how long one lives, one cannot become a god.

There are no gods or Buddhas in this world, only ghosts that breed from the darkness.

If this so-called Grand Master really has this ability, he must either have something to do with ghosts or someone may have pointed him out.

Ji Li naturally prefers the latter.

After all, it was Butterfly Woman who secretly instructed me to come to Zhenjing Taoist Temple this time.

I think this Grand Master has a close relationship with Butterfly Woman.

However, Ji Li did not say these words. He just continued to follow the little Taoist priest.

After walking for about twenty minutes, the two stopped in front of a secluded and independent small house.

The little Taoist priest bowed deeply to Ji Li, made a gesture of invitation, and said calmly:

Master Tai is waiting for you in the house.

This house is also located in Zhenjing Taoist Temple, but it is much simpler, similar to ordinary earthen courtyards in the countryside.

The inside of the courtyard is very clean, and all the fallen leaves on the land have been swept away, leaving a piece of compacted yellow earth.

The doors and windows of the independent tile-roofed house were closed, standing in the middle of the yard, looking particularly empty.

Ji Li subconsciously observed the layout of the house, opened the courtyard door and walked in.

The little Taoist priest stayed outside the courtyard. It was obviously inconvenient to enter but he had to wait outside.

Since this is a Taoist temple, there is no need to worry about attacks by ghosts, let alone attacks by living people.

Ji Li walked very quickly without any worries, and just kept moving forward.

As he approached the door, he smelled an inexplicable aroma, but without thinking much, he opened the door.

The dusk sunlight shone into the house along with Ji Li, and some of the furnishings in the main hall came into view.

Portraits of certain immortal figures are placed on the front wall, simple and unsophisticated tables and chairs sit in front of them, and there is no dust on the ground.

This house is very clean.

When Ji Li stepped into the room, a sound of footsteps sounded from the inner room. He looked up and saw a middle-aged man.

This middle-aged man wearing a plain Taoist robe came to the main hall with brisk steps and a calm demeanor. He smiled and waved to Ji Li.

He took the first step and sat on the chair in the main hall, picked up the teapot and poured two cups of tea, nodded and said:

Donor Ji, sit down.

Ji Li did not sigh at the strange appearance of the other party, and slowly sat on the middle-aged man's right hand side without picking up the cup of tea.

This middle-aged man, who is as young as about fifty years old in both appearance and movement, can only be the Grand Master.

The house is not big, and Ji Li can feel that there are only two of them here.

Although this centenarian man has a strong body and a young appearance, the aura of time exuding from him is not inconsistent.

Those plain and peaceful eyes, washed repeatedly without time, will never be so real.

However, there is a rich black mole on the tip of the eyebrow of this grand master's right eye, which seems to indicate that he is not as worldly as he appears.

While drinking tea, the Grand Master looked at Ji Li with the eyes of an elder, but never spoke.

Ji Li looked at the sunshine outside the door, took out the cigarette case from his arms, and asked tentatively.

After seeing the Grand Master smiling and expressing his casualness, he finally lit up a cigarette to relieve the fatigue of the whole day.

What do you call Taoist Priest?

Chen Shu.

The name he gave was not a Taoist name, but a lay name.

After Ji Li thought about it secretly, he asked straight to the point:

Daozhang Chen asked Ji to come here. Do you have something to say?

Upon hearing this, Daochang Chen put down his tea bowl, folded his hands in front of his knees, looked forward, and said calmly:

I was invited to tell you a story from the past.

Ji Li glanced at him with some surprise in his eyes and couldn't help but ask:

About you, or about the woman in the butterfly mask?

With a kind smile on his face, Daochang Chen turned his head towards Ji Li and nodded, then shook his head:

“We are all in the story.”

Ji Li frowned. He guessed that this Taoist Chen should be closely related to Butterfly Woman.

However, when he was invited by Butterfly Woman to tell Ji Li a story, it was far beyond his expectations.

Sunlight covered the floor of the main hall, and an ant climbed over the threshold into the house with difficulty, moving quickly along the cracks in the bricks on the floor.

It came to the feet of Master Chen Shu, raised its head and sniffed, then its body became stiff and fell beside the shoes.

No one could see this scene.

But Chen Shu's gaze slowly moved into the sunlight, making his black eyes brighter.

His voice is very smooth, and there are no transitions in his words, but there is a magic that pulls people back to the past.

The twenty-fourth day of the winter month of the Gengyin year is the Xiayuan Festival.

It is the day when Shuiguan relieves misfortune, and it is the day when praying for blessings and relieving suffering, and apologizing for sins.

Burning incense and offering silver, planting incense sticks on the ground, spreading fields to offer sacrifices to the spirits, and purifying the lonely souls.

Today's Xiayuan Festival has long lost these folk customs. Speaking of which, it was already fifty years ago.

There was a hint of reminiscence in Taoist Master Chen Shu's eyebrows. He calmly turned his head to look at Ji Li and continued to tell the story.

Fifty years ago, Chen Shu, who had not yet entered Taoism, met Miao Jiang, who had not yet put on the butterfly mask.