Volume 1: Lü Zu

  The Hebei prefectures, which have been ravaged by war and disaster, are indeed the place where Lin Xue cannot help but go. As everyone knows, in the past, this place was famous for its dense population, with tens of millions of local residents.

  Now, after experiencing the war and disaster, about 2 million people have survived. From this, it can be inferred that since so many people have died, under the guarantee of a large base, there must also be a considerable number of high-quality ghosts.

  At that time, Lin Xu completed his first divine ascension and the quota of his dark soldiers also rose to 30,000. At the same time, he also undertook the troublesome task of gathering yin souls for Yin Cao's underworld in this realm. The newly added ghostly duties also urgently needed a large number of yin souls to fill the vacancies. Due to these reasons, Lin Xu sent out his avatars to roam recklessly across the land, which was also a rather helpless thing to do.

  A lone figure was walking on the deserted yellow earth ridge, Lin Xu suddenly felt a sense of being watched, and he immediately stopped in his tracks to look around.

  Sure, here is the translation:

  As expected, from a big tree shadow not far away, a figure emerged from behind the tree, and when he saw Lin Xuan, he smiled slightly and said:

  "Haha, this Taoist friend is indeed carefree! This realm, which is like a ghostly domain, surely has some wondrous sights to behold?"

  Upon hearing this, Lin Xu's eyes scanned the uninvited guest up and down, his heart slightly stirred. With just his divine sense, he couldn't see through the opponent's depth, but he could also guess that the opponent must have intentionally let him discover it. Whether this roadblocker was good or evil, making such an arrogant move, was definitely not an ordinary person.

  With a clear understanding in his heart, Lin Xu immediately became serious. He cupped one hand in the other and bowed to the newcomer, saying:

  "May I ask which school and sect you are from, why do you want to block my way?"

  At this time, the figure in the shadow of the big tree walked forward slowly, and his face became clear. Lin Xu fixed his eyes on him and found that this unexpected guest was a middle-aged Taoist priest with a slender figure and a handsome appearance.

  A middle-aged Taoist priest who must have been a stunningly handsome man in his youth, smiled and bowed to Lin Xu, saying:

  "A humble and untalented Lu Yan, a rustic idler with only a reputation to speak of. If you ask why I'm blocking your path, haha, I'd like to discuss some business with Your Excellency."

  He listened intently to the other's words, and Lin Xu vaguely felt that this handsome Taoist gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity, as if he were an old friend whom he had not seen for a long time. Moreover, the name Lü Yan sounded especially familiar to his ears.

  One of the notable differences between gods and mortals is that they will never forget anything, no matter how trivial it may seem. Whether an event occurred in the distant past or was a minor detail in life, the gods' memories of these events will not fade, at most recalling them slightly slower.

  Lin Xu's attitude had gradually become more serious, and he was rummaging through his associated memories in his mind. After a moment, his face changed dramatically, and he said in shock:

  "Is it Lü Yan? Could you be Lü Dongbin?"

  As for the elegant and extraordinary Pure Yang Patriarch Lü Dongbin, his personal reputation even surpasses that of the Eight Immortals as a whole. Not to mention, the famous idiom "A dog biting Lü Dongbin, not recognizing a good person's heart" is quoted by ordinary people far more often than any stories or anecdotes left behind by the other seven immortals.

  This middle-aged Taoist, no, now should be called a Pure Yang Ancestor, stroked his chin with his hand, his eyes gleaming like electricity, and laughed loudly:

  "Is it not that you have heard of my humble name, fellow Taoist?"

  Lin Xue looked at Lü Dongbin with a rather complicated expression, then turned to bow again and said:

  "I have long admired your great name! Xiao Shen Huo Shan Jun Lin Xu, I have seen the Pure Yang Patriarch Lü Zhenren's Dharma chariot in person."

  The Way of the Gods is majestic and follows rules. The Immortal Path is mysterious and not bound by one pattern. Whether it's a heavenly immortal or an earthly immortal, immortals are the main force of the Post-Heavenly Immortal Realm, but this group attaches great importance to individual freedom and is unwilling to be constrained by external forces. Even those immortals who serve in the Heavenly Court often hold idle positions that don't require them to personally attend to matters, not even bothering to show up for work.

  As a member of the Immortal Path, Lü Dongbin naturally couldn't be an exception. He bowed his head and returned the courtesy, saying:

  "Your Excellency is too polite, I have been waiting here for a long time, just to meet with fellow Taoist."

  "Oh, you're waiting here just to see me?"

  He let out an unbelievable rhetorical question, proving that Lin Xu no longer dared to believe his own ears. Whoever heard that the famous Lv Dongbin had come all the way just to meet with him would be shocked beyond measure!

  Since Lin Xu arrived in this realm, he has seen many gods and demons from all walks of life. Lü Dongbin is arguably the most legendary figure Lin Xu has met so far. Needless to say, top-tier big shots like the Three Pure Ones and Four Sovereigns in the Heavenly Court are out of reach for ordinary heavenly gods, and even Lin Xu doesn't dare to ask for an audience with them. He hasn't even seen the likes of Ox-Head and Horse-Face, those relatively well-known bureaucrats from the Underworld. All along, it's been that obscure Judge Yu Yuan who has been handling business negotiations on their behalf.

  Now, Lin Xu suddenly saw the legendary figure of Chunyang Zushi, and he was not surprised, that would be a lie!

  With a stroke of his sleeves, Lü Dongbin smiled and said:

  "Not bad, the incense at Lin Shanjun's mountain temple is quite prosperous. It's just a pity that it's chaotic and I don't want ordinary people to see it. If word gets back to the Heavenly Court, it will be troublesome. Did you understand my intention, Honorable Deity?"

  According to folklore, the Eight Immortals from the Upper Grotto, including Lü Dongbin, Tieguai Li and He Xiangu, are the orthodox Daoist lineage passed down by the Jade Pure One. It is said that Lü Dongbin has a very close relationship with the Heavenly Court, but Lin Xu doesn't know why he wants to keep it so mysterious. The two parties have vastly different statuses, and Lin Xu can't think of anything that would make him worthy of a private meeting with Lü Dongbin. Moreover, he knows he's not qualified to sit on an equal footing with the Pure Yang Patriarch, so he doesn't dare to be presumptuous.

  As thoughts flashed through his mind, Lin Xu could only follow up on the topic brought up by Lü Dongbin and said:

  "Yes, I don't know what advice Mr. Lü has."

  "Oh, it's just a personal matter."

  Upon hearing this, Lin Xu suddenly felt that the thoughts in his mind were tangled, could it be that this immortal had yet to sever his worldly ties and was preparing to reenact the "Three Tricks of White Peony"?

  These jumbled thoughts flashed through his mind, and Lin Xu immediately spoke with a bitter smile:

  "Is it convenient for you to talk here?"

  At the sound, Lü Dongbin burst out laughing loudly and said to himself:

  "Haha, fellow Taoist, don't misunderstand. It's quite difficult for me to pass down the lineage of this branch of Taoism in this world, so I've specially sent my incarnation to meet with you and ask that you take care of my junior disciples."

  Through Lv Dongbin's words, Lin Xu finally used his divine power to take a look without avoiding suspicion, and indeed found that the middle-aged Taoist opposite him, although he was extraordinary, was still an existence at the level of transformation.

  Although that's the case, Lü Dongbin's demeanor exuded a hint of sharpness and intimidation, which was in no way inferior to the top cultivators in this realm. Lin Xuan sighed, realizing that the famous Lü Dongbin before him existed in a transformed state, with his divine powers and abilities differing greatly from his true form. Even so, if Lin Xuan were to use his Golden Body to interact with him, he would still be thoroughly outmatched. This wasn't a simple arithmetic problem of who was stronger or weaker on the level of strength, but rather a vast disparity in their cultivation realms.

  Lin Xu was perplexed, gazing at the renowned big shot who had come all this way just for this trivial matter. Wasn't Tianjie's Eight Immortals having too dull a life in Heaven?

  After a moment of hesitation, Lin Xu said somewhat hesitantly:

  "Is Lü Zhenren going to let me take care of your junior fellow disciple?"

  "No! No! The life and death of ordinary people are predetermined, success or failure is in the hands of heaven. I just want to ask fellow Taoists not to intentionally make things difficult for them, as for deliberately taking care of them, that's not necessary."

  This demand doesn't sound harsh, especially considering Lü Dongbin's illustrious reputation. When the two parties meet and propose such a low requirement, it even seems to be at a disadvantage. Lin Xu really can't understand why the other party is so low-key, after weighing the pros and cons, he himself seems to have no reason not to agree, so he readily agreed to this matter.

  Having finished the proper business, Lü Dongbin seemed also very pleased, and with a wave of his feather duster, he said in a clear voice:

  "I've heard that the esteemed deity has recently been blessed with a noble son. Alas, as an old Taoist priest, I have nothing but the wind in my sleeves and no valuable items to offer. The only thing I can give is this pair of male and female treasure swords, which are barely passable. Let me present them to you as a congratulatory gift!"

  Today's unexpected encounter with Chunyang Zushi made Lin Xu feel like he was in a fog, and he couldn't guess what the other person meant. Since they said it was a gift, he might as well accept it for now!

  The brief conversation ended, and with a flourish, he sent out a pair of treasured swords. This incarnation of Lü Dongbin turned around and strode away, his voice fading into the distance as he sang:

  "One penny of goodness, convenience to others. One penny of evil, I advise you not to do it. Clothes and food follow fate, naturally happy. What's the point of asking about destiny, what's the point of asking about divination? Cheating people is a disaster, sparing people is good fortune. The heavenly eye is clear, retribution is swift. Listen carefully to my words, spirits and ghosts obey..."

  Under the western sunset's crimson glow, Lü Dongbin walked away with his hands behind him, leaving a long silhouette in his wake. The sound of his clear song lingered by my ear, and an air of transcendence seemed to sweep past me.

  The Great Way is unimpeded, the Supreme forgets emotions. What the post-heavenly immortal beings value most is this kind of freedom and leisure, if after becoming an immortal they still have to bow down for a few grains of rice, laboring and toiling every day, then why did they bother to overcome countless difficulties and take this not-so-easy path to immortality in the first place?

  Standing still on the spot, Lin Xu sent off the elegant immortal with a heart full of doubts and confusion, his mind filled with worry and unease.

  It is clear that the Heavenly Court has long abandoned this corner of the world, adopting an attitude of ignoring and letting things drift. Now it seems that even the idle greats represented by Lü Dongbin have chosen to give up. Probably for the sake of the younger disciples, he had a talk with Lin Xu, which was already enough for Lü Dongbin. Lin Xu speculated that his move was nothing more than selling personal feelings before his incarnation power was exhausted, and it could be considered as laying down a foreshadowing for the inheritance of his own Taoist tradition. It can be imagined that this casual move made by Lü Dongbin in advance would be a welcome victory, but even if he lost, he would still be happy. Even if this piece of land ultimately became nothing, the loss he needed to bear was limited.

  Thinking of this, Lin Xu couldn't help but sigh and lament. These renowned historical figures didn't achieve their greatness for nothing; he feared that he still had a lot to learn in the future.

  PS: Wu Yue Du Zun's recent ratings and collections are not very good! Fellow book friends, after reading the book, please give some encouragement to the author!