Chapter Thirteen: The Old Taoist in a Tattered Robe

  The two of them finished their business, and Ma Tong followed Lv Dahai back to the company for a lap. Originally, he was unwilling to go, feeling embarrassed, but Lv Dahai said that his colleagues all believed in him and even suggested going to his home to visit him, so he agreed.

  Back at the company, his colleagues were indeed very enthusiastic, one by one they surrounded him to ask about his well-being, especially those from the security department, calling him "Tong Ge" one after another. Ma Tong was deeply moved, took out a pack of Su cigarettes that he himself didn't even want to smoke and handed them out to everyone, it wasn't until then that Lü Dahai sent everyone away, after all it was work hours.

  "It seems you still have a good relationship with others!" Lü Dahai sighed.

  Ma Tong said with a smile: "Alright! Let's have dinner together tonight at Lingyun Hotel!"

  "What? Lingyun Restaurant? That place is expensive!" Lü Dahai said in surprise: "Don't be so stubborn and suffer for your pride!"

  "Don't worry, I've got a VIP card! Sixty percent off!" Ma Tong proudly pulled out a golden card from his pocket and waved it in front of Lv Dahai, the card shining brightly under the sunlight, making him feel extra dignified.

  As expected, Lü Dahai's face turned pale: "Lingyun Grand Restaurant's VIP card?"

  The appointment was set at 6 o'clock in the afternoon, so Ma Tong bid farewell to Lü Dahai and prepared to go home first to wash his face, shave his beard, and so on. After all, he didn't look very good in his current state.

  But just as he walked out of the company gate, Ma Tong was stopped by an old man wearing a dirty and tattered Taoist robe with a white-haired bun on his head: "This donor, I see that your eyes have a flashing light, and your body has a divine light inside, may I ask if you can let me touch your bones?"

  When he was about to leave, Ma Tong met this kind of swindler and it was absolutely impossible to bother with him. However, Ma Tong's mood was good at the moment, plus he had encountered a suspected paranormal event before, so he stopped his feet and asked with great interest: "How much does it cost to feel the bones?"

  The seemingly despicable old Taoist joined his hands together and chanted a Buddhist mantra: "Amitabha Buddha, benefactor, don't discuss money with monks. I didn't come for the money, but because you and I have a predestined relationship, that's why I want to help you feel it out. Even if others offer me money, I won't do it!"

  Ma Tong suppressed a smile and said: "Venerable Daoist, you say you are a Daoist, but you also chant 'Amitabha Buddha', so are you actually a monk or a Daoist?"

  An old Taoist murmured to himself, "Green bamboo and yellow whiskers with white shoots, Confucian hats and Taoist shoes with white lotus flowers. Red flowers and white water lilies with green lotus leaves, the three teachings originally come from one family! Master, why must you be so rigid?"

  Isn't this a phrase from "The Investiture of the Gods"? Ma Tong smiled secretly and stretched out his hand, saying: "Alright then, you touch me!"

  The old Taoist didn't shake Ma Tong's hand, but instead used his large and coarse hands to start feeling him all over. Ma Tong felt a sudden itch all over his body and laughed as he struggled, saying: "Taoist priest, Taoist priest, it's so itchy!"

  The old man's face suddenly sank and he scolded: "Don't move!"

  Ma Tong was taken aback, thinking that since he had already let the other person touch him, he should respect their professionalism. He gritted his teeth and endured the ticklish sensation, remaining still as the old Taoist worked on his body.

  After a while, the old Taoist finally removed his hand from Matou's body. Matou looked down and saw that his clothes were covered with black palm prints, and he couldn't help but feel a little annoyed: "Taoist priest, did you find anything?"

  This time he even omitted the polite language.

  The old man pondered for a moment before saying, "As the saying goes, one doesn't know until they try. But once they do, they'll be shocked! You, sir, have an extraordinary skeletal structure, with all four limbs and hundred meridians naturally unobstructed. Your treasure light is stored within, and indeed, you possess a celestial root. This is a rare talent that my Daoist sect has not encountered in a thousand years! I wonder if you would be willing to abandon the worldly vanity and follow me back to the mountain to cultivate the way of longevity?"

  Ma Tong was startled and firmly refused, "No way, no way. Firstly, I have an elderly mother at home; secondly, I am the only child in my family and have not yet married or had children to carry on the family line..."

  The old man interrupted Ma Tong's words: "A person's life is only a hundred years, just like that white horse passing through the gap, and it will be gone in the blink of an eye. Why must you, sir, be so obstinately ignorant?"

  Ma Tong shook his head: In the past, he had mixed so badly that he had never had the idea of leaving home. Now that he was about to turn his fortunes around, who would want to live a solitary life as a monk?

  The old Taoist shook his head and sighed, "Well, everything is fate, can't be forced. However, the donor has a precious mountain in his heart but doesn't know it himself, which is a pity! In that case, I have a rare book here called 'Lingbao Mirror', I'll give it to you!" As he spoke, the old Taoist took out a yellowed small booklet from his bosom and handed it over to Ma Tong.

  Ma Tong took over the booklet, just curious to open it and take a look, but was stopped by Lao Dao: "No! This book contains the secrets of heaven and earth, how can it be opened in this bustling city?"

  Ma Tong uttered an "oh" and casually stuffed the booklet into his pants pocket, saying: "Can I leave now?"

  The old man shook his head and said, "Not yet!"

  Ma Tongna asked: "Is there something else?"

  The old man spread out a hand full of calluses: "Twenty-three blocks and eight cents for the labor cost! Good!"

  Ma Tong: ……

  After Ma Tong walked away, the old Daoist looked at the crumpled banknotes in his hand and smiled slyly: "This kid indeed has a deep fate with immortals. If it were an ordinary person, they probably wouldn't be willing to spend money on a tattered book!" As soon as he finished speaking, the old Daoist blew gently on the banknotes, which suddenly turned into scraps of paper and fluttered away in all directions!

  If Ma Tong could see this scene, he would definitely clench his fists and stamp his feet, regretting that he missed a god-like figure...

  "Hold on, something's not right!" The old Daoist suddenly furrowed his brow: "This kid has only had the treasure for two days and doesn't even understand the basics of cultivation, so how did he already take a step into the realm of Innate? Although the Mysterious Origin Golden Cauldron does have the effect of accelerating or slowing down one's progress, this kid doesn't know any techniques and doesn't have any spiritual pills to aid him, it's absolutely impossible for him to have such an effect! Could it be that this kid has had some other extraordinary encounter? Looking at the light in his eyes, it seems like there's a hint of something from outside the realm..."

  The old Daoist was about to calculate with his fingers, but he stopped abruptly: "Forget it, forget it, I've already overstepped this time. If I rashly try to predict the will of heaven and Jade Emperor finds out, I'm afraid I'll be in for another scolding! Never mind, let's just see what fate has in store for this young fellow!"

  In the midst of a bustling street, an old Taoist priest clad in a kasaya suddenly vanished into thin air, yet failed to draw even a hint of attention from the passing crowd, as if he had never existed at all.

  Ma Tong returned home in a daze, originally intending to tell Zheng Lirong about his encounter with Ling Wanqing today, but he was afraid of Zheng Lirong's nagging. In the end, he endured and didn't say anything. You should know that the nagging of a mother who hopes her son will quickly marry a daughter-in-law is no less terrifying to the son than the Tightening Ring Curse is to Sun Wukong. It's better not to let her nag if possible!

  After helping out at the small shop for a while, Ma Tong returned to his own room, casually tossing the yellowed booklet from his pocket onto the bed, and then opened up his computer and logged into QQ.

  There were many messages on QQ, most of which were from colleagues expressing their concern and greetings last night because I also went to the company today. Ma Tong didn't reply one by one, just as he was about to go offline, he found a familiar avatar jumping lively on QQ. Ma Tong hesitated for a while before moving the mouse over and clicking on the avatar named "Long Hair Floating".