Volume 2: One Sword, Ten Years of Grinding Chapter 4: Spreading the Way in the Marketplace

  Perhaps it was indeed the blessing of heaven that Xingyan had found a good job. Since he became the flute master at Huayuelou, his life as a young man had become much easier than before. What made him feel particularly comfortable was that from then on, he no longer had to rush back and forth for tens of miles every day! And the long-lost old Dao Qinghe now seemed to be more enthusiastic about Xingyan, although Xingyan no longer pestered him to take him as an apprentice, but instead often took him to do some part-time jobs to earn money.

  This so-called good deed is actually quite dull; with Qinghe Lao's lively and active personality, how can he bear it. Therefore, Lao had to frequently come up with some excuses, going out to inspect people's feng shui, treating some talismans and whatnot, while spreading the teachings of Taoism, also conveniently earning some drinking money on the side. Thanks to his reputation as a Daoist priest from the Upper Clear Palace, Lao's sideline business was actually quite thriving.

  However, as the saying goes "one hand can't clap", these things are hard to accomplish alone and require someone to lend a hand. Unfortunately, the two readily available candidates, Ming Jing and Ming Chen, won't "join forces" with him.

  These two young Taoists, Ming Chen and Ming Jing, were resentful of being sent to this Raozhou City by the Quanzhen Sect to do such menial tasks. They cherished their reputation even more because of this, and how could they tolerate following Qinghe Old Daoist on the streets, doing things that would shame a wandering Taoist? The two of them had grievances towards Qinghe Old Daoist's actions, which tarnished the prestige of the Upper Clarity Palace; although they couldn't express it openly due to their junior status, they often secretly complained and blamed the leader of this benevolent organization for not caring about the reputation of the Quanzhen Sect.

  As for this situation, Qinghe Lao Dao also knew it in his heart and never dared to expect these two little Taoists to "be on the same wavelength" with himself.

  As it happens, Zhang Xingyan, the young boy who is familiar with himself, is just right for use. When Xingyan has nothing to do in his daytime class, Qinghe Lao Dao goes to pull him over to serve as his own follower, helping himself out, doing things like holding a basket and handing over symbols. This old and young pair, the old Taoist being cunning and the boy being clever, work together particularly well. Every time they go on such an errand with Lao Dao, Xingyan can always manage to get some small change, so he is quite enthusiastic about it, and every time he hears Qinghe's summons, he happily follows over.

  It so happened that on this day, in the morning, Qinghe Old Daoist had another business opportunity. It turned out to be the owner of Zhu's Rice Store in the city, Mr. Zhu, who sent someone to invite him, a renowned senior Daoist from Raozhou City, to perform a small ritual for purification at their residence.

  Zhuo Laoban of Zhuo Ji Mi Hang is also a notable figure in Raozhou City, his rice business is booming and his family is extremely wealthy.

  "This errand's pay shouldn't be a small amount, right?"

  As soon as he heard that it was the boss of Zhuji Rice Shop who had invited him, Lao Dao's heart immediately burst into bloom. He didn't dare to be slow and hurriedly rushed to Huayue Building to call up Xingyan, preparing all kinds of goods and making a load for him to carry behind. Soon, the two old men followed the Zhu family members to the Zhu residence.

  After arriving at the Zhu residence, Lao Dao was about to put on his ritual robes and, as usual, instructed Xing Yan to arrange the objects for the ceremony, preparing to start the ritual of seeking symbolic water to purify the house. Just as they were bustling about, Zhu Yuanwai asked Lao Dao not to hurry. The stout-eared rice shop owner said:

  "Cough, cough. That... Qinghe Xian has been traveling for a long time and must be tired. Let's have some food first before talking about the Jingga Mansion matter. It's not urgent."

  Having heard that there was food to eat, Qinghe naturally wouldn't decline. So Zhuo Yuanwai immediately instructed someone to arrange a wine banquet, inviting Lao Dao and Xingyan to take their seats and have dinner, while he himself accompanied them on the side.

  "It's indeed a wealthy family, but they're being too polite!"

  Seeing the master's enthusiasm, and having good wine and food, Lao Dao was overjoyed. Xing Yan also secretly rejoiced in his heart, thinking that today was truly a lucky day, not only earning some extra money, but also getting to enjoy a good meal.

  It was just a happy meal, but the words that followed were somewhat strange. The guest who had accompanied them to the table, however, never mentioned the matter of the clean house, only enthusiastically urging them to drink and eat. Compared to the urgent and anxious appearance of the servant who came to invite them earlier in the morning, it was quite a mismatch. However, at this moment, with wine and food aplenty, they couldn't care less about that for now, and just focused on getting drunk and full first.

  After four or five cups of wine, Lao Dao Qinghe's face turned red and his ears were flushed, and he became somewhat tipsy. Under the influence of the wine, Lao Dao's mouth was like a dam that had burst, and he began to boast about his powerful Taoist skills. All that could be heard was the drunken Lao Dao saying:

  "I wish the donor, before I came to this Raozhou city, had studied Taoist rituals on Mount Luofu for many years. It's not that I'm a master of the sea, but just seeking a talisman or purifying a house is just a small dish."

  Lao Dao began to boast, and Zhu Yuanwai on the side couldn't help but praise and flatter him.

  After having two more cups of wine, the old Taoist's face turned even redder, and his words became even more nonsensical. In the midst of a string of absurd chatter, he unwittingly began to boast about his own sect, the Qinghe Sect, saying:

  "The Qing Palace above my humble abode, the Taoist rituals are indeed profound and unfathomable! Although I'm an old and foolish Daoist, after many years of studying the arts, I've also gained a basic understanding. Not to mention those trivial matters like astrology, divination, and purification of dwellings, even dealing with ordinary demons and monsters is child's play!"

  Unexpectedly, as soon as these words came out, the birthday star who had been making jokes and adding to the fun on the side suddenly stood up, moved his fat body quickly away from the table, gave Qinghe a respectful bow, and sincerely asked:

  "I won't hide it from you, Master Xianchang. I invited you here today because I have a request to make - your esteemed school's Upper Clarity Palace Daoist methods are profound and possess the ability to subdue dragons and tame tigers, which is known throughout the land; unfortunately, my humble abode has given rise to some strange occurrences, and today I was thinking of asking you to take pity on me and use the Upper Clarity Palace divine methods to subdue that evil creature!"

  As soon as the old Daoist Qinghe, who was just about to pour wine into his mouth with a self-satisfied expression, heard Zhu Yuanwai's words, his hand suddenly froze in mid-air. Zhu Yuanwai's words were like a scoop of snow water poured down on a sweltering summer day, and the old Daoist Qinghe, who had already drunk five or six parts of wine, was instantly sobered up!

  At this moment, the old Taoist was thinking that things were not going well. He thought to himself, "I'm a 60-year-old man and I've been tricked by a young whippersnapper! Today, I've fallen into a trap!" He couldn't help but laugh at himself for thinking he had stumbled upon a good opportunity, only to find that he had taken on a hot potato. Feeling annoyed, he glanced over at Zhuo and saw that his chubby face was full of sincerity. Seeing this, the old Taoist thought to himself that this cunning rice merchant was indeed a sly one. First, he treated him to fine wine and food, then showered him with flattery, making him feel like he was on cloud nine. He had boasted about his grand plans, but now it seemed that things were not going to end well. When the time came to collect, Zhuo would likely come up with some excuse or other, leaving the old Taoist in an awkward position.

  However, the old Dao Qinghe was not a tender shoot either; in his heart, he resented Old Zhuo for inviting him to this feast of Hongmen, but on the surface, his face did not redden or his heart skip a beat. He composed himself and spoke to Zhuo in a serious tone:

  "This statement is quite wrong! In my opinion, the scenery inside Raozhou City is clear and peaceful, how can there be any strange or supernatural things? I think that all kinds of evil omens arise from the mind. My respected superior in the Upper Clear Gate once taught me: 'If there is an evil omen, it is summoned by one's own heart; if there isn't an evil omen, it is an illusion created by one's own heart.' - Ah, Mr. Yu, so-called evil omens are all empty illusions; just empty your mind and everything will be extinguished!"

  Qinghe Lao Dao and Zhuo Yuan Wai's pretentious words, a closer look reveals that this old man is actually at a loss, trying to muddle through. Xing Yan secretly smiled to himself, thinking that this old Taoist priest usually sought talismans and divined houses with such confidence and composure, but now he was already begging for mercy after just a few words of intimidation, without even seeing the monster's appearance. Although Xing Yan was amused, at this moment he and Qinghe Lao Dao were in the same boat, so to speak. Just as he was about to cover up for the old Taoist priest, he heard Zhuo Yuan Wai say to Qinghe:

  "The Taoist priest may not know everything, but even if strange things are born from the heart, this demon in our humble abode is indeed real!"

  As soon as they heard this, Lao Dao and Xing Yan's hearts both skipped a beat. They then heard Zhu Yuanwai continue:

  "It's been over half a month since my humble abode has known no peace. During the day, tiles and stones are often thrown from the sky, and at night, there are eerie howls that never cease. Occasionally, when no one is around, fires suddenly break out... All sorts of strange occurrences have made our home a place where not even chickens or dogs can rest! I beg the venerable sage to take pity on me and save my family from this chaos!"

  These words made the two old men, who had originally only come to make some extra money, listen with their hearts racing.

  "Yes! That monster is so scary..."

  Incidentally, it was Zhu Yuanwai's somewhat silly son Zhu Wencai who spoke up; but before he could finish what he was saying, his old man gave him a withering look. Upon hearing the words "terrible", the old Daoist turned even paler.

  After a brief pause, he spoke up again, noticing the atmosphere had become somewhat chilly, and asked:

  "This... this strange thing has been going on for more than half a month, can't you invite some Taoist priests or masters?"

  That Qinghe Lao Dao was a serious and dedicated person. Every time he let Xing Yan follow him on stage, he would make him change into an old Taoist robe. Although Xing Yan also wore Taoist attire, he had never considered himself a Taoist. Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanwai didn't notice anything unusual at first and simply responded:

  "Of course! I've even invited Wang P'an, the Daoist master from Sanqing Mountain in Pengyang County—"

  "What's the result?"

  Although they knew the answer was not good, the old and young still hoped for a miracle at this time, and suddenly asked in unison.

  "Alas! Failed."

  "All sorts of strange things are still happening in this house. Since that day when Wang Daozhang came to our humble abode to exorcise the evil spirit, he has been bedridden with illness and hasn't gotten up yet. His disciples have been causing trouble in front of my rice shop for days, but after spending a lot of money on medicine, they finally left and it's quiet again!"

  Although he didn't say anything else strange, this remark sent chills down the spines of Qinghe and Xingyan - after all, Wang Panshan, the Daoist master of Sanqing Mountain, was one of the most outstanding figures in their line of work. The old Daoist's face suddenly turned deathly pale, and he could only stammer out a reply:

  "Cough, cough... This matter of subduing demons and capturing monsters... Ah yes, this matter of subduing demons and capturing monsters wasn't a big deal to begin with. It's just that when the servants from your esteemed residence came to invite me today, they only mentioned seeking talismans to purify the mansion, so I rushed over in haste and forgot to bring the magical artifact that I usually use to subdue demons..."

  "Why don't I let Poor Dao go back first and fetch all kinds of demon-subduing tools, then come again tomorrow?"

  As soon as he heard this, he couldn't help but secretly praise him in his heart:

  "Great! As expected, old ginger is still spicy!"

  After cooperating so closely for so many times, Qinghe Lao's family background is clear to himself. What useful magic weapons or treasures have you ever seen? This is clearly just a false move, learning from Liu Bang, the Han emperor at the Hongmen Banquet, slipping away quietly! What "come again tomorrow" and other nonsense, it's all nonsense! I dare to bet that as soon as Lao leaves the door, he will secretly leave for a trip, either to buy fresh goods on Poyang Lake or to visit his sick friend on Sanqing Mountain. Whatever he does, in short, don't think about finding him again in Raozhou City in the near future!

  But, as the saying goes "the way is high by one foot, the magic is high by one zhang", that designer who set up this Hongmen banquet, after finally getting the law enforcement officer to fall into the trap, how could he make the same mistake as Chu Bawang back then - seeing Lao Dao's feet start moving towards the door, he immediately grabbed Lao Dao's sleeve and shouted:

  "Immortal, you must save us! My whole family is in a desperate situation and can't hold on any longer! I hope the immortal will have mercy and rescue my family from this predicament. As for the forgotten treasure, don't worry about it, Immortal. If there's anything else we need to provide, just give me a list and I'll send someone to fetch it immediately. I dare not trouble the immortal again!"

  Look at the anxious appearance of Zhu Yuanwai, it seems that the demon has really disturbed the Zhu family to an unbearable extent. For him, since the incident with Wang Panyu, the Taoist priest from Sanqing Mountain, until now, his door can be crowded with people, and today he finally caught a Taoist priest coming to his door, naturally he would not let him leave so easily.

  Jian Wai's expression changed, and Lao Dao Qing He was somewhat at a loss. Just then, it was his subordinate who spoke up to clear the air:

  "Please forgive me for being too outspoken - I wish you well, sir, but I really have one thing that's not clear. You mentioned all these strange and bizarre things, it's obvious that the monster is causing quite a commotion; but why is it that until now, everything in your mansion is normal, without any disturbance?"

  "Huh? ……That's true!"

  After hearing the young man's words, Zhuo Yuanwai suddenly remembered that this monster was still making trouble in the house early in the morning. But since these two came to the door, the house has been quiet and peaceful, and the monster really became obedient and didn't make a single sound. Thinking of this, Zhuo Yuanwai felt strange in his heart:

  "How strange! Could it be that this Qinghe Old Daoist really has some skills? It's hard to say, but considering the Upper Clear Palace is famous throughout the land, there must be hidden dragons and crouching tigers among its members. Even if Qinghe Daoist is just a lowly purchasing servant, he can't be an ordinary person!"

  Wishing for the best, it's clear that he invited Qinghe today as a last resort, just like trying to revive a dead horse. Unexpectedly, that monster was unusually calm today and didn't cause any trouble - but this wasn't good news for Qinghe; in Zhu Yuanwai's mind, Qinghe, who had an average reputation in the past, had unknowingly become a lifeline with great promise.

  Just as Zheng Yuan was overjoyed in his heart, he heard Qing He Daozhang say:

  "Hmm! My disciple just made a lot of sense! You see, your mansion has been normal until now, don't play tricks on me, sir! As I said earlier, this Raozhou City is clear and bright, how can there be any evil spirits? Evil comes from the heart, evil comes from the heart! I'm taking my leave!"

  The old man of Qinghe is now a door-to-door thought, borrowing the words just said, and immediately getting up to leave.

  "Ah! Immortal elder, please stay your steps!"

  Look at this life-saving straw floating away, I hope you can catch it quickly. At this moment, the old Daoist couldn't care less about pretending to be virtuous, and seeing Zhu Yuanzhang blocking him, he was quite displeased:

  "I said let him go! What are you trying to do by blocking me like this? Are you saying that your esteemed residence will definitely produce a monster today that I won't be able to catch?"

  Listening to Lao Dao's stern words, Zhu Yuanwai was like an ant on a hot pot, secretly complaining in his heart and blaming the monster in his own house for being so clever and able to read the situation. Seeing that there were superior people present, he remained calm and didn't come out to join in the fun. Now, seeing that this savior was about to leave, Zhu Yuanwai's heart was filled with regret. At this time of difficulty, after weighing his options, Zhu Yuanwai felt that he couldn't care about too much anymore, so he steeled himself and loudly called out:

  "It's come to this! No choice but to use that trick!"