Lin Qingyang was dumbfounded when he heard the system notification. This was clearly a case of a monster killing someone, and he was actually tasked with finding out the truth? What the hell was he supposed to do? He might lose his life!
However, Lin Qingyang wasn't in a hurry to leave. After all, this was his first mission since transmigrating, and he couldn't just give up like that. Of course, most importantly, the system didn't offer an option to abandon the mission.
At this moment, the Taoist priest on the platform seemed to be at a crucial moment in his ritual, making exaggerated movements, sometimes leaping into the air, sometimes spitting out a ball of flame, drawing excited cheers from the surrounding crowd.
"Holy crap, this is clearly a street performer, what kind of monster are you catching?" Lin Qingyang couldn't help but think to himself.
After a few moments, the Taoist priest did a backflip and then sat steadily on a futon, stopping his movements.
At this moment, an elderly man in magnificent robes led two young men onto the platform. Each young man carried two large wooden trays covered with red cloth, presumably containing valuables such as gold and silver. They were respectfully placed before the Taoist priest. The priest squinted at the trays, a slight smile playing on his lips, then suddenly stood up and proclaimed, "Disciple Lin Ritian, today I am here to exorcise demons. I humbly beseech the Three Pure Ones to bestow upon me a demon-suppressing talisman, to protect the peace of this region."
Lin Qingyang, standing below, burst out laughing upon hearing the priest's words: "Holy crap, Lin Ritian, hahahahaha!"
The surrounding crowd, seeing his expression, were all puzzled. Why was this Taoist priest laughing so heartily?
The Taoist priest on the platform didn't hear Lin Qingyang's laughter. He stood quietly, as if in deep meditation. After a short while, he suddenly picked up his long sword, performed a few moves, and pointed it at the wooden table. The table exploded into pieces with a loud bang, revealing a stack of yellow paper talismans lying quietly beneath it. The
surrounding crowd had never seen anything like it before; they were still reeling from the explosion.
Lin Ritian, watching the dazed look on the faces of the people below, smirked smugly. He
then coughed loudly twice, rousing the stunned crowd. The people around them snapped out of their daze and knelt down, shouting, "Taoist Master, your power is boundless!" "Taoist Master, your divine skills are unparalleled!"
Lin Qingyang sniffed, a pungent smell of smoke from firecrackers from his previous life wafting towards him. He frowned, looking at Lin Ritian on the platform, a plan forming in his mind.
Lin Ritian basked in the praise of the people. After a moment, he called out, "Mayor Liu, quickly distribute these demon-suppressing talismans to everyone.
This humble Taoist still needs to travel far and wide to temper his mind, so I will take my leave now." Upon hearing this, the old man in fine clothes, who was Mayor Liu, hurriedly ordered his men to distribute the "demon-suppressing talismans." Then, he respectfully said to Lin Ritian, "Taoist Master Lin, I have prepared a banquet at home. I hope that you will do me the honor of staying at my humble abode for the night before you depart?"
"Fellow Taoist, please wait."
Just as Lin Ritian was about to decline, he heard a clear and loud shout. Then, everything went dark, as if something had blocked the sunlight. He looked up and saw a Taoist-looking person, soaring high into the air, like an immortal descending from the heavens. His movements were indescribably graceful and elegant, and he landed steadily in front of him.
Lin Ritian was surprised to see that the newcomer was handsome and dressed in a Taoist robe, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance. He wondered when another Taoist had appeared in this small town of Sanyang. However, his expression remained unchanged. He waved his whisk and said, "Amitabha, where do you come from, fellow Taoist?"
Only then did Lin Qingyang get a clear look at Lin Ritian. He was over forty years old, slightly overweight, with shifty eyes and a beard. He held a whisk in his left hand and stroked his three-pronged beard with his right. His small eyes occasionally flashed with a shrewd light, making him look like a fraudster.
Lin Qingyang found Lin Ritian's appearance amusing, but he had to suppress it. He said, "Greetings, fellow Daoist. I've been traveling here from the Tianfeng Mountains. I heard there were demons causing trouble, so I came to investigate. I happened to witness you using your supernatural powers to subdue the demon, and I was amazed by your strength. I was just about to discuss some
scriptures and Daoist teachings with you, but seeing that you seemed about to leave, I couldn't help but call out to stop you." Lin Ritian felt like he had swallowed a fly. What a load of rubbish! He'd already got his money; if he didn't leave now, what if the demon came and killed him? But he couldn't say these words aloud, so he could only curse Lin Qingyang in his heart.
Lin Ritian hesitated for a moment, then said, "It's not that I'm making excuses, but I've already arranged to meet with several fellow Daoists in Liuzhou City tomorrow to discuss cultivation experiences. If I don't leave today, I'm afraid I won't be able to reach Liuzhou City by tomorrow. I hope you won't take offense."
Lin Qingyang had already ascertained Lin Ritian's cultivation level, which was around the peak of the Acquired Martial Realm, equivalent to the fifth level of the Qi Refining stage in cultivation. In the mortal world, he was considered a master, let alone in this small town of Sanyang. Hearing Lin Ritian's words, he cursed inwardly, "Damn, so cunning!" He said, "Fellow Daoist, you are mistaken. It is getting dark, and the night road may be difficult to travel. Why don't we have a long talk tonight and exchange ideas, and then set off together tomorrow morning, so that we can have company?"
Mayor Liu, who was standing nearby, quickly chimed in, "This Daoist is right. Daoist Lin, why don't you and this Daoist stay at my humble abode tonight and leave tomorrow?"
Seeing this, Lin Ritian could not refuse. He thought that the monster might not come tonight, so he would stay here for the night and leave tomorrow morning. After thinking it over, he said, "In that case, I'll rest here for the night. I'm a bit tired from performing the ritual. Oh, I'm Lin Ritian, may I ask your name?"
Lin Qingyang smiled at him and said, "Hehe, what a coincidence, my surname is also Lin, and my given name is Qingyang."
Lin Ritian smiled back and said, "Fellow Daoist, please."
"Please, hehe."
Mayor Liu was overjoyed at the sight. He had been worried that Lin Daoist's demon-suppressing talisman wouldn't be enough to subdue the monster, which was why he insisted that Lin Ritian stay. Unexpectedly, another Lin Daoist appeared out of nowhere, and judging from his cultivation level, he was quite skilled. With these two around, what was there to fear about the monster? Mayor Liu quickly took two steps forward and led the way for Lin Qingyang and Lin Ritian, saying, "Two Lin Daoists, please, please."
Lin Qingyang and Lin Ritian, each with their own thoughts, exchanged a smile and followed Mayor Liu.
The Liu family mansion was the largest house in Sanyang Town. Although it was already dark, the house was brightly lit. A dozen tables were set up in the courtyard, and more than a dozen maids and servants were carrying food and wine to the largest table in the center. Lin Qingyang and Lin Ritian sat in the main seats, with Mayor Liu accompanying them, offering constant flattery.
Seeing that the food and wine were almost all served, Mayor Liu stood up and said loudly, "Fellow villagers, Sanyang Town has been quite unsettled these past few days. Fortunately, Master Lin Ritian, with his compassionate heart, performed a ritual to ward off evil spirits for our town. Here, let us all toast Master Lin."
The surrounding people echoed, "Toast Master Lin!"
Lin Ritian stood up and smiled, "This humble Taoist is bound by sect rules and cannot drink alcohol, so I will drink tea in place of wine with you all." He then tilted his head back and drank the tea in his cup.
Mayor Liu and the others also downed their drinks in one gulp.
Mayor Liu then toasted Lin Qingyang again, but not with much enthusiasm. After all, Lin Qingyang hadn't done anything and had essentially eaten a free meal. Although he looked unfathomable, who knew if he had any real skills?
Lin Qingyang didn't mind and just focused on eating. After all, he hadn't eaten for several days. For the past few days, he'd been catching wild game in the mountains and roasting it himself, but his cooking skills were mediocre. Today, he was finally having a proper meal, so he had to eat it with gusto.
After several rounds of drinks and dishes, everyone enjoyed the meal. Lin Ritian had swindled some money, Lin Qingyang had finally had a proper meal since his transmigration, and the monster that Mayor Liu had been worried about had been suppressed by the "demon-suppressing talisman" given to him by Lin Ritian. All three were in good spirits. Just as they finished eating and drinking and were about to go back to sleep, a hissing sound suddenly echoed in the courtyard, as if a venomous snake was nearby.
A sudden gust of cold wind swept through the courtyard, making it feel unusually chilly. Everyone sensed something was wrong, and the previously lively atmosphere instantly turned cold.
Mayor Liu stammered to Lin Ritian, "Master Lin... the monster is here! Please subdue it quickly!"
Lin Ritian was also unsure of himself. He knew his own limitations; he was merely a post-natal martial artist. He could handle ordinary wild beasts and birds of prey, or even spirits with some cultivation, but anything stronger would be a problem. However, he couldn't back down now, so he forced a smile and said, "Don't panic, everyone. Keep the demon-suppressing talismans I gave you. They will ensure your safety. I'll go get my magic weapon and take the monster away."
Lin Ritian's plan was quite clever. He used the excuse of getting a magic weapon to secretly observe the monster's cultivation level. If it wasn't strong, he would kill it on the spot; otherwise, he would run away.
Lin Qingyang, seeing Lin Ritian's expression, knew what he was thinking. He cursed inwardly, "Damn it! Now you want to run away? Heh heh, I'll kill you!" He smiled slightly and said, "Fellow Daoist, I'm afraid there's no time. Why don't you go and fight that monster first, and let Mayor Liu fetch the magic weapon for you?"
Lin Ritian looked up and saw a dark shadow descending rapidly from the sky. With a loud bang, dust filled the courtyard. When the dust settled, a monster with a human upper body and a snake tail stood on the ground. The monster had a ferocious face, green eyes, and two creepy teeth sticking out of its mouth, constantly flicking its tongue.
Lin Ritian's scalp tingled, and he cursed under his breath, "Damn it, a transformed snake demon! What kind of magic is this? I'll be lucky if I'm not swallowed whole!" Just
as he was about to run, Lin Qingyang didn't give him a chance. He snatched the demon-suppressing talisman from Mayor Liu's hand, shoved it into Lin Ritian's hand, and then kicked him in the butt. Lin Ritian was sent flying uncontrollably towards the snake demon, cursing all the while, "Damn it, Lin Qingyang, you've got me in trouble!"
Lin Qingyang laughed and said, "Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Lin, please use your demon-suppressing talisman to subdue the monster."
(End of Chapter)