In the midst of the clouds on the horizon, a silver boat suddenly appeared in the sky, and a beautiful woman stood on the silver boat, resembling a celestial being.
The silver boat spun and descended, landing on the blue stone path of the Ask Dao Pavilion, transforming into an earring hanging from the beautiful woman's earlobe.
With a lift of the woman's hand, a burst of energy shot towards the Ask Dao Bell, producing a clear resonance.
This was called "Knocking Dao Bell."
In the disciples' pursuit of the Dao, one must first knock the Dao Bell. It was the application to seek guidance on the Dao.
Lin Su raised his gaze, peeking through the small courtyard's gap at the beautiful woman. He was surprised; why was it her?
It was the little Holy Maiden he had seen in the scripture repository earlier.
"Brother, another sister has come to seek guidance," Lin Su heard the whisper from Little Yao beside his ear. Little Yao had finished the wild chicken and left traces of oil on Lin Su's shoulder. This girl had a habit—she never learned cleanliness.
Lin Su tilted his head, making a motion for her to be quiet.
Swiftly entering through the side door into the Dao Hall, an enclosed space with no windows, Lin Su lifted a small hammer and tapped the nearby small bell. The crisp sound indicated his acceptance of the disciple's request for guidance.
Outside the bamboo curtain, the little Holy Maiden appeared out of nowhere, bowing slightly. "Third Elder, disciple's cultivation seems to have deviated. I come today, seeking guidance to resolve it."
Lin Su took a deep breath, changing his voice, "What deviation? Speak."
"Yes!" The little Holy Maiden was extremely respectful, "Three days ago, after breaking through the Dao Flower realm, disciple suddenly experienced unstoppable bleeding from the lower body. Disciple examined her internal state, checked the meridians, found no internal injuries, and felt no pain. Due to this, the situation must be abnormal..."
In the darkness, Lin Su widened his eyes.
Why does it sound like menstruation?
As the symptoms were described, he became completely sure.
The little Holy Maiden had grown up, and it was her first time experiencing "that"!
Her lack of knowledge about physiological changes, combined with her recent breakthrough in cultivation, naturally led her to interpret this life stage change using cultivation techniques. When it couldn't be explained, she panicked...
Lin Su's thoughts turned into two words: "No harm!"
This response fell into the ears of the little Holy Maiden, and her entire being lit up. "Elder, can you cure it?"
Cure?
Even if I can, I dare not. If I mess up your body ahead of time, I'm afraid your parents will blame me...
With a moment of hesitation, the little Holy Maiden misunderstood, "Disciple respectfully asks Elder to use his magical hands. Whether it succeeds or not, disciple is truly grateful!"
This statement made Lin Su change his mind.
Why not enjoy a free favor?
"Close your six senses and relax your whole body..."
The Holy Maiden closed her eyes, withdrawing her spiritual sense. She was truly cooperative when it came to healing.
Lin Su approached her from behind, looking at the exquisite beauty in front of him. He smelled the girl's fragrance permeating his nostrils, glanced at the wonderful rise of her chest, and felt the contrast between her purity moments ago and her current docility.
To be honest, evil thoughts did cross his mind.
But, commendably, he restrained himself, and there were certain boundaries...
After about five minutes, Lin Su forcibly suppressed the distracting thoughts in his heart. Reluctantly retracting his fingers, he returned behind the bamboo curtain. Calculating the time of her "affliction," he spoke through the curtain, "Go back; you will recover tomorrow!"
A thin blush appeared on the Holy Maiden's face as she slowly opened her eyes. She slightly bowed, "Thank you, Elder!"
Taking out a small package from her embrace, she placed it on the table and left.
Back in the courtyard, Lin Su opened the package to find ten taels of silver.
Little Yao jumped in excitement, "Ten taels! Brother, the more you deceive, the more you gain... Oh, no, it's about receiving guidance from a renowned master and charging reasonable fees."
Lin Su patted her head, murmuring, "This situation is a bit unique; I'm not that certain... Cough, is it really reasonable..."
Huh? Little Yao was puzzled...
The next day, the Holy Maiden's "affliction" was cured. After confirming it, her joyful mood was captured by her older sister. Smiling, the older sister asked, "Little sister, today you seem unusually happy. Could there be good news?"
The Holy Maiden smiled, "In the past few days, my younger sister suffered from a health issue, fearing her cultivation might deviate. That's why I was worried. Fortunately, Elder Third cured her, and now she has recovered."
The older sister's smile froze, "Elder Third? Wasn't Elder Third with Mother in Turtle Abyss half a month ago?"
The Holy Maiden frowned, "Impossible? In these past two weeks, Elder Third has been in the Ask Dao Pavilion, answering disciples' questions about cultivation. Everyone said Elder Third's discussions during this time were concise and profound, greatly benefiting the disciples."
The older sister was full of suspicion. Elder Third has been here for two weeks? How is that possible? Others might not know, but she certainly knows. When Mother left with Elder Third, she was right there...
Without revealing any doubt, she calmly said, "Tell me about your 'affliction' and how he cured it."
The Holy Maiden explained...
As she talked about her "affliction," the older sister widened her eyes. My goodness, isn't this clearly "that time of the month"? How can you face a man with such an issue?
Regarding the "treatment" by the "guardian of the Dao Pavilion," the older sister instantly erupted with anger. Evil thoughts surged, and she cursed him internally...
Explosion!
With a loud sound, she soared into the sky, carrying a fierce wind, and shot towards the Ask Dao Pavilion.
In the Ask Dao Pavilion, Lin Su was earnestly discussing the Dao in his calm and soothing tone. Below, several disciples listened with great joy, and on the table were the silver pieces they had pooled together...
"Offending the Ask Dao Pavilion, kill him!" Ten disciples shouted in unison.
"Deceiving money in the name of Ask Dao, kill him!" Hundreds of disciples shouted together.
Lin Su's front, Little Yao bravely stepped forward, hands on her hips, "This isn't deception; it's 'renowned master guidance, reasonable fees'..."
"Hit her!"
The crowd rushed towards Little Yao, and she ran back to Lin Su's side, her face completely pale...
At this moment, a figure descended from the sky, dressed in green sleeves, a snowy white goat's beard, and a face full of black lines. With a gentle shake of his sleeves, dozens of disciples rushing towards him were frozen in place. Those on the ground remained there, and those in the air were suspended in mid-air.
"Third Elder!"
"Master..." Lin Su squeezed out two words, feeling a bit dry.
This was the true guardian of
the Ask Dao Pavilion, Third Elder, who had returned!
"I am aware of all the reasons!" Third Elder's voice was deep and hoarse. "To use Ask Dao for profit is against the sect's rules. All the ill-gotten gains must be returned!"
He extended his hand, and the jar that Little Yao had hidden under the bed flew over.
Little Yao screamed, "This is guidance from a renowned master, reasonable..."
Lin Su was quick and covered her mouth with his hand.
The jar broke, and silver coins rained down.
Third Elder's voice covered the entire scene, "As for Lin Su, I have my own way of disciplining him. Disperse!"
With a sweep of his sleeves, everyone on the scene, along with the scattered silver coins, was swept away in all directions. Lin Su found himself in the courtyard, where there were only three people—himself, Little Yao, and the Master. The surroundings were eerily quiet...
Third Elder took a deep breath, and his eyes bulged towards the sky...
Lin Su hurriedly spoke, "Ancient sayings go, don't scold your disciples when angry and don't scold your wife at night. Master, please have a seat. I'll prepare some good dishes for you. After you refresh yourself, I will surely accept the punishment!"
Pulling Little Yao, he entered the kitchen.
In the courtyard, Third Elder's eyeballs bulged, breathing heavily. With a bang, he slapped himself on the forehead. The courtyard gate behind him was blown away...
In the kitchen, Lin Su was cutting vegetables without looking away, but he was aware of what was happening outside.
Master and disciple relationship, overall, he could handle it.
Two methods, both foolproof.
Firstly, the old man was a traditionalist, thinking that as long as he mentioned an ancient saying, even if Lin Su farted, the old man would believe it to some extent.
Secondly, delicious food!
As a cultivation sect, the Dao practitioners didn't have much pursuit in food and shelter. Before Lin Su came, the Third Elder basically didn't partake in worldly affairs. However, after Lin Su took out a cast-iron pot and stir-fried a few dishes, the old man regained his taste for worldly life.
Today's offense was a bit significant, and Lin Su was worried that the old man might make impulsive decisions. So, he used both methods to calm him down first.
This method was evidently effective; the old man was calming down and letting go of his anger.
After a few dishes were finished, the old man sighed, picked up the chopsticks, and started eating.
Lin Su and Little Yao stood on the side, looking quite respectful at the moment.
After finishing the meal, Little Yao put the bowls into the kitchen, and Third Elder pointed to the chair in front of him. Lin Su took a seat.
The old man raised his eyes, and in his gaze, there was a moment of endless emotion. "Do you know what crime you have committed?"
Lin Su protested, "Master, disciple is wronged... Disciple went out, and some junior brothers and sisters came for guidance. With the sect in mind and the sincere intention of mutual help among fellow disciples, disciple tried to clear their doubts. Can this be considered an offense? Ancient sayings go..."
Third Elder roared, "Shut up!" forcefully cutting off his "ancient sayings"!
Lin Su stared at him blankly.
The old man slapped himself on the forehead again, sighing deeply, "It's also my fault. I didn't inform you of the sect rules. Originally, I thought you were inside the sect, unable to beat even a dog. I never expected you to be so subversive, causing trouble directly..."
He was brewing a terrifying emotion.
Lin Su finally felt a bit nervous, "What will happen?"
Third Elder slowly exhaled eight words, "Annul your cultivation and expel you from the sect!"