"Alas, it's hopeless."
"Who is the Short Life Taoist?"
"Young Master, shall we not go see the excitement?"
The three of them expressed their exclamations one after another upon witnessing the scene.
At that moment, the large monk carrying a Zen staff had already charged into the Qianyuan Temple.
While the white-clad, elderly Taoist who had run a few steps away was lifted and brought back by Xu Qian.
Looking at Tian Gou Taoist, who was struggling in his grasp, Xu Qian asked, "Who is the Short Life Taoist?"
"It's not 'Short Life'; it's 'Duan Ming,' that's my master's Taoist name. Let me go, I need to save my junior sister." The white-clad elderly Taoist struggled desperately, but to no avail against a Golden Core Stage cultivator who had entered the path through martial arts.
This purely Magic Cultivator, barely at the Foundation Establishment level, had no power to resist.
"And who is that large monk?" Xu Qian continued to ask.
"He is the abbot of Yuhua Temple, located in the southwest corner of Qian Deng Town, usually suppressed by my master. He has a competitive relationship with our Qianyuan Temple, that's all I know. Quickly let me go so I can save my junior sister!"
Taoist Tian Gou grew anxious, rapidly spilling all the information he knew in hopes that Xu Qian would release him.
Having got the information he wanted, Xu Qian released the grip on the white-clad elderly Taoist.
Seeing himself freed, Taoist Tian Gou dashed towards the shattered vermilion gate, not forgetting to pull out a small peach wood sword from his bosom, enlarging it with a surge of spiritual power.
Sounds of fighting, explosions, cursing, and cries of a woman could now be heard from inside the Qianyuan Temple.
Jin Xu, standing aside after listening to their conversation, noted the fierce competition among peers, and also asked,
"You night-watchmen, when such things happen you do not interfere?"
"Young Taoist, you might not be aware, but as long as ordinary people are not harmed, we typically do not involve ourselves in disputes among cultivators. Besides, both parties in the competition maintain restraint, as they still need to exist in this place, and while they might yell fiercely, they don't strike to kill."
Jin Xu nodded in understanding after listening—given the density of two cultivation facilities in just one town, it would indeed be too busy for night-watchmen to interfere in everything.
"Young Master, are we really not going to have a look?"
Yu Yaoer still wanted to see what was happening.
"No."
There's no explosion, no reward, why bother watching the commotion?
When Jin Xu realized that the "Demon Sect clue" was just a fool's errand, he wanted to return to the temple.
Since there was no chance to use his "Hand Palm Thunder," he might as well go back to Xuanxu Temple, sell some incense, and earn some silver.
Hisss~ Suddenly, the young Taoist remembered,
Today when Xu Qian came to the temple to find him, he had forgotten to ask Xu Qian if he wanted to buy incense!
With his suggestion to watch the excitement being denied by his master, the Little Fish Demon did not feel discouraged and continued to speak.
"But, Young Master, I sensed a similar demonic aura as in Da An Village."
"Hmm?"
The chance to use "Hand Palm Thunder" seemed to have reappeared.
Hearing the three words 'Da An Village', Xu Qian hurriedly pulled out a compass from his storage bag, cast a spell on it, and the compass needle spun wildly before pointing towards the direction of Qianyuan Temple.
Looking at the stopped compass needle, delight flashed in the eyes of all three.
Xu Qian felt that the previously missed opportunity for promotion had come flying back,
Jin Xu thought he could legally use "Hand Palm Thunder" again, and perhaps even get a bounty,
Yu Yaoer was simply excited because she could watch the excitement.
...
Inside Qianyuan Temple
The moment the vermilion temple gate was smashed, a Taoist in a snow-white robe, holding a sword, rushed out.
It was indeed Tianjiang Taoist.
However, even though his cultivation had greatly increased, he still couldn't withstand the senior monk.
He only managed to perform three moves of the "Qianyuan Sword Skill," ancestral of the Qianyuan Temple, before the bald-headed monk's fiery red spiritual power struck his spell sword down.
"Where is Taoist Duan Ming! Why did he only send you, a mere boy, to face death?" The bald-headed monk's demeanor was wild, not at all reflecting the compassionate spirit expected of a monk.
The spell sword was struck down, but Tianjiang Taoist's expression remained calm.
Usually, such conflicts didn't end in life or death, and he had seen a few during his master's lifetime.
Moreover, he still had a Nine Heavens Yang Thunder Talisman given by his junior sister, capable of unleashing a full-strength strike of the Golden Core Seventh Layer.
His junior sister had given it to him along with a Second-Transformation Gathering Spirit Pill while organizing their master's belongings after his death.
His advancement in cultivation was also due to taking this Second-Transformation Gathering Spirit Pill.
"Venerable Hui Lie, you may not know, but our master was killed a few days ago while exterminating a demon and has since ascended to the west. My junior sister and I have discussed this, and we plan to close the Qianyuan Temple. From now on, Qian Deng Town will only have your Yuhua Temple, without our Qianyuan Temple anymore," he said.
Tianjiang Taoist indeed did not lie.
Since receiving the night watchman's notification of their master's death, his junior sister, to whom he was betrothed, came to discuss it with him.
His junior sister said that in their lifetime, her father had mentioned that cultivators contend with heaven for their fate; life and death, fortune and disaster, are all unpredictable.
Especially for them, lower-level cultivators, who are glorified as reclusive experts in this small town but, crudely speaking, are risking their lives for mere cultivation resources.
If one day he were to meet misfortune,
she should close down the Qianyuan Temple, take the money he had saved, find a safer large city, and live out their lives safely with Tianjiang, allowing him to rest at peace under the nine springs.
At that time, his junior sister playfully said her father would surely live to a ripe old age.
Ironically, her words came true, as Taoist Duan Ming had just celebrated his one hundredth birthday the day before he went to exterminate the demon.
.....
Determined to fulfill their master's wish to bring them together, Tianjiang Taoist and his junior sister were indeed in love.
Considering this significant change, both decided to close the Qianyuan Temple and move to live in Gusu City, fulfilling their master's last wish.
Tianjiang asked his junior sister about their eldest senior brother, whom their master had adopted since he was a little boy. She replied that she had always seen the white-clothed young Taoist as her own brother.
If he wished to go to the city with them, he could be their neighbor and keep an eye on each other.
If he wished to stay here, they would transfer the Qianyuan Temple to him.
If he neither wanted to stay here nor move to Gusu City, they would give him half of their father's remaining inheritance.
After hearing this, Tianjiang Taoist had no objections, but when they went to discuss it with their eldest senior brother, the white-clothed young Taoist attacked him directly, claiming absurdly that the junior sister was his, that they were childhood sweethearts, and that he was here first.
Fortunately, he had taken the Second-Transformation Gathering Spirit Pill in advance, and his eldest senior brother, who had just entered the Foundation Establishment, was no match for him.
After a struggle, the white-clothed young Taoist was defeated by Tianjiang Taoist and expelled from the Qianyuan Temple, disappearing without a trace.
His junior sister mentioned that he seemed to have knocked on their door again today?
...
"Dead? Hahahaha, good that he's dead. But do you think closing the doors will be the end of it? Your Qianyuan Temple has suppressed Buddha's Yuhua Temple for so many years; you think it can be settled by just closing the doors?" Hui Lie the monk said crazily as he rushed forward a few steps, swinging the Water Mill Zen Stick in his hand.
"Since Taoist Duan Ming is dead, the debt of a master must be paid by his disciple. I'll take your life as interest!"
This monk was actually intending to kill!
Tianjiang Taoist had no time to think further, and he dipped two fingers into his chest, grasped the Nine Heavens Yang Thunder Talisman, and flung it towards the bald monk in front of him.
As he uttered, "Demon monk, behold the talisman!"
A burst of intense lightning struck Hui Lie instantly, the blue-white light forcing Tianjiang Taoist to squint.
When the lightning dispersed, the bald monk was seen holding the Water Mill Zen Stick in front of him, with a khaki-colored bronze bell phantom encasing him.
It was clearly a divine skill of Buddhism, the Golden Bell Shield!