Li Baolong then took out several pages of yellowed Xuan paper from his personal space and handed them to the white-haired, silver-bearded old Taoist priest, saying, "Taoist priest, if I'm not mistaken, you should be called Yun Shiba, right?" Upon hearing this, the old Taoist priest was greatly surprised. Very few people knew this name, and it hadn't been called that for many years. He looked at Li Baolong and asked with a slight tremor, "Who are you? How do you know my Taoist name from my youth? Let me see these pages first."
The old Taoist priest took the Xuan paper, and soon tears streamed down his face as he kept murmuring about his master and senior brothers. It took him several minutes to calm down before he asked Li Baolong, "How did you obtain these notes from your master?"
Li Baolong explained, “More than 20 years ago, when my father was exploring Loulan, he accidentally discovered Master Yi’s tomb. He saw these notes inside and kept them, thinking that if he had the chance to go to Qingcheng Mountain in the future, he would tell his descendants about them.”
The old Taoist priest Yun Shiba nodded and said, "Thank you for clearing up my doubts. This mystery that has puzzled me for decades has finally been solved today."
Li Baolong then asked, "Didn't your senior brother Yun Liu come back? He was the only survivor of the journey to Loulan in the Western Regions."
Yun Shiba sighed and said, "Sixth Senior Brother didn't come back. Only during the period of liberation of the whole country did Eldest Senior Brother Yun Yi bring a letter and two hundred silver dollars, saying that he was going to Taiwan to develop. We fellow disciples who stayed behind have all passed away one after another in the past twenty or thirty years. I am probably the one who has lived the longest. I am eighty-eight years old this year."
Li Baolong nodded slightly and said, "I have a connection with my grandmaster Yunjizi, which is why I came to the Taoist temple. Firstly, to inform you about Master Yi, and secondly, to help your master and grandmaster Yunjizi fulfill their dream of rebuilding the Taoist temple."
Upon hearing this, Yun Shiba was overjoyed and immediately raised his head to bow, performing the grand Taoist ceremony, saying, "Since you have studied the Taoist techniques of our grandmaster, then you are our elder. As your senior uncle, please accept my bow."
Li Baolong quickly helped Yun Shiba up and joked, "I feel bad that you, an old man who is almost ninety, have to bow to me." Then he said to Yun Shiba, "Please keep these pages of notes safe. You can write these past events down when the Taoist temple records things in the future, so that future generations can understand the reasons behind them." Yun Shiba nodded in agreement.
Li Baolong continued, "I brought one million this time. Please have Mingyue and the others take it to purchase supplies so we can get through this cold winter. We will start repairing the Taoist temple from Qingming Festival this year. I will send the funds on time. The initial plan is to invest one hundred million." Yun Shiba was moved to tears. He kowtowed to a portrait of Yun Jizi next to him, muttering incantations.
Seeing this, Li Baolong quickly soothed Yun Shiba's emotions, saying, "Tomorrow I'll take a good look around the Taoist temple; Master Qingfeng can accompany me." Yun Shiba readily agreed. At this moment, Master Qingfeng entered, and Yun Shiba said to him, "Qingfeng, from now on, when you see Layman Li, you must address him as Grandmaster Uncle. He is now my Grandmaster Uncle and has inherited your Grandmaster's Taoist teachings." Qingfeng quickly bowed, "Greetings, Grandmaster Uncle." Li Baolong hurriedly helped Master Qingfeng up, saying, "It's getting late today. Tomorrow, Qingfeng, you will accompany me to visit the Taoist temple and see where repairs are needed." Qingfeng quickly replied, "Yes."
Li Baolong then stayed at the Taoist temple. That night, seeing a bright moon hanging high in the sky, he sat down to meditate and cultivate in the main hall of the Sanqing Palace. He silently recited the mantra forty-nine times, and after an hour, he got up. Feeling that the effect was good, Li Baolong then went back to his bedroom to rest.
The next morning, Li Baolong took out a cardboard box from his spatial storage, containing one million Chinese yuan. He went outside and said to Master Qingfeng, who was standing there, "There's one million yuan in the house. Arrange for it to be used to buy some clothes and daily necessities. You've all worked hard these past years." Master Qingfeng's eyes reddened, and he immediately bowed and said, "Thank you, Uncle Master."
After drinking two bowls of porridge, Li Baolong followed Master Qingfeng and walked around the Taoist temple. Looking at the dilapidated walls and houses, Li Baolong said, "I have already discussed it with your master. We will start repairing the Taoist temple this year on Qingming Festival. We will repair the road up the mountain first, and then repair the buildings inside the temple. All the houses will be repainted and the tiles replaced."
Master Qingfeng was completely obedient to Li Baolong, secretly thinking that anyone who could produce a million out of thin air must possess profound Taoist magic. They had only learned of such magic from books from hundreds of years ago. Their advisor, Master Yi, knew a thing or two; he could conjure objects out of thin air and control small animals. When Yun Shiba heard that Li Baolong could produce a million out of thin air, he wasn't too surprised; after all, this young martial uncle had received a fortuitous encounter, so it was normal for him to have some abilities.
These past two days, Li Baolong has been staying at Baiyun Temple. He's thoroughly explored the entire temple grounds and read through the few remaining Taoist scriptures. This trip has been incredibly rewarding and beneficial for him.
He had originally intended to find the cultivation method for the other half of the Heavenly Book, but he hadn't found it. However, the trip wasn't entirely wasted; he had learned quite a bit about the origins of Taoist culture. He pondered that perhaps other Taoist sects might have the answer, and maybe the whereabouts of the other half of the Heavenly Book could also be found.
Afterwards, Li Baolong bid farewell to Master Qingfeng and his group, and descended the mountain alone. He walked for over an hour, reaching the small town at the foot of the mountain. He paid the innkeeper ten yuan for parking and then drove back to Chengdu. This trip to Baiyun Temple was thus temporarily concluded. He wondered what he would encounter on his journey to learn the Heavenly Book, and whether the remaining half of the Heavenly Book was still in China. These were questions Li Baolong would need to explore in the future.
As soon as Li Baolong arrived in Chengdu, he rushed to the Provincial Hospital, eager to see Xiaoru and his goddaughter, Xiaoxing. Upon entering the intensive care unit, he found the beds empty. He hurried downstairs to the lobby and asked a doctor, only to learn that the mother and daughter had been discharged three days prior, and that Xiaoxing's treatment had been remarkably successful. Li Baolong was overjoyed to hear this.
He quickly drove straight to the mother and daughter's rented apartment. When he arrived, he knocked on the door, and Xiaoru opened it. Seeing that it was Li Baolong, Xiaoru excitedly grabbed his hand and turned to call out, "Little Star, look who's here!" Little Star's eyes lit up when she saw Li Baolong, and she called out in a clear voice, "Daddy's here!" Li Baolong smiled broadly and followed her into the apartment. After they sat down, Xiaoru said, "We were discharged from the hospital three days ago. Little Star's treatment went smoothly, and she just needs to rest at home for a while. I'll be taking care of her during this time."
Li Baolong nodded and said, "Xiaoru, I was thinking you should move. I have an empty apartment on the fifth floor of an apartment building with an elevator; it'll be spacious enough for you and your daughter." Xiaoru lowered her head slightly and whispered, "We owe you so much; we could never repay you like this." Li Baolong chuckled and waved his hand, saying, "What's there to repay? Xiaoxing has already recognized me as her godfather; we're family now. Don't be so formal." He then hugged Xiaoxing and played with her, making her laugh heartily. "Let's go, have a meal together, and then we'll move to our new home," Li Baolong suggested with a smile. Xiaoxing clapped and cheered, "Mommy and Daddy, we're moving to our new home!"
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