Chapter 155: Entering the World
155 Joining the WTO
After entering the incense hall with his master and the two men in black and white, the four of them sat opposite each other on the cushions. Xiang Jiannan knew that Ping'an Town must be in chaos now.
When Pei Dafa and others fled quickly, the master who led the two out of the temple ended up being left alone.
He originally wanted to call Xiang Jiannan in to discuss matters, but the black and white duo insisted on following him.
I didn't expect it to cause such a big commotion. As I watched everyone's quickly disappearing backs, there was only confusion in my eyes.
"The people here are simple and honest. They chose to leave just now probably because they were afraid of disturbing us."
The four of them looked at each other for a long time without saying anything. Finally, Gao Yuan, the master of the temple, spoke first.
He felt that Pei Dafa and the others must have fled in a hurry because of the appearance of the black and white men, but it was not convenient for him to say it in front of them.
It was obvious that these two were very self-aware. If they hadn't already fought, they would still want to exorcise the demon now.
"We two came here this time to take away County Magistrate Lin's confidantes."
He didn't care much about the actions of Pei Dafa and others. He had recovered his composure after the battle. The man in white looked at the old Taoist priest and said.
This was the secondary purpose of the two of them coming to Ping'an Temple today. They originally wanted to subdue Gao Yu'an directly, but they overestimated themselves.
Secondly, finish the tasks that can be completed first. There must be something to bring back. I have come all the way from the capital, and I cannot go back empty-handed.
No one expected Gao Yuan's cultivation had reached this level. Even the young Taoist priest next to him became difficult to deal with at the beginning because he underestimated his enemy.
The Confucian scholar was meticulous and after suffering the loss from the Little Green Light Curse, he was still thinking about that sudden attack.
Logically speaking, with my level of cultivation, the two little Taoist priests combined could not hurt me.
"Lin County Magistrate's confidante? You've confused the old Taoist priest..."
Unexpectedly, the master could still hold on at this time. Seeing that he seemed to want to prove his innocence when he spoke, Xiang Jiannan could only lower his head.
Since both Black and White have spoken, it must have been something they checked beforehand. Master, don't react so excitedly, you can't escape this matter anyway.
It would be better to admit it honestly in front of them.
"Master Gao, why do you have to do this? Taking them back is what our superiors ordered. If we return empty-handed today, we won't have this many people when we come back next time. I hope you can consider this carefully."
The man in white saw Gao Yuan's reluctance to admit it and spoke in a threatening manner, but what he said was the truth.
There is no need to deal with the matter of County Magistrate Lin. Someone will decide how to deal with it.
It is obviously not worthwhile to involve yourself in this for a small county magistrate.
He knew what Gao Yuan was thinking, and he knew he would need to report the situation in detail after the two of them returned.
"You know everything?"
After the man in white finished speaking, there was an innocent look in his eyes. Xiang Jiannan, who was looking at him, felt that the old Taoist priest was playing dumb a bit too much and couldn't help but shake his head silently in his heart.
There are five women hiding in Ping'an Temple. Even Aunt Zhang, who sells vegetables in the town, probably knows about this. Although she may not know their true identities, she has nothing to hide.
"Even the beggars in the city know about this. There is no need to investigate further."
How come it's just like what I wanted to say...
Xiang Jiannan was still daydreaming when the man in black opposite him spoke. He looked at Gao Yu'an and blurted out these words, his tone totally inconsistent with his image.
Now he seemed to have suffered a beating from society and had recognized the reality, and he spoke politely to the two Taoists in the incense hall.
"In that case, can we discuss it further?"
Still not giving up, Xiang Jiannan looked at the two men in black and white and heard his master say: "Logically speaking, I shouldn't be involved in the affairs of the court, but County Magistrate Lin and I are old friends. How can I just give up when someone has entrusted me with this?"
They said they were not familiar with each other before, but now they have become old friends.
Seeing that the two men in black and white opposite kept silent again, Gao Yuan suddenly stood up while speaking, as if he wanted to say something else, and then he got stuck.
The four of them stared at each other in the incense hall, as if whoever spoke first would lose.
"The old Taoist priest should be aware of his current position. I hope he won't make things difficult for the two of us."
Seeing that the conversation might not work, the man in white was helpless as he showed his full momentum.
The two of them rarely encountered such a situation. In the past, whenever they took action, they would always gain something.
If I lose face here in Ping'an Temple, it will be difficult to explain to my colleagues when I return.
If Gao Yuan disagrees, then I will have to use force. Even if I am not sure, I have to give it a try.
As a Confucian scholar, the man in white has his own integrity that he needs to uphold. He is an old Taoist priest and is extremely courageous.
"Don't panic, I suddenly thought of a way. I will see you two first before making a decision."
He didn't care at all that the man in white wanted to attack again. He just raised his hand to let Xiang Jiannan get up. Gao Yuan seemed very confident.
He whispered something in his disciple's ear, which made the little Taoist look confused for a moment.
"Can you do it?"
"certainly."
"Then I'll try. Sorry for the offense."
Not knowing why his master had set his sights on him again, Xiang Jiannan stood up from the mat and apologized to the two men in black and white in front of him before he took action. After seeing the other party stand up instantly because of his actions, he immediately smiled bitterly.
But he heard his master talking to him like a master, confident about what he was about to do: "I have a method, I hope you two can think about it after reading it. If you still want to do it, I will accompany you."
After saying that, he nodded to signal Xiang Jiannan that he could take action, and his posture was a little inappropriately arrogant.
Bang! In the next second, he suddenly fell to the ground.
"Disciple, what do you want me to do? Look at them!"
He got up from the ground covered in dust and looked at Xiang Jiannan with an angry tone. Gao Yuan didn't expect that his disciple would be so unkind.
I asked you to use it to scare them, but why was it me, your master, who fell to the ground in the end?
He immediately ordered Xiang Jiannan to come back, and told the two men in black and white to stay calm: "My disciple has always been dull, and what happened just now was an accident."
"curse?"
Although the effect did not appear on the two of them, when Xiang Jiannan squatted on the ground and began to draw circles, the man in white opposite had already seen the clues.
The moment the old Taoist priest fell down, his body instantly straightened as if he had been electrocuted.
This little Taoist priest actually knew how to cast a curse. The circle he drew out of thin air was exactly the same as what he remembered.
People from the Taoist sect also know this? "No need!"
He quickly raised his hand to interrupt Xiang Jiannan's spell. When he saw the young Taoist staring at him and the two of them were halfway through the spell, the man in white immediately spoke up to stop him.
Then he turned his head and looked at the man in black beside him, and the expressions of both of them became solemn.
"We two will report this matter to the higher-ups. You must think it through carefully, old Taoist priest."
Can a circle have such a great deterrent power?
Seeing the two men in black and white immediately leaving Ping'an Temple, Xiang Jiannan was very skeptical about his master's request and became speechless when he stood up.
He heard the word "curse" coming from the mouth of the man in white, but he didn't know much about it.
Turning to look at the master, he felt that the old Taoist's plot seemed to have succeeded. He showed a relaxed expression to him:
"My disciple, did you scare Pei Dafa and others outside the temple before? Go out and explain while there is still time."
I think it's you who should explain.
Standing there motionless, Xiang Jiannan looked at his palm and asked, "Master, what did you mean by asking me to draw circles on those two people just now? Isn't this kind of thing only effective on you?"
"I don't know either, but hasn't the desired effect been achieved?"
He directly asked back, indicating that the two men in the temple had already left. Gao Yuan looked at the clay statue of his master while speaking: "I, the Taoist priest, always keep my word. Unless Master Guo comes in person, I will never hand over the person!"
"What if County Magistrate Lin comes here?"
"He should be in danger now."
Turning around and looking at the little Taoist priest, whose eyes were flickering constantly, Gao Yuan rejected his disciple's idea outright:
"I, your teacher, have caused a great disaster this time. You, my disciple, must live well in the future."
"What do you mean? Where are you going?"
Seeing that his master was looking at him with a farewell look in his eyes, Xiang Jiannan couldn't help but feel his heart tighten as he met his gaze.
The old Taoist priest seldom looked at him with such a serious look. Since he knew it would cause trouble, why did he insist on doing this?
Was it really for Magistrate Lin? Based on what he knew about him, this Taoist priest was definitely not such a person.
The two men, black and white, returned empty-handed.
If the master hadn't told me, I would have really forgotten the important matter.
The other party was sent by the imperial court. Coming to Ping'an Temple to arrest someone was considered impartial and he had already proved his identity before.
But he was stopped by his master.
Daring to fight against the imperial court on one's own, such a thing would be a devastating blow in any era! What remedy is there now?
The master was playing with fire and got himself involved.
The two of them were united in their determination to perish together. "We are not going anywhere. I will just watch from the side."
He was breathing heavily while speaking, and when Xiang Jiannan was feeling very excited, Gao Yuan suddenly started laughing.
The young Taoist priest didn't react for a long time and felt that the days ahead would definitely be difficult.
There is nothing wrong with his idea. The old Taoist priest is just pretending to be relaxed, but he is still against the imperial court.
"Go out and find Pei Dafa and the others. I have something to say to them."
After saying that, he urged Xiang Jiannan to act quickly. Unlike the worried little Taoist priest, Gao Yuan was still the same as before.
It seemed that he had already planned a solution for what he had done today, and the worry in his eyes barely flashed away.
Xiang Jiannan could only sigh and stare at the old Taoist priest in silence for a long while. Then he stood up and walked out of the incense hall. He didn't know what the current situation in the town was. After walking a few steps, he suddenly felt a headache.
It is indeed frightening to have such a master. He always explains things vaguely. I don't think I will be suddenly ambushed when I step out of the Taoist temple.
Explain to Pei Dafa and others? It is better to go to Chen's house first. Old Master Chen has prestige in the town. If we can deal with him, things will be much easier.
When Xiang Jiannan set out for Chen Mansion, in the county town dozens of miles away from Ping'an Town, County Magistrate Lin was lying in his own mansion, feeling very comfortable.
Sitting next to him was Master Guo, and between the two of them was a cup of strong tea, the tea in the cup was almost empty.
"The people from the capital must have arrived at Ping'an Temple by now."
He leaned sideways and wanted to move to pick up the kettle, but gave up after reaching out to grab it. County Magistrate Lin lay down again and looked at the sky and said.
What month is it now? The weather is still hot.
"I wonder if the old Taoist priest can stop it."
In fact, he had great confidence in Gao Yu'an. Seeing that County Magistrate Lin looked worried when he spoke, Master Guo just followed up his words and asked.
They waited in the county town for a while, and fortunately the news came in time.
As soon as we got there, we went to Ping An Temple first. It was very clear.
"What do you think?"
Turning around to ask Master Guo, Lin Zhen seemed to have lost interest in the conversation.
He was thinking about his future path. Compared with the prefect Sun in the mansion, he was totally unqualified.
Please...you...collect_6Ⅰ9ⅠBookⅠBar (Six\\\Nine\\\Book\\\Bar!)
It was precisely because they were not qualified that they bore the brunt of the attack. Just like the old Taoist priest in Ping An Temple, they were helpless and could only wait patiently.
"Don't worry, sir. The old Taoist priest at Ping An Temple is trustworthy."
"With his ability, ordinary people may not be able to make him submit."
Thinking of Gao Yuan's previous tactics, Master Guo encouraged Lin Zhen as he spoke.
The adults should know this better than I do. If the old Taoist priest dares to disobey the orders from the capital, things will become interesting.
They can still make arrangements on their side, but they don't know what the old Taoist priest is thinking.
The old Taoist priest in Ping An Temple was beyond what ordinary people thought, and that was the feeling he always gave them.
"This is exactly what I am worried about."
"We must give the capital city some respect. A small county town is nothing in their eyes."
Lin Zhen was actually very conflicted, and this was what he had been worrying about for the past few days.
He didn't want Gao Yu'an and the people from the capital to cause trouble, nor did he want the old Taoist priest to do as they asked.
This thought is simply tormenting, but fortunately, Master Guo has been talking to me all the time. Now I can only wait and see what the final result will be.
There's no way. The more I think about it, the more headache I get.
"Wait till this is over and get rid of them, woman. It's a lot of trouble if you get involved with them."
As if he had made up his mind, Lin Zhen then began to give instructions to Master Guo, completely unaware of the other party's disdainful look, which disappeared in a flash.
How could he not know the character of his master? Even though he said no, he didn't really mean that in his heart.
Now that things have come to an end, in the midst of panic, I try to find a reason to feel at ease.
Without saying much, he just answered the order on the spot.
"yes."
If those girls are brought back in a few days, the county magistrate will definitely return to his previous state.
After following Lin Zhen to make a living for so many years, Master Guo believed that he still had some confidence in this.
Bad news from the imperial court serves as a wake-up call to the government.
Whether it is a blessing or a curse, there is no need to worry too much. If one really wants to take over the position of county magistrate, it will not be so complicated. Since that night when he went to Ping'an Temple, Master Guo knew that the county magistrate was a lucky person.
It's okay.
When they arrived at Ping'an Town, they saw a large crowd of people gathering in the distance. Before Xiang Jiannan even reached Mr. Chen's residence, he was surrounded by a group of people.
Led by Pei Dafa, it seemed that he would have to explain everything about his master clearly.
A bunch of people were talking at once, saying that they wanted to go to Ping An Temple to attend the funeral.
Except for Wang and his group, everyone present believed Pei Dafa's words. What the mayor had said before was very convincing and he had described the appearance of the Black and White Impermanence vividly. Those who had gone to Ping'an Temple with him before all spoke up to confirm it.
It looks extremely scary. Even in broad daylight, just looking at it can give me goose bumps.
"The master is still waiting for you in the temple."
Seeing everyone in grief and talking about going to the Taoist temple, Xiang Jiannan didn't expect such a good thing to happen.
He then continued speaking along with what they said, and at the same time made an effort to lead the way.
But it was quickly rejected by everyone. They just talked about it and didn't want to put it into action.
"Is the old Taoist priest really gone? Young Taoist priest, why do I feel like you are not being reliable?"
"Those two men came to discuss something with Master. They are not the Black and White Impermanence at all."
Xiang Jiannan was tired of being asked questions by everyone and he no longer had the heart to joke with them. Pei Dafa and the others still didn't quite believe what he said. They all fell silent, as if they wanted to sort things out.
The old Taoist priest is fine? Is he lying to himself?
"Mr. Chen is here."
Just as I was thinking, I heard a loud shout from outside the crowd. Old Master Chen, who had been troubled by rumors for the past few days, finally appeared from his house.
We have asked people to come and ask several times before how the situation could have become like this in just a few days.
I originally wanted to go there in person, but because there have been too many things going on in the mansion recently and I didn't think it was a big deal, I kept delaying it.
He knew about the commotion in the town since Pei Dafa came to his house for the first time today. How come the rumor spread that the old Taoist priest had ascended to heaven?
As a person with a certain say in the town, Mr. Chen said that he could not believe such things.
"Is your master still in the Taoist temple?"
Coming to Xiang Jiannan and asking directly, Mr. Chen seemed much calmer than the others.
Being so old and having experienced many great things, the words he spoke carried a weight that ordinary people could hardly compare to.
"Yes, what happened before was actually just a misunderstanding."
Feeling a little embarrassed when speaking, Xiang Jiannan noticed that the expressions of Pei Dafa and the others began to change again.
I just wanted to play a prank on them before, but I didn't expect that this group of people actually believed it.
Now they won’t listen even if we explain, so we can only rely on Old Man Chen to come out and calm the situation.
How could there be Black and White Impermanence in broad daylight? Everyone would be like An Wensheng, emitting white smoke and daring to wander around in the hot sun.
He was a man who had become the City God in a blink of an eye. Black and White Impermanence were nothing in front of him.
"Take me to see it. I haven't seen the old Taoist priest for a few days."
As soon as Xiang Jiannan finished speaking, he asked him to lead the way. There was no beating around the bush. Old Man Chen took action on the spot. Naturally, he believed what the young Taoist priest said. It was in broad daylight, so how could he lie?
The people in this town are good in every way except that they are very good at spreading rumors. Even the mayor is like this, let alone other people.
Just as he was about to leave, someone tried to hold him back from behind.
"Old man."
"roll!"
He was surrounded by people and entered the Taoist temple. Before he entered the incense hall, he saw the figure of his master. Xiang Jiannan saw that the old Taoist priest had finally changed his attire.
Her hair was tied up at this time, and she looked much more energetic than before.
After seeing everyone enter the temple, he immediately left and came to Old Master Chen and laughed: "There have been a lot of rumors about the old Taoist recently. Old Master Chen, are you feeling well?"
"Okay, okay, now that I know that the Taoist priest is worry-free, I am relieved too."
Turning his head to look at the people around him, Chen Laozi's expression was intimidating without being angry: "What else do you have to say? Isn't the old Taoist priest standing in front of us now?"
This sentence made everyone feel embarrassed, and finally they turned their eyes to Pei Dafa.
Most of the rumors in recent days were exaggerated by him. As the mayor, other people's opinions are definitely not as convincing as his.
"I wonder if the two people who came before are inconvenient for the old Taoist priest. Just pretend that I didn't ask."
Having never seen the two men in black and white before, Mr. Chen seemed to be asking on behalf of everyone else and was actually curious when he opened his mouth.
Although the gates of the temple were wide open to welcome people from all directions, this was the first time in their Ping'an Town that it caused such a big commotion.
Is he really that dangerous? If I had the chance, I would like to see it for myself.
"I came from the capital because of my disciple."
There was nothing to hide in his eyes. He turned his gaze to Xiang Jiannan and said,
"My disciple has always lacked experience. A cultivator must one day enter the secular world."
Old Master Chen's face became excited as he spoke, and he immediately turned his head and looked at the young Taoist priest.
The last thing he wanted to hear was the word "capital". His third son would go to the capital to take part in the imperial examination next year.
The capital city is a crowded place with many people and deep connections. I told my son before that I had connections in government circles, but in fact, he could only reach the county level at most.
It's not that he is a backer, it's nothing more than paying some money to ask for a favor.
"If that's the case, it must be a good thing. You are indeed a young Taoist priest. You can even recruit people from the capital."
Don't believe what the old Taoist priest says.
As soon as he heard the word "enter the world", he knew that his master was going to talk nonsense again. It seemed that they had no ability to distinguish in front of everyone, so Xiang Jiannan did not say anything to expose them.
Entering the world is a Buddhist term, and there is something wrong with it coming from a master's mouth.
My understanding of entering the world is to throw oneself into society. Am I not already in this world now?
The master said this to leave himself a way out, so that when the large group of people from the capital come and are captured, he can give an explanation to the people in Ping'an Town.
As chance has given us, my master and I will leave today. Even though we are riding in a prison cart, we will open up a new world after arriving in the capital.
"Next year, Jingxuan will go to the capital, and let me, his disciple, go with him."
Holding Mr. Chen's sleeve and smiling happily, as if he had thought of everything in the morning, Gao Yuan arranged the itinerary for Xiang Jiannan on the spot. A group of people started to enter the incense hall in a lively manner, leaving only the young Taoist priest still there.
The old Taoist priest is always calm. He just sent away the Black and White Devils and now he acts as if nothing happened.
As a disciple of this realm, I feel ashamed of myself. I say this, but I am not afraid at all! These 6,000 words are so badly written. The more I revise them, the worse they get. I feel like my mentality is completely broken...
(End of this chapter)