They followed the Taoist priest into a side hall, where an elderly man with an air of otherworldly wisdom sat. This man was the abbot of the temple—Taoist Qingxuan, a libationer who was over a hundred years old.
As everyone entered the room, Master Qingxuan opened his bright, star-like eyes from the futon, slowly stood up, walked to the front of everyone, bowed and greeted them, and everyone bowed in return.
Afterwards, the Taoist priest invited everyone to sit down and talk at the table and chairs on the right side of the side hall. Taoist Qingxuan glanced at Xu Anran and her earring, but said nothing. Once everyone was seated, he turned his gaze to them and asked, "May I ask which train you all took to get here?"
Seeing everyone's astonished looks, Master Qingxuan continued, "There's no need for you to be surprised. Actually, I encountered passengers like you ten years ago. At that time, I also found a ticket from the waiting room of the high-speed rail, so I know a little about it."
Wang Zheng couldn't help but ask curiously, "Daoist Master, since you had a ticket for the waiting room at the time, why did you stay here?"
"I am getting old and can't withstand such a journey, so I gave the train ticket to my youngest apprentice and sent him out to make his way in the world. As for me, I must stay here to protect these people." The Taoist priest stroked his silvery beard and spoke slowly.
Ao Zipeng pressed further, "Daoist Master, this world has suffered such a severe invasion by strange forces, how exactly did you survive?"
"Back then, the strange invasion caught us off guard, and only those of us with magical powers could fight back. Later, as time went by, a group of ghost tamers emerged, who could use the power of ghosts to resist. Nowadays, those who survive usually live under the protection of ghost tamers or practitioners of magic."
Afterwards, Wang Zheng and Ao Zipeng said they had something to say to the Taoist priest alone, and the others tactfully left, following a Taoist priest to his lodgings.
After the people left, Wang Zheng cut to the chase and asked Daoist Qingxuan, "Daoist, we have another question for you. We heard that ten years ago, a laurel tree appeared in this world. The tree was glowing, and the strange creatures around it dared not approach it. Do you know anything about this?"
Master Qingxuan nodded and said, "That is indeed true, and I think that's what you're asking about. Ten years ago, when the strange creatures were at their most rampant, a golden light suddenly shone brightly on Kunlun Mountain. The strange creatures that were touched by that golden light were instantly reduced to ashes. This attracted the attention of all parties, and many people went to investigate, including myself."
Ao Zipeng asked, "Was that golden light emitted from the laurel tree?"
"Yes, it should be. When we got there and entered the golden light, we saw the laurel tree. The trunk of the tree was radiating a silver light, and the leaves and flowers on it were radiating a golden light."
Master Qingxuan looked out the window, recalling the scene when he saw the laurel tree, and sighed again, "That laurel tree is unlike any in the mortal world, it is so beautiful. We wanted to get closer, but when we got two steps away from it, we could not get any closer."
Wang Zheng frowned: "We heard that someone got hold of the laurel leaves."
"Yes, although you can't get close to the laurel tree, its petals and leaves sometimes fall off on their own, and if you're lucky, you can pick them up. I was fortunate enough to find a laurel blossom myself," Master Qingxuan replied.
Wang Zheng asked curiously, "Then, Taoist priest, what changes occurred after you picked up that flower?"
"I ate that osmanthus flower. After I ate it, it turned into a wisp of golden energy that remained in my body. It enhanced my magical power and made me more resistant to the strange. The reason why this Taoist temple is different from the outside world is because of this golden energy," the Taoist priest said slowly.
Then he changed the subject: "You must have come here based on what those passengers from ten years ago said. Laurel trees are indeed beautiful, but they are not easy to obtain now."
"Why?" the two asked hurriedly.
"After the laurel tree appeared, many people guarded the area, picking up everything that fell from it. Now it's not easy to see leaves and flowers there anymore, and... there are people guarding the area all the time, stealing anything that has just fallen. If you go, you probably won't be able to get it easily."
Seeing that the two were not swayed by his words, Daoist Qingxuan continued, "If you are confident, I can make a deal with you."
"Oh? What kind of deal?" Ao Zipeng asked.
“I can have one of my disciples guide you to that laurel tree. He has considerable magical power and is quite clever; he can also help if you encounter anything strange along the way. However, if you find the tree and get what falls from it, you must share some with him, how about that?”
“I see that the Taoist priest has great magical power and is protected by golden energy. Why don’t you take your disciples there yourself?”
"I would like to, but I am now old and nearing the end of my life. I must find someone to succeed me, so I can only ask for your help." Master Qingxuan sighed helplessly.
Wang Zheng and Ao Zipeng exchanged a glance and agreed, "Okay, but we're not sure if we can get the things from the laurel tree."
Seeing that they agreed, Master Qingxuan called over his disciple. After they introduced themselves and discussed the details, they confirmed the departure time, and Wang Zheng and Ao Zipeng left the side hall.
Upon arriving at the front hall, they found Liu Yong, Xu Anran, and others eating. They walked over to their table and sat down. Su Shuzhi, noticing their arrival, asked curiously, "Why did it take you so long? Have you finished talking?"
Ao Zipeng nodded and replied, "We're done talking, but what do you think, kid? Do you want to join our team?" He asked Su Shuzhi again, unwilling to give up.
Su Shuzhi shook his head: "No, I still prefer to be free."
"Are you sure? It's not easy to be alone, and there's a lot of information that only the guild knows. It's better to join a reliable team than to be alone. And joining a team might even make you stronger!" Seeing that Su Shuzhi was still unmoved, he continued, "For example, I have some information that only the guild knows right now. If you join us, we'll take you along, and that will definitely make you much stronger."
Upon hearing this, Wang Zheng glanced at Ao Zipeng in surprise, thinking that this didn't sound like something Ao Zipeng would say. Based on his understanding of Ao Zipeng, he wouldn't reveal any information just to win over Su Shuzhi.
Ao Zipeng said this not only to win over Su Shuzhi, but also to Xu Anran, and Su Shuzhi understood this as well.
Hearing Ao Zipeng's words, Su Shuzhi looked at Xu Anran. Seeing that Xu Anran showed no curiosity whatsoever because of Ao Zipeng's words, he lost interest, which had initially piqued his interest.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com