Although Xu Zuguang suffered some hardships in his previous life, good days came after the three-year exile period. The original owner treated him like an ancestor, and he was given the most luxurious food, clothing and other necessities. He was also generous in socializing and had a very harmonious relationship with his colleagues and superiors. His official rank was promoted twice a year. He was very successful and had the best of both worlds. In just a few years, he had a real position in the army and held considerable power.
It is said that it is easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. Xu Zuguang has lived a life of wealth and luxury all his life. Now that he has to start all over again, how could he possibly get used to the poor life of a sixth-rank official? Not to mention anything else, he just didn't like the food and daily necessities at home. The yard had never been expanded, so it was really cramped to live there.
He thought that as long as he seized Lin Dan's opportunity, he could become rich overnight, but he didn't expect that this was a bottomless trap. In order to prevent Lin Dan from calling back those master chefs to help her open a shop, he paid them very high wages and gave them dozens of taels of silver from time to time. However, it turned out that the money he spent had long been wasted!
Those master chefs clearly don't have any real skills, so how could they be so shameless as to take his money? They might be grateful to him one moment and call him an idiot the next!
The more Xu Zuguang tried to get over the hurdle in his heart, the more angry he became. His head became congested with blood, his vision became blurry, and he almost fainted. He quickly propped himself up on the desk and shouted out a name through gritted teeth: "Lin Dan!!"
At the same time, his violent rage was mixed with a tiny trace of regret that even he himself was not aware of. If he had known that Lin Dan was so capable, he should not have let her go, he should not have…
At this moment, Wan Xiuer walked into the study room with a big belly. Seeing several gifts on the desk, she picked them up and looked at them. She tasted a piece of cake and her eyes suddenly lit up: "Husband, could this be the new product developed by the master chef in our shop? It's so delicious! I have never eaten such delicious cakes. Even the imperial court's meals are far inferior to this! Oh, this fragrant ball tastes so special, is it also something in our shop?"
The lid of the box was turned upside down on the table by Xu Zuguang, so Wan Xiuer did not see the three words "Xuanqing Temple". She played with the gifts one by one, praising them endlessly.
Xu Zuguang naturally knew how good these things were and how much money he could earn from them in the future, so he became even more annoyed. He didn't dare tell Wan Xiu'er the truth, because he had already spent all her dowry. If those shops failed to make money and Wan Xiu'er ended up penniless, she would tear him apart.
Xu Zuguang didn't dare to say a word, thinking that these things were indeed from his own shop. However, Wan Xiuer fell in love with this exquisitely crafted gift box. She put the gifts neatly in place and put the lid on it. Seeing the three bright words "Xuanqing Temple", she was stunned for a moment, then asked in a hoarse voice: "Is this thing from Xuanqing Temple?"
Thinking that the store was now full of Wan Xiuer's people, this matter would be exposed sooner or later, so Xu Zuguang could only nod with difficulty. In his opinion, even if Wan Xiuer knew that these things were not from her own store, it would not matter. At most, she would feel uncomfortable because she was outdone by Lin Dan. She had no memory of her previous life, so how could she know that these things originally belonged to the Xu family and how much money they made from them?
But Wan Xiuer's reaction was completely different from what he expected. She stared at the box as if she was staring at a horrible monster, then her back bent and she began to twitch in pain. Two maids hurried to support her and soon discovered that there were some bloodstains on her skirt. It turned out that she had a miscarriage.
A group of people hurriedly carried Wan Xiu'er away. When Xu Zuguang thought of her extremely violent reaction, a strange look flashed across his eyes.
…………
The situation of the Xu family was getting worse and worse, but Lin Dan was living a very comfortable life. That day, she held Xu Miaomiao's hand and taught her calligraphy. Prince Jin was sorting out manuscripts beside her, glancing at the two of them from time to time with a gentle smile on his lips.
"Recently, more and more believers have come to Xuanqing Temple for help. Have you ever thought about keeping a low profile? You know, even if you have superb medical skills and can cure most of the diseases in the world, there is one disease that you absolutely cannot cure. If people deify you too much, they will put you in heaven, which will be a disaster rather than a blessing for you." Prince Jin spoke with a little concern.
Before Lin Dan responded, Xu Miaomiao pouted and said, "There is a disease in the world that my master can't cure? Impossible!"
Prince Jin smiled and pinched her cheeks, saying, "Of course, there is a disease that no doctor can cure, and that is aging. When you reach a certain age, your eyes will become cloudy, your mind will become confused, your teeth will fall out, and your hands and feet will tremble. These are all natural things, and no one can avoid them."
Xu Miaomiao nodded, not quite understanding.
Yao Bishui, who walked into the side hall with a tea tray, also agreed: "The prince is right, Sister Lin, you should also selectively choose some patients to treat in the future to avoid getting into trouble."
Lin Dan smiled indifferently. Just as he was about to speak, he saw a little Taoist boy running in and said hurriedly, "Master, there is a very sick old man outside. His family members are crying and wailing, which has alarmed all the believers. Please go and take a look."
Since human life was at stake, Lin Dan naturally did not dare to delay and immediately took the Buddhist whisk and went to the door. When the newly recruited Taoist children saw her, they all bowed and saluted with respect in their eyes. Her Xuanqing Temple does not accept lay Buddhists who come to stay, only children between the ages of six and twelve, because they have simple minds and can be trained according to the plan she has formulated. After ten or twenty years, these Taoist children who have learned medical skills will surely benefit the local people.
It is not a bad thing to believe in gods, but it is sad to refuse to seek medical treatment because of your beliefs. Lin Dan doesn't have the ability to change everyone's ideas, but he can do something for everyone in secret. She walked quickly to the door, and the onlookers immediately made way for her, allowing her to see the scene clearly.
I saw an old man in his sixties lying on a straw mat. His face was haggard and his breathing was weak. I couldn't tell whether he was alive or dead. His family members knelt around him, crying and shouting for help, seeming to be very worried. However, if they were really worried, they would not leave the old man on the cold mat and let him be attacked by the chilly autumn wind. Furthermore, why didn’t they send the old man into the temple as soon as possible, but instead put him outside for people to watch?
Apart from creating trouble and pursuing personal gain, what other purpose do they have? This old man is just a cover.
Lin Dan knew it clearly, but he would not leave the seriously ill old man alone, so he immediately held his hand and checked his pulse. Prince Jin had seen too many conspiracies and intrigues, and his mind was as clear as a mirror, so he couldn't help but frown. Recently, he also learned some medical skills from Lin Dan, so he squatted down, held the old man's right hand, carefully examined it, and then his heart sank.
Things in the world really can't stand being talked about. He just said that Lin Dan couldn't cure aging diseases, and she really encountered a case in reality. The old man was not ill, but his health was deteriorating and there was no hope of recovery. His family should have known that this was beyond human control, but they did not take care of his funeral. Instead, they sent him, who was already suffering, to Nandou Mountain to be attacked by the cold wind. What did they want to do? Is it blackmail?
Just as Prince Jin was thinking about this, the old man's son spoke. He first praised Lin Dan's abilities to the sky, saying that she had profound Taoist skills and could not only slay demons and monsters, exorcise evil spirits and bring good fortune, but also bring people back to life from the dead. It was because they trusted her abilities that they sent their father to the mountain, hoping that the immortal could lend a hand and cure their father's illness.
His wife, children, brothers and sisters kept adding to his comments, praising Lin Dan to the highest level. Instigated by them, the believers who already had full faith in Lin Dan's abilities also joined the team of flatterers, as if the old man could recover immediately as soon as Lin Dan took action.
How similar is the current situation to what Prince Jin mentioned before? Lin Dan was completely held up by these people, and held so high that if he refused, he would fall from the altar in an instant.
Who set this trap? What is the purpose? Prince Jin ordered his guards to separate the fanatical believers while thinking in his heart. But Lin Dan didn't have to think about these unnecessary questions. She ordered Yao Bishui to go to the temple and get a thick blanket to cover the old man. Then she said slowly, "To be honest with you, your father is not sick, nor is he possessed by evil spirits. It's time for him to re-enter the cycle of reincarnation. The so-called birth, aging, sickness and death are matters that only gods can manage. How can we mortals interfere?"
"But, aren't you a living immortal? You are not a mortal!" the old man's son said confidently.
"Yes, yes, how could the immortal master have no solution! The immortal master is a living god." He didn't know if there was anyone among the crowd who asked him to help, but he immediately mobilized the believers. Lin Dan could only go up and not go down on this ladder to heaven. Otherwise, if someone spread the news, her prestige would be greatly affected.
But Lin Dan was not nervous at all, and even chuckled. She had already guessed that the person who set up this trap wanted to suppress her and Xuanqing Temple, and the only other temple that had a direct conflict of interest with her and Xuanqing Temple was Hanguang Temple.
The Hanguang Temple, which was once a bustling place, has been deserted in the past month or two. Without the huge offerings from the pilgrims, the monks in the temple have a very difficult time, simply because they have expanded without limit. The original number of 3,000 monks was not enough, and last month they recruited another 700 to 800 people. How much incense money is needed to feed so many mouths?
Lin Dan shook her head, interrupting the man's endless praise. "Reversing life and death is a method used by the immortals. To be honest with you, I do have that ability. But you should also be able to imagine that it is not easy to use this method. It will take me a lifetime of cultivation to refine a furnace of resurrection pills. The road of reincarnation cannot be interfered with by ordinary people. If I agree to your request, I am afraid that even the heavens will send down thunder to punish me for my rebellious behavior. You and your family will also bear the sin and live in poverty for the rest of your life. Life and death have their own destiny, and the way of heaven cannot be violated. My good friend, you can take your father back. When people get old, they should follow the will of heaven. Why ruin the fate of the whole family because of this?"
Lin Dan's words were full of Zen philosophy. The onlookers nodded in agreement and turned to persuade the family.
Prince Jin knew that Lin Dan could solve the current situation, but he was still a little dissatisfied with her words. She shouldn't have boasted that she had the ability to cure the elderly. What if these people refused to give in?
Just as he thought of this, the woman standing behind the man took off the golden hairpin on her head, stabbed it into her heart, and said while spitting blood: "Immortal, I know that fate cannot be violated, but I am willing to exchange my life for my father-in-law's life. Is this okay?"
Half of the woman's body was blocked by the man, so Lin Dan didn't see her pulling out the gold hairpin at all, otherwise she would have stopped her. She never expected that the monks of Hanguang Temple would be so vicious and go straight to destroy her and Xuanqing Temple. Now that someone’s life has been lost, how could she not agree to this request?
Prince Jin stared at the woman lying on the ground, his dark eyes filled with a strong murderous aura.
Lin Dan immediately inserted a few golden needles. He entered the woman's various blood vessels, trying to stop her bleeding. But she was too cruel and he died in the blink of an eye. The man hugged her and cried loudly, and the rest of the family members also gathered around. The crying was so loud that even the old man who had one foot in the underworld was woken up, and two lines of tears fell from his hazy eyes.
This situation can only be described as inhumane. In the blink of an eye, a life was lost. This was not putting Lin Dan in a high position, but forcing her to get into the frying pan!
Lin Dan's face turned completely cold, and he said word by word: "One life for another is probably not enough. To refine the Rejuvenating Pill, I need to find all kinds of natural treasures. Who will bear the cost? These natural treasures include thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum and ginseng, ten-thousand-year-old stalactites, snow lotus that only blooms in the Kunlun Immortal Vein, night-shining pearls that only grow in the endless deep sea, and the horns of a hundred-year-old giant rhinoceros, the skin of a two-headed spirit snake..."
Lin Dan quickly counted a dozen medicinal herbs that only existed in myths and stories, and said coldly: "I can find these natural treasures for you, but can you afford the price?"
The believers who were watching were fascinated by what they heard, and they echoed one after another: "Yes, it is not so easy to make an elixir that can revive the dead! Do you think it is cabbage that you can pick by walking in the field? What's the point of you crying here? Can those treasures fall from the sky?"
The man seemed to have anticipated Lin Dan's trick, and immediately kowtowed and said, "The believer is willing to donate all his wealth and beg the immortal to save his life!"
"How much is your total wealth? Is it enough to buy a night pearl?" Lin Dan asked in a dull tone.
"I don't know if it's enough, but Immortal, can you take a look?" The man hurriedly ordered his son to move out several large boxes in the carriage and spread them out one by one in front of everyone.
Wow, this guy is really rich. He has two boxes of land deeds alone. A rough count shows that he has tens of thousands of acres of land. Some are in the suburbs of Beijing, and some are in several nearby counties. They are all fertile farmland. He also has several shops, real estate, gold, silver, jewelry, antiques and jade. All in all, it's worth millions of taels.
Who would be willing to use millions of taels of property to save a dying old man? Moreover, his wife even committed suicide just to save her father-in-law's life. This family's filial piety is so touching! If God is merciful, he will surely forgive their rebellious behavior!
Faced with the huge amount of money, the believers were dazzled and turned to the man's side, begging Lin Dan to agree. It was a chain of events, and the bait in each link was very heavy. It was simply a massive effort. How could Lin Dan not agree?
"Forget it. This good friend is filial and well versed in Zen. How can I, a person who has attained Zen enlightenment, refuse him? Bishui, ask the servants to carry this old man in." Lin Dan sighed.
The man pretended to be ecstatic, then pretended to hesitate: "If my father can't be cured, these properties..."
"I will naturally return it all to you." Lin Dan said confidently.
Someone in the crowd started to make a noise, "Master, didn't you say you had magical powers and could definitely cure the disease? How could you go back on your word? Not only did this family lose a life, they also gave you all their property. You can't just not show any appreciation, can you? At least make a few promises to reassure them!"
As soon as the man finished speaking, more people started to make a fuss. They once again pulled Lin Dan out of the frying pan and lifted him up into the air.
Lin Dan smiled coldly, nodded and said: "If I fail, I will leave the capital and never come back. Is that okay?" Then he left with his sleeves swung, closed the door, and said across the air: "In half a month, you will come to Nandou Mountain to pick up your father. During this period, no one is allowed to enter the temple to disturb me while I am refining the elixir."
The man pretended to pound on the door anxiously, but in fact he was smiling sinisterly behind everyone's back. Although one of his wives died, he could marry more wives with all the gold, silver and treasures. In the end, he made a fortune. This stupid Taoist priest was fooled by him so easily. The so-called living immortal is just like this!
The other believers discussed Lin Dan's words with great interest. When the enthusiasm subsided, they gradually regained their clarity and began to doubt - is there really an elixir in this world that can revive the dead? This, this is not related to Guhuotai. Is there an explanation for those evil ways of our ancestors? Oh my, Prince Jin also went in just now, right? Will his sad past be brought up and he will start to dislike Lin Xianchang?
The so-called elixir has always been the common Achilles' heel of all the royal families of Daqi. It would be fine if Immortal Lin really had that immortal ability, but if not, Xuanqing Temple would be in trouble!
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