Chapter 1

Zhang Xiaoyi opened his eyes and found himself holding a Daoist scripture, sitting cross-legged on a mat.

He must have fallen asleep again...

The atmosphere was great last night, and he had heard that the female Daoist nuns on Mount Emei could fly on their swords over the city of Hangzhou. Zhang Xiaoyi had brought a stool and sat in the courtyard all night waiting.

He cautiously looked up at the Three Pure Ones, who were looking down at him with their eyes half-closed, their expressions stern and not very happy.

Zhang Xiaoyi felt that he had dozed off during the morning service, which had made the Three Pure Ones angry. He hurriedly bowed three times.

"Great Ancestors, please don't be angry, don't be upset. Your disciple knows his sins are deep, and I am willing to stand as punishment. Please forgive me."

"Oh!" Zhang Xiaoyi stood up with his head lowered, placed the scripture on the altar, and turned to look. It turned out that the long-burning candle on the left was almost out.

He took a new candle from under the altar and replaced the one on the left stand.

After replacing it, Zhang Xiaoyi looked at the three Daoist ancestors painted on the wall. They now looked much more amiable. Although their brows were still lowered, they seemed to be drowsy.

"Ah!"

Zhang Xiaoyi sighed. It seemed that the Daoist ancestors didn't really care whether he was serious about the morning service. As long as the incense didn't go out, in their eyes, he was still an excellent disciple.

Zhang Xiaoyi picked up the scripture. It was the *Taiping Jing*, which he recited every morning. He had been reading it for half a month but hadn't even finished half of it.

It wasn't that Zhang Xiaoyi couldn't read; it was just that reciting the scripture was really soporific. He would feel drowsy after just a few lines, unable to resist.

However, he hadn't slept for long today. He had gotten up at the first hour of the morning to do the morning service, and it wasn't even the third hour yet.

He pushed open the door and rushed to the front hall. The front hall only had a statue of the True Martial Deity, with no other deities.

Zhang Xiaoyi picked up the donation box in front of the True Martial Deity, opened the big lock at the back, and poured out the copper coins.

He first offered three incense sticks and bowed three times, saying, "Deity, are you awake? If you are, please take a look. This is the income from our temple last month. Let's count it together."

Then, under the stern gaze of the True Martial Deity, Zhang Xiaoyi began to count the copper coins.

The image of the True Martial Deity was different from that of the Three Pure Ones, who were painted in the back courtyard meditation room. The Three Pure Ones were always calm and indifferent, receiving three incense sticks a day and not caring whether the morning service was recited.

The clay statue of the True Martial Deity, on the other hand, had wide-open eyes, a hand on a sword, a snake coiled around his waist, and his feet on a turtle. His six eyes watched the donation box all day, fearing that Zhang Xiaoyi would embezzle his money.

Under the watchful eye of the True Martial Deity, Zhang Xiaoyi counted the coins twice and then divided them into two portions. He took out a yellow paper and lit it on the candle, saying:

"Great Deity, it's time to pay the salary again. In April, the True Martial Temple in the north of Hangzhou received 3,218 copper coins in offerings. Your disciple, Zhang Xiaoyi, will take 1,500 copper coins for daily expenses, and the remaining 1,718 copper coins will be used for the Deity's offerings and to buy incense and candles.

On the third day of last month, the wealthy businessman Mr. Chen fulfilled his vow and donated 300 taels of silver. Your disciple has saved it, and once it reaches 1,000 taels, I will重塑金身重塑金身 for the Deity.

On the seventh day of last month, your disciple helped the Li family in the south of the city catch a ghost and earned 10 taels of silver, which is my personal income.

On the first day of the fifth month of the Xin Chou year, at the first hour of the morning, your disciple, Zhang Xiaoyi, burns the paper and reports to the Great Deity of the North, the True Martial Deity, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True Deity of the North, the Supreme Deity of the North, the True De