Chapter 50

On the ninth day of the ninth month, the Double Ninth Festival.

At the foot of the mountain, on the ten-mile slope, tens of thousands of chrysanthemums were in full bloom. The mountains were lush and green, and the sky was a clear blue. It seemed as if the world was a brilliant painting, everything so clean and pure.

"Little Taoist goes down the mountain to beg for alms, the old Taoist has warned, the women at the foot of the mountain are tigers, if you meet them, you must avoid them, oh—oh—"

Early in the morning, a song from the twentieth century, altered and mangled, was bellowed out in the green mountains and valleys, startling countless swallows and sparrows that flew up into the sky, their feathers and droppings scattering everywhere... What a scene of "sparrows rising from the green fields"!

Today was the Double Ninth Festival, and there would be a small sacrificial ceremony at the temple to honor heaven and earth, thanking the divine power. Ye Qingxuan was also assigned a task: to go to the nearby Lu Family Village to retrieve several hastily made Taoist robes. His master had been too careless, only realizing just before the ceremony that his ceremonial robe was full of holes eaten by insects. There was no choice but to have them made in a hurry. However, for Ye Qingxuan, who was usually locked away in the mountains, this was a particularly joyful task.

The task was simple: follow the mountain path down, turn left at the fork in the road halfway down, and after about fifty miles, you would reach Lu Family Village. The only tailor in the village, Grandma Lu, was very skilled, and the ordinary Taoist robes for the temple were usually made by her, sturdy and durable. The specially made ceremonial robes were ready for pickup, and he had to return them to the temple by nine o'clock. After delivering the robes, he would be free to do as he pleased. Ye Qingxuan was too young to be involved in the ceremony, so he got up early, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, and eagerly went down the mountain.

In his arms were the order slip and the final payment. After paying the balance, he could hire a porter from the village and return to the mountain. The whole trip would take no more than two hours and was not dangerous.

Qingyang Town had been established for over five hundred years, and even within a few dozen miles of the mountain, it was rare to see a wild boar, let alone the dangerous animals like wolves that had long been exterminated. There were no traces of strange beasts, so although Ye Qingxuan was young, he was not in any danger.

Children in the mountains were used to running around, and they were not afraid of any dangers.

Good news makes one feel refreshed!

It was rare for him to go down the mountain, and Ye Qingxuan hummed a tune, strolling along leisurely.

The result of diligently practicing the "Complete Heart Method" and the "Kunwu Primordial Jade Technique" was that his internal strength was becoming increasingly robust. Even though he was still a young body, after walking for dozens of miles, he did not feel tired at all, but rather more energetic.

Following the mountain path, he leaped a few steps, moving extremely quickly. Ye Qingxuan laughed heartily, feeling that his lightness of body was excellent, and he looked around with a self-satisfied air.

It was a pity he did not know any lightness techniques; otherwise, he would have tried leaping from tree to tree.

Ye Qingxuan's skill points were still in the accumulation stage, and he had not used them to exchange for anything. Currently, he had 68 skill points, one opportunity to exchange for a green-level martial art, and two opportunities each for blue and green-level martial arts.

Everything was progressing smoothly. Although he could not gain more skill points or advance to higher-level martial arts, his confidence grew with his increasing strength.

Not to mention other things, his senses were much sharper than before. He could clearly see the trajectory of a mosquito flying in front of him. Ye Qingxuan had once experimented with using his sword to kill a flying mosquito. At first, it was difficult, but later it became easy, and he could even cut the mosquito's thigh or wing as he wished. His control over his sword was at an incredible level.

With one stroke, he split a fly flying in front of him in half.

The little Taoist Ye Qingxuan proudly sheathed his sword.

Suddenly, a strange sound came from the bushes, and something was running towards him.

Was it a person or an animal? Could it really be a wild beast or a bandit?

Ye Qingxuan, who had never seen real combat, nervously drew his sword.

"Who's there?"

Ye Qingxuan's somewhat immature voice shouted loudly, hoping to boost his courage.

The strange sound from the bushes stopped, but after a moment, it seemed to identify the direction and rushed towards Ye Qingxuan.

Oh no, what is it? Although it was broad daylight, he was alone, and his heart was a bit uneasy.

Ye Qingxuan's legs felt weak, and he deeply regretted his decision to come down the mountain. He was still so young, why did he come down the mountain, putting himself in danger?

"Little Uncle, Little Uncle, it's me..."

Huh?

The great hero, who was about to flee, recognized the familiar voice. It was clearly a person...

Ye Qingxuan looked at the bushes by the roadside, and soon a little Taoist emerged. He had a square face, slightly flushed skin, and a sturdy build...

"Huh? Lu Yundong? Why is it you?"

"Hehe, it's me, Little Uncle. I heard someone singing from far away, and I guessed it was Little Uncle's work..."

"Oh, hehe, good hearing, good ears..." Ye Qingxuan laughed dryly, almost scared to death.

"Eh? Yundong, today is the Double Ninth Festival, why aren't you back at the mountain?"

When Little Uncle asked, Lu Yundong's face turned bitter.

"Little Uncle forgot, my family is from Lu Family Village..."

"Oh, oh, right, right, you're visiting your family?"

"Yes, I came home to visit, but mainly because something happened at home..."

"Something happened at home? What is it?" Ye Qingxuan was startled and a bit worried. The children at the temple had grown up together and always helped each other.

"Our family's Ah Hua is missing..." Lu Yundong's face wrinkled, almost in tears.

"What? Someone is missing? Is Ah Hua your sister?"

"Little Uncle, Ah Hua is not a person..."

"Huh?"

"Ah Hua is our family's water buffalo. My father relies on it to farm and support the family."

"Oh, oh..."

So that's it. As long as no one was in trouble, Ye Qingxuan felt relieved. He had been so engrossed in martial arts lately that he had neglected the things around him.

While chatting with Lu Yundong, they heard a loud voice from a distance: "Second Dongzi, Second Dongzi, you little brat, where did you run off to? I told you to help find the buffalo, and now you've disappeared again... Second Dongzi, Second Dongzi..."

"Dad, I'm here—"

The tall grass shook, and a man, cursing, walked over.

"You little brat, I told you to help find the buffalo, what are you doing here? If the buffalo is lost, we can't farm, and our whole family will starve. Your brother, your sister, and your younger brother will all starve. You ungrateful little brat, I sent you to the mountain to have a better life, but now you're lazy. If your whole family starves, you won't help at all, you little brat..."

Soon, a muddy farmer emerged from the grass, holding a hoe handle, his face full of anger. It looked like Yundong's bottom was about to be beaten.

"May you have boundless blessings, Mr. Lu—"

Chanting a Taoist greeting, the little Taoist Ye Qingxuan respectfully bowed to Lu Yundong's father.

"Hey, hey, what's this, a little immortal?"

Lu Laocheng, who had rushed over, did not expect to find someone else here. Looking at the little Taoist, he saw a face like jade, a light and graceful figure, and a remarkable appearance, with a sword on his back, just like the fairy child described by the storytellers in the city. At first glance, he knew this was no ordinary person. Especially those clear, bright eyes, pure and clean, without a trace of impurity, made people feel refreshed just by looking at them.

In Taoist practice, there is a special technique called "Demon-Detecting Eyes." The practitioner must have a pure heart, free from attachments, and the ability to see through people's hearts. When used on someone unprepared, if the person has something to hide, they will instinctively avoid eye contact. This technique is very subtle, and even if the person is highly skilled in martial arts, they will reveal their true nature.

Ye Qingxuan had read about this technique in a Taoist scripture and had practiced it for fun. Later, he realized that there were no such supernatural techniques in the world, only martial arts and internal strength, so he focused on exploring the martial arts of this world. Eventually, he developed a sense of qi and learned many martial arts, and the original Taoist techniques for exorcising demons were considered superstitious and discarded.

Although the technique was false, its foundation was rooted in martial arts, so while "Demon-Detecting Eyes" did not help Ye Qingxuan see any demons, it did improve his eyesight, making his eyes even brighter and clearer, like water.

Although Ye Qingxuan's Taoist cultivation was not deep, he had a naturally pure heart. As the Zen saying goes: "The Bodhi tree is not a tree, the bright mirror is not a stand, originally there is nothing, where can dust arise?" Ye Qingxuan had lived a lifetime and had a naturally carefree and easy-going personality, essentially a carefree and lighthearted character. With such a heart, how could it be tainted? This aligned with the Taoist principle of "following the natural way," and his eyes were exceptionally clear and pure.

Lu Laocheng, a simple farmer, was always preoccupied with survival, with many worries and a perpetually furrowed brow. He had never seen such a transcendent figure, and he was momentarily captivated, too intimidated to look closely.

Lu Laocheng was now very anxious. He had sent his son to the temple to ensure his survival, and he was not sure if the little Taoist had heard his words. If the little Taoist was angry and told the temple, and the temple refused to take his son, what would he do?

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