Chapter 10

After a long day, Rosene, though she had been riding a horse, was still quite exhausted. After Jia Kedao gave her a Clear Water Talisman to drink, she lay down by the campfire and began to doze off.

Seeing that Rosene was about to fall asleep, Jia Kedao gave her a gentle instruction not to disturb him, then sat cross-legged on a piece of raw stone. He formed the Three Purities Seal with his hands, closed his eyes slightly, and began to murmur scriptures.

Since Jia Kedao was old enough to understand, the old abbot had taken him to recite morning and evening prayers every day, rain or shine. Over the years, Jia Kedao had become completely accustomed to it.

Therefore, even in the wild, Jia Kedao was unwilling to neglect his daily routine.

Of course, this place was not a Taoist temple, and the conditions were extremely rudimentary. He could only recite scriptures, and the usual incense burning and offerings were not possible.

Seeing Jia Kedao sit in a strange posture, Rosene felt a bit odd. However, due to her weak and exhausted state, she soon fell into a deep sleep.

After Rosene fell asleep, the *Tao Te Ching* that Jia Kedao had tucked into his chest began to emit a faint green light, slowly enveloping Jia Kedao from his chest.

At that moment, the gray-turbaned warrior who had been floating a short distance behind Jia Kedao trembled upon seeing the green light. He immediately landed, prostrated himself with his hands on the ground, and did not dare to move an inch.

When the green light touched the gray-turbaned warrior, his originally expressionless face suddenly contorted as if immersed in sulfuric acid. His hollow eyes struggled, and wisps of black gas began to emerge from his body, being dissolved and dissipated by the green light.

After more than an hour, Jia Kedao slowly opened his eyes.

After reciting several scriptures, including the *Treatise on Purity and Tranquility* and the *Treatise on Ascension and Disaster Relief*, Jia Kedao felt as if the layer of dust that had been covering his spirit since he arrived in this world had been wiped away. He felt refreshed and invigorated, and even his cultivation, which had not progressed for a long time on Earth, had improved.

This made Jia Kedao feel a surge of joy. He sighed softly, "A loss may turn out to be a gain," as the ancients said, and they were not wrong.

At that moment, Jia Kedao felt as if he had become one with his surroundings, embodying the essence of the Tao.

Looking at the gray-turbaned warrior behind him, Jia Kedao had a moment of enlightenment. It seemed that the *Tao Te Ching* passed down by the old abbot was indeed a treasure, capable of purging the malevolent aura from the gray-turbaned warrior. If this continued, it wouldn't take long for the gray-turbaned warrior to completely rid himself of the malevolent aura.

With this thought, Jia Kedao stood up and walked a few steps by the stream. He reached into the mud and pulled out a piece of wood.

This was a piece of yin wood, also known as black wood, which had been submerged in the stream for who knows how long. Perhaps one day it had been washed to the shore by the overflowing stream.

Jia Kedao rinsed the wood in the stream, washing off the mud and revealing its true form, which was entirely black.

After looking at it for a while, Jia Kedao couldn't identify the type of tree it came from, thinking it must be a species that didn't exist on Earth.

The piece of yin wood was not large, only about the size of a palm. Compared to the giant yin wood pieces that could sell for millions, this was just a small piece. Even if it were made into jewelry, it would only be worth a few hundred.

It seemed that this place was full of treasures. Jia Kedao couldn't help but feel delighted as he brought the yin wood back to the campfire, took out a carving knife, and began to carve by the dim light of the fire, sitting cross-legged on the ground.

Carving was also a skill passed down from the old abbot. It was said that the first abbot, when building the Laojun Temple, had no skilled carvers in the mountains, so he had to learn on his own. Since then, all the statues in the Laojun Temple were carved by the successive abbots, and the skill had been passed down to Jia Kedao. Although his skills might not surpass those of the old abbot, they were certainly outstanding enough to earn a monthly salary of tens of thousands in a big city.

Of course, for the Taoist priests of the Laojun Temple, carving was not just a way to save money; it was also a means of cultivating the body and mind.

However, Jia Kedao had used this skill to solve some of his food problems, trading statues for chickens and ducks when he couldn't resist the temptation.

Taking a deep breath, Jia Kedao made the first cut. The extremely hard yin wood seemed to yield like tofu, and as time passed, wood chips flew, gradually forming the rough shape of a statue.

Jia Kedao focused all his energy on the carving knife, and after each cut, he needed to rest for a moment.

By the time the sky was dim, the head and upper body of the warrior statue were already complete. The parts that had been carved were identical to the gray-turbaned warrior, perfectly detailed and accurate.

Just as Jia Kedao was about to continue carving the remaining parts, Rosene, who had been asleep all night, woke up.

"What are you carving? Can I see it?" Rosene asked curiously, her voice slightly playful.

Jia Kedao, disturbed by this, lost the state of oneness with his surroundings and sighed lightly. It seemed he wouldn't be able to complete the statue today.

Jia Kedao put the statue in his backpack and gave Rosene a stern look. Rosene felt a tremor in her heart and involuntarily closed her mouth, not daring to speak. At that moment, Jia Kedao seemed like a dormant volcano, more intimidating than even the great swordsman Sam in Lion City.

"Let's go. We still have a long way to travel today," Jia Kedao said, retrieving the reins from the tree.

After being treated with several Clear Water Talismans, Rosene's injuries had improved, and the journey was much faster.

As dusk approached, a vast expanse of wheat fields appeared in the distance.

Rosene's face lit up with joy. "We're approaching Lion City."

Jia Kedao also felt a sense of relief. After two days of travel, he was quite tired. Life in the wild was far from the comfort of the Taoist temple.

Tonight, he could finally have a good meal. Thinking of this, Jia Kedao's mouth began to water. Without salt or seasoning, even fish wings had no flavor.

Moreover, the grilled fish had a strong fishy smell. If he weren't so hungry, Jia Kedao would never have touched it.

After a short while, a hawk flew overhead, let out a loud cry, and quickly flew away.

Rosene, however, smiled with joy. "Lord Mingyang, someone will be coming to greet us soon."

Jia Kedao nodded without speaking, but he understood that the hawk was likely used by Lion City to patrol the area.

Sure enough, not long after, a group of more than ten cavalrymen galloped down the road.