Chapter 1

The green mountains were shrouded in mist, a serene and tranquil scene.

A layer of mist enveloped the mountain peaks, the morning sunlight piercing through the fog, and the clear chirping of birds echoed through the forest, creating a peaceful atmosphere in the mountains.

It was early summer in June, and a chill still lingered in the air. Lu Fan looked at the dilapidated small Taoist temple and sighed helplessly, "Master, I can't shoulder the responsibility of reviving this temple."

Three years ago, he suddenly found himself transported to this world, wandering in these mountains for a day, nearly starving to death. Fortunately, he encountered an old Taoist priest who was out gathering herbs, his master, Xuan Cheng.

The homeless Lu Fan was then taken back to the temple by the old Taoist and taken in as a disciple. The small temple, in reality, consisted of only three mud-brick rooms: a main hall, and two rooms for their living quarters and storage, which were extremely simple.

The temple's income was pitifully low, relying solely on the old Taoist performing rituals to make ends meet. Not long ago, the old Taoist passed away, and before his death, he entrusted Lu Fan with the task of reviving the temple. However, Lu Fan, a former shut-in and slacker, had no idea how to accomplish this. The temple's finances were already meager, and most of the money was spent on the old Taoist's funeral, leaving the temple on the brink of destitution.

"Beep, the sign-in lottery system has been loaded!"

At that moment, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

"Sign-in lottery system?" Lu Fan was slightly taken aback by the voice in his head but quickly realized what it meant.

The golden finger, the essential golden finger for a穿越者 (穿越者 means "穿越者" in Chinese, which can be translated as "穿越者" in English, but in this context, it means "transmigrator" or "穿越者")! After three years, the golden finger has finally arrived! Do you know how I've been living for the past three years?

"Would you like to sign in?"

"Sign in!" Lu Fan answered without hesitation.

"Sign-in successful, you have received a beginner's gift pack, please check it!"

"Beep! Congratulations, host, you have obtained the Seventy-Two Earthly Techniques: Talisman Water; Congratulations, host, you have obtained ten years of Daoist cultivation."

As the voice faded, Lu Fan felt a warm and wondrous sensation in his body. This energy was similar to the qi he had cultivated with the old Taoist, but it was hundreds of times stronger. After circulating through his body several times, it finally converged in his dantian.

At the same time, a wealth of knowledge about drawing talismans appeared in his mind. The previously obscure and difficult-to-understand talismans became as clear as the lines on his palm, as if he had been born knowing them.

Lu Fan picked up the talisman brush used by the old Taoist, and his expression changed. The moment he held the brush, a sense of connection, as if it were part of his body, suddenly emerged.

With the brush in hand, he felt an urge to try. He dipped the brush in the inkstone and, guided by his heart, began to draw on a piece of talisman paper. The brush moved swiftly, and a line of cinnabar ink quickly appeared on the paper. The brush strokes were fluid and graceful, and the talisman was completed in a few breaths, a seamless process from start to finish.

As the final stroke was made, a peculiar energy suddenly appeared and instantly merged into the talisman paper, a flash of golden light visible on the paper.

Putting down the brush, Lu Fan picked up the newly drawn talisman. The talisman was clearly visible, and a warm energy emanated from it. It was the Evil-Exorcising Talisman he had learned from the old Taoist. He could feel that this talisman was much more powerful than those drawn by the old Taoist, and even more so than the ones he had drawn before.

The old Taoist's talismans, though good, required a lot of energy to draw, and he needed to rest before continuing. However, Lu Fan felt no fatigue after drawing a talisman.

Taoists have two ways to draw talismans: one is to draw them by channeling the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and the other is to draw them by invoking the power of the ancestors or deities. The Qingyun Temple was a small temple with a limited lineage, no ancestral protection, and no connection to deities, so they could only rely on their own cultivation to channel the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Seeing the talisman, Lu Fan's face lit up with joy. After living in this world for three years, he knew that this world, which seemed similar to ancient China, was not as simple as it appeared.

He had never seen deities or ghosts, but he had encountered a few wandering spirits while assisting the old Taoist in rituals. Initially, Lu Fan was worried about how to survive in this world, but now he was excited, finally having the means to survive in a world filled with demons and monsters.

Feeling the warm energy in his body, the ten years of cultivation and power continuously circulating, he realized that his three years of practicing the Qingyun Scripture through breathing exercises had not even reached a tenth of this. He even felt that these ten years of cultivation and power were on par with his master Xuan Cheng's decades of accumulation. It seemed that the Qingyun Scripture was difficult to cultivate, or he had not been practicing correctly, leading to many detours.

Full of hope, Lu Fan began to examine the system that had finally arrived after three years.

"Host: Lu Fan"

"Abilities: Talisman Water"

"Cultivation Method: Qingyun Scripture (Ten Years)"

"Virtue: None"

"Magic Treasures: None"

"Lottery Chances: None"

"The host can sign in once daily, and after signing in at the end of each month, there will be a lottery event with a wide range of prizes, including cultivation methods, abilities, elixirs, magic treasures, and daily necessities."

"Lottery chances can be exchanged for virtue points, with ten virtue points required for one lottery chance. The host must explore ways to obtain virtue points."

"Signing in at a new city or region can increase the chances of obtaining high-level items!"

"It seems I need to travel more in the future," Lu Fan said as he closed the system interface.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Just as Lu Fan finished checking the system, a series of urgent knocks sounded at the door.

"Daoist Xuan Cheng, Daoist Xuan Cheng, are you there?"

"Coming, coming!" Lu Fan got up and opened the door, seeing an old man outside. "Old sir, what brings you here?"

"Is Daoist Xuan Cheng here? Quickly, quickly, my master has invited him to come down the mountain!" the old man said urgently.

"Old sir, you're too late. My master ascended to heaven a month ago," Lu Fan said, shaking his head.

"Ascended to heaven? This... what are we to do..." Hearing that Daoist Xuan Cheng had ascended, the old man's face changed, and he looked anxious, pacing like an ant on a hot pan.

"Old sir, don't worry. Where are you from? What do you need my master for? I can do what my master could, so tell me what's going on, and maybe I can help," Lu Fan said.

"Are you Daoist Xuan Cheng's disciple?" the old man asked.

Lu Fan nodded.

"Can you exorcise ghosts?" the old man asked again.

"Of course."

"Then that's settled. My master has invited Daoist Xuan Cheng to exorcise a ghost!" The old man grabbed Lu Fan and tried to pull him out.

"Wait, old sir, don't rush. Even for exorcising a ghost, I need to bring my tools!" Lu Fan quickly stopped him, and he also needed to know the strength of the ghost. If it was too powerful, he might not be able to handle it, and he hadn't even discussed the payment yet.

"Right, then please prepare quickly, Daoist," the old man said, letting go of Lu Fan.

"Old sir, what strange things have been happening at your home?" Lu Fan asked as he packed his things.

"Daoist, you must keep this a secret..."

"Old sir, rest assured, I won't tell anyone."

The old man hesitated for a moment: "It seems that my young master has been haunted by a female ghost. This must not be made public, so please don't spread the word, Daoist."

The old man then explained the situation. He was the steward of the Wang family in Muyang County, a prominent family with a history of producing high-ranking officials and owning vast tracts of land. The incident involved their young master, who had been haunted by a female ghost since returning from a trip half a month ago. They had noticed something was wrong with the young master and had sent someone to invite Daoist Xuan Cheng down the mountain.

Lu Fan nodded, understanding the situation. Being haunted by a female ghost was not particularly dangerous; a powerful female ghost would have acted directly rather than playing games.

With a decision made, he quickly packed his belongings, bringing talisman paper, cinnabar, a peachwood sword, and an old Taoist robe.

After preparing, Lu Fan lit three incense sticks.

"Three Pure Ones above, ancestors, protect me. I am going down the mountain to accumulate virtue, may everything go smoothly."

After lighting the incense, Lu Fan sealed the temple, shouldered his bag, and followed the old man down the mountain.