Chapter 5

The news that the evil spirit on the eldest son's body had been exorcised by a high-ranking person and that he was going to become a Taoist monk spread throughout the entire Shen family, causing a stir among everyone from top to bottom.

From the head of the household, "Second Lady," to the lowest-ranking servants, everyone's expressions were filled with excitement.

Not long after, even more than half of Chunhua County was buzzing with the news.

Everyone knew that the "sickly young master" of the well-known wealthy Shen family was going to become a Taoist monk instead of being a fine young master.

...

Half a month later, outside Chunhua County, in a desolate, nameless small mountain.

Shen Luo, dressed in a green robe, with a small bundle on his back, stood in a pavilion, his face rosy, constantly looking around as if waiting for something.

In the center of a moss-covered stone table in the pavilion, there was a palm-sized triangular plaque embedded, black and seemingly made of fine iron, which was now emitting a faint white light, looking quite mysterious.

"Are you the junior brother Shen that Master spoke of?" A deep male voice suddenly came from behind Shen Luo, making him startle and quickly turn around.

He saw that a burly young Taoist had appeared in the pavilion, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, smiling at Shen Luo.

"I am indeed Shen Luo. Sir, are you..." Shen Luo clasped his hands and asked cautiously.

"I am also a disciple of Master Luo, named Tian Tiesheng. Master Luo sent me to bring you to the temple." The young Taoist scratched his head and said in a simple manner.

"Senior Brother Tian, then." Shen Luo clasped his hands again.

"You can just call me Tiesheng. Although I wear a Taoist robe, I am not a real Taoist either, just like you. The others in the temple are the same." Tian Tiesheng replied, while casually slapping the stone table with one hand.

There was a "thud."

The stone table trembled slightly, and the iron plaque in the center immediately jumped out, landing steadily in his hand.

Then, Shen Luo followed the young Taoist out of the pavilion, walking along a secluded path into the distance.

"Senior Brother Tiesheng, the move you just made on the stone table was amazing. It seemed like your palm grew larger. What kind of technique is that? Is it very powerful?"

"Hehe, that's the Qingyang Hand. It's a type of external technique, and most of the disciples in the temple have practiced it. It's said that if you reach a high level, you can be impervious to blades and cut through metal and jade."

"That's so powerful. From what you say, there are many people in the temple, right?"

"Not too many. Including both inner and outer disciples, there are about a hundred or so, plus some uncles and aunts."

"Inner and outer disciples? What are those? Am I, as a registered disciple, considered an inner or outer disciple? You must be an inner disciple, right?"

"I am still an outer disciple. To become an inner disciple is not that simple. There are only three spots in the temple, and I have been just a little short several times... Actually, most of the people in the temple are outer disciples. Registered disciples like you are not many. Currently, it seems there is only you, Junior Brother Shen, in the temple. Also, I should tell you that there is a granduncle in the temple who is always in seclusion, said to have lived for several hundred years."

"One person..."

"Junior Brother Shen, why aren't you speaking? For some reason, I feel a strong connection with you. I want to share everything with you, and I believe we will get along well in the future." Tian Tiesheng's rough voice echoed in the small mountain.

"I..."

...

Two years later.

On a grayish-white stone, a young man who looked to be in his twenties sat cross-legged, facing the rising red sun, his eyes slightly closed, his hands in a hugging position, his body motionless.

After an unknown amount of time, a faint red thread began to appear between his hands, initially only an inch long, gradually growing to an inch and a half, two inches, two and a half inches, and finally reaching three inches before it could no longer grow, instead flickering and showing signs of dispersing.

The young man suddenly took a deep breath, and the red thread in his hands turned into a red mist, directly entering his mouth and nose. He then lowered his arms, opened his eyes, and a bright red light flashed across his face.

"I guess this counts as entering the gate." The young man muttered to himself, feeling the warm changes in his body, a smile of joy appearing on his face.

The young man was, of course, Shen Luo.

"Clap." "Clap."

"Truly, Junior Brother Shen, everyone bet that you wouldn't be able to master the 'Little Yang Transformation Technique' within three years, but I believed in your diligence. You didn't disappoint me."

A young man in a blue robe, with a clean face and a beautiful white jade cicada pendant around his waist, suddenly walked out from behind the stone, clapping his hands and smiling at Shen Luo.

"White Xiaotian, what are you doing here? You bet on me again with others?" Seeing the young man in the blue robe, Shen Luo felt his head grow a few sizes.

"It's not really a bet. I just won a bit of money, which is far from what you, the big tycoon, can compare to." White Xiaotian, shaking his head and nodding, said with a fan-like gesture, seemingly missing only a folding fan in his hand.

Shen Luo couldn't help but roll his eyes at this.

Others might not know, but he did. If you were to ask who among the hundreds of disciples in the Chunqiu Temple was the richest, he, as a registered disciple, could only rank in the top three. The first place was likely this White Xiaotian, who entered the temple almost at the same time as him. Without even mentioning other things, just the pendant hanging from his waist was a rare item worth a hundred gold pieces.

These complaints in his heart were not something he could openly say, so Shen Luo didn't dwell on it.

"Since I helped you win the money, you can at least split it with me and treat me to a good meal, right?" He raised an eyebrow and smiled at White Xiaotian.

"That's not a problem, but the food in the temple is really hard to swallow. If you want a good meal, you have to go down the mountain, and the gatekeeper is not easy to deal with..." White Xiaotian looked troubled and hesitated.

"Don't pretend with me. When you sneak down the mountain to buy alcohol, you never say it's hard to go out." Shen Luo saw through White Xiaotian's lie.

"The gatekeeper, Niu Daren, is really ruthless. Every time he demands half of my stock before letting me back in. Fortunately, I found a secret path in the back mountain, so I can go out without passing through the gate. Hehe, I'll take you there one day..." White Xiaotian was initially indignant but soon laughed.

"Only you, as an inner disciple, can get away with sneaking out of the temple. If I, a registered disciple, did that, I would surely be in trouble." Shen Luo waved his hands.

Others might come to the Chunqiu Temple to learn Daoism and martial arts, but he was different. He came here to prolong his life, so he couldn't take risks.

"I have a favor to ask. Since you're going to town, could you please run to the pharmacy and the paper shop to get some cinnabar and yellow paper for me?" Shen Luo remembered something and caught up, speaking seriously.

"You want to make talismans? Master Luo taught you?" White Xiaotian asked, somewhat surprised.

(All fellow Daoists, the new book has just been uploaded. Please support with your recommendations! ^^)

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