Daoist Competition

As the boat docked, the young scholar bowed to Zhang Yan and loudly said, "This Daoist, are you looking for a ferry? Why not travel together with me on my boat?"

Earlier, Zhang Yan had cast another divination upon the river, determining that the cause and consequence lay with this couple. Thus, he did not refuse and smiled as he nodded, his robe sleeve briefly sweeping. Without any visible movement, he was already standing on the boat. Following closely behind was Zhang Pan, who maintained his position firmly at Zhang Yan's rear.

The young scholar initially saw Zhang Yan and the Daoist boy still dozens of feet away, but suddenly, in the blink of an eye, they appeared right before him. Shocked inwardly, he thought, "My wife was right; this Daoist does seem to possess some Daoist cultivation."

In this world, any Daoist from the Great Daoist Institute was likely to know a bit of talisman chanting or demon-banishing spellcraft. He had also heard his wife mention this before, so he wasn't overly surprised. Bowing again, he said, "I am Chen Jishi. May I ask how I should address the Daoist?"

Zhang Yan inclined his head and replied, "My surname is Zhang."

Chen Jishi flatly added, "So you are Zhang Daoist."

He was not particularly talkative and, naturally, disliked Taoists. After just a few sentences, he fell into silence.

His wife, seeing this, shook her head, ordered her maid to lift the curtain of the boat, stepped out, and made a respectful bow to Zhang Yan. "Madam greets Zhang Daoist. May I ask, is the Daoist traveling for cultivation or merely wandering?"

She was not from a common background and cared little for mundane courtesies. When Chen Jishi saw her emerge, his face held a helpless expression as he introduced her to Zhang Yan, "This is my wife."

Zhang Yan glanced at Mrs. Chen a few moments and noticed her divine qi full, her gaze sharp, her voice crisp. Judging from her aura, he could tell she had practiced some qi training. Additionally, her belly seemed faintly rounded, indicating potential pregnancy. Understanding this clearly, he replied, "Within the mountain lies a Daoist Temple called Baofeng Temple. There is a Daoist there with whom I share some ties. I am traveling to visit."

Mrs. Chen's eyes lit up. "What a coincidence! My uncle once cultivated at Baofeng Temple. I wonder if Zhang Daoist recognizes which master you refer to? Perhaps I might know them too."

Zhang Yan looked at her and said, "This person's secular name is Lu Tianying. Does Mrs. Chen happen to know them?"

Mrs. Chen furrowed her brows in thought before suddenly exclaiming, "Are you referring to Master Lu, Lu the Immortal Master of Baofeng Temple?"

Zhang Yan nodded with a smile. "If the name matches, then it should indeed be him."

Mrs. Chen hesitated for a moment before saying, "To my knowledge, Lu the Immortal Master turned two hundred years old several decades ago and has not descended from the mountain for over fifty years. May I ask how Zhang Daoist addresses this venerable immortal?"

Zhang Yan replied with a subtle smile, "When we meet, if he calls me 'Junior Brother,' that would be giving me an advantage."

Standing nearby, the maid Qiao'er heard this and couldn't help but let out a giggle.

Chen Jishi looked displeased and scolded, "Qiao'er, what's so funny?"

However, Qiao'er, unfazed, pouted and responded, "This Daoist isn't even twenty years old yet, but he claims to be a junior brother to a two-hundred-year-old elder and says the elder is the one taking advantage. Master doesn't find it funny, but I certainly do."

Chen Jishi also found this claim inexplicable but felt the affairs of Daoists were filled with mysticism he could not comprehend. Thus, he simply shook his head and kept quiet.

On the other hand, Mrs. Chen dared not underestimate Zhang Yan. As a child living near Baofeng Mountain with her uncle, she had seen many extraordinary individuals. She scolded, "Qiao'er, do not speak nonsense. Zhang Daoist's background is beyond your reckoning!"

Qiao'er was indignant but only muttered to herself and dared not rebut openly.

Although Mrs. Chen found Zhang Yan's words hard to believe, she discerned that he was far from being comparable to those fraudulent Taoists. She was about to make amends when she suddenly saw a colorful boat approaching on the river's surface. From hundreds of yards away, faint sounds of flute and jade plate music could be heard. Her face instantly turned pale.

Chen Jishi, seeing this, exclaimed in alarm, "This is bad! That's Ma Daoist. How does he know we planned to pass through here today? This is terrible; simply terrible!"

After speaking, he stomped his feet repeatedly in panic.

The maid Qiao'er saw this and also displayed a frightened expression, trembling uncontrollably.

Mrs. Chen remained silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "There's no escaping today. Regrettably, my unborn child is yet to see the world and now must accompany its mother to the Netherworld together."

She turned back to Zhang Yan, made an apologetic bow, and said, "It pains me greatly to have dragged Zhang Daoist into this. My deepest apologies."

Zhang Yan's expression remained unperturbed as he asked, "Mrs. Chen, who is this Ma Daoist?"

Mrs. Chen sighed and explained, "Years ago, Ma Daoist learned dharma transmission from alien people, mastering sinister and lethal spells that harm others. Twenty years ago, my uncle disapproved of his actions and confronted him in a fight. Ultimately, he injured Ma Daoist with a sword. Out of compassion for his years of cultivation, my uncle spared his life, taking one magic artifact from him as punishment and hoping he would reform. For years, he remained quiet, but recently, after hearing of my uncle's passing, he came seeking revenge. I had hoped to avoid him; alas…"

She shook her head, clearly having lost all hope.

On the colorful boat sat an elderly Taoist with white hair and beard, his appearance somewhat sublime but with fierce and shifty eyes. His servant beside him rolled up his sleeves and cursed, "That wretched woman still dreams of escape? Doesn't she know our ancestor has divine skills? With but a pinch of the fingers, he can calculate her movements!"

The old Daoist, who had kept his eyes closed the entire time, suddenly opened them and said, "Years ago, that Old Ghost Cheng struck me with his sword and seized my sect's handed-down 'Soul-gathering Bell.' Now that he's dead, the artifact must be in the possession of his niece. There's no way I'll let her off!"

He glanced at the sky, seeing that the sunset had fallen beyond the mountain ridge. He chuckled coldly, "It's time to act."

The servant was quick-witted and immediately brought out an incense burner, respectfully placing it on the altar.

The old Daoist coughed lightly, stood up, placed three sticks of incense into the burner, took out a stack of talisman paper, arranged them on the altar, and drew his dharma sword. He stepped mysterious steps, muttering incantations under his breath. Finally, he pointed the sword forward, unleashing a surge of black gas soaring into the sky, transforming into the head of a ferocious ghost that flew directly toward the boat.

The maid Qiao'er screamed loudly at the sight, and the ship owner was stunned in terror.

Chen Jishi, being just a scholar, had never seen such a fearsome ghost before. Terrified, his legs trembled uncontrollably, and he nearly fell off the boat if not for clinging to the railing.

…

…(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation votes or monthly tickets. Your support is the greatest motivation for me.)