socalfunplaces Chapter 58 Grandpa, don't you remember me?
Chapter 58 Grandpa, don't you remember me?
Chapter 58 Grandpa, don't you remember me?
Longhu Mountain, Celestial Master's Mansion.
As the ancestral home of the Zhengyi School of Taoism, this place has a history of thousands of years and is recognized as one of the top forces in the world of supernatural beings.
The mountain is majestic, with ancient trees reaching for the sky. The Taoist temples and halls are built against the mountain, creating a solemn atmosphere.
On ordinary days, it is a sacred place for spiritual cultivation and enlightenment, and a place of faith for countless pilgrims.
However, when Zhang Chulan, Xu San, Lu Xiaobai and their group arrived at the mountain gate, the scene before them was completely different from the "paradise on earth" they had imagined.
The front of Longhu Mountain is practically a bustling commercial street!
Pedestrians came in an endless stream, shoulder to shoulder.
The roadside was crowded with all sorts of stalls: selling so-called "blessed" amulets, souvenirs and "specialties" of Longhu Mountain, incense and paper money, snacks and drinks —
The sounds of hawking and bargaining filled the air.
Zhang Chulan's lips twitched slightly as he looked at the eye-catching sign at the ticket booth that read "Tickets 270 yuan".
This is hardly reconcilable with the mysterious and transcendent holy land of otherworldly beings in his mind.
Don't be surprised.
As Xu San followed the crowd up the mountain, he explained to Zhang Chulan, "Most of Longhu Mountain is not directly under the jurisdiction of the Celestial Master's Mansion. The real place for the Celestial Master's Mansion and the Taoist priests to cultivate is in the back mountain area."
"This front mountain is the tourism bureau's territory; that's how commercial development is done."
"Heh," Zhang Chulan chuckled wryly, "Then where in this world is there any place the tourism bureau hasn't gotten its share of 'benefits'?"
"There aren't many left, are there?"
At that moment, a slightly languid voice came from the side: "Our Wudang Mountain is much worse off than this."
.
Zhang Chulan was taken aback and looked in the direction of the sound.
A young man dressed in a simple dark blue Taoist robe was walking slowly beside them.
The man looked young, with messy hair and a detached, worldly-wise look in his eyes, as well as a sleepy, half-asleep quality.
What's most noticeable is his heavy dark circles under his eyes, as if he'd been staying up for several nights in a row.
Xu San and Lu Xiaobai also looked over.
As for the Minister of Intelligence, he was attracted by the bustling tourist street and insisted on dragging Xu Si and the Minister of Magic to play there, falling behind and saying that he would catch up in a while.
"My name is Wang Ye, from Wudang Mountain."
The Taoist priest with dark circles under his eyes smiled at Zhang Chulan and took the initiative to speak, "How should I address you, benefactor?"
"Ah, haha,"
Zhang Chulan quickly replied with a smile, "My name is Zhang Chulan. Daoist Master, are you also here to participate in that... conference?"
He took the opportunity to strike up a conversation with Wang Ye, inquiring about the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony and the Old Celestial Master.
The two chatted animatedly, exchanging a few words here and there.
"I want it! I want it! Old monk, I want it!"
Suddenly, Feng Baobao, who was at the back of the group, shouted loudly, attracting the attention of the surrounding tourists.
Zhang Chulan and the others were also completely bewildered.
In front of a roadside stall stood an old man dressed in a strange and mismatched manner. He was wearing a wrinkled Taoist robe, but around his neck hung a large string of shiny Buddhist beads!
He was spitting as he hawked his wares in an extremely exaggerated tone: "Take a look! A bracelet formed from the essence of a ten-thousand-year-old fire qilin, a treasure of heaven and earth!"
"Not 99,000, not 8,800, only 9,980! 9,980! You won't regret it! Don't hesitate, take it home now for good luck!"
Feng Baobao's eyes lit up as she pointed at the cheap-looking plastic bead bracelet and reached for her wallet: "Fire Qilin! I want the Fire Qilin!"
"Holy crap!" Xu San's face turned green, and he rushed forward to grab Feng Baobao.
"Baby! It's fake! It's all a scam! Have you ever seen a monk selling Buddhist beads on a famous Taoist mountain? This thing isn't some kind of fire qilin at all!"
Xu San felt like his head was about to explode.
"I don't care! I want it!" Feng Baobao struggled, her face serious. "This is a fire qilin that I fought nine thousand rounds to get! It must be very powerful!"
Seeing the chaotic and absurd scene behind him, Zhang Chulan covered his face, feeling incredibly embarrassed.
"Who is this person??"
At this moment, Wang Ye turned curiously to Lu Xiaobai, who had been standing quietly next to Zhang Chulan, silently watching Feng Baobao "have an episode".
Hearing someone ask him a question, Lu Xiaobai shifted his gaze from Feng Baobao and calmly looked at Wang Ye.
"Oh, hehe."
Zhang Chulan quickly chimed in, "His name is Lu Xiaobai, and he's also here with us to attend the conference."
Lu Xiaobai's face remained expressionless, still with that aloof and unapproachable demeanor.
He simply nodded politely to Wang Ye as a greeting, and then quickly turned back to Feng Baobao, who was still arguing with Xu San.
"Uh, hehe," Zhang Chulan laughed awkwardly, quickly steer the conversation back on track: "Daoist Wang Ye, you just said that the Celestial Master is very easy to see—"
"What does that mean?"
Wang Ye wore a mysterious, enigmatic expression, a half-smile playing on his lips, and quipped, "What do you mean? — Why don't you follow me and you'll find out?"
Looking at the strange-looking Taoist priest with dark circles under his eyes, Zhang Chulan was full of doubts, but his intuition told him that there was no harm in following him to see what was going on.
He gestured to Lu Xiaobai with his eyes, and the two followed Wang Ye away from the noisy main road.
Not long after they left, Wang Ye led them to a relatively lively courtyard.
In front of them, a crowd of tourists dressed in various clothes had gathered in an open space. They were surrounding a tall, white-haired, kind-faced old Taoist priest.
The old Taoist priest was wearing the distinctive yellow and black Taoist robe of the Celestial Masters. With white hair and a youthful face, he had an extraordinary demeanor. He was none other than Zhang Zhiwei, the contemporary Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain!
He was happily taking photos with the tourists around him, and the atmosphere was harmonious.
Once the Celestial Master had finished his business, Wang Ye led Zhang Chulan and Lu Xiaobai forward. He bowed respectfully and said, "Wang Ye of Wudang pays respects to the Celestial Master!"
The old Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei turned around upon hearing the voice, a warm smile on his face: "Oh? It's Little Wang Ye. How is your master's health?"
"Master is well, thank you for your concern, Celestial Master," Wang Ye replied respectfully, then stepped aside to let Zhang Chulan pass. "Celestial Master, this is Zhang Chulan."
Zhang Chulan quickly stepped forward, but his expression was somewhat tense.
The old master's gaze fell on Zhang Chulan, his eyes softening instantly, filled with deep emotion and a hint of barely perceptible affection.
His smile was warm, and his voice clearly reached Zhang Chulan's ears: "Chulan————"
"You've finally arrived?"
He leaned forward slightly and gently patted Zhang Chulan's shoulder: "Come on, quickly call him Master."
"Master—Master?" Zhang Chulan was instantly stunned, his eyes widened, his mouth slightly open, and he stood frozen on the spot, his mind a complete mess, not knowing how to react at all!
Xu San, standing beside him, was also completely taken aback; this relationship was clearly beyond his expectations.
Only Wang Ye remained as lazy as ever, as if he had expected this all along.
However, at this moment of warmth and shock, Lu Xiaobai, who was standing behind Zhang Chulan, seemed to be frozen in place!
In his deep blue right eye, magic flowed silently like a precision instrument, shimmering with an almost imperceptible glow!
His gaze was no longer calm and still as usual, but became unusually focused, locked on the old master Zhang Zhiwei—from head to toe, not missing a single detail!
That look in his eyes was like that of a top scientist observing an unprecedented experimental sample!
Completely immersed in it.
"Xiao Bai! Xiao Bai!" After a long while, Zhang Chulan gently poked him with his elbow.
Lu Xiaobai jolted awake, snapping out of his intensely focused state of "observation".
He then realized how impolite his actions had been, and a rare look of embarrassment flashed across his face. He immediately suppressed the magical light in his eyes, and with an apologetic expression, bowed slightly to the old master.
Who is the Old Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei?
He had already noticed Lu Xiaobai's strange gaze that seemed to "see through" him.
Far from being displeased, he observed the uniquely charismatic young man before him with great interest, temporarily setting aside Zhang Chulan's shock. The old master stroked his beard and laughed heartily, his voice booming like thunder: "Hahaha! Excellent, excellent! It's been a long time since I've seen such an interesting young man!"
His gaze lingered on Lu Xiaobai, filled with admiration: "That calm focus, and that unconventional behavior—interesting, truly interesting!" The old master paused, a hint of reminiscence flashing in his eyes: "Child, which sect do you belong to?"
"Old man, why do I feel like I've seen you before?" He asked with intense curiosity.
When asked by the old celestial master, Lu Xiaobai did not bow and clasp his hands like Wang Ye did.
He stood up straight, his right hand with fingers together and palm facing inward, gently pressing it on his left chest, near his heart, in a unique and elegant posture, while bowing slightly.
This is a standard ritual performed by a monk, originating from an ancient tradition.
He raised his head, his deep blue eyes calmly meeting the old master's probing gaze, and said clearly, "Grandpa, don't you remember me?"
"Five years ago, I met you once, following behind the dean."
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