"Excuse me, miss, this is a non-tourist area. Please leave immediately."
Inside the Xuanxiao Temple, a young Daoist priest dressed in a blue robe looked at the pale-faced woman in front of him and began to offer advice.
This person was Bai Jingjing. She forced a fake smile. "Little Master, don't be in such a hurry to send me away. I'm here on a very, very important matter."
The young Daoist priest's eyes darted around, and his expression shifted several times as if he had thought of something. He asked gossipy, "You're not here to cause trouble, are you? Have you gotten into a romantic entanglement with one of the Daoist priests in the temple?"
Bai Jingjing was taken aback, clearly not expecting the young Daoist priest to say such a thing, which shattered some of her stereotypes about Daoist priests.
How could a seemingly ethereal Daoist priest have such melodramatic and gossipy thoughts?!
The young Daoist priest could tell from Bai Jingjing's expression that she probably knew nothing about the development of Daoism culture in China.
The Daoism I encountered online was all presented in a positive light, conforming to domestic political correctness and the expectations of the people.
However, the real Daoism...
Hehe.
Nowadays, Daoism has long been divided up by various powerful figures who have taken over Daoist temples and cultivated "second-generation" and "third-generation" Daoists. Daoist priests have basically become a hereditary profession.
Young people learn about Daoism through the internet, hold lofty ideals and sincere faith in Daoism culture, and hope to enter the Tao to escape the mundane world and find inner peace.
However, those who actually come into contact with Daoism will find that obtaining the status of a formal Daoist priest is extremely difficult. People without power, wealth, or connections, even if they go through countless hardships to become Daoist priests, will only become slaves in Daoist temples, just like in the secular world, filled with class oppression.
The young Daoist priest who was talking to Bai Jingjing was essentially a Daoist slave. He had to do his master's work, buy his master's new phone, and pay for his master's takeout, making it seem like he was paid to work.
He had seen those Daoist slaves who were exploited to the point of exhaustion, losing money, effort, and youth, only to be ruthlessly expelled from the Daoist temple, have their Daoist certificates confiscated, and meet a tragic end.
Daoism emphasizes the balance of Yin and Yang. Just as outsiders can learn about the positive aspects of Daoism online, the darker, unseen aspects are equally significant. This, too, can be considered a form of "Yin-Yang balance."
Bai Jingjing was unaware of the young Daoist priest's complex thoughts. She simply smiled and said, "I am Bai Jingjing, the successor of White Bone Madam. I have come here with important business to discuss with Liang the Perfected."
"White Bone Madam?" The young Daoist's small eyes were filled with great doubt. "Is she the White Bone Madam was killed by Sun Wukong? Miss, I think you shouldn't be at the Daoist temple right now, but should go to the hospital and see a psychiatrist."
Bai Jingjing sighed and waved her hand casually. Instantly, a cloud of black smoke enveloped the area, exuding a cold, evil, and ominous aura. One could vaguely see skeletons slowly crawling out of the black smoke.
"Ah, ah--"
The young Daoist priest was so frightened that he fell to the ground, utterly shocked. His mouth gaped open, and he let out two short screams, his sphincter nearly giving way. "You, you, you, you..."
"Shh, keep your voice down." Bai Jingjing put a finger to her lips, smiled, and continued, "Can you take me to see Liang the Perfected now?"
"Of course, this way please." The young Daoist priest immediately straightened his posture, bowed, and was extremely respectful, feeling both apprehensive and excited.
He was already on the verge of giving up on this arduous life as a slave, but unexpectedly, he encountered something real today!
Whether she's a demon or a deity, she's an extraordinary being!
Bai Jingjing followed the young Daoist priest as they walked deeper into the Xuanxiao Temple.
Daoist temples typically enshrine the Three Pure Ones, the Three Great Emperor Officials, the Four Imperial Lords, the God of Wealth, the Queen Mother, Dharma Protectors, or Patriarchs.
Bai Jingjing looked at the statues of gods without any emotional fluctuation, showing no concern whatsoever about being attacked by these deities.
Although she is now indistinguishable from a demon, she still doubts whether these gods truly exist.
Almost everyone in Shanque City was wiped out, and no deity came to their rescue.
In other words, she felt that even if gods really existed, they probably wouldn't care about the lives of a group of mortals who were like ants.
After passing through the bell and drum towers, the young Daoist priest led Bai Jingjing to her room. He said somewhat awkwardly, "Please wait a moment, Fairy, I need to inform my master first."
"No problem, go ahead, I'll wait here," Bai Jingjing said.
The young Daoist priest breathed a sigh of relief. Although Bai Jingjing was a distinguished guest, she was currently unrelated to him, and he might not be able to curry favor with her. Therefore, there was no need to offend his master for her sake.
He dared not barge into his master's room; if he stumbled upon his master's private affairs, things would be in serious trouble!
Bai Jingjing stood quietly outside, looking around and observing her surroundings. She was very confident that Liang the Perfected of Xuanxiao Temple would definitely see her.
Liang the Perfected, whose full name is Liang Shoupeng, is the abbot of Xuanxiao Temple and a popular online Daoist priest. He became famous online by live-streaming fortune telling, face reading, feng shui adjustments, and warding off evil spirits.
Many of his fans say that he is an exceptionally accurate fortune teller and a highly skilled master. That's why Bai Jingjing approached him to see if she could resolve the restless state caused by the power of White Bone Madam within her.
A moment later, the young Daoist priest hurriedly pushed open the door and came out of the room, apologizing to Bai Jingjing, "I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting. Master invites you in for a detailed discussion."
"It's alright." Bai Jingjing tried her best to be friendly, and then followed the young Daoist priest toward the monks' quarters at Xuanxiao Temple.
Pushing open the door, Bai Jingjing was greeted by a wooden house with an antique feel. She couldn't quite make out anything special, but she guessed that the decorations and furniture were quite valuable.
Sitting in the main seat was an elderly Daoist priest who looked very old. His hair was neatly combed and tied into a bun on top of his head, secured with a wooden hairpin. His white hairs were clearly visible among his black hair.
His eye sockets were slightly sunken, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes seemed to tell the story of the years, but his eyes were bright and piercing, and he was full of energy, exuding an aura that dared not be underestimated.
Seeing that Liang the Perfected remained silent and unfathomable, Bai Jingjing took the initiative to speak, "Master Liang, I believe this young Daoist priest has already explained my background to you. I have indeed come to see you today with a request."
"Speak plainly," Liang the Perfected, sitting upright, truly resembling a highly accomplished Daoist master.
But in truth, he was filled with doubt. Just now, his little apprentice had been shouting that "the successor of White Bone Madam has come to visit," insisting that he meet him and saying that he would regret it for the rest of his life if he didn't go.
Liang the Perfected was somewhat disdainful of this, thinking that swindlers these days were too rampant, even daring to cheat him.
As a popular online Daoist priest, he knows exactly how to fool people. Everyone says he has great spiritual power, but he knows his own limitations. His so-called fortune-telling is partly a placebo effect, and partly... he's a shill.
They're all paid shills.
"Actually, I am not the successor of White Bone Madam. I am only possessed by White Bone Madam. I can temporarily use her power, but I can feel White Bone Madam gradually recovering. She is slowly replacing me. Master, do you have a way to stop her from waking up?" Bai Jingjing asked very sincerely.
Liang the Perfected barely managed to suppress the urge to roll his eyes. Good heavens, this premise sounded far too fantastical and melodramatic, but given that the other party seemed like a lunatic, he probably couldn't afford to offend him. So, he could only try to coax him gently:
"Ms. Bai, I think you urgently need to go to the psychiatric department of a hospital for a checkup. If no problems are found, then it's not too late to seek spiritual guidance."
Bai Jingjing frowned. "Real person, you didn't see anything at all?"
She had assumed this enlightened master would possess some kind of divine eye, able to see at a glance that she was entangled in demonic energy, but his response was unexpected and truly disappointing.
However, Bai Jingjing didn't give up immediately. What if Liang the Perfected had seen through everything but was just lying to avoid trouble?
She wentaded him, saying, "I know Liang the Perfected might not believe what I'm saying. After all, in this degenerate age, you probably don't have much spiritual power yourself."
Upon hearing this, Liang the Perfected was somewhat angry and was about to rebuke him, but what he saw next made him shudder!
A thick cloud of black smoke billowed out from behind Bai Jingjing, within which countless skeletons surged and churned, seemingly trying to crawl out and step into reality.
Then the skeleton actually came out, its bones creaking and grinding, and a cold, deathly atmosphere spread throughout the room, sending chills down one's spine.
The other two people in the room were stunned. The young Daoist priest who had led the way was somewhat better, since he had already seen it once, but Liang the Perfected was so frightened that he couldn't speak.
With the Three Pure Ones above, it turns out that magic truly exists in this world!
"Real person, did you see that? This is the power of White Bone Madam. She is asleep inside me, and I can feel her gradually awakening. You don't want to see the day she truly awakens and replaces me, do you?" Bai Jingjing said with a smile.
Her words interrupted Liang the Perfected's shock. With a wave of his hand, he withdrew the black smoke, and the terrifying skeleton disappeared as well.
Liang the Perfected snapped out of his daze, his gaze towards Bai Jingjing completely different from before. He muttered under his breath, "There really is magic, and demons really do exist..."
He was, after all, a Daoist priest, and his ability to accept mystical and metaphysical concepts far exceeded that of ordinary people. Even when facing a demon, the excitement he felt when he actually witnessed the existence of magic directly overwhelmed his fear.
The problem is that this White Bone Spirit sees him as a true master, and has come to ask for a favor, and it's a big one at that.
After pondering for a few seconds, Liang the Perfected decided to tell the truth.
He has no Daoist cultivation, no magical power, no magic skills, and can't even perform tricks! If he tries to fool Bai Jingjing with the same old tricks he used to use to deceive netizens, the consequences will be unimaginable once he's exposed!
This is a living demon; he'd better not try to show off his limited skills in front of her.
So Liang the Perfected lowered his stance and frankly said that he was just an ordinary Daoist priest. Although he looked like a celestial being, all he had cultivated over the years was his state of mind. Since becoming a Daoist priest, his spiritual core had become more and more stable, but he was not very knowledgeable about metaphysics.
Bai Jingjing was speechless. "Really? You're really accurate at fortune telling online!"
Liang Zhenren waved his hand. "If you have studied psychology, micro-expressions, and other related knowledge, plus enough life experience, a fast enough reaction speed, and some eloquence and speaking skills, you can also do what I do."
Actually, Liang the Perfected is quite remarkable. He mastered so many skills without a teacher. Rather than calling him a Daoist priest who can tell fortunes, it would be more accurate to say that he is a psychologist with very Dragon Country characteristics.
"It seems this trip was in vain." Bai Jingjing was a little disappointed, but this feeling of disappointment quickly disappeared. The emotions of a person with depression are like a towel that has been wrung dry; it is very difficult to squeeze out even a drop of water.
"In that case, I'll take my leave." Having failed to get what she wanted, Bai Jingjing turned to leave.
"Wait!" Liang the Perfected hurriedly stood up and stopped her.
"Fellow Daoist, please don't be impatient. Although I have no magical power and know nothing about metaphysics, this is Xuanxiao Temple, where the Three Pure Ones Four Imperial Lords are worshipped year-round. You might as well stay a few more days and offer incense and prayers to these deities. What if they show their power?"
At this moment, Liang the Perfected didn't care whether there were any taboos about a demon offering incense to a deity. He only knew that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
This person really knows magic!
Upon hearing Liang the Perfected's words, Bai Jingjing hesitated.
At that moment, she seemed to hear layers of whispers in her ears, and the power within her surged. It was the "White Bone Madam" commanding her, ordering her to stay and cause trouble!
Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be that White Bone Madam had already fully awakened?
She wasn't afraid; instead, a rare sense of curiosity arose within her, adding a twisted dimension to her empty, numb heart.
However, she didn't reveal anything on her face. She simply nodded calmly, agreeing with Liang the Perfected's suggestion to stay at Xuanxiao Temple for a few more days.
Liang the Perfected was overjoyed and immediately instructed the young Daoist priest who had been standing by his side, "Yu Cheng, immediately inform everyone that tourist visits will be suspended for the next few days, and Xuanxiao Temple will be closed to visitors."
"Yes." The young Daoist priest Tong Yucheng turned and went out, informing all the Daoist priests in the temple of Liang the Perfected's instructions.
Seeing Tong Yucheng leave, Liang the Perfected lowered his posture again, showing some flattery and obsequiousness. He stood almost every step of the way behind Bai Jingjing, bowing his head and hoping that Bai Jingjing would give him some guidance in his cultivation.
Even if it's sorcery, it doesn't matter. This kind of extraordinary power, regardless of whether it's righteous or evil, is better to have than not!
This stumped Bai Jingjing. Her ability to manipulate black smoke and control the skeletons within it was more like a bodily instinct, having absolutely nothing to do with cultivation. How could she possibly instruct others?