"Click."
With a soft sound, Jiang Sheng sheathed his sword.
The dark clouds dispersed, leaving a bright moon and scattered stars. Jiang Sheng said, "The tiger demon is dead. You two should rest in this Mountain God Temple tonight and head down the mountain early tomorrow."
The old man snapped out of the immortal landscape before him and hurriedly asked, "Daoist, where will you go?"
"The mountains and waters here are beautiful, and life flourishes. This is an excellent place. I intend to establish a Daoist temple here as my dwelling." As Jiang Sheng spoke, he lifted the tiger demon's thirty-foot-long corpse, sprang into the air, and swept toward the summit.
The old man and his little grandson watched Jiang Sheng fly away, effortlessly carrying the tiger demon's mountain-like corpse. He could not help exclaiming, "Truly, a man among immortals!"
"Grandson, you must study hard and learn to read. If you ever have the chance to become that Daoist's disciple and learn even a third of his abilities, your grandfather would dare ask for nothing more."
The next morning, the red sun began to rise.
A thin mist had already risen among the mountain woods, while clouds and fog swirled around the summit, obscuring it from view.
Jiang Sheng sat cross-legged on a smooth slab of stone, watching the great sun slowly rise above the sea of clouds. The dawn glow shone upon the mist in radiant streaks, and birds called as they flew.
It was time for morning practice.
Cultivators of the orthodox Xuanmen path generally gathered the dawn radiance in the morning and moonlight in the evening.
A day's work began in the morning. The spiritual resonance of heaven and earth contained in the purple qi of dawn was the gentlest, and its spiritual energy was the easiest to absorb.
Jiang Sheng drew in the purple qi of dawn and circulated it through his body, transforming each thread into pure spiritual power within his dantian. Only after three quarters of an hour was this practice complete.
Slowly exhaling a breath of turbid air, Jiang Sheng ended his practice and rose. The great sun cast down countless rays, and standing on the summit amid swirling clouds, he looked like a divine being atop the clouds in the golden light. "It's time to build a Daoist temple."
Every Dao Sect disciple who successfully reached the foundation establishment realm would establish a Daoist temple elsewhere as their own sanctuary.
This both made it easier for them to handle matters for the sect while away and allowed them to undertake their own cultivation practice and temper their Dao Hearts in preparation for the great path to the golden core realm.
Most Dao Sect disciples were scattered abroad like this, whether they had established their Dao foundations or reached the purple mansion realm. Jiang Sheng was no exception.
"Qingping Mountain stretches twelve hundred li in every direction. Beautiful mountains and clear waters, flocks of birds and beasts, flourishing life, and a spiritual vein beginning to reveal itself—what a fine place!"
"No wonder that tiger demon occupied this place and refused to leave. Cultivating here, reaching the purple mansion realm would hardly be difficult." Speaking softly, Jiang Sheng turned and headed downhill.
For a cultivator like Jiang Sheng, who had already forged his Dao foundation, traveling from the summit to the mountainside was merely a matter of riding the wind downward, effortless in the extreme.
Yet when Jiang Sheng reached the mountainside, he found the place bustling with activity.
A group of sturdy young men had already dismantled the original Mountain God Temple. Now many people were busily laying walls and adding roof tiles, apparently building something.
The old man from yesterday was speaking beside a wealthy-looking middle-aged man in a brocade robe. Seeing Jiang Sheng arrive, he hurriedly called, "The Daoist is here! The Daoist is here!"
The middle-aged man in brocade turned at those words and saw that the newcomer appeared to be around twenty.
His face was like polished jade, his eyes like stars. Wearing an azure Daoist robe with his hair tied in a Daoist topknot, he stood straight and poised as a crane.
He was truly handsome and radiant, with an extraordinary bearing!
One glance told the man that this Daoist was no ordinary mortal!
The middle-aged man immediately stepped forward and bowed. "I, Tian Guofu, thank you on behalf of the thousand households of Qingping Town!"
Jiang Sheng's brows drew together slightly. He was about to step back when Tian Guofu continued, "You may not know, Daoist, but that vicious tiger occupied Qingping Mountain and took countless lives from Qingping Town, both before and after it became a demon! It wasn't that we never hired cultivators, but in the end, they all died in that tiger's jaws."
"By slaying that vicious tiger, you avenged the thousand households of Qingping Town and washed away our grievances. Everyone in town is moved to tears with gratitude!"
"I heard that you intended to establish a Daoist temple here. As Qingping Town's mayor, I have called upon the townspeople to volunteer to build you a sanctuary as a small token of our thanks."
Jiang Sheng glanced at the old man, then at the sincere Tian Guofu before him. After a brief silence, he nodded. "Then, Mayor Tian, sorry for the trouble."
"No trouble at all, none at all. I'm only glad to lighten your burdens." Tian Guofu spoke with great sincerity, his expression almost humble to the point of abasement.
For a town mayor to humble himself so thoroughly without knowing Jiang Sheng's origins or identity, Jiang Sheng was certain that this was not merely because he possessed cultivation. Tian Guofu wanted something else!
His expression calm, Jiang Sheng spoke unhurriedly. "To tell you the truth, Mayor Tian, I killed that tiger demon last night only because it occupied Qingping Mountain and seized the sanctuary I had chosen long ago. It was not because of how many people it had devoured. Do you understand?"
Tian Guofu paused, then smiled. "Whatever the reason, you rid Qingping Town of a scourge. Since ancient times, people have judged deeds rather than hearts. You earned merit by vanquishing a demon and defending the Dao. Why concern ourselves with the reason?"
Jiang Sheng looked at Tian Guofu, and Tian Guofu looked back at him. They seemed to be facing off, yet also probing for something.
After a long while, Jiang Sheng finally broke the silence with a smile. "You are quite an interesting man, Mayor Tian. My surname is Jiang, my given name Sheng. I come from Penglai."
Tian Guofu looked at Jiang Sheng in surprise. "So Daoist Jiang is an accomplished master from Penglai!"
Jiang Sheng gestured invitingly, and Tian Guofu naturally fell into step beside him. Chatting, the two walked toward the woods to one side.
Morning dew still hung on the trees. Occasionally, a light breeze stirred, carrying the fresh mountain air toward them.
Jiang Sheng asked casually, "You know of Penglai, Mayor Tian?"
Tian Guofu explained, "Of course I've heard of it. Or rather, who in the Qi Kingdom hasn't heard of Penglai?"
"They say Penglai lies in the East Sea, home to the Xuanmen Orthodox Sect, a land of Daoist immortals. Immortals there soar upon clouds and ride the mist, move mountains and sever rivers! I have long yearned for it."
Jiang Sheng nodded, acknowledging Tian Guofu's words. "Then why do you believe I truly am a cultivator from Penglai, rather than some swindler? Did you believe it simply because that old man said I killed the vicious tiger?"
Tian Guofu chuckled. "I'm not blind to what's before my eyes. How could those wandering Daoist frauds possess your spirit and bearing, Daoist Jiang?"
"Besides, the traces in front of the Mountain God Temple cannot be faked, nor can the fact that the vicious tiger really is dead. Even if you truly are a swindler, Daoist Jiang, I would accept it."
"Ha!"
Jiang Sheng could not help laughing. "I wasn't wrong. You really are an interesting man, Mayor Tian. You were so humble just now, taking the initiative to bow in thanks and build me a Daoist temple. Could it be that you have a favor to ask?"
Tian Guofu's smile grew even more sincere. "Nothing escapes your discerning eyes, Daoist."
"You may not know this, but Qingping Town takes its name not only from Qingping Mountain, but also from the Taiping River. With both mountains and water, the thousand households of Qingping Town have their livelihood."
As he spoke, weariness and complicated emotions appeared on Tian Guofu's face. "But a vicious tiger lurked in Qingping Mountain, and the Taiping River is hardly peaceful either..."
Gentlemen, keeping up with a new book is very important. It's the key to whether it receives recommendations and whether it can continue. Simply turning to the last page each day is the greatest support you can give Lin Yuan. My heartfelt thanks to you all.
(End of chapter)
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