Inviting an Immortal Requires Sincerity

Inviting an Immortal Requires Sincerity

When he heard that Tian Guofu, the mayor of Qingping Town, had come to see him.

Zhang Qingyun was clearly somewhat delighted. Could it be that, after being in Qingshan County for so long, someone had finally been willing to throw in their lot with him?

With that thought, Zhang Qingyun said, "Show Mayor Tian in."

Tian Guofu entered before long and respectfully saluted Zhang Qingyun. "This commoner, Tian Guofu, pays respects to Your Excellency the County Magistrate."

"Mayor Tian, please rise. What matter do you wish to report to me?" Zhang Qingyun asked with a smile.

Tian Guofu hurriedly said, "Does Your Excellency know that there is a vicious tiger in Qingping Mountain that has become a demon, bringing calamity upon the region and harming human lives?"

Zhang Qingyun nodded. "I do know of this matter. I heard that the previous two county magistrates invited quite a few cultivators, yet none achieved anything, allowing that tiger demon to continue wreaking havoc in the mountains to this day."

As he spoke, Zhang Qingyun furrowed his brow. Could Tian Guofu be asking him to find cultivators to eliminate the tiger demon in the mountains?

If the matter were truly so simple, how could that tiger demon have run rampant in the mountains for so many years?

Tian Guofu seemed to have seen through Zhang Qingyun's thoughts and quickly said, "Your Excellency does not know—some days ago, a Daoist priest came to Qingping Town. His abilities are extraordinary, and he has already eliminated that tiger demon!"

"Hmm?!"

Zhang Qingyun was startled.

He truly had not expected that the tiger demon which had ravaged Qingping Mountain for so many years, devoured who knew how many people, and slain who knew how many cultivators, would be eliminated by a Daoist who had appeared out of nowhere!

But in the next instant, an idea came to him. Since that Daoist was so formidable, why not invite him to become his ally?

He was from a collateral branch of the family. Being able to come to Qingshan County as county magistrate was already a stroke of immense good fortune.

This time, he had come alone with his daughter to take up office in Qingshan County. He had not a single capable hand at his disposal; otherwise, he would not have been so easily manipulated by the local gentry.

Once he obtained the assistance of a cultivator, the situation would surely be different!

Thinking of this, Zhang Qingyun immediately said, "That Daoist priest's removal of the tiger demon has also rid Qingshan County of a great scourge!"

"Mayor Tian, take back a thousand taels of patterned silver later and reward that Daoist on my behalf. Also, invite him to the county seat. I would like to meet the Daoist capable of slaying that tiger demon."

This was exactly what Tian Guofu had been waiting for. He promptly said, "This humble one obeys Your Excellency's command."

Before long, Tian Guofu hurriedly returned to Qingping Town with the thousand taels of silver.

He then quickly gathered people to wrap the silver and some fruits in red silk, sending them up Qingping Mountain amid beating gongs and drums.

Such a lively commotion naturally alerted Jiang Sheng.

Jiang Sheng had always preferred peace and quiet. Seeing such a large group climbing up while beating gongs and drums, he could not help frowning.

Before long, Tian Guofu led a large crowd to the Daoist temple.

With a beaming face, Tian Guofu said, "Daoist Jiang, wonderful news!"

"Where does this joy come from?" Jiang Sheng's expression remained indifferent.

Tian Guofu said with a radiant face, "Daoist Jiang, I have already informed the county magistrate that you eliminated the tiger demon for our Qingping Town."

"When His Excellency heard that Qingshan County had gained a Daoist priest like you, he was overjoyed."

"So, His Excellency ordered us to bring a thousand taels of patterned silver as a reward."

As he spoke, Tian Guofu added excitedly, "His Excellency also wishes to invite you to the county yamen, saying that he wants to meet you in person!"

"Heh."

Jiang Sheng gave a cold laugh, without the slightest amusement in his eyes.

Seeing Jiang Sheng's expression, Tian Guofu's heart abruptly skipped a beat. He felt that he might have mishandled this matter.

The sturdy young men beating gongs and drums also felt a chill for no reason, and one by one stopped their piercing festive music.

Jiang Sheng's cold gaze swept across everyone present, making each of them shudder from head to toe.

"A thousand taels of silver?"

"As a reward?"

"What do you take this poor Daoist for?"

Jiang Sheng's attitude undoubtedly frightened Tian Guofu and the others.

Tian Guofu hurriedly said, "Daoist Jiang, we truly meant well!"

"Besides, it was His Excellency the county magistrate who brought this up himself. He wanted to give you a thousand taels of silver and invite you to the county seat—"

Jiang Sheng looked at Tian Guofu with a faint, mocking smile. That pair of eyes made Tian Guofu's scalp prickle, and he could not help lowering his head.

As Jiang Sheng's gaze swept over them, the wealthy merchants and gentry of Qingping Town also lowered their heads like quails, none daring to look up.

The old scholar who had been so carefree when offering his suggestion some days ago was now trembling in terror, nearly collapsing to the ground.

"This poor Daoist has already told you that I do not care for your gifts of thanks. Do not waste any more effort!"

"Is it that you cannot understand what this poor Daoist says, or do you think this poor Daoist is soft-hearted and easy to bully?"

As Jiang Sheng spoke, he swept his sleeve. A violent gale surged forth, sending everyone present—along with the silver, fruits, gongs, drums, and red decorations—flying away.

Tian Guofu only felt the gale whirl him around until the world spun and the sky turned dark. When his vision cleared, he found that he had been blown all the way to the foot of the mountain!

The wealthy gentry and sturdy young men of Qingping Town looked at one another, drenched in cold sweat. None of them dared say another word.

Tian Guofu, however, wore a bitter expression. Looking toward the mountainside, he shouted in distress, "Daoist, it truly was the county magistrate who sent me to invite you!"

Jiang Sheng's cool voice drifted down from the mountain. "The county magistrate?"

"A mere thousand taels of silver as a reward, and he expects this poor Daoist to go to the county seat to see him?"

"What a joke!"

"If your county magistrate truly wishes to see this poor Daoist, then have him come to Qingping Mountain!"

"Disperse at once. If you come again to disturb this poor Daoist's cultivation, do not blame me for being discourteous!"

Hearing Jiang Sheng's words, everyone hurriedly fled back to Qingping Town.

At this moment, every one of them was dusty and disheveled, utterly bedraggled.

The wealthy gentry looked awkwardly at Tian Guofu. Tian Guofu could only sigh. "Alas, I will return and speak with His Excellency again."

When Tian Guofu hurried back to Qingshan County and explained the entire matter to County Magistrate Zhang Qingyun, Zhang Qingyun's expression immediately changed.

"I am the dignified magistrate of an entire county. I sent someone to invite a wild Daoist from the mountains, yet I cannot even invite him? He insists that I personally go invite him?!"

"He is merely a wild Daoist from the mountains, yet he is even more arrogant than the gentry in this county seat!"

Tian Guofu stood to one side, too embarrassed to speak. Zhang Qingyun angrily waved him away, then stalked off to the rear courtyard to rest in a sulk.

After returning to the rear courtyard of the county yamen, Zhang Qingyun was still unable to vent his anger. He directly smashed a teacup, frightening the servants in the rear courtyard into trembling, afraid that this sullen county magistrate would vent his rage on lowly attendants like them.

Zhang Qingyun could not understand it.

Why, within the Qi Kingdom, could he, the magistrate of Qingshan County, not even summon a wild Daoist from the mountains?

Could it be that he had already become a well-known puppet, nothing more than a clay statue sitting in the county yamen?

What was the point of being such a county magistrate?

"Why is Father so angry? If there is something wrong, why not tell your daughter about it?"

A clear and enchanting voice, like the song of an oriole, sounded beside Zhang Qingyun's ear. Turning his head, Zhang Qingyun saw that it was his clever and lovely daughter, Zhang Qing.

Seeing that his precious daughter had arrived, Zhang Qingyun's expression softened somewhat. "Didn't Qing'er go to listen to storytelling? Why did you have time to come see Father?"