Summoning the Gods

Wang Fei Yin glanced over, nodded in satisfaction, and told them to place everything on the table. "Go get some more good apricots and pastries. Our Sanqing Temple's ancestors are very benevolent; as long as we prepare them with sincerity, They will be pleased."

Pan Yun quietly went to prepare. She used the prettiest plates from the temple, arranged the most beautiful pastries, and then quietly asked, "Senior Brother, who are They?"

Wang Fei Yin had already affixed the talismans and had a stack of them on the table. Hearing her question, he looked at Pan Yun and said, "Fifth Junior Sister, Master is our Master, but all our skills come from Immortal Master Ge. Therefore, both are our ancestors."

Pan Yun suddenly understood. No wonder the main hall so solemnly enshrined the stone statue and memorial tablet of Ge Hong. So, Ge Hong was the one who truly passed down the teachings?

Wang Fei Yin asked Pan Yun and the others to step aside. He held his treasured sword, performed the steps of the罡步 (gangbu), and softly chanted, inviting the two ancestors to descend...

Pan Yun watched with curiosity. In her previous life, rituals like these were rarely performed. After the spiritual energy revived, humans gained different kinds of power. Everyone's goal was to cultivate themselves and create gods.

Few people mentioned the gods of the past. It seemed that in human memory, these gods had automatically disappeared.

Over the centuries, there were no divine miracles to indicate the existence of old gods in the world, so humanity assumed there were no immortals left.

But the Heavenly Dao also pitied them, allowing this generation to begin cultivating. Without gods, they could create gods.

This understanding and goal had been ingrained in Pan Yun since she first began to understand the world, so she never felt anything was wrong.

Not until this moment, watching the rhythm around Wang Fei Yin draw in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, did an invisible, intangible, yet profoundly mysterious aura descend. She began to doubt everything from her previous life. If she didn't see immortals, did that mean immortals truly didn't exist?

Had divine power truly vanished?

Wang Fei Yin turned and sheathed his sword, holding it vertically before his eyes. He suddenly opened them, glaring forward, then sank onto the cushion, his eyes slowly closing.

A gust of clear wind blew, and the cultivation technique within Pan Yun's body began to circulate involuntarily. Energy condensed in her eyes. Under her Heavenly Eye, everything around her was like being in a cloud of mist. A phantom appeared on the horizon. With one step, it reached the edge of a cliff. It looked at her with a half-smile, then with another step, it vanished into Wang Fei Yin, seemingly entering his body...

Pan Yun: ...Oh my god, it really is her Master!

Senior Brother can really summon Master!

Ah, no, there really are immortals in this world!

Pan Yun secretly pinched her thigh hard. The pain made her shiver. It was real!

She had always adhered to the principle of "better to be superstitious than to offend a god" when facing any abnormality, and unexpectedly, she had stumbled upon the truth.

Pan Yun carefully recalled her actions over the past two days, confirming that she hadn't offended her Master in any way. Relieved, she relaxed.

With her relief, she noticed there was someone else on the horizon. Oh, no, a god was rushing towards them.

The phantom grew closer. It was an old Daoist priest, dressed in a wide-sleeved robe, with kind and benevolent features.

He slowly floated to the edge of the cliff, not approaching, just smiling and watching Senior Brother and the others.

His gaze swept over these disciples and grand-disciples. When it landed on Pan Yun's curious gaze, he paused slightly and looked back with curiosity.

This child could actually see him?

Just as he was about to float over for a closer look, Wang Fei Yin opened his eyes. The martial general holding the treasured sword floated out of his body. He glanced at Pan Yun again before stopping to look at the phantom.

The phantom repeatedly bowed to him. It only had time to nod slightly at Wang Fei Yin before taking a portion of the food essence from the table and leaving. The remaining food essence floated towards the martial general.

Pan Yun watched the two phantoms disappear. As soon as she withdrew her gaze, she met Wang Fei Yin's complicated look.

Their eyes met. Not only was his gaze complicated, but his expression was also complex. He looked at Pan Yun with an indescribable expression.

Pan Yun's heart leaped into her throat. What did this mean?

Wang Fei Yin stood up and respectfully lit incense and candles for the two ancestors again. After performing the rites, he said to Pan Yun, "Get yourself ready. I'll take you down the mountain later."

Pan Yun nodded blankly, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. In the end, she decided to obey obediently.

Wang Fei Yin returned to his room to change out of his ritual robes and put on a set of casual Daoist attire. He also packed some incense and candles into a basket.

Pan Yun was already waiting at the main hall entrance, holding the black cat.

Miao He was chattering enviously, "I haven't been down the mountain in almost half a year. If you go down and see Wang Xiaojing, please thank him for me and tell him his apricots were especially delicious..."

Miao Zhen spoke only after Miao He finished, "Don't worry."

Pan Yun looked up at her and smiled, "I'm not worried. Why do you say that, Junior Martial Niece?"

Miao Zhen said, "But you are very worried right now. Although I don't know what you're worried about, everything is fine with First Martial Uncle here. Don't worry."

Pan Yun paused for a moment, then nodded.

Wang Fei Yin soon came out with the basket and beckoned to Pan Yun, "Let's go."

Pan Yun quickly followed, holding the cat. Wang Fei Yin only glanced at the cat in her arms and didn't stop her from bringing the little thing along.

Tao Ji and three young disciples stood by the door watching the two of them leave. All four sighed in unison.

Seeing the three young ones sighing in sync with him, Tao Ji couldn't help but pat their heads. "Why are you sighing at such a young age? Go practice your cultivation."

The three were not afraid of Tao Ji. Miao He directly asked, "Master, can Junior Martial Uncle stay?"

Tao Ji said, "I thought you only cared about eating and drinking. How did you think of this?"

Miao He said, "When our temple accepts other disciples, we never consult the gods. Only for Junior Martial Uncle, after she joined for just one day, did First Martial Uncle consult the immortals."

Although Tao Ji was also worried, he wasn't concerned about this point. "Don't worry. If the ancestors didn't want to accept your Junior Martial Uncle, your First Martial Uncle would be taking her luggage down the mountain, not carrying incense and candles to lead her down."

Pan Yun silently followed behind Wang Fei Yin, remaining quiet the entire way.

Wang Fei Yin looked at her several times, finally unable to resist speaking, "You're quite composed. What, you don't want to know what decree Master passed down?"

Hearing the affectionate tone in his voice, Pan Yun immediately grinned, "Was Master very satisfied with me as his disciple, sending Senior Brother to deliver a meeting gift?"

Wang Fei Yin remained silent.

Pan Yun's smiling face froze for a moment before she suddenly realized, "Could it really be a welcome gift for me?"

Wang Fei Yin sized up Pan Yun. After a moment, he said, "Indeed, Master does have a welcome gift for you."

He paused, then added with some concern, "Fifth Junior Sister, it's a good thing that Master favors and values you. With the Patriarch's protection, both your cultivation and your journey through this world will be smoother than others'. However, I observe that your fortune is shallow. You shouldn't have received such an opportunity. Since you have accepted it, you must pay the price."

Fearing she was too young to understand and might get lost in the benefits and lose her original intention, he explained carefully, "We cultivators focus on this life, on the body, reputation, and spirit of this existence. But in thousands of years, hardly anyone can attain enlightenment, so they begin to hope for the next life.

In this world, why are some born wealthy only to end up destitute, while others, born ordinary, have a lifetime of excellent luck and smooth sailing?"

Wang Fei Yin said, "This is luck, it's feng shui, and it's fate. These three are related to the present, to ancestral blessings, and even more so to one's past life.

Those who accumulate merit always have better luck than others. And you, looking at your face, your luck is only slightly better than an average person's; you shouldn't have received such an opportunity today."

Pan Yun grinned and said, "I know, because I was just a very ordinary person in my past life, and I died early without accumulating any reputation or merit."

Wang Fei Yin: "...You even know about your past life?"

Pan Yun said, half-jokingly, half-seriously, "Senior Brother, I don't know if you believe me, but I was born with knowledge."

Wang Fei Yin: "There's nothing to believe or not believe. You can see the mountain god without performing any rituals, and you can dream of the Patriarch for two consecutive nights. What else is impossible?"

Wang Fei Yin was now accepting of the situation. Even if she said she was a reincarnated immortal here to undergo a trial, he would believe her to some extent.

Being born with knowledge was nothing; it wasn't as if it had never happened in the world. His junior sister was already so extraordinary, what was one more thing?

"Since you know your past life's merit was mediocre, you should know even better that the opportunity you have this life is too good and will actually be harmful to you. Therefore, you must hold onto yourself," Wang Fei Yin sighed, "Don't forget your original intention."

"Mhm, I won't forget. So, Senior Brother, what welcome gift did Master give me?"

Wang Fei Yin: "You'll know soon enough."

"Oh, please tell me now. It's still a long way down the mountain from here."

Wang Fei Yin took her hand and took a step. The trees on either side blurred as they moved rapidly, covering a long stretch of the mountain path. With another step, they were halfway down the mountain...

As Wang Fei Yin led her across the distance, he said, "It's not that I don't want to tell you, but I don't know how to put it into words. When you see it, you'll understand without me saying more."

After a few more steps, they reached the fastest path down the mountain. Wang Fei Yin released her hand. The village was ahead, and they couldn't move so quickly anymore.

The two walked slowly out of the forest and immediately saw Wang Xiaojing's tea stall.

The tea stall was empty. Wang Fei Yin glanced at it before turning with Pan Yun and walking along the path at the foot of the mountain. They walked and walked until they finally reached a small temple made of piled stones.