White Water Temple

Behind the County Magistrate were several people, all exuding white energy. Fang Ming's eyes flickered, and He Song was among them. As they arrived not far from the County Yamen, they saw them enter a place that looked like a ancestral temple. A long while later, they emerged. Fang Ming watched, his eyes twitching. The luck of the Assistant County Magistrate and the Commander seemed to have diminished by a sliver, as did that of the people behind them.

Although wisps of white energy surged to replenish it, it couldn't be fully restored in a short time. Fang Ming was greatly surprised. He beckoned a waiter, pointed to the ancestral temple, and asked, "Where is that place, and why are officials going in?"

The waiter was greatly surprised, staring at Fang Ming as if he were a monster, but he still replied, "That is the Imperial Ancestral Temple, where past emperors are sacrificed to. Every city has one, and officials must pay respects daily. Even commoners must pay respects in front of the temple square on the first and fifteenth of each month. These next few days, the curfew will be lifted, a temple fair will be held, and operas will be performed for several days. It will be very lively. Most places are like this; why don't you know, sir?"

Fang Ming's heart leaped. A red light flashed in his eyes, and the waiter's expression became dazed, as if he were feeling a bit dizzy. He shook his head and asked, "What can I do for you, sir?" He had forgotten what had just happened.

"Oh, nothing. I'm a traveler from out of town, visiting for fun. I'm looking for a spiritual temple to worship at. Do you know of any famous Ancestral Spirits in this city?" Fang Ming smiled, tossing out two large coins. The waiter's face lit up with joy, and he quickly pocketed the two large coins, no longer caring about his momentary dizziness. He said, "Speaking of Ancestral Spirits, there are the Ancestral Spirits of the four great families: Zhou, Wu, Zheng, and Wang. They have been worshipped for hundreds of years and are very spiritual. But those are the ancestral shrines of clans, not places outsiders can visit. Also, there is the White Water Temple. It enshrines the White Cloud Sword, which is said to be effective, especially in warding off ghosts!"

"Oh!" This truly piqued Fang Ming's interest. He inquired about the location from the waiter in detail before letting him go.

He sat for a while longer, thinking about the Imperial Ancestral Temple and then recalling what He Yuqing had said about the Imperial Blessed Land, he began to form some conjectures. In his past life, the Imperial Ancestral Temple was not a place outsiders could enter; they would have been punished long ago.

But in this world, the Imperial Blessed Land was vast and consumed a lot. Even with the Imperial Qi of past emperors replenishing it and gathering officials, it was likely still insufficient. Thus, ancestral temples were established in various places, commanding officials to pay respects and collect their luck to supplement the Blessed Land. Furthermore, grand sacrifices were held on the first and fifteenth of each month to gather the Qi of the populace, constantly replenishing it to maintain the Blessed Land and its blessings.

As for the drawbacks, such as the mixture of luck, divine power, incense and fire, power of offerings, spiritual energy, and resentment, which could turn the recipients of sacrifices into earth-bound spirits. Heh, don't forget that the past emperors were already bound to the Imperial Blessed Land and could not leave. They were also earth-bound spirits, just with a very large area of confinement. When the cage is large enough, one doesn't feel the restriction. The Blessed Land was also rich in resources, and they lived lives of luxury within it, perhaps too content to leave. Therefore, they had to find ways to maintain the Blessed Land, even if it meant collecting the luck and incense and fire of officials and commoners in the mortal world.

Hmm, the Great Gan Founder was far-sighted. It's unlikely he was merely indulging in pleasure. He probably also collected luck and channeled it to the current emperor, extending the dynasty's fortune.

Thinking this way, everything began to make sense. Fang Ming suddenly felt a bit melancholic. He stood up and sighed again.

He thought of the Great Gan Founder, a hero of his generation. Two hundred years ago, the world was in chaos. The Founder, with a three-foot sword, rose from humble beginnings, trained elite troops, pacified refugees, cut down over ten flood dragons with a single sword, and suppressed the world, establishing the Great Gan dynasty.

Such a figure was also bound by the power of the people's offerings and had to remain confined to the Blessed Land. He also had to plan for future generations, racking his brains and even resorting to drinking poison to quench his thirst. How tragic indeed!

By collecting the Qi of all the people in the world, he naturally established a connection with them. If the current emperor ruled diligently and brought peace to the people, perhaps this karmic connection could be severed. Otherwise, if the world fell into chaos and people suffered, all the incense and fire and luck collected over the years would likely backfire. At that time, even the Great Gan Founder might not escape the fate of his soul being scattered.

Fang Ming quickly regained his spirits. Time was precious. Since he had gathered enough information, he might as well go to the White Water Temple to investigate further. If his guess was correct, this temple must be connected to the White Cloud Temple, perhaps even a branch temple. He was about to go and uncover some secrets.

Anchang County was vaguely divided into four sections, with the County Yamen in the center. To the south were the residences of the wealthy and officials; the Four Great Families of Anchang occupied a large portion. To the east were the residences of merchants and common households. To the north was the slum area, where artisans also lived. Finally, to the west were the residences of military households and their families.

The White Water Temple was located in the east of the city.

Fang Ming walked along, pondering. The location of the White Water Temple revealed a lot.

Firstly, in his previous life, Taoist temples were usually located outside the city, but this one was not. There were fierce ghosts disturbing the peace. If it were the main White Cloud Temple, it would not be afraid, but a branch temple in a small county might be overwhelmed. Moreover, even if they could defend it, only the farmhands in the vicinity would come to offer incense. People from other areas would certainly be unwilling to come, so how could that be? Did they not want incense and fire?

It could only be established within the city, but not in the center. Not only was the land expensive, but the government would also not agree, especially since the Imperial Ancestral Temple was there! Did they dare to compete with the imperial family for incense and fire?

The south side was very suitable, but the officials and wealthy families understood feng shui. They could offer sacrifices and donate incense money occasionally, but building one next to their residences was impossible. Besides, some Confucian officials were always hostile towards Taoist priests, and there were often memorials stating, "Taoist priests are lowly and should not ascend to the imperial court." The relationship between the two was very delicate.

The west side was for military households, where Military Qi and Sha Qi suppressed the area. The Divine Way and Immortal Way were not suitable.

Only the east and north sides of the city remained. The residents in the east were relatively well-off, while the north was a slum area. The Taoist temple could only be built in the east.

Fang Ming figured it out and immediately realized that if he wanted to build a temple in the city without directly conflicting with the White Cloud Temple, the only suitable place was the north side.

However, that was also a good location. In Fang Ming's opinion, only the highest and lowest strata of society truly needed faith. The middle class, with the poor below as a comparison, would feel a sense of happiness, and with goals to strive for above, they would naturally be motivated and not need comfort.

The highest stratum had all their material needs met, so they turned to spiritual needs. The lowest stratum, having nothing, would cling tightly to even a straw, making their faith the most fervent. If he were to build a shrine in the north, he could establish a firm foothold, but he would need to be careful to cool down his followers and not get himself into trouble.

As he looked around, he saw pawnshops, incense shops, cloth shops, grain stores, restaurants, and small stalls everywhere. There were also peddlers carrying goods, hawking them as they went from street to street. The city was bustling with pedestrians, their faces ruddy, much better than the villagers in the countryside, where almost everyone had a sallow complexion. No wonder villagers preferred to live in the city.

Upon arriving at the White Water Temple, he found that although it was within the city, the temple was still built quite large, with a main gate, front courtyard, main hall, rear hall, garden, and many side rooms.

Fang Ming entered the main hall and saw that the object enshrined in the center was not a person, but a sword. He presumed it was the White Cloud Sword mentioned by the waiter. Fang Ming looked closer and saw that the White Cloud Sword was very ancient, without a scabbard, its entire body a pale green, yet it seemed to contain golden light, appearing very mystical.

At this time, someone was also offering sacrifices. As the person bowed, Fang Ming saw the power of incense and offerings mixed with luck surging towards the White Cloud Sword. The White Cloud Sword flashed with golden light, and the power of incense and offerings was shattered by the golden light, but small specks still clung to the sword. The remaining luck flowed into the void, seemingly absorbed by something. The sword moved, and a trace of sword energy attached itself to the worshiper, sharp and imposing, capable of warding off fierce ghosts.

Fang Ming's mind raced, and he had his answer. The luck must have been absorbed by the true White Cloud Sword. Thinking further, he gained a deeper understanding of the Taoist Sect.

The Immortal Way pursued personal purity and freedom, which was completely contrary to the power of incense and offerings. This power of incense and offerings was highly toxic to Qi Refiners; they must not touch it.

Therefore, no Taoist priests were seen receiving sacrifices, but items were different, especially the precious treasures that suppressed the sect's luck.

The Taoist Sect built many temples, enshrined treasures, and collected luck. When mortals offered sacrifices, the power of incense and offerings was shattered and blocked by the fake enshrined items. Most of it was absorbed by the fake enshrined items. However, the luck of the believers was absorbed by the true treasure enshrined in the main altar, increasing its power. In return, a trace of its power was granted to the believers for their safety, thus severing karmic ties.

Therefore, even if a little power of incense and offerings remained, it could trace back to the true treasure, which was not a major issue. Compared to the luck obtained, it was negligible.

The more luck a treasure collected, the greater its power, and the more it could suppress the sect's foundation and ensure the continuation of its lineage.

Such supreme treasures would not be numerous throughout the world and were mostly collected by the Taoist Sect.

To understand the strength of a Taoist sect, one could gauge it by the treasures enshrined in its subordinate temples, as treasures had to be used, and usage inevitably caused some damage, requiring luck for repair. Even if a sect had secret collections, there wouldn't be many, perhaps one at most.

He also compared the expenditures and returns of the believers and found that the Taoist Sect was far less generous in this regard. The protection they provided was only about twenty to thirty percent of what the believers paid, making them quite stingy compared to him.

If all the Taoist temples in the world followed this model, then his Divine Way would have a significant advantage and would not fear competition.

"Esteemed layman, why have you been standing here for so long? Have you gained some insight into our Taoist offerings?" Fang Ming was deep in thought when he was suddenly interrupted by a voice. He immediately realized that he had entered the main hall without offering incense or sacrifices, but stood observing, which was unusual and attracted attention.

He came back to his senses and looked at the person who had approached. He saw an old man, dressed as a Taoist priest, with white hair and beard, looking elegant and ethereal, with a hint of immortal aura. He had an excellent appearance. Looking at his luck, it was faint white energy, like ripples on water, not even as good as spiritual bamboo. He knew this was a disciple who had grasped some superficial aspects of cultivation. To have reached this level at his age, he was likely an outer disciple assigned to manage the temple.

He smiled and said, "I, Li, am traveling here. I heard that the White Water Temple is quite extraordinary, so I came specifically to visit. I was momentarily lost in thought; I hope you don't mind!"

The old Taoist priest clasped his hands and said, "Not at all, not at all. Since Layman Li is here for sightseeing, why don't I lead you around and explain a thing or two?"

"Heh heh... It's getting late, and I have other urgent matters. I won't bother you further. Here is some incense money; please accept it..." Fang Ming declined, fearing that this person might have some secret sect techniques or treasures for protection, which could reveal his true nature.

He gave one tael of silver as incense money and, ignoring the old Taoist's surprised expression, took his leave. His trip to the city had been very fruitful, and he no longer wished to linger. He left the city gates and headed towards Qingxi Township.

At the White Water Temple, a young acolyte asked, "Master, why did you pay special attention to that person?"

The old Taoist smiled and said, "Although I haven't cultivated immortal methods, I know some physiognomy. Looking at this person's face, it's very ordinary, but his bearing is extraordinary. He is no ordinary person. It's good to form a good relationship..." In his heart, however, he felt a bit puzzled. This person gave him a very strange feeling, but this was not something to be spoken of.

Without regard for whether the acolyte understood, he waved his sleeve and left.