The Incense-Bearing Method
The thick weeds underfoot engulfed the path, and the view stretched out to towering trees with lush foliage. Even traveling at midday, one couldn't help but feel a suffocating sense of oppression.
According to the apprentice Liu Sheng, this is how it is in the wild. As long as no one walks there, even a place with jagged rocks will soon become overgrown with weeds.
This is likely all due to the influence of the Four Great Sects immortal families.
It is worth mentioning that, according to the usual procedure, after the incense master finishes his work, the person involved has to arrange a large banquet.
However, after Lu Bai relayed Lord Bai the Fourteenth's words to Grandpa Tao, the old incense master immediately decided to take Lu Bai and several apprentices back to the county town, without even resting much in the village.
Lu Bai didn't have any objections at first, since he didn't have any attachment to that village anyway.
However, while on his journey, he learned about Lord Bai the Fourteenth's status in the martial arts world from Grandpa Tao, and he vaguely felt that everything that happened last night was a bit strange.
It's one thing for two Hu Men Immortal to suddenly appear and cause trouble, but the real problem is, do those two Fox Immortal not know that this is Lord Bai the Fourteenth's territory?
Moreover, even after seeing that Grandpa Tao had summoned Lord Bai the Fourteenth through Commune with Spirits, he still didn't run away and even dared to fight back.
This is a bit too reckless.
Unfortunately, he still had too little information. After thinking for a while, Lu Bai couldn't find a reasonable explanation, so he simply decided to assume that the two Fox Immortal were crazy for now.
As the group ventured deeper into the forest, they noticed the surroundings becoming increasingly quiet, with birdsong and insect chirps gradually fading into the distance.
Lu Bai inexplicably felt that there were more prying eyes in the dark forest.
Grandpa Tao walked at the front, without saying much, and silently took out an incense stick from his bundle and lit it.
He bowed in all four directions. "My enemies, we'll run into each other again sometime, let's save face for each other."
As soon as he said this, a rustling sound came from the surroundings.
A moment later, the feeling of being spied on disappeared.
Grandpa Tao glanced at Lu Bai, waved for everyone to continue following him, and explained in a low voice, "Don't be fooled by our imposing Incense Officer in front of the villagers. It's mainly because of Lord Bai the Fourteenth's influence. Don't go looking for trouble with evil spirits. If you do run into one, you still have to show them proper respect."
Lu Bai nodded, then realized something was amiss.
Why are you telling me this?
Having served Incense Officer for so many years, Grandpa Tao still had excellent eyesight and immediately noticed Lu Bai's doubts.
He immediately laughed and said, "I consider myself to know Lord Bai the Fourteenth quite well, but I've never seen him so eager to see someone. It won't be long before we become colleagues."
It's actually quite easy to understand.
Since Lord Bai the Fourteenth did not kill or beat Lu Bai when he was present, and his attitude was so good, and Lu Bai did not know Lord Bai the Fourteenth before.
It was quite obvious what Lu Bai wanted to do.
"Doesn't Lord Bai the Fourteenth have you as his Incense Officer?" Lu Bai stroked his chin.
"I can't manage alone."
Grandpa Tao said with a smile.
In fact, most highly accomplished immortals have more than one Incense Officer.
The surrounding villages are indeed managed by Grandpa Tao.
But Lord Bai the Fourteenth's territory extends far beyond just these few villages.
Their temples are all located in the county seat, and they govern dozens of villages of varying sizes.
Therefore, Lord Bai the Fourteenth currently has more than twenty Incense Officer servants under his command.
Adding or removing one won't affect the Incense Officer.
Ultimately, they were never able to borrow all of Lord Bai the Fourteenth's Mana; at most, conflicts might arise when they Commune with Spirits.
The problem is that most Incense Officer are only good to Gaze Incense but Top Incense, and the number of truly bad ones is very small.
Lu Bai nodded thoughtfully.
He knew his talent was quite good, but he was still somewhat resistant to being possessed by a deity.
Even knowing that Lord Bai the Fourteenth was a good-natured man who protected the peace of the region when the world was in chaos, he still couldn't accept that his body had been taken over by the immortals.
Walking in the dark forest, one's perception of time and space becomes blurred.
When Lu Bai followed Grandpa Tao and his three apprentices out of the woods, it was already close to evening.
However, there's no need to worry about traveling at night; a small county town is already in sight.
"It's just ahead."
Grandpa Tao waved his hand, signaling everyone to quicken their pace.
Following the road extending from the entrance of the county town, Lu Bai quickly caught up.
To be honest, Lu Bai felt that Grandpa Tao hadn't taught his three apprentices any real skills, except that they were exceptionally good at developing their leg strength.
Despite not sleeping all night and then traveling for such a long time, the three apprentices still looked incredibly energetic.
The city gate guard clearly recognized Grandpa Tao, the incense stick keeper, and nodded in acknowledgment. He didn't even bother to check their identities and let them into the city directly.
Led by Grandpa Tao, the group headed straight for the Lord Bai the Fourteenth in the center of the county town.
Perhaps it was because of the presence of Master Lord Bai the Fourteenth that the city's commerce was quite prosperous, with various vendors' cries echoing along the way, and you rarely encountered lifeless passersby.
These rare glimpses of everyday life made Lu Bai, who had been traveling through the forest for a long time, feel much more relaxed.
Lord Bai the Fourteenth's temple was a mansion, with its vermilion gate displaying the grandeur of a wealthy family.
Thump~ thump~ thump~
Grandpa Tao picked up the door knocker ring and began to tap it rhythmically.
Soon, the door opened out of thin air.
Grandpa Tao immediately led his three apprentices to bow respectfully.
He then turned to Lu Bai and said, "Lord Bai the Fourteenth is inside. Come with me."
The three apprentices stopped outside the gate, partly because they were not yet qualified to see Lord Bai the Fourteenth.
On the other hand, it also prevents being passively "disconnected".
On the way here, Grandpa Tao gave Lu Bai a general overview of the process of becoming a head incense burner.
This process consists of three steps: Take Method, Pass In, and Open Top.
Simply put, it involves a separation ritual to break away from the original group or environment.
This process of separation is called "Take Method." During this stage, people may suddenly fall ill, usually manifesting as coma, fever, delirium, or other unusual symptoms or behaviors.
The problem is that frequent contact with spirit mediums can easily lead to these symptoms, which is considered a passive separation.
Most people simply can't survive this phase; they either die or go insane. It's best to minimize contact with it.
Of course, the better the talent, the milder this manifestation will be.
Grandpa Tao recovered after only three days of vomiting and diarrhea, which shows he has a very good natural talent.
The courtyard was quiet and empty, yet it was spotless.
The two walked into the lobby one after the other.
The incense altar was placed in the center of the hall, and fruits and vegetables were placed in front of the shrine. Three sticks of incense were burning with wisps of smoke.
Lu Bai's attention quickly focused on a painting in a colorful style.
The portrait, hanging above the shrine, depicts a middle-aged man sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat, his round face bearing a simple, honest smile, resembling a Maitreya Buddha.