43. Cosplay

"Follow Goddess Yan and get meat! Goddess Yan's fan club has arrived!"

Another round of wailing and howling rang out outside Qingliang Temple.

Hundreds of men and women in matching pink T-shirts and black capri pants lined up, waving glow sticks in perfect unison.

Professional streamer and internet goddess Dong Keyan went all out, catching Qingliang Temple completely off guard.

For quite a while, the Taoist priests inside the temple and the visiting worshippers stared in bewilderment. Was this a film shoot or something? The whole scene felt completely out of place!

"Second Brother, is this the fight you were talking about?"

The head of the temple, Great Daoist Master Zhao Wendao, gave Second Daoist Master Li Jin Dan a skeptical look.

The Third Daoist Master noticed the woman in ancient costume at the temple gate, facing the camera, and asked, "Could that woman be 'Li Bai's Demoness'?"

Whether it was the "17th Floor" forum username or her actions on the forum, no one would believe that "Li Bai's Demoness" had absolutely no connection to Li Bai himself. When opinion on the forum had overwhelmingly turned against her, she'd brazenly launched a forum-wide rampage. It couldn't have been a spontaneous act of chivalry, or some bored troublemaker barging in for no reason.

"I don't know either."

Daoist Li Jin Dan hunched his shoulders. He couldn't confirm whether the streamer was the forum's notorious "Li Bai's Demoness," but he was sure that anyone capable of making this big a commotion must have an intimidating number of followers.

If she really was "Li Bai's Demoness," then, given her ferocious style, one single assault would be enough to finish Qingliang Temple.

A war of words online was one thing. How could she actually bring it to their doorstep? Wasn't there any sense of fairness? Second Senior Brother felt aggrieved.

"Hmph! They've already come knocking. Are we supposed to sit here and wait to be humiliated? Hurry up and get ready!"

Zhao Wendao's face was cold. He wished he could lash the two men across the face with the whisk in his hand.

"Are we really doing this?"

Second Daoist Master Li Jin Dan still hesitated. The people swaggering around the temple weren't rich patrons who could be fooled by a few cheap tricks.

"Can't you see those big spenders are still here? If we don't show them something, we might as well shut up shop."

Zhao Wendao knew Qingliang Temple absolutely couldn't back down now. Otherwise, they could forget about doing business with those wealthy patrons in the future.

A reputation built through word of mouth was hard to establish, but easy to destroy overnight.

Qingliang Temple had never faced trouble this serious since it was founded. If they didn't bring out their trump card now, when would they?

Zhao Wendao's words snapped He Xunxian to attention. Those people dancing around like monsters didn't seem so worrying after all. He beamed and said, "Senior Brother is right. We can treat this as an advertisement for a ritual. It's the second day of the second lunar month, the day the dragon raises its head. Let's make a lively occasion of it."

Second Daoist Master Li Jin Dan, who had been caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, finally steadied himself.

The "Taoist arts" that the three Daoist Masters had painstakingly developed together were no joke. They were more than enough to suppress any monsters and ghosts. They might as well use this opportunity to show these lawless people just how formidable the Three Pure Ones were.

"Good. I'll go make preparations right now!"

Li Jin Dan called over several of his disciples and quietly gave them some instructions. Then he said, "Get changed!"

The Qingliang Temple trio braced themselves as if facing a formidable enemy.

The temple had turned into a Cosplay performance, with dozens of characters taking turns onstage. After the worshippers gaped in astonishment, they didn't run away. Instead, they watched this unexpected show with great interest.

The ancient Taoist tradition, modern anime characters, and a beautiful streamer in ancient costume hosting the event nearby—it was an unexpected delight.

With her fan club cheering her on, the well-prepared streamer Dong Keyan remained composed and even performed better than usual, smoothly tossing out one Taoist allusion after another.

"...Qingliang Temple was founded three years ago, with an initial registered capital of two hundred thousand. Its registered capital has now reached five million. It has three officially appointed Daoist Masters and twenty-one disciples..."

"Wait! Please stop for a moment!"

Just as Dong Keyan was about to dig up every last detail about Qingliang Temple, Third Daoist Master He Xunxian finally interrupted her.

"Hello, everyone. This is Daoist He Xunxian of Qingliang Temple. His original name was He Jianguo, and before joining Qingliang Temple, he worked as a Feng Shui Master..."

The streamer glanced at Daoist He, her smile growing brighter as she took control of the narrative.

The jaws of the viewers watching the livestream dropped. Daoist Xunxian's original name was Jianguo? His immortal bearing had fallen right out of the heavens and landed him back among ordinary folk!

Fifty years ago, people like this would have been suppressed, paraded through the streets, and sent to labor camps. Now he'd transformed himself into a Daoist Master.

On the streaming platform, a whole line of "666" comments flew across the screen. People watching the drama never minded when things got worse.

"Stop, stop! Who are you?"

He Xunxian was thinking, What in the world? Just who was this woman? How did she even know the name he'd had before changing it?

"Hello, everyone! I'm the internet-famous beauty streamer known as Goddess Yan, Dong Keyan!"

She set off another wave of comments.

The streaming platform was filled with "Follow Goddess Yan and get meat!"

For a beauty streamer who loved meat, it was a pretty fitting slogan.

Of course, that didn't include anything as unspeakable as gallstones.

He Xunxian said furiously, "Streamer Dong, if you keep talking over everyone like this, I'll have you all thrown out!"

The camera swung toward him in a flash. Dong Keyan fell silent, and the scene instantly went cold. The Third Daoist Master of Qingliang Temple was left dumbstruck, unable to say a word. The sudden awkward livestream shot left him mortified.

Couldn't you at least give me a moment to work up to it?

A black Santana drove into the parking lot.

A dashing young gentleman in blue robes and a scholar's gown, with a purple-and-gold crown, sharp brows, and bright eyes, stepped out of the driver's seat. He held a three-foot Green Edge Sword in one hand, looking like a scholar who had crossed through time.

"Hey, Li Bai!"

Before He Xunxian could find the right words to say, Dong Keyan stopped looking at him and waved at the ancient-costumed man strolling over.

The camera operator mercilessly turned the lens away, abandoning the awkward Daoist Master.

"Miss Dong!"

Li Bai clasped his hands around his sword in greeting, leaving the beauty streamer gazing at him in a daze.

She'd painstakingly organized a Cosplay performance as live-action art to support Li Bai. She'd only sent him the idea by text, but he'd shown up dressed as a scholar from ancient times too.

The livestream viewers howled, with a few whimpering comments mixed in.

"This Old Man's Maiden Heart: Holy crap, who is that?"

"Anran (whispers): Eeeek! Where did this young master come from? Goddess Yan, hurry and get his phone number, WeChat ID, and bank account!"

"Gu Sheng Sings of Parting: Goddess Yan belongs to us. That guy can get lost."

The comments had been in perfect formation, all chanting "Follow Goddess Yan and get meat!"

Now the two sides immediately split into opposing camps and started a vicious flame war. Dong Keyan hadn't expected this at all.

"Where did you get that outfit?"

Dong Keyan looked Li Bai up and down in surprise. It wasn't easy to put together a properly fitted outfit like that on short notice. She'd had hers custom-made for her streaming show, and the total had cost her seventy or eighty thousand.

"It's something I had from before."

Li Bai had done little more than put on a wig. He'd returned to his appearance from the other world.

The so-called magic fight was a farce anyway. He was just using the livestream show Dong Keyan had organized to have some fun with Qingliang Temple.

Since it was all just a game, the other side would have to consider its reputation before truly making a scene.

Dong Keyan was riding the hype around Li Bai's fight with Qingliang Temple to gain followers and tips. Great Demon Li was also using the opportunity to flip the table and bring everything out into the open.

After all, so many important clients were watching. Qingliang Temple couldn't afford to make things too ugly, and Li Bai didn't have to worry about Qingliang Temple becoming as entrenched and troublesome as the Yao Family.

"Li Bai! You really dared to come?"

He Xunxian had assumed Li Bai would be just as afraid to show his face as "Li Bai's Demoness." He hadn't expected him to actually show up after accepting the challenge—and with such a huge spectacle.

A police car led the way as three Coaster minibuses entered the parking lot. One black-uniformed police officer after another jumped out. Slung across their backs were enormous "swords."

The words "Special Duty" stood out in white on the officers' uniforms and on their "sword cases."

He Xunxian's face turned green on the spot. Come on, were the police joining in on the Cosplay too?

Li Bai's phone rang.

When he picked up, he heard Officer Old Zhang from the Nanhu District Public Security Bureau on the other end.

"Doctor Li, everyone's there, right? This is all I can do to help you."