The Tao Follows Nature

Chapter 47 - The Tao Follows Nature

Qingliang Temple's ultimate forbidden art—the so-called Samadhi True Fire—had been seen through by Li Bai's Glazed Heart. It was actually the same sort of thing as ghost fire; calling it Three Bewitching Ghost Fires would have been more appropriate.

Even so, the trick was still shockingly spectacular. The light aerosolized phosphorus compound drifted with the wind, then spontaneously ignited in the wind. Anyone else who could not see through it would probably have fallen to their knees on the spot.

Zhao Wendao, the Great Daoist Master of Qingliang Temple, went pale, then green. He could not believe that a mere young psychologist had such insight, casually seeing through his trick. He demanded sharply, "You... who exactly are you?"

Releasing the hand seal hidden in his sleeve, Li Bai smiled calmly. Holding his sword, he said unhurriedly, "Li Bai, psychologist at the Seventh People's Hospital Psychiatry Department."

He had barely even shown his power, yet the other side was already out of tricks. What a disappointment.

"Leave some room for others, and we'll meet again someday. How about we each take a step back?"

Zhao Wendao suddenly lowered his voice. He absolutely did not believe the other man was merely a psychiatrist. The "Taoist arts" he and his two junior brothers had painstakingly developed were not something ordinary people could see through.

Li Bai ignored his hint at reconciliation and said blandly, "Did Qingliang Temple leave anyone any room?"

"..."

That question was like a knife plunging into Zhao Wendao's vital spot, and he suddenly fell silent.

One knew one's own affairs best. Since the other party had put it that way, the old Daoist could not deny what Qingliang Temple had done on the "17th Floor" forum.

The man had already come knocking at their door. There was no point in forcing himself to lie through his teeth.

"What other tricks do you have? Go ahead and use them!"

Seeing the other side's bluffing reaction, Li Bai sighed. Had he known it would be this boring, he might as well have stood them up like Qingyao Demoness had.

Now it seemed that the demoness had shown real foresight by arranging a duel and then not showing up.

"Don't push people too far."

Zhao Wendao was already out of tricks. Though his voice was harsh, it could not conceal the panic beneath his bravado.

Qingliang Temple had only developed a few Taoist arts. They were more than enough to fool wealthy people, but who would have thought they would run into someone this relentless?

If he knew Taoist Palm Lightning, he would definitely have hurled a grenade at him without hesitation.

"So what if I push you? The moment I saw you, I understood—it's not that old people turn bad. Bad people simply grow old!"

Having completely seized the initiative, Li Bai remained aggressively pressing forward.

Like everyone else, Dong Keyan covered her cherry lips when she saw the terrifying Samadhi True Fire fall and go out all at once. She had never expected Li Bai, who had been surrounded on all sides by countless flames and seemingly unable to escape even with wings, to resolve the crisis with a mere gesture.

She suddenly jolted, then quickly faced the camera and shouted, "Fans, viewers, did you see that? This isn't a movie! This isn't special effects! It's Taoist arts! Oh my god, it's actually real! I can't even describe it with words anymore. Tell me, should I believe in the Three Pure Ones or in the Bodhisattva?"

Li Bai could see through Qingliang Temple's Taoist arts, but that did not mean others could do the same.

Hearing Dong Keyan, Li Bai turned to look at her and said, "Miss Dong, this isn't Taoist arts. It's magic—though unfortunately, it has gone down a crooked path."

Magic?!

Dong Keyan and the others were all stunned, their expressions saying that their entire worldview desperately needed updating.

Before this, no one had even considered magic. They had all been bluffed by the Daoists of Qingliang Temple.

Now that it had been pointed out, it was as though a thin layer of window paper had been pierced. Everyone immediately found it more terrifying the more they thought about it.

There would always be blind spots under the lamp, and selective neglect was only natural.

"If this Daoist's Taoist arts are magic, then what about yours? Is that magic too?"

The Great Daoist Master of Qingliang Temple seemed to have come to his senses. He recalled the Samadhi True Fire that had inexplicably gone out together. Phosphorus fire could not be extinguished even with water and could burn through stone, so how could it have been put out so easily? It should have continued burning for quite a while.

Li Bai answered honestly, "It's sorcery!"

The old Daoist naturally did not believe him in the slightest. What sorcery? Wasn't it just the same kind of deception they practiced? Embarrassed into anger, he snapped, "Since we are fellow practitioners, why are you still pressing us so hard?"

The implication was that everyone was just trying to make a living, so why not give them some face?

"Was I the one who started pressuring you?"

Li Bai turned his words right back on him. Qingliang Temple had thought him easy to bully and used him as a stepping stone to make a name for themselves. Now that they had made such a mess of things, they still had the nerve to blame someone else?

Did they have no shame? Did they have no damn self-awareness?

Since when had people from the Seventh People's Hospital become so easy to bully?

Did they not know that psychiatrists were legally protected when they cracked people's skulls open?

"You're courting death!"

The self-important composure and detached state of mind he had prided himself on finally shattered. Zhao Wendao flew into a rage, took a swift step forward, and struck Li Bai in the chest with a palm faster than the eye could follow.

This palm strike was no ordinary move. It was called the Cinnabar Palm. Place a piece of tofu between two bricks, and with one strike, both bricks would crack while the tofu remained unharmed. Used on a person, it would rupture the internal organs and damage the bone marrow; even half a year in the hospital would be getting off lightly.

But in the next second, Zhao Wendao's expression changed drastically. His palm felt as though it had landed on cotton, without making the slightest sound.

No one could ambush Li Bai within the range of the Glazed Heart. Gang Qi protected his body, directly blocking the Cinnabar Palm. The other man's hand had not even touched his clothes.

"What?"

The old Daoist's eyes nearly popped out. He had trained the Cinnabar Palm for nearly thirty years, but the sensation of that strike was utterly bizarre—so bizarre that words could not describe it.

"Come on, bark like a puppy!"

As though he had not seen the hand pressed against his chest, Li Bai snapped his fingers in front of the other man's eyes.

Hypnosis did not easily work on those with strong wills or who were already on guard. Unless one was a true great cultivator with profound cultivation and a spotless mind, anyone's mental vulnerabilities could be exploited by hypnosis at any time.

This was a technical skill. Only the most professional masters could seize upon such vulnerabilities in an instant and successfully cast their spell.

"Woof! Woof woof!"

Zhao Wendao's face was full of terror. He wanted to cover his mouth, but it was completely beyond his control, continuously letting out barking sounds.

Even when he clamped his mouth shut, involuntary cries still came from his throat, sounding like a little puppy.

"What is going on?"

The beauty anchor, Dong Keyan, stood there dumbfounded.

Just moments ago, she had been furious that Qingliang Temple's old Daoists had resorted to violence after losing the argument, but the situation suddenly took a bizarre turn, and he actually began barking nonstop.

Was he possessed?

"Dad, is Daoist Zhao inviting a god to possess him?"

Young Master Ni looked doubtfully at the Qingliang Temple master's new performance.

Chairman Ni said uncertainly, "Maybe?"

He had no idea what kind of trick Daoist Zhao was pulling.

"Doesn't he look like the Howling Celestial Hound? Could it be that Erlang Shen wasn't home, so he summoned the Howling Celestial Hound instead?"

Young Master Ni scratched the back of his head, finding it strange. When people invited gods to possess them, it was either Zhao Zilong, Lord Guan, the Supreme Lord Lao, or sometimes even the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Inviting Erlang Shen was nothing unusual, but he had never heard of anyone inviting the Howling Celestial Hound.

Could this be Qingliang Temple's signature special act?

"Howling Celestial Hound? What nonsense are you spouting? I'll beat you to death, you little brat!"

Caught completely off guard, Young Master Ni was given a fierce beating by his own father, Chairman Ni.

The balding, potbellied man with a Mediterranean haircut, who was holding his mistress, smacked his lips and guessed, "Could he be possessed? I heard online that this Li Bai knows evil sorcery!"

As soon as he said that, his face went pale, and he involuntarily took a step back.

Even Qingliang Temple's Great Daoist Master had fallen victim to it. Just how evil did this have to be? He had better not suffer such an undeserved disaster himself.

The mistress, young enough to be the fat man's daughter, was fearless through ignorance. She pouted coquettishly. "Boss Jin, what are you talking about? It's broad daylight. Where would any evil come from?"

"Senior Disciple Brother? Kid, what did you do?"

Li Jin Dan was somewhat dazed. Senior Disciple Brother's behavior was definitely abnormal.

The moment he looked toward Li Bai and their eyes met, he knew it was bad!

Smack!

"Let me hear you meow like a cat!"

"Meow! Meow meow!"

The meowing was incredibly bewitching, like a cat in heat.

The Daoists beside Qingliang Temple's Second Daoist Master were terrified of being infected by the evil aura and hurriedly scattered.

Damn it, this was too much. Third Daoist Master He Xunxian's face turned green. He knew Qingliang Temple had truly kicked an iron plate this time, and without hesitation, he turned and tried to flee.

"Daoist He?"

The young man's voice came from behind him. He Xunxian forced himself not to turn around.

"Hm?"

Smack!

"Go on, bray like a donkey!"

"Hee-haw! Hee-haw! Hee-haw!"

The shrill braying immediately drowned out the cat-and-dog battle between the Great Daoist Master and Second Daoist Master.

His mind had been completely seized. Even without turning around, he had still been hit.

Third Daoist Master failed to escape. The balding, potbellied man holding his mistress nearly wet himself, dragging the girl beside him as he half-pulled, half-shuffled toward the entrance.

"And you lot."

Li Bai looked toward the Qingliang Temple Daoists, whose faces were deathly pale and whose entire bodies trembled.

"Immortal, spare us! Immortal, spare us!"

No one knew who started it, but someone's knees buckled. One after another, they dropped to their knees and began begging for mercy. With that cat-dog-donkey chorus going on, anyone could tell something was wrong.

Even the incense pilgrims and cosplay players nearby felt a faint urge to kneel.

"Do you know our Party's policy?"

Li Bai revealed a mouthful of snow-white teeth. His smile was bright and handsome.