Chapter 161: Chapter 160: An Effortless Find

’To wear out your iron shoes in a fruitless search, only to stumble upon it without any effort.’

Gu Zhao had wanted to quote the proverb, but he felt it was inappropriate since he hadn’t even started looking yet.

The Five Thunders Order had confirmed the old Daoist’s qualifications, and in turn, Gu Zhao now confirmed the old Daoist’s identity.

It was clearly Taoist True Qi, yet it was laced with wisps of Yin Qi. This Yin Qi, however, wasn’t sinister or cold. On the contrary, it carried an air of majesty and solemnity, exuding a stern and righteous aura.

This wasn’t the energy of a malevolent spirit, but that of a king of the Netherworld.

’No doubt about it. A Daoist from the Fengyue Sect!’

Just the day before yesterday, Taoist Ming Yu had told Gu Zhao that the Northern Emperor Sect and the Fengyue Sect were the outliers of the Taoist Sect. One was exceedingly bloodthirsty, while the other was brimming with Yin Qi. At first glance, neither seemed like good people.

But in truth, for Demons and Ghosts, these two sects really weren’t good people. If you encountered a Daoist from another sect, they might scold you a bit and let you die with some peace of mind. But if you ran into a Daoist from one of these two sects, they would attack without a second word.

Gu Zhao watched as the old Daoist performed the exorcism. He circulated the True Qi in his body, then used the candlelight in his hand to ignite and activate it, spreading it in all directions to disperse the surrounding Yin Qi.

The quality of Taoist True Qi was extremely high. Even with just a sliver of Magical Power, he was able to disperse the Yin Qi that had accumulated in this small forest. It would take at least a few months for this much Yin Qi to gather here again.

As long as that middle-aged man listened, a few months would be enough time for them to clear the mountain, cut the timber, and improve the environment.

After a full half-hour, the old Daoist had completely exhausted his Magical Power, and the candle in his hand finally went out. It might have been a psychological effect, but everyone felt that the mountain wind was no longer so bone-chilling.

"It’s noon. The sun’s a bit stronger now," someone said.

The old Daoist shot the man a sidelong glance without a word, simply handing the Wooden Gui in his hand to his disciple to complete the final ritual of reverence.

Seeing the old Daoist let out a sigh of relief, sweating despite the cold of winter, the middle-aged man cautiously approached and offered him a thermos. "Have some tea, sir."

The old Daoist didn’t stand on ceremony, taking the cup and having a sip.

"Is it done?" the middle-aged man asked.

"It’s done." The old Daoist nodded and handed the thermos back to him. "Take us back now."

"Stay and have lunch in the village before you go," the middle-aged man offered.

"We won’t stay. It’s not late." The old Daoist shook his head. "We’ll get back to the temple just in time for noon. We can take a nap after lunch."

Seeing the old Daoist’s slightly weary expression, the middle-aged man understood. He nodded repeatedly and helped support the old Daoist as they walked back.

The four young Daoists beside them quickly packed up the Magical Artifacts and Banners, then followed along.

Gu Zhao said to Gu Qi, "I need to talk to that old Daoist about something, so I’ll head off first. If you can’t buy any wood here, don’t worry about it. We have plenty of Small-leafed Purple Sandalwood at home anyway. I’ll see if I can find some Golden Rattan Wood from abroad later."

Gu Qi shook his head. "You won’t find Golden Rattan Wood abroad. Even if you did, the quality of the ’golden threads’ would be terrible. It wouldn’t be worth anything."

Since he knew Gu Zhao had real skills, Gu Qi didn’t question his actions. He just watched him leave, then followed the group of business owners through the mountain forest to an ancient village on the other side to look for lumber and participate in the bidding.

...

"Greetings, Daoists!"

Gu Zhao followed a short distance behind them and soon reached the village entrance. Seeing them about to board a minibus, he called out, "I need to leave the village for something. Could I catch a ride with you?"

"We’re heading to the Fengdu Temple to the west. It’s quite remote and not easily accessible. Is that on your way?" the middle-aged man explained. "If it’s not, you’d be better off waiting here for the public bus. It goes directly to the county seat."

"That’s perfect! I was just heading to the Fengdu Temple," Gu Zhao said with a smile. "If you come to Feng County and don’t visit the Fengdu Temple, isn’t that a wasted trip?"

One of the young Daoists shook his head. "You might be mistaken. The Fengdu Temple isn’t the Taoist Temple inside the Ghost City scenic area. It’s over by the old Fengdu Mountain, which is in the opposite direction from the tourist spot. It’s very remote."

Gu Zhao nodded. "Then I’m really in luck. The Fengdu Temple is exactly where I’m going."

Everyone looked at Gu Zhao in confusion. He, in turn, took two steps forward to support the old Daoist, channeling a stream of True Qi into him. "Emperor Fengdu is a true deity of the Taoist Sect. Since I’m here, I must pay my respects."

The old Daoist’s previously cold expression instantly changed. He gave Gu Zhao a surprised look, a slightly stiff smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. "It’s good for a young man to pay respects to Emperor Fengdu. Join us for lunch, and this afternoon, the temple’s car can take you wherever you need to go."

The four young Daoists looked at the old Daoist, their eyes filled with astonishment.

’Their grandmaster was always so stern and unsmiling, so severe and strict. He was rarely this gentle unless he was in an exceptionally good mood. Why was he being so pleasant to this young man?’

The old Daoist patted Gu Zhao’s hand and pulled away from his support, boarding the bus first. "I’ll be fine after a little rest. No need to waste it."

Gu Zhao followed him onto the bus and was immediately called over by the old Daoist to sit beside him. "What’s your name, young man?"

"My name is Gu Zhao. May I ask for your Daoist name, Daoist?"

"My secular surname is Yan, and my Daoist name is Jing Feng," the old Daoist said, then asked, "At which Taoist Temple do you practice? Are you also here because of that mountain forest?"

The four young Daoists at the side looked at Gu Zhao curiously, their faces showing their confusion.

Gu Zhao was taken aback. ’He realized they didn’t even know the true extent of Taoist Jing Feng’s abilities.’

"Yes, my dad is a lumber merchant. He told me about this place when he got home, so I came to take a look," Gu Zhao replied. "I learned Magic from my grandfather. I haven’t undergone a formal Transmission ceremony or joined a sect."

"That was thoughtful of you." Taoist Jing Feng nodded, then asked curiously, "Which sect’s Daoist Technique do you practice?"

"The Shangqing Heavenly Heart Righteous Method, the Golden Locking Jade Technique, and the Shenxiao Yushu Zhan Kan Five Thunder Technique. Recently, I’ve also been studying the Shenxiao Taiji Thunder Concealment Book," Gu Zhao replied.

The four young Daoists beside them stared with wide eyes, their expressions a mixture of pure, unadulterated confusion.

Taoist Jing Feng pointed to himself and introduced with a smile, "I practice the Beiyin Fengdu Technique. The full name is the *Beiyin Fengdu’s Supreme Profound Demon-Controlling Black Law Spirit Book*."

"I could tell," Gu Zhao nodded. "The moment you acted, I sensed Yin Spiritual Power—stern and majestic. The merely naturally-occurring Yin Qi collapsed on contact, completely unable to resist."

Gu Zhao’s praise made Taoist Jing Feng chuckle heartily.

...

The minibus drove steadily all the way to the Fengdu Temple, and Gu Zhao managed to learn a good deal of information from Taoist Jing Feng along the way.

Although the Fengyue Sect had mostly merged into the Shenxiao Sect, it had not died out completely. It continued to be passed down in the Mountain City Shu Province area, but its lineage had always been narrow. There were even a few breaks in its transmission over the years. If not for the preservation of its scriptures and texts, it might have been lost to time.

As they got off the bus, they noticed thick black smoke rising into the sky behind them.

A middle-aged Daoist hurried over. "Master! A forest fire has started behind us! It’s burning its way toward the county seat and might even reach us. The fire department is organizing an evacuation!"