Chapter 85 - 53: Shouyi Temple Steward

Chapter 85: Chapter 53: Shouyi Temple Steward

The Talisman Crane hovered in the sky above the bamboo forest peak.

Li Yinsheng stood at the very front of the Talisman Crane. Behind him, Mu Xiaoyu, who had been lying down for the entire journey, stood up and positioned herself obediently at his back.

Six figures rose from the mountain and flew toward the Talisman Crane.

Leading them was an old man with completely white hair and beard. He wore a dark cyan Daoist Robe embroidered with golden threads depicting bamboo branches and leaves. Qi Jiushan followed beside the old man, also wearing a cyan robe embroidered with bamboo leaves. If nothing went wrong, this old man should be the Vice Temple Master he had mentioned, the one coordinating all affairs during the mountain’s harvest season.

Flanking the two were four others in varying attire. They were likely experts invited from other Daoist Temples, and every one of them possessed a Cultivation base no weaker than Qi Jiushan’s.

Seeing a full six people, Li Yinsheng was somewhat surprised.

When Qi Jiushan had sought him out previously, he had claimed that Huang Bamboo Temple was in desperate need of experts. However, from the looks of it now, there were already six experts with decent Cultivation. The aura of the Vice Temple Master leading them was even significantly stronger than that of the Vice Temple Master of Yellow Crane Temple.

In that case, they didn’t seem to be lacking in manpower at all. Or could it be that the demons in this place were truly unusually numerous, requiring this many people to hold the fort to ensure nothing went wrong?

As Li Yinsheng pondered, the six people flew over and stopped in front of the Talisman Crane.

"I am Liang Qiwu, Vice Temple Master of Huang Bamboo Temple. Thank you, Li, for your willingness to lend a helping hand." The leading old man chuckled and cupped his hands in greeting to Li Yinsheng.

On their way up, Qi Jiushan had already informed him of Li Yinsheng’s identity.

"You are too polite, Liang," Li Yinsheng returned the greeting.

"Li, you have traveled a long way. This is not the place to talk," Liang Qiwu said. "Our temple has already set up several houses on the mountain. Please come inside to discuss further."

Li Yinsheng nodded. Just as he was about to follow Vice Temple Master Liang, a discordant voice suddenly rang out from the group.

"This Li from Xuanzhen Temple is also here to guard the mountain against demons, right? Li is young, and his Cultivation isn’t bad. However, to have such Cultivation at this age, he must have devoted himself entirely to bitter training. He might not necessarily be skilled in Magical Combat, right?

"Besides, Xuanzhen Temple has long since fallen from grace. These past years, it has been a shadow of its former self, barely clinging to life. What kind of outstanding disciple could it possibly cultivate?

"The ripening of the Cultivation Fruit this time is a major event that happens only once every ten years for Huang Bamboo Temple. There is no room for error. Li is still young, has no reputation for excelling in Magical Combat, and hails from Xuanzhen Temple. Is he truly reliable?"

Li Yinsheng was taken aback.

If these questioning remarks had been spoken by someone from Huang Bamboo Temple, it would undoubtedly be extremely contrary to the proper way of treating guests. You were the ones who took the initiative to invite someone, only to question them upon arrival and make insolent remarks. Even a child wouldn’t do something so absurd.

But...

He shifted his gaze toward the source of the voice. No matter how he looked at it, the speaker did not seem to be from Huang Bamboo Temple.

The speaker looked to be around fifty years old with a gaunt face. He wore an off-white Daoist Robe, different from those of Huang Bamboo Temple, traced with several seal script characters in red-gold cinnabar. Beside him was a Cultivator wearing the same Daoist Robe who looked a few years younger, likely from the same temple.

Looking at the speaker, Li Yinsheng was full of questions. He wondered, "No, seriously, buddy, who are you? Is it your place to speak here?"

"Xu!" Liang Qiwu spoke up immediately, looking at the speaker. A trace of dissatisfaction appeared on his face, but he quickly suppressed it. "Li is a guest invited by the Steward of our Huang Bamboo Temple’s Demon Suppression Hall. Why would you say such things?"

"I am merely worrying on your behalf, Liang," the gaunt Cultivator smiled without a trace of warmth. "The harvesting of the Cultivation Fruit happens once a decade. There is no room for error.

"Rather than inviting an extra Cultivator from a destitute Daoist Temple, wouldn’t your esteemed temple be better off using this money to buy more Talismans to distribute to your Patrol Disciples? Wouldn’t that be more useful than recklessly inviting someone of unknown capabilities?"

A hint of anger rose on Qi Jiushan’s face as he stood to the side. He first gave Li Yinsheng an apologetic look, then spoke with a cold sneer. "Then, in your opinion, Xu, whose Talismans should we buy?"

"HAHAHA..." The gaunt Cultivator burst into laughter. "Qi, you’re asking a question you already know the answer to. Let me ask you: within the entire Zhengyang Dharma Vein, whose Talismans can compare to those of my Shouyi Temple?"

Qi Jiushan’s face darkened.

"Enough, Xu," Liang Qiwu interjected. "I will consider the matter of the Talismans. However, we can’t discuss this here. Please return with me first.

"Furthermore, Li is a guest invited by Huang Bamboo Temple. Naturally, our temple has absolutely no doubts about Li’s capabilities.

"I am deeply grateful for your concern for Huang Bamboo Temple, Xu. But you must not utter such disrespectful and questioning remarks again!"

As he spoke, Liang Qiwu’s tone hardened. His aura flared out and pressed directly toward Cultivator Xu from Shouyi Temple.

"Very well, very well." Cultivator Xu cupped his hands. Although he didn’t show any fear, he did restrain himself a bit.

"I am truly sorry, Li," Liang Qiwu turned to Li Yinsheng, cupping his hands in a respectful bow, his face full of apology. "Xu has a rather... blunt personality and has offended you, Fellow Daoist. I apologize on his behalf and hope you can forgive him."

Li Yinsheng was somewhat surprised.

In his perception, Cultivator Xu’s Cultivation was roughly on par with Qi Jiushan’s. Yet Liang Qiwu, a dignified Vice Temple Master, seemed to be quite wary of him. Could it be that just because this person hailed from Shouyi Temple, he could make Vice Temple Master Liang this apprehensive?

"It’s fine." Li Yinsheng waved his hand dismissively. He didn’t want to make things difficult for an old man with a good attitude, not to mention that every wrong had its specific perpetrator.

Seeing that Li Yinsheng didn’t seem to intend to pursue the matter, Liang Qiwu breathed a sigh of relief and quickly invited everyone to head back.

Mu Xiaoyu tugged at the hem of Li Yinsheng’s clothes from behind. "Senior Brother, that skinny old monkey has no manners at all!"

She controlled her volume perfectly. It sounded as if she were whispering to Li Yinsheng, but everyone around them heard her loud and clear.

The gaunt Cultivator Xu’s face sank. Just as he was about to erupt, Qi Jiushan caught sight of his expression and immediately spoke up. "By the way, Xu, how do you sell these Talismans? Do you offer a discount for large quantities?"

Cultivator Xu choked on his words. As he was about to speak, Liang Qiwu snapped at Qi Jiushan.

"Junior Brother, why are you in such a rush? Xu is a distinguished guest, not some rude Loose Cultivator going door-to-door to peddle his wares. How can we discuss business out in this desolate wilderness?

"We must wait until we return and brew a fine pot of Cloud Mist tea for Xu before discussing things in detail. That is the proper way to treat a guest."

Cultivator Xu’s face darkened further. The phrase "rude Loose Cultivator going door-to-door to peddle his wares" was clearly a pointed barb directed at him.

"Yes, yes, yes, you are right to scold me, Senior Brother," Qi Jiushan hurriedly said, cupping his hands toward Cultivator Xu. "I was too impatient. My apologies, my apologies."

"Hmph..." Cultivator Xu snorted coldly. Following this interruption, it was no longer appropriate for him to pursue the little girl’s "whisper" from earlier.

"Alright, alright. Everyone, please follow me." Liang Qiwu led the way, stepping on a bamboo leaf as he flew toward the mountain peak below.

Stepping onto a Talisman that was roughly ten feet long and three to four feet wide, Cultivator Xu was about to follow when he suddenly felt a massive force strike his side. Utterly losing control of both himself and the Talisman beneath his feet, he plummeted straight down.

"AH—"

In midair, Li Yinsheng, who was steering the Talisman Crane and had just swatted Cultivator Xu out of the sky with a single flap of its wing, met everyone’s gaze with an entirely insincere look of apology.

"Oh my, I’m so sorry. I am usually entirely engrossed in Cultivation and am a bit unpracticed when it comes to controlling artifacts. Xu was a bit too close just now, and this Talisman Crane of mine isn’t very easy to steer..." Li Yinsheng threw his hands up, indicating that it was all an accident.

The others exchanged glances with one another.

Aside from the other Cultivator from Shouyi Temple—who had remained silent the entire time and now had a livid expression—the two from Huang Bamboo Temple and the two from other Daoist Temples all wore expressions as if they wanted to laugh but felt it inappropriate to do so openly. However, beneath their suppressed smiles, they inevitably felt a degree of astonishment in their hearts.

Everyone knew that Li Yinsheng’s "sneak attack" just now couldn’t possibly have been an accident. But Cultivator Xu was a Steward of Shouyi Temple with remarkable Cultivation, and the Talisman he used was no ordinary item. Yet, he had been swatted out of the air so easily. Even with the advantage of a surprise attack, it shouldn’t have been that simple. It seemed this Li truly possessed formidable methods.

A moment later, Cultivator Xu, who had just been swatted down, flew back up in a blind rage. Though he didn’t appear injured and his exceptional Daoist Robe hadn’t suffered any damage, he was covered in leaves and broken twigs. Upon closer inspection, a bit of dirt stained his robe as well.

Any Cultivator who dared to attempt Flying in the Sky naturally had means to ensure they wouldn’t be injured even if they fell to the ground mid-flight. Otherwise, it would be far too comical to lose one’s life to a mere accidental fall while traveling. However, the area below was a dense forest. Having tumbled all the way from the canopy down to the ground, a disheveled appearance was unavoidable.

"Li, you—!" Cultivator Xu glared fiercely at Li Yinsheng, yet he didn’t quite dare to utter any harsh threats. Aside from anger, his gloomy old face displayed an even greater sense of dread.

"Now, now, Xu. You yourself just said that Li is still young. Therefore, he is somewhat unpracticed when it comes to piloting Flying Magical Artifacts, and accidentally bumped into you, Fellow Daoist." Liang Qiwu stepped forward with a deadly serious expression, forcing himself not to laugh. "I apologize to you on his behalf. Please forgive him, Fellow Daoist."

Cultivator Xu ground his teeth. He remained silent for a long moment before finally squeezing a word through his teeth: "...It’s fine."

"Then, everyone, please continue to follow me." Liang Qiwu once again took the lead to guide the way.

"Wait!" Cultivator Xu propelled the Talisman beneath his feet, sprinting forward to stop by Liang Qiwu’s side and leaving Li Yinsheng behind. "I will travel alongside you, Liang."

"Very well. Please." Liang Qiwu nodded and led the group as they flew downward.

Then, a sudden rush of wind sounded by their ears. Li Yinsheng, who had been trailing at the very back on his Talisman Crane, caught up from behind and, with another flap of its wing, swatted Cultivator Xu out of the sky once more. Furthermore, the wing of the Talisman Crane had dodged the nearby Liang Qiwu with absolute precision, not brushing against him in the slightest.

The crowd fell dead silent, and only Cultivator Xu’s screams—louder than the last time—echoed from below.

"An accident, an accident," Li Yinsheng chuckled as he threw his hands up once again.

"An accident, an accident," Mu Xiaoyu mimicked from the side, mirroring Li Yinsheng by throwing her hands up.

"Uh..." Liang Qiwu suddenly felt his scalp tingle with numbness.

The first time he saw Cultivator Xu get swatted down, he assumed it was largely due to the element of a sneak attack. Now, having witnessed it firsthand right beside him, he realized that the seemingly simple slap just now was actually incredibly ingenious, to the point of being nearly unavoidable. Even if he had been the target, he most likely would have been swatted down without the slightest ability to retaliate.

His gaze swept over the Talisman Crane beneath Li Yinsheng’s feet. How strange. No matter how he looked at it, this Talisman Crane seemed to be the exclusive Secret Treasure of Yellow Crane Temple. He had only ever heard that these Talisman Cranes excelled at escaping; he had never heard of them being adept at swatting people.

But regardless, any crane that could teach those from Shouyi Temple a lesson was a good crane!

This bunch was truly going too far—they had even come all the way to Huang Bamboo Temple to demand a slice of the pie! They had clearly never been invited, yet they suddenly showed up seeking to extort freebies, and even wanted Huang Bamboo Temple to fork over money to buy their Talismans. They were truly insatiably greedy!

"You need not worry, Li. I believe that Xu is not a narrow-minded person," Liang Qiwu chuckled as he spoke to Li Yinsheng.

Li Yinsheng nodded. "That is for the best."

His gaze swept past the spot where Cultivator Xu had fallen screaming, and he let out a mocking smile. He mused, "So you want to be sarcastic, huh? You want to step on me to peddle your Talismans, do you? Do you think I’m some good-tempered pushover?"

Moreover, he could clearly sense that the other party’s sudden attack against him just now wasn’t purely to lift themselves up by tearing him down. Judging by the man’s expression and tone when mentioning Xuanzhen Temple, his identity as someone from Xuanzhen Temple was likely the main reason for the hostility. Li Yinsheng hadn’t forgotten that Shouyi Temple had already publicly laid a premature claim on Xuanzhen Temple’s Spirit Vein.

The harvesting of the Cultivation Fruit this time would take a full half month. He had just been worried that standing guard here for half a month would be somewhat boring, and now some entertainment had delivered itself right to his doorstep.

Li Yinsheng sneered inwardly. He thought, "So you’re from Shouyi Temple, are you? Let’s take it slow. I’m bored out of my mind anyway, so I’ll have plenty of time to play with you over this next half month."