Chapter 423: A Heart for the World, the Dao Within

When the other black bear saw Ning Fei, it was a little hesitant at first, but seeing Xiaoxiong's reaction, it followed along and ran over. Xiaoxiong bounced happily around Ning Fei, enthusiastically showing off his new wife.

Unable to watch this display any longer, Little Dog barked twice at Xiaoxiong.

Xiaoxiong instantly chickened out, scrambling back a few steps and nearly tripping over himself.

His comical reaction made Ning Fei laugh.

"Little Dog, stop scaring him!"

Ning Fei scolded the puppy with a smile.

Little Dog wagged his tail and let his tongue loll out, putting on a goofy expression.

Xiaoxiong's wife, meanwhile, looked at him in slight confusion.

Xiaoxiong patted his behind and stood back up.

"I need to give you two new names to make calling you easier."

"Xiaoxiong, from now on you'll be Xiong Da, and your wife will be Xiong Er."

"It'll be much easier to tell you apart."

Ning Fei added.

Hearing this, the viewers in the stream were highly amused.

'Xiong Da and Xiong Er. What a naming genius.'

'Good lord, all we need now is Logger Vick.'

Afterward, Ning Fei boarded the Chengfeng Wooden Boat and headed out onto South Lake to fish.

The Thunder Dragon Electric Eel swam circles around him, occasionally leaping out of the water to express its excitement.

Struck by a sudden thought, Ning Fei had an idea.

"Little Dragon, shock some fish to the surface for me."

At his words, the viewers stared intently at their screens.

'Making an electric eel shock fish? Is that really a thing?'

'No way, could that actually work?'

While everyone was doubting him, flashes of electricity sparked beneath the surface.

Shortly after, several large, paralyzed fish floated to the surface around the wooden boat.

Ning Fei chuckled, grabbed his net, and scooped the fish into his creel.

A little while later, Liu Laicai arrived in a car driven by a chauffeur.

Liu Laicai still felt a lingering fear when he spotted the two black bears.

"Ning Fei, these black bears you're raising are famous in the village now. No one dares to come near here; they're all terrified of getting mauled by blind bears,"

Liu Laicai said cautiously.

He was telling the truth. Ordinary people were naturally terrified of black bears and avoided contact whenever possible to stay safe.

No one was crazy enough to risk their life sneaking into the reservoir just for a few fish.

Furthermore, Ning Fei had installed a fence around the perimeter of South Lake, so fish thieves were incredibly rare.

As the security guard of South Lake, Xiong Da didn't actually have to chase any thieves away. His mere presence served as a perfect deterrent.

Of course, if Liu Laicai knew what a massive coward the bear actually was, he would probably feel very differently.

"Boss Liu, phrasing is important. Raising black bears is illegal; these two just happen to live around my reservoir," Ning Fei said with a smile as he stepped forward.

"Haha, of course," Liu Laicai nodded in agreement.

"Here are your fish!" Ning Fei carried two water buckets over and set them down in front of Liu Laicai.

"This many?" Liu Laicai's face lit up with delight when he saw the plump fish in the buckets. "Wait, why aren't they moving much?"

"I just caught them. Once you put them in fresh water, I guarantee they'll be jumping around," Ning Fei explained smoothly, naturally omitting the part about the electric eel.

Liu Laicai trusted him. He weighed the catch, paid Ning Fei the market price, and left with the two heavy buckets of fish.

Ning Fei felt a small sense of accomplishment.

He wasn't exactly short on money these days, but selling the fish he'd harvested from his own South Lake still felt remarkably rewarding.

With the transaction done, he resumed his fishing on the lake.

The atmosphere in the live stream remained as relaxed and unhurried as always.

"The day after tomorrow, I'll be setting out for Lop Nur."

"It's a place known as the Sea of Death."

"It looks like I'm in for another thrilling experience."

Ning Fei told his viewers while keeping his eyes on his fishing line.

The chat immediately erupted in amazement.

At that moment, a viewer asked a question.

'Temple Master Ning, don't you get tired? You just got back from the Tropical Rainforest, rested for a week, and now you're heading straight to the Sea of Death?'

Faced with this question, Ning Fei offered his perspective.

"I don't find it tiring at all. In the past, so many Daoists wandered the world, crossing mountains and rivers entirely on foot. Compared to them, taking cars and planes is incredibly convenient."

"Also, I generally prefer not to preach about Daoism, but I can share a little bit about it with you all today."

"These days, many people who claim to believe in Buddhism or Daoism don't actually believe in it. They are simply lazy."

"They sit around resting and call it 'meditation.' They lie in bed sleeping and call it 'deep reflection.' They do absolutely nothing all day, yet they claim they've spent the day comprehending the Zen Dao."

"They ignore the true essence of the Dao and turn a blind eye to the bitter cultivation of their predecessors. Instead, they obsess over rituals and red tape, enforcing dogmas for every minor detail. That is nothing but self-deception."

"Someone once told me that I don't act like a Daoist priest, but rather like an ordinary mountain dweller."

"They aren't wrong. I was born in the mountains; I am just an ordinary mountain dweller."

"According to their logic, true cultivation means chanting scriptures, burning incense, performing rites, and receiving pilgrims day after day."

"If that is what makes a Daoist priest, then I'd rather not be one."

As he spoke, Ning Fei's expression was solemn, radiating a natural, imposing dignity.

Watching the stream, the viewers felt their minds shake, as if they had suddenly been enlightened.

All this time, Ning Fei had rarely shared his thoughts on Daoism.

Hearing him discuss the Zen Dao now, it finally struck them.

He was, after all, the master of a Daoist temple.

He was the heir in charge of a true lineage.

He might seem casual and carefree on a daily basis, but his heart was tied to the world, and the Dao was within him.

'I always thought Temple Master Ning was gentle and elegant, but I never realized he could be this commanding.'

'He looked so handsome saying all that!'

'It's true, Temple Master Ning has never given us a lecture on the Dao before. I know a lot of priests host classes.'

'Temple Master Ning, why don't you host a lecture on the Dao? We'd all definitely tune in.'

'Yeah! What you just said resonated with me so much!'

The viewers flooded the screen with their comments.

Ning Fei had never been one to preach the Dao on his stream.

Bai Yuanche had once told him:

"When you reach a position of high status, people will listen earnestly to your lectures and shower you with praise afterward."

"That praise is an invisible poison. You will start to think of yourself as a grandmaster, believing that your every word and action deserves the adoration of the masses."

"It will make you lose yourself."

"Therefore, the Dao of Qingfeng Temple is only taught to the people of Qingfeng Temple."

"The admiration of outsiders is meaningless."

Ning Fei didn't elaborate any further.

He was the master of Qingfeng Temple now, and there were many things he simply kept to himself.

'The more you learn about Temple Master Ning, the more you realize what a treasure he is.'

'I really wonder how much profound depth is hidden beneath that breezy exterior of his.'

'He's a living immortal. It's hard for ordinary people to understand him.'

'Alright, we're getting way off track.'

'Temple Master Ning will always be my husband!'

'Even at a time like this, people are still trying to steal my husband?'

'I'm a guy and even I want to steal him.'

The bullet screen was packed with all sorts of jokes as the viewers chatted happily.

Ning Fei spent the rest of the day relaxing at South Lake, and the following morning, he set out for Lop Nur.

Originally, he had planned to leave the little guys at the Wenyan Deer Enclosure, but Bai Yuanche told him to drop them off at his place instead, mentioning that Ning Fei's master's wife was quite fond of small animals.

Ning Fei knew this well.

His master's wife was incredibly handy and loved to knit. Just last New Year, she had knitted a little outfit for every single one of his pets.

He figured she probably had the urge to make more clothes.

Bai Yuanche had even complained to him:

"Hurry up and bring the Qingfeng Temple animals over. My poor pigeons are all wearing tiny sweaters and hats right now. They can't even fly!"

Ning Fei hadn't known whether to laugh or cry at his master's plight, nor did he know how to comfort him. After all, it was a domestic dispute between his master and his wife.

Still, it would be nice for the little guys to visit Kuncheng.

And so, the next day, Ning Fei arrived at Bai Yuanche's suburban villa in Kuncheng.

Before Ning Fei departed, Bai Yuanche gave him a warning:

"Be careful out there. There's something wicked about Lop Nur."

Ning Fei nodded as he listened.

His expression turned serious.

When he had ventured into the far more dangerous Kunlun Mountains Valley of Death, Bai Yuanche hadn't warned him at all.

Yet now, heading to Lop Nur, he was receiving a specific caution.

It seemed Lop Nur wasn't going to be simple at all.