"Hm?" The Bull-Nosed Daoist had been calmly sipping his tea, but when he heard the words "cutting off my fortune," his eyes bulged like bull's-eyes. He set down his teacup and demanded, "What's the reason? Quickly, tell your master everything, from beginning to end!"
Zhang Dan rose and stepped forward, leaning close to the Bull-Nosed Daoist.
"Master, it's like this. Today, I was gazing into the distance outside the temple when I happened to see that foolish couple from the Li Family carrying a string of silver coins over here again. I thought I'd get to witness the god of wealth again, but before they had gone a few more steps, their son came rushing over and called the excited Li couple back!"
"Crack!" A crisp shattering sound rang out, startling Zhang Dan into a shudder.
"Get to the point!"
The Bull-Nosed Daoist roared and smashed his teacup, having lost patience.
Zhang Dan shrank his neck and hurried to continue, "Later, disciple grew curious, and after asking around, found out that ever since that daoist arrived in Ancient Well Village, he's been freely offering help, saving the sick and dying. All those elderly, weak, and chronically ill villagers have been completely cured by him!"
"Damn it! I was wondering why fewer of those local wealthy patrons who used to visit our temple have been coming lately. So that thieving daoist is stirring up trouble!"
"Exactly! And that's not all. While that thieving daoist played the bodhisattva and saved the sick and dying, he openly declared that he wouldn't charge any fees—a clear challenge to you, Master!"
Zhang Dan followed the Bull-Nosed Daoist's wishes and referred to Feng Ling as the thieving daoist.
He added a line that twisted the knife and further enraged the already furious Bull-Nosed Daoist!
"Damn it! Outrageous! This is too much, too much!"
Like a powder keg struck by a spark, the Bull-Nosed Daoist exploded. He shot to his feet, his bull nose trembling and swaying!
"Let's go! Come with your master to find that thieving daoist! I'd like to see who dares steal my business!"
Throwing on his daoist robe and daoist hat,
He drew the Demon-Slaying Sword in a reverse grip, and the Bull-Nosed Daoist stormed out of the temple, radiating hostility.
"Master, wait! Disciple heard that thieving daoist plans to investigate the strange old well in the village tomorrow. Why don't we wait for him there?"
As the Bull-Nosed Daoist's figure neared the temple gate, Zhang Dan called out.
The Bull-Nosed Daoist paused. He realized he had no idea where that thieving daoist lived! He withdrew his left foot from the threshold and turned to give Zhang Dan an approving look.
"Good! Zhang Dan, you've done well this time! Once your master deals with that thieving daoist tomorrow, I'll formally teach you the daoist arts!"
Zhang Dan's expression froze.
This happiness... came too suddenly!
His heart cried out: Bitterness has finally given way to sweetness, bitterness has finally given way to sweetness! Once I've learned the arts, I'll never have to endure your orders again!
"Thank you, Master!" He dared not act rashly, though, and bowed respectfully to the Bull-Nosed Daoist.
A day passed, and Ancient Well Village was noisy. Feng Ling could hear the clamor of discussion from far away.
"Have you all heard? The beam Old Bodhisattva replaced at Old Wang's House yesterday actually grew back today—in the strangest way!"
"No way, even stranger than that poplar tree that grew legs?"
"Compared with the neighboring villages, our village always has people falling ill with strange diseases. Do you think something unclean is lurking here?"
A crowd of villagers gathered around the poplar tree behind the Li couple's house, murmuring in alarm and suspicion. The Li couple, who were directly involved, looked especially grim.
"A poplar tree growing legs and returning to its roots — there must be an Evil Entity hidden within!"
An old voice rang out. The crowd turned, and their faces lit up when they saw who had arrived. Together, they respectfully called, "Old Bodhisattva!"
The newcomer was none other than Feng Ling.
He set down the canvas sign bearing the words "healing the world with a hanging gourd," then strode forward and crouched to pinch up some freshly turned soil.
"Make way, make way, the old immortal has arrived!"
Feng Ling frowned at the poplar tree before him, then the corner of his mouth curled upward.
As he prepared to reveal the answer, an arrogant voice rang out. Three daoists strode through the crowd, which parted for them, and approached with haughty steps.
"Isn't that the old fraudulent daoist... Xu Banxian?"
"That guy who only recognizes money, not people — what's he doing here?"
"Seems like they arrived this morning. A few of them have been guarding the village's ancient well, though who knows what they're up to."
A woman in the crowd murmured,
and the eyes that watched those figures were mostly filled with a trace of disgust!
"Ahem! What would a woman like you know?" The Bull-Nosed Daoist, who led the group, coughed and glared sideways at the women.
"Paying money to ward off disaster is only natural. Our master merely collects compensation for his hard work..." the two disciples declared, chiming in with self-righteous airs.
The group was used to throwing their weight around. Fearing they might need Feng Ling's help after he left, the crowd fell silent.
After all that, facing dozens of scornful, disdainful looks from the crowd,
The arrogant trio did not blush at the dozens of scornful, disdainful looks—a testament to the thickness of their Facial Skin!
The Bull-Nosed Daoist stopped three meters from Feng Ling.
The moment he stopped, the two Young Daoists behind him took their cue from his glance and began threatening and cursing Feng Ling in public.
"Where did this thieving daoist come from?
Daring to steal business right under Tai Sui's nose — if you know what's good for you, get lost!"
"What are you staring at?
You there, by the poplar tree — I'm talking to you! If you don't leave, we'll break one of your old legs!"
These visitors meant trouble! A thought stirred in Feng Ling's mind, and with a glance he read the cultivation levels of the group. The Bull-Nosed Daoist, called "Old Xu Banxian," had reached the Seventh-Turn Cultivation.
Both disciples were at the Fifth Rank, so their overall strength was passable, at least.
Feng Ling mused: With cultivation like theirs, of all the things they could do, why come to a remote village like Ancient Well Village to swindle people...?
There truly was every kind of person out there!
"The younger generation is formidable!" An old voice rang out. Feng Ling assumed a profound expression and gave the Bull-Nosed Daoist a faint smile. "Fellow daoist, this grafting technique of yours is remarkable!"
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Seeing the other man look toward the poplar tree again with ill intent, Xu Banxian's heart lurched, and he shouted in alarm and fury.
"Boom!" An explosion rang out. Feng Ling snorted coldly and shattered the poplar tree with a single palm strike. An old hand darted into the debris and snatched out an antique-looking Yellow Talisman that was trying to flee.
"Hiss, how shameless..."
"He still dares to show his face — no shame at all!"
"He's bound to meet his end chasing money sooner or later!"
The crowd stared, dumbfounded, and then it dawned on them.
Perhaps Xu Banxian saw that the Li couple were fairly well-off and grew greedy.
And so, he'd set this scheme against the Li family!
"Silence!"
Seeing the crowd come to their senses and turn their curses on him, Xu Banxian's old face flushed red with fury. "Thieving daoist! Do you dare accept a Daoist Duel with this poor daoist?"
Xu Banxian's old eyes reddened as he fixed Feng Ling with a glare and added through gritted teeth, "Whoever loses shall call the other 'father' in front of everyone and swear never to set foot in Ancient Well Village again!"
A Daoist Duel?
Feng Ling raised an eyebrow, a thought stirring in his mind.
He did not care about such meaningless wins and losses, but the other man had pushed things this far—and in front of so many people.
"Very well. This old one shall spar with you today." Witnessed by the expectant gazes of dozens of villagers, Feng Ling readily agreed.
"How do you want to duel?"
Feng Ling spoke calmly, gathering his strength in secret and preparing to end things in a single move!
Before an Eighth Revolution Advanced Ghost Spirit Master, that mere Seventh-Turn Bull-Nosed Daoist could only be utterly crushed!
"Wait! I hear you've been investigating why villagers who drink the well water fall ill with strange diseases. Tonight, let's compete to see who can uncover the ancient well's Sudden Mutation first! What do you say?"
The Bull-Nosed Daoist could not gauge Feng Ling's true depth, but he sensed that this man would be difficult to handle. So he devised a foolproof plan and proposed a contest whose outcome would be hard to judge.
After all, when the time came, he would only need to spout some nonsense to fool this crowd, which could not distinguish truth from fiction. Who knew what the well's real condition was anyway!
With this petty scheme in mind, Xu Banxian felt emboldened and imagined Feng Ling obediently calling him "father" before slinking out of Ancient Well Village.