"This old man doesn't mind!" Watching the sinister expression on Xu Banxian's face, Feng Ling slowly withdrew his hand.
This was Feng Ling's first time encountering a rule-based Daoist Duel.
But none of that mattered — when soldiers come, block them; when floods come, dam them!
Even without this pointless contest, Feng Ling would have investigated that ancient well this afternoon.
Now that Xu Banxian had stirred up this fuss, it merely pushed the timing back to tonight!
When Feng Ling nodded in agreement, a flicker of glee crossed Xu Banxian's eyes. He turned and led his two disciples back to the Daoist Temple to prepare.
"Old Bodhisattva, are you really going to compete with Xu Banxian? That scoundrel is greedy and notorious for his sinister cunning! You must be careful, sir!"
Once Xu Banxian and the others had vanished from sight,
the villagers all turned to look at the withered old man with thick concern written across their faces.
The old man shook his head with a faint smile and waved to the crowd gathering around him, signaling that they needn't worry. Once night fell, everything would become clear!
Ignoring the crowd, Feng Ling strolled back toward the thatched hut outside the village. An old man stood anxiously outside the door.
"Elder Wang, what brings you here?" Feng Ling asked, surprised. Recalling what the villagers had said, he had a vague idea of the man's purpose.
"Old Bodhisattva, you're finally back! My family is in urgent trouble—please, save us!"
Tears glistened in Elder Wang's eyes as he knelt before Feng Ling, terror still etched across his face!
"Speak freely, whatever it is — this old man will surely do everything in his power to help!" Seeing the situation, Feng Ling reached out and lifted the old man up, cutting straight to the matter at hand.
"Last night, during the hour of the rat, I heard a strange scraping sound outside the house. Then a burst of Cold Qi swept into the room... I opened my eyes in a daze and saw the main roof beam drifting back through the wall on its own! A disheveled black silhouette sat on the beam's moonlit shadow, yet there was no one there in reality! I was terrified, and my body trembled uncontrollably. In the end, I was scared unconscious, and that was the only reason I escaped the disaster..."
Old Wang's voice trembled, as though the scene remained vivid before his eyes. He seemed completely dazed.
As he recounted the memory, even Feng Ling felt a faint sense of being right there in the moment!
"Elder Wang, don't panic. This old man will visit your home tonight!" Feng Ling placed his withered old hand on the elder's shoulder. The trembling body steadied, his spirit settling and a touch of color returning to his pale face.
After Feng Ling gave him a few more instructions, Old Wang hurried off with a flustered expression.
He needed to get back before dark to switch out that roof beam again — after that, it would all be up to the other party!
"Ah—" Once Old Wang had left, Feng Ling let out a long sigh. Truly, strange matters kept piling up one after another — the business with the ancient well and the scroll painting still unresolved, and now this bizarre affair of a roof beam sprouting wings!
It was past noon. Feng Ling entered the hut, pulled out some crude dry rations, and made do with a meal. Then he sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and rested his spirit.
A Cultivator must cultivate not only the body but also experience the hardships of the mortal world and cultivate the nature and mind.
Only by enduring the hardest hardships can one rise above others. Feng Ling was without doubt a thoroughly qualified—Ascetic Cultivator!
Northern Ancient Well Village, inside the Banxian's temple...
"Tonight, all of you had better bring your full spirits — we're driving that thieving Daoist out of Ancient Well Village once and for all..." Amid Yellow Talismans scattered across the ground, the aura of all three of Xu Banxian's group surged.
The Bull-Nosed Daoist stood brimming with confidence, a feng shui compass in his left hand and the Demon-Slaying Sword in his right.
It was an impressive display!
"Master! Why wait until tonight instead of investigating that well now?"
The two of them, Zhang Dan included, were rather puzzled — in their view, why make things so complicated?
Ever since Xu Banxian had brought the two of them back, he'd been tinkering away nonstop until now.
All manner of ritual props dazzled the two disciples. He had even dug out that beat-up ritual altar table, which had been sitting in some corner for who knows how many years!
Zhang Dan and the other disciple felt bitter. All that miscellaneous junk weighed at least a hundred or so... kilograms!
Such heavy labor — Zhang Dan couldn't imagine the Bull-Nosed Daoist doing it himself...
"Idiots! Are your brains that slow?"
Xu Banxian turned with a snort through his bull nose, irritated that the two had spoiled his mood.
"Those villagers are ordinary people. In the dark, their eyesight will weaken, making it easier for us to trip them up!"
Zhang Dan and the other disciple shivered and shrank back with their heads lowered. Seeing that they still showed enough respect, Xu Banxian swallowed his irritation.
"Master, that's brilliant!"
A resounding bit of flattery came flying in.
Zhang Dan echoed him, then shot a disdainful glance at the sycophant beside the old Daoist and cursed inwardly: bootlicker!
"Hahaha!" Self-satisfied laughter rang through the Daoist Temple. The Bull-Nosed Daoist was clearly pleased with his disciple's flattery!
The setting sun was nearly gone before Xu Banxian finally let his lascivious laughter fade amid the two disciples' pained expressions. His wrinkled face still wore a look of lingering indulgence, making Zhang Dan and the other disciple want to hang themselves on the spot.
"Disciples, let's go!"
When the Bull-Nosed Daoist gave the order, Zhang Dan and the other disciple breathed sighs of relief and stepped forward to serve as laborers, despite the props' weight.
The three of them hurried south toward Ancient Well Village beneath the setting sun!
At the same time, Feng Ling had also set out, though since he was closer than the other three, he arrived first.
After entering the village, a thought stirred in Feng Ling's mind, and a silhouette silently split off from him, gliding toward the ancient well at the center of Ancient Well Village — it was his Original Body!
The Original Body would not attend the contest. Feng Ling had no intention of exposing that secret.
Sending the Original Body ahead was merely to make use of an unfamiliar face to secretly keep watch over Xu Banxian's group of three, while also serving as a precaution just in case.
"Old Bodhisattva, you've finally arrived!"
The withered old man arrived at Old Wang's House and saw Old Wang pacing anxiously at the doorway. At that moment, Old Wang saw him too.
"Mm. Elder Wang, leave now. This old man will go inside and wait alone," Feng Ling said flatly before entering the Wang residence.
"Old Bodhisattva... please be careful!" Watching Feng Ling's figure disappear into his home, a trace of worry showed in Old Wang's eyes.
He sighed helplessly and headed toward the ancient well, where a crowd of villagers had gathered to watch.
Entering the Wang household, a blackened main pillar came into view along one side of the hallway.
Tree shadows flickered throughout the house. Feng Ling's brow furrowed as he cursed himself for overlooking them during his last visit!
"People belong to yang, ghosts belong to yin, and trees belong to yin as well! To ensure a dwelling receives enough sunlight, one must avoid planting too many trees inside it!" Feng Ling sighed inwardly. He would have to pay closer attention to such details in the future.
Even the wisest person is bound to make one mistake after a thousand considerations! Feng Ling had been rushing about, visiting three households a day for three straight months, so it was no wonder he had overlooked this detail!