Chapter 124: Chapter 123: Yunyang Is Also a Mischief-Maker
"No guts?" Yunyang blinked. "A hundred, then?"
Gu Zhao, "..."
’On second thought, maybe I should save that Thunder Seed.’
Yunyang insisted, "People these days don’t really have a use for the Celestial Spirit Talisman. The Vajra Profound Talisman, on the other hand, is really useful. You never know when you’re walking down the street if something will fall on your head or a car will come out of nowhere.
Not to mention, my dad was going to buy groceries on his e-bike the other day and got clipped by a car. If he’d had a Vajra Profound Talisman..."
"If the Vajra Profound Talisman had activated, your dad would have made the headlines," Gu Zhao said.
Yunyang shook his head. "When you’re really in danger, making headlines is better than losing your life, right?"
"Of course. But the Vajra Profound Talisman is more difficult to make than the Celestial Spirit Talisman."
Gu Zhao looked at the *Shangqing Cave Heaven Three-Five Vajra Profound Register Ceremony* in his hands and mused, "The Celestial Spirit Talisman only needs to sense sinister qi. But the Vajra Profound Talisman must fuse with its wielder’s aura and sense the surroundings to activate the instant they’re harmed. It then blocks any further damage."
"Tsk, tsk. Truly worthy of being a Zhengyi Secret Transmission," Gu Zhao remarked.
Yunyang thought for a moment. "Sounds pretty complicated?"
Gu Zhao nodded. "It’s anything but simple."
"Of course it’s not simple, otherwise anyone could do it." Yunyang fiddled with the Celestial Spirit Bracelet in his hand and asked casually, "This bracelet looks really pretty. What kind of wood is this?"
"Small-leafed Purple Sandalwood."
"Holy cow!" Yunyang clicked his tongue in admiration. "With such fine wood and such a powerful Spirit Talisman, this could be a family heirloom."
"It can’t be a family heirloom. The Spiritual Power on the Spirit Talisman will fade over time." Gu Zhao closed the book. "The Spirit Talisman on this bracelet will only maintain its effect for about twenty to thirty years."
Yunyang shook his head. "Twenty to thirty years is good enough. A person’s peak years would be over by then. What more could you ask for?"
Yunyang thought for a moment, shaking his head as he handed the Celestial Spirit Bracelet to Gu Zhao. "Making this must be mentally draining, right? I was just kidding earlier. Just give me two."
"One for your mom and one for your dad?" Gu Zhao asked with a smile.
"Yep," Yunyang nodded.
"What about when you get a wife?" Gu Zhao asked.
Yunyang rolled his eyes. "I don’t even know where she is yet. Why are you thinking so far ahead?"
"You’re over thirty, aren’t you? It’s time to start thinking about it," Gu Zhao said as he took the bracelet.
"I just turned thirty!" Yunyang stressed.
Gu Zhao thought for a moment and nodded. "That’s true. If you really did find someone, it would be a hassle for me."
Yunyang sat down across from Gu Zhao. "You’ve been acting so mysterious since we met up. I keep feeling like there’s something you’re not telling me. What does me finding a girlfriend have to do with you?"
"Because I’m going to give you that finder’s fee!" Gu Zhao said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"You’re really giving me a finder’s fee?" Yunyang waved a hand dismissively and chuckled. But he was still puzzled. "What does giving me a finder’s fee have to do with whether or not I find a girlfriend? Are you afraid she’ll want a cut of it or something?"
Gu Zhao slipped the bracelet back onto his wrist. "Because once you accept my finder’s fee, you’ll have to live in Yangcheng full-time."
"Heh!" Yunyang laughed. "What is this finder’s fee, a whole apartment? Just because I accept it, I have to live in Yangcheng? Can’t I just hire a management company to collect rent for me?"
Gu Zhao shook his head. "Let me ask you. If I gave you a chance at Qi Cultivation and Longevity, Righteousness and Heroism, Exorcising Demons and Evil Spirits, and the Sword of the Netherworld, but the condition was you have to work for me and live in Yangcheng... would you be willing?"
Yunyang was left speechless. "Those terms are completely unbalanced, you know? If an opportunity that good actually existed, forget working for you and living in Yangcheng. I’d even call you my godfather!"
"By the Three Pristine Taoist Ancestors, answer me seriously."
"I am answering you seriously! If there’s really such a good deal, I’d even call you my godfather!"
"Remember what you said. Go to sleep!"
"Hey, hey, hey?" Yunyang grabbed Gu Zhao. "You’re done just like that? What about the finder’s fee? What about Qi Cultivation and Longevity? What about the Sword of the Netherworld?"
"After I learn the Vajra Profound Talisman."
"That’s more like it! Two bracelets, and not a single one less, you hear!"
...
「The next day.」
Chang Ning came early to pick them up, and together they ascended Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain.
The mountain was famous for its peerless, crimson cliffs, while the green waters of the Luxi River below seemed to hide ancient mysteries.
As a renowned Taoist mountain, the scenery and ambiance of Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain were truly steeped in spiritual resonance. They passed the Immortal Bathing Pool and Fairy Rock, gazed upon Elephant Trunk Hill, traversed Heaven’s Edge, and even saw the She Family Village and the Cliff Hanging Coffin by the Luxi River.
After a long trek across the mountain, they arrived at Zhengyi Temple, nestled at the southern foot of Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain.
"It’s so big! And so new!" Gu Zhao exclaimed, looking from side to side. "It feels more like a tourist trap. It’s completely lost its Taoist character."
Chang Ning explained, "You’ve been misled by all sorts of things you read online. People seem to think Taoist Temples have to be built deep in old mountain forests, blending in with nature and looking ancient.
But Daoists are people, and so are Immortals. From ancient times to the present, bigger and newer has always been better when it comes to living spaces. Ordinary people don’t want to live in cramped, rundown old apartments, so why would an Immortal?
Just look at the Celestial Court and Spiritual Mountain in *Journey to the West*, or Jade Void Palace and Biyou Palace in *Investiture of the Gods*. Aren’t they all described as magnificent abodes of Golden Nails and Jade Doors, Green Tiles and Red Door, Jade Tree And Precious Flowers, and auspicious clouds?
It’s one thing if you lack the funds or if you need to preserve a historical site. But if you have the means, a better environment is obviously more comfortable. Renovating and rebuilding the Taoist Temple is also a way of telling our Ancestors that their descendants’ lives are improving."
Gu Zhao was taken aback. "That makes sense!"
Chang Ning led them through the mountain gate and the ceremonial gate to pay respects to the ancestors, giving them a full tour.
However, compared to the tranquil elegance of the Celestial Master’s Mansion, Zhengyi Temple was indeed far more commercialized. There were stations for fortune-telling and interpreting oracle lots, for making incense offerings to be recorded as patrons, and for praying for Talismans.
Gu Zhao walked around and saw that they had everything: Peace Talismans, Lucky Charms, Business Talismans, Disaster Relief Talismans, Wenchang Talismans, Wealth Talismans, Marriage Talismans, Health Talismans, and Five Thunders Talismans. The selection was very comprehensive.
However, just like at Yuanfa Palace, these Spirit Talismans had no Spiritual Qi on them, only some Incense Qi from the worship and offerings to the ancestors within the temple.
"The Transmission ceremonies for new Zhengyi Disciples, or the major rituals on festival days, are all held here," Chang Ning explained. "And they hold a simple prayer ceremony here every day."
Gu Zhao nodded. He knew about these kinds of simple rituals, having encountered them often during his previous visits to Cyan Yang Palace.
...
After their tour of Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain was complete, the group, all being young and energetic, decided against taking a car back. Instead, they took a small path down the back of the mountain to return to Shangqing Town.
"If you’re free, stay here with me for a few more days," Gu Zhao said to Yunyang. "I have some questions I need to ask Taoist Ming Yu and Taoist Zhi Qing."
"No problem, no problem at all." Yunyang shook his head, then gave a sly grin. "But I have one condition."
"What condition?"
"After you’ve learned the Vajra Profound Talisman, I want you to draw one in front of Taoist Ming Yu and Taoist Zhi Qing, demonstrate how it works, and let me record it."
Gu Zhao was speechless. Right now, Yunyang was acting no different from those young social media Daoists on platforms like TikTok.
"You actually want to laugh at their expense? Aren’t you afraid Celestial Master Zhang will send a Thunderbolt down to strike you dead?" Gu Zhao asked.
Yunyang waved it off. "If Celestial Master Zhang really descends to the mortal realm, my Ancestor Chongyang will be there to handle him!"
