"This humble Taoist?" Xiao Wenbing was taken aback; he hadn't heard this title in a long time. If he didn't know this person possessed abilities beyond his wildest imagination, he would have truly thought he was a lunatic.
Xiao Wenbing was disdainful in his heart, but his face showed even more joy as he nodded repeatedly. Suddenly remembering something, he asked, "Alright, may I ask how to address you, Daoist Master?"
"Ah, it was my oversight." The fake blind man straightened his face, reached out and wiped his face. When he put his hand down, a handsome face was revealed: "I am ignorant, please be polite."
"Mingmei? Ah... I've heard so much about you." Xiao Wenbing was completely impressed by his ability to change his appearance. With just a flick of his wrist, he could transform into a completely different person. This skill was far more amazing than that of magicians.
I've heard that there's a face-changing trick in Sichuan Opera, and I wonder if it originated from that.
However, upon hearing his Daoist name, Xiao Wenbing couldn't suppress the urge to burst into wild laughter. "Mingmei, hmm… that pretty boy's appearance is indeed quite radiant." Xiao Wenbing thought wickedly, "This Daoist name… could he be a rabbit?"
Mingmei looked at Xiao Wenbing with a smile. If he knew what Xiao Wenbing was thinking at that moment, he probably would have slapped him across the face long ago.
Mingmei suddenly reached out and grabbed Xiao Wenbing.
Xiao Wenbing's skin immediately broke out in goosebumps. He groaned inwardly, realizing that he had absolutely no interest in that kind of thing.
"Brother Xiao, I'm about to cast a spell, be careful." Mingmei finished speaking, gesturing a few times in the air, and then uttered a soft shout: "Hmph..."
Xiao Wenbing's eyes suddenly widened to their maximum size. A strange, shimmering pattern suddenly appeared in the void, emitting a dazzling light. This was something he had seen with his own eyes; it was no illusion. The shock he felt was beyond words.
"Go..." Mingmei shouted softly, and the light in the air seemed to receive a command, suddenly bursting open and surging towards Xiao Wenbing.
Xiao Wenbing's heart skipped a beat, but his hand was being held by Ming Mei, leaving him no chance to dodge. Moreover, the speed of this beam of light was so fast that he had no opportunity to evade.
Countless rays of light rushed into Xiao Wenbing's body. The next moment, something miraculous happened.
Xiao Wenbing suddenly realized that his body was light and airy, as if it had no weight at all, and that a slight breeze could carry him away.
"Brother Xiao, let's go."
After the Taoist priest finished speaking, he grabbed Xiao Wenbing's hand and pulled him forward like the wind.
Hearing the wind whistling past his ears, Xiao Wenbing's heart pounded, his emotions soaring. It was exhilarating, absolutely thrilling; the speed and excitement were incomparable to any childish racing show.
Xiao Wenbing didn't know how long they had been running, but he was absolutely certain that they had covered quite a distance.
This is a mountain peak, with a steep cliff at the top. Mingmei pulled Xiao Wenbing straight towards the cliff.
Xiao Wenbing was terrified. He opened his mouth to speak, but a gust of wind blew directly into his throat, forcing his voice back in.
Their speed was so great that if Xiao Wenbing hadn't been wearing sunglasses, he wouldn't have been able to open his eyes by now.
As they were about to reach the summit, Mingmei not only did not slow down, but instead sped up even more.
Xiao Wenbing struggled to shake off Ming Mei's grasp. Although he didn't know what Ming Mei was up to, logically speaking, he shouldn't be risking his life.
However, he didn't want to take any risks until he was absolutely certain.
The dim hand was like an iron shackle, and no matter how Xiao Wenbing struggled, he could not move an inch.
One step, two steps, and they were already at the edge of the cliff. Mingmei showed no sign of stopping; one foot had already stepped off the cliff.
Xiao Wenbing's heart sank completely, but before he could even begin to wail, the scene before him suddenly changed.
The birds sing and the flowers bloom, a truly breathtaking sight. The vast grassland is lush and green all year round, with the grass growing fine and tender. Dotted with wildflowers—yellow, white, and purple—it's like a sky full of stars.
The grass slopes slightly, and the green grass comes into view, making a more lasting impression in spring and summer.
What a heavenly abode!
Seeing such a magical place for the first time, Xiao Wenbing was completely captivated. He didn't know how much time had passed before he finally came to his senses, looked up, and saw Mingmei smiling at him.
He immediately realized that the Taoist priest was doing this on purpose.
Xiao Wenbing was surprised and couldn't understand why he would do this. The difference in strength between the two of them was like heaven and earth. If this Taoist priest had any ill intentions, he would have absolutely no chance to resist.
If that's the case, why go to all this trouble?
"Brother Xiao, this is the main gate of our Secret Talisman Sect. Apart from inner disciples and a limited number of outer disciples, no one can enter without our master's permission."
"Ah... then how can I come in?" Xiao Wenbing asked casually.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately regretted them. He was already in; why say so much? If he angered the man, wouldn't he be asking for trouble? He might even bring about his own death, which would be more unjust than Dou E's fate.
The Taoist priest Mingmei was also taken aback. He smiled awkwardly and said, "Brother Xiao is naturally different."
However, he refused to mention what the differences were.
He led Xiao Wenbing to a house, and Mingmei clapped his hands, at which point two young Taoist boys immediately came to greet him.
Mingmei pointed at Xiao Wenbing and said, "This is my guest. Please serve him well."
"Yes..." The two young Taoist boys seemed to be very afraid of him and immediately agreed in unison, not daring to delay in the slightest.
Mingmei turned to Xiao Wenbing with a smile on his face: "Brother Xiao, please have a seat. If you need anything, just tell them to do it. If they neglect you in any way, I'll break their legs later to avenge you."
The two young Taoist boys shuddered simultaneously; judging from their expressions, they had probably suffered this ordeal more than once.
Volume One: Farewell to the Mortal World, Chapter Seven: The Old Taoist
------------------------
Mingmei left the house and wandered around until he arrived at a courtyard. He knocked on the door and waited respectfully.
After a moment, the courtyard gate opened by itself without any wind. Mingmei walked in as if he knew the way well, and found that the doors to all the side rooms were wide open. He walked in without any hindrance.
In the last room sat an old Taoist priest with white hair and beard. His two snow-white eyebrows, like the thick eyebrows of the God of Longevity, hung down to his cheeks. It was as if he had accidentally shaved off his eyebrows and beard all at once when he first shaved. When he put them back on, they were in a different place, and his thick beard was now flourishing on his forehead.
"Master, our eldest brother suddenly sent a mortal up the mountain to deliver a message, it seems he is in trouble."
"oh……"
The old Taoist priest opened his eyes. His gaze was calm and serene, without the slightest ripple, as if there was nothing left in this world for him to care about.
“Jun’er’s cultivation has reached the Golden Core realm. Apart from us old folks who are reluctant to leave, who else can do anything to him?”
"That's right, that's what I was thinking too. However, what Senior Brother gave to the messenger was a Three-Sound Talisman."
"The Three-Sound Talisman?"
"Exactly."
"Hmm, since the Three-Sound Talisman was used, Jun'er must be in trouble. Where is the messenger?"
"My disciple has already been brought into the mountain gate."
"Within the mountain gate?" A sharp glint suddenly flashed in the old Taoist's eyes: "You acted on your own initiative?"
"Master." Mingmei's expression changed, and he quickly knelt down, respectfully saying, "When I was talking with that person, I unexpectedly discovered something."
"What?" Although the old Taoist priest's voice was unhurried, Mingmei, his disciple who had followed him for many years, knew that the old Taoist priest was already angry.
He dared not delay and immediately explained, "Master, I have discovered that this person possesses spiritual roots."
"Spiritual root?" The old Taoist priest suddenly stood up, clearly astonished by the news, to the point of being unable to contain himself.
"You discovered it?"
"Exactly."
"You're only at the late Core Formation stage. If even you can detect this, then his spiritual root must be..."
Mingmei raised his head and saw that the old Taoist priest had an uncontrollable excitement on his face.
Having been a follower of the sect for decades, this was the first time he had ever seen the old Taoist priest so distraught. Indeed, given the old man's profound cultivation, his agitated state spoke volumes about his own feelings.
“His spiritual root is so profound that I have never seen anything like it in my life. Therefore, I was bold and took it upon myself to bring him into the mountain gate. I beg Master to punish me for overstepping my authority.”
"Haha..." The old Taoist priest laughed loudly and said, "Punish you my ass."
Mingmei was taken aback, but then saw that the old Taoist priest also suddenly stopped smiling and showed an unusual look of embarrassment.
It turned out that he was so excited that he spoke without thinking, and for the first time in decades, he swore in front of his disciples.
“You did the right thing, absolutely right.” The old Taoist coughed a few times, regaining his solemn and dignified demeanor. His face suddenly changed slightly as he said, “You saw clearly, he is not a disciple of another sect.”
“Yes, this person doesn’t know any magic at all. My lightness talisman scared him out of his wits. He’s definitely a novice who has never been exposed to Taoist arts before,” Mingmei said decisively.
However, he did not know that although Xiao Wenbing was amazed by his amazing abilities, he was not so frightened that he could not speak.
While running, they were too fast to speak. Once they stopped, they suddenly entered a wonderfully mysterious and dreamlike environment. Naturally, they were a little lost, but it was definitely not due to excessive fright.
"Good, good..." The old Taoist priest praised repeatedly, saying, "You have done very well. You have already shown him the wonders of Taoist arts, but this is far from enough. I will personally take action to let him experience the essence of Taoism, so that he will develop a desire to follow the Tao. Then, things will fall into place naturally, and he can be accepted as a disciple."
※※※※
Looking at the house, which exuded a simple and elegant charm, Xiao Wenbing was secretly amazed. This was definitely a place he had never seen before.
What are your names?
“The little Yintan (Yinyun)” the two young Taoist priests answered in unison.
Xiao Wenbing nodded slightly, unsure of what to do. What had just happened was beyond his comprehension. Fortunately, he wasn't an ordinary person, otherwise he would have been terrified.
Even so, Xiao's heart was still beating very fast; the journey had indeed been quite stimulating for him.
"Please have some tea, sir."
Two young Taoist priests diligently brought over warm, damp towels, poured tea, and prepared delicate pastries.
Feeling genuinely hungry, Xiao Wenbing casually picked up a piece that looked appealing and popped it into his mouth.
"Did you make these?"
Whether it was because he was really hungry or not, this cake was indeed the most delicious food he had ever eaten.
"It was made by the head chef in the kitchen."
How many people are on the mountain?
The two young Taoist priests looked troubled, perhaps thinking of Mingmei's power, and finally said, "There are about thirty in total."
"Who are these people?" Xiao Wenbing naturally noticed their hesitation, but since he knew nothing about this place at the moment, it would be good to learn as much as possible. So he pretended not to notice and continued to ask.
"Besides the founder, there are only five inner disciples. The rest are servants who serve the disciples."
"Ah..." Xiao Wenbing was secretly shocked. There were only six masters here, but more than twenty people had to serve them. What kind of life did they live? It was so luxurious.