We've been working together to slay demons and monsters for some time now, and our interactions have become much gentler, which is somewhat unusual.
"Lingyan, haven't you been beaten enough? Do you want to fight again?"
Ling Ying rolled up her sleeves, seemingly intending to fight Ling Yan again, despite her being bedridden.
"Stop fooling around!"
Chu Cheng quickly stepped in front of him to stop him.
"snort!"
Faced with Chu Cheng's obstruction, Ling Ying was displeased and angrily turned her head away, no longer making a fuss.
"I'll go to Qingxi Road to take a look later."
Watching the two children's childish argument end, Gu Zhong gave Ling Yan a deep look before turning his gaze to her and speaking.
"You? And what about me?"
Sensing the difference in Gu Zhong's choice of words, Ling Yan immediately questioned him unhappily.
"Go back to the inn and take good care of your injuries."
Gu Zhong emphasized the pronunciation of the two characters "客栈" (guzhan, inn).
"The Imperial Preceptor's residence is much better, so why go back to the inn?"
Chu Cheng could not understand Gu Zhong's thoughts.
Because of his distrust of Senior Brother Lu, Gu Zhong was worried about leaving Ling Yan alone in the current complicated situation of the Imperial Preceptor's mansion.
If such doubts were voiced, Chu Cheng, who held the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion in high regard, would surely have another argument with her.
"I'm actually fine, I want to go too!"
At this moment, Lingyan's willful, spoiled young lady personality resurfaced.
"What, is there anywhere safer than right here with you?"
Seeing that Gu Zhong's brows were slightly furrowed and he was about to say something, Ling Yan quickly spoke first.
With just one sentence, Gu Zhong was rendered speechless.
The capital city was an unfamiliar place to Ling Yan. None of the elders of the Ling family were there. With Gu Zhong gone, she was left alone, and it was certainly not reassuring to be anywhere.
As long as he doesn't encounter any more demons in the palace with special abilities, or even those who can inexplicably suppress Gu Zhong, Gu Zhong can ensure that Ling Yan won't be harmed in the slightest.
"good."
After a moment's thought, Gu Zhong readily agreed.
"Miss Ling—your injuries haven't healed yet—"
Chu Cheng spoke hesitantly, deeply worried about Ling Yan's disregard for her own safety, yet he had no right to persuade or make a decision.
"My mind is made up, so stop arguing."
Lingyan covered her ears, clearly refusing to listen to any advice.
"Alright, alright, if Mr. Chu is worried, why don't you come along? I'll go too!"
Ling Ying's eyes darted around, and she reached out and hooked her arm around Chu Cheng's shoulder, saying with a grin.
Thus, what was originally Gu Zhong's solo trip to the Taoist temple evolved into a trip for four people to Qingxi Taoist Temple for sightseeing and spring outing.
——
As a doctrinal symbol of the exorcist school in the mortal world, the people who preside over the Taoist temples are mostly ordinary people who know nothing.
Taoist temples with abundant incense offerings might enshrine one or two exorcists to ward off demons that might break the temple's seal and infiltrate it; however, most Taoist temples do not.
Qingxi Taoist Temple is the closest Taoist temple to the royal city, and naturally it is also the most popular place of worship.
Although there is no shortage of money to offer incense to the exorcist, the capital city is under the protection of the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion, so there is no need to go to such lengths.
Those who come to offer incense are mostly ordinary people with no special skills. Some exorcists use the Taoist temple as a temporary resting place while traveling the world, but this is only occasional.
Inside the Taoist temple, the soft chanting of scriptures echoed from all directions.
Devout believers knelt on reed mats and murmured softly.
The burning incense and candles turned to ashes, which were scattered into the incense burner.
The swirling smoke rose everywhere, obscuring the enormous statues standing in the hall.
At first glance, the statue depicts an elderly man dressed in black robes, with a kind face, long beard and beautiful sideburns, and an aura of dignified and unapproachable majesty.
This is the nameless ancestor who is revered as the ancestor of the demon-slaying path.
Upon seeing the statue, Chu Cheng, Ling Yan, and Ling Ying immediately became solemn and respectful, and stepped forward to bow several times.
Gu Zhong was the only exception among them. Not only did she show no respect for the Dao Ancestor, but her eyes also revealed a sense of disdain.
Chu Cheng's opinion of her dropped a little, but then he thought that she practiced swordsmanship, which was different from what they had been exposed to since childhood. It was not surprising that she did not have much respect for the founder of another sect, so he suppressed the rebuke that was about to come out.
"You're being incredibly disrespectful to our patriarch!"
Ling Yan didn't think as much as Chu Cheng, but she wasn't too angry about Gu Zhong's behavior, so she made a straightforward joke.
"—The way he acted was as if he were your mortal enemy."
Ling Yan whispered these words into Gu Zhong's ear.
Hearing her words, Gu Zhong looked at her in surprise, then replied softly.
"In some ways, maybe..."
Lingyan blinked, seemingly not quite understanding Gu Zhong's answer.
"I can't believe I'm actually seeing the Awakening Ceremony today?"
On the other side, Ling Ying's exclamation interrupted Ling Yan's attempt to ask further questions.
"What's strange about it?"
Chu Cheng picked at his ear, expressing his inability to empathize with Ling Ying's overreaction.
“Where we live, we only see it once a year.”
Ling Ying's words were full of envy.
The Awakening Ceremony is a ritual used to awaken a child's magical talent after magic appeared on this continent.
Who can become an exorcist, who can only be an ordinary person, who is a genius, and who is mediocre, all depend on this ritual to distinguish them.
For people of this era, this is a ritual that defines their lives.
"Perhaps it's because the capital city is rich in resources? That's why it's held monthly, and we just happened to be there today..."
Over there, Chu Cheng patiently explained to Ling Ying, who seemed like a country bumpkin who had just arrived in the city.
Even aristocratic families find it difficult to hold such a ceremony easily. Besides the enormous expenses and careful consideration, the material used to activate the spirit is extremely rare—it is a wine-red liquid known as the "awakening liquid."
Near the Great Demon's hideout, it took a lot of effort to collect a few items, so we tried not to waste any, and held all the rituals together.
It's laughable, really, that something that accompanies demons is the very foundation for creating demon hunters. I wonder how this ancestor of demon hunting discovered such an unbelievable connection.
Several children, no more than five or six years old, were summoned to the abbot of the Taoist temple. After worshipping the ancestral master and reciting the exorcism commandment in a halting manner, the abbot gave each child a small sip of the awakening liquid and made them drink it.
Seeing the children gulp down the contents of their cups with wrinkled, pale faces as if drinking extremely bitter Chinese medicine, Gu Zhong took a slight step forward, seemingly wanting to go over.
"I never want to drink that stuff again in my life. It tastes so awful. Even typhoid medicine tastes much better."
At this moment, Ling Yan lowered her voice and complained to Gu Zhong about the painful past when she was forced to drink the awakening liquid. Gu Zhong listened attentively and occasionally chuckled in agreement.
The child who drank the remedy soon began to writhe on the ground in pain, emitting howls like a wild animal.
The adults present seemed to have become accustomed to this scene, and none of them had any intention of helping. Instead, they looked at the scene with expectant faces.
After a moment, a child staggered to his feet, and a gust of wind swept around him.
The crowd gasped and cheered; there was no doubt that the child had successfully awakened.
They then turned their attention to the remaining children in the room, but the result was somewhat disappointing. The remaining children did not react and were just ordinary people.
Exorcists are one in a million, not something that can be produced just by saying so.
"Gentlemen, you look like exorcists, right?"
An elderly man dressed in a Taoist robe walked up to them, bowed respectfully, and greeted them.
Chapter 127 Swordsman and Exorcist (Thirteen)
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"So they are distinguished guests from the Imperial Preceptor's residence."
The group sat upright in the tea room filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. After carefully inquiring about their origins, the old man did not change his attitude in the slightest because they had come in the name of the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion.
He picked up the clay teapot that had just boiled water and filled everyone's teacups, his expression remaining calm and unchanging.
"Since you have doubts, then go ahead and investigate. We will not stop you in any way. However, in my opinion, you will probably be wasting your time. Since the establishment of Qingxi Taoist Temple, no demons have been able to cause trouble here."
The old man did not refuse, his words brimming with proud confidence.
After all, this place is right next to the capital, under the emperor's nose. If something really happens here, then the capital can hardly be considered safe.
However, now that even the royal palace is plagued by demons, is there really any place that is absolutely safe?
Thank you.
Chu Cheng remained the negotiator, straightening his kneeling posture and bowing to the old man in thanks.
Having received permission, the group decided to take advantage of the early hour and inquire with the Taoist priests.
As they opened the door to the tea room and walked out, a young Taoist boy peeked at them from the doorway, his eyes filled with contemplation.
"Is there something you need?"
Gu Zhong, who usually didn't talk much to strangers, unexpectedly stopped, put away her stern expression, and transformed into a gentle and kind older sister, asking the young Taoist boy a question.
"···"
The young Taoist opened his mouth, glanced at the old man in the tea room, then tightly closed his mouth again, shook his head like a rattle-drum, and fled from their sight as if escaping.