Master, today you're killing chickens and buying high-quality lamb and donkey meat. What are you planning to do?"
In Yi Village on the outskirts of Ren Family Town, Wencai placed the freshly killed rooster in front of Lin Fengjiao. Today, Lin Fengjiao felt like a stranger to him.
His usually stingy Master was actually 'generously' buying so much good wine and food today. This wouldn't be his last meal, a farewell dinner, would it?
"What nonsense are you spouting? If I tell you to prepare, then prepare!"
Lin Fengjiao glanced sideways, his stern expression startling Wencai. Qiusheng, standing nearby, stepped forward, placing the sliced donkey and lamb meat, along with the prepared desserts, and said, "Whatever Master says, it is. Wencai, why are you talking so much nonsense? By the way, Master, when are we going to eat?"
He had been in Yi Village for so many years, and he rarely ate such rich dishes.
This era was like this; in chaotic times, everyone didn't eat well. Donkey and lamb meat were truly not something ordinary commoners like them could afford. But today, Lin Fengjiao had uncharacteristically prepared these. Although Qiusheng didn't understand why, he just wanted to quickly down three bowls of rice.
"We still need to wait for someone to arrive."
Lin Fengjiao shook his head and slowly said.
"Is Four-Eyes Uncle-Master coming? But when Four-Eyes Uncle-Master came before, Master, you didn't seem to prepare these, did you?"
Wencai asked curiously, then secretly reached out to pinch a osmanthus cake, but Lin Fengjiao slapped his hand away directly.
Then, seeing Lin Fengjiao's widened eyes, he flinched, a sheepish smile flashing across his face, and he dared not continue to act.
"It's not Four-Eyes Junior Brother. The Shenxiao Sect Master is visiting Ren Family Town today and informed me some time ago."
If it were someone from the same sect, then Bai Ye actually wouldn't need to inform him.
But as a place protected by Maoshan, Bai Ye, as the Shenxiao Sect Master, also informed Lin Fengjiao of his arrival here.
On one hand, it was to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, and on the other hand, after informing him, he also needed Lin Fengjiao to show him around the area.
Even renowned righteous sects have their so-called rules. Although Bai Ye wasn't very fond of so many rules, it was still better to follow them to avoid gossip. After all, he was now the Master of a sect.
"Shenxiao Sect? What kind of sect is that?"
Qiusheng asked curiously. He was interested, as it was the first time he had heard of this sect.
Regarding Daoist matters, he only knew that his own sect belonged to Maoshan, and he knew nothing else.
"The Shenxiao Sect is a sect that evolved from the Celestial Master Dao in the late Northern Song Dynasty. It primarily cultivates the Five Thunder Talismans, which can command ghosts and spirits, control thunder and rain, and eliminate disasters. It also belongs to our righteous sects. When you meet them later, be polite and don't be so impulsive!"
After a brief introduction, Lin Fengjiao admonished the two.
He was very aware of his two disciples' mischievous nature. If they provoked the other party, they would suffer quite a bit later.
"Then Master, what other cultivation sects are there?"
Qiusheng asked.
"Yes, yes, Master, you don't seem to have told us about these yet!"
Seeing their expressions, Wencai also hurriedly asked.
Seeing the two of them like this, Lin Fengjiao shook his head and explained helplessly, "In the Daoist community, there used to be many sects, but in this age of decline, many sects have already disappeared. Those that still exist today include Maoshan, Shenxiao Sect, Quanzhen Sect, Longhu Mountain Zhengyi Sect, Celestial Master Dao, and some others. Then there's Buddhism, and after that, some evil cultivation sects and rogue evil cultivators, etc. In short, besides our Maoshan, there are quite a few others, so put away your little schemes!"
Lin Fengjiao took this opportunity to also rein in the temperaments of the two.
Wencai was dull and honest, but his cultivation talent was extremely poor. Qiusheng had good cultivation talent, but he was too volatile and playful.
Taking on these two disciples, he felt like he had been unlucky for eight lifetimes.
He always felt that his Daoist arts would not be passed down.
Coupled with this age of decline, cultivation was becoming increasingly difficult.
"Master, don't worry, we know what to do!"
Qiusheng patted his chest and assured him.
"Sigh, if only you two could save me some worry!"
Lin Fengjiao had no expectations left for the two of them. As long as they could save him worry, nothing else was a big problem.
As for future matters, they could be discussed later.
"Knock knock!"
Outside the courtyard, a knocking sound rang out.
"Master, I'll get the door!"
Wencai immediately got up, and Qiusheng quickly followed, "Master, I'll go too!"
They were very curious about the Shenxiao Sect Master.
Opening the door, a young, handsome Daoist-robed man stood before them, with a black and white iron-eating beast and a yellowish rural dog lying beside him.
"Are you Lin Fengjiao's disciples?"
Lin Fengjiao?
Wencai and Qiusheng exchanged glances, then shook their heads and said, "Sorry, you've got the wrong person!"
With that, they prepared to close the door.
"Cough cough, they are my disciples!"
Lin Fengjiao coughed awkwardly from behind. Although he didn't want to mention that name, he knew he couldn't avoid it now. Wencai and Qiusheng, on the other hand, turned their heads to look at Lin Fengjiao as if they had seen a ghost, then their faces flushed red, stifling their laughter.
What the heck!?
No wonder they never knew Master's name before. It turned out Master's name was Lin Fengjiao!
No wonder, no wonder...
If it were him, he probably wouldn't want to mention his own name either!
"Fellow Daoist, are you here alone?"
He looked at the big yellow dog at Bai Ye's feet, which was about to chew on his Daoist robe. Oh, and there was a silly dog and an iron-eating beast.
Since when did the Shenxiao Sect start raising such creatures?
"The Shenxiao Sect has long since declined. This time, I came down the mountain not only to fulfill my sect's duty of eliminating demons and defending the Dao, but also to take on one or two disciples to teach and pass on the lineage."
Bai Ye nodded. There was no need to hide this matter.
The Shenxiao Sect had indeed declined. Besides himself, the Master, and a missing senior sister, there was no one else.
Initially, Bai Ye had stayed hidden in the mountains, partly because his strength was insufficient, and partly to preserve the last lineage of the Shenxiao Sect. Now that his strength was sufficient, he was willing to come down the mountain to find some disciples.
"Alas, I didn't expect even the Shenxiao Sect to be in such a state. Fellow Daoist, please come in, we can talk slowly later!"
Lin Fengjiao stepped aside. It was not proper hospitality to make guests talk outside the door.
"Let's go, Big Yellow, Little Black."
Such simple names.
Qiusheng and Wencai exchanged glances. Was it really that casual?
"He became a Master at such a young age, do you think he's really powerful?"
Wencai muttered from behind. Looking at Bai Ye just now, he was even younger than himself. He didn't look powerful at all.
"I think so too!"
Qiusheng was a bit jealous. Being so handsome was quite a blow to Qiusheng, who had originally been somewhat confident in himself.
"Fellow Daoist, in these chaotic times, it's best to travel less. Demons and ghosts are secondary; the main problem is those warlords!"
In the living room, Lin Fengjiao offered a cup of tea, then reminded Bai Ye.
Perhaps seeing Bai Ye's youth, he could sense that the Shenxiao Sect did indeed seem to have declined.
It might even be that Bai Ye was the only one left, otherwise there wouldn't be such a young Master. If he were a truly formidable genius, the Daoist world would have spread word of him like wildfire, and it would be impossible for him to be unheard of until now.
So, he also wanted to advise Bai Ye not to be impulsive, otherwise, if he died, the Shenxiao Sect's lineage might be broken.
This world was indeed too chaotic.
And ever since the dragon pulse was severed, cultivation had become increasingly difficult.
Now, in these chaotic times, with warlords fighting, cultivators could deal with demons and ghosts, but the guns in the hands of those warlords could truly kill them with a single shot.
Times had changed.
"I know this is a chaotic world, but isn't eliminating demons and defending the Dao what we cultivators must do?"
Bai Ye slowly said. In fact, largely due to the Ring of Merit, Bai Ye wanted to quickly improve his strength, as long as he killed evil creatures to accumulate merit.
"Fellow Daoist is righteous!"
Lin Fengjiao felt a little ashamed of this.
"Actually, being able to protect the peace of one area is already good enough. Haven't there been no demons or ghosts appearing in your area these past few years, Fellow Daoist?"
Bai Ye had calculated that his efficiency in finding demons and ghosts outside was too low.
Just like in the Conan world, to encounter cases, one only needed to follow the Shinigami. And Lin Fengjiao, in this Zombie World, was definitely a born protagonist. The probability of encountering ghosts by following him was much greater than by going out himself.
So, after coming down the mountain, Bai Ye actually came to find Lin Fengjiao mainly to clarify the timeline here.
If there was still a long time before the plot, then he could wait and come back later. If it was about to begin, then he also needed to accumulate some merit for his Ring of Merit.
"Fellow Daoist is joking. The dishes haven't been stir-fried yet. Please wait a moment, and we can eat and chat!"
Lin Fengjiao smiled and didn't say much, signaling Wencai and the other to prepare the food.
It was rare to meet someone from another sect, so Lin Fengjiao naturally became a little interested.
The two chatted about everything from cultivation to the ends of the earth, and Bai Ye's excellent knowledge surprised Lin Fengjiao greatly.
He had initially thought Bai Ye was just a hot-blooded young man who was passionate about upholding justice and eliminating evil.
But in his conversation with Bai Ye, he learned that Bai Ye knew even more than he did, and even understood many Western things better than him.
This couldn't help but stir a little thought in Lin Fengjiao's mind. Ren Master happened to invite him to the tea house tomorrow, and he had never been there before. If Bai Ye went with him, perhaps he wouldn't make a fool of himself, and with Bai Ye there, he always felt more at ease.
Before this, he always had a sense of unease.
"Master, the food is ready. Should we bring it all out?"
Qiusheng poked his head in, looking at the two who were chatting happily inside. He couldn't help but mutter to himself, these two looked so far apart in age, Bai Ye might even be younger than himself, yet they could chat so happily with his Master.
Shaking his head, he didn't think about it anymore.
"Go ahead."
Lin Fengjiao nodded with satisfaction. At least at this moment, his two apprentices hadn't disgraced him.
He was a very proud man. That was just his personality, he just didn't want to admit it.
"Okay, Master!"
After saying that, Qiusheng quickly ran to the kitchen, then called Wencai, preparing to carry all the dishes out.
"Qiusheng, give me a hand!"
"Wencai, be careful! If you drop them, you'll definitely be punished by Master!"
Qiusheng looked at Wencai behind him, who was holding several plates with a comical expression, and said gleefully, then quickly ran off.
"Hey!! Don't run!" Looking at Qiusheng's back, Wencai shouted, but the next second the other party immediately disappeared around the corner. He could only curse Qiusheng for being disloyal.
But thinking of what Qiusheng had just said, and associating it with Lin Fengjiao's gloomy face, Wencai couldn't help but shiver, and the several bowls in his hands became steadier.
After finally managing to safely bring everything back, Wencai breathed a sigh of relief, and at the same time, seeing Qiusheng's gloating expression, he got angry.
There were a total of seven dishes, but Qiusheng carried two and left, while he carried five bowls by himself.
"Fellow Daoist, these are just simple dishes, please make do?"
Lin Fengjiao didn't know if Bai Ye would like these.
Daoists are not particular about food, so they eat whatever is available, and can eat meat, but not birds, fish, cows, wild geese, or dogs. Old cows are benevolent, black fish are filial, wild geese are chaste, and dogs are loyal.
These are the so-called 'four no-eats'.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Fellow Daoist. Tomorrow, I will treat you."
In this era, being able to serve donkey, lamb, and chicken to guests was already considered very thoughtful.
"I might need to go out tomorrow. By the way, Fellow Daoist, would you like to come along?"
Lin Fengjiao was just wondering how to ask Bai Ye if he wanted to come along.
Since Bai Ye had already said that, he followed up with this question.
"Huh?"
Aren't you taking me?
Wencai turned his head to look at Lin Fengjiao in confusion. He had already washed his clothes for tomorrow, ready to go for Western tea as promised, so why wasn't he being taken along?
"Going out? Is Fellow Daoist going on a long journey?"
"No, Ren Master from town invited my Master to help with the coffin removal and reburial!"
Wencai answered immediately, looking smug and showing off.
"En?"
Master didn't speak, why are you interrupting?
Lin Fengjiao glared at Wencai, who immediately dared not continue speaking.
However, Lin Fengjiao's slightly upturned lips clearly indicated that he was actually quite pleased deep down.
After all, he liked to save face. He was just that kind of person, he just didn't want to admit it.
"Since that's the case, and they only invited Fellow Daoist, wouldn't it be a bit inappropriate for me to go along?"
Bai Ye's eyes lit up. The plot was happening right on time.
It seemed he had come at just the right moment. After dealing with Ren Old Master, the zombie, he wondered how much merit he would accumulate, and perhaps there would even be a chance for a lottery draw?
"No trouble at all. If Fellow Daoist is willing, how about we go together tomorrow?"
"Good!"
Bai Ye nodded and didn't decline any further. Since Lin Fengjiao had invited him like this, refusing would clearly be disrespectful to the other party.
Meanwhile, Wencai's anxious little eyes on the other side.
He was dying of anxiety now.
Was no one going to speak up for him?