Chapter 4: The Elegant Mountains as a Daoist Sanctuary

"Click."

With a soft sound, Jiang Sheng sheathed his sword.

The dark clouds dispersed completely, leaving a clear sky with a bright moon and sparse stars. Jiang Sheng said, "The tiger demon has been eliminated. You two may rest here at the Mountain God Temple for the night, and head down the mountain early tomorrow morning."

The old man, jolted awake from this ethereal, dreamlike scene, hurriedly asked, "Daoist, where are you going?"

"This place has clear waters and lush mountains, and is brimming with vitality; it is an excellent location. I intend to establish a Daoist temple here to serve as my dwelling." As Jiang Sheng spoke, he lifted the tiger demon’s three-zhang-long carcass and leaped toward the mountain peak.

The old man and his young grandson watched as Jiang Sheng effortlessly carried the mountain-like corpse of the tiger demon and flew away. The old man couldn't help but sigh, "Truly a man among immortals!"

"Grandson, you must study hard and learn to read. If you ever have the chance to become a disciple of the Daoist and learn even three-tenths of his abilities, your grandfather would have no other wishes."

The next morning, the red sun began to rise.

A faint mist had long since risen among the mountain forests, and the summit was shrouded in clouds and fog, obscuring one's vision.

Jiang Sheng sat cross-legged on a smooth stone slab, watching the great sun slowly rise above the sea of clouds. The morning glow illuminated the mist, casting rays of light as birds chirped.

It was time for the morning lesson.

Practitioners of the orthodox Daoist sects usually gather the morning glow at dawn and the moonlight at dusk.

A day's plan starts in the morning; the purple energy of the morning glow contains the most gentle and easily absorbed spiritual essence of heaven and earth.

Jiang Sheng absorbed the purple morning glow, circulating it through his meridians, refining strands of it into pure spiritual power within his dantian. This lesson lasted for three-quarters of an hour before it was complete.

Slowly exhaling a breath of stale air, Jiang Sheng finished his practice and stood up. The great sun cast down thousands of rays of light. Standing on the peak, surrounded by clouds and mist, Jiang Sheng appeared like a divine being standing in the clouds under the golden light: "It is time to build a temple."

Every disciple of the Daoist sect who successfully builds their foundation will establish a temple outside to serve as their own dojo.

On one hand, it is to conveniently share the burdens of the sect; on the other, it allows disciples to practice their own lessons and temper their Daoist heart, preparing for the path to the Golden Core.

Most disciples of the Daoist sect are scattered outside in this manner, whether they are at the Foundation Establishment or Purple Mansion stage, and Jiang Sheng is no exception.

"Qingping Mountain, stretching twelve hundred miles, with clear waters and lush mountains, swarming with birds and beasts, full of vitality, and with hidden spiritual veins—truly a wonderful place!"

"No wonder that tiger demon occupied this place and refused to leave. Practicing here, reaching the Purple Mansion realm is no difficult task," Jiang Sheng said softly, turning to walk downward.

From the summit to the mountainside, for a cultivator like Jiang Sheng who had already forged his foundation, it was nothing more than riding the wind—effortless.

However, when Jiang Sheng reached the mountainside, he found it had become incredibly lively.

The original Mountain God Temple had already been dismantled by a group of strong men, and now many people were busily laying bricks and tiles, seemingly building something.

The old man from yesterday was talking to a wealthy middle-aged man in brocade robes. Seeing Jiang Sheng arrive, he hurriedly said, "The Daoist is here! The Daoist is here!"

The man in brocade robes turned his head to look and saw that the newcomer was about twenty years old.

His face was like jade, his eyes like stars, dressed in a green Daoist robe with his hair in a bun, his posture as straight as a crane.

He was truly handsome and possessed an extraordinary temperament!

At a single glance, he knew this Daoist was by no means an ordinary person!

The middle-aged man immediately stepped forward and bowed: "Tian Guofu, on behalf of the thousand households of Qingping Town, pays respects to the Daoist!"

Jiang Sheng frowned slightly and was about to step back when he heard Tian Guofu say, "The Daoist may not know, but that evil tiger occupied Qingping Mountain and killed countless people in our town before and after it became a demon! It’s not that we haven't hired cultivators, but they all ended up dying in the jaws of that evil tiger."

"By eliminating that evil tiger, you have avenged the thousand households of Qingping Town. Everyone in the town is filled with gratitude toward you!"

"Hearing that you intend to establish a temple here, I, as the mayor of Qingping Town, have called upon the townspeople to spontaneously build a dojo for you as a token of our gratitude."

Jiang Sheng looked at the old man, then at the sincere Tian Guofu, and after a moment of silence, nodded: "Then, I will trouble you, Mayor Tian."

"No trouble, no trouble at all. It is an honor to share the burden for the Daoist," Tian Guofu said with great sincerity, his demeanor almost humble.

For a town mayor to be this humble without knowing his background, Jiang Sheng was certain that it wasn't just because he possessed cultivation, but because Tian Guofu had something else to ask of him!

Jiang Sheng’s expression remained calm as he spoke unhurriedly: "To be honest with you, Mayor Tian, I killed that tiger demon last night simply because it occupied this Qingping Mountain and snatched the dojo I had already chosen, not because of how many lives it had consumed. Are you aware of that?"

Tian Guofu was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "Regardless, you have eliminated a scourge for Qingping Town. Since ancient times, one judges by actions, not intentions. You have performed a meritorious deed by eliminating demons and defending the Dao; why dwell on the reasons?"

Jiang Sheng looked at Tian Guofu, and Tian Guofu looked at Jiang Sheng. The two seemed to be in a standoff, or perhaps probing one another.

After a long while, Jiang Sheng finally broke the silence and smiled: "Mayor Tian is quite an interesting person. My surname is Jiang, given name Sheng, from Penglai."

Tian Guofu looked at Jiang Sheng in surprise: "So Daoist Jiang is a high-ranking cultivator from Penglai!"

Jiang Sheng gestured, and Tian Guofu followed his footsteps naturally. The two chatted as they walked toward the side of the mountain forest.

Morning dew still hung on the trees in the forest, and an occasional breeze blew, bringing the fresh air of the mountains to their faces.

Jiang Sheng asked casually, "Mayor Tian knows of Penglai?"

Tian Guofu explained, "I have naturally heard of it, or rather, who in the State of Qi does not know of Penglai?"

"It is said that Penglai is located in the East Sea, the orthodox sect of the mysterious gate, the land of Daoist immortals; there are immortals who ride the clouds and mist, moving mountains and parting rivers! I have long admired it."

Jiang Sheng nodded, acknowledging Tian Guofu's words: "Then, Mayor Tian, how do you know that I am truly a cultivator from Penglai and not some swindler? Just because that old man said I killed the evil tiger, you believed it?"

Tian Guofu chuckled: "I am not a man without eyes. How could the divine aura of Daoist Jiang be something that those swindling wandering Daoists could possess?"

"Furthermore, the traces in front of the Mountain God Temple cannot be faked, and the fact that the evil tiger is dead cannot be faked. If Daoist Jiang were truly a swindler, I would accept it."

"Heh!"

Jiang Sheng couldn't help but laugh: "I wasn't wrong; Mayor Tian, you really are an interesting person. Being so humble just now, taking the initiative to thank me and build a temple for me—is there something you are asking for?"

Tian Guofu smiled even more sincerely: "Nothing escapes your discerning eyes, Daoist."

"You may not know, but the reason Qingping Town is named as such is not only because of Qingping Mountain, but also the Taiping River. With both mountains and water, the thousand households of Qingping Town have their vitality."

As he spoke, a look of exhaustion and complexity appeared on Tian Guofu's face: "However, there is an evil tiger in Qingping Mountain, and the Taiping River is not peaceful either..."