Spring rain fell in a fine drizzle, sending rings rippling across the pond outside Qingsong Residence. Two swallows sheltering beneath the eaves heard movement and tilted their heads to look.
Holding an oil-paper umbrella, Yue Jingming slowly followed the winding path down the mountain. When he reached the sect gates, he found three people already waiting there beneath their umbrellas.
“Senior Brother!” Fang Jingyi, young and unable to contain himself, waved at him vigorously.
“Why are all of you here?” A rare trace of a smile appeared in Yue Jingming’s eyes.
Zhu Jinghui said sourly, “I wasn’t planning to come. Jingyi insisted on dragging us along.”
Xin Jingleng said, “Senior Brother, you’ve only been out of seclusion for a few days and you’re already going down the mountain. Why not stay a little longer?”
“Exactly, Senior Brother. I can go beg Master again. He’ll definitely let me go down the mountain with you.” Fang Jingyi’s face fell as he muttered, “The last time I went down was years ago.”
Yue Jingming had only emerged from seclusion a few days earlier, and not many disciples knew yet. But his direct junior brothers and sisters had all been told. The moment they heard he was leaving the mountain to travel, quite a few went to Su Ji asking to accompany him, only for Su Ji to turn every one of them down.
“What’s so good about going down the mountain? People outside are treacherous. Who even knows if you’ll come back alive?” Zhu Jinghui said with pointed sarcasm.
“Second Senior Brother.” Xin Jingleng frowned at him.
“Am I wrong? Ten years ago, that Crown Prince Lie already turned Zushan upside down. If Senior Brother really goes to the capital, I’m afraid he’ll be stripped so clean he won’t even have his golden core left.” Zhu Jinghui sneered. “And what’s this nonsense about conferring the title Number One Daoist Under Heaven? The Zushan Sect has been passed down for a thousand years. Since when do we need some muddleheaded emperor to grant us titles?”
“Jinghui.” Yue Jingming lifted his eyes to him.
Zhu Jinghui shut his mouth indignantly, then frowned again. “You’re going down the mountain looking like that?”
“What is wrong with how I look?” Yue Jingming asked.
Zhu Jinghui hesitated, and Xin Jingleng tactfully said, “Senior Brother, didn’t Master teach us the art of disguise? You should perhaps… alter your appearance a little.”
Yue Jingming said, “People should live naturally, free and unrestrained. Master ordinarily teaches us not to care too much about appearances. Have you all forgotten?”
Zhu Jinghui gritted his teeth in frustration. Xin Jingleng looked helpless, while Fang Jingyi blurted loudly, “That’s not what they mean, Senior Brother! Second Senior Brother and Third Senior Sister mean you’re too good-looking! Charm demons might be afraid of you, but ordinary people down the mountain definitely won’t be. What if some young lady takes a fancy to you and keeps you as her husband? Then you’ll never come back!”
Yue Jingming: “…”
“A-and there’s something else.” Fang Jingyi lowered his voice. “I heard that muddleheaded emperor likes men. Senior Brother, you’re so handsome and distinguished. If he takes a fancy to you, you’re finished.”
Yue Jingming snapped coldly, “Utter nonsense!”
All three of them flinched.
Yue Jingming softened his expression. “While I’m away, take good care of Master and lead the junior disciples in diligent cultivation. You are not to slack off for even a single day. Remember that.”
The three cupped their hands. “Yes, Senior Brother.”
He said, “Go back. If there is anything you want, send word to me. I’ll have someone deliver it to the foot of the mountain.”
The three remained inside the mountain gates, watching until he disappeared into the distance.
And so, accompanied by spring rain and a gentle breeze, Yue Jingming walked down the mountain beneath an oil-paper umbrella, a sword and horsetail whisk on his back, and entered the vast, surging mortal world.
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The Great An Dynasty had endured for five hundred years. By now it had become a mighty realm that neighboring states dared not invade. Its prefectures and provinces were prosperous, and the common people lived in peace and contentment. At least, that was how things had been before Yue Jingming entered seclusion. Back when Zhou Lie had stayed on Zushan, Yue Jingming had already sensed that he would never make a wise ruler. There had been no imperial aura around him whatsoever, and Yue Jingming had never understood how he had actually managed to ascend the throne.
After ten years, the man ought to have gotten himself killed by now.
But no. Zhou Lie was still alive and had even bestowed some ridiculous title upon him, the Number One Daoist Under Heaven. Cultivators were not supposed to be burdened by worldly things, but an imperial title was intertwined with the workings of Heaven. That bastard Zhou Lie was interfering with his cultivation and disturbing his Dao heart. Even without the impending calamity beneath Heaven, Yue Jingming would still have come down the mountain to make Zhou Lie revoke the title.
He walked for half a month before finally leaving the endless mountain ranges behind.
That day, Yue Jingming stopped at a roadside tea stall and ordered a pot of tea. He suddenly heard the people at the next table mention his own name and began listening.
“My cousin came from Zhangzhou. He says Yue Jingming eloped with the daughter of a local Li family!”
“That can’t be right. Didn’t they say Yue Jingming got together with Lady Wan, the top courtesan at Qingfang House?”
Yue Jingming’s hand paused around his teacup.
“Your news is all outdated. Yue Jingming bought a huge estate at the foot of Zushan and keeps eighteen concubines there, men and women both, all gathered from different parts of the country. They say he’s an expert in bedroom arts and can handle several people in one night!”
“Whoa!” The crowd gasped.
A crisp crack came from the teacup in Yue Jingming’s hand.
Someone turned toward the sound, then immediately widened his eyes and elbowed the person beside him. The other man looked over in confusion, unable to hide the amazement in his gaze.
The stranger appeared to be only in his early twenties. He wore a simple blue-green Daoist robe, and his long hair was meticulously gathered into a bun with a wooden hairpin. He sat upright, his figure straight as a pine, with fine brows, handsome eyes, and a clear, elegant bearing that made people instinctively take a liking to him.
What an extraordinarily handsome and refined young Daoist!
His expression was stern, and a faint trace of anger lingered in his eyes, lending him an additional air of inviolable dignity that made people feel compelled to show respect.
Buddhism and Daoism were both flourishing in the Great An Dynasty. Monks and Daoists were highly regarded both at court and among the common people, and befriending practitioners of either faith was considered an honor. Seeing Yue Jingming’s extraordinary bearing, the man assumed he was simply displeased by the disgraceful conduct of a fellow Daoist and immediately rose to cup his hands. “We were only chatting among friends just now and had no intention of offending you, Daoist Master. May I ask your honored title?”
Yue Jingming rose and returned the salute. “I am merely an unknown wandering Daoist from the mountains.”
Revealing his real name would obviously be inconvenient, so he borrowed his master’s surname and introduced himself as Su Zheng, with the Daoist name Rongxi. The man suspected nothing.
After some conversation, Yue Jingming learned that the group had come here together on an outing. The first man to greet him was named Xie Jin, a son of the Xie family from nearby Jiarong County. The other three were his classmates. The local Xie family was distantly connected to the Xie clan in the capital and held some influence within the county, so their information tended to be better than most people’s.
Yue Jingming asked, “Do you happen to know where Yue Jingming is now?”
“You’ve asked the right person, Daoist Master Su,” Xie Jin said. “Last month, one of my female cousins suddenly came down with a strange illness. Her family summoned many physicians, but she never improved. They later invited several Daoists and Buddhist masters as well, but with little effect. A few days ago, the family heard that Yue Jingming would be passing through this area, so they specifically instructed us younger relatives to watch the travelers coming and going. I’m here today partly to look for him.”
Yue Jingming asked about the cousin’s symptoms and the location of the estate.
Xie Jin suddenly became serious. “Does Daoist Master Su perhaps have a way to cure my cousin’s illness?”
“We cannot know until I see the patient.”
Xie Jin observed Yue Jingming’s clear and upright aura and concluded that he could never belong to the same sort as “Yue Jingming.” He had long heard of the Number One Daoist Under Heaven’s scandalous reputation and had also been told that Yue Jingming behaved outrageously and lived without restraint. Xie Jin disliked the man on principle.
He had originally approached Yue Jingming partly because he hoped to find someone who could treat his cousin, so he immediately abandoned his three classmates and invited Yue Jingming to enter the city with him.
Jiarong County was one of the more prosperous counties in the southeast. Shops lined both sides of the streets, pedestrians streamed past in crowds, and hawkers called continuously, making the city extraordinarily lively.
Yue Jingming sidestepped a merchant pushing a cart full of fish. “Young Master Xie, there seem to be many fishmongers here.”
“Yes. Our county lies right beside Yunshui. Follow the waterway east for a little over a hundred li and you’ll reach the famous East Sea docks. Many people here make their living fishing.” Xie Jin smiled. “To tell you the truth, most of the fisheries in this county belong to my cousin’s family.”
“I see…” Before Yue Jingming could finish, someone suddenly bumped his shoulder. Immediately afterward, a faint fragrance drifted into his nose. It was peculiar, unlike ordinary perfume powder, and carried the cloying quality of charm incense.
His gaze turned cold.
A demon.
“Things have been rather hectic at home lately, so perhaps Daoist Master Su could stay at an inn for the time being… Daoist Master Su?!” Xie Jin stared in shock as the man beside him suddenly turned and walked away.
“Excuse me.”
The demon moved extremely quickly. Yue Jingming caught only a flash of black, but the cloying fragrance remained suspended in the air. His gaze sharpened. He took out a yellow talisman and wrapped the scent within it, silently reciting an incantation. The talisman immediately floated from his hand and skimmed along the ground through the crowd.
A cool breeze swept across the bustling street, lightly stirring the green tassel hanging from the jade pendant at his waist.
The fragrance vanished completely.
“Daoist Master Su?” Xie Jin caught up with him.
“Forgive me. Let’s go.” Yue Jingming gave him an apologetic nod.
Curious, Xie Jin asked, “What was that just now?”
“Probably a passing demon hiding among the crowd and drawing away people’s yang energy.”
Understanding dawned on Xie Jin. “No wonder my head felt heavy the moment I entered the city. It became much better after that cool breeze.”
“It was already injured and has now been struck by my thunder talisman. It should not show itself again for the time being,” Yue Jingming said.
Xie Jin relaxed and grew even more respectful toward him. “Daoist Master Su, please.”
At midnight, in a ruined temple outside the county.
A man in blue staggered through the door clutching an arm charred black by the thunder talisman. “Daoist Master, save me! Daoist Master, save me!”
The young man meditating on a cushion opened his eyes and spoke unhurriedly. “Who injured you like this?”
He wore a blue-green Daoist robe embroidered with dark-gold patterns. His long black hair was half gathered with a jade hairpin, and his eyes were slightly lowered. An almost immortal air lingered around his every movement, somehow suppressing even the brilliant beauty of his features and making him resemble a true secluded master.
“Daoist Master Yue! I listened to your teachings and stopped hurting people. I went fishing today and got injured, then accidentally bumped into someone, but that damned Daoist…”
“Hmm?” “Daoist Master Yue” drawled, cutting him off.
“This little demon wasn’t talking about you! I meant no offense!” The man in blue dropped to his knees with a thud, tears and snot streaming down his face. “If not for the sachet you gave me confusing the other man, I would have died beneath his sword today! Daoist Master Yue, you must seek justice for me!”
His shrill crying grated on the ears. One of “Daoist Master Yue’s” half-closed eyes opened, darted toward him, and immediately revealed an expression of tooth-aching disgust.
If the storyteller from before had been here, he would have recognized this man as the fox-eyed nobleman in brocade who had specifically requested a tale about the Number One Daoist Under Heaven. Yet after a sudden transformation, he had somehow become a Daoist himself.
“Very well. I have always despised evil, upheld justice, and hated nothing more than those who bully the weak. Rest assured. I, Yue Jingming, will certainly obtain justice for you,” “Daoist Master Yue” declared.
The man in blue rejoiced. “Many thanks, Daoist Master Yue!”
“Daoist Master Yue” closed his eyes and stroked a beard that did not exist. With the solemn manner of an old immortal, he said, “However…”
The man in blue waited for a long time, but no continuation came. He stretched his neck and stared.
“Daoist Master Yue” hesitated meaningfully and gave a melancholy sigh.
The man in blue cautiously asked, “Is Daoist Master Yue facing some difficulty?”
“This thunder talisman is extremely powerful. If I fight its owner, I fear it will consume a great deal of immortal power, and I will also need to purchase additional ritual implements, which are exceedingly expensive.” He quickly lifted his eyelids and glanced at the foolish demon. “I’ve already spent quite a bit handling your affairs. I’m afraid that once I enter the city, I may not even be able to afford an inn.”
The man in blue immediately understood and respectfully offered him a bag filled with gleaming gold ingots. “As long as Daoist Master Yue can help me fulfill my wish, this little demon is willing to offer up his demon core afterward as well.”
“Daoist Master Yue” sighed as though reluctant to accept such generosity, stood, hooked the heavy bag of gold onto his waist, and said grandly, “Very well, very well. Little demon, tomorrow at noon, you shall enter the city with me.”
The man in blue hesitated. “But Daoist Master, yang energy is strongest at noon, and I am already injured. I fear I may only burden you. Why don’t we enter the city now, under cover of darkness while no one is around?”
“Now, now.” “Daoist Master Yue” raised a hand with unfathomable dignity. “I naturally have my reasons. Do you still wish to see your beloved?”
At the mention of his beloved, the man in blue reacted as though his lifeline had been seized and immediately said with utmost deference, “I will follow all of Daoist Master’s arrangements.”
“Daoist Master Yue” curled his lips. Beneath the moonlight, his fox eyes shimmered, and a trace of sly amusement flashed within them.
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