Luo Qingzhou bowed his head in return.
The female Taoist priest raised her head and sized him up again, then asked, "Sir, are you here to burn incense at Mount Qingcheng, or are you here for sightseeing?"
Luo Qingzhou did not beat around the bush and said directly: "Master, my second daughter is seriously ill and needs a medicinal ingredient. It is said that only the Qingyun Temple above has it, so I came to bother you today. I hope you can help me."
The female Taoist priest was slightly startled when she heard this. She glanced at the crowd again and fixed her eyes on the frail and sickly Miss Qin Er. She asked, "What medicine do you need, young master? If it's ordinary medicine, I will get it for you, and you won't have to go up the mountain for the trouble."
Upon hearing this, Luo Qingzhou hurriedly thanked him, and then said: "It's not an ordinary medicine, it's Zhuyan blood."
As soon as these words came out, the female Taoist's face suddenly changed, and she asked in surprise: "Zhu Yan blood?"
Luo Qingzhou saw her expression and knew that this matter was difficult to handle, so he cupped his hands and said, "We went through a lot of trouble to get this prescription, and there is indeed a medicine in it called Zhuyan blood. I heard that you have a Zhuyan in your temple, so I came here to ask for medicine. Taoist priest, can you give me some help?"
The female Taoist priest smiled bitterly, shook her head and said, "I'm afraid that you and all the donors will be disappointed. I do have a Zhuyan, but that Zhuyan is an ancient ferocious beast and the guardian beast of my Qingyun Temple. It is of a very high generation and has a bad temper. Even if the master of the temple wants to get close to it to talk, it is difficult. As for getting blood from it, that is even more impossible. If it is angered and goes crazy, I'm afraid that my Qingyun Temple will be destroyed. The villagers at the foot of the mountain may all suffer."
When everyone in the Qin family heard that the situation was so serious, their hearts sank.
Song Ruyue originally wanted to come up and beg, but when she heard this, she knew that no matter how much she begged, it would be useless. It was impossible for her to put the Taoist temple in danger and ignore the lives of the villagers at the foot of the mountain just for her daughter.
The scene suddenly fell silent.
Nangong Meijiao suddenly asked, "Master, is it possible to make Zhu Yan unconscious and then take blood from it?"
The female Taoist priest glanced at her, shook her head, and said directly: "I have already said that Zhu Yan is of a very high generation. If someone finds you one day and asks you to knock your great grandfather unconscious and then take his blood, would you be willing?"
Nangong Meijiao remained silent.
The female Taoist priest continued, "What's more, Zhu Yan is not an ordinary creature. When it wakes up, it will definitely realize that something is wrong. By then, it will be furious and mad. I'm afraid no one can bear the consequences."
Everyone in the Qin family looked unhappy and no one spoke.
The female Taoist priest glanced at the young man in front of her again. Just as she was about to say goodbye, Luo Qingzhou suddenly asked, "Master Taoist, is it true that only the master of your temple can see the Zhuyan?"
The female Taoist priest said, "Yes."
Luo Qingzhou bowed and said, "Then please take us upstairs, Taoist priest. I want to say a few words to the master of your temple."
The female Taoist priest looked at him and said, "Young Master, the abbot has been in meditation recently and usually does not see guests."
Luo Qingzhou was silent for a moment, then said, "Master, excuse me, does your temple have any secret techniques for meditation?"
The female Taoist priest's eyes flashed, and a hint of vigilance appeared on her face: "Of course there is."
Luo Qingzhou said: "Master, please don't misunderstand me. I am not trying to find out your temple's secret techniques. I once got three sets of Taoist meditation secret techniques by chance. I wonder if they are the same as your temple's secret techniques."
As soon as these words came out, the Taoist priestess's face changed slightly, her eyes narrowed, and she said, "Sir, could you please recite a few words for me to hear?"
Luo Qingzhou nodded and said, "The first set is the Meditation Technique. The ice is cold for thousands of years, and all things are especially quiet. The mind should be calm and the breath should be calm, and I will be alone. The mind and the spirit will be united, and the breath should follow. If they are in harmony, I will not be surprised by any changes..."
Then he stopped and asked, "Is it the same as the method that the Taoist priest practices?"
The female Taoist priest's expression changed, and she said, "They are not the same. What about the remaining two sets?"
Luo Qingzhou said: "The second set is the method of purifying the mind. If the mind is as clear as ice, the sky will not fall and the sky will not fall. The mind will remain calm in the face of all changes. The mind will be relaxed and the spirit will be peaceful. The mind will not be stained by dust or worldly things. The mind will be as peaceful as the void, without any mixture..."
Luo Qingzhou asked again: "Master, is it the same?"
The Taoist priestess's face suddenly became extremely solemn, her chest rose and fell slightly, and her breathing became rapid: "Not the same. Sir, there is one set left, please read it."
Luo Qingzhou added: "The remaining set is the art of nourishing the spirit. The spirit is controlled by the heart. To nourish the spirit, one must first nourish the heart. When the heart is calm, the spirit is at peace. When the heart is agitated, the spirit is exhausted..."
He only read two sentences and then stopped.
The female Taoist priest was holding her breath and listening very attentively. When she saw him stop, she was stunned for a moment and asked quickly, "Sir, is there anything else?"
Luo Qingzhou bowed and said, "Master, if you can see the master of the temple, I can give you these three sets of Taoist magic skills in perfect condition."
The female Taoist frowned and said, “Sir, even if you see the master of the temple, it is impossible to get Zhuyan blood.”
Luo Qingzhou said: "Don't worry about that, Taoist priest. I just want to see the temple master now. Is it convenient for you?"
The female Taoist priest looked at him deeply, and without hesitation, she raised the whisk in her arms and said, "Young Master, all the lay Buddhists, please."
Luo Qingzhou and everyone from the Qin family followed behind.
Song Ruyue and others looked at his back with different expressions.
Nangong Xueyi approached Miss Qin Er excitedly, her eyes shining as she whispered, "Wei Mo, your brother-in-law is so amazing! How can he know so much? I heard that day in Jinchan Temple, he was also eloquent with those monks, quoting scriptures and answering questions fluently. I didn't expect that today when he came to Qingyun Temple, he convinced the Taoist priest with just a few words, and he is so young and looks so good. This is too perfect! I didn't expect that there are such amazing men in this world. Wei Mo, your sister is so blessed!"
Song Ruyue and Miss Qin, who were following beside and behind him, heard it all.
Song Ruyue felt proud at first, but then immediately became alert and nervous.
Miss Qin's expression was still calm and stoic, with no other emotions visible on her face. Her lips moved slightly, her brows furrowed slightly, and she seemed to be silently reciting the spells she had just recited.
Miss Qin Er smiled slightly when she heard this, and said softly: "Sister Xueyi has only met a few men. Who knows, she may meet a better man in the future."
Nangong Xueyi immediately retorted, "I have met many men and read many books. You forgot that I am also writing a book. For the sake of writing the book, I have carefully observed the men of the official families in Kyoto, the royal children, the disciples of the rich families, and the common people. I can say with certainty that your brother-in-law is one in a million. He is the best man I have ever seen. Weimo, I can't understand how such an outstanding man could marry into your family? Your Qin family is too lucky, isn't it?"
Qin Weimo smiled, feeling proud, and said, "My sister is lucky. My sister is so beautiful, isn't it natural for her to find an excellent man?"
Nangong Xueyi was stunned when she heard this, and couldn't help but turn her head to look at the girl behind her, and whispered: "That's true, your sister is so beautiful no matter how you look at her. Every time I see her, I feel amazed, there is absolutely no flaw. Such a woman really deserves an excellent man to match her. However, I still can't understand why your brother-in-law is a son-in-law, and now he has passed the imperial examination. With his talent, I can be sure that he will definitely be the top scorer in the next spring examination. Even if he is not the top scorer, he will definitely be the second or third place, there is no way he can escape."
Miss Qin Er had a smile on her face, and said with secret pride in her heart: If you knew that my brother-in-law is not only talented in literature, but also practices martial arts, and if he is not deliberately hiding his shortcomings, he was admitted to the Dragon and Tiger College this year, I am afraid you will be even more surprised.
Nangong Xueyi's eyes lit up as she looked at the tall figure in front of her, wearing a Confucian robe, with an elegant demeanor, chatting with the Taoist nun.
Miss Qin Er glanced at her and reminded her in a low voice: "Sister Xueyi, my brother-in-law and my sister have a very good relationship."
Miss Qin behind her heard this, looked at her and said nothing.
Nangong Xueyi said "Oh" and continued looking ahead.
Miss Qin Er thought of the bold words she had just said in the carriage, and suddenly she felt powerless.
The higher you climb, the steeper the mountain road becomes.
Everyone in the Qin family was exhausted, panting and sweating profusely.
The female Taoist priest called herself Qingyou Taoist. She climbed all the way without blushing or sweating, and she walked lightly and calmly.
Luo Qingzhou had already used the breath-concealing technique taught by Sister Yue to close his warrior aura. In order not to arouse suspicion, he walked slower and slower, with more and more effort. He and the Qin family rested several times along the way, deliberately wiped the sweat off their faces several times, and were also out of breath.
When they were still some distance away from the mountain gate, he asked to stop and rest.
There happened to be a pavilion next to it.
He quickly asked Zhu'er to support Miss Qin Er, who was already sweating profusely and weak, to go into the pavilion to rest.
Everyone in the Qin family immediately entered the pavilion.
Taoist Qingyou followed him in and said, "It's still about two miles away. We're almost there."
There is a stone tablet in the pavilion.
The stone tablet was broken in half and was standing upright. There were two lines of text engraved on it, but the rest of the text had disappeared.
Nangong Xueyi took a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from her forehead and neck. She took the kettle from the maid and drank a few sips of water. She looked at the stone tablet, took a breath for a while, and whispered: "The tree has no roots, the flowers are beautiful, who would be willing to give up the greed for glory. The affairs of life are like a boat in the sea of suffering, drifting away and coming back..."
Then he frowned, turned around and asked, "Master Qingyou, where are the ones behind?"
Taoist Qingyou came over, took a look at the words on the stone tablet, and sighed, "No one knows what's behind it. This stone tablet is even older than our Qingyun Temple. We are very sorry that we don't know what's written on the back. But someone in the temple has taken over the content below. You can go and take a look when you go up later."
Nangong Xueyi frowned and thought for a while, then suddenly turned to look at the young man who was drinking water outside the pavilion, and said crisply: "Mr. Luo, can you try to take it?"
Hearing this, Luo Qingzhou returned the kettle to Zhu'er, walked over to take a look, and was about to shake his head to refuse when Bailing said crisply, "What my son-in-law made must be better than those in the temple."
Taoist Qingyou smiled faintly upon hearing this: "If that is true, the abbot will probably come out in person to thank you. The abbot is most regretful about this broken poem. It turns out that he often sighs while looking at the stone tablet here."
Luo Qingzhou's eyes fixed and he looked at the broken poem on the stone tablet again.
After looking at it for a long time and pondering it in his heart, Fang said, "Then I will try to write half of it. If it's not good, Taoist Qingyou will forget it after listening to it. Please don't laugh at me."
Taoist Qingyou said with a smile: "Go ahead, young master. I won't laugh at you."
Luo Qingzhou looked at the stone tablet, and after a moment's hesitation, he said, "According to the meaning and rhyme of the first half of the poem, I think it would be better to add the word 'freedom' to the missing word after 'drifting away and floating'."
After that, he recited aloud: "A tree without roots, its flowers are beautiful, who would be willing to give up the desire for glory? The affairs of life are like a boat in the sea of suffering, drifting and floating without freedom... It is difficult to moor in the boundless and shoreless waters, often swimming in dangerous places where fish and dragons swim. If you are willing to look back, you will find the shore, don't wait until the storm destroys the boat."
After the poem was finished, there was silence in the pavilion.
Taoist Qingyou muttered it several times, and the expression on his face became more and more solemn.
At this moment, an old voice suddenly came from the woods on the right: "Look back and you will see the shore. Sir, the second half of your poem is harmonious and natural, and the morality is extraordinary. I admire you, I admire you!"