to open the carved lid.I opened it for a peek, and my brain short-circuited for ten seconds before I slammed the lid shut!This...this...this....Jiang Qiyun lay on the bed, half-reclining, and lifted h...Master Zong wore a simple Taoist robe and had a very short topknot.

This is a common attire for Taoist practitioners, appearing very understated.

He should be older than all of us, probably in his thirties or early forties. Perhaps because he is the eldest brother in a prominent family, he has a calm and composed personality, rarely speaks, and appears rather serious.

"Big Brother!" Xiao Shanming had been out traveling for a long time and hadn't returned to the sect to see his senior brothers and sisters. Now, this black tour guide was back home like a prodigal son, he didn't even bother explaining about his sect. He ran up in three steps and two, hugging his eldest brother's arms tightly.

A smile appeared in Zong Daochang's eyes, and he reached out to grasp Xiao Shanming's arm. The two brothers stood shoulder to shoulder, looking at each other with tears welling up in their eyes—only Xiao Shanming had tears welling up in his eyes.

"Senior Brother, you're right. There are so many bad people down the mountain. Although some aren't necessarily bad, they're still very fierce and only bully us cultivators!" Xiao Shanming said pitifully.

This sounds like you're accusing Little Yin Luo.

How could Xiao Yinluo bully you Didn't she take you home and treat you well

Xiao Shanming secretly glanced at Shen Qingru, who was two steps behind them, and whispered, “Even this fierce Kun Dao is here! Senior brother, should we deal with her! This is our territory now, so we're not afraid of her being arrogant!”

Zong Daozhang gave a faint smile and patted his junior brother’s shoulder: “Alright, we’ll catch up later. Go greet Master first, he’s very happy to hear you’re coming back and is waiting for you. I have some guests to attend to now.”

Honored guest

I exchanged a glance with my brother. Even though Shen Qingrui had bullied us, she still treated us as honored guests. She really was magnanimous.

Master Zongdao walked down a few steps and bowed, saying, "Miss Mu, Master Mu, we meet again."

We returned the courtesy, and Master Zong bowed to Shen Qingru again and said, "Many thanks to Daoist Shen for her magnanimity and not holding a grudge against this poor monk's meddling on that day."

Shen Qingrui was taken aback, her brows furrowing. "Who told you I wasn't charging I—"

I glanced back at Shen Qingrui. She was about to make a sarcastic remark, but when she saw me staring at her, she held back and snorted before turning away.

This guy... doesn't even return a greeting.

I think people in this industry have a common ailment, which is curiosity. You can't say that people in the yin and yang circles don't have curiosity, because it's impossible. Without curiosity, they wouldn't be doing this line of work. And sometimes, curiosity can be even bigger than courage.

The Shen family was a yin-yang family. Although they had both male and female disciples, the cultivation methods practiced by the Shen family were more advantageous for female disciples, which also gave female disciples a higher status in the family.

Being pampered at home naturally breeds conceit, leading one to believe they are on par with a Taoist scholar when venturing out.

Gradually, the Shen family's reputation grew, especially since many successive heads of the household were women and their husbands were marrying in. This solidified the idea that women held the power in the Shen family.

It's certainly an interesting story to see a "Kun Dao" from the Shen family. Especially in this day and age where looks are everything, Shen Qingrui's temper and how she made the name of Shen Kun Dao infamous, along with her everyday appearance that doesn't resemble a nun at all...

Instead, it's a very fashionable suit, which makes people in the circle have a feeling of "love-hate" towards this Kun Dao.

But this Master Zong should have been reclusive in seclusion before, he probably hasn't heard of the Shen family's affairs, right

Master Zong Dao saw that Shen Qingrui was still in a huff, and turned to me politely: “I hope Master Shen won’t mind. This poor monk didn’t know that Friend Shen was so proud and skilled in the Tao, so I acted presumptuously. It was all out of good intentions, with no intention of crushing the Shen family.”

I waved my hand and said, "I know, I know... Master Zong, you've dealt with me before. You should know that I'm not the type to crave fame and fortune or be greedy for victory. These empty honors don't mean anything to me. The Shen family isn't as domineering as rumored in the industry."

Zong Daochang smiled faintly: "The Shen family's temperament is indeed not domineering, but Pindao sees Shen Daoyou's actions, it is truly 'domineering'."

Since they wanted to clear up misunderstandings and discuss things, the conversation inevitably circled back to Shen Qingrui.

I only hope that Shen Qingru can distinguish between urgency and importance, restrain her temper, and speak a few kind words.

Even if you don't speak sweet nothings, people don't mind. You should at least say a polite or appropriate thing, right

I turned to look at Shen Qingru, she rolled her eyes dismissively: "Oh, really~~ I'm just a small mage from the Shen family, nothing compared to Master Zong. You talk about vanquishing demons and upholding righteousness, but you don't even look down on Kun Dao. It's just that your master sect can exorcise demons and uphold righteousness, right Humph...hypocrite."

My brother and I almost rolled our eyes at the same time. Shen Qingrui had a knack for killing conversations, even ones about "heaven."

We've already been as polite as we can. Let's just forget about this and move on! What did Master Zong do to you that was so bad If you've bullied him, that's enough! You've taken advantage of him, yet you still won't let it go.

Master Zong nodded and said, “Indeed… because our school's martial arts techniques are not suitable for transmission to women, therefore, this poor Daoist subconsciously always felt that women contaminated with yin energy were bad for me. Moreover, on the day I saw you, Shen Daoist friend, in your attire, wearing... high heels chasing after the criminal, I feared there might be a slip-up, so I took action to resolve it… It’s also my fault that I am not familiar with matters outside the mountains and didn't know about Shen Jia Kun Dao's reputation.”

My brother couldn't help but stand on Master Zong's side, frowning and saying, "Shen Qingrui, you need to rein in your temper. This is someone else's mountain gate, we are here to make friends... they have already said so much, given you face by giving you gold, yet you still aren't satisfied What's wrong with you Your face is too big, not enough to be slapped, is it"

Although Shen Qingrui had a fiery temper, she never managed to win an argument with my older brother, nor dared she directly confront him. With a huff, she bowed to Zong Daolang and said, "Alright then"

Okay, okay. I really want to keep her at home. It's just...

Master Zong was not particular about anything. The fact that we came to return the talismans and the small Buddha, and brought Shen Qingrui with us, he already felt that we were courteous and sincere.

Therefore, we politely invited them in through the mountain gate and then closed the gate to guests, specially accompanying us on a tour.

This Taoist temple has a long history and is a protected site in the local area. It has thousands of stone steps and winding paths that lead to secluded areas.

Because it's built near the top of a mountain, not many people usually come up. People nearby just go halfway up to see something called the Three-Fold Spring, and then head to farmhouses in a small village along the mountain road for meals and relaxation.

Few people visit to pay respects or make wishes, so it remains tranquil.

Life here is simple and plain, the temple isn't large, but it's very peaceful. Master Zongdao even specially tidied up the guest rooms for incense-bearers.

He took us on a tour, and we paid our respects at the main hall and mountain gate.

Along the way, Shen Qingrui remained silent. Although she wasn't polite to people, she was very devout and respectful towards deities and beliefs, showing no disrespect whatsoever.

"There's an old Taoist master in the temple. Shouldn't we go pay our respects first" I asked Master Zong.

Zong Daochang laughed and said, “The head of the family is indeed very courteous. My master settled down in a hut after visiting the place. This way please…”

No sooner had he finished speaking, than Xiao Shanming from the side door came towards us like a child who had returned home and was free to revel. He hummed the Chingjing Sutra as he walked, bowing respectfully: "Noble guests, please come in~ My master requests your presence."d of it"Hee hee, I haven't got my gear on yet. Wait until I change into my white coat and shorts, carrying a big fan and water cup, then that would be enough to keep you cool for three days!""Alright,...