pjbooks Chapter 161 I've succeeded, Daoist Master!
Chapter 161 I've succeeded, Daoist Master!
After the relocation of the graves was completed, life at Qingfeng Temple suddenly seemed to become lighter.
The thirteenth day of the first lunar month.
Li Jun woke up just as dawn broke.
He lay in bed, listening to the chirping of sparrows outside the window, a lively and cheerful sound.
Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the window, drawing thin white lines on the floor.
Li Jun lay down for a while, then sat up, got dressed, and went out the door.
In the courtyard, the old Taoist priest had already gotten up.
He was standing by the water vat, scooping water into it with a ladle.
The arowana poked its head out of the tank and nodded at him.
The old Taoist priest smiled and tapped its head.
"Eat."
He sprinkled some fish food into the tank.
The arowana flicked its tail and dived back into the water.
Li Jun stood at the door, watching this scene unfold.
He suddenly felt that his master seemed a little different today.
But he couldn't quite put his finger on what was different.
After feeding the fish, the old Taoist priest turned around and saw Li Jun standing there.
"You're up?"
He asked with a smile.
That smile was much brighter than usual.
Li Jun nodded.
"Master, you seem to be in a good mood today?"
The old Taoist priest was taken aback.
Then he smiled and didn't say anything.
He just waved his hand.
"Go cook."
……
In the kitchen.
Li Jun tied on her apron and started working.
The old Taoist priest sat on a small stool by the stove, watching his apprentice bustling about.
The flames in the stove flickered, casting an orange glow on his face.
"Jun'er," the old Taoist priest suddenly spoke.
Li Jun turned around.
"Um?"
The old Taoist priest looked at him, his gaze carrying something indescribable.
"Your advisor is back, and I feel... instantly lighter."
Li Jun paused in his movements.
He didn't turn around.
He simply hummed in response.
The old Taoist priest continued:
"In the past, I always felt like there was a stone weighing on my heart."
"It feels so heavy, I can't breathe."
"Now……"
He smiled.
"It seems to have been taken off now."
Li Jun remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he turned his head and looked at his master.
Looking at the rare relaxed smile on his master's face.
He smiled too.
"Master, then please smile more from now on."
The old Taoist priest waved his hand.
"What are you laughing at? You're old already. If you keep laughing, you'll become an old child."
Li Jun's lips curved into a smile.
"Old people are like children."
……
The next two days passed peacefully.
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
Lantern Festival.
The old Taoist priest got up early in the morning.
He went to the kitchen in the dark and cooked a pot of glutinous rice balls.
The glutinous rice balls were bought by Li Jun a few days ago when he went down the mountain. They were filled with sesame and were sweet and sticky.
When Li Jun got up, the old Taoist priest had already served the glutinous rice balls.
"Eat quickly," the old Taoist priest said, sitting at the table and beckoning him, "while it's hot."
Li Jun sat down at the table, picked up a spoon, and scooped out a glutinous rice ball.
He took a bite, and the sesame filling gushed out, burning him so badly he grimaced.
The old Taoist priest looked at him and laughed.
"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."
Li Jun blew hard and swallowed the glutinous rice ball.
"Master, you got up very early today."
The old Taoist priest nodded.
I'm happy today.
Li Jun looked at him.
"What's there to be happy about?"
The old Taoist priest smiled but didn't say anything.
After finishing his meal, Li Jun went to wash the dishes.
When he finished tidying up and came out, his master was hanging red lanterns on the courtyard wall.
He stood on a stool and hung them up one by one.
It was hung very carefully.
Li Jun walked over.
"Master, let me do it."
The old Taoist priest waved his hand.
"No need. Go and offer incense to your advisor first. I've already put the things in the room. When you come back, prepare the ingredients for lunch."
"Today is the Lantern Festival, we should have a good meal at noon."
……
noon.
The food was placed on the table.
Four dishes and one soup.
It has both meat and vegetables.
There were also two bowls of steaming hot glutinous rice balls.
The old Taoist priest sat at the table, looking at the dishes on it, his eyes crinkling with laughter.
"Alright, alright, let's have a good holiday together today, you and I."
Li Jun poured him a cup of tea.
"Master, have some tea."
The old Taoist priest picked up his teacup and took a sip.
Then, he put down his teacup.
Looking at Li Jun.
His eyes held a hint of smugness.
"Jun'er".
Li Jun looked at him.
"Um?"
The old Taoist priest cleared his throat.
"I have some good news to tell you today."
Li Jun was taken aback.
good news?
He thought about it.
Did Master find the money?
No, Master never covets unexpected wealth.
Could it be... that someone gave Master something nice?
That's not right either; Master has always been indifferent to material things.
Li Jun couldn't guess.
He looked at his master, waiting for him to continue.
Seeing his appearance, the old Taoist priest's smile deepened.
He took something out of his pocket.
It is a small, transparent stick about the length of a palm.
Li Jun recognized that thing.
Those are the testing crystal rods used by the Night Watchmen to test cultivation levels.
The old Taoist priest placed the crystal rod on the table.
Then, he looked at Li Jun.
He opened his mouth slowly.
"Your master... has cultivated Qi."
Li Jun was stunned.
You've cultivated Qi?
He stared wide-eyed at his master.
Seeing his disciple's expression, the old Taoist priest's smugness deepened.
He picked up the crystal bar and held it in his hand.
Exercise.
hum!
The crystal rod lit up.
Starting from the bottom, a faint white light slowly rose upwards.
One inch.
Two inches.
Three inches.
Finally, it stopped about three inches away.
The white light shone steadily, flowing slightly within the crystal rod.
Li Jun looked at the white light.
Master...
You've cultivated Qi?
Master has cultivated Qi?!
The old Taoist priest withdrew his power and put the crystal rod down.
He looked at Li Jun's stunned face and smiled until his eyes narrowed into slits.
"How is it?"
"How are your old bones doing, your master?"
Li Jun came to his senses.
He looked at his master.
Looking at the smug smile on his master's face.
"Master!"
"When...when did you cultivate Qi?"
The old Taoist priest waved his hand.
"What's there to get so excited about?"
He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then slowly said:
"That was the day after the grave was moved."
"That night, I was meditating in my room when I suddenly felt a heat in my lower abdomen."
"Then, a wisp of air rose up from there."
"I followed the meridians and went around in one circle."
"I was completely stunned. I never imagined that I, Daoist Master, would actually succeed like this!"
As the old Taoist priest spoke, he couldn't help but laugh.
As Li Jun listened, his eyes reddened.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions within him.
"Master, this is wonderful news!"
The old Taoist priest nodded.
"Yes, it's a joyous occasion."
He picked up the crystal bar and looked at it again.
Then, he handed the crystal bar to Li Jun.
"You should take the test too."
Li Jun took the crystal rod and held it in his hand.
Perform a little exercise.
hum!
The crystal rod suddenly lit up!
The light was as dazzling as the sun, shooting from the bottom to the top in an instant!
The entire crystal rod was glowing!
But only for a moment.
Li Jun then withdrew his power.
The light on the crystal rod quickly dimmed.
It returns to its transparent state.
The old Taoist priest was stunned for a moment when he saw this scene.
Then, he shook his head.
"You brat, what are you showing off for?"
Li Jun smiled. He wasn't showing off; lighting up this crystal rod was far more difficult than Kunlun's sword strike that day.
He returned the crystal rod to his master.
"Master, you have cultivated Qi! This is a great joy!"
"We need to celebrate."
The old Taoist priest looked at him.
"How will we celebrate?"
Li Jun stood up.
"You wait here."
He turned and left the house.
The old Taoist priest sat there, watching his apprentice's retreating figure.
The smile on his face was impossible to stop.
Soon, Li Jun returned.
He was holding a bottle of wine.
That was a bottle of fine wine that Master treasured, which he usually couldn't bear to drink.
The old Taoist priest's smile faltered when he saw the bottle of wine.
"Hey kid, you're celebrating with my wine?"
"hey-hey."
Li Jun chuckled twice, but didn't reply. He simply took two wine glasses and poured some wine into them.
The aroma of wine filled the air.
The old Taoist priest shook his head helplessly, picked up his wine cup, and smelled it.
"Good wine."
Li Jun also raised his wine glass.
"Master, congratulations."
"This glass of wine is for you."
The old Taoist priest looked at him.
Seeing the genuine joy in his apprentice's eyes.
He felt a warm feeling in his heart.
"it is good."
The master and apprentice clinked glasses.
The wine went down my throat.
A warm feeling rose from my stomach and spread all the way to my heart.
The old Taoist priest put down his wine cup and picked up a piece of food.
Li Jun also put down his wine glass.
He looked at his master and pondered for a moment.
Then he opened his mouth.
"Master, I also have some good news to tell you."
The old Taoist priest looked at him.
"What is it?"
Li Jun thought for a moment and organized his thoughts.
"This morning, that kid Yin Jian called me."
The old Taoist priest nodded.
"What's wrong with the child?"
Li Jun smiled.
He told me... he's getting engaged.
The old Taoist priest was taken aback.
Immediately, their eyes lit up.
"engagement?"
"With whom?"
"That's the daughter of Chief Lan?"
Li Jun nodded.
"Yes, it's Lan Nianzhen."
The old Taoist priest smiled.
"Good, good, good! This kid's got potential!"
Seeing his master's reaction, Li Jun smiled.
The old Taoist priest laughed for a while, then suddenly remembered something.
"Has the engagement date been set?"
"It's settled," Li Jun said. "The 23rd of the first month."
"Where is the location?"
"We'll hold it at the bride's place," Li Jun said. "After all, Miao territory is too far from here. They'll get married in Lu County later."
The old Taoist priest nodded.
"Of course, of course."
He thought for a moment, then looked at Li Jun.
"What did Yin Jian say?"
Li Jun said, "Yin Jian wants me to take you with me."
"Perfect timing! I've been wanting to take you out for a while now, and this is a great opportunity."
"I've heard the scenery in Miao territory is quite nice. Why don't you go and take a look, and also support Yin Jian?"
The old Taoist priest listened, and his smile deepened.
He nodded.
"Okay, let's go then."
But as soon as he finished speaking, the old Taoist priest's smile suddenly faded.
He hesitated for a moment before speaking:
"Jun'er, the temple has just finished holding a funeral."
"Your advisor was only buried a few days ago."
"Would it be unlucky for us to attend an engagement party?"
Upon hearing this, Li Jun shook his head.
"Master, you're overthinking it."
"The advisor's grave was moved on the ninth day of the month, and he was buried on the twelfth."
"It's the fifteenth today."
"By the time we set off, the seventh day after his death had already passed."
After listening, the old Taoist priest remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he nodded.
"you're right."
He smiled.
"Alright, let's go then."
Li Jun was happy to see that his master had agreed.
"Then I'll talk to Yin Jian in a bit and tell him to prepare without worry."
The old Taoist priest picked up his wine cup and took another sip.
He looked at Li Jun.
Looking at the happy smile on his apprentice's face.
Suddenly, he remembered something.
The smile gradually disappeared from his face.
Li Jun was pouring himself a drink and didn't notice his master's change.
The old Taoist priest put down his wine cup.
He just stared at Li Jun.
As he watched, he suddenly snorted.
Then, he put the wine glass on the table.
He stood up and walked straight outside.
Li Jun was taken aback by this sudden turn of events.
He looked up at his master's back.
"Master?"
The old Taoist priest didn't even turn his head.
"Eat your food!"
After saying that, he pushed open the door and went into his room.
With a bang, the door closed.
With a bang, the door closed.