At this time, Taichu Temple was having its morning lessons. When the news of victory reached the temple, the pilgrims and disciples instantly became excited.
The imperial honor guard carried sixteen gold-lacquered chests into the temple, and a eunuch holding a bright yellow imperial edict stood in the center of the courtyard.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees—"
"Master Changsong has taught well, and his disciple has shown great merit in slaying demons. He is hereby awarded ten thousand taels of gold and a celestial silkworm silk Taoist robe..."
Feeling the gazes of those around him, Master Changsong felt even more honored. The smile at the corners of his mouth could not be suppressed, and his eyes were full of smug satisfaction.
These items were not only precious but also represented the recognition of the imperial power.
His Taichu Temple was the number one temple in the world; not just any temple could compare.
Other disciples came forward one after another to offer their congratulations.
"Senior Brother Xie's descent from the mountain this time not only eliminated that malicious ghost but also fiercely slapped the faces of those other temples!"
"Congratulations, Temple Master!"
Several senior elders laughed merrily, "It is all thanks to Senior Brother Changsong's excellent teaching. It's one thing for this child to have pure Taoist magic, but the rarest thing is his temperament. He is born to cultivate the Tao."
Master Changsong stroked his beard and sighed with emotion, "Qingyan has never been a child to worry about since he was young. His Taoist heart is firm."
"The fact that he could reach this stage today is entirely due to his abstention from women and his severing of selfish desires."
The decree-bearing eunuch walked over with a smile, "Master Changsong, could we speak in private?"
The two walked toward the inner hall.
As they walked in, the eunuch lowered his voice, "Master Changsong, the Emperor has seen everything Daoist Xie has done for the common people over the years. Seeing that the National Teacher's health is growing weaker..."
The expression on Master Changsong's face also turned serious.
The eunuch continued, "The Emperor's meaning is... could you persuade Daoist Xie? This is not just a reward, but he also wants him to chat with the National Teacher and set up an altar in the palace to perform rituals."
Hearing this, Master Changsong immediately agreed. Such a great opportunity definitely had to be seized.
"Please rest assured, Eunuch. This is a once-in-a-century opportunity for our sect. This old Taoist will naturally speak to Qingyan, if only for the sake of the common people."
A smile immediately appeared on the eunuch's face, "Then I will trouble Master Changsong."
The people from the palace had sought out Xie Qingyan many times, but to no avail.
The reason they bypassed Xie Qingyan this time and came directly to Master Changsong was that they hoped to use Master Changsong's status to pressure Xie Qingyan.
However, Xie Qingyan, who was praised by everyone for cutting off his selfish desires, was currently in his room doing something that violated the ways of the Tao.
The candlelight flickered behind the folding screen, casting shadows on the layers of cyan sheer gauze.
Xie Qingyan was still wearing that Taoist robe. He trapped Ji Zhaoxi in his arms, his kisses gradually drifting down from the back of her neck. Her body could not stop trembling slightly, and her exposed skin was burning red.
The sound of fabric rubbing against each other seemed particularly harsh in the quiet night. Xie Qingyan buried himself deeply in her embrace, greedily sniffing the scent on her body.
"Xiaoxi..."
At this moment, Xie Qingyan did not look like a cultivator of the Tao, but more like a ghost crawling out of the underworld...
In another room, a person and a bird were having a late-night conversation.
"You are also a Taoist priest of Taichu Temple. Why didn't you kill me that day?" the Parrot Ghost sucked on a snack in the cage.
Zhixuan lay on the table, his eyes full of melancholy, "When I was little, I raised a puppy. After the puppy died, it didn't want to leave me, so its ghost kept following me. When my senior brother found out, he was very angry and said I polluted the peace of the temple, and then..."
"Anyway, since then, I only slay evil ghosts. It's not like all ghosts harm people."
The Parrot Ghost was startled, "How could Xie Qingyan be so bad!"
Zhixuan quickly explained, "It wasn't Eldest Senior Brother; it was another senior brother."
It was also from then on that he always disliked that senior brother and felt particularly conflicted about the act of slaying ghosts.
The Parrot Ghost also didn't expect Zhixuan to have such a past, and clumsily comforted him, "It's okay. Hearing you say that, your dog was quite silly. Maybe it didn't even know what happened to itself and just felt a little sleepy."
Zhixuan whispered, "I hope so, but I still feel sorry for it..."
He was too cowardly back then.
The scorching midday sun was cut into fine pieces by the leaves on the trees. The sound of cicadas rang out continuously, and the faint sound of other Taoist priests chanting scriptures could be heard.
Ji Zhaoxi slept until noon before slowly waking up. She buried herself in the quilt with her eyes closed. The inner garment on her body hung loosely, and with her movements, the shocking red marks on her back were exposed.
Ji Zhaoxi didn't want to suck Xie Qingyan's yang energy at all, but he insisted that she do it, even saying in all seriousness that it was good for her health.
Thus, a very bizarre scene appeared: a Taoist priest teaching a female ghost how to suck his yang energy.
A pair of large hands pulled her into an embrace. Xie Qingyan kissed her lips and said in a low voice, "Xiaoxi, your cultivation has improved a lot."
Ji Zhaoxi leaned in his arms, not wanting to reply to this.
Xie Qingyan chuckled softly. Through the thin inner garment, he gently rubbed her waist, his eyes extremely focused.
Being rubbed until she was groggy, Ji Zhaoxi unconsciously burrowed into his arms.
Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open.
"Qingyan..."
Master Changsong's voice stopped abruptly. He stood at the door, his face full of astonishment.
Through the sheer gauze curtains, he saw his proudest eldest disciple holding a woman with disheveled clothes. Although he couldn't see her face clearly, the intimate actions of the two gave Master Changsong a harsh slap in the face.
Before Master Changsong could step into the room, Xie Qingyan frowned and waved his sleeve. The door was slammed shut heavily, making a loud noise due to the excessive force.
Master Changsong was about to faint from anger. Just yesterday, the Emperor had given the temple so many rewards, and he had confidently told the eunuch how firm Xie Qingyan's Taoist heart was.
As a result, he encountered such a thing today!
"Sinful disciple! What are you hiding in your room!"
Just now, he had been so angered by that scene that he lost his mind. Only now did he realize that the room was full of ghostly energy.
Zhixuan stood carefully to the side. When his master came, it startled him too. Fortunately, the Parrot Ghost ran fast and hid.
Zhixuan originally wanted to stall for time for Xie Qingyan, but seeing Zhixuan so anxious to stop him, Master Changsong felt something was wrong and walked straight into the inner room.
Seeing Zhixuan's guilty look, Master Changsong was even more furious, "You already knew this female ghost was hiding here?!"
Zhixuan whispered a retort, "Master, Miss Ji is the person Eldest Senior Brother likes, not some female ghost."
Master Changsong wished he could slap him. With all that ghostly energy, he was still here saying she wasn't a female ghost.
"Go down and take your punishment!"
Zhixuan looked at Master Changsong in disbelief, "Why, Master?"
Master Changsong sneered, "Why? You're mixing with a female ghost and you still ask why?! Hurry up and go down!"
