Chapter 8, Daoist Canon (Volume 1)

The snowstorm is quite heavy; in just a short while, a thick layer of snow has already covered the ground. From a distance, the entire city of Lin'an appears as a vast expanse of white.

Forget it, you are still young, let's not discuss these matters—Jun Xuan, this snowfall has come rather suddenly, much earlier than in previous years. Every year on snowy nights, many people freeze to death. Anyway, we have plenty of charcoal here, you go and bring that old man over. I will also step out to bring the beggars from the city in; otherwise, many people might freeze to death tonight.

The old man... Lin Junxuan crouched down, and as he got closer, he caught a whiff of a foul odor, one that resembled meat that had rotted for over ten days, completely different from the typical smell of beggars in filthy corners. Moreover, as Lin Junxuan looked down, he noticed a black, foul liquid slowly seeping out from beneath the old man.

"Alright, I will go now!" Lin Junxuan replied, and the two exchanged glances before rushing into the wind and snow

He seemed unsure of how to describe it, but the old man understood. With a smile, the old man said in a tone that was both simple and unremarkable: "I am a demon"

As night fell, a heavy snowfall, resembling goose feathers, suddenly descended from the sky, continuously blanketing the streets and alleys of Lin'an City, as well as the rooftops and towers. This snowfall arrived much earlier than many had anticipated.

"Elder, I have arrived!" Lin Junxuan walked over, stood beside the elder, and spoke softly. The elder remained motionless, still lying on the ground.

You are still hesitating. The voice of the young man in white echoed once more in Lin Junxuan's mind. Lin Junxuan saw him smiling as he shook his head, slowly retreating and soon disappearing into the darkness

A low moan suddenly reached Lin Junxuan's ears, causing him to open his eyes abruptly. Awakening from a hazy state, he raised his head to glance outside the door. Lin Junxuan realized that it was nearly midnight, and he had been asleep for several hours.

"Are you afraid of me?" the old man spoke. Lin Junxuan shook his head, raised his gaze, and looked directly at the old man: "No, I just don't know what to say."

Lin Junxuan turned to glance at Gan Ruye, who was standing outside the door lost in thought, and noticed that Gan Ruye seemed completely unaware, as if she had not heard that sound

Feeling the chill seeping in from outside, Lin Junxuan curled up and huddled closer. The old man had not yet awakened, so Lin Junxuan rested his head on his knees and dozed off.

It is another winter! Gan Ruye pushed open the door, standing outside the academy, gazing up at the falling snow in the sky, murmuring to himself. He looked up at the sky, silent, with a hint of compassion in his brow.

The City God Temple is located at the western end of the city. Lin Junxuan walked for over an hour before reaching the entrance of the temple. A faint light flickered from the temple door, which was the candlelight of the worshippers.

Gan Ruyue noticed that Lin Junxuan had not responded for a long time, and his brows were tightly furrowed, as if he were troubled by some issue. She walked from the door to the window and gently touched Lin Junxuan's head, saying: "Junxuan, what is the matter? If you have any questions, feel free to speak up; perhaps I can help you find the answer."

There is still breath. Although the breath exhaled from the old man's nose is weak, it has not ceased, indicating that there are still signs of life.

Lin Junxuan pondered and said: "You are—"

Time passed slowly. Not feeling very hungry, Lin Junxuan sat beside the old man, waiting patiently. The stench emanating from the old man grew stronger, and the dark, filthy liquid beneath him increased in quantity, forming a distinct trail on the ground. Lin Junxuan remained motionless, seemingly indifferent to the unpleasant odor.

Lin Junxuan raised his head, pondered for a moment, and said: "Teacher, do you believe that there are 'ghosts and deities' in this world?"

With a bang, the tightly shut window suddenly opened. Lin Junxuan leaned on the windowsill, peering out from the study. Outside, large and soft snowflakes fell in lines, fluttering down from the sky, transforming the world into a realm of ice and snow. Lin Junxuan gazed blankly outside, recalling the strange words of the young man in white and the fortune-teller from earlier in the day, and his mood suddenly became chaotic

Sitting in the candlelight, Lin Junxuan lowered his head to look at the old man. The old man's face was covered with a layer of dust, and beneath the dust, his complexion was a deathly pale, devoid of any color. If it were not for the faintest hint of breath, he would truly resemble a corpse. Naturally, the old man could not be dead; a person on the verge of death could not possibly scare away five fierce hunting dogs and four well-trained horses

There must be something unusual behind every abnormal occurrence! Lin Junxuan realized that the fortune-telling old man was probably not as ordinary as he had initially thought; an ordinary old man would not be able to scare away five hunting dogs and four fine horses. Despite this understanding, Lin Junxuan felt no fear in his heart, only a sense of confusion.

Lin Junxuan's palm, resting on the ground, trembled slightly when the old man spoke these words, but quickly returned to calm. The old man's words seemed both true and false, and the smile in his eyes made it impossible to determine whether what he said was indeed true.

Have you made up your mind? A familiar voice suddenly rang in his ears. Lin Junxuan was startled and looked up ahead, only to see the young man in white from earlier, standing in the depths of the alley outside the window, smiling at him. Despite the cold weather, he was still wearing a thin white robe, seemingly unaffected by the chill. In his arms, he held a five-stringed instrument, and on his back were four long swords, exuding an air of elegance and grace. Despite the cold weather, he was still wearing a thin white robe, seemingly unaffected by the chill. In his arms, he held a five-stringed instrument, and on his back were four long swords, exuding an air of elegance and grace.

"Hmm." Lin Junxuan responded.

Lin Junxuan seemed to have an epiphany and said softly, "The student understands."

"Are you his relative?" the beggar asked

The City God Temple was enveloped in silence, with both individuals maintaining their silence

The two master and apprentice each had their own thoughts, and the study suddenly fell silent, leaving only the occasional crackling sound of the charcoal fire.

The cold wind swept in with flurries of snow, creating a soft "wooo" as it entered the City God Temple. Through the open door, one could see the outside blanketed in white. The night had become considerably lighter due to the snow covering the ground. In a nearby corner, beggars huddled together, their teeth chattering from the cold. The initial cheers of the city's children upon discovering the snowfall had long since faded, as anxious parents pulled their children indoors. Lin'an City had finally fallen completely silent.

Lin Junxuan did not immediately take the fallen chain; he instinctively looked up towards the corner where a group of beggars were sleeping, seemingly unaware of the unusual situation here

"Jun Xuan, who are you talking to?" Gan Ru Ye suddenly awakened upon hearing Lin Jun Xuan's voice

Gan Ruye furrowed her brows and said: "Jun Xuan, you are the successor of my 'Meng School' and also a scholar of the Confucian lineage. The saying goes, 'A gentleman does not discuss strange phenomena, supernatural forces, or spirits.' Such matters should not be brought up again in the future. Our current dynasty, 'Longting,' is quite sensitive about these topics, and you must remember this if you wish to embark on an official career in the future"

Inside the City God Temple, there is an old statue of a Bodhisattva, which is covered with a layer of dusty cobwebs. Beneath the Bodhisattva statue stands a dilapidated table with a broken leg, on which rests a cracked altar containing several incense candles, each over two feet long, quietly burning. There are candle flames and smoldering incense, but no offerings are present.

During the conversation between the two individuals, the elderly man lay on the ground with his eyes tightly closed. This situation was almost identical to the night a month ago when Lin Junxuan encountered the elderly man.

"Why should you choose me?" Lin Junxuan asked the young man in white, who was carrying four swords on his back.

Lin Junxuan entered the temple and saw more than ten beggar children huddled together in a corner, where the wind could not reach, making it somewhat warmer. Near the temple door, an old fortune teller, disheveled and dirty, was curled up, lying in the corner of the wall

A hint of surprise appeared in the old man's eyes: "Why?"

"I will come to find you again..." When this final voice reached me, the young man in white had already vanished without a trace

"Do not worry, I have already put them to sleep," the old man said calmly, and then handed over the star-shaped pendant chain. Lin Junxuan took the star-shaped pendant chain but did not know what to say.

Upon exiting the academy, Lin Junxuan walked slowly. He was preoccupied with the events of the day. The hunting dog suddenly stopped, and the spirited horse pulling the carriage became frantic; these were not trivial matters, as the animals seemed to have been frightened by something terrifying. Given his considerable strength, why was he knocked down by the carriage that night when he came to his rescue

Old man!" Lin Junxuan gently patted the old man and called out. The old man's body moved slightly, but he still did not wake up. Turning over, the old man continued to sleep soundly.

With his gaze withdrawn from the door, Lin Junxuan looked beside him: the old man had already awakened, and a stream of warmth emanated from his body, bringing some color back to his face. Lin Junxuan quietly observed him, noticing that the dirt on the old man's clothes was visibly disintegrating and rapidly dissipating into the air. The once filthy garment was becoming clean again under Lin Junxuan's gaze and the influence of the *book*. The foul liquid oozing from the old man's armpit also gradually decomposed and vanished. In the blink of an eye, the old man transformed from a dirty and smelly "beggar" into a clean and tidy "fortune teller"!

You have arrived! The old man opened his eyes and slowly sat up. After a moment of thought, he suddenly reached into his bosom, and when he withdrew his hand, he held a star-shaped pendant chain: "This is your pendant chain, I return it to you!"

"Do not worry, he is like this every day. By the time it is midnight, he will wake up on his own." A voice suddenly reached Lin Junxuan's ears. He turned his head and looked in the direction of the sound, only to see a child, around seven or eight years old, with a relatively handsome face, sitting among a group of beggars, gazing up at him.

The beggar nodded slightly, no longer paying attention to Lin Junxuan. Perhaps due to the cold, he shrank his neck and buried himself among the other beggars, huddling together for warmth. Before long, he fell into a deep sleep.

Lin Junxuan shook his head. The beggar looked at Lin Junxuan in surprise and said, "Just wait a moment; he will return to normal soon."

It is snowing! A cheerful shout came from outside the school, and the tightly closed doors suddenly opened. Children dressed in thick winter coats ran out of the building, spinning around on the street, reaching out to catch the snowflakes falling from the sky

Lin Junxuan recalled the strange young man in white, whose voice seemed to be whispered directly into his ear, so resonant that Teacher Gan Ruye appeared to hear nothing at all

The ancient temple was eerily quiet, with only the sound of the cold wind howling as it surged in. The light emitted by the candle cast faint yellow halos in circles. Although the candlelight dispelled the darkness within the dilapidated temple, it did little to warm the place.

Lin Junxuan felt a chill in his heart and quickly reached out to check the old man's nose.