Chapter 4, Polishing the Shell

On that day, the disciples recited the scriptures with particular vigor

In the temple, there are only male disciples; how could they have ever seen such charm? Instantly, all eyes widened like those of a black chicken—this, this, this is the legendary vessel of the master? ... Tsk tsk, do not be fooled by our master's usual ascetic demeanor; his appreciation for women is indeed exceptional

Upon hearing this, Rong Chenzi was filled with anger. He was inherently a person who did not understand romantic sentiments and had always detested the flirtatious and ostentatious behavior of seductive creatures. At this moment, upon hearing those words, he inexplicably thought of the delicate little feet bound with red threads and golden bells, and his attitude towards this river clam swiftly turned hostile: "What are you talking about..."

The bed in the clam's secret chamber is quite exquisite, yet the clam is clearly more interested in Rong Chenzi, spending every night on his couch. It would be one thing if she merely slept, but once she transforms into a clam, she cannot close her shell, often drooling in her sleep. Moreover, this creature is an aquatic species, with an absolute surplus of moisture in its body; whenever it drools, it spills half a basin's worth.

The clam was taken aback for a moment, then shook its head, "Are you looking for a head? Then let's search separately. I will look for food while helping you find the head, and you can keep an eye out for food while you search for the head..."

This person cannot sing; the more she sings, the more spirited she becomes! All the scriptures must be recited, and as soon as they are recited, she will fall asleep

The precepts of the Daoist sect are numerous, such as the "Taishang Laojun Precepts Sutra," the "Laojun Recitation Precepts Sutra," and the "Three Caverns Collective Precepts Text," among others. Initially, the river clam could still manage to listen, but later it felt as if it were listening to a lullaby.

The young Taoist suddenly turned around, and to his astonishment, his neck was completely empty. In a chilling voice, he asked, "My head... have you seen my head..."

The music employed "The Three Refuges," with the singing style of Master Rongchen being melodious and not strictly adhering to the score. The embellishments were graceful and quite pleasing to the ear. After the scripture was sung, the disciples receiving the precepts stepped forward to listen to the teachings.

There is a vegetable garden outside the kitchen, where the disciples take turns fetching water and chopping firewood every morning, as well as managing the vegetable garden

The river clam nodded, and after a while, she began to feel a bit drowsy, bouncing and hopping towards the direction of Rong Chenzi's bedroom

Qing Xuan is not afraid of managing affairs in the temple, but when it comes to this foodie, he feels overwhelmed: "Master, what if she wakes up and sees you are not here, and starts causing a scene..."

Then the clam did not think so; she desperately rubbed her neck, her face filled with disbelief: "Qingxuan, it choked my neck!! And Tushu, it choked my neck!!"

He simply looked up at the tree, and suddenly, the corners of his lips curved slightly.

Upon reflection, he quickly regained his senses, carried the river clam into the secret chamber, thought for a moment, and then pulled the blanket to cover her before returning to the bedroom

She did not cause a fuss, but sullenly stuffed food into her mouth

The Sanqing Hall, the Four Imperial Halls, and the Jade Emperor Hall are places that malevolent entities do not dare to approach easily; however, she practices the righteous path and is not afraid of true deities

However, the river clam also bears some responsibility in this matter; simply polishing the shell is not enough, it also needs to take a bath

As a result, under the gaze of over a hundred pairs of eyes, she only ate half a bowl of rice, and then she put down her chopsticks, saying: "They keep staring at me, I can't eat!"

He let out a soft sigh and handed over the half bun in his hand. The clam grinned and said, "I knew you couldn't finish it! Don't waste it, wasting it is... disgraceful!" She swallowed the bun, her words unclear.

The river clam slept until the early hours of the Shen period, and Qing Xuan was worried she would cause trouble, so he hurriedly sent four portions of food. She looked around and quickly noticed something was amiss: "Where is Rong Chen Zi?"

Master Rong sighed: "What can be done? Just indulge her in whatever she wants, and avoid any disputes. Remember to add sugar to the talisman water; if that doesn't work, feed her some candied fruit, as she enjoys sweet treats"

The first refuge is in the Supreme Ultimate Dao, which leads to eternal liberation from the cycle of reincarnation, hence it is called the Treasure of the Dao... The figure of Rong Chenzi, dressed in white like snow, carries himself with solemnity and dignity, while the large river clam on the tree sleeps soundly, oblivious to the affairs of the world above and below.

In the evening, Qingxuan led her junior disciples in the temple for the evening prayers. Suddenly, she looked up and saw this fellow bouncing towards her. Her long black hair reached her waist, and her pure white gauze robe resembled the feathers of a swan. Although she usually ate a lot, her waist was extremely slender. To make matters worse, she was barefoot, and as she walked, the sound of golden bells jingled around her ankles like precious jade.

On that day, Master Rong Chen was invited to attend a Dharma assembly, which would require him to be away from the temple for three to four days. He decided to take his second disciple, Qing Su, along with him. Before leaving, he was concerned that the river clam might follow, so he did not inform her. After addressing the trivial matters in the temple, he instructed Qing Xuan: "In my room... that river clam is likely to sleep until the end of the noon hour. If she wakes up, remember to bring her food. She is a demon, easily affected by the impurities of the human world. Before feeding her, you must first give her the exorcism talisman water. Do not let the exorcism incense in the room go out."

The headless ghost seemed dissatisfied with this result https://m.hetushu.com, and immediately reached out to strangle her by the neck. She appeared to possess little magical power, yet it was fortunate that he could not kill her in an instant. After struggling for a while, she finally let out a scream, calling for Qingxuan.

Profoundly transcendent and utterly captivating

When the river clam woke up, the sky was already dark. She slid down the tree trunk, touched her rumbling stomach, and was about to return to her room when she saw Master Rong Chen sitting cross-legged in the dojo. The night was deep, and all the disciples had dispersed.

Due to this line of thought, several skilled chefs brought forth their best culinary techniques and prepared a feast for her, naturally ensuring that no one dared to share the table with her. The surrounding disciples occasionally cast various glances in her direction, to which Qing Xuan sorrowfully shook his head: "Do not stare, it will lead to disillusionment..."

After wandering around for half a day, she discovered that Qingxu Temple housed many abandoned kittens and puppies. She squatted down and played with them for a while, and as the day grew later, Qingxu Temple had quieted down, and the lights in the hall began to extinguish

He had been tired for several days, and it was inevitable that he would sleep soundly as soon as he touched the pillow. He did not even know when the river clam had crawled onto the bed. When he woke up, he was quite startled, but fortunately, that creature was still a four-foot-long river clam, and he breathed a slight sigh of relief

I never expected this fellow to sleep for several hours; it is now almost the third watch of the night

At night, this fellow is to dine with several others in the dining hall. The dining hall is somewhat similar to the later dining facilities in palaces and temples, featuring a large kitchen, a row of stone water tanks outside, a large stove capable of serving meals for about a hundred people inside, and a large ceramic rice jar, with flour and beans readily available.

Qingxuan cried out in distress, disregarding the recitation of scriptures, and hurriedly approached, asking in a low voice: "How did you come out? The master said when he left that you should not run around."

The Second Refuge, the Sutras of the Thirty-Six Departments, having heard the true teachings, are thus referred to as the treasures of the scriptures. Master Rongchen's voice was low and subdued, as he recounted those Taoist texts with great familiarity, as if they were the lines of his palm

She wandered aimlessly around the observation area, while Qingxuan was leading two capable disciples to inspect the surroundings. The other disciples found it difficult to engage her in conversation and could only let her roam freely.

When Master Rong Chen spoke of the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts, she finally fell asleep on the tree

Rong Chenzi felt a slight warmth on his face—Rong Chenzi, what exactly are you thinking about with *the book*? He tore off a piece of dried loofah and began to wipe the shell of the river clam.

In recent days, she has taken over Rong Chenzi's bedroom, to the extent that Rong Chenzi has to avoid her even when combing his hair, and bathing has become quite inconvenient. However, he is extremely particular about cleanliness, so he can only go to the mountain spring in the back mountain to bathe. Fortunately, as a practitioner of the Dao, he has a naturally strong physique and is not afraid of the cold spring water.

From then on, he and the clam established three rules: if one wishes to sleep on his bed, one must transform back into a clam. If one wishes to take human form, then one must return to the secret chamber to sleep on the tooth bed

Qingxuan was almost fainting: "Be quiet! Can you go back first? This time, Master is just going to chant scriptures, it's not fun at all. Next time when we go out, I will definitely take you with me. If he doesn't take me, can I ask him to take you along instead?"

The river clam's willow-like eyebrows stood upright, and her almond-shaped eyes widened in surprise: "I don't care!" She huffily sat down on the empty mat, the layers of her feathered dress spreading out like a blooming lily. Qingxuan did not dare to drive her away, fearing that he might truly anger her, so he had no choice but to let her sit there.

Qing Xuan let out a sigh: "Then you go back to Master’s room first, and I will bring it over later"

Before the angry reprimand could be uttered, the river clam had already plopped into the mountain spring with a splash. Then, it flipped over and transformed into a large river clam, about four feet long, dark and glossy. It nudged up next to Rong Chenzi, completely unaware, and said: "Zhi Guan, please help me wipe my shell!"

Qing Xuan went to the room to check on her before sleeping, but upon finding her absent, he began to search around. He was the eldest disciple of Rong Chenzi, and dealing with a headless ghost was a piece of cake for him; in an instant, he captured that entity with a jar.

The river clam found it quite interesting, sneaking a glance from the lush peach tree beside the dojo, her heart filled with joy. Master Rong Chen glanced at her but continued to chant the scriptures with a solemn demeanor, appearing completely focused on his task.

The river clam welcomes all, even more formidable than a slop bucket

She spotted a young Taoist priest walking slowly in the darkness, his steps unsteady, and immediately approached to pat him on the shoulder: "What are you trying to catch?"

The sky is about to brighten; in the woods of Qingxu Temple, two Taoist priests carefully put away their magical tools, yellow talismans, and little ghosts, quietly slipping away— it seems that the woman is indeed not the Sea Emperor.

Master Rong Chen shook his head and returned to his bedroom. Inside, a table of vegetarian dishes had already been set up. Considering the appetite of the river clam, Master Rong Chen specifically instructed his disciples to prepare several additional dishes.

Qing Xuan accompanied Xiao Xin as she served the dishes: "Master has gone out, but will return soon"

Recently, the young acolytes who came to make the beds at https://mhetushucom.com looked at the white sheets stained with marks... always with a subtle expression...

Adjacent to the kitchen, there are more than ten large round tables, and on the side counter, there are huge wooden barrels filled with rice. Her previous meals were all prepared separately in the kitchen and delivered to Rong Chenzi's bedroom. Today, they are to eat here, and the fire worker dares not be careless—after all, even the cooking vessels are those used by the master. If one were to discuss it, that would be the master's wife, and she appears delicate and charming. Although the master usually maintains a serious and solemn demeanor in public, he must surely be very fond of her in private.

Due to his unique constitution, there are many妖物 lingering outside the Qingxu Temple. Regardless of whether this river clam possesses any abilities, she is ultimately a woman, and he does not wish for any unforeseen incidents to occur

The clam tugged at his sleeve, its face filled with indignation: "It choked me! How could it choke me, the filthy creature, when it hasn't even washed its hands!"

Who told him to go out to play without me! The clam snorted coldly, and the voice gradually grew louder, "Damn it, he was talking so well a few days ago while sleeping, and now that he’s up, it’s all nonsense! I will never believe him again!

The river clam, however, was completely unaware, leaning against it, moved to tears: "Master Rongchen, thank heaven and earth, you have finally finished reciting the sutra!"

The night was deep and serene, the wind caressed the mountains and forests, and the grass and trees whispered. Rong Chenzi slowly removed his Daoist robe, placing both his outer and inner garments on the green stone by the spring. The moon shyly revealed half of its face before retreating into the depths of the floating clouds. The mountain spring water soaked into every pore, and he let out a long sigh, completely relaxing.

On the second day, disciples of Qingxu Temple performed the ritual of abstinence. Rongchenzi had not slept well for several consecutive days, yet he still mustered his spirits to preside over the fasting ceremony. This is a rite of initiation into the Dao, which Qingxu Temple has always regarded with great importance, and the occasion was indeed quite lively.

Qing Xuan sealed the altar with a yellow talisman and casually reassured her, "I will burn it right away"

He clasped his hands in a gesture, remaining silent and motionless, with the dust brush placed to his right; this esteemed figure resembled a stone statue

On the table, the river clam was indulging in a feast, while Rong Chenzi took a steamed bun, savoring it delicately and gracefully. The river clam quickly finished the dishes on the table, and then it began to fixate on the half bun in Rong Chenzi's hand. Rong Chenzi found that gaze quite familiar—when he dined outside, stray dogs often looked at him in the same way!

As Rong Chenzi waved her whisk, the evening breeze gently carried his fragrance throughout the entire library. The clam became even hungrier: "Aow, what is there to eat tonight? I am hungry!"

Before the ceremony begins, it is necessary to enliven the atmosphere. All attendees of the Qingxu Temple should be present, and the officiating master will lead the chanting of the scriptures. Merely singing is not enough to create a lively ambiance; it must be accompanied by musical instruments. In addition to ritual implements such as bells, plates, and cymbals, there should also be a complete set of instruments including sheng, xiao, di, and erhu.

That night, as Rong Chenzi had just left Qingxu Temple, a monster came to cause trouble. He Bange was sleeping soundly when she heard a commotion outside. She yawned and got up. Upon seeing the temple brightly lit, she noticed the young Taoists sticking talismans everywhere.

At around four in the morning, Rong Chenzi polished the river clam until it gleamed, yet the clam remained asleep, still bubbling in the water. Rong Chenzi carried her back to the bedroom. He had been meditating for several days, performing rituals during the day and struggling to sleep at night; even a person of iron could feel some fatigue. At this moment, looking at the clam sleeping soundly, he couldn't help but find an excuse—after all, she was just a river clam, or perhaps, it didn't need to be so particular.

... ... '' The people present in the observation no longer recited the scriptures, suffering from the fact that the senior brother had not given any instructions, and they did not dare to rise, yet their ears were perked up. ... Goodness, it turns out that our usually calm and composed master also has moments of speaking carelessly while lying on the couch ...

Rong Chenzi sighed, got up, and went to the dining hall, where he sought out some vegetable buns and glutinous rice cakes to feed her. Fearing it would not be enough, he also took a few cucumbers and two eggs from the kitchen.

Now that the master is not present, we absolutely cannot let her go hungry

The clam hurried over in a small run, taking two steps at a time, and the golden bells on her ankles jingled. Rong Chenzi opened his eyes. The clam was in a deep sleep, and he did not want to wake her, so he could only wait for her to awaken here

The attentive young Taoist in the dining hall naturally noticed that Zhi Guan's appetite had recently increased significantly, but out of respect for his usual strictness, he did not dare to inquire

Unexpectedly, after only a brief moment of silence, the river clam came searching, running while shouting: "Master Rongchen, so you are here!" She rushed over, causing Master Rongchen to hastily don his robe without caring for his inner garment. Before he could even speak, the river clam, panting heavily, exclaimed, "Master Rongchen, for goodness' sake, could you help me wash up too!"

The clam is still clamoring, and Qingxuan is puzzled—this Sea Emperor's courage is rather small! After all, it is also a demon, yet it is frightened like this by a little ghost!

Qing Xuan nodded and took note of it, and only then did he descend the mountain