Chapter 6, Conflict

Although he is allowed to eat in the temple, there are only seven acres of land left in the temple. It is manageable for a modest life, but it is far from sufficient for cultivation. Wealth, land, law, and companions are all indispensable, and wealth is the foremost among the four essentials of cultivation

Wang Cunye observed him in this manner, remaining silent, his eyes coldly scanning the few individuals.

As they spoke, a waiter bent over and brought in a tray. This establishment is quite good, as within moments, four dishes were prepared. There was a large bowl of finely sliced beef, a plate of Kung Pao chicken, a dish of peanuts, and freshly steamed buns, all placed on the table, steaming and exuding a fragrant aroma

I am Wang Cunye, so what

Upon hearing the mention of Xie Xiang, Wang Cunye felt a stir in his heart, and suddenly everything became clear to him.

The world is currently such that the strong act recklessly while the weak adapt to circumstances, a phenomenon that is all too common

This young man is Zhang Longtao. He holds a green silk fan and carries himself with elegance. However, the servants behind him are quite the opposite, each with a fierce gaze. Several of them surrounded him, cheering for their young master. If it were an ordinary person, they would indeed be intimidated by them; this is simply a matter of different roles.

Thus, I found a bookstore

Upon reaching this thought, a sense of regret immediately arose in my heart

The gaze swept over, and these few individuals understood clearly

Wang Cunyue frowned, wondering who this person was

Wang Cunyue made a slight concession, and then splashed against the wall. Taking a step forward, he struck with his palm, and with a sound of "puff," a servant let out a sharp cry, his thigh broken.

Before this fellow had the chance to think much, with a loud "bang," half of his teeth shattered, and his body was involuntarily propelled outward

Two more servants rushed forward, and Wang Cunyue formed his fingers into a sword. With a single thrust, he pierced directly through one servant's shoulder, and blood immediately gushed out in a straight line, as straight as chopsticks.

Old Master Liu!" Wang Cunyue slightly cupped his hands and said: "The thirteen volumes of the Qingyang Palace's legal instruments, may I ask how many volumes you have here, Old Master?"

Zhang Longtao keenly noticed Wang Cunye's gaze, and was immediately filled with rage. This fake Taoist, who didn't even have a formal Taoist certificate, dared to look at him like that. As his expression changed, Wang Cai immediately sensed it and jumped out, shouting: "Do you still dare to confront the young master? Beat him, beat this wild Taoist to death!"

The text of this scripture is not extensive, consisting of approximately 10,000 characters in one scroll. When unrolled, it measures five feet in length and is entirely handwritten in ink. Each character is about the size of a thumbprint. Upon a glance, one can feel a stirring in the heart and mind, realizing that this is indeed a complete ceremonial scripture, containing profound truths within.

Wang Cunye casually took out a roll

Before the words had even finished, Wang Cunye swiftly reached out with one hand like a clamp, grabbing Zhang Longtao by the neck and pulling him out. A faint cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he began to pat Zhang's face.

To become an official Taoist priest, one must undergo an assessment. Qingyang Palace has opened its doors to facilitate this process; however, there are still several conditions. Firstly, one must have at least three years of experience working in a Taoist temple. Secondly, there must be a continuous lineage of incense offerings behind them. Lastly, and most importantly, one must be well-versed in the Seven Classics of Taoism. If one only possesses one volume, they must have a total of six volumes to qualify.

The old man smiled and extended a finger: "One roll is priced at one tael of silver, and thirteen rolls amount to thirteen taels of silver"

Old man Liu asks, "May I inquire, Young Master Wang, what book would you like to read?"

shouting towards the inner room: "Cut five pounds of beef!"

Upon going out, I immediately felt a gnawing hunger and hurried to a nearby shop

The amount of food truly doubled, Wang Cunye finished eating beautifully, had some tea, and pondered in his heart

After struggling in the underworld for a hundred years, my heart and mind, tempered like iron, immediately filled with the intent to kill

Speaking, he released his grip on the book, gave a strong push, and saw Zhang Longtao take a few steps back. Wang Cunye glanced around, a fleeting thought of killing intent flashed through his mind, but he suppressed it and stepped away.

Hitting someone and killing someone are completely two different concepts

Wang Cunye did not speak, suddenly lunging forward and delivering a kick to Wangcai.

Currently, there are no difficulties in cultivation; it is merely a lack of vital energy within oneself. It is necessary to supplement with spiritual medicine to accelerate the pace of cultivation, enabling one to advance a level within half a month

One or two taels of silver amount to one guan, which totals to eleven guan and seven hundred wen. At that moment, a gold leaf was taken out along with some small silver coins.

After looking through several volumes, I realized that they were indeed complete, so I decided not to look any further. With a faint smile, I asked, "Old sir, may I inquire about the price of this set?"

Four servants followed behind, staring intently at Wang Cunyue. Wang Cai shouted, "Young Master, this fellow dares not respond to you; I think he is tired of living!"

He did not expect that Wang Cunye would dare to retaliate, and to strike so heavily.

There was also the summons from the Marquis of Wei, which seemed suspicious and required further investigation. After pondering for a moment, Wang Cunye felt he had digested enough information, so he calculated the expenses and went out.

These conditions are mostly met, but there are still six volumes of scriptures that have not been thoroughly recited

He spoke as he took out a silver ingot, shining bright and white

Wang Cunye took out a box, spent a piece of gold leaf, and exchanged it for ten taels of silver, all of which were fine, pure white silk silver, with each ingot weighing two taels, totaling five ingots

This person is not foolish; he simply believes that there is no need to be indirect or polite with someone like Wang Cunye. After saying this, he struck the air fiercely with a whip, declaring: "Others may not go, but you must go!"

My surname is Wang, may I ask your esteemed surname? Wang Cunye naturally revealed his current surname.

The shopkeeper was momentarily taken aback upon hearing this, staring wide-eyed at the books. Wang Cunye then laughed, saying, "What, is there no beef sold here? Or is someone afraid of a big belly in a small shop?"

Zhang Longtao was originally furious, desperately trying to struggle. Upon seeing those eerie green eyes, he suddenly felt a chill in his heart, as if coldness was surging up from the soles of his feet.

Wang Cunyie understands this very well; guiding people is about attracting followers, the Five Elements are the foundation of cultivation, and praying to the deities involves consecrating statues and inviting the gods, all of which are fundamental principles.

With just a sound of "puff," Wang Cai let out a muffled groan and was sent flying backward, landing on the ground

Upon seeing Wang Cunyie enter, the old man gently set down the book in his hand, marked his place with a bookmark, stood up, and smiled: "This young gentleman looks quite unfamiliar; may I ask your esteemed surname?"

The shopkeeper finally came to his senses and said, "Of course! How can I be afraid of a big belly while running a shop? It’s just that I haven’t seen much of the world; I was startled by five pounds!"

As soon as I entered, I shouted: "Five jin of beef, one steamer of dumplings, and two types of side dishes!"

At this moment, although it seemed like a long time, it was actually just one minute. Zhang Longtao, who had been laughing heartily, suddenly froze, his eyes wide with shock as he looked at Wang Cunye.

At this moment, he let out a cold laugh and said, "I still have one month left, and I have no more taboos. If you dare to play tricks at this time, I will take your entire family down with you. Get lost!"

Wang Cunye walked in the southern part of the city, where the flow of pedestrians was continuous and merchants came and went, creating a scene of great prosperity. Among them were many warriors equipped with swords and blades.

As soon as the words were spoken, several servants rushed forward.

Suddenly, the people on the street were all stunned; some were stretching their necks in a daze, while others were still chewing on their flatbreads, each one frozen in place as if under a spell of paralysis.

Zhang Longtao, upon hearing his response, felt a tremor in his muscles and said coldly: "You are Wang Cunye? Let me tell you, don't think your junior sister can help you out; I have already made arrangements with the library manager!"

Please

Thinking of soon eliminating Wang Cunye, and seeing Xie Xiang's graceful figure, Zhang Longtao coldly laughed: "Of course, if you are willing to kneel and beg for mercy in public, and obediently hand over your junior sister, I will overlook your past offenses. For the sake of her relationship with you and your senior brother, how about I give you a way out?"

Certainly, the most important thing at the moment is to obtain an identity, which necessitates taking the assessment at Qingyang Palace in the city

Upon entering, a staff member immediately approached with a warm smile.

Zhang Longtao noticed that Wang Cunye did not respond, frowned, and said: "I heard that you are Wang Cunye from Dayan Temple? Xie Xiang's senior brother?"

Wang Cunye remained silent, devouring his food voraciously. In a moment, he had consumed more than half. It is said that whether one practices Taoist arts or martial skills, both greatly deplete one's vital energy, necessitating substantial nourishment to maintain good health.

Even with a tolerance, an income of one guan per month is still quite expensive for an ordinary person. However, Wang Cunye does not mind and still says, "Old man, one roll for one guan is indeed too expensive..."

Wang Cunye was very perceptive to the atmosphere and immediately realized that the other party had softened. Although he possessed martial skills, he had not yet entered the path of immortality and could not contend against the army and the regime. Now was not the right time to kill him, so even though he had been ruthless towards those servants just now, he had only inflicted injuries that would not be fatal.

This bookstore is very elegant, with calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls. Sunlight filters in through the windows, casting dappled light throughout the room. An elderly man sits quietly reading a book

In this world, to become a Taoist priest, it is essential to thoroughly study these three texts consisting of thirteen volumes, undergo assessments, and allow for the copying and dissemination among the populace

The old man stroked his beard, revealing a look of self-satisfaction: "In my Qingyun Study, I possess all thirteen volumes of the scientific instruments, divided into three sections: the Section on Measuring People, the Section on the Great Caverns of the Five Elements, and the Section on Prayers and Transformations. I wonder how many books Young Master Wang wishes to have?"

Just as I stepped out and was strolling down the street, I heard a voice exclaim: "Found it!"

If there is, Wang Cunye really needs to reassess the openness of this world, but this is just a thought, jokingly saying: "My father-in-law has a rich collection, let me take a look first"

At this moment, Zhang, the assistant, was taken aback, unsure of how to react. Wang Cunye, upon seeing this, gave a disdainful smile and slapped him.

After a moment, I placed the scriptures into my bag and took my leave.

Zhang Longtao took a moment to regain his senses, his face pale, pointing at his hand and screaming: "You dare!"

Wang Cunye was taken aback and turned to look. He saw a shop assistant from Zhang's pharmacy bowing as he led someone out. The person was a young gentleman, adorned with a silver crown and dressed in a blue robe. He stepped forward, stood still, squinted his eyes, his dark pupils scanning Wang Cunye from head to toe, and said: "Are you Wang Cunye?"

Zhang San Shao, have you heard of the saying "when a common man is enraged, blood flows for ten paces"? Wang Cunye's eyes narrowed, and the green hue that had struggled in the underworld for a hundred years filled his pupils.

These individuals are merely ordinary people, lacking any profound skills. Even if they have acquired some martial arts, it is of little significance. The ostentation of this event clearly indicates that they are either wealthy or of high status.

The old man glanced at him and said, "Young master, I see that you possess extraordinary demeanor, and your future achievements will surely be remarkable. I, an old man, wish to establish a good relationship with you. I will make a concession; how about nine hundred wen for one scroll?"

Wang Cunye thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "Alright!"

I just don't know if there are any authentic texts among these volumes

Suddenly, Zhang Longtao realized that the person before him had less than a month to live. It is said that the most terrifying individuals are those who have nothing to lose. If provoked, while Wei Hou might not fear the consequences, he himself was merely the son of an eighth-rank county magistrate, and he feared that this person might truly dare to shed blood at a distance of ten steps