Chapter 4: Wang Yu

A few days later.

Ding Yu stood at the foot of a small mountain, watching his grandfather nodding and bowing to a man in Taoist attire, talking about something.

The Taoist was in his forties, with thick eyebrows and a square face, speaking slowly and methodically, looking very dignified.

Behind the two, a winding stone path led directly to the mountain, and a small Taoist temple was vaguely visible on the lush green mountain top.

After a cup of tea, the old man turned around and urged Ding Yu:

"Little Er, you will follow Daoist Chongyun from now on. You must listen carefully in the Taoist temple and do whatever the Daoist tells you to do. After a few years, when the Spirit Corvee is over, Grandfather will pick you up and take you home."

After saying these words, the old man said a few words of gratitude to the Taoist, handed the heavy package to the other party, and then turned away staggeringly.

Ding Yu looked at the old man's receding back, speechless for a long time.

On the way, he already knew from the other party why everyone was so afraid of the "Spirit Corvee."

It turned out that Huang Shi City would order a large number of male Ding in the villages and towns under its jurisdiction to reclaim wasteland in some strange places every ten years or so.

The soil of these wastelands was abnormally hard, requiring special heavy farm tools. Reclaiming them was abnormally hard, and even somewhat devastated the bodies of the people serving the corvee. The time was as short as three or four months, and as long as half a year or more. If it weren't for the generous rewards given by Huang Shi City, it would really not be something that an ordinary adult could persist in.

What's even stranger is that once these wastelands were reclaimed, they would be strictly guarded by people sent by the City Lord's Mansion, and ordinary people were not allowed to approach them at all. As for the reason, it is said that a special kind of rice that takes ten years to harvest was planted, which was specifically supplied to dignitaries. It is said that eating it can prolong life, but no one knows if it is true.

In addition, he also knew from "Grandfather" that the size of the villages and towns controlled by Huang Shi City was hundreds, and the places outside were uninhabited, and it seemed that some monster beasts appeared. His grandfather also didn't know what government and court were.

Ding Yu felt a bit puzzled, but then he thought that his grandfather was just a hunter, and most of them were like other people in Wang Family Village, who had never left the nearby area in their lives, so how could they know what the "world" outside was like. It seems that more information about this world can only be known by people with a certain status in Huang Shi City.

Except for these, Ding Yu did not find that this world had too much difference from Blue Star. He was not very surprised that religions such as Buddhism and Taoism appeared in this world.

This world might be like what Dr. Chen and the others inferred, really having a very deep origin with Blue Star.

But he was still a bit helpless about the fact that he had to be a Taoist boy just a few days after coming to the other world. He only hoped that the food in the Taoist temple could be better than that in "home."

"Alright, stop looking. Follow me up the mountain first. Only after I register your name in the Taoist temple's register can you be considered a member of this temple." Daoist Chongyun said lightly to the boy.

"Yes, thank you, Daoist." Ding Yu hurriedly turned around and bowed deeply to the Daoist.

"Although you are young, you are still polite! Originally, at this time, this temple would not accept anyone else, but your grandfather found something I urgently needed, which was a big help. So, joining the Taoist temple in the name of a Taoist boy this time is an exception. Your Taoist name is 'Qiuye,' and you will call me 'Temple Master' from now on." Daoist Chongyun looked at the ordinary boy in front of him with some surprise and said lightly.

"Yes, Temple Master." Ding Yu shouted honestly.

Daoist Chongyun nodded and turned to walk on the mountain road.

Ding Yu followed closely behind him.

A stick of incense later, Ding Yu followed the Daoist to the top of the mountain. A small Taoist temple occupying no more than two or three acres appeared in front, with a red plaque hanging on the gate, on which three silver characters were written.

"Bai Yun Temple"

Ding Yu looked at the characters on the plaque that resembled the clerical script of Blue Star. As a university student on Blue Star, the corners of his mouth twitched, and he read them out in his heart.

After entering the open gate, it was a small square paved with blue bricks, with a main hall enshrining a statue in front, rooms on both sides, and two gravel paths on both sides of the main hall, leading directly to the back of the Taoist temple.

On the square, a chubby little Taoist was sweeping the ground with a broom. As soon as he saw Daoist Chongyun enter, he hurriedly walked up and shouted "Temple Master."

"Dongyue, go to my room and bring the Taoist register of this temple. This child is the newly joined 'Autumn Leaf.' Remember, if outsiders ask, just say 'Autumn Leaf' joined this temple with you half a year ago." Daoist Chongyun nodded to the little Taoist and then ordered.

"Yes, I'll go get it right away." The little Taoist looked at Ding Yu in surprise and hurriedly nodded and walked toward a room beside him.

The Daoist took Ding Yu into the main hall in front.

The main hall could not be called magnificent, but it was also ancient and solemn. The incense burner on the offering table was complete. Standing on the lotus stone seat facing the hall door was a Taoist statue about a foot high, made entirely of bluestone, with three long beards, a lifelike face, and a white stone sword on his back.

"This is the 'Nine Heavens Qiu Yang Heavenly Master' enshrined in this temple. Come over and kowtow." Daoist Chongyun burned a stick of incense in front of the statue and said to Ding Yu.

"Bang."

Ding Yu didn't say a word, kowtowed to the statue, very vigorously.

Daoist Chongyun saw this and showed a satisfied expression.

At this time, Dongyue held a thin red-covered book in both hands and walked into the main hall in a hurry.

The Daoist took the book, opened it, picked up a brush from the offering table, and asked Ding Yu's name seemingly casually.

"Wang Tiezhu."

Daoist Chongyun frowned when he heard Ding Yu's answer and shook his head repeatedly.

"This name won't do, it's too vulgar. Although there is no real regulation, according to convention, names that are too vulgar cannot be recorded in the Taoist register. How about this, change your name. I will notify your grandfather afterwards. I think he won't object."

"Change name?"

Ding Yu was a little surprised.

"Yes, if you can't, I can help you name it." The Daoist said indifferently.

"Then I'll change my name to 'Wang Yu'!" After a turmoil in his heart, Ding Yu's new name blurted out.

"Wang Yu, this name sounds okay. Can you write it?" The Daoist was surprised when he heard it and asked casually.

Ding Yu hesitated for a moment, then answered "Yes," and gestured a few times in the air with his fingers.

Daoist Chongyun nodded after seeing it, wrote "Wang Yu" after the "Qiuye" he had already written in the register with a brush, and then urged with a solemn face:

"Remember, since you are recorded in the Taoist register, you are Wang Yu from today on. Don't let it slip in front of outsiders, otherwise, if you are caught, you will be taken to serve the Spirit Corvee, and I won't be able to come forward to stop it."

Wang Yu agreed repeatedly, and at the same time made up his mind that he would be "Wang Yu" in the other world from now on. (The protagonist's name will be 'Wang Yu' from now on)

"Very good. Dongyue, take the newcomer to familiarize himself with this temple, collect things, and explain the rules of the temple. I want to do morning lessons, you can go down first. Autumn Leaf, come see me again tonight." After the Daoist ordered, he sat cross-legged on the futon beside the offering table and closed his eyes to rest.

The little Taoist agreed and exited the main hall with Wang Yu.

"Autumn Leaf, I joined the temple earlier than you, so you have to call me 'Senior Brother' from now on. You also joined White Cloud Temple to avoid the Spirit Corvee, right? Me too. My father knew about this months in advance, entrusted someone to spend a large sum of money, and only then let the Temple Master accept me. The last Spirit Corvee was ten years ago. I heard it was very terrible. As long as the male adult in the family is ten years old, they will all have to serve the Spirit Corvee, and it will take at least several months to go home. Some people even never come back, and those who come back also get sick. But don't worry, Junior Brother, as long as our names are on the Taoist register, Yellow Stone City won't be able to control us. The rules of this temple are very simple. Generally, there is only one rule: don't violate the Temple Master's orders. Daily work is also very leisurely. Just clean the Taoist temple, recite the 'White Cloud Sutra' in the temple three times in the morning and evening, and you can move freely. You can grow vegetables in the nearby fields, or go to the back mountain……" Dongyue seemed to be a chatterbox. As soon as he left the main hall, his words were endless, completely like a self-familiar look.

"Li Li Shixiong Dongyue, it looks a bit deserted here. Are there only you and the Temple Master in the temple?" Wang Yu looked at the neat rooms on the left and right and couldn't help asking.

"Of course not. Besides you, me, and the Temple Master, there is also Li Li Shixiong 'Qingfeng.' He is the Temple Master's true disciple and can directly call the Temple Master 'Master.' Unlike us, we are only nominal disciples and still have to call him 'Temple Master.' But Qingfeng is not in the temple; he went down the mountain to perform rituals for wealthy families."

"So this temple has four people." Wang Yu thought thoughtfully.

Not long after, Dongyue took Wang Yu to turn around most of the Taoist temple, not only found a fitting Taoist robe for him to wear, but also arranged a room for him to live in.

But when walking along the path beside the main hall to the back of the Taoist temple, another large piece of open land appeared in front. On one side of the open space was a vegetable garden surrounded by wooden fences, and on the other side was a weapon rack, on which a row of knives, guns, sticks, and other weapons were inserted. Beside it were three or four crude wooden men and five or six white stone locks of different sizes.

Behind the open land, there was another stone house, the gate was dark, and there was a huge copper lock on it. There were two old yellow paper scraps crossed on the copper lock, on which there were some strange black patterns.

When Wang Yu was looking around, Dongyue pointed to the weapon rack and said with a wink:

"This is where the Temple Master and Li Li Shixiong Qingfeng practice martial arts. By the way, since you joined the temple, the Temple Master will probably also pass on a set of martial arts to you for self-defense. I learned a set of stick techniques from the Temple Master, which is very powerful."

"The Temple Master knows martial arts?"

Wang Yu looked at everything in front of him and listened to Dongyue's words, truly shocked.

"Of course, and it's powerful too. Come over and look at the handprint on this, it was left by the Temple Master hitting it with one palm." Dongyue walked quickly to the side of the weapon rack, pointed to the largest stone lock nearby, and said triumphantly.

Wang Yu heard this and hurriedly walked over, staring intently.

I saw a palm print half an inch deep clearly visible on the side of the white stone lock.

Wang Yu touched the edge of the palm print with his finger and pressed it slightly harder, only feeling that the stone lock was abnormally hard. I'm afraid that even with a sharp blade, it would take a lot of effort to leave a mark on it, which is definitely not something that a flesh-and-blood body can do.

If this is true, this Daoist Chongyun's skill is too terrifying, far from what the "martial arts" on Blue Star can compare to.

But does this count as supernatural power?

Wang Yu thought of this, his heart "thumped" wildly, and he became a bit excited.

"Li Li Shixiong Dongyue, can you show me the stick technique passed on by the Temple Master, let me open my eyes?" Wang Yu looked at the triumphant little Taoist in front of him, his mind turned, and he asked in a flattering tone.

"The Temple Master passed on the Vajra Stick Technique. If Wang Wang Shidi Qiuye wants to see it, naturally you can." The little Taoist seemed to have the intention of showing off in front of Wang Yu, agreed fully, pulled out a heavy stick that was a bit taller than himself from the weapon rack, and walked to the center of the open space.

"This stick... can Li Li Shixiong let me touch it?" Wang Yu looked at the black stick a few times and asked with a strange expression on his face.

"Of course you can. But Wang Wang Shidi, be careful, this stick is a bit heavy!" The little Taoist was stunned for a moment, but immediately smiled and replied, handing one end of the stick over.

"This stick is wrapped in such thick iron skin! Wouldn't it be thirty or forty jin heavy? Can Li Li Shixiong really dance it?" Wang Yu touched the stick head twice, felt the cold feeling, and could no longer suppress the suspicion in his heart.

"Haha, Wang Wang Shidi underestimates me too much. I have nothing else, but I have strength. This weight is nothing. Even a solid iron stick can't stop me. Wang Wang Shidi, watch carefully... Great dream wakes up, Weituo descends to the world……" The little Taoist laughed indifferently, walked to the center of the martial arts field, chanted words, and swung the long stick in his hand vigorously. The stick made a "whoosh" sound, looking very powerful.

Wang Yu seemed to watch with relish and clapped his hands from time to time, but he felt a bit disapproving in his heart.

Having been impacted by various martial arts film and television special effects in modern times, he only felt that this kind of stick technique was fancy, pleasing to the eye, but seemed to have nothing too special. However, this little fatty was about the same age as himself, and his strength was so great, which was strange.

Dongyue shouted, one end of the stick fell heavily on the ground in front of him, smashed a small shallow pit, and then put away the stick panting, and said triumphantly to Wang Yu:

"How about it? I have only practiced this set of stick techniques for half a year, and I am so proficient. Even the Temple Master praised me for having talent in this."

"Powerful, I definitely wouldn't be able to do it in half a year with such a heavy stick. However, Li Li Shixiong is already so powerful, is Li Li Shixiong Qingfeng even more powerful?" Wang Yu was still thinking about the palm print on the stone lock and asked another question.

"Li Li Shixiong Qingfeng is naturally even more powerful, just... just a bit difficult to approach. When Wang Wang Shidi sees him, you will know." When the little Taoist heard Wang Yu mention Qingfeng, his words were a bit hesitant.

Wang Yu's curiosity was greatly aroused, but it was not easy to ask further, so he pointed to the stone house and asked:

"Li Li Shixiong, what is this room for? Why is it locked, and why are there paper scraps on it?"

"What paper scraps! This is a talisman, it is said to have the effect of warding off evil and sealing. As for the purpose of the room, I don't know too well. It already existed before I came to Bai Yun Temple. The Temple Master ordered not to get too close to it usually. But I have seen Li Li Shixiong Qingfeng go in. I asked him what was inside, and he didn't tell me. But this room is a bit strange. If you get closer, you will know." Dongyue looked at the stone house, first shook his head, and then replied with a bit of a strange expression.