Chapter 104: Shall we get things done tonight?

Lu Yuan's mind was not disturbed by Aunt Qiao'er's alluring display.

He opened the notebook he had recorded from his martial uncle He Xun, his gaze focused intently on the procedures for the "Celestial Master Grand Ceremony."

This Celestial Master Grand Ceremony matter was both simple and complex.

How to explain it? It essentially boils down to voting.

The selection is divided into two parts: the Petition of Ten Thousand People and the Daoist Disc.

The Petition of Ten Thousand People represents the recognition of "the common people," it's the vote of the populace.

The Daoist Disc represents the trust of the "Daoist community," it's the internal evaluation among the Daoist priests.

The scores from both parts each account for half, and the seven individuals with the highest combined scores become the new Celestial Masters.

The first stage is nomination and public announcement.

Lu Yuan gently tapped his finger on the table.

Nomination isn't difficult.

Finding Martial Uncle He Xun, or directly asking Aunt Qin to use official influence, can easily get the old man's name submitted.

This step requires no overthinking, no deep study.

The key lies in the public announcement after nomination.

The achievements of the nominees, especially their deeds from the past five years, will be compiled into a "Merit Register."

This register will be posted on bulletin boards in major cities and outside major Daoist temples for a full fifteen days, open to evaluation by everyone.

After the fifteen-day announcement period ends, there is a fifteen-day dual-track voting period.

First is the Petition of Ten Thousand People, representing the public opinion, the "choice of the common people."

During these fifteen voting days, a "Public Prayer Chest" will be set up beside the altar of the Luotian Grand Offering.

Any commoner who comes to worship or has received benefits can receive a green jade bean representing "gratitude" or "prayer."

If a commoner favors a certain nominee, they can drop their jade bean into the "Merit Box" under that nominee's name.

Simultaneously, commoners can voluntarily add a small amount of lamp oil or a wick to the "Eternal Lamp Array" nearby for that nominee, symbolizing "adding blessings and extending fortune."

Finally, scores are calculated proportionally based on the statistical count of jade beans in each box.

The "Eternal Lamp Array" is recorded by dedicated personnel, quantifying the "heat of popular support" for each nominee based on the total brightness and duration of the eternal lamps under their name.

This part is much simpler, not as complicated.

As for the Daoist Disc, representing the "judgment of fellow practitioners," the evaluation among the Daoist community.

This is slightly more troublesome.

It's a "three-vote system" secret ballot.

The voters are all registered temple abbots or representatives possessing orthodox Daoist lineages, plus the seven current Celestial Masters.

On each "Daoist Evaluation Disc," the voter must anonymously write the names of three nominees and attach a brief reason for evaluation.

Such as: repelling evil and defending the Dao, meritorious service in teaching and transformation, highly virtuous and respected, etc.

Then the scores are tallied last.

Among these, the votes of the current Celestial Masters carry more authority.

Simply put, if a vote from another temple's abbot for the old man is worth ten points, then a vote from a current Celestial Master for the old man is worth two hundred points.

The gap is that large.

The third stage is simple: tally the votes and select the seven current Celestial Masters.

Of course, if there's a tie at any point, the seven current Celestial Masters are invited again, and these seven directly vote to select.

Looking at it this way, indeed, within the Daoist community evaluation, the final Celestial Master vote and the direct Celestial Master selection after a tie are the most prone to breeding dirty dealings.

It's also easiest to manipulate things within the Daoist community.

Probably, the previously predetermined lists were all tampered with during these steps.

Of course, there's no need to look too much at these later complexities.

Zhenlong Temple definitely won't get a high score in the Daoist community evaluation.

Lu Yuan's thinking was very clear.

After all, Zhenlong Temple was so dilapidated before, and no priests from other temples came to lodge or build relationships.

Frankly, Zhenlong Temple before didn't even feel like a proper Daoist temple possessing an orthodox lineage!

The old man is also a big drunkard, only knowing how to drink every day, previously only going to places like the Luotian Grand Offering.

Now that Lu Yuan has become a Celestial Master and can handle things independently, the old man doesn't even bother going to the Luotian Grand Offering anymore, having virtually no connections within the Daoist community.

If there's one to speak of, it's Tianlong Temple, with whom relations are quite strained.

So, hoping to get a high score from the "Daoist Disc" is nothing but a pipe dream.

The only way to break the deadlock lies in the "Petition of Ten Thousand People"!

We must achieve an overwhelming advantage in popular sentiment!

Then this matter circles back again.

This isn't some game quest; it's not like if you complete a dozen Nurturing Malevolence Sites, the common people will all rush over to vote for you.

This matter requires careful planning.

Just as Lu Yuan was deep in thought, a completely different scene was unfolding on the heated brick bed in the East Wing Room.

Aunt Qiao'er, utterly embarrassed, had buried her face, reddened to the point of almost steaming, entirely into the quilt.

Aunt Qin, sitting on the edge of the bed beside her, wore an expression of exasperation, as if angry at her for failing to meet expectations, and said with annoyance:

"What's wrong with you?!"

"Nothing even happened yet."

"When it really comes to that in the future, will you be able to handle it?"

"Don't you dare die on this bed!!"

At this moment, Aunt Qiao'er was practically dying of shame, burying her head in the quilt without saying a word.

Aunt Qin, looking at Aunt Qiao'er's originally fair, beautiful flesh now tinged all over with pink, was momentarily speechless:

"Seriously... it's not that big a deal, you don't seem like the type to get like this from just a little teasing..."

"What exactly is wrong with you? We didn't even do anything just now, how did you end up like this?"

This time, Aunt Qiao'er finally peeked her head out from under the quilt. That charming face, flushed ripe to the extreme, was now utterly radiant and alluring.

"You... you don't understand..."

Her voice was soft and sweet, carrying a faint, trembling aftertaste.

"I... I just fancy him like that..."

Song Meiqin's face was full of question marks:

"Like what?"

Aunt Qiao'er's beautiful body trembled slightly, her lovely eyes gazing at Aunt Qin holding a trace of morbid excitement.

"Just... just not treating me like a person..."

"Treating me like livestock..."

"Best to pinch me, scold me~"

Aunt Qin listened, dumbfounded, goosebumps rising all over her body.

"????"

"Eek!!!!"

"You cheap hussy!!! How can you be so shameless!!!"

Aunt Qiao'er, however, ignored Aunt Qin, instead collapsing limply on the bed.

Her eyes gazed vacantly at the roof beam, but the corner of her mouth held a smile of endless reminiscence.

Aunt Qin, looking at her hopeless state, couldn't help but scold her in a charming, coquettish tone:

"May you die of shamelessness!!!"

"You're truly beyond saving!!!"

"We come from respectable families after all, how can you be so shameless!!!"

Aunt Qiao'er couldn't be bothered with Aunt Qin, just stretched out her beautiful leg encased in glossy black stockings and gave Aunt Qin, sitting by the bed, a charming, scolding kick:

"Get lost, stop yapping..."

"Let me recover a bit..."

Aunt Qin, observing Aunt Qiao'er's spineless appearance, thought for a moment, then suddenly said:

"With you in this state today, can you even get out of bed..."

"If not... shall we get the matter done tonight??"

As soon as the words fell, the previously limp-as-noodles Aunt Qiao'er abruptly sat up, her beautiful eyes wide open.

"Huh??"

"Tonight?"