Chapter 156: The Hu Family of Continuing the Lamp, Hu Tutu

The next day, during the Yin hour.

The sky had not yet brightened; the night was at its deepest.

The entire Zhenlong Temple was immersed in the most profound tranquility before dawn.

Lu Yuan had already bathed and changed, donning a clean blue cloth Daoist robe, his hair bun meticulously secured with a wooden hairpin.

He pushed open his door.

Outside, Zhou Shouzuo's figure had long been waiting quietly, also dressed in a neat Daoist robe, his expression solemn.

He held a red-lacquered tray in both hands.

On the tray, three incense sticks, a stack of yellow talismans, and a cinnabar inkstone were neatly arranged.

"Senior Brother."

Lu Yuan nodded, reaching out to take the tray.

It felt slightly heavy in his hands.

The debate from last night was already water under the bridge.

Zhou Shouzuo had stated his reasoning, and Lu Yuan had finished speaking his own Dao.

The matter was thus set aside.

Zhou Shouzuo had no intention of obstructing; he merely felt this endeavor was thankless and unnecessary.

But since Lu Yuan insisted, he would support him.

Anyone could see that in today's Zhenlong Temple, the one whose word was truly law was Lu Yuan.

The prosperity Zhenlong Temple enjoyed today, whether the flourishing of incense offerings or the immense reputation of the "Contemporary Celestial Master," every single achievement was tied to Lu Yuan alone.

Zhou Shouzuo naturally would not say more.

The two walked one behind the other, their footsteps light, traversing the silent courtyard.

Soon, the side hall enshrining the ancestral masters of past generations came into view.

The hall doors were tightly shut.

Lu Yuan stopped before the door, not immediately pushing it open.

He carefully placed the tray on the stone steps before the door, then adjusted his attire and, facing the hall doors, performed a deep bow.

Zhou Shouzuo stood half a step behind him, also bowing in salute, his movements precise to the last detail.

After the salutation, Lu Yuan straightened up and reached out to push open the heavy wooden door.

"Creak—"

As the door opened, a musty yet solemn scent of incense offerings mixed with the smell of old wood washed over him, instantly cleansing his mind and spirit.

According to the rules, while the master was present, it was not the disciple's place to petition the patriarchs.

All matters were to be decided by the master.

But now, with the old man not in the temple, they could only handle this as a special case.

Entering the side hall, it was not dim before his eyes.

Countless eternal lamps burned quietly, illuminating the entire hall in a blaze of glory.

The flames dancing on the wicks were not the usual orange-yellow but carried an extremely faint hint of gold.

It was as if they were not burning ordinary lamp oil, but something divine and miraculous.

Amidst the shifting light and shadow, the ancestral spirit tablets enshrined on the deity benches stood in rows, silent and wordless.

The purple sandalwood tablet at the very top, under the golden light's reflection, had characters that seemed to flow with radiance.

[The Position of Zhang Jiuting, True Man of Nine Heavens Responding to Primordial Principles and Upholding Laws, Thunder-Wielding Celestial Master, Dispelling Illusions Golden Thunder]

Below, the tablets were layered one upon another.

Some with ink still fresh, others long mottled, steeped in the passage of time.

Lu Yuan glanced at the still-blank tablet at the very bottom, withdrew his gaze, and walked slowly towards the incense altar.

Zhou Shouzuo stopped outside the hall door, not following him in.

He merely gently closed the door, leaving a crack, then lowered his eyelids, waiting as still as a stone statue.

The bronze incense burner on the altar held a thick layer of incense ash.

Lu Yuan placed the tray beside the altar, took out three incense sticks, and brought them close to an eternal lamp.

The flame licked the incense tips, azure smoke curling up.

He took a step back, holding the incense with both hands, raising it high above his forehead.

Facing the wall full of ancestral tablets, he respectfully bowed three times.

First bow.

Second bow.

Third bow.

After the salutation, he stepped forward and steadily inserted the three incense sticks into the incense burner.

Three wisps of azure smoke rose straight up, spun in mid-air as if pulled by an invisible force, and slowly drifted towards the direction of the tablets.

Lu Yuan did not speak immediately.

He returned to the incense altar, spread out a sheet of yellow talisman paper, picked up the brush, and dipped it fully into the cinnabar as red as blood.

The brush moved like a dragon and snake.

There were no complex talismanic symbols on the paper, only a line of clear characters:

[Disciple Lu Yuan of Zhenlong Temple has a matter to report to the ancestral masters of past generations]

After writing, he set down the brush, picked up the talisman paper, and ignited it over the flame of an eternal lamp.

The talisman paper "whooshed" into flame, the firelight a pale red, yet without a trace of smoke.

The red light flashed and vanished; the talisman paper transformed into a wisp of azure energy, merging with the azure smoke of the incense, drifting together towards the shrine.

This was the Daoist tradition's rule.

Lu Yuan was a disciple with a generation gap above him; he had a master above. If he wished to report to the patriarchs, he must first deliver a "letter" to show respect.

He could not be like the old man, directly opening his mouth to ask.

The azure energy dissipated completely.

Lu Yuan stood before the incense altar, calming his mind, and finally spoke.

His voice was not loud, but exceptionally clear, echoing in every corner of the hall.

"Disciple Lu Yuan of Zhenlong Temple respectfully informs the ancestral masters of past generations."

"Last night at the Zi hour, seven wild rural deities gathered outside the mountain gate."

"One is the Recumbent Ox Stone Lord, who once protected a region's crops for three hundred years."

"One is the Spring Mother, who once guarded a mountain spring's source for three hundred years."

"One is the Flower Maiden, who once managed a mountain's flowering sequence for three hundred years."

"Now, their incense offerings have been severed, their divine light is about to scatter. They have come to our Zhenlong Temple, seeking only a path to survival."

Lu Yuan paused.

The hall was deathly silent, only the flames of the eternal lamps flickered gently, as if listening.

He continued:

"Your disciple dares to propose establishing seven small deity benches for them beside the mountain path of Qixia Mountain."

"They will not enter the main hall, will not share in the temple's incense offerings, only seek a sheltered spot by the mountain path."

"If compassionate pilgrims offer incense, it is the pilgrims' merit."

"If no one pays them heed, they will wait quietly, causing no hindrance to our temple."

"Your disciple deeply understands that this place is the sacred ground of Zhenlong Temple. Every blade of grass, every tree, every wisp of incense belongs to the Three Pure Ones, belongs to the ancestral masters of past generations."

"Therefore, your disciple dares not act arbitrarily. I have come specially to report, earnestly requesting the permission of the ancestral masters of past generations."

Having spoken, Lu Yuan took a step back and, facing the wall full of tablets, performed another deep bow.

The hall remained silent.

The flames of the eternal lamps flickered as usual.

Lu Yuan maintained his bowing posture, utterly motionless.

One breath.

Two breaths.

Three breaths.

Suddenly!

The flames of all the eternal lamps in the hall simultaneously stilled!

They no longer danced, no longer swayed, instantly solidifying into straight golden pillars of light.

Immediately after, an abrupt change occurred!

The tablet belonging to Patriarch Zhang Jiuting at the very top suddenly lit up!

It was not illuminated by the lamplight; the tablet itself was glowing!

On the purple sandalwood tablet surface, the golden lacquer characters seemed to come alive, flowing with a gentle yet majestic radiance.

The second tablet lit up.

The third.

The fourth.

One after another, like ink spreading in water, the entire wall of ancestral tablets, from top to bottom, all lit up!

The light was not blinding, faint like a layer of mist, yet within the hall, it was unmistakably clear and impossible to ignore.

Lu Yuan slowly straightened up.

He understood in his heart.

This was... the "thoughts" of the ancestral masters of past generations, transcending life and death, descending here.

They were listening.

He was just about to speak again when the three incense sticks on the altar underwent a change.

The three straight wisps of azure smoke, without any warning, were pulled by a force, slowly converging into a single stream.

Then, this solidified stream of azure smoke shot straight upward.

Rising to mid-air, the azure smoke suddenly dispersed.

It actually scattered in the air, forming a vividly lifelike lotus flower!

The lotus flower bloomed quietly, lingering for a full three breaths.

Only then did it slowly dissipate, returning to nothingness.

Lu Yuan watched the dissipating lotus flower, a heavy weight lifting from his heart.

Smoke condensing into a lotus flower signified "permissible."

The patriarchs had granted permission.

He immediately bowed deeply towards the wall full of tablets.

"Disciple Lu Yuan thanks the ancestral masters of past generations!"

As his words fell, the glowing tablets began to slowly withdraw their radiance.

One after another, they returned to their simple, ancient appearance.

However, just at the final moment before the light from Zhang Jiuting's tablet at the very top completely faded, it seemed... to brighten once more.

That light was extremely faint, fleeting, almost making one think it was an illusion.

But Lu Yuan saw it.

In that flash of fading light, he distinctly sensed a gaze.

That gaze passed over him.

Fell behind him.

In the direction of the hall door.

Lu Yuan's heart skipped a beat; he sharply turned his head.

Behind him, there was only Zhou Shouzuo standing silently outside the crack in the door.

Huh?

What did that mean?

The patriarch was looking at... Elder Zhou?

That shouldn't be...

Elder Zhou's master-disciple lineage did not originate from Zhenlong Temple...

If not looking at Elder Zhou, then at whom?

Or perhaps looking in that direction?

Before Lu Yuan could figure it out, when he turned back again, the light from that tablet had completely faded.

The hall returned to its usual tranquility.

Only the countless eternal lamps silently bore witness to everything.

Lu Yuan stood in place for a moment, suppressing the doubt in his heart.

Then, facing the wall full of tablets, he solemnly bowed three more times.

After the three bows, he turned, pushed the door open, and stepped out.

Outside, the horizon was already tinged with the pale light of dawn.

The morning mountain breeze blew against his face, carrying its unique freshness.

Lu Yuan delayed no longer, striding purposefully towards the storeroom.

The next day, during the Chen hour.

The sky was just beginning to brighten; the sun had only peeked half its head from between the mountain ridges. The morning mist in the mountains had not yet completely dissipated, shrouding the bluestone mountain path like a thin veil.

Lu Yuan had changed into a brand new blue Daoist robe, carrying a heavy bundle in his hand, walking down the mountain path of Qixia Mountain.

Behind him, Zhou Shouzuo's figure followed closely.

This receptionist Daoist priest carried a shoulder pole on his shoulder. At both ends of the pole, he steadily balanced seven newly made small deity shrines.

The shrines were only about a foot tall, made of fir wood, simple in style, no different from those ordinary households used to enshrine the local earth god.

But this wood was old stock Lu Yuan had dug out from the temple storeroom overnight.

It had been naturally air-dried for several years, its texture hard, emitting a faint woody fragrance.

"Right here."

At a bend halfway up the mountain, Lu Yuan stopped.

This spot was a geomantic treasure.

Sheltered from the wind, facing the sun, behind it was a naturally protruding huge rock, with a few stubbornly growing crooked-neck old pines in the crevices.

The mountain path made a gentle curve here, just forming a concave small platform that neither obstructed the path nor seemed abrupt.

But any pilgrim passing by, as long as they lifted their eyes, could see it.

"This location is indeed good."

Lu Yuan did not immediately start working.

He took out three incense sticks from the bundle, pinched them between his fingertips, lit them, and respectfully bowed three times towards the mountain rock before him.

"All mountain gods and earth spirits, passing deities, today, disciple Lu Yuan of Zhenlong Temple wishes to establish benches here for seven fellow Daoists in distress."

"Borrowing a piece of your precious land. If there is any disturbance in the future, I hope for your generous understanding."

Three wisps of azure smoke curled up, merging into the morning mist, slowly dispersing.

This was the rule.

Mountains have their lords, land has its spirits. Borrowing someone else's territory requires greeting them first.

After the salutation, Lu Yuan picked up the first deity bench and walked to the concave spot.

He crouched down, pulling out a yellow paper from the bundle.

On the paper were characters he had written with cinnabar during the night, not some profound talismanic symbols, but the names, origins, and cultivation ages of those seven wild deities.

Recumbent Ox Stone Lord, three hundred and sixty-two years, transformed from a giant rock by the fields, once protected a region's favorable weather and good harvests.

Spring Mother, three hundred and seventy-seven years, transformed from a mountain spring's source, once guarded the abundance and decline of a water source.

Flower Maiden, two hundred and seventy-seven years, transformed from a mountain wildflower thicket, once managed a mountain's seasonal flowering.

...

Line by line, column by column, written clearly and distinctly.

Beside him, Zhou Shouzuo's eyes flickered slightly.

He had followed the entire process last night but never heard those seven deities introduce themselves in detail or recount their origins.

This...

Zhou Shouzuo looked at Lu Yuan with some surprise.

It was somewhat strange how Lu Yuan knew so clearly.

The thought flashed through Zhou Shouzuo's mind, but he did not voice the question.

Of course, even if Zhou Shouzuo asked, Lu Yuan would not say.

All of this was seen from the system; how could he possibly explain that?!

Lu Yuan folded the yellow paper carefully and tucked it into a small slot reserved in the base of the deity bench.

This was called "registering the household."

For a deity to enter a shrine, they must have a name and surname, roots and origins.

They couldn't be stuffed in haphazardly; that was the treatment for wild ghosts.

After tucking in the yellow paper, Lu Yuan took out a handful of five grains from the bundle.

Rice, millet, sorghum, wheat, beans—the five grains, taking a few grains of each, also stuffed into the base.

The five grains connected to the earth's energy, helping these wild deities with faint divine light to stabilize their foundations, preventing them from scattering with a gust of mountain wind.

After completing all this, he carefully placed the deity bench upright and proper in the center of the concave spot.

The first one, for the Recumbent Ox Stone Lord.

Lu Yuan stood up, took three fresh incense sticks from Zhou Shouzuo's hand, lit them, and respectfully inserted them into the soil before the deity bench.

Then, he spoke.

His voice was not loud, but on the quiet mountain path, each word was clear.

"Today, disciple Lu Yuan of Zhenlong Temple, by the command of the ancestral masters of past generations, establishes a shrine here for the Recumbent Ox Stone Lord."

"The Stone Lord protected the fields for three hundred years, his merit lies in the rural countryside, his virtue in the people's hearts."

"Though his incense offerings are temporarily severed now, his merit cannot be overlooked, his virtue cannot be forgotten."

"From this day forward, this shrine shall be your dwelling place."

"If pilgrims come and go by day, and you receive incense offerings, you shall accept them yourself."

"If you receive no incense offerings, you shall also wait quietly."

"You must not contend, must not snatch, must not harbor resentment for lack of incense, must not fall into evil ways for lack of visitors."

"This is the rule of Zhenlong Temple, and also your promise."

As his words fell, he took a step back, forming an ancient Daoist seal with both hands before his chest.

It was precisely the "Spirit-Calming Seal."

Thumb pressing the root of the ring finger, middle finger and index finger together, pointing straight towards the heavens.

"One seal to calm the spirit, the spirit returns to its place!"

With his light shout, the azure smoke rising from the three incense sticks before the shrine suddenly trembled.

The next moment, the smoke no longer curled upward.

Instead, as if pulled by an invisible force, it transformed into three thin threads, straight, without missing a single strand, being drawn into the shrine.

As if the deity bench had gained life, greedily breathing.

Lu Yuan gazed at this scene, nodding slightly.

This was "absorbing the smoke."

The shrine now had an owner.

Lu Yuan turned and walked to the second location.

Zhou Shouzuo had already scouted the spot, just a few steps away, also a treasure spot sheltered from the wind and facing the sun.

Lu Yuan crouched down, meticulously repeating the previous steps.

Registering the household.

Securing the roots.

Establishing the shrine.

Offering incense.

"Today, disciple Lu Yuan of Zhenlong Temple, by the command of the ancestral masters of past generations, establishes a shrine here for the Spring Mother."

"The Spring Mother guarded the spring for three hundred years, her merit lies in the mountain wilderness, her virtue in the living people..."

The third one.

The fourth one.

The fifth one.

......

Each time he established a deity bench, he solemnly proclaimed the decree.

Each proclamation was followed by a wisp of azure smoke being absorbed by the deity bench.

Seven deity benches, seven wisps of azure smoke.

By the time the last shrine belonging to the Flower Maiden was established, most of the morning mist in the mountains had dispersed.

Human voices gradually grew noisy below; early-rising pilgrims had already begun to gather.

Zhenlong Temple was about to open its gates to welcome visitors.

Lu Yuan straightened up, looking at the seven neatly arranged small deity benches before him, and let out a long sigh of relief.

He stepped back a few paces, standing in the middle of the mountain path.

Facing these seven newly settled deity benches, he adjusted his attire and respectfully performed a bow.

Zhou Shouzuo behind him also bowed in salute.

After the bow, Lu Yuan straightened his back, speaking clearly, his voice carrying throughout this mountain hollow.

"You seven, the shrines are established, the rules are set."

"How much incense offering you can receive in the future is your own karmic affinity, your own destiny."

"But there is one sentence I must say upfront—"

He shifted the topic, his voice growing a few degrees more solemn.

"You are deities."

"Even if your divine light is dim now, unable to protect the living beings of a region, your fundamental nature is still that of deities."

"Deities should have the bearing of deities!"

"The incense offerings before your benches are the sincere intentions of believers. If you receive them, remember their kindness."

"If no one offers incense, then wait quietly."

"You must not resent, must not hate, and must certainly not take the crooked path!"

"If one day I learn that any of you, because you cannot wait for incense offerings, harbors wicked thoughts of harming people..."

Lu Yuan's gaze was like lightning, sweeping over the seven deity benches one by one, sharp and intense.

"Zhenlong Temple can establish benches for you, and can personally dismantle them for you!"

"Do you understand?"

The mountain breeze brushed past, rustling the pine waves.

Before the seven deity benches, the seven wisps of azure smoke rising from the burning incense tips swayed uniformly in the wind.

That appearance seemed like a solemn nod.

Also seemed like making a silent promise.

Lu Yuan looked at the swaying azure smoke, his expression softening slightly.

"Tonight, during the Xu hour, three ke, all seven of you, come to the guest hall of my Zhenlong Temple for a gathering."

Lu Yuan only knew their basic information, but the detailed circumstances, like how they ended up in this state today, he did not know.

He needed to ask in detail.

Only by asking could he offer help.

Otherwise, merely giving them a deity bench by the mountain path, the final outcome for these seven would basically be the dissipation of their bodies and Dao, vanishing like smoke.

Helping would be the same as not helping.

Right now, Lu Yuan was too tired, having not slept all night. He would go back and sleep today.

He would ask again after getting up tonight.

Having said that, Lu Yuan turned and walked up the mountain.

After walking a few steps, he suddenly remembered something and looked back.

The seven small shrines stood quietly in the concave spot, the morning light shining on them, casting faint shadows.

Before the shrines, the seven wisps of azure smoke were still drifting.

One wisp after another, drilling into the benches.

Like seven deities on the verge of scattering, finally having their own homes.

Lu Yuan withdrew his gaze and continued walking up the mountain.

After a few steps, he suddenly muttered:

"Elder Zhou, have someone put up a sign by the mountain path later."

Zhou Shouzuo, following behind him, was slightly taken aback:

"What kind of sign?"

Lu Yuan, without turning his head:

"Just write: There are seven deity shrines here. Passing pilgrims, if inclined, may offer one stick of incense."

"Incite offerings are voluntary; sincerity makes it efficacious."

Zhou Shouzuo was silent for a breath, then nodded.

"Yes, I will take care of it when we return."

The two walked one behind the other, along the bluestone steps, their figures gradually disappearing around the mountain path's bend.

Behind them, the mountain breeze gently brushed.

The seven brand-new small deity benches bathed quietly in the morning light, adding a new scenic touch to this ancient mountain path.

However, just as Lu Yuan and Zhou Shouzuo were about to turn onto another section of the mountain path,

Lu Yuan's peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a figure.

That person was crouching before the seven deity benches he had just established, extending a finger, curiously poking at one of the deity benches!

Lu Yuan: "？？？？"

What the hell?!

I worked hard all night on this stuff I just finished!

"Whose little brat is this?!"

"What are you doing?!"

Snapping back to reality, Lu Yuan immediately stopped, turning towards the lower mountain path and letting out a loud shout.

That shout was like thunder from a clear sky; the figure below was clearly startled, shuddering all over, and retracted their hand as fast as lightning.

Then, that person quickly stood up, cupping their hands from afar towards Lu Yuan above, their voice crisp,

"Hu Tutu of the Hu Family of Continuing the Lamp, greets the Daoist Priest."

Lu Yuan: "?"

He narrowed his eyes, looking at the girl below whose height seemed less than 1.6 meters, his face full of oddness.

One of the Ten Families?