Chapter 59: Ritual Ceremony

The medicinal potency was fully absorbed; the herbal bathwater grew thin, and after a moment, impurities within the body were expelled under the operation of the cultivation technique, causing the water to turn cloudy again, emitting a foul stench.

Pan Yun was awakened by the stench.

Master Xuanmiao stood beside Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He, nodded to her, and said, "You're done. Go bathe and change your clothes."

Pan Yun looked at herself, then at Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He, puzzled. "Why am I smellier than them?"

"First, you've eaten mixed, unrefined food since childhood; second, you've consumed medicine since childhood—medicine is inherently somewhat toxic."

Pan Yun: "Then what about Senior Brother and the others who enter the Dao through pills? Aren't they eating poison?"

Master Xuanmiao: "Alchemy involves properly balancing herbs, removing toxins, and maximizing their medicinal potency—nothing like your simple boiling of raw herbs."

Pan Yun accepted this explanation, rose, and went to bathe and change.

Halfway through dressing, she suddenly realized—the golden bar on her spiritual realm surged forward, its value now showing 99.

"Meow—" Pan Xiaohei pushed open the window and leapt in, excitedly shouting at her, "Did you see? You've gained merit!"

Pan Yun's eyes sparkled. "I saw. It seems Master Qian is safe. But can saving one person earn so much merit?"

Pan Xiaohei was just as clueless as she was—how would it know?

But that didn't stop it from sharing her joy.

The girl and the cat exchanged a glance, grinning foolishly. Merit was something worth pursuing—it could accumulate virtue and earn money.

Pan Yun put on her clothes and ordered Pan Xiaohei: "Record this in your little notebook—note the time and place. Sold Master Qian two Peace Talismans, earned 99 merit points."

Pan Xiaohei instantly recorded it with a thought.

Pan Yun felt her title as the Little Uncle of Talismans of Mount Sanqing was now established; next came spreading the name.

Next time she met Master Qian, she'd ask him to introduce more friends.

Friends of the wealthy are also wealthy; those who cherish life naturally have friends who cherish life too.

Rich and life-loving—wouldn't they need talismans for protection?

Pan Yun calculated the money and merit per talisman in her mind, cackling with delight.

Pan Yun cheerfully stepped out of the room and called toward the alchemy chamber next door: "Fourth Sister, I'm heading back."

The cool voice of Fourth Sister came back: "Go cook. No cold water today."

"Oh." Pan Yun remained immersed in the joy of earning both money and merit. As she passed through the bamboo grove back to the monastery, she saw the Qian family's steward bowing repeatedly to Tao Ji at the mountain gate.

Pan Yun froze.

The Qian steward also spotted Pan Yun and hurried over, bowing deeply: "Young Daoist, we've finally found you! Yesterday, my master narrowly escaped a rockslide thanks to your warning and the Peace Talisman."

He pulled out a large red envelope from his chest and offered it respectfully. "Young Daoist, this is my master's token of gratitude. Please accept it."

Pan Yun's smile faded slightly. She reached out and took the red envelope. "Was Master Qian in danger yesterday?"

"Yes. Shortly after you left yesterday, we received word that our aunt's husband was seriously ill, so my master set out to visit him. But halfway, a rockslide struck—likely due to recent rain loosening the soil and causing stones to roll down…"

Pan Yun: "Then what is Master Qian's schedule today?"

The Qian steward, seeing her solemn expression, grew uneasy. "My master left early this morning for Sun Family Village to attend a funeral. Young Daoist—does that mean my master's danger isn't over?"

Pan Yun had the same suspicion—this shouldn't happen.

She pinched her fingers to calculate, frowned, hesitated, then decided to trust her instincts. She smiled: "I've calculated it—the danger has passed. Master Qian can rest easy; just be more careful on future journeys."

The Qian steward sighed in relief.

Tao Ji waited until they finished speaking, then approached and invited the Qian steward inside to burn incense.

Indeed, Master Qian was generous—no wonder he was a famed benefactor of Yushan County. His steward didn't just come to top up Pan Yun's red envelope—he also added oil money to pray for his family's blessings.

Mount Sanqing's monastery often lost worshippers due to its height and treacherous path; in all the time Pan Yun had been here, she'd never seen anyone climb up to burn incense.

If not for these offerings, the Three Pure Ones' monastery would have collapsed long ago.

As the Qian steward went inside to burn incense, Pan Yun felt she needed to think. She squatted on the big stone at the mountain gate and mused: You say he was in danger yesterday—why did the merit only just arrive? Could merit be delayed?

Surely it doesn't require them to come back and thank you before merit is granted? That would be too cruel. Only Master Qian is generous and doesn't mind the trouble—others might not send anyone at all. And right now I'm at Mount Sanqing, but what if I one day descend to wander the world?】

She couldn't have a trail of people chasing after her to deliver merit, could she?

Pan Xiaohei didn't know, but based on its limited experience, it mewed: "Meow—you might be looking in the wrong direction."

Pan Yun's gaze grew deep. 【Pinpoint the exact hour when the merit arrived. Next time I meet Master Qian, I'll ask him.】

Pan Xiaohei agreed.

Pan Yun stood up, brushed off her backside, and was about to return to cook when she saw a group of people panting their way up the mountain.

Pan Yun's eyes lit up—life had arrived!

Such sincere climbers—how could the Three Pure Ones not bless them?

Pan Yun was about to greet them with a smile, then remembered something and stopped. She merely stood, her smile dimmed by three degrees, gazing calmly ahead.

The weary climbers spotted Pan Yun and hurried over, supporting each other. "Young Daoist—is your abbot here?"

"He is. Good people, follow me."

Pan Yun led them to find… Tao Ji. She glanced around, leaned close to Tao Ji, and asked: "Where's Senior Brother?"

Tao Ji: "Senior Brother is training."

Tao Ji went to greet the newcomers. The Qian steward, emerging after burning incense, saw them and froze. "Old Sun?"

The man turned and exclaimed: "Old Qian?"

Inquiry revealed the man was the steward of Sun Family Village, here to invite Mount Sanqing's Daoist Priests down to perform a ritual.

Tao Ji confirmed the time and number needed, and immediately agreed.

After the Sun family finished burning incense and left, Pan Yun sidled up to Tao Ji. "Third Brother, can I come down with you?"

Tao Ji agreed at once: "Yes!"

When Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He emerged and learned of the ritual, they returned to their rooms to pack.

Miao He even retrieved a bell and gave it to her: "This is the Three Pure Bell. Take it. I'll teach you how to use it later."

Pan Yun lifted the Three Pure Bells, examining them closely, sensing a thick energy emanating from them—this was a true artifact.

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She gave it a gentle shake; a tinkling sound rang out, stirring her spirit and mind, instantly clearing her senses and lifting her spirits.

"A fine item…" Pan Yun held up the Three Pure Bells and asked, "Don't you ever use these artifacts normally?"

Miao He: "If we're not performing rituals and there are no demons or ghosts on the mountain, why would we need artifacts?"

Pan Yun: "To build affinity?"

Miao He said, "Anybody in the monastery can use the artifacts. We're still young—we'll grow bigger, and then our masters will give us special materials to forge our own artifacts, raising them from childhood so they'll work well for us later."

Miao He whispered, "Our Fourth Master has a magical sword—it's said he's raised it since childhood, and it's incredibly powerful."

Pan Yun felt a deep longing.

"How effective is your medicinal bath for body refinement?"

Miao He activated her cultivation technique, stomped her foot with a sharp crack, and a lightning-like fissure split the stone slab beneath her.

Pan Yun couldn't help but cry, "Wow—," but before she could marvel further, Miao He clutched her foot and howled, "Ow ow!"

Pan Yun: "... I understand—after all, force is reciprocal."

Miao Zhen watched the two of them in silence.

Under their guidance, Pan Yun searched and found many artifacts and ritual robes, packing them all up.

Pan Yun grew increasingly uneasy, "You're going down the mountain, Third Brother and Fourth Sister are going down the mountain—this ritual robe… does that mean First Brother is going down too?"

Miao He nodded, "Yes, it's a ritual. Too bad Second Uncle isn't here—if he were, he'd come with us. He holds an official title; if he went, we'd get more merit coins."

The entire mountain mobilized.

Wang Feiyin returned from cultivation, heard about the ritual, immediately gathered his personal belongings, then went to burn incense before the ancestral portraits in the main hall, and carried a stick of incense to the cliff behind the courtyard, murmuring softly.

After planting the incense on the cliff's edge, he turned around and saw the three little ones staring at him intently.

He waved them over. "What are you standing there for? Don't you want to bid farewell to your ancestral masters?"

Pan Yun stepped forward, bowed repeatedly, then looked down the cliff. "So the cliff below is our Master Himself? Is this direction directly facing the mountain god temple down below?"

Wang Feiyin: "Something like that. Hurry and pack your clothes—we're leaving immediately."

Tao Yanbai ran out of the kitchen. "First Master, what about the food…?"

"Why bother cooking? Just eat something quick—the ritual is urgent; we can't keep the host waiting too long." Wang Feiyin immediately moved to descend the mountain.

Perhaps because he hadn't descended the mountain in so long, Wang Feiyin seemed more energetic than the four little ones, chattering nonstop along the way.

At the foot of the mountain, Tao Ji once again went to harness the donkey cart, then led the entire monastery group toward Sun Family Village.

Even as she sat on the cart, Pan Yun was still dazed. She spoke hesitantly, "First Brother, I don't know how to perform rituals…"

Wang Feiyin said, "Don't worry, I'll teach you. It's simple."

Tao Ji was more reliable than Wang Feiyin. "You don't need to do anything. This time, you're here to observe and assist—the ritual will be handled by First Brother and us."

Hearing this, Pan Yun relaxed. "I wonder if Old Qian is still at the Sun household when we arrive."

Wang Feiyin: "I've calculated it—of course he's there. Old Qian and Old Sun are very close."

Pan Yun urged Tao Ji to drive faster.

Tao Ji murmured to the donkey, "Come on, run faster."

The donkey indeed quickened its pace, and they arrived at Sun Family Village before nightfall.

Entering the village, they saw numerous wooden sheds lining both sides of the road; farther off, a large mansion with blue-tiled roofs and gray walls echoed with wailing cries, and incense smoke rose into the sky.

This spectacle meant either the death was unnatural, or the descendants were extraordinarily filial.

Today's lucky number is any number ending in 9, screenshot as proof.

(End of Chapter)