Daoist Master, I'm really not an evil cultivator.

Chapter 57 I have a load of pine breeze, enough to wash away the dust and grime of the world.

After the Taoist finished his reflections, he remembered the fat monk standing beside him and casually glanced at him: "Monk, you're also going to this gathering, right? Perfect timing, I'll go join the fun and find some useful materials."

He paused, then added with a hint of disdain, "Although I don't find your appearance very pleasing, it won't hurt to travel together for a while, so as to avoid being bored on the way."

Xu Changqing couldn't quite fathom the depth of this strange Taoist, so he could only go along with him, his smile widening as if he were genuinely happy to have found a kindred spirit.

He clasped his hands together and bowed slightly: "Amitabha, excellent, excellent. It is my good fortune to travel with you, Daoist Master. May I ask your name?"

Upon hearing this, the Taoist priest did not stop walking. He merely turned his head and glanced at Xu Changqing with his half-closed eyes, a half-smile playing on his lips: "My name is... I think my surname is Yang, and my Taoist name is Qi..."

His brow furrowed, as if he were trying to salvage something from a jumbled mess of memories. His fingers unconsciously twirled his beard. "Seven... Keiko? No, it's Seven... Qinzi?"

He spoke slower and slower, his voice revealing a sense of confusion and anxiety, and his eyes began to wander.

Suddenly, the air around him rippled slightly, and a scorching, violent, terrifying flame that seemed capable of burning everything leaked out without warning.

Xu Changqing's heart pounded. The blood lotus phantom beneath his feet flashed instinctively, and he drifted back several feet, standing still at a distance.

"Master, Master!" Xu Changqing called out from a safe distance, his face full of smiles, but his heart was already on high alert.

This old Taoist priest may seem incoherent, but his cultivation is unfathomable. The wisp of fiery energy he just possessed was pure and domineering, something no ordinary cultivator could have.

The Taoist priest seemed to be jolted awake from his brief daze by the shout. The chilling heat emanating from his body quietly dissipated, and he returned to his travel-worn and somewhat disheveled appearance.

He shook his head, looked at Xu Changqing, and seeing that he was hiding far away, he couldn't help but burst into laughter. His laughter echoed on the empty official road, carrying a hint of mockery and self-deprecation.

"Hahaha, you monk, you're truly a coward, somewhat similar to those cunning bald thieves who spout compassion but harbor ulterior motives." The Taoist laughed, wiping away non-existent tears from the corner of his eye. "My Heavenly Eye is sometimes effective, sometimes not. If it could truly see through all directions and understand the origins of things at all times, I would have already..."

He stopped mid-sentence, looked Xu Changqing up and down, his gaze seemingly able to see through Xu Changqing's pretense, but in the end he just shook his head and didn't continue, his face showing a crude look that said, "You wouldn't understand even if I told you."

Xu Changqing felt uneasy under your gaze, and with a forced smile, he tentatively asked, "Daoist Master, you jest. I heard you mention earlier that I have a faint Daoist aura flowing within me. I wonder if that was just a joke, or if it's true? If so, do I, with my physical form, possess the humble qualifications to enter the Daoist path of cultivation?"

Upon hearing this, the Taoist priest scoffed.

"You monk, you certainly know how to take advantage of a situation. Although I am often confused and have a poor memory, these eyes of yours..."

He pointed to his eyes, which were not radiating any divine light at the moment, but were instead somewhat cloudy. "But they are my 'Heavenly Eyes,' which have been properly consecrated by the Grand Master. Although they are sometimes effective and sometimes not, when they flash with a flash of light, I can still see things to some extent."

Seeing Xu Changqing's strange expression, like an "old man on the subway looking at his phone," and his feet unconsciously taking half a step back, the Taoist was even more amused and pointed at him, bursting into laughter again.

After laughing enough, the Taoist glanced at Xu Changqing sideways, his tone somewhat playful, "As for the qualifications for entering the Dao? Among all living beings in the world, who with intelligence doesn't have some affinity for the Dao? It's just that the depth of their affinity differs, and their fates are different. You monk, if you are truly sincere, the Heavenly Venerable will naturally guide you."

These words, though shrouded in mystery, stirred something within Xu Changqing. This Taoist priest, though seemingly mad, spoke with hidden meaning, and was not entirely without reason.

The Taoist straightened his slightly crooked topknot and urged him on.

"Alright, let's go together. It's getting late, so the sooner we get into town, the easier it will be to find a place to stay. Qinghe County is a mixed bag these days; if we go too late, we probably won't even be able to find a decent room."

After saying that, he started walking towards Qinghe County.

His steps seemed casual, but with each step he took, his figure was already several feet away, clearly demonstrating his remarkable agility.

The strangest thing is that his aura is not visible, just like an ordinary person. At least Xu Changqing cannot do that when he uses magic now.

At that moment, the blood lotus phantom beneath Xu Changqing's feet flashed by, and he followed at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

The two walked one after the other along the official road toward Qinghe County.

Along the way, the Taoist priest was very talkative, sharing a lot of his experiences from all over the world.

Xu Changqing lagged half a step behind, increasingly convinced that this Taoist priest was no ordinary person. How could an ordinary rogue cultivator know the inner secrets of a major Taoist sect? This Taoist priest spoke of those anecdotes casually, as if they were nothing special.

Xu Changqing lagged half a step behind the Taoist priest, his mind racing. He put on a simple, honest expression and tentatively began to speak:

"The Taoist priest just said that your eyes have been blessed by a 'Grand Master'? I wonder which high-ranking priest possesses such supernatural powers?"

The Taoist priest didn't stop walking, nor did he turn his head. He just waved his hand lazily and said, "It's all ancient history, I can't remember it clearly. I only remember that old fellow... hehe, he was quite capable, but he had a very stubborn temper."

Xu Changqing's heart stirred, and he followed up the conversation, saying, "To receive such praise from you, Daoist Master, you must be an extraordinary senior. May I ask where that great master is now?"

Upon hearing this, the Taoist seemed to be lost in memories again, and his tone became somewhat indifferent.

"Where is she? I can't remember. Perhaps she's gone traveling, or perhaps she's long gone. I don't want to think about it anymore. The clouds come and go as they please, the green mountains remain..."

Having said that, he said no more and focused on continuing on his way.

Xu Changqing wisely stopped asking questions and instead focused his mind on the sea of ​​consciousness, communicating with the eerie altar shrouded in black mist.

"Old Ghost, stop pretending to be dead. Take a look at this guy in front of me... what kind of person is he?" he thought to himself, with a mixture of curiosity and wariness.

The altar remained silent for a moment, then a faint, eerie light emanated from it, and soon a message was transmitted to it.

【Seven Animals】

Name: Yang Huai

[His Taoist name is Qiqinzi, derived from the concept of "five fires and seven birds."]

[Cultivation Level: Fifth Realm Dharma Aspect (Sealed)]

[Status: Benevolent Dharmakaya, Playing in the Human Realm]

The man from Qingfeng Mountain was born with extraordinary signs, his eyes shone with divine light, and he was exceptionally gifted. The abbot of Ziyang Temple saw great wonder in him, took him under his wing, and taught him the true Dharma.

However, fate is unpredictable, and misfortune can strike at any moment. Ziyang Temple was suddenly struck by calamity; the abbot, driven mad by evil, sought to achieve enlightenment by refining the temple's members into a single elixir. In despair, Qi Qinzi chose to perish alongside him, averting a hidden catastrophe.

I have a load of pine breeze, enough to wash away the dust of the world. When Yang Huai died, his lingering good intentions remained, transforming into a Dharma body to roam the human realm, but he had forgotten all his past deeds, thus making the world his home.