Chapter 6 Going out to the World
Fifteen years passed by on Maoshan Mountain in Ji county.
A young man in his early twenties walked effortlessly up a hill. He was that kid, Ye Shaoyang. However, he had now become a handsome young lad, with distinctive features and an impressive appearance. His pair of bright eyes seemed to shine with wisdom and intelligence.
All this time, he followed his master, Qing Yunzhi, to learn the ways of the Dao. Ye Shaoyang passed the test to become an inner disciple three years ago. This made him the youngest person to ever become an inner disciple of Maoshan Sect.
Not far from Maoshan Mountain was a city, which had a primary school and a high school. Ye Shaoyang went to school during the day and returned to learn Daoism at night. Ye Shaoyang also liked to have fun, so he would play games at internet cafes. As a result, he was just like an average teenager, with the occasional trouble making and rebellious acts.
However, he always followed his master out to hunt demons and ghosts. Since he had seen so many deaths and terrifying scenes, he had a tranquil and resilient heart.
“Hey old man, I’m back!”Ye Shaoyang greeted his master with a loud voice. He walked through the main hall of the temple and went straight to the side hall where Qing Yunzi resided. As Ye Shaoyang entered the room, a pungent smell greeted him. He pinched his nose to block out the odor. He used a few seconds to analyze the smell; it was a mixture of four things: stinky socks, white spirit, cigarettes, and instant noodles.
Qing Yunzi was wearing a pair of baggy pants, as he lazed on the bed. He held a book in one hand, while the other hand would occasionally reach over to a bowl of peanuts. He seemed very relaxed, as he ate and read. Ye Shaoyang bent down and gave a quick look at the book cover and seemed unimpressed with the Xuanhuan novel that Qing Yunzhi was reading.
“This novel you’re reading sucks. How can Lao Zhi be the father of the Queen Mother of the West? And how can Erlang Shen be in a relationship with Chang’er?”
“Go write one if you’re not happy with this?”
“If I wrote a novel, it would definitely be way better,” Ye Shaoyang replied confidently. Qing Yunzi appeared to be unmoved. He rose from his comfortable position, gave Ye Shaoyang a quick scan, and asked, “Have you completed the task?”
“Piece of cake,” Ye Shaoyang took out a few talisman paper from his bag and waved them proudly in front of Qing Yunzi.Qing Yunzi took them and used his Gang Qi to evaluate them. There were ten talisman paper; each and every one of them contained an evil spirit that was at least 300 years old. It could be considered an impressive achievement for a young man to be able to capture so many spirit in a mere 10 days.
“You barely completed your task. So, did you get anything when you were in town?”
“Did I get anything?” Ye Shaoyang scratched his head and laughed, “I got to know a few pretty ladies and got their numbers. Maybe I’ll get them to come here for a little palm reading.”
“Good job!” Qing Yunzi gave him a smirk, “Even though your abilities are still not mature enough, you are already not young. It is about time that you leave and go to the outside world and help people. This is the ritual of Maoshan Sect. It would also be a good opportunity for you to gain some virtue for your next life.”
Qing Yunzi’s proposal left Ye Shaoyang incredibly excited. He had always longed to see the world and adventure outside. But Ye Shaoyang acted as though he was unwilling, “Please master, don’t kick me out. I don’t want to leave you!”
Qing Yunzi rolled his eyes, “In that case, let’s talk about this three years from now.”
“No no. Even though I will miss master, you did say that this is a ritual for disciples of Maoshan Sect. I must venture outside and battle evil. As such, I shall take on this great responsibility and unwillingly leave your side.”
His disciple’s acting did not impress Qing Yunzi. He thought to himself, How did he end up becoming such a thick-faced sh*t. Did I influence him? Qing Yunzhi coughed a bit and instructed, “After going down from the mountain, go do some good deeds. However, always be careful. As the saying goes, ‘While the priest climbs a foot, the devil climbs ten’. So, always take care when dealing with those spirits and demons.”
“I once saved the principal of a university in Stone City. I have made arrangements with him, and he has agreed to let you in as an exchange student. Even though you are a Daoist, getting a degree wouldn’t be a bad thing for your future. Also, you have a senior in that town. He was an outer disciple of mine. You can go ask him for help if you need anything.”
Ye Shaoyang was troubled when he heard the word university, “Master, is my age appropriate for studying at a university?”
Qing Yunzi gave him a quizzical look, “They will treat you as an exchange student. You will directly enter the fourth year. Moreover, you will have a lot of freedom, but if you don’t like it then forget it. Although ... I have heard people say that there are a lot of beautiful ladies in that university.”
Ye Shaoyang’s eyes became very attentive, and his ears perked up when he heard his master’s words. He quickly beamed and said, “I’ll go, I’ll be happy to go. Thank you, my great master, for granting me such a wonderful chance. I will do my best and get as many girls as possible.Then, I will marry someone beautiful and bring her up, so that she can help you out when you’re old.”“What nonsense!” Qing Yunzi shook his head.
He let out a sigh and said, “When your senior Dao Feng went down the mountain, his first stop was also Stone City. When you get there, try and find him for me. If you find him, capture him and bring him to me. I want to lock him up for life!” Ye Shaoyang was shocked. Dao Feng was his senior and 15 years older than him. Qing Yunzi was very strict when it came to accepting disciples. He only had two inner disciples in his entire life.
When Ye Shaoyang was still young, Dao Feng was very loving toward him. A few years later, Dao Feng was ordered to descend the mountain and fight evil. However, he never returned and even stole one of the three treasures of Maoshan Sect—the Taiyi Horsetail Whisk.Qing Yunzi was short tempered. In a fit of rage, he declared that Dao Feng was no longer his disciple. As such, Shaoyang became the only disciple of Qing Yunzi, and Ye Shaoyang often used this to show off to people.
“Master, I think you better do this yourself. Dao Feng is more powerful than I am, and he also has the Tai Yi Horsetail Whisk with him. Meanwhile, I don’t have anything …” mumbled Ye Shaoyang, as he scratched his head.
As Yu Shaoyand had planned, Qing Yunzi fell for the trick. His eyes widened, “What’s so good about that horsetail whisk. I’ll provide you with the best weapon of all, the Qixing Dragon Sword. You must bring him to me within five years. Otherwise, I’ll kick you out from Maoshan Sect too!”
Ye Shaoyang was extremely hyped. He knew that this sword was the best weapon in Maoshan Sect. With this weapon, Ye Shaoyang would be like a fish in water. He would be able to act pretentious wherever he went. As for the five year thing … he would just think about that later.
“Alright, I’ve told you everything you need to know. From now on, you will act on behalf of me. Don’t come find me if there’s nothing important. Moreover, don’t come when there is something important either. It’s time for your master to relax and have a good time,” Qing Yunzi gave him a smile and squinted, “Cough cough, one last thing.”
Ye Shaoyang became very attentive. He thought that the final advice was usually very important. Qing Yunzi had a very serious face, could it be that he wanted to let Ye Shaoyang become the head of Maoshan Sect?
“Ah … the phone numbers you obtained … you know, those pretty girls that you talked about. Hehe, why don’t you leave them to me? I’ll help them read their palms.”
Ye Shaoyang almost fell to the ground, “Master, are you for real?”