Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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At the same time as Taoist priests from various regions received news of the appearance of the Taoist mythical beast Xuanwu, so did Xia Shouren, who was far away in the capital.
In response, Xia Shouren said, “What the hell are you talking about? Where is Xuanwu?”
Other Taoist practitioners were also filled with unspeakable sorrow, but they quickly felt the need to visit Xin’an and organized a visit.
The Xiusheng Sect was completely wiped out, and the case was still under trial. The sight of the chubby boy wearing a yellow vest being led in and out by the guards brought tears to the eyes of many devout Taoist priests.
Monks and nuns valued the passing down of traditions through generations. Such historical events would certainly be recorded in the annals passed down to future generations. But how could they begin to write about this scene before them? To tell future generations and children, that the 21st century was a historic century, where their revered deity was sentenced to xx years in prison for participating in cult activities, thus becoming the first deity in history with a criminal record. Therefore, everyone must abide by the law from now on.
Is that how it should be said?
A group of elderly women with their hair tied in buns, weeping sadly outside the detention center, attracted the attention of many police officers. The officers were puzzled: “Shouldn’t solving such a big case be a good thing? Why are they crying?”
A colleague who knew a little more about the subject replied, “Orthodox sects and cults are always enemies. Isn’t there a term for that… instability of the religious lineage? I guess they are crying tears of joy.”
The Taoist priests were even more distressed upon hearing this but were too ashamed to speak. After a long while, they could only say sadly, “Well, now that things have come to this, we can only work together to find a good lawyer for Lord Xuanwu before the public prosecution, in order to get the most lenient sentence possible.”
Moreover, this wasn’t all bad. It was better for Xuanwu to be locked up in a detention center than to be recruited into a cult and commit evil deeds. After all, it was an ancient and revered mythical beast. Although it had never been seen before, since Xuanwu was regarded by the Taoist sects as a guardian of the north, even if it presented a benevolent image to the outside world, one could infer from the ancient legends that it must possess astonishing magical power. Even if it hadn’t fully awakened for various reasons, if it truly went astray, it would inevitably become a great threat to humanity.
Humans are, after all, just humans; how can they compare to gods with the power to move mountains and fill seas?
The visiting Taoist priests couldn’t help but feel a chill when they thought about this place. Holding the hands of their fellow Taoists from both Nanjing and other places who had witnessed this new history of Taoism, they began to ask, “In that battle in the mountains, were any of you injured?”
The fellow Daoists who were being comforted, said, “…It’s alright. Xuanwu was subdued relatively quickly. We just couldn’t dodge in time and were whipped a few times by the snake’s tail. We were not seriously injured.”
Several Taoist priests from well-known domestic temples, whose professional knowledge was more solid, had already imagined a thrilling scene upon hearing this, and their tone couldn’t help but be filled with admiration: “Xuanwu was subdued relatively quickly? I didn’t expect that you fellow Taoists, who are usually so low-key, would have such profound Taoist skills. May I ask which Taoist priest led the fight and what methods were used?”
As they asked the questions, countless complex formations flashed through their minds, and the faces of the fellow Daoists being comforted all showed expressions of shame and embarrassment—
“………………It was a country dog spirit subdued by the disciples of the Taicang Sect.”
“It brought tranquilizer darts used by itinerant dog-stealing gangs.”
The ancient Xuanwu of the Taoist sect was defeated by the Taicang Sect’s country dog. Hearing this, the questioning Taoist priests were left speechless.
….
Facing the fearful gazes of his fellow Daoists, Wei Xi, the sect leader of Taicang Sect, was somewhat wary. Thinking of Xuanwu’s identity, he couldn’t help but ask his second disciple, “Que’er, could it be that they saw me biting Xuanwu?”
The second apprentice seemed to pause for a moment: “You bit it? Where did you bite it?”
Wei Xi touched the tip of his tongue, which had finally lost its numbness: “Just the tail.”
His second apprentice was silent for a moment, then his voice suddenly became very low: “Oh, how did it taste?”
Wei Xi sensed something was wrong and turned to look at the other person, only to find that his second apprentice’s eyes were dark and brooding.
“It didn’t have much of a taste, it just had a bit more yang energy.” Wei Xi hesitated under the stare, feeling inexplicably guilty, and subconsciously added, “But of course, it can’t compare to you. Yours tastes the best.”
The apprentice’s expression seemed to soften slightly, but it quickly hardened again: “Really? So what if you come across someone who tastes even better than me?”
Upon hearing the question, Wei Xi answered almost without hesitation: “How could that be!”
However, after speaking out, he felt a little strange. Where did this inexplicable certainty come from? Why did the answer emerge so clearly and immediately from the depths of his heart?
….
The news that the Xin’an cult had been wiped out by a spontaneous organization of folk Taoists quickly made it onto the news program of the country’s largest television station. On the screen, a chubby boy with his eyes covered by a mosaic looked listlessly reflecting on his crimes to the media. At the same time, countless Taoist priests across the country were crying in front of their television screens. Wei Tianyi, who was passing by the television screen, just snorted coldly: “Finally caught. The moment I saw him that day, I knew he had the face of someone who was involved in crooked practices and was not a good person.”
Wei Chengshu listened in silence, but Shu Wanrong felt a little ashamed: “Stop talking, you believed them so much back then.”
Wei Tianyi’s face twitched, and he stormed off, still finding it hard to face the version of himself who had almost fallen into feudal superstition.
No one at home paid him any attention. But Wei Chengshu glanced at the TV a few more times and then asked, “…You’ve been away from home for so many days just to do this?”
He looked at Wei Xi when he asked the question. Wei Xi hummed in response. Wei Chengshu stopped talking and stared at the words “…After a fierce battle, many Taoist priests were injured…” that flashed across the bottom of the TV screen. After a moment, he turned and left with a cold face.
Shu Wanrong watched his retreating figure walk towards the bathroom, somewhat speechless: “Going to clean the stone tablet again?”
Wei Chengshu rummaged through the bathroom cabinets, making a clattering noise, then pulled out his bucket and rag, but shoved them back in with a thud, and coldly threw on his coat before heading out the door: “I’m not cleaning! What the hell is the point of cleaning!”
“Why is this brat getting angry for no reason again?” Shu Wanrong ate a grape for no apparent reason.
Wei Xi didn’t notice their movements and kept fiddling with his phone. There was news about the sect advertisement that he had asked Qiu Guokai to do.
Qiu Guokai was quite uneasy: “Master Wei, I have filmed the advertisement according to your requirements, but do you think the content will be acceptable? I’ve looked at it from left to right, from top to bottom, and it’s impossible for it to pass the censorship!”
Wei Xi didn’t share his professional judgment and replied without any concern, “It’s alright, the other party has already promised. Send me a copy of the advertisement, and I’ll contact Mr. Gu to play it.”
As he spoke, he got up and went outside for some fresh air.
As the New Year approached, the cold in Beijing intensified, and almost all the roadside trees in the neighborhood, except for the evergreens, were completely bare, except for the lush vegetation in the Wei family’s yard. However, despite the weather, many guests still came to the house for tea and incense, especially after the incident in Xin’an. The Taicang Sect, as the main force in cracking down on cults, once again appeared on television, and its followers grew even larger, even trending on Weibo several times in the first couple of days.
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