Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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Sa Shoujian blew on his palm and calmly closed the door. “What did you say you wanted to tell me?”
Xie Lingya looked at Da Bao and Xiao Bao, first stuffing them into the inner room, and then told Sa Shoujian that he had actually transmigrated.
Being a cultivator, Sa Shoujian’s expression didn’t change much when he heard this. Although slightly surprised, he finally understood and said, “No wonder I always felt your aura was strange, neither demon nor ghost, but even somewhat familiar. So you are a person from a later generation. That explains it.”
Thinking of Xie Lingya’s reaction, he laughed and said, “You still recognize my name. It seems this humble Taoist has a reputation that will be passed down to future generations.”
Actually, Sa Shoujian already had some fame, but he hadn’t yet been recognized as one of the Four Celestial Masters, and his status wasn’t as prominent as it would later become.
Xie Lingya thought to himself, “More than that, you are my ancestor!” However, he remembered that Sa Shoujian hadn’t yet accepted Lingzu, and he was afraid that saying it would cause some interference, so he didn’t speak directly for the time being.
“Since you are guests from another world, you cannot stay long,” Sa Shoujian said with a bright smile. “Tonight, I will perform a ritual, responding to the Big Dipper and communicating with the Three Pure Ones, to see if I can send you back.”
Xie Lingya quickly thanked him.
“Before that, let me show you around the city,” Sa Shoujian said with a hearty laugh. “Imagine people today imagining the scenes of the Qin and Han dynasties; you probably won’t see this scenery again when you go back. Take this opportunity to see it for a while.”
Xie Lingya found it strange, “Don’t you want to ask what the future holds?”
Sa Shoujian said nonchalantly, “Let’s keep some freshness.” He thought for a moment and added, “As long as there are fewer gods like Wang E in the future, I can enjoy my meals more.”
Xie Lingya: “…”
Well, sorry, you’ll have to face him every day from now on…
….
At midnight, Sa Shoujian found a deserted spot, set up an altar, and performed the ritual, communicating with the gods of heaven and earth.
Xie Lingya, Da Bao and Xiao Bao sat upright in front of the altar, watching Sa Shoujian perform the ritual.
It was past bedtime, and Da Bao and Xiao Bao, as they meditated, began to nod their heads, like chicks pecking at rice, teetering on the edge of dozing off.
Xie Lingya was also a little sleepy, but he perked up to watch Sa Shoujian chant the incantation.
Sa Shoujian pointed his wooden sword to the sky, and a bolt of lightning flashed across the heavens. The two children, one big and one small, were startled and stared at him with wide eyes.
“Fellow Daoist, we shall meet again!” Sa Shoujian smiled at him, and the magic sword fell, followed by the lightning.
“Damn it, don’t strike me!”
Xie Lingya’s inner scream hadn’t even finished when the lightning was already in front of him. It didn’t hurt or itch; it was just a flash of white light before Xie Lingya felt dizzy.
Was he back?
Xie Lingya struggled to open his eyes, feeling something pressing down on him. He half-scratched up and opened his eyes to see a red-haired, red-eyed, golden-armored divine general. “…” Da Bao and Xiao Bao were also on top of this person. Upon seeing him, they cheered, “Grandpa! Grandpa!”
Calling him “Grandpa Ancestor” was too long, so they simply omitted the word “Ancestor,” thus giving Xie Lingya a father as well.
“Heh!” Wang E shoved them aside. “It’s you! What are you little devils doing here? Are you human or demon? You haven’t changed at all!”
Xie Lingya was stunned. Looking around, he was still in the desolate wilderness and forest. He quickly asked, “How long has it been since we last saw you?”
Wang E said irritably, “Twelve years!”
Xie Lingya exclaimed, “Oh dear!” What? He hadn’t been able to travel back in time, but had instead ended up twelve years later? Wait, twelve years— that timeframe sounds familiar. Xie Lingya tentatively asked, “What happened after you were struck by Quan Yangzi’s lightning?”
Wang E rolled his eyes. “Why should I tell you?”
Xie Lingya: “…”
Xie Lingya thought to himself, “I already know even if you don’t tell me…”
Seeing that he was silent, Wang E became even more annoyed. “Aren’t you going to ask again?”
Xie Lingya said speechlessly, “…So, are you going to tell me or not?”
Oh, Grandmaster, you’ve always been this gossipy.
Wang E snorted, “Back then, I complained to the Heavenly Court, but His Majesty only granted me a pair of discerning eyes and told me to follow Sa Shoujian. He said that if I could find Sa Shoujian’s faults, I could take revenge on him.”
He said with a dark face, “I think so too. People can guard themselves for a while, but not forever. So I followed Master Sa to keep an eye on him, but as soon as he saw me, he struck me with lightning.”
Xie Lingya: “??”
Wait, wasn’t it supposed to be the Spirit Ancestor who decided to observe secretly in the legend? How come there’s this part?
Wang E sighed, “I could only secretly watch him, but even when I turned the mud into cash by the roadside, Sa Shoujian remained unmoved. Twelve years! And he hasn’t made a single mistake!”
For Xie Lingya, it was only a blink of an eye, but Wang E had followed Sa Shoujian for twelve years, so his tone was tinged with resentment, but mostly with admiration.
Xie Lingya’s lips twitched. “Oh… and now?”
“He’s over there fetching water.” Wang E parted the bushes and pointed to a Taoist priest on the opposite bank of the river, still with a youthful face, washing his hands.
Da Bao and Xiao Bao, seeing the familiar face, cried out, “Sa—”
Wang E quickly covered their mouths, “Stop shouting!”
Unfortunately, the children’s voices were loud, and Sa Shoujian had already noticed the commotion. So a lightning talisman struck Wang E on the head again.
Wang E rolled forward and leaped out of the bushes, his red hair standing on end, even scorched and redder than after the first time he was struck. It was unclear how many times he had been struck.
Xie Lingya stood up speechlessly. “Celestial Master, it’s me!”
Sa Shoujian saw Xie Lingya and then stopped. After taking in their appearance and familiar clothes, he understood. “You couldn’t go back, and you came here instead?”
Xie Lingya nodded.
“What do you mean ‘now’ or ‘present’?” Wang E muttered. “Celestial Master Sa, let’s not beat around the bush. You should consider my suggestion, the one about taking me in!”
Sa Shoujian showed a disgusted expression and turned his face away.
Wang E leaned closer. “I sincerely admire you and want to follow you. If you still don’t agree, I’ll go to Heaven and complain, then have His Majesty appoint you as my master! Let me tell you, your name is already in the register of immortals. After you’ve completed your merits, you’ll have to report to Heaven. Once the arrangements are made, you’ll have no choice but to take me in!”
Sa Shoujian: “…”
Sa Shoujian, such a carefree person, who had even told Xie Lingya that he didn’t want to hear about the future, couldn’t help but look at Xie Lingya now, unconsciously with a hint of inquiry.
Xie Lingya nodded sheepishly, indicating that it was true, this was indeed the destined disciple…
Sa Shoujian closed his eyes in pain and sighed deeply.
Wang E was smug and about to bow down when Sa Shoujian flicked his hand and scattered several talismans. A series of purple lightning bolts followed Wang E’s heels, making them smoke.
“Ah! Ahh!” Wang E cried out in pain, putting his feet into the river.
Just as Wang E was about to unleash a torrent of curses, Sa Shoujian said meekly, “You can follow me, but from now on you must listen to me, repent, and obey my every word. The first thing is to change your name—” He glanced at Wang E with half-open eyelids, “If you agree, you will be renamed Wang Shan and follow me.”
Lingzu hugged his heels, gritted his teeth, and kowtowed three times, “Wang Shan is willing to assist the Celestial Master and carry out the decrees!”
Sa Shoujian agreed, pinching his nose, and then turned to say, “Fellow Daoist, come with me. I need to study your situation further.”
Wang Shan was a man of his word and immediately wanted to show his loyalty. Hearing Sa Shoujian call Xie Lingya “Fellow Daoist,” he came over politely and said, “Uncle-Master, let me help you hold the child.”
Xie Lingya knelt down with a “thump.”
Wang Shan: “??”
Xie Lingya said with tears in his eyes, “Don’t call me that…”
Sa Shoujian looked thoughtful and chuckled, “You can call him fellow Daoist too.”
Calling him fellow Daoist was already taking advantage of him, taking advantage of the ancestors of Baoyang Temple for dozens of generations. So Xie Lingya stood up, looking ashamed, and said, “Just call me Xiao Xie, Xiao Xie.”
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