Meeting an old friend

Wanchen glanced at his junior wife, pinched his fingers and muttered a spell. I vaguely saw a white mist descending out of thin air, with figures hidden within.The figure shimmered with a faint golde...Busy as can be, yin and yang changing.

There's always a sense of time and space being sluggish.

My phone lost signal every other day, and my watch stopped working too. This made me feel numb to the passage of time.

When I was at the Shen's, I could still hear the morning and evening temple bells, marking the rhythm of the day. At my home, a small clock with a drumbeat chime reminds us of the start of each day.

But after leaving those two places, time became disordered.

Jiang Qiyun's Huangquan Formation was likely used to "summon" souls. I had seen it once before, and after the Huangquan Formation disappeared, there wasn't a trace of ghostly energy around this resort.

The information on the spirit summoning sign was nearby, but driving there would definitely waste time. I had no choice but to write down the information. After leaving the holiday resort, we drove a long way and stopped at a gas station to call each number one by one.

First, I informed Song Wei and asked her to contact Chang Jing's family or simply call the police. There are quite a few people who need to be dealt with here.

After that, I called the Shen family and asked their manager to send two disciples to the location indicated on the summoning scroll. When I spoke with the Shen family manager, I realized that a long time had passed and the meeting scheduled for tomorrow was approaching.

I don't even have time to go home. My brother doesn't trust me to take the high-speed rail by myself, so he didn't go home either. He just drove me to another city in the same province.

This city is quite famous throughout the country. It has a developed economy, a large population, and high-rise buildings everywhere.

Generally speaking, conferences related to faith are usually held in the capital city. However, considering the regional differences in beliefs, arrangements need to be made for all directions - east, west, south, and north - to demonstrate fairness and impartiality.

Before, I only knew that there were many styles within the circle, each with its own range of activities. I thought that everyone who came out from these schools and lineages were high-ranking elders.

Later, as I attended more meetings, I realized that esteemed elders and masters simply disdain participating in these mundane affairs. They only attend national-level conferences—such as the XX Consultation Summit. For ordinary provincial or regional meetings, they would send some senior members of their clan or disciples.

And these clan members and disciples are all considered elite figures of their respective families' schools.

Meeting an elite... I don't know how to describe it.

Though they appear harmonious on the surface, underneath, each person refuses to yield to the others.

Sometimes I think about sending Shen Qingrui instead, she's suited for this kind of place where one needs to be arrogant.

But I can't, I'm young and a "junior," yet Lin Yanhuan even managed to get himself the honorary title of "Special Advisor" for the country.

Although it's not a real title, we can't just pretend. After all, the "allowance" for a special advisor is still being received. While the amount is small, there's a responsibility attached to it, and I have to do my best.

If I don't come, the other practitioners in the circle will say that I am arrogant and disrespectful to elders.

Besides, Lin Yanhuan is still causing trouble at my house right now. These past one or two months have been agonizingly slow, with many people outwardly polite but privately sneering and waiting to see the spectacle unfold.

Although they are all practitioners...but in this society, practitioners are also members of society, with complex thoughts and myriad emotions.

Venues are typically in low-key and modest locations, most often renting a small cottage on the outskirts of a city.

After all, one cannot openly advocate for "feudal superstition." One must still love the country, the party, and one's family.

I arrived last of all. The local secretary, as soon as he saw me and my brother, clasped his hands together and placed them below his slightly protruding stomach. He pursed his lips and said with a displeased expression: "Fellow Daoists, you are truly punctual! Are you so unwilling to come a day earlier to chat with our fellow Daoists and exchange ideas"

Well, we've met this secretary-general many times before. After all, we're from the same province and often bump into each other at Daohe meetings.

So he speaks to us in a more amicable way, without any malicious sarcasm.

My brother said with a smile, "Isn't this about exchanging ideas You exchanged ideas with other friends, then come and exchange ideas with us, it's the same."

The Secretary's last name is Zhou, and people usually call him Daochang Zhou. He has two small mustaches and a round face, giving him a kind and steady appearance. In reality, his personality is very lively.

Zhou Daochang glanced at my brother and said with a sneer, "It's even harder to see Young Master Mu. It's even more difficult to find him for a chat. Let's cut to the chase... There have been many strange events recently. Miss Mu will have to explain this later. Everyone here thinks Miss Mu knows the inside story and suspects she's hiding it from everyone else."

I sighed inwardly and nodded. "Understood. I'll make a statement when it's my turn to speak..."

“I’m quite direct in my speech, but I have no intention to offend. I’m more reliable than those who harbor ulterior motives and speak with honeyed words on the surface. You two needn’t mind it… This way, please. The main building, third floor, grand conference hall.” Zhou Daochang gestured to us with a hand.

My brother usually wouldn't attend such events. Although the Mu family is considered part of the circle, they made their fortune in real estate and primarily deal in...well, let's just say it's not the kind of business that respectable exorcist families would be involved in. These established clans and sects look down on them.

So even though some private gatherings may invite Mu's family, official meetings do not.

My brother is delighted with the peace and quiet, he couldn't ask for anything more. He wouldn't go with me to the large conference room, instead he went to the small meeting room in the back and took a nap.

The small meeting room is connected to the large conference room. He could hear us talking just by opening a door, because we had to use microphones when there were many people.

This is a regular communication meeting for insiders, usually held every six months. There are no surprises and there's no strict division between monks, nuns, and laypeople.

So it's normal to see a few bald men chatting with Daoist priests with their hair in topknots.

I thought they were making an argument, but when I got closer, I heard...

"Master XX, I heard that your temple is hiring monks"

"Well, there are many pilgrims, and with fewer people, the service isn't up to par. I apologize for letting down your trust..."

"I saw your recruitment, a handsome and gentle monk who can recite a few scriptures has a monthly salary of 20,000 yuan, and a monk who can perform rituals has a monthly salary of 80,000 yuan... With such treatment, you can't even recruit people"

"Amitabha Buddha, in this prosperous and peaceful era, the demand for religious faith from donors has increased, but there aren't enough monks... And there are many who deceive people, while those with genuine Buddhist affinity are few. Many apply for positions, but we find very few who meet our standards..."

...He's really wealthy. Our Shen family temple is still managed by the disciples who work half-time and pay half price...

Such a high salary is not something that just any random sect can afford.

While I was feeling a mix of emotions, I bowed to some people who seemed more friendly on the surface and greeted them. Since it was an informal gathering for people in our circles, monks, nuns, and laypeople were not segregated but sat together casually interspersed with each other.

Some influential clans and families naturally sent representatives with names. They sat in the first circle around a large round table, while others found seats behind them.

My name card was placed at the left end of the round table, which is a high honor considering that seniority and lineage are highly valued in this industry.

I sat down quietly and saw a familiar bald monk next to me, closing his eyes and pretending not to hear anything outside. He looked very calm as he "meditated".

This guy... he's putting on a pretty good show. He's clearly asleep, but he can still manage such an impressive expression!.. You little rascal!" The old woman suddenly grabbed my sleeve, making me jump.She whispered, gritting her teeth, "You remember this: as long as the female gu is still alive, there's hope—""Bang!" A...