Capítulo 352: Chapter 352: A Gentleman, Little Dong
Dao Shu was nervous about being in an unfamiliar place.
His biggest fear was that the kindness shown to him was a facade, a trick to lure him somewhere, and that once they reached their destination, their true nature would be revealed.
Although Lin Fan was trustworthy, what about the others?
When Liu Haichan suddenly knelt before him with a thud, Dao Shu's feelings were complicated. He hadn't expected such respect.
"Heavenly Lord of the Dao!"
Liu Haichan bowed reverently.
As a Daoist cultivator, he had always practiced Daoist techniques. However, current Daoist practices were severely incomplete, and even after a lifetime of cultivation, he had only reached the City Protector level.
His talent wasn't weak at all. It was the lack of complete cultivation methods that hindered his progress.
Liu Haichan had always carried the burden of reviving the glory of Daoism. He had worked tirelessly for many years, compiling the Three Grotto Scriptures of the Supreme, but it was only a small fraction of the original complete work.
Now, Liu Haichan was the representative of Daoism in Yanhai City. Many cultivators who had graduated from the Daoist Academy were surprised by the scene before them.
What kind of tree was this?
Why did Liu Haichan kneel?
Dao Shu had never encountered such a situation. He felt a surge of joy. Under everyone's shocked gazes, Dao Shu seemed to come alive. His branches moved nimbly like arms, gently touching the top of Liu Haichan's head.
Instantly, a halo appeared above Liu Haichan's head.
The kneeling Liu Haichan let out a comfortable sigh. His entire body felt as if it had been washed by a spiritual spring. His spirit and energy were elevated. With a rumble, a Daoist sound resonated within his mind.
The clouds parted, revealing the clear blue sky. All confusion vanished like smoke.
The Pure Heart Mantra
Liu Haichan found golden characters appearing in his mind. These characters combined to form verses.
The fundamental techniques of orthodox Daoism.
Ancient Daoist methods.
In the present day, these were lost arts.
Daoism was different from other schools of cultivation. Other schools' techniques were unrelated. If one could cultivate advanced techniques, they would cultivate the most profound ones, and ordinary methods weren't worth practicing.
However, Daoism emphasized fundamental skills.
Just like this Pure Heart Mantra, the last verse was:
Ultimate sincerity, ultimate goodness, the Great Dao is naturally achieved!
It pointed directly to the heart.
Daoism emphasized the Great Dao. A heart like the Great Dao embraces all things.
"What's this?" One-Eyed Man noticed something was amiss. Liu Haichan seemed to have entered a state of enlightenment. This alone shocked him.
What was happening?
Could kneeling lead to enlightenment?
The surrounding people murmured. Besides Liu Haichan, there were many other Daoist Academy graduates. Their cultivation hadn't reached the City Protector level, but their strength was at levels seven, eight, and nine.
Their perception was quite good.
They noticed the aura emanating from Liu Haichan was different. It wasn't anything bad, but it felt like something they yearned for.
The elder said, "Enlightenment is also a form of inheritance."
"Inheritance?" One-Eyed Man asked in astonishment. How could there be inheritance out of the blue? And it seemed too casual. Liu Haichan and Dao Shu had never met before.
"Yes, this is a simple form of inheritance. Your situation here is similar to our situation in the starry sky. We both have ancestral halls. Descendants who worship sincerely can receive blessings from their ancestors."
"That's what's happening to him now."
The elder was well-informed and quickly understood what Liu Haichan was experiencing.
His voice wasn't too loud, but it wasn't too soft either.
The surrounding people heard him.
Thud!
Thud!
The Daoist Academy graduates who were watching didn't hesitate. Kneeling could lead to inheritance? Such a good opportunity was not to be missed. Moreover, since Liu Haichan had knelt, could they have any objections?
One-Eyed Man watched the scene and sighed helplessly.
Damn!
This was something he hadn't anticipated.
Lin Daoming watched with envy. He also wanted to kneel before Dao Shu like Liu Haichan, but as a representative of Maoshan, it wasn't appropriate for him to kneel so openly.
At least not so blatantly.
He prayed silently, "Dao Shu, Maoshan and Daoism have always been one family. I, Lin Daoming, respect you greatly."
Lin Daoming chanted silently. Whether it was useful or not, he first conveyed his thoughts, hoping that as long as Dao Shu could sense his sincerity, everything else wouldn't be a problem.
Lin Fan and Old Zhang were stunned.
"It seems Dao Shu is very popular," Lin Fan said.
"Yes, I've noticed that too," Old Zhang nodded. "I thought he would feel out of place since it's his first time here, but it seems I was overthinking it."
They looked at each other.
They were truly happy.
It was good that Dao Shu was welcomed.
Soon, Liu Haichan opened his eyes with a smile.
"A bountiful harvest."
He looked at Lin Daoming, a hint of provocation in his eyes, as if saying, "See? I really got something good."
Heavenly Lord of the Dao!
Dao follows nature!
Having a backer, having depth, felt good. The joy was something they could never imagine.
Lin Daoming saw Liu Haichan's expression and fumed. What was there to be smug about? Look how pleased he was.
He was filled with envy.
But there was nothing he could do.
Liu Haichan had indeed taken the lead. Even if he was dissatisfied now, there was nothing he could do. Dao Shu hadn't given him any inheritance.
Night fell.
A figure stealthily observed the surroundings.
It was Lin Daoming, who couldn't sleep at night.
He wondered why Liu Haichan was the one who received the inheritance.
He, Lin Daoming, was a Maoshan expert. He had done everything to promote the light of Daoism.
Again, since ancient times, Maoshan and Daoism were one family.
Whether they admitted it or not, he, Lin Daoming, was the first to acknowledge it.
But soon, when he saw the situation on site, he realized things weren't looking good.
"Damn! These guys aren't sleeping in the middle of the night!"
Lin Daoming's plan was to sneak over at night, when no one was paying attention, and kneel before Dao Shu, hoping to move him with his sincerity and obtain the inheritance Liu Haichan received.
But he didn't expect... there were still people kneeling there.
Damn it.
Too hasty.
"Huh! Why is that kid there?"
Lin Daoming saw a young man. He remembered this young man was a graduate of the Maoshan Academy. He had only been in Yanhai City for two years. During this time, the kid had been wanting to become his disciple.
When someone wanted to become a disciple, naturally, there was an assessment.
As a Maoshan expert, he had high standards for accepting disciples.
Throughout history, what any renowned master looked for in a disciple was nothing more than character and comprehension.
Lin Daoming was very satisfied with the young man's character. He was a good kid.
It was just that his comprehension was a bit lacking.
This was a headache for Lin Daoming. If his comprehension was so poor, it would be difficult for him to accept him as a disciple.
For example, one day, the weather was fine, there was a rainbow in the sky, a beautiful scene. If the young man had sufficient comprehension, even accepting him as a disciple wouldn't be impossible.
He had told the young man: "I've had a splitting headache recently, and I'm not feeling well. I saw someone next door took a health supplement, and the effect was very good. After taking it, they slept soundly and weren't tired..."
What was the meaning behind his words?
Anyone who understood would know what to do next.
But this kid, he actually said... "That stuff can't be eaten, it's all a scam to trick the elderly. Whoever buys it falls for it. Just drink more hot water."
Listen, were these even human words?
How could his comprehension be so poor?
Was he afraid of being scammed? He was afraid the kid wouldn't understand his meaning.
So when the kid brought up apprenticeship again, Lin Daoming refused. He didn't want to be too blunt, so he said that the time wasn't right and there was no need to rush.
Good.
He hadn't expected this kid, a Maoshan person, to kneel before Dao Shu. This was betraying Daoism!
Lin Daoming forgot what he had come for.
He didn't care anyway.
Seeing someone betray Maoshan angered him. This was boosting others' morale and dampening their own. If Liu Haichan saw this, who knew how he would mock them.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
Lin Daoming flicked his sleeves and snorted, wanting to go back to sleep. But then he thought, no, he hadn't come here to get angry. He had come to learn from others' strengths and enrich himself.
Maoshan was awesome.
No arguments.
At this moment, he saw a figure returning from outside in the distance. He recognized the kid. He usually wore a mask, not because of any special fetish, but because he had suffered burns to his face in a fire caused by an evil creature attack when he was young. To avoid scaring others, he always wore a mask.
"You're the one."
Lin Daoming had a mischievous idea.
Little Dong hummed a tune, in a good mood. He had finally met a girl who didn't mind his appearance.
Today, they held hands, went shopping, watched a movie. In the evening, the girl had taken the initiative and told him that she hadn't brought her house keys and might have to stay out tonight.
Little Dong was a helpful person. Hearing that the girl he liked had forgotten her keys, how could he stand by? He immediately took her back to her apartment complex, found a locksmith, and spent fifty yuan. With the locksmith's skilled technique, the door was opened in a minute.
He paid the locksmith.
The locksmith looked at him strangely, no... it wasn't strange, it was the look one gives a true gentleman.
"Young man, I'm forty, single. You and I are the same kind of people. I understand your thoughts. I'll just charge you fifty. Take care and keep it up."
After saying that...
The locksmith left with his toolbox.
As he left, the locksmith nodded at him, a gesture of approval.
Little Dong was happy.
It was a happy thing to be recognized by others.
And the girl didn't even say goodbye before closing the door, which showed how eager she was to go home. What he had done was just a small gesture. In the girl's heart, his status and character would rise sharply, reaching an irreplaceable position.
Just as he was fantasizing about the future...
Someone hit him with a sap.
Little Dong fainted instantly.
His body was dragged into a dark alley. No one knew what he would encounter, but for Little Dong, he wasn't afraid. He was a man, could he be afraid of being robbed of his... virtue?
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder