A deafening thunderclap resounded through the sky. Against all odds, a torrential rain began to pour down on Cuishan Mountain, which had been suffering from a years - long drought. As if to make up for the long - standing lack, the rain persisted for days.
It was the Tomb - Sweeping Festival. On the winding mountain road, there was only one taxi moving slowly and carefully. The evening air was a bit chilly, yet the driver rolled down all the windows. He stared warily at the passenger in the back seat through the rear - view mirror.
She was a girl with a strikingly beautiful face. Anyone who saw her on the street would be tempted to take a second look.
But at this moment, the driver only felt tense.
He had been flagged down on a desolate hillside. As soon as the girl got in, he smelled a strong stench of blood. Looking closely, he noticed a wound the size of a fist on the top of her head, from which blood was constantly dripping. Her entire back was soaked in blood.
"Excuse me, take me to the Cuishan Mountain Taoist Temple," the girl said softly. Her voice was unexpectedly cold. The driver was about to refuse the ride at first, but when he saw the girl take out five hundred yuan from her pocket, he hesitated.
All men will risk their lives for wealth, just as birds will risk their lives for food!
"Get in!"
Even so, the driver still had some misgivings. On his ninety - eighth furtive glance at the girl, he met a pair of dark, inky eyes.
The driver shuddered violently. To boost his courage, he forced a smile and asked, "Hey, girl, what are you looking at?"
Yu Nian remained silent. She stared at the wispy black aura gathering above the driver's head, which ebbed and flowed in intensity. "You're going to die soon," she said.
"Oh, really... What did you say??"
The driver slammed on the brakes and stared at Yu Nian in disbelief. "Hey, little girl, what are you talking nonsense about?"
Yu Nian wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. Her chapped lips slowly parted. "Within three days, you'll buy a half - price white SUV just because you want to get a bargain. Then the brakes will fail, and you'll die in a car crash."
The girl's voice was low, but every single word reached the driver's ears clearly in the thundering rainy night.
The driver's expression changed from disbelief to gloom. He slammed the steering wheel and shouted at Yu Nian, "Get out of my car! I was kind enough to pick you up, but you dare to curse me? I'm not doing this business anymore! And I'm not returning your fare!"
With that, he opened the car door and dragged Yu Nian out.
Yu Nian wasn't angry. She patted the dust off her body. If it weren't for her weak spiritual energy after her rebirth, as the ancestor of the mysterious Taoism, how could she have been so easily bullied by a mere mortal?
Yu Nian's fingers brushed over the deep wound on her forehead. A thick aura of resentment was constantly seeping out from there. She had been reborn through a sacrifice...
She closed her eyes. Fragments of memories came flooding back like a tide - the unprintable curses, the fists and kicks that rained down on her body...
The original Yu Nian was an 18 - line actress. With a humble background and no backer, she didn't know who she had offended, but she had made it onto the hot search seven times in a month, and every time it was negative news. Her reputation was as bad as a rat scurrying through the streets. Under such mental pressure, Yu Nian had specifically chosen the anniversary of the death of Patriarch Xuande to offer herself as a sacrifice in a mass grave.
"Damn it, what bad luck!" The driver cursed in the car for a while. Just as he was about to start the car, his phone vibrated. It was the car dealer he had added a month ago.
[Brother Liu, I've just got a new batch of goods. Do you want to take a look? I'm sure you'll be satisfied.]
The driver was about to reply when he suddenly remembered what Yu Nian had said. Almost instinctively, he replied, [What kind of goods? Do you have any pictures?]
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. Then a photo that was still loading was sent over.
The driver's heart was pounding. As soon as the picture became clear, he threw his phone on the ground.
In the picture was a white SUV. On the wooden sign in the lower - right corner of the vehicle, there was a line of red words written in paint like a death warrant: Brand - new car with minor flaws, sold at half price...
It was exactly the same as what the girl had said!
At the foot of Cuishan Mountain, there was a dilapidated Taoist temple filled with stagnant rainwater, but no one bothered to clean it up.
The black - and - gold plaque engraved with the words "Pure - Heart Temple" hung crookedly under the eaves. Thick and tattered cobwebs had formed in the four corners.
Ming Mingzhong, fighting back his drowsiness, offered the last stick of incense to the patriarch. Then he put on his earphones and leaned against the doorframe, lost in thought while looking at an old book.
"In 1913, on the Tomb - Sweeping Festival, Patriarch Xuande was struck by nine thunderbolts and died for revealing the secrets of heaven. His fellow Taoists were deeply saddened, and the mysterious Taoism suffered a heavy blow. Since then, the Xuande lineage on Cuishan Mountain has completely declined..."
"Alas," Ming Mingzhong sighed softly. "Patriarch, you sacrificed yourself for the Tao, but you've made things so hard for us, your disciples and descendants."
Just as he finished speaking, there was a loud crack. A huge white lightning bolt flashed across the sky. Ming Mingzhong's hand trembled, and he quickly lowered his head and murmured, "Please don't blame me, Patriarch."
The gale howled, making the already rickety wooden door creak. The forest in the backyard also began to stir, as if it were the wail of ancient wild beasts.
Ming Mingzhong shivered. Just as he was about to close the door, a pale hand suddenly grabbed the doorframe. Then he came face - to - face with a bloodless face.
"Ah!! It's a ghost!!" After a scream, Ming Mingzhong recognized the person. He rubbed his eyes hard and pointed at the person tremblingly. "Aren't you... Yu Nian, that actress on the hot search? What are you doing in our Taoist temple? Don't tell me you're here to offer incense?"
Even Ming Mingzhong himself laughed after saying this. This place was more like a haunted house than a Taoist temple.
Yu Nian didn't answer. She walked into the house unceremoniously. When her eyes fell on the densely pasted talismans on the inside of the door, she turned to look at the young Taoist in front of her. He had a delicate appearance, and a faint golden light seemed to be seeping out of his body.
He had some talent, but not much. Fortunately, he had a kind heart and was an upright person.
Yu Nian's expression was a bit strange. "Are you afraid of ghosts?"
Ming Mingzhong coughed. Living alone in such a dilapidated Taoist temple, anyone would be scared, right? But in order to maintain his image as a master, he scolded, "Nonsense! I'm a Taoist. Is it appropriate for me to be afraid of ghosts?"
"Why has the Taoist temple fallen into such a state of decline?" Yu Nian looked around and frowned.
Ming Mingzhong answered truthfully, "Because we don't have any money."
For the first time, a crack appeared on Yu Nian's always - calm face. "I remember that the Xuande lineage was a major sect with countless treasures. Even counting from your master's generation to yours, there should still be some savings, right?"
Ming Mingzhong looked at Yu Nian in surprise. "It seems you know something about this. Well, cultivating the Tao is not an easy task. Firstly, it depends on the merits and blessings of the patriarch, and secondly, it requires money. Magic tools, drawing talismans - which of these doesn't cost money? But since our patriarch sacrificed himself for the Tao, our lineage has become more and more difficult. We can't compete with others in anything. My master's generation could barely make a living, but by my generation, I'm the only one left..."
Yu Nian fell silent. A flicker of guilt flashed in her eyes.
She patted Ming Mingzhong on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Don't worry. With me here in the Taoist temple from now on, everything will get better."
Ming Mingzhong was a bit confused. Looking at Yu Nian covered in mud and blood, he felt a bit sorry for the poor but beautiful girl. "You haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll go to the backyard and get something for you. Wait for me!"
Without waiting for Yu Nian to respond, he ran away.
Yu Nian licked her chapped lips. Silly disciple, what she needed most now was not food, but spiritual energy.
With a soft creak, a dark mist quickly flashed past the door and rushed out of the Taoist temple.
Yu Nian's eyes turned cold. She said sternly, "How dare you! This is not a place where you can act recklessly!"
She leaped into the air and chased after the black shadow.