Chapter 50 – The Decline of Daoism, The Age of Chaos
"Master, today we're killing chickens, buying high-grade mutton and donkey meat—what's all this for?"
At the Yi Zhuang on the outskirts of Renjia Town, Wencai placed a freshly slaughtered rooster in front of Jiu Shu. Something about Jiu Shu today felt different to him.
His master, who was usually extremely frugal, had actually 'generously' bought so much fine food and wine. Was this… a final feast? His last meal?
"Why so much nonsense? If I tell you to prepare it, just prepare it!"
Jiu Shu shot him a sideways glance. The stern expression startled Wencai. Qiusheng came forward with neatly sliced donkey and mutton and the prepared desserts, saying, "Whatever Master says, goes. Wencai, quit yapping. By the way, Master, when do we eat?"
In all his years at the Yi Zhuang, he had rarely eaten such lavish food.
Times were tough in this chaotic era. Ordinary folks like them didn't get to eat donkey or mutton. Today, Jiu Shu breaking out the good stuff was unprecedented. Qiusheng didn't know why, but all he wanted now was three big bowls of rice.
"We're waiting for one more guest."
Jiu Shu shook his head and spoke slowly.
"Is Uncle Simu coming? But you've never prepared this kind of spread for him before," Wencai asked, puzzled. He quietly reached out for a piece of osmanthus cake, but Jiu Shu smacked his hand away without hesitation.
When Jiu Shu shot him a glare, he shrank back and chuckled awkwardly, not daring to try again.
"It's not Simu. The sect leader of the Divine Firmament Sect is visiting Renjia Town today. He informed me in advance."
If they belonged to the same sect, Renji wouldn't have needed to notify anyone.
But since this place was under Maoshan's protection, and Renji was from the Divine Firmament Sect—a sect leader at that—he gave Jiu Shu a heads-up out of courtesy.
Part of it was to avoid misunderstandings, and part of it was that after informing Jiu Shu, he would need to be shown around by him.
Prominent orthodox sects had their rules. Though Renji didn't care much for protocol, as the sect leader, it was best not to give others anything to talk about.
"Divine Firmament Sect? What kind of sect is that?" Qiusheng asked curiously, clearly intrigued. It was his first time hearing of such a sect.
He only knew their own Maoshan Sect, nothing beyond that.
"The Divine Firmament Sect originated in the late Northern Song Dynasty, branching off from Celestial Master Dao. It focuses on the Five Thunder Talismans—capable of commanding spirits and deities, controlling storms, and dispelling disasters. It's one of the orthodox sects like ours. When they arrive, behave yourselves and don't act rashly!"
Jiu Shu gave a brief explanation and then warned the two.
He knew all too well how unruly his disciples were. If they provoked this guest, they'd suffer for it.
"Master, what other sects are there among cultivators?" Qiusheng asked.
"Yes, yes, Master! You never told us before!" Wencai echoed eagerly.
Seeing them like this, Jiu Shu shook his head and helplessly explained, "There used to be many sects in Daoism, but in this era of spiritual decline, most have vanished. The ones still standing are Maoshan, Divine Firmament, Quanzhen, Zhengyi from Mount Longhu, Celestial Master Dao, and a few others. Then there's the Buddhist sects, and also some demonic sects and rogue cultivators. In short, there are quite a few aside from Maoshan—so put away your petty thoughts!"
Jiu Shu took the opportunity to knock some sense into them.
Wencai was honest but had terrible talent in cultivation. Qiusheng had decent talent, but he was too playful and undisciplined.
Taking in these two disciples felt like eight lifetimes of bad luck.
He had a nagging feeling he wouldn't be able to pass down all his knowledge.
Especially with the spiritual decline of the current era, cultivation was becoming harder than ever.
"Don't worry, Master! We know what to do!" Qiusheng patted his chest and promised.
"Sigh, I'll be grateful if you two stop giving me headaches."
Jiu Shu had basically given up on having any expectations. As long as they didn't cause trouble, that was enough.
The future could wait.
Knock knock!
A knock came from the courtyard door.
"Master, I'll get it!"
Wencai jumped up immediately. Qiusheng followed, "Me too, Master!"
They were both curious to see the sect leader from the Divine Firmament Sect.
Opening the door, they saw a young, handsome man in a Daoist robe standing outside. Beside him were a black-and-white panda and a tan village mutt.
"You two are Lin Fengjiao's disciples?"
Lin Fengjiao?
Wencai and Qiusheng exchanged glances, then shook their heads and said, "Sorry, you've got the wrong place!"
They started to close the door.
"Ahem, they're my disciples."
Jiu Shu coughed awkwardly behind them. He wasn't eager to bring up that name, but he knew there was no avoiding it. Wencai and Qiusheng turned to look at him like they'd seen a ghost, then turned beet red, holding back their laughter.
What the hell!?
No wonder they never knew Master's full name. So his name was actually Lin Fengjiao?
No wonder, no wonder…
If it were them, they wouldn't want to mention their name either!
"Daoist friend, did you come alone?"
He looked down at the mutt clinging to Renji's robe and the panda slumped nearby. Hm… a dumb dog and a panda.
When did the Divine Firmament Sect start keeping these things?
"The Divine Firmament Sect has already declined. This trip down the mountain is partly to fulfill my duty to uphold the Dao and exorcise demons… but also to find a few disciples to pass on the legacy."
Renji nodded. There was nothing to hide.
The Divine Firmament Sect really had fallen. Besides himself and a missing senior sister, no one else remained.
He'd been hiding on the mountain partly because he lacked strength, and partly to protect the last legacy of the sect. Now that he was strong enough, it was time to descend and look for disciples.
"Sigh, even the Divine Firmament Sect has come to this? Daoist friend, please, come inside—we can talk more there."
Jiu Shu stepped aside. It wouldn't be right to keep the guest talking outside.
"Come, Da Huang, Xiao Hei."
Such simple names.
Qiusheng and Wencai exchanged glances—seriously? That's it?
"He became a sect leader so young… do you think he's actually super strong?"
Behind him, Wencai mumbled, "He looks even younger than me. How strong could he be?"
"I think so too," Qiusheng muttered with a hint of jealousy. The guy was handsome—so handsome that it shook the self-confidence Qiusheng had in his own appearance.
[Inside the hall]
"Daoist friend, in these chaotic times, it's best to stay out of trouble. Monsters and ghosts are the least of our problems—it's those warlords you really need to watch out for."
Jiu Shu poured a cup of tea and handed it to Renji with a reminder.
Maybe because Renji looked so young, Jiu Shu had a hunch that the Divine Firmament Sect had truly fallen. Perhaps Renji was its only remaining member. Otherwise, there was no way a sect would have such a young leader. If he were a real prodigy, his name would've already spread across the cultivation world.
That's why Jiu Shu wanted to advise him—not to be reckless. If Renji died, the Divine Firmament Sect's legacy might truly end here.
This world was simply too chaotic now.
And ever since the Dragon Veins were severed, cultivation had only become harder.
Nowadays, in this war-torn era, sect members might still be able to handle monsters and ghosts, but a single bullet from a warlord's gun could kill them just the same.
The era had changed.
"I know how dangerous it is out there," Renji replied slowly. "But isn't exorcising evil and defending the Dao exactly what we cultivators are supposed to do?"
Part of the reason, truthfully, was his Merit Ring. The best way for Renji to strengthen himself was to slay evil entities and accumulate merit.
"Daoist friend, your righteousness puts me to shame."
Jiu Shu looked a little guilty.
"Honestly, just being able to keep your region safe is already impressive. Haven't you gone years without ghosts or monsters showing up here?"
Renji had done the math. Hunting monsters on his own was far too inefficient.
Just like the world of Conan—if you wanted to find cases, you followed the God of Death.
In this zombie world, Jiu Shu was clearly the main character. Following him meant the chances of running into ghosts were way higher than wandering aimlessly.
Renji had come here mainly to understand the local timeline.
If the major events hadn't started yet, he could return later. But if they were about to begin, he needed to start gathering merit immediately.
"You flatter me, Daoist friend. The food isn't quite ready yet. Let's eat and talk more later."
Jiu Shu smiled and gave Wencai and Qiusheng a glance, signaling them to bring out the dishes.
It wasn't often he met someone from another sect. Jiu Shu was genuinely intrigued.
The two chatted from cultivation to worldly affairs, and Renji's profound knowledge left Jiu Shu stunned.
He'd assumed Renji was just a passionate young cultivator chasing justice and glory.
But during their conversation, he realized Renji knew more than he did—especially about Western concepts and tools, which surprised him even further.
It even made Jiu Shu feel a bit hopeful. He had plans to visit the teahouse tomorrow on an invitation from Master Ren. He'd never been before. If Renji came along, maybe he wouldn't embarrass himself. Somehow, having Renji nearby made him feel more secure.
Lately, he'd been feeling uneasy.
"Master, the food's ready. Should we bring it all out?" Qiusheng peeked in and couldn't help but feel curious. These two had such an age gap, yet they were chatting like old friends. Renji even looked younger than him!
Shaking his head, Qiusheng brushed off the thought.
"Go ahead."
Jiu Shu nodded with satisfaction. At least his disciples hadn't embarrassed him today.
He was a man who valued appearances.
"Yes, Master!"
Qiusheng zipped off to the kitchen and called for Wencai to help bring the dishes.
"Qiusheng, give me a hand!"
"Wencai, be careful! If you drop anything, Master will definitely punish you!"
Qiusheng glanced back at Wencai struggling to carry several plates. He grinned mischievously and took off running.
"Hey!! Don't run!" Wencai shouted, but Qiusheng vanished around the corner. Wencai had no choice but to curse his betrayal under his breath.
Still, when he thought of Qiusheng's warning and Jiu Shu's usual stern face, Wencai shivered and carried the bowls even more carefully.
When he finally got everything safely into the room, he breathed a sigh of relief—only to see Qiusheng smirking in the corner.
Seven dishes total. Qiusheng had brought in two. Wencai had carried five by himself.
"These are just simple dishes, Daoist friend. Please don't mind."
Jiu Shu didn't know if Renji would like the food.
Daoists had no dietary taboos in general, though they traditionally avoided birds, fish, oxen, wild geese, and dogs. Cows are kind, blackfish are filial, wild geese are loyal, and dogs are faithful—thus, the Four No-Eats.
"Thank you for the meal. Tomorrow, allow me to host instead."
Being served donkey, mutton, and chicken in times like these was already an impressive gesture.
"Well… actually, I might be heading out tomorrow. Daoist friend, would you like to come with me?"
Jiu Shu had been wondering how to bring it up. Since Renji offered first, he followed through with the invitation.
"Huh?"
Wait… wasn't he supposed to take me?
Wencai turned in confusion toward Jiu Shu. They had agreed to drink foreign tea together tomorrow. He'd even washed his best outfit. Now he wasn't going?
"You're heading out? Daoist friend, are you going far?" Renji asked.
"No, just to town. Master Ren has asked my master to help with reinterring an old grave."
Wencai jumped in to answer, with a smug, flashy grin.
"Huh?"
Who told you to speak?
Jiu Shu shot him a glare, and Wencai immediately fell silent.
But the slight upward curl of Jiu Shu's lips showed he was secretly pleased.
He was proud, after all. That was just who he was—he just wouldn't admit it out loud.
"I see. But since they only invited you, wouldn't it be inappropriate for me to tag along?"
Renji's eyes lit up. The plot was beginning.
He had come at the perfect time. Once he handled Old Master Ren's zombie incident, he might be able to rack up a ton of merit—and maybe even trigger a lottery.
"No trouble at all. If you're willing, shall we go together tomorrow?"
"Gladly."
Renji nodded, no longer declining. Since Jiu Shu had personally invited him, it would be rude to refuse.
Meanwhile, off to the side, Wencai looked like he was dying inside.
Why wasn't anyone speaking up for him?
(End of Chapter)
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