madnovel Chapter 17 Temple Keeper
Chapter 17 Temple Keeper
The afterglow of the setting sun was pressed into undulating red lines by the leaden clouds and towering mountains.
Within Qingyang Town, the low-lying walls, rows of houses, and bustling streets maintain their usual prosperity and harmony.
There is still a meeting hall not far from the street.
The hall erupted in cheers and applause, but mostly it was filled with the murmur of whispers among the crowd.
Fang Hongxuan lifted the curtain and stepped inside alone.
What comes into view is a bustling scene of people, shoulder to shoulder, and lively activity.
Even standing at the door, you can see children chasing each other, peddlers calling out their wares, and wisps of smoke rising from the surrounding eateries.
On the distant stage, a play that Fang Hongxuan had never seen before was being performed. He only watched for a short while, but he couldn't tell which school or sect it belonged to.
On the stage, figures moved about, enacting the story of the City God's inspection tour outside the city, subduing demons and monsters.
He was unwilling to come.
They came here to try their luck, thinking that there might be clues about Qingyang Town's past or the old man who used to live here.
I squeezed through the crowd and walked to the front of the stage. Looking around, I finally spotted a group of elderly men in their sixties gathered together.
However, with just a few words, Fang Hongxuan, who was naturally suspicious, was left speechless.
...
"I was going to take this to my grave, but I was so depressed and felt sorry for the temple keeper of the City God Temple, so I had to speak out."
The old man, with sparse white hair and a hunched back, glared angrily at the opera performers playing demons on stage.
Thirty years ago, when this place was still called Qingyang City, the City God Temple at the end of the city was thriving, bustling with activity and constantly filled with incense smoke.
Although Qian Boyong, the temple keeper of the City God Temple, was not a highly accomplished Taoist master, he was able to protect the area from evil spirits.
It was only because of that troublemaker Sun Liancheng that he broke the seal of the corpse-digging dog that used to suppress this place, which led to a terrible disaster.
Not only did he kill two demon-slaying captains of the Demon Suppression Division, but he also caused Qian Boyong to lose both legs and be silenced.
That was the end of it; all of Qian Boyong's skills were collected into the coffin by the corpse-digging dog.
Therefore, the once spirited and refined Qian Boyong became despondent and turned into a pitiful beggar on the street.
If it weren't for the frequent help from the neighbors and villagers, that once imposing exorcist would probably have frozen to death on the street.
The current patriarch of the Liu family was once nothing more than a lapdog wagging its tail and begging for food by Sun Liancheng's side.
It's one thing for the Liu family to forget past kindness, but why didn't they even invite the old master of the Liu family, who saved his life, to a cup of celebratory wine on their joyous occasion?
That's far too heartless.
"Hush, shut up!"
Among the group of elderly people, some exclaimed in surprise, some frowned, some changed their expressions, and some stood up to try to cover the old man who had spoken.
The old man, however, seemed completely unconcerned.
"I am now seventy-six years old. I have carried the battle flag, fought against bandits, and defended the walls of Qingyang City."
If you fear the Liu family because of old age and frailty, how are you any different from the withered bones in a tomb? If they want revenge on me, then let them come...
"Ten years of drinking ice water cannot cool the burning passion in one's blood!"
Fang Hongxuan sighed inwardly and left the place without making a sound.
...
The old Taoist priest ran for his life, his legs bearing several deep, bleeding bite marks. Behind him, several barking yellow dogs joined him.
In the chase, the experienced man appeared to have incredible stamina and ran incredibly fast.
"Damn it! What kind of vicious dog is this?! If I find out, I will make sure he doesn't get away with it!"
Woof woof woof...
The group of yellow dogs inexplicably stopped, barking wildly at the old Taoist priest in front of them, hesitant to move forward.
Just as the old Taoist was wondering what was going on, a figure emerged from the alley ahead.
Who else could it be but Fang Hongxuan?
"Oh? Young friend Fang, what a coincidence!"
The old Taoist priest ignored the pain, concealing the injury on his leg, and feigned ease, his face filled with surprise and joy.
"I happened to bump into the Taoist priest as he walked out of the City God Temple, so I wanted to ask him a few questions," Fang Hongxuan said, while concealing his act of saving people.
"Young friend Fang, please speak freely. I will naturally answer all your questions to the best of my knowledge."
"Did you encounter the temple keeper of the City God Temple on your trip? I wish to seek him out to inquire about past events."
At this point, the old Taoist priest pondered without success, and was about to say that he had never seen him before. However, the image of Old Man Qian kept surfacing in his mind.
"If I am not mistaken, I have indeed seen this person before... just half an hour ago..."
"Come with me then."
The pack of dogs, which had been hesitant at first, scattered like birds and beasts. The old Taoist priest watched this scene with astonishment.
Little did he know that the reason for this was simply that Fang Hongxuan was filled with overwhelming resentment, which frightened the yellow dog so much that it dared not disturb him.
Returning the way they came, the old Taoist searched for a long time but still couldn't find Qian Boyong begging on the street. Fang Hongxuan snorted and then headed into an alleyway by himself.
The old Taoist priest chased after him closely, barely managing to keep up with Fang Hongxuan's pace.
Before he could catch his breath, he followed Fang Hongxuan's gaze and saw a beggar lying in a pool of blood.
Who else could it be but Qian Boyong, the temple keeper of the City God Temple?
The gleaming dagger stood perfectly poised at Qian Boyong's vital point, and he let out a loud thud as blood bubbles continuously oozed from his mouth.
He was exhaling more than he was inhaling. He was clearly not going to survive.
Ignoring the blood streaming down his face, the old Taoist priest strode straight to Qian Boyong's side. He gripped Qian Boyong's mutilated hand tightly, tears welling in his eyes.
"Hmm...hmm..."
"Quickly... take your apprentice and escape..."
The old Taoist priest heard the mumbled words clearly at this moment.
It seemed his wish had been fulfilled, or perhaps he could no longer endure it. Qian Boyong's blood-stained hand fell from the old Taoist's calloused and wrinkled palm.
Fang Hongxuan remained silent for a long time, unsure of what to say. Finally, he slowly spoke: "This man is called Qian Boyong, the keeper of the City God Temple in Qingyang City. Please remember him, Taoist priest."
The old Taoist priest sighed deeply, concealing his tears, before solemnly bowing.
"I thought this place was ruled by tyrants, but I never expected it to be overrun by demons. I hope you can lend my Qingzhen Temple a hand to eradicate the demons and restore peace and order to Qingyang Town."
"I certainly wish to, but I dare not ask you..."
Fang Hongxuan naturally agreed. As a demon-slaying captain, he would not stand idly by in the face of evil spirits and demons, especially since this matter involved two other demon-slaying captains who had died.
"For some reason, there is absolutely no record of this place in the Bureau of Statistics. We have never heard of the names Chang Ning or Chang Wen."
Fang Hongxuan pondered this in his heart, but still couldn't figure it out.
After calming himself down, the old Taoist wiped the bloodstains from his hands with his clothes and took out the talisman he had obtained from the City God from his pocket.
"This talisman was written with incense ash from the incense burner mixed with cinnabar and rooster blood. Although most of the spiritual power on the talisman has disappeared, it can still exert some effect."
Young friend, your martial arts are superb. This talisman, activated by internal energy, can suppress evil spirits and restore order. If you affix it to yourself, it can block demonic attacks.
"Tomorrow is the wedding day of the young master of the Liu family. Let's meet up with the Taoist priest's disciple first and then make some plans..."