Chapter 294: Chapter 294: Visiting the Jinhua Sect
"Many thanks to Young Master Lu for your help today. I wonder how long you plan to stay in Hui State, and when you’ll return to Tonglin County? It was inconvenient today, but another day I wish to bring my wife and daughter to express our gratitude," Du Yuru said with a salute.
"Mr. Du is too kind. This matter was merely a small effort for me. For a cultivator, assisting against anomalous harms is part of our duty," Lu Zheng waved his hand and replied.
"But for my mother and me, this is a life-saving grace," Du Yueyao said clearly, "Young Master may feel indifferent, but we cannot let this go unaddressed. To have unrequited favors is not the conduct of a scholar."
Madam Du was taken aback upon hearing this and looked at her daughter, her eyes thoughtful.
Lu Zheng did not think too much about it, but agreed with Du Yueyao’s reasonable words. After all, he knew the stories of Zi Lu and Zi Gong paying for others, so he nodded and said, "Probably ten days or so. Once my business in Hui State is finished, I’ll return."
...
After bidding farewell to Du Yuru’s family, Lu Zheng continued on his journey and soon left the mountain path. After making inquiries along the way, he arrived at Yangzhou Prefecture.
Having notified the Anomaly Suppression Bureau and pointed out the route to them, Lu Zheng set off again, crossing Yangzhou and arriving at Hui State.
...
The Jinhua Sect, situated on Jinhua Mountain in Jinhua County within Hui State, is also a major Daoist sect specializing in True Spirit Secret Technique.
Unlike the White Cloud Temple which welcomes common folk to offer incense and prayers, the Jinhua Sect only has Jinhua Temple built within Huizhou Prefecture and Jinhua County, while the mountain gate of Jinhua Sect does not host outside visitors.
Not hosting outside visitors does not mean there are two people blocking the gate and turning away all who wish to ascend, but rather the mountain gate is built deep into Jinhua Mountain.
Starting from the mountain’s base, Lu Zheng followed a small path for forty miles, bypassed five mountain peaks, crossed two cliffside single log bridges, and three streams, before he saw an area of houses and halls halfway up a mountain.
The widening road had fewer weeds, and an archway appeared before Lu Zheng.
Jinhua Sect.
Looking around, Lu Zheng saw quite a few Daoists; some were meditating, some discussing Dao, and others drinking, playing chess, or practicing magic.
Lu Zheng’s appearance also drew the attention of several Daoists near the mountain gate.
"Pindao of Jinhua Sect, Rong Song, greets this young master!" A young Daoist stepped forward and saluted, "What brings the young master here?"
Theoretically, apart from hunters and medicine gatherers who might inadvertently find the place, rarely could mountain rovers reach this deep, but this wasn’t absolute. The world has wanderers as skilled as Xu Xiake.
"Lu Zheng, an outer disciple of White Cloud Temple, greets fellow Daoist!" Lu Zheng also saluted, "I’ve come to Jinhua Sect specifically to pay my respects to the mountain."
"Oh?"
Several Daoists looked over.
Though Lu Zheng remained still, wisps of Cloud Qi naturally gathered around him.
"Greetings, fellow Daoist!"
Several Daoists bowed in unison.
"Greetings, fellow Daoists!" Lu Zheng also returned the salute one by one.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, please." Daoist Rong Song gestured to invite Lu Zheng in, "Does fellow Daoist Lu have official business, or are you searching for someone?"
The Jinhua Sect and White Cloud Temple both belong to the Daoist sects, so if there were official matters to inform, it would usually be a direct disciple arriving. Therefore, Rong Song guessed Lu Zheng might know one of the Jinhua Sect’s disciples, visiting a friend.
"Indeed, there is a matter." Lu Zheng nodded, then gestured to the brocade box in his hand, "I’ve inadvertently acquired a copy of the ’Nine Heavens Golden Palace True God Transformation Technique,’ learned from my sect that it belongs to yours, so I’ve come to return it."
"What?"
"Nine Heavens Golden Palace True God Transformation Technique?"
"Who lost this?"
The ’Nine Heavens Golden Palace True God Transformation Technique’ holds a status in Jinhua Sect similar to the ’Innate Cloud Transformation Qi Method Scripture’ in White Cloud Temple, though not the highest secret transmission, it is still core to the direct lineage.
So several Daoists were collectively shocked.
"Junior Brother Rong Qin, please go inform Uncle Master Kun Yuan, I’ll bring Fellow Daoist Lu to him right after." Daoist Rong Song immediately told another Daoist.
"Understood!" Daoist Rong Qin replied, then swiftly leapt across several feet and went away.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, please!" Daoist Rong Song said solemnly.
Returning cultivation techniques, this was a serious matter.
"Thank you, fellow Daoist, please!"
Lu Zheng followed Rong Song into the mountain gate of Jinhua Sect.
The stone path curved like intention, with houses and woods scattered tastefully. Artificial structures and natural creations harmonized, serene and elegant.
Walking among them carried the freshness of nature along with the tangible presence of humanity, making Lu Zheng feel very comfortable.
No wonder it is a Daoist abode!
With Rong Song leading the way, there was naturally no one inquiring along the path, many Daoists even nodded and smiled courteously at Lu Zheng.
Soon, they turned several corners and arrived at an old looking hall.
The doors of the hall were wide open, with Rong Qin inside, accompanying three older Daoists, waiting in the grand hall.
"Lu Zheng, an outer disciple of White Cloud Temple, greets the uncles," Lu Zheng quickly stepped forward two paces and saluted.
"Nephew Lu, please rise!" The leading person motioned to lift Lu Zheng up, "Pindao Kun Yuan, we’ve heard nephew Lu inadvertently obtained our sect’s ’Nine Heavens Golden Palace True God Transformation Technique’?"
"Indeed." Lu Zheng nodded, opening the brocade box, revealing a dark gold lacquered, bright gold flyhead small script covering a wooden Divine Monarch statue lying on the box’s silk cloth.
"Indeed!"
"I see!"
"That sinful disciple who stole the statue!"
The three Daoists exclaimed, apparently aware of the statue’s history.
"Apologies, Nephew Lu, this statue is a transmitting artifact originally from the scripture pavilion in the rear hall but was stolen out of the mountain gate by a cleaning disciple, and then disappeared," Daoist Kun Yuan shook his head and explained, then looked at Lu Zheng, "I wonder how Nephew obtained this statue?"
Lu Zheng then truthfully recounted the incident and described the middle-aged man wearing a Daoist robe.
"It is indeed Rong Cong." Daoist Kun Yuan nodded.
"Lacking talent, with dishonest intent, even if he stole the ’Divinity Transformation Technique’ and practiced for over ten years, he remains at merely a few dozen years of Dao practice," another Daoist named Kun Ang shook his head and said.
Being killed easily by Lu Zheng meant his Dao practice couldn’t exceed a hundred years.
"Well done!" The last Jinhua Sect Daoist said to Lu Zheng, acknowledging and comforting him.
"Thank you, Nephew Lu, this act not only rid us of a traitor but also helped us recover our scripture," Kun Yuan said, motioning to a nearby chair, "Nephew, please sit, Rong Qin, serve tea to Nephew Lu."
"Thank you, Uncle." Lu Zheng nodded in thanks, first handing over the brocade box to Daoist Kun Yuan, then sitting at the side.
"Nephew is an outer disciple of White Cloud Temple, may I ask who your esteemed master is?" Daoist Kun Ang asked.
"My master’s Dao title is Ming Zhang," Lu Zheng replied.
"So it’s Daoist Ming Zhang." Daoist Kun Yuan nodded, "We met once, and it was a pleasant encounter."
Daoist Kun Ang asked, "Nephew Lu’s cultivation is profound, yet not entering the direct lineage, is it because your family needs care, making full dedication to Dao difficult?"
"Your insight is accurate, Uncle!" Lu Zheng said, providing a brief explanation and mentioning his desire to find some cultivation techniques for his family too.