thenovelthief #258 - Monster?
#258 - Monster?
Master Zhang had a discerning eye.
He could tell at a glance that the group of people who had entered were not simple.
The young Taoist priest leading the way not only had delicate features and a refreshing temperament, but also possessed a casual and unrestrained air in his movements.
But now, a young girl was sitting upright on the back of this horse.
The pretty girl wore plain clothes, without any adornment of pearls or jewels.
A cat perched on the girl's shoulder.
Master Zhang's eyes swept over the fat cat, and he felt a shiver down his spine from the way it looked at him.
A little girl sat in the young girl's arms.
The little girl was holding a very plump, pink-nosed rat.
Looking further down, the reins of the horse were held in the hairy paws of a golden-haired, blue-faced monkey.
Beside this monkey, there was another strange-looking macaque.
The two apes hopped in, turning their heads to look around.
Master Zhang walked out of the hall, seemingly having heard the commotion; the monkeys, the cat, the rat, and even the horse all looked at them.
They sized him up like humans.
Master Zhang's heart trembled, and he immediately knew that this group of people was definitely not to be trifled with.
Especially this young Taoist priest.
No matter what, someone who could bring two beauties, one big and one small, along with a fine horse, swaggering through the city without incident, was best not to offend.
Sometimes, this horse was even more likely to arouse covetousness than the beauties.
To be able to protect such a rare creature, such a person either had extraordinary abilities or an extraordinary background.
Therefore, after exchanging greetings, without waiting for the young Taoist priest to respond, he hurriedly welcomed them into the hall, while repeatedly instructing, "Steward! Steward! Quickly prepare a feast!"
Then he asked his daughter and daughter-in-law to entertain the young girl on the horse.
At this time, the steward also instructed the servants to take the horse.
"Master Zhang, this horse of mine is no ordinary horse; it doesn't like living in a stable and likes to be clean," Xu Chengxian said with a smile.
"Please find a clean room and spread some dry grass for it; as for the rest, my two peach-offering lads will take care of it."
"Peach-offering lads" referred to the monkeys.
Taoist priests of the Xuan sect liked to call the spiritual monkeys they raised by this name.
He was also using this to establish his persona.
"Good, good, good, there are empty rooms," Master Zhang readily agreed, and then he invited the people into the house. At the same time, Song Qing was left behind.
He said, "And Mr. Song, don't leave either; you can just stay at my house as a guest."
After speaking, he instructed the steward to send some food to Song Qing's elderly mother.
"Don't let the old woman go hungry."
"Yes, rest assured, Master, I will take care of it right away!" The steward nodded repeatedly and turned to make arrangements.
Arranging the banquet was one thing, and arranging for someone to send food to Song Qing's house was another.
The person who went had to be eloquent and reliable.
When delivering the food, they would surely 'happen' to meet other people from Song Family Village and inquire why food was being sent to Song Qing's house.
Knowing that guests had arrived at the Zhang residence, they would naturally ask further what kind of guests required an escort.
"I need to let them know that a powerful young Taoist priest has taken the initiative to come to the Zhang residence to subdue demons and eliminate evil," the steward understood in his heart that the master must believe that the ominous events in the mansion were inseparable from those outsiders.
This time, regardless of whether the young Taoist priest had the ability or not, he would first shock those few ringleaders.
The steward strode out, his pace very brisk.
Because he was now very certain that his family's troubles were about to be resolved.
The young Taoist priest who had come was definitely a capable and extraordinary person.
The soft rain was falling incessantly, yet not a single strand of hair on their heads was wet; how could they be ordinary people?
"Taoist priest, the spring is still cold, and we have newly made robes at home; why not change out of your wet clothes first… um?"
At this time, Master Zhang, sitting in the hall, still wanted to call a servant to lead Xu Chengxian to the back to wash up and change out of his wet clothes to avoid catching a cold, but he had just opened his mouth and hadn't finished speaking when he realized that he seemed to have said something foolish.
The young Taoist priest's clothes were drier than his own.
At this moment, a cry of surprise also came from the side hall: "Ah! This cat's fur isn't even wet!"
How could it be wet?
Xu Chengxian thought, they were all demons with cultivation.
They all had some protective demon energy on their bodies.
Although when restrained, ordinary knives and spears couldn't block it, a little rain could still be avoided.
Moreover, Cat Nineteen disliked water the most.
That's right, besides Bai Xiaocui, no one in the family seemed to like getting wet.
Even he subconsciously cast the Water-Avoiding Spell.
"The Eastern Earth Human Realm is truly a mysterious place."
It was also this hand seal that made him feel the difference between the Human Realm and the Demon Realm.
Here, using the Xuan sect's cultivation methods to condense magical power, connecting with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, casting spells and incantations was countless times easier than in the Demon Realm!
Along the way, activating magical power to perform the Water-Avoiding Spell consumed negligible magical power.
And this also made it easier for him to pretend… no, to manifest his holiness in front of Master Zhang.
"There's no need to trouble yourself," Xu Chengxian said with a flick of his horsetail whisk and a smile, "This poor Taoist is a vulgar person who doesn't like changing clothes, so I can only disregard the kind intention of the apricot blossom rain that threatens to wet one's clothes."
"Good line! A good verse!" Song Qing exclaimed upon hearing this, "Apricot blossom rain that threatens to wet one's clothes? Straightforward and intimate, fresh and natural, a good line, truly a good line!"
After praising, he couldn't wait to ask, "I wonder if this poem was written by the young Taoist priest? May I know the entire poem?"
"This poor Taoist also heard it from someone else and doesn't remember all of it," Xu Chengxian said truthfully. "I only remember the next line, 'Willow breeze that brushes the face without coldness.'"
He really didn't remember the entire poem.
Nor did he intend to be a literary plagiarist.
He just threw in a line of verse to elevate his style.
Because Ling Yunzi said that the most direct difference between orthodox Taoists of the Xuan sect and wild Taoists who cheated food and drink was their demeanor and conversation.
Xu Chengxian didn't know how to express this conversation, so he chose the most direct way to make himself seem knowledgeable.
And he had inadvertently hit the mark.
In the Human Realm, especially in the Great Zhou, because the Empress extremely disliked those who were uneducated, the Xuan sect and Shamen people, who originally had to read and write, now some from inheritance lands could even discuss Confucianism with scholars.
So when he said this poem, Master Zhang's attitude lowered by another two points.
At this time, another voice came from the side hall.
"Young mistress, is this a rat that steals sesame oil to drink?"
"Of course not. This is a spirit rat raised by the young immortal master. Oh dear! It's looking at me!"
"This! Could it be that this spirit rat understands what we are saying?"
"It's called Shulaibao. Not only can Laibao understand what you are saying, but it can also speak!"
"…"
"… Demon, a monster?!"