Chapter 149: Second Only to One, Above Ten Thousand

As Yu Daochun was lost in deep thought, he heard a commotion outside the pavilion.

The doorkeeper Taoist boy was shouting, “Patron, you cannot enter!”

But the footsteps grew closer, as if completely ignoring the boy’s cries.

Moments later, Fang Jifan arrived outside the door.

Yu Daochun was stunned.

Their eyes met, almost sparking, and the owner of the opposing gaze was none other than Junior Brother Fang?

Fang Jifan looked excited, his eyes shining so brightly they almost blinded Yu Daochun.

Yu Daochun had never seen a young man’s gaze so sharp.

So there was silence…

Fang Jifan quickly strode toward Yu Daochun, excitedly grabbing his withered hand and saying with deep emotion, “Senior Brother…”

Yu Daochun’s mind almost exploded. Senior Brother…

He… he actually recognized him as his senior brother…

Just moments ago, hadn’t he been dismissive and impatient? But now, hearing his junior brother call him “senior brother” with such feeling, Yu Daochun felt inexplicably touched.

For decades, their master had disappeared, leaving only one junior brother as his connection to this world. This affectionate voice made the old, dying man’s eyes grow even redder.

Moved, Yu Daochun choked up and said, “Junior Brother.”

Fang Jifan also showed some emotion and said, “Senior Brother…”

“Junior Brother…” Suppressing the urge to weep, Yu Daochun said, “Junior Brother, have you figured it out?”

Fang Jifan replied, “After descending the mountain, I remembered our master’s earnest teachings from years ago. I couldn’t let it go, so I came back up the mountain. Ah… Senior Brother, I was very rude earlier. I hope you won’t hold it against me.”

“Not at all. Haha…” Holding Fang Jifan’s hand, Yu Daochun didn’t want to let go. “This time, I won’t let you leave. This matter is settled. From now on, you are my junior brother of the Dao generation. After I inform Celestial Master Zhang of Dragon Tiger Mountain and he grants you the talismans, and after the Taoist Registry Department registers you, you will officially belong to the Taoist Sect.”

Fang Jifan was a bit worried. Although some sacrifices were necessary, he couldn’t actually become a Taoist. He couldn’t help saying, “Even if I join the Taoist Sect, I cannot live in the temple. Senior Brother may not know, but I am Nanhe Bozi and also hold an official position.”

“Is that so?” Yu Daochun felt quite relieved. “Longquan Taoist Temple follows Celestial Master Zhang, originating from Zhengyi Taoism in Jiangnan. There have never been many restrictions. Whether on the mountain or off, it’s all part of cultivation. It’s fine, it’s fine. I will report this to Celestial Master Zhang.”

Fang Jifan let out a sigh of relief, thought for a moment, and said, “I heard that some Taoists in the temple have taken many wives and concubines. That’s quite outrageous.”

Yu Daochun smiled and gave Fang Jifan a deep look. “If wives and concubines were forbidden, then Celestial Master Zhang’s lineage would have been cut off. How could it have been passed down for forty-seven generations?”

“Ah…” Fang Jifan felt even more at ease. He had been afraid that Longquan Taoist Temple might have its own strict rules.

At this point, he couldn’t help but ask curiously, “So, does Senior Brother also have…”

Yu Daochun put on a stern face and said, “This is a place beyond the mundane world. Let’s not discuss such worldly matters.”

Sure enough…

Fang Jifan looked as if he understood.

Actually, he felt that running back shamelessly was quite disgraceful. This old Taoist wasn’t a bad person, but he felt like he was deceiving him, more like a vile schemer trying to take over Longquan Taoist Temple.

But… once you start doing such shady things, it becomes easier and easier. If it were the Fang Jifan from his previous life, he wouldn’t have dared to think about it. But now, he felt no psychological burden at all. Ah, who made him that damned prodigal son? If you’re going to waste your family’s fortune, wouldn’t you need a thick skin?

“Senior Brother…”

Actually, Fang Jifan had many questions. Longquan Taoist Temple had so much land and so many assets. He needed to figure things out carefully, of course, by probing indirectly. “May I ask, Senior Brother, how many Taoists are in this temple?”

Yu Daochun was in a very good mood. He invited Fang Jifan to sit on a cushion, and Fang Jifan imitated him by sitting cross-legged.

Yu Daochun said, “In the temple, there are one hundred thirty-two Taoists with daoist registers. As for those without daoist registers, there are over two hundred, but most of them handle miscellaneous tasks.”

Fang Jifan thought to himself, so they’re temporary workers. I get it.

It seems even being a Taoist has temporary workers nowadays. It must be hard for ordinary folks to get a proper, official Taoist position.

Fang Jifan continued asking, “I wonder, how many are of the Dao generation in this temple? And how many are of the Da generation, like our Master?”

Yu Daochun showed a bitter smile and said, “In the Da generation, there is only Master. He came to the capital alone to spread the Dao. So in the Dao generation, including you, there were originally six, all disciples of Master. But… they… ah, except for you and me, they have all passed away.”

“Is that so…” Fang Jifan put on a regretful expression, but inwardly he was delighted. So, in terms of seniority, wasn’t he now second only to one and above ten thousand?

Yu Daochun added, “Besides, there are thirty-nine of the Chao generation, and the rest are of the Tian generation.”

After probing Yu Daochun, Fang Jifan finally learned the details of Longquan Taoist Temple. Longquan Taoist Temple was built by Wei Dayou on the orders of Celestial Master Zhang of Dragon Tiger Mountain to spread the Dao in the north. It had an eighty-year history, spanning two generations.

Grandmaster Wei Dayou descended the mountain forty years ago when he was over eighty, and since then, there had been no news of him. Longquan Taoist Temple had been managed by Yu Daochun ever since.

Although Yu Daochun managed Longquan Taoist Temple and was its abbot, he was growing older and weaker. Moreover, he studied the classics daily, so worldly matters were left to the disciples of the Chao generation.

Fang Jifan now had a rough idea. Just thinking about the vast fertile lands of Longquan Taoist Temple made him chuckle inwardly.

Seeing Fang Jifan’s unconscious smile, Yu Daochun felt comforted. With fellow disciples reunited, his junior brother must be very happy. He was such an emotional person.

So he couldn’t help but feel happy too and said, “Junior Brother, I will arrange a quiet room for you in the temple. As for when you descend the mountain to cultivate, I will report it to the imperial court. The court will surely grant special favors. As for your daoist registration, I will take care of it.”

Fang Jifan knew that his senior brother was trusted by the Grand Empress Dowager, so this matter would be easy. He quickly said, “Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother.”

Yu Daochun stroked his beard and chuckled. “Between fellow disciples, there’s no need to be so polite. To be honest, I am a whole jia older than you, but my Daoist Studies are far less profound than yours. In the future, I will have to seek your advice, Junior Brother.”

Fang Jifan nodded and said with a smile, “No problem, no problem.”

After dealing with Yu Daochun, Fang Jifan noticed that Yu Daochun looked tired. He could understand—after all, Yu Daochun was a whole jia older than him. How much was a jia? Sixty years! Yu Daochun was old enough to be his grandfather’s grandfather. Just thinking that he was his junior brother made Fang Jifan shudder. The twists and turns of life were truly unpredictable.

So he tactfully stood up and said, “Senior Brother, I should take my leave. I will come back up the mountain in a few days.”

Yu Daochun let out a sigh but showed reluctance to part.

Even Fang Jifan didn’t understand why Yu Daochun was so “enthusiastic” about him as a junior brother. Perhaps… it was because ancient people valued emotions more.

From their conversation, Fang Jifan learned that Yu Daochun was originally an orphan taken in by Master Wei Dayou, who taught him to read and write, study the classics, and raised him. To Yu Daochun, Wei Dayou was both a master and a father. In his heart, Fang Jifan was like the only legacy their master left in this world.

“I’ll see you out,” Yu Daochun said, also standing up.

Fang Jifan quickly waved his hands. He felt guilty. It showed how hard it was to be a bad person—the psychological pressure was usually unbearable.

Fang Jifan said, “Senior Brother, please stay. I’ll be back in a few days. If you see me off, it might seem distant.”

Yu Daochun nodded with relief, and the two fellow disciples reluctantly parted.

After leaving the Three Pure Ones Pavilion, Fang Jifan felt rather good. He went to find his disciples. They were all a bit tired from the journey and were sitting idly under the corridor of the back hall, resting.

Tang Yin was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, his brow furrowed as if he couldn’t understand something.

Ouyang Zhi and the other two were staring blankly at the egrets flying across the sky.

Wang Shouren seemed lost in thought. He had been trying to find some clues from Fang Jifan’s strange behavior.

It was like when he followed Sage Zhu Xi’s “Investigation of Things and Extension of Knowledge,” trying to grasp the truth from observing bamboo. He had observed bamboo for three days and three nights but gained nothing.

But clearly, Fang Jifan was much more interesting than bamboo. There was so much to discover about him.

Wang Shouren was gradually starting to figure out a little pattern… Well, basically, you could never imagine what this young master Fang would do next.

He couldn’t help but admire him. Such unpredictability—wasn’t that worthy of admiration?

Wang Shouren was already an eccentric himself, so he developed a peculiar interest in Fang Jifan, who was even stranger.

After all… people like this were hard to find in this world.

Naturally, for Wang Shouren, he knew his “Investigation of Fang” was still superficial. There were many unknown things about Fang Jifan, but… he wasn’t in a hurry. For him, “Investigation of Fang” seemed to have become a kind of pleasure.

Compared to these odd people, Xu Jing was much more normal. As soon as he saw Fang Jifan, he ran over to greet his Mentor. “Mentor…”

“Oh.” Fang Jifan had no time for idle chatter because…

“Your mentor is hungry. Is there vegetarian food here?”

Xu Jing replied honestly, “There’s all kinds of food. Zhengyi Taoism doesn’t restrict diet.”

A faint smile curled on Fang Jifan’s lips. He immediately said with boldness, “Let’s go, let’s try it out.”