Chapter 256: No Strong Wind Can Strike, No Dust Can Stain! The Joyful Union Sect’s Saintess!
Daoist Priest Chen and the others stared blankly at the approaching Chen Family Head, their faces full of disbelief.
They could clearly feel the waves of heat blowing over their bodies, and the Daoist robes at the hems were lifted by the wind.
Yet as the Chen Family Head walked past, his long-hemmed Daoist robe did not move at all in the strong wind, as if the wind completely avoided him.
They even looked in disbelief at the fellow Daoists beside them, who were also wearing Daoist robes; the long hems had already lifted, and the robes were wrinkled by the wind.
The wind that rose seemed to perfectly miss the Chen Family Head, as if it regarded him as nonexistent.
“This…” Daoist Priest Chen was once again at a loss for words.
Daoist Priest Xuan Shi glanced at him, understanding why he was shocked; he felt the same.
In an instant, all the Daoist Priests recalled what was recorded in the Daoist sect legends: gales do not strike, dust does not stain.
This was a mark of many legendary Daoist Priests of the Daoist sect.
They had never seen such a scene before and had even thought it was the Daoist ancestors exaggerating in the legends.
Now they had witnessed it with their own eyes.
Moreover, they had not seen anything like this from the Chen Family Head back when they were at the Chen Clan.
Perhaps today was a special commencement ceremony, and on such a formal occasion, the divine anomaly of the Chen Family Head appeared of itself? Or was it that Daoist Priest Qing Feng had displayed great power?
Many thoughts surged up in the minds of these Daoist Priests, and the more they thought, the more shocked they felt.
This…
The wind was still blowing, knocking down the banyan leaves on both sides.
These banyan trees were also a famous tree species in Linhe County; banyans were planted in many places in Linhe County, and many of them were very old.
Of course, the main thing was that the banyan tree was the provincial tree of the Qingmin Region.
Linhe County stood at the forefront of this, with the banyan tree symbolizing “taking root upon landing, life like a blazing torch, united as one,” as well as the spirit of “protecting all beings, carrying all things with great virtue, tenacious, never yielding.”
Therefore, Linhe County also regarded the banyan tree as a “guardian deity,” and many banyans were marked and registered for protection.
It just so happened that the banyan trees on both sides were not young, and the Qingfeng Daoist Priest’s Palace was built beneath where their branches met, complementing each other.
But the falling leaves once again left Daoist Priest Chen and the others stunned.
Others might not pay much attention, but they had already noticed the supernatural air about the Chen Family Head, so naturally they watched closely.
They noticed that the falling banyan leaves, which clearly should have dropped onto the Chen Family Head, would fall straight down to a point just above his head, then suddenly turn aside and land on the ground.
It seemed… the Daoist sect legend of “gales do not strike, dust does not stain” was becoming more and more real.
Thinking of what the Chen Family Head had done, passing on the Ancient Quiet Heart Art, compiling Feng Shui books to open a new chapter for the Daoist sect, and now showing this marvel of “gales do not strike, dust does not stain”…
There was a legend in the Daoist sect that every few hundred years, a great master would appear, renowned under heaven and revered for generations.
Those Daoist ancestors who, while still mortals, had been enshrined in various places were all such people.
Could it be that the Chen Family Head might be the great master appearing in these hundreds of years, or in the hundreds of years to come?
Or was that Old Daoist Priest of the Chen Clan such a great master?
Amid the horror of Daoist Priest Chen and the others, this commencement ceremony came to an end.
But the Daoist Priests could not take their eyes off the Chen Family Head until a burst of commotion came from among the tourists at the entrance.
“So pretty, which internet celebrity is she?”
“Doesn’t look like an internet celebrity, she should be a real female Daoist priest, right?”
“So pretty and she became a female Daoist priest? That has to be fake, right?”
“…”
Chen Dao and the others frowned and looked over. At first they thought she was some internet celebrity doing cosplay.
After all, internet celebrities dared to cosplay anything, but looking at her manner, they were no longer sure, because she was walking inward with Daoist sect tai chi steps.
Ordinary people could not distinguish this gait, but they could; it was very standard, and her bearing was excellent.
Without having practiced cultivation for a long time, it was impossible to walk so perfectly as a matter of daily habit.
Even Chen Han was puzzled. He turned to look, then was drawn at once to the figure of the female Daoist priest entering from the gate. Seeing that Daoist attire, his eyes lit up slightly, and a poem described in the Daoist scriptures surfaced in his mind:
Eyes like cut water, waist bound slim,
a dark gauze wrap on icy jade within.
Light and ethereal like a goddess fair,
turn back, all powdered faces are dusty and dim.
This was a poem in the Daoist scriptures written for a female Daoist priest.
The “female Daoist priest” in the poem referred precisely to a woman of the Daoist order.
The meaning of the poem was to describe the stunning beauty and pure heart of a female Daoist priest.
Eyes bright like autumn water, a green Daoist scarf upon her head, wrapping a beauty with skin like ice and jade.
A slender waist as if bound in plain silk, further showing her fine figure.
And using these lines to describe the female Daoist priest walking in now was very fitting.
In the past, when literary grace and elegance were valued, poets might have written such verses as pure praise.
But in modern society, it might take on another meaning, just as those tourists had already blurted out: this female Daoist priest is truly beautiful, and her figure is outstanding.
Many men with “holy crap” thoughts might already be imagining scenes of overturning heaven and earth in dual cultivation with her.
Chen Han was not a lustful man by nature, but he had to admit he was drawn to this female Daoist priest.
In today’s society, truly pretty and cute female Daoist priests were almost unseen.
In ancient times, women, for various reasons, might have had no choice but to become Daoist priests; but in modern society, as long as a woman is a bit pretty, it is almost impossible for her to choose that path, and they cannot endure the hardship.
So he had not expected to see a female Daoist priest with such a good figure and such beauty.
A glance at the amazed tourists around was enough to tell.
Especially some of the male tourists; clearly they were attracted, all pulling out their mobile phones to take pictures.
It was just like how he had previously been attracted by Xiao Mi’s Daoist outfit.
Most men obviously knew the scope of “uniform temptation” was not that narrow.
More precisely, as long as figure and looks passed the bar, any uniform could become tempting.
Moreover, this woman’s bearing really seemed like that of a true female Daoist priest, not something a half-baked imitator like Xiao Mi could match.
More importantly, her figure was in no way inferior to Xiao Mi, who had been transformed with the Joyful Union Sect sisters’ paired ring; in terms of looks she was even superior.
The degree of temptation this held for those men was self-evident.
That female Daoist priest seemed to notice the tourists secretly taking photos, but she clearly had a good temper. She did not show shame or anger; holding a fly whisk, she even struck an elegant pose to cooperate.
The pose was very beautiful.
And very graceful.
The male tourists around took pictures even more eagerly, and those who had come with their girlfriends, becoming too carried away, were heavily punished by their girlfriends.
Chen Han saw that the female Daoist priest seemed to be walking toward them and frowned slightly, feeling something off.
There was a strong sense that something was wrong.
Was she here to attend the commencement ceremony of Qingfeng Daoist Priest’s Palace?
But if one was attending the ceremony, even as a guest from another temple, one should have arrived early to observe; yet she had come only after the ceremony had ended. It was unclear whether she had truly gotten the time wrong or done it on purpose.
And as a guest going to another temple’s ceremony, she should have sent in a formal notice.
The female Daoist priest was indeed heading for Chen Han. She stepped up to him and gave a Daoist salute. “Su Yu pays respect to the Chen Family Head.”
“Greetings, fellow Daoist,” Chen Han returned the Daoist salute, and in that instant, he looked in shock at the game prompt appearing in his mind:
【News suddenly arrives from the Shushan Immortal Alliance: due to the Chen Clan’s rising reputation and repeated suppression of the demonic path, especially one branch of the Joyful Union Sect, which has suffered heavy losses because of the Chen Clan, the Immortal Alliance has received word that the Joyful Union Sect has united with the Wu Tai Sect against the Chen Clan.
And there is specific information that the Saintess of the Joyful Union Sect has already infiltrated the Chen Clan, intending to carry out a beheading operation against you, the Chen Clan’s family head!
Please prepare defenses and destroy the Joyful Union Sect’s plot, and utterly eliminate all members of the Joyful Union Sect dispatched in this operation!】
“???” Chen Han was suddenly a bit dazed, subconsciously looking at the female Daoist priest in front of him, Su Yu, whose beauty and figure were both at the extreme.
This was the Saintess of the Joyful Union Sect?
A Daoist maiden?
Chen Han suddenly understood why he had felt something off.
So this was the point.
As long as one was not a true Daoist, no matter how closely many things were imitated, when it came to Daoist sect rules and similar details, there would always be omissions.
Many people might not be familiar with the term “Daoist maiden.” Simply put, they are high-end creatures who, to attract attention, wear Daoist robes, apply light makeup, and appear at various Daoist sites in a fresh, detached, immortal-like image.
They take photos or videos with famous mountains and Daoist temples as backdrops, creating a serene, mysterious atmosphere.
Some claim to have Daoist or ritual identities and to be able to chant scriptures or draw talismans, while simultaneously using somewhat sexy clothes or poses to attract attention—for example, wearing stockings, short skirts, or slit skirts to film incense-offering videos in front of the patriarch’s statue—and then post this content on platforms like Douyin to gain traffic and commercial benefits.
As for what commercial benefits, to put it bluntly, creatures are naturally there to be sold.
Outside, the price is very cheap: 200, 300, 500, 1000, and so on. But Daoist maidens know how to package themselves, walking the high-end route; legend says they specialize in “slaying” tycoons and rich big shots, and the price becomes ten times, dozens of times, even a hundred times higher.
Many people online say big shots and rich people are fools?
Of course not. Those truly walking the high-end route are not people ordinary folks easily encounter.
Take Su Yu before him as an example: her looks and figure alone were beyond what ordinary people could hope for.
With looks and figure as the foundation, this unique image differs greatly from the groups big shots interact with daily and carries enormous appeal, satisfying their pursuit of novelty and uniqueness.
There is also the matter of spiritual needs.
Daoism contains profound philosophical thought and life wisdom. Some big shots are genuinely interested in Daoist culture, and the appearance of Daoist maidens makes them feel they have found a link to Daoist culture.
The Daoist maidens’ Daoism-related content—chanting scriptures, giving talks, and the like—may allow big shots, amid their busy work and lives, to find a kind of spiritual support and inner peace.
So Daoist maidens must study Daoist scriptures and Daoist classics in depth; that is not something just anyone can persist in.
This is also why scholars have been highly valued since ancient times.
Even if it is a creature, once it has read books and can keep up with big shots and tycoons in high-level conversation, then it is no ordinary creature.
There is also the display of social value: befriending Daoist maidens can bring big shots a unique social experience and showcase their distinctive social circle and interests.
In some social settings, talking about topics related to Daoist maidens can become a subject of conversation, showing off one’s cultural taste and unique perspective.
Although… even so…
A creature is still a creature, no matter how high-end.
So grouping them as a branch of the Joyful Union Sect is no surprise, even as one of the strongest forces within the Joyful Union Sect.
Su Yu before him, based solely on her appearance, figure, and her ability to walk such perfect tai chi steps, was fully worthy of the Title of Joyful Union Sect Saintess.
Honestly, if not for the game system prompt, Chen Han would not have regarded her as a Daoist maiden.
Such beauty, and yet a thief?
Just as the ancient literati said: you were born a fine lady, why become a thief?
But this also showed that among creatures, boundaries were not fixed; some could exist at extremely high levels, even to the extreme.
They were definitely not ordinary people, nor ones most tycoons could casually despise, because they might be right beside certain big shots.
Perhaps, while serving a big shot, one casual sentence from them could bring misfortune to many people, even many tycoons.
Is there not a TV series where, in a manor, a pair of countryside sisters with the surname Gao receive systematic training in reading and etiquette, and are then sent to the sides of two different big shots?
One of those big shots is at the absolute peak.
In fact, when one goes fully high-end, at the highest level, many paths converge.
Chen Han, however, was very puzzled: he was not a big shot, so why had she set her sights on him?
Most importantly, if she wanted to behead him, he did not even know which “head” she intended to cut.
But the alliance between the Joyful Union Sect and the Wu Tai Sect did give him pause.
He had already carried out demon subjugation against the Wu Tai Sect’s peripheral disciples before and had a rough idea of what kind of existence the Wu Tai Sect was.
Now the Joyful Union Sect was actually in collusion with the Wu Tai Sect, which he had to think about carefully.
On the surface these two sects should have nothing to do with each other: one sells, one cheats and even slices.
But if one followed the Shu Shan Swordsman World, in the main plot the Wu Tai Sect had already committed all imaginable evils, and together with the Joyful Union Sect belonged to the demonic forces.
So their collusion and alliance were not strange.
Many times in battles between orthodox and demonic forces, those who came forth from the demonic path were not from just one sect, but from many demonic sects and even unorthodox paths.
In reality, the Joyful Union Sect and Wu Tai Sect mixing together was also not strange.
Here, the Joyful Union Sect should be represented by high-end elites like Su Yu, and the Wu Tai Sect by its core elites.
What were the Wu Tai Sect’s core elites doing overseas?
And what sort of people were the high-end elites of the Joyful Union Sect associating with?
Especially in the Qingmin District, there were many peripheral members of the Wu Tai Sect.
But what did any of this have to do with the Chen Clan?
Retaliation for the Old Daoist Priest’s previous demon subjugation?
Sending a Joyful Union Sect Saintess alone here would be useless.
For some reason, several possibilities flashed through his mind at once.
But no matter what, since she had come, he might as well play along.
She probably did not know her identity had already been exposed before him.
Su Yu gave Chen Han a Daoist salute. Seeing him daze out for a moment, a smile touched her lips.
He must have been captivated by her; after all, she was very confident in her beauty and had trained her bearing for three years.
Then she spoke in a soft yet alluring voice. “Chen Family Head, I am truly sorry. Passing through Linhe County, I learned of the commencement ceremony of Qingfeng Daoist Priest’s Palace and wanted to come observe, but I missed the time. Please allow me to come to the Chen Clan tomorrow morning to offer a stick of incense and apologize.”
Chen Han smiled. She was a Joyful Union Sect demon person, and still dared to go to the Chen Clan?
Was she not afraid that once she entered the Chen Clan, misfortune would follow?
Truly, if a Joyful Union Sect Saintess could still safely enter the Chen Clan, he would have to admire her boldness.
However, on the surface he remained calm and said with a smiling tone, “Fellow Daoist Su Yu is very considerate. The Chen Clan is also a Daoist Sect Heritage Family, and our doors are wide open to fellow Daoists who come and go.”
“Then Su Yu will visit the Chen Clan tomorrow.” Su Yu once again gracefully saluted Chen Han, then drifted away, truly like an ethereal female Daoist priest.
She knew very well that sometimes a fleeting glimpse was the most attractive and the most unforgettable.
So she controlled her measure well. In such an atmosphere, she could be confident she had left a deep impression in the eyes of those present.
And indeed she had. Daoist Priest Chen, Daoist Priest Xuan Shi, and the others looked at one another. It seemed they had never heard of such a female Daoist priest within the Daoist sect.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible for her to remain unknown.
Daoist Priest Chen offered a reminder. “Chen Family Head, I cannot help but feel this Su Yu is a bit strange.”
He did not say more than that.
After all, Su Yu was indeed exceptionally beautiful, and they had just seen the Chen Family Head pause a bit while looking at her—perhaps he felt some interest.
Even if there were doubts, if the Chen Family Head was interested, many things would be different, even if she was not truly of the Daoist sect.
So he could only offer that one reminder.
Daoist Priest Xuan Shi and the others nodded in agreement.
Chen Han understood what they meant and smiled as he gave Daoist Priest Chen a salute. “Thank you, fellow Daoist, for the reminder.”
With the ceremony over, there was no need for the group to linger. They all boarded the bus and returned to the Chen Clan.
The bus had just started when Chen Han saw his junior sister and Xiao Mi glaring at him like tigers watching prey, especially his junior sister, who was gritting her teeth, wanting to speak but holding back, looking truly distressed.
Seeing her like this, Chen Han asked, “Junior sister, if you have something to say, just say it.”
Xiao Yu finally could not hold back. “Senior brother, that Su Yu, she is very pretty, right? And her figure is great, right? You were staring at her just now, totally dazed.”
“???” Chen Han was full of confusion. When had he been dazed?
Xiao Yu would not let him refute and said, “Senior brother, I think that woman has a problem. She must have some ulterior motive. You better not get too close to her.”
Chen Han smiled. If his junior sister had not spoken with such thick jealousy, he might have suspected she truly was that sharp and had seen through Su Yu.
The key was, when he looked at Xiao Mi, he found that she also had a suspicious look, which left him speechless. If not for Xiao Yu being there, and if not for so many people on the bus, he would have let her learn what “punishment on the bus” meant.
So in the end, he chose to ignore that suffocating sour jealousy. Xiao Mi was one thing; his junior sister was even more jealous than Xiao Mi.
The bus quickly returned to the Chen Clan Parking Lot. After Chen Han got off and had just walked out of the Parking Lot, he saw Huang Xin leading a patrol, his face full of joy.
Huang Xin was indeed beaming; this time he had picked up major merit twice in a row. Although the case had later been transferred to the bureau for special handling and his rank no longer required his participation, it did not diminish his benefits.
The leaders had directly said his team lead position would be promoted to deputy. He was given two choices: one was that a position in the county would open in half a year, and he could go there now as an intern; the other was to wait for development here with the Chen Clan.
Why wait for the Chen Clan? Because with daily tourists surpassing two thousand, one tourism team was no longer enough, and a tourist station needed to be established.
And this would not be slow. If, in the meantime, he made more contributions, he might not even need the deputy step and could be promoted in one go.
He was no fool and immediately chose the second option; only a fool would not know how to choose.
Moreover, his resolve in this choice was extremely firm.
Seeing the Chen Family Head, Huang Xin was briefly stunned. At this moment, the Chen Family Head was very different from usual, truly like a detached, otherworldly immortal.
He did not hesitate and went up with a smile to greet him. “Chen Family Head, you are back from the county’s ceremony?”
Seeing Huang Xin, Chen Han suddenly smiled and said, “Captain Huang, you are truly a man of good fortune. Come find me for tea tomorrow; there may be an unexpected surprise.”
With that, he walked into the Chen Clan, leaving Huang Xin standing there dumbfounded.
What did the Chen Family Head mean?
