Zhuchengzi harbored doubts in his heart, but doubts were just that, and he absolutely dared not show the slightest disrespect.0

Although Hidden Dragon Temple wasn’t widely known among the common folk, stories of divine Daoists slaying demons, bringing order to chaos, or enlightening the State Preceptor were not uncommon. For example, there was the Daoist who supported Great Yan’s founding, the one who inspired its mid-dynasty revival nearly a hundred years ago, and the female Daoist from a few decades ago who was famed for slaying demons. But since the times were relatively peaceful then, such tales were fewer.0

Even though these figures had entered folklore, few knew where they came from, because when these Daoists descended from their mountain, they followed an unspoken rule: they would only say they hailed from Lingquan County, Yizhou, rarely would they mention Hidden Dragon Temple to commoners.0

However, to those in the know—like Fengtian Temple, which stood at the peak of worldly Daoist practice—Hidden Dragon Temple was no secret. That Daoist Tiansuan from nearly a century ago had long been the object of lifelong reverence and admiration at Fengtian Temple, and was practically worshipped as a deity.0

To them, a disciple of Hidden Dragon Temple was undeniably a figure of immense stature, and must be treated with the utmost respect.0

So the moment Song You arrived, Zhuchengzi gave immediate orders to prepare a grand banquet—one befitting the highest of honors.0

Fengtian Temple had its own farmland, chicken coops, and sheep pens, and it kept rare ingredients on hand. Normally, these would be sufficient to host even a visiting regional governor. But today, that was not enough.0

They needed freshly hunted delicacies from the mountains—wild pheasant, venison—as well as freshwater delicacies like river fish and shrimp. Of the six kinds of livestock, all but oxen had to be prepared. Whatever seasonings the temple lacked...0