Hearing Jason Brooks's question, Belle was still habitually nervous, and only after a while did she softly reply, "Just now, a Taoist priest came out of nowhere and entered the Earth God Temple... I got a little scared, so I ran out."

Her voice was timid and gentle, so much so that Jason Brooks almost didn't catch it. He reflexively responded with an "Oh," then suddenly snapped to attention: "A Taoist priest? What kind of Taoist priest?"

After a few more words, Belle's mood gradually relaxed, and she explained, "Mm, it was a middle-aged Taoist, with a beard... He was holding a bamboo pole sign with words written on it, but I don't know what it said."

Jason Brooks suddenly asked, "Did he have a wooden sword on his back, and was he holding a bell in his other hand?"

Belle scratched her head and thought for a moment before saying, "It seemed like he had a sword on his back, but I didn't see a bell... I didn't get a good look before I ran out."

Jason Brooks pondered for a moment, thinking that this Taoist was most likely that very Laoshan Taoist. Truly, searching high and low only to find him effortlessly—he had been looking for him outside to no avail, yet the other party had quietly come into the village instead. Who knows what he was up to...

As for this Taoist, Jason Brooks didn't have too many concrete expectations at the moment; he just wanted to find him and ask some questions. Whether the man was truly a legendary master, he would only know after meeting him and could then formulate a more detailed plan.

Thinking of this, Jason Brooks was afraid the Taoist would leave again, so he immediately set off toward the back of the village, hurrying to the Earth God Temple. Belle didn't understand, but followed right behind without the slightest hesitation.

Chapter 10: The Taoist

Jingyang Village didn't have many people, but it covered a rather large area, with fifty-eight households scattered about, stretching all the way to the foot of a mountain ridge.

The mountain was called "Mazi Ridge," just a low hilltop with sparse trees.

—Nestled by the mountain and water, from a feng shui perspective, Jingyang Village's location was quite auspicious. Indeed, this year the village produced a young scholar, Jason Brooks, who ranked first in all three rounds of the children's exam.

The Earth God Temple sat right at the foot of Mazi Ridge, just a small building about twenty feet square. On either side in front of the temple grew a large locust tree, and inside was an Earth God statue. On the first and fifteenth of every month, the villagers of Jingyang would come here to burn incense and pray. As for Belle's place to stay, she made her bed on the open ground behind the statue.

Belle liked cleanliness, and she had long regarded the Earth God Temple as her own home, so it was always kept spotless inside.

Dusk was falling, and there was a drowsy feeling in the air.

When Jason Brooks and his companion arrived at the temple, they found it empty inside—there was no sign of any Taoist.

"Seriously? Another wasted trip?"

Jason Brooks was deeply disappointed.

"Brother Ethan, over there..."

Suddenly, Belle spoke up, pointing with her hand.

Following her fingertip, Jason Brooks saw that at the foot of Mazi Ridge not far away, beneath a pine tree, a Taoist priest was sitting cross-legged in meditation on the ground.

It was the very same Laoshan Taoist he had met earlier in the tavern.

Why had he gone over there to meditate, acting all mysterious...

Jason Brooks muttered to himself, then said to Belle, "Belle, go to my house and tell my mother that I have something to do and will be back late, so she doesn't need to wait for me for dinner."

Belle asked, "Brother Ethan, what are you going to do?"

"There's no need for you to ask about this, just go quickly, so my mother doesn't worry."

Belle obediently agreed and immediately ran back to the village.

Jason Brooks took a deep breath, strode forward, and headed straight over.

He walked quickly, and in just a moment reached the spot where the Taoist was sitting. Just as he was about to speak, his vision suddenly blurred, and the Taoist who had been sitting there upright vanished in an instant, startling Jason Brooks greatly.

"Huh? Where did he go?"

He hurriedly looked around, only to see that the Taoist who had just been under the pine tree was now halfway up Mazi Ridge, sitting cross-legged on a large millstone-shaped rock.

From here to halfway up the ridge was at least two or three hundred meters—how had he managed that?

Jason Brooks's pupils contracted sharply—there was something extraordinary here!

As a transmigrator, his thinking was far from the rigid and dull mindset of an ordinary scholar. He had long suspected that this world was not simple, and that there might well be "non-human" beings. So, was this Laoshan Taoist before him a legendary master? Or perhaps an immortal?

Jason Brooks's heart pounded wildly with excitement and nervousness, mixed with a bit of worry—the other party's identity and intentions were unknown. Who knew what kind of person this Taoist was? If he was moody and Jason Brooks accidentally offended him, wouldn't that be courting death?

—Not everyone is so lucky that, upon meeting a master, they are immediately recognized as a once-in-a-lifetime genius and eagerly taken as a disciple.

It's fine to have such thoughts, but one must never let them cloud basic judgment.

Jason Brooks hesitated inwardly for a moment, but soon made up his mind—this was a rare opportunity, and if he missed it, who knew when another would come? Besides, this Laoshan Taoist surely meant no harm, or he wouldn't have gone to such lengths, doing all these things.

Having decided, he immediately started up the mountain.