It turned out that Qingfeng Mingyue Temple was originally a single entity; Qingfeng Temple was its former name.
Ye Yiyun was the eldest senior disciple of the temple. The temple master, Xuanji Zi, and his Daoist partner had a daughter named Yue Yingying, who was Ye Yiyun’s junior sister.
Yue Yingying was born beautiful and gifted, and since she was the temple master’s daughter, she was treated like the center of attention within the temple, as if all stars revolved around her.
Life was supposed to continue ordinarily like this, and Yue Yingying was destined to one day succeed Xuanji Zi as the head of Qingfeng Mingyue Temple.
But five years ago, on Yue Yingying’s twentieth birthday, she was driven out of the mountain gate by Xuanji Zi, told to establish her own sect, while Ye Yiyun was appointed as the temple’s heir in her stead as the then eldest senior disciple.
A fierce argument erupted between father and daughter.
In the end, Yue Yingying ran out of the mountain gate in tears, and Xuanji Zi and his Daoist partner left Qingfeng Mingyue Temple that same day, disappearing without a trace to this day.
The next morning, when the temple’s attendants were cleaning the gate, they found a half-broken plaque lying on the ground.
Originally inscribed with “Qingfeng Mingyue Temple,” only the first two characters “Qingfeng” remained; the latter “Mingyue Temple” was missing, and the broken edge showed it had been deliberately smashed.
A few days later, it was discovered that on the adjacent mountain peak, Yue Yingying had hired several craftsmen with silver coins to build a small courtyard.
Hanging above the courtyard gate was that half plaque, symbolizing her severance from Qingfeng Mingyue Temple.
That courtyard became Mingyue Temple, and Yue Yingying began to call herself Daoist Mingyue.
“So that’s what happened! No wonder I wondered why the front of that broken plaque looked so ruined,” Ling Xiaodong exclaimed in sudden understanding.
He then asked, puzzled:
“Then why did the patriarch kick my master out and tell her to set up her own sect?”
Ye Yiyun slowly came back from her reverie, took a sip of tea, and cleared her throat.
“I asked my master at the time. He said it was to let my junior sister wait for someone destined to be connected with her.”
“Someone destined?”
Ling Xiaodong pointed at his own nose in surprise:
“Could it be me?”
Ye Yiyun gently shook her head:
“No, no. According to my master, that destined person should be a woman.”
“Then why did master take me as a disciple?”
Ling Xiaodong was confused.
Ye Yiyun looked at Ling Xiaodong for a while, hesitated, and then revealed the truth to him.
“My junior sister was spoiled since childhood. Aside from her unparalleled mastery of Daoist arts, she was lazy and ignorant of mundane matters. With such a lethargic nature, how could she be willing to take disciples?”
“She had only been independent for a few months at the time. I think taking disciples was just for…”
Ye Yiyun stopped short.
She feared that telling the whole truth would be too much of a blow for her nephew and son-in-law.
Hearing the truth, Ling Xiaodong was shocked and indignant:
“Ah? So I’m just a laborer?”
He recalled his master’s usually spoiled and unreasonable demeanor — wasn’t she exactly a pampered little miss?
Across the table, Ye Yiyun pitifully reached out to pat Ling Xiaodong’s head, comforting him:
“At first, maybe that was the case, but after spending these four years together day and night, you’re now truly your master’s own disciple.”
Ling Xiaodong still felt like crying but couldn’t; he said despondently:
“But I’m doing the exact same chores I did four years ago!”
Ye Yiyun rose and walked over to Ling Xiaodong, pulling his head into her embrace and gently stroking his hair like coaxing a child.
“Thank you for taking care of your master these years. My junior sister isn’t a bad person; I blame myself for spoiling her too much when she was young.”
Ye Yiyun’s silky hair fell over Ling Xiaodong’s face, tickling slightly.
Being held from behind by such a soft and plump body felt warm and gentle, her scent distinct from both his master and Mishao Yan.
Still, being hugged and patted on the head like a child by a young woman his age felt a bit strange to Ling Xiaodong.
He gently pushed Ye Yiyun’s shoulder, reluctantly breaking free from this cozy embrace and awkwardly said:
“Aunt Yun, I’m not blaming master. Though she always makes me do chores, treats me like a servant, has a bad temper, and hits me sometimes, but… but…”
Wait.
Has master ever treated me gently?
Why is there no memory of that in my mind?
Ling Xiaodong tried hard to recall some of his master’s virtues but found none!
He realized he had been abused by his master for so many years without running away — all because of the word “love.”
He mourned silently in his heart.
The room fell silent along with his quietness, and an awkward atmosphere spread. The two stared at each other, not knowing what to say.
Ye Yiyun was the first to break the silence.
“Mingyue Temple is short on money now, right? Go to the accounting office and get some silver. Don’t bother paying it back. I have to go down the mountain later.”
“Go down the mountain? For what?”
In Ling Xiaodong’s memory, Aunt Yun was just like his master.
She never left the temple gate or stepped outside, so going down the mountain was a rare event!
Of course, Aunt Yun had to manage everything inside the temple, unlike his master, who did nothing but eat, sleep, and boss people around.
Ye Yiyun took off the celestial robe symbolizing her temple master status as she answered:
“There’s been a demonic outbreak in the city recently. I’m going to exorcise the demons.”
Under the celestial robe, she wore a simple inner robe, then donned a black Daoist outer robe for convenience when going out.
Though she merely changed her outer robe, Ye Yiyun paid no mind to Ling Xiaodong still in the room; in her eyes, he was still a child.
Hearing this, Ling Xiaodong’s interest was piqued.
“Exorcise demons?!”
Usually busy with temple affairs, for a Daoist like him, demon hunting was a novelty.
“Aunt Yun, I want to go too! Take me with you!”
Ye Yiyun frowned and firmly refused:
“No! Exorcising demons is no joke; it’s extremely dangerous. If anything happens to you, how will I explain it to my junior sister?”
Ling Xiaodong grabbed Ye Yiyun’s arm.
“Aunt Yun, my dear Aunt Yun, you know, I’ve been wrestling bears with bare hands since I was fourteen. I have natural strength — how could it be dangerous?”
“You may have great martial power, and although your Daoist magic is profound and ghosts and demons can’t harm you, you’re a fragile young woman and very beautiful. What if bandits kidnap you to be their mountain wife? The world is unsafe these days.”
Though it was a bit embarrassing for a grown man to hold an elder’s arm, Ling Xiaodong knew Ye Yiyun was susceptible to this kind of talk.
To join this fresh and exciting demon hunt, he had no choice but to humble himself.
Ye Yiyun frowned as if considering, seemingly wavering, but finally shook her head:
“No! Your brute strength may be impressive, but what use is it against spiritual demons? These demons this time are extraordinary. I’m afraid I won’t be able to protect you.”
Ling Xiaodong stood up in protest:
“Who says I only have brute strength? I’m already a San Cai Realm cultivator!”
He then drew a symbol in the air with his hand. A yin-yang diagram surrounded by the characters “Heaven, Earth, and Man” appeared, slowly spinning.
“You’ve reached San Cai Realm?”
Ye Yiyun stared at the yin-yang diagram in surprise, but thinking of Yue Yingying, she nodded matter-of-factly:
“Your talent is no less than your master’s. Yingying, who has practiced Daoist arts since childhood, is also only a San Cai Realm cultivator at this age.”
But I’ve only been learning for three months, Ling Xiaodong thought silently.
He didn’t say this out loud, fearing it would sound unbelievable to Aunt Yun.
Ye Yiyun asked again:
“How many Daoist spells do you know now? Do you know the Purifying Heart Spell or the Purifying Body Spell?”
Ling Xiaodong felt the names familiar. The Taiqing Jiuxuan Scripture seemed to mention them, but since he had just broken through the realm, he hadn’t studied them yet.
He awkwardly asked:
“Does the Eye-Opening Spell count?”
He had just learned that last night.
“Of course not. The Purifying Heart Spell calms the mortal heart into deep stillness, reflecting on the Daoist heart, entering tranquility; it protects the soul and spirit. The Purifying Body Spell cleanses bodily karma, shields the body, guarding the Daoist form from demonic harm.”
“If you know these two protective spells, I’d be at ease taking you down the mountain.”
Ling Xiaodong wasn’t ready to give up.
The opportunity to go down the mountain for demon hunting was rare, and he didn’t want to miss it.
“Then I can learn them now. Once I master them, I can go with you.”
“Learn them now?”
Ye Yiyun looked at Ling Xiaodong as if he were a reckless child. She pulled a book from the shelf and handed it to him.
“Fine! I’ll give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. If you can cast these two great spells by then, I’ll take you down the mountain.”
These two great spells were no ordinary magic. Even her own junior sister, a heavenly talent, had struggled for over a month to barely master one of them.
Ye Yiyun’s move was a subtle way to discourage Ling Xiaodong’s desire to follow her down the mountain.
Just as Ye Yiyun pondered how to comfort her nephew if he failed to learn the two spells, Ling Xiaodong’s easy voice rang out.
“I’ve learned them.”
“Oh? It’s okay if you can’t learn them; your master took… what? You know them?”
Ye Yiyun’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked up at Ling Xiaodong.
“Yes, it’s not difficult. I just read once and I know them now. Aunt Yun, watch closely!”
Ling Xiaodong raised his right index finger to his chest and recited:
“Supreme Tai Star, respond without pause, expel demons and bind evil spirits, protect life and body, wisdom clear and pure, heart and spirit peaceful, three souls eternal, spirits intact. Hurry as the law commands! This is the Purifying Heart Spell!”
The yin-yang symbol appeared on his chest, the characters “Heaven, Earth, Man” slowly circling, transforming into brilliant light that entered his chest.
Without pausing, Ling Xiaodong continued the incantation:
“Spirit Treasure Heavenly Venerable, calm the body, disciple’s soul and five viscera hidden in mystery, Azure Dragon and White Tiger, in formation arrayed, Vermilion Bird and Xuanwu, guard my body. Hurry as the law commands! This is the Purifying Body Spell!”
“So, Aunt Yun, can I go down the mountain with you now?”
Ye Yiyun sensed the spiritual power running through Ling Xiaodong’s body; indeed, the two great spells were genuine.
But how could he learn them so quickly?
With a light slap on Ling Xiaodong’s head, Ye Yiyun, who usually appeared kind and gentle, said in a teasing tone:
“Well, Ling Xiaodong, are you just toying with your Aunt Yun? You learned them long ago and are just pretending now.”
To her, that was the only reasonable explanation. She then shook her head helplessly:
“Alright, pack your things and come down the mountain with me.”
“No! Aunt Yun, I really just learned them.”
Seeing that Ye Yiyun still didn’t believe him, Ling Xiaodong gave up trying to explain. As long as he could go down the mountain to exorcise demons, it was fine. So, he helped Ye Yiyun pack and stood up.
The two packed their gear and arrived at the mountain gate.
Ye Yiyun gave a few instructions to Mishao Yan and the disciples who had come to see them off about what to watch for in the temple during her absence, while Ling Xiaodong carried bags of various sizes.
Mishao Yan waved at the two as they gradually walked away, unwilling to part:
“Master! Brother Xiaodong! Please come back safely!”
Ling Xiaodong also turned to wave back:
“Got it, I’ll miss you too!”
Carrying the packages, he walked ahead of Ye Yiyun as if leading the way, his steps unusually light, excited because he would finally see what demons really were.
Wait, had he forgotten something?
Ling Xiaodong pondered for a moment but then brushed it aside.
Ah, whatever.
If I forgot, it probably wasn’t important.
Meanwhile, inside Mingyue Temple.
Yue Yingying put down the book in her hand and looked out the window at the sun already high in the sky, frowning slightly.
“Why is borrowing money taking so long? It’s past mealtime! Do they want me to starve to death?”