Master Kong Mie looked at Lu Xun in front of him with wide eyes, completely dumbfounded. He never expected that Lu Xun would come back here. If it were anyone else, Kong Mie would have been furious and made them pay a price. But facing this young man, he couldn't even entertain such thoughts.

"Master, why do you look so haggard?" Lu Xun smiled at Kong Mie and said reassuringly, "Don't worry, tough times will pass. Losing a few magic treasures is not a big deal. This temple is so big; it can afford to lose a few treasures. Besides, I don't believe in these things."

"A few? It's more than ten!" Hearing Lu Xun's teasing, Master Kong Mie's expression became even more chaotic. He tried to force a smile and awkwardly said, "Benefactor, please, where is your wife? She isn't here, is she?"

"Oh, she has some business to attend to and won't be back until the afternoon," Lu Xun replied with a smile. "Why, do you have other powerful treasures in this temple?"

"No, no, no!"

"They've already… already been taken by you." Master Kong Mie hurriedly said.

Lu Xun smirked and earnestly corrected him, "Master, you're mistaken. What do you mean, ‘taken'? They were clearly presented to us. You shouldn't say such things lightly. It doesn't matter to me, but if my wife finds out, it'll be a disaster. She has quite the temper. She might wipe out the entire Kongming Temple overnight."

"Yes, yes, you are absolutely right, benefactor," Kong Mie nodded repeatedly and smiled apologetically. "Don't worry, I will keep my mouth shut and won't spread any rumors outside. I hope you can speak well of us in front of your wife."

"No problem," Lu Xun waved his hand and said seriously, "Rest assured, as long as I'm here, I'll make sure you all stay safe."

With that, he softly asked, "Master, why is the incense offering here so prosperous?"

"This is a royal temple, so it naturally has a thriving incense offering," Kong Mie explained.

"What about the money from the incense offering? Does it go into your pockets or the imperial treasury?" Lu Xun continued to inquire.

"Well…"

Kong Mie hesitated. If it were anyone else asking, he would have kicked them out with a stern face. However, the young man in front of him made him hesitate to refuse to answer. He pursed his lips, looked around cautiously, and said, "It's a 70-30 split."

"70-30 split? Why are you only taking 30 percent?" Lu Xun frowned and leaned in, indignantly saying, "With your and the old abbot's abilities, you're top-tier experts. Shouldn't you be taking at least 90 percent?"

"Um…"

"Benefactor, you might not know," Kong Mie sighed, answering cautiously, "We take only 30 percent, and even that has to be used to bribe the palace. In the end, we're left with only about 10 percent to cover the temple's daily expenses."

"Ah!"

"You and the old abbot are so powerful, among the best in the world. Why do you still need to bribe the palace? Aren't you just bowing and begging for alms?" Lu Xun furrowed his brow in confusion and said, "Isn't this demeaning?"

Kong Mie hesitated for a moment and then said meaningfully, "Benefactor, in this era of peace and prosperity, cultivation level no longer matters. What really counts is the power in one's hands and the money in one's pockets. As for your so-called ‘experts,' what makes someone truly powerful? How powerful can one be? Can anyone surpass the current immortal, Su Jingyi, and your wife?"

"What insight, Master!"

Lu Xun instantly gained a different perspective on the Master and nodded repeatedly, "You truly have profound knowledge."

"Oh, not at all," Kong Mie replied modestly, "Once upon a time, even I… no, I was also arrogant. But as my cultivation improved over the decades in this capital, I've already smoothed out the edges of my personality,"

Master Kong Mie said with a sigh. "I've also seen through the essence of the world. In reality, there is no clear distinction between right and wrong. There is only everlasting self-interest."

In the following time, Master Kong Mie shared some of his thoughts with Lu Xun, such as creating clever excuses or taking advantage of situations. This broadened Lu Xun's horizons, making him increasingly unable to comprehend the ways of the mortal world.

"Benefactor, what brings you here this time?" Master Kong Mie returned to the main topic and asked Lu Xun.

"Nothing special. I was just passing by and thought I'd visit you and the old abbot," Lu Xun paused for a moment and continued, "But today's conversation has given me a different view of you, Master. I didn't expect you to be so insightful, not at all like a narrow-minded person."

"We're all living in the present," Master Kong Mie said thoughtfully. "After all, this entire temple, hundreds of people from top to bottom, rely on my and the senior monk's responsibility."

"Ah."

"Every family has its own troubles," Lu Xun sighed, thinking of his own miserable experiences. He suddenly felt aches in his back, his eyes squinted, and his mouth twitched. After a moment of melancholy, he turned to Master Kong Mie and said, "Master, could you take me to see the old abbot?"

"Of course, of course."

"Please follow me," Master Kong Mie hurriedly stood up and led Lu Xun to find the temple's abbot.

After a while, he brought Lu Xun to the outside of the abbot's room and entered without knocking.

Abbot Kong Jue was meditating with closed eyes. Calmly, he asked, "Kong Mie, what brings you here?"

"Master, it's me!" Lu Xun said with a smile. "Have you missed me?"

In an instant, Abbot Kong Jue abruptly opened his eyes, staring in astonishment at Lu Xun in front of him. He was both afraid and nervous, tremblingly asking, "You…?"

"Don't be nervous, don't be nervous. I'm just passing by and thought I'd visit both Masters," Lu Xun casually sat down on a nearby chair, poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and then turned to Kong Jue, sighing, "Master, you look in good health. That puts my mind at ease."

Facing Lu Xun's teasing, Abbot Kong Jue dared not get angry but smiled awkwardly. He said, "Since things have come to this point, I can only accept it."

"Well done, Master. It seems you can even hold a boat in your belly," Lu Xun quipped. "You probably won't get the magic treasures back, but I can ensure your safety. However, there's a condition—you're not affiliated with the Crown Prince or the Second Prince."

Abbot Kong Jue was taken aback and hesitated for a moment. Then he slowly said, "We are under Immortal Su Jingyi."

"Su Jingyi?" Lu Xun asked nonchalantly. "Which side does Su Jingyi belong to?"

"The imperial court." Master Kong Jue replied.

Lu Xun remained silent.

"It seems that Master is being a little dishonest. Should I have my wife come over and ask you?" Lu Xun said, not hiding his annoyance.

"Benefactor, you've misunderstood!" Master Kong Jue immediately cowered and hastily replied with a forced smile, "Immortal Su Jingyi holds the highest position and does not take orders from anyone, not even the Emperor. Her duty is to protect the court, and although we follow her orders, our connection to the court is complex and cannot be explained in just a few words."

"I see," Lu Xun nodded and took another sip of tea from his cup.

Kong Jue stared at him in astonishment and asked in a low voice, "Benefactor, did you bring the three sacred artifacts of Kongming Temple with you? I'd like to see them one last time."

"The staff and alms bowl are with my wife, but as for the robes… well, I made a slight modification. It might be hard for you to accept," Lu Xun said cautiously, biting his lip.

"Not a problem."

"I've faced challenges in all sorts of conditions. Even if it's a great disaster, it hasn't been able to defeat me," Master Kong Jue waved his hand and said confidently, "Benefactor, please, show me."

"Oh," Lu Xun waved his hand, and a rope and whip suddenly appeared on the floor.

Both Master Kong Jue and Master Kong Mie were stunned, looking at the rope and whip on the ground in confusion. They wondered why they were seeing a rope and a whip when they were expecting the robes.

"Benefactor? What about the robes?" Master Kong Jue asked in puzzlement.

Lu Xun cleared his throat and pointed to the rope and whip on the ground. He awkwardly explained, "This is your robe, I changed it into a rope and a whip."

As soon as he finished speaking, Master Kong Jue, with a flushed face, clutched his chest and fainted.

In a spacious palace…

Su Jingyi, as usual, was dressed in a simple sleeping robe. Although there was a ribbon tied around her waist, her open neckline revealed a playful side. It was hard to imagine what kind of exquisite figure lay beneath the loose sleeping robe.

"You're here."

"I left the sword there for you," Su Jingyi lay on the divan, flipping through a book in her hand. She spoke casually without even raising her head.

Immortal Miao Feng took the sword and, though it looked like an ordinary sword, she could sense a powerful force within it. She nodded in satisfaction and asked casually, "What about the sword technique for controlling this sword?"

"I only promised to give you a flying weapon. I didn't say anything about providing the accompanying sword technique," Su Jingyi closed her book, raised her delicate brows, and spoke softly. "If you want the sword technique, it's not difficult."

Immortal Miao Feng huffed in annoyance and said coolly, "Never mind, I can handle it."

After saying that, she turned and left.

"You… again."

"When will you ever change this bad habit?" Su Jingyi muttered under her breath, watching Immortal Miao Feng's departing figure.

Just as she walked out the door, the big demoness turned around and came back.

"Spill it. What conditions?" Immortal Miao Feng asked coldly.

Su Jingyi narrowed her eyes and said softly to Immortal Miao Feng, who was not far away, "I want your man."

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