Chapter 174: This Man Is Very Useful
Ma Tianzheng's heart jolted. He quickly replayed the recent events in his mind, and suddenly, everything clicked. "Demons descended to plague the mortal realm just now, and heavenly soldiers and generals were dispatched to apprehend them. A great shrimp demon fell here, nearly taking my life. Fortunately, you intervened and saved me?"
Gao Yiye replied, "What power do I possess to save you? The one who truly saved you was the Heavenly Lord Dao Xuan."
Ma Tianzheng's heart skipped a beat once more. His mind was already muddled, but now it was even more so. Swept up in the moment, he instinctively looked up at the sky and declared, "Many thanks, Heavenly Lord Dao Xuan, for saving my life."
Gao Yiye asked, "Who are you? Where do you come from? What is your purpose here?"
He quickly bowed in greeting. "This humble Daoist is Ma Tianzheng, a disciple of Master Wang Changyue of the Quanzhen Longmen sect. I travel the world solely in search of immortals and to prove the Dao."
"Oh? A wandering Daoist, then," Gao Yiye said. "So, you've traveled extensively and seen a great deal?"
Ma Tianzheng replied, "Hardly! This humble Daoist has traveled for over twenty years, traversing north and south. I've gained some knowledge, certainly, but I dare not be arrogant."
"Hmm, very good," Gao Yiye said, a smile gracing her lips. "The Heavenly Lord says, people like you are useful."
Ma Tianzheng: "???"
Gao Yiye simply said, "Only I can see the Heavenly Lord."
Ma Tianzheng's eyes flickered with doubt. A voice screamed in his mind: "She's lying to me! She must be deceiving me! Countless fellow Daoists have used this exact line before."
The moment he thought this, with a resounding thud, the invisible wall descended once more, trapping him within its confines again.
Ma Tianzheng: "!!!"
Li Daoxuan noticed the slightest hint of dissent in his gaze and immediately lowered the glass cup, giving him no time to think.
Ma Tianzheng was thoroughly terrified. *I merely harbored a single doubt, a fleeting thought in my mind, and I was encased again? What exactly is this thing that traps me?*
Gao Yiye extended her hand and gently tapped on the glass wall, as if knocking on a door. Instantly, the four glass walls swished upwards, ascending into the sky.
Ma Tianzheng was utterly flustered. "Saintess, what was that just now...?"
Gao Yiye said, "The Heavenly Lord says, you, Daoist, have many problems."
Li Daoxuan's statement was a classic vague pronouncement, suitable for any situation. A simple "You have a problem" would lead anyone to reflect deeply. After all, one can always find some flaw in themselves to fit such a remark.
Sure enough, Ma Tianzheng immediately took it to heart. *I do have problems, indeed I do. For years now, I haven't been a devout Daoist. My heart has been restless. I even doubted whether immortals existed in this world. My Daoist heart was almost shattered; I've been seen through.*
"Heavenly Lord," Ma Tianzheng pleaded urgently, "This disciple is merely a mediocre Daoist. I haven't fully read the Daoist scriptures, and had never heard of the esteemed title of Heavenly Lord Dao Xuan before. That is why I have repeatedly shown disrespect. But now this disciple understands. I beg for a chance to atone for my mistakes with good deeds."
Gao Yiye replied, "Hmm, the Heavenly Lord says, seeing your sincere attitude in admitting your errors, he will not hold it against you."
Ma Tianzheng let out a heavy sigh of relief. "This disciple has cultivated the Dao since childhood, spending the first twenty years practicing with Master Wang Changyue of the Quanzhen Longmen sect. For the next twenty years, I traveled the world, searching for immortals and seeking the Dao. However, my karmic fortune was shallow; for over forty years, I never encountered a single immortal... Days ago, I heard about the Heavenly Lord and sought him out at the City God Temple in Chengcheng County. Guided by a lay Buddhist, I came to Gao Family Village... I never imagined this disciple would personally witness the Heavenly Lord's manifestation. This is truly my great fortune."
He dropped to his knees with a thud and performed a deep kowtow. "This disciple, Ma Tianzheng, greets the Heavenly Lord Dao Xuan."
Ma Tianzheng was incredibly excited, trembling all over.
He had been on the verge of abandoning his Daoist heart, but now, his Daoist heart felt stronger than ever before.
He had finally found a true immortal. This was something even his venerable master, Master Wang Changyue, had never achieved.
From today onward, he would no longer have to doubt the existence of immortals in this world. No, more accurately, he would no longer feel guilt when expounding scriptures to others, no longer feel as if he was teaching something he himself didn't believe.
His inner guilt vanished, and even his soul felt cleansed.
Gao Yiye asked, "You came here simply to find a true immortal?"
"Yes!" Ma Tianzheng replied, "This disciple traveled the entire world for the sole purpose of meeting a true immortal."
"Well, you've seen one now," Gao Yiye said. "What do you plan to do next?"
Ma Tianzheng paused, slightly stunned. *Right, what do I do next?*
"The Heavenly Lord has commanded, 'Think clearly, then come and speak to me.'"
With that, Gao Yiye turned around. The Heavenly Lord's palm was already resting on the ground, waiting. She gently climbed onto the Heavenly Lord's palm and sat down, a smile of happiness and pride blooming on her face.
Gao Yiye smiled. "It seems you haven't figured it out yet. Take your time to think it through." Li Daoxuan's hand smoothly glided, carrying her over the valley, through the sky, and back to Gao Family Fortress.
Ma Tianzheng gazed upward as the Saintess flew away, his heart a swirl of mixed emotions. After a long while, he finally came back to his senses. He picked up his Qingfeng sword and slid it back into its sheath on his back. He scanned the ground around him: there were the massive footprints of the shrimp demon, and the huge, circular indent left by the Heavenly Lord's transparent artifact.
He knew that everything he had just witnessed was no illusion; it had truly happened.
Suddenly, his spirits soared!
I've found a true immortal! What else is there to fear?
Haha!
From now on, I can confidently expound scriptures and preach the Dao to others. I'm not deceiving anyone, I'm not deceiving anyone, hahaha, hahahaha.
He gesticulated wildly as he ran towards Gao Family Village!
At this moment, Gao Yiye was sitting in Li Daoxuan's palm, slowly flying towards Gao Family Village. Li Daoxuan dared not move his hand too quickly, because a mere ten-centimeter movement in his world translated to twenty meters inside the box. If his hand moved even slightly faster, Gao Yiye wouldn't be able to withstand the speed. So, he took his time, carrying her in a smooth, gentle flight.
Gao Yiye looked up, asking curiously, "Heavenly Lord, why did we tease that Daoist? He doesn't seem like a bad person."
"Because he himself doesn't know if he's a bad person."
"Ah? Why is that?"
Li Daoxuan didn't explain, simply smiling.
A wandering Daoist, one who has traveled the entire world, is naturally extremely useful. Li Daoxuan had an idea that he felt no one else could reliably execute. But a wandering Daoist like Ma Tianzheng, who had journeyed everywhere, could achieve it.
He would observe him for a few more days. Once he was truly one of their own, he would entrust him with a glorious and arduous mission.
Li Daoxuan opened his phone and glanced at the name for which he had long prepared materials.
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