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Chapter 457: Teleportation

Liang Shixian, leading the county magistrate's aides, clerks, constables, and hangers-on from Chengcheng County—a bustling crowd of over a hundred people—waited respectfully at the border between Baishui County and Chengcheng County.

Ahead, a magnificent procession crossed the county line, entering Chengcheng County territory.

At the forefront, a man in civil official robes, his face radiating arrogant pride, was followed by a large retinue of household guards, government soldiers, and an enormous transport convoy.

Wu Shen, the imperial censor dispatched for disaster relief, had arrived.

Wu Shen was currently an imperial envoy, acting on behalf of Heaven to deliver aid, carrying 100,000 taels of silver. Naturally, he exuded immense authority.

He was, without a doubt, the flashiest man in all of Shaanxi. He strode with an undeniable swagger.

The moment he saw Liang Shixian, he tilted his head back, looking down his nose.

Liang Shixian quickly performed the grand salute. When facing an imperial envoy, one must first bow as if greeting the emperor. Only after completing this formality could they revert to a normal conversational rhythm: "Your humble subordinate, Liang Shixian, respectfully awaits your arrival, Imperial Envoy."

Having sufficiently postured, Wu Shen spoke dispassionately: "I come bearing Heaven's grace to relieve the suffering of Chengcheng County's people, you all... eh?"

As he began to speak normally, his gaze naturally leveled, no longer directed skyward through his nostrils. But once his eyes were level, he noticed: why was Chengcheng County ahead so vibrantly green? Stretching for several miles, the landscape was alive with birdsong and fragrant flowers, lush with vegetation. This bore no resemblance to a disaster-stricken area.

Wu Shen sharply inhaled, a gasp of surprise: "This place... why is it like this?"

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Liang Shixian instantly understood his astonishment and smiled: "This county has been blessed by..."

He was about to say "blessed by Dao Xuan Tian Zun," but on second thought, an imperial envoy wouldn't know who Dao Xuan Tian Zun was. Explaining it might take a long time and still not be clear, and the envoy might even dismiss it as a cult. That wouldn't be good. It was better to be vague about the crucial details to save himself, and Chengcheng County, some trouble.

Liang Shixian rephrased: "This county has been blessed by an immortal, with the Dragon King granting rain."

Wu Shen's eyes widened in disbelief.

Such outlandish talk Wu Shen dismissed immediately, not bothering to process it. Most likely, this county was just lucky, or its unique geography meant it hadn't suffered from the drought.

"It seems your region doesn't need my aid," Wu Shen said, a hint of disappointment in his voice. His attempt at grandeur had fallen flat. Along the way, carrying money and provisions, no matter which county he visited, everyone had looked at him with longing eyes, flattered him, eager to receive a share of his bounty. He had relished the "power in hand," the satisfaction of deciding who to help. His posturing had been absolute, but here, it was impossible, leaving him deeply disheartened.

Liang Shixian smiled: "Indeed, this county does not require relief. Perhaps the Imperial Envoy could allocate these limited funds and provisions to other areas, to aid those common folk who are suffering more severely."

"In that case," Wu Shen replied, "I shall pass through Chengcheng County and proceed directly to Heyang County for disaster relief."

Liang Shixian thought to himself: *Heyang doesn't need your help either, but there's no need for me to say that. Feng Jun will tell you when you get there.*

He just wanted to politely see Wu Shen off as quickly as possible, to prevent him from lingering.

Just then, a lazy voice suddenly drifted from the grass beside the official road: "Ah... what a wonderful nap..."

"Who's there?" Wu Shen's guards instantly drew their waist-swords.

A rustling sound came from the grass, then the long blades parted, and an unkempt monk emerged. His monk's robe was soiled, his hat tattered, and his monk's shoes worn through. He held a gourd in his left hand and a broken palm-leaf fan in his right.

Liang Shixian and his retinue, who saw the enormous golden statue of Dao Xuan Tian Zun in the county town every day, had no trouble recognizing the face. *Isn't that Monk Dao Xuan Tian Zun?* But, dressed in a monk's robe, no one dared to acknowledge it.

So Liang Shixian and his entire group froze.

Wu Shen's people, upon seeing Li Daoxuan's appearance, were also momentarily stunned: *Isn't this Monk Ji Gong? No, no, Monk Ji Gong is just a legend, he couldn't possibly be real. This fellow must just be a young monk dressed very similarly to Monk Ji Gong.*

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The guards' hands remained on their sword hilts, maintaining their vigilance.

The slovenly monk adjusted his tattered hat, flicking his palm-leaf fan with a flourish. The fan was broken, stirring no wind, yet he looked utterly delighted, a mischievous grin on his face. He waved at Wu Shen: "Wu Shen, from Xinghua, Jiangsu. A *jinshi* in the forty-first year of Wanli. In the second year of Tianqi, you were stripped of your rank and dismissed from office by Wei Zhongxian for repeatedly submitting memorials against the Eunuch Party, returning to your hometown. You were only reinstated these past two years. . . Tsk tsk. . . "

This pronouncement astonished everyone.

The guards’ swords swished upwards: "Bold!"

Wu Shen himself was startled. A monk appearing out of the roadside grass in broad daylight, instantly knowing his name and life story—it was terrifying!

This could not possibly be an ordinary monk.

"Seize him!" Wu Shen commanded gravely. "Alive. Interrogate him thoroughly to find out what kind of spy he is."

The guards swiftly surrounded Li Daoxuan.

Li Daoxuan chuckled, retreated, and darted back into the grass.

The guards rushed in, pursuing him into the thicket, but all lunged at empty air. The monk had vanished the moment he entered the grass.

The next instant, they realized the monk was now perched on a distant tree, watching them with a playful grin.

How could he have flown such a great distance in an instant?

The guards were utterly bewildered, but they pressed on, charging forward once more.

The monk leaped down from the tree, vanishing into the grass again.

When the guards rushed in and lunged, the grass was once more empty. The monk reappeared on another distant tree.

Everyone exchanged dumbfounded glances.

There was no way they could catch up to Li Daoxuan's silicone puppet, as Li Daoxuan was simply moving the puppet with his hand inside the box. A human hand can swing at up to five meters per second, which, to the people inside the box, meant the puppet could move nearly a kilometer per second. That was roughly equivalent to two *li* in their ancient measurements.

Li Daoxuan's movement of the silicone puppet meant it was traveling at roughly two *li* per second, appearing as instantaneous teleportation to the miniature people.

It was indistinguishable from immortal magic.

The guards' hands, clutching their waist-swords, trembled slightly.

Wu Shen stared, utterly stunned.

The very next moment, the monk actually soared into the air.

He floated three or four *zhang* high in the sky, drifting slowly until he arrived before Wu Shen, then gently descended to the ground, stood firm, and fanned himself with the thin fan: "Wu Shen, are you still going to try and capture me?"

Capture him? That was a ridiculous thought. The group stared blankly at Li Daoxuan, completely paralyzed by shock.

One guard began: "What kind of demon monk is..."

Before he could finish, a nearby guard quickly clapped a hand over his mouth, whispering into his ear: "He might not be a demon monk. He could be a holy monk! Monk... Monk Ji Gong!"

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