Ning Beichen spoke no pleasantries to the Taoist, his words bordering on outright insult. It wasn't a matter of Ning Beichen's lack of tolerance or pettiness, but rather his utter disdain for hypocritical individuals.
"Venerable Sir, do not preach virtue without experiencing hardship. You do not represent Heaven."
Ning Beichen was blunt and unforgiving.
"Young friend, you are possessed by demons!"
The Taoist was so enraged by Ning Beichen's words that his fury erupted. In his usual life, everyone treated him with respect. He had never been publicly berated by a young man, accused of being less than human.
"Possessed by demons?"
Ning Beichen's brow furrowed. His presence suddenly surged, overwhelming the Taoist, and with a raised hand, he slapped the man across the face.
"Am I possessed now?"
Ning Beichen inquired.
"You..."
The Taoist had only managed to utter "You." Ning Beichen then slapped him on the other cheek and asked again.
"Who is possessed?"
The Grandmaster Taoist, stunned by Ning Beichen's two blows, forgot all notions of facing death bravely. Now, all he felt was the urge to flee. Any fool could see he had stumbled upon a formidable opponent. What bewildered him even more was the fact that he was a Grandmaster! The pinnacle of human martial prowess! Yet, he was being utterly bested by a mere youth. Was this young man not a youth at all, but an ancient monster?
"Senior, please quell your anger."
The Taoist quickly conceded, abandoning any pretense of pride. Pride was his own, and whether others respected it was a separate matter. In the presence of this man, he couldn't even muster a counterattack. What was his dignity worth then?
"Who is possessed?"
Ning Beichen pressed him.
"Senior, senior, it is I who am possessed."
The Taoist replied hastily, not even considering resistance.
"You are possessed, so must I then exorcise the demon?"
Ning Beichen raised his hand again.
"Wait, senior, please wait. I am not, I am not possessed."
The Taoist immediately recanted.
"Your words are incoherent, your actions thoughtless. With your level of understanding, you dare to meddle and claim to represent Heaven? It would be best if you spent less time on the mountain causing trouble."
Ning Beichen scoffed, then turned and walked past the Taoist. The Taoist stood there, utterly bewildered, his mind reeling.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I doing?
This can't be right!
I am a Taoist of Grandmaster cultivation!
Yet, I was struck.
And struck twice.
Chengde, in a daze, returned to the Taoist temple without realizing when he had left the street.
"What's wrong with Uncle-Master Chengde? Ever since he returned from the mountain, he's shut himself in the Ancestor Hall and refuses to come out."
"I don't know. Uncle-Master Chengde looked quite troubled when he came back."
Outside the Ancestor Hall, several Taoists whispered amongst themselves. Meanwhile, Chengde knelt before the statue of the patriarch, head bowed in penance. Ning Beichen's two slaps had not only shattered his pride but also his spirit.
"Patriarch, was I truly wrong?"
Alas, within the Ancestor Hall, besides the gentle scent of incense, there was no one to answer him. Suddenly, Chengde, kneeling on the ground, began to tremble violently. His face contorted, and heavy shadows swirled around him like black smoke. The black smoke emanated from behind Chengde, appearing like a person, a ghost, a demon, or a monster, flickering and overlapping. Chengde's face was beaded with sweat.
At that moment, a multi-colored light descended from the patriarch's statue within the Ancestor Hall, bathing Chengde and dispelling the dark shadows behind him. Chengde let out a muffled groan and collapsed onto the ground. His Taoist robe was soaked through, and even his hair was dripping with sweat. He had nearly succumbed to demonic possession, but fortunately, the patriarch's statue had intervened. Although he had not fallen into possession, he had developed a mental obstacle, a heart demon, which stemmed from Ning Beichen.
"Uncle-Master Chengde, are you alright?"
At this point, shouts from numerous disciples echoed from outside the Ancestor Hall. Chengde stood up and walked out, addressing the crowd. "What could be wrong with me? Everyone, disperse." Seeing that Uncle-Master Chengde appeared unharmed, the disciples outside bowed and departed one by one. They had no idea that their most powerful Uncle-Master in the temple had, not long ago, been slapped twice, disciplined, and nearly fallen into demonic possession.
After the disciples left, Chengde remained unsettled. He hesitated for a moment before rushing out of the Taoist temple. Not long after, Chengde found himself in an ancient wooden pavilion.
A cup of hot tea grew cold as the Taoist opposite Chengde slowly set down his teacup.
"Chengde, you're saying that in the presence of that young man, you were so suppressed that you couldn't even make a move, and it caused you to develop a heart demon?"
Chengde nodded. Although the matter was embarrassing, he had to admit it.
"Daoist Master Xuan Ye, was I wrong?"
"Right and wrong are matters of the heart. If you believe you were not wrong, then you were not wrong. Why bother dwelling on it?" Daoist Master Xuan Ye said to Chengde.
"If I were not wrong, why would I have fallen into possession? Ultimately, I still feel I was wrong." Chengde looked down at the now cold tea and said.
"Chengde, your cultivation is profound, your will is steadfast, and you are an elder of Taiyi Xuandao. Setting aside right and wrong for a moment, how can there be such a powerful young person in this world?" Daoist Master Xuan Ye remarked.
"This is what perplexes me the most. I always believed my cultivation and abilities were unmatched in this world. Even if I couldn't defeat them, I wouldn't be so utterly incapable of resistance."
"But a young man who suddenly appeared dealt me two resounding slaps, awakening me to my own arrogance, pride, and limited perspective." Chengde sighed.
"Do you know who this young man is?" Xuan Ye also felt immense curiosity about Ning Beichen.
"No, I only investigated and found that he is staying at a hotel in a small town at the foot of Mount Hua. He is likely just a tourist." Chengde replied.
"Could he have returned from that place?" Xuan Ye suddenly said.
Chengde froze, then after a moment, replied, "I have the same suspicion. You know, the highest cultivation here is Grandmaster. Even if that young man were a Great Grandmaster, he couldn't have suppressed me to the point where I couldn't even move. That's why I came to consult you."
Xuan Ye took a deep breath, replaced the cold tea with hot water, and then asked, "If he truly returned from that place, then this is problematic. Wasn't it said that those who return from that place are restricted? He struck you; wasn't he afraid..."
"This is also something I cannot understand. Therefore, I am more inclined to believe he is not from that place. Perhaps his cultivation has reached the Great Grandmaster level, or he possesses other means," Chengde said.