Chapter 353 - 353 342 Immortal Dream

Words : 1420 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

353: Chapter 342: Immortal Dream 353: Chapter 342: Immortal Dream The child’s smile was simply too brilliant for the Taoist priest to ignore. It became even brighter as he bowed towards Ms. Qian’s hand and reached for Manbao’s head, smiling as he asked, “Ms. Qian has come with her devotion. It has been half a year since we last met. Manbao has grown much taller, and her complexion is rosy and healthy.” Upon hearing this, Ms. Qian immediately beamed with joy, “Yes, I’ve brought her to the mountain to fulfill our vow. Not only has she gotten much healthier, but I also feel much better this year.” Ms. Qian said, “Apart from that, we have also come to ask the Abbot for an interpretation of a dream.” The Taoist priest glanced at the basket in Ms. Qian’s hands and thoughtfully said, “Abbot Shouqing is in seclusion. Ms. Qian will have to wait a moment. Why not first pay respects to Daode Tianzun with the young devotee?” Ms. Qian naturally had no objections. She placed the basket aside, took Manbao’s hand, and they knelt down on the straw mats, bowing respectfully to the clay figure of Taishang Laojun. Ms. Qian’s piety was unmatchable, and so was Manbao’s. Ever since she understood the concept of worship, she would bow to Heaven Master — in the temple, at home, and sometimes even at the village entrance. She would bow when she was sick, when she couldn’t eat, when she couldn’t sleep, and even if she had a nightmare at night. She had become very skilled in paying respects to Heaven Master. Even her every wish was always the same, words that Ms. Qian had crafted for her when she was still in diapers. Manbao had grown so accustomed to them that she thought it was the only wish one could make. Thus, she bowed with great reverence and said in her heart to Heaven Master, “I pray for Heaven Master’s blessing for Manbao to live peacefully and in good health, and for a smooth life.” Manbao bowed her head three times and saw that her mother still had her eyes closed, so she didn’t hesitate to bow a few more times to Heaven Master, until Ms. Qian had finished making her wish and rose from her bow. Manbao quickly scrambled up alongside her. The Taoist priest stood to one side, watching them with a smile. Once they had made their wishes, he led them to the back courtyard. Calling it a back courtyard was a bit of a misnomer; it was actually where the Taoist priests lived, located in the third courtyard. The Abbot Shouqing, who was supposedly in seclusion, had just come down from the back mountain carrying two bundles of firewood. Throwing the wood in a corner of the courtyard, he immediately went to wash his face and hands and change his clothes. When he reemerged, he was once again the celestial-looking Abbot. Ms. Qian wasn’t surprised; she was used to it and sat with Manbao in the courtyard to wait. After placing the handcart in position, Zhou Sanlang stood behind his mother, looking around curiously. Apart from during temple fairs, he rarely visited the Taoist temple. And at each year’s temple fair, they at most visited the first hall to burn incense and occasionally wandered to the second hall. They would never come to the third courtyard, the living area of the priests. Therefore, he was unfamiliar with this place. Abbot Shouqing arrived in a manner as light as the breeze. Ms. Qian quickly pulled Manbao to greet him, then pushed Manbao forward and said with a smile, “Abbot, look at our Manbao. How is her fortune this year?” Abbot Shouqing squinted at Manbao, reached out to touch her small hand, and said with a light smile to Ms. Qian, “Not bad. This child is much healthier than before. Ms. Qian can rest assured.” Ms. Qian truly breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, “The Abbot previously mentioned that seven was a critical age for Manbao. If she passed the age of seven, her life would go smoothly. I didn’t believe it at the time, but now it seems it’s true.” Abbot Shouqing smiled, but his mind was racing. He was puzzled; had he said such a thing? It didn’t sound like something he would say. How could he have pinpointed the age of seven? “Today, besides asking the Abbot to look at my little girl, I’ve also had a strange dream recently...” Abbot Shouqing’s spirits lifted; interpreting dreams was his specialty. He said with a smile, “Please, tell me about it.” “I’ve had this dream for several nights in a row, starting the night of the Double Ninth...” Ms. Qian’s fingers trembled lightly as she clutched the hem of her clothes, but her face wore a reflective expression, “In the dream, it was all white, and I don’t remember it clearly. It seemed like a god-like figure told me my time had come and that I should go with him. Not long after, another benevolent old man said that I had raised an immortal, and my toil was appreciated, so I was granted a few more years of life...” Abbot Shouqing maintained his usual calm expression but couldn’t help glancing at Ms. Qian’s fingertips, pondering. Zhou Sanlang’s eyes widened while Manbao sat beside, listening intently. When her mother finished speaking, she repeatedly urged, “What happened next? What happened next?” Ms. Qian looked down at her with pity, stroked her small head, and said, “After that, my health fluctuated; sometimes good, sometimes not. Have you forgotten? Recently, I caught a chill, coughed violently, and hardly left the bed. But yesterday, for some reason, my appetite returned, and I ate several pancakes without coughing much.” Abbot Shouqing had been listening casually up to this point, but now he turned serious and extended his hand, “Ms. Qian, let me see your hand.” Ms. Qian pulled up a smile and stretched out her right hand. Abbot Shouqing had already noticed her nervousness and initially assumed she was lying, but now he was uncertain. He reached out and felt Ms. Qian’s pulse. Indeed, Abbot Shouqing knew pulse diagnosis. As a Taoist priest, how could he not possess some medical skills? The Taoist priests of the temple were the main competitors of the local doctors. What the devotees sought from the mountain were wealth, health, and children. The former was no challenge for the eloquent Taoist priests. In most cases, followers who donated rice, eggs, and chickens left satisfied, regardless if the outcome was good or bad. The latter two related to the body. Since health was the concern, it was natural that they needed to know inspection, listening, inquiring, and palpation techniques, and understand some pharmacology. The Taoist priests often went herb-picking in the mountains and sometimes gave away medicine to devotees. With so many followers, why was Ms. Qian respected as a devotee by the priests? Because she was one of the most devout believers within ten miles, devout not only when praying to Laojun on the mountain but also at home. Six years ago, however, she was just like most villagers who would only visit the temple during fairs or when they had troubles. She became the temple’s most devout believer six years ago when she visited the temple with a large amount of copper coins, a basket of rice, and eggs, praying for Manbao’s life. The prescription given to Manbao back then was the most suitable one that Abbot Shouqing and the local doctor derived by modifying a formula from the county doctor. Even the idea of drinking an egg in water every day was conceived by both Abbot Shouqing and the local doctor. After Manbao successfully survived past infancy, Ms. Qian requested a portrait of Taishang Laojun from the temple, which she hung in her room for daily worship. Therefore, Abbot Shouqing was not only familiar with Manbao’s pulse but also with Ms. Qian’s. After all, as the most devout believer in the region, she deserved some special treatment. Every year, Abbot Shouqing would check her pulse to review her health. So when he felt her pulse, he immediately noticed something was off. He looked up at Ms. Qian in astonishment, carefully observing her complexion. Indeed, beneath her waxen face, there seemed to be a slight improvement in her color.

Chapter 353 - 353 342 Immortal Dream

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