Nightfall

The Taoist Priest without Bottom

Long Qing had been a servant in Zhishou Abbey for a long time. Every day he climbed up to the vine-covered Red Mountain and sent things to the old taoist priests who were in the strange caves. He was extremely exhausted, not only physically but also mentally. He was especially exhausted by the old taoist priest whose waist was cut, who treated him like a dog or a pig, constantly humiliating and torturing him until he gets seriously injured and spits out blood.

Although he was tortured over and over again, his life was not threatened. Throughout all these days Long Qing had guessed that although the old taoist priests in these caves were deformed physically, they clearly knew about his origins and did not dare to really kill him. So he endured the harassment, and sometimes even took the initiative to talk to them.

The taoist priests who were confined to these caves were almost certainly lonely. According to the what he learned from stories in books, if he spoke to them more, he might foster a good relationship with these taoist priests and would naturally gain benefits from them.

This kind of expectation seemed to be childish. So far, apart from questions about things happening in the field of cultivation in recent decades, these taoist priests only mocked at his poor cultivation state or got angry that he still could enter the abbey while being so weak.

Nevertheless, he got some information from these conversations at least. For instance, the surname of the disabled old taoist priest who made him spit out blood and broke one of his ribs for staring at him was Ho. This old taoist priest Ho called himself Halfman Taoist, which was obviously not his real name but self-mockery. In accordance with the generations, he should be the uncle of the hierarch of West-Hill Divine Palace. No wonder he had such an unfathomable state.

With his old clothes floating in the windless air, both of Halfman Taoist’s hands were caught in the fur of a Snowfield Direwolf. His face was as cold as a stone but his eyes were filled with misery and despair. Looking at Long Qing who wiped off the blood and stood up laboriously, he said. “On the first day you came here I had already told you that you were a waste. What right do you have to talk to me? F*ck off.”

Long Qing did not leave the cave silently as he did before, because he heard something different from the words of his predecessor. The old taoist priest was in obvious despair; He knew the despair well so he walked to the wolf leather couch, kneeled down and said, “If I were a waste, the abbey dean wouldn’t allow me to come here, nor would I have the opportunity to meet you.”

Hearing the name of the abbey dean, Halfman Taoist gradually calmed down and looked at Long Qing who was kneeling in front of him. He laughed and said, “But you are indeed a waste.”

“I am a waste now but it doesn’t mean that I will always be.”

Long Qing replied calmly, with a slight bow. His eyes were covered with a pale gray gloss.

“It is indeed unfair to say that you are a waste.”

Halfman Taoist stared at him without emotions and said, “Even though you are humiliated by me every day, you still insist on coming into the cave. This shows that you have a firm will. I can tell from the recovery speed of your injuries that you have a strong body. You have been practicing Gray Eye, trying to find a chance to absorb my skills. Whether you do it by cheating me or by moving me, you are wicked and merciless.”

Hearing this, Long Qing’s body quavered out of shock. He did not expect this old disable taoist priest who was seemingly insane could see through his intents so clearly from the very beginning. Suddenly he felt endless fear and wanted to run away from this splendid but extremely dark cave.