On the official road from Lin'an to Jiaxing, the sound of gongs rang out, a group of soldiers in bright uniforms and angry horses, holding "avoidance" wooden plaques, marched forward slowly.

  Behind the soldiers was a bright red sedan chair carried by eight men.

  Suddenly, the shaft of the sedan chair snapped and fell to the ground with a "crack" sound, and a dull noise came from inside the sedan chair.

  The soldiers were suddenly shocked and cried out: "Sir!"

  A guard hastily lifted the curtain of the sedan chair, and saw an old man with white hair and a pale face leaning crookedly inside.

  This man is Zhang Jun, the imperial envoy sent by the court.

  "Are you alright, sir?" the guard shouted.

  Zhang Jun's face turned gloomy and he shouted: "What are you staring at? Hurry up and help me get up!"

  The guards hastily supported Zhang Jun and walked out of Jiaozi. All the soldiers and the terrified sedan chair bearers knelt on the ground.

  Zhang Jun's face turned gloomy as he glared at the eight sedan bearers and shouted: "What happened? Why did the sedan fall for no reason?"

  One of the sedan bearers trembled and said: "Your Honor, we also don't know why it fell!"

  "Hmph!"

  Zhang Jun let out a cold snort and looked at the sedan chair, only to find that both poles were cut off at the root, with smooth cuts, as if they had been chopped off by a sharp blade. He suddenly became furious, thinking that someone was trying to harm him, which was absolutely unforgivable.

  Zhang Jun glared at the eight sedan bearers and shouted: "What great audacity, it's clear that you're plotting something sinister and trying to harm me!"

  "Bring people over and beat them to death with sticks!"

  "Spare my life!"

  Eight sedan bearers rushed to shout for mercy to Zhang Jun.

  "Daring to harm an old man like me, a crime punishable by death, beat him to death with sticks!"

  Zhang Jun shouted again, and the soldiers did not dare to slack off, quickly getting up to execute the order.

  Hahaha

  Just then, a loud laugh burst forth, followed by the sound of generous singing: Watching chess in the red dust, ordinary and mundane, clouds and mist at the edge of the sky, carefree and drunk, laughing with joy, the blue sky is clear, drinking dew under the moon, waking up to a new dawn, recognizing old friends, ascending to heaven and treading on stars, holding an axe to transform heaven and earth, starting from the Three Purities, Nüwa created human relationships, people expanded and cut off teachings, adding more Western teachings, although the West is prosperous, it's not as vast as the Tao, descending into the mortal world, saving those with affinity, meeting in a place, either an immortal or a Daoist, quietly waiting to enter my gate.

  The singing ended, a Taoist priest wearing a Taoist robe, with his hair tied up in a bun and a long white beard flowing down, holding a feather duster, with an elegant and refined demeanor, walked slowly out of the forest with a young Taoist boy who had red lips and white teeth and a face full of innocence.

  "Protect the adults!"

  Seeing the two men, Zhang Jun's guard shouted loudly and, along with the other soldiers, drew their swords and surrounded Zhang Jun.

  "Master, why are these people staring at us?"

  The little Taoist boy looked at everyone and asked the old Taoist priest innocently.

  The old man smiled faintly and said, "Ordinary people all come for profit, but they don't know that after a hundred years their bodies will turn to yellow earth and their souls will return to the nine hells, reincarnating as beasts in the next life. Only by entering my sect can one attain eternal life."

  Upon hearing this, the Taoist youth asked again: "Master, can I attain eternal life?"

  The old Taoist laughed and said: "You ask such foolish questions. Once you enter my sect, cultivate longevity, and in the future, you will not die or perish, sharing the same fate as heaven and earth!"

  "Thank you, Master!"

  The little Taoist shouted excitedly and glanced at the crowd with disdain.

  "Get out!"

  At this time, Zhang Jun shouted at the guards beside him.

  "Yes!"

  The soldiers parted and stood behind Zhang Jun, still holding their knives, vigilantly watching the two Taoist priests.

  "Please stay for a while!"

  Just as the two Taoists were about to leave, Zhang Jun suddenly shouted.

  The old Taoist twirled his whiskers and looked at Zhang Jun, asking: "This official, what business does he have with me?"

  Zhang Jun cupped his hands and asked: "I don't know where Chang Xian is going?"

  The old man said: "From where one comes, to where one goes, I am the heavenly mechanism, cultivating immortality in the southern mountains."

  Upon hearing this, Zhang Jun was suddenly shocked and hastily knelt down to the ground: "It turns out it's the old immortal, I wonder if the old immortal can enlighten his disciple?"

  The old Taoist nodded and said: "Since we've met, it's fate. If you have something to ask, go ahead."

  Upon hearing this, Zhang Jun was overjoyed and ordered: "Bring a table and chairs, invite the old immortal to take a seat!"

  The soldiers quickly set up a table under the shade of trees, with tea and refreshments on it.

  Zhang Jun invited the old Taoist priest to sit down, waved away the guards who wanted to pour tea, and personally poured tea for the old Taoist priest and the little Taoist boy.

  "I heard that the Taoist priest's song just now was surely sung by a highly accomplished person who has attained the Tao?"

  Zhang Jun pushed the tea in front of the old Taoist priest and asked.

  Hehe

  The old Taoist smiled and said: "I am just cultivating Taoism to gain immortality."

  "Long life?"

  Upon hearing this, Zhang Jun was slightly stirred up.

  "How old is Mr. Chang this year?"

  The old man counted on his fingers and sighed, "What's your age? I've forgotten, but I remember that it was during the Tianbao years that I entered Zhongnan Mountain to practice Taoist techniques, without keeping track of the years."

  Upon hearing this, Zhang Jun's hands trembled: "That means to say that Laozi is already over 400 years old this year?"

  The old Taoist twirled his whiskers and smiled: "It's been so long, I've actually forgotten."

  Hearing the old Taoist's admission, Zhang Jun became even more convinced that the old man was a highly accomplished person.

  "Master Dao, may I ask you to take a look at my fortune?"

  Zhang Jun looked at the old Taoist priest eagerly.

  The old Taoist looked at Zhang Jun, a flash of insight in his eyes, and then shook his head: "This official's career is smooth sailing, and he will soon rise to an even higher position. However, your forehead is dark, evil diseases are lurking within you, every night you wake up from nightmares, and your whole body is drenched in cold sweat. I fear that your life won't last long."

  "How bold!"

  After hearing the old Taoist's words, Zhang Jun's guards suddenly let out a loud shout.

  "Get out!"

  Zhang Jun rebuked the guard in a loud voice, then smiled apologetically at the old Taoist and said: "The servant doesn't understand the situation, please forgive him, Master!"

  The old Taoist laughed and said: "No matter, cicada shell, how can it shake the blue sky?"

  Zhang Jun asked the old Taoist priest in a serious tone: "How did you know that I was plagued by evil diseases and had nightmares one after another?"

  The old Taoist revealed a profound and mysterious smile, saying: "Heavenly secrets must not be divulged."

  Upon hearing this, Zhang Jun immediately knelt down in front of the old Taoist priest and begged: "Please, Master, save me!"

  The old Taoist sighed, "As the saying goes, if you don't do anything shameful, you won't be afraid of ghosts knocking on your door. Heart disease requires heart medicine to cure it. If you want to eliminate evil diseases and nightmares, you must take action to make up for past mistakes."

  "Also, one must do many good deeds in order to eliminate all illnesses."

  Zhang Jun thought for a moment and said, "Please, Master Dao, speak clearly."

  The old Taoist twirled his whiskers and said, "I've heard that the Yue family is a gate of loyal martyrs, yet they bear unjust grievances. Moreover, there are refugees from Jiaxing everywhere, but the governor does nothing."

  "If the imperial court can resolve these two matters and combine them with my Taoist health preservation skills, I will certainly live a longer life, and living to be eighty years old is not out of the question."

  Zhang Jun was overjoyed and said to the old Taoist priest: "Please teach me!"

  The old Taoist nodded and stood up, walking towards the depths of the forest: "Follow me!"

  Zhang Jun stood up and shouted at the soldiers: "You stay here, don't leave!"

  Zhang Jun finished speaking and hastily chased into the forest.