Zhao Lin was slightly startled, thinking that this Taoist priest could call out his name as soon as they met. It was very likely that Huang and Lu had revealed his appearance to him in advance, so he replied: "I'm here to ask for advice." What do you call him?"
The middle-aged Taoist priest waved his hand casually and said: "You're welcome, my surname is Xun. How many years older than you are, just call me senior brother."
He said and walked toward the door, "Junior brother, please take a look and rest first. There are still people who haven't arrived yet. It is estimated that we will leave in a day or two."
Zhao Lin nodded, "But it depends on senior brother's arrangement."
While talking, the two of them walked into the temple. Although the Taoist temple looked dilapidated from the outside, it was clean, tidy, quiet and elegant inside.
There is an incense burner at the entrance, and a statue of a god in the main hall. Perhaps because of the age, the face is a little blurry.
Passing through the main hall, you come to a row of green brick and gray tiles.
Senior Brother Xun pointed at the dormitory and said, "The first three rooms and the last one are occupied. Junior Brother, you can choose any of the vacant rooms to live in. The house is humble and simple, so don't mind."
Zhao Lin thanked him: "Senior Brother Xun, you're welcome."
At this time, a little head stuck out from the window of the first waiting room and said in surprise: "There is a newcomer!"
The owner of the head was a round-faced boy with two horns on his head. He still had a childlike look on his face. He yelled and then turned back.
Then the man ran out of the house quickly and came to Zhao Lin, looking up and down curiously.
The doors of the second and third rooms also opened one after another, and two slightly older teenagers walked out.
Seeing these three and a half young men, Zhao Lin finally understood why Senior Brother Xun could recognize him at a glance.
The three of them are all in their teens, with the round-faced boy being the youngest, looking to be only eleven or twelve years old, and the other two looking to be only fifteen or sixteen years old.
Compared with them, regardless of age or figure, I stand out from the crowd.
With a "squeak", the door to the last room opened, and a girl walked out. Her eyes were red and swollen, and she looked like she had just cried.
Senior Brother Xun said with a smile: "These few are the new disciples of the sect just like you. In the words of scholars, they are of the same year, so you should get closer and closer. I will go and guard the front, lest anyone comes and misses me."
After he finished speaking, he walked out, leaving Zhao Lin and the four boys and girls staring at each other.
The round-faced boy didn't recognize him, raised his head and asked Zhao Lin: "Uncle, are you going to practice Taoism too?"
Uncle?
Hearing this unfamiliar title, Zhao Lin was stunned for a moment, and then he felt dumbfounded.
The young man who just walked out of the second room was fair-skinned and handsome. He almost jumped up when he heard this and shouted: "Zhu Cong, you are so ignorant. How can you call uncle among monks? You should be called senior brother!"
The round-faced boy quickly changed his words: "Senior...Senior brother, what's your name?"
Zhao Lin didn't take it seriously, but felt it was a bit childlike. Besides, because of his martial arts practice, he looked like he was in his early twenties, but his actual age was already thirty-one.
If you think about it seriously, calling yourself uncle is not an exaggeration at all.
He smiled and said: "My name is Zhao Lin. Like you, I also went to Chenghua Sect to practice Taoism."
The round-faced boy asked curiously: "Why are you so old? Is it because the monks stationed here never noticed you?"
People with spiritual roots can usually show it after they are ten years old, and usually no more than eighteen years old at the latest. Zhao Lin heard Huang Zhuosong mention this and naturally understood what the round-faced boy meant.
He shook his head slightly, "It's because my spiritual roots appeared late, no wonder the monks stationed there."
"Then what level of spiritual root do you have and what attributes do you have?" the round-faced boy then asked.
Zhao Lin smiled slightly, but did not answer, "When you ask me about the spiritual root level, you have to tell me your own first, right? By the way, what are your names and where are you from?"
"My name is Zhu Cong..."
"My name is He Shaoqun..."
Two teenagers rushed to introduce themselves.
The round-faced boy is named Zhu Cong. He is only twelve years old this year. He has a middle-grade spiritual root and has two attributes: water and wood.
He Shaoqun is three years older than Zhu Cong, has a low-grade spiritual root, and has both metal and wood attributes.
The young man who came out of the third room had a dull expression and was a little timid. Under Zhao Lin's gaze, he struggled to speak: "My name is Li Sancai. I have a low-grade spiritual root, water...fire and earth."
The girl was the last one to introduce herself. Her surname was Bai, and her single character was "he". She had a medium-grade spiritual root, a single-attribute wind spiritual root.
"Two middle-grade, two low-grade... It seems that what Huang Zhuosong and Lu Qing said is true. The spiritual roots of most monks are in the upper, middle and lower grades."
With a thought in his mind, Zhao Lin glanced at everyone, "Senior brother, I have a middle-grade spiritual root, but my spiritual root appeared too late and I am not as good as all the young talents."
He casually introduced the topic and ignored the matter of spiritual root attributes.
Several teenagers all cast sympathetic glances at Zhao Lin. Although they did not understand Taoism, they also knew that no matter what they learn, the sooner the better.
Bai He consoled him: "Senior brother is only a few years older than us. I heard from the stationed monks that the most important thing in cultivating is persistence. As long as you have perseverance, it's okay to be late."
He Shaoqun also said: "We are lucky enough to be able to develop spiritual roots."
Zhao Lin laughed loudly, patted his chest and said: "Don't worry, senior brother, although I am old, I will always be strong, and I will rather grow old!"
This sentence made several people laugh, and even Li Sancai, who had always been expressionless, grinned.
Everyone present, except Zhao Lin, was traveling far away for the first time, and unconsciously wanted to talk to others and find comfort.
Zhao Lin was well versed in the ways of the world, and he quickly enlivened the atmosphere, and everyone gradually became familiar with him.
After chatting for a while, Zhao Lin suddenly remembered something and asked: "You are not very old and you went to Xuanyuan Continent to practice Taoism. Do your family members know?"
"Know!"
Zhu Cong was the first to answer, "My parents couldn't bear to leave me, so they decided to go there with me."
Zhao Lin glanced into the room and asked, "Where are they?"
Zhu Cong said: "The resident monk said that the family members and disciples took separate boats and were picked up two days ago." After speaking, he lowered his head and rubbed his eyes sadly.
"I only brought my mother."
He Shaoqun hesitated for a moment before telling his story.
He came from a wealthy family. His father had one wife and three concubines, while his mother was just a maid. Both mother and son were not welcomed at home.
So when he learned that he had spiritual roots and could practice Taoism, he decided without hesitation to take his mother away from the family and leave without saying goodbye, leaving only a letter.
Bai He's situation is a little different. His father is a high-ranking official in the city. One of his two brothers is the owner of a martial arts gym, and the other is a wealthy businessman.
Although his parents agreed with him to cultivate immortality, they were reluctant to part with their huge family fortune and were unwilling to go to Xuanyuan Continent with her, so they could only come here alone.
Zhao Lin thought for a while and asked, "Then your parents know about your cultivation of immortality?"
Bai He nodded, then shook his head, "The stationed monks told the whole story. They didn't agree, so the Taoist priest cast a spell to erase their memories for two hours."
There is also a spell to erase memories?
Zhao Lin was secretly surprised.
(End of chapter)
