"Welcome, Ancestral Master! Welcome, Ancestral Master!"
As a small bus slowly stopped.
These disciples, dressed in red, quickly walked towards the bus.
They jumped around the bus.
"Attention!"
Wang Xianzhi shouted loudly.
The people who were dancing around the bus immediately stopped and stood straight, their expressions serious, chests puffed out.
"Welcome Ancestral Master home!"
More than forty people shouted loudly, their voices booming.
"Woof woof woof woof woof woof!" General Black Tiger barked ferociously at the bus.
"This scene, if you didn't know better, you'd think they were storming a prison."
Lan Jing covered his ears, walked onto the bus, took out a document, and showed it to the two escorts inside the vehicle.
After showing it to them, Lan Jing got off the bus.
Following behind him was a small old man in swim trunks and flip-flops, slowly exiting the bus door.
The old man had very small eyes, thick lips, and a mouth that looked like it was holding two large sausages.
As he got off the bus, he scratched his backside vigorously.
"Beloved disciple!" The old rascal saw Zhao Yan upon getting off and immediately grinned, revealing a mouth full of black teeth.
He quickened his pace, extending his hand, intending for a big hug.
As the old rascal approached, Zhao Yan quickly dodged to the side, causing him to miss.
Wang Xianzhi stared at the old rascal's appearance, momentarily stunned.
He had heard Zhao Yan mention him, but he hadn't expected him to look like this.
If he hadn't witnessed Zhao Yan's abilities, he might have thought this was just an old beggar.
"Still so mischievous!" The old man pointed at Zhao Yan and said.
"Ancestral Grandfather, please accept this disciple's bow." Wang Xianzhi walked up to the old man and knelt down with a thud, kowtowing.
The disciples behind him immediately knelt on the ground.
Seeing the scene, the old man tilted his head and glanced at Wang Xianzhi.
"You look older than me, who are you calling Ancestral Grandfather?"
"This disciple has entered the sect of Master Zhao Yan. You are her master, so naturally, you are my Ancestral Grandfather."
Zhao Yan nodded from the side. Wang Xianzhi was recognized by the Patriarch, and she couldn't go against the Patriarch's recognition.
The old rascal raised his hand, grabbed Wang Xianzhi's hand, and examined his palm closely.
He put Wang Xianzhi's hand down and then pinched his face, looking him over.
"Yan Yan, you're being foolish! This old man is nothing. He has no talent, and our profession relies on talent and Taoist destiny. He possesses neither."
"Taking on a disciple rashly is of no benefit to us, only harm!"
"You, you are truly foolish!"
Saying this, the old man put on a stern face, ran to the side in anger, and sat down by the flower bed.
Zhao Yan was about to say something, but seeing the old man run off to sit by the flower bed, she shrugged helplessly.
A hint of dejection appeared on Wang Xianzhi's face.
Zhao Yan raised her hand, patted Wang Xianzhi's shoulder, and said, "Don't overthink it."
Wang Xianzhi nodded with a soft hum and walked towards the old man.
Lan Jing shook his head and said, "It seems it will be difficult for Brother Wang to gain Mr. Li's approval."
"Yes, my master's temper is very stubborn. He believes that the Qingfeng Daoist Temple lineage must preserve its excellent heritage. It's true that Wang Xianzhi is older, and his talent is indeed limited, making it difficult for him to gain his approval."
Just as Zhao Yan finished speaking, she was suddenly taken aback.
She saw Wang Xianzhi walking back alongside the old man, chatting and laughing.
They came to Zhao Yan's side, and the old man chuckled, "Disciple, you've truly taken a good disciple."
"Wang Zhi..."
"Ancestral Grandfather, my name is Wang Xianzhi."
"Oh, oh, yes, yes, yes, Wang Xianzhi is a very good disciple. I misjudged just now. This young man's talent is quite good."
Zhao Yan blinked, noticing something tucked into the old man's pocket.
She quickly reached out and took the item from the old man's pocket.
Holding it in her hand, she looked down.
"Ticket for Beautiful Girl Hot Dance..."
"Hey, hey, hey! Disciple, what are you doing? Give it back to me."
The old man quickly snatched it back and put it in his pocket.
"Little Wang, let's hurry and study the hot dance. No, no, let's study the Taoist methods, so your Ancestral Grandfather can get a good look at your Taoist methods."
"Yes, Ancestral Grandfather."
Lan Jing was anxious, as there was important business to attend to. He quickly walked up to the old man and extended his hand.
"Mr. Li, you can't just wander off. We need to take care of the important matters first. I've applied for four days for you from my superiors."
"The sooner you finish your business, the sooner you can be free. You'll have more time to do what you enjoy. Isn't that great?"
The old man stroked his goatee and glanced at Zhao Yan.
Only after Zhao Yan nodded did he step back.
"Tell me, what is it? Get it over with quickly so I can attend to my own affairs."
After saying that, he whispered to Wang Xianzhi, "By the way, Grand-disciple, will this hot dance ticket expire in a few days?"
Wang Xianzhi shook his head.
He then breathed a sigh of relief.
Lan Jing explained the entire situation to him.
"Do you have any photos? Let me see," the old man said.
Lan Jing took out the photos.
The old man examined them carefully for a while, clicked his tongue, and handed the photos back to Lan Jing.
"This skin is made so well, it doesn't seem like a human's work, more like something made by some kind of demon."
"However, demons wouldn't bother stuffing bottles into people's mouths when they're skinning them."
"Stuffing bottles into people's mouths, that seems more like something a human would do."
"It's likely someone used an item imbued with demonic energy to skin the person."
"Only then can the skin be peeled off so completely and cleanly."
After the old man finished speaking, Lan Jing fell into thought.
"According to Mr. Li's meaning?"
The old man rolled his eyes in disdain, "So stupid!"
"What I mean is, it was done by a human, and this human possessed a sharp object covered in demonic energy."
"This kind of thing is extremely rare and difficult to obtain. This person must be acquainted with demons."
Zhao Yan had also considered this possibility.
"Do you know who it is?" Lan Jing asked.
The old man raised his hand and hit Lan Jing hard on the head.
"If I knew, I would have become an immortal long ago! I wouldn't be wasting my time here arguing with you!"
Lan Jing rubbed his head in pain, the force was not small.
"Ancestral Grandfather, Master said we should go to the underworld to find the deceased's soul and bring her back to see who did this," Wang Xianzhi said from the side.
The old man shook his head, "It can't be brought back. The sharp object used for skinning is extraordinary, with very heavy demonic energy. When this thing covers a person, it devours their soul, using the soul to nourish the blade."
"In reality, even if it appears to be going to the underworld, the soul has already been completely absorbed by the demonic blade and turned into nourishment!"
Speaking of this, the old man stroked his goatee, "However, judging by this skinning."
"If there's one instance, there will naturally be a second."
Lan Jing was startled and exclaimed, "Ah! There will be a second instance!"