My Master is the Real Boss – Chapter 102

Chapter 102: Master’s Instructions

Supporting the seemingly injured Gao Yu’an, Xiang Jiannan entered Ping’an Temple, his gaze fixed on the stinky ditch as he closed the door.

If the talisman paper hadn’t fallen in time, those dark, gooey liquids would have surely flowed back into the stinky ditch. He glanced at the gourd in his hand, then gently closed the temple gate.

He had never thought his Master would get injured. This old Taoist priest was forcing him to be extra careful, not daring to close the two wooden doors of the temple too forcefully.

These two wooden doors looked about as old as his Master, dilapidated and covered in patches of decay.

“Don’t rush, I have something to tell you,” Gao Yu’an said.

After helping Gao Yu’an to sit down in his room, Xiang Jiannan turned to pick up a wooden basin, intending to fetch some clean water from the courtyard.

He wanted his Master to wash up, and also to continue the conversation they had started earlier.

The talisman paper and incantation were still not in his hands. Having only the gourd seemed rather useless.

The events just now had further solidified his earlier speculation. This gourd had to have a matching talisman paper. The two complemented each other and were both indispensable components.

“Is your hand alright?”

Seeing his Master sitting cross-legged on the bed, seemingly wanting to say a lot, Xiang Jiannan kept staring at his palm as he sat down.

He couldn’t help but notice. Since entering the temple, the old Taoist had been holding his wrist and groaning every now and then. His open palm didn’t seem to have a single scratch.

This was an injury to the depths of his soul. Judging by his Master’s moans, he seemed particularly weak, even though, from the outside, the old Taoist looked like he was faking it.

At this moment, he needed something from his Master, so even if he didn’t care, he still had to put on a show of concern.

“Do you know why our temple is called Ping’an Temple?” Gao Yu’an asked.

Seeing his disciple just staring blankly at his palm after sitting down, Gao Yu’an groaned a couple more times, then suddenly felt it was pointless.

Emotions were like that. Once they started, they would unconsciously pull a person completely into them.

He wanted Xiang Jiannan to look at his eyes, so he moved his palm, putting on a very pained expression.

He was too deep into the act to pull himself out, but this old Taoist could persevere.

“Disciple doesn’t know,” Xiang Jiannan replied.

Affected by Gao Yu’an’s gaze, Xiang Jiannan’s mind was also constantly considering things as he spoke.

At first, he thought the three characters might be related to Ping’an Town, but after seeing Gao Yu’an’s profound expression, he secretly dismissed that idea.

Ping’an Temple, Ping’an （Peace）, the name of this temple must have a very deep meaning. Judging from the Human Sect’s Daoist principles his Master had mentioned before, there must be a direct relationship between the two. Was it to protect the safety of the local people, thereby achieving a balance between Heaven, Earth, and Man in the local area?

This deep thought led him to think of many things, even the safety of the Great Zhou Dynasty popped into his head.

The more he thought about it, the more profound he felt it was.

“It’s because the place we’re in is called Ping’an Town. It sounds auspicious, there’s no other reason,” Gao Yu’an said.

This one sentence completely stopped Xiang Jiannan’s mental activity. Gao Yu’an’s explanation made the little Taoist thoughtful.

You really couldn’t be too dramatic in life. If his Master had explained it any later, he would have almost made up a great story in his mind.

This reason was indeed natural and just. Although it sounded meaningless, it left him speechless.

“I see,” Xiang Jiannan replied.

Not wanting his Master to see his embarrassment, Xiang Jiannan responded after thinking it over. Ping’an Town, Ping’an Temple, Ping’an Restaurant, the truth was often the first thing you thought of but easily dismissed.

“Then do you know why this place is called Ping’an Town?” Gao Yu’an asked, not planning to let Xiang Jiannan off the hook after one question. He was now full of energy.

He was very satisfied with his way of questioning, layering the questions to sound mysterious, peeling back the layers of the matter without losing interest.

Judging from his disciple’s expression, he liked this method. After he finished speaking, his eyes showed a hint of contemplation.

How would I know such a thing! Who decided on the name? Wasn’t it the big shot in the Capital City?

Ping’an Town, just for good luck.

Thinking about the talisman paper and incantation he hadn’t gotten his hands on yet, Xiang Jiannan could only continue to be patient. He just hoped his Master would finish asking questions quickly. Anyway, he really didn’t know the answer.

Is he trying to play a game with me? The problem is, the name of the county town where Ping’an Town is located doesn’t have the two characters “Ping’an” in it. There’s no way to continue this line of questioning.

“Disciple doesn’t know,” Xiang Jiannan replied.

Having failed to answer two questions in a row, Xiang Jiannan continued to look at his Master, maintaining a humble posture, his eyes conveying only four words: “I’m all ears.”

He wasn’t interested in the origin of a place’s name, but he was already used to his Master’s roundabout way of speaking.

This old Taoist priest was always mysterious when discussing serious matters with him, sometimes like squeezing toothpaste, not saying everything, and the little bit of enthusiasm he had, he didn’t know when it would be rekindled.

“When the Great Zhou Dynasty was first established, this place had long been deserted due to years of war. There was an evil creature here, hindering the High Ancestor’s efforts to govern the country. That evil creature was called Ping’an, and the character ‘镇’ （suppress） was taken from the day that evil creature was subdued,” Gao Yu’an explained.

“Ping’an Town, suppressing Ping’an,” Gao Yu’an said.

Standing up from the bed, Gao Yu’an’s tone became very proud:

“The reason why our Ping’an Temple has been operating in this place for so many years is because we have to do the same thing as the High Ancestor. It is a matter of great importance, and you will understand when the time comes.”

Ping’an Temple, suppressing Ping’an?

Confused by Gao Yu’an’s words, Xiang Jiannan couldn’t help but look down at his feet.

He didn’t know if what his Master was saying was the same as what he was thinking. If this was said a few years ago, no one would have believed it.

The founding emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty and his Master were definitely not from the same era. These things were probably just heard from somewhere.

If what his Master said was true, there was something he really wanted to bring up at this moment.

Although they had indeed eliminated some demons before, if you looked at it closely, Ping’an Temple’s manpower had never been sufficient. Relying only on him and his Master, how much could they really suppress?

They needed to recruit people.

This temple, was it really as mission-driven as his Master said? No, his mind was a bit of a mess.

“These years, Ping’an Town has had good weather and abundant harvests. Now that Chen Jingxuan has passed the imperial exam, there are some things I need you to keep in mind,” Gao Yu’an said.

Not stopping because Xiang Jiannan seemed distracted, Gao Yu’an pointed outside:

“Before the time comes, you must not act rashly. There are things you must do, and things you must not do…”

It was like his Master hadn’t said anything.

Having finally waited for Gao Yu’an to finish speaking, Xiang Jiannan had to swallow back the words “stinky ditch” that were on the tip of his tongue. The “time not yet come” that his Master mentioned included the stinky ditch in front of the gate. Other than Chen Jingxuan and the ditch, everything else was about the importance of Ping’an Temple.

Something might happen in the future. As a Taoist priest of Ping’an Temple, he had to be ready for battle at all times.

Especially regarding Chen Jingxuan’s matters, he had to be mindful. That scholar was now the hope of the entire town. If something happened to him, he had to act without hesitation upon hearing the news.

As for why the Azure Dragon was so fixated on the stinky ditch, it was because he wanted to go against the heavens, vainly trying to achieve his goals through shortcuts. He had to be stopped.