Chapter 0290: Virtuous Fish Immortal Master’s Deception Gradually Begins

Zheng Residence.

“Husband…”

By the pavilion lake in the eastern courtyard, a delicate-featured woman with gentle demeanor leaned against her husband’s chest, appearing somewhat despondent. Listlessly scattering fish food, she suddenly noticed something and abruptly threw the bronze bowl full of fish food into the lake. The sudden action sent the koi carp splashing and scrambling for the food, creating white sprays across the water surface.

“Mr. Zheng! The carp in this lake have spawned multiple times! Yet your own offspring remain nowhere to be seen!”

Zheng Xian, who had been holding her while feeding the fish together, shuddered immediately and coaxed meekly, “My dear wife, it’s all your husband’s fault. Please don’t be angry.”

For some unknown reason, his originally gentle and amiable childhood sweetheart wife had become extremely irritable these past few days. She would even scold him for being less productive than sprouting willow trees. Zheng Xian dared not retort, as both of them were in perfect health. If they couldn’t conceive, it truly must be either his inability to sow seeds or not sowing enough of them.

“Shall we try again?” Zheng Xian held his wife’s small hand, his eyes filled with anticipation.

“No!” The woman pushed him away irritably and descended the pavilion steps. “My monthly courses are coming soon. It hurts.”

Zheng Xian could only follow her dejectedly. He had specifically postponed business matters to accompany his distressed wife for relaxation, only to end up angering her further. He was at a complete loss about what to do.

Walking one after another, they passed by some artificial rockeries when they suddenly overheard maids chatting.

“Hey, have you heard? A preaching immortal master has arrived at Shengliu Lane! By joining his sect, not only can you behold the immortal master’s venerable presence, but you also get opportunities to ward off misfortune, seek blessings, and inquire about the Dao!”

“Really? How does one join? What counts as an opportunity?”

“Just contribute two salted fish to join. I heard that if you recruit two hundred members or donate sufficient incense money, you can seek guidance from the immortal master. Ah, I can’t remember clearly. If you’re interested, you can go ask at Xian Ju.”

Suddenly, one maid spoke up, “Oh! If I recruit two hundred people, could I ask when our mistress might conceive?”

Her face full of worry, she continued, “The mistress has been so unhappy about this matter. It truly pains me to see.”

“But you can’t leave the residence. How could you recruit two hundred people?” another maid immediately questioned.

The first maid hung her head in dismay. “Sigh… It’s all my incompetence… I can’t have the immortal master pray for our mistress to bear children.”

Ahem!

A man’s cough interrupted their conversation. The maids turned and, recognizing Zheng Xian, immediately jumped up and bowed. “Yo-Young Master! We weren’t slacking off! We’ve finished all our tasks!”

“Hmm,” Zheng Xian glanced at his wife, then asked the maid who called herself incompetent, “This immortal master you mentioned – is he effective?”

The maids exchanged looks before the one who spoke first stepped forward. “We don’t know about effectiveness, but we heard even the prefect shows him great respect, visiting his residence continuously these days.”

“Hmm…” Zheng Xian rubbed his chin and glanced at his wife. “Shall we go take a look?”

The woman snorted coldly, clearly unenthused. “We’ve seen so many already, and they’re all frauds.”

“Come on, let’s go. We can stop by the gold shop over there and get you some new jewelry,” Zheng Xian tempted her.

Only then did the woman show a slight smile. “Husband, it’s not that I want gold jewelry—I want us to have a child.”

Zheng Xian: “Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.”

Waving the maids away, Zheng Xian carefully supported his wife, preparing to fetch some silver and banknotes to donate as incense money. He didn’t notice at all that among the departing maids, a few were exchanging meaningful glances, their eyes filled with the joy of a mission accomplished.

…

“Is this Xian Ju?”

After stepping down from the carriage, Zheng Xian looked up at the entrance of Xian Ju and saw many commoners standing in front, holding two-catties of salted fish each, queuing up to register and join the sect.

Some were bringing others in, asking the recording minor immortal official to add a mark next to their names before happily heading out to recruit more people.

He approached the minor immortal official to ask if he could directly meet the immortal elder, only to have the minor official look up and give him a faint glance, saying, “Please wait in line, no cutting.”

Zheng Xian, quick-witted, offered the incense money.

The minor immortal official glanced again but didn’t take it, pointing to another side instead. “Those donating incense money, go over there.”

Zheng Xian looked back and saw a small door had indeed been opened there. He then turned back to the carriage and helped his wife down.

Once inside Xian Ju, someone took the silver and guided them. The courtyard was neither large nor small, and soon Zheng Xian met the legendary immortal elder.

The immortal elder sat upright in the center of the pavilion over the lake. Because he wore a veiled hat, his true appearance was hard to discern, but it felt as though even the sunlight favored him—reflecting off the white gauze and the hat, it shimmered with a dazzling white light, full of divinity.

He did seem to have some skill.

“Patrons, this way, please.”

The guide pushed open a door and gestured for the two to enter. Stepping inside, Zheng Xian saw a middle-aged man, around forty years old, with a beard and dressed like a Daoist priest, sitting on a cushion. He had a mystical air about him.

Upon seeing Zheng Xian and his wife, the Daoist priest slightly raised his hand, signaling them to sit.

Then, stroking his beard, he said, “You two patrons have come to Xian Ju, surely to seek a child?”

Zheng Xian didn’t find this miraculous. His wife had been infertile for a year, and they had visited several Daoist temples—many people knew about it. So, he simply nodded calmly in response.

The Daoist priest didn’t seem offended either. He pretentiously asked for their birth dates, lit incense, muttered something under his breath, and finally took a divination stick container from a nearby table. After shaking it a few times, a stick fell out.

He handed the stick to Zheng Xian. “This is an excellent omen, a sign of great fortune, indicating that your wishes will surely be fulfilled.”

Zheng Xian, however, was not entirely satisfied with this outcome. “After drawing a lot, isn’t it customary to interpret it? How about our lot’s meaning?”

The Daoist priest glanced at him. “Seeing your favorable countenance, and considering it fate, if you two patrons are willing to donate twenty taels of incense money, this humble Daoist can introduce you to the immortal elder, who will personally interpret your lot and bestow blessings.”

Only twenty taels?

Zheng Xian was somewhat skeptical of the Daoist priest and the immortal elder’s abilities, but since the price was cheap, he thought he might as well give it a try.

“However…” the Daoist priest drew out his words, “Bestowing blessings requires sincere devotion. Sincere devotion brings efficacy, spreading goodness ensures longevity. If the immortal master grants your wish through his blessing, you must widely disseminate the illustrious name of the immortal master among all living beings, so that your descendants may flourish for generations.”

Zheng Xian understood – this meant that if the immortal master successfully bestowed them with offspring, they should introduce the immortal master to others.

Being a merchant, he naturally knew that both the Daoist temple and the immortal master relied on incense offerings for support. Therefore, he saw nothing wrong with this arrangement and respectfully replied, “Then I shall trouble you, Daoist priest, to make the introduction.”

The Daoist priest stroked his beard and stood up, leading the two to the lakeside pavilion where the immortal master was meditating.

As they drew closer, Zheng Xian finally caught sight of the immortal master’s true appearance. With just one glance, both he and his wife felt their hearts pounding wildly. They had likely never witnessed such breathtaking beauty before – so unreal it seemed both near at hand and yet distant as the horizon.

If immortals truly existed in this world, they must surely possess such extraordinary grace!