Heat waves rose from the asphalt road, and the air was filled with a complex mixture of car exhaust, cheap perfume, and unidentifiable cooking fumes. Chen Yuanchu subconsciously lifted the hem of his Daoist robe, trying to avoid the dry heat rising from the ground.
For him, who had grown up deep in the Cangwu Mountains, the oppressive feeling of being wrapped in a forest of reinforced concrete was both strange and intense. The wind in the mountains carried the scent of grass and trees, but here, it seemed to have been sliced countless times by skyscrapers, leaving only dry heat and noise.
"Xuanmo, the qi mechanism in this place is as chaotic as a pot of boiling porridge."
The black cat on his shoulder yawned lazily, its tail brushing past Chen Yuanchu's neck, seemingly indifferent to this assessment.
Chen Yuanchu did not feel irritated by the noisy environment; instead, he looked around with interest. In his eyes, the hurrying pedestrians, the flashing neon signs, and the figures rushing about for their livelihoods were all part of the myriad phenomena of the mortal world. His master often said, 'Enter the world to refine the heart.' Now it seemed that this rolling red dust was indeed much more vivid than the words in the scriptures.
Passing by a shopping mall, the huge glass curtain wall reflected his figure in a blue cloth Daoist robe, forming a wonderful contrast with the plastic models wearing high-end suits in the shop window next door. From time to time, passersby cast strange glances at him, some surprised, some mocking, but Chen Yuanchu looked as usual, as if walking in his own backyard.
"Hello, handsome, would you like to take a look? Our store just opened today, 20% off everything!"
A girl with a face full of sweat enthusiastically handed over a colorful flyer.
Chen Yuanchu stopped, took it with both hands, not to shop, but simply out of curiosity about what kind of spell charms '20% off' and 'Grand Customer Appreciation' were. He read it seriously, brows slightly furrowed, as if studying an obscure Daoist scripture.
The girl was stunned for a moment. Usually, people would either wave their hands to refuse or take it and throw it away; someone staring at the flyer like this was rare. She was just about to start promoting when she saw the young Daoist finish reading and hand the flyer back with both hands, his eyes clear and gentle.
"Thank you, this poor Daoist has no use for it for the time being."
The calmness and politeness exuding from his bones made the girl forget to speak for a moment. She only felt that the dry heat accumulated in her heart due to the high temperature and work pressure had strangely dissipated a lot.
Bidding farewell to the flyer girl, Chen Yuanchu continued to move forward following the navigation. The sights and sounds along the way made him look forward to the upcoming school life a bit more. A place like a school, gathering the vitality and spirit of countless youths, was bound to be a different scene.
Just as he was thinking, the phone in his pocket suddenly rang.
Because he rarely had contact with anyone, Chen Yuanchu froze for a few seconds before realizing it was his phone. An unfamiliar local number was jumping on the screen.
"Hello?"
"Hello? Is this Little Master Chen Yuanchu?"
A middle-aged man's hearty voice came from the other end of the phone, full of a familiar warmth.
"Yes, may I ask who you are?"
"Haha, I'm Zhou Ming, the principal of Yunxi No. 1 Middle School! A while ago, your master, Daoist Chen, entrusted me to send you the admission notice. I wonder if you received it? I saw in the registration system that you haven't checked in yet, so I specifically asked for your number from the association to ask about the situation."
So it was Principal Zhou. Chen Yuanchu's heart moved slightly. Although his master was gone, the connections he left behind were still working.
"I'm sorry for making Principal Zhou worry. I received the notice. I'm on my way to the school right now, and I should be there in about twenty minutes."
"Good, good, no rush." Zhou Ming's tone was full of concern. "Your master specifically instructed that you haven't been down the mountain before, so he asked me to look after you. Little Master Chen, if there's anything you don't understand, just tell me. Do you need me to arrange someone to pick you up?"
"Thank you for your trouble, Principal Zhou. I know the way. I'll be there soon."
"Alright then. When you arrive, come directly to my office. I've already informed the gate guard."
Hanging up the phone, Chen Yuanchu looked at the gradually clearing campus outline ahead, and his steps became a bit lighter.
As the city's premier prestigious school, the scale of Yunxi No. 1 Middle School far exceeded Chen Yuanchu's imagination. Teaching buildings with red walls and white tiles were hidden among green trees, and the wide playground stretched as far as the eye could see. For Chen Yuanchu, who had never attended school, this place was so big it could rival several Qingxu Temples.
It was the last day of autumn enrollment, and the school gate was buzzing with people. Private cars formed a long queue, and everywhere were new students and parents carrying large and small bags. Although the second and third-year students had already started school, some students wearing school uniforms could also be seen returning.
Chen Yuanchu's gaze swept over the crowd and suddenly fixed on a blue and white school uniform.
This style... looked somewhat familiar.
He suddenly remembered that the chatty girl he met on the bus earlier seemed to be wearing this kind of uniform.
Unexpectedly, there was another intersection so soon. It seemed that this mortal world was indeed full of fate.
However, in the vast sea of people, Chen Yuanchu did not deliberately look for that figure; if there was fate, they would meet naturally.
His attire of a blue Daoist robe stood out like an anomaly among the fashionably dressed students and parents. As he approached the school gate, the surrounding noise seemed to lower a few degrees, and countless curious gazes shone on him like searchlights.
"Eh, why is there a Daoist..." "Is he here to beg for alms?" "Nonsense, monks beg for alms; Daoists are for Feng Shui." "He must be hired by the school! Look at his walk; he definitely has real skills." "Inviting a Daoist to pray for blessings at the start of school? This school is quite traditional." "I think the school is building a new building and invited him to check the Feng Shui." "But this Daoist looks too young, doesn't he? Not even as old as my child." "Oh, what do you know? This is cosplay! Definitely here for promotion!"
Amidst the whispers and speculation of the crowd, Chen Yuanchu walked calmly to the gatehouse and whispered a few words. Immediately, the originally stern-looking guard changed to a respectful expression and even personally walked out of the booth, leading Chen Yuanchu deep into the campus.
This scene made everyone watching at the gate instantly shut their mouths, leaving only dumbfounded shock.
"He really was hired by the school!!"