35: Imperial Astronomical Observatory, Receiving Rewards and Taoist Names

Qingzhou, one of the ancient Nine Provinces, was not a new prefecture established by later dynasties.

The "Shangshu · Yu Gong" once recorded: "The sea and Mount Tai are Qingzhou."

It meticulously documented the geographical location of Qingzhou.

Surprisingly, there were no large Families of Prominence entrenched here; instead, it flourished greatly due to its reliance on the port and convenient transportation.

As soon as Qin Chuan stepped into Qingzhou, he noticed something different.

Unlike Youzhou, which was vast and sparsely populated, Qingzhou's roads had far more travelers and merchants.

— Of course, it was still some distance from the densely populated Ying Zhou, but not by much.

This further bolstered his confidence in achieving his goal of becoming a Human Martial Saint.

As the saying goes: wherever there are people, there is the martial world.

With so many people in Qingzhou, there should be plenty of opponents worth fighting, right?

Walking through the city's alleys, Qin Chuan quickly noticed a difference—

The city they were currently in was called Dongyang, not Qingzhou's capital, Yidu.

But right here, he encountered something that defied his common sense.

— On both sides of the main road, Daoist temples were openly established, and occasionally, he could see people offering incense.

This… While the Daoist temples in Youzhou weren't overtly suppressed, most were in obscure corners, as if fearing being eradicated for some reason.

Even Xuanxu only handled funeral services.

But here…

Could it be that the Great Zhou only targeted Daoists in Youzhou?

Carrying this doubt, after settling down, Qin Chuan immediately went to various Daoist temples to understand the situation.

Only then did he realize one thing—

These Daoist temples, openly established in plain sight, were all registered with the Chong Tian Jian!

If any wild, unregistered Daoist dared to open a temple without authorization, they would likely face a mountain-clearing, temple-destroying raid the very next day.

At this point, Qin Chuan learned about another top organization of the Great Zhou, besides the Three Laws Tribunal.

— The Chong Tian Jian!

On this day, Qin Chuan was deep in thought about the Chong Tian Jian in the largest Daoist temple in Dongyang City.

“Benefactor, do you have any questions?”

As Qin Chuan was lost in thought in Dongyang City's largest Daoist temple, he saw a young Daoist priest approach him.

Qin Chuan glanced at him and saw that this young man was similar to Chen Chuan, roughly fifteen or sixteen years old, and stood out in the crowd.

This distinctiveness, of course, didn't refer to his age, but to his words and actions.

His posture, steps, and facial expression seemed to have been measured by the most rigorous ruler.

Precise and flawless!

Qin Chuan asked doubtfully, “You also offer this service? I don’t have any silver to offer…”

The young Daoist priest shook his head and said, “We, who are beyond the mundane world, what use do we have for worldly possessions? This humble Daoist merely saw that the benefactor needed help and came to clear up your confusion.”

Qin Chuan: “…I’m not looking for a divination slip.”

Daoist priest: “This humble Daoist cannot perform acts of seeking gods or questioning ghosts. Does the benefactor have any other needs?”

“Hiss…”

Qin Chuan was truly amazed!

He had already subtly indicated that he didn't need help.

But this young Daoist priest was like a stubborn mule, insisting on helping Qin Chuan!

Helpless, Qin Chuan had no choice but to speak.

“I need an opponent I can fight!”

Upon hearing this, the young Daoist priest's eyes lit up; this was the first time Qin Chuan had seen any extra expression on him.

Then he heard him say, “What kind of opponent? A Confucian master? A reclusive grandmaster?… If you need a Daoist True Person, this humble Daoist can help you contact them, but if it’s…”

“No need at all!”

Qin Chuan quickly stopped him.

Grandmaster? True Person?

He always felt that this young Daoist priest in front of him had some misunderstanding about him!

He immediately waved his hand and said, “Of course not, a Xiantian Martial Artist will suffice.”

Upon hearing this, the young Daoist priest nodded: “That makes it much easier. The Xiantian Martial Artists within Qingzhou are all registered with the Chong Tian Jian, and I can introduce you at any time.”

As he said this, Qin Chuan suddenly felt that a certain word was not quite right.

“Wait, Chong Tian Jian? Aren’t you a Daoist priest from this temple?”

The young Daoist priest looked up at him strangely: “Yes, but aren’t all Chong Tian Jian members Daoist priests from temples?”

“…That’s right.”

Qin Chuan was speechless, but he still had a question he couldn't figure out.

“Why do you insist on helping me? Don’t tell me about fate and karma; I don’t believe in that.”

When the young Daoist priest heard him mention this, a faint, standard smile appeared on his face, as if he had long anticipated Qin Chuan asking that question.

He immediately replied, “Of course it’s not fate, but isn't Benefactor Wang a disciple of our Daoist sect?”

Although it was a question, his tone was extremely certain.

Qin Chuan: …

Good heavens, he even knew his name. He probably investigated everything about him from childhood.

So, what was the other party's purpose—

Qin Chuan remained calm: “So what? The Chong Tian Jian shouldn’t need me to do anything for you, right?”

The young man smiled and said, “Benefactor Wang misunderstands. The Chong Tian Jian has no demands of you. It’s just that the benefactor has not yet received his official title. Have you considered joining our Daoist sect?”

— The case was solved; it turned out they wanted to recruit him.

But… why?

Qin Chuan pondered to himself—

He always believed in one saying: offering kindness for no reason is either a trick or a theft!

He and the Chong Tian Jian were neither relatives nor acquaintances, yet the other party insisted on him receiving a title and becoming a Daoist priest.

The probability of it being due to his background was not high.

There were so many people in the Five Surnames and Seven Clans, yet they didn't seem to want to recruit anyone.

But now… was it because they saw something?

Originally, there was nothing wrong with this, but Qin Chuan clearly remembered his master Xuanqing turning into ashes under the heavenly lightning.

And his words—Cultivating the Dao is a dead end!

Join, or not join?

A moment later…

Qin Chuan: “I agree!”

— Cultivating the Dao is a dead end, but what does that have to do with me, Human Martial Saint Wang Xuan?

He just didn't believe it; just because of this title, he could be struck dead by lightning, right?

The young Daoist priest, unsurprised, bowed and said:

“Then I welcome you in advance, Dao Brother. I will go and prepare the matters for your official title, and also contact those renowned martial artists.”

“Good, the sooner the better!”

On the Day of San Yang.

Outside Dongyang City, at the Daoist Heavenly Altar.

The initiation ritual was complete, with incense, flowers, lamps, water, and fruit all prepared.

Qin Chuan looked at the scene before him, utterly bewildered. This was vastly different from the initiation ceremonies in his memory.

There was no apprenticeship, no entry into a sect.

It was more like a… worship ceremony?

“The hour has come!”

As the person in Daoist robes in front finished chanting, Qin Chuan could only compose himself.

— It was just a matter of three incense sticks!

“The auspicious convergence of the Three Powers, witnessed by Heaven, Earth, and Man, today we have a devout believer…”

After a simple ceremony, someone sprinkled clear water into the air from a willow branch.

The water fell and condensed, and characters appeared.

Gazing at the distorted characters before him, Qin Chuan looked confusedly at the High Priest (a specialized term for a Daoist master) in front.

The man smiled slightly at Qin Chuan and said, “May I ask, Daoist friend, which Heavenly Daoist title do you prefer?”

“Daoist title?”

Upon realizing this, Qin Chuan looked at the characters formed by the water stains again and immediately understood their meaning.

There were three Daoist names—

Lingguan!

Xuanwei!

Ziqiao!