"Have you benefactors rested enough?"
After a long while, Daoist Priest Yuyang opened his eyes and looked at the crowd with a smile.
"We're good, Priest."
Boss Liu responded eagerly without hesitation.
Seeing this, Daoist Priest Yuyang nodded and immediately led the way. "The vegetarian meal at our Celestial Master Mansion is scheduled for two in the afternoon. Before that, why don't you benefactors select your lay sanctuaries? What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, no one had any objections.
Having sat on the bus for hours before making the grueling climb, their stomachs were already churning. Eating a bit later was completely fine.
"You may first look through these brochures. They outline the location and surrounding environment of each lay sanctuary."
At that moment, a young Daoist priest produced several booklets and handed them out one by one.
Lu Yuan received a copy as well and flipped through it as he walked.
The descriptions inside were quite detailed.
There were multiple sites, each offering a distinct location and scenery.
To put it plainly, a lay sanctuary was a private spot within Mount Longhu, akin to a rented lodge where one could live and stay. The lease generally lasted for ten years, but nothing inside could be altered or removed, as all of it remained the property of the Celestial Master Mansion.
Most people donated and chose a lay sanctuary simply to build good relations with the Daoist priests of the Celestial Master Mansion.
Of course, for those inclined toward superstition, it was also a way to seek peace of mind.
Ordinary people might find it foolish.
Yet for the wealthy, it was a different story—after all, more or less every fortune had questionable origins.
"These lay sanctuaries all look quite nice. Pleasant scenery, perfect for a vacation."
"Indeed. Whenever we have free time, we can even come here to talk business."
"I think we should pick somewhere close to the Celestial Master Mansion."
The tycoons chatted among themselves, thoroughly pleased with the options.
Mount Longhu was already a scenic attraction, its views far superior to anything in the big cities.
Thus, they were very satisfied with the lay sanctuaries on offer; it was merely a matter of deciding which one to choose. Boss Liu believed it best to select a spot close to the Celestial Master Mansion so he could bask in some immortal aura.
"Priest, may we inspect these places in person?"
At this moment, Lu Yuan spoke up and asked.
He was not entirely certain where that wordless stele was located, so he had to see the grounds for himself.
"Of course. Benefactors, please follow me." Daoist Priest Yuyang smiled, then led the group further up Mount Longhu.
Following the trail, they visited the lay sanctuaries one by one, with a young priest introducing each location.
These were all built by the Celestial Master Mansion itself, fully equipped for daily living, dining, and lodging.
More importantly, the surroundings were picturesque.
Each sanctuary was also stocked with Daoist texts, available for leisure reading whenever one wished.
As the wealthy benefactors surveyed the sites in person, they began making their decisions and chose their respective lay sanctuaries. For the next ten years, they could come and go as they pleased, and they would even have opportunities to converse with veteran Daoist masters.
This was only natural, considering everyone present had spent a fortune.
Before long, after touring all the lay sanctuaries prepared by the Celestial Master Mansion, everyone had finalized their choice.
In the end, only Lu Yuan had yet to make a move.
"Young Lu, go ahead and pick one. Look what time it is! I think that Qingshan Residence is wonderful," Boss Liu could not help chiming in.
The other wealthy patrons nodded in agreement, finding Lu Yuan overly hesitant. In truth, all the lay sanctuaries were roughly the same, leaving little reason to deliberate—it was simply a matter of how far they were from the Celestial Master Mansion.
Everyone was starving and wanted to eat as soon as possible.
Yet Lu Yuan did not reply.
After a brief moment of thought, he turned and asked, "Daoist Priest Yuyang, isn't there also a place called Xiaoyao Residence on Mount Longhu? Could you take me there to see it?"
In his memories of his past life, he vaguely recalled that the wordless stele seemed to have surfaced there.
Of course, back then he had only heard rumors.
Now, having toured so many locations without spotting it, he had to give this lead a try.
"Xiaoyao Residence? That..." Hearing this, Daoist Priest Yuyang could not help frowning. He offered a well-meaning reminder, "Benefactor, Mount Longhu does indeed have such a place, but it is rather remote. It has been neglected for years and is overgrown with weeds, which is why it wasn't listed among the lay sanctuaries. Wouldn't you prefer to reconsider?"
"No matter. Priest, please lead the way and let me see it," Lu Yuan said, shaking his head.
In the end, Daoist Priest Yuyang nodded in agreement.
After all, Lu Yuan was a guest who had spent a colossal sum of money, so such a small request was easily granted.
Boss Liu and the other wealthy patrons exchanged glances, but they said nothing more and went along.
In their hearts, however, they had already decided: if Lu Yuan still dragged his feet after this, they would not accompany him any further.
The location of Xiaoyao Residence was indeed rather secluded.
The group walked for a full half-hour before they finally caught a faint glimpse through the distant woods of an exceptionally crude little wooden hut.
Because the area had seen few visitors for years and had never been tended, the hut was surrounded by brambles and jagged, craggy rocks.
The path beneath their feet was particularly uneven; every step demanded caution, lest one stumble and fall.
"To think such a wild place still exists near the Celestial Master Mansion on Mount Longhu."
"It's so desolate. Won't there be snakes, ants, or venomous bugs?"
"Don't scare me like that! Why don't we turn back?"
As successful men who had lived in comfort for years, the wealthy patrons grew restless and impatient.
Lu Yuan, however, was different. He continued forward, his footing steady.
Approaching the wooden hut, he carefully inspected the surroundings.
When he spotted a stone stele hidden among a patch of weeds, his eyes lit up instantly. He crouched down and brushed his hand against it.
The stele bore no writing, making it impossible to determine its age, yet he could tell it was anything but ordinary.
The reason was simple: having tempered his body with pill essence, Lu Yuan's physical attributes far exceeded those of a normal person. He could distinctly feel that the stone was extraordinarily hard; standing here through years of wind and rain, it showed not the slightest trace of damage.
This was undeniably the wordless stele he was looking for.
Without a second thought, Lu Yuan turned around and immediately declared, "Priest, this will be my lay sanctuary!"
Before Daoist Priest Yuyang could respond, Boss Liu and the others exchanged stunned looks.
They were clearly astonished.
"Young Lu, you actually want this place?"
"Indeed, that's far too reckless. That Qingshan Residence earlier was so nice!"
"Young people, after all... This place is too secluded, and so far from the Celestial Master Mansion."
The tycoons wondered if there was something wrong with Lu Yuan's head. Xiaoyao Residence might sound poetic, but the area was thoroughly desolate, lacking even a nearby water source. Furthermore, that wooden hut could not compare to what they had chosen.
Had it been any of them, they would not last a single night here.
Finally, Daoist Priest Yuyang spoke up as well.
"Benefactor, you donated ten million to Mount Longhu. You could choose a much better place."
"No need, Priest. This will do," Lu Yuan replied, shaking his head with an unwavering expression.
From the very beginning, he had come for this wordless stele.
Now that his objective was achieved, giving it up was out of the question.
Chapter 16