A string of Five Emperors coins hung high on the eaves of the ruined temple, with the characters facing inwards and the coin faces upwards.
The mottled thin string seemed somewhat overwhelmed by the heavy weight of the copper coins, just like this Mao Mountain wild temple that was only guarded by one person.
Walls crumbled, doors were broken, and desolation filled the eyes.
The side room next to the main hall of the wild temple creaked open, the ill-repaired wooden door making a sound that grated on the teeth.
A young Taoist in a cyan Taoist robe suddenly stepped out. The wooden hairpin binding his hair was simple and ancient, further highlighting his clear eyebrows, bright eyes, and handsome demeanor.
Facing the faint morning sunlight, the Little Taoist sighed towards the sky, seemingly not yet recovered from the bizarre shock of his transmigration.
Where the hell did this put me?
This Boss Lu of a top public relations company in his previous life, was still locked in a fierce battle at a wine table just a second ago, struggling to parry. After a cup of aged wine went down, he felt a splitting headache!
When he opened his eyes again...
He had already possessed the body of the Little Taoist in the Mao Mountain wild temple.
He closed his eyes, feeling the head full of scriptures, prophecies, and the principles of the Eight Trigrams in the original body, which made it all the more absurd and inexplicable.
A voice of inquiry suddenly came from outside the temple gate: "Lu Daoshi? Can we go now?"
"Wait a moment."
Lu Kuan focused for a moment longer to digest the information. Looking at the production assistant before him, he knew this person was here to pick up himself, who shared the same name, for the film crew.
He turned back to the side room to pack his belongings, the original appearance of this mundane task surfacing in his mind.
Zhang Jizhong was filming the Zhou Xun version of the eagle shooting heroes in Wuxi Water Margin City and needed a religious consultant.
The Taoists in the drama belonged to the Quanzhen sect, and all religious attire, language, and principles required expert guidance.
However, Mao Mountain is the ancestral court of the Shangqing sect. After searching dozens of large and small Taoist temples, they finally found this Quanzhen follower who guarded a ruined temple alone, who was his predecessor.
Of course, the rank of a middle-level master in the Quanzhen sect, represented by the cyan Taoist robe, was also cost-effective for the crew. As long as the drama could pass the review by the religious affairs bureau without any errors, that was all that mattered.
The temple's incense offerings were weak, and the Little Taoist was dirt poor. After a simple packing, Lu Kuan closed the temple gate and followed the production assistant towards the car.
Below the steps not far away, weeds grew profusely, and a middle-aged man in ragged clothes sat there, muttering to himself as the Little Taoist approached.
The former public relations company Boss Lu ignored him, knowing this was a local mad Taoist, who took the sky as his blanket and the ground as his mat, living out his remaining years by eating from various households.
The mad Taoist habitually stepped forward to beg for food. When he caught sight of the Little Taoist's clear and sharp eyes, he grabbed his forearm as if he had seen a ghost!
"Who are you?! You are not Lu Kuan!"
The production assistant from the eagle shooting heroes crew looked over in confusion and reached out to drive him away, but the Little Taoist stopped him.
"No need! He's just not mentally well, let him be."
Lu Kuan glanced at him indifferently, but a storm raged in his heart.
The two continued forward, and suddenly, the mad Taoist's delirious words, accompanied by the morning Taoist rhythm, came from behind.
"Startled to realize life is but a dream, refine your heart, do not forget the way home!"
The engine of the eagle shooting heroes crew's Istana started. Lu Kuan looked through the car window at the mad Taoist's lonely figure in the mountains, pondering his crazy words, and couldn't help but sigh deeply.
Whether it's a fleeting dream or a worldly situation.
Since I've come back this time, I must live differently.
—
A Su B-licensed Istana drove into Wuxi Water Margin City. After showing the pass, it stopped at the filming base next to "Qingming Shanghe Street".
the eagle shooting heroes crew filmed their first scene, "Mu Nianci Rescues Yang Kang," here yesterday, attracting many fans.
The production assistant from the crew got out with a smile, leading an outsider in an indigo Taoist robe, and hurried into the studio, avoiding the light rain.
"Little Taoist, please wait a moment, I'll inform the producer and the Director."
"Okay."
Lu Kuan stood in the shed, reaching out to block the scattered raindrops.
Returning to 2001 as if waking from a big dream was like the gentle, soft rain on the flagstone streets and the rising mist before him—
Thinking back on past events, they seem as ephemeral as dreams, with myriad joys and sorrows, gathering and scattering like smoke.
At this moment, amidst the noisy and complex film crew, against the bustling background, the Little Taoist, who seemed out of place like a Taoist entering the secular world to refine his heart, with his bone structure like a Taoist immortal and a crane cloak floating lightly, attracted the attention of two actresses waiting on set.
You stand here watching the scenery, and the person watching the scenery is also watching you not far away.
"Little Taoist, are you from our crew?"
A soft, sweet inquiry caused him to turn around. What met his eyes were two ancient beauties with bright eyes and white teeth.
Zhou Xun's figure was light and agile, her features delicate and lively, and her temperament and contours were truly exceptional.
Jiang Qinqin was even more delicate and lovely, her dark eyes filled with affectionate ripples, her nose straight and prominent like a peak, living up to the stage name "Shuiling" given to her by Qiong Yao.
"Hello, both of you. My name is Lu Kuan, and I am the religious consultant hired by your crew."
Zhou Xun and Jiang Qinqin exchanged glances, then simultaneously looked up to examine his face as he turned around.
His face was thin and chiseled, his star-like eyes distant, deep, and bright.
Although the cyan Taoist robe was old, it couldn't hide his tall and handsome figure; instead, it added a touch of otherworldly charm.
Jiang Qinqin was a Mountain City girl with a straightforward personality. She looked Lu Kuan up and down and teased, "Your looks are better than many male stars. You must be able to make a living in the entertainment industry."
Lu Kuan was indeed in the entertainment industry in his previous life, but he was the Boss Lu of a public relations company.
From Beijing Film Academy to University of Southern California in his previous life, his dream of being a Director was shattered again and again. He had no choice but to take up this line of work, and unexpectedly, he actually made a name for himself.
Until he died suddenly at a wine table and transmigrated back more than 20 years ago....
Zhang Jizhong and Director Ju Jueliang were discussing the script in the temporary office set up by the crew. Hearing the commotion outside, they also looked out.
"Fanyao, is that the Little Taoist from Mao Mountain? He's too young!"
Production manager Meng Fanyao said slyly, "Director Zhang, on the one hand, we're dealing with feng shui, and on the other hand, we also have to cook the books. We definitely need to find someone cheap and good!"
Good heavens, I've only heard of book-cooking strikers, but I didn't expect there to be book-cooking Taoists here used for kickbacks.
Any film or TV series involving religious content must be approved by the relevant departments. This is just using the name of religious consultant fees to get money from investors.
Ju Jueliang is from Hong Kong and believes in these strange and supernatural things in film crews the most. He immediately laughed, "Old Meng, you can't save this money. There's been a lot of trouble recently."
Zhang Jizhong sighed inwardly, it was more than just a lot. the eagle shooting heroes had been nothing but trouble since the day filming began.
From the food poisoning incident that occurred when the eagle shooting heroes crew rushed to Saihanba to start filming in August, they then encountered a typhoon after moving to Peach Blossom Island.
After the original Director Wang Rui was fired by Zhang Jizhong due to filming progress issues, Director Ju Jueliang, who had directed the 92 version of the Hong Kong Book and Sword, Gratitude and Revenge, became the emergency replacement.
He originally thought that after these natural and man-made disasters, it would be smooth sailing, but unexpectedly, Li Yapeng caused more trouble.
Last night, Brother Jing and Rong'er were entertaining themselves at the Tangcheng Dance Hall in Wuxi and got into a dispute with a group of merchants from Yancheng, beating someone up.
The news was suppressed by Zhang Jizhong. Fortunately, there wasn't much self-media in this era, so it hadn't spread yet.
The rain outside grew heavier. Lu Kuan entered the temporary office that had been set up to sign the contract. Zhou Xun and others were also called in to discuss how to clean up the mess.
On one side, there was a solemn conversation around the stove; on the other, there was a casual turning of paper drafts.
Ju Jueliang was a bit impatient and quietly suggested, "Director Zhang, the crew has indeed been plagued by trouble recently."
"How about... we ask this Little Taoist to take a look?"
Zhang Jizhong tilted his head and glanced at this Little Taoist, who looked impressive on the outside. He didn't hold out much hope initially.
But since Ju Jueliang mentioned it, he couldn't just dismiss him.
"It's raining heavily outside, and we can't film for now anyway. Let's give it a try."
Ju Jueliang, showing respect for talent, got up and chatted with him for a few sentences, then invited him over to talk.
Zhang Jizhong looked at the overly young Lu Kuan and asked curiously, "Little Taoist, how old are you, and what is your Taoist name?"
His words were polite, but his demeanor showed he didn't take him seriously.
He was a book-cooking Taoist, after all. You get what you pay for, so how much respect could he command?
Lu Kuan said solemnly, "Director Zhang, I am nineteen this year."
As for my Taoist name...
"You can call me Changfeng."
Although I am not meeting the Old Celestial Master today, I will temporarily borrow the name of Wang Ye from Wudang.
A Taoist name is either bestowed by one's master or posthumously honored by disciples.
This Little Taoist's original body inherited the mantle of his deceased master and received the orthodox lineage. Although the temple's incense offerings had almost ceased, he was like a flower blooming from a rock.
Relying on this cyan Taoist robe and a glib tongue, he performed some deceptive fortune-telling to barely support himself.
Now, possessed by an extraterrestrial demon, who happens to be a clever public relations Boss Lu, it's estimated that discerning truth from falsehood will become even more difficult from now on.
Everyone in the room pondered this unusual Taoist name, which felt completely different from names like Chunyangzi or Changchunzi. Paired with his otherworldly temperament, a sense of religious mystery naturally arose.
Meng Fanyao turned back and closed the door: "Lu Daoshi, the crew has had a lot of trouble recently. Do you think you could help us adjust the feng shui layout or something?"
Lu Kuan was silent for a moment, standing tall and straight, looking at the hazy drizzle outside the room. He shook his head and said, "This is not according to the rules. I am only responsible for regulating the crew's religious affairs. I will not inquire about anything else."
Zhang Jizhong remained calm. The Hong Kong Director Ju Jueliang stepped forward with a smile, "Please, Little Taoist, don't hesitate to give us some guidance."
Lu Kuan nodded slightly and took out his hands.
Actually, he was just warming them up. The winter in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai region is really not for humans; the bone-chilling magical attack lives up to its reputation.
Just like Jiang Taigong fishing, those who wish to be caught will take the bait.
Since the fish are eager to bite, why shouldn't I give them some instruction?
The Little Taoist had a solemn expression, gracefully measuring the ground with his steps, sometimes stopping to observe the layout, and sometimes concentrating to sense the energy flow.
He pointed a finger towards a direction: "The Northeast Gen position represents the mountain, signifying stability, but the energy field here is slightly chaotic."
"And this corner of the wall, diagonally opposite the main filming position, is a sharp corner sha, and the sha energy directly rush can easily cause accidents. One must be cautious!"
Through the window frame, Lu Kuan also glimpsed the piled-up prop boxes: "These weapons and props should be placed in the Qian position to display masculinity and righteousness and ward off evil. But now they are messy and disorganized, leading to chaotic energy and scattered spirit."
Everyone in the room was extremely surprised. Zhou Xun and Jiang Qinqin's eyes sparkled, while the crew members below Zhang Jizhong were half-believing and half-doubting.
The Little Taoist with the air of an immortal sighed, "There are almost errors everywhere."
He stopped at one spot: "This is the center of the entire room, called the Taiji point. The position of the main door relative to the Taiji point is the upper trigram, and Director Zhang's seating position is the lower trigram. This is used to determine the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of wealth and official position."
"Due is in the west, and Kan is in the north. Due above Kan below is the Kun hexagram."
Ju Jueliang was the most superstitious, his face pale, already somewhat impatient: "What does that mean?"
"Great inauspiciousness!"