Chapter 1: The Young Daoist Monk (1/2)

There was aup to it was a windy, twisted trail paved with stone steps covered in wetprofusely, beads of sweat trickling down onto the stone steps - he was clearly exhausted from the hike

He paused for a moment, as he wiped the sweat off his forehead with the lapel of his Chinese jacket In front of hireen forest As the leafy branches danced to the wind, the dark green roof tiles unveiled and caht, faintly discernible

After another fifteenstanding deep in theit fro could then be seen in its entirety

Behind him was a serene bamboo-lined path, and ahead of him was a slope of peacefully rooted pine trees He could not help but notice the stark contrast - a run-down Daoist teht in front of him

Despite its simplicity and the remoteness of its location, the Daoist temple was surrounded by an air of ht before hiue from the climb slowly faded away

He took a deep breath and sent sweet, fresh air deep into his lungs Mustering the little energy that he had left, he dragged himself to the entrance Most of the red paint on the door pillars did not withstand the test of tih, the signboard - an inscribed tablet hanging on top of the door - retained its color

The naxia Tenboard The inscription was neat, each stroke showcased the Daoist author's detach each side of the door was a set of Chinese couplet, 'Heart as free as the clouds; Mind that flows like running water'

Judging from the ink, it was obvious that the couplet was a recent addition The calligraphy was expressive and unrestrained

The man was not well-versed in literature and art but even he could tell that there was so special about the couplet What exactly, he could not put his finger on it; the couplet just had a certain je ne sais quoi

Grabbing onto the iron ring attached to the door, the man knocked and was taken aback by the unexpected loud collision Out of courtesy, he knocked again in a gentler and less abruptopen

A young Daoist monk around thirteen or fourteen years old stood by the door He gave off a whiff of herbalDaoist htly on the thinner side Even though he had put on an oversized puffer jacket, the man could tell that he was frail His face had a yellowish undertone, hinting at possible underlying health concerns

He used to go by the na to this world He was a doctor on Earth He used to run a clinic and had considerable incoht not be considered a winner in life but undeniably, he led a good life

With that said, the repetitive lifestyle got boring after a while

He was driving hoot into an accident By the time he ake, he realized that his soul was in a different body

Having transcended time and space, he realized that not every tio, he beca it as a fateful encounter, he decided to assuy of sorts to the actual owner of the body