Chapter 830 - 578: Beads and the Bronze Gate

Time flows like a fleeting horse.

The half-year closed training at the Jinshan Prefectural Dao School finally came to an end.

In the grand hall of the Dao School, incense smoke curled around, lingering around the beams and pillars, long without dispersing.

Hundreds of new cultivators, dressed in uniform profound Daoist robes, stood solemnly in front of the statue of the Celestial King Chen, their expressions respectful and solemn.

Zhang Jie stood among the crowd, his posture upright like a pine tree, his Dao Rhyme restrained, showing no trace of flaunting.

After half a year of arduous day-and-night training and repeated honing, he successfully condensed the Dao Talisman, officially advancing to a Returning to the Profound Faith, with thick and refined true energy in his Dantian, far surpassing most disciples of the same period.

Not only that, but he also proficiently mastered various basic magic: noise reduction, dust purification, object seeking, dream communication, and could even perform simple dream walking techniques.

In the comprehensive assessment of hundreds of his peers, he ranked seventh, a true leader among his peers.

With the training concluded, it was time for position assignments.

The new cultivators were all secretly calculating their destinations, with the vast majority leaning towards urban community positions—work was leisurely, the environment was favorable, and accumulating Daoist Merit was steady, without the toil and hardship of constant travel.

But in Zhang Jie’s heart, there was a decisively different choice.

He wanted to apply to a remote village post.

He knew that remote village conditions were harsh and affairs complicated, yet it was the fastest and most solid place to accumulate Daoist Merit.

Only by delving into the grassroots, rooting in the people, and solving their real difficulties could he harvest the purest sincere faith, accumulate enough Daoist Merit, and pave the way for future promotion.

More importantly, he wanted to quickly save enough Daoist Merit to exchange for more treasures that increase lifespan.

No one expected that this seemingly ’thankless task’ was exceptionally popular.

The remote village posts, though tough, allowed direct contact with the purest folk beliefs, making many outstanding disciples vie fiercely for the position.

If it weren’t for Zhang Jie’s high comprehensive ranking and the support of several teaching elders who admired his steady demeanor and pure filial character, strongly recommending him behind the scenes, this opportunity would have never landed on him.

...

Huangniu Village.

Located deep in the mountains, Huangniu Village had isolated transportation.

The village suffered serious depopulation, with mostly the elderly and children remaining, as virtually all the young adults left to work elsewhere, leaving the village desolate and bleak.

The predecessor stationed in the village had already tidied his living quarters, speaking in a flat tone when handing over:

"This village is poor, the people are simple, and without malice."

"I stayed here for three years, made no mistakes, but also did not achieve anything significant, the people probably feel I have no presence."

"Now that you’re here, put your heart into it."

Zhang Jie slightly bowed, his expression solemn:

"Thank you for the reminder."

After taking over the work, Zhang Jie sank his heart completely.

He didn’t flaunt the airs of a system cultivator; each day he donned simple Daoist robes, trod the muddy paths, going from village to village, familiarizing himself with situations household by household, patiently listening to the people’s difficulties, noting down issues one by one.

For the solitary elderly in the village, he visited daily, bringing grains and oils, applying simple Daoist Techniques to regulate their health, keeping them company to dispel loneliness.

When disputes arose among neighbors, he patiently mediated, reasoning with people, transforming resentment with Dao Transformation, resolving misunderstandings.

Even for the village children, unsupervised and running amok, he found time to teach them to recite Dao Scriptures, spread good thoughts, and guide them in discerning right from wrong.

Day after day, Zhang Jie’s figure was present in every corner of Huangniu Village.

The sun and wind made his skin dark and rough, but his smile always remained gentle, treating people sincerely.

The people saw and remembered his efforts, thus trusting him even more.

Before long, it was the end of the year and the Dao Country’s annual assessment arrived as scheduled.

The assessment’s core was the people’s happiness index and their sincerity of belief in the Dao Country and cultivators.

Compared to the previous year, the happiness index of Huangniu Village’s people had significantly improved, and their sincerity of faith greatly increased; Zhang Jie’s first-year assessment earned an ’Excellent’ rating, gaining him a considerable amount of Daoist Merit.

Zhang Jie smiled and headed back to the fields.

Time silently slipped by, and in the blink of an eye, five years passed.

During these five years, Zhang Jie’s passion never waned; he remained rooted in Huangniu Village, never slackening.

He took the lead in solving the population loss problem, repairing village roads, making travel no longer difficult for villagers.

With the aid of Daoist Techniques, he improved crops, increased yielding fields, and gradually led the villagers to a more prosperous life.

Thanks to outstanding achievements, he received ’Excellent’ ratings almost every year, and due to the villagers’ high faith sincerity, he twice received extra Dao Country merit rewards.

He immediately exchanged them for Longevity Pills and sent them home, instructing his parents to take them on time.

...

In the sixth year.

With years of deep devotion and numerous achievements, Zhang Jie was exceptionally promoted to Returning to the Profound Guide, overseeing Baihe Village.

This was a leapfrogging promotion, skipping regular assessment years.

The promotion ceremony was held at the Taishang Sub-temple in Baihe Village, simple yet solemn.

Upon the ceremony’s completion, Zhang Jie’s first action was to go to the exclusive little temple on the southwestern side of the sub-temple.

That was the exclusive Dao Site for the Returning to the Profound Guide, and a symbol of authority over a village.

The small temple wasn’t large, yet with its quaint and dignified construction, the Dao Rhyme flowed among the blue bricks and black tiles.

Atop the offering stand stood a statue of a young man.

With gentle features and clear eyes, surrounded by a faint golden glow, its demeanor and essence identical to him, vivid and lifelike.

Zhang Jie walked to the offering stand, gazing at the statue for a long time, feeling a sudden strong bond in his heart.

It seemed as though the statue was another self, capable of understanding his intentions and channeling his power.

Simultaneously, a vast invisible power quietly enveloped him, and he distinctly felt that he had touched the Taishang Dharma Net.