The Little Temple Master

Yun Shan, who was not yet a month old, became the Little Temple Master of Yunling Temple. The demons on the mountain were all at a loss. How were they supposed to raise a human cub? After some discussion, the demons decided to go to the human villages to learn how to grow the five grains, weave cloth, take care of a baby, and maintain the incense offerings for their Little Temple Master. Disguising themselves as a family, they carried their tiny Temple Master down the mountain and, with complete familiarity, followed a woman straight into her courtyard. For the time being, they shamelessly stayed at her house, mooching milk, learning to cook, and working hard to save money so they could build a house for Little Temple Master Yunshan. The common folk came to Yunling Temple for help. “Please, Great Immortal, bless us. Let the well at my house produce water.” That very night, the demons on the mountain rushed to the commoner’s home and discovered that the well had simply been dug too shallow. They rolled up their sleeves, transformed into their original forms, and started digging right there. Before they left, they even remembered to carry away all the soil they had dug out. The next day, when the commoner saw water flowing from the well, he could not help sighing in wonder. Yunling Temple really was effective. Three years later, Yun Shan, only four years old, tightened his trouser legs, strapped a tiny peachwood sword to his back, and went down the mountain to subdue demons. Behind him followed a whole string of demons from Yunling Mountain, all hidden from sight. The fox demon crooked her pinky, her face full of disdain. “What little brat crawled out from where? So tender and delicate. Let this auntie eat you up and get a proper boost.” Yun Shan drew his peachwood sword and shouted in his soft, childish voice, “Halt, demon! Show your original form at once!” Behind Yun Shan, the crowd of demons revealed their original forms. We heard you wanted to eat our little Daoist priest? Fox demon: “?!!! It’s a misunderstanding—” This is a comedic story about farming in the early stages and fighting monsters later on. There is laughter, and there are tears. This is life.