Monster Chronicles: My Daoist Skill Comes from Mythology
Chapter 128 - 124 Temple Master’s Responsibilities, Coveting by Petty Thieves

Chapter 128: Chapter 124 Temple Master’s Responsibilities, Coveting by Petty Thieves

Hidden Sword Manor.

Inside the training hall.

Shi Yinhua stood before Song Lin, with three Dharma Seals and four ancient books laid on the table beside them.

From left to right, they were the Dutian Great Master Seal, Summoning Supervisor Seal, and Yellow God Seal.

The first was the foundational Dharma Seal of the temple master, recognized by the Heaven and Earth Xuanmen Alliance, typically used during liturgy. The second was the seal used for assigning positions, and the third authorized the mobilization of Taoist Soldiers.

The four books included the Taoist registry, personnel records and contracts of the temple, and the Mystical Altar Spirit Hall’s Ghost God List, among others.

The first three seals were the crux of the temple master’s control over the Taoist temple.

Of course, Song Lin did not yet have the authority to use them; for now, he could at most modify the permissions to use ghosts and gods.

All would depend on obtaining the liturgy directly from the Taoist master upon officially succeeding as temple master.

"Have the Soldier and Horse Altar materials from the Spirit Hall been found?" Song Lin asked.

If they hadn’t been found, the Ghost God List would essentially become useless.

Still, under such circumstances, the Temple Emperor Seal would become immensely useful.

"The Dharma Seals belonging to others are already on the table," Shi Yinhua replied.

After Song Lin ascended the position, Lin Qing’s role in the Grand Commissioner Institute would remain unchanged, while Shi Yinhua would become the head of the Capital Management Courtyard, overseeing all positions within the temple. Wang Ziyue would take charge of the Capital Institute.

The warehouse would be managed by Lin Yang, with Li Hu reassigned to clerical matters, and Lu Qian would serve as a Patrol Housekeeper.

The accounts would fall to Li Jing, while an elderly Qi Refining Taoist named Wu Ming was appointed as Guest Steward. The manor would be under the direct supervision of Lin Qing’s trusted deputy.

The remaining Artifact Refining and Ghost Market positions would see representatives chosen from the warehouse and accounts departments, respectively.

Altogether, there were Eight Deacons.

Among these, the warehouse and accounts roles were slightly more prominent, with Artifact Refining and Ghost Market stewards ranked just below them.

"Any other updates?"

There was still much about the temple’s inner workings that remained unclear.

Key aspects such as operational costs, revenue streams, staff salaries and rewards, and the upkeep of facilities were only partly understood.

Things were more complex than they initially seemed.

"Currently, the temple has brought out 61,500 dharma coins. Based on the existing number of Taoists, if we convert pills and Taoist Merit into dharma coins, the monthly expense comes to 10,500 coins."

Every Taoist received a monthly stipend and pill allocation.

Additionally, Taoists were rewarded with Taoist Merit for killing enemies or completing missions.

Of course, Taoist Merit was merely a numerical value—one Taoist Merit equated to one dharma coin.

But it was dharma coins that held real value; they were the universal currency.

Dharma coins were imbued with the energies of heaven and earth, with each coin containing the energy equivalent to what a Qi Refining Taoist could accumulate in a single day.

These coins could be used to restore energy, construct arrays, and fuel various energy-consuming activities.

Nothing could be accomplished without money. Fortunately, with the suspension of activities like artifact refining, alchemy, spirit field irrigation, and ghost offerings, the current funds could sustain operations for a little while longer.

"What methods were used to generate income in the past?"

"Previously, the accounts department managed a Coin Casting Array at the spirit vein, producing between 30,000 to 50,000 dharma coins annually. There were also 4,000 mu of spirit fields growing Spirit Grass, two silver mines, 650,000 mu of ordinary farmland, and 123 shops. Altogether, along with the accounts office, the yearly revenue totaled roughly 140,000 to 150,000 dharma coins."

These were fixed income streams, sufficient to maintain the temple’s operations while leaving a surplus.

Mundane resources could also be converted into dharma coins, though at a relatively low price.

The shops didn’t exclusively sell mundane goods; for instance, the Ghost Market often sent representatives to set up stalls across various regions to sell specialties from Xuanke Temple.

Additionally, Taoist missions in the wilderness also came with subsidies.

These revenues were variable and not included in the fixed calculations, but overall, the situation was generally comfortable.

Now, however, with the outbreak of war, many operations had ceased; the current struggle hinged on financial reserves.

The only remaining active business was demon extermination.

For every demon slain, aside from the Taoist rewards, Mei Mountain Jungle would also provide incentives to the temple.

"Alright, carry on as usual," Song Lin instructed Shi Yinhua to withdraw.

Then, he picked up the Temple Emperor Seal and stamped it on everyone’s official certificates.

The last time, in Chi Hai, his position had been upgraded using his permissions to that of Seventh-rank Red Sky Calendar Flag General Gang Feng, commanding 5,000 men.

Based on a tenfold multiplication of the number on the certificates, Song Lin could now summon up to 50,000 troops using the Temple Emperor Seal, which was also the upper limit his True Qi could sustain.

This number was supplemented by the forces trained by others during this period.

Altogether, the Temple Emperor Seal could now accommodate 80,000 troops, which was sufficient for the Taoists’ current needs.

"From now on, the Temple Emperor Seal must be enshrined and respected."

Presently, the management of troops was quite disorganized.

The Rampant Soldiers created through the Temple Emperor Seal didn’t stop consuming resources once summoned.

Every so often, rituals needed to be performed to maintain them, ensuring their readiness for deployment.

If the general population could contribute to the offerings, sharing the burden, the Temple Emperor Seal might be able to sustain an even larger number of troops.

At this thought, Song Lin decided to wait until the war settled before addressing the matter further.

He was, after all, not yet the true temple master; such changes would require presenting himself before the Taoist master in due time.

Taking advantage of a lull, Song Lin entered the story world.

...

At that time.

The news of Jiuyou’s death and Song Lin’s succession reached the depths of Mei Mountain Jungle.

With Chi Hai and Hua Qing as witnesses, no one questioned Jiuyou’s death. Instead, heated debates erupted over whether Song Lin was qualified to inherit the position.

"Lord Taoist Master, Song Lin is far too young. I think this matter requires cautious deliberation."

"I second that!"

"Let him serve as a temporary successor for now. Once the war ends, we can make a replacement. I have a candidate in mind, this person..."

"Song Lin is a prodigy, but it’s too soon. I also have someone to recommend."

Xuanke Temple was like a coveted piece of fat, attracting countless contenders. Song Lin had no idea of the strife unfolding on this front.

...

...

Nuogao Record World.

The present era was one of heroes vying for dominance.

This was the final years of the Sui Dynasty. Following a series of wars, the Sui Dynasty had been drained of its potential.

Throughout the land, warlords rose, and with Yangg Guang’s death, only chaos remained as rival powers fought for supremacy.

Song Lin did not interfere in Zhengyang and the others’ choices, though the outcome was somewhat surprising—without prior discussion, they all chose to side with the Li family, now working under Li Shimin’s command.

Of course, Song Lin had not sought to eradicate the Buddhist Sect entirely.

The Buddhist Sect was simply too vast; many of its adherents were just ordinary people.

The lowest form of Taoist inheritance disputes involved physical extermination; such methods not only failed to address the issue but also invited public criticism.

One could eliminate bodies, but ideas were another matter entirely.

The true Taoist inheritance dispute was a battle of hearts and minds. Only by triumphing ideologically could one achieve ultimate victory.

Song Lin retrieved the Coiled Dragon Jade Lamp and used the Bone-shining Mirror to clearly reveal the Divine Dragon stirring inside.

The Coiled Dragon, noticing Song Lin’s arrival, immediately rushed to press its nose against the mirror, gazing at him with a flattering expression.

Song Lin smiled faintly and said, "No rush, I’ll give it to you shortly."

This entity exuded a strong sense of vitality, and Song Lin was quite fond of it. If brought into the real world, it would surely become a formidable ally.

As a result, Song Lin gave it particular attention, ensuring its needs were met whenever possible.

The Coiled Dragon seemed to know many ancient secrets. Song Lin remained doubtful about the nature of the story world. freewёbnoνel-com

He was unsure whether this world was truly real.

Wars raged across the Central Plains, while unrest stirred in Tianzhu as well.

......

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