ã€ŠA Pawn&#x27;s Passageã€‹


 Chapter 1: The Inn

    <h4>Chapter 1: The Inn</h4>

    Several old zed ceramic wine jars were ced on a dark countertop, emitting a pleasant aroma that wafted throughout the lobby. A silver Taiping coin was spinning on the counter.

    The Innkeeper in a worn robe with a discolored green silk scarf on his head, stood behind the counter. He propped his chin on his right hand as he stared at the spinning Taiping coin in a daze.

    A waiter sat on a long bench against the wall and nodded off, his head bobbing up and down like a chicken slowly pecking at its food.

    Suddenly, a man hobbled into the lobby.

    The Innkeeper hurriedly reached out to stop the spinning Taiping coin on the countertop. He slowly removed his palm, revealing the words ¡°peace to the world¡± that were engraved on the coin.

    When the Innkeeper raised his head again, he had already stered on his signature smile.

    The man who entered looked to be in his forties, with a weathered face and scars all over. His left sleeve was void, and he was limping on his right leg.

    However, this type of appearance wasmonce here. It neither frightened nor surprised anyone.

    That was because this was The Inn.

    Unlike ordinary inns, this ¡°inn¡± was a rowdy ce.

    People from all walks of life¡ªimmortals and bumpkins alike¡ªgathered here. Some patrons were rich and noble, dressed invish clothes, while others were criminals who could not see the light of day. There were also many mysterious figures around.

    Facing the man, the Innkeeper asked, ¡°Sir, what kind of services would you like today? Everything is negotiable, as long as the price is right.¡±

    The limping man took out a brand-new cash note from his robe and pped it on the counter in front of the Innkeeper. He said in a hoarse voice, ¡°This cash note can be redeemed at any bank. It¡¯s worth 1,000 Taiping coins.¡±

    The Innkeeper nced at the cash note and did not rush to speak.

    The limping man continued, ¡°Such arge sum of money is enough for most people to leave this industry, turn over a new leaf, and retire as a rich man.¡±

    The Innkeeper nodded in agreement. ¡°Sir, if you¡¯d like to buy someone¡¯s life, many people here are willing to take the gamble.¡±

    The man shook his head and stressed. ¡°I don¡¯t want a hitman. I just want to keep someone safe from the hands of the Green Phoenix Guard.¡±

    The man¡¯s voice was not loud, but it was clear. The moment he uttered the words ¡°Green Phoenix Guard,¡± the originally loud lobby turned silent. All the other ¡°guests¡± paused in their movements, which showed how much of a notorious reputation the Green Phoenix Guard had.

    The Innkeeper fiddled with the Taiping coin in his hand and exined, ¡°In the Great Xuan Dynasty, the most terrifying thing to happen to office-bearers is not being dismissed from office. If they are dismissed, they can simply return home and enjoy their time with their wives and children. The most terrifying thing is to be arrested and interrogated by the Green Phoenix Guard.

    ¡°Once the Green Phoenix Guard is involved, it¡¯s just a matter of time until someone dies and households are ruined. When someone falls into the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s hands, they often only have the chance to pray for a quick death. Most people are scared of death, butpared to being tortured by the Green Phoenix Guard, death is the greatest relief.¡±

    The limping man remained silent.

    The Innkeeper nced at the uniform boots on the limping man¡¯s feet and the blood stains on his clothes before he continued, ¡°The Green Phoenix Guard have existed for two dynasties over the past 400 years and have a notorious reputation. Even the royal family, ministers, wealthy merchants, and master swordsmen are afraid of them. I¡¯m afraid no one will dare take up your offer to protect someone from the Green Phoenix Guard. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying, sir?¡±

    The limping man sighed heavily. ¡°I know, but this is The Inn.¡±

    The Innkeeperughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°Well, we¡¯re no longer what we used to be. The Inn and the Green Phoenix Guard don¡¯t mess with each other¡¯s business. If we cross the line, the Green Phoenix Guard will make life difficult for us. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying now?¡±

    The limping man fell silent and turned to scan the lobby.

    No one dared to look him in the eye.

    At first, the limping man was disappointed, but this disappointment gradually turned into despair.

    Suddenly, a voice came from the corner of the lobby. ¡°I¡¯ll take this deal.¡±

    After a moment of silence in the lobby, a flurry of whispers ensued, sounding like the annoying chirping of insects on a summer night or like a rat scurrying around in the night. Even the waiter, who had been dozing off, jolted up from his dream. He looked around first, then hurriedly got up from the bench and left the room, as if he was afraid of being implicated.

    A sliver of hope arose again on the limping man¡¯s face as he turned his head to look in the direction of that voice.

    That voice came from a young man who was wearing a cloak and a bamboo rain hatmon attire for seasoned traveling swordsmen.

    The young man sat in the corner of the lobby, upying a table by himself. His short sword was ced on the table.

    He stood up, walked over to the counter, then nced at the cash note andmented, ¡°One thousand Taiping coins is not a small amount. One could easily exchange it for a small mountain worth of Ruyi coins.¡±

    <i>During the previous Wei Dynasty, private currency wasmon, and forged money was rampant, leading to chaotic transactions and cumbersome conversions. Some office-bearers even made profits from it.</i>

    <i>The Great Xuan Dynasty was aware of this problem. Thus, they created a standard system of three types of coins¡ªgold, silver, and copper. They got rid of the square holes from the previous dynasty¡¯s coins and made them into solid whole coins, which they named yuan.</i>

    <i>The back of the gold yuan was engraved with the characters Chengping Wuyou.</i><i>[1]</i><i> Thus, the gold coin was moremonly known as the Wuyou coin.</i>

    <i>The back of the silver yuan was engraved with the characters Tianxia Taiping.</i><i>[2]</i><i> Thus, the silver coin was known as the Taiping coin. </i>

    <i>Simrly, the back of the copper yuan was engraved with the characters Pingan Ruyi.</i><i>[3]</i><i> Thus, the copper coin was known as the Ruyi coin.</i>

    The Innkeeper nced at the empty bench not far from the counter and stretched out his hand to hold down the cash note. He advised calmly, ¡°Young man, regardless of how much money you can get out of this deal, please listen to my advice. I¡¯m afraid that you won¡¯t have the opportunity to spend all this money anyway.¡±

    The young man replied, ¡°Thanks for the advice, but I can weigh the pros and cons myself.¡±

    The Innkeeper sighed slightly, withdrew his palm that was pressing on the cash note, and did not say much more.

    The limping man looked at the young swordsman and asked cautiously, ¡°May I know your name?¡±

    The young man replied, ¡°Qi Xuansu.¡±

    The Inn did not directly participate in fighting or killing. Instead, it acted as an intermediary, providing guarantees for both parties in the transaction and earning amission from it.

    To be able to do such a business, one must be knowledgeable and resourceful. This was proven by the establishedwork of The Inn¡¯s many branches all over the continent. It was rumored that a headquarters existed, but no one truly knew where it was located.

    Since Qi Xuansu was willing to take this deal, the two signed a contract in the presence of the Innkeeper. Three copies of the agreement were signed and kept by each party: the Innkeeper, the limping man, and Qi Xuansu.

    If Qi Xuansupleted the deal, he could reach out to the Innkeeper with this agreement and take away 900 of the 1,000 Taiping coins. The Inn would only take one-tenth of the money, which was 100 Taiping coins.

    If Qi Xuansu could not fulfill his task, the limping man would still be able to get back 950 Taiping coins from the Innkeeper with the agreement. The Inn would only take a routine fee of 50 Taiping coins per transaction.

    If a dispute arose, the two parties could use this agreement and ask for mediation at The Inn. The Inn would take appropriate measures if mediation failed.

    However, no one really knew what ¡°appropriate measures¡± The Inn would carry out if it came down to it.

    After finalizing the agreement and exining the details of the transaction, the limping man handed over the cash note equivalent to 1,000 Taiping coins to the Innkeeper. The Inn had a good reputation for doing business; even big deals worth tens of thousands of Taiping coins. Thus, the man was not worried about being scammed because The Inn would not ruin their reputation for a mere 1,000 Taiping coins.

    The specific requirements of this deal were quite simple. Qi Xuansu was to rescue Li Hongwen, the magistrate of Fengtai County, from the county government office.

    Li Hongwen was about to be arrested by the Green Phoenix Guard due to a major court case. He would likely not survive the journey to the Capital, much less the imprisonment.

    Qi Xuansu had heard about this major court case. Two political factions were at odds with each other, and the situation was so confusing that it was difficult to determine who was in the right.

    Furthermore, it was not difficult to guess the identity of this limping man. Judging from his appearance, Qi Xuansu guessed that the limping man was probably a close aide of the county magistrate, Li Hongwen. He had probably risked his life to flee and seek help at The Inn.

    The limping man was relieved upon seeing the Innkeeper put away the contract and the cash note for 1,000 Taiping coins. Putting away his own copy of the contract, the limping man found an empty table nearby and sat down. Then he asked the Innkeeper for a small pot of wine.

    As soon as the Innkeeper opened the big wine jar behind him, the aroma of wine immediately filled the room. The Innkeeper filled a small pot of wine without warming it[4] and delivered it to the limping man.

    When the Innkeeper passed by Qi Xuansu, their eyes met for a moment. The Innkeeper¡¯s gaze flickered with regret and helplessness, as if he were looking at a dying man.

    Qi Xuansu did not care much about this. He kept his copy of the agreement in his sleeve pocket, walked back to his table, and hung his short sword at his waist. Then he stretched out his hand to press down on his bamboo hat, further covering his eyes so that people could only see his slim and chiseled chin. Lastly, he shook out his cloak to cover the sword at his waist.

    The limping man took a big gulp of wine to calm his nerves and warned. ¡°Brother Qi, I have told you all the details. Let me remind you again that this task is dangerous, so please be careful.¡±

    Qi Xuansu, who was on his way out, paused in his footsteps, but he did not look back. ¡°Thanks for the reminder.¡±

    The limping man wanted to say something else, but he was afraid to scare off Qi Xuansu from this deal, so he kept silent in the end and drank away his sorrows. Soon, he passed out drunk on the table.

    Since The Inn was built underground, Qi Xuansu had to walk into a long corridor that led above ground after leaving the lobby.

    A row of torches lit up the long corridor, and it took about fifteen minutes to reach the exit.

    The moment Qi Xuansu walked out of the corridor, he was greeted by a crossbow bolt that was aimed at his left leg. The intention of this was obvious, which was to incapacitate him, making it easier to capture him.

    Qi Xuansu was able to dodge the bolt at thest moment. The bolt grazed his thigh and embedded itself deeply into the wall behind him. The ck tail feathers of the bolt were still trembling from the strong impact.

    This kind of crossbow bolt was familiar to him.

    It was a standard weapon of the Green Phoenix Guard. The bolt head had blood grooves and barbs. If one was shot by this bolt and were to pull it out, arge piece of flesh would be torn off by the barbs. If the bolt was left in ce, the barbs would cause constant bleeding. It was an extremely brutal weapon.

    Qi Xuansu turned in that direction and saw a figure striding out of the shadows and stopping more than ten feet away from him.

    The man held a pitch-ck crossbow in his hand, so it was obvious that he was the one who had shot the bolt earlier.

    Qi Xuansu sized up the man¡¯s attire¡ªa green, narrow-sleeved, long-breasted brocade robe with a ck metal belt buckle representing a beast head at the waist and a pair of ck square-tipped, upturned-toe military boots with white outsoles. It was undoubtedly the typical uniform of the Green Phoenix Guard.

    1. Peace and blitheness. ?

    2. Peace to the world. ?

    3. Peace and contentment. ?

    4. Note that this is Chinese rice wine, which is often served warm. ?

 Chapter 2: The Green Phoenix Guard

    <h4>Chapter 2: The Green Phoenix Guard</h4>

    Qi Xuansu was at a funeral home. Behind him was a thick wall, which concealed the passageway to and from The Inn. A Green Phoenix Guard stood at the entrance of the funeral home, some distance away from Qi Xuansu. A few meters away from them were dozens of unimed corpses covered in white cloth, lining both sides of the hall.

    The Green Phoenix Guard was a little surprised that Qi Xuansu could dodge the crossbow bolt. After some hesitation, the guard threw aside the crossbow and slowly drew the saber at his waist.

    The saber was one meter in length, with a 20-centimeter-long hilt. The thin de was straight at its spine and slightly curved at its sharp edge. It weighed five kilograms. This was the infamous Slim Tiger Saber.

    The Slim Tiger Saber was the standard issue for soldiers above the captain rank in the Green Phoenix Guard. Thus, not all soldiers in the Green Phoenix Guard were issued this saber. Ordinary troopers and lieutenants did not receive this kind of treatment.

    Qi Xuansu did not make a move. Instead, he asked, ¡°Sir, we haven¡¯t met before, and we have no grudges against each other. Why do you want to kill me?¡±

    The Green Phoenix Guard did not answer Qi Xuansu¡¯s question. He merely turned around and instructed, ¡°Come in and confirm the identity of this man. Is he thewless man you speak of?¡±

    The next moment, a man apprehensively crept into the funeral home.

    Lo and behold, the man was none other than the sleepy waiter from The Inn, who had left in a hurry as soon as Qi Xuansu took up the limping man¡¯s offer.

    The waiter peered at Qi Xuansu briefly before lowering his head and answering respectfully, ¡°Yes, my lord. He was the one who epted the deal.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± The Green Phoenix Guard sneered. ¡°You certainly are brave to try and protect someone from the Green Phoenix Guard. Are you a master swordsman from Donghai or a sage[1] from West Kunlun?¡±

    Qi Xuansu remained unfazed. He replied in a t voice, ¡°I¡¯m just a nobody trying to make ends meet.¡±

    The Green Phoenix Guard smiled contemptuously. He stretched out his left thumb and swiped it across his upper lip. ¡°Good.¡±

    The waiter from The Inn hurriedly backed away. This time, he was not pretending to be scared. He was truly terrified for his life.

    The next second, a cold glint of light appeared in Qi Xuansu¡¯s line of sight. It was the light reflecting off the tip of the Slim Tiger Saber. The de approached Qi Xuansu, but he did not show the slightest bit of fear. He did not even draw his sword. He simply turned sideways and dodged the attack.

    The Green Phoenix Guard closed the gap of dozens of meters between them in an instant and brushed past Qi Xuansu. The saber prated 60 centimeters into the wall behind Qi Xuansu, creating spider web-like cracks on it. This was proof of the frightening strength behind his thrust.

    If Qi Xuansu had been hit by this thrust, he would have been nailed to the wall, dying on the spot.

    The Green Phoenix Guard pulled back his saber, leaving a deep mark on the wall. When he looked at Qi Xuansu, who was now standing to the side, his gaze held a hint of fear and wariness.

    He stared at Qi Xuansu and scoffed. ¡°I underestimated you. I guess you do have some skills, since you dare ept such a suicidal mission.¡±

    Qi Xuansumented, ¡°You¡¯re not too bad yourself.¡±

    Saber in hand, the Green Phoenix Guard said solemnly, ¡°Do you know who you¡¯re trying to protect? The Lieutenant Colonel named him a wanted criminal. Do you dare to go against the Imperial Court?¡±

    Qi Xuansu spoke calmly. ¡°It¡¯s not about bravery. I¡¯m just following orders.¡±

    The Green Phoenix Guard, who had been maintaining hisposure, finally lost it. He asked sternly, ¡°Who are you? Who sent you here?¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not reply.

    The Green Phoenix Guard subconsciously clenched the hilt of his saber.

    The guard had deliberately let the limping man flee to seek help from The Inn, thinking that he could use the limping man as bait to catch a few small fry and im some credit. Unexpectedly, he had hooked a shark with this bait. One wrong move could drag him into the muddy waters and lead to his doom.

    Suddenly, Qi Xuansu moved.

    Qi Xuansu was like a ghost, striking faster than the Green Phoenix Guard could react. In just one step, he closed the gap between them, catching his opponent off guard.

    He punched the Green Phoenix Guard in the lower abdomen with such speed that his fist whistled through the air. The beast-head belt buckle on the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s uniform shattered from the sheer force of the blow, and the guard bent over in pain.

    Qi Xuansu quickly followed up with an elbow strike square on the guard¡¯s back and a knee to the guard¡¯s face at the same time.

    With these three strikes, the Green Phoenix Guard was incapacitated.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s final kick sent the guard flying toward the wall in the back.

    The decrepit funeral home shook violently from the impact, stirring up age-old dust on the pirs and beams.

    The Green Phoenix Guard slowly slid down the wall and threw up a mix of blood and chunks of internal organs. He leaned against the wall with his head hung low, unable to say a word or move a finger. His breath became weaker as signs of life gradually left him.

    Qi Xuansu stepped forward and took the Slim Tiger Saber from the guard¡¯s hand. A pleasant chime reverberated in the hall as he flicked the de.

    Qi Xuansu praised, ¡°Nice saber.¡±

    Then he nced at the lifeless Green Phoenix Guard and added, ¡°But your skills arecking.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sheathed the Slim Tiger Saber, hung it on his waist, and shook out his cloak to cover his weapons, then he turned around.

    By now, the snitching waiter from The Inn was so frightened that he froze on the spot. He fell on his butt, trembling in fear.

    How could that Green Phoenix Guard die so easily?

    This inconspicuous young man killed the Green Phoenix Guard, who had no power to fight back.

    How was this possible?

    When Qi Xuansu turned around, the waiter was scrambling to scoot back with his arms propped up behind him.

    Qi Xuansu deliberately lowered his bamboo hat to cover his expression once again. Thus, the waiter could only see his chin. Even without a full view of Qi Xuansu¡¯s face, the waiter instinctively feared the man.

    The waiter worked at the rowdy Inn for many years, so he had seen people from all walks of life and hade across his fair share of the Imperial Court¡¯s most wanted criminals. It was for this reason that he felt such despair at this moment.

    This seemingly ordinary young man had strong qi.

    The Innkeeper once told the waiter, in a drunken stupor, that one would naturally form a murderous aura the more one killed.

    There was a saying that spirits were afraid of butchers. That was because butchers had a murderous aura that repelled ordinary spirits. Simrly, a serial killer would have an intense murderous aura that vengeful spirits were afraid of.

    The waiter did not take Qi Xuansu seriously at first because he was ustomed to brutes reining in their fiery tempers at The Inn.

    No one dared cause trouble at The Inn. In cases where lunatics went overboard and caused a ruckus, the Green Phoenix Guard got involved and easily defeated them.

    The waiter had tipped off the Green Phoenix Guard over the years, so he had seen his fair share of people being tortured to death. Among those who died in front of him were a handful of tough and fierce individuals. Some of them simply waited to be killed, while others fought hard for their lives but still ended up dead under the de of the Green Phoenix Guard.

    This was the first time the waiter had seen a Green Phoenix Guard killed before his eyes. This was probably thest time he would bear witness to such a scene, too, since someone capable of killing a mid-ranking Green Phoenix Guard would not mind killing an insignificant waiter like him, right?

    Qi Xuansu walked toward the stunned waiter, who was shaking like a leaf. The poor man had prostrated himself on the ground and had wet himself from sheer fear.

    Stopping right in front of the waiter, Qi Xuansu stared at him until he stopped trembling with fear. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be scared. I don¡¯t kill innocent people.¡±

    The waiter breathed a long sigh of relief when he heard this. However, before he could revel in joy, what came out of Qi Xuansu¡¯s mouth next almost scared him to death.

    ¡°But do you consider yourself innocent?¡±

    The waiter finally burst into tears. Snot and tears covered his face as he cried, ¡°Please spare me, my lord! Please have mercy on a small fart like me! I swear, I will never do this again! My whole family is depending on me to feed them¡ª¡±

    ¡°What a crybaby.¡± Qi Xuansu raised his voice, and the waiter abruptly shut his mouth.

    Having been involved with The Inn and the Green Phoenix Guard, the waiter was sharp enough to notice certain cues. However, he had been too frightened to think straight earlier. The minute he returned to his senses, he hurriedly offered up his services. ¡°My lord, do you have any orders?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quick-witted; I¡¯ll give you that.¡± Qi Xuansu praised the waiter. ¡°The guard who just died was a captain of the seventh rank, so the Green Phoenix Guard won¡¯t let this slide. They will send someone to investigate this matter, and because you were the one who tipped off the guard, you will definitely be tortured during the interrogation. It¡¯s hard to say whether you¡¯ll survive it.¡±

    The waiter paled upon hearing this. He shivered in fear and wet himself again.

    Qi Xuansu turned a blind eye to this and continued, ¡°But if you do as I say, you may be able to avoid the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s punishment.¡±

    Hearing this, the waiter mustered the strength to get up and kneel in front of Qi Xuansu. He kowtowed and begged, ¡°My lord, please spare my humble life! Please save me, I beg you!¡±

    The waiter¡¯s pleas were apanied by a rhythmic knocking of his forehead against the ground, until blood stains were visible.

    Qi Xuansu did not stop him and suggested, ¡°If anyone from the Green Phoenix Guard approaches you, just tell them that Sage Donghua sends his regards to the Lord Commander. Got it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord. Thank you for your magnanimity!¡± The waiter kowtowed again. After a while, he stopped kowtowing and cautiously lifted his head from the big pool of blood on the ground. His face was stained red.

    When he looked up, Qi Xuansu was long gone. It was as if everything that had happened was just a nightmare.

    The waiter stood up shakily and scanned the hall. He was surrounded by the lifeless captain of the Green Phoenix Guard and several corpses covered in white cloth. A gust of wind blew from nowhere, making him shiver.

    1. Daoist priest of high standing. ?

 Chapter 3: Impending Storm

    <h4>Chapter 3: Impending Storm</h4>

    Qi Xuansu traveled hundreds of kilometers to Fengtai County. It was not for the deal worth 1,000 Taiping coins, nor did he want to get involved in theplex politics of the Imperial Court. He was actually acting on orders to retrieve something from Li Hongwen.

    Using The Inn as a cover to hide his true motives and gather more intel, Qi Xuansu stayed at The Inn until he discovered Li Hongwen¡¯s whereabouts from his contract with the limping man. Through the limping man, Qi Xuansu learned that the Green Phoenix Guard ambushed Li Hongwen in the Fengtai County government office. They arrested Li Hongwen and detained his family on the spot without transferring them to the county jail.

    Although Qi Xuansu figured that the Green Phoenix Guard had deliberately let the limping man slip through the cracks as bait to catch other aplices, he was still determined to take the deal. That was because Qi Xuansu was a member of the Qingping Society.

    In the existing political climate, the Imperial Court and the Daoist Order were highly interconnected. Like the yin-yang circle, the Imperial Court was the white swirl, while the Daoist Order was the ck swirl, each containing a spot of the other.

    The Qingping Society was not a part of the Imperial Court or the Daoist Order. Rather, it was a secret society that hovered between the two regimes.

    The members of the Qingping Society were from all walks of life, often holding separate identities. On the surface, they were members of the Imperial Court or the Daoist sects, but in secret, they were members of the Qingping Society. Therefore, Qingping Society members would never reveal their real names, using code names instead.

    Qi Xuansu had been a member of the Qingping Society for two years and went by the alias Gold-ted Knife.

    Some people mistakenly thought that the alias connoted a kind of precious weapon. In fact, it was a type of knife-shapedmodity money in ancient times, also known as knife money. The gold engravings on the coinage represented riches.

    Though this alias was unsuitable for Qi Xuansu since he was not a rich man, Qi Xuansu had chosen this alias because it served as a reminder of his debt and money owed.

    Aside from being a member of the Qingping Society, Qi Xuansu had another identity as a seventh-rank Daoist priest. As a point of reference, Sage Donghua was a second-rank Daoist priest of high standing. The difference in status between Qi Xuansu and Sage Donghua was equivalent to that between a county magistrate and a high-ranking government minister. It was rare for individuals with such social disparity to interact with each other.

    In actuality, Qi Xuansu was lying to the waiter at The Inn when he told the waiter to ry a message that Sage Donghua had sent his regards to the Lord Commander of the Green Phoenix Guard. Qi Xuansu merely said this to muddle the investigation.

    ......

    On the other hand, the limping man had passed out drunk in the lobby of The Inn. Little did he know, that was the final nightcap of his life. He would never wake again.

    The Innkeeper walked to the limping man¡¯s table and nced at the half-empty pot of wine. He sighed and muttered, ¡°The Inn has credibility, but we also have an unspoken rule. All branches of The Inn are not allowed to get involved in matters of the Imperial Court. To interfere in politics, you should have gone to the headquarters. You broke the rules today, so that was the reason for your demise.¡±

    He flipped over the limping man¡¯s corpse andid it on its back. Then he groped the corpse¡¯s chest to retrieve the agreement. After scanning the contents to confirm that it was the agreement he was looking for, the Innkeeper stacked it with the other agreement letters and burned the stack with a snap of his finger. The papers instantly turned to ashes, dispersing with the wind.

    Two burly servants walked out of a secret door right after the Innkeeper pped three times.

    The Innkeeper tore the cash note worth 1,000 Taiping coins into pieces and scattered them on the lifeless body. He ordered, ¡°You know the drill. Stay vignt.¡±

    The two servants lifted the body and disappeared through the secret door once again without making a sound.

    Throughout the whole process, the lobby of The Inn was silent. Some people were unfazed and turned a blind eye to themotion, while others were frightened and avoided eye contact.

    The Innkeeper returned to his ce behind the counter and stered on his signature friendly smile, looking like an honest businessman. No one would have guessed that he was actually a racketeer.

    Only the regrs of The Inn knew that the Innkeeper was no ordinary man. The Innkeeper had done his fair share of killings in the past. Otherwise, he would not have secured his position as an Innkeeper.

    As he grew older and held a higher status, he stopped killing and focused more on building hiswork and umting wealth. He changed his lifestyle and gave others the impression that he was a kind person.

    However, this kindness was superficial. Anyone involved in the gray areas of society could never be considered an angel.

    The Innkeeper did all this openly in the lobby to set an example for the others present, in hopes of scaring off anyone who intended to follow in the limping man¡¯s footsteps.

    The limping man had broken the rules and ended up dead. The greedy young man who epted the deal would have had a simr ending since he did not heed the Innkeeper¡¯s advice. That stubborn young man set his own fate, so the Innkeeper could not be med for his untimely death.

    ......

    A tall man in a green brocade robe paced back and forth in the main hall of the Fengtai County government office. Compared to the Green Phoenix Guard captain, whom Qi Xuansu had killed at the funeral home, this man wore a more ornate uniform, evident with the jade belt and the ferocious-looking tiger-head belt buckle.

    Within the hierarchy of the Green Phoenix Guard, a captain was of the lower-seventh rank, and a senior captain was of the upper-seventh rank. This man with the jade belt was a lower-sixth-rank assistant major and was considered an influential figure in this small county.

    Above his position were the upper-sixth-rank major and the lower-fifth-rank senior major. An upper-fifth-rank lieutenant colonel was considered a high-ranking officer within the Green Phoenix Guard because there were only twenty such positions.

    Zhou Feilong habitually sped his bronze tiger-head belt buckle and rhythmically tapped on the hilt of the Slim Tiger Saber at his waist while he paced the glossy floor in his uniform boots.

    His fellow colleague, Li Sanxin, who was also an assistant major of the Green Phoenix Guard, sat not far away at the head of the table.

    Zhou Feilong stopped pacing and nced at Li Sanxin discreetly.

    Although Li Sanxin was newly promoted to an assistant major justst year, there were recent rumors saying that he would be promoted to an upper-sixth-rank major soon. The reason being that he was a trusted confidant of the Lieutenant Colonel.

    Li Sanxin was not aware of Zhou Feilong¡¯s gaze. The former held the gaiwan[1] in his left palm and slowly skimmed off the foam with the lid using his right hand. Then he gently blew on the tea to cool it down before taking a sip.

    Zhou Feilong looked away, feeling a little dismal.

    Only one of them was needed to deal with Li Hongwen¡¯s case, but the Lieutenant Colonel sent two assistant majors to Fengtai County for this case. There could only be two reasons for this arrangement: the Lieutenant Colonel did not trust Zhou Feilong to do the job, or Li Sanxin had a secret task.

    Zhou Feilong had been in the Green Phoenix Guard for decades and had arrested a prefecture magistrate before, never mind a county magistrate like Li Hongwen. Thus, Zhou Feilong was more than capable of getting the job done. That only meant that Li Sanxin was sent here for that secret task.

    However, Zhou Feilong had no clue what that secret task could possibly be.

    At this moment, Li Sanxin put down the gaiwan on the table and nced at Zhou Feilong¡¯s untouched tea. He remarked, ¡°This tea is great, brewed with boiling spring water. The tea buds float vertically, which means they are most likely fresh buds from the first harvest of the year. This type of tea is usually picked at night, when the buds are showing. We won¡¯t be able to afford a few grams a year with our meager sry, so it would be a waste not to try it, Brother Zhou.¡±

    A small smile appeared on Zhou Feilong¡¯s face as he sat back in his chair. Then he picked up the gaiwan and took a sip of the tea.

    ¡°Yes, this is top-quality tea.¡± Zhou Feilong put down the gaiwan and chimed in agreement.

    Li Sanxin smiled and asked, ¡°Brother Zhou, you seem a little absent-minded.¡±

    Zhou Feilong adjusted his expression and said in a deep voice, ¡°Brother Li, since you¡¯ve noticed, I¡¯ll just speak openly. Although Li Hongwen has been arrested, many of his aplices remain atrge. We have let his confidant escape to use him as bait to lure out Li Hongwen¡¯s cronies. That way, we can catch them all in one fell swoop. Logically speaking, there is nothing wrong with this n since we have been doing it for so many years. But I don¡¯t know why I feel so uneasy this time.¡±

    Li Sanxin¡¯s eyes suddenly turned dark. He picked up the gaiwan again, the rising steam shrouding his face. ¡°Brother Zhou, you worry too much.¡±

    Zhou Feilong also picked up the gaiwan in front of him. His face was masked by the steam from the hot tea as he gulped it. His gaze was dreary as he mumbled, ¡°I hope so.¡±

    Li Sanxin looked at the sky, which had darkened considerably, as if someone had sshed ink all over it.

    Zhou Feilong stood up and went to the door, standing with his hands behind his back. ¡°The weather in the south sure is temperamental.¡±

    Hailing from the north, Zhou Feilong was not used to the weather down south in Fengtai County.

    ¡°Rainy days are always the best time to kill.¡±

    The room darkened as the rain clouds grew heavier. Li Sanxin was sitting in the shadows, so it was hard to make out his expression when he said that. Zhou Feilong only felt a chill up his spine upon hearing Li Sanxin¡¯s deep and cryptic voiceing from behind.

    Zhou Feilong turned around and looked at his colleague.

    At this moment, a bolt of lightning shed through the sky, illuminating the dim main hall and their surroundings.

    Under the blue-white light, Zhou Feilong could see Li Sanxin¡¯s face, clear as day.

    Li Sanxin smiled slightly at Zhou Feilong, the former¡¯s white teeth gleaming creepily in the dim environment.

    Wind and thunder always go concurrently with lightning.

    Strong winds followed the crash of thunder, disrupting the usual peace in the city. Housewives were busy collecting theundry that was hung out to dry, while children were shouting. Street vendors rushed to close their stalls, and pedestrians hurried home. Everyone wanted to take shelter from the rain and ran as fast as they could. Their footsteps were frantic, and the streets were chaotic.

    The noise and voices from the streets made it seem like the city was whispering.

    Suddenly, a heavy downpour fell upon the city.

    Raindrops the size of soybeans pitter-pattered against the roof. In an instant, the raindrops gathered on the roof tiles to form small streams that flowed from the eaves and onto the ground.

    The two people in the main hall of the county government office were unperturbed by the rainstorm, which had been brewing for a long time.

    Several Green Phoenix Guard troopers, who were standing guard outside the hall, were fully equipped with weapons and protective gear. They remained unmoved even as the raindrops hit their armor.

    A young man in a bamboo hat and cloak walked on the street at an unhurried pace, heading toward the county government office. He looked out of ce in the hustle and bustle of this small town.

    The young man¡¯s cloak¡ªsoaked by the rain¡ªstuck to him, revealing the silhouette of the short sword and the saber at his waist.

    Rainy days were indeed the best time to kill, especially during such a heavy downpour. That was because the rainwater would wash away the bloodshed, leaving no trace after the rain passed and the sky cleared.

    The raindrops fell on the young man¡¯s bamboo hat, gathering on the slope of the hat and forming small streams of water that dripped down from the brim. The water curtain made it seem like he was wearing a veiled hat.

    1. Chinese lidded bowl without a handle, used for infusing tea leaves. ?

 Chapter 4: The Bloody Storm

    <h4>Chapter 4: The Bloody Storm</h4>

    As Qi Xuansu approached the county government office, someone finally noticed his unwanted presence. Three Green Phoenix Guards in rain ponchos blocked his way.

    The leading captain took a step forward and shouted, ¡°This area is closed off by the Green Phoenix Guard. Retreat immediately!¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked unhurriedly, ¡°Is Li Hongwen inside?¡±

    His voice was loud enough so that the Green Phoenix Guards could hear him clearly over the rain.

    The Green Phoenix Guards were rmed and instantly drew their long sabers in unison.

    These ordinary guards were not senior enough to be issued the Slim Tiger Saber and were given the Sheep Saber. Although the leading guard was also a captain, he was not favored enough to own a Slim Tiger Saber.

    Zhou Feilong and Li Sanxin were assistant majors. However, the former spent the majority of his life climbing to the position of assistant major and would probably end his career in this position. On the other hand, Li Sanxin, who was only in his thirties, was already an assistant major and was rumored to be promoted to a major the next year. It was evident who, among them, was more favored.

    The three Green Phoenix Guards, equipped with the standard-issue Flying Squirrel Armor and Sheep Saber, rushed toward Qi Xuansu. The guard at the front was the captain, nked by two lieutenants, positioning themselves in a formidable wedge formation.

    Unfortunately, their opponent was Qi Xuansu.

    The captain shed at Qi Xuansu¡¯s head, but Qi Xuansu turned sideways to dodge the attack and took the opportunity to grab the captain¡¯s saber-wielding wrist. Qi Xuansu tightened his grip slightly, forcing the captain to loosen his fingers and let go of the Sheep Saber.

    Qi Xuansu caught the falling Sheep Saber and casually warded off the other two Green Phoenix Guards, who staggered back from the force. Qi Xuansu kept advancing, brushing past the captain, who had lost his saber.

    The next moment, the captain¡¯s midriff split open, his guts spilling all over the ground. He covered his lower abdomen with both hands and slowly slid onto his knees, dying with a look of disbelief on his face. His blood quickly disappeared in the heavy rain.

    The other two lieutenants were horrified by this scene.

    The Flying Squirrel Armor was like paper against this saber.

    Before the two lieutenants could recover from the shock, Qi Xuansu charged at them.

    The de of the Sheep Saber cut through the rain curtain, splitting the falling raindrops into two. The beads of water formed a line visible to the naked eye through the rain curtain.

    As Qi Xuansu brushed past the two lieutenants, a bright red slit appeared on each of their throats. Blood slowly oozed from their wounds.

    The lieutenants dropped their Sheep Sabers and covered their throats as they copsed to the ground, eyes wide open with nolition in the face of death.

    Qi Xuansu stood still after killing the three Green Phoenix Guards.

    Although the rain was loud, Qi Xuansu could still hear the steady march of footsteps against the stagnant water that pooled on the ground due to the heavy downpour.

    Qi Xuansu looked up through the rain curtain that formed along the brim of his bamboo hat, spotting multiple guards in ponchos who were marching toward him from the other end of the long street.

    A toon of Green Phoenix Guards had arrived.

    Qi Xuansu threw the Sheep Saber forward, splitting the rain curtain.

    The saber prated one of the leading guards¡¯ chests with such impact that the guard staggered back and collided with hisrade.

    The Sheep Saber buried itself up to the hilt in the first guard¡¯s chest and pierced through the back of the second guard behind him. The tip of the saber that stuck out of the second guard¡¯s back even prated the third guard¡¯s heart.

    The three guards resembled a stick of candied hawthorns.[1]

    The senior captain, who was the highest-ranking Green Phoenix Guard there, was fearful of Qi Xuansu when he saw how six of his skilledrades had died so easily at the hands of this young man.

    However, any guard who retreated in a battle would be punished severely. The thought of this gruesome punishment forced the senior captain to suppress his fear and shout out orders. ¡°Crossbows!¡±

    The crossbow was the mostmon weapon used by the Imperial Court to suppress skilled fighters. Especially when used as a collective, crossbows were deadly to ordinary fighters.

    Among the many types of crossbows, the one mostmonly used by the Green Phoenix Guard was the Jackdaw Crossbow, named after the bird due to its resemnce to the shape of a Jackdaw wing. The captain of the Green Phoenix Guard who died in the funeral home had used the same Jackdaw Crossbow on Qi Xuansu.

    Following the senior captain¡¯s order, twenty crossbows were raised and aimed at Qi Xuansu.

    ¡°Twang!¡±

    The trigger of the crossbow was particrly harsh amidst the pouring rain.

    Although Qi Xuansu heard only one twang, more than twenty crossbow bolts were fired at him.

    Almost at the same time, Qi Xuansu swung hisrge, soaked cloak, blocking all the iing bolts. All twenty bolts fell to the ground; none had slipped through the cracks.

    The senior captain stared fixedly at this mysterious young man, who turned out to be a master swordsman.

    Normally, the Green Phoenix Guard could defeat a master swordsman with collective brute force. However, there were only twenty regr troopers in this toon. Thus, it was simply unrealistic to think that low-ranking soldiers could besiege and subdue a master.

    Thinking of this, the senior captain turned to look at the county government office behind him.

    In the pouring rain, the tall ck gates of the county government office were tightly shut, making it seem particrly deste.

    The senior captain was aware that there were two assistant majors in the government office. They were the true masters of the Green Phoenix Guard.

    At times, only a master guard could defeat a skilled fighter.

    ......

    The rain continued to pour, turning the street outside the county government office into a small stream and the courtyard of the county government office into a shallowke.

    A few banana nts were grown in the courtyard, which was unexpectedly quiet at this time. The only sound that could be heard was the raindrops pattering against the banana leaves.

    Zhou Feilong stood in front of the courtyard, staring out at the banana nts. He sighed and recited, ¡°The sound of raindrops against the banana leaves brings sorrow. Like entrusted feelings, both are gone with the flowing water. Our guest has arrived. Unfortunately, there¡¯s no appreciation.¡±

    He emphasized the word ¡°unfortunately.¡± However, his voice waned by the end of the sentence, with an added chill to it.

    Li Sanxin was still in the hall. He picked up the gaiwan again and sipped on the tea slowly.

    Dozens of Green Phoenix Guards were stationed in the courtyard, d in rain ponchos and Flying Squirrel Armors and armed with Sheep Sabers as well as loaded Jackdaw Crossbows.

    They seemed disconnected from what was happening outside the county government office. These Green Phoenix Guards were unmoving, like stone sculptures. Nothing could faze them, not even the violent storm or the impending massacre.

    Li Sanxin stood up from the chair while holding the gaiwan. He walked toward the eaves in front of the hall and listened as the sounds of fighting outside dwindled. He stared at the rain curtain in front of him and remarked, ¡°He¡¯s a master of at least the <i>Baodan</i> cultivation level. This is surprising, but this just proves that Li Hongwen is not as simple as he seems.¡±

    Zhou Feilong muttered, ¡°The most fearful thing about crossing a river is not knowing its depth. Once you know the depth, you have an idea of what to expect. I felt uneasy earlier because I didn¡¯t know a thing about the opponent. Now, I can put things into perspective.¡±

    Li Sanxin smiled perfunctorily. ¡°Brother Zhou, since you know what kind of opponent he is, why don¡¯t you take him down? I¡¯ll meet with the self-righteous Li Hongwen. Let¡¯s see if he still insists that he hasn¡¯t formed a secret party to pursue his selfish interests.¡±

    Li Sanxin¡¯s tone was not exactlymanding, but he left no room for negotiation.

    Unlike Zhou Feilong, Li Sanxin was the Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s confidant. Li Sanxin had a bright future and could very well be Zhou Feilong¡¯s superior one day.

    Zhou Feilong hesitated for a moment before he responded with a smile. ¡°Sure.¡±

    As soon as Li Sanxin raised his hand, two Green Phoenix Guards standing in the corridor came over to lead the way.

    Immediately afterward, two more Green Phoenix Guards trailed behind Li Sanxin, surrounding thetter in a protective formation. Li Sanxin walked slowly to the residence in the back of the county government office, the gaiwan still in his hand.

    Zhou Feilong watched as his colleague left. Although he was frustrated, he was good at maintaining hisposure after years of practice as an assistant major in the Green Phoenix Guard. Thus, his expression did not change in the slightest. After retracting his gaze, he waved a signal at the few guards in front.

    All the guards on site turned around at the same time and walked toward the gates of the county government office.

    In line with the regtions, the grounds outside the county government office spanned around 300 square meters and had nothing else except two massive stone lions. Its vastness added to the government office¡¯s grandeur.

    At this moment, the vast grounds were littered with corpses, which were soaked by the rain. Blood, mixed with rainwater, flowed into the ditches and culverts.

    Qi Xuansu was the only person standing in the middle of the grounds. He looked at the dark gates of the county government in silence.

    The next moment, the gates of the county government office burst open. Dozens of Green Phoenix Guards filed out and lined up along the two syed walls on both sides of the gate with an intimidating stance.

    Zhou Feilong, who was wearing the official uniform of an assistant major, strode across the high threshold and came to the stone steps in front of the gate.

    When he saw the scattered corpses in front of him, his expression turned somber, and his gaze toward Qi Xuansu turned hostile.

    Qi Xuansu stood there, fearless.

    Zhou Feilong had no choice but to speak in a deep and threatening voice. ¡°Killing any member of the Green Phoenix Guard with the intention of rescuing prisoners of the Imperial Court is a serious crime punishable by death. You will be beheaded for this!¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not reply. Instead, he shook out his cloak, revealing the Slim Tiger Saber that was hanging on the right side of his waist.

    As soon as Zhou Feilong saw the saber, he knew that his trusted subordinate had met his demise while attempting to capture the rest of Li Hongwen¡¯s cronies from The Inn. Zhou Feilong¡¯s subordinate was merely a captain in rank, but he was a skilled fighter, better than many senior captains above him.

    Zhou Feilong had his suspicions, but he still asked, ¡°Did you kill the Green Phoenix Guards at The Inn too?¡±

    Qi Xuansu leaned forward slightly, confirming the allegation.

    Zhou Feilong glowered at Qi Xuansu and said in a chilling voice, ¡°You really deserve to die.¡±

    1. A popr Chinese snack that is dipped in syrup and served on a bamboo skewer. ?

 Chapter 5: Raging Storm

    <h4>Chapter 5: Raging Storm</h4>

    Qi Xuansu stretched out his hand to hold the hilt of the Slim Tiger Saber and finally said, ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to kill anyone, but I had to. In fact, let¡¯s talk and reach apromise.¡±

    Zhou Feilong was infuriated. He scoffed. ¡°What a joke!¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not reply. He slowly pulled out the extremely sharp Slim Tiger Saber.

    It was still pouring. Raindrops kept falling on the eaves of the county government office and the Green Phoenix Guards¡¯ Flying Squirrel Armor. A drop of rainwater split into two as itnded on the spine of the Slim Tiger Saber in Qi Xuansu¡¯s hand and slowly slid down along both sides of the de.

    By the time the two halves of the raindrop formed a whole again, Qi Xuansu had already charged forward with the saber.

    At the same time, the Green Phoenix Guards standing outside the syed wall pulled the triggers of their crossbows. The bolts shot through the rain curtain toward Qi Xuansu, forming a bright white water line.

    Qi Xuansu was slower than a flying bolt but much faster than the guards, who were always one step behind when pulling the trigger. Thus, with each click of the trigger, a boltnded on the ground behind Qi Xuansu. All thoseunched bolts were stuck more than thirty centimeters into the ground, with only the tail end exposed and trembling slightly, proving just how strong the impact was.

    Qi Xuansu crossed the grounds and made his way to the steps in front of the county government office gates at a shocking speed.

    Many of the Green Phoenix Guards present only saw a line of water in midair. This kind of saber technique was terrifying.

    While Qi Xuansu advanced toward Zhou Feilong, thetter managed to pull out the Slim Tiger Saber from his waist to block his midriff.

    What ensued was a harsh sound of metal colliding.

    The tip of Qi Xuansu¡¯s saber struck the face of Zhou Feilong¡¯s de. Then, the two men crashed into the county government office one after another.

    Qi Xuansu continued advancing while Zhou Feilong retreated.

    Zhou Feilong¡¯s calves smashed into the high threshold of the county government office¡¯s door, breaking it. His feet rubbed against the bluestone floor, leaving two visible marks as he slid back. He only stopped when his back hit the screen wall, creating spider web-like cracks.

    At this time, the two of them were less than thirty centimeters apart. Qi Xuansu stood with his back against the light, his facepletely hidden in the shadow of his bamboo hat.

    Zhou Feilong looked sternly at this young man who came out of nowhere, then remarked, ¡°You¡¯re skilled.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not reply, but he took a step forward.

    The screen wall shattered, scattering debris in all directions. Qi Xuansu and Zhou Feilong were separated.

    Qi Xuansu stood in the same spot. With a flick, the de of the Slim Tiger Saber resonated beautifully. At the same time, the raindrops stuck to the de bounced off.

    Zhou Feilong slid back more than thirty meters from his position at the screen wall, sloshing up water that had pooled on the floor.

    The two men stood in the rain, unwilling to back down. However, it was clear who among them held the advantage. Qi Xuansu had the upper hand in the fight, but he did not manage to hurt Zhou Feilong.

    Zhou Feilong stretched out his hand and ripped off his tattered uniform, revealing the soft, ck armor underneath. The scales of the armor had a dull luster when wet.

    That was the Bull Dragon Armor,posed of 360 scales, each around five centimeters wide and slightly thicker than cardboard.

    The Flying Squirrel Armor could only defend against ordinary swords, punches, and kicks. It could not block the qi from a master, but the Bull Dragon Armor was specifically designed to counter the qi¡¯s impact. When the two fought just now, Qi Xuansu¡¯s qi shattered a screen wall, but it did not prate Zhou Feilong¡¯s body. Zhou Feilong only looked a little embarrassed, but he was not injured.

    Zhou Feilong''s eyes were gloomy as he raised his Slim Tiger Saber in a defensive posture.

    Qi Xuansu pulled therge cloak off his body and threw it into the puddle at his feet. He quickly charged forward with the Slim Tiger Saber. The de was vibrating so rapidly that the raindrops falling on it dispersed into smaller droplets.

    Although both of them used the same saber, their saber skills werepletely different.

    Zhou Feilong¡¯s saber moved like a python, vicious and aggressive. On the other hand, Qi Xuansu¡¯s technique was straightforward. It was not fancy, nor were there any underhanded moves.

    The two Slim Tiger Sabers drew an arc-shaped water line through the rain curtain before they collided.

    A strong qi radiated from the collision, atomizing the rain curtain into a white mist.

    The next moment, a section of the de broke off, flying through the rain curtain and the front porch. It was nailed to the wall in the main hall.

    Zhou Feilong groaned and stepped back. Blood oozed from the three-centimeter-long wound on his cheek that was inflicted by the broken-off de.

    After he stopped retreating, he looked down in disbelief at the Slim Tiger Saber in his hand, which had only half the de left.

    The fight between the two seemed slow, but it all happened within a split second. At that moment, the Green Phoenix Guards outside the county government office started pouring in.

    Without any priormunication or orders, these Green Phoenix Guards raised their crossbows in unison, aimed at Qi Xuansu¡¯s back, and pulled the trigger.

    A dense rain of bolts fell from the sky, sealing almost all of the space around Qi Xuansu, which prevented him from moving. But this time, Qi Xuansu had no intention of dodging.

    He just breathed in and out.

    A bout of qi sted out of Qi Xuansu¡¯s body, like a great tide. His qi effortlessly deflected all the crossbow bolts aimed at him. Not a thread of his clothes was nicked.

    This phenomenon was what people often referred to as the qi shield.

    Qi Xuansu stepped on the puddle, turned around, and flung out his sleeves. The water droplets flew toward the Green Phoenix Guards behind him at a speed that was no less than the crossbow bolts.

    The Green Phoenix Guards at the frontline copsed instantly, like falling dominoes.

    Qi Xuansu stopped paying attention to the Green Phoenix Guards behind him and rushed toward Zhou Feilong with the saber.

    This was Qi Xuansu¡¯s third strike.

    Before this, his first strike had shattered a screen wall, and his second strike had broken off the de of Zhou Feilong¡¯s Slim Tiger Saber.

    This time, his third strike tore Zhou Feilong¡¯s Bull Dragon Armor open.

    A cloud of blood mist exploded from Zhou Feilong¡¯s chest, and he staggered backward into the main hall of the county government office. Finally, he crashed into the back wall of the main hall, near the broken-off de of his saber.

    When Zhou Feilong looked up at the Slim Tiger Saber in Qi Xuansu¡¯s hand, he noticed a white light spiraling erratically around the de.

    Zhou Feilong¡¯s eyes widened as he asked in awe, ¡°Is this sword qi?¡±

    Sword qi was the art of condensing qi and releasing it outside the body into the sword. Zhou Feilong could only condense a trace of qi when he did breathing exercises and meditated without interference. While in a fierce fight with others, Zhou Feilong could not concentrate enough to release any sword qi, let alone such an intense one as Qi Xuansu¡¯s, in which the entire de was glowing.

    Zhou Feilong thought to himself, <i>Is this man a Xiantian Being?</i>

    <i>There were three major stages in the Daoist path to immortality: Houtian Being, Xiantian Being, and Heavenly Being.</i>

    <i>Houtian Beings were split into two levels: regr cultivation and Baodan cultivation. Most Houtian Beings started their cultivation journey without understanding the true meaning of the Dao, only seeking quick attainment. In old age, their physical bodies weakened, and their spirits waned. Theirplexions turned ashen, and none of them could escape death.</i>

    <i>Xiantian Beings did notprehend the superior Dao, but they had some skills in the Dao. Their faith and determination never changed. Their spirits became clearer, and their physical bodies became stronger so that they were not affected by worldly illnesses.</i>

    <i>Heavenly Beings were half-immortal and half-human, capable of flying through the clouds even without wings. They could ride on dragons and ascend the heavenly steps, turn into birds and float on the clouds, dive into the seas, and soar over famous mountains. They could also consume innate qi and immortal herbs. </i>

    <i>Heavenly Beings could roam around the mortal world without being recognized by others and stay hidden from view. Some Heavenly Beings looked strange, with extra bones or hair umon in humans. Thus, most Heavenly Beings were reclusive and did not interact with mortals.</i>

    <i>It was rare toe across Heavenly Beings in ordinary ces. Thus, Xiantian Beings were considered the most powerful beings in the mortal realm.</i>

    Qi Xuansu did not answer. Instead, he advanced through the rain curtain and into the main hall.

    His fourth strike meant death.

    In Zhou Feilong¡¯s field of vision, a glint of light quickly erged as the tip of the Slim Tiger Saber approached him.

    Zhou Feilong was at a loss for what to do.

    This strike was so swift and precise, far exceeding Zhou Feilong¡¯s imagination. Zhou Feilong tried to think of ways to dodge this attack, but in the end, he failed to do so.

    However, in a fit of rage and fear, Zhou Feilong found a sudden burst of energy to fight to the death. The moment Qi Xuansu¡¯s de pierced Zhou Feilong¡¯s chest, thetter extended his fists and punched the former in the chest with all his might¡ªa force that was capable of splitting a boulder in half.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s body shook violently with the double punch, but that did not stop him from thrusting his saber and effortlessly piercing Zhou Feilong¡¯s chest.

    Qi Xuansu flicked his wrist, shattering Zhou Feilong¡¯s heart and lungs, as well as any hopes of survival. When Qi Xuansu withdrew his saber, Zhou Feilong¡¯s blood sprayed everywhere.

    The assistant major of the Green Phoenix Guard, who had expressed his uneasiness before the fight, never expected that his life would end so abruptly in Fengtai County.

    If Zhou Feilong could turn back time, he would not have gone to Fengtai County.

    However, in his final breath, he did not hate Qi Xuansu, his yer. After all, one¡¯s life and death were fated. He only ended up dead because he was not capable enough to defeat the opponent. What filled his heart with overwhelming hatred was that his colleague, Li Sanxin, had never offered to help in the fight.

    Zhou Feilong simply wished he could skin that man alive.

 Chapter 6: The Wind and Rain

    <h4>Chapter 6: The Wind and Rain</h4>

    The county government office was split into the front and back sections. The front of the government office was used for handling official business, while the back was the residence.

    After the Green Phoenix Guards arrested Li Hongwen, the incumbent magistrate of Fengtai County, they imprisoned his family in the residence at the back of the county government office. They did not stir up muchmotion but kept the Li family locked up in their respective rooms, not allowing them to leave.

    On the other hand, Li Hongwen was imprisoned in his study.

    While Zhou Feilong and Qi Xuansu were fighting in the front office, Li Sanxin and his guards walked along the corridor to Li Hongwen¡¯s study. At this time, two Green Phoenix Guards were on duty in front of the room. Seeing Li Sanxin, the guards saluted him and unlocked the door per their superior¡¯s orders.

    Li Sanxin instructed the others to stand guard outside before he went into the study alone.

    The study was simple, with only a desk, two chairs, and a bookshelf. The bookshelf was filled with all kinds of books. Aside from the Four Treasures of Study[1], as well as a brush washer, brush holder, paperweights, and other misceneous items, there were no other decorations on the desk. It was drab and unfit for a county magistrate.

    At this time, Li Hongwen, the magistrate of Fengtai County, was sitting behind the desk. He was wearing a seventh-rank court robe and looked to be in his fifties, with a thin, schrly face and a long beard. Judging by his appearance alone, he looked like a stereotypically honest official.

    Li Sanxin picked up a chair against the wall with one hand and ced it opposite Li Hongwen¡¯s desk. Then he took a seat in what was supposedly a subordinate¡¯s position.

    The county magistrate lowered his gaze, not reacting to Li Sanxin¡¯s arrival. He also had no intention of getting up to greet the man.

    Li Sanxin ced the gaiwan he was holding on the desk and broke the silence.

    ¡°ording to thews of the Great Xuan Dynasty, you are still considered an official member of the court until you are convicted, even though you are suspended from office. Although I¡¯m here as the Emperor¡¯s envoy tasked with handling this case, I will still show you my due respect and address you as Lord Li.¡±

    The county magistrate still did not speak.

    Li Sanxin didn¡¯t mind his attitude and continued talking. ¡°Lord Li, you and I are both officials of the Imperial Court. We serve the same emperor, so loyalty is most important to people like us. You consider yourself a loyal servant, but your aplices are now attacking the county government office to rescue you. Lord Li, what¡¯s your exnation for this?¡±

    This sentence was no less than a st of thunder that resounded in Li Hongwen¡¯s ears. He suddenly looked up at Li Sanxin and scoffed. ¡°Hmph! Serve the same emperor? Loyalty? Don¡¯t think you can trick me by saying my aplices are attacking the county government office! I have always been a loner. Actually, I would like to ask. Who exactly are you and your Lieutenant Colonel loyal to?¡±

    ¡°The Imperial Court, of course.¡± Li Sanxin raised his voice slightly. At the same time, he raised his hands in a fist-and-palm salute, facing the direction of the Capital. ¡°The Green Phoenix Guards, myself included, have always been loyal to the Imperial Court.¡±

    Li Hongwen sneered. ¡°The court? Hah! You know what you did!¡±

    With a gloomy expression, Li Sanxin jolted to his feet. ¡°What do you mean by that, Lord Li?¡±

    Li Hongwen looked fearless. ¡°Whose order did the Green Phoenix Guards follow to arrest me this time? I doubt His Majesty issued the imperial order. The Chancellor must have ordered this, right? You use me of forming a party for personal gain, but pray tell, who am I allying with? What sort of personal gain am I getting, exactly? I think you¡¯re just trying to find excuses to incriminate me.¡±

    Li Sanxin suddenly chuckled and sat back on his chair. ¡°Great! You¡¯ve finally admitted it, Lord Li.¡±

    The county magistrate¡¯s expression changed. ¡°What do you mean by this?¡±

    Li Sanxin took a sip of the already cold tea in the gaiwan and asked, ¡°Lord Li, do you know what the punishment is for making unfounded ims and framing court officials under thews of the Great Xuan Dynasty?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of death,¡± Li Hongwen said boldly.

    ¡°If you wanted to seek death, there are plenty of ways to take your own life. You can choose to hang, stab, or poison yourself. We can surely provide you with the tools if you don¡¯t have them. Just take your pick!¡±

    Li Sanxin then lowered his voice and added, ¡°Lord Li, why are you dodging the situation? In fact, we can talk about it.¡±

    Looking dignified, Li Hongwen asked, ¡°Do you think I was born yesterday to believe we can still talk when we¡¯ve reached this point?¡±

    ¡°But this involves the survival of your entire family, Lord Li.¡± Li Sanxin warned.

    The county magistrate remained silent.

    Li Sanxin continued, ¡°Before I came to Fengtai County, the Lieutenant Colonel told me everything is negotiable as long as you hand over that item, Lord Li. The Lieutenant Colonel may not be able to keep you alive, but he can save your family members. To him, it¡¯s just a matter of adding or subtracting a few entries in the files. Don¡¯t you think confiscation and exile are better oues than having your entire family executed?¡±

    Li Hongwen asked, ¡°What if I refuse to hand it over?¡±

    Sighing helplessly, Li Sanxin stood up from his chair again. ¡°If you¡¯re unwilling to talk, the Lieutenant Colonel will also be able to exin the situation.¡±

    Li Hongwen merely stared at Li Sanxin.

    Thetter said casually, ¡°Well then, you and your family can continue staying in Fengtai County. I hope you¡¯ll consider it carefully.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to consider.¡± Li Hongwen looked determined and refused without hesitation. ¡°I won¡¯t give it to you.¡±

    Li Sanxin¡¯s eyes turned vicious. He did not utter a word and merely turned to leave the study.

    With a wave of his hand, the Green Phoenix Guards outside the study immediately greeted him and waited for his instructions.

    Li Sanxin was silent for a moment before remarking, ¡°The heavens care for every living being. The Lieutenant Colonel also has a kind heart.¡±

    The several Green Phoenix Guards did not speak and waited for further orders.

    Li Sanxin paused for a moment. His expression turned gloomy, and then he continued, ¡°But there are always some stubborn people who don¡¯t appreciate the Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s kindness.¡±

    It was not the guards¡¯ first day on the job; hence, they knew that the assistant major probably wanted someone dead.

    A senior captain of the Green Phoenix Guard responded, ¡°Sir, please give us your orders.¡±

    Li Sanxin closed his eyes and spoke in a nonchnt tone. ¡°Li Hongwen knows too much. If we send him to prison, it will cause unnecessary entanglements, which will be a bit troublesome. That leaves us with no choice but to choose the lesser of the two evils. He must stay in Fengtai County.¡±

    The senior captain steeled himself. He understood that ¡°stay¡± meant eternal rest for Li Hongwen.

    Li Sanxin continued, ¡°Li Hongwen has many old friends of the same age. If this isn¡¯t done properly, it¡¯ll cause rumors and arouse discussion in the court. That will be detrimental to us. So, you know the rules. Make him disappear.¡±

    The senior captain immediately answered, ¡°Yes, sir. You won¡¯t see his body.¡±

    Li Sanxin opened his eyes and looked at the senior captain. Then, he lowered his voice slightly. ¡°Also, don¡¯t forget about his family members. Spare no one. I want them all dead.¡±

    The senior captain obliged. ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Li Sanxin looked at another schrly-looking Green Phoenix Guard captain and ordered, ¡°Prepare the case file and me the murder of the county magistrate on the rebel outside. Just say that he attacked the Green Phoenix Guard and obstructed justice by killing the witness. It just so happens that so many of our brothers have died in the front. me all their deaths on that rebel. This time, we must make a solid case without letting anything through the cracks.¡±

    The Green Phoenix Guard captain quickly responded, ¡°Rest assured, sir.¡±

    Li Sanxin waved his hand in dismissal, and all the Green Phoenix Guards immediately dispersed.

    Soon, Li Sanxin heard footsteps, doors opening, swords unsheathing, and Li Hongwen¡¯s family member¡¯s final cries before facing deathing from the back residence.

    Li Sanxin turned a deaf ear to this and stood under the eaves, looking at the rain curtain outside. He was still holding his gaiwan and sipping tea.

    Rainy days were indeed a good time to kill.

    When Li Sanxin finally drank thest sip of tea, someone walked in from the front office.

    The man was soaked from head to toe, but there was no trace of blood on him. Instead, his hands were full, with a Slim Tiger Saber in his right and a decapitated head in his left.

    The young man in the bamboo hat tossed over the decapitated head to Li Sanxin and threatened him. ¡°This assistant major didn¡¯t want to talk, so I had no choice but to kill him. It makes me wonder if you¡¯re more willing to talk to me.¡±

    Li Sanxin lowered his head and looked at the head that rolled to his feet. Zhou Feilong¡¯s dead eyes, which were still wide open, stared back at him.

    However, since he joined the Green Phoenix Guard, Li Sanxin has had no fear of ghosts or gods. Zhou Feilong could not do anything to Li Sanxin when he was alive, let alone dead.

    Li Sanxin raised one foot and crushed the head of the colleague who had been chatting andughing with him not long ago. He even scraped the sole of his boot, which was tainted with brain matter, on the edge of the steps.

    After that, Li Sanxin looked up at the person who had walked over. He narrowed his eyes and praised, ¡°You¡¯re a good fighter.¡±

    The man was indifferent, showing no trace of joy or anger.

    An imperceptible hint of worry shed in Li Sanxin¡¯s eyes.

    There was nothing to worry about if this man was ordinary. If this man was a <i>Xiantian </i>being, then Li Sanxin should not underestimate him.

    There was a reason powerful families in the Capital spared no effort to win over <i>Xiantian</i> masters. In addition to doing shady work for them, they wanted these masters to protect their families.

    If Li Hongwen had a master who was as capable as this man in front of Li Sanxin, then the situation would not have unfolded as such when the Green Phoenix Guards came to arrest the county magistrate.

    Li Sanxin was just worried, not afraid. He was not a loser like Zhou Feilong. At a young age, Li Sanxin had already be a lower-sixth-rank assistant major and would soon be promoted to an upper-sixth-rank major. Naturally, he had some skills to keep his position.

    When Li Sanxin spoke again, his voice suddenly deepened. ¡°Why did youe here alone to kill my fellow guards?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°I¡¯m just following orders. I¡¯m sure you understand.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I understand!¡± Li Sanxin nodded. ¡°People like us don¡¯t call the shots. We have no choice but to fight to the death. So please, make your move.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not reply. He stepped on the bluestone floor, creating a circle of spider web-like cracks, before he lunged forward.

    Li Sanxin smiled faintly and threw out the gaiwan he had been holding. It disappeared in a sh.

    The next second, the gaiwan appeared right in front of Qi Xuansu.

    This flying gaiwan spun non-stop, circling Qi Xuansu as if it had a mind of its own. Thus, Qi Xuansu had no choice but to stop on the spot.

    1. Traditional Chinese must-have stationery items include brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone. ?

 Chapter 7: Everyone Has His Own Master

    <h4>Chapter 7: Everyone Has His Own Master</h4>

    With a sh of a de, this gaiwan, which was made of fine Guan ware[1], cracked into two. At the same time, there was an explosion in the rain curtain. The ssh it created was like a slowly blooming lotus, which soon disappeared.

    Qi Xuansu groaned and staggered back from the explosion. The energy around his body surged, which made the surrounding rain curtain waver.

    Li Sanxin was still standing under the eaves, not moving an inch.

    The gaiwan that Li Sanxin threw out earlier held a secret weapon. The moment Qi Xuansu split the gaiwan in half with his saber, a hidden energy concealed in the gaiwan exploded. Thus, Qi Xuansu was caught off guard and had no time to brace for the impact.

    The corners of Li Sanxin¡¯s mouth turned up slightly. He had kept this gaiwan in hand not because he wanted to look arty but because he was secretly storing his qi in it. Seeing this burst of energy was within his expectations.

    However, to Li Sanxin¡¯s surprise, the young swordsman did not back down and even advanced without first settling his qi. <i>Is that young man confident or just arrogant?</i>

    At this time, the distance between them was only about ny steps.

    Li Sanxin lightly sped the bronze tiger-head belt buckle around his waist.

    The most significant difference between Houtian beings and Xiantian Beings was whether they could release qi outside their bodies. Houtian beings in the Baodan cultivation stage could cultivate qi, but it could not leave the body, limiting them greatly.

    However, Xiantian Beings could easily control their qi and release it from their bodies, making it difficult to guard against. The qi released could also be hidden in external objects, like how Li Sanxin hid his qi in the gaiwan.

    At this moment, the raindrops falling in the courtyard instantly atomized into a white mist. These minuscule droplets fell to the ground and hit the pirs on both sides of the corridor, leaving a dense patch of holes that resembled pinpricks.

    Qi Xuansu kept walking and cutting through this surge of energy with a strike of his de.

    The sword qi on the de of Qi Xuansu¡¯s saber broke through the blinding white fog. At the same time, a spurt of energy contained in the saber was released.

    The qi reverberated around the air, making the raindrops between them move around chaotically due to the abundant energy. The raindropsbined to form water lines, creating small ravines uponnding on the ground.

    Using this opportunity, Qi Xuansu closed the distance between them to about sixty steps.

    Li Sanxin frowned slightly and clenched his fist over his lower abdomen. His qi attracted and gathered the water pooled on the ground, as if a water dragon were rising from the pool of water, flying freely in the courtyard. The water dragon pounced on Qi Xuansu, who was still advancing.

    Qi Xuansu continued forward with no signs of retreat. The sword qi on his Slim Tiger Saber suddenly peaked. Then, he shed the water dragon using the same technique as before.

    Water sshed everywhere. The water dragon was shorter, but Qi Xuansu slid backward from the collision, sshing up more water at his feet. At this moment, the distance between the two men was about seventy steps.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s face was expressionless as the sword qi on his Slim Tiger Saber continued building. Even in the pouring rain, the white glow surrounding his saber was as clear as day. It was no longer illusory. Instead, it seemed almost solid.

    Xiantian Beings could kill by merely using flowers and leaves as weapons.

    Qi Xuansu leaped forward again, passing through the water dragon while making a series of unnatural nging sounds that were harsh to the ear.

    The next moment, the water dragon copsedpletely and sshed around his feet, like lotus flowers blooming in a pond.

    At this moment, there were only thirty steps left between the two men.

    Qi Xuansu aimed his Slim Tiger Saber and threw it at Li Sanxin¡¯s head. The saber cut through the heavy rain curtain.

    Li Sanxin¡¯s feet did not move. Instead, he abruptly leaned backward at an exaggerated 90-degree angle while keeping his spine straight. He only stood upright after the saber flew past him. That was when he saw Qi Xuansu¡¯s right arm motioning for retrieval.

    Under the influence of Qi Xuansu¡¯s qi, the Slim Tiger Saber made a smooth turn behind Li Sanxin, like a swallow whirling around a beam. It was flying toward Li Sanxin¡¯s dorsal spine.

    Li Sanxin held down the hilt of the saber at his waist. He did not have time to turn around or draw his weapon, so he ced the sheath of the Slim Tiger Saber on his back to block the attack from behind.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s Slim Tiger Saber stabbed Li Sanxin¡¯s scabbard, creating a harsh ng of metal and stone colliding. The scabbard shattered instantly.

    Li Sanxin took advantage of the break and ran forward, leaving the corridor and entering the courtyard. He was only ten steps away from Qi Xuansu when he abruptly turned around and gripped the saber attached to his back.

    The Slim Tiger Saber spun around and returned to Qi Xuansu, who quickly grabbed it.

    The two of them were evenly matched in the fight earlier. For a while, no one took action, so they fell into a stalemate.

    After some time, Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Where is the Fengtai County Magistrate, Li Hongwen?¡±

    The corners of Li Sanxin¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°He¡¯s a corpse now. You¡¯re a step toote in rescuing him, so don¡¯t waste your efforts.¡±

    Qi Xuansu didn¡¯t care about Li Hongwen¡¯s survival. He simply said, ¡°You¡¯re so bold to kill a county magistrate without permission.¡±

    Li Sanxin sneered. ¡°Who said I killed him? All of this is your doing. The Green Phoenix Guards have lost so many soldiers and even an assistant major for this. After the case is concluded, I will personally deliver the pension money to Brother Zhou¡¯s family.¡±

    Having said this, Li Sanxin nced at Zhou Feilong¡¯s decapitated head, which had turned into mush. He added, ¡°I will raise his children and support his wife, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Zhou Feilong was merely an abandoned pawn whose death had long been determined by the chess master. Regardless of whether Li Hongwen handed over the item, Li Sanxin would execute the man on the spot in Fengtai County ording to the Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s orders.

    Since Li Hongwen was a dignified county magistrate who had earned his title through merit, the Green Phoenix Guard could not kill as they pleased and needed a scapegoat¡ªZhou Feilong.

    Li Sanxin nned to use Zhou Feilong¡¯s life to clear any suspicion against the Green Phoenix Guard. That was why Li Sanxin left Zhou Feilong to fight Qi Xuansu alone.

    Only a dead man could remain silent.

    Qi Xuansu raised his saber again. This time, they were merely ten steps apart. Thus, Qi Xuansu closed that gap in an instant. His de struck like booming thunder in a quiet ce.

    Li Sanxin had to draw his saber to counter this attack.

    Their sabers collided, and the two were pushed back from the impact. Countless pieces of gravel scattered in all directions, and water sshed around them.

    The next moment, Qi Xuansu drew his saber again and moved his body with the weapon, giving more momentum to his strike. Li Sanxin did not stay put. He dodged the sharp de with agile steps and brushed past Qi Xuansu.

    The moment they passed each other, Qi Xuansu¡¯s de left a deep wound on Li Sanxin¡¯s arm. At the same time, Li Sanxin¡¯s de cut across Qi Xuansu¡¯s saber-wielding wrist. Although it was a superficial wound, it was enough to affect Qi Xuansu¡¯s dexterity.

    The two of them slid backward on the wet bluestone floor. When they stood still again, Li Sanxin looked at the wound on his arm with a grim expression.

    In the meantime, Qi Xuansu expressionlessly moved the Slim Tiger Saber from his right hand to his left. He could also wield a weapon with his non-dominant hand.

    Holding the saber with his left hand, Qi Xuansu rushed forward again. Li Sanxin stepped back and retreated hastily, narrowly dodging Qi Xuansu¡¯s de.

    It was clear that Qi Xuansu¡¯s strike with his left hand was less agile than his previous strikes. However, it was heavier. A massive hole about three meters wide and three meters deep was sted out with just one strike, shooting out countless pieces of gravel and dirt.

    While Li Sanxin was retreating, the Slim Tiger Saber in his hand created an arc. The saber also had traces of sword qi as he shed at Qi Xuansu¡¯s head.

    Qi Xuansu blocked the strike with the side face of his de.

    They were both using the same Slim Tiger Saber, and both had the same sword qi. However, one saber was horizontal while the other was vertical, forming a cross.

    The Slim Tiger Saber in Qi Xuansu¡¯s hand came into contact with Li Sanxin¡¯s saber. In that instant, the sabers vibrated at a frequency that was undetectable to the naked eye. Qi Xuansu¡¯s sword qi neutralized Li Sanxin¡¯s, and there was even enough qi left for a counterattack.

    The Green Phoenix Guards in the back residence finally gathered in the courtyard and witnessed how this intruder was forcing their assistant major to retreat repeatedly. The Slim Tiger Saber in Li Sanxin¡¯s hand had also been bent into a terrifying arc.

    Although the Slim Tiger Saber was a rare weapon, it was not a spiritual object. Thus, it could not withstand the excessive force and finally shattered into pieces, creating a loud explosion. Li Sanxin had to bounce back with nothing but the saber¡¯s hilt in his hand.

    Qi Xuansu was unyielding and continued advancing. He pointed the de at Li Sanxin¡¯s chest. The sword qi seemed to be hesitating, like a python flicking out its forked tongue to gauge the situation. The de had already torn Li Sanxin¡¯s robe across the middle, exposing the Bull Dragon Armor underneath.

    At this moment, a green light shed across Li Sanxin¡¯s sleeves, like a coiled-up small green snake that shot out aggressively.

    Qi Xuansu, who had been unfazed throughout the fight, finally looked a little flustered at this moment. Although he had already dodged to the side, the sharp green object managed to gash his chest. Traces of blood started oozing out of the wound.

    At that moment, Qi Xuansu was aware that he had had a close brush with death.

    The green light flickered before it shot toward Qi Xuansu again.

    Fortunately, Qi Xuansu was prepared this time. He blocked the attack with his saber at the critical moment, fending off the green light.

    This collision finally revealed the true appearance of the object emitting the green light.

    It was an emerald-green miniature sword that was hovering in the air.

    It was no more than three centimeters wide and about eight centimeters long. It had a green sword qi lingering around its de.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression suddenly turned solemn.

    That was a flying sword.

    1. High-quality porcin with a crackled zed surface, usually used by officials and the Imperial Court. ?

 Chapter 8: Kunlun and Donghai

    <h4>Chapter 8: Kunlun and Donghai</h4>

    Xiantian Beings had multiple stages of cultivation: Kunlun, Yuxu, and Guizhen.

    The Kunlun stage was also called Glimpsing Kunlun. It meant that seeing Kunlun was the first step toward reaching the Heavens and having a first glimpse of the Path.

    Li Sanxin was a Qi Refiner in the Kunlun Qi Refinement Realm.

    Qi Refiners of this level could cultivate qi, which traveled through the 24 vertebrae from the Qihai acupoint to the point between the kidneys, breaking through the Fengchi acupoint, and finally reaching a state of enlightenment. After repeating this cycle for days, the body would overflow with qi gathered in the Dantian.

    Reaching this level of cultivation, one would be able to control flying swords. This level of cultivation was easy to obtain, but flying swords were hard to find. One would need to nurture the Sword Embryo to develop its spirituality. Even the mostmon flying swords were rare and expensive. From this, Qi Xuansu could tell that Li Sanxin had an extraordinary background.

    Li Sanxin used his right index and middle fingers to control the sword''s movement remotely. He pointed at Qi Xuansu and silently recited, ¡°Go.¡±

    The small green sword hovered in the air and moved in response, shooting toward Qi Xuansu again.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s shoulder was wounded without warning. He failed to block the sword, and he was injured by it. The small green sword flew back to its master, circling Li Sanxin non-stop as if asking for credit.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu was not mad. Instead, he smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s a flying sword from Donghai, right?¡±

    Li Sanxin was slightly surprised. ¡°Good eye! I guess it wouldn¡¯t be an insult to your skills if I used it to kill you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu raised the intact Slim Tiger Saber in his hand and said, ¡°If you want to kill me, you should first ask if I agree.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Li Sanxin praised him without any sincerity. The small green sword that was flying around him shot out in response.

    The flying sword stabbed Qi Xuansu in the calf. Blood oozed out, but fortunately, it did not pierce his bones. It was just a superficial wound, which was not a critical problem for a Xiantian Being like him.

    Li Sanxin¡¯s eyes were cold as he pressed his index and middle fingers together, controlling the small green sword to keep jumping and turning. It was swift and unpredictable in its movements.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s face was calm. As long as the injury was not fatal, he would not deliberately block it.

    Li Sanxin was not in a hurry to kill such an evenly matched opponent, intending to torture Qi Xuansu slowly instead. After all, Li Sanxin was a petty man who held a grudge against Qi Xuansu for almost dying at his hands earlier.

    After six consecutive blows, Qi Xuansu had six superficial wounds on his body. Li Sanxin finally felt bored and decided to kill his opponent with one final blow.

    The green sword qi surged.

    The flying sword flew fast, using the qi that its master poured into it as fuel. It elerated, aiming for the point between Qi Xuansu¡¯s eyebrows.

    At this critical moment, Qi Xuansu blocked the attack with his saber, narrowly dodging death again.

    Li Sanxin frowned slightly, feeling a little surprised. However, it was also somewhat expected since Qi Xuansu had blocked his attacks before. Thinking this was probably a stroke of luck on Qi Xuansu¡¯s part, Li Sanxin felt that he would just have to put in a bit more effort to defeat his opponent. He pinched his fingers again.

    However, Qi Xuansu repeatedly blocked the flying sword¡¯s attacks.

    The small green sword flew back, circling and trembling endlessly around Li Sanxin, like a child crying to their parents after being bullied.

    Li Sanxin¡¯s expression changed drastically.

    Qi Xuansu said calmly, ¡°A Qi Refiner¡¯s Sword Steering Technique is a study of how to release qi. Such a technique has its own trajectory and rules to follow. It just takes me some time to find out what the rules are. That was why I willingly stood by and allowed you to stab me the past few times. I didn¡¯t take the hits for nothing.¡±

    Li Sanxin, who maintained hisposure, was in a state of confusion at this moment. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°How is that possible? How could you figure out my Sword Steering Technique in such a short duel?¡±

    Qi Xuansu said no more and merely charged forward with his saber.

    Li Sanxin tried hard to activate his flying sword, but just as Qi Xuansu mentioned, the flying sword merely flew past Qi Xuansu and would not hurt him.

    Just like that, Qi Xuansu used an ordinary saber to counter a spiritual flying sword.

    The small green sword wavered. Every time it came into contact with Qi Xuansu¡¯s saber, the green sword qi around the sword weakened. After about ten strikes, the flying sword dropped to the ground with a ng. There was no more sword qi left in it.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu stepped forward. A thunderous roar followed a sh of his saber, and bright sparks rained down in the courtyard.

    The sparks were as bright as the moonlight, but they quickly disappeared.

    The Bull Dragon Armor on Li Sanxin was torn open, and a thick mist of blood exploded in front of his chest.

    At the same time, the Slim Tiger Saber in Qi Xuansu¡¯s hand could not withstand the pressure and finally shattered.

    Li Sanxin lost his prior confidence and no longer thought of killing or capturing Qi Xuansu. He quickly broke through the wall of the county government office and fled. The remaining Green Phoenix Guards also ran for their lives.

    At this time, all that was left were the dead bodies that littered the county government office. Some were the bodies of Green Phoenix Guards, while others were Li Hongwen¡¯s family members.

    Qi Xuansu stood under the eaves, silently circting his qi to stop the bleeding from his wounds. He turned to look at the hole in the wall that Li Sanxin had used to escape and felt regretful.

    If Qi Xuansu had disregarded his injuries to hunt Li Sanxin down, he could have killed that man, but there would have been some hidden dangers. The journey to Fengtai County felt short because it was all smooth sailing. However, the journey back would be more challenging because he had provoked the Green Phoenix Guards. Therefore, Qi Xuansu decided to y it safe and did not go after Li Sanxin.

    Qi Xuansu did not expect Li Sanxin to be responsible for arresting Li Hongwen this time. Li Sanxin¡¯s Sword Steering Technique from Donghai was not unusual. However, it was bizarre that Li Sanxin possessed a spiritual flying sword.

    The first thing one would need when casting a flying sword was to choose the proper material. Ordinary gold, silver, copper, and iron would not work. Only adamant, meteorite iron, cold jade, and other rare materials could be used.

    The next important thing would be the sword-making technique and process, which involved a myriad of things. Just like refining an elixir, the heat and type of fire used would affect the oue.

    After casting the sword, it was necessary to carve textures on the body of the sword, which was just as difficult as drawing a talisman. There could not be any distraction in the whole process, and every stroke had to be precise. The amount of qi and physical strength, as well as the kind of tools used, were equally important.

    Creating a deathly flying sword took so much effort, so naturally, it was expensive. It was not something that a lower-sixth-rank assistant major in the Green Phoenix Guard could afford.

    Qi Xuansu picked up the flying sword that Li Sanxin left behind and studied it momentarily.

    The foundation of this flying sword was still intact and not damaged at all. The sword could be cultivated with the appropriate techniques to recover its functionality. If one did not know how to maintain such a spiritual object, there were other channels through which one could sell it on the ck market.

    Qi Xuansu put away the flying sword and began to check every room in the residence of the county government office.

    He first went to the bedroom and found a well-dressed, middle-aged woman lying on the bed. Her clothes were neat, and there was a thin slit on her throat. At a nce, one would think it was merely a red thread.

    She was probably Li Hongwen¡¯s wife, who died from a slit in the throat. There was no blood spattered anywhere, proving just how precise and skilled the murderer was.

    Since the Green Phoenix Guards had searched this ce inside out, Qi Xuansu did not touch anything and retreated.

    The following rooms all looked the same.

    Besides dead bodies, there was a mess everywhere after the Green Phoenix Guards conducted their search.

    Finally, he arrived at Li Hongwen¡¯s study.

    After the Green Phoenix Guard captured Li Hongwen, they immediately searched Li Hongwen¡¯s study and found nothing. Later, they imprisoned Li Hongwen in his study. Li Hongwen probably organized the study by himself because the study was quite tidy.

    Qi Xuansu found the Fengtai County magistrate still sitting on the chair behind his desk. However, it was evident that he had been dead for a long time. The sole wound on his chest showed just how experienced the murderer was in ending his life with one swift jab.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh.

    In fact, thete Emperor Gaozu of the existing dynasty had deposed the Green Phoenix Guard. However, after Emperor Taizong seeded the throne, he restored the Green Phoenix Guard and relied heavily on them. This emboldened the Green Phoenix Guard tomit all kinds of illegal acts. To this day, their power remains. Thus, the wealthy merchants and officials of the imperial court were afraid of them.

    Having killed so many Green Phoenix Guards earlier, Qi Xuansu would bebeled a wanted criminal.

 Chapter 9: The Xuan Jade

    <h4>Chapter 9: The Xuan Jade</h4>

    The thing Qi Xuansu was looking for was a unique kind of jade called the Xuan Jade. His contact person in the Qingping Society gave him a specialpass that could sense the Xuan Jade as long as he was close to the item. He could also use thepass to search for the general direction of the Xuan Jade within a certain range.

    There was nothing abnormal about thepass when Qi Xuansu entered the previous rooms. Thepass suddenly sensed something and vibrated slightly only when Qi Xuansu entered the study.

    Qi Xuansu took out thepass from his satchel.

    There was a type of magical receptacle that could contain a whole universe. The receptacle could vary in appearance, and the hidden universe it concealed would change in size, too. Only third-rank Youyi Daoist priests could possess such treasures in the Daoist sects.

    Qi Xuansu, a mere seventh-rank Daoist priest, did not possess such a magical receptacle. Thus, he used a regr satchel and wore it with a cross-body strap on his shoulder, so as not to hinder his movements. He ced the satchel right at his waist for easy ess.

    He held thepass with one hand and saw the pointer of thepass spinning rapidly. Then, it slowed down and finally pointed to the paperweight on the desk.

    Most people would use a paperweight to press down the paper when writing or painting. It was usually in the shape of a long bar.

    Li Hongwen¡¯s paperweight was ordinary. It was made of stone, not jade or wood, so it was not worth much.

    Qi Xuansu put away thepass, picked up the paperweight, and slowly exerted some qi from his palms. Many cracks appeared on the surface of the paperweight, and some fragments peeled off, gradually revealing a touch of green inside.

    There was jade hidden in the stone.

    Li Hongwen actually hid the Xuan Jade in the paperweight and ced it on his desk, out in the open. The Green Phoenix Guards must have thought that Li Hongwen had hidden the Xuan Jade in a secret location and did not think that the jade was hiding in in sight.

    Qi Xuansu peeled off all the fragments, revealing the Xuan Jade¡¯s true appearance. It was shaped like a crescent moon and resembled the knife money of ancient times. It was dark green in color and semi-translucent, with many fine blood-like streaks inside.

    He fumbled with the Xuan Jade for a while but found nothing unusual about it. It seemed to be no different from ordinary jade. That was probably because of hisck of cultivation or knowledge. Qi Xuansu did not scrutinize it. Instead, he put the Xuan Jade back in his satchel and left the county government office.

    ......

    It was still pouring. A small boat with a ck tarp drifted along with the river¡¯s current right outside Fengtai County.

    A middle-aged man dressed invish clothes sat in the cabin. He had a long beard that reached his chest and a full head of ck hair secured into a bun with a jade hairpin. He looked extraordinarily handsome.

    Purple smoke rose from the incense burner on the small table before him. The man stretched out his hand and watched as the smoke swirled around his palm. His clear, porcin skin seemed to glow when he lightly inhaled the ambergris fragrance. It was a magical and strange sight to behold.

    Kneeling on the bow of the boat, Li Sanxin looked miserable under the heavy rain.

    Li Sanxin had two identities. His first identity was a lower-sixth-rank assistant major of the Green Phoenix Guard, and his second identity was a disciple of the Taiping Sect in the Daoist Order.

    There were three major sects within the Daoist Order: the Zhengyi Sect, the Quanzhen Sect, and the Taiping Sect.

    Zhengyi Sect disciples were allowed to eat meat or fish and were allowed to marry. They also used their real name instead of a nickname.

    Quanzhen Sect disciples were the most conservative sect. Most of them were vegetarians, and most were not allowed to marry. Some of them even abandoned their real names and used their Daoist nicknames instead. However, some of them still retained their real names.

    The Taiping Sect had no taboos and was the closest to the secr world.

    Besides sharing an ancestral court where their founder was buried, the three major factions of the Daoist Order had their own sacrednd. Dazhen Mansion was the holy ce for the Zhengyi Sect; the Chongyang Pce of Immortality was the sacred site for the Quanzhen Sect; and the Zhenjing Courtyard was the holy site of the Taiping Sect.

    The Zhenjing Courtyard was located on Peni Ind in Donghai, which Li Sanxin had mentioned previously during his duel with Qi Xuansu.

    However, no matter which sect they belonged to, they were all Daoist priests who were categorized into nine ranks. The ninth rank was the lowest grade, only slightly better in status than ordinary Daoist believers. A first-rank Daoist priest was the highest level, only answering to the Grand Master of the Daoist Order.

    Li Sanxin was a seventh-rank Daoist priest, on par with Qi Xuansu.

    Meanwhile, the man in the cabin was one of Li Sanxin¡¯s teachers, Jiang Bieyun, a fourth-rank Daoist priest.

    There was a big gap between the fifth and fourth-rank Daoist priests, much like the difference between ministers and regr officials.

    Daoist priests of the ninth rank to the fifth rank were considered ordinary disciples who were not yet qualified to ept the doctrines passed down by Daoist masters.

    Fourth-rank Daoist priests were also called Daoist masters or mages. These Daoist masters were qualified to ept disciples and teach the doctrines of Daoism. They were responsible for burning incense at the local Daoist temples. Some even held important positions in the ancestral court in West Kunlun. The power they held was considerable.

    Of course, being promoted to a fourth-rank Daoist master also required corresponding qualifications and realm cultivation. Without a strong background or merit, one had to reach the Guizhen stage of cultivation to be promoted to a fourth-rank Daoist master.

    In other words, Jiang Bieyun was a Xiantian Being in the Guizhen stage. He was also a Qi Refiner in the Divine Qi Realm.

    At this time, Jiang Bieyun¡¯s face was gloomy, and his eyes were narrowed.

    ording to Li Sanxin¡¯s ount of the story, another Daoist disciple went on a killing spree in the county government office, killing Zhou Feilong and breaking Li Sanxin¡¯s flying sword. Li Sanxin almost lost his life too.

    Jiang Bieyun did not care much about Li Sanxin¡¯s survival. Although thetter was also a disciple of the Taiping Sect, he was not an important or indispensable figure. Li Sanxin had no one else to me but himself for his ipetence if he were to die in Fengtai County.

    What caught Jiang Bieyun¡¯s attention was this mysterious Daoist disciple.

    Ever since the sixth-generation Daoist Grand Master ascended to the heavens, the position of Grand Master has been left vacant. On the surface, the three Deputy Grand Masters had joint power, but in fact, each of them had their own ns. If that mysterious disciple who fought against Li Sanxin was from one of the other two major factions, then Jiang Bieyun would need to ponder the implications.

    This time, a Sage in the Taiping Sect had tasked Jiang Bieyun with organizing the search for the Xuan Jade. However, Jiang Bieyun did not dare specte about the reason for acquiring the jade. He only vaguely knew that it was rted to the sage¡¯s path to enlightenment. So, they could not search for it openly.

    Due to this, Jiang Bieyun bribed the Lieutenant Colonel of the Green Phoenix Guard and tasked Li Sanxin with the mission.

    Only Jiang Bieyun himself knew what was really going on. Even Li Sanxin was kept in the dark.

    Li Sanxin thought that searching for the Xuan Jade was a side task and that killing Li Hongwen was the actual mission.

    The fact of the matter was the exact opposite of what Li Sanxin thought it was. The search for the Xuan Jade was the main mission, and killing Li Hongwen was just a cover story.

    Previously, Li Sanxin regarded Zhou Feilong as an abandoned pawn, but to Jiang Bieyun, Li Sanxin was also a chess piece that could be discarded at any time. Li Sanxin and Zhou Feilong were not so different after all.

    Jiang Bieyun had his reasons for not telling Li Sanxin about the true mission.

    The situation became moreplicated since the Xuan Jade had fallen into the hands of Daoist disciples from other factions.

    Jiang Bieyun was backing Li Sanxin, so it meant that the disciples of the other two major factions would most likely have their backers as well. Some of these backers might even be Jiang Bieyun¡¯s old acquaintances.

    Thinking of this, Jiang Bieyun, who was still inside the cabin, shouted, ¡°Come in.¡±

    Li Sanxin, who had been left in the rain for a while, wiped his face, entered the cabin, and greeted Jiang Bieyun respectfully.

    Jiang Bieyun withdrew his fair palm and asked Li Sanxin, ¡°What else did you discover?¡±

    Li Sanxin replied softly, ¡°Master, ording to my brothers who went to The Inn to investigate the situation, this mysterious disciple once revealed his identity to our informant. He said¡ª¡±

    Seeing the hesitation on Li Sanxin¡¯s face, Jiang Bieyun raised his eyelids and said in a stern voice, ¡°What is it? Go ahead and tell me.¡±

    Li Sanxin then continued, ¡°He said that Sage Donghua sends his regards to the Lord Commander.¡±

    Jiang Bieyun¡¯s expression changed as he repeated, ¡°Sage Donghua.¡±

    Li Sanxin answered respectfully. ¡°Yes, Master.¡±

    Now that it involved a Sage, even Jiang Bieyun, a fourth-rank Daoist master, did not dare to act rashly.

    Sage was merely another title for a second-rank Daoist priest, also known as the Taiyi Daoist master. There were 36 Sages in the Daoist Order with transcendent statuses, and Sage Donghua was one of the few top members among them.

    If this matter involved a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master, it was not something a fourth-rank Daoist master like Jiang Bieyun could intervene with. Thus, Jiang Bieyun pondered for a moment before he spoke to Li Sanxin.

    ¡°I will send Sage Donghua a letter detailing the current situation, asking him to preside over it. As for this mysterious disciple, don¡¯t do anything that will rm him without my permission. If he really is a close associate or disciple of Sage Donghua, we will get into trouble if we kill him.¡±

    Li Sanxin respectfully agreed, exited the cabin slowly, and jumped off the boat. However, he was standing on the water. Li Sanxin walked toward the river bank in the pouring rain, stepping on the rolling waves.

    After Li Sanxin left, there was another beautiful woman in the cabin beside Jiang Bieyun. She had aplicated identity, being Jiang Bieyun¡¯s disciple as well as his concubine-cum-maid. This dirty scandal was not known to outsiders.

    The woman kneeled beside Jiang Bieyun with lowered eyebrows. She picked up a long-handled incense shovel and scraped a few grams of ambergris from the ambergris block in the incense burner.

    Smoke suddenly filled up the cabin again.

    Jiang Bieyun sat cross-legged, with his palms ced on his knees. His face was shrouded in the heavy smoke, making it difficult to see his expression clearly.

    He inhaled the incense, significantly decreasing the amount of smoke, and said indifferently, ¡°Fengtai County happens to be on our sect¡¯s territory. Take my insignia and invitation to meet with the local Jijiu Daoist master, then ask him to check out the situation. Find out if there are any recent records of Quanzhen Sect disciples visiting the area.¡±

    The woman who was burning incense responded in a voice that was delicate and soft, touching men¡¯s hearts. Coupled with her attractive figure in the prime of youth, she was an irresistible woman. Usually, Jiang Bieyun would be aroused by some promiscuous thoughts, but at this juncture, his only focus was on Sage Donghua.

    Sage Donghua was a dignified second-rank Taiyi Daoist master who held an official position in the Ancestral Court and took charge of the regional Daoist temples. He was so influential, so who would dare provoke him rashly?

    Moreover, this mission was official business, and his disciple had offended someone powerful.

    Jiang Bieyun pondered and decided to observe the situation. He would only make a move when things became more apparent. He wanted to avoid mistakes rather than seek rewards. Sometimes, making no errors was also a form of merit.

 Chapter 10: Tripartite Forces

    <h4>Chapter 10: Tripartite Forces</h4>

    Usually, a raging storm would notst long. At nightfall, the rain became less intense. Although it did not stoppletely, the heavy downpour turned into a drizzle.

    In the night, an old man crossed the city wall and entered Fengtai County. He walked through several muddy alleys and came to the long street in front of the county government office.

    At this time, the long street was quiet. The doors of the houses on both sides of the street were closed. There were nonterns hung up, so it was pitch ck. The county government office was already deserted, and the open gates looked like a terrifying beast gaping in the night.

    The old man with white hair walked along the street and came to the vast grounds in front of the county government office. He held a white paperntern in his hand, and the candlelight in thentern swayed slightly. His shadow swayed with it.

    Using the light from thentern, the old man walked slowly and stopped asionally, watching his steps.

    The traces of the fierce battle that happened had been washed away by the heavy rain. The Green Phoenix Guards had also taken away the corpses. However, the old man happened to stop at the precise spots where the bodies used to be, as he made his way to the gates of the county government office.

    When he finally reached the gates, he nced at the two holes in the threshold and stepped over them. He paused for a moment in front of the broken screen wall before entering the front hall.

    There were still traces of the fight in the front hall. The old man examined the marks for a long time and felt that they were most likely the doings of a Daoist disciple.

    However, the old man was still not entirely sure, so he continued to make his way to the back residence and came to the courtyard where Qi Xuansu and Li Sanxin dueled. He slowly squatted down, put the white paperntern aside, pressed his palms on the ground, and slowly closed his eyes.

    For a moment, he could see fleeting scenes of the past in his mind of Qi Xuansu and Li Sanxin fighting, but their faces were blurred.

    After about half an hour, the old man slowly opened his eyes. He looked relieved because he could finally conclude without a doubt that the Daoist disciples were fighting among themselves.

    The old man straightened up again, taking the white paperntern with him. Due to his old age, his knees actually cracked and popped as he stood back up.

    However, a Xiantian Being would never regard this old man as a regr elderly person in his dying years. That was because the old man¡¯s magical ability to use the earth¡¯s energy to recall what happened at a ce was a unique geomancy technique.

    The old man was a Diviner in the Dream Realm, which meant that he was at the Yuxu stage of Xiantian Beings.

    As the name suggested, the so-called Dream Realm was the ability to travel and enter other people¡¯s dreams as a spirit.

    There were many stories of individuals meeting a master or a god in a dream who gave them advice or taught them magic. These stories were not fabrications of the mind but most likely an encounter with a Diviner, who had gone into someone¡¯s dreams.

    There were some Diviners with bad intentions who, after reaching this realm, entered women¡¯s dreams to be intimate with them. When the woman woke up, she thought it was just an erotic dream and did not suspect that someone was harassing her in her dream state.

    The Daoist Order repeatedly issued warnings about such incidents. However, rumors still spread from time to time about female disciples who met handsome men in their dreams after offering incense at certain Daoist temples.

    Naturally, the arrival of a Yuxu-stage Diviner at Fengtai County was not because of the death of a seventh-rank county magistrate, but because of the Xuan Jade.

    In fact, Jiang Bieyun¡¯s expectations were on point. This time, the three major Daoist sects had sent their disciples to retrieve the Xuan Jade, and this old man came from the Zhengyi Sect.

    Meanwhile, another disciple from the Quanzhen Sect was waiting to reap the benefits at Maoxian Mountain, which was outside the city.

    ......

    Qi Xuansu braved the heavy rain and left Fengtai County, stopping at a dpidated temple on Maoxian Mountain outside the city to take shelter.

    There was an unwritten rule among seasoned travelers. They would rather sleep in a cemetery than spend the night in a dpidated temple.

    Although cemeteries were eerie, most people who visited cemeteries were descendants offering sacrifices for their ancestors. They were people who followed the rules and could be reasoned with, so generally speaking, nothing would happen.

    However, dpidated temples, especially those that had been in disrepair for some time, were mainly upied by evil spirits and monsters. Barging into a dpidated temple would likely end in either scenario¡ªbeing eaten by monsters or having one¡¯s yang energy absorbed by ghosts.

    There were many such stories documented. A schr journeying to the Capital for the government exams who had no money to stay in an inn spent the night in a ruined temple. When he was studying in the middle of the night, a beautiful woman showed up, and they made love.

    From then on, the schr indulged in his sexual desires and became sluggish in mind and body. In the end, he lost his soul and consciousness and eventually became paralyzed. By the time he was found and rescued, his qi had weakened, and his body was rotten. He did not survive for more than a few days after the rescue.

    Besides evil spirits and monsters, thugs and bandits would often stay in the temple ruins to rob passing travelers. Some lost their possessions as well as their lives.

    However, Qi Xuansu was not afraid of any of the above. As a Xiantian Being, he could easily kill ordinary humans and evil spirits. He had such a strong aura that ghosts would not be able to get close to him, let alone absorb his yang energy. As for bandits and the like, they surely could notpare with the Green Phoenix Guard. Thus, Qi Xuansu had nothing to be afraid of.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu could continue his journey in the rain, but he had some wounds from his duel with Li Sanxin, so he did not want to strain his body. Continuing his journey in the cold and heavy rain would worsen the injury and cause infections, so he decided to take shelter for the time being.

    Qi Xuansu looked around. It was obvious that no one had set foot in this dpidated temple for many years. After all, it was not far from Fengtai County. asionally, passersby who had the choice to enter the city would rather walk a few more kilometers than spend the night at this temple.

    There were no ghosts or monsters to be seen. Perhaps they did not exist, or they were scared away by Qi Xuansu¡¯s aura. At least, when Qi Xuansu entered the temple, the ce was clean.

    Of course, this cleanliness referred to spiritual cleanliness, void of evil spirits. There was still dust and spiderwebs everywhere.

    With a wave of his sleeves, Qi Xuansu cleared out the dust from a small area and sat there to meditate and adjust his breathing.

    <i>There were three major Dantians in the human body, namely the lower Dantian where jing</i><i>[1]</i><i> was stored, the middle Dantian where qi</i><i>[2]</i><i> was gathered, and the upper Dantian where shen</i><i>[3]</i><i> was nourished.</i>

    <i>The section of the spine from the tailbone to the second lumbar vertebrae was the coldest region of the body, also known as the Snow Mountain Area. The effort required for the qi to cross this area was minimal. Thus, Daoists named this phenomenon the Goat Cart, which corresponded to the lower Dantian.</i>

    <i>Behind the Snow Mountain Area was the spine, consisting of 24 segments corresponding to the 24 sr terms. The head and tail of the spine were called the Dragon and the Tiger respectively. This Dragon and Tiger Pass was the longest section and required the most effort for the qi to cross. Daoists called it the Deer Cart, which corresponded to the middle Dantian.</i>

    <i>After the Dragon and Tiger Pass, the qi would reach the Fengchi acupoint at the back of the head, also called the Yuding Pass. It had the smallest orifice, which was difficult for qi to pass through. Thus, the most precise amount of force must be used. Daoists called it the Ox Cart, which corresponded to the upper Dantian.</i>

    <i>For Houtian Beings in the regr cultivation stage, their focus was on the lower Dantian. Their focus shifted to the middle Dantian in the Baodan cultivation stage. Only Xiantian Beings in the Kunlun stage could open the upper Dantian, connecting the three major Dantians.</i>

    <i>This enabled the qi in the body to circte freely so that the cultivator could manipte it at will. It was the only way qi could be released out of the body to move objects, strike others from a distance, or heal injuries.</i>

    Qi Xuansu was not a Qi Refiner. He was a Rogue Cultivator with a rtively low status within the various lineages. However, the principle of using qi to heal wounds was the same. Any blocked meridians would be cleared wherever qi passed through, allowing the blood to circte properly and thus allowing the external wounds to heal faster.

    The rain became lighter, and the sky darkened. It was unwise to continue his journey in the mountains at night, so after some hesitation, Qi Xuansu decided to stay in the dpidated temple for the night so that he could continue healing. After all, the Green Phoenix Guard was not so capable as to search the entire Maoxian Mountain overnight.

    After nightfall, the dpidated temple was pitch ck. Qi Xuansupleted 36 minor circuits in qi cirction and felt that his injuries had healed. Then he took out Li Sanxin¡¯s flying sword and gently stroked the de with his fingertips. There was an engraving that read, Green Snake. He figured that it was the name of this sword. Judging from the patterns on it, he inferred that the sword should be from the Lu n of the Taiping Sect.

    There were three major sects in the Daoist Order. Among them was the Taiping Sect, which had three factions within itself, namely the Li n, the Shen n, and the Lu n. The Li n was the most powerful, followed by the Lu n and the Shen n. Li Sanxin was probably from the Li n.

    As a Daoist disciple, Qi Xuansu knew a little bit about the techniques of the Lu n. This sword was of excellent quality in terms of the casting technique and the materials used. It was a pity that such a treasure fell into Li Sanxin¡¯s hands. Li Sanxin was only at the Kunlun stage and could barely control the flying sword. Moreover, this was such a high-quality flying sword, which waspletely wasted on that man.

    But having said that, Qi Xuansu was lucky that Li Sanxin was a novice. If Li Sanxin was in the Yuxu stage of cultivation and could utilize all of this flying sword¡¯s potential, Qi Xuansu would not have been able to defeat him.

    Qi Xuansu tried to inject some qi into the Green Snake. He discovered that Li Sanxin was not great at controlling the flying sword, but thetter had cultivated that sword well. Li Sanxin was willing to put a good amount of his qi into this flying sword to cultivate the Sword Embryo.

    In a flying sword, the raw material and casting skills were not the only important variables. It had a lot to do with the effort of cultivating the sword. It was like sailing against the current. If one did not advance, one would regress. Since Qi Xuansu intended to sell this sword at a good price, he had to get a buyer as soon as possible. Otherwise, it would lose its value.

    These external objects were generally divided into four grades: mortal, spiritual, treasure, and immortal.

    Mortal objects that corresponded to Houtian Beings were made of refined iron and were worth nothing to Xiantian Beings. The Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s Sheep Saber and Flying Squirrel Armor were mortal objects, while the Slim Tiger Saber and the Bull Dragon Armor were top-tier among the mortal objects.

    Above that were spiritual objects corresponding to Xiantian Beings. Most of these objects were made of rare materials and contained spiritual energy. The objects were no longer ¡°dead¡± because they had spirituality and were very mysterious. This flying sword, the Green Snake, was a spiritual object.

    If a Daoist disciple was sessful in reaching the Yuxu stage of cultivation, they would be given a spiritual object. However, those not from any sect would have to spend a lot of effort to obtain a spiritual object.

    Treasures, which corresponded to the Heavenly Beings, were precious, as the name suggested. It had spiritual and mystical properties.

    Semi-immortal objects were ranked above treasures. Qi Xuansu had never seen one before. He merely heard of a semi-immortal object being gifted to a prodigy from the ancestral court who had attained the Guizhen stage of cultivation. That prodigy was only one step away from ascending to the Heavens.

    Above that were immortal objects, which were not something ordinary people could learn of. Perhaps only the 36 Sages could obtain such things.

    Qi Xuansu tried cultivating the flying sword with the Sword Controlling Technique.

    1. One of the Three Treasures of Traditional Chinese Medicine, "jing" means essence, the fundamental source of one''s energy important for major stages of development (puberty, menopause, etc.). ?

    2. Another element in the Three Treasures of Traditional Chinese Medicine, "qi" means energy that flows through all meridians, used for daily operation. ?

    3. Thest of the Three Treasures of Traditional Chinese Medicine, "shen" means spirit, the guiding force for one''s emotions and intelligence, and a gateway to connecting oneself to the universe. ?

 Chapter 11: Zhuge Yongming

    <h4>Chapter 11: Zhuge Yongming</h4>

    Time gradually passed, and it was already midnight.

    Qi Xuansu, who had been sitting cross-legged in a meditative posture, let out a turbid breath and put away the flying sword.

    The Sword Steering Technique was unique to Qi Refiners and could not be used by Diviners. In the same way, Qi Refiners did not have the magical powers of Earth Qi Recall and Dream Entering that Diviners did.

    Daoist priests from the same sect had different paths to pursue immortality. Besides Qi Refiners and Diviners, there were also Martial Arts Practitioners, Shamans, and other types of cultivators. Qi Xuansu did not identify with any of these categories. He was a Rogue Cultivator.

    To put it nicely, Rogue Cultivators were knowledgeable about everything. In other words, they were neither fish nor fowl. They were jacks of all trades, but masters of none. Thus, their final achievements were not too high. Among the 36 Sages, there were only two Rogue Cultivators.

    There were a lot of Rogue Cultivators. After all, most people had no hope of ascending to the Heavens and would rather learn more skills within a limited realm. Thus, Rogue Cultivators were the only people besides Qi Refiners who could learn the Sword Steering Technique.

    With this mentality, Qi Xuansu chose to be a Rogue Cultivator. His master was also a Rogue Cultivator¡ªa fourth-rank Daoist master who often drank too much. Three years ago, his master died.

    Qi Xuansu nced at the deep night outside, feeling dismal.

    This time, he had provoked the Li n of the Taiping Sect. There was no doubt that Li Sanxin¡¯s biggest backer was his family.

    The Li family of Donghai had a mindset of superiority over the rest of the world. They did not care about what the world thought of them and remained aloof. To outsiders, the Li family was quite mysterious. A few individuals in the Li family joined the Daoist Order and became influential figures. One of them was the incumbent leader of the Taiping Sect.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu heard some footstepsing from outside the temple, so he stood up and looked out the door.

    In the night, a tall man wearing a Daoist robe walked under the rain.

    Qi Xuansu went over to the entrance of the dpidated temple and stared down at the passerby. His intention was obvious¡ªto prevent the man from entering.

    The passerby stopped at the steps in front of the dpidated temple and met Qi Xuansu¡¯s gaze. ¡°I am a wandering Daoist disciple who has been traveling all night. I would like to rest in the temple and dry my clothes by a fire. May I enter?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Qi Xuansu tly refused. ¡°You were walking deep in the mountains at night. You don¡¯t seem like an ordinary wandering Daoist disciple.¡±

    The man asked, ¡°Why can¡¯t Daoist disciples walk in the mountains at night?¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s voice turned slightly deeper. ¡°If you truly were a seasoned traveler, you should have sought shelter before it started pouring instead of continuing with your journey through the mountains at night.

    ¡°If you had an emergency, you should have rushed to Fengtai County, which was about two hours away from here. Even if there would be a curfew at this hour, there were plenty of ces to stay right outside the city walls. Then you could have entered the city immediately at dawn instead of resting in this old temple.¡±

    The manughed.

    Qi Xuansu looked at the man and warned. ¡°If you are merely passing by, I suggest you leave this ce immediately. If you are a thief, please just state your intentions.¡±

    When the man heard this, heughed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s still too early to conclude who the real thief is, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s face was stern.

    The man took out the insignia from his sleeve to prove his identity and dered, ¡°I am a sixth-rank Daoist priest from the Quanzhen Sect, Zhuge Yongming.¡±

    Qi Xuansu immediately understood. Ever since the Holy Xuan revived the Daoist Order, the Quanzhen Sect has followed a naming convention to easily tell a disciple¡¯s generation. Zhuge Yongming was an eighth-generation disciple who had amon name with the disciples from his batch¡ªYong.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression remained unchanged. ¡°So, you¡¯re a Quanzhen Daoist priest. What proof do you have to use me of being a thief? You shouldn¡¯t nder an innocent person.¡±

    ¡°Innocent person?¡± Zhuge Yongming¡¯s smile gradually faded. ¡°What are you doing in this disused temple, then?¡±

    Qi Xuansu responded, ¡°It started pouring just as I was passing by, so I took shelter here for the time being.¡±

    ¡°Were you really just taking shelter from the rain? Then why were you so guarded?¡± Zhuge Yongming pressed on. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let me enter?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°That was because you looked fierce. You were just as secretive about your whereabouts, and I had a feeling that you weren¡¯t a good person.¡±

    Zhuge Yongming sneered. ¡°That¡¯s your reason?¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°One mustn¡¯t have the intention to harm others, but one must still stay guarded against others. If you continue to pester me regarding this, I must say that you are merely pretending to be a Daoist disciple.¡±

    Zhuge Yongming narrowed his eyes and spat out, word by word, ¡°You don¡¯t call the shots around here.¡±

    Qi Xuansu countered. ¡°You don¡¯t call the shots here either.¡±

    Zhuge Yongming smirked. ¡°But my fists will. Let¡¯s fight until one of us admits defeat. Whoever wins gets the final say.¡±

    Qi Xuansu scoffed. ¡°So, what you really want is a fight, huh?¡±

    Zhuge Yongming threatened. ¡°First things first. If you are willing to surrender, I won¡¯t fight you. But if you want to fight to the end, then don¡¯t me me for being ruthless. I will crush your spirit and Dantian. That way, all of your cultivation so far will bepletely destroyed.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not take the risk to cross the river, sessfully avoiding Jiang Bieyun, who was on the boat. He also did not risk staying put in Fengtai County, so he managed to avoid the Diviner from the Zhengyi Sect. In the end, he still could not avoid Zhuge Yongming, who had been waiting for him on Maoxian Mountain.

    Zhuge Yongming looked at Qi Xuansu. ¡°There are two kinds of people who can stand out in the world. One type is blessed by the Heavens¡ªborn with an excellent physique and talents. The other type isn¡¯t born with the best traits but is still blessed by the ancestors with grit and determination. Although those people may not be famous at a young age, they are oftente bloomers.

    ¡°You look less than 30 years old, but you are already a Xiantian Being, so you must be somewhat blessed by the Heavens. But I¡¯m different. I¡¯m not gifted, nor do I have a great physique. When I was your age, I was merely a Houtian Being in the Baodan cultivation stage. Over the years, I have been putting in the hard work, practicing day in and day out, rain or shine, and finally progressing to the Yuxu stage.

    ¡°I know I can¡¯tpare to gifted people, but I¡¯m certainly qualified enough to kill a Kunlun stage cultivator like you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s face was solemn.

    Zhuge Yongming was a Yuxu-stage Martial Arts Practitioner in the Flesh and Blood Realm.

    The next moment, Zhuge Yongming threw a punch at Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu avoided the attack by dodging to the side.

    In the funeral home, Qi Xuansu once dodged a crossbow bolt. In the county government office, he also blocked Li Sanxin¡¯s flying sword. This proved how fast his reflexes were.

    However, at this moment, he could not dodge Zhuge Yongming¡¯s punchpletely and got hit on his left shoulder, falling to his side. He deliberately adjusted his position and twisted his body in mid-air. Thus, instead of retreating backward into the temple, Qi Xuansunded in the open space outside. He did not make a sound when his feet touched the ground.

    Zhuge Yongming threw his second punch after Qi Xuansu stood firm.

    Martial Arts Practitioners were different from Diviners and Qi Refiners. They were the best at closebat, so Qi Xuansu¡¯s life was in serious danger.

    Zhuge Yongming aimed at Qi Xuansu¡¯s forehead, between the eyebrows. The draft from the punch blew Qi Xuansu¡¯s hair back. However, when his fist was only a couple centimeters away from Qi Xuansu¡¯s forehead, Qi Xuansu leaned backward, barely escaping the aftermath of the punch.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner was aggressive and showed no mercy, keeping his opponent close at hand.

    Eighty percent of a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s killing powery in their arms. At this time, the veins on Zhuge Yongming¡¯s arms bulged, like tiny dragons hidden beneath his skin. At the same time, the blood in his body circted like the river¡¯s currents. Qi Xuansu could vaguely hear Zhuge Yongming¡¯s pulse and feel his arrogant and domineering aura.

    Zhuge Yongming randomly took a step forward, creating a pit in the ground under his feet. He relied on the energy umted under his feet and lunged forward like an arrow shot from a bow. In an instant, he was right in front of Qi Xuansu.

    Even though Qi Xuansu was skilled in fighting, he did not have a counterattack nned. Thus, he had no choice but to try his best to retreat and avoid being hit.

    One person charged forward while the other slid backward, sshing mud everywhere.

    Every time Zhuge Yongming took a step, he left a deep footprint in the ground, which shook from the impact. He stared at the young man and took a deep breath. Every joint and bone in his body cracked, starting from his chest, abdomen, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and fists. There was a pop each time he flexed.

    When his punch broke through the air, there was a thunderous sound. Qi Xuansu could not dodge this strike.

    The punch shot out like an arrow and was as powerful as a bomb.

    Qi Xuansu was blown away by the punch. He fell into the dense forest next to the disused temple and snapped several old tree trunks.

    Zhuge Yongming approached him slowly with a faint smile. ¡°I thought this punch would break you into two. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so resilient. This is beyond my expectations.¡±

    Lying on the ground, Qi Xuansu propped himself up and stood up on his own. He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

    Zhuge Yongming could easily crack boulders and split rocks with a single punch. Even a Kunlun-stage Martial Arts Practitioner would be hard-pressed to withstand his full punch, not to mention a Kunlun-stage Rogue Cultivator like Qi Xuansu.

    Even if his opponent was a Qi Refiner or Diviner at the Yuxu stage, Zhuge Yongming would be able to severely injure his opponent within ten steps and deliver a fatal blow within three steps. Of course, if the Diviner or Qi Refiner had kept their distance from him, Zhuge Yongming would have ended up dead. Thus, it was hard to predict who would win in a fight like that.

    In any case, a Rogue Cultivator in the Kunlun stage could notpare to a Xiantian Being in the Yuxu stage. Someone of Qi Xuansu¡¯s level was not qualified enough topete with Zhuge Yongming.

    Zhuge Yongming looked at Qi Xuansu, who had just regained his footing, andughed. ¡°Look at you. You can still stand up!¡±

    Qi Xuansu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and scoffed. ¡°Not only can I stand up, but I can also beat you to a pulp until your mother won¡¯t be able to recognize you.¡±

    Zhuge Yongming said nonchntly, ¡°My mother is no longer alive. I remember that I was only three years old when she passed away. Decades have passed in the blink of an eye, so she won¡¯t be able to recognize me anyway.¡±

    Qi Xuansu reached out to hold the hilt of the short sword at his waist. ¡°Sorry for being presumptuous.¡±

    Zhuge Yongming narrowed his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t hold a grudge against a dying person.¡±

 Chapter 12: Madam Qi

    <h4>Chapter 12: Madam Qi</h4>

    Qi Xuansu remained silent, took a step back, bent his knees, and lowered his center of gravity, assuming a seemingly ordinary on-guard posture.

    Zhuge Yongming¡¯s gaze fell on the short sword hanging at Qi Xuansu¡¯s waist that had yet to be unsheathed. ¡°You¡¯re finally drawing your sword, huh? I¡¯m curious to see what tricks you have up your sleeve that would allow you to fight outside your¡ª¡±

    Zhuge Yongming was already charging at Qi Xuansu before he uttered thest word of his sentence, ¡°level.¡±

    This sixth-rank Daoist priest from the Quanzhen Sect delivered a fatal blow without waiting for Qi Xuansu to draw his weapon.

    Zhuge Yongming was not the kind of courteous Daoist priest who would wait for his opponent to make a move before striking. Regardless of whether Qi Xuansu had a backup n or was just bluffing, Zhuge Yongming would not allow his opponent to draw that sword.

    He charged forward like a raging elephant. When he was about three feet in front of Qi Xuansu, he suddenly stepped out and grounded himself, stopping his forward momentum. At the same time, his body arched like a bow, and his clenched fist recoiled like he was drawing a bowstring. His punch was like an arrow that shot out at a terrifying speed and force. Every movement flowed seamlessly and seemed to be done in an instant.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu chose not to draw his sword. Instead, he used his qi shield to surround his body, which appeared and disappeared like swirling smoke.

    During the previous battle at the county government office, Qi Xuansu was able to block the flying sword at thest moment, not only because he could anticipate its trajectory but also because his protective qi shield slowed down the speed of the flying sword. However, Li Sanxin was distracted and did not notice Qi Xuansu¡¯s qi shield due to the heavy rain obstructing his sight.

    Zhuge Yongming¡¯s punchnded on the cloud of qi around Qi Xuansu, slowing him down momentarily.

    That was the extent of the qi shield¡¯s usage in this scenario. Zhuge Yongming was not a Qi Refiner like Li Sanxin. Regardless of how mystical it was, the qi shield could not withstand such brute force.

    After a slight resistance, the qi shield dispersedpletely. Zhuge Yongming continued to punch at Qi Xuansu¡¯s head. It was obvious that he would not give up until he crushed his opponent¡¯s skull.

    Qi Xuansu was not frightened by the possibility of having his skull crushed. He arched his back like a bridge, narrowly dodging the punch. At the same time, he used his palm to push against the ground, sliding backward.

    Zhuge Yongming, who had missed his punch, retracted his fist andunched a heavy kick that missed Qi Xuansu by a hair¡¯s breadth. His foot struck the ground with a resounding force, shaking the trees in the dense forest and dislodging the leaves from their branches.

    At this moment, Zhuge Yongming suddenly stopped pursuing his opponent and retreated instead. When he stopped moving, he found blood dripping from his throat. If he had not sensed the danger and retreated in time, he would have had his throat slit by the flying sword that had been waiting for the opportunity to strike.

    Qi Xuansu, who slid out of the battle, slowly stood up and took back the Green Snake flying sword, regretting that he had not yet wholly refined the Sword Steering Technique.

    When he fell to the ground earlier, he took the opportunity to press the Green Snake into the mud with his sleeve. He waited until Zhuge Yongming charged forward to activate the flying sword. Using Zhuge Yongming¡¯s momentum against him, Qi Xuansu aimed the flying sword diagonally at his throat.

    Unfortunately, Zhuge Yongming was not an inexperienced fighter. With his wealth ofbat experience, he remained alert at critical moments. He began to retreat as soon as the sword struck, so the oue of the attack was merely an intimidation technique. For a Martial Arts Practitioner who was used to the gore, the wound was superficial and nothing serious.

    Zhuge Yongming ran his fingers over the wound on his throat, his expression darkening. He suppressed his anger and remarked, ¡°You¡¯re quite sly with your schemes!"

    Qi Xuansu stepped back without hesitation.

    Zhuge Yongming''s face turned crimson as rage rose within him. He was willing to sacrifice some of his qi and blood to forcibly increase his speed. This would make him seem like he was teleporting, instantly appearing in front of Qi Xuansu.

    Zhuge Yongming took a step forward with his right foot, followed closely by his left. His back foot did not exceed the front foot, unlike the usual walking step where the back foot would surpass the front foot. It was merely a half-step.

    Then he unleashed a shortened fist strike from his midsection that delivered a powerful blow known as the Earth-Shattering Punch.

    However, this was a variation called the Half-Step Earth-Shattering Punch.

    Usually, one had to hook the opponent with the front hand before delivering the Earth-Shattering Punch with the backhand. However, due to Zhuge Yongming''s advanced cultivation, precise timing, and swift footwork, Qi Xuansu was instantly struck by the Half-Step Earth-Shattering Punch. The force prated through his chest and back, throwing him in the air.

    The qi shield that Qi Xuansu had concentrated around his body hadpletely dissipated after being punched. With that impact on his chest and abdomen, Qi Xuansu still got injured, no matter how strong his physique was. He felt his qi and blood turn turbulent, like a rising tide.

    An ordinary Rogue Cultivator at the Kunlun stage would be on the verge of death after receiving such a punch from a Martial Arts Practitioner at the Yuxu stage.

    However, Qi Xuansu was different. The Qingping Society had altered his body, so he could not be killed by a single punch. Afternding on the ground, he staggered backward, finally crashing into the trunk of arge tree. The tree trunk, about one meter in diameter, shook violently. Countless leaves fell around them.

    After unleashing the Half-Step Earth-Shattering Punch, Zhuge Yongming stopped to gather his energy in his Dantian and expelled a long, turbid breath. That was when the redness on his face gradually faded away.

    Martial Arts Practitioners derived strength from their qi and blood to break spells and nurture the body and spirit. Thus, losing too much qi and blood was equivalent to depleting their cultivation.

    If Qi Xuansu had not provoked his opponent to the point of rage, Zhuge Yongming would not have been willing to sacrifice some of his qi and blood to strike this punch. Since he saw that Qi Xuansu had already lost the ability to fight back, there was no need to continue depleting his own qi and blood.

    After regting his qi and blood, Zhuge Yongming looked at Qi Xuansu. Surprised, he asked, ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±

    Qi Xuansu remained silent. He knew his extraordinary physique had caught Zhuge Yongming¡¯s attention. After all, even the sturdiest of Martial Arts Practitioners at the Kunlun stage would have died twice over with Zhuge Yongming¡¯s consecutive punches. There was no exnation as to why he, a Rogue Cultivator at the Kunlun stage, was still standing after taking the Half-Step Earth-Shattering Punch.

    Noticing Qi Xuansu¡¯s silence, Zhuge Yongming had no intention of delving deeper. He intended to kill Qi Xuansu, take the Xuan Jade, andplete his mission.

    Zhuge Yongming was about to strike again when he found himself unable to move. He slowly lowered his head and saw that a woman¡¯s hand had pierced through his chest.

    This unexpected knifehand strike left Zhuge Yongming with no time to react.

    This knifehand strike not only pierced through Zhuge Yongming¡¯s heart but also shattered his middle Dantian, which caused the qi inside his body to dissipate rapidly.

    Right before Zhuge Yongming died, he heard a woman¡¯s voiceing from behind him. ¡°I intended to give you a way out, but you insisted on walking the path of death. So be it. If you won¡¯t take the road to heaven and insist on barging into hell, I¡¯ll fulfill your wish.¡±

    Qi Xuansu, leaning against the tree trunk, could clearly see the graceful figure standing behind Zhuge Yongming.

    The ambusher was a woman who looked to be in her thirties, with a round face, skin as smooth as jade, and a dignified appearance.

    She wore a deep green dress and a ck gauze robe embroidered with patterns resembling ancient square-hole coins, which was somewhat tacky. An aged small pouch and a long tobo pipe with a dull golden stummel, an ebony stem, and an emerald lip hung from her waist.

    She also wore a pair of sunsses that covered half of her face.

    Sunsses were no longer a novelty at that time. However, they were different from regr sses.

    Regr sses, also called aidai, were introduced during the Wei Dynasty through maritime trade. It was made of ss, allowing people with poor eyesight to see clearly. They had been around for about two hundred years.

    However, ording to the records of the book Returning to Seclusion, sunsses were already in existence five hundred years ago during the Jin Dynasty.

    These sunsses were not imported from overseas and were not made of ss. Instead, they were made from polished smoky quartz or ck crystal. They were generally only worn by officials like the Green Phoenix Guard, not for vision correction or sun protection but rather to conceal one¡¯s gaze. This was to prevent others from detecting the interrogator¡¯s reactions during interrogations.

    The woman stood behind Zhuge Yongming and faced Qi Xuansu with a smirk ying on her lips.

    Although her eyes were hidden behind the sunsses, Qi Xuansu could already imagine the derision in them.

    She reached out and pushed the already-dead Zhuge Yongming to the ground. His body fell face-first to the ground, sshing up some mud.

    The woman shook off the blood on her hand. Her palm seemed as clean as a lotus flower, not stained with even a single drop of blood.

    She looked at Qi Xuansu again and extended her index finger. ¡°Tian Yuan, you owe me 100 Taiping coins.¡±

    Li Sanxin had a backer, the fourth-rank Daoist master Jiang Bieyun. Just as Jiang Bieyun had anticipated, Qi Xuansu also had help.

    This woman was Qi Xuansu¡¯s contact in the Qingping Society, known by the alias Lady Qi.

    As they had a close rtionship, Qi Xuansu usually called her Madam Qi, while she referred to him by his courtesy name, Tian Yuan.

    After Qi Xuansu¡¯s master died, Madam Qi was the person Qi Xuansu trusted the most. When Qi Xuansu was being hunted down by enemies, Madam Qi saved him and brought him to the Qingping Society.

    Later on, Qi Xuansu joined the Qingping Society and became Madam Qi¡¯s one and only subordinate.

    The rtionship between the two of them was more like that of partners rather than superior and subordinate.

    During their time as partners, Madam Qi took great care of Qi Xuansu, like a dependable elder sister. At least in Qi Xuansu¡¯s eyes, aside from being money-minded, stingy, and petty, Madam Qi had no other ws.

    Qi Xuansu, who had narrowly escaped death, heaved a long sigh of relief. He was about to speak when he suddenly felt his chest surge with qi and blood. His vision went dark right before he passed out.

 Chapter 13: A Dream

    <h4>Chapter 13: A Dream</h4>

    Qi Xuansu had a long dream.

    In the dream, Qi Xuansu saw a tall and dark mountain, like that from a sshed-ink painting. He stood at the foot of the mountain, facing a rugged path. On both sides of the path were shrubs with colorful flowers, which he could not name, and trees with colorful ribbons hanging from them. It looked like a celebration was happening, yet the sky was dark and depressing.

    The path wound up and disappeared into darkness, with no end in sight.

    In a daze, Qi Xuansu stepped onto the path and hiked toward the peak. The whistling wind echoed in his ears, carrying a woman¡¯s voice that was murmuring or singing softly. The ribbons on the trees swayed with the wind, resembling countless arms iling. The path was covered with petals that emitted a strange fragrance.

    After walking for an unknown amount of time, the woman¡¯s voice in Qi Xuansu¡¯s ears became clearer. It was anguage he had never heard before¡ªdifficult to understand, ancient, and mysterious. Everything felt inexplicably strange.

    Suddenly, Qi Xuansu felt fearful as he heard his master crying out to him, urging him to turn back. However, he could not turn back. His neck seemed frozen, and his body feltpletely out of his control. He also heard Madam Qi¡¯s whispers.

    Qi Xuansu tried hard to listen to Madam Qi¡¯s words but could not make out what she was saying. He did not understand what was happening.

    Suddenly, he saw a woman walking toward him. Half of her face was covered by her long hair. But even with only half of her face exposed, she looked stunning.

    The woman was a guide. She stood near him, beckoning for him to follow her down the path.

    Qi Xuansu subconsciously followed the woman and walked along the long path toward the summit.

    At the mountaintop, a big bonfire in the middle of a vast open area cast a long shadow of a tall figure standing behind it.

    Qi Xuansu saw many shadows hidden behind the tall figure, murmuring and whispering in the darkness.

    He widened his eyes, trying to see the face of the tall figure clearly. However, the tall figure was shrouded in an imprable shadow. No matter how hard Qi Xuansu tried, he could only see a blurry outline.

    Qi Xuansu looked for the guide again but found that she had disappeared.

    At that moment, Qi Xuansu heard a low chanting.

    The fire grew brighter, making the surrounding area seem darker.

    The murmurs gradually grew louder, as if crossing through the long and distant river of time and reaching the existing world.

    Qi Xuansu took a few steps forward, wanting to approach the tall figure.

    The eyes of the tall figure lit up with a blood-red glow.

    Qi Xuansu vaguely saw that the figure had long white hair and crimson eyes, wearing a robe that seemed to be embroidered with stars like the night sky.

    Just then, the previously zing fire suddenly extinguished, enveloping everything in the darkness.

    The ground under Qi Xuansu¡¯s feet cracked to reveal a sinkhole. Qi Xuansu fell uncontrobly into a pool of blood, and all he could see was the color red.

    In an instant, Qi Xuansu woke up.

    This was not the first time he had had this dream, but every time it happened, he felt powerless because he could never see the face of the tall figure clearly.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu was lying in a guest room on the second floor of an inn, with Madam Qi sitting by the bed. Seeing that he was awake, she asked, ¡°Another nightmare?¡±

    Qi Xuansu grunted in acknowledgment, not wanting to discuss it further.

    Madam Qi did not press the issue. She drew a breath from her long tobo pipe, the smoke veiling her face.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Where is this ce?¡±

    Madam Qi replied, ¡°Fengtai County.¡±

    Qi Xuansu immediately understood what was happening. ¡°You¡¯re trying to hide in in sight, huh?¡±

    ¡°More or less.¡± Madam Qi blew out a smoke ring. ¡°There¡¯s still something I need to take care of.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked again, ¡°What is it?¡±

    Madam Qi nced at him. ¡°You didn¡¯t use your real name at The Inn, did you?¡±

    Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment. He then realized she was not referring to this inn but rather the underground one. ¡°I did.¡±

    Madam Qi knocked on the stummel of her tobo pipe and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to drop by The Inn to settle this issue so that the Green Phoenix Guard or the Tiangang Hall can¡¯t find anything.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not inquire about Madam Qi¡¯s n for handling this issue and only thanked her. ¡°Sorry for the trouble.¡±

    Madam Qi tapped Qi Xuansu¡¯s head with her pipe. ¡°How many times have I told you not to reveal your true identity, let alone let others know you¡¯re from the Qingping Society? Have you forgotten what you did before? Your enemies may be dead, but they still have friends, masters, and family. Do you want them toe and settle scores with you?"

    Qi Xuansu lowered his head without rebuttal.

    When his master was killed, Qi Xuansu avenged him, and Madam Qi handled the aftermath. Thus, he was very grateful to Madam Qi.

    Madam Qi pushed her sunsses down her nose bridge and raised her eyes to look at Qi Xuansu. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it. You need an alias. In the future, use the alias Wei Wugui whenever you encounter such situations. Got it?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded to acknowledge her.

    Madam Qi pushed her sunsses back up her nose bridge to cover her beautiful eyes and continued chattering, ¡°You¡¯re quite severely injured this time, so I¡¯ve written a prescription for you. It¡¯s in your bag. Remember to take your medicine on time, once a day for two weeks.

    ¡°During these two weeks, try not to get into any more fights. When you have time, heal yourself with your qi, with special attention to the Zigong, Yutang, and Zhongting acupoints. If you feel any pain during the process, don¡¯t force it and go around it.¡±

    Qi Xuansu found Madam Qi to be a nagging pain, but since his master¡¯s death, he had no one else close to him. So he was unwilling to interrupt her nagging and could only nod along.

    After Madam Qi finished speaking, Qi Xuansu changed the subject and asked, ¡°Madam Qi, since you were here, why didn¡¯t you take action yourself?¡±

    Madam Qi said righteously, ¡°With your logic, the masters of wealthy families can dress and eat on their own, so they shouldn¡¯t have servants to help them. What¡¯s the point of having servants if they can do everything independently? Why should they pay servants for doing nothing?¡±

    Qi Xuansu chuckled helplessly.

    After a pause, Madam Qi continued, ¡°This time, the Taiping Sect, Quanzhen Sect, and Zhengyi Sect have all sent their representatives here, so I won¡¯t be able toplete the mission alone. Take that Quanzhen disciple as an example. If you hadn¡¯t distracted him, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to ambush him so easily.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had seen Madam Qi¡¯s fighting skills before. He believed this was merely an excuse, but he did not point it out. Instead, he asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the Xuan Jade?¡±

    Madam Qi said, ¡°You can keep it for the time being and bring it to the contact point in the city. Also, I¡¯ve covered your lodging fee, which is 50 Ruyi coins, so remember to pay me back. Don¡¯t forget the 100 Taiping coins you owe me for saving your life. I expect not a single coin less.¡±

    With that, Madam Qi stood up, retrieved a ck cloak from her magical receptacle, draped it over herself, and left.

    Qi Xuansu reached for his satchel at the head of the bed and took out the prescription Madam Qi left for him. Judging by her delicate handwriting, one would think that it belonged to a demure youngdy from a noble family rather than a moneylending killer.

    He put away the prescription, got up, and went to the window, pushing it open and looking out.

    Finally, the sky was no longer gloomy. The rain had stopped.

    Madam Qi, wearing the cloak, sat sideways on a donkey and rode out of the city.

    After watching Madam Qi leave, Qi Xuansu left the inn through the back door. Although Madam Qi brought Qi Xuansu back to Fengtai County to hide in in sight, he felt it was better to tread cautiously.

    Based on the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s track record, they would still enforce martialw in the city because there were so many deaths, even if they believed that the so-called ¡°rebel party¡± had fled. They would have enforced tighter security inside the city to prevent causing too much panic among the people and to guard against anyone trying to hide in in sight.

    Before entering the city, Qi Xuansu had specifically studied theyout of Fengtai County. Therefore, he did not go through the city gates but chose to leap over a secluded section of the city wall. After dark, he clung to the city wall like an ant, jumped over, andnded with light steps outside the city wall, taking advantage of the night to leave Fengtai County quietly.

    Fengtai County belonged to Huainan Prefecture, and the city Madam Qi mentioned earlier was the capital city of Huainan Prefecture¡ªHuainan City.

    The Qingping Society had a contact point in Huainan City, where Qi Xuansu could stay for a while. At least it was safe there.

    ......

    Zhuge Yongming''s body had disappeared from the dpidated temple on Maoxian Mountain, presumably Madam Qi¡¯s handiwork. She had also wiped away the traces ofst night¡¯s fight by cutting down most of the trees in the dense forest outside the temple. It was a crude but effective way to cover their tracks because it was too much of a mess for anyone to uncover any helpful clues.

    This also disrupted the local geomantic energy, making it difficult for others to trace past events through geomancy.

    In this respect, Madam Qi¡¯s methods were as cunning as those of the experienced Green Phoenix Guard.

    An old man holding a white paperntern stopped outside the dpidated temple, looking solemn.

    Not far behind him, Jiang Bieyun said, ¡°Zhuge Yongming is a descendant of Sage Shenxiao¡¯s disciple. Although Sage Donghua and Sage Shenxiao are both from the Quanzhen Sect, they are not on the same side. Anything rted to Sage Donghua is a big deal, no matter how trivial. We thought this mysterious disciple was a lone wolf, but he had helpers. The fact that Zhuge Yongming died already speaks volumes.¡±

    The old man did not want to dwell on this matter, so he changed the topic. ¡°Who could have done this? I doubt an insignificantckey could kill Zhuge Yongming.¡±

    Jiang Bieyun said coldly, ¡°I think it must be someone at the Yuxu stage, at the very least. Perhaps even the Guizhen stage.¡±

    The old man nodded. ¡°Since it involves Sage Donghua, resolving this matter will be difficult.¡±

    Jiang Bieyun remained silent.

    The two were old acquaintances but were not close enough to share everything, primarily because they both served different masters. If Zhuge Yongming had not been killed, the two would not have met either.

 Chapter 14: Rewards

    <h4>Chapter 14: Rewards</h4>

    Qi Xuansu arrived in Huainan City on the evening of the second day.

    He first went to the market and collected the herbs written on the prescription Madam Qi gave him. The pharmacy offered a service for decocting the herbs, saving Qi Xuansu some effort.

    After drinking the medicine, Qi Xuansu strolled around the streets, wandering around the city to ensure he was not being followed before entering a secluded alley.

    It waste by the time Qi Xuansu arrived, so the alley was dark. He briskly walked to the end of an alley, where an inconspicuous small door was located. He gently knocked on it three times, followed by a pause of three seconds, then ended with four heavier knocks.

    After a moment, a voice came through from the other side of the door, citing, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as peace reigns in all directions.¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied in a hushed voice, ¡°The world is stable, and Ie in peace."

    The door opened as Qi Xuansupleted the sentence. There was no light inside. The ce was only illuminated by the crescent moon.

    As soon as Qi Xuansu entered, the doorkeeper closed it behind him without a second¡¯s dy.

    Beyond the door was a huge mansion with multiple winding paths that led to peaceful nooks. It turned out that the inconspicuous door he entered through was just a back entrance.

    Qi Xuansu had little knowledge about the Qingping Society, but he knew that they wielded great influence while operating in secrecy. It was very difficult for anyone to figure out what their intentions were.

    However, Qi Xuansu was not particrly concerned about it. He was more worried about himself, hoping to dissociate from the Qingping Society one day without consequences. He did not want to turn out like Zhuge Yongming, dying without any say in his fate.

    Thus, he had been umting merits over the years, which was the condition he agreed to when joining the Qingping Society. As long as he umted enough merits, he could leave the Qingping Society. However, umting 9,000 merits was no easy task. Qi Xuansu only had 300 merits, which was a far cry from the amount he needed to leave the Qingping Society.

    The owner of this mansion was a middle-aged man dressed like a wealthy merchant. He did not inquire about Qi Xuansu. Instead, he ordered his servant to prepare a room, a bath, some food, and clean clothes for his guest.

    Qi Xuansu took off his muddy clothes, took afortable bath, and changed into a new robe.

    With that, he transformed back into a seventh-rank Daoist disciple and was no longer the rebel wanted by the Green Phoenix Guard.

    Qi Xuansu stayed here for one night. By noon the next day, Madam Qi had returned to the same mansion.

    The owner of the mansion had prepared a separate room for the two of them, without any servants, so that they could have privacy.

    The room resembled a study. Qi Xuansu took out the Xuan Jade from his satchel and handed it to Madam Qi. She nced at it and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you take the opportunity to study it? So many people are fighting over this thing, indicating its value.¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied truthfully, ¡°I¡¯ve studied it, but I couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of it.¡±

    Madam Qi nodded, put the Xuan Jade into her magical receptacle, and then put on a serious expression.

    She said, ¡°This time, a fourth-rank, fifth-rank, and sixth-rank Daoist priest and several Green Phoenix Guards participated in the robbery of the Xuan Jade. You¡¯ve done well to retrieve it andplete the mission, so you will be rewarded with 300 merits.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was surprised. ¡°Was a fourth-rank Daoist master involved?¡±

    ¡°You were lucky.¡± Madam Qi casually took out her tobo pipe. ¡°It seems that the Taiping Sect had some concerns. The fourth-rank Daoist master didn¡¯t personally intervene but sent his subordinates to act under the guise of the Green Phoenix Guard. The so-called court case was just a cover-up.

    ¡°If someone investigatester, it will only lead to Li Sanxin. It won¡¯t reveal the mastermind behind this. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know how this information leaked. It attracted people from two other sects. Now, the Taiping Sect is in a difficult situation. The carefully prepared cover-up not only failed, but they also didn¡¯t retrieve the Xuan Jade.¡±

    Qi Xuansu furrowed his brows slightly, asking, ¡°Did the Green Phoenix Guard leak the information?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s also possible.¡± Madam Qi pondered for a moment. ¡°Nowadays, the two political parties in the Imperial Court are fighting openly. The Taiping Sect nned to seize the magistrate of Fengtai County, Li Hongwen, amidst the current political strife, take the Xuan Jade from him, and then find a reason to kill him. In this regard, the Green Phoenix Guard yed a crucial role in the case. Everything revolves around them.¡±

    Qi Xuansu suddenly understood the situation.

    After the Qingping Society received news about the Xuan Jade, they dispatched Qi Xuansu topete for it with the specially madepass, which could urately locate the Xuan Jade. Hence, there was no need for subterfuge or arge-scale operation.

    At the same time, the Taiping Sect also received this news. However, the Taiping Sect did not have the Qingping Society¡¯s specialpass, so they could not urately locate the Xuan Jade. Instead, they could only search Li Hongwen¡¯s residence. So they staged a performance with the Green Phoenix Guard, making it seem like political strife.

    But in reality, they just needed a reason to ransack Li Hongwen¡¯s residence in search of the Xuan Jade. Also, because this case did not actually involve politics, the Green Phoenix Guard did not dare to actually send Li Hongwen to the Imperial Capital¡¯s prison, fearing future repercussions. Instead, they could only silence Li Hongwen to eliminate any evidence.

    Li Sanxin did not manage to find the Xuan Jade and was instead caught by Qi Xuansu. This information leaked and attracted other members of the Daoist sects. The so-called cover-up became a joke.

    The Taiping Sect¡¯s n had no major issues theoretically, but its execution had some problems.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Wouldn''t it be enough if Li Hongwen just handed over the Xuan Jade? Why drag his whole family into this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not surprising. People die for wealth as birds perish for food.¡±

    Madam Qi exined, ¡°Li Hongwen must have refused after the Taiping Sect disciple demanded the jade and even threatened him, but he didn¡¯t expect this fourth-rank Daoist master to be so ruthless as to kill his entire family.

    ¡°By the time the Green Phoenix Guard arrived, Li Hongwen was doomed either way. He made a gamble that the Green Phoenix Guard wouldn¡¯t dare kill his family, so he held onto the jade, thinking there could still be a chance.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded in understanding.

    Madam Qi blew out a smoke ring and continued, ¡°I have a premonition about this matter. It¡¯s most likely directed by a sage of the Taiping Sect. The Taiping Sect has nine sages, all of whom have untainted reputations. That¡¯s why they created such a cover-up. That fourth-rank Daoist master is nothing but a small pawn to them. He¡¯s merely the secondyer of coverup.

    ¡°Speaking of which, if a small pawn like that has such power, this case will attract the attention of a sage. If so, you and I won¡¯t be able to defeat them.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression turned serious as he nodded in agreement.

    Madam Qi continued, ¡°Your performance this time was beyond expectation, so I can offer you two rewards within my power. Take your pick.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was ted, feeling that he did not take Zhuge Yongming¡¯s punches in vain.

    Madam Qi took out a wooden box from her magical receptacle and ced it in front of Qi Xuansu.

    ¡°This is the Divine Dragon Pistol produced by the Divine Armory in the 36th year of the Jiushi Era. It has an ivory handle, a brass barrel in the shape of a dragon''s head, and a rear-loading structure with integrated metal bullets. A pin structure reces the small flint ignition mechanism, and the linear barrel has an effective range of one hundred steps.

    ¡°It can break through the innate qi of a person within fifteen steps, but whether it can injure the body is another matter. Ites with twenty brass outer shells engraved with armor-prating talismans. The price of this pistol on the ck market is approximately 800 Taiping coins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu opened the box and saw a gorgeous pistol. Its curves were graceful, and it was exquisite, looking more like a fine piece of art than a weapon. Next to it were twenty bullets with many strange patterns carved on the sharp tips, seemingly some kind of talisman, which was indeed different frommon firearms.

    Madam Qi admired this expensive pistol and added, ¡°This pistol is not only valuable but also a symbol of status. Only those above a certain rank among the ck Robes can own one.¡±

    <i>The Great Xuan Dynasty originated from the north. Among the Five Elements were green wood, white metal, vermilion fire, yellow earth, and ck water. The Great Xuan Dynasty advocated ck to symbolize water, so the soldiers¡¯ armor was predominantly ck, earning them the name ck Robes.</i>

    <i>The Divine Armory mentioned earlier was a part of the imperial army, specializing in firearms. Not only were they skilled in using firearms, but they also excelled in research and development.</i>

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What about the second reward?¡±

    Madam Qi spoke without haste. ¡°The Daoist Order is the most powerful force in the world today. Unless one has an extraordinary talent, there isn¡¯t much difference between individuals in the Daoistmunity. Even if someone is an invalid without any cultivation, the Daoist Order has the resources to make them an outstanding individual.

    ¡°The key is how those resources are allocated. That¡¯s how the nine-rank system of Daoist priests came into being. Internal promotion within the Daoist Order is crucial. You¡¯re still a seventh-rank Daoist, right?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Yes, after my master passed away, I¡¯ve been stuck at the eighth-rank threshold for the longest time. Until now, I¡¯m only a seventh-rank priest.¡±

    Madam Qi said, ¡°That¡¯s not a low rank, but it depends on who youpare yourself to. If you want to be a fourth-rank Daoist master one day, you¡¯ll have to climb thedder step by step. Falling behind even once meansgging behind forever.

    ¡°Most young people receive unified teachings about the Dao in the Wanxiang Dao Pce and enter Daoism upon reaching adulthood. They be ninth-rank Daoist priests and undergo a three-year probation period.

    ¡°If they are recognized by a fourth-rank or a third-rank Daoist master during the probation period and are epted as disciples, their future path will be much smoother with a master to guide them.

    ¡°Being recognized by a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master is equivalent to soaring to the heavens. Simrly, there¡¯s no need to be disheartened if one isn¡¯t epted by a Daoist master. There¡¯s still a chance to seed.

    ¡°The Daoist Order is aware of the disadvantages of the declining Confucian School due to theck of sessors. So, the Daoist Order has always advocated the use of young people. As such, age has be a criticalponent in rank promotion. After the three-year probation period, one must proceed to be an eighth-rank Daoist priest within two years.

    ¡°If, by the age of 25, one is still stuck at the ninth rank, there is no need to proceed. Within the next five years, one must advance to a seventh-rank Daoist priest. If, by the age of 30, one is still stuck at the eighth rank, their journey toward enlightenment will be over. They will be marginalized in the annual promotion and won¡¯t be able to keep their positions.¡±

    Qi Xuansu understood what Madam Qi was trying to say.

    Madam Qi continued, ¡°If you can be a sixth-rank Daoist priest before the age of 30, you will be listed as an Apprentice Jijiu Daoist priest. If you can be a fifth-rank Daoist priest before the age of 35, you will be listed as a Prospective Jijiu Daoist priest.

    ¡°As long as there¡¯s a vacancy for a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, they will consider promoting a Prospective Jijiu Daoist priest first. Simrly, vacancies for Prospective Jijiu Daoist priests will be filled by Apprentice Jijiu Daoist priests.

    ¡°Of course, if you can be a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master before the age of 30, you will embark on the path of the rising star, truly promising with unlimited prospects. In that case, being a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master one day will certainly be usible.¡±

    Madam Qi smiled and looked at Qi Xuansu, asking, ¡°Do you understand what I mean?¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed and said, ¡°I understand. You want me to advance further. Can the Qingping Society manage even this?¡±

    Madam Qi yfully said, ¡°The Qingping Society has great powers and is capable of anything. We will have a way, even if you want to be the Grand Master.¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled and did not take Madam Qi¡¯s words seriously.

    In fact, Madam Qi was intentionally joking.

    The Grand Master was the highest position in the Daoist Order. With such a supreme rank, one would reside in the Kunlun Ancestral Court to lead the Daoistmunity and be the representative of the immortals on earth.

    Perhaps bing an immortal was a simpler task than bing the Grand Master.

    Afterughing, Madam Qi said seriously, ¡°I can only reward you within my authority, of course. I can¡¯t bypass the Ziwei Hall and promote you to the sixth rank, but I can give you an opportunity. It just depends on whether you can seize it.¡±

 Chapter 15: Settlement

    <h4>Chapter 15: Settlement</h4>

    Qi Xuansu asked, "What opportunity?"

    Madam Qi lightly said, ¡°Tiangang Hall.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled.

    The Daoist Order had a simr structure to that of the Imperial Court. In addition to the local officials in various prefectures, there was also the central court, which the Daoist Order referred to as the Ancestral Court.

    The Imperial Court consisted of six ministries and nine ministers. In the previous dynasty, the six ministries and nine ministers each had their own governance. However, in the Great Xuan Dynasty, the six ministries and nine ministers were merged.

    The nine high officials, including the Secretariat, the Chief Censor, the Ministry of Justice, the Left Censor, and others, were collectively referred to as the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers.

    The Ancestral Court of the Daoist Order imitated the Imperial Court, consisting of nine halls. Each hall was presided over by one of the nine Sages reporting to the Grand Master.

    The Ziwei Hall that Madam Qi mentioned earlier was the head of the Nine Halls, corresponding to the Ministry of Personnel in the Imperial Court. It was in charge of personnel assessment. Hence, the promotion and demotion of Daoist priests must go through the Ziwei Hall.

    The Tiangang Hall was also one of the Nine Halls, which was roughly equivalent to the Ministry of War in the Imperial Court. Although Tiangang Hall did not have thousands of troops and a calvary like the Imperial Court¡¯s Ministry of War, it was thergest hall in terms of the number of members among the nine halls.

    The Tiangang Hall was in charge of maintaining order within the realm, suppressing evil forces opposing the Daoist Order, and dealing with secret organizations not authorized by the Daoist Order that often caused chaos in the world.

    Although the Qingping Society did not oppose the Daoist Order, it was an unauthorized secret society, so it was a target of suppression by Tiangang Hall.

    Qi Xuansu could not help but say, ¡°Madam Qi, don¡¯t you think that sending me, a member of the Qingping Society, to the Tiangang Hall will be like sending a sheep into the tiger¡¯s den?¡±

    Madam Qi simply replied, ¡°It is said that fortune favors the bold. If you want to advance further, you either need resources or achievements. Social connections, innate talent, and appearance count as resources. The problem now is that you don¡¯t have resources.

    ¡°The Qingping Society can be considered your resource, but it can¡¯t be openly disyed. So you can only rely on your own achievements. However, achievements don¡¯t just fall from the sky. If you want to make a name for yourself, going to Tiangang Hall is the best option.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered for a moment and still found it somewhat unbelievable. ¡°So many people want to enter the Ancestral Court¡¯s Nine Halls, but not everyone gets the chance. Even if they want to beg for a position, they may not know who to plead with. Madam Qi, are you saying that with just one word from you, I will be able to get into Tiangang Hall?¡±

    Madam Qi chuckled. ¡°Yes, with just one word from me, you can enter the Tiangang Hall. But it also depends on your own efforts. The requirements to enter Tiangang Hall are to be a Xiantian Being and a seventh-rank Daoist priest. Both of these criteria are irrefutable. If you don¡¯t meet these criteria, they won¡¯t care, even if you are a disciple of a Sage.¡±

    ¡°Tiangang Hall...¡± Qi Xuansu murmured, ¡°Entering the Tiangang Hall means having the opportunity to make achievements. With achievements, I can be a sixth-rank Daoist priest and improve my level of cultivation. Then I can strive to leave the Qingping Society as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the rationale.¡± Madam Qi continued to puff on her tobo pipe. ¡°The Qingping Society is great, but it can¡¯t see the light of day. Fighting and killing are not long-term solutions. Making a name for oneself in the Daoist Order is the way to go. I¡¯m waiting for the day you wield the Sword of Wisdom.¡±

    The so-called Sword of Wisdom was not an actual sword but a one-meter-long pendant used by Daoist Sages that was shaped like a sword. It symbolized breaking free from suffering, afflictions, desires, greed, and anger. Therefore, people often use the phrase ¡°wield the Wisdom Sword,¡± to refer to being a Sage.

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°I dare not think about it.¡±

    Madam Qi, having known Qi Xuansu, hit the nail on the head. ¡°Why sigh then?¡±

    Qi Xuansu had nothing to say.

    The gap between a seventh-rank Daoist priest and a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master was like that between a seventh-rank county magistrate and a first-rank imperial secretary. It was difficult to close the gap.

    Qi Xuansu temporarily put aside these unrealistic thoughts and asked, ¡°Madam Qi, how do you n to arrange for me to enter the Tiangang Hall?¡±

    Madam Qi said, ¡°You¡¯re asking the wrong person about this. I¡¯ll report your situation, and then others will take care of it. The specifics of how it¡¯s done aren¡¯t something we are privy to. But, as I said earlier, the Qingping Society has great powers and is capable of anything. Just trust the process.¡±

    Qi Xuansu heard this and stopped asking more questions.

    After the serious talk, Madam Qi dropped her stern expression and knocked on the stummel. ¡°Now that we¡¯re done with official business, let¡¯s talk about our private matters. When do you n to settle the 50 Ruyi coins for the room and the 100 Taiping coins for saving your life?¡±

    Qi Xuansu cleared his throat lightly. ¡°Madam Qi, what do you mean by 100 Taiping coins for saving my life? Isn¡¯t it natural for you to save me, given our rtionship?¡±

    Madam Qi readily agreed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll phrase it differently. When will you settle themission for getting me to kill for you? Anyway, I do not offer killing services free of charge.¡±

    Qi Xuansu touched his satchel and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t earn the 1,000 Taiping coins from The Inn, so I don¡¯t even have 100 Taiping coins on me now.¡±

    Madam Qi asked casually, ¡°Didn¡¯t you pick up a flying sword?¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s face froze. ¡°Madam Qi, did you go through my bag?!¡±

    Madam Qi did not feel the least bit guilty. On the contrary, she looked righteous. ¡°Why can¡¯t I? If I didn¡¯t go through your bag, did you think that the prescription flew in there by itself? You wouldn¡¯t mind given our rtionship anyway, right?¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°My dearest sister¡ª¡±

    Madam Qi interrupted him. ¡°Even siblings need to settle ounts clearly. This rule isn¡¯t aimed at you alone, you know.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed helplessly.

    This rule was indeed not aimed at him alone. Madam Qi was excellent in many ways, but she was money-minded, stingy, miserly, and mean. She was notorious even within the Qingping Society.

    If it were someone else, Madam Qi would have asked for 300 Taiping coins for her killing service. So, she was already doing Qi Xuansu a favor by giving him a discount.

    Qi Xuansu had no choice but to take out the flying sword named Green Snake from his satchel. He ced it on the table. ¡°I was thinking of keeping it for my own use.¡±

    Madam Qi red at him. ¡°The flying swords of the Li n have special marks on them. Aren¡¯t you afraid that they will find you if you keep it for yourself?¡±

    With that, she picked up the flying sword and carefully examined it.

    After a while, Madam Qi put down the flying sword in her hand and said, ¡°This flying sword is in good condition. The foundation isn¡¯t damaged and can be sold for about 1,500 Taiping coins on the ck market. But because there¡¯s a unique mark of the Li n on it, a master swordsmith will have to remove the mark, so the price will be halved. It¡¯ll sell for about 800 Taiping coins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Madam Qi, since you¡¯re more familiar with the ck market, why don¡¯t you help me sell it? I¡¯ll give you half of the proceeds.¡±

    Madam Qi nodded and took out a small golden abacus from her magical receptacle. She quickly calcted the amount. ¡°I would normally ask for a ten percentmission. But considering our rtionship, I¡¯ll only take five percent from you.

    ¡°With the 100 Taiping coinsmission and 130 Taiping coins you borrowed from mest year¡ªnot forgetting an annual interest of one percent¡ªas well as the 50 Ruyi coins for the room this time, I¡¯ll charge you a total of 300 Taiping coins. You can keep the remaining 500 Taiping coins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s face drooped as he listened. Finally, he said with a feeble voice, ¡°Alright then.¡±

    Madam Qi swiftly put away the abacus and the flying sword. She then took out five bundles wrapped in red cloth and ced them neatly together.

    Of course, these were not bundles of sticks, but 100 Taiping coins bundled together and wrapped in red cloth, simr to the ancient practice of stringing copper coins to count them. Since silver Taiping coins did not have a square hole in the middle like ancient coins, they could not be strung along with a rope and had to be wrapped in cloth.

    A Taiping coin weighed about 27 grams and contained 89 percent silver and 11 percent copper. In terms of purity, it was much better than the fragmented silver coins that circted in the market in the past.

    One bundle held 100 Taiping coins, so five bundles amounted to 500 Taiping coins.

    Five hundred Taiping coins were not a small amount in the previous dynasty. But in the existing dynasty, due to the flourishing maritime trade and therge influx of gold and silver from overseas, the price of silver had depreciated slightly, and the value of copper had risen.

    Even gold, which was notmonly seen before, had bemonce. The court even issued Wuyou gold coins. Therefore, 500 Taiping coins were not as much as they used to be.

    Of course, they were rtive concepts and could not be generalized.

    For Qi Xuansu, 500 Taiping coins were not much, but for ordinary people, it was arge sum.

    A family of three¡¯s annual expenses were only ten Taiping coins, which meant 100 Taiping coins couldst them for ten years, and 500 Taiping coins were enough for an ordinary family¡¯s expenses for 50 years.

    Qi Xuansu only took one bundle and said, ¡°Can I exchange the other 400 Taiping coins for cash notes? I¡¯d like threerge notes, one medium note, four small notes, and ten loose notes.¡±

    Strictly speaking, these cash notes were not currency issued by the Imperial Court but a kind of receipt for saving and withdrawing money. Many merchants preferred these convenient cash notes instead of carryingrge amounts of silver coins when trading in bulk, so cash notes gradually became popr with the masses.

    Madam Qi collected the 400 Taiping coins, took out a stack of cash notes, and quickly counted them. She ced the cash notes that Qi Xuansu asked for on the table.

    They were all brand-new cash notes, so much so that Qi Xuansu could even faintly smell the ink on them, which was fascinating.

    Qi Xuansu reached out to gather these notes and nced somewhat enviously at the magical receptacle that was shaped like a jade bracelet on Madam Qi¡¯s wrist.

    First, he ced 100 Taiping coins into his satchel, then neatly arranged the cash notes close to his chest. Finally, he tucked a few small-value cash notes into his sleeve pocket for easy ess.

    Storing items in the sleeve was amon practice. Wide sleeves usually had pockets sewn into them, with the opening of the pocket facing the opposite direction of the sleeve opening and tapering at the top.

    This design allowed for items like silver coins or letters to be ced in the pocket without the risk of falling out, even when the hands were hanging down or when bowing in greeting. Since sleeves often held money or valuables, the phrase ¡°empty sleeves¡± was used to describe a poor person.

    Madam Qi then produced a promissory note, confirmed it bore Qi Xuansu¡¯s handwriting, and turned it into ash with a quick rub of her hands, marking the clearing of debt.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Should I head to the Ancestral Court?¡±

    Madam Qi replied, ¡°Prepare to leave. Aim to arrive at the ancestral hall before the 15th of August.¡±

 Chapter 16: Flying Ship

    <h4>Chapter 16: Flying Ship</h4>

    Early the next morning, the owner of the mansion informed Qi Xuansu that Madam Qi had already left.

    Qi Xuansu was not surprised, as Madam Qi had always been elusive,ing and going without a trace. After breakfast, Qi Xuansu also left the safe house, preparing to embark on his journey to the Daoist Ancestral Court.

    The Ancestral Court was located in the West Kunlun Mountains.

    Kunlun Mountain was the ancestor of all mountains as well as the origin of the world¡¯s natural resources. It was located at the western end of the Western Region, far from Huainan Prefecture, where Qi Xuansu was.

    Traveling from the Central ins to Kunlun Mountain and back on foot would take several months at least, which was extremely inconvenient. Moreover, the journey was arduous, with rough conditions along the way. Many Daoist disciples considered returning to the Ancestral Court a major hardship.

    The Daoist Order recognized this challenge and deployed flying ships in various locations.

    As the name implies, a flying ship was arge vessel capable of sailing above the sea of clouds. Its manufacturing process was extremelyplex, reportedly involving the skeletal structure of a dragon as the keel of the ship.

    The dragon pearl was used for propulsion, and various talismans and formations enabled the ship to float and soar like a dragon in the sky. Therefore, the flying ship was also known as a dragon ship.

    With the advent of flying ships, the journey from various ces to Kunlun only took one full day.

    Daoist disciples hunted dragons to facilitate this mode of transport. Thus, many dragons near the coast andkes fled to remote seas where humans rarely ventured, making them difficult to find.

    At the moment, there were twenty flying ships, each capable of carrying a hundred people. Due to the limited number of trips and seats avable, only Daoist disciples were allowed to board the flying ships. They also had to pay for their tickets.

    Dragons were creatures of water, and dragon pearls needed to absorb water vapor to replenish their energy. When sailing over the sea, where water vapor was abundant, the flying ship could travel smoothly with minimal energy consumption. However, when flying over aridnd where water vapor was scarce, the flying ship would struggle against the wind, resulting in significant energy consumption.

    Kunlun was located ind, northwest of the Central ins, where water vapor was scarce. Thus, to ensure the flying ship could reach Kunlun smoothly, it needed to be supplemented with Xuanhuang.

    Xuanhuang¡ªas described in the <i>Divine Pill Scripture</i>¡ªwas made of 6 kilograms of mercury and 12 kilograms of lead,bined in an alchemical furnace under intense heat. The lead and mercury would release their essence, which was purple in color. Then, they would use an iron spoon to collect the substance known as Xuanhuang.

    Xuanhuang was considered a metal that would generate water. Thus, itplemented the dragon pearls and was fuel for flying ships.

    The Daoist Order had a Xuanhuang Division dedicated to refining Xuanhuang to maintain the operation of flying ships. Many Daoist disciples engaged in this industry, earning a monthly wage of 3 Taiping coins per person, totaling 36 Taiping coins per year.

    Calcting based on the expenses of a family of three, which was 10 Taiping coins a year, Daoist disciples in this division could not only support their wives and children but also have more than 20 Taiping coins in surplus, which was considered affluent.

    The Xuanhuang Division had more than a thousand Daoist disciples, and the annualbor cost alone was nearly 40,000 Taiping coins.

    The price of raw materials was also not cheap. One Taiping coin could buy 3.6 kilograms of mercury, and it took 12 kilograms of mercury to refine 50 grams of Xuanhuang. A round trip on the flying ship consumed 1,080 kilograms of Xuanhuang, and this was excluding the consumption of lead, coal, tar, and oil.

    Due to these costs, the price of a one-person ticket on the flying ship was quite expensive, costing 100 Taiping coins one way. Only those with official business and relevant credentials could be exempted from paying the ticket.

    Qi Xuansu had no official business to attend to. If he wanted to ride the flying ship, he had to spend 100 Taiping coins to purchase a ticket. If he was unwilling to pay or short of money, his only other option was to travel bynd to Kunlun, but if so, he might not arrive in time before the 15th of August.

    After careful consideration, Qi Xuansu reluctantly decided to take the flying ship to the Ancestral Court of Kunlun.

    Furthermore, flying ships were not always avable. The flying ship was scheduled to head to the Ancestral Court of Kunlun only on the 1st and 15th of each month. If he missed it, he would have to wait for half a month for the next trip.

    It was already the 13th of July, with only two days left until the 15th of the month.

    Fortunately, Huainan Prefecture was the capital of the province, so there was a flying ship port that was not far away from Huainan City. The port was on Taiping Mountain, only half a day¡¯s journey from the city.

    Qi Xuansu dared not dy the journey and immediately headed for Taiping Mountain.

    Although Qi Xuansu had never been to Taiping Mountain, it was not difficult to find. Besides serving as a flying ship port, Taiping Mountain was also the location of the Luzhou Daoist Mansion, presided over by a second-rank Taiyi Daoist.

    Taiping Mountain was a continuous mountain chain with stone steps built from the foot of the mountain to the mountainside. Upon arriving at Taiping Mountain, Qi Xuansu climbed up along the stone steps.

    After about two hours, he could vaguely see terraced fields. Their distinctyers resembled steps built for celestial beings. At this time, many Daoist believers were farming on the terraced fields.

    The mountain road gradually became steep and undting. Finally, he arrived at a cliff. There was a basket the size of an ordinary horse carriage at the edge of the cliff, with a thick metal chain connected to it that extended upward into the misty clouds.

    Next to the basket was a huge, cross-shaped mechanism that required both hands to operate, and beside it stood a ninth-rank Daoist priest.

    After presenting his credentials, Qi Xuansu climbed into the basket, and the ninth-rank Daoist priest operated the mechanism. With a series of clicks, the basket slowly began to rise off the ground. A winch above hoisted the basket up.

    As the basket continued to ascend, Qi Xuansu looked up and saw the white mist. After a while, he could see the clouds drifting overhead. When he went through the clouds, he looked down, but all he could see was a vast expanse of white.

    The basket finally stopped after a long time. They had arrived at the mountaintop, and the first thing that caught Qi Xuansu¡¯s eye was a huge white jade archway with four golden characters that read <i>Taiping Wuyou</i>, shining brightly in the sunlight.

    Ordinary people seeing this might think that this ce was named after the silver Taiping coin and the gold Wuyou coin. However, those who understood the meaning behind this would only see the grandeur of the Daoist Order. On the contrary, the silver Taiping coin and the gold Wuyou coin originated from this archway.

    Not far from the archway was a giant wheel, about 33 meters tall. It turned slowly and continuously. The giant wheel was connected to many long mechanical arms that led to an unknown destination.

    This was Qi Xuansu¡¯s first visit, and he was extremely impressed.

    Just like at the cliff, there was also a cross-shaped mechanism next to the huge winch at the mountaintop, with a ninth-rank Daoist disciple standing beside it.

    Upon Qi Xuansu¡¯s arrival, the ninth-rank disciple introduced their surroundings. ¡°That¡¯s the Celestial Wheel. You were able to ride the basket up here because of this. There are nine Celestial Wheels in the mountains that maintain the revolution of the entire Taiping Mountain.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was somewhat puzzled by the term ¡°revolution.¡± He understood the literal meaning of the word, as in the revolution of the sun and the moon, which exined why the seasons changed. However, mountains were inanimate objects that could not move as the sun, moon, and stars did, so why did he use the term ¡°revolution?¡±

    However, Qi Xuansu did not want to look stupid and did not inquire further. He continued walking.

    After passing through the archway, there was a straight stone road followed by an extremely long staircase.

    As he approached, Qi Xuansu discovered that these stairs, made of an unknown material, were actually moving. The stairs were split in the middle, with the left side moving up and the right side moving down. As long as one stood on the stairs, the steps would move up or down with a clicking sound.

    Qi Xuansu carefully looked through the gaps between the stairs and saw gears of various sizes rotating non-stop. He was even more amazed. He thought, <i>These stairs are moving! Is it also because of that Celestial Wheel?</i>

    In the blink of an eye, he reached the end of the stairs that led to a magnificent hall with ten-meter-tall carved beams and rafters, predominantly white in color. It resembled a pce in the sky. There were also giant sundials and hoursses on both sides of the door to measure time. The floor in the hall was paved with ck marble, like a mirror that could reflect one¡¯s figure.

    Qi Xuansu inadvertently looked up and noticed that the dome of the hall was a constetion map, made of some unknown material. The stars of various sizes not only emitted a faint light but also moved slowly in some kind of pattern. At this moment, it was daytime, so it was not very noticeable. If it were nighttime, it would surely be a magnificent sight.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu felt like a country bumpkin entering the imperial pce. He felt dizzy with awe.

    In any case, Qi Xuansu, a seventh-rank Daoist, had seen some magical things. If he felt this way, an ordinary person would surely think this was a heavenly paradise. It was no wonder some people called the Daoist Ancestral Court the White Jade Capital in the sky.

    Qi Xuansu calmed his mind and looked around. He found a ck marble counter not far away and walked over quickly.

    Behind the counter stood a beautiful woman, also a ninth-rank Daoist disciple. Seeing Qi Xuansu¡¯s credentials, she smiled and asked, ¡°Are you going to the Ancestral Court of Kunlun?¡±

    Qi Xuansu had already prepared therge note and ced it in his sleeve pocket. At this moment, he took out therge note with a faint ink fragrance and responded, ¡°One ticket to the Ancestral Court, please.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± The woman took the cash note worth 100 Taiping coins, retrieved a specially made jade token, and handed it to Qi Xuansu. ¡°Please wait for the flying ship in the back hall. You may present your credentials and this jade token when boarding.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took the jade token and scrutinized it. There was nothing particrly unusual about it. Only the number 63 was carved at the front, indicating that Qi Xuansu was the 63rd person to board this flying ship.

    He put away the jade token and walked toward the back hall in the direction the woman was pointing.

    Upon entering the back hall, everything became clear.

    The entire northern wall of the back hall was not made of bricks and stones but reced with ss, offering a clear view of the outside.

    Outside the hall was ake, shimmering with colorful light under the sun.

    Inside the hall were fixed cushions arranged like a chessboard, with many people already seated in small groups of two or three. They were all Daoist disciples, mostly sixth-rank and fifth-rank, as well as a few fourth-rank masters. It was rare to see seventh-rank Daoist priests like Qi Xuansu.

    After all, 100 Taiping coins was arge amount, and most seventh-rank Daoist priests would not be so extravagant. However, no one dared to underestimate Qi Xuansu. A seventh-rank disciple who could afford to spend 100 Taiping coins to ride the flying ship to Kunlun¡¯s Ancestral Court was likely to have an extraordinary background.

    Most people just nced at Qi Xuansu and closed their eyes again to rest.

    Qi Xuansu sat down cross-legged in an inconspicuous corner and closed his eyes to meditate, quietly waiting for the flying ship to arrive.

    For Xiantian Beings, sitting in meditation without eating or drinking for two days was not difficult.

    After a day passed, someone suddenly announced, ¡°The flying ship has arrived.¡±

 Chapter 17: Pei Xiaolou

    <h4>Chapter 17: Pei Xiaolou</h4>

    Qi Xuansu, who was meditating with his eyes closed, heard the announcement and turned to look outside.

    He saw a flying ship breaking through the sea of clouds and descending slowly. Its bow resembled a dragon¡¯s head, and the ship was shrouded in wisps of water vapor. Water droplets continuously rolled down, creating a light drizzle below the ship.

    It looked like a dragon carrying a building on its back, flying from the depths of the sea and into the clouds. Wherever it passed, wind and rain followed.

    This was the flying ship.

    The flying shipnded on the blueke outside the hall, setting off ripples and filling the air with moisture. Finally, it floated on the surface of theke like an ordinary building.

    This was an eye-opener for Qi Xuansu.

    He thought, <i>No wonder the port was built on the mountaintop.</i>

    After the flying ship came to aplete stop, a long wooden staircase with handrails on both sides was lowered from the ship. The bottom of the stairs locked into a gap in theke embankment, ensuring that the suspended staircase remained stable.

    Then, a group of people descended from the staircase. Most of them looked dignified and had respectable identities. They did not linger in the hall for long and quickly dispersed. A seventh-rank Daoist priest was thest to walk down the stairs. He shouted with a resounding voice, ¡°Please present your credentials and jade tokens and board the ship in order.¡±

    The passengers, who had been waiting in the back hall for a long time, began to board the ship one after another. The seventh-rank disciple checked the passenger¡¯s credentials on the spot, only keeping the jade tokens. Later, he would return the jade tokens to the woman at the ticket counter.

    Qi Xuansu followed the crowd and boarded the flying ship after getting his credentials checked.

    In fact, this was not Qi Xuansu¡¯s first visit to the Ancestral Court. Previously, he traveled bynd, and the journey was arduous. This was the first time he went to the Ancestral Court by flying ship.

    The flying ship resembled a floating inn, divided into three floors. The first floor was for ordinary single bedrooms. The second floor was for the first-ss suites, which had a bedroom and a small study each. This type of suite was specially reserved for fourth-rank Daoist masters and above.

    The third floor housed the mechanism for piloting the flying ship. Passengers were not allowed to enter that floor. The lower deck contained the formation that enabled the flying ship to sail in the sky, which was also off-limits to unauthorized personnel.

    The three floors were connected by an internal staircase. After the flying ship took off, the building¡¯s main door would be closed, and no one was allowed to enter or leave. The formation on the flying ship would be activated to withstand the strong winds.

    There was still one day left before the flying ship set sail, so the building doors remained open and passengers could explore the ship freely. Qi Xuansu took a stroll on the deck and enjoyed the scenery before going back into the building.

    A corridor ran through the entire first floor, with rooms neatly arranged on both sides. Qi Xuansu found his room, which only had a bed and a desk, suitable for meditation or rest. On the desk were several ssic Daoist texts, including <i>The Way of the Dao</i>, <i>The Nanhua Scriptures</i>, and several volumes of <i>Extensive Records of the Taiping Era</i>, for passengers to pass the time.

    Qi Xuansu nned to spend this time cultivating qi through meditation.

    The cultivation methods of each lineage were different. Qi Refiners practiced breathing, while Diviners meditated, and Martial Arts Practitioners trained their muscles. As a jack of all trades, Qi Xuansu, a Rogue Cultivator, could choose to practice breathing and meditate. However, physical training in this bedroom would be a challenge.

    At this moment, a sly-looking man passed by Qi Xuansu¡¯s door. He swept a nce at Qi Xuansu and stopped in his tracks, startled.

    Qi Xuansu, who was about to close his door, noticed the peculiar man and hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Do you need something?¡±

    The man smiled slyly and asked, ¡°Would you like a fortune reading?¡±

    Qi Xuansu thought that the man in front of him was a quack. However, they were on a flying ship heading to the Ancestral Court. Those on board were Daoist disciples of high rank. What kind of fraudster woulde here to scam people?

    Even so, Qi Xuansu pushed him off with an excuse. ¡°I¡¯m short of money¡ª¡±

    The sly man smiled and waved his hands. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s fate that you and I meet each other here, so I won¡¯t charge you for this.¡±

    Hearing this, Qi Xuansu had no choice but to invite the man into his room.

    The sly man took out a folded handkerchief from his sleeve and shook it open, expanding it into the size of a chessboard. He spread the cloth, which had the yin-yang circle as well as four characters on each of the four corners, on Qi Xuansu¡¯s bed.

    Qi Xuansu remained calm and did not speak.

    The sly man looked Qi Xuansu up and down and sighed. ¡°Brother, you sure are extraordinary.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± Qi Xuansu feigned surprise.

    The sly man shook his head and said, ¡°As the saying goes, a face reflects one¡¯s heart. I happen to know a bit of physiognomy.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, "May I know where you studied the doctrine?¡±

    The wretched man stroked his sparse beard and said in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯m not the brightest disciple. During my early years, I studied at the Chongyang Pce of Immortality. After attaining some skills, I was ordered to leave the pce to help the world and umte more skills.

    ¡°One day, I met Sage Donghua by chance on the river bank. Sage Donghua felt a connection with me and taught me the Taiwei Technique. As long as I practice it persistently, I can catch a glimpse of the heavens.¡±

    At that point, the sly man¡¯s expression showed his regret, frustration, helplessness, and sadness. He continued, ¡°Unfortunately, I was too weak to practice this technique. But I was blessed to meet Sage Donghua again when I traveled to Qizhou. So I asked Sage Donghua for advice on Purple Star Astrology. Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m a lucky man?¡±

    Sage Donghua was a powerful Daoist master, ranking among the top 36 Sages. He was extremely famous.

    Qi Xuansu could not help but think of the lie he fabricated about Sage Donghua sending his regards to the Lord Commander. He had to suppress a smile. ¡°So, you¡¯re a disciple of Sage Donghua. Please forgive my disrespect earlier. May I know your name?¡±

    The sly man smiled slightly to show that he did not mind Qi Xuansu¡¯s attitude and answered casually, ¡°My name is Pei Xiaolou.¡±

    ¡°Brother Pei.¡± Qi Xuansu offered him a fist-and-palm salute. ¡°My name is Qi Xuansu.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou gently twirled his beard and sized Qi Xuansu up. ¡°Brother Qi, you have a good countenance, especially¡ª¡±

    Just then, a voice suddenly interrupted him. ¡°Pei Xiaolou, you scoundrel! Are you hiding here to read people¡¯s fortunes again?¡±

    Before Qi Xuansu could react, arge hand grabbed Pei Xiaolou by the back of his cor, lifting him up.

    A tall and muscr woman squeezed her way into the already crowded room and scolded Pei Xiaolou.

    ¡°Take a look in the mirror! With your poor and miserable face, how dare you read fortunes for others? Aren¡¯t you afraid of misleading innocent people? Why was I so blind back then to fancy a man like you? I¡¯ve been with you for more than ten years, but I haven¡¯t had a bit of luck! All you gave me was suffering!¡±

    Qi Xuansu dared not move, as he was momentarily intimidated by the tall woman¡¯s imposing aura.

    Although Pei Xiaolou was tall, the woman could still lift him with one hand, indicating just how strong this woman was. Moreover, her voice resonated, reminding Qi Xuansu of a lion¡¯s roar and making his ears buzz.

    Pei Xiaolou stiffened his neck and retorted, not wanting to lose face in front of outsiders. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the way I look? Isn¡¯t my face the symbol of prosperity? If we don¡¯t endure hardships now, how can we enjoy blessings? As the saying goes, only by enduring great hardship can one reach the top. ording to my calctions, my luck will turn around after enduring another ten years of hardships.¡±

    ¡°Ten years? Nonsense!¡± The tall woman became furious and pped Pei Xiaolou in the face.

    However, Pei Xiaolou was extremely agile. He shrunk his body and slipped out of his robe, leaving the woman with it, like a golden cicada shedding its skin. Pei Xiaolou ducked down and slipped past the woman to escape.

    The woman became infuriated and turned to chase after him. The couple ran farther away from the room, leaving the piece of cloth on Qi Xuansu¡¯s bed.

    Qi Xuansu collected his thoughts, feeling that he had gained too many new experiences in the past few days. He did not know if it was a blessing or a curse.

    Although Qi Xuansu had not seen much of the world, he was notpletely inexperienced. He figured that Pei Xiaolou and the tall woman were not ordinary people. They most likely possessed extraordinary skills. Whether they were hiding their true identities, fooling around in disguises, or having other motives, Qi Xuansu knew it was better to keep a distance from them.

    Once Pei Xiaolou and the tall woman were gone, Qi Xuansu felt a little more at ease. He closed the door to his room and focused on meditating.

    A day passed quickly. When Qi Xuansu awoke from his trance, the flying ship had already set sail. Qi Xuansu got up from his bed and looked out through the ss window, seeing the boundless sea of clouds shimmering in golden light.

    The windows were enchanted with a special formation, not only capable of withstanding the onught of the wind but also preventing passengers inside the building from opening them. They could only view the scenery through the windows.

    Only Heavenly Beings could travel in the clouds, so this was Qi Xuansu¡¯s first time flying. Seeing the scenery outside the window, he could not help but feel exhrated. It took him a while to calm down.

    It was not until Qi Xuansu felt a bit hungry that he came back to his senses.

    He then remembered that he had only eaten breakfast at the Qingping Society¡¯s contact point on the 13th of July. It was already the 15th of July, which meant he had not eaten anything in two days. It was understandable that Qi Xuansu would neglect his meals because it was his first time riding a flying ship. He was also not familiar with the rules on board.

    Some food and drink were provided on the flying ship, but that was only avable on the second floor. The first floor did not have such amenities because most of the experienced passengers would bring their own dry rations. Qi Xuansu was unprepared and had yet to learn the art of fasting, so he still felt hungry.

    It took 24 hours to travel from Huainan Prefecture to the Ancestral Court.

    At first, Qi Xuansu was amazed by the scenery outside the window, but the endless white clouds grew boring as time went by. Hence, Qi Xuansu had to resort to meditation to pass the time.

    Just then, a Daoist master with billowing sleeves flew past the flying ship on a cloud, heading straight for the Ancestral Court.

 Chapter 18: Nine-Rank System

    <h4>Chapter 18: Nine-Rank System</h4>

    In the Daoist Ancestral Court, the most terrifying entity for Daoist priests at all levels was not the Ziwei Hall. In the worst case, they would be dismissed from their office and sent home to live with their families. The Tiangang Hall was only frightening for outsiders because it dealt with external matters, not internal affairs.

    The most terrifying entity was the Beichen Hall, which was equivalent to the Ministry of Justice in the Imperial Court. Functionally, it was more akin to the Green Phoenix Guards, which had the power to interrogate Daoist priests below the third rank.

    With the approval of the Golden Tower Council, Beichen Hall could interrogate third-rank Youyi Daoist masters. If Beichen Hall had authorization from the Zixiao Pce, they could even interrogate second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters.

    Fourth-rank Daoist priests were called Jijiu Daoist masters, also known as Mages to the world. They were either responsible for a county or held important positions in the West Kunlun Ancestral Court. They were also qualified to ept disciples.

    Third-rank Daoist priests were called Youyi Daoist masters, also known as High Mages to the world. They were either responsible for a prefecture or held a deputy master position in the Nine Halls of the Ancestral Court.

    Second-rank Daoist priests were called Taiyi Daoist masters, also known as Sages. They were superior to most people. Whether they held an official position in the Ancestral Court or were responsible for a state, they were highly influential and even had the power to elect the Grand Master.

    First-rank Daoist priests were called Dacheng Sages, also known as the Great Sages. Among them, the three Deputy Grand Masters were also the leaders of their sects. They were known as the Great Sages of the Taiping Sect, Quanzhen Sect, and Zhengyi Sect.

    The Great Sage of the Zhengyi Sect resided in the Dazhen Mansion on Yunjin Mountain, while the Great Sage of the Quanzhen Sect lived in the Chongyang Pce of Immortality on Zhongnan Mountain, and the Great Sage of the Taiping Sect stayed in the Zhenjing Courtyard on Peni Ind.

    The Ancestral Court wasprised of the Jade Capital, Xuan City, Purple Mansion, and Golden Tower. Comparing the Ancestral Court to the Imperial Court, Jade Capital was equivalent to the outer city of the Imperial Capital, and Xuan City was the inner city of the Imperial Capital. Within the inner city, the Purple Mansion was akin to the Imperial Pce, and the Golden Tower was equivalent to the Golden Hall within the Imperial Pce.

    The Golden Tower was where the 36 Sages discussed matters, and the Purple Mansion was where the Grand Master resided.

    The Beichen Hall obeyed the direct orders of the 36 Sages and the Grand Master. Its power was far superior to that of the other six halls. It was as important as the Ziwei Hall and the Tiangang Hall. This trio was often referred to as the Three Great Halls.

    With the position of Grand Master vacant, the Nine Halls, directly subordinate to the Grand Master, temporarily obeyed the three Deputy Grand Masters.

    The existing situation remained bnced, with the Great Sage of the Taiping Sect controlling the Beichen Hall, the Great Sage of the Quanzhen Sect controlling the Ziwei Hall, and the Great Sage of the Zhengyi Sect controlling the Tiangang Hall.

    The three Deputy Grand Masters took turns being the Great Sage Lunzhi, a title for the acting Grand Master. This title allowed one to assume the highest authority in the Daoist Order for a fixed term. However, all three Deputy Grand Masters would make major decisions together.

    This year marked the 41st year of the Jiushi Era. In the first half of the year, from the 1st of January to the 30th of June, the Great Sage of the Zhengyi Sect would assume the authority of the Grand Master. In the second half of the year, from the 1st of July to the 31st of December, the Great Sage of the Quanzhen Sect would exercise the authority of the Grand Master.

    It was currently the 15th of July, which was known as the Hungry Ghost Festival. Thus, it was the Great Sage of the Quanzhen Sect¡¯s turn to assume power.

    ......

    Arge number of high-ranking Daoist priests who were not usually seen have gathered outside the Chiming Pce within the Purple Mansion.

    The most eye-catching among them was Zhao Jiaowu, a third-rank Youyi Daoist master who assisted Sage Feiling in presiding over the Daoist mansion in the Western Region. He was a seventh-generation Quanzhen Daoist disciple.

    Although Zhao Jiaowu was still one step away from being a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master, he was still in his prime and not yet in his fifties. Everyone believed that he could be promoted to a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master before he turned sixty.

    Sage Feiling, who was also from the Quanzhen Sect, was very optimistic about Zhao Jiaowu and believed that he could sessfully take over the responsibility of presiding over the Western Region Daoist Mansion and take charge of the Daxue Mountain Pce.

    Just like the Luzhou Daoist Mansion that was set in the Taiping Pce on Taiping Mountain, the Western Region Daoist Mansion was located in the Daxue Mountain Pce. The Jade Pond that Daoists often referred to was the Western Region Daoist Mansion.

    Many fourth-rank disciples from the Quanzhen Sect surrounded Zhao Jiaowu. Since this was the Ancestral Court, the most abundant type of disciple was the fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters.

    The second-most eye-catching person was the Deputy Hall Master of Duzhi Hall, Li Mingzhi, who was also a third-rank Youyi Daoist master. The Li family had a rule that descendants of each generation must share a word within their names.

    The first ever Grand Master, who was known as the Holy Xuan, hailed from the Li family and belonged to the <i>Ru</i> generation, while Li Mingzhi was from the <i>Ming</i> generation. This meant that Li Mingzhi was the fifth-generation direct descendant of the Holy Xuan.

    Another circle of Taiping Sect disciples formed around Li Mingzhi. They were ipatible with the disciples of the Quanzhen Sect. Both parties were even hostile to each other.

    In addition, there were two other groups of people.

    One group wasposed of disciples from the Zhengyi Sect. However, they were quite restrained and not as aggressive as the disciples from the other two sects.

    The other group consisted of those directly subordinate to the Grand Master. They initially held the highest position in the Ancestral Court, but with the position of Grand Master vacant and the three Deputy Grand Masters taking turns in power, they were put in an awkward situation. These people maintained a clear distance from members of the other three major sects and remained silent.

    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t that youngdy arrived yet?¡±

    ¡°Women always like to be fashionablyte.¡±

    ¡°Brother, you should keep your words to yourself. We¡¯ll get in trouble if she gets wind of this. As the saying goes, one shouldn¡¯t look down on those weaker than them because times will change and the tables will turn. I hope you won¡¯t regret what you say today.¡±

    ¡°Not even 25 years old, but already a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master who has been bestowed with a semi-immortal item. What a bright future!¡±

    ¡°If the Grand Master were still around, he would have kept that prodigy as a direct disciple.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. If you could climb to the position of fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master before thirty, you¡¯ll also enjoy this treatment.¡±

    ¡°How could I evenpare to someone who has been handpicked by several Sages? I¡¯m so envious!¡±

    As they waited, the disciples began to talk in hushed voices.

    The person they were gossiping about was the star of the day, the Daoist prodigy whom even Qi Xuansu had heard of when he was far away from the Ancestral Court. The prodigy, not even 25 years old, rose to be a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, served as an official in the Beichen Hall, and was bestowed with a semi-immortal object.

    Without incident, this prodigy would most likely be guaranteed a spot among the exclusive 36 Sages.

    Suddenly, everyone could hear footsteps from a distance.

    ¡°The Sage is here!¡±

    ¡°Silence!¡±

    The real big shot had arrived.

    Everything returned to silence.

    The Hall Master of Tiangang Hall and the Deputy Hall Master of Beichen Hall walked over slowly and arrived at the steps of the Chiming Pce.

    No one knew the true age of the Tiangang Hall Master, but from his appearance alone, the Sage was probably in his forties. He had a long beard and a peculiar face. He wore a loose robe and assumed a leisurely demeanor.

    The Deputy Beichen Hall Master was simr to the Tiangang Hall Master, but the former looked more vicious.

    Although Daoist priests had techniques to reverse the aging process, they generally did not want to make themselves look too young. Most of them liked to maintain a youthful appearance of around forty years old because it would show that they were experienced and respectable elders.

    Zhao Jiaowu and Li Mingzhi bowed humbly in greeting.

    There was a big gap between a fifth-rank Daoist priest and a fourth-rank Daoist master, just like there was a threshold between a third-rank Daoist master and a second-rank Sage. Only second-rank Sages were qualified to participate in discussions and be involved in major decisions of the Daoist Order.

    The true big shots of the Daoist Order gestured for everyone to rise before walking up the steps. The gatekeeper quickly pushed open the gate of the Chiming Pce, allowing the Sage to enter first.

    The crowd followed closely behind and entered the Chiming Pce one after another.

    ......

    The Purple Mansion was a collective name referring to the countless pces in the Ancestral Court. Neers were easily lost in it.

    Even after living there for several years, no one would dare im that they werepletely familiar with all the paths in the Purple Mansion. In addition, it was prohibited to fly, jump, or walk on clouds within the vicinity of the Purple Mansion. Thus, it would be difficult to find the right path again after losing one¡¯s way.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu found herself in an extremely embarrassing situation.

    Zhang Yuelu was named after one of the 28 constetions, the fifth star of the Southern Seven Constetions.

    As a Superintendent of the Beichen Hall, Zhang Yuelu identally got lost on her way to Chiming Pce to attend a meeting presided over by the Sage of Tiangang Hall. This meeting was about the demon uprising in the Western Region.

    Zhang Yuelu took out an old pocket watch, opened the cover, and nced at the time. It was already half past seven.

    If nothing unexpected happened, the meeting had already begun. Although she did not want to admit it, she was alreadyte to the meeting.

    That was not the worst part. She also stood a Sage up.

    Thinking of this, Zhang Yuelu subconsciously pursed her lips. However, her face remained calm andposed, showing no signs of panic.

    ......

    Lin Yongbai was an inconspicuous seventh-rank Daoist priest. After leaving the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, he was assigned to work in the Ancestral Court¡¯s Daoist Canon Division.

    Together with other disciples, Lin Yongbai was responsible for maintaining 100,000 Daoist Canons. It was not a tough job, but it wasn¡¯t exactly easy either. Every month, he received 10 Taiping coins and three vacation days.

    The annual assessment in the Daoist Canon Division was not difficult, so he excelled in it. ording to the rules of the Ancestral Court, a new disciple could be promoted to a seventh-rank Daoist priest if they excelled in the annual assessment for three consecutive years. This was how Lin Yongbai was promoted from a ninth-rank Daoist priest to a seventh-rank Daoist priest.

    He was definitely much better off than some of his peers, who had to kill and fight their way to a promotion. When Lin Yongbai first joined the Daoist Canon Division, he often fantasized about being epted as a disciple of an extraordinary Daoist master disguising himself as amoner in the Daoist Canon Division. If so, he could finally escape from his ordinary life and even obtain the Sword of Wisdom one day.

    However, after nearly ten years in the Daoist Canon Division. Lin Yongbai still did not meet an extraordinary master. With his fantasy shattered, he became content with the status quo, going to the Hall of Archives every morning and leaving in the afternoon, day after day, year after year.

    That day, Lin Yongbai was running a bitte due to some trivial matters. As he was speed-walking toward the Hall of Archives, he turned a corner and saw someone in his path.

    He was startled, so he stopped and focused on the person. It was a young woman in a simple Daoist robe that did not reveal her rank.

    When Lin Yongbai¡¯s gaze fell on the woman¡¯s face, he felt his heart tremble.

    Lin Yongbai had seen many female disciples in the Ancestral Court, but it was at that moment that he truly realized what it meant to be astonishingly beautiful.

    Although the woman¡¯s features were not the best he had seen, her aura was incredibly enchanting.

    Lin Yongbai suddenly had an idea. He would not exchange any rank, even a position as a Sage, if it meant that he could spend his lifetime with a woman like her.

    The woman asked politely, ¡°Excuse me, which way is the Chiming Pce?¡±

    Lin Yongbai instinctively pointed in the right direction. ¡°Go straight ahead and turn left at the second intersection. After about 300 steps, head west for about 300 more steps, and you will be able to see the Chiming Pce.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± The woman walked quickly in the direction he pointed.

    The two passed by each other.

    Lin Yongbai turned back to watch her retreating figure, unable to hide the feeling of loss in his eyes.

    Anyone who could go to the Chiming Pce was at least a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master. That was something he could not dream of.

 Chapter 19: Ancestral Court

    <h4>Chapter 19: Ancestral Court</h4>

    Chiming Pce.

    Not a word came from the Tiangang Hall Master, who was sitting in the main seat at the discussion table. Thus, everyone in the hall kept quiet.

    However, there was one exception. The Deputy Hall Master of Beichen Hall, who was a third-rank Youyi Daoist from the Lu n of the Taiping Sect, spoke up in a soft voice, ¡°This is disrespectful.¡±

    The Deputy Beichen Hall Master did not specify who was being disrespectful, but everyone knew who he was referring to.

    Li Mingzhi, who was also from the Taiping Sect, immediately echoed, ¡°Even if the Great Sage Lunzhi values her, it doesn¡¯t give her reason to be so arrogant and disrespectful.¡±

    Finally, the Tiangang Hall Master spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for another stick of incense to burn out.¡±

    The two third-rank Youyi Daoists who spoke up earlier fell silent. A seventh-rank Daoist priest on hall duty lit another stick of incense in the nearby censer.

    Silence once again filled the Chiming Pce.

    When only half a stick of incense remained, a woman in a in Daoist robe approached the Chiming Pce without haste, showing no signs of panic.

    The crowd that had been waiting for her was unsure whether to admire herposure or reproach her for being arrogant.

    As soon as the woman entered the Chiming Pce, the Daoist disciple on duty closed the pce doors tightly.

    The woman first bowed to the Tiangang Hall Master, who was sitting in the main seat. She then exined, ¡°Please forgive my tardiness, Sage Tiangang. I identally got lost on the way here. I will ept any punishment.¡±

    The Tiangang Hall Master smiled faintly and said, ¡°The roads in the Purple Mansion are indeedplex. Pay more attention next time. Please, take your seat."

    Arge table was set up in the Chiming Pce, with a main seat in the center and multiple seats on both sides. Sage Tiangang sat in the center main seat, while the Deputy Beichen Hall Master sat on the first seat on the left side of the table closest to the sage. The seat next to the Deputy Beichen Hall Master was taken by Li Mingzhi, who was the Deputy Duzhi Hall Master.

    Zhao Jiaowu sat on the first seat on the right side of the table. The seat next to him remained vacant, reserved for Zhang Yuelu.

    Besides Sage Tiangang, three of them were third-rank Youyi Daoist masters, and Zhang Yuelu was a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master. There was a clear mismatch between her rank and her official position.

    Sage Tiangang¡¯s attitude, along with the seating arrangement and the previous casual remarks, indicated Zhang Yuelu¡¯s exceptional status.

    ording to custom, Zhang Yuelu should have humbly declined with perfunctory words, then everyone would praise her before she took her seat. However, Zhang Yuelu did not humble herself. She did not greet anyone at the table besides Sage Tiangang. She did not even nce at them before confidently walking to her seat.

    The faces of the people at the table, especially the three third-rank Youyi Daoist masters, were unpleasant, but they had to endure it because Sage Tiangang was there.

    As a result, Zhang Yuelu ended up sitting across from Li Mingzhi.

    Li Mingzhi subconsciously looked at Zhang Yuelu. When their eyes met, Li Mingzhi suddenly froze. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes were icy, exuding a chilling aura.

    This invisible pressure startled Li Mingzhi, so he had to withdraw his disdainful gaze.

    Sage Tiangang noticed their interaction, but his expression was unchanged. He cleared his throat and stated, ¡°Let¡¯s proceed with the discussion.¡±

    The Chiming Pce fell silent, and everyone sat upright.

    Sage Tiangang turned to Zhang Yuelu and addressed her. ¡°I¡¯m sure you already know about the situation in the Western Region. I transferred you to Tiangang Hall from your original post in Beichen Hall so that you can lead this mission. I¡¯ve already reported the situation to the Great Sage Lunzhi.

    ¡°Considering your age, he suggested that you remain a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master. However, you can temporarily exercise the authority of a Deputy Hall Master. What do you think of this arrangement?¡±

    In every hall, there could only be one Hall Master, who was appointed by the Omniscient Sage. However, there could be multiple Deputy Hall Masters, and the number of deputies in each hall was not fixed. The Deputy Grand Master had the authority to temporarily appoint Deputy Hall Masters.

    Zhang Yuelu stood up and said, ¡°Thank you, Sage Tiangang. My deepest gratitude goes to the Great Sage for promoting and believing in me. I have no objections.¡±

    Sage Tiangang gestured for Zhang Yuelu to sit down again.

    The main purpose of this discussion was to address the demon problem in the Western Region. This so-called demon did not necessarily mean monsters but also demonic behavior in humans, like banditry and other illegal activities that needed to be eradicated. This fell under the jurisdiction of Tiangang Hall.

    However, due to the war in the Western Region, Tiangang Hallcked sufficient manpower. The Grand Master could not intervene in person, so Sage Tiangang requested Zhang Yuelu to transfer from Beichen Hall. That was why the Deputy Beichen Hall Master showed up for the meeting at the Chiming Pce.

    Additionally, cooperation from the Western Region Daoist Mansion and funding from the Duzhi Hall were needed, which exined Zhao Jiaowu¡¯s and Li Mingzhi¡¯s participation.

    In essence, this discussion was about Tiangang Hall negotiating the allocation of resources from other halls. Therefore, the Tiangang Hall Master presided over the meeting while the deputies represented their respective halls.

    Sage Tiangang turned to Li Mingzhi and ordered, ¡°Since Duzhi Hall is in charge of the finances, you will have to allocate additional funds for the extra headcount in Tiangang Hall. The Great Sage Lunzhi has already approved this arrangement.¡±

    Li Mingzhi stood up with a bitter expression.

    Duzhi Hall was akin to the Ministry of Finance in the imperial court. All halls needed to request funds from Duzhi Hall, and Duzhi Hall had a reputation for acting poor, in hopes of allocating less budget. However, Li Mingzhi was genuinely facing some difficulties this time, aside from the typicalints.

    Each Deputy Hall Master had a fixed number of direct subordinates to assist them: two superintendents and six deacons. Before her transfer to Tiangang Hall, Zhang Yuelu had served as a superintendent in Beichen Hall.

    Having only eight subordinates was not a big deal. The bigger problem was the positions beneath the deacons. Their organizational structure specified that each deacon needed at least ten subordinates of their own, sometimes even dozens, depending on the hall¡¯s needs. So, that totaled at least 60 people.

    Even with a minimum of 60 people, considering expenses like sries, equipment, and relocation, one extra role of Deputy Hall Master would require 90,000 Taiping coins, excluding subsequent expenses.

    However, Sage Tiangang did not want to listen to Li Mingzhi¡¯sints. He raised his hand to stop Li Mingzhi from speaking and added, ¡°Save yourints for your Hall Master. I only want to know if Duzhi Hall can ensure that the necessary Taiping coins will be delivered on time.¡±

    Li Mingzhi had no choice but to nod reluctantly.

    Sage Tiangang then shifted his gaze to Zhao Jiaowu.

    ¡°The Daoist Mansion in the Western Region will provide our full support,¡± Zhao Jiaowu said readily.

    After all, Zhang Yuelu was not only handpicked by Sage Tiangang to assist him but also acknowledged by the Great Sage Lunzhi, who was currently the Great Sage of the Quanzhen Sect. As a disciple of the Quanzhen Sect, Zhao Jiaowu had no reason not to support the decision of his master.

    ......

    The flying ship could not enter the Jade Capital directly and could only dock at ake outside the city, which was several kilometers away from Xuan City.

    It was spring all year round inside the Jade Capital, but it was cold outside the city. A gust of wind blew up the snow on the surfaces like swan feathers swirling in the air.

    Some passengers on the same flying ship as Qi Xuansu had already put on thick outer robes or cloaks, while others were still in thin clothes with their wide sleeves billowing. It was evident that they had reached a level of cultivation where they were not affected by the cold or heat.

    Qi Xuansu was not prepared for this, so he could only rely on his luck to survive the biting cold.

    Luckily, Qi Xuansu was a Xiantian Being. If he were a Houtian Being, he would probably freeze to death before he could even make it to the Jade Capital.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu felt a warmth emanating from his chest, so he quickly reached into his chest pocket and took out a pale yellow talisman.

    This was an improved version of the mother-child talisman, where one person kept the child talisman and another kept the mother talisman. They could converse face-to-face over thousands of miles.

    However, the downside was that only the mother talisman could initiate contact with the child talisman, not the other way around. Also, it was expensive to own a set, which cost 100 Taiping coins.

    Qi Xuansu and Madam Qi had three sets of mother-child talismans.

    Madam Qi had two mother talismans and one child talisman, while Qi Xuansu had two child talismans and one mother talisman.

    Given Madam Qi¡¯s stinginess and Qi Xuansu¡¯s poorness, they would not spend so much money on such an extravagance. These three sets of mother-child talismans were actually issued by the Qingping Society. They were distributed once a year.

    Madam Qi originally intended to sell them for money, but Qi Xuansu stopped her. So she kept them. At this moment, Qi Xuansu felt a vibration from one of the child talismans, indicating that Madam Qi was summoning him.

    Qi Xuansu found a secluded ce to take shelter from the wind and injected his qi into the child talisman in his hand. Using the talisman as kindling, he lit a fire that was not scorching hot to the touch. Within the mes, a faint image of Madam Qi¡¯s upper body appeared. The hologram was palm-sized and slightly distorted as it flickered with the fire. Madam Qi could also see Qi Xuansu through the fire.

    Madam Qi¡¯s slightly distorted voice emanated from the mes. ¡°Tian Yuan, where are you?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nced at the majestic city in the distance and replied, ¡°I just got off the flying ship at the Ancestral Court. What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°The flying ship? Wow, you¡¯re a spendthrift! I thought you would walk there.¡± Madam Qi chuckled. ¡°Great. Now that you¡¯re at the Ancestral Court, this will be much easier. When you get to the Jade Capital, head to Nanhua ce and find a man named Sun Yongfeng. He¡¯s one of the superintendents of Tiangang Hall who will arrange a position for you there.¡±

    Qi Xuansu could not help but ask, ¡°I remember that the Deputy Tiangang Hall Master has to approve all positions. Can this superintendent really get me in?¡±

    ¡°Under normal circumstances, no.¡±

    Due to the limited time on the mother-child talisman, Madam Qi did not beat around the bush.

    ¡°But this time is different. Tiangang Hall has a new Deputy Hall Master who has just been transferred from Beichen Hall. She¡¯s new to Tiangang Hall and unfamiliar with many things, so the superintendents will take charge for the time being, allowing us to take advantage of the loophole.¡±

    Qi Xuansu understood. ¡°So, do you mean to say that I¡¯ll have to work under this new Deputy Hall Master from now on?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Madam Qi said mysteriously, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you another inside story. This new Deputy Hall Master is a beautiful woman, and she¡¯s not even 25 this year.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was taken aback, and his expression changed slightly. ¡°Madam Qi, is this new Deputy Hall Master the prodigy who advanced to the Guizhen stage?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s her!¡± Madam Qi smiled. ¡°Her name is Zhang Yuelu, and she has some connection with the Dazhen Mansion. But she¡¯s just a distant rtive, not from the main branch of the Zhang family. Her current status is mainly due to her own efforts. Her cultivation level has indeed surpassed yours by far. From what I know, she¡¯s a Banished Immortal.¡±

    ¡°Banished Immortal?!¡± Qi Xuansu was surprised.

    Banished Immortals had a far higher statuspared to ordinary Martial Arts Practitioners, Diviners, Shamans, and Qi Refiners, not to mention Rogue Cultivators like Qi Xuansu, who were seen to be at the bottom of the chain. There was no way that Qi Xuansu couldpare to someone like that.

    Banished Immortals were also extremely rare, with truly one in a million chances of seeing them.

    Qi Xuansu finally understood why the Ancestral Court would make an unprecedented move to bestow her with a semi-immortal object. This was the reason. It also meant that Zhang Yuelu would surely ascend to a Heavenly Being as long as she did not die prematurely. She even stood a chance of bing one of the 36 Omniscient Sages.

 Chapter 20: Jade Capital

    <h4>Chapter 20: Jade Capital</h4>

    Madam Qi suddenly remembered something. ¡°By the way, Sun Yongfeng is somewhat like me in the way that we both like shiny stuff. Quite vulgar, I know. But you get it, right?¡±

    Qi Xuansu immediately grasped the implication behind Madam Qi¡¯s words and hesitated. ¡°But this isn¡¯t appropriate. It¡¯ll encourage bad behavior.¡±

    Unexpectedly, Madam Qi did not argue with Qi Xuansu as he had anticipated. Instead, she nodded in agreement. ¡°Indeed, the Daoistmunity has repeatedly emphasized the need to eradicate such behavior.¡±

    Qi Xuansu also nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Madam Qi shrugged. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s not like I want to get into Tiangang Hall. I don¡¯t want to progress further either, so you have to handle this yourself. If there¡¯s nothing else, let¡¯s end the conversation here. I still have a few ounts to settle.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Madam Qi.¡± Qi Xuansu hastily added, ¡°I was just joking.¡±

    Madam Qi chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I was just joking too.¡±

    Qi Xuansu waspletely helpless against Madam Qi.

    Madam Qi then assumed the demeanor of an elder and spoke solemnly. ¡°Tian Yuan, heroes sometimes end up with tragic deaths while the bad guys get rewarded. We are all insignificant individuals who can¡¯t change the world or go against the status quo. We can only struggle to stay alive and go with the flow.

    ¡°You can only help others when you are rich. When you are poor, help yourself first. What you need to consider now is not helping the world, but yourself. Got it?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Qi Xuansu obediently replied. ¡°I understand.¡±

    A smile reappeared on Madam Qi¡¯s face. ¡°Great. When you go, bring 200 Taiping coins with you, preferably in the form of cash notes. Coins are too conspicuous and will attract unnecessary trouble.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, "Madam Qi, should I pay for the 200 Taiping coins myself? Or will it be reimbursed by the Qingping Society?¡±

    Madam Qi stared straight at Qi Xuansu as if she did not hear him.

    Qi Xuansu looked around and saw that no one was paying attention to him, so he raised his voice slightly and repeated his question.

    Madam Qi looked puzzled and spoke to herself. ¡°Hello? Hello? Tian Yuan, can you hear me? Why can¡¯t I hear you talking? Is the time for the formation over? Or is there a quality issue with the mother-child talisman? Ugh! I knew that cheap things couldn¡¯t be good. You should¡¯ve bought a few good-quality ones since it¡¯s the Society¡¯s money anyway.¡±

    Qi Xuansu watched as the mother-child Talisman in his hand slowly turned to ashes, and Madam Qi¡¯s figure disappeared with the mes. He sighed helplessly.

    The wind grew colder. Everything seemed chilly because his heart was cold.

    Qi Xuansu had no choice but to take out tworge notes from his chest pocket and put them into his sleeve pocket. Then, braving the wind and snow, he headed toward the distant Jade Capital.

    This was how the threerge cash notes that Qi Xuansu had just acquired were used. He still had 100 Taiping coins, one medium note, four small notes, ten loose notes, and some loose change in silver.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu had some savings, but he traveled often and constantly put his life at risk. He could not risk other people benefiting from his money if something were to happen to him one day.

    So, he exchanged his savings for Wuyou coins, which held their value better and did not have a time limit like cash notes, then gave them to Madam Qi for safekeeping. If he met with an ident one day, he wanted Madam Qi to use this money to buy him a decent coffin and keep the remainder for her old age.

    Although Madam Qi was a moneygrubber, she had principles, so Qi Xuansu trusted her.

    Qi Xuansu walked along the smooth road paved with white marble, heading toward the city that was obviously not built by human hands.

    Although Jade Capital was far away, Qi Xuansu could vaguely see the outline of the city through the wind and snow. It was surrounded by colorful and auspicious clouds that intermittently blocked the view of the city.

    The city was built against the mountains, so the deeper one went into the inner city, the higher the terrain was, with no obstruction from the city walls.

    As Qi Xuansu got closer, he could see countless pces on the mountainside,yer uponyer.

    Deep within the city, there was a tower that pierced through the clouds, called the 33 Heavens by the Daoistmunity. The part covered by clouds was said to be the legendary Ascension tform, where the previous Grand Master ascended to immortality.

    Even if ced on a vast in, such a majestic city would be difficult to build, let alone on the peak of the Kunlun Mountains. ording to the Daoist records, this city was indeed not built by humans. Instead, it was left behind by the Primordial Daoist Ancestor after the Daoist Order, led by the Holy Xuan, defeated the Confucian School and became the orthodox government in the world. Apparently, this city appeared out of thin air.

    Qi Xuansu did not quite believe this exnation and considered it a myth created byter generations to glorify the Holy Xuan.

    However, he dared not voice this thought and kept it in his heart because he did not want to cause any trouble.

    Soon, Qi Xuansu arrived at the moat in front of the Jade Capital.

    This moat was called the Taixu River. It was difficult to imagine how the Daoist disciples dug up this moat on the top of the mountain. Some parts of the moat had even separated from the mountain and were suspended mid-air, resembling a silver river flowing endlessly. This scene alone was enough to convince a neer to the Jade Capital that they had entered a fairnd.

    After crossing the Taixu Bridge, which was wide enough for eight horses to walk side by side, he arrived at the gate of the Jade Capital. There were armored Spirit Guards stationed there, responsible for checking the visitors¡¯ credentials.

    This was not a difficult task since Qi Xuansu¡¯s identity as a Daoist disciple was genuine. As long as his Qingping Society identity was kept a secret, nothing would happen to him.

    After checking Qi Xuansu¡¯s credentials, the Spirit Guard let him pass.

    The Jade Capital was surrounded by a formation so that it was like spring all year round. After entering the city, Qi Xuansu felt relieved andfortable that he no longer had to endure the biting cold.

    Although Qi Xuansu had been to the Jade Capital before, it was a long time ago. At that time, he had just left the Wanxiang Daoist Pce and was noticed by his master during the three-year assessment period. Qi Xuansu and his master lived in the Jade Capital for a while until his master was killed. After that, Qi Xuansu left the Jade Capital, so he had limited knowledge about this city.

    The structure of Jade Capital and Xuan City was like an upside-down ¡°T.¡±

    The uppermost area was where Xuan City was located, with the highest terrain. The lower half was the Jade Capital, with lower terrain.

    Xuan City was shaped like a small square within arger square. The small inner square was the Purple Mansion.

    Qi Xuansu had never been to Xuan City or the Purple Mansion, so he did not know much about them. However, he was familiar with the Jade Capital. Unlike theplex roads of Xuan City and the Purple Mansion, Jade Capital¡¯syout was very simple, adopting theyout of ancient city blocks that resembled a chessboard.

    He remembered that there were a total of 24 blocks, each named after the Great Daoist Ancestors, such as Elder Chongyang, Elder Chunyang, Elder Chongxu, and so on. Previously, Qi Xuansu and his master lived in Haichan ce, which was rtively low in ranking among the 24 blocks. It was considered part of the Lower Eight Blocks.

    Qi Xuansu was going to Nanhua ce, which was named after Daoist Master Nanhua. It ranked among the top in the 24 blocks, second only to the top-ranked Taishang ce, and was on par with Haotian ce.

    These three blocks, along with Xuanyuan ce, Guangcheng ce, Chongxu ce, Tongxuan ce, and Dongling ce, were collectively known as the Upper Eight Blocks, where many Sages bought properties for asional stays.

    Qi Xuansu walked slowly along the road leading north to south through the entire Jade Capital.

    This north-south main road was called Shangqing Street, and there was also an east-west main road called Yuqing Street. Together, they formed a cross, dividing the Jade Capital into four equal partsprising six blocks each. The cross¡¯s intersection was a huge market square called Taiqing Market, or Taiqing Square.

    The Nanhua ce that Qi Xuansu was heading to was located northwest of Taiqing Square.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu was at the south end of Shangqing Street. From there, it was about 10 kilometers to Nanhua ce.

    Just then, a crisp sound of bronze bells rang out. A goat cart passed by Qi Xuansu and gradually slowed down to walk side by side with him.

    There were no horse-drawn carriages in Jade Capital, only goat carts, deer carts, and ox carts, which corresponded to the three levels of cultivation. Among them, goat carts were the lowest level and could be used by Daoist believers, children, and ordinary Daoist disciples. Moreover, the goats used for pulling carts were very peculiar, big, and strong. Thebined strength of two goats was equivalent to that of an ordinary horse.

    The coachman was an ordinary Daoist believer, sitting about 30 centimeters off the ground on the cart shaft. He asked, ¡°Sir, do you need a ride? It costs 10 Ruyi coins per 500 meters.¡±

    ¡°Send me to Nanhua ce.¡± Qi Xuansu stopped and took out two small silver coins from his bag.

    <i>As the most widely used currency, Taiping coins had a total of three sizes. The default, mostmonly mentioned Taiping coin was the big silver coin, worth one yuan. In addition to this, there were medium coins and small coins. All three had the same Taiping engravings, but the medium and small coins were much smaller and thinner, with much less silver contentpared to the big coin.</i>

    <i>In terms of value, the medium Taiping coin was worth half a yuan. The small Taiping coin was worth one-tenth of a yuan.</i>

    <i>Ruyi coins were made of 95 percent red copper, 4 percent lead, and 1 percent tin. The exchange rate was 1,000 Ruyi coins for one big Taiping coin, 500 Ruyi coins for a medium Taiping coin, and 100 Ruyi coins for a small Taiping coin.</i>

    Ten Ruyi coins per half a kilometer meant that ten kilometers would cost 200 Ruyi coins, which was equivalent to two small Taiping coins.

    The coachman stopped the cart to take the money and invited him in. ¡°Please get on the cart, sir.¡±

    The structure of this goat cart was not much different from that of a horse-drawn carriage, with two big wheels and a square carriage. The windows and door had curtains for privacy. There were also four-wheeled carts in Jade Capital, but they were more expensive. For someone like Qi Xuansu, who was traveling alone, a two-wheeled cart was more cost-effective.

    Qi Xuansu got on the goat cart and put down the curtains.

    Jade Capital was a good city, but itcked the liveliness and warmth of a normal city. It felt cold and impersonal.

    Qi Xuansu was getting more and more curious about Madam Qi¡¯s identity. A long time ago, he had asked Madam Qi about her past, but she had always avoided the topic. Qi Xuansu stopped pursuing it. But Madam Qi mentioned that she was quite familiar with the Jade Capital, so perhaps she had lived in the Jade Capital for some time.

    Could Madam Qi also be a member of the Daoist Order?

    If so, what was Madam Qi¡¯s status in the Daoist Order? Judging from the asional disy of her cultivation level and her familiarity with various halls of the Daoist Order, Qi Xuansu guessed that she definitely had a higher rank than he did. Perhaps she was a fifth-rank Daoist priest or even a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master.

    If Madam Qi was not a Daoist priest, then she could have been one in the past. What reasons made her leave such a stable order?

    Qi Xuansu thought about these things as the goat cart moved steadily. After nearly half an hour, he could see Nanhua ce in the distance.

 Chapter 21: Sun Yongfeng

    <h4>Chapter 21: Sun Yongfeng</h4>

    As soon as the goat cart stopped in front of the gate of Nanhua ce, Qi Xuansu got off the cart and stepped inside the neighborhood.

    Although Jade Pce imitated theyout of ancient neighborhoods, it did not have a neighborhood market system. Therefore, there were no obstacles between the neighborhoods. There was no curfew, nor were there guards stationed at the neighborhood gates.

    Qi Xuansu entered Nanhua ce and quickly found Sun Yongfeng¡¯s residence after some inquiries.

    As one of the Upper Eight Blocks, every inch ofnd in Nanhua ce was precious, priced equally with gold. To own a standalone courtyard in this neighborhood, one needed to be at least a third-rank Daoist master. Higher-grade residences were reserved for sages.

    Sun Yongfeng was just a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, so his residence was a two-story building facing the street, with bedrooms on the second floor.

    Qi Xuansu reached into his chest pocket and took out a second-hand pocket watch that Madam Qi had passed down to him. He opened the cover and checked the time.

    It was already a quarter past three in the afternoon, so the superintendent should have returned from Tiangang Hall.

    Qi Xuansu put away the pocket watch, walked up three steps in front of the door, and tugged on the copper doorbell with a thin rope connected to it.

    After a moment, a door opened from inside, and a young girl with hair tied into double buns appeared in front of Qi Xuansu. She looked Qi Xuansu up and down with a scrutinizing gaze and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Qi Xuansu handed over his name card with both hands and said, ¡°I am Qi Xuansu, here to visit Mage Sun. Will you please inform him of my arrival?¡±

    The respectful title for a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master was Mage, just as Sage was for a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master.

    The maid nced at the name card, which was just made of ordinary locust wood, and did not move her feet. Qi Xuansu understood what she wanted, so he took out a small Taiping coin and handed it to the maid.

    ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± The maid then took the name card from Qi Xuansu to inform her master.

    After a moment, the maid returned, opened both doors, and stepped aside. ¡°The Mage would like to invite you inside.¡±

    As soon as Qi Xuansu entered the two-story building, the maid closed the door behind him and led him through the entryway into the living room.

    Since this was the residence of a fourth-rank Daoist master, the living room was quite spacious. A rosewood tea table with a marble top was parked in front of the north wall, and two carved rosewood chairs were ced on both ends of the table.

    Along the east and west walls were four sets of rosewood stools and tea tables. The most remarkable feature was the floor, which was all marble. Each piece was inset with fragments of jasper.

    At the same time, a man dressed in casual attire walked down the stairs from the second floor, holding a closed folding fan.

    He was a superintendent of Tiangang Hall who had lived infort and appeared to be around 40 years old.

    <i>There were strict requirements for the formal attire of Daoist priests, mainly in three aspects: headwear, clothing, and footwear.</i>

    <i>The formal clothing Daoist priests were required to wear was the hechang, a wide-sleeved, full-length robe that resembled a crane¡¯s wings when both arms were extended wide open.</i>

    <i>The ancient hechang was the attire of Immortal Beings and was made from crane feathers. Themonly seen hechang evolved into a wide outer robe with broad sleeves and a symmetrical cor fastened with ties. They were no longer made from crane feathers but from various types ofmon fabrics.</i>

    <i>The hechang was worn all year round, with the added function of keeping warm in the spring, autumn, and winter months. It was also favored by high-ranking Daoist priests. Since the hechang reached the ankles, the shoes that Daoist priests wore tended to have pointed tips to support the hem of the robe and prevent tripping. Men¡¯s shoes had square-pointed tips, while women¡¯s shoes had rounded tips.</i>

    <i>The most crucial aspect of the Daoist formal attire was the headwear. After the revival of the Daoist Order, various traditional headwear styles were abolished. There were also new rules regarding headwear based on status.</i>

    <i>The Great Sage of the Quanzhen Sect wore a Fish-Tail Crown, while the Great Sage of the Zhengyi Sect wore a Hibiscus Crown, and the Great Sage of the Taiping Sect wore a Ruyi Crown.</i>

    <i>The other Great Sages and Sages wore Lotus Crowns, resembling a blooming lotus flower.</i>

    <i>Third-rank Daoist masters wore the Five Peaks Crown, which was shaped like an inverted stamp. It was also known as the Five Peaks True Map Crown because it had the map of the Five Mountains¡¯ True Form engraved on it.</i>

    <i>Fourth-rank Daoist priests wore the Chunyang Headdress; fifth-rank Daoist priests wore the Hunyuan Headdress; sixth-rank Daoist priests wore the Nanhua Headdress; seventh-rank Daoist priests wore the Xiaoyao Headdress; eighth-rank Daoist priests wore the Haoran Headdress; ninth-rank Daoist priests wore the Taiji Headdress; and Daoist attendants wore the Bao Headdress.</i>

    However, since it was not a formal asion, neither Sun Yongfeng nor Qi Xuansu wore the hechang or headwear. Qi Xuansu even wore a pair of t-tipped boots.

    ¡°I, the humble disciple, Qi Xuansu, would like to pay respects to the Mage.¡± Qi Xuansu kowtowed to him.

    In ancient times, kowtowing was the most formal type of greeting. However, it was just amon courtesy in the Daoistmunity and was neither grand nor required kneeling.

    Sun Yongfeng nodded slightly, walked to the living room, and sat down on the chair to the left of the center table. He asked knowingly, ¡°Do you want to enter the Tiangang Hall?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Qi Xuansu replied while standing.

    Sun Yongfeng leaned back in the chair and slowly unfolded the fan in his hand while saying casually, ¡°I already know your situation. At this critical age, where you end up in the future depends entirely on the next two years.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had experienced significant changes and life¡¯s ups and downs. He had long learned to adapt to his environment. At this moment, he restrained his arrogance and assumed a humble stance. ¡°Yes, Mage. I have been foolish in the past and have wasted a lot of time.¡±

    Sun Yongfeng lightly fanned himself. ¡°The Daoist Order has always valued young people. If you¡¯re still a seventh-rank Daoist priest by the time you are thirty, the Nine Halls won¡¯t ept you. You''ll only be able to seek a position in a local Daoist mansion. While your peers are flourishing in the Ancestral Court, you¡¯ll be left behind in some provincial office. Can you ept that?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, "Of course, I can¡¯t ept that. I have thought about seeking a position in the Ancestral Court before. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t seek out the right people.¡±

    Sun Yongfeng snapped his folding fan shut and smiled faintly. ¡°What can headless flies achieve when they just buzz around aimlessly? You need influential figures to speak for you at crucial moments. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to step foot into the Ancestral Court even if you bring a whole pig as an offering.¡±

    Qi Xuansu knew that it was time. He quickly took out tworge notes from his sleeve pocket, stepped forward, and ced them next to Sun Yongfeng on the rosewood tea table iid with marble.

    Then, Qi Xuansu spoke softly. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here to pay my respects to you, my true deity.¡±

    Sun Yongfeng nced at the two cash notes on the table from the corner of his eye and nodded slightly, a smile ying on his lips. He pointed to the seat below him. ¡°Very well, young man. Please have a seat.¡±

    Qi Xuansu, who had been standing all this time, finally sat down on the chair on the upper left side of the living room.

    Sun Yongfeng lightly tapped his palms with the folding fan and spoke calmly. ¡°Young man, I wouldn¡¯t dare im to be an influential figure. But if I can¡¯t solve your problem, then you¡¯ll just have to ept your misfortune.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Yes, of course.¡±

    Sun Yongfeng continued, ¡°This time, Tiangang Hall is appointing a new Deputy Hall Master. So, we¡¯ll need to hire two superintendents, six deacons, and other personnel. The Great Sage has already selected the Deputy Hall Master. The Hall Master will decide on the superintendent, and the Deputy Hall Master will select the deacons.

    ¡°This is an opportunity for you to just secure a position for now. Don¡¯t worry about the specifics or what you¡¯ll be in charge of. All that can be arrangedter.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sped his fists and said respectfully, ¡°I will leave it all to you, Mage Sun.¡±

    ¡°Since you¡¯vee to me for help, I¡¯ll do my best to assist you. However, I can¡¯t guarantee your sess. Whether you get picked by the Deputy Hall Master will depend entirely on your abilities.¡± Sun Yongfeng stared at Qi Xuansu, not wanting to make any promises.

    Qi Xuansu deliberately feigned a humble and fearful expression. ¡°Of course, Mage Sun.¡±

    Sun Yongfeng took out an envelope from his sleeve and handed it to Qi Xuansu. ¡°This is your credential. Present this credential at Tiangang Hall on the 16th day of August, at the Dragon Hour[1].¡±

    Qi Xuansu epted the envelope with both hands and nodded in acknowledgment.

    At this moment, a maid gently approached and arranged the tea set on the tea table. She then carried a shiny copper kettle, lifted the lid of the gaiwan, and poured hot water into it. The green tea leaves slowly floated to the surface of the gaiwan, suspending vertically in the water.

    Sun Yongfeng set down his folding fan and picked up the gaiwan, but he did not drink from it. This was a signal for Qi Xuansu to leave.

    Qi Xuansu stood up and bid him farewell. ¡°Thank you, Mage Sun. I shall take my leave now.¡±

    Sun Yongfeng remained seated in his chair, nodding slightly in acknowledgment.

    These unwritten rules did note naturally to Qi Xuansu. It was Madam Qi who had taught him all these. Though learning these rules was not entirely beneficial, they were undeniably practical, so that Qi Xuansu would not identally offend anyone.

    Qi Xuansu left Sun Yongfeng¡¯s residence, opened the envelope, and pulled out a stiff piece of paper bearing his name and relevant information. It was evident that Mage Sun had prepared this in advance.

    Some people might not be able to help him seed, but they could easily cause him harm. So, offering the 200 Taiping coins was unavoidable. Otherwise, Qi Xuansu would not have handed over the money that he earned by risking his life and killing others.

    However, Madam Qi was right. Qi Xuansu was currently in a position where it was better to go with the flow. No matter how irritated he was, he could only endure it for the time being.

    Furthermore, the key to this situation was not Qi Xuansu himself, but the Qingping Society. For a seventh-rank Daoist priest, 200 Taiping coins was quite a hefty sum. The real question was, what would it take for a fourth-rank Daoist master to feel justified in epting this money and performing the task? This was where the Qingping Society came into y.

    The Qingping Society opened the doors for Qi Xuansu, giving him the opportunity to progress as he pleased. From this perspective, this second reward was indeed far superior to the Divine Dragon Pistol with twenty engraved talisman bullets.

    The influence of the Qingping Society was indeed vast.

    While Qi Xuansu wanted to break free from the Qingping Society, he could not deny that they were a strong backer. It gave him more confidence than if he were an ordinary seventh-rank Daoist priest.

    Qi Xuansu had another practical problem to consider. There was a month left until the 16th of August. Considering how expensive the tickets were for the flying ship, Qi Xuansu could not leave the Jade Capital.

    However, the cost of living in the Jade Capital was high. He recalled that the inns in the Jade Capital cost one Taiping coin per day. This was just for amodation. There were other expenses to consider as well. With only less than 200 Taiping coins left, it would be too costly for him to stay in an inn for a month.

    Qi Xuansu stood on the roadside, lost in thought for a long time. Finally, he made up his mind to go to Haichan ce, the neighborhood where he used to live.

    1. 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. within the Chinese Zodiac 12-hour timekeeping system. ?

 Chapter 22: The Past

    <h4>Chapter 22: The Past</h4>

    Generally speaking, no one could truly buy a house in the Jade Capital. That was because all the houses and pces in the Jade Capital belonged to the Daoist Order. They were managed by the Tianji Hall, which was equivalent to the Ministry of Works in the Imperial Court.

    Everyone, including the Great Sage, only had the right to use, not own, the properties. Therefore, everyone could only lease a residence. The lease terms could be long, with the longeststing up to a hundred years. The Daoistmunity habitually referred to such long-term leases as purchasing property.

    This was somewhat simr to the secr concept of ¡°one field, two owners,¡± where a piece ofnd was divided into two parts: underground and above-ground. These deeds were held by two different people, respectively, and were treated as two independent entities that could be freely bought, sold, pawned, or gifted.

    The person with the underground deed, also known as thendowner, could not farm and could only collect rent on that piece ofnd. If they wanted to farm, they must buy back the deed from the person with the above-ground deed, also known as the property owner.

    The property owners could farm, but they had to pay rent for thend they upied. At the same time, they could freely buy, sell, or transfer thend¡¯s surface. They could even build houses or tombs on thend¡¯s surface without interference from thendowner.

    If the property owner owed rent, thend owner could try various methods to collect the debt or use other goods to offset it. However, thendowner could not evict the property owner unless thend¡¯s surface was sold off. This was the concept of ¡°one field, two owners.¡±

    Simrly, the residents of Jade Capital did not own their houses but could freely transfer the lease term of their houses. If the Daoist Order wanted to reim a house, they would have to return the corresponding rent.

    Initially, Qi Xuansu¡¯s master rented a small courtyard in Haichan ce, which cost 1,000 Taiping coins for a lease term of twenty years. There were still ten years left on the lease, and it had not yet been reimed by the Daoist Order.

    Qi Xuansu could stay there temporarily for a month. Although it was a ce that dug up his sad memories, Qi Xuansu was clearly not in the position to be sentimental about it now. The pressure of survival forced him to temporarily set aside these emotions and focus on solving his current lodging issues.

    If his application to Tiangang Hall was sessful, Tiangang Hall would provide him with a relocation allowance to help him settle down in the Jade Capital. If he was not selected by the new Deputy Hall Master, then there was no need to continue staying in the Jade Capital any longer. He could return bynd without having to take a flying ship and even enjoy the scenery along the way.

    The nearest route from Nanhua ce to Haichan ce was to pass through Taiqing Square and then head southeast.

    This time, Qi Xuansu did not ride a goat cart or an ox cart but walked slowly to admire the scenery along the way. The scenery felt repetitive, with some familiar scenes and some new things to explore.

    At dusk, the setting sun casts a fiery glow in the sky. The blood-red sunlight was no longering from overhead but horizontally along the horizon along the east-west direction of Yuqing Street. The sunlight fell on Qi Xuansu, casting a long shadow behind him.

    Qi Xuansu suddenly felt a bit lonely.

    In the past, Qi Xuansu would deliberately suppress this emotion because he believed that the feeling of loneliness was a kind of weakness. Truly strong individuals would not care about loneliness, let alone feel it. They would even enjoy being alone and reject others from getting close to them.

    However, this time, Qi Xuansu did not deliberately suppress this emotion. He allowed himself to be fully immersed in his sadness. Correspondingly, the memories buried deep in his mind surfaced slowly.

    Madam Qi once said that after leaving the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, where children learned the unified teachings andws of the Daoist Order, one¡¯s status automatically changed from a Daoist attendant to a ninth-rank Daoist priest. Then, there would be a three-year assessment period.

    Before going into the three-year assessment period, it was necessary to first exin what the Wanxiang Daoist Pce was.

    This ce was originally the Wanxiang Divine Pce, built by Empress Mingkong. Later, it was renovated by the Confucianists to be the Wanxiang Academy. After the Daoist Order, led by the Holy Xuan, defeated the Confucianists and became the orthodox authority, the Confucianists ceded the Wanxiang Academy to the Daoist Order. The Daoist Order then rebuilt it as the Wanxiang Daoist Pce.

    The Wanxiang Daoist Pce had an upper pce and a lower pce. The lower pce had two functions. The first function was to take in orphans and abandoned infants. They would raise the children to adulthood without charging a penny, which was considered a charitable act.

    Many people could not afford to raise children or, for other reasons, did not want to keep their children by their side. Thus, they sent their children to various Daoist temples, where the children would be transferred to the Wanxiang Daoist Pce.

    From this perspective, the Wanxiang Daoist Pce was simr to a charity home or an orphanage.

    Due to this, many people in the Daoistmunity had no parents. They were born, raised, and would most likely die in the Daoistmunity, spending their entire lives as Daoists.

    Qi Xuansu was also one of those people.

    Therefore, Qi Xuansu did not really understand what it felt like to have parents. In his memory, he yed, lived, and studied with other children in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, with only an elderly female Daoist disciple responsible for their daily lives.

    To be fair, that female Daoist disciple was a good person and a motherly figure. Unfortunately, she had to take care of 50 children alone, so her love for each child was stretched thin.

    The second function of the lower pce was to nurture these orphans and abandoned infants to be talents and fresh blood in the Daoist Order.

    Wanxiang Daoist Pce practiced unified teaching, generally with one teacher instructing several dozen children, simr to home schooling, but on arger scale.

    Before the age of 10, children were taught the most basic breathing techniques, along with literacy, arithmetic, and other basic courses. After 10 years old, the children would take an assessment. Those who passed the assessment would be Daoist attendants and begin to learn the ssics of various schools of thought, such as Daoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Mohism, and Legalism.

    They would also learn basic courses on astronomy, geography, mechanisms, talismans, and deeper methods of cultivation. Children who failed the assessment would be regr Daoist believers and would start learning various artisan skills.

    At the age of 18, the children would take another assessment. Daoist attendants who passed the assessment would leave the Wanxiang Daoist Pce and enter the Daoist Order, bing ninth-rank Daoist priests.

    Those who failed the assessment would continue to stay in Wanxiang Daoist Pce for further study until they passed. However, they would not be qualified for the three-year assessment, and it would be very difficult for them to be fourth-rank Daoist masters.

    The difference between them was like that between the Jinshi schr and the Juren schr. Both schrs took the imperial examination and were considered officials of the court, but Jinshi schrs were highly esteemed because they passed the highest level of the imperial examination. They would normally start serving the Imperial Court as a seventh-rank county magistrate.

    In contrast, Juren schrs, if appointed to an official position, could only start as an eighth-rank county magistrate. There was a rank disparity between the two.

    Qi Xuansu belonged to the former category, the Jinshi schr equivalent in the Daoistmunity. He left Wanxiang Daoist Pce with outstanding results and entered the Daoist Order as a ninth-rank Daoist priest. Then, during the three-year assessment period, he was chosen as a disciple to a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master.

    With the help of his master, Qi Xuansu quickly progressed to an eighth-rank Daoist priest. Although his future was not exactly the brightest, he did enjoy smooth sailing.

    That was until his master died.

    Every time Qi Xuansu thought of his master¡¯s death, he would feel a dull pain in his chest. This was not just emotional, but a real, physical sensation of pain.

    Walking on Yuqing Street, Qi Xuansu reached out to cover his chest. He skipped over this memory and recalled his youth.

    Qi Xuansu took after his master¡¯sst name, Qi.

    Since many people in the Daoistmunity were adopted and raised by the Order, they viewed the Daoistmunity as their home. The concept of a biological family was rather faint.

    Over time, a culture of a chosen family formed in the Daoistmunity. Masters were like fathers to their disciples. Many people in the Daoistmunity did not marry or have children but instead took disciples as their own children to pass on their teachings. The reason was simple: one could not choose who they gave birth to, but they could pick their disciple wisely.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s master was like that, with no parents, children, or wife dependent on him. At the age of 40, Qi Xuansu¡¯s master took him in as a disciple and renamed him.

    The two characters in his name, <i>Xuan</i> and <i>Su</i>, had many profound meanings, but the literal meaning was ck and white, respectively.

    His master also gave him a courtesy name, Tian Yuan. The meaning of <i>Tian</i> was heaven, while <i>Yuan</i> meant the abyss. This implied a distinction between heaven and hell, akin to the contrast of <i>Xuan</i> and <i>Su</i>, ck and white.

    During that time, Qi Xuansu and his master lived in a small courtyard in Haichan ce. For Qi Xuansu, this courtyard undoubtedly felt more like home than the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. Unfortunately, his home no longer existed.

    As Qi Xuansu recalled those times, he no longer felt much anger but rather sadness.

    That was because he had already sought vengeance in person, using the Qingping Society as a backing and with Madam Qi to clean up the aftermath.

    The price of vengeance was for Qi Xuansu to be a member of the Qingping Society. He was to obey their orders and do things that he did not particrly like but could not refuse.

    From the day Qi Xuansu entered the Qingping Society, he was like a pawn on a chessboard, unable to retreat. Fortunately, like a pawn crossing the river, he could still maneuver left and right. Perhaps he could dodge the aftermath when it came down to it.

    Nevertheless, this gradually led Qi Xuansu away from his original path and onto the new road he was taking.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu had clear goals when his master was alive. However, after seeking vengeance, he felt somewhat lost.

    During this time, Madam Qi gradually reced his master¡¯s position. She taught and guided him, and he slowly regained his will to live. After all, life had to go on, and he was still young with a long path ahead. So, he started to make ns to leave the Qingping Society.

    The Qingping Society did not make things difficult for him, either. To leave Qingping Society, Qi Xuansu just had to umte 9,000 merits to settle all his debts.

    Merits were a unique ounting method in the Qingping Society, varying based on the difficulty of the tasks. The higher the merits, the greater the danger. For instance, Qi Xuansu earned 300 merits in the recent Fengtai County mission. This was equivalent to the merits earned in all of his minor missions over the past few years. However, this time, he almost died at the hands of Zhuge Yongming.

    Even though Madam Qi would show up, it was purely Qi Xuansu¡¯s luck that the fourth-rank Daoist master Madam Qi mentioned did not intervene. If that fourth-rank Daoist master fought Qi Xuansu, thetter would probably end up as a corpse.

    Since the Fengtai County incident involved the Green Phoenix Guard, the Quanzhen Sect, the Zhengyi Sect, a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, and even a sage from the Taiping Sect, the Qingping Society paid Qi Xuansu 300 merits for this mission. If it had only involved Zhuge Yongming, Qi Xuansu would have gotten less than 100 merits.

    At that moment, Qi Xuansu arrived at Taiqing Square.

 Chapter 23: Taiqing Square

    <h4>Chapter 23: Taiqing Square</h4>

    The entire Jade Capital was so tranquil that not even the slightest breeze disturbed its serenity. The Jade Capital was cold and seemed to repel outsiders, but Taiqing Square was the only exception, as it was bustling with activity, with a variety of shops and thergest crowds.

    Upon arriving at Taiqing Square, the first thing that caught Qi Xuansu¡¯s eye was a towering statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. The 33-meter-tall statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor was located at the intersection of Shangqing Street and Yuqing Street, serving as the focal point of Taiqing Square and the center of the entire Jade Capital.

    Initially, there was a proposal to erect a statue of the Holy Xuan in this spot, but the proposal was rejected by the Holy Xuan himself. Hence, they made the decision to erect a statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor instead.

    It was not meant as a slight to the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. Rather, there were simply too many statues of him throughout the Jade Capital, at least in the hundreds, if not thousands. Unfortunately, the Holy Xuan was determined not to have a statue made for himself, so there were no statues of him in Taiqing Square or the entire Jade Capital.

    There were only paintings of the Holy Xuan in the Golden Tower and Purple Mansion. Thus, only the Sages and Great Sages could witness the Holy Xuan¡¯s true appearance.

    At this moment, the sky was gradually darkening, and the colorfulnterns were just being lit.

    Twenty-fournterns with tassels hanging from them floated around the statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. Eachntern was as big as a water tank, and they rotated around the statue in a peculiar orbit, illuminating the entire Taiqing Square.

    After nightfall, Taiqing Square became extremely lively, with peopleing and going dressed in everything from formal robes to everyday attire like Qi Xuansu.

    Surrounding the square were various restaurants, inns, and shops selling swords, jade, spiritual objects, talismans, writing materials, elixirs, medicinal herbs, clothing, produce, lumber, and so on. After dark, all these shops were lit up with more than onentern each. From above, it seemed as though the entire Taiqing Square was glowing with a border ofnterns.

    Unfortunately, there was a prohibition in the Jade Capital. Daoist priests below the second rank were not allowed to fly. Therefore, apart from the sages, no one else could witness this scene from above firsthand.

    The only establishments missing in Taiqing Square were brothels and gambling dens, as the Daoist Order strictly prohibited such corrupt practices. Moreover, prostitutes and courtesans were not allowed to enter the Jade Capital.

    Qi Xuansu stood at the edge of Taiqing Square with his hands folded over his lower abdomen. He gazed up at the floatingnterns in the sky, reminiscing about his first visit here. Thenterns, surrounding candles, Primordial Daoist Ancestor statue, and bustling crowds suddenly felt overwhelming to him.

    He had arrived from the west side of Taiqing Square, following Yuqing Street. Meanwhile, Zhang Yuelu approached from the north side of the square along Shangqing Street.

    Cities in ancient times always faced the south, so the northern side of the Jade Capital was Xuan City.

    Although Zhang Yuelu had just been promoted from superintendent to deputy hall master, she was not in a good mood. The infighting among the Daoist Order¡¯s upper echelons and the underlying politics left her feeling extremely disgusted. Yet, she had no choice but to get involved.

    Thus, for the first time ever, Zhang Yuelu left the Xuan City, also known as the Inner City, and came to the Outer City to take a breather.

    Although Sun Yongfeng and Zhang Yuelu were both fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s status was far higher than Sun Yongfeng¡¯s, especially with her promotion to Deputy Hall Master and her possession of the semi-immortal object.

    Thus, Zhang Yuelu had been allocated a two-courtyard mansion in Xuan City. Moreover, Tianji Hall gave her a lease term of 30 years and waived all rental fees for Zhang Yuelu.

    The Daoist Order was notcking in what ordinary people considered talented individuals, hence the establishment of the Nine-Rank System. What the Daoist Ordercked were Banished Immortals.

    With the Daoist Order¡¯s power, they could turn a disabled person into an ordinary one or even elevate an ordinary person to a Banished Immortal. However, the cost of thetter was much higher than that of the former.

    Additionally, the Sages and Great Sages also consumed various resources. Therefore, the Daoist Order treated naturally-born Banished Immortals extremely well. Compared to the cost of forcibly creating a Banished Immortal, it was definitely more cost-effective to gift Zhang Yuelu a semi-immortal object and a mansion in Xuan City.

    Zhang Yuelu walked alone in Taiqing Square. Although she had a great reputation, few people had actually seen her in person. Moreover, she was wearing a simple Daoist robe without any insignia to show her rank, instead of the eye-catching hechang worn by fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters.

    Furthermore, it was nighttime. Even though thenterns were bright, they could not be used as a substitute for sunlight, so Zhang Yuelu didn''t attract much attention.

    Zhang Yuelu casually entered a shop specializing in weapons. Swords were the primary weapons used by Daoist priests, who generally looked down on firearms. However, this shop went against the norm. It did not sell a single sword and primarily sold firearms and unusual weapons.

    Once someone had seen the vastness of the ocean, a mere stream would no longer hold much interest. Zhang Yuelu was indeed skilled in swordsmanship, but after acquiring a semi-immortal object, she lost interest in ordinary swords, even those of spiritual quality. Instead, she found herself drawn to these strange and exotic items.

    The shopkeeper was a sixth-rank Daoist priest who enjoyed tinkering with gadgets and had a keen interest in firearms. He had previously served in Tianji Hall but had umted enough capital to retire and open this shop.

    When he saw Zhang Yuelu enter the shop, he did not rush to greet her but allowed her to browse freely.

    Zhang Yuelu''s gaze swept over numerous firearms, including the Divine Dragon Pistol produced by the Divine Armory in the 36th year of the Jiushi Era. In the end, her gazended on a smoking pipe.

    No matter how talented Zhang Yuelu was, she was still young and inexperienced in the ways of the world. She could not possibly know everything, so she asked out of curiosity, ¡°Sir, why do you sell smoking pipes here?¡±

    The shopkeeper smiled faintly. ¡°This isn¡¯t an ordinary smoking pipe but a peculiar weapon known as the Face Wrecker. It has des on the outside.¡±

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu walked in and heard what the shopkeeper said. He looked at the smoking pipe and realized that it was the same one that Madam Qi always had with her.

    However, Madam Qi had never used it as a weapon. She only used it for smoking. Madam Qi had always used her bare hands on the asions she fought. Her speed, precision, and ruthlessness left her opponents with no time to react. Her palm strikes were sharper than actual des, making it difficult for Qi Xuansu to gauge the depth of her cultivation.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s gaze shifted from the Face Wrecker to Qi Xuansu.

    As a Banished Immortal at the Guizhen stage, Zhang Yuelu had already reached the Nascent Soul Realm, corresponding to the Holy Embryo Realm of a Rogue Cultivator.

    Based on the names alone, it was not difficult to see that the two realms, belonging to different lineages of Daoism, were actually quite simr.

    The lineage of Rogue Cultivators had an interesting history. They had taken several realms from other lineages and pieced them together, creating a sort of imitation version of the Banished Immortals lineage. In summary, while Banished Immortals were well-versed in all disciplines, Rogue Cultivators were also knowledgeable, but only on the surface.

    Therefore, Rogue Cultivators were sometimes referred to as Lesser Banished Immortals, though the term was more derogatory thanplimentary.

    There was even a theory that the lineage of the Rogue Cultivators was an attempt by the Daoist Order to mass-produce Banished Immortals, but the experiment had failed. The Daoist Order could replicate Banished Immortals, but it was impossible to mass-produce them.

    The cost of replicating a Banished Immortal was too high. Even if the cultivated Banished Immortal did not die prematurely, the Daoist Order would not be able to recoup the costs. That was how the lineage of the Rogue Cultivators emerged in addition to the Five Ancient Lineages.

    As a rising star in the upper echelons of the Daoist Order, Zhang Yuelu was well aware that this theory was not mere rumor but rather a factual truth.

    The Daoist Order learned from the stagnation and self-righteousness of the Confucianists in the past. Since the Holy Xuan Era, apart from valuing young talents, the Daoist Order has vigorously promoted various innovations internally. The replication of Banished Immortals was just one of the more significant examples of these bold initiatives.

    The semi-immortal objects were also the result of the Daoist Order¡¯s attempts to replicate immortal objects.

    Since Rogue Cultivators originated from Banished Immortals, there was a subtle connection between the two, simr to how individuals of higher realms within the same lineage could easily see through the strengths and weaknesses of those in the lower realms.

    Therefore, Zhang Yuelu immediately sensed Qi Xuansu¡¯s presence. Even his realm of cultivation did not escape her notice¡ªa Rogue Cultivator at the Kunlun stage in the Inner Dan Realm. This was not particrly noteworthy. What caught Zhang Yuelu¡¯s interest was the killing aura emanating from Qi Xuansu.

    This type of killing aura was not something that could be umted with just one or two lives. It was not something that the scions of noble families could develop by killing a few servants, either. Even most soldiers who frequented battlefields did not have such an intense killing aura.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s intuition and the experience she had umted in Beichen Hall told her that this young man was not a local from the Jade Capital. He was most likely from other Daoist prefectures.

    The Tiangang Hall Master once said that the Daoist priests raised in the peaceful flowerbed that was Jade Capital could not withstand the trials of wind and rain. Thus, Tiangang Hall had to recruit Daoist priests from regional Daoist mansions. This was also the reason why Tiangang Hall was always short of manpower.

    Zhang Yuelu had once asked the Hall Master, ¡°Why not change the situation?¡±

    The Hall Master¡¯s answer was simple. The diligent gardener who had cultivated this flowerbed was satisfied with the currentndscape and did not allow anyone to change it.

    This answer was ambiguous, and the Hall Master¡¯s hesitance implied that the status of said ¡°gardener¡± was above him.

    While Zhang Yuelu was lost in thought, Qi Xuansu had already inquired about the price of the weapons in the shop. He had intended to purchase a weapon for self-preservation, preferably a firearm. However, he was startled by the prices, which had a range of hundreds of Taiping coins. Without any hesitation, he turned and left the shop.

    Zhang Yuelu also lost interest in browsing and left the shop as well.

    As they left the shop one after the other, a young female disciple approached them and handed them two wedding invitations, eagerly asking, ¡°May I ask if you two could grace us with your presence at the ceremony?¡±

    Both Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu were taken aback.

    That was when they noticed a crowd gathered at the City God Temple, not far away. The atmosphere was lively as a wedding was taking ce.

    ording to custom, the groom was to fetch the bride from her maiden home in the morning for the wedding ceremony to be held at dusk.

    In the twelve-hour timekeeping system, dusk specifically referred to the 11th hour, which was the hour of the Dog.[1]

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu simultaneously took out their pocket watches and opened the covers.

    It was precisely a quarter past seven.

    1. The Western time equivalent would be from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. ?

 Chapter 24: Miss Tantai

    <h4>Chapter 24: Miss Tantai</h4>

    City God, also known as the God of the City or the Lord of the City, was one of the important deities widely revered in the Daoistmunity, serving as the guardian deity of cities and towns. It was embodied by eminent heroes and officials who had contributed to the welfare of the local popce.

    Jade Capital was also a city, so it had its own City God Temple in Taiqing Square. The temple enshrined the Second-Generation Grand Master of the Daoist Order. Although this Grand Master did not hold office for long and was not as prominent as the Holy Xuan or the Third-Generation Grand Master, during his tenure, he improved theyout of Jade Capital based on the foundationid by the Holy Xuan.

    Therefore, he was regarded as the guardian deity of Jade Capital and received offerings of incense.

    Land was precious in Jade Capital, so even the residences of fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters were just small two-story buildings. Ordinary Daoist priests and Daoist believers could not afford to host borate ceremonies or amodate numerous guests.

    Moreover, many people were orphans without parents or rtives. Thus, over time, it became a custom for weddings to be held at the City God Temple. That way, the newlywed couple could pay respects to the deity, who represented an elder. Since many people were orphans without parents or rtives, it was customary for wedding organizers to invite passersby to witness the ceremony to make it livelier.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu happened to receive an invitation to witness a wedding. Generally, invited guests would not refuse and would instead offer their blessings.

    Qi Xuansu took the wedding invitation first and congratted the person.

    Zhang Yuelu also epted the invitation and smiled slightly. ¡°I wish the newlyweds a happy marriage for a lifetime.¡±

    The smile on the female disciple''s face brightened as she invited them to the City God Temple and continued to invite other passersby.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu exchanged a nce and walked toward the City God Temple together.

    The City God Temple had three spacious halls, grand architecture, and magnificent eaves, making it the most impressive temple in the Jade Capital. There were couplets on the pirs at the entrance.

    The upper couplet read, ¡°Snow rides the wind¡¯s might, iming the fields for but a few days.¡±

    The lower couplet read, ¡°Clouds ride the rain¡¯s momentum, veiling the heavens and earth for only a short while.¡±

    The City God Temple was brilliantly lit at this time, with the entire main hall shining brightly, resembling a pce in the sky.

    Earlier, when they were in the shop, Zhang Yuelu had her back to Qi Xuansu. After leaving the shop, it was dark until they arrived under the lights of the City God Temple, allowing Qi Xuansu to see Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face clearly.

    In the dim light, under the glow of themp, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face was rosy and cheerful, which only added to her charm.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s naturally attractive face left Qi Xuansu somewhat amazed, though not to the extent of astonishment.

    At the same time, Zhang Yuelu also got a clear look at Qi Xuansu¡¯s face.

    In all fairness, Qi Xuansu was decent-looking himself, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. He even looked mature for his age due to his experience, which chipped away at his youthful na?vet¨¦, making him stand out from his peers.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s first impression of Qi Xuansu was not bad at all.

    Qi Xuansu smiled faintly. ¡°My name is Qi Xuansu. It means two conflicting forces shing and leading to two different paths.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu hesitated for a moment before she introduced herself. ¡°My name is Tantai Chu. It means the beginning of all things.¡±

    This was not Zhang Yuelu¡¯s fake name, but her alternative name. Her mother¡¯s maiden name was Tantai, ast name that traced back to one of the Confucian disciples. The Tantai family was a prominent Confucian family, but after its decline, they began to intermarry with Daoist disciples. Zhang Yuelu¡¯sst name belonged to a prominent family of the Daoist Zhengyi Sect.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s parents had a debate as to whichst name their daughter should inherit, so they each came up with a name, leading to the origin of the name Tantai Chu. Eventually, the matter escted to the ancestral hall of the Zhang family. The patriarch of the Zhang family, who was a Daoist Great Sage from the Zhengyi sect, personally intervened and made the final decision, decreeing that the girl should bear the Zhangst name.

    The reason this Daoist Great Sage even bothered about the affairs of a distant rtive was simply because Zhang Yuelu possessed exceptional aptitude and talent. She was also a rare, natural-born Banished Immortal.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s original name was Zhang Yuexin, but the Great Sage decided to change her name to Zhang Yuelu, after one of the 28 Constetions. This symbolized that she was a descendant of the stars, which befits her identity as a Banished Immortal.

    Being a wise woman who understood that resisting the authority of a Great Sage would lead to dire consequences, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s mother did not oppose this decision and went with the flow. Since the little girl was already under the radar of a Great Sage, she was destined for greatness in the future. Whether herst name was Zhang or Tantai and whether her first name was Yuexin or Yuelu were trivial inparison.

    However, being too famous was not necessarily a good thing. In private, Zhang Yuelu still referred to herself as Tantai Chu.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Miss Tantai,¡± Qi Xuansu replied calmly and politely.

    As they spoke, they arrived at the entrance of the hall, where a young female disciple was weing guests. When the disciple saw Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu walking together and looking well-matched, she assumed they were a couple.

    Thus, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were inadvertently ushered into a side hall of the City God Temple. By now, quite a few people had gathered there to witness the ceremony. Since it was not a prearranged event but rather an impromptu invitation, not everyone was dressed formally. Many, like Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu, wore their everyday attire.

    A fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master led the wedding ceremony, d in ceremonial robes and wearing a Star crown. He looked formal and solemn.

    The couple, dressed in bright red wedding attire, stood nervously in the center of the side hall.

    After a while, more people arrived at the side hall, totaling about 200 guests. The wedding ceremony officiallymenced. The Jijiu Daoist master recited scriptures and offered prayers and blessings for the couple. Then came the three bows¡ªto Heaven and Earth, to the City God, and finally, between the bride and groom.

    Upon the Daoist master¡¯s deration that the ceremony wasplete, the couple officially became husband and wife, witnessed by the gods, the Daoist master, and the assembled guests.

    Among the guests were Diviners with the supernatural ability of Spiritual Eyes. They could see a stream of pure energy rising from the couple and intertwining like strands of hair. This signified that their fates were now intertwined. The couple was destined to share both fortune and misfortune in the days toe.

    Qi Xuansu did not possess Spiritual Eyes of the Diviners, but as a Rogue Cultivator, his Yin-Yang Eyes had simr capabilities, allowing him to see the couple¡¯s qi. Meanwhile, Zhang Yuelu, who had already reached the Nascent Soul Realm, could manifest her spiritual powers, making divination even easier. Observing this scene, Zhang Yuelu could not help but let out a soft sigh.

    Qi Xuansu stood beside Zhang Yuelu, so he could hear her sigh. He could not help but nce at this woman. After a brief hesitation, he asked in a soft voice, ¡°Miss, why the sigh?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not keep him at arm¡¯s length. She responded softly, ¡°I¡¯m just feeling a little sentimental. I know you¡¯re not an ordinary Daoist priest. With such a strong killing aura about you, it must be difficult for you to marry and have children like ordinary folks. Unfortunately, I¡¯m in a simr boat. That¡¯s why I feel a little emotional when I see people getting married to their Daoistpanions.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was surprised by the first part of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s speech, but after hearing the rest, he rxed slightly and tentatively asked, ¡°Miss, aren¡¯t you curious about what I do?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu shook her head. ¡°Paths may intertwine, but people are hard to define. After parting ways, another meeting may not coincide. Fate¡¯s fleeting touch is in the ebb and flow of life, ying a part in the dance of existence. So why bother asking? I won¡¯t ask about you, and you need not ask about me. This is for the best.¡±

    Qi Xuansu admired her rationale. ¡°Miss, you see things clearly.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nced at him and asked, ¡°Are you ttering me?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was taken aback, then he shook his head. ¡°I speak the truth.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu smiled gently. ¡°Thank you for the praise, then.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked again, ¡°Miss Tantai, from your tone, it seems like many people tter you often.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu chuckled. ¡°From a man, not so much, but indeed, I do get ttered a lot when ites to matters of fame and gain.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded in understanding. ¡°It¡¯s not surprising, since the world revolves around gain. It seems that you are either of high status or from a prominent family, Miss Tantai.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not of high status, nor am I from a prominent family. Social interactions can get tiresome, but it¡¯s inevitable.¡± Zhang Yuelu shook her head, showing no signs of arrogance.

    Qi Xuansu felt this deeply. Just earlier, he was ttering a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master for a spot in Tiangang Hall.

    As for Miss Tantai, Qi Xuansu could not help but doubt her words. He figured that she must be from a prominent family.

    Although many in the Daoistmunity were orphans, not all were. Many came from the major families that existed even before the rise of the Holy Xuan. Even the Holy Xuan himself hailed from one of these families, the Li family of Beihai.

    The Zhang family of the Zhengyi Sect, also known as the Zhang family of Shangqing Prefecture, was one of the three major families in the world. Another major family was the royal family, also known as the Qin family of Dragon City. The third major family was the direct descendants of Confucius.

    The Zhang family of Shangqing Prefecture and the Li family of Beihai were often referred to as the Southern Zhangs and the Northern Lis in the Daoistmunity. These two families had a long history of cooperation and rivalry, being both old friends and rivals.

    Naturally, the children of these prominent families were not orphans.

    As Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu conversed quietly, the wedding ceremony came to an end. The newlyweds invited all the guests to proceed to the Phoenix Tower, not far from the City God Temple, to attend the banquet. It was a gesture of gratitude to those who hade to witness the ceremony.

    The Phoenix Tower was quite famous in the Jade Capital. Its name meant luck and celebrations, and it was conveniently situated diagonally opposite the City God Temple. Thus, it attracted countless couples to hold their wedding reception there. After the wedding ceremony, banquets were often held in the Phoenix Tower, so its business was thriving.

    The Phoenix Tower had four floors and upied a vast area, far surpassing ordinary taverns. The first floor was a hall for casual diners, where Daoist believers skilled in music were hired to perform. The second floor consisted of small private rooms, while the third floor hadrger private rooms. The fourth floor housed the most luxurious private rooms.

    The banquet for the newlyweds was arranged on the third floor, which came at a price of approximately two Taiping coins per table, excluding the cost of alcohol.

    As the guests arrived on the third floor, the woman in charge of reception made a mistake and assumed that Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were a married couple. Thus, they were seated together. There was no ill will between them, so naturally, they didn''t refuse.

    After being seated, a waiter came over to ask the guests what they would like to drink, besides the essential Nu Er Hong[1] for the banquet.

    Zhang Yuelu surprised everyone by asking the waiter, ¡°Do you have shaojiu[2]?¡±

    1. Popr Chinese yellow rice wine served at weddings. ?

    2. Strong and colorless distilled liquor, also known as baijiu. ?

 Chapter 25: Fine Wine and Beautiful Women

    <h4>Chapter 25: Fine Wine and Beautiful Women</h4>

    All eyes turned to Zhang Yuelu. The waiter hesitated for a moment before turning away.

    Shaojiu, or burning wine, was a type of strong distilled liquor. It got its name because of its intense vor and the sensation of being burned by fire after taking a sip. It was popr in the Liaodong Region, where the weather was harsh and cold, making it suitable for keeping warm.

    This was a favorite among soldiers. It would make sense for someone from the Liaodong Region to ask for this wine. Even if Qi Xuansu had expressed a desire for shaojiu, most people would ept it. However, Zhang Yuelu had requested it, so it raised some eyebrows.

    Firstly, it was notmon to encounter women who enjoyed drinking, and those who preferred strong liquor were even rarer. Secondly, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s slight Jiangnan ent suggested she was not from the Liaodong Region.

    Even Qi Xuansu could not help but nce at her. ¡°Shaojiu?¡±

    ¡°Shaojiu,¡± Zhang Yuelu confirmed.

    Qi Xuansu whispered, ¡°Usually, only alcoholics like shaojiu. You don¡¯t strike me as one.¡±

    ¡°Yellow rice wine is a bit too mild for me. It doesn¡¯t have the same kick,¡± Zhang Yuelu said, seemingly unconcerned with the curious nces cast her way. She looked just as indifferent as she was at Chiming Pce, where she ignored the opinions of the three Deputy Hall Masters.

    It was not arrogance, but rather her natural disposition. She treated everyone equally. Whether it was the three Deputy Hall Masters, Qi Xuansu, or even the Sages, she remained courteous without humbling herself.

    Qi Xuansu fell silent and simply sized her up.

    She was a young woman with outstanding but not exceptionally stunning features, dressed in a simple Daoist robe, yet exuding a strong and confident air.

    Soon, the banquet officially began. Besides the aged Nu Er Hong, Zhang Yuelu also ordered a shaojiu which was served in a small jar, about 500 milliliters.

    The waiters at the restaurant thought this young woman was merely indulging in the moment. Or perhaps they thought she was feeling troubled and wanted stronger alcohol to drown her sorrows. They did not think that she was a true drinker.

    However, seeing herposed demeanor while conversing with the young man beside her, they did not think that she looked like someone seeking sce in alcohol. Nevertheless, the waiter did not serve her too much shaojiu. That was because people with a low alcohol tolerance could get drunk on just a few shots, so serving too much would be wasteful.

    Zhang Yuelu lifted the jar and removed the seal. Almost immediately, the strong aroma wafted out, enough to make one¡¯s nose sting. It was not an exaggeration to say that someone could get a bit intoxicated just by smelling the wine.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes lit up as she poured the shaojiu into a cup and took a small sip.

    Qi Xuansu inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief at this sight. He was genuinely worried that Zhang Yuelu might gulp down the wine straight from the jar and wipe the alcohol stains off her mouth with her sleeve, like a bold ouw feasting on meat and swigging wine. He could not process such a jarring image in his mind because Zhang Yuelu looked like such a refined youngdy.

    Fortunately, Zhang Yuelu opted to drink from a cup, avoiding any excessively unconventional behavior.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu was not the only one at the table who breathed a sigh of relief at that sight. They were d that Zhang Yuelu was a civildy who merely wanted to enjoy a drink.

    After finishing her cup of shaojiu, a faint blush appeared on Zhang Yuelu¡¯s fair face. She looked at Qi Xuansu and raised her cup, asking, ¡°Would you like some?¡±

    Seemingly afraid of Qi Xuansu¡¯s refusal, she quickly added, ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s smile was somewhat stiff, but he nodded nheless. ¡°Sure.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu lifted the jar and filled Qi Xuansu¡¯s cup to the brim. This was not the small liquor cup, but an antique three-legged golden goblet, just like the one mentioned in a popr poem. ¡°Do not let the golden goblet be empty under the moon¡¯s glow.¡±

    A filled goblet was, at the very least, 60 milliliters.

    Zhang Yuelu filled up her cup and said, ¡°The reason people drink is to get drunk, so don¡¯t use your qi to counteract the after-effects of alcohol. If so, it¡¯ll just be a waste of good liquor. You might as well not drink then.¡±

    Qi Xuansu raised his cup and sighed. ¡°So be it. I shall risk my life to drink with you.¡±

    They clinked their cups together and downed the wine in one gulp. None of them used their qi to resist the alcohol¡¯s after-effects.

    In an instant, Qi Xuansu felt a fiery sensation burning in his chest. The heat spread from his mouth to his throat and down to his stomach, lingering for a long time. What¡¯s more, the alcohol rushed straight to his Fengchi acupoint. In no time, Qi Xuansu felt his head grow heavy, and he had to grasp the armrest of his chair.

    In contrast, Zhang Yuelu remained seated steadily, with only a deeper blush on her face.

    In any case, the difference in their cultivation levels was evident. The benefits of cultivation for the body should not be ignored. A Heavenly being, even without deliberately resisting the effects of alcohol, could not get drunk after a thousand cups.

    At the end of the banquet, Zhang Yuelu supported the tipsy Qi Xuansu as they left the Phoenix Tower and walked through Taiqing Square.

    They shared half a liter of shaojiu. Zhang Yuelu drank 300 milliliters, while Qi Xuansu drank 200 milliliters of shaojiu and 130 milliliters of Nu Er Hong. Zhang Yuelu only had a slight blush on her face, while Qi Xuansu was clearly intoxicated.

    Qi Xuansu was a decent drunk who did not behave crazily. He also did not take advantage of his drunken stupor to harass Zhang Yuelu. However, he was a chatterbox when intoxicated.

    He muttered to himself, ¡°Actually, I still prefer Nu Er Hong. But I don¡¯t quite understand why it¡¯s named after daughters instead of sons.¡±[1]

    Zhang Yuelu could not help but chuckle. She exined, ¡°Actually, there is something called the Zhuang Yuan Hong, named specially for sons. It¡¯s a custom in the Jiangnan region. When a boy is born, the family will brew this type of wine and bury it in the cer. It stays buried for 10 to 20 years, and they only dig it up for a grand feast when their son bes a schr.¡±

    Qi Xuansu understood. ¡°I see. When a girl is born, her parents bury the wine and only drink it when she gets married, hence why it¡¯s called Nu Er Hong.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu suppressed a smile and praised, ¡°Yes, sir. You¡¯re quite knowledgeable.¡±

    ¡°You should call me Tian Yuan. It¡¯s my courtesy name.¡± Qi Xuansu waved his hand. By this time, he was already quite drunk, so he did not think through what he said. ¡°But I have another question. There¡¯s only one top schr in the whole country every three years. Won¡¯t the wine go to waste if the son doesn¡¯t be a schr?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu giggled. ¡°It¡¯s just a name. They can still drink it when the son gets married.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was intoxicated by the night breeze, feeling even more drunk. ¡°The Nu Er Hong we drank earlier was a ten-year vintage. I heard there are even decades-old ones. Do girls in Jiangnan not get married?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu could not hold back herughter any longer. Sheughed so hard that her tears came out. ¡°That¡¯s right, just like me, we don¡¯t get married and dedicate our lives to the Daoist Order.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Dedicate your life to the Daoist Order... like wielding the Sword of Wisdom?¡±

    At that moment, they heard someone calling out from behind. Zhang Yuelu stopped and turned around to see who it was while still supporting Qi Xuansu.

    The female disciple who had invited them to the wedding ceremony caught up to them, holding two boxes.

    She handed the boxes to them, saying, ¡°These are some pastries that we have prepared for each guest. I hope you¡¯ll like them.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu took the boxes and thanked her.

    The female disciple nced at the two of them and then at the moon in the sky. She smiled and said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t waste such a beautiful evening. I won¡¯t disturb you any longer.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu smiled gently, without a hint of shyness.

    After the woman left, Zhang Yuelu continued to support Qi Xuansu as they walked to the statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor.

    The statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor stood on a massive, three-tiered pedestal. Zhang Yuelu helped Qi Xuansu sit on the first tier of the pedestal and asked, ¡°Where do you live? I¡¯ll take you home.¡±

    ¡°Home...¡± Qi Xuansu was momentarily stunned. He sobered up a little.

    After a long while, he sighed deeply and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have a home to return to.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu stayed silent and sat down beside Qi Xuansu. They were about thirty centimeters apart. She looked up at the moon in the night sky and changed the subject. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect your alcohol tolerance to be so low.¡±

    Another gust of night wind sobered Qi Xuansu up even more. Perhaps he was so drunk that his mind became clearer.

    Qi Xuansu smiled bitterly. ¡°This is the strongest shaojiu I¡¯ve ever had, and I didn¡¯t use my qi to resist the effects. I drank nearly half a jar and still didn¡¯t copse. I can even talk to you. That¡¯s pretty good, right?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°Alcohol tolerance is judged byparison.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Do you know how painful a hangover feels?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t, but you¡¯ll know soon enough,¡± Zhang Yuelu said with a faint smile. ¡°Actually, getting drunk isn¡¯t so bad. At least, you can temporarily forget your troubles. I¡¯ve heard of a type of alcohol called Dreaming Death. It¡¯s specifically made for the sages because regr alcohol has no effect on them. If a sage wants to get drunk, they¡¯ll ask for a jar of Dreaming Death.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What happens if an ordinary person drinks it?¡±

    ¡°If an ordinary person drinks Dreaming Death, they will forget many things, including their parents, spouses, children, friends, and even themselves. That¡¯s why it¡¯s a controlled item that is rarely seen on the market. I¡¯ve always wanted to try it, but I¡¯ve never had the chance.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said softly, ¡°You¡¯re still all about that path to enlightenment.¡±

    The moonlight shone on them, casting two long shadows.

    After a moment of silence, Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll walk you home.¡±

    Qi Xuansu waved his hand. He recited, ¡°Two souls, amidst the mountain¡¯s floral sway. A cup, then another, in a sweet array. In a drunken haze, bid thee farewell tonight. Come dawn, with lute embraced, seek my light.¡±

    ¡°Well, then... until we meet again.¡± Zhang Yuelu did not insist. She stood up, holding her box of pastries.

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°Until we meet again.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu turned and left.

    Qi Xuansu remained seated on the steps as he watched Zhang Yuelu disappear into the night. He had intended to circte his qi to dispel the effects of the alcohol, but he suddenly remembered Zhang Yuelu¡¯s words about how difficult it was to get drunk. Thus, he immersed himself in this drunken state.

    He had not expected to meet such an interesting woman tonight, but he did not dwell on it too much. After all, in this vast city of ??people, they might never get a chance to meet each other again. They were merely passing through each other''s lives.

    Their encounter was but a fleeting dream.

    1. Nu Er Hong literally trantes to ¡°Daughter Red.¡± ?

 Chapter 26: Returning to an Old Home

    <h4>Chapter 26: Returning to an Old Home</h4>

    Qi Xuansu staggered out of Taiqing Square, still drunk. He relied on his memory and made his way back to Haichan ce. Finally, he arrived as dawn approached.

    Fortunately, Jade Capital did not implement curfews or close the gates of the neighborhoods. Qi Xuansu entered Haichan ce, fortunate enough not to encounter any patrolling Spirit Guards. Otherwise, he would undoubtedly have been questioned.

    As the night faded away, the sky turned a deep blue, and a hint of light appeared on the horizon. That was when Qi Xuansu saw the st.

    The moment Qi Xuansu saw the st, many memories from the past flooded into his mind. Drunk, he got caught up in those memories and lost track of the present.

    He recalled the days many years ago when he was just an ordinary Daoist priest who knew nothing of the world. Running for his life, seeking revenge, and joining the Qingping Society was nothing more than a distant dream.

    Qi Xuansu stood still and calmed his mind.

    The surreal sensation receded like a tide, and the past and present memories were finally untangled.

    He walked toward the st that was erected when Haichan ce was first built. It was considered an antique, recounting the origins and history of the neighborhood. Next to the st was the entrance to a quiet and narrow alley. Sincend in Haichan ce was not as expensive as in Nanhua ce, the alleys here all led to individual houses.

    This alley was a dead end that did not lead to any other street. Qi Xuansu walked to the end of the alley, where there was a dpidated courtyard. The doors were tightly closed. Most of the door guardian sticker had fallen off and was pping in the wind.

    Qi Xuansu looked at the sticker on the door, recalling the time when he watched his master put it on. At the time, he even asked his master, ¡°Master, you¡¯re a distinguished mage who can destroy evil spirits. Why do you still need to use a door guardian sticker? What kind of demons and monsters would dare to wreak havoc in Jade Capital anyway?¡±

    At the time, his master just smiled and replied, ¡°It¡¯s just tradition.¡±

    Qi Xuansu walked up and smoothed out the door guardian sticker that was about to fall off. However, when he retracted his hand, the sticker started swaying in the wind again, as if the past could not be fixed or reversed.

    He did not try again and merely took out the key that he had carried with him for many years from his satchel. Then he unlocked the door and entered the courtyard.

    There was a Chinese parasol tree in the courtyard, which his master used to rx under.

    At that moment, the courtyard was covered with a thickyer of fallen leaves, some of which had even turned into mud. As Qi Xuansu walked over the dry leaves, they crunched under his weight.

    He passed by the Chinese parasol tree and paused for a moment before heading straight to his room.

    To Qi Xuansu¡¯s surprise, his room was exactly the same, aside from being covered in dust. It was as if no one had been there all this time. After some thought, he realized that this was to be expected. After all, his master did not die at home and had been killed in an ambush.

    Jade Capital was under the jurisdiction of Beichen Hall, so no one would be so reckless as tomit murder in the city.

    If one wanted to kill, they could only do so outside the city.

    Back then, Qi Xuansu and his master had been ambushed on their way back to Jade Capital. His master was surrounded as the main target.

    At the time, Qi Xuansu was not even a Xiantian Being yet, so no one paid him any attention.

    Qi Xuansu slowly closed his eyes, recalling everything that had happened that day. It was something he would never forget.

    His master, covered in blood from his injuries, managed to break free from the encirclement and grabbed Qi Xuansu by the cor, throwing him out and shouting at him to run.

    At that time, Qi Xuansu was just a fledgling who had never even seen blood. He had not yet be a Qingping Society member who could y more than ten Green Phoenix Guards without batting an eye. He was terrified, so he ran away without giving it a second thought.

    Qi Xuansu ran with all his might, only able to hear his own heavy breathing and heartbeat.

    The assassins lying in ambush did not pay much attention to the young Qi Xuansu and only sent one person to chase after him.

    That person was a Xiantian Being, so capturing a Houtian Being at the Baodan cultivation stage like the young Qi Xuansu was a piece of cake.

    However, instead of delivering a fatal blow, the assassin toyed with Qi Xuansu like a cat ying with a mouse. The assassin chased the young and lost Qi Xuansu persistently until Qi Xuansu was exhausted and could no longer run.

    That was when the assassin intended to finish Qi Xuansu off once and for all.

    Qi Xuansu fell to the ground, wanting to fight back but unable to summon a sliver of strength to draw his sword. His vision darkened, and he could only watch helplessly as the assassin plunged a dagger into his chest.

    Just before he passed out, the assassin, who was about to pull out his de, suddenly froze.

    The assassin slowly lowered his head to see a palm piercing through his chest from behind.

    It was a woman¡¯s palm, fair and delicate yet incredibly sharp.

    A graceful and charming, round-faced woman then emerged from behind the assassin.

    This was how Madam Qi first appeared in Qi Xuansu¡¯s life, leaving asting impression on him.

    The rest, as they say, was history. Madam Qi took away the unconscious Qi Xuansu, who was on the brink of death due to his severe injuries. Thus, the Qingping Society transformed his body. They not only saved his life but also made his physique exceptionally tough. This exined why he was not killed by Zhuge Yongming¡¯s punches.

    When Qi Xuansu woke up, he begged Madam Qi to save his master, but she only returned with his master¡¯s body.

    That was when Qi Xuansu vowed to seek revenge on the ambushers.

    Madam Qi often said, ¡°The Qingping Society has great powers and is capable of anything.¡±

    From Qi Xuansu¡¯s perspective, this was indeed true of the Qingping Society.

    The Qingping Society could fulfill the wish of a fated person, but in exchange, they had to give up their body and soul.

    Qi Xuansu, whose body was transformed by the Qingping Society while he was unconscious, was one such fated person.

    At that time, Qi Xuansu, consumed with thoughts of revenge, sold himself to the Qingping Society without hesitation.

    The Qingping Society quickly uncovered the background of Qi Xuansu¡¯s enemy¡ªShen Yuzu, from the Shen n of the Taiping Sect. Shen Yuzu¡¯s status within the family was mediocre, so he could not participate in the core matters of the n and could only run his own business using his family¡¯s name.

    Three years ago, Shen Yuzu shed with Qi Xuansu¡¯s master over some official matters and held a grudge. Then, he took the opportunity to hire assassins to kill Qi Xuansu¡¯s master as soon as thetter left Jade Capital. The hired assassins came from another secretive organization called The Inn.

    The Qingping Society then allowed Qi Xuansu the opportunity to personally kill his enemy and assigned Madam Qi to deal with the aftermath.

    Qi Xuansu remembered that night vividly. Shen Yuzu was drunk in a mansion in Jinling Prefecture. The alcohol he drank contained a special drug from the Qingping Society that scattered his qi, so he could not utilize anything more than thirty percent of his cultivation. Shen Yuzu had spent the night with a courtesan.

    He only got drugged because he was careless, thinking that no one knew his whereabouts. He was also surrounded by his personal guards. However, Shen Yuzu did not know that his guards were already unconscious, and the Qingping Society had him followed for about a month prior.

    That night, Qi Xuansu crept into Shen Yuzu¡¯s bedroom with a sword. Although Shen Yuzu woke up at thest moment and kicked Qi Xuansu in the chest, Qi Xuansu¡¯s newly transformed body resisted the blow. Qi Xuansu then stabbed Shen Yuzu in the chest, piercing through his heart and lungs.

    That was the first time Qi Xuansu killed someone¡ªby stabbing his enemy.

    Qi Xuansu did not expect his revenge to be so swift and decisive. He did not wait for ten months to avenge his master, let alone ten years.

    Then, amidst the courtesan¡¯s screams, Qi Xuansu quickly fled the mansion.

    To this day, Shen Yuzu¡¯s family and friends remain clueless about the assassin. They thought a thug killed him for money because all of his possessions were looted, including cash notes and several spiritual objects, totaling about 3,000 Taiping coins.

    Qi Xuansu spected that Madam Qi had seized this opportunity to amass her wealth. However, Madam Qi vehemently denied it and used Qi Xuansu of ndering her. She also refused to give him anything from the loot.

    Shen Yuzu¡¯s rtives and friends reported the murder to Beichen Hall. After investigation, Beichen Hall locked onto the Qingping Society, the secretive organization already marked by the Daoist Order. The Qingping Society, having done many incriminating things in the past, readily epted the me, so no one questioned it.

    No one could have imagined that the young and naive Qi Xuansu was the murderer. After all, Shen Yuzu had no shortage of enemies and had at least seven adversaries. That was how the Qingping Society fulfilled Qi Xuansu¡¯s wish to avenge his master, and Qi Xuansu began his days of serving the Qingping Society, even to this day.

    This was a trade-off, and Qi Xuansu was a debtor. To leave the Qingping Society, he needed to clear his debt by umting 9,000 merits. At the moment, he only had 600 merits, which was not even one-tenth of the required amount.

    Qi Xuansu snapped out of his reverie and went to fetch water from the courtyard.

    Since the Jade Capital was situated atop Kunlun Mountain, it was impossible to dig wells. The water in the city came from melted snow from the high mountains, which was then channeled into the Jade Capital through pipes. No one knew whether this snow-water entered the Jade Capital through mechanical devices or through formations.

    Though they were hardly ssified, Qi Xuansu had heard some rumors that the future development of the Daoist Order would be divided into two factions. One faction advocated for the prominence of mechanical devices, while the other favored talisman formations. The members of these two factions always argued incessantly about which method to prioritize.

    For example, the Celestial Wheel that Qi Xuansu saw on Taiping Mountain was the work of the mechanical faction, while the flying ship that soared through clouds and mist was the work of the formation faction.

    This led to the development of the world bing extremely peculiar and fragmented. It was like a painting, where the left side of the canvas was a Western oil painting while the right side was an Eastern ink wash painting. Though both were considered paintings, their styles werepletely different.

    This concept extended to the Daoistmunity.

    Some people had already started using firearms to kill, while others still stuck to using bows and crossbows. Foot soldiers started equipping themselves with breechloaders and grenades on arge scale, yet the cavalry remained a formidable force on the battlefield with swords and ded weapons.

    This was because their armor, enforced with talismans, could remain unscathed as long as it was not directly hit by artillery fire.

    The Daoist Order crafted flying ships from the bones of dragons, enabling them to traverse the heavens and the earth, while the imperial navy crafted warships from metal, using them to dominate the seas.

    Moreover, there was also coboration between the two sides, such as the Divine Dragon Pistol. It was considered a masterpiece of the mechanical faction because it had fixed ammunition inscribed with talismans to destroy protective qi shields.

    The list went on.

    It was hard to say which faction would ultimately gain the upper hand and emerge victorious in this battle, or if both sides would continue to coexist until they eventually merged into one.

    However, Qi Xuansu did not care about all of this. He was a mere seventh-rank Daoist priest who could not participate in the decision-making of the Daoist Order.

    After fetching water, Qi Xuansu first cleaned his room and then brewed a pot of water. He ate all the pastries from the wedding banquet with only in water to drink.

    Only then did he lie down on his bed and sumb to the final lingering effects of the alcohol, drifting into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 27: Approved

    <h4>Chapter 27: Approved</h4>

    After parting ways with Qi Xuansu, Zhang Yuelu did not return home immediately. Instead, she went to Yuzhu Peak. By the time she got back, it was already noon.

    Jade Capital was located on Yuxu Peak, while Yuzhu Peak was its sister peak. Between the two peaks, there was a hanging bridge with 36 suspended tforms that were connected by metal chains.

    Those with higher cultivation could fly across from Yuxu Peak to Yuzhu Peak, while those at a lower cultivation level must walk across the bridge using the suspension bridge. The winds at the summit of Kunlun Mountain were bitingly cold. Without cultivation, one¡¯s lips and face could turn purple from the cold. Moreover, the suspension bridge swayed unpredictably, making it extremely difficult to traverse.

    Zhang Yuelu remembered her first time crossing the suspension bridge. The metal chains beneath her feet swayed in the wind. Below the metal chains was the bottomless abyss, and all she could see were faint clouds drifting around the side of the mountain.

    At the time, Zhang Yuelu was so frightened that she lost herposure, which became a subject of ridicule for others. Therefore, she regarded crossing the suspension bridge as a way to toughen her mind and insisted on facing her difficulties head-on.

    Back then, Zhang Yuelu was so afraid that she inched forward on the suspension bridge. At present, she could walk across the bridge confidently, using the metal chains as handrails, without so much as a ripple of fear in her heart.

    There were also people living on Yuzhu Peak, but they were mostly ascetic cultivators. Yuzhu Peak stillrgely retained its original appearance, with only a few scattered caves and no formations. Thus, the cold wind howling on the mountaintop made it distinctly different from Yuxu Peak, which was adorned with pces and pavilions.

    Initially, Zhang Yuelu came to Yuzhu Peak, intending to visit a friend. However, upon arriving at the door, she suddenly lost interest in the meeting, so she retraced her steps back to Yuxu Peak. She went to Yuzhu Peak on a whim and returned because she was not in the mood.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s parents did not live in Jade Capital, so she stayed by herself in her mansion with another elderly Daoist couple to care for her daily life.

    Different from other servants of regr aristocrats, this Daoist couple was hired by the Daoist Order and had basic rights. The Daoist Order strictly forbade the mistreatment of servants, with severe punishments for offenders. Previously, there was a case where a third-rank Daoist priest had abused a servant, resulting in his dismissal from all official positions and a demotion from third-rank to fourth-rank.

    Generally, disciples from prestigious families in the Daoist Order would have reliable servants from home to apany them. However, Zhang Yuelu was not from such a prestigious family.

    Although herst name was Zhang, she was not from the main lineage of the Zhang family but from a rather distant lineage. Therefore, the Daoist order arranged for hired help to assist Zhang Yuelu in her daily life. After all, being the superintendent of Beichen Hall or the Deputy Hall Master of Tiangang Hall was not easy, so it left her with little time to handle misceneous matters.

    The Daoist couple was previously employed by Beichen Hall. After Zhang Yuelu was transferred from Beichen Hall to Tiangang Hall, the Daoist couple followed her and became attached to Tiangang Hall. The couple received three Taiping coins each per month from Tiangang Hall as their sry.

    Zhang Yuelu was not arrogant, as evident by her sharing a drink with Qi Xuansu, whom she had recently met. She was not one to mistreat the servants, so she got along well with the Daoist couple. The childless elderly couple also treated Zhang Yuelu as their child, taking care of her attentively.

    She had just nned to take a nap when the elderly Daoist woman, Aunt He, rushed over. Aunt He caught a whiff of alcohol from Zhang Yuelu from afar and asked, ¡°Miss, have you been drinking?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu gestured with her hand, mimicking the motion of swirling a wine cup, and smiled. ¡°Just a little.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no youngdy in the world like you, going out alone to drink sote at night.¡± Aunt He still held onto the traditional beliefs of the older generation. ¡°If this gets out, what will happen to your reputation?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not mind and said, ¡°I¡¯m a respectable fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master in the Order, not a sheltered youngdy who never steps out of the house. It¡¯s just a little drink, nothing serious. It¡¯s a pity there are no taverns in Jade Capital. Otherwise, I would love to see what that¡¯s like!¡±

    Aunt He hurriedly said, ¡°You¡¯re getting more spirited the more you talk. You¡¯d better stop thinking about things like that, youngdy.¡±

    As they spoke, Aunt He helped Zhang Yuelu take off her clothes, wanting to wash them to remove the smell of alcohol.

    Zhang Yuelu changed into a close-fitting undershirt and casually put on a snow-patterned vest.

    Aunt He held Zhang Yuelu¡¯s old clothes and said, ¡°By the way, when you weren¡¯t herest evening, a fourth-rank superintendent came and delivered a booklet. He said it was a list of the first batch of candidates. I ced it in your study. He also mentioned that the second batch of names would be delivered to you by August 15th at thetest.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded and walked toward the study.

    Her study was a decent size, and each of the four walls served different purposes.

    One wall was filled with bookshelves stacked with books, and another wall had various treasures disyed on shelves, including a bronze chiming clock, a telescope, and a model metal ship. The wall facing the morning sun had a door and a window, while the opposite wall had a long sandalwood table ced against it with an antique sword disyed on a sword rack.

    Besides the usual writing utensils like brush washers, brush stands, and inkstones, on the desk, there was also a thick booklet, which was the name list that Aunt He mentioned.

    Zhang Yuelu sat behind the desk and picked up the booklet. Her gaze suddenly froze when she saw a name¡ªQi Xuansu.

    She thought, <i>Could it be the same person? Or was it just a namesake?</i>

    Zhang Yuelu followed the index to find the page stating Qi Xuansu¡¯s details.

    The booklet was a standard Daoist document, written from right to left and from top to bottom.

    <code>Name: Qi Xuansu. | Note: Courtesy name¡ªTian Yuan.Age: 24 years old. | Note: The adoption date is based on the abandonment date recorded by the Infant Care Hall of Wanxiang Daoist Pce.Rank: Seventh-rank Daoist priest. | Note: Evaluation in the past three years¡ªupper-middle, upper-middle, upper-middle.Background: Wanxiang Daoist Pce, Bingzi Year, ss A. | Note: Excellent academic performance upon graduation.Master: Qi Haoran. | Note: Fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist priest, deceased due to an ident.Position: None. | Note: Wandering Daoist practitioner.Address: 18, St Alley, Changzhen Street, Haichan ce. | Note: Usually traveling and does not reside at this address.Lineage: Rogue Cultivator.Cultivation: Xiantian Being at the Kunlun stage. | Note: Inner Dan Realm of a Rogue Cultivator.Affiliation: Zhengyi Sect. | Note: Not initiated into any formal lineage.Companion: None. | Note: Not formally ordained, free to marry.Children/Disciples: None. | Note: Not qualified to ept disciples.Past Disciplinary Records: None.Past Commendations: None.Overall Evaluation: Grade B. | Note: ssified into four grades.Superintendent¡¯s Opinion: Rmended hire.Deputy Hall Master¡¯s Opinion: (Empty.)</code>This was the initial rmendation. The final decision would be made after the face-to-face assessment on August 16th. However, the assessment could be skipped if Zhang Yuelu approved a candidate beforehand.

    The so-called face-to-face assessment was just an interview.

    Zhang Yuelu looked at this page of the file with a faint smile on her face. She sure had an unexpected encounter in life. She took out a vermilion brush from the brush holder and wrote ¡°Approved¡± in the column for the Deputy Hall Master¡¯s opinion.

    ......

    Ah-choo!

    Qi Xuansu sneezed as soon as he woke up. That was strange. After bing a Xiantian being, he could not get ill with normal diseases.

    He thought, <i>Did I catch a cold? Or was this an after-effect of my injury back in Fengtai County? Or perhaps someone was talking about me? Could it be Madam Qi?</i>

    Thinking about this, Qi Xuansu took out Madam Qi¡¯s second-hand pocket watch and checked the time.

    It was half past twelve, no longer morning.

    Qi Xuansu nned to spend the afternoon cleaning up the entire courtyard.

    This was no small task, as the courtyard was filled withyers of fallen leaves, so thick that the bottomyer had turned into mush. It would take some time to tidy up.

    As for his enemies, Shen Yuzu was already dead. After one¡¯s death, all grievances were forgotten. The Shen family members would at most seek revenge for Shen Yuzu, but they would not bother with his other issues.

    Beichen Hall concluded that Shen Yuzu died at the hands of the Qingping Society. As long as Qi Xuansu did not expose his affiliation with the Qingping Society, no one would link him to Shen Yuzu¡¯s case. After all, Shen Yuzu had made many enemies in the past. Shen Yuzu¡¯s status was also not high enough to make the Shen family investigate all of his enemies either.

    The reason Qi Xuansu was unwilling to return to his master¡¯s house was due to the painful memories. Hisck of money had robbed him of the right toment over the death of his master. Sometimes, it took more effort to stay alive. Although it was a clich¨¦, it held some truth.

    It was a sunny and leisurely afternoon.

    Qi Xuansu rolled up his sleeves and started cleaning the courtyard.

    Meanwhile, Zhang Yuelu sat behind her desk, boringly flipping through the candidates¡¯ files. Except for Qi Xuansu, none of the other candidates caught Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attention. Qi Xuansu only caught her eye because they had met the night before.

    Just as Zhang Yuelu was contemting whether to take a nap, another candidate¡¯s file caught her attention. Unlike Qi Xuansu¡¯s scarce information, this candidate¡¯s information filled two full pages in the booklet.

    <code>Name: Xu Kou. | Note: Nickname¡ªLittle Yama.Age: 30 years old.Rank: Sixth-rank Daoist priest. | Note: Evaluation in the past three years¡ªlower-middle, high, low.Background: Green Phoenix Guard. | Note: Comes from a family of generations of Green Phoenix Guards.Master: None. | Note: Formerly served as a major in the Green Phoenix Guard.Position: Daoist priest from Qizhou Daoist Mansion. | Note: Rmended by Qizhou Daoist Mansion.Address: Unknown. | Note: Resident of Beihai Prefecture, Qizhou.Lineage: Martial Arts Practitioner.Cultivation: Xiantian Being at the Yuxu Stage. | Note: Flesh and Blood Realm of a Martial Arts Practitioner.Affiliation: Taiping Sect.Companion: One wife. | Note: Not a member of the Daoistmunity, deceased.Children/Disciples: None. | Note: Not qualified to ept disciples.Past Disciplinary Records:-Previously demoted to sixth rank for torturing prisoners to death.-Once reprimanded for insubordination.-Once given a severe punishment for acting rashly and letting a demon escape.-Demoted to seventh rank for assaulting fellow Daoist priests and engaging in armedbat, resulting in injuries to fellow Daoists.-Demoted to eighth rank for insubordination and insulting superiors. | Note: This is a summary. More details can be found in the relevant attachments.Past Commendations:-Captured one leader of the Qingping Society, gained the Xuan Merit and was promoted to fifth rank.-Solved a case of demonic preaching in Beihai Prefecture, gained the Huang Merit and was promoted to seventh rank.-Killed four demonic practitioners in the Kunlun stage, gained the Huang Merit and was promoted to sixth rank. | Note: This is a summary. More details can be found in the relevant attachments.Overall evaluation: Grade C. | Note: ssified into four grades.Superintendent¡¯s Opinion: Suggest cautious use.Deputy Hall Master¡¯s Opinion: (Empty.)</code>In addition to the annual assessment and special promotions within the Daoistmunity, there was also a system of merits and demerits.

    The system of demerits included reprimands, severe punishments, demotions, and expulsion from the Daoistmunity. For example, the third-rank Daoist master who caused a scandal by torturing servants was demoted.

    The system of merits was divided into four levels¡ªHeaven, Earth, Xuan, and Huang. Heaven was the highest merit, and Huang was the lowest.

    Simrly, merits and demerits could be umted. Small merits could umte into big merits, leading to promotion in rank. Small demerits could umte into big demerits, leading to demotion.

    Zhang Yuelu twirled the vermilion brush in her hand, pondering, He¡¯s sharp, but also a double-edged sword.

    In the end, Zhang Yuelu wrote a bright red ¡°Approved¡± under the Deputy Hall Master¡¯s opinion column.

 Chapter 28: Who Are You?

    <h4>Chapter 28: Who Are You?</h4>

    This booklet with a list of candidates was, in reality, a collection of numerous files secured between two stiff cardboard covers with a clip, allowing for the addition of more pages at any time.

    Zhang Yuelu removed the clip and pulled out Qi Xuansu¡¯s and Xu Kou¡¯s files, cing them side by side on the desk.

    The reason Zhang Yuelu gained the appreciation of the Sages and the Great Sages at such a young age and managed to rise to a high position was not only because of her inborn talent and cultivation level. If one only possessed cultivation, they would merely be among the ranks of Spirit Guards. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s meticulous thinking, coupled with her resilient temperament, was the key to her repeated promotions.

    Uponparing the two files, Zhang Yuelu immediately sensed that something was amiss.

    Although Xu Kou¡¯s file was somewhat unsightly, its contents were very detailed. It provided a general idea of what Xu Kou had done over the years, and his promotion and demotion trajectory were traceable.

    However, Qi Xuansu was different. He seemed unremarkable, but his file was actually quite suspicious. It was too clean.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s file was excessively clean. Apart from basic information such as his name, master, age, affiliation, and cultivation realm, there were no other details. There were no records of his past achievements or mistakes. He had no family members,panions, or friends. He did not reside in the Ancestral Court, nor did he hold a position in any local Daoist mansion.

    It seemed as if he had always been roaming outside the Daoistmunity. If so, how did he rise to the seventh rank?

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s gaze fell on Qi Xuansu¡¯s name in the file, and she sank into contemtion.

    Admittedly, Zhang Yuelu had a favorable impression of Qi Xuansust night, but that did not mean she could ignore the many doubts she had about him.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s first reaction was to ask Superintendent Sun Yongfeng how Qi Xuansu made it onto this list. Did Qi Xuansu apply by himself? Did Mage Sun discover him? Or was Qi Xuansu rmended by someone else? If so, who had rmended him?

    Sorting out the rted personnel under the Deputy Tiangang Hall Master was not something that could be aplished overnight. It was not surprising that the news of hiring had circted, so some people would know about it in advance. However, a seventh-rank Daoist priest was not that resourceful to obtain insider information, especially one who was not even residing in the Jade Capital.

    The meeting in the Chiming Pce just ended, and the official announcement had just been made. How did a seventh-rank Daoist priest, who had been absent from the Ancestral Court and Jade Capital for years, find out about the addition of a Deputy Hall Master to the Tiangang Hall in such a short time? How did he appear in Jade Capital at such an opportune time?

    There were only two possibilities. It was either a coincidence or Qi Xuansu had made arrangements long ago because he had another channel of information.

    Zhang Yuelu did not believe in coincidences. Thus, she was keen on the second possibility, that Qi Xuansu had another channel of information and had made prior arrangements to show up in Jade Capital in time for the recruitment.

    This was not a baseless guess. She had evidence to support it, namely Qi Xuansu¡¯s three-year evaluations.

    Since Qi Xuansu had never held a position in a local Daoist mansion nor resided in the Jade Capital, how did he undergo his annual evaluations? How could he consistently achieve upper-middle rankings for three consecutive years?

    In the Daoistmunity, it wasmon to have backing. For example, Xu Kou¡¯s backing was the Qizhou Daoist Mansion, because his file clearly stated that the Qizhou Daoist Mansion had rmended him. This rmendation was openly acknowledged.

    However, Qi Xuansu¡¯s backer was not revealed. His referrer did not want others to know of their existence. Who exactly was Qi Xuansu¡¯s backer, and why the secrecy? What were they trying to conceal?

    Zhang Yuelu looked at the bright red word ¡°Approved,¡± hesitating whether to add a ¡°Not¡± before it.

    However, she quickly dismissed the idea and even dispelled the thought of asking Sun Yongfeng about Qi Xuansu.

    Sun Yongfeng was a veteran of Tiangang Hall and experienced in the politics of the Daoist Order. People like him were sly and elusive, so he would surely have prepared an answer in anticipation. Approaching him rashly would only put her at a disadvantage.

    Rather than taking the initiative and rming them, it was better to feign ignorance and lull them into a false sense of security. Perhaps then they would reveal their true colors.

    Zhang Yuelu put Xu Kou¡¯s file back in its ce, leaving only Qi Xuansu¡¯s file on the desk, still open.

    She stared at the bright red word ¡°Approved¡± on Qi Xuansu¡¯s file and murmured to herself, ¡°I¡¯d like to see who you really are.¡±

    ......

    Ah-choo!

    Qi Xuansu, who was sweeping the fallen leaves, sneezed again. He found it strange.

    He thought, <i>Is someone constantly talking about me? Maybe Madam Qi is scheming something again to make me do her dirty work.</i>

    Qi Xuansu shook his head, dismissing the thought, and continued sweeping the leaves.

    What Qi Xuansu did not expect was that Madam Qi had a miscalction, as she did not anticipate Zhang Yuelu to be so vignt.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu¡¯s clean file was the work of the Qingping Society. After Master Qi Haoran¡¯s death, Qi Xuansu was stuck as an eighth-rank Daoist priest. He was only promoted to seventh rank after the Qingping Society secretly changed it.

    The influence of the Qingping Society made such promotions, especially until the fourth rank, possible. However, the Qingping Society also recognized this issue. They could not promote Qi Xuansu to the fifth rank if his records remained nk. That was why Madam Qi wanted Qi Xuansu to get a position in the Tiangang Hall. That way, he could enrich his experience and, preferably, make some achievements.

    If Qi Xuansu was unwilling to get a position at the Tiangang Hall, Madam Qi would not force him. However, as Madam Qi had mentioned, Qi Xuansu would be stuck at the seventh-rank threshold. After a certain age, he would no longer have a chance for advancement. If he was lucky, he might rise to the fourth rank, and if not, he would remain at the fifth rank, with no hope of ever wielding the Sword of Wisdom.

    As the Daoist Order progressed, days where realm cultivation ounted for everything were gone. Most often, a high realm did not necessarily equate to a high position. Although there were still rules that only Heavenly Beings could be Sages, there were still strength disparities among the Sages. Some Sages had just crossed the threshold of a Heavenly Being, while others were just a step behind the three Deputy Grand Masters.

    Those who wanted to be Sages through unconventional means by relying solely on realm cultivation would probably need a cultivation level close to that of an immortal.

    As for the Great Sages, especially as the Deputy Grand Master leading the three major Daoist sects, the key was to gain the people¡¯s support. Everything would be futile if one could not win the people¡¯s support, no matter how high their cultivation level was.

    The Grand Master was above everyone, positioned above the Great Sages and acting as the representative of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. Even the three first-rank Great Sages had to bow to the Grand Master, who was the leader of the Daoist Order.

    Even though Zhang Yuelu was a rare talent, people¡¯s expectations of her were only to eventually fill one of the positions of the 36 Sages after many years. They did not think that she could be a Great Sage, let alone the Grand Master. These four positions were not just about talent and ability. They were also dependent on the individual¡¯s strength, background, and luck.

    After thest ray of sunset disappeared beyond the horizon, Qi Xuansu finally finished cleaning up the old house. Then he went out to the shops to buy some food.

    It was strange to note that the price of rice in the Jade Capital was not much different from that in the towns at the foothills. Half a kilogram of coarse rice costs three Ruyi coins, while a half kilogram of fine rice costs five Ruyi coins. It was a considerable expense to transport grains to Jade Capital, which was located at the top of Kunlun Mountain.

    The price of rice should have been much higher, perhaps even surpassing the cost of transportation itself. However, it seemed that the price of rice in Jade Capital did not take into ount the cost of transportation. It was unclear whether the Daoist Order bore the transportation costs or if they had some other means of farming directly on Kunlun Mountain, thus eliminating the transportation costs.

    Qi Xuansu bought 20 kilograms of fine rice, costing 200 Ruyi coins, equivalent to two small Taiping coins. In addition, he bought some seasonal fruit and vegetables, 2.5 liters of vegetable oil, half a kilogram of animal fat, a kilogram of fine salt, 2.5 kilograms of cured meat, a block of tea, and various sauces and condiments.

    He also deliberately sourced the herbs in the prescription Madam Qi had given him separately from several pharmacies in nearby neighborhoods. That way, no one would be able to discern anything from the prescription.

    In total, he spent over 900 Ruyi coins, which was nearly one Taiping coin.

    From this, one could tell that Sun Yongfeng¡¯s asking price of 200 Taiping coins for a rmendation was indeed a hefty sum. That was why it truly surprised Qi Xuansu that Li Sanxin could possess a flying sword worth over 1,000 Taiping coins. Logically speaking, a seventh-rank Daoist priest should not have such wealth.

    Qi Xuansu spected that someone had lent the flying sword to Li Sanxin. Since Li Sanxin failed to obtain the Xuan Jade and even lost the flying sword, he would undoubtedly face severe punishment upon his return, perhaps leaving him with no chance of redemption.

    After shopping, Qi Xuansu hired a goat cart to transport all these items back home. It was less than 500 meters, so the ride cost 10 Ruyi coins.

    The goat cart led the way with the items, while Qi Xuansu followed behind on foot. Along the way, he met a former neighbor, a fifth-rank Daoist nun from the Quanzhen Sect, who was one rank lower than Qi Haoran.

    When Qi Haoran was still alive, he was close to his neighbor, Nun Cui, and they often interacted with each other.

    Nun Cui was obviously surprised to see Qi Xuansu. ¡°Tian Yuan, when did youe back?¡±

    ¡°Not long ago,¡± Qi Xuansu replied with a smile.

    Nun Cui¡¯s smile was a little stiff. ¡°It¡¯s good that you''re back. By the way, what happened with your master¡¯s case?¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed but did not speak.

    Nun Cui quickly changed the subject. ¡°Oh, pardon me. I always talk without thinking. Are you nning to stay for a while this time? Or...¡±

    Qi Xuansu was not at all wary of her, so he replied truthfully, ¡°I¡¯ve had a stroke of luck and secured a position in the Jade Capital.¡±

    ¡°What position?¡± Nun Cui asked.

    ¡°A position in the Tiangang Hall. Recently, they¡¯ve added a new Deputy Hall Master position and over a hundred supporting personnel. I¡¯ve saved up some money over the years, so this time, I managed to secure a connection with a superintendent in Tiangang Hall. It¡¯s a pretty solid opportunity,¡± Qi Xuansu exined.

    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Nun Cui nodded. ¡°Although the tasks in Tiangang Hall may be tough and require frequent travel, they offer good benefits to the staff. It¡¯s also one of the top among the Nine Halls. Moreover, the Daoist Order has held the Tiangang Hall in high regard in recent years. It has a prestigious name, so it¡¯s good to be associated with it.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Qi Xuansu smiled. ¡°That¡¯s why I said I¡¯ve had a stroke of luck.¡±

    ¡°Once you have a respectable position and save up some money, you should find a kind-hearted girl to marry. If so, everything will be perfect.¡± Nun Cui advised him.

    Nun Cui became spirited. ¡°Speaking of which, Tian Yuan, you¡¯ve been traveling for so many years. Haven¡¯t you found anyone special yet? If you have, bring her home, and I¡¯ll help you assess her.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s smile gradually froze on his face, and he coughed slightly.

    ¡°Tian Yuan, it¡¯s natural for men and women to marry. There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about!¡± Nun Cui smiled.

    Qi Xuansu quickly pointed to the goat cart that had alreadye to a stop and excused himself. ¡°Aunt Cui, they¡¯re waiting for me to unload the cart.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead, then. Come over anytime when you¡¯re free!¡± Nun Cui offered.

    ¡°Sure, I will.¡±

 Chapter 29: Silence

    <h4>Chapter 29: Silence</h4>

    In the 41st year of the Taiping Era, the Holy Xuan issued a decree during a meeting with the Golden Tower Council to ban all unauthorized associations. The incumbent Great Sage of the Taiping Sect, Li Donghuang, was then tasked with its implementation.

    The Confucian and Buddhist sects also responded ordingly.

    Thereafter, under the leadership of the Daoist Order, the three religions began the crackdown. They dissolved, suppressed, and eradicated various unauthorized associations. Thus, many such associations went underground, bing ndestine while engaging in illegal activities.

    The Qingping Society was a behemoth among these secret associations. The Inn was also one of them.

    The reasons for their survival and growth under the Daoist crackdown were not the same. The Qingping Society had close ties to the Daoist Order, as proven by its ability to manipte Qi Xuansu¡¯s Daoist rank. The Inn, on the other hand, had deeper connections to the Imperial Court.

    This was the fundamental reason why The Inn was unwilling to engage in dealings involving the Imperial Court. Hence, while The Inn dared to ambush a fourth-rank Daoist master, it refused to rescue a seventh-rank county magistrate from the Green Phoenix Guard.

    Therefore, it was insufficient to send a fourth-rank Daoist master to get The Inn to talk. Instead, a Green Phoenix Guard Lieutenant Colonel would be more effective. This had nothing to do with the ranks of the individuals involved, but rather the rtionship between the organizations.

    As the sky brightened, a small group of people sped toward Fengtai County on horseback.

    The leader of the group was a man dressed in distinctive green official attire with an embroidered bear emblem.

    <i>ording to the regtions of the Great Xuan Dynasty, officials of different ranks wore different emblems. Dukes, marquises, prince consorts, and counts wore garments embroidered with mythical beasts, regardless of whether they were civil or military officials. Both civil and military officials of the Imperial Court each had their own prescribed patterns of embroidery, depending on their ranks.</i>

    <i>Civil officials had birds embroidered on their court robes, symbolizing progress. Cranes for first-rank officials; golden pheasants for second-rank officials; peacocks for third-rank officials; wild geese for fourth-rank officials; silver pheasants for fifth-rank officials; egrets for sixth-rank officials; mandarin ducks for seventh-rank officials; orioles for eighth-rank officials; and quails for ninth-rank officials.</i>

    <i>Military officials had beasts embroidered on their court robes, signifying ferocity. Qilin</i><i>[1]</i><i> for first-rank officials; Suanni</i><i>[2]</i><i> for second-rank officials; leopard for third-rank officials; tiger for fourth-rank officials; bear for fifth-rank officials; panther for sixth-rank officials; rhinoceros for seventh-rank and eighth-rank officials; and seahorse for ninth-rank officials.</i>

    <i>Besides that, there were other patterns, such as pythons and fighting bulls, which were another category of bestowed attire.</i>

    <i>That was the origin of the phrase ¡°beasts in human attire.¡± It was used to describe a morally corrupt individual who looked educated.</i>

    <i>The Great Xuan Dynasty originated in the north and revered the virtue of water. The official court attire was primarily ck for military officials of all ranks, even ordinary soldiers. Hence, the term ¡°ck Robes.¡± However, there was one exception among the military officials, and that was the Green Phoenix Guard.</i>

    <i>As close attendants responsible for guarding the emperor, the Green Phoenix Guard was originally known as the Green Robes Division in the former Wei Dynasty. Theyter merged with the Ceremonial Guards Division, which was in charge of the emperor¡¯s ceremonial activities. They wereter renamed the Green Phoenix Guard, hence the green attire.</i>

    <i>In the early years of the Great Xuan Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu abolished the Five Armies Commander Office and various local garrisons, as well as the system of military households. However, he retained the Green Phoenix Guard.</i>

    Thus, it was easy to recognize this group of riders. They were none other than the notorious Green Phoenix Guard, led by a fifth-rank Lieutenant Colonel. The fifth rank was not the highest, but it carried significant authority.

    In the existing hierarchy of the Green Phoenix Guard, there was one Lord Commander at the upper-third rank, two Deputy Commanders at the lower-third rank, two Commander Adjutants at the upper-fourth rank, two Pacification Commanders at the lower-fourth rank, and twenty Lieutenant Colonels at the upper-fifth rank. These 27 individuals were influential figures in the Green Phoenix Guard and should not be underestimated.

    This leading Lieutenant Colonel was in charge of a thousand soldiers and stationed in a provincial capital. He must have important matters at hand since he came to Fengtai County in person.

    When the group arrived at a fork in the road, the Lieutenant Colonel halted his horse. The Green Phoenix Guards behind him also came to a stop. Li Sanxingged in the back and said in a soft voice, ¡°Sir, the path to the right leads to the county, while the road to the left leads to The Inn.¡±

    The Lieutenant Colonel appeared to be in his fifties, with graying hair at his temples and a weathered face. He bore heavy traces of military life, indicating that he was once one of the ck Robes.

    This was not surprising, as the Green Phoenix Guard had always had close ties to the ck Robes, just as the Imperial Court had close ties to the Daoist Order.

    The Lieutenant Colonel remained silent for a moment before guiding his horse to the left.

    The deaths of a county magistrate and an assistant major were nothing significant in his and Jiang Bieyun¡¯s n. What was important were the subsequent developments, which had changed unexpectedly, forcing him toe to Fengtai County in person.

    As a seasoned member of the Green Phoenix Guard, the Lieutenant Colonel had the first instinct to tie this case to The Inn. If this person had appeared at The Inn before heading to Fengtai County, there would be some traces left behind.

    Soon, the Green Phoenix Guard arrived at the gate of the funeral home. It was eerily silent.

    The Lieutenant Colonel dismounted and walked toward the funeral home.

    Li Sanxin and some of the subordinates followed closely behind the Lieutenant Colonel, while the others spread out to surround the ce.

    Passing through the long corridor, they arrived at the underground lobby of The Inn. However, even before entering, they could smell a strong stench of blood.

    As members of the Green Phoenix Guard, they were no strangers to this scent. The expressions on everyone¡¯s faces turned grim.

    The Lieutenant Colonel remained expressionless, showing neither joy nor anger, as he silently entered the lobby of The Inn.

    The Inn had turned into a scene of carnage. Everyone sat in their seats, frozen in their final moments, with no signs of struggle or resistance. It was as if they were unaware of their impending death.

    The Innkeeper was still standing behind the counter. His upper body leaned forward, and his head was slightly bowed.

    A Taiping coin was embedded between his eyebrows, with only half of it visible and revealing the word Taiping, which meant peace.

    The Lieutenant Colonel approached the Innkeeper¡¯s body and stared at the Taiping coin lodged in the victim¡¯s forehead. He murmured, ¡°Such skills.¡±

    Li Sanxin, who was beside the Lieutenant Colonel, felt a slight tremor in his heart.

    The Lieutenant Colonel was a Xiantian Being at the pinnacle of his cultivation. Evenpared to his senior, Jiang Bieyun, he was considered exceptional. If the Lieutenant Colonel praised the murderer for being skilled, then what level of cultivation did the killer possess?

    Was the murderer a Xiantian Being at the Guizhen stage? Or perhaps it was an elusive Heavenly Being?

    The Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s gaze moved away from the Innkeeper¡¯s body andnded on the ground in front of the counter.

    Li Sanxin followed his gaze.

    There were two visible footprints on the ground, with the patterns of the shoe soles clearly discernible. Most notably, there was a pattern resembling a square-holed copper coin in the center of the sole.

    Judging by its size, it seemed to be a woman¡¯s footprint.

    The Green Phoenix Guard in charge of examining the bodies reported, ¡°Sir, these people died from some kind of sharp, thin thread.¡±

    Even without using the Earth Qi Recalling Technique to trace back the scene, they could imagine what it was like when the murderer executed everyone there.

    The Inn was operating as usual. A silver Taiping coin spun on the ckcquered counter.

    The Innkeeper stood behind the counter with his right hand propped against his chin, staring nkly at the spinning Taiping coin.

    At that moment, a woman came to the counter, leaving behind two footprints.

    Just as the Innkeeper was about to reach out and stop the spinning Taiping coin with his palm, the woman tapped the counter lightly with a finger. The spinning coin bounced up from the force and pierced the Innkeeper¡¯s forehead.

    Almost simultaneously, the numerous guests in The Inn, who were assassins and bandits, had their throats slit by a thin thread that appeared out of nowhere.

    These thin threads spread across the entire lobby like spider webs, leaving these seasoned killers with no ability to fight back, to the point where they were clueless as to how they died.

    This was a massacre.

    The Lieutenant Colonel was not at all sympathetic about the deaths of these people because those who came to The Inn were not good people. They were hitmen and assassins who deserved to die. Thus, their deaths did not matter. A killer being killed was nothing to be rmed about.

    However, considering the ndestine rtionship between The Inn and the Green Phoenix Guard, the Green Phoenix Guard could not tolerate the death of the Innkeeper. The murderer had crossed a line there.

    The Lieutenant Colonel asked, ¡°How many relevant documents are left in The Inn?¡±

    A Green Phoenix Guard replied, ¡°Sir, all documents have been destroyed, and all cash notes have been taken away.¡±

    The Lieutenant Colonel murmured, ¡°One person kills while the other cleans up the aftermath. This isn¡¯t something a gang is capable of, but rather a secret society. Or perhaps it¡¯s someone from the Daoist Order.¡±

    ¡°Is it Sage Donghua?¡± Li Sanxin wiped the sweat from his forehead.

    There was no clear distinction in status among the 36 Sages, but their levels of cultivation varied. Sage Donghua was one of the strongest among the sages.

    The Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s tone was solemn as he said, ¡°Mage Jiang has alreadymunicated with me using the mother-child talisman. If this is Sage Donghua¡¯s doing, then it has something to do with the Quanzhen Sect¡¯s infighting.¡±

    Li Sanxin was a disciple of the Taiping Sect, so he was very knowledgeable about the politics of the Daoist Order. He exined, ¡°Back then, the Holy Xuan ordered the Quanzhen Sect to develop more mechanical devices, which led to the emergence of two major factions within the sect. They had been in a continuous struggle over the use of machinery and talismans. To this day, the problem remains unresolved.¡±

    The Lieutenant Colonel also knew about this case and muttered to himself, ¡°The Holy Xuan assigned the Taiping Sect to govern matters rting to humans, the Zhengyi Sect to govern spiritual matters, and the Quanzhen Sect to create devices.

    ¡°Since the Taiping Sect was closest to the secr world, the Great Sage of the Taiping Sect was known as the Imperial Preceptor. The Zhengyi Sect was closest to the spirit realm, so the Great Sage of the Zhengyi Sect was known as the Heavenly Preceptor. The Quanzhen Sect was closest to theherworld, so the Great Sage of the Quanzhen Sect was known as the Earthly Preceptor.

    ¡°The Three Preceptors were much more powerful than any official of the Imperial Court. If this was Sage Donghua¡¯s doing, then it must be rted to the Earthly Preceptor. I wonder how the Imperial Preceptor would view this.¡±

    Li Sanxin did not dare toment rashly.

    He was a disciple of the Taiping Sect, where the Holy Xuan himself was from. The Holy Xuan¡¯s wife was the eldest daughter of Emperor Gaozu and the elder sister of Emperor Taizong. The Great Sage of the Quanzhen Sect, Li Donghuang, who implemented the Holy Xuan¡¯s decree to ban all unauthorized associations within the Daoist Order, was the Holy Xuan¡¯s junior and one of the founders of the Li n of the Taiping Sect.

    Therefore, the Taiping Sect was closely rted to worldly matters and had countless ties to the court, serving as a link between the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court. The Great Sage of the Taiping Sect being called the Imperial Preceptor was not an exaggeration.

    The Lieutenant Colonel walked outside and ordered, ¡°Prepare some oil and burn this ce thoroughly. Don¡¯t leave any traces.¡±

    Li Sanxin followed closely behind.

    Another assistant major respectfully obeyed the order.

    1. Chinese mythical creature resembling a hooved animal with a single horn on its head. ?

    2. Chinese mythical creature resembling a lion with a single horn on its head. ?

 Chapter 30: Mystical Ability and Bulletin

    <h4>Chapter 30: Mystical Ability and Bulletin</h4>

    Qi Xuansu neatly arranged therge quantity of groceries he had bought, cooked himself a pot of white porridge, and brewed some medicine.

    Anyone would think that Qi Xuansu was the gentle Daoist priest that Zhang Yuelu described, not the vicious man who single-handedly fought his way through the Fengtai County government office.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu had no penchant for killing. He regarded it simply as a task to be done, deriving no pleasure and feeling little guilt from it. This was thanks to Madam Qi¡¯s teachings. She emphasized that killing was merely a means to an end, not the goal itself. She often used the analogy that people were like swords. They should be unsheathed when necessary, but they should also learn when to remain sheathed.

    Madam Qi conducted a detailed assessment of Qi Xuansu every year to prevent any mental abnormalities or tendencies toward demonic cultivation.

    The Daoist Order also conducted such assessments internally, but they did not apply to all disciples of the Daoist Order. They were specifically targeted at external affairs disciples from Beichen Hall and Tiangang Hall.

    The assessment results were ssified into four grades: A, B, C, and D.

    Grade A indicated no problems whatsoever. Grade B suggested minor ws with minimal impact. Disciples only needed to rest for a stipted time. Grade C implied disturbances in one¡¯s mental state, necessitating reassignment as well as long-term recuperation. Grade D indicated an inability to live normally and a potential for madness, requiring immediate intervention and possibly even confinement.

    Qi Xuansu had received a Grade A in the assessment for three consecutive years.

    Zhang Yuelu was only able to discern Qi Xuansu¡¯s killing aura because she was a Banished Immortal in the Nascent Soul Realm. This realm allowed the acquisition of three basic mystical abilities: Purple Star Astrology, Divine Observation Technique, and Astral Projection.

    Utilizing the Divine Observation Technique, Zhang Yuelu could perceive a faint red aura enveloping Qi Xuansu¡¯s body. As a simplified version of the Banished Immortal, Rogue Cultivators had a simr realm corresponding to the Nascent Soul Realm called the Holy Embryo Realm. In that realm, they could acquire three simr mystical abilities: Divine Calction, Qi Observation Technique, and Soul Projection.

    Just from the names of the techniques, one could discern the superiority of the former. The Divine Observation Technique was an advanced method, whereas the Qi Observation Technique was at an intermediate level.

    Throughout history, there have been many Daoist practitioners using a plethora of methods to achieve enlightenment.

    There were countless techniques and mystical abilities within Daoism. However, there were distinctions in the quality of these methods and in the levels of mastery. There were four ssifications for these methods: slight attainment, average attainment, high attainment, and perfected.

    The slight attainment methods only aimed for quick mastery. Average attainment methods failed toprehend the Dao. High attainment methods were aligned with the principles of heaven and earth. Perfected methods led to immortality and ascension.

    Albeit useful, obtaining various mystical abilities did not elevate one¡¯s cultivation.

    The Divine Observation Technique and the Qi Observation Technique both fell within the category of mystical abilities.

    In the past, the Holy Xuan gathered all the Great Sages and Sages of the Daoist Order, brought together all the methods, refined them, and integrated them into five progressive cultivation paths toward ascension without the risk of demonic cultivation.

    These five perfected methods formed the foundations of the Five Lineages. Even the Rogue Cultivators that cameter were developed based on these five perfected paths.

    To this day, everyone in the Daoistmunity, including the sages and ninth-rank Daoist priests, used these perfected methods approved by the Holy Xuan. The speed of progression depended entirely on the abundance of resources, the quality of one¡¯s aptitude, and the level of effort one put into cultivation.

    The Holy Xuan¡¯s vision and ambition far surpassed those of his previous ancestors and masters, which enabled the revitalization of the Daoist Order and its current dominance over the world.

    The Holy Xuan once intended to restructure mystical abilities as well. However, due to the overwhelmingplexity of the project and strong opposition within the Daoist Order, this n was never realized.

    The so-called perfected methods, high attainment methods, average attainment methods, and slight attainment methods referred to mystical abilities. The standard cultivation methods used by the Daoistmunity were the perfected methods that the Holy Xuan had restructured. Thus, they were no longer ssified as such.

    These mystical abilities corresponded to the cultivation methods provided by the Daoist Order, which werepletely open and widely circted even outside the Daoist Order. Anyone could practice the methods and techniques as long as one¡¯s realm was sufficient.

    Rogue Cultivators could also learn the mystical abilities of Banished Immortals, but they would inevitably face more challenges. After all, the Daoist ancestors of each lineage developed and refined these abilities most suitable for their disciples. Deviating from this path undoubtedly meant believing that one¡¯s own strength could surpass the collective experience and wisdom of the Daoist Order¡¯s past ancestors. Such arrogant practitioners were bound to hit a wall.

    In addition, one could only cultivate some techniques if earned through merit or if certain requirements were achieved.

    One such example was the perfected Five Thunder Celestial Heart Method from the Great Sage of the Zhengyi Sect. While the Holy Xuan had integrated this method into the Qi Refiner¡¯s lineage so everyone could practice it, one could only practice this method at the Guizhen stage. The remaining mystical abilities that were not made public could only be learned by the Zhengyi Sect¡¯s core disciples.

    The same applied to the Taiping Sect and the Quanzhen Sect. Each of these sects had their own special mystical abilities that were not passed down to outsiders.

    Qi Xuansu did not possess any special mystical abilities. He only had three basic mystical abilities.

    The path to immortality was divided into three major progressions: Heavenly Beings, Xiantian Beings, and Houtian Beings. The Daoist Order subdivided these into several smaller stages to correspond to the different realms of each lineage.

    Houtian Beings had two levels: Basic and Baodan. Xiantian Beings had three levels: Kunlun, Yuxu, and Guizhen. These five stages corresponded to the five realms of Rogue Cultivators: Foundation Building, Qi Refinement, Inner Dan, Yuding, and Holy Embryo realms. These five realms corresponded to the five realms of Banished Immortals: Golden Essence Refinement, Qi Formation, Nectar Refinement, Purple Qi, and Nascent Soul realms.

    Qi Xuansu was in the Inner Dan Realm.

    There was no corresponding mystical ability for the Foundation Building Realm. In the Qi Refinement Realm, one could cultivate the qi shield, which was a slight attainment method derived from the Qi Refiner¡¯s lineage. It was inferior to the astral qi shield, which was the Qi Refiner¡¯s average attainment method, as well as the Five Elements qi shield, which was the Banished Immortal¡¯s high attainment method.

    In the Inner Dan realm, one could cultivate two mystical abilities: the slight attainment method of Yin-Yang Eyes and the average attainment method of Spiritual Eyes from the Diviner¡¯s lineage. Yin-Yang Eyes could only detect ghosts and spirits, while Spiritual Eyes could immobilize them.

    Another one was the average-attainment Sword Controlling Technique. It was inferior to the Qi Refiner¡¯s high-attainment Sword Steering Technique because it required a genuine flying sword. While a flying sword could be used with the Sword Steering Technique, after obtaining a certain level of cultivation, this method could also be used with a normal sword.

    In short, Rogue Cultivators had the advantage of cultivating mystical abilities from the other five major lineages, but the downside was that they werecking in every aspect.

    After the Inner Dan Realm was the Yuding Realm, where one could cultivate two average-attainment methods.

    One of the average-attainment methods was the Fasting Technique, which was not very useful inbat. Depending on the level of cultivation, it could significantly reduce personal consumption, from eating once a day to once every three days, then subsisting on wind and dew until finally fastingpletely.

    The other method was the Cicada Molting Technique, which was to temporarily create a false body to take one¡¯s ce in death, making it an extremely practical life-saving mystical ability.

    This technique was derived from the Banished Immortal¡¯s Illusory Body Technique.

    The Cicada Molting Technique could only avoid ordinary sword attacks and elemental spells, but it could not evade techniques such as ck magic or spiritual suppression.

    On the other hand, the Banished Immortal¡¯s Illusory Body Technique used one¡¯s blood and essence to create a lifelike substitute body that was indistinguishable from the original. Thus, it was capable of withstanding curses and spiritual attacks. It was considered a high-attainment method.

    Masters of this technique could evenbine other precious materials and a part of one¡¯s own cultivation to deceive the heavens and ovee heavenly tribtions. Hence, there was another name for this technique¡ªthe Tribtion Substitute Technique.

    This showed the vast difference between Rogue Cultivators and Banished Immortals. It was a gap that could not be easily bridged.

    Madam Qi once promised Qi Xuansu that as long as he reached the Yuding Realm, she would teach him a special mystical ability unique to the Qingping Society. It was a high-attainment method, and she would teach it to him for free.

    If Qi Xuansu was willing to spend another 300 Taiping coins, Madam Qi would also teach him her Crescent Palm Saw Technique. Although it was only an average-attainment technique, this was useful inbat because only a hand was needed for this method. It was much better than having the Sword Controlling Technique but without the possession of a flying sword.

    In addition, Madam Qi could also teach him the Yin ughter Technique and the Entwining Silk Technique. The former, like the Crescent Palm Saw Technique, was an average-attainment method from the Martial Arts Practitioner lineage. Thetter was a high-attainment method from the Qi Refiner¡¯s lineage.

    These techniques were priced at 500 Taiping coins each, totaling 1,000 Taiping coins. The price was non-negotiable, even for Qi Xuansu, who was like a son to Madam Qi.

    Qi Xuansu sighed at the thought.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu could also use his merits to exchange for techniques or elixirs that could enhance his cultivation from the Qingping Society through Madam Qi. This system was quite simr to the merit system of the Daoist Order. However, Qi Xuansu was still hoping to umte 9,000 merits so that he could leave the Qingping Society. That was why his progress in cultivation was so slow.

    After the porridge was ready, Qi Xuansu served himself a bowl. As he ate the porridge, he read the bulletin that he had bought earlier.

    The bulletin originated from the Imperial Court, initially being copies of imperial decrees and ministry petitions that were distributed by local government offices. These bulletins were how the public received information about the government.

    The Daoist Order formalized its operations, documenting various policies and interesting anecdotes in printed form and selling them to the public for five Ruyi coins per copy. However, these publications were generally only avable in the Jade Capital and major Daoist mansions.

    Today¡¯s bulletin covered the demonic unrest in the Western Region. This unreststed for two months, during which five merchant caravans were attacked. However, the Western Region Daoist Mansion was preupied with its conflict with the Shamanistic Sect, so they sought assistance from the Ancestral Court.

    The Shamanistic Sect was a branch of ancient Wuism. After the fall of Wuism, the Shamanistic sect migrated to the grasnds and became the state religion of the Golden Horde. Their power was not to be underestimated.

    The Western Region Daoist Mansion frequently shed with the Shamanistic sect and struggled to fight them alone. It was no wonder that the Western Region Daoist Mansion always faced manpower shortages.

    Qi Xuansu continued reading the bulletin. The next report was about the Great Sage Lunzhi¡¯s decree to crack down on the secret societies in various regions, requiring each local Daoist mansion to strictly implement ancestral policies.

    The next report was about the relevant updates from the Nine Halls. The Great Sage of Ciji Hall had met with envoys from the Buddhist sect. Duzhi Hall released a summary of the first half of the year¡¯s revenue as well as a budget outline for the second half of the year.

    Ziwei Hall released preliminary results of the Eight Methods Assessment this spring and summer, announcing the list of promoted and demoted Daoist priests. Beichen Hall announced the list of criminals to be executed inte autumn, along with detailed descriptions of their crimes, hoping it would be a deterrent to other criminals.

    After Qi Xuansu finished a bowl of porridge, his medicine was still not brewed. He put down the bulletin and suddenly remembered a quote from the Holy Xuan. ¡°Since we are the orthodox government, we must have transparency in our actions so that the world can witness our efforts.¡±

 Chapter 31: Friends

    <h4>Chapter 31: Friends</h4>

    These days, Qi Xuansu lived a monotonous life¡ªeating, sleeping, cultivating, taking medicine, and reading the bulletin. However, his aptitude was not great. He alsocked the corresponding elixirs and resources, which exined his slow progress in cultivation. He still had a considerable gap to reach the Yuding Realm. But at this rate, it would take him at least three years to get there.

    In fact, the series of realms of the Rogue Cultivators could be inferred from other lineages. For example, the Qi Refining Realm of Rogue Cultivators was different from the Qi Refinement Realm of the Qi Refiners, and the Inner Dan Realm of the Rogue Cultivators corresponded to the Nectar Refinement Realm of the Banished Immortals.

    However, the Rogue Cultivators¡¯ realms were not just pieced together from other lineages. It had its own logic. The Xiantian Being¡¯s stages started with the Inner Dan Realm, the Yuding Realm, and finally the Holy Embryo Realm. It followed the principles of the Golden Elixir Path. In other words, Rogue Cultivators primarily inherited the legacies of the Heavenly and Earthly Immortals, thus still relying on nurturing and strengthening the body¡¯s qi.

    Many Rogue Cultivators were unaware of the principles of these stages. It was only when they became Heavenly Beings that they could thoroughly understand it upon reflection.

    Qi Xuansu only knew this because of Madam Qi, who simplified it for him. ¡°The Daoist Order likes toplicate things. Just think of it like making an elixir. Once sessful, you¡¯ll reach the Holy Embryo Realm.¡±

    Madam Qi also exined the origin of Rogue Cultivators to him. The Five Lineages corresponded to the five immortals of Heaven, Earth, Man, God, and Ghost. The Holy Xuan did not create them out of thin air and merely integrated these five lineages. Before the Holy Xuan, these five lineages had been in existence for centuries, albeit without a systematic structure.

    Rogue Cultivators were the only lineage forcibly created by the Daoist Order through human intervention. Originally, the intention was to cultivate Banished Immortals, simr to farming, where one could manually increase the yield of certain crops by changing certain parameters instead of relying on the weather. The result of this experiment was a failure to create Banished Immortals, but they had inadvertently established a new lineage of Rogue Cultivators, providing some constion for those unable to follow the original five lineages.

    ording to Madam Qi, Rogue Cultivators could also eventually be Banished Immortals, but it required something extremely valuable topensate for their innate deficiencies.

    It was like putting the finishing touches on a painting of a dragon. Banished Immortals were the real dragons, while Rogue Cultivators were false dragons drawn based on the real ones. They could almost pass for the real deal, but they werecking the final touches to transform into real dragons.

    That extremely valuable thing was this finishing touch.

    The Daoist Order had this valuable material, but it was not cost-effective. Even if the Banished Immortals they cultivated did not die prematurely, it was difficult to gain a profit with such costs. At most, they would break even, but if the cultivated Banished Immortal died prematurely, they would lose everything. Thus, the Daoist Order ultimately decided to terminate this project.

    Qi Xuansu was shocked by Madam Qi¡¯s extensive knowledge of this. It further confirmed his spection that Madam Qi was once a member of the Daoist Order and that she was most likely a fourth-rank Daoist master or higher because she had ess to the core secrets.

    During this half-month, the Daoist Order convened a meeting at the Golden Tower, where the 36 Sages gathered for important discussions. Their meetings were called the Golden Tower Meeting.

    However, not all 36 Sages had to attend the Golden Tower Meeting. Sometimes, it would suffice as long as 12 Sages were present. Such meetings with insufficient numbers were called small meetings. There were also mid-level meetings with 24 Sages and high-level meetings with all 36 Sages.

    This time, it was just a small meeting with only 13 Sages present. Even the Great Sage Lunzhi, who was supposed to preside over the meeting, did not show up. Instead, the Earthly Preceptor¡¯s trusted subordinate, Sage Donghua, presided over this meeting. The main discussion was about the specific regtions for cracking down on secret societies, with the Qingping Society and The Inn listed as key targets.

    After reading the news in the bulletin, Qi Xuansu felt inexplicably anxious. If his identity were exposed, he feared he would be arrested by Beichen Hall, and he would never see the sun again.

    In the blink of an eye, it was already August 1st, with only half a month left until August 16th.

    Qi Xuansu decided to take a walk around the Jade Capital to calm his restless mind.

    The best attraction in Jade Capital was the vast Taiqing Square, which covered an area equivalent to two neighborhoods. This square essentially served as a bustling marketce with a multitude of shops. It was a lively area. While Xuan City had its own attractions, many residents of Xuan City liked to spend their leisure time in Taiqing Square.

    Haichan ce was not exactly near Taiqing Square, but Qi Xuansu decided to walk there anyway.

    When he was almost at Taiqing Square, Qi Xuansu ran into an acquaintance, Miss Tantai, whom he shared a drink with a few days ago. It was truly coincidental.

    Madam Qi often reminded Qi Xuansu that coincidences only happen once. Meeting someone twice was definitely not a coincidence and was most likely intentional.

    Qi Xuansu was vignt, but he showed no signs of wariness on his face as he greeted her. ¡°Miss Tantai, do you also live nearby?"

    Tantai Chu, or rather Zhang Yuelu, smiled faintly and said, ¡°I live in Taishang ce.¡±

    Qi Xuansu looked at her with surprise. ¡°That¡¯s the best neighborhood in Jade Capital! Those who can live in Taishang ce are either wealthy or noble.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu smiled and replied, ¡°Well, if it¡¯s based on my own abilities, I can¡¯t afford to live in Taishang ce. An elder transferred the lease to me.¡±

    She did not lie about this. The Heavenly Preceptor did arrange a small residence for her in Taishang ce, but she had never been there. Most of the time, she stayed in her residence in Xuan City.

    Just as Madam Qi warned, Zhang Yuelu intentionally sought out Qi Xuansu.

    Previously, Zhang Yuelu served as a superintendent in Beichen Hall. She was recently promoted to be the Deputy Tiangang Hall Master. Besides her aptitude and talent, Zhang Yuelu was intelligent and maintained herwork in Beichen Hall. Thus, it was not difficult for her to track Qi Xuansu¡¯s movements.

    At first, Zhang Yuelu wanted to see where Qi Xuansu frequented or whom he interacted with so that she could determine his true identity. However, she did not expect Qi Xuansu to be so homebound. He rarely stepped foot outside and stayed at home all day. He even got someone to deliver the daily bulletin.

    Zhang Yuelu was somewhat disheartened by this. She thought, <i>Was my intuition wrong?</i>

    For the past two weeks, Zhang Yuelu had been busy with work, so she did not have time to pay attention to Qi Xuansu.

    Finally, after so long, Zhang Yuelu received a report from her informant in Beichen Hall that Qi Xuansu had left his house. Since she had the day off, she decided to meet Qi Xuansu again on a whim. She considered it a preliminary assessment of him.

    Qi Xuansu walked at an ordinary leisurely pace, but Zhang Yuelu speed walked, so she arrived at Taiqing Square first, leading to their reunion.

    This time, they had their own suspicions about each other because they were no longer strangers.

    Qi Xuansu took the initiative to speak. ¡°I remember reciting a poem when I was drunk during ourst meeting. Come dawn, with lute embraced, seek my light. I didn¡¯t expect it toe true and that I could see you again so soon. I wonder. Did you bring a lute, Miss Tantai?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have a lute, but I have a sword.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm on the surface. ¡°And where is this sword?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu smiled. ¡°A sword is a weapon. There¡¯s no need to unt it around.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nced at the sword hanging from his waist and chuckled.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s gaze fell on the short sword at Qi Xuansu¡¯s waist. She asked, ¡°Is this your weapon, Tian Yuan?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°I travel frequently outside Jade Capital, so I¡¯ve developed the habit of bringing my sword with me everywhere I go.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded without saying much.

    Qi Xuansu thought that Zhang Yuelu might ask to see his sword, but herck of interest caught him off guard. It made him ease up slightly.

    Although Zhang Yuelu was not an extraordinary beauty, she had a natural elegance and a noble air around her. Qi Xuansu could not match her temperament, but he was no ordinary person either. He was notpletely overwhelmed by Zhang Yuelu¡¯s aura, so when they were walking together, they seemed like a match made in heaven.

    Passersby could not help but nce at them. A young Daoist priest was touched by Zhang Yuelu¡¯s faint smile. He felt as if a gentle breeze had stirred up his calm emotions. However, he was devastated when he realized that Zhang Yuelu¡¯s smile was not directed toward him and was for Qi Xuansu instead. So he looked at Qi Xuansu with a hostile gaze.

    However, Qi Xuansu did not feel smug about having a beautiful woman by his side. He only felt that Zhang Yuelu was like a fierce tiger watching her prey¡ªhim¡ªintently. To Qi Xuansu, they were not a match made in heaven but rather a cat stalking a mouse. He had to remain on high alert, so he was in no mood to appreciate the beauty beside him.

    Qi Xuansu could not understand why Zhang Yuelu decided to watch him so closely. It made him wonder if he had identally revealed his identity during theirst drinking session.

    After walking for a while, Zhang Yuelu suddenly asked, ¡°Tian Yuan, are you nervous?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was caught off guard by the question, so his body stiffened slightly. However, he was quick-witted.

    He nced at the surrounding pedestrians and swiftly came up with a response. He smiled bitterly and said, ¡°I¡¯m not intentionally ttering you, Miss Tantai. But you¡¯re so remarkably beautiful that many young men are ring at me enviously. I feel like they want to rip me apart out of jealousy.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu also noticed the gazes of those young men. She said helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating. They¡¯re just a littlepetitive, perhaps.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, "Fortunately, we¡¯re in the Jade Capital, so they won¡¯t dare cause trouble. But if we were elsewhere, it¡¯s hard to say what they¡¯ll do to me.¡±

    Zhang Yueluughed. ¡°You make it sound like I¡¯m an object to be fought over without having any say in the matter. If they defeat you, am I supposed to like them? What are they jealous about, anyway? They didn¡¯t ask for my opinion.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu felt that her words mighte across as a little harsh, so she softened her tone. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to me you, Tian Yuan. By the way, have you eaten yet?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t. What about you?¡± Qi Xuansu breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing the Fasting Technique, but I have yet to reach the level of subsisting on air and dew. It¡¯s been three days since Ist ate.¡± Zhang Yuelu calcted. ¡°Since you haven¡¯t eaten, I can apany you for a meal.¡±

    Qi Xuansu increasingly felt that Zhang Yuelu had some ulterior motives, but he said, ¡°It¡¯s my honor to be in yourpany.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re ttering me. Aren¡¯t we friends?¡± Zhang Yuelu batted hershes.

    Qi Xuansu chuckled awkwardly. ¡°Yes, friends.¡±

 Chapter 32: Peeking

    <h4>Chapter 32: Peeking</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Where shall we eat?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been back to the Jade Capital for many years, so I¡¯m no longer familiar with the ces here. You can decide where to go, but please don¡¯t choose anything too expensive. I¡¯m short on money.¡± Qi Xuansu, influenced by Madam Qi, never had the habit of spending too much, even on someone as charming as Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll split the bill. I can¡¯t possibly take advantage of you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu touched his satchel and said, ¡°Even if we split the bill, let¡¯s not be too extravagant. We should really follow the Daoist teachings to be frugal.¡±

    For a moment, Zhang Yuelu forgot her original intention. ¡°You¡¯re such a miser! You won¡¯t be able to woo ady if you keep this up. Well, I want to feast today.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was not as stingy as Madam Qi. When he heard Zhang Yuelu say this, he opened his mouth but could note up with a rebuttal.

    Even though Zhang Yuelu said she wanted to feast, she brought Qi Xuansu to a secluded small restaurant that looked very affordable.

    She said, ¡°I used toe to this restaurant often. The food is decent, and the prices are reasonable.¡±

    Just as they were speaking, the restaurant owner came over to greet them. ¡°Miss Tantai, it¡¯s been a while since yourst visit!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu usually used her alternative name, Tantai Chu, when she was not working. It was not a name she made up just for Qi Xuansu.

    She brushed it over, saying nonchntly, ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing the fasting technique, so I¡¯ve beening less often.¡±

    ¡°What a pity.¡± The restaurant owner was an ordinary Daoist believer. In the Jade Capital, apart from second-rank and third-rank Daoist masters, there were countless Xiantian beings all over the city, so practicing the fasting technique was not particrly strange.

    Qi Xuansu did not speak because he was silently estimating Zhang Yuelu¡¯s cultivation level. He figured that she was at the Yuxu stage at the very least. At her age, she should be a fifth-rank Daoist priest with limitless potential.

    Zhang Yuelu found a clean table and sat down, saying to the owner, ¡°We¡¯ll get tworge bowls.¡±

    ¡°Coming right up!¡± The owner responded and turned to the kitchen.

    Before long, the owner returned with a tray containing two bowls of beef noodles.

    Qi Xuansu was stunned for a moment before he asked, ¡°You used toe here often?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°What, you don¡¯t like this kind of food?¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head. ¡°No, I do. When I¡¯m out traveling, I¡¯ve slept under the stars and eaten dry rations that were as hard as rocks. Of course, I¡¯d like beef noodles. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t expect you to like such simple food.¡±

    ¡°What do you think I would like, then?¡± Zhang Yuelu sat across from Qi Xuansu. She picked up a pair of chopsticks and said, ¡°Even princesses have to eat food.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Well, there are different grades of food. I thought you were the type who appreciates fine cuisine and is knowledgeable about seasonal delicacies, various culinary techniques, and fancy utensils. You look like the type who will enjoy food while reciting poetry.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu could not help butugh. ¡°You think too highly of me. I do want to be refined, but unfortunately, Ick the knowledge and background.¡±

    ¡°In that case, we can consider ourselves kindred spirits.¡± Qi Xuansu chuckled.

    Zhang Yuelu sighed. ¡°I¡¯m also poor. Although I receive a monthly stipend and live in Taishang ce, socializing in Jade Capital can be costly. Entertaining colleagues can be a heavy burden. If we went to the Phoenix Tower for a meal, it would cost at least one Taiping coin. But over here, a bowl of noodles is just 10 ruyi. It¡¯s evident which is more affordable.¡±

    Qi Xuansu lightly tapped the table. ¡°My thoughts exactly!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was slightly surprised.

    Qi Xuansu paused for a moment, then continued, ¡°It¡¯s hard to meet someone who understands my pain like you do. I, too, have been tormented because I¡¯m poor. In this day and age, money makes the world go round. No one wants to be friends with a poor person.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was amused by Qi Xuansu¡¯s remarks and momentarily forgot her initial motives.

    When Zhang Yuelu first arrived in Jade Capital, she had contact with several so-called ¡°young talents¡± from work. Most of these men were scions from prominent families. Although they looked polite on the surface, they were in fact hungry wolves who regarded Zhang Yuelu as a piece of meat waiting to be devoured. They only cared about defeating their peers to enjoy the spoils, without considering whether the ¡°meat¡± was willing.

    Zhang Yuelu was displeased by this and seriously humiliated one of those scions. After that incident, she gradually distanced herself from them and became bolder.

    On the contrary, Zhang Yuelu liked Qi Xuansu¡¯s temperament. She did not see Qi Xuansu as a dangerous person. Instead, she found him interesting andpatible with her. Although his background was suspicious, she did not think it was a major problem. It would not hurt her to be friends with him and share a drink on asion.

    Qi Xuansu, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief.

    He had managed to muddle through this, but he still needed to find a way to get rid of thisdy. Although she was pretty and an overall pleasant person to be around, she was too dangerous for him. He did not know what ws he had exposed to attract her attention. So it was not advisable to have too much contact with her.

    Qi Xuansu was unaware of what Zhang Yuelu was thinking at the moment. If he knew, he wouldment how he was outsmarted and his actions backfired.

    At this moment, three young people stood on the third pedestal below the statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor, in the center of Taiqing Square. They were dressed in ordinary clothes and were leaning against the railing.

    These three individuals were of respectable status because they were able to go onto the third pedestal. Each pedestal was ten meters tall, so the third pedestal was about thirty meters above ground. Standing there, they could look out to the entire Taiqing Square. Thus, it was a popr attraction. However, the second and third pedestals were not open to the public. Ordinary people could only walk around the first pedestal.

    One of the young women asked, ¡°Did you really see Zhang Yueluing this way?¡±

    Another man holding a monocr replied, ¡°Absolutely certain.¡±

    The young woman scoffed. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Banished Immortal supposed to be busy with her duties as the Deputy Hall Master? How does she have time to stroll around Taiqing Square?¡±

    The young man who spoke earlier smiled and said, ¡°I suggest you hold your tongue. This time, the Great Sage Lunzhi has personally appointed her as the Deputy Hall Master. Two out of the three Deputy Grand Masters have high hopes for her, so her future is truly boundless. We may even have to bow to her in the future.¡±

    The woman scowled. ¡°If I meet her in person, I will have to address her as the Deputy Hall Master.¡±

    The other man, who had not spoken, finally said something. ¡°In my opinion, Miss Zhang isn¡¯t arrogant. She¡¯s just peculiar.¡±

    The woman was curious. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    This man was Lu Shuihan, a direct descendant of the Taiping Sect¡¯s Lu family. His twopanions were also outstanding individuals among their peers. The woman was called Bai Yuru, and the man was named Zhao Huang.

    Lu Shuihan was currently a fifth-rank prospective mage, while Bai Yuru and Zhao Huang were sixth-rank apprentice mages. The three of them had some small ¡°misunderstandings¡± with Zhang Yuelu in the past.

    ¡°She¡¯s just an interesting character.¡± Lu Shuihan said casually, ¡°I¡¯ve encountered many prouddies, those who held their heads high and looked down upon others who were just slightly inferior to themselves. Zhang Yuelu is different from those women. She¡¯s quite unpredictable. She treats those who respect her with courtesy, even if they¡¯re beggars, but she distances herself from those who don¡¯t, regardless of rank.¡±

    Zhao Huang added, ¡°A few years ago, a scion from the Li family met Zhang Yuelu at the Ancestral Court and hoped to marry her. But he somehow ended up offending her, so she challenged him to a duel. The two fought openly with many witnesses, and surprisingly, the young master from the Li family lost. He gracefully epted his defeat and left the Ancestral Court immediately. To this day, he has never returned.¡±

    ¡°I know about this. His name is Li Tianzhen. He¡¯s a distant descendant of the Holy Xuan. Although he¡¯s not a direct descendant of the Holy Xuan, Li Tianzhen is still a direct descendant of Li Donghuang. The Holy Xuan and Li Donghuang were brothers from the same lineage anyway.¡±

    Lu Shuihan leaned against the railing and gazed at the bustling square below. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Imperial Preceptor and Sage Qingwei are fond of Li Tianzhen. The fact that Zhang Yuelu could humiliate Li Tianzhen like this and still maintain her position speaks volumes about her confidence.¡±

    Bai Yuru sighed helplessly. ¡°Well, some people are just lucky to capture the attention of the earthly preceptor and the heavenly preceptor. Who would dare provoke that jinx?¡±

    Just then, Zhao Huang, who was holding the monocr, suddenly eximed, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Zhang Yuelu?!¡±

    ¡°Where?¡± Bai Yuru immediately looked around.

    Zhao Huang gave the monocr to Bai Yuru and pointed in a direction.

    Bai Yuru took the monocr and looked through it. She said in surprise, ¡°It really is Zhang Yuelu! But who¡¯s that guy with her?¡±

    Zhao Huang shook his head. ¡°I don''t recognize him. He must be a neer.¡±

    Even the experienced Lu Shuihan was somewhat surprised. ¡°Could it be someone from the Dazhen Mansion?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Bai Yuru stared fixedly through the monocr. ¡°He looks more like Zhang Yuelu¡¯s little lover.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a possibility.¡± Zhao Huang chuckled. ¡°A woman like Zhang Yuelu is too dominant. Ordinary men can¡¯t subdue her. She even defeated Li Tianzhen to the point that he had to retreat. Who else would dare seek trouble by pursuing her? She has no choice but to keep a boy toy.¡±

    Bai Yuru continued to peer through the monocr with her right eye andughed.

    Just then, Zhang Yuelu suddenly sensed something and turned her head sharply, looking straight at Bai Yuru through the monocr.

    At that instant, Bai Yuru screamed in pain, feeling as if her right eye was burning. The monocr she held fell to the ground with a ng.

    ...

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Qi Xuansu noticed that Zhang Yuelu, who was walking alongside him, suddenly stopped, so he stopped as well. Following Zhang Yuelu¡¯s gaze, he only saw the tall and majestic statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor.

    After a moment, Zhang Yuelu withdrew her gaze and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Then she continued walking.

    However, Qi Xuansu could not help but feel a faint chill in his spine for no apparent reason.

 Chapter 33: Dispel Doubts

    <h4>Chapter 33: Dispel Doubts</h4>

    As Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu walked through the bustling Taiqing Square, Zhang Yuelu suddenly asked, ¡°Tian Yuan, you mentioned you were short on money. If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how much do you make each month? It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t feelfortable sharing. Just forget I asked.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not intend to hide this from her. He replied, ¡°I probably have less than 200 Taiping coins in savings at the moment. Since I¡¯ve never held a position in the Daoist mansions, I don¡¯t have a regr ie.¡±

    ¡°No regr ie? Why haven¡¯t you taken a position in a local Daoist mansion?¡± Zhang Yuelu was slightly surprised. She looked astonished at the fact that Qi Xuansu did not have an ie from the Daoist mansions, but in reality, she was surprised by his honesty.

    Qi Xuansu knew that Zhang Yuelu was no ordinary person, so checking his past records should not be difficult for her. If he lied and tried to evade the question, it would only make matters worse.

    Thus, he replied with some hints of truth. ¡°My master was killed in an ambush many years ago. To this day, I still don¡¯t know who did it. I suspect that the person who dared to attack a distinguished fourth-rank Daoist master is likely a big shot within the Daoist Order. Although I was lucky enough to escape at the time, I feared that I would get hunted down. That was why I have been wandering about all these years, afraid to take up positions in the Daoist mansions.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid now?¡± Zhang Yuelu raised an eyebrow.

    Qi Xuansuughed bitterly. ¡°Somewhat.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Zhang Yuelu inquired.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll end up like my master, dying under mysterious circumstances.¡± Qi Xuansu¡¯s voice was calm. ¡°But I¡¯m also not afraid of death because death is inevitable, and I must avenge my master.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu spoke bluntly. ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re brave enough to want to avenge your master. Otherwise, I¡¯ll look down on you, and we can¡¯t be friends anymore.¡±

    Qi Xuansu coughed awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of death itself, but I fear dying without knowing the reason, like an ignorant fool.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu probed further. ¡°Do you have any clues?¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head. ¡°No. When my master died, I was still too young to understand his social connections. I also knew very little about my master¡¯s past. To be frank with you, life has been difficult for me since my master¡¯s death. I¡¯m just a seventh-rank Daoist priest with no power or influence. The incident happened so many years ago, so where would I find those clues?¡±

    He continued, ¡°That¡¯s why I think that the best way for me to avenge my master is to make a name for myself. There¡¯s a Confucian saying that it is never toote to seek revenge. Coincidentally, I heard that Tiangang Hall has a recruitment drive, so I decided to use half of my savings to find some connections to get a position. That way, I can advance to a sixth-rank Daoist priest.¡±

    ¡°Connections, huh?¡± Zhang Yuelu looked at Qi Xuansu with a smile that did not quite reach her eyes.

    Qi Xuansu felt ufortable because of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s gaze. He sighed helplessly. ¡°Please don¡¯t look at me like that. It¡¯s just human nature.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this kind of nature.¡± Zhang Yuelu frowned. ¡°This type of behavior damages the reputation of the Daoist Order and undermines its foundation.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°I know, but there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not stand on a moral high ground to criticize Qi Xuansu. This was one of her strengths. She would never judge others by her own standards.

    Being favored by the Great Sage Lunzhi allowed her to climb the ranks withoutpromising her integrity, but that did not mean others had the same opportunity as she did. If she were to impose her standards on those still struggling, she would be an unempathetic person.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°So, does that mean ¡®human nature¡¯ is also the reason you rose to the seventh rank even without taking a position in a local Daoist mansion?¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He could vaguely sense why Zhang Yuelu was paying special attention to him. However, he put on a helpless, guilty, bitter, and shameful expression as he exined to her using Madam Qi¡¯s words to him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice. If I want to be a third-rank Daoist master someday, I have to climb thedder step by step. Falling behind even once will mean permanent stagnation. If I can¡¯t rise to the sixth rank by the age of 30, then my chance of getting to the third rank in this lifetime is slim to none.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu clearly understood this rule, so she did notment on it. She simply said, ¡°I get it. You want to avenge your master. That¡¯s why you aim to be a third-rank Daoist master. But because you¡¯re afraid of your hidden enemies, you didn¡¯t dare take a position in a local Daoist mansion.

    ¡°You earn money by providing your services, and in turn, you use that money to buy connections. But this method will only get you to the seventh rank. That¡¯s why you n to seek a position in Tiangang Hall now to make some achievements and get promoted.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Exactly, Miss Tantai. I hope you won¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Zhang Yuelu eased her doubts about him and softened her tone. ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone about this. After all, we¡¯re friends.¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled. ¡°Right, friends.¡±

    However, Qi Xuansu was no longer the naive young man he once was, especially after traveling the world on his own for many years. He received teachings from Madam Qi, so he developed his own cunning and tact. He did not easily believe in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s promise but acted hesitant.

    Sure enough, Zhang Yuelu noticed Qi Xuansu¡¯s hesitance and said gently, ¡°You might as well speak your mind.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Since we¡¯re friends, may I ask which hall or Daoist mansion you serve in, Miss Tantai?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu smiled and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s quite a coincidence. If you manage to get into Tiangang Hall, we¡¯ll be colleagues in the future. That way, we¡¯ll be able to meet often.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was taken aback. ¡°What a coincidence indeed!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not answer Qi Xuansu¡¯s question directly. ¡°Regardless, I thought you were never going to ask.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said jokingly, ¡°I didn¡¯t get the opportunity to. To me, you¡¯re a formidable presence, like a fierce tiger or a mighty dragon. So, I dare not act recklessly around you.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu chuckled instead of getting angry. She lightly punched Qi Xuansu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hah! Is this your roundabout way of calling me a termagant?¡±

    Qi Xuansu quickly waved his hands in denial. ¡°Absolutely not!¡±

    This scene attracted the attention of many passersby. The older pedestrians smiled knowingly, while the younger pedestrians could not hide their envy.

    Meanwhile, Qi Xuansu found himself in aplex situation.

    At first, Miss Tantai¡¯s intentions seemed unfriendly, so he felt like he was walking on thin ice. Then he gradually rxed, realizing in hindsight that Miss Tantai was actually a beautiful young woman of his age. Her every move carried a faint fragrance that subtly enticed his senses.

    Qi Xuansu was a young man in his prime. Over the years, the only person of the opposite gender he had interacted with was Madam Qi, who was a motherly figure to him. Thus, he had no experience dealing with women of his own age.

    For a moment, Qi Xuansu found himself somewhat intrigued by Miss Tantai.

    Qi Xuansu, who had been through the dangers as a traveling swordsman, remainedposed and swiftly suppressed this unusual emotion. He changed the topic and asked, ¡°Miss Tantai, since you are serving in the Tiangang Hall, will you exin what some of the responsibilities are in that hall?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°The main responsibility of the Tiangang Hall is to suppress secret societies, criminals, ultists, demons, and ghosts."

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What¡¯s the difference between them?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s not much of a difference, but the main focus varies.¡± Zhang Yuelu casually exined it to him.

    ¡°Recently, the Great Sage Lunzhi issued a decree to further suppress all secret societies. Consequently, Tiangang Hall¡¯s priority will be tobat these secret associations. Then it would be criminals, such as pirates, which typically fall under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Court, but we do assist from the sidelines from time to time. There are also the ultists, who are often intertwined with secret societies. Some secret societies are essentially cults.

    ¡°As for demons and ghosts, we don¡¯t adhere strictly to the policy of extermination without distinction. They must be discerned first, but there are differing opinions within the Daoistmunity. Some advocate for theplete eradication of demons and ghosts, while others argue for a more nuanced approach.¡±

    Qi Xuansu continued to inquire, ¡°If some secret societies are cults, does that mean not all secret societies are cults?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°Yeah. Some secret societies aren¡¯t cults, like the Qingping Society, the Inn, the Eight Tribes, the Seven Treasure Pavilion, and so on. They¡¯re not cults, but they have numerous ties to the Daoist Order.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled. ¡°Do they?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu sneered. ¡°It¡¯s not surprising. Without the indulgence and support of influential figures within the Daoist Order, how could these secret societies have thrived until now? But I¡¯m just an insignificant and powerless minion, so I can¡¯t change anything for now.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not dare to underestimate Miss Tantai. As a member of the Qingping Society, he had only glimpsed the tip of the iceberg in the organization. He also had a hunch that Madam Qi intentionally asked him to join the Tiangang Hall with a hidden agenda.

    Zhang Yuelu sighed. ¡°Everything is intertwined, and that¡¯s where the problem lies. With influential figures from the Daoist Order secretly supporting these societies, we won¡¯t be able to exterminate them no matter how hard we try in another 10 or 20 years. So, the Daoistmunity¡¯s biggest problem has never been external. It¡¯s right here, on Yuxu Peak, within our own Ancestral Court.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed along with her. ¡°In that case, these secret societies are just shadows of the Daoist Order. The real masterminds are hiding behind the scenes, invisible and untouchable.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it.¡± Zhang Yuelu felt a little dismal. It was evident that Qi Xuansu¡¯s words were the source of her worries.

    Qi Xuansu hesitated to delve further into the topic. ¡°Have we perhaps delved too deep into our conversation?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu waved her hand dismissively. ¡°There''s no such thing as going too deep when the moment is shared with a like-minded friend.¡±

    She paused and asked, ¡°Do you think that we¡¯re ipatible in conversation?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Qi Xuansu hastily denied it.

    Zhang Yuelu jokingly remarked, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about such disheartening matters for now. We can discuss how we can reform the Daoistmunity when I be the Grand Master one day.¡±

    Qi Xuansu looked around warily and whispered, ¡°Miss Tantai, please be cautious with your words.¡±

    Zhang Yueluughed. ¡°These words are meant for your ears only.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was taken aback by her response and could not help but chuckle.

    It turned out that Miss Tantai was notpletely fearless after all.

    Having read Qi Xuansu¡¯s thoughts, Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes at him. ¡°I¡¯m not dumb, you know. But I know that day wille.¡±

 Chapter 34: I Guarantee It

    <h4>Chapter 34: I Guarantee It</h4>

    A fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master might seem like a high-ranking position, but in reality, they had just crossed the first threshold. In the Imperial Court, it was equivalent to having an official position.

    There was only a difference of three ranks from a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master to a first-rank Tianzhen Daoist master, but in reality, it was much more than that.

    To rise in these ranks, the Golden Tower Council would have to be involved. The Golden Tower Council was the highest authority of the Daoist Order, apart from the Grand Master and the few Great Sages.

    The 36 Sages, who were all second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters, were part of the Golden Tower Council. They were known as the Omniscient Golden Tower Council Sages, or, for short, the 36 Sages or Omniscient Sages. If they resigned or were dismissed from the council, they would still retain their rank as second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters, but they would just be known as regr Sages.

    This meant that there were far more than 36 second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters in the Daoist Order. However, only the 36 Omniscient Sages in the Golden Tower Council held the most power.

    Simrly, the Great Sages of the three major sects who held the titles of Heavenly Preceptor, Earthly Preceptor, and Imperial Preceptor were also the Deputy Grand Masters. If they retired or resigned from their role, they would give up the position of Deputy Grand Master, but they would still retain the title of the Great Sage.

    In general, unless it was for major crimes like treason or rebellion, the Daoist Order would not strip someone of the Great Sage or the Sage title.

    Ordinary Sages had the right to observe the Golden Tower Council meetings. On the other hand, ordinary Great Sages had the right to participate in those meetings because their status was above that of the 36 Sages.

    To distinguish the Great Sages from Deputy Grand Masters, they were called the Virtuous Great Sages of the Golden Tower Council, abbreviated as the Virtuous Great Sages. They were supposed to govern the people to achieve social harmony and ensure the continuous teaching of virtues and etiquette.

    In summary, the upper echelons of the Daoist Order could be further subdivided into six levels.

    The single highest position was that of the Grand Master, who was the most revered figure as the leader of the Daoist Order. Next were the three Deputy Grand Masters, who were also the Great Sages of the three major sects. They wielded great power, with thousands of subordinates, but they only had to answer to the Grand Master.

    Below the Deputy Grand Masters were the Virtuous Great Sages of the Golden Tower Council. The number of Great Sages in this position was variable because it included the founding members of the Daoist Order, the elders, and venerable figures with great prestige and numerous disciples. Although they had retired from official duties, they still held great influence over the Daoist Order.

    Following that were the 36 Omniscient Sages of the Golden Tower Council. These sages were pirs of the Daoistmunity and pragmatic figures. They were mostly leaders of the Nine Halls and the Daoist Mansions.

    Lastly, there were the ordinary Sages, whose numbers varied as well. Although they were not as influential as the 36 Omniscient Sages, they should not be underestimated because some of them held important positions ormanded considerable respect. If there was a vacancy among the 36 Omniscient Sages, then that position would be filled by these ordinary Sages.

    Looking at it from another perspective, there were distinctions even among first-rank Tianzhen Daoist masters or second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters. Setting aside the Grand Master who ruled above all, an ordinary second-rank Taiyi Daoist master actually belonged to the fourth level. Subsequently, fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters were considered the sixth level.

    The fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master was at the bottom tier, still far from climbing thedder of the Daoist Order.

    From the Grand Master at the very top to the ranks below the fourth rank, the Daoist Order had nine ranks but twelve levels.

    This was no secret. As soon as someone attained a certain rank, it became public knowledge. After all, if one did not know these fundamental facts, there was no point in advancing ranks within the Daoist Order.

    The reason Zhang Yuelu was feared by many noble families was not only because of her own abilities, but also because she caught the attention of two Deputy Grand Masters. Although outsiders could not specte on how much these Deputy Grand Masters valued Zhang Yuelu, their attitude alone was enough to deter any petty actions.

    However, Sages with real power were not intimidated. They could even discern the truth of the matter, but they had no reason to get involved in the squabbles of the youngsters. Even powerful Sages like the Tiangang Hall Master admired Zhang Yuelu as a junior.

    It was evident that Zhang Yuelu¡¯s status was high within the Daoist Order.

    On the other hand, Qi Xuansu, a menial seventh-rank Daoist priest, had to respectfully bow to Sun Yongfeng, a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist priest. Qi Xuansu was not even qualified to sit and have a cup of tea with him.

    In this aspect, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu were not that far apart. The gap between Zhang Yuelu and the Grand Master was several times greater than that between Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu.

    That was because any rank lower than a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master could still rely on rmendations. A promotion was just a matter of words if someone of influence admired them. However, after breaking through the fourth rank threshold, it was a zero-sum game. If someone was promoted, another had to be demoted. After reaching the second rank, the power one held depended on one¡¯s backers. Everything was intricately tied together, so a slight disturbance could affect the whole system.

    As for the positions of the three Deputy Grand Masters and the Grand Master, no one would expect the Primordial Daoist Ancestor to promote them.

    That was close to impossible.

    There was a saying in the Daoist Order that ascending to heaven was easy, but bing the Grand Master was difficult.

    One lifetime of cultivation was not enough to be the Grand Master. It might actually take several lifetimes of cultivation.

    When Zhang Yuelu mentioned her desire to be the Grand Master, it was considered boastful, even if she were an unparalleled genius or a reincarnated celestial being. People who heard this would mock her for being delusional.

    Such was the position of the Grand Master in the Daoist Order.

    The position of Grand Master had been left vacant for a long time. The Golden Tower Council convened twice about this without reaching a conclusion each time. Thus, the three Deputy Grand Masters had been taking turns exercising the authority of the Grand Master. The acting Grand Master was given the title of the Great Sage Lunzhi.

    This was also public knowledge.

    There were even rumors that the three Deputy Grand Masters were intentionally not nominating a new Grand Master because they did not want to relinquish their new-found power. If a new Grand Master were to take over, they would inevitably consolidate power, and the three Deputy Grand Masters would not only lose the rotation of authority but also be subject to themands of the new leader. Thus, it was more beneficial for them to maintain the status quo.

    These rumors became so malicious that some even spected that the three Deputy Grand Masters conspired to murder the previous Grand Master, forcing the Ancestral Court to issue orders to apprehend those who spread false rumors.

    However, these rumors had already gained traction. Despite being far from the Ancestral Court for years, Qi Xuansu had also heard these rumors. To Qi Xuansu, these rumors seemed rather suspicious, perhaps involving internal power struggles within the Ancestral Court. Someone might be using these rumors to create widespread discussion, pressuring the three Deputy Grand Masters to nominate a new Grand Master as soon as possible.

    As for why none of the three Deputy Grand Masters would be the Grand Master, it was because there was an unwritten rule within the Daoist Order that the Grand Master must be elected from among the 36 Omniscient Sages. It was simr to a royal session, which primarily followed a father-to-son inheritance instead of a sibling session.

    Even if the three Deputy Grand Masters wanted to break this tradition, they would not be able to agree among themselves. They would counterbnce each other, and anyone seeking to be the Grand Master would face opposition from the other two.

    So, only one person among the 36 Omniscient Sages could be nominated as Grand Master. The requirements for the position of Grand Master were extremely high. The Sage had to be at least 60 years of age tomand the respect of all the young sages.

    Sage Tiangang was now in his sixties. While this age might be ordinary among the Sages, it was rtively youngpared to the Deputy Grand Masters. Simrly, a 30-year-old Daoist priest would be considered old in the seventh rank but young in the fifth rank.

    Zhang Yuelu was not even 25 years old yet. ording to an average five-year advancement system, she would ascend to the third rank by 30, the second-rank ordinary Sage at 35, the second-rank Omniscient Sage at 40, and the first-rank Virtuous Great Sage at 45. She would have to wait until she was 50 to be a Deputy Grand Master.

    In reality, it was impossible for advancement to ur every five years. Sage Tiangang only became one of the 36 Sages when he was 50 years old. Ten yearster, he was still in the same position. Aside from some role rotation, Sage Tiangang stayed stagnant in the same rank.

    Without any fortuitous changes, he might still remain in the same position a decadeter. He would probably only ascend to be a Virtuous Great Sage after he turned 80.

    From this perspective, a 60-year-old Deputy Grand Master was considerably young.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s lifelong dream was to wield the Sword of Wisdom and ascend to the second rank. He would be satisfied even if he could not be an Omniscient Sage and was just a regr Sage.

    However, it was extremely difficult for him to reach that level. That was why he called it a dream¡ªit was difficult to achieve, perhaps even impossible.

    On the other hand, it was almost a certainty that Zhang Yuelu would be a Sage. At worst, she would be a regr Sage wielding the Sword of Wisdom. If everything went smoothly, she should ascend to be one of the 36 Omniscient Sages, so her dream was to be the Grand Master.

    What Qi Xuansu aspired to achieve was actually just the starting point for Zhang Yuelu to reach her own goal.

    Qi Xuansu was not a fool. He discerned this fact from Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attitude and words.

    For a moment, both of them fell silent.

    They were strangers who shared a drink and probed each other after meeting again. Some things that neither of them had paid attention to gradually surfaced to form an invisible barrier between them.

    The slight romantic thoughts that Qi Xuansu harbored for Zhang Yuelu disappeared in an instant. He was not a free-spirited wanderer or a reckless libertine. He was just a struggling individual at the bottom rung of the Daoist hierarchy.

    Therefore, for the sake of survival, he would not do anything outrageous, like disregarding ranks or believing that his fate was entirely in his own hands. Those ideas were perhaps liberating and appealing, but they were not possible, at least not at the moment.

    Zhang Yuelu also sensed the subtle shift in the atmosphere between them. She stopped and said, ¡°It looks like our encounter today ends here.¡±

    ¡°Today¡¯s encounter?¡± Qi Xuansu keenly noticed Zhang Yuelu¡¯s choice of words.

    Zhang Yuelu spoke in a mysterious tone, reminiscent of a fortune-teller. ¡°Our fate for this month has yet to end. We shall meet again.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s mind raced. ¡°Are you referring to working together in Tiangang Hall? But I¡¯m not sure if I can get in yet.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu stared intently at Qi Xuansu and said confidently, ¡°I guarantee that you¡¯ll be able to enter the Tiangang Hall. Even Sun Yongfeng can¡¯t object to it.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was shaken. He probed. ¡°As far as I know, the newly appointed Deputy Hall Master is of a simr age to you, Miss Tantai. Are you acquainted with Deputy Hall Master Zhang? Do you intend to put in a good word for me?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu walked away without looking back. ¡°Brother Tian Yuan, if I say you can enter the Tiangang Hall, then you will definitely get a position there.¡±

    Qi Xuansu stood in ce watching Zhang Yuelu¡¯s departing figure, lost in thought.

 Chapter 35: Fish Talisman

    <h4>Chapter 35: Fish Talisman</h4>

    Qi Xuansu left Taiqing Square and walked back to Haichan ce. Just as he entered the North Alley gate, he bumped into his neighbor, a Daoist nun named Cui.

    Qi Xuansu recollected his thoughts and put on a smile. ¡°Hi, Aunt Cui.¡±

    ¡°Little Qi!¡± Nun Cui was startled to see Qi Xuansu. ¡°Someone from the neighborhood office came looking for you. They said someone sent you something and asked you to pick it up at the office. Since you weren¡¯t home, they asked me to pass on the message.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was slightly surprised. ¡°Thank you, Aunt Cui.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. We¡¯re neighbors after all.¡± Nun Cui did not make much small talk with Qi Xuansu and hurried away in an ox cart.

    Qi Xuansu changed his direction and headed toward the neighborhood office.

    <i>Jade Capital had a blockyout. There were no curfews or restrictions on movement within the city. Moreover, the 24 neighborhoods in Jade Capital were vast, equivalent in size to 108 blocks in a typical ancient city.</i>

    <i>The Daoist Order established a neighborhood office in each of the 24 neighborhoods, with the same function as the military offices in the Imperial Capital. They were responsible for patrolling the streets at night, maintaining the cleanliness of the streets and ditches, and enforcing fire bans.</i>

    <i>As time went on, the authority and responsibilities of the neighborhood offices grew. They became responsible for resolving neighborhood conflicts, mediating disputes, issuing certificates, and more. Additionally, the neighborhood offices doubled as post offices. All letters and packages would be delivered to the respective neighborhood office by the Daoist Order¡¯s messengers. Then, they would notify the recipients for collection.</i>

    The neighborhood office was apound with two entrances. After passing through the gate, the first room was where packages were stored for collection. The outer section of the room had a table and chair. A female Daoist disciple sat behind the table, engrossed in reading a colorfully illustrated novel,pletely oblivious to Qi Xuansu¡¯s arrival.

    Qi Xuansu nced at the book. The illustration depicted a dashing young man and a demure youngdy under a willow tree by the river. Judging by the cover, Qi Xuansu figured it was a tale of romance.

    He waited for a while, but when he realized that the female disciple showed no signs of noticing his presence, he reached out and lightly tapped on the table.

    The female disciple finally came to her senses and looked up at Qi Xuansu. She hurriedly ced a bookmark between the pages, closed the book, and asked, ¡°Yes?¡±

    Qi Xuansu spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m here to collect a package for Qi Xuansu.¡±

    ¡°Just a moment.¡± The female disciple got up and went to the inner section of the room. Before long, she returned with a package about the size of a jewelry box. It was wrapped in oiled paper and sealed with wax.

    The sealing wax was made by melting a stick ofcquer on a copper rod over the fire and smearing it on the paper. The package was stamped andbeled for the recipient.

    The female disciple ced the package on the table and said, ¡°Please show your credentials to prevent wrongful collection.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took out his credentials as requested and handed them to the female disciple. After verifying that it matched the name on the package, the female disciple returned the credentials and the package to Qi Xuansu. He thanked her and left the neighborhood office with the package.

    The female disciple paid no attention to this small episode and continued to immerse herself in the novel.

    Upon returning home, Qi Xuansu went straight to the study. He nced at the name on the sealing wax and chuckled when he saw the name¡ªAh Qi.

    Qi Xuansu had been wondering who could have sent him the package, but the name Ah Qi confirmed his spection. Ah Qi was a youthful, feminine name in that era. Qi Xuansu sighed, thinking, <i>Time spares no one. The once-young Ah Qi has eventually be Madam Qi.</i>

    He tore off the wrapping paper of the package, revealing a jewelry box inside with a small lock on it. This type of lock had no key. It resembled a horizontal cylinder that was divided into four parts. Each part had nine characters that could be rotated up and down. Thus, there were 36binations. All four characters had to be aligned correctly to open the lock. After three failed attempts, it would trigger a mechanism to destroy the contents of the box.

    Qi Xuansu contemted for a moment. Based on his understanding of Madam Qi, he sequentially rotated the lock until it spelled out the characters <i>Tian</i>, <i>Xia</i>, <i>Tai</i>, and <i>Ping</i>, which were precisely the characters engraved on the silver Taiping coin.

    The pattern remained unchanged, indicating that the first attempt had failed. Qi Xuansu was slightly surprised by this. He then tried the characters <i>Cheng</i>, <i>Ping</i>, <i>Wu</i>, and <i>You</i>, which were the characters engraved on the gold Wuyou coin.

    Still, no luck.

    Qi Xuansu felt a bit nervous. After pondering for a while, he slowly turned the lock to align with the characters <i>Ping</i>, <i>An</i>, <i>Ru</i>, and <i>Yi</i>, which were the characters engraved on the copper Ruyi coin.

    With a click, the lock opened. The lid of the box opened by itself, revealing twoyers inside. The firstyer contained an envelope with the words ¡°For Tian Yuan¡± written on it. It was signed by Madam Qi.

    Qi Xuansu picked up the envelope and noticed that it was not sealed with wax. Then he pulled out more than ten pages of paper.

    The beautiful handwriting in the letter looked like it was from a doe-eyed youngdy named Ah Qi, rather than the notorious Madam Qi, who killed for money.

    In the letter, Madam Qi mainly discussed three things. The first was the aftermath in Fengtai County. The Qingping Society decided to promote Qi Xuansu from a peripheral member to a regr member. His alias was still Gold-ted Knife and Wei Wugui. He had already umted 600 merits to this day.

    The other two matters were rted to Qi Xuansu¡¯s promotion to a regr member of the Qingping Society.

    Firstly, it was regarding his benefits after his promotion. The mother-child talisman would be distributed to him once a month instead of once a year. Additionally, he would receive 10 Wuyou coins, a Blood Dragon Pill, and a Purple Yang Pill every month, starting in September.

    Secondly, Qi Xuansu would also be qualified to participate in the B-rank gatherings of the Qingping Society. ording to Madam Qi¡¯s exnation, the Qingping Society did not have as strict of a hierarchy as the Daoist Order, with only four ranks: A, B, C, and D.

    D was for peripheral members, C for official members, B for elite members, and A for core members.

    At the moment, Qi Xuansu was in the C-rank, but since he was ced under Madam Qi, who was in the B-rank, he could also participate in B-rank gatherings.

    It was not until now that Qi Xuansu realized there were two types of Qingping Society members: independent members who joined voluntarily and vassal members who were forced to join for various reasons.

    Independent members could only enjoy the treatment corresponding to their own level, but they had autonomy in everything. Qi Xuansu was a vassal member, subordinate to Madam Qi.

    The advantage was that he could enjoy some of Madam Qi¡¯s benefits, such as participating in B-rank gatherings. Madam Qi would also clean up his mess without charging any fees. However, the downside was losing some autonomy, such as in the selection of tasks. Instead, Madam Qi would have full authority over him.

    Qi Xuansu had no objections to this. After all these years, there was nothing particrly bad about this arrangement.

    As for how he would participate in the gatherings, he would need to perform a ritual spell. Madam Qi already sent him the materials required for the spell, along with detailed instructions on how to use them and an itemized bill. All expenses would be deducted from Qi Xuansu¡¯s savings, which he had kept with Madam Qi. At the moment, he only had less than 100 Wuyou coins left.

    Qi Xuansu put down the letter and opened the secondyer of the box.

    The secondpartment was much deeper than the first. It contained two candles, a box of incense sticks, a small vermilion gourd, a stack of nk talisman papers, a box of cinnabar, a vermilion brush, and a fish talisman.

    The fish talisman was Qi Xuansu¡¯s identification token, made by the Qingping Society using special, undisclosed methods. It was unique and categorized by different colors: jade white, golden purple, silver crimson, and copper green. Qi Xuansu¡¯s fish talisman was silver crimson and engraved with his pseudonym, Gold-ted Knife.

    In addition, the fish talisman had two other uses. It could serve as a key to enter gatherings and double as a magical receptacle.

    A magical receptacle was an item capable of holding more capacity than an object of its size could. It allowed one to retrieve objects out of thin air. Depending on its quality, the size of the space within the receptacle varied.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s silver crimson fish talisman had a very small space within, probably not muchrger than the jewelry box Madam Qi sent him. It could only be used to store the materials needed for the ritual spells.

    Ritual spells were needed to enter these gatherings.

    Qi Xuansu patiently waited until midnight before he performed the spell following Madam Qi¡¯s instructions.

    First, he poured out a cup of Imitation Torch Dragon Blood from the vermilion gourd.

    <i>The Torch Dragon was an ancient mountain deity, representing day and night, winter and summer. Its blood had extraordinary uses. However, Torch Dragons were long gone from the mortal realm, and their blood was nowhere to be found. </i>

    <i>Later, the Daoist Order developed the Imitation Torch Dragon Blood. Although its efficacy was only one-tenth that of the real deal, it was still extremely expensive, equivalent to gold on the ck market.</i>

    Qi Xuansu used the Imitation Torch Dragon Blood to draw a yin-yang symbol on the ground, then he ced the ck and white candles on the two dots of the yin-yang symbol before lighting them.

    <i>These candles were not ordinary, either. The ck candle was made from the fat of a Lili, and the white candle was made from the fat of a Feifei. A Lili was a creature resembling a boar with chicken feet. It barked like a dog and was adept at burrowing and making the ground uneven. A Feifei was a creature resembling a roon with a mane and a white tail. People believed that raising it could alleviate one¡¯s worries. These two creatures were rare, exotic beasts.</i>

    <i>The incense sticks, known as the Soul Returning Incense, were also special. ording to legend, there was a Soul Returning Tree in the Kunlun Immortal Realm that resembled a maple and cypress tree, with flowers and leaves that emitted a fragrance so strong that one could smell it for hundreds of miles. Its roots were boiled to extract the juice, which was then refined to make the incense. Since its fragrance could travel for hundreds of miles, it was rumored that its scent could revive a corpse. Hence the name Soul-Returning Incense.</i>

    The Soul-Returning Incense that Madam Qi sent to Qi Xuansu did not possess such miraculous effects. It could only calm the soul. However, it was still extremely expensive, sold at one Wuyou coin per stick.

    These three items were extremely rare and invaluable hundreds of years ago. However, a major upheaval hundreds of years ago brought back many exotic animal materials, which were thought to have vanished along with the Ancient Immortals.

    The Daoist Order was the sole producer of these strictly regted materials. However, the Qingping Society managed to get its hands on them, suggesting that what Zhang Yuelu said about these secretive organizations having covert support from influential figures within the Daoist Order was true.

    Qi Xuansu ced the fish talisman in the center of the yin-yang drawing. He dipped the vermilion brush into the cinnabar and started drawing symbols on the nk talisman paper ording to the patterns provided by Madam Qi.

    The vermilion brush was worth five Wuyou coins. Its handle was made from spotted bamboo, and its tip, made with the tail hair of a Siberian weasel, was bright red. It was highly effective for drawing talismans. Qi Xuansu drew two talismans in one go.

    Finally, he used the incense burner to light up a stick of incense. He then burned the two drawn talisman papers on the ck and white candles, respectively.

    After that, Qi Xuansu closed his eyes and meditated. Before long, he felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him. The candles suddenly extinguished, and the bloodstains on the ground gradually faded away. Only the lingering smoke and the glowing ember from the incense flickering intermittently in the darkness remained.

    Qi Xuansu remained seated in a cross-legged position, his face calm and his breathing steady, as he drifted into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 36: Dream Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 36: Dream Meeting</h4>

    Qi Xuansu felt like he was floating unsteadily and soaring into the sky. Darkness enveloped him, and his surroundings became eerily quiet.

    At that moment, he almost thought that he was about to enter that strange nightmare again. However, this time was different. There were no ck mountains around him, only endless darkness.

    After some time, the darkness transformed into a vast void, with a pce floating not far away. The next moment, Qi Xuansu drifted toward the pce uncontrobly.

    When Qi Xuansu once again felt solid ground beneath his feet, he found himself in an unfamiliar ce.

    It was hard to describe this ce in words. The interior resembled a grand hall, but it was shrouded in smoke. Everything appeared hazy, making it hard to see clearly. There was no ceiling either, only a vast expanse of starry sky.

    Qi Xuansu nced down at himself, his entire body enveloped in thick smoke. At that moment, a figure shrouded in smoke drifted toward him.

    He instinctively took a few steps back, but when he saw the person gesturing to him, he tentatively spoke. ¡°Madam Qi?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Madam Qi¡¯s voice was slightly distorted.

    Qi Xuansu breathed a sigh of relief and asked, ¡°Madam Qi, where are we?¡±

    Madam Qi replied, ¡°This is the B-rank gathering of the Qingping Society.¡±

    Qi Xuansu looked around. ¡°Is this an astral projection?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Madam Qi shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re aware of the Diviner¡¯s Dream Entering Realm, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know about it. The Dream Entering Realm allows the soul to roam and enter other people¡¯s dreams. I¡¯ve heard that some unscrupulous bastards specifically enter women¡¯s dreams to engage in illicit activities upon reaching this realm. When the women wake up, they think they had a wet dream and never suspect foul y.¡±

    Madam Qi reached out and poked Qi Xuansu. ¡°You like hearing those kinds of stories, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Qi Xuansu cleared his throat lightly, pretending not to have heard her.

    Madam Qi exined, ¡°Entering someone else¡¯s dream with the soul is just a rudimentary application of dream entering. After Diviners reach the Ghost Immortal Realm, they can invite others into their dreams, like the widely spread story of <i>The World Inside a Pillow</i>.

    ¡°In the story, Lu Sheng went to the capital to take the imperial exam but failed to make a name for himself. On his way back home, he met a Daoist priest named Lu Weng. Lu Shengined about his impoverished life, so Lu Weng offered him a porcin pillow.

    ¡°As soon as Lu Sheng fell asleep, he dreamed that he had married a beautiful wife from the Cui family of Qinghe County. He passed the imperial exam and got official positions as a magistrate and mayor of Shanzhou. He eventually rose to be the Minister of Finance, the Imperial Censor, and the Chief Secretary. He was also granted the title of Duke of Yan. His five children also held high offices and married into noble families.

    ¡°Lu Sheng lived a life of luxury and prestige, with many children and grandchildren to keep himpany. When he was 80 years old, he fell ill for a long time and finally died. As he took hisst breath, Lu Sheng woke up in shock and sat up. He looked around to find that everything was just as before. The Daoist priest Lu Weng was still sitting beside him, and the steamed millet was still cooking in the pot.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, puzzled. ¡°What does this story have to do with us?¡±

    Madam Qi smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? We¡¯re actually meeting in a dream right now.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was taken aback. ¡°This isn¡¯t an astral projection, but a dream?¡±

    Madam Qi replied, ¡°Exactly. Our souls are still in our own bodies, but, like Lu Sheng, we entered a dream. But this isn¡¯t our dream. It¡¯s someone else¡¯s.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was astounded. ¡°Someone else¡¯s dream? Madam Qi, are you saying that we''re physically in different locations, but through that ritual, we entered someone else¡¯s dream and met up here?¡±

    Madam Qi nodded. ¡°Technically, we first enter our own dreams, then the ritual connects our dreams to this dream realm, like a bridge. We enter this dream realm through the bridge, somewhat simr to the system of neighborhoods. Our own dreams are like individual neighborhoods, while this dream realm is the square that connects all the neighborhoods.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°How many people are in this B-rank gathering?¡±

    Madam Qi thought about it for a moment before she replied, ¡°Probably a few hundred people.¡±

    Qi Xuansu remained silent for a while.

    With so many people¡¯s dreams connected to one dream, what kind of realm did the dream owner have?

    Was this the depth of the power of the Qingping Society?

    Suddenly, Qi Xuansu remembered something and asked, ¡°So, if we say something in this dream realm, won¡¯t the dream owner know about it?¡±

    Madam Qi said, ¡°You could say that, but that¡¯s only if the dream owner is interested in what you say. In general, they wouldn¡¯t care about these things. They just provided this space for the gathering. Besides, I have a feeling that they¡¯re in a very deep sleep. This dream is like a bottomlesske. We¡¯re floating on the surface while the dream owner¡¯s consciousness is submerged deep at the bottom of theke."

    Qi Xuansu asked again, ¡°What if the dream owner wakes up?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with all the questions today?¡± Madam Qi became a bit impatient, but she still exined, ¡°So far, the dream owner has never woken up. They say that he has been sleeping for over a hundred years.¡±

    Madam Qi pointed to the smoke enveloping Qi Xuansu. ¡°Members of the Qingping Society are cautious about revealing their true identities, so everyone uses their alias. Your identity here is marked by the fish talisman you used to enter. Thisyer of smoke serves both as your body in the dream and as a veil to conceal your true appearance.

    ¡°The smokees from the Soul-Returning Incense you ignited, so you can only stay here for as long as the incense burns. I used an incense coil, whichsts longer than your incense stick, but it¡¯s also more expensive.¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally understood this concept and could not help but marvel at the Qingping Society¡¯s ingenious methods. This was a great, foolproof way to cover their tracks. Since they were meeting in a dream rather than an astral projection, not even the formations in the Jade Capital could stop them.

    It was truly unbelievable.

    No wonder the Qingping Society had been singled out by the Daoist Order several times. They were indeed unique and formidable opponents.

    The two of them were in a corner of the grand hall, which had twelve enormous pirs. Each pir was as wide as the arm span of ten adults. It was also so tall that one could not see the end of it as it extended through the starry sky overhead. Madam Qi turned and walked toward one of the pirs.

    Qi Xuansu followed behind Madam Qi and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the purpose of this ce?¡±

    ¡°The Qingping Society isn¡¯t like the Daoist Order. It¡¯s more like a loose alliance. Most members have dual identities and their own secrets to keep, so this ce is primarily used for exchanging intelligence.¡± Madam Qi continued, ¡°Some lone wolves might seek help here when they encounter tricky situations.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded, feeling that this was not particrly relevant to him since Madam Qi would always be his partner, so she would handle such matters.

    He asked again, ¡°Since this is a dream and everything is fake, how would one go about trading goods or making transactions?¡±

    Madam Qi said, ¡°This tests one¡¯s perception. People can get into a deal with others in the dream realm and then make the transactions in the real world. However, misjudgments and double-crossing aremon. That¡¯s why many people opt for a mediator. They usually employ a reliable, reputable intermediary who charges a fairmission. Then they entrust the money and goods to the intermediary, who will deliver them to the respective parties.¡±

    Qi Xuansu scrutinized Madam Qi and added, ¡°Madam Qi, are you one of those intermediaries?¡±

    ¡°I am.¡± Madam Qi smiled. ¡°It¡¯ll be a pity to pass up on such a money-making opportunity. I''m not just a middleman, but I also provide money-lending services. My interest rates are half of those from the Taiping Money Bank. It¡¯s all about the small profits but quick returns.¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally understood how his flying sword was sold. Perhaps even the Divine Dragon Pistol, which almost belonged to him, had also been sold off by Madam Qi.

    Madam Qi thought of something and advised him. ¡°Since this is your first time here, take your time to familiarize yourself with the environment. Don¡¯t rush to interact with others. The materials I bought for you should be enough to perform the ritual spell ten times, so use them sparingly. If you run out, I¡¯ll have them sent to you through a messenger, and I¡¯ll deduct the cost of the materials from your savings.¡±

    This messenger was simr to the imperial courier or postman. It acted as a ry station for the Daoist Order, which was responsible for sending letters, items, and messages. It was open to the public, but like the flying ships, they charged fees for their services.

    During their conversation, they arrived at the colossal pir. Qi Xuansu noticed a gigantic hourss that was as tall as two people standing on top of each other.

    The hourss, like a sundial, was used for timekeeping.

    Madam Qi pointed to the hourss and exined, ¡°Time in the dream realm differs from reality, so you can¡¯t rely solely on your intuition. That¡¯s why we look at this as a reference. Also, Ie here on the 1st and 15th of every month. If you need to find me, you cane on those days. If it¡¯s urgent, use the mother-child talisman to contact me.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded to indicate that he understood.

    Madam Qi nced at the hourss. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to go back.¡±

    ¡°How do I go back?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Madam Qi replied, ¡°The same way you end your meditation. Just wake up as you normally would.¡±

    Qi Xuansu understood and severed his connection with the dream realm as instructed. In an instant, everything around him receded like a tide. Madam Qi and the grand hall became blurry and eventually disappeared like bubbles in water.

    He once again felt as light as a feather. His surroundings became incredibly quiet, devoid of any sound. Then he quickly descended back to the ground. He woke up abruptly and found himself in the study, but he had a slight headache, as if he were recovering from a hangover.

    The incense in the censer was almostpletely burned out, leaving only a pile of fragrant ash.

    The two candles¡ªone ck and one white¡ªhad been extinguished at some point. But they had minimal wax drippings, indicating that they did not burn for long. Underneath the candle holders were the ashes from the burned talismans.

    What surprised Qi Xuansu was that the intricate diagram he drew with the Imitation Torch Dragon Blood had disappeared without a trace, as if it had never existed. All that was left was his silver crimson fish talisman lying between the two candles.

    Qi Xuansu looked around and made sure no one had entered the room before gathering all the equipment and materials into the fish talisman receptacle and keeping it in his pocket.

 Chapter 37: Mid-Autumn

    <h4>Chapter 37: Mid-Autumn</h4>

    In the following two weeks, Qi Xuansu was afraid of bumping into Zhang Yuelu again, so he stayed at home. Besides reading bulletins, he improved his cultivation using the conventional path of Rogue Cultivators. However, he was still far from reaching the Yuding Realm.

    His days were somewhat dull. The only good news was that his injuries had mostly healed, and he no longer needed to drink medicinal soup.

    In the blink of an eye, it was already the Mid-Autumn Festival, which fell on August 15th.

    <i>In the secr world below Kunlun Mountain, this was an important festival, second only to the Lunar New Year. However, the Daoist Order did not really celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.</i>

    <i>The Daoist Order had three major festivals, which were the Shangyuan Festival (the Heaven Celestial¡¯s birthday) on January 15th, the Zhongyuan Festival (the Earth Celestial¡¯s birthday) on July 15th, and the Xiayuan Festival (the Water Celestial¡¯s birthday) on October 15th.</i>

    <i>These three days were devoted to worshiping the Heavens. The Sages and Great Sages would fast, bathe, and offer prayers to the Heavens in a grand ritual.</i>

    <i>August 15th was between July 15th and October 15th, so it was somewhat awkward. Moreover, since many in the Daoistmunity were orphans without parents, the Mid-Autumn Festival¡ªtypically a day of family reunion¡ªwas not widely celebrated in the Jade Capital.</i>

    Qi Xuansu went out and bought a jar of wine, some cooked dishes, a small bundle of ordinary incense, and a stack of paper money before heading outside the city.

    Outside Jade Capital, it was bone-piercingly cold with the harsh wind and snow.

    Jade Capital was situated on the east side of the vast Yuxu Peak. Ten kilometers below the Jade Capital, on the west side of Yuxu Peak, was arge cemetery. Back then, Madam Qi helped bury Qi Xuansu¡¯s master there after she had retrieved his body.

    The mountain path was difficult to traverse, but the Daoistmunity managed to carve out a rtively t brick road through human efforts. This road, nked by a metal railing, was as wide as two horses standing side by side, and it led straight to the cemetery. Therefore, the ten-kilometer journey was not considered long.

    Qi Xuansu braved the wind and snow to get to his master¡¯s grave.

    The tombstone in front of the grave simply read, ¡°Here Lies Qi Haoran,¡± without an epitaph. It was written in Madam Qi¡¯s elegant handwriting.

    As Qi Xuansu mentioned before, he was too young to understand his master¡¯s social connections orworks before his master died. He only knew that his master was originally from the Quanzhen Sect. But for some unknown reason, his master waster affiliated with the Zhengyi Sect and became a disciple of the Zhengyi Sect.

    Qi Haoran did not have any other disciples or a wife. During the days when his master took Qi Xuansu in, the two of them relied on each other for survival.

    In Qi Xuansu¡¯s memory, his master was not a hero with unwavering loyalty, a rigid and upright gentleman, or even a carefree and adventurous wanderer. Instead, his master was aid-back and ordinary middle-aged man, burdened with various troubles and devoid of the impetuosity of youth. Qi Haoran was neither free-spirited nor particrly joyful.

    That was why Qi Xuansu remembered how much his master enjoyed drinking. Qi Haoran was not addicted to alcohol. He simply enjoyed the feeling of being drunk because it helped him forget all his troubles. Being drunk could eliminate a thousand worries.

    Moreover, Qi Haoran was a well-behaved drunk. He would just sit alone and gaze at the sky while murmuring drunken words that no one else could hear.

    Qi Xuansu was young at the time, so he did not quite understand his master¡¯s mentality. He only remembered his master¡¯s expression before his death, which waspletely different from usual. When his master was covered in blood, taking hisst breath, his expression was fierce, and his voice was resounding like thunder.

    His final word, ¡°Run!¡± still echoes in Qi Xuansu¡¯s ears to this day.

    Qi Xuansu would never forget this in his lifetime.

    He first ced the cooked food in front of his master¡¯s grave, then ced the jar of wine, which cost him one Taiping coin, in the middle. He was not sure how good this wine was, but after opening the seal, he could smell the strong aroma.

    For the past few years, Qi Xuansu had not had the opportunity to visit his master¡¯s grave because he lived in the Central ins. It would take at least two months to travel to Kunlun and back bynd. Although flying ships were faster, they were too expensive. A one-way trip cost 100 Taiping coins, which Qi Xuansu could not afford.

    Qi Xuansu lit the incense and stuck it into the ground in front of the grave, then he added some soil to the mound.

    He sat in front of the grave and stared at the burning incense. ¡°Master, I have avenged you. They say ten years is not toote for a gentleman to take revenge, but I took ten months. I wasn''t so capable of getting revenge on my own, though. I was just lucky enough to have met Madam Qi. She was the one who helped bury you.

    ¡°Speaking of which, Madam Qi is our benefactor. Actually, I had this thought once, but I never dared mention it to Madam Qi. If you hadn¡¯t died, I think you and Madam Qi would have been quitepatible. If you had married her, we would have repaid her favor. As the saying goes, there is no way to repay a life debt except by offering oneself.

    ¡°If you had married Madam Qi, the debt of gratitude between us would have been considered repaid. After all, we would be considered family then. I¡¯m just joking, Master. Please don¡¯t be angry. Since you can¡¯t repay her, it¡¯s only natural for me, as your disciple, to do it. But you¡¯ll never guess how. I¡¯ve also sold myself to bury you, Master. I¡¯ve not only buried you, but I¡¯ve also avenged you. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a good bargain?

    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t get into the details. It¡¯s August 15th, and the full moon today symbolizes family reunions. You and I haven¡¯t properly celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival for many years, so let¡¯s celebrate it today over some drinks.¡±

    The wind on the mountain was strong. Even though he bundled more than ten sticks of incense together, it quickly burned out.

    Qi Xuansu stood up, poured the wine from the jar onto the ground, and then rubbed three fingers together, igniting the paper money he brought. As the paper money burned out, it turned into ck ashes and was scattered in the wind.

    After a while, he got up and left the cemetery, walking back toward Jade Capital along the path he had taken. When Qi Xuansu returned to Jade Capital, it was nearing dusk. By the time he reached his residence in Haichan ce, thenterns had already been lit.

    That was how he spent the day during the Mid-Autumn Festival of the 41st year of the Jiushi Era. Qi Xuansu did not attend the dream meeting, nor did he meditate or cultivate. Instead, he slept.

    The next day was August 16th, the day he had been waiting for. Qi Xuansu got up early and changed into the formal attire of a seventh-rank Daoist priest¡ªa hechang, square-tipped boots, and a Xiaoyao headdress. He took the credentials Sun Yongfeng had given him and left his home before dawn. Leaving Haichan ce, Qi Xuansu walked along the north-south Shangqing Street toward Xuan City.

    Xuan City, situated in the Jade Capital, was the birthce of the Daoist Ancestral Court. It was also known as the Heavenly White Jade Capital.

    The Daoistmunity liked to refer to the outer city as Jade Capital and the inner city as Xuan City.

    The Nine Halls were located in Xuan City, and the Purple Mansion was the residence of the Grand Master, simr to the Imperial Pce. Daoist priests below the fourth rank were not allowed to enter without permission.

    By dawn, Qi Xuansu had arrived at the gate of Xuan City.

    As Xuan City housed the Nine Halls and the residences of some high-ranking Daoist priests, the security checks at the gates were extremely strict. Generally, low-ranking Daoist priests would not enter Xuan City without reason.

    Qi Xuansu followed the sparse crowd toward the city gate. In front of him was a tall man carrying a one-meter-long ive. The de was curved like a crescent moon, but the pole was shorter than a typical ive.

    The mostmonly used weapons among the Daoistmunity were swords. Qi Xuansu¡¯s weapon was a spiritual short sword. While there were other types of ded weapons, the moremon ones were ring-pommel sabers, straight sabers, or goose feather sabers. This kind of broad-ded ive was extremely rare.

    The tall man took out an insignia and handed it to the armored Spirit Guard.

    <i>Spirit Guards served as guardians of the Daoist city gates. They had corresponding ranks to Daoist priests, but their status was lower than that of Daoist priests of the same rank. Within the Daoist Order, they were generally considered one rank lower than Daoist priests.</i>

    <i>All these Spirit Guards were of the sixth rank, which was equivalent to seventh-rank Daoist priests and inferior to sixth-rank Daoist priests.</i>

    <i>The highest rank for these Spirit Guards was first-rank, which fell under themand of first-rank Great Sages and was equivalent in status to a second-rank sage. However, they would not qualify to be the Grand Master.</i>

    After inspecting the insignia, the Spirit Guard nced at the man¡¯s broad-ded ive and pointed at it with his spear.

    The tall man did not utter a word and drew his ive, shing a chilling glint. The de was so shiny that it could reflect one¡¯s face. There was even a thinyer of frost forming on the edge.

    The Spirit Guard scrutinized it and spoke in a slightly distorted voice from under the helmet. ¡°Put it away.¡±

    The tall man showed a hint of displeasure as he slowly sheathed the ive into its leather scabbard. The Spirit Guard then waved his hand, which was wrapped in a gauntlet, signaling the tall man to enter Xuan City.

    The tall man stared at the Spirit Guard before striding into the city.

    When it was Qi Xuansu¡¯s turn, he handed over his insignia and took off the short sword at his waist. The Spirit Guard inspected his insignia and made no move to check his short sword, only signaling for Qi Xuansu to enter the city.

    Qi Xuansu smiled faintly and put away his short sword before walking inside. The control of weapons in Xuan City was not very strict, as it was left up to the Spirit Guards to decide. Not everyone could perceive the restrained killing aura emanating from Qi Xuansu, as Zhang Yuelu could.

    At first nce, Qi Xuansu seemed more like a harmless ¡°flowerbed¡± Daoist priest. On the other hand, the tall man, with his sharp edges and domineering aura, clearly did not seem friendly. That was the reason for the differential treatment. The tall man had walked some distance ahead, but he happened to turn back to this scene, so he scowled at Qi Xuansu.

    This was Qi Xuansu¡¯s first visit to Xuan City. Compared to the grid-like structure of Jade Capital, Xuan City¡¯syout was in the shape of arge square enclosing a smaller square, simr to the Imperial Capital. It was easy for neers to get lost.

    Fortunately, the famous Tiangang Hall was not hard to find.

    Qi Xuansu followed the main road northward within the city, turned left after passing through the Nanhua Gate, went past the Yang Temple, and exited from the Daode Gate to reach Gushen Square. The buildings on the left side of the square belonged to Tiangang Hall.

    Tiangang Hall had a Hall Master who was appointed from among the second-rank Omniscient Sages in the Golden Tower Council. There were also nine Deputy Hall Masters. The Chief Deputy Hall Master was also a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master whocked the qualifications to be on the Golden Tower Council. The other Deputy Hall Masters held simr positions but varied in rank, mostly being third-rank Youyi Daoist priests.

    The lowest-ranking Deputy Hall Master was Zhang Yuelu, who had just been promoted to the position while still maintaining the fourth rank.

    Although she was at the same level as the other officials, considering her age and the fact that she was appointed by the Deputy Grand Master, she was more eye-catching than many third-rank Daoist masters.

    Usually, unless there was a major event, the Hall Master and the Chief Deputy Hall Master would not be present in Tiangang Hall. Instead, the various deputy hall masters who stayed in Jade Capital would take turns being on duty. That day was Zhang Yuelu¡¯s turn. In the meantime, she would be inspecting her future subordinates.

 Chapter 38: Make the Best of a Mistake

    <h4>Chapter 38: Make the Best of a Mistake</h4>

    At this time, there was a crowd gathered in front of the gates of Tiangang Hall. Qi Xuansu found that the tall man with the ive was also there, but the man did not interact with other people. He stood alone with his arms folded at his chest, and his eyes were closed.

    As if sensing Qi Xuansu¡¯s gaze, the tall man opened his eyes and stared back at Qi Xuansu, who smiled slightly and looked away.

    There was a sundial ced on one side of the gate of Tiangang Hall, with the hour marked, which meant that the door would open in another hour.

    Qi Xuansu found a quiet corner and waited patiently.

    Not long after, Qi Xuansu was startled to feel someone tapping him on the shoulder.

    As someone who was ustomed to traveling the world, Qi Xuansu was extremely vignt. Thus, it was impossible for someone with the same cultivation level to approach him and tap his shoulder without him noticing. This indicated that the person¡¯s cultivation level was far above his.

    Qi Xuansu turned around and saw Zhang Yuelu standing beside him.

    However, Zhang Yuelu looked a little different than usual. This time, she wore a hechang, round-tipped boots, and a Chunyang headdress¡ªthe formal attire of fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters.

    Qi Xuansu was somewhat surprised, but somehow, everything clicked. He smiled helplessly upon the realization.

    Zhang Yuelu smiled back at him. ¡°Brother Tian Yuan, you don¡¯t seem to be very surprised.¡±

    Qi Xuansu answered truthfully, ¡°That day, when you said that I would be able to get into Tiangang Hall, I pondered about it for a while. Your confident tone, age, and gender matched those of the new Deputy Hall Master, so there was only one possibility.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu asked knowingly. ¡°Which is?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°Miss Tantai, you¡¯re the Deputy Hall Master Zhang of Tiangang Hall.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu smiled slightly. ¡°It is said that friendship is based on sincerity. Brother Tian Yuan, do you think I deliberately deceived you? To be honest, Tantai is my mother¡¯sst name, and she named me Tantai Chu. I use this name in private, so if you want, you may continue addressing me as Miss Tantai in the future.¡±

    While the two were talking, others also noticed Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attire as that of a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master. They were all a little surprised.

    The identity of this young woman at the fourth rank who appeared outside the gates of Tiangang Hall was self-evident. She was undoubtedly the new Deputy Hall Master, Zhang Yuelu. But who was the seventh-rank Daoist priest who looked like he was familiar with Zhang Yuelu? Was he a young master of a prominent family?

    After all, everyone wore formal uniforms disying their rank, so it was difficult to tell where someone was from based on their clothes. They could only guess blindly at this point. For a while, everyone had various spections.

    Some guessed that Qi Xuansu was from the Zhang family, born in the Dazhen Mansion, and was Zhang Yuelu¡¯s childhood sweetheart. Some spected that Qi Xuansu was from the Li family, a direct descendant of the Holy Xuan, more noble in status than Li Tianzhen, who was a direct descendant of Li Donghuang.

    Some people thought that Qi Xuansu was not from the prominent Zhang and Li families but the son of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s family friend. What was even more outrageous was that some people even associated Qi Xuansu with the royal family.

    Although Qi Xuansu was unaware of everyone¡¯s thoughts, he could feel the various gazes falling on him, including envy, jealousy, hatred, contempt, and ttery. This feeling was not pleasant.

    Qi Xuansu even suspected that Zhang Yuelu deliberately put him on the spot. Previously, Qi Xuansu could not figure out how he had exposed his w, which captured Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attention.

    At this moment, it was as clear as day to him. Their chance encounter was the one that attracted her attention. Zhang Yuelu remembered Qi Xuansu¡¯s name, so when she saw the list submitted by Sun Yongfeng, his name naturally caught her eye.

    At first nce, many things did not seem problematic. As long as they did not attract special attention from others, there would be no issues. But if one examined it carefully, one would find loopholes. With his status, how could he stand in front of everyone so openly?

    At this moment, an ox cart slowly came to a stop. Someone dressed like a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master got out of the car. It was Sun Yongfeng, who had received a bribe of 200 Taiping coins from Qi Xuansu.

    For a fourth-rank Daoist priest, 200 Taiping coins was not a big sum. However, Sun Yongfeng did not just receive money from Qi Xuansu alone. After umting all the bribes he received, it was a sizable sum.

    From July 15th to August 15th, Sun Yongfeng was in a good mood because he had full pockets. He was thinking about buying a residence in Xuan City so that it would be more convenient for him to be on duty in the future.

    But Sun Yongfeng did not expect to see Zhang Yuelu already one step ahead of him. His expression tightened as he hurried toward Zhang Yuelu.

    Although they were both of the same rank, their positions were different. Just like an Omniscient Sage and an ordinary Sage, who were both second-rank Taiyi Daoist priests but had vastly different statuses.

    Zhang Yuelu did not even need topare their age, potential, or backing. She could suppress him in official matters alone.

    ¡°Deputy Hall Master.¡± Sun Yongfeng bowed to Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu epted his bow and did not return the greeting. She said with a faint smile, ¡°Superintendent Sun, I can¡¯t thank you enough for recruiting so many talented people for me.¡±

    Sun Yongfeng heard something off in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s tone and subconsciously raised his head to look at her. That was when he noticed Qi Xuansu standing next to Zhang Yuelu.

    Qi Xuansu lowered his head when Sun Yongfeng showed up, so thetter failed to notice him at first. This time, Qi Xuansu could no longer hide. He just coughed awkwardly and looked away.

    Sun Yongfeng was a veteran, so he understood the situation in an instant. For a moment, he felt a chill on his back and became speechless.

    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Zhang Yuelu still showed Sun Yongfeng basic respect. She nced at the sundial on the side of the gate and said calmly, ¡°Superintendent Sun, get ready to start.¡±

    Sun Yongfeng responded quickly. ¡°Yes, Deputy Hall Master.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu looked at Qi Xuansu again and said softly, ¡°Brother Tian Yuan,e with me.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had no choice but to follow Zhang Yuelu toward the main entrance of Tiangang Hall. For a moment, everyone¡¯s eyes were fixated on him and Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu was calm, but Qi Xuansu felt like his back was burning from the intensity of everyone¡¯s gazes.

    Only then did Sun Yongfeng take out a white handkerchief from his sleeve to gently wipe the sweat on his forehead. At the same time, he cursed Qi Xuansu, thinking, <i>Since he knows the Deputy Hall Master, why can¡¯t he go straight to her? Why bothering through me? He¡¯s just making me look bad!</i>

    Then a thought struck him. <i>Could this be Zhang Yuelu¡¯s trap for me?! First using Qi Xuansu to bait me into epting bribes, but waiting for the perfect moment to punish me.</i>

    Sun Yongfeng felt like a sharp sword was dangling over his head.

    Although the Deputy Hall Master had no power to remove a superintendent, Zhang Yuelu could hand over the evidence of Sun Yongfeng''s vitions to Beichen Hall. That would get him in trouble. Not to mention, Zhang Yuelu was originally from Beichen Hall.

    This way, Sun Yongfeng would have no room for excuses in the future and could only obey her orders.

    Thinking of this, Sun Yongfeng no longer dared to underestimate the young Deputy Hall Master based on his seniority. He put away the thoughts of revenge and began to think about how to butter up Qi Xuansu. After all, if Qi Xuansu could help Zhang Yuelu execute this trap, he must be her confidant.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu did not know that Sun Yongfeng thought of him as Zhang Yuelu¡¯s confidant. However, he managed to guess Zhang Yuelu¡¯s intentions. Zhang Yuelu was new to Tiangang Hall and was too young to have established herself. She needed to build her own inner circle from this pool of neers. That way, she could gain a firm footing in Tiangang Hall. It was obvious that Zhang Yuelu had ns to make Qi Xuansu her confidant.

    Zhang Yuelu came to the main entrance of Tiangang Hall. Two Spirit Guards in full armor slowly opened the heavy bronze doors. Behind the door was a huge courtyard, with the main hall to the north, the duty room on the west, and the official study on the east.

    She walked straight to the duty room to the west, and Qi Xuansu had no choice but to trail behind her. Others did not have such treatment and had to wait patiently outside.

    When the duo entered the duty room, Qi Xuansu could not help but ask, ¡°Deputy¡ªMiss Tantai, don¡¯t you want to interview me first?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Zhang Yuelu walked to the desk and sat down.

    Qi Xuansu hesitated before asking, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu took off her Chunyang headdress and ced it on the table. She said with a smile, ¡°I have already interviewed you as early as August 1st. Have you forgotten?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was taken aback. ¡°That counts? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too casual?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu interrupted him in a tone that left no room for discussion. ¡°Whatever I say goes.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was speechless. He could not refute a senior official so many ranks higher than him.

    Zhang Yuelu continued, ¡°Brother Tian Yuan, you and I are old acquaintances, so I won¡¯t beat around the bush. This time, with my new position as Deputy Hall Master, I was assigned two superintendents, six deacons, and other subordinates.

    ¡°The candidate for the Deputy Hall Master was decided by the Great Sage, and the positions for the superintendents were decided by the Hall Master. Choosing the deacons is up to me, as the Deputy Hall Master. Other lower-ranking candidates will be decided by the superintendents. In other words, I have six deacon positions to fill, and I want you to serve as one of them. Brother Tian Yuan, are you willing to take on the role?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was moved, but he did not rush to agree. ¡°In theory, a deacon of the Nine Halls should be a fifth-rank or a sixth-rank Daoist priest. I am only a seventh-rank Daoist priest. I¡¯m afraid that¡ª¡±

    Zhang Yuelu chuckled and interrupted him. ¡°By your logic, a Deputy Hall Master should be a second-rank or third-rank Daoist priest. I¡¯m only a fourth-rank Daoist priest, so are you saying that I shouldn¡¯t be the Deputy Hall Master?¡±

    Qi Xuansu quickly responded, ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±

    ¡°Since I can be a Deputy Hall Master, you can be a deacon. There¡¯s just one thing. I¡¯m only giving you a title. Whether the people will obey you depends on your own capability.¡±

    Qi Xuansu looked hesitant.

    Zhang Yuelu raised her voice slightly. ¡°Brother Tian Yuan, don¡¯t act like a flowerbed Daoist priest in front of me. I know you used to fight for a living, so there¡¯s no need for you to pretend to be intimidated by me.¡±

    Speaking of this, Qi Xuansu could only agree. He smiled bitterly and thought, <i>This new boss is clearly not as easygoing as Madam Qi.</i>

 Chapter 39: Provocation

    <h4>Chapter 39: Provocation</h4>

    After Qi Xuansu agreed to take on the role of deacon, Zhang Yuelu asked him to leave while she interviewed the other candidates.

    When he left the duty room, he happened to bump into someone who was preparing for the interview. It was the sixth-rank Daoist priest carrying the ive.

    Qi Xuansu smiled slightly at him. However, the man looked disdainfully at Qi Xuansu and strode right into the duty room. Qi Xuansu did not mind this and was about to leave when Sun Yongfeng came up to him.

    Before Qi Xuansu could speak, Sun Yongfeng gave him a fist-and-palm salute. ¡°Brother Qi, can we have a word in private?¡±

    Qi Xuansu hesitated slightly and nodded.

    The Hall Master and Deputy Hall Master had dedicated, independent courtyards. The superintendents, deacons, and other subordinates also stayed there when they were on official duty.

    The independent courtyard that Zhang Yuelu resided in was called the Yaoguang Pavilion. Zhang Yuelu, as the Deputy Hall Master, upied the main hall. Sun Yongfeng, the superintendent, was assigned to the hall next to Zhang Yuelu. However, Zhang Yuelu was on duty, so the door to the main hall was locked at the moment.

    ording to the rules, every deacon was entitled to one room. The superintendent had two rooms, and the Deputy Hall Master had four rooms. The rest of the subordinates shared arge room.

    Sun Yongfeng invited Qi Xuansu into the inner room and ordered the Daoist attendant on duty to serve them tea. Then he asked Qi Xuansu to take a seat. It was a world of differencepared to his treatment of Qi Xuansu in theirst meeting at his residence.

    After they sat down, Sun Yongfeng calmly ced tworge cash notes worth 100 Taiping coins each on the small tea table between them.

    Qi Xuansu nced at it and said, ¡°Mage Sun, this is¡ª¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to address me so formally.¡± Sun Yongfeng chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m a few years older, so you can call me Brother Sun, just as I call you Brother Qi.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not dare to take this seriously. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. I¡¯ll address you as Superintendent Sun, then. The Deputy Hall Master prefers us to address each other by our positions in formal situations. But in private, I can address you as Brother Sun.¡±

    Sun Yongfeng nodded and said, ¡°Speaking of the Deputy Hall Master, I wonder what your rtionship is with her.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had expected this. He knew that Zhang Yuelu¡¯s move earlier had pushed him to the forefront, so he did not have to be humble when he could use her name as a backing. It would be a waste if he stupidly admitted that he had just met Zhang Yuelu. That way, Zhang Yuelu would gain all the benefits while he had to bear all the disadvantages.

    Qi Xuansu pondered for a while before he said, ¡°We¡¯re just ordinary friends.¡±

    Sun Yongfeng was a cunning fox. If Qi Xuansu had said that they were close friends, he would not have believed it. But hearing Qi Xuansu say that they were just ordinary friends, Sun Yongfeng was less doubtful.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu was not lying when he said this. Zhang Yuelu was the one who mentioned that they were friends in theirst meeting.

    Sun Yongfeng observed Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression, trying to discern something from it. ¡°Brother Qi, since you and the Deputy Hall Master are old acquaintances, why bother asking me for a rmendation?¡±

    Qi Xuansu quickly brushed it off by saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Superintendent Sun, but I had no choice in the matter.¡±

    Sun Yongfeng had suspected that Zhang Yuelu instigated Qi Xuansu to set a trap for him. Hearing this, Sun Yongfeng felt that his suspicion was confirmed and became more convinced that it was indeed a trap.

    Qi Xuansu stretched out his hand to hold down the two cash notes on the table and slowly pushed them in front of Sun Yongfeng. ¡°Please ept this as my apology, Superintendent Sun.¡±

    A slight smile appeared on Sun Yongfeng¡¯s face. He did not reject Qi Xuansu¡¯s kindness. Instead, he felt that Qi Xuansu was someone worth making friends with.

    Qi Xuansu was disheartened that he had lost 200 Taiping coins. However, he had to ??make the best use of this. He added, ¡°I have one more thing that I would like to ask you, Superintendent Sun.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Sun Yongfeng was slightly startled.

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°When I came out of the duty room, I met a man with a rather unkind expression. I wonder where he is from.¡±

    Sun Yongfeng had a good memory. ¡°His name is Xu Kou, a sixth-rank Daoist priest. He¡¯s a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Flesh and Blood Realm, nicknamed Little Yama. He was once a major of the Green Phoenix Guard, but heter joined the Daoist Order and worked in the Qizhou Daoist Mansion. He was demoted to a seventh-rank Daoist priest for torturing a prisoner to death.

    ¡°Later, he captured a leader of the Qingping Society and was promoted to a sixth-rank Daoist priest again due to his merits. If he shes with you, you should just bear with him. After all, he¡¯s of sixth rank and a brute. He also has the backing of the Qizhou Daoist Mansion, so he¡¯s not one to be messed with.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your information, Superintendent Sun.¡± Qi Xuansu looked surprised, but his heart was in turmoil.

    That man had once captured a leader of the Qingping Society.

    In the Qingping Society, a D-rank member was only a peripheral member, a C-rank member was a regr member, and a B-rank member was considered a leader. Madam Qi was a B-rank member.

    Madam Qi once killed the sixth-rank Daoist priest, Zhuge Yongming, with one move. Although it was a sneak attack, it was clear how much stronger Madam Qi waspared to Qi Xuansu. If Xu Kou could capture a B-rank member of the Qingping Society, he either had a high cultivation level or a strong backer to mobilize enough manpower.

    No matter what, Xu Kou was indeed a difficult person to deal with.

    At this moment, Sun Yongfeng¡¯s Daoist attendant came over to report that the Deputy Hall Master requested his presence.

    Thus, Qi Xuansu stood up and bid him goodbye. ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t bother you any longer.¡±

    Since Zhang Yuelu had something on Sun Yongfeng, he did not dare to neglect the Deputy Hall Master, nor did he try to retain Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu left Yaoguang Pavilion but did not leave Tiangang Hall. After all, he had been appointed as one of the six deacons. After Zhang Yuelupleted the interviews, she would gather everyone to announce the official appointments.

    With some time on his hands, Qi Xuansu found a ce under the shade of a tree and waited patiently. During this time, a few people came over to make friends with him because they saw how close he was to the Deputy Hall Master, Zhang Yuelu.

    When Qi Xuansu was not killing people, he was a talkative and friendly person. He was like a knife ced in its sheath, without a sharp edge, as he entertained those people politely.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s interviews finally came to an end in the afternoon. More than 30 people were eliminated, not including the superintendent and deacons. Only 72 people were left, with 12 people serving each deacon.

    The Deputy Hall Master did not rest after the interviews and immediately summoned everyone to Yaoguang Pavilion.

    Qi Xuansu followed the crowd there.

    In the courtyard of Yaoguang Pavilion, Zhang Yuelu first introduced the two superintendents who were appointed by the Hall Master. One of them was Sun Yongfeng, while the other was Lingquanzi. Lingquanzi was a Daoist nickname, not his real name. Both of them were fourth-rank Daoist priests, but Sun Yongfeng was the Left Superintendent and had a higher status.

    Below them were the six deacons appointed by Zhang Yuelu herself.

    As a seventh-rank Daoist priest, Qi Xuansu held the lowest rank among the six deacons. The others were all in the sixth rank, and there was even a fifth-rank deacon.

    However, to Qi Xuansu¡¯s surprise, everyone had expected this result. Many of them even nodded knowingly, as if they had predicted that Qi Xuansu would be appointed as a deacon.

    Qi Xuansu smiled helplessly. This confirmed his identity as Zhang Yuelu¡¯s confidant. The advantage was that people would fear him and would not dare provoke him. The disadvantage was that they would stay away from him. After all, another nickname for the boss¡¯s confidant was the henchman.

    After announcing Qi Xuansu¡¯s appointment, Zhang Yuelu announced Xu Kou¡¯s.

    Based on Xu Kou¡¯s ability and qualifications, he could have been promoted to the fifth rank long ago. However, he stayed at the sixth rank because he made too many mistakes. Thus, being a deacon was a reasonable position for him.

    Even though they were both deacons, Xu Kou still looked down on Qi Xuansu.

    It was amusing how people¡¯s fates intertwined. If Qi Xuansu had just met Zhang Yuelu today, then Zhang Yuelu would not have noticed Qi Xuansu. However, the two of them attended some stranger¡¯s wedding ceremony and drank together without knowing each other¡¯s true identities. That small episode brought them closer than ever before.

    In the same way, if Qi Xuansu had met Xu Kou outside the Jade Capital, they might have befriended each other. However, the first time they met was at the gates of Xuan City. The Spirit Guard¡¯s discrimination against Xu Kou, coupled with Zhang Yuelu¡¯s favoritism toward Qi Xuansu, made Xu Kou form a prejudice against Qi Xuansu.

    Zhang Yuelu did not rush to announce the candidates for the other four deacons. ¡°Deacon Qi and Deacon Xu are two candidates that I am extremely optimistic about. I hope you two can work well together in the future.¡±

    Qi Xuansu saluted Xu Kou, but thetter merely nced sideways at him.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Deacon Xu, do you have an eye problem? Why can¡¯t you look straight ahead? Please don¡¯t get offended by my questions because I am merely worried that you''re visually impaired. It¡¯ll be a pity if you identally sh me with a knife in the future.¡±

    As soon as he said this, several people almostughed out loud. However, they did not dare to offend Xu Kou, so they quickly lowered their heads and stifled theirughter, but their shoulders were shaking from trying to suppress giggles.

    Even Zhang Yuelu curled her lips, feeling amused.

    Everyone could tell that the Little Yama was a tough person to deal with. Zhang Yuelu appreciated his talent, but she did not like his temper and style.

    Xu Kou did not show his anger, but he finally looked Qi Xuansu straight in the eye, the way he would look at an enemy. ¡°Are you courting death?¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°So, you can see normally. Why are you so snobbish, then? You can be frank with what you dislike about me.¡±

    Xu Kou narrowed his eyes and sized Qi Xuansu up. ¡°How can a seventh-rank Daoist priest be a deacon? Happy now?¡±

    ¡°Ecstatic.¡± Qi Xuansu nodded, then nced at Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu told Qi Xuansu that he had to convince the crowd based on his own capability, but the ¡°crowd¡± referred to the group of subordinates, not his peers and superiors.

    Xu Kou was also a deacon, not Qi Xuansu¡¯s subordinate. In terms of rank, Xu Kou was also one rank higher than Qi Xuansu, so he was not considered part of the ¡°crowd.¡±

    Since Zhang Yuelu wanted Qi Xuansu to be his confidant, she had to give him some support as well.

    Zhang Yuelu quietly red at Qi Xuansu. In the end, she stated, ¡°I appointed Qi Xuansu as a deacon. Deacon Xu, are you questioning my decision?¡±

 Chapter 40: Xu Kou

    <h4>Chapter 40: Xu Kou</h4>

    Xu Kou looked straight at Zhang Yuelu, unyielding and even a bit aggressive.

    Sun Yongfeng lowered his head slightly, secretly gloating about the situation. <i>This Deputy Hall Master is no pushover, so Xu Kou will probably suffer some hardships if he provokes her.</i>

    However, as the superintendent, Sun Yongfeng was also happy to see the newly-appointed Deputy Hall Master get humiliated. Regardless of the oue, Sun Yongfeng would not suffer any losses.

    After a moment, Xu Kou retorted, ¡°Can¡¯t the Deputy Hall Master¡¯s decision be questioned?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not get mad. She spoke calmly. ¡°Of course, you can have an opinion, but you must obey my decisions. I know that you¡¯re from the Qizhou Daoist Mansion and that Sage Qingwei appreciates your style and thinks highly of you. But this isn¡¯t the Qizhou Daoist Mansion, and I am not Sage Qingwei.¡±

    Xu Kouughed. ¡°Sage Qingwei might not think so.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu suddenly turned to Sun Yongfeng and asked, ¡°Superintendent Sun, who has the final say in Yaoguang Pavilion? Is it the Tiangang Hall or the Qizhou Daoist Mansion?¡±

    Sun Yongfeng coughed lightly. ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s Tiangang Hall. But Sage Qingwei is one of the 36 Omniscient Sages and is poised to be the next Great Sage of the Taiping Sect. Naturally, Sage Qingwei is no ordinary Daoist Mansion Master. Even our Hall Master must respect Sage Qingwei¡¯s opinions.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu snorted coldly and asked Qi Xuansu, ¡°Tian Yuan, what do you think?¡±

    At this time, Qi Xuansu understood why Zhang Yuelu needed a confidant so urgently. He immediately responded. ¡°This is a very interesting question. To be honest with you, Deputy Hall Master, I have discussed this issue in private with Superintendent Sun.¡±

    Sun Yongfeng was stunned. He had no idea when he had discussed this issue with Qi Xuansu. He did not think this was an interesting or even meaningful topic. It was ridiculous!

    Zhang Yuelu asked nonchntly, ¡°So, what¡¯s the result of the discussion?¡±

    Qi Xuansu deliberately said, ¡°Superintendent Sun¡¯s and my views are a bit deviant because we both feel that Tiangang Hall has the final say. We also know that we are only a minority and cannot represent the opinions of the majority.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu smiled faintly. ¡°Very good. Starting now, you may consider yourselves the majority.¡±

    After that, Zhang Yuelu scanned the crowd.

    Everyone lowered their heads, not daring to refute. However, they did not agree because they knew how powerful Sage Qingwei was.

    Sage Qingwei, Sage Donghua, and Sage Cihang were among the best of the 36 Omniscient Sages. They were regarded as the second-inmand in the three major sects after the three Deputy Grand Masters. They were also expected to be the next Deputy Grand Masters. Within the Daoistmunity, these three Sages were called Junior Imperial Preceptor, Junior Earthly Preceptor, and Junior Heavenly Preceptor, respectively.

    Zhang Yuelu had expected this situation. She asked Qi Xuansu to establish his authority and convince the public of his capabilities because this was also what others asked of her. The Great Sage Lunzhi had promoted her to the position of Deputy Hall Master as a test. If Zhang Yuelu could seize this opportunity to do well, she would naturally rise to the top. If Zhang Yuelu failed to do so, she would lose everything.

    This was just the beginning. It was far from a serious challenge.

    Zhang Yuelu looked at Xu Kou. ¡°If Sage Qingwei intervenes in the affairs of Tiangang Hall as the Omniscient Sage of the Golden Tower Council and asks me to take back this decision, I have no choice but to obey. The key is, will you get Sage Qingwei to intervene? Or are you merely using Sage Qingwei¡¯s name so that I will be wary of you?¡±

    Xu Kou was slightly startled, realizing that he had underestimated this Deputy Hall Master.

    Zhang Yuelu continued, ¡°As I said before, this isn¡¯t the Qizhou Daoist Mansion, and you are no longer a member of the Qizhou Daoist Mansion. You are now a member of Tiangang Hall. If you think that you have a huge backer, go ahead and invite him to speak. But if you can¡¯t, just obey my orders. It¡¯s that simple. Now, do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±

    Xu Kou was silent for a moment before he spoke. ¡°Understood.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu still stared at him. ¡°What else do you have to say?¡±

    Xu Kou stretched out his hand to press on the pole of his ive and said in a deep voice, ¡°I remember that Donghuang once made a rule that duels are allowed in Xuan City. I have long heard of your reputation, Deputy Hall Master, so I¡¯d like to challenge you to a duel today.¡±

    Qi Xuansu frowned and found that the situation was gradually deviating from his expectations.

    It was no secret that Zhang Yuelu was in the Guizhen stage of cultivation. It was also evident that Xu Kou hade prepared to challenge Zhang Yuelu to a duel, even though he already knew her level of cultivation.

    Qi Xuansu had a bold guess.

    Xu Kou looked down on him, but there was no need to show it so openly. Perhaps Xu Kou¡¯s target had been Zhang Yuelu all along, but he deliberately picked on Qi Xuansu to create an opportunity for a duel.

    Of course, Qi Xuansu also had his own considerations. He was not angry because of Xu Kou¡¯s attitude. He felt that if he gave in too much, he would appear cowardly. If so, it would be difficult to convince the crowd of his capabilities. That was why he took the initiative to ridicule Xu Kou. If his guess was right, then he had fallen right into Xu Kou¡¯s trap.

    After hearing this, Zhang Yuelu took a deep look at Xu Kou. A sh of purple energy crossed her eyes.

    Xu Kou spoke again. ¡°That¡¯s the Immortal Eye of Providence. In that case, you should already know my cultivation level. Deputy Hall Master, am I qualified to challenge you to a duel?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°Since you¡¯re a Martial Arts Practitioner at the Guizhen<i> </i>stage, you¡¯re naturally qualified to challenge me to a duel.¡±

    Sun Yongfeng, Qi Xuansu, and everyone present were shocked.

    That was because Xu Kou¡¯s files clearly stated that he was a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Flesh and Blood Realm, which corresponded to the Yuxu stage. No one expected Xu Kou to deliberately hide his own cultivation under his brutish guise. He was, in fact, in the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s Heavenly Connection Realm.

    Qi Xuansu finally understood why Xu Kou was able to capture a B-rank member of the Qingping Society. Xu Kou was supposed to be in the fourth rank, not the sixth rank.

    Based on their cultivation alone, Xu Kou and Zhang Yuelu were almost at the same level.

    Xu Kou asked, ¡°Shall we fight with weapons? Or with bare hands?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu maintained herposure. ¡°You don¡¯t have to try to provoke me. I just want to make it clear that I won¡¯t be using my semi-immortal object. That way, you''ll be convinced of the results when I win.¡±

    Xu Kou¡¯s eyes were doubtful. He muttered, ¡°Great.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not understand why Zhang Yuelu was so persistent. If she lost to Xu Kou, news of this would spread throughout Xuan City in less than half a day. The reason she could be a deputy hall master was through the support of the Great Sages and her identity as a Banished Immortal. If she failed to establish her authority, it would be difficult for her to continue being the Deputy Hall Master.

    Was she so confident that she could win? Or was she too self-conceited?

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu waved her sleeve, signaling everyone to retreat and leave enough space for their duel. Qi Xuansu retreated as instructed, but he was still worried for Zhang Yuelu.

    He had experienced the aggression of Martial Arts Practitioners. A few punches from Zhuge Yongming resulted in him drinking medicinal soup for half a month. He did not doubt Zhang Yuelu¡¯s talent, but he was afraid that she would get defeated due to her own carelessness in underestimating the enemy, especially since she had been held in high esteem for so long.

    Xu Kou took out his ive, threw it aside, and got into a boxing stance. It was the high-attainment method, the Five Directions Punch of the Taiping Sect. Five Directions referred to the east, west, south, north, and center. This boxing technique was divided into five parts. Each part alone was an average attainment method, but together, it was a high attainment method. Its power could not be underestimated.

    Zhang Yuelu nced at Xu Kou and offered. ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    Generally speaking, only a senior would speak in such a tone when training a junior. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s tone implied that she did not regard Xu Kou as an equal opponent.

    Xu Kou, arrogant as he was, became infuriated. However, he maintained a calm facade. He was not a rash man who only used brute force. How could such a man capture a leader of the Qingping Society?

    Whether Zhang Yuelu was too conceited or was confident in winning would soon be revealed.

    Xu Kou took a step forward, and a circle of dust dispersed. Qi Xuansu¡¯s face changed slightly when he saw this.

    Xu Kou¡¯s upper body was motionless, but his feet were exerting force. If they were not in the spotless Yaoguang Pavilion, they would be able to see tiny pebbles quaking. What Qi Xuansu could not see were the fine cracks that appeared under Xu Kou¡¯s feet. The floor tiles of Yaoguang Pavilion were not ordinary bluestones but extremely hard, special stones. Ordinary swords would not leave a mark on these tiles.

    The next moment, Xu Kou relied on the force of his foot and lunged at Zhang Yuelu, like an arrow released from a bow.

    Sun Yongfeng thought to himself, <i>If I were her, I¡¯d avoid this punch. If I were to take this punch head-on, I¡¯d probably suffer a big loss.</i>

    However, Zhang Yuelu merely stretched out her hand, catching Xu Kou¡¯s fist.

    Her slender fingers,pared to Xu Kou¡¯s rough and calloused fist, seemed extra delicate. At this moment, Xu Kou¡¯s expression changed drastically. There were even beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

    The huge contrast made this scene seem funny and absurd.

    ¡°This is the West Golden Punch in the Five Directions Punch. How interesting.¡± Zhang Yuelu did not exude a hint of a killing aura, but Qi Xuansu could clearly see the upward curve of her lips. She did not n to hold back on how she was about to mock Xu Kou.

    It seemed that the Primordial Daoist Ancestor, the Daoist Master Nanhua, and the Holy Xuan were pranking Xu Kou at the same time. Qi Xuansu could finally conclude that Zhang Yuelu was by no means overly conceited.

    As a fourth-rank Daoist priest, Sun Yongfeng was astonished, let alone the others.

    Lingquanzi, who had not spoken until now, looked solemn. ¡°Is this the Six Void Tribtions?¡±

    Xu Kou felt that his entire arm had gonepletely numb. However, having honed his cultivation level through pure grit and ruthlessness, he refused to admit defeat and swept his leg toward Zhang Yuelu¡¯s lower body.

    Zhang Yuelu refused to dodge. The moment Xu Kou kicked her, a five-colored aura appeared around her.

    Xu Kou¡¯s leg felt like it hadnded on arge ball of cotton, feeling no impact at all. The aura around Zhang Yuelu prevented his fists and feet from touching her, let alone hurting her. He narrowed his eyes at this realization.

    That was when Sun Yongfeng and Lingquanzi said in unison, ¡°The Five Elements Qi Shield.¡±

 Chapter 41: Banished Immortal

    <h4>Chapter 41: Banished Immortal</h4>

    Most bystanders could not see much trickery in it. There were no sandstorms, flying rocks, mes, or thunder. It was just a few moves, giving the impression that it was a superficial fight.

    Only those involved could understand the immense pressure Zhang Yuelu was exerting.

    At this moment, Xu Kou found himself in a dilemma. He could not withdraw his fist, even if he wanted to. He felt as if he were trapped in mud.

    Zhang Yuelu asked softly, ¡°Heaven, Earth, Man, God, and Ghosts. Do you know why Heaven is ranked first?¡±

    Of course, Xu Kou understood what Zhang Yuelu was implying¡ªthat Heavenly Immortals were at the top among the Five Immortals. The ultimate goal of Banished Immortals was to be Heavenly Immortals.

    Zhang Yuelu was a natural-born Banished Immortal.

    It was not until this moment that Xu Kou understood why the Great Sages valued Banished Immortals so highly. Xu Kou was about to speak, but Zhang Yuelu did not want to hear what he had to say. She suddenly twisted his fist, which was in her palm.

    Everyone could hear bone-crunching sounds as Zhang Yuelu forcefully twisted Xu Kou¡¯s hand as punishment for his outright defiance of her authority as Deputy Hall Master.

    Xu Kou¡¯s face turned pale, and the veins bulged on his forehead. Cold sweat dripped down his face, but he gritted his teeth and endured the pain silently, like the tough man he was.

    Logically, Martial Arts Practitioners at the Yuxu stage passed the Flesh and Blood Realm, which meant they could quickly heal physical injuries. Xu Kou was already at the Guizhen stage, which was superior to the Yuxu stage, but there was no sign of his hand healing.

    That was because Xu Kou could clearly feel that while Zhang Yuelu was twisting his hand, she was also injecting strange energy into his body to stop his regenerative abilities. He could not even fight back, which was extremely strange.

    Was this the power of a Banished Immortal?

    Zhang Yuelu slowly let go of Xu Kou¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll give you two options. The first is to recuperate with a month¡¯s leave, but after you¡¯ve healed, you¡¯lle back and continue to serve me. The second option is to leave now and never return.¡±

    Xu Kou held his broken right hand with his intact left hand and remained silent for a long time before he said softly, ¡°Thank you for your mercy, Deputy Hall Master. I am the deacon of Tiangang Hall, so I will naturally obey your orders.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s tone revealed neither joy nor anger. ¡°Great.¡±

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu waspletely different from thedy that Qi Xuansu had met back in Taiqing Square.

    Xu Kou picked up his ive and left in defeat.

    Sun Yongfeng gulped nervously. Despite being at the Guizhen stage himself, he was just a flowerbed Daoist priest who could not hold a fight. Thus, he was truly intimidated by Zhang Yuelu¡¯s show of authority.

    Zhang Yuelu once again scanned the crowd and asked, ¡°Does anyone have any objections?¡±

    The silence was palpable, as no one dared to utter another word.

    Zhang Yuelu waited for a while before her face softened into a smile once again. She reiterated, ¡°Great.¡±

    Qi Xuansu thought wryly to himself that there was no need for him to assert his authority. He could secure his position as a deacon based on Zhang Yuelu¡¯s favoritism alone.

    Zhang Yuelu continued to announce the appointments of the other four deacons, consisting of two men and two women. Including Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou, there were four male deacons and two female deacons in the newly established Yaoguang Division of Tiangang Hall.

    The four individuals stepped forward and saluted the crowd when they were named.

    One woman named Mu Jin, nearly the same age as Qi Xuansu, was a fifth-rank Daoist priest. She was good-looking, but she had a masculine aura. She used to be under Zhang Yuelu¡¯smand in Beichen Hall and followed her boss to Tiangang Hall.

    One man in his forties was the oldest among the six deacons. His name was Zhou Bai, a sixth-rank Daoist. He had a weathered face and a scar across his cheek. He was clearly not one of the flowerbed Daoist priests from Jade Capital, but rather from a local Daoist mansion.

    The other appointed deacon was a young sixth-rank Daoist priest with a stern demeanor named Xu Zhen. He was not yet 30 years old, and his most striking feature was his sharp gaze.

    The final deacon was a young girl who had juste of age. She was the youngest of them all, named Tian Baobao. She resembled a delicate and precious doll. Her innocent looks made it seem like she had recently graduated from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. However, she must have exceptional talent to achieve the sixth rank at such a young age.

    Zhang Yuelu then outlined the preliminary division of responsibilities for the six deacons. Tian Baobao and the injured Xu Kou were temporarily ced under the supervision of Sun Yongfeng, responsible for internal affairs. Adjustments would be made once Xu Kou had recovered. Zhou Bai and Xu Zhen were assigned to Lingquanzi, the other superintendent.

    As for Qi Xuansu and Mu Jin, they were directly under Zhang Yuelu¡¯smand.

    Next, Sun Yongfeng, the superintendent in charge of internal affairs, stepped forward to arrange various trivial matters. He had to show his authority as well.

    The six deacons each had their own workspace. Xu Kou, Tian Baobao, Zhou Bai, and Xu Zhen all had separate rooms. However, Qi Xuansu and Mu Jin were not as lucky because Zhang Yuelu upied the main hall, which consisted of four rooms. Her two deacons would stay in the outermost room of the main hall, as no one wanted to share a room with their boss.

    Sun Yongfeng had been a veteran superintendent to the Tiangang Hall Master. This time, the Hall Master transferred him to Tiangang Hall¡¯s newly established Yaoguang Division, indicating support for Zhang Yuelu. This was also one of the reasons why Zhang Yuelu did not confront Sun Yongfeng about receiving kickbacks from candidates.

    Well-versed in handling these internal affairs, Sun Yongfeng assigned tasks to everyone. The crowd dispersed to familiarize themselves with their respective positions.

    Qi Xuansu and Mu Jin followed Zhang Yuelu to the main hall of the Yaoguang Pavilion. The outermost room was originally a living room, but Zhang Yuelu had modified it into two rooms for the deacons. Inside, there was a small living room, specifically for receiving guests and holding discussions. Deeper inside were Zhang Yuelu¡¯s study and a lounge.

    Zhang Yuelu gestured to her two deacons to be more casual around her. ¡°We¡¯re all old acquaintances, so there¡¯s no need for formalities.¡±

    Mu Jin, who had been expressionless all along, finally smiled. ¡°Yes, Superintendent Zhang. Oh no, it should be Deputy Hall Master now, huh?¡±

    Qi Xuansu pursed his lips but said nothing.

    Judging from Mu Jin¡¯s tone, Qi Xuansu could tell that she was close friends with Zhang Yuelu. Qi Xuansu also vaguely sensed that Mu Jin seemed to harbor some subtle hostility toward him.

    This was strange because he had just arrived. It was understandable that Xu Kou would use him as an excuse to challenge Zhang Yuelu, but why was Mu Jin hostile toward him? They had never met before and had no interaction, so there was no possibility of enmity. The onlymonality between them was that Zhang Yuelu was their shared superior.

    An idea popped into Qi Xuansu¡¯s mind. <i>Is Mu Jinpeting with me for Zhang Yuelu¡¯s favor?</i>

    It wasmon for subordinates to seek favor from their superiors. Since they were both serving Zhang Yuelu directly, it was natural for Mu Jin to see him as a potential rival.

    Although Qi Xuansu had no intention of currying favor with Zhang Yuelu, he could not afford to let his guard down. As he looked at Mu Jin again, his gaze carried a hint of suspicion.

    As a member of the ndestine Qingping Society, Qi Xuansu had taken a huge risking to the Jade Capital this time. He aimed for a bright future, so he had to be cautious. If anyone dared to sabotage him, he would not hesitate to retaliate. After all, he was not as magnanimous as the Holy Xuan.

    Zhang Yuelu had been observing Qi Xuansu all along, so she had also noticed Mu Jin¡¯s hostility toward him. Thus, when Qi Xuansu casually nced at Mu Jin, Zhang Yuelu keenly sensed his suspicion, like a sword briefly unsheathing from its scabbard before quickly being sheathed again.

    She frowned slightly and instructed, ¡°Mu Jin, go to the duty room and bring me the files from today. I was in a hurry just now and left them there.¡±

    Mu Jin nodded in acknowledgment. Before leaving, she even red at Qi Xuansu.

    When Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu were the only ones left in the room, Zhang Yuelu walked up to him, who had his head lowered. She suddenly said, ¡°Don¡¯t stoop to her level.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled. He looked up at her and asked in surprise, ¡°Deputy Hall Master, why would you say this?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu smiled and replied, ¡°I have a keen eye for people. Among the nearly one hundred people recruited today, only you and Xu Kou caught my attention. Mu Jin is not your match, but she has been working for me for a long time, so I don¡¯t want her to feel too embarrassed.¡±

    Qi Xuansu looked apprehensive and ttered. ¡°Deputy Hall Master, you tter me.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°When we¡¯re alone, don¡¯t address me by my title. Just call me Tantai Chu, as before. Also, don¡¯t act so humble and timid. Otherwise, I will think that you¡¯re treating me like a fool.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Miss Tantai.¡± Qi Xuansuplied, no longer bowing his head.

    Zhang Yuelu continued, ¡°Brother Tian Yuan, this isn¡¯t the streets. We¡¯re in the Jade Capital, so everything must be done ording to the rules. Also, your opponent is not Mu Jin but Xu Kou.¡±

    At that moment, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s Daoist attendant came to report that the Hall Master wished to see her.

    Zhang Yuelu said no more and turned to leave.

    When Qi Xuansu was left alone, he pondered for a moment and decided to meet with his subordinates. Although they were wary of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s power and dared not show their dissatisfaction openly, deep down, they probably still looked down on Qi Xuansu. Perhaps they had evenbeled him as Zhang Yuelu¡¯s boy toy.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s subordinates were all gathered in the same room. There was even a table reserved for Qi Xuansu. When he entered, everyone stopped what they were doing and saluted him.

    Although they did not fully ept Qi Xuansu, they dared not show it openly, especially with Xu Kou as precedence. Besides, regardless of rank, Qi Xuansu¡¯s ¡°connection¡± was not something anyone could afford to offend. Moreover, some of them had witnessed Superintendent Sun having a long and amicable conversation with Qi Xuansu, even personally escorting him out afterward, which indicated their close rtionship.

    Therefore, except for a few who wanted to curry favor with him, everyone treated Qi Xuansu with courtesy and maintained a respectful distance from him. If Qi Xuansu were to put on airs and act like a superior, he would likely be isted by his subordinates.

    Qi Xuansu was not arrogant. Instead, he returned the salute and said, ¡°I know I am unworthy of holding the position of deacon as a mere seventh-rank Daoist priest, so I am deeply grateful for your future support. I¡¯d like to thank you all in advance.¡±

    Previously, Qi Xuansu¡¯s sarcastic remarks toward Xu Kou led many to believe that he would be a difficult boss. However, the significant contrast in his demeanor and his current humility made many reconsider their opinions of him.

 Chapter 42: Descend the Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 42: Descend the Mountain</h4>

    Qi Xuansu originally intended to get closer to his subordinates and foster better rtionships. However, the situation progressed beyond his expectations.

    After returning from a meeting with the Hall Master, Zhang Yuelu immediately summoned everyone and instructed them to prepare for departure in three days.

    Zhang Yuelu''s original n was to have at least one month to coordinate and bond with her new staff before getting into official duties. However, unforeseen circumstances arose in the Western Region Daoist Mansion because the conflict there had escted.

    While the Western Region Daoist Mansion Master and the three Deputy Hall Masters of Tiangang Hall led an army from the Daoist Order to confront the Shamanistic Sect at the borders, demons seized this opportunity to attack a Daoist temple. These demons killed 10 eighth-rank and 3 seventh-rank Daoist priests in an act of provocation to the Daoist Order. Thus, the Daoist Order issued a decree to exterminate these demons as soon as possible.

    This was the reason the Hall Master had summoned Zhang Yuelu so urgently.

    This assignment disrupted Zhang Yuelu¡¯s ns. She expected Xu Kou to return a monthter. Although he was a troublemaker, he was a skilled fighter. Their duel earlier was not a fight to the death. If it really came down to life or death, Zhang Yuelu knew that there was a possibility she would not have emerged victorious. With Xu Kou¡¯s and Lingquanzi¡¯s assistance, she believed that eradicating this demonic threat would not be too difficult.

    However, with their early departure, Xu Kou could no longer participate in this operation. Although Zhang Yuelu was optimistic about Qi Xuansu¡¯s potential, his cultivation was stillcking.

    Zhang Yuelu was short on skilled fighters. Nevertheless, she was not one toin about any shortfalls. Without hesitation, she agreed to leave Jade Capital and head for the Western Region in three days.

    Since this was the decision of the Daoist Order¡¯s high-ranking officials, no one dared object to it. Everyone hastily prepared various supplies for the journey.

    In the fall, the Western Region and the grasnds were much colder than Jiangnan and Lingnan. There were even reports of snow in many ces on the grasnds. Thus, warm clothing was essential, as were veils and sunsses to provide shade against the sun. They also prepared various elixirs, Army pills, and other essential items, which would be reimbursed afterward.

    The Army Pill was made by refining a secret recipe of various foods and medicinal ingredients into a pill. One could go three days without feeling hungry just by consuming one such pill, making it especially suitable for armies during a war, hence its name.

    However, these pills were expensive, priced at one Taiping coin per pill. The pills only provided sustenance. They had a rough texture and tasted awful, like bitter medicinal soup. Therefore, Daoist priests generally only carried them when embarking on long journeys.

    The advantage of Tiangang Hall was the uniform distribution of weapons. Each person received two swords, one made of metal and one made of wood.

    The metal sword was a top-quality mortal object,parable to the Slim Tiger Saber of the Green Phoenix Guard. It was named Executioner because it was used for killing humans.

    The wooden sword was a low-quality spiritual object, far inferior to the Green Snake, Li Sanxin¡¯s flying sword. This wooden sword was named Meridian, and it was used to y ghosts and evil spirits.

    With the development of firearms, Tiangang Hall also started to distribute pistols in the past few decades. However, they were not of high caliber like the Divine Dragon Pistol, but rather a lower-quality version known as the Green Bird Pistol.

    The Green Bird Pistol was not produced by the Divine Armory but by the Tianji Hall in the 16th year of the Jiushi Era. It had a bronze handle, an iron barrel with green ting, and a muzzle resembling a bird¡¯s beak, hence the name Green Bird.

    It was a breechloader with a firing pin mechanism and rifled barrel, with an effective range of 120 meters. Within 80 meters, it could prate a Xiantian Being¡¯s qi shield. It was alsopatible with various types of Dragon Eye Ammunition and was priced at approximately 500 Taiping coins on the ck market.

    Each sword and pistol issued had a unique serial number. Thus, if anyone were to sell them for profit, they would face severe punishment.

    Qi Xuansu went to Sun Yongfeng to collect his weapons. Counting his personal sword, Qi Xuansu had a total of four weapons. However, the Daoist disciples of Tiangang Hall were not issued with armor. Only the Spirit Guards had armor.

    Since Qi Xuansu did not have a magical receptacle, he could only carry two weapons. He hung his short sword on his left waist and his pistol on his right.

    It was evident that Zhang Yuelu had a magical receptacle because she did not carry any weapons with her. Qi Xuansu also did not see the legendary semi-immortal item on her.

    Tiangang Hall offered to get them to the Western Region Daoist Mansion located on Daxue Mountain with a flying ship, which wouldnd on the Jade Pond.

    <i>Daxue Mountain was originally a sacred ce of the Shamanistic Sect, housing one of the four grand pces of the Golden Horde King. However, in the 11th year of the Great Xuan Dynasty¡¯s Taiping era, Daxue Mountain was conquered by the Imperial Court and the Daoist Order. From then on, the Daxue Mountain Pce became the Western Region Daoist Mansion. The Shamanistic Sect fought several wars with the Daoist Order in an attempt to reim their sacrednd.</i>

    However, Zhang Yuelu refused to use the flying ship and decided to travel bynd. That was because Kunlun itself was located within the Western Region, so the journey was not too far. Another reason was to understand the situation better by personally traversing the terrain.

    In the early morning of August 20th, a group of over 60 people from Tiangang Hall departed from Jade Capital. They arrived at the final Daoist temple on Kunlun Mountain on the evening of August 22nd.

    Just two days of traveling and camping exposed the differences among them. Qi Xuansu, Zhou Bai, and other seasoned travelers seemed unfazed by the journey, while those like Mu Jin who were ustomed to life in Jade Capital, struggled to conceal their exhaustion.

    When the abbot of the Daoist temple came out to greet them, Qi Xuansu approached him with the documents from Tiangang Hall and exined everyone¡¯s identities. Then he gestured toward Zhang Yuelu, who was surrounded by the others, and introduced her.

    ¡°This is Deputy Hall Master Zhang of Tiangang Hall. If you have a better guest room avable, could you please lead Deputy Hall Master Zhang over there to freshen up?¡±

    The abbot of the Daoist temple initially mistook the older Lingquanzi as the leader of the group. He was surprised to learn that Zhang Yuelu, the youngest among them, held the highest position. Nevertheless, having heard of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s reputation, the abbot dared not neglect her and promptly weed her and her entourage into the temple. He treated her ording to the standard of a third-rank Daoist priest.

    However, the others were not as fortunate. They received treatment corresponding to their own ranks, regardless of their positions. Qi Xuansu, Mu Jin, Zhou Bai, and Xu Zhen were all deacons, but Qi Xuansu¡¯s treatment was significantly inferior solely because he was a seventh-rank Daoist priest.

    Everyone, aside from Sun Yongfeng and Tian Baobao, who stayed back in the Tiangang Hall for support, as well as the injured Xu Kou, apanied Zhang Yuelu on her journey to the Western Region.

    This Daoist temple at the foothills of Kunlun resembled an inn. It was warm indoors, like spring. Qi Xuansu had just taken off his outer robe, intending to rest for a while, when his subordinate, Cao Liyou, knocked on the door and said, ¡°Deacon Qi, the Deputy Hall Master wants to see you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded and quickly put his outer robe back on before following a Daoist attendant to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s room.

    The Kunlun Mountain was vast and sparsely popted, so the Daoist temple upied arge area. It was quite a distance from Qi Xuansu¡¯s room to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s. Qi Xuansu passed through two long corridors before arriving at a standalone courtyard.

    The Daoist attendant who had been guiding him stopped there. Qi Xuansu entered the courtyard and knocked on the door lightly when he arrived at the study.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s voice came from inside. ¡°Come in.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pushed the door open and entered. It was warm and cozy inside, with two candles illuminating the entire study. A Western-Region-style carpet covered the floor. Zhang Yuelu, having removed her outer robe, sat behind the desk, poring over the scrolls she had brought with her.

    ¡°Sit,¡± Zhang Yuelu said without lifting her head.

    Qi Xuansu sat opposite Zhang Yuelu and asked, ¡°Miss Tantai, is there something you need from me?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu pushed a scroll toward Qi Xuansu and said, ¡°This is a summary of the demonic threat in the Western Region. Take a look and familiarize yourself with it.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took the scroll and nodded in acknowledgment.

    ¡°The others have already taken their respective scrolls back,¡± Zhang Yuelu added. ¡°As a seventh-rank Daoist priest, you only have a simple bedroom without a decent desk, and the oilmp is dim. So it¡¯s better if you read here, where the candles provide better illumination.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not reject her offer immediately. Instead, he kindly reminded her of their identities. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. If I linger here for too long, it may give rise to gossip, which will tarnish your reputation, Miss Tantai.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu smiled faintly. ¡°A clear conscience needs no exnation. I don¡¯t even care what people think. Why should you?¡±

    Since Zhang Yuelu expressed her indifference, Qi Xuansu had nothing more to say. Moreover, Daoist customs were not as strict regarding interactions between men and women as Confucianist customs were. Qi Xuansu sat across from Zhang Yuelu and read the rather thick scroll.

    After reading the scroll, Qi Xuansu learned that these demons had actually migrated from various Western countries. They had the characteristic features of the people from those regions: high noses and deep-set, colored eyes. They were active at night and possessed supernatural healing abilities. They were also adept at using illusions. Thus far, their intentions seemed to be to establish their base in the Western Region.

    Seeing that Qi Xuansu was done reading the scroll, Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°What are your thoughts?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°Since the 10th year of the Taiping Era, the Western Region hasn¡¯t had any peace. Various authorities like the Daoist Order, Buddhist Sect, Shamanistic Sect, Ancient Immortals, and the Rus Kingdom converged here. To this day, the Daoist Order cannot gain full control of the region.

    "Moreover, the Western Region serves as a trade route to various Western countries, with significant crowds and aplex mix of traders from different nations. It¡¯s truly a melting pot of cultures. Given the vastness and sparseness of thend, allowing these foreign demons to establish a foothold here and potentially ally with other authorities would make eliminating them more challenging.

    ¡°So, we must seize the opportunity to eradicate them while they least expect it.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°Your words align with those of the several senior members in Tiangang Hall. They believe these demons seized the opportunity tomit rampant crimes because the Western Region Daoist Mansion is preupied. Their motives could be a need for money or a desire to establish their dominance through these acts.

    ¡°But I just can¡¯t shake the feeling that things aren¡¯t as straightforward as they seem. If they want to establish a stronghold in the Western Region, directly provoking the Daoist Order isn¡¯t a wise move because it will backfire. I believe these demons have ulterior motives.¡±

    Qi Xuansu, having developed a habit in the Qingping Society of focusing solely on results without questioning the order, asked, ¡°Regardless of the demons¡¯ motives, there must be a conflict of interest between them and the local gangs, right? Can we use those local gangs to deal with them?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°If these people hadn¡¯t killed those dozen or so Daoist disciples, that method would have been feasible. But the situation has changed entirely because they killed our disciples. The Hall Master¡¯s intention is for us to punish them publicly to set an example that there are consequences to offending the Daoist Order.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Understood.¡±

 Chapter 43: Travel in the Wind and Snow

    <h4>Chapter 43: Travel in the Wind and Snow</h4>

    The next morning, Zhang Yuelu and her group took some horses from the Daoist temple and set off again, leaving the boundaries of Kunlun Mountain and entering the territory of the Western Region.

    <i>Kunlun and the Western Region had their own Daoist mansions. The head of the Kunlun Daoist Mansion was appointed by the Grand Master¡¯s trusted aides. However, due to the existence of the Nine Halls and the Golden Tower, Kunlun Daoist Mansion¡¯s position was quite awkward. Unlike other Daoist mansions, it resembled the Imperial Court¡¯s administrative office.</i>

    <i>The Daoist Mansion in the Western Region should have been named after the state, which was Xizhou, like the Qizhou Daoist Mansion. However, there was a significant battle between the Daoist Order and the Buddhist Sect, resulting in some Xizhou prefectures falling under Buddhist control.</i>

    <i>Due to the considerable influence of the Buddhist sect in the Western Region, the areas reimed by the Daoist Order extended beyond the boundaries of Xizhou and were no longer part of the Great Xuan Dynasty¡¯s territory. Thus, the Xizhou Daoist Mansion was renamed the Western Region Daoist Mansion.</i>

    Upon entering the Western Region, the snow-white scenery gradually diminished and was reced by the desert and more barrenndscapes. The terrain became tter, so the group could cover about 150 kilometers a day on their horses. These horses were of a special breed that had been improved by the Daoist Order, so they were adept at long-distance travel and were resistant to cold and drought.

    The group only realized the concept of sparsely poptednd after entering the Western Region. They would often ride for half a day without seeing a single soul. This exined why the Western Region rankedst in terms of its poption, despite being thergest province under the jurisdiction of the imperial court. In such a ce, the struggle was not so much with people as it was with nature.

    Qi Xuansu had been to the Western Region before. It was where he and his master were ambushed and where he met Madam Qi, altering his fate forever.

    The ce they were heading to¡ªBishan Temple¡ªwas 400 kilometers away from the Daoist temple where they had previously stayed. It was a three-day journey because they deviated from the official path. That was why they had note across any Daoist temples, rest stops, inns, or even a vige where they could stop along this route.

    This was also the reason they had prepared the Army Pill. With the pill, eating and drinking could be solved while on horseback. After nightfall, they would camp in wind-sheltered areas and take turns keeping watch. No one dared to sleep deeply. Instead, they meditated to substitute for sleep. Fortunately, they were all Xiantian Beings with an average cultivation level, so it was not too much of a challenge.

    However, for some who were used to thefort of the Jade Capital, this journey was quite torturous. They could not help butin about Zhang Yuelu¡¯s insistence on riding horses instead of using the flying ship. They thought that the Deputy Hall Master was merely giving them unnecessary hardships.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhou Bai were both experienced travelers and had everything arranged properly. They mostly took turns keeping watch at night, which changed the attitude of those who previously doubted Qi Xuansu¡¯s capability.

    ording to Zhou Bai, they were lucky that there was no snowfall. If there was heavy snow, the journey ahead would be even more challenging.

    Zhou Bai jinxed them, as the weather changed drastically the next day. Coupled with the proximity to Kunlun and the Daxue Mountains, which were high in altitude and had a cold climate, snow arrived earlier in this regionpared to the Central ins. In the evening, it started snowing.

    The next morning, the snow had stopped, leaving only a vast expanse of white on the deste desert. It seemed as if all things between heaven and earth had vanished, and the barely discernible road was no longer visible.

    The sunlight on the white snow was particrly ring. This was where the sunsses and veil came in handy. In this environment, the snow reflected the bright sunlight, easily causing eye damage. The group wore sunsses to shield their eyes and cloaks to protect against the cold before they continued the journey. They appeared like tiny ck dots amidst the vast expanse of snow.

    Due to the snow, it was difficult for the horses to run. While they could normally cover 150 kilometers a day in normal conditions, they could only manage a few dozen kilometers in the thick snow, further dying their three-day journey.

    Moreover, the temperature was gradually dropping. One¡¯s limbs would be numb after sitting on horseback for extended periods, so they had to circte their qi to dispel the cold. Fortunately, they also brought along some wine, which provided some warmth when consumed asionally.

    Qi Xuansu noticed that Zhang Yuelu took this opportunity to openly drink alcohol. In just half a day, her wine pouch was emptied, yet she still seemed unsatisfied.

    Apart from this, Qi Xuansu also had other concerns. The roads in the desert, which were barely discernible to begin with, hadpletely disappeared under the snow nket. Looking around, all he could see was white, without a singlendmark. This ce was also uninhabited, so there was no one they could turn to for directions. What if they got lost?

    As luck would have it, the group should have passed by a dried-up riverbed by now, ording to the map. However, after walking for most of the day, they still could not see the riverbed by dusk. It was unlikely that the riverbed would be filled up with snow. After all, it was onlyte autumn, and such heavy snowfall was improbable.

    Zhang Yuelu was somewhat helpless. She had lost her way again. It seemed as if she was always getting lost. Last time, she got lost in the Purple Mansion. This time, it was in the vast desert.

    Qi Xuansu looked up at the sky with a solemn expression.

    At some point, thick clouds rolled in, obscuring the moon. Then the wind grew stronger. The cold gust felt like knives shing their faces. Before long, snowkes began to mix with the wind, stinging their faces.

    It was snowing again.

    Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh as he pulled the hood of his cloak over his head. He had only lived in Jade Capital for less than two months and was already feeling ufortable in this weather. Those who had been in Jade Capital for a long time would probably be cursing inwardly.

    Sure enough, most of the group had gloomy expressions. However, they were afraid of Zhang Yuelu, so they dared not express their discontent openly. If Qi Xuansu were in charge at this moment, they would have already mocked him for choosing this route instead of taking the flying ship.

    Qi Xuansu pondered for a moment and turned to Zhang Yuelu. ¡°Deputy Hall Master, I think it¡¯s imperative we find shelter for now to avoid the snow. Although we¡¯re all Xiantian Beings who won¡¯t be killed by a snowstorm, our horses may not survive.¡±

    Having worked for Madam Qi for a long time, Qi Xuansu inadvertently picked up many of her habits and mannerisms.

    Zhang Yuelu did not have time to worry about his tone. She merely pointed ahead and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go behind that hill.¡±

    There was a shallow ditch behind the hill, about one meter tall, which was enough to provide the group shelter from the wind.

    The group spent the night like this. As Qi Xuansu had said, they were all Xiantian Beings and could not be killed by a small snowstorm. However, they could still suffer.

    After all, the biggest difference between Xiantian Beings and Houtian Beings was that the former were not susceptible to human ailments, but they could still be affected by extreme weather. Only someone at Zhang Yuelu¡¯s level of cultivation could remain unaffected by the weather.

    Everything was a struggle at first. After getting through the initial difficulties, everyone gradually got used to the harsh conditions. They soon found the right path and braved the wind and snow for about ten days. Finally, in early September, they arrived at the Bishan Daoist Temple.

    As it was located in a remote area, Bishan Temple was quite simple, consisting of two courtyards. The main hall in front was where the Primordial Daoist Ancestor was enshrined, and the living quarters behind had less than thirty rooms in total. Usually, there were around ten Daoist priests stationed here, serving as a kind of outpost for the Western Region Daoist Mansion.

    However, those priests had been murdered overnight. After the massacre, the Western Region Daoist Mansion sent people to investigate the case. However, due to a shortage of manpower, they did not continue the investigation. They merely reported the case to the ancestral court and left two people to guard the bodies until the arrival of the people from Tiangang Hall.

    Seeing the group from Tiangang Hall, the two guards, who had been on edge the whole time, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    Although they would not starve or freeze in the Daoist temple, spending all day with a dozen or so corpses and worrying about whether those demons would return was truly tormenting.

    Zhang Yuelu wasted no time and instructed the two guards to lead the way so that she could examine the bodies.

    The bodies, covered with white cloth, wereid out in the main hall under the statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. Starting from the left, Zhang Yuelu lifted the white cloth to reveal a pale corpse. Despite being dead for some time, the body had not decayed due to the cold weather.

    Unlike most women, who were squeamish, Zhang Yuelu maintained herposure as she reached out to move the chin of the corpse.

    However, Qi Xuansu keenly noticed that Zhang Yuelu had a thinyer of the Five Elements Qi Shield around her hand, indicating that she was notpletely unfazed by dead bodies.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°What do you all think?¡±

    Xu Zhen, who had always been taciturn, spoke up. ¡°This man died from excessive blood loss. The marks on his neck seem like fang-bites. It could be from a zombie.¡±

    ¡°Zombies don¡¯t attack caravans,¡± Lingquanzi chimed in.

    Lingquanzi was a Diviner at the Guizhen stage who was proficient in cultivating ghosts and zombies. Thus, he was most knowledgeable about zombies.

    He continued, ¡°After death, the soul returns to heaven, the spirit returns to earth, and the Three Corpses turn into a ghost. If the body is buried in a good plot ofnd and nourished by the earth¡¯s energy, it can transform into a zombie. Zombies are extreme-yin creatures. Theyck memories from their past lives due to the absence of the soul and the Three Corpses, so they act purely on instinct.¡±

    Xu Zhen asked, ¡°Could someone skilled in cultivating zombies control them tomit crimes?¡±

    Lingquanzi pondered. ¡°That¡¯s possible, but the Daoist Order has strict regtions on the practice of cultivating zombies and ghosts. It¡¯s extremely difficult even for Daoist disciples to cultivate them, so how could outsiders be so proficient?¡±

    As they spoke, Zhang Yuelu moved to the second corpse, lifting the white cloth to reveal a seventh-rank Daoist priest. The dead man¡¯s expression was tragic. His face contorted in horror, as if he had seen something terrifying. There were five puncture holes on his face, located at the forehead, eyes, and cheeks.

    Zhang Yuelu curled her fingers to match the position of the five holes.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart stirred. He said, ¡°This seems somewhat simr to the Yin ughter Technique.¡±

    The Yin ughter Technique was a mystical skill. When mastered, one¡¯s nails could grow to over 30 centimeters long, resembling short swords capable of breaking anything. Madam Qi excelled in this technique.

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°It does look very simr.¡±

    She proceeded to lift the white cloth covering the third corpse. The wound on the victim¡¯s neck was clearly visible. The face was pale, but what was even more eerie was the faint smile on it, as if the victim had died in a blissful state.

    Zhang Yuelu whispered, ¡°Zombies could never possess such ability.¡±

    Lingquanzi nodded in agreement. ¡°This person seems to have fallen victim to an illusion. Zombies have no soul or consciousness. Even the most powerful zombies won¡¯t be able to use illusions.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu gestured for everyone to uncover the remaining corpses.

 Chapter 44: Diviner

    <h4>Chapter 44: Diviner</h4>

    The conditions of the other corpses were simr. Most of them died abruptly of blood loss while in a blissful state.

    Lingquanzi said, ¡°Zombies suck blood but cannot use illusions, but ghosts can use illusions. For example, when you see a beautiful woman in an abandoned house or an ancient temple at night, that is amon illusion used by ghosts. But ghosts do not have a physical body, so they can¡¯t suck blood and can only absorb people¡¯s yang energy.

    ¡°Only demons are capable of sucking blood and performing illusions. Fox demons and cat demons are masters of this.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°Fox demons and cat demons? I don¡¯t think the problem is that simple, right?¡±

    Lingquanzi nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s really not that simple.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Deacon Qi, what do you think?¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°I¡¯m a little curious. Why would these demons kill everyone in this Daoist temple? This doesn¡¯t seem like a simple show of authority but more like a provocation. What is their motive?¡±

    ¡°Motive.¡± Zhang Yuelu dispersed the qi shield around her hands. ¡°I am also wondering about this. There¡¯s no money here, so we know it¡¯s not for wealth. This group of people aren¡¯t natives of the Western Region and are new here. The Western Region Daoist Mansion doesn¡¯t even have time to take care of them, so it¡¯s not a hate crime. After ruling out these two possibilities, it seems that provocation is more likely.¡±

    ¡°Provoking the Daoist Order is asking for death.¡± Lingquanzi was in disbelief. ¡°Tiangang Hall has a Hall Master and nine Deputy Hall Masters. There are 35 other Omniscient Sages and the three Deputy Grand Masters supporting our Hall Master. Over the past hundreds of years, many Immortals have died in our hands.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°They may have been instigated. After all, they may be new in the region, so they aren¡¯t aware of how powerful the Daoist Order is. That makes more sense.¡±

    Lingquanzi said coldly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether they were instigated or deceived. Since they have made such a big mistake, they must die."

    Zhang Yuelu suddenly thought of something. ¡°This is different. If there is really a mastermind behind this, then the group of demons whomitted the crime are merely used as weapons. We need to find out who is behind the scenes and who wants to be an enemy of the Daoist Order.¡±

    Zhou Bai chimed in. ¡°Speaking of motives, if we assume that this group of demons was instigated by others, what would be the mastermind¡¯s motives?¡±

    This reminded Zhang Yuelu of something. She quickly turned around and inspected the body carefully again.

    Qi Xuansu thoughtfully followed Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Deacon Qi, do you see anything?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anything yet, but I have a guess. Is there something missing from the corpses?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu immediately ordered her subordinates. ¡°Check the corpses again. Focus on the internal organs. Cults like to use those for their sacrifices.¡±

    Xu Zhen and several subordinates who were proficient in autopsy came forward and carefully examined the corpses again.

    After a while, Xu Zhen shook his head and said, ¡°All organs are well preserved.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu fell into deep thought. Then, she looked at Lingquanzi and said, ¡°Superintendent Lingquan, please check their Niwan Pce.¡±

    Lingquanzi understood his task. He immediately went into his mind and entered the corpses¡¯ Niwan Pce.

    <i>Daoists believed that the human head had nine pces, corresponding to the Nine Heavens. The Niwan Pce was located in the center of the head, which was the upper Dantian.</i>

    <i>The Diviner¡¯s Guizhen stage was also called the Thunder Realm. A Diviner who was soul-traveling was most afraid of two things: daylight and thunder, with spring thunder being the worst. That was because the sound of spring thunder could scatter one¡¯s soul. Without the protection of the body, the soul could be torn apart.</i>

    <i>A Martial Arts Practitioner in the Guizhen stage was in the Heavenly Connection Realm, where they could sense and imitate celestial phenomena. This realm had a technique called Tongue-Induced Spring Thunder, which was simr to the Buddhist technique, Lion¡¯s Roar.</i>

    <i>The Tongue-Induced Spring Thunder Technique imitated the roar of spring thunder, which could cause one¡¯s blood to boil. Thus, it was most effective in restraining evil spirits and ghosts. Diviners below the Guizhen stage could not fight back against this technique.</i>

    <i>However, such methods had little effect on Qi Refiners and were even more useless on Banished Immortals. Among the several major lineages, Banished Immortals had almost no weaknesses, followed by Qi Refiners. The other major lineages had clear advantages and disadvantages.</i>

    <i>However, upon reaching the Thunder Realm in the Guizhen stage, a Diviner no longer had to be afraid of daylight and thunder. He could soul-travel during the day. As long as he was not directly struck by lightning, the thunder would not hurt him at all. Although he was restrained by nature, at least he still had a fighting chance.</i>

    <i>There were more than 1,200 acupuncture points in the human body, among which 365 were major acupoints, corresponding to the number of celestial bodies, like the numerouskes. The three major Dantians were the three vast oceans, with twelve main meridians and eight extraordinary vessels. The meridians and other vessels connected to form argework in which qi flows endlessly, just like a river.</i>

    <i>A Martial Arts Practitioner in the Guizhen stage could condense 183 acupoints, and a Diviner in the same stage had 183 Thoughts.</i>

    <i>Before the Diviner reached the Yangshen Realm, a lost Thought could not be recovered. If it was lost, it would be lost forever. For a Diviner, Thoughts were like a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s acupoints. A Martial Arts Practitioner in the Divinity Realm could condense his body and spirit in the acupoints. Simrly, a Diviner in the Object Creation Realm could turn a Thought into something physical. Destroying a Thought was akin to destroying an acupoint. Although it was not fatal, it would still damage the Diviner¡¯s cultivation level.</i>

    Lingquanzi was a Diviner in the Thunder Realm of the Guizhen stage, so he could soul-travel during the day. His soul could gather and dissipate outside of his physical body, turning into Thoughts. Thus, he sent out thirteen Thoughts to enter the thirteen corpses.

    An experienced examiner could tell by looking at the corpse whether someone fell to death or if they had their body thrown out only after they died.

    Diviners were proficient in the art of the soul. They could also judge from various traces in the Niwan Pce whether the soul of the deceased dissipated on its own after death or whether it was forcibly taken away.

    After a moment, Lingquanzi retracted his Thoughts. He had a serious expression on his face as he reported his findings. ¡°The Deputy Hall Master is right. There are obvious signs of damage to these people¡¯s Niwan Pce. Their souls were forcibly taken away.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said in a deep voice, ¡°This isn¡¯t just a massacre. It¡¯s soul-harvesting.¡±

    <i>Soul-harvesting was a technique that involved aplete set of magic rituals upon killing. After the killing, the deceased¡¯s soul was collected in a special container.</i>

    <i>This was different from the Daoist method of cultivating ghosts. A Daoist Canon stated that after death, the soul returned to Heaven, the spirit returned to earth, and the Three Corpses turned into a ghost.</i>

    <i>Humans had three major Dantians: upper, middle, and lower Dantians. Each Dantian had a ¡°god¡± residing in it, collectively known as the Three Corpses.</i>

    <i>The human body was like a cage. The human blood restrained the Three Corpses in the body, so they were unable to escape. Therefore, the Three Corpses could only leave after the person died.</i>

    <i>Without the restraints of the human body, the Three Corpses turn into a ghost, who could ept incense offerings and still hold partial memory. Due to its iplete memory, unlike the soul, the ghost carried many negative human desires. Thus, a ghost was akin to a madman. This was why powerful ghosts often harmed others.</i>

    <i>Since the Three Corpses could only roam around freely as a ghost after a person died, the ghost often looked forward to the person¡¯s premature death, secretly attacking the human and destroying the human¡¯s spiritual vitality. Generally speaking, the higher one¡¯s cultivation level was, the more powerful the Three Corpses would be. Therefore, only an Immortal could live forever.</i>

    <i>Even a Heavenly Being would eventually sumb to death. That was why, to be an Immortal, one had to kill the Three Corpses and pull out the Nine Worms.</i>

    <i>This was also the reason ghosts could be controlled. The practice of cultivating ghosts was also not regarded as cultish or disrespectful to the dead. However, it was a demonic cult-like practice to take the soul by force and stop it from returning to Heaven and Earth.</i>

    This knowledge was not hidden by the Daoist Order and was taught in the courses of the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. Therefore, there was no need to exin much, as everyone already understood the gravity of the situation.

    The main motive of this attack on Bishan Temple was to seize the victims¡¯ living souls.

    Tiangang Hall and Beichen Hall had solved many simr cases before. Once a living soul was involved, it was most likely rted to cult sacrifices. Those cults had to be eradicated without any mercy. Most of the cultists were fanatical, so they could easily cause arge number of casualties.

    Zhang Yuelu frowned and asked the two guards from the Western Region Daoist Mansion, ¡°What are the lineages of these dead priests?¡±

    One of them replied, ¡°There are six Diviners, four Martial Arts Practitioners, two Qi Refiners, and two Rogue Cultivators.¡±

    ¡°Six Diviners.¡± Lingquanzi suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°No wonder they attacked Bishan Temple. Ancient Immortals usually prefer the souls of Diviners because they are more nourishing than the rest.¡±

    Qi Xuansu interjected. ¡°In that case, there should be fourteen people stationed at Bishan Temple, but there are only thirteen corpses here. One person is missing.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu immediately looked at the two guards from the Western Region Daoist Mansion.

    The two guards spoke with mournful expressions. ¡°We don¡¯t know either. We were told to guard the corpses and wait for the people from Tiangang Hall to arrive. When we got here, there were only thirteen corpses.¡±

    Lingquanzi, who had been a superintendent for a long time, immediately understood what was fishy about this. He said in a dissatisfied tone, ¡°The Western Region Daoist Mansion is too careless. One person is missing, and his life or death is unknown. They didn¡¯t investigate, carry out a search, or even write it down in the file.

    ¡°All they did was wait for our arrival. If they had sent people out to look for the missing person at the time of the incident, they could have probably found out what happened in Bishan Temple.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu took a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s toote to talk about this now. Our top priority is to find the missing person. Maybe he holds the clue to all this.¡±

    Lingquanzi said, ¡°What are your orders, Deputy Hall Master?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu instructed, ¡°Prepare the mother-child talisman. Deacon Qi and I will pair up, while Superintendent Lingquan and Deacon Xu will team up to conduct the search. No matter the result, we will only check within a 50-kilometer radius of Bishan Temple. Everyone else can stay here and follow the orders of Deacon Zhou and Deacon Mu.¡±

    Everyone responded in unison, ¡°Yes, Deputy Hall Master.¡±

 Chapter 45: Fourteen People

    <h4>Chapter 45: Fourteen People</h4>

    Qi Xuansu followed Zhang Yuelu and headed north from Bishan Temple, while Lingquanzi and Xu Zhen headed south.

    Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu rode on horseback side by side. ¡°Tian Yuan, although my cultivation level is higher than yours, I am far inferior to you in terms of real-world experience. That¡¯s why I wanted to pair up with you.¡±

    Since there were only two of them, Zhang Yuelu no longer called him Deacon Qi.

    Qi Xuansu was a little distracted and said, ¡°Actually, Zhou Bai also has a lot of experience in the real world.¡±

    As soon as those words came out of his mouth, Qi Xuansu realized something was wrong, but it was toote.

    Zhang Yuelu nced at him. ¡°What do you mean by this? You might as well exin it more clearly.¡±

    Qi Xuansu coughed lightly. ¡°It¡¯s just a casual remark.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu stopped pretending to be the deputy hall master and snorted. ¡°I think you¡¯re just pretending to be confused. Zhou Bai is an experienced and seasoned traveler, but he is boring. In front of him, I have to act as the deputy hall master. On the contrary, I feel more at ease in front of you."

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you have to put on airs in front of me?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied bluntly, ¡°We¡¯re friends. It would be meaningless to pretend in front of you. In front of others, my concern is about safeguarding my reputation, which isn¡¯t merely a woman¡¯s honor. Rather, it¡¯s to instill confidence in others regarding my potential. By building this positive perception, they¡¯ll be inclined to support me as they can anticipate future rewards in return.

    ¡°Their assistance propels me forward, enhancing my prospects and garnering further aid. Consider it like ascending higher into the sky and encountering stronger winds. As I soar higher, the winds strengthen, propelling me ever closer to the sky. But, should I falter in upholding this reputation, my ascent, despite my status as a Banished Immortal, will be limited.

    ¡°Without maintaining this stature, I cannot expect to gain recognition from the Sages or Great Sages. Hence, in public settings, I must adopt an air of authority and maintain a poised demeanor that aligns with people¡¯s expectations and perceptions of me. I may seem aloof or even arrogant, but I can¡¯t be seen as weak, emotional, or indecisive.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was stunned for a while before he came back to his senses. He had not anticipated such remarkable insight from her, who was still so young. He even had the revtion that listening to Zhang Yuelu speak was akin to a decade of schrly study.

    But as Zhang Yuelu said, living like this and putting up a constant act was very tiring. Since Qi Xuansu knew what Zhang Yuelu was like in private, she could take off her mask in front of him and rx a little.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Have you ever regretted choosing such a path?¡±

    ¡°What is there to regret?¡± Zhang Yuelu smiled faintly. ¡°If I want to make great achievements, how can I do it without suffering some hardships? Since I am determined to change the Daoist Order like the Holy Xuan did, I¡¯m bound to make some sacrifices.¡±

    Qi Xuansu praised, ¡°You are the second most peculiar woman I¡¯ve met.¡±

    ¡°Who is the first one?¡± Zhang Yuelu asked.

    Qi Xuansu shook his head and kept quiet. The first one was Madam Qi, but he could not mention it to Zhang Yuelu. Of course, Qi Xuansu did not interact with many women either.

    Zhang Yuelu did not press further.

    Qi Xuansu changed the subject. ¡°What will happen if we fail this time? What if we suffer a disastrous defeat and embarrass the Daoist Order?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said expressionlessly, ¡°Of course, I will be med and transferred out of Tiangang Hall. If I¡¯m lucky, I may be able to return to Beichen Hall and continue working in my old role, or perhaps find a job in the Daoist Canon Division and wait for aeback. If I¡¯m unlucky, I will probably be transferred to the Requiem Division, where I¡¯ll spend the rest of my life.¡±

    "What¡¯s the Requiem Division? Why haven¡¯t I heard of it?" Qi Xuansu asked again.

    Zhang Yuelu nced at him and exined, ¡°The Requiem Division is mainly responsible for the cemetery and the corresponding rituals. The Ciji Hall is the worst among the nine halls, and the Requiem Division is the worst department within the Ciji Hall. It is usually headed by a fallen sage.¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally understood. ¡°That sounds like the chief eunuch of the previous dynasty being assigned to guard the imperial mausoleum.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu rolled his eyes at him and continued, ¡°As for you all, you¡¯ll just go back where you came from. If you¡¯ve never served in a local Daoist mansion, you will probablye with me to guard the mausoleum, so we can bepanions. I will spend the rest of my life with the heroic spirits who died fighting for the Daoist Order.¡±

    The smile on Qi Xuansu¡¯s face slowly disappeared.

    Although he would be in thepany of a beautiful woman and would have a Sage or Great Sage as a superior, Qi Xuansu did not think this was a good ending.

    Zhang Yuelu squeezed the horse¡¯s belly with her legs to speed up. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to end up in the Requiem Division, you¡¯d better buck up and punish those demons. Then we will have a bright future.¡±

    Qi Xuansu hurriedly followed.

    At some point, it snowed again. Qi Xuansu only felt the wind and snow blowing against his face. When he looked at Zhang Yuelu, she was not wearing a hood, and her head and body were covered in snowkes. He could not help but sigh. ¡°The snow covering our heads makes it seem like we¡¯ve aged together and gone through many hardships.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu looked at him strangely and said, ¡°If you consider snow covering our heads as aging together, no one in this world will ever be heartbroken.¡±

    The two exchanged a brief nce, suddenly struck by speechlessness. They hastily averted their gazes in an attempt to conceal their embarrassment.

    Shortly after, they stumbled upon some bloodstains on the gravel at the roadside that was shielded from the snowfall. Qi Xuansu dismounted and carefully inspected the bloodstains, lightly brushing them with his fingertips. He then brought them to his nose and took a sniff before turning to Zhang Yuelu. ¡°It¡¯s human blood.¡±

    Purple energy shed in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes as she used the Immortal Eye of Providence, also known as the Divine Observation Technique. Immediately afterward, a blood-red stream invisible to the naked eye appeared in her sight and extended into the distance like a winding path.

    ¡°Follow me.¡± Zhang Yuelu followed the stream and rode away. Qi Xuansu mounted his horse and chased after her.

    The duo followed this path for about five kilometers before they came to a rocky beach, which waspletely covered in a nket of snow.

    Zhang Yuelu dismounted first and pointed at the rocky beach. ¡°It¡¯s around here somewhere.¡±

    Qi Xuansu dismounted and pulled out the wooden sword, Meridian, from his back. He pierced the Meridian into the snow while walking, using his hand to judge whether there were any corpses or living humans under the snow.

    Zhang Yuelu did not stay idle and imitated Qi Xuansu to search the rocky beach.

    After about 15 minutes, Qi Xuansu suddenly felt like he had poked something soft. He quickly put the Meridian back into the sheath behind his back and used his hands to dig up the snow.

    Soon, Qi Xuansu dug out a body from the snow. The man was dressed like a Daoist priest and had a pale face and blood stains on his body. He looked to be about thirty years old.

    Before Qi Xuansu could call out to Zhang Yuelu, she had alreadye over and stretched out her hand to feel the man¡¯s pulse. ¡°He¡¯s a Martial Arts Practitioner, not dead yet.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°It looks like we¡¯ve found the fourteenth member of Bishan Temple. He escaped from Bishan Temple by chance, ran for dozens of miles, and passed out here. That¡¯s why he¡¯s covered in snow. Fortunately, he¡¯s a Martial Arts Practitioner with a strong body, so he didn¡¯t freeze to death.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu tried to inject some qi into the man, whoseplexion improved slightly. However, he did not wake up.

    Her face turned solemn, and she said, ¡°His breath is weak, but his vitals are notpletely gone. He just can¡¯t wake up. It looks like he has Lost Soul Syndrome.¡±

    The Lost Soul Syndrome was when a part of the soul left the body due to extreme fear. It muddled the victim¡¯s mind and left them in a vegetative state, like a living corpse.

    A purple energy shed in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes again. She frowned and said, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, he¡¯s missing a third of his soul and three out of seven parts of his spirit. That¡¯s why he can¡¯t wake up.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°In other words, he¡¯s now a vegetable?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhang Yuelu stood up. ¡°I think he was also attacked during the incident, but he escaped based on his instincts. We need to take him back to the temple so that Lingquanzi can examine him for more details on his identity. Diviners are more proficient in this area.¡±

    Qi Xuansu put the man on horseback and left the beach with Zhang Yuelu. They returned to Bishan Temple along the original route. During the time they left, Bishan Temple was still safe and sound. The group of demons did not return.

    That was because Zhang Yuelu brought more than 60 Xiantian Beings with her this time. They were all under high alert, so even masters at the Guizhen stage would not dare underestimate this group.

    Not long after, Lingquanzi and Xu Zhen also returned to the temple. Zhang Yuelu told Lingquanzi about the condition of the fourteenth person. Lingquanzi used his Thoughts to examine the person¡¯s Niwan<i> </i>Pce and reported his findings.

    ¡°The way these demons steal souls was very crude. They drilled a hole in the Niwan Pce and extracted the living soul from there. The demons also drilled a hole into this man¡¯s Niwan Pce, but for some unknown reason, this man managed to escape before the demon could take away his soul. But the damage to his Niwan Pce made his soul unstable. That¡¯s probably how he lost part of his soul during his escape.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Can you summon the lost soul?¡±

    Lingquanzi said, ¡°As long as his soul is still within the 50-kilometer radius, I can use his body as a guide to recall the lost soul.¡±

    The Soul Recall Technique was a skill that a Diviner in the Dream Entering Realm could master. Thus, it was easy for a Diviner like Lingquanzi, who was in the Thunder Realm.

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°We found him about 40 kilometers away from Bishan Temple, definitely within range.¡±

    Lingquanzi nodded, took out four yellow paper talismans from his sleeves, and threw them out randomly. The four talismans flew in all directions and floated midair. Then, he bent the middle finger and ring finger of his left hand inward and used his thumb to press on the tips of those fingers. ¡°Imand thee, lost soul, to return urgently!¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, a gust of wind blew, and the four yellow paper talismans spontaneously ignited.

    Everyone took a few steps back, except Zhang Yuelu, who stood still. Lingquanzi¡¯s big sleeves were billowing, but he maintained his posture.

    This continued for 15 minutes until the strong wind gradually stopped and the yellow paper talisman turned into ashes. After that, they heard a groan.

    Thest survivor slowly awakened.

 Chapter 46: Corpse Transformation

    <h4>Chapter 46: Corpse Transformation</h4>

    The fourteenth person in Bishan Temple and the sole survivor was Zheng Ding. After he was awakened, he retold his experience on the day of the incident. Coupled with the filespiled by the Western Region Daoist Mansion and various traces on the dead bodies, Zhang Yuelu could roughly imagine what happened that night.

    Technically, it was an ambush that urred around midnight. With the exception of one person, who was tasked with keeping watch, everyone else had already slept. These demons initially targeted the Daoist priest on night watch. He was the one who bore five bloody wounds on his face. Subsequently, the demons created arge-scale illusion to lull the sleeping upants into a deep, dreamlike state to prevent them from waking up.

    The reason the demons went to such lengths was so that they could harvest the victims¡¯ souls. Souls dissipated quickly after one¡¯s death, so in order to harvest one¡¯s soul, it had to be done while the person was still alive. The illusion was harmless to the human body, but it was numbing and intoxicating.

    Even when their souls left their bodies, the twelve Daoist priests were still immersed in sweet dreams and could not extricate themselves. This was the reason they had smiles on their faces when they died.

    After being deprived of their living soul, the person did not die immediately but became a vegetable. This group of demons was relentless and sucked their blood, causing all twelve dreaming people to die from excessive blood loss. Including the night watchman, the body count was exactly thirteen people.

    As for Zheng Ding, he was able to escape because he was a Martial Arts Practitioner at the Kunlun stage. This stage was where the body and soul were integrated into one. That way, the soul could not travel outside of the body. This also meant that if the soul was injured, the body would also be in physical pain.

    Several other dead Martial Arts Practitioners were not at that level of cultivation, so their souls were easily taken away. However, Zheng Ding woke up from his sleep due to severe pain when his Niwan Pce was cut open. He then gathered the courage to escape with everything he had.

    Since he was only a Martial Arts Practitioner at the Kunlun stage, his soul and body had only begun to integrate and were not fully fused. Therefore, when he was escaping, he still lost a part of his soul due to the damage to his Niwan Pce.

    After Lingquanzi helped Zheng Ding summon his soul, he also helped thetter repair his Niwan Pce to keep the soul from leaving again. Zheng Ding had to rest for a long time in order to gain a full recovery.

    Zheng Ding also confirmed that this group of demons were indeed not locals. They were a group of Colored Eye People, with high noses and colored eyes.

    Although Zhang Yuelu finally figured out the ins and outs of the matter, there was one key issue that remained unresolved, which was where they would find this group of Colored Eye People.

    <i>The name Colored Eye People originated from the Golden Horde. When the Golden Horde was at its peak, people were divided into four sses. The Colored Eye People were in the second ss.</i>

    <i>Eventually, the Golden Horde withdrew from the Central ins and settled deep into the grasnds. Even the former vassal, the Rus Kingdom, had gained independence from the Golden Horde. However, the name for Colored Eye People remained and generally referred to people from the Western Continent, outside the Central ins, and the grasnds.</i>

    ¡°Where should we go to find this group of demons in the vast Western Region?¡± Although Zhang Yuelu was asking everyone, she subconsciously looked at Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu spoke. ¡°The Western Region is a melting pot of cultures and ethnic groups. However, Colored Eye People have assimted into the local customs andnguage. Even the differences in appearance aren¡¯t so obvious anymore due to constant intermarriage.

    ¡°ording to Zheng Ding¡¯s statement, this group of Colored Eye People who attacked Bishan Temple werepletely foreign in appearance. They aren¡¯t that different from those Colored Eye People who came to Lingnan and Jiangnan on the big ships.

    ¡°The Great Xuan Dynasty didn¡¯t close off our borders and strongly encouraged maritime trade. Therefore, many foreign merchants traveled across the oceans to get here. In many prosperous ports along the coast, Colored Eye People are quitemon.

    ¡°But it¡¯s precisely because of the sea trade¡¯s prosperity that the trade routes on thend are shrinking. Most of the Colored Eye People from the Western Continent whoe to Xizhou and even the Western Region are seasoned travelers who frequent the area.

    ¡°This group of demons must be new faces who probably don¡¯t understand they of thend, so they are bound to leave traces. The Western Region Daoist Mansion didn¡¯t have time to investigate this group of demons due to the war, but the local gangs should have some information about them. Among the many gangs, those who have close contacts with the Western Continent are the most important."

    Xu Zhen asked, ¡°What if this group of Colored Eye People simply didn¡¯t have any contact with the local gangs but hid in the wilderness?¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°If they hid in the wild, then they wouldn¡¯t need to rob caravans. In the wilderness, money can¡¯t be used as food. If they want to spend money, they must go to a popted ce.¡±

    ¡°Deacon Qi is right.¡± Zhang Yuelu nced at Qi Xuansu appreciatively and ordered, ¡°Bring me a map.¡±

    Mu Jin immediately unfolded the map in front of Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu first found the location of Bishan Temple on the map, then slowly moved her finger along the route marked on the map. Finally, she stopped at a ce called Wugeshanli.

    Wugeshanli was a city that belonged to the vast Western Region, but it was not within Xizhou. Thus, it was not under the rule of the Great Xuan Dynasty.

    Zhang Yuelu tapped the spot on the map a few times. ¡°This is the nearest big city from here. It is also where the Colored Eye People gather. Let¡¯s go there."

    Lingquanzi asked, ¡°What should we do about these corpses?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu instructed, ¡°Cremate them here and send the ashes back to the Daxue Mountain Pce, then notify the Requiem Division. These priests died for the Daoist Order and should be worshiped by future generations.¡±

    Lingquanzi nodded and turned to Xu Zhen. ¡°Deacon Xu, lead a team to move the corpses to the backyard and cremate the bodies individually. Mark down their names. In addition, beware of corpse transformation. Cremation can easily cause corpses to rise from the dead. Since these people have been drained of their blood, we should anticipate some problems during the cremation.¡±

    Xu Zhen tightened his expression and nodded. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    At this time, everyone was in a side hall. The corpses were left in the main hall next door, so Xu Zhen led a group of people there.

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°Next, we will divide into two groups. One group will be traveling to Wugeshanli to investigate the demons, while the other group will return to the Daxue Mountain Pce with Zheng Ding, the two disciples from the Western Region Daoist Mansion, and the victims¡¯ ashes.¡±

    There was a moment of silence. Everyone knew that chasing down that group of daring demons would be very dangerous. Rtively speaking, returning to the Daxue Mountain Pce was the better option.

    Zhang Yuelu scanned the crowd and saw their expressions. ¡°Superintendent Lingquan, Deacon Qi, and Deacon Zhou will follow me to Wugeshanli. Deacon Mu and Deacon Xu will be responsible for cremating the corpses and leading the small group back to the Daxue Mountain Pce. Wait there for my orders.¡±

    Everyone took their orders.

    Mu Jin thought that Zhang Yuelu cared for her and was afraid that she would be hurt. That was why Zhang Yuelu let her stay at Bishan Temple and asked her to return to the Daxue Mountain Pce. However, some people could feel that the Deputy Hall Master was clearly favoring Qi Xuansu. After all, the Deputy Hall Master would only keep her confidants by her side.

    Next, Zhang Yuelu discussed the relevant details of their journey to Wugeshanli.

    Wugeshanli was controlled by the Ai family. The ancestors of the Ai family were Western Colored Eye People with a longst name who had taken root in the Western Region for many years. After intermarriage with locals in the Western Region, they had assimted into the local culture and had taken ast namemon to the Central ins. The name <i>Ai</i> was taken from the first syble of their originalst name.

    The Ai family always maintained close business contacts with the Western Continent, so they were proficient in thenguages ??of Western countries.

    It was always better to be prepared for various situations to avoid being caught off guard.

    At this moment, someone shouted from the backyard. ¡°The body is rising!¡±

    Lingquanzi¡¯s expression changed, and he strode out.

    Zhang Yuelu stood still but gave Qi Xuansu a look and motioned for him to follow Lingquanzi.

    Qi Xuansu did not know why he could always understand Zhang Yuelu¡¯s intentions urately. He could not y dumb and followed Lingquanzi out.

    The two of them came to the backyard and saw several firewood piles set up there. They had been lit, but the fire was not a normal me. It had a strange blood-red color.

    In the zing mes, several corpses that were supposed to be cremated stood up amidst the mes. They bared their teeth and ws and roared. It was a horrifying sight.

    Seeing this situation, Lingquanzi did not use any spells. Instead, he took out his gun and shot a corpse that was about to jump off the pyre in the head.

    Following the gunshot, the corpse¡¯s entire head exploded. Blood sttered everywhere.

    Qi Xuansu, who was standing next to Lingquanzi, noticed that the superintendent did not use the Green Bird Pistol but the Divine Dragon Pistol, which was worth 800 Taiping coins. At the moment when the gun was fired, the muzzle of the pistol smoked, and Lingquanzi¡¯s gun-holding arm trembled momentarily from the recoil.

    Even if a Diviner was generally not physically strong, Lingquanzi was a Xiantian Being in the Guizhen stage. He was only one step away from ascending to a Heavenly Being. This showed how strong the recoil was. An ordinary person would probably die from such an impact.

    After Lingquanzi dealt with one of the corpses, he reloaded his bullets. The others followed suit and took out their Green Bird Pistols to fire at the other two corpses.

    <i>How to use firearms was also one of the courses taught at the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. Anyone who sessfully graduated from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce would be able to use a pistol or a long gun.</i>

    <i>The Daoist Order¡¯s pistols were all equipped with fixed-loading ammunition with an integrated structure, which solved the cumbersome problem of projectiles and gunpowder. Different talismans were engraved on the bullets to destroy qi, evil spirits, spells, and armor. At this time, they used Spirit Killing Bullets. Under the concentrated fire of the pistols, the two corpses only struggled slightly before falling into the fire again.</i>

    Lingquanzi was a little disappointed with the inexperience of these new members of Tiangang Hall. However, he also understood that all veterans were once novices. He did not rebuke them. Instead, he instructed, ¡°Get some peach wood and use it to make a fire. That will prevent corpse transformation. This is the basic principle taught by the Wanxiang Daoist Pce.¡±

    Xu Zhen said, embarrassedly, ¡°Yes, Superintendent Lingquan.¡±

    Peach wood was in great demand in the Daoistmunity, so all Daoist temples kept reserves of it. Bishan Temple was no exception.

    Soon, everyone got the peach wood and started the fire again. This time, there was no corpse transformation. The mes were normal in color, and there was only a slight crackling of the wood burning.

 Chapter 47: Hewu

    <h4>Chapter 47: Hewu</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu was a resolute person. After resting for a night at Bishan Temple, she set off the next morning. The group of sixty people was divided into two teams. Forty of them followed Zhang Yuelu to Wugeshanli, while the remaining twenty went to the Daxue Mountain Pce.

    The climate in the Western Region was quite unpredictable. As the group departed from Bishan Temple, the sky remained overcast, with snowkes swirling intermittently in the wind.

    By noon, the weather took a turn for the better, with the sun breaking through the clouds. Advancing approximately 50 kilometers westward, they noticed a significant change in thendscape. The snow along the path had melted away, signaling their departure from the snowy region.

    When they came to a high slope, everyone stopped and took a break. Zhang Yuelu took out her telescope, observed the terrain in the distance, andpared it with the map in her hand.

    Qi Xuansu took out a piece of dried meat from his satchel, put it in his mouth, and chewed on it. Then he took another sip of cold water.

    In this environment, dried meat and dry rations were no better than stones.

    He still had a few Army Pills on him, but he did not want to waste so much money. Since they were not rushing to their destination, he preferred to use ordinary foods to restore his strength.

    <i>Martial Arts Practitioners were good at eating, and Diviners were good at sleeping.</i>

    <i>Since Martial Arts Practitioners did not practice breathing exercises, they could not gain nourishment from the air like a Qi Refiner. Thus, they had to supplement their nutrients through food and medicine. They eat while training and recuperating.</i>

    <i>A Martial Arts Practitioner could eat as much as a dozen ordinary portions. They were the only lineage that could not practice the Fasting Technique. This meant that poor people could not learn this lineage.</i>

    <i>Diviners were good at sleeping. When a Diviner slept, his soul wandered, or he would be nourishing his Thoughts in his dreams. After falling asleep, his body was like a corpse. If a Diviner was seriously injured, he would usually choose to fall into deep sleep to recover from the injury. It waspletely opposite from the Martial Arts Practitioner, who relied on eating to recuperate.</i>

    <i>Rogue Cultivatorsbined the strengths and weaknesses of each lineage, so they were not as extreme in eating and sleeping. They would eat and sleep moderately.</i>

    Qi Xuansu swallowed the cold, dried meat with difficulty. Zhang Yuelu checked the terrain, put away the telescope and map, shook the reins of her horse, and continued forward.

    Everyone followed. Forty horsemen rushed down the high slope, their cloaks fluttering in the wind, and their horses¡¯ hooves made the ground rumble. The group rode for more than half an hour before crowds gradually became visible. It was no longer as deste as before, and the roads were smoother.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu suddenly stopped her horse. Purple energy shed in her eyes. Everyone, including Qi Xuansu, stopped their horses and was a little puzzled. Only Lingquanzi, who was also at the Guizhen stage, noticed something.

    Not long after, a muscr man appeared in everyone¡¯s field of vision, looking like he was running for his life. Just a momentter, a dozen more figures jumped out. These people did not ride horses but ran on foot.

    The man who fled had the intention of diverting trouble, so he rushed toward them.

    The people who were chasing this man were surprised and confused to see this group of more than forty people on horseback. They did not look like horse bandits or a merchant caravan.

    But at this time, they did not care so much. After a slight hesitation, they rushed forward.

    Zhang Yuelu frowned slightly. Zhou Bai, the most experienced one in the group, moved forward on horseback and shouted, ¡°The Daoist Order¡¯s Tiangang Hall is here on official business. Everyone, move aside!¡±

    After Zhou Bai announced their purpose, the people on foot immediately stopped and dared not take another step forward.

    The man who was running for his life could not stop on short notice. He had wanted to jump over the group. But when he heard they were from the Daoist Order, he slid and kneeled on the ground, leaving two plow marks about three meters long. He came to a stop right in front of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s horse.

    Although they were no longer within the territory of Xizhou, it was still within the jurisdiction of the Western Region Daoist Mansion, so no one dared to provoke the Daoist Order.

    Zhang Yuelu leaned over slightly and nced at the man. ¡°The Daoist Order is not like the Imperial Court. We don¡¯t like such formal kneeling.¡±

    This person was a short old man with white hair. Even his beard and eyebrows were white. He also had a red patch on his nose. After hearing this, he said, ¡°I have always admired the Daoist Order and couldn¡¯t help myself.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face remained expressionless. ¡°We are from Tiangang Hall, responsible for arresting and executing people. If you want to express your respect for the Daoist Order, you can go to the Ancestral Court. Of course, before you step foot into the Ancestral Court, you¡¯ll have to get approval from Beichen Hall first."

    The man suddenly shivered and dared not speak.

    Zhang Yuelu ordered, ¡°Get up and speak.¡±

    He climbed up from the ground, patted the soil on his knees, and saluted like a Daoist disciple. ¡°I, Shangguan Dun, would like to pay my respects to Tiangang Hall¡ª¡±

    Qi Xuansu promptly reminded him. ¡°Mage.¡±

    Shangguan Dun trembled and continued, ¡°Greetings to the Mage of the Tiangang Hall!¡±

    He was yelling thest half of his sentence at the top of his lungs. This was so those who were chasing him could hear him clearly. Seeing a young mage from the Tiangang Hall, even a fool knew that Zhang Yuelu had some status or affiliation with a Sage or Great Sage. Thus, the people chasing him retreated, but they did not dare turn their backs on her.

    Zhang Yuelu had no intention of stopping them and just waved her hand.

    Someone shouted, and the people who had been chasing the man turned around and ran away, disappearing in an instant.

    Seeing this scene, Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh. It was nice to enjoy the protection of a big backer like the Daoist Order. Bullying others from a position of power and being bullied were twopletely different feelings.

    Zhang Yuelu suddenly waved for Qi Xuansu toe over. ¡°Deacon Qi.¡±

    Qi Xuansu hurriedly rode forward.

    Zhang Yuelu said softly, ¡°We still need a guide, but I¡¯m afraid this person will fool us. So you should go and test the waters.¡±

    Qi Xuansu immediately understood Zhang Yuelu¡¯s intention and whispered, ¡°I didn''t expect you to know this ng.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu retorted, ¡°Not as well as you, though. Go on, then. We will wait for you in front. If he¡¯s suitable for the job, bring him over. If not, there is no need to embarrass him.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Qi Xuansu nodded.

    Zhang Yuelu flicked her riding whip, bypassed Shangguan Dun, and continued forward. The rest of the group followed her, and their horses¡¯ hooves made the ground rumble.

    Only Qi Xuansu, who was still on his horse, and Shangguan Dun, who was standing on the ground, were left behind, staring at each other.

    Qi Xuansu smiled. ¡°<i>Hewu</i>, are you with a friend in Wugeshanli?¡±

    Shangguan Dun¡¯s expression stiffened. That was because Qi Xuansu knew the local street ng.

    <i>Hewu</i> was amon greeting for fellow travelers, and ¡°friend¡± meant local gangs. What Qi Xuansu wanted to know was whether Shangguan Dun was a local gangster in the Wugeshanli area.

    Shangguan Dun thought that the young mage was clueless about the ways of the real world. However, this young man in front of him was obviously well-traveled and not easy to fool.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a big business, and I¡¯m just a quack.¡± Shangguan Dun replied, ¡°Forgive me for being blind, but please give me a sign.¡±

    The man was asking for Qi Xuansu¡¯s identity.

    Qi Xuansu introduced himself. ¡°I am a Daoist disciple working in Tiangang Hall. I often move around in the south, and I rarelye to this area.¡±

    Shangguan Dun cupped his fists. ¡°It turns out we¡¯re fellow travelers in the south.¡±

    Qi Xuansu responded, ¡°Indeed.¡±

    Shangguan Dun hesitated for a moment before he asked, ¡°What do you need help with?¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°We¡¯re looking for a group of aliens.¡±

    Aliens meant foreigners who did not belong to the Great Xuan Dynasty.

    Shangguan Dun looked hesitant and asked, ¡°A grudge?¡±

    He wanted to know if the foreigners were Qi Xuansu¡¯s enemies.

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°They have killed 13 of our kind, so we must be rid of them.¡±

    That meant Qi Xuansu¡¯s group wanted to kill the foreigners, leaving no one alive.

    Shangguan Dun suddenly asked, ¡°The girl¡¯s name?¡±

    Qi Xuansu answered, ¡°Mage Zhang.¡±

    Shangguan Dun immediately understood Zhang Yuelu¡¯s background and remarked, ¡°No wonder. Bravo!¡±

    ¡°Bravo¡± was a term of acknowledgment for fellow seasoned travelers. Shangguan Dun implied that he acknowledged Qi Xuansu and would not underestimate or deceive thetter.

    Qi Xuansu abandoned the street ng and spoke normally. ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll be straightforward with you. I have a favor to ask. If you¡¯re willing to assist us, I¡¯ll ensure you¡¯re dulypensated.¡±

    Shangguan Dun waved dismissively and said, ¡°If it involves murder, count me out."

    Qi Xuansu rified, ¡°We¡¯ll handle that part. Your role is merely to guide us. Regardless of the oue, you¡¯ll receive 200 Taiping coins. But if you¡¯re sessful, you¡¯ll get an additional 300 Taiping coins.¡±

    Shangguan Dun¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°Wow, 500 Taiping coins? Now, that¡¯s a deal.¡±

    In the real world, survival wasrgely dependent on one¡¯s financial resources. Fear was secondary to wealth.

 Chapter 48: Wugeshanli

    <h4>Chapter 48: Wugeshanli</h4>

    Qi Xuansu led Shangguan Dun over and caught up with Zhang Yuelu and the group. At this time, Zhang Yuelu chose a decent spot to set up camp. When she saw Qi Xuansu, she spoke to Lingquanzi and motioned for Qi Xuansu to talk in private.

    Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu walked aside, while Shangguan Dun stood far away. Shangguan Dun was tactful enough to give them space.

    Qi Xuansu roughly recounted the conversation between him and Shangguan Dun. Zhang Yuelu did not care about the expenditure of 500 Taiping coins since they did not have to pay this money out of their own pockets. Tiangang Hall had a special fund for foreign affairs.

    What Zhang Yuelu cared about was Shangguan Dun¡¯s identity. ¡°Is a quack reliable?¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Such people are naturally unreliable, but as long as they are given sufficient money, they will do anything for you. Normal people won¡¯t dare to provoke this group of vicious demons. But, of course, we cannot fully count on him. As you mentioned earlier, we just need a guide to show us around.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu pondered for a moment and nodded. ¡°I guess we have no other choice.¡±

    Qi Xuansu waved to Shangguan Dun.

    Thetter hurried over and wanted to salute Zhang Yuelu again.

    ¡°No need for pleasantries.¡± Zhang Yuelu waved her hand and took out tworge notes worth 100 Taiping coins each from her magical receptacle. ¡°This is the deposit.¡±

    Shangguan Dun nced at the magical receptacle on Zhang Yuelu¡¯s wrist with some envy, but he did not reach out to take the cash notes. He whispered, ¡°If I may, Respected Mage, only big cities like Lon have banks. Will you be so kind as to offer me coins instead?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu put away the cash notes and took out two small bags of Wuyou coins, tossing them to Shangguan Dun.

    One Wuyou coin equated to ten Taiping coins. Thus, 200 Taiping coins were equivalent to 20 Wuyou coins. The biggest advantage of Wuyou coins was that they were more convenient to carry. Thus, they could be used to deal with situations where cash notes could not be used, such as at this moment.

    Shangguan Dun caught both money pouches, with the inscription ¡°10 Wuyou coins¡± on each of them. The name Tiangang<i> </i>Hall was also printed on the pouch. He was shocked, but he dared not open the pouch to count the money. He merely held the pouches and nced at Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu reminded him. ¡°Remember, you are taking Tiangang Hall¡¯s money.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mage.¡± Shangguan Dun bowed. Of course, he understood the implication of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s words. Tiangang Hall¡¯s money was not so easy to earn. Although Tiangang Hall would not break their promise, they were vicious if provoked.

    Zhang Yuelu turned to Qi Xuansu. ¡°Give him a horse.¡±

    Qi Xuansu responded.

    Tiangang Hall did not issue two horses per person, but they had spare horses to carry supplies. Thus, it was no big deal to provide a horse for Shangguan Dun.

    Qi Xuansu found his subordinate, Cao Liyou, and asked him to prepare a tent and a horse for Shangguan Dun.

    Since leaving Jade Capital, Qi Xuansu has shown the group his capability. His status as the deputy hall master¡¯s confidant also made others fear him. Thus, they would not openly show their defiance.

    Qi Xuansu grabbed a handful of grass from the saddle¡¯s side, fetched a bag of beans from the saddlebag, mixed them together, and fed his horse.

    There was not much choice. Amidst the snow and desert, finding grass along the way was impossible, so they had to prepare ample fodder in advance. Thankfully, Bishan Temple had a reserve, so they replenished their feed.

    Once the horse was tended to, Qi Xuansu proceeded to have his dinner, consisting of the usual rock-hard rations and chilled water. Having traveled for years, Qi Xuansu was used to such conditions, but many Daoist priests ustomed to thefort of the Jade Capital found it challenging. Thus, many resorted to taking Army Pills to stave off hunger.

    While Qi Xuansu ate, he cast another nce at Zhang Yuelu and noticed her sitting alone in the distance, quietly sipping her drink. With her magical receptacle, she seemed to have an endless supply of wine, but it was evident she had not brought any of the cold, hard rations the others were having.

    Zhang Yuelu sensed his gaze and suddenly turned to look at Qi Xuansu. He then quickly averted his gaze and focused intently on his meal. After a night¡¯s rest, they resumed their journey the next day.

    With Shangguan Dun leading the way, Zhang Yuelu saved considerable time not having to confirm their route every so often. Three dayster, a city with a distinct exotic ir came into view.

    <i>Wugeshanli was the group¡¯s destination. Once one of the 36 kingdoms in the Western Region, itter came under the jurisdiction of the Great Xuan Dynasty, which established Xizhou. Most of the smaller kingdoms were incorporated into the imperial administration, bing prefectures and counties. Those outside of Xizhou¡¯s jurisdiction stopped calling themselves kingdoms. Instead, they became small city-states that acknowledged the Great Xuan Imperial Court as their suzerain, to which they paid tribute.</i>

    <i>The Great Xuan Dynasty established the Administrative Envoy Department across all states. But in Xizhou, they established a Xizhou Protectorate, serving as both a local government office and an army camp in the western front.</i>

    <i>The Xizhou Protectorate, stationed in Lon, wielded military and political authority simr to that of a state governor. Furthermore, the Protectorate would report directly to the Director General, granting them a unique status.</i>

    <i>After Emperor Gaozu abolished the Governor¡¯s Office and the Supervisor of Ceremonies, the cab became the highest authority in the government, akin to the Daoist Golden Tower Council. </i>

    <i>To prevent civil servants from dominating the government, Emperor Gaozu abolished the restriction that only Hanlin officials could join the cab and reverted to the ancient system. He also restored the tradition of allowing military officials to serve in the cab as ministers.</i>

    <i>Additionally, due to the suppression of Confucians, the existing cab had no clear division between civil and military officials. Many cab ministers were capable of both.</i>

    Wugeshanli was outside the jurisdiction of the Xizhou Protectorate and the Western Region Daoist Mansion. Thus, upon entering the city, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s group immediately attracted hostile gazes from the guards.

    With anguage barrier between them, Shangguan Dun¡¯s role became crucial. Having been in the region for many years, he was proficient in variousnguages and served not only as a guide but also as a trantor.

    Zhang Yuelu, having no intention of hiding her identity, presented her insignia and instructed Shangguan Dun to inform the guards that she wished to meet the local city lord.

    Despite the city not being under Daoist jurisdiction, the guards were intimidated by the reputation of the Daoist Order and promptly informed their superiors.

    Shortly after, a general arrived and warmly weed the group, though he showed no inclination to grant them entry into the city. He also ryed that the city lord would soon be arriving.

    Zhang Yuelu did not object and instead chose to wait calmly.

    Approximately half an hourter, the city lord arrived, somewhat tardily. To Qi Xuansu''s astonishment, the city lord turned out to be an exceedingly young woman.

    This woman had brown hair, a prominent nose, deep-set eyes, and a statuesque figure. Although she stood about the same height as Zhang Yuelu, there was a notable contrast in their physique. Standing beside the city lord, Zhang Yuelu appeared somewhat delicate inparison.

    Unsurprisingly, the city lord¡¯sst name was Ai. Her name was Ai Li.

    Ai Li met with Zhang Yuelu and spoke in fluent Great Xuan Dynasty Mandarin. ¡°Respected Mage, I would like to invite you to my mansion as a guest, but you have toorge of an entourage...¡±

    To everyone¡¯s surprise, Ai Li had the Imperial Capital ent when she spoke Mandarin, reminiscent of a wealthydy born in the Capital rather than the owner of this remote Western Region city.

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°Deacon Qi and the guide will follow me into the city while the rest of you will follow themand of Superintendent Lingquan and stay put here.¡±

    Lingquanzi nodded and whispered, ¡°Deputy Hall Master, please be careful.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had not spoken, but he felt for his sword and gun at his waist. He nced at Shangguan Dun again and found that the old man looked calm.

    The three of them followed Ai Li into the city and made their way to the city lord¡¯s mansion.

    Along the way, it was evident that the city was quite lively and prosperous. Although it was not as grand as Lon, thergest city in Xizhou, and could not bepared to Jade Capital, it was simr to the ordinary prefectures and counties in the Central ins.

    The city lord¡¯s mansion was situated in the inner city. It had once been the royal pce of the Wugeshanli Kingdom, thus upying arge area and quite luxuriously decorated. At the moment, it belonged to the Ai family. It served not only as the government office where the city lord handled various matters but also as the residence of the entire Ai family.

    Under Ai Li¡¯s guidance, the trio entered the inner city unimpeded and arrived at the city lord¡¯s mansion.

    Ai Li entertained the three of them in the huge living room, which was decorated with stained ss. A gorgeous maid served high-grade tea from the Central ins and even brought out cdon teacups. This was not something that could be prepared in a hurry. Coupled with Ai Li¡¯s proficiency in Mandarin, it was proof that the Ai family had assimted into the local culture, perfectly reflecting a blend of East and West cultures.

    The young city lord was well-versed in the etiquette of the Central ins. As a host, she did not pick up the teacup. Zhang Yuelu also had no intention of drinking tea and went straight to the point. ¡°I came to see the city lord this time because I have a favor to ask.¡±

    Ai Li said, ¡°The magees from the powerful Daoist Order, and I am just an insignificant city lord. What do you need my help with?"

    Zhang Yuelu shot Qi Xuansu a look.

    Qi Xuansu responded, ¡°After all, this is not the territory of the Daoist Order. As a guest, it is reasonable to seek help from the local master. To be honest with you, we are looking for a group of demons.¡±

    ¡°Demons?¡± A look of surprise appeared on Ai Li¡¯s face, making it difficult to tell whether it was genuine.

    ¡°City Lord, are you unaware?¡± Qi Xuansu, who was very good at controlling his expression due to Madam Qi¡¯s guidance, also feigned surprise. ¡°A group of foreign demons entered the Western Region, attacked caravans, plundered property, and killed people. Thirteen Daoist priests were murdered, and the sages were infuriated, ordering the eradication of this group ofwless demons.¡±

    This was why Zhang Yuelu asked Qi Xuansu to speak. She had long discovered that Qi Xuansu was very good at acting, which happened to be her weakest point.

    The slight surprise on Ai Li¡¯s face turned into full-blown shock. ¡°How appalling!¡±

    Qi Xuansu said seriously, "That''s why we need your help, City Lord."

    Ai Li was silent for a moment and said, ¡°Although I am a city lord, I am also a businessman, so I would like to ask. What can I get in return?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu spoke again. ¡°You will gain the friendship of the Daoist Order.¡±

 Chapter 49: Daoist Priest Kindred

    <h4>Chapter 49: Daoist Priest Kindred</h4>

    Kinship within the Daoistmunity was invisible and intangible. The truth was never that simple.

    A thousand words from a minion were notparable to one or two words from a big shot. The friendship of ordinary people was worthless, but the favor of a big shot was something that many people wished for.

    There was a saying that one need not make great contributions to the country. Instead, one should offer small acts of kindness to the emperor to gain favor.

    If Ai Li chose to help the Daoist Order, she would get many benefits. She could get the same treatment as a Daoist priest and enter Jade Capital using a flying ship. The Daoist Order would also give priority to her caravan in terms of trade. This was considered a basic treatment.

    If she made great contributions to the Daoist Order, she could even be a guest of the Sages and be awarded a Sage Kindred title. This title was equivalent to that of an ordinary second-rank Taiyi Daoist master.

    As a city lord, Ai Li naturally understood the truth behind this, so she rified. ¡°Is this true?¡±

    ¡°I can make the decision.¡± Zhang Yuelu took out a note from her magical receptacle and ced it on the table between the two of them.

    Ai Li nced at the paper filled with all the necessary stamps, but the space for her name was empty.

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°This is a certificate for a fifth-rank Daoist priest. It is the quota given to me by the Hall Master. As long as you fill in your name, you can enjoy the treatment of a fifth-rank Daoist priest. Since you are a Daoist Priest Kindred, you don¡¯t have to follow the customs of the Daoist Order. You won¡¯t be controlled by higher-ranking Daoist priests, either. This title only has advantages and no disadvantages.¡±

    Ai Li was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled brightly. She ordered the maid, ¡°Go and invite the rest of our Daoist guests inside.¡±

    She then turned back to Zhang Yuelu. ¡°I will do my best to fulfill your orders, Mage.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was direct. ¡°Alright, then. I would like to ask you to order a search for any suspicious outsiders recently, especially people from the Western Continent.¡±

    ¡°No problem!¡± Ai Li happily agreed.

    Zhang Yuelu looked at Qi Xuansu again and winked.

    Qi Xuansu immediately understood that it was his cue to say something. ¡°City Lord, I would like to remind you that having two feet on the same boat makes it stable. But one is bound to fall when stepping on two boats.¡±

    Ai Li¡¯s expression was unchanged. She maintained her smile. ¡°Of course.¡±

    Qi Xuansu stopped talking.

    Ai Li stood up, saying, ¡°Everyone must be tired from your travels, so please rest in my mansion for the night. I will issue the search order now, and we will discuss it tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Zhang Yuelu did not refuse.

    Ai Li pped her hands. Immediately, a maid walked into the living room and saluted Zhang Yuelu. ¡°Mage, please follow me.¡±

    At night, Ai Li hosted a banquet for Zhang Yuelu, Lingquanzi, and Zhou Bai. Qi Xuansu did not attend. He ate with the other Tiangang Hall Daoist priests because this was the rule. If something unexpected were to happen and Zhang Yuelu, Lingquanzi, and Zhou Bai were not around, Qi Xuansu would be the leader of the group. This showed how much Zhang Yuelu trusted Qi Xuansu.

    Ordinary Daoist priests did not get to enjoy the city lord¡¯s dinner reception, but they were treated well. The servants of the city lord¡¯s mansion specially prepared mealsmon to the Central ins for the group, with four side dishes of meat and vegetables for each person. Everyone also had amb leg and wine from the Western Region.

    The Daoist Order had a special poison-testing instrument shaped like a thin needle that was about 15 centimeters long. It was installed under the barrel of their issued pistol and could be pulled out whenever necessary.

    After testing that the food was non-toxic, everyone began to eat and drink with confidence. The taste was not as good as the restaurant dishes in Jade Capital, but everyone still enjoyed their meal. That was because they had only been eating dry rations or the awful-tasting Army Pills in the past two weeks. It had been a long time since they had a proper meal.

    Qi Xuansu, Cao Liyou, and Shangguan Dun sat at the same table. Shangguan Dun took a sip of chicken soup and muttered, ¡°I thought I could go out and brag about how good the food in the city lord¡¯s mansion was, but I was wrong.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. There are some weird spices added to this dish. It¡¯s not authentic.¡± Cao Liyou nodded in agreement.

    Qi Xuansu heard theirints and scolded them with a smile. ¡°Some of them are nice. You¡¯re just picky. Don¡¯tin so much.¡±

    He then offered the best-tasting dish¡ªthemb leg¡ªto the two of them.

    Cao Liyou was a little embarrassed. ¡°Deacon Qi, you should also eat some.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I noticed that you haven¡¯t eaten much solid food these days, so you might as well take this opportunity to eat more.¡±

    ¡°Deacon Qi, are you vegetarian?¡± Cao Liyou could not help but ask. In the Daoist Order, many priests were vegetarians and did not marry, such as Lingquanzi.

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°No.¡±

    Cao Liyou smiled a little shyly, stopped talking, and concentrated on eating themb leg.

    In the end, nothing went to waste. Shangguan Dun even gnawed all the tendons of themb leg.

    After the meal, a servant came to clear away the empty dishes and brought over some hot tea.

    Qi Xuansu took a sip of hot tea and asked, ¡°Brother Shangguan, do you think this city lord is rted to the foreign demon we are looking for?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.¡± Shangguan Dun was picking his teeth as he spoke. ¡°The Ai family is very powerful, and the real people in power are hidden behind the scenes. They pushed the young girl out to meet us. When the girl saw Mage Zhang, she pretended not to know what was going on. It¡¯s like she¡¯s trying to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hide something,¡± Cao Liyou interjected.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s quite fishy.¡± Shangguan Dun finished picking his teeth, so his voice was clearer. ¡°They must know of the existence of those demons. But I don¡¯t know if they are from the same group. The Ai family has such roots. They just don¡¯t dare to make an enemy of the Daoist Order.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Brother Shangguan is right.¡±

    Shangguan Dun looked around and saw that no one else was paying attention to them, so he lowered his voice and said, ¡°Deacon Qi, I see that you have a special rtionship with Mage Zhang. Can you tell me exactly what your rtionship is?¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked back, "Brother Shangguan, why are you asking about this?"

    Shangguan Dun frowned. ¡°I saw that Mage Zhang had a Daoist Priest Kindred certificate. I was thinking that since I led the way for you all, I have made some contributions, too, right? Can you get one of those certificates for me too? I don¡¯t need such a high-ranking certificate. Just a ninth-rank Daoist priest will do.¡±

    Qi Xuansu scoffed. ¡°You didn¡¯t dare to ask Mage Zhang, so you came to me, huh?¡±

    Shangguan Dun coughed. ¡°If not a priest, how about a Daoist attendant?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just be a Daoist believer?¡± Qi Xuansu asked. ¡°In the Daoist Order, only minors are called Daoist attendants. If you be a Daoist attendant at your age, I¡¯m afraid others willugh at you."

    Shangguan Dun suddenly tugged on his white beard. ¡°Daoist believer... Well, at least there¡¯s a Daoist in there.¡±

    Qi Xuansu couldn¡¯t decide whether tough or cry. ¡°I have no say in this matter, but I''ve heard that there are fixed quotas for Daoist Priest Kindreds, which are determined by Ziwei Hall every year. The approval process is extremely strict. They would rather leave it vacant than grant it arbitrarily. Besides, Mage Zhang won¡¯t agree unless you contribute to trapping and suppressing the foreign demons.¡±

    Shangguan Dun sighed. ¡°Fine... Forget it, then.¡±

    As they conversed, Zhang Yuelu returned. Her face bore no expression, making it challenging to discern her mood.

    Everyone rose to their feet in session.

    Zhang Yuelu waved her hand, signaling them not to be overly formal. She then made eye contact with Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu stood up and followed Zhang Yuelu out. Once the two had left, whispers filled the room, mostly specting about their rtionship.

    Outside the building, the night was serene with a chilly breeze.

    Qi Xuansu broke the silence. ¡°Did you enjoy the wine at dinner?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about grape wine. It¡¯s sweet, but also slightly bitter. It has a unique vor.¡± Zhang Yuelu smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not used to this kind of dinner. I¡¯m just there to socialize and ask for help.¡±

    Qi Xuansu changed the topic. ¡°Is the Ai family reliable?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re reliable for the time being.¡± Zhang Yuelu rubbed her temples, not knowing whether she felt dizzy from drinking too much. ¡°After all, the Ai family won¡¯t dare offend the Daoist Order openly.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what Shangguan Dun said as well.¡± Qi Xuansu roughly recounted the conversation between himself and Shangguan Dun.

    Zhang Yuelu chuckled. ¡°He wants to be a ninth-rank Daoist priest? It¡¯s not impossible, per se. As long as we can sessfully exterminate this group of demons, I will grant him a ninth-rank title. But I won¡¯t be giving him the subsequent 300 Taiping coins. If he asks again, just tell him this. It¡¯s up to him to choose whether he wants money or status.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Qi Xuansu nodded in agreement.

    Then there was a moment of silence between the two. Finally, Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Tian Yuan, you seem to have something on your mind?¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not deny it. ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Are you thinking about revenge?¡± Zhang Yuelu asked.

    Qi Xuansu did not expect Zhang Yuelu to remember this. A lie often required more lies to cover up, so he had no choice but to say, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu looked at Qi Xuansu and offered. ¡°If you need my help, just ask. Don¡¯t be polite with me.¡±

    The moonlight was dull as it shone on the woman¡¯s body, making her silhouette feel ethereal and blurry. It seemed as if she would ride with the wind and fly away at any moment.

    Qi Xuansu was lost in thought for a while. When he came back to his senses, he nodded and thanked her.

    ¡°No need for thanks. We¡¯re friends,¡± Zhang Yuelu murmured.

    Qi Xuansu was startled, but he smiled in response. ¡°Alright, Miss Tantai.¡±

 Chapter 50: Visitors From the West

    <h4>Chapter 50: Visitors From the West</h4>

    Early the next morning, Ai Li came over with a special guest. This person had curly ck hair. He was tall and looked very different from the people of the Central ins.

    Zhang Yuelu brought Qi Xuansu, Lingquanzi, and Shangguan Dun to meet them.

    After a brief exchange of greetings, Ai Li introduced the identity of this person. His name was Arthur, a chief bishop from the Holy Court Tribunal. Arthur took out a document simr to a Daoist insignia and handed it to Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu confirmed his identity and returned the insignia to Arthur.

    Qi Xuansu was not familiar with such high-level things. He could not help but ask, ¡°What is the Tribunal?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°The Holy Court is the Daoist Order of the Western Continent, and the Tribunal is roughly equivalent to Beichen Hall and Tiangang Hall. A chief bishop is simr in rank to a fifth-rank Daoist priest. There are archbishops and metropolitans above him, which correspond to our fourth-rank and third-rank Daoist masters, respectively.

    ¡°Further up, there are the cardinals. Cardinal deacons are equivalent to our ordinary sages, cardinal priests are simr to our Omniscient Sages, and cardinal bishops correspond to our Great Sage. Their patriarchs are our Deputy Grand Masters, and their Pope is our Grand Master.¡±

    Qi Xuansu immediately understood that Arthur had found Ai Li ahead of them. Otherwise, he would not have appeared at such an opportune time. From this point of view, the rumors that the Ai family had close contact with the Western Continent were not groundless.

    In fact, the Daoist Order and the Holy Court have had a certain degree ofmunication, which could be traced back to the Holy Xuan era. The Holy Xuan had three teachers, one of whom had traveled to the Western Continent and made many friends.

    This had a great influence on the Holy Xuan and the subsequent Grand Masters. They sent special envoys tomunicate with the Holy Court. Since the two powers were far away from each other, most of the time they were cordial. On the premise that there was no real conflict of interest, they could be considered distant friends to the Daoist Order, while the Buddhist and Shamanistic Sects were close enemies.

    Therefore, Zhang Yuelu did not have much hostility toward this Holy Court envoy. She adopted a cooperative attitude.

    Arthur was not fluent in Mandarin, so Ai Li tranted for him.

    Ai Li said, ¡°Arthur was ordered by the archbishop to trace the footsteps of a group of sinners, so he came to the Western Region. But he was alone and was no match for this group of sinners. That¡¯s why he wanted to ask for help from the Daoist Order.¡±

    How coincidental.

    Zhang Yuelu immediately said, ¡°We have a saying in the East, ¡®Know thy enemy and know thyself, and you will win a hundred battles.¡¯ Before we get into that, I would like to understand who the sinners you speak of are.¡±

    Arthur was also very frank. He immediately introduced the origins of this group of sinners.

    Ai Li tranted for him. ¡°The Daoists call them demons, the Holy Court calls them sinners, and they call themselves vampires. Civilians prefer calling them Blood Suckers, as they live by sucking human blood. They have a physical body with no heartbeat or body temperature. They don¡¯t need to breathe because they¡¯re immortal, somewhat simr to Eastern zombies.

    ¡°The difference between vampires and zombies is that vampires have sanity, like humans. They can think and talk. Due to their long lifespan, they are very knowledgeable and proficient in casting spells. This group of sinners exists in the form of ns, and there are thirteen such ns.

    ¡°Legends say that their ancestor was cursed for eternity and had to drink the blood of living people throughout his life to live forever. Later, he learned how to control the power of blood from an ancient witch and created a second-generation sinner. The second-generation sinner created 13 third-generation sinners. These third-generation sinners established the Thirteen ns, whichter rebelled and killed that second-generation sinner.

    ¡°Currently, the Thirteen ns are divided into three factions, namely the Secret Party, the Demon Party, and the Neutral Party. The criminals involved this time are from the Ravnos n of the Neutral Party.

    ¡°The vast majority of sinners are not born sinners but are transformed into them. Sinners can only live by sucking human blood. If they inject their own blood into other people¡¯s bodies, those people will degenerate into sinners. This is how sinners recruit new members, which they call first recruits.

    ¡°Before they were transformed into sinners, the members of the Ravnos n were nomads and thieves, so they were scattered throughout the Western Continent like straw in the wind. The footprints of the Ravnos n can be found in every country on the Western Continent, but their whereabouts are erratic. Many of them travel with vagrants and rogues.

    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to find many Ravnos members in one ce at the same time because they like to be alone and prefer to use trace marks tomunicate with their kind. The wandering Ravnos are famous for their ability to create amazing illusions.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu heard this and interrupted the exnation. ¡°As far as we know, there are multiple demons this time.¡±

    Shangguan Dun tranted Zhang Yuelu¡¯s words to Arthur. Ai Li then tranted Arthur¡¯s reply. ¡°That is because they are not traveling, but fleeing. In the Western Continent, people are divided into nine camps, namely, Lawful Good, Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, Lawful Neutral, True Neutral, Chaotic Neutral, Lawful Evil, Neutral Evil, and Chaotic Evil. I believe the Mage can already understand the meaning of these nine camps.

    ¡°Although the Ravnos n is in the Neutral Party, they are Chaotic Neutral. They prioritize their own freedom but are indifferent to protecting the freedom of others. They disdain authority, resent limitations, and challenge tradition. Their actions often defy prediction as they follow their whims and disregard societal norms and legal regtions, focusing solely on fulfilling their desires.

    ¡°While they hold lofty ideals of unrestrained freedom, moral considerations such as good and evil, right and wrong, take a backseat to their personal liberty. As a result, the Ravnos n frequently stirs up trouble among the Thirteen ns, drawing dissatisfaction and reproach from other ns. However, the Ravnos n typically responds with disdain, further exacerbating tensions between the parties.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu grasped the situation and asked, ¡°Did they manage to escape punishment this time?¡±

    Without needing Zhang Yuelu¡¯s prompting, Shangguan Dun tranted her words.

    Arthur nodded and responded in a subdued tone. Ai Li tranted simultaneously. ¡°Justst year, the Brujah, Gangrel, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere, Ventrue, Lasombra, and Tzimisce ns jointlyunched an attack on the Ravnos n. The warsted only three months.

    ¡°The patriarch and most of the elders of the Ravnos n perished in battle, and the surviving members fled. Seizing the opportunity, the Holy Court decimated the Ravnos n and hunted down its members. Many fled by sea, but some managed to reach the Western Region, which was nestled between the Eastern and Western Continents.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu pondered the information.

    Qi Xuansu inquired, ¡°If these demons only feed on blood, why do they seek to steal people¡¯s souls?¡±

    Arthur was slightly startled to hear the tranted question. He replied, and Ai Li tranted. ¡°Sinners are not interested in souls. The Devil likes souls and often takes away people¡¯s souls in the form of transactions. If what you say is true, it means that the fleeing members of the Ravnos n are making a deal with the Devil and need to be eradicated as soon as possible.¡±

    Seeing that Zhang Yuelu had no intention of stopping his inquiries, Qi Xuansu pressed further. ¡°In that case, why did the Holy Court only send one chief bishop here?¡±

    Arthur¡¯s expression was a little odd as he spoke through Ai Li. ¡°That¡¯s because of the treaty between the Daoist Order and the Holy Court, which stiptes that no one above the archbishop rank is to enter the Daoist Order¡¯s territory without the permission or invitation of the Daoist Order. In the same way, without the permission of the Holy Court, Daoist priests of the fourth rank and above cannot enter the territory of the Holy Court.

    ¡°To mitigate unnecessary misunderstandings, the Holy Court only sent four chief bishops this time. My other threepanions have died one after another along the way. Two of them died at the hands of the Ravnos n, and one died in a crossfire between local forces.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had no knowledge of the Western Continent, so he turned to Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu, who had prior interactions with the Holy Court, knew more about such things than Qi Xuansu. She nodded. ¡°There is indeed such a treaty. The Western countries, including the Rus Kingdom, are all under the jurisdiction of the Holy Court, while the Daoist Order is on the Great Xuan territory. Although Wugeshanli is currently not under the jurisdiction of the Western Region Daoist Mansion, it was part of the Daoist Order''s territory when the treaty was originally made.

    ¡°Since this matter involves the Holy Court, I will have to ask the Hall Master for further instructions on how to proceed.¡±

    After saying that, Zhang Yuelu excused herself. She took out a mother-child talisman from her magical receptacle tomunicate with the Hall Master and left the hall.

    Soon after, Zhang Yuelu came back and said, ¡°The Hall Master agrees to join forces with the Holy Court to eliminate this group of wandering demons. But before that, we need to determine the specific location where this group of demons is hiding.¡±

    Ai Li immediately added, ¡°I have mobilized half of the soldiers in the city to investigate this matter. As long as they are still within the territory of Wugeshanli, I will be able to find out their location.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu looked at Arthur again and asked, ¡°Since you have been sent to the East, you should be familiar with our rules here. What level of cultivation do you possess?¡±

    Arthur could understand rtively simple Great Xuan Dynasty Mandarin. He replied in a very jerky and strangely ented Mandarin, ¡°ording to Daoist standards, I am in the Guizhen stage.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu pursued the question further. ¡°Generally speaking, someone with your level of cultivation should be an archbishop. Why do you remain a chief bishop?¡±

    Arthur shook his head helplessly. ¡°Because I made a mistake.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had a suspicion that Arthur was probably like Xu Kou. Unfortunately, Xu Kou did note along on the journey this time. Otherwise, those two would have befriended each other.

 Chapter 51: Night Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 51: Night Mountain</h4>

    The group from Tiangang Hall rested for three days in the city lord¡¯s mansion. They had been sleeping under the stars for the past half-month, so this was considered a greatfort. After all, they had wine and meat,fortable amodation, warm fires, and beautiful maids there. Although no one dared to have any illicit thoughts under Zhang Yuelu¡¯s nose, those maids were still pleasing to the eye.

    During these three days, Qi Xuansu asked Shangguan Dun about thenguage of the Western Continent, hoping to learn some simple daily vocabry. On the other hand, Zhang Yuelu had no intention of learning thenguage.

    <i>Banished Immortals who were in the Heavenly Being stage could acquire a mystical ability called the Mind Reading Technique. Before that, they had to acquire a mystical ability called the Heart¡¯s Voice Transmission Technique, which could bypass allnguage barriers, allowing a Banished Immortal tomunicate directly with the voice of the heart. Zhang Yuelu felt that it was more useful to hone this mystical ability instead of learning anothernguage.</i>

    <i>Rogue Cultivators did not have such magical abilities. They only had the Divine Calction Technique, which was not as good as Purple Star Astrology. The basis of the Divine Calction Technique was to predict the trend by manually calcting various variables rather than predicting the future by Heaven¡¯s will.</i>

    <i>Therefore, practicing Divine Calction to a certain level could greatly increase one¡¯s brainpower, which was reflected in one¡¯s enhanced memory andprehension.</i>

    <i>There was once a Rogue Cultivator in the Heavenly Being stage who took nine days topletely learn thenguage of the Golden Horde. That Rogue Cultivator was proficient in 16nguages and even in ancient inscriptions and Oracle Bone Script.</i>

    As a Rogue Cultivator, Qi Xuansu was able tomunicate with Arthur using simple words and gestures in three days.

    Arthur understood some Mandarin, but he found it difficult to speak. He also used the wrong terms at times. Originally, he had apanion who was proficient in Mandarin, but unfortunately, hispanion died along the way, so Arthur needed Ai Li to trante for him.

    In his free time, Qi Xuansu also asked Zhang Yuelu about the simrities and differences between the Five Lineages of Daoism.

    <i>The most obvious difference between the lineages was inbat power. The Daoist Order had evaluated the unarmedbat power of the Five Lineages.</i>

    <i>Qi Refiners were the most predictable. They would find it tough to defeat opponents whose realm was higher than their own, and they would often defeat opponents whose realm was lower than theirs. They were the mainstay of the Daoist Order. The schrs of the Confucian Qi School were simr to Qi Refiners.</i>

    <i>Martial Arts Practitioners and Diviners were on opposite ends of the spectrum. Before the Heavenly Being stage, Martial Arts Practitioners had an overwhelming advantage over Diviners.</i>

    <i>However, after the Heavenly Being stage, Diviners couldpete head-on with Martial Arts Practitioners and even have a slight advantage. That was because Diviners could distance themselves by flying away from Martial Arts Practitioners, who were only good at closebat. The fight between Manly Immortals and Ghostly Immortals was full of unknown variables, so it all depended on the individual¡¯s performance.</i>

    <i>The Shaman lineage originated from ancient witchcraft and Ancient Immortals. It was simr to the Buddhist inheritance in the sense that it required arge amount of incense power.</i>

    <i>Thus, relying on incense power gave varying results. With enough incense power, Shamans couldpete with Banished Immortals of the same realm and even defeat thetter. Without enough incense power, they would be at the bottom of the Five Immortals, even worse than Rogue Cultivators.</i>

    <i>As the leader of the Five Lineages, Banished Immortals¡ªeven with a small sample size¡ªwere no doubt the best inbat, crushing the other lineages. Banished Immortals would always defeat opponents who had a lower cultivation level. They also had a higher chance of defeating those who were in a higher realm than themselvespared to Qi Refiners.</i>

    <i>Rogue Cultivators were unpredictable. They went against the norm and produced unexpected results. The key was in the number and type of mystical abilities the Rogue Cultivator practiced.</i>

    <i>There were 36 high-attainment methods in total, and no one had ever been able to learn them all. The logic was simple: many of the mystical abilities and spells conflicted with each other. Take Martial Arts Practitioners and Diviners as an example. Martial Arts Practitioners focused on the integration of the soul and the body, while Diviners had to soul-travel.</i>

    <i>Such techniques were contradictory. If one tried to forcefully practice both, they would likely hurt themselves first before bringing any damage to the enemy.</i>

    <i>So far, the highest record for a Rogue Cultivator was practicing 24 high-attainment methods simultaneously, which was said to beparable to the Banished Immortals. Unfortunately, the Rogue Cultivator did not go in-depth into those methods, so he was unable to proceed further than the Heavenly Being stage.</i>

    <i>The rules of the Daoist Order stipted that regardless of one¡¯s lineage, one had to follow the fixed path of the Daoist Order to learn mystical abilities before the Heavenly Being stage. After the Heavenly Being stage, one could freely choose to practice different high-attainment methods or perfected methods ording to their own preferences.</i>

    <i>This was because the Daoist Order believed that before the Heavenly Being stage, Daoist practitioners had insufficient knowledge and concentration. They would not know the purpose of certain paths and were prone to going astray. Thus, before the Heavenly Being stage, Daoist practitioners must be strictly controlled.</i>

    <i>After reaching the Heavenly Being stage, they could make their own judgments, so they could practice everything except a few forbidden and restricted methods. Therefore, only Heavenly Beings had control over their path.</i>

    Three dayster, Ai Li¡¯s men reported that there had been many missing person cases in Wugeshanli recently. However, the Western Region had always been awlessnd, with bandits running rampant. The people in the region constantly moved as well, so a few missing people were not considered a big deal. The city lord usually did not pay much attention to such cases.

    It was not until Ai Li ordered her people to search for traces of foreigners that these missing person cases were taken seriously. Through the clues in these cases, Ai Li finally locked her sights on the Night Mountain, which was about 150 kilometers away from Wugeshanli.

    <i>Night Mountain was barren, with few inhabitants. The Western Region was vast and sparsely popted. Most areas were uninhabited, so this was not that unusual. However, hundreds of years ago, there once was a powerful wizard who lived on the Night Mountain. This wizard cursed the Wugeshanli royal family and manipted the king to rule behind the scenes.</i>

    <i>Later, the wizard died unexpectedly. There were rumors that the wizard died in a fight with other wizards. Wugeshanli was free again until the Ai family seized the city, as they were forced to retreat after they lost the Battle of Lon.</i>

    <i>To this day, the fortress where the wizard once lived remains on the Night Mountain. Fort Cimut was once a strategic fortress used to resist enemy attacks but waster destroyed during the Golden Horde¡¯s Western Expedition.</i>

    <i>The wizard, whose real name could not be verified, upied this ce and only repaired a part of the fortress. After his death, the previous rulers of Wugeshanli suspected that the wizard had cursed the fortress, so no one dared to approach it. Thus, the fortress remained abandoned all this time.</i>

    <i>Under such circumstances, Fort Cimut was a ruin withplex and inessible terrain. It was no doubt the most suitable hiding ce for wanted criminals.</i>

    After discussing this with Qi Xuansu and others, Zhang Yuelu decided to head to Night Mountain to exterminate this group of demons. After that, they could return to the Kunlun Ancestral Court and resume their lives.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhou Bai were seasoned travelers, and Lingquanzi was a veteran of Tiangang Hall. They considered whether Fort Cimut was a trap set by the city lord, but after repeated discussions, they ruled out this possibility.

    That was because they assumed that no one would dare provoke the formidable Daoist Order for no reason. The Buddhist Sect, Shamanistic Sect, and Ancient Immortals dared to be enemies of the Daoist Order because they each had their own interests in mind.

    The Ai family had no such motive because they would be risking too much for little gain. As smart businesspeople, they would not get involved in such a loss-making deal.

    Zhang Yuelu, Qi Xuansu, and the others spent a day formting two sets of ns. They left Wugushanli the next day and headed to Fort Cimut on Night Mountain.

    Ai Li originally wanted to send soldiers to assist them, but Zhang Yuelu politely declined on grounds of confidentiality. Thus, Zhang Yuelu only took 40 of her subordinates with her, as well as the chief bishop, Arthur.

    Zhang Yuelu was not underestimating the enemy. She felt that 40 Daoist priests from Tiangang Hall were enough to exterminate the group of demons.

    Forty Daoist priests seemed like a small number, but as Madam Qi mentioned before, everyone in Tiangang Hall had to be Xiantian Beings at the seventh rank and above. The lowest among these 40 Tiangang Hall Daoist priests was at the Kunlun stage, and the highest ones¡ªZhang Yuelu and Lingquanzi¡ªwere at the Guizhen stage. Even if they had to go against a Heavenly Being, they stood a chance to win.

    This was the minimum requirement for the bottom rung of Tiangang Hall. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s team was lean, like a house with only a simple frame and no roof or walls. In contrast, the other Deputy Hall Masters in Tiangang Hall had a more bloated team, like magnificent pces.

    There was another unwritten rule in Tiangang Hall that each officer was entitled to two personal assistants of the eighth rank who were not qualified to obtain an official position. Each assistant was entitled to two part-timers who were at the ninth rank. Thus, every seventh-rank office in Tiangang Hall actually consisted of seven individuals. There were also Spirit Guards who directly reported to the Deputy Hall Master.

    The Chief Deputy Hall Master in Tiangang Hall had 300 full-time officers, which consisted of more than 2000 people. Including the Spirit Guards, the number of personnel could reach 4000 or 5000. This was why the Deputy Hall Masters could rush to the aid of the Western Region Daoist Mansion. Zhang Yuelu was new to Tiangang Hall and had just recruited her staff. Thus, they had not yet had time to recruit assistants, let alone part-timers.

    On the way to Night Mountain, Arthur ryed some precautions with Shangguan Dun as the trantor. The group should not allow themselves to be hurt by the sinners. Otherwise, they would turn into wild zombies. Moreover, these sinners were difficult to kill, as they had simr body-regenerative capabilities as Martial Arts Practitioners in the Flesh and Blood Realm. Thus, all superficial injuries would heal quickly.

    Only the heart and the head were weak points for sinners. When necessary, sinners could transform into bats or a pool of blood, making them very difficult to deal with.

    These sinners werepletely different from the zombies that Tiangang Hall was used to. However, Zhang Yuelu was prepared. If sinners were not afraid of weapons, they would be afraid of magic. The 40 Tiangang Hall priests were mainlyposed of Qi Refiners, Martial Arts Practitioners, and Diviners. With coordination, they could exert greater power than any single lineage.

    After arriving at the foot of Night Mountain, Qi Xuansu discovered that it was actually just a small hill. It could notpare to Kunlun Mountain, which stretched for thousands of kilometers. It was also much smaller than Maoxian Mountain outside Fengtai County.

    Zhang Yuelu observed the terrain and sent five Qi Refiners carrying telescopes and mother-child talismans to upy higher ground. This was so they could observe the mountain¡¯s condition.

    Then, she ordered ten Diviners to build a Yin Halberd Formation at the entrance to the mountain and ten Martial Arts Practitioners to block the entrances with rocks and trees or use gunpowder and ravines to stop the cirction of the earth¡¯s energy around the mountain. That way, the flowing energy would be trapped, like an istedke.

    All of this was to destroy any possible formations in Fort Cimut, much like filling in the trenches and moats before attacking a fortress.

 Chapter 52: The Secret of the Ancient Immortals

    <h4>Chapter 52: The Secret of the Ancient Immortals</h4>

    With an invisible yin energy permeating the mountain and creating dark clouds, the sky was constantly dark at all hours of the day, hence the name Night Mountain. Entering the vicinity rashly would make one feel dizzy and weak.

    One would be easily affected by concentrated evil energy or yin energy over time. At the very least, one would be susceptible to hallucinations and have a tainted soul. At the worst, one¡¯s soul would be lost forever, turning one into a madman. Even the body would gradually corrode, and the yang energy would fade, thus reducing one¡¯s lifespan.

    The Yin Halberd Formation¡¯s purpose was to disperse yin energy and evil energy.

    After receiving the order, the Diviners took out a bag of powdered stone from their saddlebags and used it to draw arge formation about 300 meters long and 30 meters wide. It was nearly a hundred times the size of an ordinary Yin Halberd Formation. That was because only a Yin Halberd Formation of this size could divert the yin energy on this mountain.

    The Martial Arts Practitioners blocking the earth¡¯s energy wouldplement the Yin Halberd Formation. If the earth¡¯s energy was allowed to flow continuously, it would be a ssic example of amon exam question in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. If a pool was filled and drained at the same time, how long would it take for the pool to be filled to the brim or fully drained?

    The Martial Arts Practitioners were physically strong, with ten of them equivalent to the strength of a hundred civilians. With the help of explosives, they followed Lingquanzi¡¯s instructions and blocked or destroyed several key nodes of the earth¡¯s energy, creating a perimeter within which they were in control.

    The Qi Refiners, who were on high ground, then sent a signal with the mother-child talisman.

    Lingquanzi, who was guarding the mountain pass, stretched out his hands, raised his index and middle fingers, and drew a symbol in the air. A thin red line spurted out from his fingertips, like ink marks under a brush. As he moved his fingers, a drawing of a halberd surfaced in mid-air and glowed with a spiritual light.

    Then he waved his hand again and pointed the same two fingers at the halberd drawing, muttering, ¡°Go.¡±

    Ordinary Diviners had to draw formations with powdered stone, but Lingquanzi had a higher level of cultivation and was able to draw the Yin Halberd Formation without using any external objects.

    In an instant, Lingquanzi¡¯s Yin Halberd Formation merged with the massive Yin Halberd Formation on the ground, adding the finishing touch.

    The Yin Halberd Formation was called a halberd, but it looked more like a simple arrow. At this moment, it glowed. Immediately afterward, the wind blew from all around. It was not the spring breeze, scorching summer draft, bleak autumn draught, or biting cold gale. It was a yin current that carried sounds of crying andughter. The current flowed in the direction of the Yin Halberd Formation¡¯s ¡°arrowhead¡± and surged out of the mountain, like a coursing river invisible to the naked eye.

    After more than an hour, the yin energy in the mountain was drained, and theyer of fog around Night Mountain suddenly cleared, as if the sun was breaking out of the clouds.

    When Arthur saw how the Daoist priests of Tiangang Hall had purified the ce, he said to Qi Xuansu, who was beside him, in broken Mandarin, ¡°Qi, you guys are great!¡±

    This was also the first time Qi Xuansu had witnessed such a formation, but he said, ¡°Of course! We do this for a living.¡±

    While they were talking, Zhang Yuelu, who was standing on a big tree, floated down and ordered, ¡°Superintendent Lingquan, Deacon Qi, and Bishop Arthur, please follow me up the mountain. The rest of the group will follow Deacon Zhou¡¯smand. Don¡¯t let any demons get away.¡±

    Everyone responded, and the people Zhang Yuelu named followed her up the mountain.

    Shangguan Dun did not hear his name mentioned, so he hurriedly went to Zhou Bai¡¯s side. Over thest few days, Shangguan Dun became familiar with the deacons.

    Among the people who went up the mountain, Qi Xuansu had the lowest level of cultivation, but he was also the best among the Kunlun stage disciples. The small group walked on the rugged terrain as if they were walking on t ground. Soon, they arrived at the gates of Fort Cimut.

    As Ai Li described, Fort Cimut was indeed an abandoned castle. Part of the wall copsed, and all wooden structures were destroyed. Only the basic masonry structure was left. However, the gates of this fortress were still well-preserved and tightly closed.

    Zhang Yuelu stretched out her hand and pressed it against the seven-meter-tall gate. They only heard a rustling, like silkworms crunching on mulberry leaves. The two giant gates then turned into fine sand and scattered with the wind, leaving nothing behind.

    This was the sole move that Zhang Yuelu used to defeat Xu Kou¡ªSix Void Tribtions. It was a perfected method from the Qi Refiner lineage. The threshold for learning this technique was extremely high. Even after simplification, ordinary Qi Refiners had to be in the Heavenly Being stage to practice this. On the other hand, Banished Immortals in the Nascent Soul Realm could acquire this ability.

    This was the advantage of Banished Immortals. Otherwise, the Daoist Order would not have tried to cultivate Banished Immortals, resulting in an imitation version¡ªRogue Cultivators.

    Arthur owned a magical receptacle, which they called a Space Bag. He took out a two-handed sword from it and led the group into the fortress. Lingquanzi followed closely and took out two talismans that floated around him in rotation.

    Zhang Yuelu took out her Divine Dragon Pistol and a bag of bullets, handing them to Qi Xuansu. ¡°I don¡¯t need these things. You can use them for self-defense.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took the Divine Dragon Pistol and put the bullets into his satchel. For the first time, he did not thank her and merely said, ¡°Noted.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu then walked into the fortress. Qi Xuansu hung the Divine Dragon Pistol and Green Bird Pistol on both sides of his waist and tightened his short sword. He was thest one to enter the fortress.

    It was dim inside. There were twelve round columns arranged vertically in the lobby, but half of them had copsed, making the structure unstable.

    With a wave of his hand, Lingquanzi lit up the wallmps.

    Arthur quickly and skillfully explored the fortress and found some human skeletons, some of which were old and some of which were recently deceased. This undoubtedly confirmed Ai Li¡¯s spection.

    After Zhang Yuelu entered, her gaze immediately fell on a tattered tapestry with a strange symbol painted on it. Tapestries, woven with wool, were a popr decoration in the Western Region, while those in the Central ins preferred to use screens.

    Qi Xuansu followed Zhang Yuelu¡¯s gaze and asked, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°That¡¯s the mark of the Ancient Immortals.¡±

    <i>The war between the Daoist Order and the Ancient Immortals had been ongoing for more than two hundred years. The Daoist Order once had the opportunity topletely end this war but failed due to the Buddhist Sect¡¯s intervention. This led to a series of wars between the Daoist Order and the Buddhist Sect in the Western Region. It was not until the Holy Xuan confronted the Buddha that the wars came to an end.</i>

    <i>This also led to the so-called Post-Three-Religions Era.</i>

    <i>In the Pre-Three-Religions Era, the Confucian School dominated the world. At that time, the Daoist Order and Buddhist Sect joined forces to go against the Confucian School, eventually defeating thetter. The Daoist Order reced the Confucian School and became the world¡¯s orthodox authority, making the Confucian School and Buddhist Sect its vassals.</i>

    <i>In the past, the Confucian School took the lead and promoted the unification of the three religions. Then, the Daoist Order took the lead and continued to promote the unification of the three religions.</i>

    <i>At a certain point, the Daoist Order became the de facto leader of the three religions. The three great schrs of the Confucian School of Principle, Philosophy, and Qi chose to pledge allegiance to the Holy Xuan. They were equivalent in status to the Deputy Grand Masters.</i>

    <i>In the Post-Three-Religions Era, the Buddhist Sect challenged the Daoist Order for dominance. The Daoist Order joined forces with the Confucian School to suppress the Buddhist Sect. Eventually, the Buddhist Sect was forced to enter a truce with the Daoist Order and recognize thetter¡¯s leadership.</i>

    <i>However, the Buddhist Sect still disagreed with the Daoist Order on many things, creating friction on many fronts, especially regarding the matter of the Ancient Immortals. The Buddhist Sect publicly supported the Daoist Order in eliminating ndestine organizations, but it secretly aided the Ancient Immortals in restraining the Daoist Order.</i>

    <i>The Ancient Immortals amassed believers in the form of secret societies, so the Daoist Order spent a lot of energy every year to eliminate them.</i>

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°If there are traces of the Ancient Immortals here, does it mean that this ce is the base of a secret association? In other words, those sinners may be collecting living souls to please the Ancient Immortals in hopes of gaining their help, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s probable.¡± Zhang Yuelu nodded.

    Qi Xuansu finally asked, ¡°Who are the Ancient Immortals?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu hesitated for a moment before she said, ¡°Ancient Immortals are akin to evil deities or the Devil. They are a powerful existence that the Daoist Order wants to eradicate. The reason they are called Immortals is that some of them are considered the Elders of the Daoist Order.

    Qi Xuansu was taken aback. He subconsciously lowered his voice. ¡°Our Elders?!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu continued. ¡°There is a saying that unconventional methods in the hands of a righteous person can serve good purposes, but likewise, conventional methods in the hands of the wicked can be twisted for evil ends. The Daoist Order does notpletely agree with this saying, but they have to admit that the Ancient Immortals are wicked, twisting conventional methods for evil purposes.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was curious. ¡°Why did the Ancient Immortals betray the Daoist Order?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not answer his question directly. Instead, she asked him back. ¡°Flying swords are more powerful than guns, and many powerful spells are far more powerful than artillery, but why do the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court still develop firearms so vigorously? Why are the Quanzhen Sect¡¯s machinery faction and formation faction fighting against each other? Have you considered this issue?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled.

    It was clear that Zhang Yuelu knew many secrets in the Daoist Order that ordinary priests were not privy to. She whispered, ¡°If all the magic and mystical abilities in the world disappear one day, what will happen to us?¡±

    Qi Xuansu frowned. ¡°What does this have to do with the Ancient Immortals?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu sighed. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s connected. But, ording to the regtions in the Daoist Order, someone of your rank doesn¡¯t have clearance to know this information. You will naturally understand once you be a Deputy Hall Master or a third-rank Youyi Daoist master.¡±

    That was when Qi Xuansu realized Zhang Yuelu only knew these secrets because of her status as a Deputy Hall Master, not because of her fourth rank. In that case, Lingquanzi, Sun Yongfeng, and the others were also unaware of it.

 Chapter 53: Hendrick

    <h4>Chapter 53: Hendrick</h4>

    Arthur soon discovered an iron door leading underground. Although the above-ground part of the fortress was seriously damaged, the underground part was generally well-preserved. He pushed open the iron door, and the door hinge, which had eroded over time, made a harsh squeaking sound.

    Behind the door was a deep and dark corridor, which had not been maintained for a long time. There was water ponding on the ground and even moss all over. The sound of dripping water echoed, making this ce all the more eerie.

    Arthur gestured with his hands and said in broken Mandarin, ¡°Down below, store, monk, rest.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s three days of interaction with Arthur allowed him to understand what thetter was saying. This was also one of the reasons Zhang Yuelu wanted Qi Xuansu to follow them.

    He exined to Zhang Yuelu and Lingquanzi, ¡°He means that this is a storage area. Monks will also rest here at times.¡±

    With a flick of his finger, Lingquanzi turned a talisman into a burning me that acted as a guiding light as it floated into the corridor. The fact that the fire had not been extinguished meant that there was still venttion in the corridor.

    The group followed the me and walked into the corridor. It was quite spacious and could amodate four people walking side by side. The ceiling was about three meters high, enough for an adult man to jump in the corridor.

    There was an unpleasant smell permeating the corridor, but none of them cared. The three men, being seasoned travelers, were used to it. But Zhang Yuelu, who was ustomed to life in Jade Capital, rarely experienced such an environment. Even so, her expression was unchanged, which showed her tenacity. She certainly did not rely on pure talent to get to her position.

    At the end of the corridor was a small underground hall, which was where Arthur said the monks rested. Suddenly, Zhang Yuelu stopped. Purple energy flowed in her eyes as she raised her hand to signal for the others to stop as well. ¡°There¡¯s a trap¡ª¡±

    Before she finished speaking, two Blood Shadows shot out from the darkness and headed straight for Qi Xuansu, who was the weakest of the bunch. Qi Xuansu only felt a gust of wind and a strong stench attacking his face.

    He thought, <i>These sinners really know how to bully the weak, huh?</i>

    Qi Xuansu was quick to react. He rolled back to dodge the attack and drew his sword in one fell swoop.

    As the two Blood Shadows attacked again, Qi Xuansu pulled out the Executioner from his back and shed at one of them at the waist. Although Qi Xuansu managed to split the Blood Shadow in half, it did not die. Instead, it wailed and merged into one again. At the same time, the other Blood Shadow rushed toward Qi Xuansu.

    At this moment, Arthur stretched one hand forward. A strong white light shot out from his palm, and the two Blood Shadows turned into green smoke in an instant.

    Arthur looked at Qi Xuansu and said in a serious tone, ¡°Qi, these things, not humans."

    Qi Xuansu put the Executioner back into its sheath on his back and pulled out the Meridian. ¡°Will a peach wood sword work?¡±

    Arthur shook his head. ¡°Only silver sword, or spells.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was helpless. When they were nning, Zhang Yuelu and the otherspletely neglected this part. Lingquanzi was good at spells, and Zhang Yuelu had a semi-immortal object, which was better than any silver sword.

    Qi Xuansu also did not expect that Zhang Yuelu would ask him toe along at the spur of the moment. Thus, he did not consider his weapon choices. He had no choice but to put away the Meridian and hold the hilt of the short sword at his waist. This short sword was a relic left by his master. It was a high-grade spiritual object that Qi Xuansu did not know how to use.

    The group of people entered the rotunda. In addition to the corridor, which they had entered from, there were two other paths that led to this ce. Arthur checked the area and inferred based on his experience. ¡°Left, storage. Right, dungeon.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°I¡¯ll check the storage room first.¡±

    After that, she walked in front, with the three men trailing behind her.

    The passage leading to the storage room was short. They soon reached the end of it. However, this corridor was filled with a strong stench of blood. The four of them expected the worst when they pushed open a slightly decayed wooden door. However, the sight in front of them still brought shock to their faces.

    There were piles of dried, gray corpses inside, likepletely dried tree bark. There was not a single trace of flesh or blood in their bodies. All that was left of them were skin and bones.

    The blood of the corpses gathered into a small pool that was dark-red, almost ck.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s tone was bleak. ¡°Is this their food storage?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡± Arthur nodded.

    Zhang Yuelu did not speak but waved to Lingquanzi.

    Lingquanzi understood what she wanted. After they exited the room, he took out a fire talisman and threw it inside. In the blink of an eye, the entire room was engulfed in reddish-orange mes. What was even more amazing was that no matter how raging the fire was in the room, the outside was not at all affected, without even a wisp of smoke.

    The group returned to the rotunda and took the path leading to the dungeon. However, Lingquanzi¡¯s floating me extinguished as soon as it entered the corridor. Arthur raised his right hand, and five balls of light floated out from his fingertips, illuminating the entire corridor.

    ording to Arthur, he was a Pdin who could fight in closebat and use spells. Qi Xuansu understood a Pdin to be simr to a Qi Refiner.

    This corridor went all the way down. There were asional sshing sounds when they stepped into the puddles, but otherwise, it was so silent that they could hear a pin drop. An ordinary person¡¯s hair would stand on end. However, the four of them were unfazed.

    Qi Xuansu whispered, ¡°ording to Arthur, these demons are good at using illusions. Will they¡ª¡±

    Zhang Yuelu, who was walking in front, interrupted him. ¡°My Immortal Eye of Providence will work as long as the spellcaster is not a Heavenly Being, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Lingquanzi added, ¡°It¡¯s extremely exhausting to create an illusion with human power alone, and the illusion won¡¯t be able tost for a long time. Usually, they must rely on external sources as well. That¡¯s why we have blocked the earth¡¯s energy and drained the yin energy from this mountain to prevent illusions.¡±

    The four of them soon arrived at the end of the corridor, where there was another iron gate blocking the way.

    Arthur mmed his body on it without hesitation, and the iron door crashed to the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust.

    The dungeon behind the door upied arge area. It was evenrger than the castle above. It was very dark inside, and only half of the space could be illuminated by Arthur¡¯s ball of light.

    The next moment, countless red dots lit up in the darkness. They were pairs of Blood Eyes. At the same time, countless Blood Arrows shot out at them.

    Zhang Yuelu finally made a move. With a wave of her sleeve, she swept away all the Blood Arrows aimed at them.

    They could hear sizzling sounds as the Blood Arrows corroded the stone floor and the walls when theynded, creating pits all over.

    At this moment, a burst of apuse echoed in the space. A young man slowly walked out of the darkness. He looked like a typical person from the Western Continent, with a pale face and silver hair draping softly over his shoulders. He even had a smile on his face.

    ¡°That¡¯s a very powerful method.¡± The young man spoke in Mandarin. Not only was he handsome, but his voice was also deep and husky. He had a polite demeanor too.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hendrick Ravnos, Viscount.¡± The young man¡¯s left foot did not move, and his right leg was stretched back into a small lunge. He ced his right hand on his chest and stretched his left hand diagonally upward. His upper body leaned slightly forward as he lowered his head, touching his chin to his chest. This was standard court greeting etiquette on the Western Continent.

    Zhang Yuelu did not understand this kind of etiquette. She twitched her lips in disdain and asked, ¡°Viscount?¡±

    Arthur said in broken Mandarin, ¡°Not noble. Viscount, Guizhen.¡±

    Qi Xuansu tranted, ¡°What Arthur means is that these demons don¡¯t have noble titles. These titles are equivalent to our cultivation level, and their Viscount is roughly equivalent to our Guizhen stage.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Zhang Yuelu remarked.

    The next moment, Zhang Yuelu appeared in front of Hendrick. Her five fingers curled like hooks as she thrust her hand straight into Hendrick¡¯s face.

    A Daoist priest from Bishan Temple had died in this way.

    Hendrick did not expect this since he had underestimated Zhang Yuelu. He failed to dodge her attack and was stabbed in the face with her fingers.

    There were five colors of energy flowing around Zhang Yuelu¡¯s fingers¡ªthe Five Elements Qi Shield. Then she used her five fingers to crush Hendrick¡¯s head, which exploded into a blood mist.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s eyelids twitched slightly, and he felt a chill on his back. If one day Zhang Yuelu found out about his true identity and that he was lying to her, what would happen to him?

    He dared not think about the oue.

    Hendrick did not die immediately. He still maintained his standing posture, and his deep voice rumbled from his chest. ¡°That¡¯s not verydylike of you.¡±

    After that, a brand new head popped out of Hendrick¡¯s shoulders. It looked the same as the one that Zhang Yuelu crushed. There was even blood on his silver hair and his cheeks, which was particrly terrifying.

    Zhang Yuelu was not afraid. Instead, she was a little surprised. ¡°Isn¡¯t his head a weak point?¡±

    Arthur said, ¡°Heart!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s fingers were still like hooks, but this time, she aimed straight at Hendrick¡¯s heart. Hendrick was prepared this time and took a step back as a blood mist shrouded his body.

    He did not expect Zhang Yuelu to possess the Immortal Eye of Providence, allowing her to see through all kinds of appearances. For her, this blood mist did not cloud her vision, so she could still determine Hendrick¡¯s location in an instant.

    Hendrick felt a chill in his heart. At the critical moment, he barely had time to dodge. Zhang Yuelu caught him on his right shoulder instead. Although the Five Elements Qi Shield was a defensive method, in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hands, it could also be used for offense, like using a shield to hit the enemy on the battlefield.

    This attackpletely shattered Hendrick¡¯s shoulder, breaking his entire right arm. Even a Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner like Xu Kou had his hand broken by Zhang Yuelu, so how could Hendrick stand a chance against her?

 Chapter 54: Deep in the Dungeon

    <h4>Chapter 54: Deep in the Dungeon</h4>

    Hendrick roared, and the sinners hiding in the darkness poured out one after another.

    Arthur recited thenguage of the Western Continent loudly, stretched out his hand, hammered his chest three times, and raised his two-handed sword. His whole body emitted a faint white glow as he rushed toward the sinners.

    Lingquanzi took a step back and rubbed his hands. Countless fireballs flew out and rapidly grew in size. After flying ten meters away, the fireballs were already the size of a human head and exploded as soon as theynded.

    Qi Xuansu did not draw his sword. Instead, he took out two pistols loaded with bullets that were engraved with evil-banishing talismans.

    <i>With the growth of maritime trade, the East and the West became closer. The development of firearms on the Eastern Continent was greatly influenced by the Western Continent. For example, the firing pin pistol was invented on the Western Continent andter spread to the Eastern Continent.</i>

    <i>Later, there were obvious differences in the development of firearms between the two continents. The Western Continent valued the gun more, while the Eastern Continent believed that the projectiles fired were more important.</i>

    <i>As a result, the two sides embarked on apletely different path. The Western Continent gradually stopped developing projectiles, while the Eastern Continent continued to work on them, treating guns as a tool forunching the projectiles.</i>

    <i>Thus, the Eastern Continent quickly transitioned from lead bullets with separate-loading ammunition to paper-cased fixed ammunition, and then from that to metal-cased fixed ammunition. At the same time, they drew various talismans on the bullet cases. Whether it was the Divine Dragon Pistol or the Green Bird Pistol, their main power did note from the gun itself but from the projectiles.</i>

    Qi Xuansu did not shoot randomly. He waited until Lingquanzi¡¯s fireball dispersed the blood mist and lit up the darkness before shooting the targets. Moreover, he also kept in mind Arthur¡¯s reminder that the key to killing these sinners was to target their hearts.

    Although the projectiles he used were not silver bullets, the Evil Banishing Talismans were quite lethal against all non-human beings. What was more, the projectiles Zhang Yuelu handed him were not ordinary ones used by ordinary Tiangang Hall priests, but those specially issued to the Deputy Hall Master. The Dragon Eye Bullet used thetest gunpowder developed by Tianji Hall, which was three times more powerful than ordinary gunpowder.

    Qi Xuansu pressed down the hammer and pulled the trigger. A ball of fire exploded in the chamber of the Divine Dragon Pistol. At the same time, arge hole was sted through the chest of a sinner. He could even see through that hole to see what was going on behind that sinner. Coupled with the Evil Banishing Talisman, the sinner¡¯s wound showed no signs of healing.

    The sinner howled in pain and fell to his knees. Qi Xuansu was also surprised by the power of the pistol. If the Green Phoenix Guard had such a pistol and shot him with it, he would certainly die.

    After a brief moment of shock, another sinner roared and rushed toward Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu raised the Green Bird Pistol in his other hand and pulled the trigger again.

    Although the Green Bird Pistol was not as powerful as the Divine Dragon Pistol, and the projectiles it was equipped with could notpare to the Dragon Eye Bullet, it was also a custom-made bullet that could destroy evil, specially made by Tianji Hall.

    At such a close distance, a deep ck hole appeared between the sinner¡¯s eyebrows, stopping him from moving forward. He fell to the ground with a thud,pletely motionless.

    Qi Xuansu put away the Green Bird Pistol and reloaded the Divine Dragon Pistol. Arthur noticed this and deliberately stood in front of Qi Xuansu, helping him deter several sinners. The sinners avoided wherever Arthur¡¯s sword passed.

    The most impressive one among them was Zhang Yuelu. She was not boasting when she said to Qi Xuansu earlier that she did not need the Divine Dragon Pistol. Zhang Yuelu stared closely at Hendrick, attacking him with her Five Elements Qi Shield and leaving him with no room to breathe.

    Although her attacks were fierce and swift, she always gave off a rxed vibe, like she was strolling in a garden. In the blink of an eye, Zhang Yuelu caught up with Hendrick. Her fingers were like hooks. She was determined to let Hendrick die in the same way as the Daoist priest at Bishan Temple.

    Hendrick stretched out his hand to summon a Western Continent rapier that was made of blood. He suddenly stopped and stabbed Zhang Yuelu in the chest at a speed so fast that only a streak of blood could be seen cutting through the darkness.

    This Blood Sword was made of blood, not metal. Therefore, it was agile, like a snake¡¯s tongue, making it extremely difficult to dodge. Zhang Yuelu did not even think about dodging. She just spread her Five Elements Qi Shield all over her body, like a thick and airtight armor, leaving no gaps for Hendrick¡¯s Blood Sword to strike her.

    Hendrick¡¯s expression changed drastically because he could clearly feel how robust her qi shield was. It not only neutralized the attack of his sword but also faintly rebounded the energy, just like sailing against the current.

    Moreover, when Hendrick wanted to put away his sword and retreat, he felt as if his sword was stuck in a muddy swamp, as it was difficult to withdraw.

    Seeing Zhang Yuelu¡¯s five fingers approaching again, Hendrick reluctantly ditched his Blood Sword. His whole body turned into a ball of blood mist to avoid Zhang Yuelu¡¯s ws.

    The foundation of a sinner was in their blood. He had transformed the Blood Sword from his own blood, so losing the sword was akin to a gecko giving up its tail. It damaged his foundation, and it would take him a long time topletely replenish his energy.

    This all happened in a split second. Hendrick instantly transformed back into a human form in the distance, but his face became paler. It was obvious that he was no match for this woman. This was not about being at a disadvantage for a few moves. He was losing in whatever way he fought. So if he did not want to die here, he would have to think of other ways.

    In the end, Hendrick roared, turned around, and dashed toward the depths of the dungeon. Those ordinary sinners also receded like the tide.

    Zhang Yuelu did not chase after him in case it was a trap. Arthur grabbed a sinner who wanted to escape and flung him heavily to the ground. He was about to chop off the sinner¡¯s head with his sword when Lingquanzi stopped him. ¡°Leave this to me.¡±

    When Arthur heard this, he stopped what he was doing and saw Lingquanzi¡¯s eyes light up. The sinner then screamed and fainted. After a moment, Lingquanzi pointed at the sinner lying on the ground and ordered the sinner to get up. The sinner stood up unsteadily with a dazed expression.

    Lingquanzi ordered the sinner, ¡°Lead the way.¡±

    The sinner actually understood Mandarin. He nodded, slowly turned around, and walked toward the depths of the dungeon.

    This was a mystical ability unique to Diviners after the Dream Entering Realm. They could forcibly invade the opponent¡¯s soul and, in a limited time, control the opponent¡¯s mind, turning the opponent into a puppet who obeyed instructions. In addition, it could also cause blindness, deafness, madness, suicide, and so on.

    Under this sinner¡¯s guidance, the four of them continued deep into the dungeon, bypassing many traps set by the sinners in advance. This made one marvel at a Diviner¡¯s mysterious power.

    In fact, the Hall Master had intentionally arranged for two subordinates, one skilled in martial arts and one good at spells, which meant a Martial Arts Practitioner and a Diviner. Sun Yongfeng was not good at fighting, but Xu Kou was a Martial Arts Practitioner good at closebat. However, Xu Kou was injured and could note along. Thus, leaving her with only Lingquanzi¡ªa Diviner¡ªto help.

    Soon, the group of four came to the depths of the dungeon, which was even more spacious. There were many cross-shaped torture racks with skeletons tied to them using metal chains. Bell-shaped metal cages, which were also full of skeletons, hung from the dome.

    There were also all kinds of torture instruments. Arthur recognized one as the famous Iron Maiden. From the outside, it looked like a human-shaped coffin put upright, with double doors. The inside of the coffin was hollow, and it had sharp nails on the inside of the door. Once the door was closed, the victim inside would feel the pain of nails piercing their bodies.

    Just looking at the degree of weathering on these bones, it seemed that they were not recently deceased. They had all been dead for more than a hundred years.

    Lingquanzi turned his left palm over and took out another bead from his sleeve. It was dark colored with a hint of fiery red in the center, resembling an eye. This was the Phoenix Eye Bomb produced by Tianji Hall, made from a secret recipe of gunpowder with shocking explosive power.

    He handed the Phoenix Eye Bomb to the puppet and patted its shoulder. The puppet held the Phoenix Eye Bomb tightly in its palm and continued to walk forward.

    After about a hundred steps, two Blood Shadows appeared from the darkness and flew toward the puppet. At this moment, the puppet detonated the Phoenix Eye Bomb in his hand. A me several meters high suddenly rose up, engulfing the puppet and the two Blood Shadows.

    The Phoenix Eye Bomb was even more powerful than the Dragon Eye Bullet. It was mmable even when exposed to water.

    In an instant, the fire spread rapidly. A sinner hiding in the dark could not dodge the mes and got burned. He immediately turned into a burning man and collided with the surrounding sinners. The other sinners were in a simr situation. They rolled all over the ground as they burned and wailed. The space smelled of burnt flesh. It was an indescribably gory scene.

    Qi Xuansu was quite envious of Lingquanzi. In fact, Rogue Cultivators also had simr supernatural powers, but they could only be acquired at the Heavenly-Being stage.

    Lingquanzi took out another Phoenix Eye Bomb and handed it to Qi Xuansu. ¡°Deacon Qi, take one for self-defense. Inject some qi into it and remember to throw it out after three breaths.¡±

    Qi Xuansu put the Phoenix Eye Bomb into his sleeve pocket and nodded in agreement.

    The raging mes spread rapidly. Ordinary sinners were unable to withstand the power of the fire, so they turned into charred corpses. However, there was a blood-red ray of light, resembling a gauze curtain, which stopped the mes from spreading to the deepest part of the dungeon.

    Behind the gauze curtain was a hexagonal coffin with a wide top and a narrow bottom, about as tall as a person. It waspletely different from a typical coffin from the Central ins.

    At this time, the lid of the coffin was open, and inside it was a dried-up corpse dressed in the style of a Western Continent noble. There was no trace of flesh or blood in the corpse, but it had an extrayer of gray skin that resembled dry tree bark. Its eye sockets were hollow and wrinkly, a hideous and terrifying sight. Under the coffin was a mysterious magic circle that was painted with blood.

 Chapter 55: The Power of the Ancient Immortal

    <h4>Chapter 55: The Power of the Ancient Immortal</h4>

    Hendrick was standing in front of the magic blood circle at this time. He ced thirteen gems on the thirteen nodes in sequence. A vague illusion of a person in pain, trying to break free from the shackles, could be seen in each gem.

    With a solemn expression, Hendrick opened his arms, raised his head slightly, and began to recite an ancient and obscure spell. His voice was melodic and captivating. Suddenly, the wind picked up, making his clothes and silver hair flutter wildly. The blood circle and gems under the coffin lit up.

    Zhang Yuelu immediately noticed a change deep in the dungeon. She did not wait for the fire to be extinguished. Instead, she used her qi to part the mes, creating a path in the sea of ??fire.

    When Zhang Yuelu walked through the sea of ??fire, Hendrick still maintained his posture with his arms wide open, but he was no longer chanting. When he turned around, Zhang Yuelu could see countless blood vessels protruding on his handsome face, like earthworms swimming under his skin.

    Hendrick smiled and said, ¡°Prudence is the chain that binds you. You¡¯re a step toote.¡±

    Immediately after he spoke, the thirteen gems in the blood circle shattered. An oppressive spiritual force invaded the space, preventing both Lingquanzi and Arthur from moving a muscle. Even Zhang Yuelu was forced to retreat. Although she did not lose the ability to move, she could not attack. Qi Xuansu did not cross the sea of ??fire, but even so, he still felt suffocated, as if a boulder had fallen on him.

    As they had expected, the reason this group of sinners attacked Bishan Temple was to seize the souls of Xiantian Beings so they could offer them to the mighty Ancient Immortals.

    Hendrickmented. ¡°Unfortunately, we didn¡¯t get enough souls. It would have been a greater effect if we had twice as many souls.¡±

    The invisible spiritual force became stronger and heavier. Zhang Yuelu was knowledgeable and had seen many true masters at close range. Some of them were as powerful as the Ancient Immortals, such as the Deputy Grand Masters. Her direct superior, the Tiangang Hall Master, was a Heavenly Being.

    However, these experts had never shown their power in front of Zhang Yuelu. Aside from their authoritative stance, they seemed no different from ordinary elders. It was only at this moment that Zhang Yuelu truly realized the terrifying power of a high-ranking Heavenly Being or deity who could exert a spiritual force enough to incapacitate a Xiantian Being.

    <i>Fortunately, this descending spiritual force was not directed at Zhang Yuelu and her group. It was just a side effect, like a drought that spread hundreds of kilometers when a drought demon was born. Such a powerful existence could cause drastic changes to the environment.</i>

    <i>Like a tall mountain that protected the grasnds from cold winds and the sea that always provided moisture and rain to the surrounding shore, their existence affected everything around them.</i>

    <i>When God Luwu appeared in his true form, the colossal energy and heat generated unintentionally as he breathed could burn all ghosts and spirits. If God Luwu stayed in one ce for too long, the vegetation there would absorb the energy from God Luwu and mutate, turning into Celestial Grass that contained intense fire energy.</i>

    <i>Before the Daoist Order hunted dragons on arge scale, wind and rain would follow wherever the dragons passed. The Ancient Immortal¡¯s spiritual force was the same concept.</i>

    Since Hendrick was the one making the sacrifice, he was not affected by the spiritual force and was able to move around. He looked calm as he plunged his right hand into his chest without any hesitation.

    As he withdrew his right hand, he pulled out a beating heart with it. Blood dripped from his hand and heart.

    ording to Arthur, the heart was a vital organ for sinners, as it was the source of their strength. At this time, Hendrick¡¯s body weakened rapidly when he took out his heart, almost copsing to the ground.

    However, he still tried his best to raise his still-beating heart with both hands. He recited, ¡°With my blood as sacrifice, I implore thee, the Supreme Existence, to bestow upon my master a new life.¡±

    After his incantation, Hendrick¡¯s beating heart left his hands and flew toward the corpse lying in the coffin.

    ¡°This is the circle of life.¡± A loud voice boomed, making everyone shudder in shock. The voice echoed and reverberated in the dungeon. The oppressive force grew stronger, which made Lingquanzi and Arthur groan in pain. Qi Xuansu even had blood trickling out of his ears, but Zhang Yuelu managed to withstand the force. Even the burning mes gradually extinguished under this immense pressure.

    Hendrick¡¯s heart resembled a bloodied, blooming lotus as it slowly descended on the corpse¡¯s chest and fused into it. Right after, a pair of blood-red eyes lit up in the corpse¡¯s eye sockets, and the corpse slowly sat up from the coffin.

    The next moment, the shriveled corpse rapidly turned plump. The wrinkles from its dryness gradually disappeared, and its skin regained its pinkish tone. Well-defined muscles grew underneath the skin.

    The corpse had the typical appearance of people from the Western Continent. He looked to be in his fifties. His looks were not damaged over time, but his temperament was more refined, making him extremely charming. He was a little dazed, as if he had just woken up from a nap. After a while, the man gradually opened his eyes and looked at Hendrick, who was about to lose bnce.

    At the same time, the Ancient Immortal¡¯s spiritual force gradually dissipated, so the overwhelming pressure receded, allowing Qi Xuansu and others to finally breathe. They were almost crushed to death by that force.

    Hendrick stretched out his hand to cover his chest. His body swayed as he spoke. ¡°Master, I¡¯m d that you¡¯re finally awake.¡±

    Hendrick¡¯s master finally noticed Zhang Yuelu and the others. His gazended on Zhang Yuelu. His voice was low as he said, ¡°Hendrick, my loyal servant, is this the gift you prepared for me?¡±

    He did not speak Mandarin, but thenguage of the Western Continent. However, when it reached the ears of Qi Xuansu and his group, it mysteriously turned into Mandarin.

    Hendrick smiled bitterly and replied, ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, Master. They are from the Eastern Holy Court.¡±

    ¡°The Eastern Holy Court? I see.¡± Hendrick¡¯s master nodded.

    Hendrick turned to Zhang Yuelu and introduced his master with a raised voice. ¡°This is my master, Desmond Montlude Ravnos, the ruler of the Helwindsor Territory. He is a noble duke, like a de that dances in the darkness and shadows.¡±

    Arthur blurted out. ¡°Duke? Impossible!¡±

    Somehow, his Mandarin was smoother due to his agitation.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face remained solemn.

    Hendrick was a Viscount, equivalent to a Xiantian Being in the Guizhen stage. If they went by the title of the peerage in descending order of precedence¡ªDuke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, Baron¡ªthen a Duke was equivalent to a Heavenly Being, at the level of a Hall Master.

    ording to Arthur, the thirteen third-generation sinners were honored as princes and had powerparable to gods. There were ordinary Dukes and Grand Dukes, just as Heavenly Beings were also divided into two levels. Aside from ordinary Heavenly Beings, there was a higher level of Heavenly Beings known as the Pseudo-Immortals. These Heavenly Beings were almost at an immortal level, hence their name.

    Sage Qingwei of the Taiping<i> </i>Sect and Sage Donghua of the Quanzhen Sect were both Pseudo-Immortals. Many weaker Ancient Immortals were also at this level.

    Regardless of whether Desmond was a Duke or a Grand Duke, he was an existence that was hard to defeat.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu shouted a reminder from a distance. ¡°He is very weak!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was startled. She then turned to Duke Desmond with purple energy flowing in her eyes. The invincible Immortal Eye of Providence failed for the first time. This powerful sinner seemed to be shrouded in ayer of mist, making it impossible for Zhang Yuelu to see through it.

    However, Zhang Yuelu did not give up and continued to use the Divine Observation Technique with more intensity, as shown by the deep purple energy in her eyes. Eventually, her eyes turnedpletely purple. At this moment, she finally managed to prate through the fog that shrouded Desmond.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s brows rxed slightly because this duke was not unfathomable. He was just at a level higher than Zhang Yuelu, which was the Xiaoyao stage of Heavenly Beings. Xiaoyao stage was when Heavenly Beings were free from the constraints of the earth and could fly in the air.

    For Zhang Yuelu, although Heavenly Beings in the Xiaoyao stage were tough to defeat, she still stood a fighting chance.

    With Qi Xuansu¡¯s level of cultivation, he could not see through Desmond¡¯s level of cultivation, but he could guess that this Duke was probably not very powerful. If this Duke was powerful, why would he need to hide in a coffin and pretend to be dead? Why would he need to seek help from the Ancient Immortals?

    Arthur spoke fluently in his mother tongue. ¡°No member of the Ravnos family above the Baron rank can be spared. This is a joint decision of the Parthian Parliament.¡±

    Desmond did not deny this statement and said calmly, ¡°I did die, but with the help of my descendants and the powerful ancient gods of the East, I was reborn again. Although I only have the strength of a Baron now, it is enough to kill you all. Your blood will restore my strength to that of a Marquess.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s still too early to tell who among us will win.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Desmond curled the corners of his mouth and dragged his tone.

    Before he finished speaking, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face suddenly turned red, as if the blood in her body was boiling through her skin. She used the Six Void Tribtions Technique to counter the strange magic that Desmond used on her and suppress her restless blood. Then she leaped across the floor and attacked Desmond.

    After Hendrick pulled out his heart, he had lost most of his strength and had retreated to the side, unable to stop Zhang Yuelu.

    As per Hendrick¡¯s introduction, Desmond was indeed the de that danced in the darkness and shadows. Desmond was skilled. He conjured a Blood Sword from his hand and thrust it at Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu dared not underestimate her opponent. She pulled out a roll of white paper, which turned into a sword.

    The Blood Sword collided with the paper sword, but the paper sword was not damaged. On the contrary, the Blood Sword recoiled like a snake that had been hit. Blood spattered everywhere.

    Desmond¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°That¡¯s a sub-artifact!¡±

    This roll of paper was called the Amorphous Paper, which could transform into a meter-long sword and eighteen kinds of weapons. Its hardness wasparable to that of a diamond, and it was invulnerable to water and fire. This was the semi-immortal object that the Daoist Order gave Zhang Yuelu.

 Chapter 56: Desmond

    <h4>Chapter 56: Desmond</h4>

    Banished Immortals were the strongest among the Five Daoist Lineages. There was no doubt about their strength. Even a Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner like Xu Kou, who was an experienced fighter, was defeated by Zhang Yuelu.

    Paired with a semi-immortal object, Zhang Yuelu could stand a chance to fight against an opponent who was a level higher. She could possibly even defeat Desmond.

    When Zhang Yuelu and Desmond were fighting, Zhang Yuelu had the upper hand. The paper sword left holes in Desmond¡¯s body, which seemed to be made of blood, so no damage was done. The holes were instantly filled with blood again, returning his body to its original state.

    What scared Desmond was the mystical energy from Zhang Yuelu. This energy assimted with Desmond¡¯s blood and became indistinguishable, causing chaos within until his cells attacked each other. Another surge of energy went straight to his heart, making his heart beat violently like a drum.

    Since the source of power for sinners is the heart, their bodies would stop functioning if anything happened to the heart.

    Zhang Yuelu used the Six Void Tribtions Technique that she had used to defeat Xu Kou. Her qi could enter her opponent¡¯s body and disperse their energy, allowing her opponent¡¯s cells to attack each other and thus leading to severe injury or even death.

    The Six Void Tribtions was a mysterious technique, but it was resolvable. Daoist practitioners with a solid foundation who were well-versed in the Daoist Master Nanhua¡¯s differentiation of the six qi could counter the Six Void Tribtions. However, Desmond was not a Daoist practitioner, so he could not decipher the secrets of the technique.

    Desmond was greatly restrained by the Six Voids Tribtions because he was seriously injured. If Zhang Yuelu was a Heavenly being, Desmond would have no chance of winning without any external help.

    Desmond¡¯s external possessions were all lost when he was hunted down by the Parthian Parliament, so he could only rely on himself. This consumed more energy from him, making him much weaker than an ordinary Heavenly Being.

    At this time, Zhang Yuelu was like an inexperienced fighterpared to Desmond, a veteran. However, Zhang Yuelu had a powerful weapon in her hands.

    Arge sword shed at Desmond from the side. Desmond, who was restrained by the Six Void Tribtions, dodged the attack. The sword struck the ground, creating a crack. The friction of the de created many sparks that looked like extremely bright fireflies. Arthur charged forward, holding his sword tightly with both hands. He worked together with Zhang Yuelu to attack Desmond.

    Desmond grunted, suppressed the strange energy in his body, and conjured the Blood Sword with all his might. The blood sword left a trail of blood wherever it passed. The countless blood trails intertwined, like a that kept tightening.

    Lingquanzi did not make a move because he was preparing aplicated and cumbersome spell ever since the Ancient Immortal¡¯s spiritual force receded. At this time, the spell was almostplete.

    He tossed out a paper man, pointed at it, and shouted, ¡°Warrior, show yourself!¡±

    Apanied by a strong gust of wind, the paper man glowed in a golden light and turned into a military general, whose face was like ruby and whose beard was like velvet. It was about three meters tall, wearing golden armor wrapped with red ribbons. The warrior glowed like the sun.

    This was the Yellow Turban Warrior of the Taiping Sect. During the Taiping Rebellion, everyone wrapped their heads in yellow turbans in a show of defiance to the previous dynasty. Hence the name Yellow Turban Warriors.

    When the Holy Xuan was alive, he disliked sectarian bias and wanted to integrate the mystical abilities and spells of all the sects so that everyone could practice them. Although it was notpletely sessful, many spells between the three sects were interoperable. That was how Lingquanzi, a Quanzhen Sect disciple, was able to use the spells of the Taiping Sect.

    The Yellow Turban Warrior charged at Desmond with two maces, each about one meter in length. The blood that Desmond made could not withstand the impact and tore open. However, the Yellow Turban Warrior was burned by Desmond¡¯s blood. There was a sizzling sound of corrosion, and its armor was much dimmer.

    When Zhang Yuelu was no longer restrained by the blood trails, she spun the paper sword in her hand, creating a thunderous sound.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu thrust a hundred paper swords at Desmond¡¯s vital points. The swords flew so fast that all anyone could see was a sword qi. A Guizhen-stage master would only be able to see Zhang Yuelu raising her hand as well as the wounds all over Desmond¡¯s body.

    Although Desmond was a Heavenly Being, he was still severely injured by this paper sword. After all, the Amorphous Paper was a semi-immortal object with extreme killing power. Moreover, Zhang Yueluunched a hundred swords in a row, so Desmond¡¯s body could not heal in a short time.

    There was a general rule in the Daoistmunity that it took three people of a lower realm to fight against one person of a higher realm. In this situation, it took three Xiantian Beings in the Guizhen stage to deal with one Heavenly Being in the Xiaoyao<i> </i>stage.

    In addition, Desmond had lost all his belongings and suffered serious blood loss, making him very weak. At this time, facing three opponents, Desmond was actually at a disadvantage.

    Faced with this situation, Desmond did not panic. Although his weakened state prevented him from using the unique abilities of a Duke, he was notpletely helpless. He waved his ck and red cloak that he was wearing and created thirteen duplicates of himself.

    On the Western Continent, thirteen was an unlucky number and the number of the Devil. There were also thirteen ns of sinners.

    For a moment, Zhang Yuelu felt seven figures around her. They were not illusions, but physical bodies. They neutralized her sword attacks and attacked her from all sides, forcing her to switch from offense to defense. At the same time, a strong stench of blood pervaded the air, entering her body from every pore and corroding her meridians and Dantians.

    Zhang Yuelu had to use the Five Elements Qi Shield to protect her whole body against this blood aura.

    She kept retreating, all the while hearing a constant nging of metal against stone. Taking advantage of this opportunity, two of Desmond¡¯s duplicates restrained the Yellow Turban Warrior, while three of his duplicates attacked Lingquanzi.

    Lingquanzi used half of his Thoughts to control the Yellow Turban Warrior. At this time, facing the three menacing Desmonds, he dared not let his guard down. Lingquanzi muttered something under his breath and threw out three talismans, which then turned into three golden shields that kept spinning around him, providing airtight protection.

    Three Blood Swords stabbed the golden shields formed by the talisman, staining them with a bloody color. The three duplicates drew their swords quickly. Each time they stabbed the golden shields, the shields trembled slightly. As a result, the golden shields soon dimmed and cracked.

    Lingquanzi knew that he would lose if he kept fighting, so he took out a Five Thunder Talisman, worth 1000 Taiping coins, and threw it out. Suddenly, five thunderbolts as thick as one¡¯s wrist appeared out of thin air and struck the three duplicates.

    Of all the methods in the world, the thunder type was the most powerful. Monsters, demons, ghosts, and zombies were all naturally restrained by thunder. These sinners from the Western Continent were no exception. After Desmond¡¯s two duplicates were struck by lightning, they immediately turned into a puff of green smoke and dissipated.

    One remaining duplicate rushed toward Lingquanzi, who whipped out the Divine Dragon Pistol and shot the duplicate with a Dragon Eye Bullet straight in the heart.

    The duplicate¡¯s heart instantly exploded. His figure swayed and gradually disappeared. This was the advantage of working in Tiangang Hall. Lingquanzi was a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, so the weapons he used could be reimbursed afterward. That was why he used them without hesitation and why he could exhibit such strength that was almost beyond his own realm.

    The only Desmond standing ignored the cowardly Qi Xuansu and went straight to Arthur, restraining thetter from behind. This Desmond was the original body, not a duplicate.

    Judging from appearance alone, Desmond was actually an extraordinarily handsome man. But at this moment, he looked ferocious and horrifying as his two long fangs protruded from his mouth and pierced Arthur¡¯s neck.

    For Desmond, the blood of a Pdin was undoubtedly a great source of energy to quickly regain his strength. Of course, Desmond had an intuition that the blood of that Eastern woman would be better, but that woman was too mysterious. He could not taste her blood for the time being, so he could only settle for the next best thing.

    Desmond looked satisfied, as if he were enjoying the most delicious food in the world. But soon, his smilepletely froze. Then his expression twisted in pain and horror.

    ¡°Superior ck Blood! You actually consumed Superior ck Blood!¡± Desmond flung Arthur to the side and held his own throat with both hands. His handsome face contorted, like that of a man who had been poisoned and was in extreme pain.

    Arthur¡¯s back smashed into the wall of the dungeon and slowly slid down. Due to the blood loss, his face was extremely pale. He spoke with difficulty. ¡°Yes, this Superior ck Blood is from the Holy Court Tribunal, specially used to deal with a high-level sinner like you. Just one cup can put a Marquess to rest forever.¡±

    Superior ck Blood was a special potion developed by demon hunters. It had not much of an effect on ordinary monsters, but it was lethal poison for sinners who relied on blood for survival.

    Arthur had consumed this Superior ck Blood in advance. Thus, when Desmond drank Arthur¡¯s blood, he was indirectly consuming poison. It was more lethal than simply being injured by a weaponced with Superior ck Blood because this substance had integrated into his own blood and could not be segregated.

    As the Superior ck Blood came into effect, Desmond screamed uncontrobly, losing all his grace. This immortal nobleman, who had lived for hundreds of years, once again felt the threat of death after his n was destroyed. However, this time, it was not the powerful Parthian Parliament that threatened his life, but a menial chief bishop.

 Chapter 57: Check

    <h4>Chapter 57: Check</h4>

    Desmond staggered back as his exposed skin began to fester and ck blood flowed out of his body. He could no longer heal. In the blink of an eye, he had transformed from a handsome nobleman of the Western Continent into a hideous monster.

    Superior ck Blood could put a Marquess to sleep forever. At this time, Duke Desmond only had the strength of a Baron. However, he still retained some of his qualities as a Duke, so he was only severely and not fatally injured.

    But regardless, Desmond was at his weakest at the moment, so this was a good opportunity to kill him. Zhang Yuelu naturally noticed this, so she waved her hand to summon her paper sword. Countless fragments flew out of the sword and expanded into paper lotus flowers that swirled and scattered in the air, resembling snowfall.

    These paper lotus flowers that separated from the Amorphous Paper had petals as sharp as knives. When they spun, they became rotating des that effortlessly cut through everything in their path. Even bricks and stones were like tofu against the des. The Blood Shadows besieging Zhang Yuelu were shredded into blood mist by these paper lotus flowers.

    With a leap, Zhang Yuelu closed the distance with Desmond. The paper sword in her hand moved so fast that it was just a white shadow. She shed at Desmond¡¯s body repeatedly, aiming at his vitals.

    Desmond no longer dared to fight Zhang Yuelu in closebat. In the past, he would have used summons and servants to hold Zhang Yuelu back. However, under the pursuit of the Parthian Parliament, all his servants had been destroyed. With nothing to show for it, he could only spread his wings behind his back and dodge at the fastest speed he could manage.

    His figure ovepped, making it dizzying to watch.

    After Lingquanzi dealt with the Blood Shadows that besieged him, he immediately cooperated with Zhang Yuelu by controlling the Yellow Turban Warrior to block Desmond¡¯s escape. However, the Yellow Turban Warrior was only good for defense. It was not agile enough topete with Desmond, so it was quite useless.

    At this moment, the ¡°cowardly¡± Qi Xuansu finally joined the group. He removed the Executioner, Meridian, and Green Bird Pistol from his body, leaving only his master¡¯s short sword and the Divine Dragon Pistol.

    Desmond and Zhang Yuelu both noticed Qi Xuansu¡¯s presence, but neither cared about him. Qi Xuansu remained calm without a hint of nervousness. Usually, he looked like a flowerbed Daoist, but that did not mean that he was as harmless as one.

    After years of traveling in the harsh conditions of the real world, Qi Xuansu had toughened himself up. At moments of life and death, he could still maintain hisposure.

    Qi Xuansu leaned against the wall and walked toward Arthur, who could not move because he was seriously injured. Qi Xuansu made a gesture of drinking and asked, ¡°Do you have any more?¡±

    Arthur understood what Qi Xuansu was referring to. He struggled to take out a bottle from his bag and said, ¡°No more ck blood. This is holy water.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took the bottle from Arthur¡¯s hand, uncorked it without hesitation, and poured half of the holy water in the bottle into his mouth. For a moment, Qi Xuansu felt as if his throat was burning. This burning sensation was ten times stronger than shaojiu. The difference was that shaojiu would give Qi Xuansu a hangover, but the holy water made Qi Xuansu feel at peace, as it eliminated all his negative thoughts.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu, like Arthur, had a faint glow around him, much like a firefly. Then Qi Xuansu pulled out his short sword. This was his master¡¯s relic, which Madam Qi retrieved from The Inn¡¯s assassins and returned to Qi Xuansu.

    Although Qi Xuansu always carried this short sword with him, he rarely used it. Even when facing Li Sanxin¡¯s flying sword or Zhuge Yongming¡¯s fists, Qi Xuansu did not draw this short sword.

    However, he had no choice but to draw the short sword at this moment. At first nce, this sword seemed ordinary, but the de was as reflective as a ss mirror.

    Qi Xuansu looked at his reflection on the face of the sword and poured the remaining half-bottle of holy water onto the de. In an instant, the sword also glowed with a white light.

    He first walked toward Hendrick, who had lost his heart, then chopped off the sinner¡¯s head without giving him any chance to resist. Qi Xuansu stabbed the sinner¡¯s chest again to ensure that he would not revive.

    At the same time, the Superior ck Blood continued to corrode Desmond¡¯s body, so he would eventually lose. Zhang Yuelu seized the opportunity to corner Desmond and even stabbed him in the chest. With nowhere to retreat, Desmond raised the Blood Sword in his hand and stabbed Zhang Yuelu in the head.

    Although Zhang Yuelu had stabbed Desmond in the chest, it was not enough to kill him. But if Desmond stabbed Zhang Yuelu with his Blood Sword, she would likely die.

    At this critical moment, Zhang Yuelu froze and stopped attacking Desmond. But before Desmond could rejoice, he saw the paper sword in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hand turn into a white paper spear. It grew out of thin air and stabbed him straight in the chest, nailing him to the wall. The spear was long and rigid.

    Shocked and furious, Desmond did not expect this Eastern Continent woman to have such insidious weapons.

    Zhang Yuelu put away her spear and retreated before Desmond could counterattack.

    During their short duel, the Yellow Turban Warrior finally caught up. To be fair, the Yellow Turban Warrior was only slow rtive to Desmond¡¯s speed. It was actuallyparable to a Kunlun-stage Martial Arts Practitioner or Qi Refiner.

    The Yellow Turban Warrior raised both his maces and smashed them down on Desmond¡¯s head. Desmond wanted to morph into a puddle of blood, but the Superior ck Blood in his body prevented him from transforming. Thus, he could only condense his Blood Sword into a Blood Ball and push it forward with all his might.

    The Blood Ball exploded in the Yellow Turban Warrior¡¯s chest with a thunderous st, turning the Yellow Turban Warrior back into a paper man. There was also an obvious hole in the paper man¡¯s chest.

    Lingquanzi did not care about his fallen Yellow Turban Warrior. He got into a praying stance with his left hand stretched upward. His index, middle, and ring fingers of his right hand were bent, with his thumb and little finger stretched out, and ced at the base of his left palm, forming the Ghost Fan Seal. His Daoist robe fluttered even without the wind as he muttered, ¡°Bind!¡±

    Two invisible chains bound Desmond¡¯s body and restrained him. Zhang Yuelu, holding the white paper spear, attacked again, piercing Desmond¡¯s abdomen and intestines.

    ¡°You all deserve to die!¡±

    The severely injured Desmond screamed like a banshee. Then, a powerful torrent of energy erupted from him, shaking the entire dungeon. Gravel and dust continued to fall, and Qi Xuansu almost got smashed.

    Desmond broke free from Lingquanzi¡¯s restraints and flung Zhang Yuelu and her spear away from him. However, the two wounds on his body showed no tendency to heal. Instead, ck blood continued to flow out of them.

    The consequence of the powerful burst of blood energy was that Desmond could no longer suppress the ck blood in his body or the Six Void Tribtions from Zhang Yuelu. The flesh on his face began to fall off in chunks as the blood drained from his wounds. Desmond was frightened, angry, and resentful. He had to admit that he had never felt such profound fear.

    Desmond was critically injured and had a high risk of dying. If he was not careful, he would die permanently. By then, he would not have another servant to revive him with the help of the Eastern Ancient Immortals.

    Zhang Yuelu slowly stood up with the white paper spear. The blood energy earlier dissolved her Five Elements Qi Shield, so she was also severely injured. Among the Five Immortals Lineage, only the body of a Martial Arts Practitioner could regenerate like the level of a sinner. Zhang Yuelu was not a Martial Arts Practitioner, so she could not heal so quickly. Blood was still oozing from her mouth and nose at this time.

    Even so, Zhang Yuelu did not care about her injuries. Instead, she transformed the paper spear into a soft paper whip. With a flick of her wrist, countless whishes formed a cage, trapping Desmond inside. Even though Zhang Yuelu did not exert much qi, the semi-immortal object was strong enough to hurt Desmond, who was already at the end of his tether.

    Desmond tried his best to resist, but the seemingly fragile paper whip left gashes on his body that were deep enough to see his bones. Moreover, the paper whip had some kind of divine aura that made Desmond feel as if he was being burned by fire.

    Reaching the critical moment of life and death, Desmond used all his might to stretch out his hand and point at Zhang Yuelu. Immediately after, Zhang Yuelu felt as if her blood was boiling and her insides were burning.

    However, Zhang Yuelu did not retreat. She continued to strangle Desmond with her paper whip.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Desmond screamed.

    Zhang Yuelu wrenched one of his arms with her paper whip and tore it off forcefully. Desmond once again used his blood energy, regardless of his exhaustion.

    Thus, Zhang Yuelu was the first to bear the brunt. She flew backward and crashed into the wall, creating a circle of spider-web-like cracks in the stone. The paper whip finally stopped moving.

    Lingquanzi barely blocked this blood energy at the cost of all three of his golden shields, which shattered. He threw out hisst talisman, hitting Desmond right between the eyebrows. Lingquanzi then used hisst bit of strength to activate the talisman by pointing at it and muttering, ¡°Return to your dreams¡ª¡±

    In an instant, Lingquanzi felt drained of all his strength, and he fell to the ground, exhausted. Desmond, who was restless a moment ago, suddenly calmed down because he was trapped in his memories, unable to extricate himself.

    At this moment, Desmond thought of his wife, who had died at the hands of a demon hunter, as well as all his happy memories. They used to live in an ancient castle with tall spires, green fields, dense woods, and clear rivers.

    The next moment, a short sword interrupted Desmond¡¯s memory. Desmond slowly lowered his head, only to see a de protruding from his chest. A short sword doused in holy water had pierced his heart from the back.

    Check.

    In Chinese chess, after all other chess pieces were removed and only the generals of both sides were left on the board, the pawn crossing the river became the main determiner of the oue.

 Chapter 58: Triumph

    <h4>Chapter 58: Triumph</h4>

    Under normal circumstances, it would be extremely difficult for Qi Xuansu to hurt Desmond, even if Duke Desmond was so weak that he only had the strength of a Baron. Even if Qi Xuansu managed to stab Desmond, it would not do any real damage to thetter because of a sinner¡¯s terrifying regenerative ability. Desmond would be able to recover in an instant.

    However, the Superior ck Blood caused too much damage to Desmond. Even without external injuries, Desmond¡¯s skin and flesh were falling off on their own. He also lost the ability to heal and transform.

    In addition, Qi Xuansu used Arthur¡¯s high-purity holy water. Although it could notpare to the Superior ck Blood, it was also a weapon specially designed to target sinners.

    Under all these conditions, Qi Xuansu sessfully cut open Desmond¡¯s heart. While Qi Xuansu drew his sword, he stuffed the Phoenix Eye Bomb, which he had previously injected his qi with, into Desmond¡¯s chest wound.

    The next moment, the Phoenix Eye Bomb exploded, and Desmond instantly became a human-shaped torch. His chest waspletely hollowed out, including his heart, which was the source of a sinner¡¯s power.

    Qi Xuansu nced at his short sword. Desmond¡¯s blood and the holy water were absolutely ipatible. With a hiss, they turned into smoke and vanished from his sword.

    Desmond¡¯s figure in the raging fire started to fade. At first, it was a silhouette, then it turned into a blurred outline. In the end, only a few simple lines remained before his bodypletely disintegrated in the mes.

    All that was left on the cracked stone ground was a scorched ck mark where Desmond stood. This duke left nothing behind, and everything of his turned into nothingness with the fire.

    By this time, Qi Xuansu was the only one left standing.

    Lingquan sat on the ground with his legs stretched out. He had witnessed the entire process of Qi Xuansu killing Desmond and sighed in relief. ¡°Deacon Qi, you are a brave yet cautious man. The Deputy Hall Master sure has a keen eye for people. You two youngsters are truly promising.¡±

    ¡°Superintendent Lingquan, you¡¯re too kind.¡± Qi Xuansu put away his short sword and walked toward his senior. ¡°What should we do now?¡±

    Lingquanzi said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I¡¯m just exhausted. I will recover after taking the Qi Replenishing Pill. The Deputy Hall Master¡¯s condition is more concerning. She should have a Purple Yang Pill used for healing in her magical receptacle, so you should go in there and help her retrieve the medicine. Her magical receptacle is the beaded bracelet on her wrist. Just inject some qi into it to gain ess.¡±

    Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment and came to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s side. Zhang Yuelu withstood Desmond¡¯s life-threatening blow, and her back was leaning against the stone wall, which had an indent full of cracks from the impact. She was also unconscious.

    He looked at her carefully. Even though she was in aa, she was still frowning slightly, and her face was tense. She was clutching the Amorphous Paper that had returned to its original appearance in her hand. Qi Xuansu figured that Zhang Yuelu¡¯s injuries were not life-threatening, but they were still quite serious.

    Qi Xuansu stretched out his hand to hold down the beads on Zhang Yuelu¡¯s wrist. Then he slowly injected some of his qi. After about a few breaths, a portal slowly opened in front of him.

    Behind the door was a cab-sized space in which weapons, books, maps, telescopes, elixirs, clothing, and so on were ced neatly in categories. To his surprise, there was also a medium-sized makeup box. He guessed that Zhang Yuelu used it to put away some jewelry, makeup, and other personal items.

    Qi Xuansu did not touch anything else. He only took out a ten-centimeter-tall clear jade bottle that had round pills in it. From an outside perspective, Qi Xuansu had conjured this jade bottle out of thin air. He poured out avender-colored pill and stared at Zhang Yuelu¡¯s tightly shut lips, feeling a little flustered.

    He subconsciously turned his head and nced at Lingquanzi, only to see that the Diviner had already taken the Qi Replenishing Pill and was sitting cross-legged with both palms facing up on his knees and his thumb and index finger touching. His eyes were closed in meditation.

    Qi Xuansu sighed helplessly. He silently muttered an apology before he pinched Zhang Yuelu¡¯s cheeks to forcefully open her mouth and feed her the pill.

    Fortunately, the Purple Yang Pill melted in the mouth without the need to swallow or chew. The medicine traveled throughout the body along the meridians, making Zhang Yuelu¡¯s body glow with a faint purple aura. However, Zhang Yuelu still showed no signs of waking up.

    At this moment, Lingquanzi slowly stood up.

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Superintendent Lingquan, the Deputy Hall Master still hasn¡¯t woken up.¡±

    Lingquanzi went straight to Arthur, fed him some pills, and said, ¡°Then please carry her out, Deacon Qi.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled.

    At this moment, Lingquanzi and Arthur had already supported each other and walked out. Arthur was even considerate enough to help Qi Xuansu carry his swords and the Green Bird Pistol that he had removed earlier.

    Qi Xuansu cursed under his breath, but he had no choice but to carry Zhang Yuelu. He thought of piggybacking her, but he felt awkward considering that her soft breasts would be pressed against his back. In the end, he decided to cradle-carry her.

    When they got to the rotunda, Zhang Yuelu slowly awakened and saw that Qi Xuansu was carrying her. She did not feel shy at all but asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Desmond?¡±

    Qi Xuansu roughly told her the story of how he killed Desmond without feigning modesty.

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°Tian Yuan, you didn¡¯t disappoint me, and I didn¡¯t misjudge you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Before leaving, I took a look and found nothing in that dungeon. These sinners are very poor. I think they used the money they stole to buy people.¡±

    He mentioned this because there was still a ve trade going on in Wugeshanli. Those ves probably became food for this group of sinners.

    Zhang Yuelu nodded and said softly, ¡°Put me down.¡±

    Qi Xuansu stopped and put her down, as instructed. As a result, Zhang Yuelu could not stand firmly, so Qi Xuansu reached out to support her.

    She leaned against Qi Xuansu and frowned slightly.

    Qi Xuansu did not dare move, so his body was awkwardly stiff.

    Zhang Yuelu closed her eyes again. ¡°I feel very weak.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was silent for a long time before he asked, ¡°Shall I carry you?¡±

    In fact, Qi Xuansu was not the kind of man who was awkward with women. He only felt awkward because Zhang Yuelu was his boss.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Zhang Yuelu murmured.

    Qi Xuansu picked her up again in a princess carry and looked straight ahead.

    Zhang Yuelu did not open her eyes or speak. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and concentrated on her breathing. Gradually, her breathing became steady as she fell asleep again.

    Qi Xuansu sighed helplessly and sped up his pace to catch up with Lingquanzi and Arthur, who were no longer visible.

    When he got to the castle aboveground, Lingquanzi and Arthur were already waiting for him. Seeing Qi Xuansu cradling Zhang Yuelu, Arthur smirked in a way that only men understood.

    Qi Xuansu coughed lightly and asked, ¡°Superintendent Lingquan?¡±

    Lingquanzi was mature andposed, so he did notment on Qi Xuansu carrying Zhang Yuelu. He said, ¡°I will arrange for our people to search this ce again to prevent any demons from getting away. Especially since this concerns the Ancient Immortals, we can¡¯t be careless. Deacon Qi, you should bring the Deputy Hall Master back to Wugeshanli first. I will meet you there after I finish handling the matters here.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded and said, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ......

    Zhang Yuelu felt as if she were floating in the clouds or bobbing in the water. It was indescribably ufortable. She opened her eyelids with difficulty and found herself lying on a bed. From the corner of her eye, she vaguely saw Qi Xuansu sitting on a stool beside the bed with his back toward her.

    She asked softly, ¡°Where am I?¡±

    Qi Xuansu turned around. ¡°You¡¯re awake! This is the city lord¡¯s mansion in Wugeshanli.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu exhaled a breath of turbid air, like she had been holding her breath for a while. She felt like a boulder was lifted from her chest. She sat up and asked, ¡°How long have I been sleeping?¡±

    Qi Xuansu took out his pocket watch and took a look. ¡°About four hours have passed since we left Fort Cimut.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was silent for a moment, then asked a little embarrassedly. ¡°Did you carry me back?¡±

    Qi Xuansu coughed lightly. ¡°Well, because Mu Jin isn¡¯t here.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°Fortunately, she isn¡¯t here. If she were to rece you, we would have been wiped out. Tian Yuan, I really didn¡¯t misjudge you. You don¡¯t need to be humble because you did a good job this time. I¡¯m not ttering you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu simply asked, ¡°In that case, can I be promoted to the sixth rank?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu hesitated for a moment. ¡°I can ask on your behalf, but the approval will depend on Ziwei Hall.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked tentatively, ¡°Then should I find a connection?¡±

    ¡°What connection?¡± Zhang Yuelu was startled for a moment. When she came to her senses, she red at Qi Xuansu. ¡°I told you before that I despise such behavior.¡±

    Qi Xuansu saw how angry she was and quickly exined, ¡°I don¡¯t like it either. Who is willing to give away their hard-earned money anyway? But it¡¯smon practice, so how can I, a lowly priest, be exempt from it?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu snorted. ¡°Anyway, I said no. Don¡¯t you dare mention this again.¡±

    Qi Xuansu obliged. ¡°Yes, Deputy Hall Master. I will obey your orders.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was still angry at him, so her expression was grim. ¡°I told you not to call me Deputy Hall Master in private. Aren¡¯t we alone in this room?¡±

    Qi Xuansu thought to himself, <i>Women are so difficult.</i>

    However, he dared not show it and said, ¡°Yes, mydy.¡±

    As soon as he said this, Qi Xuansu felt like his address was a little too intimate. Zhang Yuelu also noticed this. A slight blush appeared on her face for the first time, but she said nothing.

    No matter how high her position was, she was still inexperienced in romance, so she was notpletely unfazed.

    Qi Xuansu changed the subject. ¡°How is your injury?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu wanted to escape from this awkward tension between them, so she weed this diversion. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. I just need to rest for a few days.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Great. You¡¯re the backbone of our team. Everyone hopes that you will recover soon.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu mumbled in assent.

    When Lingquanzi came to the door, he happened to hear thest part of the conversation after Qi Xuansu changed the subject. It made Lingquanzi wonder if he had the wrong opinion of their rtionship.

 Chapter 59: Drunk

    <h4>Chapter 59: Drunk</h4>

    When Lingquanzi knocked on the door, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu subconsciously nced at each other, feeling a little guilty for some reason.

    Fortunately, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s clothes were neat, and there was nothing going on between them. She fixed her hair slightly and answered, ¡°Come in.¡±

    Lingquanzi pushed the door open and asked, ¡°Deputy Hall Master, how are you feeling? The city lord wanted to send two maids to take care of you, but considering your identity as the Deputy Tiangang Hall Master, I figured it was better for our people to attend to you. That¡¯s why I asked Deacon Qi to stay here.¡±

    ¡°Superintendent Lingquan, you did a good job.¡± Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°We should be wary of others when traveling. How is the follow-up on Fort Cimut?¡±

    Lingquanzi came here to report on this. His expression was stern as he said, ¡°After Deacon Qi left with you, I sent a team to thoroughly search the entire fort and found some things rted to the Ancient Immortals. I copied the inscriptions and murals personally and destroyed them afterward. No one else was involved in this process, just in case someone couldn¡¯t resist the temptation of the Ancient Immortals and secretly hid these contents for their private use.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu immediately assumed her role as the Deputy Hall Master and asked, ¡°Where is the copy?¡±

    Lingquanzi handed a thick stack of drawings to Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu signaled for Qi Xuansu to turn away, as if these drawings were dangerous. Then she exined while flipping through them, ¡°In the past, many Daoist disciples could not resist the temptation of the Ancient Immortals and secretly collected items rted to the Ancient Immortals in the name of duty. That¡¯s why we have regtions that Daoist priests below the fourth rank are not allowed to have ess to such content.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Can a fourth-rank Daoist master resist the temptation?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu shook her head and said, ¡°Not necessarily, but they definitely stand a higher chance than lower-rank priests. It¡¯s just like how the probability of adult men being possessed by ghosts is smaller than that of children because men have more yang energy. If anyone is suspected of being tempted by the Ancient Immortals, then they will be interrogated.

    ¡°Fourth-rank and third-rank priests will be interrogated by Beichen Hall, and second-rank priests will be questioned by the Great Sage or other Omniscient Sages in the Golder Tower Council. Since the Holy Xuan Era, no first-rank priest has ever defected to the Ancient Immortals, but there is an Ancient Immortal who has been recruited into the Daoist Order, bing a first-rank Daoist master.¡±

    This was the first time Qi Xuansu heard these secrets. He could not help but ask, ¡°Then does it mean that first-rank Daoist masters are actually on the same level as Ancient Immortals?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nced at Qi Xuansu. ¡°ording to the Heavenly Preceptor, that is indeed the case. But Ancient Immortals are more special. The Great Sages change from generation to generation, but the Ancient Immortals are still the same faces.

    ¡°Take the more famous True Lord Ziguang and True Lord Siming for example. These two True Lords were enemies of the Daoist Order when the Holy Xuan and Donghuang were still alive. To this day, the Holy Xuan and Donghuang have ascended to the Heavens, but these two True Lords are still around as enemies of the Daoist Order. To them, the mortal realm is a huge prison.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not quite understand what she said, but he did not feelfortable asking further.

    Zhang Yuelu also had no intention of borating. She said, ¡°Superintendent Lingquan, please continue.¡±

    Lingquanzi continued to report. ¡°After destroying the inscriptions and murals, I got a team to ce gunpowder in several key locations of Fort Cimut, so the fort can bepletely destroyed at any time.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not raise her head. ¡°Very good. The Daoist Order has been consistent in its stance against heretics. These buildings rted to the Ancient Immortals must be destroyed.¡±

    Lingquanzi asked, ¡°Deputy Hall Master, judging from these records, which Ancient Immortal do you think is involved?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu raised her head and hesitated. ¡°Probably True Lord Siming.¡±

    Lingquanzi said, ¡°True Lord Siming is the deity of fates. No wonder that demon was resurrected. By the way, Deacon Qi has yed a vital role in sessfully wiping out this group of demons.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have a keen eye for people.¡± Zhang Yuelu beamed.

    Lingquanzi praised. ¡°Given time, Deacon Qi will definitely achieve great things.¡±

    Qi Xuansu quickly chimed in, ¡°Deputy Hall Master and Superintendent Lingquan, you¡¯re too generous with words.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu put away the thick stack of copied inscriptions into her magical receptacle and suddenly asked, ¡°Who touched my magical receptacle?¡±

    Lingquanzi immediately excused himself. ¡°Deputy Hall Master, if there is nothing else, I will order the destruction of Fort Cimut right away.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°Thank you, Superintendent Lingquan.¡±

    Lingquanzi left in a hurry, while Qi Xuansu looked at him pleadingly. Clearly, Lingquanzi had no intention of speaking up for Qi Xuansu.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes fell on Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu coughed lightly. ¡°I was left with no choice at the time because you were in critical condition.¡±

    ¡°Tian Yuan, I don¡¯t mean to me you. You¡¯ve saved my life, so I¡¯m grateful to you. I¡¯d be ungrateful if I were to me you for something like that,¡± Zhang Yuelu said softly.

    Hearing this, Qi Xuansu breathed a sigh of relief.

    Zhang Yuelu changed the subject. ¡°But did you look through anything? A certain box, for instance?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Qi Xuansu firmly denied it.

    Zhang Yuelu scrutinized his expression, trying to see any ws in it, but failed to see anything. ¡°Tian Yuan, I believe in your character, but if I find out that you¡¯ve been lying to me¡ª¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression stiffened.

    This was the fundamental reason he did not dare topletely let down his guard with Zhang Yuelu. He was indeed hiding something from her, and that alone was an irreparable mistake.

    Seeing Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression, Zhang Yuelu could not help but ask, ¡°What are you afraid of? Even if you looked at it, I wouldn¡¯t actually skin you alive. This isn¡¯t like you at all. You weren¡¯t even afraid of Desmond, so why are you afraid of a demuredy like me?¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart trembled. He was afraid that Zhang Yuelu would see through his lie, so he deliberately said, ¡°Miss Tantai, you are as fierce as a tiger and as powerful as a dragon¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop right there.¡± Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Are you addicted to your flowerbed priest act? In that case, I¡¯ll give you a new task fit for a flowerbed priest. Write a report detailing how you yed the demon and hand it to me. I will review and copy it before handing it over to the Hall Master.¡±

    Seeing that Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attention was diverted, Qi Xuansu breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Copy?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu red at him. ¡°Do you have any objections?¡±

    ¡°No, Deputy Hall Master. Your word isw,¡± Qi Xuansu said with a straight face.

    Zhang Yuelu chuckled. ¡°What a bootlicker.¡±

    Just when Qi Xuansu felt that he was safe, Zhang Yuelu suddenly asked, ¡°Tian Yuan, are you hiding something from me?¡±

    He froze and asked back, ¡°Why do you say so?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nced at him. ¡°Everyone has their own secrets, so I won¡¯t pry into your business. But I just hope that you won¡¯t treat me like I¡¯m a threatening presence.¡±

    Forcing a smile, Qi Xuansu said, ¡°I¡¯ve even told you about revenge. What else can I hide from you? As for a threatening presence, you are my boss, so isn¡¯t it only right for me to be more respectful to you?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu murmured, ¡°You only need to be respectful to me when others are present. When it¡¯s just you and me, there¡¯s no need to be so conscientious.¡±

    ¡°You''re doing one thing in front of others and acting differently behind people¡¯s backs. That sounds very much like when a nobledy secretly dates a poor schr¡ª¡± Qi Xuansu blurted.

    Under Zhang Yuelu¡¯s gaze, Qi Xuansu swallowed the second half of his sentence.

    Zhang Yuelu snorted. ¡°I guess I was worrying for nothing. You¡¯re not afraid of me. You¡¯re just so used to acting and keeping a low profile. You¡¯re actually quite bold.¡±

    Having interacted with Zhang Yuelu for so long, Qi Xuansu gradually got to know her temperament. If she used harsh words, it showed that she was not really angry. On the contrary, he had to be careful when she spoke softly. Therefore, Qi Xuansu was not that afraid. ¡°It¡¯s just a casual remark.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was clearly not as experienced in dealing with Qi Xuansu as Madam Qi was. If it were Madam Qi, she would have made Qi Xuansu admit his fault right away.

    ¡°If there is nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Qi Xuansu excused himself.

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Zhang Yuelu called out to him.

    Qi Xuansu looked at Zhang Yuelu and deliberately said, ¡°What other instructions do you have, Deputy Hall Master?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu raised her right hand in a drinking gesture and asked, ¡°Is there any wine? I¡¯ve finished my stash.¡±

    Qi Xuansu hesitated and advised her. ¡°You¡¯re still injured. Is it wise to drink alcohol?¡±

    ¡°You only need to answer yes or no to the Deputy Hall Master¡¯s question.¡± Zhang Yuelu retorted with a straight face. Since Qi Xuansu addressed her as the Deputy Hall Master, she had to show her authority.

    Qi Xuansu said helplessly, ¡°Please wait a moment.¡±

    By the time Qi Xuansu returned to the room, Zhang Yuelu had already gotten out of bed and sat at the table. This scene reminded Qi Xuansu of his young self sitting obediently at the table and waiting for dinner when he was a child back in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce.

    Qi Xuansu ced two wine sses and a crystal bottle on the table. He sat opposite Zhang Yuelu and said, ¡°There is no shaojiu here, only grape wine and malt liquor.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was not picky. She took the crystal bottle, uncorked it, and poured some wine into the ss in front of Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu held the wine ss with both hands and did not refuse.

    While pouring the wine, she said, ¡°This time, we have in the demon and returned in triumph. You deserve credit for all that you¡¯ve done. Here¡¯s a toast to you!¡±

    As soon as she finished speaking, Zhang Yuelu filled Qi Xuansu¡¯s wine ss. Then she poured herself another ss and drank it all in one gulp. She even overturned the empty ss toward Qi Xuansu to indicate that she had finished the wine.

    Qi Xuansu picked up the wine ss and drank the red wine in one gulp. It was a little bitter and astringent when it first entered the mouth. But after the bitterness, there was a sweet and sour aftertaste. It was spicy at first, then it mellowed a little. It was quite amazing how simr alcohol was on the Eastern and Western Continents.

    He imitated Zhang Yuelu and showed her the bottom of his ss.

    ¡°Great! Let¡¯s have another drink.¡± Zhang Yuelu continued to pour the wine from the bottle.

    Not long after, the crystal bottle was empty. Qi Xuansu was a little drowsy as he looked at Zhang Yuelu with drunken eyes. Her bright eyes and flushed cheeks made her seem all the more charming.

 Chapter 60: Return

    <h4>Chapter 60: Return</h4>

    Under themand of Lingquanzi, the Tiangang Hall Daoist priests sessfully blew up Fort Cimut before returning to Wugeshanli. After Zhang Yuelu recovered, they set off for the Western Region Daoist Mansion in Daxue Mountain, where they would leave from Jade Pond to take the flying ship back to Jade Capital.

    After this journey, everyone had renewed impressions of Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu. Zhang Yuelu, being the Deputy Hall Master, had the highest position and the highest level of cultivation among them, but she was also the most seriously injured one. Thus, no one could say anything negative about her.

    Qi Xuansu also proved himself on this journey. Although he was only a seventh-rank Daoist priest at the Kunlun stage, he had in the demon leader, and the act was witnessed by Superintendent Lingquan and Chief Bishop Arthur from the Holy Court. Everyone knew about Qi Xuansu¡¯s achievements after Shangguan Dun ryed the message.

    That was how Qi Xuansu¡¯s reputation improved. He was no longer a pretty boy who relied on favoritism to rise to the top. Instead, he was someone with real abilities. However, they could only imagine what abilities Qi Xuansu possessed to be able to kill Desmond because they did not witness it themselves.

    Since Arthur hadpleted his mission, he had to return to the Holy Court. That day, he specially went over to bid goodbye to the Daoist priests.

    Although Qi Xuansu delivered the final blow that killed Desmond, Arthur also yed a crucial role in ying the demon. If Arthur had not used himself as bait to make Desmond consume the Superior ck Blood, the oue would have been unpredictable.

    In fact, the credit for killing Desmond was not entirely attributed to one person. It took the coborative efforts of the entire team, including the many Daoist priests. If they had not drained the yin energy and blocked the earth''s energy from Night Mountain, stopping the Ravnos n from using illusions, they would not have sessfully exterminated this group of sinners.

    Since they had fought side by side, all the Daoist priests had a good impression of the chief bishop of the Holy Court and saw Arthur off. Finally, Arthur privately said goodbye to Qi Xuansu. After all, besides Ai Li, Qi Xuansu was the one whomunicated with Arthur the most. They also found that they had some things inmon.

    ¡°Qi, look for me if you ever go to the Western Continent in the future.¡± Arthur handed an address to Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu put it away and promised. ¡°Certainly.¡±

    Arthur left Wugeshanli and embarked on his journey home.

    Just three days after Arthur left, the Daoist priests also left Wugeshanli for the Daxue Mountain Pce.

    Before leaving, Zhang Yuelu presented Ai Li with the certificate of a fifth-rank Daoist Priest Kindred, as agreed, and brought Shangguan Dun along. Shangguan Dun got what he wanted. He was overjoyed when given a ninth-rank Daoist Priest Kindred title and left the Western Region with no regrets.

    At the same time, Zhang Yuelu also sent a message to Mu Jin, telling them not to travel to Wugeshanli but to wait at the Daxue Mountain Pce. Compared with the miserable and solemn expressions everyone had when they first arrived, they were all in a good mood on their way back. Their horses galloped in the vast Gobi desert. Even if the road conditions were just as harsh as their journey before, they were in the mood to enjoy the scenery.

    Zhang Yuelu had recovered from her injuries. She looked cool and carefree in her cloak and hood as she led the group of Daoist priests back to their homnd. Qi Xuansu was riding right behind her, but he was not as carefree as Zhang Yuelu.

    Like Madam Qi, Zhang Yuelu was someone who drew a clear line between work and personal matters. Even though she was friends with Qi Xuansu, she was also his boss, who had assigned him the task of summarizing the entire journey in a report. Thus, on the journey back, Qi Xuansu was very distressed.

    Although Qi Xuansu had learned how to write official documents back in Wanxiang Daoist Pce, he did not write much after traveling for so many years. He had swapped out a brush for a sword and had forgotten the basics. That was why he was worried about writing the report and used this time on the road to start drafting.

    The group spent more than a month walking through the vast Gobi desert and finally came across a city. This was the former Juandu Kingdom, which was one of the 36 kingdoms in the Western Region.

    <i>The Western Region spanned from Wugeshanli to Xizhou, a territory of the Great Xuan Dynasty. Most of the Western Region was the Gobi Desert, with oases and cities that became city-states. Take Wugeshanli as an example. It was a city, but it could also be considered a country. Including the desert, Wugeshanli had and area roughly equivalent to that of a state in the Central ins. But excluding the desert, it was only as big as a county.</i>

    <i>These kingdoms in the Western Region had no allegiance to any power. Back when the Central ins Dynasty was at its peak, the kingdoms in the Western Region surrendered to the Central ins. Thus establishing the Western Region Protectorate, Anxi Protectorate, and Beiting Protectorate in the Western Region. When the Central ins Dynasty weakened, the kingdoms surrendered to the Golden Horde.</i>

    <i>In the second year of Emperor Shenjue¡¯s reign, the Juandu Kingdom belonged to the Western Region Protectorate. However, during the Empress¡¯s reign, it was ced under the jurisdiction of Shulei Commandery. Later, during the decline of the Jin Dynasty, the Western Region was surrendered to the Golden Horde.</i>

    <i>In the final years of the former Wei Dynasty, the Imperial Court even lost Liangzhou to the Western Region. Therefore, all the kingdoms in the Western Region surrendered to the Golden Horde. However, due to the internal strife within the Golden Horde, they werex about control over the Western Region kingdoms. </i>

    <i>Thus, the kingdoms in the Western Region remained autonomous. Many Golden Horde nobles had also fled to the Western Region to avoid war. All these factors made the Western Region a melting pot of cultures.</i>

    <i>It was not until the Great Xuan Dynasty regained Xizhou that the Juandu Kingdom returned to the jurisdiction of the Central ins. Thus, Juandu County was established.</i>

    <i>Juandu County was situated at the intersection of Daxue Mountain and Kunlun Mountain. Daxue Mountain was also known as White Mountain in the past due to the constant snow all year round. The Golden Horde called it Jeloman Mountain, which was about 7300 meters high, 2500 kilometers long, and 300 kilometers wide. The highest peak was Tomur Peak, and the Daxue Mountain Pce was located at the base of this peak.</i>

    The Tiangang Hall Daoist priests left Jade Capital inte August. After fifty days of traveling thousands of kilometers, it was early October by the time they arrived in Juandu County.

    Everyone was tired from the journey, especially with the wind, snow, and biting winds. Xiantian Beings were not affected bymon diseases, and they could endure the cold. The only thing was that most of them were tired of eating the Army Pill for sustenance. Fortunately, they managed to replenish their provisions in Wugeshanli. If they ran out of Army Pills, then theirst resort would be the rock-hard dry rations for emergencies.

    That was why Zhang Yuelu decided to stop over in Juandu County for a few days before setting off for the Daxue Mountain Pce. When the group entered the county, they did not attract much attention. After all, this county was not far from the Daxue Mountain Pce and was considered the core sphere of influence of the Western Region Daoist Mansion. Since many Daoist priests often passed by this county, it also had a Daoist temple that doubled as a post station.

    The abbot of the Daoist temple was named Xu Huiqian, who was a seventh-rank Daoist priest. He was holding a gaiwan and sipping on hot tea. It was freezing cold in the winter, but because this temple was under the jurisdiction of the Daxue Mountain Pce, they had plenty of money and charcoal, so the room was well-heated.

    At this moment, a young ninth-rank Daoist priest pushed open the door and came in, reporting, ¡°Abbot Xu, dozens of people have arrived.¡±

    ¡°Dozens? Could they be from Tiangang Hall? What¡¯s going on this year? Is the Shamanistic Sect still not done kicking up a fuss?¡± Xu Huiqian hurriedly put down the gaiwan, stood up, and went out to greet the group.

    When Xu Huiqian came to the gate of the Daoist temple and saw dozens of people in uniformed cloaks riding on horses with the logo of the Kunlun Daoist Temple, he knew that the group had to be from Tiangang Hall. Xu Huiqian nced at them, trying to figure out who was in charge.

    A young man said, ¡°We are Daoist priests from Tiangang Hall heading to the Daxue Mountain Pce. Please arrange a ce for us to stay and have a meal.¡±

    When Xu Huiqian heard Tiangang Hall being mentioned, he confirmed his guess and hurriedly said, ¡°Of course.¡±

    The young man added, ¡°This is our Deputy Hall Master Zhang and Superintendent Lingquan. They are both fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters, so please prepare their rooms ordingly.¡±

    Xu Huiqian was shocked. <i>Another Deputy Hall Master? Two Deputy Hall Masters from Tiangang Hall have already gone to the Western Region Daoist Mansion. Why are they sending another one now? Is the Daoist Order nning to go on a full-out war with the Shamanistic Sect?</i>

    Thinking of this, Xu Huiqian looked in the direction of the fourth-rank Daoist masters. One was an older, middle-aged man, and the other was a young woman. Thus, Xu Huiqian assumed that the middle-aged man was the Deputy Hall Master and the young woman was the Superintendent.

    He saluted Lingquanzi and said, ¡°Greetings, Deputy Hall Master Zhang.¡±

    Then he saluted Zhang Yuelu. ¡°Greetings, Superintendent Lingquan.¡±

    At this moment, everyoneughed out loud. Even the ever-so-serious Lingquanzi had a smile on his face.

    Zhang Yuelu had no intention of correcting Xu Huiqian. Instead, she ordered, ¡°Deacon Qi, please help make the arrangements.¡±

    In front of others, they still addressed each other by title. For some unknown reason, Zhang Yuelu had made it a habit to leave everything to Qi Xuansu, as if he were at her beck and call. This only made others think that Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu had a special rtionship.

    Qi Xuansu was used to being bossed around by Madam Qi, so he did not think much of it and casually agreed. After that, Zhang Yuelu and her entourage entered the Daoist temple. Qi Xuansu stayed behind and exined to Xu Huiqian, ¡°Sir, you were mistaken. The young woman just now is Deputy Hall Master Zhang.¡±

    Xu Huiqian eximed. ¡°What?! I didn¡¯t know there was such a young deputy hall master.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°The Deputy Hall Master is a member of the Zhang family of Shangqing Prefecture. She is a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, recently appointed by the Great Sage Lunzhi as the Deputy Hall Master of Tiangang Hall.¡±

    Xu Huiqian¡¯s heart trembled when he heard that Zhang Yuelu was from such a prestigious family and was even promoted by the Great Sage Lunzhi at such a young age. She truly had a bright future. Perhaps she would even secure a position on the Golden Tower Council in the future.

    He suddenly felt uneasy as he wondered if he had just offended Zhang Yuelu.

    Qi Xuansu read his expression andforted him. ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang is not a petty person. She wouldn¡¯t take this to heart. Please arrange our amodations ordingly. There is also a sixth-rank priest in the group. The rest of us are seventh rank.¡±

    Xu Huiqian noted it down carefully for fear of making another mistake. After Qi Xuansu finished exining, Xu Huiqian told his subordinates to prepare the rooms.

 Chapter 61: Playing Cards

    <h4>Chapter 61: ying Cards</h4>

    After settling down, most people chose to get a good sleep. After all, they had been sleeping under the stars for most of their journey, so they were both physically and mentally tired. However, not everyone felt this way.

    Bored, Zhang Yuelu went to see Qi Xuansu, who happened to be worrying about the report he was tasked to write, so he was also not sleepy.

    Thus, Zhang Yuelu suggested that the two of them y a few rounds of Holy Xuan Cards without using any special means to cheat.

    <i>The Holy Xuan Cards were about ten centimeters long and six centimeters wide, each painted with colorful pictures. It was a small game invented by the Holy Xuan in hister years. Anyone could y the game, and it was very popr among the younger generation at the time.</i>

    <i>Years passed since then. The younger generation back then either passed away or became what many people consider to be old immortals. However, the Holy Xuan Cards were still popr in the Daoistmunity.</i>

    <i>There were four camps in the game, namely Daoist, Buddhist, Confucian, and Ancient Immortal. After selecting a camp, each yer was given a leader card. The main deck of cards consisted of 24 character cards and 12 mystical abilities cards.</i>

    <i>Each of the 24 character cards had a certain number of points and was divided into three categories: heaven, earth, and human. Based on the time when the Holy Xuan created the cards, the heaven card was a character who had ascended to heaven, the earth card was a character who had died, and the human card was a character who was still alive.</i>

    <i>Mystical abilities cards were divided into three categories: foreign objects, spells, and paradise. At the start of the game, in addition to a guaranteed leader card, ten cards were randomly drawn from the main deck.</i>

    <i>The winner was determined in a best-of-three set. The way to decide who yed first was by guessing heads or tails. From the second round onward, the winner of the previous round would go first. If both sides were tied in the previous round, the person who ended the previous round would start.</i>

    <i>In a round, both yers took turns ying cards or activating their leader cards until one side no longer had any cards on hand or if the yer actively called the end of the round. Then the points would be counted, and the yer with the most points would be the winner.</i>

    Qi Xuansu had been exposed to the Holy Xuan Cards as early as when he was in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. He was considered an expert in the game, so he immediately agreed to y with Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu took out a deck of Holy Xuan Cards from her magical receptacle and chose the Confucian camp with the Sage of Principle as her leader card. Qi Xuansu chose the Daoist camp and the Holy Xuan leader card.

    She then took out a Taiping coin, flicked it with her finger, and made it spin rapidly. Then she pped it down on the table and looked at Qi Xuansu. ¡°It''s your guess.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°The word side.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu slowly removed her palm and saw the words <i>Tianxia Taiping</i> on the coin.

    Qi Xuansu drew ten cards from the Daoist camp, while Zhang Yuelu drew ten cards from the Confucian camp.

    <strong><Daoist Camp></strong>

    Leader Card: The Holy Xuan

    Six human cards:

    - Donghuang, Li Taiyi

    - Sage Lord, Tantai Yun

    - Great Sage, Yan Feiqing

    - Sage Feiyuan

    - Teacher, Shen Changsheng

    - Great Sage, Shangguan Wan

    One earth card:

    - The Devil Sword, Song Zheng

    Two foreign object cards:

    - The Heavenly Preceptor Seal

    - The Returning Soul Incense

    One spell card:

    - The Taiyin Sword Formation

    <strong><Confucian Camp></strong>

    Leader Card: The Sage of Principle

    Four human cards:

    - Hermit, Bai Lu

    - Grand Jijiu, Sikong Daoxuan

    - Grand Jijiu, Huang Shiyuan

    - Grand Jijiu, Xie Heng

    Five earth cards:

    - Hermit of Ziyan Mountain

    - Hermit Dragon

    - Grand Jijiu, Yang Song

    - Grand Jijiu, Wu Zhenyue

    - Grand Jijiu, Wu Fengcheng

    One spell card:

    - Four Seasons Sword

    Qi Xuansu pondered for a while before he yed the earth card, Devil Sword Song Zheng. This card had 9 points and no special abilities. On the card was a picture of a sword-wielding man with an arrogant and conceited smile, dressed in ck.

    Zhang Yuelu also yed an earth card, the Hermit of Ziyan Mountain, who was a young Confucian schr dressed in purple. This card had 9 points and had a special ability to summon another two Hermit earth cards from the deck. Thus, Zhang Yuelu drew two earth cards, Hermit Urial and Hermit Golden Toad. Both of these cards had 8 points each, so Zhang Yuelu had a total of 25 points.

    Qi Xuansuid out a human card, Sage Lord Tantai Yun, a woman wearing a Pingtian crown with a bead curtain that hung down and blocked most of her face. Only her chin was visible. This card was worth 10 points and had the power of longevity, so it wouldn¡¯t be affected by subsequent powers.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s points increased to 19. If Zhang Yuelu wanted to stop the game here, Qi Xuansu would win the first round by adding one more card during his turn.

    Thus, Zhang Yuelu yed a spell card, the Four Seasons Sword, which could double the Hermits¡¯ points. Her total increased to 50 points.

    Qi Xuansu countered with a spell card, the Taiyin Sword Formation, which reduced all earth cards to 1 point each. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s three hermit cards all became 1 point, but because of the doubling effect of the Four Seasons Sword card, she had a total of 6 points.

    At the same time, Qi Xuansu¡¯s earth card, Devil Sword Song Zheng, was also affected and reduced to 1 point. His Sage Lord Tantai Yun was a longevity card, so it remained 10 points. Thus, he had a total of 11 points.

    Zhang Yuelu put out an earth card, Hermit Dragon, a short old man holding a dragon-headed crutch. This card had 15 points and was a longevity card, so it was not affected by Qi Xuansu¡¯s Taiyin Sword Formation and did not have to be reduced to 1 point. It was also not affected by her Four Seasons Sword card, so her total points rose to 21.

    Qi Xuansu then yed the human card, Donghuang Li Taiyi, a confident, sword-wielding Daoist. It was a longevity card with 10 points. Thus, Qi Xuansu also had 21 points in total.

    Zhang Yuelu fell into deep thought. At this time, Qi Xuansu still had six cards in her hand, and the two hermits she summoned came from the main deck, so she still had seven cards left in her hand. If she folded and Qi Xuansu had to y another card to win, then she would have the advantage of two extra cards in her hand. Even if Qi Xuansu did not y a card and they tied, she would also have one extra card in her hand.

    She smiled. ¡°Fold.¡±

    Qi Xuansu yed a human card, Sage Feiyuan, a young and handsome Daoist man with sharp eyes, a star crown, and a feathered robe. It was worth 5 points, so Qi Xuansu had 26 points. Then he folded as well.

    In the first round, Qi Xuansu won, with five cards left in his hand. Zhang Yuelu lost with seven cards left in her hand. The cards that were yed in the first round were sent to the ¡°underworld.¡±

    Since Qi Xuansu won the first round, he went first in the second round.

    Qi Xuansu put out the human card, Teacher Shen Changsheng. It had 0 points, but the special effect allowed him to draw another card from the deck. He drew a heaven card, Great Sword Immortal Li Daoxu. The picture showed a sword-wielding majestic old man with white hair and a white beard. He was the father of the Holy Xuan and Donghuang. It had 15 points and was a longevity card.

    Zhang Yuelu yed the human card, Hermit Bai Lu, who was an old Confucian schr with white hair and a white beard. It had 7 points, and his special ability was to recall a card from the underworld.

    Since the longevity card could not be affected by anything, Zhang Yuelu could not recall the Hermit Dragon. So she could only choose the next best thing and recalled the earth card, Hermit Ziyan Mountain. Since she had no other earth card Hermits, she did not summon any. Her total was 16 points.

    Qi Xuansu yed the heaven card, Great Sword Immortal Li Daoxu, so he had 15 points. Zhang Yuelu put out the earth card, Grand Jijiu Yang Song, a middle-aged Confucian schr who was burning the academy. It had nine points and had the special effect of increasing all of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s earth cards by 1 point. Thus, she had 27 points.

    Qi Xuansu yed the human card, Great Sage Yan Feiqing, a middle-aged Daoist man dressed in in clothes. It was a longevity card worth 10 points, so he had 25 points at this moment.

    Zhang Yuelu observed Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression and hesitated for a moment before ying a human card, Grand Jijiu Sikong Daoxuan. It was 0 points, but its special effect allowed her to draw another card.

    Qi Xuansu only had three cards left in his hand, so he yed the foreign object card, the Heavenly Preceptor Seal, allowing him to summon all cards with the word ¡°Heavenly Preceptor¡± from the deck.

    One heaven card:

    - Old Heavenly Preceptor, Zhang Jingxiu | 15 points

    Two human cards:

    - Great Heavenly Preceptor, Zhang Luanshan | 9 points

    - Junior Heavenly Preceptor, Yan Feiqing | 5 points

    One earth card:

    - Deposed Heavenly Preceptor, Zhang Jingchen | 9 points

    This totaled 38 points. Plus the previous 25 points, Qi Xuansu¡¯s grand total was 63 points. Qi Xuansu only had two cards left, so he folded.

    Zhang Yuelu wanted to win this game before entering the third round, so she put out two human cards, Grand Jijiu Huang Shiyuan and Grand Jijiu Xie Heng, worth 9 points each. She also yed two earth cards, Grand Jijiu Wu Zhenyue and Grand Jijiu Wu Fengcheng, worth 10 points and 8 points, respectively. These totaled 36 points.

    The Grand Jijiu Yang Song¡¯s effect increased the earth card Grand Jijiu Wu Fengcheng by 1 point. The earth card, Grand Jijiu Wu Zhenyue, was a longevity card, so it was not affected. Thus, the total for these four cards was 37 points. Plus her original 27 points, she had exactly 64 points, just 1 point more than Qi Xuansu.

    The two entered the decisive round. Qi Xuansu had two cards left in his hand, and Zhang Yuelu only had one card left in hers. Since Zhang Yuelu won the second round, she went first in the third round.

    Zhang Yuelu yed thest card in her hand, besides her leader card. It was the human card, Xie Yueyin, a handsome young Confucian schr holding a folding fan. It was 5 points.

    Qi Xuansu yed the human card, Great Sage Shangguan Wan, which was a stern-looking woman in a ck robe holding a sword seal. It had 9 points.

    Zhang Yuelu activated the ability of the leader card, Sage of Principle, which allowed her human card, Xie Yueyin, to be a 15-point longevity card with a special ability to send a card to the underworld. She chose to send Qi Xuansu¡¯s human card, Great Sage Shangguan Wan, to the underworld. Since her hand was empty, she was forced to stop ying.

    Qi Xuansu used thest foreign object card, Returning Soul Incense, to recall the human card, Great Heavenly Preceptor Zhang Luanshan, from the underworld, which had 9 points. Then he activated the special ability of his leader card, the Holy Xuan, doubling the points of this card to 18 points.

    That way, Qi Xuansu won the third round with a 3-point advantage. Since he won two out of three rounds, he won the game.

    The point of ying cards was to win something. Zhang Yuelu originally proposed to drink as a penalty, but Qi Xuansu refused because, no matter the result, Zhang Yuelu would not suffer a loss. So he changed it to a Taiping coin.

    Zhang Yuelu threw a Taiping coin to Qi Xuansu and said helplessly, ¡°I don¡¯t get the Daoist camp.¡±

    Qi Xuansu put the Taiping coin into his bag with a smile and said, ¡°Back then, I was the best in my ss at the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. No one could beat me in the Daoist camp. I wasn¡¯t even trying just now.¡±

    ¡°Show off!¡± Zhang Yuelu did not believe him. ¡°Let¡¯s try it again. I won¡¯t use the Confucian camp, and you can¡¯t use the Daoist camp.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll use the Buddhist camp.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°I will also use the Buddhist camp. Let¡¯s have a civil war.¡±

    The two of them each drew a set of Buddhist camp cards and continued ying. This time, Zhang Yuelu easily defeated Qi Xuansu in two consecutive rounds.

    Zhang Yuelu clicked her tongue and said, ¡°It looks like you¡¯re just used to the Daoist camp. You¡¯re not that great after all!¡±

    Since Qi Xuansu lost the second round, he did not want to give up a Taiping coin and decided to ept Zhang Yuelu¡¯s proposal of drinking alcohol as a penalty.

    For the whole day, the two of them yed cards and drank. It was not until midnight that Zhang Yuelu left Qi Xuansu¡¯s room contentedly, smelling of alcohol.

 Chapter 62: Daxue Mountain Palace

    <h4>Chapter 62: Daxue Mountain Pce</h4>

    The Daoist priests from Tiangang Hall rested for three days in Juandu County. Qi Xuansu had a very fulfilling time and spent most of the time ying cards and drinking with Zhang Yuelu.

    In fact, Zhang Yuelu did not use her status to force Qi Xuansu. It was just that Qi Xuansu did not want to reject her because he liked her.

    Although, judging from their status, the possibility of them ending up together was slim, Qi Xuansu still had his dreams, just like how he dreamed about wielding the Sword of Wisdom one day. On the chessboard, even if the pawn was the least valuable chess piece, it could still have a chance to face off with the general from the opposite side.

    In his spare time, Qi Xuansu asked Lingquanzi, an experienced superintendent, for advice on how to write official documents. Unfortunately, Lingquanzi was mainly responsible for external affairs. Zhou Bai, who was also in external affairs, was not good at paperwork either. Only Sun Yongfeng, who was responsible for internal affairs, was more proficient in writing official documents.

    Three dayster, the well-rested group left Juandu County and continued their journey to the Daxue Mountain Pce.

    Daxue Mountain and Kunlun Mountain formed an irregr circle around the desert basin known as the Death Sea. Kunlun was on the left, while Daxue Mountain was on the right and Juandu County was at the top.

    Their journey started from the east, then they traveled west and circled the vast Western Region. On the way back, they traveled horizontally through Juandu County back to Daxue Mountain before finally taking a flying ship across the desert and back to their starting point.

    They were traveling along the edge of the desert at a steady pace. The Daxue Mountains also blocked the cold current from the north. Finally, it stopped snowing, which was undoubtedly a good thing.

    After traveling for more than ten days, they finally caught a glimpse of the Daxue Mountain Pce.

    <i>The Daxue Mountain Pce was originally the pce of the Golden Horde Khan. Back then, Sage Changchun, who was in his seventies, once went beyond the Great Wall to the Daxue Mountain Pce. He met with the Golden Horde Khan and advised thetter to respect the heavens, love the people, reduce massacres, and be pure-hearted.</i>

    <i>As such, he was revered as an immortal by the Golden Horde Khan, and some people in the Golden Horde changed their religion and worshiped the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. Since Jade Pond was also located on Daxue Mountain, this mountain was regarded as one of the Daoist sacred ces.</i>

    <i>Later, the Golden Horde Khan gifted the Daxue Mountain Pce to his advisor. The advisor upied the Daxue Mountain Pce and gradually made it a sacred site for the Shamanistic Sect.</i>

    <i>Therefore, the Daxue Mountain Pce was of great significance to both the Daoist Order and the Shamanistic Sect. The two powers had fought several battles because of this ce, and the Daoist Order had regained control over Daxue Mountain.</i>

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s group climbed over thest snow-capped mountain and finally saw the full grandeur of the Daxue Mountain Pce, which was located on the sunny side of the peak.

    The pce was built with the mountain as its backdrop. It was all white and camouged with the mountain, like a snow pce. Its architectural style was very different from that of the Central ins or even the Golden Horde. Instead, it had the influence of the Western Continent and the Samudra Kingdom, as shown in the towering spires,yers of pavilions, and the arched dome.

    The buildings were stacked together, but they did not lookpact or cluttered. At this time, the rays of light shining on the pce made it glow with a holy light. Everyone stopped on the snowy slope and stared in awe at the magnificent Daxue Mountain Pce.

    This was the first time Qi Xuansu saw the famous Daxue Mountain Pce, and he could not help but feel amazed. ¡°Is this the Daxue Mountain Pce?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhang Yuelu pointed at the mountain below the Daxue Mountain Pce with her riding whip.

    ¡°As far as I know, there is a huge corpse-cultivation area below the Daxue Mountain Pce, left by the Shamanistic Sect in the past. There are hundreds of thousands of corpses there, so it¡¯s always filled with intense corpse energy that muddles the boundaries between yin and yang energy. In a way, the Daxue Mountain Pce also acts as a suppressive formation.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was shocked. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that such a thing existed.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu waved her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go up the mountain.¡±

    The mountain road was fairly t. After walking for about two hours, they finally came to a huge stone bridge. This bridge stood majestically over an abyss and connected two peaks. It was about 300 meters long and could amodate six horses walking side by side.

    The abyss below was like a moat that surrounded the Daxue Mountain Pce, and this bridge led to the pce gates. It was tightly guarded, with more than ten armored Spirit Guards on duty.

    Zhang Yuelu stepped forward and showed her insignia and the documents from Tiangang Hall. The leading Spirit Guard immediately put on a smile. ¡°Greetings, Deputy Hall Master Zhang. Deputy Mansion Master Zhao and several deacons from Tiangang Hall have been waiting for your arrival.¡±

    Deputy Mansion Master Zhao was the third-rank Youyi Daoist master, Zhao Jiaowu, who assisted Sage Feiling in managing the Western Region Daoist Mansion. Zhao Jiaowu was a seventh-generation Quanzhen Sect disciple. Although he was still one step away from being a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master, he was not yet in his fifties and was still in his prime. He was expected to be promoted to the second rank before reaching 60, so he had a considerably bright future.

    Zhang Yuelu nodded slightly and said, ¡°Please lead the way.¡±

    The Spirit Guard led Zhang Yuelu and her entourage across the long stone bridge and into a special tunnel that bored into the rocky mountains. It was about 500 meters long, seven meters high, and about ten meters wide.

    After passing through this long tunnel, they entered the outskirts of the Daxue Mountain Pce, which resembled a barbican. From a distance, they could see Zhao Jiaowuing over to greet them.

    Before he arrived, they could hear him saying, ¡°Well done! You have chased the killers for more than fifty days over thousands of miles. It¡¯s truly an impressive feat!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu dismounted and stepped forward to greet him. Her group followed suit.

    After the two leaders greeted each other, Zhao Jiaowu said, ¡°It has been three months since west met in Chiming Pce. Deputy Hall Master Zhang, how are you doingtely?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°Thank you for thinking of me, Deputy Mansion Master Zhao. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Everyone saluted Zhao Jiaowu again. Apanying Zhao Jiaowu were Mu Jin, Xu Zhen, Zheng Ding, and a few others.

    Mu Jin and Xu Zhen stepped forward to salute Zhang Yuelu. Then, they joined Zhang Yuelu¡¯s group. Zheng Ding saluted the deputy hall master and said, ¡°Thank you for saving my life, Deputy Hall Master Zhang.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s expression was indifferent. ¡°Deacon Qi and I discovered you, and Superintendent Lingquan summoned your soul. I wasn¡¯t the only one who saved you that day.¡±

    Zheng Ding¡¯s expression changed slightly. Then he saluted Qi Xuansu and Lingquanzi.

    Lingquanzi nodded slightly and said nothing. On the other hand, Qi Xuansu, who was back to his flowerbed Daoist priest act in front of others, quickly helped Zheng Ding up and said, ¡°Brother, there is no need to be polite.¡±

    Zheng Ding¡¯s face was a little stiff, while Mu Jin rolled her eyes.

    Zhao Jiaowu turned a blind eye to all this and changed the topic. ¡°You all have worked hard, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired from the journey. I have already prepared a banquet to wee Deputy Hall Master Zhang and her group.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu politely declined. ¡°Deputy Mansion Master Zhao, I appreciate your kindness, but we have been resting in Juandu County for three days, and Tiangang Hall Master is waiting for my report. I must return to Jade Capital as soon as possible to report on this important matter, which has even rmed the Great Sage Lunzhi. I really can¡¯t stay this time, and I hope you will forgive me.¡±

    Zhao Jiaowu would have felt upset if anyone else rejected his weing banquet, but Zhang Yuelu had a notorious reputation for being aloof. Even Li Tianzhen had gotten in trouble with her. This showed how much of a loner she was.

    He did not insist and merely nodded. ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t keep you around. The flying ship is ready for departure at any time.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Deputy Mansion Master Zhao.¡± Zhang Yuelu cupped her fists in thanks.

    Zhao Jiaowu stretched out his hand to summon a Spirit Guard and ordered, ¡°Take Deputy Hall Master Zhang and her group to Jade Pond.¡±

    He then turned to Zhang Yuelu and said, ¡°I still have official duties to tend to, so I won¡¯t be sending you off.¡±

    Jade Pond and the Daxue Mountain Pce were not on the same peak, so Zhang Yuelu and her group did not stop at the pce. Under the guidance of the Spirit Guard, they passed through the barbican, entered another tunnel, and passed through another stone bridge, which was about several kilometers long, to the peak where Jade Pond was located.

    <i>The Jade Pond of Daxue Mountain was as famous as the Heaven Pond of Taibai Mountain. It was a semicircle, about 3.5 kilometers long and 1.5 kilometers in radius. It was located at the top of the mountain, where clouds and mist covered the ce.</i>

    <i>More than 2,000 years ago, Emperor Mu had a feast with the Queen Mother of the West here. This left asting legacy as the public mistook the Jade Pond as the residence of immortals.</i>

    <i>To get to the Jade Pond, they had to first pass through a natural mountain pass, which was about 30 meters wide and about 10 meters wide at the narrowest point. It was nked by two peaks, forming a passage called the Stone Gorge.</i>

    <i>The marvelous stone walls were shaped by nature, like two opened door panels. The color of the stone was ocher. A poem once described, ¡°The majestic Stone Gorge is the gate to the Jade Pond. The cliff hangs over the sky, making one¡¯s soul tremble. Crafted by unearthly hands, it is a straight line leading to the blue sky.¡±</i>

    After passing the Stone Gorge and climbing to the top of the mountain, they could see the Jade Pond. It was ake that was as clear as jade, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, and covered in mist. The sky, water, and mountains were all the same color.

    To the southeast of Jade Pond was the peak where Daxue Mountain Pce was located. These two peaks were connected. Looking up into the distance, one would see three peaks side by side, breaking through the clouds.

    At this time, a majestic flying ship was floating on the surface of Jade Pond.

    Since this was a business trip, they did not need to buy a ticket and could board the ship directly.

    This was Qi Xuansu¡¯s second time riding a flying ship. Last time, he could only afford a regr single bedroom on the first floor, which was the most basic amodation on the ship.

    Since there were no other guests on the flying ship this time, and his deacon status was only below that of Zhang Yuelu and Lingquanzi, he could stay in the suite on the second floor.

    The suite had a bedroom and a small study. Normally, this was exclusively reserved for fourth-rank Daoist masters and above. But since this was a business trip, Qi Xuansu got to enjoy these perks.

    After everyone boarded, the flying ship slowly took off.

    The flying ship used the Dragon Pearl as its core, so it had some magical properties of dragons and was surrounded by vapor. After the flying ship left the Daxue Mountains and entered the ??Death Sea, the water vapor surrounding the ship turned into snowkes due to the cold weather. It condensed and left a trail of snow wherever it passed.

    This snowy scenery continued for half a day until the magnificent Kunlun and Jade Capital could be seen in the distance.

 Chapter 63: Spirit Guard and Salary

    <h4>Chapter 63: Spirit Guard and Sry</h4>

    The flying shipnded in theke outside Jade Capital, stirring up a mist that looked like snow.

    It waste autumn when the group left Jade Capital, and it was early winter when they returned. Most of their time was spent on the road. Except for Zhang Yuelu, no one else was injured. They only suffered some hardships along the way.

    At thekeside, Tiangang Hall had already arranged for deer carts to bring the group back to Jade Capital. This kind of deer cart had four wheels, and the deer pulling the cart were stronger than ordinary horses. The carriage was wide andfortable, enough to amodate four people.

    This time, Tiangang Hall arranged for twenty deer carts lined up in a grand procession to receive Zhang Yuelu''s team, with Superintendent Sun Yongfeng and Deacon Tian Baobao taking the lead.

    When Sun Yongfeng saw Zhang Yuelu as the first person to step off the flying ship, he immediately stered on an ingratiating smile and came forward to greet her. ¡°Deputy Hall Master, you¡¯ve worked hard this time, traveling thousands of kilometers to exterminate the demons. You truly are a hero to the Daoistmunity!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to tter me.¡± Zhang Yuelu was still as cold as ever.

    Sun Yongfeng did not mind her indifference. He merely smiled and said, ¡°The Hall Master has asked for you several times. The entire Tiangang Hall is proud of you for ying the demons.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not take it to heart. ¡°The way you put it makes it seem like I killed an Ancient Immortal.¡±

    Sun Yongfeng led Zhang Yuelu to the deer cart at the front. Zhang Yuelu signaled for Lingquanzi and Qi Xuansu to join her and Sun Yongfeng in the same carriage.

    The other four deacons¡ªMu Jin, Zhou Bai, Xu Zhen, and Tian Baobao¡ªtook the second deer cart.

    Mu Jin looked at Qi Xuansu with resentful eyes. In her opinion, she was supposed to sit with Zhang Yuelu because she was a fifth-rank Daoist priest. But a seventh-rank priest stole her position. How dare he?!

    However, in the eyes of Lingquanzi and others, Qi Xuansu was well-deserving of the spot next to Zhang Yuelu because he was the hero who yed Desmond, the demon leader. As for Mu Jin, she did not even participate in the siege of Fort Cimut, so she should not be looking down on Qi Xuansu.

    This was human nature¡ªalways looking at problems from one¡¯s own standpoint. That was why conflicts arose, as people only rationalized truths that were in their own interests.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu sat on one side of the carriage, while Lingquanzi and Sun Yongfeng sat across from them.

    Taking advantage of this time, Zhang Yuelu exined how to wrap up this demon-ying operation. She was to submit a report to the Hall Master for approval. All those who participated in the operation were entitled to a two-month vacation. During this time, they did not need to be on duty at Tiangang Hall and could do whatever they pleased. Only the internal affairs staff had to remain at the Yaoguang Pavilion.

    As for the report, it would be divided into three parts.

    The first part was a detailed exnation of the process of exterminating this group of demons. Zhang Yuelu tasked this to Qi Xuansu because he was the only person besides herself and Lingquanzi who participated in the whole process. After she fainted, it was Qi Xuansu who struck the final killing blow.

    The second part was about the Ancient Immortals. This part was assigned to Lingquanzi because he had personally copied the inscriptions and murals of the Ancient Immortals in Fort Cimut. To avoid unnecessary trouble, the fewer people involved in this matter, the better.

    The third part was to ask for credit, and Zhang Yuelu, as the Deputy Hall Master, was responsible for this. Whether she would take all the credit or reward her staff was at her discretion. However, Qi Xuansu had faith in Zhang Yuelu because she was undoubtedly a good andpetent boss.

    Zhang Yuelu turned to Qi Xuansu and Lingquanzi and suggested, ¡°You two don¡¯t have to be too stressed out. If you really can¡¯t write the report, just do a rough outline and ask Superintendent Sun to polish it up a bit before handing it over to me.¡±

    Lingquanzi and Qi Xuansu both breathed a sigh of relief.

    Sun Yongfeng did not mind this because it was a piece of cake for him as a well-known penman in Tiangang Hall.

    Zhang Yuelu added, ¡°But please be careful with the part about the Ancient Immortals.¡±

    Sun Yongfeng¡¯s face stiffened, and he nodded solemnly.

    Zhang Yuelu lifted the curtains and enjoyed the scenery through the ss windows.

    At this time, the deer cart arrived at the Taixu Bridge, which wasrge enough for eight horses to walk in parallel. Not far away were the gates to Jade Capital, where armored Spirit Guards were stationed to verify everyone¡¯s credentials.

    Zhang Yuelu lowered the curtain and closed her eyes to rest.

    These deer carts had the Tiangang Hall logo, so the gatekeepers let them in without checking. The convoy passed through the gates and headed toward Xuan City along Shangqing Street.

    When they arrived at the gates of Xuan City, the people in the carriage did not get out. They just opened the door and handed over their insignias.

    The Spirit Guards¡¯ attitude was much nicer than usual. He simply checked the insignias and let them in.

    Finally, the deer cart arrived at the gates of Tiangang Hall, which were guarded by more Spirit Guards.

    <i>Spirit Guards were considered to be a spiritual path, but they were not considered Daoist priests because Spirit Guards did not have their own cultivation. A Spirit Guard¡¯s cultivation level was closely rted to their office.</i>

    <i>The fundamental contradiction between Ancient Immortals and Daoists was in the way they used the power of incense. There were plenty of Daoist temples all over the world, gathering massive incense power. However, this incense power was not for the gods and was instead used to enhance Spirit Guards.</i>

    <i>A Spirit Guard did not need to enhance their cultivation because they would get the corresponding amount of incense power ording to their rank. This incense power would be turned into divine power through their special armor. As long as they wore the armor, they would have the power equivalent of a Daoist priest with a realm of cultivation from decades of hard training.</i>

    <i>This was why all the Spirit Guards wore full body armor. However, there were high requirements for one¡¯s mental strength and character to be a Spirit Guard.</i>

    <i>Before the power of incense transformed into divine power, it was impure, mixed with countless human desires asking for titles, wealth, and blessings from the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. Thus, it became a noise that disturbed the mind after entering the body. It would be a failure if one could not resist this noise and, in turn, got lost in it.</i>

    <i>The Daoist Order had various means to strengthen the body, but it was difficult to strengthen a person¡¯s character. That was dependent on nature. A Spirit Guard often had a strong character and average aptitude. That was because those with high aptitude and strong character would most likely choose to be a Daoist priest instead of a Spirit Guard, who was considered inferior to the former.</i>

    <i>Furthermore, the armor of a high-ranking Spirit Guard was difficult and costly to make. Even though it was not as costly as forcibly creating a Banished Immortal, it was much more expensive than training an ordinary Daoist priest. Due to this, there were not many high-ranking Spirit Guards in the Daoist Order.</i>

    <i>The disadvantage of being a Spirit Guard was that the cultivation did not belong to themself. If a Spirit Guard was stripped of their office, they would no longer have any divine power. If they were demoted, their level of cultivation would also decrease ordingly. Thus, Spirit Guards obeyed the Daoist Orderpletely.</i>

    <i>That was also why the status of Spirit Guards was naturally lower than that of Daoist priests. After all, Daoist priests obtained their cultivation through their own efforts. Even if they left the Daoist Order one day, they would still get to keep their own cultivation. </i>

    <i>Therefore, at the same rank, Daoist priests were higher in status than Spirit Guards. Even first-rank Spirit Guards were only equivalent to ordinary second-rank Taiyi Daoist priests and lower in status than the Omniscient Sages.</i>

    <i>The Daoist Order¡¯s purpose in cultivating Spirit Guards was to do tasks that high-ranking Daoist priests were unwilling or had no time to do, such as guarding gates or cities. Low-ranking Daoist priests were also not capable enough to do such tasks and were prone to mistakes. Thus, the Spirit Guards were the most suitable candidates for such roles, as they did not have to spend time enhancing their cultivation level and were given power through their armor. They also could not disobey the Daoist Order.</i>

    <i>Half of the Spirit Guards in the Daoist Order were under themand of Tiangang Hall. In the Western Region war against the Shamanistic Sect, Tiangang Hall¡¯s reinforcements were mainlyposed of Spirit Guards.</i>

    Qi Xuansu was the first to get off the carriage. He held the door open and waited for Zhang Yuelu to get down. After Zhang Yuelu got out of the carriage, she thanked him and said, ¡°You all should head back to Yaoguang Pavilion while I visit the Hall Master.¡±

    Hearing this, Qi Xuansu closed the carriage door and nodded in agreement. The group entered the heavily guarded Tiangang Hall, but Zhang Yuelu went straight to the main hall while the rest of her entourage went to Yaoguang Pavilion.

    All this time, Qi Xuansu walked shoulder to shoulder with the two superintendents.

    Sun Yongfeng praised, ¡°Brother Qi, you¡¯ve made great achievements this time, so you¡¯ll probably be promoted to the sixth rank.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Superintendent Sun.¡± Qi Xuansu remained humble.

    Lingquanzi smiled and said, ¡°Tian Yuan, you don¡¯t have to be too modest. It¡¯s an inevitable fact. Besides, the sry of a sixth-rank priest is much higher than that of a seventh-rank priest. Brother Sun, you¡¯re in charge of this area. How much does a sixth rank get?¡±

    Sun Yongfeng took over the conversation. ¡°The basic sry for a sixth-rank Daoist priest is 30 Taiping coins per month. Tiangang Hall has a special subsidy of about 20 Taiping coins per month. Brother Qi, you¡¯re not yet 30 years old and have been promoted to the sixth rank, so you¡¯ll be considered an apprentice mage. This means you¡¯ll be entitled to another monthly subsidy of 10 Taiping coins per month.

    ¡°If you go out for expeditions, like this trip, an additional subsidy will be given depending on the task. On average, you¡¯ll get around 800 Taiping coins a year.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was shocked by the amount. ¡°That¡¯s definitely not a small amount. It¡¯s enough for me to buy a house andnd. I will be considered a rich man in some smaller cities!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to buy a house andnd elsewhere.¡± Sun Yongfeng chuckled. ¡°Duzhi Hall will provide a relocation allowance for you to settle down in Jade Capital. The actual amount is based on your rank and position. Brother Qi, based on your rank, you will probably get around 1,000 Taiping coins. If you already have a ce to live, then this relocation allowance is your extra cash!¡±

    Lingquanzi added, ¡°This is the privilege of working in Tiangang Hall. The local Daoist mansions and some lesser halls don¡¯t get this treatment. They probably get less than 500 Taiping coins per year, which isn¡¯t enough, to be honest.¡±

    Sun Yongfeng agreed. ¡°Although cultivation is dependent on one¡¯s efforts, the consumption of elixirs and pills can quickly enhance one¡¯s level of cultivation. That¡¯s why our money flows out like water, and our paycheck is stretched thin. If you lose some talismans or damage your flying sword or magic weapons in a fight, all of those cost money to fix too.¡±

    ¡°Can''t we reimburse the cost of repairs or recement of talismans and magical weapons?" Qi Xuansu asked in surprise.

    Lingquanziughed. ¡°If you want to get those reimbursed, you must provide a sufficient and legitimate reason. For example, our demon-ying operation this time is a legitimate reason. But everyone has a few enemies and other emergencies. Resources used for personal fights can¡¯t be reimbursed.¡±

    Sun Yongfeng said, ¡°There are also expenses for food, clothing, hiring servants, and socializing. You must always maintain an appearance so that your peers won¡¯t make fun of you. There are so many ways this money will be spent.¡±

    Lingquanzi smiled smugly. ¡°Well, the money is enough for a celibate monk like me. But I''m not sure if it''ll be enough if you want to get married or start a family...¡±

 Chapter 64: Two Theater Tickets

    <h4>Chapter 64: Two Theater Tickets</h4>

    Once the trio got back to the Yaoguang Pavilion, Lingquanzi and Sun Yongfeng went to their separate rooms. Qi Xuansu proceeded to the main hall and returned to his desk. He spread out a piece of paper with the seal of the Daoist Order used for official documents and took out his inkstone. While grinding the ink, he thought about how he should start writing the report.

    Not long after, Mu Jin came in, sat down, and red at Qi Xuansu. She could not hold back her anger when she saw the official document that Qi Xuansu spread out on the table.

    In the past, at<i> </i>Beichen Hall, Zhang Yuelu had left all her paperwork to Mu Jin. But Qi Xuansu had stolen her job. How could she not hate Qi Xuansu when he had stolen Zhang Yuelu from her?

    The ink stick gradually melted. Qi Xuansu dabbed his brush on the inkstone and began by writing about the time they arrived at Bishan Temple.

    After a while, Mu Jin finally spoke. ¡°Deacon Qi.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Qi Xuansu responded without raising his head.

    Mu Jin asked, ¡°When did you and the Deputy Hall Master meet?¡±

    Qi Xuansu still did not look up. ¡°You should ask the Deputy Hall Master.¡±

    Seeing this, Mu Jin was infuriated. She raised her voice. ¡°Do you not want to tell me? Or is it something that can¡¯t be shared?¡±

    Qi Xuansu put down his brush and finally looked up at Mu Jin. ¡°I can share it, but I¡¯m curious as to why you are asking me this, Deacon Mu.¡±

    Mu Jin sneered, ¡°I¡¯m doing this for the Deputy Hall Master¡¯s benefit since she is still young and can be easily deceived.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that simple, right?¡± Qi Xuansu chuckled. ¡°The Deputy Hall Master is a strong-willed person. This has nothing to do with age. Deacon Mu, I¡¯d like to remind you that the Deputy Hall Master doesn¡¯t like trouble, so she¡¯s not calctive. But regardless of your rtionship with her in the past, there will be a day when that bond is exhausted.¡±

    Mu Jin¡¯s expression changed dramatically. ¡°What do you mean by this? You might as well get to the point!¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not answer but took out his pocket watch and nced at it. ¡°What do you want from me?¡±

    In fact, Qi Xuansu had understood one thing a long time ago. His rtionship with Zhang Yuelu was actually a double-edged sword. The advantage was that he had a backer, but the disadvantage was that it would cause him unnecessary trouble. However, Qi Xuansu did not expect a woman to confront him just because she was jealous of his rtionship with Zhang Yuelu.

    Mu Jin approached Qi Xuansu and lowered her voice. ¡°You can stop pretending. I know who you are.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s strange. I don¡¯t even know what kind of person I am, but you do, huh? Pray tell.¡± Qi Xuansu sniggered.

    Mu Jin continued, ¡°You¡¯re ambitious and capable, just like Xu Kou. But unlike that brute, you¡¯re soft. Xu Kou provoked the Deputy Hall Master because he wanted to use her as a stepping stone, while you cozied up to the Deputy Hall Master with the same motive of climbing thedder. You''re simply using a different approach.¡±

    Qi Xuansu scoffed. ¡°Deacon Mu, you think too highly of me, and you underestimate Deputy Hall Master Zhang. You make it sound like the Deputy Hall Master is an ignorant youngdy who doesn¡¯t know how sinister humans are.¡±

    Mu Jin said, ¡°Of course, she¡¯s not ignorant, but a woman of her age will inevitably misjudge someone and be deceived by scoundrels.¡±

    Qi Xuansu understood the meaning behind Mu Jin¡¯s words. She was implying that he was a pretty boy who was good at scheming women into getting what he wanted. He felt wronged, because the only woman he had interacted with after leaving the Wanxiang Daoist Pce was Madam Qi. So how could he be good at dealing with women? In this regard, he was a real novice.

    However, Qi Xuansu did not defend himself. He urged, ¡°Then you should persuade the Deputy Hall Master to stay away from scoundrels instead of throwing a tantrum in front of me.¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Mu Jin trembled in anger and pointed at Qi Xuansu.

    In terms of cultivation, Mu Jin was a Qi Refiner at the Yuxu stage, so she was naturally at a higher level than Qi Xuansu. If she wanted to fight Qi Xuansu, he would have suffered a loss. However, they were in Tiangang Hall, and Sun Yongfeng was right next door. Thus, Mu Jin did not have the courage to fight him here.

    ¡°Deacon Mu, please don¡¯t disturb me if you don¡¯t have anything else to say.¡± Qi Xuansu picked up his brush again and continued writing on the official document.

    Vexed, Mu Jin mmed the door on the way out.

    Although Qi Xuansu was not good at writing, he had already thought of a draft on the journey back. So the words came flowing out of his brush.

    Zhang Yuelu came back about an hourter to find Qi Xuansu alone. She asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Mu Jin?¡±

    Qi Xuansu raised his head and answered, ¡°She went out.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu came to Qi Xuansu¡¯s desk, took a page of his report, and skimmed it. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too many words?¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± Qi Xuansu stopped writing and looked up at Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu put down the paper andmented, ¡°I¡¯d prefer it to be more concise. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re getting paid by the word count.¡±

    Qi Xuansu reluctantly obliged. ¡°Fine, I''ll rewrite it.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu changed the topic. ¡°I have good news for you. Your promotion to the sixth rank is pretty much guaranteed!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Although Qi Xuansu had already expected it, it felt surrealing from Zhang Yuelu.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Zhang Yuelu casually pulled up a chair and sat across from Qi Xuansu. ¡°The Hall Master asked me about the demon-ying operation, and after listening to my ount of the story, he praised you for your courage and resourcefulness. He even suggested that we focus on training you into a valuable talent.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was happy but worried at the same time. He was d that he had gained the appreciation of the Hall Master. That way, his future would be smooth sailing. What worried him was that he was now under the radar of a Sage, which increased the possibility of his identity as a Qingping Society member being exposed. He would be in great trouble if that were to happen.

    Every time he thought of this, Qi Xuansu felt the urge to leave the Qingping Society as soon as possible. As long as he umted 9000 merits, he could leave the Qingping Society and lead a normal life. Otherwise, he would always live in the shadow of the Qingping Society. It was too stressful to constantly worry that his secret identity would be brought to light.

    Zhang Yuelu keenly noticed Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression. She teased, ¡°What, do you think that sixth rank is too low for you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not! I don¡¯t think that the sixth rank is too low for me.¡± Qi Xuansu came back to his senses. ¡°All good thingse in small helpings, and I must take baby steps to progress. I just needed some time to process this information.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu continued, ¡°The Hall Master will reward you, me, and Superintendent Lingquan with the Xuan merit, and everyone else will get the Huang merit. Superintendent Lingquan and I are both fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters, so a Xuan merit is not enough for us to get promoted. But a Xuan merit is enough for you to advance a rank. That way, you''ll be equal in rank with the other deacons.¡±

    Qi Xuansu bowed his head. ¡°Thank you for your support, Deputy Hall Master. I am eternally grateful.¡±

    ¡°Pretending to be a flowerbed priest again, huh?¡± Zhang Yuelu snorted, displeased.

    Qi Xuansu answered solemnly, ¡°That¡¯s because we are in the Tiangang Hall, and I dare not overstep my bounds.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was not bothered. ¡°Since it¡¯s almost the end of the year, Ziwei Hall will be slower in processing this promotion. You will probably only get your official promotion to the sixth rank at the beginning of next year. Before that, you¡¯ll still receive the sry of a seventh-rank Daoist priest.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°How much does a seventh rank get?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve asked on your behalf.¡± Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°The basic sry for a seventh-rank priest is 20 Taiping coins per month. Tiangang Hall subsidizes another 10 Taiping coins, which totals 30 Taiping coins per month. In addition to that, you will also get 100 Taiping coins as a subsidy for this expedition. You can go to Superintendent Sunter to retrieve two months'' worth of sry and subsidies. That will be a total of 160 Taiping coins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu counted the money he had on hand. Including the 160 Taiping coins, he would have just over 300 Taiping coins.

    Out of the blue, Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°We get two months of vacation aspensation for the expedition. Adding the Lunar New Year holiday, we¡¯ll get about three months off. What are your ns for those months?¡±

    Qi Xuansu had ns to use these three months toplete missions for the Qingping Society so he could umte merits. He would first set a small goal to amass 1,000 merit. He also wanted to collect his sry from the Qingping Society.

    However, he could not tell Zhang Yuelu of these ns, so he lied. ¡°I don¡¯t have any ns. I¡¯ll just stay at home and enhance my cultivation level. I strive to reach the Yuxu stage as soon as possible.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu blinked. ¡°You live alone, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Qi Xuansu nodded.

    Zhang Yuelu hesitated for a while before speaking. ¡°Isn''t it sad being on your own in Jade Capital during the holidays? Why don¡¯t you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t I do what?¡± Qi Xuansu was dumbfounded.

    Zhang Yuelu suddenly changed the subject. ¡°By the way, the Hall Master gave me two theater tickets. Do you want to go with me?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled by this. ¡°The Hall Master gave you theater tickets? Where did the theater troupee from?¡±

    His first reaction was not that the Hall Master had interests in theater but that there was a theater troupe in Jade Capital. In his memory, Jade Capitalcked such worldly entertainment. Jade Capital also strictly prohibited most entertainment centers, so he assumed that there were no theater troupes in the city.

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°It has always been around, but you''ve been away so often that you aren¡¯t aware of it.¡±

    Qi Xuansu thought about it. When he lived with his master in Jade Capital, he rarely left Haichan ce. There were many ces in Jade Capital that he had only heard his master mention and had not visited himself. So he was indeed quite clueless about this city.

    Since Zhang Yuelu invited him to the theater, Qi Xuansu could not refuse. It also made him realize that something was off about this arrangement. The Hall Master did not want to go with Zhang Yuelu to the theater. Instead, he gave her two tickets and allowed her to invite whomever she wanted.

    Qi Xuansu asked casually, ¡°A theater ticket isn¡¯t cheap, right?¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°I heard from the Hall Master that one ticket costs 100 Taiping coins. But it¡¯s also possible that someone else gave it to him as a gift.¡±

    ¡°Wow! Of course, an Omniscient Sage would casually give away 200 Taiping coins like that.¡± Qi Xuansu blurted out, ¡°Why don¡¯t we¡ª¡±

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t we do what?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Qi Xuansu shook his head.

    Influenced by Madam Qi, Qi Xuansu had be more money-minded. He wanted to say that they should sell the tickets, but he suddenly realized that those two tickets were not his to begin with. Even if Zhang Yuelu sold them, she would not share the proceeds with him, so it was up to Zhang Yuelu what she wanted to do with her tickets.

 Chapter 65: Message

    <h4>Chapter 65: Message</h4>

    Although Zhang Yuelu was not rich, she would not sell the Hall Master¡¯s gift. Not to mention, the Hall Master was not just her boss. He was also an elder that she respected.

    Seeing Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression, Zhang Yuelu guessed what Qi Xuansu wanted to say. She did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°You¡¯re so money-minded! These two tickets are a gift from the Hall Master, so I can¡¯t just sell them.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Qi Xuansu said sheepishly. ¡°Where is the troupe? Is it in Xuan City?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°In Taishang ce.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled. He did not expect the theater to be located in the best out of the 24 neighborhoods in Jade Capital. Qi Xuansu had always heard of Taishang ce but had never actually been there.

    ¡°Tomorrow happens to be October 15th, the Xiayuan Festival, which is the Water Celestial¡¯s birthday.¡± Zhang Yuelu sized him up. ¡°I will wait for you at the east gate of Taishang ce at dusk. Remember to wear something presentable.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What about Mu Jin?¡±

    ¡°Why did you mention her all of a sudden?¡± Zhang Yuelu was startled for a moment. But she quickly realized something. ¡°Did she find trouble with you again?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°I¡¯m notining. I just don¡¯t want things to get out of hand.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not doubt Qi Xuansu. He could kill Desmond in a single strike without any fear, so he had no reason to be afraid of Mu Jin. In fact, Mu Jin was not wrong when she said that Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou were the same type of people. To a certain extent, they were indeed the same.

    She sighed and rubbed her temples. ¡°Leave this matter to me.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Qi Xuansu agreed and took out another nk piece of paper to rewrite the report in a concise manner.

    Zhang Yuelu stood up and reminded him. ¡°Write it properly. I¡¯ll check itter.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Deputy Hall Master,¡± Qi Xuansu answered in a bleak voice.

    Zhang Yuelu turned around and went to the inner room of the main hall. She had a lot of things to handle as well.

    Qi Xuansu spent most of the day rewriting the report. He handed it to Sun Yongfeng, asking thetter to help polish and revise it. In the meantime, he collected his 160 Taiping coins.

    Normally, Daoist priests working in the Nine Halls would collect their sries from Duzhi Hall. However, members of Tiangang Hall often traveled far and had uncertain schedules. Thus, they were an exception among the Nine Halls.

    They did not need to go to Duzhi Hall to collect their sries. Instead, Duzhi Hall would transfer the money to Tiangang Hall, and Tiangang Hall would distribute the money to its staff. However, the process for distributing the relocation allowance would take longer because it was arge sum. So Qi Xuansu would only get it next spring.

    After Qi Xuansu left Yaoguang Pavilion, he met an unexpected person¡ªXu Kou.

    Thest time they met was on August 16th. In the blink of an eye, it was already mid-October. Two months had already passed since then, and Xu Kou was not as arrogant asst time. He even took the initiative to ask Qi Xuansu, ¡°Is it convenient for us to talk?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Qi Xuansu did not refuse.

    The two men left Tiangang Hall together, hired an ox cart, and left Xuan City for Taiqing Square. On the way, Xu Kou asked about the details of the demon-ying operation. Qi Xuansu did not hide anything from him and answered his questions earnestly.

    There were many shops and restaurants in Taiqing Square, so Xu Kou found a rtively quiet restaurant for them. When they sat down, Xu Kou asked, ¡°Can you drink?¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s alcohol tolerance increased ever since he met Zhang Yuelu. He hesitated before saying, ¡°A little.¡±

    Xu Kou nodded and ordered two pints of cold wine.

    ¡°Sure thing!¡± The waiter quickly served the men.

    Xu Kou and Qi Xuansu each had a jar. Xu Kou held the jar with both hands and took the initiative to apologize. ¡°I asked you out this time to apologize for my past behavior. When I heard from Superintendent Lingquan that you killed the demon leader, I had to admit that I misjudged you based on your appearance.

    ¡°I no longer have any objections to your appointment as a deacon. The Deputy Hall Master also has a keen eye for people. She is definitely smarter than me.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not expect Xu Kou to be so straightforward. He waved his hand and said, ¡°Brother Xu, don¡¯t worry about it. After all, I was the one who provoked you that day, so we¡¯re even.¡±

    Xu Kou smiled. ¡°I have been in the Qizhou Daoist Mansion for a long time. It¡¯s the headquarters of the Taiping Sect, and there are many descendants of the Li family there. That family has an attitude problem that has been passed down from generation to generation.

    ¡°I have be ustomed to their attitude after so long. And I have to say, Brother Qi, your words that day give off the impression that you¡¯re a part of the Li family.¡±

    Qi Xuansu could not tell whether Xu Kou¡¯s words were meant as apliment or an insult, so he raised his jar and took a sip of wine.

    Xu Kou continued, ¡°I thought that you wouldn¡¯t want to meet with me in private since I¡¯ve provoked the Deputy Hall Master, and you¡¯re her confidant.¡±

    Qi Xuansu put down the wine jar. ¡°The Deputy Hall Master is not a petty person.¡±

    Xu Kou nced at his broken hand that had healed. ¡°I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s petty or not, but I must say that she is a ruthless character. She can¡¯t be subdued by just anyone. Li Tianzhen lost fair and square back then.¡±

    Qi Xuansu reminded. ¡°The word ¡®subdue¡¯ is too condescending. The Daoist Order doesn¡¯t condone such discrimination against women.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Xu Kou said, ¡°When I was studying, I admired the Holy Xuan the most. Although he had his shorings, he brought great changes to the Daoistmunity, making it easier for those of us without a background to make a name for ourselves. Otherwise, people like us would just be ves to the noble families for the rest of our lives.¡±

    Qi Xuansu added, ¡°The Holy Xuan also said that he did not finish the work he set out to do and that there was still room for change.¡±

    Xu Kouughed. ¡°In any case, I liked the Holy Xuan and the Daoist Order more than the Emperor Gaozu and the Imperial Court. That was why I resigned from my post as a Green Phoenix Guard. But there was a rule in the Green Phoenix Guard that the only way to leave was as a corpse.

    ¡°The Green Phoenix Guard hunted me down and shot me with three arrows. One of them almost pierced my heart, but I didn¡¯t die. Brother Qi, don¡¯t you think I was quite tough to have survived that?¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Qi Xuansu only gave a one-word answer.

    Xu Kou continued, ¡°But being resilient is one thing. I was also lucky enough to meet Sage Qingwei at that critical moment. He rescued me and brought me back to the Qizhou Daoist Mansion.

    ¡°With Sage Qingwei as my backer, the Green Phoenix Guard dared not find trouble with me anymore. Although the Daoistmunity doesn¡¯t believe in ves, I felt indebted to Sage Qingwei for saving my life. That¡¯s why I have been giving it my all to repay his kindness over the years. I have never cared about my rank because it makes no difference to me.¡±

    Qi Xuansu kept quiet.

    Xu Kou looked at Qi Xuansu as he reflected on his past. ¡°But after all these years, I think I have done enough. When my wife was on her deathbed, I was trailing the leader of the Qingping Society and didn¡¯t even get to see her for thest time. I felt like I had repaid his kindness and that it was time to lead my own life. That was why I chose to leave the Qizhou Daoist Mansion ande to Tiangang Hall.

    ¡°Sage Qingwei didn¡¯t make things difficult for me. He even gave me a rmendation, for which I am very grateful. When I was leaving, Li Tianzhen, Sage Qingwei¡¯s descendant, came to me and asked me to ry a message to Deputy Hall Master Zhang that he would one day duel with her again.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Is this how you ry the message?¡±

    The restaurant owner lit up somenterns, so Xu Kou¡¯s face was partially lit. Half of his face was still in the shadows as he spoke. ¡°I have served Sage Qingwei for many years, but I dare not say that I understand him. But I¡¯m familiar with the inexperienced Li Tianzhen. That is his message for Deputy Hall Master Zhang. What I didn¡¯t know was how powerful a Banished Immortal could be. Deputy Hall Master Zhang broke my hand in a single move. Although it wasn¡¯t a fight to the death, I must admit that I lost for a reason.¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head, not quite understanding Li Tianzhen¡¯s thought process.

    Xu Kou turned to Qi Xuansu and said, ¡°Now that I¡¯ve ryed the message, myst errand for Sage Qingwei is finally over.¡±

    Putting down the wine jar, Qi Xuansu smiled slightly and rified, ¡°I understand. Brother Xu, you want me to help you ry this to the Deputy Hall Master, right?¡±

    Xu Kou acquiesced to it.

    Qi Xuansu did not refuse either. He took out his pocket watch and nced at the time. ¡°I promise to ry your message, Brother Xu. If there¡¯s nothing else, I will take my leave.¡±

    Xu Kou thanked Qi Xuansu and watched thetter leave while he sat there and finished his drink.

    After leaving the restaurant, Qi Xuansu looked around and saw that thenterns in Taiqing Square were all lit up. Since he was here, he nned to buy some decent clothes.

    In the past, Qi Xuansu did not need decent clothes since he was a traveling assassin. All he needed was a bamboo hat, which could not only cover his face but also protect him from the rain and sun. He also wore a short cloak to move around more easily. Most importantly, it was cheap, so even if it was damaged, he would not feel bad about it.

    After returning to Jade Capital, he had thought about buying himself a decent set of casual attire. But he gave up on the idea after asking about the price since he had no need to socialize at the time.

    Things were different now. Firstly, he had spare money on hand. Secondly, he had to look presentable to apany Zhang Yuelu to the theater. Since a theater ticket cost 100 Taiping coins, it was evident that the audience would be either rich or noble. Qi Xuansu hoped to blend in with the crowd, so he did not want to stick out like a sore thumb wearing his cheap old clothes.

    <i>In cities outside the Jade Capital, even in the Imperial Capital, there were very few ready-made clothing shops. Most of them were tailor shops or fabric shops because most people bought fabrics and asked the women in the family to make their clothes. This was why women learned sewing before getting married. Otherwise, they would go to a tailor to have their clothes custom-made.</i>

    <i>However, the Jade Capital operated differently. The Wanxiang Daoist Pce taught writing, painting, the use of firearms, identification of herbs, drawing talismans, brewing medicines, the principles of mechanisms, geography, astronomy, and other subjects. The only subject it did not teach was sewing.</i>

    <i>Thus, few men and women in the Daoistmunity could make clothes. Since Jade Capital had arge poption and tailoring alone could not meet the demand, ready-made clothing shops gained poprity.</i>

    Qi Xuansu nned to buy a set of everyday attire, which was different from the Daoist formal hechang. In fact, there were specific requirements for everyday attire, especially for different events like private meetings. These requirements were second only to the Daoist formal attire.

    In any case, Qi Xuansu would soon be promoted to the sixth rank and an apprentice mage, so he had to look presentable.

 Chapter 66: Clothes

    <h4>Chapter 66: Clothes</h4>

    Qi Xuansu entered a clothing store called Su¡¯s, which sold hairpins, robes, and shoes. They were all organized by category against the three walls in the shop, making it clear at a nce.

    ¡°Sir, what would you like to find?¡± A woman, who was the owner of the shop, stood behind the counter and asked proactively.

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°I n to buy a set of daily attire, including the robe, hairpin, and shoes.¡±

    <i>Generally speaking, a crown was not necessary in everyday attire and could be reced with a hairpin. Among Daoist priests, jade and wooden hairpins were the mostmon, and the material determined its price.</i>

    <i>Then there was the Daoist robe. This Daoist robe was not the same as a Daoist priest¡¯s formal robe, but a popr everyday attire. Everyone, from the emperor to themoners, wore the Daoist robe daily.</i>

    <i>The Daoist robe had a straight cor,rgepels, with the right side ovepping the left, and wide sleeves with gathered cuffs. It had a cor protector along the neckline and side openings, with hidden panels below the waist. The hidden panels could be pleated or unpleated, and it was fastened with a tie. </i>

    <i>The robe could be worn with a silk sash, a fabric belt, or a wide waistband. In the previous Wei Dynasty, Daoist robes were already popr and were the standard attire for schrs, but the wearer did not have to have any affiliation with Daoism to dress as such.</i>

    <i>Before the Great Xuan Dynasty, the Daoist robes had sleeves that tended to be wider,rger, and longer. By the end of the Wei Dynasty, the wide sleeves had gotten to the point of being somewhat exaggerated.</i>

    <i>In the earliest times, the hem of Daoist robes reached the shoes, and the sleeves were no more than 30 centimeters long. Later, the robe gradually became shorter, reaching just below the knees, exposing the skirt. However, the sleeves became excessively long, reaching about one meter. The sleeves would touch the tip of the shoes when one folded their arms, and they would gather in a pile on top of the boots when one bowed.</i>

    <i>When the Great Xuan Dynasty conquered the world and the Daoist Order defeated the Confucian School, changes were made to the Daoist robes. First, the wide sleeves were changed to narrow sleeves, and the length of the clothes was adjusted slightly to facilitate movement. The price of Daoist robes was also determined by the material.</i>

    <i>The shoes were anotherponent of everyday attire. During the previous Wei Dynasty, the heel counter was very shallow¡ªno more than three centimeters. In the existing dynasty, the heel counter was deep, reaching the ankles.</i>

    <i>In ancient times, there was a form of punishment called foot amputation, which involved cutting off one or both feet of the criminal. At one point, too many people had been subjected to this foot amputation, creating a demand for prosthetic feet. Thus, shoes became cheaper, and prosthetic feet became more expensive. This point in history showed just how much the officials had abused their power.</i>

    <i>The shoes in the existing dynasty resembled ankle boots, which used more materials. Thus, it was more costly. The most important factor in determining the price of the shoe was the material used.</i>

    The shop owner smiled and pointed to the various hairpins on the shelf behind her. ¡°What kind of hairpin would you like? The most popr one these days is the jade hairpin. This ck jade dragon-headed hairpin is just 12 Taiping coins. What do you think?¡±

    Qi Xuansu silentlyined to himself, <i><u>Just</u> 12 Taiping coins? Thisdy clearly has a different definition of that word!</i>

    However, the expression on his face remained unchanged. He said nomittally, ¡°Isn¡¯t the dragon head too showy? A ck dragon, at that. Do you have anything else?¡±

    This was a reasonable question. Although the Daoist Order hunted dragons for their resources, the Imperial Court revered dragons. In addition, the Great Xuan Dynasty valued the color ck. Wearing this ck, dragon-headed hairpin was not a big deal in the Jade Capital, but it would vite certain taboos in the Imperial Capital.

    The shop owner did not think much about it and pointed to another simple-looking ck jade hairpin. ¡°What about this one? It wouldn¡¯t vite any taboos no matter where you go. But the only thing is that it¡¯s too nd. This will only cost you 10 Taiping coins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡±

    Next was the Daoist robe, which gave Qi Xuansu a headache because of all the different fabrics avable. There were all kinds of silks and satins. Some were thin, shiny, and translucent, while some had a lightweight and delicate texture, and others were beautifully woven.

    Generally speaking, women preferred silk because it was translucent and delicate, while men preferred satin, which was opaque.

    Qi Xuansu selected a dark green satin robe that was also suitable for winter, costing 30 Taiping coins. There were also matching lower and middle garments, which set him back another 10 Taiping coins.

    He also chose a pair of square-tipped boots with ck satin and silver lining, made of genuine silver thread. The toe cap was also decorated with broken jade. These boots cost 15 Taiping coins.

    Qi Xuansu bought another gun holster, which was more exquisite than the one issued by Tiangang Hall and cost 5<i> </i>Taiping coins.

    The shop also sold folding fans, but considering the current season, Qi Xuansu was not in a hurry to buy such an essory.

    All of his purchases cost him 70 Taiping coins. If Qi Xuansu had not just received his sry, he would not have squandered money like this.

    After he paid the bill, the shop owner packed the clothes for him and thoughtfully asked, ¡°Would you like a cloak or a cape? They alle with hoods and are made with good-quality materials. They only cost 40 Taiping coins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took the package and declined politely. ¡°No, thank you. I won¡¯t need it for the time being.¡±

    He left the clothing store and went to a jade shop not far away, spending 30 Taiping coins on a jade pendant that was of decent quality.

    In this regard, Qi Xuansu was not stingy because jade pendants appreciated in price over time. Unlike the Buddhistmunity, which preferred gold and gems, the Daoist and Confucianmunities preferred jade. Thus, jade was a valuable and stablemodity that could be sold at a good price when one was short of money.

    This was how Qi Xuansu spent 100 Taiping coins in just one evening, leaving him with only 200 Taiping coins. He finally understood why Zhang Yuelu mentioned before that the money was never enough.

    It was expensive to be ¡°presentable.¡± If he wanted to buy another spiritual object for himself, that would easily cost hundreds or even thousands of Taiping coins. That was why even a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master would think that their sries were stretched thin.

    Qi Xuansu returned home with new clothes, cooked a pot of in porridge, and went to bed.

    The next day was October 15th, the Xiayuan Festival, which was the Water Celestial¡¯s birthday. The Golden Tower Council and Nine Halls organized various prayers, but Qi Xuansu was off duty today, so he did not have to participate and only got up at noon.

    He put on the new clothes he had just boughtst night¡ªa jade hairpin, a white middle garment, a narrow-sleeved dark green robe, ck satin boots, and his jade pendant. He looked like a different person altogether.

    In the afternoon, Qi Xuansu left his house and met Nun Cui as soon as he stepped out.

    Nun Cui almost did not recognize Qi Xuansu in his new clothes. She eximed in surprise. ¡°Tian Yuan, have you be rich since Ist saw you two months ago?¡±

    ¡°Aunt Cui, don¡¯t tease me. Tiangang Hall just distributed our sries, so I have some spare money to buy myself a new outfit.¡±

    Tiangang Hall was not like the Qingping Society. All the ie he earned in Tiangang Hall was legitimate, so Qi Xuansu could spend it openly.

    Nun Cui sized Qi Xuansu up and joked. ¡°Usually, a man will only take the initiative to groom himself when he has someone he fancies. Tian Yuan,e clean with me. Have you met a girl? Where is she from? Is she your colleague from Tiangang Hall?¡±

    Qi Xuansu waved his hands repeatedly. ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing of that sort. Today happens to be the Xiayuan Festival, and I have a gathering with some friends.¡±

    Nun Cui smiled knowingly. ¡°In that case, you should get going. I have some errands to run as well.¡±

    Being friends with Qi Xuansu¡¯s master, Nun Cui was certainly no ordinary woman. Qi Xuansu¡¯s master, Qi Haoran, was a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist Master, and Nun Cui was fifth-rank at the time. She had already been promoted to the fourth rank and was working in Duzhi Hall at the moment.

    Even if Qi Xuansu was promoted to the sixth rank, he would have to address her as Mage Cui. It was only because of his rtionship with her during his early years that he called her Aunt Cui.

    After Nun Cui left, Qi Xuansu hailed a goat cart and headed to Taishang ce. It was quite some distance between the Lower Eight Neighborhoods and the Upper Eight Neighborhoods. Moreover, it was the Xiayuan Festival, so there were crowds on the brightly lit Shangqing Street and Yuqing Street. Even riding a goat cart took him more than two hours to reach the east gate of Taishang ce.

    As soon as Qi Xuansu got off the goat cart, he saw Zhang Yuelu walking out of the east gate. She was dressed in regr clothes, but she looked very conservative with a sky-blue waist-length upper garment buttoned all the way to the neck and a blue and white vest. She paired it with a in white skirt that reached her round-tipped boots.

    Since she was not married yet, she did not wear her hair in a bun. She did not decorate her hair with pearls or other essories, either. She simply tied it up with a wooden hairpin.

    <i>During the Jin Dynasty, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s dressing was considered the norm. However, it was considered conservative in the current dynasty because of a change in ideals during the previous Wei Dynasty. When the Confucian School of Philosophy took over the Confucian School of Principle, human desires were no longer blindly suppressed, and the world became less conservative.</i>

    <i>By the end of the Wei Dynasty, this trend had developed to its extreme. No one would bat an eye if a man dressed in women¡¯s clothing and wore women¡¯s makeup. Bold colors and striking hair essories were also popr. It wasmon for a man to cross-dress like a woman.</i>

    <i>Women also no longer bound their feet and even wore clogs. They dressed more boldly, developing corsets, which were undergarments worn as vests with a row of buttons orces at the back, forming an obvious waistline to highlight one¡¯s figure.</i>

    <i>Especially in thete Wei Dynasty, it was moremon for women to wear close-fitting undergarments as outerwear. Some daring women opted not to wear a middle garment and deliberately left the cor of their outerwear open to expose their waist.</i>

    <i>When the Great Xuan Dynasty reced the Wei Dynasty, they were more restrained with clothing. They stopped men from cross-dressing, but traditional values were not emphasized. Women¡¯s fashion trends changed frequently, imitating what was fashionable in the Imperial Capital, with varying lengths of tops and skirts and varying widths of cors and sleeves.</i>

    <i>In recent years, a straight-cor overcoat with slits under the armpits has be popr in the Imperial Capital. A shorter coat reached the waist, while a longer coat reached the knees. Most women no longer wore middle garments. They wore a bandeau and an outer garment over it, exposing the upper chest.</i>

    Thus, in this environment, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s outfit¡ªalbeit elegant and simple¡ªwas considered conservative. However, Qi Xuansu was not surprised to see this. Based on his understanding of Zhang Yuelu, he even thought that she would show up in men¡¯s clothing.

    A woman cross-dressing as a man was also one of the current trends. After all, it was cumbersome to travel on horseback or fight in women¡¯s clothing, so some women opted to wear simpler men¡¯s clothing. When they went to Wugeshanli, Zhang Yuelu and Mu Jin were both dressed in men¡¯s clothing that had been modified to their size.

    Therefore, rtive to what she wore on their expedition, this conservative women¡¯s clothing was considered an improvement.

 Chapter 67: Watching an Opera

    <h4>Chapter 67: Watching an Opera</h4>

    Qi Xuansu stepped forward. ¡°Tantai.¡±

    ¡°What happened to the ¡®Miss?¡¯¡± Zhang Yuelu asked.

    Qi Xuansu rarely took the initiative. ¡°I suddenly feel a bit estranged calling you ¡®Miss Tantai.¡¯ Why don¡¯t I address you by your courtesy name?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu thought about it before saying, ¡°You know, my original name wasn¡¯t Zhang Yuelu. It could have been Zhang Yuexin, Zhang Xinyue, or Tantai Chu. So my courtesy name has nothing to do with the name Zhang Yuelu. When I came of age, my father gave me a courtesy name based on the name Zhang Xinyue, which came from Sage Danyang¡¯s poem, <i>A Glimpse of Peni</i>. Have you read it?¡±

    ¡°Sage Danyang.¡± Qi Xuansu tried hard to recall the lessons at Wanxiang Daoist Pce. In terms of poems, Sage Danyang, Sage Changchun, and Elder Lu were mediocrepared with the other poet masters. However, since they were the founders of the Daoist Order, they had the advantage of having their works taught at the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. Thus, Qi Xuansu should have some impression of that poem.

    Zhang Yuelu did not remind him and merely twirled her fingers around a strand of ck hair in front of her chest. At this time, Qi Xuansu¡¯s good memory as a Rogue Cultivator came to the fore. He said, ¡°<i>Xinyue</i> means pure heart. Is it this phrase, ¡®The brightness of the lifemp surpasses that of daylight. Let the pure heart break through the heavens?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡± Zhang Yuelu smiled and nodded. ¡°My courtesy name is Qing Xiao, which means the heavens. That¡¯s the reason I don¡¯t use my courtesy name often. My name is Zhang Yuelu, which is one of the 28 constetions. But my courtesy name is Qing Xiao, which has nothing to do with the stars. Most people will be curious, but I can¡¯t possibly exin the origin of my name every time. It¡¯ll be too troublesome, so I¡¯d rather not use it. That¡¯s why very few people outside my family know about it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m very honored to know your courtesy name, Qing Xiao.¡± Qi Xuansu beamed.

    ¡°It sounds strange.¡± Zhang Yuelu felt a little ufortable, but she did not stop Qi Xuansu from using her courtesy name.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°By the way, what show are we watching today?¡±

    ¡°<i>The Peony Pavilion</i>, it seems.¡± Zhang Yuelu took out two theater tickets and waved them.

    Qi Xuansu had never watched <i>The Peony Pavilion</i> before, but he heard it was a ssic, so he did not know what toment on and merely said, ¡°A ssic.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu remarked, ¡°That¡¯s expected. If the Hall Master bought the tickets himself, given his age, he would only like the ssics. But if someone gave him these tickets, they would have bought something ssic because they would go along with his interests.¡±

    Qi Xuansuughed. ¡°So, we¡¯re stuck with watching a ssic either way. Are there any contemporary ones?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°I heard there is a new show that tells the story of the Daoist Order and the Confucian School, set at the end of the previous dynasty.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was interested. ¡°That¡¯s rare.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen it. I just heard some generalments about it.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°When the conflict between the Daoist Order and the Confucian School intensified, the Daoist Order sent a Rogue Cultivator, Liu Jinyi, to join the Confucian School as a spy. Coincidentally, the Confucian School also sent Xie Yun¡¯an, a descendant of an aristocratic family, to join the Daoist Order as a spy.

    ¡°Since these two spies had strong support from the Daoist Order and the Confucian School, they were promoted quickly to the middle ranks in just a few years. During the second uprising in the Imperial Capital, the Confucian School sent people to secretly arrest Zhang Baizhou.

    ¡°Liu Jinyi risked his life to help Zhang Baizhou escape. But after this incident, the Confucian School realized that there was a Daoist spy among them. While conducting an internal inquisition, they also hoped that Xie Yun¡¯an could find clues from within the Daoist Order.

    ¡°But at this time, Xie Yun¡¯an already sensed the inevitable decline of the Confucian School and was unwilling to go down with them. So he decided to leave the Confucian School and be a true Daoist priest.

    "On the other hand, Liu Jinyi was pressured by a Confucian Hermit and was hanging by a thread. The Buddhists believed in Avici, which is also called the Eternal Hell, where one¡¯s suffering is endless. A person whose identity doesn¡¯t belong to him is like living in an endless hell. He fears that others will expose his identity, even in his dreams.

    ¡°He will only be able to leave this eternal hell and find himself again by escaping from this gray area.¡±

    At times, a casual remark could be taken seriously. Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression was unchanged, but he gradually sank into a bad mood. That was because this y reminded him of his own identity. He was a member of the Qingping Society who had infiltrated the Daoist Order. He had two identities and lived in the gray area of morality. In that case, wasn¡¯t he also in Eternal Hell?

    He could not help but wonder. <i>Did Zhang Yuelu notice something? Is that why she purposely mentioned this?</i>

    For a moment, Qi Xuansu was a little flustered. He could barely control his expression to prevent Zhang Yuelu from seeing anything strange about him.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°So, what do you think?¡±

    Qi Xuansu forced a smile and said, ¡°The first time I¡¯ve heard about these two individuals is from the Holy Xuan Cards. Liu Jinyi and Xie Yun¡¯an are both spy cards. But I wasn''t aware of such a backstory.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu suggested, ¡°There¡¯s still some time before the show starts. Why don¡¯t we sell these two tickets and go see the new show?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was wary, but he did not show it. ¡°Is that appropriate? After all, the Hall Master gave you these tickets. Will he get angry if he finds out that we sold the tickets he gave us?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. The Hall Master is not a petty person, and he has no time to care about such trivial matters.¡± Zhang Yuelu said nonchntly, ¡°It¡¯s just a show anyway. As long as we use the money for good purposes, we will still be living up to the Hall Master¡¯s expectations.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not dare to object too much, lest he arouse Zhang Yuelu¡¯s suspicion. He knew that Zhang Yuelu had a keen intuition, so he could only nod in agreement. ¡°Alright, then.¡±

    ¡°Follow me.¡± Zhang Yuelu turned and walked toward Taishang ce.

    Qi Xuansu had no choice but to follow Zhang Yuelu. This was the first time Qi Xuansu had been to Taishang ce. He felt that it was indeed deserving of its title as the top neighborhood in Jade Capital.

    Everything, from the streets to the buildings, was exquisite andparable to Xuan City. Since it was the Xiayuan Festival, both sides of the streets and various buildings were adorned with brightly litnterns. It was like a city that never sleeps. Unlike other neighborhoods, Taishang ce was notpletely a residential area. It also had somemunity areas, like the theater, chess clubs, teahouses, painting clubs, book clubs, and so on.

    However, when Qi Xuansu asked about it, Zhang Yuelu responded in a disdainful tone. ¡°They¡¯re merely a front for evil deeds.¡±

    Qi Xuansu understood. With his attention diverted, he wanted to find out more, which indirectly calmed his own uneasiness.

    Zhang Yuelu nced at Qi Xuansu and said, ¡°A pot of tea costs 100 Taiping coins. Can you afford it?¡±

    ¡°Are the tea leaves made of gold?¡± Qi Xuansu asked in surprise. ¡°This is daylight robbery!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu sneered. ¡°Although I¡¯m not from a wealthy family, I have heard that some teas are much more expensive than gold. I heard about a kind of tea that came from the only few old tea trees left in the world. The annual harvest is less than six kilograms. Isn¡¯t it precious?¡±

    While they were talking, they could see a two-story building in the distance.

    Zhang Yuelu pointed at it. ¡°This theater is actually called Tianyin Tower. Thend in Taishang ce is precious, so the rent is very expensive.¡±

    The Tianyin Tower was located at the intersection of three streets, with Yuyang Street on the left and Shaochu Street on the right. It was also facing Ziran Street, where Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu came from. This was a prime location.

    At this time, Tianyin Tower had rednterns hung high in front of the building. It was bright and noisy, with a crowd of people constantly flowing inside.

    Qi Xuansu was surprised by this sight. ¡°It¡¯s so lively! I didn''t know there were so many rich people in Jade Capital.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu mocked. ¡°Oh, this is nothing. All people have to do is charge 200 Taiping coins per head for a rmendation.¡±

    Qi Xuansu knew that Zhang Yuelu was slighting him about what happened between him and Sun Yongfeng before. He coughed slightly and changed the topic. ¡°Should we also imitate these ticket sellers?¡±

    There were several ticket sellers in a dark corner, constantly asking people if they wanted to buy tickets.

    This scene waspletely different from the cold Jade Capital in Qi Xuansu¡¯s memory.

    Zhang Yuelu led Qi Xuansu toward the ticket sellers and said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s usually not as lively. Today just happens to be the Xiayuan Festival, so there are more people outside, celebrating.¡±

    When a ticket seller saw the couple, he took the initiative to greet them and ask, ¡°Do you want a ticket? A back row seat costs 30 Taiping coins, and a standing ticket in the back row costs 10 Taiping coins.¡±

    This was nearly twice the price of the normal fare.

    Zhang Yuelu took out her own tickets and shook them slightly.

    ¡°Box tickets on the second floor?¡± The ticket seller¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Since you two have tickets, why did youe over here instead of watching the show?¡±

    Only then did Qi Xuansu realize that the theater tickets were divided into a few grades. Since these tickets were most likely a gift from someone to the Hall Master, they were box tickets because they could not possibly expect the respected Hall Master to squeeze in with an audience on the first floor.

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°I¡¯m not buying tickets. I¡¯m selling them.¡±

    ¡°Selling tickets?¡± The ticket seller was startled.

    Zhang Yuelu offered. ¡°I¡¯ll sell these two tickets to you at the original price, for only 200 Taiping coins.¡±

    The ticket seller was first startled, then delighted. That was because it was virtually impossible to buy box tickets on the second floor, no matter how early one queued for them.

    Such tickets were given out and prearranged long before the tickets were sold. In other words, these tickets were limited and invaluable. The original price was 100 Taiping coins, but he could resell them at double or triple the price.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± The ticket seller still could not believe it.

    Zhang Yuelu got impatient. ¡°Do you want it or not? If you do, give me the money. If not, I¡¯ll find someone else.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I want it!¡± The ticket seller was afraid that she would leave, so he quickly took out tworge cash notes and handed them to Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu gave him the ticket and smiled at Qi Xuansu, waving the two cash notes.

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°You sold the tickets after all. You might as well have listened to me in the first ce.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You wanted to sell it for money. I¡¯m selling it to buy a pair of tickets for another show. It¡¯s not the same!¡±

    After that, Zhang Yuelu led Qi Xuansu away from Tianyin Tower and went to a small theater with a deserted entrance. Since it was a big day for Tianyin Tower, the business in this small theater was very bleak, so there was no need to find ticket sellers. They could just buy tickets normally, and it was quite reasonable.

    Zhang Yuelu spent 50 Taiping coins to buy two box tickets on the second floor. Then she entered the small theater with Qi Xuansu.

 Chapter 68: New Things

    <h4>Chapter 68: New Things</h4>

    This theater was called the Miaoling Tower. Although it was slightly smaller than the Tianyin Tower, it was also two stories high and had the sameyout. The hall on the first floor led directly to the roof of the second floor. The second floor was divided into many semi-open balconies along the corridor. With such a structure, one would be able to see the stage on the first floor when sitting on the balcony.

    The popr ys were mainly in the Kun Opera style, with the main instruments being the end-blown flute and the transverse flute. The tunes were melodious, especially the Shuimo tune, which sounded ethereal.

    The <i>Peony Pavilion </i>was a ssic piece of Kun Opera. With the world-famous performer, Actor Liu, personally appearing on the stage. It was no wonder that the Tianyin Tower was so lively that night. However, the ys at Miaoling Tower were also quite popr at this time.

    When Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu entered the venue, the new y, <i>The Infernal Priest</i>, that they were going to watch had not yet started. Another new y, <i>The Trial of Galileo</i>, was ongoing. It was a story from the Western Continent, so the actors on stage were dressed in Western-style costumes.

    They heard an old man in white robes singing, ¡°I am the Archbishop of the Holy Court, ordered by the Cardinal Deacon to try Galileo. Bring out Galileo!¡±

    A man was brought up on stage, wearing a top hat, tie, tuxedo, vest, trousers, and leather boots.

    The Archbishop said, ¡°Galileo, how dare youe to the church and not make the sign of the cross?¡±

    Galileo remarked, ¡°There is a goddess in my heart, so I see no need in it.¡±

    The Archbishop shouted, ¡°What a sharp tongue you have! Cease your word y and confess all your heretical deeds!¡±

    Galileo exined, ¡°Archbishop, please hear me out. I have been fond of astronomy since I was a child. I used to observe the sun, moon, and stars, and I have made a living by teaching. I have traveled far and wide, and I have gained a strong academic reputation. I have never shown the slightest disrespect to the Holy Court. Why, then, are you trying me today?¡±

    The chief bishop on the side suggested, ¡°Archbishop, Galileo seems well-prepared. Perhaps it is better to interrogate his daughter, Maria, first.¡±

    The Archbishop questioned, ¡°Youngdy, has your father ever made a telescope?¡±

    A youngdy in a Western-style dress started singing on stage.

    On the balcony, Qi Xuansu did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°I finally understand why the Hall Master can¡¯t ept new things. I wouldn¡¯t be able to ept it either.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu liked the y very much. She said, ¡°Do you know why the Confucian School lost to the Daoist Order? That¡¯s because it sticks to the old ways and is stubborn against change. It eventually bes a pool of stagnant water with no flow of new ideas. The Daoist Order shouldn¡¯t follow the old ways of the Confucian School. We need these new things.¡±

    Qi Xuansumented, ¡°But it¡¯s too drastic.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not force her idea on Qi Xuansu. ¡°Don¡¯t just look at the surface of the story. In fact, the essence is the same. The Western Holy Court tried Galileo, and the Confucian School deposed hundreds of schools of thought. The principle is nothing new, really.¡±

    Reflecting on what she said, Qi Xuansu inquired. ¡°What about the Daoist Order¡¯s suppression of secret societies?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was startled. She shook her head and exined, ¡°That¡¯s not the same. Galileo and the Schools of Thinkers did nothing wrong, so it was unjust and selfish for the Holy Court to suppress them for no reason. On the other hand, most secret societies havemitted serious crimes, so there¡¯s nothing wrong with killing criminals.¡±

    Qi Xuansu continued probing, ¡°In addition to the Qingping Society, the Eight Tribes, The Inn, and Seven Treasure Pavilion, what other secret societies are there? What crimes have theymitted?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not hide anything and exined it eloquently.

    ¡°Ziguang Society believes in the True Lord Ziguang. They are very familiar with the Daoistmunity and often use various means to lure our disciples to join them. They even forge their identities and preach in various ces in the name of the Daoist Order.

    ¡°Not to mention ordinary people; even those in the Daoist Order sometimes can¡¯t tell whether they are genuine Daoists. After all, the Daoistmunity is too big. It¡¯s difficult for people from the Western Region Daoist Mansion to get familiar with people from the Qizhou Daoist Mansion. It¡¯s also difficult for people from the Liaodong Daoist Mansion to get familiar with the people from the Lingnan Daoist Mansion.

    ¡°These frauds have done great damage to the reputation of the Daoist Order and are difficult to identify. They are just like the vines that attached themselves to the Daoist Order.

    ¡°There is also the Cult of Fates, which did not believe in heavenly fate but in the True Lord Siming, the deity of fates. He''s the Ancient Immortal involved in the events at Fort Cimut. His followers focus on life and death. Unfortunately, they don¡¯t have the ability to reverse life and death. Instead, they go astray, transforming corpses and cultivating ghosts.

    ¡°The reason the Daoist Order restricts the techniques of cultivating ghosts has a lot to do with the Cult of Fates. In the beginning, they just dug graves and stole corpses. Later, these acts gradually developed into killing people and presenting their living souls to True Lord Siming.

    ¡°There are even more extremists who have transformed living people into zombies, with extremely robust bodies but with some intelligence. These zombies are more powerful than naturally urring zombies. All these secret societies must be eliminated."

    Qi Xuansu instantly thought of his own body, which had been transformed by the Qingping Society. He was shocked and secretly wondered if he had be a zombie. Then it struck him that he was a member of the Qingping Society, not the Cult of Fates.

    As Zhang Yuelu mentioned before, the Qingping Society was supported by influential figures from the Daoist Order. Thus, it involved internal strife within the Daoist Order and was not the same group as the Cult of Fates, which believed in True Lord Siming.

    Even if there was a connection between the Qingping Society and the Cult of Fates, Qi Xuansu would have been identified by other masters in Jade Capital if he were really a zombie. He would not be able to enter Xuan City or Tiangang Hall, either. Qi Xuansu was just a little too nervous tonight, so his mind was all over the ce.

    Zhang Yuelu noticed this. ¡°Tian Yuan, why do you seem so nervous?¡±

    Qi Xuansu came back to his senses and quickly regained hisposure. ¡°Actually, I get a little nervous whenever it¡¯s just us.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu spread her palms and quipped. ¡°Are you serious? Are you going to say that I¡¯m as fierce as a tiger or as powerful as a dragon again? If you dare mention one word of that, don¡¯t me me for being rude to you. I¡¯ll show you what it¡¯s like to be at the hands of a tiger.¡±

    Qi Xuansu quickly apologized. ¡°I am certainly no match for you. I heard that you even kicked Li Tianzhen out of the Jade Capital.¡±

    The smile on Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face gradually faded. She asked softly, ¡°Who told you this? Is someone finding trouble with you?¡±

    ¡°No one is finding trouble with me.¡± Qi Xuansu shook his head and exined, ¡°Xu Kou told me.¡±

    ¡°Xu Kou?¡± Zhang Yuelu was a little surprised.

    Qi Xuansu recounted his meeting with Xu Kou.

    After Zhang Yuelu heard this, she pondered for a while. ¡°No wonder. So, Li Tianzhen was the instigator. I hated him because of his holier-than-thou attitude and his mysterious and deceiving behavior.¡±

    Seeing that Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attention was diverted, Qi Xuansu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, he felt a little confused. When he was traveling alone, he never thought about this problem. That was because, for him at that time, he did not care whether he was a seventh-rank Daoist priest.

    But as he returned to Jade Capital and joined Tiangang Hall, his dual identities became his shackles. Qi Xuansu wondered, <i>When will I rid myself of this dual identity?</i>

    At this moment, the beautiful woman in front of him was treating him so sincerely, yet he had no choice but to deceive her in every possible way for fear of exposing his other identity. This feeling was hard to describe.

    Zhang Yuelu stopped thinking about Li Tianzhen and continued to exin to Qi Xuansu the secrets of various secret societies.

    <i>To sum up, these secret societies could roughly be divided into three categories.</i>

    <i>The first category was the ones that believed in Ancient Immortals, including but not limited to the Ziguang Society, Cult of Fates, Lingshan Witch Cult, and a few others. The conflict between Daoist Order and Ancient Immortals had been around for a long time. These cults often interacted with the Buddhist Sect and Shamanistic Sect, so they would disappear and reappear ordingly, depending on the strength of the Daoist Order.</i>

    <i>The second category was the secret societies like the Qingping Society, The Inn, the Eight Tribes, and the Seven Treasure Pavilion. Most of them appeared in the era when the Confucian School and the Daoist Order werepeting for power. They were more or less rted to the Daoist Order or the Imperial Court.</i>

    <i>For example, Madam Qi, who was in Qingping Society, knew very well about various situations in the Daoist Order, and The Inn had close contact with the Green Phoenix Guards. Everything was closely intertwined, so this kind of secret society was difficult to eradicate. On the contrary, it had a tendency to continue expanding.</i>

    <i>The third category included some new organizations that had only emerged in the past hundred years, such as the White Lotus Sect, which branched out of Buddhism. They believed in the future Buddha, but they were too extreme in their ways, embarking on a wrong path that was not tolerated by the orthodox Buddhist Sect.</i>

    <i>Some of these new organizations were even rted to the Western Holy Court. After the Holy Court was introduced to the East, a new association transformed the Holy Court''s doctrines andbined them with Daoism. They called themselves the Heavenly Court. Naturally, this new association was not tolerated by the Daoist Order.</i>

    <i>In addition, there were also some small and insignificant secret societies, which had limited influence and presence in selected prefectures and counties.</i>

    After Qi Xuansu heard this, hemented, ¡°It¡¯s definitely a long and arduous task to wipe out all these secret societies.¡±

    ¡°The suppression has been ongoing since the Holy Xuan Era. Six generations of Grand Masters have passed away, but these secret societies have yet to be wiped out. It¡¯s like a wildfire that never burns out but gains traction with the spring breeze.¡± Zhang Yuelu sighed helplessly.

    Qi Xuansu joked, ¡°Back then, the First Emperor annihted the six kingdoms with such majestic force and established the dynasties by learning the lessons from the previous six generations. Now, we happen to have six generations of Grand Master, so we are waiting for you, the seventh-generation Grand Master, to disy the same might and reform the Daoist Order. It''s up to you to get rid of the filth in our world.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu smiled. ¡°Tian Yuan, you¡¯re a real sweet talker. But even if I get lucky and be the Grand Master at the age of 60, does that mean the position of Grand Master will remain vacant for decades?¡±

    Qi Xuansu mused. ¡°That¡¯s hard to say.¡±

    That was when a loud knock came from the stage on the first floor, followed by the beating of a small drum and a melodious flute.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu stopped talking. Soon after, the voice of a Kun Opera actor, who sang in authentic Wu dialect, echoed in the hall.

    ? <i>The scattered clouds disperse, and the bright moon shines upon thend.</i>

    ? <i>A perfect reunion and a drunken night.</i>

    ? <i>The flowers bloom beautifully, the moon bes full, and the people age.</i>

    ? <i>Catkins sway as I think of the Qingming Festival that just passed.</i>

    ? <i>The east wind is unstoppable; another spring goes by.</i>

    ? <i>Yet one wonders: When will the flowers bloom again? When will the moon be full again? When will people stop aging?</i>

    Qi Xuansu was a little surprised. He did not expect this y to start with the opening to <i>The Blooming Flowers and the Full Moon</i>, which was a popr song at the time. However, the final verse in which the actor contemted those questions set the theme of the eternal loop of life. That beautiful scene before them was nothing but a surreal moment.

    Feeling deeply for the lyrics, Qi Xuansu could not help but immerse himself in the y.

 Chapter 69: Going Home for the New Year

    <h4>Chapter 69: Going Home for the New Year</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu initially thought that Qi Xuansu would mock this kind of new y. She did not expect him to be so absorbed in it. She nced at him several times and found that he was extremely focused on the stage.

    In the past, Zhang Yuelu would have dwelled on the reason behind his focus, trying to pick out any ws in him. However, her mindset changed. She subconsciously assumed the best of Qi Xuansu, thinking that he was just in awe because it was his first time watching a new y. Moreover, <i>The Infernal Priest</i> was a story from the Eastern Continent rather than <i>The Trials of Galileo</i>, which was from the Western Continent. It was not as unfamiliar, so it was easier for people to ept.

    When the y was over and the curtains on the stage slowly fell, Qi Xuansu came back to his senses. He sighed and praised. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s great!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s so good about it?¡± Zhang Yuelu asked with a smile.

    Qi Xuansu pondered. ¡°I¡¯m not sure where to start. But there is a saying that encapstes this. In the real world, people can¡¯t always do what they like and mustpromise somehow.¡±

    ¡°The real world?¡± Zhang Yuelu questioned.

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Yeah, anywhere with humans, really. Take the Yaoguang Pavilion as an example. You¡¯re the boss, and I¡¯m theckey. Everyone has a role to y.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu lightly punched Qi Xuansu. ¡°The way you put it makes it sound like I¡¯m enving you. Tian Yuan, you don¡¯t have to insult me in such a roundabout way. Am I really that abominable?¡±

    Sensing something wrong with Zhang Yuelu¡¯s tone, Qi Xuansu hurriedly said, ¡°I mean, others will just see me as ackey. But I don¡¯t think that you¡¯re enving me. To me, you¡¯re just like¡ª¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not speak. She only crossed her arms across her chest and cast a sidelong nce at him. It was as if she was waiting to see how he would tter her.

    Qi Xuansu deliberated his word choices before muttering, ¡°Like a fairy?¡±

    ¡°Lame,¡± Zhang Yuelu said expressionlessly.

    He tried again. ¡°A heroine?¡±

    The corners of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s mouth curled up. ¡°I really like that word, but unfortunately, most people in the Daoist Order merely consider me a henchman. How can I be a heroine?¡±

    Qi Xuansu thought about it. ¡°What about the bright moon?¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say the stars? ¡®Yuelu¡¯ is the name of a constetion, you know.¡± Zhang Yuelu was not satisfied.

    Qi Xuansu shrugged. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not that knowledgeable. That¡¯s all I got.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu snorted. ¡°I doubt it. I think that¡¯s just all the sincerity you have for me.¡±

    ¡°Sincerity? Didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t like it when people tter you?¡± Qi Xuansu felt helpless.

    Zhang Yuelu was taken aback. Then she mumbled, ¡°That was then. It¡¯s different now.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll tell you the truth. To me, you¡¯re unattainable, like a flower in the mirror and the moon in the water.¡± Qi Xuansu admitted.

    Zhang Yuelu was surprised by his confession. ¡°I¡¯m not that mysterious...¡±

    Not knowing how to continue the conversation, Qi Xuansu merely shed a sappy smile.

    Zhang Yuelu stood up awkwardly. ¡°We should go.¡±

    The two of them left Miaoling Tower and came to Shaochu Street. Thenterns hanging on both sides of the street were still brightly lit, and there were even fireworks. This was thest of the three major festivals in the Daoistmunity for the year, so it was particrly lively.

    They walked side by side in silence. When they were approaching the end of Shaochu Street, Qi Xuansu carefully considered his words and took the initiative to speak. ¡°Qing Xiao, do you have something to say to me?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu, immersed in her own thoughts, was startled. ¡°You noticed?¡±

    Qi Xuansu stated, ¡°Sometimes, silence speaks volumes.¡±

    She rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You¡¯re quite knowledgeable after all. That means you didn''t have much sincerity for me earlier.¡±

    ¡°My knowledgees from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. But after graduation, I pretty much returned all my knowledge to my teachers,¡± Qi Xuansu said.

    Zhang Yuelu recalled. ¡°I remember that you had an excellent grade from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that it¡¯s only the lower pce.¡±

    The Wanxiang Daoist Pce was divided into an upper and a lower pce. The lower pce mainly adopted orphans and taught the younger generation, grooming talents for the Daoist Order. The upper pce was where fifth-rank Daoist priests studied to get promoted to the fourth rank. Thus, the upper and lower pces were worlds apart.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Qing Xiao, have you been to the Wanxiang Daoist Pce since you were promoted to the fourth rank?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°I stayed there for a month and made some <i>friends</i>.¡±

    Qi Xuansu noticed her expression and remarked, ¡°But judging from your expression and tone, it seems more like you¡¯re talking about an enemy.¡±

    ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± Zhang Yuelu stretched out her hand and rubbed her cheek. ¡°This so-called <i>friend</i> ruined my experience there.¡±

    Qi Xuansu probed. ¡°Worse than Li Tianzhen?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°Li Tianzhen is from the Li family, and I¡¯m from the Zhang family. The conflict between our families can be traced back to the Great Sword Immortal Era. The Great Sword Immortal was the father of the Holy Xuan and Donghuang.

    ¡°When the Great Sword Immortal ascended, the Holy Xuan took power, and the conflict between the Zhang and Li families eased. But that was only because of the suppression of all the opposing voices. Many people in the Zhang and Li families have died at the hands of the Holy Xuan. That¡¯s also why the terms Southern Zhangs and Northern Lis came about.

    ¡°After so many years, the Zhang and Li families remain on opposing sides. When I defeated Li Tianzhen, it was akin to humiliating the Li family. All of those old geezers from the Zhang family were happy to see that and were only united in this aspect.¡±

    Qi Xuansu carefully digested the information she revealed. ¡°You mean, Li Tianzhen is a foreign foe, but you actually have internal enemies?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu let out a long sigh. ¡°You can say that. Everything in this world is so entangled, and that¡¯s where everything goes wrong.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was quite quick-witted. At this moment, he roughly understood the situation.

    As expected, Zhang Yuelu continued, ¡°Our elders want to continue the generational friendship between both families, and the most direct way is through a marriage alliance. Those old geezers are also united on this front.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not rush to express his views on the matter. Instead, he pointed out. ¡°Usually, you address the Hall Master respectfully, whether we¡¯re alone or in public. But you address the elders in your family as old geezers. It sounds like you¡¯re annoyed at them.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu grumbled, ¡°They¡¯re just distant rtives that I don¡¯t normally see. But when ites to this, they like to express their opinions and boss me around. It¡¯s beyond annoying.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered for a while. ¡°Don¡¯t you have the support of the Earthly Preceptor? Why don¡¯t you just ask the Earthly Preceptor to help?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu looked at Qi Xuansu as if he were mentally challenged. ¡°Have you forgotten that the Heavenly Preceptor is from the Zhang family? If I asked the Earthly Preceptor to intervene in the Zhang family¡¯s affairs, where would that put the Heavenly Preceptor? Going to the Earthly Preceptor is thest resort. It shows that I intend to leave the Zhengyi Sect to join the Quanzhen Sect.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t think of that.¡± Qi Xuansu also realized how horrible his suggestion was. ¡°Then what are you going to do?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu stopped walking and sized him up.

    Qi Xuansu also halted, feeling a chill in his spine.

    Zhang Yuelu suddenly unloaded a great deal of trivial information. ¡°Yan Mingchen, a 30-year-old fourth-rank Daoist master and a Guizhen-stage Qi Refiner working in the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion. He''s young, promising, and considered an outstanding bachelor among the many children of prestigious families.

    ¡°When I was studying in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce to be promoted to the fourth rank, he happened to be in my ss, so we got to know each other. He¡¯s slightly older than me, so he¡¯s considered my senior. Back then, I didn¡¯t think much about it and treated him as an ordinary friend. But somehow, my mother found out about my friendship with him and insisted that I go back for the New Year to meet this senior.¡±

    Over these few months, Qi Xuansu gradually understood Zhang Yuelu¡¯s character. She was somewhat rebellious, so she would not do something if someone forced her to do it. He figured that Madam Tantai¡¯s n would probably backfire.

    ¡°Being a fourth-rank Daoist master at just 30 years old is indeed promising. But why are you telling me this?¡± Qi Xuansu had a bad premonition in his heart.

    Zhang Yuelu tried her luck and offered, ¡°Since you¡¯re celebrating the New Year alone in Jade City, why don¡¯t youe home with me?¡±

    Qi Xuansu froze, feeling as if he had been struck by lightning.

    After a while, he came back to his senses. ¡°I¡¯m just a menial seventh-rank Rogue Cultivator at the Kunlun stage with no family background. How can I go head-to-head with a fourth-rank Qi Refiner at the Guizhen stage and offend your mother?! Do you seriously think that I''m <i>that</i> unhinged to agree to it? You¡¯re crazy for suggesting this!¡±

    Zhang Yueluughed. ¡°Do you think I¡¯d fight a battle without preparation? Leave the main enemies to me. You can just watch the show. You¡¯ll be the puppet emperor while I manipte the scenes and do the groundwork.¡±

    Seeing Zhang Yuelu¡¯s confident face, Qi Xuansu added, ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you just find someone else? Xu Kou is a good candidate.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said indifferently, ¡°Xu Kou¡¯s wife died, and he came from the Qizhou Daoist Mansion. He even dueled with me in public. Will you believe it if I tell you that I fell for someone like that? How will my mother believe such a lie? On the contrary, there are rumors that we have a <i>special</i> rtionship, so you¡¯re definitely the most suitable candidate for this.¡±

    Qi Xuansu stuttered. ¡°B-But¡ª¡±

    ¡°No buts.¡± Zhang Yuelu waved her hand in dismissal. ¡°You are no longer a seventh-rank Daoist priest, but a sixth-rank Daoist priest. You even yed a Duke, which is equivalent to a Heavenly Being. Moreover, you¡¯re not yet 25 years old, so you have a bright future ahead. Most importantly, you stay calm in the face of danger. I need someone who won¡¯t get scared if things go south.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pursued. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°Well, my father will be easy to handle. The key is my mother. If I¡¯m busy dealing with Yan Mingchen and my mother manages to force out a confession through some threats, then the whole act will be in vain. You¡¯re so used to acting, and you¡¯re a courageous person at heart. I''m sure this small family drama can¡¯t scare you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu could not help but smile bitterly. He did not know if he should thank Zhang Yuelu for thepliment or feel helpless about his situation.

    Zhang Yuelu looked at him seriously and begged, ¡°Tian Yuan, I won¡¯t force you if you¡¯re unwilling. But will you please help me out this time?¡±

 Chapter 70: Dream Talk

    <h4>Chapter 70: Dream Talk</h4>

    Qi Xuansu did not hesitate too much. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll help since you begged. In the worst case, I¡¯ll just get kicked out by your mother. She can¡¯t possibly kill me, right?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu beamed and patted Qi Xuansu on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re a good friend!¡±

    Qi Xuansu reached out and grabbed Zhang Yuelu¡¯s wrist, which felt cold to the touch. He moved her hand away from his shoulder and reminded her. ¡°Don¡¯t be overjoyed just yet. Our act might be discovered. Even if it''s not exposed this time, what are we going to do in the future? We can¡¯t possibly keep up the act for the rest of our lives, right?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu brushed it off. ¡°We¡¯ll cross that bridge when wee to it. Let¡¯s pass this hurdle first. There¡¯s no need to talk about the future if we can''t even solve this problem.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°What about your reputation? Word of this will spread. It doesn¡¯t matter to me because I¡¯m just a nobody. At worst, people will call me your boy toy and a freeloader. But what about you?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu looked at Qi Xuansu and affirmed. ¡°I don¡¯t care either.¡±

    Qi Xuansu let go of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s wrist. ¡°In that case, I have nothing more to add.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu withdrew her hand and mumbled, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    They continued walking. After a while, Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°Three months ago, I would never have imagined that I would be going home with the famous prodigy to meet her parents. Life is truly unpredictable.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nced sideways at him. ¡°Why do I get the feeling that you¡¯re being smug about what a bargain you got?¡±

    ¡°Am I?¡± Qi Xuansu coughed lightly. ¡°I¡¯ve obviously made a life-changing decision after careful consideration.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not pursue it further. ¡°I¡¯ll settle my work in Yaoguang Pavilion tonight. You should go home and prepare for the journey. We will leave Jade Capital tomorrow morning and head to my hometown by thend route.¡±

    ¡°Bynd? Why not take a flying ship?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes at him. ¡°I intend to postpone this meeting as much as I can, so it¡¯s ideal if we get back on New Year¡¯s Eve and leave on New Year¡¯s Day. The shorter the time you spend with my family, the less likely they will find any ws in our act.¡±

    Qi Xuansu found it strange. ¡°In that case, you might as well not go back.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said helplessly, ¡°My mother has a friend in Tiangang Hall. She already knew about our three months of vacation and contacted me through the mother-child talisman. She said she woulde to Jade Capital if I didn¡¯t go home. So, I¡¯m taking my time going thend route. That way, she won¡¯t know where I am, and she can¡¯t fault me for not going home.¡±

    Qi Xuansu already had a general impression of Madam Tantai and figured that she was a strong-willed woman. She would not be easy to fool, so he had to be careful.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu probed. ¡°How is your rtionship with your mother?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face turned slightly gloomy. She shook her head and replied, ¡°Not bad, but not very harmonious either.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did notment much on Zhang Yuelu¡¯s family affairs. However, he was not surprised by it. Although he grew up an orphan, he learned about the life of the Holy Xuan in detail as part of the history of the Daoist Order.

    The Holy Xuan''s life included father-son suspicion and quarrels between brothers. It was evident that so-called family affection had a very limited weight in the face of human nature.

    Zhang Yuelu sighed. ¡°I¡¯m grateful to the Earthly Preceptor for providing me with another option. That¡¯s why my mother didn¡¯t dare to force me too much. She was afraid that I would be a nun of the Quanzhen Sect in a moment of anger.¡±

    While talking, the two of them had already left Shaochu Street and arrived at the east gate of Taishang ce.

    Zhang Yuelu offered. ¡°Do you need me to send you back?¡±

    Qi Xuansu waved his hand. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll meet you at Haichan ce tomorrow, then.¡± Zhang Yuelu left first.

    Qi Xuansu only left Taishang ce after watching Zhang Yuelu walk away. By the time Qi Xuansu returned to his home in Haichan ce, it was almost midnight.

    It was still October 15th, so Qi Xuansu took out his fish talisman and prepared the ritual spell to enter Qingping Society''s dream meeting. He went to the same weird hall asst time. At first nce, there were fewer people than usual.

    Qi Xuansu silently hoped that Madam Qi was still there. Otherwise, he would have to use the mother-child talisman to contact her.

    Fortunately, Madam Qi, as a qualified businesswoman, was still there at this hour.

    Qi Xuansu discovered that it was quite simple to distinguish Madam Qi from the crowd. The fish talisman was the key for him to enter and exit this ce. Since he was Madam Qi¡¯s subordinate, so long as he entered the dream meeting using his fish talisman, he would have some kind of connection with Madam Qi.

    Even if Madam Qi concealed her true appearance at this time, he could still urately find her through that pull. It was a two-way pull, so Madam Qi was able to find himst time.

    When Qi Xuansu found Madam Qi, she was talking to another person. Qi Xuansu stopped in the distance. Although he could not hear what they were saying, it was obvious that Madam Qi was driving the conversation.

    Soon, Madam Qi waved her hand. The person disappeared on the spot, probably exiting the dream meeting. Madam Qi walked toward Qi Xuansu and teased, ¡°You¡¯re quite independent now, huh? You didn¡¯te on September 1st, September 15th, or October 1st.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said truthfully, ¡°I was out on a business trip with Tiangang Hall, so I really couldn¡¯t attend.¡±

    ¡°Did you secure your sixth rank?¡± Madam Qi asked casually.

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Yeah, pretty much.¡±

    Madam Qi returned to the topic. ¡°What are you doing here this time?¡±

    Qi Xuansu told Madam Qi that Zhang Yuelu requested that he apany her home for the New Year. After Madam Qi heard this, she looked at Qi Xuansu with a proud smile, as if her baby boy had finally grown up.

    He asked, ¡°Madam Qi, should I go?¡±

    Madam Qiughed. ¡°I guess you¡¯re not fully grown yet after all. A child will alwayse home to his mother when he¡¯s lost.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had always regarded Madam Qi as a motherly figure. But he was still embarrassed when she teased him. Fortunately, his face was covered with smoke. He forcefully changed the subject. ¡°If I head to the Shangqing Prefecture, I won¡¯t be able to do missions for the Qingping Society.¡±

    ¡°So what if you missed a few missions? It won¡¯t matter.¡± Madam Qi waved her hand. ¡°This concerns your lifelong happiness, so you ought to be cautious.¡±

    ¡°What lifelong happiness? This is just an act.¡± Even in this dream realm, Qi Xuansu¡¯s face was flushed.

    Madam Qi hit the nail on the head and said, ¡°For a girl like her, she can easily find any man to y the role of her boyfriend. Why did she choose you of all people?¡±

    Qi Xuansu repeated the reasons Zhang Yuelu mentioned, but the more he spoke, the less confident he became. In the end, his voice cracked.

    Madam Qi chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m a woman, and I¡¯m more experienced than you. So don¡¯t you think that I would have a better understanding of womenpared to you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Qi Xuansu answered.

    Madam Qi continued, ¡°In that case, you should listen to me. This is an excellent opportunity for you. But whether you can seize this opportunity depends on your own capabilities.¡±

    Qi Xuansu frowned and asked, ¡°What will happen if I seize the opportunity, and what if I can¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°You fool!¡± Madam Qi scolded him. She was disappointed that he was so slow-witted. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t this bemon sense? If you can seize the opportunity, you can turn this fake rtionship into a real one. If you can¡¯t, then you¡¯ll just have to be put back in ce.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Although we¡¯re in a dream meeting, we shouldn¡¯t be dream-talking, right?¡±

    Madam Qi scoffed. ¡°She¡¯s a Banished Immortal, but she¡¯s notpletely unattainable. If you don¡¯t even have ambition, how can you be the Grand Master in the future?¡±

    Qi Xuansu became more certain that Madam Qi was indeed dream-talking. He said helplessly, ¡°Madam Qi, even if it is the Xiayuan Festival today, you shouldn¡¯t drink too much. Go to bed early.¡±

    Madam Qi held her forehead and sighed. ¡°Tian Yuan, I really regret having saved you back then.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was speechless.

    In the past few years, Madam Qi would often say such things, especially when Qi Xuansu was being stupid or if he had disappointed her. It was as if she was a mother who regretted giving birth to such a dumb son.

    After a while, Madam Qi calmed down a little. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s get back to the topic. Zhang Yuelu asked you to apany her home to the Shangqing Prefecture to put on a show. Disregarding any possibility of romance between you two, you should still go because you ought to please your boss. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment. ¡°What about the Qingping Society?¡±

    Madam Qi replied, ¡°I¡¯m here. I can handle everything by myself, even before you joined.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Alright then, I will leave tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow?¡± Madam Qi sighed. ¡°The saying is true. A son forgets about his mother after getting a wife.¡±

    Qi Xuansu regretted going to Madam Qi tonight. He changed the subject. ¡°By the way, how do you contact people outside the dream realm if you can¡¯t see their faces?¡±

    Madam Qi stretched out her right hand to show him a golden-purple fish talisman. She exined, ¡°This is my fish talisman. All of our fish talismans were made with dream stones, so they can connect us to the dream realm and can also be manifested in dreams. The manifestation may be a little difficult for a Martial Arts Practitioner and easier for a Diviner, but it can be done. As long as you visualize your fish talisman in your mind, you can manifest it in your dream.¡±

    Visualization, meditation, and breathing control and techniques were the basic courses taught in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce.

    Madam Qi continued, ¡°After manifesting the fish talisman, you can connect with other people¡¯s fish talismans through your own fish talisman, like the connection between us two. If you no longer need the connection, you can sever it. It¡¯s very convenient.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Got it.¡±

    Madam Qi exined, ¡°The fish talisman doubles as a magical receptacle, but it¡¯s a small space only enough for the ritual spell materials. You will still need to get your own magical receptacle in the future.

    ¡°The main purpose of the fish talisman is for Qingping Society¡¯s members to contact each other. It¡¯s simr to how mother-child talismans and mas work. But since this connection is established in dreams, it seems a bit more mysterious. You¡¯ll learn more about it in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce when you get promoted to the fourth rank one day.¡±

 Chapter 71: Qing Yuan

    <h4>Chapter 71: Qing Yuan</h4>

    Qi Xuansu did not stay in the dream meeting for long and severed his connection with the dream realm. Everything around him became dark again.

    After the darkness dissipated, Qi Xuansu slowly opened his eyes. He was still at home in Haichan ce. The candles he used for the ritual spell had been extinguished, and the Soul Returning Incense had burned out. Only a pile of fine ashes remained.

    It was dark and quiet outside. Qi Xuansu put away the ritual spell materials in the fish talisman, swept away the incense ashes, and put the fish charm talisman in his pocket before he returned to his bedroom and slept with his clothes on.

    His years of traveling made Qi Xuansu develop the habit of not going into deep sleep. Early that morning, Qi Xuansu vaguely heard voices outside his door.

    The voices were noting from outside his room but from outside the courtyard.

    Qi Xuansu suddenly sat up from the bed. After he waspletely awake, he opened the door and walked out fully dressed, as he had slept in his clothesst night. When he got to the courtyard, he recognized the voices outside the door to be Nun Cui¡¯s and Zhang Yuelu¡¯s.

    He thought bitterly, <i>If only Madam Qi was here, this would¡¯ve been a gathering of the only three women in my life.</i>

    Outside the door, Nun Cui and Zhang Yuelu were chatting happily. They worked in the Nine Halls and were both fourth-rank Daoist masters, so they had seen each other around before.

    Qi Xuansu took a deep breath to settle his mind and walked toward the door.

    When he opened the courtyard door, the conversation between the two women stopped abruptly, and they both turned to Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu was a little frightened by their gazes. He forced a smile and greeted them. ¡°Good morning, Aunt Cui and Qing Xiao.¡±

    Nun Cui looked at Qi Xuansu with a meaningful gaze. ¡°Tian Yuan, how could you hide this from me?¡±

    The smile on Qi Xuansu¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°I didn¡¯t hide anything.¡±

    Nun Cui smirked and said, ¡°Alright, I understand that youngsters get embarrassed easily. You two can chat. I won¡¯t disturb you.¡±

    After that, Nun Cui walked out of the alley.

    When Qi Xuansu was left alone with Zhang Yuelu, they looked at each other. Zhang Yuelu was still dressed in the same attire asst night, but she had removed her blue and white vest and reced it with a hooded cloak. She took the initiative and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to invite me in?¡±

    ¡°Please, doe in.¡± Qi Xuansu came to his senses and hurriedly opened the door.

    Zhang Yuelu entered the courtyard and looked around. ¡°It¡¯s a nice ce.¡±

    Qi Xuansu walked a few steps ahead to lead the way for Zhang Yuelu.

    When they came to the living room, Qi Xuansu was about to boil water to make tea. Zhang Yuelu waved her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. Are you all packed?¡±

    Qi Xuansu said truthfully, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe so early.¡±

    ¡°I can help you pack your bag.¡± Zhang Yuelu suggested.

    Qi Xuansu was secretly d that he had put away all the sensitive things rting to the Qingping Society and nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu beamed at him. She was not a stunner, but it still made his heart skip a beat. The two of them first went to Qi Xuansu¡¯s study, where he had kept some valuables that he wanted to take on the trip with him.

    As soon as Zhang Yuelu entered the study, her eyes lit up. The first thing that caught her eye was a table that was backed against the wall. There was a sword-stand on the table, but instead of a sword, there was a long gun ced horizontally on it.

    Zhang Yuelu had an interest in strange weapons and firearms. Otherwise, she would not have met Qi Xuansu by chance at the weapons shop in Taiqing Square.

    Qi Xuansu remarked, ¡°This is an old-fashioned flintlock gun, for collection purposes.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded and turned her gaze to the desk.

    There was nothing interesting on the desk. It was just brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, brush washers, brush holders, paperweights, and other stationery. Zhang Yuelu nced at it and went to browse the bookshelf, which had many books of varying thickness on it.

    Zhang Yuelumented. ¡°Back then, I found studying extremely boring and difficult, so much so that when I saw the books, I felt like running away.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°I never felt bored when I was a kid. I could practice or study at my own pace or could do other things if I wasn¡¯t in the mood to study. My master would never force me. That¡¯s why I am only in the Kunlun<i> </i>stage, but you are in the Guizhen stage.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re wise.¡±

    ¡°Well, everyone ought to choose if they want to suffer first and enjoyter, or enjoy now and sufferter. Do you find yourself suffering now?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu chuckled. ¡°How could I be suffering? I was promoted to the fourth rank at a young age, with the position of Sage almost within reach. If I stillin about suffering, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll get struck by lightning as a punishment from the heavens.¡±

    Qi Xuansu went to pack his things. ¡°Qing Xiao, will you pass me the bundle of iron spikes on the bookshelf?¡±

    ¡°This one?¡±

    ¡°Yes, those on the second rack as well.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°By the way, I ced arge cash note between the second book from the left, on the third rack of the bookshelf.¡±

    ¡°You have an interesting way to hide money.¡±

    They stopped at the bedroom and kitchen to bring along a change of clothes and some dry food. Finally, he packed all of these into arge bag.

    Zhang Yuelu looked at the bag and frowned slightly.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I was just wondering...¡± Zhang Yuelu hesitated for a moment before continuing, ¡°What would my mother¡¯s expression be like when she saw you at the door with such bulky baggage?¡±

    Qi Xuansu pouted. ¡°Are you looking down on me because I don¡¯t have a magical receptacle? Well, you¡¯re wee to find another partner.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu hit him lightly. ¡°Stop pretending. You¡¯re not so sensitive that you¡¯ll feel offended by such words.¡±

    Qi Xuansu smirked. ¡°You''re right, I really don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t even care what your mother thinks of me. That¡¯s something for you to worry about.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes at him. She pursed her lips and stretched out her hand. ¡°Give me your bag. I¡¯ll put it in my magical receptacle and give it to you when you need it.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pointed to the Executioner, Meridian, and the Green Bird Pistol. ¡°What about these?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to bring these. I¡¯ll lend you my Divine Dragon Pistol.¡±

    Thest time they were at Fort Cimut, Zhang Yuelu lent the Divine Dragon Pistol to Qi Xuansu. Afterward, he returned it to her because these weapons were issued by Tiangang<i> </i>Hall and could not be given or sold privately.

    Qi Xuansu agreed. ¡°Alright.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nced at the short sword hanging on Qi Xuansu¡¯s waist and suddenly remembered something. She asked, ¡°Did you use this sword to kill Desmond?¡±

    ¡°Strictly speaking, it was the Superior ck Blood and the Phoenix Eye Bomb that killed Desmond in the end.¡± Qi Xuansu exined, ¡°I just used this sword to cut a hole in his back and his heart.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°What is its name?¡±

    Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment. He pulled out the sword and held it with both hands. His face was reflected on the de of the sword. ¡°This sword has no name.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we give it a name?¡± Zhang Yuelu suggested.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What name?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu pondered for a while. ¡°My courtesy name is Qing Xiao, and yours is Tian Yuan. Why don''t we name it Qing Yuan?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good name.¡± Qi Xuansu agreed. ¡°Qing Yuan, it is.¡±

    Sometimes, Qi Xuansu was not as slow as Madam Qi thought he was. He did not ask why he should add Zhang Yuelu¡¯s name to his sword but happily agreed to do so.

    Qi Xuansu put Qing Yuan back into its sheath, while Zhang Yuelu put his bag into her magical receptacle. Qi Xuansu once went into Zhang Yuelu¡¯s magical receptacle and found that she had quite arge space inside, enough to store his bag.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Shall we head out?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Qi Xuansu was not one to procrastinate. He first asked Zhang Yuelu to wait in the courtyard. Then he locked all the room doors before locking the main door.

    On October 16th of the 41st year of the Jiushi Era, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu left Jade Capital and headed for Shangqing Prefecture bynd instead of taking a flying ship. On the way down Kunlun Mountain, there was heavy snowfall.

    To Qi Xuansu¡¯s surprise, Zhang Yuelu bought him a new cloak. He had seen this cloak in a clothing store and knew that it cost at least 100 Taiping coins. Although Zhang Yuelu did not want Qi Xuansu to wear Tiangang Hall¡¯s standard cloak to meet her family, he knew that she had put some thought into buying this cloak for him.

    Zhang Yuelu was not as ¡°skilled¡± in making money as Sun Yongfeng was, so she was not that rich. A hundred Taiping coins was not a small amount either. To say that he was not touched by this would be a lie. Qi Xuansu had no parents or rtives growing up. He also did not have any close friends who cared about him, a true loner.

    Aside from his master, no one had ever bought him anything worth more than 100 Taiping coins. As for Madam Qi, her kindness to Qi Xuansu was never reflected marily. On the contrary, it would be kind of her not to ask him for money.

    However, Qi Xuansu was not used to showing his emotions, so he did not say much.

    After he put on his cloak, he suddenly realized that his cloak and Zhang Yuelu¡¯s cloak were quite simr in workmanship and texture. She probably bought them at the same time.

    Zhang Yuelu felt a little ufortable when she noticed Qi Xuansu¡¯s gaze on her cloak.

    After they parted ways in Taishang cest night, Qi Xuansu was in a hurry to attend the dream meeting and returned to Haichan ce. However, Zhang Yuelu was not in a rush to return to Xuan City. Instead, she explored Taiqing Square. Fortunately, it was the Xiayuan<i> </i>Festival, so many shops were still open at that hour.

    In fact, Zhang Yuelu had thought of only buying a cloak for Qi Xuansu. With her level of cultivation, she was immune to cold and heat, so it did not matter whether she wore a cloak.

    However, the shop owner was great at sales. After finding out that Zhang Yuelu nned to buy a men¡¯s cloak, the shop owner suggested that she should buy a matching one because it came in a set. In the end, Zhang Yuelu somehow bought two cloaks of the same style.

    When she returned home, she felt a little regretful. However, after careful consideration, she decided to wear the new cloak anyway.

    Early this morning, Zhang Yuelu went to Qi Xuansu¡¯s house and unexpectedly bumped into Nun Cui at the door. Nun Cui had seen her several times in the Nine Halls and was a talkative person, so Zhang Yuelu had no choice but to exchange pleasantries with her. That was how Qi Xuansu woke up.

    Qi Xuansu looked away and coughed lightly. ¡°This cloak is nice.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu pulled up her hood, which covered most of her face, and said nothing.

    Qi Xuansu pressed his lips together, not knowing what to say, so he simply kept quiet.

 Chapter 72: Bandits

    <h4>Chapter 72: Bandits</h4>

    Walking along the path down Kunlun Mountain took a long time. Thus, the Daoist Order built hanging baskets controlled by winches and metal chains on several cliffs, which could go straight up and down the mountain, saving people a lot of time.

    It was a pity that neither Zhang Yuelu nor Qi Xuansu were Heavenly beings, so they could not fly. ording to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s n, they would descend the Yuxu Peak, walk along the Tongtian River toward the Kunlun Pass, and enter Shuzhou. Then, they would head east and cross Shuzhou, passing by Baidi City to enter Huzhou. Finally, they would pass through Huzhou to get to Wuzhou.

    Just by estimating the distance from the map, it was almost 3000 kilometers away. The actual distance would probably be at the higher end of 4000 kilometers.

    Even as a seasoned traveler, Qi Xuansu felt sick just thinking about the long distance. He believed that he was truly unhinged to apany Zhang Yuelu home. But since he had already agreed to it, he could not go back on his word.

    However, Zhang Yuelu was already prepared for this journey. After descending from Yuxu Peak, she took out a pair of Jiamas from her magical receptacle and handed them to Qi Xuansu.

    <i>The Jiama was a type of talisman that could make it seem like one was walking on clouds. With the Cloud Feet Method from The Geographical Secrets, people would write ¡°White Clouds Rising¡± on each Jiama talisman and tie one to each leg before reciting the cloud-riding mantra.</i>

    <i>The mantra for that was, ¡°I invoke the Six Dings and Six Jias, the gods of white clouds and cranes, to form clouds on the soles of my feet. Allow me to fly as fast as the wind in the blue sky. I ammanded by the Dark Lady of the Nine Heavens to take flight!¡±</i>

    <i>This Cloud Feet Jiama would allow one to travel up to 400 kilometers a day on foot. This was also the mostmon type of Jiama that was mostly used for traveling.</i>

    <i>The Jiama that Zhang Yuelu gave to Qi Xuansu was even better. It used the Earth Shrinking Method from the Six Jia Heavenly Scriptures. After attaching the Jiama to each leg, one would have to recite the shrinking mantra, ¡°Let the ground shrink so that a hundred steps be one step. tten the mountains and dry up the rivers. I ammanded by the Three-Peaks-Nine-States!¡±</i>

    This Jiama allowed one to travel 500 kilometers a day.

    A traveling day was 12 hours. If they could travel 500 kilometers a day, a journey of 4000 kilometers would not seem like too much.

    Qi Xuansu had heard of Jiama talismans, which were very expensive on the ck market. However, this was the first time he used them. After tying two Jiamas, one on each leg, he felt that the ground at his feet had shrunk exponentially. He could traverse a rugged mountain path as if he were walking on smooth ground, as effortless as a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Guizhen stage.

    Zhang Yuelu did not use the Jiama and relied on her own cultivation to walk side by side with Qi Xuansu. Her clothes fluttered in the wind, making her seem like a fairy. To be fair, Zhang Yuelu was beautiful, but she was not a striking beauty. Her exquisite facial features, paired with her righteous temperament, made her seem more like a model Confucian schr.

    That day, Qi Xuansu did not lie to Shangguan Dun that he did not travel much in the northwest. He had only walked from Yuxu Peak to Kunlun Pass twice with his master. Since that was many years ago, he did not have much memory about the route they took.

    Qi Xuansu could only pray that Zhang Yuelu would not get lost again. He did not want to end up in the Samudra Kingdom instead of Shuzhou. That ce was not within the territory of the Great Xuan Dynasty, so there were no Daoist flying ships. The Samudra Kingdom was also as big as the Great Xuan territory. If that happened, it would be a long journey home. Then they would probably not be able to return to Yuxu Peak before the Shangyuan Festival on January 15th.

    Fortunately, Zhang Yuelu made enough preparations this time, so the two of them arrived at the Kunlun Pass smoothly. There was also a Daoist temple there, so they rested in the temple for a night before they set off on the road again early the next morning.

    The distance from Kunlun Mountain Pass to Tongtian River looked short on the map, but in reality, they had to climb over a snowy peak. The mountain road was rugged and difficult to navigate. They had to ascend and descend the mountain, so the real distance was twice as long as the distance on the map.

    Without the high-quality Jiamas prepared by Zhang Yuelu, Qi Xuansu estimated that it would have taken him several days to cross the snowy peak. With the Jiamas, it only took him one day to cross the snowy peak. In the evening, they arrived at the bank of the Tongtian River.

    The two of them stood on a high slope and looked down, only to see a flickering bonfire by the river. Sitting around the bonfire were seven to eight men wearing dirty sheepskin capes with the fur side out. They were drinking wine and eating meat. Their horses were nearby, and one of the horses had a decapitated human head hanging on the side of the saddle.

    They were certainly not ordinary merchants.

    Zhang Yuelu remarked, ¡°This ce has already exceeded the jurisdiction of the Kunlun Daoist Mansion, so it¡¯s not surprising that there are some bandits around.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took off the Jiamas tied to his legs, carefully put them away, and let out a deep breath. In the early winter, the white mist escaping his mouth was particrly clear.

    Zhang Yuelu had no intention of making a move, so she just tightened her cloak.

    The next moment, Qi Xuansu rushed down from the high slope at the speed of light.

    At this moment, the bandits noticed Qi Xuansu, who was charging toward them. The leader of the group shouted, ¡°An Eagle w! Band together!¡±

    The group of bandits drew their sabers and charged at Qi Xuansu. However, Qi Xuansu snatched a saber from one of the bandits and left a thin red line across three of the bandits¡¯ necks. The wound was just deep enough to kill them.

    The other bandits were frightened by Qi Xuansu¡¯s skill and dared not step forward. However, Qi Xuansu kept rushing forward with the saber in hand.

    The leader of the bandits shouted and was about to charge at Qi Xuansu when he saw a sh of light and felt a cold wind passing by. Then, half of his de fell to the ground with a thud. He was still holding the hilt and the other half of the de. He slowly lowered his head, looked down, and suddenly felt that the world was spinning.

    The bandit leader, with his head bowed, had his body shed diagonally in half. The top half of his body, from his neck to his nk, slid down slowly, with blood gushing out from all directions.

    Qi Xuansu remained expressionless as he flung out the blood from the saber in his hand. The other bandits looked at Qi Xuansu again, their bodies trembling in fear. One bandit dropped his saber, turned around, and ran away. The others followed suit and fled the scene.

    With a few more shes of light, blood gushed out from the bandits¡¯ backs and hearts. Their corpses flew more than three meters forward before they copsed, and a pool of blood formed under them.

    Two more bandits climbed on their horses to flee, but Qi Xuansu threw out the saber in his hand and instantly skewered them.

    That was how Qi Xuansu killed this group of bandits in the blink of an eye. At this time, Qi Xuansu no longer looked like a flowerbed Daoist priest.

    Zhang Yuelu had known for a long time that Qi Xuansu had an intense killing aura, but this was the first time she witnessed just how decisive and precise he was when killing people.

    When Zhang Yuelu came down from the high slope, she found Qi Xuansu tugging at his cloak and checking left and right. She asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    Qi Xuansu returned to his usual self. ¡°I was checking if there was any blood on my new cloak.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s just a cloak. So what if it gets dirty?¡±

    Qi Xuansu casually said, ¡°Of course, it matters. If it¡¯s dirty, will you wash it for me?¡±

    ¡°Dream on! You can wash it yourself.¡± Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes at him.

    When Qi Xuansu saw that there was no blood on his cloak, he walked to the horse with the decapitated human head and opened the dead man¡¯s mouth to check his teeth.

    Zhang Yuelu followed Qi Xuansu and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°I¡¯m checking for the degree of tooth wear to roughly judge whether the deceased was rich or poor.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu rified, ¡°Those whose teeth are badly worn are poor because the food poor people eat is hard to chew, right?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded and said, ¡°More or less. Poor families can¡¯t afford refined flour and polished rice. They even have to mix some bran or other coarse grains into the flour. Not to mention that it tastes bad; the texture is like chewing on bark. It¡¯s naturally bad for the teeth.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu sighed. ¡°The poor are already living such hard lives even in this peaceful era. I can¡¯t fathom what it¡¯ll be like for them if there are wars and natural disasters.¡±

    Qi Xuansu added, ¡°Some sell their children to get food.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not continue such a depressing topic. She asked, ¡°So what did you find?¡±

    ¡°The deceased is a rich man.¡± Qi Xuansu closed the mouth of the corpse and shut the corpse¡¯s eyelids. ¡°But as far as I know, bandits generally won¡¯t behead someone if they are just robbing someone.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a vendetta?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡± Qi Xuansu continued, ¡°But there is another possibility. These bandits were hired hitmen. They needed proof of the kill, so they cut off the target¡¯s head in exchange for a reward.¡±

    ¡°These people aren¡¯t ordinary bandits?¡± Zhang Yuelu was a little surprised. Although her cultivation level and position were higher than Qi Xuansu¡¯s, she had been staying in the Jade Capital for a long time, so she did not have as much real-world experience as him.

    ¡°We¡¯ll find out.¡± Qi Xuansu took off his cloak and handed it to Zhang Yuelu. Then he rolled up his sleeves, tucked the hem of his robe into his belt, and walked toward the corpse of the bandit leader, whose body had been divided into two halves.

    Zhang Yuelu had seen corpses and had killed before, but she still shied away from this gore.

    Qi Xuansu squatted down, turned over the dead body, and fumbled around the body¡¯s chest area. ¡°Found it.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu turned around and saw Qi Xuansu shaking open a piece of cloth with his bloodied hands. There was a portrait on the cloth, which matched the decapitated head hanging next to the saddle.

    ¡°Wow, they¡¯re really hitmen! Are there any letters or contracts?¡± Zhang Yuelu asked in surprise.

    Qi Xuansu shook his head and exined, ¡°Hiring a hitman is usually done in person and won¡¯t be put into writing. Most writing, if any, will also be destroyed after reading. The hitman will also carry around the portrait for ease ofparison to avoid killing the wrong person.¡±

    After that, Qi Xuansu threw the cloth on the ground, went to the riverside, broke the thinyer of ice formed on the surface, and slowly washed his hands.

    Zhang Yuelu remembered that Qi Xuansu once said that he used to work hard to make a living in the real world, so she asked, ¡°Tian Yuan, you¡¯re so familiar with these procedures. Have you done this kind of business before?¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t done it, but I have mingled around in The Inn for a while and have seen a lot of these dealings.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but she did not show it on her face.

    Qi Xuansu washed the blood on his hands and shook off the water droplets. ¡°If we¡¯re not in a hurry, we can investigate this case.¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± Zhang Yuelu had the same intention and immediately agreed.

 Chapter 73: Ancient Temple

    <h4>Chapter 73: Ancient Temple</h4>

    The reason Zhang Yuelu wanted to take thend route was to dy her journey home. Qi Xuansu¡¯s proposal was exactly what she wanted, so there was no reason not to agree.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°How should we investigate?¡±

    Qi Xuansu quipped. ¡°The dumb way is to follow the horse¡¯s hoof prints until we find the identity of the deceased.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the simple way?¡± Zhang Yuelu pursued.

    Qi Xuansu pointed at Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll have to rely on your Immortal Eye of Providence to find the real culprit.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s use the simple method then.¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Qi Xuansu casually picked up a knife, cut off the head of the bandit leader, drained the blood, and wrapped the decapitated victim¡¯s head using the sheepskin cape.

    After doing this, Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Alright, we can go now.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu wanted to hand the cloak back to Qi Xuansu, but when she saw that he was holding two human heads, she helped him put on the cloak and secured it with the tie.

    Qi Xuansu, who was unfazed during his killing spree earlier, subconsciously held his breath and tensed up.

    Zhang Yuelu tied a beautiful bow and beamed. ¡°Perfect!¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded slightly but said nothing.

    Zhang Yuelu used the Immortal Eye of Providence, also known as the Divine Observation Technique, and saw streams of different colors in the air that were only visible to her.

    She quickly found the stream that corresponded to this group of bandits and leaped forward.

    Since the magic of the Jiamas was limited, Qi Xuansu did not use the Jiamas and only used the Rogue Cultivators'' Body Lightness Technique to follow Zhang Yuelu.

    The two of them walked upstream along the Tongtian River for about 50 kilometers. By then, it was already dark, and Qi Xuansu was getting exhausted.

    Finally, Zhang Yuelu stopped when she saw an abandoned ancient temple not far ahead. The lights were dim from a distance, and they could hear the faeint sound of women¡¯sughter.

    At this time, dark clouds covered the moon, and there was a faint mist that made the lights in the distance seem illusory.

    Zhang Yuelu perched on the branch of a dead tree and stared at the ancient temple, her clothes fluttering in the wind. ¡°There is indeed something strange going on.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Do you want to dip your toes into the muddy waters?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said with excitement, ¡°This is my first personal trip out in the real world, so of course, I have to gain more experience!¡±

    After that, Zhang Yuelu disappeared, leaving only the branches that swayed slightly in the wind.

    Qi Xuansu held his breath and cautiously approached the ancient temple.

    The ancient temple was brightly lit. It was originally a ce for monks to practice spiritual cultivation. However, at this time, it was a scene of debauchery.

    The Buddha statue in the main hall had been pushed down, and arge tiger-skin throne was ced on the altar where the Buddha statue was originally ced. A burly man in armor was sitting on the throne.

    On the altar table below, two enchanting women were entangled with each other. Their clothes were stripped halfway, revealing parts of their bodies that made one¡¯s heart race.

    The burly man was enjoying the two women¡¯s performance, but he had no intention of joining them. There were other tough-looking men around, sitting and standing, with lecherous expressions on their faces. It was evident that all of them were not good people.

    At this moment, the burly man suddenly looked out the door. ¡°Did you bring back the head?¡±

    As soon as he finished his question, a sheepskin bundle flew in from outside the door.

    Someone reached out to catch the bundle, opened it, and saw two heads inside. One was the head they wanted, and the other was the head of the person they sent out.

    The man shouted, ¡°Boss! It¡¯s Jiu. He¡¯s dead!¡±

    In an instant, everyone in the ancient temple stood up. Even the two women who were performing on the altar table stopped moving.

    The burly man, known as the Boss, slowly stood up from the tiger-skin throne andmanded in a deep voice, ¡°Put down the heads.¡±

    The man ced the two heads in his hands on the ground.

    He nced at the bandit leader¡¯s head and remarked, ¡°Jiu¡¯s head was removed after he died.¡±

    The burly man suddenly looked out the door. His voice boomed. ¡°Which friend hase to visit? Please show yourself.¡±

    Qi Xuansu walked into the ancient temple. ¡°Boss, do you have dealings around here? Please state your name.¡±

    The burly man narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized Qi Xuansu. ¡°The name¡¯s You Leifu.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sped his fists and saluted, ¡°Boss You, my name is Qi Xuansu.¡±

    You Leifu questioned, ¡°Brother Qi, did you pick off my subordinate¡¯s head?¡±

    ¡°Pick off¡± meant to decapitate in street ng.

    Qi Xuansu smiled slightly. ¡°Indeed.¡±

    As soon as he admitted to killing the bandit leader, everyone in the ancient temple raised their weapons, including some guns. However,pared to the firearms issued by the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court, these guns were still the old-fashioned flintlock type.

    Qi Xuansu was not at all afraid of them. He just looked at You Leifu and asked, ¡°Boss You, I¡¯d like to know who was the person you killed.¡±

    You Leifu did not answer. ¡°You seem to be practicing the Daoist breathing method. May I ask which Sage you follow?¡±

    Qi Xuansuughed and did not answer.

    You Leifu sneered. ¡°Even if you are a member of the Daoist Order, I won¡¯t let this slide. I would¡¯ve admitted defeat if you were a high-ranking Daoist master, but you are just a rookie Xiantian Being. How dare you act recklessly on my turf?!¡±

    By the end of his sentence, You Leifu roared like a lion. ¡°Who do you think you are?!¡±

    A circle of qi visibly rippled around You Leifu, extinguishing half of the lights in the temple. The remaining half flickered.

    Using the power of this roar, You Leifu jumped over the altar table where the two beautiful women were lying, wanting to capture Qi Xuansu. However, when he was about three meters away from Qi Xuansu, he suddenly stopped and dared not move.

    That was because Qi Xuansu was holding a Divine Dragon Pistol with the muzzle aimed at You Leifu¡¯s forehead.

    Qi Xuansu pressed down the hammer with his thumb and hooked the trigger with his index finger. He smirked. ¡°Boss You, you might as well give it a try. I¡¯d like to know which is faster, you or my pistol? I also wonder if your head is harder than my bullet.¡±

    ¡°Brother Qi, what exactly do you want?¡± You Leifu¡¯s face turned pale.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu also did not know how he should end this. Zhang Yuelu wanted to investigate the case, but did she expect him to kill all these rogues?

    Just as Qi Xuansu seemed distracted, You Leifu rushed forward. However, Qi Xuansu would never make such a rookie mistake. He pulled the trigger immediately. Sparks flew, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder.

    At such a close distance, You Leifu¡¯s metal helmet exploded, and there was a wound the size of a copper coin on his forehead. However, since Qi Xuansu did not use the limited number of Dragon Eye Bullets that Zhang Yuelu gave him, this ordinary projectile only sank into You Leifu¡¯s flesh without prating his skull.

    You Leifu felt as if someone had struck his forehead with a huge hammer. His head tilted back, his vision went ck, and he staggered back a few steps.

    Coincidentally, when You Leifu¡¯s head tilted back, he looked up at the ceiling and happened to see someone standing on the beam.

    Although that person was a beautiful woman, at this time of life and death, no one had time for lewd thoughts.

    ¡°Boys, enemy on top!¡± You Leifu yelled.

    He was warning his group that there was another enemy on the roof.

    That was when everyone looked up and saw Zhang Yuelu standing above them.

    Zhang Yuelu disappeared in a sh and reappeared in front of You Leifu.

    You Leifu did not waste any time and shed at Zhang Yuelu¡¯s neck with a knifehand strike.

    Zhang Yuelu calmly stretched out her hand to grab You Leifu¡¯s wrist. She exerted some force on her five fingers and stopped him from moving.

    You Leifu¡¯s expression changed dramatically. The energy in his body surged, and he wanted to counterattack, but Zhang Yuelu was not bothered to fight with him and pushed him back with a palm strike.

    Being a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Flesh and Blood Realm, You Leifu could even resist a gunshot head-on. However, he was powerless against Zhang Yuelu¡¯s Six Void Tribtions to his chest. Blood spurted out of his ears, mouth, nose, and eyes, and his bones cracked.

    When Zhang Yuelu retracted her palm, You Leifu had fallen to the ground, and the palm print on his chest was as clear as day.

    There was a moment of silence in the ancient temple before someone shouted, ¡°Everyone, retreat!¡±

    In an instant, everyone fled from the ancient temple in all directions.

    Zhang Yuelu waved her sleeves. Wherever there was wind, someone fell to the ground with blood oozing from their mouths and noses, clearly dead.

    Qi Xuansu also fought and killed several people.

    However, half of them managed to escape.

    Zhang Yuelu did not chase them but looked at the two women huddled on the altar table.

    The temple was warm, with red candles burning brightly. The two women did not wear any shoes or socks. Their ck hair was loose, and their clothes were stripped halfway, revealing their breasts. It was a sight to behold on this cold winter night.

    Qi Xuansu also looked at the two women, but before his gaze could linger, Zhang Yuelu stomped on his foot. ¡°Turn away. Don¡¯t look.¡±

    He could only turn around helplessly and reload his gun while cursing in his heart. <i>She¡¯s so bossy!</i>

    Zhang Yuelu walked toward the two women and asked, ¡°Were you two kidnapped by those bandits?¡±

    The two women huddled together, their bodies trembling and their expressions frightened. They looked so weak, as if they could not stand up.

    Zhang Yuelu wanted to step forward and help the women. However, at this moment, the woman whom she supported suddenly struck her in the ribs.

    Not anticipating this palm strike, Zhang Yuelu took the hit and immediately took a step back. Her vision turned ck for a split second, and she could taste blood.

    In a fit of anger, Zhang Yuelu pped the woman at the top of her head, shattering the woman¡¯s skull and making her bleed out of her orifices. That woman died on the spot.

    At the same time, the other woman also attacked Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu had no choice but to activate her Five Elements Qi Shield to prepare for a head-on confrontation. However, she heard a gunshot.

    A deep, dark, and bloody hole appeared between the other woman¡¯s eyebrows. Her eyes were wide open as she copsed.

    Zhang Yuelu turned around and saw Qi Xuansu holding the Divine Dragon Pistol with smoke still dispersing from the muzzle.

 Chapter 74 The Divine Kingdom in Ones Dreams

    <h4>Chapter 74 The Divine Kingdom in One''s Dreams</h4>

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Qi Xuansu asked while loading the Divine Dragon Pistol.

    Zhang Yuelu took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Qi Xuansu gently stroked the barrel of the Divine Dragon Pistol and praised. ¡°This is a great weapon. When I get rich, I will definitely buy one for self-defense.¡±

    ¡°Have you already noticed something wrong with these women a long time ago?¡± Zhang Yuelu gradually realized that Qi Xuansu was only able to shoot the second woman at a critical moment because he was prepared to attack.

    Qi Xuansu put the Divine Dragon Pistol back into the holster at his waist. He did not answer her question directly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what was wrong with them. I only know that we must always be wary of others.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu med him. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you remind me?¡±

    In fact, Zhang Yuelu was usually not one to me others for her mistake. If it were anyone else, she would have reflected on herself, but Qi Xuansu was an exception.

    ¡°You will only learn from your mistakes. It¡¯s hard to remember what others say, but getting hurt will only make you remember the lesson deeply.¡± Qi Xuansu then reached out to untie his rightpel.

    Zhang Yuelu was startled. She subconsciously took a few steps back and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She said suspiciously, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Qi Xuansu opened his cor and middle garment to reveal a hideous wound. ¡°When I first started traveling on my own, I didn¡¯t understand what it meant to always keep my guard up, and I almost died from it. That¡¯s why I remember my lesson well.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu looked at Qi Xuansu¡¯s wound, which was almost touching his throat, heart, and lungs. He could have died.

    Qi Xuansu straightened his clothes again. ¡°Also, there are four taboos when you¡¯re traveling: Daoists, the elderly, women, and children. Take you as an example. You¡¯re a Daoist priest and a woman, so to others, you spell trouble. Disregarding Daoists, normal people would consider women, children, and the elderly weak. Out in the real world, anything unconventional was considered odd. If these ''weak'' people could travel on their own, they must have some skills.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu gently pressed on her ribs and nodded. ¡°I get it now.¡±

    ¡°Are you really alright?¡± Qi Xuansu looked at Zhang Yuelu¡¯s ribs.

    Zhang Yuelu frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s strange. These two women were merely Houtian Beings with bodies weaker than Diviners, but they still managed to hurt me. There is also a strange qi that won¡¯t dissipate in my body.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Are you saying there¡¯s something fishy about these two women?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°I suspect that they are rted to the Ancient Immortals. Believers of the Ancient Immortals didn¡¯t have particrly strong bodies, but they used their bodies as vessels to pray for the divine power of the Ancient Immortals. If these two women are Ancient Immortal believers, then everything will make sense.¡±

    Qi Xuansu went to the woman that he shot dead. Since the woman was not dressed inyers, there was no need to search her body. He looked at the woman¡¯s wrists, neck, and other parts of the body. Sure enough, he found a string of beads on her wrists.

    These beads were Daoist prayer beads.

    The mostmon number of beads for Buddhist prayer beads was 108 to signify 108 kinds of troubles. The mostmon number of beads for Daoist prayer beads was 81, signifying 81 transformations of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. Of course, the numbers 12, 24, 28, and 36 were alsomon in Daoist prayer beads.

    Qi Xuansu took off the prayer beads from the corpse¡¯s wrist and looked at them carefully. There were 12 beads in total, in typical Daoist fashion. Each bead was engraved with a different form of the same woman. Some forms were like humans, while others were like dragons or snakes. Some forms even had three heads and six arms, or two heads and four arms. Some had a third eye between the brows or wings on the sides.

    He had never seen this woman before, so he handed the prayer beads to Zhang Yuelu.

    She took the prayer beads and studied them for a while. ¡°This is probably from Wu Luo.¡±

    ¡°Wu Luo?¡± Qi Xuansu asked doubtfully.

    Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu had their strengths in different aspects. She was not as experienced as him in terms of travel, but when it came to matters involving the Ancient Immortals, she was far more knowledgeable than him.

    She exined, ¡°Wu Luo is one of the Ancient Immortals and the founder of the Lingshan witchcraft. Before the rise of the Daoist Order, ancient witchcraft was at its peak. The ancestors of the ancient witchcraft were called the Ten Witches of Lingshan, and Wu Luo was one of them.

    ¡°Later, the Ten Witches of Lingshan disbanded. Five of them left Lingshan with Wu Yang and named themselves the Six Enlightened Witches. The remaining witches fought among themselves. Wu Luo and her sisters murdered the then-leader, Wu Xian. There were only four witches left in the ancient witch n, with Wu Luo being the most powerful. Thus, Wuluo reced Wu Xian and became the new leader of Wuism.

    ¡°When the former Heavenly Preceptor from the Zhang family came to power, he led an army to attack Lingshan and killed Wu Luo and Wu Gu. Wuism was destroyed, and the remaining two Great Witches fled to the grasnds and the Samudra Kingdom. Each left a legacy, which became the origin of the Shamanistic Sect.¡±

    ¡°However, just 200 years ago, Wu Luo was resurrected and manifested in the mortal realm, iming to be the founder of Wuism. She is ssified as an Ancient Immortal by the Daoist Order.¡±

    Qi Xuansu gaped. ¡°These two women are followers of Wu Luo? This ce is only a few hundred kilometers away from the Kunlun Pass, yet they''re so rampant!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°This is nothing. When the Ancient Immortals were at their most rampant, they had even infiltrated Xuan City.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was speechless for a while. Then he said, ¡°No one could tolerate another party encroaching on one¡¯s boundaries. No wonder the Daoist Order wants to crack down on secret societies.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu started to pace back and forth habitually. Due to her injury, she subconsciously put her hands on her waist, so she looked like a walking pregnant woman.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu wanted to hold back hisughter, but he failed to do so. His shoulders shook slightly.

    Zhang Yuelu stopped pacing, looked at Qi Xuansu, and asked softly, ¡°Tian Yuan, why are youughing?¡±

    Qi Xuansu coughed lightly. ¡°I suddenly thought of something funny.¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s something funny, you might as well share it with me and make meugh too.¡± Zhang Yuelu¡¯s tone was so gentle.

    Qi Xuansu suddenly felt that something was wrong. Before he could think of something to change the subject, he felt a pain in the side of his ribs where Zhang Yuelu pinched him.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± Qi Xuansu gasped and put his hand on his waist like Zhang Yuelu did.

    Zhang Yueluughed. ¡°It is indeed quite funny. It¡¯ll be even funnier if you take two more steps.¡±

    Qi Xuansu snorted. Considering his own level of cultivation, he did not dare rebut.

    Zhang Yuelu thought that Qi Xuansu was bing more impudent, but that was only because she had indulged him. That was why they seemed more like friends rather than a superior and a subordinate.

    After a while, Zhang Yuelu used her qi to dissolve the strange qi in her ribs. Finally, she could stop supporting her waist.

    Qi Xuansu rubbed his ribs and asked, ¡°Why do the Ancient Immortals want so much power? Is it just because of the incense power? You also said that some Ancient Immortals joined the Daoist Order as first-rank Daoist masters.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu pondered for a moment. ¡°For those high-ranking Ancient Immortals, worldly gold and silver no longer mean much. Their currency was incense power, which was even more important than money. It was their sustenance.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu paused and added, ¡°I¡¯m just retelling you what I know.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said thoughtfully, ¡°You once told me that the world is a huge cage for the Ancient Immortals. The Grand Masters and Great Sages of the past generations have ascended and passed away, but the Ancient Immortals continued to stay in the mortal realm. You also mentioned what would happen if we all lost our magical powers. Is there any rtionship between the two?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not hide her admiration for Qi Xuansu. ¡°Yes. I can only tell you that the incense power is the key for the Ancient Immortal to break free from the shackles of the mortal realm. The Daoist Order did not force Ancient Immortals to stay in the mortal realm but did not allow them to harvest incense power. The Ancient Immortals weren¡¯t allowed to establish cults for their own selfish purposes.

    ¡°In other words, the Daoist Order only cared about the order of the world and did not care about the lives and deaths of the Ancient Immortals. From the perspective of an ordinary human, the Daoist Order was naturally right.¡±

    Qi Xuansu wondered. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between an orthodox and evil religion?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s just like doing business. Orthodox religion is akin to a serious business where it takes time to slowly umte wealth, reasonably and legally. However, cultists are like profiteers who only care about making money quickly and benefiting themselves at the expense of others.

    ¡°Generally speaking, orthodox gods would persuade their believers to do good. After gaining incense power, they would protect the people. However, an evil god makes up doctrines and harvests incense power at will while failing to perform their duties of benefiting the people.¡±

    Qi Xuansu inquired, ¡°What good does it do to the Ancient Immortals by persuading people to do evil? Is it just for evil¡¯s sake?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu knew very well about the annihtion of witchcraft because of the Zhang family''s history lessons. ¡°Back then, Wu Luo once created a Divine Kingdom in the mortal realm. Anyone who believed in Wu Luo could enter her Divine Kingdom in their dreams. As long as one could pass the various tests set by Wu Luo, one could obtain the Zhuyou Spell. The Daoist Order calls this Ecstasy and the Holy Court calls it Hypnosis, which could make someone follow orders unknowingly.

    ¡°This spell did not work on Xiantian Beings, so they were used on Houtian Beings. The spellcasters'' desires were endless. Some took the opportunity to steal money, while others took the opportunity to rape people¡¯s wives and daughters. This spell also made more people believe in Wu Luo.

    ¡°At its peak, Wu Luo had nearly a million followers. She dominated the region as the most powerful among the Great Witches. Don¡¯t you think this counts as persuading people to do evil? Is there any benefit in it?¡±

    Qi Xuansu remained a calm facade, but deep down in his heart, he was shocked. <i>Entering a Divine Kingdom through dreams?</i>

 Chapter 75: Sit Back and Wait

    <h4>Chapter 75: Sit Back and Wait</h4>

    Qi Xuansu recalled how he attended the dream meeting of the Qingping Society through his dreams. Madam Qi said that it was the dream realm of a certain person, but Qi Xuansu realized how simr it was to Wu Luo¡¯s spell. Was the dream meeting of the Qingping Society actually Wu Luo''s Divine Kingdom?

    For a moment, Qi Xuansu did not know whether to believe Madam Qi¡¯s statement or his own conjecture.

    Zhang Yuelu exined enthusiastically. After giving examples of Wu Luo, she also talked about several other secret societies. Qi Xuansu calmed his emotions, remained silent, and listened attentively.

    <i>There were mainly three secret societies that were clearlybeled as evil cults by the Daoist Order.</i>

    <i>The first was the Ziguang Society. There were not many members, and they were all mainly women. These women were carefully selected and trained by the Ziguang Society since they were children. The chosen women had outstanding looks and were skilled at understanding and serving men. They were talented and beautiful. In addition, they also had identities carefully arranged by the Ziguang Society.</i>

    <i>Some were disciples of the Daoist Order; some were innocent women from normal families; and some were women from aristocratic families.</i>

    <i>Some girls were born weak and sickly, so members of the Ziguang Society would pretend to be Daoist nuns, visiting the girls¡¯ homes and promising to take the sickly girl to a temple and teach her cultivation. After a certain age, the girls could return home, free of illness. Some families were reluctant to part with their daughters, but some gave them away. When those women returned home, they had be chess pieces carefully cultivated by the Ziguang Society.</i>

    <i>The Ziguang Society¡¯s membership was passed down from generation to generation. They were best at strategizing and betting on those not yet in power. Some Ziguang Society disciples married into noble families but were not used throughout their whole lives. In the eyes of outsiders, she was just an ordinary woman, but she was secretly a member of the Ziguang Society. As such, her daughters and granddaughters would also be members of the Ziguang Society.</i>

    <i>This led to a situation where the Ziguang Society spent several generations cultivating a family, from grandmother to mother, and mother to daughter. If people were to investigate, they would not find anything. It was also difficult to prevent these women from marrying into other families. Coupled with the other operations of the Ziguang Society, these women were like spiders spinning arge, interconnected web.</i>

    <i>The most impressive achievement of the Ziguang Society was that the True Lord Ziguang transformed into a Daoist Omniscient Sage and sneaked into the Purple Mansion of the Daoist Order. After her identity was exposed, she fought with Donghuang, rming the entire Daoist Order. It was precisely because of this incident that the Holy Xuan issued the first edict to crack down on secret associations.</i>

    <i>Then there was the Cult of Fates, which believed in death. Someone who did not take their own life seriously would not care about the lives of others. Thus, they transformed corpses, yed with souls, and often made trouble.</i>

    <i>Compared to the Ziguang Society, the Cult of Fates preferred more violent methods. They spread curses in several small countries outside the region, turning living people into living corpses. These living corpses continued to infect other living people, eventually turning huge cities into zombie cities. The army of living corpses formed a tide of zombies that spread all over the world.</i>

    <i>During this process, the living souls of those people were sacrificed to the True Lord Siming. For the Ancient Immortals, souls, flesh, blood, and incense power had the same value. The difference was like chickens and eggs. One could raise chickens toy eggs, or they could kill chickens and eat their meat. The Cult of Fates undoubtedly preferred thetter approach.</i>

    <i>However, such actions often led to severe suppression by the Daoist Order. Thest time there was a zombie breakout, the Daoist Order sent a Great Sage, a first-rank Spiritual Guard, and 12 sages to battle. Hundreds of other third-rank and fourth-rank Daoist masters, low-ranking Daoist priests, and Spirit Guards also assisted.</i>

    <i>All members of the Cult of Fates who participated in the zombie incident were executed and destroyed forever. No one was spared. The Cult of Fates suffered a heavy blow from that event and still had yet to recover from it.</i>

    <i>Finally, there was the Heavenly Court, which was not the same as the Western Holy Court. The Heavenly Court was also known as the Baiyang Sect. In its early years, it was a branch of the White Lotus Sect, which believed in the future Buddha. </i>

    <i>Somehow, they became independent and converted to worshiping the Baiyang Ancestor. They then merged with the remnants of the Qingyang Sect. In the end, they became more outrageous, iming to have unified the five religions. Thus, many people believed in it.</i>

    <i>If the Heavenly Court were regarded as a person, it would be the most delusional person in the world, as itbined Daoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Shamanism, and the Holy Court into one. The Heavenly Court imed to have achieved what the leaders of the Confucian School and the Daoist Order in the past failed to do, integrating all five religions into one.</i>

    <i>However, unlike the Ancient Immortals, they were quite money-minded. They did not want flesh and blood or souls. They only wanted incense power and money. They were swindlers who had scammed hundreds of thousands of people.</i>

    <i>Under such circumstances, it was mainly up to the Imperial Court to eradicate the Heavenly Court, which was causing harm to the country and the people. In retaliation, the Heavenly Court rebelled, but most of them were ineffective and vulnerable to the ck Robes. The Green Phoenix Guard had never sessfully captured the core and senior leaders of the Heavenly Court, so they could not fully exterminate it.</i>

    Regarding these mysteries, Qi Xuansu heard about some of them during his travels. However, he had never heard of the Ziguang Society or the Cult of Fates. He could not help but secretly marvel at the methods of these secret associations.

    It was the existence of these secret organizations that allowed the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court to maintain a cordial rtionship, as the two big powers had amon enemy.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Since this group of bandits is rted to the Ancient Immortals, should we pursue it further?¡±

    ¡°Of course, we have to investigate.¡± Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°It¡¯s best if we can investigate this for three months. That way, I won¡¯t have to go home. Since it concerns the Ancient Immortals, my mother can¡¯t say a word of objection.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pursued. ¡°So what should we do now? Go after the bandits who have escaped?¡±

    Having worked in Beichen Hall before, Zhang Yuelu was more well-versed in matters involving the Ancient Immortals.

    Her tone was solemn. ¡°They¡¯re all just minions who may not know the details. However, the Lingshan Witch Cult is aggressive. Since we killed their people, they won¡¯t let us go easily. They will most likelye to us, so we just need to wait here.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took a look at the environment outside the ancient temple. It was quite open, with a forest of dried trees not far away. He asked, ¡°Qing Xiao, do you still have the Phoenix Eye Bomb or the Dragon Eye Bullet?¡±

    ¡°Both of these things are expensive, so the quotas are fixed, and we won¡¯t have any in excess. It¡¯ll only be distributed during a deployment.¡± Zhang Yuelu rejected Qi Xuansu¡¯s idea. ¡°This is a small scene, so there is no need to use such high-powered ammunition.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had no choice but to ask, ¡°Is there any substitute?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu pondered for a while and took out a small bag from her magical receptacle. ¡°This is the Phoenix Eye Bullet. It¡¯s much less powerful, but I have a lot of them.¡±

    Qi Xuansu opened the bag and nced at it. There were about a dozen bullets about the size of hawthorns. He began to think about how he should use this.

    Madam Qi told him more than once that fighting in the real world was not like a duel. There was no fairness to speak of, and it was about using every possible means to win.

    <i>Realm cultivation came from the founders of the Three Religions. Its original intention was not topete with others but to achieve immortality or enlightenment.</i>

    <i>Therefore, one''s cultivation level did not equate to one¡¯sbat power, even though it had some inevitable connection. Under normal circumstances, the higher the realm, the stronger thebat power, but it was not absolute. There were exceptions to this rule.</i>

    <i>For example, those flowerbed Daoist priests who had little fighting experience would have a higher cultivation level. But when they fought with experienced fighters in a lower realm, the flowerbed Daoist priest could be defeated.</i>

    <i>Fights in the real world, especially in battles of life and death, were dependent on one¡¯s cultivation level, time, location, tact, mystical abilities, and external objects. These were the six essentials to winning a fight.</i>

    Qi Xuansu left the ancient temple and set up a trap outside, in the forest.

    Zhang Yuelu stayed in the ancient temple, searching around to see if there was anything she had missed.

    About an hourter, Qi Xuansu returned to the ancient temple and asked, ¡°Did you get anything else, like free money or something?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was sitting on You Leifu¡¯s big tiger-skin throne. She rested her chin on her hands as she studied the prayer beads carefully. ¡°They are Ancient Immortals believers, so most of them handed over their money to the cult leaders. I didn''t find anything.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°I never have the luck to loot. When will I ever get rich?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I don¡¯t have money either.¡± Zhang Yuelu said with a smile, ¡°If I were from the Zhang family¡¯s main branch and had a grandfather who was the Heavenly Preceptor, I would have rewarded you with thousands of Taiping coins just so you''d stop being so money-minded.¡±

    Qi Xuansumented, ¡°Isn¡¯t that like having a boy toy?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was silent for a long time. After a while, she said, ¡°Tian Yuan, please restrain yourself when you see my mother.¡±

    Qi Xuansu coughed lightly to hide his embarrassment.

    Fortunately, Zhang Yuelu had be ustomed to Qi Xuansu¡¯s weird remarks from time to time. This time, she did not get angry and took the initiative to change the topic.

    ¡°I found simr beads on the other corpse. I suspect they managed to hurt me because the Ancient Immortal¡¯s divine poweres from these two strings of beads, simr to the armor of the Spirit Guards.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said in surprise, ¡°Two Houtian Beings could hurt a Guizhen-stage Banished Immortal with just a string of prayer beads. It¡¯s definitely more powerful than a flying sword.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°These prayer beads are just for one-time use. Now that they have lost all their divine power, they are just ordinary prayer beads. In a sense, these things are simr to our Dragon Eye Bullet or Phoenix Eye Bomb. You could use the Phoenix Eye Bomb to kill Desmond, so it¡¯s not surprising that they can hurt me with an external object.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded, agreeing with this statement.

    The key was not the external objects, but the timing of the strike. If Desmond had not been at his weakest, or if Zhang Yuelu had been more vignt with the two women, then these external objects would not have been able to hurt them.

    Zhang Yuelu was about to speak when her expression suddenly changed. She dropped the prayer beads and warned, ¡°Someone¡¯sing.¡±

 Chapter 76 Shaman

    <h4>Chapter 76 Shaman</h4>

    Qi Xuansu did not waste any time. He jumped up and climbed onto the beam. Then he stood still behind the shadow of a pir, holding his breath and concentrating. With Zhang Yuelu attracting attention from the front, even a person with a higher cultivation level found it hard to notice his presence.

    It was always best for one of them to remain in the dark when encountering opponents.

    Zhang Yuelu was still sitting on the tiger-skin throne. Below her on the altar table were the corpses of two Ancient Immortal believers, surrounded by the corpses of those bandits who failed to escape.

    After a while, three people walked into the ancient temple. The leader was a woman with oil paint on her face. In this cold winter, her feet were bare, and she was wearing prayer beads on her wrists and ankles, like the other two dead female believers earlier. Behind her were two middle-aged men who were not noteworthy in terms of dressing.

    The woman looked at Zhang Yuelu and asked straight to the point, "Who are you?"

    Zhang Yuelu asked back, "Who are you?"

    The two women''s eyes met.

    The woman with a face full of oil paint muttered a strange syble. At the same time, Zhang Yuelu snorted lightly. Two invisible sound waves collided in the air, causing invisible ripples to spread in all directions.

    Zhang Yuelu narrowed her eyes and finally stood up from the tiger-skin throne. ¡°It turns out that you¡¯re a rare Shaman.¡±

    The woman whose face was covered with oil paint had a solemn expression as she uttered, "Banished Immortal."

    The expressions of the two middle-aged men behind her changed suddenly, presumably because they understood what a Banished Immortal was.

    Zhang Yuelu did not show her insignia and dered, ¡°If you surrender now, I can have mercy on you, but I will leave it to Beichen Hall regarding your penance. Of course, you can also fight back, but I will kill you on the spot.¡±

    "Daoist dogs!" One of the middle-aged men shouted.

    Qi Xuansu, who was standing on the beam, was slightly startled. He did not expect that the Ancient Immortal believers had such an ¡°affectionate¡± name for people from the Daoist Order.

    Zhang Yuelu did not get angry. She just sneered, "How stubborn."

    With a coo, the female Shaman''s two strings of prayer beads on her wrist shone brightly.

    Zhang Yuelu did not dare to let her guard down, so she activated her Five Elements Qi Shield.

    Shamans were one of the lineages of the Five Immortals. In addition to their own level of cultivation, their strength was dependent on incense power. If the incense power was insufficient, Shamans would be at the bottom of the Five Lineages. But if the incense power was sufficient, they were not inferior to the Banished Immortals of the same cultivation level.

    The next moment, Zhang Yuelu left the tiger-skin throne and came to the Shaman. She stretched her hand out from her sleeve and pointed one finger.

    Qi Xuansu had long discovered that Zhang Yuelu had strange moves. He could hardly see any big movements. Her legs did not bend, and her body did not sway. Even her clothes did not budge. However, it seemed like she shrank the ground beneath her feet because she moved around at such speed and ease.

    The Shaman was prepared, pointing her index finger as well.

    As soon as their fingertips touched, the Shaman grunted slightly and drifted back more than three meters. Zhang Yuelu also shook her head and praised. ¡°You have a strong divine power, equivalent to my true essence. It¡¯s a pity that it¡¯s not used in the right way.¡±

    <i>The Five Immortals Lineage cultivated different types of energy.</i>

    <i>The Qi Refiner cultivated their innate qi, the Diviners cultivated their Thoughts, and the Martial Arts Practitioners cultivated their blood qi. Meanwhile, the Shamans condensed their divine power from incense power.</i>

    <i>In the early stages, the Banished Immortals, like the Qi Refiners and Rogue Cultivators, cultivated their breath and innate qi. However, at the Guizhen stage, Banished Immortals could condense their innate qi into a pure, true essence that could not be restrained by others. Thus, at the Heavenly Being stage, the Banished Immortals were far superior to the Qi Refiners.</i>

    At this time, Zhang Yuelu had already condensed part of her qi into true essence. Her pointed finger did not seem like much from an outsider''s perspective, but she had gathered half of the essence in her body at her fingertip. However, she never expected the Shaman to have such strong divine power. No wonder they said that Shamans could fight against the Banished Immortals with enough incense power.

    Even so, the Shaman suffered a small loss. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s body merely swayed upon contact, but the Shaman retreated by more than three meters. Both women were in the Guizhen stage, but the Shaman was ultimately inferior to Zhang Yuelu. The Shaman might end up dead if she really wanted to fight to the end.

    Therefore, the Shaman did not intend topete with Zhang Yuelu with her cultivation. She conjured a mechanical crossbow out of thin air. However, this crossbow was very strange, with nine bolts drawn simultaneously. In an instant, the nine crossbow bolts formed a fan shape and shot out at Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu avoided eight crossbow bolts and reached out to grab thest one that she could not dodge. At the same time, her Six Void Tribtions prated the bolts, neutralizing the divine power contained in them. The crossbow bolts did not explode and were no different from ordinary ones.

    However, the other eight crossbow arrows exploded and turned into ck water, with a strange stench that filled the air. It smelled like rotting corpses and dead fish. Some water droplets sshed on the walls and floor, and in a matter of seconds, the surfaces corroded. If this ck waternded on a human, a little drop was enough to rot one¡¯s flesh to the bone.

    The Daoist Order vigorously developed firearms to be invincible, but this ancient method could not be underestimated.

    There was a hint of fear on Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face. She was not afraid of getting hurt. But if such corrosive water fell on her face, the consequences would be unbearable. Thinking of this, Zhang Yuelu no longer held back and waved her sleeves. Countless white paper cranes flew out like snowkes.

    The Amorphous Paper did not take a form and could be transformed into anything. It was not just a weapon. It could be anything that the controller visualizes. In other words, if Zhang Yuelu could visualize the structure of a handgun and concentrate on it, she could even manifest a handgun with Amorphous Paper. Thus, conjuring paper cranes was a piece of cake.

    These paper cranes densely filled the space between Zhang Yuelu and the Shaman. Even if Shaman fired the crossbow, it would only hit the paper cranes.

    In the blink of an eye, the surging paper cranespletely engulfed the Shaman and attacked the two middle-aged men at the same time.

    The two apanying middle-aged men became vignt. They shouted and spread out their palms. A strong wind blew away the paper cranes, but the cranes did not fall to the ground. It flew along the wind and entered through any gaps, as if they had intelligence.

    The two men were shocked and repeatedly blocked the paper crane from getting close. However, they could not hold on for long. Wherever the paper crane touched, it left a cut on their bodies. Blood gushed out, and they grunted in pain.

    At this moment, the Shaman, who was bombarded by the paper cranes, shouted. The cranes around her trembled and turned into countless paper scraps, finally falling to the ground and merging into a piece of white paper.

    The Shaman¡¯s body was revealed through her tattered clothes. Her skin was not at all damaged. It was even emitting a faint golden light. Zhang Yuelu caught the Amorphous Paper in its original form and praised her. ¡°The Shaman¡¯s Golden Body Realm allows one¡¯s body to be indestructible and possess endless divine power. You¡¯re truly powerful.¡±

    Before she finished speaking, the Amorphous Paper in her hand turned into a longbow.

    Zhang Yuelu raised her long bow and shot out nine paper arrows in unison. Then she shot out nine more arrows at close range. The attack was dense, so there was no way for the Shaman to avoid the arrows. Zhang Yuelu also hid the Phoenix Eye Bullet in the paper arrows, which were difficult to distinguish.

    The Shaman did not n to dodge this. The beads on her wrists and ankles lit up, and her whole body was glowing in a golden light. Her hands moved forward tly, building an invisible barrier.

    The rain of arrows fell on the invisible wall and created explosions. mes spread through the temple.

    The two middle-aged men were overwhelmed with having to fend off the remaining paper cranes and dodge Zhang Yuelu¡¯s paper arrows and mes.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu held his breath, slid down the pir quietly, snuck up to the back of a middle-aged man, and aimed the Divine Dragon Pistol at the back of the man¡¯s head.

    For Qi Xuansu, the world was not a good ce. He was just a struggling pawn, constantly covered in dirt. So he had no interest in being righteous.

    As Madam Qi said, one should always choose to ambush instead of attacking head-on. This was the art of war.

    Qi Xuansu pressed down the hammer with his thumb, hooked his finger on the trigger, and pulled it lightly.

    A ball of smoke and fire exploded from the gun.

    One had to predict the projectile¡¯s trajectory in advance to dodge it. Otherwise, it would be toote.

    This middle-aged man, whose cultivation was even higher than that of Qi Xuansu, had a deep, bloody hole in the back of his head. He fell to the ground and died on the spot.

    In fact, Xiantian Beings would not die so easily under firearms. Unfortunately, Qi Xuansu used the Divine Dragon Pistol that only fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters and above owned. He also used special projectiles engraved with armor-breaking talismans. The key was his sneak attack from behind. That was how the middle-aged man died.

    The other middle-aged man was frightened and furious. He ignored the wounds he sustained from the paper cranes and charged at Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu did not have time to reload the bullets, so he put away the Divine Dragon Pistol and rushed outside the ancient temple.

    The middle-aged man¡¯s eyes were red as he chased after Qi Xuansu.

    After leaving the temple, Qi Xuansu turned around abruptly. A cold light shed in his sleeves as he ran toward the middle-aged man.

    The middle-aged man frowned and raised his left hand with his five fingers cupped. When he looked closely, he saw that it was a metal spike.

    It turned out that Qi Xuansu could not afford a flying sword, so he bought some spikes and used the Sword Controlling Technique to propel them. Although he could not make the spikes change direction because he did not practice the high-attainment Sword Steering Technique, where everything could be turned into a sword, he could still inject sword qi into the spikes to increase their lethality.

    The middle-aged man shouted. ¡°It turns out that you¡¯re only at the Kunlun stage. No wonder you chose a sneak attack. If you¡¯re so capable, fight me head-on!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re powerful enough to neutralize my sword qi with just a raise of your hand, so you¡¯re probably at the Yuxu stage. But will you be able to catch four spikes at once?¡± Qi Xuansu reached out and took the spikes from his satchel.

    With a whoosh and a wave of his hand, four spikes shot out at the middle-aged man.

    The middle-aged man snorted and stretched out his hands to catch the spikes. At the same time, he used his divine power topletely dissolve the sword qi in them. Then he used his divine power to crush the spikes in his palm, turning them into a ball of scrap metal.

 Chapter 77: Entering the Flames

    <h4>Chapter 77: Entering the mes</h4>

    Qi Xuansu seemed to be frightened by the middle-aged man¡¯s strength. He ran into the dense forest in the distance without looking back.

    This middle-aged man¡¯s name was Chu Liangwang, and he was a Deputy Altar Leader of the Lingshan Witch Cult.

    All the major secret societies, including the Lingshan Witch Cult, imitated the structure and system of the Daoist Order, with inner and outer divisions. Their Incense Leaders were equivalent to the Hall Masters, and their Altar Leaders were akin to the Daoist Mansion Masters.

    However, in terms of strength, Ancient Immortals were equivalent to the first-rank Tianzhen<i> </i>Daoist masters. The Cult Leader of the Lingshan Witch Cult was only equivalent in strength to a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master. Thus, an Incense Leader of the Lingshan Witch Cult could not defeat a Hall Master, and an Altar Leader was definitely no match for a Daoist Mansion Master.

    Therefore, although Chu Liangwang was the Deputy Altar Leader, he was only at the Yuxu stage and not as powerful as a Deputy Daoist Mansion Master like Zhao Jiaowu or a Deputy Hall Master like Zhang Yuelu.

    Chu Liangwang pursued Qi Xuansu closely, intending to kill the Daoist priest to avenge his colleague.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu shot out four more spikes. Before the spikes hit him, Chu Liangwang caught them. However, there was no sword qi in these spikes. Instead, Chu Liangwang felt a surge of heat and smelled gunpowder.

    The next moment, there was an explosion. The spikes blew up, and a thick smoke engulfed Chu Liangwang.

    Qi Xuansu stopped and turned around. ¡°It¡¯s not just spikes this time. These are the Phoenix Eye Bullets.¡±

    Knowing that the spikes were not enough to kill his opponent, Qi Xuansu used the spikes as a distraction method. Once his opponent had a preconceived idea that Qi Xuansu was only using spikes, Qi Xuansu did something unexpected and used the Phoenix Eye Bullets instead.

    The spikes were just a tactic to lure the enemy, and the Phoenix Eye Bullet was the real killing move.

    When the smoke dissipated, Chu Liangwang reappeared in front of Qi Xuansu. His clothes were in tatters, his body was charred, his hair was gone, and there was even a faint smell of burned flesh, but he was still not dead.

    This was the reason Qi Xuansu had to ambush him. It was difficult to kill a Xiantian Being with firearms if the opponent was prepared. This showed how unjustly the other middle-aged man had died.

    Of course, if Qi Xuansu had the Dragon Eye Bullet or the Phoenix Eye Bomb, he could kill them all with sheer firepower. It was a pity that these two weapons were restricted even in Tiangang Hall.

    Chu Liangwang suddenly shook off his charred skin, revealing his bloody flesh underneath. He sped his palms together as if he were holding incense and murmured, ¡°I invite the God Wu Luo to possess me.¡±

    After that, a blood-red ray of light shone from the sky and enveloped Chu Liangwang¡¯s body. An illusory statue about three meters high with a blurry human face and a bird¡¯s body appeared in front of Chu Liangwang. Although the face was blurry, it was evident that this was one of the many forms of Wu Luo that were painted on the prayer beads.

    This was the Spiritual Statue Realm of Shamans in the Yuxu stage. Shamans in this realm could conjure a Spiritual Statue to help them fight, increasing theirbat power. However, the duration of this ability was rted to their incense power, hence the disparity in thebat power of Shamans. They could fight against Banished Immortals or be at the bottom of the Five Lineages.

    After Chu Liangwang merged with the Spiritual Statue, he pped his wings and flew up, gathering strong winds. Then he charged at Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu did not just stand there and wait stupidly for his demise. Instead, he turned around and ran deep into the forest before Chu Liangwang finished his transformation.

    With enoughbat experience, although Qi Xuansu did not have a high level of cultivation, he was smart enough to judge his situation, making him a tough opponent.

    It was winter, so all the leaves had fallen, leaving only the bare tree trunks. There were no paths in the forest, and the distance between the bare trees was extremely small, good enough for Qi Xuansu to hide. He disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    Before Chu Liangwang and his group arrived at the ancient temple, Qi Xuansu had already explored the surrounding terrain, so he had a rough idea of where he should hide in the forest. Chu Liangwang had no choice but to stop flying.

    Chu Liangwang¡¯s transformed appearance was quite simr to Lingquanzi¡¯s Yellow Turban Warrior. Although he was not as agile, he was good at defense and offense. Wherever Chu Liangwang passed, he cut down the tree trunks at waist level, littering the ground with dead trees.

    After a while, Chu Liangwang could vaguely see Qi Xuansu dodging back and forth behind the trees, so he shouted, ¡°Daoist dog, where can you escape to?¡±

    Qi Xuansu jumped onto a big tree branch, turned around abruptly, and waved toward Chu Liangwang, who was rushing toward him.

    Chu Liangwang had already suffered a loss once, so he was wary and stooped low.

    But this time, Qi Xuansu faked an attack and mocked him. ¡°Do you think you can win?¡±

    Chu Liangwang grumbled, ¡°What else can you do?¡±

    Qi Xuansu took out a Phoenix Eye Bullet. ¡°Wood fuels the fire. Entering the forest is like entering a sea of mes. I wonder if you¡¯ll be able to keep yourself cool.¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Xuansu threw the Phoenix Eye Bullet that he had injected his qi into and quickly jumped back.

    Chu Liangwang waved his wings and blocked the Phoenix Eye Bullet that exploded in mid-air, but his body was struck by the shockwave.

    However, Qi Xuansu¡¯s killing move was far more than that. He had parted ways with Zhang Yuelu earlier and explored the forest for about an hour while Zhang Yuelu stayed in the ancient temple.

    During this hour, Qi Xuansu was not idle. He hid numerous Phoenix Eye Bullets in the dense forest in advance. That way, if he encountered a powerful enemy, he would lure his opponent into the dense forest. If not, he would just pick up the unused bulletster.

    If this Phoenix Eye Bullet exploded, the surrounding bullets would also explode in session. The mes engulfed the entire forest and shot into the sky. Chu Liangwang was unprepared for this and tried to fly again, but it was toote. He only felt strong heat wavesing from all directions, trying to crush him. In the blink of an eye, the Spiritual Statue in his body dimmed and flickered. His wings would be the first to bear the brunt. They turned into rays of light and dissipated.

    Since it was winter, the air was dry, and there was not a single green leaf in the dense forest, which immediately turned into a sea of ??fire with a slight spark. Another gust blew in from the northeast, fanning the mes further and lighting up half of the sky.

    Chu Liangwang was trapped in the inferno, and the already shaky Spiritual Statue of Wu Luopletely copsed. In an instant, Chu Liangwang felt like he was in eternal hell. His flesh and blood withered as the fire engulfed him.

    He had been injured by Zhang Yuelu¡¯s paper crane before this andter by Qi Xuansu¡¯s Phoenix Eye Bullet. This time, he was trapped in the raging mes.

    Qi Xuansu had already taken precautions, choosing a favorable position in advance, so he was not afraid of getting burned. After throwing out the Phoenix Eye Bullet, he leaped away from the forest.

    Although Qi Xuansu was at a disadvantage in terms of cultivation level, he could defeat his opponents by upying a favorable location and with the help of external weapons.

    On the other side, the battle between Zhang Yuelu and the female Shaman was alsoing to an end.

    At this time, the ancient temple was also set on fire. The Five Elements Qi Shield surged around Zhang Yuelu¡¯s body, making it impossible for the surrounding mes to get close to her. The Amorphous Paper in her hand turned into a long sword, and she moved extremely fast.

    The Shaman was shed in the chest by Zhang Yuelu¡¯s paper sword. Her clothes were torn apart, revealing her breasts, and the sword qi from the paper sword seeped into her body.

    Zhang Yuelu gained the upper hand with her sword and struck a series of blows. The thin paper sword was as agile as a snake. It recoiled continuously and attacked the Shaman.

    The Shaman¡¯s golden glow dimmed. She was slightly inferior to Zhang Yuelu in terms of cultivation level, to begin with. So with Zhang Yuelu¡¯s semi-immortal object, the Shaman stood no chance against the Banished Immortal.

    If she did not have the four strings of prayer beads from the Cult Leader that contained Wu Luo¡¯s divine power, she would have died at Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hands long ago.

    Seeing that the ancient temple was showing signs of copse due to the zing fire, the Shaman gritted her teeth and broke the four strings of prayer beads on her wrists and ankles, revealing her Spiritual Statue. A three-meter-tall statue in one of Wu Luo¡¯s many forms appeared. This time, it was not a bird body, but a human body with four arms. Each palm held a halo.

    The Shaman pushed her four palms, shooting four circles of light at Zhang Yuelu in an attempt to bind thetter¡¯s hands and feet.

    Zhang Yuelu refused to sit still and wait for death. The paper sword in her hand duplicated into three swords, blocking out the halos. However, one halo struck Zhang Yuelu in the waist, trapping her in ce. The halo tightened as Zhang Yuelu used her Five Elements Qi Shield to resist the force.

    Seeing this, the Shaman took advantage of this opportunity to flee. She was not a fool, and she knew that she was no match for Zhang Yuelu. If she continued to fight, she would be defeated. Although destroying the four strings of prayer beads was a heavy loss to her, it was better than losing her life or falling into the hands of the Daoist Order.

    Just as Qi Xuansu returned to the ancient temple, he bumped into the Shaman. Qi Xuansu raised his Divine Dragon Pistol without hesitation and fired at the Shaman.

    He was quite self-aware, knowing that if he did not rely on external objects for a sneak attack, he would be in a life-or-death situation if he faced off with a Guizhen-stage master. Thus, he did not care about the oue of the shot and simply fled to the side. In the blink of an eye, he hid behind the east wall of the ancient temple.

    This Shaman had the Spiritual Statue and a Golden Body protecting her, so Qi Xuansu¡¯s gun failed to hurt her. It only made her pause in her steps.

    The Shaman furiously nced at Qi Xuansu¡¯s back, but because Zhang Yuelu was about to break free from the restraints, the Shaman dared not pursue him. She took a step forward and flew into the air.

    Although only Heavenly Beings could fly, there were some exceptions. Martial Arts Practitioners could not fly even after reaching the Heavenly Being stage, but Shamans could fly for a short period after unleashing the Spiritual Statue.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu finally broke free from the restraints. When she saw that the Shaman had escaped from the ancient temple and flown off into the sky, she immediately transformed the Amorphous Paper into a long bow and shot an arrow aimed at the Shaman¡¯s heart.

    This arrow pierced the fleeing Shaman in the back of her heart. Her body shook violently, but she did not fall from the sky. Angered, she turned around with difficulty and red hatefully at the pair of ¡°Daoist dogs¡± below. Then she tried her best to control her Spiritual Statue and flew over the congration below, gradually disappearing into the glowing red sky.

 Chapter 78: Oath

    <h4>Chapter 78: Oath</h4>

    Qi Xuansu came out from behind the corner and stood in front of the burning ancient temple, looking at the Shaman¡¯s departing back.

    Zhang Yuelu transformed the longbow in her hand back into a sheet of paper and put it into her sleeves as she slowly walked out of the ancient temple. Behind her, several pirs were burned down by the fire. Without the support of the pirs, the beams fell to the ground, and the entire ancient temple copsed.

    ¡°What a witch.¡± Qi Xuansumented.

    Zhang Yuelu nced at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I remember once during my master''s drunken talk, he mentioned that there were four types of women who could enchant men¡ªheroines, fairies, witches, and she-devils.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s tone suddenly became softer. ¡°And which category do I belong to?¡±

    Qi Xuansu said casually, ¡°You¡¯re nothing¡ª¡±

    That was when Zhang Yuelu kicked him in the crook of the leg, making him fall to one knee.

    Qi Xuansu stood up as if nothing had happened, patted the dust on his knee, and coughed lightly. ¡°You didn¡¯t let me finish! What I mean is that you¡¯re truly nothing like I¡¯ve ever seen or heard of before, because you have only the strengths of those four types of women. You¡¯re a unique entity on your own.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so ttered by your high praise.¡± Zhang Yuelu snorted and rolled her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth! In fact, I¡¯m not interested in those women. I just suddenly thought of my master¡¯s words and felt sentimental.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°I think you need to be mentally stronger. Otherwise, how can you join me in reforming the Daoist Order in the future?¡±

    Qi Xuansu turned around abruptly and looked at Zhang Yuelu. ¡°Reform the Daoist Order?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhang Yuelu nodded.

    Qi Xuansu blinked. ¡°When have I ever made this oath?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu stared at Qi Xuansu. ¡°Just now. Do you have any objections?¡±

    ¡°No...¡± Qi Xuansu dared not refuse under Zhang Yuelu¡¯s sharp gaze.

    Zhang Yuelu suddenlyughed. ¡°I¡¯m just joking. Don¡¯t take it seriously.¡±

    Qi Xuansu dered, ¡°Although it¡¯s a joke, you can use me whenever you like. There¡¯s no need to be polite with me.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was startled. After a while, she slowly nodded and murmured, ¡°Alright.¡±

    Her expression turned solemn. ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business. Have you dealt with the other two?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Cleared.¡±

    ¡°Cleared¡± was street ng for killed. Qi Xuansu was weaker than the two other middle-aged men, but he managed to beat the odds and kill his opponents.

    Zhang Yuelu could not help but size him up and praise him. ¡°Tian Yuan, I knew you had potential. You killed two Yuxu-stage masters in a row when you¡¯re only in the<i> </i>Kunlun stage. That''s impressive!¡±

    Having said this, Zhang Yuelu felt a little ashamed. ¡°On the other hand, I was so confident, but that witch managed to escape. I¡¯m really ashamed of myself.¡±

    Qi Xuansuforted her. ¡°Victory and defeat aremon in battle. Why are you not allowed to let a weaker opponent escape when I could go against the odds and defeat opponents stronger than me? Nothing is absolute. The key to winning lies in striking at the right opportunity. Fighting in the real world is very much like fighting on the battlefield. All is fair in war.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said thoughtfully, ¡°You''re right. I used to rely solely on my cultivation level to win over others, so I amcking in strategy. There is a Confucian saying that there is something to be learned from everyone. It seems that there are still more things I need to learn from you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about sharing experiences and resources.¡± Qi Xuansu was very modest. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the Phoenix Eye Bullets and the Divine Dragon Pistol you gave me, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to win so easily. If we consider external objects as part of our strength, I wasn¡¯t inferior to those two.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu remembered something. ¡°By the way, since you killed two witches in the Yuxu stage, you can get two Huang merits. Three Huang merits equal one Xuan merit. One Xuan merit and three years of excellent evaluation, or three Xuan merits alone, will allow you to be promoted to the fifth rank.¡±

    In fact, Qi Xuansu had acquired a Xuan merit by killing Desmond. It was with this Xuan merit that he was sessfully promoted to a sixth-rank apprentice mage.

    Qi Xuansu nced at the burning ancient temple and then at the dense forest that had turned into a sea of mes, momentarily speechless.

    Zhang Yuelu suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s wait by the river. When the fire dies down, we¡¯ll go in and search for things that can prove those cultists'' identities. Then, I can ask the Hall Master for credit on your behalf when we return to Jade Capital.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said sincerely, ¡°I¡¯m so lucky to have a boss like you, Qing Xiao.¡±

    ¡°No need to tter me.¡± Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes at him and walked toward the river first.

    ¡°But you just said earlier that you wanted to be ttered. Do you want me to tter you or not?¡± Qi Xuansu followed Zhang Yuelu and chuckled.

    Zhang Yuelu just pretended not to hear him.

    The two came to the riverside and stood shoulder to shoulder as they watched the zing fire engulf the sky. Fortunately, the area was mostly snow-capped mountains, so the snow prevented the fire from spreading into a monstrous inferno.

    Zhang Yuelu put her hands behind her back and stared into the mes, looking deep in thought. Qi Xuansu lowered his gaze, also in a pensive mood.

    They waited until dawn, when the fire gradually subsided.

    Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu returned to the ancient temple together. At this time, only some ruins of the ancient temple were left. Zhang Yuelu waved her sleeves and swept away the ashes with her qi, revealing the charred corpse below the rubble.

    There were many corpses, but most of them belonged to the bandits. Qi Xuansu relied on his excellent memory to find the location of the Yuxu-stage man he had shot from the back. He found a string of prayer beads with the images of Wu Luo on that corpse.

    Speaking of which, this man died unjustly because he was a Shaman in the Spiritual Statue Realm of the Yuxu stage. He was only one step away from being in the Golden Body Realm of the Guizhen stage. Therefore, without invoking the Spiritual Statue, his body was fragile. That was how he died from a mere gunshot.

    This was a shoring of the Shaman lineage. Before achieving the Golden Body Realm, they could be powerful in a fight if they were prepared, but if they were ambushed, they were easy targets. This was just the opposite of Martial Arts Practitioners, who were not afraid of sneak attacks. That was because Martial Arts Practitioners had strong bodies, so it made no difference whether they were deliberately defending themselves or not.

    Since the man died before he could summon the Spiritual Statue, his prayer beads, which were not damaged by the fire, still had divine power in them.

    The prayer beads worn by the two women who attacked Zhang Yuelu earlier were made of wood, while the beads worn by the leaders were made of bone.

    Qi Xuansu went to the charred forest. Unfortunately, Chu Liangwang had exhausted all his divine power before dying. Thus, his body and the prayer beads turned into ashes in the fire, leaving only some bone fragments.

    This also meant that Qi Xuansu¡¯s two Huang merits were reduced by one. After all, the Daoist Order required evidence when asking for merit.

    It was simr to the way military merit was judged based on beheading the enemy to prove the enemy¡¯s rank. The head of the enemy would be checked to prevent wrongful killing or substitute killing just so soldiers could im merit. In the Daoist Order, decapitation was not required, but relevant tokens of identity were needed.

    In this case, it was the prayer beads worn by the members of the Lingshan Witch Cult. These tokens also had to be of a certain grade, at least made of bone.

    Since the prayer beads were destroyed, Qi Xuansu could not im credit for that kill. Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu could not help but feel a little disappointed. He had taken a big risk and spent so much effort killing those two cult members, but it turned out to be in vain.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu handed a string of beads to Qi Xuansu.

    Startled, Qi Xuansu took the beads and asked, ¡°Where did thise from?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu smiled at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember Boss You? He¡¯s also a member of the Lingshan Witch Cult. I searched his body and found these.¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head and said, ¡°But you killed him. How can I steal your credit?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu retorted, ¡°You killed two cult members, so how can I, as your boss, let you im only one credit?¡±

    Qi Xuansu wanted to speak, but Zhang Yuelu interjected. ¡°Do you want me to ask for credit for myself? I can¡¯t do it, so just take it for yourself. Don¡¯t be so mawkish.¡±

    When Qi Xuansu heard this, he stopped being pretentious and epted this string of prayer beads. Together with the other one, he could im two Huang merits.

    Zhang Yuelu patted the ashes from her hands and said, ¡°Although we have killed several cult members, we still don¡¯t know what their motives were for decapitating that man. Was it for money? Revenge? Or was this person chosen as a sacrifice because he had a special destiny?¡±

    Qi Xuansu remarked, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have thought of the third possibility.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°This is just based on my experience in the Daoist Order. Of course, it¡¯s not just a random thought.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered for a while. ¡°In that case, do you think it¡¯s the third possibility?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely.¡± Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°As long as we can find the victim¡¯s family and find out his birth date, we can confirm whether my guess is right or wrong.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°How do we find his family?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu looked at the charred head of the victim and said, ¡°I¡¯ll use the Divine Observation Technique.¡±

    A purple energy shed in her eyes. She took out a piece of cloth from her magical receptacle and signaled for Qi Xuansu to wrap the head.

    After Qi Xuansu put away the head, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes were filled with purple energy again. A colored stream, only visible to her, extended into the distance.

    Zhang Yuelu took a step and leaped forward. Qi Xuansu took out the Jiamas, lifted the hem of his robe, tied one Jiama to each leg, and then chanted a mantra before he could keep up with Zhang Yuelu.

    The two of them followed this stream for about 250 kilometers until a mountain city appeared in their sight.

 Chapter 79: Yishan City

    <h4>Chapter 79: Yishan City</h4>

    The mountain city was called Yishan City, located at the junction of Qinzhou, Shuzhou, and Liangzhou. In ancient times, it was called the Eastern Woman Kingdom. The Great Xuan Dynasty then established a county here and ced it under the jurisdiction of the Yongzhou Commissioner¡¯s Office. Yishan City also fell under the jurisdiction of the Kunlun Daoist Mansion.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were not in a hurry to enter the city.

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°Although this is a big city, it won¡¯t be difficult to find the victim. All we need to do is ask about any murders that may have urred in the city recently. But most of these murders will be handled by the local government, which can be a bit troublesome.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Is there no Daoist temple here?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°Although this city is under the jurisdiction of Kunlun Daoist Mansion, since it¡¯s located on the Buddha¡¯s Path, the majority of people here are Buddhists. That¡¯s why the Daoist Order only set up a Daoist temple outside Yishan City to serve as a post station and rest stop for Daoist travelers. The Daoist temple here has no responsibility to catch demons. If I remember correctly, there are probably no more than five Daoist priests stationed here.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked again, ¡°How is the rtionship between Tiangang Hall and the Green Phoenix Guards?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu shook her head and sighed. ¡°Not great. Among the three major Daoist sects, the Taiping Sect has the closest rtionship with the Imperial Court. After the position of Grand Master became vacant, the Nine Halls¡ªoriginally directly subordinate to the Grand Master¡ªeach had allegiance to different Deputy Grand Masters. From that standpoint, Tiangang Hall supports the Zhengyi Sect. Now, there are political undercurrents among the three major sects.¡±

    Qi Xuansu understood. ¡°In other words, unless it is absolutely necessary, it¡¯s best for us not to interact with the Green Phoenix Guards, right?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Are we supposed to knock on every door in the city, then?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Zhang Yuelu pondered and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we try divination?¡±

    Qi Xuansu suddenly remembered that Rogue Cultivators could learn the Divine Calction Technique. As a superior version of the Rogue Cultivators, Banished Immortals could learn the Purple Star Astrology, which was the best divination technique.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea!¡± Qi Xuansu agreed.

    Zhang Yuelu asked Qi Xuansu to ce the head he carried with him on the ground. She used the victim¡¯s head as a medium and drew hexagrams ording to a form. The reason Purple Star Astrology was considered the best divination technique was because its hexagrams were the simplest and clearest to understand, eliminating the need to guess any deeper meaning.

    Suddenly, a mirage appeared in front of them, ethereal and blurry, as countless fleeting images shed through it. Gradually, the mirage became clearer as the images slowed down.

    After a moment, the image settled on arge house with a in interior and exterior. Although there was no sounding from the projection, they could see women crying and some monks reciting sutras for salvation.

    Qi Xuansu was a little surprised by this. ¡°The murder happened yesterday, but they are already holding a funeral today?¡±

    At this moment, the image became distorted and dissipated like a reflection on the surface of stirred water. When the surface settled again, it showed another blurry scene.

    In a dark morgue, three Green Phoenix Guards dressed in green uniforms were talking in a low voice. The three guards covered their mouths and noses with animal-shaped masks, only exposing their eyes. They wore blood-stained aprons and gloves that reached the elbow. Lying on a stone tform not far from the guards was a headless corpse that had been disemboweled.

    This was the scene of an autopsy, and that headless corpse was most likely the victim.

    Qi Xuansu remarked, ¡°This is strange. There is a funeral going on over there, but the autopsy is happening elsewhere. Are they not burying the body and only burying the victim¡¯s personal belongings?¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, the scene changed again, showing arge stone hall with a Western-style chandelier hanging above. A human-height Eastern-style candleholder withyers of white candles illuminated a six-armed female statue.

    In front of the statue, more than ten people stood in a circle, including Confucian schrs, Daoist priests in hechangs, monks with shaved heads, and officials in court robes. The female Shaman, who had escaped from the ancient temple under Zhang Yuelu''s nose, was also among them. The most eye-catching person, however, was a tall figure wrapped in a cloak.

    Many others were standing around these ten people, including Chu Liangwang, You Leifu, and the man who was recently shot dead by Qi Xuansu at the ancient temple.

    The identity of this group of people was self-evident. They were members of the Lingshan Witch Cult. However, aside from the four people Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu had met, the faces of the other cult members were blurred. Qi Xuansu wondered if Zhang Yuelu¡¯s Purple Star Astrology wascking or if something fishy was going on.

    Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu were both focused on the image.

    Purple Star Astrology was more intuitive than the Diviner¡¯s Earth Qi Recalling Technique. However, there were also disadvantages. The earth¡¯s energy would not lie and would faithfully record everything. Therefore, the only way to prevent Diviners from recalling past events was topletely disrupt the earth¡¯s energy by destroying the terrain.

    On the other hand, the mirage from Purple Star Astrology could be tempered if someone at a higher cultivation level wanted to mislead the spellcaster. In other words, Purple Star Astrology could also be deceptive and should not be taken at the surface level.

    Soon, the mirage slowly dissipated, leaving only the charred head that was burned beyond recognition on the ground.

    Qi Xuansu looked at Zhang Yuelu and asked, ¡°This matter seems moreplicated than we expected. What should we do next?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said thoughtfully, ¡°I have a hunch that this case is probably not an isted one. For now, we can start with investigating the victim¡¯s family.¡±

    Qi Xuansu disapproved of the n. ¡°Based on my experience, the Green Phoenix Guards will be keeping an eye on the victim¡¯s family because some murderers like to return to the ce they killed to observe the reaction of the authorities. If we appear at their door rashly at this time, carrying the victim¡¯s head with us, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll be regarded as members of the Lingshan Witch Cult instead. If that happens, we will either have to fight the Green Phoenix Guard head-on or reveal our identities to exin our purpose.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not take this into consideration. She nodded. ¡°What you said makes sense. I didn¡¯t think it through.¡±

    Qi Xuansu added, ¡°One more thing. As you mentioned, this isn¡¯t an isted case. If so, the local government will probably escte it to the higher-ups. This case could have already gotten the attention of the Lieutenant Colonel in the region.¡±

    The lower-sixth-rank Assistant Major, upper-sixth-rank Major, lower-fifth-rank Senior Major, and upper-fifth-rank Lieutenant Colonel were all considered high-ranking officials among the Green Phoenix Guards. A Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s status was roughly equivalent to that of a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master like Zhang Yuelu, who held a position of power.

    Zhang Yuelu had a headache. She did not want to get involved with the Green Phoenix Guard during her time off, especially not with a Lieutenant Colonel.

    On the other hand, Qi Xuansu did not want to deal with any of the Green Phoenix Guards. After all, he had killed numerous guards in Fengtai County just a few months ago.

    The two of them looked at each other, bothcking ideas at the moment.

    In the end, Zhang Yuelu simply gave up. ¡°Never mind. Let¡¯s just go into the city and take it one step at a time.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s our only choice.¡± Qi Xuansu nodded, then turned to look in the direction of Yishan City. He could vaguely see a few connected buildings, which should be the Daoist temple Zhang Yuelu mentioned.

    ......

    Qingbai Temple was located outside Yishan City. Since it was built outside the city, thend was not valuable, so it upied arge area. It was arge temple in terms of size, but it was a small temple in terms of the number of staff. There were only four official members in this Daoist temple, namely, the abbot, the abbot¡¯s wife, and two disciples. The rest were Daoist believers who maintained the daily operations.

    Due to the poprity of Buddhism in Yishan City, there was almost no one offering incense at this Daoist temple. Since this city was located on Buddha¡¯s Path, Daoist believers generally would not pass by this ce. Thus, it was deserted.

    The master of the Qingbai Temple was called Bai Yongguan, a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master. In his early years, he had offended a Sage in the Ancestral Court. As punishment, he was demoted and sent to this remote temple for the past ten years.

    Bai Yongguan saw that there was no hope of returning to Jade Capital, and there was nothing to do around here, so he devoted his love to nature. He would hike the mountains and explore the region whenever he had time, often wandering around for months.

    Thus, only the abbot¡¯s wife and his two disciples were left in this huge Daoist temple. After nightfall, the ce was pitch ck and particrly eerie. Bai Yongguan was in his prime when he was transferred to Qingbai Temple. Ten years passed in the blink of an eye, and he was already in his fifties.

    His wife, Li Zhen¡¯er, was in her twenties when she married Bai Yongguan, so she was only in her thirties at the moment. Moreover, the Daoist Order had Anti-Aging Techniques, so she still looked as charming as ever.

    The abbot and his wife spent less time together and more time apart. It was evident that they did not have a harmonious marriage.

    As for the two disciples, the senior sister was Bai Yue, and the junior brother was Lu Yu. Both of them were in their twenties and were only eighth-rank Daoist priests, the same position as Qi Xuansu in the past.

    Bai Yue and Lu Yu had just left the Wanxiang Daoist Pce when they were selected as Bai Yongguan¡¯s disciples. It was supposed to be a good thing to be epted as a disciple by a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, but they did not expect Bai Yongguan to be demoted. Thus, as his disciples, they were also implicated and had to leave Jade Capital.

    It was not difficult to transfer from the Ancestral Court to a local Daoist mansion or temple, but it was never an easy feat to transfer from the local Daoist offices to the Ancestral Court.

    Xu Kou was only able to transfer from the Qizhou Daoist Mansion to Tiangang Hall because of Sage Qingwei''s rmendation. As for Qi Xuansu, it was because of the Qingping Society¡¯s connections. Without their intervention, Qi Xuansu would never have had the opportunity to get into Tiangang Hall. That was why Madam Qi regarded this opportunity as a reward.

    As for Mu Jin and the others, they were originally serving in the Ancestral Court and were merely rotating roles between the Nine Halls. That was why Zhang Yuelu regarded them as flowerbed Daoist priests.

    The benefits of being transferred to the Ancestral Court were obvious. There were more opportunities, broader prospects, and apletely different league of people to interact with.

    Qi Xuansu was promoted from the seventh to the sixth rank in less than half a year, and his ie increased significantly. More importantly, he was favored by Zhang Yuelu and even gained the attention of the Hall Master. If Qi Xuansu were working in a local Daoist office, he would never have achieved so much in such a short time.

    Most often, one¡¯s starting point would determine their end goal. The seventh-rank Daoist priests in the local Daoist mansions would struggle their whole lives for a fourth-rank position, while most of the seventh-rank Daoist priests in the Nine Halls were guaranteed a fourth-rank position before they grew old. The size of the tform was far more important than one¡¯s capabilities.

    Under such circumstances, one could imagine how miserable the staff at Qingbai Temple felt. Their hope of ever returning to Jade Capital was bleak.

 Chapter 80: Undercurrent (I)

    <h4>Chapter 80: Undercurrent (I)</h4>

    A boat was floating down the rapid waters on the Tongtian River. Suddenly, the boat rocked from a huge wave, making it seem like it would capsize at any time.

    Even in the winter, the water in this river was not frozen. It should have been the dry season, so the water should be calmer than in the summer. Thus, it was unusual to encounter such strong waves.

    On the other hand, an intricately woven model grass boat with sails and masts was floating in a basin of clear water. A pale finger slowly reached into the water, stirring it to create a vortex in the basin. As a result, the model boat slid uncontrobly into the whirlpool.

    At the same time, a huge whirlpool appeared on the Tongtian River out of nowhere. The water also became increasingly rough.

    A tall figure emerged from the cabin and stood on the boat¡¯s deck, staring at the huge whirlpool with a calm expression.

    Although this person was in casual attire, a small pendant hanging on his waist with the engraved and gilded words¡ªSouthern Military Commission¡ªgave off his identity.

    <i>Emperor Gaozu of the Great Xuan Dynasty abolished the Five Armies Commander Office, only retaining the Green Phoenix Guard of the previous Wei dynasty. Therefore, the Green Phoenix Guard still implemented the military household system established by Emperor Taizu of the Wei Dynasty and kept the Military Commission that was responsible for internal audits.</i>

    <i>Later, Emperor Taizong divided the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s Military Commission into two. The Southern Military Commission was responsible for punishments within the Green Phoenix Guard, while the Northern Military Commission was responsible for the cases designated by the Emperor. Their arrest, interrogation, and execution did not need to go through ordinary judicial institutions.</i>

    <i>Since the previous dynasty, the major cases that emperors personally handled were often handed over to the Northern Military Commission without going through the Ministry of Justice.</i>

    <i>Due to this, both politicians and the public feared the Northern Military Commission. The Green Phoenix Guard that the public referred to was actually the Northern Military Commission. In most cases, the Chief Military Commissioner reported directly to the Emperor. Even the Lord Commander of the Green Phoenix Guard was not allowed to interfere.</i>

    <i>Inparison with the reputation of the Northern Military Commission, the Southern Military Commission was inevitably a littleckluster.</i>

    <i>However, for the Green Phoenix Guards, the Northern Military Commission only dealt with the public and had no control over internal affairs, so the guards did not fear them. On the other hand, the Southern Military Commission was in charge of internal affairs. Many of the Green Phoenix Guard''s ¡°house rules¡± came from the Southern Military Commission, which was the real horror.</i>

    <i>When Xu Kou wanted to leave the Green Phoenix Guards, he was hunted down by the guards from the Southern Military Commission. Xu Kou only managed to escape death due to Sage Qingwei¡¯s interference and the close rtionship between the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court.</i>

    The person on the deck was from the Southern Military Commission, which was even more mysterious than the Northern Military Commission.

    The boatman was a member of the Green Phoenix Guard who had changed into civilian clothes. When he saw his leadering out of the cabin, he immediately approached and said, ¡°Sir, the wind and waves are too strong. It¡¯s suspicious¡ª¡±

    Before he finished speaking, a wave of water sshed onto the boat, almost getting the cotton robe of the Green Phoenix Guard leader wet.

    The leader looked at the approaching whirlpool with a calm expression. ¡°There is indeed something fishy about Yishan City. I wanted to visit in disguise, but I didn¡¯t expect someone to spy on my whereabouts before I could get to the gates of Yishan City. They even try to deter me with such tricks. I¡¯m truly ttered.¡±

    The subordinate asked, ¡°Sir, should we dock the boat?¡±

    The leader of the Green Phoenix Guard shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t stop. Keep moving forward. I want to see if these people will dare bury me, an envoy of the Imperial Court, in this river today.¡±

    The subordinate, dressed as a boatman, had no choice but to oblige and continue sailing forward.

    The pale finger stopped stirring the water in the basin. Instead, it gently rocked the model boat until it almost capsized. When the boat was about to tip over, it was righted again. After a while, the pale person grew a little impatient and suddenly crushed the grass boat.

    On the surging Tongtian River, shocking dents and cracks appeared on the hull of the boat. Then, the boat broke into two pieces and sank to the bottom of the river.

    After all was done, the pale person flung away some water droplets and rolled up their sleeves. The basin of water had disappeared without a trace.

    ......

    Qingbai Temple.

    The abbot, Bai Yongguan, went out to visit some friends. The two disciples, Bai Yue and Lu Yu, were waiting for their master¡¯s wife to have lunch together.

    After a while, the abbot¡¯s wife came btedly, bringing with her a waft of fragrance. Lu Yu, seated on the side, had a strange expression on his face. He subconsciously turned to look at his master¡¯s wife, Li Zhen¡¯er, who was also staring back at him at this time. When their eyes met, Li Zhen¡¯er winked at him with a seductive gaze. However, this moment was fleeting and illusory.

    They broke eye contact before Bai Yue looked over, so all thetter saw was her master¡¯s wife sitting properly at the table. Her junior brother, Lu Yu, was also sitting upright and keeping his eyes to himself. Bai Yue could not see anything wrong between them.

    The atmosphere in the room was awkward. Since their master, Bai Yongguan, was absent, no one spoke.

    Li Zhener did not have much appetite. She only ate less than half of a bowl of rice before leaving the table. Only the disciples remained seated at the table.

    Lu Yu asked casually, ¡°Senior sister, I have to go into the city today to run some errands. Do you need me to get anything from there?¡±

    Bai Yue put down the bowl in her hand and thought about it seriously. ¡°Buy me a box of rouge.¡±

    ¡°There are only three of us in this Qingbai Temple. Who are you dressing up for?¡± Lu Yu joked.

    Bai Yue rolled her eyes at him, said nothing, and continued eating.

    After lunch, Lu Yu changed into casual attire, left Qingbai Temple, and headed to Yishan City.

    Yishan City was not prosperous, but it was well-equipped with everything, including inns and restaurants.

    Most inns in Yishan City were not the two-story buildings that many people were ustomed to. Instead, the inns in Yishan City upied arge area and were divided into small, independent courtyards.

    Since Yishan City was located on Buddha¡¯s Path, there were a lot of travelers, so the inn had good business.

    After Lu Yu entered the city, he went straight to the inn and asked for a secluded courtyard with two guest rooms and a small main hall. He also bought some wine and food and asked the waiter to deliver them to the main hall.

    Then he dismissed the waiter and ordered, ¡°Don¡¯te over unless I call for you. You cane back tomorrow to collect the dishes and clean up.¡±

    After the waiter left, Lu Yu bolted the courtyard door. However, he did not touch the food, seemingly waiting for someone.

    About an hourter, someone in a veiled hat floated over the courtyard''s wall and entered the courtyard. The veiled hat had a wide brim and was made of white gauze or silk that draped along the edges, used to cover the face. The longest veil could reach one''s feet. Inter generations, the veil around the hat was shortened to reveal half of the chin. This allowed for shallow exposure, which was popr for women when leaving the house.

    The veiled hat that the woman wore was old-fashioned and hung down to her waist. It was different from the shallow-exposure style that was the current popr trend.

    Through the white gauze hanging from the veiled hat, the woman¡¯s graceful figure could be seen.

    After Lu Yu saw her, he took the initiative to greet her in a low voice, ¡°Master-mother, you didn¡¯t eat just now. So I¡¯ve prepared some more food and wine for you.¡±

    The woman took off her veiled hat. She was the abbot¡¯s wife, Li Zhen¡¯er.

    However, at this time, she no longer looked proper and dignified. She was sultry and charming.

    Lu Yu stretched out his hand to hold his master¡¯s wife.

    Li Zhen¡¯er was in her thirties and certainly did not need help to walk. But she just nced at Lu Yu coquettishly and leaned her body on him.

    Lu Yu helped his master¡¯s wife into the main hall, and the two sat side by side. Li Zhen¡¯er¡¯s voluptuous figure was on full disy under her gauze dress. Although Lu Yu sat still, he had already seen things he should not have. At this time, a faint fragrance filled his nostrils, making him a little dizzy.

    To be fair, Li Zhen¡¯er was a rare beauty. Even though she was over thirty, she looked to be in her twenties, with soft skin, bright eyes, and white teeth. Her body was supple, and she swayed her hips when she walked. She had the charm of a mature woman, so anyone who saw her always praised her as a beauty.

    Li Zhen¡¯er filled two sses of wine and handed one to Lu Yu. She picked up the other ss and linked arms with him to drink.

    After drinking a ss of wine, Li Zhen¡¯er pretended to be drunk and leaned into Lu Yu¡¯s embrace.

    Lu Yu took the hint and could not wait to pick her up. He quickly carried her into the room at the back.

    Her body was so soft, as if she did not have any bones. She wrapped her fair and slender arms around his neck, raised her pretty face, and squinted her enchanting eyes.

    Lu Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he could not help but lower his head to kiss her.

    At the same time, an elderly Daoist priest happened to pass by the inn. The priest stopped for a moment in front of the courtyard''s door before leaving expressionlessly.

    About two hourster, Li Zhen¡¯er put on her veiled hat again and left the inn first.

    Lu Yu stayed for another hour before leaving. As soon as he left, he saw a young man and woman walking toward him, both wearing matching cloaks with hoods.

    He was startled because he recognized this cloak from a unique clothing shop in Jade Capital, even though he had left Jade Capital for nearly ten years.

    Lu Yu thought, <i>What are these two Daoist priests from Jade Capital doing here?</i>

    Thinking of this, Lu Yu could not help but take another look. The woman had nothing noteworthy, but the man¡¯s waist was slightly bulging, probably carrying weapons. He also had a bundle in hand.

    At this moment, the man seemed to realize Lu Yu¡¯s gaze and turned toward him.

    Lu Yu quickly looked away and coughed slightly. Then he lowered his head and left the inn, heading toward the rouge shop. He still remembered that his senior sister, Bai Yue, had asked him to buy her a box of rouge.

    Qi Xuansu looked at Lu Yu¡¯s scurrying figure and asked, ¡°Qing Xiao, that man looks like a Daoist disciple, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he probably is.¡± Zhang Yuelu nodded.

 Chapter 81: Undercurrent (II)

    <h4>Chapter 81: Undercurrent (II)</h4>

    The Green Phoenix Guard Major¡¯s Office in Yishan City spanned an area of ??more than 7,000 square meters. It was equipped with a main hall, a side hall, a residential area, a detention room, and a prison in the back.

    The upper-sixth-rank major, Luo Xiao, was sitting behind an office desk.

    Luo Xiao was about 30 years old. He was a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Yuxu stage, so he emitted a scorching aura just sitting there.

    Next to him was an old man who looked distressed. His name was He Nian, the local assistant major. He was an experienced senior familiar with all work matters in this office, so he was an indispensable assistant to the major.

    After listening to He Nian¡¯s report, Luo Xiao remarked, ¡°This looks somewhat simr to the tragedy in February this year.¡±

    He Nian nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. I think they are the same group of people.¡±

    Luo Xiao asked, ¡°Where do you think these perpetratorse from?¡±

    He Nian muttered, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. I have personally examined the corpse. I think the victim was decapitated after his death. There were no scars on the headless corpse, and the victim was not poisoned. As ast resort, I cut the corpse open. That was when I found the cause of death. It turned out that he was killed by a palm strike, which shattered his heart without leaving any external scars. This method is popr among martial artists and traveling swordsmen, so it¡¯s difficult to trace the origins of the perpetrator.¡±

    Luo Xiao snorted. ¡°Swordsmen and martial artists? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s so simple.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, sir?¡±

    Luo Xiao whispered, ¡°Could it be a powerful dragon crossing the river?¡±

    He Nian pondered. ¡°If it was done by foreign gangsters, it would be for either money or revenge. This victim didn¡¯t lose any money. As for revenge, it¡¯s hard to investigate now that the victim is dead. Moreover, some vengeance stays silent without surfacing until decadester, making it more difficult to detect. Sometimes even the deceased might not be aware of it.¡±

    ¡°Then there is only one possibility. This case involves secret societies.¡± Luo Xiao¡¯s tone was a little grim. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the Daoist Order does. They suppress the secret societies year upon year, but these secret societies still run rampant.¡±

    He Nian whispered, ¡°Sir, please choose your words wisely.¡±

    ¡°When will the Lieutenant Colonel arrive? ording to the schedule, he should be here soon, right?¡± Luo Xiao changed the subject.

    He Nian responded in a solemn tone. ¡°ording to my sources, the imperial envoy sent by the Southern Military Commission has arrived in our region. I¡¯m afraid that the Lieutenant Colonel will be busy dealing with the imperial envoy and won¡¯t have time to care about this case for the time being.¡±

    Luo Xiao¡¯s expression changed slightly.

    He Nian added, ¡°I heard from an old contact in the Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office that the imperial envoy disappeared just after leaving Xizhou. The people who were supposed to receive the envoy waited in vain for several days. I wonder if the envoy is nning to travel in disguise.¡±

    After a moment of silence, Luo Xiao spoke. ¡°If the imperial envoy ising from Xizhou, he will probably go down the Tongtian River.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± He Nian concurred.

    Luo Xiao ordered, ¡°Let¡¯s dispatch some people to squat around the city in casual clothes. Get them to pay special attention to any unfamiliar faces inquiring about information in the city, and report back to me.¡±

    He Nian smiled bitterly. ¡°Even if we find traces of the imperial envoy, we can¡¯t do anything about them.¡±

    Luo Xiao sighed. ¡°It¡¯s better than doing nothing. At least we know what¡¯s going on so we won¡¯t be caught off guard by the imperial envoy.¡±

    He Nian obliged and went to make the arrangements.

    Luo Xiao got up and came to the door of his office. He watched the old man¡¯s departing figure and looked up at the sky. The dark clouds overhead were a sign of an impending snowstorm.

    Like the weather, his already bad mood suddenly became even gloomier.

    ......

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu went to a restaurant and asked for a window seat on the second floor.

    Zhang Yuelu asked for a pot of wine and poured it herself. She maintained herposure even when Qi Xuansu casually put aside the bundle containing the victim¡¯s head.

    Although drinking alcohol was harmful to the body, it was not a big deal at Zhang Yuelu¡¯s level of cultivation. Zhang Yuelu was not an alcoholic. At least, in normal times, Qi Xuansu had never seen her drinking. She would only have a few drinks in private or when necessary.

    Qi Xuansu did not drink with her, nor was he eager to inquire about the victim. He just scanned the room discreetly.

    Zhang Yuelu put down her wine ss and asked in a low voice, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask the owner or the waiter of the restaurant?¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head and said, ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with this ce.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhang Yuelu asked. She knew that she did not have as much experience in the real world as Qi Xuansu did, so she was willing to listen to him regarding this matter.

    Qi Xuansu said softly, ¡°Have you noticed the few people sitting near the door in the lobby on the first floor? Although those people were wearing casual clothes, they had broad shoulders, long legs, and cold expressions. It¡¯s easy to tell at first nce that they are the Green Phoenix Guards.¡±

    Although Zhang Yuelu had a high level of cultivation, she would not pay attention to a few guests for no apparent reason. Hearing this, she recalled seeing those people. ¡°Right, I recall now. How do you know they are the Green Phoenix Guards?¡±

    Qi Xuansu chuckled. ¡°When I was traveling alone in the past, I was not representing any authority. To me, the Green Phoenix Guard was the authority, so I needed a way to distinguish them to avoid offending them. The Green Phoenix Guard has a standard rule when picking personnel. For ease of remembering, I look out for tiger arms, a wasp waist, and mantis legs. As long as these conditions are met, it¡¯s almost certain that they are from the Green Phoenix Guard.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was puzzled. ¡°What do you mean by tiger arms, a wasp waist, and mantis legs?¡±

    Qi Xuansu exined, ¡°Tiger arms mean that they haverge arms and wide shoulders, almost double that of ordinary people. The width tapers from the shoulders to their lean waist, resembling a wasp because of the inverted triangle shape it creates. They also have long legs, like a mantis. These guards are also lean and strong without a trace of fat.¡±

    ¡°No wonder you mentioned those people have broad shoulders, long legs, and cold expressions. So that¡¯s how you determine their identities as Green Phoenix Guards.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. With their presence, even if they don¡¯t say or do anything, the restaurant owner won¡¯t reveal any information to us.¡±

    ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve learned a lot.¡± Zhang Yuelu said with admiration, ¡°You really are experienced!¡±

    Qi Xuansu waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I don¡¯t know anything about the Ancient Immortals either, so we can learn something from each other.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°In that case, how should we inquire about the information? Judging from the results of the divination, there is probably something fishy about this Yishan City.¡±

    Qi Xuansu thought of the Ancient Immortal believers he had seen through the Purple Star Astrology and said with a heavy heart, ¡°There are a total of seven people in front of the six-armed statue, and the Shaman who escaped from your grasp is just one of the seven. This time, we''re alone. We don¡¯t have Arthur, Superintendent Lingquan, or the 40 Tiangang Hall disciples to help us. Can we really stop them?¡±

    ¡°I shot that Shaman with the Amorphous Paper arrow. Since it¡¯s a semi-immortal object, she will need at least a few months to recuperate. So we don¡¯t have to worry about her. The remaining six people should be at the same cultivation level as her, so I can deal with two of them with my semi-immortal object. Moreover, the Green Phoenix Guard Major¡¯s Office is in Yishan City, and there is a Daoist temple right outside the city. We won''t be fighting alone.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered for a moment. ¡°Can¡¯t we inform the Ancestral Court or the Kunlun Daoist Mansion?¡±

    ¡°We can.¡± Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°But there are some considerations.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Zhang Yuelu sighed. ¡°There are three main things to consider. First, it will take a while for us to report this to the Ancestral Court, wait for them toe to a decision, and dispatch personnel.

    ¡°Secondly, these Ancient Immortal believers are very cunning. Once there is any sign of trouble, they will scatter and flee immediately. If the Daoist Order sends people to investigate, those cult demons may even halt their ns. Suppose we notify the Ancestral Court, and they send people over, but everything turns out to be normal. We don¡¯t even have evidence to prove our findings.

    ¡°If that happens, we will be charged with making false reports, and I will be med for specting. It''ll be a big misstep on my part if that happens. Just because everything goes smoothly for me in the Ancestral Court doesn¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t have any enemies. Someone will use this against me, and I may even get a demerit.

    ¡°Based on these considerations, we can report it to the Ancestral Court, but we must have tangible evidence before doing so.¡±

    Qi Xuansu heard this and suggested. ¡°There''s a Daoist temple here. Why don''t we go to the local Daoist temple and ask them for help? They can act as a witness. If the Daoist temple doesn¡¯t dare to take responsibility, we can go to the government office.

    ¡°After all, the government office is in charge of the city¡¯s safety. We can leave this city, and the Daoist temple can shirk responsibility, but the local government can¡¯t. They will have to take this case seriously. Even if our guess is wrong, the local government and the Daoist temple can¡¯t cause trouble for us.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu agreed. ¡°It¡¯s good to have a witness, but we should also have physical evidence. That¡¯s why this victim¡¯s head is key. His body is in the Major¡¯s Office, so it looks like we will have to deal with the Green Phoenix Guard no matter what.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Should you step forward as the Deputy Hall Master? Or will I¡ªthe Deputy Hall Master¡¯s trustedckey¡ªhave to step forward on your behalf?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes at him. ¡°We¡¯ll split up. You can go to the Daoist temple, and I¡¯ll deal with the Green Phoenix Guard. In any case, the Daoist temple is our kin, so it¡¯ll be easier to talk to them.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Qi Xuansu answered.

    Zhang Yuelu suddenly thought of something. She took out her badge from her magical receptacle, ced it on the table, and pushed it in front of Qi Xuansu. ¡°This is my badge from Tiangang Hall.¡±

    There were two types of identification for Daoist priests. One was a certificate, which indicated the rank of a Daoist priest, and the other was a badge, which indicated one¡¯s official position. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s badge was golden and purple, inferior to the white jade badges of the Hall Masters and Daoist Mansion Masters.

    This reminded Qi Xuansu of the Qingping Society¡¯s four grades of fish talismans. They were simr in color to the Daoist Order¡¯s badges.

    Qi Xuansu took the badge, stood up, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll head to the Daoist temple outside the city, then.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Zhang Yuelu took out three more talisman bullets. ¡°These are thest three Dragon Eye Bullets that I have. Use them sparingly.¡±

 Chapter 82: Undercurrent (III)

    <h4>Chapter 82: Undercurrent (III)</h4>

    After Lu Yu came out of the rouge shop, he walked leisurely to the Qingbai Temple outside the city. He had to stagger the time with his master¡¯s wife to avoid being caught by his senior sister. However, he was surprised to see his master when he returned to Qingbai Temple.

    His master, Bai Yongguan, unexpectedly came back and was sitting in the hall.

    Lu Yu felt uneasy and came forward to greet him respectfully.

    Bai Yongguan¡¯s face was expressionless, so Lu Yu could not tell whether his master was happy or angry. Bai Yongguan only asked Bai Yue, his other disciple standing next to him, to light the candles in the hall.

    Lu Yu wondered why they would need to light candles in broad daylight. But strangely enough, not long after Bai Yue lit the candles, the sky outside suddenly turned gloomy. It seemed that there would be a snowstorm soon.

    This way, it was just the right time to light the candles.

    Lu Yu was shocked. <i>What kind of mystical ability is this? Divination?</i>

    At this moment, his senior sister, Bai Yue, asked softly, ¡°Junior Brother, have you brought back the rouge I asked for?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Lu Yu quickly took out the rouge he had bought and gave it to his senior sister.

    Bai Yue took it over and thanked him.

    Lu Yu looked around, feeling a little uneasy. He asked, ¡°Where is Master-Mother?¡±

    Bai Yongguan replied, ¡°My wife is feeling unwell, so she¡¯s resting.¡±

    Lu Yu¡¯s heart suddenly sank. Just two hours ago, he was making love to his master¡¯s wife, so he would know if she was sick. He did not believe that she suddenly fell ill.

    At the same time, Qi Xuansu had already left Yishan City and walked along the mountain road to Qingbai Temple.

    As soon as Qi Xuansu set foot on the mountain road, he felt something was wrong. The sky outside the city seemed more cloudy. The cold wind was mixed with some snowkes. It was a sign that it would snow heavily soon.

    He looked up at the brightly lit and eye-catching Qingbai Temple at the end of the mountain road.

    Although Qi Xuansu did not know what this sudden snowstorm would entail, he knew that something was not right. The Ancient Immortal believers could have a hand in this change of weather. Or was the weather in Yishan City always so unpredictable?

    For now, Qi Xuansu could only continue his journey to Qingbai Temple, hoping that the Daoist priests in the temple could give him an answer.

    ......

    In an underground hall in front of the six-armed woman statue, a man in a ck cloak stood with his arms crossed. His face was hidden in the shadow of his hood, only his chin with a short beard was exposed.

    <i>In the existing society, a beard was a symbol of one¡¯s age. Generally speaking, people did not grow beards before the age of 30 because it was fashionable at the moment to be clean-shaven. This was because most of the handsome heroes in the storybooks were fair-faced and clean-shaven.</i>

    <i>After the age of 30, one could grow a beard because most men would already have be fathers at that point. Generally, it would be a short beard.</i>

    <i>After the age of 50, it was necessary to grow a beard as a status. Otherwise, one would lose dignity because they did not look like an elder. Generally, men of that age preferred long beards.</i>

    <i>Therefore, it was normal and fashionable for a young man to be clean-shaven. But it would be extremely rare if an old man did not have a beard.</i>

    <i>To put it bluntly, a man¡¯s beard was like a woman¡¯s hairstyle, which changed with one¡¯s age and stage in life. Young people thought it was nicer not to have a beard, while old people preferred beards.</i>

    Following the trend of the current society, this man was probably middle-aged, between thirty and fifty years old.

    The statue of the six-armed woman was ten meters tall, and a circle consisting of hundreds of candles was lit at the base of the statue. It made it seem as if the statue was ced on a rosette made entirely of candlelight.

    In front of the statue was an altar piled with human heads. Some of the heads became skeletons without any skin or flesh, while others were freshly killed with the victims'' eyes still wide open. Their gaze were empty, and they had horrified expressions.

    A monk was kneeling in front of the altar with his back to the middle-aged man in the ck cloak. His hands were sped together, and his eyes were closed as he chanted sutras.

    The middle-aged man looked up at the statue and said, ¡°It seems that the progress is going quite smoothly.¡±

    ¡°There is an obstacle.¡± The monk did not get up or look back.

    The middle-aged man in the ck cloak withdrew his gaze and spoke in a low voice. ¡°Obstacle?¡±

    The monk exined, ¡°We can use the power of countless living souls to break the restrictions of the mortal realm, but the rules of the heavens are fixed. Even immortals can¡¯t defy them. That¡¯s why we need a suitable vessel to deceive the heavens and avoid punishment. We must exploit loopholes, like with the border customs from the previous dynasty. What we need now is a schr smart enough to identify these loopholes.¡±

    <i>ording to thews of the former Wei Dynasty, schrs could travel on their own without paying a road tax when crossing borders. That was why some merchants paid schrs to bring their goods across the borders in order to save on taxes.</i>

    <i>From Jinling Prefecture to the Imperial City, the shortest waterway was 1750 kilometers. Merchants would have to go through 12 customs and pay about 350 Wen of taxes. On average, it costs about one Wen every 500 meters. However, hiring a schr only costs about 100 Wen.</i>

    <i>The current Great Xuan Dynasty had already abolished the border customs.</i>

    ¡°A vessel? No problem.¡± The middle-aged man said indifferently, ¡°I have a few devout believers who are more than willing to sacrifice their lives for the divine descent.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be of any use.¡± The monk looked up at the statue of the six-armed woman. ¡°This divine descent is far more advanced than before, so it would yield unprecedented divine power. Therefore, the vessel must be very strong, either a Heavenly Being or a person with a special physique and a tough mind.¡±

    ¡°A special physique and a tough mind?¡± The middle-aged man muttered, ¡°These are the conditions required by Daoist Spirit Guards. Most of these people have joined the Daoist Order, so they are rare toe by. But I will try my best to find them.¡±

    A member of the gentry and a schr appeared behind the cloaked middle-aged man.

    Seeing them, the middle-aged man asked casually, ¡°How is the Saintess¡¯s injury?¡±

    The gentleman replied, ¡°It¡¯s not optimistic. Although she managed to save herself, the four strings of God-given prayer beads that were closely intertwined with her life werepletely destroyed. She has also suffered heavy injuries from the arrow wound, so she won¡¯t be able to perform for the time being.¡±

    The middle-aged man was silent for a moment before remarking, ¡°We¡¯re one person down, leaving us with only six people. I hope those two Daoist masters are just passing by.¡±

    The gentleman asked, ¡°What if they¡¯re not?¡±

    The middle-aged man did not answer the question. Instead, he asked, ¡°Where have they gone now?¡±

    The gentleman said, ¡°The two of them went separate ways. One of them stayed in the city, nning to go to the Major¡¯s Office, while the other went to Qingbai Temple.¡±

    The middle-aged man ordered, ¡°Inform the Daoist priests in Qingbai Temple and the Green Phoenix Guard not to act rashly just yet. Just monitor the two of them for now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The gentleman responded, turned around, and walked out.

    ......

    Zhang Yuelu went to the Major¡¯s Office alone. After showing her identity, she met with Luo Xiao, the local major of the Green Phoenix Guard.

    Although the Green Phoenix Guard was not part of the Daoistmunity, Zhang Yuelu''s status was equivalent to a Lieutenant Colonel, so Luo Xiao still showed her some respect.

    Zhang Yuelu did not beat around the bush. She took out the victim¡¯s head and roughly retold her encounter with the bandits at the ancient temple. She exined her purpose foring and requested to take a look at the headless corpse.

    After Luo Xiao heard this, he asked, ¡°Mage Zhang, do you think this matter is rted to the Ancient Immortals?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was always aloof in front of outsiders. ¡°I don¡¯t just think it. I know it. Major Luo, do you not agree?¡±

    ¡°I agree with your view, Mage Zhang. Only followers of the Ancient Immortals would be capable of such atrocious acts.¡± Luo Xiao nodded in agreement.

    Under Luo Xiao¡¯s guidance, Zhang Yuelu went to the morgue of the Major''s Office. The scene was exactly as Zhang Yuelu saw through the Purple Star Astrology.

    There were many corpses in the morgue, most of them covered with white cloth. Three big metal boxes were stacked on each other, and there were ten such stacks against the wall, arranged side by side. These metal boxes were used to temporarily store corpses that could not yet be buried.

    The headless corpse was located in the deepest part of the morgue. Luo Xiao led Zhang Yuelu to the corpse and hesitated for a moment. ¡°The corpse may be gory, so I hope you are prepared.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with plenty of dead people during my tenure with Tiangang Hall, so I¡¯m not that squeamish.¡±

    Luo Xiao said nothing more and lifted the white cloth covering the corpse. However, considering that Zhang Yuelu was a woman, he only exposed the corpse''s upper body, while the lower body was still covered with the white cloth.

    The headless corpse had been disemboweled.

    Zhang Yuelu looked at the corpse expressionlessly. Her eyes lingered on the shattered heart, and she suddenly asked, ¡°Why is there no putrid smell? There is no smell at all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the effect of formalin. This is a new thing introduced from the Western Continent. It can be used to preserve corpses after being heavily diluted, but in high concentrations, it¡¯s more lethal than green vitriol oil.¡± Luo Xiao exined, ¡°In the past, we used salt or mercury for corpse preservation, but these two methods are expensive and not as practical as formalin.¡±

    The so-called ¡°green vitriol oil¡± was a liquid waste produced by Daoist priests from producing elixirs. It had a strong corrosive effect. This substance was also called sulfuric acid on the Western Continent.

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°There are indeed many new things from the Western Continent.¡±

    Luo Xiao opened the bundle that Zhang Yuelu brought and ced the charred head alongside the headless corpse.

    Zhang Yuelu studied the corpse. ¡°Shattering the heart and chopping off the head is how the secret societies retrieve living souls.¡±

    Luo Xiao asked, ¡°What do you mean by this?¡±

    She exined, ¡°The core of the body is the heart. The heart acts ording to intentions, and the essence of the intentionses from the soul. The physical form of the soul is the spirit. To crush the heart is to force one''s intention into the mind. Cutting off the head with a special method can trap one''s living soul in it, eliminating the need for a special container to keep the living soul.

    ¡°At first, we thought it was a robbery, so we didn¡¯t think much about it and didn¡¯t check the head for a living soul. After our encounter with the cult leaders, it was toote because a fire burned the whole ce to ashes. The living soul would have dissipated naturally, especially since the head was charred beyond recognition.¡±

    In terms of living souls and Ancient Immortals, the Green Phoenix Guard was not as knowledgeable as Tiangang Hall. Luo Xiao did not expect that the problem that had troubled him for so long would be easily solved by someone from the Daoist Order.

    He asked, ¡°In that case, is this group of monsters nning something big?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu followed up. ¡°Do you have any details about the deceased? It would be best if you could provide his birth date.¡±

    At this moment, someone interjected. ¡°Of course.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu turned around and saw an old man in a green uniform walking in slowly.

    Luo Xiao introduced him. ¡°Mage Zhang, this is He Nian, the assistant major in this office. He is in charge of all the documents here. He is also responsible for this case.¡±

    He Nian saluted Zhang Yuelu. ¡°Greetings, Mage Zhang. I was the one who dissected this corpse.¡±

 Chapter 83: Undercurrent (IV)

    <h4>Chapter 83: Undercurrent (IV)</h4>

    Qi Xuansu finally arrived at the gate of Qingbai Temple along the mountain road. He looked around therge Daoist temple and found it quite impressive. However, the ce was deserted.

    The door of the Daoist temple was shut, so Qi Xuansu had no choice but to go up and knock on it.

    After a long time, the door slowly opened from the inside, revealing a human face.

    This person was not a Daoist priest but an ordinary Daoist believer.

    Since no one had offered incense at the Qingbai Temple for a long time, the Daoist believer asked, ¡°Who are you looking for?¡±

    Qi Xuansu took out his insignia and introduced himself. ¡°I am Qi Xuansu, a seventh-rank Daoist priest of Tiangang Hall. I would like to meet the abbot.¡±

    The Daoist believer was stunned. After a while, he came to his senses and quickly opened the door of the Daoist temple to invite Qi Xuansu in. Then, he asked Qi Xuansu to wait at the gatehouse while he looked for the abbot.

    The Daoist temple upied arge area. The back half of the temple was mostly uninhabited and had been abandoned for a long time. There was a pen of pigs raised there.

    Bai Yongguan stood outside the pig pen, staring at therge white pigs snatching for food with a creepy smile on his face.

    His wife, Li Zhen¡¯er, stood beside Bai Yongguan. Her face was pale, and her whole body was trembling.

    After a while, a butcher wearing a dirty apron came over, holding a gleaming butcher knife in his hand.

    The butcher asked, ¡°Abbot Bai, do you want to butcher a pig?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Yongguan nodded slightly.

    The butcher looked at the pigs in the pen and asked, ¡°Which one would you like?¡±

    Bai Yongguan pointed to the whitest and cleanest pig among them and said, ¡°This one looks good.¡±

    Li Zhen¡¯er shrieked and almost fainted.

    However, Bai Yongguan remained indifferent.

    When the butcher saw this, he secretly wondered. <i>Did the abbot¡¯s wife raise this pig? Is that why she¡¯s so attached to it? It¡¯smon for women to raise cats, dogs, birds, and rabbits, but I¡¯ve never heard of women raising pigs. It¡¯s indeed a strange hobby. Perhaps the abbot doesn¡¯t like that his wife has such a hobby and decides to kill the pig.</i>

    The butcher stopped his thought process and walked toward the pig with his knife. The pig looked fearful and shrank back with a very human-like reaction.

    At this moment, someone knocked on the closed door of the backyard.

    ¡°Who is it?¡± Bai Yongguan asked, looking irritated at being interrupted.

    The butcher also stopped what he was doing.

    A reply came from outside the door. ¡°Abbot Bai, there is a seventh-rank Daoist priest from Tiangang Hall who wants to meet you. He¡¯s waiting at the gatehouse.¡±

    Bai Yongguan was slightly startled. ¡°A Daoist priest from Tiangang Hall?¡±

    He was silent for a while before he ordered, ¡°Invite him to the main hall. I will be there shortly.¡±

    The Daoist believer outside the door responded and left.

    Bai Yongguan, his face grim, stared at the pig in the pen. After a long time, he snorted coldly. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll spare your life for now.¡±

    The butcher turned to look at Bai Yongguan. ¡°Abbot, should I kill this pig?¡±

    ¡°Not yet.¡± Bai Yongguan turned around and walked out of the backyard.

    Li Zhen¡¯er breathed a long sigh of relief and gently covered her chest. Therge white pig that was almost ughtered suddenly copsed to the ground in relief.

    Only the butcher was confused by what was happening.

    Bai Yongguan entered the main hall with a smile. ¡°Brother Qi, good to see you. I¡¯m Bai Yongguan.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was surprised to see Bai Yongguan dressed in formal fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master attire. He hurriedly returned the courtesy and greeted, ¡°Mage Bai, good to see you.¡±

    ¡°Mage? I¡¯m merely an idler living in the mountains.¡± Bai Yongguan waved his hand. ¡°Brother Qi, what position do you hold in Tiangang Hall?¡±

    ¡°I am a deacon,¡± Qi Xuansu replied.

    Bai Yongguan nodded. ¡°Well, Deacon Qi, please sit down and talk.¡±

    The abbot sat down first.

    There was an unwritten rule in the Daoist Order. If someone had a high rank and a low position, they should be addressed by their rank. Therefore, Qi Xuansu addressed Bai Yongguan as Mage.

    If someone had a low rank and a high position, then they would be addressed based on their position. That was why Bai Yongguan called him Deacon Qi.

    Qi Xuansu also sat down and went straight to the point. ¡°To be honest with you, I came here to ask for help.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Bai Yongguan looked surprised. ¡°I¡¯ll be frank with you. I like to travel around the mountains, and I rarely stay here. I just returned to Qingbai Temple today, so I¡¯m not very familiar with the recent situation.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not mention that Zhang Yuelu had performed divination using the Purple Star Astrology. Instead, he briefly talked about the decapitated human head and what happened at the ancient temple.

    ¡°How could such a thing happen?¡± After hearing this, Bai Yongguan looked indignant at first. Then he kept silent.

    After a moment, Bai Yongguan finally spoke again. ¡°Since I am also a part of the Daoist Order, I should help out, but capturing cult demons isn¡¯t a part of my responsibilities...¡±

    Qi Xuansu knew that Bai Yongguan was only saying this because he was a lowly seventh-rank priest without power. Thus, he took out Zhang Yuelu¡¯s badge and said, ¡°Mage Bai, I am just acting under the orders of the Deputy Tiangang Hall Master. I hope that you can make an exception for us.¡±

    Bai Yongguan looked at the badge in Qi Xuansu¡¯s hand, his eyes flickering slightly.

    ......

    The water in the Tongtian River gradually calmed down. There were still many broken sheets of ice on the surface.

    Suddenly, a hand broke through the calm surface, sshing water everywhere.

    Then the hand grabbed onto the edge of a huge ice floe, which was used as a support for the man to jump out of the river.

    The man,pletely drenched, had disheveled hair. He was the high-ranking official of the Green Phoenix Guard, whose boat had capsized on the Tongtian River earlier.

    <i>In the Green Phoenix Guard hierarchy, there was one Lord Commander of the upper-third rank, who held the most power; two Deputy Commanders of the lower-third rank, who were in charge of the Northern and Southern Military Commissions, respectively; two Commander Adjutants of the upper-fourth rank, who served as assistants to the Lord Commander; and a few Pacification Commanders of the lower-fourth rank, who served as assistants to the Deputy Commanders.</i>

    <i>Although the Pacification Commander was of the lower-fourth rank and the Lieutenant Colonel was of the upper-fifth rank, their status within the Green Phoenix Guard was about the same.</i>

    <i>In fact, if the Lord Commander of the Green Phoenix Guard was valued by the emperor and held enough power, then their upper-fourth-rank Commander Adjutants would have the same power as the lower-third-rank Deputy Commanders in charge of the Northern and Southern Military Commissions. As such, the Pacification Commander would then be on equal footing with the Lieutenant Colonel.</i>

    <i>If the Lord Commander of the Green Phoenix Guard was not as powerful, then the two Deputy Commanders would have equal power as the Lord Commander. Thus, elevating the status of the Northern and Southern Military Commissions.</i>

    <i>Since the Lord Commander of the Green Phoenix Guard was highly trusted by the incumbent emperor, he held absolute power, and the two Deputy Commanders dared not disobey him. As such, the status of the Pacification Commander was naturally lower. However, being an envoy of the emperor was a different story altogether.</i>

    The drenched man was a Pacification Commander of the Southern Military Commission. His name was Wang Zicheng. He was under the orders of the Deputy Commander to survey the Green Phoenix Guards all over the continent, but he did not expect to be ambushed here.

    There were ripples on the river as Wang Zicheng swam and jumped to the shore.

    At this moment, many figures appeared on the shore. Some people had already set up a formation to summon the spiritual statue. Although those who were not yet in the Spiritual Statue Realm could not summon a spiritual statue, they still had enough divine power surging around them.

    Wang Zicheng looked around and murmured. ¡°Three Yuxu<i>-</i>stage Shamans in the Spiritual Statue Realm. You all truly overestimate me.¡±

    By solelyparing one''s cultivation level and disregarding factors such as tact, timing, location, and external objects, the general rule was that three people in the Yuxu stage couldpete with one person in the Guizhen stage. Thus, four people in the Yuxu stage could most likely defeat one person in the Guizhen stage, and five people in the Yuxu stage could most certainly kill one person in the Guizhen stage.

    At this time, in addition to the three Yuxu<i>-</i>stage Shamans, there were also six Kunlun<i>-</i>stage Shamans in the Summoning Divinity Realm.

    The Summoning Divinity Realm was when a Shaman¡¯s body became resilient to attacks. Although they could not summon a spiritual statue, they had divine power entering their body for a limited time. During this short time, their bodies were strong and invulnerable, better than those of Martial Arts Practitioners of the same level.

    However, just like the Spiritual Statue Realm, it was difficult to maintain this divine power and make itst. Thus, without divine power, their bodies were fragile and impossible topare with those of Martial Arts Practitioners.

    These Kunlun-stage Shamans had already summoned the divine power and divided into several groups, with the few Shamans in the Spiritual Statue Realm at the center of the formation.

    Wang Zicheng was in a dangerous situation.

    The Green Phoenix Guard was not like other official positions. Their positions were closely tied to their cultivation level. All members of the Green Phoenix Guard, regardless of their official position, had to have a certain level of cultivation. The higher their cultivation level, the higher their official position. Even if one was not good at managing subordinates or was notpetent enough to hold a high position, one would still be given a false title. This was the rule set by Emperor Taizong back then.

    In addition, Green Phoenix Guards were trained to be ruthless and proficient in arm-to-armbat and using firearms and other weapons. If a Green Phoenix Guard and his opponent had the same cultivation level and were strangling each other to death, the Green Phoenix Guard would not give up until their opponents died.

    Although Wang Zicheng was not promoted based on his cultivation level and was better at leading a team, he was still a good fighter. He was a Guizhen-stage Qi Refiner in the Divine Qi Realm.

    ¡°Kill him!¡± The leading Shaman ordered.

    Although Wang Zicheng was surprised, he did not panic. He struck a Shaman in the Summoning Divinity Realm in the chest, leaving a ck palm print that was clearly visible.

    This was the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s ck Devil Palm, which was highly poisonous. It could kill the opponent on the spot or cause poisoning in the heart.

    This Shaman staggered back, his face pale. The other two Yuxu-stage Shamans took the opportunity to attack Wang Zicheng with their spiritual statues.

    Wang Zicheng did not dodge and withstood thebined attacks of the two Shamans. Even so, he was unharmed.

    Upon closer look, Wang Zicheng was actually wearing paper armor under his clothes. It was not the one that ordinary soldiers used. It was an origami armor made of talisman paper. When stuck to the body, it would turn it into a full-sized armor. This paper armor was also known as the Magic Talisman Armor.

    The Magic Talisman Armor was not only harder than most metal armor, but it could also withstand qi. As long as the talisman paper did not break, the person wearing the paper armor would not get injured. It was considered a high-grade spiritual object.

    Wang Zicheng pushed with both palms, knocking the two Shamans away.

    At the same time, four Kunlun-stage Shamans muttered some mantra, looking like fierce warriors who were not afraid of death as they continued to surround Wang Zicheng.

    Wang Zicheng took a step forward, clenched his fist, and punched a Shaman in the heart. Aside from the sound of bones breaking, a fist-like bulge suddenly appeared on the Shaman¡¯s back.

    Wang Zicheng flung away the corpse that was stuck to his fist, turned around, and elbowed the chin of another Shaman who was trying to sneak up behind him. The Shaman''s jaw snapped shut from the elbow strike, causing him to bite off his own tongue and die with a mouth full of blood.

 Chapter 84: Undercurrent (V)

    <h4>Chapter 84: Undercurrent (V)</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu took a file from He Nian and opened it casually.

    The name of the deceased was Jiao Dayan, a well-known member of the local gentry. His family did not conceal his birth date since he was already dead.

    Jiao Dayan was destined to die alone and bring cmity to his surroundings. ording to his fortune, his existence spelled bad luck for his wife, children, friends, and rtives. His marriage was rough, and he was told he would have a tragic life in his final years. In his early years, his family was rich, but he would have to sell hisnd in his middle age. His son and his wife would die, and he would bring bad luck to his father. In the end, he would die alone.

    Unexpectedly, before Jiao Dayan sold hisnd, he was already beheaded. His fortune was miserable, but for many Ancient Immortal believers, the souls of people with this kind of miserable fate could please the Ancient Immortals. This indirectly confirmed Zhang Yuelu¡¯s spection that Jiao Dayan¡¯s death was indeed rted to a secret society.

    ording to the records, Jiao Dayan had just married his seventh concubinest month. However, less than half a month after the seventh concubine married him, Jiao Dayan died tragically.

    The day after Jiao Dayan¡¯s death, his seventh concubine disappeared. Jiao Dayan had also spent the night with this concubine when he died. Therefore, the Green Phoenix Guard suspected that the concubine was an aplice and a spy for someone outside the family.

    The Green Phoenix Guards also noted down the relevant information about the concubine, Madam Hu. She was not a local. She even had a husband before marrying Jiao Dayan.

    She and her ex-husband happened to meet Jiao Dayan on their travels. Jiao Dayan was so smitten with her that he sent someone to stop the couple and forced Madam Hu¡¯s ex-husband to sign a divorce note with some coercion and threats. This was how Jiao Dayan took Madam Hu as his concubine.

    Due to this, the Green Phoenix Guard could not tell if Madam Hu and her family had deliberately set up this trap to sneak into the Jiao family or if the Hu family colluded with the bandits to kill Jiao Dayan for revenge.

    Zhang Yuelu pondered. ¡°This sounds like something the Ziguang Society is capable of.¡±

    Luo Xiao had left earlier to deal with some work, so He Nian was the only one with Zhang Yuelu at this time. Upon hearing Zhang Yuelu¡¯sment, He Nian asked, ¡°Mage Zhang, do you mean to say that this case is rted to a secret society?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded and closed the file in her hand.

    Jiao Dayan¡¯s death was no longer of importance. The key was to find this group of Ancient Immortal believers and prevent them from causing greater harm.

    Zhang Yuelu probed. ¡°Have simr cases happened recently?¡±

    He Nian thought about it for a moment and replied, ¡°Not in recent years.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu stared fixedly at He Nian. ¡°Assistant Major, are you sure that you remember correctly?¡±

    ¡°I have been in charge of the documents in this Major¡¯s Office for more than ten years, and I¡¯ve never made a mistake. I would have remembered if there was a simr case.¡± He Nian answered confidently.

    Zhang Yuelu did not pursue the topic. Instead, she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Major Luo? Has this case been reported to the Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office?¡±

    He Nian replied, ¡°Major Luo should be in his office at the moment. To be honest with you, Mage Zhang, we are expecting an envoy from the Military Commission, who will be conducting an inspection. Major Luo is probably busy making preparations for the visit to avoid any mistakes. We have reported the case to the Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office, but the Lieutenant Colonel is also busy with the envoy. As his subordinates, we couldn¡¯t rush him to review the case. I hope you understand, Mage Zhang.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± Zhang Yuelu nodded and handed the file to He Nian. ¡°But this is an important case. I will have to talk to Major Luo about it. I hope that you¡¯ll understand as well, Assistant Major.¡±

    He Nian smiled bitterly and pleaded, ¡°Mage¡ª¡±

    However, Zhang Yuelu walked out, leaving He Nian standing in the morgue with the file in hand.

    Zhang Yuelu walked through the corridor and passed the hall. There were many Green Phoenix Guard lieutenants patrolling the area, but no one dared to stop her, even though she looked unfamiliar. That was because they were all intimidated by her aura.

    She arrived outside Luo Xiao¡¯s office and knocked on the door instead of barging in rudely.

    After a while, the door to his office opened, and several lieutenants left in a hurry, leaving only Luo Xiao in the room.

    Luo Xiao invited Zhang Yuelu into his office. ¡°Mage Zhang, do you have any other advice for me?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Zhang Yuelu went straight to the point. ¡°I just want to ask you a few questions.¡±

    Luo Xiao said, ¡°Mage Zhang, please go ahead. I will tell you everything I know.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu asked casually, ¡°Major Luo, how long have you been in charge of this ce?¡±

    Luo Xiao was startled. He did not quite understand the meaning behind Zhang Yuelu''s question, but he answered truthfully, ¡°Less than a year. My predecessor is the current Lieutenant Colonel.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Zhang Yuelu pressed on. ¡°So, does that mean only the Lieutenant Colonel and Assistant Major are aware of the major cases in the past?¡±

    Luo Xiao nodded and replied, ¡°That¡¯s right. Assistant Major He is a veteran here. He¡¯s in charge of all the documents in this office. He''s the person to go to if you want to inquire about any case.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu finally understood the situation.

    If simr cases urred in recent years, the only ones aware were the Lieutenant Colonel and He Nian, which meant they were fully capable of suppressing these cases. Thus, a neer like Luo Xiao would only be manipted by them.

    If her guess was correct, then He Nian was very suspicious.

    However, Zhang Yuelu did not tell Luo Xiao about her spection. From Luo Xiao¡¯s perspective, he would be more inclined to believe his superior and subordinate rather than an outsider like her whom he had just met. Thus, it would be counterproductive to tell him. Luo Xiao would even doubt her intentions.

    Zhang Yuelu continued to ask a few more irrelevant questions, all of which seemed to be rted to secret societies. In fact, she was just concealing her true intentions.

    Less than an hourter, Zhang Yuelu left Luo Xiao''s office.

    She looked up at the sky and saw dark clouds gathering.

    At this moment, He Nian walked over with ated bag containing a jar of wine. He said through the door of Luo Xiao''s office, ¡°Major Luo, the Lieutenant Colonel is here. He¡¯s waiting for you in the front hall.¡±

    ¡°The Lieutenant Colonel is here?¡± Luo Xiao was surprised and pushed the door open.

    He Nian raised the wine jar in his hand. ¡°Yes, what a coincidence! The Lieutenant Colonel arrived and asked me to prepare a jar of wine forter. He said that he wanted to drink with you, Major Luo.¡±

    Luo Xiao quickly dropped all his tasks on hand. He apologized to Zhang Yuelu and hurried to the front hall, leaving only Zhang Yuelu and He Nian outside his office.

    He Nian stood with his back against the light, his smile sinister.

    Zhang Yuelu stood with her hands behind her back, looking indifferent. She was not afraid of the old man in front of her. What really worried her was Qi Xuansu, who was on the way to Qingbai Temple, all alone.

    ......

    Qi Xuansu did not expect to be involved in a bizarre situation.

    After he showed the abbot Zhang Yuelu¡¯s Deputy Hall Master badge, Bai Yongguan¡¯s attitude changed greatly. The abbot immediately agreed to Qi Xuansu¡¯s request for help and insisted on keeping him for dinner.

    Bai Yongguan said that he had a high-grade fat pig waiting to be butchered, especially since they had a rare guest.

    Qi Xuansu could not refuse an invitation from a fourth-rank Daoist master, so he stayed. At this moment, Bai Yongguan excused himself so that he could supervise the butcher. He asked Qi Xuansu to wait in the front hall and ordered Bai Yue to prepare a banquet before going to the backyard.

    Just as Qi Xuansu had some doubts, the abbot¡¯s wife, Li Zhen¡¯er, suddenly appeared. She looked pale, flustered, and frightened when she told Qi Xuansu a shocking secret¡ªthe fat pig Bai Yongguan mentioned was not an actual pig but Bai Yongguan¡¯s disciple, Lu Yu.

    Bai Yongguan turned his disciple, Lu Yu, into a pig and ughtered him for cooking because Lu Yu had an affair with Li Zhen¡¯er.

    Qi Xuansu was shocked to hear this, not because Bai Yongguan had dealt with the traitorous disciple in this bizarre manner. He was just puzzled as to why Bai Yongguan wanted to feed the traitor to him. He wondered,<i> How have I provoked the abbot?</i>

    After the initial irritation, Qi Xuansu immediately sensed danger.

    <i>The moral standards of the Daoistmunity were extremely high. They had abolished very, human trafficking, polygamy, torture, prostitution, and so on. This was so that they could maintain high standards of morality. The Daoistmunity was proud of the Jade Capital and despised the Imperial Capital, privately calling thetter a barbaric ce. Most people in the Daoistmunity also thought that many dignitaries in the Imperial Capital were uncivilized.</i>

    <i>In this context, some things became more important. For example, when it was exposed that a third-rank Youyi Daoist master abused his servants, he was immediately ordered to resign from all positions and demoted to a fourth-rank Daoist master.</i>

    Bai Yongguan ughtering and cooking his disciple was something the Daoistmunity could not tolerate, even if his disciple was at fault. In other words, if Bai Yongguan onlymitted murder, the Daoist Order could brush it off by saying that it was an extreme act in a fit of anger. ording to secrws of the existing society, killing people who hadmitted and contributed to adultery was legal, so there was still room for appeal.

    However, ughtering and cooking someone in such a gruesome manner was frowned upon. If word of this spread, Bai Yongguan would not be able to keep his position as the abbot of Qingbai Temple and would even have to be interrogated by Beichen Hall.

    That was why Qi Xuansu felt that he was in a precarious situation.

    Qi Xuansu could not help but ask, ¡°Madam Li, why are you telling me this?¡±

    Li Zhen¡¯er looked at him as if he was her only hope. ¡°Deacon Qi, Bai Yongguan won¡¯t dare to do anything to you since you¡¯re from the Ancestral Court. Please take me with you. Otherwise, he will definitely kill me!¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled bitterly and did not respond.

    If he was clueless about this, then Bai Yongguan would not target him. However, since he was aware of the inside story, Bai Yongguan would probably take the risk to silence him forever.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s mind raced as he tried hard to think of a way to leave this ce.

    At this moment, Bai Yongguan returned with a few unnoticeable blood stains on his Daoist robe.

    Upon seeing the abbot, Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart dropped.

    Bai Yongguan nced at his wife''s pale face and said softly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you feeling unwell? Why don¡¯t you get some rest?¡±

    Li Zhen¡¯er was speechless, her body trembling.

    Bai Yongguan looked at Qi Xuansu again with a smile. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, Deacon Qi. The pork feast will be ready soon.¡±

    Hearing this, Qi Xuansu felt a chill running down his spine.

 Chapter 85: Revealed Motives (I)

    <h4>Chapter 85: Revealed Motives (I)</h4>

    In the Major¡¯s Office, He Nian asked, ¡°Mage Zhang, do you like drinking?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu asked back, ¡°Why? Are you nning to treat me to a drink?¡±

    ¡°Of course. This is a thirty-year-old wine. Mage Zhang, why don¡¯t you taste it first?¡± He Nian chuckled.

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°That¡¯s not appropriate. How can I steal the wine that the Lieutenant Colonel asked for?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll just get another jar for the Lieutenant Colonel.¡± He Nian suddenly threw the wine jar at Zhang Yuelu.

    He Nian had already injected his qi into the wine jar, so it exploded in the air before it hit the ground, spraying wine everywhere.

    At the same time, Zhang Yuelu turned the Amorphous Paper into a rotating paper umbre, flinging off the droplets and scattering them in all directions.

    Some of the wine dropsnded on the railings, eaves, and walls. In an instant, those surfaces corroded with a sizzle.

    This was not vintage wine. It was green vitriol oil, the waste liquid from elixir production. He Nian added another type of chemical to the green vitriol oil, making the liquid so potent that only one drop on the body would melt one''s flesh to the bone.

    However, the Amorphous Paper was a semi-immortal object, which was a grade higher than treasures. Thus, it was not damaged in the slightest.

    He Nian stopped talking and whipped out the sword from his waist. He held the hilt with his right hand and lightly touched the de with his left index and middle fingers.

    Suddenly, the de glowed with ayer of white light, which flowed erratically like ripples on the water''s surface. At the same time, there was a faint sound of dragons and tigers roaring.

    Zhang Yuelu instantly felt a harsh energy emitting from the sword. She muttered, ¡°Interesting technique.¡±

    He Nian said calmly, ¡°Naturally. I ought to use some special technique to deal with you, Mage Zhang.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu closed the paper umbre, signaling He Nian to give it his best shot.

    He Nian charged forward, shing horizontally with his sword.

    Zhang Yuelu stood still. Just as He Nian¡¯s de was about to touch her, her cloak fluttered from the field of qi that rippled around her. She lightly tapped the weak point of He Nian¡¯s de using her paper umbre.

    It was a soft tap, but He Nian almost lost his grip and barely managed to hold onto the hilt of his sword.

    Heavy snowfall finally arrived.

    He Nian¡¯s expression changed slightly as he raised his sword again, splitting the snowkes into two.

    Zhang Yuelu raised the closed paper umbre and held it horizontally in front of her, wielding it like a sword.

    When He Nian¡¯s sword and the paper umbre collided, the two of them bounced apart. The sword in He Nian¡¯s hand trembled slightly, andrge snowkes within three centimeters of the de turned into tiny particles, like powdered sugar.

    The powdered snowkes only danced around Zhang Yuelu¡¯s body, not touching her at all.

    He Nian and Zhang Yuelu fought relentlessly.

    The paper umbre and the sword each drew an arc in the air before they collided. The violent energy atomized the snow into a white mist as they fought.

    He Nian¡¯s moves were fierce and lethal, only attacking and not defending. He advanced without retreating and fought with all his might.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s umbre blended in with the snow and moved with agility. She was so fast and elusive that her body seemed illusory, as if she were a projection in the mist.

    He Nian could only wave his sword wildly in hopes of injuring her.

    During the fierce battle, Zhang Yuelu still had the energy to speak. ¡°So, you¡¯re the court official standing in front of the six-armed statue. Where are your aplices?¡±

    He Nian¡¯s expression changed dramatically. ¡°How did you know?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not answer and simply leaped forward with her umbre.

    In an instant, all the snowkes in the courtyard instantly turned into fine powder that shrouded He Nian¡¯s vision.

    He Nian fell backward, retreating more than 30 meters. His qi was unsettled, making the snow particles around him waver and form more mist.

    After He Nian steadied himself, he circted his qi and injected it into his sword. He then broke through the blinding white mist. At the same time, he neutralized the energy around him with that strike.

    The energy reverberated, scattering the snow and mist all around them.

    The sword qi in He Nian¡¯s hand gathered on the de like the rising tide until a sharp white energy enveloped the sword. Then, it flew toward Zhang Yuelu.

    However, Zhang Yuelu also hadyers of energy around her that were imprable. That was why He Nian felt as if his sword was stuck in quicksand, unable to advance or retreat no matter what.

    Without hesitation, He Nian released his sword while stepping back. Then he pointed a finger at the hilt of his sword, reining in the sword qi. The sword thundered, electricity buzzing around it as it broke free from Zhang Yuelu¡¯s qi shield and rushed straight at her face.

    He Nian was using the Qi Refiner¡¯s Sword Steering Technique.

    Zhang Yuelu had quick reflexes. She grounded her feet and bent her upper body backward at an exaggerated angle, almost parallel to the ground.

    After the sword flew past her, she straightened up and saw He Nian steering his sword with his right index and middle fingers. With a pulling motion, He Nian forcibly turned the sword around, aiming it at Zhang Yuelu¡¯s back.

    Zhang Yuelu turned around abruptly and opened her paper umbre to block the sword''s attack. Upon impact, the sharp and harsh sound of metal and stone shing grated their ears.

    He Nian made a sword-wielding gesture, turning the sword and making it hover in front of him. He held the sword again and lunged at Zhang Yuelu at the speed of light.

    Zhang Yuelu did not dodge his attack. Instead, she turned her paper umbre into a paper spear.

    When the tips of the spear and sword touched, He Nian¡¯s body shuddered, and his face flushed.

    Zhang Yuelu floated back. A violent energy exploded under her feet as soon as her feet touched the ground. It spread to the surroundings like a slowly blooming white lotus.

    He Nian continued to charge forward when Zhang Yuelu regained her footing. The sword qi surged, lengthening the de that was originally only one meter long by another fifteen centimeters.

    Zhang Yuelu held the paper spear with both hands and shed He Nian with such force that it made the spear seem bent. However, He Nian blocked the strike with a backhand sword.

    A thunderous boom echoed in the air as the two weapons collided. Erratic energy rippled out in all directions.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s body moved with the spear in her hand in a sweeping and arched formation, drawing circles of varying sizes and different phases of the moon in the air.

    <i>This technique came from the governor of the previous Central Qin Dynasty, Qi Ying, who was unparalleled in battle. This man once led an army to fight against the Golden Horde, and that was how he honed his spear technique. He used his spear to sweep, not stab. Once, he even disrupted the flow of a torrential river with 81 consecutive sweeps.</i>

    After a while, her body was hidden among the countless moons that she drew. Although the spear was moving extremely fast, there were no whistling sounds, proving that she did not use brute strength. Instead, it was soft and subtle.

    At this time, He Nian could not find any gaps in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s moon shields, as theyyered on top of each other like a well-organized wave of shields in military formation, capable of defending and attacking. The shields did not move individually but as a collective.

    He felt as if arge shield was pressing down on him. If he could not withstand the pressure, he would have to retreat and avoid it. But as soon as he took a step back, Zhang Yuelu pressed forward. He would be defeated if he stayed in this position for too long.

    Thus, He Nian did not retreat. He chose to confront Zhang Yuelu head-on.

    Since ancient times, longer weapons have always gained the upper hand in battle.

    Previously, He Nian had a risky close fight with Zhang Yuelu. If he was not careful, his blood would stter all over. But at this time, Zhang Yuelu used her spear. With the advantage of her spear''s length, she easily suppressed He Nian and gained the upper hand.

    Suddenly, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s spear slowed down. She then drew a meter-long arc while approaching He Nian¡¯s face.

    He Nian only felt a gust of cold airing toward his face. He could not avoid it and used his sword to block the qi. However, this sweep was a false move. Suddenly, Zhang Yuelu switched her spear from her left to her right hand and aimed it at He Nian¡¯s neck.

    She moved so fast that He Nian had no time to defend himself. He had no choice but to move forward to close the distance between them. Then he pointed his sword at her side, intending to attack her where she was most vulnerable.

    Zhang Yuelu had already anticipated this. As the two of them drew close, she held the middle part of her spear and swiped the tail of the spear, knocking He Nian¡¯s sword from his hand. Then she swung her spearhead and struck his neck. He Nian flew sideways from the blow, breaking a pir in the corridor.

    A section of the corridor copsed, burying He Nian under the rubble.

    At this moment, someone shouted, "Stop!"

    Zhang Yuelu turned around, only to see a group of Green Phoenix Guards pouring into the ce, surrounding her. Then, two men slowly walked toward her.

    One of them was Major Luo Xiao, while the other was an unfamiliar face. He was in his forties and had a short beard. Judging from his uniform, Zhang Yuelu guessed that he was the Lieutenant Colonel of the Green Phoenix Guard.

    Luo Xiao had a grim face as he demanded. ¡°Mage Zhang, I hope you can give me an exnation for this.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu put away her spear, indicating that she had no hostile intentions. ¡°That man is an Ancient Immortal believer. He attacked me with green vitriol oil first, so I fought him in self-defense. If you two don¡¯t believe me, you can search his body now. He should have a token rted to the Ancient Immortals.¡±

    Luo Xiao¡¯s expression changed slightly as he turned to the Lieutenant Colonel next to him.

    This Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s expression was gloomy, like the dark sky.

 Chapter 86: Revealed Motives (II)

    <h4>Chapter 86: Revealed Motives (II)</h4>

    Qingbai Temple.

    Qi Xuansu sat upright in front of the square table, his expression slightly stiff.

    Bai Yongguan was sitting opposite Qi Xuansu, with a copper pot ced between them. The steam rising from the hot pot covered their faces and blocked their sight.

    Thin slices of meat were soaking in a spicy red soup.

    Bai Yongguan was like a food connoisseur, introducing Qi Xuansu to the hotpot before him. His voice came from behind the steam. ¡°Mutton would be best when eating hotpot in winter. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have any sheep here in the temple, so we can only serve pork. I hope you won¡¯t mind, Deacon Qi.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Qi Xuansu settled his nerves. ¡°I¡¯m not particr about food. When I was in the Western Region for an expedition, I survived on Army Pills and cold, dry rations. All that matters in the vast Gobi desert with no human habitation is sustenance, so I¡¯m used to it.¡±

    Bai Yongguanughed, stretched out his chopsticks, and picked out an extremely thin slice of meat from the copper pot. He put it in his mouth and chewed it slowly, savoring its taste.

    Li Zhen¡¯er was sitting on Bai Yongguan¡¯s left, and his disciple Bai Yue was sitting on his right.

    At this time, Li Zhen¡¯er¡¯s face paled, and her whole body trembled slightly.

    Bai Yue was expressionless. She also picked up a slice of meat with her chopsticks and ced it in the bowl in front of her.

    Qi Xuansu made no move to eat.

    After Bai Yongguan swallowed the meat, he asked, ¡°Deacon Qi, why aren¡¯t you eating?¡±

    Qi Xuansu lowered his eyes and said, ¡°To be honest with you, I¡¯ve already eaten in the city before I came here, so I¡¯m not hungry.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Bai Yongguan narrowed his eyes. ¡°Well, you can just eat less. At least have a taste.¡±

    Qi Xuansu could no longer refuse, so he picked up his chopsticks and reached into the pot. However, he suddenly felt nauseated when he saw the white pieces of meat floating in the soup. All he could think about was how he should make his escape.

    Since Bai Yongguan was a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist priest, his cultivation level would at least be at the Guizhen stage. But Qi Xuansu was not sure which lineage Bai Yongguan belonged to.

    If Bai Yongguan was a Martial Arts Practitioner, then Qi Xuansu would have no chance to fight back at such close proximity. He had learned this lesson the hard way when he faced off with Zhuge Yongming back then.

    However, it was unlikely that Bai Yongguan was a Martial Arts Practitioner because each lineage would change one¡¯s external appearance. The most notable feature of a Martial Arts Practitioner was the strong blood qi, so much so that one would feel a faint heat emitting from the Martial Arts Practitioner if seated next to them.

    The higher the realm of Martial Arts Practitioner, the more intense this burning feeling would be. It was not until the Martial Arts Practitioner reached the Heavenly Being stage that their blood qi would be more restrained.

    Qi Xuansu did not feel this heat from Bai Yongguan, so he was inclined to believe that thetter was not a Martial Arts Practitioner.

    Among the remaining inheritance, Qi Xuansu eliminated the possibility of Bai Yongguan being a Rogue Cultivator, Banished Immortal, or Qi Refiner. That was because Bai Yongguan could turn his disciple Lu Yu into a pig. Thus, Bai Yongguan could only be a Diviner or a Shaman, both proficient in spells.

    Diviners and Shamans had one thing inmon. Without an addedyer of defense, their natural bodies were fragile, so they could be easily injured.

    This was the reason Qi Xuansu did not escape immediately. If he rashly escaped from Qingbai Temple and aroused Bai Yongguan¡¯s suspicion, he would lose the opportunity to ambush Bai Yongguan. Moreover, Bai Yongguan could easily catch up to him on the arduous mountain road. In a head-on fight, Qi Xuansu could not defeat Bai Yongguan, regardless of thetter¡¯s lineage. That left Qi Xuansu with a dead end.

    At the moment, Bai Yongguan was only testing him. After all, Qi Xuansu was from Tiangang Hall, so killing him would definitely trigger an investigation. Bai Yongguan, a fourth-rank Daoist master who had lost power, could not avoid or suppress the investigation. His only choice would be to leave the Daoist Order and be hunted down by Tiangang Hall and Beichen Hall. If that happened, he would have to live in constant panic.

    Thus, even if Qi Xuansu knew the inside story, they could negotiate terms. Therefore, Bai Yongguan did not kill him unless absolutely necessary.

    For Qi Xuansu, what was most important in this world was his own survival. If he was threatened, he would naturally save himself first. At worst, he would leave the Daoist Order and remain a member of the Qingping Society.

    That was why Qi Xuansu did not mind striking first.

    Qi Xuansu put the meat slices in his bowl and flipped them gently with his chopsticks.

    Bai Yongguan¡¯s gaze fell on Qi Xuansu through the steam rising from the hotpot.

    At this moment, Li Zhen¡¯er finally could not bear it any longer and started sobbing.

    Bai Yongguan immediately turned to Li Zhen¡¯er and rebuked her. ¡°Why are you crying? I told you to rest if you don¡¯t feel well. Don¡¯t embarrass yourself in front of our guest.¡±

    Li Zhen¡¯er just kept shaking her head without uttering a word.

    Qi Xuansu breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Madam Li, you¡¯re a sixth-rank Daoist priest, so you should be a Xiantian Being unaffected bymon diseases. How did you get sick? Are you injured? There are some rogues aroundtely, so you should be careful.¡±

    Li Zhen¡¯er spoke in a low voice. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Deacon Qi. This is just a chronic problem. It¡¯s nothing serious. I¡¯ll get better after a while.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded slightly and quietly touched the gun holster on his waist.

    Long before he arrived at Qingbai Temple, Qi Xuansu had already loaded a Dragon Eye Bullet into his pistol in case of an emergency. He did not expect it toe in handy so soon.

    The Dragon Eye Bullet was powerful, evident by the fatal wound it brought to the sinners back in Fort Cimut. Those sinners were as strong as<i> </i>Xiantian Being Martial Arts Practitioners. At the time, Qi Xuansu managed to kill them with one shot to the chest.

    If Bai Yongguan did not use any protective powers or treasures, Qi Xuansu could severely injure him or even kill him with one shot.

    However, there was another variable¡ªBai Yongguan¡¯s disciple, Bai Yue. Qi Xuansu was unsure whether Bai Yue was an aplice or a clueless, innocent person.

    Assuming that Bai Yue was Bai Yongguan¡¯s aplice, she should not be underestimated, even though she was only an eighth-rank Daoist priest. In many cases, Qi Xuansu had defeated his opponents who were higher in rank and cultivation than him, so he assumed that others could do the same.

    Bai Yongguan was distracted by Li Zhen¡¯er. He ordered his disciple, ¡°Yue¡¯er, send her back to her room.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Bai Yue stood up and came to Li Zhen¡¯er¡¯s side. ¡°Master-Mother, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Li Zhen''er nced at Bai Yongguan, stood up slowly, and left with Bai Yue. In the end, only Qi Xuansu and Bai Yongguan remained in the main hall.

    Qi Xuansu did not have much of an expression, but his whole body was tense. He was ready to pull out the Divine Dragon Pistol from his waist at any time. This was a gun drawing technique, which he derived from the sword drawing technique. It was not a sophisticated technique, but it was very practical.

    Bai Yongguan did not rush to speak. Instead, he ced some of the other side dishes into the hotpot.

    Qi Xuansu did not act rashly either.

    After Bai Yongguan finished cooking the side dishes, he chuckled and wanted to speak.

    However, there was a loud noiseing from the gate of the temple, startling Bai Yongguan.

    Qi Xuansu immediately seized this perfect opportunity and kicked the square table, flipping it over. The copper pot, soup, dishes, and the white meat in the pot flew up between them, blocking their sight.

    When Qi Xuansu pulled out the Divine Dragon Pistol from his waist, his thumb had already pressed down on the hammer. He did not search for his target. Instead, he moved toward the position in his memory and pulled the trigger.

    A cloud of smoke and fire exploded from the pistol, and the Dragon Eye Bullet spun rapidly before shooting out of the barrel.

    Qi Xuansu did not wait to see if he had hit his target and immediately left to take cover so that he could load the second Dragon Eye Bullet into the pistol.

    The copper pot fell to the ground, revealing Bai Yongguan¡¯s figure. There was an expanding patch of blood on his chest, but he was far from dead. He was not even seriously injured.

    Bai Yongguan had a sinister smile on his face as he stretched out to cover the spot on his chest where he had been shot. ¡°As expected of an elite from Tiangang Hall, you truly are different from an ordinary Daoist priest.¡±

    Qi Xuansu hid behind a pir outside the door and turned his head slightly to get a glimpse of Bai Yongguan.

    He noticed a faint golden light all over Bai Yongguan¡¯s body. Qi Xuansu happened to see this scene not long ago in the battle at the ancient temple. The Shaman that Zhang Yuelu severely injured also had such magical powers, and she was in the Shaman¡¯s Golden Body Realm.

    Bai Yongguan turned out to be a Shaman.

    The strength of a Shaman was closely rted to the amount of incense power they received. Daoist temples always had a reserve of incense power. The more incense offerings the Daoist temple received, the more incense power it had in the reserve.

    For the Daoist Order, incense power was simr to the Imperial Court¡¯s tax money. Local Daoist temples would offer up their incense power to the local Daoist mansions at the end of the year. After reserving part of the incense power for Spirit Guards, the local Daoist mansions would hand over the remainder to the Ancestral Court. Then, the incense power would be distributed uniformly, such as for the cultivation of Shamans or for training new Spirit Guards.

    Although Qingbai Temple¡¯s incense offering was minimal, it should still have a reserve. If Bai Yongguan used this incense power, then hisbat power would beparable to that of Banished Immortals.

    Bai Yongguan snorted. He summoned a Spiritual Statue around five meters tall, wearing armor and holding two whips. The statue was buzzing with electricity, and Qi Xuansu could hear a faint roar of thunder.

    The Spiritual Statue swung both whips, cutting the pir where Qi Xuansu was hiding behind in half.

    At the critical moment, Qi Xuansu rolled away and dodged the blow.

    Bai Yongguanughed. ¡°Deacon Qi, since you don¡¯t want to eat my pork, I presume you prefer mutton. Why don¡¯t I turn you into a sheep then?¡±

    Before he finished speaking, he pointed his finger at Qi Xuansu.

    This was the Shaman¡¯s mystical ability, the Small 36 Heavenly Generals Transformation Technique. It could make something fake seem real and change reality. A Diviner could only practice this technique after reaching the Heavenly-Being stage. However, for Shamans, even Xiantian Beings could use this technique as long as they had enough incense power.

    Suddenly, a mysterious force fell on Qi Xuansu, trying to change his physical form.

    At the same time, another force surged out of Qi Xuansu¡¯s body to resist this change. In the end, the two forces neutralized each other. Bai Yongguan failed to transform Qi Xuansu into a sheep.

    Bai Yongguan was shocked at first, but then he looked ted. ¡°So, you¡¯re the person with a special physique! It must be fate that you served yourself up on a silver tter!¡±

 Chapter 87: Revealed Motives (III)

    <h4>Chapter 87: Revealed Motives (III)</h4>

    Although the Small 36 Heavenly Generals Transformation Technique was mysterious, it had a very big w. Against an opponent of the same cultivation level, this technique could only limit the opponent temporarily. There was also a chance of failure. Moreover, it greatly exhausted one¡¯s energy, so it was usually not worth the gain. This technique would only be effective when facing someone at a lower cultivation level.

    Bai Yongguan and Qi Xuansu were two cultivation levels apart, so Qi Xuansu should not be able to withstand this technique without using any treasures or mystical abilities. However, this technique was ineffective on him. Thus, there was only one exnation¡ªQi Xuansu had a special physique, born with natural resistance to this type of transformation magic.

    <i>This was simr to how a strong Martial Arts Practitioner could withstand a Diviner¡¯s spells. Since blood qi and the body were physical existences, a Martial Arts Practitioner who constantly trained his body and strengthened his blood qi could resist a Diviner¡¯s spells. At the same time, a Martial Arts Practitioner could not perform these spells either.</i>

    <i>There were indeed many people in this world with special physiques who were born with naturally strong blood qi and had great strength. It was just that most of these people became top Martial Arts Practitioners, while those with other ws settled for second best and became Spirit Guards.</i>

    <i>Such people were not difficult to find. This world was so big that there were even a number of the rare Banished Immortals. However, the Daoist Order and the ck Robes were most interested in people of such physique. Thus, most of them were recruited by the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court.</i>

    <i>Very few of them fell into the hands of secret societies. Moreover, secret societies would not be willing to use such natural-born talents as vessels. So, the best option for secret societies was to capture a simr person from the Daoist Order. Even so, the secret societies could not just walk into a local Daoist mansion or the ck Robes'' military camp to kidnap people. </i>

    Bai Yongguanmented that it took no effort for him to find their vessel. It was fate that a person with a special physique knocked on his door just as he was looking for one.

    Only Qi Xuansu knew that he was not born with a special physique. If he was, he would have been discovered when he was in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. In that case, he would have been able to enjoy Zhang Yuelu¡¯s treatment. He would be able to skip the basic courses of the Wanxiang Daoist Pce and be taught by Sages and Great Sages.

    The only exnation for his special physique was the Qingping Society¡¯s body transformation. His body became extremely tough after going through the body transformation, so much so that he could fight head-on against Yuxu-stage Martial Arts Practitioners with all his strength without dying.

    However, Qi Xuansu did not know that his body could resist a Shaman¡¯s spells. Madam Qi also never mentioned it, so he grew more curious about what kind of transformation the Qingping Society did on his body. Could it be the legendary Marrow-Cleansing Golden Sutra?

    Bai Yongguan thought that Qi Xuansu would never be able to escape from his grasp, so he said calmly, ¡°A vessel can¡¯t be damaged, so it seems that I can¡¯t kill you. I¡¯ll let you live for now.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart pounded. When he asked Zhang Yuelu about the Ancient Immortals, Zhang Yuelu mentioned that secret societies used human beings as vessels to absorb the divine power bestowed by the Ancient Immortals.

    With his sharp mind, Qi Xuansu immediately connected the dots. He recalled the scene of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s divination using the Purple Star Astrology and figured that Bai Yongguan was the Daoist priest among the seven Ancient Immortal Believers.

    It was notpletely surprising for this fourth-rank abbot to join a secret society because he had been banished to a deserted and remote Daoist temple. Bai Yongguan must have felt suppressed and excluded with no other way out. That was probably why he chose to join a secret society.

    Excluding the Shaman and the man in the ck cloak, there were five other Ancient Immortal believers in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s divination. If the Daoist priest was Bai Yongguan, who were the court officials, the schr, the gentry, and the monk? Did they also have hidden identities?

    But before Qi Xuansu could delve into it, Bai Yongguan had already made a move. Bai Yongguan¡¯s Spiritual Statue held two whips and rushed straight at Qi Xuansu. With every step the Spiritual Statue took, Qi Xuansu grew increasingly nervous.

    Qi Xuansu suddenly jumped up and pulled the trigger of the Divine Dragon Pistol, aiming at the head of the Spiritual Statue.

    With a loud bang, the Spiritual Statue¡¯s head exploded in a ball of mes. Countless sparks fell like rain, and the impact forced the statue to lean back, momentarily stagnating it.

    Qi Xuansu fell back to the ground and put thest Dragon Eye Bullet into his pistol without hesitation.

    Bai Yongguan chuckled, looking calm. ¡°You have another Dragon Eye Bullet? These are expensive and hard to get. It seems that you¡¯re from a good background.¡±

    After that, the Spiritual Statue strode forward again, mming down the metal whip in his hand.

    Qi Xuansu barely managed to avoid it by jumping and rolling away.

    A three-meter-long ravine appeared when the whip touched the ground, shaking the earth violently.

    At this moment, someone forced their way between Bai Yongguan¡¯s Spiritual Statue and Qi Xuansu. The person''s fist, with bulging veins and muscles, had a golden glow.

    This new arrival punched the Spiritual Statue, which fought back. However, the punch was so powerful that it could destroy everything, including the Spiritual Statue.

    This person continued attacking Bai Yongguan, sessfully punching thetter in the chest when he was caught off guard.

    Bai Yongguan¡¯s chest had already been hit by Qi Xuansu¡¯s bullet earlier. With this punch, a terrifying dent appeared in his chest, and his whole body flew backward like a kite with a broken string. He hit a load-bearing pir in the side hall, breaking it in half upon impact.

    Without the support of the pir, the side hall copsed, burying Bai Yongguan underneath the rubble.

    ......

    The person who intervened was none other than Wang Zicheng, the Pacification Commander of the Green Phoenix Guard. Like Xu Kou, Wang Zicheng was also a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Guizhen stage. However, Xu Kou had just reached the Guizhen stage, while Wang Zicheng had been in the Guizhen stage for a long time.

    Just as Zhang Yuelu started condensing part of her qi into essence, Wang Zicheng condensed his body and spirit within his acupoints. Hisbat power was far superior to that of Xu Kou.

    A Martial Arts Practitioner would only be put in a passive situation when the Diviner kept their distance in a fight. This was the reason Wang Zicheng did not have much power to fight back when his boat capsized on the Tongtian River.

    However, in closebat, Martial Arts Practitioners would have the advantage over Diviners, Shamans, and Rogue Cultivators. Only Qi Refiners, who had no obvious weaknesses, and Banished Immortals, who were proficient in everything, stood a fighting chance against Martial Arts Practitioners in closebat. This was how Wang Zicheng could severely injure Bai Yongguan with a punch.

    Wang Zicheng¡¯s appearance was also a coincidence. After he escaped from the Shamans who ambushed him at Tongtian River, Wang Zicheng was suspicious of the local Major¡¯s Office and Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office. That was because only they knew of his approximate itinerary. Thus, Wang Zicheng thought of seeking help from the local Daoist temple.

    If the Green Phoenix Guard was corrupt, the local Daoist temple should be able to help him. That was why he decided to visit Qingbai Temple.

    As a result, just as Wang Zicheng arrived at the gates of the Daoist temple, he saw Li Zhen¡¯er, who was trying to escape, being chased by Bai Yue. Li Zhen¡¯er immediately asked Wang Zicheng for help. When Bai Yue saw that the situation was awry, she fled back to the Daoist temple and mmed the doors shut. That was the loud noise that provided Qi Xuansu the first opportunity to attack Bai Yongguan.

    ......

    Wang Zicheng wanted to speak to Qi Xuansu, but he sensed something and abruptly turned around.

    The copsed side hall suddenly burst into mes, propelling rubble into the air and stirring up dust. Bai Yongguan, who still had the Spiritual Statue around him, slowly stood up.

    Bai Yongguan looked at the person who had seriously injured him with one punch and slowly said, ¡°A Martial Arts Practitioner in the Heavenly Connection Realm truly is powerful.¡±

    The Heavenly Connection Realm was the stage when a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s acupoints made mysterious connections with the stars. They could draw power from the stars andbine it with their own blood qi while condensing their body and spirit in their acupoints. This was a method from the Manly Immortal lineage called the Immortal Refining Technique.

    If a Martial Arts Practitioner could condense all 365 major acupoints in the body, they would be in the Divinity Realm.

    Bai Yongguan closed his eyes and whispered, ¡°Supreme Witch God.¡±

    As soon as he spoke, the statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor in the main hall of Qingbai Temple exploded.

    The golden Spiritual Statue that Wang Zicheng destroyed earlier changed its appearance. It no longer had a Daoist disguise. Instead, it turned into a form of Wu Luo, with two wings and four arms. Each arm had a green snake coiled around it.

    Wang Zicheng clenched his fist, making his veins bulge as if several dragons had coiled around his arm. Then his acupoints lit up one after another on his arm. Nearly fifty acupoints connected in a line, making his entire arm glow. Each acupoint had a miniature Wang Zicheng in it, resembling his soul. He had condensed more than 50 body spirits.

    When he threw a punch, his chest, abdomen, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and fist made a series of thunderous popping sounds. It seemed like a simple punch, but there was something mysterious about it. Under the majestic and bright energy was a hidden, dark energy that surged.

    This punchnded on Bai Yongguan¡¯s Spiritual Statue, shaking it to its core. Countless cracks appeared on the Spiritual Statue, and a golden light burst out from the cracks,pletely engulfing Bai Yongguan and Wang Zicheng.

    When the golden light dissipated, the two of them reappeared.

    Bai Yongguan¡¯s Spiritual Statue was covered in cracks, like a room that had air leakage from all sides. The Spiritual Statue could not cover Bai Yongguanpletely. At this moment, the four green snakes wrapped themselves tightly around Wang Zicheng¡¯s limbs to prevent him from moving.

    The two were at a stalemate in a wrestling position.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu did not choose to escape but quickly stepped forward, raising the Divine Dragon Pistol in his hand without hesitation. He pressed down the hammer and pulled the trigger.

    Thest Dragon Eye Bullet slipped through the cracks of the Spiritual Statue and struck Bai Yongguan in the chest again.

    Bai Yongguan had already been shot once and was previously punched in the same spot. Although he was a Shaman in the Golden Body Realm, his Spiritual Statuepletely shattered at this moment.

    Shamans had many mystical abilities, but they had weak bodies. Thus, they summoned divinity, manifested Spiritual Statues, and cultivated an indestructible golden body to protect the body. But these were all based on spells. Without spells, the physique of Shamans in the Guizhen stage was only equivalent to that of a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Kunlun stage.

 Chapter 88: Revealed Motives (IV)

    <h4>Chapter 88: Revealed Motives (IV)</h4>

    The Dragon Eye Bullet had prated Bai Yongguan¡¯s chest,pletely shattering his Spiritual Statue.

    After the Spiritual Statue disappeared, the green snake that restrained Wang Zicheng also turned into little streams of light and dissipated.

    Wang Zicheng looked at Qi Xuansu, a little surprised.

    When Wang Zicheng first arrived, he only saw Qi Xuansu fighting with Bai Yongguan. In the end, it was Qi Xuansu who gave Bai Yongguan a fatal blow, which showed that the former was no ordinary person.

    Qi Xuansu put away the Divine Dragon Pistol, took out his insignia, and introduced himself. ¡°I¡¯m Qi Xuansu, a deacon of Tiangang Hall.¡±

    Wang Zicheng breathed a sigh of relief and took out his badge. ¡°Wang Zicheng, Pacification Commander of the Green Phoenix Guard.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not panic upon hearing this, even after having previously killed many Green Phoenix Guards in Fengtai County. He acted normally. ¡°Thank you for saving me, Pacification Commander Wang. I am eternally grateful to you.¡±

    Wang Zicheng waved his hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t save you. We were teaming up to fight against the enemy. By the way, shouldn¡¯t Beichen Hall take the lead in capturing traitors? Why is the Tiangang Hall involved?¡±

    Qi Xuansu roughly recounted the events that led to his arrival in Qingbai Temple, starting from identally barging into the ancient temple with Ancient Immortal believers, toter discovering that Bai Yongguan had ughtered and cooked his disciple.

    After Wang Zicheng heard this, he was speechless for a long time.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Pacification Commander Wang, why did youe here?¡±

    Wang Zicheng did not hide anything from Qi Xuansu and told him how his boat had capsized on the Tongtian River when he was traveling incognito, and how he was ambushed by Shamans on the shore.

    Qi Xuansu never expected this group of Ancient Immortal believers to be so bold as to attack a Pacification Commander. But it all made sense to him when he recalled Bai Yongguan mentioning the need for a vessel.

    It seemed that the Ancient Immortal believers were nning to hold a divine descent ceremony in this area.

    The so-called divine descent, as Zhang Yuelu once mentioned, was allowing an external incarnation of the Ancient Immortal to descend to the mortal realm. Since the mortal realm was a huge cage for the Ancient Immortals, many of their actions were restricted. Thus, Ancient Immortals had to use this kind of trick to do things that they could not do personally.

    Qi Xuansu also described the scene of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s divination using the Purple Star Astrology. ¡°There are seven of them in total. Two have already surfaced so far, so there are five left. The monk, gentry, schr, court official, and a mysterious person in a cloak.¡±

    Wang Zicheng said with a solemn expression, ¡°An old man in court robes? I¡¯m afraid that Mage Zhang will be in trouble if she goes to the local Major¡¯s Office by herself.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Pacification Commander, do you think that there are more demons lurking in the Major¡¯s Office?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Wang Zicheng nodded and added, ¡°I¡¯m quite certain that¡¯s how I got ambushed on the way here.¡±

    Speaking of this, Qi Xuansu suddenly remembered something and hurriedly went to Bai Yongguan¡¯s corpse. Qi Xuansu searched around Bai Yongguan¡¯s corpse, finding a string of beads on his wrist and a jade pendant in his sleeve pocket. Qi Xuansu put them in his satchel, pulled out his sword, Qing Yuan, and cut off Bai Yongguan¡¯s head.

    Wang Zicheng understood Qi Xuansu¡¯s intention. He roughly scanned the temple but found nothing. Bai Yue had taken the opportunity to escape during the chaotic fight. The remaining Daoist believers were merely ordinary citizens who had nothing to do with the secret societies.

    Qi Xuansu carried Bai Yongguan¡¯s head and ran out, followed closely by Wang Zicheng.

    When the two left Qingbai Temple, they saw that Li Zhen¡¯er was still standing on the side of the road. When Li Zhen¡¯er saw Qi Xuansu holding Bai Yongguan¡¯s decapitated head, she breathed a long sigh of relief and slumped down on the roadside.

    Qi Xuansu was worried about Zhang Yuelu¡¯s safety, so he ran down the mountain, not bothering to nce at Li Zhen¡¯er.

    Right after Qi Xuansu and Wang Zicheng left, Li Zhen¡¯er gradually regained her senses. She slowly stood up and nned to leave this horrendous ce.

    She turned to look back at Qingbai Temple, where she had lived for many years, and murmured, ¡°Bai Yongguan, Lu Yu, you¡¯re all dead¡ª¡±

    Before she finished speaking, her body suddenly stiffened. The tip of a knife had prated through her chest, and the blood stain on her robe gradually expanded.

    Bai Yue, who had escaped from Qingbai Temple, returned to stab Li Zhen¡¯er. She slowly pulled out the knife and stretched out her hand to push Li Zhen¡¯er forward.

    Li Zhen¡¯er fell with her face forward onto the ground, blood pooling under her body. Soon, she became silent.

    Bai Yue tossed the knife aside, looked back at Qingbai Temple, and ran down the mountain from the other direction.

    ......

    In the Major¡¯s Office, Zhang Yuelu was still surrounded by the many Green Phoenix Guards. However, she did not panic.

    Luo Xiao walked to the rubble in the corridor and dug out He Nian with his bare hands.

    He Nian looked miserable, with minor wounds all over. His neck was almost broken as well, so his head tilted to the side. However, he was still breathing weakly and was notpletely dead.

    Just as Zhang Yuelu expected, Luo Xiao would not believe an outsider like her without definite evidence to doubt his subordinate. At this time, Luo Xiao¡¯s face was grim when he saw He Nian at death''s door.

    Zhang Yuelu said calmly, ¡°I struck him in the neck, but he didn¡¯t die immediately. This shows how tough his body is. He should be at the Guizhen stage, so how could someone with such a high level of cultivation willingly stay stagnant as a mere assistant major for such a long time? Major Luo, you said so yourself that he has been in the Major¡¯s Office for more than ten years. Do you even know that your assistant major is in the Guizhen stage?¡±

    Luo Xiao was speechless.

    At this moment, the Green Phoenix Guard Lieutenant Colonel, who had stood aside, finally spoke. ¡°Mage Zhang.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu looked at the Lieutenant Colonel and asked, ¡°And you are?¡±

    The Green Phoenix Guard Lieutenant Colonel briefly saluted her. ¡°I am Lin Zhenyuan, the Lieutenant Colonel in Yongzhou.¡±

    Yongzhou bordered Liangzhou, Shuzhou, Qinzhou, and Xizhou. The Great Xuan Dynasty established a Governor¡¯s Office, a Provincial Administrative Office, a Provincial Surveince Commission, and a Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office in this state, which were all under the control of the Xiliang Censorate. In the Daoistmunity, this territory fell under the jurisdiction of the Kunlun Daoist Mansion.

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°Greetings, Lieutenant Colonel Lin.¡±

    Lin Zhenyuan questioned, ¡°Mage Zhang, why are you so sure that Assistant Major He is from a secret society just because he¡¯s in the Guizhen stage? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too prejudiced? Even if there is something wrong with Assistant Major He, you should let the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s Southern Military Commission handle him. This isn¡¯t something the Daoist Order¡¯s Tiangang Hall is authorized to do.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu emphasized. ¡°I told you that he was the one who attacked me first. I was merely acting in self-defense.¡±

    Lin Zhenyuan disputed. ¡°Mage Zhang, your cultivation level is obvious to everyone. Even if He Nian is in the Guizhen stage, how could he try to attack you first?¡±

    ¡°What if it¡¯s a sneak attack?¡± Zhang Yuelu asked back, ¡°Lieutenant Colonel, do you expect me to just stand here and wait to be killed?¡±

    There were many unwritten rules between the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court. One of them was that the Imperia Court had no right to deal with disciples from the Daoist Order, and vice versa. If a court officialmitted a crime and fell into the hands of the Daoist Order, thetter had to hand the criminal over to the Imperial Court for disposal, and vice versa.

    Although Lin Zhenyuan did not say it explicitly, he was reminding Zhang Yuelu of this rule. Zhang Yuelu also understood that she had overstepped her bounds.

    At this moment, Luo Xiao had already searched He Nian¡¯s body and found no beads or other objects proving that thetter was affiliated with the Ancient Immortals. Instead, he found a jade pendant with no special words or carvings. It was shaped like a ring.

    Zhang Yuelu was disappointed to see this. She did not expect He Nian to be so cautious that he did not carry the beads of the Lingshan Witch Cult with him. The prayer beads of Lingshan Witch Cult were not just simple tokens. They contained divine power that could be used in an emergency.

    Lin Zhenyuan nced at the unconscious He Nian and stated, ¡°Since it hase to this point, He Nian will be temporarily detained by the Yongzhou Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office. I will report this to the Southern Military Commissioner¡¯s Office, and they will investigate whether He Nian is rted to any secret associations.

    ¡°I will also report to the Lord Commander that you have assaulted an assistant major. He willmunicate with your Hall Master regarding your punishment. But before that, you will have to stay here in the Major¡¯s Office, Mage Zhang. I hope you won¡¯t make things more difficult for us.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu frowned slightly. Judging from her divination, she saw seven Ancient Immortal believers surrounding the statue. Aside from the Shaman whom she had previously injured, there were another six cult demons. He Nian was undoubtedly one of them.

    To find the remaining five individuals, Zhang Yuelu had to find clues from He Nian. Thus, if the Green Phoenix Guards took He Nian away, she would lose important clues to the case. Moreover, she could not stay put at the Major¡¯s Office. She had to find out where the cult demons were hiding as quickly as possible.

    However, Zhang Yuelu could not just abduct He Nian and leave like a wanted criminal. Just as Zhang Yuelu hesitated, a voice came from behind them.

    ¡°There is no need to report to the Southern Military Commissioner¡¯s Office. This is exactly why I came here for an inspection this time.¡±

    Lin Zhenyuan and Zhang Yuelu both looked toward the source of the voice.

    The person who spoke was none other than Wang Zicheng, apanied by Qi Xuansu.

    Wang Zicheng held up his badge and dered, ¡°I am Wang Zicheng, the Pacification Commander of the Southern Military Commission. I have been ordered to inspect Xizhou, Yongzhou, Liangzhou, and the surrounding area for any illegal activities and bring the criminals to justice.¡±

    Aside from Lin Zhenyuan, everyone else was shocked.

    The public was afraid of the Northern Military Commission, but the Green Phoenix Guards were even more afraid of the Southern Military Commission. Not to mention, Wang Zicheng was a Pacification Commander.

    Even if Lieutenant Colonel Lin Zhenyuan had the same status as Wang Zicheng in the Green Phoenix Guard, in terms of official rank, thetter was the lower-fourth rank, while the former was an upper-fifth-rank official. Moreover, as an envoy of the Southern Military Commission, Wang Zicheng had to be treated with due respect.

    Lin Zhenyuan examined Wang Zicheng¡¯s badge and saluted him. ¡°Greetings, Pacification Commander.¡±

    Luo Xiao and the rest of the Green Phoenix Guards kneeled on one knee. ¡°Wee, Pacification Commander.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu looked at Qi Xuansu and noticed how he was holding a decapitated human head, whose disheveled hair had covered the face.

    Her heart dropped in shock as she thought, <i>Did something happen at Qingbai Temple?</i>

    At this time, both Wang Zicheng and Qi Xuansu looked unkempt. Qi Xuansu was a little better, but Wang Zicheng had messy hair. If it had not been for his badge, no one would have recognized that he was the mighty envoy of the Southern Military Commission.

    Qi Xuansu introduced Zhang Yuelu to Wang Zicheng, and the two greeted each other.

    Luo Xiao was outspoken, so he asked, ¡°Pacification Commander, may I ask what happened to you on your journey?¡±

    ¡°I was just about to tell you.¡± Wang Zicheng¡¯s voice was resounding. ¡°I was ambushed on my way here. My entourage was wiped out. I almost died at the hands of these demons too. Lieutenant Colonel, since you are the person in charge here, what do you have to say about this?¡±

    Lin Zhenyuan¡¯s expression changed slightly. He did not defend himself and only spoke solemnly. ¡°My apologies for neglecting my duty, sir.¡±

 Chapter 89: Revealed Motives (V)

    <h4>Chapter 89: Revealed Motives (V)</h4>

    ¡°Is it just a dereliction of duty?¡± Wang Zicheng suddenly raised his voice.

    Lin Zhenyuan looked at Wang Zicheng and said in a deep voice, ¡°Pacification Commander, what do you mean by that?¡±

    Wang Zicheng stared at Lin Zhenyuan intently. ¡°Let me make it clear. Our superiors sent me here to inspect Liangzhou, Yongzhou, Xizhou, Qinzhou, and the surrounding area because something shady was going on. I even got ambushed on the way here. It makes me wonder if someone was afraid I''d discover something, so they wanted to do whatever it took to silence me.¡±

    ¡°Pacification Commander, you might as well just get to the point and name your suspect.¡± Lin Zhenyuan¡¯s expression changed.

    The entire courtyard was deadly silent, with only the sound of wind and falling snow.

    Many Green Phoenix Guards, including Luo Xiao, never thought that two high-ranking officers would confront each other so openly. As mere subordinates, they could only pretend to be deaf, blind, and mute for a while.

    Wang Zicheng suddenly questioned, ¡°Lieutenant Colonel, how did this group of demons know my whereabouts?¡±

    Lin Zhenyuan also raised his voice. ¡°Pacification Commander, are you suspecting me?¡±

    Wang Zicheng rebutted. ¡°Who should I suspect, then? Why don¡¯t you enlighten me?¡±

    Lin Zhenyuan sneered. ¡°You imed that you were ambushed, but no one witnessed it. It was merely your one-sided statement. If you want to frame me with this, then I have no choice but to report this matter to the Commander Adjutant, who will then report it to the Lord Commander.¡±

    Wang Zicheng did not conceal his anger. He stopped arguing with Lin Zhenyuan and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for the Commander Adjutant to ry this to the Lord Commander. Since I am an envoy, I can meet the Lord Commander directly. Why don¡¯t youe with me to the Capital? You can exin yourself to the Lord Commander as well.¡±

    Lin Zhenyuan stared straight at Wang Zicheng. ¡°Thew of our Great Xuan Dynasty stiptes that if the incumbent official has not coborated with the enemy, lost the city, or been involved in bribery, then a Pacification Commander has no right to detain the official without an imperial decree. The Pacification Commander could report it to the superiors. If you want me to follow you to the Capital, you must first produce evidence of my wrongdoing.¡±

    Wang Zicheng was able to rise to the lower-fourth rank in the Green Phoenix Guard due to his cultivation level. He was an outstanding individual.

    He stated, ¡°I took a boat on the Tongtian River, but a Diviner used magic to destroy my boat, killing my entourage. I am a Martial Arts Practitioner, so I can¡¯t find out who did this. But the Diviners in the Green Phoenix Guard will be able to find some clues.

    ¡°After I swam ashore, three more Shamans in the Yuxu stage besieged me. Our Diviners can also use the Earth Qi Recalling Technique to verify what happened. If anyone disturbs the earth¡¯s energy, it only means that they have something to hide.

    ¡°Even if the Green Phoenix Guard doesn¡¯t care about this matter, since it involves demons from the Lingshan Witch Cult, the Daoist Order will definitely get to the bottom of it.

    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel, if you are not willing toe with me today, someone else will summon you soon. I only hope that you can be as confident as you are now when the timees.¡±

    Lin Zhenyuan was startled. He immediately lost the arrogance he had earlier, and the cold light in his eyes slowly subsided.

    After a while, Lin Zhenyuan tried to manipte the situation. ¡°Pacification Commander, these are groundless fabrications and false usations. As a member of the Green Phoenix Guard, you colluded with people from the Daoist Order. This is a big taboo, and as the Pacification Commander of the Southern Military Commission, you should know how such crimes are convicted.¡±

    Wang Zicheng said, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m aware. But that only applies if secret associations aren¡¯t involved. Emperor Gaozu once left a mandate stating that all ministries and officials of the Imperial Court must fully assist the Daoist Order in matters involving the Ancient Immortals and secret societies.

    ¡°The Holy Xuan also said that the Zhengyi Sect is in charge of affairs rting to ghosts and gods, the Taiping Sect is in charge of worldly affairs, and the Quanzhen Sect is in charge of inventions. The three Daoist Sects are not subordinate to each other and are clearly distinct.

    ¡°However, when ites to matters involving Ancient Immortals, the Taiping Sect and the Quanzhen Sect would also give their full assistance. Are you saying that Emperor Gaozu and the Holy Xuan are wrong in this decree?¡±

    With Emperor Gaozu and the Holy Xuan mentioned, even the Grand Master of the Daoist Order and the Emperor would not dare go against the decree, let alone Lin Zhenyuan.

    The Lieutenant Colonel was speechless for a moment.

    Wang Zicheng added, ¡°Besides, this matter already involved the Daoist Order.¡± He turned back and ordered, ¡°Deacon Qi.¡±

    Qi Xuansu, who had been silent the whole time, took a step forward and put Bai Yongguan¡¯s decapitated head on the ground. He carefully brushed aside Bai Yongguan¡¯s hair to reveal his face.

    ¡°I am Qi Xuansu, a deacon of Tiangang Hall. This man was the abbot of Qingbai Temple, Bai Yongguan. He was a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master who was also a member of the Lingshan Witch Cult. Pacification Commander Wang and I killed him. This is the evidence.¡±

    Then he took out the simple jade pendant and a string of prayer beads that could prove Bai Yongguan¡¯s affiliation with the secret society. It was clear that Bai Yongguan had a higher status in the Lingshan Witch Cult than Chu Liangwang because the former¡¯s beads were made of jade.

    Lin Zhenyuan¡¯s face turned pale, while Luo Xiao¡¯s expression changed dramatically.

    The rest of the Green Phoenix Guards were also shocked.

    Although He Nian did not carry the prayer beads that directly indicated his identity as an Ancient Immortal believer, he had a simr jade pendant to Bai Yongguan.

    Zhang Yuelu could not help but feel a little scared. She originally thought that Qingbai Temple had been attacked by the demons from the Lingshan Witch Cult. Unexpectedly, the abbot of Qingbai Temple was already a member of the secret society.

    Sending Qi Xuansu to Qingbai Temple alone was akin to pushing a sheep into a tiger¡¯s den. Fortunately, Qi Xuansu returned safely. Otherwise, she would not know how she would get over the guilt.

    Zhang Yuelu took the jade pendant from Qi Xuansu and asked Luo Xiao for the jade pendant he had found on He Nian. She raised the two jade pendants and said, ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Lin, Major Luo, you two owe me an exnation.¡±

    Luo Xiao suddenly remembered Zhang Yuelu¡¯s question not long ago. His heart pounded, and he quickly defended himself. ¡°I have just assumed my position for less than a year, so I¡¯m not familiar with the situation here. However, He Nian has been a veteran in this office for more than ten years. He¡¯s in charge of all documents, and many of the office affairs go through his hands. I really don¡¯t know the details.¡±

    Although Luo Xiao did not explicitly state it, Wang Zicheng keenly captured the keywords and immediately asked, ¡°Major Luo, who is your predecessor?¡±

    Luo Xiao nced at Lin Zhenyuan next to him and spoke hesitantly. ¡°The fundamental workings of an office often persist even with a change in leadership. My predecessor¡ª¡±

    Wang Zicheng interrupted, ¡°It can¡¯t be Lieutenant Colonel Lin, right?¡±

    There was no emotion on Lin Zhenyuan¡¯s face as he admitted it. ¡°It¡¯s me. Back then, the position of Major was vacant here, so the superiors asked me to concurrently hold the positions of the Senior Major in the Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office and the Major in this office.¡±

    ¡°In other words, He Nian was once your direct subordinate.¡± Wang Zicheng remarked. ¡°Whether you are a demon from the Lingshan Witch Cult or colluded with He Nian, you can be convicted of negligence just because your confidant is a demon from the Lingshan Witch Cult. Although it¡¯s not a big crime, it¡¯s still enough for you to be brought to the Imperial Capital for a face-to-face interrogation.¡±

    At this moment, Bai Yongguan¡¯s head suddenly came to life and uttered, ¡°The seventh-rank Daoist priest is the vessel we are looking for!¡±

    Immediately afterward, Lin Zhenyuan suddenly jumped up and charged at Qi Xuansu.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu no longer had the Dragon Eye Bullet. How could he possibly fight a Green Phoenix Guard Lieutenant Colonel head-on?

    ......

    At the same time, a schr asked the waiter of an inn in Yishan City for a basin of water.

    The schr stretched out his hand and stirred the water. Instantly, the current scene in the Major¡¯s Office appeared in the basin.

    Not far from the water basin was an incense burner the size of a human head, filled with incense sticks as thick as a little finger. The incense burned and flickered inside the burner.

    The white smoke rose in swirls, twisting and changing until it turned into someone¡¯s face. The smoke image resembled Wang Zicheng, but it was not very clear, like an ink-wash painting.

    The schrughed as he flicked his finger at Wang Zicheng¡¯s image, dissipating the smoke quickly.

    ......

    Wang Zicheng, who was in the Major¡¯s Office, only felt a sudden blow to his chest. He could not help but groan while stumbling back a few steps.

    In closebat, Diviners were likely to be killed by a Martial Arts Practitioner after a few moves. But if the Diviner distanced themselves or simply hid in the dark, then the Martial Arts Practitioner would be toyed with.

    Although Wang Zicheng was hindered, Zhang Yuelu was there to protect Qi Xuansu. She turned the Amorphous Paper into a long sword and stood in front of Qi Xuansu, shielding him from the Lieutenant Colonel.

    Lin Zhenyuan did not dare underestimate Zhang Yuelu. He used his Nine Yin Ghost Hand to grab the paper sword. A ck, evil energy lingered on his five fingers, bringing with it cries and resentfulints of wronged souls. This was a technique that could only be learned in the Guizhen stage.

    At the same time, he used the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s ck Devil Palm with his left hand. This palm strike had an extremely cold energy that would cause the opponent¡¯s body to freeze in an instant. A ck palm print would appear on the opponent¡¯s body as the cold poison seeped through the opponent''s skin. The pain during the attack was unbearable, and it was a narrow escape from death.

    To Lin Zhenyuan¡¯s surprise, the paper sword in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hand was so sharp that it neutralized his Nine Yin Ghost Hand and almost cut off all five of his fingers.

    At the same time, his left palm could not touch Zhang Yuelu at all. That was because her Five Elements Qi Shield, which was around three centimeters thick, made it impossible for his left palm to reach her, let alone hurt her.

    Lin Zhenyuan¡¯s expression changed greatly. He clearly had not expected Zhang Yuelu to be so powerful. The Green Phoenix Sword on his waist unsheathed itself and flew into his palm.

    The Green Phoenix Sword was also one of the standard-issue weapons of the Green Phoenix Guard. It was far better than the Slim Tiger Saber and could only be used by those at the Lieutenant Colonel level.

    The continuous sounds of metal nging made it seem like they were on a battlefield. Erratic energy also surged in the air in the Major''s Office.

    At this moment, the schr, who was far away at an inn, used the green smoke from the incense burner to form Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face, wanting to get rid of her.

    However, Zhang Yuelu seemed to be aware of the schr¡¯s movements. While Zhang Yuelu was forcing Lin Zhenyuan back, she shed her paper sword in the air. Suddenly, they could hear the soft sound of a taut string snapping.

    At the same time, thunder struck the ground in the inn. The basin broke into pieces, spraying countless water droplets on the walls and windows, creating countless holes from the impact.

    The incense stick in the burner was also broken into two halves, as if it had been sliced cleanly by a sharp weapon.

    The schr was horrified by this scene. He staggered back a few steps and had to hold the table next to him for support, as he felt like he had been punched hard in the heart. Soon after, the whole table shattered.

 Chapter 90: Cihang Sword Sequence

    <h4>Chapter 90: Cihang Sword Sequence</h4>

    Lin Zhenyuan threw away the sword in his hand and summoned a ten-centimeter-long flying sword without a hilt. He pinched his fingers and pointed toward the sky as his qi surged, making his clothes billow even without the wind. ¡°Rise!¡±

    This was the Sword Steering Technique of Qi Refiners, which was far superior to the Sword Controlling Technique of Rogue Cultivators.

    The flying sword did a full circle around Lin Zhenyuan, increasing its speed with every passing second until it turned into a white blur. Finally, it reached the point where it waspletely invisible to the naked eye.

    Zhang Yuelu remained calm as she raised the long sword in front of her.

    <i>Before reaching the Heavenly-Being stage, the routes for the cultivation of mystical abilities were fixed. However, there were exceptions. Masters could teach their disciples suitable mystical abilities and techniques outside the conventional route.</i>

    <i>They could also learn privately through other channels. For example, Qi Xuansu could obtain mystical abilities beyond the fixed routes of the Daoist Order from the Qingping Society.</i>

    <i>Zhang Yuelu¡¯s master was Sage Cihang, who was equally famous as Sage Qingwei and Sage Donghua. Although Sage Cihang was not a Great Sage, she was the second-inmand in the Zhengyi Sect after the Heavenly Preceptor. She also taught Zhang Yuelu the Cihang Sword Sequence.</i>

    <i>The Cihang Sword Sequence was a great method that was not inferior to the Five Thunder Celestial Heart Method.</i>

    <i>A part of the method was included in the Holy Xuan¡¯s system of lineages, so everyone could practice it. However, certain mystical abilities were not disclosed to the public. Only the core disciples of the Zhengyi Sect could practice them, and they would not be simply demonstrated to others.</i>

    <i>Many people took it for granted that Zhang Yuelu, as a descendant of the Zhang family, would practice the Five Thunder Celestial Heart Method, which was passed down from generation to generation. However, they did not expect that Zhang Yuelu would choose to practice the Cihang Sword Sequence.</i>

    <i>However, this made sense as well. The Five Thunder Celestial Heart Method was an extreme yang and strong method. Since men had more yang energy and women had more yin energy, this method was too aggressive for women. It could harm women''s bodies before they could reach the fullest potential of the method. On the contrary, the Cihang Sword Sequence was more suitable for women to practice.</i>

    <i>The Cihang Sword Sequence was divided into four series: Sword Series, Heart Series, Nought Series, and Self Series. Among them, the Self Series was the highest level, followed by the Nought Series, Heart Series, and Sword Series.</i>

    <i>These four series were practiced in sequence, likeying a solid foundation for a tall building.</i>

    <i>Generally speaking, the foundation of the Cihang Sword Sequence relied on the unity of the heart and the sword, with the heart at the top and the sword at the bottom. This meant that the heart would control the sword. Therefore, the Sword Series and the Nought Series were for the sword, corresponding respectively to the Heart Series and the Self Series, which were for the heart.</i>

    <i>Sword Series and Nought Series were both swordsmanship. The key difference between them was that the former was external and thetter was internal.</i>

    <i>The Sword Series focused on external ir to control thousands of swords. The sword techniques were unimaginablyplex, with a total of 64 sword techniques that werepletely different in style. Yet their differences melded together perfectly without conflict, making it extremely unpredictable.</i>

    <i>In the Nought Series, the cultivator turned their qi into a seed and nted this seed in their Dantian. This act was akin to destroying their innate qi, after which they could generate a new type of qi that was formless, like the sword qi.</i>

    <i>This new sword qi could control swords, nourish the body, and enlighten the spirit. The sword qi traveled between the meridians and acupoints, making the path of travel wider day by day and improving one¡¯s cultivation potential.</i>

    <i>Since the endurance capacity of a person¡¯s Dantian and meridians was limited, the cultivator had to destroy their innate qi to cultivate a new kind of sword qi from the Dantian that would gradually adapt to their body. If the cultivator converted their innate qi into sword qi without this gradual adaptation, then it was akin to having thousands of sharp swords passing through their body. The cultivator would likely die first before achieving the full potential of the technique.</i>

    <i>This was also the reason most people were stuck in the Heart Series. They were not willing to destroy the innate qi that they had worked so hard to cultivate all their lives. This step was not only a prerequisite to the Nought Series, but also a test of one¡¯s character. That was why the Nought Series came after the Heart Series.</i>

    <i>The Heart Series was the advancement of the Sword Series and the foundation of the Nought Series. The key lies in its name, the heart. Although the definition of ¡°heart¡± in this series originated from Buddhism, itter merged with the Daoist and Confucian definitions as well. Thus, it became a model technique for the unity of the Three Religions.</i>

    At the moment, Zhang Yuelu was still some ways from the Nought Series, but she was proficient in the Heart Series, having acquired the Heart¡¯s Eye Technique. No matter how fast a flying sword was, she could still effortlessly see it with her Heart¡¯s Eye.

    Lin Zhenyuan¡¯s finger movements changed abruptly, rapidly increasing his sword qi. His flying sword shot out toward Zhang Yuelu, its sword qi dispersing the snow around it.

    Zhang Yuelu did not dodge. Instead, she turned her paper sword into 64 swords that spread out behind her like a peacock spreading its tail. The 64 swords moved in unison, blocking Lin Zhenyuan¡¯s flying sword, no matter what angle the flying sword came from.

    Although their cultivation level was about the same, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s Amorphous Paper was much superior to Lin Zhenyuan¡¯s flying sword. Moreover, Zhang Yuelu was a Banished Immortal, which was naturally superior to the other lineages. Therefore, the longer they fought, the more strength Lin Zhenyuan lost, inevitably falling into a disadvantageous position.

    Realizing this, Lin Zhenyuan no longer wanted to capture Qi Xuansu. Instead, he turned around and fled.

    Zhang Yuelu merged the 64 paper swords into one and chased after Lin Zhenyuan with the sword in hand. Lin Zhenyuan had no choice but to use his flying sword to fight back.

    In an instant, the flying sword and the paper sword shed more than ten times in a row, creating thunderous sounds that could pierce one¡¯s eardrums.

    Lin Zhenyuan knew that he could not stay in a defensive position for a long time. Otherwise, he would lose. Thus, he retreated. Finally, the paper sword shed him, creating a long wound in the chest and filling the air with blood mist. However, Lin Zhenyuan took the opportunity to quickly flee from the Major¡¯s Office.

    Zhang Yuelu pursued him closely, and the two flew out of the courtyard. Zhang Yuelu sent out a Paper Lotus, which circled back and attacked Lin Zhenyuan from both sides.

    The Paper Lotus was extremely fast and sharp, like a sword. In the blink of an eye, Lin Zhenyuan had three more sword wounds on his body, all of which hit his vitals. Blood as ck as ink flowed from his body, but Lin Zhenyuan did not die.

    Zhang Yuelu had expected this. Not all Ancient Immortal believers were Shamans, but Ancient Immortal believers other than Shamans could also borrow the Ancient Immortal¡¯s divine power through foreign objects.

    Thus, Zhang Yuelu did not intend to kill Lin Zhenyuan directly with the Paper Lotus. Instead, she wanted to restrain him. She took the opportunity to approach Lin Zhenyuan and grabbed his wrist, exerting the Six Void Tribtions.

    This was how Zhang Yuelu defeated Xu Kou in one move back then. It was especially effective when the opponent was unprepared and had almost no resistance to it.

    As soon as Lin Zhenyuan was caught by the wrist, he felt six streams of foreign energy invading his body. He wanted to break free, but Zhang Yuelu used her Five Elements Qi Shield to sp his wrist like a shackle.

    Lin Zhenyuan was stuck while having his qi depleted rapidly.

    <i>The Six Void Tribtions originated from Xu Wugui, one of the Holy Xuan¡¯s three masters, who was known as the first-generation Earthly Preceptor. In the Holy Xuan Cards, Xu Wugui, like Li Daoxu, was a Heaven Card and a longevity card worth up to 15 points.</i>

    <i>Xu Wugui¡¯s inspiration for the Six Void Tribtions came from the Eclipse Method, which harmed others and benefited oneself by absorbing the opponent¡¯s qi for one¡¯s own use.</i>

    <i>For each bit of qi the opponent lost, the cultivator would gain just as much. However, this had a w. If the amount of qi reached the limit of one¡¯s own tolerance, no more qi could be absorbed. As such, one would not be able to deplete the opponent¡¯s qi.</i>

    <i>Thus, Xu Wugui created the Six Void Tribtions, which brought harm to the opponent without benefiting the cultivator. The cultivator would no longer absorb the opponent¡¯s qi and could deplete the opponent¡¯s qi. Therefore, the damage it could inflict was endless.</i>

    <i>The Six Void Tribtions had six forms. At this time, Zhang Yuelu used the most basic form. A more advanced form would be to turn the opponent¡¯s qi into fire, burning the opponent¡¯s body from the inside out, which was even more sinister.</i>

    Lin Zhenyuan was horrified when he felt the six streams of alien energy in his body reaching his three major Dantians along the meridians. He was desperate to escape from Zhang Yuelu¡¯s grasp.

    At the critical moment, Lin Zhenyuan controlled his flying sword and ruthlessly cut off his own arm. However, he only managed to physically get away from Zhang Yuelu¡¯s grasp. He still failed to stop the infuriating alien energy from invading his body. The six streams of strange energy entered his body and merged with his qi, so he could not force it out.

    Zhang Yuelu, grabbing his severed arm, flew up and struck Lin Zhenyuan in the chest with her palm. Just as Lin Zhenyuan was about to fight back, the alien qi in his body prevented him from exerting his innate qi.

    Lin Zhenyuan was at a loss for a moment.

    At that moment of distraction, Zhang Yuelu pushed him again in the chest. The impact prated his body and damaged all his internal organs.

    However, Lin Zhenyuan was still alive. A blood-red stain gradually spread from his chest, looking very strange.

    Zhang Yuelu was unyielding when she gained the upper hand. She struck him repeatedly knowing he could not resist her attacks. Lin Zhenyuan tried to use his flying sword to stop her, but the six streams of alien qi moved erratically and attacked his innate qi. As soon as he thought of resisting, the alien qi would disappear by blending in with his innate qi.

    Lin Zhenyuan was already inferior to Zhang Yuelu to begin with. With this alien qi, he waspletely subdued.

    Atst, Zhang Yuelu pped him on the top of his head.

    He fell to his knees and bled out from all his orifices. But he still did not die. His tenacity and body toughness were far beyond those of Qi Refiners of the same level. He was inconceivably close to having the physique of a Martial Arts Practitioner.

    At the critical moment, the schr from the inn showed up at the Major¡¯s Office and pped his hands.

    This p resounded like thunder, simr to the Buddhist Lion¡¯s Roar.

    A sound wave visible to the naked eye spread out from where the schr stood, shaking the stone bs on the ground. The walls on both sides of the pathway copsed from the resonance.

    Unexpectedly, Zhang Yuelu grunted and fell into a daze for a moment.

    The schr took advantage of this split second to reach out to Lin Zhenyuan, like how one would retrieve an object through telekinesis. Then he opened a portal through the Yin and Yang Realms and walked into it.

 Chapter 91: Yulan Temple

    <h4>Chapter 91: Yn Temple</h4>

    This portal was called the Yin Yang Gate, which was a technique unique to Diviners. It allowed them to pass through the gap between the Yin and Yang realms, thereby bypassing the physical barriers of the mortal realm and making teleportation possible.

    However, this technique had great limitations. The Yin Yang Gate would not work if there was a formation in ce. Moreover, it was difficult to focus on opening a portal while engaged in a fight.

    Even if the Diviner could open the portal, the opponent would stop them, especially in the case where the opponent was a Martial Arts Practitioner in closebat. The Diviner would likely die on the spot before the portal was open. That was why most Diviners did not use this technique in battle. Those who had not witnessed it before would find it mysterious and unimaginable.

    Therefore, the schr temporarily stunned Zhang Yuelu and used the Yin Yang Gate to retreat. The schr did not take the opportunity to attack Zhang Yuelu because he had no confidence to kill or severely injure her in such a short time.

    Moreover, Zhang Yuelu was too powerful. If he tried anything, he would possibly die there with Lin Zhenyuan, so it was better to retreat and seek refuge.

    After Zhang Yuelu came back to her senses, she happened to see the portal shrinking until it turned into a ck dot before disappearingpletely. She was a little annoyed because this was the second Ancient Immortal believer to have escaped from her hands.

    On the other hand, Qi Xuansu managed to kill these cult demons every time. Comparing herself to him, she felt a little ipetent.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu, Wang Zicheng, Luo Xiao, and the others finally caught up to them.

    Wang Zicheng said with a solemn expression, ¡°Did that Diviner finally show up? He must have been the one who attacked me and capsized my boat!¡±

    Luo Xiao¡¯s face was grim. He felt uneasy because both his direct subordinate and superior were cultists. The Pacification Commander, who was an envoy of the Southern Military Commission, was also attacked by the cult demons within his territory. No matter what, it was considered a dereliction of his duty.

    Thus, Luo Xiao hoped that he couldpensate for his neglect with meritorious deeds. At least then, he would not be dismissed from office.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s face was glum, and he did not speak.

    Bai Yongguan''s decapitated head had resurrected only to say those words and died immediately after. However, Qi Xuansu realized from Bai Yongguan¡¯s and Lin Zhenyuan¡¯s eagerness to capture him that there was something special about him. It was not as simple as just being physically strong.

    As a result, Qi Xuansu faced two problems.

    The first problem was that the Lingshan Witch Cult seemed to be very fond of his body, so they would likely try every possible means to use him as a vessel. Thus, he had to stay vignt at all times so as not to fall into their hands.

    The second problem was that he could not let Zhang Yuelu or the Daoist Order find out about his secret. That was because Qi Xuansu was well aware he was not born special. Instead, he was transformed by the Qingping Society in a way unbeknownst to him. If the Daoist Order found out, his identity would be exposed, and his life would be in danger.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu was thinking about how he could cover up his identity. After all, everyone heard what Bai Yongguan''s decapitated head blurted at the time.

    Qi Xuansu did not care much about what the Green Phoenix Guard thought of him. What mattered to him was Zhang Yuelu¡¯s opinion.

    Fortunately, he had a good rtionship with Zhang Yuelu, so she would not doubt him out of the blue. This realization also made Qi Xuansu feel quite ashamed and guilty. After all, Zhang Yuelu had treated him with such sincerity, but he was secretive and tried every means to hide his true identity from her. He felt like he was having an extramarital affair, which he had to keep hidden from his wife.

    Qi Xuansu pondered and took the initiative to speak. ¡°These demons seem to be looking for a vessel for a divine descent. When I was at Qingbai Temple, Bai Yongguan thought that I was the best vessel for this purpose.¡±

    After Zhang Yuelu heard this, she did not pay attention to Qi Xuansu¡¯s physical condition but focused on the word ¡°divine descent.¡±

    She eximed, ¡°These demons are nning a divine descent?!¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Bai Yongguan also identally revealed that the vessel needs to be a mentally tough individual.¡±

    He had fabricated this based on Zhang Yuelu¡¯s exnation of the Ancient Immortal believers. After all, Bai Yongguan only said the word ¡°vessel¡± and nothing else.

    Qi Xuansu did not expect that the lie he fabricated was spot on.

    Zhang Yuelu had no doubts about it. ¡°Actually, the Ancient Immortal¡¯s vessel is essentially the same as the Daoist Spirit Guards. It¡¯s just that the Daoist Order does not deprive the Spirit Guard of their intelligence and only gives them divine power. However, the Ancient Immortals possess the vessel and would gradually take over the vessel¡¯s consciousness.¡±

    She added, ¡°Tian Yuan, you have to be more carefultely. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t leave my sight so that these demons can¡¯t abduct you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu felt inexplicably ashamed when he noticed how Zhang Yuelu was so concerned about him. He could not tell her the truth and only nodded in silence.

    Wang Zicheng asked, ¡°What¡¯s the n now?¡±

    Qi Xuansu remarked, ¡°Five of the seven cult demons have appeared. Only the gentry and the monk are unknown to us. Is there a temple or prestigious family in the city that checks the box?¡±

    Wang Zicheng immediately turned to Luo Xiao. ¡°Major Luo, Yishan City is your territory.¡±

    Luo Xiao hurriedly replied, ¡°There is indeed a temple in the city.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°I see. Major Luo, please take us to the temple in the city. In the meantime, Pacification Commander Wang should stay here at the Major¡¯s Office to treat his injuries and see if he can find any clues from He Nian¡¯s body.¡±

    Having fought one fierce battle after another, Wang Zicheng was exhausted. He did not push himself and agreed with the n. ¡°Thanks, Mage Zhang.¡±

    ......

    Luo Xiao immediately mobilized 30 Green Phoenix Guard lieutenants and 60 troopers. All of them carried their crossbows, and they even brought a small cannon that was carried by four troopers. He then led Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu to the temple in a greatmotion.

    Soon, the group arrived at the gate of the mountain temple. It was deserted, with no signs of people offering incense. This scene was inconsistent with the rumors that Yishan City was a Buddhist stronghold. In fact, it was not much different from Qingbai Temple.

    On the contrary, Qingbai Temple looked even more spacious and majestic since it was built outside the city.

    Zhang Yuelu first used her Divine Observation Technique and then ordered, ¡°Major Luo, split up your men to surround the temple. Deacon Qi and I will go inside to check it out.¡±

    Although Zhang Yuelu was not Luo Xiao¡¯s superior, thetter dly followed her orders.

    Since Yishan City was built on a mountain, the city¡¯s terrain was full of slopes. This temple was also built on a hill, and there was only one stone path consisting of hundreds of steps leading up to the temple.

    At this time, Luo Xiao and the Green Phoenix Guards were at the foothill.

    Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu passed through the gate at the foothill and walked along the stone stairway to the temple.

    She took out the Amorphous Paper and turned it into a paper umbre. Compared with a sword, the biggest advantage of an umbre was that it could be used for defense. When necessary, she could open the umbre to act as arge shield.

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°If this ce is the cult demons¡¯ir, there should be at least three of them who could fight. Bai Yongguan and He Nian are dead, and the other two are seriously injured, so they can¡¯t fight at the moment. The remaining three are the schr, the monk, and the gentry.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that they are all at the Guizhen stage. With the Amorphous Paper, I can take on two of them, but I¡¯m not confident going against all three of them. After all, I¡¯m still not yet a Heavenly Being, so you must be careful¡ª¡±

    Halfway through, Zhang Yuelu suddenly noticed that Qi Xuansu was looking at her with a strange expression.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhang Yuelu subconsciously looked down at herself. She thought, <i>Did my clothes get torn during the fight?</i>

    However, she checked herself and found nothing wrong. Her clothes were still neat.

    Qi Xuansu murmured, ¡°Nothing. It''s just that no one has cared about me like this for a long time. I¡¯m just not used to it.¡±

    Zhang Yueluughed. ¡°You agreed to literally trek through mountains with me just to help me solve my personal problems. I¡¯d feel guilty if anything were to happen to you during this time.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed and became a little sentimental. ¡°Speaking of which, we met during the Zhongyuan Festival on July 15th. It has only been three months since, but it feels like we have known each other for a long time.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu remarked, ¡°Memory isrgely reliant on experience. If every day is the same experience, decades will seem like nothing. But if you experience many impressionable things in one day, that day will feel like a year. Although we haven¡¯t known each other for long, we have gone through a lot together. That¡¯s probably why you feel this way.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Zhang Yuelu deliberately paused before she replied, ¡°I feel the same way too.¡±

    While they talked, they arrived at the temple door and saw a que hanging high above it that read, ¡°Yn Temple.¡±

    At this time, the temple door was locked, barring them from entering.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes shed with a purple light. ¡°The entire temple is closed off by a formation, so we can only break through forcefully. But someone seems to have opened a gap in the formation, which saves us some effort.¡±

    After that, Zhang Yuelu led Qi Xuansu around the outer wall of Yn Temple. Sure enough, they found that a part of the wall had copsed, so they walked into the temple through the gap.

    Inside was an extremely narrow and cramped square patio, which spanned about 1.3 meters square. It was covered with withered weeds, indicating that no one had been here for a long time.

    Behind them was the gap through which they entered. There was another wall to the right and a sealed window to the left. A small door stood across from them, hanging wide open as if someone had forced their way through it.

    Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu continued exploring and found a side hall on the other side of the door.

    There were some traces of fighting in the hall. A smiling Maitreya statue with a big belly and two missing arms sat on the pedestal. Its face was in the shadows, making the statue seem a bit eerie.

 Chapter 92: Temple Anomalies

    <h4>Chapter 92: Temple Anomalies</h4>

    Statues of Buddha and Bodhisattvas had to be consecrated by eminent monks so that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas would ept incense offerings from the people and give out their blessings.

    If the statues were not consecrated, the Buddha and Bodhisattvas would not make an appearance. Instead, evil spirits would live in these statues. Therefore, many ces of worship were not protected by Buddha and Bodhisattvas but were upied by evil spirits, ghosts, and demons.

    It was precisely because of this that the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court cracked down on temples that did notply with regtions.

    The Buddha statues in this temple had never been consecrated.

    When Qi Xuansu looked up at the Buddha statue, it came to life and lowered its head to stare back at Qi Xuansu. It even smiled sinisterly, which was very strange.

    The moment Qi Xuansu and the statue made eye contact, Zhang Yuelu flew up with her Amorphous Paper Whip and sliced the statue in half.

    Qi Xuansu almost got entranced. He was startled and said in dismay, ¡°There is indeed something weird about this ce.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu turned the paper whip into a paper umbre, ready for anythinging their way.

    They left the side hall one after the other and went to the main hall unimpeded.

    That was when they noticed two figures fighting. One was human, and the other was a Buddha statue that hade to life.

    This Buddha statue did not have any Buddhist aura. Instead, it exuded a demonic aura. Its eyes were blood red, and its body was shrouded in a faint, blood-red glow. It sat on the pedestal, but its two arms were extremely dexterous with human-like motions.

    The statue¡¯s huge palms brought up a gust of wind with extraordinary power.

    The person fighting fiercely with the Buddha statue was a young monk with no weapons, using only his bare hands. Every time the monk touched the Buddha¡¯s palm, there was a thunderous sh.

    Before Qi Xuansu could ask what was happening, Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°This monk should be an orthodox Buddhist disciple from the Golden Immortal lineage. He¡¯s already at the<i> </i>Guizhen stage.¡±

    <i>The so-called Golden Immortal was not among the five Daoist Immortals. It was said that the Golden Immortal was equivalent to the Daoist Heavenly Immortal. This title came from a koan in Daoism and Buddhism.</i>

    <i>The Jin Dynasty, which came before the Wei Dynasty and the Great Xuan Dynasty, was destroyed when the Golden Horde army invaded the south. Before that, the dispute between Buddhism and Daoism during the Jin Dynasty was particrly fierce.</i>

    <i>Elder Shenxiao of the Daoist Quanzhen Sectmunicated with Lin Lingsu and other Buddhist monks in a battle of spiritual prowess. Back then, Lin Lingsu advised the Emperor of the Jin Dynasty.</i>

    <i>¡°Buddhism has harmed Daoism. Although it can¡¯t bepletely eliminated, some things can be merged. Buddhist temples can be Daoist temples; Sakyamuni can be changed to Immortals; Bodhisattva can be Venerable Masters; Arhats can be Holy Ancestors; and monks can be priests who keep their hair in a crown.¡±</i>

    <i>The Emperor of the Jin Dynasty approved the proposal and issued a decree to rece Buddhism with Daoism. He changed the style of dressing and even the naming conventions. Monasteries were renamed the Daoist Moral Academy, and nuns were known as women of virtue.</i>

    <i>However, the Crown Prince contested this decision, instructing Monk Hu and several other monks to engage in a spiritual battle against Lin Lingsu. As a result, the monks suffered a resounding defeat and willingly embraced Daoism. This was how Buddhism and Daoism began to merge during the Jin Dynasty. This was only interrupted when the Golden Horde invaded the South.</i>

    <i>When the Wei Dynasty conquered the world, Buddhism and Daoism formed a formal alliance, collectively known as the Daoist Order, to jointly fight against Confucianism. In the end, the Confucian School surrendered to the Daoist Order.</i>

    <i>Although the Confucian Great Sages refused to surrender to the Daoist Order¡¯s Great Sages, they dered their allegiance to the Holy Xuan. Therefore, the Holy Xuan had been the de facto co-leader of the Three Religions for some time.</i>

    <i>This was also the reason why the Eight Tribes separated from the Daoist Order and became a secret society. The Eight Tribes named themselves after the Eight Legions of Buddhism because, back then, Buddhism was still a part of Daoism.</i>

    <i>It was only after the Lord Buddha was born that the Holy Xuan lost control over Buddhism, leading to a war between Daoism and Buddhism in the Western Region.</i>

    <i>One of the results of this confluence of Buddhism and Daoism was the naming convention. Although Buddhism remained separate from the Daoist Order, it had notpletely erased the traces of Daoism. Some names, like the Buddhist Golden Immortal lineage, stemmed from Daoism.</i>

    <i>Discounting Rogue Cultivators, all Daoist lineages were from the Five Immortals of heaven, earth, man, god, and ghost. Buddhism had three major lineages: the Golden Immortal, the Mahayana Bodhisattva, and the Great Arhat.</i>

    <i>Just as Banished Immortals was derived from the Heavenly Immortal lineage, Buddhism also had simr names. Buddhaputras came from the lineage of the Golden Immortal; Brahmas were derived from the Mahayana Bodhisattva lineage; and Bhikkhus came from the Great Arhat lineage.</i>

    <i>There was an obvious distinction between the Five Immortals lineages in the Daoist Order, with the Banished Immortals taking the lead. The same was true for Buddhism. The strongest of the three major lineages were the Buddhaputras, followed by Brahmas and Bhikkhus.</i>

    <i>In addition, Buddhists, influenced by Daoists, also had nine ranks and twelve internal levels.</i>

    <i>Buddhist monks were akin to Daoist priests, while nuns were female Daoist priests. The Qishi monk was equivalent to a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master; the Pohuo monk was equivalent to a third-rank Youyi Daoist master; the Jingchi monk corresponded to a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master, and the Bumo monk corresponded to a first-rank Tianzhen Daoist master.</i>

    <i>In terms of titles, Zen Master corresponded to a Mage; Guru corresponded to a High Mage; Virtuous Schr corresponded to a Sage; Great Virtuous Schr corresponded to an Omniscient Sage; Venerable Master corresponded to Great Sage; Mahasattva corresponded to the Deputy Grand Master; and the Lord Buddha corresponded to the Grand Master.</i>

    <i>In terms of official position, Chief Teacher corresponded to the Hall Master; Deputy Teacher corresponded to the Deputy Hall Master; Giver corresponded to superintendents; Vicar corresponded to deacons; and Gant corresponded to the Spirit Guards.</i>

    The young monk fighting with the Buddha statue was a Buddhaputra, equivalent to a Banished Immortal.

    His attacks were fast and precise, and his body continuously glowed with a golden light.

    Qi Xuansu asked Zhang Yuelu, ¡°I¡¯ve only heard of the names Buddhaputra, Brahma, and Bhikkhu. How are they different from our Five Lineages?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu answered, ¡°Aside from Banished immortals and Rogue Cultivators, the other four lineages in the Daoist Order have specializations. For example, Martial Arts Practitioners concentrate on training the body and condensing the acupoints, but they do not cultivate innate qi.

    ¡°Qi Refiners concentrate on umting innate qi that circtes through the whole body. However, they do not deliberately train physical strength like Martial Arts Practitioners.

    ¡°Buddhists are different. They train in every aspect. For example, Brahmas are simr to our Diviners and Shamans, proficient in using spells and incense power. They can also summon Spiritual Statues and train to achieve a golden body. As for Bhikkhus, they are somewhat simr to Martial Arts Practitioners and Qi Refiners, training their bodies and umting qi.

    ¡°The advantage of the Buddhist Lineages is that they could learn more traits, but they could not be masters of such traits. Buddhaputras are said to be omnipotent,bining both the skills of Brahmas and Bhikkhus. I have heard about them, but I have never seen one before.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that we have to focus on annihting an evil cult today. Otherwise, I¡¯d like to learn more about Buddhaputras.¡±

    Qi Xuansu saw how eager Zhang Yuelu was and said, ¡°You once said that the Buddhist Sect colluded and even supported these secret societies behind the scenes. What is the young monk doing here?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°Secret associations such as the Qingping Society and the Eight Tribes are inextricably linked to the Daoist Order. There are even some Sages and Great Sages secretly supporting these secret societies. But this does not stop the Daoist Order from suppressing them.

    ¡°Tian Yuan, you should know that the Daoist and Buddhistmunities are massive, so it¡¯s impossible for everyone to have a uniform stance. There will definitely be various opinions and voices. Some of these voices are hostile to each other, so there is no conflict between the Buddhist Sect¡¯s support and suppression of secret societies.

    ¡°When the Holy Xuan issued the edict to crack down on secret societies, the Three Religions agreed and discussed suppression measures.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu paused for a moment before she continued, ¡°Furthermore, some things can¡¯t be put out in the open. Secret societies have harmed countless people. Even if the Buddhist Sect wants to use the secret societies to suppress the Daoist Order, they can only do so covertly.

    ¡°What¡¯s more, the Buddhist Sect and the secret associations only worked together as ast resort to suppress the Daoist Order. Each of them have their own interests and ns.¡±

    Qi Xuansu remarked, ¡°That sounds like the time the Daoist Order and the Buddhist Sect joined forces to fight against the Confucian School because of their own interests. Once the Confucian School was defeated, the Daoist Order and Buddhist Sect immediately went to war with one another.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu gave him a strange look. Although she did not refute it, she reminded him. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about these things in private. Don¡¯t say these in public, as it''ll be easy for someone with ulterior motives to use them against us.¡±

    Although Zhang Yuelu had great ambitions to reform the Daoist Order, she was not a naive young woman. She had been in the Ancestral Court for a long time, so she was familiar with how politics worked.

    Qi Xuansu was familiar with how the real world operated, and Zhang Yuelu was familiar with the Ancestral Court. Thus, theyplemented each other in aspects where the other fell short.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu suddenly muttered, ¡°A heroine.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was startled. ¡°Me?¡±

    She wanted to say that she liked that address, but she did not understand why Qi Xuansu wasplimenting her for no reason.

    Qi Xuansu shook his head and said, ¡°Behind you.¡±

    Since Zhang Yuelu had her back to this woman, she did not notice the woman. Zhang Yuelu turned around abruptly, finding it weird that she did not sense the woman¡¯s presence and had to rely on her eyes.

    On the contrary, Qi Xuansu was facing Zhang Yuelu, so he was able to spot this woman through the corner of his eye.

    He saw a woman wearing a bamboo hat and a in green robe, with a sword hanging from her waist. She had a graceful figure and looked like a typical heroine.

    Zhang Yuelu was a little irritated. Although she had previously mentioned that she did not like ttery, there were exceptions to everything.

    If Qi Xuansu ttered her, she would not necessarily be happy. But she was upset when she realized that Qi Xuansu wasplimenting another woman.

    Zhang Yuelu stated, ¡°The term ¡®hero¡¯ should only be used to describe one¡¯s actions, not one¡¯s appearance.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Qi Xuansu was stunned for a moment before he obliged. ¡°Right!¡±

 Chapter 93: The Woman in the Green Robe

    <h4>Chapter 93: The Woman in the Green Robe</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu looked at this strange woman. ¡°Did I miss something in my divination? I don¡¯t think this woman is among the seven people gathered around that statue in my mirage. Or do you think she¡¯s the mysterious person in the cloak?¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head. ¡°Although the mirage wasn¡¯t very clear, judging from the body shape, the mysterious person wearing the cloak should be Lin Zhenyuan.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded, agreeing with Qi Xuansu¡¯s statement.

    At this moment, the woman in the green robe drew her sword and flew toward Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu stared her down and turned her Amorphous Paper into a paper sword, leaping forward to attack.

    The woman in the green robe nted her sword and constantly changed her movements, creating an erratic energy.

    To the woman¡¯s surprise, Zhang Yuelu did not block the attack and only aimed the tip of the paper sword at her key Dantian. This time, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attack was sharp and fierce,pletely different from the Cihang Sword Sequence.

    The woman in the green robe quickly moved back to avoid Zhang Yuelu. But Zhang Yuelu¡¯s paper sword suddenly shed before the woman, with its tip already pointing at her throat. The woman in the green robe had no choice but to retreat further.

    Zhang Yuelu followed closely behind and attacked relentlessly, making it impossible to avoid. The woman in the green robe swung her sword to block the strike, then stuck out her right palm to hit Zhang Yuelu¡¯s head.

    Seeing this, Zhang Yuelu shed the woman¡¯s wrist. However, the woman had a sharp eye. She stretched out her finger to flick the edge of the Amorphous Paper, then she flew backward.

    Zhang Yuelu''s hand trembled while wielding the paper sword, which almost flew out of her hand with that flick. At the same time, Zhang Yuelu lost the opportunity to pursue the woman in the green robe.

    The two women moved so swiftly that Qi Xuansu felt dizzy. If it were him fighting against either of the two women, he would most likely get injured within three moves.

    Zhang Yuelu did not say a word but continued to strike with the paper sword, using the Sword Series in the Cihang Sword Sequence. The thunderous sounds of swords shing continued to echo in the hall.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu had already shot nearly a hundred swords at the woman in the green robe at a speed so fast that it was hard to catch with the naked eye.

    At the same time, countless scraps of paper flew out from the body of the paper sword, swirling in the wind and turning into paper lotus flowers that fell all around them like snow.

    These paper lotus flowers came from the Amorphous Paper, so the petals were as sharp as knives. When the flowers rotated, they were like spinning des that could cut through metal and jade with ease.

    All Qi Xuansu heard were the continuous ngs of metal colliding with stone. The woman in the green robe waspletely hidden in the circles of sword qi. However, there were no whistling sounds. It showed how flexible her movements were.

    Surprisingly, the woman in the green robe actually managed to block all of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s sword moves without falling behind in the slightest.

    The flying paper lotuses hit these sword qi circles and shattered without making any sound.

    ¡°The Taixuan Sword Heart Series?¡± Zhang Yuelu was surprised. This move came from the restricted technique, the Taiyin 13 Swords, which was only taught to Quanzhen Sect disciples.

    This technique was the same as that of the Zhengyi Sect¡¯s Cihang Sword Sequence, the Taiping Sect¡¯s Beidou 36 Sword Techniques, and the Grand Master¡¯s Nandou 28 Sword Techniques. Collectively, they were known as the Four Great Sword Techniques of the Daoist Order.

    Zhang Yuelu was surprised that the woman in the green robe was a disciple of the Quanzhen Sect. However, Zhang Yuelu did not panic one bit.

    Although the paper lotus flower had no effect on that woman, Zhang Yuelu took this opportunity to envelop the woman''s body with a white light using her paper sword.

    At this time, Zhang Yuelu no longer adhered to the Sword Series of the Cihang Sword Sequence. Her moves became aggressive, aiming at the opponent¡¯s vitals to deliver a fatal blow.

    However, the woman in the green robe had a soft sword that moved like a spiritual snake. The sword moved without a set pattern, thrusting forward, twisting, circling around, and shing with the Amorphous Paper. The thunderous sh of metal and rock was endless, and the sword light shone like mercury.

    In just a few breaths, Zhang Yuelu continuously changed her sword moves, which were swift and sharp like lightning. Though the moment had passed, the remaining aura was still intense. However, the woman in the green robe was like a ghost without a physical form, able to defend herself and block Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attacks effortlessly.

    It was truly amazing to watch how the woman perfectly avoided Zhang Yuelu¡¯s precise attacks.

    After maintaining a defensive position for some time, the woman in the green robe thrust her sword straight at the center. However, before she could stab Zhang Yuelu, her sword suddenly underwent more than a dozen transformations, dazzling everyone''s eyes.

    Zhang Yuelu only used one strike to block all the different transformations of the woman¡¯s sword. She then tilted the paper sword and pressed it against the face of the woman¡¯s sword, the strike perfectly timed and positioned.

    The woman in the green robe concentrated her qi on the sword tip, leaving her sword face at its weakest. With a soft cling, her sword dipped upon impact.

    Zhang Yuelu swung the paper sword outward and shed the woman¡¯s chest. The woman in the green robe had no choice but to step back slightly. At the same time, the woman drew three sword circles in front of her. The sword circles seemed like tangible circles suspended in the air, blocking Zhang Yuelu¡¯s strike and even counterattacking.

    Even so, Zhang Yuelu showed no fear at all as she evaded the sword circles effortlessly. Then she delivered a diagonal strike at the precise moment when the woman was rebuilding her energy. The woman had no choice but to retreat backward.

    Immediately after, the woman drew three more sword circles and charged at Zhang Yuelu. With a flick of her wrist, Zhang Yuelu pointed at the weakest spot of the woman¡¯s sword circles and broke them. Not only that, Zhang Yuelu thrust her paper sword at the woman, forcing thetter to leap back.

    With such rapid advances and retreats, the two of them had already exchanged hundreds of moves in a matter of seconds.

    Qi Xuansu was dazzled by what he saw. He thought to himself, <i>Qing Xiao is the best among Xiantian Beings. Only Heavenly Beings can defeat her. Who is this woman who can actually fight head-on with Qing Xiao without falling behind?</i>

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu suddenly flicked her paper sword, creating a thunderous explosion next to the woman¡¯s ear to stun the woman.

    This was the Great Thunder Sword Technique from the Heart Series of the Cihang Sword Sequence, which could stun the opponent. At a high level of mastery, it could even bewitch the opponent¡¯s mind with its melodious tune.

    Zhang Yuelu continued to draw her sword. The thunderous sounds made it difficult for the woman in green to concentrate. Soon, the woman fell behind, and by ident, the wind from Zhang Yuelu¡¯s paper sword swept across the woman¡¯s chest, tearing the front of the woman¡¯s green robe.

    The woman wore garments beneath her green robe, so she did not sh anyone. However, the middleyer used to store important items tore open, and a golden-purple fish talisman fell out.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu¡¯s expressions changed at the same time.

    Zhang Yuelu shouted, ¡°You¡¯re from the Qingping Society!¡±

    Qi Xuansu was shocked. He thought, <i>This woman is actually a member of the Qingping Society? Are they also involved in this matter?</i>

    Although the Qingping Society was not like the other secret societies that believed in the Ancient Immortals, Qi Xuansu could not help but feel shocked at the coincidence between the Qingping Society¡¯s dream meeting and the Lingshan Witch Cult¡¯s Divine Kingdom.

    The woman in green did not say anything. She just summoned the golden-purple fish talisman back into her palm.

    Zhang Yuelu no longer hesitated. With a sh of sword light, Zhang Yuelu charged at the woman in the green robe.

    The woman in green held her sword horizontally and grounded herself. When the sword light struck one meter in front of the woman, she suddenly changed her stance. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s sword spun around and shed toward the woman¡¯s left shoulder. Although it was a simple strike, it was still extremely swift. Normal people would not be able to defend against it. However, the woman in green just turned slightly, moving her sword ordingly to block Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attack.

    Zhang Yuelu thrust straight ahead, with the tip of her paper sword trembling slightly. Just as she was approaching the woman in the green robe, she moved her paper sword in all directions, creating the illusion of attacking with multiple swords.

    The woman in the green robe stood in ce in response to the ever-changing situation. She merely drew circles in front of her and did not take the initiative to attack.

    Zhang Yuelu did not collide with the sword circle. Instead, she sidestepped and struck diagonally. She stopped being on the offensive and moved into a defensive position as well. This was the strategy for a protracted battle.

    The two women engaged in fiercebat. The woman in the green robe disyed majestic swordsmanship,manding the entire space. Meanwhile, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s swordsmanship was agile and adaptable, flowing effortlessly. Although the woman in green gradually shifted from defense to offense, Zhang Yuelu did not show any signs of defeat.

    After more than a hundred exchanges, neither side gained the upper hand. Zhang Yuelu did not insist on confronting the woman in green. Instead, she leaped back several meters and shouted, ¡°That¡¯s one impressive Heavenly Heart Sword Technique, where the heart senses the will of heaven and the sword follows the heart.

    ¡°You initially concealed your origins with our Daoist Taiyin 13 Swords Technique. Now you''ve finally revealed your true lineage. I wonder, which Grand Libationer¡¯s tutge do you hail from?"

    Only then did Qi Xuansu realize that the woman in the Green Robe was actually from the Confucian School. However, it made sense since members of the Qingping Society often had dual identities. Their true identities were sensitive; some were even among the core members of the Three Religions. That was why all members of the Qingping Society used fake identities within the association.

    The woman in green remained silent. Suddenly, sheunched another attack. Zhang Yuelu did not back down this time and met her head-on, continuing their intense duel.

    Unexpectedly, the woman in green made a false move with her sword. Instead, she struck Zhang Yuelu hard with her left palm. An awe-inspiring energy immediately enveloped Zhang Yuelu¡¯s whole body.

    If Zhang Yuelu had dodged the palm strike, then she would have been injured by the woman¡¯s sword. Zhang Yuelu used her Five Elements Qi Shield and stretched out her left palm to meet the woman¡¯s palm strike. There was a loud collision when their palms shed, and both of them drifted backward.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s sword spun and shed horizontally at the woman¡¯s waist. The woman in the green robe raised her sword to block the attack and channeled her qi to her left palm, striking downward. Zhang Yuelu had no choice but to flip her palm and counter the strike. Their palms made a soft p as they touched.

    The woman in green bent over and flew backward, stopping ten meters away. Zhang Yuelu felt a slight sting in her left palm, only to see a small hole that was oozing blood. She was pierced by a silver needle, and the flow of qi in her body was disrupted.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s expression was unchanged as she scoffed. ¡°Great!¡±

    The woman in green remained silent as she lunged forward and struck Zhang Yuelu with her sword. Although she had a light and flexible sword, the strike was powerful and heavy.

    Zhang Yuelu raised her paper sword to block the attack. However, her arm strength weakened due to the needle prick, so the paper sword in her hand was knocked away from the impact.

    Suddenly, Zhang Yuelu closed the distance between herself and the woman, charging forward empty-handed. She was elusive, like an apparition, and her attacks were unbelievably fast, defying imagination.

    At that moment, the woman in the green robe was forced into a defensive position, unable to counterattack, seemingly at a disadvantage.

    However, Qi Xuansu could clearly see that although the woman in the green robe appeared to be suppressed, that woman maintained an imprable defense. On the contrary, Zhang Yuelu gradually fell into an unfavorable position.

 Chapter 94: Seeing the Xuan Jade Again

    <h4>Chapter 94: Seeing the Xuan Jade Again</h4>

    As Qi Xuansu expected, Zhang Yuelu was almost exhausted, and the woman in green immediately began to fight back.

    The top sword techniques of the Daoist Order¡ªthe Beidou 36 Sword Techniques from the Taiping Sect, the Taiyin 13 Swords from the Quanzhen Sect, the Nandou 28 Sword Techniques from the Grand Master, and the Cihang Sword Sequence from the Zhengyi Sect¡ªwere based on variations.

    However, the Confucian Sword Techniques were the opposite. It had fewer variations and a more direct approach, using sheer force to overwhelm the opponent. In other words, the Confucian Sword Techniques used the concept of Taiji while the Daoist Sword Techniques sought unity in diversity.

    This was the case with the woman¡¯s Heavenly Heart Sword Technique. Although there were some variations, the moves were not very subtle, but the force was extremely powerful and natural without a w. Zhang Yuelu was at a dead end, making it impossible for her to hide or escape.

    Zhang Yuelu did not show one bit of fear. She drifted back and extended her arm to summon the Amorphous Paper that had been knocked out of her hand earlier. At this time, Zhang Yuelu used her qi to summon the Amorphous Paper and turn it into a spear.

    As soon as Zhang Yuelu gripped the spear, her moves changedpletely. Somewhat simr to the Taixuan Sword Heart Series that the woman in the green robe used before, Zhang Yuelu was using Qi Ying¡¯s Infinite Spear Technique.

    Zhang Yuelu managed to break out of the deadlock and moved rapidly so that the woman in the green robe was surrounded by the countless shadows of the paper spear.

    The woman in green immediately retracted her sword, drawing a smooth circle with a diameter of about three meters and surrounding herself withyers of qi that rippled out like water. Her defense was imprable. No matter how Zhang Yuelu attacked, she failed to harm the woman in the green robe.

    At this moment, a loud, rumbling sound came from the main hall. Qi Xuansu turned toward the source and saw that the young monk had broken the huge Buddha statue that hade to life. The young monk did not just sever the statue¡¯s arms, but he also damaged the statue¡¯s body, which was full of cracks.

    However, the young monk was also seriously injured. He sat on the ground with his legs stretched out and panted to catch his breath. He looked like he had no more strength to fight for the time being.

    The two women who were fighting also turned to the young monk. However, the woman in the green robe got a little impatient and changed her defense to offense, intending to shake off Zhang Yuelu.

    Although Zhang Yuelu noticed something was wrong, she did not have time to think deeply about it while being attacked.

    Since Qi Xuansu was a bystander to the women¡¯s fight, he noticed what was happening. The woman in the green robe did not fight to kill. Instead, it seemed like she wanted to get to the main hall to look for something. Everything started to make sense to Qi Xuansu.

    The woman in the green robe walked in silently before, but Qi Xuansu had alerted Zhang Yuelu about that woman¡¯s whereabouts. That was when the woman started to fight with Zhang Yuelu. To their surprise, both women ended up evenly matched.

    The woman in the green robe had thought she could easily defeat Zhang Yuelu before taking her time to find what she came to look for. As a result, the two women engaged in a fierce battle, so the woman in the green robe panicked.

    Qi Xuansu recalled that the woman in green was also a member of the Qingping Society. Through that, he was reminded of his mission from the Qingping Society to find the Xuan Jade in Fengtai County.

    The mission in Fengtai County was led by Madam Qi, who hid in the shadows, while Qi Xuansu did all the dirty work as her subordinate. However, the woman in the green robe had a far higher cultivation level than him. She should be Madam Qi¡¯s equal, as they both owned a golden-purple fish talisman that indicated their B-rank status in the Qingping Society.

    In this case, it made sense that, like Madam Qi, this woman had also received the mission to find the Xuan Jade since she was a B-rank member of the Qingping Society. In other words, the Xuan Jade should be in this Buddhist temple.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu subconsciously pressed on his satchel. Sure enough, he felt a slight vibration from it. If he had not felt for it, he would not have noticed anything.

    That was the vibrationing from the specialpass that Madam Qi handed to Qi Xuansu. Thatpass was a feng shuipass that Daoist priests would normally carry. From appearance, it was difficult to see the difference between an ordinarypass and the specialpass used to detect the Xuan Jade. Thus, Qi Xuansu did not hide it and merely wrapped it in ayer of silk before chucking it into his satchel.

    It had been half a year since he went to Fengtai County, so Qi Xuansu had almost forgotten about thispass. After entering the Buddhist temple, he did not pay attention to thispass because he did not expect to find a Xuan Jade there. After he was aware of this possibility, he felt the slight vibration from thepass and confirmed the presence of a Xuan Jade.

    Although Qi Xuansu still did not know what the function of a Xuan Jade was, one thing he knew for certain was that the Xuan Jade was precious. The Qingping Society was not the only one who wanted the Xuan Jade. A sage from the Taiping Sect wanted it as well.

    With Madam Qi¡¯s help, Qi Xuansu obtained a piece of Xuan Jade for the Qingping Society and was rewarded with the opportunity to enter the Tiangang Hall in the Ancestral Court. He was also promoted to a C-rank member. If he could obtain another Xuan Jade all on his own this time, what kind of reward would he get?

    Qi Xuansu was excited when he thought about this.

    Growing up as an orphan in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, Qi Xuansu was not born into riches. He followed Madam Qi around the world toplete missions from the Qingping Society and had never lived infort. Thus, he always believed that riches were earned by taking high risks. Without such a mentality, he would not have been able to kill Desmond and Bai Yongguan consecutively.

    On the other side of the hall, Zhang Yuelu seized the opportunity of the woman''s impetuous advance to swing her spear at the woman¡¯s bamboo hat. The woman¡¯s headdress shattered, and many tiny cracks appeared on the woman¡¯s face due to sheer force.

    It was then clear that the woman in green was wearing a mask that covered her true appearance. The woman¡¯s mask had cracked, not her face.

    The woman in green had disheveled hair. Suddenly, the woman¡¯s ck hair grew to a length of more than 30 meters. Her 3000 strands of hair reached for Zhang Yuelu. This was the ck Hair Armor from the Taiyin 13 Swords Technique, which could be used to attack, retreat, or defend.

    The woman¡¯s hair was intertwined intoyer uponyer of sheets, forming a to wrap Zhang Yuelu, like a silkworm spinning silk and forming a cocoon. In an instant, the hair closed up, trapping Zhang Yuelu in it.

    The strands of hair were soft like wool,pletely different from the aggressive sword energy. It made Zhang Yuelu feel like she was stuck in mud, almost unable to move.

    At the same time, the strands of hair poured countless thoughts and emotions into Zhang Yuelu¡¯s mind.

    There was a saying that as one¡¯s hair grew long and white, one¡¯s worry was boundless. Though physical existence had limited time, resentment wouldst forever.

    The resentments were: hating sweet talk, bad luck, heartless people, dull rtionships, the harshness of the world, injustice, and unrequited kindness.

    These resentments, known as the Seven Resentments, were like seven swords pointing directly at one¡¯s soul. It could steal the mind, like an insect caught in a spider¡¯s web with no way out.

    Zhang Yuelu held her breath and stabilized her mind. The Amorphous Paper in her hand turned into a paper sword again. Then she used the Falling Flowers move in the Cihang Sword Sequence.

    The next moment, countless sword qi pierced the hair, starting with one spot and eventually increasing to countless holes. This was just like having countless fine needles prate a cloth.

    The sound of the metal and stone colliding was endless as the woman¡¯s hair was cut off. However, new strands of hair grew like weeds that could not be controlled. As the strands of hair lessened, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s body was revealed again.

    However, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face was still solemn. That was because the strands of hair she had cut off were still floating around, giving rise to all kinds of confusing thoughts that became more intense. Aside from resentment, there were also feelings of love.

    These new strands of hair that held feelings of love intertwined with the old strands of hair that held resentment, weaving a giant web.

    This was the power of the Taiyin 13 Swords. One mistake could trap the opponent in this web of emotions, unable to extricate themselves.

    Among the Four Great Sword Techniques, the Nandou 28 Swords Technique and the Beidou 36 Swords Technique came from the same lineage, focusing on swordsmanship. On the contrary, the Cihang Sword Sequence and the Taiyin 13 Swords were focused on attacking the opponent¡¯s heart and mind, which was very fascinating.

    Fortunately, Zhang Yuelu had already practiced the Heart Series of the Cihang Sword Sequence. Thus, she could calm her mind and not be fooled by such methods. However, she was forced to use another method as ast resort.

    Since Banished Immortals were experts in everything, they knew how to summon a Shaman¡¯s Spiritual Statue as well.

    Zhang Yuelu summoned a Spiritual Statue with a white body that was 20 meters tall. The statue grew more arms, and in the blink of an eye, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s Spiritual Statue already had 64 arms.

    The Amorphous Paper then turned into 64 swords correspondingly.

    The Spiritual Statue held 64 swords of different shapes and sizes. Some wererge and thick, some were light and thin, some were flexible like snakes, and some were as wide as a door panel. All of them exuded fierce sword qi.

    Then, the Spiritual Statue turned around with the 64 swords in hand.

    The sword techniques in the Sword Series of the Cihang Sword Sequence were soplex and changeable that they became unimaginably unpredictable. Each of the 64 swords used different variations of the sword technique.

    Even though the Spiritual Statue used 64 variations of the sword technique simultaneously, they blended well together without any conflict, making it extremely unpredictable.

    The sword qi was powerful, destroying the hair and scattering fragments of hair everywhere. That was how Zhang Yuelu broke free from the ck Hair Armor.

    The woman¡¯s long hair retracted and turned back into half its original length, which was waist-length.

    Once Qi Xuansu saw that Zhang Yuelu had gained the advantage, he took the opportunity to head to the main hall since he would not be much help here.

 Chapter 95: The Wonder of Xuan Jade

    <h4>Chapter 95: The Wonder of Xuan Jade</h4>

    At this time, Zhang Yuelu also realized that the woman in the green robe was actually trying to get to the main hall of the Buddhist temple. However, Zhang Yuelu was unaware of the Xuan Jade''s presence, so she could only make a rough guess. She also had no intention of letting the woman in the green robe leave, no matter what. That was because the woman in the green robe was a member of the Qingping Society.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s sword moves became more rapid, preventing the woman from taking a step forward.

    The woman in green watched irritatedly as Qi Xuansu disappeared into the main hall. If it were not for Qi Xuansu, the woman would have sessfully attacked Zhang Yuelu. Thus, the woman in the green robe hated Qi Xuansu for ruining her mission.

    Once again, the woman in the green robe pricked Zhang Yuelu with her needle. This method was called the Divine Crane Needle, specially designed to destroy qi shields, indestructible golden bodies, and spirit protectors.

    If the needle pierced one¡¯s body, it would block the flow of qi and suppress the opponent¡¯s cultivation level.

    There was a saying that it was possible to hold fire without scorching one¡¯s fingers, but one had to be extremely fast. Another saying was that a sharp nail could prate metal and stone as long as all forces were concentrated at that one point.

    The silver needle was extremely small, but Zhang Yuelu¡¯s Spiritual Statue was huge. The 20-meter-tall Spiritual Statue could only withstand the needle strikes for a short while before the needles pierced through it.

    Zhang Yuelu had already gotten pricked before, so she was careful this time. She did not care about maintaining the 64 paper swords and immediately transformed them into a paper umbre for protection.

    The Amorphous Paper was a semi-immortal object. The Divine Crane Needles could pierce through the Spiritual Statue, but they shattered into little streams of light when theynded on the paper umbre''s surface.

    Seeing that Zhang Yuelu was distracted, the woman in green seized this opportunity to sh her sword qi at Qi Xuansu. As soon as Qi Xuansu entered the hall, he felt a cold gust of winding from behind and quickly threw himself to the ground, narrowly escaping the sword qi.

    Thus, the woman¡¯s first attack on Qi Xuansu was ineffective. Before the woman could deliver the second strike, Zhang Yuelu attacked her again.

    The woman in the green robe was annoyed that she could not get rid of Zhang Yuelu and continued fighting with thetter.

    The sword qinded on the already cracked Buddha statue, which exploded instantly.

    That was when Qi Xuansu clearly saw a sh of green buried under the rubble. However, he did not rummage for the Xuan Jade immediately because he recalled that there was a Buddhaputra around. He was also unsure what the monk¡¯s purpose was.

    He thought,<i> Is the Buddhaputra here to y demons? Or is he also here to look for the Xuan Jade, like the woman in the green robe?</i>

    If the Buddhaputra came to this temple for the former reason, then it was fine. If it was thetter, then Qi Xuansu would have to guard against the monk.

    Qi Xuansu stood up and walked toward the Buddaputra, who was sitting on the ground. He introduced himself, ¡°I am Qi Xuansu, a deacon of the Daoist Order''s Tiangang Hall. May I ask for your identity?¡±

    This Buddhaputra looked a few years younger than Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu, like he had just turned 20. He wore a monk''s robe without a Kasaya and had shaved off all his hair.

    The young monk put his palms together in a Buddhist salute and said, ¡°Brother Qi, I am Yan Xiu, a Qishi monk from the Jingchan Temple. I have been ordered by my master to experience the hardships of the world.¡±

    <i>Based on the character Yan in the monk¡¯s name, Qi Xuansu could calcte which generation this young monk was from.</i>

    <i>Monks with Wu in their names were the same generation as Li Daoxu, Xu Wugui, and other respected Daoist elders. Wu Zhen was a Buddhist character card worth eight points in the Holy Xuan Cards.</i>

    <i>Since Buddhism was once a part of Daoism for a long time, the generations were roughly equal. The Holy Xuan was in the same generation as the monks named Yuan. The sixth-generation Grand Master and the three incumbent Deputy Grand Masters were the same generation as the Ren generation of monks.</i>

    <i>This young monk was in the Yan generation, which was only one generation lower than the three Deputy Grand Masters and the same generation as many of the Daoist Sages. Forparison, Zhang Yuelu was grand-disciple of the Deputy Grand Masters, which was considered a senior in the Daoist Order. However, Zhang Yuelu was still one generation below this Buddhaputra.</i>

    <i>In addition, many people had dual generations. For example, the Imperial Preceptor, who was also the Great Sage of the Taiping Sect, was five generations below the Holy Xuan in the Daoist Order of seniority. However, in terms of seniority within the Li family, the Imperial Preceptor was the grandson of the Holy Xuan.</i>

    <i>This was amon urrence inrge families with a long history. The sons of aristocratic families often had sex before they reached their prime, so they would have children in their teens up to their fifties. Although these children would be of the same generation, there was a difference of 40 years between the younger sibling and the older sibling.</i>

    <i>These children carried on to build their own families. Thus, in this situation, it wasmon for a white-haired old man to be several generations younger than an infant. As such, the seniority of generations became confusing.</i>

    <i>Due to this, with the restructuring of the Daoist Order, seniority in generation was no longer so important. One¡¯s rank and position were more important. To this day, besides a clear master-disciple rtionship, most people in the Daoist Order judged superiority based on rank.</i>

    Jingchan Temple was known as thergest Buddhist temple in Zhongzhou, located on Zhongyue Mountain, which was not far from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. However, Qi Xuansu had never been there and had only heard of its name.

    Qi Xuansu cupped his fist and asked, ¡°Zen Master Yan Xiu, why did youe to this temple? How did this ce turn out this way?¡±

    Yan Xiu put his palms together and said, ¡°I traveled far and came to this Buddhist temple in the city, thinking I could rest here. But the gates of this temple were closed, so I used my divination to explore the temple and found something strange. That was why I broke through the wall. Many of the Buddha statues here have be monsters, and all the monks in the temple have been killed.

    ¡°My master often warned me that Buddhist disciples should not only bepassionate but also y demons and suppress heretics. That¡¯s why I used the Vajra Warrior to destroy several Buddha statues in this ce. I am also unaware of how this ce turned out like this.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not hear any ws in the monk''s exnation. ¡°No wonder. Zen Master Yan, this ce is a den for the demons of the Lingshan Witch Cult. My colleague and I have traced them here.¡±

    Yan Xiu looked out the door and asked, ¡°Brother Qi, among the two women fighting outside, which one is your colleague?¡±

    Qi Xuansu answered, ¡°The woman in the green robe is a cult demon, and the other one is Mage Zhang from the Daoist Order.¡±

    Yan Xiu nodded. ¡°Brother Qi, please wait a moment as I recover some of my strength. After that, I will help Mage Zhang y the demon.¡±

    The monk took out a pill that resembled a chestnut from his sleeve and stuffed it into his mouth. He then sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and started meditating.

    Qi Xuansu sighed, thinking about how naive the young Buddhaputra was. If he had malicious intentions, he could have shot the Buddhaputra with his Divine Dragon Pistol, and thetter would have been defenseless at such a distance.

    However, Qi Xuansu had a bottom line. He would not kill people for no reason. He looked back and saw the two women still fighting fiercely outside, so he walked toward the rubble of the Buddha statue.

    Earlier, he saw the Xuan Jade buried underneath. To Qi Xuansu, the Xuan Jade not only meant gaining rewards from the Qingping Society but also merits. At the moment, he only had 600 merits, far from his goal of 9000 merits to leave the secret society for good.

    If he could get his hands on the Xuan Jade, then he could probably umte 1000 merits, which was more than what he had earned over the past few years.

    ......

    Thend was arid as far as the eye could see, with no signs of vegetation. All that was left were ravines and scorched soil.

    Bones, corpses, and broken magical weapons were littered everywhere, like the scene of a battlefield. There were ravines and huge pits with animal bones piled high in them.

    There was a dark mountain standing majestically between the sky and the earth, covering most of the sky. The top of the mountain could not be seen. Many fragmented peaks were suspended in the air around the mountain. They were not stationary and were moving at an extremely slow speed, like specks of dust visible in sunlight.

    At the far end of the horizon, there was a distorted and chaotic scene. One could vaguely see lightning connecting the sky and the earth, flickering erratically. Even if the lightning was extremely far away, one could still feel the terrifying power it brought.

    This was a destroyed paradise on the verge of copse. However, since it was a vast space, it withstood erosion over time and had not yetpletely disappeared.

    The sky-high mountain was the center of this destroyed paradise. There were more cracks on the surface of that dark and imposing mountain upon closer inspection. These cracks were like ravines that formed a mesh barrier around the mountain.

    Halfway up the dark mountain was a big pce that did not look like any buildings in the existing world. It was rough on the edges with an ancient feel to it. At this time, the pce was dpidated, and only the severed limbs of the various statues in the hall remained.

    At this time, a man and a woman were sitting opposite each other in the main hall of the dpidated pce.

    ¡°In other words, the Xuan Jade must be activated with divine power, right?¡± The man fumbled with the Xuan Jade in his hand as he asked the woman sitting opposite him.

    ¡°Yes.¡± The woman was shrouded in a heavy mist to conceal her true appearance. It also seemed like she would be blown away by a strong gust of wind at any time. ¡°Blood qi, Thoughts, and innate qi are not interconnected. If you want to keep one of them, you must first destroy another. Divine power is an exception, just like gold. It¡¯s valuable no matter where it is used.¡±

    The man looked at the Xuan Jade in his hand and fell into deep thought.

    After a moment, he said, ¡°Although divine power is good, it must be transformed through incense power. In the past two hundred years, countless wars have been waged between the Daoist Order, Ancient Immortals, Buddhist Sect, and secret societies for the sake of incense power. Even the Western Holy Court wants incense power. These parties are not easy to contend with.¡±

    ¡°Everything in this world operates on interests.¡± The womanughed. ¡°Just as mortals work hard for a few Taiping coins, immortals aren¡¯t exempt from such vulgarity and have to work hard for incense power. Some say that incense power is the currency of immortals. I think that''s an appropriate saying.¡±

    The man asked, ¡°Then what should we do with this Xuan<i> </i>Jade?¡±

    The woman did not care much. ¡°You can keep it or give it to someone else. You can even return it. It¡¯s not my business how you deal with it.¡±

    The man fell into deep thought again.

    The woman reminded him. ¡°Adding the finishing touches to a dragon painting isn¡¯t as simple as it seems. The key lies with the artist. Only a master can achieve good results.¡±

    ¡°That boy from the Li family?¡± The man could not help but ask.

    The woman stated, ¡°The boy from the Li family is the bloodline of the Holy Xuan, so it won¡¯t be a problem.¡±

    The man suddenly fell silent.

 Chapter 96: Dead Daoist Priest

    <h4>Chapter 96: Dead Daoist Priest</h4>

    Qi Xuansu used his hands to sweep away the rubble and finally saw a touch of green underneath. It looked simr to the knife money of ancient times, shaped like a crescent moon. The Xuan Jade was green and translucent, with many thin red lines inside that resembled veins.

    However,pared with the Xuan Jade he found in Fengtai County, this piece of Xuan Jade had more blood-like veins inside, so it was reddish overall.

    Qi Xuansu grasped the Xuan Jade, feeling excited.

    ......

    At the same time, two people were looking at Yn Temple from the top of Yishan City.

    Of these two people, one had a clean-shaven head and was wearing a Kasaya¡ªa typical appearance of Buddhist monks. He was the abbot of the Yishan City Temple. His Buddhist name was Zhu Cheng. At this moment, he did not kneel in front of the six-armed statue but came to the top of the mountain.

    The other person had a square face and big ears. He was dressed as a member of the gentry from a wealthy family. If Luo Xiao were here, he would recognize this gentleman as Xia Chang. That was because Xia Chang had a well-known father who was a majorndlord in the city. Unlike the infamous Jiao Dayan¡ªthe man who was decapitated by the bandits¡ªXia Chang¡¯s father was charitable and well-known in the city as a great phnthropist.

    The monk and the gentleman were both members of the Lingshan Witch Cult. At this point, all seven members of the Lingshan Witch Cult had surfaced.

    The monk Zhu Cheng held four jade pendants. Aside from his own, the other three jade pendants belonged to the injured female Shaman, Lin Zhenyuan, and the schr. They were the same pendants as the ones found on Bai Yongguan and He Nian.

    Xia Chang also held his jade pendant in hand, saying regretfully, ¡°The Cult Leader gave us seven jade pendants, one for each of the seven of us. Unfortunately, Bai Yongguan¡¯s and He Nian¡¯s pendants fell into the hands of the Daoist priests. I¡¯m afraid that our power will be reduced.¡±

    Zhu Cheng smiled and said, ¡°Even if it¡¯s reduced, there won¡¯t be much difference. After all, the opponent is not a Heavenly Being.¡±

    Xia Chang nodded and handed his jade pendant to Zhu Cheng.

    This was theirst resort to suppress this matter. The situation had also developed in the direction they expected.

    After Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu discovered the anomaly in Yishan City, they tracked down the cultists and found the Buddhist temple. That was how Zhu Cheng and Xia Chang took advantage of the situation to turn the Yn Temple into a trap, intending to bury the troublemakers.

    As for the Xuan Jade, Zhu Cheng identally obtained it from a Buddhist cave. He originally thought it was some kind of treasure, but after studying it for a long time, he still could not figure it out. Later, he discovered that this strange piece of jade could make the Buddha statuese alive. Thus, he buried the Xuan Jade in the Buddha statue located in the main hall of Yn Temple. As such, all the Buddha statues in the temple came to life.

    This was a lucky strike because the Xuan Jade had to be activated by divine power, which was transformed from incense power. The Buddha statue in the main hall was where all the incense power converged. Therefore, that Xuan Jade was partially activated.

    Zhu Cheng simply used this as bait to lure the Daoist priests into the Buddhist temple to investigate. After all, anyone would be able to tell that there was something wrong with Yn Temple. Thus, the Daoist priests would assume that Yn Temple was their stronghold.

    However, Zhu Cheng had neglected two people. He did not expect that Yan Xiu would enter the Yn Temple before Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu, nor did he expect that the woman in the green robe would arrive shortly after.

    Zhu Cheng was expecting Zhang Yuelu to be fighting fiercely with the Buddha statue at this time to distract her. However, since Yan Xiu had already destroyed the Buddha statue, Zhang Yuelu and the others coulde and go from the temple without hindrance.

    The monk spread out his hands, and the five jade pendants floated into the air, arranging themselves ording to the Five Elements Formation.

    Meanwhile, Xia Chang turned around and left the vicinity.

    Zhu Cheng cut a slit in his wrist, allowing his blood to gush out of the wound and fly toward the jade pendant. This would stimte the divine power contained in the five jade pendants. A blood-colored mist suddenly filled the air around him.

    <i>The abbot of Yn Temple was born in poverty, but he had no major ups and downs in life. When he was two years old, his parents sent him to the mountains to be a Samanera so that he would not starve to death.</i>

    <i>Zhu Cheng lived a dull life in the temple. Since he did not know how to please his master, he was ostracized and bullied by his fellow monks. He kneeled in front of the Buddha statue countless times and begged the Lord Buddha for a better life, but there was no response. By chance, he came into contact with the Lingshan Witch Cult and joined them as a member.</i>

    <i>With the help of the Lingshan Witch Cult, Zhu Cheng quietly killed the monks who bullied him. Then he gradually helped his master solve problems and run errands, finally gaining his master¡¯s trust. When his master was transferred to arger temple, his master rmended him for a promotion as the abbot of Yn Temple.</i>

    <i>The Daoist Qingbai Temple, the Buddhist Yn Temple, the Major¡¯s Office, and the wealthy Xia family were members of the Lingshan Witch Cult. Thus, the entire city of Yishan was under their control.</i>

    The five jade pendants in front of Zhu Cheng glowed with blood-red light.

    Zhu Cheng murmured, ¡°Go.¡±

    Each of the five jade pendants flew in the respective five directions¡ªnorth, east, west, southwest, and southeast of Yn Temple¡ªleaving five trails in the air.

    The next moment, the five jade pendants exploded simultaneously, turning into a torrential blood waterfall that crashed down on Yn Temple below.

    The whole sky turned blood-red, indicating that disaster was imminent.

    ......

    Seeing this, the few people in Yn Temple realized that something was wrong. Zhang Yuelu and the woman in green quickly ceased fighting.

    At this time, the two women were not far from the entrance gate of the temple. The woman in the green robe was the first to escape, but Zhang Yuelu hesitated as she intended to leave with Qi Xuansu. However, Qi Xuansu rushed out of the main hall and shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll leave from the other side. You should go now!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu no longer hesitated and leaped out.

    <i>The entrance gate of the temple was simr to the gatehouse of a mansion. Usually, there were two majestic statues of Vajra warriors ring at each other inside the entrance gate. The statues would hold a Vajra to frighten demons and ghosts.</i>

    <i>The Vajra on the left side of the gatehouse would have a furious gaze and an open mouth, while the Vajra on the right had an angry face with closed lips. Thus, they were moremonly known as General Heng and General Ha. General Heng was the one with the closed mouth, while General Ha was the one with the opened mouth.</i>

    At this time, Qi Xuansu was in the main hall, which was still some distance away from the entrance gate of the temple. There was no time to meet up with Zhang Yuelu. Instead, he followed the path they used to enter Yn Temple and left the same way, which was shorter from where he was.

    Just as Qi Xuansu was about to turn around and leave, he suddenly felt a crushing pain in his back. Someone had struck him from behind.

    Qi Xuansu spurted out a mouthful of blood, all his internal organs injured. He turned around with difficulty and saw that the person who struck him was none other than the monk, Yan Xiu.

    At this time, Yan Xiu did not look as youthful and naive as before. He was ruthless and sinister.

    ¡°You!¡± Qi Xuansu was shocked, more so angry. He never thought that an experienced traveler like himself would let his guard down against this young monk, leading to this sneak attack.

    Yan Xiu sneered. ¡°I¡¯ll let you die with some understanding. This is the divine power of the Ancient Immortal Wu Luo, who likes blood sacrifice the most. During her divine descent, she must see blood and death. Otherwise, she will not stop the rampage. Among the four of us in this temple, you have the lowest cultivation level. So, I have no choice but to sacrifice you.¡±

    After saying that, Yan Xiu kicked Qi Xuansu to the ground and turned to leave.

    Qi Xuansu fell to the ground, vomiting blood. However, at the critical moment, Qi Xuansu had a burst of strength. His right hand was still holding onto the Xuan Jade, while his left hand desperately grabbed Yan Xiu¡¯s ankle to prevent the monk from leaving.

    Even if Qi Xuansu had to die, he would drag Yan Xiu down to hell with him.

    Yan Xiu turned his head with a ferocious look on his face.

    ......

    After Zhang Yuelu escaped from the Yn Temple, she looked back and saw five blood waterfalls pouring down from the sky,pletely submerging the temple.

    If she was in the temple, she would probably die there, even if she was a Banished Immortal in the Guizhen stage. Thinking of this, she couldn''t help but feel a little scared. Then, she was worried for Qi Xuansu, unsure if he had escaped. If he was still inside, he would definitely be dead.

    The woman in the green robe stopped not far from Zhang Yuelu, with aplicated look on her face.

    At this time, the woman in green came back to her senses, realizing that she had failed her mission.

    The two women gazed at each other from a distance.

    Zhang Yuelu said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m Zhang Yuelu, a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master from the Daoist Order. I will find you in the future and continue where we left off.¡±

    The woman in the green robe replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯m Xie Qiuniang from the Qingping Society. I will dly ept your challenge at any time.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was startled for a moment because she realized that the woman in the green robe had not reported a real name but a name in a famous poem at the time called <i>Recalling Jiangnan</i>.

    Xie Qiuniang took a deep look at Zhang Yuelu, held the soft sword in her hand, and backed away slowly.

    Since Zhang Yuelu was worried about Qi Xuansu¡¯s safety, she did not pursue the woman.

    Many of the Green Phoenix Guards who were surrounding the mountain also saw this strange phenomenon and dared not approach.

    However, the blood waterfalls did not spill over from the boundaries of the Yn Temple and were only limited to the temple walls.

    The inside and outside of the temple walls were like two separate worlds. It was bright outside the wall, but everything inside had been dyed blood-red, including the sky and the earth.

    In the other direction of the Yn Temple, a figure quickly leaped out of the temple walls. If he were any slower, he would have drowned in the pool of blood.

    The person who managed to escape was Yan Xiu. Afternding on the ground, he rolled down the mountain due to the momentum and only stopped after hitting a big tree.

    Yan Xiu slowly stood up, using the tree trunk as support. He looked up at the Yn Temple, which was already engulfed in blood, with conflicting expressions on his face.

    What he told Qi Xuansu was true. He had nned to stay over at this temple, but he discovered something wrong with it and barged in to y the demons. Even so, this did not stop him from killing a Daoist priest.

    The Daoist Order had four levels of merit: Heaven, Earth, Xuan, and Huang. The Qingping Society also had a merit point system, which the Buddhist Sect also implemented.

    One should not hesitate to y demons and umte merit. Yan Xiu, the Buddhaputra, thought it would be insulting to die in this ce. Qi Xuansu was the perfect sacrifice because he was just a low-level Daoist priest.

    Thinking of this, Yan Xiu slowly lowered his head and saw a hand still clutching his ankle.

    The hand waspletely cut off from the wrist. Its five fingers gripped Yan Xiu¡¯s ankle so tightly that they pierced into his flesh. At this time, the hand still refused to let go.

    Yan Xiu sneered and bent over to pry open the fingers from his ankles one by one. Then he strode away.

 Chapter 97: Reborn

    <h4>Chapter 97: Reborn</h4>

    In the end, Qi Xuansu failed to escape from Yn Temple. His left hand was cut off, and he could only lie on the ground, waiting for death.

    Qi Xuansu watched as Yan Xiu¡¯s figure gradually disappeared from sight and turned over with difficulty to lie on his back. Then he raised the Xuan Jade in his right hand to his eye level andughed at himself. <i>Is this what it means to die for greed?</i>

    Soon, Qi Xuansu felt the mighty divine power falling from the sky. Non-living things were not affected in any way, but this divine power wanted to destroy all life.

    In the face of such divine power, even Heavenly beings had to tread carefully. The powerful Banished Immortals and Buddhaputras in the Guizhen stage would also die under such force. A Xiantian Being in the Kunlun stage, like Qi Xuansu, had almost no chance of survival.

    The next moment, a blood-red lightpletely engulfed Qi Xuansu.

    In an instant, Qi Xuansu felt his flesh disintegrating, as if someone had poured concentrated green vitriol oil on his body. It was so corrosive that it ate into his bones, leaving him with wounds all over.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s consciousness gradually blurred, but he still clenched the Xuan Jade in his right palm. In a semi-conscious state, Qi Xuansu recalled the feeling of being stabbed in the chest for the first time by an assassin from The Inn. He also recalled the feeling of traveling the world by himself and when he almost got his throat slit.

    He thought, <i>Am I going to die?</i>

    That was when he fainted and started dreaming.

    In his dream, Qi Xuansu saw the same tall and dark mountain as usual. This time, Qi Xuansu did not need anyone else to lead the way. He climbed the mountain on his own along the rugged trail. The wind howled, and a woman¡¯s murmur and singing floated to his ears. The silk ribbons on the trees on both sides of the path swayed in the wind, like countless arms dancing wildly. The path was also covered with many petals that exuded a strange fragrance.

    This time, he did not hear his master shouting for him to run, nor did he hear Madam Qi¡¯s whispers. The woman leading the way was also not there.

    Qi Xuansu went to the top of the mountain and found it was still the same scene¡ªa wide open space with a big bonfire in the middle.

    The difference was that ten tall figures were standing behind the fire. The light from the fire elongated their shadows. These ten tall figures were shrouded in ayer of dark cloud, so thick that he could only make out a blurry outline as well as two dots of blood-red light that looked like eyes.

    Qi Xuansu did not expect any changes to his recurring dream. There was finally some new progress. Although he knew that it was only a dream, he still felt a chill down his spine because these ten figures felt oppressive. Some were kind, while others were hostile.

    Then Qi Xuansu saw a lone figure that looked small inparison to the other ten giants. The eleventh figure was closer to human size and seemed to appear out of thin air.

    The eleventh figure stood out in this ce. She had no respect, kicking the fire andughing with her hands on her hips.

    The other ten figures frowned. Some were displeased by her behavior and scolded her, while others remained silent, with a hint of cunning flickering in their eyes.

    After a while, the lone figure stoppedughing and stepped aside. The fire reignited, illuminating the surrounding area. The fire became brighter, making the surroundings appear darker inparison. Eleven figures stood amidst the shadows and began to murmur.

    These murmurs grew louder, as if Qi Xuansu had traveled through time and space, arriving at the scene of his dream. He opened his eyes wide and saw outlines of the eleven towering figures, all exuding different auras. They represented flood, fire, sky, earth, life, death, light, darkness, time, space, and soul.

    At this moment, ten figures gradually disappeared and retreated into the darkness. The one left behind walked toward the fire, revealing her true appearance. It was a woman around 3 meters tall, with ink-ck hair that cascaded down to her calves. Her skin was bright red, as if she applied some strange paint. She wore a linen robe and stood barefoot in front of a strange totem that resembled a formation. It was green like bamboo, with a bird body and a human face.

    Qi Xuansu felt the chills. He did not know what it meant. At this moment, this 3-meter-tall figure walked toward him. The originally dazzling fire suddenly extinguished, plunging him into darkness.

    The ground under his feet shattered into a ck hole, which Qi Xuansu fell into. Soon after, he was submerged in a pool of blood. All he could see was red.

    ......

    The divine power was like a river of blood that drowned Qi Xuansu. At the same time, the Xuan Jade in Qi Xuansu¡¯s palm continuously absorbed the divine power. More thin, blood-like veins expanded in the Xuan Jade, until the emerald green jade turnedpletely red.

    The initial crescent shape of the Xuan Jade also gradually changed to be a spheroid. At first nce, Qi Xuansu seemed to be grabbing a blood-red full moon.

    It was a pity that no one was there to witness this scene. This piece of Xuan Jade, having been hidden in the Buddha statue of the temple, had soaked in years of incense power. Thus, it was already in a semi-activated state. At this time, under the impact of such intense divine power, the Xuan Jade was fully activated.

    The Xuan Jade turned into a big cocoon, wrapping Qi Xuansu in it.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s body gradually turned translucent. His blood, meridians, muscles, and skin gradually faded away, leaving only his bones. At first nce, Qi Xuansu seemed to have turned into a skeleton.

    Immediately afterward, Qi Xuansu¡¯s bones broke one after another, as if his body was being crushed by an invisible force. Just hearing the bones cracking would make one¡¯s hair stand on end. This level of pain and terror was so much worse than the torture methods of the Green Phoenix Guards.

    Another invisible forceing from Qi Xuansu¡¯s body quickly traveled along specific veins and restored his broken bones to their original state. This process repeated several times, his bones bing a shade darker each time they were reshaped.

    If Qi Xuansu was awake at this moment, he would feel numbness at first, then the numbness would turn into itching that was as excruciating as if thousands of ants were gnawing at his bones. This type of pain was so intense that it was difficult to describe in words. No one would be able to bear this type of pain, as it was even worse than being skinned alive.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu was trapped in his dream,pletely unaware of his body transformation. He was just as motionless as a dead person.

    After his bones were reshaped, his meridians and limbs were reconstructed. All the misalignments in his bones and veins were corrected, and all the blockages were cleared, making them better than ever before.

    His flesh and skin were regenerated, healing all of his previous wounds and scars. Qi Xuansu would no longer be able to show Zhang Yuelu the stab wound on his chest, as it had disappeared.

    A mass of blood gathered where his severed left hand was, gradually contorting into the shape of five fingers before shaping the bones and meridians and filling it out with flesh and blood. Finally, brand new skin regenerated on his left hand.

    This scene was simr to body regeneration for a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Flesh and Blood Realm. However, this speed of recovery far exceeded a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Yuxu stage. This was as fast as a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Heavenly-Being stage.

    After an unknown amount of time, Qi Xuansu gradually woke up from his dream. When he opened his eyes, everything outside was still blood red, but the main hall of the temple had returned to normal. The mighty divine power was slowly receding, like the ebbing tide of the sea.

    Qi Xuansu sat up and settled down, feeling rejuvenated. The innate qi in his body was flowing freely, and his bones were flexible. He felt like he had endless energy.

    When he stood up again, he found that his body was much lighter. Even without relying on his qi, he felt like he could fly up to the rafters in one leap. This was something only a Martial Arts Practitioner could do.

    Qi Xuansu hurriedly closed his eyes to feel the changes in his new body. That was when he discovered a shocking fact. He had jumped from the Kunlun stage to the Yuxu stage, which meant he was in the Rogue Cultivator¡¯s Yuding Realm.

    The Yuding Realm was more advanced than the Inner Dan Realm. It was when one¡¯s essence, qi, and spirit gathered in the upper Dantian. In this realm, cultivators had more energy and would not need to worry about satisfying their innate desires like sex, food, and sleep. One could learn to fast for long hours, stop the pulse, and live longer as a result.

    This also meant that Qi Xuansu could practice two types of average attainment methods in this realm.

    One was the Fasting Technique, which was not useful inbat. Depending on the level of cultivation, one could greatly reduce food consumption. It could go from one meal a day to one meal every three days, to sustaining on dew. The extreme end was not eating at all.

    The other method was the Cicada Molting Technique, which was derived from the Banished Immortal¡¯s Illusory Body Technique. The Cicada Molting Technique allowed one to temporarily create a fake body to rece one¡¯s death. It was an extremely practical life-saving mystical ability.

    However, Qi Xuansu discovered another shocking fact. Since he was too focused on the advancement of his cultivation level earlier, he had not noticed that his left hand had regrown.

    Qi Xuansu stared at his left hand in disbelief. It looked fairer and even more tender than Zhang Yuelu¡¯s. He did not know how to rationalize this new hand because he remembered vividly how Yan Xiu had cut off his left hand. That pain was unforgettable, so he was sure of his memory.

    However, his left hand had grown back intact, with finer skin and not one bit of calluses. That was how he concluded that it was not his old hand that had been grafted back on.

    Qi Xuansu immediately recalled his dream. At the same time, he noticed the drastic changes in the Xuan Jade he was holding.

    He stopped thinking about the dream and had some vague idea about what had happened as he looked at the blood-red spheroid jade, which resembled the bloody divine power.

    Qi Xuansu thought, <i>Did the Xuan Jade undergo some kind of change after encountering divine power? Was that how it affected me?</i>

    At this moment, the Xuan Jade in Qi Xuansu¡¯s hand shattered silently, turning into fine dust that scattered on the ground.

 Chapter 98: The Great Witch

    <h4>Chapter 98: The Great Witch</h4>

    Qi Xuansu stared at the remnants of the Xuan Jade in his palm, momentarily speechless.

    He finally understood why the Qingping Society and the Taiping Sect wanted so desperately to find the Xuan Jade. It was indeed magical and beneficial to humans.

    Qi Xuansu moved his newly regenerated left hand and did not feel any hindrance. It fitted like a glove, and his body seemed rejuvenated, with no hint of difort. He rolled up his sleeves and opened his cor.

    Sure enough, all of his scars had disappeared. Qi Xuansu even had a feeling that if he were to meditate and practice his breathing techniques, his cultivation efficiency would be far better than before.

    However, Qi Xuansu did not try it immediately. Instead, he had to figure out two issues before the divine power outsidepletely receded.

    The first problem was about that dream.

    His second dilemma was whether he should tell Zhang Yuelu or Madam Qi about the changes in his body.

    Qi Xuansu had been to that dark mountain in his dreams many times before. However, during his previous visits, he could only see one figure behind the fire. The other figures usually stood in the darkness. But this time, he saw eleven figures standing behind the fire, and the ck shadows in the background disappeared. It was like when a high-ranking official left his entourage outside once he had to enter the court.

    This change was undoubtedly brought about by the Xuan Jade.

    Among the eleven figures, there was one that looked smaller inparison. She was thest to arrive, kicking the fire in a rage, which made her look out of ce.

    In the end, ten of the figures left, leaving only one that walked toward Qi Xuansu. Did it mean that thest figure represented the Xuan Jade he was holding?

    If this conjecture was true, then it meant that different Xuan Jades represented each of the eleven figures, respectively. The different auras emitted by the eleven figures probably also corresponded to eleven different abilities.

    Qi Xuansu recalled carefully that the figure walking toward him exuded a majestic breath of life. Although it was a dream, the heat emanating from the figure¡¯s surging blood still left a deep impression on him.

    In this regard, the piece of Xuan Jade Qi Xuansu held most likely represented life. If that was the case, then it would exin how he was reborn, and how the Buddha statues in the temple came to life.

    On the contrary, the Xuan Jade that Qi Xuansu obtained in Fengtai County was like a dead object and had nothing magical about it. However, this piece of Xuan Jade could make statuese to life. It made Qi Xuansu wonder if the Xuan Jade he retrieved in Fengtai County was fake. Or perhaps the Xuan Jade required some external conditions to work.

    If it was thetter, the biggest difference between the two Xuan Jades he had seen was that the one in Fengtai County was hidden in a paperweight, while the Xuan Jade in Yn Temple was hidden in the Buddha statue.

    That was when Qi Xuansu had an epiphany.

    In Qingbai Temple, Bai Yongguan once absorbed the incense power from the Primordial Daoist Ancestor statue to restore his own Spiritual Statue, which caused the Primordial Daoist Ancestor statue to explode. It was evident that the Primordial Daoist Ancestor statue had a big reserve of incense power.

    Carrying over the same concept, most of the statues in Yn Temple should also have reserves of incense power. Did it mean that the Xuan Jade¡¯s transformation involved incense power?

    Qi Xuansu also recalled that the Xuan Jade changed from a green crescent shape to a blood-red spheroid due to divine power. That was when he came up with a bold guess¡ªthe incense power or divine power could activate the Xuan Jade.

    This was a reasonable exnation because Zhang Yuelu once said that incense power for immortals was like the Taiping coins for humans. The conflict between the Ancient Immortals and the Daoist Order also stemmed from incense power, indicating how precious amodity it was.

    In addition, there was a strange totem behind the figure that looked like a screen with a painting of green bamboo and a creature with a bird body and a human face. It was somewhat simr to the Spiritual Statue of the Shaman from the Lingshan Witch Sect.

    Qi Xuansu suddenly remembered that Zhang Yuelu had mentioned that Ancient Wuism was popr before the rise of Daoism. The founders of Ancient Wuism were called the Ten Witches of Lingshan, with Wu Luo being one of them. Later, the Ten Great Witches of Lingshan disbanded. Wu Yang and five of the Great Witches left Lingshan and called themselves the Six Enlightened Witches.

    The Ten Great Witches of Lingshan plus the mysterious Wu Yang made up for the eleven figures.

    This meant that the eleven figures Qi Xuansu saw in his dream were the Ten Great Witches of Ancient Wuism, and the smaller figure that appearedter was Wu Yang. If Wu Yang kicked over the fire, did it mean that the Six Enlightened Witches were rebelling against the Ten Great Witches of Lingshan?

    If the Great Witch that walked toward him represented life, what did the Great Witch he often saw in the past represent? She seemed to only reveal her aura when the eleven Great Witches gathered together. Since Wu Luo was also one of the eleven Great Witches, what did she symbolize?

    Without a doubt, that dark mountain in his dream was the legendary Lingshan.

    After Qi Xuansu organized his thoughts, most of the joy and excitement he felt from having an upgraded body disappeared instantly. That was because it became clear to him that there was a close connection between the Lingshan Witch Cult and the Qingping Society.

    The dream meeting of the Qingping Society and the legend about Wu Luo believers entering the Divine Kingdom in their dreams were very simr.

    However, Qi Xuansu was not a hundred percent sure about it. He had a feeling that something was amiss.

    Qi Xuansu did not delve into it and decided to visit the Daoist Canon Division once he returned to Jade Capital. That way, he could find some books about Ancient Wuism to confirm his guess.

    The second dilemma was whether to tell Madam Qi and Zhang Yuelu about this.

    Qi Xuansu first rejected the idea of ??telling Zhang Yuelu about the matter. Although Zhang Yuelu treated him sincerely, he had kept too many secrets from her. The time they spent together was too short for him to gauge how Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attitude would change after she learned part of the truth. After much thought, he decided not to take the risk.

    As for Madam Qi, he should not have anything to hide from her. If it were before, Qi Xuansu would have told her the truth, but after Qi Xuansu began to suspect that Qingping Society was affiliated with the Lingshan Witch Cult, he hesitated.

    Moreover, the Qingping Society was also searching for the Xuan Jade, indicating that they probably knew what magic it bore. Qi Xuansu did not know what woulde of him if the Qingping Society found out about his body transformation. Would they promote him to a core member, like the woman in the green robe? Or would they kill him and refine his body into elixirs and pills?

    After serious consideration, Qi Xuansu dared not take this risk.

    At this moment, the blood-red color in the temple finally faded, leaving no trace of its existence. Qi Xuansu came to his senses, walked out of the main hall, went along the path he came from, and left Yn Temple through the gap in the wall.

    As soon as he left the temple, Qi Xuansu saw a trail in the mud caused by something rolling downhill. He walked along the trail and saw his severed hand under a big tree.

    Qi Xuansu nced at his severed hand and then at his newly regenerated one. After a moment of silence, he decided to put the severed hand back in his satchel.

    Although the scars on his body were no longer visible, this severed hand was a reminder for him not to make this kind of mistake again. He would not be so lucky every time. He only had one life, so if he died, everything he worked so hard for would be in vain.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu walked over from the direction of the entrance gate and saw Qi Xuansu from a distance. Her tense heart finally rxed a little. She was afraid that Qi Xuansu was trapped in the Yn Temple. If that were the case, she would probably live with guilt for the rest of her life. After all, Qi Xuansu only came along on this journey with her as a friend, doing her a favor by apanying her to the Shangqing Prefecture.

    Zhang Yuelu came to Qi Xuansu and sized him up. When she saw that he had all his limbs intact, she breathed a long sigh of relief.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Where is the woman in the green robe? What¡¯s her background?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m d you¡¯re alright.¡± Zhang Yuelu shook her head and continued, ¡°The woman in the green robe called herself Xie Qiuniang. She¡¯s from the Qingping Society. Her true identity is probably a Hermit from the Confucian School.¡±

    ¡°A Hermit? Like the Hermit card in the Holy Xuan card game?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°A hermit used to be a social identity back then, but after the restructuring of the Three Religions, it became one of the Confucian lineages. What we call immortals are savants to Confucians. Hermits are the savants in the Confucian School of Philosophy, different from Thinkers from the Confucian School of Principle or the Mencian Scribes. Hermits are rare, like Daoist Banished Immortals.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Wow! It must be a special day today for a Daoist Banished Immortal, a Confucian Hermit, and a Buddhist Buddhaputra to gather at this small Yn Temple, not forgetting the terrifying divine power from the Ancient Immortals.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu suddenly inquired, ¡°Where is that Buddhaputra?¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s face turned gloomy. He only told her part of the truth. ¡°He ran away. He said that when Wu Luo¡¯s divine power descends, she will not stop until she takes a life. He wanted me to be the sacrifice. Fortunately, I got lucky. Perhaps there are others in the temple. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t see me now.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was furious. ¡°How dare he?! I will never show mercy to him if I see him again.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded in agreement. ¡°His name is Yan Xiu. I will get my revenge sooner orter.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nced at Qi Xuansu¡¯s face. She was startled and hesitantly said, ¡°Tian Yuan, you seem to be a little different.¡±

    Qi Xuansu panicked, but he did not show it on his face. He pretended to be confused. ¡°How different?¡±

    ¡°You seem fairer.¡± Zhang Yuelu chuckled. ¡°You really look like a pretty boy now.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pouted. ¡°Fine. Since I¡¯m a pretty boy, I¡¯ll tell your parents when I meet them that I¡¯m here to marry you and freeload off your family!¡±

    ¡°I dare you!¡± Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attention was immediately diverted, so she no longer focused on his face.

    Qi Xuansu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If Zhang Yuelu continued to pursue this topic, his secret would be exposed. Fortunately, when he went to look for the Xuan Jade, Zhang Yuelu was fighting with Xie Qiuniang outside, so she did not notice him or the jade.

 Chapter 99: The Black Robes

    <h4>Chapter 99: The ck Robes</h4>

    Qi Xuansu smiled. ¡°Why won¡¯t I dare to say that? Anyway, I don¡¯t know who my parents or ancestors are since I was adopted by the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. So I¡¯m not afraid of gossip or embarrassing anyone.¡±

    ¡°You want to marry into my family? I think you¡¯ve read too many novels. ¡± Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes at him.

    She continued, ¡°The Zhang family won¡¯t like that. The Li family, on the other hand, are quite fond of having their son-inw take theirst name. They don¡¯t mind having an adopted son or a son-inw be the head of the family. Since they can¡¯t choose the gender of their child, they can choose their son-inw or adopted son. That¡¯s why the Li family still remains prosperous to this day.¡±

    Qi Xuansumented. ¡°I heard about this before. Those who were not born in the Zhang family are not allowed to inherit the position of the Great Heavenly Preceptor. This has been the ancestral motto of the Zhang family for generations. It¡¯s said that the Holy Xuan wanted to abolish this rule once, but the Zhang family still insisted on it.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°Actually, this is only what the outside world thinks. In fact, this rule is just for show. Although there is such an ancestral rule that only the Zhangs could inherit the position of the Great Heavenly Preceptor, the Holy Xuan issued an edict to remove the word ¡®great¡¯ from the title, making it the Heavenly Preceptor instead. Thus, it would not conflict with the ancestral rules. Later, the Taiping Sect also dropped the title of the Great Teacher and epted the title of Imperial Preceptor from the Imperial Court. Together with the Earthly Preceptor, these formed the Three Preceptors we know today.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was astonished. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s possible?!¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, the Zhang family members are still up to par. Since the Holy Xuan revived Daoism, five out of the six generations of Heavenly Preceptors were Zhangs. The only Heavenly Preceptor with a differentst name was also trained by the Zhang family. So, they didn¡¯t really break this ancestral rule.¡± Zhang Yuelu sighed softly.

    Qi Xuansu asked with a smile, ¡°Qing Xiao, I wonder if you can be the first female Heavenly Preceptor.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said hesitantly, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. If I want to be a Heavenly Preceptor, those old geezers won¡¯t let me get married so as to keep the title within the Zhang family. I will either have to spend the rest of my days alone or marry someone who will take myst name.¡±

    Suddenly, there was an awkward silence between them.

    Qi Xuansu deliberately changed the topic earlier to divert Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attention, not because he wanted to marry into the Zhang family.

    In the existing society, a man taking a woman¡¯sst name was viewed as inferior to other men. It was not something to be proud of since they would be living under someone else¡¯s roof and would not be able to call the shots.

    Even if Zhang Yuelu agreed to marry Qi Xuansu, he would not have an interest in living in such a restrained environment.

    Zhang Yuelu coughed lightly. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to business. Yn Temple is just a trap. It¡¯s clearly not the cult¡¯s stronghold. I don¡¯t think that the underground pce we saw using the Purple Star Astrology is here.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Our priority now is not to kill this group of cultists but to prevent the divine descent. If the divine descent is sessful, we¡¯ll be in big trouble even if we kill all these cultists.¡± Zhang Yuelu analyzed.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Where do you think their stronghold will be?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said after some thought, ¡°Ever since the Ancient Immortal believers infiltrated Xuan City and the Purple Mansion, the Beichen Hall and Tianji Hall have conducted an inspection of the Daoist mansions all over the continent every three years. The local Daoist mansions will then inspect the Daoist temples within their territory every year.

    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s easy to convert Daoist priests into cultists, but it¡¯s extremely difficult for them to convert Daoist temples into cult strongholds. From this, we can rule out Qingbai Temple. We can exclude the Yn Temple as well. That leaves us with the wealthy gentry.¡±

    At this moment, Luo Xiao anxiously led some people over. This Green Phoenix Guard Major was obviously frightened by the scene earlier. ¡°Mage Zhang, please tell me what we should do next.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Are there any wealthy gentry families in the city who can afford to build underground pces in their homes?¡±

    Luo Xiao stretched out his hand to beckon to the two Green Phoenix Guard senior captains. He exined, ¡°In the past ten years, Bai Yongguan was the abbot of Qingbai Temple, Zhu Cheng was the abbot of Yn Temple, and Lin Zhenyuan was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel after serving as a Senior Major. This shows that these cultists only started running Yishan City in the past decade.

    He turned to the two senior captains and said, ¡°You¡¯ve both been stationed in the city for a long time. Try to recall which wealthy family has done something unusual in the past ten years, like borrowing money or transporting soil out of their home in the name of having done some construction work.¡±

    Luo Xiao was apetent major of the Green Phoenix Guard, as he made a clear analysis.

    The two senior captains asked some older captains and lieutenants to recall the events of the past decade.

    After a while, a captain with a gray beard recalled. ¡°I remember now! About five years ago, a wealthy family did carry out some construction projects.¡±

    ¡°Which one?¡± Luo Xiao asked eagerly.

    The Green Phoenix Guard captain continued, ¡°He¡¯s a well-knownndlord in the city named Xia Chang. Unlike Jiao Dayan, Lord Xia does a lot of charity work. He¡¯s a famous phnthropist. About five years ago, a fire broke out in Lord Xia¡¯s home, which burned down many houses. At that time, Lord Xia took this opportunity to renovate every part of his old house. The projectsted about a year.¡±

    At the mention of this, the other guards also recalled and affirmed this construction.

    Luo Xiao was a little hesitant. He recognized Xia Chang. If Xia Chang was indeed a cultist, then it would be straightforward to kill him. But if he was not, the follow-up would be troublesome. After all, Xia Chang was a Lord, so he could have some intricate connections to the royal family. Since ancient times, it wasmon for some wealthy families to have direct tunnels leading to the local temple.

    Conflicted, Luo Xiao turned to Zhang Yuelu for a decision.

    Zhang Yuelu was decisive and ruthless. ¡°The Holy Xuan mandates that all parties must help the Daoist Order in eradicating secret societies and cultists. Major Luo, please inform the local county magistrate and thepanymander to allocate personnel for our operation. It¡¯s best if they can bring artillery. But there is no need for heavy artillery; ordinary ones will do. If anything happens, the Imperial Court will question the Daoist Order, and I will take full responsibility for this.¡±

    <i>The Great Xuan Dynasty¡¯s military system was inherited from the former Wei Dynasty, which was divided into the Guard''s Offices and camps. The soldiers in the Guard''s Offices had hereditary military status. They usually worked in the fields or garrisons, which were somewhat like the forced generational army system and the reserve army system.</i>

    <i>The soldiers in the camps did not have hereditary military status. Instead, they were recruited.</i>

    <i>During the reign of Emperor Shizong of the Wei Dynasty, the recruitment system gradually became a source of military strength due to the increasingly weakening Guard''s Office. The famous elite soldiers were from good families, and the recruited soldiers in camps would not serve in the army for life.</i>

    <i>Due to this, the Guard''s Offices and the camps had twopletely different sets of official positions.</i>

    <i>The Guard''s Office consisted of the Capital Commander, Deputy Capital Commander, Capital Commander Adjutant, Commander, Deputy Commander, Commander Adjutant, Pacification Commander, Lieutenant Colonel, Senior Major, Major, Assistant Major, Senior Captain, and Captain.</i>

    <i>The camps consisted of the Chief Admiral, Chief Military Officer, Deputy Chief Military Officer, Regional General, Mobile Corps General, Camp Commandant, Company Commander, Brigade Leader, Battalion Leader, toon Leader, and Squad Leader.</i>

    <i>If several Chief Military Officers were needed inbat, the Imperial Court would send a Supreme Commander to coordinate the operation.</i>

    <i>If only one military officer was needed, the Five Armies Commander¡¯s Office would dispatch a Commander in Chief bearing the General¡¯s Seal. ording to thews of the Wei Dynasty, the Commander in Chief would be given the seal tomand an army. But upon returning, he would have to hand it over to the court. There were three types of General¡¯s Seals¡ªConquering General, Pacifying General, and Guarding General.</i>

    <i>When the Great Xuan Dynasty reced the Wei Dynasty, the emperor deposed the Five Armies Commander¡¯s Office and most of the positions, leaving only the Green Phoenix Guard. Therefore, the Green Phoenix Guard continued the legacy system of the Guard''s Office.</i>

    <i>The garrison system was divided into three levels: capital, guard, and station.</i>

    <i>The Capital Commander¡¯s Office was also referred to as a Capital Office. The highest-ranking officer in this division was the Capital Commander, who was an upper-second-rank military officer subordinate to the Five Armies Commander¡¯s Office.</i>

    <i>Under the Capital Commander¡¯s Office was the Guard¡¯s Office. The head of the Guard¡¯s Office was the Guard Commander, who was superior to the Lieutenant Colonel''s Office and the Major''s Office.</i>

    <i>The twenty-two guards in the emperor¡¯s personalmandery were called the Imperial Army and were not affiliated with the Capital Office and Five Armies Commander¡¯s Office.</i>

    <i>In other words, Guards were normally subordinate to the Capital Office. However, the Green Phoenix Guard, also known as the Green Phoenix Imperial Army, was directly subordinate to the emperor. Thus, the person in charge was an upper-third-rank Guard Commander, also referred to as the Lord Commander.</i>

    <i>In the previous dynasties, most emperors would appoint the Commander in Chief, the Capital Commander, the Deputy Capital Commander, or the Capital Commander Adjutant to concurrently serve as the Lord Commander of the Green Phoenix Guard. Thus promoting them to first- or second-rank officials.</i>

    <i>However, the Great Xuan Dynasty no longer had the Five Armies Commander¡¯s Office and the Capital Office, so the highest-ranking official was only in the third rank, and he had little power.</i>

    <i>The ck Robes were soldiers who went by another system.</i>

    <i>Initially, the Commander was responsible for safeguarding a region, while the Chief Military Officer was a temporary position for wartime. The Chief Military Officer had supreme authority over the army during the war.</i>

    <i>Later, when the garrison system began to copse, the Chief Military Officer became the highest-ranking military officer in the local garrison, recing the function of the Commander.</i>

    <i>The Great Xuan Dynasty made the Chief Military Officer a permanent position and added a Chief Admiral, who was at the same level as a Pacification Commissioner.</i>

    <i>The Supreme Commander controlled several states and held significant military and political power.</i>

    <i>The Supreme Commander held these concurrent titles: Minister of War, Right Censor in Chief, State Governor, Chief Admiral of Provisions, River Management, and Pacification. Therefore, the Supreme Commander had the civil authority of a Pacification Commissioner but also the military authority of a Chief Admiral, making them the Minister of Frontiers.</i>

    Zhang Yuelu wanted Luo Xiao to involve the local ck Robes. Although the ck Robes were no match for the Green Phoenix Guards in one-on-onebat or small skirmishes, the ck Robes were better atrge-scale battles or siege warfare. The greater the number ofbatants, the greater the disparity.

    As a member of the Daoist Order, Zhang Yuelu certainly had no right to mobilize the local county magistrate ormandants. However, the Pacification Commander of the Green Phoenix Guard was an imperial envoy with a special mission, so he could mobilize troops.

    Luo Xiao understood this and immediately went to the Major¡¯s Office. Meanwhile, he ordered the rest of the Green Phoenix Guards to follow Zhang Yuelu¡¯s orders for the time being.

    Zhang Yuelu instructed the guards, ¡°Let¡¯s surround Xia Chang¡¯s house. Don¡¯t let anyone get away!¡±

    Several Green Phoenix Guard senior captains epted the order.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu sighed with emotion. ¡°I was always acting on my own in the past when I was traveling the world. I never would have imagined that I would be going to battle with the Green Phoenix Guards one day. But this is an impressive troop. I quite like this feeling.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu remarked, ¡°The most terrifying thing in the world is not being able to distinguish who¡¯s the enemy. Now that the demons hidden among us have been uncovered, we can clearly distinguish ourselves from the enemy. Then we can openly annihte them in one fell swoop.¡±

    When Qi Xuansu heard this, his face stiffened slightly, and he felt a little guilty.

 Chapter 100: Borrowing Strength

    <h4>Chapter 100: Borrowing Strength</h4>

    Soon, Wang Zicheng, the local county magistrate, and thepanymander rushed over to the Xia family residence.

    Along with them came arge number of cadets, police officers, ck Robes, and Green Phoenix Guards. Almost all the manpower of the local government office was mobilized, totaling nearly a thousand people.

    <i>Apanymander was an upper-sixth-rank military official, the same rank as the Green Phoenix Guard Major and two ranks higher than an upper-seventh-rank county magistrate. Thus, apanymander was not subordinate to the county magistrate.</i>

    <i>This dynasty was aware of the shorings of the previous dynasty, which emphasized civil affairs and neglected military affairs. Thus, the Great Xuan Dynasty focused on both civil and military affairs equally.</i>

    <i>The power of military officials in the Imperial Court was not weaker than that of civil officials. There were also no clear boundaries between civil and military affairs, so many ministers were proficient in both. Therefore, the status of a military official in the Great Xuan Court was not low. Unlike in the previous dynasty, where a low-ranking civil official was superior to a high-ranking military official.</i>

    <i>ording to the Great Xuan military system, a Company Commander led 500 troops, including 200 elite soldiers and 300 auxiliary soldiers. The ck Robes were regrbat soldiers who would focus on training. As the name suggested, auxiliary soldiers assistedbat soldiers, such as transporting grain and grass, building fortifications, cooking, feeding horses, maintaining firearms, and so much more.</i>

    Company Commander Zhao brought 150 soldiers and 200 auxiliary soldiers this time. Thebat soldiers were all equipped with firearms and armor. They did not use the pistols that weremonly used by Daoists. Instead, they used long guns, which had a longer range and allowed more storage of projectiles in the magazine. Thus, shots could be fired continuously. The auxiliary troops mainly brought over four types of cannons.

    <i>In the early usage of muzzle-loading cannons, the size of cannons was distinguished by the weight of the cannonballs. At that time, the militarymonly used four types of cannons: heavy cannons with 30-kilogram cannonballs, mid-size cannons with 10- to 15-kilogram cannonballs, and small cannons with 5-kilogram cannonballs. Among them, the heavy cannons were only equipped onrge naval vessels or fixed at forts, so they could not be moved.</i>

    <i>However, as artillery technology continued to evolve, the cannons used in the military gradually changed to rifled breechloaders. Thus, it no longer made sense to judge the size of the artillery based on the weight of the cannonballs. Instead, the caliber of the artillery became the primary criterion.</i>

    <i>The army of the existing dynasty was equipped with four sses of cannons: D-ss artillery, ranging from 63mm to 76mm; C-ss artillery, ranging from 102mm to 119mm; B-ss artillery, ranging from 149mm to 152mm; and A-ss heavy artillery, which had a caliber of over 152mm. Among them, heavy artillery had further distinctions. Some heavy artillery could only be fixed on forts or mounted on irond warships, which were not used by the local military units.</i>

    This time, Company Commander Zhao brought four C-ss cannons with a caliber of 102mm to 119mm. They were not powerful enough to attack a city wall, but they were powerful enough to destroy a mansion.

    In addition to the ck Robes, who were the frontliners, Company Commander Zhao also led arge number of local government officials and police officers. In this regard, it was simr to Tiangang Hall. A police officer had two deputies, and each deputy had a helper. The three squads of cadets totaled 200 people. They were mainly responsible for clearing the streets, enforcing martialw, dispersing crowds, and preventing idental injuries to ordinary civilians.

    In addition, the Green Phoenix Guards from the Major¡¯s Office were also mobilized to assist the ck Robes.

    The Green Phoenix Guard was the emperor¡¯s personal army and mainly focused on criminal investigation. Many high-ranking ck Robes were transferred to the Green Phoenix Guard before being transferred to the Ministry of Justice and other departments, finally bing ministers. Many Green Phoenix Guards used to be ck Robes, so it was not difficult for both parties to cooperate.

    When Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu arrived outside Xia Chang¡¯s mansion, they saw that the ce waspletely surrounded.

    Although the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court had different rank systems, the Great Sage of the Taiping Sect was also the Imperial Preceptor, which became the benchmark forparing ranks.

    A local county magistrate,panymander, and major of the Green Phoenix Guard were all inferior to Zhang Yuelu, a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist priest. Only Wang Zicheng was at an equal level to Zhang Yuelu, so they were both inmand.

    Wang Zicheng asked, ¡°The Xia family is still unwilling toe out and surrender?¡±

    Company Commander Zhao replied, ¡°I have asked my soldiers to shout out the terms. As long as they are willing to open the door and surrender, we will only execute the evildoers. But if they persist in staying cooped up inside, we will destroy everything. By then, it will be toote for regrets. But even so, there is still no response from them. Please advise us what to do next, sir.¡±

    Wang Zicheng nced at Zhang Yuelu. ¡°Mage Zhang, what do you think?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu stated, ¡°A normal family would have opened the door and defended themselves if they saw thismotion outside their door. Since no one responded, it only indicates that they are guilty. In that case, there¡¯s no need to be polite with them. Let¡¯s st open their gate and walls and storm in.¡±

    Wang Zicheng nodded. ¡°Company Commander Zhao, follow Mage Zhang¡¯s orders and aim properly.¡±

    Company Commander Zhao, who was wearing ck armor, obliged. He walked to the two cannons, which were aimed at the gates of Xia Mansion about 300 meters away. The other two cannons were positioned to aim at the side wall.

    Qi Xuansu observed the cannons with great interest.

    <i>This kind of artillery was developed and designed by Daoist Tianji Hall and jointly produced by the Ministry of Works and the Divine Armory.</i>

    <i>It adopted a multiyerposite barrel structure, with the entire cannonposed of dual barrels of different sizes, forming apound multiyered barrel. The smaller barrel had intricate rifling. Breech-loading resulted in shorter loading timespared to muzzle-loading artillery.</i>

    <i>Overall,pared to the muzzle-loading cannons of the previous dynasty, the current breechloader was lighter and had a longer firing range. The cannonballs were not solid projectiles but were shells containing gunpowder, which exploded upon impact.</i>

    Company Commander Zhao raised his right hand and shouted, ¡°Load!¡±

    The soldiers stationed at the four cannons moved at the same time. Two well-trained gunners quickly opened the wooden box, lifted a metallic conical shell, and loaded it into the barrel from the rear of the cannon.

    The gunner shouted, ¡°Loadingplete!¡±

    Company Commander Zhao suddenly swung his palm downward. ¡°Fire!¡±

    Qi Xuansu only felt a hot wave of air blowing at his face. At the same time, the ground beneath him shook, as if there were an earthquake.

    The gatehouse of the Xia Mansionpletely disappeared, and a section of the courtyard wall copsed. There were still some mes in the ruins.

    Company Commander Zhao raised his right hand again. ¡°Adjust the angle and reload.¡±

    The gunners discussed the timing, direction, and angle before they rotated the cannons, each aiming in different directions. The gunners then cleared the barrel and reloaded the shell.

    ¡°Loadingplete!¡± The four gunners reported one after another.

    Company Commander Zhao waved his hand again. ¡°Fire!¡±

    The four C-ss cannons roared again, spewing out mes more than three meters long from the muzzle while huge waves of heat escaped from the rear end of the artillery.

    The four shells whistled in the air and traced an invisible arc in the sky before exploding in the Xia Mansion, creating massive shockwaves and a sea of fire with billowing clouds of smoke. The debris from shattered rocks, trees, and soil sted into the air.

    Qi Xuansu felt the ground shake again, and his ears buzzed from the explosion.

    Even a Xiantian Being would not be able to survive this kind of firepower.

    After two rounds of bombardment, Xia Mansion waspletely devastated. Any protective formations would have been destroyed as well.

    Wang Zicheng then ordered the troops to attack the mansion.

    Qi Xuansu, Zhang Yuelu, and Wang Zicheng walked inter, while the county magistrate stayed outside to maintain order in the surroundings.

    The smell of gunpowder was strong in the courtyard. Zhang Yuelu stretched out her hand to fan the smoke. She whispered to Qi Xuansu, ¡°I remember a little-known story about the Holy Xuan and Donghuang. After Donghuang narrowly escaped death during the Great Bao¡¯en Temple Incident, he was rebuked by the Holy Xuan.

    ¡°That was because Donghuang wascent about his background, cultivation level, and authority, underestimating the collective strength of others and overestimating his own abilities, which led to his significant losses. I¡¯m not sure if this rumor is true, but since then, the Daoist Order would not act alone if they could get assistance from others when exterminating Ancient Immortals. Today, we¡¯ve saved some energy and cleared the way with firearms."

    Not long after, the ck Robes and Green Phoenix came back with reports, saying that they found some dead servants in the backyard. However, these servants did not die from the explosion. They were poisoned. It looked like someone wanted to silence them. Besides the dead servants, they did not find anyone else in the mansion.

    Wang Zicheng became more certain that this was the Lingshan Witch Cult¡¯s stronghold, so he ordered a thorough search of the ce.

    The Green Phoenix Guards were the professionals in this regard.

    Luo Xiao personally led the search and soon found the entrance to the underground pce in a rockery.

    Wang Zicheng ordered his people to blow up the rockery with explosives, revealing the entrance to the underground pce below.

    The opening of the underground pce was wide, allowing four people to walk side by side. It sloped downward, with steps and even tracks for push carts.

    Company Commander Zhao shouted, ¡°Shield!¡±

    More than a dozen fully armored ck Robes men withrge shields walked side by side into the entrance of the underground pce.

    <i>Although these foot soldiers were only Houtian Beings, they were strong, especially with the Bull Dragon Armor. This armor wasposed of 360 scales, each the size of a baby¡¯s fist and slightly thicker than cardboard. It was specially designed to withstand qi attacks and resist various spells.</i>

    <i>The soldiers also wore anotheryer over the Bull Dragon Armor called the Cotton Brigandine. The cotton was specially processed, soaked in water, and dried in the sun for rigidity. It was also lined with metal tes on the inside and secured with copper nails.</i>

    <i>After the emergence of firearms, traditional metal armor became outdated. The heavy armor improved by the Daoist Order was too expensive to be distributed to ordinary soldiers. Thus, during the Jin Dynasty, fabric armor with metal tes in strategic spots protecting one¡¯s vitals emerged. It eventually evolved to include face armor, protecting the soldier from smells and poisonous gases.</i>

    Therge shield they carried was called the Hyena Shield, which could block half of the body. It could withstand bullets, qi, and some spells.

    Behind the soldiers holding the shield were more soldiers carrying long guns, so they could shoot from the gaps between the shields.

    The troops advanced step by step, determined to annihte the cultists.

 Chapter 101: Diminishing Power

    <h4>Chapter 101: Diminishing Power</h4>

    Soon, the sound of fighting resounded in the tunnel leading to the underground pce.

    The ck Robes and the Green Phoenix Guards suffered some casualties. However, Zhang Yuelu was like a god of war with infinite energy. Even after consecutive fights with the Shaman, He Nian, Lin Zhenyuan, and Xie Qiuniang, Zhang Yuelu still had the energy to charge into the underground pce to confront Xia Chang, the owner of this ce.

    Xia Chang was a Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner in the Heavenly Connection Realm, on par with Wang Zicheng.

    <i>Daoist techniques were divided into two categories: martial arts and spells. The Manly Immortal lineage could not perform spells and could only practice martial arts, hence they were called Martial Arts Practitioners. Their fists were their most trusted weapon.</i>

    <i>As a Banished Immortal, Zhang Yuelu could perform spells and was proficient in martial arts. She practiced the Cihang Sword Sequence and was skilled in using various weapons. In addition, her master, Sage Cihang, also passed down some secret skills that most people had never even heard of. This was the advantage she had over ordinary disciples who came from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce.</i>

    The underground pce upied a vast area. The dome was supported by huge pirs, somewhat simr to what Qi Xuansu saw in the Qingping Society¡¯s dream meeting. The six-armed Wu Luo statue was sitting at the deepest end of the underground pce, with countless human heads piled up in front of it.

    At this time, the underground pce was in chaos, with the Lingshan Witch Cult believers fighting the ck Robes and the Green Phoenix Guards. Since the cultists were at a disadvantage in numbers, Xia Chang and Zhu Cheng could not join forces to fight against Zhang Yuelu. Xia Chang had to fight Zhang Yuelu alone.

    Xia Chang¡¯s punch brought up a gust of cold wind. Faced with this punch, Zhang Yuelu spun around to avoid it. At the same time, she pointed the paper sword in her hand at Xia Chang¡¯s temple.

    He forcibly twisted his body and reached out to block Zhang Yuelu¡¯s paper sword. Then he mmed his foot on the ground, unleashing his power and leaving a big pit in the ground.

    Xia Chang smirked and threw another punch.

    This time, Zhang Yuelu floated backward, a lotus flower growing mid-air in each spot she stepped on. She casually pointed her paper sword again, generating more sword qi before shooting it at Xia Chang¡¯s face.

    Xia Chang dispersed the sword qi with one punch. He was a little surprised that Zhang Yuelu was weaker than he imagined. However, on second thought, Zhang Yuelu would have been worn out from escaping Yn Temple. Since she was not at her peak, this was the perfect opportunity to kill her.

    Realizing this, Xia Chang stepped forward, constantly punching Zhang Yuelu''s paper sword. Although his fists were made of flesh and blood, the collision between his fists and the paper sword sounded more like metal and stone nging.

    Zhang Yuelu constantly used various sword techniques, making it dizzyingly unpredictable. Each attack was aimed at Xia Chang¡¯s vital points. Her swordsmanship was satisfactory, butpared to the previous sword fight between her and Xie Qiuniang, her sword qi and speed visibly weakened.

    However, Xia Chang was far inferior to Xie Qiuniang and was repeatedly injured by the paper sword.

    Suddenly, Zhang Yuelu struck downward with the paper sword. It was a simple but lethal move.

    Xia Chang roared in anger and stomped hard on the ground, looking like he was prepared to take the blow.

    Upon impact, there was an explosion.

    Zhang Yuelu drifted backward, like a kite with a broken string, while neutralizing the force.

    The ground beneath Xia Chang¡¯s feet cracked. His bones were visible on his arms, and blood flowed freely from his wound.

    Zhang Yuelu floated to the ground and pointed the paper sword at Xia Chang, shooting out a burst of sword qi.

    Seeing this, Xia Chang was frightened and wanted to retreat. He knew that he should stay on the sidelines and avoid fighting Zhang Yuelu at this time while waiting for Zhu Cheng to aid him. At least, he should not risk his own life. However, Zhang Yuelu appeared in front of him just as he was about to retreat, pointing her paper sword at his heart. The sword qi was not strong, but it was just enough to make him stagger backward.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu turned the paper sword into a broadsword. She held the paper broadsword with both hands and swept it horizontally in front of her.

    In a fleeting moment, Xia Chang¡¯s face paled as he looked down at the horizontal red line across his waist.

    Zhang Yuelu stepped back, expressionless.

    Tiangang Hall and Beichen Hall often dealt with cultists and demons. Most of the cultists had no morals and were fearful of power. It took a righteous soul and extreme methods to frighten and kill these cultists.

    A momentter, Xia Chang¡¯s body split into two from the waist. His upper body fell to the ground, struggling to crawl away. However, his lower body remained standing, seemingly stuck to the ground.

    However, this attack took up a lot of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s strength. Her face also became increasingly pale. Though she was exhausted, she still insisted on venturing toward the other side.

    While Zhang Yuelu was fighting with Xia Chang, Wang Zicheng faced off against Zhu Cheng, who was also a Martial Arts Practitioner. In this fight, the former was at a disadvantage because he was already injured previously. Thus, his life was in danger. If the fight had continued, Zhu Cheng would have defeated Wang Zicheng.

    Zhu Cheng pressed down the Buddhist Seal on Wang Zicheng, who dropped to one knee and began bleeding from all his orifices.

    At the critical moment, Zhang Yuelu arrived, recing Wang Zicheng in the fight. Zhu Cheng brazenly punched her, but she dodged to the side.

    In her previous fight with Xia Chang, who was always known for his brute strength, he did not manage to touch Zhang Yuelu at all, indicating how fast Zhang Yuelu was. However, Zhang Yuelu could notpletely dodge Zhu Cheng¡¯s punch at this moment.

    When his fistnded on her left shoulder, her body tipped sideways. But she flipped her body mid-air andnded on her feet smoothly without a sound.

    Since Zhang Yuelu was not yet a Heavenly Being, her energy was severely depleted after consecutive fierce battles. Thus, she was no longer at her peak performance.

    However, Zhang Yuelu advanced instead of retreated when shended on her feet. Wisps of sword qi lingered on the de of her paper broadsword.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s swordsmanship was straightforward, without any shy tricks. It was most suitable for battle because her goal was to kill.

    Facing Zhang Yuelu¡¯s aggressive strikes, Zhu Cheng used brute force to neutralize the attack. He also punched Zhang Yuelu between her eyebrows. The wind from his punch caused Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hair to fly back, but when his fist was only an inch away from her forehead, she drifted backward and narrowly avoided that punch.

    Zhu Cheng did not show any mercy and followed her closely.

    Green veins bulged on Zhu Cheng¡¯s arms, looking like tiny dragons slithering under his skin. At the same time, his blood was surging like a torrential river, his aura domineering, like a typical Martial Arts Practitioner.

    Zhu Cheng took a step forward, forming a dip in the ground. Then he gathered the energy at his feet and tensed his body before springing forward and appearing in front of Zhang Yuelu. Even if Zhang Yuelu was a Banished Immortal, she was not in a state to counterattack. Thus, her only choice was to retreat and avoid the blow.

    The two maintained a distance between them, with Zhu Cheng charging forward while Zhang Yuelu slid backward. Every time Zhu Cheng took a step, the ground shook, leaving a deep footprint. Suddenly, he lunged forward. The joints all over his body cracked before a series of explosive sounds resonated from his chest, abdomen, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and fists.

    His powerful punch thundered as it struck Zhang Yuelu, who had no way to avoid it.

    Zhang Yuelu flew backward from that punch andnded on her back. However, she pped one palm on the ground to prop herself up and spat out a mouthful of blood.

    ¡°Mage Zhang...¡± Wang Zicheng dragged his seriously injured body and took a step forward with difficulty.

    Zhang Yuelu raised her hand to stop his unspoken question, signaling to him that she was fine.

    Seeing this, Wang Zicheng stopped talking, but he could not conceal the worry on his face.

    Zhu Cheng sneered and struck again. There was nothing fancy about this strike as it was another straight and powerful punch. His speed was not at all inferior to that of Zhang Yuelu.

    Facing this attack, Zhang Yuelu had no choice but to resist head-on. She turned the paper sword into a paper umbre, positioning it in front of her. However, the power of this punch was so intense that even the paper umbre could not dampen the impact. Cracks appeared in the ground under Zhang Yuelu¡¯s feet, and her body slipped backward, creating two plow marks in the ground.

    Zhu Cheng took a shallow breath before striking, his fist descending with the force of wind and thunder. The hidden force exploded, apanied by a loud bang. Zhang Yuelu maintained her posture, holding the umbre in front of her while sliding back further away from Wang Zicheng.

    Not wanting to give Zhang Yuelu a chance to catch her breath, Zhu Cheng was unyielding when he gained the upper hand. He charged forward like a cavalryman, his fists like an arrow on a taut bow. Then he followed up with another punch, making it impossible for Zhang Yuelu, who was still in mid-air, to dodge.

    Zhang Yuelu took the blow head-on, her qi resonating like firecrackers. The ground cracked when shended on her feet, and her paper umbre shattered into paper scraps that flew in all directions.

    The advantage of the Amorphous Paper was in its morphing abilities. It was like the Rogue Cultivators of weapons, having a little bit of everything but were not superior in one aspect. The Amorphous Paper could be used to attack and defend, but it could notpare to other semi-immortal objects in either aspect.

    The Amorphous Paper withstood three of Zhu Cheng¡¯s punches in session, which caused a considerable loss of energy. Zhang Yuelu had also exhausted too much of her energy in the previous battles, especially when she had just confronted Xie Qiuniang, a Hermit who was on par with her, in Yn Temple. The Spiritual Statue Technique she used earlier had also greatly depleted her energy.

    At this moment, she only had less than half of her innate qi left, so she could no longer turn the Amorphous Paper into a weapon.

    If she continued to fight like this, she would be putting her life at risk.

 Chapter 102: Full Confidence

    <h4>Chapter 102: Full Confidence</h4>

    Zhu Cheng¡¯s punch was powerful enough to break boulders. If Zhu Cheng was in closebat with a Diviner in the Guizhen stage, the Diviner would be severely injured or even dead.

    The monk moved again, like a giant beast charging forward. When he was just one meter in front of Zhang Yuelu, he suddenly took a step out and stomped on the ground, stopping his forward momentum. His body coiled like a spring, and he released a fierce punch. Each joint his blood passed through created explosive sounds like firecrackers. All of this was done in one smooth motion.

    Zhang Yuelu instantly used the Five Elements Qi Shield. The colorful aura surrounded her like wisps of smoke.

    Zhu Cheng¡¯s punch stagnated as itnded on her qi shield. His front foot was only half a step ahead of his back foot. Then he retracted his fist and thrust it out from the center of the chest and abdomen. It was a short but powerful punch, the Half-Step Earth-Shattering Punch of Martial Arts Practitioners in the Yuxu stage.

    Back then, Qi Xuansu was severely injured and almost died because Zhuge Yongming had used this Half-Step Earth-Shattering Punch on him.

    Faced with this punch at such close range, even the mystical Five Elements Qi Shield was ultimately no match for such brute force. After a slight resistance, the Five Elements Qi Shieldpletely dissipated. Zhu Cheng¡¯s fist continued to aim for Zhang Yuelu¡¯s head. It was obvious that he would not give up until he killed her.

    At this time, without the Five Elements Qi Shield protecting Zhang Yuelu, she would be lucky to survive if she was punched in the chest or abdomen. Thus, Zhang Yuelu retreated without hesitation.

    Zhu Cheng pursued her closely, cornering Zhang Yuelu to a dead end. When Zhu Cheng was about to deliver the fatal blow, he suddenly felt an intense pain at the back of his chest. He lowered his head slowly and saw a sword sticking out of his chest. This sneak attack left Zhu Cheng with no time to react.

    That was when Qi Xuansu peeked out from behind Zhu Cheng and smirked at Zhang Yuelu. This scene was the same as when Madam Qi killed Zhuge Yongming. It was also Madam Qi who taught Qi Xuansu that sneak attacks were better than confronting the opponent head-on.

    Martial Arts Practitioners in the Flesh and Blood Realm or the Heavenly Connection Realm were physically strong, with unbelievably rapid regenerative abilities. However, only the parts of the body where their acupoints and spirit were condensed were strong. The rest of their body parts were weaker than the Shaman¡¯s Golden Body. Their bodies would only be indestructible like the Shaman¡¯s Golden Body after reaching the Divinity Realm.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu used his spiritual short sword, Qing Yuan, to attack Zhu Cheng from behind, catching the abbot off guard.

    After the transformation, Qi Xuansu was in the Yuxu stage, which was just one level below Zhu Cheng¡¯s Guizhen stage. In fact, the Daoist Order opposed the theory that cultivators in a higher realm would always win, just like a military strategist would never think that victory belonged to the camp with more troops. Otherwise, it would be a straightforwardpetition.

    However, it was certainly an advantage to have more numbers. In the same way, a higher realm meant greater advantages, but it did not guarantee victory.

    Zhu Cheng was not dead yet, but because the heart was the source of blood qi throughout the body, he temporarily lost his ability to fight back. Zhang Yuelu seized this opportunity to deliver the fatal blow, pping Zhu Cheng¡¯s head at his temples.

    Zhu Cheng¡¯s face abruptly turned red, and his eyes bulged out, as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. Immediately after, bright red blood flowed from the corners of his eyes, nostrils, ears, and mouth.

    Although Martial Arts Practitioners above the Flesh and Blood Realm had body regenerative abilities, one thing they could not restore was the head, especially in the Xiantian<i>-</i>Being stage.

    Qi Xuansu pulled out his short sword and took a few steps back. Without Qi Xuansu¡¯s support, Zhu Cheng fell face-first to the ground.

    Zhang Yuelu breathed a long sigh of relief, her face still pale.

    Qi Xuansu quickly asked, ¡°Qing Xiao, are you alright?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine, just exhausted.¡±

    After saying that, she took out an elixir from her magical receptacle and chugged it. She had taken elixirs before, but the effect was not very obvious. That was because most elixirs, aside from rare elixirs, had a digesting process.

    Since Zhang Yuelu entered Yishan City, she barely had the time to process elixirs. Her energy consumption was also higher than usual because she fought with multiple opponents who were at her level. Xie Qiuniang, the Confucian Hermit, even had unique skills from both the Confucian School and the Daoist Order. That woman was not at all inferior to Zhang Yuelu, a Banished Immortal.

    In addition, the consecutive fierce battles greatly depleted Zhang Yuelu¡¯s physical and mental strength. After all, fighting required constantly changing strategies, looking for loopholes, and so on, which was extremely draining on her mind. The more evenly matched the opponent was, the greater the effort would be.

    Thus, when Zhang Yuelu faced off with Zhu Cheng, it was akin to an ordinary person having just run hundreds of kilometers. Every step she took wasborious. That was how Zhu Cheng had almost defeated Zhang Yuelu. If it were anyone else in her shoes, such as Wang Zicheng, they would have already been dead.

    Zhang Yuelu adjusted her breathing for a moment. As soon as herplexion improved slightly, she turned the Amorphous Paper into a paper sword. ¡°There¡¯s still a schr...¡±

    Qi Xuansu held her wrist and dered, ¡°Leave it to me.¡±

    ¡°You?¡± Zhang Yuelu nced at Qi Xuansu in surprise. ¡°Tian Yuan, I¡¯m not looking down on you, but the fact is that your cultivation¡ª¡±

    Qi Xuansu interrupted her. ¡°I¡¯m already at the Yuxu stage.¡±

    ¡°When did you get to the Yuxu stage?¡± Zhang Yuelu was surprised. In fact, if she had used the Divine Observation Technique on him, she would have discovered this a long time ago. However, she would not use this technique for no reason. She also overlooked this previously because she had a lot on her mind, like Qi Xuansu¡¯s safety, her energy consumption, and the Ancient Immortal¡¯s divine descent.

    Qi Xuansu let go of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s wrist and told her a mix of truth and lies. ¡°When we were at Yn Temple, I found a bead amidst the rubble of the broken Buddha statue. It looked like the legendary demon pill. After Yan Xiu ambushed me, I had no choice but to swallow the demon pill to regain my strength. My injuries healed, and my cultivation level increased greatly. That was how I managed to escape from the Yn Temple.¡±

    ¡°Demon pill?¡± Zhang Yuelu had heard of it, but she had never seen it in real life, let alone consumed one. Due to the Daoist Order¡¯s oppression, most demons had disappeared from the Eastern Continent. Those who still remained in the mortal realm had mostly surrendered and submitted to the Daoist Order.

    There were many demons in the Kunlun Cave, but they helped produce medicine for the Daoist Order. Thus, demon pills were rare.

    It was precisely because of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s unfamiliarity with the subject that Qi Xuansu could deceive her. Since Qi Xuansu would be with Zhang Yuelu full-time in theing days, he knew it was impossible to keep his newly increased cultivation level from her. Rather than letting her discover it on her own and putting himself in a passive position, Qi Xuansu decided it was better to tell her first. That way, he could control the direction of the conversation.

    However, Zhang Yuelu still knew a thing or two about the general function of demon pills. ording to some records, a demon pill could be used as medicine, and it could greatly improve one¡¯s cultivation level, which was what made it so valuable.

    If demons swallowed this kind of pill, the effect would be more obvious. The demon would almost immediately gain half of the opponent¡¯s cultivation.

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°The book says that taking the demon pill directly has dangerous side effects, which can be life-threatening. Also, humans who consume demon pills can manifest animal-like characteristics¡ªdrastic changes in temperament, like madness, cruelty, bloodlust, or lust. Your cultivation will also be impure. In the long run, these pills will be detrimental to your cultivation.

    ¡°During the Holy Xuan era, there was an expert named Tang Zhou, who was once the leader of the Qingyang Sect. He took unrefined Qilin blood and demon pills. Although his cultivation level had increased significantly, he had lost his mind. Scales started growing on his body, and he became beastly. He ended up miserable.¡±

    Then, Zhang Yuelu looked at Qi Xuansu and said seriously, ¡°Tian Yuan, you must tell me in time if you feel something wrong with your body.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°I feel fine. I think the demon pill has been refined before. These demons used it to make the Buddha statuee to life, but this pill actually gave me an advantage.¡±

    ¡°This must be fate. It¡¯s a blessing in disguise for you.¡± Zhang Yuelu did not doubt his exnation because she trusted him.

    Although Qi Xuansu fabricated a lie, he was right. Demon pills could be used as medicine and refined into magic weapons. Thus, it was theoretically possible to use demon pills to make dead objectse to life. The simplest example was the Daoist flying ship, which used dragon pearls as an energy source. These dragon pearls were, in some sense, a type of demon pill.

    Qi Xuansu spoke with confidence. ¡°So you can rest assured now. Even if I can¡¯t kill him, I can still protect myself.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not refute this. Thus far, Qi Xuansu has proven himself to be capable. He killed Desmond, Bai Yongguan, Hendrick, and two Shamans. Although they were all sneak attacks, all of his opponents had a higher cultivation level than him. Even the mighty and proud Zhang Yuelu felt a little inferior to him in this aspect.

    However, Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Then how much confidence do you have to kill him?¡±

    Qi Xuansu answered, ¡°I won¡¯t say full confidence, but probably at least half.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu asked again, ¡°How sure are you that you can protect yourself?¡±

    Qi Xuansu assured her. ¡°Absolutely certain.¡±

    Hearing this, Zhang Yuelu looked at him seriously. ¡°Now is not the time to show off as a hero. Whether you can kill the schr is not important. Your safety is the priority.¡±

    Qi Xuansu suddenly approached Zhang Yuelu, leaving a gap of about ten centimeters between their noses. He gazed into Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes calmly and sternly, without the usual pretense.

    Zhang Yuelu did not expect Qi Xuansu to be so bold. Caught off guard, she subconsciously took two steps back and leaned her back against the wall, her face blushing.

    Qi Xuansu did not lean in closer. He murmured, ¡°Qing Xiao, I promise I will return safely.¡±

    After that, Qi Xuansu stepped back and disappeared into the underground pce.

 Chapter 103: Martial Arts Practitionerâ€™s Blood Qi

    <h4>Chapter 103: Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s Blood Qi</h4>

    The reason Qi Xuansu dared to make such a promise was not because he was arrogant, but because he was confident in his chances of defeating that schr, who was a Diviner.

    If the schr continued to hide in the dark as before, Qi Xuansu would not be able to deal with him. However, since they had already invaded the stronghold of the Lingshan Witch Cult, the schr had nowhere to hide. Qi Xuansu would be able to kill the Diviner in closebat.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s blood qi was a strong existence that could restrain illusory spells. Therefore, once a Martial Arts Practitioner approached a physically weak Diviner, the former could break thetter¡¯s spells with his blood qi. Thus, in closebat, a Diviner would die easily against a Martial Arts Practitioner.

    On the contrary, if the Diviner distanced himself from the Martial Arts Practitioner, thetter would not be able to break the former¡¯s spells and would always be put in a passive situation. In a continuous fight, the Martial Arts Practitioner would lose and be killed by the Diviner sooner orter.

    After Qi Xuansu obtained the Xuan Jade, he gained some properties of Martial Arts Practitioners. His body had regenerative abilities, and his blood qi had a spell-breaking effect. However, he could not condense his acupoints and spirit, so he was not considered a true Martial Arts Practitioner.

    Even so, his new-found abilities were enough to ambush a Diviner in the Guizhen stage.

    Qi Xuansu blended into the chaos and soon found the schr¡¯s location.

    The schr¡¯s fighting method was simr to that of Lingquanzi after emerging from the shadows. He used talismans to summon a group of soldiers to protect him. These soldiers wore armor and held 18 kinds of weapons. However, their armor was different from the ck Robes. They resembled costumes instead.

    This was the Diviner¡¯s unique ability, the Talisman Soldier Technique. Its power depended on its carrier. Low-grade Talisman Soldiers used paper as the carrier, while high-grade Talisman Soldiers used pills as the carrier. That was how the saying ¡°casting beans onto the ground to transform into soldiers¡± came about, signifying a situation where one worked miracles.

    In this method, the Diviner just had to pinch and hold his fingers to perform the spell, which was simple enough.

    However, this spell should not be underestimated, as it was used to crush Wang Zicheng¡¯s boat and rescue Lin Zhenyuan by creating a portal mid-air.

    The most amazing thing about this spell was that it could prate all obstacles and attack the opponent.

    In other words, the schr could crush the opponent¡¯s internal organs through armor, clothing, qi shields, or resilient flesh and skin.

    This was called the Star-Catching Hand Technique. When it was first created, it was used as simple hand tricks. However, it gradually developed for lethal purposes, which greatly deviated from its original intention.

    The schr was at the Guizhen stage, so his ¡°star-catching¡± range was within a 30-meter radius. With every hand movement the schr made, dozens of ck Robes and Green Phoenix guards died.

    However, this method was not omnipotent. For example, it could prate a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s flesh and skin, but it was difficult to crush a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s internal organs. After all, the internal organs were where a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s blood qi gathered, making them extremely resistant to spells.

    That was why the schr did not manage to harm Wang Zicheng, even after several tries.

    The ck Robes and the Green Phoenix Guard also sensed something wrong and stopped forcing their way through. Instead, they distanced themselves and continuously shot at the schr with their pistols.

    Unfortunately, the ck Robes did not have projectiles engraved with talismans to break spells, so their rapid-fire was ineffective.

    Qi Xuansu quietly approached the schr. When he was just 30 meters away, Qi Xuansu suddenly lunged at the man.

    Two armored soldiers guarding the schr shot crossbow bolts at Qi Xuansu, but Qi Xuansu split the bolts in half.

    The schr took this opportunity to reach out and pinch his fingers. This time, his target was Qi Xuansu, who felt a sharp pain in his heart. A trace of blood flowed from the corner of Qi Xuansu¡¯s mouth.

    However, the schr was surprised that he failed to crush Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart. It was not only because of the obstruction of Qi Xuansu¡¯s blood qi but also because Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart was tough, beyond that of ordinary people.

    When Qi Xuansu was still in the Kunlun stage, his body was transformed by the Qingping Society. At the time, his body was alreadyparable to that of a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Yuxu stage.

    After Qi Xuansu¡¯s body was transformed for the second time by the Xuan Jade, he experienced a rebirth and entered the Yuxu stage of cultivation. His physique wasparable to that of a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Guizhen stage. Thus, it was impossible for the schr to crush Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart using the Star-Catching Hand Technique.

    Qi Xuansu took this opportunity to get close to the schr and simply thrust out his sword. The schr''s body immediately shattered like fine porcin, scattering in all directions.

    Then, a cloud of smoke condensed into the schr¡¯s intact body, which was about 30 meters away from Qi Xuansu.

    At the same time, many Talisman Soldiers armed with various weapons attacked Qi Xuansu, intending to distract him.

    Taking this opportunity, the schr prepared another spell.

    Although ordinary guns could not damage these Talisman Soldiers, Qi Xuansu¡¯s short sword, Qing Yuan, was a spiritual object. Coupled with Qi Xuansu¡¯s spell-resistant blood qi, he could easily break through the Talisman Soldiers¡¯ armor.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s swordsmanship was not as good as Zhang Yuelu¡¯s, but it was enough to get rid of the Talisman Soldiers. He swung his sword forward, and in the blink of an eye, he had knocked several Talisman Soldiers to the ground, turning them into broken paper figures. Their spiritual energy also dissipated.

    However, the schr had already prepared another spell. He swayed his body and duplicated eight clones, all transformed by his Thoughts. The eight clones cast their spells, using fire, wind, thunder, ice, ghosts, and various illusions.

    At this moment, the schr used everything possible that he could think of. Eightpletely different spells attacked Qi Xuansu simultaneously.

    However, Qi Xuansu¡¯s response was simple. He merely shouted at the top of his lungs.

    The surging blood qi rushed out of Qi Xuansu¡¯s body, turning into steam visible to the naked eye. This move was still slightlyckingpared to a Guizhen stage Martial Arts Practitioner, who could turn blood qi into a blood-red steam, forming a blood cloud.

    This was a mystical ability for Martial Arts Practitioners. It was not aplicated technique, but the key was to maintain control over the blood qi in the body so that it could be released.

    After Qi Xuansu was reborn, he felt that his spirit, blood qi, and innate qi were at their optimum and that he could release and retract them however he wished. Everything followed his will. He had mastered this mystical ability without being taught.

    The reason most Martial Arts Practitioners could not practice this technique was that they struggled to control their blood qi. Qi Xuansu did not have such problems.

    All the schr¡¯s spells were ineffective as soon as they touched the blood qi. The schr also did not expect Qi Xuansu to have such intense blood qi. Otherwise, he would not have confronted Qi Xuansu and would have tried his best to keep a distance between them.

    However, it was toote for the schr to distance himself. Qi Xuansu took this opportunity to step forward and stab the schr¡¯s chest with his Qing Yuan.

    In an instant, the schr¡¯s illusory figure flew out of his physical body, which was standing there with dull eyes and a sword to the chest. Meanwhile, the illusory figure had no injuries.

    A Diviner in the Divine Yin Realm could separate his soul from his physical body without relying on external objects. A soul without a body was particrly fragile, but it would feel as if all burdens had been shed.

    After the schr¡¯s soul came out of his body, he offered up a string of jade prayer beads.

    The prayer beads exploded, releasing divine power and turning into a huge palm that grabbed Qi Xuansu head-on.

    The essence of spells was to turn illusions into reality. A Diviner at a higher cultivation level could create more realistic illusions that would not be affected by blood qi.

    There was also a shortcut, which was to borrow divine power to perform spells. This huge palm was made of flesh and blood. It even had realistic wrinkles. It was as if it was no longer an illusory spell but a real human hand.

    Qi Xuansu had no power to dispel this, even with his blood qi. He used all his might to strike the iing palm with his sword, piercing a bloody hole in the palm.

    However, the palm did not disintegrate. Instead, it grabbed Qi Xuansu and restrained him. For a moment, Qi Xuansu could only move his arms and upper body, while his lower body was held in a vice-like grip.

    The schr¡¯s soul clenched his fist, and the huge palm tightened its grip on Qi Xuansu like it was trying to squeeze him to death.

    Prior to the body transformation by the Xuan Jade, half of Qi Xuansu¡¯s body would have turned into mush. However, after his rebirth, Qi Xuansu¡¯s body was as tough as a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Guizhen stage. Therefore, Qi Xuansu¡¯s joints cracked, but he was far from dead. He was not even seriously injured.

    Qi Xuansu did not rush to break free from the shackles of this giant palm. Instead, he used the Sword Controlling Technique to maneuver Qing Yuan.

    Qing Yuan shed by and pierced the head of the schr¡¯s physical body. A Diviner¡¯s physique was inherently fragile, the opposite of a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s. At this time, the schr¡¯s body, having suffered various critical injuries, copsed.

    Without a physical body, the out-of-body soul was like a floating cloud. It became unstable, as if it could dissipate at any time. The schr knew that he would not be spared, so he gritted his teeth and turned his soul into a rainbow, wanting to kill Qi Xuansu before he died.

    Qi Xuansu roared again, releasing his surging blood qi. The ck Robes and the Green Phoenix Guards around Qi Xuansu felt a buzzing in their ears and lost their bnce for a moment. However, the schr¡¯s out-of-body soul scattered like dandelions in the wind when facing Qi Xuansu¡¯s roar at such a close distance.

 Chapter 104: Discussing Merits

    <h4>Chapter 104: Discussing Merits</h4>

    As soon as the schr¡¯s soul dispersed, the giant palm holding Qi Xuansu disintegrated. Qi Xuansu fell back to the ground and regained his freedom.

    At this point, they had captured He Nian and killed the schr, Bai Yongguan, Zhu Cheng, and Xia Chang. Out of the seven cultists in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s divination, only Lin Zhenyuan and the Shaman were missing.

    Qi Xuansu searched the schr¡¯s body and found nothing on him. He wondered if the schr had hidden his money elsewhere or if he had handed it over to the Lingshan Witch Cult. He guessed it was probably the former.

    After all, the schr was a mid-level member of the Lingshan Witch Cult, so he should have amassed some private funds. However, the schr did not have a magical receptacle, so he had to hide his money somewhere. Qi Xuansu wondered who would be so lucky to have kept these cultists¡¯ money since they were dead.

    <i>ording to the rules of the Daoist Order, a heretic''s wealth was considered dirty money, so the money would have to be surrendered to the Order.</i>

    <i>Spiritual objects were quitemon in the Daoistmunity, but they were not somon outside themunity. If Zhang Yuelu was not a member of the Daoist Order, even if she were a rare Banished Immortal, she would not have been able to obtain a magical receptacle with her level of cultivation.</i>

    <i>However, since she was in the Daoist Order, she was given a magical receptacle and a semi-immortal object, which the top leaders of the Lingshan Witch Cult would not have. This was the benefit of the Daoist Order.</i>

    <i>Therefore, it was unreasonable to judge outsiders ording to Daoist standards. Whether one could possess a spiritual object before the Heavenly-Being stage was highly dependent on one¡¯s financial resources and luck.</i>

    Not long after, Zhang Yuelu came over and saw Qi Xuansu standing in front of the schr¡¯s body. Although she had expected Qi Xuansu to defeat the opponent, she was still in awe.

    She sighed. ¡°Tian Yuan, you always manage to surprise me. I feel ipetentpared to you. I have a higher level of cultivation, but I let several cult demons escape. On the contrary, you always defeat opponents stronger than you and even manage to kill them.¡±

    Qi Xuansu waved his hands repeatedly and said modestly, ¡°You fought all the tough battles. I was just picking up the ck.¡±

    That was true. Qi Xuansu could only defeat the schr by relying on his physique and the element of surprise. However, if Qi Xuansu were to face off with Lin Zhenyuan, Zhu Cheng, and Xia Chang, he would probably lose miserably.

    Thus, it was evident that Zhang Yuelu fought with skill. Moreover, she fought consecutive fierce battles, so she was at the point of exhaustion. If Zhang Yuelu was at her peak, the schr would not have withstood one blow from her.

    Seeing that Zhang Yuelu wanted to deny it, Qi Xuansu interrupted her. ¡°You and I should stop ttering each other in private. Save these praises about me for when you talk to the Hall Master.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu smiled and said, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s destroy this underground pce first, then I¡¯ll report the situation to the Hall Master.¡±

    While they were talking, the ck Robes and the Green Phoenix Guards defeated the other cultists. Following the death of the schr, some of the Lingshan Witch Cult believers surrendered, while others resisted and were shot to death. After all, the ck Robes and the Green Phoenix Guard had the advantage in numbers and could overwhelm a few Xiantian Beings from the Lingshan Witch Cult.

    Wang Zicheng ordered the Green Phoenix Guards to cremate the heads piled in front of the six-armed Wu Luo statue. Then, he asked the ck Robes to ce explosives around the statue and escort the surrendered Lingshan Witch Cult members out of the underground pce.

    The Green Phoenix Guards searched the underground pce thoroughly but could not find Lin Zhenyuan or the Shaman. They could not find anything useful either, like a list of cult members. Perhaps Lin Zhenyuan had kept it. However, cultists rarely put their names on paper, so it was difficult to uproot them.

    The rest of the ck Robes and the Green Phoenix Guards transported the bodies out of the underground pce, leaving only a few personnel to assist Zhang Yuelu, Qi Xuansu, Wang Zicheng, and Company Commander Zhao.

    Company Commander Zhaomanded his men to blow up the Wu Luo statue. With a loud bang, the underground pce shook. Gravel and dust flew everywhere, and the statue turned into a pile of rubble.

    Then Company Commander Zhao asked his men to ce explosives at various load-bearing pirs of the underground pce, intending topletely destroy the cultists¡¯ stronghold.

    Finally, Company Commander Zhao asked Zhang Yuelu and Wang Zicheng for instructions. ¡°Mage Zhang and Pacification Commander Wang, shall we retreat from this underground pce?¡±

    Wang Zicheng turned to Zhang Yuelu for her opinion. After all, the Daoist Order was more proficient at dealing with matters involving the Ancient Immortals.

    Zhang Yuelu scanned the area again and nodded. ¡°There should be no problem here. Let¡¯s retreat.¡±

    Qi Xuansu, Zhang Yuelu, and the rest exited the underground pce, leaving only two soldiers behind toy the fuse.

    After Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu were above ground, they found that the entire Xia Mansion had been sealed and heavily guarded by the Green Phoenix Guard. The courtyard far away from the underground pce was filled with corpses, which were being sorted by the police officers, cadets, and coroners.

    The corpses of the ck Robes and Green Phoenix Guards needed to be identified and treated with care. The government would arrange for funerals andpensation for their families. On the other hand, the corpses of the Lingshan Witch Cult members were tossed aside and piled up together, waiting to be burned in one go.

    The remaining prisoners were escorted back to the local Major¡¯s Office, where the Green Phoenix Guard would interrogate them in detail.

    Wang Zicheng sent someone to notify the local Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office. Although Lin Zhenyuan, the Lieutenant Colonel, was found to be a cultist, there were still two Senior Majors who could temporarily take charge of the Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office. That was because the local Major¡¯s Officecked manpower.

    Zhang Yuelu found a secluded ce and used the mother-child talisman to contact the Tiangang Hall Master.

    Qi Xuansu stood far away, waiting for the result.

    At this moment, the two ck Robes who were responsible forying the fuse finally exited the underground pce. Everyone backed away from the area to avoid being identally injured.

    The ck Robes gained approval from Company Commander Zhao before igniting the fuse and detonating the explosives in the underground pce.

    Qi Xuansu only heard continuous muffled explosionsing from underground. The ground shook, so much so that several buildings and walls copsed.

    This continued for a while until therge underground pce waspletely destroyed.

    The county magistrate and other officials were also extremely busy. Since there were many servants in the Xia family, the dead needed burial andpensation, and the surviving ones had to be properly settled.

    The Imperial Court set up a Mercy Hospital with medical officers to take in the widowed, the poor, the sick, the elderly, the weak, and the disabled. Children who had the intention of bing Daoists would be sent to the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. The local government would thenmunicate with the local Daoist Mansion after the case was settled.

    Qi Xuansu had never participated in such bureaucracy, so he could only stand aside and watch. About 15 minutester, Zhang Yuelu ended the conversation with the Hall Master and came to Qi Xuansu¡¯s side.

    He asked, ¡°If two cultists in the Yuxu stage were equal to two Huang<i> </i>merits, what merits would five cult leaders in the Guizhen stage count for?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not beat around the bush. ¡°Xuan merits, of course. The Hall Master has already decided that the Daoist Order will take credit for the five cult leaders. The rest of the credit will go to the Imperial Court. But stopping the divine descent will be counted as a joint effort between the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court.¡±

    Qi Xuansu calcted. ¡°Killing two Guizhen stage cult leaders will grant me two Xuan merits. Including the Xuan merit I got from killing Desmond, I have exactly three Xuan merits. If I kill a demon in the Heavenly-Being stage on my own, will it equate to an Earth merit?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded and exined, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the Imperial Court¡¯s merit system, but the Daoist Order counts stopping the Ancient Immortal¡¯s divine descent as an Earth merit, which equates to three Xuan merits. Excluding the Imperial Court¡¯s share, we had one Xuan merit and two Huang merits from before. Adding the five cult leaders we took down, it totaled six Xuan merits and two Huang merits.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered. ¡°Qing Xiao, you deserve the most credit for hindering the cult demons¡¯ operation this time. I was merely tagging along. Now, I already have two Huang merits, so I¡¯ll be happy if you can give me another Huang merit and two Xuan merits to make up three Xuan merits. You can take the remaining four Xuan merits and one Huang merit. That way, I can be promoted from a sixth-rank to a fifth-rank Daoist priest!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. Although the Daoist Order values ??young people, it also has a tenure system.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a tenure system?¡± Qi Xuansu couldn''t help but ask.

    ¡°To put it bluntly, the so-called tenure system is for us to gain the minimum years of experience in a certain rank.¡± Zhang Yuelu exined.

    ¡°The Daoist Order has two systems: one for rank and another for position. Examples of positions are deacons, superintendents, deputy hall masters, and so on. The rank system is from the ninth rank to the first rank. For example, the Deputy Grand Master is a position, but he is also a first-rank Tianzhen Daoist master.¡±

    ¡°At a low rank, one¡¯s position and rank are not rted. For example, a seventh-rank Daoist priest or a fifth-rank Daoist priest can be deacons. The gap can be quite wide. But when you reach a higher rank, one¡¯s position and rank are inseparable.

    ¡°The most obvious example is the Grand Master position. No one will ept a Grand Master of a lower rank or a higher-rank Deputy Grand Master. The Grand Master must have the highest rank within the Daoist Order. Thus, a lot of positions and ranks are tied together. That is also why the position of a Daoist priest often bes a benchmark for one¡¯s rank. It¡¯s actually a system consisting of nine ranks and twelve levels.

    ¡°That''s how the tenure system came into being. One¡¯s rank promotion is strictly restricted based on the minimum required years for a Daoist priest to stay in a certain rank.

    ¡°ording to regtions, a seventh-rank Daoist priest must wait for one year to advance to the sixth rank and another year to advance to the fifth rank. From there, it takes two years to advance to the fourth rank and three years to advance to the third rank. It¡¯ll take three more years to get promoted to the second rank.

    ¡°Based on this calction, it will take at least seven years for a seventh-rank Daoist priest to be promoted to a third-rank Daoist master, no matter how talented they are or how many merits they have umted.

    ¡°Since positions are limited, one can only be promoted if there is a vacancy. It¡¯s hard to say how many years it will take for someone to step down from a position before another person gets promoted. If you¡¯re lucky, this will only take a few years. But if you¡¯re not lucky, it will take more than ten years.¡±

    Qi Xuansu understood. ¡°So, even if I have three Xuan merits, I won¡¯t be promoted to the fifth rank immediately and will have to stay in the sixth rank for one year, huh? Instead of one Xuan merit and three years of assessment, I¡¯m exempted from two years because of the two Huang merits?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

 Chapter 105: Jiangnan Case

    <h4>Chapter 105: Jiangnan Case</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu continued her exnation. ¡°Actually, I was in the same situation. After I was promoted to the fourth rank, I quickly earned enough merit, thinking I could be promoted to the third rank. But even now, I still need to wait two more years before advancing to the third rank. Getting to the second rank will depend on my luck.

    ¡°After getting to the second rank, the shortest tenure for each level is nearly ten years. If I¡¯m a second-rank ordinary Sage by the age of thirty, I can only be promoted to an Omniscient Sage at the age of forty. This will give me the qualifications to be elected as the Grand Master, but the possibility of that happening is slim to none, so I will continue rising the ranks to be a Virtuous Great Sage at the age of fifty.

    ¡°At the age of sixty, I¡¯ll aim to be one of the Deputy Grand Masters. By that calction, being the Grand Master by sixty is, in fact, a tight timeline. This is also an ideal situation with no obstacles and with the support of the previous Grand Master.

    ¡°In reality, it¡¯s almost impossible for one¡¯s path to be so smooth. There are many traps and opponents blocking the way, so I¡¯ll consider myself blessed if I can get to be an Omniscient Sage by the age of sixty.

    ¡°In the Daoist Order, it¡¯smon to see thirty-year-old third-rank Daoist masters. Thirty-year-old second-rank Daoist masters are also not rare. Sage Qingwei was promoted to the second rank in his thirties, but now, he¡¯s still just a top-ranking Omniscient Sage.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing he can do about it because those Virtuous Great Sages are all very old and refuse to move. No matter how powerful Sage Qingwei is, he can¡¯t get promoted because there is no vacancy. That¡¯s why being promoted to the fourth rank is just the beginning. There is still a long journey ahead.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°No wonder they say that if you fall behind once, you will never be able to keep up.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°That¡¯s also under the premise that you have enough merit. Most people don¡¯t get a chance to earn much merit. How many sixth-rank priests do you know who can umte three Xuan merits? A normal sixth-rank priest would usually exchange three Huang merits to gain a Xuan merit and perform well in the three-year assessment before getting promoted to the fifth rank.

    ¡°In some remote departments, such as the Daoist Canon Division and the Requiem Division, there¡¯s no chance of gaining merits on a normal basis. So they can only rely on time. It may take them more than ten years of hard work to get promoted. That¡¯s why there are still many gray-haired sixth-rank and fifth-rank Daoist priests.

    ¡°If you n to be promoted to a third-rank Youyi Daoist master within seven years, you can¡¯t wait for experience and can only use merits to get a promotion. To advance from the sixth rank to the fifth rank, you will need three Xuan<i> </i>merits, which equates to one Earth merit. To be promoted from the fifth rank to the fourth rank, you will need two Earth merits. From the fourth rank to the third rank will require three Earth merits, which equates to one Heaven merit.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Wow, how did you earn two Earth merits?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu suddenly fell silent. After a while, she slowly responded, ¡°It¡¯s mainly luck. Back then, I used to be a superintendent in Beichen Hall and was assigned to the Jiangnan Division.

    ¡°During the 40th year of the Jiushi Era, the Deputy Hall Master sent a group of us to inspect the local Daoist Mansion. By chance, we discovered a major case in which the Daoist priests from Jiangnan Daoist Mansion colluded with secret societies to embezzle maritime trade payments. The amount involved was about 5 million Taiping coins, and hundreds of personnel were involved.¡±

    <i>The Imperial Court¡¯s main ie came from the taxes they collected. Of course, the Daoist Order did not fully rely on incense money as the main source of ie.</i>

    <i>Instead, the Daoist Order¡¯s main source of ie came from argework of trade¡ªfrom ginseng, fur, and medicinal herbs from Liaodong; tea, porcin, silk, and ironware in the Central ins; spices from the Western Regions; horses from the Grasnds; wood from the Samudra Kingdom; gold and silver from the Fenglin State; ss and firearms from the Western Continent, and so on.</i>

    <i>In this huge tradingwork, maritime trade ounted for half of the revenue, with Jiangnan being thergest port.</i>

    Qi Xuansu was taken aback. ¡°That¡¯s a big case. Even I¡¯ve heard about it when I wasn¡¯t in the Jade Capital.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu hummed softly. ¡°In the end, we recovered about two million Taiping coins. The Ancestral Court executed a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master, three third-rank Youyi Daoist masters, and twelve fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters. Many more were expelled from the Daoistmunity, demoted, or received demerits.

    ¡°The head of the Jiangnan Daoist Pce was also recalled to the Ancestral Court due to negligence of duty and was questioned by the Great Sage Lunzhi in the Golden Tower. Although he retained his identity as an Omniscient Sage, he was transferred from the prosperous Jiangnan Province to the cold and remote Liaodong Daoist Mansion.¡±

    Although Zhang Yuelu tried to make it sound like it was not a big deal, Qi Xuansu knew she must have taken a big risk. This case involved the wealth and livelihood of hundreds of people, so those felons would not just sit back and wait for death. They would have fought to the death.

    Qi Xuansu kept silent for a moment. He asked in a whisper, ¡°This case must have been very dangerous, right?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu looked crestfallen as she answered, ¡°Yes. I was lucky to make it out alive. At the time, three superintendents and six deacons left Jade Capital, but I was the only one who returned to the Ancestral Court alive. The rest died in Jiangnan. The public statement was that they died at the hands of a secret society, but I know that they were actually murdered. If my master had not appeared in time, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape that fate either.¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally understood why Zhang Yuelu was so determined to reform the Daoist Order. After so many years of development, the Daoist Order had many shorings. Only a Deputy Grand Master or the Grand Master could fix these ws.

    Zhang Yuelu sighed. ¡°Actually, I couldn¡¯t have possibly solved such a major case on my own. My master yed a significant role, but she didn¡¯t take any credit for it. That¡¯s how I achieved a Heaven merit. I already had one Earth merit, so this case gained me another two Earth merits. Due to this, the Earthly Preceptor paid attention to me. Since then, I¡¯ve had a smooth journey being promoted to the fourth rank.

    ¡°Conventionally, the remaining two Earth merits can be exchanged for two ordinary treasures or one high-grade treasure. But the Earthly Preceptor made an exception for me, giving me a semi-immortal object and appointing me as the Deputy Tiangang Hall Master.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed and thought, <i>No wonder Madam Qi said that Zhang Yuelu didn¡¯t rely on her family background to achieve her current status. She worked hard for her own sess.</i>

    Zhang Yuelu was immersed in her memories. She stared nkly at the sky above andmented. ¡°Those who died were my friends who had worked with me for some time. Although we all had our differences, I still feel sorry for their undeserving deaths.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did notment.

    After his master¡¯s death, Qi Xuansu no longer believed that the world was ck and white. It was more like different shades of gray.

    This was the biggest difference between Qi Xuansu and the Holy Xuan. It was recorded in the history books that the Holy Xuan was shocked when he identally encountered a human meat market. From this, the Holy Xuan developed an ambition to save the world.

    However, after years of traveling alone, Qi Xuansu witnessed all kinds of human suffering, but he only thought of improving his own situation instead of trying to make the world a better ce.

    This was probably because Qi Xuansu and the Holy Xuan had different starting points in life. The Holy Xuan was born into a prestigious family. His father was the world-famous Great Sword Immortal, his master was the first-generation Earthly Preceptor, and his father-inw was Emperor Gaozu of the Great Xuan Dynasty.

    The Holy Xuan had a position of power, so he had the authority to execute ns and influence decisions, like a chess yer.

    On the other hand, Qi Xuansu was an orphan without rtives. His master was a fourth rank Jijiu Daoist master who could barely make ends meet. Thus, inparison to the Holy Xuan, Qi Xuansu was more like a pawn on the chessboard, struggling to survive and at the mercy of the chess yer.

    The saying was true that only the wealthy could help others, while the poor could only fend for themselves.

    Qi Xuansu only had the capacity to care for his own livelihood, so there was no way he could help the world.

    This was the harsh reality of the societal gap.

    That was why Qi Xuansu remained silent. He knew that Zhang Yuelu was right, but it was an absurd and unrealistic notion for him to think about the future of the Daoist Order when he could not even predict his own future.

    Using the analogy of Chinese chess, a pawn who had just crossed the river would be foolish to think that it could take down the opponent¡¯s general when the opposing side still had all their chess pieces on the board. In reality, the pawn would be struggling to protect itself before it could even reach the general¡¯s pce.

    Zhang Yuelu settled her emotions before she spoke again. ¡°Last time, I received a Xuan merit and a Huang merit for killing Desmond and the other demons. If I add four Xuan merits and one Huang merit, that will be almost six Xuan merits, which equals two Earth merits. That way, I¡¯ll only be one Earth merit short of being promoted to the third rank. Thank you, Tian Yuan.¡±

    Qi Xuansu assured her. ¡°This is what you deserve. There¡¯s no need to be polite with me.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu smiled. ¡°Well, the truth is that without you, I will never be able to stop these cult demons myself.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not continue this topic. Instead, he asked, ¡°Since I can¡¯t be promoted to a fifth-rank Daoist priest immediately due to the tenure system, then what¡¯s the use of these merits?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°It¡¯s still useful. When you have umted enough merits but can¡¯t be promoted due to the tenure system, the Ancestral Court will increase your sry. By next spring, you will officially be a sixth-rank Daoist priest, which entitles you to a basic sry of 30 Taiping coins per month.

    ¡°Tiangang Hall has a special subsidy, which is about 20 Taiping coins per month. Since you¡¯re not yet thirty years old, you will be given the title of an Apprentice Mage, so you can receive an extra monthly subsidy of 10 Taiping coins.

    ¡°With your extra merits, the Ancestral Court will upgrade your treatment from an Apprentice Mage to a Prospective Mage. Your basic sry is 50 Taiping coins per month. Tiangang Hall¡¯s subsidy is 30 Taiping coins per month, and the subsidy for a Prospective Mage is 20 Taiping coins per month. That adds up to 100 Taiping<i> </i>coins every month.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°So, it''s like keeping my rank, but enjoying higher-rank treatment?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Qi Xuansu inquired, ¡°What if I earn more merits before being promoted to the fifth rank? Will I continue to get a sry increment?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°If that happens, the Daoist Order will convert your merits to spiritual objects, treasures, special mystical abilities, or a lump sum of Taiping coins as a reward. This is also the reason why many mystical abilities aren¡¯t publicly shown.¡±

    She stretched out a finger. ¡°A Heaven merit will get you a semi-immortal object, and an Earth merit will get you an ordinary treasure.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Can I just exchange my merits for treasures now instead of increasing my sry?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu shook her head. ¡°No, it must be in this order. You have to get a sry increment first before you can exchange merits for treasures.¡±

 Chapter 106: Yue Generation

    <h4>Chapter 106: Yue Generation</h4>

    After Zhang Yuelu reported the case to the Tiangang Hall Master, the Kunlun Daoist Mansion responded quickly.

    In a sense, Kunlun Daoist Mansion was directly subordinate to the Jade Capital. It did not have to be as pioneering and enterprising as other Daoist mansions because its priority was to maintain stability within the Kunlun region.

    However, the Lingshan Witch Cult had infiltrated the leadership of Yishan City, which was under the jurisdiction of the Kunlun Daoist Mansion. This was humiliating to the Daoist Order, and it caused a severe impact. Thus, they had to settle the situation in the shortest time possible to minimize the consequences.

    This case made Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu famous. Zhang Yuelu already had a great reputation before this, not only for her status as a Banished Immortal but also for her achievements like the major Jiangnan case. She was destined to rise to great heights in the future.

    On the contrary, this case affected Qi Xuansu more. Before this, Qi Xuansu was only famous in the Tiangang Hall for killing Desmond. At most, people heard of his name from the stories. This time, Qi Xuansu was involved in stopping the Lingshan Witch Cult''s divine descent. So he was once again the talk of the Nine Halls. Just like Xu Kou, Qi Xuansu left an impression on the Daoistmunity.

    If Qi Xuansu continued making such achievements in the future, he would definitely be a valuable member of Tiangang Hall. While Qi Xuansu had gotten the attention of the Daoist Order, he was also listed as a target by the major secret societies.

    After the incident, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu wanted to continue their journey to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hometown. However, since they were the key people in the case and had been involved since the beginning, they stayed in Yishan City for another day to assist and hand over the case to the Kunlun Daoist Mansion.

    The person who was dispatched from the Kunlun Daoist Mansion was a Deputy Mansion Master, who held the same status as Zhang Yuelu. However, he was much older than Zhang Yuelu. Even so, the Deputy Mansion Master was polite to Zhang Yuelu and did not make any excessive demands. Thus, the handover was smooth andpleted in only half a day.

    The subsequent arrests of the remaining cultists and how to deal with Qingbai Temple were taken over by the Kunlun Daoist Mansion.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu wanted to continue on their journey. Thus, Wang Zicheng, Luo Xiao, Company Commander Zhao, and the local county magistrate walked them about five kilometers out of the city. They shared a meal together and exchanged pleasantries.

    Everyone else but Wang Zicheng returned to the city, while he walked another five kilometers with Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu to the jetty at Tongtian River.

    Qi Xuansu stopped when they arrived at the jetty. He sped his fists to salute Wang Zicheng and said, ¡°Pacification Commander Wang, thank you for sending us off today. We shall meet again someday in the Imperial Capital.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll stop here. Deacon Qi and Mage Zhang, I wish you a smooth journey.¡± Wang Zicheng returned the salute. ¡°Let¡¯s have a drink when we meet again.¡±

    Although both Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu had a bad impression of the Green Phoenix Guards, Wang Zicheng was obviously an exception. Zhang Yuelu also saluted him and said, ¡°We will meet again one day, and we¡¯ll reminisce over some drinks next time. Until then, Pacification Commander.¡±

    After saying goodbye, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu boarded the ferry and went down the river.

    Wang Zicheng stood on the shore and watched the ferry depart before turning back to Yishan City.

    Qi Xuansu smiled and teased, ¡°Until then? Where did you learn to say this from?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said expressionlessly, ¡°I learned it from some books.¡±

    ¡°The novels from the Qingping Bookstore?¡± Qi Xuansu asked. ¡°I also read a few books when I was bored, like <i>The Legend of Taiping Inn</i> and <i>The Female Sword Immortal</i>. They¡¯re both pretty good.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu twitched the corner of her lips. ¡°Those books written two hundred years ago are indeed very interesting.¡±

    Qi Xuansu coughed lightly and felt a little embarrassed. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. There are rumors that the former was written by the young Holy Xuan and thetter was written by his wife. Naturally, I have to read them.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu remarked, ¡°It¡¯s true that <i>The Female Sword Immortal</i> was written by the Holy Xuan¡¯s wife. But <i>The Legend of Taiping Inn</i> was not written by the Holy Xuan. Instead, he hired a ghostwriter, who was none other than the first manager of the Qingping Bookstore.

    ¡°In fact, the Holy Xuan established the Qingping Bookstore just to please his wife. <i>The Legend of Taiping Inn</i> was written ording to his wife¡¯s preferences. He probably didn¡¯t expect it to be passed down to future generations.¡±

    This was the first time Qi Xuansu heard this rumor, so he was startled. ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t know that was the origin of the book.¡±

    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not a secret. The Holy Xuan didn¡¯t hide it when he was alive. All the Sages and Great Sages know of it. That¡¯s how I overheard it,¡± Zhang Yuelu said.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Then what do you usually read?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°There is a monthly series Mu Jin introduced to me called <i>The Legend of the Kunlun Swordsman</i>.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll read it when I have time.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°Only those who have never traveled alone will dream of going on an adventure. Why would you want to go on a fictitious adventure when you¡¯re already an experienced traveler? Shouldn''t you be more interested in stories about the imperial life, like <i>The Great Qi Dynasty</i> and <i>The Empress</i>?¡±

    Qi Xuansu did notment. Instead, he changed the topic. ¡°By the way, I have never asked about your family. I only heard that the Zhang family is one of the three famous families, alongside the royal family and the Holy Xuan¡¯s family. I heard it¡¯s a big family, so will you tell me a bit about your family dynamics?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu frowned slightly, but she did not refuse. ¡°First of all, I¡¯d like to make it clear that the Zhang family is indeed a big family that has nothing to do with me. We just share the samest name, but there are so many branches in the family.

    ¡°The famous Zhang family that everyone refers to is the main branch, just as the royal family mainly refers to the emperor¡¯s direct descendants. I¡¯m from a side branch of the Zhang family.

    ¡°But when people see me rising through the ranks and see that I¡¯m a Zhang, they assume that I¡¯m a Young Lady from the main branch of the Zhang family. They also assume that I got to where I am today because of my family''s help.

    ¡°That¡¯s actually far from the truth. Apart from my master, the Earthly Preceptor from the Quanzhen Sect has contributed the most to my sess, not the Zhang family¡¯s Heavenly Preceptor.

    ¡°To put it bluntly, the people from the main branch of the Zhang family aren¡¯t happy to see my achievements because they are afraid a side branch like my family will take over their main branch. That¡¯s why I was just joking that I wouldpete for the position of Heavenly Preceptor. The main branch will want to marry me off to get rid of a thorn in their side.¡±

    Qi Xuansu gradually understood the situation. The reason Zhang Yuelu had a special status in the Daoist Order was not due to her age, cultivation level, or family background. The main reason was her experience. She solved a major case in Jiangnan and gained the recognition of the Earthly Preceptor. This made her stand out among the Banished Immortals and the younger generation.

    After all, the Daoist Order was not controlled by one family. For example, Li Tianzhen, the young master of the Li family, had a high starting position. However, he could not climb higher without achieving any merits because that would not convince anyone. Thus, the Li family did not dominate the Ancestral Court. That was why many children of noble families wanted their path to be paved.

    Zhang Yuelu was different. She narrowly escaped death and solved the Jiangnan case, which was a big achievement. Even if others were jealous, they had no reason to object to her promotion. She did not need anyone to pave the road for her and was promoted within reason due to her aplishments.

    In addition, Zhang Yuelu was diligent in improving her level of cultivation. Therefore, as long as she did not make any big mistakes, she would no doubt be a Sage sooner orter.

    There were different parties in the Daoist Order. Whoever promoted or trained a junior would be connected to that person. A rising star like Zhang Yuelu was not influential at this moment, but her future prospects were great. Thus, a Sage would not intervene. The only way was for a Great Sage toe forward in person.

    The strange thing was that Zhang Yuelu was supposed to be promoted by the Heavenly Preceptor. But in the end, the Earthly Preceptor promoted her. This made Zhang Yuelu¡¯s position even moreplicated. This was also the reason some Zhang family members outcasted her.

    In fact, Zhang Yuelu was also confused about the arrangements. Only the Heavenly Preceptor and the Earthly Preceptor would know the real reason for it.

    She paused for a moment and continued, ¡°The Zhang and Li families have been at odds with each other for many years, but their seniority is roughly the same.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°I know this. The Great Heavenly Preceptor, Zhang Luanshan, who is an Earth card in the Holy Xuan card game, is from the same generation as the Holy Xuan. The old Heavenly Preceptor, Zhang Jingxiu, is from the same generation as the Great Sword Immortal Li Daoxu.

    ¡°The Li family emphasized that the first character of their descendant¡¯s name must follow the generational name. However, the Zhang family followed a different convention.

    ¡°The Zhang family¡¯s generational name is the middle character for the first two generations and thest character for the next two generations, repeating the same pattern for generations toe.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°The Great Sage of the Taiping Sect is from the same generation as the ancestors of the Zhang family. In terms of family ties, the two Deputy Grand Masters are only two generations below the Holy Xuan. But from the Daoist Order¡¯s lineage, they were five generations below the Holy Xuan.

    ¡°My father is from the <i>Ju</i> generation. I¡¯m from the <i>Yue</i> generation, which consists of about a hundred of us. I can¡¯t remember clearly, but I think I¡¯m ranked over 70 among over a hundred of my distant cousins. In my immediate family, I¡¯m the only child.¡±

    Qi Xuansu breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s good?¡± Zhang Yuelu couldn''t help but ask.

    Qi Xuansu answered, ¡°I was initially afraid that I¡¯d have to deal with an older brother or something besides your parents. If you had an elder brother, he¡¯d probably threaten me by saying that he¡¯d kill me if I ever hurt you.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Zhang Yuelu spat. ¡°I don¡¯t have any brothers. But even if I do, they will never do this.¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled wryly. ¡°How can you be sure? Those novels always depict the elder brother as his younger sister¡¯s protector.¡±

 Chapter 107: Daoist Companion

    <h4>Chapter 107: Daoist Companion</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu rebutted. ¡°Elder brothers that don¡¯t want a man to bully their sister aren¡¯t necessarily irrational.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Solely inferring from your temper, I can roughly guess what your elder brother''s temper is like. I heard that you even beat up Li Tianzhen.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes flickered. She scoffed. ¡°Li Tianzhen asked for it because he challenged me to a duel first. We have known each other for so long. Have I ever hit you?¡±

    ¡°No...¡± Feeling like he was walking on thin ice, Qi Xuansu changed the topic. ¡°What are you like at home?¡±

    ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± Zhang Yuelu immediately looked at Qi Xuansu vigntly.

    Qi Xuansu rified. ¡°I¡¯m just asking more questions so I know what to expect. That way, your family won¡¯t find any ws in our act.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu hesitated for a moment, reluctantly epting this reason.

    ¡°Naturally, I¡¯m a well-read, gentle, and modestdy at home.¡± However, she did not sound as confident as usual. Instead, she looked slightly abashed.

    Qi Xuansu teased. ¡°Do you mean well-read with the novels from the Qingping Bookstore, gentle with your weapons, and modestly going out to drink in the middle of the night?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t go out specifically to drink at the time. I went to a weapons shop. But coincidentally, we were invited to attend a stranger¡¯s wedding ceremony. Since it¡¯s a happy asion, I ought to have a drink or two.¡± Zhang Yuelu argued, ¡°You were there too!¡±

    Qi Xuansu suppressed hisughter and said in a serious tone, ¡°I went to the weapons store to buy a pistol for self-defense. You have both the Divine Dragon Pistol and a semi-immortal object. What were you nning to buy in the weapons store? Are noble, demure youngdies naturally attracted to weapons?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu simply stopped pretending and rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m a Daoist disciple, not a Confucian disciple. Why should I abide bydy etiquette? I can do whatever I want! Do you have any objections?¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally proved his point. ¡°Look. This is exactly why I think my brother-inw won¡¯t be easy to get along with.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu suddenly came to her senses. ¡°Even if I have a brother, what makes him your brother-inw?¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled sheepishly. ¡°Didn''t you suggest this?¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to follow in Li Tianzhen¡¯s footsteps?!¡± Zhang Yuelu red at him. ¡°Also, who are you to bully me? I think it makes more sense for me to bully you!¡±

    Qi Xuansu said with a straight face, ¡°The Daoistmunity prohibits polygamy or infidelity. ¡®Bully¡¯ doesn¡¯t mean violence. It¡¯s just a matter of who has the final say between us. You¡¯re the Deputy Hall Master, so it¡¯s only right that I obey your orders at work and in private.¡±

    <i>The Daoist moral standards were higher than those of the secr world. In the existing dynasty, it wasmon for a man to have a wife and multiple concubines, or multiple wives. The Imperial Court did not recognize having multiple wives due toplications with official titles and other reasons, but it was still amon practice.</i>

    <i>In the Daoistmunity, the Holy Xuan prohibited a man from having multiple concubines, only allowing one wife.</i>

    <i>In the existing secr world, women were often viewed as inferior to men because of the difference in physical strength between men and women. Women were considered weaker than men because they could not do many things, such as join the army and fight in battles. In terms ofbat, women could notpare to men. If this logic applied to battle, it would be valid anywhere else.</i>

    <i>However, in the Daoistmunity, women were not viewed as inferior to men. That was because everyone, regardless of gender, could practice cultivation. This eliminated the difference in men''s and women¡¯s innate physical strength. Daoist women could also ascend to immortality, fly high in the sky, break boulders, and do anything men could. Thus, men and women were seen as equals in the Daoistmunity.</i>

    <i>Many women supported the Holy Xuan¡¯s edict, as women could improve their status by improving their own capabilities. It was a simple truth. Instead of relying on one¡¯s parents or spouse, women could rely on themselves.</i>

    <i>However, the Daoist Order during the Holy Xuan Era was still dominated by men. The Daoistmunity was also inextricably linked to the secr world, so the Holy Xuan¡¯s idea aroused considerable opposition.</i>

    <i>Thus, the Holy Xuan renamed ¡°husband and wife¡± to Daoistpanions. A Daoist priest could only have onepanion. Thus eliminating the need to define the role of a wife and a concubine.</i>

    <i>The fact that the Daoist Order and the Great Xuan Dynasty were able to defeat the Confucian School and the Wei Dynasty also had something to do with this.</i>

    <i>At that time, the Great Xuan Dynasty¡¯s top priority was to expand the army, which required more money, food, and people. Elite soldiers had to focus on training, which meant that they could not be involved in farming and needed to be provided for.</i>

    <i>In the army, only young and strong men could be enlisted as soldiers. However, young and strong men were also sought after in farming. In other words, it was a zero-sum game when it came to soldiers and farmers. This was the reason why military campaigns in all dynasties rarely end well.</i>

    <i>Food was a crucialponent in war. The pace of military expansion had never been fast due to food and manpower shortages, and these were not something that could be aplished overnight. It took years of careful nning.</i>

    <i>Before the Great Xuan Court conquered the world, they noticed that women could solve this problem. Previously, because of women¡¯s etiquette, women could only stay at home, while men were the providers.</i>

    <i>Since manpower was scarce, the government viewed women as a source ofbor too. Thus, they removed the shackles of women¡¯s etiquette and allowed women to earn their keep. When they abolished these restrictive rules of etiquette for women, the Confucian School was the first to object.</i>

    <i>As a precedent, the Golden Horde did not have such etiquette rules but still managed to dominate the Central ins in the past. This proved that extraordinary times required extraordinary measures.</i>

    <i>Even so, this decree would not change things overnight. They introduced benefits to entice women to work. The Great Xuan Dynasty officials started the program with textile workshops to hire female workers, promising them a sry.</i>

    <i>At the same time, they recognized that culture was hard to change, so they separated female workers from male workers to create a morefortable environment for women who first entered the workforce.</i>

    <i>As such, some women went out to work to support their families. This formed a trend, which they gradually promoted. Thus, more women joined the workforce. If this was sessful, they could replicate this in other fields too.</i>

    <i>That was how women increased the workforce and productivity of the nation, allowing the Great Xuan Dynasty to expand its army at a fast pace. It alsoid the foundation for the future restructuring of the Daoist Order.</i>

    <i>Of course, monogamy was the rule in the Daoistmunity, but there were still people who vited the rule. If discovered, the Daoist priest would be given a demerit in the least, or demoted, which would affect their future.</i>

    <i>In addition, cultivation would inevitably reduce human desires. Thus, many Daoists chose not to marry. That was why Qi Xuansu mentioned this.</i>

    Zhang Yuelu half-jokingly said, ¡°I¡¯m grateful to the Holy Xuan for prohibiting polygamy and arranged marriages. Although parents can still influence their children¡¯s choices in Daoistpanions, the children at least have room to refuse. That¡¯s why my mother can¡¯t push me too hard. If she pushes me into a corner, I can report her to the Ancestral Court.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°The Daoistmunity and the secr world are indeed two separate worlds. No wonder people from the Jade Capital look down on those in the Imperial Capital.¡±

    ¡°My mother has lived outside the Jade Capital for most of her life and still believes in the old ways. You should be more patient with her.¡± Zhang Yuelu reminded him.

    ¡°Have you forgotten that I haven¡¯t lived in the Jade Capital for a long time? Sometimes, I don¡¯t even look like a Daoist disciple.¡± Qi Xuansu chuckled.

    Zhang Yuelu sized him up. ¡°I can¡¯t tell. You just look like you have more real-world experience.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of experience, I really don¡¯t have any experience dealing with elders.¡± Qi Xuansu admitted.

    Zhang Yuelu waved her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to meet the Great Sage. It¡¯s just my parents. They¡¯re not big shots. An experienced traveler like you can surely cope with two old people, right?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled. ¡°I always thought your home was the famous Dazhen Mansion.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it.¡± Zhang Yuelu looked out at the river. ¡°I told you that my family is a side branch of the Zhang family. The Dazhen Mansion is the residence of the main branch. Take the royal family as an example. Only the emperor¡¯s direct descendants live in the Imperial Pce.¡±

    He had a feeling that Zhang Yuelu had aplicated rtionship with the Zhang family and that she disliked this famous family.

    Moreover, Zhang Yuelu was not as indifferent as she seemed on the surface, she still cared about certain things.

    The boat moved slowly. Apart from the boatman, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were the only ones onboard.

    Zhang Yuelu sat at the bow of the boat, supporting her body with one hand and turning her head to look at the turbulent river outside.

    Qi Xuansu sat opposite Zhang Yuelu, but he could only see her profile.

    After a long time, Zhang Yuelu looked away from the river and turned to Qi Xuansu. ¡°Tian Yuan, did you have any close friends in the past?¡±

    Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment before he shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    ¡°What a coincidence. Neither did I.¡± Zhang Yuelu muttered to herself in mockery.

    Qi Xuansu probed. ¡°What about now? Are we considered close friends?¡±

    ¡°I guess so?¡± Zhang Yuelu blinked. ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t just my decision to make. You have a say in it too. I don¡¯t like unrequited feelings.¡±

    He wanted to agree immediately, but he suddenly thought of his other identity. Thus, he asked, ¡°Qing Xiao, what will you do if one day we have disagreements on certain things, or if I betray and deceive you?¡±

    She was slightly startled, as she did not expect Qi Xuansu to ask such a question. However, she did not think too deeply and replied, ¡°Disagreements aremon, even between parents and children, let alone friends. Friends don¡¯t have to be like-minded all the time. But betrayal and deception are serious. We can¡¯t be friends if that happens.¡±

    Qi Xuansuughed dryly. ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°Are you hiding something from me? Or are you nning to lie to me?¡± Zhang Yuelu joked.

    He quipped. ¡°I have a lot of secrets, so of course I am hiding something from you. But I don¡¯t intend to lie to you. Even if I do lie, it¡¯s out of necessity.¡±

    Not taking him seriously, she chuckled. ¡°Hah! Out of necessity, huh?¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled, but he was disheartened because the joy of umting three Xuan merits was gradually reced by the heaviness he felt about having another identity.

    Even Zhang Yuelu, who was within arm''s reach at the moment, seemed to be gradually moving farther away from him.

 Chapter 108: Boat and Wine

    <h4>Chapter 108: Boat and Wine</h4>

    When the boat docked, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu disembarked and continued their journey onnd. They walked for about two days, finally leaving Yongzhou and entering Shuzhou¡¯s borders.

    Not long after arriving in Shuzhou, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu met several Daoist priests from the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion who were making their way to the Jade Capital using the route the duo had just taken.

    After they learned of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s identity, they became more attentive and polite. It was not because of her rank and position, but because of the sect she was affiliated with.

    Each Daoist mansion had allegiance to certain Daoist sects based on the Daoist Mansion Master and the majority of the disciples there. Whether the Daoist Mansion Master could hold their position depended on whether they had the support of their subordinates. Daoist Mansion Masters without the support of their subordinates would be ignored. Therefore, the Daoist Mansion Masters were usually appointed from the same Daoist sect as the majority in that local area.

    For example, in the Qizhou Daoist Pce, 99% of the disciples were Taiping Sect disciples, so all the previous Daoist Mansion Masters were also Sages from the Taiping Sect.

    There were also exceptions, like the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion. Half of the disciples there were from the Zhengyi<i> </i>Sect, but the Daoist Mansion Master was not from the Zhengyi Sect.

    Some ces, like the Zhongzhou Daoist Mansion, Liaodong Daoist Mansion, and Kunlun Daoist Mansion, had an equal distribution of disciples from all sects. Thus, the three sects would take turns appointing the Daoist Mansion Masters. These Daoist mansions were also known as swing mansions.

    Shuzhou Daoist Mansion was considered a Quanzhen Sect Daoist Mansion. Since the Holy Xuan Era, the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion Masters have always hailed from the Quanzhen Sect. As such, the Quanzhen Sect disciples in this Daoist mansion ounted for more than 90% of the personnel there. Moreover, the Earthly Preceptor¡¯s Chongyang Pce of Immortality was located in Qinzhou, Shuzhou''s neighboring state.

    Although Zhang Yuelu was born in the Zhengyi Sect, she was personally promoted by the Earthly Preceptor, so the Quanzhen Sect disciples also viewed her as their own. The only sect that disliked Zhang Yuelu was probably the Taiping Sect.

    One of the reasons was Li Tianzhen, and the other reason was the long-standing feud between the Zhang and Li families. Therefore, Zhang Yuelu was self-aware and did not use the Jiangbei route, where the Taiping Sect dominated.

    Zhang Yuelu was not good at socializing. On the other hand, Qi Xuansu¡ªthe experienced traveler¡ªwas good at making small talk and soon made friends with several priests from the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion.

    These Daoist priests from the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion inadvertently told him an interesting story.

    Shuzhou Daoist Mansion wasndlocked, with the Liangzhou Daoist Mansion to the north, the Jingchu Daoist Mansion to the south, the Kunlun Daoist Mansion to the west, and the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion to the east.

    It was not situated close to any of the borders, so there were no conflicts like in the Western Region Daoist Mansion. It was in peace for a long time. Even the secret societies had not surfaced there for a while. That was probably because it was too close to the Earthly Preceptor¡¯s pce.

    The interesting story they heard was about a syndicate from out of state that had arrived in Jinguan Prefecture, the capital of Shuzhou, andmitted several crimes in session. However, they were smart enough not to provoke the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion.

    The main task of the Daoist mansion was to capture cult demons, suppress secret societies, and arrest people who relied on their cultivation level tomit crimes. Petty theft, armed robbery, and other civilian crimes were under the jurisdiction of the local Green Phoenix Guard Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office. Thus, the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion did not intervene.

    The Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office was experienced in dealing with such crimes, so it should not be difficult to solve the case. However, they did not manage to arrest these scammers and allowed the criminals to run rampant in the city, causing more havoc. That was why the Daoist priests from the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion were gossiping about the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s ipetency like it was trivial gossip.

    The Provincial Surveince Commission jointly handled the case with the Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office, but there was still little progress.

    Qi Xuansu did not pay much attention to the case, but Zhang Yuelu was all ears because she was curious about the scammers who could evade the Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office and the Provincial Surveince Commission. Zhang Yuelu wanted to watch the fun and see what methods these scammers used, hoping to gain more "real-world" experience.

    However, Qi Xuansu knew that Zhang Yuelu merely wanted to dy their journey home. She was afraid that her family would see through the ws in her fake rtionship with Qi Xuansu, so she wanted to spend as little time at home as possible.

    Qi Xuansu was not her real Daoistpanion, so he was in no hurry to be in her hometown and did not object to her idea.

    After they parted ways with the Daoist priests from the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion, who were heading to the Ancestral Court, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu changed their route and went to Jinguan Prefecture.

    Zhang Yuelu took out a map of Shuzhou. At a nce, the entire state was divided into two. The western half hadplex terrain, surrounded by mountains and rivers, while the eastern half was a vast in with t terrain. Jinguan Prefecture was located in the middle of the state, with more ins. Thus, they had to take a long mountain road or the waterway to get there.

    After Zhang Yuelu consulted Qi Xuansu¡¯s opinion, she decided to go by boat.

    Although Qi Xuansu had the Jiama talismans, the mountain road was too winding. From the map, it was only a few dozen kilometers, but the actual distance was hundreds of kilometers. On the other hand, the waterway would cut the distance short and waste minimal effort.

    The only disadvantage of the waterway was the boat¡¯s slow speed. However, this was exactly what Zhang Yuelu wanted. She would have taken the flying ship back to her hometown if she wanted a quick journey.

    After some discussion, they found a ferry nearby and prepared to travel on it. Although the ferry was not as big and fancy as the Daoist flying ships or the Imperial Court¡¯s warships that crossed the ocean, this ship could still amodate more than a hundred people.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu looked like an ordinary couple and did not catch anyone¡¯s attention.

    Previously, during the fierce fight in Yishan City, Qi Xuansu¡¯s cloak was slightly damaged. Distressed that his new cloak was torn, he temporarily stored it in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s magical receptacle. Since he was in the Yuxu<i> </i>stage and had a physiqueparable to that of a Martial Arts Practitioner in the same realm, his body was constantly warm and was not affected by the cold. Moreover, the climate in Shuzhou was warmer than in the Western Region.

    On the other hand, Zhang Yuelu''s cloak was still intact after a series of fierce battles.

    There was an aisle in the middle with a few rows of seats on both sides. Each row could amodate two people sitting side by side.

    Zhang Yuelu had not been feeling well in the past few days, so she was not in the mood to talk and kept to herself, tightening her cloak and covering half of her face with a hood. She leaned against the bulkhead and gazed at the scenery outside the window, looking like a delicate littledy who was tired and afraid of the cold.

    Qi Xuansu took the aisle seat next to Zhang Yuelu, keeping her protected inside. Since he did not have his cloak, his satchel was exposed, hanging close to the aisle.

    From time to time, he whispered to Zhang Yuelu, but she just nodded or shook her head in response. asionally, she would respond with a word or two. To outsiders, they resembled a young couple going on a trip, like a husband whisperingforting words to his wife, who was not feeling well.

    Just as the ship was about to depart, they heard a flurry of footsteps.

    A young man hurried into the cabin. He wore shabby clothes stitched together with multiple rags, which did not fit well or look good. He also had a in skullcap without a center ornament and a worn-out satchel on him. The man kept his head lowered, with his chin to his chest.

    Qi Xuansu merely nced at the young man from the corner of his eye before looking away and talking to Zhang Yuelu. He was not whispering words offort or love, since they were not a real couple. Instead, Qi Xuansu was asking Zhang Yuelu about the mystical abilities of Rogue Cultivators in the Yuxu stage. After all, Rogue Cultivators were the imitation version of Banished Immortals, so there were many simrities between the two lineages.

    The young man scanned the cabin, seemingly looking for his seat. Then he quickly walked down the aisle in the middle.

    Just as the young man passed by his side, Qi Xuansu took out a small sk from his satchel, handed it to Zhang Yuelu, and asked with concern, ¡°Are you still feeling ufortable? Do you want a drink?¡±

    The young man was startled and quickly walked past Qi Xuansu to the back of the cabin.

    Qi Xuansu put the small sk back into the satchel, moving the satchel next to Zhang Yuelu instead of exposing it to the aisle.

    Zhang Yuelu was a little surprised, but she quickly understood what was happening. That young man earlier was probably a thief. But Qi Xuansu did not expose the boy directly and only made a show of retrieving something from the satchel to avoid a confrontation.

    However, Zhang Yuelu did not care about the young man. She was more interested in the sk that Qi Xuansu took out. She asked, ¡°What¡¯s in the sk?¡±

    Qi Xuansu hesitated before answering, ¡°Wine.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu, who was initially dispirited, lit up at the sound of that. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like to drink. Did you buy it for me?¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not deny it. ¡°I bought it in Yishan City. I thought you looked exhausted, so I bought this to cheer you up. It cost me two Taiping coins.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes curved like little crescent moons as she smiled and stretched out her hand. ¡°You¡¯re a great friend! Now, give it to me.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Qi Xuansu refused. ¡°You look well enough now.¡±

    ¡°You asked me just now if I felt ufortable. I am indeed feeling some difort, so give me that wine to cheer me up!¡± Zhang Yuelu was already making a move to get the sk from his satchel, so Qi Xuansu had no choice but to give her the sk.

    Zhang Yuelu unscrewed the cap and took a small sip of the wine.

    At this moment, the young man from just now walked back down the aisle, shouting, ¡°Sorry, sir! I got on the wrong boat.¡±

    When the young man passed by Qi Xuansu again, he staggered and fell toward Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu supported the young man to prevent thetter from falling on top of him, questioning, ¡°You¡¯re trying to rob me in broad daylight now, huh?¡±

 Chapter 109: Slang and Wine

    <h4>Chapter 109: ng and Wine</h4>

    The young thief looked flustered and wanted to escape, but he found that Qi Xuansu was holding him in a vice-like grip. The young man stuttered, ¡°W-What do you mean by that?¡±

    Qi Xuansu released his grip and pushed him away with just enough force so that the young man could stand upright.

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe a young chap like you chooses to be ag. You shouldn¡¯t target me just because I¡¯m wearing a nicer robe. You¡¯re a nub, huh?¡±

    He was speaking with some ng words. Ag was a thief, and nub meant new to the streets.

    The young man immediately understood that he had targeted the wrong person and hurriedly begged. ¡°Hewu! I¡¯m new to this and targeted the wrong person. Please let me go, good sir.¡±

    Qi Xuansu merely asked, ¡°Do you gain a lot?¡±

    The young man replied quickly, ¡°No, sir, just small gains.¡±

    Qi Xuansu inquired, ¡°Who¡¯s your boss?¡±

    The young man¡¯s eyes flickered, and he hesitated. He even tried to run away.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu threatened. ¡°I dare you to run.¡±

    The young thief instantly froze.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu and the young man¡¯s interaction had attracted the attention of other passengers, who were looking in their direction.

    Zhang Yuelu continued sipping on her wine while ncing at the two men from the corner of her eyes.

    In the end, Qi Xuansu did not expose the young thief or report him to the local police. He merely jabbed a finger at the young man''s chest. Upon impact, the young man groaned and almost fell to the ground. His face turned pale, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

    Qi Xuansu warned. ¡°Take this as a lesson and change your profession.¡±

    The young man did not dare to say anything and staggered away while clutching his chest. He made a mistake by targeting an experienced traveler like Qi Xuansu, so he could only admit his defeat and leave in shame.

    Shortly after the young man left, the ferry set off. Zhang Yuelu asked softly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you press for that young man¡¯s boss?¡±

    Qi Xuansu shrugged. ¡°What can I do about it anyway? I won¡¯t be able to uproot them. Even if I do, other simr gangs will fill in. I can¡¯t possibly suppress them all. Stopping one or two thieves won¡¯t solve the problem. The harsh punishments imposed by the Imperial Court and its officials are the key to solving this issue.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded in admiration. ¡°I¡¯m impressed by your views.¡±

    ¡°These are the basic teachings at the Wanxiang Daoist Pce.¡± Qi Xuansu coughed lightly. ¡°Oh, I forgot that you¡¯ve never taken sses there.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu slighted him. ¡°Who said so? I studied there, but I was in the Upper Pce. You were just in the Lower Pce.¡±

    Qi Xuansuughed and did not refute.

    Studying at the Upper Pce meant being promoted to the fourth rank, while those who came from the Lower Pce were merely ninth-rank Daoist priests. There was a huge difference between the two pces.

    Qi Xuansu also wanted to return to the Wanxiang Daoist Pce for further study so that he could be a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, buy a house in Jade Capital, make some friends, and get called a Mage. That way, he would have the confidence to build his own family.

    To him, starting a family would need fourponents: cultivation, wealth, apanion, and a house.

    This showed just how simple-minded Qi Xuansu was.

    The ship sailed down the river.

    Qi Xuansu''s satchel was not a magical receptacle, so it could not hold many things. The sk he gave to Zhang Yuelu was not big and did not hold much wine, so Zhang Yuelu finished her drink quickly.

    Without alcohol, Zhang Yuelu looked sickly again and did not speak much. She only asionally spoke to give Qi Xuansu some advice on cultivation.

    Qi Xuansu was not very interested in the Fasting Technique. He mainly wanted to learn the Cicada Molting Technique, derived from the Banished Immortal¡¯s Illusory Body Technique. Many of the sutras between the two were the same. To be precise, the Cicada Molting Technique was a semi-finished product that negated certain sutras.

    Thus, a Banished Immortal like Zhang Yuelu could certainly guide a Rogue Cultivator like Qi Xuansu in terms of cultivation.

    Qi Xuansu did not expect to excel immediately. He merely recited the sutra over and over again and tried to understand it while reciting. He would also ask Zhang Yuelu if there was a part he did not understand.

    In fact, Zhang Yuelu had no experience as a teacher, so she could only guide Qi Xuansu ording to how her master, Sage Cihang, taught her. That was, to learn on her own and ask questionster.

    At first, Zhang Yuelu was a little worried because she knew this teaching method was not suitable for everyone. Most teachers would guide their students in ordance with the student¡¯s aptitude. But she soon discovered that Qi Xuansu was intelligent and naturally talented. The only disadvantage he had was his hand-eye coordination. Inbat, his eyes could keep up, but his hands could not.

    Qi Xuansu was able to learn the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s Blood Roar on his own, but merely understanding the principles of a technique was not sufficient. He still needed to have enough blood qi to use the technique to its fullest potential.

    After Qi Xuansu had memorized the form, Zhang Yuelu suddenly said, ¡°Tian Yuan, can you teach me how to speak some ng?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you already know some?¡± Qi Xuansu was slightly surprised.

    ¡°I know a little bit, but not much.¡±

    He asked, ¡°Then what do you want to know?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu thought about it for a while. ¡°How do you say pistol in ng?¡±

    ¡°Sprayer.¡± Qi Xuansu exined, ¡°The old-fashioned pistols did not have rifling and used iron sand, which sprays out upon shooting. Hence the name.¡±

    ¡°What about drinking?¡±

    He replied, ¡°Swig.¡±

    ¡°Buying wine?¡±

    ¡°Get juice.¡±

    ¡°Shaojiu?¡±

    ¡°Fire juice.¡±

    ¡°Drunk?¡±

    ¡°Smashed.¡±

    Finally, Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Why are all your questions rted to drinking? Are you learning ng to drink with a stranger?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu waved her hand. ¡°Why would I want to drink with someone who talks in ng?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t I one?¡± Qi Xuansu pointed at himself.

    Zhang Yuelu was rendered speechless. After a while, she scoffed. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t see your true colors back then, so it¡¯s toote for me to back out now.¡±

    Qi Xuansu interpreted her words in another way. He felt disheartened at first, butter, a glimmer of hope emerged. He prayed that Zhang Yuelu would say the same thing after learning of his true identity.

    Zhang Yuelu murmured to herself, ¡°I want a swig, so you should get the juice...preferably, fire juice. Then let''s get smashed.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was speechless.

    Soon after, Zhang Yuelu turned to Qi Xuansu and said excitedly, ¡°Let''s use ng when we get to my house!¡±

    Only then did Qi Xuansu realize the reason Zhang Yuelu wanted to learn ng. She nned to use it to deceive her parents. At this time, Qi Xuansu found Zhang Yuelu''s childish demeanor endearing.

    He asked, ¡°Can¡¯t you just buy more wine and store it in your magical receptacle?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Your luggage is in there, so I don¡¯t have any more room for wine.¡±

    Having said this, Zhang Yuelu looked at Qi Xuansu¡¯s satchel and asked, ¡°Tian Yuan, what¡¯s in your satchel?¡±

    Qi Xuansu panicked, but he did not show it on his face. ¡°Just some ordinary things.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve seen my magical receptacle, can I see your satchel?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Qi Xuansu handed his satchel to Zhang Yuelu without any hesitation.

    On the contrary, Zhang Yuelu hesitated. ¡°You don¡¯t have anything embarrassing in your bag, right? For example, erotic drawings and the like?¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s face flushed. ¡°Do I look like someone who would keep those things? Go ahead and check my bag.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu opened Qi Xuansu¡¯s satchel and casually flipped through it.

    She muttered while going through the items. ¡°Seventh-rank certificate, medicine for external and internal wounds, matchsticks, spikes, projectiles, Tiangang Hall¡¯s deacon insignia, cheap talisman paper, stamp, Taiping coins, some cash notes, sunsses from ourst trip to the Western Region, a bag of Army Pills, a packet of dried meat, two strings of prayer beads from the cult demons, and a Feng Shuipass. Do you know how to read Feng Shui?¡±

    Qi Xuan spoke without changing his expression. ¡°I¡¯ve read ssic texts like the <i>Jade Pouch ssic</i> and the <i>Shaking Dragon Sutra</i>. There¡¯s a saying that one must look to the mountains in search of dragons. The tougher the road, the stronger the barrier, often hiding the door to paradise.

    ¡°The mountains are on the earth, while the stars are in the sky, bringing luck and ill fortune to those below. A star in its true form will have three auspicious signs that don¡¯t always appear. It takes careful observation to recognize a star in its true form¡ª¡±

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. You don¡¯t have to show off your knowledge.¡± Zhang Yuelu did not associate Qi Xuansu with the Qingping Society because of thispass since it was amon item for Daoist disciples. However, Zhang Yuelu had some skewed thoughts.

    She suddenly lowered her voice. ¡°Tian Yuan, be honest with me. When you were traveling on your own, have you ever been involved in tomb raiding?¡±

    Qi Xuansu almost choked on his saliva. ¡°If I was involved in tomb raiding, I wouldn¡¯t have only 200 Taiping coins on me right now!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you use your money to ¡®make connections?¡¯¡± Zhang Yuelu teased.

    That was when he realized that he had to use more lies to cover up one lie. ¡°I swear by the Primordial Daoist Ancestor, the Holy Xuan, and all my ancestors that I have never been involved in tomb raiding. If I am lying about tomb raiding, I shall never get promoted to the fourth rank.¡±

    Zhang Yueluughed. ¡°You didn''t have to take it so seriously. I asked because I recently read a book about tomb raiding, which I found quite interesting. Since you have never done it before, forget I asked.¡±

    Qi Xuansu breathed a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 110: Inn Conspiracy

    <h4>Chapter 110: Inn Conspiracy</h4>

    The river was calm without any waves or winds for nearly 150 kilometers.

    When they disembarked, Zhang Yuelu stretched her body. Seeing this, Qi Xuansumented that she was dressed in a thick cloak, so he could not see her curves.

    <i>The end of the waterway was the Shu Road, renowned for being perilously high and tough to traverse. Some even said that it was harder than ascending the heavens. The Shu Road included roads leading to and within the state.</i>

    <i>The main routes heading north of Jinguan Prefecture and entering Shuzhou through Qinzhou were Chencang Road, Baoxie Road, Tangluo Road, Ziwu Road, Jinniu Road, Micang Road, and Lizhi Road. The path from Liangzhou to Shuzhou was the Yinping Road. Heading west of Jinguan Prefecture was the Chamagu Road, connecting Yongzhou to the Western Region. </i>

    <i>South of Jinguan Prefecture was the Wuchi Road, which led to Shuzhou from Yunzhou. From there, one could reach the southwestern Silk Road that led to the Samudra Kingdom. East of Jinguan Prefecture was the waterway leading upstream along the Yangtze River.</i>

    <i>The nearest path from the ferry was the Chamagu Road, which was frequented by numerous merchant caravans because it was a direct route to Jinguan Prefecture.</i>

    After a brief discussion, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu decided to use this route to the Jinguan Prefecture.

    That was because Zhang Yuelu wanted her journey home to be as slow as possible. Since Qi Xuansu was with her, they might as well travel leisurely.

    ......

    Thergest inn in the world was the Taiping Inn, which had branches everywhere, including the Jade Capital, the Imperial Capital, Lingnan to Liaodong, the Western Region, and Donghai. That was because the Taiping Inn was operated by the Daoist Order.

    The Taiping Inn was a profitable business of the Daoist Order, unlike the Daoist temples. Daoist disciples still had to pay full price to stay at the Taiping Inn. They did not even get a discount.

    There was also a Taiping Inn in Jinguan Prefecture. The main building was a four-story restaurant, behind which were nearly a hundred standalone courtyards. It was thergest inn in Jinguan Prefecture and the entire state of Shuzhou. The inn charged a hefty fee, so most of its clientele were wealthy merchants and the gentry.

    Xie Qiuniang and Prince Qin arranged to meet at the Taiping Inn in the Jinguan Prefecture.

    Prince Qin was not an actual prince of the Imperial Court. This was his alias for the Qingping Society.

    After leaving Yishan City, Xie Qiuniang did not dawdle, like Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu. Just as the duo started their journey on Chamagu Road, Xie Qiuniang had already arrived in Jinguan Prefecture.

    Xie Qiuniang arrived at the Taiping Inn and paid ten Taiping coins to reserve a private room on the second floor of the main building.

    About an hourter, a man in a green robe and a woman wearing a veiled hat arrived at the lobby of the Taiping Inn and inquired about a guest named Xie. A waiter immediately led the two guests through the bustling lobby to the second floor, where the private rooms were located. Each row of private rooms had a private corridor with double doors at the entrance.

    At this moment, the waiter stopped in front of the double doors outside the corridor. It wasmon practice for the waiter to open the door and let the guests in first. However, this waiter showed no intention to make way. Instead, he grabbed the door handle and leaned half of his body on the door.

    The waiter smiled and said, ¡°Please wait a moment while I inform the guest inside.¡±

    Though he said so, the waiter did not step aside.

    Having resided in Jinguan Prefecture for more than a year and being a frequent patron of the Taiping Inn, the man in the green robe knew that the waiter wanted to get some tips. He red at the waiter with disgust, but he still signaled for thedy in the veiled hat to tip the waiter.

    The woman took out a Taiping coin from her sleeve and tossed it to the waiter, saying, ¡°Open the door.¡±

    The waiter caught the Taiping coin, but his body was still blocking the doorway. He reached for the other side of the door as if he intended to open it, but he did not. Clearly, he was implying that two doors equaled two tips.

    The smile on the woman¡¯s face slowly faded as she uttered, ¡°Get lost.¡±

    Since the Taiping Inn was an establishment of the Daoist Order, these waiters were quite arrogant. They looked down on ordinary guests and even wealthy patrons. The waiter had never been insulted like this before, so he wanted to retort in anger when the man in the green robe interjected. ¡°I know this inn belongs to the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion. Why don¡¯t you ask the Mages from the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion toe over and stand up for you?¡±

    How could the waiter possibly ask the Mages from the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion for help? Seeing how confident the two of them were, the waiter became timid and hurriedly said, ¡°I dare not trouble the Mages, sir.¡±

    The woman sneered. ¡°Oh, really? I was looking forward to seeing which Mage is willing to speak up for you. Now, get lost.¡±

    The waiter hurried to the stairs, almost bumping into several other guests. Then he quickly stepped aside to let the other guests pass.

    The man in the green robe pushed open the door and entered the corridor, which cost him one Taiping coin. He walked past the row of doors and arrived at the third door with a red poster stuck to it. The poster was written, "Xie." He pushed open the door and walked in with the woman in the veiled hat.

    Xie Qiuniang was inside the private room. Seeing the two visitors, she stood up to greet them. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Miss Hua to be here as well.¡±

    Members of the Qingping Society mostly used three-worded names as their alias.

    Miss Hua¡¯s alias was Hua Jianyi.

    There were two reasons why Qi Xuansu chose the pseudonym Wei Wugui instead of using his alias, Gold-ted Knife.

    The first reason was to prevent the situation at Fengtai County from happening again. Back then, he did not expect he wouldter work at the Tiangang Hall, so he did not think that his identity as a seventh-rank Daoist priest was significant and used his real name ¡°Qi Xuansu¡± at The Inn.

    The second reason was that Qi Xuansu wanted to enter the Tiangang Hall, which was the department in charge of suppressing secret societies. Thus, he could not reveal his identity as a member of the Qingping Society. For safety reasons, he needed anotheryer of disguise.

    An alias was used to conceal one¡¯s real name, while a pseudonym was used to conceal one¡¯s alias. Xie Qiuniang and Prince Qin were not a part of the Daoistmunity, let alone the Nine Halls. So it did not matter to them if others knew that they were members of the Qingping Society. As long as their real names were not exposed, they only needed to use an alias.

    Hua Jianyi asked, ¡°How are you, Qiuniang?¡±

    Xie Qiuniang saluted her and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thanks for your concern, Miss Hua.¡±

    After the three of them sat down, Xie Qiuniang muttered apologetically, ¡°Brother Qin, I¡¯ve let you down this time.¡±

    Prince Qin waved his hand. ¡°I already know about the matter. You need not me yourself, Qiuniang. I¡¯m at fault forcking consideration.¡±

    Xie Qiuniang asked, ¡°Will the Xuan Jade be reduced to ashes under the Ancient Immortal¡¯s divine power?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Prince Qin shook his head confidently. ¡°The Xuan Jade is extremely difficult to destroy. Perhaps Pseudo-Immortals can do it, but ordinary Heavenly Beings and Xiantian Beings can¡¯t achieve that. What we call divine power is not actually from the Ancient Immortals themselves. At most, it¡¯s like the power of a Heavenly Being.¡±

    Xie Qiuniang said, ¡°Then the Xuan Jade must have fallen into the hands of either the Buddhists or the Daoists. I wonder if it¡¯s that monk from Jingchan Temple or that female Daoist priest from the Tiangang Hall.¡±

    Prince Qin pondered for a moment before speaking. ¡°From what you described, it¡¯s more likely to have fallen into the hands of that monk. I have three reasons to believe that. Firstly, when you arrived at the Yn Temple, that monk was already there, even before the two Daoist priests. This suggests that he might havee for the Xuan Jade.

    ¡°Secondly, the two Daoist priests went to the Yn Temple because of the chaos caused by the Lingshan Witch Cult. It was an opportune moment, and they did not specifically go there for the Xuan Jade.

    ¡°Thirdly, when the ancient divine power descended on the temple, only the monk and the male Daoist priest were in the main hall. The female Daoist priest was engaged in a fight with you. That Daoist priest was only at the Kunlun stage, while the monk was a Buddhaputra at the Guizhen stage. Even if that Daoist priest identally discovered the Xuan Jade, the monk would surely win in a confrontation.¡±

    Xie Qiuniang said, ¡°In that case, we need to track down this monk.¡±

    Prince Qin looked at Hua Jianyi, who was sitting beside him. ¡°We will have to trouble Miss Hua for this.¡±

    Hua Jianyi nodded. ¡°It¡¯s easy to identify a Buddhaputra at the Guizhen stage who is traveling alone. If this monk has the Xuan Jade, he will surely return to the Jingchan Temple in Zhongzhou. So, we just need to wait for him there. Fortunately, I have some connections in Zhongzhou, so I will know his whereabouts.¡±

    Xie Qiuniang suggested, ¡°I don¡¯t think the few of us will be able to do anything to him on Jingchan Temple¡¯s territory. Why don¡¯t we get a few more people to assist us?¡±

    ¡°Those people must be reliable.¡± Prince Qin reminded.

    Hua Jianyi dered, ¡°I know of a reliable person.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Prince Qin asked immediately.

    Hua Jianyi replied, ¡°Madam Qi.¡±

    ¡°<i>The</i> Madam Qi whom people call Pixiu[1] Qi?¡± Xie Qiuniang was surprised. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of her, but isn''t she a businesswoman? She rarely goes on the field.¡±

    ¡°Madam Qi rarely executes tasks by herself. She¡¯s more of an intermediary,¡± Hua Jianyi exined. ¡°She does private dealings and pulls strings for people. She can certainly introduce some reliable people to us. As an intermediary, she has an extensivework, far beyond that of ordinary people. The only downside is that her fees are very high, and she refuses to bargain.¡±

    Xie Qiuniang chuckled. ¡°That might be a problem for others. Brother Qin certainly has no shortage of Taiping coins.¡±

    Hua Jianyi nodded. ¡°Exactly. Madam Qi also prefers customers like Brother Qin.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t tease me,dies.¡± Prince Qin smiled helplessly, but he did not deny it. ¡°So, where do we meet this Madam Qi?¡±

    Hua Jianyi said, ¡°Madam Qi¡¯s whereabouts are always uncertain. Thest time she showed up was in Luzhou, Huainan Prefecture. She has since left Luzhou, but we can meet her at the dream meeting at the end of the month. She never misses it.¡±

    Prince Qin nodded. ¡°That¡¯s settled, then. Please get Madam Qi to introduce us to some capable people. It¡¯s best if they are locals from Zhongzhou so that we can set up a trap there and hunt down that monk.¡±

    He added, ¡°But to be on the safe side, we should also keep watch on that female Daoist priest. I¡¯ve heard of her. She¡¯s a Banished Immortal from the Zhang family and a Jijiu Daoist master of Tiangang Hall, personally appointed by the Earthly Preceptor. With such an extraordinary identity, we shouldn¡¯t provoke her unless absolutely necessary.¡±

    Hua Jianyi nodded in agreement. ¡°Leave this to me.¡±

    1. Chinese mythical creature resembling a winged lion that has a voracious appetite for gold and gems. ?

 Chapter 111: Mountain City

    <h4>Chapter 111: Mountain City</h4>

    The Chamagu Road originated from the tea-horse trade between the southwestern and northwestern frontiers, flourishing during the Qi and Jin Dynasties and reaching its peak during the Wei and Xuan Dynasties. This road connected Shuzhou, Yunzhou, and the Western Region, extending into the territory of the Samudra Kingdom all the way to the Western Continent.

    Many bustling markets were established along this road.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu walked on the Chamagu Road for over 50 kilometers until they saw smoke rising in the distance. There was a small township located beside the road, with a g fluttering in the wind that read ¡°Mountain City.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was surprised to see this. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a mountain city.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu, having lived in Jade Capital most of her life, was not familiar with many things in the real world. She could not help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s a mountain city?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°The original Mountain City refers to the mirage at Jin¡¯ao Peak on Taiqing Mountain. Legend has it that the mirage shows dozens of pces with blue tiles, flying eaves, and towering walls. It spans about three kilometers and overlooks everything. It has buildings and markets, resembling a city. But it¡¯s rare and can only be seen by fated individuals.

    ¡°Some people imitated this mirage and built a small trading town near Jin¡¯ao Peak. It¡¯s frequented by travelers, making it very lively. Later, more people started building these mountain cities for trade. These ces are moremonly known as ck markets, where you can get flying swords, elixirs, firearms, and anything you can think of.¡±

    ¡°Oh, the ck market!¡± Zhang Yuelu finally understood. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the ck market before, but I¡¯ve never seen one. Since we¡¯re already here, we shouldn¡¯t miss it. Let¡¯s go take a look around!¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°We can look around, but you need money. A Divine Dragon Pistol here costs 800 Taiping coins. It¡¯s much more expensive than the normal price at a regr market. But then again, without connections to the ck Robes, only a few people can afford to buy a Divine Dragon Pistol at the normal market price.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu pondered for a moment. ¡°Although I¡¯m not rich, I still have a few hundred<i> </i>Taiping coins with me.¡±

    This was reasonable. A fifth-rank Daoist priest with the treatment of a Prospective Mage could receive 100 Taiping coins per month. So, as a fourth-rank Daoist master, Zhang Yuelu should receive a higher monthly allowance. Moreover, after returning from the Western Region, they received an additional subsidy of 100 Taiping coins. Qi Xuansu would not believe it if Zhang Yuelu said she had no savings.

    Since Zhang Yuelu had money and wanted to shop, Qi Xuansu did not object to it. Thus, they entered the mountain city.

    From the outside, the mountain city was not very conspicuous. But as soon as they stepped inside, they felt like they were in apletely different world. The buildings along the street were mostly two stories, with ck tiles, white walls, red pirs, and blue beams.

    The streets, paved with smooth blue bricks, were as wide as two carriages. It did not look like a remote town on Chamagu Road. Rather, it resembled the streets of Jinling Prefecture or Jinguan Prefecture.

    The small town had a blockyout with two perpendicr streets, where the trading stalls were located, dividing the town into four areas.

    As soon as Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu entered the mountain city, someone approached them. This person was dressed in a short robe, with its hem not reaching the knees. He wore cloth shoes and a Unified Six-Panel Hat.

    <i>The so-called Unified Six-Panel Hat, also known as the six-panel hat, was made by Emperor Taizu of the former Wei Dynasty. This round hat style with six panels originated from the Golden Horde, which spread to the Central ins during their reign.</i>

    <i>Later, Emperor Taizu of the Wei Dynasty expelled the Golden Horde from the Central ins. He imitated the round hat style and sewed the panels with gold, renaming it the Unified Six-Panel Hat to advocate for unity in the empire and world conquest.</i>

    <i>In the former dynasty, this hat was mostly worn bymoners and officials at home. During the Great Xuan Dynasty, these hats were not prohibited. However, since the Daoist Order had its own system of headwear, this round hat was rarely seen in the Daoistmunity.</i>

    The man bowed to Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu in greeting. ¡°I¡¯m Qian Bao, the attendant of this mountain city. Is this your first time here?¡±

    Qi Xuansu gestured to Zhang Yuelu not to speak. He replied, ¡°We¡¯re just passing by, so we thought of taking a casual look around.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Qian Bao¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°This mountain city is a small business. The renovation of storefronts and maintenance of the ce incur considerable expenses. So whether you are buying or selling, you must pay¡ª¡±

    As he spoke, he lightly rubbed his thumb and forefinger, gesturing for money.

    ¡°An entrance fee? No problem.¡± Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Name your price.¡±

    Qian Bao immediately understood that Qi Xuansu was not an ignorant young man, so he dared not ask for too much. He answered honestly, ¡°One Taiping coin per person.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took out two Taiping coins from his sleeve pocket and handed them to Qian Bao. ¡°What do you have in this mountain city?¡±

    Qian Bao replied, ¡°We have plenty¡ªquick fingers, sawbones, soothsayers, fizzogs, augury, cutters, gats, slugs, trinkets, bolus, suds, freebooters, sappers, chippies, and so on. You name it!¡±

    Qi Xuansu inquired, ¡°What about grifters?¡±

    Qian Bao''s face stiffened, and he chuckled awkwardly. ¡°You¡¯ll have to see for yourself, sir. If you have sharp eyes, you won¡¯t see any. But if you¡¯repletely blind, you will most likely encounter some.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Thank you. We¡¯ll have a look around ourselves.¡±

    Qian Bao bid them farewell and turned to leave.

    Zhang Yuelu could not help but ask, ¡°What was all that cryptic talk just now?¡±

    ¡°We paid two Taiping coins as entrance fees. Then he mentioned that there are people selling medicines, weapons, firearms, ammunition, and other items in this mountain city. There are also fortune-telling services and magic tricks. I asked if there were any swindlers, and he said that would depend on our experience. If we are ignorant, then we will certainly encounter some,¡± Qi Xuansu exined.

    Zhang Yuelu smiled. ¡°Interesting.¡±

    The duo walked a short distance and came across a stall selling feminine products. However, Zhang Yuelu was not interested in it. Instead, she headed straight to the weapons stall next door.

    The shopkeeper greeted Qi Xuansu. ¡°Sir, do you have ady you fancy? As the saying goes, women dress to please themselves. Why don¡¯t you buy some rouge, powder, or jewelry for yourdy? She will surely like them. Even if you don¡¯t have anyone you fancy yet, you can keep these forter. They¡¯lle in handy one day.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was tempted to get something. He picked up a floral hairpin from the stall and looked toward Zhang Yuelu, asking, ¡°Qing Xiao, what color hairpin do you like?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu, who was looking at a Nine-Section Whip, did not even lift her head. ¡°I prefer green pistols.¡±

    Qi Xuansu felt embarrassed and cleared his throat. ¡°I also quite like green pistols. The bronze texture gives them an antique look and weightiness. Gold is too shy.¡±

    He put down the floral hairpin under the shopkeeper¡¯s disappointed gaze and shook his head at her.

    Zhang Yuelu put down the Nine-Section Whip in her hand and asked, ¡°Do you have spiritual Nine-Section Whips?¡±

    The middle-aged shopkeeper smiled. ¡°Spiritual items are quitemon, but it¡¯s rare toe across a spiritual whip. Sorry to disappoint you, youngdy.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not say much and simply left with Qi Xuansu, continuing to walk deeper into the small town.

    There were more people the further they went. The things sold were also more peculiar.

    Qi Xuansu saw someone selling Imitation Qiongqi[1] Blood, priced much higher than what Madam Qi had mentioned. There was only a small bottle at the stall, so the seller did not bother greeting the customers and only waited for someone to ask about the price.

    Zhang Yuelu furrowed her brows when she saw it. That was because only the Daoist Order could produce Imitation Qiongqi Blood, yet such items could be seen in a random mountain city. This indicated major problems within the Daoist Order.

    However, Zhang Yuelu knew that the problem was not with the mountain city but with the Daoist Order. So she quickly withdrew her gaze and continued to browse the other stalls.

    After wandering around for an hour, they did not spend a single Taiping coin. It was not because there was nothing they liked; it was just that the things they liked were too expensive.

    Qi Xuansu had his eyes on a secondhand Divine Dragon Pistol, which was in good condition and reasonably priced at 600 Taiping coins. Unfortunately, Qi Xuansu was short on funds.

    On the other hand, Zhang Yuelu had her eyes on a flying sword, but it was priced at 1,600 Taiping coins. After inquiring about the price, Zhang Yuelu simply walked away without looking back.

    Perhaps because it was her first time visiting a mountain city, Zhang Yuelu was still excited, even though she did not make any purchases.

    Qi Xuansu was just weary from browsing. To him, there was no point in looking at things if he did not intend to buy them. So he slipped away to a tavern, leaving Zhang Yuelu to wander around on her own. He spent a small<i> </i>Taiping coin for a pot of tea and a te of spiced beans while waiting patiently.

    As the sun began to set, Zhang Yuelu finally came to Qi Xuansu. She bought some small items and even got him a gift¡ªa full set of 18 throwing knives. They could be reused and worn on the waist belt for easy ess. Although they were not spiritual objects, they were still of good quality. Their sharpness wasparable to the Slim Tiger Saber that Qi Xuansu had used before.

    If Qi Xuansu used his Sword Controlling Technique tounch them, their power would surpass that of the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s Jackdaw Crossbow.

    Qi Xuansu was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Why did you think of buying throwing knives for me?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°I saw you carrying spikes as hidden weapons and happened toe across this set of throwing knives while I was browsing, so I just bought them.¡±

    Qi Xuansu felt inexplicably guilty. He felt impatient to apany Zhang Yuelu shopping, but she still thought of him. Counting the cloak she bought for him, this was the second time she bought him gifts.

    Qi Xuansu was an orphan. His master passed away early, and Madam Qi was stingy with money. This made Zhang Yuelu the first person to buy him gifts. He was sensitive to this and felt touched by her simple act of gift-giving.

    When Zhang Yuelu saw Qi Xuansu staring at her intently, she felt a bit embarrassed and waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s just a set of throwing knives that¡¯s worth a few Taiping coins. You don¡¯t have to thank me. Consider this payback for buying me a drink.¡±

    Qi Xuansu withdrew his gaze and simply nodded.

    1. Chinese mythical creature resembling a tiger with wings that likes to eat humans. ?

 Chapter 112: Overnight

    <h4>Chapter 112: Overnight</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu showed no intention of traveling at night. Fortunately, there was an inn in the mountain city, so she and Qi Xuansu proceeded to the inn together.

    The inn was small, without any standalone courtyards. It was a two-story building, where the first floor served as a restaurant and the second floor consisted of guest rooms.

    As soon as they entered the inn, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s gaze fell on the wine jars behind the counter. She suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s have a drink in appreciation of your new set of throwing knives!¡±

    Qi Xuansu narrated this scene as if he were a storyteller. ¡°Having witnessed the legendary ck market, Qing Xiao felt that she had gained invaluable experience in the real world and decided to treat herself.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu chuckled. ¡°I have a different version of the story. Though Qing Xiao and Tian Yuan had agreed to explore the mountain city together, Tian Yuan deserted the poor Qing Xiao, leaving her to fend for herself in an unfamiliar environment. As punishment, Tian Yuan should drink three cups of wine in apology.¡±

    As they spoke, they approached the counter. Zhang Yuelu ordered. ¡°Two small jars of shaojiu, please.¡±

    ¡°That will be two Taiping coins.¡± The innkeeper did not give Qi Xuansu a chance to refuse and swiftly retrieved two wine jars from behind the counter, cing them in front of Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu dropped two Taiping coins on the counter, took one wine jar in each hand, and walked to an empty table not far away.

    Qi Xuansu could only follow behind Zhang Yuelu.

    Sitting face-to-face, Zhang Yuelu opened the seal of her wine jar with one hand. Since it was a small jar, she drank directly from the opening.

    Qi Xuansu imitated Zhang Yuelu, opening his wine jar and drinking from it.

    Since meeting Zhang Yuelu, Qi Xuansu''s alcohol tolerance has improved greatly. Now that his cultivation level increased, he did not feel tipsy even after drinking most of the jar.

    After Zhang Yuelu finished her jar of wine, she went up to the counter and asked, ¡°Do you have any guest rooms avable?¡±

    The innkeeper swept his gaze over the duo. ¡°Yes, but there is only one room left.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°We¡¯ll take one room, then. It saves us money.¡±

    ¡°One Taiping coin for an upper-level room,¡± the innkeeper stated.

    Zhang Yuelu took out a Taiping coin and ced it on the counter.

    The innkeeper took the Taiping coin and handed her a key. ¡°The room is upstairs¡ªthe innermost one to the right.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu took the key and went straight to the second floor.

    Qi Xuansu nced at Zhang Yuelu¡¯s back as she ascended the stairs. Then he stared at his nearly empty wine jar and fell into a dilemma.

    Under the innkeeper¡¯s suggestive gaze, Qi Xuansu decided to finish his wine first to avoid wasting it and for a boost of courage.

    After that, Qi Xuansu slowly got up and went upstairs.

    He arrived outside the room and hesitated whether to knock or wander around outside. After all, it was no big deal for him to stay up for a night.

    In the end, fueled by liquid courage, Qi Xuansu knocked on the door.

    That was when Qi Xuansu found that the door was nottched from the inside. The door fell ajar when he knocked on it.

    He walked into the room and saw Zhang Yuelu lying on the only bed in the room, fully clothed. She removed her shoes and covered herself with a cloak.

    Zhang Yuelu still had her eyes open, with a faint glimmer in them. Even without the light, Qi Xuansu could feel her intense gaze on him.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s body stiffened, as he was unsure whether to advance or retreat.

    After a while, Zhang Yuelu broke the silence. ¡°Do you intend to stand guard all night?¡±

    Qi Xuansu coughed lightly. ¡°A man and a woman being alone in a room isn¡¯t¡ª¡±

    Zhang Yuelu interrupted him. ¡°Back then, when we went to the Western Region, we spent the night together in a snow cave. You didn¡¯t seem to have such considerations. Is it because your mind is in the gutter now?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was speechless. He closed the door and sat on the chair by the bed, intending to make do for the night.

    Zhang Yuelu closed her eyes. Soon, Qi Xuansu could hear her even breathing.

    Qi Xuansu was a bit dazed. He thought to himself, <i>How can she sleep so peacefully? Does she trust me so much? Can I live up to this trust?</i>

    He looked at the bright moon outside the window, sighing softly. Eventually, he fell asleep immersed in his thoughts.

    Qi Xuansu had a dream. This time, it was not about the Lingshan Witch Cult, but a ce with lush greenery.

    In the quiet of the night that was softly lit by the moonlight, Qi Xuansu rode on a small boat, drifting downstream. It felt refreshing to feel the breeze on his face.

    He sat in the middle of the boat, with one person at the bow and another person at the stern, bncing the boat perfectly.

    Although he could not see the faces of these two people, he felt a sense of familiarity with them. It brought him an unprecedented feeling of tranquility.

    By the time he woke up, it was already bright outside. That was when he noticed he was wearing Zhang Yuelu¡¯s cloak, which had a faint fragrance on it.

    The bed was neat and empty, and Zhang Yuelu was nowhere to be seen.

    Qi Xuansu recalledst night¡¯s dream. It was a rare good dream since he joined the Qingping Society. This feeling of peace was deeply etched in his memory, making him reluctant to forget about this dream.

    At that moment, Zhang Yuelu pushed the door open and came in with a bamboo basket in hand.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± Zhang Yuelu ced the basket on the table. ¡°I bought these for you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu got up, ced Zhang Yuelu¡¯s cloak on the bed, wiped his hands with a wet towel, and sat down at the table. He asked, ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°I''m practicing the Fasting Technique.¡± Zhang Yuelu patted her abdomen lightly.

    Qi Xuansu jokingly asked, ¡°Why are you so nice to me?¡±

    Deep down, Qi Xuansu harbored the hope that Zhang Yuelu¡¯s special treatment toward him was not because she needed a favor from him but because of him as a person.

    Zhang Yuelu did not answer his question. She merely said, ¡°Eat your breakfast.¡±

    Qi Xuansu obliged and enjoyed his breakfast.

    Zhang Yuelu sat opposite him, resting her chin on her hands while watching him eat. She asked, ¡°How does it taste?¡±

    ¡°Not bad.¡± Qi Xuansu felt a bit ufortable with her gaze and became more self-conscious and refined while eating.

    Zhang Yuelu remarked, ¡°I remember that you used to eat dry rations with cold water when we went to the Western Region. So, your ¡®not bad¡¯ must mean that it¡¯s not delicious.¡±

    Qi Xuansu could not help but smile wryly. ¡°I¡¯m not picky about food. That doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t tell good food from bad ones. My taste buds are quite intact, you know. Why don¡¯t you try one?¡±

    ¡°No thanks.¡± Zhang Yuelu declined. ¡°Fasting is the basic requirement for preserving one¡¯s appearance.¡±

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t care about these things.¡± Qi Xuansu continued eating the buns.

    Zhang Yuelu quipped, ¡°I have every reason to care. Decadester, others may still look youthful, while I look like an old woman with white hair all over. You¡¯re certainly a bad influence.¡±

    Neither of them came from a wealthy family, so they did not adhere to mealtime etiquette. They simply talked while eating. After breakfast, they left the mountain city and continued their journey.

    The next stretch of their journey was uneventful. They walked along the Chamagu Road and encountered a few other travelers besides the merchant caravans.

    Qi Xuansu had not reached the stage where he could cultivate while walking or sitting, so he could only converse with Zhang Yuelu to pass the time.

    Zhang Yuelu was a genius, but she was not on the level of the Holy Xuan or Donghuang. Her energy was limited. Since she focused most of her energy on her own cultivation and various duties within the Daoist Order, she did not pay attention to other aspects. Thus, she was not well-versed in the various ssics of the Three Teachings. She could not casually quote scriptures and was not skilled in various arts, like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

    Coincidentally, Qi Xuansu was the same. Since leaving the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, Qi Xuansu has spent most of his time traveling. To schrs, he was a brute, even though he did not look like one.

    So when they were together, they had manymon topics.

    For example, neither of them knew how to y Go; they only knew how to y simpler games, like the Holy Xuan Cards. They were not used to discussing anecdotes and allusions over tea and fine dining; they could only roughly judge if the food tasted good or bad. They did not care much for profound ssics and preferred to read simpler novels.

    Furthermore, the two of them liked firearms but were clueless about musical instruments. That was because they were both short on money, so they could not afford to indulge in high-society pursuits.

    Schrs and beauties yed musical instruments, studied ssic scriptures, listened to Kun opera, yed chess, drank tea, andposed poems. These were considered upper-ss hobbies.

    On the other hand, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu led another kind of lifestyle. They wielded swords, read novels, watched new ys, yed cards, drank alcohol, and joked around. However, these were not quite considered lower-ss.

    Qi Xuansu initially regretted agreeing to apany Zhang Yuelu back to her hometown. But he no longer felt the same way and enjoyed the time he spent with her.

    As night fell, they had not seen a single vige or town. All they saw were dark clouds gathering on the eastern horizon. In an instant, the sky turned dark. Shuzhou was warm, even in winter. Thus, there was no snow or ice. It felt more likete autumn in the northern region. Judging from the situation, there would be a cold rain.

    Qi Xuansu pointed to a high ground not far from the Chamagu Road. ¡°Qing Xiao, there¡¯s a temple in the woods. Let¡¯s spend the night there.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu had better eyesight than Qi Xuansu, so she had already spotted that abandoned temple. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯d rather sleep on a grave than stay in a dpidated temple? Why did you change your mind this time?¡±

    Qi Xuansu chuckled. ¡°There are two reasons for that. Firstly, ancient temples that have been abandoned for a long time are usually dirty and upied by evil spirits. If we barge in, we might be targeted by demons and monsters craving flesh and blood, or get our yang energy sucked by ghosts. Secondly, bandits who rob travelers like to hide in dpidated temples. They might ambush us. But with a Guizhen-stage expert like you around, what is there to fear?¡±

    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s spend the night in the old temple.¡± Zhang Yuelu took the lead.

    The two arrived at the old temple and entered the main hall, where they saw a Vairocana statue on the altar. However, its gold-ted body faded. The incense table was overturned, and the space between the beams and pirs was covered in dust and cobwebs.

    Just then, it started raining. But it was not raining heavily. It sounded like the silkworms munching on mulberry leaves.

    The old temple had leaks everywhere, so Zhang Yuelu found a dry spot, swept away the dust and cobwebs with her qi, and took out a piece of cloth from her magical receptacle toy it on the ground. She beckoned for Qi Xuansu to sit with her.

    The two sat back to back, listening to the sound of the night rain outside the temple, neither of them speaking.

    Zhang Yuelu hugged her knees, lost in thought.

    Qi Xuansu, on the other hand, felt a little awkward. His breathing became lighter.

 Chapter 113: Just Like Yesterday

    <h4>Chapter 113: Just Like Yesterday</h4>

    The night was getting darker, and it was still pouring outside.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu woke up at the same time. They had good hearing and could hear a slight rustling of footsteps approaching the dpidated temple.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart trembled as he turned to Zhang Yuelu. ¡°Those people have bad intentions. Do you think that the demons from the Lingshan Witch Cult came to take revenge?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu put her finger to her lips and whispered, ¡°Tian Yuan, keep quiet for now.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded.

    The two stood up slowly. Zhang Yuelu had already taken out the Amorphous Paper while Qi Xuansu held his short sword, Qing Yuan, on his waist.

    After a while, an aged voice came from outside the temple. ¡°Is the Deputy Hall Master Zhang of Tiangang Hall in the temple? Deputy Hall Master Zhang, we have something to ask you. Please show yourself.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s expression changed slightly. Just as she was about to speak, Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Which friend is visiting in the dead of night?¡±

    The next moment, the door of the ancient temple copsed, revealing seven people lined up outside the temple, holding kerosenemps from the Western Continent. They looked fearless in the wind and rain.

    After this group of people pushed down the temple door, they simultaneously shined the kerosenemps in their hands on Qi Xuansu¡¯s face, momentarily dazzling thetter.

    Since the group of people was hidden in the darkness behind the lights, it was difficult for Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu to make out their faces. However, it was clear that this group was hostile.

    The leader of the group sounded old. ¡°Mage Zhang, pleasee out.¡±

    The others also chimed in, requesting the same thing.

    Their voices spread into the forest, vibrating the beams of the dpidated temple. The dust on the beams fell, and the roof tiles rattled slightly. It was obvious that those people had a high cultivation level.

    Zhang Yuelu slowly took a step forward and asked, ¡°Who are you, and what do you want from me?¡±

    She spoke in a normal volume, but her voice stood out among the others. Her voice traveled furtherpared with the other seven people who deliberately spoke loudly, indicating that Zhang Yuelu¡¯s cultivation level was higher than theirs.

    At this moment, someone shined a kerosenemp on Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face and took out a portrait forparison. He shouted, ¡°That¡¯s Zhang Yuelu!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu immediately knew that these people were targeting her. She had many enemies, but they had no chance to target her because she lived in the Jade Capital. In the past, she only traveled out of the Jade Capital with an entourage or by flying ship. This time, by traveling with Qi Xuansu using thend route, Zhang Yuelu inadvertently provided her enemies with the opportunity to ambush her.

    She knew she had made a mistake by choosing this route, and she felt guilty for dragging Qi Xuansu down with her. Realizing her mistake, she whispered to Qi Xuansu, ¡°Tian Yuan, leave these people to me. You should find an opportunity to escape.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was afraid that Qi Xuansu would not leave because he did not want to be seen as a coward, so she added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me and run. I have a way to save myself.¡±

    Hearing this, Qi Xuansu had a feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. This scene was simr to the time he and his master were ambushed on their way back to the Jade Capital. His master had also shouted at him to run first. To this day, his master¡¯s thunderous roar still echoes in his ears.

    At that time, Qi Xuansu was so frightened that he subconsciously followed his master¡¯s instructions and fled the scene. But in the end, he still did not manage to escape and was stabbed by the assassin.

    Would he run away this time and leave Zhang Yuelu alone?

    Qi Xuansu felt a tightness in his chest as he deliberated for a moment. He felt suffocated, and his heart began to ache.

    For some reason, he felt like shouting to vent his frustration. However, Madam Qi had taught him to always remain calm, especially when he was infuriated. So Qi Xuansu suppressed his impulse and shook his head firmly.

    Zhang Yuelu was vexed because she did not expect the usually obedient Qi Xuansu to foolishly disobey hermand at such a critical moment. However, she secretly felt ted that he did not abandon her in the face of danger. Since they went through hardships together, they could be considered close friends, right?

    The seven people threw their kerosenemps in different directions. Some of thempsnded on the ground, while others hung on the beams. It was just enough light to illuminate the dpidated temple.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu could clearly see their enemies, wearing ck robber masks with everything but their eyes covered. This was amon disguise for assassins.

    Anothermon disguise was y face masks like Xie Qiuniang¡¯s. Veiled hats or half-covered face masks only added to the mystery.

    The leader of the group mocked. ¡°What a lovely pair of fateful Mandarin ducks. I¡¯m surprised you two didn¡¯t fly away on your own in the face of disaster.¡±

    Another person added, ¡°It¡¯s good to have apanion on the road to hell. That way, they won¡¯t feel lonely.¡±

    The third personughed. ¡°How touching! But what a pity.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face was expressionless. A purple energy shed in her eyes as she identified the lineages of the seven people. At the same time, she informed Qi Xuansu about her findings.

    Qi Xuansu carefully weighed the pros and cons between them and their enemy.

    The Confucian lineages were rarely seen in public, so most people came from a Daoist or Buddhist background, with Daoist lineages as the majority.

    There was a Diviner among the seven people. Although they could not see his true appearance, his hands that were exposed outside his robe were as white as a corpse¡¯s. His exposed eyes were sunken and dark, looking eerie and terrifying.

    The Diviner had excessive yin energy, which indicated that he practiced various heretical techniques. This kind of opponent was hard to guard against, as they often had surprising tricks. A talisman weapon did not pose a great threat, but it was difficult to defeat a Diviner from a distance.

    The leader of the group was a Qi Refiner. In normal circumstances, Banished Immortals were the most powerful Daoist lineage, followed by Qi Refiners. Just as a Shaman¡¯s strength was closely rted to the amount of incense power, thebat strength of a Qi Refiner was connected to the amount of Taiping coins.

    A Qi Refiner in the Xiantian-Being stage could inflict serious damage on their opponent with a flying sword of excellent quality. Since most excellent quality flying swords were expensive, ordinary people could not afford one. Thus, most people would have no hope of owning a top-quality flying sword.

    The remaining five people were Martial Arts Practitioners, Bhikkhus, and Rogue Cultivators. There were no Shamans or Brahmas among them.

    These seven people seemed to know that Zhang Yuelu was a tough opponent. Seeing that Zhang Yuelu was unfazed by their mocking words, they nced at each other.

    One person said, ¡°Brother, isn¡¯t it a pity to just kill this girl? Let¡¯s have some fun with her before finishing her off.¡±

    Then he looked at Qi Xuansu and added, ¡°You haven¡¯t seen Mage Zhang¡¯s body yet, have you? You should thank us, then. We¡¯ll give you an unforgettable memory today!¡±

    Another personughed. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea! These two little mandarin ducks are still fledglings that have yet to experience coption. We should teach them the way.¡±

    These people wanted to provoke Zhang Yuelu because if she lost herposure, their chances of winning would increase by 10%.

    Qi Xuansu clearly sensed a rare killing aura from Zhang Yuelu at that moment.

    She turned to look at the two people who spoke and threatened. ¡°I probably won¡¯t be able to escape today, but I can certainly drag a few people down to hell with me. Since you two like to talk so much, I¡¯ve decided to make you two my entertainment during that boring journey to hell.¡±

    The two men¡¯s expressions under their masks fell. If Zhang Yuelu really wanted to fight to the death, then it was likely that they would not get away from this unscathed.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s gaze quickly swept over the two people.

    One was a Martial Arts Practitioner, and the other was a Bhikku.

    The Bhikkhu was a 2.5-meter-tall, burly man wearing ck armor, like a wall of human flesh. Through the gaps in the ck armor, Qi Xuansu could vaguely see the faint golden color of his skin, which was a unique trait of Buddhist disciples.

    Qi Xuansu was unsure what type of ck armor that Bhikkhu was wearing. However, it was unlikely for this ck armor to be in the treasure category because it was rare for a Xiantian Being to obtain treasures.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner was a lean, ordinary-looking man. This was the norm for Martial Arts Practitioners because they spent most of their money on food or medicine and did not care much about external objects. In other words, their body was their best weapon.

    At this moment, the leading Qi Refiner shouted, ¡°Take care of that pretty boy first!¡±

    The Bhikkhu gritted his teeth and charged at Qi Xuansu.

    This Bhikkhu was a burly man, so with the armor, his figure was even more towering. At this moment, he strode forward with an unstoppable momentum, looking like a gianting at Qi Xuansu.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner followed closely behind.

    Qi Xuansu faced the Bhikkhu without the intention of avoiding him. The Bhikkhu¡¯s punch met Qi Xuansu¡¯s palm with the ng of metal and stone colliding.

    The Bhikkhu was startled and thought that Qi Xuansu was a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Guizhen stage.

    Just as the Bhikkhu was lost in thought, Qi Xuansu had already pulled out the Divine Dragon Pistol and shot him in the chest.

    At such a close distance, the firepower was unstoppable, shattering the Bhikkhu¡¯s armor and making him stagger back. Blood was flowing from his chest, and he had lost the strength to fight.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner behind the Bhikkhu rushed forward and punched Qi Xuansu, aiming at thetter¡¯s vitals. At the same time, the Martial Arts Practitioner kept changing his position to confuse Qi Xuansu while unleashing multiple punches.

    However, Qi Xuansu had already expected it. He leaped back and avoided the punches. At the same time, he reached for his waist belt and raised his hand.

    With a glint of cold light, the Martial Arts Practitioner felt a chill on his face and a burning pain in his neck. The Martial Arts Practitioner stretched out his hand and covered his neck, only to find his palm covered in blood.

    Qi Xuansu had thrown a knife at him.

 Chapter 114: Night Battle in the Ancient Temple

    <h4>Chapter 114: Night Battle in the Ancient Temple</h4>

    Two of the seven people fought Qi Xuansu, while the other five targeted Zhang Yuelu.

    Due to the limited space, only three people attacked Zhang Yuelu at the same time, while the other two waited for opportunities.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s gaze quickly swept over the three people.

    One of them was an unarmed Martial Arts Practitioner, and another was a Bhikkhu wielding a sword. The biggest difference between a Bhikkhu and a Martial Arts Practitioner was that a Bhikkhu could umte qi. Bhikkhus had a mix of Qi Refiners¡¯ and Martial Arts Practitioners¡¯ powers. Therefore, Bhikkhus often used weapons and armors.

    The third person¡¯s face was covered, but his exposed hands were as white as a corpse¡¯s. He also had a sinister aura, indicating the excessive Yin energy in his body. He was the only Diviner in the group.

    The three of them were all in the Yuxu stage. In normal circumstances, three cultivators in the Yuxu stage could defeat an opponent in the Guizhen stage.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner gritted his teeth and charged at Zhang Yuelu first.

    Of course, he was aware that Zhang Yuelu was a Banished Immortal in the Guizhen stage.

    However, it was too early to tell who would be the victor.

    The Bhikkhu followed closely behind. At the same time, he injected his qi into the sword in his hand, making the sword glow with a faint golden aura.

    In the meantime, the Diviner pressed his snow-white palms on the ground beneath his feet. Suddenly, countless wisps of ck smoke spread along the ground.

    Zhang Yuelu stood on the spot, letting the three of them use their own methods because three Yuxu-stage opponents could not defeat her.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner could already see the Five Elements Qi Shield surrounding Zhang Yuelu. The five-color light swirled around her mysteriously. It was obvious that this Five Elements Qi Shield was much better than an ordinary one.

    This made the Martial Arts Practitioner feel resentful. He had spent most of his life wallowing in the dirt, while some people were born in the clouds.

    The big man roared angrily and exhaled a turbid breath, using his momentum to deliver a strong punch that created a faint explosion.

    Faced with this punch, Zhang Yuelu had no intention of avoiding it. Her fearlessness made it seem like she was looking down on her opponent.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner shouted, ¡°Go to hell, you little bitch!¡±

    The punchnded hard on Zhang Yuelu¡¯s qi shield. To his surprise, it felt like he had punched cotton.

    Was this the magical power of Banished Immortals?

    How could he not be jealous?

    This girl was so young, yet she was already at the Guizhen stage. On the contrary, he was still in the Yuxu stage after so many years.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner was determined to break through Zhang Yuelu¡¯s protective shield and used almost all his strength. However, within a short distance, he could only deliver one punch in a breath, which was far less than the usual speed.

    His face was flushed as he shouted, ¡°Die!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s Five Elements Qi Shield finally cracked. She frowned slightly and used her palm to push the man away.

    The Bhikkhu was in a daze for a moment. Then he flew in front of Zhang Yuelu and shed at her with his sword.

    Unfortunately, Zhang Yuelu was no easy opponent. She grabbed his wrist and used his sword to sh at the Diviner, who was casting a spell.

    The Diviner was too focused on casting his spell and barely avoided the cold gust that came his way by rolling to the side. He broke out in a cold sweat. If he had not reacted quickly enough just now, he might not have been able to keep his head.

    The Bhikkhu took this opportunity to break away from Zhang Yuelu¡¯s grasp and drifted back to the Diviner¡¯s side. When he looked down, he saw five more deep fingerprints on his wrist. His bones were already damaged.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner was even more miserable. He staggered back more than three meters before he could stop, leaving two deep footprints on the ground. He spat out a mouthful of blood, and the sound of surging blood in his body gradually faded.

    The two people who were watching on the sidelines had no intention of intervening, but they had glum expressions.

    The rule of thumb was that three low-level cultivators could work together to defeat an opponent who was one level above them. How could three Yuxu<i>-</i>stage cultivators be so vulnerable against Zhang Yuelu?

    If they were to switch ces with Zhang Yuelu, they would definitely not be able to deal with three<i> </i>Yuxu<i>-</i>stage cultivators so easily on their own.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu, who had been standing still, finally moved. She appeared in front of the Martial Arts Practitioner and punched him firmly in the chest. The force of her punch prated his heart and lungs. In an instant, the Martial Arts Practitioner bled from all his orifices.

    The Bhikkhu who witnessed this scene turned pale, and his right hand that was holding the sword trembled slightly.

    It did not make sense to him that Zhang Yuelu could severely injure a Martial Arts Practitioner, known for their physical strength, with just one punch.

    He felt a deep sense of powerlessness, and the one-meter sword in his hand seemed extra heavy.

    However, there was no room for retreat. Seeing Zhang Yuelu kicking the incapacitated Martial Arts Practitioner, the Bhikkhu attacked her. He touched the de with two fingers, creating a ring light which flew out toward her.

    The sword light was extremely sharp, and this sword was a spiritual object, so the Bhikkhu was confident that he could break through Zhang Yuelu¡¯s qi shield.

    At the same time, the Diviner finally cast his spell, making the ground under Zhang Yuelu¡¯s feet sticky, like muddy ground after the rain or squirming internal organs.

    Then a ck mist emerged, rising continuously and gradually covering her feet, resembling a stagnant pool of ck water.

    However, this mist had countless lifelike faces protruding from the squirming ground. These faces had their eyes closed tightly, with painful and miserable expressions. They stuck out their pale palms from the ground and grabbed Zhang Yuelu¡¯s ankle.

    At the same time, Zhang Yuelu could hear countless murmurs, telling her about their suffering and making her ufortable.

    Zhang Yuelu knew very well that after death, one¡¯s soul and spirit returned to heaven and earth. Only the Three Corpses turned into ghosts. Thus, these bodies were just like zombies who had no memory. These whispers of suffering were just a way to confuse one¡¯s mind.

    Since Zhang Yuelu was not yet a Heavenly Being, she could not break this spell with just a stamp of her feet, so she was temporarily trapped here.

    Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Bhikkhu finally used all his strength to sh Zhang Yuelu with his sword. Although Zhang Yuelu twisted her body to avoid the strike, her Five Elements Qi Shield was still broken.

    Zhang Yuelu then held the Bhikkhu¡¯s sword with two fingers, preventing him from moving. The Bhikkhu was quick to react and immediately let go of his sword, which to him, was just as important as his life.

    She held the sword upside down and threw it out, simr to the Rogue Cultivator¡¯s Sword Controlling Technique.

    The sword arched and pierced through the Bhikkhu¡¯s abdomen, then it flew straight to the Diviner behind the Bhikkhu.

    The Diviner¡¯s sight was blocked by the Bhikkhu¡¯s body, so he did not see what Zhang Yuelu was doing. By the time he noticed the sword, it was already toote. The sword pierced his chest and came out through his back. Although it failed to hit his heart, the Diviner was still seriously injured.

    However, his spell did not fade. It still trapped Zhang Yuelu in ce.

    The Bhikkhu was stabbed in the abdomen, so he covered his wound, knelt on one knee, and vomited blood, looking miserable.

    In the blink of an eye, the three Yuxu-stage cultivators had all been injured by Zhang Yuelu.

    The leader of the group, who had been watching on the sidelines, narrowed his eyes. His expression turned gloomy.

    He had overestimated Zhang Yuelu, so he brought six people with him. However, it was still not enough.

    At this moment, another person joined in the fight. This person was a Rogue Cultivator in the Guizhen stage.

    Zhang Yuelu turned the Amorphous Paper into a horizontal sword and shed at the man.

    The impact created a ravine in the ground. This was just the aftereffect of the sword qi. The sword qi approached the Rogue Cultivator and tore his clothes when it was just three meters away from him, indicating just how strong the force was.

    The Rogue Cultivator drifted back and waved his sleeves to capture the sword qi, making the sleeves of his robe swell endlessly.

    Zhang Yuelu stepped forward and kept shing at him. When she was about ten steps away from him, dozens of crisscrossing ravines appeared in the ground from her sword qi, each more than 30 centimeters deep. The gravel shot out, creating countless potholes in the ground uponnding.

    It would be a gory sight if the gravel were tond on human flesh.

    Zhang Yuelu struck again, the intense sword qi falling right in front of the Rogue Cultivator. The Rogue Cultivator tapped his foot on the ground and leaped back. In just a fraction of a second, Zhang Yuelu swept across with her sword, cutting a Buddha statue in half with her sword qi. The cut was smooth, indicating how sharp the sword qi was.

    After Rogue Cultivator dodged the attack, he used a mystical ability that allowed his fingernails to grow to about 30 centimeters long in just a second. His nails shone with a metallic sheen, as if they were no longer a part of the human body but a weapon.

    The Rogue Cultivator put his five fingers together and shed down hard, as if his hand was a sword. When it shed with Zhang Yuelu¡¯s paper sword, it sounded like metal and stone colliding.

    The sword light around Zhang Yuelu¡¯s paper sword expanded until itpletely covered the sword. She lifted her sword and cut off the Rogue Cultivator¡¯s fingernails into pieces. Facing such lethal swordsmanship with sword qi that was like a strong raging wind, the Rogue Cultivator was unnerved.

    The Rogue Cultivator dared not catch her sword, so he had no choice but to retreat repeatedly, trying his best to avoid the attacks.

 Chapter 115: Two Flying Swallows

    <h4>Chapter 115: Two Flying Swallows</h4>

    The Rogue Cultivator took full advantage of his lineage¡¯s vast range of knowledge, increasing hisbat power.

    Although he was not a pure Martial Arts Practitioner, he was knowledgeable about the different martial arts techniques. At this time, he used the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s Everchanging Palm Technique. His body kept moving erratically, and his palm whooshed by, seeming illusory as he avoided Zhang Yuelu¡¯s horizontal sword.

    Suddenly, he jumped out of nowhere and raised both hands, striking Zhang Yuelu incessantly.

    This move was fast and unexpected, so Zhang Yuelu had no time to dodge and could only rely on her Five Elements Qi Shield to endure the palm strikes.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner used all his strength to barely break through the Five Elements Qi Shield, but this Rogue Cultivatorpletely shattered her qi shield with one strike.

    This Rogue Cultivator did not give Zhang Yuelu a chance to breathe when he gained the upper hand. He took advantage of the situation and increased his force, intending to shatter Zhang Yuelu¡¯s chest and kill her on the spot.

    However, he felt a sudden surge of foreign energy, which dissipated the energy in his palm in an instant.

    The Rogue Cultivator was shocked and did not dare to let this foreign energy enter his body, so he stopped his attack immediately.

    At this time, the Diviner¡¯s spell began to dissipate, and the hands that were grabbing Zhang Yuelu¡¯s ankles turned into mush. Zhang Yuelu retracted her feet and gently shook off the pile of rotten meat.

    She finally regained her freedom and turned the horizontal sword into a long sword.

    The Rogue Cultivator¡¯s steps were nimble as he struck her with his palms again.

    Zhang Yuelu faced his Everchanging Palm Technique head-on without any intent to dodge. Instead, she aimed her paper sword at his palms.

    The Rogue Cultivator¡¯s palms and Zhang Yuelu¡¯s sword moved in a flurry, both rapidly changing variations.

    Zhang Yuelu used the Lotus Steps in the Cihang Sword Sequence and turned her sword into three. From an outsider''s perspective, it seemed as though three people were wielding swords simultaneously, outnumbering the Rogue Cultivator''s pair of fists.

    The sword qi was so sharp that the Rogue Cultivator risked losing his fingers if he tried to fight with his bare hands.

    Thus, he did not dare to fight her head-on and decided to retreat. From this perspective, Zhang Yuelu hadpletely suppressed the Rogue Cultivator.

    At this moment, the leading Qi Refiner finally took action. A faint green light shot out of his sleeves and disappeared in a sh.

    Zhang Yuelu, who had always been able to handle the situation with ease, finally looked a little flustered. Although she had already dodged the green light, a lock of her hair was cut off.

    The green light jumped erratically as it circled and struck Zhang Yuelu again.

    Fortunately, Zhang Yuelu was on guard. She narrowly avoided the green light at the critical moment.

    This green light finally revealed its true appearance. It was a small emerald-green sword without a hilt that hovered in the air, the famous Flying Sword of the Taiping Sect.

    The Qi Refiner¡¯s right index and middle fingers were pressed together as he pointed to the front. The small green sword flew forward again.

    Flying swords were rare and expensive. They were also lethal weapons.

    Since Zhang Yuelu had to concentrate on dealing with the flying sword, the Rogue Cultivator had a chance to breathe. He curled his fingers like hooks, and a green qi emerged from them. It was powerful,parable to the sharp sword qi.

    The Rogue Cultivator approached Zhang Yuelu again, pointing, grabbing, and changing more than ten kinds of variations with his fingers.

    In the blink of an eye, Zhang Yuelu fell to a disadvantage.

    At this moment, the Qi Refiner stopped controlling the flying sword and stepped forward to strike Zhang Yuelu with his palm.

    Zhang Yuelu quickly blocked his attack with her palm. When their palms touched, the force vibrated their bodies, blood, and qi. At this moment, the Rogue Cultivator approached Zhang Yuelu and pointed at her Danzhong meridian, located at the center of her chest.

    She had no choice but to force the Rogue Cultivator back with her long sword.

    At the same time, the Qi Refiner''s flying sword attacked her.

    Since Zhang Yuelu could not retract in time, she could only activate the Five Elements Qi Shield again. The faint, five-colored aura surrounded her body in a mystical flow.

    However, the Five Elements Qi Shield still could notpete with the sharpness of a flying sword. It was cut open after a slight resistance, but the flying sword also slowed down visibly.

    Zhang Yuelu took advantage of this opportunity to retract her paper sword and block the flying sword. She also shed at the Rogue Cultivator with her sword qi.

    The Rogue Cultivator blocked the strike with his bare hand, but Zhang Yuelu¡¯s sword qi was so powerful that it severed all five of his fingers, leaving only a bare palm.

    Howling miserably, the Rogue Cultivator grabbed his bloody hand and stepped back.

    Zhang Yuelu was about to finish off the Rogue Cultivator when she felt something approaching her. She stopped abruptly and turned sideways to avoid it.

    Although Zhang Yuelu managed to avoid injuring her vitals, she still felt a sudden chill on her neck.

    Zhang Yuelu reached out to touch her throat, which was wet with blood.

    She raised her eyes and saw a small purple sword without a hilt hovering not far away.

    The size of this sword was simr to the green flying sword earlier. Only their color was different.

    It turned out that the Qi Refiner had two flying swords¡ªone in the dark and one in the open, one female and one male.

    The female purple sword ambushed Zhang Yuelu.

    These two flying swords were modeled after the Daoist swords, Purple Afterglow and Green Cloud. They were each regarded as high-grade spiritual objects. However, when used together, they were regarded as treasures.

    The green flying sword was male, while the purple flying sword was female. Together, they were called the Purple and Green Swallows. They were designed by the Taiping Sect in the first year of the Jiushi Era to celebrate the new emperor¡¯s coronation.

    There were a total of 365 sets of swords made for this asion, one set for the number of days in the year. Most of them were given out as gifts to various dignitaries in the Imperial Court. Only a few of them circted outside.

    Forty years have passed since then. Excluding the damaged and missing ones, there were about a hundred sets of these flying swords left in the world. Some were sold on the ck market at a high price of 5,000 Taiping coins per set.

    Zhang Yuelu covered her throat to stop the blood from gushing out and made a hoarse and indistinguishable sound from her mouth.

    Among the seven ambushers, six were restrained. Only this leading Qi Refiner truly posed a threat to Zhang Yuelu.

    Being able to control two flying swords at the same time showed that the Qi Refiner was not far away from bing a Heavenly Being. His cultivation level was higher than that of Lin Zhenyuan.

    The two flying swords were also of good quality, able to circte qi and move with such agility. A low-quality flying sword was not as spirited and was slow, hence requiring a lot of effort to maneuver.

    The Qi Refiner¡¯s two flying swords were the best among spiritual objects. Compared with the flying swords in the treasure level, they were not as tough or sharp. However, whenbined, the two flying swordspensated for each other¡¯s shorings and were considered to be at the treasure level.

    However, a slit in the throat was not enough to kill Zhang Yuelu. She held her breath by using the Fetal Breathing Technique and controlled her qi to seal the wound, preventing the blood from flowing back into her lungs. At the same time, her wound began to heal slowly.

    The Qi Refiner stretched out his hands, creating a loud squeak, as bursts of mysterious green and purple light appeared on his cuffs.

    The two flying swords moved rapidly, with the green male sword taking the lead. A ring green light was aimed straight at Zhang Yuelu.

    The purple female sword did not have such an intense light as the male sword. Instead, the purple light flickered and appeared erratic.

    Zhang Yuelu kept dodging the flying swords, but she was still wounded. She nced at the Qi Refiner not far away, who was concentrating on controlling the sword. She knew that if she wanted to win, she could not target the flying swords, which had almost no weaknesses. She had to target the person controlling the swords.

    The Qi Refiner was also aware of his weakness, so he asked the Rogue Cultivator to stay by his side.

    The Rogue Cultivator had his fingers severed earlier, so he dared not be careless. He took out a bead from his pocket and injected his qi into it, creating a semicircr light shield that covered the two of them. Zhang Yuelu failed to attack them, as the shield was a treasure-level object.

    The Qi Refiner concentrated on controlling the flying sword while the Rogue Cultivator focused on defense, working together seamlessly. It was obviously not the first time they had done this.

    Zhang Yuelu was helpless. Before the Heavenly-Being stage, good-quality flying swords had almost no weaknesses and were hard to defeat. Thus, one would easily fall into a passive position and get beaten when facing a Qi Refiner with a flying sword. Even the Shaman¡¯s golden body and the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s strong physique could only withstand the attacks for a short while. The flying sword would continuously inflict wounds until the opponent copsed.

    As a Banished Immortal, Zhang Yuelu was superior to Qi Refiners in terms of lineage. In fact, she could have easily handled two flying swords. But because there was another Guizhen-stage Rogue Cultivator protecting the Qi Refiner, she could not easily defeat them. Moreover, with the treasure-level object as a defense, it was even more difficult for Zhang Yuelu to break through their shield.

    The Rogue Cultivator acted as a hindrance toward Zhang Yuelu so that the Qi Refiner could seize the opportunity to seriously injure her with his flying swords.

    Zhang Yuelu was a Banished Immortal and was naturally a step ahead of other lineages in one-on-onebat. In the Heavenly Being and Pseudo-Immortal stages, these traits became more obvious. It was also unlikely for a Banished Immortal to be outnumbered during that stage because there were not many Heavenly Beings or Pseudo-Immortals around.

    Although Zhang Yuelu had a semi-immortal object, the Qi Refiner and the Rogue Cultivator each had a treasure. ording to Daoist standards, a semi-immortal object was equivalent to a Heaven merit, and an ordinary treasure was equivalent to an Earth merit. Three treasures were equivalent to one semi-immortal object. Thus, this slight difference was not enough for Zhang Yuelu to gain the upper hand when fighting against two opponents.

    As ast resort, Zhang Yuelu could only use a Spiritual Statue as a defense.

    However, the energy consumption for using a Spiritual Statue was high, so she would not be able to sustain it for long. If this became a drawn-out battle, Zhang Yuelu could be defeated.

    It was not so easy for her to escape because she could not run faster than a flying sword. Moreover, she had to stay on guard to protect herself from being stabbed in the back. Zhang Yuelu could barely block the flying sword from the front, so she would probably end up dead if she turned her back on the flying sword to run.

    All kinds of thoughts flooded Zhang Yuelu¡¯s mind, but she still could not think of a way to escape.

    The only thing she regretted was dragging Qi Xuansu into this mess. If she died here today, she would have no choice but to apologize to him on her journey to theherworld.

 Chapter 116: The Ending of Three People

    <h4>Chapter 116: The Ending of Three People</h4>

    On the other side, Qi Xuansu had unexpectedly wounded the Bhikkhu with the pistol and fought with the Martial Arts Practitioner.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s skin, especially at his palms, became translucent like a piece of high-quality white jade. This was not the mystical ability of Rogue Cultivators, but a magical power that Qi Xuansu obtained from the Xuan Jade.

    His physique was better than that of Martial Arts Practitioners in the Yuxu stage andparable to that of Martial Arts Practitioners in the Guizhen stage. However, he could not concentrate on merging his mind and body.

    Even so, Qi Xuansu¡¯s current physique and cultivation level were enough for him to deal with a Yuxu-stage Martial Arts Practitioner.

    Qi Xuansu struck the Martial Arts Practitioner in the chest. At the same time, the Martial Arts Practitioner punched him firmly on the forehead.

    Upon impact, the Martial Arts Practitioner stood on the same spot with his body swaying slightly, while Qi Xuansu flew backward like a kite with a broken string. Qi Xuansu''s back hit a pir supporting the ancient temple, stirring up the dust from the beams.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner stared at Qi Xuansu, who was slowly sliding down the pir, and asked, ¡°Are you a Martial Arts Practitioner too?¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook off the dust on his body and said nothing.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner stomped hard on the ground, using the force of the recoil to rush straight toward Qi Xuansu. However, when he was about three meters away from Qi Xuansu, he took one step forward, forcibly stopping his forward momentum. Then he retracted his arm as if he was drawing an arrow.

    His fist roared through the air.

    Qi Xuansu used his left hand to catch the attacking fist. The force of the punch prated his palm, forcing him to fly backward again. But at the same time, Qi Xuansu raised his right hand, shooting a cold beam of light at the Martial Arts Practitioner.

    The cold light cut a long and thin gash on the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s throat, in which faint traces of blood seeped out.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner was shocked and angry for almost dying from a slit in the throat.

    Qi Xuansunded on the ground but stood up almost immediately. His face, which was slightly pale due to the punch, returned to a normal color at a speed visible to the naked eye. Under normal circumstances, the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s punch should have seriously injured Qi Xuansu. However, Qi Xuansu had gone through a body transformation from the Xuan Jade, so he was unaffected.

    Instead of retreating, Qi Xuansu advanced and closed the distance between the two of them.

    With a wave of his sleeve, another knife shot toward the Martial Arts Practitioner again.

    However, the Martial Arts Practitioner was on guard this time and blocked the cold light with his arms, finally revealing its true appearance. It was the throwing knife that Zhang Yuelu gave to Qi Xuansu.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner calmed down and looked solemn.

    Although most people looked down on the Sword Controlling Technique thinking that it was a crude version of the Sword Steering Technique, it was an effective killing move for Xiantian Beings.

    Qi Xuansu did not move much when another cold light shot out.

    Compared with the Sword Steering Technique, the Sword Controlling Technique was less agile, but it wasparable in speed. The Martial Arts Practitioner was not an invincible Banished Immortal, so he dared not let his guard down, even though he had a strong physique.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner suddenly leaned back to dodge the cold light. However, the sword qi still left a wound on his forehead and cut off arge lock of his hair. He knew that he would lose if he continued to be in a defensive position. Thus, he took the risk of having his hand pierced by the throwing knife to punch Qi Xuansu in the forehead, right between the eyebrows.

    The gust from the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s fist blew Qi Xuansu¡¯s hair back. When his fist was only an inch away from Qi Xuansu¡¯s forehead, Qi Xuansu leaned back, barely avoiding the punch.

    He quickly drifted backward, but the Martial Arts Practitioner showed no mercy and followed him closely until they left the cover of the ancient temple and went under the rain.

    Qi Xuansu stopped retreating and kicked his opponent. The Martial Arts Practitioner reached out to grab Qi Xuansu¡¯s ankle, but thetter kicked him in the temple again. The two of them were once again in closebat.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s advantagey in his strong physique, while the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s strengthy in his boxing skills. The two of them fought under the rain, scattering countless raindrops and creating arge nket of fog that surrounded them.

    When the two collided with each other, Qi Xuansu slid back, sshing mud everywhere. The Martial Arts Practitioner followed him like a shadow. Although his palms had been pierced through, his arms were still intact. He hammered Qi Xuansu fiercely with a force that could crack boulders.

    After dozens of such exchanges, Qi Xuansu used the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s punch to float back and distance himself from his opponent.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner did not pursue Qi Xuansu this time and did not even speak because his blood qi was chaotic and his face was as pale as paper.

    Although it seemed that the Martial Arts Practitioner had the upper hand, he could not defeat Qi Xuansu and could barely withstand the force of Qi Xuansu¡¯s counterattack.

    Qi Xuansu, on the other hand, exhaled gently. The surging blood flowed all over his body, making his face flush.

    It was evident that the magical power of the Xuan Jade had increased Qi Xuansu¡¯sbat power significantly.

    Qi Xuansu changed to an offensive position and punched the Martial Arts Practitioner in the face, which was unbelievable.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner stretched out his hand to block the punch and was about to fight back, but Qi Xuansu swung out his right palm, which he had gathered his qi into.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner raised his hand to block the attack, but he did not anticipate a burst of qi from Qi Xuansu¡¯s palm. Due to the force, the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s palm and Qi Xuansu¡¯s palmnded on the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s chest at the same time. This force prated his body, and a series of cracks were audible.

    Even a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Flesh and Blood Realm would have damaged internal organs from such an impact. It was not possible to recover from such injuries quickly.

    Qi Xuansu wanted to keep his opponent alive for questioning. He took out the Divine Dragon Pistol and reloaded it. But unexpectedly, this Martial Arts Practitioner was extremely brave. Even with so many broken ribs, the Martial Arts Practitioner found a sudden burst of energy to grab Qi Xuansu¡¯s right leg.

    Startled, Qi Xuansu did not even bother to reload his gun and broke free from the man¡¯s restraints by kicking him. However, this Martial Arts Practitioner was a good grappler. He extended his right arm to grab Qi Xuansu¡¯s left leg, then rolled on the ground, bringing Qi Xuansu down with him.

    At this moment, the Bhikkhu, who was seriously injured by Zhang Yuelu, walked out of the ancient temple and staggered toward Qi Xuansu with his sword in hand, looking like a zombie.

    ¡°Don¡¯t me me for killing you, since you¡¯re seeking your own death.¡± Qi Xuansu was not a saint. He pulled out his spiritual short sword and stabbed the back of the Martial Arts Practitioner who was hugging his legs.

    Even Desmond, the vampire leader, was killed with this sword, not to mention a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Yuxu stage. This Martial Arts Practitioner was stabbed in the heart, which was a vital organ for Martial Arts Practitioners. He died in an instant and no longer had the energy to hold Qi Xuansu¡¯s legs.

    Qi Xuansu kicked the Martial Arts Practitioner away, making thetter fly back, breaking his neck.

    Seeing this, the Bhikkhu holding the sword quickly turned around and staggered back into the temple.

    Qi Xuansu put away his short sword, Qing Yuan, before loading the Divine Dragon Pistol.

    The Bhikkhu had just gotten to the door of the ancient temple when Qi Xuansu aimed the pistol at the back of his head. Qi Xuansu pressed down the hammer with his thumb and pulled the trigger with his index finger. Following the gunshot, a deep, bloody hole appeared on the back of the Bhikkhu¡¯s head. The Bhikkhu fell face-first to the ground, dying instantly.

    Qi Xuansu paused for a moment to reload the gun before strapping it to his waist. Then he pulled out Qing Yuan again.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu, who had manifested a Spiritual Statue, crashed through the wall of the ancient temple with her back. The Qi Refiner and the Rogue Cultivator followed closely behind.

    The three of them rushed into the dense forest outside the ancient temple. Zhang Yuelu tried to use the trees to block the flying swords, but the swords were so sharp that they cut down the thick tree trunks wherever the sword light passed.

    Qi Xuansu did not rush to help Zhang Yuelu. Instead, he walked into the ancient temple first.

    At this time, there were three other people in the ancient temple, namely the first Bhikkhu whom Qi Xuansu shot earlier, and the Martial Arts Practitioner and Diviner who were seriously injured by Zhang Yuelu.

    Although the three of them were still alive, they had lost the strength to fight. They were all shocked when they saw Qi Xuansu entering the ancient temple with a sword in hand and a murderous look on his face.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner, who was bleeding from all his orifices, was the least injured among the three. He immediately wanted to get up and run away, but Qi Xuansu did not give him a chance to escape.

    Qi Xuansu stepped forward, grabbed the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s back cor, and stabbed him in the back. The sword protruded from the front of the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s chest, killing him instantly.

    Seeing this scene, the other two injured assassins felt horrified even though they were ustomed to killing. After all, fighting to death and helplessly watching someone being ughtered werepletely different. They were flustered and frightened, with nowhere to run.

    Qi Xuansu pushed away the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s body and came to the weakest Diviner, who was stabbed by Zhang Yuelu earlier. At this time, he was almost dying, so Qi Xuansu stabbed him in the chest and twisted the sword into his heart, ending his life.

    Immediately after, Qi Xuansu withdrew his sword and strode toward the injured Bhikkhu. The Bhikkhu stood up with a sudden burst of energy and barely managed to dodge Qi Xuansu¡¯s sword.

    Qi Xuansu tripped the Bhikkhu, reached out to grab thetter¡¯s helmet, and pulled it back to expose the throat. With one clean cut, Qi Xuansu slit the Bhikkhu¡¯s throat, killing him.

    In the blink of an eye, only two out of the seven ambushers were left. They were both outside, fighting with Zhang Yuelu.

    However, Qi Xuansu also knew that these two opponents were the most difficult to deal with, so he had to think of another way.

 Chapter 117: Five Heads

    <h4>Chapter 117: Five Heads</h4>

    The Qi Refiner and the Rogue Cultivator worked together to attack Zhang Yuelu. They thought they could kill Zhang Yuelu, but they never knew how much power and energy a Banished Immortal had. After a long and fierce battle, Zhang Yuelu still showed no signs of fatigue.

    The Qi Refiner could not help but say, ¡°Mage Zhang, you truly are powerful. There were five of us fighting against you, but you injured three of us. Even my old buddy here lost five fingers from dueling with you and still couldn¡¯t defeat you.

    ¡°Heh! I really admire how tenacious you are. If I were to fight you alone, I wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat you and would probably even die at your hands. What a pity¡ª¡±

    Before he finished speaking, the Qi Refiner hurriedly activated the two flying swords, which elerated at top speed and attacked Zhang Yuelu from the left and right.

    Zhang Yuelu did not speak. She concentrated on controlling her Spiritual Statue and used various sword techniques to block the flying swords. At the same time, she turned the Amorphous Paper into paper lotus flowers that acted as spinning des.

    She kept trying to injure the Qi Refiner, but the protective shield around him blocked all attacks. The Rogue Cultivator dared not let his guard down and concentrated on holding up the shield.

    Qi Xuansu came out of the ruined temple and looked at the fight from a distance. He could clearly see the mysterious light that appeared as soon as Zhang Yuelu¡¯s paper lotus hit the shield and disappeared soon after. This indicated that his Divine Dragon Pistol would not be effective either, even with the Dragon Eye Bullet.

    In that case, it was unrealistic to think that they could break through this shield by force. The only way to do so was by outsmarting the opponent.

    At that thought, Qi Xuansu went back into the temple and decapitated all five corpses. He held them together by the hair and left the ancient temple once again.

    Qi Xuansu approached the scene of the battle and shouted, ¡°You two! Whose business did you ept? Is it The Inn?¡±

    The two opponents were startled to hear Qi Xuansu¡¯s voice. The Qi Refiner had to concentrate on attacking Zhang Yuelu, so he could not afford to be distracted. However, the Rogue Cultivator turned to look at Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu threw a decapitated head at them. ¡°Here¡¯s a little gift for you. I hope you¡¯ll like it!¡±

    The Rogue Cultivator caught the head and was stunned for a moment. ¡°Seventh Brother?!¡±

    He turned to the Qi Refiner beside him, his eyes red. ¡°Big Brother, Seventh Brother is dead!¡±

    The Qi Refiner did not speak and concentrated on steering the flying swords.

    Qi Xuansu hurled another decapitated head and taunted. ¡°Well, this one had a fitting death.¡±

    The Rogue Cultivator caught the head again and screamed, ¡°Fifth Brother!¡±

    Although the Rogue Cultivator was wearing a mask that concealed his expression, Qi Xuansu could tell from his voice that the Rogue Cultivator was affected by his brothers¡¯ deaths.

    Qi Xuansu decided to add fuel to the fire and tossed the third head over. ¡°In such risky business, it¡¯s only reasonable for him to die on the field.¡±

    ¡°Sixth Brother!¡± The Rogue Cultivator caught the head again. His voice was hoarse, full of grief and indignation.

    Qi Xuansu continued fanning the mes. ¡°I wonder what you two think of these three heads as a greeting gift. You know, I did this in consideration for you two. With them gone, you¡¯ll now get a bigger cut for this job because you won¡¯t have to split themission so many ways. I understand that you guys can¡¯t openly kill yourrades, so I did it for you. Shouldn¡¯t you thank me for this service?¡±

    ¡°You bastard! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± The Rogue Cultivator finally could not hold himself back any longer. He roared and rushed toward Qi Xuansu.

    The Qi Refiner yelled, ¡°Second Brother, don''t be impulsive! Let¡¯s deal with Zhang Yuelu first. This kid is nothing inparison. We¡¯ll have many ways to kill himter.¡±

    The Rogue Cultivator stopped abruptly, his chest heaving as he panted heavily.

    Qi Xuansu mocked. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing asradery in the real world. Everything boils down to profit. I bet this guy with the flying swords wants me to kill the others. Imagine how much profit you¡¯ll make without sharing it with five other people.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense!¡± The Qi Refiner was infuriated. ¡°Second Brother, don¡¯t fall for his tricks. This guy wants to separate us so he can defeat us!¡±

    The Rogue Cultivator dropped the head he was holding. His eyes turned red, and he gritted his teeth.

    As a result, the Qi Refiner slowed in his offense, which gave Zhang Yuelu some breathing space.

    Qi Xuansumented. ¡°This one was very loyal to the two of you. I broke his ribs, but he hugged my legs and wanted to drag me down with him. I had no choice but to stab him in the heart. Do you think he had a worthy death? Is he your third or fourth brother?¡±

    After that, Qi Xuansu chucked the fourth head at the Qi Refiner.

    The Qi Refiner did not try to catch the head and let it fall at his feet. He had a gloomy and terrifying expression on his face.

    The Rogue Cultivator¡¯s eyes were red, and his voice was hoarse. ¡°Big Brother, it¡¯s Fourth Brother...¡±

    Just as the Qi Refiner was about to speak, Qi Xuansu had already thrown out thest head. ¡°This is thest one. He died with his eyes open because he wanted the two of you to avenge him.¡±

    This time, Qi Xuansu used all of his strength to toss the head up high so that it would notnd on the ground.

    ¡°Third Brother!" Rogue Cultivator shouted, reaching out to catch thest head.

    At this moment, everyone heard a gunshot before the head exploded mid-air.

    Brain matter fell from the sky, sttering all over the Rogue Cultivator.

    The Rogue Cultivator was stunned as he stared at Qi Xuansu, who was holding the Divine Dragon Pistol with smoke still lingering around the muzzle.

    Of course, ordinary projectiles would not have such an explosive effect. Qi Xuansu had ced a Phoenix Eye Bullet in the deceased¡¯s mouth beforehand, so when he shot the head, it detonated the Phoenix Eye Bullet and created the explosion.

    The Rogue Cultivator wiped his face with his fingerless hand and charged at Qi Xuansu without another word.

    Qi Xuansu did all of that just to provoke the Rogue Cultivator and use himself as bait to lure the opponent away, hence relieving the pressure on Zhang Yuelu. He had expected the Rogue Cultivator¡¯s reaction and stepped back without hesitation.

    The two of them entered the ancient temple one after another. Qi Xuansu retreated slowly. The Rogue Cultivator was at the Guizhen stage, so he caught up to Qi Xuansu in the blink of an eye.

    The Rogue Cultivator pped Qi Xuansu with his palm. Qi Xuansu¡¯s qi shield onlysted for a moment before it dissipated.

    At this time, the Rogue Cultivator still had some sense to know that the Qi Refiner alone could not defeat Zhang Yuelu. Thus, he wanted to get rid of this pretty boy as soon as possible so he could return to help the Qi Refiner. Regardless of the loss, the Rogue Cultivator gathered all of his qi into his palms and shoved Qi Xuansu¡¯s chest, wanting to kill his opponent on the spot.

    However, to the Rogue Cultivator¡¯s surprise, Qi Xuansu¡¯s physique wasparable to that of a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Guizhen stage. This palm strike injured Qi Xuansu, but it was far from fatal.

    Qi Xuansu took this opportunity to step back. While distancing himself from his opponent, Qi Xuansu slipped out a Phoenix Eye Bullet from his sleeve and threw it at the Rogue Cultivator.

    The Phoenix Eye Bullet had little effect on a Xiantian Being in the Guizhen<i> </i>stage and only served as a means of containment.

    As expected, the Rogue Cultivator was on guard and avoided the explosion. The shockwaves were also blocked by his qi shield.

    Qi Xuansu took the opportunity to attack. It was a pity that he only had a strong physique but did not have the cultivation level of a Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner. Thus, he could not condense his body and spirit and had no advantage against a Guizhen-stage Rogue Cultivator.

    Since he was not proficient in using his bare hands inbat, Qi Xuansu pulled out his short sword, Qing Yuan, to fight with the Rogue Cultivator.

    The two exchanged more than ten moves. Qi Xuansu and the Rogue Cultivator were evenly matched because the Rogue Cultivator had a fingerless hand and no weapon.

    The Rogue Cultivator grew more anxious as he fought. Since he was in the Holy Embryo Realm of the Guizhen stage, which corresponded to the Nascent Soul Realm of the Banished Immortals and the Divine Qi Realm of the Qi Refiners, he had a mystical ability called the Divine Calction Technique.

    Different from the Purple Astrology used by Banished Immortals, the Divine Calction Technique could be applied inbat. The Rogue Cultivator grew five bone spurs where he had lost his fingers, each around 33 centimeters long. They were shining and metallic, resembling daggers.

    The Rogue Cultivator repeatedly made a counting gesture with his five fingers on his intact hand, extending and curling his fingers one by one.

    Qi Xuansu was amazed by this because he had once heard his master talk about the gist of the Divine Calction Technique. This mystical ability was the most difficult to learn before the Heavenly-Being stage.

    The key word was ¡°calction.¡± The Rogue Cultivator calcted the opponent¡¯s position, cultivation level, body movement, changes in weaponry, and even the intensity of light, terrain, altitude, air flow changes, and so on. All these variables were extremelyplicated to calcte, but if done correctly, one¡¯s attack would be sessful.

    At its highest potential, one could even predict the enemy''s opportunities and prepare to strike. It would look like an opponent walking over to take a beating. If one could practice the royal family¡¯s Taishang Emotionless Sutra and abandon their emotions and desires, then one could turn the Divine Calction Technique into the Heavenly Calction Technique. If so, one could take advantage of all opportunities when attacking, and there would be no ws.

    However, the disadvantage of the Divine Calction Technique was that it consumed a lot of mental energy, so it could not be practiced until the Guizhen<i> </i>stage.

    Back then, Qi Xuansu was far from the Guizhen stage, so he did not pay much attention to it. At this time, Qi Xuansu could not calcte all these variables since he had never studied them in depth. Thus, he was flustered when encountering an opponent using this mystical ability.

    Qi Xuansu thrust his sword, but the Rogue Cultivator dodged his attack every time and even stabbed Qi Xuansu with his bone spurs.

    Qi Xuansu quickly raised his sword again to fight, but the Rogue Cultivator seemed to have anticipated this and counterattacked. If Qi Xuansu had not dodged in time, his chest would have been pierced through by the bone spurs. He could not help but break into a cold sweat.

 Chapter 118: Old Tricks

    <h4>Chapter 118: Old Tricks</h4>

    The Rogue Cultivator¡¯s biggest mistake was not separating from the Qi Refiner but that he chose the wrong opponent.

    If the Rogue Cultivator faced Zhang Yuelu alone, he would not have been able to defeat her, but he could still hold on for a while with his protective shield. If so, the Qi Refiner could quickly eliminate Qi Xuansu and join forces with the Rogue Cultivator to deal with Zhang Yuelu afterward.

    The Qi Refiner would have been able to decapitate Qi Xuansu with his two flying swords in minutes.

    However, that option had a shoring. It would give Zhang Yuelu a chance to escape because the Rogue Cultivator would not be able to stop her if she decided to abandon Qi Xuansu while the Qi Refiner was attacking him. In that case, the Qi Refiner and the Rogue Cultivator would not be able to im their reward, and everything would be in vain because the bounty was on Zhang Yuelu, not Qi Xuansu.

    That was why the Qi Refiner refused to deal with Qi Xuansu first. He wanted to kill Zhang Yuelu because five of his brothers had already died during this mission. He did not want to return with nothing.

    At this time, the Rogue Cultivator attacked Qi Xuansu, who was determined to dy time so that the Rogue Cultivator''s protective shield would fade. Meanwhile, the Qi Refiner fought against Zhang Yuelu alone, narrowly escaping death.

    With the Rogue Cultivator using his Divine Calction Technique, Qi Xuansu was constantly in danger. Qi Xuansu pointed his short sword, while the Rogue Cultivator used his bone spurs to block the attack.

    When Qi Xuansu¡¯s sword circled behind the Rogue Cultivator, thetter turned around in an instant and stabbed Qi Xuansu in the lower abdomen and forehead.

    Qi Xuansu was startled by this and blocked the attack with his sword. He could only hear the ng of metal as his sword collided with the bone spurs. It was unclear which one of them was attacking or defending.

    The two of them exchanged several moves in an instant. However, with the Rogue Cultivator¡¯s Divine Calction Technique, Qi Xuansu failed to attack his opponent and gradually fell into a disadvantage. He could only ward off the attacks.

    On the other side, Zhang Yuelu jumped into the air. For a moment, a thousand rays of light appeared behind her. At first nce, it looked like a peacock spreading its tail. But upon closer inspection, these lights were made of sword qi.

    This was the Guanyin Thousand Swords in the Cihang Sword Sequence, which was a high-attainment method on its own. However, it was one of the killing moves, on par with the Taiyin 13 Swords. This method was normally practiced by Heavenly Beings.

    Although Zhang Yuelu was not yet a Heavenly Being and could not manifest a thousand swords, she could generate a hundred swords with terrifying power.

    The Qi Refiner had been in the Guizhen<i> </i>stage for many years and had seen his fair share of impressive moves. However, he was unnerved seeing this sword technique.

    The next moment, Zhang Yuelu rushed forward, thrusting a hundred swords simultaneously. The Qi Refiner¡¯s two flying swords could counter about 80 swords, but he was still bombarded by the remaining 20 swords. He retreated more than 33 meters and crashed into a big tree, swaying the tree with a two-meter-wide trunk and almost causing it to copse.

    Zhang Yuelu tapped her toes and leaped in front of the Qi Refiner, pressing down with her sword.

    In closebat, the flying swords were not effective, so the Qi Refiner put them away and pulled out the long sword on his back to block Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attack. He felt a heavy weight crushing him, making him kneel on the ground.

    Zhang Yuelu was so strong that the Qi Refiner had to hold his sword with both hands to counter the force. She only pressed her sword down with one hand and used her left palm to p the Qi Refiner on the forehead.

    The Qi Refiner broke the big tree behind him and flew backward. All he could see were stars. After a while, the Qi Refiner stood up and wanted to settle his chaotic qi, but Zhang Yuelu approached him and kept drawing out her sword.

    The Qi Refiner, who had exhausted his energy, struggled to fight with Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face paled slightly, which was a sign of energy overconsumption. It was difficult for her to use the Guanyin<i> </i>Thousand Swords at this stage. However, she was not at the end of her rope yet, and she still had the upper hand.

    The Qi Refiner swung his sword, but Zhang Yuelu had anticipated it and avoided it effortlessly. Then she struck the Qi Refiner¡¯s sword, interrupting thetter¡¯s flow of qi.

    Zhang Yuelu was unyielding and struck again.

    Startled, the Qi Refiner jumped back and managed to escape the attack. However, the sword qi still tore his sleeves and left a long gash on his forearm.

    The Qi Refiner was d to see this, as he clearly saw Zhang Yuelu aiming for his chest. This was a sign that Zhang Yuelu¡¯s reflexes were slowing down and that she was getting exhausted.

    How long could shest in a fierce battle?

    Zhang Yuelu knew that she had been injured by the Qi Refiner¡¯s flying swords and that her movements were sluggish. If she had not been injured, she could have easily wounded the Qi Refiner and even killed him.

    Having spent so much time with Qi Xuansu, Zhang Yuelu learned a lot from him, like how to use deceit and tricks when fighting. Qi Xuansu would never fight head-on if he could sneak and attack. After all, what mattered most in a fight was winning.

    Zhang Yuelu took advantage of the situation and pretended to look helpless. Her face paled as she leaned on her sword, panting heavily.

    The Qi Refiner was fooled by her act. He stopped retreating and took a few steps forward instead, sneering, ¡°Mage Zhang, are you tired? I¡¯m sorry for this.¡±

    After that, he raised his sword and leaped in the air, wanting to chop off Zhang Yuelu¡¯s head.

    Zhang Yuelu deliberately waited until the Qi Refiner was in the air before she suddenly drew her sword, pointing the tip at his lower abdomen.

    The Qi Refiner was startled to see this. He had both arms in the air as he leaped, so his abdomen was unprotected. Zhang Yuelu did not dodge his attack. Instead, she pointed the tip of her sword at his lower abdomen, waiting for him tond and pierce himself with her sword. It was as if she did not care about her own survival and was determined to go down with him.

    Before his feet even touched the ground, he saw that he was in danger and hurriedly swung his sword to sh at Zhang Yuelu¡¯s long sword. Zhang Yuelu had already expected this move, so she raised her right arm slightly, lifting the paper sword in her hand by 60 centimeters and aiming at the Qi Refiner¡¯s chest.

    When the Qi Refiner shed at her sword, he hoped that he would be able to use the force of the impact to jump backward. Unexpectedly, Zhang Yuelue pointed her sword upward at this critical moment. He shed through the air with his sword helplessly and hit the tip of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s sword, which pierced his shoulder de.

    At the moment of life and death, the Qi Refiner was decisive and ruthless. Regardless of his wounds, he stepped back, withdrawing his body from Zhang Yuelu¡¯s paper sword. Then he rushed toward the ancient temple.

    Zhang Yuelu, who was also injured, quickly chased after the Qi Refiner, blocking his path. Many of the healed wounds on her body burst open again, so she was covered in blood. However, Zhang Yuelu could not care less and shed at the Qi Refiner. The Qi Refiner blocked the attack and spat out a mouthful of blood.

    Seeing this, Zhang Yuelu kicked the Qi Refiner behind the knee, forcing him to kneel.

    The Qi Refiner roared angrily and tried to get up, but Zhang Yuelu pressed down hard with her sword.

    Overwhelmed, the Qi Refiner could not stand up and had to use his upper body strength to support the sword with his shoulders.

    With a flick of her finger, Zhang Yuelu pointed her sword at the Qi Refiner, who flew backward. The Qi Refiner did not die, but he was frightened. He stood up without hesitation and fled for his life without looking back.

    Zhang Yuelu pped the Qi Refiner on the back. His face suddenly turned red, and he swallowed a mouthful of blood. He used the force from this palm strike to propel himself forward and disappear into the dense forest.

    Seeing this, Zhang Yuelu did not pursue him and went back to the temple.

    At this moment, the Rogue Cultivator had already forced Qi Xuansu into a corner.

    Qi Xuansu was in a miserable state. If he had not been transformed by the Xuan Jade and had a physiqueparable to that of a Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner, he would not havested so long and would have already been dead at the hands of the Rogue Cultivator.

    At this time, the Rogue Cultivator happened to have his back to Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu deliberately minimized her presence and approached the Rogue Cultivator like how Qi Xuansu had done before in a sneak attack.

    She did not rush to kill the Rogue Cultivator because she remembered that he had a treasure-level protective shield. If the Rogue Cultivator knew that he could not escape, he could use the shield to resist her attack and drag Qi Xuansu with him in death. That was why she did not dare to act rashly.

    The Rogue Cultivator did not notice Zhang Yuelu approaching him from behind. On the contrary, Qi Xuansu happened to be facing Zhang Yuelu and saw her raising her index finger to her lips in a hush gesture.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression remained unchanged.

    The next moment, the Rogue Cultivator suddenly felt a pain in his heart before his qi began to dissipate rapidly.

    For a moment, there was silence in the ancient temple except for the pitter-patter of the night rain.

    The Rogue Cultivator could not see who had ambushed him, but he saw Qi Xuansu¡¯s mocking smile.

    Lowering his head slowly, the Rogue Cultivator saw the tip of a paper sword that had prated his chest.

    The Rogue Cultivator felt resentful as he spoke with difficulty. ¡°Only thugs attack from behind. Can¡¯t you Daoist dogs learn some new tricks?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°It''s not a new trick, but it works just fine.¡±

    The Rogue Cultivator died in despair, filled with hate and indignation.

 Chapter 119: Two Nestlings

    <h4>Chapter 119: Two Nestlings</h4>

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Qi Xuansu immediately looked at Zhang Yuelu, ignoring the dead Rogue Cultivator before him.

    Zhang Yuelu held the paper sword in one hand, pointed at her own throat with the other, and waved her hand.

    Qi Xuansu was stunned at first. That was when he noticed the thin scar on Zhang Yuelu¡¯s throat. Although it was no longer bleeding, the blood had clotted to resemble a faint smile.

    Zhang Yuelu wrote on the ground with her paper sword. ¡°I¡¯m fine. They¡¯re just superficial injuries. I just can¡¯t speak for the time being.¡±

    Qi Xuansu understood and asked again, ¡°Will it leave a scar?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu red at him but shook her head. Daoist medical technology had advanced to include rejuvenation, so simple scar removal was certainly feasible. However, it would cost her money.

    Besides the wound on her throat, there were also many wounds on other parts of her body that had healed and stopped bleeding. On a Martial Arts Practitioner, these wounds would have healed without leaving even the slightest trace. But Banished Immortals were not as good as healing.

    Zhang Yuelu would not want to leave such scars all over her body, so she nned to get them treated at Huasheng Hall after returning to the Jade Capital.

    <i>Each of the Nine Halls had its own responsibilities. Ziwei Hall was in charge of the evaluation, promotion, transfer, rewards, and punishments of Daoist priests. It was also the head of the Nine Halls. Next were Beichen Hall and Tiangang Hall, which were focused on eliminating internal and external threats.</i>

    <i>The Tianji Hall was responsible for various construction projects, such as building flying ships and houses in Jade Capital. The Huasheng Hall was responsible for refining elixirs and medicines, tending to medicinal gardens for exotic ingredients, and treating diseases.</i>

    <i>The Imitation Blood of the various mystical creatures, Soul-Returning Incense, and other mysterious items were made by Huasheng Hall. Both Tianji and Huasheng Halls were responsible for creating innovations, along with the Quanzhen Sect.</i>

    <i>If one was injured on the job, Huasheng Hall would provide free medical treatment. But if the injury was not work-rted, Huasheng Hall would charge a fee to cover the material costs so as not to cause a deficit.</i>

    <i>At the same time, discounts and exemptions would be provided ording to the rank of the Daoist priest. A first-rank Tianzhen Daoist master would have all fees waived, while a second-rank Taiyi Daoist priest would be charged 30% of the medical fees.</i>

    <i>There were also additional reductions, especially for more serious and life-threatening injuries. However, there were no discounts for beauty treatments.</i>

    Zhang Yuelu was a fourth-rank Daoist master, but since scar removal was ssified as a beauty treatment, there was not much of a discount.

    Thus, removing these scars would be a considerable expense.

    Zhang Yuelu was already worried about her scars, so she was annoyed when Qi Xuansu mentioned them.

    Qi Xuansu did not remove his scars in the past to serve as a reminder not to repeat the same mistake. Another reason was that he did not have that much money to burn.

    Of course, Qi Xuansu would only mention the first reason if he talked about it.

    Even though she was annoyed at him, Zhang Yuelu was still grateful that he had not abandoned her. Otherwise, she would probably be one of the many Banished Immortals who died before aplishing anything.

    Zhang Yuelu was not very good at expressing herself. Since she could not speak at that moment, she could only write ¡°thank you¡± on the ground with her paper sword.

    Qi Xuansu read it and said with a smile, ¡°Although we have only known each other for a short time, we have gone through so many life-and-death situations together. Is there still a need to thank each other? If you want to thank me, you might as well pledge yourself to me.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu had a strange expression on her face. She silently turned the paper sword in her hand into a long and thin stick and smacked Qi Xuansu on the butt without warning.

    Qi Xuansu had not expected this reaction, so he did not get to dodge. He was so shocked that he jumped up. ¡°Why are you hitting me? The novels always say that there is no way to repay one''s kindness but to pledge one''s life to one''s savior. Isn''t it?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu could not speak, so she wrote on the ground with the paper stick, ¡°I do know how to repay you, though.¡±

    While he was talking, a gust of night wind blew in with the cold rain, making Zhang Yuelu shiver.

    Logically speaking, Zhang Yuelu should be immune to the cold or heat. She was unaffected by the heavy snow in the Western Region, so this bit of coldness should be nothing. However, she was injured, so it made her particrly fragile. As such, it was easier for evil spirits to possess her body. This was also the reason Qi Xuansu refused to travel in the rain after leaving Fengtai County with injuries.

    Moreover, the ancient temple was leaking from all sides, as the fierce battle earlier had left it ridden with holes. It was winter, so the night was cold. Qi Xuansu had a stronger physique and surging blood like that of a Martial Arts Practitioner, so he did not realize it. However, Zhang Yuelu felt the chill.

    Zhang Yuelu gathered her cloak around her body, but her cloak was already damaged and soaked.

    Qi Xuansu stepped forward, helping her to take off her cloak. ¡°My cloak is torn in a few ces, but it¡¯s still dry. You should take it out and put it on first. I¡¯ll gather some firewood.¡±

    Having said that, Qi Xuansu did not wait for Zhang Yuelu¡¯s response and started looking around for dry wood in the ancient temple.

    Zhang Yuelu looked at Qi Xuansu¡¯s back in silence, took out his cloak from her magical receptacle, and put it on herself.

    After a while, Qi Xuansu found an altar table with only two legs left. He split the table into wooden strips with his bare hands, then found a dry ce to light a fire.

    Zhang Yuelu came to the fire and sat down. She was about to write on the ground when Qi Xuansu interrupted her. ¡°If you want to write ¡®thank you,¡¯ then there¡¯s no need for it.¡±

    Hearing this, Zhang Yuelu gave up and put her hands under the cloak.

    Qi Xuansu took Zhang Yuelu¡¯s wet cloak and held it up to dry it by the fire.

    It was raining heavily outside, yet it was drizzling inside the ancient temple. There were also a few headless corpses scattered about. The environment was far from cozy, but the two of them were used to such surroundings and could turn a blind eye to it.

    Qi Xuansu peeked at Zhang Yuelu. The orange firelight illuminated her face, which turned her paleness into a warm color, making her seem all the more adorable. At that moment, she lowered her eyes and stared into the fire, her eyshes trembling slightly. He wondered what she was thinking about.

    After a while, Zhang Yuelu seemed to notice Qi Xuansu¡¯s gaze, so she raised her eyelids and looked at him.

    This time, Qi Xuansu did not feel embarrassed. He smiled slightly.

    Zhang Yuelu looked away and wrote on the ground with the long stick, ¡°There¡¯s a treasure shield around here. Go and get it.¡±

    Qi Xuansu then remembered that the dead Rogue Cultivator did have a protective shield. However, he did not get up in a hurry. Instead, he waited until Zhang Yuelu¡¯s cloak waspletely dry and warm before he stood up and wrapped it around her.

    Zhang Yuelu was a little dumbfounded. She wanted to say that she was fine. She was just weak because her energy was depleted, so she felt the chills. She would be back to normal as soon as her energy recovered. In the end, she did not say anything since Qi Xuansu had good intentions.

    In fact, women were more mature when it came to rtionships because they would gain secondhand experience from hearing stories. On the contrary, men were clumsy and cautious in rtionships, as long as they had not experienced it personally. This clumsiness showed their sincerity. When a man had more experience in rtionships, he became familiar with women¡¯s reactions and would be more casual.

    Qi Xuansu was an experienced traveler, but in terms of rtionships with women, he was just a fledgling.

    Of course, Zhang Yuelu was the same in this aspect. They were both nestlings, pecking at each other.

    Qi Xuansu went to the Rogue Cultivator¡¯s corpse and looked through it. Sure enough, he found a bead that looked like a luminous pearl. When he injected his qi into the bead, a light shield immediately protected him. It was somewhat simr to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s Five Elements Qi Shield.

    After Qi Xuansu stopped injecting qi into the bead, the shield stayed up for a few seconds before slowly dissipating. Zhang Yuelu verified that the shield was strong because she could hardly break through it during the previous battle. However, she did not know if this shield was rted to the holder¡¯s cultivation level.

    Qi Xuansu temporarily put away the bead and looked through several other corpses. In addition to weapons and somemon medicines, he only found a portrait of Zhang Yuelu. There was no money or magical receptacle.

    This was a reasonable find because most hitmen would not carry arge amount of cash with them. In the past, Qi Xuansu had exchanged all his valuables into Wuyou coins and kept them with Madam Qi. He did not reim the money but sessively exchanged it for various materials.

    Qi Xuansu returned to Zhang Yuelu and handed the bead to her. He slowly unfolded the portrait andpared it with Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face before he praised, ¡°I wonder who painted this. It really looks like you.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes at him and continued to study the bead.

    He pondered for a while, put the portrait away, and put it in his satchel. However, there were too many things in his satchel, so half of the scroll was sticking out.

    That was when Zhang Yuelu stretched out her hand without raising her head.

    Qi Xuansu immediately understood what she meant and handed the scroll to her.

    Zhang Yuelu put the painting into her magical receptacle, then used the stick to write on the ground, ¡°This is a treasure shield, simr to my Five Elements Qi Shield. You can use it for self-defense.¡±

    Qi Xuansu refused it. ¡°Let¡¯s sell it. A treasure like this can be sold for at least 4,000 Taiping coins. You can use the money at Huasheng Hall. I know that the medical fees aren¡¯t cheap. Then let¡¯s use the remaining money to buy a Divine Dragon Pistol.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was startled. She erased what she had written before and continued writing. ¡°We weren¡¯t killing cult demons. You were helping me fight off my enemies. You deserve¡ª¡±

    Before she finished writing, Qi Xuansu reached out and pressed down on the paper stick in her hand. He smiled and assured her. ¡°Since I deserve this, I should have the final say on how to deal with it. I want to sell it.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu frowned and looked at Qi Xuansu, displeased. She realized that Qi Xuansu was bing more disobedient and bold.

    Qi Xuansu did not give in. He looked at Zhang Yuelu and boldly dered, ¡°Qing Xiao, although you¡¯re my boss, we¡¯re not in Tiangang Hall now. We¡¯re also not performing official duties, so I have the final say in this.¡±

 Chapter 120: Rumors and Speculations

    <h4>Chapter 120: Rumors and Spections</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu was stunned for a while. She discovered that Qi Xuansu usually liked to pretend to be low-key, but he was quite assertive when he wanted to be. She pursed her lips and turned away, not refuting him.

    One of the reasons was because of Qi Xuansu¡¯s insistence. Another reason was that she found it hard to convey her emotions without speaking. She was also slow in writing, so she did not want to seem weak.

    Qi Xuansu knew not to push it and dropped the subject.

    Zhang Yuelu took out somemon wound medicine from her magical receptacle, crushed it, and applied it to her throat.

    Given her physique and healing abilities, she would be able to speak again in about two hours.

    After Zhang Yuelu applied the medicine, she closed her eyes and rested.

    Two hours passed quickly. Zhang Yuelu touched her scar and cleared her throat. Although her voice was hoarse, she was finally able to speak.

    Zhang Yuelu was about to talk when Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Those assassins are probably from The Inn.¡±

    ¡°The Inn...¡± Zhang Yuelu muttered. ¡°The Daoist Order has four categories for the secret societies: A, B, C, and D. The Lingshan Witch Sect, Cult of Fates, Ziguang Society, and other associations rted to the Ancient Immortals are the most dangerous and are ssified as ss A.

    ¡°ss B secret societies are powerful but less dangerous than the former, like the Heavenly Court, Qingping Society, and the Eight Tribes. ss C includes the Seven Treasure Pavilion and The Inn, which are mainly engaged in illegal businesses and are rtively less harmful. The smaller secret societies are all ssified as ss D. I¡¯m only familiar with ss A and ss B secret associations, so I¡¯m not very familiar with The Inn.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°What a coincidence! I happen to be familiar with the Seven Treasure Pavilion and The Inn. As you mentioned, both of these secret associations conduct illegal businesses. The Seven Treasure Pavilion mainly sells various smuggled items, ranging from Imperial Court tributes and Huasheng Hall¡¯s precious materials to firearms from the Divine Armory and Tianji Hall. There is nothing they can¡¯t get their hands on. The mountain city we passed by earlier is one of their businesses.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu raised her eyebrows slightly. She did not know that the ck markets were the Seven Treasure Pavilion¡¯s business. It seemed like this wasmon knowledge for travelers since Qi Xuansu was familiar with it. It was probably also not a secret in the Daoist Order. She merely neglected to pay attention to such news.

    Qi Xuansu continued, ¡°The Inn acts as a middleman for people to hire assassins or bodyguards. They rarely took action themselves and usually tookmissions as an intermediary between the employer and the hitman.

    ¡°They have a special rtionship with the Green Phoenix Guard because they would only take on cases rted to the Imperial Court at their headquarters. As for where their headquarters are, only those capable enough to find it are qualified to negotiate bounties rted to the Imperial Court.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°You¡¯re certainly experienced at The Inn to know so much in detail. Do you know why it¡¯s called The Inn?¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±

    She exined, ¡°Although I¡¯m not familiar with The Inn, I have heard a rumor that the Holy Xuan had once established a secret organization for espionage and named it the Taiping Inn. Many famous figures have served in this organization, such as Liu Jinyi from the Holy Xuan Cards.

    ¡°But after the Holy Xuan took office as the Daoist Order¡¯s leader, this organization disappeared, leaving branches of the Taiping Inn everywhere. This secret organization wasn¡¯t written about in any Daoist texts, and its history was passed down by word of mouth. I don¡¯t know whether this rumor is true or not.¡± Zhang Yuelu told Qi Xuansu everything she knew about The Inn.

    Qi Xuansu was stunned. He hesitantly said, ¡°I think I¡¯ve read this before somewhere. Could it be from <i>The Legend of Taiping Inn</i>?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu asked in surprise, ¡°Is that what <i>The Legend of Taiping Inn</i> is about?¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t read the novel?¡± Qi Xuansu was even more shocked by this.

    Zhang Yuelu shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the book, but since it¡¯s so old, I didn¡¯t read it.¡±

    The two looked at each other.

    After a while, Qi Xuansu broke the silence. ¡°Is it possible that the rumors you heard actuallye from <i>The Legend of Taiping Inn</i>?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face darkened slightly. ¡°I¡¯m not done with my exnation yet. Besides this secret organization affiliated with the Holy Xuan, there was another secret organization directly affiliated with Emperor Gaozu, who had not yet proimed himself emperor at the time.

    ¡°That secret society was called the Wandu Sect, mainly responsible for assassinations. After the Great Xuan Dynasty conquered the world, the Wandu Sect disappeared. Many people believed that the Wandu Sect had merged with the Green Phoenix Guard, but I heard that some members of the Wandu Sect were unwilling to join the Imperial Court. They then established an inn with some members of the Taiping Inn, who were forced to be disbanded by the Holy Xuan.¡±

    This was something Qi Xuansu had never heard before. He quipped, ¡°Well, you certainly sound like you¡¯re familiar with The Inn. Where did you hear this from?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu rebutted. ¡°I know how the current Imperial Court conquered the world, but that doesn¡¯t mean I know the various rules of the Imperial Court. The two things are not interconnected. In the same way, I know of the rumors about The Inn''s origins, but that doesn¡¯t mean I understand how The Inn operates.¡±

    She paused for a moment before she continued, ¡°As for where I heard these rumors from, my master told me all these.¡±

    Speaking of this, Zhang Yuelu had an extremelyplicated expression. ¡°My master likes telling unfounded histories. The more bizarre they are, the more excited she gets. She¡¯ll even make bold assumptions based on these unfounded histories. That¡¯s why the Heavenly Preceptor often says that she¡¯s fabricating history.

    ¡°Based on my master¡¯s inference, she thinks that most of the senior officials in the Taiping Inn became Great Sages and Sages after the Holy Xuan became the Grand Master. The Holy Xuan should have disbanded the Taiping Inn and dispersed most of its members and allocated them to Tiangang Hall and Beichen Hall. However, some members were unwilling to ept this result, so they left the Daoistmunity.

    ¡°This made sense because when the Holy Xuan established the Taiping Inn, these people were used to being free and undisciplined, so they would not want to be restrained by the rules of the Daoist Order.¡±

    When Qi Xuansu heard this, he nodded and added his own conjecture. ¡°The Wandu Sect was also disbanded by Emperor Gaozu and reced by the Green Phoenix Guard, but some members were unwilling to ept this. As a result, they left the Wandu Sect. These two groupster merged and established The Inn we know today. That¡¯s why they say that The Inn is inextricably rted to the Green Phoenix Guard.

    ¡°It makes sense because the two used to work together and are basically from the same root. But since many of The Inn¡¯s founders probablye from the Daoistmunity, does it mean that The Inn also has a rtionship with the Daoist Order?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not answer directly. ¡°The Daoist Order is the most powerful force in the world, but these secret societies can continue to grow and develop under our suppression. This can only mean that there is a problem within the Daoist Order. Again, everything is muddled together. That¡¯s why they are hard to eradicate.¡±

    Qi Xuansu felt that these secret societies were more or less connected with the Daoist Order. If the Daoist Order was regarded as a person, then these secret societies were like tumors that were connected to too many meridians. If one cut these tumors off hastily, it would be painful, and the bleeding would not stop.

    But if these tumors were left alone, the meridians would continue to transfuse blood to the tumor, which would only make the tumors grow bigger and even spread to other ces. That was why they had to be cut off. This was probably one of the reasons why the Daoist Order also listed these secret societies as targets of suppression.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°If these people epted the reward from The Inn, then who is their employer?¡±

    The two looked at each other and spoke in unison. ¡°The Jiangnan case.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°This case is a double-edged sword. It not only made you famous but also made you a target for revenge. You said that the Ancestral Court executed a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master back then, so they must have determined that this person was the mastermind. The question is, is the person seeking vengeance his subordinate or disciple? Or is there a real mastermind behind that second-rank priest?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nced at him. ¡°You sound like you understand the situation well.¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled modestly. ¡°Only a little.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°I can¡¯t determine the specific identity of the employer yet, but I¡¯m curious about something else. I rarely leave the Jade Capital alone, so this is a rare opportunity to strike. Why didn¡¯t the employer hire someone more powerful? He could have hired a Heavenly Being. That way, I would be dead for sure.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered for a while before he suggested, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a simple exnation. The first reason is the cost. It¡¯s expensive to hire a Heavenly Being, so your enemy may not be able to afford it, or maybe he thinks it¡¯s not worthwhile. The Jiangnan case has been resolved, so killing you is not about silencing you, but more about venting his anger. That''s why he must consider the cost and value.

    ¡°The second possibility is just my spection. The employer may have ns to silence the hitmen after the mission. If he hires a Heavenly Being, it¡¯ll be difficult to kill the hitman afterward. That¡¯s why he hired a group of Xiantian Beings. If they can kill you, he¡¯ll kill them to erase all traces and even get his money back.¡±

 Chapter 121: Jinguan Prefecture

    <h4>Chapter 121: Jinguan Prefecture</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu thought about it and sized Qi Xuansu up.

    Qi Xuansu felt uneasy from her stare, so he asked, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    ¡°You know the ropes very well, huh?¡± Zhang Yuelu said with a mocking smile, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t known that you were dirt poor, I would have suspected that you used to take up this kind of deal.¡±

    Qi Xuansu muttered, ¡°Well, there¡¯s a thing called secondhand experience. This kind of thing is quitemon in the real world.¡±

    ¡°In that case, we shouldn¡¯t stay here for long. Let¡¯s go to Jinguan Prefecture and sort things out there. We can only investigate who the hitman¡¯s employer is once we return to the Jade Capital.¡± Zhang Yuelu suggested.

    Qi Xuansu had no objections.

    After daybreak, the sky cleared and the rain stopped, so they continued on their journey to Jinguan Prefecture.

    This time, the two of them no longer took their time. Qi Xuansu put on his Jiama again and ran along the Chamagu Road without stopping, heading straight to Jinguan Prefecture.

    <i>Jinguan Prefecture was the core sphere of influence of the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion. Just as the Luzhou Daoist Mansion was located on Taiping Mountain outside Huainan City, the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion was located in Green City on Tiancang Mountain, southwest of the Jinguan Prefecture.</i>

    <i>Green City got its name from the ten thousand acres of bamboo forest that stayed evergreen all year round, surrounding the Tiancang Mountain like a moat.</i>

    <i>This was a sacred ce for the Quanzhen Sect and Zhengyi Sect. Back then, the Heavenly Preceptor of the Zhengyi Sect lived in seclusion on Yunjin Mountain, but heter moved to Yangping Mountain, Heming Mountain, Xicheng Mountain, Gekui Mountain, Qinzhong Mountain, Changli Mountain, Yongquan Mountain, Zhendu Mountain, Beiping Mountain, and finally Tiancang Mountain.</i>

    <i>Tiancang Mountain was where the Heavenly Preceptormanded the Heavenly Sect disciples to fight against the Ancient Immortals. His cave still remained on Tiancang Mountain. After the Heavenly Sect fell apart and became the Zhengyi Sect, they withdrew from Shuzhou. That was when the Quanzhen Sect upied the area and made Tiancang Mountain the sacrednd of their Longmen n.</i>

    <i>In the Quanzhen Sect, Tiancang Mountain¡¯s status was only slightly inferior to Difei Mountain, which was known as their top sacred site.</i>

    <i>Generally speaking, no one would dare to assassinate a fourth-rank Daoist master here. After all, the local Daoist Mansion also had the authority to arrest those whomitted crimes with their cultivation.</i>

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu rxed slightly and no longer felt so tense as soon as they entered Jinguan Prefecture. They did not rush to Tiancang Mountain first because the branch of Huasheng Hall in Shuzhou was not there but in the capital city of Jinguan Prefecture.

    Huasheng Hall was also an important part of the Daoist Order¡¯s profit-making business, so they established branches in cities instead of Daoist temples.

    The two of them walked along the main road to the west gate of Jinguan Prefecture, where the ck Robes were checking travel permits. Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu did not have travel permits, but they had their Daoist insignias.

    The brigade leader at the gate was startled when he saw Zhang Yuelu¡¯s fourth-rank insignia. He respectfully handed it back to her with both hands and said, ¡°My apologies for not knowing about your arrival, Mage. I hope you will forgive my impudence earlier.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took it on behalf of Zhang Yuelu and asked, ¡°Where is the Huasheng Hall located in the city?¡±

    The brigade leader replied, ¡°You will see a marketce that has been demolished if you head east along the main road after entering the city gate. But there are still some houses, taverns, inns, banks, and shops located there. Huasheng Hall is there. It¡¯s easy to spot because it has an impressive facade.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Qi Xuansu then entered the city with Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Tian Yuan, what day is it today?¡±

    Qi Xuansu counted before replying, ¡°We left Jade Capital on October 16th. Today is November 2nd. It¡¯s been more than half a month.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu sighed softly. ¡°There are no flying ships on November 2nd.¡±

    The number of flights was limited and only avable on the first and fifteenth days of each month. They would have to wait half a month since they missed it. Moreover, the flying ships between the capital cities were not interconnected. All flights would stop at Jade Capital, so they would have to take the flying ship back to the Jade Capital before taking another flight to the capital city closest to her hometown, which was very troublesome.

    Qi Xuansu immediately understood Zhang Yuelu¡¯s intention. ¡°Are you afraid that you¡¯ll implicate me? Is that why you want me to take a flying ship back to the Jade Capital?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu murmured, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to look down on you. Actually, it¡¯s just the opposite. I admire you for being able to turn the tide each time. If I were at your cultivation level, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to fight as well as you do.¡±

    Qi Xuansu assured her. ¡°Then let¡¯s just go with the flow. We¡¯ll follow our original route and take the waterway to Huzhou, then proceed to Wuzhou from there.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not persist since Qi Xuansu said this.

    While they were talking, arge crowd gathered on the road ahead. There was a makeshift grass tform in the middle with people performing. A crowd had blocked the entire road.

    Qi Xuansu raised his eyes and noticed a few scantily d dancers. They were not dressed like people from the Central ins, but more like people from the Western Region. They also had high noses, deep-set eyes, and green eyes, with a thin veil over their faces.

    The dancers only wore a tube top that exposed their navel as well as wide-legged pants that were tied at the ankles. They were also barefoot, with bells on their wrists that jingled when they moved.

    Through the corner of his eye, Qi Xuansu spotted Zhang Yuelu looking at him. So he immediately swallowed back the appreciative sigh that had reached his lips. He slowly changed his expression to one of contempt and scoffed. ¡°How indecent!¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Zhang Yuelu nodded in agreement.

    Qi Xuansu suggested, ¡°Shall we take a detour?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look first.¡±

    Since Zhang Yuelu wanted to see the dance, Qi Xuansu certainly had no objection.

    There were also musicians on the stage, ying the pipa and drums. The dancers moved with the beat of the drums and the melody of the pipa.

    Qi Xuansu had not learned dancing, so he could notment on their technique. All he knew was that the dance was alluring and the dancers were seductive, enough to attract ordinary people. After all, everyone had innate desires.

    This was also the reason for the big crowd that had gathered around the tform.

    Zhang Yuelu gathered the cloak around her body and shivered, even though she was not affected by the cold. ¡°Even if the climate in Shuzhou is warmer than the north, it¡¯s still winter. Don¡¯t the dancers feel cold wearing such thin clothes?¡±

    Qi Xuansu said thoughtfully, ¡°Qing Xiao, do you mean that there¡¯s something fishy going on with these women?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu stated, ¡°The Daoist priests in Shuzhou Daoist Mansion did mention that there have been scammers in Jinguan Prefecture.¡±

    ¡°Honey traps?¡± Qi Xuansu pondered. ¡°It¡¯s possible, I guess. But we can¡¯t tell just from one dance.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you be the bait? You¡¯ll be at an advantage after all.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked her back, ¡°Are you willing to let me be the bait?¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Zhang Yuelu was startled at first, but then she punched Qi Xuansu lightly. ¡°We will never achieve much if we¡¯re not willing to take risks.¡±

    Qi Xuansu mumbled, ¡°But... I¡¯m a little boy.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was speechless. After a long time, she muttered, ¡°So what? I¡¯m also a little girl.¡±

    They were not referring to their age but to the fact that they were inexperienced in matters of physical intimacy.

    It was not because they did not have the opportunity. For Qi Xuansu, it would be easy for him to sleep with a woman. However, most Daoist techniques required a pure body with undisrupted innate yang or yin energy. If this energy was disrupted, it would be hard to sessfully practice certain techniques. That was why most people in the Daoistmunity remained virgins and were not shy about it.

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I won¡¯t be able to control myself?¡±

    ¡°Then you can get married and have children here. I can go home by myself,¡± Zhang Yuelu said expressionlessly.

    Qi Xuansuughed dryly. ¡°I¡¯m an experienced traveler and have seen my fair share of pretty women. These women are vulgar and covered in thick makeup. How can theypare to¡ª?¡±

    Before he finished speaking, Zhang Yuelu kicked him lightly. ¡°Stop talking so much and approach them.¡±

    While they were talking, the dancers got into a blooming flower formation and moved in sync with each other, resembling a flower that bloomedyer byyer.

    Immediately afterward, a woman in an borate costume appeared from the center of the flower.

    She was dressed differently from other dancers, with a tight, exotic red dress, a veil on her face, and a tall gold crown on her head. It was very eye-catching.

    This dancer was the flower, and the other apanying dancers were just the leaves around the flower.

    This woman also noticed Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu. Her eyes lingered on the duo with a sh of green energy.

    She first spotted Qi Xuansu. Although his Daoist robe was damaged, it was of good material. Qi Xuansu¡¯splexion was rosy, and his skin was glowing. His surging blood qi turned into a me around his body that could not be seen with the naked eye, swaying in the wind. This was the aura that was unique to Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioners.

    The woman was slightly startled by this finding. Immediately afterward, she shifted her gaze to Zhang Yuelu, who was next to Qi Xuansu.

    Zhang Yuelu wrapped herself in a cloak and wore a hood, so only her chin was exposed. There was a mist surrounding Zhang Yuelu that was invisible to the naked eye. This mist changed erratically and appeared at random intervals, a sharp contrastpared to the Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner next to her.

    The woman thought that Zhang Yuelu¡¯s aura did not seem like a Qi Refiner, Scribe, Thinker, Brahma, or the like. Thus, she wondered if Zhang Yuelu was a Banished Immortal.

    Qi Xuansu clicked his tongue and stopped moving forward.

    Zhang Yuelu asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Qi Xuansu remarked, ¡°The authorities are already eyeing this ce. It looks like we don¡¯t need to do anything.¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, there was amotion from the front. ¡°The Green Phoenix Guard is handling a case! Everyone, retreat!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was taken aback. She had not noticed the guard yelling beforehand since he was a Houtian Being. The reason Qi Xuansu was able to spot the man was probably because he observed some characteristics of the Green Phoenix Guard, not from the man¡¯s aura.

    She secretly made a note to not rely too much on sensing one¡¯s aura. Instead, she should start observing with her eyes more in the future.

    At this moment, the crowd immediately dispersed as soon as they heard the Green Phoenix Guard was involved, leaving a mess on the ground.

 Chapter 122: Dancer

    <h4>Chapter 122: Dancer</h4>

    It turned out that many undercover Green Phoenix Guards had mingled into the crowd. At this moment, they drew out their Slim Tiger Sabers or Sheep Sabers and surrounded the grass tform.

    In addition, there were also many police officers with batons and metal chains. However, these people were Houtian Beings, not Xiantian Beings.

    The biggest advantage of Houtian Beings was that they could hide themselves easily. Even with the Divine Observation Technique or Divine Thought Perception, it was difficult to distinguish Houtian Beings from ordinary people.

    On the contrary, Xiantian Beings were easy to spot, even with the naked eye. That was why the dancer in the center of the stage spotted Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu at a nce.

    The dancer had Seer Eyes, so she managed to escape from the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s pursuit many times before. However, she did not expect that the Green Phoenix Guards would be so clever as to deploy undercover troopers, lieutenants, and police officers to hide in the crowd.

    Thus, it was difficult to distinguish these Houtian Beings from ordinary people. She was also not as observant as Qi Xuansu, who could spot these authorities based on appearance alone.

    The dancer did not panic. With a wave of her hand, the dancers and musicians on the tform turned into little paper figurines, which she kept in her sleeves. This was simr to the Yellow Turban Warriors that Lingquanzi once used. The only difference was that the Yellow Turban Warriors were used for fighting, while these little paper figurines the dancer used had nobat power.

    Qi Xuansu was surprised to see this because he had not noticed any ws in the apanying dancers and musicians. However, this was not surprising, as the essence of magic was to make illusions seem true.

    <i>These spells could turn paper figures into soldiers, as disyed by Lingquanzi before. However, this method could not be used on the battlefield because of the strong spell-resisting blood qi of Martial Arts Practitioners, who were mostly delegated to fight. Diviners and Shamans rarely participated in battles as their physiques were weak.</i>

    <i>Vengeful spirits were best at using spells to create illusions to do harm, often ying with one¡¯s fear. However, if the person could have a burst of courage at thest moment, they could often break the illusion.</i>

    <i>The illusion would appear more realistic if people believed in it. Tricks and deceptions were considered simple magic. If one believed in the magic, it would seem more realistic. On the other hand, if one did not believe it, the trick would be exposed.</i>

    <i>This was also the reason why many scammers, who only knew a few superficial spells, could stay at a ce for a long time. With many believers, their spells would be stronger, and their magic would be more realistic. It was a vicious cycle that would keep going until someone exposed them.</i>

    <i>The crowd watching the performance previously believed that these dancers and musicians were real people. Thus, the paper figurines seemed more realistic, so much so that even Qi Xuansu could not see any ws in them.</i>

    <i>In fact, this principle could be applied to other aspects, like the magical receptacle. The magical receptacle was a small object that was made of special materials and enhanced with a spell to amodate more space. However, the magical receptacle could only store non-living objects. That was because the blood from living objects would disrupt the normal operation of the spell.</i>

    <i>If a living creature was put into the magical receptacle, the creature would die, or the magical receptacle would bepletely destroyed. Only one of the two could be saved.</i>

    <i>The legendary paradise was the prototype for opening up a whole new world. It was a magical power that only immortals had. This paradise was the embodiment of making illusions a reality. That way, living people could also enter paradise.</i>

    After the dancer put away the paper figurines, she took out a talisman that made her as light as a feather, allowing her to fly.

    This was the Diviner¡¯s Flying Feather Talisman, which allowed people to fly in the sky. However,pared with the Heavenly Being¡¯s ability to fly, this talisman was slow and could not be used forbat. Thus, it had great limitations.

    Seeing this, the Green Phoenix Guards and police officers on the ground stopped pursuing the dancer.

    The Green Phoenix Guards stationed on the surrounding rooftops aimed their long guns at the floating dancer, firing at her one after another.

    The whistling projectiles intertwined into an invisible.

    In the blink of an eye, the woman was shot in many ces, but there was no blood flowing out of her body. The red dress she was wearing was ridden with holes and torn to pieces, revealing her slender waist and long legs.

    Qi Xuansu looked up, but he did not get to see anything because Zhang Yuelu ordered, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to look.¡±

    Thus, he had no choice but to turn his gaze away. He suddenly figured out one thing. Zhang Yuelu probably knew that the apanying dancers on the stage were just paper figurines, so she had no reaction when he was staring at the dancing girls before. Now that this woman was a living person, Zhang Yuelu did not want him to stare at the woman¡¯s body.

    Qi Xuansu muttered under his breath, ¡°How bossy!¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Zhang Yuelu asked loudly.

    Qi Xuansu grumbled, ¡°I was wondering if you already knew that those dancers were paper figurines.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see their true appearance, but when I used the Divine Observation Technique, I found that they weren¡¯t breathing, so I knew that they weren¡¯t living people. That¡¯s why I asked you to try and approach them.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was vexed. It turned out that Zhang Yuelu had known it was impossible for him to have a romantic encounter with those women. That was why she was willing to take the risk. Zhang Yuelu was not so generous as to let him interact with such seductive women.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu was slow to understand why Zhang Yuelu did this. If Madam Qi had been around, she would have known that Zhang Yuelu was interested in Qi Xuansu because Zhang Yuelu did not want him to look at other women. However, if Qi Xuansu stared at her, she would feel embarrassed.

    While the two were talking, the dancer floated higher into the sky. When she reached the highest point, a cloud of smoke exploded, covering her body. She then disappeared as soon as the smoke dissipated.

    There were Heavenly Beings in Jinguan Prefecture, but they would not take action on such trivial matters.

    Several Green Phoenix Guards jumped down from the second floor of a restaurant facing the street, swearing and holding their guns or telescopes.

    At this time, all ordinary civilians had already fled. Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu stood out on the street, so the Green Phoenix Guards immediately surrounded them.

    Zhang Yuelu gave her Daoist certificate to Qi Xuansu, who passed it on to one of the leading assistant majors.

    The assistant major took the certificate doubtfully and looked at it repeatedly, as if he did not believe it was real.

    The rest of the Green Phoenix Guards also stared at the two of them with eager eyes, thinking that they were scammers pretending to be Daoist priests.

    Zhang Yuelu became a little impatient and took out her Tiangang Hall badge. She threw it into the hands of the assistant major and said, ¡°The certificate can be counterfeited, but this badge can¡¯t be faked, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    The fish talisman token of the Qingping Society was modeled after the badge system of the Daoist Order. Since the fish talismans of the Qingping Society were designed as small magical receptacles, the Daoist Order''s badges were naturally more impressive.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s badge was made of fine gold, a specialty of the Kunlun Cave. It could not be damaged by fire or scratched. Moreover, this kind of badge was notmon, with each hall having different details. Thus, it was difficult to imitate.

    The assistant major was shocked to see this. After some rification, he hurriedly handed the badge and certificate back to Zhang Yuelu with both hands. ¡°My apologies, Mage Zhang. There has been a group of scammers running rampant in the citytely. They even forged the fifth-rank Daoist priest¡¯s certificatest time, so we have to be extra vignt. I hope you forgive us for our impudence.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu took over the certificate and badge and said with a frown, ¡°If a scammer dares to forge a fifth-rank Daoist priest¡¯s certificate, shouldn¡¯t the local Daoist mansion get involved in the investigation?¡±

    The assistant major smiled bitterly but dared not answer hastily. After all, he was just an assistant major. Who knew what kind of rtionship Zhang Yuelu had with the Mages of the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion? He would suffer if the Mages of the local Daoist mansion heard his usations.

    Zhang Yuelu also understood his difficulties. It was clear that the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion did not assist in the case. She waved her hand in dismissal. ¡°Alright, I understand.¡±

    The assistant major instructed the Green Phoenix Guards and the police officers to disperse the pedestrians, leaving a mess on the ground and the empty grass tform.

    Zhang Yuelu whispered to Qi Xuansu, ¡°Let¡¯s not rush to Huasheng Hall now. We should go after that dancer instead.¡±

    ¡°How do we track her down?¡± Qi Xuansu asked directly.

    Zhang Yuelu took out the Amorphous Paper, which had turned into an animated paper crane, spreading its wings looking ready to fly. ¡°I nted another paper crane on the dancer earlier, so I can find her.¡±

    Qi Xuansu recalled what happened and questioned, ¡°You released the paper crane when you told me not to look at her?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nced at Qi Xuansu in surprise and praised him. ¡°You¡¯re a smart one.¡±

    Qi Xuansu extended his arm. ¡°Please lead the way, mdy.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes at him and let go of the paper crane in her hand. There was a connection between the two paper cranes, so this one fluttered its wings, circled in the air a few times, and flew southwest.

    They followed closely behind. As they went further, they found that the area was bing more remote, with fewer pedestrians and cramped buildings.

    They ended up in a street just a little wider than an alley, with many potholes on the ground and sewage everywhere, apanied by various foul smells. Many low shacks were built haphazardly on both sides of the alley, so cramped that their eaves were almost touching each other. Barely any daylight shone through them.

    Zhang Yuelu, ustomed to living conditions in the Jade Capital, could not help but frown and cover her nose.

    Qi Xuansu was somewhat used to this environment back then. However, after living in Jade Capital for a few months, he was no longer ustomed to this kind of ce.

    The Jade Capital and the real world werepletely different. The people from the Daoist Order were like dragons above the clouds, while ordinary civilians were like grass in the mud.

    This world was naturally segregated. On the one hand, the flying ships allowed people from the Daoist Order to travel through the skies, and the armored ships from the Imperial Court allowed the imperial army to travel across the seas. But on the other hand, ordinary civilians still viewed cattle as valuable assets and traveled on horseback.

    Some people carried firearms and artillery, while others still relied on bows and arrows.

    The transition from the old to the new had just begun.

 Chapter 123: Killing a Snake

    <h4>Chapter 123: Killing a Snake</h4>

    Finally, the paper crane stopped in front of a dpidated house.

    Qi Xuansu was not in a hurry to make a move. He asked, ¡°If we capture her, should we hand her over to the Green Phoenix Guard?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nced at him. ¡°Why, do you feel bad for her?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Qi Xuansu exined, ¡°I¡¯m not so stupid as to mess with a seductress. They can manipte men¡¯s hearts and defraud people of money. They know everyone¡¯s weaknesses. Did you think that I was joking when I said that I might not be able to control myself?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu dragged her tone. ¡°Ohhh...¡±

    Then she asked, ¡°Then what do you suggest we do?¡±

    Qi Xuansu proposed, ¡°I think she should have a lot of illegal money. Instead of handing her over to the Green Phoenix Guard, we should take this opportunity to fill up our own pockets. After all, one¡¯s loss is another person¡¯s gain.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu teased. ¡°I was wrong to think that you¡¯d fall in love with that scammer. Now I can see that you have fallen in love with her Taiping coins. But since this is stolen money, it should be returned to the victims.¡±

    Qi Xuansu grunted disapprovingly. ¡°Do you really think that the Green Phoenix Guard will be so ethical? It¡¯s good enough that they don¡¯t ask the victims for money. Rather than letting the Green Phoenix Guard take advantage of this situation, why don¡¯t we gain from it?¡±

    Of course, Qi Xuansu¡¯s assumptions were not groundless. The Green Phoenix Guard Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office in Luzhou colluded with the Taiping Sect to openly execute the Fengtai County Magistrate¡¯s family.

    Zhang Yuelu was a little hesitant. She also knew that the Daoist Order should not bepared to the Imperial Court. A third-rank Youyi Daoist priest could be demoted for abusing his servants, but dignitaries of the Imperial Court could kill a domestic ve at will without any consequences.

    What Qi Xuansu mentioned was highly probable. It was also almost impossible for them to find the victims by themselves.

    Zhang Yuelu was not surprised by Qi Xuansu¡¯s thoughts. He was not a flowerbed priest who had been raised in the sheltered environment of the Jade Capital. Such flowerbed priests could not withstand the slightest bit of rough weather and dared not bend the rules.

    On the other hand, priests like Qi Xuansu were like weeds that could grow in harsh weather. They could withstand many hardships and setbacks and were extremely tenacious. However, their disadvantage was that they would likely disregard rules and etiquette to achieve personal goals. Most of them dabbled in the gray areas of society and were not considered good people in the ordinary sense.

    Among the Nine Halls, the main focus of Beichen Hall and Tiangang Hall was fighting. The priests from Jade Capital mostly consisted of flowerbed priests and were no longer the elites from back then who defeated the Confucian School. Thus, the previous Grand Master constantly transferred priests from the local Daoist mansions to fill the vacancies at Tiangang Hall and Beichen Hall. This gave people like Qi Xuansu an opportunity to enter the Nine Halls.

    Due to this, Daoist priests like Zhang Yuelu, who could withstand hardships and abide by the rules, were seen as rare and valuable assets. As long as they were capable and had a high level of cultivation, most of them would be promoted to important positions.

    While the two were talking, someone rushed out of the dpidated house. Zhang Yuelu had quick reflexes. She quickly turned the Amorphous Paper in her hand into a soft whip. With a flick of her wrist, the Amorphous Paper coiled around the person, restraining her.

    In an instant, the trapped person turned into a paper figurine and fluttered to the ground. The paper crane that Zhang Yuelu nted on the dancer earlier flew out of the house staggeringly andnded in front of Zhang Yuelu.

    With a wave of her hand, the paper crane turned back into a piece of paper and merged with the Amorphous Paper.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What does this mean? Did we lose track of that scammer? Did we get tricked?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu groaned. ¡°Yeah. She must have discovered my paper crane and deliberately left it here with the paper figurine. She¡¯s probably long gone by now and nowhere to be found. We¡¯ve underestimated her.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was in awe. ¡°She¡¯s good. No wonder those Green Phoenix Guards at the Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office can¡¯t catch her. I wonder if she has any aplices.¡±

    ¡°She probably does.¡± Zhang Yuelu said thoughtfully, ¡°I still can¡¯t figure out what her motive is for dancing on the grass tform in broad daylight.¡±

    Qi Xuansu quipped, ¡°If I knew, I would have been a scammer myself. Speaking of which, we should also be careful, because those scammers may take revenge on us.¡±

    ¡°Will they dare to take revenge?¡± Zhang Yuelu was slightly startled.

    ¡°Just like how the Ancient Immortals dare to retaliate against the Daoist Order, these scammers will probably retaliate against us. As the saying goes, if you don¡¯t nip the problem in the bud, it¡¯lle back to bite you.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°This reminds me of the Jiangnan case. It¡¯s better if we keep our guard up.¡±

    Qi Xuansu only knew the final result of the major Jiangnan case from the bulletin and did not know the details of it. He could not help but ask, ¡°I remember that the Jiangnan case involved embezzlement. The officials forged reports of merchant ships sinking to steal goods. Didn¡¯t they think about the repercussions of this? It was a short-term gain, and the Ancestral Court would have found out sooner orter.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple.¡± Zhang Yuelu shook her head. ¡°The Ancestral Court and the Holy Court had a treaty to increase trade with each other, so the Ancestral Court ordered the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion to oversee this process.

    ¡°The amount of silk, tea, and porcin was to be doubled due to this expansion. However, due to time constraints, the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion proposed a strategy to temporarily make up for that year¡¯s shortfall by transporting corresponding goods from other Daoist mansions.

    ¡°The Jiangnan Daoist Mansion¡¯s n was to return these goods to the respective Daoist mansions after they increased production. The Ancestral Court agreed with this strategy and decided to transport goods from the Liaodong and Qizhou Daoist Mansions to fill the gap.

    ¡°Tian Yuan, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of how corruption works. Everyone involved in this process wanted to receive kickbacks, so by the end of it, there weren¡¯t enough goods left to fill the gap when the ships arrived at the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion.

    ¡°Seeing that the delivery date previously agreed upon with the Western Continent merchants was approaching, the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion had no choice but to fabricate a shipwreck in an attempt to exin the shortfall of goods.

    ¡°However, the books still didn¡¯t check out due to therge shortfall. It required more than a dozen shipwrecks to exin the numbers. But doing so will only raise suspicion that something fishy is going on.

    ¡°So the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion came up with another idea, secretly colluding with the secret associations to burn their warehouse. In fact, the warehouse was empty. But this fire would be able to exin the shortage of goods. At most, they would end up with a charge for dereliction of duty, which was far less severe than a corruption charge. Most importantly, they would be able to keep the illegally obtained goods.

    ¡°Duzhi Hall noticed something wrong with the books and reported it to the Ancestral Court. The Ancestral Court ordered Beichen Hall to investigate the matter, dispatching people to the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion for investigation. That was when the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion started to panic and silence those involved, ming the secret societies for those deaths.

    ¡°This embezzlement case turned into a major case involving corruption, collusion with secret societies, and defiance against the Ancestral Court. These three charges were collectively known as the major Jiangnan case. That¡¯s why so many people were punished to set an example for the masses.¡±

    After listening to this, Qi Xuansumented, ¡°Some people are stuck between holding onto the past and facing an uncertain future.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu also sighed. ¡°You mentioned earlier why they thought the Ancestral Court wouldn¡¯t find out, right? Actually, everyone understood the principle of not going overboard with their greed and having some restraint. Kickbacks were alsomon, so most people would turn a blind eye to them. The problem was that everyone didn¡¯t exercise restraint and expected others to have self-control. The senior officials of the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion also hoped that their subordinates would know when to stop and to look at the bigger picture.

    ¡°The original Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master was also eager for quick sess, wanting toplete the assigned task regardless of the cost. They deviated from the Ancestral Court¡¯s intentions. The original Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master knew of the problems going on, but he didn¡¯t impose any restrictions or punishments to deter such actions.

    ¡°He thought it would be fine as long as he could fill the gap andplete the transaction with the Western Continent merchants on time. He didn¡¯t consider the intentions of the Ancestral Court in signing this treaty with the Western Continent.

    ¡°Even if the Jiangnan Daoist Mansionpleted the transaction and made a great contribution by gaining millions of Taiping coins for the Daoist Order, it showed that the internal process of the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion was riddled with problems.

    ¡°After this incident, the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master was transferred out of the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion. His subordinates also hoped that the Daoist Order would turn a blind eye to this and that it was enough for one person to take the fall.

    ¡°Those people also knew that their situation was precarious since the Duzhi Hall and Beichen Hall had their eye on them after fabricating the shipwreck. But those corrupt individuals still refused to spit out some of the goods they embezzled.

    ¡°In fact, if they had given out enough goods to pass the inspection from Duzhi Hall and Beichen Hall, they would have been able to continue running rampant in the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion. But those people refused to part with their profits because they were greedy and expected others to spit out their gains. In the end, they were executed, and their homes were ransacked.

    ¡°Everyone was busy guarding their own profits, even though they knew that they were all on the same sinking ship. All they did was hide in a corner on the ship before it sank.¡±

    Qi Xuansu remained silent for a long time.

    The facts of this case were notplicated, but they encapsted human nature perfectly. Compared with the politics in the Daoist Order, the fight for territory between gangs in the real world was like child¡¯s y.

    Zhang Yuelu murmured, ¡°After experiencing this, I understood what my life¡¯s goal was. The Daoist Order has reached the point where it must be rectified. But to do that, I have to climb to a higher position. It¡¯s not enough to make such changes as an Omniscient Sage or a Virtuous Great Sage. I have to be one of the three Deputy Grand Masters or even the Grand Master to achieve my goal.¡±

    Qi Xuansu felt a little ashamed. His goal was just to get married and have a stable career. It was such a stark contrast to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s ambition.

 Chapter 124: Huasheng Hall

    <h4>Chapter 124: Huasheng Hall</h4>

    The dancer in the red dress managed to escape from Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu to a small courtyard of an inn. She did not even have time to change out of her shredded dress, which revealed much of her sexy body. ¡°The Green Phoenix Guard tracked me down this time, so the mission failed. I¡¯m sorry for being careless.¡±

    A delicate and coquettish voice interjected, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t me it on the Green Phoenix Guard. Your mission would have failed even if they hadn¡¯t intervened. Mage Zhang already saw through your tricks with her Immortal Eye of Providence. She could have caught you on the spot, but she chose to let you go and left a paper crane on you instead. It was clear that she wanted to track down ourir. You almost exposed us all!¡±

    The woman in the torn red dress stared at the coquettish woman in a fox fur cloak who was walking in. The woman in fox fur was just as beautiful as the woman in red.

    The two women red at each other with hostility.

    At this moment, the man who had been silent finally spoke in a dull tone. ¡°Boss Hua has told us many times not to alert them, but you still went ahead and provoked them. Are you deliberately disobeying orders?¡±

    The woman in red said aggrievedly, ¡°I didn¡¯t take the initiative to provoke them. It was merely a coincidence.¡±

    The man nced at her. ¡°Only you know if it was really a coincidence. Save your exnation for Boss Hua.¡±

    The woman in the fox fur fanned the mes. ¡°We¡¯re all taught by the same master. Who are you trying to deceive?¡±

    Frustrated, the woman in red had no choice but to think of how she should answer to Boss Hua.

    In fact, the woman in red did not target Zhang Yuelu. She was trying to seduce Qi Xuansu, who seemed like a virgin.

    Even though she was shocked that Qi Xuansu was a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Guizhen stage, she was still confident in her n. Most men had strong desires, resentment, or ignorance, so there was no need to resort to violence when targeting men.

    Men of Qi Xuansu¡¯s age were strong and fearless, but the biggest weakness of men at that age was having almost zero resistance toward beautiful women. Thus, the woman in red was confident that she could seduce Qi Xuansu and coerce him into revealing everything he knew. In the meantime, she hoped to convert Qi Xuansu as her spy. That way, she would be informed of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s movements at any time.

    By then, she would be able to im credit in front of Boss Hua. However, she did not expect things to go south. Now, she realized that she had shot herself in the foot.

    ......

    At the same time, Zhang Yuelu wondered what kind of scam needed one to dance on a grass tform in broad daylight. Qi Xuansu was also unaware that the woman in red was actually targeting him.

    However, the woman in red underestimated Qi Xuansu¡¯s resilience. Although Qi Xuansu was a virgin and was only familiar with a handful of women, he was an experienced traveler who had seen his fair share of the dangers in the real world. He also knew how honey traps worked, so he would be wary and not easily fooled by beauty.

    Moreover, Zhang Yuelu¡ªas his boss and his friend¡ªwould not have let Qi Xuansu fall into the honey trap.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu had already left the street and continued heading to Huasheng Hall.

    Jinguan Prefecture was big, having once been the old capital of the Shu Kingdom. Since they had to maintain a low profile in the city, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu could only walk at a normal speed without the help of the Jiamas.

    The duo walked for more than an hour before arriving at the market.

    As the ck Robe at the city gate mentioned, Huasheng Hall¡¯s facade was impressive. The main building and its foundation below were two stories high. The main gate was six meters tall. Thirty-six white marble steps led to a tform with a statue of the adult-height Earth Queen Lady that was ced in the center. This statue symbolized nurture, support, and inclusiveness¡ªthat all things were born from the Earth.

    Qi Xuansu came to the bottom of the steps and looked up at the archway with the golden characters of Huasheng Hall against a ck background. He could not help but sigh in admiration. ¡°Wow, this is more extravagant than our Tiangang Hall.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu scoffed. ¡°You clearly haven¡¯t seen the headquarters of Huasheng Hall. All branches of Huasheng Hall were modeled after it.¡±

    Qi Xuansu inquired, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Tiangang Hall have a branch?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°Ziwei Hall, Duzhi Hall, and Beichen Hall don¡¯t have branches either. It¡¯ll be strange if these halls have branches.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered for a moment and realized that it made sense. ¡°What¡¯s the rationale for this?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°Ziwei Hall, Duzhi Hall, Tiangang Hall, and Beichen Hall are essentially the ministries of personnel, finance, defense, and justice, respectively. These four departments have representatives in the local Daoist mansions, which are the Deputy Mansion Masters. The Mansion Master presides over the entire Daoist mansion, so we do not need any branches.

    ¡°Huasheng Hall and Tianji Hall are exceptions. They also take care of some of the specialmercial businesses that the local Daoist mansions can¡¯t oversee. That¡¯s why branches are established and ced under the control of the Ancestral Court.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Qi Xuansu walked up the steps first, followed closely by Zhang Yuelu.

    Usually, the main entrance of an ordinary restaurant or shop had two-paneled doors. But the main entrance of Huasheng Hall had eight-paneled doors. At this time, all eight panels were open, so there was ample space for dozens of people to enter and exit simultaneously.

    There was an open hall with twelve-paneled screens separating the front and the back. Opposite the doors was a long counter made of ck granite that resembled the gxy. Many red sandalwood tables and chairs were ced against the wall. Although they were small pieces of furniture, they were still quite pricey.

    A female Daoist priest was standing behind the counter with a smile. When she saw Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu approaching the counter, she smiled and asked, ¡°May I¡ª¡±

    Qi Xuansu had already taken out his and Zhang Yuelu¡¯s credentials and ced them on the counter.

    The receptionist was startled to see their positions. ¡°Please wait a moment, Deputy Hall Master Zhang and Deacon Qi.¡±

    She hurriedly went behind the screen. After a while, a middle-aged man came out, wearing Daoist formal attire. Judging from his clothes, he was a fifth-rank priest.

    The man bowed respectfully. ¡°I¡¯m Song Wan, the superintendent here. Nice to meet you, Deputy Hall Master Zhang.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu returned the salute and briefly exined her purpose of visiting.

    After hearing this, Song Wan looked troubled. ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang, ording to the rules of Huasheng Hall, aesthetic procedures and medication are not normally eligible for a discount. But as a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist priest, you are eligible for a price reduction of 10%.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu had already expected this, so she said bluntly, ¡°Please quote a price.¡±

    Song Wan calcted the cost and said, ¡°Based on the amount of medicine required, it will cost slightly more than 3,000 Taiping coins. But I can waive the small change and charge you only 3,000 Taiping coins for the full course of treatment.¡±

    From Song Wan¡¯s perspective, that was not a small amount. But a fourth-rank Daoist priest should be able to afford 3,000 Taiping coins, especially someone as famous as Zhang Yuelu, who was from the prestigious Zhang family and valued by the Earthly Preceptor. She had a bright future, so Song Wan assumed that she was also well-off.

    What he did not know was that Zhang Yuelu was not from the main branch of the Zhang family and that she did not have much help from her family. The Earthly Preceptor valued her, but he would not give her money. She was also an honest and self-sufficient priest, unlike Sun Yongfeng, who had his ¡°ways¡± of earning a side ie. Thus, Zhang Yuelu only had a worth of 1,000 Taiping coins.

    Zhang Yuelu mumbled, ¡°Three thousand?¡±

    She had expected it would be expensive. What truly surprised her was how urate Qi Xuansu¡¯s estimate was.

    Before this, Qi Xuansu had estimated that the treasure shield could be sold for at least 4,000 Taiping coins. He nned to use the earnings at Huasheng Hall first, then use the remaining money to buy a Divine Dragon Pistol, which was about 800 Taiping coins on the ck market. That meant his estimation for Huasheng Hall¡¯s fees was exactly 3,200 Taiping coins.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu interjected, ¡°Superintendent Song, it¡¯s not easy to carry aroundrge amounts of cash when traveling, so we don¡¯t have much on us now. But we have a treasure shield that we can let go of. Can we use this as coteral?¡±

    Huasheng Hall was not a pawnshop, so coteral was not normally epted. However, there were exceptions to everything. To outsiders, the rules were fixed, but Zhang Yuelu was no outsider. She was a member of the Daoist Order with a promising future, so Song Wan was willing to bend the rules.

    Song Wan pondered for a moment and nodded. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll do you two a favor.¡±

    Seeing the slight frown on Zhang Yuelu''s face, Qi Xuansu hurriedly agreed on her behalf. ¡°Thank you so much, Superintendent Song.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took out the treasure, which looked like a luminous pearl, and handed it to Song Wan.

    Although Song Wan was not a high-ranking priest, he had been working in Huasheng<i> </i>Hall for a long time, so he was well-informed. He took the bead and examined it, then injected some qi into it to roughly confirm the authenticity of the treasure.

    Song Wan remarked, ¡°A good treasure indeed. The market price for this is 4,100 Taiping coins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu cupped his fist in salute. ¡°Thank you, Superintendent Song.¡±

    Song Wan asked the duo to take a seat while someone served them tea. Then he left with the treasure.

    About an hourter, Song Wan returned, carrying a box in one hand and a stack of bills in the other.

    Qi Xuansu signaled Zhang Yuelu to continue drinking tea while he stood up to greet the superintendent.

    Song Wan had noticed how Qi Xuansu was handling everything, so he keenly spoke to him instead. ¡°Deacon Qi, this is Deputy Hall Master Zhang¡¯s ointment.¡±

    As he spoke, he handed the box to Qi Xuansu. It was a medicine box simr to those that doctors carried around.

    Qi Xuansu opened the box and scanned it, only to see jade boxes of the same size and specifications arranged neatly inside. There were twelve jade boxes in total, which meant that each box of this medicine cost 250 Taiping coins.

    Song Wan handed the stack of bills to Qi Xuansu. ¡°This is the receipt and 11rge cash notes totaling 1,100 Taiping coins. Please verify it, Deacon Qi.¡±

    A receipt was needed if they nned to reimburse the fees for the treatment.

    Qi Xuansu closed the box, took the stack of bills, nced at it, and put it in his bag. He thanked Song Wan again. ¡°Thank you so much, Superintendent Song. Let¡¯s get together for a drink when you return to Jade Capital in the future.¡±

    This was what Song Wan waited to hear, so he naturally responded with a smile.

 Chapter 125: Clothes Not as Good as New

    <h4>Chapter 125: Clothes Not as Good as New</h4>

    After Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu left Huasheng Hall, Qi Xuansu handed the medicine box to Zhang Yuelu and asked, ¡°Do you know how to use these?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s inconvenient to apply them while traveling, so I¡¯ll just use them after I get home.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded without saying much and touched his satchel again.

    He had 1100 Taiping coins worth of cash notes in his satchel. ording to Zhang Yuelu, he deserved the treasure, so the rest of the money was his. Thus, he could do whatever he pleased with it.

    Qi Xuansu was in a good mood when he thought of this.

    For many big shots, 1000 Taiping coins was not a big deal, but this was the first time Qi Xuansu had so much extra money at his disposal, enough for him to do many things.

    He thought about purchasing a new Divine Dragon Pistol. Although he kept a Divine Dragon Pistol on him, that pistol was issued to Zhang Yuelu by the Daoist Order. So he would have to return it to her sooner orter. Thus, he wanted one for self-defense on future missions on his own.

    Qi Xuansu nced at Zhang Yuelu again.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu had her hand raised in front of her. Her finger was pointing at the shining beads on her wrist, and her eyes were dazed, looking like she was sorting out some things.

    Qi Xuansu figured that she was organizing her magical receptacle. He saw her in this state because outsiders could not see the space inside one¡¯s magical receptacle.

    After a while, Zhang Yuelu put the medicine box into the magical receptacle andined. ¡°My magical receptacle ispletely full. I can¡¯t fit another thing inside.¡±

    Qi Xuansu suggested, ¡°Maybe you need a satchel too.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nced at the satchel Qi Xuansu had been carrying with him and hesitated for a moment. ¡°Maybeter.¡±

    The two of them walked down the steps of Huasheng Hall and strolled around the market, where they found a tailor shop.

    Qi Xuansu turned to Zhang Yuelu. ¡°We might as well mend our cloaks since we¡¯re already here. As they say, new clothes willst for three years, and they¡¯llst for another three years after mending.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu took out their cloaks and grunted. ¡°Ours didn¡¯tst three weeks, let alone three years.¡±

    That was true. Zhang Yuelu bought these two cloaks less than a month ago. Unfortunately, they were damaged due to the many fights they encountered during their journey. This was the reason Qi Xuansu had never bothered wearing new clothes when he was a lone traveler.

    Most people would throw away their torn cloaks. Unfortunately, neither of them were rich, so they were more frugal.

    Qi Xuansuughed, took the cloaks, and walked into the tailor shop.

    The tailor was an old man in his fifties, with gray hair and sses. When he saw Qi Xuansu entering his shop with two cloaks in hand, he knew what the young man wanted.

    Qi Xuansu put the cloaks on the table and asked, ¡°Sir, how long will it take to repair these two cloaks? How much will it cost?¡±

    The tailor picked up a cloak, looked through it carefully, and replied, ¡°This seems like the ready-made clothes found in Jade Capital. It¡¯s quite rare here.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quite knowledgeable.¡± Qi Xuansu praised him. This kind of ready-made clothing wasmon in Jade Capital, but it was notmonly seen outside Jade Capital. They were usually seen on Daoist priests in the local Daoist mansions.

    The tailor thought about it for a moment before replying, ¡°One day should be enough. But unlike Jade Capital, some of the fabrics and threads are not somon here, so it¡¯ll be a bit more expensive, totaling two Taiping coins.¡±

    Since Qi Xuansu just had a windfall of money, he generously took out two Taiping coins from his sleeve pocket without negotiating the price, cing them beside the two cloaks.

    For the tailor, two Taiping coins were considered a big deal. He was ecstatic and said, ¡°I noticed that your robe is also somewhat damaged. Would you like to have it repaired? I¡¯ll do it for you on the house.¡±

    Qi Xuansu hesitated and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring a change of clothes.¡±

    <i>After bing a Xiantian Being, one¡¯s lifespan would not increase, but there would be many subtle changes. Xiantian Beings would no longer be susceptible tomon diseases. They did not sweat, have body odor, or shed dead skin cells or hair. They were like lotus flowers that emerged from the mud without being stained. Thus, the frequency of changing clothes and bathing could be reduced. They could also reduce and eventually stop their food consumption after learning the Fasting Technique.</i>

    <i>Due to this, the Daoist Order issued a rule that all members of the Daoistmunity, from fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters to the Grand Master, were only allowed a maximum of eight sets of clothing. This was to encourage frugality and minimalism.</i>

    <i>On the other spectrum, dignitaries of the Imperial Court practiced extravagance and maximalism. It was seen as normal for the rich and noble to change into four sets of outfits per day. These clothes were also just slightly different, with differences so subtle that most people could not tell it was a new outfit at a nce. Only upon closer inspection would one be able to see the changes. </i>

    <i>A Heavenly Being was considered semi-immortal. Their lifespan would increase significantly to a minimum of 100 years old, and they were unaffected by the cold and the heat. They would be able to reduce their need for sleep as time progressed until they eventually did not need sleep at all. This was also the reason many Heavenly Beings could cultivate in seclusion for decades. If an ordinary person were to cultivate in seclusion for so long, they would have starved to death or smelled disgusting.</i>

    Since Qi Xuansu was a Xiantian<i> </i>Being, he did not prepare a change of clothes. He had expected the journey to be arduous, but he did not expect to get involved in so many fights along the way.

    Even though Qi Xuansu¡¯s clothes and body wereden with cuts from the fierce battles, he had no body odor. On the contrary, he was much cleaner than ordinary people.

    The tailor said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to change. The damage to your robe is not serious, so I can just sew it up like this.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was surprised by this. He stood still and opened his arms wide as instructed, while the tailor took the needle and thread and mended his robe effortlessly. After the tailor finished working on him, Qi Xuansu looked around and saw no traces of the tears. He praised the tailor. ¡°Good workmanship!¡±

    He turned to Zhang Yuelu and looked at her without saying anything. But it was obvious what he wanted to ask. ¡°Do you want to mend your robe too?¡±

    In the fierce battles before, Zhang Yuelu was seriously injured by the flying sword, which was extremely thin and sharp, cutting through Zhang Yuelu¡¯s thick cotton coat like butter. At first nce, her coat seemed intact, but upon close inspection, there were many tears that exposed the cotton padding.

    Zhang Yuelu kept silent, clearly refusing the offer.

    Although Confucian women¡¯s etiquette was no longer adhered to strictly in the current society, some women were still conservative and kept their distance from men.

    Zhang Yuelu brought a change of clothes, but it was the formal attire of a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist priest. She did not want to wear this attire so as to avoid showing off her rank.

    The tailor hurriedly said, ¡°My wife can help thedy, so there is no need to change either.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded.

    The tailor shouted for his wife, and a middle-aged woman came out to invite Zhang Yuelu to the room at the back of the shop.

    Qi Xuansu sat outside and waited, while the tailor took out a ruler to mark the two cloaks.

    About an hourter, Zhang Yuelu and the woman came out of the inner room. Since this service was not inclusive, Zhang Yuelu paid the woman a small Taiping coin.

    Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu left the tailor shop. Since they had to wait for another day for their cloaks to be ready, they decided to head to the nearest Taiping Inn to book a room first, so they could avoid the dilemma of having only one room left likest time.

    Qi Xuansu did not want to sleep on the chair all night again.

    ......

    The woman in the fox fur ran into the yard and yelled, ¡°We¡¯re in trouble!¡±

    The man sitting on the steps raised his eyelids and asked, ¡°What¡¯s with the shouting?¡±

    ¡°Those two people are here!¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    The woman in the fox fur said, ¡°The two people that Boss Hua mentioned¡ªMage Zhang and that guy!¡±

    The man suddenly stood up, his face solemn. ¡°You saw them?¡±

    ¡°Of course! I crossed paths with them, but they didn¡¯t recognize me. If it was Sister, I¡¯m afraid Mage Zhang would have identified her. Luckily, Sister is in her room reflecting on her mistakes.¡±

    The man looked deep in thought, so the woman in the fox fur just stopped talking and waited quietly.

    After a while, the man muttered, ¡°Let¡¯s leave.¡±

    ¡°Leave?¡± The woman asked.

    ¡°Yes, we must leave.¡± The man exined, ¡°We can¡¯t stay here for long. Stop following Mage Zhang, lest she notice something. Just keep an eye on the main entrance of the inn. The moment they leave the inn, lead the rest out through the back door and go to the residence in the south of the city.¡±

    The woman obliged. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ......

    On the other hand, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu did not know that the group of scammers who were making trouble in Jinguan Prefecture were also in the Taiping Inn. The two of them asked for an individual courtyard with two bedrooms and a living room. After paying and collecting the key, they went out again because it was still early.

    They walked around the lively market in the city, which was not as nice as Taiqing Square in Jade Capital. Eventually, they arrived at the other end of the market and found a branch of Tianji<i> </i>Hall, which was equally grand as Huasheng Hall. However, the statue of the Earth Queen Lady was reced by an Emperor of Heaven statue.

    But for some reason, Tianji Hall was on the other end of the market, away from Huasheng Hall.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Do Huasheng Hall and Tianji Hall have a bad rtionship?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu also found it strange. ¡°No, the headquarters of Tianji Hall and Huasheng<i> </i>Hall are right next to each other in Xuan City. Since the two halls have frequent interaction, they even have an internal bridge allowing for direct ess without going through the main entrance.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, let¡¯s go in and take a look.¡± Qi Xuansu wanted to buy a Divine Dragon Pistol, so he walked into Tianji Hall excitedly. Zhang Yuelu let him go first and followed him leisurely.

    Theyout of Tianji Hall was simr to that of Huasheng Hall earlier, except that the receptionist at the counter was a male Daoist priest.

    With Qi Xuansu¡¯s rank, he was not qualified to buy the Divine Dragon Pistol, so Zhang Yuelu had to use her name for this purchase. Zhang Yuelu stepped forward to show her credentials and asked straight to the point, ¡°Do you have a Divine Dragon Pistol?¡±

    The Daoist priest was shocked when he saw Zhang Yuelu¡¯s credentials. Although he had not heard of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s name, he knew how high of a status a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master had. His original arrogance disappeared, and he said respectfully, ¡°Yes, Mage.¡±

    Although the Divine Dragon Pistol was invented by the Divine Armory, Tianji Hall could manufacture it because the two parties were in a cooperative rtionship.

    Zhang Yuelu ordered, ¡°Bring me one.¡±

    The Daoist priest left and returned with a box after a while, cing it on the stone counter.

    Zhang Yuelu reached out to open the box and saw a gun with an ivory handle and a brass body, decorated with a dragon¡¯s head and wrapped in velvet.

    The Daoist priest introduced the item. ¡°This is a breechloader that uses a single metal cartridge. The small flintlock is reced with a firing pin structure, and it has a shooting range of about one hundred steps. It costs 600 Taiping coins.¡±

 Chapter 126: Not as Good as They Used to Be

    <h4>Chapter 126: Not as Good as They Used to Be</h4>

    Qi Xuansu knew that the ck market would be more expensive, but he did not expect that Tianji Hall would be so much cheaper. A brand new Divine Dragon Pistol from Tianji Hall and a secondhand one on the ck market were the same price. This was the benefit of being a high-ranking priest, because only they could make purchases from Tianji Hall.

    Zhang Yuelu nced at Qi Xuansu, who nodded slightly.

    After confirmation, Zhang Yuelu said to the receptionist, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take this one. Do you have any projectiles?¡±

    The receptionist looked troubled as he said, ¡°Mage, the Daoist Order does not control the sale of firearms, but there is a strict limit on ammunition. Phoenix Eye and Dragon Eye ammunitions must be approved by<i> </i>Tiangang Hall.¡±

    Tianji Hall focused on the projectiles fired, while the Western Continent¡¯s emphasis was on the firearm itself.

    Zhang Yuelu took out her Deputy Hall Master badge as proof of her identity.

    The receptionist was shocked to see this. ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang, please wait a moment while I ask the superintendent to attend to you.¡±

    Not long after, the superintendent of Tianji Hall hurried over and greeted Zhang Yuelu. He asked, ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang, what kind of projectiles would you like?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°What do you have?¡±

    The superintendent replied, ¡°The Grade-A Dragon Eye and Phoenix Eye ammunitions are only avable at the headquarters of Tianji Hall at the Ancestral Court. The Grade-B Series One for both ammunitions are also currently out of stock. The rest are still avable.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu thought about it for a moment before she said, ¡°In that case, give me ten rounds of Grade-B Series Two Dragon Eye Bullets, twenty rounds of Grade-B Series Three Dragon Eye Bullets, and five rounds of Grade-B Series Three Phoenix Eye Bullets.¡±

    The superintendent said, ¡°The price of Grade-B Series Two Dragon Eye Bullets is 10 Taiping coins per round, so ten rounds cost 100 Taiping coins. Each round of Grade-B Series Three Dragon Eye Bullet is 7 Taiping coins and 500 Ruyi coins, so twenty rounds cost 150 Taiping coins. Grade-B Series Three Phoenix Eye Bullet costs 8 Taiping coins each, so five rounds of that will be 40 Taiping coins.

    ¡°All the above amounts to 290 Taiping coins. Adding 600 Taiping coins for the Divine Dragon Pistol, your total purchase will be 890 Taiping coins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was still rejoicing about how cheap the Divine Dragon Pistol waspared to his estimate. However, his joyful bubble popped when he heard the total price. He finally understood what was most costly in Tianji Hall.

    In the past, he used the projectiles issued by Tiangang Hall, so he did not think much of it. Now that he had to buy his own projectiles, he realized how expensive they were. Just a few bullets cost him almost half the money he spent on the Divine Dragon Pistol.

    Zhang Yuelu stated, ¡°Round it up to the nearest hundred and make up the remaining 10 Taiping coins with some ordinary projectiles, preferably those that can pierce through armor.¡±

    The superintendent nodded.

    After a while, the receptionist retrieved the items and ced the various projectiles on the table. ¡°Ten rounds of Grade-B Series Two Dragon Eye Bullets, twenty rounds of Grade-B Series Three Dragon Eye Bullets, five rounds of Grade-B Series Three Phoenix Eye Bullets, and thirty rounds of ordinary armor-piercing projectiles. This leather shoulder holster is a free gift. It can be used to hold ammunition. Please verify your purchase, Deputy Hall Master Zhang.¡±

    All projectiles were packed in an exquisite ckcquer wooden box with the logo of Tianji Hall painted on it. The names of the various projectiles were clearly marked and arranged neatly into categories.

    Zhang Yuelu did not move, while Qi Xuansu stepped forward to check the ammunition. Thanks to Zhang Yuelu, he was familiar with these projectiles because he had used them in previous battles. He opened the wooden box and checked the bullets skillfully.

    <i>Back in the day, both artillery shells and musket projectiles were spherical. However, with the development of firearms, especially the emergence of rifling, projectiles had to have a close fit with the rifling. The diameter of the spherical projectiles were slightlyrger than the barrel, making loading difficult. So a ramrod was needed to force the projectile into the barrel, significantly reducing the loading speed. Thus, projectiles gradually evolved into a pointed cylindrical shape.</i>

    The shapes of all the projectiles they bought were the same. The difference was in the talisman carvings. Grade-B Series Two and Series Three Dragon Eye Bullets had moreplex carvings, and the gunpowder encased in the bullets was also different. The bottom of the bullet was engraved with their series numbering.

    After Qi Xuansu checked that everything was correct, he took out nine brand-newrge cash notes that still had the scent of ink and handed them to the superintendent.

    The superintendent epted the cash notes while secretly wondering about the rtionship between Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu. He sized up Qi Xuansu, thinking that thetter was well-dressed and generous with money. However, a true descendant of a prestigious family would have a magical receptacle instead of a worn-out leather satchel.

    He thought, <i>Is Mage Zhang keeping a boy toy?</i>

    Qi Xuansu put away their purchase and roughly estimated his savings. Not counting the loose change, he still had 400 Taiping coins. However, he still had the resettlement allowance that Tiangang Hall had not issued to him yet. He also had not received the monthly subsidy from the Qingping Society.

    After returning to Jade Capital, he could be promoted to the sixth rank and enjoy the treatment of a fifth-rank Prospective Jijiu Daoist priest. Thus, he would receive a monthly allowance of 100 Taiping coins. He also had the Wuyou coins he kept with Madam Qi, which he did not n to use for the time being.

    From this point of view, he had a bright future. He could save about 1,000 Taiping coins every year. In the next three to four years, he could consider leaving Haichan ce and buying a house in the Upper Eight Neighborhoods. By then, it would not be a mere dream to be promoted to a fifth-rank or fourth-rank Daoist priest.

    After that, he could finally consider starting his own family and getting a Daoistpanion. As for children, there was no need to force it, as it depended on the wishes of his other half. In this sense, the Daoistmunity differed from the secr world.

    Of course, the premise for this was that he had to stay alive, and his identity as a member of the Qingping Society had to stay hidden.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu felt weighed down by guilt.

    Madam Qi was right. It was not ideal for him to continue sacrificing for the<i> </i>Qingping Society. Instead, he should focus on climbing thedder in the Daoist Order. Therefore, his goal of leaving the Qingping Society remained unchanged.

    Qi Xuansu subconsciously nced at Zhang Yuelu beside him from the corner of his eye.

    Zhang Yuelu did not know what was on Qi Xuansu¡¯s mind. She was not thinking about the future. Instead, she was reflecting on what happened earlier.

    She had used her name to help Qi Xuansu buy a Divine Dragon Pistol and restricted ammunition. Was this appropriate behavior? The Daoist Order did not have clear regtions about buying firearms and ammunition on someone¡¯s behalf, so it was not considered a vition. However, the Daoist Order did not support this kind of behavior, so this was considered a minor loophole.

    Earlier, she helped Qi Xuansu buy a Divine Dragon Pistol on his behalf. Since it was not illegal to do so, she would not be punished for it. But what if this was done on arger scale? If someone more powerful in the Daoist Order used their status to purchase dozens or even hundreds of guns and resold these items on the ck market to make profits, was that also not illegal?

    Zhang Yuelu could not help but ponder the repercussions of such actions. Why not mend this loophole? Was it because no one wanted to stop this, or because it could not be stopped?

    If no one wanted to stop this, it only indicated that this had already be an unwritten rule. If it could not be stopped, where did the resistancee from?

    Zhang Yuelu only felt that the road ahead was long and arduous. She also did not know where this path led. It would not be easy to reform the Daoist Order, even if the Holy Xuan came back to life.

    She had the heart to make changes, but she had no influence or power at the moment to implement her ideas. All she could do was take things one step at a time and make every step worthwhile.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu asked softly, ¡°Qing Xiao, shall we get going?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu came back to her senses and nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±

    The two of them walked out of the lobby of Tianji Hall, but they were in no hurry to go down the steps.

    Zhang Yuelu suddenly stretched out her hand in front of Qi Xuansu.

    Startled and not quite understanding what Zhang Yuelu meant, Qi Xuansu hesitated and stretched out a hand to shake hers.

    Her hand felt soft, smooth, and a little cool to the touch.

    As exchanges between the Eastern and Western Continents became more frequent, it became a trend to learn the etiquette of the Western Continent. Qi Xuansu remembered an etiquette from the Western Continent. When meeting someone, both parties were required to show each other that they were not harboring ill intentions by disclosing if they were carrying weapons. Later, this custom gradually evolved into a handshake, which was roughly equivalent to the fist-and-palm salute in the Central ins.

    Zhang Yuelu knocked Qi Xuansu¡¯s hand away angrily and red at him. ¡°Are you trying to take advantage of me?¡±

    ¡°You clearly reached out to me first, so why did you p my hand away?¡± Qi Xuansu felt wronged.

    Zhang Yuelu said bluntly, ¡°Where is my Divine Dragon Pistol? You have your own now, so shouldn¡¯t you give mine back to me?¡±

    Qi Xuansu touched his old love, which had been with him for more than half a month. Then he touched his new love, which was still brand-new and in its box. He smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°I heard about the handshake etiquette from the Western Continent, so I thought you were into it. Speaking of Western etiquette, people there have other strange customs, like hand kisses, hugs, and cheek kisses. How indecent!¡±

    The corners of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s lips curled up, but not in a charming way. Instead, she resembled a tiger stalking its prey, which made Qi Xuansu feel a chill running down his spine.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Do you also want to try Western etiquette?¡±

    Qi Xuansu coughed lightly and assumed a straight face. ¡°Of course not! I just think that the people on the Western Continent are very different from us from the Central ins.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu snorted lightly and did not pursue the matter further. There was a faint smirk on her face. ¡°Where¡¯s my gun? Hand it over quickly.¡±

    Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment. He held the ivory handle of the gun and pleaded. ¡°A weapon is a man¡¯s bestpanion. I have been fighting side by side with this gun for more than half a month, and we¡¯ve gotten along so well. I¡¯ve been so used to the feeling of this gun, so my aim is much better with it. If I change to a new gun, I¡¯ll have to get used to it again. Why don¡¯t you take my new one instead?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not retract her hand. ¡°That¡¯s a good proposal. If that Divine Dragon Pistol is mine, I¡¯ll definitely agree to it since I don¡¯t use it that much. So it really doesn¡¯t matter which one I take. Unfortunately, that Divine Dragon Pistol is not mine. It¡¯s issued by Tiangang Hall and has a serial number on it, so it can¡¯t be traded.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed as he handed over his old love to Zhang Yuelu. He then took out his new love from its box, loaded it with an ordinary projectile, and put it into the holster.

    Zhang Yuelu took the gun and gently stroked the barrel, deep in thought.

 Chapter 127: Imperial Guards Office

    <h4>Chapter 127: Imperial Guards Office</h4>

    The Imperial City weed the first snow of the year. The snow on the main road leading from the Imperial City to the Grand Canal¡¯s pier had been swept to the side, creating a stark contrast in colors.

    Every year, 20,000 boats from the Imperial Court and provincial governments would dock at the Grand Canal. At the end of the year, crowds of people would gather at the dock to pick up the goods before the heavy snow arrived. However, this pier was not the end of the Grand Canal. There was also a section of the canal that connected to the moat of the Imperial Capital.

    After passing through the watergate, one could directly enter Taiji Lake in the Imperial Capital. However, only authorized boats carrying royal tributes had ess to this waterway.

    <i>The Grand Canal referred to a canal system that originated before the unification of China. During the Warring States period, the State of Wu was vying for dominance over the Central ins against the State of Qi. Thus, they excavated a canal near Jinling Prefecture to divert water from the Yangtze River.</i>

    <i>Historically known as the Han Canal, the Grand Canal formed the basis of whatter became the Grand Canal. Throughout sessive dynasties, especially during the Jin Dynasty, the canal underwent significant expansions, eventually connecting the south of the Yangtze River with the Imperial Capital in the north.</i>

    <i>The Grand Canal traversed 4 provinces, 11 prefectures, and 23 counties, spanning approximately 1,800 kilometers. The grains produced in Jiangnan ounted for two-thirds of the world¡¯s production. This canal yed a vital role in transporting produce to the Imperial Capital, making it the lifeline of the empire.</i>

    There was a saying that heavy snow was a sign of the following year¡¯s good harvest. Thus, the officials of the Department of Astronomy were delighted. The Grand Secretariat, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of War were also d to see such heavy snow.

    Only one department in the Imperial Court was vexed and flustered by the snowstorm: the Ministry of Grain Transport. The Imperial City had a poption of millions, all relying on this grand canal for the transportation of supplies. Thest few batches of grain and silver, as well as all kinds of royal tributes, had to be transported to the Imperial City before the winter solstice. Otherwise, they would have failed in their duties if the river froze before they delivered the goods.

    Therefore, in the past few days, the rivers entering the Imperial District were full of boats, causing congestion in the canal.

    The snow was getting heavier, nketing the riverbanks and clouding people¡¯s vision. Thus, it was hard to avoid other boats, and bumps were inevitable. However, most of the people who were rushing at this time were the officials. When their boats were bumped, they would not let up easily.

    Although high-ranking officials would not be on the boat, and most of the officials onboard were lower-ranking officials, most of them acted high and mighty. They looked down on others and unleashed their anger on anyone who got in their way. Thus, it wasmon to hear yelling and cursing.

    At this moment, arge ship sailed in amidst the wind and snow. A hugentern that had ¡°Green Phoenix Guard¡± written on it and ck gs bearing their name fluttered in the wind.

    Seeing this, all the boats hurriedly moved to both sides of the river to avoid the ship.

    The Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s ship upied the middle of the canal and was covered with ayer of snow.

    A man walked out of the cabin and stood on the deck of the ship. It was the Lieutenant Colonel from the Luzhou Office, Zhao Guangji. He and Jiang Bieyun had jointly nned the execution of County Magistrate Li Hongwen¡¯s family in Fengtai County.

    Zhao Guangji looked toward the Imperial Capital through the heavy snowfall, feeling worried. A major of the Green Phoenix Guard approached Zhao Guangji and reported, ¡°Sir, the Imperial Guard¡¯s Office has sent someone to urge us to arrive by today.¡±

    The Imperial Guard was the old name of the Green Phoenix Guard.

    Zhao Guangji nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±

    The major did not dare to say anything and slowly retreated, especially when he noticed Zhao Guangji¡¯s glum expression.

    Since something went wrong in Fengtai County, the Deputy Commander summoned him to the Imperial Capital to report on the case and hold him ountable.

    Zhao Guangji and Jiang Bieyun nned the massacre, but they were not previously acquainted before this incident and only worked together because of their superiors.

    He wondered if the Daoist Order¡¯s Taiping Sect had put pressure on the Imperial Guard¡¯s Office.

    <i>In the past, the Imperial Capital was shaped like two squares, with the small square stacked on top of the bigger square. The smaller and upper square was the Inner City, which housed the Imperial City, and within that was the Pce City. The bigger and bottom square was the Outer City.</i>

    <i>Although the current Imperial Capital was no longer the same shape, it still consisted of the Pce City in the center, which was heavily guarded on all sides. The Pce City was the smallest in area, but it was where the emperor lived. Its entrance was called the Wu Gate.</i>

    <i>The Imperial City¡¯s main entrance was known as the Chengtian Gate, symbolizing receiving the mandate from Heaven. Beyond the Chengtian Gate was a vast square surrounded by three walls made of white jade. At the southern end of the square, there was another gate called the Great Xuan Gate, also known as the First Gate of the Imperial City.</i>

    <i>The Great Xuan Gate, sharing the same name as the dynasty, was the national gate. Ordinary people were not allowed to pass through it casually. The Emperor¡¯s carriage would pass through this gate only during significant national ceremonies. The Empress could only enter the Imperial City through this gate during the grand wedding ceremony with the Emperor.</i>

    <i>The Great Xuan Gate was majestic. It faced south, with three arched doorways in the middle and dark-colored roof tiles with flying eaves and heavy ridges. On both sides of the gate were stone lions and dismounting stone tablets.</i>

    <i>In front of the Great Xuan Gate was the Imperial Road. To the left of the Imperial Road was Heaven Street, resembling a chessboard and symbolizing the fortune and decline of emperors. To the right was the Thousand-Step Corridor, named for its 110 east-west corridors on each side.</i>

    <i>Outside the Thousand-Step Corridor, there was a pce wall towering about six meters tall, housing most of the Imperial Court¡¯s government offices. On the east side outside the wall were the Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Rites, Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Works, Imperial n Department, and the Department of Astronomy. </i>

    <i>On the west side were the Ministry of Justice, the Inspectorate, and the Court of Judicial Review. The Imperial Guard¡¯s Office, which was where the Lord Commander of the Green Phoenix Guard presided, was located inside the Great Xuan Gate and outside the Chengtian Gate, separated by only one gate from the six ministries.</i>

    <i>Among the many government offices, there were two exceptions located within Pce City: the Cab, located in the Wenyuan Pavilion inside the Wu Gate, and the Taiping Temple, located on the site of the former Directorate of Ceremonies.</i>

    <i>During the former Wei Dynasty, the Imperial Court established 24 government offices, with the Directorate of Ceremonies as the leading authority. The chief eunuch in charge of the Directorate of Ceremonies held the seal and was revered as the Internal Prime Minister. The external Prime Minister, from the Grand Secretariat, oversaw the six ministries in the court. Together, both exercised the powers and responsibilities of a Prime Minister.</i>

    <i>This system of eunuch¡¯s involvement in politics was heavily criticized during the former Wei Dynasty. Thus, the Great Xuan Dynasty abolished the Wei military household system, the Five Armies, and 24 government offices led by the Directorate of Ceremonies. Instead, all powers were consolidated under the Grand Secretariat, where the Prime Minister would discuss and advise the emperor on policies.</i>

    <i>However, the Great Xuan Dynasty did notpletely abolish the eunuch system that had continued for thousands of years. This was partly due to tradition and partly because the former Wei Dynasty had left behind a hundred thousand eunuchs, many of whom were skilled individuals. The Great Xuan Dynasty could not afford to let them go unchecked and had to take over their management.</i>

    <i>At the beginning of the Wei Dynasty, the Green Phoenix Guard and the 24 government offices of the inner court were established to protect the imperial family. The Green Phoenix Guard had 13 Grand Protectors, recruiting talented individuals for their own use.</i>

    <i>Eunuchs were trained by the royal family from a young age. A renowned Confucian schr had bestowed the eunuchs with a secret scripture, and these eunuchs were known among themon people to be masters in the pce. Eunuchs also passed down their knowledge through mentorship, akin to the Daoist sects.</i>

    <i>In addition, there were also Confucians in the royal family who excelled in literary and martial arts. Thebination of these three elements enabled the former Wei Dynasty to firmly suppress the Daoist Order and the Buddhist Sect for over 200 years.</i>

    The eunuchs¡¯ lineage was not included among the lineages of the Five Immortals. That was because this lineage was specifically intended for those with physical disabilities. Although they could still be Heavenly Beings and gain longevity, they would have to undergo castration before practicing this lineage. If a man or woman practiced it, their gender would reverse. Men would be women, and women would be men, which was extremely strange.

    With the downfall of the Wei Dynasty, the eunuchs¡¯ lineage fell into the hands of the Great Xuan Dynasty, whichbeled them as the Yin-Yang People.

    Taiping Temple had a close rtionship with the Taiping Sect. The Imperial Preceptor, who was the Great Sage of the Taiping Sect, would stay in the Taiping Temple if he visited the Imperial Capital. The Imperial Preceptor would then discuss the teachings of Daoism with the Emperor.

    Since the royal family of the Great Xuan Dynasty adhered to Daoist teachings, the emperors of the Great Xuan Dynasty were bestowed honorific titles. The current emperor was given the title of Great Sage Ziji, governing the Yin-Yang Lineage.

    This title was above the three Deputy Grand Masters and was equivalent in status to the Grand Master. However, most people in the Daoistmunity did not regard the emperor as a Daoist priest and still recognized the Grand Master as the absolute power.

    There were dedicated Taiping Sect disciples in charge of the Taiping Temple. Ordinary people, including maids, eunuchs, guards, court officials, and princes, were not allowed to enter.

    The original 24 government offices of the inner court were streamlined into the Court of Pce Attendants, divided into the Southern Court and the Northern Court. There were various departments under both courts, with eunuchs serving as the Chief and Deputy Chief.

    The Chief was in charge of the Southern Court, presiding over the registration of various internal offices and servants, the organization of sacrificial rituals, court gatherings, and banquets, and the inspection of all royal tributes. The Deputy Chief oversaw the Northern Court and was responsible for governing the Yin-Yang People and guarding the inner court. They only obeyed themands of the emperor.

    The biggest difference between the Northern Court and the Green Phoenix Guard was that thetter could leave the Imperial Capital. The Green Phoenix Guard could investigate cases outside, while the Northern Court could not leave the Imperial Capital unless they had the emperor¡¯s decree.

    ......

    At this time, in a duty room of the Imperial Guard¡¯s Office, a brass brazier was burning red and warm.

    The Deputy Commander, Yun Luo, was on duty. She was the only woman in the top three positions of the Green Phoenix Guard. Judging from her appearance, she looked about thirty years old, but few people knew her actual age.

    Over the years, she had been in charge of the Southern Military Commission and had lived in seclusion. To outsiders, the Deputy Commander of the Northern Military Commission was more famous. However, within the Green Phoenix Guard, Deputy Commander Yunmanded more fear.

    Yun Luo went to the threshold of the duty room and lifted the heavy cotton curtain. She did not cross the high threshold and merely looked out while the snow and cold wind blew at her face.

    She had a gloomy and icy expression,parable to the weather, as she sighed. Sage Qingwei would be arriving in the Imperial Capital soon to perform a ritual for the Emperor, who was also known as the Great Sage Ziji. In fact, the Emperor had summoned Sage Qingwei to the Imperial Capital for an interrogation.

    Thinking of this, Yun Luo¡¯s already dismal expression darkened further.

 Chapter 128: Great Sage Ziji

    <h4>Chapter 128: Great Sage Ziji</h4>

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu arrived at Jinguan Prefecture on the second day of November and stayed there for one night. They then continued their journey, heading to Baidi City on the third day of November.

    After that, they would take a boat from Baidi City down the river to Huzhou, also known as Jingzhou in ancient times. From Huzhou, they would make their way to Wuzhou, finally arriving at Shangqing County, where the Zhang family had lived for generations. That was also where the Dazhen Mansion on Yunjin Mountain was located.

    The two of them left the city gate of Jinguan Prefecture, wearing their mended cloaks and walking leisurely along the main road.

    ¡°Qing Xiao, have you met the Emperor?¡± Qi Xuansu asked out of the blue.

    During their journey, they would make small talk. They chatted about all kinds of topics to kill time. It also helped them understand each other more.

    Zhang Yuelu shook her head. ¡°Nope.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°I wonder what this Emperor is like.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu thought about it for a while before she replied, ¡°This is the 41st year of the Jiushi Era, which means His Majesty has been the Emperor for 41 years. I remember that he ascended the throne in his twenties, so he should be an old man in his sixties by now. But His Majesty should have practiced Daoist anti-aging methods, so he wouldn¡¯t look too old. He would have maintained a middle-aged look tomand authority over the Imperial Court.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°He must be highly respectable since he has been the Emperor for 41 years.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu stated, ¡°The former Wei Dynasty adhered to Confucianism, but the Great Xuan Dynasty followed Daoism. All emperors in the Great Xuan Dynasty were Daoist disciples. Before Emperor Gaozu started the rebellion, he and the Great Sages from the Li and Zhang families were the three Deputy Grand Masters. The position of Grand Master was vacant."

    ¡°You mean, the Great Sword Immortal Li Daoxu and the Old Heavenly Preceptor Zhang Jingxiu in the Holy Xuan Cards?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°Yes. At that time, the Holy Xuan was still below these three people and was ranked fourth in the Daoist Order. Later, when the Great Sword Immortal and the Old Heavenly Preceptor ascended to Heaven, Emperor Gaozu decided to rebel against the Wei Dynasty. Thus, the Emperor no longer served as the Deputy Grand Master, and the Holy Xuan became the Grand Master of the Daoist Order.

    ¡°The Great Xuan Dynasty then proimed Daoism as the empire¡¯s main religion, worshiping the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. Starting from Emperor Gaozu, all emperors epted the Daoist title. In other words, the Emperor has two identities. His second identity is as the Great Sage Ziji of the Daoist Order.

    ¡°The Emperor has a status above the Deputy Grand Masters and equal to the Grand Master. However, the Emperor cannot intervene in the Daoist Order¡¯s affairs, so the Grand Master still holds absolute power in the Daoistmunity.

    ¡°When Daoist disciples meet the Emperor, we usually address him as Your Majesty. But on formal asions, we have to address the Emperor by his Daoist title. The current emperor¡¯s Daoist title is the Great Sage Ziji. Thete emperor¡¯s title was the Great Sage Yuandu, and Emperor Gaozu¡¯s title was the Great Sage Changsheng. It¡¯s usually enough to remember these three titles since people at our levels generally don¡¯t get to see the Emperor.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded and made a mental note of it. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the Emperor has a Daoist identity. Is he considered a Daoist disciple then?¡±

    ¡°This honorary title was given by our ancestors. Since emperors of all dynasties regarded themselves as the disciples of Heaven, there is no conflict between these two identities,¡± Zhang Yuelu exined.

    ¡°In fact, the same is true for the Golden Horde, which proimed Shamanism as their main religion. They believe in the Immortal Heaven. The Witch King is favored by the Immortal Heaven, while the Golden Horde Khan is the one who relies on the power of the Immortal Heaven to be the king on Earth. The two are interdependent. The Witch King can live forever but cannot upy the throne, while the Khan will die eventually.¡±

    This was the first time Qi Xuansu heard such stories. In the past, he was frequently traveling, far from the Ancestral Court or Daoist temples, so he had no chance to hear such stories.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Why do you suddenly care about the Emperor?¡±

    Qi Xuansu actually came up with this topic out of boredom, but he did not say so. ¡°I was just curious. I used to hear people say that the two most powerful people in the world were the Grand Master of the Daoist Order and the Emperor of the Imperial Court. Now that the position of Grand Master is vacant, doesn¡¯t it mean that the Emperor is the most powerful person in the world?¡±

    ¡°Pretty much.¡± Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t affect us in the Daoistmunity since the Emperor can¡¯t intervene in the Daoist Order.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had heard of this as well. The Daoist Order and the Imperial Court decided to keep to their ownnes and not intervene in each other¡¯s affairs.

    ......

    Bohai Prefecture was located at the mouth of the Sanhui River, known as the gateway to the Imperial Capital. The east side of Bohai Prefecture was a hub for water transportation as it had many piers, including civilian ports for merchant ships and military ports for warships. One would have to pass through this ce when using the waterway into the Imperial Capital.

    A huge vessel docked in the military port, dwarfing the other ships and boats nearby. This majestic ship had metal armor and did not haveplicated sails. There was only an observation tower and a huge chimney.

    It was the metal warship that traveled across the seas and was as impressive as the Daoist flying ships. In addition, the warship was also equipped with thetest artillery.

    <i>Two hundred years ago, warships in the East and West weremonly equipped with breech-loading cannons. Although they were greatly improvedpared to front-loading cannons, these cannons still used trunnion technology.</i>

    <i>The cannon''s barrel was connected to the carriage by trunnions, and the carriage absorbed the recoil force when the cannon was fired. As a result, the entire cannon carriage recoiled when fired, causing significant discement. Resetting and aiming the cannon after firing required a considerable amount of time, resulting in agging rate of fire. It even set the slowest record for firing rate, at only twice an hour.</i>

    <i>To address this deficiency, the Western Continent developed recoil tubes. A recoil mechanism on cannons was installed, allowing the rear part of the cannon to automatically return to its original position using its own recoil force after firing. This saved the need for resetting and re-aiming, hence significantly improving the firing rate. This technologyter spread to the Eastern Continent and was widely adopted by the three major naval fleets of the Imperial Court.</i>

    A group of people appeared at the bow of the ship. The leader was wearing a ck hechang cloak and a lotus crown. He was the owner of the warship, Sage Qingwei, who was in charge of the Qizhou Daoist Mansion.

    As for why Sage Qingwei, a member of the Daoist Order, could own an armored warship, this could be traced back to the Wei Dynasty.

    During the Wei Dynasty, the istion of maritime trade led to the neglect of the Imperial Navy. At the time, the Confucian School was thergestndowner in the world. The Daoist Order then used another approach and vigorously developed its fleet to fill the gaps. Their fleet could reach the Western Continent, ultimately surpassing the self-isted and stagnant Confucian School due to the flourishing maritime trade.

    The vast sea was like an unimed territory, so the pirates ran rampant. The Daoist Order¡¯s fleet was equipped with artillery, making it a formidable force as it was capable ofbat. Among them, the Li family¡¯s fleet was the most powerful. After three naval battles, the Li family¡¯s fleet established itself as the dominant force at sea.

    During the war, the Li family¡¯s fleet was divided into two groups. One headed north to bombard the Bohai Prefecture, while the other headed south to block the transportation of goods on the Yangtze River, achieving great sess.

    After the Great Xuan Dynasty unified the empire, it established the three major naval divisions, which were formed from the Daoist fleets. The Li family¡¯s fleet was one of the main forces, led by Donghuang, who was less than 30 years old at the time. He became the first Commander-in-Chief of the Donghai Navy.

    Thus, the Li family had an inextricable connection with the Imperial Court and still had a profound influence in the navy. Every Commander-in-Chief of the Donghai Navy was from or connected to the Li family.

    Sage Qingwei was not only an Omniscient Sage of the Daoist Order but also a member of the Li family. He did not usually live in the Qizhou Daoist Mansion. Instead, he resided in Qingling Pce on Fangzhang Ind, which was next to Peni Ind, where the Zhenjing Courtyard was located. He was the second-inmand of the Taiping Sect and the Li family.

    This time, Sage Qingwei went to the Imperial Capital on the Emperor¡¯s order using the warship in a show of power.

    There were rankings to the Omniscient Sages in charge of the local Daoist Mansions government. Some Daoist Mansion Masters were only there to maintain the bnce of all parties, while others were authoritative.

    The current three Deputy Grand Masters and the other Virtuous Great Sages were all over 80 years old, so they could notpete for the position of Grand Master. Thus, they would have to elect the Grand Master from the 36 Omniscient Sages. The Taiping Sect¡¯s Sage Qingwei, who was backed by the Li family, was undoubtedly one of the most promising candidates.

    Sage Qingwei¡¯s true age was not known to outsiders. But judging from his appearance alone, he was very young, about thirty years old. He had a slim physique and was good-looking.

    This Omniscient Sage, who had hopes of bing the seventh-generation Grand Master, looked down from the warship and saw the crowd of people preparing to greet him.

    The Imperial Capital and the surrounding district were the only ces that did not have a local Daoist mansion. Thus, the people who came to greet Sage Qingwei this time were all court officials and disciples from the Taiping Temple, which included many descendants of the Li family.

    Sage Qingwei withdrew his gaze and looked toward the Imperial Capital. He was from the main branch of the Li family, a direct descendant of the Great Sword Immortal, the Holy Xuan, and Donghuang. The Li family had produced two Grand Masters, four Deputy Grand Masters, and 28 Omniscient Sages.

    Although the Li family was not among the three major families in the world, it was undoubtedly the number one family in the Daoistmunity. To the Li family, an Omniscient Sage was nothing since they currently had a Deputy Grand Master. What the Li family needed was a Grand Master to revive the glory of the Holy Xuan.

    Thus, Sage Qingwei¡¯s visit to the Imperial Capital had another purpose. Although the Emperor could not interfere in Daoist affairs, the Emperor¡¯s attitude as the Great Sage Ziji was an invisible force that could sway the final decision in the election for the next Grand Master.

 Chapter 129: Daoist Ji

    <h4>Chapter 129: Daoist Ji</h4>

    After Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu left Jinguan Prefecture, they decided to speed up their journey. Since they were taking the wide main road and Qi Xuansu did not want to waste the spiritual energy of the Jiama, he spent 10 Taiping coins to buy two horses, which he nned to sell at a discount after they arrived in Baidi City. By then, he would probably lose one or two Taiping coins.

    However, Qi Xuansu just had a windfall of money, with a savings of 400 Taiping coins, so he did not care about the loose change.

    The two of them rode along the main road without any incidents and had a smooth journey. At dusk, they diverged from the main road and found shelter for the night in the forest.

    After all, they were not Heavenly Beings, so they still needed sleep. The horses also needed rest. Qi Xuansu took an Army pill to satisfy his hunger and fed the horses some hay.

    Zhang Yuelu went to collect some firewood, preparing to light a fire. It would be ufortable to spend the night in the wilderness without a tent.

    After a while, Zhang Yuelu came back with a handful of dry branches and threw them on the ground.

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Why so little? It won¡¯t be enough for a fire.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s some movement over there. Keep your voice down.¡± Zhang Yuelu motioned for Qi Xuansu to follow her.

    Qi Xuansu reigned in his aura and walked with light steps behind Zhang Yuelu, heading south. After walking for about one kilometer, they came to the bottom of a stone cliff that was about 25 meters high. Standing at the bottom, they could see a few people at the top. However, those people could not spot the duo without deliberately looking down.

    Zhang Yuelu gestured for Qi Xuansu to keep quiet and pointed upward. That was when Qi Xuansu looked up and saw a young couple on the cliff. The man was handsome, and the woman was beautiful. They seemed like a perfect match, standing next to each other.

    If Qi Xuansu were to be honest, the man and woman on the cliff were certainly much better looking than him and Zhang Yuelu. Although Zhang Yuelu was pretty, she was not the kind of stunning beauty. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s beauty was also supplemented by her righteous aura and calm temperament.

    The young couple on the cliff were in formal Daoist attire<i>,</i> which billowed in the wind. They looked like characters from a painting who would be blown away by the wind the next moment.

    Not far from the striking couple was another dignified-looking man in a Daoist robe. He was sitting on arge and smooth bluestone, drinking wine.

    The three people on the cliff were talking. To be precise, the young couple was trying to persuade the middle-aged Daoist man, whom they addressed as Uncle-Master, to visit their master.

    However, the middle-aged Daoist man neither agreed nor refused. He just continued drinking while the couple continued persuading him. But when the couple saw how indifferent their uncle was, they were both a little discouraged.

    As the bright moon rose in the west, the middle-aged Daoist man finished the bottle of wine and casually tossed the bottle, which happened to fall on Qi Xuansu¡¯s head. The middle-aged Daoist man stood up slowly and mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m drunk and sleepy...¡±

    As soon as the middle-aged man finished speaking, he took one step off the cliff''s edge. However, he did not fall. Instead, he looked like he was stepping on the clouds and ascending toward the moon.

    Qi Xuansu covered the part of his head that was struck by the wine bottle and muttered in awe. ¡°A Heavenly Being!¡±

    At this moment, the middle-aged man looked back at Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu below, smiled slightly, and continued to ¡°walk¡± upward, ascending higher into the sky.

    The young couple on the high cliff gazed up at their uncle¡¯s distant figure, sighing helplessly. After their uncle disappearedpletely, the young couple turned around and left the cliff. From the beginning, the couple did not notice Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu¡¯s presence because they did not look downward.

    After the couple walked away, Qi Xuansu eximed, ¡°That Heavenly Being saw us. I can tell that he threw the wine bottle at me on purpose!¡±

    ¡°I think so too.¡± Zhang Yuelu nodded in agreement.

    Qi Xuansu pouted. ¡°Why didn¡¯t he hit you instead?¡±

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m just lucky.¡± Zhang Yuelu smirked.

    Qi Xuansu changed the topic. ¡°Who is that young couple? They look more like Banished Immortals than you do.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu remarked, ¡°Not all young talents in the Daoist Order reside in the Jade Capital. Some powerful figures are based in the local Daoist mansions. Besides, the Ancestral Court is so big. You only know of one Banished Immortal, which is me, right?¡±

    Qi Xuansu quipped, ¡°Well, you¡¯re the famous one.¡±

    ¡°My fame is not because of my lineage, but because of the Jiangnan case. Most people mistakenly think that I am as talented as Donghuang.¡± Zhang Yuelu shook her head and said, ¡°There are probably a dozen other people like me in Jade Capital, but they¡¯re not in Tiangang Hall.¡±

    ¡°Then where are they?¡± Qi Xuansu asked with curiosity.

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°Ziwei Hall, of course. It¡¯s the top among the Nine Halls. The second best is Beichen Hall because it has the authority to maintain order. Since it usually involves high-ranking priests, most people want to enter Beichen Hall as well. Although Tiangang Hall allows one to get promoted quickly, it¡¯s a high-risk job.

    ¡°Generally speaking, few people want to train at Tiangang Hall. The Ancestral Court also won¡¯t ce outstanding young talents in Tiangang Hall for fear of casualties. Instead, they recruit experienced talents from the local Daoist mansions, like Xu Kou. Moreover, most of Tiangang Hall¡¯s manpower doesn¡¯t consist of Daoist priests, but Spirit Guards. Tiangang Hall hasmand over one-third of the Spirit Guards in the Ancestral Court.¡±

    Qi Xuansu recalled, ¡°You were originally from Beichen Hall but waster transferred to Tiangang Hall. But this can¡¯t be considered training since you¡¯ve been promoted to Deputy Hall Master.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not deny it. ¡°Most people like me are currently fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters, but I am the only Deputy Hall Master for now. All I can say is that I¡¯m quite lucky.¡±

    Qi Xuansu picked up the wine bottle and examined it. After confirming that it was not some kind of treasure, he chucked it aside and muttered, ¡°I will never eavesdrop again. This time, the Heavenly Being just hit me with a wine bottle. If he had a bad temper, we would have been doomed.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not refute this. ¡°I was just curious earlier. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    They picked up some more sticks and firewood along the way and returned to their spot, where they would spend the night. They lit a fire and sat across from each other.

    Zhang Yuelu proposed, ¡°This time, it¡¯s your turn to keep watch for the first half of the night. I¡¯ll stay up for the second half.¡±

    The first watch was better because they could have undisrupted sleep in the second half of the night. The second watch was more tiring because they had to wake up halfway, which was torture. Zhang Yuelu was a fair person and would not push all the hard work on others.

    After going through so much with her for so long, Qi Xuansu understood Zhang Yuelu¡¯s temperament and did not object to her arrangement. ¡°Go to sleep then.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu gathered her cloak, hugged her knees, and rested her forehead on her knees, falling asleep in this posture.

    Qi Xuansu was fiddling with the bonfire in boredom while thinking about the Heavenly Being who flew toward the moon.

    This was the first time he had seen a Heavenly Being. ording to legends, Heavenly Beings could fly as they pleased, which proved to be true.

    Qi Xuansu just wondered when or if he would ever reach that level of cultivation. If he continued with his pace of cultivation, it would take him decades in the best-case scenario. However, most people would get stuck at a certain threshold and could no longer proceed.

    He knew that his qualifications were not as good as Zhang Yuelu¡¯s. The further they climbed up thedder, the harder it would be for him to bridge the gap between them. In his twenties, he could barely match Zhang Yuelu. However, in another twenty years, he might not be able to keep up with her.

    As the two of them drifted apart, they would also not be as close as they were now. By then, Qi Xuansu would probably be an old friend in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s memory. He would also think of her asionally and sigh withment. This was human nature.

    Fortunately, Qi Xuansu was transformed by the Xuan Jade, which improved his cultivation significantly. He also had various supernatural powers. If he could obtain another piece of Xuan Jade, would he be able to jump to the Guizhen stage? If he umted enough Xuan Jades, could he proceed one step further as a Heavenly Being?

    By then, no one could look down on him anymore. He would be able to rise to the top and perhaps develop his rtionship with Zhang Yuelu into something more.

    Qi Xuansu then thought of another problem. Since he knew of the benefits of the Xuan Jade, the Taiping Sect and Qingping Society were naturally aware of it as well. The Taiping Sect even went as far as to wipe out a county magistrate¡¯s family for the Xuan Jade, proving just how much they wanted the stone.

    The Qingping Society was also aware of the benefits of the Xuan Jade, so they would know if Qi Xuansu kept it for his personal use. If Qi Xuansu wanted to take something from these two parties, he would have to proceed with caution.

    The Xuan Jade that he picked upst time at the Yn Temple was pure luck. Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh.

    ¡°Why are you sighing, kid?¡± A voice suddenly interrupted Qi Xuansu¡¯s thoughts.

    Startled, Qi Xuansu looked around vigntly, only to see that middle-aged Daoist man sitting on a tree stump not far away from him. At this time, the middle-aged man was holding a gourd and drinking from it slowly.

    Moreover, Zhang Yuelu did not seem to notice the man¡¯s presence, as she was still sleeping lightly.

    In other words, there was an invisible barrier between the two men and Zhang Yuelu, indicating how powerful this middle-aged man was.

    Qi Xuansu thought to himself, ¡®Well, speak of the Devil.¡¯

    There was nothing Qi Xuansu could do but calm his thoughts. He held his breath and concentrated his qi to prepare for any eventuality.

    The middle-aged Daoist man took a sip of wine and said nonchntly, ¡°I don¡¯t mean any harm.¡±

    Qi Xuansu forced a smile and asked, ¡°How may I help you, sir?¡±

    The middle-aged Daoist chuckled. ¡°Rx. I¡¯m just bored at this hour. My nephew and niece were too talkative, so I thought of chatting with you instead.¡±

    Qi Xuansu calmed down and introduced himself. ¡°My name is Qi Xuansu. May I ask for your name, sir?¡±

    The middle-aged Daoist man replied, ¡°The name¡¯s Ji. I am also a member of the Daoist Order, currently employed in the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered for a moment. This man was a Heavenly Being who imed to be working in the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion, so he was probably one of the many Deputy Mansion Masters.

    The local Daoist mansion had a simr structure to the Nine Halls, with only one Mansion Master and multiple Deputy Mansion Masters. The number of Deputy Mansion Masters could range from two to more than a dozen people.

    Some Deputy Mansion Masters were powerful, like the ones in the Western Region Daoist Mansion, Liaodong Daoist Mansion, and Jiangnan Daoist Mansion. Some Deputy Mansion Masters had empty titles and no real power.

    The person in front of Qi Xuansu looked like a carefree person, so he probably belonged to thetter type.

 Chapter 130: Baidi City

    <h4>Chapter 130: Baidi City</h4>

    Daoist Ji took a sip of wine and sized up Qi Xuansu. ¡°Brother Qi, you don¡¯t seem to be a native of Shuzhou.¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°I grew up in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce andter settled in Jade Capital.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Daoist Ji nodded. ¡°Jade Capital is quite suffocating, with so many rules and bigshots. I haven¡¯t been there for several years. Since you¡¯ve settled down in Jade Capital, I¡¯m guessing that you¡¯re working in the Nine Halls.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am with Tiangang Hall because it¡¯s the easiest among the Nine Halls for ordinary priests like me to step foot into.¡±

    Daoist Ji nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. Over the years, Tiangang Hall has continuously recruited elite priests from the local Daoist mansion. It¡¯s definitely a good path for promotion, but it¡¯s also the most painful and tiring job among the Nine Halls. That¡¯s why only priests from the local Daoist Mansions or the Wanxiang Daoist Pce are willing to do those jobs. The pampered priests in Jade Capital won¡¯t want these jobs unless they be deacons.¡±

    Qi Xuansu remarked, ¡°I think everyone is entitled to their own opinion. They may look down on Tiangang Hall¡¯s tough errands, but the Tiangang Hall may not ept such pampered priests either.¡±

    ¡°Indeed!¡± Daoist Ji guffawed.

    Qi Xuansu nced at Zhang Yuelu, but she seemed oblivious to Daoist Ji¡¯sughter.

    Daoist Ji then looked at Zhang Yuelu and asked, ¡°Is she also from Tiangang Hall?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Qi Xuansu nodded but did not take the initiative to mention Zhang Yuelu¡¯s name.

    Daoist Ji nced at their identical cloaks and smirked. ¡°You two aren¡¯t on official duty, I presume?¡±

    Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment before saying truthfully, ¡°We¡¯re going home for the New Year.¡±

    Daoist Ji patted his knees gently and chuckled. ¡°Brother Qi, you¡¯re from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, so this home you¡¯re referring to is that girl¡¯s home, huh? Are you two getting married soon?¡±

    ¡°No, no.¡± Qi Xuansu coughed violently.

    Daoist Ji took another sip of wine andmented. ¡°It¡¯s nice to return home with apanion when you¡¯re both young and naive.¡±

    He looked nostalgic. Although Heavenly Beings remained a youthful appearance forever, time could not be stopped or reversed. Flowers could bloom again, but people could never return to their youth again.

    Qi Xuansu added some sticks to the bonfire.

    Daoist Ji was speaking the truth. He just wanted to find someone to chat with. The two men chatted for two hours, talking about the Daoist Order and other topics ranging from the ancient kingdoms to the first emperor uniting the Central ins.

    After finishing his wine, Daoist Ji excused himself and disappeared into the sky again. Qi Xuansu stared at Daoist Ji¡¯s departing figure, thinking that their encounter was surreal, like a dream.

    At midnight, Zhang Yuelu woke up on her own before Qi Xuansu could call out to her.

    Zhang Yuelu stretched slightly and mumbled, ¡°I had a weird dream just now.¡±

    ¡°What dream?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Zhang Yuelu rubbed her cheeks with both hands. ¡°I dreamed that you were chatting and drinking with someone, but I didn¡¯t get to see the person¡¯s face clearly.¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled helplessly and said, ¡°That wasn¡¯t a dream. That middle-aged Heavenly Being we saw earlier dropped by to chat with me. I don¡¯t know what method he used to iste you so as not to disturb your sleep.¡±

    Hearing this, Zhang Yuelu did not look too surprised. ¡°What did you talk about?¡±

    Qi Xuansu recounted their conversation but casually left out Daoist Ji¡¯s question about them getting married soon.

    Zhang Yuelu thought about it. ¡°Hisst name is Ji, so he should be a member of the Quanzhen Sect. Maybe he has some connections with your Qi family.¡±

    ¡°My Qi family?¡± Qi Xuansu snorted. ¡°I just followed my master¡¯sst name. Does it mean that if I follow yourst name, I¡¯ll be included in the Zhang family¡¯s household register?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu rebutted. ¡°Dream on! Who wants you to follow myst name? Why don¡¯t you follow the Holy Xuan¡¯sst name instead? The Li family likes to ept adopted sons and sons-inw. Anyone capable can also serve as the head of the Li family.¡±

    Qi Xuansu chuckled. ¡°Li Xuansu? That¡¯s too close to the Holy Xuan¡¯s name. I¡¯m afraid that the Great Sage of the Taiping Sect will kill me for that.¡±

    If Qi Xuansu changed hisst name to Li, there would only be a one-character difference between his name and the Holy Xuan¡¯s name, making it seem like they were brothers. The Li family would not agree to it and would probably even resort to violent means to protect the name of their revered ancestor.

    Speaking of the Li family, they never had a great reputation, whether it was before or after the Holy Xuan. Their nickname was the Donghai Weirdos. However, the only time they were not entric was during the years of the Holy Xuan¡¯s reign.

    In fact, the Holy Xuan did not make the Li family one of the most powerful families in the Daoist Order. Even without the Holy Xuan, the Li family would have held power. The Holy Xuan just elevated the Li family¡¯s status.

    On the contrary, the Holy Xuan only became the Daoist Order¡¯s Grand Master with the Li family¡¯s help. Both the Holy Xuan and the Li family yed a crucial role in each other¡¯s achievements.

    That was why Qi Xuansu was so sure that the Li family would not allow him to have such a simr name to the Holy Xuan. Zhang Yuelu did not refute it either.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu did not think too much about whether Daoist Ji had other intentions in approaching Qi Xuansu. In the Daoistmunity, it wasmon toe across carefree individuals with high cultivation levels who liked to travel.

    Since they had high cultivation levels, such carefree masters had no desire topete for fame and profit. They did not make friends based on their status and liked to have fun. If they were in a good mood, they would asionally give the younger generation some advice or pointers.

    With the current size of the Daoist Order, there were many carefree masters like Daoist Ji. The Heavenly Being did not give Qi Xuansu any advice, probably because they were not fated. It could also be that Qi Xuansu¡¯s strong blood qi made Daoist Ji mistakenly believe that Qi Xuansu was a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Guizhen stage, which was not far from a Heavenly Being, so there was nothing to teach him.

    After joking around, Zhang Yuelu took out her pocket watch to check the time. ¡°Go to sleep. We have to continue our journey tomorrow.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded, gathered his cloak, and slept peacefully. By the time he woke up, the sky had turned a deep blue. Zhang Yuelu stamped out the bonfire and led the horses over.

    They rode back to the main road and continued on their journey, traveling for three days until they could see Baidi City in the distance. They wanted to take a boat from Baidi City and go down the river to Jiangling Prefecture in Huzhou.

    <i>Baidi City was strategically located as a gateway from Huzhou to Shuzhou. It was surrounded by water on three sides and backed by mountains on one side, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack.</i>

    <i>When the Gongsun family ruled over the Shu Kingdom, they established their capital here. There was a White Crane Well that often had vapor gushing out of it. That was where the name ¡°Baidi City¡± came from, as bai meant white and di meant imperial.</i>

    <i>People who often read novels were also familiar with Baidi City because that was where the founding king of the Shu Kingdom died and entrusted his children to others, which was a touching story.</i>

    <i>In thete Wei Dynasty, the Qingyang Sect was involved in a rebellion, and its main stronghold was located in Baidi City. After the Qingyang Sect was destroyed, Baidi City was ced under the jurisdiction of the Daoist Order.</i>

    The Daoist Order did not regard Baidi City as a strategic fortress but as a hub for the distribution of goods. Majormodities such as silk, satin, brocade, sugar, and salt from Shuzhou were gathered in Baidi City before being transported by waterway to ces like Huzhou, Jiangzhou, and other states. Some would also be distributed north through the Grand Canal or go directly out to sea.

    Due to this, Baidi City was not under the jurisdiction of the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion. Instead, it belonged to the Shibo Hall.

    Shibo Hall was among the Nine Halls, in charge of the maritime trade and othermercial businesses under the Daoist Order. Duzhi Hall was responsible for auditing, budgeting, and expenditures, while Shibo Hall was responsible for earning money for the Daoist Order.

    <i>Among the Nine Halls, Shibo Hall was closely rted to Duzhi Hall and cooperated with Tianji Hall and Huasheng Hall for the supply of goods. Shibo Hall would focus on how to sell the products created by Tianji Hall and Huasheng Hall, then hand the profits over to Duzhi Hall. Duzhi Hall would then use said money to support the expeditions of Beichen Hall and Tiangang Hall, which did not bring in any ie.</i>

    <i>For this reason, Shibo Hall also established branches in various cities. However, unlike Huasheng Hall and Tianji Hall, which set up branches near every local Daoist mansion, Shibo Hall mainly established branches in a few key locations on the various trade routes. These included Baidi City, Jinling Prefecture, Lanling Prefecture, Qingbin Prefecture, Lon City, and so on.</i>

    <i>At the same time, Shibo Hall also acted as an intermediary. In the Jiangnan case, Shibo Hall coordinated the transfer of goods from the Liaodong Daoist Mansion and the Qizhou Daoist Mansion to fill the gap in the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion. They were also the ones who negotiated the business with the Western Continent merchants. Jiangnan Daoist Mansion was mainly responsible for preparing the corresponding goods.</i>

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu had a good estimation of the distance and time needed to get to Baidi City. It was almost dusk by the time they arrived at the north gate. As expected, the gate inspection was very strict. Moreover, the gatekeepers were not ck Robes from the Imperial Court but Spirit Guards from the Daoist Order.

    However, this was to their advantage, since they were also members of the Daoist Order. Sure enough, after Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu presented their documents, the Spirit Guard became more friendly and even skipped the process of checking their luggage, granting them immediate ess to Baidi City without much fuss.

    When they entered the city, it was still bustling with people and carriages, even though it was already gettingte. They could also see the mountains all around the city, with some pce buildings on certain peaks.

    Zhang Yuelu pointed to the pce on the mountain. ¡°That¡¯s the famous Yong¡¯an Pce located on Yong¡¯an Mountain, the tallest mountain in Baidi City. It¡¯s the best lookout point, suitable for directing battles and observing the situation. The famous founding king of the Shu Kingdom died of illness there. Now, it¡¯s a branch of the Shibo Hall and doubles as a Daoist temple, which serves as rest stops for Daoist disciples.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Do you mean to say that we can stay there for free?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°Yeah. We can also sell our horses to them.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then!¡± Qi Xuansu took the lead and rode forward.

    Zhang Yuelu pursed her lips and smiled, following closely behind.

 Chapter 131: Murder Case

    <h4>Chapter 131: Murder Case</h4>

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu came to Yong¡¯an Pce, showed their documents, went through the relevant procedures, and checked in smoothly.

    The Daoist Order had clear guidelines regarding the treatment of Daoist priests ording to their ranks. Zhang Yuelu was a fourth-rank Daoist priest, so she was given a suite consisting of a living room, a study, and a bedroom. Qi Xuansu could only enjoy the treatment of a seventh-rank priest and was given only one bedroom equipped with a table and a chair for writing.

    Seeing that it was still early, Qi Xuansu went to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s room. The receptionist at Yong¡¯an Pce knew that they were traveling together and arranged for their rooms to be closer.

    Zhang Yuelu was reading in the study when she heard Qi Xuansu knocking on the door, so she stood up and let him in.

    Back when they were on their mission to the Western Region, Qi Xuansu thought that a man and a woman should not be seen alone in a room at night. However, he no longer cared about such social standards.

    Qi Xuansu sat down on the chair and nced at the cover of the book that was ced upside down on the desk. ¡°<i>The Demon Sword Path</i>? Is that thetest novel?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s an old book fromst year,¡± Zhang Yuelu replied. ¡°I bought it a long time ago but never had time to read it. It¡¯s been collecting dust in my magical receptacle. It¡¯s about a sword cultivator that fell into the demon¡¯s path because of a witch.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What¡¯s a sword cultivator?¡±

    ¡°Probably someone who only uses a sword to fight and levels up by defeating someone from a higher level,¡± Zhang Yuelu exined.

    Qi Xuansu inquired, ¡°In that case, are there also spear cultivators or gun cultivators?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes at him.

    Qi Xuansu added, ¡°If there is, I want to be a gun cultivator. A gun¡¯s range is much farther than any other weapon. It¡¯s more lethal too.¡±

    ¡°Stop dreaming and just be the Rogue Cultivator that you are.¡± Zhang Yuelu chuckled.

    Qi Xuansu stopped joking and suggested, ¡°Since we have nothing to do, why don¡¯t we y the Holy Xuan Cards?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu put away the book and took out a stack of Holy Xuan Cards from her magical receptacle. She ced it on the desk and spread it into a fan shape. ¡°Do you want to make bets?¡±

    ¡°Sure, one Taiping coin.¡± Qi Xuansu felt generous.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhang Yuelu used the Ancient Immortals set of cards.

    To be on the safe side, Qi Xuansu chose to use the Daoist set of cards, which he was most familiar with.

    They yed three rounds, and Qi Xuansu made a small fortune with the Daoist set of cards. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door outside.

    Qi Xuansu stood up and went to open the front door. The person standing outside was the superintendent of Yong¡¯an Pce, who had arranged the rooms for them. The superintendent was startled to see Qi Xuansu in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s room.

    After seeing the Holy Xuan Cards on the table, the superintendent smiled and said, ¡°You like to y the Holy Xuan Cards as well. It really is the best way to pass the time during the long night.¡±

    The Holy Xuan Cards were only popr within the Daoistmunity. Outside the Daoistmunity, games like Go, chess, and dice games were more popr.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Superintendent Tang, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    The man at the door was Tang Yongde from the Shuzhou Tang family.

    Tang Yongde pped his forehead. ¡°Oh, right. It¡¯s great since you¡¯re also here, Deacon Qi. I do have something to ask of you and Deputy Hall Master Zhang.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Zhang Yuelu asked as she stood up.

    Tang Yongde cut to the chase. ¡°A murder case has just been reported. I suspect that it involves demons from the secret society. It just so happens that you¡¯re both from Tiangang Hall, so you should be very experienced in dealing with these demons. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here to ask for your help to solve the case.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu looked solemn and immediately put away the Holy Xuan Cards. ¡°Lead the way.¡±

    Tang Yongde nodded and walked in front. Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu picked up their cloaks and followed behind.

    The murder did not happen in Yong¡¯an Pce. It was no wonder that Zhang Yuelu did not sense anything unusual. The three of them left Yong¡¯an Pce and boarded a carriage.

    On the way to the crime scene, Zhang Yuelu inquired more about the case. ¡°When did the murder happen?¡±

    Tang Yongde replied, ¡°The body was found during the fourth quarter of the Hour of the Rooster.¡±

    <i>The Chinese Zodiac Time consisted of twelve hours a day, with each hour corresponding to a specific Chinese Zodiac animal. This differed from the 24-hour timekeeping method used on the Western Continent. The first Zodiac hour was the Rat, from 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. Next was the Hour of the Ox, from 1:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m., followed by the Hour of the Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig at two consecutive hours each.</i>

    <i>Each of the twelve Zodiac hours was subdivided into eight quarters, and each quarter was equivalent to 15 minutes in the 24-hour Western timekeeping method. Thus, the fourth quarter of the Hour of the Rooster was 6:00 p.m.</i>

    Zhang Yuelu opened her pocket watch and took a look. Tianji Hall¡¯s pocket watch used the Chinese Zodiac Time.

    It was already the end of Hour of the Rooster, which meant that it had been almost an hour since the murder. It took about an hour from discovering the body to asking them for help, so there should be no dys in between.

    Zhang Yuelu asked again, ¡°Do you know the identity of the deceased?¡±

    ¡°His name is Mason, a merchant who has been traveling to Baidi City for many years. Although he is not a Daoist disciple, he has a close rtionship with the Daoist Order.¡± Tang Yongde replied.

    Qi Xuansu patted his forehead and said, ¡°He¡¯s a merchant who deals with Shibo Hall. Is this case rted to money or some kind of majormodity?¡±

    Tang Yongde smiled bitterly but did not say anything. It was clear that he was also suspicious of this. After all, money was a strong motivator for some tomit murder.

    Zhang Yuelu probed. ¡°Who are the people involved in this case?¡±

    Tang Yongde replied, ¡°Two deacons from Yong¡¯an Pce and a few other merchants, who are some of Mason¡¯s friends and fellow townspeople.¡±

    The superintended hesitantly added, ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang, these merchants aren¡¯t from the Daoistmunity and don¡¯t follow our rules, so they usually like to have some fun at night. It just so happens that there is a famous vi in the city.¡±

    The so-called vi was actually an upscale brothel. Ordinary brothels usually upied one building, but this vi was almost asrge as the mansions of officials and wealthy merchants.

    It was a paradise inside, withrge andvish courtyards. The courtesans there were beautiful with voluptuous figures. There were also female escorts who were proficient in poetry and music. Besides the courtesans and escorts, there were also musicians, tailors, craftsmen, and servants. One could find everything they would need in this vi, so most wealthy young men liked to stay there for prolonged periods. Some even ended up spending all their family fortune.

    The vi was divided into many smaller individual courtyards. Many of the rich and noble would rent these courtyards as a short getaway from reality.

    Zhang Yuelu, who was from Beichen Hall, questioned out of habit. ¡°Why were the two deacons at the vi?¡±

    Tang Yongde remained silent with aplicated expression.

    Seeing this, Zhang Yuelu understood what was going on and did not pursue this matter. She continued, ¡°How do you know if the murder is associated with demons?¡±

    Tang Yongde felt a little awkward as he hesitantly exined, ¡°B-Because that merchant died while doing it¡ª¡±

    Before Zhang Yuelu could react, Qi Xuansu blurted out. ¡°He died in the saddle?¡±

    Tang Yongde nodded.

    Dying in the saddle meant sudden death during sexual intercourse or coital death.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face turned a little stiff.

    ¡°Death like this is mostly caused by excessive sexual indulgence when yang energy is deficient. But this merchant has been busy with business recently and has not been with any woman for more than a month. He¡¯s also physically strong,parable to a Baodan-stage Houtian Being. So this shouldn¡¯t happen to him. That¡¯s why his death seems strange.¡± Tang Yongde borated.

    Qi Xuansu nodded and fell into deep thought.

    The carriage slowly came to a stop. The vi that Tang Yongde mentioned was not very far from Yong¡¯an Pce. It was located in the southwest corner of Baidi City. Although it was impossible to see the whole facade at night, it was illuminated by countless rednterns.

    Qi Xuansu was amazed by what he saw. No wonder it was called a vi. This brothel was basically a converted mansion.

    The trio did not go through the main entrance but entered the vi through a side door under the guidance of Tang Yongde. This was so that they would not attract attention. The side door was also closest to the crime scene.

    They walked through the corridor and passed the main hall. After many turns, they finally came to an individual courtyard.

    As soon as they entered the courtyard, they could see a beautiful garden with flowers, trees, and well-trimmed grass. There was no trace of debauchery. It was actually quite peaceful, like the secluded residence of a schr.

    This was Qi Xuansu¡¯s first visit to a vi. He could not help but secretly marvel at the nicendscape. He thought, <i>This doesn¡¯t look like a brothel at all!</i>

    At this time, there were already many Spirit Guards stationed in the courtyard. All of them were in armor and armed with weapons. They had sealed off the courtyard, not allowing anyone to enter or leave at will without Tang Yongde¡¯s permission.

    Seeing the trio, the Spirit Guards saluted them.

    Tang Yongde exined to Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu, ¡°Baidi City is not under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Court, so there are no Green Phoenix Guards here, only the Spirit Guards from the Daoist Order.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded and walked toward the main hall of the courtyard.

    The main hall was brightly lit and as warm as spring. At a nce, Qi Xuansu saw a few Daoist priests wearing hechangs and more than a dozen men dressed like wealthy merchants.

 Chapter 132: Nightmare Bringer

    <h4>Chapter 132: Nightmare Bringer</h4>

    Several Daoist priests were sitting there. Upon seeing Tang Yongde, they stood up one after another and greeted him.

    Tang Yongde introduced hispanions. ¡°This is Deputy Hall Master Zhang and Deacon Qi from Tiangang Hall. They happen to be in the city, so I invited them to help solve this case. Please listen to their orders.¡±

    When the group of Daoist priests heard that Zhang Yuelu was a Deputy Hall Master, they saluted her respectfully, with a look of awe on their faces.

    Zhang Yuelu waved her hand, indicating that there was no need for courtesy. She asked directly, ¡°Where is the body?¡±

    A Daoist priest<i> </i>replied, ¡°In the guest room at the back.¡±

    Tang Yongde motioned for him to lead the way. They left the main hall, passed through a corridor, and came to a guest room with two armored Spirit Guards in front of the door.

    Superintendent Tang Yongde ordered the Spirit Guards to open the door and then turned to Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you, Deputy Hall Master Zhang and Deacon Qi.¡±

    This room was different from ordinary rooms. The first thing that caught their eye was the various red and pink gauze hanging from the beams, covering the huge bed, which could amodate four or five people. That was where the victim, Mason, died.

    Zhang Yuelu was not used to the strong and pungent scent of perfume in the room, so she covered her nose. Considering that the merchant died in the saddle, she simply stood at the door and did not rush over to see the body. That was because she was not a professional coroner. In any case, she was still rtively conservative and a virgin.

    Qi Xuansu also smelled the strong and strange fragrance that affected him. He immediately used his qi to settle his nerves andmented, ¡°It seems like there¡¯s an aphrodisiac added to the incense in this room.¡±

    He walked to the bedside, lifted the gauze, and looked toward the bed.

    Lying on the bed was a naked male corpse that looked about forty years old. His lower body was a mess, and there was a look of pleasure on his face.

    Qi Xuansu was used to seeing dead people, so he did not feel squeamish. He inspected the corpse briefly and found no external injuries. The corpse¡¯s skin, bones, and meridians were intact. There were no signs of poisoning or shattered internal organs.

    If he was not poisoned by an untraceable substance, then this man most likely had a sudden death.

    However, Tang Yongde mentioned that the dead merchant, who was as strong as a Baodan-stage cultivator, had not been with a woman for a long time. The merchant was in his prime and a fit traveler, not a frail schr who spent all day in his study. So how could he have a sudden death? It was hard to believe, akin to a great master¡¯s cultivation level being downgraded due to a slight misalignment during cultivation.

    Qi Xuansu told Zhang Yuelu about his findings and added, ¡°It would be great if we had a Diviner in the Dream Entering Realm. That way, they could recall the earth¡¯s qi to find out what happened.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said from a distance, ¡°If it¡¯s the Nightmare Bringer Method, then the person who performs the spell does not have to be here. If so, the Earth Qi Recalling Technique won¡¯t work either.¡±

    The Nightmare Bringer Method was infamous. Throughout all dynasties, the major witchcraft cases in the pces implicating thousands of people were not actually rted to the Wu witchcraft. Instead, it referred to the Daoist Nightmare Bringer Method.

    This method used one¡¯s hair, nails, and birth dates to bring harm to the person silently. That way, the person would die without leaving any trace. Throughout history, concubines vying for favor and princes fighting for the throne resorted to such tactics.

    It was not limited to the pce. Commoners were also afraid to fall victim to this curse. Most people would not dare offend builders, since most builders would know some Feng Shui and the Nightmare Bringer Method.

    Builders with evil intentions would hide wooden dolls with nails driven into the doll¡¯s belly in the foundation or the beams of the house. Families who moved into the house with children would find their children sickly, some children even dying inexplicably.

    Among the Five Immortals Lineage, Diviners from the Ghostly Immortal lineage were proficient in this Nightmare Bringer Method.

    There was once a Diviner who took the life of a Heavenly Being using this Nightmare Bringer Method. He had set up an altar, made a doll out of straw, and written his enemy¡¯s name and birth date on the body of the doll. He ced amp on the doll¡¯s head and another at its feet, then traced his enemy¡¯s footsteps with a divinationpass, wrote talismans, and burned the talismans to seal the spell.

    The Diviner would worship the altar three times a day until noon on the 21st day. During this process, the victim of the curse had almost no ability to resist because his spirit would have been greatly damaged. The victim would not even know that he had been targeted.

    Twenty-one dayster, the enemy¡¯s soul and spirit would leave the body. At this time, the Diviner stabbed the doll with a magic sword, causing blood to spurt out of the doll and the enemy. The disadvantage of this method was that it took too long. This method also required one to know the birth date and real name of their enemies. If the enemy noticed that he was cursed before the 21 days, then the Diviner would not be able to keep up the spell.

    This was when the Illusory Body Technique of the Banished Immortals would be useful. The Rogue Cultivator¡¯s Cicada Molting Technique could only evade physical injury and ordinary spells. It could not avoid strong curses like the Nightmare Bringer Method.

    The Illusory Body Technique of the Banished Immortal was made of flesh and blood, which produced the same aura as the original body. Thus, this clone would be able to withstand curses or spells that used one¡¯s blood or hair on one¡¯s behalf. It was a high attainment method that could, at its highest potential, even deceive the heavens. Thus, this Illusory Body Technique was also known as the Tribtion Substitute Technique.

    Therefore, Zhang Yuelu was not afraid of such methods.

    As for Qi Xuansu, an orphan from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, he was unaware of his birth date, which was a crucialponent of the Nightmare Bringer Method. Xiantian Beings also did not lose hair, dead skin, or nails. As long as they were careful, they did not need to be afraid of such methods.

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°If it¡¯s the Nightmare Bringer Method, then his soul must be damaged. We still need a Diviner to check it out.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Superintendent Tang, please have someone dress the body. I will examine the body myself.¡±

    Tang Yongde turned to the two Spirit Guards and signaled them to do as ordered.

    Not long after, the Spirit Guards dressed the corpse. Zhang Yuelu came to the bed, with purple energy flowing in her eyes.

    There were many subtle differences between a soul dissipating normally after death and a soul being forced out of the body through various means. Although Zhang Yuelu did not have the Diviner¡¯s Seer Eyes, her Immortal Eye of Providence had a simr function.

    Zhang Yuelu focused on the corpse¡¯s head, where the soul was located. After about three minutes, she slowly withdrew her gaze. The purple energy in her eyes gradually faded away.

    She said, ¡°There are indeed traces of the Nightmare Bringer Technique. Superintendent Tang, well done for not closing the case hastily and noticing the abnormality in time. Nowadays, many people in the Daoist Order prefer turning a blind eye to things so that they can avoid more work. This gives the demons from the secret society an opportunity to take action.¡±

    Tang Yongde was a little embarrassed and modest. ¡°Thank you for thepliment, Deputy Hall Master Zhang. This is my duty.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu sighed softly. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Superintendent Lingquan is not here. Otherwise, we can rely on his Soul Recalling Technique to find some clues.¡±

    Qi Xuansu reminded. ¡°Well, we didn¡¯te to Baidi City with the intention to solve a murder case. What we need to know now is what the spellcaster used for this Nightmare Bringer Technique. Is it his birth date, hair, nails, or blood?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu muttered, ¡°It¡¯s almost impossible for the two of us to determine this.¡±

    Qi Xuansu thought about it for a while before he asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t we use another approach? Who was sleeping with this merchant when he died?¡±

    Tang Yongde hurriedly answered, ¡°A courtesan from this vi.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was puzzled, so Qi Xuansu exined, ¡°Generally, upscale brothels like this will have courtesans and escorts. Courtesans provide entertainment with their artistic talents as well as their bodies, while escorts only provide entertainment with their artistic talents.¡±

    She nced at Qi Xuansu with a half-smile. ¡°You¡¯re quite familiar with these, huh?¡±

    Qi Xuansu coughed lightly. ¡°I¡¯ve only ever heard of this. I can¡¯t afford such entertainment anyway.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t afford it?¡± Zhang Yuelu¡¯s tone suddenly turned gentle.

    Qi Xuansu realized that he had a slip of the tongue and quickly changed his tune. ¡°I can certainly afford it with all the money I have now. I just don¡¯t have such interests. Shall we continue with the investigation?¡±

    Tang Yongde kept his gaze down and did not intervene in their bickering.

    Zhang Yuelu no longer dwelled on the matter. ¡°Let¡¯s meet that courtesan.¡±

    Judging by the size of this vi, it was clear that there would be more than one manager, and they would likely have a strong background. The courtesans were the cash cows in this business, so if the courtesans wanted to retire, they would have to pay at least thousands of Taiping coins each.

    Without definite evidence, Tang Yongde would not be able to do anything to the courtesans involved in this matter, so he just kept them isted in a room under temporary house arrest.

    Tang Yongde led Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu through a long corridor with tall rednterns on both sides. In the night, all one could see were red and ck. After turning a few corners, they could hear women''sughter. Tang Yongde approached the door, where there were two Spirit Guards and two female Daoist priests.

    Superintendent Tang Yongde signaled the twodies to open the door. A red light filled the room, which had arge screen blocking the back. The floor was covered with a thick carpet. Although it was winter, the room was as warm as spring.

    The tables and chairs were all made of fine mahogany. The porcin, calligraphy, and paintings were all genuine pieces from famous artists. This resembled the room of a noble youngdy.

    Qi Xuansu did not know how this roompared to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s, but it was certainly much better than his residence in Haichan ce. He could not help but sigh as he thought, <i>No wonder peopleugh at the poor but never at prostitutes.</i>

 Chapter 133: Judging the Case (I)

    <h4>Chapter 133: Judging the Case (I)</h4>

    Tang Yongde coughed heavily to remind the women in the room that they had guests.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu had already walked around the screen and entered the room, where she saw several women ying a game of leaves on a luxurious lounge bed.

    Qi Xuansu could not help but click his tongue when he saw thevish furnishings and decorations in the room behind the screen. Various rouges, makeup, and jewelry were scattered on the dressing table. Judging by the exquisite boxes, Qi Xuansu could tell that they were expensive.

    The stool and the side table were both made of rosewood. The incense burner was burning ambergris. The standing mirror was made of a single tall ss mirror brought from the Western Continent. The couch was covered with embroidered pillows and brocade quilts, a specialty of Jiangnan¡¯s craftsmen. The wardrobe was Western-style, with the door half open, revealing all kinds of thin silk and satin clothes.

    Any one of these items was easily worth more than one Wuyou coin, making the items in this room worth at least hundreds of Wuyou coins.

    Qi Xuansu worked for Tiangang Hall as Zhang Yuelu¡¯s henchman and risked his life fighting demons and criminals. But all he had to show for was a few hundred Taiping coins. On the other hand, these prostitutes made money effortlessly. It was truly a skill!

    Zhang Yuelu had seen opulence before. Although she did not live in the Zhang family''s Dazhen Mansion, she went there often. That was the epitome of wealth umted for generations. Thus, she did not think much about the furnishings in this room. Instead, her gazended on the several women in front of her.

    The floor was carpeted in this room, and a fire was burning vigorously, creating coziness despite the winter temperatures outside. That was why the women were only wearing light robes made of gauze that revealed their slender arms. Their shoulders were bare and fair, as were their feet, which peeked out from under their skirts.

    The women were surprised when they saw Zhang Yuelu barging in. Since Zhang Yuelu was wearing a cloak and a hood, they failed to realize that she was also a woman.

    Tang Yongde introduced her. ¡°This is Mage Zhang. Han Yu,e out.¡±

    A frail-looking woman stood up and smoothed her clothes. She was not as seductive as the others. Instead, she looked cute, like a frightened doe, which made people feel the urge to protect her.

    Zhang Yuelu subconsciously nced at Qi Xuansu to gauge his reaction.

    Unexpectedly, Qi Xuansu¡¯s attention was not on these charming women. His eyes kept wandering over the various furnishings in the room. He even looked resentful.

    Zhang Yuelu did not know what Qi Xuansu was thinking, but she could roughly guess what was bothering him. Qi Xuansu probably felt it was unfair because he worked tirelessly and risked his life, only to find that he was earning so much less than these prostitutes.

    She sighed softly because many in the Daoistmunity fell for the extravagance of the secr world. They usually thought highly of themselves and looked down on others. However, the people they viewed as inferior wore nicer clothes, changed four sets of outfits a day, lived in mansions, and enjoyed all the splendor. Meanwhile, they could only own eight sets of clothes and earn a few hundred Taiping coins.

    Most Daoist priests could not afford to own a house with double entrances. They were not considered poor, but they were still far from rich. Over time, these people grew resentful of the unfairness.

    In the past century, this led to major corruption cases, and the situation continued to worsen. Thus, the Ancestral Court had to repeatedly revise and improve the treatment of Daoist priests at all levels. However, it still could not stop people¡¯s greed.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu did not feel aggrieved. He did at first, but after some thought, he felt that what hecked marily, he had gained in terms of status. At the moment, people had to address him as Deacon Qi or Daoist Qi. If he advanced further in rank, they would have to address him as Mage Qi, High Mage Qi, or even Sage Qi.

    By then, no one would dare to insult him. This privilege was something that merchants or prostitutes could neverpare to.

    Han Yu came to Tang Yongde and bowed respectfully. ¡°Greetings, Mage Tang.¡±

    <i>Generally speaking, job titles such as Deputy Hall Master, Superintendent, and Deacon were only used within the Daoistmunity. Sometimes, it was also used by people in the Imperial Court or those rted to the Daoistmunity. Outsiders referred to Daoist disciples as Daoist, or by their ranks, like Mage, High Mage, Sage, and so on. Daoist disciples would be upset if they were not addressed ordingly.</i>

    Tang Yongde nodded and instructed, ¡°This is Mage Zhang. She¡¯s here to investigate the case. You must answer her questions truthfully.¡±

    Han Yu lowered her head and answered, ¡°Yes, Mage.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu questioned, ¡°Were you the first to discover Mason¡¯s body?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Han Yu said softly, ¡°At that time, I was sitting on his body.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face was a little stiff, as she felt a little awkward. Fortunately, she was wearing a hood, so no one could see her expression. She was silent for a moment before she added, ¡°Tell me the situation at the time of his death.¡±

    Han Yu nced at Tang Yongde and hesitated. After all, it involved sexual intercourse, and Mage Zhang sounded like a young woman.

    Tang Yongde said with a straight face, ¡°You can answer Mage Zhang¡¯s questions truthfully.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mage.¡± Han Yu responded, but she was vague in her reply. ¡°I was in a state of ecstasy at the time when I suddenly heard Boss Mason grunt like he was in pain. So I quickly stopped moving and opened my eyes. That was when I saw Boss Mason covering his chest¡ª¡±

    Qi Xuansu suddenly interrupted, ¡°Miss Han Yu, are you sure you saw Boss Mason holding his chest like he was in pain?¡±

    Han Yu nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nced at Zhang Yuelu, who understood what he was trying to say. There were obvious traces on Mason¡¯s body that he had fallen victim to the Nightmare Bringer Method. People who died of this method usually had no energy before death. They would often look confused and lost. At first nce, they just looked like they were sleepy. Eventually, they would be an empty shell. However, what Han Yu described was a symptom of coital death.

    As a result, Han Yu seemed extremely suspicious. However, they also could not rule out the possibility that the murderer yed other tricks, even deceiving Han Yu. Thus, they could not be certain that Han Yu was involved in Mason¡¯s murder.

    Han Yu continued, ¡°After I got off Boss Mason, he started to twitch, and his eyes rolled back. I was so frightened that I quickly got dressed and called for help. First, some of my colleagues and their clients came over. Then people from Yong¡¯an Pce arrived and put us here.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°I would like to ask youdies to stay here for the time being. Superintendent Tang, you and I will stay here to continue taking their statement while Deacon Qi will go to the main hall.¡±

    Tang Yongde obliged.

    Zhang Yuelu turned to Qi Xuansu and instructed, ¡°Go to the main hall and get the merchants¡¯ statements.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded and left the room with a Spirit Guard leading the way.

    When they came to the main hall, several merchants were already waiting there. The Spirit Guard introduced, ¡°This is Deacon Qi.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took off his hood and sped his fists in a salute. ¡°Greetings, everyone. I¡¯d like to ask you a few questions. I hope you can answer them truthfully.¡±

    A mature-looking merchant said, ¡°We are Mason¡¯s friends and townspeople. He died in a foreign country out of the blue, so we thought it would be best to give his family an exnation. We will be grateful if you can solve the case, so we will naturally answer your questions to the best of our abilities, Deacon Qi.¡±

    These merchants were not ordinary people because they would require some background to do business with Shibo Hall. Thus, they were confident when they spoke.

    He motioned for the merchants to sit, but he did not take a seat himself. Instead, he paced the room slowly and asked, ¡°Did Mason have any enemies before his death?¡±

    An elderly merchant replied, ¡°In our line of work, we¡¯re all about making money, so we like to make friends and won¡¯t make enemies for no reason. I¡¯ve never heard that Mason has any enemies.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t there a saying that fellow merchants are enemies?¡±

    Strictly speaking, the merchants present were Mason¡¯s colleagues, who were all suspects, ording to Qi Xuansu. That was why Qi Xuansu¡¯s face was stern.

    The mature businessman who spoke earlier said, ¡°Deacon Qi, you don¡¯t work in Shibo Hall, so you must not know the rules here. Anyone who does business with Shibo Hall knows that it is impossible to steal someone else¡¯s business.

    ¡°Shibo Hall conducts public bidding every year, and whether one can seed in taking the bid depends entirely on one¡¯s capabilities. It has nothing to do with others. Although we¡¯re all merchants, our trade is different, so we¡¯re not enemies. We all work for Shibo Hall.¡±

    Another person added, ¡°We¡¯ve even be friends because of it.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±

    These merchants traded with Shibo Hall, so they were considered closely rted to the Daoist Order and addressed Qi Xuansu by his job title.

    Qi Xuansu asked again, ¡°Can you tell me how this bidding works?¡±

    The same merchant exined, ¡°I am in the tea business, so let¡¯s use that as an example. When tea is shipped to the Western Continent, the price can increase more than tenfold. However, only Shibo Hall can negotiaterge-scale business with the Western merchants and ship the tea to the Western Continent. Even if something goes wrong and one or two ships sink, Shibo Hall can afford the losses.

    ¡°If smaller merchants were to lose a ship or two, they would be ruined, so most people wouldn¡¯t get involved in maritime trade by themselves. As a supplier of Shibo Hall, we don¡¯t get as much profit, but it¡¯s still better than most. One can easily rake in a lot of money being in this trade for a few years.

    ¡°With such a good deal, countless people flock toward this opportunity. That¡¯s why Shibo Hall will put out bids for the suppliers. Whoever has better quality goods and a more suitable price will be chosen as the supplier.¡±

    ¡°This is just tea. There are other trades like porcin, silk, and so many more. Moreover, when Shibo Hall¡¯s fleet transports our goods to the West, it will also bring back goods from there in short supply. Many big cities and mansions require such items, and Shibo Hall has its own branches to sell them directly. But some clients are out of their reach, so that is when Shibo Hall will let us sell the goods on their behalf.

    ¡°As for who will get to sell these goods, Shibo Hall will also put them out for bidding. The merchant can then have the right to sell Western goods exclusively after winning the bid.

    ¡°No matter what, those who win bids are considered to be working for Shibo Hall. We¡¯re not considered members of the Daoistmunity, but no one dares to offend us or look down on us. If we encounter difficulties, we¡¯ll seek help from Shibo Hall, and they will most likelye forward to settle the issue. That¡¯s because ruining Shibo Hall¡¯s business is a big deal.

    ¡°I have never heard of anyone who dares to offend the Daoist Order. That¡¯s why we suspect the cultists are involved in this.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered. ¡°I guess it makes sense why you¡¯re all determined that the murderer is a cultist.¡±

 Chapter 134: Judging the Case (II)

    <h4>Chapter 134: Judging the Case (II)</h4>

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Suppose it really was a cultist who murdered Mason. Which cult would it be? Since you all work for Shibo Hall, you should have heard about the various secret societies.¡±

    The merchants looked at each other, and the oldest merchant said hesitantly, ¡°Deacon Qi, we have heard about the secret societies. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have suspected that the murderer was a cultist. In our opinion, it may be the Ziguang Society.¡±

    ¡°Ziguang Society? The cult that believes in the Ancient Immortal True Lord Ziguang?¡± Qi Xuansu frowned slightly. ¡°The members of the Ziguang Society are mainly women. Does this mean that you are suspicious of those courtesans?¡±

    The merchants kept quiet, and Qi Xuansu fell into deep thought. Zhang Yuelu once introduced the Ziguang Society to him in detail. Ziguang Society was so intricately tied to the Daoist Order that it would be very difficult to identify its members if they did not expose themselves.

    In recent years, the Daoist Order¡¯s strategy was to capture the high-ranking members of the Ziguang Society and then get a list of members before eliminating them one by one.

    In terms of destructive power, Ziguang Society was far inferior to the Cult of Fates. However, the Ziguang Society was good at assassinations and stealing information. They were also difficult to guard against. Back then, an Omniscient Sage had fallen into the Ziguang Society¡¯s trap without realizing it, leaking many secrets of the Daoist Order.

    The more important question was, why did the Ziguang Society kill Mason?

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Why do you suspect the Ziguang Society? Did Mason have any involvement with the Ziguang Society in the past?¡±

    The merchants remained silent, not denying this. Thus, Qi Xuansu treated it as acquiescence.

    Qi Xuansu added, ¡°If Mason is actually involved with the Ziguang Society and everyone here knows about it but intends to hide information from the Daoist Order, the punishment will be serious. I can inform the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion to take everyone into custody, then report it to Tiangang Hall for further judgment.¡±

    A merchant quickly confessed. ¡°No, that¡¯s not the case. Deacon Qi, you misunderstood us. Please listen to our exnation. We don¡¯t know whether Mason was involved with the Ziguang Society. But we know that Mason, despite being married, kept a mistress who was very mysterious and wealthy.

    ¡°He mentioned that she was a widow who had inherited a sizable fortune. It was because of this mistress¡¯s strong support that Mason was able to get a sessful bid to be a supplier for Shibo Hall.¡±

    Qi Xuansu questioned, ¡°Why do you suspect this mistress?¡±

    The merchant continued, ¡°To be a supplier to Shibo Hall, one must be wealthy enough to be involved in bulk trade. To put it bluntly, Mason was just a small shop owner selling silk and satin before he became a supplier to Shibo Hall. Even if he were given the bid, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to fulfill such arge order.

    ¡°But somehow, within a year or two, Mason suddenly had money and managed to win the bid. He expanded his business significantly, so we thought that he received help from someone.¡±

    Another merchant added, ¡°We didn¡¯t think much about it at first. After all, their rtionship was consensual. We¡¯re also not Daoist disciples, so keeping a mistress is not against thew. But a few days ago, Mason came to us looking very anxious.

    ¡°When he was drunk, he told us that everything he had was given to him by that woman. He felt inferior to her, like he was just her boy toy. He was afraid that his mistress would be jealous of his wife, so he didn¡¯t dare to go home often.

    ¡°Now that he had umted some wealth, he no longer wanted to listen to his mistress¡¯s whims. But what he saidter was the most concerning part. He said that in the worst-case scenario, he would just break up with her, and they could both burn in hell together.¡±

    Qi Xuansumented, ¡°It sounds like Mason wanted to get rid of his mistress after making a fortune from Shibo Hall¡¯s business. In that case, it¡¯s highly possible for the mistress to hire a hitman to kill him. But why do you say that she¡¯s rted to Ziguang Society?¡±

    The mature-looking merchant said, ¡°We didn¡¯t take it too seriously at first. After all, we¡¯ve also seen a fair share of this in our line of business, so it¡¯s nothing unusual. But yesterday, Mason suddenly told us that if anything were to happen to him, it had to be caused by demons. We felt that something was wrong at the time and wanted to ask in more detail, but he refused to disclose anything.

    ¡°When we saw him today, he seemed to have forgotten what happened yesterday. He looked and behaved the same as before, and he was no longer anxious. We didn¡¯t think much about it and thought that perhaps he had thought things through. After all, everyone would be inferior to someone, so it was only a matter of getting used to it. But who would have thought that he would be found dead tonight?¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Does Superintendent Tang know about this?¡±

    ¡°Only half of it.¡± The mature merchant replied, ¡°Because Mason also told us that if anything were to happen to him, we should immediately report it to Superintendent Tang. Since the situation was urgent at the time, we didn¡¯t have time to exin the story in detail and only told Superintendent Tang that the murder may have been rted to the demons from the secret societies.

    ¡°After Superintendent Tang heard that it¡¯s rted to secret societies, he was a little flustered at first, but he quickly ordered the Spirit Guards to seal the vi. Then he invited the two of you here.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was speechless at Superintendent Tang¡¯s reaction. However, it made sense because Superintendent Tang was proficient in doing business, not dealing with cultists. It was only right that he left the demon-ying to the professionals, which happened to be Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu turned to the other two deacons of Shibo Hall present and questioned, ¡°Do you two also know about it?¡±

    ¡°We weren¡¯t aware of what happened before the incident.¡± The two Daoist deacons shook their heads and denied their involvement. ¡°We were only invited at thest minute.¡±

    The merchant also vouched for the two Daoist deacons. ¡°I think that Mason invited the two deacons to embolden himself.¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally asked, ¡°Who suggesteding to this vi today?¡±

    The merchants looked at each other and said in unison, ¡°Mason did. He set up the banquet and hired the girls.¡±

    Qi Xuansu thought about it for a moment and summarized their spection. ¡°To recap what you just told me, Mason wanted to break away from the support of his mistress and was very anxious about it. He even said that he would go to hell with her. Then, he seemed to have noticed something was wrong. But even so, he was determined to have a showdown with his mistress.

    ¡°That was why he told you in advance that if anything were to happen to him, it must be caused by demons. Earlier today, Mason invited you all to the vi and arranged everything.¡±

    The merchants present were experienced and understood what Qi Xuansu was getting at.

    Qi Xuansu concluded. ¡°In other words, Mason deliberately chose to meet his mistress in this vi to confront her, but he clearly failed. He invited two Daoist deacons and his friends so that the other party would have some qualms about silencing him, but that didn¡¯t work.

    ¡°What Mason meant by going to hell with her was probably confessing to you all about his mistress¡¯s involvement with a cult. He was also hinting that the cult was likely Ziguang Society because of the venue he chose to confront her in.¡±

    A merchant with a Northern ent eximed, ¡°It must be that Han Yu girl!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily the case.¡± Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Mage Zhang has inspected Mason¡¯s body and found that he died from the Nightmare Bringer Method, which can be cast from a distance. Han Yu may be an aplice or scapegoat. There is still a chance that she¡¯s innocent.¡±

    The merchants stopped talking. After all that, they concluded that the murder was rted to a cult, but they still had no clue who exactly was the cultist. However, there was no doubt that they needed to investigate this case in depth to find out who the real culprit was.

    Someone was supporting Mason to be Shibo Hall¡¯s supplier, but why? It probably was not as simple as being in a mutually beneficial rtionship with the Daoist Order. It was more likely that one of the many secret associations was involved.

    There was no doubt that Mason was just a puppet of the secret society. This puppet managed to gain both fame and fortune with a new backer, the Daoist Order, and wanted to return to a normal life. Thus, he threatened the secret society in an attempt to break away from them. As a result, he died.

    Qi Xuansu felt that this story seemed familiar. Was this not his experience as well? He had relied on the Qingping Society to enter Tiangang Hall. He had a bright future, as he was on track to be promoted to a sixth-rank Daoist priest. If everything went smoothly, he could be promoted to the fourth rank or even the third rank by the time he retired.

    With such a promising path ahead, Qi Xuansu increasingly felt the need to leave the Qingping Society and return to a normal life. By then, what would be of him? Would he end up like Mason, dying in a foreignnd?

    Would the Qingping Society let him go as long as he umted 9000 merits? Would they keep their promise?

    He also could not avoid being associated with the Qingping Society due to the Xuan Jade. Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu felt a little depressed.

    No one else could read Qi Xuansu¡¯s mind. Seeing that he was silent and solemn, they thought he was just thinking about the case, so no one dared to speak for a while.

    After about 15 minutes, Zhang Yuelu and Tang Yongde returned to the main hall.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°How¡¯s the questioning going?¡±

    Qi Xuansu roughly recounted the story. After listening to it, Zhang Yuelu said thoughtfully, ¡°There is indeed something fishy with this vi. Superintendent Tang, please notify the Shuzhou Daoist Office immediately and ask them to send some people over to seal this vi for a thorough investigation. No one is allowed to escape.¡±

    Tang Yongde immediately grimaced and wanted to say something, but when he saw Zhang Yuelu¡¯s determined gaze, he dared not object and reluctantly obliged. ¡°Yes, Deputy Hall Master.¡±

    Since this was rted to secret associations, Tang Yongde could not refuse Zhang Yuelu¡¯s request.

 Chapter 135: Governor of Shuzhou

    <h4>Chapter 135: Governor of Shuzhou</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu wanted to seal off the vi to thoroughly investigate the case and find out who was involved in the secret society. Tang Yongde dared not object, but some people did.

    Tang Yongde was the superintendent of Yong¡¯an Pce, and Baidi City was on the boundary of Shuzhou, so he had a mother-child talisman to contact the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion. Zhang Yuelu used this talisman to contact the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion so that they could send someone over to handle the case. However, before their people arrived, the vi¡¯s backer came first.

    A tall woman disguised as a man came over, surrounded by bodyguards. She was dressed in luxurious fabric and looked quite snobbish. Of course, everyone knew that she was not the manager of this upscale brothel, because no manager would dare challenge Zhang Yuelu so tantly.

    In fact, this woman was the daughter of the vi¡¯s backer, who was none other than the Governor of Shuzhou. There was no doubt that this vi was a profitable business, with clients consisting of the rich and noble. Thus, without solid backing, it would be almost impossible to get involved in this kind of business.

    <i>The Great Xuan Dynasty had nine governors of different regions, namely Jingji, Jiangnan, Liaodong, Xiliang, Youyan, Qinzhong, Lingnan, Yunmeng, and Shuzhou.</i>

    <i>Among them, the Governor of Jingji was the head of the nine governors, in charge of the districts surrounding the Imperial Capital, including Qizhou and the Donghai Navy. The Governor of Jiangnan was in charge of Jiangzhou, Chuzhou, and the Nanhai Navy. The Governor of Liaodong was in charge of Liaozhou, Fengzhou, and the Beihai Navy. These three governors controlled the three major navies of the empire and were responsible for maritime trade between the East and the West. Thus, they were regarded as the top three governors.</i>

    <i>The next most powerful governors were the Governors of Xiliang, Youyan, and Qinzhong.</i>

    <i>The Governor of Xiliang was in charge of Xizhou and Liangzhou, as well as the Xizhou Protectorate. The Governor of Youyan was in charge of Youzhou and Yanzhou, while the Governor of Qinzhong was in charge of Qinzhou and Zhongzhou. These three governors worked together to defend against the Golden Horde in the north.</i>

    <i>Although they did not have control of the navy, they had one-third of the empire¡¯s elite warriors stationed at borders and trade routes in the Western Region. These were the mid-range governors.</i>

    <i>Finally, there were the Governors of Lingnan, Yunmeng, and Shuzhou, who were regarded as the bottom three governors.</i>

    <i>The Governor of Lingnan was in charge of Duanzhou and Wuzhou, while the Governor of Yunmeng was in charge of Huzhou and Xiaozhou. Since there were few wars in these two ces, these two governors did not hold much military power.</i>

    <i>The Governor of Shuzhou held the least power among the nine governors. Most of the other governors were in charge of two states, but the Governor of Shuzhou was only in charge of one state. One reason for that was that Shuzhou covered a vast area.</i>

    <i>Although Shuzhou was slightly smaller than Xizhou, it was still farrger than other states. In terms of poption, Shuzhou far exceeded Xizhou. The second reason was that Shuzhou, being connected to the southern border, was always the first region to have an uprising. That was because the local chieftains often rebelled against the Imperial Court, so the Imperial Court set up a governor to control this area.</i>

    <i>Although the nine governors were categorized, they were the same in rank. To ordinary people, these nine governors had the highest rank among the local officials. The next step up was a cab minister. One could only imagine how much power they had.</i>

    <i>The current Governor of Shuzhou was a military general. In his early years, he apanied the Emperor on an expedition to Xizhou to suppress an uprising. At the time, he was a Deputy Chief Military Officer. After the war, he was promoted to Chief Military Officer. He continued to be promoted until he became the Chief Admiral of Shuzhou in the 32nd year of the Jiushi Era. He quelled another rebellion on the southern border and was finally promoted to Governor of Shuzhou in the 39th year of the Jiushi Era.</i>

    <i>With his achievements, he was inevitably arrogant. His children were brought up with the same attitude. They saw themselves as above thew and did whatever they liked. They openly established upscale brothels, banks, pawn shops, and other profitable businesses within the region, which were frowned upon. However, the governor was in the emperor¡¯s favor at the moment, so no one could say otherwise.</i>

    <i>The Governor of Shuzhou had three sons and one daughter. His eldest son followed in his footsteps by bing a military official. He was a Mobile Corps General. Without the emperor¡¯s decree, immediate male family members were not allowed to serve as officials in the same ce, aside from the Imperial Capital. Thus, the eldest son was not in Shuzhou.</i>

    <i>The Governor¡¯s second son took a different path to be an imperial guard. He was directly under themand of the Green Phoenix Guard Lord Commander, responsible for the pce guards and the emperor¡¯s guards of honor.</i>

    <i>His second son was working in close quarters with the Emperor, so although it was a tough job, he had a bright future to be promoted to a higher-ranking official. The Governor used a lot of effort to arrange for his second son to assume this position. Thus, his second son was also not in Shuzhou, but far away in the Imperial Capital.</i>

    <i>At the moment, the Governor only had his youngest son and daughter by his side. His third son was a stereotypical, unaplished scion who relied on his father¡¯s name to get by. His only advantage was that he was good at business. Using his father¡¯s name, he set up many businesses, trading with the Golden Horde, the Western Region, and even the Western Continent.</i>

    <i>The Governor¡¯s third son dabbled in everything and made a lot of money. He was also doted on by his grandmother and mother, so the Governor turned a blind eye to whatever he did.</i>

    <i>Being the favorite child, the Governor¡¯s youngest daughter was a spoiled, arrogant, and willful youngdy.</i>

    The youngdy''s gaze fell on Zhang Yuelu as soon as she entered the room. She asked coldly, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu hated such entitled youngdies. She raised her eyebrows and retorted, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Tang Yongde hurriedly stepped forward to smooth things over. ¡°Let me introduce you two. This is Wang Ruyi, the Fourth Young Lady of the Governor¡¯s Mansion. This is Zhang Yuelu, the Deputy Hall Master of the Daoist Order¡¯s Tiangang Hall.¡±

    ¡°A Zhang? Since you¡¯ve be a Deputy Hall Master at such a young age, you must be from the Dazhen Mansion. Are you the granddaughter or great-granddaughter of the Heavenly Preceptor?¡±

    It was clear that Wang Ruyi understood the Daoist Order¡¯s politics. She was not afraid of Zhang Yuelu either. ¡°People in Shuzhou don¡¯t follow the Zhengyi Sect. We believe in the Quanzhen Sect. No matter how powerful the Heavenly Preceptor is, he can¡¯t control the Earthly Preceptor¡¯s territory.¡±

    This youngdy from the Wang family was domineering and quite clever. Even if word of this spread, the Daoist disciples would agree since this was a fact. In recent years,plicated undercurrents surged between the three major sects, and the three Great Sages were also at odds with each other.

    Zhang Yuelu said calmly, ¡°I am a Deputy Hall Master of Tiangang Hall, directly subordinate to the Grand Master. It doesn¡¯t have anything to do with the Daoist sects. Superintendent Tang, when Shibo Hall does business with others, do you only do business with the Quanzhen Sect disciples?¡±

    Tang Yongde dared not im this, so he quickly said, ¡°Of course not! We do business with everyone.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face turned cold as she dered, ¡°That had better be the case. Back then, the Holy Xuan integrated the Daoist sects and established three major sects. It was clearly stated that the three major sects had their own responsibilities.

    ¡°Zhengyi Sect was in charge of matters rting to the ghosts and gods; Quanzhen Sect was in charge of inventions; and Taiping Sect was in charge of secr affairs. When did the Holy Xuan say that the Zhengyi Sect was in charge of Wuzhou and the Quanzhen Sect was in charge of Shuzhou? If the regions were split by sects, why would we still need local Daoist mansions?¡±

    For a while, no one dared to make a sound. Everyone¡¯s face was solemn.

    Within the Daoistmunity, the Holy Xuan¡¯s words were thew, simr to the ancestral decrees of the Imperial Court. No one could refute it.

    Wang Ruyi¡¯s face paled slightly, and she was speechless for a moment.

    Zhang Yuelu stared at Wang Ruyi. ¡°Miss Wang, you¡¯re not a member of the Daoistmunity, so you may not be aware of the Holy Xuan¡¯s decree. I won¡¯t argue with you since you don¡¯t know the rules. But if you still try to sow discord between the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect again, I won¡¯t let you get away with it.¡±

    ¡°Who are you threatening?¡± A deep voice suddenly interjected.

    It did not sound harsh or sharp. It was rather casual, like a greeting between friends. Everyone turned their attention to the uninvited guest at the door. The man was in the uniform of a military official from the Imperial Court, but it did not disclose his rank. He was standing in a dimly lit ce with his hands behind his back.

    No one knew when he had arrived. Zhang Yuelu was shocked to see the man because he was a Heavenly Being.

    This man stepped forward slowly, walking out of the shadows. He came to Wang Ruyi¡¯s side, looking strong and imposing with his sword.

    When Wang Ruyi saw him, she seemed to have found a backer. She discarded her arrogant attitude from earlier and acted like a demure youngdy. ¡°Nice to see you, Uncle Zhao.¡±

    This man smiled slightly at Wang Ruyi, then turned to Zhang Yuelu. ¡°I¡¯m Zhao Fu¡¯an, the Chief Military Officer of Shuzhong. Deputy Hall Master Zhang, who are you trying to threaten earlier?¡±

    Qi Xuansu only felt Chief Zhao¡¯s overwhelming aura. However, Zhang Yuelu was not afraid of that man. She had seen her fair share of powerful individuals and Heavenly Beings in Jade Capital. Just in Tiangang Hall alone, all the other eight Deputy Hall Masters were Heavenly Beings. The Hall Master was a Heavenly Being in the Zaohua stage, which was only one step away from being a Pseudo-Immortal.

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to scare me. If you dare to sow discord between the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect, I won¡¯t let you go either.¡±

    ¡°And how do you n to do that?¡± Zhao Fu¡¯anughed as if he just heard a joke. He pointed at his own nose and said, ¡°Are you threatening me or the Imperial Court?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu stared at him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to bring out the Imperial Court. It was just a warning, not a threat. Moreover, you alone don¡¯t represent the Imperial Court.¡±

    Zhao Fu¡¯an narrowed his eyes. ¡°If I can¡¯t represent the Imperial Court, how can you represent the Daoist Order? Although I don¡¯t have the power to deal with people from the Daoist Order, I can arrest you first on grounds of threatening court officials. Then someone from the Daoist Order can bail you out.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu responded tit-for-tat. ¡°Chief Zhao, I think you¡¯re the one trying to threaten me here. Go ahead and arrest me if you want. When my Hall Master and the Heavenly Preceptor arrive, we can discuss at length who is at fault. If I am found to be at fault, I will dly ept any punishment. But if you are at fault, the Daoist Order will have the right to arrest you and report your misdeed to the Great Sage Ziji. By then, we shall see if you still get to keep your position.¡±

    Tang Yongde¡¯s face turned pale, while Zhao Fu¡¯an looked vexed and slowly clenched his fists.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu suddenly interjected, ¡°Chief Zhao, this case involves the secret societies. If it is found that the operation is dyed because of you, people will inevitably suspect that you are involved with the secret societies. Otherwise, why would you try to obstruct us in every possible way? Chief Zhao, even if we can¡¯t arrest you today, someone with authority will do soter.¡±

    Zhao Fu¡¯an suddenly looked at Qi Xuansu, who did not show the slightest fear.

    Qi Xuansu continued, ¡°If you let the cult demons get away this time, the Daoist Order will investigate this matter thoroughly. Chief Zhao, you can certainly arrest us today and let the Daoist Order bail us out. But I¡¯m afraid that you will be arrested by the Daoist Order tomorrow. In that case, someone from the Imperial Court will have to bail you out too. Chief Zhao, please think twice about your actions.¡±

 Chapter 136: Zhao Fuâ€™an

    <h4>Chapter 136: Zhao Fu¡¯an</h4>

    It was deathly silent inside and outside the main hall.

    Tang Yongde did not expect that his fellow Daoists from the Jade Capital would be so stubborn as to fight a military official from the Imperial Court.

    Zhao Fu¡¯an looked solemn.

    Qi Xuansu was actually not so stubborn. If he were alone, he would have chosen topromise even before Zhao Fu¡¯an showed up. He would have let Wang Ruyi have her way and endure her criticism.

    However, Zhang Yuelu was the kind of person who did not tolerate any kind of dishonor. Firstly, she was not afraid of threats because she had a strong background. Secondly, she had a straightforward personality. She would only do what was right.

    Thus, Qi Xuansu had no choice but to stand by Zhang Yuelu¡¯s side.

    After a while, Zhao Fu¡¯an broke the silence. ¡°Who are you to lecture me? How dare you speak above your station?¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not get offended. He had heard harsher things during his days of traveling alone. If he were to take everything to heart, he would have died from agitation.

    He merely bowed to Zhao Fu¡¯an and introduced himself. ¡°I¡¯m Qi Xuansu, a deacon of Tiangang Hall. Nice to meet you, Chief Zhao.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just a menial deacon, yet you dare speak so arrogantly.¡± Zhao Fu¡¯an raised his chin.

    Qi Xuansu responded, ¡°I¡¯m just stating the facts, Chief Zhao. I don¡¯t mean to be arrogant. Please correct me if I have said anything wrong.¡±

    Zhao Fu¡¯an narrowed his eyes. ¡°I can turn a blind eye to that Deputy Hall Master¡¯s insolence, but now, even a mere deacon dares to confront me head-on. Don¡¯t me me for beating you to death!¡±

    Soon after, there was a slight crack.

    Before anyone else could react, Zhang Yuelu was keen enough to notice that the sound came from the floor tiles breaking under Zhao Fu¡¯an¡¯s feet.

    Since he showed up, Zhao Fu¡¯an had never once stepped on the floor. He had been levitating above it. The moment his feetnded on the floor, these cracks expanded in all directions, like a spider web.

    Zhang Yuelu suddenly shouted, ¡°Tian Yuan, watch out!¡±

    Zhao Fu¡¯an shot out like an arrow, heading straight toward his opponent. Qi Xuansu was an experienced fighter, so he was already on guard and got into a defensive posture.

    Qi Xuansu did not wish to counterattack. He only wanted to stay alive, hoping that he would not die from this punch. Thus, he crossed his arms in front of his chest to bear the brunt of the force and flew back from the impact.

    Although the skin of his left forearm was intact, his bones broke, twisting his left arm into an awkward angle. What was even more frightening was the force exerted by a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Divinity Realm. An invisible force from Zhao Fu¡¯an¡¯s fist prated Qi Xuansu¡¯s arms, chest, and heart.

    Zhao Fu¡¯an wanted to strike a fatal blow, but he only used about 70% of his power, which was enough to kill a Xiantian Being or a Rogue Cultivator at the Yuxu stage.

    As a true Martial Arts Practitioner, Zhao Fu¡¯an did not think that Qi Xuansu was also a Martial Arts Practitioner. That was because Zhao Fu¡¯an could tell at a nce whether Qi Xuansu had condensed his acupoints and spirit.

    Fortunately, Qi Xuansu¡¯s body had undergone transformation by the Qingping Society and the Xuan Jade. Thus, his physique wasparable to that of a Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner. He flew back into a wall and copsed to the ground, but he was still conscious. He even struggled to climb up but failed to do so. His mouth was filled with the metallic taste of blood, and he barely managed to keep his life.

    Almost at the same time, Zhang Yuelu took action, turning the Amorphous Paper in her hand into a paper sword and striking Zhao Fu¡¯an.

    Zhao Fu¡¯an did not care about Zhang Yuelu, letting her stab him in the chest with the sword. That way, he could hit Zhang Yuelu with the Iron Mountain Shove.

    He was not so bold as to kill Zhang Yuelu because, if he did, no one would be able to protect him. No matter howplicated the politics were in the Daoist Order, they would quickly reach a consensus on this matter and send out a Sage to arrest him. Then he would be brought to the Demon-Vanquishing tform and punished to set an example for the world.

    This had nothing to do with Zhang Yuelu¡¯s background but rather a rule that outsiders were not to kill high-ranking Daoist priests. Most of such killings were done in secret by hiring assassins. After all, the consequences and impact of hiring an assassin and killing in public werepletely different.

    However, Zhao Fu¡¯an still dared to hurt Zhang Yuelu. After all, he could say that he was acting in self-defense because Zhang Yuelu stabbed him first. Zhang Yuelu was backed by the Daoist Order, and he was backed by the Imperial Court.

    On the other hand, Qi Xuansu was just a low-ranking deacon. The punishment for killing a minion was not as severe as that of a Deputy Hall Master. How could the Daoist Order go to war with the Imperial Court over a low-ranking Daoist priest?

    The shove disintegrated Zhang Yuelu¡¯s Five Elements Qi Shield in seconds, but thisyer of protection gave Zhang Yuelu a chance to counterattack. She stretched out her bare left hand, using the shockwaves of his shove to drift backward, farther away from her opponent.

    Zhao Fu¡¯an took advantage of the situation and punched her, but Zhang Yuelu moved ordingly, like a fallen leaf without resistance. She kept a distance of about 30 centimeters from his fist as she drifted backward.

    He hit her twice in session, but to no avail. He was so vexed that he did not manage to hurt Zhang Yuelu, so he quickly struck her again.

    This time, Zhang Yuelu could not avoid it and met his fist with her palm.

    Although Zhao Fu¡¯an did not use his full strength, he was still a Heavenly Being, so Zhang Yuelu¡¯s whole body was shaken upon collision. She had to release the excess energy from her body into the ground beneath her feet, creating cracklines.

    Zhao Fu¡¯an murmured, ¡°Huh, you have some skills.¡±

    He changed his move to a knifehand strike, aiming at Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face.

    Zhang Yuelu knew that she could not defeat Zhao Fu¡¯an head-on and that her paper sword was not effective in closebat, so she simply turned the Amorphous Paper into a glove and wore it.

    With the paper glove on, her fingers were as sharp as razor des as she reached out to grab Zhao Fu¡¯an¡¯s wrist. Although Zhao Fu¡¯an was a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Divinity Realm, he did not underestimate the power of a semi-immortal object. He retracted his hand and curled his fingers into a w before trying to grab Zhang Yuelu¡¯s wrist.

    They remained in the same spot as theypeted with each other, only changing their hand movements. In the end, Zhang Yuelu was hit on the shoulder because she was slightly inferior to Zhao Fu¡¯an. Her body stiffened, but the qi in her body circted quickly, allowing her to return to normal in the next instant.

    Zhao Fu¡¯an was slightly surprised by this. His move seemed ordinary, but it was actually a clever technique, injecting dark energy into the opponent¡¯s body. However, this energy would not hurt the opponent. It would just block one¡¯s meridians and stiffen one¡¯s body.

    Zhang Yuelu resolved this energy in the blink of an eye, which was beyond Zhao Fu¡¯an¡¯s expectations. As a result, Zhao Fu¡¯an became morepetitive. He wanted to see how capable this Deputy Hall Master really was.

    Having just neutralized Zhao Fu¡¯an¡¯s dark energy, Zhang Yuelu needed some time to settle down. But Zhao Fu¡¯an suddenly leaped in front of her and struck her repeatedly with astonishing power. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s arms were short, so she could not counterattack and could only retreat.

    Suddenly, Zhao Fu¡¯an heaved loudly while pushing Zhang Yuelu with both palms. Zhang Yuelu used the Falling Flowers Technique in the Cihang Sword Sequence to counterattack. However, instead of a sword, she used her hands, which were overflowing with sword qi.

    Startled, Zhao Fu¡¯an could only block Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attack by putting his palms together. He immediately felt six sword qis entering his body. These six sword qis were different, but they were interconnected. Zhao Fu¡¯an had no choice but to stop and resolve these strange qis.

    He had underestimated Zhang Yuelu for having a lower cultivation level than he did. He was also afraid of killing her, so he did not use all his strength. But he did not expect to suffer a loss.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu took the opportunity to counterattack. Their fighting styles werepletely opposite. While exchanging moves, there was an invisible force that exploded like thunder. Fortunately, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hands were protected by the paper gloves. Otherwise, she would have been injured by his punches.

    During this time, Zhang Yuelu also used the Six Void Tribtions. But since Zhao Fu¡¯an had a higher level of cultivation, and he was on guard after suffering a loss, the Six Void Tribtions was not as invincible as it was before.

    However, this was also what Zhang Yuelu had expected. Seeing that the attack was ineffective, she turned to defense. The power of the Six Void Tribtions constantly changed, from the softest yin energy to the toughest yang energy. It gathered and dispersed indefinitely, seemingly endless.

    Zhao Fu¡¯an did not expect Zhang Yuelu to be such a tough opponent, so he became infuriated. Just as he was about to use all his strength to defeat Zhang Yuelu, someone shouted sternly. ¡°Stop!¡±

    Zhao Fu¡¯an and Zhang Yuelu immediately distanced themselves from each other.

    That was when a Daoist priest wearing a ck hechang, a Sword of Wisdom pendant, and a lotus crown descended from the sky. Judging from his attire, he was a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master.

    Everyone was a little flustered. Although he was an ordinary Sage and not an Omniscient Sage, everyone present still thought of him as a formidable presence.

    Generally speaking, the Mansion Masters of the local Daoist mansions and the Hall Masters of the Nine Halls were Omniscient Sages, while ordinary Sages served as Deputy Mansion Masters or Deputy Hall Masters.

    The Sage, who had just arrived at the vi, was the second-inmand of the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion, Lingyunzi. He looked like a stereotypical male Sage, with a long beard, an ethereal aura, and a forty-year-old appearance.

    After the Sage showed up, he immediately sized up Zhang Yuelu. Seeing that she was not injured, he breathed a sigh of relief. Then he no longer concealed his anger and turned to Zhao Fu¡¯an. ¡°How bold of you, Zhao Fu¡¯an!¡±

    Zhao Fu¡¯an never expected that the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion, which belonged to the Quanzhen Sect, would stand up for a Zhengyi Sect disciple, even at the expense of offending a close neighbor like him.

    If it were other Zhengyi disciples, the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion might turn a blind eye to it. However, Zhao Fu¡¯an miscalcted something. Although Zhang Yuelu was a Zhengyi Sect disciple, she was also promoted by the Earthly Preceptor, who did not hide his favoritism and respect for Zhang Yuelu. The Earthly Preceptor even made an exception to bestow on her a semi-immortal object.

    Thus, all Quanzhen Sect disciples were smart enough to judge the situation even without the explicit instructions of the Earthly Preceptor.

 Chapter 137: Go with the Flow

    <h4>Chapter 137: Go with the Flow</h4>

    The rtionship between the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court was veryplex. Generally speaking, the Mansion Master was equivalent in rank to a governor or a minister. Thus, the Deputy Mansion Master of the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion was about the same level as the Chief Admiral of Shuzhou.

    In terms of status, Lingyunzi was above Zhao Fu¡¯an. In terms of cultivation level, Lingyunzi was also superior to Zhao Fu¡¯an. Thus, Zhao Fu¡¯an was not Lingyunzi¡¯s opponent, just as Zhang Yuelu was not Zhao Fu¡¯an¡¯s opponent.

    As a result, Zhao Fu¡¯an¡¯s expression turned gloomy because he would not be able to get away with it. However, he could not stand the humiliation of being yelled at in public.

    Seeing Zhao Fu¡¯an¡¯s expression change, Lingyunzi warned him. ¡°Although Mage Zhang is a distant rtive of the Heavenly Preceptor, she is also highly regarded by the Earthly Preceptor. Moreover, she is a direct disciple of Sage Cihang. If anything happens to her, you won¡¯t be able to defend yourself, Zhao Fu¡¯an. Or do you think that Governor Wang will argue with the Heavenly Preceptor, Earthly Preceptor, and Sage Cihang for your sake?¡±

    This was a reminder for Zhao Fu¡¯an not to act rashly.

    Li Tianzhen was the precedent. He was the direct descendant of the Imperial Preceptor and Sage Qingwei. When he was ten years old, he even got to meet the current emperor. Li Tianzhen was expected to be the head of the Li family in the future, but even he suffered a heavy loss against Zhang Yuelu back then.

    If Zhao Fu¡¯an wanted to offend Zhang Yuelu, he would need to have a bigger backingpared to Li Tianzhen¡¯s.

    Zhao Fu¡¯an had been involved in politics for a long time, so he immediately got the hint. He was quick to think of a solution, apologizing with a salute. ¡°It turns out that Deputy Hall Master Zhang has a close rtionship with the Earthly Preceptor. My apologies for not recognizing your status earlier. I hope you can forgive me, Deputy Hall Master Zhang.¡±

    His words were apologetic, but there was a hidden meaning behind them. He was only willing to admit his mistake because he was unaware of the rtionship between Zhang Yuelu and the Earthly Preceptor. In fact, he only did this to curry favor with the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion and Lingyunzi.

    Lingyunzi softened his attitude when he saw that Zhao Fu¡¯an was willing topromise.

    Of course, Zhang Yuelu also understood what Zhao Fu¡¯an meant. She knew that she could only get away unscathed this time thanks to Lingyunzi. Thus, she did not say anything more to avoid embarrassing Lingyunzi.

    However, she was still angry.

    This matter had nothing to do with the Earthly Preceptor. It was her idea to seal the vi and search for the cult demon¡¯s traces, but Zhao Fu¡¯an and Wang Ruyi were obstructing the investigation. However, the situation turned into Zhang Yuelu throwing her weight around.

    In fact, this case had nothing to do with Zhang Yuelu. She was currently on vacation and happened to pass through Baidi City. Even if she encountered a cult demon causing trouble, she could have reported it to the Tiangang Hall and continued on her way. But she took her job seriously. Even though she was not obligated to do so, she decided to investigate the case thoroughly.

    As a result, Qi Xuansu was attacked. They seemed to have gotten an apology, but it was half-hearted only because her backing was big enough.

    Zhang Yuelu fell into deep thought. <i>If I had no backing, would I be the one apologizing to Zhao Fu¡¯an? Or would I have to bury Qi Xuansu here? Was it so wrong for me to do my job faithfully? If I was overestimating my capabilities and meddling in other people¡¯s business, then who was supposed to be responsible for this case? If everyone was just trying to protect themselves, would the Daoist Order be able to maintain authority for long? Was not distinguishing right from wrong and power-tripping what the Holy Xuan wanted to see in the Daoist Order? Shouldn¡¯t this be rectified?</i>

    The only person Zhang Yuelu felt sorry for was Qi Xuansu. If she had not asked Qi Xuansu to apany her home, all of these would not have happened. Even though Zhang Yuelu was morally right in this scenario, she should not have implicated Qi Xuansu.

    Zhang Yuelu silently walked to Qi Xuansu¡¯s side and slowly helped him up. At the same time, she injected some qi into his body to relieve some of his pain.

    Qi Xuansu felt a little morefortable. Being hit by a Heavenly Being was no joke. He almost died from just one punch. If Zhang Yuelu had not intervened and he had to go up against Zhao Fu¡¯an alone, he might not have been able tost three moves.

    That was when Lingyunzi finally noticed that someone else was injured. His face darkened, and he raised his voice. ¡°Chief Zhao, you injured my fellow Daoist disciple. Do you think you can just brush it off with a simple admission of fault? I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t do.¡±

    When Zhao Fu¡¯an heard that Lingyunzi no longer called him by his full name but addressed him as Chief Zhao, he knew that he was off the hook. He yed along and said, ¡°You¡¯re right, Sage Lingyun. I was too impulsive just now. Here, this should be enough for a visit to Huasheng Hall.¡±

    After that, Zhao Fu¡¯an took out five brand-new cash notes, worth 100 Taiping coins each. He instinctively wanted to throw the cash notes at Zhang Yuelu¡¯s feet. However, considering that Lingyunzi was still around and that Zhang Yuelu¡¯s backer was not easy to mess with, Zhao Fu¡¯an patiently walked to Zhang Yuelu and handed the cash notes to her. ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang, apologies.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not respond and merely red at Zhao Fu¡¯an.

    Lingyunzi slowly approached them, took the cash notes from Zhao Fu¡¯an, and personally delivered them to Qi Xuansu. ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang, as your senior, I¡¯d like to remind you that sometimes, it¡¯s better to go with the flow.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took over the fiverge cash notes from the second-rank Taiyi Daoist master.

    Zhang Yuelu did not stop Qi Xuansu, but she felt humiliated for Qi Xuansu and herself.

    Lingyunzi was d to see that Qi Xuansu was sensible enough to ept the money and not make matters worse, gaining a good impression of this young deacon. He turned to Tang Yongde and instructed, ¡°Superintendent Tang, please prepare a carriage and take them to Huasheng Hall.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sage.¡± Tang Yongde finally came to his senses and ordered the Spirit Guards to prepare the carriage. At the same time, he felt guilty for involving Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu in this mess.

    Since the investigation turned out badly, Tang Yongde could not shirk responsibility. Even if Zhang Yuelu did not express her anger, his superiors would have a bad impression of him, which would affect his future promotion.

    Zhang Yuelu helped the seriously injured Qi Xuansu into the carriage and let him lean on her the whole journey. Along the way, she kept quiet.

    This was not the first time Qi Xuansu had experienced a life-and-death situation. He managed a chuckle and even took the initiative tofort Zhang Yuelu. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was managing her emotions until Qi Xuansu triedforting her. When she heard this, her eyes reddened slightly. She murmured, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s there to be sorry for? I earned 500 Taiping coins from one punch!¡± Qi Xuansu boasted.

    He continued, ¡°I¡¯ve been beaten before. It¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯m not a scion or a flowerbed priest. I¡¯m like a weed that grows in a storm. I¡¯ve lived on the edge of my de and even got stabbed in the chest once. But I¡¯m still alive, aren¡¯t I? I won¡¯t die so easily.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu confessed. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have dragged you along this precarious journey of reforming the Daoist Order. People are afraid of my background, so they won¡¯t dare to touch me. But they certainly have no qualms about hurting you. I''m at fault for not thinking from your perspective and being too confident and righteous in my cause. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°You make it sound like I¡¯m a regr civilian,¡± Qi Xuansu quipped. ¡°I am also a Daoist disciple and a deacon of Tiangang Hall, so it is my duty to hunt down evil cult members. As the saying goes, everyone ys a role in the rise and fall of a dynasty. As a Daoist disciple, I am also responsible for the rise and fall of the Daoist Order. Why would you say that you¡¯ve dragged me along?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Do you really think so?¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled. ¡°Why would I lie to you?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s mood improved slightly. She muttered, ¡°I just thought you¡¯d probably be content with being a fourth-rank Daoist master since that was what you told me before. I thought I was forceful and selfish to drag you along in solving these cases with me during your break.¡±

    Qi Xuansu teased. ¡°Can¡¯t minions like me have big ambitions too?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Zhang Yuelu shook her head.

    The two fell into silence. Zhang Yuelu felt guilty, humiliated, and sad, while Qi Xuansu was actually not as calm as he appeared to be.

    If he were such a calm person, he would not have worried so much about being associated with the Qingping Society, nor would he have been traumatized by The Inn¡¯s assassination many years ago.

    He was merely consoling Zhang Yuelu by pretending to be nonchnt because he saw how depressed she was.

    Qi Xuansu was indeed a weed that grew in the harsh wind and rain. He was not like the Holy Xuan, who was ambitious and determined to change the Daoist Order. Qi Xuansu had feelings too. He was afraid, resentful, annoyed, happy, and furious. The reason he acted indifferent was only so that he would look less ipetent.

    He wished he could kill Zhao Fu¡¯an and spit at him arrogantly as a warning for others not to bully Zhang Yuelu. He wished he could name-drop his master or family to make Sage Lingyun tremble in fear. He wished he could throw the fiverge cash notes in Sage Lingyun¡¯s face and snap back at that old fart to go with the flow.

    However, the reality was that he could not kill Zhao Fu¡¯an with one punch. Qi Xuansu was considered lucky to still be alive after being punched by a Heavenly Being. He also had no backing to speak of. His master was dead, and he was an orphan. His biggest backer was Madam Qi, but Madam Qi could only help him covertly as a member of the Qingping Society.

    All Qi Xuansu could do was endure the pain on his own andfort Zhang Yuelu so that she would stop ming herself for what happened.

    What else could he do if he did notfort her? They could not possibly hug each other and cry in grievance, right?

    Zhang Yuelu touched Qi Xuansu¡¯s broken arm and asked softly, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t. My nerves are probably shattered, so I can¡¯t feel a thing.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu felt mixed emotions in her heart. She would rather have one of her arms broken in his ce. She vowed. ¡°It¡¯s never toote to get vengeance. Tian Yuan, just wait. I promise to get justice for you one day.¡±

    Qi Xuansu reminded her. ¡°Qing Xiao, to live in this world, one must know when to bow andpromise. If I hadshed out and cursed at Chief Zhao for punching me, I would¡¯ve suffered a worse death. Even if he hadn¡¯t killed me, I would¡¯ve died from bearing such strong resentment. What I¡¯m trying to say is that there is no point in getting angry. All I can do is me myself for not being strong enough to defeat him.¡±

    At this point, he paused and joked. ¡°Of course, not being angry is one thing, but taking revenge is another. I will have vengeance, but I¡¯ll do it myself. I also remember my grudge against that monk, Yan Xiu. I¡¯m just waiting for my time to shine.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s mood gradually improved due to Qi Xuansu¡¯s optimism. Sheughed and teased, ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll have to wait for a long time, then.¡±

    Qi Xuan was aware of his own capabilities, so he did not refute. He sighed. ¡°You have no choice but to wait. I can¡¯t possibly let you seek justice for me. Otherwise, people will think that I¡¯m a softie who can only depend on you for everything.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu scoffed. ¡°Nonsense! I¡¯ll let it slide this time considering your injury.¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled and kept quiet. He was just content being in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s arms, as he considered this a silver lining.

 Chapter 138: Poor People, Small Ambitions

    <h4>Chapter 138: Poor People, Small Ambitions</h4>

    There was also a branch of Huasheng Hall in Baidi City. Since Qi Xuansu was sent to Huasheng Hall under the rmendation of a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master and was apanied by two fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters, the Huasheng Hall priests dared not neglect him.

    Huasheng Hall assigned several doctors to attend to Qi Xuansu, and they were not stingy with their various elixirs and pills. Even if Qi Xuansu was beaten to death, they would probably have a way to resurrect him.

    After a few hours, they finally finished treating Qi Xuansu¡¯s injuries using every means possible, including his broken arm and internal organs that were damaged by the punch. Since Qi Xuansu had the body-regenerative abilities of a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Flesh and Blood Realm, his wounds healed quickly.

    Qi Xuansu was then ced in a ward in Huasheng Hall, with Zhang Yuelu apanying him.

    This time, he did not have to pay out of his own pocket. His medical expenses were split by four parties: the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion, Shibo Hall, Huasheng Hall, and Tiangang Hall. The 500 Taiping coins from Zhao Fu¡¯an were considered apensation fee for Qi Xuansu.

    One punch was worth 500 Taiping coins.

    Of course, Qi Xuansu wanted to tear those fiverge cash notes to pieces in a moment of anger and pride. He wished he could spit at Zhao Fu¡¯an and say he did not need this stupid money. However, Qi Xuansu hesitated for a long time and decided against it. After all, the cash notes were innocent.

    His savings umted to 400 Taiping coins, which he had earned from risking his life. Of course, these 500 Taiping coins were also derived from risk.

    Qi Xuansu was lying on the bed and could not help butugh at himself. ¡°Poor people have small ambitions and short aspirations.¡±

    After all, he was not a male lead in a novel, often portrayed as young, chivalrous, and elusive, seeking justice and revenge at a whim. He was just a menial pawn on a chessboard to be yed by others.

    Zhang Yuelu sat on the chair in front of the bed, lost in thought.

    In the end, the Daoist Order still had to pay for the medical treatment of their disciple, who was attacked by an official of the Imperial Court. Normal priests in the Jade Capital looked down on the people below Kunlun Mountain. But they would only realize what the real world was like once they descended from the clouds. Those flowerbed priests could not withstand storms. They also could not ept the harsh reality.

    However, Zhang Yuelu was not someone who gave up easily. She was not defeated by this. Instead, she became more determined to reform the Daoist Order. Even if she did not seed and was ridiculed for overestimating her abilities, someone had to start somewhere. If she did not initiate change and lived with the status quo, what would the future of the Daoist Order be like?

    Qi Xuansu suddenly asked, ¡°Qing Xiao, are you still nning to investigate the cult demons?¡±

    ¡°At this point, what can we investigate? Even if there was something fishy going on in that vi, they would have cleared it out by now. So we won¡¯t be able to find anything if we continue the investigation.¡± Zhang Yuelu had already thought it through. ¡°I won¡¯t investigate this case anymore. I¡¯ll just report it to Tiangang Hall for archiving. That¡¯s all I can do for now.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°I guess this is the only way.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes were gloomy as she looked at him. ¡°Now, I understand that the Daoist Order¡¯s most serious troubles are not external but internal. These problems lie in the Golden Tower Council and among the 36 Omniscient Sages, the Great Sages, and the Deputy Grand Masters. If these problems are not solved at the root, we won¡¯t do much damage to the secret societies, no matter how many cultists we capture.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said nothing. He wondered if he was imagining it, but he felt that Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attitude toward him had changed slightly. She seemed closer to him now.

    Perhaps after this incident, Zhang Yuelu confirmed that Qi Xuansu had the same aspirations as her. But only Qi Xuansu knew whether he was pursuing the same path as Zhang Yuelu or whether he was only interested in pursuing her.

    Zhang Yuelu stopped talking about such heavy topics and asked softly, ¡°Are you still hurting now?¡±

    Of course, Qi Xuansu was still in pain, but it was not as severe as before. Even so, he shed a smile and assured her. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. You don¡¯t have to treat me like I¡¯m some fragile flower. Some precious flowers will die immediately if you neglect them for a day. But weeds like me can thrive even if we get stepped on a few times.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not a weed. All humans are equal. Don¡¯t undermine yourself,¡± Zhang Yuelu admonished.

    Qi Xuansu smiled and said nothing.

    Zhang Yuelu looked hesitant before she said, ¡°Tian Yuan, I don¡¯t want you to apany me home anymore.¡±

    ¡°Why did you change your mind?¡± Qi Xuansu was startled.

    Zhang Yuelu muttered, ¡°Perhaps it will be better if I formally invite you home after you are promoted to the fifth rank. My mother is not an easy person to talk to. If you meet her now, you can certainly help me avoid some unnecessary troubles. But my mother will have a bad impression of you, and it¡¯ll be difficult to change her prejudice against you. I don¡¯t hope to see this.¡±

    Although Zhang Yuelu spoke euphemistically, Qi Xuansu understood what she was hinting at.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Then how will you dodge her this time?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu mumbled, ¡°I have other methods. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°If you had other ideas, you wouldn¡¯t have asked me toe in the first ce. Are you really nning to ask the Earthly Preceptor for help?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu kept mum.

    ¡°Since I agreed to help you, how can I give up halfway? We¡¯re almost there anyway.¡± Qi Xuansu reassured her.

    Zhang Yuelu was silent for a long time before she whispered, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Outside the door of the ward in Huasheng Hall, Daoist Ji slowly drank from a wine gourd and sighed softly.

    Daoist Ji had met with Sage Lingyun earlier and learned about what happened, so he thought of visiting Qi Xuansu. But when he got to the door and overheard their conversation, he decided it was best not to interrupt the young couple.

    He recalled his own youth. The time and memories he shared with hispanion when they were young were indeed precious.

    Daoist Ji took out two small wine gourds from his magical receptacle, tied them together with a red rope, and hung them on the door knocker.

    Then he turned around and left quietly, as if he had never been there before.

    At dawn, Zhang Yuelu discovered the gourds with the word ¡°Ji¡± written in seal script hanging on the door. She took the two wine gourds into the ward and ced them in front of Qi Xuansu.

    When Qi Xuansu saw the gourds, he immediately knew who they were from. ¡°Daoist Ji must havee by.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu pulled out the cork and took a whiff. ¡°It smells like medicine. Could it be medicinal wine?¡±

    Qi Xuansu offered. ¡°Medicinal wine is also wine. It just so happens that there are two, so each of us can have one.¡±

    ¡°Let me try it for you first.¡± Zhang Yuelu raised the gourd and took a sip. Her eyes widened in surprise after tasting it.

    Qi Xuansu joked. ¡°Is it poison?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu handed the gourd to Qi Xuansu. ¡°You should have both of these. They will be beneficial to your cultivation.¡±

    Qi Xuansu doubtfully took over the wine gourd that Zhang Yuelu had opened and took a sip. There was a strong medicinal vor and a weak alcoholic aroma. Then he felt a hot current flowing down his throat that eventually spread to his whole body. It felt very soothing.

    ¡°It really is!¡± Qi Xuansu excitedly took another sip.

    The wine gourd was not big. They had already drunk slightly less than half a gourd in just three sips. However, the medicine was potent. After a while, Qi Xuansu felt that his whole body was burning up, as if he were on fire. He pressed the back of his hand on his cheek, which was scalding.

    Feeling a little uneasy, Qi Xuansu muttered, ¡°Is there an aphrodisiac in this? Why do I feel...off?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You¡¯ve read too many novels. Just finish the medicine.¡±

    Qi Xuansu drank the remaining half of the medicinal wine as instructed. The heat he felt in his core was akin to a ball of fire burning violently in his belly. His blood was boiling, and it was ufortably hot. He felt unusually thirsty and itchy all over, which was a sign of wound healing.

    Was this the mythical fateful encounter in novels?

    Without Zhang Yuelu¡¯s guidance, Qi Xuansu had already started to resolve this heat by circting the qi in his body.

    Zhang Yuelu could see steam rising from Qi Xuansu¡¯s head. His body was like a furnace, emitting heat and distorting the surrounding cold air.

    After two hours, Qi Xuansu felt that all the heat in his body had dissipated. He also felt a lot lighter. Aside from his left arm, which had not healed fully, everything else felt as good as new. This made sense because he had just received treatment from Huasheng Hall and because of his strong physique.

    What really surprised Qi Xuansu was that his cultivation had improved. Although he still had a long way to go before he could reach the next level, what he just cultivated was worth one year of hard work. This wine was indeed a rare elixir!

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes glowed with purple energy as she sized Qi Xuansu up. ¡°You¡¯ve only refined half of the medicinal power for now. The other half of the medicinal power is still deposited in your body. You can continue refining it in the next few days, so there¡¯s no need to drink the second bottle so soon.¡±

    Qi Xuansu joked. ¡°Since it¡¯s so beneficial, why don¡¯t you drink one too? If you be a Heavenly Being, we can teach Zhao Fu¡¯an a lesson now.¡±

    Zhang Yueluughed. ¡°You wish that the medicinal power was that strong! Although these two bottles of medicinal wine are good for cultivation, they won¡¯t be of much use to me. If I could be a Heavenly Being so easily by drinking wine, I wouldn¡¯t have waited till now.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Then will you keep it for me? Do you still have space in your magical receptacle?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu weighed the wine gourd in her palm and nodded. ¡°It should fit.¡±

    ......

    As soon as it got dark, Zhao Fu¡¯an left Baidi City.

    He thought that the arrogant Zhang Yuelu had given in to him. When he injured Qi Xuansu, the staff at the vi had already cleared out everything suspicious. So even if the Daoist Order sealed off the vi, they would not be able to find anything.

    So, he felt that it was unnecessary to stay in Baidi City.

    Among the many lineages, Martial Arts Practitioners were the only lineage who could not fly long distances after bing Heavenly Beings. That was why Zhao Fu¡¯an traveled on horseback.

    Not far away, he saw a middle-aged Daoist man sitting on the roadside, drinking. The wine gourd in the Daoist man¡¯s hand seemed to be bottomless.

    Seeing Zhao Fu¡¯an approaching, the middle-aged Daoist man stood up slowly, corked the wine gourd, and hung it around his waist.

    Zhao Fu¡¯an sensed something wrong and reined in his horse. Before Zhao Fu¡¯an could speak, the middle-aged Daoist man leaped forward and rammed his palm into Zhao Fu¡¯an¡¯s face, pushing the Chief Military Officer off his high horse.

 Chapter 139 Goddess of the Wu Gorge

    <h4>Chapter 139 Goddess of the Wu Gorge</h4>

    Qi Xuansu originally thought that he could earn another merit by solving a murder case in Baidi City, but that opportunity flew away when it was concluded to be a coital death.

    When those merchants saw the Fourth Lady of the Governor¡¯s Mansion and a Chief Military Officer getting involved in the case, they knew that things were not so simple. Even the two Tiangang Hall Daoist priests investigating the case almost died, so naturally, the merchants were smart enough not to question the oue.

    There was a natural check and bnce system in ce in the Jade Capital with too many influential figures, so no individual held control over everything. However, the situation in the local Daoist mansion was moreplicated.

    There were various forces involved in a local Daoist mansion, including the Imperial Court, the gentry, and the secret societies. The rtionships between all parties were so intricate that it was difficult for outsiders to distinguish who was supporting which side.

    Taking the case of Baidi City as an example, Wang Ruyi certainly had no power tomand a dignified Chief Military Officer of Shuzhong like Zhao Fu¡¯an. Only Zhao Fu¡¯an¡¯s direct superior, the Chief Admiral of Shuzhou, and Wang Chuanzun, the Governor of Shuzhou, could give orders to Zhao Fu¡¯an. Since this was not official business, Wang Chuanzun had called in a personal favor to Zhao Fu¡¯an, who used to be his direct subordinate, before he was promoted to Governor.

    In other words, Wang Chuanzun was somehow connected to the cultists in Baidi City. However, there was no guarantee that the Governor of Shuzhou was a member of the secret society.

    The Governor was a high-ranking official of the Imperial Court, so most people at that level would not risk their position to join a secret society. At most, they would have some kind of cooperative rtionship with some secret societies or would secretly support these societies.

    As Zhang Yuelu mentioned, the reason these secret associations still existed was because they had strong backing from the high-ranking members of the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu finally understood why Zhang Yuelu always said that capturing cultists was just a surface treatment. If they did not pull out the roots, these secret societies would continue to sprout like mushrooms after the rain.

    One of these so-called "roots" was an Ancient Immortal, the leader of the secret society, or a powerful supporter like Wang Chuanzun.

    That was why it was impossible for Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu to thoroughly investigate the case in Baidi City. Even before Wang Chuanzun showed up, hisckey had already defeated the two of them. From what happened, they also knew that the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion had a vague stance regarding this.

    It was different from the Jiangnan case. Zhang Yuelu could only be the number one contributor to the Jiangnan case because Shibo Hall, Beichen Hall, and Duzhi Hall had decided to thoroughly investigate the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion¡¯s deficit. That was the reason Zhang Yuelu and her colleagues were sent to Jiangnan.

    Needless to say, their journey to Jiangnan was dangerous. To this day, some lingering effects remain. Another key person involved in this was Zhang Yuelu¡¯s master, Sage Cihang, who was also the former Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master.

    Sage Cihang had been managing the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion for many years, so she had deep roots there. Later, she was promoted to be the Huasheng Hall Master and subsequently the Duzhi Hall Master. Although Sage Cihang had left the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion a long time ago, she still had many old subordinates there. Without Sage Cihang''s help, Zhang Yuelu would have probably ended up dead, like her other colleagues from Beichen Hall.

    At the moment, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu were not acting on the orders of the Ancestral Court or a powerful Sage, so they were helpless in this investigation.

    After some discussion, they decided not to stay in Baidi City for long. They would take the second-fastest route, heading to Huzhou by boat. The waterway was second only to taking a flying ship.

    Before leaving, Qi Xuansu hoped to thank the Daoist Ji, whom he had met by chance, in person. However, this person was mysterious and never showed up again, so Qi Xuansu had no choice but to give up on that thought.

    When they left, Tang Yongde specially came to see them off. Besides apologizing repeatedly, he even offered them 1,000 Taiping coins aspensation and took the initiative to arrange a ride for them on Shibo Hall¡¯s ship.

    Zhang Yuelu did not vent her anger on Tang Yongde for what happened. She refused to take the 1,000 Taiping coins and boarded Shibo Hall¡¯s ship that was sailing south with Qi Xuansu.

    Shibo Hall had both cargo ships and passenger ships. Since Tang Yongde wanted to make amends, he arranged for them to take a first-ss passenger ship. This passenger ship was managed by a female deacon from Shibo Hall. She was an average-looking, elegant, and calm Kunlun-stage disciple.

    One of the characteristics of Shibo Hall was that its personnel did not require a high level of cultivation as Tiangang Hall did. After all, Shibo Hall¡¯s focus was doing business with ordinary people. No matter how high one¡¯s cultivation level was, it would be useless if one did not understand the principles of operating a business.

    Tiangang Hall was just the opposite. Since its focus was to fight against the cult demons, one would die without a high level of cultivation. Therefore, it was rare to see deacons in Tiangang Hall at the Kunlun stage. Qi Xuansu was a special case, as he was handpicked by Zhang Yuelu.

    It was evident that each of the Nine Halls hired talents ording to their own needs.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were assigned a first-ss cabin, which was a suite with a bedroom on each side and a small living room in the middle. It was located on the third floor of the ship, where they could enjoy the surrounding scenery from a higher vantage point.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were sitting in the living room, looking out at the scenery outside the window.

    <i>The ship sailed down the river, leaving Shuzhou and entering Huzhou. The junction of Shuzhou and Huzhou was the famous Badong Three Gorges, which included the Wu Gorge.</i>

    <i>The Wu Gorge stretched from the Daning River in the east of Wushan County to Guandukou in Badong County, spanning 45 kilometers. It was also known as the Great Gorge.</i>

    <i>The Wu Gorge was long and deep. It was known for its picturesque beauty, with rugged peaks,yers of mountains, misty clouds, and bending rivers. As the boat traveled through the gorge, one would see continuous green mountains on both sides. Sometimes, it would seem as if there was a towering mountain or rock blocking the river in front, but a sudden bend would reveal a whole new scenery.</i>

    <i>There was a saying that the Twelve Peaks of Wu Mountain was the most spectacr view, lining the north and south banks of the Wu Gorge. Among the twelve peaks, the Goddess Peak stood out as the most majestic.</i>

    Zhang Yuelu pointed to the Goddess Peak visible in the distance and asked, ¡°Tian Yuan, do you know who the Goddess is?¡±

    Qi Xuansu thought about it and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu hinted. ¡°Think carefully. Why are the Twelve Peaks called <i><u>Wu</u></i> Mountain, and why is this ce called the <i><u>Wu</u></i> Gorge?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled and guessed hesitantly. ¡°Could it be rted to the Lingshan Witch Cult?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°It is indeed rted to witches, but not the Lingshan Witch Cult that emergedter. To be precise, it¡¯s rted to ancient Wuism. Before the rise of the Three Religions, Wuism was the orthodox belief in the world, and the Eleven Great Witches were revered as Goddesses.

    ¡°Later, Wuism declined due to civil strife and the rise of the Three Religions. Xuan City and the Purple Mansion were the ces where the Primordial Daoist Ancestor propagated the teachings of Daoism. The first Heavenly Preceptor inherited the teachings of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor and established the Zhengyi Heavenly Sect.

    ¡°Following the decree of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor, the Heavenly Preceptor eliminated Wuism, which was already in decline. The remaining forces of Wuism gathered in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. That was how the Wu Gorge and the Goddess Peak were named after Wu Yang.¡±

    Qi Xuansu suddenly remembered his recurring dream. On the dark mountain, ten tall figures were standing behind a huge bonfire, hidden in the shadows. He could only see a blurry outline and two blood-red lights emitting from their eyes.

    Out of nowhere, a rtively smaller figure appeared in front of the ten giant figures. That small figure kicked over the fire andughed with her hands on her hips.

    There were eleven figures in total.

    Now, Qi Xuansu was roughly certain that the eleven figures he saw were the Eleven Great Witches of ancient Wuism, and the small figure that appeared was Wu Yang. Her kicking over the fire probably signified the rebellion of the Six Enlightened Witches, breaking off from the Ten Great Witches of Lingshan.

    As for that dark mountain, it was, naturally, the legendary Lingshan.

    If the Wu Gorge was named after Wu Yang, did it mean that this ce was Wu Yang¡¯s spiritual site?

    Qi Xuansu took the opportunity to ask, ¡°What is the rtionship between Wu Yang and the Ancient Immortal Wu Luo?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was a member of the Zhang family, which had exterminated Wuism. In addition, she had been dealing with the Lingshan Witch Cult for many years, so she knew the story behind the ancient Wuism.

    She exined, ¡°Strictly speaking, they¡¯rerades. ording to legend, the Ten Great Witches of Lingshan and Wu Yang were all subordinates of the Emperor of Heaven.¡±

    Qi Xuansu inquired, ¡°Then what is the rtionship between the Primordial Daoist Ancestor and the Emperor of Heaven?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu thought about it for a while before she replied, ¡°It¡¯s somewhat simr to the rtionship between our Daoist Grand Master and the Emperor of the Imperial Court.¡±

    ¡°Oh, this analogy is simple enough to understand.¡± Qi Xuan continued, ¡°The first Heavenly Preceptor was a Sage from the Daoist Order. The Ten Great Witches were the frontier officials in the mortal realm, working for the Emperor of Heaven. Then this Sage killed the frontier officials¡ª¡±

    ¡°Watch your words!¡± Zhang Yuelu red at Qi Xuansu. ¡°It was the Ten Great Witches who killed each other first, causing turmoil in the world. The first Heavenly Preceptor restored orderter. The decline of Wuism and the rise of Daoism were inevitable.¡±

    Qi Xuansu also felt that his remark was a bit outrageous, so he dared not spout nonsense again.

    Zhang Yuelu borated, ¡°The Six Enlightened Witches were Wu Peng, Wu Di, Wu Yang, Wu Li, Wu Fan, and Wu Xiang. Wu Yang was the only one among them not from the Ten Great Witches of Lingshan.

    ¡°ording to legend, Wu Yang once respected the order of the Emperor of Heaven to summon the soul of the King of the Chu Kingdom. Our Daoist Soul Recall Technique came from this Great Witch.

    ¡°Yao Yu was the ancient god Zhulong¡¯s son who was killed by his subordinates. The Emperor of Heaven couldn¡¯t bear the pain of Zhulong losing his son, so he ordered that Yao Yu¡¯s body be sent to Lingshan for the Ten Great Witches to rescue him.

    ¡°The Ten Great Witches of Lingshan used the potion of immortality to resurrect Yao Yu, but since then, Yao Yu¡¯s temperament changed drastically. Yao Yu became a monster with a dragon head and a cat body, going around eating people. Eventually, the Emperor of Heaven ordered Yao Yu to be shot to death.

    ¡°This shows that the Ten Great Witches of Lingshan and Wu Yang were all subordinates of the Emperor of Heaven. My master once said that the Holy Xuan and Emperor Gaozu had received blessings from Wu Yang, so this Great Witch¡¯s reputation waspletely different from that of Wu Luo. That¡¯s why the names of the Wu Gorge and the Goddess Peak were retained. It is said that there are still statues and temples of Wu Yang on Goddess Peak that are notbeled as heretic.¡±

    Qi Xuansu felt a little regretful. If he were alone, he would like to climb the Goddess Peak. Maybe then he would discover something about his recurring dream.

 Chapter 140: Innate Qi and Blood Qi

    <h4>Chapter 140: Innate Qi and Blood Qi</h4>

    The ship was rtively fast, covering 45 kilometers in two hours. After a while, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu got bored of the beautiful scenery.

    At first, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu discussed the scenery and the stories behind certain ces. But as time went on, Zhang Yuelu stopped talking. So Qi Xuansu suggested ying a few games of the Holy Xuan Cards to pass the time.

    This was exactly what Zhang Yuelu wanted, so she readily agreed. Time flew by when they yed cards. After the passenger ship arrived at Guandukou in Badong, it docked for an hour, but they did not get off the ship and continued ying cards.

    When the passenger ship was on its way again, Zhang Yuelu put away the Holy Xuan Cards and urged Qi Xuansu to refine the medicinal power deposited in his body.

    Qi Xuansu was concerned about his own cultivation. He knew that he could not just rely on shortcuts like the Xuan Jade and had to put in the hard work to notg behind. So he quickly returned to his room to meditate.

    Zhang Yuelu also went with him to supervise his cultivation, in case there were any problems. While observing Qi Xuansu, Zhang Yuelu noticed something odd.

    The Rogue Cultivator lineage was derived from the Banished Immortal lineage, earning Rogue Cultivators the title of "Lesser Banished Immortals." As such, there were many simrities between the two, especially before the Banished Immortals converted all their innate qi into true essence.

    Before the Heavenly Being stage, the Rogue Cultivator¡¯s cultivation methods were not much different from those of the Banished Immortals, both focusing on qi cirction. However, Zhang Yuelu discovered that when Qi Xuansu refined the deposited medicinal power in his body, his innate qi and blood qi were intertwined.

    It was as if he was cultivating both the Rogue Cultivator¡¯s and the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s methods simultaneously.

    The reason she did not notice it before was due to the steam that shrouded Qi Xuansu when he drank the medicinal wine for the first time in Huasheng Hall. Since the deposited medicinal power had weakened, these abnormalities were revealed.

    Zhang Yuelu looked at Qi Xuansu and fell deep in thought. <i>Is it really because of a demon pill?</i>

    Qi Xuansu was unaware of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s doubts while he was meditating. At this moment, he only felt twopletely different types of qi in his body. One was his innate qi, which flowed like a trickling stream, while the other was his blood qi, which flowed faster like a wider creek.

    <i>This innate qi was the same as a Qi Refiner¡¯s, while the blood qi was the same as a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s. These two different paths actually had the same origin. The differencey in the refining process. </i>

    <i>Qi Refiners refined blood essence in the human body, simr to how iron ore would be refined into steel. However, Martial Arts Practitioners did not cultivate the spirit or refine blood essence. They focused solely on the physique, training the muscles, tendons, skin, and bones, until they underwent a rebirth and transformed their physical body into an immortal entity.</i>

    <i>Due to their single-minded focus on refining the body, Martial Arts Practitioners had extremely strong vitality. They could regenerate damaged limbs in the Flesh and Blood Realm, while their soul and body were fused together in the Heavenly Connection Realm. That was why Martial Arts Practitioners could easily restrain Diviners who had not yet ascended to the Heavenly Being stage.</i>

    <i>On the other hand, cultivators who refined innate qi, including Qi Refiners, Banished Immortals, and Rogue Cultivators, pursued the unity of heaven and man. Although their innate qi was more abundant and inexhaustible, itcked purity. Therefore, their restraining power over Diviners was much lesspared to Martial Arts Practitioners. They also could not achieve body regeneration.</i>

    <i>When Qi Xuansu killed the Guizhen-stage Diviner in Yishan City, he relied on the natural advantage the Manly Immortal lineage had over the Ghostly Immortal lineage. However, if he were to go up against a Qi Refiner, a Shaman, a Banished Immortal, or a Confucian Hermit, he would not be able to defeat them so easily. This was why, among the Five Immortals lineage¡ªHeaven, Earth, God, Man, and Ghost¡ªthe Manly Immortal was ranked before the Ghostly Immortal lineage.</i>

    <i>The Manly Immortal lineage came after the other three lineages because a Martial Arts Practitioner, even in the Heavenly Being stage, depended entirely on one¡¯s own physical body in a fight. The Martial Arts Practitioner did not have magical powers to control the air, manifest a Spiritual Statue, or call upon the earth¡¯s qi. Against the other three immortal lineages, a Martial Arts Practitioner could easily be manipted by them, especially if they maintained their distance.</i>

    <i>Manly Immortals were still part human, so they would always be below the Heavenly, Earthly, and Godly Immortals.</i>

    <i>Moreover, Martial Arts Practitioners did not meditate or absorb energy from the earth, so they had to eat a lot to replenish their energy and nourish their blood qi. As such, they had extremely high requirements for food and medicinal intake. There was even a saying that one had to be rich to be a Martial Arts Practitioner.</i>

    <i>Martial Arts Practitioners had more expenses than Diviners, but the effort and manpower Shamans had to use to collect incense power were not necessarily less than what Martial Arts Practitioners would spend.</i>

    <i>Qi Refiners were the mostmon lineage and the pirs of the Daoist Order. Martial Arts Practitioners were mainly concentrated among the ck Robes in the Imperial Court, so there were not many warriors in the Daoist Order.</i>

    <i>Before the Holy Xuan integrated the lineages of the Five Immortals, the various lineages were very confusing. Most of the time, they were simply categorized into Martial Arts Practitioners and Diviners. Qi Refiners and Banished Immortals who preferred closebat were ssified as Martial Arts Practitioners. As such, many Banished Immortals were regarded as talented Qi Refiners. Meanwhile, Shamans were ssified as Diviners.</i>

    <i>It was not until the Holy Xuan integrated the Five Major Lineages that there was a proper ssification system. The only Manly Immortal lineage was the Martial Arts Practitioner, which did not include Qi Refiners and Banished Immortals. </i>

    <i>Instead, Qi Refiners belonged to the Earthly Immortal lineage, and the Banished Immortals belonged to the Heavenly Immortal lineage.</i>

    <i>Unlike Qi Refiners, who focused on the three major Dantians, the twelve main meridians, and the eight extraordinary meridians, Martial Arts Practitioners focused on the countless acupoints in the body, which circted their blood qi to cleanse the acupoints and condense the body and spirit. When each acupoint had one spirit, they were considered to be in the Divinity Realm.</i>

    <i>The Shattered Void Realm of Martial Arts Practitioners was not inferior to the Fusion Realm of Qi Refiners.</i>

    <i>If it were not for the Daoist master¡¯sption of methods that were made specially for the Manly Immortal lineage, Martial Arts Practitioners would have a harder time discovering the many acupoints in the body. That was because each acupoint had a very subtle and unique position. Some of them were even hidden within other acupoints, and one acupoint could affect hundreds of acupoints. Thus, the acupoint condensation process was extremelyplicated.</i>

    Qi Xuansu had once considered taking the Manly Immortal lineage, but after careful consideration, he finally chose to be a Rogue Cultivator. That was because he had some shorings in his natural physique, and most importantly, he was poor.

    At the moment, Qi Xuansu could not condense his body and mind, but he could circte his blood qi just like how he circted his innate qi, which achieved the same effect as a Martial Arts Practitioner. That was how he advanced to the Martial Arts Practitioner''s Flesh and Blood Realm.

    In other words, Qi Xuansu was in the Yuxu stage. However, he was simultaneously in the Rogue Cultivator''s Yuding Realm and partially in the Martial Arts Practitioner''s Flesh and Blood Realm. This was why Zhang Yuelu was surprised.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu only felt refreshed and hot. His innate qi and blood qi converged, mixing with the burning medicinal power deposited in his body. He felt as if a fire dragon was swimming through his twelve meridians, eight extraordinary meridians, and all his acupoints.

    The blood qi constantly circted through his body. However, when passing through his left arm, which had just been reconnected, there seemed to be a bottleneck, making it more difficult for the blood qi to pass.

    Finally, the blood qi dissipated throughout the body along with part of the medicinal power, while the innate qi brought along part of the medicinal power and returned to the ????lower Dantian, nourishing all parts of his body.

    Qi Xuansu slowly woke up from his trance and exhaled a breath of turbid air.

    Zhang Yuelu was sitting not far from him. When she saw that he was awake, she said, ¡°You were in a meditative state for a long time.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What time is it now?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu took out her pocket watch, nced at the time, and replied, ¡°It¡¯s November 12th, three-quarters past noon.¡±

    Qi Xuansu roughly calcted the time. They left Jinguan Prefecture on November 3rd and walked for five days to arrive at Baidi City. Since he was recovering from his injuries, they stopped in Baidi City for three days, left by boat on November 11th, and arrived at Guandukou in Badong on the same day.

    That meant he was in a meditative state for a full day.

    Zhang Yuelu nced out the window. ¡°We will arrive at Jiangling Prefecture soon, which is the terminal point of this passenger ship.¡±

    <i>Jiangling Prefecture was the capital of Huzhou, with Jiangling City being its capital city. Many government offices, including the Yunmeng Governor¡¯s Mansion, the Huzhou Pacification Commander¡¯s Office, and the Huzhou Three Offices were located there, making it an important town in the southeast.</i>

    <i>Due to its proximity to the Yangtze River in the south, the Han River in the north, and its connectivity to Shuzhou and Wuzhou, Jiangling Prefecture was also called the Hub of the Seven States.</i>

    <i>Huzhou was considered the territory of the Quanzhen Sect, while at its borders, Jiangzhou, Xiaozhou, and Wuzhou were considered the territory of the Zhengyi Sect.</i>

    Qi Xuansu could not help but ask, ¡°Why did the Holy Xuan divide the Daoist Order into three major sects, which caused endless infighting?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu sighed. ¡°This wasn¡¯t the Holy Xuan¡¯s original intention. Back then, the Daoist Order was fragmented, with more than 20 sects and factions. There was constant internal fighting and many old grudges, such as between the Zhang and Li families.

    ¡°The Holy Xuan believed that under the circumstances of his time, it was difficult to unite all factions into one, so he had no choice but to group the smaller factions into three major sects based on the ancestral lineage of each faction.

    ¡°In addition, the Holy Xuan tried to disperse the groups so that there was a mix of factions in each of the three major sects. That was so he could better integrate the sects, just like the division of state boundaries. That way, it would be impossible for one sect to separate from the Daoist Order.

    ¡°An example would be the Hanzhong Prefecture, which was supposed to belong to Shuzhou in terms of customs and geography. However, the Imperial Court put Hanzhong Prefecture under the jurisdiction of Qinzhou. This was to prevent Shuzhou from forming a separatist regime.

    ¡°The Holy Xuan originally nned to gradually phase out the three sects and eventually integrate all sects into one. However, in hister years, the rise of Buddhism made him change his focus and deal with an external enemy.

    ¡°That was why his unification n was put aside, and he hoped that future generations of Grand Masters could continue his legacy. Due to various reasons, the subsequent Grand Masters were unable to integrate the three sects.

    ¡°On the contrary, the three Deputy Grand Masters gradually gained power over time, leading to the current conflict. Even now, the position of Grand Master could be manipted by the three Deputy Grand Masters. That¡¯s why unification is impossible now.¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally understood. ¡°Oh, I see.¡±

 Chapter 141: Quanzhen Sect and Taiping Sect

    <h4>Chapter 141: Quanzhen Sect and Taiping Sect</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°How do you feel now?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°I think I¡¯ve refined the remaining medicinal power. If the Yuxu stage had been divided into ten equal parts, I feel like my cultivation level would have increased by two parts. It really saves me at least a year¡¯s worth of hard work! Are you really not going to try it?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Zhang Yuelu shook her head and refused. ¡°Your 20% and my 20% aren¡¯t the same. When you were a child, you¡¯d feel full by eating half a bowl of rice. Do you only eat half a bowl of rice now?¡±

    Qi Xuansu smacked his lips and thought it made sense.

    After the passenger ship docked, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu disembarked. Although Jiangling Prefecture was the capital of Huzhou, the Huzhou Daoist Mansion was not located there.

    <i>Huzhou Daoist Mansion was located on Taihe Mountain in Taihe County, Xunyang Prefecture. ording to legend, this was where the ancient god Xuanwu attained enlightenment and ascended to the heavens.</i>

    <i>Thus, this ce was a Daoist sacrednd and was considered a paradise. There were 72 peaks, 36 rocks, 24 streams, 11 pools, 10 pools, 12 caves, 11 springs, 10 tforms, and 3 waterfalls. The main peak was Tianzhu Peak, which stood tall like a golden pir that held up the sky. Tianzhu Peak was surrounded by 72 peaks that bent toward the main summit, creating a spectacr sight. </i>

    <i>During the former Wei Dynasty, Taihe Mountain was named the Great Mountain that ruled above all mountains because all four famous mountains bowed in deference to it.</i>

    <i>Judging from the map, the Huzhou Daoist Mansion was far from Jiangling Prefecture and was closer to Shuzhou, Qinzhou. It was actually closer to Difei Mountain, which was the center of Quanzhen Sect. If Jade Capital was the center of the Daoist Order, then Yunjin Mountain, Difei Mountain, and Peni Ind were the cores of the Zhengyi Sect, Quanzhen Sect, and Taiping Sect, respectively.</i>

    Qi Xuansu had never been to Difei Mountain or Peni Ind, but he was about to travel to Yunjin Mountain. Although Zhang Yuelu¡¯s home was not in the Dazhen Mansion, it was still halfway up Yunjin Mountain.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu felt inexplicably nervous because he was about to meet Zhang Yuelu¡¯s mother, Madam Tantai, who had a strong character.

    Zhang Yuelu began to count the days. Although she said that it was ideal to return home on New Year¡¯s Eve, she did not dare to push her luck. If she really arrived home on New Year¡¯s Eve and left on New Year¡¯s Day, her mother would take the flying ship to the Jade Capital and pester her. Zhang Yuelu would not be able to avoid her mother then because she still had to return to the Jade Capital for work.

    That was why Zhang Yuelu thought it would be best to arrive home around mid-December and leave by flying ship on January 6th. She would be at home for about half a month, which was not too short. It was also not too long for her family to notice something wrong about her rtionship with Qi Xuansu.

    It was mid-November, so she had one month before she had to be home. That was ample time to get from Huzhou to Wuzhou and from Jiangling Prefecture to Shangqing Prefecture. Thus, they could take their time.

    However, Zhang Yuelu had no ns to go to Jiangling City. She decided to go straight to Wuzhou. The incident in Baidi City had probably made her more cautious, so she did not want to cause trouble for nothing.

    ......

    Compared to the great reputation of the Green Phoenix Guard, the Imperial Guard¡¯s Office was not so well known by the general public. That was because the Imperial Guard¡¯s Office was under the direct orders of the emperor.

    On the contrary, the Green Phoenix Guard was a third-rank government office, so no matter how powerful they were, they could not show it openly.

    However, because the Green Phoenix Guard was the emperor¡¯s personal army, they had a special status. They were not scattered in the inner city like other government officials. Instead, they were stationed close to the main Chengtian Gate of the Imperial City. It was located on the west side of the Thousand-Step Corridor and adjacent to the deposed Army Commander¡¯s Office.

    It was located in the center, second only to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

    There were armored Green Phoenix Guards guarding the entrance to the Imperial Guard¡¯s Office. Anyone who approached would be detained and interrogated, let alone given entry. Even a court official was not allowed to enter without permission.

    The Imperial Guard¡¯s Office was divided into a Northern and Southern Office, which were the famous Northern and Southern Chief Military Commissions, respectively.

    In a dark duty room in the Southern Chief Military Commission, there was nothing but a heated bed, a table, and a cab. A woman wearing a third-rank military official robe with an embroidered leopard emblem was sitting cross-legged on the heated bed. Her face was in the shadows, so it was hard to make out her expression.

    A fifth-rank Green Phoenix Guard stood in front of the heated bed, presenting a perfectly sealed envelope to her with both hands.

    The woman was none other than Yun Luo, the Deputy Commander of the Southern Chief Military Commission. She was the only woman among the three top officials of the Green Phoenix Guard.

    The fifth-rank Green Phoenix Guard in front of her was Lieutenant Colonel Zhao Guangji from the Luzhou Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office.

    Yun Luo took the envelope and did not open it in a hurry. She used her index finger to tap lightly on the table, then raised her head and asked, ¡°What else did Jiang Bieyun say?¡±

    As she raised her head, her face emerged from the darkness. It turned out to be a stunning face, with a coldness resembling winter. She was exuding a murderous chill that made people stay away from her.

    Zhao Guangji was a seasoned military general on the battlefield with a burly figure, but he did not look aggressive. Instead, he exuded an air of authority, and his expression was calm. After all, as someone who had climbed up to the position of Lieutenant Colonel in the Green Phoenix Guard, he would unlikely be a violent brute.

    He replied in a deep voice, ¡°Deputy Commander, Mage Jiang just told me to hand this over to you.¡±

    Only then did Yun Luo open the sealed envelope, which had two pages filled with densely written small characters.

    After carefully reading the contents of the letter with an expressionless face, Yun Luo still showed no emotion, as if she were undecided about how to react.

    Yun Luo put the letter on the heated table and asked, ¡°Have you read it?¡±

    Zhao Guangji shook his head. ¡°Since it was addressed to you, I dared not open it without permission.¡±

    Yun Luo picked up the letter sent by Jiang Bieyun and handed it over to Zhao Guangji. ¡°It¡¯s regarding Li Hongwen¡¯s case. You and Jiang Bieyun decided on the n and sent people to execute it, so read it yourself.¡±

    Zhao Guangji took the letter and immediately lowered his head to read it.

    Yun Luo added, ¡°You were afraid of attracting attention, so you didn¡¯t take action personally. But in the end, the news leaked out before you took action. Both the Quanzhen Sect and the Zhengyi Sect were involved, and someone took the cake.¡±

    After reading the letter, Zhao Guangji raised his head and said, ¡°Since the Quanzhen Sect and the Zhengyi Sect were involved, it should have nothing to do with the Green Phoenix Guard. The Taiping Sect was at fault, but Jiang Bieyun avoided mentioning it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not surprising.¡± Yun Luo¡¯s tone remained calm. ¡°If one messes up an errand, one will try to shirk responsibility before taking the initiative to plead guilty. Otherwise, will Sage Qingwei spare him?¡±

    Zhao Guangji put the letter back on the table in front of Yun Luo. He was silent for a moment before he asked, ¡°Deputy Commander, do you have any orders for me?¡±

    Yun Luo stared at him closely. ¡°Li Hongwen is dead. He¡¯s just a small county magistrate, so it¡¯s not a big deal to close the case. The more important question is whether this matter is really rted to Sage Donghua.

    ¡°If it is rted to Sage Donghua, then we will be able to exin it to Sage Qingwei. After all, if Sage Donghua intervened, minions like us wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it. We can only let those two Omniscient Sages fight each other head-on.

    ¡°All we need to know is who killed Zhuge Yongming. Why would Sage Donghua kill a Quanzhen Sect disciple? If it has nothing to do with Sage Donghua, then who is the person who took the Xuan Jade?¡±

    Zhao Guangji kept quiet. After a long time, he spoke. ¡°I have been to Fengtai County in person. The murderer is very experienced, leaving no trace or witnesses. Zhuge Yongming died from the Yin ughter Technique, and the people from The Inn died from the Entwining Silk Technique. I think that they are both done by the same person.¡±

    Yun Luo picked up the two pieces of paper, brought them to the oilmp, and lit them. When the fire was about to burn her fingers, she threw the burned letter onto the brick floor.

    She looked at Zhao Guangji and reminded him. ¡°Sage Qingwei ising to the Imperial Capital on behalf of Taiping Sect this time, so he has a grand entourage and will take some time to get here. But he should arrive in the Imperial Capital soon.

    ¡°Based on past practice, he will be staying at the Taiping Temple. You should know how close Taiping Temple is to our Imperial Guard¡¯s Office, so Sage Qingwei will probably drop by our ce after meeting the Emperor. You¡¯d better think about how we should respond.¡±

    Zhao Guangji answered, ¡°Understood. Please rest assured, Deputy Commander.¡±

    Yun Luo waved her hand, dismissing Zhao Guangji.

    After Zhao Guangji left the room, Yun Luo stood up from the heated bed and crushed the ashes of the letter on the ground with her feet, her face gloomy.

 Chapter 142: Cousin

    <h4>Chapter 142: Cousin</h4>

    One could choose to travel by waterway ornd from Jiangling Prefecture to Shangqing Prefecture. Since Shibo Hall¡¯s ship did not go to Wuzhou, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu had no choice but to travel bynd.

    The two of them rode on horseback to Wuzhou without stopping. During these days, they avoided the busy big cities and either camped in the wilderness or stayed in some Daoist temples outside the city until they entered Wuzhou territory. After that, they slowed their pace of travel.

    After all, Wuzhou was the core sphere of influence of the Zhengyi Sect, so it was rtively safe. Who would provoke a descendant of the Heavenly Preceptor right under the nose of the Zhang family?

    Although the Earthly Preceptor valued ??Zhang Yuelu more, to outsiders who did not know the inside story, Zhang Yuelu was from the Zhang family and a Zhengyi Sect disciple who had been named by the Heavenly Preceptor. So naturally, they would think that the Heavenly Preceptor loved Zhang Yuelu like a granddaughter. If anything were to happen to her in Wuzhou, the Zhang family would be brought to shame.

    <i>Wuzhou was located in the southeast, bordering Jiangzhou in the east, Lingnan in the south, Xiaozhou in the west, and Luzhou in the north. It was also connected to the Yangtze River. This state included 13 prefectures and 78 counties. Shangqing Prefecture was one of the 13 prefectures in Wuzhou. In addition to believing in the Primordial Daoist Ancestor, Zhengyi Sect disciples also worshiped the Shangqing Lord of Spiritual Treasures.</i>

    <i>Within the Shangqing Prefecture were Shangqing County and Shangqing Town, which were owned by the Zhengyi Sect. Many distant rtives of the Zhang family lived in Shangqing County because they were not qualified to live in Shangqing Town, where the smaller branches of the Zhang family resided.</i>

    <i>Although Shangqing Prefecture and Shangqing County had magistrates set up by the Imperial Court, the Zhang family was the ruling party.</i>

    <i>However, after entering Wuzhou, there was still quite a distance to get to Shangqing Prefecture. At this time, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were in Fenning County, Xunyang Prefecture, which was located in the northwest of Wuzhou. Fenning County was the closest county to Jiangling Prefecture.</i>

    When they were approaching Fenning County, Zhang Yuelu calcted the time needed for them to get to Shangqing Prefecture. ¡°Today is November 20th. I¡¯m not in a hurry to get to Shangqing Prefecture. It just so happens that I have a cousin who settled down here. Let¡¯s drop by to visit her.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression turned awkward. ¡°Is that necessary?¡±

    ¡°Of course it is!¡± Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve decided to meet my mother, we should put on a good act. I thought about it. It¡¯s not appropriate for you to meet my mother right away. Let¡¯s do a rehearsal first.¡±

    ¡°A rehearsal?¡± Qi Xuansu¡¯s face stiffened.

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°My cousin is quite simr to my mother in terms of temperament.¡±

    Qi Xuansu coughed lightly and asked, ¡°How is your rtionship with this cousin of yours?¡±

    ¡°Not bad.¡± Zhang Yuelu thought about it for a while. ¡°She used to live in Jade Capital. When I first moved to Jade Capital, she took care of me, and we used to get along well. Later, she left Jade Capital, returned to Wuzhou, and then got married. She didn¡¯t want to live in the capital city but stayed in a small county instead.¡±

    Qi Xuansu''s mouth was agape. ¡°Why would she move to a small county when she had the chance to live in Jade Capital? Do you know how much effort it took me to return to Jade Capital? I feel like the gap between the rich and the poor is wider than the gap between humans and demons. Also, was the reason she left because she got hurt by love?¡±

    ¡°How do you know?¡± Zhang Yuelu was surprised.

    ¡°Really?¡± Qi Xuansu was also startled. ¡°It was just a wild guess because that¡¯s always the plot in novels. After being hurt by love, the main character loses themselves and gives up on everything.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu sighed. ¡°Although it¡¯s not good to talk about people behind their backs, I¡¯ll just briefly mention it to you so that you¡¯re aware of the situation. My cousin shares the samest name as me, but she¡¯s from the main branch of the Zhang family, while I¡¯m just from a small branch.

    ¡°If I were normal, I wouldn''t have been able to hold a candle to her. I''m thankful for my talent, my master''s tutge, and the Earthly Preceptor''s appreciation. If I were to use the royal family as an analogy. My cousin would be considered a Princess of the First Rank, while I¡¯m probably only a Princess of the Fourth Rank.¡±

    Qi Xuansu summed it up concisely. ¡°So, she¡¯s the Young Lady of the Zhang family who can easily reward me with thousands of Taiping coins without batting an eyelid, right?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Of course you¡¯d remember something so trivial.¡±

    She had once mentioned that if she were the Young Lady of the Zhang family, who had a Heavenly Preceptor as a grandfather, she would reward him with thousands of Taiping coins so that he would not have to care about money so much.

    Qi Xuansu smirked. ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I only care about money.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu continued, ¡°Anyway, this cousin of mine has always had smooth sailing in life ever since she was born. She moved to the Jade Capital early on and lived in Taishang ce.¡±

    Qi Xuansu interrupted her. ¡°I remember that you also have a residence in Taishang ce. You said it was transferred to you by an elder.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu blinked. ¡°Oh, you remember. Yes, that house in Taishang ce was originally hers. But after she left Jade Capital, she gave it to me in the name of the Heavenly Preceptor. I only found outter. After all, the Heavenly Preceptor wouldn¡¯t care about such trivial matters. But I don¡¯t live there. I usually live in Xuan City because it¡¯s closer to Beichen Hall and Tiangang Hall.¡±

    ¡°Xuan City?¡± Qi Xuansu interrupted her again. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve heard you mention Xuan City. But in retrospect, the first time we met was in Taiqing Square, and you did head in the direction of Xuan City when we parted, not toward Taishang ce. I actually forgot about this until now.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu retorted. ¡°Well, I originally wanted to make friends with you as Tantai Chu, not Zhang Yuelu. But who would¡¯ve known that you would join Tiangang Hall? That¡¯s why I stopped pretending and used my real identity to get to know you. Also, you should thank me for personally approving your application to Tiangang Hall!¡±

    Qi Xuansuughed.

    He suddenly remembered that he also had two other identities, which were Gold-ted Knife and Wei Wugui.

    Zhang Yuelu''s expression turned serious. ¡°Stop interrupting me and listen to my story. After my cousin arrived in Jade Capital, she joined the Nine Halls. But in my opinion, she¡¯s a flowerbed priest, and far worse than you. She would never join Beichen Hall, Tiangang Hall, or even Tianji Hall because the work was too tough and tiring. So, she worked in Ciji Hall, Duzhi Hall, and finally in Ziwei Hall.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for thepliment.¡± Qi Xuansu quipped.

    Zhang Yuelu continued, ¡°Later, she met someone like you, an orphan who grew up in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce whose master had also passed away long ago. Heter worked in Tiangang Hall.¡±

    Qi Xuansu touched his chin. ¡°From this perspective, you two have very simr taste¡ª¡±

    Before he finished his sentence, Zhang Yuelu lightly kicked him in the crook of the leg.

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°What do you mean by my taste? I find that you have been much bolder recently to talk nonsense in front of me!¡±

    Qi Xuansu coughed lightly. ¡°It¡¯s just a casual remark.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu red at him before adding, ¡°Well, you¡¯re still different from that man. You¡¯re content with small riches. You¡¯ll be d just being a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, retiring in the mountains, and living a leisurely life. But that man is very ambitious, wanting to hold more power in the Daoist Order.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s riching from you, who aspires to be the Grand Master.¡± Qi Xuansu clicked his tongue. ¡°Besides, I also hope to achieve the Sword of Wisdom one day, but I¡¯m just not capable enough.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Zhang Yuelu finally could not help it any longer. She stretched out her hand to grab Qi Xuansu¡¯s ear. ¡°I aspire to be the Grand Master because I want to change the Daoist Order for the better! It has nothing to do with personal desire or greed. If you can reform the Daoist Order, I will also assist you in bing the Grand Master.

    ¡°That man is different. He¡¯s only ambitious for personal gain. He¡¯ll use whatever means possible to gain power, including bribery and any corrupt acts. He¡¯s an all-around disgrace to Daoist beliefs.¡±

    At the mention of this, Zhang Yuelu suddenly remembered something. She let go of his ear and sized him up.

    Qi Xuansu was a little puzzled by this. ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu looked at him and said with a straight face, ¡°I suddenly remembered that you were also quite good at ¡®making connections¡¯ to get into Tiangang Hall. Are you the same kind of person as that guy?!¡±

    ¡°No! I¡¯m wrongly used!¡± Qi Xuansu quickly defended himself. ¡°You were talking about him. Why did you rope me in all of a sudden? But speaking of such connections, I only did that because those people hinted at it. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have willingly given away my hard-earned money to others. Do you mean to say that Sun Yongfeng is an ambitious person because he epts bribes? Besides, all of my merits are legitimate. I¡¯ve risked my life getting them!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu suddenlyughed. ¡°Look at you being all defensive.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was afraid that Zhang Yuelu would somehow implicate him again, so he dared not interrupt her story.

    Zhang Yuelu saw how frightened he was, so she continued, ¡°A man like him has his way with women, especially those without any experience in rtionships, like my cousin. So, he used my cousin as a means for him to climb the socialdder. After he became famous, many other women threw themselves at him, hoping to climb thedder as well. This man never rejected anyone and slept with all of them.¡±

    When she said thest sentence, Zhang Yuelu secretly paid attention to Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression.

    Qi Xuansu did not look envious. Instead, he asked, ¡°Do you think that other people view me as the same as these women, hoping to climb thedder through you?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was a little helpless. <i>Normal men would either envy or despise that man. Why was it that Qi Xuansu always had a different thought process from ordinary people? Who taught him to be like this?</i>

    She ignored his question and continued the story. ¡°He didn¡¯t keep his affairs hidden well. In the end, my cousin found out. If I were my cousin, I would have chopped off his head. But my cousin still gave him another chance. She gave him an ultimatum to choose her or other women. She wanted to forgive him, but that man shamelessly said that he would still keep mistresses even after marriage. My cousin was heartbroken and cut off all contact with him in a fit of rage. She then left Jade Capital.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did notment on the story. All he did was touch his neck in fear.

 Chapter 143: Cousin-In-Law

    <h4>Chapter 143: Cousin-In-Law</h4>

    Qi Xuansu did not hide his actions from Zhang Yuelu, so she cast a sidelong nce at him and asked, ¡°Why do you keep touching your neck?¡±

    He coughed lightly. ¡°I just suddenly felt a chill on my neck.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu questioned, ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so why would you feel a chill on your neck?¡±

    Qi Xuansu retorted, ¡°Can¡¯t a man feel threatened?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu cleared her throat and stopped teasing him. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s the story. Since then, my cousin has been somewhat prejudiced against men, so please be patient with her.¡±

    Qi Xuansu hesitantly asked, ¡°You mentioned your cousin is married, so is her husband¡ª?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu interjected. ¡°My cousin-inw is a good man.¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡± Qi Xuansu finally understood. ¡°I see. No wonder Madam Qi said that good people deserve to be held at gunpoint.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Madam Qi?¡± This was the first time Zhang Yuelu had heard of this name.

    Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment before he replied, ¡°My savior. I have always treated her as an elder, like my master.¡±

    ¡°Did Madam Qi teach you those bad habits and weird ideas too?¡± Zhang Yuelu raised an eyebrow.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression turned serious, and he did not respond to show his stance.

    Zhang Yuelu nced at him and said nothing more. For a moment, there was only silence between them.

    Finally, Zhang Yuelu suggested. ¡°Let¡¯s go into the city.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±

    There were some ck Robes at the city gate checking for travel permits. Since they showed their credentials, they were not stopped.

    The two of them entered the township, which was not too small, but there was nothing special about it.

    One thing that Zhang Yuelu did not mention was that she did not know her cousin¡¯s address. After all, her cousin was single and heartbroken when she left Jade Capital. Later, she got married in a low-profile ceremony, which Zhang Yuelu only found out about through letters. During their asional correspondence, Zhang Yuelu would send the letters back to Shangqing County, which would then be forwarded to the recipient''s respective address.

    That was why Zhang Yuelu only knew that her cousin had settled down in Fenning County, but not a specific address.

    Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu had no choice but to ask around for directions. They guessed that her cousin''s house would not be difficult to find. After all, the precious and pampered daughter of the Zhang family would not ill-treat herself by staying in a small house.

    ......

    Zhang Yuyue was leaning on the couch, reading a novel. It was a truly excellent book, something the <i>Legend of Taiping Inn</i> could notpare to. Although it was a fantasy novel, it discussed themes involving the real world and human nature. Thus, it was well received from the Jade Capital to the Imperial Capital.

    However, Zhang Yuyue¡¯s focus was not on the novel. She read a few pages but could not digest a single word. Finally, she simply chucked the book aside, propped her head on her hands, and got lost in thought.

    She had left Jade Capital for more than three years. Although she still retained the fourth rank, she no longer had an official position or decision-making power in the Daoist Order.

    All she had was her family¡¯s name. Her great-granduncle was the incumbent Heavenly Preceptor. Since he had no children, he always regarded his nieces and nephews as his own.

    Her father and brother were not ordinary people either. Even if she did nothing, she could still maintain a good life and travel freely. Otherwise, she would not have been able to give a house in Taishang ce to Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuyue¡¯s father was mad at her for leaving Jade Capital without authorization. He was even more dissatisfied with Zhang Yuyue¡¯s rtionship with that man, thinking that she was a disgrace to the family. He even tried to disown her several times. However, her elder brother, who had a say in family matters, stood up for her and took care of her.

    Her husband was also very kind to her. Although he was not a big shot in Jade Capital, he was an influential figure in the local Daoist mansion.

    What else was she dissatisfied with? What could she not let go of? This was the path she chose after all. Thinking of this, Zhang Yuyue could not help but sigh.

    Somehow, Zhang Yuyue suddenly thought of her cousin, Zhang Yuelu, who was born into a small branch of the Zhang family. Zhang Yuelu did not have an extraordinary family background, but she was named by the Heavenly Preceptor. When Zhang Yuelu went to Jade Capital, she was still a seventh-rank priest. But by the time Zhang Yuyue left Jade Capital, Zhang Yuelu was already a fifth-rank priest.

    Zhang Yuyue had also recently heard news that her cousin had been promoted to the fourth rank and was now a Deputy Hall Master of Tiangang Hall. If everything went smoothly, Zhang Yuelu would most likely be a Sage. Her future was truly promising.

    She could not help but wonder, <i>What if I didn¡¯t leave Jade Capital back then? Would I have been promoted to the third rank by now? Was it worth it to give everything up for a man?</i>

    ......

    Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not worth it. If it were me, I would definitely kill that man. But I¡¯m not the kind to misjudge people.¡±

    Qi Xuansu touched his neck again and asked, ¡°You keep saying ¡®that man,¡¯ so who exactly are you referring to?¡±

    At this time, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu had already inquired about Zhang Yuyue¡¯s residence, which was located in the north of the city. On the way there, they continued talking about Zhang Yuyue.

    Qi Xuansu asked Zhang Yuelu what she thought about her cousin¡¯s situation, hence the violent answer. He had a feeling that Zhang Yuelu was hinting at something.

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°That man¡¯s name is Li Minghuang. He¡¯s also in Tiangang Hall now, ranking third among the nine Deputy Hall Masters. That¡¯s his new name after he became the godson of the Li family.¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally understood. ¡°No wonder he dared to part ways with the Zhang family¡¯s princess. It turns out that he has a new backer.¡±

    ¡°Li Minghuang is not in Jade Capital now. He has gone to the Western Region Daoist Mansion to lead the Spirit Guards and fight against the Shamanistic Sect. Since you¡¯re in Tiangang Hall, you¡¯ll get to see him sooner orter.¡± Zhang Yuelu added.

    Qi Xuansu inquired, ¡°What about your cousin-inw?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu thought about it for a while before saying, ¡°If we put aside his family background, my cousin-inw is actually on par with my cousin. He¡¯s also a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, but he works in the local Daoist mansion. But of course, if we talk about family background, there¡¯s a huge gap between them.¡±

    Qi Xuansu blurted, ¡°I guess a man with a simr family background as your cousin won¡¯t ept someone bossing him around.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu red at him. ¡°You can say this in front of me, but don¡¯t mention it in front of others.¡±

    ¡°Of course! I¡¯m not an ignorant child.¡± Qi Xuansu quipped.

    While they were talking, they had arrived in front of a rather luxurious mansion. Zhang Yuelu went up and knocked on the door.

    An elderly doorman came out. Seeing an unfamiliar man and woman at the door, the doorman was unsure of their purpose. However, after Zhang Yuelu reported her identity, the doorman quickly ushered them to the gatehouse while he went in to inform the masters.

    Not long after, a butler came out and led Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu to the main hall. He was respectful and offered them tea while they waited for the Madam to get dressed.

    Qi Xuansu looked around, judging the decor and furnishings. It was not extravagant, but it was definitely not shabby. Instead, one could tell from the furnishings that this family had been schrs for generations.

    After about 20 minutes, a pleasant female voice came from outside the hall. ¡°Is Qing Xiao here?¡±

    Then, a well-dressed woman walked into the main hall. Her skirt swayed, and her jade pendant jingled when she moved. She was beautiful and graceful, just like those beauties in a painting.

    ¡°Sister!¡± Zhang Yuelu stood up and beamed at her.

    Qi Xuansu also stood up and secretly sized up the woman.

    Zhang Yuyue was mature, charming, and elegant. It was obvious that she was much older than Zhang Yuelu, as Zhang Yuelu was full of energy, while this woman looked lethargic.

    ¡°Qing Xiao, it¡¯s really you! Why did youe over all of a sudden?¡± Zhang Yuyue was still surprised by Zhang Yuelu¡¯s visit.

    Zhang Yuelu answered truthfully, ¡°My mother gave me an ultimatum and insisted that I go home for the New Year, so I thought I¡¯d stopped by to visit you on the way. Thest time I saw you was in Jade Capital three years ago. You¡¯ve lost a lot of weight!¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for three years, huh?¡± Zhang Yuyue sighed. ¡°Those times feel like apletely different life. I am now andlord in Fenning County, and you are a Deputy Hall Master in Jade Capital. We¡¯re frompletely different worlds.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu consoled her. ¡°Sister, it won¡¯t be difficult for you to return to Jade Capital if you want to.¡±

    Zhang Yuyue chuckled and did not deny it. She turned to look at Qi Xuansu and asked, ¡°Who is this?¡±

    Qi Xuansu took a step forward and saluted her. ¡°My name is Qi Xuansu. Nice to meet you, Mage Zhang.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu smiled and added, ¡°Sister, he¡¯s my friend. You can call him Tian Yuan.¡±

    Zhang Yuyue¡¯s expression changed slightly. Although she was smiling, her attitude was a bit colder. It was obvious that she did not wee him.

    Qi Xuansu thought to himself, <i>She really views all men as Li Minghuang.</i>

    Zhang Yuelu urged softly, ¡°Sister.¡±

    Zhang Yuyue sized Qi Xuansu up and scowled. ¡°Greetings, Daoist Qi.¡±

    Qi Xuansu straightened up and cast a sidelong nce at Zhang Yuelu, silently asking her what he should do next.

    However, Zhang Yuelu pretended not to see his call for help and started reminiscing with Zhang Yuyue.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu was helpless and feeling a little frustrated. After the incident in Baidi City, Zhang Yuelu had told him not to follow her back to Shangqing Prefecture, but he was the one who had insisted not to give up halfway. So he had no one but himself to me for being in this situation.

    Since the two women were chatting, Qi Xuansu had no choice but to sit awkwardly on the side and listen to their conversation, which was mainly about the past.

    About an hourter, a man in formal Daoist attire hurried over. Zhang Yuelu and Zhang Yuyue stood up to greet him, so Qi Xuansu presumed that the man was Zhang Yuyue¡¯s husband.

    The man was much older than him, but unlike Qi Xuansu, who had an intense killing aura, this man had a gentle, elegant, and schrly air about him. At first nce, this man looked like someone who spent most of his life burying his head in books.

    Zhang Yuelu was friendly as she greeted the man. ¡°Cousin-inw.¡±

    Somehow, Qi Xuansu unconsciously followed her greeting. ¡°Nice to meet you, Cousin-inw.¡±

    In an instant, the atmosphere in the hall became awkward.

 Chapter 144: Dong Baijing

    <h4>Chapter 144: Dong Baijing</h4>

    Yunjin Mountain¡¯s Dazhen Mansion was located in Wuzhou. Thus, the Wuzhou Daoist Mansion consisted of only Zhengyi Sect disciples, also known as a pure Zhengyi Sect Daoist Mansion.

    Dong Baijing served as a superintendent at the Wuzhou Daoist Mansion. He was a 35-year-old fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master. Many in the Daoistmunity considered him young and talented, butpared with people like Zhang Yuelu, Li Tianzhen, and Li Minghuang, he was just an average Joe.

    After all, Zhang Yuelu was more than ten years younger than Dong Baijing, but she was also a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master. In ten years, she would most likely be a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master, or at worst, a third-rank Youyi Daoist master. In any case, the Daoist Order valued the promotion of younger people.

    There were strict age restrictions for ranks above the fourth rank, including the Grand Master. This was a rule set by the Holy Xuan to prevent the Daoist Order from repeating the mistakes of the Confucian School. Even so, one had to have the talent to be promoted.

    Dong Baijing did not have such lofty ambitions. He was content with what he had and did not think about working in the Nine Halls in the Jade Capital. That was why he stayed in the Wuzhou Daoist Mansion.

    Zhang Yuyue met Dong Baijing a long time ago. Being the pampered princess of the Zhang family, Zhang Yuyue did not go to the Jade Capital alone at a young age as Zhang Yuelu did. She studied with her fellow Zhang family members in the Dazhen Mansion when she was young.

    When Zhang Yuyue reached adulthood, the Zhang family assigned her to work in the Wuzhou Daoist Mansion to familiarize herself with the various rules within the Daoist Order. After all, the Zhang family was powerful, but they did not have control over the entire Daoist Order.

    That was how Zhang Yuyue met Dong Baijing at the Wuzhou Daoist Mansion. He was two years older than her, and they were working under the same boss. Their rtionship was somewhat simr to Qi Xuansu and Mu Jin. However, Qi Xuansu and Mu Jin were at odds with each other, while Dong Baijing and Zhang Yuyue maintained a good rapport with each other.

    Dong Baijing still remembered the time he first saw Zhang Yuyue. That day, he was buried in paperwork. His boss, who was at retirement age, personally led a young girl to the duty room. The girl was new to the workce, but she was not shy at all. She looked calm and acted with ease.

    Back then, he thought that the girl was stunning, so much so that he did not dare look at her. But suddenly, his boss led the girl to his desk and asked him to guide this new colleague.

    The girl was confident as she introduced herself. ¡°My name is Zhang Yuyue.¡±

    Dong Baijing blushed and kept his head down, not daring to look at her face. It took a long time for him to respond. He also forgot to tell her what his courtesy name was.

    ¡°Dong Baijing.¡± The girl repeated and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll call you Brother Dong, then.¡±

    Later, Dong Baijing, who did not have a strong family background, continued to stay in Wuzhou Daoist Mansion to earn his qualifications. Meanwhile, Zhang Yuyue, the princess of the prestigious Zhang family, steadily rose in rank and moved to the Jade Capital. That was how they went their separate ways.

    Dong Baijing also remembered that day clearly. Zhang Yuyue, who was all grown up then, was scheduled to take the flying ship from the dock at Yunjin Mountain to Jade Capital. Before she left, he specially went to see her off.

    Zhang Yuyue stood on the deck of the flying ship and looked down at Dong Baijing on the shore. She waved goodbye and grinned. ¡°When Ie back the next time, I may be assigned to be the Deputy Mansion Master of the Wuzhou Daoist Mansion. By then, I¡¯ll be your boss!¡±

    The man blushed again, not knowing how to respond.

    When Zhang Yuyue first arrived in Jade Capital, the two of them still exchanged letters from time to time. But gradually, they stopped writing to or hearing from each other. That was until three years ago when Zhang Yuyue suddenly returned to Wuzhou.

    Zhang Yuyue did not hide her past and told him frankly about her experiences. She then asked if he was willing to marry her.

    Given the golden opportunity, Dong Baijing did not hesitate too much. He only thought about the proposal for about an hour before agreeing to marry Zhang Yuyue.

    As a noble daughter of the Zhang family, Zhang Yuyue did not ask for a house in Taishang ce or any betrothal gifts. She only had one request from him¡ªthey were to get married as soon as possible, preferably within ten days.

    So, the couple got married in an extremely low-key manner. They did not hold a wedding ceremony, invite rtives and friends, or wear wedding attire due to the short notice. All they had to mark the asion were two red wedding candles.

    The Zhang family had an ambiguous attitude toward this marriage. They did not explicitly oppose it, nor did they support it. On the day of their wedding, Zhang Yuyue¡¯s brother made a low-key appearance and left in a hurry without staying for drinks.

    Outsiders had no idea about the dispute between Zhang Yuyue¡¯s father and brother. Many of Dong Baijing¡¯s friends and colleagues were intimidated by the Zhang family¡¯s reputation, so they did not dare to attend. Thus, their wedding was extremely quiet, even worse than an ordinary wedding in the City God Temple of Jade Capital.

    Zhang Yuyue did not mention her family much, so Dong Baijing was also unaware of the Zhang family¡¯s affairs.

    Dong Baijing only knew that his wife had a cousin whom she had a fairly good rtionship with. This cousin was very famous in the Daoist Order, with her name published in the bulletins several times. However, he did not know what this cousin was like.

    This was also his first time seeing Zhang Yuelu in person. ¡°You must be the cousin that Yu¡¯er mentioned often.¡±

    Dong Baijing did not notice the two women¡¯s expressions as he turned to Qi Xuansu and added, ¡°And you must be Yu¡¯er¡¯s cousin-inw.¡±

    Dong Baijing was not to be med for being mistaken, because Qi Xuansu was the one who first addressed the former as such. Moreover, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were also wearing matching cloaks.

    However, Zhang Yuyue was sure that Qi Xuansu was not married to her cousin. Although Zhang Yuelu was from a small branch of the Zhang family, she had a special status. If Zhang Yuelu wanted to get married, there would be some news, no matter what.

    In other words, there were only two possibilities. These two youngsters had eloped, or that punk was just talking nonsense.

    Thinking of this, Zhang Yuyue¡¯s expression darkened.

    Zhang Yuelu did not get angry because she had be ustomed to Qi Xuansu¡¯s habit of blurting something explosive out of nowhere to make people feel awkward.

    She began to worry about Qi Xuansu. This man was reliable in everything, whether it was fighting or handling situations. The only thingcking was his social skills. Zhang Yuelu also prayed that Qi Xuansu would restrain his mouth when meeting her mother. If Qi Xuansu were to do this in front of Madam Tantai, the oue would be terrible.

    Qi Xuansu also realized that he had a slip of the tongue. He wanted to exin it, but he did not know what to say. Stuck in a dilemma, he turned to Zhang Yuelu and made eyes at her, asking for help.

    Zhang Yuelu shot him a warning look, straightened her expression, and said, ¡°It¡¯s still too early to call him ¡®cousin-inw,¡¯ at least until he meets my parents.¡±

    Qi Xuansu quickly chimed in. ¡°Right, of course.¡±

    Dong Baijing finally understood what was going on. ¡°I see. Cousin, are you bringing him back home for the New Year?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°Yes. Cousin-inw, you don¡¯t have to be so polite with me. You can call me Qing Xiao and him Tian Yuan.¡±

    At this moment, Zhang Yuyue suddenly sneered. ¡°Fellow Daoist Qi, as Qing Xiao¡¯s cousin, why haven¡¯t I heard of Qing Xiao mentioning you in the past?¡±

    Qi Xuansu answered truthfully. ¡°In fact, I also just found out today that Qing Xiao has a cousin with whom she has a good rtionship.¡±

    Zhang Yuyue was stunned for a moment because she did not expect Qi Xuansu to answer her like this. Technically, Qi Xuansu was telling the truth.

    Zhang Yuelu deliberately kept a straight face and said, ¡°There are some things you don¡¯t need to know.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took advantage of the situation to put on a pitiful look, which he was best at.

    Zhang Yuyue wanted to stir up some trouble, but she failed to and felt frustrated instead. ¡°It is indeed not easy for Qing Xiao to talk about me in front of outsiders. But when I was living in Jade Capital, I never knew that Qing Xiao was acquainted with someone like you. It has only been three years since I left Jade Capital. As the saying goes, only time will tell one¡¯s true colors. How much can you understand about each other in three years?¡±

    Dong Baijing did not bear any resentment toward Qi Xuansu, so he reminded his wife. ¡°Yu¡¯er, he¡¯s our guest. Don¡¯t be so rude.¡±

    Zhang Yuyue snapped back. ¡°Stop talking and let him speak.¡±

    From this, everyone could tell that Zhang Yuyue was a strong-willed woman, especially at home. She was different from Zhang Yuelu, who could be reasoned with.

    Dong Baijing was used to his wife¡¯s temper, so he just smiled helplessly and stopped speaking. He merely observed Zhang Yuelu¡¯s expression.

    To his surprise, Zhang Yuelu was not worried at all.

    Qi Xuansu did not seem to care about Zhang Yuyue¡¯s aggression. He asked her back, ¡°Well, that¡¯s not a question for me. You should ask Qing Xiao instead. How much does she know about me?¡±

    Zhang Yuyue narrowed her eyes, finding this young man interesting. Qi Xuansu reminded her of someone that she would never be able to forget.

 Chapter 145: Conversation

    <h4>Chapter 145: Conversation</h4>

    Zhang Yuyue looked straight at Qi Xuansu and questioned him. ¡°Fellow Daoist Qi, where do you serve now? What is your cultivation level? What is your rank?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯m working in Tiangang Hall. I¡¯m a seventh-rank Daoist priest at the Yuxu stage of cultivation, but I will soon be promoted to the sixth rank and will enjoy the treatment of a fifth-rank Daoist priest.¡±

    He had nothing to be embarrassed about because he had risked his life to gain those merits, which allowed him to be promoted.

    Zhang Yuyue¡¯s brows jumped slightly. ¡°Seventh rank? So what if you get promoted to the sixth rank and enjoy the treatment of a fifth-rank Daoist priest? As Qing Xiao¡¯s elder, I hope that you can be more self-aware about your status. I¡¯m not saying that I look down on low-ranking Daoist priests. After all, I started from the bottom too. But if you think from my perspective, will you let your brilliant sister marry a low-ranking priest?¡±

    Qi Xuansu kept a straight face. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do about that. Myst name isn¡¯t Zhang, nor is it Li, so it will take me some time to climb the ranks.¡±

    Zhang Yuyue shed a rather eerie smile as she stared intensely at Qi Xuansu¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re finally showing your true colors now, aren¡¯t you? ¡®Climbing¡¯ is indeed a suitable term. Are you thinking of building an empire as well while you¡¯re at it?¡±

    Qi Xuansu had already learned about Zhang Yuyue¡¯s history with Li Minghuang, so he was well prepared. ¡°Mage Zhang, are you afraid that I will use Qing Xiao as a stepping stone? If that¡¯s the case, you are really underestimating Qing Xiao. As for building an empire, our Daoist beliefs don¡¯t encourage such thoughts, so it¡¯s better if you get rid of such degrading ideas as soon as possible.¡±

    Dong Baijing nced at Zhang Yuelu again, only to find that his cousin-inw was seated and even sipping tea leisurely. As soon as Zhang Yuelu sensed Dong Baijing¡¯s gaze, she put down her teacup, sat upright, and tried her best to look worried. However, in terms of acting, Zhang Yuelu was not as talented as Qi Xuansu.

    Zhang Yuyue had no time to pay attention to Zhang Yuelu at this time because she was only focused on Qi Xuansu. However, Qi Xuansu was not afraid of her.

    Although the domineering and aggressive Zhang Yuyue was older, she was not as intimidating as the reserved and righteous Zhang Yuelu.

    Back then, Zhang Yuyue was yed by Li Minghuang and feltpletely defeated. All she could do was hide in a corner and lick her wounds. On the other hand, Zhang Yuelu defeated Li Tianzhen in a duel, so thetter could not step foot in Jade Capital again. This was the difference between the two women.

    Of course, Qi Xuansu was not so bad himself to have gained Zhang Yuelu¡¯s recognition. Their chance encounter in Taiqing Square was just a good start. Later, Qi Xuansu proved himself capable by killing the vampires, defeating the Lingshan Witch Cult in Yishan City, and fighting off The Inn''s assassins together when they were ambushed on the Chamagu Road.

    In Baidi City, Qi Xuansu stood by Zhang Yuelu¡¯s side, refusing to back down even against a Heavenly Being. These events brought Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu closer together.

    If Qi Xuansu had acted like a gentleman and epted what was thrown at him, Zhang Yuyue would not have been so aggressive toward him. Zhang Yuyue did not expect this young man to subtly slight her, which infuriated her. However, her impable upbringing as ady of a prestigious family allowed her to maintain a superficial calmness.

    Zhang Yuyue scoffed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe up with such clich¨¦s at your age.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°They¡¯re not clich¨¦s. Those are indeed degrading thoughts. Qing Xiao is my boss, and she has always taught me what¡¯s right and what¡¯s wrong. Are you saying that Qing Xiao is also wrong?¡±

    Zhang Yuyue suddenly looked at Zhang Yuelu, so thetter had no choice but to get involved.

    Zhang Yuelu muttered, ¡°That¡¯s a fact.¡±

    At that moment, Zhang Yuyue felt that she might have gotten the wrong idea about her cousin¡¯s rtionship with this man. Zhang Yuelu had always been an opinionated person, even when she was a child. She was also bold and always liked to do things that others dared not do. Perhaps Zhang Yuelu was not being deceived by this punk and was nning to keep a boy toy for entertainment instead.

    The more Zhang Yuyue thought about it, the more likely she felt that Zhang Yuelu was capable of keeping a boy toy. However, Zhang Yuyue still had some lingering anger.

    She scoffed. ¡°I won¡¯t quarrel with you. I¡¯m just warning you not to have any ideas about using Qing Xiao as a stepping stone. She is a member of the Zhang family, a Banished Immortal, and a Deputy Hall Master. If you have that idea, I suggest you give up as soon as possible and go back to where you came from. Otherwise, we¡¯ll show you what it means to provoke the Zhang family.¡±

    Qi Xuansu figured that he should not go overboard with the acting, especially since this was just a rehearsal. So, he chose to remain silent and retreat instead of refuting her.

    Finally getting thest word, Zhang Yuyue felt content and snuck a nce at Qi Xuansu. To be fair, if this guy were not beingpared to Zhang Yuelu, he would be considered above average. After all, he was already an Apprentice Jijiu Daoist priest in his twenties and was in the Yuxu stage of cultivation. It was not bad at all. But this was far from enough to match up to her brilliant cousin, Zhang Yuelu.

    As Zhang Yuyue was examining Qi Xuansu, her husband, Dong Baijing, was also doing the same. This bookish middle-aged man was not repulsed by Qi Xuansu and had a far more objective and neutral stancepared to Zhang Yuyue.

    Seeing that his wife¡¯s anger had subsided, Dong Baijing took the opportunity to say, ¡°Yu¡¯er, let¡¯s talk nicely.¡±

    Zhang Yuyue did not embarrass her husband this time. She turned to Zhang Yuelu and said, ¡°Qing Xiao, let¡¯s go inside and chat.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nced at Qi Xuansu and stood up. ¡°Sure.¡±

    After the two women left, only Qi Xuansu and Dong Baijing were left in the main hall.

    Dong Baijing stretched out his hand, motioning for Qi Xuansu to take a seat. ¡°Yu¡¯er has a short temper. Tian Yuan, I hope you wouldn¡¯t take it to heart if she said anything offensive.¡±

    Qi Xuansu responded. ¡°That¡¯s human nature. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it or feel offended by.¡±

    ¡°Tian Yuan, are you from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce?¡± Dong Baijing asked.

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m also from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce.¡± Dong Baijing shared. ¡°So I understand your difficulties. We will always be inferior to them, whoe from prestigious families. We¡¯re also always one step slower.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Qi Xuansu agreed.

    Feeling nostalgic, Dong Baijing asked, ¡°Tian Yuan, do you know why Qing Xiao¡¯s cousin is so opposed to your rtionship?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± Qi Xuansu exined, ¡°It¡¯s because of Li Minghuang, the Third Deputy Hall Master of Tiangang Hall.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was usually unapproachable, but Qi Xuansu was tactless.

    Hearing such a frank answer, Dong Baijing felt a little awkward. He was silent for a long time before he asked again, ¡°What¡¯s your view on this?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°Qing Xiao is different from her cousin. If this had happened to Qing Xiao, she would have killed Li Minghuang herself. Even if she couldn¡¯t kill him immediately, she would have done so one day. She said so herself, and I have no doubts that she would follow through.¡±

    Dong Baijing did not expect his cousin-inw to be so cruel. She was indeed very different from Zhang Yuyue.

    Curious, he asked, ¡°Tian Yuan, what if Qing Xiao wants to kill you one day?¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, as a matter of fact, ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t just stand still and let her kill me so easily. I¡¯ll fight back!¡±

    Dong Baijing smiled bitterly. He originally thought that he and Qi Xuansu were the same, as they had simr backgrounds. But he finally understood that they were also different. The difference between them was like that between Zhang Yuyue and Zhang Yuelu.

    Perhaps Zhang Yuyue only hated Qi Xuansu because she saw simrities between the young man and Li Minghuang.

    The reason Dong Baijing was able to marry Zhang Yuyue was not because he was the most suitable candidate. He only managed to be with Zhang Yuyue because she got hurt and wanted to get married as soon as possible as an act of revenge on Li Minghuang. However, whether Li Minghuang cared about her petty revenge was unclear.

    Thinking of this, Dong Baijing sighed. He did not covet Zhang Yuyue¡¯s family background, so he did not care whether the Zhang family approved of their marriage. All that mattered was Zhang Yuyue¡¯s approval, because he only liked her. Zhang Yuyue probably noticed this, and that was why she chose to marry him.

    Dong Baijing suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°By the way, Tian Yuan, how long have you and Qing Xiao known each other?¡±

    Qi Xuansu answered truthfully, ¡°We met on July 15th, so that makes four months now.¡±

    ¡°Four months?¡± Dong Baijing was surprised. ¡°That¡¯s a short time!¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± Qi Xuansu chuckled. ¡°If we were merely working in the same office and doing routine paperwork, then perhaps it is a short time. But we went through life-and-death situations every other day and experienced so much together, so I think four months is quite a long time.¡±

    Dong Baijing was stunned. He could not understand this feeling.

    Qi Xuansu did not exin too much. Instead, he changed the topic. ¡°I used to travel the world on my own before I transferred to Tiangang Hall, so I really like to read poems about heroes.¡±

    Dong Baijing asked, ¡°Poetry? Like <i>A Hero¡¯s Journey</i>? Kill one person in ten steps for a thousand miles, leaving no trace. When it is over, brush off the dirt and hide from fame.¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head and said, ¡°Not this one. This one is more unrealistic and less chivalrous. I like the other poem better. It talks about a young and heroic man forming bonds with the valiant heroes in the cities he travels to. His thrilling adventures make one¡¯s hair stand on end. He also talks about life and death and how a promise is more valuable than gold.

    ¡°But like a fleeting dream, everything has toe to an end. The roaring sword in the wind conveys his bravery and determination. Hements some moments and expresses his emotions with his zither as he watches the birds return home at sunset.¡±

 Chapter 146: Sisters

    <h4>Chapter 146: Sisters</h4>

    Qi Xuansu looked like he would be easy to talk to, but in fact, it was quite the opposite because he was fixed on his own ideas and principles. He would notpromise on what he thought was right, not even for Zhang Yuelu.

    If Qi Xuansu were in Dong Baijing¡¯s position, he would not have agreed to marry Zhang Yuyue. He would not want to marry a woman whose heart was broken and riddled with holes. It was not his fault to begin with, so why should he be the one to mend her heart and bear with it? Qi Xuansu knew that he was a cold-hearted person, so he did not want to spend the rest of his life trying to warm someone else¡¯s heart.

    If Zhang Yuelu were in Zhang Yuyue¡¯s position, she would have killed Li Minghuang instead of running away.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were on the same page regarding this. They were alike in their thinking, which exined why they were friends.

    The reason Dong Baijing and Zhang Yuyue were so different from Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu was that the former pair were both flowerbed Daoist priests. They had not experienced true hardships. Meanwhile, although Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were younger, they had both gone through so much that they knew what the real world was like. Thus, their mindsets were different.

    After the death of his master, Qi Xuansu first followed Madam Qi before going off on his own to run errands andplete missions for the Qingping Society. He had fought his way through life and gone through multiple life-and-death situations.

    On the other hand, Zhang Yuelu, even with so many important people supporting her, did not enjoy smooth sailing like her cousin did. Li Tianzhen pestering her was nothingpared to the major Jiangnan case, a corruption scandal that implicated hundreds of people.

    So many innocent people died because of the Jiangnan case. Zhang Yuelu also had a close brush with death at that time, but she managed to escape with the help of her master, Sage Cihang. But even so, Zhang Yuelu still faced countless hardships.

    Naturally, a pampered youngdy like Zhang Yuyue would not be able to handle what Zhang Yuelu went through.

    Zhang Yuyue had been married for three years, and Dong Baijing had undoubtedly been a good husband to her. He was neither boring nor suspicious. He was also attentive, taking such good care of her that her brother was satisfied with him, even her father had started epting him.

    Only Zhang Yuyue knew that she still could not forget the man who made her love passionately. Li Minghuang was like a thorn that had pierced her heart so deeply that she could not pull it out, leaving her in constant pain.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu could never understand this because, after experiencing life-and-death situations, they became numb and indifferent to such trivial emotions.

    Of course, Qi Xuansu had feelings. He would be sentimental about the death of his master, but he would notment his master¡¯s death endlessly. He still had to move on and continue living. With so many things to do, he was constantly tired and drained of energy, so he would not have the time to drown in his sorrows.

    Only a pampered youngdy like Zhang Yuyue, who did not have to worry about making a living, would have time toment the past.

    It was likeparing the ck Robes to merchants. Most merchants were calctive and stingy, trying to gain the most benefits out of a deal, so they usually took time to consider their options. On the other hand, the ck Robes had to make split-second decisions, especially on the battlefield. When they saw theirrade dying in battle, they would never get emotional and avenge the fallen.

    Instead, the ck Robes would continue in their duties, like moving weapons or digging trenches. Everyone had a specific role to y if there was any hope of winning the war, so there was no time for personal emotions.

    Zhang Yuelu looked at her cousin. Although she understood that Zhang Yuyue was doing this for her own good, she still could not help but disagree with such methods.

    Before she arrived, she actually hoped that her cousin would approve of Qi Xuansu. However, it turned out that her prediction was right. This visit was a rehearsal for a bigger showdown with her mother.

    Zhang Yuyue advised. ¡°Qing Xiao, you should learn from my mistakes. You¡¯ve seen what happened to me, so why would you ignore the signs? This kind of man is unreliable. I was once like you, so please don¡¯t follow in my footsteps.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu suddenly asked, ¡°Are women necessarily weaker than men?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Zhang Yuyue was startled.

    Zhang Yuelu answered her own question. ¡°Women are not necessarily weaker than men. I have a better background and master than him, a higher position, rank, and cultivation level than he does, so why are you afraid that I will suffer a loss? Do you think that I¡¯m so weak?¡±

    When Zhang Yuyue left Jade Capital, Zhang Yuelu had not yet gone through the major Jiangnan case, so Zhang Yuyue¡¯s impression of Zhang Yuelu was somewhat different from the current Zhang Yuelu. She did not expect Zhang Yuelu to say this.

    Zhang Yuyue was silent for a moment before she sighed. ¡°Love has always been a shackle for us women since ancient times.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu snorted. ¡°But love is between both parties. It shouldn¡¯te from only one person. Why is it that it¡¯s a shackle for women but not for men?¡±

    The reason Zhang Yuelu hated Li Tianzhen had nothing to do with hisst name. She just hated the fact that he did not respect her as a human being. Although Li Tianzhen was as courteous as other scions, he was arrogant and looked down on Zhang Yuelu for being born into a small branch of the Zhang family.

    Using a ship as an analogy, Li Tianzhen only viewed rich and noble men like himself as fellow passengers, while women like Zhang Yuelu and Zhang Yuyue were mere pets. Ordinary people like Qi Xuansu were the furniture or even the coal to move the ship forward.

    That was why Zhang Yuelu questioned herself, <i>How is Li Tianzhen better than me? Since he thinks he¡¯s superior to me, let¡¯s duel. The loser will get kicked out of Jade Capital.</i>

    In the end, Li Tianzhen lost the duel and had no choice but to leave the Jade Capital. To this day, he still has not returned to the Jade Capital.

    Zhang Yuelu was not an arrogant person. She treated everyone equally, but she despised people who thought of themselves as naturally superior to others.

    She felt that she would be able to do what others could if she worked hard enough. She also had the confidence to achieve what she wanted, so she did not like Zhang Yuyue¡¯s rhetoric about women being shackled by love. To her, it was all nonsense.

    Zhang Yuyue was stunned for a while. She was not a fool, so she understood what Zhang Yuelu meant.

    Her cousin was not a little girl who only thought about love. Zhang Yuelu was not head-over-heels in love. She was just too confident.

    Exasperated, Zhang Yuyue shook her head and said, ¡°Qing Xiao, you¡¯re still a girl and not yet a woman, so you don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± Zhang Yuelu did not think that it had anything to do with whether she was a girl or a woman. Could sexual intercourse make a woman more mature? There were so many old people in the Daoistmunity who were over a hundred years old but still virgins. Those people were wise, and most of them held great influence in the Daoist Order.

    On the contrary, ordinary people usually got married and bore children. Not all of them were powerful.

    Zhang Yuyue tried to change her approach. ¡°Although I know what I¡¯m about to say is tacky, I still feel the need to remind you that he¡¯s still just a seventh-rank Daoist priest in his mid-twenties¡ª¡±

    Zhang Yuelu interrupted her. ¡°When we return to Jade Capital, he will be a sixth-rank priest, but he will be enjoying the treatment of a fifth-rank Prospective Jijiu Daoist priest.¡±

    ¡°Fine. So what if he¡¯s a sixth-rank priest enjoying the treatment of a fifth-rank Prospective Jijiu Daoist priest?¡± Zhang Yuyue rolled her eyes and continued, ¡°Even a useless person like me is a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu stretched out four fingers. ¡°Four months.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Zhang Yuyue asked doubtfully.

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°Tian Yuan¡¯s starting point was very low. It took a lot of time for him to go from the eighth rank to the seventh rank. He also wasted a lot of time in the seventh rank. But since he joined Tiangang Hall as a seventh-rank Daoist priest, it only took one month for him to get promoted to the sixth rank and only four months for him to enjoy the benefits of a fifth-rank Daoist priest.

    ¡°If it were not for the tenure system, he would already be a fifth-rank Daoist priest. He still has hopes to be a fourth-rank Daoist master before he¡¯s thirty.¡±

    Zhang Yuyue retorted. ¡°Even so, look at my husband. He¡¯s also a fourth-rank Daoist master, but he doesn¡¯t have a strong family background, so he will never be good enough for the Zhang family.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu shook her head. ¡°To be frank, your husband isn¡¯t as good as Tian Yuan in this aspect. Cousin-inw is a good man, but he¡¯s a flowerbed priest. Perhaps he¡¯ll get to enjoy the treatment of a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master before he retires, but whether he can actually get to the second rank is uncertain. Tian Yuan is different; he definitely has a bright future.¡±

    ¡°It only took him four months to go from the seventh rank to receiving the treatment of a fifth-rank priest. During this period, you must have contributed a lot, right?¡± Zhang Yuyue scrutinized Zhang Yuelu, trying to gather any clues from her expression.

    Zhang Yuelu spoke frankly. ¡°If reporting all his achievements truthfully can be considered as my contribution, then I have indeed contributed a lot. If that¡¯s not what you mean by contribution, then his promotion is solely based on his own efforts. He deserves it.¡±

    Zhang Yuyue murmured, ¡°He¡¯s just another Li Minghuang.¡±

    ¡°This brings us back to the previous topic: that you¡¯re afraid I will be a stepping stone for others. In fact, it doesn¡¯t matter. This depends on his ability. If Tian Yuan can really use me as a stepping stone and abandon me afterward, I¡¯ll have no choice but to ept defeat. Even though I¡¯ll hate him for it, I¡¯ll also admire him for defeating me because he¡¯s weaker than I am. In this world, victory and defeat are not set in stone. If I lose this round, I can win again next time.¡± Zhang Yuelu rebutted.

    Bewildered by Zhang Yuelu¡¯s thought process, Zhang Yuelu wondered, <i>Why is she always different from ordinary people? How did she get so much courage?</i>

    Zhang Yuyue could not help butpare herself. She wascklusterpared with her father and brother. Among the entire Zhang family, she was considered the most useless one. However, she never had any big ambitions growing up. She was just average in everything. The only time she acted boldly, she returned covered in bruises.

    However, her deviant cousin Zhang Yuelu had risen in the ranks rapidly.

    Zhang Yuyue was like a flower grown in a greenhouse, not exposed to the wind and rain. That flower was regrly watered, fertilized, and weeded every day. But somehow, that flower was still wilting.

    On the other hand, another flower was left to grow on its own. Sometimes, it would be watered, but most often, it was neglected. But that flower was blooming vibrantly.

    If they exchanged identities, with Zhang Yuelu being born into the main branch of the Zhang family, she would certainly be the most dazzling gem of the entire n and a future core leader of the Daoist Order. By then, Li Minghuang would mean nothing to her.

    Zhang Yuelu noticed that her cousin was staring at her, so she changed the subject. ¡°Speaking of Li Minghuang, I¡¯ll meet him sooner orter since I¡¯m in Tiangang Hall now. Do you have anything you want to say to him?¡±

    ¡°What else can I say?¡± Zhang Yuyue said bitterly, ¡°I hope that he dies.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Zhang Yuelu whispered, ¡°Although I always believe that everyone should clean up after themselves, I know that you won¡¯t be able to do it. So I don¡¯t mind doing it for you. I may not be as strong as Li Minghuang now, but in two years, I should be a Heavenly Being. By then, I can definitely fulfill your wish if that¡¯s what you really want.¡±

    Zhang Yuyue¡¯s eyes flickered upon hearing this, and she did not speak for a long time.

 Chapter 147: Gift

    <h4>Chapter 147: Gift</h4>

    Although Zhang Yuyue was the one who called the shots at home, Dong Baijing was still the nominal head of the family. In the end, Dong Baijing managed to convince his wife to keep Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu for dinner.

    Zhang Yuyue red at Qi Xuansu with disgust.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu had taken off his cloak. He was wearing a Daoist robe with a row of throwing knives neatly inserted into his outer belt. Behind him was a leather bag that contained various projectiles, including the Grade B Series Two and Three Dragon Eye Bullets. To his left was a gun holster containing the Divine Dragon Pistol, and to his right was a sheathed short sword.

    He slung arge leather satchel that was bulging with items across his body. His sleeves also seemed bloated, as if he had packed something in his sleeve pocket for easy throwing. Qi Xuansu looked like a typical Tiangang Hall priest, but he was missing two swords on his back.

    Ordinary people walked with a gentle jingle of their jade pendants, but Qi Xuansu walked with his sword and gun nging against each other.

    Fenning County had been at peace for a long time, so Qi Xuansu¡¯s dressing style was really out of ce. Even if Qi Xuansu looked harmless, the weapons he brandished on his waist felt threatening. Moreover, Qi Xuansu was not exactly harmless. At least, Zhang Yuelu could tell at a nce that he had an intense killing aura.

    Qi Xuansu seemed to have forgotten the unpleasant conversation earlier and took the initiative to salute Dong Baijing and Zhang Yuyue.

    Dong Baijing returned the salute, but Zhang Yuyue still had a cold attitude. She said sarcastically, ¡°I¡¯m ttered.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu raised her voice slightly. ¡°Cousin.¡±

    Hearing this, Zhang Yuyue knew that Zhang Yuelu was mad at her, as thetter would usually address her as ¡°sister.¡± Zhang Yuyue knew that she had to watch her tone and be nicer to that punk. So she returned the salute and softened her tone slightly. ¡°Fellow Daoist Qi, there¡¯s no need to be formal.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not take it to heart because he would probably die of exasperation if he took everything so seriously.

    When Dong Baijing saw his wife¡¯s reaction, he looked at Zhang Yuelu in surprise and awe. He thought to himself, <i>Wow, this cousin is not so simple. My willful wife is actually kind of afraid of this cousin!</i>

    Dong Baijing then turned his attention to Qi Xuansu and thought that the young man who could gain Zhang Yuelu¡¯s recognition would surely not be ordinary either.

    However, what he admired the most was Qi Xuansu¡¯s temperament. Qi Xuansu remainedposed in the face of a direct insult. The Zhang family had a high threshold. They would not ept those unwilling to bow or those who did not meet their strict requirements.

    Some people from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce were talented and ruthless. But usually, those orphans were resentful and felt as if everyone owed them. The Zhang family could not tolerate such people, not to mention that the case with Li Minghuang only happened a few years ago, so the lessons were still fresh in their minds.

    On the contrary, someone like Qi Xuansu, who was neither humble nor arrogant, might stand a chance to marry Zhang Yuelu.

    The meal was uneventful. Zhang Yuyue did not want to talk, and Dong Baijing was not familiar with the two guests. Qi Xuansu did not dare speak casually for fear of stirring up more disgust from Zhang Yuyue. Thus, Zhang Yuelu took the initiative to start a conversation and talked about their recent trip to the Western Region.

    Zhang Yuyue had lived in the Jade Capital for a long time. Jade Capital was on the Kunlun Mountain, which could be considered part of the Western Region. However, the Western Region felt foreign and distant to her since she rarely left Jade Capital.

    Even if she left Jade Capital, she would only travel between Jade Capital and Wuzhou by flying ship. She had never been to the Western Region Daoist Mansion or Lon City, so the Western Region waspletely foreign to her.

    Zhang Yuyue and Dong Baijing listened to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s adventures as if they were listening to stories from a novel. When they learned that Qi Xuansu had killed a Heavenly Being with his own hands, they were shocked.

    After regaining her senses, Zhang Yuyue no longer doubted Qi Xuansu¡¯s ability and became more convinced that Qi Xuansu was the next Li Minghuang. On the other hand, Dong Baijing admired Qi Xuansu more. His first impression of Qi Xuansu was mediocre, but he was reminded of himself in the past.

    That was because Dong Baijing, a fourth-rank Daoist master, had also caught Zhang Yuyue¡¯s attention. To the Zhang family, being in the fourth rank was not a big deal, but it was considered remarkable in the Daoistmunity. However, after Dong Baijing heard that Qi Xuansu killed the sinner, Desmond, without batting an eyelid, he knew that he was far inferior to this young man.

    Qi Xuansu was a keen observer. He could roughly guess what Zhang Yuyue was thinking based on her expression and felt wrongly used of being the next Li Minghuang. Was it just because he was also an orphan from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce?

    However, Qi Xuansu suddenly thought of his other identity. He was indeed deceiving Zhang Yuelu. Although it was different from Li Minghuang¡¯s deception, it was equally bad. Qi Xuansu felt ufortable again and thought that he had to leave the Qingping Society as soon as possible.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s visit to her cousin was not an impromptu decision. She had purchased gifts in Jade Capital before she left. That was because the majority of high-quality items in the world were concentrated in Jade Capital and Imperial Capital, which were unmatched elsewhere.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s gift was the Qianqiu Light Ink, made by a master Confucian inkmaker. Although it was not as good as the Purple Jade Light Ink that was used in the Imperial Pce, it was still valuable. The words ¡°Qianqiu Light¡± were carved into the back, while a signature was embossed on the front. A piece of ink like this costs at least 500 Taiping coins.

    For Zhang Yuyue, who could give away a Taishang ce residence without batting an eyelid, this ink was not a valuable gift. However, taking Zhang Yuelu¡¯s savings into consideration, it could be seen that it was a gift that showed her sincerity.

    This gift was mainly for Dong Baijing. After all, he was a studious man and preferred stationery. If it were a gift for Qi Xuansu, firearms, swords, and weapons would be better.

    Zhang Yuelu bought two pieces of this ink, spending a total of 1000 Taiping coins. The other piece was for her father. Besides that, Zhang Yuelu also bought gifts on Qi Xuansu¡¯s behalf. Since Zhang Yuelu asked Qi Xuansu for help, she could not expect Qi Xuansu to prepare gifts for her parents, so she took care of that as well.

    That was why Zhang Yuelu, who was not considered wealthy, decided to withdraw the Wuyou coins that she had saved for a long time from the Taiping Bank. She exchanged it for Taiping coins and bought two more gifts.

    One of the gifts was a ss mirror from the Western Continent. ss was not rare, but clear, uncolored ss was still umon. This mirror was iid with silver and then ted with ayer of gold for the flower vines lining the rim. It also had an ivory handle, making it very expensive.

    <i>The Daoist Order also produced ss, but it was rtively rough and was mostly used for windows or greenhouses. These greenhouses were used for growing vegetables because they could retain heat and transmit light. This created the opportunity for nting other seasonal vegetables during the winter instead of being limited to only Chinese cabbage. The cost of building greenhouses was lower than that of a heated room. In terms of luxury goods, the Western Continent still fared better.</i>

    This ss mirror was a gift for Zhang Yuelu¡¯s mother.

    The other gift was a fine pocket watch with Chinese Zodiac timing. The cover and chain were made of pure gold, but the rest of the watch was only gilded in gold. This was a gift for Zhang Yuelu¡¯s father.

    Zhang Yuelu spent a lot of time and money choosing these two gifts. This was one of the reasons why she did not like interpersonal rtionships.

    Of course, Zhang Yuelu had the gifts wrapped and ced in her magical receptacle. She decided to hand them over to Qi Xuansu when they arrived in Shangqing County. Before that, she would also brief Qi Xuansu so that he was aware of the gifts that he had supposedly prepared for her parents.

    Zhang Yuyue had wanted to keep Zhang Yuelu for the night so that they could talk more, but Zhang Yuelu declined politely. Considering Qi Xuansu¡¯s unwanted presence, Zhang Yuyue did not insist either.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu had no intention of staying in Fenning County, so they left the county and continued on their way.

    Dong Baijing sent them to the city gates and waved goodbye to the young pair.

    When they were finally outside of the city, Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°What do you think of this visit?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as I imagined.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good. The next one is my mother. Please don¡¯t take it personally if she says anything mean, and please be patient with her.¡±

 Chapter 148: Miss Li

    <h4>Chapter 148: Miss Li</h4>

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu finally arrived in Shangqing Prefecture on December 1st.

    Fortunately, the journey from Huzhou to Wuzhou went smoothly without any idents. If they encountered any more idents, it would mean that traveling was extremely dangerous. If that were the case, most ordinary people would not dare to step foot out of the house.

    Some county seats were also the prefecture capital and the state capital. However, this was not the case in Shangqing Prefecture. Although Shangqing County and Shangqing Prefecture shared the same name, the county seat of Shangqing County was not the prefecture capital of Shangqing Prefecture. The two were independent of each other. The county seat was located at the foot of Yunjin Mountain, while the prefecture capital was still some distance away from Yunjin Mountain.

    After Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu arrived at the prefecture capital of Shangqing Prefecture, they were still quite far from Zhang Yuelu¡¯s home. Zhang Yuelu nned to stay there for a few days because she wanted to reminisce about her childhood. ording to Zhang Yuelu, her parents often took her there on New Year¡¯s Day when she was young. However, Qi Xuansu knew that this was just an excuse for her to dy their arrival.

    Qi Xuansu was quite envious of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s childhood. When he was young, he could only watch the outside world from the high walls of the Wanxiang Daoist Pce.

    Although the Wanxiang Daoist Pce covered arge area that wasparable to the Purple Mansion in Jade Capital and the Imperial Pce in the Imperial Capital, there were many restricted areas in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce that the orphans could not set foot in.

    For example, the Upper Pce in which Zhang Yuelu studied was one of the restricted areas for orphans. They also could not enter the instructors¡¯ residence or therge Star Field Lake that the instructors go to. asionally, there would be some elderly big shots who drank tea, yed chess, or went boating on theke, while the orphans watched from a distance. The orphans¡¯ range of activities was quite limited.

    After graduating from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, they were no longer allowed to enter, unless they were taking up a teaching position in the Lower Pce or they were going to the Upper Pce for further study. That was why Qi Xuansu sometimes missed the Wanxiang Daoist Pce.

    Since it was almost New Year¡¯s Eve, the streets were lively with people doing their festive shopping, doing business, and returning to their hometowns. As they walked down the street, Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Should we find an inn to settle down first?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to a vi?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Qi Xuansu could not help but think that he had misheard.

    Zhang Yuelu repeated herself. ¡°What do you think of going to a vi?¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally confirmed that he had not misheard, but he was startled that this question came out of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s mouth.

    How could an unmarried young girl lead an unmarried young man to an upscale brothel? Not to mention, they were on their way to visit her parents for the New Year.

    <i>In this era, mingling with courtesans was rtivelymon, especially among Confucian disciples, who fancied themselves as romantic individuals. They openly engaged in such activities, evenposing poems and lyrics about them, which were passed down through the ages. There was no shortage of tales about schrs and courtesans.</i>

    <i>Buddhist disciples had to remain celibate. They must abstain from intimate rtions and were prohibited from marrying or having children. They were the opposite extremes of Confucian disciples.</i>

    <i>Daoist disciples were special, as they were divided into three camps.</i>

    <i>Quanzhen Sect disciples, especially those who abandoned their real names and adopted Daoist names, were simr to Buddhist disciples. They abstained from sexual rtions, ate vegetarian food, and never married. Most of the old Daoist disciples who were hundreds of years old but still remained celibate were from the Quanzhen Sect. Thus, they did not support such activities.</i>

    <i>Zhengyi Sect disciples were allowed to marry and build a family, but mingling with courtesans was not encouraged. Thus, most disciples did this discreetly.</i>

    <i>Taiping Sect disciples advocated learning about sexual rtions, so it wasmon for them to frequent brothels.</i>

    <i>Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu were both Zhengyi Sect disciples. It was normal for them to get married when they were of age, but visiting brothels was frowned upon. Although it would not lead to a demerit or a demotion, it was not something one should gloat about, as it would hurt one¡¯s reputation.</i>

    <i>Much like in the secr world, when scions from military families fought, it was seen as normal and even expected. But if scions from schrly families fought, it was regarded as tasteless and disgraceful.</i>

    <i>If one stood on moral high ground to judge others, people would also hold them to the same principles. Therefore, they were restrained by their beliefs. That was why Quanzhen Sect disciples had the best reputation, and Taiping Sect disciples had the worst reputation.</i>

    Qi Xuansu brushed off the dust on his clothes andined. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be used of being a yboy when I¡¯m a virgin. It¡¯ll be unfair to me.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re just going to have a look to gain experience. It¡¯s not like we need to stay over,¡± Zhang Yuelu pleaded. This had been her long-standing wish, and the old Daoist couple who took care of her in Jade Capital were well aware of it.

    Qi Xuansu did not know about her dreams, but he disagreed. ¡°Haven¡¯t we already seen what a vi looked like when we were in Baidi City? Everything there was radiating extravagance.¡±

    ¡°We were there for an investigation then, and it was already dark. Also, there was a dead body and dozens of Spirit Guards. What sort of experience was that? This time, we can go with a disguise so that no one will notice.¡±

    Qi Xuansu thought that this was a bad idea. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine if we don¡¯t get discovered, but if we do, we¡¯ll be in big trouble.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Have you really never been to an upscale brothel before?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was about to speak when he suddenly remembered that he had actually been to one before¡ªa vi in Jiangzhou, where he killed Shen Yuzu.

    He pursed his lips and found another reason to cover up. ¡°Vis are bottomless pits. I don¡¯t have that much money to squander."

    ¡°Right.¡± At the mention of money, Zhang Yuelu sighed. ¡°There¡¯s never enough money.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked tentatively, ¡°So, we won¡¯t go then?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was a little hesitant. Going to the vi was not necessary, but more so a curiosity she had since she was young. However, she had already spent half of her savings on this trip home, so she did not have much money left.

    At this moment, a group of passing schrs were talking loudly.

    ¡°Have you guys heard that Miss Li is here in Shangqing Prefecture?¡±

    ¡°Which Miss Li?¡±

    ¡°Who else could it be? Miss Li from <i>The Young Man¡¯s Voyage</i>, of course.¡±

    ¡°That famous Miss Li from the Imperial Capital?¡±

    ¡°The one and only!¡±

    ¡°Why would Miss Li suddenlye to Shangqing Prefecture?¡±

    ¡°Apparently, Shangqing Prefecture is her hometown, so she came back for the New Year to visit some rtives and friends.¡±

    ¡°Nice! Not many of us can have a chance to meet her.¡±

    ¡°Miss Li is just here to visit her rtives this time, so she won¡¯t be able to entertain guests. Even if she does, she will probably only meet some local big shots.¡±

    ¡°This Miss Li is known as the number one courtesan in the Imperial Capital. It¡¯ll be a pity if we miss her this time.¡±

    ¡°I wonder how our local courtesanspare with Miss Li.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid they can¡¯t hold a candle to her. There are two capitals in the world¡ªthe Imperial Capital and the Jade Capital. Courtesans are strictly prohibited from setting foot in the Jade Capital, so naturally, the Imperial Capital has the best there is, followed by the Jinling Prefecture. Shangqing Prefecture¡¯s courtesans aren¡¯t remotely close!¡±

    ¡°But I heard that there will be a poetry gathering at the vi, and Miss Li will make an appearance. Even though we can¡¯t meet with her privately, at least we¡¯ll still get to see her.¡±

    Their conversation gradually shifted to poetry, singing, dancing, and refined literature that schrs typically liked to discuss. The schrs also talked about cheering on the girls whopeted for beauty.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu stood on the roadside, eavesdropping on the schrs¡¯ conversation. After a while, they exchanged a nce.

    Zhang Yuelu sighed. ¡°Miss Li.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Do you know her?¡±

    ¡°No, but I¡¯ve heard that she¡¯s a popr courtesan from the Imperial Capital who is supposedly the best courtesan in the world.¡± Zhang Yuelu replied.

    Qi Xuansu was shocked by the im as the best courtesan in the world. ¡°Wow, she must be famous.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s famous now. But I won¡¯t be surprised that she¡¯ll be reced by a new person. This ranking thing was created by a group of womanizing Confucian disciples. But that¡¯s not why I¡¯ve heard of Miss Li. She¡¯s actually connected with the Li family of the Taiping Sect.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was even more surprised by this. ¡°How could the daughter of the Li family be a courtesan?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not the daughter of the Li family, not even an adopted daughter. She¡¯s just a cash cow for them. After all, the Li family has been influential for hundreds of years, even producing big shots like the Holy Xuan.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu continued, ¡°The Li family likes to get their adopted sons and daughters to manage some untoward businesses. Sycamore Vi, thergest upscale brothel in Imperial City, is managed by an adopted daughter of the Li family.

    ¡°Miss Li isn¡¯t her real name. She¡¯s actually the daughter of a court official who was convicted of a crime. Her family property was confiscated, so she became homeless. A vi manager who was an adopted daughter of the Li family saw what a beauty Miss Li was and adopted her, changing thetter¡¯s name to Li Qingnu. The vi manager hired famous teachers to teach Li Qingnu music, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, and dancing.

    ¡°Li Qingnu is also really talented. With the Li family¡¯s support, she quickly became popr in the Imperial Capital, surpassing all other courtesans. That was how she got her title as the number one courtesan in the world.¡±

 Chapter 149: The Villa

    <h4>Chapter 149: The Vi</h4>

    Qi Xuansu nced at Zhang Yuelu with surprise. ¡°Wow, you truly are knowledgeable!¡±

    ¡°Are you being sarcastic? You sound like those snobbish people from the Li family!¡± Zhang Yuelu red at him and wanted to hit him again, but Qi Xuansu dodged her in advance.

    Qi Xuansu changed the topic and said, ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go to the vi and check out what Miss Li is like. We can split our expenses equally between us.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu teased, ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t interested. Why did you suddenly change your mind when you heard about Miss Li? You¡¯re even willing to pay half of the expenses.¡±

    Qi Xuansu retorted. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in Miss Li, but I think it¡¯s necessary to see what the upper-ss people like.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu clicked her tongue and agreed that they should go.

    Qi Xuansu added, ¡°But you can¡¯t go like this. If word gets out that the famous Daoist prodigy, Zhang Yuelu, is spotted at an upscale brothel, you¡¯ll be the talk of town!¡±

    She responded, ¡°I know, I¡¯ll get changed.¡±

    Qi Xuansu cast a sidelong nce at her. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we find an inn to settle down first?¡±

    For the first time, Zhang Yuelu was speechless.

    They went to the Taiping Inn and asked for a private courtyard. Qi Xuansu took off his gun, satchel, and the outer belt filled with throwing knives, temporarily giving them to Zhang Yuelu for safekeeping in her magical receptacle. He only kept his elegant-looking short sword, Qing Yuan, on him. After all, carrying swords everywhere wasmon in their society.

    Zhang Yuelu went to her room and closed the door. Then Qi Xuansu asked the waiter to serve some wine and food, including roastedmb, roasted chicken, fried meat, and fish. He enjoyed the feast by himself while Zhang Yuelu got dressed.

    As Qi Xuansu finished eating, Zhang Yuelu opened the door and stepped out. She had transformed into apletely different person.

    She wore a moonlight-white robe with gold trimmings, square-tipped ck boots with white soles, a jade-iid belt, and a white jade crown. She even carried a folding fan made of ivory ribs with a famousndscape painting printed on the front. She stood there, gently swaying the folding fan, looking like an elegant gentleman.

    Qi Xuansu sized her up. She had worn a full face mask to change her appearance, so she did not look feminine at all. Instead, she looked like a handsome, well-dressed gentleman. Her clothes were well-tailored to her physique, so it was clear that she did not buy them at thest minute or borrow them from another person. She must have put this outfit in her magical receptacle. It was evident that Zhang Yuelu often disguised herself as a man.

    Zhang Yuelu stretched out her arms and asked with a smile. ¡°So, how do I look?¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not answer her question. Instead, he asked, ¡°Should I call you Young Master Tantai?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°Yes. From now on, I am Tantai Chu, not Zhang Yuelu.¡±

    ¡°What about me? Should I have a fake name too?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Zhang Yuelu waved her hand. ¡°Not many people know you, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not object to it. They were only going to the vi and not doing anything shady for the Qingping Society, so it did not matter if he used his real name.

    Zhang Yuelu closed the folding fan and tapped her palm. She first looked down at her chest and pressed on it. After confirming everything was intact, she reached out and touched her Adam¡¯s apple.

    Qi Xuansu continued to eat and spoke without raising his head. ¡°Both men and women have Adam¡¯s apples. Men¡¯s are just more obvious.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu took out a small object from her magical receptacle and ced it on her Adam¡¯s apple to make it look more obvious. Then she took out a small object shaped like a whistle, put it in her mouth, and cleared her throat, instantly changing her voice into a man¡¯s. She had obviouslye prepared.

    Qi Xuansu finished eating, wiped his mouth with the hand towel provided by the inn, and motioned for Zhang Yuelu to wait for him outside. After all, it would raise questions if a young woman suddenly turned into a handsome young man.

    After Zhang Yuelu left, Qi Xuansu waited for the waiter to clear the table. Then he asked, ¡°Which vi is thergest in this city?¡±

    The waiter first looked around. When he saw that the young woman who came in earlier was not around, he showed a knowing smile that only men shared.

    He replied, ¡°You¡¯ve asked the right person, sir. Jiaqing Vi is the biggest in the city. They have many pretty and talented girls, proficient in singing, dancing, ying music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. But it¡¯s quite pricey. The ordinary girls there cost at least ten Taiping coins per night. A banquet there will be more expensive than an inn¡¯s, probably more than 30 Taiping coins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu often saw the expression ¡°attending tea parties¡± in novels, so he asked, ¡°How much does it cost to attend a tea party?¡±

    As soon as the waiter heard Qi Xuansu¡¯s question, he chuckled. ¡°Sir, is this your first time going to a vi?¡±

    Qi Xuansu looked surprised. ¡°How do you know?¡±

    The waiter exined, ¡°That¡¯s because I just told you that it¡¯ll cost more than 30 Taiping coins to host a banquet in a vi. Only high-grade vis have tea parties, where guests can drink tea, y chess, eat snacks, and chat with the courtesans for free. As such, vis will naturally suffer financial losses. Tea parties are only free because the vis expect customers to host a banquet after attending them.¡±

    Only then did Qi Xuansu understand why the waiter had specifically mentioned hosting a banquet. It turned out that vis had this policy.

    Waiters who worked at the Taiping Inn would also receive bonuses from the vi every month so that they could introduce the vi to more guests. Therefore, the waiter was enthusiastically exining everything he knew.

    ¡°Generally, vis will not chase guests for money. But a guest who often attends tea parties without hosting banquets will be ridiculed and looked down upon by the courtesans. Even if a guest hosts a banquet, the madame will scold him for being stingy if he attends tea parties frequently.¡±

    Qi Xuansu thought about it. ¡°It sounds like tea parties are for regr guests. What about first-time guests like us?¡±

    The waiter smiled and replied, ¡°Then you¡¯ll need a ¡®stepping stone,¡¯ which normally costs around five Taiping coins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded, cing the two small coins on the table. ¡°Can you lead the way for me?¡±

    The waiter stretched out his hand and put the two small coins into his pouch. He said with an ingratiating smile, ¡°Thank you for the tip, sir.¡±

    The two men left the Taiping Inn through the side door, which led to an alley. From a distance, they saw Zhang Yuelu standing at the entrance of the alley, fanning herself with a folding fan in the dead of winter.

    The waiter was a little surprised. He did not expect Qi Xuansu to make an appointment with his friend to visit the vi. He would never suspect that the young man before him was actually the youngdy who checked in earlier.

    Jiaqing Vi was located in the southeast corner of the city, not too far from Taiping Inn. After exiting the alley, they walked for two blocks to get to the side entrance of Jiaqing Vi.

    Unlike third-rate brothels, this first-ss vi was quiet and situated in an upscale neighborhood. Each of these residences usually housed a beautiful woman who served the rich and the noble.

    Jiaqing Vi upied a significant area in this neighborhood, showcasing its strong financial and political background. It was unlikely that it was the Zhang family¡¯s business. Even the Li family, who were most lenient about sex, had to get an adopted daughter to manage such businesses. The Zhang family, which had a better reputation than the Li family, was even less likely to own such a business.

    In that case, could this vi¡¯s backer be a local official from the Imperial Court?

    The waiter led the two gentlemen to the impressive side entrance, where several women were standing to wee guests.

    The waiter stopped at the entrance while Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu walked into the vi. A woman quickly came forward to greet them. Since Qi Xuansu had already inquired about the market price, he took out five Taiping coins and tossed them into the woman¡¯s hands. He then said, ¡°I heard that there is a poetry gathering here today.¡±

    A smile immediately appeared on the woman¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re right on time, sir. The poetry gathering is about to start.¡±

 Chapter 150: The Three Mountains of the Li Family

    <h4>Chapter 150: The Three Mountains of the Li Family</h4>

    A maid led Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu into Jiaqing Vi from the side entrance. After countless turns, they came to a spacious reception pavilion and were asked to wait.

    The pavilion was filled with several rows of tables and chairs. The seats in the front row seemed reserved, as they had ce cards on them. Thus, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu sat in thest row.

    After a while, a servant in a green turban served them tea, but he stood beside them with a tray in hand and simply stared at them.

    This was Qi Xuansu¡¯s first visit to a vi, so he had no experience. He asked bluntly, ¡°How much is it?¡±

    The servant was stunned for a moment. It was obvious that he rarely encountered such straightforward guests, but he still replied politely, ¡°Ten Taiping coins per person for thest row, and an additional ten Taiping coins for each row forward.¡±

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu nced at each other and ced ten Taiping coins on the tray.

    The servant then smiled and retreated with a slight bow.

    At this time, they were the only ones at the pavilion. Qi Xuansu stared at the calm Zhang Yuelu gently tapping her folding fan against her palm. She scanned the area leisurely, looking like a rich gentleman.

    Qi Xuansu whispered, ¡°Can you write poetry?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu unfolded her folding fan and covered her mouth. ¡°I can only recite poems.¡±

    Qi Xuansu quipped, ¡°Even I have memorized 300 ancient poems. I can also recite them well. What about limericks?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± Zhang Yuelu shook her head.

    Bewildered, Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Don¡¯t the Zhang family teach you this?¡±

    ¡°They did. That¡¯s why I learned to recite poems,¡± Zhang Yuelu said as a matter of fact. ¡°Can you write poetry?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°I sessfully graduated from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, so I¡¯m proficient in using firearms and hidden weapons, martial arts, astronomy, geography, qi training, meditation, talisman writing, reading and writing ancient script, medicinal herb identification, and history. But not poetry.¡±

    Suddenly, Qi Xuansu thought of a shameless idea. ¡°Do you know any elders who have unpublished poems? We can borrow those.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said expressionlessly, ¡°I don¡¯t know an elder like that. Even if I do, I won¡¯t use someone else¡¯s poem without permission.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°That¡¯s a pity. In those novels, the male lead borrows a poem and gets apuded, shocking the talented schrs on the scene and impressing the courtesans. Thedies wished they could just throw themselves into the man¡¯s arms.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu snorted. ¡°As you said, that¡¯s a scene from the novels. I only hope that we don¡¯t run into any more demons from the secret societies.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°What are we doing here then?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu answered, ¡°I want to see the Finest Courtesan, of course.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t courtesansmon?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°Not to be confused with Scarlets, who are the top courtesans in their own brothels, the Finest Courtesan, as the name suggests, is the best courtesan in the industry. There is a selection process for it, and the results would have to be recognized by the public. The title of Finest Courtesan is given to the prettiest and most talented Scarlet. Thepetition is fierce with Scarlets from many first-ss brothels all over the empire.¡±

    Only then did Qi Xuansu nod in understanding. ¡°So, is Miss Li the Finest Courtesan?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said excitedly, ¡°Yeah. I once heard my father mention how the Finest Courtesan was selected in Jinling Prefecture. The top Scarlets in all the major vis were dressed up extravagantly in a beautypetition. The wealthy men and schrs would spare no expense in supporting these Scarlets. All vis would be nicely decorated for the asion, and one could only imagine how much wine was consumed, how many poems were recited, and how much money was spent all night long.¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally understood why Zhang Yuelu was so curious about vis. His curiosity was also piqued, so he asked, ¡°How is the Finest Courtesan selected then?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°The concept is simple. What all courtesans have inmon is that they are there to make money, regardless of their fame. After all, art and beauty are highly dependent on individual preferences, so thesepetitions are judged based on who gets the most tips. Since it¡¯s based on money, it¡¯s hard to cheat.

    ¡°Some people even go as far as to hire musicians to write lyrics andpose songs for the courtesans. If the song bes a hit, it¡¯ll get good publicity. This may seem like a beautypetition between women, but in fact, it¡¯s also apetition between men. The courtesans¡¯ backers like topete with each other. They get a boost of ego seeing their women shine brightly. Some backers dump in money to ensure the best support for these courtesans.¡±

    It turned out that the courtesan¡¯s ability was only one of the aspects. It was mainly dependent on the courtesan¡¯s financial backer. The reason Miss Li became the Finest Courtesan in the Imperial Capital wasrgely due to the Li family¡¯s influence.

    He inquired, ¡°Is the Li family very rich?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°They¡¯re probably as rich as a country. In terms of status, the Li family and the Zhang family are evenly matched, but in terms of financial resources, the Zhang familygs far behind the Li family. The Zhang family mainly relies on the support of several wealthy families in Jiangnan and Lingnan.¡±

    Qi Xuansu probed further. ¡°Is the Li family¡¯s wealth rted to the Holy Xuan?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Zhang Yuelu shook her head and exined, ¡°Before the Holy Xuan united the Daoist Order, the Li family had already controlled nearly half of the maritime trade. They were well-deserving of their position as the top maritime traders. The Holy Xuan united the Daoist Order using his family¡¯s influence and even deliberately suppressed the Li family¡¯s development by splitting the Li family¡¯s businesses.

    ¡°The Holy Xuan even handed over part of the maritime trade, mining, salt, and iron businesses of the Li family to the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court to prevent the Li family from bing too powerful, as that would damage the foundation of the Daoist Order. If you ask me, some members of the Li family are certainly resentful of the Holy Xuan¡¯s decision.

    ¡°But the Holy Xuan had a great reputation, so no one in the Li family dared to openly oppose the Holy Xuan¡¯s decision. They also need the Holy Xuan¡¯s glory, so they simply don¡¯t mention it.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu thought about it for a while before adding, ¡°My master has mentioned that the Li family followed the way of humans, while the Holy Xuan followed the way of the heavens.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was confused. ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°The Primordial Daoist Ancestor once said that the way of the heavens is the practice of reducing excess by supplementing deficiencies. But the way of humans is to reduce deficiencies to serve excess, which means using themoners¡¯ money to support the superfluous lifestyle of the nobles.

    ¡°The people are already poor, but they still have to support the wealthy nobles in terms of taxes, which will only increase the poverty gap. This is the way of humans. That¡¯s why it can¡¯tst forever. The way of the heavens is more sustainable. If the Li family is allowed to develop further, they will only be richer. That¡¯s why the Holy Xuan decided to break up the Li family.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed in admiration. ¡°Amazing!¡±

    While they were talking, more people came in and got seated in the pavilion.

    Zhang Yuelu looked around, not spotting anyone remarkable. There were only schrs, so she felt a little bored. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that we didn¡¯t get to catch the Finest Courtesanpetition. This is just a poetry gathering.¡±

    Qi Xuansu reminded her. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the entrance fee wouldn¡¯t just be ten Taiping coins if it¡¯s such a grand event.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu thought about it and realized that what he said made sense.

    After a while, some important people gradually showed up.

    To Qi Xuansu¡¯s surprise, Zhang Yuelu was able to recognize those people, which was strange.

    However, Zhang Yuelu exined that Beichen Hall usuallypiled files detailing the situation of important officials in the Imperial Court and their family members. These were usually apanied by portraits and revised every year. The list ranged from cab ministers to local county magistrates.

    When she was working at Beichen Hall, she used to read some of the files of these officials from her hometown of Wuzhou, so she remembered some of the leading figures.

    The reason the Daoist Order had files of court officials was to prevent Daoist priests from colluding with the Imperial Court officials. The major Jiangnan case involved some court officials. However, the Daoist Order handed these people to the Imperial Court¡¯s Ministry of Justice to be convicted. At the same time, the Imperial Court would also facilitate the search and arrest of members of the Ziguang Society.

    Only the leader of Beichen Hall and the other Hall Masters would know the real intention behind keeping these files.

    Most of the people at the pavilion were the nephews and grandchildren of local court officials. There were no Daoist priests, or at least, none that openly showed their identities.

    About an hourter, the pavilion was full, with the wealthy gentry sitting in the reserved front-row seats.

    This pavilion was extremely spacious and could amodate more than a hundred people without being crowded. Each person in the back row paid ten Taiping coins, and the seats in the front were more expensive, with the first row costing hundreds of Taiping coins. Thus, the ie from this poetry gathering alone would reach nearly 10,000 Taiping coins.

    If there was a follow-up event, such as a banquet held by a certain sponsor, the vi would earn even more.

    Qi Xuansu had never seen so much money in his life. He thought, <i>No wonder Zhang Yuelu said that Miss Li was the cash cow of the Li family.</i>

    From this, it was clear that the Li family was indeed good at making money. They would never suffer a loss. Regardless of how much money they spent on Miss Li to make her famous, they could easily gain back their investment.

    This vi was just the tip of the iceberg of the Li family¡¯s business empire. Besides maritime trade, the Li family was also involved in various industries, including porcin, tea, medicinal materials, gold, silk, pawnshops, banks, firearms, ships, timber, steel, coal, theaters, and others. They were so rich to the extent that the public joked that the Li family had three mountains¡ªa gold mountain, a silver mountain, and a copper mountain.

 Chapter 151: Li Qingnu

    <h4>Chapter 151: Li Qingnu</h4>

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu grew impatient as the sky darkened. That was when the star of the day finally appeared.

    Despite the long wait, they were certainly not disappointed. The world-famous Miss Li was impable in terms of appearance. It was hard to describe how perfect she was, like an ethereal beauty who had stepped out of a painting, the epitome of grace.

    Her smile could captivate the entire nation.

    Qi Xuansu was in a trance for a moment. Everything in the pavilion quickly disappeared, leaving only the beautiful woman in front of him as the focus.

    It was not until Zhang Yuelu smacked Qi Xuansu¡¯s head with her folding fan that Qi Xuansu woke up from his trance.

    Zhang Yuelu did not seem upset by this. Instead, she warned him. ¡°Be careful.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s face turned solemn. ¡°Something weird is going on.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± There was purple energy flowing in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Miss Li actually has a high level of cultivation. She seems to be a Diviner.¡±

    Qi Xuansu scanned his surroundings again.

    Everyone in the pavilion was still in a trance. It was obvious that these young masters did not have Zhang Yuelu¡¯s cultivation level. This made sense because, besides innate talent and money, one¡¯s cultivation level mainly depended on hard work.

    These young masters were not short on money, but they were not so talented or hard-working. Although Qi Xuansu did not train much when he was traveling, he would usually meditate and practice his breathing when he was in Jade Capital. Before settling in Jade Capital, Qi Xuansu practiced diligently. But even so, he was only at the Kunlun stage due to hisck of aptitude.

    Some of these young masters had some cultivation, but they were at most at the Kunlun stage. Some were not even Xiantian Beings.

    At the same time, Li Qingnu noticed Zhang Yuelu and quickly averted her gaze after meeting Zhang Yuelu¡¯s Immortal Eye of Providence.

    At this time, four servants in green turbans brought out a short table, which had a zither and an exquisite incense burner with a swirl of purple smoke wafting from it. Li Qingnu sat on her knees, her face blurred by the smoke, making it seem as if she was transcendent.

    She plucked the strings of the zither in a rhythmic beat. At first, it sounded like beads falling on a jade te, then the beat gradually elerated until it sounded like rapid raindrops in a deadly storm. After a while, the rhythm slowed to a gentle tune.

    Aside from Zhang Yuelu, everyone in the pavilion who had just woken up from their trance became dazed again.

    Qi Xuansu kept his guard up, struggling to resist the hypnotic melody and desperately trying to remain alert.

    Zhang Yuelu did not understand music, so she did not know how to evaluate Miss Li¡¯s skills. But she could tell that there was something strange going on with her music.

    It seemed like Miss Li was at least at the Guizhen stage. This finding was interesting because being at the Guizhen stage was not a small feat in the Daoistmunity. As long as a Guizhen-stage Daoist priest persevered for a few years in an office, they could at least be promoted to a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master.

    This indicated that Miss Li must have some hidden agenda for pursuing a career as a courtesan. She was most likely not just a cash cow for the Li family.

    At this moment, Li Qingnu¡¯s gaze fell on Zhang Yuelu again. It was not because Li Qingnu saw through Zhang Yuelu¡¯s disguise, but because Zhang Yuelu was the only sober and alert person among the enchanted crowd. Zhang Yuelu stood out because she was unaffected by the music.

    Zhang Yuelu stared back at Li Qingnu. The purple energy in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes became more intense, almost overflowing from her eyes.

    Li Qingnu was frightened by Zhang Yuelu¡¯s gaze, so she skipped a beat, messing up the hypnotic tune. Thus, the audience in the pavilion instantly returned to their senses, as if they had awakened from a dream.

    Seeing this, Miss Li simply stopped ying the zither and smiled sweetly, enchanting the audience once again.

    As soon as Qi Xuansu was freed from the spell, he breathed a long sigh of relief and whispered, ¡°Isn¡¯t this a poetry gathering? Why is there a zither performance?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu remarked, ¡°This is probably the opening act, like an introduction to a story.¡±

    While they were talking, the poetry meet began. Under normal circumstances, a poetry gathering would have only a dozen people, making it possible to y games, in which one person recited a verse of a poem and another continued until everyone had a turn. However, at this scale of more than a hundred people, this would not be feasible.

    Since Li Qingnu was famous, most of the people in attendance only wanted to catch a glimpse of her. The vi also capitalized on this and made it into arge-scale event, with only those seated in the first two rows participating in the poetry meet.

    The people in the back rows were just in the audience. That was why Li Qingnu performed a song as the opening act, so that the people in the back would not feel as if their money was wasted.

    However, since Qi Xuansu struggled to resist the hypnotic music, he already felt like he had wasted money to get duped. Meanwhile, Zhang Yuelu was a little vexed that her brothel experience was ruined yet again due to this strange episode.

    During the poetry meet, schrs showed off their talents like male peacocks, while Li Qingnu acted as the judge.

    Qi Xuansu was not interested in poetry and felt sleepy after a while. He asionally observed Li Qingnu, who was the center of attention. He felt that Li Qingnu was not very enthusiastic about this poetry meet, but she did not look impatient either. Her smile just seemed a bit perfunctory. That was because Li Qingnu¡¯s focus was mostly on Zhang Yuelu.

    When the poetry meet ended, Li Qingnu hesitated for a moment before she stared straight at Zhang Yuelu and asked, ¡°Sir, I wonder which family you are from.¡±

    In an instant, everyone¡¯s envious gaze turned to Zhang Yuelu, who was disguised as a man. Zhang Yuelu stood up slowly and waved her folding fan. ¡°I¡¯m from the Tantai family.¡±

    Li Qingnu smiled and said softly, ¡°Young Master Tantai, will you grant me the privilege of meeting you in private?¡±

    The crowd was in an uproar as soon as they heard this invitation.

    The people present pretended to be elegant and ssy with their affinity for poetry and music, but they only attended this poetry gathering for the sake of Li Qingnu. ording to the rules, Li Qingnu could choose one person from the crowd to meet with in private, which usually meant that she would allow that person to stay with her overnight.

    However, staying the night did not necessarily mean being intimate with her. They could just sit there and talk all night. Even so, it would allow one to boast about having spent the night with the Finest Courtesan. After all, being invited to stay overnight was one¡¯s biggest hope for being intimate with Li Qingnu.

    Since Miss Li only invited Zhang Yuelu, everyone else was out of luck.

    As a result, Zhang Yuelu asked bluntly, ¡°Can I bring a friend?¡±

    This question, asked in such a setting, became ambiguous. To outsiders, they thought that Zhang Yuelu was asking for a threesome. Ordinary courtesans would likely ept such requests if they were paid more, but most Scarlets would not ept this arrangement unless the customer was extremely powerful. It was even more unlikely for the Finest Courtesan of the Imperial Capital to agree to it.

    Hearing such a tant request, a young man protested. ¡°You should feel honored that Miss Li likes you. How dare you ask to bring a friend along? What do you take her for?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu retorted, ¡°I¡¯m asking Miss Li the question. What does it have to do with you? Who are you to her? Her pimp?¡±

    The man was speechless, and his face flushed with embarrassment.

    Someone snorted. ¡°How vulgar.¡±

    Before Zhang Yuelu could speak, Li Qingnu smiled faintly and agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Li Qingnu¡¯s answer was like a bolt from the blue, causing amotion in the pavilion. Delighted, Zhang Yuelu smiled and nudged Qi Xuansu. Meanwhile, Li Qingnu lowered her head slightly, signaling to the maid that she would personally lead the way for Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu.

    The trio left the pavilion and walked along a corridor to a heated room. Li Qingnu pushed the door open and stepped inside. There was a carpet from the Western Region on the floor, with cushions ced around the small table for warming wine and making tea. There were all kinds of tea sets on the table as well as a small copper incense burner.

    Li Qingnu asked her guests to take a seat while she kneeled behind the small table to make tea.

    That was when Qi Xuansu had the opportunity to observe Li Qingnu up close. Her dark eyebrows were shaped like willow leaves, her eyes sparkled like stars, and her lips were rosy and thin. Zhang Yuelu was not as pretty as Li Qingnu, but Qi Xuansu felt that Zhang Yuelu was more adorable.

    Zhang Yuelu sniffed the aroma and stated, ¡°This is the soothing incense unique to the Li family. Which generation are you from, Miss Li?¡±

    ¡°Although myst name is Li, I¡¯m not included in the Li family registry. If I were part of the Li family, why would I be in such a lowly industry?¡± Li Qingnu replied.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°How can you say this is a lowly industry?¡±

    Li Qingnu smiled faintly. ¡°I make a living by selling my smile and body. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s lowly?¡±

    Qi Xuansu quipped. ¡°Well, that depends on who youpare with. There¡¯s a saying that people willugh at the poor, but not at prostitutes. The vi can easily earn 10,000 Taiping coins with one poetry gathering. I think that can¡¯t be considered lowly.¡±

    The two women turned to look at Qi Xuansu at the same time.

    Under their stare, Qi Xuansu felt a little ufortable and coughed dryly. ¡°I¡¯m just saying...¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was used to Qi Xuansu¡¯s remarks, so she ignored him.

    However, Li Qingnu gained a bad impression of Qi Xuansu. She said with a straight face, ¡°Is money all you care about?¡±

    Qi Xuansu retorted. ¡°It seems like you have never experienced what it¡¯s like not having money. If you have been poor, I guarantee that you will have the same views as me. Of course, that¡¯s only if you don¡¯t have such a high level of cultivation.¡±

    Li Qingnu was not offended. ¡°Actually, I have experienced what it¡¯s like to be poor. Back then, my father was convicted of a crime, my mother died of an illness, and my family property was confiscated by the Imperial Court. I used to live on the streets.¡±

    Qi Xuansu kept quiet.

    Zhang Yuelu waved her folding fan and tried to smooth things over. ¡°Why are we talking about these things? Miss Li kindly invited us over, so we should talk about something lighter.¡±

    Li Qingnu was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Young Master Tantai, you¡¯re already at the Guizhen stage at your age, so you must have made a name for yourself in the Daoist Order, right?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°There are many skilled masters in the Daoistmunity. I am nothingpared to them. Miss Li, you are so well known within the empire, but I have never heard of people talking about your high level of cultivation.¡±

 Chapter 152: Exposed

    <h4>Chapter 152: Exposed</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu and Li Qingnu looked at each other.

    Li Qingnu casually took out an embroidered round fan. Although she was a courtesan, her demeanor was as dignified and elegant as that of a nobleman¡¯s daughter. There was also a hint of shyness, which made her seem like a weak woman in need of protection.

    Zhang Yuelu waved the folding fan to disperse the surrounding smoke.

    Li Qingnu suddenly stated, ¡°Zhang is amonst name in Shangqing Prefecture, unlike the Tantai name. But I heard that there is a famous Madam Tantai in the Zhang family. I wonder if you are rted to that Madam Tantai.¡±

    Qi Xuansu, who was about to drink tea, immediately pricked up his ears.

    This Madam Tantai was his ultimate adversary for this trip, so he naturally paid more attention to her name.

    It was not surprising that Madam Tantai was famous. The Zhang family was a prestigious family with many rules. Only a few women who married into the family were known by their maiden names. Madam Tantai even wanted her daughter to follow herst name, which was not something ordinary women would do.

    Even though Zhang Yuelu¡¯s father was only from a small branch of the Zhang family, the matter of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s naming escted to the main branch. Even Zhang Yuyue¡¯s father and uncles were unable to suppress it, so they had to trouble the Heavenly Preceptor. This indicated how powerful Madam Tantai was.

    In the end, the Heavenly Preceptor decided that Zhang Yuelu would bear the Zhang family name. He even named Zhang Yuelu after the constetion and allowed her to be a disciple of Sage Cihang, who was the second most powerful person in the Zhengyi Sect. Sage Cihang was equal in status to Sage Qingwei of the Taiping Sect and Sage Donghua of the Quanzhen Sect.

    As a result, everyone was envious of Zhang Yuelu for being Sage Cihang¡¯s disciple, as this allowed Zhang Yuelu to move to Jade Capital early. At that age, Zhang Yuyue and other members of the Zhang family were still training in the local Daoist mansion.

    Judging from this, it could be seen how resourceful Madam Tantai was. She relied on her own efforts to build a smooth path for her daughter, making her daughter¡¯s starting point no less than the children from the main branch of the Zhang family. To put it bluntly, Madam Tantai gained volumes without forking out much.

    Qi Xuansu had to admit that he was not as capable as Madam Tantai.

    The Heavenly Preceptor had no children of his own, but he had many nephews and disciples. That old man once joked with Sage Cihang in private that he was fortunate she had not married one of his nephews. Otherwise, he would have a headache if Sage Cihang were to be in charge of the internal affairs of the Dazhen Mansion.

    Zhang Yuelu had inherited her mother¡¯s capabilities and temperament. Fortunately for Qi Xuansu, her father was calm and not as aggressive as her mother.

    On the other hand, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s father had aplicated status in the family. In her words, her father dared to fight for what he believed in, but he always lost. Even so, he would keep fighting anyway.

    In any case, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s father was much better than Dong Baijing, who surrendered without a fight.

    Qi Xuansu had no grudges against Dong Baijing, but he knew that was not who he aspired to be.

    He was sometimes afraid of Zhang Yuelu, not because of herbat skills, but because he felt guilty about hiding his identity from her. He always made poor decisions, like joining the Qingping Society and bribing Sun Yongfeng. His resume as a seventh-rank Daoist priest was nk, and his behavior was inappropriate. He had no confidence because he was not an upstanding man.

    However, Dong Baijing was different. Dong Baijing did not do anything wrong, but he always bowed to Zhang Yuyue willingly. Of course, Qi Xuansu would have no opinion if Dong Baijing did it out of love.

    That was why Madam Tantai was famous, not only in the Zhang family, but also in Jade Capital. Even the Hall Masters of Beichen Hall and Tiangang Hall have heard of Madam Tantai.

    Therefore, Li Qingnu¡¯s words were not surprising.

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°The Tantai family name originated from the Confucian Savants and has spread over the years, so there''s more than one family with that name.¡±

    Li Qingnu covered her mouth with a round fan and chuckled. ¡°I see. I thought you were Madam Tantai¡¯s child.¡±

    Qi Xuansu clicked his tongue.

    Although Zhang Yuelu¡¯s disguise was perfect, she was still not a real man. So there was probably a w somewhere that Li Qingnu had caught on to.

    Zhang Yuelu lightly kicked Qi Xuansu, who picked up the teacup and asked, ¡°It¡¯s not poisonous, right?¡±

    Li Qingnu smiled. ¡°Sir, you can rest assured. As you mentioned, vis are profitable businesses. We want to make more money, so why would we poison you? By the way, what is yourst name?¡±

    Qi Xuansu picked up the teacup, took a sip, and replied, ¡°Qi.¡±

    ¡°Young Master Qi.¡± Li Qingnu added, ¡°I have been in this business for many years and have met countless people, but never have I seen people like you¡ªand your friend here¡ªvisiting vis in this manner.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu simply stopped pretending. ¡°Fine! How could you tell that I¡¯m a girl? I¡¯m really curious.¡±

    Li Qingnu pointed at Zhang Yuelu¡¯s earlobes. ¡°Generally speaking, men from the Central ins don¡¯t have the habit of getting their ears pierced.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face stiffened, and she subconsciously touched her earlobe. Although she rarely wore earrings, her mother had her ears pierced when she was a child.

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°Even the most careful of people can still make mistakes.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu red at Qi Xuansu, spat out a whistle-looking object, and spoke in her original voice. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s be straightforward with each other. Miss Li, what is your purpose foring to Shangqing Prefecture?¡±

    Qi Xuansu curled his lips. Zhang Yuelu started working in Beichen Hall before she was transferred to Tiangang Hall. That was why she had developed this habit of being suspicious of everyone.

    It was hard to say whether this habit was good or bad. Qi Xuansu was once the subject of her suspicion, and he almost exposed his secret. Only the heavens knew how Zhang Yuelu could be suspicious of Qi Xuansu¡¯s past experience based on a thin file. That was why Qi Xuansu was always vignt around Zhang Yuelu, as he was afraid she would discover something wrong about him. If his identity was exposed, he would be doomed.

    It would be even more tiring for Qi Xuansu to keep his guard up if he married Zhang Yuelu one day. That was why Qi Xuansu only had two choices: stay away from Zhang Yuelu or leave the Qingping Society as soon as possible.

    Li Qingnu asked, ¡°Miss Tantai, are you questioning me? It isn¡¯t a secret that Shangqing Prefecture is my hometown. Is it wrong for me to visit some rtives?¡±

    ¡°But do you even have rtives to visit?¡± Zhang Yuelu pressed on. ¡°Miss Li, you just said that your father was convicted of a crime, your mother died of illness, and your family property was confiscated. You had no choice but to live on the streets and engage in this ¡®lowly¡¯ job, which showed just how desperate you were. If you had any rtives or friends in Shangqing Prefecture, why didn¡¯t you seek refuge from them back then? If so, what kind of rtives are you visiting now for the New Year?¡±

    Qi Xuansu interjected, ¡°Perhaps Miss Li¡¯s rtives and friends sold her to the vi when they saw how helpless she was. After Miss Li became famous, she didn¡¯t hold a grudge and visited them every year to thank them for giving her the opportunity to be the Finest Courtesan. That¡¯ll be a touching story.¡±

    Zhang Yueluughed. ¡°Young Master Qi, your sarcasm is definitelyparable to those from the Li family.¡±

    ¡°Young Master Tantai, you tter me,¡± Qi Xuansu quipped.

    Li Qingnu did not expect these two to bicker in front of her, leaving her speechless.

    Zhang Yuelu stoppedughing. ¡°Miss Li, you have a high level of cultivation yet still choose to stay in the vi. It¡¯s obvious that you don¡¯t have any rtives or friends in Shangqing Prefecture, but why do youe here every year using that as an excuse? What¡¯s your motive? Please, enlighten me.¡±

    Shangqing Prefecture was Zhengyi Sect¡¯s territory, so Zhang Yuelu was emboldened.

    Li Qingnu murmured, ¡°Miss Tantai, what will you do if I refuse to tell you?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu threatened. ¡°What can I do? You¡¯re the cash cow of the Li family. As the saying goes, disrupting one¡¯s wealth is akin to killing one¡¯s family. All I can do is report this matter to Dazhen Mansion and ask the Heavenly Preceptor to preside over the situation.¡±

    Li Qingnu suddenly scoffed. ¡°Miss Tantai, or should I say, Miss Zhang? Your reputation indeed precedes you. I have long heard of your duel with Young Master Li in Jade Capital. Now that I have the chance to meet you, I agree that your fame is well-deserved.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was not surprised that Li Qingnu could guess her true identity, especially after thetter had already seen through her disguise as a man. ¡°Miss Li, since you recognized me, shouldn¡¯t you answer my question?¡±

    Li Qingnu looked between the two people before her. ¡°I can answer your question, but I have one condition. If you refuse this condition, then I won¡¯t say a word, even if you kill me.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your condition?¡± Zhang Yuelu asked.

    Li Qingnu¡¯s gaze fell on Qi Xuansu. ¡°Mage Zhang is too powerful, so I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to hold my ground. I¡¯ll get in trouble if I spill everything. So as apromise, I will talk to Young Master Qi alone. Whether you get your answer depends on Young Master Qi¡¯s abilities. What do you think, Mage Zhang?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu frowned. She turned to Qi Xuansu and vaguely felt something fishy about this arrangement. But she could not pinpoint what was wrong.

    Did Li Qingnu and Qi Xuansu know each other? It did not seem like it. Zhang Yuelu studied behavioral observation when she was in Beichen Hall, so based on her observation, Qi Xuansu¡¯s and Li Qingnu¡¯s subtle movements and reactions indicated that it was indeed their first time seeing each other.

    Moreover, this visit to the vi was Zhang Yuelu¡¯s impromptu decision. It would be impossible to predict it in advance unless there was another master who used a divination technique like the Purple Star Astrology.

    This meant that Li Qingnu¡¯s request to talk to Qi Xuansu alone was just ast-minute suggestion, rather than a premeditated n.

    Qi Xuansu did not delve so deeply into the situation. He just felt that Li Qingnu was looking down on him. But that was expected because he was indeed far inferior to Zhang Yuelu.

    He dared not make a decision, so he turned to Zhang Yuelu and waited for his boss to give the order.

    Zhang Yuelu collected her thoughts and agreed. ¡°Tian Yuan, in that case, you should have a good chat with Miss Li.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Where?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu took out Qi Xuansu¡¯s pistol from her magical receptacle and handed it to him. She said solemnly, ¡°Right here. I¡¯ll wait for you outside. Be careful.¡±

 Chapter 153: Identity

    <h4>Chapter 153: Identity</h4>

    After Zhang Yuelu left, Qi Xuansu and Li Qingnu were the only ones left in the room.

    Li Qingnu said bluntly, ¡°I¡¯ve set up a formation so that Mage Zhang won¡¯t be able to hear our conversation. But it doesn¡¯t stop her from barging in.¡±

    Qi Xuansu held the Divine Dragon Pistol tightly and stood in a defensive posture. ¡°Miss Li, go ahead and say what you want to.¡±

    At such a close distance, the Divine Dragon Pistol filled with a Grade-B Series Two Dragon Eye Bullet was indeed a threat to a physically weak Diviner. Moreover, Qi Xuansu¡¯s physique wasparable to that of a Yuxu-stage Martial Arts Practitioner, so he could resist a Diviner¡¯s spell to a certain extent.

    Li Qingnu asked back, ¡°What should I say?¡±

    ¡°Your purpose foring here, of course. Aren¡¯t you a member of the Ziguang Society, Miss Li?¡±

    ¡°Ziguang Society, the secret association.¡± Li Qingnuughed. ¡°Young Master Qi, are you from the Tiangang Hall?¡±

    Qi Xuansu answered calmly, ¡°I am.¡±

    Li Qingnu mocked. ¡°Amazing. You must be very upright, then.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not get provoked. ¡°What exactly are you hinting at, Miss Li?¡±

    Li Qingnu stopped smiling. ¡°Do you really think of yourself as a Daoist priest from Tiangang Hall who hunts down cult demons?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by this?¡± Qi Xuansu was shaken.

    Li Qingnu finally revealed her motives. ¡°Have you forgotten your identity, Gold-ted Knife?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled for a moment. Soon after, he calmed down and stared at Li Qingnu. His thumb had quietly pressed down on the hammer of the gun.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu feigned ignorance. ¡°Miss Li, you might as well make yourself clear. What¡¯s a gold-ted knife? What identity? I don¡¯t quite understand what you¡¯re saying.¡±

    Sometimes, Qi Xuansu had the illusion that he was living another life. He was an upright Daoist priest of Tiangang Hall who would be promoted to the sixth rank and enjoy the treatment of a fifth-rank Prospective Jijiu Daoist priest after he returned to the Jade Capital. He would receive 100 Taiping coins a month and was expected to be promoted to a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master. The Tiangang Hall Master had heard of his name, and more importantly, he had Zhang Yuelu as a close friend. He had a bright future ahead.

    Qi Xuansu understood that all this was hard-won, so he did not want to lose everything he had. He no longer wanted to wander the world on his own.

    As the saying goes, he who walks with the wise grows wise, but apanion of fools suffers harm. During the time Qi Xuansu was around Zhang Yuelu, he was influenced by her. He gradually abandoned some of his bad habits and learned to be a qualified Daoist priest of Tiangang Hall and abide by the rules of the Daoist Order.

    He would try his best to capture cult members and even asionally think about grand propositions, such as the future of the Daoist Order.

    However, four months in Tiangang Hall could not erase all the traces left by his past four years roaming the world on his own andpleting missions for the Qingping Society. Qi Xuansu was still the same deep down.

    He did not intend to kill anyone, but he would not show any mercy to anyone who blocked his way or ruined his life.

    Qi Xuansu would only be bound by morals if he were a normal person. However, Qi Xuansu could not follow through on this because he was hiding something.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu exuded a strong murderous intent.

    If Li Qingnu intended to ckmail him with his identity or even tried to expose his identity, then he would not hesitate to kill her.

    He had killed people who were in the Guizhen stage before, so he had nothing to be afraid of. At worst, he would just exin to Zhang Yuelu that Li Qingnu tried to escape or that Li Qingnu tried to kill him, so he had to act in self-defense. He could not care less at this moment if Zhang Yuelu doubted him.

    If Qi Xuansu died at the hands of Li Qingnu, then he would not need to exin himself to Zhang Yuelu.

    Aware of Qi Xuansu¡¯s murderous intent, Li Qingnu probed. ¡°Do you really think that a mouse like you can be recognized as a cat of the Daoist Order after entering the Tiangang Hall? You will always be a shady mouse.¡±

    Qi Xuansu calmed himself. ¡°What do you want? You¡¯re the cash cow of the Li family, so you don¡¯t have to worry about food, clothing, or money. I don¡¯t have as much money as you do. Does that mean you want me to help you cover up your identity?¡±

    Li Qingnu did not answer him. Instead, she said, ¡°Aren''t you curious about how I got to know your identity? The reason why the Qingping Society members use an alias is to hide their identity. Logically speaking, all members of the Qingping Society would not know each other.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was not curious at all. ¡°Madam Qi must have told you.¡±

    She nced at Qi Xuansu in surprise but did not deny it. ¡°That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t kill me at the first opportunity. You should listen to what I have to say first.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not respond, but he was still holding the Divine Dragon Pistol tightly in his hand.

    Li Qingnu continued, ¡°Madam Qi told me that you would most likely pass by Shangqing Prefecture, so I estimated the time of your journey and came here to wait for you. But I didn¡¯t expect to meet you in this manner.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Did you recognize me when we were in the pavilion?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Li Qingnu shook her head and exined, ¡°The information Madam Qi gave about you is a bit out of date. She told me that you were at the Kunlun stage. But you¡¯re clearly at the Yuxu stage now, and you seem to be a Martial Arts Practitioner. If I had known this, I would never have let you get so close to me. It wasn¡¯t until I guessed Zhang Yuelu¡¯s identity and you told me yourst name that I confirmed your identity.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered in silence, finding no obvious ws in her exnation. He then asked, ¡°Are you also a member of the Qingping Society?¡±

    Li Qingnu nodded. ¡°You can call me Crimson Lips. Madam Qi sent me here. Madam Qi didn¡¯t use the mother-child talisman to contact you because she was afraid that Mage Zhang would find out about your identity.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not think there was anything wrong with this statement. During this period of time, he and Zhang Yuelu were indeed inseparable. Madam Qi was thousands of kilometers away, and she was not certain when Qi Xuansu would be able to step away from Zhang Yuelu. That was why she did not dare to contact Qi Xuansu rashly with the mother-child talisman. Clearly, the dream meeting was also not an option.

    ¡°Having said that, I don¡¯t think making contact with me like this is any better than contacting me directly with the mother-child talisman.¡± Qi Xuansu raised his brows.

    Li Qingnu sighed. ¡°This isn¡¯t my original n. You two disrupted my ns. But that¡¯s also partially my fault for underestimating Zhang Yuelu. Anyway, since we¡¯vee to this point, I can¡¯t worry so much.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°So what did Madam Qi want you to tell me that made you go so far as to risk exposure?¡±

    Li Qingnu warned. ¡°Madam Qi wants me to tell you that you are being targeted by a group of people, so you should be careful.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Qi Xuansu inquired.

    Li Qingnu did not beat around the bush. ¡°Three B-rank members of the Qingping Society: Prince Qin, Xie Qiuniang, and Hua Jianyi. You have to stay on guard. As you know, the Qingping Society isn¡¯t united. It¡¯smon for members to fight each other, just like when you wanted to kill me earlier.¡±

    When Qi Xuansu heard the name ¡°Xie Qiuniang,¡± he felt a shiver down his spine because he recalled his experience in the Yn Temple. Although Xie Qiuniang¡¯sbat skills were slightly inferior to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s, she was certainly far superior to Qi Xuansu.

    Li Qingnu added, ¡°ording to Madam Qi¡¯s information, Prince Qin and Xie Qiuniang went to Zhongzhou, while Hua Jianyi got people to monitor your movements.¡±

    Qi Xuansu immediately thought of the group of swindlers they met in Jinguan Prefecture that seemed random at the time. But after connecting the dots, those people were most likely Hua Jianyi¡¯s subordinates.

    Everything was interconnected.

    Li Qingnu continued, ¡°Madam Qi also wants me to tell you that Sage Qingwei of the Taiping Sect is going to the Imperial Capital to meet the Emperor. The Taiping Sect arranged an entourage of 36 high-ranking Daoist priests for Sage Qingwei this time.

    ¡°One of them is called Jiang Bieyun, a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master who happens to be the man behind the Fengtai County incident. Zhao Guangji, the Lieutenant Colonel of the Green Phoenix Guard in Luzhou, has also gone to the Imperial Guard¡¯s Office to await Sage Qingwei¡¯s arrival.¡±

    Qi Xuansu frowned. This time, he did not bother to wonder in awe at how wide Madam Qi¡¯swork was. His full attention was on Sage Qingwei.

    In this regard, Sage Qingwei was also involved in the search for the Xuan Jade. If Madam Qi had not cleaned up after Qi Xuansu, he would have been summoned to face the behemoth of the Taiping Sect. If that were the case, he would surely have been killed.

    Li Qingnu said, ¡°Madam Qi once helped me, so I came here to repay her kindness by rying her message to you. But I didn¡¯t expect to be caught by Zhang Yuelu, the upright Deputy Hall Master of Tiangang Hall. What should I do?¡±

    Qi Xuansu closed the hammer of the Divine Dragon Pistol. ¡°Leave this matter to me.¡±

    ¡°How will you exin my purpose foring here to the clever Mage Zhang?¡± Li Qingnu asked.

    Qi Xuansu put away the Divine Dragon Pistol. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±

    Li Qingnu chuckled. ¡°Do you like Mage Zhang?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s also none of your business.¡± Qi Xuansu quipped.

    Li Qingnu once again put on her charming courtesan facade and covered her mouth with her round fan. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t ask, as long as you can resolve this smoothly.¡±

 Chapter 154: Cover-up

    <h4>Chapter 154: Cover-up</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu wanted to subtly change Qi Xuansu and turn him into a like-minded, good person. Qi Xuansu also weed this change because he wanted to get back on the right track.

    Therefore, they had a tacit understanding. Zhang Yuelu would not probe into Qi Xuansu¡¯s past, and Qi Xuansu would try to get rid of his bad habits, including lying.

    Qi Xuansu did not want to deceive Zhang Yuelu, but when push came to shove, he had no choice but to go against his will.

    He had to think carefully about how to cover up the past because Zhang Yuelu was not a silly girl who would believe whatever he told her. She was cautious and clever. If he did note up with a good excuse, he would not be able to help cover up Li Qingnu¡¯s identity and would even get himself into trouble.

    Qi Xuansu could not imagine what Zhang Yuelu would do to him if she ever discovered his true identity. She would certainly be furious, and she might even kill him in a fit of anger.

    Based on Qi Xuansu¡¯s past experience, the best way to deceive Zhang Yuelu was to tell her some truths with a lie thrown in the mix.

    In this situation, the truths were:

    The secrets that needed to stay hidden were:

    However, these truths alone were not enough, because Zhang Yuelu was already aware of them. Thus, he needed to muddle the situation with some other information to cover up their identities as members of the Qingping Society.

    Qi Xuansu suddenly thought of the news that Madam Qi had passed on to him as well as the politics going on in the Daoist Order that Zhang Yuelu told him about. A bold idea gradually took shape in his mind.

    He asked Li Qingnu. ¡°Does your cultivatione from the Li family or the Qingping Society?¡±

    ¡°Both, but mainly the Li family,¡± Li Qingnu replied.

    Qi Xuansu inquired, ¡°What¡¯s the Li family¡¯s reaction regarding your presence in Shangqing Prefecture?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, because the Li family doesn¡¯t restrict my freedom. They only care about how much money I make for them. After all, no one can escape from the clutches of the Li family.¡±

    Li Qingnu added, ¡°That¡¯s why I hate people who only care about money.¡±

    Qi Xuansu ignored Li Qingnu¡¯s snub, stood up, and walked to the door.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu was standing outside with her arms folded across her chest. When she saw Qi Xuansu, she asked, ¡°What did you find out?¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not answer her question. ¡°Are we just going to let her go?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. What else can we do? Make a big fuss here in Jiaqing Vi, then take her to the Dazhen Mansion?¡± Zhang Yuelu quipped.

    She pursued. ¡°So, what did you find out?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°A lot. Her cultivation was given to her by the Li family, and she¡¯s here on a mission to gather information for them.¡±

    ¡°Gather information?¡± Zhang Yuelu was a little surprised. ¡°You mean, the Li family asked her to gather information using the guise of visiting rtives in Shangqing Prefecture?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Probably.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu looked thoughtful. ¡°What kind of information?¡±

    Qi Xuansu pulled an answer from thin air. ¡°Shangqing Prefecture is the core of the Zhengyi Sect, and many descendants of the Zhang family live here. If someone from the Zhang family can fall for her charms, it¡¯ll be akin to the Li family nting a spy in the Zhang family. That way, she will get to know of any troubles in the Zhang family or the Zhengyi Sect.¡±

    ¡°Are they trying to instigate a rebellion in the Zhang family?¡± Zhang Yuelu frowned. She was not surprised by such methods. Before the Holy Xuan united the Daoist Order, the various sects always fought among themselves.

    This kind of espionage wasmon. The secret societies and the Daoist Order would each send spies to infiltrate the ranks. One of the responsibilities of Beichen Hall was to get rid of these spies within the Daoist Order. In a sense, Qi Xuansu was also one of the targets.

    Zhang Yuelu added, ¡°Since the reconciliation between the Zhang and Li families, they have stopped such behavior. But it has been more than 200 years since, so I¡¯m not surprised that the Li family has taken action. But what¡¯s their intention this time?¡±

    Qi Xuansu looked solemn. ¡°The reason is very simple¡ªthe esteemed position of Grand Master.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was shocked.

    Recalling some of the Daoist Order¡¯s inside stories that Zhang Yuelu told him, Qi Xuansu continued, ¡°The position of Grand Master has been vacant since the ascension of the sixth-generation Grand Master. There have been rmendations for a new Grand Master, but none have been sessful. Now, the three Deputy Grand Masters are all over 80 years old.

    ¡°Due to their age, they¡¯re not eligible for this position. The most likely candidates to be the new Grand Master are Sage Qingwei of the Taiping Sect, Sage Cihang of the Zhengyi Sect, and Sage Donghua of the Quanzhen Sect. Since the Holy Xuan era, there have been many women serving as Deputy Grand Masters, but the Daoist Order has never had a female Grand Master. That¡¯s why Sage Cihang has garnered more support.¡±

    Although Zhang Yuelu aspired to be the Grand Master, she did not expect to be the seventh-generation Grand Master. Her goal was actually to be the eighth-generation or even the ninth-generation Grand Master decadester. The ones who truly qualified topete for the seventh-generation Grand Masters were the three Omniscient Sages that Qi Xuansu mentioned.

    Zhang Yuelu nodded pensively. ¡°It makes sense that the Taiping Sect and the Li family will take action for the sake of the Grand Master position.¡±

    To support this statement, Qi Xuansu added, ¡°Li Qingnu also said that Sage Qingwei has gone to the Imperial Capital to meet the Emperor, along with an entourage of 36 high-ranking Daoist priests from the Taiping Sect. The Taiping Sect has always had a close rtionship with the Imperial Court. If Sage Qingwei goes to the Imperial Capital at this time¡ª¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was not in Jade Capital during this period, so she was unaware of Sage Qingwei¡¯s movements. That was why she was surprised to hear this.

    Qi Xuansu observed her expression and followed through. ¡°The Emperor is the Great Sage Ziji. Will he be able to interfere with the Daoist Order¡¯s election of the Grand Master?¡±

    ¡°Theoretically, no. But that¡¯s only if the Daoist Order has a unified opinion. If the Taiping Sect decides to break the rules, then anything can happen.¡± Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face was solemn.

    Qi Xuansu stopped talking, as he had sessfully diverted Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attention to Sage Qingwei.

    Zhang Yuelu murmured, ¡°He has an entourage of 36 high-ranking Daoist priests apanying him, which indicates this isn¡¯t an ordinary visit to the Imperial Capital. It¡¯s a formal meeting with the Emperor. This matter will definitely cause an uproar within the Daoist Order. That¡¯s why the Taiping Sect is sending out their people to gather information and observe the reactions of the other sects. If the other sects had strong reactions, they would take a step back. But if the other sects did not have much of a reaction, the Taiping Sect would take it a step further.¡±

    Qi Xuansu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

    At this time, Li Qingnu, who was still inside the room, held her round fan over her agape mouth. She looked at Qi Xuansu with aplicated gaze.

    Li Qingnu was not surprised by Zhang Yuelu¡¯s analysis. Instead, she was startled by how close the nonsense Qi Xuansu came up with was to the truth.

    The Taiping Sect had the intention to test the reactions of other sects, but that was not her task. Her only job was to make money. The Li family thought it would be too wasteful for their cash cow to be a spy. In fact, the Taiping Sect, which was led by the Li family, did not need to deliberately send out manpower to gather information. They only needed to contact their spies and secret agents who had been lying in wait for a long time.

    Of course, the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect were notpletely ignorant. They would also respond ordingly.

    When Zhang Yuelu returned to her senses, Qi Xuansu asked tentatively, ¡°What about Li Qingnu?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her. If the Li family really wants to gather information, they won¡¯t just send one person.¡± Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to Shangqing County now.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that we should stay in Shangqing Prefecture for a few days? We¡¯ve already paid for the room at the Taiping Inn.¡±

    ¡°Forget it. I want to report this matter to the Dazhen Mansion immediately,¡± Zhang Yuelu said with urgency.

    Qi Xuansu knew that most of what he said was made up based on his spection, so he suddenly felt guilty. ¡°The Dazhen Mansion probably knows about it already, so we don¡¯t need to report it.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was serious about matters rting to the Daoist Order. She did not leave room for negotiation as she stated, ¡°Whether the Dazhen Mansion knows about it is irrelevant, but it¡¯s my business whether to report it or not.¡±

    Qi Xuansu suddenly remembered Madam Qi¡¯s warning that a group of Qingping Society members were eyeing him because of the Xuan Jade incident in Yn Temple.

    He and Zhang Yuelu were too big of a target. Moreover, Zhang Yuelu was unaware of the existence of this group of people, so she would not deliberately conceal her whereabouts, making it hard for him to avoid this group of people.

    Qi Xuansu could not exin to Zhang Yuelu how he got to know about this group of people to avoid arousing her suspicion. He also could not tell her the truth about the Xuan Jade, let alone persuade Zhang Yuelu to act with caution.

    Remembering this, Qi Xuansu thought that it was a good choice to go to Shangqing County immediately.

    Shangqing County was the center of Shangqing Prefecture, which was under the jurisdiction of the Zhengyi Sect. Zhang Yuelu mentioned before that Xie Qiuniang was from the Confucian School, so it would be difficult for that group of people to sneak into Shangqing County.

    Although Qi Xuansu would have to face Madam Tantai ahead of schedule, he could avoid Xie Qiuniang¡¯s group.

    After the New Year, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu would not have to go back the same way. They could take a flying ship from Shangqing Pce back to Jade Capital. That way, they couldpletely escape from the pursuit of this group of people.

    Qi Xuansu suggested, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go to Shangqing County now. But let¡¯s get a refund on the room first. Anyway, you¡¯ll need to change out of this getup.¡±

 Chapter 155: Shangqing County

    <h4>Chapter 155: Shangqing County</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu returned to the Taiping Inn. After Zhang Yuelu changed out of her disguise, they went to the counter to check out. The receptionist at the inn was easygoing, allowing them to pay for one day¡¯s rent and refunding the remaining deposit to them.

    Qi Xuansu collected the rent and left the city with Zhang Yuelu.

    It was already gettingte, and the city gates were closed. However, since it had been peaceful for many years, there was a small side door open for people to enter and exit from.

    They witnessed a small incident when they were leaving the city.

    A carriage was about to leave the city, while another carriage wanted to enter. The side door was narrow, but the two carriages moved toward each other, refusing to give way.

    A fat man stepped out of the more luxurious carriage and started cursing at the ordinary-looking carriage. However, after seeing a pretty young maid getting out of the ordinary-looking carriage, the fat man changed his tune. He stopped cursing and began to tease her instead.

    Immediately afterward, a young man stepped out of the ordinary carriage. The man had a cold expression and did not bother to argue with the fat man. Instead, he asked the young maid and the coachman to step aside and held the horse''s reins himself. A momentter, he whipped the horses and crashed into the luxurious carriage.

    The horse and the ordinary carriage overturned, but the young man was quite skilled. He had jumped off the carriage at the critical moment, so he did not get injured.

    Zhang Yuelu watched the farce expressionlessly. She was only annoyed that they were blocking her path.

    Qi Xuansu asked in a whisper, ¡°Is this domineering man a descendant of the Zhang family?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Zhang Yuelu scowled. ¡°But this behavior is a disgrace to all mankind.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not lower her voice, so the young man heard them. He was infuriated and walked toward the two of them with a riding whip in hand. Judging from his offensive stance, he nned to teach the two of them a lesson by beating them to a pulp.

    Qi Xuansu took the initiative to step forward. As soon as the young man raised his riding whip, he felt a chill on his forehead. At some point, Qi Xuansu had taken out his Divine Dragon Pistol and pressed it against the young man¡¯s forehead.

    This method of using a gun was strictly prohibited when taught in the courses of the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, as a skilled opponent could easily seize the gun. The correct method was to keep a distance from the opponent and fire the gun before the opponent approached.

    However, Qi Xuansu did not follow this rule because most people had not received systematic training on how to seize a gun, and most people would instinctively panic when a gun was held to their forehead.

    Normally, Qi Xuansu would not be so reckless. But he was holding back some pent-up anger because of his encounter with Li Qingnu. That courtesan had seen through his identity and shattered some of his illusions.

    Some of Li Qingnu¡¯s harsh words reyed in Qi Xuansu¡¯s mind.

    <i>¡°Do you really think of yourself as a Daoist priest from Tiangang Hall who hunts down cult demons?¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Do you really think that you can marry her?¡±</i>

    <i>¡°You¡¯ll always be a shady mouse.¡±</i>

    Qi Xuansu felt like killing someone at the time, but he managed to suppress his murderous intent after Li Qingnu revealed her identity as a member of the Qingping Society. He did not argue with her and even kept her identity a secret. That was because Qi Xuansu had to behave normally so as not to make Zhang Yuelu suspicious.

    That was why he had some pent-up anger. Since this arrogant young man provoked him, Qi Xuansu would dly teach that lout a lesson.

    Qi Xuansu did not even bother to say any threatening words. He merely pressed down on the hammer of the gun and hooked his index finger on the trigger. The whole time, he was staring at the arrogant young man.

    This was the killing aura that Zhang Yuelu noticed on Qi Xuansu back then.

    The arrogant young man, who had been so aggressive earlier, instantly turned pale. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and his body froze.

    Whether a person wanted or dared to kill someone was obvious. If a timiddy pointed a gun at him, he would not care about it and would even dare to seize the gun from her. That was because he knew that the timiddy would not dare to fire the gun. However, when Qi Xuansu held a gun to his forehead, he did not dare to move or speak.

    The arrogant man had an intuition that if he made a move, Qi Xuansu would shoot him. Even if it was not fatal, it would hurt.

    Zhang Yuelu noticed something wrong with Qi Xuansu, so she stepped forward and held his wrist. ¡°Tian Yuan, forget it.¡±

    Qi Xuansu kept silent for a moment. Then, he slowly removed the gun from the man¡¯s forehead.

    That man no longer looked as arrogant as before. He breathed a long sigh of relief and took a few steps back, almost losing his bnce and falling to the ground.

    Qi Xuansu suddenlyughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s really difficult to be a good person.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not know what Qi Xuansu was bothered by, so she did not catch the hidden meaning of this.

    She chided him. ¡°You¡¯re good at everything, but you¡¯re just too violent sometimes. You¡¯re not usually so impulsive. Why are you so worked up this time?¡±

    Qi Xuansu answered truthfully, ¡°Li Qingnu said something that irked me earlier.¡±

    She remarked, ¡°The Li family is always entric. It¡¯s a well-known fact that they can be harsh with words. Even many of the Sages weren¡¯t spared when discussing matters in the Golden Tower Council. So don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was not suspicious of Qi Xuansu, nor did she ask about what happened in detail. She did not think that Qi Xuansu, who remained calm after being punched by Zhao Fu¡¯an, neededforting, so she offered a perfunctory constion.

    As someone who prided himself on being mentally resilient and adaptable, Qi Xuansu gathered his thoughts and followed Zhang Yuelu out of the city.

    The two carriages did notpletely block the side gate. There was still a small gap for people to walk through.

    After leaving the city, Zhang Yuelu suddenly said, ¡°If I guessed correctly, my cousin has probably left for Shangqing County. If we travel fast enough, we will probably bump into her.¡±

    ¡°What is she doing in Shangqing County?¡± Qi Xuansu asked ignorantly.

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°Toin to my mother, of course. My cousin is too self-righteous and stubborn. Only a few people are capable of swaying her thoughts. When she fell in love with Li Minghuang, no one in the family could dissuade her. Now that she believes you are the next Li Minghuang, she¡¯ll want to steer me back on the right path. This is also my fault. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have provoked her.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve already anticipated it. I can handle it.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to meet my family now. Perhaps after a few years¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like to give up halfway,¡± Qi Xuansu interrupted.

    Zhang Yuelu nced at Qi Xuansu with a look of resignation. Finally, she smiled, as she believed that Qi Xuansu could handle it.

    ......

    As Zhang Yuelu predicted, Zhang Yuyue had arrived in Shangqing County one step ahead of them.

    In addition to therge flying ships, the Daoist Order also had small flying boats. The principles of the two modes of transport were different. The flying ships were made of dragon pearls and skeletons, then supplemented by formation talismans. There were different types of smaller flying ships, including mechanical birds and feather boats, which were a specialty of the Zhengyi Sect.

    ording to legend, there were boats shaped like snails that submerged in water without letting water in. They were called Snail Boats. There were also flying boats called Feather Boats that could fly through the clouds like birds.

    Compared with the flying ships, these small flying boats could only fly shorter distances and at a slower speed. It could only amodate two or three people. However, the advantage was that it did not require dragon pearls or skeletons to operate. It could operate with only talismans and formations.

    Zhang Yuyue left Fenning County by flying boat. Although she left Fenning Countyter than Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu, she arrived in Shangqing County one step ahead of them.

    Not far outside Shangqing County was Yunjin Mountain.

    The area from the foot of the mountain to the mountainside was considered Shangqing Town, which was further divided into Uptown and Downtown. There were various pces and temples on the mountainside, with Dazhen Mansion at the top of the mountain.

    Everyone knew of the Dazhen Mansion of the Zhengyi Sect, but there were many other pces and temples on Yunjin Mountain, including Shangqing Pce, Beizhen Temple, Nanji Temple, Chongyuan Temple, Zhenxian Temple, and many more.

    Dazhen Mansion was the residence of the Heavenly Preceptor and the main branch of the Zhang family. Other disciples of the Zhengyi Sect lived in other temples in Shangqing Town.

    Zhang Yuyue¡¯s maiden home was the Dazhen Mansion. However, as soon as she arrived at Yunjin Mountain, she did not return home to meet her father and brother. Instead, she went straight to Shangqing Town, situated on the mountainside.

 Chapter 156: Visit to Shangqing County (I)

    <h4>Chapter 156: Visit to Shangqing County (I)</h4>

    Shangqing Temple was a local Daoist temple located in Shangqing County. It was much smaller than the Shangqing Pce, but it had an important status.

    There was a two-story building in Shangqing Temple with a spacious living room on the first floor. A rosewood table with a marble top was ced on the north wall, paired with an intricately carved rosewood armchair on each side. There were eight rosewood chairs with tables ced on the east and west walls. The floor was paved with marble of the same color, iid with fragments of jasper.

    At this time, Zhang Yuelu was sitting on the chair on the upper right side of the room, holding a cup of tea brewed with tea leaves plucked this year in early spring. She took a sip from time to time as vapors rose from the gaiwan, shrouding her face.

    The tea was good, but Zhang Yuelu was not in a good mood because the owner of this ce irritated her. Even so, she kept a neutral face.

    The first floor was impressive, but the second floor was even grander. The floor of the room was made of red sandalwood square wooden nks, which were 3 centimeters thick and 67 centimeters wide each. In the middle of the room was arge tbed about 3 meters wide, with a mahogany zither table in front of it. The bed was surrounded by incense burners with fine ambergris, emitting thin wisps of fragrant smoke.

    A woman took off her shoes and socks, walking barefoot on the floor. Her footsteps were particrly clear as she walked across the empty second floor to the zither. Then she stretched out her fingers and gently plucked the strings of the zither twice, looking deep in thought.

    Hearing the zither and the woman¡¯s footsteps, Zhang Yuelu finally lost her patience. She set down the gaiwan heavily on the table and stomped up the stairs to the second floor.

    The barefoot woman nced at Zhang Yuelu calmly, looked away, and continued to y the zither.

    Zhang Yuelu did not bother taking off her dirty boots and stormed in, leaving a series of footprints on the expensive wooden floor.

    Seeing this, the woman could no longer ignore Zhang Yuelu. She quipped, ¡°Wow, someone¡¯s got a temper.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu scoffed. ¡°I might have a temper, but it¡¯s nothingpared to your inted pride. I didn¡¯t even wait this long to see the Earthly Preceptor. If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think that the Grand Master had summoned me.¡±

    ¡°Qing Xiao, you have been in the Jade Capital for a few years. In addition to your rapid promotion in rank and position, I can see that you¡¯re also getting quite eloquent. You don¡¯t even bother to address me with respect anymore. Who did you learn this from? It can¡¯t be Li Tianzhen, right?¡±

    The woman was no longer young. She was at least from the same generation as Zhang Yuelu¡¯s parents.

    Zhang Yuelu retorted. ¡°I¡¯m not here to quarrel with you. If you want me to address you with respect, you should at least act like an elder. Do you think you deserve respect after all that you¡¯ve done over the years?¡±

    ¡°I am indeed unworthy, especially since I¡¯m a nobody to the Heavenly Preceptor, the Earthly Preceptor, and the Imperial Preceptor. I¡¯m far below you.¡± The womanughed instead of feeling offended. ¡°But I like your temper. You¡¯re much better than those fake y puppets in the Dazhen Mansion.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu turned around and walked downstairs. ¡°Get dressed ande down. I need to discuss something with you.¡±

    Not long after, the woman, who was nearly 40 years old, changed into a wide-sleeved, knee-length outer coat with slits at the armpits and a skirt and a tube top underneath. She put on her shoes and socks again before walking downstairs.

    Zhang Yuelu did not bother to nce at the woman, concentrating on sipping her tea.

    The woman did not like to drink tea or alcohol, but she liked smoking. She took out a smoking pipe made entirely of gold, aside from its fine jade lip. The only drawback of such an exquisite smoking pipe was its heavy weight, making it difficult for ordinary people to smoke for a long time. However, the woman obviously did not mind.

    She did not get anyone to wait on her and filled the chamber herself with the finest tobo leaves from Liaodong.

    The woman¡¯s name was Su Ying, whose husband was from a small branch of the Zhang family. Technically, Zhang Yuelu should address Su Ying as her aunt. In the past, Zhang Yuelu had a good rtionship with Su Ying, but after thetter had an affair with a rising star of the Daoist Order, Zhang Yuelu stopped respecting her, as that man was young enough to be Su Ying¡¯s son. He was also a Banished Immortal with a bright future, like Zhang Yuelu.

    Su Ying was a widow, and the Zhang family allowed her to remarry, so they did not care about her private affairs. Zhang Yuelu would not mind if Su Ying remarried that Banished Immortal. The problem was that he was already engaged to a youngdy from a Confucian family. Thus, Su Ying pestering an engaged man was a despicable and disgraceful act.

    Influenced by the Quanzhen Sect, Zhang Yuelu was more conservative than most of her peers in the Zhengyi Sect. That was why she could not ept this kind of behavior and grew distant from Su Ying. She also did not hide her disdain for Su Ying.

    On the other hand, Zhang Yuyue had integrity, even though she did not have a good eye for men. When she learned that Li Minghuang had cheated on her, she did not hesitate to break up with him. That was why Zhang Yuelu still maintained contact with her cousin.

    Zhang Yuelu went to Shangqing Temple with the intention of reporting her findings about the Li family¡¯s movements. She thought that Shangqing Temple could ry the message to the Dazhen Mansion so that it would save her a trip there. However, she did not expect Su Ying to be in charge of Shangqing Temple.

    What made Zhang Yuelu feel even more helpless was that Su Ying seemed to be siding with her mother. Her mother probably had nothing better to do than ask Su Ying to test the waters first. Although Su Ying¡¯s moral conduct was questionable, she was capable and had a keen eye for people. At least, Su Ying was much better at discerning character than the ¡°blind¡± Zhang Yuyue. That made Su Ying a suitable candidate to test Qi Xuansu.

    If it were before, Zhang Yuelu would not have cared much about this kind of test, as she did not think about a future with Qi Xuansu, so it did not matter to her whether her family had a bad impression of him.

    However, along this journey, Zhang Yuelu gradually changed her mind. That was why she wanted to send Qi Xuansu back to Jade Capital. She did not want him to meet her family so soon, but Qi Xuansu refused to abort this mission halfway.

    Since they were all bound to meet each other, Zhang Yuelu wanted Qi Xuansu to leave a good impression on her family.

    Su Ying sat on the chair in the center of the living room and blew out a smoke ring. She chuckled and said, ¡°Qing Xiao, I heard that you brought a young man back. This is a rare asion. You even rejected Li Tianzhen, the direct descendant of the Holy Xuan. I wonder who is this young man who caught your eye? Is he the son of the Earthly Preceptor?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu rebutted. ¡°Besides one¡¯s family background and master lineage, what else do you think of?¡±

    ¡°Fine, we won¡¯t mention family background. Let¡¯s talk about ability, then.¡± Su Ying smiled. ¡°Qing Xiao, you¡¯re a Banished Immortal, so you should find a Banished Immortal as well, or at least a Confucian Hermit. This young man is¡ª?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s tone was t. ¡°A Rogue Cultivator.¡±

    ¡°Rogue Cultivator?¡± Su Ying was startled at first before registering the information. Then sheughed out loud. ¡°That forged lineage? But I guess that makes sense. Rogue Cultivators are modeled based on Banished Immortals, which makes them Lesser Banished Immortals. How hrious!¡±

    Su Ying was a mature woman who maintained her appearance and figure well, so she was still very charming despite her age. At this moment, sheughed so hard that her chest was shaking and her face was rosy. She was very attractive, but it was a pity that she did not have an audience to appreciate her beauty.

    Zhang Yuelu had expected Su Ying¡¯s mockery, so she merely stared at Su Ying with an expressionless face.

    Su Ying wanted tough harder, but seeing Zhang Yuelu¡¯s dull reaction, she felt ignored and gradually stoppedughing.

    ¡°Are you doneughing?¡± Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you find so funny. He¡¯s a Rogue Cultivator without a family, but does he deserve to beughed at? You people, on the other hand, only have your family status to show for. What else do you have? Forget it. It¡¯s pointless talking to a cow like you.¡±

    Su Ying¡¯s smile faded. ¡°When you say ¡®you people,¡¯ does that also include my sister-inw?¡±

    The sister-inw Su Ying referred to was Madam Tantai, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s mother.

    Zhang Yuelu acquiesced to it. If Madam Tantai was not her mother, she would not have any interaction with her because they had different principles.

    At this moment, a Daoist priest came in to inform them of Qi Xuansu¡¯s arrival.

    Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu went to Shangqing County together, but they went their separate ways after entering the city. Zhang Yuelu came to Shangqing Temple, while Qi Xuansu went to the Huasheng Hall to have his broken arm examined.

    Su Ying instructed, ¡°Let him in."

    Soon, Qi Xuansu walked in. Su Ying sat there, while Zhang Yuelu stood up and greeted him. ¡°Tian Yuan.¡±

    Su Ying nced at Zhang Yuelu, slightly surprised by this.

    Although Zhang Yuelu was not arrogant, Su Ying thought that Zhang Yuelu had a unique criteria for judging people, and this criteria was a mystery to most people. To Su Ying, Zhang Yuelu was always strange and unconventional. Zhang Yuelu disregarded things that were often treasured by others, but she would treat the things that others looked down on as treasures. For example, Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu did not know who Su Ying was, so he saluted her in greeting.

 Chapter 157: Visit to Shangqing County (II)

    <h4>Chapter 157: Visit to Shangqing County (II)</h4>

    Su Ying¡¯s charming smile resurfaced. ¡°Daoist Qi, there¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony. Please, have a seat.¡±

    Qi Xuansu straightened up and nced at Su Ying. Although Su Ying was not as aggressive as Zhang Yuyue, he keenly noticed her hostile tone.

    However, Qi Xuansu had expected this, so he did not say much and sat next to Zhang Yuelu.

    Su Ying chuckled and asked, ¡°Daoist Qi, are you Qing Xiao¡¯s subordinate?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Qi Xuansu spoke calmly. ¡°I am a deacon of Tiangang Hall, currently a seventh-rank Daoist priest. My master passed away long ago, and I¡¯m not rted to the Qi family of the Quanzhen Sect.¡±

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Su Ying questioned, ¡°I¡¯m not a Daoist priest from Beichen Hall interrogating a prisoner. It was just a casual question, so why bother telling me so much? I won¡¯t be able to remember it anyway. Are you harboring resentment toward me?¡±

    Before Qi Xuansu could answer, Zhang Yuelu interjected. ¡°Since your brain is not working, you should stop talking so as not to waste our time.¡±

    Su Ying¡¯s expression changed slightly before it returned to normal. ¡°Qing Xiao, why are you so rude to me in front of outsiders?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu retorted. ¡°You just said that you like my temper and that you much prefer it to those fake y puppets in the Dazhen Mansion. Why are you mad at me for fulfilling your wish?¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Su Ying was speechless for a moment.

    Zhang Yuelu sneered, ¡°Are you harboring resentment toward me? If so, there¡¯s no need to hide it. But even if you do, I don¡¯t intend to change myself.¡±

    Qi Xuansu lowered his head and tried not tough. He suddenly felt that Zhang Yuelu was like an old hen spreading out its wings to protect its little chick, pecking anyone who dared to approach them.

    Although Su Ying was trembling with anger, she knew that she was far inferior to Zhang Yuelu in a fight, and she would be the one suffering a loss in the end. Thus, Su Ying adjusted her breath and snorted. ¡°Fine, it¡¯s my fault for speaking too much. But Qing Xiao, your behavior is starting to resemble that of the Li family. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that you were a Li.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu continued to sip on her tea. Actually, it would not be a bad thing if Zhang Yuelu had been born into the Li family. Even though the Li family had all kinds of questionable qualities, there was one thing that the Zhang family could notpare to, which was meritocracy.

    In the Li family, those who were capable, even adopted children or children-inw, could be the head of the family. This was the reason the Li family could thrive forever. On the contrary, the Zhang family was strict about drawing a line between the main branch of the family and the distant branches. To this day, the Zhang family has never had a female Heavenly Preceptor.

    Qi Xuansu changed the topic. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I haven¡¯t asked for your name yet.¡±

    ¡°Myst name is Su.¡± Su Ying smiled and added, ¡°I¡¯m Qing Xiao¡¯s aunt.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu spoke in a sarcastic tone, like that of the Li family. ¡°If my uncle can witness everything in heaven and knows about your unwaveringmitment and great achievements, he will be so happy that he¡¯ll wish to have lived for another 500 years.¡±

    Although Qi Xuansu did not know the inside story, he could hear Zhang Yuelu mocking Su Ying. He stifled augh and thought to himself, <i>Qing Xiao sure has a way with words. She is definitely more sarcastic than I am.</i>

    Qi Xuansu collected his thoughts and said seriously, ¡°Madam Su, I have never met you before, so how can I bear any resentment for you? I was merely stating facts.¡±

    ¡°Stating facts, huh?¡± Su Ying leaned forward with a meaningful gaze. ¡°Qing Xiao is a talented girl with many suitors. You should have heard of Li Tianzhen pursuing Qing Xiao, but she rejected him and even beat him up. That was a glorious moment for Qing Xiao, but she has made some enemies for herself since then.

    ¡°Li Tianzhen will surely seek revenge one day. Qing Xiao has the protection of the Heavenly Preceptor and the Earthly Preceptor. She also has Sage Cihang as her backer. So naturally, she won¡¯t be afraid of Li Tianzhen. But there is no guarantee that Li Tianzhen won¡¯t vent his anger on the people around Qing Xiao. Aren¡¯t you afraid that you¡¯ll be his target?

    ¡°Surely, a grown man like you won¡¯t think of hiding behind Qing Xiao forever, right? Won¡¯t you just be a useless, pretty boy, then? Sorry for being blunt, but I hope you understand what I¡¯m saying.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had already thought about this problem. ¡°It would be a lie if I said that I¡¯m not afraid at all, but one can¡¯t stop eating just because one is afraid of choking. Tiangang Hall priests will risk their lives fighting demons. They won¡¯t quit because of fear or allow these demons to destroy the world. It¡¯s the same concept, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Su Ying raised her eyebrows. It was hard to refute such an urate analogy, so she changed her tune. ¡°What about Qing Xiao attracts you? It can¡¯t be just because of her background, right?¡±

    She went straight to the point.

    Qi Xuansu asked back, ¡°I don¡¯t see a need for me to borate on Qing Xiao¡¯s strengths. But Madam Su, do you think that Qing Xiao is nothing without her background?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu had developed a tacit understanding after so long. Zhang Yuelu took over the conversation and ended the topic. ¡°Since I¡¯m nothing without my family background, it¡¯s only right for me to be matched with Tian Yuan, a seventh-rank Daoist priest. Auntie, you don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡±

    Su Ying shed a fake smile. Her face was shrouded in tobo smoke as she remarked, ¡°Since you called me ¡®Auntie,¡¯ I shouldn¡¯t push it too far.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said expressionlessly, ¡°Well, it¡¯s gettingte, so we¡¯ll get going.¡±

    Su Ying put down the smoking pipe in her hand. ¡°Go on then, I won¡¯t be sending you two off.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu walked out the door. Qi Xuansu saluted Su Ying again before leaving Shangqing Temple with Zhang Yuelu.

    After they left, Zhang Yueluined. ¡°I really don¡¯t like the Zhang family, but I can¡¯t do anything about it. They should really look at the Li family, who work together as one to attack outsiders. The Li family is now testing the reactions of the other sects regarding their im to the position of Grand Master. But what is the Zhang family doing now? They¡¯re just showing off their status as one of the three most powerful families in the world.

    ¡°Li Qingnu even dares to go to Shangqing Prefecture openly, but does the Zhang family dare step foot into Beihai Prefecture? All they can do is embarrass you and bully you. The Zhang family was already in decline during thest fight with the Li family.

    ¡°If the Holy Xuan had not intervened to facilitate the Zhang family and the Li family¡¯s negotiation, the Zhang family would have beenpletely defeated. Without the Holy Xuan, the Zhang family would not be in their current position today.¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head in disappointment. When people mentioned Zhang Yuelu, the first thing that they thought of was how she had beaten up Li Tianzhen. Few people mentioned the major Jiangnan case that Zhang Yuelu contributed to. It seemed that the consequences of beating the young master of the Li family were more terrifying than the major Jiangnan case. This just proved how powerful the Li family was.

    Among the higher-ups of the Daoist Order, the Great Sage of the Taiping Sect and Sage Qingwei were both from the Li family. Among all the Virtuous Great Sages, Omniscient Sages, and Sages, seven of them were members of the Li family.

    On the other hand, Sage Cihang was not from the Zhang family. There was also no concept of bloodlines in the Quanzhen Sect due to their rule of celibacy. From this point of view, the Li family was indeed the number one family in the Daoistmunity. They were even stronger than the Zhang family.

    The Zhang family only had a longer history. That was why they were considered one of the three major families in the world, alongside the descendants of Confucius and the current royal family.

    Zhang Yuelu sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. I can¡¯t do anything to influence the Zhang family¡¯s decline or prosperity. I just need to focus on my own goal. I apologize for what Su Ying¡ªmy aunt¡ªsaid earlier. Please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±

    Qi Xuansu reassured her. ¡°This is nothing. It doesn¡¯t hurt me. Now that we have met your cousin and aunt, both of whom are women, isn¡¯t it time for me to meet a male representative from the Zhang family?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°Right. I have a cousin who lives in Shangqing County now. We¡¯ll visit himter and have a meal together. This cousin of mine is very easygoing. He doesn¡¯t have any contact with my mother either, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not dare to let down his guard, but he did not show his nervousness. ¡°Are we going now?¡±

    ¡°Yes. After that, we¡¯ll go home.¡± Zhang Yuelu added, ¡°Let¡¯s just get it over with.¡±

    Qi Xuansu could not help butugh. ¡°You¡¯re impatient.¡±

    ¡°I am. I just don¡¯t understand what the hell the Zhang family is doing fighting among each other at such a critical moment!¡± Zhang Yuelu did not deny it.

    The two of them walked to thergest restaurant in Shangqing County. Although it was not very luxurious, it was still a decent ce to meet up.

    Zhang Yuelu had arranged for them to meet her cousin there, so her cousin had arrived before them and was waiting for them in front of the restaurant.

    Her cousin was Zhang Chiyue, who was also a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master from the same <i>Yue</i> generation of the Zhang family as her. However, in terms of position, he was only a superintendent of Ziwei Hall, so he was inferior to Zhang Yuelu, who was a Deputy Hall Master of Tiangang Hall.

    <i>Most high-ranking Daoist priests would have to stay in the fourth rank for a long time due to their position. Generally speaking, Hall Masters and Daoist Mansion Masters were mostly Omniscient Sages. The Chief Deputy Hall Master, Chief Deputy Mansion Master, Second Deputy Hall Master, and Second Deputy Mansion Master were served by ordinary Sages.</i>

    <i>Aside from some nominal Deputy Hall Master and Deputy Mansion Master, who were second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters, under normal circumstances, ordinary Deputy Hall Masters and Deputy Mansion Masters were third-rank Youyi Daoist masters. Usually, one¡¯s rank rose in ordance with one¡¯s position.</i>

    <i>However, there were a fixed number of positions for Deputy Hall Masters and Deputy Mansion Masters. Each hall or Daoist mansion was allowed up to nine Deputy Hall Masters or Deputy Mansion Masters. Excluding the Chief and Second Deputies, there were only seven deputies for each hall or Daoist mansion. Within the Nine Halls, there were 56 such positions. Including the many local Daoist mansions, there were less than 200 such positions.</i>

    <i>In addition, there were many third-rank Youyi Daoist masters who did not hold any positions but were promoted through cultivation level and seniority. Thus, there were only about 300 third-rank Youyi Daoist masters in the entire Daoistmunity. A good chunk of them were concentrated in Jade Capital, while the rest were scattered around the world.</i>

    Zhang Yuelu was a special case, being a Deputy Hall Master when she was only at the fourth rank. She was personally promoted by the Earthly Preceptor, who was the acting Grand Master for the time being. Thus, she was the subject of envy.

    Due to this, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s status was far higher than that of Zhang Yuyue and other fourth-rank Daoist masters.

    But in any case, Qi Xuansu still had to show respect to a fourth-rank Daoist master, so he bowed to Zhang Chiyue in greeting. Then they proceeded to a private room on the third floor.

    After receiving hatred from the Zhang family members, Qi Xuansu finally felt some amiability from the Zhang family this time.

    Zhang Chiyue did not look down on Qi Xuansu. He even thought that Zhang Yuelu had a good eye for men. Regardless of whether Zhang Chiyue was just being polite, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu had an enjoyable meal with him.

 Chapter 158: Zhang Juping

    <h4>Chapter 158: Zhang Juping</h4>

    As soon as Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu stepped out of the restaurant, they saw a man dressed as a servant walking quickly toward them, holding up a child talisman with both hands.

    Zhang Yuelu subconsciously reached out to take it, but the servant retracted his hand and said, ¡°Forgive me, Miss Zhang. This is for Daoist Qi.¡±

    Hearing this, Zhang Yuelu frowned slightly and said nothing.

    Qi Xuansu took the child talisman, then the servant retreated.

    Not long after, Qi Xuansu felt a warmthing from the talisman in his hand. He turned into a deserted alley nearby and injected some qi into the talisman, which then burned like a ball of me. However, the me was not scorching to the touch. A slightly blurred upper-body silhouette of a middle-aged man appeared in the mes. The projection was only the size of a palm and was slightly distorted as the mes danced with the breeze.

    A deep and rich voice came from the mes. ¡°I am Qing Xiao¡¯s uncle. As soon as I heard that Qing Xiao had brought a young man back home, I got a little curious. If you don¡¯t mind, let¡¯s meet up tomorrow.¡±

    Of course, Qi Xuansu had no reason to refuse. He asked, ¡°Please tell me the location, sir.¡±

    The middle-aged man smiled. ¡°I¡¯m at Shangqing Pce. You cane over tomorrow.¡±

    After that, the middle-aged man ended themunication without giving Qi Xuansu a chance to reject him.

    Qi Xuansu turned to look at Zhang Yuelu.

    She said helplessly, ¡°That¡¯s my uncle, Zhang Juping. He¡¯s a third-rank Youyi Daoist master and the second-inmand in Shangqing Pce. He has been steadily climbing the ranks.¡±

    <i>In addition to the Nine Halls and the local Daoist mansions, the Daoist Order also had some special institutions with important status, such as the Dazhen Mansion, Zhenjing Courtyard, Chongyang Pce of Immortality, Wanxiang Daoist Pce, Shangqing Pce, Qingling Pce, and Wuxu Pce.</i>

    <i>Aside from the three Deputy Grand Masters who were in charge of the Dazhen Mansion, Zhenjing Courtyard, and Chongyang Pce of Immortality, respectively, the other pces were equivalent to the Nine Halls and were each controlled by an Omniscient Sage called the Pce Master. The Pce Master was equivalent in rank to the Hall Master and Mansion Master, with the responsibility of assisting the three Deputy Grand Masters.</i>

    <i>The Deputy Pce Master was in charge of handling various affairs for the Pce Master, equivalent in rank to the Deputy Hall Master and Deputy Mansion Master. The only difference was that the Deputy Hall Master and Deputy Mansion Master had a Chief Deputy and a Second Deputy, who were held by second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters. The Deputy Pce Master were not segregated by rank and were held by third-rank Youyi Daoist masters.</i>

    Qi Xuansu was a little worried.

    Zhang Yuyue, Su Ying, and Zhang Chiyue were all fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters. They had not served as the Deputy Hall Master like Zhang Yuelu, so they were inferior to her. They were like Sun Yongfeng and Lingquanzi, who were also fourth-rank Daoist masters. Based on their positions, they were only one level above Qi Xuansu and were considered mid-level priests.

    However, a third-rank Daoist master was different. Zhang Juping was considered a high-ranking and powerful person in the upper echelons of the Daoist Order.

    Since Qi Xuansu received an invitation from Zhang Juping, Zhang Yuelu would apany Qi Xuansu to Yunjin Mountain. That way, Qi Xuansu could meet Zhang Juping at the Shangqing Pce while she could go to the Dazhen Mansion to report on the Li family¡¯s situation. She was distrustful of Su Ying and decided to ry the message herself, especially since the Dazhen Mansion and Shangqing Pce were right next to each other.

    Thus, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu stayed overnight at the Taiping Inn in Shangqing County and checked out early the next morning to head to Yunjin Mountain.

    There were two roads to get to the top of Yunjin Mountain. One road passed through Shangqing Town, where one could enjoy the beautiful scenery of Yunjin Mountain. The other road was steeper but shorter in distance because it did not go through Shangqing Town. Many non-Zhang Daoist priests who took the flying ship to Wuzhou would use this route to avoid disturbing the peace at Shangqing Town.

    This time, Zhang Yuelu chose the steeper path and went up the mountain in a hanging basket.

    Qi Xuansu had seen the Daoist Order¡¯s hanging baskets in Taiping Mountain and Kunlun Mountain. It was a good means to travel up and down mountains. However, Yunjin Mountain¡¯s hanging basket was slightly different. It did not go straight up and down but tilted at an angle.

    The tilt was a result of the Great Battle on Yunjin Mountain more than 200 years ago when the Holy Xuan disrupted the ground formation in a fit of anger. Many peaks copsed in therge-scale earthquakes caused by the Holy Xuan''s wrath, which greatly changed the terrain of Yunjin Mountain. Even a corner of the Dazhen Mansion was affected.

    Although Zhengyi Sect made repairs since then, the mountain could not bepletely restored to its original appearance. This resulted in itsplicated terrain, making it impossible for the hanging basket to travel vertically up and down in one go, like at the Taiping Mountain. If they maintained the regr design of the hanging basket, which traveled vertically up and down, it had to be divided into several sections. Then one would have to change hanging baskets midway.

    Thus, the Zhengyi Sect simply decided to change the mechanism of the hanging basket to travel at an acute angle from the foot to the top of the mountain.

    There was a Nanji Temple on the south side of the mountain base, located on the road to Shangqing Town. On the north side of the mountain base was Beizhen Temple, where the hanging basket was located.

    Zhang Yuelu led Qi Xuansu to Beizhen Temple. After showing their credentials, they took the hanging basket up Yunjin Mountain.

    The hanging basket went up diagonally along the metal chains. At first, there was nothing out of the ordinary. After a while, the fog gradually thickened. They could also see the clouds floating around them.

    Qi Xuansu leaned out of the basket and looked out. Thendform of Yunjin Mountain was indeed very strange. With his basic knowledge of feng shui learned from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, Qi Xuansu could not decipher much from it.

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°The terrain here is very strange, isn¡¯t it? The Zhengyi Sect has been repairing it for nearly 100 years. This is what happens when you offend the Holy Xuan. During that battle, a Heavenly Preceptor of the Zhang family died along with countless Zhang family disciples.

    ¡°Is it the Deposed Heavenly Preceptor in the Holy Xuan Cards?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Zhang Yuelu nodded.

    After a while, the hanging basket entered the clouds. Looking down from the basket, one could only see white and nothing else.

    By the time the hanging basket reached the summit, they could see a red sun shining through a sea of ??clouds, illuminating the sky brightly. The sunlight shone from the east, casting a glow on the huge white marble archway with the golden words that read, Sovereignty of Zhengyi. It was an awe-inspiring sight.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yulu walked out of the hanging basket. Since Zhang Yuelu was familiar with the roads here, she led the way toward the Shangqing Pce.

    The Shangqing Pce was grand and far nicerpared to the Tiangang Hall. Qi Xuansu stood in front of the six-meter-tall main entrance, looking up at the que that read Shangqing Pce, which was said to have been inscribed by the First Heavenly Preceptor himself.

    Under the que was a couplet, each character the size of a human head.

    The first line was: Moralitymands the respect of the dragon and tiger.

    The second line was: Virtue is revered by the ghosts and the gods.

    Zhang Yuelu remarked, ¡°There is also a couplet on the main entrance of the Dazhen Mansion simr to this couplet. They all like to boast about themselves. At the Dazhen Mansion, the first couplet reads, ¡®Unparallelednds in the south,¡¯ while the second couplet says, ¡®The first family in Jiangxi.¡¯¡±

    Qi Xuansu eximed, ¡°How confident!¡±

    Suddenly, Zhang Yuelu patted Qi Xuansu on the shoulder. ¡°You can go in alone. I have to visit the Dazhen Mansion, so I won¡¯t apany you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded and walked to the main entrance of Shangqing Pce alone.

    Two Spirit Guards in ck armor stretched out their arms to block Qi Xuansu¡¯s way.

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°I have an invitation from High Mage Zhang.¡±

    A Spirit Guard ordered, ¡°Wait a moment.¡±

    After a while, a sixth-rank Daoist priest hurried over. ¡°Are you Deacon Qi? Please follow me.¡±

    Qi Xuansu entered the Shangqing Pce under the guidance of this sixth-rank Daoist priest. Along the way, he saw a few halls, living rooms, duty rooms, and offices with various signs hanging outside the doors. This was not an ordinary Daoist pce or temple, but the core of Zhengyi Sect¡¯s administration. On the other hand, the Dazhen Mansion served as a residence and the cardinal formation of Yunjin Mountain with a more symbolic presence.

    The rtionship between the Dazhen Mansion and Shangqing Pce was probably simr to that of the Imperial Pce and the Grand Secretariat, or that of the Purple Mansion and the Golden Tower. The administrative power in the Imperial Court was the Grand Secretariat, and the core power of the Daoist Ordery in the Golden Tower.

    The Imperial Pce was merely a residence for the royal family, and the Purple Mansion was where the Grand Master resided. The same principle applied to the Zhenjing Courtyard and Qingling Pce of the Taiping Sect, as well as the Chongyang Pce of Immortality and Wuxu Pce of the Quanzhen Sect.

    Qi Xuansu walked for about 15 minutes, passed through a long corridor, and finally arrived at Zhang Juping¡¯s office, which had a sign above the door that read, Zhengyi Sect Liaison Department.

    He waited quietly while the sixth-rank priest knocked gently on the door, announcing, ¡°Deputy Pce Master, Deacon Qi is here.¡±

    The deep voice that Qi Xuansu had heard from the mother-child talisman came through the door. ¡°Come in."

    The Daoist priest pushed the door open halfway and extended his other hand politely to Qi Xuansu. ¡°Deacon Qi, please enter.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not rush into the office. Instead, he took out a valuable jade pendant from his sleeve pocket and quietly handed it to the Daoist priest with a smile, ¡°Thank you for showing me the way.¡±

    The Daoist priest politely pushed the jade pendant back with an expressionless face. ¡°This is against the rules, but I appreciate your thoughts, Deacon Qi.¡±

    Qi Xuansu kept a smile on his face as he retracted his hand. ¡°Shangqing Pce is indeed different from other ces.¡±

    The sixth-rank Daoist priest said no more, leaned forward, and allowed Qi Xuansu to walk in through the ajar door, after which he gently closed it from the outside.

    Zhang Juping¡¯s office had two rooms. The outer room was a small living room for receiving guests, but it was empty at this time. So Qi Xuansu had no choice but to walk further into the inner room.

    The inner room was like a study, with bookshelves and desks. But it had no chairs for receiving guests.

    There were various files piled on the desk. The covers of the files were all stamped with the word ¡°Confidential¡± in red. Qi Xuansu spotted a middle-aged man writing with his head down through the space between the piles of documents.

    There was no chair, and Zhang Juping did not greet him. Thus, Qi Xuansu just stood there awkwardly, quietly waiting for this third-rank master to initiate the conversation.

    ¡°Have you met Zhang Yuyue and Zhang Chiyue?¡± The man still had his head down, reading some documents while asking Qi Xuansu.

    ¡°Yes, I have.¡± Qi Xuansu replied.

    ¡°Do you want to know what they think of you?¡± The man finally stood up from the desk. He was dressed in neat, formal Daoist attire. His half-white hair wasbed nicely, and he had a smile on his face, but his eyes remained stern.

    This was Zhang Juping, the third-rank Deputy Pce Master of the Shangqing Pce and Zhang Yuelu¡¯s uncle.

 Chapter 159: Evaluation

    <h4>Chapter 159: Evaluation</h4>

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to know.¡± Qi Xuansu replied with a polite smile on his face.

    ¡°Zhang Yuyue speaks highly of you, but Zhang Chiyue¡¯s opinion is more neutral.¡± Zhang Juping leaned back in his chair and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Qi Xuansu had considered many possibilities beforeing over. He still stood there and smiled. ¡°Mage Yuyue thinks too highly of me, believing that I¡¯m like Deputy Hall Master Li Minghuang. Mage Chiyue¡¯s view is quite befitting.¡±

    ¡°Befitting.¡± Zhang Juping smiled.

    Qi Xuansu was unsure of Zhang Juping¡¯s intention, so he added, ¡°I¡¯m not considered a young talent. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t still be a seventh-rank priest.¡±

    Zhang Juping remarked, ¡°But it only took four months for you to go from the seventh rank to receiving the treatment of a fifth-rank priest. That¡¯s very impressive, especially because it¡¯s based on merits earned through real-worldbat and hard work. These are more important than any evaluation.¡±

    The pursuit of immortality was divided into Houtian Beings, Xiantian Beings, and Heavenly Beings. But in order to survive in the Daoist Order, one also needed to have some social skills, which were divided into three levels. The first level was to remain silent and unnoticed. This was the basic skill where one would conceal their true intentions from others and keep others guessing about their true capabilities.

    The second level was to reveal one¡¯s capabilities when necessary. This was a skill possessed only by those who had attained a certain status. When dealing with counterparts who were often high-ranking or skilled individuals, one had to disy the appropriate attitude and reveal certain details when required. It was all about striking the right bnce and constantly assessing the situation.

    The third level was to act ording to one¡¯s own will without overstepping boundaries. There were only two kinds of people who could achieve this level. One kind climbed up from the bottom by exhibiting impable behavior. Through the trials and tribtions, many had fallen by the wayside, but they remained steadfast and served as the pirs of the Daoist Order. Examples of this include the Tiangang Hall Master and Sage Donghua.

    The other kind of people who could act on their own will were those from prestigious families with deep roots. However, they would also need to be exceptionally talented. Despite asionally engaging in non-conforming activities, others found it difficult to hold them ountable for breaking the rules. An example of this would be Sage Qingwei.

    Although Zhang Juping had been in the Daoist Order for more than ten years and had sufficient skills, he still could not reach the third level because he followed the same path as Li Minghuang. Their focus on status and rank surpassed actual work, and their personal desires outweighed their dedication to duty.

    Zhang Juping was not yet at the third level, while Zhang Yuyue and Zhang Chiyue were not yet at the second level.

    Meeting Qi Xuansu for the first time, Zhang Juping did not underestimate him. It was not because he had a sharp eye and saw some outstanding qualities in the young man, but because he believed in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s judgment. At the very least, Zhang Yuelu was more reliable than Zhang Yuyue and others from her generation.

    Therefore, Zhang Juping had high expectations of Qi Xuansu. He did not put up an act and said sincerely, ¡°Tian Yuan, Qing Xiao naturally has her reasons for liking you, just like how the Earthly Preceptor saw value in Qing Xiao. I invited you over because I wanted to meet you. That way, I would know what to expect.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Deputy Pce Master, I would like to know your evaluation of me.¡±

    Zhang Juping chuckled. ¡°You heard Zhang Yuyue and Zhang Chiyue¡¯s true opinions of you from me, not from them. So naturally, you won¡¯t be hearing what I think of you from my mouth. Moreover, we just met, so there¡¯s nothing I can evaluate you on.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said no more.

    Zhang Juping continued, ¡°Tian Yuan, you should know that Qing Xiao is an important presence in the Zhang family.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware.¡± Qi Xuansu maintained a humble attitude.

    Zhang Juping took a deep look at Qi Xuansu. ¡°Good.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was not frightened. He became a little more solemn.

    Zhang Juping was not as aggressive as Zhang Yuyue or Su Ying. Instead, he casually asked some questions regarding how Qi Xuansu met Zhang Yuelu, the situation in Tiangang Hall, and so on.

    Qi Xuansu answered them truthfully but kept some of the details to himself. Their conversationsted for less than an hour.

    Finally, Zhang Juping lowered his head again and said, ¡°I¡¯m getting busier as the New Year is approaching, so I won¡¯t keep you much longer.¡±

    Qi Xuansu bowed slightly, bid goodbye to him, and turned to leave.

    From the moment he arrived, Qi Xuansu stood in Zhang Juping¡¯s office to answer questions. There was no tea served either, clearly indicating the barrier of superiority between them.

    The door opened from the outside as soon as Qi Xuansu took his leave. It was clear that the sixth-rank Daoist priest had been standing guard at the door. Qi Xuansu smiled at him and walked out of the office.

    After the Daoist priest closed the door again, Zhang Juping put down the brush in his hand and leaned back on the chair, seeming deep in thought.

    Qi Xuansu followed the original route out of the Shangqing Pce and saw Zhang Yuelu waiting for him outside. She was still wearing her cloak, but she had removed her hood to reveal her face.

    Seeing Qi Xuansu, Zhang Yuelu took the initiative to greet him. ¡°How was it?¡±

    Qi Xuansu briefly recounted what happened.

    Zhang Yuelu muttered, ¡°He¡¯s surely good at making things seem mysterious, but he¡¯s not good at his job. I think he caught onto the Confucian disease¡ªgreat at discussing theories but impractical in executing those ideas.¡±

    Qi Xuansuughed. Zhang Yuelu was not surprised to hear of Zhang Yuyue and Zhang Chiyue¡¯s evaluation of Qi Xuansu.

    Excluding Zhang Juping, Qi Xuansu had met a total of three people from the Zhang family.

    Zhang Yuyue did not conceal her dislike for Qi Xuansu, but she spoke highly of Qi Xuansu, thinking that he would be the next Li Minghuang. The reason for her high evaluation of Qi Xuansu was that she believed in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s judgment.

    On the other hand, Zhang Chiyue was very polite when they met, but his opinion of Qi Xuansu was not great. He thought Qi Xuansu was not someone who would easily be swayed by the crowd, but he would use women to rise to the top. As such, he thought that Qi Xuansu should be kicked out.

    However, Zhang Chiyue had underestimated Zhang Yuelu, thinking that his politeness could deceive her. He did not know that Zhang Yuelu always had an amazing intuition about grasping one¡¯s intentions. It was a natural talent that could not be learned.

    Su Ying did not mention Qi Xuansu because she paid more attention to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attitude. However, Su Ying did not get much from Zhang Yuelu because thetter was good at concealing her emotions.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Who is High Mage Zhang representing? It can¡¯t be your mother, right? Is she so influential?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°He¡¯s probably representing the Dazhen Mansion, or perhaps a certain Sage or even the Heavenly Preceptor.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was surprised. ¡°How can such a trivial matter get the attention of the Heavenly Preceptor?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°Only the Earthly Preceptor is exempt from caring about family affairs due to the rule of celibacy in the Quanzhen Sect. The Heavenly Preceptor and the Imperial Preceptor have to take care of family affairs because they are the heads of the n. The most important thing in a family is the continuation of the bloodline. That¡¯s why the Heavenly and Imperial Preceptors will be concerned about their descendants¡¯ marriage.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Did you go to the Dazhen Mansion to meet the Heavenly Preceptor?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Since the current Great Sage Lunzhi is assumed by the Earthly Preceptor, the Heavenly Preceptor doesn¡¯t have to be in the Jade Capital and is currently staying in the Dazhen Mansion. That¡¯s why I was lucky enough to meet him for a quick chat. The Heavenly Preceptor asked me how I was doing, and I reported the Li family¡¯s movements and our encounter with the secret societies. He only replied with an ¡®alright.¡¯¡±

    Qi Xuansu felt guilty about his fabricated excuse for Li Qingnu¡¯s presence in Shangqing Prefecture, so he muttered, ¡°I told you that the Dazhen Mansion would have already known about what their long-time rival was up to.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nced at him. ¡°Again, I don¡¯t care if they already know. But it¡¯s my duty to report what I know to the higher-ups.¡±

    Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh. Zhang Yuelu got to her current position mainly due to her upright personality and dedication to the Daoist Order.

    He turned around and said, ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve met so many members of the Zhang family, but I still don¡¯t know much about your parents.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°My father is in the same generation as my uncle Zhang Juping. He''s a fourth-rank priest working in Dazhen Mansion. For some reason, his promotion has been slow. Over the years, he¡¯s been somewhat depressed about not being recognized for his talents.

    ¡°On the other hand, my mother is a third-rank priest who used to work in Shibo Hall. But after getting married, she transferred to the Shangqing Pce. But in recent years, she hasn¡¯t done anything significant and is just a Deputy Pce Master in name.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was frank about her parents¡¯ situation. She was also harsh on her mother because she could not stand that her mother was not doing a proper job in her prime.

    In Zhang Yuelu¡¯s opinion, her mother should have used her time on something more useful, likepeting with the merchants of the Western Continent and negotiating more business deals for the Daoist Order.

    Qi Xuansu suddenly remembered a 30-year-old fourth-rank priest by the name of Yan Mingchen. He was a Qi Refiner in the Guizhen stage and was influential in the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion. He was considered young and promising.

    However,pared to Zhang Yuelu, he was still inferior because he was not a Deputy Mansion Master. He seemed to be a step behind her, but in fact, they were worlds apart.

    To put it simply, Zhang Yuelu held an official position in the Nine Halls. If she were to be removed from her position as Deputy Hall Master, the Golden Tower Council and the Great Sage Lunzhi would have to get involved since a Hall Master was not allowed to remove a Deputy Hall Master from office without authorization.

    However, in Yan Mingchen¡¯s case, all it took was one word from the Mansion Master for his power to be revoked. This was the difference between their statuses.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What¡¯s Yan Mingchen like?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said in a calm tone, ¡°Do you recall the Great Sage Yan Feiqing from the Holy Xuan Cards? He¡¯s a close friend of the Holy Xuan and a disciple of the Zhang family¡¯s ancestor. I remember telling you that since the Holy Xuan revived the Daoist Order, five of the six generations of Heavenly Preceptors came from the Zhang family. The only Heavenly Preceptor who was not a Zhang was this Great Sage Yan Feiqing.

    ¡°That¡¯s why the Zhang family and the Yan family have been family friends for so long and often intermarry.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was slightly surprised. ¡°Being a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master at the age of thirty is quite impressive, simr to Dong Baijing. But that¡¯s far beneath you. Why would your mother support this marriage?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu groaned. ¡°That¡¯s because of his family. This marriage will maintain the rtionship between the two families, so we can leverage each other¡¯s strengths. Furthermore, my mother probably finds it easier to manipte him. That way, it will seem like he has married into the Zhang family. At the same time, they can maintain a marriage alliance with the Yan family. It¡¯s like killing two birds with one stone.¡±

 Chapter 160: Zhang Juqi

    <h4>Chapter 160: Zhang Juqi</h4>

    After Zhang Yuelu reported her findings to the Dazhen Mansion, she had to bring Qi Xuansu home. Regardless of how reluctant she was, it was time they faced her parents.

    Zhang Yuelu took out the gift she had prepared and gave it to Qi Xuansu. She told him about the price and origin of the gifts in detail so as not to expose any ws.

    The two of them walked down the mountain path to Shangqing Town, which was located on the mountainside. ording to Zhang Yuelu, the view would be very different if they were to enter Shangqing Town from the front. If they had climbed from the Nanji Temple, they would see a huge archway and a stone tablet, with many traces of artillery bombardment.

    This was due to the internal fighting between the Daoist sects before the Holy Xuan united the Daoist Order. The Quanzhen Sect hadunched a massive attack on the Zhengyi Sect in the past when Zhang Jingxiu, the Heavenly Preceptor of the time, was not in the Dazhen Mansion.

    Xu Wugui, who was the Earthly Preceptor at that time, personally sneaked into the Dazhen Mansion and destroyed the protective formation. Then, Quanzhen Sect disciples brought artillery and bombarded Shangqing Town, resulting in the destruction of more than half of the town. Later, the Zhengyi Sect rebuilt Shangqing Town, but they purposely left behind traces of the attack to serve as a warning to future generations.

    As the two of them walked down the mountain, they did not get to see the damaged stone tablet.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°So, were the Heavenly Preceptor and the Earthly Preceptor ipatible?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°Yeah. At the time, it was called the ¡®Battle Between Heaven and Earth.¡¯ After Xu Wugui ambushed the Dazhen Mansion, the Zhengyi Sect retaliated byunching a massive attack on Beimang Mountain, forcing Xu Wugui to abandon his home base and flee. In the end, the two preceptors fought to the end and died together.

    ¡°After the Holy Xuan united the Daoist Order, he appointed a disciple of the Earthly Preceptor Xu Wugui to be the first Great Sage of the Quanzhen Sect. She happened to be the one whomanded the bombing of Shangqing Town back then. You¡¯ve yed the Holy Xuan Cards, so you should know of her.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded and asked, ¡°How is the rtionship between the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect now?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu looked at him strangely. ¡°Didn¡¯t you study history in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce? After the Holy Xuan integrated the Daoist sects, he tried all kinds of methods to eliminate past grudges. He suppressed the dissidents of the Zhang family and the Li family, promoted peace talks between the Zhang family and the Li family, and facilitated marriage between the Heavenly Preceptor and the Earthly Preceptor at the time.

    ¡°The Earthly Preceptor at the time was the Great Sage Shangguan, so her portrait and spirit tablet are enshrined in the Chongyang Pce of Immortality as well as the ancestral temple of Dazhen Mansion. That¡¯s why it¡¯s still justified if I were to join the Quanzhen Sect.

    ¡°There was also another reason for this. The Taiping Sect and the Li family were too powerful. If the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect continued to fight among themselves, the Taiping Sect would just reap the benefits in the end. Then they could take advantage of the chaos to hold the position of Grand Master for the third time.

    ¡°Therefore, the past grievances between the Zhangyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect were set aside for the time being. It would not be toote to bring these up again when the Quanzhen Sect or the Zhengyi Sect bes more powerful someday.

    ¡°In short, the two behemoths have their conflicts, but they are still on good terms. Although they have not formally formed an alliance, they are considered quasi-allies. Because of this, some people think that the Earthly Preceptor only promoted me as a show of goodwill to the Zhengyi Sect.¡±

    Four months ago, Qi Xuansu was still wandering around the world by himself, so he did not care much about the politics within the Daoist Order or his own rank. After listening to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s exnation, he had another doubt.

    He asked, ¡°Even if the Taiping Sect is influential, they can¡¯t be that powerful, right? I¡¯ve never noticed an unequal proportion of Taiping Sect disciplespared to the other sects. So the three sects should be roughly equal.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°The Taiping Sect has a good rtionship with the Imperial Court through marriage alliances. The Holy Xuan¡¯s wife was the eldest daughter of Emperor Gaozu. The Great Xuan Dynasty has had eleven emperors thus far, and six of the empresses were from the Li family. The current empress dowager is the grandniece of the Imperial Preceptor. There were also five princesses who had married into the Li family, bing the matron of the family.

    Qi Xuansu was surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Li family to be rted to the royal family. Now that Sage Qingwei has just entered the Imperial Capital to meet the emperor¡ª¡±

    Zhang Yuelu already knew what he was going to say, so interjected, ¡°In the past, the Imperial Court¡¯s support for the Taiping Sect and the Li family was unspoken. But now, the Li family wants this rtionship to be acknowledged openly so that the Emperor, as the Great Sage Ziji, can publicly intervene in the election of the Grand Master.

    ¡°Do you think that Sage Qingwei¡¯s visit to the Imperial Capital this time is to form an alliance with the Emperor? The Li family and the Qin family have long been allies. This meeting with the Emperor is just for show and to test all parties. If they weren¡¯t already allies, the Emperor would not have taken such a great risk to intervene in the Daoist Order¡¯s affairs. Sage Qingwei isn''t so capable of persuading the Emperor in one meeting either.¡±

    Qi Xuansu thought about it carefully andmented, ¡°That¡¯s why Sage Qingwei¡¯s meeting with the Emperor is a big event rted to the Daoist Order¡¯s future. Perhaps there will soon be unrest within the Daoist Order.¡±

    The Taiping Sect would not have taken so much risk for a meeting with the Emperor if the Emperor was not already a rtive. The Taiping Sect could leak the news of the meeting first to gauge everyone¡¯s reactions. If there was no reaction from the other Daoist sects, they would seize the position of the Grand Master. But if there was a strong reaction, they would have to put these ns aside for the time being.

    While talking, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu had already entered Shangqing Town. Zhang Yuelu put her hood back on to cover her face. Qi Xuansu followed suit to avoid unnecessary gossip.

    Soon, the pair came to the gate of an ordinary residence with a double entrance. Since it was her own house, Zhang Yuelu pushed the door open and walked straight in.

    The house was still the same as before. There was only one servant cleaning the yard. When the servant saw someoneing in, he was startled for a moment. After Zhang Yuelu took off her hood to reveal her face, the servant beamed with joy. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re back! You even brought a guest with you. I''ll inform the Master right away.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu led the slightly nervous Qi Xuansu to the main hall.

    Soon, a middle-aged man who resembled Zhang Yuelu walked in. He was slender and elegant, with a somewhat mncholy temperament. Although he had some white hair, he aged nicely, like fine wine.

    Zhang Yuelu stood up and greeted the man. ¡°Dad!¡±

    This man was Zhang Yuelu¡¯s father, Zhang Juqi.

    Qi Xuansu quickly stood up and saluted him. ¡°Nice to meet you, Uncle Zhang.¡±

    The man smiled and nodded, giving off a friendly vibe.

    Qi Xuansu finally understood why Madam Tantai chose to marry this man.

    ¡°You must be Tian Yuan, right? Qing Xiao has mentioned you before in her letters home.¡± Zhang Juqi was amicable. He stretched out his hand and said, ¡°Please, have a seat. Qing Xiao¡¯s mother and cousin went Downtown.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was still holding the gift that Zhang Yuelu had prepared in advance. In normal circumstances, the matron of the house would receive the gifts. But Madam Tantai was not around. That was why Qi Xuansu stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

    However, he quickly thought of an idea. Although Madam Tantai was not around, Zhang Yuelu could represent her mother to receive the gift. Thus, he handed the gift back to Zhang Yuelu and smiled. ¡°This is my first visit here, so I brought a small gift as a show of respect.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu took the gift she had prepared, feeling strange and awkward as well. For a moment, she did not know what to say.

    Zhang Juqi did not refuse the gift. Instead, he said, ¡°Tian Yuan, thanks for the gift. It must be quite an expense.¡±

    Qi Xuansu looked at Zhang Juqi and wondered what cultivation level he had. He made a mental note to ask Zhang Yueluter if her father was a Heavenly Being.

    For some reason, Zhang Juqi was still a fourth-rank Daoist master, unlike Zhang Juping, who was already a third-rank Daoist master. Zhang Juqi seemed like the kind of man who would not get involved in politics and did not put on airs. His demeanor also reminded Qi Xuansu of histe master, so the two men got along well.

    Regardless of their social status, men could not resist discussing the state affairs and expressing their opinions when they gathered. They would ponder how they would handle things if they were in positions of power and criticize how others handled situations. It was such amon trait among men that many taverns and teahouses in the Imperial Capital had signs that read, ¡°No Discussing State Affairs.¡± This was to prevent some people from talking nonsense and causing trouble.

    Qi Xuansu did not care about politics back then, but after entering Tiangang Hall, he became particrly concerned about it due to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s influence. Thus, he was also not exempt from this behavior.

    The conversation between the two men gradually shifted from how Qi Xuansu met Zhang Yuelu to the development of Tiangang Hall.

    Zhang Juqi remarked, ¡°Wuzhou, Jiangzhou, and Luzhou are under the jurisdiction of the Governor of Jiangnan. It may not be a good thing for these three states to be managed by one person.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled for a moment. He turned to look at Zhang Juqi and asked, ¡°Uncle Zhang, why do you say this?¡±

    Zhang Juqi borated. ¡°Jiangzhou and Wuzhou have different cultures, but because we belong to the same governor, we are grouped together. Don¡¯t you think this resembles the Daoist Order with the three major sects? The Li family, the Shen family, and the Lu family were originally three separate sects, but now they all belong to the Taiping Sect and view others as outsiders.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not know what to say for a moment, so he could only look at Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu disagreed. ¡°This is not the Holy Xuan¡¯s fault. He established the three sects as a temporary transition, intending to merge all the sects eventually. However, the rise of Buddhism disrupted the Holy Xuan¡¯s n. The sessive Grand Masters did not have the Holy Xuan¡¯s power, so they were unable to integrate the three sects. That¡¯s why we still have the three major sects to this day.¡±

    However, Zhang Juqi did not mean to talk about this problem, which had been the root of troubles in the Daoist Order for centuries. He changed the topic. ¡°But looking at the big picture, do people see the Daoist Order as being ruled by one of the three major sects?¡±

 Chapter 161: Tantai Qiong

    <h4>Chapter 161: Tantai Qiong</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu understood what her father was implying. ¡°There can¡¯t be two suns in the sky.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked hesitantly, ¡°Uncle, are you talking about the Imperial Court?¡±

    Zhang Juqi nodded and exined, ¡°During the former Wei Dynasty, the Confucian School hid behind the scenes and controlled the Imperial Court. If there was something that did not suit their liking, they would change the emperor. The so-called emperor was just a marite in their hands.¡±

    He proceeded to tell Qi Xuansu the history of the Imperial Court, the Confucian School, and the Daoist Order.

    <i>Confucianism was deeply integrated into the Wei Dynasty Court. The Confucians did not intervene directly, but they ced constraints on the royal family through civil officials and many covert means. During the reigns of the previous emperors, Taizu and Taizong, it was still manageable, as the nobles rted to the royal family were influential enough topete with the civil officials.</i>

    <i>However, during the reigns of emperors Renzong and Xuanzong, civil officials gradually suppressed the noblemen¡¯s military officers. By the reigns of emperors Xianzong, Xiaozong, and Wuzong, the power of civil officials reached its peak. Except for Emperor Xianzong, the deaths of Xiaozong and Wuzong were all rted to the Confucians.</i>

    <i>For instance, the chief physician of the Imperial Medical Office at that time was a Confucian spy. He sessively caused the deaths of two emperors. However, he managed to escape unscathed. The Minister of State back then shed with the Chief Imperial Physician, but the former was dismissed from office.</i>

    <i>Emperor Shizong was an outsider who inherited the throne. He was not born in the pce and was raised by women. He was the younger brother of Xu Wugui, the Earthly Preceptor. They were equally smart, but even Emperor Shizong was controlled by the Confucians.</i>

    <i>The mentor of Emperor Shizong, also his strategist, contributed greatly to Emperor Shizong¡¯s ascension to power. Emperor Shizong promoted him from the position of Grand Historian of the Royal Household to a consultant of the Imperial Cab and the Minister of Rites. However, he fell seriously ill and died within four months.</i>

    <i>Emperor Shizong ascended the throne at the age of fourteen, but for more than ten years, he had no heir. He had to seek assistance from the Daoist Order to take Daoist elixirs before he finally had his first son at the age of 26. If Emperor Shizong had not sought help from the Daoist Order, he would have followed the same fate as Emperor Wuzong, who died without leaving an heir.</i>

    <i>Yet even so, Emperor Shizong¡¯s eldest and second sons died sessively. Emperor Shizong had eight sons and five daughters, but when he passed away in old age, he only had one son and one daughter remaining. The rest of his children died. Even in ordinary households, it was rare for so many children to die prematurely.</i>

    ¡°In addition, Emperor Shizong also faced pce coups and assassination attempts, narrowly escaping death. As hey there dying, everyone made excuses to avoid saving him, intending to watch him die. Fortunately, a Daoist Sage rescued Emperor Shizong.

    ¡°Several monthster, this Daoist Sage died suddenly, reportedly from fright. There were also countless urrences of ¡®idents,¡¯ like pce fires and drowning. With so many incidents, is everything really idental? From this, it can be seen how deeply the Confucians controlled the Imperial Court. However, the emperors also fought back, with the Green Phoenix Guard, the eunuchs, and even with the support of the Daoist Order.

    ¡°The Imperial Court had a back-and-forth struggle with the Confucians. To some extent, they managed to suppress the influence of Confucianism. As a result, the Daoist Order was able to participate in court politics,ying the foundation for the dominance of Daoism over Confucianismter on.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu had known of this a long time ago, so she was not surprised. She just sipped on her cup of tea, looking bored.

    On the contrary, this was the first time Qi Xuansu had heard this story. While shocked, he vaguely guessed what Zhang Juqi was going to say.

    The Confucians controlled the Wei Court behind the scenes, so how did the Daoist Order get to control the Great Xuan Court? How did the Great Xuan emperors view Daoism?

    Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh and repeat Zhang Yuelu¡¯s words. ¡°There can¡¯t be two suns in the sky.¡±

    Zhang Juqi stopped smiling. ¡°There is only one sun in the sky, but besides the sun, there is also a moon that shines on everything on the ground.¡±

    Qi Xuansu learned a lot at the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, but he focused more on physical training, so he was not so proficient in literature. But he still understood what Zhang Juqi was implying. ¡°Uncle, are you talking about the Confucian principle of the moon¡¯s reflection in a thousand rivers?¡±

    Zhang Juqi nced at Qi Xuansu with admiration. ¡°Indeed. There are countless reflections of the moon in rivers, but in fact, it¡¯s the same moon. It goes to show that all things originate from the same principle.¡±

    Qi Xuansu hesitated before asking, ¡°Uncle, are you saying that the Daoist Order is the moon? Although it is overshadowed by the sun, it can still be reflected as long as there is a body of water, right?¡±

    Zhang Juqi said, ¡°I dare not make a rash assertion about what the Daoist Order is like. I¡¯m afraid that even the Deputy Grand Masters dare not make such a im. But perhaps that is how the Imperial Court views the Daoist Order. Can the earth amodate so many moons?¡±

    Qi Xuansu remembered what Zhang Yuelu once said and borrowed it. ¡°The Imperial Court is the sun, and the Daoist Order is the moon, like yin and yang that coexist in harmony to achieve perfection. Isn¡¯t this exactly the Holy Xuan¡¯s and Emperor Gaozu¡¯s intention?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu, who was drinking tea, thought this sounded familiar, so she nced at Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu just pretended not to notice her gaze.

    ¡°But what if some people don¡¯t think so?¡± Zhang Juqi asked, ¡°What if some people don¡¯t recognize the original intentions of the Holy Xuan and Emperor Gaozu?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was speechless.

    Zhang Yuelu interjected. ¡°Ultimately, most practices must be enforced. If one can¡¯t win on the battlefield, it¡¯s pointless no matter how much debate there is.¡±

    Zhang Juqi nced at his daughter helplessly. ¡°We can¡¯t continue the conversation, then.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu changed the topic and took out the Qianqiu Light Ink that she had prepared.

    Although Zhang Yuelu paid for both gifts, one of them was given in the name of Qi Xuansu, so Zhang Juqi could not open it in front of the guest due to etiquette. However, he could open his daughter¡¯s gift at any time.

    His eyes lit up as soon as he unwrapped it. ¡°I heard from your cousin that you gave your cousin-inw a piece of this ink too, but you didn¡¯t give her anything. She was saddened by it andined to us. So I was wondering if you would have forgotten my gift as well.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu snorted. ¡°They¡¯re an entity, so it should be enough to prepare one gift. What¡¯s more, Yuyue is rich andcks nothing. I really don¡¯t know what I can get for her.¡±

    ¡°This can¡¯t be a valid reason.¡± Zhang Juqi shook his head helplessly. ¡°Qing Xiao, you ought to change your attitude.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not care.

    Obviously, the rtionship between this father-daughter pair was not as restrictive as the Confucian practice.

    Zhang Juqi excused himself. ¡°Tian Yuan, please wait here while I go to the study.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, Uncle.¡± Qi Xuansu stood up.

    ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll go with you and bring the gift over.¡± Zhang Yuelu took the gifts aside and followed her father.

    Zhang Juqi did not refuse. They were not like other families with countless servants waiting on them. They only had a few servants responsible for ordinary housework, and they did most of the minor things by themselves whenever possible.

    Thus, Qi Xuansu was left alone in the living room. Not long after, two women came into the residence.

    Qi Xuansu recognized one of them as Zhang Yuyue. The other woman was much older, resembling Zhang Yuelu, but her expression was far colder. Shecked warmth and was unapproachable. On the other hand, Zhang Yuelu was more naive and idealistic, making her seem friendlier.

    This other woman was the famous Madam Tantai Qiong. She had a different temperament from her daughter, and her attitude toward Qi Xuansu was opposite that of her husband, Zhang Juqi.

    Qi Xuansu never expected that he woulde face-to-face with this formidable woman in such circumstances. Tantai Qiong waved to Zhang Yuyue, who looked at Qi Xuansu with a smug smile before leaving the living room.

    Upon seeing them, Qi Xuansu stood up and saluted Tantai Qiong respectfully.

    Tantai Qiong did not seem very arrogant, but she was blunt. ¡°You must be Qi Xuansu, right? If I remember correctly, you¡¯re 24 years old and from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. You are currently a deacon of Tiangang Hall and a seventh-rank priest, but you will soon be promoted to the sixth rank and get to enjoy the treatment of the fifth rank. Your master was Qi Haoran, a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist priest who was killed by The Inn¡¯s assassins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve done your homework, Auntie.¡±

    Tantai Qiong¡¯s tone remained calm, showing no emotion. ¡°For an orphan from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, it¡¯s certainly not easy to go from being in the seventh rank to enjoying the treatment of the fifth rank in just four months.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had an untimely realization that the thought of fear was far more terrifying than the fear itself. The fear before the knife struck was even worse than after being stabbed. Before he met Tantai Qiong, he felt anxious, but after seeing her, he felt somewhat relieved.

    He nodded. ¡°It is indeed not easy. There were many a time when I was just a hair¡¯s breadth from death and we almost couldn¡¯t meet. But I guess you would¡¯ve preferred that, as it would¡¯ve saved you a lot of trouble.¡±

    Tantai Qiong shed a fake smile. ¡°Risks and opportunities always go hand-in-hand. You¡¯re standing in front of me well and alive, and you¡¯ve even improved your cultivation level. Perhaps after a few incidents, I will have to salute you for having a higher rank than me. By then, I dare not speak like this anymore.¡±

    Qi Xuansu bowed slightly and said, ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating, Auntie.¡±

    Tantai Qiong shrugged. ¡°I can¡¯t say if I¡¯m exaggerating for the time being, but in this regard, you are indeed very simr to Qing Xiao. She will always talk back to me when I say something to her. No wonder she likes you. After all, birds of a feather flock together.¡±

    Qi Xuansu could not tell whether Tantai Qiong¡¯s words were praise or criticism, so he remained silent. However, he still felt that it was more derogatory thanplimentary. Tantai Qiong seemed to speak of Zhang Yuelu as if thetter were her enemy rather than her daughter.

    Tantai Qiong added, ¡°I know my daughter best. I thought Qing Xiao would find a random person to fool me this time just to get away from my meddling because she never likes these things. I don¡¯t have a choice but to tolerate her perfunctory attitude since she¡¯s grown up and has caught the attention of the Earthly Preceptor. She¡¯s even a Deputy Hall Master of Tiangang Hall now, with real power.

    ¡°She¡¯s on the same level as me, so she won¡¯t put so much effort into fooling me either. She can dy her marriage and continue with her duties in Tiangang Hall, and I won¡¯t be able to control her. But what surprises me is that she seems serious this time.¡±

 Chapter 162: Heart-Wrenching Words

    <h4>Chapter 162: Heart-Wrenching Words</h4>

    What Tantai Qiong said was not a surprise to Qi Xuansu. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s original n would have undoubtedly failed at this time because Tantai Qiong saw through Zhang Yuelu¡¯s tricks at a nce.

    Zhang Yuelu did not put too much thought into fooling her mother because it was all just for show. She would obey her mother only to an extent, but if pushed too far, she would turn to the Quanzhen Sect and be a nun.

    Qi Xuansu had trouble answering Tantai Qiong, so he could only remain silent.

    Tantai Qiong continued, ¡°Qing Xiao has been very independent since she was a child, which is a good thing. When other children were still confused about what path to take, Qing Xiao already had a clear goal and was able to stand out from her peers. She worked toward it step by step but advanced rapidly.

    ¡°But the bad thing about it is that she is too opinionated. She refuses to ept other people¡¯s opinions, even her own mother¡¯s. Once she makes up her mind, she will stick to it to the end without regrets. Are you aware of all that I¡¯ve said so far?¡±

    Qi Xuansu considered it and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡±

    Tantai Qiong sized Qi Xuansu up. ¡°Since you¡¯re aware, I can probably understand why Qing Xiao chose you. She doesn¡¯t need a strong husband who will restrain her. That¡¯s why Li Tianzhen and the like don¡¯t stand a chance.

    ¡°She also doesn¡¯t need a husband on the same level as her. That¡¯s why she rejected all the young and talented Banished Immortals. She needs a good husband who will obey her orders and someone who will support her unconditionally.

    ¡°Herpanion must have considerable potential, enough to keep up with her pace so as not to be a drag. That¡¯s why she chose you, who is a suitable candidate in her opinion.¡±

    Qi Xuansu suddenly remembered how Zhang Yuelu had apologized to him in advance for her mother¡¯s heart-wrenching words.

    Madam Tantai did not belittle Qi Xuansu openly. She even acknowledged his abilities, unlike Zhang Yuyue, who used her status to overwhelm him. What Madam Tantai wanted to achieve was to reveal Zhang Yuelu¡¯s true colors in front of Qi Xuansu.

    Tantai Qiong tried to dissect her daughter in her own way, stripping Zhang Yuelu¡¯s idealistic image and portraying her daughter as maniptive and utilitarian.

    If Qi Xuansu liked Zhang Yuelu, he would have been shaken by such a cruel analysis. He might even feel that Zhang Yuelu had deceived and used him. After all, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s mother had such an opinion of her, so most people would choose to believe it. Just as Tantai Qiong mentioned earlier, a mother would know her daughter best.

    If Qi Xuansu was unmoved by suchmentary, then Tantai Qiong could use this to prove her point that Qi Xuansu only liked Zhang Yuelu for her background. He only intended to use Zhang Yuelu as a stepping stone, so the Zhang family would not agree to this marriage, especially with Li Minghuang as a precedent.

    Qi Xuansu was caught between a rock and a hard ce, so he did not know what to say for a while. However, being the excellent actor that he was, he expressed his confusion through his facial expressions.

    Tantai Qiong looked at Qi Xuansu, trying to figure out what he was thinking so that she could control the situation. However, Qi Xuansu¡¯s reaction was beyond her expectations. She did not expect a young man to have so many facial expressions in such a short span¡ªshock, sadness, dejection, pain, helplessness, relief, and nostalgia.

    Of course, Tantai Qiong did not believe that a young man whom her daughter favored would be a lovesick fool. She had to admit that this kid was quite interesting. She also wondered who he learned all these expressions from.

    Qi Xuansu did not have parents, but he had a master and Madam Qi. Of course, he learned these from Madam Qi. This was also one of his bad habits that Zhang Yuelu wanted to correct.

    Tantai Qiong finally decided to add fuel to the fire. ¡°Those whoe from Wanxiang Daoist Pce and those whoe from prestigious families havepletely different mindsets. Some children from prestigious families have a sense of responsibility that ordinary people cannotpare to. To them, the Daoist Order is a legacy passed down by their ancestors through countless battles.

    ¡°Thus, they bear more responsibility and obligation than ordinary disciples to safeguard this legacy. Consequently, these scions of prestigious families often think highly of themselves, sometimes even above thew, which makes them bold and daring. However, they believe that others should adhere to the rules and etiquette as a means to constrain others.

    ¡°Those whoe from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce do not adhere to etiquette because they despise it. Compared with the scions of prestigious families who always had to keep up their appearances, orphans are adaptable, like weeds growing tenaciously even when rooted in the cracks between rocks. Therefore, most scions are prone to copse after various setbacks, but those from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce can persevere.

    ¡°Since orphans have already endured hardships and understand that wealth is hard toe by, they will never let it go if they grab a hold of it. They have strong willpower due to their strong desires, so they can be ruthless toward themselves and others, doing whatever it takes to seed.

    ¡°Compared to the scions from prestigious families, they are greedier and more ambitious. But unlike those who really achieve great things, those from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce often focus too much on getting ahead and neglect some of the most important aspects of life, so they often don¡¯t make it big.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered for a moment before he said, ¡°If you think that I¡¯m one of ¡®them¡¯ that you speak of, then you are thinking too highly of me. Qing Xiao has always chided me for not being ambitious and for being content with having a bit of money.¡±

    Tantai Qiong looked at Qi Xuansu. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt Qing Xiao¡¯s judgment or intelligence. However, she is young andcks life experience, so she may not be able to see through one¡¯s surface. At this time, she needs an elder to point her to the right path so that she can avoid any detours.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Auntie, thanks for your input. I¡¯ve learned a lot. I wonder if you have anything else to teach me.¡±

    Tantai Qiong sneered. ¡°You¡¯re not as gentle and kind-hearted as Qing Xiao''s father. You have a violent spirit and a killing aura, which is unlike the gentle and courteous front that you are showing now. So you should stop pretending in front of me. You can just be yourself.¡±

    Qi Xuansu stopped smiling. ¡°I wonder if you treat your husband and daughter the same way you treat me.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Tantai Qiong frowned slightly.

    Qi Xuansu spoke frankly. ¡°Do you also speak to the Heavenly Preceptor in such a condescending and preaching manner? If so, then I have nothing to say. If not, then aren¡¯t you also pretending?¡±

    Tantai Qiong narrowed her eyes and red at Qi Xuansu.

    He continued, ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m sure you will change your attitude depending on your audience. So why can¡¯t I do the same? Do I have to face my friends with murderous intent and be amiable to my enemies? Is that what you mean by ¡®stop pretending?¡¯¡±

    ¡°You sure are sharp-tongued, just like those from the Li family. It¡¯s a pity that you¡¯re not from the Li family,¡± Tantai Qiong retorted coldly.

    After her snub, Qi Xuansu fell into silence again, making Tantai Qiong feel like she had punched cotton. Tantai Qiong had to admit that she had underestimated this young man. Qi Xuansu liked to act and hide his true self, but he was quite capable, good-looking, and well-tempered. If he had a simr family background, he would actually be a suitable candidate as her son-inw.

    Unfortunately, without a strong family background, his strengths were meaningless. There were many capable people, but few of them had a strong family background. This was a simple truth.

    No matter what, Zhang Yuelu was regarded as the Heavenly Preceptor¡¯s great-niece. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s futurepanion might not be able to get much benefit from her parents, but he could certainly leverage the strength of the Dazhen Mansion, the Earthly Preceptor, and Sage Cihang.

    Tantai Qiong sighed. ¡°What a pity. If yourst name was really Li, all your shorings would turn into advantages, and I would willingly lose to you. After all, you¡¯re like an adaptable weed, able to grow tenaciously even in a crack. Those scions would have left in anger if they heard this, but you endured it well.¡±

    Qi Xuansu suddenly interrupted her. ¡°Have you ever killed anyone?¡±

    Tantai Qiong was startled. She felt a surge of anger and uncontroble murderous intent as she asked back, ¡°What does it matter if I¡¯ve killed or not?¡±

    Qi Xuansu turned a blind eye to her anger and said indifferently, ¡°I believe that you¡¯ve killed before. Killing requires stability, precision, and speed. One must find the enemy¡¯s weakness and kill with a single blow instead of wasting time dragging out a fight.

    ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that you are trying to ¡®kill¡¯ me, but I¡¯m not your target. No matter how many times you strike at me, it¡¯ll be useless, because even if you drive me away, there will be other versions of me in the future. Will you be able to ¡®kill¡¯ them all?¡±

    Tantai Qiong was speechless for the first time. She knew of this principle. The problem was not the person whom Zhang Yuelu brought back, but Zhang Yuelu herself. However, Tantai Qiong could not do anything to Zhang Yuelu because thetter was already grown up and independent.

    At this moment, a cold voice interjected. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as another version of Qi Xuansu. There never was before, and there will never be another in the future. The reason I changed my mind is only because of Qi Xuansu.¡±

    Qi Xuansu and Tantai Qiong turned to the source of the sound and saw Zhang Yuelu standing at the door.

    Zhang Yuelu stared at Qi Xuansu with a frosty expression, not hiding her anger. Qi Xuansu could only lower his head in submission, not daring to look her in the eye. At the same time, he smiled bitterly.

    It seemed that Zhang Yuelu was triggered by his words. After all, she was conservative and had even considered converting to the Quanzhen Sect to be a nun. How could she have other options?

    However, that was not Qi Xuansu¡¯s original intention. He had just made a casual remark to retaliate against Tantai Qiong, who was fuming at the moment. What Zhang Yuelu said undoubtedly exposed the conflict between the mother-daughter pair. However, out of a mother¡¯s nature, Tantai Qiong did not direct her anger at her daughter but at Qi Xuansu, who was next to her daughter.

 Chapter 163: Jade Hidden in Stone

    <h4>Chapter 163: Jade Hidden in Stone</h4>

    Just as the atmosphere grew tense, Zhang Juqi appeared and smoothed things over. ¡°Qing Xiao rarelyes home, and we have guests now, so let¡¯s not create tension.¡±

    Tantai Qiong suppressed the anger in her heart, adjusted her breathing, and said calmly, ¡°Fine.¡±

    After that, she turned and left the living room.

    Zhang Juqi did not leave immediately. Instead, he said to Qi Xuansu, ¡°She¡¯s always had a temper. I hope you don¡¯t take it to heart, Tian Yuan.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not take Tantai Qiong¡¯s words too seriously. Instead, he was more concerned about Zhang Yuelu¡¯s anger. Fortunately, Zhang Yuelu quickly calmed down and only red at Qi Xuansu as if she were saying, ¡°I¡¯ll settle the score with youter.¡±

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu lightly pped his mouth, indicating that he was sorry for talking nonsense.

    It was about time that he corrected his bad habit of speaking the wrong thing at the wrong time. However, habits were hard to change, especially old habits that had been around for many years.

    Zhang Juqi noticed their interaction and found it interesting. This young man was not afraid of Tantai Qiong but was scared of Zhang Yuelu. Zhang Juqi thought that his wife was aggressive and difficult to talk to. His daughter, on the other hand, was more reasonable. So it seemed that the hard approach was not effective on this young man.

    In fact, the reason for this was simple. If a leader was upright, people would follow in their footsteps. If the leader was unreasonable, people would not obey their orders. It was because Zhang Yuelu was reasonable that Qi Xuansu was afraid of her.

    Tantai Qiong had just met Qi Xuansu, but before getting to know him, she insulted him first. How could Qi Xuansu respect her? Zhang Yuelu, on the other hand, never looked down on Qi Xuansu based on his status. Even if Zhang Yuelue wanted to change Qi Xuansu, she did it subtly instead of forcing him to do what she wanted. That was why Qi Xuansu submitted to her.

    Qi Xuansu did not have aplicated way of life. As long as no one infringed on his interests, he would always return the courtesy, even with people like Sun Yongfeng and Zhang Juping. As long as they did not poke at his sore spots, Qi Xuansu would not react. He would still maintain superficial respect for them and keep his opinions to himself.

    However, Zhang Yuelu was different. She had some selfish thoughts, but she was certainly better than most people, with righteous and pure intentions. This was why many regarded her as a thorn in their sides.

    Zhang Yuelu was also more upright than Qi Xuansu, who had many shady secrets. Thus, when confronted by Zhang Yuelu, especially when Zhang Yuelu was in the right and he was in the wrong, Qi Xuansu would inevitably feel guilty and lose confidence.

    If Zhang Yuelu started to be unreasonable and seek personal gain, using her power to oppress others and look down on Qi Xuansu, he would no longer have such feelings for her.

    In the backyard of the Zhang family¡¯s residence, a pebbled path from the second door led to a bedroom. All the servants had avoided this area.

    Tantai Qiong sat in front of her dressing table, staring nkly at the mirror. However, she was clearly straining her ears to hear if there was any movement outside.

    Zhang Yuyue stood behind Tantai Qiong andined. ¡°Auntie, you¡¯ve seen that boy. He¡¯s not a good man, right? In time, he¡¯ll be another Li Minghuang. We ought to guard against him!¡±

    Tantai Qiong nodded. ¡°I know he¡¯s not a good person. If he were an honest person, he wouldn¡¯t have reached his position, especially without anyone supporting him, let alone catch Qing Xiao¡¯s attention.¡±

    Zhang Yuyue could not help but feel frustrated.

    It would be fine if Zhang Yuelu really wanted a useless pretty boy for leisure purposes because they would have a way to dissuade her. They were afraid of someone like Qi Xuansu, who was not as good as their ideal candidate but was still capable enough to not be deemedpletely useless.

    Tantai Qiong remarked, ¡°He reminded me that he¡¯s not our target. Even if we kill him, Qing Xiao still won¡¯t change her mind. The key lies in Qing Xiao. If Qing Xiao can figure it out on her own, she will take the initiative to kick him out without us having to do anything.¡±

    ¡°Auntie, but that¡¯s our problem. We can¡¯t persuade Qing Xiao otherwise.¡± Zhang Yuyue said helplessly, ¡°Qing Xiao is so stubborn that she won¡¯t listen to anyone once she makes up her mind.¡±

    Tantai Qiong muttered, ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true. We just need to use some means.¡±

    Zhang Yuyue was startled. ¡°What means?¡±

    Tantai Qiong fell into deep thought and did not answer Zhang Yuyue immediately.

    On the other side, Zhang Juqi asked Zhang Yuelu to lead Qi Xuansu to the guest room. After all, they would only leave Shangqing Town after the New Year, and it would be impolite to ask her guest to stay in an inn.

    Their other guest, Zhang Yuyue, would stay with her maiden family at the Dazhen Mansion.

    Zhang Juqi was not like Dong Baijing, who obeyed his wife to a tee. Zhang Juqi still dared to make decisions in the household.

    Their residence had two entrances, and the guest room was located in the front yard. Zhang Yuelu led Qi Xuansu to the guest room, which was fully furnished and very clean. However, it was slightly stuffy because no one had lived in it for many years.

    Zhang Yuelu opened the window to ventte the guest room.

    Qi Xuansu coughed lightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened just now.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu cast a sidelong nce at him. ¡°Don¡¯t me me for being rude next time.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t happen again,¡± Qi Xuansu immediately added.

    Zhang Yuelu stopped dwelling on the matter and sighed. ¡°Tian Yuan, sorry to trouble you. I didn¡¯t expect my mother to go so overboard.¡±

    ¡°How much have you heard?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°I was there when she exined the reason I might have chosen you. I didn¡¯t mean to just stand by and watch. I just thought it¡¯ll be better for you to face these things sooner rather thanter, unless we stop our rtionship.¡±

    Qi Xuansu blinked. ¡°Of course. But what rtionship exactly?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said without changing her expression, ¡°As friends, of course. What else can it be?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± Qi Xuansu smiled.

    Zhang Yueluughed and muttered, ¡°Idiot.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°I read novels in which a poor boy sessfully marries a rich girl. There are two main reasons why they seed. One reason is that the man was ambitious, winning the first prize in the government exam and returning home as a high-ranking court official.

    ¡°The second reason is that the woman insists on marrying that man, swearing to never marry anyone else and to wait until the day the man returns as a court official. But then again, a woman¡¯s prime is precisely the time when a man has nothing. Even the 20-year-old Holy Xuan cannotpare with his 70-year-old self.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. The 20-year-old Holy Xuan could only be regarded as a young talent. He was not so influential back then. The 70-year-old Holy Xuan suppressed the Buddhist Sect at the cost of giving up his dreams of uniting the three major Daoist sects. Instead, he negotiated peace between the Buddhist Sect and the Daoist Order.¡±

    She looked at Qi Xuansu and blinked. ¡°Oh, are you talking about us? I don¡¯t mind waiting, since I¡¯ve even considered bing a Daoist nun. You are indeed the most powerless now, but I believe that the 70-year-old Qi Xuansu will definitely be better than the 20-year-old Qi Xuansu. Perhaps when you are 70, you¡¯ll even be the Grand Master.¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me. I will be satisfied if I can be an ordinary Sage. It¡¯s better if you be the Grand Master while I assist you.¡±

    ¡°You make it sound like the title of Grand Master is already within our reach! If word of this spreads, people will beughing at us for daydreaming.¡± Zhang Yueluughed at herself.

    Qi Xuansu thought of something. ¡°By the way, where is my luggage?¡±

    When the two of them left Jade Capital, Qi Xuansu packed his luggage and gave it to Zhang Yuelu for safekeeping in her magical receptacle.

    Zhang Yuelu only remembered it now and took out his luggage from the magical receptacle, handing it back to him.

    Qi Xuansu took the luggage, dug out a palm-sized wooden box, and gave it to Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu subconsciously took the box and asked, ¡°What is this?¡±

    Qi Xuansu said shyly, ¡°Your gift.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu opened the box and saw many stones the size of hawthorns inside it.

    Qi Xuansu smiled sheepishly. ¡°I picked these up on Kunlun Mountain. My master said that there should be jade inside. Although they might not be worth much, you can find a craftsman to remove the outeryer of stone and grind them into jade beads.¡±

    Kunlun was famous for its jade production. People could even pick up jade on the riverside, indicating the abundance of the mineral. For hundreds of years, jade collectors earned a living by picking up rocks.

    However, this has been banned ever since the Daoist Order set up its base in Kunlun Mountain. Most of the jade collectors became Daoist believers and had other means of making a living. However, the Daoist Order did not prohibit people from picking up rocks for fun. Onlyrge-scale mining was banned.

    Some jade had a smooth outeryer, like the ones the Qi Xuansu picked up, because it had been eroded by the river.

    Zhang Yuelu reached out to pick up a smooth stone and rubbed it gently. She chuckled. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had such leisurely hobbies.¡±

    Qi Xuansu muttered, ¡°I picked these a long time ago. There is an abundance outside Jade Capital, but I hope you don¡¯t dislike them.¡±

    ¡°How could I dislike it?¡± Zhang Yuelu closed the box and said sincerely, ¡°You picked these stones one by one. I like them very much. Thank you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu waved his hand. ¡°No need for thanks. After all, it¡¯s not valuable.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu held the box with both hands. For some reason, she suddenly had a bad premonition that she could not shake off.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Zhang Yuelu also found it strange. People in the Daoist Order had premonitions, especially those who had practiced Purple Star Astrology before. They could even see glimpses of the future at times. It was said that Buddhists who practiced the Psychic Method could also foresee the future in dreams.

    At this moment, Zhang Juqi came to the window and said, ¡°I ordered some food from the Taiping Inn in town and asked them to send it over.¡±

    Qi Xuansu hurriedly said, ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu also had a smile on her face as she said, ¡°Thanks for everything, Dad.¡±

    Zhang Juqi smiled, turned, and left.

    Unlike Tantai Qiong, Zhang Juqi did not want his daughter to be so ambitious. He just hoped that his daughter could live happily.

 Chapter 164: Eight Treasures Porridge (I)

    <h4>Chapter 164: Eight Treasures Porridge (I)</h4>

    In the blink of an eye, it was already the 8th of December, a traditional festival when people ate Eight Treasures Porridge. It was called the Laba Festival, which originated in Buddhism to celebrate Buddha¡¯s enlightenment.

    After Buddhism and Daoism merged, Daoists retained this festival. However, after the two big religions turned against each other, the Daoistmunity celebrated the festival as the transcendence of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor instead of Buddha¡¯s enlightenment.

    Every Laba Festival, the Dazhen Mansion would make a pot of Eight Treasures Porridge and invite friends and rtives to celebrate the festival together. It could be regarded as a year-end party. However, not all rtives were invited. The criteria for getting an invitation were strict. One must be a third-rank Youyi Daoist master, a direct descendant from the main branch of the Zhang family, or someone specially invited by the Heavenly Preceptor.

    Of course, the Eight Treasures Porridge in the Dazhen Mansion was not an ordinary porridge thatmoners ate. Traditional Eight Treasures Porridge contained red dates, lotus seeds, barley, dried longan, red beans, and the like. However, Dazhen Mansion added many rare medicinal ingredients, including the precious Red Fruit.

    It was rumored that Red Fruit only bloomed and bore fruit after a hundred years. If an ordinary person consumed this fruit, their internal organs would be incinerated by the strong fire contained in the fruit. However, if they could resist the fire, they could use the medicinal power of the Red Fruit to enhance their cultivation level.

    There were very few Red Fruit trees in the world. A few of these trees, which were more than a thousand years old, were situated in Yunjin Mountain and Kunlun Cave, so ordinary people did not have the opportunity to see them. Even if they were lucky enough to pick one up, they would not dare to eat it rashly.

    The Red Fruit added to the Eight Treasures Porridge in the Dazhen Mansion had been processed in advance to remove some of the fire, which was neutralized by other medicinal ingredients. This porridge was a great tonic for those lucky enough to consume it. That was why it was a great honor to be invited to the Dazhen Mansion for the Laba Festival.

    Tantai Qiong, Zhang Yuyue, and Zhang Yuelu received the invitation to the Dazhen Mansion. Tantai Qiong was a third-rank Youyi Daoist master; Zhang Yuyue was a direct descendant of the main branch of the Zhang family; and Zhang Yuelu was specially invited by the Heavenly Preceptor. Thus, the three women went to the Dazhen Mansion for the Eight Treasures Porridge.

    Only Zhang Juqi and Qi Xuansu were left at home. Qi Xuansu did not mind because he was a menial seventh-rank priest and was merely Zhang Yuelu¡¯s guest. So it was reasonable that he was not qualified to participate in such a grand event. On the contrary, if he were invited, he would not know what to do with himself, as he would be surrounded by high-ranking Daoists.

    Qi Xuansu had such a low rank that he was probably not even qualified to entertain guests at the Dazhen Mansion. Even thinking about the idea of being invited to that exclusive event was embarrassing.

    What Qi Xuansu found weird was that Zhang Juqi did not receive an invitation. Although Zhang Juqi was not a third-rank Youyi Daoist master, he was in the fourth rank and from the Zhang family. More importantly, his wife and daughter were both invited. Only he was singled out, which was quite embarrassing.

    Even so, Zhang Juqi did not seem to care, as if he had been ustomed to this arrangement for a long time. He did not feel disappointed or resentful. Instead, he went out to y chess and drink with his friends, who were also not invited to the Dazhen Mansion.

    This indicated that it was not just a year or two since Zhang Juqi did not receive the invitation to the Dazhen Mansion for the Laba Festival. Qi Xuansu recalled that Zhang Juqi had been stuck in the fourth rank for quite some time and could not help but suspect that Zhang Juqi might have some conflict with the Zhang family.

    After the women left, Qi Xuansu had nothing to do and wandered alone on Yunjin Mountain. After all, it was a rare opportunity for him to be here, so he did not want to miss out on the magnificent scenery. Of course, there were some forbidden areas on the mountain, but they were clearly marked and guarded, so Qi Xuansu was not afraid that he would mistakenly enter the restricted zones.

    At some point, Qi Xuansu came to a cliff. There was a Daoist temple there. Looking out from the temple, one could see the sea of ??clouds by the mountain. It was an excellent ce to enjoy the view. However, since the Holy Xuan destroyed the peak, part of the Daoist temple slid into the abyss below, leaving only some ruins of the temple and a bell tower that remained on the t cliff.

    Qi Xuansu climbed up to the bell tower and looked out at the vast sea of ??clouds. He was not interested in ??clouds. What really piqued his interest was the majestic power that had created such a scene. The Holy Xuan destroyed a mountain in a fit of rage and changed thendscape of the area. This was the so-called immortal power that was capable of moving mountains and shaping seas.

    He wondered if he could ever be this powerful. If he had such power, even the Dazhen Mansion would have to bow to him. With such colossal power, he would no longer feel burdened by the Qingping Society, and everything would bend ording to his will.

    Of course, Qi Xuansu was not someone who repaid kindness with enmity. It was Madam Qi who saved his life, so he would always remember that debt. However, he never regarded Madam Qi and the Qingping Society as one entity. If there was a day he could call the shots, he would let Madam Qi be the leader of the Qingping Society. That would be an interesting turn of events.

    While Qi Xuansu was daydreaming, he heard some footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw a woman appearing at the stairs on the first floor, looking like she was about to climb up the bell tower.

    This woman was beautiful with sultry eyes. When she walked, her hips swayed gently, adding to her charm. However, Qi Xuansu was an experienced traveler. He had learned a bit of Madam Qi¡¯s divination techniques, which were the foundation for the Purple Star Astrology and Divine Calction Technique.

    Judging from this woman¡¯s face alone, Qi Xuansu could tell that the woman was not a treacherous viin, but she certainly did not have good intentions for approaching him.

    To put it simply, this woman did not look like a good person.

    Qi Xuansu immediately became wary and slowly backed away from the stairs. As an experienced traveler, he was suspicious of everyone, assuming the worst of humanity. He knew he had offended Tantai Qiong and Zhang Yuyue, who were both not easy to deal with. Thus, he had been preparing himself for anything they might throw his way.

    He knew that Tantai Qiong would not kill him while he was on Yunjin Mountain, but she would likely use some other means to get him kicked out. These were probably some dirty tricks that most people used in politics or on the streets.

    The moment Qi Xuansu saw this woman, the word ¡°honeytrap¡± popped into his mind. This was amon trick, using beautiful women as bait to extort money from men. However, Qi Xuansu quickly thought of another possibility: used rape.

    As long as a woman was willing to put her dignity aside and identify a man for having an affair with her, she could ruin a man¡¯s reputation, even without evidence. This practice originated during the times when Confucianism was the orthodox religion.

    Confucians valued women¡¯s virtue, so the woman who used another man of rape would pay a greater price than the man, preventing false usations. This virtue carried through to this day when Daoism was the orthodox religion. Although there was no explicit rule, rape was still frowned upon.

    However, a woman¡¯s virtue was not as important as it was in the past, so the consequences of women using men of rape were not as serious. Thus, some people began to make false usations.

    As long as a man and a woman were seen alone in a room, it was hard to shirk usations of rape. Even a high-ranking priest¡¯s reputation would be ruined. Only those in power could suppress this kind of usation.

    Thus, a low-ranking priest like Qi Xuansu would not be able to escape. Qi Xuansu remained guarded against the woman because he believed that Tantai Qiong was capable of using such despicable means to get rid of him.

    Qi Xuansu looked around and found that the stairs were the only way up and down the bell tower, but they were already upied by that woman. The other side was a cliff, which had a t surface without even a slight bulge on the edge. Right below him was an abyss.

    He suddenly fell into a dilemma. As the woman climbed the stairs slowly, Qi Xuansu felt his heart pounding with every step she took.

    Finally, the woman¡¯s upper body was visible from the second floor of the bell tower. By then, Qi Xuansu had already retreated to the edge of the bell tower and leaned back on the railing.

    When the woman reached the second floor and came face-to-face with Qi Xuansu, she smiled and greeted him. But immediately after, her expression stiffened.

    Qi Xuansu fell backward into the abyss below, startling the woman. Of course, Qi Xuansu did not take his own life. During the fall, he had already pulled out his short sword, Qing Yuan, from his waist. He adjusted his posture and stabbed the side of the cliff, right below the bell tower.

    He relied on his exceptional physique,parable to that of a Martial Arts Practitioner to stop his fall. Then he curled his fingers, piercing his nails into the cliff while shifting his body weight to pull out his sword.

    His reaction was certainly unexpected. That was how Qi Xuansu used his fingers to climb up the cliff like a gecko.

    After a while, the woman returned to her senses and rushed over to the railing. She leaned out and looked down, but all she could see were the clouds. Qi Xuansu¡¯s figure was nowhere to be seen.

    The woman stamped her foot fiercely. ¡°Who is that man? Am I that terrifying that he would rather jump to his death?!¡±

    She was at a loss for what to do because all that she had prepared had be useless. Not long after, she heard more footsteps climbing up the stairs.

    Three more people went upstairs, with Zhang Yuyue taking the lead. She did not go to Dazhen Mansion for the Laba Festival because she did not care much about the Eight Treasures Porridge that others considered precious.

    The other two who followed were helpers that Zhang Yuyue had borrowed from the Dazhen Mansion to capture Qi Xuansu.

    However, Zhang Yuyue looked around and saw no sign of Qi Xuansu. She frowned and asked the woman, ¡°Where is he?¡±

    The woman pursed her lips and tipped her head toward the railing. ¡°He jumped down before I got to speak with him. It was really eye-opening.¡±

    Zhang Yuyue rushed to the railing, leaned over, and looked out, only to see the clouds. Qi Xuansu had already escaped. Frustrated, Zhang Yuyue mmed the railing with her palms. ¡°What a cunning bastard! He¡¯s definitely not easy to deal with!¡±

 Chapter 165: Eight Treasures Porridge (II)

    <h4>Chapter 165: Eight Treasures Porridge (II)</h4>

    Qi Xuansu scaled the bare cliff horizontally for a long time and only climbed to the top of the cliff after leaving the perimeter of the Daoist temple ruins.

    At this time, his fingers were dripping with blood, and his flesh had peeled off until his bones could be seen. His nails were also a gory sight. Fortunately, he had the strong physique of a Martial Arts Practitioner, so he was able to crawl such a long distance on a bare cliff without using any tools.

    Qi Xuansu let out a long breath. He finally understood why Zhang Yuelu told him not to leave the house. It turned out that she had already expected something to happen.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu stood up and walked to the Zhang family¡¯s residence. Qi Xuansu had overestimated Zhang Yuelu¡¯s abilities. She probably did not expect that her mother and cousin would use such tricks to deal with him. Her worry came from an unfounded, bad premonition that she could not figure out.

    Although Zhang Yuelu had many enemies, like Li Tianzhen and those from the Jiangnan case, Yunjin Mountain was her home base. The Heavenly Preceptor was residing in the Dazhen Mansion on Yunjin Mountain, so who would be so bold as to provoke Zhang Yuelu on her turf?

    Even the Earthly Preceptor Xu Wugui from back then only dared to ambush the Dazhen Mansion when the Heavenly Preceptor was not around. That was why Zhang Yuelu could not figure out why she had a bad premonition when she was at home. It did not make sense to have a bad premonition months in advance, right?

    In terms of divination, the longer the time span, the more variables there were. Thus, the uracy decreased significantly. Therefore, most predictions would not exceed two months. Zhang Yuelu thought about her itinerary for the next two months. She would be in Yunjin Mountain or Jade Capital, both of which were very safe ces.

    After Qi Xuansu returned to the Zhang family¡¯s residence, he happened to meet Zhang Juqi. Qi Xuansu had a good impression of this kind and polite man, so he respectfully stopped to greet this elder.

    Zhang Juqi nced at Qi Xuansu, his gaze falling on Qi Xuansu¡¯s fingers. He advised in a mysterious tone. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t think that Yunjin Mountain is a safe space. Wherever there are people, there is conflict.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Qi Xuansu said seriously.

    Zhang Juqi stopped talking and went about his own business. Qi Xuansu stood there and looked at Zhang Juqi¡¯s back thoughtfully.

    He had an intuition that Zhang Juqi was not as simple as he seemed. This man probably had an unspoken story.

    At this moment, someone patted him on the shoulder from behind. ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    Qi Xuansu turned around, surprised to see Zhang Yuelu. ¡°Why are you back so early?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°I slipped out right after finishing the Eight Treasures Porridge. I didn¡¯t want to stay and act.¡±

    ¡°Act? What kind of act?¡± Qi Xuansu was curious.

    Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes. ¡°The act of a loving grandniece. At this timest year, the Heavenly Preceptor was not in Dazhen Mansion, and I didn¡¯te home. I heard that the Laba Festival in the Dazhen Mansion was just ordinary.

    ¡°But it¡¯s different this year. The Heavenly Preceptor attended this time, so after having some porridge, all members of the Zhang family rushed to tter the Heavenly Preceptor. Although the Heavenly Preceptor has never married and has no biological children, he has more descendants than anyone else.¡±

    Qi Xuansu burst outughing. ¡°I never realized how sarcastic you can be!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu waved her hand. When she noticed Qi Xuansu¡¯s fingers, she could not help but ask, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not hide anything from her and recounted the events earlier. However, he did not tell her about his suspicion. He only mentioned how strange this encounter was. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just too sensitive.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu fell into deep thought. She shook her head and said, ¡°You¡¯re not sensitive. I was wondering why Zhang Yuyue didn¡¯t show up for the meal at the Dazhen Mansion. What are they up to?¡±

    He did notment.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu roughly connected the dots. Her tone became more aggressive as she shouted, ¡°I can¡¯t tolerate this! They¡¯re going overboard!¡±

    Qi Xuansu kept a calm demeanor. ¡°Qing Xiao, don¡¯t get mad. We don¡¯t have any evidence.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu suppressed her anger and nodded. ¡°My cousin certainly has the courage to carry this out, but I¡¯m afraid she doesn¡¯t have the brains to think of such schemes. There¡¯s probably a mastermind behind this.¡±

    Although Zhang Yuelu did not say it explicitly, they both knew who she was referring to.

    Zhang Yuelu muttered, ¡°I was right. We can¡¯t stay in Shangqing Town for long. It would¡¯ve been best if we came back on New Year¡¯s Eve and left on New Year¡¯s Day.¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled helplessly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s good mood after having the Eight Treasures Porridge waspletely ruined. She then asked Qi Xuansu to follow her to her room.

    It was no longer taboo to enter a woman¡¯s room. But this was the first time Qi Xuansu had set foot in one. Qi Xuansu was somewhat disappointed because Zhang Yuelu¡¯s room was extremely simple, with only a bed, a table, a screen, and two ceramic drum stools. That was because she had moved most of her things to her residence in Jade Capital.

    Zhang Yuelu motioned for Qi Xuansu to sit down while she sat across from him with a table between them. Then she took out the ointment she bought from Huasheng Hall.

    Since returning home, she had been using the ointment regrly, so most of her wounds were almost healed, leaving only faint red marks due to the new skin growing.

    Qi Xuansu shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s just a minor injury. It¡¯ll be fine after a while.¡±

    ¡°Stretch out your hands,¡± Zhang Yuelumanded, leaving no room for negotiation.

    Qi Xuansu had no choice but to obey.

    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t move.¡± Zhang Yuelu stood up and came back with a basin of water.

    Zhang Yuelu first washed Qi Xuansu¡¯s hands with water before carefully applying the ointment. Since she had not done anything like this before, she was a little clumsy and identally hurt Qi Xuansu. But to Qi Xuansu, this pain was nothingpared to the warmth and pleasure he felt from being treated with such care.

    After applying the ointment, Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°All done! Doesn¡¯t it feel better?¡±

    Qi Xuansu focused on his fingers. After the initial sting, there was a slight chill. The ointment seemed to have elerated his healing to a certain extent. The wound that would originally take three or four days to heal would be as good as new in about two hours.

    Zhang Yuelu instructed, ¡°Just raise your hands like this and wait until the medicine takes effect before resting them.¡±

    Qi Xuansu could only do as he was told.

    ......

    Every New Year, the number of people in the Jade Capital would decrease while the Zhenjing Courtyard, the Chongyang Pce of Immortality, and the Dazhen Mansion would see much higher traffic than usual.

    Not everyone in the Dazhen Mansion was a descendant of the Zhang family. Those who had dealings with the Zhang family also visited the Dazhen Mansion during this period. Thus, the frequency of flying ships increased.

    A huge flying ship broke through the sea of ??clouds and descended slowly, preparing to dock in theke outside Shangqing Pce.

    A group of people was already standing on the shore, ready to greet them. The leader among them was Zhang Jucheng, Zhang Yuyue¡¯s father. He was a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master who was the Pce Master of the Shangqing Pce.

    Zhang Jucheng was not the Heavenly Preceptor¡¯s biological son, but Zhang Jucheng¡¯s father and the Heavenly Preceptor were biological brothers. Since the Heavenly Preceptor never married or had children of his own, ording to the n inheritance system, Zhang Jucheng would be the sessor. Zhang Jucheng¡¯s family was then considered the main branch of the Zhang family.

    Behind Zhang Jucheng was a group of high-ranking Daoist priests, including Zhang Juping, the third-rank Youyi Daoist master who had previously met with Qi Xuansu.

    Zhang Jucheng and his entourage looked in the direction of the flying ship. They were all Heavenly Beings, so their breath alone could dissipate the water vapors brought on by the flying ship.

    After the flying ship docked, a ramp was lowered, and the people on the boat disembarked one by one.

    Zhang Jucheng had already taken the initiative to greet them. This flying ship was a special ship from the Chongyang Pce of Immortality, filled with high-ranking priests from the Quanzhen Sect.

    They were on orders from the Earthly Preceptor to visit the Heavenly Preceptor on Yunjin Mountain to celebrate the Laba Festival. In fact, they had the same purpose as Sage Qingwei visiting the Emperor in the Imperial Capital.

    The Laba Festival was divided into two sessions, one in the morning and another in the evening. The first session during the day was mainly attended by members of the Zhang family, in which Zhang Yuelu participated this time. The second session was held in the evening for senior officials from the Zhengyi Sect and Quanzhen Sect. Although the number of people invited was fewer, it was more important.

    Among the people who came this time were the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion Master, the Chief Deputy Qinzhou Daoist Mansion Master, and the Wuxu Pce Master, all of whom were second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters.

    Zhang Jucheng was acquainted with Qi Jiaozheng, the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion Master. The Qi family in which Qi Jiaozheng was born was the one others often misunderstood Qi Xuansu was from.

    If Qi Xuansu was from that particr Qi family, he would be of equal status to Zhang Yuelu. It was a pity that Qi Xuansu had no blood rtionship with the Qi family. After all, he merely followed his master¡¯sst name.

    Zhang Jucheng and Qi Jiaozheng briefly exchanged greetings and walked in front of their entourage.

    Behind them were Zhang Jucheng¡¯s younger cousin, Zhang Jushu, and the Wuxu Pce Master.

    Logically speaking, the Wuxu Pce Master should be of the same rank as the Shangqing Pce Master. However, in the past, Sage Donghua had always been in charge of the Wuxu Pce while he was the Beichen Hall Master. However, after being promoted to Ziwei Hall Master, a new Sage had to take over the Wuxu Pce.

    This Sage was only an ordinary second-rank Taiyi Daoist master and was not yet an Omniscient Sage, so he was still lower in rank than Zhang Jucheng and Qi Jiaozheng. That was why the group of Quanzhen Sect disciples this time were led by Qi Jiaozheng, the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion Master.

    The Quanzhen Sect disciples left the flying ship one by one.

    The number of Zhengyi Sect disciples on the shore weing their counterparts continued to decrease. Soon, only Zhang Juping was left standing there. The ramp was still attached to the ship.

    Finally, thest figure appeared. Pei Xiaolou was seen wearing a Daoist hechang and a lotus crown that resembled a blooming lotus. There was a saying that clothes make a man. At this time, Pei Xiaolou no longer looked like a quack whom Qi Xuansu met on his very first ride on the flying ship. He looked rather cool.

    Pei Xiaolou stood at the top of the ramp, looking in the direction of the Dazhen Mansion. He turned to look at Zhang Juping below with a smile and slowly walked down the ramp.

    It was hard to imagine that two people with such different personalities could be friends.

 Chapter 166: Alliance

    <h4>Chapter 166: Alliance</h4>

    At the end of the 41st year of the Jiushi Era, the Omniscient Sage Qi Jiaozheng led 36 high-ranking priests from the Quanzhen Sect, including many second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters, to Yunjin Mountain.

    Qi Jiaozheng was the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion Master. He received orders from the Earthly Preceptor to present some gifts and greetings to the Heavenly Preceptor on behalf of the Quanzhen Sect.

    Then he went to the ancestral shrine in Dazhen Mansion to pay respects to Shangguan Wan, the first Earthly Preceptor after the Holy Xuan revived Daoism. Shangguan Wan was the wife of the first Heavenly Preceptor. Thus, the Quanzhen Sect and the Zhengyi Sect shared the same ancestors.

    On the night of December 8th, the Heavenly Preceptor hosted a banquet in the Dazhen Mansion for this group of Quanzhen Sect high-ranking priests. Zhang Juchen and some other high-ranking priests from the Zhengyi Sect attended as well. However, the content of this meeting was not known to outsiders.

    Since the Earthly Preceptor was currently assuming the position of the Great Sage Lunzhi, who could exercise the authority of the Grand Master, he was based in Jade Capital at the moment and could not attend this banquet in person.

    The second-inmand of the Zhengyi Sect, Sage Cihang, and the second-inmand of the Quanzhen Sect, Sage Donghua, were assuming the positions of the Duzhi Hall Master and the Ziwei Hall Master, respectively. Since they held power over the finances and resources of the Daoist Order, they also had to stay in Jade Capital and could not attend this banquet.

    Since there was a war in the Western Region, the Western Region Daoist Mansion Master could not simply leave. The Qinzhou Daoist Mansion Master also had to take over the Chongyang Pce of Immortality in ce of the Earthly Preceptor. Thus, Qi Jiaozheng, the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion Master, had to represent the Quanzhen Sect for this banquet.

    On December 9th, Qi Xuansu had justpleted qi training when he found Zhang Yuelu waiting outside his door.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you here so early?¡± Qi Xuansu opened the door and asked.

    Zhang Yuelu was holding a tray of food, which contained a bowl of porridge and a basket of steamed buns. Zhang Yuelu did not cook, especially since she practiced the Fasting Technique. So Qi Xuansu guessed that she bought this from the Taiping Inn, which doubled as a popr restaurant in town.

    She walked into his room and put his breakfast on the table. The steam baskets, stacked on top of each other, were still emitting steam. It appeared simple, but it was designed for a specific purpose because, back then, the Holy Xuan was very fond of steamed foods.

    From the firstyer, Qi Xuansu could see six small buns with different shapes and colors. The white buns were made of refined flour; the ck buns were made of fine buckwheat flour; and the yellow buns were made of glutinous millet flour. These buns were a well-bnced and exquisite meal with a mix of fine and coarse grains, as well as meat and vegetable fillings.

    Qi Xuansu was used to eating while Zhang Yuelu watched him, so he washed his hands, picked up a vegetable-filling steamed bun with his chopsticks, and stuffed it into his mouth.

    Zhang Yuelu nced at Qi Xuansu¡¯s fingers, which hadpletely recovered.

    Qi Xuansu had the habit of talking while eating. After swallowing the bun, he asked, ¡°Why do I feel like something is wrong with you? Did something serious happen?¡±

    ¡°There is indeed something going on.¡± Zhang Yuelu did not like to beat around the bush and went straight to the point. ¡°I just heard the news that the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion Master led 36 high-ranking Quanzhen Sect priests to visit the Dazhen Mansion yesterday.¡±

    Qi Xuansu, who was about to grab the second bun, suddenly froze and slowly raised his head to look at her. ¡°The Shuzhou Daoist Mansion Master led 36 high-ranking priests from the Quanzhen Sect to visit Dazhen Mansion. At the same time, Sage Qingwei led 36 high-ranking priests from the Taiping Sect to meet the Emperor in the Imperial Pce. I¡¯m afraid the number 36 is not just a coincidence, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not a coincidence.¡± Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°Since the Taiping Sect wants to test the reactions of all parties, this is the response of the Quanzhen Sect and the Zhengyi Sect.¡±

    Qi Xuansu no longer had the mood to eat. ¡°This means that if the Taiping Sect and the Imperial Court collude to get the Emperor to intervene regarding the election of the Grand Master, then the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect will join forces to go against the Taiping Sect.¡±

    ¡°Yes, this is an alliance.¡± Zhang Yuelu nodded.

    ¡°In that case, wouldn¡¯t the Daoist Order be divided?¡± Qi Xuansu said hesitantly.

    Zhang Yuelu huffed. ¡°In my opinion, this isn¡¯t an appropriate approach. Both sides are afraid.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Zhang Yuelu tapped the table with her fingers. ¡°We¡¯re afraid that the Taiping Sect will split away from the Daoist Order, but the Taiping Sect is also afraid of the split. After all, the Taiping Sect is still considered part of the Daoist Order. They only strive to gain the most power within the Daoist Order, not to destroy it.

    ¡°What good does a divided Daoist Order have for them? If the Daoist Order cannot maintain the bnce of power with the Imperial Court, even if the Taiping Sect wins the position of Grand Master, they will only be a vassal of the Imperial Court. For them, it¡¯ll be better to maintain the status quo. At least then they will still have an equal status to the Imperial Court.¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally understood. ¡°No one wants the Daoist Order to be divided, but they all want the position of the Grand Master. That¡¯s why the Taiping Sect wanted to force the Quanzhen Sect and Zhengyi Sect to give up that position through the Emperor¡¯s influence.

    ¡°But the Quanzhen Sect and Zhengyi Sect aren¡¯t willing to retreat and will rather fight to the death. Now it depends on who is more determined. Will the Quanzhen Sect, Zhengyi Sect, or Taiping Sect take the initiative to surrender? I¡¯m afraid conflict is inevitable now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably the gist of it. The result will be unpredictable if one party isn¡¯t determined enough.¡± Zhang Yuelu did not conceal her worry. "If a war breaks out, who do you think will benefit the most? It¡¯s the Imperial Court. That¡¯s why the Imperial Court hopes that the Daoist Order has internal strife.

    ¡°Those secret societies will also take the opportunity to stir up trouble and add fuel to the mes. Just imagine what will happen if the Imperial Court tries to instigate the Taiping Sect to create tension between the three major Daoist sects. They can even disguise themselves as Taiping Sect disciples to attack the Zhengyi Sect and Quanzhen Sect.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was silent for a moment before hemented. ¡°If such a thing happens, Quanzhen Sect and Zhengyi Sect will fall into a dilemma. If they don¡¯t fight back, they won¡¯t be able to exin their decision to their disciples. If they fight back, the situation will getpletely out of hand. Even the three Deputy Grand Masters won¡¯t be able to stop it.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu shook her head in dismay. ¡°The Holy Xuan once said that it¡¯s easy to start a war but difficult to end one. I believe that the three Deputy Grand Masters understand this simple truth. But understanding is one thing; whether the situation will develop as they envisioned is another matter.¡±

    Qi Xuansu started eating the steamed buns again. He ate them quickly, shoving them whole into his mouth, one bun at a time. After finishing the bowl of porridge as well, he said, ¡°This reminds me of the major Jiangnan case you mentioned. Everyone understands the principle of not going too far with greed and taking fewer kickbacks, but the problem is that everyone expects others to practice this principle.

    ¡°After the shipwreck, those people who wereter executed by the Ancestral Court knew that the situation was awry. The Duzhi Hall, Shibo Hall, and Beichen Hall had all noticed the misconduct of the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion by then. But those people still refused to spit out the goods and return them to the Daoist Order.

    ¡°If they passed the inspection from Duzhi Hall and Beichen Hall, they could still control the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion. But those people still refused to give up their kickbacks to ovee the cmity. In the end, they were executed and had their assets confiscated. They still hoped that others would be less greedy and make sacrifices for them.

    ¡°Do you think that the three major sects will be like this? Even if the Daoist Order splits up in the end, none of them will retreat because everyone hopes that the other party will back down first. Eventually, they will all perish together.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu stared at Qi Xuansu nkly.

    Qi Xuansu added, ¡°Although some snobbish people in power think that the difference between them and their subordinates is much greater than the difference between humans and demons, in terms of the most fundamental aspects of human nature, how much more superior can those people in power be?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu sighed softly after a long time, agreeing with him but also helpless about the situation.

    Qi Xuansu remarked, ¡°You and I are too far away from the position of power, so it¡¯s pointless saying these things.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s talk about something we can rte to.¡± Zhang Yuelu changed the topic.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Such as?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu answered. ¡°Even if a war is imminent, it won¡¯t happen immediately. It will take time for all parties to sort out their internal affairs, transport supplies, mobilize their armies, strategize, and even form alliances. Back then, the Holy Xuan took four years to prepare for the war against the Buddhist Sect to revive the Daoist Order. What I¡¯m about to say is already happening, which is one of the reasons why the Zhengyi Sect and Quanzhen Sect responded so quickly this time.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Qi Xuansu became more curious.

    Zhang Yuelu exined, ¡°Since the sixth-generation Grand Master ascended to the heavens, the Grand Master¡¯s position has been vacant, and the three Deputy Grand Masters took turns exercising the authority of the Grand Master. This position of the acting Grand Master is called the Great Sage Lunzhi.

    ¡°This year is the 41st year of the Jiushi Era. In the first half of the year, from January 1st until June 30th, the Heavenly Preceptor would assume the position of the Great Sage Lunzhi. In the second half of the year, from July 1st until thest day of December, the Earthly Preceptor would assume the position of the Great Sage Lunzhi.

    ¡°Today is the 9th of December. There are only a few weeks until New Year¡¯s Eve. After that, the Imperial Preceptor will be assuming the position of the Great Sage Lunzhi starting New Year¡¯s Day for half a year.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had to admit that this was indeed a matter rted to the two of them, as the subjects'' fates depended on the leader. In this situation, the upper echelons of the Daoist Order would most likely undergo some personnel changes.

    When the Earthly Preceptor, also known as the Great Sage of the Quanzhen Sect, became the Great Sage Lunzhi, he appointed Zhang Yuelu as the Deputy Tiangang Hall Master. Although it was unlikely that the Imperial Preceptor, also known as the Great Sage of the Taiping Sect, would take the initiative to embarrass a junior like Zhang Yuelu, there were no absolutes in the world.

    Zhang Yuelu might be dismissed from her position during the personnel changes because of Li Tianzhen. Even if she was not dismissed as Deputy Hall Master, she could be transferred to the Requiem Division of the Ciji Hall. Her future there would be bleak.

    If that happened, the Earthly Preceptor would have to wait until it was his turn to be the Great Sage Lunzhi again to promote Zhang Yuelu. Or perhaps he could transfer her to be a Deputy Mansion Master at a local Daoist mansion.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were a package deal. If Zhang Yuelu had to leave Jade Capital, Qi Xuansu would probably have to leave with her. After all, he had also indirectly offended Li Tianzhen. So it would be difficult for Qi Xuansu to break away from his ties with Zhang Yuelu.

    The disputes between the three sects, the rise and fall of the Daoist Order, and the general trend that the world would head to were topics too far out of reach. However, personnel changes were the major event that was close at hand.

    Qi Xuansu suddenly became a little nervous about his position.

    Zhang Yuelu sighed. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just take it one step at a time.¡±

 Chapter 167: Auction

    <h4>Chapter 167: Auction</h4>

    With the frequent exchange between the East and the West, a wave of Western learning gradually emerged over the past hundred years. This Western learning included ideas and habits from the Western Continent.

    Auctions were one of the things brought over from the West. The rules were simple. The price of the auctioned items was not fixed, and the item would be awarded to the highest bidder. There must be more than two bidders in this auction for apetitive environment.

    In fact, the East also had simr biddings in the past, but they were not systematic. After the maritime merchants introduced this set of bidding rules from the West, it became widespread. The ck market, led by the Seven Treasure Pavilion, was particrly fond of bidding for items. Qi Xuansu once participated in it when he was traveling around the world, but because he did not have much money, he did not win any bids.

    <i>There was a saying that correcting deviations required extreme measures. Back in the Jin Dynasty, the emperor did not want the regional governors of the previous Qi Dynasty to hold too much power. Thus, they consistently suppressed the generals.</i>

    <i>Learning from the mistakes of the civil servant''s factionalism and the eunuch''s interference in politics in the previous dynasty, the Great Xuan Dynasty paid more attention to the bnce between civil and military officials. This was to ensure that the civil officials did not oppress the military officials. Military officials could rise the ranks and even be ministers. The Great Xuan Dynasty also abolished the 24 bureaus of the Inner Court, which were headed by the Ministry of Rites.</i>

    <i>The same was true for Daoism. Before Daoism, Confucianism dominated the world. Having observed Confucianism¡¯s period of stagnation, resistance to change, and reluctance to ept new ideas, Daoism paid more attention to promoting and employing young talents as well as various innovations and reforms.</i>

    <i>As a result, Daoists were very receptive to fresh ideas. Additionally, given that the Daoistmunity consisted of thergest merchant group, Western learning had spread to the Daoist Order.</i>

    There were also auctions within the Daoist Order, which were usually hosted by the Shibo Hall. These bids were mainly for precious goods that were only avable in small quantities but were in high demand.

    Huasheng Hall and Tianji Hall would asionally host auctions to promote their own products. Even Beichen Hall and Tiangang Hall held auctions asionally to sell the properties of convicted criminals and confiscated items.

    However, Ziwei Hall and Ciji Hall never hosted such auctions. That was because the Ziwei Hall was not allowed to sell Daoist crowns or certifications, nor could the Ciji Hall sell ceremonial rites.

    Such auctions were mostly attended by high-ranking Daoist priests. Sometimes, people from the Imperial Court and the Confucian School were invited to attend as well.

    On December 10th, Zhengyi Sect and Quanzhen Sect jointly held an auction in Shangqing Pce. The specifications for this auction were much lower than usual. The Heavenly Preceptor, Zhang Jucheng, and Qi Jiaozheng would not attend.

    This auction was held as aworking event, and the proceeds would be donated to the families of the Spirit Guards who died in the Western Region war. This would be in addition to the pension allocated by Duzhi Hall that would already be paid to the families.

    Thus, the threshold for attending this auction was also lowered. Zhang Yuelu received the invitation. To be fair, with Zhang Yuelu¡¯s reputation and status, it was normal for her to receive an invitation. On the contrary, it would be strange if she did not receive one. After all, Zhang Yuelu was the best example of the cordial rtionship between the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect.

    Zhang Yuelu was from the Zhang family, but she was promoted by the Earthly Preceptor from the Quanzhen Sect. That was why Zhang Yuelu would be encouraged to attend such events to promote the harmony of the two sects, like a mascot of sorts.

    In addition, Tantai Qiong, Zhang Juqi, Zhang Yuyue, and Dong Baijing, who had just arrived at Yunjin Mountain, also received invitations.

    Originally, Qi Xuansu thought that he would not be invited, so he was prepared to face the awkwardness of being left out. However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, Qi Xuansu also received an invitation. What was even more surprising was that his invitation was not from the Zhengyi Sect but from a Sage of the Quanzhen Sect. That Sage even specifically named Qi Xuansu.

    This puzzled Tantai Qiong. She thought, <i>Does Qi Xuansu have some kind of rtionship with Qi Jiaozheng¡¯s family? Perhaps there¡¯s a story behind his birth, such as an abandoned child left behind by the Qi family...</i>

    Qi Jiaozheng always had a good rtionship with Zhang Jucheng. Although the Heavenly Preceptor was the patriarch of the Zhang family, Zhang Jucheng was the de facto head of the family, attending to the many family affairs. If Qi Jiaozheng came forward to propose marriage between the two families, Zhang Jucheng would most likely agree.

    For this reason, Tantai Qiong used her contacts to inquire about Qi Xuansu¡¯s rtionship with Qi Jiaozheng and found nothing. It was another Sage from the Quanzhen Sect who invited Qi Xuansu. This Sage also did not hold an office in the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion.

    Besides this, Tantai Qiong also heard the news that Qi Xuansu was injured by Zhao Fu¡¯an, the Chief Military Officer of Shuzhong, in Baidi City. However, Zhao Fu¡¯an was ambushed the moment he left Baidi City. Someone witnessed the intense fight between Zhao Fu¡¯an and another person. But in the end, Zhao Fu¡¯an was defeated and left with a broken arm.

    Afterward, the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion and the Governor of Shuzhou turned a blind eye to this, as if the fight had never happened.

    Tantai Qiong was even more confounded. Qi Xuansu was obviously an ordinary orphan from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. Why would someone suddenly stand up for him? Was that fight a coincidence? Or was a Sage backing Qi Xuansu?

    Although Tantai Qiong and her daughter did not see eye-to-eye, she had never doubted her daughter¡¯s intelligence. There could be an inside story about why Qi Xuansu could catch her daughter¡¯s attention. However, Tantai Qiong was wrong about one thing. She made the mistake of judging others by her own standards.

    One might say that Zhang Yuelu was inexperienced and naive. But it was this idealist mindset Zhang Yuelu had that troubled Qi Xuansu the most. Tantai Qiong used her own utilitarian mindset to interpret Zhang Yuelu¡¯s thoughts, which naturally led to apletely different conclusion.

    If Zhang Yuelu cared about one¡¯s family background, she would have chosen Li Tianzhen because not many people had backgrounds stronger than the Li family.

    Qi Xuansu himself was also shocked to receive the invitation. He could not figure out who had invited him. Could it be Daoist Ji? Or could it be the Tiangang Hall Master? These were the only two Sages who were aware of his menial existence.

    However, these two Sages had no reason to specifically invite Qi Xuansu to this auction. It would only make sense if Qi Xuansu was among the group of invitees, such as the deacons of Tiangang Hall. But solely inviting Qi Xuansu by name was baffling.

    Finally, Zhang Yuelu broke the silence. ¡°You¡¯ll know if you go. The Sage probably invited you to meet you.¡±

    Thus, Qi Xuansu went to Shangqing Pce with Zhang Yuelu. This was the first time Qi Xuansu had seen what it was like to be in the upper echelons of the Daoist Order. The auction was hosted at the Shangqing Pce. The threshold for this event was lowerpared to the night banquet of the Laba Festival at the Dazhen Mansion. Butpared to other ordinary events, the standard was still quite high.

    Many second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters and even more third-rank Youyi Daoist masters were in attendance. The main venue for this auction was the assembly hall of Shangqing Pce, which had a simryout to the Golden Tower in Jade Capital.

    <i>Theyout of the Golden Tower was simple, but it was muchrger than this hall. There was a simple rosewood chair with armrests in the middle of a pedestal, which was meant for the Grand Master. A huge three-legged copper incense burner was ced behind the seat. The cover of the incense burner was engraved with trigrams.</i>

    <i>In the center of the north wall directly above the copper incense burner was a in, framed sign with four words: Peace in the World.</i>

    <i>The Grand Master¡¯s chair faced south, and there were 12 seats in each of the three directions: east, south, and west. In total, there were 36 seats, corresponding to the 36 Omniscient Sages. At the top of each of the 12 seats was another chair for the three Deputy Grand Masters respectively.</i>

    <i>The seats of the other Virtuous Great Sages were distributed on the left and right sides below the Grand Master¡¯s pedestal. Behind the 36 seats for the Omniscient Sages were about 108 more seats for ordinary Sages observing the meetings. The chairs were all neatly arranged, with less spacing in betweenpared to the Omniscient Sage¡¯s section.</i>

    The assembly hall of Shangqing Pce was simr, except that the seats for the three Deputy Grand Masters were removed and reced with a whole row of seats for twelve people. The remaining seats were also not deliberately divided into three sections.

    However, when Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu arrived, the door to the assembly hall was still closed. Those who arrived early were lingering outside the assembly hall. The big shots were always thest to arrive, so they would not need to wait.

    Normally, wearing the formal attire of a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master at Zhang Yuelu¡¯s age was something to be proud of. But at Zhang Yuelu¡¯s request, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were both dressed in casual Daoist robes instead of their formal Daoist attire. This was so that Qi Xuansu would not stick out like a sore thumb as a seventh-rank priest amidst all the high-ranking priests present.

    There was a saying that one¡¯s clothes made the man. Zhang Yuelu was dressed in a simple white dress, which was different from her usual style. She looked dignified, elegant, and gentle, different from her usual cool and tough appearance when she was in Tiangang Hall.

    Zhang Yuelu bought a set of clothes for Qi Xuansu. He was wearing a moon-white robe with gold trimming and patterns, square-tipped boots with white soles, a jade-iid belt, and a white jade crown. He looked elegant and noble, like a scion. His usual ruggedness was nowhere to be seen at the moment.

    When they stood side by side, they perfectly matched each other. Many people also noticed the young couple because most of the guests recognized the prodigy, Zhang Yuelu. However, none of them knew who Qi Xuansu was, and they could not help but feel curious about the young man next to Zhang Yuelu. Thus, everyone spected about Qi Xuansu¡¯s identity.

    Some people suspected that Qi Xuansu was from the Yan family and that he and Zhang Yuelu were already betrothed. This time, he came to Yunjin Mountain for their wedding ceremony.

    Others said that Qi Xuansu was a young master of the Qi family from the Quanzhen Sect. This visit to Dazhen Mansion was for a marriage alliance to strengthen the bond between the Zhengyi Sect and Quanzhen Sect. After all, it was not a secret that Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu were close friends in Jade Capital.

    Tantai Qiong and Zhang Juqi arrived a littleter, along with Zhang Yuyue and Dong Baijing. Those who did not know better would think that they were a family of four instead, and that Zhang Yuelu was from the main branch of the Zhang family.

 Chapter 168: Old Acquaintances

    <h4>Chapter 168: Old Acquaintances</h4>

    At this moment, there was amotion, as most people turned toward the entrance of the main hall. A young man and woman walked into the hall, hand in hand.

    Putting aside Zhang Yuelu¡¯smanding aura that could attract thousands of people, in terms of appearance alone, Zhang Yuelu was not as good-looking as this woman who just walked in. Zhang Yuelu was pretty, but her strength lies in her unique aura, which very few people couldpare to.

    The woman who just arrived wore a pure white dress. She was so beautiful and graceful that everyone could not take their eyes off her. However, her expression was cold and indifferent. She was as pure as snow, but also as cold as ice. No one could tell her emotions, and it was clear that she was unapproachable.

    The man next to her was also much more handsome than Qi Xuansu, with strong eyebrows and eagle eyes that people could not help but praise. Standing next to the woman, he was equally as good-looking and did notg behind in any way.

    Moreover, the man had a sort of sharp vigor, which was somewhat simr to Zhang Yuelu. Qi Xuansu always believed that Zhang Yuelu resembled a dragon and a tiger. Although, whenpared to the elders and the big shots, Zhang Yuelu was still a little immature, she was an ambitious person with amanding and oppressive aura that was natural among leaders.

    This man¡¯s aura resembled that of an unsheathed sword, with a frightening sharpness and overwhelming chill. He was not as dignified as Zhang Yuelu and seemed as if he would do anything to achieve his goals, even if it was immoral.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu also noticed this outstanding couple. Zhang Yuelu was not jealous of the woman¡¯s beauty. Instead, shemented, ¡°Wow, she¡¯s so pretty, like a doll!¡±

    However, Qi Xuansu did not speak. Zhang Yuelu looked at Qi Xuansu strangely because he was staring at the couple with a hint of disgust.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Tian Yuan, do you know these two people?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°Yeah, but I didn¡¯t expect to see them here. What an ill fate...¡±

    Zhang Yuelu rarely saw Qi Xuansu in such a mood, so she became more curious. ¡°What grudges do you have against them?¡±

    Qi Xuansu considered his words carefully before saying, ¡°You¡¯ve read my file, so you should know that I graduated from ss A of the Bingzi Year in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. They were in the same batch as me.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was surprised. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re your ssmates! You should have a good rtionship with them then, right?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve never been to the Lower Pce of Wanxiang Daoist Pce, so you won¡¯t understand what it¡¯s like there.¡± Qi Xuansu shook his head.

    He continued, ¡°Three months before graduation, the Wanxiang Daoist Pce held a special trial for Daoist attendants who were interested in bing priests. We were divided into two camps, the Dragon Camp and the Tiger Camp, respectively.

    ¡°The two camps fought against each other within a prescribed area designated in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. Both sides elected a leader to arrange the troops, and the rest followed orders and performed their duties. The losing side would be punished, and the winning side would be rewarded. For Daoist attendants who grew up with nothing, this reward was very important. So everyone wanted to win.¡±

    It was the first time that Zhang Yuelu heard of such a trial in the Lower Pce of the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. She looked interested. ¡°If I had known earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have chosen home school and would have gone to study in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said helplessly, ¡°With your background, aren¡¯t you afraid of being singled out by the orphans if you study at the Lower Pce?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu asked in return, ¡°Do you think that only adults know to curry favor with those in power?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was speechless.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°But I should be able to be the leader of the camps if I was at the Lower Pce, right?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Probably.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu probed, ¡°Have you ever been a leader?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Qi Xuansu shook his head and pointed at the young couple. ¡°But they have.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was slightly startled. ¡°They were leaders?¡±

    Qi Xuansu exined, ¡°The man¡¯s name is Wan Xiuwu, the leader of the Tiger Camp. The woman¡¯s name is Yue Liuli, the leader of the Dragon Camp. I was a member of the Dragon Camp back then. Yue Liuli was very cruel, even at a young age.

    ¡°The leader of the Tiger Camp had a high level of cultivation, so he had the upper hand. That was why Yue Liuli used a group of us as bait without informing us about it in advance, hoping to win in an ambush. If our instructor hadn¡¯t arrived in time, our group would have died during the trial. Wan Xiuwu also left a gash on my body, which made me lie in bed for half a month.¡±

    Having said this, Qi Xuansu subconsciously stretched out his hand to press on his scar. But he suddenly remembered that his body had beenpletely regenerated by the Xuan Jade, so he no longer had any old scars.

    Zhang Yuelu understood. She narrowed her eyes and stared at the young couple, who looked like a match made in heaven.

    Qi Xuansu continued, ¡°In the end, I didn¡¯t get the reward. I was willing to admit defeat since I wasn¡¯t as skilled as them. Butter, they got together and fell in love. They treated us like their stepping stones. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t like them.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Do they know that you hold a grudge against them?¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. They¡¯re the proud talents of Wanxiang Daoist Pce. At most, they¡¯ll remember my existence, but I doubt they care about what I think of them.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu sneered. ¡°Talents? That¡¯s the most indispensable thing in the Daoistmunity. Talents are everywhere. What right do they have to look down on others?¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled bitterly and quipped. ¡°You¡¯re the only one qualified to say such things.¡±

    ¡°I never think of myself as a talent or genius.¡± Zhang Yuelu said sincerely, ¡°A real genius should be like Donghuang, without being given a special chance and only relying on himself. At our age, he was already a Heavenly Being. That¡¯s why I think that Donghuang is qualified to look down on others. If someone wants to be called a talent, they must first be a Heavenly Being in their twenties without relying on external help.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°Well, how many Donghuangs are there throughout history?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was about to answer, but at this moment, Wan Xiuwu and Yue Liuli walked toward her.

    Qi Xuansu calmed down, suppressed his resentment, and regained his usualposure.

    Wan Xiuwu and Yue Liuli were equally matched in terms of aura. However, Qi Xuansu was clearly weaker than Zhang Yuelu, especially because Qi Xuansu¡¯s level of cultivation and status were much lower than Zhang Yuelu¡¯s.

    Therefore, Wan Xiuwu and Yue Liuli focused their attention on Zhang Yuelu. They merely nced at Qi Xuansu, clearly not recognizing their former ssmate. This made sense because Qi Xuansu had also changed a lotpared to his days in the Wanxing Daoist Pce.

    This was exactly what Qi Xuansu wanted, because he did not like being the center of attention. He would rather hide in the corner and observe others freely so that he would not have to worry about anything else.

    Zhang Yuelu did not feel the impulse to stand up for Qi Xuansu. She treated the couple with her usual demeanor. After all, she was not a rash person, as proven in the incident involving her cousin¡¯s and mother¡¯s trick on Qi Xuansu. She did not confront or expose them because she knew that without evidence, she would be in a passive position.

    Zhang Yuelu might not have the highest cultivation level among her peers, but she had the greatest reputation. It was mainly due to three things. The first thing was that she was the main contributor to the major Jiangnan case. The second thing was that she had once defeated Li Tianzhen, a direct descendant of the Holy Xuan. The third thing was that she was appointed as the Deputy Hall Master at such a young age by the Earthly Preceptor.

    Thus, Wan Xiuwu and Yue Liuli had heard of Zhang Yuelu before. They were not too arrogant in front of this prodigy and just wanted topare themselves to her.

    Since Zhang Yuelu was a woman, Wan Xiuwu did not take the initiative to speak. Instead, Yue Liuli stepped forward to talk to Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu treated them with courtesy.

    Yue Liuli nced at Qi Xuansu, who remained silent. She asked softly, ¡°May I know your name?¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally spoke. ¡°Qi Xuansu.¡±

    Yue Liuli had never heard of this name, but she thought that he looked familiar. This was expected because Qi Xuansu had only adopted this name after being taken in by his master, Qi Haoran. Before that in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, Qi Xuansu went by another name.

    After staring at him, Yue Liuli could not help but ask, ¡°Were you from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°I was. I¡¯m surprised you still remember me, Leader.¡±

    Yue Liuli was finally able to confirm her suspicions. ¡°You changed your name.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded again. ¡°Yes, my name is Qi Xuansu. You can also call me Tian Yuan.¡±

    ¡°Tian Yuan.¡± Yue Liuli sighed softly.

    Not all Quanzhen Sect disciples were celibate. Wan Xiuwu and Yue Liuli were disciples of the Wuxu Pce Master. They followed their master to Yunjin Mountain. Naturally, they would not associate Qi Xuansu with Qi Jiaozheng, who was a Sage from the Quanzhen Sect.

    Since Qi Xuansu was not from the Tiger Camp, Wan Xiuwu had a weak impression of Qi Xuansu. Wan Xiuwu chimed in. ¡°It turns out that we¡¯re old ssmates! It must be fate for us to meet here. Brother Qi, were you also invited to participate in the bidding?¡±

    Qi Xuansu answered truthfully, ¡°I was invited by a Sage, so I must attend.¡±

    Yue Liuli¡¯s eyes flickered. She did not expect that her discarded chess piece would still be kept on the board.

    Qi Xuansu was invited by a Sage and had a beautiful woman apany him. It was truly a drastic transformationpared to the past.

    Yue Liuli inquired, ¡°May I ask what Tian Yuan¡¯s rtionship is with Miss Zhang?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu took the initiative to reply, ¡°We¡¯re close friends.¡±

    When Wan Xiuwu heard this, he had a gloomy look, which disappeared in an instant.

    Back in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, Wan Xiuwu was a well-deserved leader. He had the highest cultivation level and the mostmanding presence. He experienced what it was like to hold power early on in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce andter won the heart of a beautiful woman, Yue Liuli. His life was near perfect.

    On the other hand, Qi Xuansu was not outstanding when he was in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. He could only be regarded as above average. In the final trial, Wan Xiuwu shed Qi Xuansu three times with a sword.

    Qi Xuansu could notpare to Wan Xiuwu back then, but thetter suddenly discovered that his ordinary ssmate was currently on an equal footing with him. Moreover, Zhang Yuelu, who had once rejected and defeated Li Tianzhen, was clearly better than Yue Liuli in every aspect. This gap made Wan Xiuwu very ufortable.

    For a moment, there was an awkward silence between the two couples.

 Chapter 169: Life Palace

    <h4>Chapter 169: Life Pce</h4>

    At this moment, the door of the assembly hall slowly opened. Everyone began to file in one by one. There was also a side door for VIPs to enter the assembly hall.

    Zhang Yuelu led Qi Xuansu into the assembly hall and whispered, ¡°This auction is considered small. You should see the ones in Beichen Hall. It¡¯s really lively. They auction off property deeds, including those from Jade Capital, Jinling Prefecture, and the Imperial Capital. Many Sages wille forward to bid, and they go all out!¡±

    She used to work in Beichen Hall, so she had a deep impression of Beichen Hall¡¯s auctions.

    Entering the assembly hall, there were no fixed seats. Aside from the first few rows, the rest were free seating because there were ample seats.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu found an inconspicuous spot and sat next to each other. After a while, a Daoist priest handed them the list of auctioned items, which filled two pages. Qi Xuansu took the list and gave the second page to Zhang Yuelu so that they could each read a page and exchange pages afterward.

    The first page mainly listed small items from the West, like a gold crown obtained by the Holy Court from the New World. The crown weighed about 6 kilograms. Disregarding the craftsmanship, if the crown were melted, the pure gold content would weigh about 5 kilograms.

    At the current market price, 10 kilograms of gold could be exchanged for 1,000 Taiping coins. Thus, the base price for this item was 900 Taiping coins, which was considered low. But the final price might be significantly higher.

    Qi Xuansu did not intend to bid for that.

    There was also arge telescope about three meters long, which had a range of hundreds of kilometers. There was a new type of long gun that was unlike the ones from the East. These guns did not focus on the projectiles but improved on the firepower of the gun itself. It could be loaded with multiple projectiles, which could be fired continuously.

    The West had begun to research new types of long guns that did not use projectiles. The initial results were seen with methrowers andser guns. They looked a bit like magical weapons, but these were highly confidential and not sold to the outside world. Even if someone purchased them by chance, they would be confiscated by the Tianji Hall or the Divine Armory. These items would not be put up for auction.

    Zhang Yuelu just wanted to join in the fun and did not n to buy anything at first. But when she saw that many of the small items had low base prices, she became a little tempted.

    She had her eye on a mask that she could use to disguise herself. The base price for that was 500 Taiping coins, which was still within her budget.

    On the second page of the list were somemodities that rich people preferred, including ancient paintings, calligraphy, antique porcin, fine jade, and so on.

    The most eye-catching ones were the final two items. The penultimate item was donated by the Dazhen Mansion. It was a Red Fruit that had been processed, so anyone could consume it without worrying. The base price for the Red Fruit was 5,000 Taiping coins.

    The final item on the list was a magical receptacle of high quality, with a base price of 10,000 Taiping coins.

    This was the first time Qi Xuansu realized how valuable a magical receptacle was, so he could not help but nce at the one on Zhang Yuelu¡¯s wrist. Compared with the things Zhang Yuelu put in her magical receptacle, the receptacle itself was more precious.

    Zhang Yuelu shook her wrist. ¡°Stop staring. This is issued by the Daoist Order. It can¡¯t be bought or sold at will.¡±

    Qi Xuansu looked away and sighed. ¡°I feel like I came here for nothing. I can¡¯t afford anything on this list.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu chuckled softly. ¡°The main reason for bidding in an auction is to show one''s charitable heart. If you can afford it, you won¡¯te to an auction to buy things just for the sake of buying.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense.¡± Qi Xuansu nodded in approval.

    Since he could not afford anything, Qi Xuansu did not pay much attention and started chatting with Zhang Yuelu. He did not even notice that a group of Sages and third-rank Youyi Daoist masters had entered the assembly hall.

    After the Sages took their seats, the bidding officially began. Most people¡¯s attention was on the bidding, but a few people focused their attention on Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu.

    This included Tantai Qiong and Zhang Yuyue. Tantai Qiong was more discreet, stealing nces at her daughter asionally. She looked calm and stered a smile on her face. However, Zhang Yuyue openly red at Qi Xuansu. Those who did not know better would think that Qi Xuansu was the Li Minghuang who had betrayed Zhang Yuyue.

    Wan Xiuwu and Yue Liuli also kept an eye on Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu.

    After the brief meeting between the two couples, Yue Liuli was curious about Qi Xuansu¡¯s experiences and who had invited him to this auction. On the other hand, Wan Xiuwu was wondering what methods Qi Xuansu used to win over the difficult Zhang Yuelu, who even rejected Li Tianzhen.

    They all came from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce without a strong family background. Could it be that Qi Xuansu was just freeloading on Zhang Yuelu? Qi Xuansu was indeed above average in terms of looks, but he was far from being so handsome to the point that he could purely rely on his looks to get by.

    Only Qi Xuansu knew that he was merely putting up an act. He also did not know which Sage had invited him here, let alone be acquainted with one.

    At this moment, a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master arrived btedly. He did note in through the side door like the other VIPs. Instead, he walked into the assembly hall from the main entrance.

    Everyone was already seated and had their backs to the main entrance, so no one noticed the arrival of this Sage. Only a few priests in charge of the venue saw the Sage in the lotus crown. They were shocked and were about to salute him, but he put his right index finger up to his mouth, making a hush gesture.

    The Daoist priests dared not utter a word and made way for the Sage to enter the assembly hall. At this time, the bidding was smooth, without a need for the host to guide the crowd. The bids just kepting.

    The Sage looked around and spotted the young couple in the corner. He smiled slightly and quietly walked toward them. Qi Xuansu did not realize the person''s presence until the Sage sat next to him.

    However, the few people who had been paying attention to Qi Xuansu noticed this Sage. The mystery finally revealed itself. This Sage must have been the one who invited Qi Xuansu.

    Tantai Qiong asked in a whisper, ¡°Yuyue, do you recognize that Sage?¡±

    Zhang Yuyue looked at the Sage carefully and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know him, but he seems to be a friend of Thirteenth Uncle.¡±

    Zhang Juping was ranked thirteenth among his generation, while Zhang Juqi was ranked twelveth.

    Tantai Qiong nodded slightly and said nothing.

    Wan Xiuwu and Yue Liuli were also surprised to see this Sage. Wan Xiuwu whispered, ¡°It¡¯s Sage Pei.¡±

    Yue Liuli looked solemn. ¡°He¡¯s actually friends with Sage Pei?¡±

    In fact, Qi Xuansu was also surprised because he recognized this man from a casual encounter. Qi Xuansu still remembered the Sage¡¯s name¡ªPei Xiaolou.

    Thest time they met was on Qi Xuansu''s first ride on a flying ship, going from Luzhou to Jade Capital.

    At first, Qi Xuansu thought that Pei Xiaolou was a quack. He never expected that the man was a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master. Even though Pei Xiaolou was not an Omniscient Sage, he was still considered a big shot.

    Moreover, what Pei Xiaolou told him before was not nonsense. He was a straightforward person, and Qi Xuansu was just prejudiced against him due to his appearance and mistook the truth for nonsense.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu recalled what Pei Xiaolou had said to him on the flying ship.

    <i>¡°I¡¯m not the brightest disciple. During my early years, I studied at the Chongyang Pce of Immortality. After attaining some skills, I was ordered to leave the pce to help the world and umte more skills.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°One day, I met Sage Donghua by chance on the river bank. Sage Donghua felt a connection with me and taught me the Taiwei Technique. As long as I practice it persistently, I can catch a glimpse of the heavens.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Unfortunately, I was too weak to practice this technique. But I was blessed to meet Sage Donghua again when I traveled to Qizhou. So I asked Sage Donghua for advice on Purple Star Astrology. Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m a lucky man?¡±</i>

    Back then, Qi Xuansu did not know what to say and only said, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Seeing Qi Xuansu again, Pei Xiaolouughed and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t get to tell you about your fortunest time. You can tell me how urate you think it is after I tell you about it.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Why isn¡¯t yourpanion here?¡±

    He was referring to Pei Xiaolou¡¯s wife, as he still remembered the strong woman who had chased after Pei Xiaolou on the flying ship.

    As soon as he asked this, Qi Xuansu knew that he had said the wrong thing.

    Pei Xiaolou¡¯s face stiffened, and he coughed lightly. ¡°Well, she has something to attend to, so she stayed back in Jade Capital.¡±

    Qi Xuansu quickly changed the subject. ¡°By the way, why didn¡¯t I see you getting off the flying shipst time?¡±

    Pei Xiaolou¡¯s expression froze. ¡°I had an emergency and flew directly to Jade Capital.¡±

    Qi Xuansu vaguely guessed that it was a lie. Pei Xiaolou was probably just avoiding his wife.

    Even Zhang Yuelu, who did not know what had happened, noticed Pei Xiaolou¡¯s awkward expression. So she gently pinched Qi Xuansu¡¯s arm, signaling him to stop talking nonsense.

    Qi Xuansu coughed lightly and simply stopped talking.

    Pei Xiaolou did not get angry. He was just a little embarrassed. After a while, he regained hisposure. ¡°Well, thest time we met, I told you that I know a thing or two about fortune-telling. But I didn¡¯t get the chance to tell you the results. Do you want to hear it now?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou casually set up a soundproof barrier, which also included Zhang Yuelu. He scrutinized Qi Xuansu¡¯s face and spoke. ¡°In my opinion, based on both of your physiognomy, you two will have an extraordinary destiny and a bright future.¡±

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu felt that the man in front of him was indeed a quack in a lotus crown.

    Zhang Yuelu smiled and asked, ¡°Why do you say so?¡±

    Pei Xiaolou stroked his beard gently and answered a question that was not asked. ¡°Miss Zhang, your life pce shows that you were born under the Tianfu Star. You are not one to be concerned about trivial matters and often like the broad approach.¡±

    He looked at Qi Xuansu and added, ¡°Daoist Qi, your life pce shows that you were born under the Lianzhen Star. You are resolute, determined, and self-reliant.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou exined, ¡°The Tianfu Star, apanied by the Lianzhen Star, indicates both wealth and high status. You two will enjoy both material wealth and social respect, with a sizable sry that is admired by others.

    ¡°The girl is loyal and dignified,ing from an affluent family and receiving support from noble individuals and assistance from rtives. The Lianzhen Star suggests a challenging youth, but one will stand out after the age of thirty. If the stars align, both the Lianzhen and Tianfu Stars can break out of their shackles and eventually be sessful in their careers.

    ¡°The Tianfu Star is blessed with wealth and title. Although she has talents, she is conservative and introverted. However, when paired with the Lianzhen Star, the Tianfu Star will be more practical and stable. At the same time, the Tianfu Star will restrain the evil and romantic aspects of the Lianzhen Star, resolving any negative effects, making them an ideal match.¡±

 Chapter 170: Old Friend

    <h4>Chapter 170: Old Friend</h4>

    After Qi Xuansu listened to Pei Xiaolou¡¯s exnation, he did not express an opinion. On the contrary, Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°Sage, your fortune-telling is very urate. I hope ites true.¡±

    Pei Xiaolouughed. ¡°I heard that you don¡¯t praise others easily, even your bosses and elders. It¡¯s truly rare for me to getpliments from you today, Miss Zhang.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked tentatively, ¡°Sage, did youe to Yunjin Mountain this time as a response to the Taiping Sect?¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Pei Xiaolou did not hide it. ¡°The Taiping Sect, especially the Li family, is very ambitious and wants to have a third Li descendant as the Grand Master of the Daoist Order. This is something that neither the Zhengyi Sect nor the Quanzhen Sect want. Even the Holy Xuan himself won¡¯t want the Daoist Order that he painstakingly built to end up being owned by one family.¡±

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu looked at each other, but neither of them spoke rashly.

    Pei Xiaolou continued, ¡°But don¡¯t worry too much. We¡¯re all just testing the waters and far from an actual war. However, I heard that the Cult of Fates and the Lingshan Witch Cult are making waves again. I¡¯m afraid our peaceful days are numbered. Being in Tiangang Hall, you two will have to deal with them. It¡¯s best if you proceed with caution.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Sage.¡± Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°I haven¡¯t been in the Jade Capital for a while, so my news isn¡¯t as up-to-date. I think the files on my desk must have piled up like a mountain."

    Pei Xiaolou chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s why the Omniscient Sages have so many deputies and assistants, just to handle all this paperwork.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was one of the deputies, so she understood. Every time she went to the duty room, the Hall Master would always be leisurely drinking tea or drawing. Most of the things on his desk were for his personal hobbies. He would not be seen reading scrolls either. Anyway, Zhang Yuelu knew that she was certainly busier than the Hall Master.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°After the New Year, it will be the Imperial Preceptor¡¯s turn to take on the position of the Great Sage Lunzhi. Sage, do you think that the Imperial Preceptor will make great personnel changes in the Daoist Order?¡±

    Pei Xiaolou replied, ¡°The position of the Grand Master is still vacant. The Nine Halls that are subject to the Grand Master are temporarily under themand of the three Deputy Grand Masters. The Great Sages of the Taiping Sect, the Quanzhen Sect, and the Zhengyi Sect control Beichen Hall, Ziwei Hall, and Tiangang Hall, respectively.

    ¡°They act as a check and bnce for each other. This is the current situation in the Jade Capital. But you have to understand one thing. The Great Sage Lunzhi has a lot of power, but that power is not as great as that of the Grand Master. The restriction is that the three Great Sages will take turns acting as the Grand Master.

    ¡°If there is a big decision, they will have to discuss it. This includes changing the Hall Master. The Great Sage Lunzhi can only change Deputy Hall Masters, which won¡¯t have much impact on the general situation. To put it bluntly, the main role of the Great Sage Lunzhi is to maintain the status quo.

    ¡°In the past year, the Heavenly Preceptor and the Earthly Preceptor have each served half a year as the Great Sage Lunzhi. None of them did anything to the people of the Taiping Sect. One of the reasons is that the two preceptors aren¡¯tpletely united in their stance. The other reason is that the Great Sage Lunzhi really doesn¡¯t have that much power.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was slightly relieved, but he was still nervous for Zhang Yuelu because she was a Deputy Hall Master. Dismissing her could be done without prior discussion with the other two Deputy Grand Masters or the Golden Tower Council. No one knew if the Great Sage of the Taiping Sect would avenge his grandson and take it out on Zhang Yuelu.

    Since Pei Xiaolou had set up a soundproofing barrier, outsiders had no way of knowing the topic of their conversation. On the surface, it looked like the three of them had a lot to talk about.

    This made others more perplexed about the rtionship between Qi Xuansu and Pei Xiaolou. Looking at the way they talked, they were indeed old friends. But how did Qi Xuansu get acquainted with a Sage?

    Tantai Qiong asked softly, ¡°Yuyue, what is this Sage¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°I think hisst name is Pei.¡± Zhang Yuyue had never bothered to remember names. This was typical of a richdy, especially with an outstanding brother who pampered her. That was because she did not have to support the family and could afford to be ignorant.

    ¡°Pei, huh?¡± Tantai Qiong muttered to herself.

    In the earliest days, Buddhism and Daoism merged to fight against Confucianism. Many Buddhists also converted to Daoism. For example, Sage Cihang¡¯s lineage was from Buddhist disciples. Later, after the split between Buddhism and Daoism, Sage Cihang¡¯s ancestors chose to remain as Daoists.

    Many Daoist techniques and systems also had hints of Buddhist influences, such as the Falling Flowers Technique, the Golden Lotus Technique, the Tribtion Glow Technique, and the Guanyin Thousand Swords in the Cihang Sword Sequence that Zhang Yuelu practiced. These moves were obviously in Buddhist style.

    Later, the Daoist Order defeated the Confucian School. Confucianism became a vassal of Daoism. During this period, many Confucian disciples converted to Daoism, such as the Tantai family, the Ning family, the Pei family, the Xie family, and so on.

    Tantai Qiong¡¯s ancestors were Confucian Savants. There was even a Virtuous Great Sage in the Tantai family. Thus, Tantai Qiong was familiar with these families, who also had a Confucian background.

    Among them, the Pei family, whose ancestors were in the Lanling Prefecture of Qizhou, had been Confucian disciples and served as court officials for generations. That was until one of the ancestors met the Holy Xuan and became the Holy Xuan¡¯s disciple.

    Then, he followed the Holy Xuan in the great cause of reviving the Daoist Order. After their goal was achieved, this Sage led the Pei family to convert to Daoism.

    Although the Pei family could notpare to the Li family, which had seven Sages, or the Zhang family, which was known as the three major families in the world, it should not be underestimated.

    Sage Donghua, the second-inmand in the Quanzhen Sect, was also from the Pei family. Sage Donghua was a title that had been passed down from generation to generation. His residence was located on Jin¡¯ao Peak in Qizhou, not far from their ancestral home in Lanling Prefecture. Across the sea was Peni Ind, where Sage Qingwei had lived for generations. The current Great Sage of the Taiping Sect used to be the previous Sage Qingwei.

    However, as the situation became tense, Sage Donghua rarely returned to Qizhou and had lived in Jade Capital for a long time.

    On the other side of the assembly hall, Wan Xiuwu and Yue Liuli, who were both Quanzhen Sect disciples, knew more about Pei Xiaolou.

    Sage Pei was indeed linked to Sage Donghua as thetter¡¯s younger brother. He was just one level below Sage Donghua.

    ¡°Did we guess it wrong? Does Qi Xuansu really have a rtionship with the Qi family? But the Qi family couldn¡¯te forward, so they asked Sage Pei to represent them instead?¡± Wan Xiuwu doubted himself.

    Yue Liuli frowned slightly. ¡°That¡¯s possible. But I have a feeling things aren¡¯t as simple as they seem.¡±

    Wan Xiuwu agreed. ¡°It is indeed not that simple. Even if Qi Xuansu is an illegitimate child of the Qi family, there¡¯s no reason to send him to the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. If they had already abandoned him, why ask Sage Pei toe forward now? Why not just acknowledge him as a descendant?¡±

    Yue Liuli shook her head. ¡°You should stop talking. It doesn¡¯t matter if we know the inside story. If these words reach Sage Qi¡¯s ears, it¡¯ll be detrimental to us.¡±

    Wan Xiuwu nodded and said no more. Talking privately about an Omniscient Sage was a crime. If the Omniscient Sage did not mind, they could be reprimanded. But if the Omniscient Sage was offended by it, their career would be over. They would probably be sent to the Requiem Division of Ciji Hall.

    As the auction progressed, more Sages and third-rank Youyi Daoist masters started to bid for the items. The penultimate item, which was the Red Fruit, was sold for a whopping 8,000 Taiping coins to a Sage from the Quanzhen Sect. The final item, which was the magical receptacle, was sold to Zhang Jushu for 15,000 Taiping coins.

    Pei Xiaolou turned to Zhang Yuelu. ¡°Miss Zhang, I¡¯d like to talk to Tian Yuan in private for about an hour.¡±

    During the auction, Pei Xiaolou and Qi Xuansu became more familiar with each other. Thus, Pei Xiaolou no longer addressed him as Daoist Qi.

    Zhang Yuelu retorted. ¡°Sage, you should be asking him. Why ask me? I¡¯m not his mother.¡±

    After that, she bowed to Pei Xiaolou, stood up, and left, giving Pei Xiaolou and Qi Xuansu some privacy.

    When they were alone, Pei Xiaolou said, ¡°Tian Yuan, I believe you have a lot of questions for me. But you probably can¡¯t ask them in front of Miss Zhang. You can speak freely now.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, but I dare not bring it up earlier,¡± Qi Xuansu said.

    The two men got up and went to a secluded garden outside the assembly hall. Most people were not allowed to wander around the Shangqing Pce at will, but Pei Xiaolou was a guest and a Sage, so he had extra privileges.

    While they were walking on a cobblestone path, Qi Xuansu carefully considered his words and took the initiative to say, ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s appropriate for me to ask you this...¡±

    ¡°You can ask anything, but it¡¯s up to me to answer.¡± Pei Xiaolou¡¯s attitude was indifferent.

    Qi Xuansu questioned, ¡°The first time we met, was it a chance encounter? Or did you n it?¡±

    Pei Xiaolou seemed to have expected this question. He answered, ¡°It¡¯s considered a chance encounter. I had to return to the Jade Capital and decided to use the flying ship because I didn¡¯t want to waste unnecessary energy flying all the way back to Kunlun. So it was inevitable for us to meet due to the limited number of trips the flying ship had.¡±

    He paused before continuing, ¡°I could have ignored you after seeing you, but I intentionally decided to talk to you at that time.¡±

    Qi Xuansu keenly noticed something. ¡°Does it mean that you knew about me before we met? But I¡¯m a nobody.¡±

    Pei Xiaolouughed. ¡°Of course, someone had mentioned your name before. Madam Qi and I are old friends.¡±

 Chapter 171: Past Events

    <h4>Chapter 171: Past Events</h4>

    Pei Xiaolou¡¯s answer was unexpected, but it made sense. Qi Xuansu had long suspected that Madam Qi was a high-ranking Daoist priest but had somehow betrayed the Daoist Order to be a B-rank member of the Qingping Society. Otherwise, Madam Qi would not have known so many of the Daoist Order¡¯s secrets.

    Judging from Xie Qiuniang¡¯s ability, the B-rank members of the Qingping Society were quite powerful, not nobodies.

    There was another possibility that Madam Qi had just resigned from her position in the Daoist Order and became an idle Daoist master. There were many Daoists who chose to have a leisurely life, so it was not surprising. Then it would make perfect sense that Pei Xiaolou and Madam Qi were old friends.

    However, Qi Xuansu was still unsure about Pei Xiaolou¡¯s motives. Madam Qi was not her real name but her alias in the Qingping Society. If Pei Xiaolou knew this name, did it mean that he was also a member of the Qingping Society? Or was this a test? But why bother with a test when a Sage like him could just kill Qi Xuansu in one strike? It would only make sense unless Pei Xiaolou wanted to use Qi Xuansu to deal with Madam Qi.

    Pei Xiaolou seemed to have understood what Qi Xuansu was thinking. He waved his hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. You can rify with Madam Qiter. In fact, I don¡¯t know her true identity either. When I met her, she introduced herself as Madam Qi. That was ten years ago when I was still a third-rank Youyi Daoist master.¡±

    Qi Xuansu rxed slightly and asked, ¡°Sage, will you tell me something about Madam Qi?¡±

    ¡°Madam Qi?¡± Pei Xiaolou shared, ¡°I have tons to say about her! She¡¯s stingy, money-minded, and likes to do business. She¡¯s the kind who wishes that she could turn back time to get a head start in every business. Perhaps she¡¯s in the midst of opening a shop right now. I¡¯ve actually partnered with her to open a business once, but we lost money. Madam Qi med me for being a jinx, causing our business to lose money. So we parted ways.¡±

    For some reason, Qi Xuansu wanted tough when he heard that they lost money. He could tell how simr Pei Xiaolou and Madam Qi were. Unlike Zhang Yuelu, who was usually serious, Pei Xiaolou and Madam Qi were very nonchnt about everything, so most people would think that they were not very reliable.

    Pei Xiaolou muttered, ¡°Madam Qi is not young anymore, but she has never been married. I think we were a good match. Unfortunately, I¡¯m already married.¡±

    Qi Xuansu curled his lips, full of doubt. He felt like it was Pei Xiaolou¡¯s one-sided opinion that Madam Qi and him made a good match. Madam Qi might not even like this man.

    Pei Xiaolou added, ¡°People tend to be fond of children as they get older. Madam Qi often bragged about her godson in front of her friends, so I got curious.¡±

    Qi Xuansu raised his eyebrows. ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Who else can it be?¡± Pei Xiaolou chuckled.

    Qi Xuansu was speechless. Although he did regard Madam Qi as an elder rather than a friend, Madam Qi was still far from his image of what a mother should be like. Qi Xuansu felt that a mother should be dignified, kind, and gentle, but Madam Qi had none of those qualities.

    Pei Xiaolou patted Qi Xuansu on the shoulder. ¡°Madam Qi likes you very much and hopes that you can seed, but she can¡¯t help you much.¡±

    Qi Xuansu muttered, ¡°She doesn¡¯t need to help me with anything. I can work hard on my own.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou smiled and said nothing more.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°May I know what you think of me?¡±

    Pei Xiaolou asked back, ¡°Do you want to hear the truth?¡±

    Qi Xuansu hesitated before answering, ¡°Yes, please.¡±

    ¡°The truth is, I¡¯m not as impressed. Perhaps Madam Qi might have exaggerated a little, or perhaps I don¡¯t have a keen eye for people. In my opinion, Miss Zhang is indeed a junior worthy of training. No wonder the Earthly Preceptor made an exception and promoted her to Deputy Hall Master.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not show it on his face, but he was inevitably disappointed by such feedback. He felt like he had let Madam Qi down by not having achieved much.

    When the Holy Xuan was Qi Xuansu''s age, he was already world-famous. Zhang Yuelu, who was a year younger than Qi Xuansu, was already a fourth-rank Daoist master and a Deputy Hall Master.

    At the same age, most people had already umted riches or fame, but Qi Xuansu was still wandering aimlessly. If it were not for Pei Xiaolou, Zhang Yuelu, and Madam Qi, no one would have noticed Qi Xuansu. Only Zhang Yuelu and Madam Qi had high hopes for him.

    Qi Xuansu was disheartened by this. He vowed to live up to the expectations of Madam Qi and Zhang Yuelu so as not to disappoint them.

    ......

    Wan Xiuwu and Yue Liuli returned to the guest room of Dazhen Mansion together. This guest room was, in fact, an individual courtyard with an open, simple, and elegantyout. It perfectly embodied the heritage of a thousand-year-old family.

    In fact, the Dazhen Mansion upied a vast area, farrger than the Shangqing Pce. Even when the Holy Xuan damaged the terrain of the mountain, it only caused the copse of one corner of the Dazhen Mansion.

    When they entered the living room, Wan Xiuwu sat on a chair near the door. Yue Liuli poured a ss of water and handed it to him.

    Yue Liuli said, ¡°They say that there are three major families in the world: the descendants of Confucius, the Zhang family of Shangqing Prefecture, and the Qin family of Dragon City. From my point of view, the Daoistmunity only has two major families: the Zhang family of Shangqing Prefecture and the Li family of Donghai, from the Zhengyi Sect and Taiping Sect, respectively.

    ¡°The Quanzhen Sect loses in this aspect because we don¡¯t have suchrge and well-established families. But we do have a few first-ss families, like the Qi, Pei, Tang, and Ji families. Although these families in the Quanzhen Sect haven¡¯t yet produced a Grand Master or a Deputy Grand Master, they have many Omniscient Sages and a strong foundation.¡±

    Wan Xiuwu took over the ss of water. ¡°The Holy Xuan worked hard all his life to eliminate the differences between the families and sects. In the end, it still boils down to this family or that family. Those of us from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce who want to get ahead will either have to keep our heads down and act like dogs or¡ª¡±

    Yue Liuli interrupted, ¡°Without the Holy Xuan, the Li family would still be strong. There¡¯s not much difference. This is what it means to have a strong family background. Those from a small family without any backing will disappear without a trace, and there¡¯s nothing we can do to change that.¡±

    Wan Xiuwu sighed, his breath creating ripples on the surface of the water. ¡°That Qi Xuansu...¡±

    ¡°We have to be wary of him,¡± Yue Liuli said in a deep voice.

    Wan Xiuwu frowned. ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll take revenge on us?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Those who have nothing to lose will not be afraid to kill an emperor. Of course, that¡¯s only a saying. We¡¯re not the emperor, and Qi Xuansu has things to lose. But this saying reminds us that it¡¯s not a matter of courage but a matter of desire for vengeance,¡± Yue Liuli warned.

    Wan Xiuwu disagreed. Although he felt that Qi Xuansu had changed from the past, he still looked down on thetter. He would only change his mind if Qi Xuansu could defeat him in a duel.

    Yue Liuli noticed Wan Xiuwu¡¯s attitude and reminded him. ¡°Qi Xuansu won¡¯t forget what happened back then in the Dragon and Tiger Camps. I abandoned him, and you almost stabbed him to death. If you were in his shoes, would you ever forget such a traumatic incident and justugh it off?¡±

    Speechless, Wan Xiuwu downed the ss of water. Yue Liuli also fell into silence.

    What happened at the Dragon and Tiger Camps back then was not without reason. Qi Xuansu felt wronged because he had no enmity with Yue Liuli, yet she sent him to a trap for no reason. But to Yue Liuli, Qi Xuansu deserved to die.

    Back when they were still in the Wanxian Daoist Pce, the Hundred Flowers Festival was a grand gathering held at the Star Observation Deck. Not far from the observation deck was the forbidden Xingye Lake. Between the mountain and theke was a vast field with all kinds of flowers, like peonies, peach blossoms, daffodils, jasmine, prim, daphne, camellia, magnolia, clivia, viburnum, crabapple, azalea, cymen, and many more. The flowers were in full bloom at this time, making it a colorful and vibrant sight.

    During that period, most Daoist attendants gathered with their friends at the observation deck to enjoy the scenery. At the Hundred Flowers Festival that year, Yue Liuli left the observation deck and went to the flower field below. Behind her was the forbidden Xingye Lake.

    Yue Liuli looked like a fairy, with the flower field andke as her backdrop. All the Daoist attendants present stared at her in awe, but Qi Xuansu did not even nce at her.

    At the time, Qi Xuansu was probably thinking about unfinished schoolwork ormenting about life. He might even be sleepy. In short, he did not notice the beautiful scenery, let alone Yue Liuli. That was why Yue Liulu was resentful.

    Yue Liuli was not curious about Qi Xuansu because of his indifference. Instead, she developed a hatred for him. That was because she enjoyed the feeling of superiority and admiration, as if she were the moon. Thus, she viewed anyone who did not appreciate her beauty as a thorn in her side.

    If Qi Xuansu tried to please her, she would have other means to toy with him and embarrass him. However, Qi Xuansu was not interested in women at that time, so Yue Liuli did not have the opportunity to exact revenge until she became the leader of the Dragon Camp. That was when Yue Liuli seized the opportunity and sent Qi Xuansu into a death trap.

    Qi Xuansu did not even know the inside story. He could not imagine that someone so young could have such vicious thoughts due to a trivial matter. But he knew that Yue Liuli was not as pure as she appeared on the surface. That was why he was disgusted by this kind of woman and why he was moved by the kind-hearted and righteous Zhang Yuelu.

    In fact, Wan Xiuwu was also unaware of Yue Liuli¡¯s dark thoughts. He only thought that Qi Xuansu was the unlucky one, as anything could happen on the battlefield. That was why Wan Xiuwu did not think that shing Qi Xuansu was a big deal, while Yue Liuli felt guilty about what she did.

    Yue Liuli felt guilty but not remorseful. She only regretted that she failed to kill Qi Xuansu back then. Otherwise, she would not have such troubles at this moment. Thinking of this, Yue Liuli¡¯s eyes darkened. Since she had a grudge against Qi Xuansu, she would not show any mercy if given a second chance to get rid of him.

 Chapter 172: Yan Mingchen (I)

    <h4>Chapter 172: Yan Mingchen (I)</h4>

    Qi Xuansu left the Shangqing Pce alone after bidding goodbye to Pei Xiaolou. From a distance, he saw Zhang Yuelu standing by a railing, looking demure and frail in herdylike outfit. Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed, as if she were worried about something.

    He suddenly felt his heart thumping loudly. In his entire life, there were only a few people who treated him with sincerity and had high hopes for him¡ªhis master, Madam Qi, and Zhang Yuelu. For an orphan like Qi Xuansu, his master and Madam Qi filled the vacancy left by his parents to some extent. Zhang Yuelu was the only one he considered a close friend.

    Qi Xuansu walked toward Zhang Yuelu, who was so engrossed in her thoughts that she did not notice his arrival. He patted her on the shoulder and joked, ¡°What are you thinking about? Are you already strategizing how to reform the Daoist Order once you be the Grand Master?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu returned to her senses and rolled her eyes at Qi Xuansu. ¡°Stop making fun of me. I was just wondering where that premonition from the past few days came from.¡±

    The Rogue Cultivator¡¯s Divine Calction Technique only involved some basic fortune-telling and divination skills. Itter developed on apletely different pathpared to Purple Star Astrology. If these two techniques were regarded as two people with the same basic foundation, the Divine Calction Technique was the more down-to-earth counterpart, making up for his shorings with hard work. Meanwhile, the Purple Star Astrology was a naturally talented individual, in which a sh of inspiration was worth more than countless hours of hard work.

    That was the reason why Qi Xuansu could not fully understand Zhang Yuelu¡¯s whims; hence, he could not provide much advice.

    Zhang Yuelu tried to shake off the irksome foreboding sensation.

    ¡°What did Sage Pei talk to you about?¡± She was not one who would interfere in other people¡¯s private affairs, but she felt that it would be weird not to ask about it as a friend. After all, it was unlikely that Qi Xuansu would conspire with Sage Pei.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Sage Pei and my master were old friends. We mostly reminisced about old times, talking about my master.¡± Qi Xuansu cleverly reced Madam Qi with histe master. That would make more sense, and no one else was around to verify the truth of the matter anyway.

    However, Zhang Yuelu remembered something else and asked with concern, ¡°Did Sage Pei find out who killed your master?¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not expect Zhang Yuelu to remember the lie he made up to cover up his past experiences. He was touched by it, but also guilty.

    He was touched that she still remembered a minor detail of his life. He was used to being independent and lonely, with no real friends. He had some acquaintances, but they only talked about shallow topics. No one truly cared about his life or his past.

    That was why he felt ashamed that he could only make up for the old lies with more falsehoods. There was no way he could treat Zhang Yuelu with sincerity if he did not want to expose his identity.

    Zhang Yuelu did not think too much about it. When she saw Qi Xuansu falling silent, she thought that he was feeling sad and nostalgic about the death of his master. Since she was not good atforting people, she kept quiet as well.

    After a while, Qi Xuansu gathered his thoughts and said, ¡°Sage Pei has found some clues. The killer seems to be rted to the Taiping Sect.¡±

    ¡°Is it the Li family again?¡± Zhang Yuelu asked. The Li family was powerful and domineering, so most people would think of the Li family whenever something like this happened.

    Qi Xuansu shook his head. ¡°No, it seems to be rted to the Shen family, but Sage Pei is not sure either.¡±

    ¡°The Shen family.¡± Zhang Yuelu said thoughtfully, ¡°Although the Li, Lu, and Shen families are known as the three great families of the Taiping Sect, the Lu and Shen families are actually regarded as vassals of the Li family.

    ¡°But the Lu and Shen families have different styles. The Lu family is a typical follower of the Li family. Besides having arranged marriages with the royal family, the Li family has the most marriages with the Lu family.

    ¡°On the other hand, the Shen family is much more low-key. They respect the Li family as their leader, but they do not blindly follow the Li family. They have a much better reputation than that of the Lu family.¡±

    Qi Xuansu mixed some truth into the lies he fabricated. ¡°I heard from Sage Pei that it wasn¡¯t rted to the political strife between Daoist sects. It may be due to a personal grudge with a member of the Shen family, but further verification is needed.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu looked at him solemnly. ¡°Anyway, if you need my help, just ask. There¡¯s no need to be polite with me.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Qi Xuansu smiled gratefully.

    As they slowly walked toward Shangqing Town, Qi Xuansu hummed a tune.

    <i>In the melody of life, </i>

    <i> Find grace in living contentedly.</i>

    <i> </i>

    <i> Contemte the ebb and flow of creation.</i>

    <i> </i>

    <i> Fortune conceals misfortune; misfortune harbors fortune. </i>

    <i> Can wealth and status ever be boundless?</i>

    <i>The sun rises and sets, while the moon waxes and wanes; </i>

    <i> In the earth¡¯s southeast, in the heavens¡¯ northwest, </i>

    <i> Yet cohesion eludes heaven and earth. </i>

    <i> </i>

    <i>Worry not over trifles, </i>

    <i> Cease striving for leisure.</i>

    <i> </i>

    <i> Today¡¯s visage agespared with yesterday¡¯s, </i>

    <i> From past to present.</i>

    <i> </i>

    <i> Such is the way it must be, </i>

    <i> Whether wise or foolish, rich or poor.</i>

    <i> </i>

    <i> In the end, this mortal frame cannot escape the inevitable. </i>

    <i> </i>

    <i>Enjoyment fleeting with the dawn, </i>

    <i> A day''s delight fades swiftly. </i>

    <i> </i>

    <i>A hundred years pass with seventy being rare. </i>

    <i> The years rush by like torrential waters.</i>

    Qi Xuansu heard this tune from Madam Qi. The lyrics were a philosophical reflection on life, indicating that theposer was likely an old man who had experienced many hardships and saw the ways of the world.

    Although Qi Xuansu was only in his twenties, he had gone through ups and downs over the years and witnessed the harshness of the world. He had gone through many critical moments of life and death and felt these lyrics deeply.

    Zhang Yuelu listened carefully and murmured, ¡°Fortune conceals misfortune; misfortune harbors fortune.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still thinking about that premonition?¡± Qi Xuansu tried to distract her from it. ¡°It¡¯s pointless dwelling on it. We can¡¯t possibly figure out the workings of fate. But I find this phrase interesting. ¡®The sun rises and sets, while the moon waxes and wanes; in the earth¡¯s southeast, in the heavens¡¯ northwest, yet cohesion eludes heaven and earth.¡¯

    ¡°The Li family has prospered for two dynasties. When the moon is full, it will wax. They are bound to decline after reaching their peak. The Holy Xuan suppressed the Li family with this consideration in mind. But how long can the Holy Xuan¡¯s gracest?¡±

    Hearing this, Zhang Yuelu was distracted by Qi Xuansu¡¯s question. ¡°You¡¯re right. The Li family has indeed reached their peak and started their decline, but this decline won¡¯t happen overnight. It mayst for decades. I wonder if we will ever get to see that day.¡±

    The two walked for a while. Suddenly, the clouds gathered, and the wind started howling. The sky was dark, and snowkes fluttered everywhere, growing heavier by the second with no signs of stopping anytime soon.

    The distance from Shangqing Pce to Shangqing Town was not that short. At this time, they had no choice but to brave the wind and snow and walk toward Shangqing Town, which was visible in the distance.

    No one else was on that mountain road. They did not have an umbre, nor did they want one, because they liked the feeling of walking under the snow in their cloaks.

    Zhang Yuelu opened her arms slightly, her sleeves billowing in the wind. She suggested, ¡°Tian Yuan, let¡¯s go back to Jade Capital after the New Year.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Qi Xuansu naturally had no objection.

    For him, the trip to Yunjin Mountain was indeed not very pleasant. Besides being insulted by the Zhang family, he also had to stay cautious. It was truly ufortable. If he had not previously promised Zhang Yuelu, he would have left without a second thought. Although there were more big shots in the Jade Capital, no one would deliberately make life difficult for him, so he felt more at ease there.

    At this moment, a tall man dressed in a hechang was walking toward them, holding an umbre. Zhang Yuelu suddenly stopped and frowned slightly. Qi Xuansu followed suit, wary of the man.

    From Qi Xuansu¡¯s point of view, the man¡¯s face was covered by an umbre, only revealing his chin. But Qi Xuansu could clearly feel the man¡¯s scrutinizing gaze.

    After a while, the man put away the paper umbre, revealing his true face, which was handsome and chiseled even without a trace of makeup. He was the kind of hero that some women would fall in love with at first sight.

    However, Zhang Yuelu was clearly not one of those women. When she saw the man, she asked in a cold voice, ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    The man looked away from Qi Xuansu and replied, ¡°Aunt Tantai invited me here.¡±

    Hearing this, Qi Xuansu could roughly guess the man¡¯s identity.

    This man was most likely the marriage partner that Tantai Qiong chose for her daughter, who rejected the arrangement.

    He was Yan Mingchen, a thirty-year-old fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master who was a Guizhen-stage Qi refiner. He was the Chief Superintendent of the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion, only one step away from being the Deputy Mansion Master. He was considered a young and promising talent.

    When Zhang Yuelu was promoted to the fourth rank, she went to study at the Upper Pce of the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, where she met Yan Mingchen.

 Chapter 173: Yan Mingchen (II)

    <h4>Chapter 173: Yan Mingchen (II)</h4>

    The three major families in the Taiping Sect were the Li, Lu, and Shen families. The Li family was the main family, while the other two families were vassals of the Li family.

    The Zhengyi Sect had the same structure, with the Zhang family as the mainstay and the Su family and the Yan family as vassals. The three families often had marriage alliances with each other. So to most people, it made sense for Zhang Yuelu to marry Yan Mingchen.

    If Zhang Yuelu married Yan Mingchen, the matron of the Yan family, who was also from the Zhang family, would never let Zhang Yuelu suffer. With Zhang Yuelu¡¯s strength, it was also possible for her to overtake her husband and control the Yan family as the future matron of the Yan family.

    It was an excellent marriage for many girls from the side branches of the Zhang family. Generally, only the girls from the main branch of the Zhang family received such treatment. Zhang Yuelu was from a small branch, but because of her extraordinary talents and Yan Mingchen¡¯s interest in her, she defeated other candidates even withoutpetition.

    In prestigious families, mutual feelings of love were not a priority because married couples were considered allies, not lovers. As long as they did not fight each other, their families would not care if the couple treated each other coldly or with respect.

    However, no one expected Zhang Yuelu to reject this marriage, which most people thought was a perfect union. The reason for Zhang Yuelu''s rejection was even more ridiculous¡ªshe said that Yan Mingchen was too old.

    It was not unusual for an older man to marry a younger wife. Not to mention, Yan Mingchen was only thirty years old. There was less than a ten-year gap between him and Zhang Yuelu, so it was not considered a big difference.

    That was why everyone thought it was just an excuse. The only person who was not surprised by Zhang Yuelu¡¯s rejection was Zhang Yuyue. In Zhang Yuyue¡¯s opinion, Zhang Yuelu had always been idiosyncratic since she was a child, often going against popr opinion.

    However, no one dared to force anything onto Zhang Yuelu, including her mother. After all, Zhang Yuelu could easily convert to the Quanzhen Sect and be a nun, cutting off all worldly ties, which included blood-rted family members. That way, she would not be bound by any societal expectations.

    More importantly, the Earthly Preceptor and the Quanzhen Sect had enough strength to ensure the implementation of this rule. Since there was also an alliance between both sects, it was unlikely that the Heavenly Preceptor would oppose as well.

    In fact, some people spected that Zhang Yuelu had high standards and did not like Yan Mingchen, so she came up with an excuse saying that Yan Mingchen was old. This was reasonable because Yan Mingchen was not as bright as Zhang Yuelu.

    Being a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master at the age of 30 meant that Yan Mingchen would only be promoted to the third rank at 35 years old. In that case, he would only be promoted to the second rank in histe forties, likely stopping at that rank.

    After all, the Daoist Order¡¯s appointments and promotions had rigid age requirements. Even with the help of the Yan family, he would at most be one of the 36 Omniscient Sages by the age of 60, and he would be in the bottom rung among them.

    On the other hand, Zhang Yuelu was already a fourth-rank Daoist master in her early twenties. Judging from her progress, she would most likely be promoted to the third rank before the age of 30. If everything went smoothly, she would be an Omniscient Sage in her forties.

    The real question was: how far could Zhang Yuelu climb up thedder of the Daoist Order?

    Would she be content with being an ordinary Sage? Would she advance to be an Omniscient Sage, inheriting the title of Sage Cihang from her master and bing the top among the 36 Omniscient Sages? Or would she be bolder, bing a Virtuous Great Sage, a Deputy Grand Master, or even the Grand Master?

    Yan Mingchen knew that Zhang Yuelu had a bright future. He would admit defeat if Zhang Yuelu really had high standards and looked down on him. At most, he would reminisce about her many yearster as the one that got away.

    However, Zhang Yuelu brought a ¡°worthless¡± person home. In terms of cultivation level, rank, position, and family background, Qi Xuansu was inferior to Yan Mingchen in all aspects. The only advantage Qi Xuansu had was being young.

    In the Daoistmunity, Qi Xuansu was not considered a young talent considering his age and rank. Even if he was promoted to the sixth rank immediately after the New Year, he would be stuck in that rank for a year before proceeding to the fifth rank, where he would have to wait for two more years before another promotion to the fourth rank. It would then take three years to be promoted from the fourth rank to the third rank.

    If Qi Xuansu was promoted to the sixth rank at the age of 25, he would be 26 when he was promoted to the fifth rank. In the best case, he would be promoted to the fourth rank when he was 28 years old. However, there was a significant threshold for a promotion from the fifth to the fourth rank.

    Only a few people could rise to that level within two years. Most of them would take several years. Many priests simply stopped there and never progressed further because they could not get over the threshold for being a high-ranking Daoist priest.

    Therefore, Yan Mingchen refused to ept Zhang Yuelu¡¯s rejection until he met Qi Xuansu in person. At first nce, Yan Mingchen was not impressed by Qi Xuansu and felt even more unconvinced.

    Zhang Yuelu noticed Yan Mingchen¡¯s simmering anger and resentment. She reminded him. ¡°Back when we were in the Upper Pce of the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, I told you that we could only be friends, not anything more. If you don¡¯t take my words seriously, we can¡¯t even be friends anymore.¡±

    Yan Mingchen closed his eyes and spoke in a slightly trembling voice. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you hate me, but why are you degrading yourself?¡±

    ¡°Degrading?¡± Zhang Yuelu raised her eyebrows slightly.

    Yan Mingchen admonished. ¡°I won¡¯t object and will even offer my blessing if you can marry someone better than me. I don¡¯t want you to treat yourself like this.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s tone grew heavier. ¡°And how do I treat myself?¡±

    Yan Mingchen suddenly opened his eyes, ring daggers at Qi Xuansu. ¡°He¡¯s not worthy of you.¡±

    ¡°Whether he¡¯s worthy or not has nothing to do with you. Only my opinion matters.¡± Zhang Yuelu did not conceal her cold tone.

    Qi Xuansu remained silent as he sized up Yan Mingchen cautiously, like a hunter assessing his prey¡¯s level of threat.

    Yan Mingchen sighed. ¡°Why are you lying to yourself?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was infuriated. Her body emitted a qi and heat so strong that it melted the fluttering snow one meter all around her. The snowkes disappeared like moths flying into a me.

    Yan Mingchen turned his attention to Zhang Yuelu again. ¡°I know that it¡¯s just a matter of time before you¡¯ll advance to a Heavenly Being, and I admit that I¡¯m not your opponent.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu narrowed her eyes and did not answer.

    Yan Mingchen turned to Qi Xuansu and said bluntly, ¡°But he¡¯s not my opponent.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily the case.¡± Qi Xuansu, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.

    The tension in the air rose exponentially.

    Qi Xuansu murmured, ¡°Qing Xiao, this man is targeting me. I can¡¯t keep hiding behind you. It just so happens that I¡¯ve refined all the medicinal powertely and have increased my cultivation level. It¡¯s the perfect timing for me to test my skills with Mage Yan.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu hesitated for a moment, but she still chose to believe in Qi Xuansu. ¡°Be careful, then.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took a step forward and goaded. ¡°Mage Yan, it looks like you have something to teach me.¡±

    Yan Mingchen was furious to see their friendly interaction, but he suppressed his anger and scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m older than you, and I have a higher level of cultivation. If we fight, people will say that I¡¯m bullying the weak. You will also get hurt. It¡¯ll be troublesome if your cultivation is damaged.¡±

    Qi Xuansu stretched his fully recovered arm. The blood qi and innate qi in his body surged at the same time as he asserted himself. ¡°Mage Yan, as long as you are not a Heavenly Being, I will still stand a chance against you.¡±

    When Yan Mingchen heard this, he stopped talking and circted his innate qi. Then he signaled for Qi Xuansu to make the first move.

    As mentioned earlier, Yan Mingchen was older than Qi Xuansu and had a higher level of cultivation. If he made the first move, he would lookpletely shameless, especially with Zhang Yuelu around. He did not want to ruin his image.

    Right after Qi Xuansu raised his hand, a cold light shed across Yan Mingchen¡¯s left eye.

    It was a throwing knife.

    Yan Mingchen simply extended one finger to block the throwing knife. His fingertip was not injured at all, but the throwing knife slowly shattered into pieces of scrap metal.

 Chapter 174: The Hatred of Stealing Oneâ€™s Wife

    <h4>Chapter 174: The Hatred of Stealing One¡¯s Wife</h4>

    Qi Xuansu had killed demons in the Guizhen stage, so he was not afraid of Yan Mingchen. After all, the Yuxu stage was just one level below the Guizhen stage.

    The only thing that Qi Xuansu had to pay attention to was Yan Mingchen¡¯s lineage. Qi Refiners ranked second among the six major Daoist lineages, below the Banished Immortal lineage. Qi Refiners had almost no weaknesses. This was the fundamental reason why Qi Refiners were superior to Martial Arts Practitioners and Diviners.

    In that case, Qi Xuansu could not y tricks like the time he killed the schr from the Lingshan Witch Cult. When Qi Xuansu fought with others in the past, he rarely took the initiative to draw his short sword, only using his sword as ast resort. But this time, he took the initiative to draw Qing Yuan from his waist.

    Yan Mingchen was so conceited that he did not use any weapons. He only stretched his arms out slightly. Qi Xuansu did not waste any time and struck Yan Mingchen in the face with a sharp sword qi.

    In any case, Qi Xuansu was in the Yuxu stage. After taking the medicinal wine from Daoist Ji, his qi became purer, and he progressed one step closer to the Guizhen stage. Qing Yuan was a spiritual object, so Yan Mingchen did not dare to just use his qi shield to block this attack.

    Yan Mingchen stood still and pushed one palm forward. As he pushed his palm out, the air in front of him began to vibrate violently, slowing down Qing Yuan¡¯s momentum significantly.

    Qi Xuansu moved slower, as if he were swimming against the current. Yan Mingchen had to use his qi to counter Qi Xuansu¡¯s attack.

    Since Qi Xuansu had a lower cultivation level, he tried not to fight Yan Mingchen head-on and jumped back to avoid the surging qi from thetter¡¯s palm. They were far from each other, so Yan Mingchen struck again with both palms.

    However, this time, Qi Xuansu did not dodge. Qi Xuansu only felt a cold airing over him, making him shiver. His body also froze.

    Yan Mingchen¡¯s palms emitted two different energies: one yin and the other yang. The palm with the yin energy struck first, emitting cold air, while the palm with the yang energy followed immediately after. Qi Xuansu felt a surge of hot air that almost suffocated him, making his body sway.

    Qi Xuansu was not a pure Rogue Cultivator as he had some traits of a Martial Arts Practitioner, like a strong physique and surging blood qi. Moreover, due to the medicinal wine, his innate qi was particrly abundant. When these two yin and yang energies washed over his body, the innate qi and blood qi in his body responded ordingly.

    The rule of thumb was that three Yuxu-stage practitioners could defeat a Guizhen-stage practitioner. Since Qi Xuansu possessed innate qi and blood qi, he could be regarded as two people. Although he was shaken by the palm energies, he only felt ufortable for a moment before he thrust out his sword again.

    Yan Mingchen expected Qi Xuansu to fall to the ground and be seriously injured from this strike. But to his surprise, Qi Xuansu was unharmed. He was even more startled to see a sword light charging toward his palms. Reacting quickly, Yan Mingchen crossed his palms and pushed forward.

    The next moment, Yan Mingchen only felt a sharp pain when the Qing Yuan prated his palms. He did not know whether Qi Xuansu stabbed his palms or if he had identally extended his palms when Qi Xuansu¡¯s sword was nearby. His left palm was in front of his right palm, with the tip of the sword prating around ten centimeters from the back of his right hand.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s short sword could only go so far. Yan Mingchen groaned and suddenly retracted his hands, pulling away from the sword¡¯s tip and jumping back.

    Like a coach watching from the sidelines, Zhang Yuelu could not help but praise Qi Xuansu. ¡°Nice move.¡±

    That was because Zhang Yuelu knew that Qi Xuansu¡¯s swordsmanship was not the key to this sessful attack. The keyy in calcting Yan Mingchen¡¯s reaction urately.

    Qi Xuansu had a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s physique that no one but Zhang Yuelu knew of. After Qi Xuansu deliberately took the hit, Yan Mingchen let his guard down, thinking that he had defeated Qi Xuansu, so he wanted to reign in his qi.

    When Yan Mingchen saw that Qi Xuansu was unscathed, he wanted to attack again. But during this split second of Yan Mingchen''s qi withdrawal, Qi Xuansu had the opportunity to strike. Qi Xuansu drew his sword and expected Yan Mingchen to defend himself.

    Qi Xuansu deliberately aimed straight at Yan Mingchen¡¯s chest, looking as if he wanted to kill thetter. But in fact, he was just tricking Yan Mingchen into a defensive posture. Sure enough, Yan Mingchen panicked and pushed both palms out.

    Logically speaking, Yan Mingchen only needed one palm for defense against Qi Xuansu due to his higher level of cultivation. But he ovepped his palms and thrust them out simultaneously with the intention of counterattacking.

    However, due to Yan Mingchen¡¯s split-second dy in changing from energy withdrawal to exertion, Qi Xuansu managed to catch that exact moment to strike and pierce both of Yan Mingchen¡¯s palms.

    Although Qi Xuansu had a lower cultivation level, he had a firm grasp of the situation from the moment he tricked his opponent into thinking that he was weak. If Qi Xuansu had been at the Guizhen stage, he could have thrust his sword straight into Yan Mingchen¡¯s chest after piercing through thetter¡¯s palms.

    This was the difference between ¡°wild¡± priests and ¡°flowerbed¡± priests. The former had ample experience in real battle, so they could adapt to changes like it was their second nature. However, flowerbed priests could only resort to rote tactics.

    In this peaceful and prosperous society, most of the troubles from the secret societies were dealt with by the Tiangang Hall and the local Daoist mansions. Thus, most Daoist priestscked practical fighting experience. Many of them had a high cultivation level but fell short inbat.

    This was also the reason why Tiangang Hall had continuously recruited elite priests and ¡°wild¡± priests from the local Daoist mansions in recent years. The pampered flowerbed priests could not fight well or bear hardships, so they were difficult to train.

    Although Yan Mingchen worked in the local Daoist mansion, he was a scion from a prestigious family and had been superior all his life. He did not have to do most things for himself, which included fighting in battles. Thus, he was considered a flowerbed priest.

    Qi Xuansu held the sword behind his back, with the tip of the sword facing down. Then he cupped his hands in salutation. ¡°Mage Yan, your cultivation level is indeed high, but your experience in battle is slightlycking. Let¡¯s stop here for now.¡±

    Due to his lower cultivation level, Qi Xuansu also knew that he would likely lose if they continued fighting. He could only win with the element of surprise. Since there was no enmity between him and Yan Mingchen, there was no need to fight to the death. Thus, he used this opportunity to stop the fight while he still had the upper hand.

    However, Qi Xuansu miscalcted the situation this time. He only thought from his perspective when he thought that there was no enmity between him and Yan Mingchen, but thetter hated him for stealing his wife. So, Yan Mingchen did not want to let him go.

    Without a word, Yan Mingchen suddenly rushed forward with his palm aimed at Qi Xuansu. The wind from Yan Mingchen''s palm hit Qi Xuansu in the face like a strong gust of wind, almost suffocating him.

    This strike was enough to shake one¡¯s soul. If Qi Xuansu was hit in the face by Yan Mingchen''s palm, he would be seriously injured, if not dead.

    However, Qi Xuansu did not let down his guard like Yan Mingchen did earlier. Being an experienced fighter, Qi Xuansu always had the habit of staying vignt, so he dodged immediately. At the same time, he aimed a few throwing knives at Yan Mingchen¡¯s eyes and vital points so that Yan Mingchen would stop chasing him.

    Zhang Yuelu originally wanted to help, but when she saw that Qi Xuansu was fighting back, she stayed put in consideration of Qi Xuansu¡¯s feelings.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s weapon was a short sword, which did not have the advantage of length, so he could only close the distance between them.

    Yan Mingchen blocked the throwing knives effortlessly and struck Qi Xuansu again with his palm. This seemingly simple and direct palm strike instantly changed into twelve different variations. At the same time, it created a loud whistling sound. The immense qi created cracks in the ground.

    An ordinary person would have been crushed by the qi and turned into a blood mist almost immediately. When the tip of Qi Xuansu¡¯s sword collided with Yan Mingchen¡¯s palm, the two men retreated.

    They both looked calm, but Qi Xuansu¡¯s right hand, which was wielding the sword, was actually trembling slightly. Yan Mingchen was not much better either. After all, he did not have the physique of a Martial Arts Practitioner. He had a deep wound in his palm, with blood overflowing nonstop.

    Qi Xuansu remarked, ¡°The Divine Palm Technique.¡±

    Yan Mingchen did not answer and struck with his palm again.

    The Divine Palm Technique was a high-attainment method with astonishing power in the palms and multiple variations. Yan Mingchen¡¯s palms turned into dozens of palms in the blink of an eye to confuse Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu drew his sword and injected qi into it, creating a white glow around the sword. For a moment, they could only see palm shadows and sword lights, apanied by a series of shing sounds.

    Qi Xuansu could no longer use the element of surprise. After all, Yan Mingchen had learned from his past mistakes. Thus, Qi Xuansu had to rely on his swordsmanship topete with Yan Mingchen.

    The fight between the two men gradually slowed. Suddenly, Qi Xuansu stopped abruptly and leaped forward, shattering the ground beneath his feet. Yan Mingchen frowned and remained motionless with one hand behind his back. As Qi Xuansu swept his sword horizontally, Yan Mingchen blocked it with his left sleeve.

    This seemingly gentle flick created a thunderous crack when it collided with the edge of the Qing Yuan, creating a string of sparks.

    That was when Qi Xuansu raised his leg and kicked Yan Mingchen in the chest. Yan Mingchen grabbed Qi Xuansu¡¯s ankle, spun him around, and flung him outward off the cliff.

    Zhang Yuelu was shocked at first, but she quickly regained herposure. Qi Xuansu was seen flying off the cliff, but he slowly disappeared. It turned out that he had created a fake body using the Cicada Molting Technique of Rogue Cultivators in the Yuxu stage.

    With Qi Xuansu¡¯s cultivation level, he could create two false bodies. Each time he advanced to a higher level, he could create an additional false body.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu¡¯s real body ran for several meters before leaping and shing at Yan Mingchen. A crescent moon-shaped sword qi flew out of Qing Yuan butnded like a ssh of water in front of Yan Mingchen.

    Yan Mingchen hooked his fingers to crush the sword qi. He pushed his palm out again, pping Qi Xuansu on the forehead. In the meantime, Qi Xuansu stabbed Yan Mingchen in the chest.

    Qi Xuansu suddenly drifted backward. Afternding, he stepped back heavily to release the extra qi from his body, leaving deep footprints in the ground.

    Yan Mingchen¡¯s chest was stained with blood. He slowly rolled up his sleeves with an expressionless face, revealing the bulging veins on his arms that resembled tiny snakes. Some of these veins were purple, and they were so densely packed that most people would be intimidated.

    Qi Xuansu warned, ¡°Since you¡¯re so determined to fight to the death, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless.¡±

 Chapter 175: Leaving Dejected

    <h4>Chapter 175: Leaving Dejected</h4>

    Blue veins were bulging on Yan Mingchen¡¯s face, forehead, neck, and many other ces, like tiny snakes squirming under his skin.

    <i>The foundations of Banished Immortals, Qi Refiners, and Rogue Cultivators all lie in the three Dantians. However, there were some simrities and differences in their subsequent development, especially after the Guizhen stage.</i>

    <i>Banished Immortals focus on the upper Dantian, condensing innate qi into true essence in order to form a nascent soul. Qi Refiners focused on the middle Dantian, connecting the eight extraordinary meridians and the twelve main meridians to nourish and strengthen the body. Although Banished Immortals did not have a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s robust physique, they were ranked second among the six major lineages. </i>

    <i>A Shaman¡¯s Golden Spiritual Statue was not their real body, which was as weak as a Diviner¡¯s.</i>

    A series of crackling sounds erupted from Yan Mingchen¡¯s body.

    The next moment, he stomped his foot, creating a big pit in the ground and causing the area to shake. He used the force of the aftershock to gather strength in his palm and strike Qi Xuansu in the chest.

    Qi Xuansu was passing by Yan Mingchen and managed to sh a wound around 30 centimeters between Yan Mingchen''s chest and abdomen before he flew back due to the force of the palm strike.

    Yan Mingchen shouted angrily, tipped his toes, and disappeared in an instant. When he reappeared, he was just one meter in front of Qi Xuansu. Yan Mingchen mercilesslynded another strike on Qi Xuansu¡¯s lower abdomen, pushing thetter back farther.

    Seeing this, Yan Mingchen pursued Qi Xuansu closely and continuously struck thetter, leaving countless palm prints that contained intense qi. When umted, this extra qi felt like a mountain weighing down on Qi Xuansu, threatening to crush him to death. Yan Mingcheng was waiting for a suitable opportunity to deliver thest strike that would make the umted qi explode in Qi Xuansu¡¯s body.

    In just a few minutes, Yan Mingchen struck Qi Xuansu more than a hundred times. Although Qi Xuansu blocked half of them, more than fifty palm strikes with umted qinded on his body.

    However, Qi Xuansu was not one to take a hit without fighting back. When Yan Mingchen was on the verge of exhausting his energy, Qi Xuansu instantly pulled out the Divine Dragon Pistol from his waist and aimed it at Yan Mingchen¡¯s lower Dantian near the abdomen. The Dragon Eye Bullet exploded instantly. At such a close distance, the force broke through Yan Mingchen¡¯s qi shield in an instant, causing him to stagger back in shock.

    Qi Xuansu, who finally had a second to breathe, chucked the Divine Dragon Pistol to the side and used the Cicada Molting Technique again to get rid of the umted qi in his body.

    After Yan Mingchennded on the ground, he took a deep breath. Sounds of cracking erupted from his body as he sped his palms together. It sounded like the dull ringing of arge bell.

    With Yan Mingchen as the center, ripples of qi visible to the naked eye spread out in all directions. He bent his knees slightly and leaped forward,nding 10 meters away from Qi Xuansu before thrusting his palms out.

    Qi Xuansu held the hilt of Qing Yuan with his right hand and pushed the de with his left hand as he rushed forward.

    The two men collided head-on. Yan Mingchen¡¯s hands were injured, and his meridians were damaged, disrupting his qi. Since he had no weapons, it was difficult for him to unleash his full strength. However, despite this, he still had a higher cultivation level, so he managed to knock away Qing Yuan from Qi Xuansu¡¯s hand.

    Yan Mingchen was determined to fight to the end and pursued Qi Xuansu relentlessly, once again striking with his palm. Qi Xuansu did not dare to let his guard down, so he unleashed a palm strike to counter Yan Mingchen.

    The moment their palms touched, Qi Xuansu could feel Yan Mingchen¡¯s incredibly strong qi, almostparable to that of Zhang Yuelu. At that moment, Qi Xuansu¡¯s innate qi and blood qi were activated simultaneously. Qi Xuansu was only able to endure this attack with his transformed physique.

    Yan Mingchen attacked again.

    Qi Xuansu had once learned the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s Everchanging Palm Technique from Madam Qi. When he used it, his body shifted from left to right, and his palm had multiple variations, making it seem illusory.

    The two men exchanged several moves. Qi Xuansu felt that Yan Mingchen¡¯s palm strikes were like rolling waves, each wave higher than the previous one. The essence of it was that the force of each palm strike would umte over time. Once enough force was umted, even the Shaman¡¯s strongest Golden Spiritual Statue could be destroyed.

    That was why Qi Xuansu dodged and did not dare to fight Yan Mingchen head-on. He did not want to give Yan Mingchen the chance to continuously strike him.

    After more than a dozen moves, Qi Xuansu already felt overwhelmed by Yan Mingchen¡¯s palm strikes, which seemed simple. On the contrary, Qi Xuansu¡¯s Everchanging Palm Technique seemed tooplex with too many variations. However, itcked focus and was not as efficient as Yan Mingchen¡¯s attacks.

    Fortunately, Qi Xuansu was more experienced in fighting, so he could scare and deceive Yan Mingchen. In addition, Yan Mingchen grew more wary after suffering a loss. Their fight was evenly matched without a clear winner.

    Since Qi Xuansu had a lower level of cultivation, he was already somewhat exhausted. A white mist, visible to the naked eye, rose from his body.

    Zhang Yuelu finally spoke. ¡°This is not a fight to the death, so you two should stop now.¡±

    From Zhang Yuelu¡¯s point of view, Yan Mingchen took the initiative to stir up trouble. She was already being magnanimous for not getting in between their fight and chasing him away. She never intended to let them fight fairly because she only wanted to protect Qi Xuansu.

    However, Yan Mingchen ignored her and continued to attack Qi Xuansu. So this time, Zhang Yuelu leaped onto the makeshift battlefield. She lightly extended one finger, which suddenly multiplied. In an instant, one finger turned into 64 fingers. Zhang Yuelu was using the Cihang Sword Sequence but recing the sword with her finger.

    Seeing this, Yan Mingchen was startled and eximed, ¡°The Guanyin Thousand Swords!¡±

    He immediately pped her finger away with his palm.

    Zhang Yuelu excelled in all her studies, evident in how she could master theplex Guanyin Thousand Swords Technique. Yan Mingchen saw dozens of arms and palms sprouting from Zhang Yuelu, with her fingers constantly changing in an unpredictable fashion. Each finger was split into several directions at the midsection. Although she did not use a sword, she employed the same technique of swordsmanship.

    Yan Mingchen¡¯s Divine Palm Technique was simple, but it seemed rather stiff inparison. But no matter how unpredictable Qi Xuansu¡¯s palm variations were, Yan Mingchen could block them ordingly. They were equally matched after several moves.

    Qi Xuansu took this opportunity to withdraw from the fight since Zhang Yuelu was substituting him. Zhang Yuelu did not use her full strength because she had to show some respect to the Zhang family and the Yan family. She was holding back because she did not want to start a deadly feud between the allied families.

    Zhang Yuelu and Yan Mingchen fought against each other for a while until Yan Mingchen gradually felt his palms numbing and his arms trembling. He knew that this was due to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s higher cultivation level.

    Although the Daoist Order stipted various training paths for each lineage, those who had masters were exceptions. Under the guidance of Sage Cihang, Zhang Yuelu practiced many additional mystical abilities.

    At this time, Zhang Yuelu used the Six Void Tribtions. Some strikes were icy cold, while others were scorching hot. Initially, Yan Mingchen did not notice the erratic changes, but after a while, he gradually felt constrained.

    Yan Mingchen knew that if he persisted, he would inevitably fall into a disadvantageous position. He wanted to find a breakthrough point, but he failed. That was when he saw Zhang Yuelu¡¯s palm, protected by the Five Elements Qi Shield, striking him. The force was so powerful that he immediately used his left palm to block the attack.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu pped him again, using her Five Elements Qi Shield on both palms to force him back. Yan Mingchen had no choice but to stretch out his arms to block her.

    The two of them faced each other with their palms far apart as they were wrestling each other using their qi. After a while, their bodies shook slightly. Yan Mingchen¡¯s hand gradually turned translucent, revealing his blood vessels and bones, which was extremely strange. Although Zhang Yuelu looked unfazed, she had a colorful aura around her face.

    At one point, the two of them grunted softly and retracted their palms at the same time.

    Their fight ended so quickly that Qi Xuansu could not judge who was the winner. However, judging by appearance alone, Yan Mingchen suffered a loss, especially with the many injuries that Qi Xuansu left on him earlier.

    Yan Mingchen was silent for a long time as he stared at the couple. He could no longer say anything to ridicule them. He had to admit that Qi Xuansu was indeed unique for being able to push him to this point despite being in a lower realm of cultivation.

    However, the heavy blow was actually Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attitude in the end. Yan Mingchen finally gave up, retracted his gaze, and left without hesitation.

    After Yan Mingchen left in defeat, Zhang Yuelu turned around and came to Qi Xuansu¡¯s side. She asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    Qi Xuansu picked up the Qing Yuan, the Divine Dragon Pistol, and some of the throwing knives that were still intact from the ground. He replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Mage Yan has a high level of cultivation, but he rarely fights. If he trains in Tiangang Hall for a year or two, then I won¡¯t be a match for him.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°He¡¯s good, but you¡¯re even better. In a battle of life and death, a high level of cultivation isn¡¯t enough. Time, location, tact, mystical abilities, and external objects are equally important. Having five of the six essentials will guarantee a win. Yan Mingchen was arrogant, only using his palms. He¡¯s also not as cunning as you, so he has already lost the three essentials and can only rely on his superior cultivation. It¡¯ll be strange if he wins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head. ¡°But cultivation level is still the most important foundation. I will have to reach the Guizhen stage as soon as possible for your sake.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu waved her hand andughed. ¡°Not for my sake, but for your sake. You should always help yourself first before you can help others. Since you¡¯re not powerful enough to make changes in the Daoist Order, it¡¯s better if you improve your cultivation as soon as possible.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was silent for a moment before he sighed. ¡°I really should establish myself. That way, I won¡¯t feel inferior to anyone.¡±

 Chapter 176: Above the Sha River

    <h4>Chapter 176: Above the Sha River</h4>

    Zhongzhou was the center of the world; hence, most ancient dynasties chose to establish their capital there. It was a vast and level in, making the originally t Jiangbei look hilly inparison. One could only imagine just how t Zhongzhou was.

    With the endless sky and earth on the horizon, walking on this vast in was inevitably boring. However, a tall ck mountain on the horizon with dark clouds surrounding it was a shocking contrast to the tness all around.

    There were many mountains in Jiangnan. Thus, no matter how dangerous or steep a mountain was, it did not seem impressive. Jiangbei was characterized by undting hills with a gradual progression of ascending heights. Only a mountain that seemed to rise abruptly from the vast in with no foothills could inspire a sense of awe.

    This was Zhongyue Mountain, where the Jingchan Temple was located. The Sha River was the long river that passed through it.

    During the winter, many ice floes floated on the surface of the Sha River, colliding with each other from time to time and creating a glistening spectacle.

    A man slowly emerged from the water, struggling to climb onto a huge ice floe. He turned over andid on his back with his limbs sprawled out as he faced the sky and panted for air.

    He felt as if he had swallowed a red-hot piece of coal. His entire trachea and chest felt like they were on fire, and he could smell the stench of blood between his breaths.

    This man was lucky enough to escape death, but he was in a terrible state. There was a huge and gory wound on his bald head, revealing his flesh and skull. There was also a hideous wound on his face that hadpletely cut open his left cheek, exposing his gums and teeth.

    His tattered clothes were heavily stained with blood, even after being soaked in the river.

    This man was Yan Xiu, the Buddhist monk who left Qi Xuansu for dead at the Yn Temple. After leaving Yn Temple, he wandered around for a while before returning to Jingchan Temple in Zhongzhou. As soon as he arrived in Zhongzhou, he was ambushed by a group of strangers. If he did not have the life-saving treasure that his master had given him, he would have died. Even so, he paid a hefty price to escape.

    Yan Xiu was entering the borders of Zhongyue. No matter how courageous this group of people was, they would not dare to pursue him and had no choice but to retreat. Seeing this, Yan Xiu could not help but wonder who this group of people was.

    There were a few people in the group who had high levels of cultivation over the ordinary Guizhen stage. The rest of the group were not mediocre either. If they had not thought of capturing Yan Xiu alive at first, Yan Xiu would have died on the spot before he had the chance to use the life-saving treasure to escape.

    Who were these people? What was their purpose?

    Yan Xiu only recognized one of them to be one of the two women who fought fiercely at the Yn Temple that day. Were they after him because of the Yn Temple incident? However, this group of people was obviously not from the Daoist Order. They seemed to be from a secret society.

    Although the Buddhist Sect supported secret societies to go against the Daoist Order, there were so many secret societies with their own motives. Most of them even had conflicts and fought with each other. Thus, Yan Xiu could not tell where this group of people came from.

    The fact that this group of people chose to ambush him in Zhongzhou showed that they already knew that he was from Jingchan Temple. They were probably not Buddhists since they still dared to attack him despite knowing his origin.

    At the moment, Yan Xiu¡¯s top priority was to return to Jingchan Temple to recover from his injuries. Everything else could be left forter.

    He drifted along with the ice floe for a while until he regained some strength. Then he slowly stood up and jumped across the ice floes on the river, heading toward Jingchan Temple.

    ......

    Prince Qin and Xie Qiuniang stood on the bank of the Sha River. On the horizon was the majestic Zhongyue Mountain.

    The Sha River was very long, running through several states. If they went further, they would enter the boundaries of Jingchan Temple. With their status, they could not enter rashly because they would be doomed if caught by the Buddhists.

    On the contrary, the Daoist Order could use the case at the Yn Temple as an excuse to go to Jingchan Temple openly and arrest Yan Xiu. After all, the Daoist Order had reced the Confucian School as the world¡¯s orthodox government, forcing the Buddhists to sign an alliance with them as well. Besides the Western Region, the Daoist Order still had control over the rest of the 19 states on the Central ins.

    Xie Qiuniang remarked, ¡°It¡¯s strange. The Daoists still haven¡¯t made any moves yet. Since when did the Daoist Order be so easygoing? Or do you think that they¡¯re only nning to get to this after the New Year?¡±

    Prince Qin did not give a clear answer. He just said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for the news from Hua Jianyi.¡±

    Soon, Hua Jianyi came to them from a short distance away. She had just stepped aside to answer a call from the mother-child talisman.

    Prince Qin asked, ¡°Did you get some news?¡±

    Hua Jianyi¡¯s expression fell. ¡°Those two Daoists have arrived in Shangqing Prefecture. Since that¡¯s a Zhengyi Sect stronghold, we can¡¯t sneak in. Moreover, the security has been beefed up after Sage Qi Jiaozheng led 36 high-ranking Daoist priests from the Quanzhen Sect to Yunjin Mountain to visit the Heavenly Preceptor. So we lost them.¡±

    Xie Qiuniang immediately sensed something was wrong. ¡°<i><u>Two</u></i> Daoists? Who else was there besides that girl?¡±

    Hua Jianyi was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Qiuniang, the person you mentioned may not be dead after all.¡±

    ¡°How is that possible?! Under such intense divine power, no living being can escape, unless he¡¯s a Heavenly Being! But if he is a Heavenly Being, then the one who should have been left for dead would have been that monk Yan Xiu.¡± Xie Qiuniang was puzzled.

    Prince Qin fell into deep thought.

    The two women looked at Prince Qin in unison. The trio had a cooperative rtionship, but it was not clear who among them was the leader. It was somewhat simr to the three Deputy Grand Masters in the Daoist Order. However, Prince Qin was the mastermind behind this operation.

    After a while, Prince Qin suggested, ¡°Is it possible that the Daoist boy obtained the Xuan Jade and used it to survive the descending divine power?¡±

    Both women fell silent in an instant.

    This statement was justified.

    Xie Qiuniang huffed. ¡°In that case, our attempt to ambush that monk was for nothing.¡±

    ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Prince Qin shook his head and added, ¡°After all, this is just a conjecture. We don¡¯t have any evidence. There may be other reasons that Daoist boy survived.¡±

    ¡°Then should we continue to look for the two Daoists?¡± Xie Qiuniang asked, despite knowing that there was little hope.

    Prince Qin smiled bitterly. ¡°Compared to going to Yunjin Mountain to find the Daoists, it sounds more usible to attack Jingchan Temple by force. But the oue for both options is only death.¡±

    Xie Qiuniang suggested, ¡°Then let¡¯s wait until they leave Shangqing Prefecture¡ª¡±

    Hua Jianyi interjected with a solemn expression. ¡°It¡¯s highly likely that they will not use thend route back to Jade Capital. They will most likely take the flying ship from Shangqing Pce instead. It¡¯s also very likely that they have already handed over the Xuan Jade to the Heavenly Preceptor or a Sage at the Dazhen Mansion. So there¡¯s no hope of retrieving it.¡±

    Xie Qiuniang stopped talking and waved her hand in anger, her qi sshing up a wall of water on the river.

    Prince Qin sighed. ¡°Whether it¡¯s Yunjin Mountain or Jingchan Temple, it will be difficult for us to make a move for the time being. This mission to find the Xuan Jade is considered a failure. But please pay attention to these people in the future, Hua Jianyi. They mighte in handy.¡±

    Hua Jianyi nodded in agreement.

    Prince Qin asked again, ¡°By the way, any news from the recent meeting?¡±

    Hua Jianyi reported. ¡°When I was discussing business with Madam Qi, she told me some news that is about to be outdated soon. The Great Sage of the Taiping Sect has already left Peni Ind and set off for Jade Capital to prepare for the handover. The Great Sage of Quanzhen Sect will step down as the Great Sage Lunzhi and return to the Chongyang Pce of Immortality in Difei Mountain. In the next six months, the Imperial Preceptor will be the leader of the Daoist Order.¡±

    Prince Qinughed. ¡°It is indeed outdated news. In a few days, it won¡¯t be worth anything.¡±

 Chapter 177: Teaching Swordsmanship

    <h4>Chapter 177: Teaching Swordsmanship</h4>

    Zhang Juping and Pei Xiaolou climbed to the highest point of Yunjin Mountain. Generally, only the core disciples of the Zhengyi Sect could set foot here because it was an excellent location for cultivating Pure Yang Purple Qi.

    The Pure Yang Purple Qi Technique was a unique practice in the Zhengyi Sect that used pure yang energy as a foundation and was supplemented by the Purple Cloud Technique. A practitioner could collect the first ray of pure yang energy when the sun rises, refine it to remove impurities and retain the pure purple qi left behind. This Pure Yang Purple Qi was a natural repellent of all evil things in the world.

    Only a touch of Pure Yang Purple Qi could be umted in a day, so it would take decades of hard work to cultivate enough Pure Yang Purple Qi to repel evil within a kilometer radius. ording to legend, the Primordial Daoist Ancestor was so powerful that he could exert this Pure Yang Purple Qi up to 15,000 kilometers.

    Besides collecting Pure Yang Purple Qi, the top of Yunjin Mountain was a good spot for sightseeing. It had a magnificent view of Shangqing Town during sunrise and sunset.

    Zhang Juping had been there often, so he was numb to the beautiful scenery. While looking out, Zhang Juping said, ¡°Brother Pei, you seem to be acquainted with Tian Yuan.¡±

    ¡°You know him too?¡± Pei Xiaolou asked.

    Zhang Juping smiled and admitted. ¡°Only because of Qing Xiao. I met him once, and I have quite a good impression of that boy.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t know him well, but I¡¯m good friends with his elder.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce? He can¡¯t possibly be rted to Sage Qi, right?¡± Zhang Juping joked.

    Pei Xiaolou waved his hand. ¡°We mustn¡¯t specte about such matters.¡±

    Since Pei Xiaolou had no intention of borating, Zhang Juping stopped pursuing the topic. Instead, he shared, ¡°I heard that he got into a fight with a boy from the Yan family.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou became interested. ¡°What¡¯s the result?¡±

    Zhang Juping noticed that Pei Xiaolou did not look too worried. He was not sure whether Pei Xiaolou was simply indifferent or particrly confident in Qi Xuansu. He answered truthfully, ¡°He didn''t suffer a loss even though he was weaker than the Yan boy. He even held an advantage. He¡¯s indeed extraordinary. But in the end, Qing Xiao stepped in to stop the fight, siding with Tian Yuan.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou could not help butugh. ¡°Miss Zhang intervened? That¡¯s interesting.¡±

    Zhang Juping sighed helplessly. ¡°In any case, the Zhang family has been friends with the Yan family for decades. So I think Qing Xiao¡¯s reaction is inappropriate.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou remarked, ¡°It¡¯s tiring to always keep up with appearances and act appropriately all the time. I think the elders shouldn''t get involved in fights among the youngsters.

    ¡°Just look at how liberal the Li family is; they can turn a blind eye to Miss Zhang defeating Li Tianzhen, who has quite a high level of seniority in the Li family. Even Li Minghuang, that boy who deceived your niece, should be addressing Li Tianzhen as ¡®uncle.¡¯ Even so, none of the Li family elders stood up for him when he was beaten by Miss Zhang. But no one dared to look down on the Li family because of this matter.

    ¡°So I have to say, the Zhang family ought to learn from the Li family in this regard.¡±

    Zhang Juping did notment.

    Pei Xiaolou added, ¡°It¡¯s better if you advise some people that brawling with a junior is unsightly of a senior. Nothing good wille of it. If you win, people will use you of bullying the weak. It¡¯s even more embarrassing if you lose.¡±

    Zhang Juping nodded in agreement.

    ......

    After Yan Mingchen was defeated, he left Yunjin Mountain immediately to get some peace of mind.

    Yan Mingchen¡¯s departure disrupted some of Tantai Qiong¡¯s ns, forcing her to temporarily change her strategy into something more long-term.

    Of course, if Qi Xuansu had a stroke of luck and soared higher up the ranks during this time, Tantai Qiong would willingly alter her ns and ept Qi Xuansu. She would even take the initiative to apologize to him in an attempt to dismiss all past grudges with a smile.

    While Tantai Qiong dly changed her ns, Zhang Yuelu was extremely annoyed. Zhang Yuelu even nned to return to the Jade Capital earlier than her original schedule.

    Although the flying ship temporarily increased the number of flights for the New Year, the flight dates still remained as the first and fifteenth of the month. Originally, Zhang Yuelu wanted to leave on the 15th of January, but she decided to leave early, on the first day of the New Year.

    She even thought of an excuse. Pei Xiaolou mentioned that the secret societies were making their moves, and Tiangang Hall was short of manpower. So as the Deputy Hall Master, Zhang Yuelu ought to report to duty as soon as possible. This sounded reasonable enough.

    Twenty days passed by quickly. During this time, Qi Xuansu spent most of the time in his room, training his qi to improve his cultivation. asionally, he and Zhang Yuelu would visit Yunjin Mountain. With Zhang Yuelu apanying him, Qi Xuansu was not afraid of the underhanded tricks that woulde out of nowhere, so he could enjoy the scenery with peace of mind.

    Qi Xuansu would also train with Zhang Yuelu in martial arts. Being at the higher level, Zhang Yuelu would only use a cultivation level equal to the Yuxu stage topete with Qi Xuansu.

    Zhang Yuelu was proficient in eighteen types of martial arts. She was the best at swordsmanship and delved into the arts of spearmanship, knifemanship, whipmanship, mounted archery, boxing, and many more. She had learned most of these from her master, Sage Cihang.

    The royal family was known to have the best knifemanship. But Zhang Yuelu had also learned an extremely powerful, high-attainment method called the Dayan Spirit de Technique. It was knifemanship that focused on the swift movement of the de, allowing for sharp strikes from a distance without the use of sword qi.

    It was as if the de itself traveled through space, inflicting injury with its edge without leaving a trace, making it extremely difficult to guard against. It could also catch opponents off guard.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu did not like to use swords. He preferred knives and guns, as they were convenient weapons for killing people. However, his master left him a short sword, so he started using swords.

    Zhang Yuelu noticed Qi Xuansu''s preference for knives, so she decided to teach Qi Xuansu the Dayan Spirit de Technique. Since she was a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, she was qualified to recruit disciples. But she had not taken in a disciple and decided to practice with Qi Xuansu.

    Her teaching method was simple and crude. She would make a move, while Qi Xuansu defended himself until he slowly understood it. If he was unsure about something, he could ask her.

    This method of learning suited Qi Xuansu because he was perceptive. Due to his lower cultivation level, he could not keep up with many techniques that required a certain level of cultivation. Fortunately, his recent progress made up for his shorings.

    During the lesson, Zhang Yuelu did not speak much. She turned the Amorphous Paper into a knife and shed at Qi Xuansu from the front. But somehow, the de appeared from Qi Xuansu¡¯s back. Fortunately, Qi Xuansu dodged in time and narrowly escaped death.

    If this were a real battle and Zhang Yuelu had used her full strength at the Guizhen stage, Qi Xuansu would have been stabbed in the core.

    Qi Xuansu kept his feet grounded and pulled out Qing Yuan. With a swoosh, he thrust the sword forward, cutting through the air.

    Zhang Yuelu swept the paper knife horizontally, drawing a crescent-shaped arc. Then she ced the t side of the knife on the spine of Qing Yuan. The knife emitted an intense force that pressed down on the sword.

    Qi Xuansu flipped his sword with a flick of his wrist and thrust the tip of the sword toward Zhang Yuelu¡¯s knife-wielding right arm.

    Zhang Yuelu spun the knife, which collided with Qi Xuansu¡¯s short sword with a loud ng. The two of them drifted back from the impact, and the paper knife in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hand vibrated and buzzed for a long time before settling down.

    Most people were confined within various limitations, unable to break free due to theck of creativity. However, a master could effortlessly grasp the essence of an art and transcend boundaries and rules. This intent was what one needed to control one''s sword when facing an opponent. With intent, one would not be restricted by just a set of techniques. One would be flexible and have boundless potential.

    Zhang Yuelu vaguely understood this concept, while Qi Xuansu was still slightlycking in intent. As the two continued to fight, the sound of their swords shing intensified. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s strikes were fierce, ruthless, and extremely cunning.

    The position of her de and her movement werepletely different. Her swift movement enveloped Qi Xuansu in the sword qi and light shes from the de, forcing him to retreat step by step.

    After Zhang Yuelu stopped moving her knife, she asked Qi Xuansu to reflect on the moves carefully. Then they would switch positions, with Qi Xuansu on the offense while Zhang Yuelu took defense. Qi Xuansu used all his knowledge trying to break through Zhang Yuelu¡¯s defenses. But he failed to do so because Zhang Yuelu was not a flowerbed priest. She also had richbat experience.

    As they fought, Qi Xuansu asked questions while Zhang Yuelu answered them one by one. Qi Xuansu continued to practice what he learned diligently.

    ording to Zhang Yuelu, she took three days toprehend this technique, but she had a foundation of the Cihang Sword Sequence. Even so, she was not considered a master of this technique, just proficient at best. However, Qi Xuansu only managed to get a grip of this technique on New Year¡¯s Eve. He was still far away from Zhang Yuelu¡¯s level.

 Chapter 178: New Yearâ€™s Eve

    <h4>Chapter 178: New Year¡¯s Eve</h4>

    New Year¡¯s Eve marked thest day of the 41st year of the Jiushi Era. After midnight, it would officially be the start of the 42nd year of the Jiushi Era.

    No matter how reluctant Tantai Qiong was, she still invited Qi Xuansu to join them for a New Year¡¯s Eve reunion dinner, for the sake of her daughter and Pei Xiaolou. However, this meal was cold and awkward, devoid of the atmosphere of a reunion.

    Zhang Yuyue and Dong Baijing went to the Dazhen Mansion. Even from Shangqing Town, they could see the brightly lit Dazhen Mansion, like a pce in the sky. On the contrary, Shangqing Pce was dim, with only a few candles lit. It almost blended into the night.

    In fact, small branches of the Zhang family could also go to Dazhen Mansion for the New Year¡¯s Eve reunion dinner. However, Zhang Juqi had some conflicts with the Zhang family, so he did not want to attend. In the past, when Zhang Yuelu was away, Zhang Juqi and Tantai Qiong would go their separate ways.

    With Zhang Yuelu at home, she was the tiebreaker. Zhang Yuelu had no interest in entertaining others, so since the father and daughter did not want to go to the Dazhen Mansion, Tantai Qiong did not go either.

    The high-ranking priests from the Quanzhen Sect had already left Dazhen Mansion on a flying ship the day before New Year¡¯s Eve, returning to the Jade Capital to report back to the Earthly Preceptor. They would then apany the Earthly Preceptor back to the Chongyang Pce of Immortality in Difei Mountain after the Earthly Preceptor handed over the position of the Great Sage Lunzhi to the Imperial Preceptor.

    Before the Quanzhen Sect priests left, Zhang Jucheng and Zhang Juping went to see them off and handed over some gifts and a letter addressed to the Earthly Preceptor from the Heavenly Preceptor.

    After a quiet New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, Zhang Juqi and Tantai Qiong left the dinner table, giving Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu some space.

    Instead of ying cards or practicing swordsmanship, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu went for a walk up the mountain. They turned a corner and came to a smallke with bamboo forests surrounding it. The moon was bright, and the disy of fireworks was colorful and gorgeous, especially when reflected on the rippling surface of theke.

    The pair stood side by side as they admired the colorful and dazzling fireworks that were constantly exploding in the night sky. For a while, neither of them spoke. All they could hear was the booming fireworks.

    The more lively it was, the more lonely one felt.

    Qi Xuansu drank a lot during dinner, first with Zhang Juqi and then with Zhang Yuelu after Zhang Juqi left the table. After all, it was New Year¡¯s Day, so drinking was perfectly eptable.

    He did not deliberately dispel his drunkenness with his qi, so he was quite tipsy at that point. He felt like he was in a dream, stepping on cotton. He also felt out of ce on Yunjin Mountain, like aplete outsider. The hustle and bustle here had nothing to do with him.

    This made him miss the times when he was wandering the world alone. He also missed Jade Capital a little. At least there were many people like him in those ces, so his loneliness was not so obvious.

    Zhang Yuelu keenly felt the change in his mood, so she asked softly, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±

    Qi Xuansu mumbled as if he were sleep-talking. ¡°I¡¯m recalling how I spent New Year¡¯s Eve in the past.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu became curious. ¡°How did you spend them?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°When I was in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, everyone got together. We don¡¯t feel much about it since we¡¯re all orphans. At the time, we were young, so we only cared about having fun.

    ¡°After I left the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, my master took me in. We lived together in Haichan ce and depended on each other for everything. Since neither of us knew how to cook borate dishes, we¡¯d just have two bowls of noodles for New Year¡¯s Eve dinner. We treated it as longevity noodles and celebrated the New Year as our birthdays.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s gaze was distant, immersed in his memories.

    ¡°At the time, I asked my master to get married. That way, we would be aplete family of three. In fact, I even suggested that Aunt Cui from next door was a pretty good candidate. She had a well-paid and decent job in Duzhi Hall. She also had a good personality and appearance. Most importantly, she was single. She was our neighbor for so many years, so we knew everything about her. But every time I brought it up, my master would smack my forehead andugh it off. Later, my master died...¡±

    Qi Xuansu suddenly paused, his tone depressed.

    ¡°After my master died, I was left alone...¡±

    ¡°Tian Yuan.¡± Zhang Yuelu reached out to hold Qi Xuansu¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t think about it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how I spent my New Year¡¯s Eve.¡± Qi Xuansu murmured, ¡°At this timest year, I was in Qizhou. A Taiping Inn was still open, so I asked for a bottle of wine and a few side dishes. I stayed in their lobby all night and met several people like me there, so we shared a table and drank together. Although we met by chance, we had simr experiences, so we understood each other.

    ¡°The year before that, I was seriously injured, so I was in bed recovering from my injuries. Madam Qi came over to take care of me and cooked a bowl of noodles for me. To be honest, those noodles were not great. The eggs weren¡¯t even cooked properly. But I think that was the best New Year¡¯s Eve I had after my master¡¯s death.

    ¡°This year is nice too, with you around. But the way Madam Tantai looked at me at the dinner table just now... I know that everyone thinks I¡¯m not good enough for you. If I were in their ce, I would have the same thoughts. But I¡¯m not in that position, so I have to think from my perspective.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nced at Qi Xuansu in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re drunk.¡±

    Normally, Qi Xuansu would never say these words, but he could not hold his tongue after a few drinks.

    Qi Xuansu did not seem to hear her. ¡°I don¡¯t care if they look down on me. I don¡¯t have ambitions to save the world or bring peace to the world. I¡¯m not the Holy Xuan. I¡¯m just a tiny pawn to the people of power. But one day, I want everyone in the Daoist Order to look up to me.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did notment. Qi Xuansu acted like he did not care about what people thought of him. But deep down, he did. He was always criticized and ridiculed, so how could he bepletely indifferent to it?

    These days, he had been holding it in and enduring the insults.

    Suddenly, Qi Xuansu gripped Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hand tightly. Her hand trembled slightly from shock, but she did not retract it.

    Qi Xuansu stared at Zhang Yuelu intently. Even with the bright moonlight, everything else seemed to blur in the background. All he could focus on was her face, which was illuminated intermittently by the glow of the fireworks.

    He dered, ¡°You always say that I¡¯m content with small riches and that I¡¯m not ambitious enough. This time, I want to work hard to be sessful, so that I can prove to those people that you have a keen eye.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu smiled. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for that day.¡±

    Qi Xuansu, who had been so talkative, finally kept quiet. He pursed his lips tightly, tensing his chiseled jaw.

    Zhang Yuelu looked at his roguish face and suddenly felt that it was unnecessary to change all his bad habits. If Qi Xuansu got rid of his habits and became an honest and typical Daoist priest, would that mean that his rough edges would also disappear? If so, would he still be able to say all these bold words?

    Qi Xuansu slowly let go of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hand. He seemed to have sobered up a little. Then he took a few steps back, inhaled deeply, and mustered up his courage to say, ¡°Qing Xiao, there has always been a fuzzy line between us. What exactly are we? Are we good friends who have been through life and death together? Or confidants? Anyway, I don¡¯t like things being soplicated. I want to marry you publicly!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu blinked her eyes, as if she were trying to determine whether this was a drunken stupor or his true feelings that he only dared to express with the boost of some liquid courage.

    Qi Xuansu pointed at the Dazhen Mansion in the distance and continued, ¡°I¡¯m not envious of your family background or abilities. I just like you very, very much. Your heart is so pure and righteous. You are the only one, besides my master and Madam Qi, who has high hopes for me. I¡¯m a straightforward person, and I don¡¯t know how to sweet-talk girls. I have never fallen in love at first sight. I just know that I want to follow my heart and marry you in a grand ceremony up there one day.¡±

    This time, Zhang Yuelu did not smile. Her expression was serious as she repeated what she said earlier, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for that day.¡±

 Chapter 179: New Yearâ€™s Day

    <h4>Chapter 179: New Year¡¯s Day</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu originally thought that Qi Xuansu would be embarrassed the next day, but he seemed normal on New Year¡¯s Day. She thought that perhaps he was too drunk to remember what he saidst night. It made sense because Qi Xuansu would not have been so bold to dere that he wanted to marry her in a grand ceremony at Dazhen Mansion unless he was drunk to that extent.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu remembered what he had said to her. But he knew that it would be embarrassing if he acted awkward, so he feigned ignorance.

    ording to customs, the first day of the New Year was a day to visit rtives and friends. However, Zhang Yuelu had already decided to leave Yunjin Mountain and return to Jade Capital.

    Since Yan Mingchen had already left, Tantai Qiong failed in her matchmaking ns, so she did not insist on keeping her daughter for a longer stay.

    Zhang Juqi wanted to keep his daughter for a few more days, but he also noticed how cold the mother-daughter pair was toward each other. So he gave up on that thought.

    That morning, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu left home early and walked the mountain path to the port at Shangqing Pce, named Shangqing Lake. No one knew if Zhengyi Sect was just being consistent with their naming or just downrightzy, because all they did was append ¡°Shangqing¡± to all the locations, such as Shangqing Prefecture, Shangqing County, Shangqing Town, Shangqing Pce, and Shangqing Lake, to name a few.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu went to Shangqing Pce to buy tickets for the flying ship, which were 100 Taiping coins each. They received a jade token in exchange. Qi Xuansu¡¯s token was number 48, not because there were so many passengers before him, but because the first 30 numbers were for the suite rooms located on the second floor.

    The third floor of the flying ship was the control room, and the deck below was where the formations were located, so unauthorized personnel were not allowed to enter.

    The passengers were only allowed on the first and second floors. The first floor had ordinary single bedrooms for low-ranking priests. The second-floor suites had a bedroom and a small study, catered for high-ranking priests of the fourth rank and above.

    The three-story building had an internal staircase for connectivity between the floors. But after the flying ship took off, all the doors and windows in the three-story building would stay shut, preventing people from entering or exiting. The flying ship would also activate the formations that could withstand the strong gusts of wind at those heights.

    Zhang Yuelu was a fourth-rank priest, so she could go to the second floor. However, she did not choose a suite room. Instead, she chose the room next to Qi Xuansu¡¯s on the first floor.

    She originally nned to buy both their tickets, but Qi Xuansu refused. He insisted on buying his own ticket because he did not want others to look down on him for depending on Zhang Yuelu for everything. So she did not insist on buying.

    In the end, Qi Xuansu paid for his ticket and only had 300 Taiping coins left, not counting some loose change and the 500 Taiping coins that Zhao Fu¡¯an gave him. Qi Xuansu did not intend to touch the 500 Taiping coins unless necessary because he wanted to keep them as a reminder of his suffering.

    Before boarding the ship, Qi Xuansu double-checked his belongings. He had his short sword Qing Yuan, the Divine Dragon Pistol, 9 rounds of Grade-B Series Two Dragon Eye Bullets, 20 rounds of Grade-B Series Three Dragon Eye Bullets, 5 rounds of Grade-B Series Three Phoenix Eye Bullets, and 30 rounds of ordinary armor-breaking projectiles.

    He kept his silver fish talisman and other materials needed to enter the Qingping Society¡¯s dream meetings in his chest pockets.

    In his satchel were the specialpass that Madam Qi gave him, 8 of the throwing knives that Zhang Yuelu gave him, a pair of Jiama talismans for traveling, some marching pills, his credentials, insignia, ordinary talismans, mother-child talismans, medicines, and other misceneous items.

    He had not had time to receive the pills and elixir that were distributed monthly by the Qingping Society. After he became an official member of the Qingping Society, he was entitled to receive one pair of mother-child talismans, 10 Wuyou coins, a Blood Dragon Pill, and a Purple Pill every month, startingst September.

    Four months passed since then, which meant that he would have 40 Wuyou coins, equivalent to 400 Taiping coins, four Blood Dragon Pills, and four Purple Pills. The Blood Dragon Pill was useful for strengthening blood qi, while the Purple Pill was beneficial for qi training. Both of which were suitable for Qi Xuansu.

    Madam Qi had collected these items on his behalf. Qi Xuansu was not in a hurry to use the money, so he did not mind letting Madam Qi hold onto them. What he wanted was to get the pills as soon as possible so that he could reach the Guizhen stage sooner.

    Ever since he drank the medicinal wine from Daoist Ji, he realized the benefits of consuming elixirs. One elixir was equivalent to a month¡¯s worth of hard work. Some elixirs or pills were worth more than half a year¡¯s work.

    His clothes and other luggage were still with Zhang Yuelu in her magical receptacle.

    Qi Xuansu, as a Rogue Cultivator in the Yuding Realm, was proficient in using the qi shield, the Sword Controlling Technique, and the Cicada Molting Technique. Ever since his transformation by the Xuan Jade, he also had some properties of a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Flesh and Blood Realm. He had a strong physique and could mobilize the blood qi in his body, so he was more resistant to a Diviner¡¯s spells.

    He also had particrly effective regenerative abilities, like a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Flesh and Blood Realm. Thus, he could heal external wounds faster. Since he shared the properties of a Martial Arts Practitioner, he did not practice the Fasting Technique.

    In addition, Qi Xuansu also learned a high-attainment method, the Dayan Spirit de Technique, from Zhang Yuelu. It could notpare to other high-attainment methods like the Cihang Sword Sequence, but it improved Qi Xuansu¡¯s swordsmanship significantly.

    The reason Zhang Yuelu chose to teach Qi Xuansu the Dayan Spirit de Technique was because he liked to use knives. There were also no restrictions on this technique, so everyone could practice it. However, most people only learned this as a Heavenly Being. Zhang Yuelu just taught it to Qi Xuansu ahead of time.

    The Five Thunder Celestial Heart Method and the Cihang Sword Sequence were powerful, but one must be given permission to practice or teach these methods. Vitors would be severely punished and could be deprived of their cultivation. This was something that the Holy Xuan tried to change back then to create more fairness in the Daoistmunity. But he failed to, so Zhang Yuelu did not dare to cross the line.

    A huge flying ship brought in a flurry of snow as it broke through the sea of ??clouds andnded on Shangqing Lake. Some water vapors shrouded the view of the ship when itnded.

    A ramp was lowered, and the people on board disembarked one after another. However, there were only a few people since it was the first day of the New Year. There were also not many people boarding the ship.

    After Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu boarded the ship, they were about to look for their assigned rooms on the first floor when a superintendent of the flying ship recognized Zhang Yuelu and came over to greet them. Since there were empty rooms on the second floor and no third-rank Youyi Daoist masters were on board, the superintendent decided to do them a favor and upgrade them to the suite rooms on the second floor.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu had no reason to refuse such a good offer, so they went up to the second floor of the flying ship.

    There were only a few passengers, so the flying ship did not dock for long. After replenishing some Xuanhuang, a crucial substance for the flying ship, the ship took off into the sky and headed for the Jade Capital.

    During the journey, Qi Xuansu noticed that the flying ship mimicked a real dragon. It had the magical power to move clouds and create rain. In some ces where there was strong humidity and rain clouds, the flying ship¡¯s Xuanhuang would react with the rain clouds and create snowkes. It was the same as when a dragon crossed a river, creating rain within a 15-kilometer radius.

    The flying ship used a Dragon Pearl as its core, so it also had some of a dragon¡¯s supernatural abilities.

    From the outside of the flying ship, one would be able to see a trail of falling snow. However, snowfall would only happen if there were rain clouds. In ces with no natural cloud formation, there would be no snowfall.

    On the other side, Zhang Yuelu''s premonition intensified ever since the flying ship took off. Since the ship had already taken off, it could notnd anytime soon. Thus, she had no choice but to stay on guard.

    On the second floor, an old fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master was slowly flipping through a book, oblivious to the strong wind and snow outside the window.

    This old priest was the pr opposite of Zhang Yuelu, even though they were both of the same rank. In terms of age, this old man was old enough to be her grandfather. In terms of position, Zhang Yuelu was a Deputy Hall Master in the Three Great Halls with a bright future, while this old priest was only a superintendent in the Lower Three Halls.

    After some time, the old man looked up from the book, squinted his cloudy eyes, and looked out the window. Half of his face was bathing in the sunlight, while the other half was hidden in the shadows.

 Chapter 180: Dark Clouds

    <h4>Chapter 180: Dark Clouds</h4>

    The flying ship soon left the borders of Wuzhou and headed toward Kunlun.

    Compared with traveling to Kunlun bynd, the flying ship saved a lot of time and effort. After leaving Wuzhou, the flying ship went north along the border between Huzhou and Xiaozhou, where it would pass through Shuzhou and enter the vast and sparsely popted territory of Yongzhou.

    Shuzhou was under the jurisdiction of the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion, and Yongzhou was under the jurisdiction of the Kunlun Daoist Mansion.

    The difference between them was that the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion was a veritable Quanzhen Daoist Mansion, with Quanzhen Sect disciples ounting for the majority. The Kunlun Daoist Mansion was more neutral, with simr proportions of disciples from all three sects. When a Grand Master was in power, his confidant or direct descendant would often serve as the Kunlun Daoist Mansion Master.

    Speaking of which, the Grand Master was elected by the 36 Omniscient Sages and a varying number of Great Sages. Although the Daoist Order did not advocate nepotism, no one actually followed the rule. Most Grand Masters would implement rules that favored their own inner circle.

    As a result, a particr sect would usually benefit more if they had a Grand Master from their sect. With the Grand Master¡¯s influence, the other two sects would be sidelined. That was why all three sects were determined to secure the position of Grand Master.

    The Holy Xuan was well aware of the shorings of having three major sects. However, due to the uprising of Buddhism, the Holy Xuan had no choice but to pause his ns to integrate all three sects. That was why heter transferred some of the Grand Master¡¯s power to the Golden Tower Council.

    The Holy Xuan repeatedly promoted the Golden Tower Council so that they would be the highest power of the Daoist Order. They could elect the Grand Master and even forcibly depose the Grand Master as long as 90% of the Golden Tower Council members were in agreement.

    In addition, the Holy Xuan also made a rule that the three Deputy Grand Masters were to assist the Grand Master, with four of them having joint control over the Daoist Order. If there were differences of opinion between the four people, the Grand Master would have the final deciding vote, unless all three Deputy Grand Masters unanimously objected to it.

    In other words, as long as the three Deputy Grand Masters were in agreement, they could veto the Grand Master¡¯s orders. Thus, the Grand Master still had to gain the support of at least one Deputy Grand Master to implement a policy.

    However, considering that the Grand Master was almost bound to have the support of the Great Sage from his own sect, the Holy Xuan added a new rule that major policies from the Grand Master must go through the approval of the Golden Tower Council. As long as at least 24 of the 36 Omniscient Sages in the Golden Tower Council opposed it, they could veto the Grand Master¡¯s order.

    The Holy Xuan restricted some of the Grand Master¡¯s powers to prevent a certain sect from disrupting the internal bnce of the Daoist Order. Aside from the Holy Xuan¡¯s reign, during the reign of the subsequent five generations of Grand Masters, the other two major sects would quickly form an alliance to serve as a check and bnce with the Grand Master¡¯s sect.

    Of course, if their fundamental interests were not disrupted, the other two sects would not oppose decisions for the sake of opposing. They would more often choose to follow the orders of the Grand Master. That was because the interests of the other two major sects were not always aligned with each other. Most of the time, they could only agree on vetoes, but they could not propose a unified solution, hence putting them in passive positions.

    Although the Grand Master could not dismiss an Omniscient Sage or Virtuous Great Sage, which would have to go through the Golden Tower Council, the Grand Master still had the power of appointing and removing personnel in the Nine Halls and the local Daoist mansions without going through the Golden Tower Council.

    If a Hall Master or Mansion Master was dismissed from office, he would still be an Omniscient Sage and was still considered a big shot in the Daoist Order. He could still influence others secretly, but he would have less power than that of other Omniscient Sages.

    Take Sage Donghua as an example. At the moment, he was the Hall Master of Ziwei Hall. With this title, all disciples from all sects would have to go through him for any evaluations and promotions. However, if he was no longer the Ziwei Hall Master, he could only influence the Quanzhen Sect disciples. The disciples from the other two sects would not care about his orders because he was from the Quanzhen Sect.

    There were advantages and disadvantages to this check-and-bnce system. The advantage was that it would prevent the Daoist Order from copsing due to a willful Grand Master. The disadvantage was that the future generations of Grand Masterscked the power and authoritypared to the Holy Xuan. So they could not sessfully integrate the three major sects.

    In fact, the Holy Xuan¡¯s intention was obvious. He did not want a future Grand Master to destroy the two other sects using violent means and cause a civil war. He wanted the three sects to be united by eliminating contradictions and factional differences through softer and more gradual approaches.

    After all, the three Daoist sects shared the same root and worshiped the same Primordial Daoist Ancestor. They were not as different and clear-cut in disputes as those between Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. Even if force were needed, it would be best to limit it to the higher-ups of the Daoist Order and not let it affect the entire Daoistmunity.

    To put it simply, the Holy Xuan believed that even if some drastic measures had to be used, it was better to sacrifice a small number rather than let the entire nation bleed.

    However, now couldst for an eternity. Two hundred years have passed since the Holy Xuan¡¯s era, but the situation of the Daoist Order has since changed. The rules that seemed foolproof back then actually had a lot of loopholes. That was because the Holy Xuan never expected the position of the Grand Master to be vacant after the sixth-generation Grand Master.

    In a sense, the three Deputy Grand Masters restricted the Grand Master, and vice versa. Most of the Grand Masters would not tantly favor their own sect. Instead, they would act more like a third party presiding over the situation.

    After the Grand Master position was vacant, no one could control the three Deputy Grand Masters, making it seem like the Daoist Order was controlled by three separate people. The Taiping Sect even tried toplicate things by involving the Imperial Court in the affairs of the Daoist Order. Thus, a storm of civil strife was brewing over Jade Capital.

    Under such circumstances, there was also a split within the Kunlun Daoist Mansion, which was usually under the Grand Master¡¯s control. The Mansion Master, the Chief Deputy Mansion Master, and the Second Deputy Mansion Master all had different stances and backings.

    The Kunlun Daoist Mansion became a backup force for Jade Capital, as they were ready to provide support to their respective backers as soon as there were any signs of rebellion. Without a Grand Master, the Kunlun Daoist Mansion would bend ording to which of the three Deputy Grand Masters held the most power.

    Therefore, the Kunlun Pass and the surrounding 2,500 kilometers were heavily guarded. Outside the Kunlun Pass, including Yongzhou, there were many ungoverned areas because the Kunlun Daoist Mansioncked manpower. That was why the Lingshan Witch Cult chose Yishan City for the descent of the Ancient Immortal Wu Luo.

    ......

    The flying ship sailed through the border of Shuzhou and entered the territory of Yongzhou, which was considered the outskirts of the Kunlun Daoist Mansion¡¯s jurisdiction.

    The old Daoist priest walked out of his suite unhurriedly and broke through the formation that prohibited people from going out to the deck. He was unmoved standing in the roaring wind, but his clothes billowed.

    Many people onboard were startled to see this.

    The old man grabbed onto the railing with one hand while his other hand tapped on it lightly. His fingers were wrinkled, like dried branches.

    He rambled on. ¡°The winding rivers through the mountains are important for the prosperity of the Daoist Order. The Three Dragons dominate different regions: the south of the Yangtze River is called the Southern Dragon, the area between the Yellow River and the Yangtze River is the Central Dragon, and the north of the Yangtze River is the Northern Dragon. The three major rivers in the world all originate from Kunlun, which is the holynd of the Daoist Order and the ancestor of all mountains. We¡¯re not far from Kunlun now. This ce has excellent Feng Shui.¡±

    The old man was weak, and his voice was meek, dissipatingpletely in the wind. Even if someone stood next to the old man, they would not be able to hear him. Perhaps the old man could not even hear himself.

    Zhang Yuelu had already sensed that something was wrong. Without hesitation, she rushed out of the building that was protected by the formations and went onto the deck.

    Although the wind was fierce, Zhang Yuelu had enough strength to keep her feet grounded.

    The old man nced at Zhang Yuelu and greeted her cheerfully. ¡°Mage Zhang.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°You know me?¡±

    The old man said leisurely, ¡°I came here just for you. It¡¯s certainly a high risk to im credit using the heads of the Lingshan Witch Cult¡¯s members.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not answer. She immediately leaped forward and attacked the old man.

    The old man had expected her strike and raised his hand, shing a golden light that forced Zhang Yuelu to stop.

    The golden light brushed past Zhang Yuelu, missing her by a mark and leaving a 15-centimeter-deep hole on the deck of the flying ship, which was supposed to be as tough as steel.

    ¡°The divine power of the Ancient Immortal!¡± Zhang Yuelu was startled, but she figured out everything in an instant. Her uneasiness did note from her mother or the internal strife of the Daoist Order, but from the secret society¡¯s act of terrorism.

    The color of the light determined the type of divine power. For example, Wu Luo¡¯s divine power in the Yn Temple was blood red because it symbolized blood sacrifice. Wu Luo¡¯s divine power did not work on dead objects. People must be killed; otherwise, the divine power would not stop wreaking havoc.

    This kind of golden light was like innate qi. It was indestructible, domineering, and the mostmon type of divine power.

    The old priest rolled up his sleeve to reveal his wrist, which was as thin as a branch. He was also wearing a string of beads.

    Zhang Yuelu had seen this style of prayer beads, which weremon in the Lingshan Witch Cult. There were a total of 12 beads, and each bead was engraved with a different image of Wu Luo. Some images had a human form; some had a creature form; some had three heads and six arms; some had two heads and four arms; some had open eyes; and some even had wings.

    These kinds of beads were not spiritual objects, treasures, or semi-immortal objects. They were disposable items, simr to the Dragon Eye Series Bullets and the Phoenix Eye Series Bullets. After the divine power in the bead was used up, it would be deemed useless.

    The divine power each bead could hold was closely rted to the material of the bead. Ordinary Lingshan Witch Cult members only had wooden beads, while the higher-level leaders had bone beads. Even elites like Lin Zhenyuan only used ordinary jade.

    The string of prayer beads on this old man¡¯s wrist was made of rare yellow jade.

 Chapter 181: The Ancient Immortalâ€™s Divine Power

    <h4>Chapter 181: The Ancient Immortal¡¯s Divine Power</h4>

    Secret societies dared to do everything. Back then, several Ancient Immortals took advantage of the Holy Xuan¡¯s absence to sneak into Jade Capital and start a fierce battle with two Deputy Grand Masters. Theyter retreated with the help of the Lord Buddha. This battle became the catalyst for the war between Buddhism and Daoism.

    With this precedent, the Lingshan Witch Cult¡¯s revenge was not surprising because these Ancient Immortals, who had fought with the Daoist Order for hundreds of years, were fearless, and so were their followers.

    The old fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master stretched out his hand toward Zhang Yuelu with his fingers spread wide. The yellow jade prayer beads on his wrist lit up one after another.

    Zhang Yuelu did not stand still and wait for death to befall her. She turned the Amorphous Paper into countless paper lotuses and tossed them at the old man. These paper lotuses were tough enough to destroy metal and break stone, so they did not get blown away by the strong wind. Instead, they cut through the wind and urately circled the old priest, creating a white expanse as far as the eye could see.

    The old man¡¯s palm was shrouded in a rich golden aura before he shot out a stream of golden light, dispersing the paper lotuses. Although the paper lotuses were not damaged, they deviated from their original trajectory. The old man continued to aim the golden beam at Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face.

    Zhang Yuelu had no choice but to dodge sideways. The golden beam struck the ship behind her, busting a big hole in the building and allowing the turbulent wind to pour inside.

    The old priest chuckled. ¡°Thanks to the Quanzhen Sect¡¯s visit to the Zhengyi Sect, all the high-ranking priests who wanted to leave Yunjin Mountain in the past two months have already left with the Quanzhen Sect¡¯s flying ship two days ago. The only highest-ranking priests on the ship are of the fourth rank, and you¡¯re the best among them. In other words, no one can stop me, not even you, Mage Zhang. Look, some people don¡¯t even dare to leave the ship¡¯s building!¡±

    With a wave of her hand, the countless paper lotuses fluttered toward Zhang Yuelu like butterflies and turned into a long paper sword. At a critical moment, Zhang Yuelu was still most confident with a long sword.

    ¡°I recall that the Cihang Sword Sequence has a technique that summons a Spiritual Statue. But I wonder if that¡¯s stronger than a Shaman¡¯s Spiritual Statue.¡± The old priestughed as he condensed the golden divine power in his palm again.

    Qi Xuansu could see Zhang Yuelu and the old man on the deck, but he could not break through the formation to leave the ship¡¯s building. The formation on the flying ship was like a water curtain. The old priest and Zhang Yuelu temporarily created a small gap in the formation so that they could pass through it quickly before the curtain automatically closed.

    He only took the opportunity to leave the ship¡¯s building after the old priest¡¯s golden beam blew a hole in the ship¡¯s building, which left a big gap in the formation that could not be restored immediately.

    However, Qi Xuansu understood that he could not confront the old priest head-on. Even Zhang Yuelu did not dare to go against that golden beam. Thus, ambushing the old man would give them the best chance of winning.

    At this moment, several more fourth-rank priests left the ship¡¯s building and came onto the deck. Together with Zhang Yuelu, they surrounded the old priest.

    Even when surrounded, the old man was not afraid at all. He merelyughed and taunted them. ¡°Come at me! I didn¡¯t expect that I¡¯d have a chance to let loose and go wild after spending most of my life as a coward. I can finally vent the pent-up resentment on you people!¡±

    Upon hearing these words, the fourth-rank priests turned solemn. The old man in front of them had a death wish, so he would likely drag a few of them to hell before dying.

    However, they could not retreat aftering out onto the deck because they could be held ountable for abandoning a fight against evil. Not to mention, it would be humiliating if word got out. Thus, they had no choice but to stay and fight.

    Zhang Yuelu took a step forward and leaped in front of the old priest. The old man waved his hand, striking her with the golden light that he had condensed for a while.

    This time, Zhang Yuelu was on guard. She dove down and slid forward, bypassing the golden light and approaching the old priest. Then she pierced the old man¡¯s heart with the paper sword. Even so, the old man¡¯s expression remained unchanged. What was even stranger was that no blood was seeping out of his wound.

    The old priestughed wildly. Suddenly, ck smoke drifted out of his orifices. At this time, his body had undergone great changes. His vitality waned, while his deathly aura grew, but his cultivation level seemed to be improving rapidly.

    Startled, several fourth-rank priests eximed, ¡°That¡¯s the divine power of the True Lord Siming!¡±

    No one would have thought that this old priest would possess the divine power of not one but <u>two</u> Ancient Immortals.

    Although the old priest¡¯s cultivation level had improved significantly, he was still not yet a Heavenly Being. He paid a huge price for this power, shortening his lifespan greatly. This showed how reckless and determined he was to win.

    The old priest exhaled ck smoke that reeked of a rotten corpse. ¡°Mage Zhang, it doesn¡¯t matter if I die here since I¡¯m at the end of my life anyway. But it¡¯ll be a pity if you die here in your prime, especially with such a bright future!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu hurriedly put away her sword and retreated.

    The old man moved his body and said, ¡°With the divine power of the True Lord Siming, my life and death are no longer up to me. I wonder who among you will grant me a quick death.¡±

    Several fourth-rank priests stood still on the deck against the fierce wind. Although they were all in the Guizhen stage, they were intimidated by the old priest¡¯s divine power. Thus, no one dared to make a move. No matter what, the old man would die soon, so it was not worth it to risk their lives fighting him. At this point, self-preservation was their priority.

    The old priest was not in a hurry to make a move. Instead, hemented. ¡°Back when I first entered the Daoist Order, I was ambitious and wanted to do a good job. But the fifth-generation Grand Master had a bad temper and couldn¡¯t tolerate any opposition, so he demoted my master to the Requiem Division just because my master said something wrong once.

    ¡°When I was in my prime, the sixth-generation Grand Master took over, but he was weak and could not control the three Deputy Grand Masters. My master wanted to get transferred out of the Requiem Division, but he failed to do so and died of depression.

    ¡°To this day, the position of Grand Master is vacant. The three Deputy Grand Masters hold the power and refuse to give in to each other. How interesting is it that the Daoist Order has reached its peak and is starting to decline? It¡¯s a pity that I¡¯m too old to witness the copse of the Daoist Order.¡±

    After his monologue, the old priest shook his Daoist robe. His hazy eyes were stern and as still as stagnant water.

    Zhang Yuelu did not dare underestimate this old man. She responded by shing at him horizontally.

    The next moment, a long ivory sword appeared in the old man¡¯s hand, filled with dark divine power. He leaped toward Zhang Yuelu, who kept her ground and blocked his attack with her sword. Layers of lotus-like qi rippled at her feet.

    As they closed their distance, their swords collided with a loud, metallic ng, and they drifted away immediately due to the impact. The old man waved his bone sword, summoning dark clouds. The wind was howling, and a ck qi poured down on his head, like torrential rain.

    The sword qi surged from the paper sword in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hand, separating the ck clouds and mist wherever it passed.

    The dusty Daoist robe on the old man¡¯s body billowed because of his dark qi and Zhang Yuelu¡¯s sword qi.

    As they fought, the old priest¡¯s bone sword collided with Zhang Yuelu¡¯s paper sword no less than a hundred times. Although the bone sword was extremely powerful, it could not harm Zhang Yuelu.

    The old man did not use his golden divine power. The ck smoke just rushed out from the bone sword, like the rapids during the flood season.

    For a moment, everything in front of Zhang Yuelu disappeared, covered by the dark clouds and ck fog. An unimaginable chill hidden in the old man¡¯s sword surged toward Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu threw out her paper sword, which multiplied rapidly behind her like a peacock spreading its tail. When she spun around, the hundreds of swords moved in unison, shooting out sword qi in all directions. The sword qi was extremely sharp and indestructible, scattering the dark clouds and ck fog and attacking the old priest.

    In the blink of an eye, the old priest had three more sword wounds on his body, all of them hitting his vitals. Blood as ck as ink overflowed from the wounds, but the old man did not die, since he was blessed by the divine power of the True Lord Siming.

    This was an expected result. It was also why Ancient Immortal believers were so difficult to deal with. They usually had high cultivation levels, but they also had the divine power of the Ancient Immortals through external objects. It was akin to a Daoist priest and a Spirit Guard merging into one, making a difficult opponent.

    The Daoist Order did not do this because they had limited divine power. Their territory wasrge, and theycked manpower. High-ranking Daoist priests were unwilling to do mundane chores, such as guarding, escorting, patrolling, and so on. Thus, the Daoist Order had to lower its standards and have more Spirit Guards to fill these vacancies.

    As such, the divine power to create the Spirit Guards¡¯ armors was limited, so the Daoist Order would not allocate divine power to Daoist priests.

    Zhang Yuelu did not intend to kill the old man with the paper sword. She just wanted to restrain him so that she could approach him. Thus, she grabbed his wrist and used the Six Void Tribtions Technique on him.

    The old man¡¯s divine power could not withstand the Six Void Tribtions, but he was not afraid. He looked past Zhang Yuelu at the few motionless fourth-rank priests behind her and scoffed.

    ¡°How ridiculous! You all are just watching from the sidelines while this little girl fights me. The Daoist Order is truly hopeless!¡±

    Soon after, the old priest aimed the golden beam toward the several fourth-rank priests.

 Chapter 182: Human Heart

    <h4>Chapter 182: Human Heart</h4>

    Several fourth-rank Daoist priests fled in all directions as the golden beam sted a three-meter-wide hole on the deck of the flying ship. The various formations on the deck glowed intermittently from the impact.

    The flying ship also shook violently as a result, startling everyone on board. At this time, the ship was thousands of feet in the sky. No one would survive a fall from that height if the ship crashed.

    Seeing this, the fourth-rank priests on the deck were solemn; their expressions even held a hint of anger.

    Zhang Yuelu tightly sped the old priest¡¯s wrist, but the old man used his divine power to shake her off.

    The old man mocked. ¡°You guys must be furious with Mage Zhang for provoking me, thinking that she should just make a show of trying to catch cult demons without actually putting in any effort, right? That¡¯s how it has always been before, isn¡¯t it? Now, everyone is in trouble because she has provoked me. I bet you all want to throw her off this flying ship, too. How ridiculous!¡±

    It was indeed ridiculous. The Lingshan Witch Cult wanted to take revenge. But Zhang Yuelu could not be med for this. In any case, she did not provoke the Lingshan Witch Cult for selfish reasons. She merely met them by chance.

    Since the Daoist Order wanted to eradicate secret societies, Zhang Yuelu was just following orders. But as a result, the Lingshan Witch Cult wanted vengeance, implicating everyone on board. Most people wanted to me Zhang Yuelu for meddling, but they forgot that the cause of all this was the Lingshan Witch Cult.

    That was because most people knew thatwless cult members did not care about anything. So they could only condemn Zhang Yuelu, a fellow Daoist. They also did not dare fight against the cult members for fear of getting hurt.

    In any case, the fourth-rank priests on deck and other bystanders in the ship¡¯s building were wise enough to watch from the sidelines and protect themselves. All they could do was secretly me Zhang Yuelu for this incident.

    Zhang Yuelu knew this, but she did not care. Even if these people did not appreciate her efforts in eradicating these secret societies, future generations would.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu, who had been looking for an opportunity to ambush the old man, finally walked out of the ship¡¯s building. He staggered against the strong wind, barely managing to keep his feet grounded. As he stepped forward, he pulled out Qing Yuan and stood side by side with Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu frowned slightly. She was protected by her Five Elements Qi Shield, so she could still speak coherently. She ordered in a stern voice, ¡°Go back inside!¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not answer, silently refusing hermand. He had noticed that Zhang Yuelu was on par with the old priest, who had only used the divine power of the True Lord Siming thus far. If the old priest activated two divine powers at the same time, Zhang Yuelu would not be able to defeat him.

    The old priest did not care to stay alive and only wanted to do the most damage before dying. That was why the group of fourth-rank priests was wary of the old man, fearing that they would be dragged into this mess. They just wanted to wait it out and hope that the old priest¡¯s divine power would run out as soon as possible.

    If Qi Xuansu did not stand up for Zhang Yuelu, no one would. Zhang Yuelu understood Qi Xuansu well enough to know that he was as stubborn as a mule when he made up his mind, so she just sighed helplessly in resignation.

    Seeing this, the old priest chuckled. ¡°If I had grandkids, they would have been your age. In the end, only two kids are willing to fight me. Is this what the Daoist Order has be? How is it any different from the Confucian School back then? At least the Holy Xuan had some foresight to promote young people.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said solemnly, ¡°Regardless of what the Daoist Order turns out to be like, it¡¯s not a reason for you to betray it.¡±

    The old priest said nothing.

    Zhang Yuelu continued, ¡°If you are disappointed with the Daoist Order, you can choose to resign by submitting an application to Ziwei Hall. They will just strip you of your rank, and you¡¯ll be a free person. But you used your identity as a Daoist priest as a cover and joined a secret society. That¡¯s the definition of a traitor!¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s face twitched slightly.

    The old priest did not refute her. Instead, he nodded in agreement. ¡°Indeed. The Holy Xuan once said that if you are disappointed with the world, then you should work hard to make it better. Don¡¯t just sit back andin about it, because cynicism only makes this world more miserable.

    ¡°I used to think that I could create change when I was younger. By the time I realized that I couldn¡¯t, my youth was already gone. I couldn¡¯t even change my old habits. Can¡¯t you understand my despair?

    ¡°Well, I guess you can¡¯t understand what it¡¯s like because you have a bright future. You have the power to change the world, but I can¡¯t. Perhaps what you said is right. But you can¡¯t restrain me. What can you do if I insist on being a traitor? No one will even remember my name because I¡¯m a nobody!

    ¡°A person does not necessarily have to be rich and powerful to feel fulfilled. What¡¯s most important is hope. Buddhists put their hope in the afterlife, and parents ce their hopes on their children, hoping they will be sessful in the future. As long as there is hope, one will be able to survive, no matter how hard life is. But what if there is no hope?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was speechless. She had no choice but to kill this old man, who disregarded his own life and morals.

    Qi Xuansu had a tacit understanding with Zhang Yuelu and moved forward at the same time. Zhang Yuelu lunged at the old priest with her sword. Just as the old priest was about to block her strike, Qi Xuansu used the Dayan Spirit de Technique he had just learned and drew his short sword from the front. However, his short sword appeared from behind the old priest, stabbing the old man in the back of the heart.

    Although that did not do much damage to the old priest, the old priest froze for a moment. Zhang Yuelu took advantage of this split second to stab the old priest in the heart again. Her sword qi prated his body, severely damaging all his internal organs. His heart, which bore the brunt of the strike, also shattered.

    However, the old priest was undead. His whole body was shrouded by the ck mist, which was very strange.

    Zhang Yuelu did not give up, striking the old priest¡¯s forehead with her palm. But the old man hurriedly swung his bone sword to block her palm strike. When her fingers came into contact with the bone sword, the Five Elements Qi Shield surged erratically, knocking it away. Zhang Yuelu then quickly struck the old man in the chest.

    The old priest fell to his knees and bled from all his orifices, but Zhang Yuelu did not look relieved. She quickly withdrew her sword and retreated.

    That was because the old man was still not dead. On the contrary, more ck qi flowed out of his body, as if he were on fire. At this point, he waspletely enveloped in ck smoke.

    This divine power waspletely different from Wu Luo¡¯s divine power.

    In fact, after reaching a certain level of cultivation, all lineages had distinct personal imprints. For example, once a Martial Arts Practitioner became a Pseudo-Immortal, they could summon their true form, which looked different for everyone. Some people would take the form of giants, while others resembled wild beasts. Some even had wings on their backs. There were all kinds of strange, true forms.

    In the same way, after Shamans reached a certain level, the divine power they could summon was also unique and could change in color. The characteristics of the Ancient Immortals¡¯ divine power were closely rted to their names.

    True Lord Siming was the Controller of Fate. With the True Lord Siming¡¯s divine power, one would not die until the divine power was exhausted. This was the reason those fourth-rank priests were reluctant to fight the old man. As long as the old man still had divine power, he would not be able to die.

    If they fought the old man rashly, they would just risk their lives for nothing. Thus, the smart choice was to protect themselves and wait for the old man¡¯s divine power to be exhausted or until reinforcements from the Daoist Order arrived.

 Chapter 183: Wu Luo

    <h4>Chapter 183: Wu Luo</h4>

    The old priest stood up slowly. He was not in a hurry, as if he did not care if True Lord Siming¡¯s divine power would be drained.

    True Lord Siming¡¯s divine power was capable of reversing life and death. Unless the attacker had a cultivation levelparable to that of the True Lord Siming, no degree of damage to the old man¡¯s body could exhaust this divine power.

    That was also why those fourth-rank priests refused to get involved in the fight. They thought that since Zhang Yuelu was the one who caused this trouble, she should bear the consequences alone, as it was only natural not to implicate others.

    Although the old priest said he wanted to take revenge on Zhang Yuelu for killing his fellow members of the Lingshan Witch Cult, he had a certain appreciation for her. Instead, he repeatedly mocked the group of fourth-rank priests who were watching on the sidelines.

    This old man had been living in the Daoistmunity all his life. Even if he joined a secret society out of despair, he was still fundamentally a Daoist because of the decades of deeply ingrained Daoist teachings and habits.

    The old priest sneered. ¡°I¡¯m not in a rush to kill you, Mage Zhang. Taking revenge on you is just a side business. Destroying this flying ship is my main task, which will shake up the Daoist Order.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s expressions changed.

    If the flying ship crashed, no one would be able to escape, unless they were Heavenly Beings who could fly.

    Zhang Yuelu shouted, ¡°Get the superintendent of the flying ship to make an emergencynding now!¡±

    The old priest smirked. ¡°It¡¯s toote.¡±

    At this moment, a fourth-rank priest shouted at his peers, ¡°What is everyone waiting for?! Do you all want to die here?!¡±

    At this time, the group of fourth-rank priests finally worked together to besiege the old priest. But, as the old priest said, it was toote.

    Previously, the old priest used his golden beam of divine power to create a hole in the deck, destroying the formation of the flying ship. It seemed unintentional, but it was actually a calcted move to stop the flying ship from making an emergencynding.

    Under normal circumstances, the superintendent of the flying ship could contact the local Daoist mansion for help. If a Heavenly Being came to assist them, they could easily defeat the old man.

    However, the Kunlun Daoist Mansion did not deploy any manpower over this stretch ofnd, as most of their manpower was transferred to the Kunlun Pass. Thus, no one would be able to help them at this moment.

    Everyone besieged the old priest without hesitation. But no matter how badly the old man was injured, he could never die. The old man no longer looked human. One eye had fallen out of its socket, leaving only a gaping ck hole. His forehead was also stabbed, with ck smoke constantly pouring out of the gash.

    The veins on his arms bulged from under his skin, looking like long, twisted snakes. What was even more terrifying was a hump that protruded from his back. The hump even had vague facial features.

    ¡°Throw him off the ship!¡± Someone shouted.

    The old priest no longer held back. A golden divine power enveloped him so that no one could get close to him.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu took out a golden talisman from her magical receptacle. It was given to her by the Heavenly Preceptor when she went to visit him at the Dazhen Mansion. To the Heavenly Preceptor, this talisman was just a trivial gadget, but to anyone who was not yet a Heavenly Being, this talisman could mean death.

    The Heavenly Preceptor gave Zhang Yuelu this talisman because he knew about the recent attempted assassination on her journey back to Shangqing Prefecture. In any case, Zhang Yuelu was his descendant, so he had to look out for her. At the same time, the Heavenly Preceptor had also ordered a thorough investigation to root out the mastermind behind this ambush.

    The Zhengyi Sect disciples dared not neglect the order, and the Quanzhen Sect disciples also provided assistance. A few days ago, they found a major clue, but the mastermind had already fled to the Imperial Capital, which was the core territory of ??the Imperial Court and, by extension, the Taiping Sect.

    The politics involved wereplicated, so it would take some time to apprehend the mastermind. This was the benefit of having a strong backer. If it was Qi Xuansu who was ambushed, he would have to deal with the worry of being hunted down by assassins. But since it was Zhang Yuelu who was ambushed, the Heavenly Preceptor could protect her from harm.

    Zhang Yuelu did not expect that she would use the Heavenly Preceptor¡¯s protective talisman so soon. This talisman was abination of a few talismans, which contained a whole set of spells that required a high level of cultivation to create. Thus, it also required considerable innate qi, blood qi, Thoughts, or divine power to activate it.

    As such, Zhang Yuelu poured most of her innate qi into the talisman in her hand. The talisman instantly glowed with a dazzling aura. The paper turned transparent, while the drawings emanated a purple light, as if the markings appeared out of thin air.

    Immediately after, Zhang Yuelu threw the talisman toward the old priest. In an instant, nine thunderbolts prated the ck clouds and descended from the sky. Each thunderbolt was as thick as a man¡¯s arm. In the blink of an eye, they struck the flying ship, entrapping the old priest in a cage of thunder.

    The old priest was unfazed by this. He even reached out and touched a thunderbolt. But the moment he touched it, countless purple electric sparks the size of fists flew in all directions, creating a chaotic web of lightning.

    The next moment, a thunderbolt as thick as a bucketnded on the old priest¡¯s head. In that instant, only the majestic and boundless purple light could be seen. Even if such thunder could not kill Heavenly Beings, it could still seriously injure a Heavenly Being in the Xiaoyao stage.

    The flying ship shook again, but the lightning was mainly concentrated on the old priest, so it did not affect the ship much.

    Zhang Yuelu suspected that the Heavenly Preceptor himself drew this talisman because it was so precise and perfect. The Heavenly Preceptor did not give her a talisman that could kill Heavenly Beings because such a talisman would require even more energy to activate. Zhang Yuelu did not have the ability to use such a strong talisman at the moment. It would be akin to giving a child a sledgehammer. It was useless, and the child might even hurt herself.

    The purple light was blinding. When the sh of light dissipated, Qi Xuansu looked up and saw a scorched ck mark where the old priest was, as if the old man had been obliterated.

    Did the old man die so easily?

    Qi Xuansu could not believe it for a while. After all, the old priest was confident, iming that he could destroy the flying ship. He even had the divine power of two Ancient Immortals, so how could he disappear like that?

    At this moment, a fourth-rank priest suddenly screamed. Everyone turned to the source of the sound and saw a skeletal palm piercing the fourth-rank priest¡¯s chest from behind. There were only bones left of the five fingers that gripped the fourth-rank priest¡¯s heart.

    With a slight push, the fourth-rank priest fell face-first on the deck, revealing the figure behind him.

    If it were not for the hump on the figure¡¯s back, no one would have been able to identify that this creature was actually the old priest from before.

    The old priest¡¯s robe and hair had been burned to ashes by the lightning, and his whole body was charred. The scorched skin on his body continued to fall off like dry bark, revealing the ckened mess underneath that did not even look like flesh.

    There were only two empty eye sockets where the old priest¡¯s eyes used to be. ck mes burned in the eye sockets, reflecting everyone¡¯s figures.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s heart sank. Everyone was also shocked. If even such a thick thunderbolt could not kill this old priest, nothing else could.

    Suddenly, the old priest opened his mouth. There was no tongue inside, and his teeth had turnedpletely ck, but somehow he still managed to shout, ¡°Wu Luo!¡±

    ¡°Wu Luo¡± was actually an honorific title that meant ¡°The Great Witch Luo,¡± with ¡°Luo¡± being the witch¡¯s real name. However, after decades of simplification,ter generations thought that ¡°Wu¡± was herst name.

    The next moment, the flying ship came to a standstill mid-air. In front of them was a huge woman-like figure, which had no substance, like a mirage created from the outlines of the scenery below. However, it exuded intense wild energy.

    This was the projection of the Ancient Immortal, Wu Luo.

 Chapter 184: Breaking the Flying Ship

    <h4>Chapter 184: Breaking the Flying Ship</h4>

    The colossal projection of Wu Luo stood in front of the flying ship, blocking its path. Everyone on board was shocked by this horrific scene, rendered speechless. That was because the projection was so big and powerful that it was simply futile to think that they had a chance to defeat it.

    Not to mention, only Heavenly Beings could fly. Wu Luo¡¯s projection had no physical entity, so there was no way to attack it even if they had that thought.

    ¡°This is the Ancient Immortal Wu Luo,¡± Qi Xuansu mumbled in a daze. Although the projection was not physical, he felt the familiar aura of that bloody divine power in Yn Temple.

    The next moment, Wu Luo slowly raised one hand to grab the hull of the flying ship. For ordinary people, the flying ship was huge. But in Wu Luo¡¯s hand, the flying ship looked like a small model ship on a disy shelf.

    Everyone on the flying ship was frightened by this sight.

    Wu Luo¡¯s palm clenched, slowly exerting some force and creating shocking dents and cracks in the middle section of the flying ship¡¯s hull. Through the cracks, the people onboard could see the various glowing formations below the deck.

    The flying ship shook violently in the fierce winds at a high altitude, causing everyone on the deck to lose their bnce. Zhang Yuelu quickly grabbed onto Qi Xuansu with her left hand and turned the Amorphous Paper in her right hand into a whip, coiling the whip around the mast of the flying ship. If they were to fall out of the ship from an altitude of thousands of feet, they would surely die.

    Wu Luo¡¯s projection was still a mirage, but her palm was solid as it continued to exert more force. The formation on the lower deck of the flying ship was abination of smaller formations, like gears in a clock. They were stacked and interlocked with each other. Under Wu Luo¡¯s force, some formations copsed, causing a series of explosions.

    The Daoist Order¡¯s flying passenger ship was an imitation of the Grand Master¡¯s flying ship. However, due to cost reasons, many materials were reced on the passenger ship. Thus, the passenger ship was not as sturdy as the Grand Master¡¯s ship. Moreover, the attack and defense functions were also removed from the passenger ship.

    The violent explosion caused part of the deck to copse. Some fragments fell off both sides of the ship into the abyss below.

    The passengers, who had been hiding in the ship¡¯s building, panicked, but there was nothing they could do. Without a high level of cultivation, they would also be blown off by the strong wind if they left the building. But if they did not leave the ship¡¯s building, they would be crushed to death.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu finally realized how rampant these secret societies were and how corrupt the Daoist Order was. In the past, he often heard stories of how unhinged these secret societies were, but he had never felt it so deeply as this moment. He had never associated this word with the Qingping Society¡¯s pervasiveness or The Inn¡¯s various transactions, not even with the incident in Yishan City.

    As for the stories of secret societies that once sneaked into Jade Capital¡ªthe Cult of Fates ughtering people and annihting cities¡ªQi Xuansu had only heard about them but felt that the storytellers were exaggerating.

    This time, it was different. Qi Xuansu finally experienced what it was like to be at the receiving end of the Lingshan Witch Cult¡¯s rampage. The Daoist Order killed their members, so the Lingshan Witch Cult wanted to retaliate. Thus, they decided to destroy the Daoist Order¡¯s flying ship within the territory of the Kunlun Daoist Mansion. This was a clear act of provocation, which was also not the first.

    That was why the Daoist Order had repeatedly cracked down on these secret associations.

    Another realization Qi Xuansu had was the corruption within the Daoist Order. With the sheer size and power of the Daoist Order, it was surely possible to destroy these secret societies. After all, the Daoist Order even defeated the Confucian School and the Buddhist Sect, who were major powers back then.

    The secret societies were nothing inparison to those two behemoths, but the Daoist Order still could not wipe them outpletely after so many decades. It would be excusable if the Daoist Order still had to focus on suppressing the Buddhists like in the Holy Xuan Era. Back then, the Holy Xuan had even sessfully recruited an Ancient Immortal, who converted to be a Daoist Great Sage.

    However, the subsequent Grand Masters failed to eradicate the secret societies even after so many generations. This indicated a big problem within the Daoist Order.

    In some respect, although secret societies were rampant, they could not shake the foundation of Daoism, unlike Confucianism and Buddhism. This was one of the reasons the Daoist Order could not be united.

    For the Imperial Court, Xizhou and Yongzhou were far from the Imperial Capital, so theck of governance on the outskirts was excusable. However, this ce was on the outskirts of the Kunlun Daoist Mansion, which was the core of the Daoist Order. However, due to internal fighting, the Daoist Order allowed for such a big w inx governance within its core territory. Perhaps in the near future, the Daoist Order would have to simultaneously face internal and external enemies.

    Was this not corruption? It was no wonder that Zhang Yuelu was so obsessed with reforming the Daoist Order.

    At this moment, there was another huge explosion. Qi Xuansu discovered that the deck under his feet was deforming. The bow and stern of the ship were raised at a strange angle, while the middle of the ship bent downward and copsed.

    Immediately afterward, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu felt a forceing from the bottom of their feet, tossing them into the air. Fortunately, the deck dampened the impact, so they were not severely injured. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s paper whip was connected to the mast of the flying ship, like a streamer fluttering in the air. It tied them to the ship and prevented them from being blown away. Even so, they were now outside the ship¡¯s hull.

    Wu Luo¡¯s projection did not seem to be conscious. She just held on to the flying ship and kept exerting force. A series of explosions caused a fire that even the natural humidity of the flying ship could no longer suppress. Many parts of the ship began to copse and melt in the mes.

    The final explosion was the loudest as Wu Luo¡¯s five fingers clenched into a fist and snapped the flying ship into two. Countless pieces of the ming hull peeled off, creating a rain of fire. Some people slipped out of the cabin, screaming as they disappeared into the abyss below.

    The two parts of the broken hull could no longer stay afloat and dived toward the ground. After breaking the flying ship, Wu Luo¡¯s solid palm faded with therge projection.

    Seeing this, Zhang Yuelu used all her might to pull Qi Xuansu toward her as she shouted, ¡°Hold my waist tight!¡±

    Out of trust in Zhang Yuelu, Qi Xuansu subconsciously followed her instructions, wrapping his hands around her waist tightly so that they became one entity.

    Zhang Yuelu retracted the paper whip that tied them to the ship¡¯s mast and turned the Amorphous Paper into a pair of huge paper wings that spread out behind her.

    Although the pair of paper wings could not p, they could use the wings to glide with the strong wind. Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu had a decent level of cultivation and a stronger physique than the others onboard, so they could stand a chance at survival. This was theirst resort and the only solution they could think of.

    At this moment, a burning figure jumped out from the side of the broken hull closest to Zhang Yuelu.

    Although this figure was burned beyond recognition, the hump behind its back indicated that it was the old priest who summoned Wu Luo¡¯s projection. Unexpectedly, the old priest was still not dead yet.

    Zhang Yuelu suddenly felt a weight on her back when the old priest jumped on her.

    The Amorphous Paper had limitations in size. The paper wings Zhang Yuelu conjured spanned about six meters, which was barely enough to carry the weight of two people. Thus, with the added weight of the old priest, they immediately took a nose dive downward.

    Zhang Yuelu wanted to adjust the angle of the glide and shrug off the old priest, but that old man stubbornly clung to the paper wings, refusing to let go no matter how much Zhang Yuelu tilted her body.

    Qi Xuansu pondered for a moment before he said, ¡°Qing Xiao, do you still remember what I told you yesterday? I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to fulfill my dreams, but I hope you can.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was taken aback. That was when she had a sudden realization. She shouted, ¡°Tian Yuan, what are you trying to do?!¡±

    Without another word, Qi Xuansu adjusted his grip and climbed onto Zhang Yuelu¡¯s back with a strengthparable to that of a Martial Arts Practitioner. It was akin to a cavalry soldier hiding under the horse¡¯s belly to avoid arrows and climbing onto the horse¡¯s back after the attack.

    Qi Xuansu grabbed the old priest, who was charred beyond recognition, from behind and roared, ¡°Let go!¡±

    When Qi Xuansu exerted force in his limbs, a series of bone-crunching sounds could be heard, like a python strangling its prey.

    Although the old priest was undying, he was not indestructible. His bones shattered, so one of his hands lost its grip on Zhang Yuelu¡¯s paper wings.

    The old priest was still holding on to the paper wings with one hand, while Qi Xuansu held onto him tightly.

    Fortunately, the Amorphous Paper was made of a tough, almost indestructible material, so the paper wings did not get deformed even with all the scratching and gripping.

    ¡°Let go of her!¡± Qi Xuansu pulled out Qing Yuan to cut off the old priest¡¯s arm, bit by bit.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes reddened as she shouted, ¡°Qi Xuansu! Stop it! Imand you to stop!¡±

    Qi Xuansu was rtively calm as he consoled her. ¡°Qing Xiao, it¡¯s better for one of us to die; that way, the other can live on. When thingse to a head, you must let go...¡±

    Finally, Qi Xuansu managed to cut off the old priest¡¯s arm at the elbow. The old priest and Qi Xuansu, who were intertwined with each other, instantly separated from Zhang Yuelu and fell downward. Their figures shrank rapidly until they disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    Zhang Yuelu looked down helplessly as tears streamed down her face nonstop. The irksome premonition that lingered since she arrived at Shangqing Town finally dissipated, but she did not feel relieved by it. Instead, her heart clenched painfully.

    That was the moment she knew that she would never be able to forget this man.

 Chapter 185: Must Let Go

    <h4>Chapter 185: Must Let Go</h4>

    During the fall, Qi Xuansu¡¯s thoughts began to wander.

    He was always selfish, thinking of himself first in every situation. So why was he so impulsive this time? He seemed to have made this decision subconsciously without much thought. What was even more strange to him was that he had no regrets at all. This must have meant that he was sincere about Zhang Yuelu, right?

    Around Qi Xuansu, fragments of the flying ship¡¯s hull passed by, like a ming meteor shower. Qi Xuansu slowly let go of the old priest¡¯s body and stared down at the vast expanse of white below.

    He thought, <i>Is this how I die? I have too many things I haven¡¯t done, like leaving the Qingping Society, getting the Wisdom Sword, and marrying Zhang Yuelu in the Dazhen Mansion.</i>

    It all came to nothing.

    ......

    The wreckage of the flying ship fell in two different directions. At this time, there were no survivors onboard. They were either engulfed in the raging fire from the continuously exploding formations on the ship or blown away by the fierce wind. Outside the ship, no one except the undying old Daoist priest with the divine power of the True Lord Siming could survive.

    Zhang Yuelu relied on the pair of paper wings behind her back to drift along the air current. She waspletely devastated as she watched everything and everyone disappear below her.

    Her gaze was filled with self-me and hatred as tears streamed down her cheeks continuously.

    She was anguished because she had lost Qi Xuansu, possibly forever. His drunken talkst night still echoed in her ears. Qi Xuansu had not yet gotten his official promotion to the sixth rank, so in the end, he left this world as a seventh-rank priest.

    Zhang Yuelu recalled their time together. They first met on July 15th during the Zhongyuan Festival. Then they went on the expedition to the Western Region. She also recalled their theater date on October 15th during the Xiayuan Festival and finally their drunken conversationst night on New Year¡¯s Eve.

    It was not even January 15th, the Shangyuan Festival, yet, but he had already left her. These five and a half months felt like one long dream. But all that remained after she woke from this dream was bitterness.

    Zhang Yuelu med herself for leaving Yunjin Mountain on New Year¡¯s Day when she had felt that premonition. If she had waited until January 15th, there would probably be more high-ranking priests and Heavenly Beings on the flying ship returning to Jade Capital. If that were the case, unless Wu Luo showed herself, even her projection would not be enough to crash the flying ship.

    In addition to sadness, Zhang Yuelu felt intense hatred and anger. She was not someone who would hide and cry alone after encountering setbacks.

    The Western Holy Court believed in an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Confucians believed in repaying kindness with kindness and repaying grievances with justice.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu swore that she would repay this blood debt. She would not spare any member of the Lingshan Witch Cult, including the Ancient Immortal Wu Luo, even if it would take her a hundred years to get vengeance.

    ......

    A paradise was on the verge of copse. There were remnants of the once prosperous ce, now riddled with ck holes. Due to its sheer size, it withstood decades of erosion and had not yetpletely disappeared.

    The vastnds were barren as far as the eye could see. All that was left were empty ravines and scorched earth. Dried skeletons and broken weapons littered the ce, and huge bones from beasts piled up like hills.

    There was a ck mountain that connected heaven and earth, with many broken peaks suspended in the air, revolving around the mountain extremely slowly. The top of the mountain could not be seen from the bottom.

    At the far end of the horizon, there was a distorted and chaotic scene in space. Many thunderbolts shed erratically. Even from a distance, one could feel the terrifying power of that lightning.

    The ck mountain that towered above the clouds was undoubtedly the core of this paradise. The closer one got to the ck mountain, the more cracks appeared in the sky, like a dark web that shrouded the mountain.

    At the top of the ck mountain was a huge bonfire that had been extinguished for countless years. Every bit of charred wood and ash was imbued with an ancient aura.

    Upon closer inspection, there were still faint embers deep within the bonfire under the ashes. The tiny sparks flickered intermittently, like stars in the sky or countless pairs of blinking, bloody eyes.

    A tall figure shrouded in shadows stood next to the bonfire. The figure had long white hair and scarlet eyes, dressed in a glittery robe that seemed studded with stars.

    The tall figure held a wine ss that matched the size of their hand, with the surface of the wine clearly reflecting the scene of Wu Luo crushing the flying ship.

    The scarlet eyes flickered slightly, seemingly lost in thought.

    A voice interrupted. ¡°The Lingshan Witch Cult has noticed the movements within the Daoist Order and ns to take advantage of theck of manpower in the Kunlun Daoist Mansion to carry out a grand divine descent for Wu Luo¡¯s incarnation on earth.

    ¡°It¡¯s not surprising that they received assistance from the Cult of Fates for this operation. The Ziguang Society, the Lingshan Witch Cult, and the Cult of Fates have always advanced and retreated together.

    ¡°In order not to arouse the Daoist Order¡¯s attention, they did not dispatch high-ranking leaders but used their mid-ranking members who had been in hiding for many years. However, they did not expect Daoists from the Tiangang Hall would identally discover and ruin their ns.

    ¡°Subsequently, the Daoist Order responded by sending out more manpower from Tiangang Hall to conduct a thorough investigation of Yishan City. Following the clues, they discovered several members of the Lingshan Witch Cult in the Kunlun Daoist Mansion. As such, more than ten years of the Lingshan Witch Cult¡¯s efforts had gone to waste.

    ¡°That was why the Lingshan Witch Cult became furious and wanted vengeance, which perfectly suits Wu Luo¡¯s temper. She has never been tolerant, even with her sisters in the past.

    ¡°The Lingshan Witch Cult sent out another member to the Shangqing Prefecture this time, giving him items that contained the divine power of Wu Luo and Siming. The Ziguang Society informed the Lingshan Witch Cult that there were no Daoist priests above the fourth rank aboard the flying ship on New Year¡¯s Day.

    ¡°Thus, when the flying ship left Shuzhou¡¯s borders and entered Yongzhou, the cult member attacked the flying ship, which crashed over Zhaling Lake and Eling Lake, not far from the Kunlun Pass.

    ¡°Even if Zhang Yuelu had not boarded the flying ship on New Year¡¯s Day, the Lingshan Witch Cult would not have given up on this golden opportunity. They would still crash the flying ship. After all, having no Heavenly Beings onboard the flying ship was indeed a rare opportunity, since most high-ranking priests who nned to return to the Jade Capital on New Year¡¯s Day departed two days earlier than scheduled with the Quanzhen Sect¡¯s flying ship.

    ¡°At the same time, the Kunlun Daoist Mansion had been deploying more manpower closer to the Jade Capital, so some areas outside the Kunlun Pass were left ungoverned. For the Lingshan Witch Cult, killing Zhang Yuelu is not as urgent as destroying a flying ship.

    ¡°I believe it won¡¯t be long before news of the crash spreads throughout the Daoistmunity. For the Daoist Order, this is like a p in the face. It won¡¯t shake them up, but it will hurt their pride. So they are bound to be furious. Their internal strife made them neglect the mosquitoes and flies buzzing around them, so they had no choice but to endure the pests. Wu Luo must be pleased.¡±

    The tall figure¡¯s hoarse and deep voice, which did not sound human, resounded amid the ck shadows. ¡°Wu Luo is getting worse.¡±

    The other voice that spoke earlier exined, ¡°Wu Luo has absorbed too much incense power. She also likes the taste of blood sacrifices, which contain too much desire and resentment, or in Buddhist terms, karmic forces. Over the years, these forces have subtly affected her sanity and temperament.¡±

    The tall figure questioned, ¡°The prophecy says that the Ancient Witches will return to the human world before the end of the Dharma. Can the Ancient Witches re-establish the former Witch Court in the human world? What is the attitude of the Ancient Witches who are siding with the Daoist Order?¡±

    The voice fell silent, seemingly unable to answer the question.

    The tall figure did not expect an answer and gently shook the wine ss.

    The scene of the capsized flying ship reflected in the wine gradually disappeared with the ripples.

    After a while, the voice finally said, ¡°No matter how the Daoist Order reacts, the damage has already been done. The capsized flying ship can¡¯t be restored, and the dead can¡¯t be resurrected.¡±

    The tall figure looked into the extinguished fire, deep in thought.

    The tiny sparks flickering beneath the ashes were getting brighter. Perhaps one day, they would be able to rekindle this bonfire.

 Chapter 186: The Aftermath (I)

    <h4>Chapter 186: The Aftermath (I)</h4>

    The huge explosion caused by the capsized flying ship finally rmed the Kunlun Daoist Mansion and, by extension, the Jade Capital.

    The Kunlun Daoist Mansion and Tiangang Hall soon sent their personnel to Yongzhou. This was a big incident, so the Tiangang Hall Master personally went to the site. That was how Zhang Yuelu, who was still gliding in the air, was rescued. The Tiangang Hall Master settled her down on solid ground and dispatched Spirit Guards to seal off the area, ordering a search within a 250-kilometer radius for the flying ship¡¯s wreckage.

    The Spirit Guards from Tiangang Hall temporarily set up a tent for the Hall Master, where Zhang Yuelu was brought over to recuperate.

    The tent had carpets, tables, chairs, and other items. A detailed map provided by the Kunlun Daoist Mansion was hung on the wall. It was not much different from the ck Robes¡¯ tent during wartime.

    Zhang Yuelu sat alone in the corner, her eyes dazed and hollow. Her face was terribly pale, resembling a sickly beauty and invoking pity from others. This led many people to believe that she had suffered a serious injury during the battle on the flying ship and had not yet recovered from the shock.

    At this time, many people came in and out of the tent to report on various matters to the Tiangang Hall Master.

    The flying ship had exploded over Zhaling Lake and Eling Lake, which were outside the Kunlun Pass. Therefore, most of the flying ship¡¯s wreckage and the remains of the victims fell into theke, making the search all the more difficult. Ordinary Spirit Guards could not dive deep into the water, so the Daoist Order had to dispatch Spirit Guards of the third rank or above.

    Moreover, the flying ship had disintegrated at an altitude of several thousand feet. The wreckage and fragments did not fall vertically due to the strong winds. Thus, the remnants might have fallen outside the 250-kilometer radius. Additional manpower would be needed to expand the search area.

    The Tiangang Hall Master instructed his subordinates to firstplete the search within the 250-kilometer radius, with the main focus on rescuing any survivors and recovering the flying ship¡¯s Dragon Pearl. After reinforcements arrived, they would expand the search area and conduct underwater searches.

    Besides the search, there were also inquiries and letters from various parties. Coincidentally, this incident had simultaneously rmed the three Deputy Grand Masters.

    Since this flying ship departed from Shangqing Pce, most of the passengers were disciples of the Zhengyi Sect. Thus, the Heavenly Preceptor was bound to ask questions. This incident happened on New Year¡¯s Day, the same day that the Earthly Preceptor would transfer the title of the Great Sage Lunzhi to the Imperial Preceptor.

    With such a big incident happening on such a sensitive day, the Deputy Grand Masters could not turn a blind eye to it. What was more, Zhang Yuelu was also one of the passengers on this flying ship. She was well known by the Deputy Grand Masters, as she was the grandniece of the Heavenly Preceptor. Her talent was also highly valued by the Earthly Preceptor, who had promoted her as the Deputy Tiangang Hall Master. The Imperial Preceptor knew of Zhang Yuelu because of her duel with Li Tianzhen.

    Thus, the Tiangang Hall Master had to personally reply to the three Deputy Grand Masters¡¯ letters, reporting the situation in detail.

    There were also inquiries from other halls, such as Beichen Hall, Huasheng Hall, the Kunlun Daoist Mansion, and so on. After this incident, Beichen Hall would have to conduct an investigation and internal audit for loopholes so that they could prevent such a thing from happening again. Huasheng Hall asked about the casualties and whether support was needed.

    The Kunlun Daoist Mansion had to be involved because this incident happened on their territory, so they wanted to minimize any punishments by volunteering to help. In fact, this crash did not cause much of a loss to the Daoist Order, but it had a negative impact. So, someone would inevitably take the fall for this when the Golden Tower Council began their interrogation.

    First and foremost, the Kunlun Daoist Mansion would not be able to shirk responsibility for therge expanse of ungoverned area. Due to this, they did not provide timely rescue to the flying ship.

    The Tiangang Hall and Beichen Hall would also have to bear responsibility because this incident was caused by the secret societies. Finally, the Wuzhou Daoist Mansion would also be charged with neglecting security precautions on the flying ship.

    ......

    Zhang Yuelu seemed like aplete outsider at the moment, numb to everything around her and not wanting to get involved. She just sat alone in the corner of the tent, deep in her own thoughts.

    Although the old priest who destroyed the flying ship was a Lingshan Witch Cult member, he also had the divine power of the True Lord Siming. This indicated that the Cult of Fates was also involved in the incident. However, that was secondary because the Daoist Order could still deal with Wu Luo¡¯s projection, no matter how powerful it was.

    The main thing that bothered Zhang Yuelu was that the Lingshan Witch Cult urately found out that there were no Heavenly Beings onboard the flying ship this time. All passengers were of the fourth rank or below. How did they get to know this information?

    The first suspect that came to mind was the Ziguang Society. Since Zhang Yuelu used to work in Beichen Hall, she could easily differentiate the characteristics of the various secret societies. Shangqing Pce had the list of passengers, so it would mean that the Ziguang Society had infiltrated the Shangqing Pce or had a close rtionship with a priest from the Shangqing Pce.

    Regardless of which option it was, the Zhang family would not be able to escape being interrogated since there was a spy among them.

    At this moment, another person walked into the tent and bowed respectfully to the Hall Master. After the Hall Master waved his hand in dismissal, the woman quickly walked over to Zhang Yuelu.

    The woman kneeled in front of Zhang Yuelu, ced her hand gently on Zhang Yuelu¡¯s knees, and called out softly, ¡°Qing Xiao.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu slowly raised her head to see that it was Mu Jin.

    Mu Jin lived in Jade Capital. She came along with the Tiangang Hall Master and was tasked with being a liaison. After all, this search was the responsibility of Tiangang Hall and the Kunlun Daoist Mansion. Although the Tiangang Hall Master was in charge of the overall situation, many things required coordination between various parties, which was Mu Jin¡¯s responsibility.

    When she finally had some free time after coordinating the search, Mu Jin immediately came over to check on Zhang Yuelu.

    Regardless of Mu Jin¡¯s rtionship with Qi Xuansu, Mu Jin was close to Zhang Yuelu, having worked for thetter since their days in Beichen Hall.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes focused on Mu Jin, but she did not speak.

    ¡°Tian Yuan...¡± Mu Jin probably felt bad for Qi Xuansu, so she addressed him by his courtesy name for the first time.

    ¡°Tian Yuan...¡± Zhang Yuelu repeated the name in a whisper, her voice hoarse.

    Mu Jin gently patted Zhang Yuelu¡¯s back and consoled her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The deceased is gone, but those alive will have to move on.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu slowly closed her eyes in dismay. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be here now if it weren¡¯t for Tian Yuan.¡±

    Mu Jin did not know what to say. She only disliked Qi Xuansu because she was jealous of him for stealing Zhang Yuelu from her. But, in all honesty, she did not hate him, especially after finding out that he had sacrificed himself for Zhang Yuelu. So at this moment, all grudges were forgotten.

    When Zhang Yuelu opened her eyes again, she dered, ¡°It looks like I¡¯ve transferred to the Tiangang Hall at the right time. I will cancel all my vacation days and strive to be a third-rank Youyi Daoist master as soon as possible. That way, my position as Deputy Hall Master will be justified.¡±

    Mu Jin reminded her. ¡°But with the tenure system, it will take three years for a fourth-rank priest to be promoted to the third rank. You¡¯ve just been promoted to the fourth rank, so even if you have umted enough merit, you still need to stay in the fourth rank for two more years before you can get promoted.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said with determination, ¡°There are no absolutes in anything. I will be the exception.¡±

    Mu Jin pondered for a moment before registering this. She eximed, ¡°Exception? Do you mean advancing to a Heavenly Being?¡±

    <i>After the Daoist Order established the Nine-Rank System, aside from the Grand Master, everyone had to be given a rank, and there was a strict system for promotions.</i>

    <i>At lower ranks, one¡¯s position and rank were not tied together. But as one climbed up the ranks, the two would be inseparable. One¡¯s position would be closely rted to one¡¯s rank. That was why there were, in fact, nine ranks and twelve levels.</i>

    <i>Under this circumstance, the tenure system had strict limits on the minimum number of years a priest had to remain in a certain rank. ording to regtions, a seventh-rank priest must wait at least one year to advance to the sixth rank and at least another year to advance to the fifth rank. Then it would take a minimum of two years to advance to the fourth rank and another three years to advance to the third rank. Promotions to the second rank were based on rmendations and avability.</i>

    <i>However, there were exceptions to this system, which were reserved for people with extraordinary talents, like Donghuang from the Holy Xuan Era. Donghuang was already a Heavenly Being before he was 20 years old. He was a genius, even more talented than the Holy Xuan.</i>

    <i>Donghuang was already a Deputy Grand Master when the Nine-Rank System was established. But if he had to be promoted strictly ording to the tenure system, Donghuang would have been a Heavenly Being before he was even promoted to the fourth rank. If that were the case, it would have been an awkward situation.</i>

    <i>Thus, to deal with special circumstances, such as the talented Donghuang, the Daoist Order added a special regtion. A Heavenly Being with enough merit could be exempted from the tenure system and could be promoted to a third-rank Youyi Daoist priest. However, a promotion to the second rank would still be based on rmendation and avability.</i>

    Zhang Yuelu said expressionlessly, ¡°I¡¯m only a step away from bing a Heavenly Being, and it won¡¯t be difficult for me to umte merit in Tiangang Hall.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Mu Jin nodded.

    Zhang Yuelu''s eyes turned cold. ¡°The Lingshan Witch Cult said that using their heads in exchange for merit is a high-risk game. I¡¯d like to see which one of us canst longer in this game.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Mu Jin did not know how to persuade Zhang Yuelu, so she sighed. ¡°What about Tian Yuan¡¯s vacancy?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes darkened, but she still answered, ¡°We still don¡¯t know if he¡¯s dead for certain. You can take over his job temporarily. After three months, mark him as missing, and after three years¡ª¡±

    ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Mu Jin could feel the sadness radiating from Zhang Yuelu, so she did not raise any objections.

    In such incidents, the Daoist Order would allocate funds forpensation. Thus, most people would not want to drag it out for long and would presume that the victim was dead. However, Zhang Yuelu was right. If they did not find Qi Xuansu¡¯s body, they could consider him missing first before presuming he was dead.

    Furthermore, Qi Xuansu had no family, Daoistpanion, or master. Zhang Yuelu only heard of him mentioning someone called Madam Qi, who did not seem to be in the Daoistmunity. Zhang Yuelu did not know where she could find that woman, so she had no way of giving Madam Qi the pension. Even if Zhang Yuelu exchanged all the pension to hell money for the dead, she would not even know where to burn them, as Qi Xuansu did not have a final resting ce.

    More importantly, Zhang Yuelu still held onto a small sliver of hope that Qi Xuansu might be able to return one day. Thus, this was the best course of action.

 Chapter 187: The Aftermath (II)

    <h4>Chapter 187: The Aftermath (II)</h4>

    There were 24 neighborhoods in Jade Capital, divided into the Upper Eight Blocks, the Middle Eight Blocks, and the Lower Eight Blocks.

    Taishang ce was a part of the Upper Eight Blocks, while Haichan ce was located in the Lower Eight Blocks. The former was located in the northwest corner of Jade Capital, close to Xuan City, while thetter was located in the southeast corner of Jade Capital, close to the ports where the flying shipsnded outside the city.

    Nun Cui¡¯s vacation ended, so she took the flying ship back to the Jade Capital on New Year¡¯s Day. It departed from Zhongzhou and arrived in Jade Capital on January 2nd.

    The port in Jade Capital was sorge that it could amodate more than 20 flying ships docking at the same time. On January 2nd, many flying ships docked in a neat row, which was a spectacr sight.

    When Nun Cui walked down the ramp, the passengers from other flying ships were also disembarking one after another. Since it was still the festive period, there were not many people disembarking. Nun Cui noticed that there was an empty docking bay not far away.

    Nun Cui was surprised by this. ¡°Is that shipte?¡±

    After she got off the ramp, she saw a crowd gathering in the front. She was curious about what was going on and happened to spot a colleague, so she went over and asked about the situation.

    Her colleague said, ¡°I heard that there was an ident. A flying ship was shot down by cult demons, killing many on board. Even the Tiangang Hall was dispatched.¡±

    ¡°The flying ship crashed?!¡± Nun Cui was startled. She recalled the empty docking bay and asked, ¡°Which flying ship was it?¡±

    The colleague replied, ¡°I think it¡¯s from the Shangqing Pce. They say that the cult demon sneaked onto the flying ship. These demons are really pervasive, causing trouble all the time.¡±

    Nun Cui suddenly had a bad premonition; her face tinged with worry.

    The colleague noticed her expression and asked, ¡°Why? Do you have an acquaintance on that flying ship?¡±

    Nun Cui shook her head. ¡°My neighbor went to Yunjin Mountain, but he¡¯s supposed to return on the 15th of January. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s him, but it¡¯s such a close call.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s such a close call. Fate is a cruel thing. If those passengers had left a few days earlier with the Quanzhen Sect¡¯s ship, they would still be alive. After all, there are many Sages onboard that ship, so no one would dare hijack it. If those passengers leftter, on the 15th of January, there would be more high-ranking priests and Heavenly Beings onboard. They¡¯re so unlucky to have taken the flying ship on New Year¡¯s Day. Those people were probably rushing back for their duties. What a pity...¡± The colleague sighed.

    Most people felt sorry for their own kind; the same was true for these Daoist priests. They might not care much about what happened to ordinary people because they could not rte to them. But they were deeply shaken by this ident because it could have happened to them. Thus, they were saddened but also fearful.

    Due to this fear, the higher-ups would soon reach a consensus to crack down on the secret societies, especially the three major cults.

    While they were talking, a flying shipnded on theke behind them, stirring up a cloud of mist.

    ¡°That¡¯s the flying ship of Tiangang Hall!¡± Someone had already recognized the logo on the flying ship.

    After the ramp was lowered, a group of Tiangang Hall priests in formal attire disembarked, looking exhausted. Trailing at the end of the group was a woman dressed in casual clothes, looking so out of ce. Her face was pale, and her eyes were downcast.

    Nun Cui recognized the woman at a nce and shouted, ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu turned around upon hearing her name. When she saw that it was Nun Cui, she hesitated for a moment and dismissed Mu Jin before walking toward the old woman by herself.

    Nun Cui excused herself from her colleague and went up to Zhang Yuelu.

    ¡°Mage Cui.¡± Zhang Yuelu still remembered Nun Cui, who was Qi Xuansu¡¯s neighbor. They met and chatted briefly when Zhang Yuelu went to Haichan ce over a month ago.

    Nun Cui looked behind Zhang Yuelu and did not see the person she was looking for, so her heart skipped a beat. She asked softly, ¡°Where¡¯s Tian Yuan? He didn¡¯te back with you?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu closed her eyes for a few seconds. When she opened them again, she whispered, ¡°Tian Yuan... He fell...¡±

    ¡°Did he...?¡± Nun Cui covered her mouth and almost gasped.

    ......

    Nun Cui and Zhang Yuelu went to Qi Xuansu¡¯s home in Haichan ce.

    Since Qi Xuansu¡¯s luggage was still in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s magical receptacle, Zhang Yuelu had the key to Qi Xuansu¡¯s house.

    At this time, Zhang Yuelu and Nun Cui were sitting in the living room of Qi Xuansu¡¯s home. Zhang Yuelu briefly recounted the incident on the flying ship. ¡°That¡¯s what happened. I decided to mark him as missing first. Maybe Tian Yuan wille back one day.¡±

    Nun Cui wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief. ¡°Tian Yuan and his master have such miserable lives. We still don¡¯t know who killed his master. Now this...¡±

    Hearing this, Zhang Yuelu suddenly remembered that Qi Xuansu had mentioned wanting to avenge his master. What Zhang Yuelu did not know was that Qi Xuansu had already taken revenge. Her eyes turned red as she promised, ¡°I will fulfill any unfinished business he has.¡±

    Nun Cui let out a long sigh. ¡°Tian Yuan has no rtives. Deputy Hall Master Zhang, I¡¯ll leave all these arrangements to you. Please tell me if there is anything I can do to help.¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s my duty.¡± Zhang Yuelu nodded.

    Nun Cui stood up and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±

    After Nun Cui left, Zhang Yuelu took out Qi Xuansu¡¯s luggage from her magical receptacle, wanting to put the items back in their original ces.

    When she went to the study, it looked the same as thest time she was there. Zhang Yuelu looked around and suddenly thought about the time when she was packing Qi Xuansu¡¯s luggage with him. Her nose tingled as she felt the urge to cry.

    Two of them departed, but only one of them returned.

    ......

    After learning about the flying ship incident, Zhang Juqi, Tantai Qiong, Zhang Yuyue, Zhang Chiyue, Zhang Juping, Yan Mingchen, and a few others wrote to Zhang Yuelu, asking about her situation. However, Zhang Yuelu was not in the mood to respond, even to the mother-child talismans. She did not want others to worry, so she asked Mu Jin to reply to them on her behalf.

    Mu Jin replied to each letter truthfully. After the Zhang family confirmed that Zhang Yuelu was safe and sound, they could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. They had also learned that Qi Xuansu had died in this crash.

    Tantai Qiong did not show any sadness regarding Qi Xuansu¡¯s death. She was indifferent to the news. Upon seeing his wife¡¯s reaction, the usually reticent Zhang Juqi was infuriated.

    Zhang Juqi usually avoided direct conflicts with his wife, but this time, he scolded her. ¡°No matter how much you dislike Tian Yuan, he sacrificed himself to save our daughter. Is it too much to even shed a few tears out of gratitude? Is this your upbringing? Where¡¯s your humanity?!¡±

    Tantai Qiong was furious and wanted to refute her husband.

    However, Zhang Juqi interrupted her. ¡°If you want to argue with me, let¡¯s get a few witnesses first and argue in front of Qing Xiao. Even if that young man has nothing to do with Qing Xiao, he¡¯s still a Daoist disciple. Shouldn¡¯t you at least feel some sympathy for all those people who have died in this ident?¡±

    Rendered speechless, Tantai Qiong had no choice but to suppress her anger.

    Zhang Juqi turned to Zhang Yuyue and berated her. ¡°You keep saying that Tian Yuan is the next Li Minghuang and that he must have some bad intentions in approaching Qing Xiao by using her as a stepping stone. What about now? What else do you have to say about him? Do you think that Li Minghuang will sacrifice himself for you? You were deceived by that jerk, but does that give you the right to prejudge all men the same way?¡±

    Zhang Yuyue was also rendered speechless. After a long time, she muttered, ¡°I was wrong."

    Zhang Juqi let out a huff and continued, ¡°This whole family is blind! Only Qing Xiao is smart enough to see things clearly. Yes, Tian Yuan is indeed an orphan and a low-rank priest, but the fact that he sacrificed himself for Qing Xiao makes him a hundred times better than Li Tianzhen. I advise you two to stop all your scheming and start being more considerate about Qing Xiao¡¯s feelings.¡±

    For a moment, the hall was silent. Neither Tantai Qiong nor Zhang Yuyue spoke.

    ......

    Zhang Yuelu returned to the Yaoguang Pavilion in Tiangang Hall and went to her room. That was when she noticed a set of folded new clothes and some documents on Qi Xuansu¡¯s table.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Zhang Yuelu stopped in her tracks.

    Mu Jin replied hesitantly, ¡°That¡¯s the sixth-rank priest¡¯s formal attire, insignia, sry, subsidies, and relocation fees.¡±

    Although Mu Jin did not mention who it was for, they both knew who the recipient of these was.

    Zhang Yuelu was silent for a while before she instructed, ¡°Put them away in a cab in the inner room and give them to him when hees back.¡±

    Mu Jin subconsciously answered, ¡°But he¡¯s¡ª¡±

    Before Mu Jin couldplete her sentence, Zhang Yuelu shot a sharp nce at her.

    Zhang Yuelu sighed and ordered, ¡°Go.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Mu Jin picked up Qi Xuansu¡¯s things and turned to leave.

    As soon as Zhang Yuelu sat down in Qi Xuansu¡¯s seat, the Tiangang Hall Master came in. Zhang Yuelu was startled to see him here and subconsciously wanted to get up to greet him. But the Hall Master stretched out his hand, signaling for her to rx.

    He said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard what happened. Is he the young man who apanied you to the theater?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded.

    The Hall Master sighed. He had always treated Zhang Yuelu as his disciple. A few months ago, he had given her two theater tickets as a reward, hoping that she would perhaps find a lifelong partner for herself one day. The pair of theater tickets did have some effect, but no one had expected this ident to ur.

    ¡°I know of that young man. He had good prospects. It¡¯s just a pity this happened.¡± The Hall Mastermented. ¡°But don¡¯t be too sad. Everyone dies eventually. We must learn to move on.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said softly, ¡°Yes, Hall Master.¡±

    The Hall Master added, ¡°You have to cheer up as soon as possible. If I¡¯m not mistaken, the Daoist Order will soonunch an operation to crackdown on the secret societies. When the timees, I¡¯ll select you for the mission.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu answered solemnly, ¡°Please rest assured, Hall Master.¡±

    The Hall Master did not say anything more and left.

    After the Hall Master left, Lingquanzi, Sun Yongfeng, Cao Liyou, and Xu Kou came over to check on Zhang Yuelu, who had survived this catastrophe. They also wanted to confirm the news of Qi Xuansu¡¯s death.

    Cao Liyou asked with a trembling voice, ¡°Deputy Hall Master, is it true that Deacon Qi¡ª¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded.

    Cao Liyou was so shocked that he did not know what to say.

    Regardless of their sincerity, everyone bore somber expressions upon hearing this. Lingquanzi, who had fought side by side with Qi Xuansu, was truly saddened by the news.

    Xu Kou mumbled to no one in particr, ¡°I¡¯m finally convinced that you¡¯re a true man.¡±

 Chapter 188: Starry Sea

    <h4>Chapter 188: Starry Sea</h4>

    The Starry Sea, adjacent to Zhaling Lake in the east, had a narrow and elongated form. When the Yangtze River¡¯s waters reached this point, the river flow slowed and the surface widened due to the t terrain. As such, water flowed in all directions, formingrge swamps and numerouskes in this area.

    Hundreds ofkes of different shapes and sizes upied this area. If one looked at the terrain from above, thesekes sparkled under the sunlight, just like the twinkling stars in the night sky. That was probably why this area was named the Starry Sea.

    The Spirit Guards of Tiangang Hall were still searching the areas near Zhaling Lake and Eling Lake, neglecting the Starry Sea further away from their search vicinity.

    Among thiske cluster, thergestke was about 666 meters square. Suddenly, a body slowly floated to the surface, drifting with the current.

    After a while, the body opened its eyes, stunned by its surroundings. This ¡°body¡± was Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu remembered falling and grabbing onto a piece of the flying ship¡¯s wreckage. Then he crashed while holding onto the wreckage. He thought, <i>Didn¡¯t I die?</i>

    Only a Heavenly Being would have a chance of surviving a fall from such heights, but a Xiantian Being would surely die. Even his strengthened body, which was transformed by the Xuan Jade, would not be able to survive such a fall.

    Qi Xuansu slowly swam to the shore, where he carefully checked his whole body for injuries. He was notpletely unscathed, but he was not severely injured, which was truly miraculous.

    He did not understand what was going on. If he had regenerative abilities so powerful that he could be undying, then why did these self-healing characteristics not kick in when Zhao Fu¡¯an broke his arm in Baidi City?

    But if it were not his regenerative abilities, what could it be? Was it because of thiske water? Perhaps thiske was simr to the Spring of Immortality in novels like <i>The Female Sword Immortal </i>written by the Holy Xuan¡¯s wife. She had once served as a Virtuous Great Sage and a Deputy Grand Master. With her extensive knowledge, such a miraculous body of water might truly exist.

    On second thought, that did not make sense. Qi Xuansu was certain that he was still within the Kunlun Region, which was not far from the Ancestral Court. If there was a body of water that had such miraculous properties, the Daoist Order would have long discovered it and protected it with various formations or mechanisms. But Qi Xuansu did not sense anything of that sort here.

    At this moment, a gust of cold wind made the drenched Qi Xuansu shiver. He came back to his senses and dried himself with his innate qi and blood qi.

    His thoughts wandered. If he had fallen onto the ground instead of the water, he would have be a pile of mush. If so, would he still be able to heal with this supernatural regenerative ability? Would he return to his original form or be stuck as a deformed mass of meat and bones?

    After about fifteen minutes of letting his mind run wild, Qi Xuansu began to check his personal belongings.

    Qing Yuan and the Divine Dragon Pistol were still strapped to his waist. Although the pistol was waterlogged, it was still functional. That was because the Divine Armory had designed the Divine Dragon Pistol to be waterproof. The leather bag containing the projectiles was still secure, as was his satchel and everything inside it.

    He then felt for his inner pockets at his chest. When his palm touched his chest, his whole body suddenly froze. He could not feel or hear his heartbeat. It was dead silent inside.

    Panicked, his thoughts ran wild again.<i> What is happening?! Did I turn into a zombie? But that''s too soon! It took the Daoist Order several years to cultivate zombies. Under natural circumstances, it''ll take hundreds of years for a zombie to awaken. Did this mean that hundreds of years have already passed? Are Zhang Yuelu and the others dead?!</i>

    However, Qi Xuansu quickly quashed this idea. If hundreds of years had passed, then his clothes and the things in his bag would have degraded. But none of these items changed in appearance, so he was sure that it was still the 42nd year of the Jiushi Era.

    Qi Xuansu pressed his hand to his heart and fell into deep thought. After a long time, Qi Xuansu finally felt a slight vibration in his chest. This heartbeat was very faint at first, but it gradually became stronger and clearer until it was back to normal.

    While Qi Xuansu breathed a sigh of relief, he finally remembered something. He was once stabbed through the heart by an assassin from The Inn. Back then, Madam Qi saved him and brought him back to the Qingping Society, where they made some modifications to his body. This transformation saved his life and made him stronger than before.

    It seemed that the body transformation done by the Qingping Society was not so simple after all. Qi Xuansu had a bold guess that this transformation not only gave him a stronger physique but also had the magical ability to resurrect him from the dead.

    This magical ability could not be triggered normally, which would exin why he did not feel any miraculous self-healing abilities after his arm was broken by Zhao Fu¡¯an in Baidi City. However, if he suffered a fatal injury, this magical resurrection ability would be triggered, bringing him back to life.

    This would exin why he did not fall to his death. Perhaps his heart, which had stopped beating just now, was just one of the miraculous external manifestations.

    Qi Xuansu thought that it was the most reasonable exnation, so he wanted to ask Madam Qi what was happening. Perhaps she would be able to give him a clear exnation. After all, Madam Qi was involved in his body transformation in the beginning, so she probably knew the inside story.

    However, before contacting Madam Qi, Qi Xuansu first had to find a safe ce to stay.

    Qi Xuansu gathered his thoughts, stood up, looked around, and decided to leave this ce first.

    Although Qi Xuansu had just regained consciousness not long ago, he knew that he would not be able to return to the Daoistmunity for the time being. Thus, he could not be discovered by the people of the Daoist Order.

    That was because he would not be able to exin how he survived the fall. If he returned to Jade Capital immediately, Beichen Hall would certainly pay close attention to him. Then they would find out about his fake resume, his body transformation from the Qingping Society and the Xuan Jade, and his fish talisman from the Qingping Society. Once his identity was exposed, he would be executed.

    How would Zhang Yuelu view him then? Would she feel deceived, like everything that happened between them was just an act?

    It would be better if he disappeared now. That way, he would be one of the many victims, and he would still be the Qi Xuansu that Zhang Yuelu remembered. Their beautiful memories would remain untainted.

    Of course, he would still find a way to return to the Daoistmunity one day, but only after this matter hadpletely blown over. He would look for a suitable opportunity. That way, he could escape from Beichen Hall¡¯s interrogation. After all, fate could work wonders at times. Although his chances of surviving the fall were slim, he could brush it off by saying that he got lucky.

    Thus, Qi Xuansu carefully erased his traces by theke and found high ground to overlook the surrounding terrain to determine his location.

    He quickly recognized this ce as the Starry Sea, which was between the Kunlun Pass and Zhaling Lake. Although it was called a sea, it was actually a basin withke clusters and rivers. The scenery was incredible.

    The beauty and characteristics of the Starry Sea made it extremely easy to identify. Back then, when Qi Xuansu was returning to the Jade Capital with his master, they passed by this ce, which left a deep impression on him.

    Qi Xuansu knew that the Starry Sea was located upstream of Zhaling Lake. The flying ship had crashed above Zhaling Lake and Eling Lake, so he figured that the Daoist Order would conduct a search for the wreckage around these twokes.

    The Daoist Order would surely want to retrieve the flying ship¡¯s Dragon Pearl. So, he only needed to travel upstream along the river to bypass the search area and avoid ????the Daoist Order.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu no longer hesitated and immediately left the Starry Sea. The Starry Sea was a beautiful ce, but it was still quite far away from the Jade Capital, so not many would travel from the Jade Capital just to enjoy the scenery there. In the past, some Spirit Guards from Kunlun Daoist Mansion would asionally patrol and pass by the area. They would even rest here for a while.

    However, with the increasingly tense situation within the Daoist Order, the Kunlun Daoist Mansion had focused most of its manpower closer to the Jade Capital, so no Spirit Guards would patrol or pass by the area anymore. Therefore, the vast Starry Sea was empty, without a single person in sight. It was deserted and peaceful.

    After leaving the Starry Sea, Qi Xuansu looked around and saw the boundless Kunlun Western Region. He roughly identified his location. To the east was Zhaling Lake; to the west was the Kunlun Pass; to the south over the mountains was the Tongtian River and Yishan City; and to the north was the vast Gobi Desert, also known as Salt Lake.

    At first nce, it was undoubtedly better to go south. Firstly, he was familiar with that path, and secondly, it was densely popted. However, Qi Xuansu had another worry. The two times he encountered members of the Lingshan Witch Cult was in that region.

    The Tongtian River was only about 500 kilometers away from Zhaling Lake. The distance from Kunlun Pass to the Tongtian River was even shorter than that from Kunlun Pass to Zhaling Lake. If he encountered the Lingshan Witch Cult again, he would be in more trouble, especially since he had also killed their members before. Zhang Yuelu was more famous, so the Lingshan Witch Cult wanted to target her first. But that did not mean that the Lingshan Witch Cult would forget about his involvement in their members'' deaths.

    After some thought, he decided to go north to the vast Salt Lake. Then he would head east along the Salt Lake to Xiping Prefecture, the capital of Yongzhou. From there, he could n his next steps.

    Qi Xuansu could proceed to Tianshui Prefecture, the capital of Liangzhou, or he could go eastward along the official road to Xijing Prefecture, the capital of Qinzhou. There would be contact points for the Qingping Society in these big cities.

    He was a pragmatic person. Although he wanted to leave the Qingping Society, he did not mind taking advantage of the various conveniences the Qingping Society provided, especially in a time of need.

    However, this would be an extremely long journey, ranging from several months to half a year at most. After all, he could not take a flying ship and could only travel on foot. Fortunately, Qi Xuansu was ustomed to traveling on foot through his many years of experience as a traveler. Coupled with his current Yuxu stage of cultivation and physique of a Martial Arts Practitioner, traveling this stretch ofnd was not a difficult task.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu headed north. At the same time, he was also careful to hide his whereabouts, choosing small roads so as to avoid encountering people from the Daoist Order.

 Chapter 189: Auxiliary Heart

    <h4>Chapter 189: Auxiliary Heart</h4>

    Only solitude and loneliness apanied Qi Xuansu since he was traveling by himself. When he was traveling with Zhang Yuelu back then, he always felt that time passed quickly, so the long journey always seemed short. Now that he was alone, he began to miss Zhang Yuelu. Even if they always encountered various dangerous situations during their travels, he much preferred that to not seeing a single soul.

    It took him three days to finally reach the edge of the Salt Lake.

    Salt Lake was an area with a few sparse green patches, which failed to bring vitality to the yellow desert sand. Instead, it entuated the barren and deserted Gobi Desert.

    However, the Salt Lake was not like the Death Sea, so there were still clusters of human settlements on the edge and even in the depths of the Salt Lake. Qi Xuansu¡¯s top priority now was to buy a horse for transportation. He still had his own savings of 300 Taiping coins, as well as the 500 Taiping coins from Zhao Fu¡¯an, totaling 800 Taiping coins. This should be enough to support him for a long time.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu no longer cared about revenge or keeping the 500 Taiping coins cash note as a reminder. Survival was more important.

    It was freezing in the Western Region, much colder than Jiangnan and Wuzhou in the south. If Qi Xuansu did not have his transformed, hot-blooded physique like that of a Martial Arts Practitioner, he would have been frozen to death.

    The only advantage of this route was that the people from the Daoistmunity would not travel here because they did not want to suffer hardships. Although this ce was right next to the Ancestral Court, it was rare to see Daoists here. So Qi Xuansu was safe for the time being.

    After nightfall, Qi Xuansu took shelter on the leeward side of a slope. He poured his innate qi into the mother-child talisman in his hand, which turned into mes that were not hot to the touch. Madam Qi¡¯s face and upper body appeared in the mes, contorting as the mes swayed.

    Madam Qi¡¯s voice came through from the mes, slightly distorted. ¡°Tian Yuan, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Madam Qi, you know what happened?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Madam Qi quipped. ¡°A flying ship crashed. This is a big ident that has not happened in many years, so needless to say, news of it has spread all over the world in just a few days. How could I not hear about it? I just didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯d get caught in this kind of incident that only happens once in a lifetime! I really don¡¯t know what to say.¡±

    Qi Xuansu frowned. ¡°Madam Qi, you don¡¯t seem surprised that I¡¯m still alive.¡±

    Madam Qi¡¯s eyes widened in the mes. ¡°You heartless little brat! Do you think I want you to die?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Qi Xuansu exined, ¡°I mean, a normal person would think it impossible for me to survive a fall from those heights. So you should have sounded surprised and happy when I contacted you out of the blue. But you seemed unusually calm, as if you¡¯d already known that I¡¯d survive this.¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡± Madam Qi said sheepishly, ¡°Well, of course, I had high hopes that you¡¯d survive. After all, you¡¯re a blessed child, protected by the gods, with all the luck in¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop the nonsense.¡± Qi Xuansu quickly interrupted her. ¡°Madam Qi, don¡¯t pretend like you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m hinting at. What exactly is going on? Is this rted to the body transformation that the Qingping Society did to me? Also, don¡¯t even try to act like you can¡¯t hear me because the formations are interfering with ourmunication. I¡¯m in a barrennd with no formations for miles!¡±

    At this point, Madam Qi could not y dumb anymore. She reluctantly said, ¡°Fine, it does have a slight connection.¡±

    ¡°Just a <u>slight</u> connection?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Madam Qi said, ¡°This is what I find strange. The Qingping Society transformed your body so that you¡¯de back to life. To be precise, you should have entered a state of suspended animation so that your body can slowly heal.

    ¡°But the specific time required for this repair depends on the severity of the injuries you suffered before death. Of course, you can¡¯t be dismembered, pulverized, or burned to ashes. You must still have a rtivelyplete body. ording to my calctions, it should have taken you three months to wake up and contact me. How could you be back to normal in just a few days?¡±

    Qi Xuansu immediately remembered something and asked tentatively, ¡°Could it be rted to the Xuan Jade?¡±

    ¡°You got another piece of Xuan Jade?¡± Madam Qi asked, ¡°When did this happen?¡±

    Qi Xuansu roughly recounted what happened at Yn Temple. After Madam Qi heard this, she did not answer Qi Xuansu¡¯s question. Instead, she asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it back then?¡±

    He replied, ¡°I was with Qing Xiao at the time and didn¡¯t have time to contact you.¡±

    Madam Qi pressed on. ¡°What about when you arrive at Yunjin Mountain? You should have plenty of time then, right? The Dazhen Mansion can¡¯t possibly restrict the use of mother-child talismans.¡±

    Qi Xuansu felt guilty. ¡°Well, when you sent Li Qingnu to meet me, I thought you already knew about it.¡±

    Madam Qi snorted. ¡°It¡¯s my business if I find out some clues through other channels. But whether you tell me is your choice. It¡¯s not the same thing. You¡¯re such a heartless little ingrate! How could you forget your mother once you have a wife?! No wait, she¡¯s not even your wife yet, but you¡¯ve already disowned me!¡±

    At this point, Madam Qi covered her face in dismay and continued, ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m so blind to have trusted the wrong man. I thought I would have someone to rely on when I get older, but I didn¡¯t expect how ungrateful you are to abandon me after you¡¯ve found a backer like the Zhang family. Go to her, then!¡±

    Qi Xuansu looked helpless, but he did not feel bad for Madam Qi at all. He sure as hell had no intention of apologizing to her. There was a saying that parents were the best models for their children. This was where Qi Xuansu learned how to be such a good actor. It was all thanks to Madam Qi.

    Seeing that Madam Qi¡¯s emotions were rising and that she was probably nning to cut off theirmunication out of ¡°sorrow and anger,¡± Qi Xuansu hurriedly interrupted her. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can get away with exining by deviating from the topic! You can¡¯t trick me this time. You clearly know everything. I won¡¯t let this slide! Unless you n to never see me again and keep avoiding me, I will keep pestering you until you exin this to me.¡±

    Madam Qi had no choice but to put down the hand that was covering her face. She wiped the corners of her eyes and huffed. ¡°You¡¯re so mean! How can you be so indifferent when you see your mother crying?¡±

    Qi Xuansu immediately recalled that Madam Qi had told her friends that he was her godson. He was not disgusted with it. In fact, their rtionship was simr to that of an adopted mother and an adopted son.

    In their society, it was not easy for women to raise children alone, so it was moremon to see adopted father-and-son pairs. An adopted mother was still rtively rare. Qi Xuansu had to admit that his master and Madam Qi had filled the roles of his non-existent parents. But Qi Xuansu was unforgiving this time. ¡°I have never seen a mother who likes to act in front of her own son and deceive her own son!¡±

    The two of them stared down at each other through the mes for a long time. In the end, Madam Qi was the first topromise. ¡°Ugh, fine! I¡¯ll exin. Your resurrection is rted to the Xuan Jade and the Qingping Society.¡±

    This was something Qi Xuansu had guessed a long time ago, so he was not surprised. He pursued further. ¡°So what exactly did the Qingping Society do to me?¡±

    Madam Qi replied, ¡°When you were pierced through the heart back then, I couldn¡¯t save you by myself. So I brought you back to the Qingping Society and asked them to save you. The principle is not thatplicated, actually. Since your heart failed, they just imnted a new heart into your body.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled. He recalled how he had no heartbeat when he regained consciousness in theke. He subconsciously pressed his chest and asked anxiously, ¡°Does this mean that I¡¯m a heartless person?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. You¡¯ll be easily found out if you¡¯re still well and alive but don¡¯t have a heartbeat. It¡¯ll make thingsplicated.¡± Madam Qi shook her head. ¡°Amputated limbs can be regenerated, but it takes time. Of course, the heart can also be regenerated, but it also takes time.

    ¡°However, people will die without a heartbeat, so the idea is to rece your heart with something else to maintain your vitals while giving your heart enough time to slowly regenerate and heal itself. Once your heart has regenerated, you can use it again.¡±

    Qi Xuansu suddenly understood. ¡°That¡¯s why I went through several inspections...¡±

    ¡°Of course they¡¯ll need to check how well your heart is recovering,¡± Madam Qi said matter-of-factly.

    Qi Xuansu asked again, ¡°Then what is this thing that temporarily reces the heart?¡±

    Madam Qi answered, ¡°The Qingping Society calls it the Auxiliary Heart. It¡¯s just like when a Deputy Hall Master fills in for the Hall Master when the Hall Master is not around. Once your heart is fully recovered, we will return it to its original position.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had some guesses. He quickly asked, ¡°So where is this Auxiliary Heart now?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s still in your body.¡± Madam Qi looked at Qi Xuansu as if he were stupid. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll just dissect you again to take out this Auxiliary Heart?¡±

    Qi Xuansu covered his heart and took a few steps back. He almost fell backward, but he managed to catch himself. He gasped. ¡°In other words, the reason why I didn¡¯t die this time was because of this Auxiliary Heart?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also the Xuan Jade. That piece of Xuan Jade you got symbolizes life.¡± Madam Qi exined, ¡°The Xuan Jade¡¯s power has also altered the Auxiliary Heart. When you were in suspended animation, the Auxiliary Heart started beating to rece your stopped heart and injected the Xuan Jade¡¯s life energy into your whole body, healing your injuries. That¡¯s why you came back to life in such a short time.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was still in disbelief. ¡°This is truly a work of art that surpasses thews of the heavens!¡±

    ¡°You look like you have never seen the world.¡± Madam Qi scoffed with disdain. ¡°Actually, the Daoist Order¡¯s Huasheng Hall can do it too, but it¡¯s too costly, so low-ranking priests like you won¡¯t be able to enjoy such privileges. High-ranking priests, who are mostly Heavenly Beings, won¡¯t need such means to save their lives. These injuries mean nothing to them.¡±

    Qi Xuansu settled his mind and said cautiously, ¡°It¡¯s costly, huh? Does that mean you helped me foot this medical bill first?¡±

    Madam Qi rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Something like that. The Qingping Society still bore most of the cost. That¡¯s why you will have to pay off your debt before you leave the Qingping Society. I gave you the alias Gold-ted Knife just so you¡¯d remember your debt. In short, Qi Xuansu, you have to pay back what you owe me!¡±

 Chapter 190: Feilong Inn

    <h4>Chapter 190: Feilong Inn</h4>

    Salt Lake was deste. Looking around, one would see nothing but desert sand and rugged por trees. Qi Xuansu traveled under the scorching sun during the day and cultivated his qi instead of sleeping at night.

    In fact, traveling alone was not easy. Only Heavenly Beings could make wandering about the world alone look simple and cool. Ordinary travelers had to endure long periods of loneliness and suffer from fatigue. Some had it worse, having to worry about their livelihood.

    However, loneliness also had its advantages. One could concentrate on their goal without getting distracted. Qi Xuansu headed north. Every night, he used the Rogue Cultivator¡¯s method to regte his vitals, meditate his mind, and calm his breath.

    Due to the Xuan Jade and the medicinal wine, Qi Xuansu could clearly feel his qi circting in the middle Dantian. His cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds. Although he had not yet broken through the final barrier, he was one step closer to the Holy Embryo Realm.

    Qi Xuansu traveled for six days, almost reaching the edge of the Salt Lake. However, the color of the sky suddenly changed. There was a huge sandstorm approaching. Qi Xuansu could not brave the sandstorm, so he had to find shelter as soon as possible.

    Soon, Qi Xuansu spotted arge g raised high in the distance, which rustled in the strong wind. It was a big sign that read, Feilong Inn.

    The inns located in the Gobi Desert were very different from themon Taiping Inn found in the cities. The main building, made of rammed earth, was two stories high. There were two courtyards outside, which were used to keep misceneous items and horses. Most inns in the desert had underground cers for temporary shelter, as some sandstorms were strong enough to destroy buildings.

    The gpole stood in the middle of the courtyard. Qi Xuansu entered the inn. Due to the strong winds and sand in the desert, the windows were made to be very small, so the lobby was extremely dark at this time. Not surprisingly, this was a mom-and-pop shop, unlike the big names in the cities.

    The innkeeper and his wife were standing in the shadows behind the counter. The innkeeper was thin, wearing a baggy robe that looked loose on him. His wife had a plump figure with curves in all the right ces. She was the definition of a mature and charming woman.

    The innkeeper was startled to see Qi Xuansu. Having been able to run an inn in the desert for many years, the innkeeper was no ordinary man. He had some mystical abilities, allowing him to see one¡¯s aura. Thus, the innkeeper could tell at a nce that Qi Xuansu had an intense killing aura.

    If a person imed too many lives, they would naturally form a killing aura. For example, butchers ughter animals for a living, so they also had a strong killing aura. Thus, ordinary ghosts could not get close to them. A mass murderer would also have a killing aura that was intense enough to repel evil spirits.

    The innkeeper could only see Qi Xuansu¡¯s restrained killing aura with a slight red glow. But he could not distinguish its depths. As such, the innkeeper knew that this young man was not a novice but an experienced traveler.

    At this time, the innkeeper¡¯s wife came out from behind the counter and greeted Qi Xuansu. ¡°Sir, are you looking for a ce to stay?¡±

    Qi Xuansu noticed that there was already a group of guests in the lobby, but they were just sitting in the corner. Since it was dark outside and there were nomps indoors, they were hidden in the shadows, easily overlooked.

    This group of people wore ck gauze hats, brocade robes, and official boots. They also carried weapons at all times.

    They were the Green Phoenix Guard.

    There were more than twenty guards in the lobby, seated separately at three tables. Their leader was a white-haired old man who sat alone at a table. He was wearing a green brocade robe with narrow sleeves and a belt with a bronze phoenix-head buckle. His saber, with a one-meter-long de and twenty-centimeter-long hilt, was hanging on his waist. Although the saber was sheathed, its shape was clear. The saber¡¯s spine was straight, and only the de was slightly curved.

    It was the standard uniform of the Green Phoenix Guard.

    When Qi Xuansu looked at the group of Green Phoenix Guards, the white-haired old man also looked at Qi Xuansu and asked, ¡°Are you from the Daoist Order?¡±

    Qi Xuansu knew that his clothes, which were of the typical Jade Capital fashion, had given away his identity. However, his clothes were in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s magical receptacle, so he could not change into something moremon. Thus, he gave a vague answer. ¡°My apologies, but I can¡¯t share that.¡±

    The white-haired old man nodded thoughtfully and did not ask further.

    Qi Xuansu looked at the innkeeper¡¯s wife and said, ¡°I¡¯d like one guest room and a small pint of <i>Fenjiu</i>[1]. Don¡¯t mix it with water. I¡¯d also like a tter of cooked beef. If you don¡¯t have beef, mutton is fine as well.¡±

    The innkeeper¡¯s wife responded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sir. Although our shop is small, we are honest businessmen and will never be so immoral as to dilute the wine.¡±

    While talking, the innkeeper¡¯s wife quickly poured about 250 milliliters of wine from therge wine jar behind the counter into a tin jug. The innkeeper then turned around and went to the kitchen to cook the meat.

    Qi Xuansu took the jug and asked, ¡°How much is the total?¡±

    ¡°The room is 70 Ruyi coins, the wine is 42 Ruyi coins, and the beef is 65 Ruyi coins. The total after rounding it up will be 180 Ruyi coins.¡± The innkeeper¡¯s wife had already calcted the amount.

    Qi Xuansu put down two small silver coins on the counter. ¡°Let¡¯s just round it up to 200. You can keep the change.¡±

    The innkeeper¡¯s wife did not refuse. She put away the two small Taiping coins, which were worth 200 Ruyi coins, and thanked him profusely.

    Qi Xuansu was not in a hurry to rest, thinking he could head upstairs to his room after having his meal.

    Not long after, the door of the inn was suddenly pushed open from the outside. The turbulent wind and sand rolled into the lobby. Then, a group of people slowly walked into the inn.

    This group had a strange mix of people¡ªa Confucian schr, a Daoist priest, a monk, and a few women dressed asmoners.

    The white-haired old man narrowed his eyes upon seeing this group of people. The strange group was from a secret society called the Heavenly Court.

    The Heavenly Court was made up of a delusional bunch, iming that they had integrated five entities¡ªthe Daoist Order, the Buddhist Sect, the Confucian School, the Shamanistic Sect, and the Western Holy Court¡ªinto one. They also imed to have achieved what the leaders of the Confucian School and the Daoist Order had failed to do by integrating the three main religions.

    However, unlike the Ziguang Society, the Cult of Fates, and the Lingshan Witch Cult, the Heavenly Court did not require blood sacrifices, living souls, or incense power. They preferred money. They amassed wealth ruthlessly and deceived hundreds of thousands of people.

    Thus, it was mainly up to the Imperial Court to eradicate this secret society, which was causing harm to the country and the people. In retaliation, the Heavenly Court initiated several uprisings, but most of them were ineffective against the ck Robes.

    Therefore, the rtionship between the Green Phoenix Guard and the Heavenly Court was like fire and ice.

    The Daoist Order also disliked the Heavenly Court for giarizing their beliefs and altering the Daoist divine figures. In Daoism, the Primordial Daoist Ancestor was held in the highest esteem. Even the Emperor of Heaven and other deities were below the Primordial Daoist Ancestor.

    However, the Heavenly Court imitated the Imperial Court and formed a Divine Court. In this court, the Jade Emperor was the supreme leader, and all other deities were downgraded to ministers, including the Primordial Daoist Ancestor, Buddha, and gods from other religions.

    Like the Qingping Society, members of the Heavenly Court used aliases. These aliases were mostly named after various deities, such as All-Seeing Eyes, Sharp Ears, Golden Boy, Jade Girl, God of Thunder, Mother of Lightning, God of Wind, Master of Rain, Ghost King, Mighty Spirit God, Dark Lady of the Nine Heavens, and Marshal Tianpeng, to name a few.

    The Heavenly Court also imitated the three Deputy Grand Masters of the Daoist Order and established the so-called Three Officials, namely the Heaven Official, the Earth Official, and the Water Official.

    There were three major festivals in Daoism, namely the Shangyuan Festival on January 15th, which was the birthday of the Heaven Celestial, the Zhongyuan Festival on July 15th, which was the birthday of the Earth Celestial, and the Xiayuan Festival on October 15th, which was the birthday of the Water Celestial.

    These three days were for worshiping Heaven, Earth, and Water. The Great Sages and Sages of the Daoist Order had to fast and cleanse their bodies, and there would be a grand ceremony. The Heavenly Court simply created an incarnation of the Three Celestials and renamed them the Three Officials. Their audacity and recklessness were unparalleled.

    This was also why the Heavenly Court generally did not dare provoke the Daoist Order. They had borrowed and marred Daoist deities, which was taboo in the Daoistmunity. However, the Daoist Order was tied up with internal fighting and secret societies rted to the Ancient Immortals, so they had no additional resources to eradicate the Heavenly Court. Of course, the Heavenly Court did not just disrespect Daoism. They did the same to Buddhism as well.

    The group that walked into the inn was not intimidating. They were the rtively unimposing Six Dings and Six Jias, which were twelve Daoist deities. The six Dings were female yin gods, namely Ding Mao, Ding Yi, Ding Wei, Ding You, Ding Hai, and Ding Chou. The six Jias were the male yang gods, namely Jia Zi, Jia Xu, Jia Shen, Jia Wu, Jia Chen, and Jia Yin.

    The leader of this group was Jia Shen. He scanned the small inn and paused slightly on Qi Xuansu. Finally, his gazended on the white-haired old man.

    The white-haired old man sat still and continued drinking his wine.

    Jia Shen spoke slowly, with a hoarse voice. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯ve encountered a bunch of Eagle ws. We should just throw them outside in the snowstorm!¡±

    The white-haired old man said calmly, ¡°How bold of you.¡±

    Jia Shen narrowed his eyes and looked at the white-haired old man. ¡°Give me a sign.¡±

    The white-haired old man put down the wine ss in his hand and said in a deep voice, ¡°I don¡¯t speak ng, as I am a major of the Green Phoenix Guard. My name is Sui Fan.¡±

    In an instant, all the Green Phoenix Guards held the hilt of their swords or gripped their guns.

    The people behind Jia Shen were not to be outdone, brandishing their weapons, including swords, spears, knives, halberds, and firearms.

    Both sides were ready to fight at any moment.

    Qi Xuansu had no intention of getting involved, so he retreated to the side and slowly sipped on his wine.

    1. Strong colorless Chinese liquor. ?

 Chapter 191: Heavenly Court

    <h4>Chapter 191: Heavenly Court</h4>

    That was how the members of the Heavenly Court and the Green Phoenix Guards met. The two parties were hostile toward each other, so a bloody battle was inevitable.

    At this moment, the door of the inn was quickly pushed open and closed again. Another man in his forties walked in. He was handsome and dressed in a well-fitting green official uniform, making him look valiant. Only his ivory fan looked out of ce with the Green Phoenix Guard uniform.

    Jia Shen, who had narrowed his eyes, opened his eyes wide after this person came in, his eyes filled with animosity.

    The white-haired old man and the other Green Phoenix Guards quickly stood up from their seats and saluted the man respectfully. ¡°Senior Major!¡±

    The man opened the folding fan with a snap and fanned himself gently. The mutton-fat jade pendant hanging from his fan was very conspicuous.

    Jia Shen said in a deep voice, ¡°I haven¡¯t asked for your name yet.¡±

    The man replied, ¡°Eighth Tianyang.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled upon hearing this name. It took him a while to realize that ¡°Eighth¡± was ast name because it was truly rare. The origin of thisst name was from the Eight Ancient Noble Families, which ranged from First to Eighth. The total number of people with thesest names was not even a fraction of those with the Zhang and List names. Among the Eight Ancient Noble Families, Fifth was considered the mostmon one, while the rest were usually unheard of.

    Jia Shen¡¯s face turned stern as he slowly stood up and took a step forward.

    The atmosphere in the lobby instantly became tense and suffocating. Even the faint lighting from the window dimmed, making the lobby even darker than it already was.

    The next moment, Jia Shen stomped his foot and stood firm. A circle of qi that was visible to the naked eye rippled out from him.

    Eighth Tianyang did not dodge him and took a step forward. He snapped the fan closed, and with a light tap, the ripple of qi disappeared.

    Jia Shen snickered, sounding like an owl cooing in the night. ¡°I must have been blind not to see it.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang took a step back and opened the fan again.

    The innkeeper¡¯s wife had probably seen her fair share of fights before, as she did not panic and merely squatted behind the counter. From time to time, she would look up from the counter to monitor the situation. The innkeeper simply stayed in the back kitchen.

    Naturally, Qi Xuansu did not get to have the beef that he ordered, but he still remained seated in the corner.

    Suddenly, a woman from the Heavenly Court turned her gaze to Qi Xuansu and shed a charming smile. Her delicate red lips moved seductively as she spoke. ¡°Sir, you look extraordinary. May I ask for your name?¡±

    Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment before he replied, ¡°Wei Wugui. I¡¯m just a passing traveler.¡±

    The woman slowly walked to Qi Xuansu¡¯s table and sat down, leaning forward slightly to show off her perky breasts. ¡°Sir, let me propose a toast.¡±

    When she tapped the table lightly, the wine ss flew and spun toward Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu caught the wine ss effortlessly, closed his palm, and crushed the ss into powder, letting the powder slip through his fingers.

    Then Qi Xuansu raised the tin jug and said, ¡°I prefer drinking from the jug.¡±

    The woman¡¯s expression changed slightly. She intended to test Qi Xuansu¡¯s strength, but she did not expect Qi Xuansu to be so crude.

    She was about to retaliate, but at that moment, the sky turnedpletely dark. A sandstorm was passing through.

    If anyone was still outside, they would see a line of darkness on the horizon, which would quickly spread to the entire sky. The storm swept across the desert, filling the sky with sand and dust, making it difficult to distinguish between the sky and the ground. Everything was a blur.

    In the violent sandstorm, the inn was like an inconspicuous rock. If the storm were continuous, the sand would eventually bury the inn.

    The people inside the inn only heard the harsh sounds of the wind and sand hitting the outer walls.

    Sui Fan, the white-haired major, signaled his subordinates to block the door. At this moment, the door of the inn cracked open, and someone quickly slipped in.

    The old woman who just entered was short in stature and had a gloomy face. She exuded a fierce, killing aura as she nced around the lobby with her murky eyes.

    Jia Shen greeted her. ¡°Ding Chou, you have finally arrived.¡±

    The old woman said, ¡°I was held up by a little ident on the way over.¡±

    Jia Shen felt emboldened by Ding Chou¡¯s arrival. He turned to Qi Xuansu and dered, ¡°The Heavenly Court has spread its teachings all over the world. I don¡¯t care where you are from. As long as you help me get rid of these Eagle ws today, the Heavenly Court will owe you one. In the future, you can be the esteemed guest of the Heavenly Court and even learn high-attainment methods from us.¡±

    Qi Xuansu frowned and repeated. ¡°I¡¯m just a passerby.¡±

    Jia Shen¡¯s voice deepened threateningly. ¡°So, you won¡¯t stand on our side?¡±

    Qi Xuansu said nothing in response.

    ¡°You are either our friend or our foe.¡± Jia Shen¡¯s attitude turned cold.

    Qi Xuansu had been in the Ancestral Court for months, so he was influenced by some Daoist habits. Especially after experiencing the crash of the flying ship, Qi Xuansu felt even more disgust and resentment for these secret societies. He scoffed lightly. ¡°Cult demons like you deserve to die.¡±

    Ding Chou sneered. ¡°I knew he was a Daoist dog!¡±

    Sui Fan, the Green Phoenix Guard major, could tell that Qi Xuansu looked like someone from the Daoist Order. Jia Shen also guessed it, but since Qi Xuansu was not wearing the formal attire of a Daoist priest, it was hard to be sure, so he asked the woman to test Qi Xuansu. After seeing Qi Xuansu¡¯s strength, Jia Shen tried to see which side Qi Xuansu was on. Finally, Jia Shen could be sure that Qi Xuansu was an enemy.

    After all, the Daoist Order¡¯s tone and disdain for the secret societies were not something that ordinary people could learn.

    The Green Phoenix Guards in the inn were relieved by this. Regardless of the undercurrents between the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court, these two parties were united when it came to dealing with cult demons. However, Sui Fan could not understand why Qi Xuansu did not want to reveal his identity as a Daoist disciple. He wondered if Qi Xuansu was carrying out other important tasks for the Daoist Order.

    Ding Chou disappeared in a sh and came to Qi Xuansu. She hooked five fingers, which exuded a dark aura, and pped him on the top of the head.

    Qi Xuansu did not expect that he would be involved in an unnecessary dispute. He was unafraid and blocked Ding Chou¡¯s w-like fingers with a punch.

    The collision resonated in the lobby, spreading a circle of qi that was visible to the naked eye all around them. The people from the Heavenly Court and the Green Phoenix Guard retreated.

    Qi Xuansu was still not at Zhang Yuelu¡¯s level, but he could stand a fight against ordinary Guizhen-stage practitioners. However, he did not want to expose his true identity and deliberately posed as a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Flesh and Blood Realm. Fortunately, Ding Chou was not a formidable opponent, as she was also in the Yuxu stage.

    The two of them moved in a flurry. In the blink of an eye, Ding Chou and Qi Xuansu had already left the sheltered inn and were fighting in the raging sandstorm.

    Qi Xuansu faced Ding Chou head-on, without any fear. He was grounded like a mountain. His punches caused such violent shockwaves that some of the flying rocks in the storm shattered into pieces. Although he did not use any mystical abilities, his punch contained strong blood qi, which could break spells.

    He punched forward, pushing two boulders toward Ding Chou. At the same time, he exerted force from his feet, kicking out countless flying rocks of different sizes that rained down on Ding Chou.

    Ding Chou waved her hands wildly, releasing her innate qi to stop the rocks from hitting her.

    On the other side, Jia Shen strode toward Eighth Tianyang.

    Eighth Tianyang did not panic even when facing a master like Jia Shen.

    Jia Shen no longer hesitated. He took a step forward and reached out to grab Eighth Tianyang, but thetter floated backward.

    Jia Shen chased after him, reaching out to Eighth Tianyang with a white smoke that lingered between his fingers, which enveloped Eighth Tianyang in an instant.

    Eighth Tianyang raised his closed folding fan and pointed at Jia Shen¡¯s vitals, so Jia Shen had to avoid being hit by the invisible qi.

    Their subordinates also started fighting in the inn.

    A Green Phoenix Guard killed a sword-wielding monk with a pistol, then threw the pistol at a schr who was using a metal ruler. The Green Phoenix Guard stabbed the schr with a saber, but he was immediately killed by a Daoist priest.

    Another Green Phoenix Guard cut off a monk¡¯s legs. The monk, who was waving a rod wildly, fell forward and struggled to get up. But he was shot to death by the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s crossbow bolt.

    Two people passed by, shing each other with a knife. The Green Phoenix Guard chopped off the head of a cult demon, but he was shed in his lower abdomen. Blood flowed non-stop, and his intestines almost spilled out from his wound. The Green Phoenix Guard staggered forward a few steps before he was shot to death.

    Another Green Phoenix Guard stabbed the cult demon¡¯s chest with a long knife. At the same time, he was shot through the head with a pistol. They both died instantly.

    A skillful Green Phoenix Guard chopped off the head of a cult demon. But before he could make another move, he felt a strong gust of wind as a sledgehammer struck him on the top of his head. His head burst open, and he died on the spot.

    This battle was bloody and fierce. Both sides suffered many casualties.

    Outside the inn, Qi Xuansu, who had been pretending to be a Martial Arts Practitioner, saw that the sand was a good cover to obscure his movements. Suddenly, his innate qi rushed out like a torrential wave as he smacked Ding Chou¡¯s forehead with his palm, knocking her away.

    He was so fast that Ding Chou did not even have time to react. Ding Chounded heavily on the ground and struggled to get up. At that moment, Qi Xuansu suddenly appeared in front of her and punched her again. Ding Chou shook violently for a moment before copsing.

 Chapter 192: The Secrets of Inventions

    <h4>Chapter 192: The Secrets of Inventions</h4>

    Members of secret societies would never refer to themselves as cult demons because they believed in their own cause and believed themselves to be the best. The terms ¡°cult demon¡± and ¡°secret society¡± were only used by orthodox authorities like the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court.

    Therefore, when Qi Xuansu referred to the Heavenly Court members as cult demons, the Heavenly Court members immediately knew that Qi Xuansu was a member of the Daoist Order, especially because of his clothes.

    It was difficult for people who had never been in the Daoist order to grasp the disdain and contempt hidden between the words ¡°secret society.¡± If Qi Xuansu were an ordinary traveler, he should have been intimidated by the Heavenly Court.

    The Heavenly Court did not dare to openly confront the Daoist Order, unlike the Ziguang Society, the Cult of Fates, and the Lingshan Witch Cult. However, they were still brave enough to capture a lone Daoist disciple.

    It was a pity that they met Qi Xuansu after he had obtained the Xuan Jade. In the Daoistmunity, Qi Xuansu was regarded as the best among the low-ranking Daoist priests. He could also fight against less skilled fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist priests. His strength should not be underestimated.

    After Qi Xuansu dealt with Ding Chou, he stood in the sandstorm and did not rush back to the inn. He could not trek across the desert in a sandstorm, but he could stay in it briefly. Not to mention, the wall of the inn¡¯s courtyard was shielding him from a direct hit.

    ......

    Previously, Qi Xuansu and Madam Qi talked through the mother-child talisman, where he learned many secrets.

    The piece of Xuan Jade from Yn Temple symbolized life, so it could be used to control one¡¯s blood qi. That was why Qi Xuansu seemed to be practicing two lineages, with supernatural regenerative abilities that resembled those of Martial Arts Practitioners in the Flesh and Blood Realm.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu did not have the essence of Martial Arts Practitioners, which was to integrate the body and spirit. Qi Xuansu was still far from that. Likewise, someone who cultivated innate qi might not necessarily be a Qi Refiner. They might be a Rogue Cultivator or a Banished Immortal.

    Of course, there were different types of Xuan Jades that had different magical powers. One could also umte the Xuan Jade¡¯s magical powers. If Qi Xuansu could get another Xuan Jade of Life, his blood qi would be stronger. His regenerative abilities would also be amplified, to the extent that if he were decapitated, his head could regenerate a new body. He would be undying.

    However, not everyone could fuse the Xuan Jade¡¯s abilities into their bodies. Those who could use the Xuan Jade were mostly Heavenly Beings with a high enough cultivation level or people who had been specially transformed, such as Qi Xuansu, who had an Auxiliary Heart.

    In fact, both the Auxiliary Heart and the Xuan Jade came from the early years of the Holy Xuan Era, where inventions were encouraged. Back then, the Holy Xuan put the Zhengyi Sect in charge of supernatural matters rting to ghosts and gods, the Taiping Sect in charge of human affairs, and the Quanzhen Sect in charge of inventions.

    This period of invention had an extremely far-reaching impact. Such inventions included Spirit Guards, Rogue Cultivators, the Eight Tribes, Tianji Hall, Huasheng Hall, Imitation Qiongqi Blood, Imitation Torch Dragon Blood, Corpse Poison, Soul-Returning Incense, flying ships, upgraded mother-child talismans, and so on. These inventions changed the development of the world.

    At the time, the Quanzhen Sect was in charge of inventions, so in the early wars against the Ancient Immortals and the Daoist Order, the Quanzhen Sect rarely made an appearance. Even when the Ancient Immortals sneaked into the Jade Capital, only two Deputy Grand Masters fought in the battle. The Great Sage of the Quanzhen Sect was absent from that fierce battle.

    Later, the Holy Xuan restructured the Ancestral Court and established the Nine Halls. Personnel arrangements, finances, and ceremonies that were originally the responsibility of the Virtuous Great Sage were assigned to Ziwei Hall, Duzhi Hall, and Ciji Hall, respectively. Supernatural matters rting to ghosts and gods that were originally the responsibility of the Zhengyi Sect were assigned to Beichen Hall and Tiangang Hall.

    Meanwhile, human affairs that were originally the responsibility of the Taiping Sect were handed over to Shibo Hall and Fengxian Hall. Inventions, which were originally the responsibility of the Quanzhen Sect, were given to Tianji Hall and Huasheng Hall. That was how the Holy Xuan transferred the three major sects¡¯ original responsibilities to the Nine Halls, which were only subjected to the orders of the Grand Master.

    This was to pave the way for dissolving the three major sects in hopes of a united Daoist Order. However, the dispute between the Buddhist Sect and the Daoist Order disrupted the Holy Xuan¡¯s ns to dissolve the three major sects. Thus, the three major sects coexisted with the Nine Halls.

    When the Quanzhen Sect was put in charge of inventions back then, many different factions arose within the sect, each with different opinions. Some focused on firearms and mechanisms; some focused on incense power; and some focused on spells and talismans.

    One of the factions specialized in studying the blood of various mythical beasts with the intention of transfusing this blood into the human body. Another faction specialized in cultivating zombies, intending to form armies of the dead. There were about a dozen more factions with different invention ideologies.

    The Holy Xuan and the Earthly Preceptor at that time rejected some of these ideologies out of deep-seated considerations. The rejected ideas included studying the human body, intending to copy the real form of Martial Arts Practitioners but it ended in creating inhuman monsters. Another example was studying the blood of wild beasts and creating various half-demons and so on.

    The rejected ideas were either too cruel, dubbed against human ethics, or too difficult and impractical. Eight of these rejected factionster left the Daoist Order and continued their own research, forming the secret society called the Eight Tribes.

    There were also some other factions or individuals who joined other secret societies, such as the Qingping Society and the Cult of Fates. This should have been stopped, but at the time, the Daoist Order was too busy dealing with the war against the Buddhist Sect. Thus, these people managed to slip away.

    In fact, Rogue Cultivators also came from one of the factions. The initial purpose was to imitate and mass-produce Banished Immortals. The result was sessful, but due to the exorbitant cost of creating a Banished Immortal, it was not practical. Thus, the semi-finished product¡ªRogue Cultivators¡ªwas left behind.

    Finally, after the Holy Xuan terminated these projects, he redistributed the talents into Tianji Hall and Huasheng Hall. The two halls were simr in a way that they both focused on inventing new items. However, the former was in charge of external items, while thetter was in charge of consumables like pills and elixirs to strengthen the body.

    These two halls set up branches with business functions to solve the problem of insufficient funding from the Duzhi Hall. The various products of their research were converted into Taiping coins, and they were responsible for their own profits and losses.

    In the past, some people came up with wild ideas because the funds were abundant. But they ended in failure, resulting in huge financial losses. After they were left in charge ofing up with funds for their own research, they learned to be more frugal and careful with money.

    Qi Xuansu never heard of these secrets during his time in the Jade Capital. Zhang Yuelu might not even be aware of some of these secrets. But Madam Qi knew this information, indicating that she used to be a high-ranking Daoist priest and that the leader of the Qingping Society was surely a big shot in the Daoist Order.

    As for how the Xuan Jade¡¯s powers were activated, Qi Xuansu already figured that it was through divine power or incense power.

    Qi Xuansu also asked some other questions, such as the origin of the Xuan Jade, its specific quantity, and why the Xuan Jade was scattered all over the world. Why hadn¡¯t the Daoist Order found them all even after 200 years of searching? Or did the Xuan Jade only resurface recently? Why did the Taiping Sect want the Xuan Jade? Did the Daoist Order know of the Xuan Jade¡¯s existence? If so, what is their attitude? Is the Xuan Jade somehow rted to Rogue Cultivators?

    However, Madam Qi did not give him a straight answer to these questions and brushed it off. Qi Xuansu was already satisfied with knowing so much. Moreover, the duration ofmunication through the mother-child talisman was limited, so he did not pursue it further.

    From their conversation, Qi Xuansu felt the power of the Daoist Order. What he saw was only the tip of the iceberg. There was somethingrger hidden under the waters.

    At first nce, Huasheng Hall was just a grand pharmacy, and Tianji Hall was a glorified weapons shop. Who would have thought that there were so many secrets going on behind closed doors?

    As for Tiangang Hall, the Yaoguang Division that was under Zhang Yuelu had just been established a few months ago. It was the smallest division that had not yet been assigned Spirit Guards. However, the top divisions in Tiangang Hall were equipped with arge number of Spirit Guards who were currently deployed to the Western Region to aid in the war against the Shamanistic Sect.

    The Holy Xuan had experienced great resistance back when he split the supernatural affairs between Tiangang Hall and Beichen Hall and the human affairs between Shibo Hall and Fengxian Hall before he finally seeded.

    Fengxian Hall was one of the Nine Halls that Qi Xuansu had never heard of. He had heard of Ciji Hall from Zhang Yuelu when she mentioned that being transferred to the Requiem Division of Ciji Hall to guard the tombs meant the end of one¡¯s career.

    In essence, Fengxian Hall was in charge of regting and executing disciplinary actions. They would not allow unchecked desires or disorderly behavior to lead the Daoist Order into ruin.

    Fengxian Hall had the power to impeach Daoist priests of all levels, absolve wrongly used priests of their crimes, and supervise the local Daoist mansions, serving as the eyes and ears of the Grand Master. Anyone who abused power and formed factions to undermine the Daoist Order would be punished. Improper conduct was rectified.

    Ziwei Hall would involve Fengxian Hall in the priest examinations to ensure the fairness of a promotion. Beichen Hall would also try serious cases with Fengxian Hall to ensure fair judgment or to approve death penalties.

    The third-rank Youyi Daoist master who was demoted for abusing his servants was a typical example of misconduct caught by Fengxian Hall.

    From Qi Xuansu¡¯s understanding, if he was arrested by Beichen Hall, whether he got to live or die depended on the verdict of Fengxian Hall. Of course, if he violently resisted the arrest, Beichen Hall could execute him on the spot.

    As for cult demons, they generally did not get the opportunity to be questioned by Fengxian Hall. Tiangang Hall or Beichen Hall had the right to execute cult demons without going through a trial unless the prisoner was a cult leader with great influence.

    However, the final oue of many major cases still depended on the Golden Tower Council. For example, in the major Jiangnan case, Fengxian Hall only went through the motions to convict the principal offender.

 Chapter 193: Crescent Palm Saw

    <h4>Chapter 193: Crescent Palm Saw</h4>

    Qi Xuansu came to a window and looked inside the inn. The fighting was still ongoing. The sultry woman who tested him earlier also joined in the battle. She moved with agility, as thin silk threads shot out from her cuffs and wrapped around the necks of the two Green Phoenix Guards. With a tug, two heads rolled to the ground.

    On the other side, the white-haired Green Phoenix Guard major, Sui Fan, was fighting with a group of Heavenly Court members. He held a saber with one hand and made it spiral. Then his five fingers turned into ws, which pierced into the cult demon¡¯s chest. When he retracted his hand, he gouged out the demon¡¯s heart and crushed it into pieces.

    After that, Sui Fan shook his hand. It was once again pristine, without a hint of blood. Sui Fan killed several cult demons swiftly in this manner by ripping their hearts out.

    Eighth Tianyang, Jia Shen, and Ding Chou were all at the Yuxu stage of cultivation, while Sui Fan and the sultry woman were at the Kunlun stage. Back when Qi Xuansu was still at the Kunlun stage, he had a close match with Li Sanxin, who was also at the Kunlun stage. But he was almost beaten to death by Zhuge Yongming, who was at the Yuxu stage. This showed that these people were not easy opponents, so Qi Xuansu did not underestimate them.

    From this point of view, the battle with the Lingshan Witch Cult in Yishan City was not considered minor. However, the Lingshan Witch Cult was just unlucky to have encountered Zhang Yuelu, a Banished Immortal. Together with Qi Xuansu and Wang Zicheng, Zhang Yuelu killed or seriously injured most of them.

    Having benefited from the past six months working in the Daoist Order, Qi Xuansu had made great progresspared to when he almost got beaten to death by Zhuge Yongming. He could now easily take the life of Ding Chou. In a sense, Qi Xuansu¡¯s involvement could influence the oue of the current battle in the inn.

    He was indifferent to the Green Phoenix Guards, which were a mix of different kinds of people. There were people like Zhao Guangji, who killed people at every turn, and Lin Zhenyuan, who was a member of the Lingshan Witch Cult. However, there were also upright people like Wang Zicheng.

    Qi Xuansu would notbel someone as good or bad just because they were a Green Phoenix Guard. Simrly, Qi Xuansu could not be considered bad for having killed several Green Phoenix Guards in the past. Everything was highly dependent on the situation.

    Therefore, Qi Xuansu was a little hesitant to help these Green Phoenix Guards. He would have helped if he were still a deacon of Tiangang Hall since there was no conflict of interest between the Imperial Court and the Daoist Order when eradicating secret societies.

    The problem was that Qi Xuansu was no longer the sixth-rank deacon of Tiangang Hall. He was now a member of the Qingping Society who went by two aliases¡ªWei Wugui and Gold-ted Knife. If he rashly helped the Green Phoenix Guard, there was no guarantee that it would backfire, and he would regret itter.

    After some thought, Qi Xuansu decided to help the Green Phoenix Guard. That was because he had already killed Ding Chou from the Heavenly Court. The Heavenly Court was a vengeful bunch, so it was best to eliminate them all. Also, these Green Phoenix Guards seemed reasonable enough, as they had left him alone when he first entered the inn.

    On the contrary, the Heavenly Court members kept testing and threatening him. If the Green Phoenix Guards had not been at the inn and if he had been alone when encountering these cult demons, he would have been outnumbered. If that were the case, he would not be able to defeat them all and might even have to run for his life out in the sandstorm.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu no longer hesitated. He passed through the narrow window, which was only a littlerger than a human head, and returned to the lobby of the inn. He was still pretending to be an ordinary Martial Arts Practitioner in the Yuxu stage as he attacked Jia Shen.

    Panic shed across Jia Shen¡¯s face. He shouted, ¡°The Daoist Dog has joined forces with the Eagle ws!¡±

    In any case, Jia Shen¡¯s cultivation level, which was almost reaching the threshold of the Guizhen stage, was slightly higher than Qi Xuansu¡¯s and Eighth Tianyang¡¯s.

    Eighth Tianyang was not mad at Qi Xuansu for interrupting. He thanked Qi Xuansu and did not step up the offensive.

    Qi Xuansu spent most of his time traveling after leaving the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, so he was used to the derogatory term, ¡°Daoist Dog.¡± He did not care much about Jia Shen¡¯s verbal insults. Instead, he punched Jia Shen and looked for ws in his opponent¡¯s moves.

    He could not use the highly recognizable short sword, Qing Yuan, but he could shoot and seriously injure Jia Shen with the Divine Dragon Pistol and ordinary armor-piercing projectiles.

    After all, the Divine Dragon Pistol was produced by the Divine Armory and had been sold on the ck market. Anyone with money could buy one, so others would not think it was suspicious.

    Eighth Tianyang and Jia Shen rushed forward at the same time. Eighth Tianyang pointed his folding fan at Jia Shen, who also did not hold back. Jia Shen circted his qi into his palm and used it to block Eighth Tianyang¡¯s fan. He even allowed Eighth Tianyang to p him in the chest so that he could strike Eighth Tianyang on the forehead.

    The two of them separated upon impact. Jia Shen was still standing in the same spot, swaying slightly, but Eighth Tianyang flew back like a kite with a broken string. His back hit a support pir of the inn, causing dust to fall from the beams in the lobby.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu stomped hard on the ground, using the force of the recoil to strike Jia Shen. When he was about three meters away from Jia Shen, he suddenly stopped charging forward. Instead, he took one step back, bending his body like a bow. He punched as hard as he could, and his fist shot forward like an arrow.

    Jia Shen crossed his hands to grab Qi Xuansu¡¯s fist and brace for the impact. However, the power of the punch still made him fall.

    If Qi Xuansu¡¯s punchnded on Sui Fan or that sultry woman, they would have been seriously injured, just like when Zhuge Yongming punched Qi Xuansu back then. However, Jia Shen stood up almost immediately after falling. His face, which was slightly pale due to the punch, rapidly returned to a normal hue after a few seconds.

    That was when Qi Xuansu noticed Jia Shen brushing his sleeve. A green light shot out from his sleeve, like a small green snake attacking its prey.

    Although Qi Xuansu had already noticed it and dodged in advance, the sharp green light still managed to graze past his throat. Faint traces of blood oozed out. If it were not for Qi Xuansu¡¯s extraordinary physique, he would have been critically injured.

    The green light rushed toward Qi Xuansu again. Fortunately, Qi Xuansu was on guard this time. At the critical moment, he drew his Divine Dragon Pistol and shot the green light urately in the center, making it stop.

    This green light finally revealed its true appearance. It was a Qi Refiner¡¯s flying sword.

    Qi Xuansu reached out to touch his wound and squinted at the miniature sword with a solemn expression.

    Anyone who was not a Heavenly Being would have a hard time subduing a Qi Refiner¡¯s flying sword, especially if the flying sword was of good quality.

    No one could see Jia Shen¡¯s movement, but the green sword continued to circle Qi Xuansu. It flew so fast that only a green light could be seen.

    The flying sword pursued Qi Xuansu, so he dared not be careless. He reached out several times to catch the flying sword, but all his attempts failed. Instead, the flying sword inflicted several wounds on his arm.

    Suddenly, Qi Xuansu leaned back. The green light shed away, leaving a wound on his forehead and cutting off a lock of his hair.

    Qi Xuansu still did not take action. He was waiting for the perfect moment. Once he could understand the sword-controlling trajectories, he would strike.

    After a while, Qi Xuansu finally made a move. He allowed the flying sword to pierce through his palm so that he could force it to stop, then he pointed at the sword.

    Although his finger seemed to be hovering mid-air, it created a violent sound of metal and stone colliding in front of Qi Xuansu.

    The flying sword let out a shriek and flew back to Jia Shen. By the time the flying sword stopped moving, the sword qi around it dimmed significantly.

    Qi Xuansu lowered his head and nced at the hole in his palm, which was slowly healing thanks to his regenerative abilities.

    Jia Shen never expected anyone to see through his Sword Controlling Technique. He was startled and sneered, ¡°That¡¯s a good trick! Even though you broke my flying sword, the meridians in your palms are now shattered. Let¡¯s see how many more palms you have to lose once my flying sword recovers!¡±

    Qi Xuansu said indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t be so smug. Your flying sword won¡¯t be able to recover for a while. Even the core disciples of the Taiping Sect may not have two flying swords. You¡¯re lucky enough to get one, but I highly doubt that you have another one up your sleeves.¡±

    He stopped talking and moved abruptly. He clenched his intact hand and punched Jia Shen¡¯s forehead. The wind caused by his fist made Jia Shen¡¯s hair flutter backward.

    However, when his fist was mere centimeters from Jia Shen¡¯s forehead, Jia Shen slid backward and barely avoided the punch.

    At this moment, Eighth Tianyang appeared behind Jia Shen, opening his folding fan with edges that resembled a crescent knife.

    Jia Shen, who had just stood firm, suddenly turned pale. He slowly looked down and saw a red line appearing at his waist.

    Eighth Tianyang calmly took a step back.

    After a while, Jia Shen¡¯s upper body fell to the ground and struggled to crawl away. But his lower body remained standing and motionless.

    His whole body was split into two by the Crescent Palm Saw.

 Chapter 194: Former Daoist

    <h4>Chapter 194: Former Daoist</h4>

    As soon as Jia Shen, the leader of this group of cult demons, died, the rest of the Heavenly Court members immediately fled. Unfortunately, there was a sandstorm outside, so they had nowhere to escape. They could either choose to fight hard or wait to be killed.

    The Green Phoenix Guard would not show mercy either, since some of theirrades had been killed. So they would want the cult demons to pay with their lives.

    Eighth Tianyang shouted, ¡°Kill them!¡±

    As soon as he said that, Eighth Tianyang opened his folding fan and leaped forward. The Crescent Palm Saw shed like the moon and illuminated the dim lobby in an instant. By the time Eighth Tianyang reappeared, two halves of a cult member''s body fell to the side in front of him.

    The Crescent Palm Saw was so fast and sharp that these Heavenly Court members did not feel the pain immediately. It was not until they wanted to get up from the ground that they were shocked to see their lower bodies still standing in ce.

    For a while, the screams of the dying cult members resonated in the inn.

    The sultry woman¡¯s eyelids twitched slightly. Sometimes, a quick death was considered a kind of mercy for these cult demons.

    Eighth Tianyang had one hand behind his back while he held the folding fan in front of his chest. The fan was untainted, but there was a small pool of blood under his feet.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s face was expressionless, unfazed by the gore.

    On the first day he joined the Qingping Society, Madam Qi told him that the real world was a harsh ce. He should not expect anyone to be a good person. Although he felt that this statement was debatable, he could not find a more suitable reason to refute it, so he had no choice but to ept it.

    Qi Xuansu did not like killing people, but he would never hesitate to kill when necessary, especially when traveling alone. Most people were afraid of power, not morals. They also tend to hold grudges instead of remembering kindness.

    Since he decided to help the Green Phoenix Guard, he would not stop them from killing these cult members. Seeing such a scene, the remaining members of the Heavenly Court knew that they had no way out, so they could only bite the bullet and charge at Eighth Tianyang.

    Although Eighth Tianyang was ruthless, these people from the Heavenly Court were not novices. They were vicious, especially since they were in a fight-or-die situation. They fought with all their might, no longer holding back.

    If the disparity in strength was not so great, their desperate efforts might have turned out useful. However, if there was a big gap, they would just be rushing to their deaths.

    Eighth Tianyang moved effortlessly, killing them one by one with the folding fan in his hand.

    The sultry woman finally could not hold it any longer. When Eighth Tianyang retracted his hand after cutting off someone else¡¯s head, the woman suddenly jumped forward, aiming a thin thread at Eighth Tianyang¡¯s throat.

    Eighth Tianyang closed his folding fan and spun it gently, reeling in the woman¡¯s thin thread.

    The woman tried hard to tug on the thread, but to no avail.

    Eighth Tianyang pointed his folding fan at the woman¡¯s chest. Seeing this, the woman gave up on retrieving her thread and stepped back, narrowly avoiding him. But Eighth Tianyang stepped forward and struck her with his palm, which roared like thunder.

    pped on the chest, the woman flew back more than 30 meters away. Afternding, she spat out a mouthful of blood. No one knew if she was alive or dead.

    At the same time, Sui Fan led the rest of the Green Phoenix Guards to kill the remaining cult demons. For a while, the inn¡¯s lobby was littered with corpses, and the ce reeked of blood.

    A Green Phoenix Guard asked for instructions, ¡°What about the innkeeper?¡±

    Sui Fan raised his hand and said, ¡°They are ordinary civilians. We shouldn¡¯t hurt innocent people indiscriminately. Give them 10 Taiping coins aspensation for the broken things and reimburse them at the office.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The Green Phoenix Guard responded quickly.

    Eighth Tianyang did not care about the aftermath. He cupped his fists and saluted Qi Xuansu. ¡°Thank you for your help.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°It¡¯s our duty to kill these cult demons.¡±

    ¡°Are you from the Daoist Order?¡± Eighth Tian Yang asked.

    Qi Xuansu shook his head and replied, ¡°I used to be, but now I¡¯m just a wanderer.¡±

    <i>With the development of Daoism, there were many former Daoists. Some of them joined major secret societies, bing high-level leaders. Some chose to leave on their own ord, while others were kicked out by the Daoist Order.</i>

    <i>As Zhang Yuelu mentioned before, it was easy to leave the Daoist Order. One just had to hand over their resignation to Ziwei Hall or the local Daoist Mansion, which would report back to Ziwei Hall. As long as they were not high-ranking Daoist priests in positions privy to the secrets of the Daoist Order, Ziwei Hall would generally approve the resignations, given legitimate reasons.</i>

    <i>After all, the Daoist Order was not short of people. There were always people who wanted to join the Daoist Order but were not given a chance to. So if someone wanted to leave, the Daoist Order would not stop them.</i>

    <i>The Daoist Order was also not worried that their techniques would spread to the outside world. Although the Holy Xuan had organized the cultivation path for the major lineages, there were more hidden methods in this world. The cultivation path could not be learned in a short period of time, even if someone was a genius with extraordinary talent. </i>

    <i>Improving one¡¯s cultivation level was a step-by-step process. With each improvement in cultivation level, one would continue to acquire new methods and techniques from the Daoist Order. Therefore, a low-ranking Daoist priest would only take what they had learned if they left the Daoist Order. That would usually spell the end of their cultivation path.</i>

    <i>High-ranking Daoist priests were different. In most cases, high-ranking Daoist priests knew too many insider secrets and mastered too many exclusive Daoist methods. So usually, high-ranking Daoist priests were not allowed to leave the Daoist Order. Generally speaking, after bing a high-ranking Daoist priest, one would be a Daoist for life.</i>

    <i>That was why the Daoist Order required fifth-rank Daoist priests to study at the Wanxiang Daoist Pce before being promoted to the fourth rank. These priests would be informed of this information and given a choice to stay or leave the Daoist Order. Compared with low-ranking Daoist priests, high-ranking Daoist priests enjoyed better treatment. But high-ranking priests would also be bound to the Daoist Order for life.</i>

    <i>If they left the Daoist Order without permission, they would be regarded as defectors, and they would be punished if caught. This was also one of the responsibilities of Beichen Hall.</i>

    <i>The Daoist Order allowed those in the Upper Pce of the Wanxiang Daoist Pce to withdraw their title as fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters. This was theirst chance to leave if they wished to do so. However, most people would not wait until then to leave. Most people were born in the Daoistmunity, so they had never thought of leaving. If they were unhappy, they would have left when they were low-ranking priests.</i>

    <i>Of course, some high-ranking Daoist priests were exempted and allowed to leave. For example, those in old age with no hope of promotion and who did not hold critical positions were allowed to leave as long as they were willing to swear an oath of confidentiality.</i>

    <i>This was different from retiring into the mountains. Retiring meant resigning from one¡¯s official position while still retaining one¡¯s rank and treatment. If one day the Daoist Order encountered a disaster and called upon all Daoist disciples to fight, these retired people would be obliged to help.</i>

    <i>However, those who left the Daoist Order were not only relieved of their positions but also of their Daoist identity, rank, and corresponding treatment. The future of the Daoist Order no longer concerned them.</i>

    At the moment, Qi Xuansu thought that his rank and position had been withdrawn because of his ¡°death.¡± What he did not know was that Zhang Yuelu had decided to report him as missing instead of presuming he was dead after the flying ship crash.

    Eighth Tianyang also knew the rules of the Daoist Order, so he said, ¡°I see. No matter what, I still want to thank you for your help. I haven¡¯t asked you for your name yet.¡±

    ¡°My name is Wei Wugui.¡± Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°By the way, what are these people from the Heavenly Court doing in Yongzhou? Isn¡¯t their base camp in Lingnan?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang did not hide anything from him and replied frankly, ¡°I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s because of the Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly.¡±

 Chapter 195: Night Talk

    <h4>Chapter 195: Night Talk</h4>

    ¡°Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly?¡± Qi Xuansu heard this term for the first time. He only felt that he was outdated after only being away for a few months, as the street ng was ever-changing.

    ¡°Brother Wei, haven¡¯t you heard of it?¡± Eighth Tianyang continued, ¡°There will be an Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly at Xiping Prefecture. They im that all heroes should join in the fun. But those people are not heroes. They¡¯re just reckless criminals.¡±

    Qi Xuansu hesitated before guessing, ¡°Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly... Does that mean¡ª?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang nodded. ¡°Eagle refers to the Imperial Court, and dog refers to the Daoist Order. Most of the people participating in this assembly are members of secret societies, excluding the Lingshan Witch Cult, the Cult of Fates, and the Ziguang Society.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was at a loss for words for a moment before finally speaking. ¡°How daring of them! But why did they choose Xiping Prefecture?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang replied, ¡°Xiping Prefecture is not that far from the Kunlun Ancestral Court. This group of people knows what they¡¯re doing. Brother Wei, you must have heard about the current situation of the Daoist Order. There are undercurrents surging in the Jade Capital because of the three Deputy Grand Masters. The Kunlun Daoist Mansion shrank their forces, and the Western Region Daoist Mansion was at war with the Shamanistic Sect.

    ¡°With all this going on, the two Daoist mansionsck manpower. That¡¯s why those secret societies know that as long as they don¡¯t take the initiative to provoke the Daoist Order, the Daoist Order won¡¯t have time to care about them.¡±

    Qi Xuansu understood clearly and said, ¡°So, are you also going to Xiping Prefecture?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang nodded again. ¡°Due to some changes in the Yongzhou Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office, the Imperial Guard¡¯s Office issued an order for the Yongzhou, Liangzhou, and Shuzhou Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Offices to be jointly responsible for this matter. I¡¯m under orders to investigate the situation in Xiping Prefecture. But I didn¡¯t expect to encounter this group of demons from the Heavenly Court on the way there.¡±

    Not all senior majors of the Green Phoenix Guard worked in the Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office. Sometimes a senior major could be put in charge of a Major¡¯s Office, which was usually scattered in various prefectures and counties. So it made sense that Eighth Tianyang¡¯s group chose to pass through Salt Lake.

    Qi Xuansu pointed to the official uniforms worn by Eighth Tianyang and the others. ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re trying to disguise yourselves.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more convenient to travel with this official uniform, especially when going through customs or staying at inns. I wanted to wait until we got to Xiping Prefecture before changing into civilian clothes,¡± Eighth Tianyang said with a wry smile.

    Just as he was talking, the innkeeper had alreadye out of the back kitchen, seemingly unfazed by the blood on the floor. He held a te of cooked beef and served it on the counter. ¡°Sir, your cooked beef.¡±

    ¡°Please excuse me.¡± Qi Xuansu excused himself and went to the counter to take the te of beef and the key to his room. Then he went straight to the guest room on the second floor.

    The guest room was rtively clean and simple, with only a bed and a table. Qi Xuansu sat on the bed, pulled over the table, and slowly drank his wine while eating meat.

    As he drank, he inevitably thought of Zhang Yuelu. <i>She should have returned to the Jade Capital safely by now. I wonder what she¡¯s doing at this time. Is she drinking her sorrows away? Or is she busy dealing with her official duties?</i>

    Qi Xuansu had nothing else to think about but his traveling partner for the past few months.

    Eighth Tianyang remained seated in the lobby. A Green Phoenix Guard went over to knock on the counter. After the innkeeper¡¯s wife stood up, the guard left her 10 Taiping coins. The rest of the guards threw the bodies out into the courtyard under Sui Fan¡¯smand. When the door opened, the fierce wind would blow some sand into the lobby. But that was still better than having the lobby reek of blood.

    The sandstorm finally stopped the next day. A thickyer of sand had umted outside the door. The bodies that were thrown out looked like small sand hills. The Green Phoenix Guards dragged the corpses farther from the inn, dug a deep pit, and buried them so as to prevent epidemics.

    Eighth Tianyang invited Qi Xuansu to join them on their journey to Xiping Prefecture. After some consideration, Qi Xuansu agreed to the offer. Eighth Tianyang even gave him a horse so that they could set out on the road. After riding for a day, they finally left the Salt Lake area.

    At nightfall, the Green Phoenix Guards lit a bonfire and set up camp. Qi Xuansu was familiar with this kind of thing and quickly helped several injured Green Phoenix Guards set up their tents. However, he did not stay in the tent. Instead, he sat by the campfire with Eighth Tianyang and Sui Fan, keeping guard and chatting to pass the time.

    Since the other Green Phoenix Guards were not Xiantian Beings, traveling with such intensity took a toll on their bodies. Many of them were also injured. Thus, they rested early.

    A former Daoist and two Green Phoenix Guards sat by the fire and talked about the current affairs of the world.

    Eighth Tianyang sighed. ¡°Back then, the Daoist Order had Three Xuan Leaderboards, namely the Venerable Xuan Board, the Elite Xuan Board, and the Junior Xuan Board. The Venerable Xuan Board was for Immortals; the Elite Xuan Board was for Heavenly Beings; and the Junior Xuan Board was for talents below thirty years old. Everyone, even those not in the Daoist Order, could participate. Only Confucians, who were the orthodox religion at the time, could not join thepetition.¡±

    Sui Fan said, ¡°Right. It¡¯s said that the Holy Xuan was ranked first on the Junior Xuan Board before he was twenty years old. After he became a Heavenly Being, he also imed the first spot on the Elite Xuan Board. Later, he defeated the leader of the Confucian School and the Buddhist Sect to be the first on the Venerable Xuan Board. He dominated all three leaderboards.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang added, ¡°Donghuang had also ranked first on the Junior and Elite Xuan Boards, but he failed to take first ce on the Venerable Xuan Board after he became an Immortal. He was still not as good as the Holy Xuan.¡±

    Sui Fan chuckled. ¡°Well, they¡¯re brothers, so losing to his elder brother isn¡¯t so bad.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had heard of this before. He asked, ¡°Why is there no such thing as the Three Xuan Leaderboards now?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang exined, ¡°There are many reasons. Firstly, the name ¡®Xuan¡¯ shes with the Holy Xuan and the Great Xuan Dynasty. But the most important reason is that they don¡¯t want to offend people. If such a board exists, how would they judge the Grand Master or even the three Deputy Grand Masters? Would the three of them fight each other? Even if they don¡¯t care who among them won, their disciples will mind. It¡¯ll just cause resentment between the Daoist sects.¡±

    Sui Fan added, ¡°In the Holy Xuan¡¯s era, there was internal fighting among the Daoist sects. Confucians, Daoists, and Buddhists also liked to fight each other. At the time, the Great Xuan Dynasty had just reced the former Wei Dynasty. So war was still rampant on the continent. Back then,petitions where people fought to the death were alsomon.

    ¡°Each side would select ten people topete with each other, and everyone who wanted a chance to be on the leaderboard had to fight in person. The Deputy Grand Masters back then weren¡¯t so snobbish or mysterious. Even the Holy Xuan fought in person. That was why it was easy to distinguish who was superior. The rank on the leaderboard was solely based on the result of the fight.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed in his heart.

    As the Daoist Order grew in power, the upper echelons of the Daoist Order did not have to do everything themselves, unlike their predecessors. The people in power had fewer opportunities to fight.

    Qi Xuansu then recalled what he had seen on Yunjin Mountain. The destroyed mountain peak was caused by the Holy Xuan during a fit of rage. Perhaps it was indeed a good thing that people of that caliber did not fight often, because when the gods fought, ordinary people were bound to be coteral damage.

    Eighth Tianyang took out a wine pouch and tossed it to Qi Xuansu. ¡°Care to have a drink?¡±

    Qi Xuansucaught the wine pouch. Since his alcohol tolerance had increased, he agreed. ¡°Sure.¡±

    He poured the wine into his mouth without touching the rim. He was not afraid that he would be poisoned because ordinary poison would not work on him. That was because he had both blood qi and innate qi, and ordinary poison usually only targeted one type of qi. A poison that would work on him would be very expensive and not readily avable.

    Qi Xuansu threw the wine pouch back to Eighth Tianyang.

    Eighth Tianyang took a sip and continued, ¡°Although the Three Xuan Leaderboards are long gone, there is a new kind of leaderboard called the Wuyou Leaderboard, the Taiping Leaderboard, and the Ruyi Leaderboard.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was stunned. ¡°Like Wuyou coins, Taiping coins, and Ruyi coins?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang smiled and nodded. ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s why these leaderboards are also called the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Leaderboards.¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head andughed. ¡°I¡¯ve been traveling around for so long, but I¡¯ve never heard of these leaderboards.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not surprising. It only came outst month. But the people behind the scenes must have spent a lot of money to spread this news all over the world within a month.¡±

    Qi Xuansu inquired, ¡°Who¡¯s the person behind it?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang answered, ¡°The Qingping Society.¡±

 Chapter 196: Gold, Silver, and Bronze Leaderboards

    <h4>Chapter 196: Gold, Silver, and Bronze Leaderboards</h4>

    Qi Xuansu was stunned by this answer at first. But on second thought, it made sense. Although he was also a member of the Qingping Society, he did not know what the society''s purpose was. Secret societies such as the Ziguang Society, the Lingshan Witch Cult, and the Cult of Fates had very clear motives. They existed to serve the Ancient Immortals by gathering believers, harvesting incense power, making blood sacrifices, fighting against the Daoist Order, and so on.

    However, the Qingping Society was very different from other secret societies. Its purpose could not be just to collect Xuan Jades, right? However, the Qingping Society was secretly training its members and influencing the public. It seemed like they had some kind of agenda. Perhaps they were secretly nning something big.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Why did the Qingping Society release these rankings?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang replied, ¡°The Daoist Order might not be threatened by the Qingping Society. After all, many of the leaders of the Qingping Society are inextricably linked to the Daoist Order. But to ordinary people, the Qingping Society is a behemoth. I¡¯m guessing that they want to disrupt the bnce in society by pitting people against each other with such rankings.¡±

    Unsure what the Qingping Society¡¯s purpose was, Qi Xuansu chuckled. ¡°Well, that¡¯s presumptuous. As if people will take it seriously!¡±

    ¡°Who knows? Some people don¡¯t care about money, beauty, or food. All they care about is fame. Some may fight others just to get a ce on this leaderboard. After all, with famees fortune.¡± Eighth Tianyang reminded.

    Qi Xuansu also knew that fame and fortune were often tied together. Otherwise, people would not bepeting for power and wealth. He pressed on. ¡°So, what about these three leaderboards?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang exined, ¡°The Wuyou Leaderboard does not involve Immortals, only Pseudo-Immortals. But they didn¡¯t include anyone from the Daoist Order, the Buddhist Sect, the Confucian School, or the Imperial Court. Those not in the Central ins are also excluded from this list, like the Western Continent¡¯s Holy Court, the Golden Horde, and so on.¡±

    Qi Xuansu scoffed. ¡°Well, they¡¯ve excluded more than 50% of theirpetition.¡±

    Sui Fan waved his hand. ¡°More like 60%.¡±

    Eighth Tianyangughed and continued, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s about there. Now, there are 10 Pseudo-Immortals on the Wuyou Leaderboard. The founder of the Heavenly Court is ranked first, and the current leader of the Heavenly Court is ranked tenth.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Interesting. But this leaderboard is still far inferior to the Venerable Xuan Board. It sounds like it¡¯s equivalent to the Elite Xuan Board. What about the Taiping Leaderboard?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang exined, ¡°Pseudo-Immortals are the best among Heavenly Beings. The Taiping Board is mainly for the rest of the Heavenly Beings, excluding the Pseudo-Immortals. There are a total of 99 people on this list.¡±

    Qi Xuansu silently estimated the number of Heavenly Beings in the Daoist Order. The Hall Masters, the Mansion Masters, and the Pce Masters added up to nearly 40 people. Each hall, mansion, and pce would have a Chief Deputy and a Second Deputy, who were also Heavenly Beings. A conservative estimate would be more than 100 Heavenly Beings in the Daoist Order.

    This estimate did not include important halls such as Tiangang Hall or Beichen Hall, which were allowed up to nine deputies. It also did not include people like Daoist Ji from the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion, who was also a Heavenly Being but not a Chief Deputy or Second Deputy. It was no wonder that the Qingping Society wanted to exclude Daoists from this leaderboard.

    The total number of Heavenly Beings from the Buddhist Sect, Confucian School, and Imperial Court should be about the same as the Daoist Order. Based on this estimate, there were approximately 300 to 400 Heavenly Beings in this world.

    This reminded Qi Xuansu of his time at the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. The instructors often said that they should not underestimate the difference of one point in their examinations, because it could mean a gap of dozens of people. Losing ten points would mean falling behind hundreds of people.

    There were already more than 400 Heavenly Beings. Qi Xuansu estimated there were at least 1000 Guizhen-stage practitioners and thousands more practitioners in the Yuxu stage. He figured that if he were ranked, he would most likely be behind at least 10,000 people.

    Being the first on the leaderboard was something to be proud of. But being the 10,000th person did not sound so great.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s cultivation level increased significantly after obtaining the Xuan Jade. A few months ago, he was only at the Kunlun stage. In that case, he would probably be ranked 100,000th on these leaderboards.

    Eighth Tianyang continued, ¡°The first person on the Taiping Leaderboard is a woman, the Mogul of the Seven Treasure Pavilion.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had heard of the Seven Treasure Pavilion, which established countless ck markets. He could not help butment, ¡°Isn¡¯t that too low? I thought the boss of the Seven Treasure Pavilion should at least be a Pseudo-Immortal.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang exined, ¡°There are a total of seven Moguls of the Seven Treasure Pavilion, and she¡¯s just one of them.¡±

    ¡°Right...¡±

    Eighth Tianyang continued, ¡°Actually, the Wuyou and Taiping Leaderboards aren¡¯t that important to us since they are for either Pseudo-Immortals or Heavenly Beings. The one that concerns us is the Ruyi Leaderboard, which is also called the Bronze Leaderboard.

    ¡°Just like the original Junior Xuan Board, the Ruyi Leaderboard is for those below thirty. It mainly includes Xiantian Beings, and there are a total of 365 people on the list. The vast majority are from the Guizhen Stage. Only a few talents at the Yuxu stage are included.¡±

    Qi Xuansumented. ¡°Wow. It really is like the gold, silver, and copper coins, with clear disparities between each.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang added, ¡°The Qingping Society is aware of the disparities. The only reason they excluded those from the Three Religions and the Imperial Court is that they can¡¯t afford to offend the big shots on the Wuyou and Taiping Leaderboards, who are Heavenly Beings. The Ruyi Leaderboard includes those from the Three Religions and the Imperial Court because they don¡¯t care about offending Xiantian Beings.¡±

    Sui Fan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. There are only a few talents at the Yuxu stage who are on the Ruyi Leaderboard. Among these people, I remember someone named Qi Xuansu, a Daoist disciple under 30 years old, who is ranked 352nd on the Ruyi Leaderboard. Although he¡¯s near the bottom of the list, it¡¯s quite eye-catching because he¡¯s only in the Yuxu stage. So he must be outstanding.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was stunned for a moment. He had a strange look on his face.

    ¡°Brother Wei, you were from the Daoist Order. Do you know this person?¡± Sui Fan asked.

    Qi Xuansu shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of him. But I heard that Tiangang Hall has recently established a new division. Perhaps this guy is a neer who recently transferred to the Jade Capital.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang did not ask any other questions. He said, ¡°Speaking of the new Yaoguang Division, the Deputy Hall Master is truly admirable. Apparently, the Heavenly Preceptor and the Earthly Preceptor specially established the Yaoguang Division to train this young Deputy Hall Master. What an honor and a rare opportunity! This Deputy Hall Master, Zhang Yuelu, is also on the Ruyi Leaderboard.¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled and said, ¡°Zhang Yuelu? I¡¯ve heard of her. She¡¯s a prodigy who has made great contributions to the Daoist Order by solving the major Jiangnan case. She¡¯s been promoted for her exceptional talents and even bestowed a semi-immortal object. Where does she rank on the Ruyi Leaderboard?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang held out five fingers. ¡°Fifth. This is very impressive. Maybe in a few years, she¡¯ll make it to the Taiping Leaderboard.¡±

    Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh in his heart. Even in the under-thirty age group, there were still more than 300 people between him and Zhang Yuelu. If older Guizhen-stage practitioners were included, there would probably be thousands of people between them. However, Qi Xuansu was also surprised by Zhang Yuelu¡¯s rank.

    Zhang Yuelu was such a genius. If she was not ranked first on the Ruyi Leaderboard, who were the other four people before her? He guessed that they were probably the other Banished Immortals from the Daoist Order.

    He also wondered what Zhang Yuelu would think of this leaderboard. She would probablyugh it off and not be bothered by it.

    People in the Daoist Order only cared about the Nine-Rank System, while Jianghu people cared about these reputations. After all, being a third-rank Youyi Daoist master was far more impressive than being first on this unregted leaderboard.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Where can I see the full list of names on these leaderboards?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang answered, ¡°The Qingping Society posted the list in various cities and towns. They even hired storytellers to spread the word. You should be able to see it once we get to Xiping Prefecture.¡±

 Chapter 197: On the Leaderboard

    <h4>Chapter 197: On the Leaderboard</h4>

    As the night got darker, Qi Xuansu, Sui Fan, and Eighth Tianyang stopped chatting and sat quietly beside the bonfire. They each took turns meditating while the others kept watch.

    Early the next morning, the group continued on their journey to Xiping Prefecture. The journey of several days passed by in a sh. From afar, they could see the city.

    Qi Xuansu did not want to enter the city with the Green Phoenix Guards, so he bid goodbye to Eighth Tianyang and Sui Fan. Since they had official duties, they did not keep Qi Xuansu either. They just thanked Qi Xuansu again for his help.

    After entering the city alone, Qi Xuansu randomly found a restaurant. As soon as he walked into the lobby, he saw several pieces of paper with a list of names posted on a bulletin board.

    This was the leaderboard that Eighth Tianyang mentioned before.

    The Gold Leaderboard was the neatest, with only ten names on it. Thus, the lines and words were well-spaced. Each name was clearly visible at a nce. In contrast, the Bronze Leaderboard had more than 300 names on it, so it was condensed. The words were so densely packed that one would go dizzy reading them.

    Furthermore, those on the Gold Leaderboard were addressed by their titles and not their real names. For example, the founder of the Heavenly Court who ranked first on the Gold Leaderboard was called the Golden Patriarch. Qi Xuansu wondered if the Qingping Society had reservations about disclosing the identities of these secret society¡¯s figureheads or if their identities were unknown to outsiders.

    It had been more than a month since this leaderboard was released, so the poprity had passed. Only a few people were reading it at the moment. But when it was first posted, it was a grand event. Many people gathered around these bulletin boards for weeks.

    Qi Xuansu was at Yunjin Mountain at the time these leaderboards were first posted. No one in Yunjin Mountain talked about it because they were focused on the Laba Festival and the Quanzhen Sect¡¯s visit to the Zhengyi Sect. This perfectly encapsted the difference between the Daoistmunity and the outside world. All these major events for ordinary people were nothing to those in the Daoistmunity.

    In other words, even if Qi Xuansu somehow ranked first on the Bronze Leaderboard, he would still be treated ording to his Daoist priest rank and his position as Zhang Yuelu¡¯s subordinate.

    Qi Xuansu walked to the leaderboards and browsed them carefully. He did not recognize any of the names on the Gold Leaderboard because they did not include anyone from the Three Religions or the Imperial Court. Most of them were leaders of secret societies.

    Next was the Silver Leaderboard, which also excluded people from the Three Religions and the Imperial Court. In addition to the masters of secret societies, there were also some masters from ordinary associations. The difference between secret societies and ordinary associations was that thetter were recognized by the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court, so they were deemed legal. Secret societies were illegal.

    Generally speaking, ordinary people would address ordinary associations as gangs or societies, while secret societies were mostly called cults. The Qingping Society, Seven Treasure Pavilion, and The Inn were secret societies by Daoist definition, but they were considered ordinary associations in the real world.

    However, everyone regarded the Ziguang Society, the Cult of Fates, and the Lingshan Witch Cult as evil and demonic sects. Ordinary people dared not provoke these three cults.

    Qi Xuansu browsed the names on the Silver Leaderboard but could not recognize any of them. He then moved on to the Bronze Leaderboard. The Pseudo-Immortals on the Gold Leaderboard and the Heavenly Beings on the Silver Leaderboard were too far from reach for him, so he was not excited about it. His focus was still on the Bronze Leaderboard.

    The first person on the Bronze Leaderboard, also known as the Ruyi Leaderboard, was from the Daoist Order.

    <strong>Li Changge</strong>

    || Guizhen-stage Banished Immortal

    || Fifth-rank Daoist Priest, no official position

    || Disciple of Sage Qingwei (Taiping Sect)

    Qi Xuansu was shocked by her seniority in the Li family. The Holy Xuan and the Donghuang were from the <i>Ru</i> generation. The current Great Sage of the Taiping Sect was in the <i>Chang</i> generation, which was two generations after the Holy Xuan. Li Changge was also from the <i>Chang</i> generation, but he was only about the same age as Zhang Yuelu. This age gap within one generation was quite rare, even in a big family.

    Qi Xuansu remembered that Zhang Yuelu had talked about the seniority of the Li family before. As long-time rivals of the Li family, the Zhang family knew a lot about the Li family. ording to Zhang Yuelu, although the Holy Xuan belonged to the <i>Ru</i> generation of the Li family, there was a huge age gap among the Li children from that generation.

    The oldest person in the <i>Ru</i> generation was old enough to be the Holy Xuan¡¯s grandfather, and the youngest person in the <i>Ru</i> generation was more than ten years younger than the Holy Xuan. Therefore, the children and grandchildren of the <i>Ru</i> generation would naturally have a huge age gap as well.

    Qi Xuansu guessed that perhaps an elder of the Li family gave birth to Li Changge in old age.

    Forparison, Li Tianzhen from the <i>Tian</i> generation was two generations after Li Changge, and Li Minghuang from the <i>Ming</i> generation was three generations after Li Changge. Sage Qingwei was one of the few ordained monks from the Taiping Sect. Although everyone still regarded him as a core member of the Li family, he was no longer part of the family tree because he had embraced monkhood and cut off all ties with the secr world.

    Therefore, Sage Qingwei did not have to care about generational seniority. He only had to care about his seniority in the Daoist Order, hence the reason he could ept Li Changge as a disciple.

    In terms of age alone, Li Changge was like a grandson to the Great Sage of the Taiping Sect. He was in the same age group as Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu. However, Qi Xuansu found it strange that he had never heard of this name before.

    When people talked about outstanding juniors of the Li family, they would mention Li Tianzhen, not Li Changge. Thetter seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Was there a reason for this?

    Was Li Changge actually the true talent of the Li family, carefully cultivated to be a future leader, while Li Tianzhen was just a front to protect him? But this time, Li Changge''s identity had been exposed by the Qingping Society.

    Qi Xuansu did not dwell on this too much and moved on to the next person on the list. It was still someone from the Daoist Order. <ol start="2"><strong>Yao Pei</strong>

    || Guizhen-stage Banished Immortal

    || Fifth-rank Daoist Priest, no official position

    || Disciple of Sage Donghua (Quanzhen Sect)

    Qi Xuansu finally understood the situation. Yao Pei and Li Changge were from prestigious families, so they did not need to be exposed to mundane duties so soon. Instead, they focused on improving their cultivation level and strived to be Heavenly Beings as soon as possible.

    That was because if they were Heavenly Beings, they could be promoted to the third rank without having to follow the tenure system. They could also easily gain some merit with their hugework of backers. By then, they would have a smooth and guaranteed promotion to the second rank in just a few years.

    Inparison, Zhang Yuelu did not have such a smooth journey. It was no wonder Madam Qi mentioned before that Zhang Yuelu relied on her hard work to get to her current position. While the other Banished Immortals could stay ignorant of worldly affairs, Zhang Yuelu had performed and excelled in her duties at Beichen Hall and Tiangang Hall.

    Zhang Yuelu barely made it out alive from the major Jiangnan case and made a name for herself within the Daoistmunity. This exined why Zhang Yuelu was more well-known but stillgged behind these two Banished Immortals on this leaderboard.

    The third person on the Ruyi Leaderboard was from the royal family of the Great Xuan Dynasty, and the fourth person was from the Buddhist Sect. Qi Xuansu had never heard of them, either. This made him doubt whether he was too ignorant. The Confucian School was no longer as great as it once was, with no one in the top five of this leaderboard.

    In the fight between Xie Qiuniang and Zhang Yuelu at Yn Temple, they ended up in a deadlock because Zhang Yuelu was exhausted from having defeated two Guizhen-stage masters in a row beforehand.

    The fifth person on the leaderboard was a familiar name to Qi Xuansu. <ol start="5"><strong>Zhang Yuelu</strong>

    || Guizhen-stage Banished Immortal

    || Fourth-rank Daoist Priest, Deputy Hall Master of Tiangang Hall

    || Disciple of Sage Cihang (Zhengyi Sect)

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s position as Deputy Hall Master was particrly eye-catching.

    Not doing anything had its advantages, like being able to concentrate on improving one¡¯s cultivation level without any distractions. However, there were also benefits to holding an official position, such as an impressive resume. As long as Zhang Yuelu did notg too far behind in her cultivation level, she would be able to defeat the other two Banished Immortals with her work experience alone.

    At that time, Zhang Yuelu could bring out her contributions in solving the major Jiangnan case and in wiping out the cult demons in the Western Regions, Yongzhou, and other ces. This was Zhang Yuelu¡¯s advantage.

    Besides that, Qi Xuansu purposely looked for Yan Xiu¡¯s name. The Buddhaputra was ranked 19th, which was not too low. There was still a big gap between Qi Xuansu and that monk, so it looked like getting vengeance was still too far ahead.

    Since Xie Qiuniang was only an alias, Qi Xuansu did not find her on the list.

    There were also two more names that he recognized¡ªWan Xiuwu and Yue Liuli. They had also made it to the Ruyi Leaderboard this time, but they were far behind Zhang Yuelu and were not in the top 100.

    Finally, Qi Xuansu found his name, ranking 352nd, just shy of being in the bottom ten. </ol></ol>

 Chapter 198: Eagle and Dog Slaughtering Assembly (I)

    <h4>Chapter 198: Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly (I)</h4>

    Qi Xuansu looked at the Ruyi Leaderboard for a while and found something interesting. Most of the Daoist disciples on this list had their ranks and positions disclosed, as did those from the Imperial Court.

    Meanwhile, ordinary people used nicknames, such as the Flying Sword, the Great Palm of Mercy, the Thunder Sword, the Crouching Tiger, the Laughing King Kong, the Best in Three Counties, and so on. These nicknames were based on their weapons, skills, characters, or even their deeds.

    Take Zhang Yuelu as an example. Most people called her Mage Zhang or Deputy Hall Master Zhang. It was not a cool name, but it showed her status without the need for embellishments. Comparing the two, these nicknames were tacky.

    Therefore, most people from the Daoist Order used their ranks when introducing themselves. As for Qi Xuansu, he did not leave a name for himself while he was traveling the world. This was not surprising because even Madam Qi¡¯s amazing reputation was only limited to the Qingping Society. Outsiders had no way of knowing about her.

    After reading the list of names on the three leaderboards, Qi Xuansu nned to stay in the restaurant to find out more news about the Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly.

    Thanks to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s influence, Qi Xuansu, who did not like drinking in the past, found himself drinking more often. After asking the waiter for a jug of wine, he sat in an inconspicuous corner of the lobby.

    This restaurant was not a Daoist establishment like the Taiping Inn, so more people from all walks of life came in. After a while, the restaurant lobby was already full.

    Qi Xuansu sat alone, opened his cloak, and took off his hood, revealing his expensive and fine Daoist robe as well as the weapons dangling at his waist. Moreover, due to his extraordinary temperament, people were intimidated by him and dared not provoke him rashly.

    At this moment, three people came in. They looked around and saw that the other tables were full. Qi Xuansu was the only one upying a table by himself, so they had no choice but to approach him. ¡°Hi, can we share a table?¡±

    Qi Xuansu raised his hand. ¡°Help yourselves.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much.¡± The three men thanked Qi Xuansu, sat in the empty seats, and ordered two jugs of wine. Seeing that Qi Xuansu was not that friendly, they did not try to make small talk with him and chatted among themselves.

    A young man lowered his voice slightly and said, ¡°This Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly that¡¯s happening tomorrow is a big event. Xiping Prefecture is already crowded with heroes from all walks of life.¡±

    Another man with a scar on his face chimed in. ¡°Of course. This time, the Heavenly Court is taking the lead. Several major gangs have joined forces too. Who wouldn¡¯t want to expand theirwork?

    ¡°I heard that the representative of the Heavenly Court is Feng Bo, the God of Wind. He¡¯s one of the ten elders of the Heavenly Court and a direct disciple of the Golden Patriarch. Ordinary people won¡¯t get a chance to see him without such a grand event. That¡¯s why this Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly gained traction and attracted loads of people. It¡¯ll be a lively event for sure!¡±

    The other man with a gray beard sneered. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t just attract heroes but also the Eagle ws. This time, the Ziguang Society, the Cult of Fates, and the Lingshan Witch Cult weren¡¯t invited, so the Daoist Order probably wouldn¡¯t show up. But the Green Phoenix Guards might be there.¡±

    The scar-faced man warned, ¡°It¡¯s better to be careful. The Heavenly Court won¡¯t dare provoke the Daoist Order, unlike those three cults. No matter how powerful the Green Phoenix Guards are, they won¡¯t be able to do much unless the Imperial Court deploys the ck Robes.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± The other two nodded in agreement.

    The people at the surrounding tables overheard their conversation and joined in. ¡°The Green Phoenix Guard has indeed be very arrogant in recent years!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because the current emperor values the Green Phoenix Guard.¡±

    ¡°In the past, salt, tea, and horse smuggling were tough, but there was still a way to go about it. In recent years, it has be increasingly difficult. If you get caught, it¡¯s immediate death!¡±

    ¡°Digging ginseng in Liaodong is also not easy. The Green Phoenix Guard has added several offices in the area, with daily patrols on horseback and carrying long guns. My brothers had to lie in the snow for several hours before they could find opportunities to escape!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s better than going out to sea. I heard that the Daoist Order¡¯s Shibo Hall is recruiting crew members. But that job is too tiresome. The problem is that once you get on the ship, you¡¯ll be stuck there for several months. It¡¯s basically prison.¡±

    Someone said loudly, ¡°The Green Phoenix Guards are the Eagle ws of the Imperial Court who have killed countless of ourrades every year. Everyone has been unhappy with them, so naturally, people will respond to a call to ughter them.¡±

    For a moment, the restaurant lobby turned into an assembly hall of angry people dissing the Green Phoenix Guard. Someone mentioned that his friend died at the hands of the Green Phoenix Guard. Another person said that he had been shot by a Green Phoenix Guard a few years ago. The crowd was riled up.

    The restaurant owner¡¯s face turned pale as he quickly intervened. ¡°Everyone! Everyone, please be careful about what you say. You shouldn¡¯t cause unnecessary trouble for yourselves. We¡¯re in a big city with a Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office nearby. It¡¯s best if we keep these opinions to ourselves and avoidplications.¡±

    Although many peopleined about the Green Phoenix Guard, they were also afraid of getting into trouble. So they kept silent.

    After a while, the guests paid their bills one after another and left. The noisy restaurant was suddenly deserted.

    Qi Xuansu asked the men in front of him. ¡°Where is this Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly held?¡±

    The three men looked at each other and dared not speak rashly. They were obviously afraid that Qi Xuansu was from the Green Phoenix Guard.

    Qi Xuansu read their expressions and said, ¡°Would a Green Phoenix Guard need to inquire about this information from a restaurant? They surely have their own channels of information.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Those Eagle ws have their way of grabbing information. They¡¯re probably on the way there as we speak.¡± One of the young men snorted.

    The other two people thought that it made sense. Even they knew of this information, so the Green Phoenix Guard must have known as well. One of them replied, ¡°Such a grand assembly can¡¯t be held in the city. It¡¯ll be held on a hilltop outside the city.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What¡¯s the name of that hill?¡±

    The man replied, ¡°Jiuwa Hill. After leaving the city, head west, where you¡¯ll pass Wuliu Market, Nanni Town, and Tongming Market. From there, head north until you see Jiuwa Hill.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Qi Xuansu nodded. He dropped a handful of Ruyi coins on the table and left the restaurant.

    However, Qi Xuansu did not rush to leave the city. He strolled around the prosperous city and finally found a clothing store, where he bought a pair of inconspicuous schrly clothes. Then he found an inn and changed out of his cloak and Daoist robe, which were in the obvious Jade Capital fashion. He folded his clothes and put them back in his satchel.

    He did this so that people would not think that he was a Daoist priest.

    It was already dark by the time he got changed, so Qi Xuansu headed out of the city. Although it was Qi Xuansu¡¯s first time at Xiping Prefecture, he could always inquire about the directions as long as he knew the name of a location.

    After leaving the city, Qi Xuansu headed west along the official road. At this time, a lot of people were also rushing to Jiuwa Hill. Qi Xuansu randomly asked someone for the directions and names of a few ces. After walking for more than 50 kilometers, he finally arrived at Jiuwa Hill.

    From a distance, Jiuwa Hill was not very tall. It had a ridge and an open space on the top of the hill. Although the assembly was the next day, there were already many people sitting by the small clusters of fire in an attempt to warm themselves up.

    Since Qi Xuansu had strong blood qi, this coldness was nothing to him. He jumped up to the top of a big tree and waited there patiently.

    By the next morning, more and more people gathered until the area waspletely filled around noon. The only open space was in the center, where a raised tform was installed. Qi Xuansu sat on the treetop and nced around. There were at least a thousand people, but he did not know how many of them were Green Phoenix Guards or members of secret societies.

    After two hours, thunderous cheers erupted from the crowd. Dozens of people surrounded an old man in green clothes as they walked into the open space in the middle.

    This old man had a long white beard and an exceptional demeanor, not inferior to that of a third-rank Youyi Daoist master. He climbed onto the raised tform built from a pile of rocks, looked around, and sped his fists. His voice boomed. ¡°Greetings,rades!¡±

    Everyone suddenly stood up and returned the salute, saying in unison, ¡°Greetings, Feng Bo.¡±

    Only then did Qi Xuansu realize that the old man in front of him was Feng Bo, the ¡°God of Wind¡± from the Heavenly Court. This man was also on the Silver Leaderboard, but Qi Xuansu could not remember his ranking.

    Feng Bo continued, ¡°Dear friends, we are gathered here today in this major event to help avenge ourrades who have been murdered over the years. The main culprit is the heinous¡ª¡±

    Everyone shouted in unison, ¡°Green Phoenix Guard!¡±

    Thousands of people shouting simultaneously created a thunderous vibration that could shake the mountains.

    Then someone shouted, ¡°Eagle w!¡±

    The crowd cheered in response.

    Qi Xuansu only felt the big tree beneath his feet shaking. The Heavenly Court wanted to recruit this crowd to deal with the Green Phoenix Guard. Although most of them were only Houtian Beings, their sheer numbers should not be underestimated. It was no wonder the Green Phoenix Guard had to mobilize three Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Offices to deal with this. But even so, Qi Xuansu had a feeling that it was not enough.

    At this moment, Feng Bo raised his hands and lowered them gently. A mountain wind whistled by.

    Everyone felt the breeze blowing on their faces and was forced to keep quiet.

    In an instant, silence returned to the hilltop.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart trembled. <i>Is this the power of a Heavenly Being?</i>

 Chapter 199: Eagle and Dog Slaughtering Assembly (II)

    <h4>Chapter 199: Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly (II)</h4>

    Feng Bo spoke on the tform. ¡°Unity is strength! If everyone joins forces against the Green Phoenix Guard, we will surely seed!¡±

    The crowd cheered. ¡°We will seed!¡±

    Feng Bo continued, ¡°But we can¡¯t just act rashly in dealing with the Green Phoenix Guard. We must be agile and strategic. Instead of advancing separately, we shoulde up with a foolproof n to avoid needless sacrifice.¡±

    Everyone agreed. ¡°Feng Bo is right!¡±

    Feng Bo nced at the crowd. ¡°Everyone gathered here today has their own strengths, but our power is too scattered. It¡¯s impossible for everyone to join a certain gang or association. Even if everyone joins one association, we will just be arge target for the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court. Does anyone have any strategies?¡±

    Everyone was silent. freewebnovel.c¦Ò?

    At this moment, a middle-aged man who arrived with Feng Bo asked, ¡°Feng Bo, what is your suggestion?¡±

    When Qi Xuansu heard this, he already knew that this was a one-man show by the Heavenly Court.

    As expected, Feng Bo said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we form a secret alliance to help each other fight against the Green Phoenix Guard?¡±

    Feng Bo had already thought of a n beforeing. Although everyone there hated the Green Phoenix Guard, these people had various origins. It was extremely difficult to get everyone to join the Heavenly Court, especially because many of them also had other affiliations. If he forcefully recruited them, it would cause more conflict.

    Instead of provoking other associations, which would be detrimental to the fight against the Green Phoenix Guard, Feng Bo thought of another way. It was best if they could form an alliance, which would not cause resentment or chaos, just as the Buddhists and Daoists became allies to fight against the Confucians.

    Although the Daoist Order was the main force fighting against the Confucians, the Buddhists could ept it. As time went by, many Buddhists began to consider themselves Daoists. Sage Cihang¡¯s lineage was originally Buddhist, but they converted to be Daoists. Thus, it was easier to gradually absorb the members after an alliance was formed.

    Generally speaking, alliances were loose and not restraining. It did not involve converting or switching allegiances. Therefore, everyone was pleased with Feng Bo¡¯s idea.

    Someone followed up. ¡°What about the leader?¡±

    Feng Bo dered, ¡°This is just an alliance to fight against the Green Phoenix Guards. We¡¯re not trying to establish a new association. The leader of this alliance only acts as a liaison to facilitatemunication between the associations, with no right to interfere in the affairs of the other associations.

    There were many people among the crowd who were worried that they would be restrained by this new leader. But their doubts were cleared after hearing the Feng Bo¡¯s exnation.

    The next step was to nominate the leader of this alliance. Qi Xuansu could see that this position would most likely fall upon Feng Bo.

    Qi Xuansu did not want to participate in this alliance. He thought of retreating since he had seen enough.

    At this moment, a voice interjected, ¡°How insolent of you to form an alliance among the cults!¡±

    Although the voice was not very loud, everyone could hear it clearly.

    Everyone turned toward the voice and saw a man in a green uniform standing on top of a big tree. That was the official uniform of the Green Phoenix Guard.

    Suddenly, everyone stood up and held their weapons. Some even raised their crossbows or guns to aim at the guard.

    The Green Phoenix Guard waspletely unafraid by the hostile crowd of over a thousand people.

    Feng Bo narrowed his eyes and demanded. ¡°You¡¯re bold foring here alone. Care to state your name?¡±

    The man answered, ¡°I am the Lieutenant Colonel of Liangzhou, Yan Jiuwei. Your reputation precedes you, Feng Bo.¡±

    Suddenly, there was discussion among the crowd. No one had expected a Lieutenant Colonel to show up at this gathering.

    Feng Bo warned. ¡°Since you came here today, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to leave.¡±

    ¡°Why should I leave?¡± Yan Jiuwei guffawed, his body shaking and causing the leaves of the tree he stood on to fall like snowkes. ¡°You¡¯ve really saved me a lot of time by gathering all the rogues here. I can just catch you all in one fell swoop!¡±

    Feng Bo¡¯s face darkened. ¡°How arrogant!¡±

    Yan Jiuwei stopped talking. His palm that was touching the tree trunk turned fiery red. Then the fire quickly spread along the tree. In the blink of an eye, the big tree that he stood on turned into a zing torch, its mes reaching into the sky.

    After a while, a sharp whistling sound approached.

    R??adtest chapt??rs at freewebnov§×l.?om Only.

    Everyone subconsciously looked up and saw a fiery red meteor falling on them.

    ¡°That¡¯s...¡± Qi Xuansu was stunned.

    Feng Bo¡¯s expression changed drastically. He no longer looked as elegant as before. Instead, he cursed at the Green Phoenix Guard and shouted, ¡°That¡¯s the Phoenix Eye Bomb!¡±

    Immediately after, Feng Bo turned into a breeze and disappeared from the scene.

    Yan Jiuwei also disappeared at the same time.

    Qi Xuansu did not expect that the fiery meteor falling from the sky would be the Phoenix Eye Bomb. He knew the power of the Phoenix Eye Bomb because he had used it to kill Desmond. Thus, he immediately ran for his life before the others could react.

    Fortunately, Qi Xuansu was just on the periphery of the crowd, so he could escape first without hindrance.

    He was about 30 meters away when the Phoenix Eye Bomb fell from the sky and exploded. If viewed from above, it would look like a huge, fiery red lotus blooming, quickly engulfing the entire sky. The group of people at the center of the hilltop was incinerated in an instant. Wherever the mes passed, only ck and scorched earth remained.

    The huge shockwave from the explosion spread the raging mes farther. For a moment, Qi Xuansu felt an unbearable heat behind him, threatening to swallow him. Fortunately, he was going downhill on the slope, so he dropped and rolled down the hill without hesitation, relying on gravity to outrun the fire.

    The raging mes engulfed Jiuwa Hill, with mes reaching into the sky and violent screams from people being burned alive. At least hundreds of people died on the spot, either turning into ashes or charred corpses. Those who were not dead were left in purgatory, scorched by the fire. They were all in a miserable state.

    The survivors fled one after another, calling for help. Some people shouted, ¡°We have fallen into a trap!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the Green Phoenix Guard! They¡¯re the ck Robes!¡±

    ¡°Fuck! Where is Feng Bo?!¡±

    The Green Phoenix Guard was aware that they could not suppress such arge crowd on their own, so they asked the ck Robes for assistance. The ck Robes were good at frontalbat. They were not good at discreet attacks because their cavalry and artillery could easily rm the enemy. So they would not be able to get close to Jiuwa Hill. That was why they decided tounch an attack from a distance by using Tianji Hall¡¯s Phoenix Eye Bomb after getting the signal from Yan Jiuwei.

    If this assembly was held in a town, it would be harder to use such high-power artillery. But this time, everyone who was up to no good was gathered on this hill in the middle of nowhere, making it a perfect opportunity forunching a bomb. This blow instantly turned more than a hundred people into ashes and hundreds more into charred corpses.

    After the bomb wasunched, a powerful march could be heard from a distance. One would be able to see thousands of ck-armored soldiers advancing.

    Those were the ck Robes who had dismounted from their horses. Each of them held a ck shield with a ferocious tiger painted on it, forming a protective wall. Countless ck spears protruded from behind the shield wall.

    In terms of cultivation, these ck Robes were Houtian Beings. But in such a battle formation, they could easily defeat any survivors. Those who survived were already frightened by the bomb. No one dared to confront the ck Robes and quickly fled in other directions.

    On the other side, the Green Phoenix Guards finally appeared. They did not wear heavy armor, nor did they carryrge shields and spears. Instead, they had their regr guns and crossbows. They were also not in a battle formation, as the Green Phoenix Guards were better at fighting individually and killing mercilessly.

    This group of rogues could not stand a chance against these well-trained military personnel. Seeing this, Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh. This Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly was clearly a failure. Instead, these pathetic people were like chickens and cattle waiting to be ughtered.

    Fortunately, the ck Robes and the Green Phoenix Guards did notpletely enclose the area, so Qi Xuansu managed to flee through a gap.

 Chapter 200: Errands

    <h4>Chapter 200: Errands</h4>

    Qi Xuansu escaped from Jiuwa Hill before the Green Phoenix Guards and the ck Robes encircled the area. The mes behind him rose into the sky as the screams of dying people echoed in his ears.

    At this moment, someone blocked Qi Xuansu¡¯s path. It was the Lieutenant Colonel, Yan Jiuwei. He treated Qi Xuansu as a cult demon and attacked him without bothering to ask for his identity first.

    Qi Xuansu wanted to say that this was a misunderstanding, but he was no longer a Daoist disciple, and he had no way of proving his identity. So he had no choice but to fight back.

    He did not hold back, using all his strength to defend himself. He gathered the blood qi in his left hand and the innate qi in his right hand because he knew the Green Phoenix Guard in front of him was at least at the Guizhen stage.

    If Qi Xuansu could not ambush Yan Jiuwei, it would be difficult for him to gain an advantage. Moreover, he was in a dangerous situation. If he dyed any longer, he would be surrounded by the iing Green Phoenix Guards.

    Yan Jiuwei had underestimated Qi Xuansu, thinking that thetter was just a regr cult demon that got away. He was caught off guard by Qi Xuansu, punched in the chest with surging blood qi. He could not help but stumble back from the impact.

    Qi Xuansu did not want to fight Yan Jiuwei and only wanted to escape, so he continued running. Since Yan Jiuwei had a higher cultivation level than Qi Xuansu, he recovered from the punch in the blink of an eye. Just as he was about to chase Qi Xuansu, he saw Qi Xuansu throwing a crimson ball with a backhand. fr§×ewe?¦Çovel.co?

    The crimson ball flew at Yan Jiuwei. He instinctively reached out to catch it when he realized something was wrong. The ball looked familiar to him. When the object registered in his mind, Yan Jiuwei immediately dodged it.

    The next moment, a bright light shed as the crimson ball exploded, apanied by billowing heat waves and mes. Yan Jiuwei barely escaped the explosion and used his qi shield to block the mes. He looked surprised as he mumbled, ¡°The Phoenix Eye Bullet? Is he a member of the Daoist Order?¡±

    With the help of the Phoenix Eye Bullet, Qi Xuansu managed to escape far from Yan Jiuwei. On the other side, Yan Jiuwei chose not to pursue Qi Xuansu because he had doubts about thetter¡¯s identity.

    Qi Xuansu ran for more than 15 kilometers before he dared to stop and take a breather. He swore to himself that he would never be nosy and curious ever again, especially if it was rted to secret societies.

    If he had not been careful, he would have died in the mes. Even Feng Bo dared not test the power of the Phoenix Eye Bomb and fled. It would be tragic if Qi Xuansu died identally on Jiuwa Hill.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu felt a faint warmthing from the middle of his chest. He reached out and took out a glowing child talisman. He infused his innate qi into the talisman, which turned into mes that were not hot to the touch. Madam Qi¡¯s slightly distorted figure appeared in the mes.

    Madam Qi¡¯s slightly distorted voice came through. ¡°Tian Yuan, have you arrived in Xiping Prefecture?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°I¡¯m here. Where are you? Didn¡¯t we agree to meet at Xiping Prefecture? By the way, I heard that the Heavenly Court was holding an Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly, so I came to check it out. But I almost died here.¡±

    Madam Qi was not the loving mother type. She snorted. ¡°I¡¯m d you survived. At least now you¡¯ll learn your lesson. You should never join in this kind of fun, especially when you¡¯re not a Heavenly Being. I have some things to do, so I won¡¯t be able to make it to Xiping Prefecture.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had long been ustomed to Madam Qi¡¯s impromptu detours, so he waited for her instructions.

    Madam Qi continued, ¡°Now that you have arrived at Xiping Prefecture, I need your help with something.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Can it be exchanged for merits?¡±

    Madam Qi said, ¡°As long as you help me with this, I will give you two choices, just likest time. Which one you choose depends entirely on you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was convinced. He asked, ¡°What about it?¡±

    Madam Qi exined. ¡°There is arge desert about 250 kilometers north of Xiping Prefecture. There are several small towns scattered in this desert, making it an excellent hiding ce. If you ever provoke the Green Phoenix Guard or any enemies, you can hide out in this ce. Generally speaking, the Green Phoenix Guard won¡¯t go there. I have a friend who owes me something, so I want you to go over and help me retrieve it.¡±

    Qi Xuansu hesitated. ¡°You want me to collect a debt? Can I defeat him, though? If not, I won¡¯t be able to collect this debt for you. I might even die there.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m so stupid to make losses?¡± Madam Qi rolled her eyes at Qi Xuansu. ¡°You owe me so much money. If you die, who should I collect this debt from? Should I look for Miss Zhang? I doubt she¡¯ll bear your debts. So don¡¯t worry about it. I have already talked to him in the dream meeting and negotiated the terms. You just need to go there and retrieve it.¡±

    Qi Xuansu thought about it for a while and mumbled, ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound difficult...¡±

    Madam Qi warned, ¡°But you should still stay on guard. Those who live there aren¡¯t decent people. There are all kinds of local gangs, so you might fall into their trap if you¡¯re not careful.¡±

    Qi Xuansu already knew it was not so simple. If it was just running errands, Madam Qi would not be so generous as to give him two choices as a reward. After all, a task¡¯s difficulty and danger were inseparable.

    He asked, ¡°Who is the debtor? What¡¯s his specific location?¡±

    Madam Qi replied, ¡°He is also a member of the Qingping Society. His alias is Mountain Ghost. As for his specific location, he kept it a secret. I can only give you an approximate location. You¡¯ll have to find it by yourself.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t be so generous in dishing out rewards.¡±

    ¡°Do you want it or not? Just give me a straight answer.¡± Madam Qi became a little impatient. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t go, plenty of people are willing to.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll go!¡± Qi Xuansu hurriedly answered. Last time, Madam Qi gave him two choices. One of them was to work in Tiangang Hall. If he were given two more choices this time, perhaps he would have some hope of returning to the Daoist Order. After all, Madam Qi was all-powerful. She was capable of anything.

    Madam Qi shed a loving smile. ¡°My Tian Yuan is still the best for helping me with my burdens. That ce is called White Jade Hall. Besides collecting that debt, you can take whatever I¡¯ve left over there.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked suspiciously, ¡°When did you be so generous?¡±

    Madam Qi chuckled. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t be going to White Jade Hall for a while. Rather than giving it to Mountain Ghost or random people, I might as well benefit you. Treat it as a deposit for your services.¡±

    Qi Xuansu wanted to say that he had never seen a deposit paid in such a way, where an employer would paint such a nice picture to entice him but would not actually give him anything.

    Madam Qi reminded him. ¡°Be careful. I will send your allotment of mother-child talismans and elixirs to the Qingping Society¡¯s contact point in Xiping Prefecture, where you can retrieve them using your fish talisman. As for your Wuyou coins, I¡¯ll save them for you first.¡±

    This chapter is updat??d by .

    Qi Xuansu was ustomed to this for many years, like when parents said that they would help save their children¡¯s pocket money. He said indifferently, ¡°Fine.¡±

    He never thought that Madam Qi only saved him with the intention of exploiting him because he was not worth anything. Instead, Madam Qi had to spend a lot of money to bring him back from the gates of hell. She even had to teach him for years. No matter how he thought of it, it was not a good deal for Madam Qi. Even to this day, Qi Xuansu was still just an insignificant, nearly-sixth-rank Daoist priest.

    Qi Xuansu was more curious about what Madam Qi wanted to do with so much money. She was certainly not short of money, nor was she a spendthrift. It seemed to him that amassing money was just her hobby. That was why Qi Xuansu was perpetually broke. The only time he got to use money at will was after he started working in Tiangang Hall.

    He even thought that perhaps he would never get to see the money that Madam Qi saved for him in this life. For most men, their money was managed by their parents when they were young, by their wives when they got married, and by their children when they got old. That was such a meaningless life.

    Qi Xuansu did not want to be like that. In any case, Madam Qi helped him advance the cost of the Auxiliary Heart imnt. So he allowed Madam Qi to hold his money and regarded it as repaying his debt. But he would never let anyone else manage his money, not even Zhang Yuelu, if they ever got married. He was not the kind of man who would give up on his principles because of a pretty girl.

    Of course, Zhang Yuelu was also not the kind of girl who would restrain Qi Xuansu on such matters. She was much more ambitious than Qi Xuansu. She only wanted his thoughts and goals to be consistent with hers. Money was nothing more than an external possession for her.

    Qi Xuansu reflected on it. No matter what, he would still have to listen to Madam Qi and Zhang Yuelu in the end. But Madam Qi and Zhang Yuelu wereplete opposites. No wonder Zhang Yuelu and Madam Qi did not have a good impression of each other, even though they had never met.

    Zhang Yuelu believed that Madam Qi had instilled many bad habits in Qi Xuansu, and Madam Qi felt that Qi Xuansu had forgotten about her because he only cared about Zhang Yuelu. Was this what people meant when they said that mothers-inw and daughters-inw would never get along?

 Chapter 201: West Gobi

    <h4>Chapter 201: West Gobi</h4>

    After Madam Qi told Qi Xuansu the location of the Qingping Society¡¯s contact point in Xiping Prefecture, she ended theirmunication through the mother-child talisman.

    Qi Xuansu opened his hand and let the ashes of the mother-child talisman disperse in the wind. Then he turned around and headed in the direction of Xiping Prefecture. By the time he arrived, it was alreadyte at night.

    Xiping Prefecture was not as safe as Jade Capital or Shangqing Prefecture because it was close to the Western Region, where the war was still ongoing. Thus, the city gates closed early, and there was no side gate for people to go through. The only way to enter the city at this hour was to climb over the city walls.

    Qi Xuansu walked around the perimeter of the city to find a more secluded ce and slowly climbed up the wall, like a gecko. After reaching the top of the city wall, he went around the barbican and climbed down the other side.

    Fortunately, Xiping Prefecture was not in the war zone. Otherwise, the city¡¯s defense would have been tighter, and the guards would have noticed Qi Xuansu.

    After Qi Xuansu entered the city, he did not dare to walk on the streets because he wanted to avoid the patrolling ck Robes. He walked through the various alleyways and went to the location Madam Qi mentioned. Finally, he reached the remote alley.

    Qingping Society¡¯s contact points were all simr, with no obvious differences. They were usually hidden in towns and cities but situated in the more remote areas.

    The alley was dark. Qi Xuansu walked quickly to a small door at the end of the alley and knocked on it with a specific pattern. He gently knocked three times, paused for three breaths, and pounded four times.

    After a while, a voice came from inside. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as peace reigns in all directions.¡±

    Qi Xuansu whispered, ¡°The world is stable, and Ie in peace."

    As soon as he finished speaking, the door opened from the inside. The doorman quickly shut the door as soon as Qi Xuansu entered. It was just as dark inside because there were nonterns.

    The doorman led Qi Xuansu down a winding path behind the door to meet the owner of the ce.

    The owner of this house was a middle-aged woman. After Qi Xuansu showed her the fish talisman, she handed over the package that Madam Qi had sent him and arranged a room for him.

    Qi Xuansu went to his room and opened Madam Qi¡¯s package. It was a wooden box with threeyers. The firstyer contained the mother-child talisman, while the second and thirdyers contained some pills.

    After he became an official member of the Qingping Society in September, he was entitled to one set of mother-child talisman, ten Wuyou coins, a Blood Dragon Pill, and a Purple Pill every month.

    It had been four months since September, so he had four sets of mother-child talismans, four Blood Dragon Pills, and four Purple Pills. The Blood Dragon Pill was good for strengthening the blood and body, and the Purple Pill could improve qi training, so they were suitable for Qi Xuansu. Madam Qi gave Qi Xuansu two mother talismans to contact her and two child talismans for her to contact him.

    Qi Xuansu kept the mother-child talismans, took out a Blood Dragon Pill and a Purple Pill, and swallowed them. Then he began to refine the pills¡¯ medicinal effects. After having the experience of refining the medicinal winest time, Qi Xuansu knew how to properly refine elixirs and pills. By the time Qi Xuansu woke up from his trance, 24 hours had passed.

    He only felt that his cultivation had improved significantly.

    <i>Among the five major Daoist lineages, Banished Immortals were undoubtedly the best. In the past, Qi Refiners were regarded as the inferior substitutes for the Banished Immortals. </i>

    <i>It wasn¡¯t until the emergence of Rogue Cultivators that this theory was broken. The original intention of the Daoist Order was to mass produce Banished Immortals, and Rogue Cultivators was a byproduct of the failed experiment. As a result, Rogue Cultivators were not as good as Banished Immortals and Qi Refiners. Before the Heavenly-Being stage, the cultivation methods of Banished Immortals, Qi Refiners, and Rogue Cultivators were simr, focusing on qi training in the Dantian.</i>

    <i>That was why Qi Refiners were regarded as the better substitutes for Banished Immortals, and Rogue Cultivators were regarded as the lesser substitutes for the Banished Immortals.</i>

    <i>As Xiantian Beings, Rogue Cultivators would go through three realms ording to the three stages. The Inner Dan Realm in the Kunlun stage focused on the lower Dantian; the Yuding Realm in the Yuxu stage focused on the middle Dantian; and the Holy Embryo Realm in the Guizhen stage focused on the upper Dantian.</i>

    <i>These three realms corresponded to the Qi Refiner¡¯s Qi Refinement Realm, Qi Transformation Realm, and the Divine Qi Realm, respectively.</i>

    <i>The Rogue Cultivator¡¯s Yuding Realm, the Qi Refiner¡¯s Qi Transformation Realm, and the Banished Immortal¡¯s Purple Qi Realm were all preparations for the final opening of the upper Dantian.</i>

    <i>In the human body, the section of the spine from the tailbone to the second lumbar vertebrae was the coldest, also known as the Snow Mountain Area. The effort required for the qi to cross this area was minimal. Thus, Daoists named this phenomenon the Goat Cart.</i>

    <i>Behind the Snow Mountain Area was the spine, consisting of 24 segments corresponding to the 24 sr terms. The head and tail of the spine were called the Dragon and the Tiger respectively. This Dragon and Tiger Pass was the longest section and required the most effort for the qi to cross, so Daoists called it the Deer Cart.</i>

    <i>After the Dragon and Tiger Pass, the qi would reach the Fengchi acupoint at the back of the head, also called the Yuding Pass. It had the smallest orifice, which was difficult for qi to pass through. Thus, the most precise amount of force must be used. Daoists called it the Ox Cart.</i>

    <i>In other words, the final step of the Rogue Cultivator¡¯s Yuding Realm was for the qi to pass through the 24 segments of the spine to the Yuding Pass. After breaking through the Yuding Pass, the qi would enter the upper Dantian, and the Rogue Cultivator would advance to the Holy Embryo Realm. This realm corresponded to the Qi Refiner¡¯s Divine Qi Realm and the Banished Immortal¡¯s Nascent Soul Realm.</i>

    <i>The Holy Embryo Realm, Divine Qi Realm, and Nascent Soul Realm focused on cultivating the upper Dantian rather than opening it.</i>

    <i>The Diviners at the Kunlun stage had already reached this point, but the price was having weak bodies due to underdeveloped lower and middle Dantians. They did not have innate qi and relied too much on their Thoughts in ????the upper Dantian. That was why Martial Arts Practitioners had an advantage over Diviners.</i>

    At the moment, Qi Xuansu had broken through to the 18th segment of the spine, so he still had six vertebrae and a Yuding Pass before he could advance to the Holy Embryo Realm, which was the Guizhen stage. He estimated that he would be able to reach the 22nd segment out of the total 24 segments after taking all these pills.

    Qi Xuansu rested in Xiping Prefecture for a few more days and waited for the heat of the Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly to pass before he left the contact point. He did not loiter around and quietly left the city, heading toward the desert that Madam Qi mentioned.

    This time, Qi Xuansu took out the Jiamas[1] that Zhang Yuelu gave to him and tied them to his legs. He could travel faster with these than on horseback, up to a few hundred kilometers a day. Thus, it only took him about one day to arrive at the outskirts of the Great Gobi Desert.

    This ce was located to the west of Cuowenbu, also known as the West Gobi. Qi Xuansu took off his Jiamas and walked normally. After about five kilometers, a projectile hit Qi Xuansu right between the eyebrows without him realizing it beforehand.

    It was a good shot, but it was a pity that the projectile was the mostmon kind. It definitely could notpare to the Dragon Eye Bullets produced by Tianji Hall or even the most basic armor-piercing bullets. They were just ordinary projectiles.

    Thus, the projectile hit Qi Xuansu between his eyebrows and ricocheted instead of doing any damage.

    Qi Xuansu was neither surprised nor angry. He calmly looked in the direction of the projectile and saw a man holding a long gun behind some broken rocks. The man¡¯s clothes were made of pieces of rags spliced ??together. His skin was dark due to the sun, and the long gun in his hand was old.

    It seemed to have a flintlock mechanism, not the firing pin mechanismmonly used at the moment. The gun was missing many parts as well. However, it had been polished until it shone brightly, indicating that the owner took great care of it.

    Judging from the man¡¯s firing posture, he must have received proper training. He was not an ordinary civilian who identally picked up a gun.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you reloading your gun? Are you just going to wait for your death?¡±

    The man was silent for a moment before he replied with a strong ent, ¡°It¡¯s useless. I know I can¡¯t kill you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled. ¡°I have no ill intentions. I¡¯m here to look for someone. If you can be my guide, I¡¯ll give you a satisfactory reward.¡±

    Qi Xuansu walked toward the man while talking. The man looked hesitant, but he stood his ground. At the same time, the man held the long gun with one hand to show that he was not hostile.

    When they were less than ten meters apart, the man suddenly pulled out a pistol without warning and fired it at Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart.

    This was the Bird Pistol of the Divine Armory. Although it was not as powerful as the Divine Dragon Pistol, it should not be underestimated at close range. Moreover, the pistol was also loaded with special armor-piercing projectiles.

    This shot broke through Qi Xuansu¡¯s qi shield. Although Qi Xuansu had already dodged, he was still shot in the chest, leaving a bloody hole in his sternum.

    Qi Xuansu was angered and leaped forward, swinging his arm horizontally in a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s style. The strike sounded like firecrackers as itnded hard on the man¡¯s chest.

    The man was sent flying, crashing into a huge rock. His body stuck to the rock before it slowly slid down. His entire chest had sunken, and he looked dead.

    Soon after, the projectile, which was lodged in Qi Xuansu¡¯s chest, was spat out by his regenerating muscles and fell to the ground. His chest wound healed quickly, thanks to his self-healing abilities.

    1. Talismans that could boost one¡¯s speed of walking. ?

 Chapter 202: Rescue

    <h4>Chapter 202: Rescue</h4>

    Qi Xuansu had to admit that since he obtained the Xuan Jade and had regenerative abilities, he was no longer as cautious as before. That was why he was ambushed. He had to correct this bad habit because the consequences would be unfathomable.

    At the same time, he also realized why Madam Qi told him to be careful of the local people, and that no one who lived here was decent.

    Qi Xuansu went over to the body and searched it, but found nothing that could prove this man¡¯s identity. He also did not have cash notes or coins. Apart from the long gun and the pistol, the man only had a bag of projectiles, a knife, a dagger, a water pouch, and a bag of dry food. The man was out to hunt, but his prey were humans.

    This exined why the man refused Qi Xuansu¡¯s kindness. It was also partly Qi Xuansu¡¯s fault for identally revealing that he had money by offering to pay the man if he led the way. That was why the man thought that it would be a better deal if he could kill Qi Xuansu and take all the money instead of some meagerpensation.

    After all, wealth came with risks, so the man was willing to go all out. But this was often a recipe for death.

    Qi Xuansu continued on his way, searching for locals who could help him. Madam Qi said that there were several small towns scattered in this desert. He would only have a chance to find the White Jade Hall and Mountain Ghost if he inquired about them from the locals.

    He went deep into the Gobi Desert for about 20 kilometers before he saw a row of wooden frames about 10 meters tall. Each wooden frame had one person hanging from it with a noose around their neck, ck cloth wrapped over their head, their feet off the ground, and their hands bound behind the back. It was obvious that the victims were unable to fight back when they were hanged.

    Some of these hanging corpses had turned into withered bones with iplete skeletons. But some seemed to have died not long ago, as their clothes were still in good condition. Crowsnded on the corpses and pecked on them.

    These corpses, whether new or old, swayed in the wind, serving as a clear warning sign.

    Qi Xuansu stopped for a moment in front of the wooden frames before moving on. These dead people did not scare Qi Xuansu. Instead, they were more like road signs for him. From this, he was sure that the town was most likely not far away. At least he knew he was heading in the right direction.

    Sure enough, Qi Xuansu noticed more people in the area. However, most of these people looked hostile and carried weapons. Although they did not take the initiative to provoke Qi Xuansu, they were certainly unapproachable. Qi Xuansu did not know the rules around this area and did not want unnecessary trouble, so he did not ask them for directions.

    After more than five kilometers, Qi Xuansu suddenly saw a group of people chasing a man and a woman. The man and woman did not look like a couple. Instead, the man looked like the woman¡¯s bodyguard. The bodyguard fought and retreated, but they were still surrounded. The group beat up the bodyguard before shoving a gun up his mouth and shooting him to death.

    The woman was left alone. As soon as those lecherous gazes fell on her, it was clear what her ending would be.

    Qi Xuansu restrained his aura and hid not far away, hesitating whether to help this woman. After all, he was no longer a member of the Daoist Order. He was now a solo traveler. Even if he wanted to be heroic, he had to consider the consequences. He could not be as bold as he was before when he was working in Tiangang Hall.

    That was when Qi Xuansu thought about his need for a local guide. This woman was the perfect candidate for the job.

    At this moment, someone put a noose around the woman¡¯s fair and slender neck. Then they dragged the woman to a por tree not far away. They threw the rope over a tall tree branch and tugged on the other end, lifting the woman¡¯s body slightly.

    To prevent herself from suffocating, the woman held onto the rope around her neck with both hands and stood on tiptoes. This group of people seemed to be in no hurry to hang the woman. They just kept the rope taut enough so that the woman could barely breathe while standing on her tiptoes. They then approached the woman, breathing heavily.

    A thin and dark-skinned man who was blind in one eye smiled lewdly. ¡°Good stuff!¡±

    Another person remarked, ¡°She looks like the daughter of a court official.¡±

    The group burst intoughter. Only one tall man with his arms folded across his chest did not move.

    The woman¡¯s face was flushed because she had difficulty breathing, and her eyes were filled with unconceble fear.

    Just when the group was about to strip the woman naked, Qi Xuansu finally appeared. This woman should be grateful to Qi Xuansu and even more grateful to Zhang Yuelu. If it were not for Zhang Yuelu¡¯s influence, Qi Xuansu might not have helped her. Being a heroic solo traveler was a luxury in this dangerous climate.

    Qi Xuansu went straight to the point. ¡°Let her go.¡±

    Everyone turned to look at Qi Xuansu. Someone even tried raising his gun. However, before the man could raise his gun into a firing posture, his head exploded.

    Qi Xuansu held up his Divine Dragon Pistol, with smoke still visible from the muzzle. The body of the gun, which was shaped like a dragon, glinted under the sunlight. What shocked the group was that the gun did not just pierce a hole in the man¡¯s head. The man¡¯s head exploded to pieces, indicating that it was not an ordinary projectile.

    Qi Xuansu reloaded the projectiles slowly as he said, ¡°You cane at me if you want.¡±

    After he spoke, someone attacked him. It was the tall man, who was a Martial Arts Practitioner at the Kunlun stage. He seemed to be the leader of the group. The bodyguard who died earlier was beaten up by this man before getting shot to death.

    The tall man lunged at Qi Xuansu with both hands, intending to grab thetter¡¯s arms to prevent him from firing the gun again. Qi Xuansu had already loaded the projectiles, but he threw away the Divine Dragon Pistol and let the tall man grab his arms. He then exerted some force.

    For a moment, the tall man thought that he had gone back to the days when he was wrestling a bull. Although he held the two horns tightly with both hands, he could not stop the bull and only got thrown off.

    At this time, the tall man felt powerless against Qi Xuansu, even though he had used all his strength. Instead, he felt the inertia. His chest felt tight, and he felt like vomiting blood.

    Qi Xuansu held the tall man¡¯s wrists, exerting force in the left and right directions, respectively.

    The tall man¡¯s figure suddenly shook as his joints cracked with a series of explosions. Qi Xuansu almost tore the man¡¯s arms off. When Qi Xuansu let go of the man¡¯s arms, they fell limp at his sides, unable to exert any strength.

    The intense pain causedrge beads of sweat to form on the tall man¡¯s forehead. He could barely stand straight and was powerless.

    Qi Xuansu then bent down to pick up his Divine Dragon Pistol, put the muzzle of the gun against the tall man¡¯s forehead, and asked, ¡°Can you let that girl go now?¡±

    The tall man showed fear in his eyes and nodded repeatedly.

    In fact, even without the tall man¡¯s orders, the group of people had already left the woman and retreated to two separate sides.

    Qi Xuansu aimed his gun to the side and shot the rope that was lifting the woman. In an instant, the woman fell to the ground and started gasping for air.

    Although Qi Xuansu¡¯s gun was unloaded, no one dared to take a step forward.

    From the beginning, Qi Xuansu was not afraid of this group of people. He was just afraid that this group of people had other forces backing them, which would bring him unnecessary trouble.

    Qi Xuansu waved his hand, indicating that the group could leave.

    The tall man was a little surprised. He did not expect Qi Xuansu to be so easygoing, but he fled without hesitation. Only two corpses were left. One of them was the woman¡¯s bodyguard, and the other was the unlucky guy whose head was blown up.

    Qi Xuansu approached the woman and sized her up. Judging from her clothes, she was not amoner. She looked like a well-breddy from a court official¡¯s family. She was also quite pretty, but that was not important. He did not save her just so that she would marry him.

    The woman untied the noose around her neck, revealing a bright red mark on her fair neck. She was somewhat calm, and she did not cry like an ordinary woman. Instead, she looked at Qi Xuansu with a bit of surprise. After all, she did not know what Qi Xuansu¡¯s purpose was.

    Qi Xuansu looked away, lowered his head to reload his gun, and asked, ¡°Who are you? Who were those people just now?¡±

    The woman hesitated for a moment before she said softly, ¡°Thank you so much for saving me. My name is Qin Xiang. I don¡¯t know who those people are either.¡±

    Qi Xuansu put the reloaded Divine Dragon Pistol back on his waist and pressed on. ¡°Then why do they want to capture you?¡±

    Qin Xiang looked frightened, regretful, and angry as sheined, ¡°I was tricked toe here! I wanted to escape, but they brought me back.¡±

    Qi Xuansu roughly understood what was going on. This woman was probably a nobledy ignorant of the world¡¯s dangers, so she was tricked intoing here and fell into a lion¡¯s den.

 Chapter 203: Qin Xiang (I)

    <h4>Chapter 203: Qin Xiang (I)</h4>

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°How could youe to a ce like this by yourself? Aren¡¯t you afraid of being eaten alive? Who gave you such courage?¡±

    Qin Xiang looked at the corpse of her bodyguard with aplicated expression.

    Noticing her gaze, Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Who is he?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s my milk brother,¡± Qin Xiang replied.

    Most mothers from wealthy families did not nurse their own babies. Instead, they hired wet nurses, who also had their own children. The children who were nursed by the same woman had a milk kinship even though they had different parentage. Some milk siblings had close rtionships because they grew up together. That was how some of the emperors chose their confidants.

    Qi Xuansu nced at the corpse. ¡°He¡¯s also a child who doesn¡¯t know the dangers of the world. Did he agree to apany you here as soon as you asked him to?¡±

    Qin Xiang squatted beside the corpse and kept silent.

    ¡°What about the person who tricked you?¡± Qi Xuansu pressed on.

    Qin Xiang shook her head.

    Qi Xuansu did not bother to guess whether she was shaking her head because she did not know or if she just did not want to mention it. He said, ¡°Lead me to the nearest city. After I¡¯m done with my work, I can help you find your way home.¡±

    Qin Xiang slowly raised her head and nced at Qi Xuansu. ¡°Is this your first time here too?¡±

    Qi Xuansu remarked, ¡°The number of times someone has been somewhere doesn¡¯t matter. What¡¯s more important is having the ability to protect oneself.¡±

    Qin Xiang said softly, ¡°I only know how to get to one city.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good enough.¡± Qi Xuansu did not mind.

    Qin Xiang stood up. She stopped staring at her bodyguard¡¯s corpse and said, ¡°I¡¯ve done some research about that city. Back in the Wei Dynasty, it used to be the border between the Central ins and the Golden Horde. But today, the Great Xuan Dynasty has regained Xizhou, so Yongzhou is no longer the frontier of our empire. When Emperor Gaozu abolished the military household system, the battalion that used to be stationed in that city was disbanded.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had an epiphany. ¡°That exins why this ce has be no man¡¯snd. After all, this kind of ce is not suitable for habitation. After the troops were no longer stationed here, the government stopped taking care of this ce and gave some people the opportunity to dominate the area. If you¡¯ve done research on this ce, why didn¡¯t you suspect that something was wrong?¡±

    Qin Xiang shook her head. ¡°We have strictws in this dynasty. No one will dare to¡ª¡±

    Qi Xuansuughed loudly and mocked her. ¡°Right. The people here might not dare to openly resist the Imperial Court, but that doesn¡¯t mean they won¡¯t dare tomit crimes. Rebellion and petty crimes arepletely different. Got it?¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Qin Xiang nodded embarrassedly.

    Qi Xuansu decided to be a nice guy. He circted some qi to his feet and stomped a shallow pit in the ground, where he ced the body of Qin Xiang¡¯s milk brother. He then covered the body with a pile of gravel, making a simple grave.

    After doing this, he sighed and thought to himself. <i>How did I be like this in just six months? I wouldn¡¯t have done this before, nor would I be so careless.</i>

    Qin Xiang was baffled, but she still bowed three times in front of the makeshift grave.

    Qi Xuansu sighed, looked around, and found Qin Xiang¡¯s horse not far away.

    Previously, Qin Xiang and her bodyguard had escaped on horseback. They only got surrounded after falling off their horses. The bodyguard¡¯s horse had long fled. Unexpectedly, Qin Xiang¡¯s horse did not abandon its owner. It wandered around nearby and approached Qin Xiang once the group left.

    Qi Xuansu looked at the horse carefully. ¡°This is a good horse. Judging by this alone, you muste from a good family, huh?¡±

    Qin Xiang approached her horse and gently stroked its mane.

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Get on your horse. I don¡¯t think you can travel far on foot.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡± Qin Xiang asked.

    Qi Xuansu took out the Jiamas from Zhang Yuelu and tied one to each of his legs again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±

    Qin Xiang got on her horse, nced at the Jiamas on Qi Xuansu¡¯s legs, and asked, ¡°Are you from the Daoist Order?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. You just need to lead the way. Only talk if I ask you a question.¡± Qi Xuansu was not interested in talking to this brainless woman.

    Qin Xiang was certainly not the brightest, unlike Zhang Yuelu, who could see through Qi Xuansu¡¯s lies with just a few sentences. In his opinion, this nobledy was certainly brainless to get tricked into this hellhole.

    Although Qi Xuansu thought that she was brainless, Qin Xiang was still smart enough to go in the right direction. They traveled for about 15 kilometers before taking a short break. Along the way, they did not see a single town and only saw a few passersby.

    During their break, Qin Xiang could not hold back her curiosity. ¡°Sir, are you a member of the Daoist Order? I also know some people from the Daoist Order. Perhaps we have some mutual friends!¡±

    ¡°I used to be a member of the Daoist Order, but I¡¯m just a solo traveler now,¡± Qi Xuansu replied.

    ¡°You¡¯re also a former Daoist?¡± Qin Xiang gasped.

    ¡°Also? Who else do you know who is also a former Daoist? Is it the person who tricked you intoing here?¡± Qi Xuansu was quick to catch on.

    Qin Xiang did not expect Qi Xuansu to deduce the truth from just one word. She did not know how to cover it up, so she answered reluctantly, ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Then what is his current identity?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Qin Xiang mumbled, ¡°He is now a member of the Eight Tribes.¡±

    ¡°The founding fathers of the Eight Tribes used to be high-ranking Daoist priests who betrayed the Daoist Order. Over the years, they have continued to recruit Daoist disciples to join them.¡± Qi Xuansu was surprised. ¡°The Eight Tribes is a secret society. Didn¡¯t your parents warn you about the dangers of secret societies? Or are you at a rebellious age where you like to go against your parents?¡±

    Qin Xiang remained silent.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu shook his head in disapproval.

    It was not necessarily wrong to rebel against one¡¯s parents. Even Confucius, who was an advocate of filial piety, agreed that children should speak up if a parent was doing something unjust. That was because justice came before obedience. However, it was only allowed if the reason was justified.

    Rebelling against one¡¯s parents was still frowned upon. But it was highly dependent on the situation. Take Zhang Yuelu as an example. Her opposition to her mother could be viewed as right or wrong. At least, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s reason was justified. Qin Xiang¡¯s reason was fundamentally wrong.

    At the same time, Qi Xuansu became more vignt because there were members of the Eight Tribes around this area.

    <i>ording to Madam Qi, the reason the Eight Tribes betrayed the Daoist Order was that their ideas were rejected by the Holy Xuan and the second-generation Earthly Preceptor for being too radical or cruel. That was why they left the Daoist Order to continue their research.</i>

    <i>The Earthly Preceptor and the Heavenly Preceptor were titles that had been passed down for a long time. However, the Earthly Preceptor lineage was very chaotic, unlike the Heavenly Preceptor¡¯s. Therefore, after the Holy Xuan revived the Daoist Order, he appointed his teacher, Xu Wugui, as the first-generation Earthly Preceptor.</i>

    <i>The second-generation Earthly Preceptor was the Holy Xuan¡¯s junior apprentice sister. She was a legendary figure who served as the Great Sage of the Quanzhen Sect and was put in charge of inventions. She also bombarded Shangqing Town before the Holy Xuan integrated the Daoist sects.</i>

    <i>After the Holy Xuan integrated the Daoist sects, she married the Heavenly Preceptor, bing the matron of the Zhang family. She was a ruthless and decisive figure, like Donghuang, whose merits and faults required a deeper understanding of the situation before jumping to a conclusion. Such a ruthless figure had rejected the founders of the Eight Tribes, which indicated just how radical those people were.</i>

    <i>Different from the Ziguang Society, the Cult of Fates, and the Lingshan Witch Cult, most people ssified the Eight Tribes in the same category as the Qingping Society, the Seven Treasure Pavilion, and The Inn, which were more neutral. They did not deliberately oppose the Daoist Order. But among these secret societies, the Eight Tribes was the most unpredictable.</i>

    <i>If these secret societies were described as people, the Ziguang Society would be a charming woman; the Cult of Fates would be a dying old man; the Lingshan Witch Cult would be a madman with bloody hands; the Heavenly Court would be a delusional person; the Qingping Society would be a mysterious person; the Seven Treasure Pavilion would be a businesswoman; The Inn would be a businessman; and the Eight Tribes would be a stubborn schr.</i>

    <i>At first nce, the stubborn schr looked like a normal person with a bookish temperament, but no one knew when he would go crazy because of his ideas. That made him unpredictable, so most people were careful when dealing with the Eight Tribes.</i>

    <i>The Qingping Society had interactions with the Eight Tribes and could be considered partners. The Eight Tribes needed money, and the Qingping Society needed all kinds of weird research from the Eight Tribes, such as the technology to imnt Auxiliary Hearts.</i>

    As Qin Xiang and Qi Xuansu continued on their journey, Qin Xiang turned to stare at the mysterious man next to her, full of curiosity.

    Qi Xuansu did not have any feelings for Qin Xiang. After meeting a woman like Zhang Yuelu, he had no interest in other women.

    The duo walked for more than five kilometers until they finally saw a town in the distance.

    As Madam Qi mentioned, there were indeed small towns scattered in the desert. This town was far smaller than Xiping Prefecture.

    Qi Xuansu signaled for Qin Xiang to rein in her horse. Then he took out his cloak from his satchel and handed it to Qin Xiang. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to return it to me.¡±

    Qin Xiang was stunned for a moment. She took Qi Xuansu¡¯s cloak and put it on with aplicated expression, but it was covered by the hood.

    Qi Xuansu looked at the town in the distance and gently stroked his silver fish talisman.

    This city was constructed of rammed earth. It was not what Qi Xuansu imagined to be the location of the White Jade Hall.

    It seemed that finding this White Jade Hall would not be an easy task.

 Chapter 204: Qin Xiang (II)

    <h4>Chapter 204: Qin Xiang (II)</h4>

    This small city had no guards or guides, so anyone coulde and go as they pleased. Qi Xuansu put away his Jiamas and entered the town with Qin Xiang, who dismounted from her horse.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Are the people from the Eight Tribes in this city?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Qin Xiang shook her head. ¡°They¡¯re outside the city. I stayed in the city for two days before I went to see him.¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally asked, ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡±

    Qin Xiang hesitated before replying, ¡°Wei Guan.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of him. How do you know each other?¡±

    Qin Xiang answered truthfully, ¡°I met him when I went to a Daoist temple to offer incense.¡±

    Qi Xuansu put away his silver fish talisman. ¡°Daoist temples and former Daoists. It seems like all these secret societies are inextricably linked to the Daoist Order.¡±

    Qin Xiang defended herself. ¡°I thought he was a member of the Daoist Order at first, so I spoke to him. If not, I wouldn¡¯t havee here...¡±

    Qi Xuansuughed. ¡°Apart from Tiangang Hall, I¡¯m afraid no one in the Daoist Order would be willing toe to this ce. Even if Tiangang Halles here, they are here to carry out the orders of the Ancestral Court to wipe out a secret society, certainly not for sightseeing. I can''t believe that you fell for his lies!¡±

    Qin Xiang was rendered speechless.

    All this time, Qi Xuansu never asked about Qin Xiang¡¯s identity. He just assumed that she was from a court official¡¯s family. Since they were getting to know each other, he asked, ¡°What about you? Which family are you from?¡±

    Qin Xiang blinked and said softly, ¡°The Qin family.¡±

    ¡°Qin... Like¡ª¡± Qi Xuansu¡¯s voice stopped abruptly.

    He suddenly remembered something.

    The three major families in the world were the descendants of Confucius, the Zhang family of Shangqing Prefecture, and the Qin family of Dragon City. The Qin family referred to the current royal family, which was originally from the Chaoyang Prefecture of Yongzhou, which was called Dragon City in ancient times.

    Qi Xuansu asked with a strange expression, ¡°You¡¯re royalty?¡±

    Qin Xiang nodded.

    Qi Xuansu was silent for a moment before he asked, ¡°Do you have a title?¡±

    ¡°District Princess.¡± Qin Xiang answered honestly.

    Qi Xuansu was stunned for a moment.

    If he remembered correctly, the daughter of the Emperor was granted the title of Imperial Princess, and the daughter of an Imperial Prince was granted the title of Commandery Princess. The daughter of a Commandery Prince was granted the title of District Princess. In other words, Qin Xiang¡¯s father was a Commandery Prince.

    Although the feudal system was abolished and the princes no longer had private fiefdoms or military power, they were allowed to participate in politics. The various princes could hold civil and military official positions, so their power should not be underestimated.

    The Commandery Princess and the District Princess also did not have their fiefdoms and only held an empty title. But they were still of royal blood. What was most important to the royal family was their image. If Qin Xiang was vited by that group of thugs, the royal family would try to cover it up and silence her. At the same time, they would also wipe out this ce in the name of suppressing bandits as an act of revenge.

    Qin Xiang whispered, ¡°I sneaked out. If word got out, I might get detained by the court.¡±

    Qi Xuansu snorted. ¡°Now you think of the consequences? And here I thought you weren¡¯t afraid of anything.¡±

    Qin Xiang lowered her head and stopped talking.

    Qi Xuansu added, ¡°Then let¡¯s leave this ce before people notice.¡±

    Hearing this, Qin Xiang raised her head and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m collecting a debt on behalf of someone else.¡± He paused and decided to try his luck. ¡°Have you ever heard of the White Jade Hall?¡±

    Qin Xiang shook her head.

    Qi Xuansu did not expect the District Princess to know about the White Jade Hall. Even a seasoned traveler like him had never heard of this ce. So it must be hidden.

    ording to Madam Qi, Mountain Ghost was also a member of the Qingping Society. He was most probably a B-rank member with a golden-purple fish talisman like Madam Qi.

    Qi Xuansu came across two other B-rank members aside from Madam Qi. One was Xie Qiuniang, who was in a Guizhen-stage Confucian Hermit, evenly matched against Zhang Yuelu. The other B-rank member was Crimson Lips, whose true identity was Li Qingnu. She was groomed by the Li family to be the finest courtesan in the Imperial Capital.

    Although Li Qingnu was only in the Yuxu stage, simr to Qi Xuansu, her value was in her identity. Qi Xuansu could notpare to her. Qi Xuansu was also unaware of Madam Qi¡¯s true identity, but she was well-informed and highly connected. She also knew many inside stories of the Daoist Order. So, Qi Xuansu suspected that she was once a high-ranking Daoist priest.

    The Qingping Association had a clear ranking for its members. D-rank was for unofficial members; C-rank was for ordinary official members; B-rank was for the elite official members; and A-rank was undoubtedly for the top leaders of the Qingping Society.

    All B-rank members had special identities and held enough power and influence. In other words, Qi Xuansu was still far from being qualified as a B-rank member, but Zhang Yuelu would have met the criteria.

    In that case, what was the identity of Mountain Ghost? Could he be a city lord?

    At this moment, several children ran toward them, seemingly ying.

    Qin Xiang warned. ¡°Be careful. These children are pickpockets. When I came here for the first time, they stole my money pouch.¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled and remained silent.

    A ten-year-old looked back from time to time, ying with his friends and ¡°identally¡± bumping into Qi Xuansu. This boy clung to Qi Xuansu¡¯s body and did not move for a long time. Finally, the boy raised his head and looked at Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu said calmly, ¡°The strap of this satchel is made of beef tendon and steel wire, so it can¡¯t be cut with a knife. You¡¯ll have to use a saw.¡±

    The kid looked embarrassed, putting the de away and taking a few steps back.

    At the same time, another child brushed past Qi Xuansu and managed to grab something. It was the Divine Dragon Pistol. The child stopped and did not know what to do with this heavy gun.

    Qi Xuansu turned around and hooked a finger, signaling the child to return the gun. He never would have imagined that the child would suddenly hold the gun with both hands, point it at him, press the hammer, and hook the trigger. The kid''s movements were smooth, indicating his familiarity with guns.

    The kid had a vicious expression that did not match his age as he threatened Qi Xuansu, ¡°Hand over the money!¡±

    The situation changed in an instant, but the surrounding pedestrians were not surprised. They merely watched with interest on the sidelines.

    Qi Xuansu was not afraid of the boy. Instead, he mocked, ¡°If you don¡¯t dare to shoot, you would be better off holding a stick instead.¡±

    The boy shouted, ¡°Stop talking nonsense and hand over the money!¡±

    Qin Xiang had witnessed the power of this gun, so she panicked.

    However, Qi Xuansu spoke to the boy calmly. ¡°If you put down the gun, I can pretend this never happened.¡±

    After all, a child¡¯s strength was limited. Even with both hands, the boy would not be able to hold the heavy Divine Dragon Pistol for too long. After a while, his arms began to tremble. He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and pulled the trigger.

    Everyone heard a gunshot. When the boy opened his eyes, he found that Qi Xuansu had disappeared. But no matter how powerful a gun was, it could not possibly turn someone into ashes with one shot. He was puzzled as he thought, <i>Where did that man go?</i>

    The boy looked up and nced around. That was when he heard a voiceing from behind. ¡°You didn¡¯t cherish the opportunity I gave you.¡±

    Quick to react, the boy immediately got to his knees and raised the gun in surrender. ¡°I was wrong, sir. Please spare me!¡±

    Qi Xuansu reached out and took his gun back. He had seen gangsters who used children to steal. Generally speaking, those gangsters would at most give the children a beating if a mistake was made. Qi Xuansu did not want to offend the local gangsters, so he just pped the child on the shoulder with a hidden force.

    This force would spread gradually, eventually numbing the child¡¯s arm for a month. But it was not fatal. Qi Xuansu only wanted to teach this kid a lesson by breaking his arm for a while. ¡°Don¡¯t let me see you again.¡±

    The children ran away in a hurry, and the spectators gradually dispersed.

    Qin Xiang came closer and looked at Qi Xuansu¡¯s gun. ¡°This is the Divine Dragon Pistol. Only generals or those above can own one.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nced at her. ¡°There are plenty of these on the ck market.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been to the ck market.¡± Qin Xiang noted. ¡°The guns sold on the ck market have had the serial numbers erased. Yours still has a serial number.¡±

    Qi Xuansu lowered his head and nced at it. Sure enough, there were some inconspicuous small characters on the handle. This Divine Dragon Pistol was indeed not from the ck market. It was bought from a branch of Tianji Hall. Qi Xuansu did not say anything. He just put the gun back into its holster.

    Under Qin Xiang¡¯s guidance, they came to the entrance of an inn. Qin Xiang said, ¡°I stayed in this inn before. It should be a legitimate business.¡±

    Qi Xuansu wanted tough. <i>As if she¡¯ll know the difference!</i>

    After some thought, he decided to keep his snarky remarks to himself. After all, Qin Xiang was a District Princess. There was no harm in maintaining a cordial rtionship with her because it mighte in handy one day. There was no need to burn this bridge because of some sarcastic words.

    As soon as he entered the inn, he had a familiar feeling. This inn did not seem to be an ordinary inn. It was also not the Taiping Inn operated by the Daoist Order. It was The Inn that specialized in shady transactions.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s trip to Fengtai County started at The Inn. He nced around to find a few fierce-looking people in the lobby with strong killing auras. Then he turned to Qin Xiang and gave her a strange look.

    He could not help but imagine what it was like when Qin Xiang asked for a room at The Inn when she first arrived. What surprised him even more was that The Inn actually allowed her to stay for two days.

    ¡°What? Is there something on my face?¡± Qin Xiang subconsciously touched her face, but it felt normal. She looked at him, puzzled, because she did not understand why Qi Xuansu was staring at her as if she were a fool.

    Qi Xuansu looked away and stifled augh. ¡°Nope. You''re right; this is indeed a legitimate business.¡±

 Chapter 205: Reclaimed Land

    <h4>Chapter 205: Reimed Land</h4>

    Qi Xuansu entered The Inn, strolled over to the counter, and rested his elbows on the countertop.

    The Innkeeper behind the counter raised his eyes and looked at Qi Xuansu. ¡°Sir, what kind of services would you like? Everything is negotiable as long as the price is right.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°I heard that you actually offer high-end amodation here.¡±

    The Innkeeper chuckled awkwardly. After a long time, the Innkeeper finally said, ¡°Well, there are empty kilns up top. Might as well put them to good use.¡±

    ¡°Kiln¡± referred to the guest room, and ¡°up top¡± was the second floor in ng.

    Qi Xuansu smirked. ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°Sir, judging from your tone, you sound like a regr here.¡± The Innkeeper looked Qi Xuansu up and down.

    Qi Xuansu did not hide it. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a regr, but in the south, not here.¡±

    ¡°Our friend from the south, I see.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Certainly.¡±

    Since Qi Xuansu was a regr at The Inn, the Innkeeper saved a lot of time having to probe him or beat around the bush. ¡°What would you like, then?¡±

    Qi Xuansu also got straight to the point. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask about a ce called the White Jade Hall. Have you heard of it before?¡±

    The Innkeeper¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°May I ask why you are looking for the White Jade Hall?¡±

    Qi Xuansu answered, ¡°I¡¯m running an errand.¡±

    The Innkeeper pressed on. ¡°May I ask for your name, sir?¡±

    ¡°Wei Wugui,¡± Qi Xuansu replied.

    ¡°Brother Wei, you should know our rules.¡± The Innkeeper added, ¡°Everything is negotiable with the right note.¡±

    ¡°Note¡± was short for cash note.

    ¡°Sure thing.¡± Qi Xuansu tapped his finger on the counter. ¡°But don¡¯t you shake me down.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not want the Innkeeper to extort him.

    ¡°Of course.¡± The Innkeeper smiled. ¡°But we don¡¯t encourage chaffering.¡±

    The Innkeeper also warned Qi Xuansu not to bargain.

    The Innkeeper nodded slightly and stopped talking in ng. ¡°Shall we talk inside?¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Wait a minute. I have one more thing to ask.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± The Innkeeper asked.

    Qi Xuansu pointed to Qin Xiang beside him. ¡°Do you still have a room avable? She¡¯ll need one.¡±

    All this time, Qin Xiang was standing next to Qi Xuansu, puzzled. She heard the conversation between Qi Xuansu and the Innkeeper. However, she could not understand what they were saying. She only understood thest part when Qi Xuansu asked for a room for her.

    The Innkeeper turned his attention to Qin Xiang. Although Qin Xiang covered most of her face with a hood, the Innkeeper still recognized her. He smiled and remarked, ¡°Thisdy was here a few days ago.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Let her stay for a few more days until Ie back.¡±

    ¡°Forgive me, sir, but what if you can¡¯te back?¡± The Innkeeper was cautious.

    Qi Xuansu thought about it for a while before saying, ¡°The Inn has good rtions with the Green Phoenix Guard, right? Inform the Green Phoenix Guard if that happens.¡±

    The Innkeeper¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Sir, what do you mean by this?¡±

    ¡°The literal meaning of it.¡± Qi Xuansu did not want to get into Qin Xiang¡¯s identity just yet, so he changed the topic. ¡°Let¡¯s talk business then.¡±

    The Innkeeper hesitated for a moment before he summoned a waiter and instructed, ¡°Take thisdy to the guest room where she stayed in before.¡±

    Qin Xiang looked at Qi Xuansu for assurance, so Qi Xuansu smiled and said, ¡°Go ahead, it¡¯s very safe here. No one will dare to cause trouble here.¡±

    ¡°Naturally.¡± The Innkeeper agreed, but as he said this, he suddenly thought of the massacre at the Luzhou branch not long ago.

    Qin Xiang followed the waiter to the guest room where she had stayed previously.

    The Innkeeper stretched out his hand. ¡°Sir, pleasee this way.¡±

    The two men came to a separate room, which seemed to be the Innkeeper¡¯s office. In addition to a huge desk with various files piled on top, there were two rows of chairs against the wall. It seemed that this ce also served as a meeting room that could be used for discussions with multiple people.

    The Innkeeper sat behind the desk, while Qi Xuansu sat on a random chair.

    Qi Xuansu cut to the chase. ¡°Name your price.¡±

    The Innkeeper did not rush to give him a quote. Instead, he said, ¡°Since you know of the existence of White Jade Hall, I assume you also understand how special it is.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was in fact clueless about White Jade Hall, but he did not want to seem stupid at this time, so he merely nodded with a stern expression.

    The Innkeeper continued, ¡°That¡¯s why the price for this transaction won¡¯t be low. I hope you¡¯ll be mentally prepared for it, sir.¡±

    ¡°How much exactly?¡± Qi Xuansu had a bad premonition in his heart.

    The Innkeeper held out two fingers.

    Of course, Qi Xuansu did not think it was merely 200 Taiping coins because of the Innkeeper¡¯s warning. So he frowned and asked, ¡°2000 Taiping coins?¡±

    ¡°Yes, 2000 Taiping coins.¡± The smile on the Innkeeper¡¯s face remained unchanged.

    Qi Xuansu was a little helpless. He failed to return to Jade Capital, but ¡°disembarked¡± the flying ship halfway. So he missed out on Tiangang Hall''s relocation expenses and sry. Madam Qi withheld his Wuyou coins, so he only had 300 Taiping coins on him, as well as the 500 Taiping coins cash note from Zhao Fu¡¯an, totaling 800 Taiping coins. It was still a long way from 2000 Taiping coins.

    Even if he had the money, he doubted that he could recover this capital with the reward Madam Qi promised him. He did not mind running errands for Madam Qi as a favor, but there was no way he would fork out more money. Having spent so many years with Madam Qi, he had also acquired some of her stingy habits.

    The Innkeeper was not surprised when he saw Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression. After all, 2000 Taiping coins was certainly not a small sum. He continued, ¡°Sir, if you can¡¯t afford that much, you can pay using other methods, such as work.¡±

    Qi Xuansu understood that the Innkeeper purposely set a high price to bring up this offer. This was just so Qi Xuansu would work for The Inn.

    Hearing this, Qi Xuansu did not object immediately. He inquired, ¡°I wonder what kind of job will be worth 2000 Taiping coins.¡±

    The Innkeeper replied, ¡°It¡¯s a big job. Brother Wei, you hang around in the densely popted south. Jobs there are mainly about fighting with people. But it¡¯s different out here in the northwest. Thend is vast and sparsely popted. Hence it¡¯s not so much fighting against people, but fighting against nature.¡±

    ¡°Fighting against nature?¡± Qi Xuansu found this statement rather amusing.

    The Innkeeper continued, ¡°There are many unexplored ces in Yongzhou, Xizhou, and other ces, like ancient relics, man-made wonders, or even copsed paradises.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°I know, but that was 200 years ago. Since the Daoist Order established itself in Kunlun, the Quanzhen Sect has taken the lead innd remation.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an expert, I see.¡± The Innkeeper extended his thumb to show he was impressed by Qi Xuansu¡¯s knowledge. ¡°Since you are aware of this, it¡¯ll be easier for me to exin. The Daoist Order¡¯s exploration andnd remationsted for nearly a hundred years. The so-called nd remation¡± is to cultivate wastnd. These grounds are categorized ording to the identity of the people who reimed them. They are divided into militarynd, civiliannd, and merchantnd.

    ¡°In Yongzhou, the Daoist Order¡¯s and the Imperial Court¡¯s reimed grounds are considered militarynd. The Daoist Order upies half of all reimednds here, followed by the Imperial Court with 30% of the share. The remaining 20% ??are considered merchantnd and civiliannd.

    ¡°Although these civiliannds belong to the local wealthy families, they are still categorized as civilian. They upy 10% of the share. It doesn¡¯t seem like much, but in fact, it makes enough to feed their families. Our Inn is categorized under merchantnd. We also have 10% of the share, but we only manage to get that much through our solid long-time connections.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± This was the first time Qi Xuansu heard this, but he could probably understand what The Inn¡¯s business was.

    The Innkeeper continued, ¡°These shares mainly refer to the grounds that have been cultivated. There are still many wastnds that are in the hands of others, but we won¡¯t go into that for the time being. What I¡¯m saying is that since these grounds have been cultivated, they will need regr maintenance, like intensive plowing, fertilizing, pest control, weeding, and so on.¡±

    If a third party overheard their conversation, they would assume the Innkeeper was exining to Qi Xuansu about regr farming.

    Qi Xuansu was doubtful. ¡°This sounds like an errand for Heavenly Beings.¡±

    ¡°Not necessarily. Heavenly Beings are responsible for reiming the wastnd. Others are responsible for the subsequent cultivation and maintenance,¡± the Innkeeper exined.

    Qi Xuansu thought about it for a while and asked, ¡°So what is themission for this?¡±

    The Innkeeper replied, ¡°Although The Inn isbeled as a ¡®secret society¡¯ by the Daoist Order, we are still closely rted to the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court. We¡¯repletely different from the Ziguang Society, the Cult of Fates, and the Lingshan Witch Cult. The piece ofnd that I¡¯m referring to is rted to the Cult of Fates.¡±

    Qi Xuansu waited patiently for further exnation.

    The Innkeeper continued, ¡°This piece ofnd used to be an important ce for the Daoist Order. The Cult of Fates has eyed this piece ofnd and secretly spread curses, which eventually turned the residents there into zombies, and the zombies continued to infect others. Eventually, everyone living there turned into zombies. This infestation spread in all directions, attacking cities and plundering thend.

    ¡°In order to prevent the zombie infestation from expanding further, the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court chose to annihte the zombies in that area byunching a Phoenix Eye Bomb. After many years, thatnd is ruined, but there are still some stray zombies wandering around.

    ¡°Strangely enough, these zombies were like weeds in a field, popping up sporadically as soon as it¡¯s spring, so The Inn has to weed thisnd every year. This year, our branch has a shortage of manpower, so we need to recruit outsiders to help with this task.¡±

    Qi Xuansu understood and inquired, ¡°What¡¯s the specific situation?¡±

    The Innkeeper replied, ¡°The headquarters will send nine Guizhen-stage masters for this weeding exercise. They will be the main leaders. Our branch is in charge of recruiting helpers. After the event ispleted, everyone will receive 2000 Taiping coins each.

    ¡°Sir, if you agree to join this weeding exercise and decide not to inquire about White Jade Hall anymore, our branch will offer you a reward of 2000 Taiping coins.¡±

 Chapter 206: Corpse Raising Grounds

    <h4>Chapter 206: Corpse Raising Grounds</h4>

    Qi Xuansu agreed to join the weeding exercise.

    The Innkeeper beamed and quickly exined some other things that needed further attention.

    This piece of reimednd used to be where the first Earthly Preceptor used to cultivate zombies. After the Holy Xuan revived the Daoist Order, this ce was under the jurisdiction of the Quanzhen Sect.

    Later, it was ced under Huasheng Hall and heavily guarded because it became arge manufacturing nt. As such, many Daoist believers settled down in the area, which was asrge as a county.

    After the Cult of Fates learned about it, they infiltrated this ce, taking advantage of thend¡¯s natural resources to cultivate zombies. They sessfully turned the ce into a zombie town, which caused a huge stir at the time. The situation back then was far more sensationalpared to the recent flying ship crash that Qi Xuansu experienced.

    The Daoist Order had no choice but to resort to extreme measures by bombing the area. However, there were still many remnants. The Daoist Order carried out a preliminary cleaning operation afterward and brought back some ssified artifacts. However, due to various reasons, there were still many secrets left behind.

    After The Inn took over this piece ofnd through their connections, they were devoted to excavating Huasheng Hall¡¯s and the first Earthly Preceptor¡¯s legacies. They achieved small gains by selling these artifacts to the Eight Tribes and the Cult of Fates, who were both very interested in such things. This was the motivation behind The Inn¡¯s willingness to spend so much money just to weed this ce out every year.

    The Innkeeper was honest and thoroughly exined the dangers involved.

    Heavenly Beings and Guizhen-stage masters would have no problem carrying out this weeding exercise, but Yuxu-stage practitioners might face some difficulties. After all, they were weeding zombies, not nts. It would be better if the recruits were careful and aware of the entire situation.

    Qi Xuansu believed it would not be much of a problem, as he considered himself on par with the entry-level Guizhen-stage practitioners in terms of fighting experience. That was why he agreed to join this weeding exercise.

    This weeding exercise would start the next day when the personnel from The Inn''s headquarters arrived. Then they would proceed to the reimednd immediately after, hoping to finish weeding as soon as possible. After all, no one wanted to stay in the vast Gobi for an extended period of time and would much prefer the warmer Jiangnan.

    After discussing the details, Qi Xuansu left the Innkeeper¡¯s office and went to Qin Xiang¡¯s room on the second floor.

    Qin Xiang had lived in this room for two days before, so she was quitefortable.

    Seeing Qi Xuansu, Qin Xiang hurriedly asked, ¡°Have you finished your work?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it will take a few more days.¡± Qi Xuansu said, ¡°I came here to tell you that if I don¡¯t make it back, you should tell the Innkeeper about your identity. Although I can¡¯t say for sure what he¡¯ll do, there¡¯s a fifty-fifty chance he¡¯ll help you contact the Green Phoenix Guard.¡±

    ¡°Only a 50% chance?¡± Qin Xiang frowned.

    Qi Xuansu scoffed. ¡°Those are good enough odds. What do you think The Inn is? A charity house? The Inn is a secret society that has dealings with assassins. There¡¯s a 50% chance of them helping you because they have some rtionship with the Green Phoenix Guard. If it were other secret societies, you wouldn¡¯t even get a 10% chance.¡±

    ¡°Did you just say secret society? You mean, this inn is a secret society too?!¡± Qin Xiang gasped softly.

    That was when Qi Xuansu recalled that Qin Xiang had believed this inn to be a proper business.

    He roughly told Qin Xiang about The Inn¡¯s background and warned her. ¡°Since The Inn is considered a secret society, please keep in mind that the people here are unscrupulous. It¡¯s still best not to reveal your identity unless you have to. I¡¯m not sure what will happen if you do reveal your identity. They may help to send you home, or they may take you as a hostage to earn a small fortune. It just depends on your luck. Do you understand?¡±

    Having encountered members of the Eight Tribes, Qin Xiang was a little frightened. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all I have to say.¡± Qi Xuansu turned around and nned to leave.

    Qin Xiang suddenly called out to him. ¡°Wait a minute!¡±

    ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Qi Xuansu stopped and turned to face her.

    Qin Xiang hesitated for a moment before she asked with anticipation, ¡°Will youe back?¡±

    Qi Xuansu knew that this District Princess was treating him as her lifesaver, so he said, ¡°I will try my best.¡±

    Qin Xiang was still worried. ¡°You will definitelye back, right?¡±

    ¡°As long as I am still alive,¡± Qi Xuansu said helplessly.

    Qin Xiang mumbled, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Qi Xuansu turned and left Qin Xiang¡¯s room.

    As the Innkeeper mentioned earlier, there were many guest rooms on the second floor, which were reserved for those from the headquarters. However, since those people did not n to stay for long, Qi Xuansu got to stay there for free.

    Qi Xuansu walked into an empty room and meditated.

    The next day, Qi Xuansu woke up from his trance. When he went downstairs, he noticed some new faces in the lobby of The Inn and figured that they were probably external hires, like him.

    Some of these people were dozing at the table. Qi Xuansu was unsure if they had not slept all night or if they had not yet woken up. Some of them were eating breakfast consisting of steamed buns, porridge, and pickles; some were checking their weapons and bags with solemn expressions; some were drinking early in the morning, seemingly nonchnt about the uing expedition; and some were puffing away with a tobo pipe.

    It was certainly a strange mix of people. The Innkeeper had probably put in a lot of effort to gather all these people for this weeding exercise.

    Byte afternoon, the personnel from The Inn¡¯s headquarters had arrived. However, they did not look like skilled fighters. Some were dressed as porters, and some were dressed as farmers¡¯ wives. One of them was holding an abacus, looking like a businessman. Someone even had a little monkey crouched on his shoulders. This group of people represented people from all walks of life, which fit the demographic of those who would stay at an inn.

    The Innkeeper came forward and exchanged some pleasantries with an old man, who was the leader of the group of nine. Then he introduced these nine people to the outsourced hires.

    These nine Guizhen-stage masters from The Inn¡¯s headquarters were certainly more powerful than the newly established Yaoguang Division of Tiangang Hall, indicating just how much The Inn valued this operation. None of the other hires caused trouble, as they were probably intimidated by the nine masters¡¯ cultivation level and were afraid of offending The Inn.

    Finally, the Innkeeper cupped his fists and saluted everyone. ¡°I hope you all return safely.¡±

    Under the leadership of the old man, everyone left The Inn and headed outside the city.

    ......

    The West Gobi was located to the west of Cuowenbu, which was also known as the Green Sea.

    The destroyed manufacturing nt of Huasheng Hall was located on the shore of Cuowenbu. It was originally a beautiful ce surrounded by mountains and rivers, but after the bombing, it was more barren than the Gobi Desert.

    The strange curse from the Cult of Fates, the Daoist Order¡¯s Phoenix Eye Bomb, and the zombie cultivation grounds left by the first Earthly Preceptor made this piece ofnd extremely dangerous.

    To begin with, this ce had natural elements that facilitated zombie cultivation. Every piece ofnd had ssifications based on Feng Shui. Zombie cultivation grounds were considered unlucky due to the excessive yin energy. If someone was buried in such a ce, their corpse would be preserved. After a certain period, the corpse would turn into zombies, which would bite and kill everyone who was rted to them by blood.

    If someone unintentionally got infected by the evil spirit before turning into a zombie, that person would get ck ulcers on their face. Ordinary zombies emerged because corpses were buried on such grounds. However, this natural phenomenon took a long time.

    Hundreds of years ago, the Daoist Order identally figured out a way to control zombies during a zombie extermination exercise. However, the number of naturally formed zombies was small, and it took too long. That was why methods for zombie cultivation were developed.

    To put it bluntly, the Daoist Order created zombie cultivation grounds by artificially gathering yin energy in one ce and burying processed corpses there. Then they would stimte the ground with a formation, like fertilizer on a field, to encourage the quicker development of zombies.

    Some of the cultivation methods developed included hybridization and grafting. The result of these experiments was the king of zombies, also called the Bronze Armored Corpse. Bronze Armored Corpses died on the battlefield and were buried there. After more than a hundred years of gestation surrounded by the battlefield¡¯s intense killing aura and resentment, the Bronze Armored Corpses were invulnerable to weapons and fire. Even the exorcism spells were ineffective on them.

    The first Earthly Preceptor was a well-deserved expert in zombie cultivation. Back then, she captured a naturally-formed Bronze Armored Corpse and began to study it. She tried to create more of them, but Bronze Armored Corpses required precise timing, location, and human intervention. Manmade Bronze Armored Corpses were too costly, so they settled for the second-best option, which was to weaken some of the characteristics of the Bronze Armored Corpse and mass-produce them.

    Based on past experiments from ancient recordings, the first Earthly Preceptor sessfully aplished this. She used the corpse of a Martial Arts Practitioner, processed it with various talismans, medicines, and spells, then dressed the corpse in a special iron armor before burying the corpse in the zombie cultivation grounds. The corpse and the armorbined, resulting in a weaker version of the Bronze Armored Corpse called the Iron Corpse.

    Later, the first Earthly Preceptor used the methods of the Ancient Immortal to build upon the Iron Corpse, sessively developing other types of zombies, including the Rakshasa, the Yaksha, the Asura, the Great Asura, the King Asura, and the Sakka.

    ording to legend, the Sakka wasparable to a drought demon. It once defeated a Ghostly Immortal in a head-on fight and was able topete with Ancient Immortals and first-rank Tianzhen Daoist masters of the Daoist Order.

    There were a few zombie cultivation grounds left behind by the first Earthly Preceptor in the process of developing the Sakka. These locations included Cuowenbu, Beimang Mountain in Zhongzhou, Baidi Mausoleum in Shuzhou, as well as Daxue Mountain and Lon City in Xizhou. Later generations spected that these ces hid the secrets of achieving immortality.

    These zombie cultivation grounds, also known as corpse raising grounds, were either destroyed orpletely sealed off by the Daoist Order. That was why people were certain that there were secrets behind these ces. As such, The Inn was willing to spend so much manpower and material resources to ¡°weed¡± the area.

    However, all of this had nothing to do with Qi Xuansu.

 Chapter 207: Living Corpse (I)

    <h4>Chapter 207: Living Corpse (I)</h4>

    The leader of the weeding expedition said, ¡°I have made it very clear what the situation will be like. Each person will be given a pouch of water, a bag of Army Pills, a bottle of ointment for external injuries, a bottle of elixir for internal use, and a map. But it¡¯s up to you whether to use them. I just hope all of you cane back safely.¡±

    He was the old man from the headquarters of The Inn. He signaled to a subordinate to distribute the supplies before leading the group to the outskirts of the reimednd.

    Qi Xuansu put the supplies away, unfolded the map, and began topare the surroundingndmarks for reference. He was a little surprised to find out how urate the map was. After all, this was not a map used by ordinary people. It wasparable to a tactical map used in war.

    The reason for such uracy was due to the gravity of the consequences. Any details left out could mean a matter of life and death, so the cartographer dared not be careless.

    In addition, there was a location circled in red ink on the map, indicating Qi Xuansu¡¯s destination. It seemed that everyone in the group had a different destination because the group gradually dispersed as everyone made their way to their assigned locations.

    This weeding exercise focused on efficiency, so each person was responsible for one area. It was not a group activity where recruits were expected to work together. Since The Inn had clearly demarcated the area for the recruits, there was no need to fight over it. This could also prevent people from stealing credit from one another.

    It also made it easier for The Inn to identify the person in charge of a specified area if problems were to arise. Although The Inn had a pretty good reputation in business, it was still a secret society, so people generally did not dare to y any tricks.

    This was exactly what Qi Xuansu hoped for, as he preferred to work alone rather than cooperate with another person. Of course, Zhang Yuelu was the only exception to this.

    Qi Xuansu walked deeper into the reimednd by himself. He noticed that there were more corpses the farther he roamed, and the corpses also looked strange.

    He could identify about three types of these corpses at his site.

    One type waspletely charred corpses, like burnt charcoal. These corpses were fragile and would easily fall apart with a single touch. Back when this area was struck by the Phoenix Eye Bomb, the living corpses at the epicenter of the explosion were instantly incinerated into ashes, leaving no remnants. Meanwhile, these charred corpses were at the periphery of the explosion.

    Another type of corpse was from the previous weeding of the living corpses that only surfaced after the Daoist Order dropped the Phoenix Eye Bomb in the area. These corpses no longer retained a human form. Instead, they were more like a pile of dark brown twisted mass that had the consistency of a non-Newtonian fluid.

    It was a ghastly sight. Not to mention, the putrid stench was enough to make one¡¯s stomach churn. Even Qi Xuansu, who was used to killing people and seeing corpses, felt a little disgusted by the scene before him.

    Thest type of corpse was considered the most normal one, as it retained a human form. However, it was unknown where these regr, unburned corpses came from, especially when the Daoist Order had already obliterated the area with the Phoenix Eye Bomb. Did the living corpses hide somewhere to escape the explosion back then? Or were these the bodies of The Inn''s ¡°weeders¡± who died here?

    Qi Xuansu looked up and saw a dpidated pavilion not far away. He did not know what the structure was made of, but it was still intact, albeit ckened due to the explosion.

    He dodged the various corpses as best he could and made his way to the dpidated pavilion.

    At that moment, the weather suddenly changed. It started raining.

    This reimednd was located northwest ind, so rainfall was rare, especially in January. This was not a spring drizzle, but rather a torrential rain. Water quickly pooled on the ground.

    Qi Xuansu used his qi shield to keep himself dry. At the same time, he noticed that it was still sunny with clear skies in the direction he came from. It seemed that the rain was confined to the reimednd.

    He was unsure whether it was the after-effects of the Phoenix Eye Bomb or if it was because this was a corpse cultivation site. But Qi Xuansu thought that thetter was more likely. After all, strong yang energy would produce fire, while intense yin energy would produce water.

    Many ancient tombs with heavy yin energy would be so humid that water would drip from the ceilings, so it made sense that the yin energy over this reimednd would be at a level strong enough to produce rain clouds.

    Moistened by the rain, the well-preserved corpses stood up and tottered to Qi Xuansu. Their steps were uneven, as if stepping on cotton. However, these living corpses were surprisingly fast as they approached him.

    Qi Xuansu raised the Divine Dragon Pistol, pressed down the hammer, and pulled the trigger. A projectile with an armor-piercing talisman pierced the forehead of a living corpse. However, the living corpse only halted for a moment before it continued rushing toward him.

    That was how Qi Xuansu discovered that shooting these living corpses in ces that were normally fatal to humans was ineffective. Therefore, a pistol was not the best weapon choice for ¡°weeding¡± unless it was loaded with high-powered ammunition like the Dragon Eye Bullets, which could explode.

    Instead, spells and fists were more effective. No matter how strange and undead these living corpses were, they were still made of flesh and blood.

    Qi Xuansu put away the Divine Dragon Pistol and released some qi from his palms, crushing the bones of these corpses and turning them into a puddle of rotten meat. Even if they were not dead, they could no longer stand up.

    He finally understood how those twisted corpses, which looked like entangled internal organs, came about.

    At this moment, heavy footsteps approached him. Qi Xuansu turned toward the source of the sound and vaguely saw a tall figure trudging over. He wondered whether it was his presence that had attracted this giant corpse or whether it was his killing of a living corpse that alerted it.

    After a while, the giant¡¯s face came into view. It had a human form, but it was 2.5 meters tall with an ominous bluish-gray skin. Its eyeballs had been gouged out, and a strange red light shone from its empty eye sockets. Standing in the pouring rain, surrounded by mist, the giant corpse resembled a demon that had crawled out of hell.

    Qi Xuansu was considered tall, but in front of this huge living corpse, he looked like a teenager who had not yet gone through puberty. Through the rain curtain, he noticed the countless strange patterns on the exposed skin of the living corpse, like some kind of talisman drawn using dark ink. He had never seen this type of marking before, but he felt dizzy just ncing at it.

    Realizing this, he immediately looked away, suppressed the distracting thoughts in his mind, exhaled a turbid breath, and regained his rity. The next moment, Qi Xuansu sped through the rain and stopped in front of the giant living corpse, striking it with both palms. Shaken by the force from his palms, the raindrops around him turned into mist.

    However, the giant corpse merely swept its arm at Qi Xuansu. Upon impact, Qi Xuansu let out a groan. His current physique wasparable to that of a Yuxu-stage Martial Arts Practitioner, but even so, he still suffered a loss. Fortunately, Qi Xuansu was very experienced in fighting enemies in battle. He drifted back with the momentum and unleashed another palm strike with a bout of qi.

    The giant corpse¡¯s movements were stiff, but they were swift. It raised one hand with its fingers spread out, trying to grab at Qi Xuansu¡¯s head.

    Shocked, Qi Xuansu abruptly stepped back. At the same time, he kicked the fallen corpses on the ground toward the giant corpse, hindering its movement.

    As the fallen human-sized corpses struck the giant corpse, Qi Xuansu could hear loud bone-crunching sounds. The giant stood in ce and shook off the mangled corpses stuck to its body.

    Qi Xuansu used this opportunity to take a breather. Once again, he gathered his qi and charged at the giant corpse with all his might. Countless raindrops around them exploded into mist upon impact.

    The Rogue Cultivator in the Yuding Realm unleashed as much qi as he could muster, finally causing the giant¡¯s body to sway.

    But that was all the effect Qi Xuansu had on the giant. The giant merely took a step back and swept an arm at Qi Xuansu¡¯s head.

    Qi Xuansu used the force of the countershock to distance himself from the giant, narrowly avoiding its sweeping arm. The rainwater that pooled on the ground sshed high as he slid back more than 30 meters.

    The bluish-gray skin of the giant corpse had a faint luster in the heavy rain. It shook its head, and the strange red light in its eyes became brighter as it stared at Qi Xuansu.

    The qi that Qi Xuansu unleashed in the fight earlier was enough to shatter an entire wall or knock down an ordinary house. But this much qi was still not enough to prate the giant¡¯s body, as it seemed to be blocked by the weird patterns on its skin.

    As soon as Qi Xuansu came to a stop, he lowered his head with a solemn expression and looked at his hands. The veins in his arms were bulging from the amount of force he exerted.

    He tried his best to strike with all his strength but failed to aplish anything. From this, he was sure that this giant corpse was in no way naturally formed. Instead, this giant corpse was made by injecting yin energy into the corpse and supplementing it with talismans and secret spells.

    Even if the giant used to be an ordinary person when it was alive, its muscles, bones, and stature were probably reinforced to be so strong that they could not be damaged by ordinary swords, water, or fire. The strange patterns on its skin also protected the giant corpse from qi strikes.

    The only way to get rid of this creature was to use exorcism spells and weapons that could fend off evil spirits. In this regard, the peach wood sword would be the best weapon choice because it could be used to suppress evil spirits.

    It was a pity that Qi Xuansu had left the peach wood sword issued by Tiangang Hall at his home in Jade Capital. Otherwise, it would havee in handy at this time.

    Faced with no choice, Qi Xuansu took out his Divine Dragon Pistol and loaded a Dragon Eye Bullet into it. Then he pulled out his short sword, Qing Yuan, with his right hand and charged straight at the giant corpse.

    Qi Xuansu narrowly avoided the giant¡¯s grasp and used Qing Yuan to carve a small hole in the giant¡¯s chest. Then he aimed the muzzle of the Divine Dragon Pistol at the narrow gap and fired without hesitation.

    The patterns on the giant corpse¡¯s skin suddenly dimmed and lost their luster. The next moment, explosive mes burst out from the giant¡¯s heart.

    The giant roared and reached out to cover its heart, but to no avail. The mes continued to spread, leaking out from between the gaps of its fingers and its orifices, resembling a burning stove.

    Qi Xuansu kicked the giant corpse¡¯s chest with both feet, using it to propel himself backward before it copsed to the ground.

 Chapter 208: Living Corpse (II)

    <h4>Chapter 208: Living Corpse (II)</h4>

    Qi Xuansu reloaded the Divine Dragon Pistol and came to the giant corpse to find that it was notpletely incapacitated.

    This corpse was 2.5 meters tall, with copper skin and iron bones. It was close to its full transformation into a zombie. If it became a real zombie, ordinary swords would no longer be able to hurt it. Fortunately, it did notplete the full transformation, so Qi Xuansu could still defeat it.

    Qi Xuansu pped the giant corpse several times. Although this giant living corpse had copper skin and iron bones, it could no longer withstand Qi Xuansu¡¯s palm strikes as it was already weakened by the Dragon Eye Bullet. The qi created arge indent in the giant¡¯s chest,pletely immobilizing it.

    After Qi Xuansu got rid of the giant, he came to the door of the dpidated pavilion and saw dozens of ordinary living corpses rushing toward him like a tide of zombies.

    Thus, Qi Xuansu threw out a Phoenix Eye Bullet.

    Boom!

    A huge me instantly engulfed the living corpses. Its shockwave rippled through the air, making Qi Xuansu¡¯s clothes flutter and shaking the dpidated pavilion.

    Tianji Hall¡¯s inventions were certainly handy. Although the main element of the Great Xuan Dynasty was water and the Daoist Order promoted the virtues of water, they did not neglect the development and use of firearms. As Zhang Yuelu mentioned before, if magical powers were lost one day, one would still need to have some means of self-protection.

    However, Qi Xuansu could not figure out why magical powers would one day disappear. He only knew that it was probably linked to why the Ancient Immortals were recklessly harvesting incense power.

    After the mes died down, only charred corpses were left on the ground, most of them iplete. The remaining bits were like red-hot charcoal, with fiery red sparks still flickering inside. The living corpses closer to the center of the explosion werepletely burned to ashes. The only thing that proved their existence was the ck mark on the ground.

    Qi Xuansu walked into the dpidated pavilion and looked around. Having been ransacked by The Inn¡¯s recruits, the ce was empty without anything useful. However, Qi Xuansu did not understand where those living corpses came from. <i>Did they really sprout from the ground, like weeds?</i>

    Speaking of the ground, Qi Xuansu remembered something and took out the map. He noticed that the map indicated an underground space in this area. In other words, this dpidated pavilion was merely a point of entry and exit. The real structure was down below.

    He thought, <i>Could this basement be the source of the living corpses? Perhaps they escaped the Phoenix Eye Bomb back then because they were hiding underground.</i>

    That conjecture made sense to him. So he scanned the pavilion and found a pathway that extended into the ground. The door that blocked this path before had beenpletely destroyed by the bomb, so the entrance was clearly exposed, with steps leading down into the depths of darkness.

    Qi Xuansu walked down the steps and entered the underground passageway. There were extinguished oilmps on both sides of the walls, which were left behind by the Daoist Order. So Qi Xuansu took one down, lit it, and carried it as he explored the area.

    Along the way, Qi Xuansu encountered some sporadic living corpses, but he easily got rid of them. Soon, Qi Xuansu was faced with a dilemma.

    The end of this passageway did not lead to an underground hall like Qi Xuansu had expected. Instead, he came to a fork in the road. If he was not careful, he could get lost underground.

    Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment, made a mark on the wall, and chose one of the paths to walk down.

    After walking for about ten minutes, Qi Xuansu discovered a bright light emitting from the front of him. He immediately put out the oilmp and speed-walked toward the light.

    His field of vision broadened the moment he walked into the brightness, revealing a huge pit down below. The Daoist Order had built a spiral path along the edges of this pit, leading to the alchemy furnace at the bottom.

    A 30-meter-tall alchemy furnace, many timesrger than a normal one, was at the bottom of this pit. At this time, the alchemy furnace was activated, as indicated by the fiery red light inside, which illuminated the bottom of the pit. That was the source of light that Qi Xuansu spotted from the passageway.

    Someone was standing next to the alchemy furnace. But Qi Xuansu was not quite sure whether it was a human being or a living corpse. However, Qi Xuansu was doubtful that a living corpse would be able to operate an alchemy furnace.

    If it were a human being, there was not much vitality left in that person, who seemed bereft of life. If it were a human being, what were they doing here at the bottom of this pit? Where did that persone from?

    Qi Xuansu had an intuition that this ¡°person¡± was not from The Inn.

    At this moment, this ¡°person¡± seemed to be aware of Qi Xuansu¡¯s presence, suddenly raising his head to look at Qi Xuansu.

    Through the firelight of the alchemy furnace, Qi Xuansu could clearly see that person¡¯s face. The eyes had been gouged out, leaving only two ck holes, which resembled two bottomless wells capable of sucking one¡¯s soul. Coupled with his paleplexion and ashen face, that person looked like a living corpse.

    However, he was a human being, not a living corpse.

    The next moment, that person raised his hand and pointed toward Qi Xuansu, uttering a short and unintelligible syble.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression changed as he quickly jumped up.

    A crack appeared in the ground where he stood earlier, and a living corpse crawled out of the gap. It reached out with both hands, trying to grab onto Qi Xuansu¡¯s ankle.

    Qi Xuansu did not know when the corpse had gotten there. Whilending his jump, Qi Xuansu aimed at the living corpse¡¯s head, stamping its head into its chest and shattering its entire spine. It instantly became motionless.

    At the same time, more ck shadows shed around him as eight strong living corpses sprang out from the darkness, attacking Qi Xuansu simultaneously. With nowhere to dodge, Qi Xuansu whipped out Qing Yuan and swung his sword horizontally across. The short sword sliced through the air, cutting off the heads of two living corpses. Without their heads, these living corpses became still, as a normal corpse should. They were no longer able to move.

    Qi Xuansu kept walking while spinning Qing Yuan in his hand. He shed the third living corpse at its waist, but it was still squirming even after being severed into two.

    Two other living corpses stood still, opening their mouths and spitting out a substance that looked like pus.

    Qi Xuansu dodged the substance, only to hear the corrosive sound of the ground dissolving wherever this substance touched. He kept moving, taking any opportunity to kill the two living corpses.

    In the blink of an eye, Qi Xuansu had gotten rid of five living corpses. However, there were still three living corpses attacking him at this time. He had no choice but to rely on his physical strength to withstand the synchronized attack.

    These living corpses were different from ordinary corpses. Most of them carried cadaver venom. If he was identally exposed to this venom, it would spell trouble in the current situation even if the venom were not fatal to him.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu used the Dayan Spirit de Technique that Zhang Yuelu taught him. His body defied thews of physics as he moved, aiming his sword straight at one corpse¡¯s head, spinning the short sword, and shing another corpse across the waist. Finally, he flipped the sword back to its original position and stabbed another corpse along the way.

    These moves were done rapidly in one fell swoop. From a third-party perspective, it looked like three people were attacking the corpses simultaneously.

    The red light emitting from the three living corpses¡¯ eyes instantly dimmed the moment they were struck. They turned into ordinary corpses, unmoving on the ground.

    After these living corpses were immobilized, many more ck shadows surrounded Qi Xuansu. This new batch of living corpses had more robust bodies and were more agile and cunning. They had no intelligence and were only driven by instinct and themand of their master. Thus, they were fearless as they rushed toward Qi Xuansu like a mob.

    Facing these living corpses, Qi Xuansu used the Dayan Spirit de Technique again. With just one sword strike, he sliced off the head of the living corpse that was rushing forward. Then he lunged forward, brushing past two more living corpses. Secondster, the upper bodies of the two living corpses slid down diagonally.

    Qi Xuansu showed no signs of stopping. He twisted his body to avoid the ws of the two living corpses. Then he thrust his sword, disemboweling another two living corpses. At the same time, he swept his palm, using his innate qi to kill the third living corpse. That corpse turned into a pile of rotten flesh. Then he elbowed the chest of the fourth living corpse, denting it.

    He was swift and elusive, like a ghost. These living corpses attacked him with all their might, but they were unable to hurt him. Instead, their broken limbs flew around wherever he passed.

    Many living corpses did not manage toe within ten steps of Qi Xuansu before copsing. His moves were so smooth that a third party would not have been able to detect how Qi Xuansu used his sword.

    The person standing next to the alchemy furnace noticed this and summoned all the living corpses hiding in the dark, intending to kill Qi Xuansu. Dozens more living corpses surged toward Qi Xuansu. In the distance, countless living corpses gathered and trudged over.

    As the number of living corpses increased, Qi Xuansu felt trapped.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu overturned his palm and took out another bead from his sleeve. The bead was dark in color, but it had a dull, fiery red in the center that resembled a pupil. This was the Phoenix Eye Bullet.

    Back then, Qi Xuansu bought five rounds of Phoenix Eye Bullets from the Tianji Hall branch. He had used one to fend off Yan Jiuwei on Jiuwa Hill and another at the entrance of the dpidated pavilion. At this time, he only had three Phoenix Eye Bullets left.

    Qi Xuansu threw the bead out, creating a rain of fire with mes that rose to more than three meters high. Many living corpses in the vicinity fell due to the st, resembling rice fields after a harvest.

    The fire spread rapidly as the burning living corpses collided with each other, quickly turning the space into an underground inferno. Their zing bodies iled wildly before disappearing into the sea of fire.

    Qi Xuansu knew that he had to capture their master in order to stop the attacks, so he stopped fighting the living corpses and quickly came to the edge of the pit. The huge pit was about 30 meters deep. Having experienced freefalling from the flying ship, Qi Xuansu was no longer afraid of such heights. So, he jumped down 30 meters toward the alchemy furnace.

 Chapter 209: White Jade Hall

    <h4>Chapter 209: White Jade Hall</h4>

    Qi Xuansu jumped from a height of 30 meters andnded with a loud crash, stirring up a circle of dust that dispersed around him. Although he had slowed down his fall with his qi, he still had to release some force whennding, so the ground beneath his feet cracked.

    He could clearly feel the damage done to his knees, calves, and feet. However, due to his enhanced physique and regenerative abilities, he was able to recover quickly. Thus, it did not affect hisbat effectiveness.

    Those living corpses could not jump down from such heights, so Qi Xuansu could finally focus on facing the strange man.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Qi Xuansu asked, his voice echoing at the bottom of the huge pit.

    The man did not answer and took a few steps back. Under the firelight of the alchemy furnace, his face was pale, and his empty eye sockets only had a sh of red light. He looked simr to the living corpses from before, but his expression was not dazed. It was ferocious.

    He was a Diviner proficient at manipting corpses.

    Coincidentally, Qi Xuansu had the blood qi of a Martial Arts Practitioner, which was most effective in restraining Diviners.

    The two made a move at the same time.

    Qi Xuansu held his short sword and used the Dayan Spirit de Technique. His sword traveled at the speed of light. With a bright white sh, the sword¡¯s edge had already arrived in front of the Diviner. If the Diviner had a lower cultivation level, he would have already been beheaded.

    The Diviner used his fingers to draw four horizontal and four vertical lines. In an instant, a nine-square grid appeared in front of him.

    Qing Yuan stopped abruptly when it was only seven centimeters away from the Diviner¡¯s forehead.

    A cage appeared out of thin air, trapping Qi Xuansu in it. Qi Xuansu¡¯s sword also halted.

    <i>When falsehoods were portrayed as truths, the truth would seem fake. Magic was the art of illusion that existed between one¡¯s reality and imagination. It was only effective if the target believed in it.</i>

    <i>Magical spells could be roughly divided into three levels.</i>

    <i>The first level was to make falsehood a reality, which was not much different from deception. It was suitable for tricking people but not killing them. It was simple to create the illusion of deities descending to earth, but this trick could not be used when fighting on the battlefield. That was because a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s blood qi and the violent aura of the weapons on the battlefield were the most disruptive to spells.</i>

    <i>When powerful ghosts harm people, they mostly create all kinds of illusions to muddle the victim¡¯s mind, causing the victim to die of fright or take their own life.</i>

    <i>If the ghost encountered someone with strong blood qi or an intense killing aura, the illusion would be disturbed or even broken. Most people capable of doing evil deeds were physically strong or had blood on their hands. This was the origin of the saying that even ghosts were afraid of evil people.</i>

    <i>Spells that could truly be used on the battlefield belonged to the second level. These spells were capable of summoning wind, rain, thunder, and fire that were notpletely an illusion. However, only Guizhen-stage masters could practice these spells.</i>

    <i>The third level was having the power to alter the weather, turning a gloomy day into clear skies. In this level, illusions could turn into reality, sometimes even bing more tangible than the real thing.</i>

    <i>The three levels were a step-by-step progression to eventually turn falsehoods into the truth. That was how the word cultivation came about.</i>

    <i>Spells supported the Diviner lineage. The reason Martial Arts Practitioners could overpower the Diviners in terms ofbat power was because spells were restrained by blood qi, which was filled with yang energy.</i>

    <i>However, everything was rtive. Although water could ovee fire, if the fire was strong and the water was weak, the fire could also evaporate the water. The same was true between a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s blood qi and a Diviner¡¯s spell. If the spell was stronger than the blood qi, a Diviner could suppress a Martial Arts Practitioner.</i>

    At this time, the cage drawn by the Diviner was an illusion, but Qi Xuansu felt that he was trapped and could not break free from it. This was how falsehood could trump reality and why Qi Xuansu¡¯s blood qi could not break the spell. It depended on the capabilities of both parties.

    Qi Xuansu struggled to activate his blood qi and innate qi, twisting and deforming the cage that trapped him. Finally, Qing Yuan could slowly move forward.

    The Diviner also did not sit idly by, awaiting death. He drew circles on his chest with both hands. Energy rippled outward inyers, resembling the ebb and flow of tides, steadily building upon one another.

    Qi Xuansu and the Diviner were wearing each other out,peting to see who would lose first.

    The Diviner looked calm, while beads of sweat rolled down Qi Xuansu¡¯s face.

    It was clear that Qi Xuansu was already at a disadvantage in this fight.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu gathered the qi in his Dantian, then he scowled like a Dharma Protector in a temple as he let out a thunderous roar.

    The surging blood energy rushed out of Qi Xuansu¡¯s body and turned into steam visible to the naked eye. This type of heat generated wasparable to that of a Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner.

    As a result, the roar broke through the cage, shocking the Diviner. His Seer Eyes also stopped working.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s energy quickly fell after a very short peak. Forcibly breaking the spell in this manner by sacrificing his blood qi was exhausting. However, after Qi Xuansu got out of the cage, he immediately thrust his sword.

    The Diviner¡¯s expression turned solemn. He waved his sleeves, which rustled from the movement and the sudden gust. Countless white talismans flew out, resembling hell money. For a moment, the pit was raining hell money as the white talismans turned into a formation.

    Qi Xuansu stepped into the talisman formation. He moved with his sword and spun like a top, shooting out sword qi in all directions. The talisman formation stirred and shook endlessly.

    The sudden burst of sword energy cut the talisman formation into pieces from the inside out.

    After breaking the formation, countless broken talismans floated in the air. Qi Xuansu did not stop and kept advancing with his sword.

    The Diviner held a spiritual talisman between two fingers, and with just a slight shake, the spiritual talisman turned into blue Yin Fire that enveloped his entire palm and half of his arm without damaging his skin or sleeves.

    The wind howled like the hoarse cry of a dying person. Immediately after, all the floating broken talismans caught on fire with the same blue me that felt bone-piercingly cold. The talismans connected to create a sea of ????blue fire.

    Qi Xuansu knew that these blue mes were Yin Fire, so he hastily retreated, not daring to let it touch him. Seeing these blue mes approaching him, Qi Xuansu took out a Phoenix Eye Bullet and threw it out. The red mes spread rapidly. This was the regr Yang Fire from firearms, which was just as intense as the blue Yin Fire.

    However, the mes of the Phoenix Eye Bullet were not designed tost. It was just a temporary measure.

    Just as Qi Xuansu was at a loss for what to do, a sudden change urred. The two opposing mes had somehow activated the huge alchemy furnace at the bottom of the pit. In an instant, the alchemy furnace generated a strong suction power, sucking in the mes.

    The Diviner was stunned and horrified after the Yin Fire disappeared.

    This was like a confrontation between a strong man and a scrawny boy. When both sides had guns, no one dared to act rashly because the individual¡¯s strength was irrelevant; all that mattered was their firepower. However, if both parties were to lose their guns at the same time, whoever was physically stronger would hold the advantage.

    In closebat, a Diviner could not stand a chance against a Martial Arts Practitioner. In the six major lineages, which included Rogue Cultivators, Diviners were at the bottom rung in terms of physique. In this case, there was no doubt that Qi Xuansu had the absolute advantage.

    Qi Xuansu wielded Qing Yuan and charged at the Diviner, who had not felt the difference between life and death for many years.

    The Diviner was flustered, as he had made the wrong move that resulted in this predicament. He never expected that he would be defeated in this manner, right next to the alchemy furnace.

    Qi Xuansu swung Qing Yuan ruthlessly without ir. A head soared into the sky and rolled some distance uponnding on the ground. The red light in its eye sockets slowly dissipated.

    As soon as the Diviner died, the living corpses stopped moving, like they were in hibernation.

    Qi Xuansu came to the Diviner¡¯s headless body and searched it. He did not find any magical receptacle, but he found two stacks of unused talismans in the Diviner¡¯s sleeve pockets. They were made of white paper, but they were only of average quality. The only advantage was itsrge quantity, so Qi Xuansu could use them liberally.

    In addition, Qi Xuansu also found a jade pendant around the Diviner¡¯s waist that had three words embossed on it: White Jade Hall.

    It was exactly the ce Madam Qi wanted Qi Xuansu to look for.

    Qi Xuansu immediately realized he had been mistaken all along, thinking that White Jade Hall was a ce. With this jade pendant, he figured that White Jade Hall was not the name of a ce but an organization, simr to the Daoist Order¡¯s Tiangang Hall, Beichen Hall, and Huasheng Hall.

    It was no wonder Madam Qi could only provide an approximate range and not an exact location. After all, people were not stationary. They could move around and would not stick to one ce forever.

    The Diviner he killed was a member of White Jade Hall. However, Qi Xuansu had never heard of White Jade Hall before. White Jade Hall was not among the list of secret societies targeted by the Daoist Order either. He could not help but wonder if White Jade Hall was an affiliation of some secret society. Judging from the Diviner¡¯s method of controlling living corpses, Qi Xuansu believed that the Diviner was most likely from the Cult of Fates.

    Furthermore, what role did the Mountain Ghost, who was also a member of the Qingping Society, y in White Jade Hall? Was he also a member of White Jade Hall? Or was he the leader of White Jade Hall?

    Madam Qi once said that in addition to collecting debts, she had left some things behind in White Jade Hall for Qi Xuansu to take as he pleased because she would not be returning for a while. Instead of letting Mountain Ghost or anyone else take them, she would rather give them to Qi Xuansu as a deposit for running this errand.

    This implied that Madam Qi also had a connection with the White Jade Hall. Was it an alliance and partnership? Or was Madam Qi one of them?

 Chapter 210: Blood Pill

    <h4>Chapter 210: Blood Pill</h4>

    Qi Xuansu was still puzzled, so he searched the Diviner¡¯s body thoroughly for more clues. The hard work paid off, and Qi Xuansu did find something¡ªa letter in the Diviner¡¯s chest pocket.

    It was not a formal letter, so there was no envelope. The paper was simply folded in half, with no title or signature on it, indicating that both parties knew each other¡¯s identities well because they had omitted pleasantries. The content was straight to the point, like a casually written note.

    The letter stated that the alchemy furnace was left behind by the Daoist Order¡¯s Huasheng Hall. It was used to refine a Blood Pill. After the Daoist Order used the Phoenix Eye Bomb to wipe out the area, Spirit Guards re-entered the ruins to recover various confidential secrets. However, at the time, the alchemy furnace was still in operation, so the Spirit Guards could not take out the Blood Pill.

    The Spirit Guards dared not destroy the alchemy furnace for fear of causing an explosion underground and injuring themselves. The Daoist Order also did not care much about the loss of a mere Blood Pill, so they sealed the furnace and turned it into a dark fire state. It was just like turning an active volcano into a dormant volcano.

    The people at The Inn had also discovered this alchemy furnace, but since the alchemy furnace had been in a dark fire state, it looked like it had been abandoned for a long time, so they ignored it. Now that it was almost time for the Blood Pill to appear, the alchemy furnace¡¯s dark fire turned into an open fire.

    The letter reminded the Diviner that the alchemy furnace would open soon, so he should stand guard closely to ensure that the Blood Pill could be retrieved. This kind of letter should have been destroyed after reading it, but for some reason, the Diviner did not destroy it and kept it on his body.

    That was when Qi Xuansu discovered a row of medicine cabs on the other side of the alchemy furnace. There was abel under each drawer of the medicine cab, which stated the names of the precious medicinal ingredients stored. But at this time, these drawers were empty. The various valuable medicinal ingredients originally stored there had already been used or taken away.

    Qi Xuansu browsed thebels and saw ¡°Red Fruit¡± in front of a drawer. There was even a small inscription detailing the medicinal effects and origin of the Red Fruit. Unfortunately, that drawer was also empty.

    He recalled that a processed Red Fruit sold for 8,000 Taiping coins in the auction at Shangqing Pce, bought by a Sage from the Quanzhen Sect. From that, he could only imagine how extravagant this underground nt used to be back then.

    Qi Xuansu looked at the alchemy furnace again, which flickered on and off. After absorbing the dual mes earlier, its temperature increased.

    Qi Xuansu had taken the Blood Dragon Pill before, but he had never heard of a Blood Pill. This might be a generic name and not the official name of the pill. But judging from the letter and the medicine cabs in this ce, Qi Xuansu figured that the Blood Pill must also be extremely valuable.

    White Jade Hall had made ample preparations by sending this Diviner to collect the Blood Pill. If it was any other recruits from The Inn, they would have died when fighting against this Diviner. In fact, most people would have retreated when they saw the giant living corpse aboveground, as they would not risk their lives for a mere ¡°weeding¡± operation.

    The elites from the headquarters of The Inn could deal with the giant living corpse and the Diviner, but this area was not on their route. It seemed that White Jade Hall already knew The Inn¡¯s movements well enough to make these arrangements.

    Qi Xuansu got as close to the scorching alchemy furnace as possible. Through the holes in the alchemy furnace, he could vaguely see the mes inside, which had not been extinguished after many years.

    Through what he had learned at the Wanxiang Daoist Pce about alchemy and the structure of this pit, Qi Xuansu spected that Huasheng Hall built this alchemy furnace underground with the purpose of using geothermal energy.

    In any case, the appearance of this alchemy furnace also proved that the quality of the pill produced would be excellent. Just as how fine dishware was used to serve delicacies, a good alchemy furnace would be used to refine valuable pills.

    Qi Xuansu was hesitant about whether to stay and wait for the pill to be released, continue his weeding mission, or take this opportunity to find the White Jade Hall.

    After much thought, Qi Xuansu decided to stay here and wait for the pill to bepleted. That was because he was a strong believer in using external pills and elixirs to enhance his cultivation, especially after tasting the benefits of the medicinal wine Daoist Ji gifted him.

    Although the Daoist Order believed that improving one¡¯s cultivation through external objects would make one¡¯s foundation weak and far inferior to one¡¯s own cultivation gained through rigorous training, Qi Xuansu knew that he would not be able to advance far if he relied solely on hard work. Without relying on external objects, he would never be a Heavenly Being. Thus, he felt it was better to have a weak foundation than to have no foundation at all.

    Moreover, he had already defeated the Diviner, who was so close to getting the Blood Pill. So he might as well wait a little longer for it. After all, this Blood Pill could probably be sold at a better price than anypensation Madam Qi would give him. This little interlude also would not impact his mission to look for White Jade Hall.

    ......

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s assigned location was at the periphery of the reimednd. The core part of this reimednd was taken care of by The Inn¡¯s elites.

    The Inn once found an Asura left behind by the Huasheng Hall. Although the Asura was seriously damaged, The Inn still made a profit of 100,000 Taiping coins after selling it to the Eight Tribes. Not to mention, there were other small items scattered about.

    Since many of these buildings were hidden deep underground, the Phoenix Eye Bomb failed topletely destroy them. Instead, they were buried by the rubble. The Daoist Order only destroyed or took away the core secrets. They did not send any resources to excavate the remainder of the items because they were not worth much to the Daoist Order.

    However, the other secret societies wanted to reap the benefits of this. Something that meant little to the Daoist Order was valuable to these organizations. To put things into perspective, the strength, size, and financial power of all secret societiesbined could notpare to even a fraction of the Daoist Order.

    The reason why the secret societies were so difficult to eradicate was due to the corruption within the Daoist Order. Influential figures from the Daoist Order would secretly provide support for these secret societies, allowing them to continue thriving. This entangled rtionship between the Daoist Order and the secret societies was what made everything soplicated.

    The Daoist Order was like a giant, invincible to external attacks. However, it had an internal sickness that had to be treated by a good doctor before the infection spread. If the sickness worsened, it would copse on its own one day, even without any external interference.

    <i>Originally, the Confucian School sought to dominate the world by suppressing all other schools of thought and elevating Confucianism alone. In response, the Daoist Order opposed and allied with the Buddhist Sect. The Daoist Order had also integrated with other schools of thought, like Mohism, Legalism, the School of Diplomacy, the School of Naturalists, and the Hundred Schools of Thought.</i>

    <i>Although the Confucian School suppressed the Hundred Schools of Thought, some Confucian Savants preserved the teachings of Mohism, Legalism, Schools of Military, Agrarianism, Naturalism, Diplomacy, and Philosophy. They had hidden these texts within the Wanxiang Academy.</i>

    <i>Normally, students within the academy were not allowed to step inside this secret library. Without the Grand Libationer¡¯s permission, no one was allowed to take away, transcribe, or even look at the books.</i>

    <i>When the Confucian School was defeated, the Wanxiang Academy was transformed into the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. Thus, the various collections of books naturally fell into the hands of the Daoist Order and indirectly kickstarted the phase of innovation within the Daoistmunity.</i>

    A flying ship belonging to Tiangang Hall was flying in the sky. It was not a passenger ship, but a warship. A flying warship had four modes. In addition to the Daoist talismans and formations, it also implemented Mohist siege mechanisms.

    The prototype of the Daoist Order¡¯s flying ship was modeled after the Grand Master¡¯s White Dragon Flying Ship. It had a total of four modes of operation: static, dynamic, offense, and defense.

    The static mode was when the flying ship was on standby and did not have any consumption. It was not much different from ordinary ships.

    The dynamic mode was when it was flying in the sky. The flying ship would automatically switch between the static and dynamic modes ording to its surroundings, so it would not crash.

    When defense mode was activated, the formation on the ship could resist spells and divine power. This mode consumed the most energy from the Dragon Pearl, and it was only suitable for escaping.

    Offense mode involved mobilizing the energy in the surrounding atmosphere to bombard the opponent, which was released in the form of a bomb powerful enough to destroy a small ind. The power of this bomb was dependent on the flying ship¡¯s geographical location. It would be more powerful if the flying ship was in a ce with high humidity, such as above a sea or among thick rain clouds. If it happened to coincide with a storm or typhoon, the power of this bomb would reach its peak. This power was evenparable to that of a Pseudo-Immortal.

    Considering the cost, ordinary flying ships only had two modes¡ªstatic and dynamic. That was why the passenger ship that Qi Xuansu was on during New Year¡¯s Day could not fight back against Wu Luo¡¯s projection.

    Shangguan Jing, the Seventh Deputy Tiangang Hall Master, stood on the bow of the flying ship, overlooking the vastke below. To him, the cold gale at this high altitude was like a gentle breeze blowing on his face.

    In Tiangang Hall, aside from the Chief, Second, and Ninth Deputy Hall Master, the rest of the six Deputy Hall Masters had simr cultivation levels and statuses. Having to lead troops against evil cults, all Deputy Hall Masters of Tiangang Hall were required to have higher cultivation levels than their counterparts in the other halls, Daoist mansions, and Daoist pces.

    Although Shangguan Jing was only the Seventh Deputy Hall Master, he was a Heavenly Being and a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master. In other Daoist mansions or halls, he would have been able to serve as the Second Deputy, but in Tiangang Hall, he was only the Seventh Deputy Hall Master. This was why Tiangang Hall and Beichen Hall were considered the Three Great Halls of the Daoist Order.

    In terms of actual power, the Deputy Hall Masters of Tiangang Hall were far superior to their counterparts in other halls. Except for Zhang Yuelu¡¯s newly established Yaoguang Division, the other eight divisions of Tiangang Hall had varying numbers of Spirit Guards and part-timers. Those Deputy Hall Masters could also mobilize warships and heavy artillery. This was a privilege that personnel from other halls did not have.

 Chapter 211: Shocking Change

    <h4>Chapter 211: Shocking Change</h4>

    Qi Xuansu took out Madam Qi¡¯s second-hand pocket watch and stared at the hands on the dial, feeling as if minutes were passing by like years.

    After the alchemy furnace absorbed the Diviner¡¯s Yin Fire and the Phoenix Eye Bullet¡¯s Yang Fire, it elerated the processing speed of the Blood Pill. About two hourster, the heat that surrounded the alchemy furnace began to converge inward, and then the elixir was released. The furnace began to cool down.

    Qi Xuansu put away his pocket watch and came to the alchemy furnace, which had threeyers. The smaller upperyer was the alchemy chamber, used for refining pills and elixirs. The slightlyrger middleyer was the furnace used to control the temperature. Thergest lower level was the fire chamber, used for starting fires and adding firewood.

    Suddenly, the door of the alchemy chamber popped open, spewing out a surge of air that spread in all directions. The strong gust of hot air would have burned an ordinary person. Even Qi Xuansu had to step back to avoid the heat.

    When the hot air dissipated, there was still some smoke lingering in the alchemy chamber, making it difficult to see what was going on inside. However, Qi Xuansu could smell a strong fragrance that was difficult to describe. It smelled like grass and wood, but it also had a faint, sweet scent of blood. It was not pungent. Instead, it made him feel rxed and refreshed.

    Qi Xuansu could not help but inhale deeply to take in more of this fragrance.

    This was strange because usually, the smell of blood was quite nauseating. This oddly sweet scent of blood was rare. No wonder it was called a Blood Pill.

    At the same time, Qi Xuansu was also sure that he should not miss out on this high-grade pill.

    This was a pleasant surprise for him because he only came here as part of The Inn¡¯s weeding operation and did not expect such a harvest. He also finally understood why the Diviner was so aggressive and murderous toward him. The Diviner must have thought that Qi Xuansu was there to snatch the Blood Pill from him. In the end, the Blood Pill still fell into Qi Xuansu¡¯s hands.

    After a while, the smoke in the alchemy chamberpletely dissipated. Qi Xuansu focused his gaze until he saw a blood-red pill about the size of a cherry in the alchemy chamber. What was even more surprising was that this pill was moving slightly, like a miniature pumping heart.

    Qi Xuansu hesitated for a long time before he leaped over and stretched out his hand to take out the Blood Pill from the chamber. He felt a warm sensation as well as a pulseing from the pill.

    He murmured to himself, ¡°Is this pill alive?¡±

    If this pill was a living thing, it would be more simr to nts, as it had no intelligence. But even so, it made him wonder about the extent of the Daoist Order¡¯s innovation projects.

    Qi Xuansu also figured that he should not consume this pill hastily. Otherwise, the medicinal power would likely surge in his body and backfire on him. The medicinal power could be so strong as to block his meridians or directly burst his Dantians. This pill had to be taken with caution and refined slowly.

    Thinking that the people from White Jade Hall might return at any moment, Qi Xuansu did not want to stay for long. Since he could not swallow this pill rashly, he found a jade box originally used to hold Red Fruits from the medicine cab and ced the Blood Pill inside. Then he sealed the jade box to stop the pill¡¯s fragrance from overflowing.

    He nced at the Diviner¡¯s corpse and thought of an idea.

    First, he closed the door of the alchemy chamber, then opened the door of the fire chamber. There was still some dark fire inside, so Qi Xuansu moved the Diviner¡¯s body and decapitated head into it. When the dark fire touched the corpse, it instantly turned into an open me. In the blink of an eye, the corpse turned into wisps of green smoke, leaving no trace.

    Qi Xuansu then closed the door of the fire chamber, climbed out of the pit, and left the ce.

    That way, even if the people from White Jade Hall found that the Diviner was missing, it would be difficult for them to investigate whether the Diviner had stolen the Blood Pill or whether he had been killed. The immobilized living corpses could be interpreted as evidence that the Diviner was killed or a ploy for the Diviner to escape.

    After all, Qi Xuansu was taught by Madam Qi. He reverted to his old habits as soon as he left Tiangang Hall. In the real world, right or wrong did not matter. Survival was most important. Like the food chain, no one would pity the goat for being eaten by a tiger. Instead, people would only marvel at how ferocious the tiger was.

    This was the harsh reality of the real world that flowerbed priests in thefortable greenhouse of the Daoist Order would never experience.

    Qi Xuansu went back along the original path he had taken and hesitated for a moment when he came to the fork in the road that he had marked. Instead of exploring the other fork in the road, he decided to leave this undergroundbyrinth.

    When Qi Xuansu was above ground again, he noticed that the heavy rain had stopped, but the rain clouds were still obvious.

    At this moment, a loud rumbling came from the center of the reimednd, and a cloud of ck smoke shot up into the sky.

    Qi Xuansu walked out of the dpidated pavilion, looked in the direction of the rising ck smoke, and murmured, ¡°What on earth is going on? Did The Inn get into trouble with the White Jade Hall?¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, another stream of ck smoke swirled up, resembling a dragon. However, countless pale, ghostly figures floated in this ck stream, constantly howling and roaring.

    This reimednd was once destroyed by the Daoist Order with the Phoenix Eye Bomb. But after years of recovery, some tenacious vegetation managed to survive. At this moment, all vegetation withered instantly wherever the ck stream passed. The green faded and was reced by a yellowish-brown, wilted mess.

    Even the already barren ground seemed to be sucked dry of all moisture, with cracked surfaces consistent with a drought. There were records in Daoist scriptures that thousands of kilometers ofnd would be scorched when the drought demon came to the world.

    When Qi Xuansu saw this, he took out the Jiamas and tied them to his legs without hesitation. Then he ran with all his might, not daring to look back.

    This scene was as horrifying as the day when Wu Luo¡¯s projection snapped the flying ship in half. Although Qi Xuansu had an Auxiliary Heart, he dared not rely on it too much.

    He looked back for a split second and saw the other recruits from The Inn running for their lives, like him. However, one after another, they were trapped by the ck stream of yin energy. Those with weaker cultivation quickly aged. Their skin shriveled up, their flesh melted, and they turned into dried corpses in an instant.

    These dried corpses maintained their original appearance, but when the wind blew, they turned into powder and scattered with the wind. At the same time, their souls escaped from their bodies and were caught in the dark stream, all of them floating toward the center of the reimednd.

    Those Martial Arts Practitioners with a slightly higher level of cultivation could barely withstand this yin energy. They forcibly bound their blood qi and soul together to avoid their soul getting absorbed by the ck stream.

    However, the ck stream was endless, like the sea during a storm. When there were rough waves, the best course of action was to drift with the tide. Otherwise, one would drown from exhaustion.

    The ck stream continued to bombard them until it eventually swallowed these people.

    After Qi Xuansu escaped from the reimednd, he stood on a high slope and looked back. A huge ck vortex had appeared at some point, covering the sky and the sun.

    Huge cracks and gaps appeared on the ground that extended in all directions. All the structures in the area copsed, causing smoke and dust to spread everywhere.

    Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted from the ground. It was as if a ferocious ancient beast was about to tear open the earth and crawl out to the surface.

    Qi Xuansu spotted someone leaping high and staying in the air for a short time. It was the leading old man from The Inn¡¯s headquarters who was almost a Heavenly Being.

    The next moment, five tall pirs of varying heights rose slowly from the ground where the old man leaped from. Upon closer look, Qi Xuansu noticed that they were not pirs, but fingers.

    The gargantuan hand rose from the ground and reached upward, finally grabbing the old man from The Inn.

    The earth shook violently. The ground within a 300-meter radius of that handpletely cracked, and all the rubble sank into the gap. Only the hand that had grabbed the old man was still standing tall.

    Soon after, another massive hand shot up and ttened its palm on the ground, propping up a monstrous body from the pit.

    It was a giant demon with dark skin and exposed veins all over its body that resembled the roots of an old tree. These root-like veins were as thick as an adult man¡¯s arm. The demon had a ferocious green face andrge fangs, with an exaggeratedly bloody mouth that could swallow a person whole without any effort.

    Someone else was standing on the shoulders of this giant demon at this time. That man was smiling and standing with his hands behind his back. The moment this demon appeared, it sucked in countless yin energy and dead souls.

    The demon crushed The Inn¡¯s old man in its palm, then tossed him into its mouth and chewed on him. Blood sttered everywhere.

    Qi Xuansu was petrified. <i>What the hell is this?!</i>

    When he recalled that this reimednd was where the first Earthly Preceptor cultivated corpses, Qi Xuansu had a bold guess.

    Could this demon be the legendary Great Asura, whose power wasparable to Heavenly Beings?

    ......

    At The Inn in the West Gobi, the Innkeeper stood behind the counter as usual, spinning a Taiping coin.

    Business was slow that day, so not many people were in the lobby. As the Innkeeper mentioned to Qi Xuansu, people were not their main enemy in the desert; the weather was.

    At this moment, a waiter rushed in.

    The Innkeeper¡¯s eyelids twitched. He pped the spinning Taiping coin and slowly removed his palm, revealing the words ¡°peace to the world¡± engraved on the coin.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The Innkeeper asked indifferently.

    The waiter took a breath and said with a solemn expression, ¡°Sir, arge cavalry ising toward us.¡±

    The Innkeeper¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Arge cavalry? Where did theye from?¡±

    The waiter answered, ¡°They are the ck Robes'' Cavalry! They seem to have been mobilized from the Xizhou Protectorate. As you know, the Xizhou Protectorate is under the control of the Xiliang Governor in name only. It actually follows the direct orders of the Imperial Cab. That¡¯s why they have always been unreasonable and domineering.¡±

    ¡°Mobilizing troops across states? This is usually done when going against a local mogul, for fear that the local ck Robes have been bribed. Is the Imperial Court nning something in Yongzhou?¡± The Innkeeper was in disbelief. ¡°Why is there no news from Green Phoenix Guard?¡±

    The waiter shook his head. ¡°It seems that they have bypassed the Green Phoenix Guard. Moreover, three Lieutenant Colonels of the Green Phoenix Guard have been busy arresting those Heavenly Court zealots.¡±

    Outside the city, the ground trembled as the cavalry approached The Inn like a ck tide.

 Chapter 212: Black Armor

    <h4>Chapter 212: ck Armor</h4>

    The Innkeeper went to his office, took out a mother-child talisman, and contacted the headquarters to report the situation.

    However, no one at the headquarters answered his correspondence.

    The Innkeeper pursed his lips tightly, his expression solemn. The beads of sweat on his forehead betrayed his calm facade.

    After a while, the headquarters finally responded, but it was brief. ¡°Got it.¡±

    The Innkeeper was speechless. He thought to himself, <i>The ck Robes areing, but that¡¯s all the headquarters has to say to me?</i>

    Finally, the Innkeeper asked, ¡°Any instructions from the headquarters...?¡±

    ¡°Instructions...¡± The personnel from the headquarters pondered for a moment before replying, ¡°Let them be. Don¡¯t provoke them and follow their orders.¡±

    The Innkeeper could not help but ask, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all.¡± The tone of the personnel from the headquarters left no room for negotiation.

    The Innkeeper was silent for a long time before he asked again, ¡°May I know the reason?¡±

    The headquarters replied, ¡°The person leading the army this time is General Lon.¡±

    <i>In addition to Xizhou, the Great Xuan Dynasty implemented a system of provincial governors in other regions. The State Governor held the highest authority, ruling over Chief Admirals, Pacification Commissioners, and Chief Military Officers.</i>

    <i>The governor was under the Ministry of War. They oversaw military affairs, managed supplies and rations, and supervised river systems in specific regions. Initially, this position was only created as needed and disbanded after a specific term. However, over time, it became a permanent fixture and the head of a state.</i>

    <i>Generally speaking, the governor was equivalent to a high-ranking official at the level of the six ministers. Although the Great Xuan Dynasty had always emphasized the equality of both civil and military officials, a governor was still considered a civil official.</i>

    <i>However, Xizhou was an exception because it was a regained border territory with constant wars, so the highest government office was not the Governor¡¯s Office. Instead, the Xizhou Protectorate held the most power, with control over the military and civil affairs in the region.</i>

    <i>Although the Xizhou Protectorate was nominally under the control of the Governor of Xiliang, it actually answered to the Imperial Cab and had equal status to the governor.</i>

    <i>In the event of arge-scale war that needed the aid of troops from various states, the Xizhou Protector could bear the seal of a Chief General and have absolute military power. The Chief General could control the Governors of Xiliang, Qinzhong, and Shuzhou and order the three Governors to provide food and fodder for the army.</i>

    <i>Under the Western Region Protector were four Deputy Protectors, who were also honored as Generals.</i>

    General Lon was the Deputy Protector stationed in Lon City. He ranked first among the four Deputy Protectors in the Western Region. If something unexpected happened to the Protector of the Western Region, the Deputy Protector of Lon could temporarily take charge.

    The Innkeeper remained silent.

    Soldiers from a foreign state were entering Xizhou under themand of the Lon Deputy Protector. Coupled with the headquarters¡¯ attitude, the Innkeeper felt that something was wrong, as if a disaster were imminent.

    It was clear that even The Inn¡¯s headquarters were unaware of this.

    ¡°Any more questions?¡± The personnel from the headquarters asked as per routine.

    The Innkeeper croaked, ¡°Is this branch getting...abandoned?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it.¡± The personnel at the headquarters hastily ended the conversation.

    The Innkeeper was stunned for a long time before he finally came out of his office.

    Several waiters came up to him and asked, ¡°Sir, what did the headquarters say?¡±

    The Innkeeper uttered one word. ¡°Wait.¡±

    ¡°Wait?¡± Everyone was puzzled.

    The Innkeeper went back to his position behind the counter and said nothing more.

    ......

    About an hourter, the cavalry suddenly took over the city, upyingmanding heights and sealing the city gates.

    In the face of this formidable army, most people in the city dared not make a move.

    The local gangsters and vigntes were like unarmed civilianspared to the heavily armed and irond ck Robes. For the ck Robes, it was even easier to deal with anyone who vited their rules because they could use force against them and unscrupulously punish them. However, they could not use force against civilians.

    There would asionally be some rebellion, but these would be quelled in the blink of an eye before amotion was stirred up.

    At the same time, several other old cities were quickly and effortlessly upied by the ck Robes.

    In fact, even if the people wanted to resist, these rammed-earth cities in disrepair could not withstand the ck Robes¡¯ heavy artillery.

    The ck Robes had dered martialw in the West Gobi and the west coast of Cuowenbu, barring anyone from entering or exiting the area. This was so that they could hunt down all members of the targeted secret societies.

    This sudden upation was notpletely unexpected. There were already signs of such movement on New Year¡¯s Day.

    Typically, New Year¡¯s Day was for visiting rtives and friends. This year, it was also the day when the Great Sage of the Taiping Sect took over the role of the Acting Grand Master, also titled the Great Sage Lunzhi. He would assume this role and be the absolute authority in the Daoist Order for six months.

    However, on this day, the Great Sage of the Taiping Sect was severely humiliated by the Lingshan Witch Cult. Since it was the day of the handover between the Great Sages of the Quanzhen and Taiping Sects, both Deputy Grand Masters were held ountable.

    In addition, the flying ship had departed from Yunjin Mountain, which was the territory of the Great Sage of the Zhengyi Sect. Thus, all three Deputy Grand Masters were involved and deeply offended by this act of terrorism.

    Thus, the Golden Tower Council quickly reached a consensus to conduct a harsh crackdown on the secret societies.

    The Daoist Order did not limit their suppression to just the Lingshan Witch Cult but extended it to target all secret associations, starting in Yongzhou, where two secret societies had organized rebellions.

    The Great Sage Lunzhi spearheaded this campaign, while the other two Deputy Grand Masters provided support. He not only dispatched Tiangang Hall, but also Fengxian Hall and Beichen Hall tounch an internal audit within the Daoist Order to root out any spies and suppress dissidents.

    If Qi Xuansu had followed Zhang Yuelu back to Tiangang Hall, he would have been discovered. However, since he was also a victim of the flying ship crash and wasbeled as missing or even dead, his file had been sealed. So no one would bother investigating him. By a twist of fate, Qi Xuansu managed to escape this inquisition.

    The Imperial Court and the Daoist Order had the same stance when it came to suppressing secret societies. With the Great Sage of the Taiping Sect taking the lead in this crackdown, the Imperial Court cooperated with the Daoist Order by mobilizing the Green Phoenix Guard and the ck Robes. Their previous raid on Jiuwa Hill, in which Qi Xuansu narrowly escaped, was just a small trial run.

    Qi Xuansu did not expect that he would be so unlucky as to be the target of both the Daoist Order and the secret societies due to his identities. He finally felt the agony of being trapped between a rock and a hard ce.

    ......

    When the Daoist Order advocated employing young people, the Imperial Court did the same. After all, young people had proven to be able to take on big responsibilities, as shown by the Holy Xuan, who unified the Daoist Order when he was 30 years old.

    A young general in ck armor strode into the lobby of The Inn with a riding crop in hand.

    Upon seeing the man, the Innkeeper shed a professional smile.

    This general looked to be in his thirties, yet he was already the Deputy Protector of Lon, moremonly known as General Lon. This time, he was also the Chief General leading the army.

    ¡°My name is Qin Wubing.¡± The young general introduced himself and bragged. ¡°This name was bestowed by the Champion Marquis himself.¡±

    The Innkeeper lowered his head and said respectfully, ¡°Greetings, Your Grace. My apologies for not weing you beforehand.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not rted to the imperial family. Ie from the Qin family of Jiangling.¡± Qin Wubing corrected him.

    ¡°My apologies, General.¡± The Innkeeper quickly corrected himself.

    One of the founding fathers of the Great Xuan Dynasty shared the samest name as the emperor but did not have royal blood. It was just a namesake. But he was bestowed the title of Commandery Prince of Jiangling County, which was hereditary.

    Qin Wubing said nonchntly, ¡°No need to be polite. I am a warrior, so I don¡¯t care for such formalities. Are you a staff member of The Inn?¡±

    The Innkeeper responded, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    Qin Wubing handed the riding crop to an attendant and ced his hand on the Innkeeper¡¯s shoulder. ¡°For the sake of your rtionship with the Green Phoenix Guard, I will be lenient with you as long as you hand over the list of people from this branch. Otherwise, I can¡¯t guarantee that you and everyone here can leave this Inn in one piece.¡±

 Chapter 213: Great Asura

    <h4>Chapter 213: Great Asura</h4>

    The former corpse cultivation site on the west bank of Cuowenbu was once one of the nine manufacturing nts under Huasheng Hall. However, a man-made disaster caused by the Cult of Fates turned the ce into ruins. After changing several hands, this nt finally fell into the hands of The Inn.

    This huge manufacturing nt had an areaparable to that of a county. It was shaped like a concentric circle. Most of the outer circle consisted of scorched earth, with only some scattered vegetation and buildings left behind. At this time, the ce had turned into a desert. The inner circle was the core area, where the legendary corpse-raising grounds were located.

    It was said that at its most prosperous, this manufacturing nt was filled with green grass, cranes, koi fishes, and pavilions. At first nce, it did not look like a ce suitable for corpse cultivation. Instead, it looked like a paradise.

    However, at this moment, this ce resembled theherworld.

    The giant demon ravaged the ce, killing and injuring the elites sent by The Inn.

    The Inn¡¯s elites tried to escape, but to no avail. The Daoist Order¡¯s Phoenix Eye Bomb had only destroyed most of the buildings above ground. The underground buildings were still intact. However, that part of the underground buildings had beenpletely destroyed by the giant demon.

    Among the nine people from The Inn¡¯s headquarters, the leading old man stayed above ground, while the other eight entered the underground building. As a result, the old man above ground was the first to die. The remaining eight people were trapped underground due to the underground structure copsing, so they would have died as well.

    At this moment, a huge Daoist flying ship crossed Cuowenbu and appeared in the sky above the area.

    Shangguan Jing was still standing on the bow of the ship, looking down.

    There was not much expression on his face. For a Deputy Tiangang Hall Master who had just escaped from the battlefield in the Western Region, the seemingly scary sight was nothing inparison to the Shamanistic Sect.

    A superintendent stood behind Shangguan Jing and reported, ¡°Sir, I have contacted Huasheng Hall. They have confirmed that the monster is indeed the sealed Great Asura.¡±

    Shangguan Jing frowned and said in a disapproving tone, ¡°What exactly were they thinking? If that monster couldn¡¯t be taken away, it should be destroyed. Why did the Huasheng Hall choose to seal it here? It¡¯s been so long since the incident. Why haven¡¯t they carried out a secondary remedial exercise?¡±

    The superintendent smiled wryly and answered, ¡°ording to Huasheng Hall¡¯s statement, the Great Asura could not be destroyed. At the time, the Great Asura was located deep within the corpse-raising grounds. They had no way to destroy it given their manpower, so they could only seal it on the spot. Huasheng Hall did not exin why they failed to carry out a secondary remedial operation. It was probably dyed because of the pushback by several Deputy Huasheng Hall Masters.¡±

    ¡°And now, this mess is pushed to Tiangang Hall, huh?¡± Shangguan Jing snorted.

    The superintendent did notment further.

    Shangguan Jing looked at the figure standing on the shoulder of the Great Asura with a mocking smirk. ¡°Cult demons.¡±

    ......

    At the same time, the person standing on the shoulder of the Great Asura looked up at the huge flying ship, gritting his teeth.

    ¡°Tiangang Hall? I didn¡¯t expect such a quick reaction from them. But I don¡¯t know which Deputy Hall Master is deployed this time.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. But this is not a reaction. It¡¯s an advance prediction. In other words, we just happened to run into them. It¡¯s quite a fatal coincidence.¡±

    That person was not talking to himself. He wasmunicating with another person from a distance. He continued, ¡°I understand. I will evacuate after getting what we want. I won¡¯t confront the Daoist Order. After all, I won¡¯t be able to defeat them alone.¡±

    ¡°How many cities have been sealed off? This is a rare joint operation between the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court, as expected of the Imperial Preceptor.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I understand. That¡¯s all for now.¡±

    A special mother-child talisman burned out, and this long-distance conversation ended.

    The person stamped his feet on the shoulders of the Great Asura, somewhat akin to a pat on the shoulder. It was also considered a final farewell. To be fair, he was a little reluctant to part with this Great Asura, but he also understood that it was impossible to take this Great Asura away under the tight siege of the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court.

    ......

    On the flying ship, the superintendent handed a scroll into Shangguan Jing¡¯s hands, with the key parts already folded for easy browsing.

    Shangguan Jing opened the scroll. Despite the roaring wind, the scroll in his hand did not flutter one bit as he quickly scanned the text.

    ¡°The Holy Xuan had divided the duty of innovation between Huasheng Hall and Tianji Hall, taking this opportunity to veto some projects, including all the corpse-raising grounds left by the first-generation Earth Preceptor. No one dared to oppose the Holy Xuan¡¯s supreme authority. The second-generation Earth Preceptor had also acquiesced to this.

    ¡°However, some high-ranking Daoist priests left the Daoist Order in an act of protest against the Holy Xuan¡¯s decisions. These people formed an association called the Eight Tribes to continue their research, but the Daoist Order could not care less because they were busy fighting against the Buddhist Sect.¡±

    Shangguan Jing nced at the text and did not pay much attention to it because this information was nothing new to him.

    ¡°In addition to the high-ranking Daoist priests who betrayed the Daoist Order, there were also some who stayed in the Order as spies to provide shelter and support for the Eight Tribes. At the same time, they could share the achievements of the Eight Tribes¡¯ research.¡±

    Shangguan Jing snorted when he read this. He muttered, ¡°Interesting. But in the past, the Quanzhen Sect was in charge of inventions. Both Huasheng Hall and Tianji Hall have deep connections with the Quanzhen Sect, so it¡¯s not surprising that the Quanzhen Sect is involved in this.¡±

    He continued to read the scroll.

    ¡°It is beyond my expectation that, in addition to being inextricably linked to the high-ranking Daoist priests within the Daoist Order, the Eight Tribes have also had simr rtionships with core members of other secret societies in recent years. This includes the Cult of Fates, Qingping Society, The Inn, Seven Treasure Pavilion, and Heavenly Court. Although these secret societies have conflicts with each other, they stillmunicate through the Eight Tribes. Through this, an alliance was formed.

    ¡°An appropriate analogy would be a business. The Cult of Fates, Qingping Society, The Inn, Seven Treasure Pavilion, and Heavenly Court contribute money to buy shares. They are considered co-owners but they do not participate in the operations of the business. They are only responsible for investing money and getting dividends. The Eight Tribes is the shopkeeper, responsible for daily operations and the distribution of profits.

    ¡°To coordinate with all parties, the Eight Tribes and other secret societies have formed a special council called the White Jade Hall, simr to our Golden Tower Council. The members of White Jade Hall all have dual identities as members of another secret society.¡±

    Shangguan Jing¡¯s eyelids twitched slightly. He asked the superintendent behind him. ¡°Have you read this scroll?¡±

    The superintendent bowed and replied, ¡°Yes, this record was left by a superintendent of Tiangang Hall, but he passed away in an ident.¡±

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve read it before, what do you think the ¡®White Jade Hall¡¯ here means?¡± Shangguan Jing asked.

    The superintendent pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Jade Capital is also known as the White Jade Capital. Perhaps their naming of White Jade Hall is to allude to the Daoist Order.¡±

    ¡°I have the same thoughts.¡± Shangguan Jing flicked the scroll and continued reading it.

    ¡°After White Jade Hall was established for many years, they were inching toward breaking away from the other secret societies and establishing their own association. Several major secret societies also noticed this trend and decisively intervened. After some internal strife, White Jade Hall no longer tried to set up its own association but still maintained considerable independence.

    ¡°I once tried to make friends with a member of White Jade Hall but failed to do so because I had to return to Jade Capital for a debriefing. After which, I will be sent to Jiangnan, so I can¡¯t stay for long...¡±

    That was the end of the scroll. This record was left by the superintendent upon returning to Jade Capital. Not long after, he died from an ident, which was undoubtedly suspicious.

    Shangguan Jing closed the scroll and asked, ¡°Do you think those people are from the Eight Tribes or the White Jade Hall?¡±

    The superintendent replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think that the Eight Tribes will be so bold.¡±

    ¡°You mean, White Jade Hall will have the courage to do this, huh?¡± Shangguan Jing said slowly, ¡°A long-established secret society on the Daoist Order¡¯s list of targets doesn¡¯t have such courage, but a new association that isn¡¯t under our radar does. Interesting.¡±

    The superintendent kept mum about this.

    Shangguan Jing did not expect an answer. He handed the scroll to the superintendent and said, ¡°Whether it¡¯s White Jade Hall, the Eight Tribes, or The Inn, all secret societies are included in the scope of this purge. There is no need to hold back. Just use Five Thunderbolts. After all, thunder is the best way to restrain ghosts and demons.¡±

    The superintendent took the scroll and obeyed the orders.

    Not long after, the flying ship began to absorb the spiritual energy of its surroundings. A huge illusory magical circle appeared under the hull, and various talismans were visible on the hull.

    Then a Thunder Bead the size of a Dragon Pearl condensed over the flying ship. As it rotated slowly, sparks of lightning overflowed from it and slowly dissipated.

    The thunder methods were most esteemed among the Daoist methods. This Thunder Bead was condensed from hundreds of talismans.

    Drawn by the spiritual energy, the Great Asura became manic and restless.

    The next moment, the Thunder Bead flew straight into the heavens.

    In an instant, dark clouds gathered, covering the entire sky.

    Layers of dark clouds weighed down on the earth. Thunder roared, and purple lightning shed in the sky. It looked like a catastrophe was on the horizon.

 Chapter 214: Pursuing Immediate Gains

    <h4>Chapter 214: Pursuing Immediate Gains</h4>

    The third-grade Youyi Daoist master responsible for controlling the flying warship curled his fingers into a Five Thunder Fist.

    All the scattered thunderbolts gathered in one ce and turned into a purple light that was as thick as a two-meter-wide tree trunk. It prated the dark clouds at lightning speed, illuminating the entire sky as itnded on the head of the Great Asura.

    For a moment, the bright sh of boundless purple lightpletely engulfed the Great Asura.

    Just as the flying ship began to condense thunder beads, the person standing on the shoulder of the Great Asura had already turned into a streak of fire and vanished. Although these warships were not the bestbat power of the Daoist Order, not many could withstand the fierce attack of a warship head-on.

    After the purple light dissipated, the pervasive yin energy was swept away, leaving only the charred and mutted body of the Great Asura.

    As soon as the Daoist flying ship appeared earlier, Qi Xuansu turned around and fled without hesitation. Although he did not witness that scene, he knew very well that the situation had developed beyond The Inn¡¯s control.

    As the saying goes, the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. The Inn was the cicada, White Jade Hall was the praying mantis, and the Daoist Order was the oriole. With the presence of the oriole, neither the cicada nor the mantis would get away unscathed.

    Qi Xuansu was well aware of his situation, knowing that he could not appear in front of anyone from the Daoist Order with his identity as Qi Xuansu, especially since everyone believed that he was dead. The ¡°dead¡± Qi Xuansu would be remembered as an outstanding deacon, while the current Qi Xuansu had a questionable background bound to be scrutinized.

    Furthermore, it was evident that Tiangang Hall had a zero-tolerance policy for secret societies at the moment. To them, cult demons did not deserve a trial with Fengxian Hall. They would always be executed on the spot. So there was a possibility that the people from the Daoist Order would not recognize Qi Xuansu and would directly execute him as a cult demon.

    This made sense because the Daoist Order suffered a huge loss from the flying ship crash. Although the Daoist Order had been quite lenient toward foreign enemies in recent years, that did not mean they were not ruthless. Otherwise, the Buddhist Sect and Confucian School would not have been willing to admit defeat.

    This time, the Daoist Order would not just target the Lingshan Witch Cult. They would suppress all secret societies with an iron fist.

    If the Daoist Order did not react strongly to the Lingshan Witch Cult¡¯s terrorist attack, it would set a precedent for other secret societies to challenge the Order. If so, there would be no peace in the world.

    Back then, when the Cult of Fates attacked the Huasheng Hall¡¯s manufacturing nt, the Daoist Order made them pay a hefty price. The Cult of Fates had since disappeared for nearly ten years.

    Of course, these secret societies would always resurface after some time, forgetting the consequences of provoking the Daoist Order. As long as they were notpletely eradicated, they could always make aeback.

    No matter what, Qi Xuansu had to escape as soon as possible. Perhaps the West Gobi would not be a safe ce to stay anymore.

    This time, he had a fruitful harvest. One Blood Pill was worth at least several thousand Taiping coins, which was a lot to Qi Xuansu, who only had a worth of a few thousand Taiping coins.

    The only regret he had was that he failed to figure out the rtionship between White Jade Hall, the Eight Tribes, The Inn, and the Qingping Society. He was also unaware of the rtionship between Madam Qi, Mountain Ghost, and White Jade Hall. However, the situation had gone awry, so Qi Xuansu did not want to risk his life pursuing the answers.

    A deafening roar of thunder shocked the fleeing Qi Xuansu. He looked back and saw a purple thunderbolt connecting the sky and the earth, dyeing the sky a rich purple.

    He thought, <i>Was this the high-endbat power of Tiangang Hall? No wonder Tiangang Hall was known as the Daoist Order¡¯s sword.</i>

    ......

    A streak of fire darted from the inner circle of the manufacturing nt to the outer circle, far away from where the thunder had struck. Itnded at a pavilion in the outer ring that was still rtively intact.

    At this time, several people were waiting at the pavilion. They were all members of the White Jade Hall who had been on guard for a long time. Each of them carried talismans that could evade yin energy, forming a faint halo around them like transparent eggshells. With this protective aura, they were not affected by the terrifying power of the Great Asura.

    They had a fruitful harvest. Several of them had their clothes stained with the blood of The Inn¡¯s recruits for the ¡°weeding¡± operation.

    The streak of fire turned into a human form, revealing the person who was standing on the shoulders of the Great Asura. He was a handsome and frivolous-looking man in a light blue robe who was in his thirties.

    As stated in the scroll that Shangguan Jing read, the members of White Jade Hall had dual identities. This man, Zhong Boyu, was also a member of the Eight Tribes.

    Zhong Boyu was once an ordinary Daoist disciple. By chance, he joined the Eight Tribes and left the Daoist Order because he was finally able to fulfill his potential. Due to his outstanding abilities in the Eight Tribes, he was able to join the White Jade Hall.

    For Zhong Boyu, joining the Eight Tribes was the first turning point in his life, and entering White Jade Hall was the second turning point. As a member of White Jade Hall, Zhong Boyu could finally stand out instead of being an unknown seventh-rank Daoist priest muddling through life.

    Zhong Boyu looked around. ¡°Why is one person missing?¡±

    All members of the White Jade Hall shook their heads, expressing their ignorance.

    ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s retreat immediately,¡± Zhong Boyu ordered.

    Everyone in White Jade Hall came prepared. They took out the special talismans that turned into sparks upon burning. These sparks connected to form a rectangr doorway, which became a dark portal.

    Zhong Boyu took the lead to walk into the Yin Yang Gate. The surface rippled like the water¡¯s surface as he passed through an invisible boundary, disappearing in an instant.

    The remaining members of White Jade Hall entered the portal one after another. After thest person stepped in, the portal closed on its own, quickly shrinking and finally turning into a little ck dot before vanishingpletely.

    On the other side of the Yin Yang Gate, one could hear birds singing and smell the fragrance of flowers. They had arrived in a green valley full of flowers, surrounded by mountains on all sides and protected from the harsh winds. The temperature was warm and cozy,pletely different from the Gobi Desert during springtime.

    Not far away was a clearke with green grass and a simple dock on the shore.

    A figure in a bamboo hat was sitting on the dock with a fishing rod in hand.

    Zhong Boyu walked quickly toward the figure, who was reeling in the fishing rod. Unfortunately, there was only a piece of bait and a bunch of algae stuck to the simple curved hook on the end of the rod.

    The person casually pulled off the algae from the hook before swinging the bait back into the water. ¡°Did you get the stuff back?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhong Boyu took out an item that was somewhat simr to the knife currency of ancient times. The object was shaped like a crescent moon, green and translucent, with many thin blood threads inside. It was the Xuan Jade that significantly improved Qi Xuansu¡¯s cultivation. However, it was not exactly the same as the other two Xuan Jades that Qi Xuansu had seen before.

    The person nced at Xuan Jade. ¡°Good.¡±

    Zhong Boyu reported truthfully, ¡°This piece of Xuan Jade was located deep within the corpse-raising grounds. The Inn¡¯s personnel were there, so in order to get the Xuan Jade, I had to use the Great Asura sealed by the Huasheng Hall. Although the Great Asura got rid of those people from The Inn, it caught the attention of Tiangang Hall. The Great Asura was destroyed by them.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve told me this through the mother-child talisman, so it¡¯s expected.¡± The person continued fishing. Judging by appearance, this person was several years older than Zhong Boyu. The bamboo hat covered the person¡¯s face, but from the person¡¯sposure and tone, it was evident that this person was a high-ranking member of White Jade Hall.

    After some hesitation, Zhong Boyu said, ¡°The Imperial Court¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a routine procedure for the Imperial Court. Don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡± The person spoke while fumbling with the Xuan Jade.

    Zhong Boyu¡¯s gaze was also attracted by the Xuan Jade. He asked cautiously, ¡°What is this? Why can I control the Great Asura with this object?¡±

    The person held up the Xuan Jade against the sunlight, studying the blood streaks in it. ¡°This is called the Xuan Jade, which is highly sought after by the Qingping Society and the Taiping Sect. It has all kinds of incredible and miraculous features, each with its own characteristics.

    ¡°This particr piece of Xuan Jade can control theherworld. However, it hasn¡¯t been fully activated, so it can only prevent the Great Asura from harming you based on its instincts. You were far from being able to control the Great Asura.¡±

 Chapter 215: Neglecting the Dangers Behind

    <h4>Chapter 215: Neglecting the Dangers Behind</h4>

    Qi Xuansu did not know much about the intricacies between the Daoist Order, the Imperial Court, The Inn, the Qingping Society, the Eight Tribes, White Jade Hall, and other forces.

    He only knew one thing¡ªit was not suitable to stay in this area. He even gave up on the thought of returning to Qin Xiang, as he wanted to leave the West Gobi as soon as possible.

    As a result, Qi Xuansu encountered a dozen ck Robes when he was about to leave the West Gobi.

    Qi Xuansu did not expect the ck Robes to seal off this city. He focused all his attention on avoiding the Daoist Order¡¯s flying ship, so he waspletely unprepared when encountering the ck Robes.

    As a result, he was ambushed and shot twice. Fortunately, the ck Robes used ordinary armor-piercing projectiles instead of the Dragon Eye Bullets. If they were to use thetter, Qi Xuansu would have been seriously injured, even with his self-healing abilities.

    The ordinary armor-piercing projectiles pierced through Qi Xuansu¡¯s qi shield, entering his body and causing a starburst-shaped explosion. Although Qi Xuansu¡¯s body could withstand the impact of this bullet, he was momentarily stunned.

    These ck Robes were not ordinary city guards. They were the elite frontier troops experienced in battle, far superior to the Green Phoenix Guard in terms of coordinated operations and firearms.

    Qi Xuansu quickly hid behind a huge rock.

    This group of ck Robes was equipped with a five-barrel revolver with rotating chambers capable of firing 18 shots. For a while, the gunshots were incessant as the bullets hit the rock and stirred up dust. The rock that Qi Xuansu hid behind chipped off so much that it resembled a wasp¡¯s nest.

    Faced with this situation, Qi Xuansu did not intend to sit still and wait for death. Instead, he squeezed out the two projectiles lodged in his muscles, waited for his wound to heal rapidly, and then took out his Divine Dragon Pistol.

    The use of firearms was taught in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, so Qi Xuansu was not inferior to these ck Robes when it came to shooting. Moreover, he had an advantage over them. He would not die from a gunshot wound, but these Houtian Beings would.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu could just get rid of them all at once with a single Phoenix Eye Bullet. But considering that he only had two of these bullets left, he wanted to save them for real emergencies.

    The next moment, Qi Xuansu stood up and shot the revolver, relying solely on his urate hearing to infer the location of the revolver based on the direction of the gunshot. The revolver that cost more than 3000 Taiping coins exploded to pieces.

    That was when he jumped out from behind the rock. Since he was still wearing the Jiamas on his legs, he instantlynded in front of the ck Robes, as if the ground had shrunk.

    Although the ck Robes were frightened by Qi Xuansu¡¯s abrupt leap, the ones with pistols in the front row quickly retreated, while the ones wielding swords and shields pushed forward.

    If Qi Xuansu was still in the Kunlun stage, he would have had a hard time fighting against these well-trained soldiers. However, Qi Xuansu was in the Yuxu stage and about to advance to the Guizhen stage.

    He threw out his 5-kilogram Divine Dragon Pistol, hitting the face of a soldier who was nning to shoot him while retreating. The soldier¡¯s face was bruised from the impact, and he fainted instantly. If it were not for the protection of his helmet, his head would have busted open.

    This was the advantage and disadvantage of the Divine Dragon Pistol. It weighed 5 kilograms, which was difficult for ordinary people to lift, let alone shoot steadily. However, for people like Qi Xuansu, the pistol¡¯s weight was not a problem. It could even be used as a bludgeon.

    Qi Xuansu let the ck Robes stab him while he punched out using both fists. Although he failed to break their shields, his fists managed to deform them. The soldiers holding the shields felt their wrists shatter upon impact and could not help but scream in pain. They staggered back, no longer able to hold their formation.

    After knocking the two soldiers away, Qi Xuansu charged into the group of ck Robes like a tiger attacking a flock of sheep. In the blink of an eye, several soldiers fell to the ground with broken bones and tendons.

    Without the soldiers wielding the swords and shields, the remaining soldiers with guns were flustered, as they were not trained to use firearms in closebat.

    One of them raised their gun, but Qi Xuansu reached out and dented the barrel. Thus, when the soldier pulled the trigger, the barrel exploded in the soldier¡¯s face.

    Another soldier raised his gun to shoot Qi Xuansu, but he only felt a strong forceing from the muzzle, which was now facing the sky. The projectile shot upward as Qi Xuansu kicked the soldier in the chest, hurtling the soldier¡¯s body backward. Uponnding, the soldier vomited blood.

    Two gun-carrying soldiers took out their daggers and stabbed Qi Xuansu. In closebat, long guns were inconvenient. Although pistols were more convenient, ordinary ck Robes were not equipped with high-quality pistols, and only generals were deserving of the Divine Dragon Pistol. Usually, only Mobile Corps General and above were allowed to own this pistol. However, the Divine Dragon Pistol could also be bought on the ck market.

    These soldiers were not as strong as Qi Xuansu. As soon as Qi Xuansu pped them with his backhand, they both flew backward.

    The others were shocked by Qi Xuansu¡¯s fighting prowess and dared not move for a moment.

    Qi Xuansu picked up his Divine Dragon Pistol and questioned, ¡°Why are you attacking me?¡±

    A soldier, who seemed to be the leader among them, replied, ¡°I am Chen Meng, the sentry leader of the Xizhou Frontier Army, under the military orders of the Xizhou Protectorate to blockade the front line of Cuowenbu in search of secret society members.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sneered. ¡°Is this how you search for them¡ªby beating people to death first? What if I¡¯m not a secret society member? Won¡¯t I have died in vain?¡±

    Chen Meng stated as a matter of fact, ¡°With your cultivation level, we can only stop you by firing our guns. I don¡¯t think the gunshots will kill you either. Please obey the military orders of the Xizhou Protectorate and ept the interrogation. You won¡¯t end well if you go against the Imperial Court.¡±

    Qi Xuansu scoffed. ¡°Need I remind you that your lives are in my hands right now?¡±

    Chen Meng was unrelenting. ¡°I would also like to remind you that you are in the territory of our Great Xuan Empire. You won¡¯t end well by going against the Protectorate or the Imperial Court. If you are not a member of a secret society, you should ept the interrogation willingly. We won¡¯t let any bad guys get away, but we will not wrongly use good people either.¡±

    Qi Xuansuughed. Just as he was about to speak, a group of cavalrymen rushed toward them from the horizon.

    This was amon method used by the ck Robes. They used marksmen and the infantry to guard a certain location and form a stronghold, then they sent out rangers to patrol the areas between the various strongholds. The cavalry''s high mobility was a means of providing quick reinforcements when necessary.

    Their previous gunfight had already alerted the group of rangers.

    The ground shook as the sound of horse hooves approached. The pressure brought by the ck Robes waspletely different from that of the Green Phoenix Guard.

    The Green Phoenix Guard was just the emperor¡¯s eyes and ears, while the ck Robes was the emperor¡¯s sharp sword, symbolizing the majesty of the Imperial Court.

    Qi Xuansu did not pay attention to the rangers, who would take some time to arrive, but sized up the sentry leader in front of him.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu missed his original identity as a Daoist priest.

    With that identity, the soldiers would have to show some respect to the Daoist Order. But without it, even a sentry leader dared to make things difficult for him.

    However, Qi Xuansu did not want to risk it all and kill this sentry leader. Otherwise, thetter would have already been dead.

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°It¡¯ll be easier for me and all of you if you let me go.¡±

    The sentry leader did not speak and just shook his head.

    In the end, Qi Xuansu chose to put down the Divine Dragon Pistol in his hand.

    The sentry leader¡¯s expression softened a little, thinking that Qi Xuansu had surrendered. ¡°Good.¡±

    Qi Xuansu stared at him. ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary traveler, so I hope you can keep your word. If you verify that I¡¯m not a secret society member, then you must let me go.¡±

 Chapter 216: Unreasonable

    <h4>Chapter 216: Unreasonable</h4>

    The real world was not child¡¯s y. Those who could travel alone were not ordinary people either.

    Qi Xuansu was not a kind person. He had always adhered to a simple concept¡ªkill rather than be killed. It was only reasonable that he retaliated against someone who wanted to kill him.

    Therefore, he would never sit back and wait for death.

    When the cavalry was approaching, Qi Xuansu spread his arms out to the sides. ¡°Go ahead and search my body.¡±

    Seeing Qi Xuansu¡¯s attitude, the ck Robes let down their guard. In their impression, most of the secret society members were desperadoes who would go all out and would not surrender. Coupled with the approaching cavalry, these ck Robes felt that they had the upper hand in the situation. So what if Qi Xuansu had a higher cultivation level than them?

    Qi Xuansu could kill them all, but he would have to go into hiding for the rest of his life. Eventually, he would have to surrender to the Xizhou Protectorate and the Imperial Court.

    Chen Meng slowly stepped forward and stood face-to-face with Qi Xuansu. Behind him was a group of ck Robes lying injured on the ground.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to search me?¡±

    Chen Meng sneered, ¡°These are myrades, but you¡¯ve injured them so severely that some will have to retire from the army.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because they wanted to kill me first. If I was shot, what would¡¯ve happened to me? I¡¯m not a Heavenly Being, so I can¡¯t just wave my sleeves to block those bullets. Of course, if I were a Heavenly Being, I wouldn¡¯t be standing here, talking crap with you.¡± Qi Xuansu continued, ¡°Or, do you think their lives are more precious than mine?¡±

    Chen Mengughed in response. To him, Qi Xuansu was a stranger, suspected of being a secret society member. Those ck Robes were his brothers and friends, whom he lived with day in and day out. Of course, there was noparison to speak of.

    Qi Xuansu had the same thoughts. He viewed these ck Robes as his enemies because they attacked him without warning or exnation. Thus, he did not care about these soldiers¡¯ backstories or whether they had families to get back to. They were impolite to him first, so he would not be polite either.

    If Qi Xuansu was a Heavenly Being, he might have been more understanding because these soldiers would not be able to hurt him. However, at his level of cultivation, these people did hurt him and could even kill him.

    Qi Xuansu was not the Holy Xuan eager to make the world a better ce. He was just a lone traveler, putting himself first.

    If someone wanted to kill him, he would retaliate. It was that simple.

    This matter had nothing to do with being morally right or wrong. Chen Meng had his own standpoint, and so did Qi Xuansu. This was just a matter of life and death.

    At this moment, the cavalry were less than 300 meters away. Seeing that Qi Xuansu was not resisting, the cavalry began to slow down.

    Chen Meng punched Qi Xuansu hard on the abdomen. ¡°This punch is for Wang Mutou.¡±

    Qi Xuansu remained motionless.

    The cavalry slowly approached. The sound of horses galloping became louder, but it was not as intense as when they were charging forward.

    Chen Meng punched Qi Xuansu in the abdomen again. ¡°This punch is for Sun Shuisheng.¡±

    Qi Xuansu stood in ce and only narrowed his eyes.

    At that moment, the cavalry formed a circle around them and came to a stop.

    Chen Meng grabbed Qi Xuansu¡¯s shoulders with both hands and kneed thetter¡¯s abdomen. ¡°This is for Xiao Gao.¡±

    Qi Xuansu watched the cavalry from the corner of his eye, but he still did not resist.

    Chen Meng was unrelenting. ¡°This is for Lao Shi. This is for Er Zhong.¡±

    He had no intention of stopping, repeatedly striking Qi Xuansu with his fists and knees. Every punch and kick showed no mercy.

    Qi Xuansu did not use his qi shield to resist. Instead, he relied on his strong physique and clenched his muscles.

    When Chen Meng finally stopped to catch his breath, Qi Xuansu reached out to press on his own abdomen. If Qi Xuansu did not have the healing capabilitiesparable to those of a Martial Arts Practitioner, he would have died. Even with his strengthened physique, he could still feel the pain from the repeated strikes.

    Qi Xuansu took a deep breath and said, ¡°Can I leave now?¡±

    Chen Meng narrowed his eyes, keeping mum.

    Qi Xuansu sneered. ¡°Without trust, we cannot stand. You shouldn¡¯t go back on your word.¡±

    Chen Meng held the hilt of his saber while the cavalry watched solemnly like a group of spectators.

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°I respect the ck armor you are wearing, and I understand your desire to avenge your brothers. But that isn¡¯t a reason to kill me. You were the ones who attacked me indiscriminately, with each gunshot aimed at my vitals. That¡¯s why I had to fight back to protect myself. As a result, you all were inferior to me and got injured. But now you¡¯re trying to me it all on me. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being unreasonable toward me, amon civilian?¡±

    Chen Meng slowly pulled out his saber. ¡°The Imperial Court and our military orders are always reasonable.¡±

    Qi Xuansu scoffed. ¡°I told you before that it¡¯ll be easier for everyone if you just let me go.¡±

    ¡°But I told you that you won¡¯t end well fighting against the ck Robes and the Imperial Court,¡± Chen Meng said coldly.

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I won¡¯t end well fighting against the Imperial Court and the Daoist Order. But what does this have to do with you? If you die, what will happen to your wife and children? You ought to think about your family.¡±

    Chen Meng¡¯s expression suddenly changed, but it was already toote.

    Qi Xuansu abruptly leaped forward, closing the distance between them so quickly that Chen Meng had no way of avoiding him.

    He grappled Chen Meng¡¯s body with all four limbs, and suddenly exerted some force, like a python strangling its prey. What followed was a horrifyingly audible sound of bones cracking.

    Chen Meng, who was almost in the Kunlun stage of cultivation, had no chance to fight back. His limbs and chest were crushed to pieces, his eyes wide open and almost popping out of their sockets.

    During the crash of the flying ship, Qi Xuansu used this move to strangle the undying old Daoist priest.

    The ck Robes around them never expected this sudden move. As soon as they came to their senses, they aimed their guns at Qi Xuansu.

    However, Qi Xuansu had anticipated their reaction, so he rolled over and used Chen Meng¡¯s body as a shield.

    He had given Chen Meng a chance to live, but that soldier did not cherish it. So that man had no one but himself to me for his own death.

    The ck Robes¡¯ projectilesnded on Chen Meng¡¯s body. With the body as a barrier, the projectile¡¯s strength was reduced to that of a crossbow bolt, which could not do any damage to Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu waited until the wave of gunshots stopped before shoving Chen Meng¡¯s body and picking up his Divine Dragon Pistol. He then jumped up and charged at the cavalry leader.

    When Chen Meng was punching Qi Xuansu, thetter was observing the cavalry around him. One of the reasons Qi Xuansu put down his gun was that he did not want the cavalry to charge at him. Without sufficient distance for an elerated charge, the power of the cavalry was quite limited.

    The brigade leader of the cavalry stared down at Qi Xuansu. Instead of retreating, the brigade leader pulled on the horse¡¯s reins and mped the horse¡¯s belly with his legs while drawing his sword to meet Qi Xuansu.

    The infantry and the cavalry of the ck Robes cooperated well. Seeing the brigade leader drawing his sword, the others followed suit and surrounded Qi Xuansu.

    This was an era where firearms were on the rise, but cold weapons still reigned supreme.

    Although the usage of firearms could sway the course of battles, cavalrymen were still important, as the Great Xuan Dynasty ced significant importance on cavalry politics.

    <i>There were five major regions in the world known for horse production¡ªthe northwest, including parts of the Western Region, Qinzhou, and Liangzhou; Saibei, the vast grasnds under the control of the Golden Horde; the southwest, mainly Shuzhou and Yunzhou; ???the Central ins, mainly Jinzhou; andstly Liaodong, mainly Fengzhou and Liaozhou.</i>

    <i>The Great Xuan Dynasty established horse-rted administration offices in the five areas, called Yuanma Temples. Their duties were to manage the stables and all horse-rted affairs, simr to the Taipu Temple in the Imperial City.</i>

    <i>Each Yuanma Temple had one minister and one deputy minister, overseeing 24 breeding grounds, which were divided into three grades. The first, second, and third grades bred approximately 10,000 horses, 7,000 horses, and 4,000 horses, respectively. The Yuanma Temple supervised the care and breeding of horses and reported to the Ministry of War.</i>

    The horses from the Northwest Yuanma Temple were tall and big. Even without armor, each horse weighed more than one tonne. Including the weight of the soldier and armor, it amounted to more than 1.5 tonnes. Such heavyweight cavalry charging in formation made for a formidable sight.

    What happened next stunned everyone.

    Qi Xuansu stood motionless as the brigade leader¡¯s horse charged at him, stopping the horse with his shoulder. He exerted strength from his whole body and grabbed the tall horse by its legs, the veins on his arms bulging. Qi Xuansu exuded all of his qi as he abruptly twisted his body to flip therge horse, throwing the brigade leader to the ground.

    This was the power of a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Five Immortals Lineage. Although Qi Xuansu was not a pure Martial Arts Practitioner, his innate qi as a Rogue Cultivator gave him a boost of power.

    The brigade leader was pinned under the horse, unable to get up. Qi Xuansu stepped forward before the other soldiers came to their senses and grabbed the brigade leader by the throat.

 Chapter 217: Initial Signs

    <h4>Chapter 217: Initial Signs</h4>

    Qin Xiang met Qin Wubing in The Inn¡¯s lobby.

    Although they both shared the samest name, they were not from the same family.

    Qin Xiang was a District Princess, and her father was a Commandery Prince. Qin Wubing¡¯s father still held the title of Commandery Prince, so Qin Wubing had not yet inherited the title. However, people would often tter Qin Wubing, addressing him as ¡°Little Prince¡± or ¡°His Royal Highness.¡±

    Qin Wubing and Qin Xiang were both children of Commandery Princes, so they had the same status. In front of Qin Xiang, Qin Wubing put away his domineering attitude as a general and greeted Qin Xiang politely, resembling a scion of a noble family.

    In fact, the upper-ss circle was not very big. As intermarriages weremon among the royal and noble families, the nobility were all rted to each other at some point in history. As long as the political situation was stable without internal fighting, these families would coexist in harmony, or at least put up appearances.

    No matter how domineering and proud these young nobles were in front of their subordinates, they would maintain a friendly and cultured facade in front of people from their social ss.

    Qin Wubing was naturally curious about how a District Princess ended up in The Inn. Qin Xiang was no fool. She knew that she should keep some truths to herself. She could not tell Qin Wubing that she was deceived by someone from the Eight Tribes because it was not only embarrassing. She would also get in trouble with the Imperial n Court.

    <i>The Imperial n Court was in charge of all matters rting to the royal family. This included the maintenance of the Jade Book, which was the imperial family register. It recorded the names, titles, and details of both legitimate and illegitimate children of the imperial n, including their dates of birth and death, marriages, posthumous titles, and funerals. It also included records of any crimes and offenses.</i>

    <i>Three first-rank officials headed this Imperial n Court, namely the Director, Left Director, and Right Director. The three incumbent Imperial n Court Directors were all elderly and respected Imperial Princes.</i>

    <i>The rule enforcement of the Imperial n Court was highly dependent on the status of the offender.</i>

    <i>For an Imperial Prince influential in the Imperial Court, these rules were as good as nothing. That was because deposing an Imperial Prince with real power would shake up the government, so the Imperial n Court would not find trouble with these high-ranking princes unless absolutely necessary.</i>

    <i>Most high-ranking princes had hobbies that challenged the Imperial n Court¡¯s rules. Some of these examples were hunting on unauthorized grounds, frequenting brothels, engaging in homosexual activity, performing stage ys, holding fake funerals for themselves for the sole purpose of swindling money from their rtives, and many more. All of the above vited the rules, but the Imperial n Court turned a blind eye to them.</i>

    For a low-ranking District Princess like Qin Xiang, the repercussions of viting the rules could be severe, even resulting in losing her title. If anyone found out that she had dealings with members of the Eight Tribes, the consequences would be dire.

    That was why Qin Xiang lied to Qin Wubing, saying that she was traveling the area with her guards and had chanced upon this inn.

    Although Qin Wubing was the son of a Commandery Prince, he was not a member of the royal family. His ancestor was granted noble status for their contributions to the Imperial Court. Thus, Qin Wubing was not familiar with the rules of the Imperial n Court.

    He was not suspicious of Qin Xiang. After all, Confucian women¡¯s etiquette no longer applied to the current society, so it was not a big deal for women to leave the home.

    However, he thought that it was more fitting for someone like Qin Xiang to travel to the peaceful and prosperous Jiangnan, as opposed to thewless West Gobi. He was also curious as to why Qin Xiang¡¯s guards were missing, leaving her all alone in The Inn.

    Qin Xiang exined, ¡°I came here because I heard that the scenery in Cuowenbu is beautiful. But I didn¡¯t expect to encounter the demons from the secret society who killed my guards. A traveling swordsman saved me and brought me here. Then he went somewhere¡ª¡±

    She turned to the Innkeeper.

    At this time, the Innkeeper finally understood why Qi Xuansu asked him to inform the Green Phoenix Guard about Qin Xiang. He hurriedly exined, ¡°The Inn has hired that traveling swordsman, so he¡¯s now at the manufacturing nt. He told me to inform the Green Phoenix Guard of the Princess¡¯s presence if he could not return.¡±

    The Innkeeper left out the part about the White Jade Hall. After all, it was better to mention one less thing that could raise questions.

    Qin Wubing smiled. ¡°Here I thought traveling swordsmen were just a legend in novels. I didn¡¯t expect that they still exist in reality. I wish I could meet the hero who saved the District Princess. But the Daoist Order has locked down the manufacturing nt at this moment, so I¡¯m not sure whether he wille back alive.¡±

    Qin Xiang¡¯s face paled slightly. ¡°The Daoist Order?¡±

    ¡°This is a joint operation between the Imperial Court and the Daoist Order. We are patrolling the grounds while the Daoist Order takes to the skies. That way, no demons will be able to escape.¡± Qin Wubing patiently exined.

    He continued, ¡°Speaking of which, this isn¡¯t the first time we have joined hands. Back at the border, we dealt with the Golden Horde¡¯s cavalry while the Daoist Order dealt with the wizards from the Shamanistic Sect. I have to say, the personnel deployed from the Daoist Order are experienced fighters, unlike those flowerbed priests in the Jade Capital.¡±

    The Innkeeper¡¯splexion turned pale upon hearing this. He had a feeling that most of those recruits and elites from The Inn would never return. The Inn had connections with the Imperial Court but not with the Daoist Order. Qingping Society was the one with close ties to the Daoist Order. Therefore, the Daoist Order would not hesitate to eliminate members of The Inn and would even im credit for exterminating secret society members.

    At this moment, Qin Wubing felt a surge of warmthing from the mother-child talisman he carried with him. He waved to the Innkeeper, signaling thetter to retreat. But he did not avoid Qin Xiang.

    To Qin Wubing, Qin Xiang was one of his own and an equal, so he had to show her due respect. On the other hand, the Innkeeper was a secret society member and not of the same social ss, unworthy of his courtesy.

    Qin Wubing walked to a corner and took out the mother-child talisman, which turned it into a ball of me. What appeared in the mes was Shangguan Jing¡¯s face.

    ¡°Sage Shangguan, how are you doing over there?¡± Qin Wubing asked casually.

    Shangguan Jing¡¯s voice was slightly distorted as it came through the formation. ¡°A few rats rted to the White Jade Hall managed to escape.¡±

    ¡°White Jade Hall?¡± Qin Wubing was slightly startled.

    ¡°Have you heard of it?¡± Shangguan Jing was surprised that Qin Wubing had heard of this obscure association.

    Qin Wubing exined, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it and even interacted with one of the members once at the Protectorate. A woman went to see the Chief General and talked to him for a long time. Later, I found out that she was from the White Jade Hall. She went to negotiate a deal with the Chief General rting to the Golden Horde. Soon after, the Chief General personally led the attack and killed more than 2,000 enemies. He waster named the Grand Guardian of the Crown Prince.¡±

    The Chief General mentioned was the Protector of Xizhou.

    Shangguan Jing was silent for a moment before he asked, ¡°How much do you know about the White Jade Hall?¡±

    Qin Wubing and Shangguan Jing were old acquaintances, so they did not hide anything from each other. ¡°After that incident, I used some connections to investigate White Jade Hall and found out that it was an alliance between the major secret societies. Its memberse from various secret societies. I think it¡¯s simr to the Golden Tower Council of the Daoist Order, with representatives from the different Daoist sects.¡±

    ¡°Watch your words.¡± Shangguan Jing warned, but he did not deny this statement. In fact, there was no difference in structure between the two. It was more of a difference in strength.

    Qin Wubing continued, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t care much about the White Jade Hall. After all, dealing with secret societies is your responsibility. It has nothing to do with me. I was just curious about that woman and wanted to know who her backer was.¡±

    ¡°You mean, the woman who made a deal with the Chief General?¡± Shangguan Jing asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Wubing nodded. ¡°I spoke with the Chief General about this. To my surprise, the Chief General actually told me everything that happened. That woman was a member of the Qingping Society, known by the alias Lady Qi, or Madam Qi. She was a middleman involved in various businesses, but mainly regarding intelligence. She pulled some strings, facilitating a deal between the Chief General and someone from the Golden Horde. That was how the Chief General achieved victory, by obtaining the military intelligence of the Golden Horde.¡±

    ¡°In other words, this Madam Qi is one of the representatives of the Qingping Society in White Jade Hall?¡± Shangguan Jing pondered aloud.

    Qin Wubing said nonchntly, ¡°Who knows whether this information is urate? You ought to verify it yourself.¡±

 Chapter 218: Ironclad

    <h4>Chapter 218: Irond</h4>

    Qi Xuansu grabbed the brigade leader by the throat with one hand and dragged him out from under the horse. He used the brigade leader¡¯s body as a shield, strong-arming the man. ¡°Make them stop.¡±

    However, the brigade leader was hesitant.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu exerted more force to strangle the brigade leader. The brigade leader felt suffocated and hurriedly ordered, ¡°Everyone, stop!¡±

    The ck Robes looked at each other for a brief moment and stopped charging toward Qi Xuansu. However, they did not put down their weapons.

    To be fair, even if Qi Xuansu was at the Yuxu stage, he would be at a disadvantage facing the charging cavalry on t ground, with no way to defend himself.

    That was because neither Martial Arts Practitioners nor Rogue Cultivators had effective means to defend against the cavalry. They could only fight in closebat. These cavalrymen weighed more than 1.5 tons each. At full speed, their force would definitely exceed a punch from a Yuxu-stage Martial Arts Practitioner.

    Qi Xuansu could only overturn one horse, not multiple cavalrymen charging at him.

    On the contrary, Qi Refiners and Diviners in the Guizhen stage had an advantage in this regard. Their flying swords and spells could cause significant damage.

    However, the cavalrymen did not fight alone. Each of them had their own cultivation, and in a group, their power should not be underestimated. Some mid-ranking soldiers could be Xiantian Beings, while high-ranking soldiers could be Heavenly Beings, like Zhao Fu¡¯an, who once severely injured Qi Xuansu.

    More importantly, the appearance of this group of cavalrymen meant that a battalion of ck Robes was nearby. If Qi Xuansu could not get rid of these cavalrymen fast enough, he would likely get surrounded by arge number of ck Robes with no way out. Only a Heavenly Being would stand a chance to escape in that situation.

    Therefore, Qi Xuansu had to use some tricks. First, he feigned being weak so that the soldiers would let down their guard. Then he ambushed their leader when everyone least expected it.

    If Chen Meng had let Qi Xuansu go, Qi Xuansu would not have gone on a rampage and killed these ck Robes. That was why Qi Xuansu repeatedly reminded Chen Meng to make things easier for everyone.

    Qi Xuansu muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to provoke the ck Robes, but you¡¯re all bullies. Stop trying to scare me off with the Imperial Court and the rest of your army. After all, I¡¯ve already killed one of you, so it doesn¡¯t matter how many more I kill. I can only die once, anyway. I might as well drag a few of you down with me.¡±

    The brigade leader looked horrified, but he forced himself to stay calm. ¡°Brother, calm down. Let¡¯s talk! I saw everything that happened earlier. It was Chen Meng who crossed the line first, so you¡¯re not at fault.¡±

    ¡°Really now?¡± Qi Xuansu sneered. ¡°But he¡¯s already dead. Are you really going to let him die in vain?¡±

    The brigade leader was speechless.

    Qi Xuansu slowly backed away while holding him hostage. The rest of the ck Robes followed them slowly, always maintaining a distance of about three meters. Such a distance made it impossible for Qi Xuansu to turn around and flee. It was also difficult for the cavalry to charge at him.

    Suddenly, Qi Xuansu broke the stalemate. No one thought Qi Xuansu could be so quick even while holding an adult man hostage. He jumped up, knocked a cavalryman off his horse, and rode the horse backward. He did all this while still using the brigade leader as a shield. That was why the ck Robes were flustered and hesitant to attack, for fear of identally injuring their brigade leader.

    Qi Xuansu squeezed the horse¡¯s belly with his legs, and the one-tonne horse ran wildly with two adult men on its back.

    In the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, firearms and horseriding werepulsory courses. Qi Xuansu graduated at the top of his ss, so he was not inferior to these cavalrymen. With his strong physique, he could sit firmly on the horse even without using his hands. He could also control the saddle with just his lower body.

    The rest of the cavalrymen wanted to pursue Qi Xuansu, but all they heard was the whooshing of des. Several throwing knives cut through the air and sliced the horses¡¯ legs. At such a close distance, the throwing knives were powerful, though not enough to chop off the horses¡¯ legs entirely. Frightened, some horses raised their front hooves high, while other horses knelt on their front legs. The scene was chaotic as the soldiers tried to control the horses.

    Taking advantage of this situation, Qi Xuansu distanced himself from the cavalry and fled.

    After about five kilometers, Qi Xuansu had sessfully escaped from the ck Robes¡¯s pursuit.

    At this time, the brigade leader who was still held hostage was shocked beyond words, as Qi Xuansu aplished this purely based on tactics, not cultivation. This man¡¯s strategic thinking and adaptability were far superior to ordinary people, indicating he was no ordinary traveler.

    The brigade leader was in a dilemma. He knew he would be in trouble for letting Qi Xuansu escape and for being held hostage. If he survived, he would be considered lucky to keep his position as the brigade leader.

    Just as the brigade leader was mourning his future, he noticed that the horse was slowing down. He was sitting backward on the horse, so he could not see what was happening in front. However, as a veteran on the battlefield, he was keenly aware of an unusually depressing atmosphere.

    After a moment, the horse stopped and neighed.

    The brigade leader finally saw what was before him when he was thrown off the horse¡ªa battalion of more than 500 ck-armored cavalrymen. Their armor resembled a dense iron forest, with a Camp Commandant leading them.

    The camp system originated from the Wei Dynasty and carried forward to the ck Robes of the Great Xuan Dynasty.

    In the Xizhou Frontier Army, the Xizhou Protector had a slightly higher position than the Chief Admiral, and the Deputy Protector was slightly superior to the Chief Military Official. Below them were the Deputy Chief Military Official, Regional General, Mobile Corps General, and Camp Commandant, who was a fifth-rank officer. Below that was the Company Commander.

    In terms of grade, a Camp Commandant of the ck Robes was on the same level as a Lieutenant Colonel of the Green Phoenix Guard. The deterrent effect of 500 elite cavalrymen was certainly not inferior to that of a Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office.

    If Qi Xuansu was still in the Daoist Order, he would have been a sixth-rank Daoist priest enjoying the treatment of a fifth-rank priest. He would have been able to develop a friendship with this Camp Commandant, as they were considered of the same level.

    It was a pity that Qi Xuansu no longer kept his Daoist identity. At this moment, the ck Robes only regarded him as a cult demon from the secret society.

    Qi Xuansu got off the horse, smart enough not to attack the 500 cavalrymen by himself.

    Even if these 500 soldiers were all ordinary people, Qi Xuansu might not be able to fight his way out. The ck Robes¡¯s cultivation level wasparable to Daoist priests from the Daoist Order. Moreover, this battalion was from the frontier army, which meant they were elite soldiers, raising the bar even more.

    For example, Chen Meng and this brigade leader were almost Xiantian Beings, simr to Zhou Feilong, the Green Phoenix Guard assistant major who died at the hands of Qi Xuansu. A Company Commander and Camp Commandant would most likely be at the Kunlun stage, while Regional Generals and Mobile Corps Generals would be at the Yuxu stage. A Deputy Chief Military Officer would be at the Guizhen stage, and a Chief Military Officer would be a Heavenly Being.

    This was just their estimated individualbat power. But the ck Robes were not lone fighters. They were trained to fight in formation.

    In this situation, Qi Xuansu would be crazy to rush into battle alone.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s mind was racing as he tried to think of a way to escape.

    The Camp Commandant sized up Qi Xuansu and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Are you the swordsman who saved the District Princess?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled to hear this. ¡°District Princess...Qin Xiang?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The Camp Commandant held up the horse¡¯s reins and paused before he warned, ¡°It is forbidden to address the District Princess by the name.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had no intention to go against the ck Robes. He just wanted to get out of here alive, so he nodded in agreement.

    After confirming Qi Xuansu¡¯s identity, the Camp Commandant dered, ¡°The General is aware that you have saved the District Princess, so he would like to see you. Pleasee with us.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not know who this ¡°general¡± was, but he had a bold guess, especially when he recalled seeing the Daoist Order¡¯s flying ship at the reimednd earlier. He asked, ¡°May I ask which general are you referring to?¡±

    ¡°The General mentioned is the Deputy Protector of Lon from the Xizhou Protectorate, who is leading an army to wipe out the demons in Yongzhou under the military orders of the Protectorate,¡± The Camp Commandant replied with a straight face.

    Qi Xuansu weighed the pros and cons in his mind. It was difficult to predict what would be the oue of their meeting. He had killed a Sentry Leader, but he had also saved a District Princess. Which of these were more significant to the General?

    After some thought, Qi Xuansu felt that saving a District Princess was more significant, so he nodded andplied. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    The guard signaled his entourage to give Qi Xuansu a new horse, then ordered the brigade leader held hostage by Qi Xuansu to ride back to his station.

 Chapter 219: Official Note

    <h4>Chapter 219: Official Note</h4>

    At this time, the Innkeeper¡¯s office had be a temporary ¡°General¡¯s tent,¡± with a tactical map of the ck Robes hung up and soldiersing in and out to make reports.

    This was where Qi Xuansu was brought to meet Qin Wubing.

    Judging from his appearance alone, Qin Wubing was not old. He looked simr in age to Qi Xuansu. But Qi Xuansu knew that Qin Wubing¡¯s appearance was due to an extremely high level of cultivation, which could allow one to practice reverse-aging methods.

    However, Qin Wubing¡¯s real age was not more than 40 years old, which was considerably young among the high-ranking ck Robes. He was what one would describe as handsome and talented.

    Given his family background, ability, and experience, Qin Wubing would inherit the title of Commandery Prince and be a part of the Imperial Cab in the future, bing one of the few people in the highest echelon of the Imperial Court.

    It was simr to how Zhang Yuelu was expected to be in the Golden Tower Council and be one of the big shots influencing the direction of the Daoist Order.

    However, these expectations were dependent on whether they could survive the tribtions along the way.

    Qi Xuansu had already learned from the soldier on the way over about the joint operation of the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court to eliminate all secret society members in Yongzhou.

    He was not surprised by the Daoist Order¡¯s ruthless approach, but he did not expect them to act so quickly. They skipped the Golden Tower Council¡¯s lengthy debate, indicating that the three Deputy Grand Masters had reached a consensus on this matter.

    Qin Wubing scrutinized Qi Xuansu. After a long time, he introduced himself. ¡°My name is Qin Wubing, but you can address me as Deputy Protector. I won¡¯t mind if you want to call me General or Commander either.¡±

    Qi Xuansu used a Daoist salute to avoid the awkwardness of having to kneel. At the same time, he said respectfully, ¡°Greetings, Commander. My name is Wei Wugui.¡±

    ¡°Are you from the Daoist Order?¡± Qin Wubing raised an eyebrow.

    Qi Xuansu knew that it was difficult to cover up his Daoist identity, so he decided to mix in some truths and lies. ¡°I was born in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce andter decided to travel alone.¡±

    This was notpletely false. Before going to Tiangang Hall, Qi Xuansu was indeed a lone traveler. After the flying ship crash, he returned to his old ways. There were quite a number of people like Qi Xuansu who were known as ¡°wandering Daoists¡± by the Daoist Order.

    These wandering Daoists did not care about their Daoist rank and were no different from traveling swordsmen. Over time, they became ¡°former Daoists.¡±

    The Daoist Order was sorge that it was difficult to verify in a short time whether there was a former Daoist named Wei Wugui.

    Qin Wubing was not suspicious of Qi Xuansu. He continued, ¡°I already know what happened between you and that sentry officer. They shot you first, so you were fighting in self-defense. After they told you about the military order from the Protectorate, you stopped resisting, but Chen Meng still attacked you intending to kill you.

    ¡°Although the circumstances were excusable, Chen Meng vited militaryw, and you retaliated as ast resort. As soldiers, we ck Robes must be reasonable. We can¡¯t expect non-reprisal when we make the first move.¡±

    Qi Xuansu rxed a little. After all, he understood the meaning behind Qin Wubing¡¯s words. Qin Wubing did not intend to pursue Qi Xuansu¡¯s responsibility for killing the sentry leader.

    This was the reason Qi Xuansu did not go all out on a killing spree. If he had, Qin Wubing might not have forgiven him so easily. Of course, the most critical factor in this was Qin Xiang.

    Although Qin Xiang was only a District Princess, she had the same social status as Qin Wubing. Qin Xiang¡¯s status alone would not be enough to protect a cult member, but it was enough to protect a righteous Daoist who saved her from harm¡¯s way.

    Qin Wubing was willing to do her this favor. After all, interpersonal rtionships between the rich and powerful were important.

    After brushing over the death of a sentry leader, Qin Wubing changed the topic. ¡°You have done well saving the District Princess. Do you know who attacked her?¡±

    Qi Xuansu pretended to ponder this question before replying, ¡°Commander, I can¡¯t say for sure. But I suspect her attackers are from the Eight Tribes.¡±

    ¡°Why do you say so?¡± Qin Wubing questioned.

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°During my travels, I have more or lesse into contact with these cult demons and observed their different characteristics. For example, those Heavenly Court bigots are delusional. The Inn and Seven Treasure Pavilion are more like businesspeople, while the Qingping Society is the most mysterious.

    ¡°There are also three major cults: Ziguang Society, Cult of Fates, and Lingshan Witch Cult. They¡¯re all lunatics. The Eight Tribes are easy to identify from their physical appearance, as they usually have strange deformities caused by consuming questionable elixirs. Some of them have bluish or grayish skin, scales, fangs, sores on the face, horns on the head, and so on.¡±

    Qin Wubing nodded. ¡°Oh, I see. ording to the Daoist Order¡¯s recent reports, there are indeed traces of the Eight Tribes¡¯ activities in the area. This is a good chance to wipe them out.¡±

    Qi Xuansu could not read Qin Wubing¡¯s true thoughts about this, so he chose to remain silent.

    Qin Wubing continued, ¡°Anyway, I want to thank you for saving the District Princess from the Eight Tribes. If the Eight Tribes captured her and used her as a test subject, it would be a great humiliation to the imperial family. As such, I will ask the Imperial Court for credit on your behalf.¡±

    ¡°Commander, I dare not im credit with the Imperial Court.¡± Qi Xuansu quickly added, ¡°After all, this will not be good for the District Princess¡¯s reputation. She may be punished if thises to light. So I think it¡¯s better to sweep this under the rug.¡±

    Qin Wubing took a deep look at Qi Xuansu and smirked. ¡°I see that you¡¯re quite protective over the fairer sex.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s face turned solemn. ¡°I dare not harbor such thoughts, Commander.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. By the way, the District Princess is waiting for you. She wants to thank you in person.¡± Qin Wubing smiled. ¡°She¡¯s on the second floor. You can go see her.¡±

    Qi Xuansu saluted Qin Wubing again before leaving the Innkeeper¡¯s office. Then he walked up the stairs to the second floor.

    As soon as Qi Xuansu got to the second floor, Qin Wubing¡¯s subordinate walked into the Innkeeper¡¯s office. This subordinate was a Regional General. However, he did not lead troops but served as a strategy advisor.

    ¡°General, this is an official document from the Xiliang Governor¡¯s Office.¡± The subordinate held out a piece of paper specially used in government offices.

    Qin Wubing did not reach out to take it. Instead, he instructed, ¡°Read it to me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The subordinate obliged, trying his best to keep a t tone while reciting in order to reduce the shocking contents on this piece of paper.

    ¡°To Deputy Protector Qin Wubing of the Xizhou Protectorate:

    Dated 26th January, 42nd year of the Jiushi Era.

    The Governor¡¯s Office has received a confidential note from the Daoist Order¡¯s Beichen Hall. ording to Beichen Hall¡¯s intelligence, a core member of the Qingping Society has infiltrated the foreign troops stationed in Yongzhou, lurking among thousands of soldiers with evil intentions.

    Beichen Hall deduced that this person may have caused the failure of the operation to annihte secret societies in Yongzhou. How did Beichen Hall obtain such incredulous information? How did the situation escte to such serious consequences? How should the Governor¡¯s Office reply to Beichen Hall¡¯s note? Please advise ordingly.

    Best Regards,

    The Xiliang Governor¡¯s Office.¡±

    Qin Wubing was expressionless, keeping silent.

    ¡°General.¡± The subordinate asked tentatively, ¡°Why didn¡¯t Beichen Hall inform Tiangang Hall about this instead? Why would they send this note to the Governor¡¯s Office and get them to inform us?¡±

    Qin Wubing closed his eyes. ¡°In any case, the Governor of Xiliang is nominally in charge of the Xizhou Protectorate, so they have a justifiable reason to issue this official note. The key lies in Beichen Hall and Tiangang Hall.

    ¡°At this time, it¡¯s very clear that there are undercurrents among the three Daoist sects. Among the so-called Three Great Halls, the Zhengyi Sect controls Tiangang Hall, the Taiping Sect controls Beichen Hall, and the Quanzhen Sect controls Ziwei Hall.

    ¡°Tiangang Hall is leading this operation in eliminating the secret societies. Our Protectorate has always been on good terms with Tiangang Hall because of the war in the Western Region. The Quanzhen Sect is an ally of the Zhengyi Sect, but the Taiping Sect doesn¡¯t want Tiangang Hall to im all the credit.¡±

    The subordinate was shocked. ¡°There¡¯s infighting within the Daoist Order?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as infighting within the Daoist Order. The Imperial Court is also involved.¡± Qin Wubing held a high rank at a young age, so he was familiar with politics.

    ¡°From the moment Sage Qingwei met with the Emperor, the Imperial Court decided to intervene in the Daoist Order¡¯s affairs. As a result, the Quanzhen Sect and the Zhengyi Sect set aside their past conflicts and joined forces without hesitation. But at this juncture, the Governor of Xiliang has made it clear that he is siding with the Taiping Sect.¡±

    The subordinate¡¯s face was solemn. ¡°Don¡¯t they want this operation to seed?¡±

    Qin Wubing opened his eyes and pondered for a moment. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s worth sacrificing a little bit of the Daoist Order¡¯s prestige in exchange for recing the Hall Master of Tiangang Hall?¡±

    The subordinate was startled. ¡°But how is it possible to depose a Hall Master with these small actions?¡±

    Qin Wubing exined, ¡°The Governor¡¯s Office made it clear that there is a spy in our army, so we must stop all operations and catch the traitor. Regardless of whether we manage to catch the mole, we can no longer cooperate with Tiangang Hall to exterminate the cult demons.

    ¡°Back then, the Chief General received the military intelligence of the Golden Horde army through a spy in the Golden Horde, thus defeating and killing thousands of our enemies.

    ¡°With this as a precedent, it¡¯s not surprising that the secret societies will know about the movements of Tiangang Hall. Those cult demons are not easy opponents. Tiangang Hall may not withstand simultaneous attacks from internal and external forces.

    ¡°If Tiangang Hall suffers a defeat, someone will be held responsible. Besides, deposing the Hall Master isn¡¯t the same as stripping the Hall Master of his rank. He is merely being reced.¡±

 Chapter 220: Friends

    <h4>Chapter 220: Friends</h4>

    Qin Wubing¡¯s subordinate asked, ¡°General, how should we reply to this letter?¡±

    Qin Wubing leaned back on his chair and pondered for a moment before he dictated.

    ¡°To the Xiliang Governor¡¯s Office:

    I have received and duly noted your letter dated the 26th of January in the 42nd year of the Jiushi Era. Inpliance with the letter, I have decided to halt all cult-elimination operations in the West Gobi to conduct an internal audit within the army. We are willing to ept an investigation at any time of your convenience. I will send a separate letter regarding the results of the internal audit.

    Best regards,

    The Deputy Protector of the Xizhou Protectorate.¡±

    The subordinate quickly transcribed the letter and read it out loud to ensure the uracy of the contents. Then he left the Innkeeper¡¯s office to send the letter to the Xiliang Governor¡¯s Office.

    <i>With the development of this society, official documents and letters were no longer delivered manually in many cases. The days when urgent letters were delivered using fast horses were in the past. Instead, letters were sent through the air.</i>

    <i>The earliest version was attaching letters to flying swords, which was simr to the carrier pigeons. Later, the flying sword was abandoned, and only a small talisman was needed to transmit documents.</i>

    <i>The Daoist Order called this kind of talisman the rapid post talisman. Each rapid post talisman could connect to multiple rapid post talismans, which were numbered ordingly. When posting the letter, one could freely choose the number corresponding to the recipient¡¯s rapid post talisman.</i>

    <i>The only shoring was the cost price of this talisman, which reached up to tens of thousands of Taiping coins. Thus, not everyone had the privilege to use this form ofmunication.</i>

    <i>The Mobile Corps General of the ck Robes, the Lieutenant Colonels of the Green Phoenix Guard, and the local government offices still used human couriers to deliver letters. However, it could take as short as half a day or as long as two or three days to deliver a letter from the county to the prefectural city, which was good enough in most cases.</i>

    <i>There were many reasons why the mother-child talisman could not be used to rece the rapid post talisman. Firstly, the mother-child talisman was a one-time-use item, while the rapid post talisman could be reused repeatedly.</i>

    <i>Secondly, there was no proof ofmunication for mother-child talismans. The rapid post talisman provided ck-and-white evidence to prevent me-shifting or scapegoating.</i>

    After his subordinate left, Qin Wubing took out a mother-child talisman and held it between his fingers, seemingly hesitant.

    Which was more important? His future career path or his loyalty to friends?

    There was an old saying that there were no true friends in officialdom. However, there were brothers in arms. One should distrust colleagues in the officialdom, but one should not distrust arade.

    Qin Wubing stared at the mother-child talisman in his hand, frowning. In the end, he injected some qi into it.

    After a moment, the mother-child talisman turned into a ball of me, projecting Shangguan Jing¡¯s upper body.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The Tiangang Hall Daoist priests had many simrities with the military attach¨¦s of the Imperial Court in the sense that they disliked pleasantries. It was especially true for people like Shangguan Jing, who had just returned from the frontier war.

    Qin Wubing did not mind Shangguan Jing¡¯s frankness and chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re not a world-ss beauty or a goddess, so I wouldn¡¯t have bothered talking to you if nothing was going on.¡±

    Shangguan Jingughed. ¡°Then talk.¡±

    Qin Wubing asked, ¡°Where are you now?¡±

    Shangguan Jing replied honestly, ¡°We¡¯ve just stopped at Cuowenbu to replenish moisture for the flying ship.¡±

    Qin Wubing probed. ¡°You haven¡¯t been back to Jade Capital for a while, right?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been back for a while, but why do you care?¡± Shangguan Jing finally noticed something was off. ¡°Even if something happens in the Jade Capital, you wouldn¡¯t be the first to get the news.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.¡± Qin Wubing was cryptic. "The wind starts at the edge of a pond. It¡¯ll be toote by the time it turns into a storm that can capsize a ship.¡±

    Shangguan Jing remained silent, sensing the ominous undertones in Qin Wubing¡¯s words.

    Qin Wubing muttered, ¡°From now on, I¡¯m going to stop all operations and restrategize.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shangguan Jing followed up.

    Qin Wubing gave unwarranted advice. ¡°It¡¯s best if you can take extra precautions in your operations. Don¡¯t make a mistake, even if ites at the cost of your merits.¡±

    Shangguan Jing was not a fool, having heard the warning that Qin Wubing implied. He stared at Qin Wubing with a solemn expression.

    However, Qin Wubing avoided Shangguan Jing¡¯s gaze and added, ¡°I am not joking right now. Since you and I have been friends for more than a decade, I¡¯m going out of my way to remind you that the higher-ups wrote to me, asking me to stop all operations to catch a spy.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Shangguan Jing¡¯s eyes shed.

    Qin Wubing said calmly, ¡°Is this even important at this point? Don¡¯t ask.¡±

    ¡°Is it the Western Region Protectorate? Or the Cab?¡± Shangguan Jing cut to the chase.

    Qin Wubing pondered for a while before he said, ¡°Are you really not understanding what I¡¯m hinting at, or are you pretending not to understand? This isn¡¯t a battle against the Golden Horde. The waters are deeper than you can imagine.¡±

    Shangguan Jing muttered, ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to wade in the waters with me or pull me up from the waters. I just want you to warn me from the shore.¡±

    Qin Wubing was silent for a moment before he sighed. ¡°Fine, then I¡¯ll tell you. It¡¯s the Xiliang Governor¡¯s Office and Beichen Hall.¡±

    There was a long silence on Shangguan Jing¡¯s end before he said, ¡°I figured. Since you told me, I could confirm that I didn¡¯t lose you as a friend.¡±

    Qin Wubing felt a myriad of emotions. ¡°You and I have been in the army for so long that we know impulsiveness won¡¯t get us anywhere. With an official note from above, we must follow orders even if we don¡¯t believe in the cause. All I can do is keep you well-informed so that you can make preemptive measures. If you can retreat, you should do so immediately.¡±

    Shangguan Jing shook his head and sighed. ¡°I appreciate your kindness, brother. Even if I want to retreat, where can I retreat to? Jade Capital?¡±

    Qin Wubing¡¯s tone turned serious. ¡°The situation is clear now. Taking revenge on the secret societies is just a high-sounding excuse. The Taiping Sect wants to make a big fuss about this matter and suppress the two other sects so that they can elect a Grand Master from the Li family. They even wish that the position of Grand Master will be hereditary, like the imperial throne. Anyone who blocks their path will be crushed to death, and neither you nor I can stop it.¡±

    Shangguan Jing remained silent.

    Qin Wubing¡¯s voice deepened. ¡°Retreating to Jade Capital and losing your position as Deputy Hall Master is better than losing your life.¡±

    ......

    Qi Xuansu came to the second floor of The Inn and gently knocked on the door to Qin Xiang¡¯s room.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Qin Xiang opened the door and sized Qi Xuansu up to see if he was missing any limbs.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was lucky enough to escape danger.¡±

    ¡°Come in and talk.¡± Qin Xiang let Qi Xuansu in and was about to close the door when Qi Xuansu raised his hand to stop her.

    Qin Xiang looked at Qi Xuansu doubtfully.

    ¡°Leave it open. We have nothing to hide.¡± Qi Xuansu exined.

    Qin Xiang was startled for a moment before she grunted. ¡°You¡¯re such a prude! We¡¯re no longer in a world ruled by Confucians.¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled and did not refute, but he insisted on keeping the door open anyway.

    The two of them sat facing each other with the door open. Qin Xiang said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Little Prince to invite you here. But since you¡¯re here, I¡¯d like to thank you properly. What do you want?¡±

    Although it was a little condescending to assume that Qi Xuansu expected repayment for helping her, Qi Xuansu did not feel offended. He knew that the silly District Princess did not mean it that way.

    Qi Xuansu did not refuse the offer and thought carefully before replying, ¡°Taiping coins.¡±

    Qin Xiang immediately asked, ¡°How much is appropriate?¡±

    Qi Xuansu estimated his savings and found that he still had 800 Taiping coins left on him. This District Princess did not seem very rich, either. So he thought of asking for 200 Taiping coins, which seemed affordable enough. Therefore, Qi Xuansu stretched out two fingers.

    ¡°2,000 Taiping coins?¡± Qin Xiang breathed a sigh of relief and said with a rxed expression, ¡°That¡¯s not much. Actually, you don¡¯t need to be so polite with me.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s two fingers stiffened. He suddenly realized that he had lowballed himself. However, he was not to me because he had not interacted with rich people.

    Madam Qi was certainly rich, but she was a stingy miser that should not be judged by normal standards. Meanwhile, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s high moral standards bound her to a minimalist lifestyle, so she only fared slightly better than Qi Xuansu marily.

    Qin Xiang was different. Although 2,000 Taiping coins was not a small sum of money, it was not considered much either. The Great Xuan Dynasty abolished the concept of fiefdoms, and only a select few royal family members were allowed to participate in political affairs.

    Thus, the rest of the imperial n got involved in various businesses. They did not operate businesses but acted as silent investors, hiring professional shopkeepers and holding shares in variouspanies. Most of them would sit back and enjoy the dividends.

    Qin Xiang was just a pampered District Princess. Her parents gave her some shares, so her annual ie was about 5,000 Taiping coins. As such, 2,000 Taiping coins was less than half a year¡¯s worth of her annual dividends. Moreover, she did not usually spend much, so she had umted some savings amounting to 10,000 Taiping coins.

    In the end, Qi Xuansu epted her offer with a slight nod.

 Chapter 221: Divine Armory

    <h4>Chapter 221: Divine Armory</h4>

    When Qi Xuansu left The Inn, he had two brand new cash notes in hand. Each of these cash notes issued by the Taiping Bank was worth 1,000 Taiping coins and still smelled of fresh ink.

    In addition, Qin Wubing also asked his confidants to give Qi Xuansu a ck Robes badge as proof of identity so that he would not be regarded as a secret society member. That way, he could freely enter and leave the West Gobi, which was on lockdown.

    Qi Xuansu felt that his trip to the West Gobi this time was worthwhile, as he had gained a rare Blood Pill of unknown value and 2,000 Taiping coins. He would even go as far as to consider himself a rich man.

    Qi Xuansu finally understood the concept of how one¡¯s cultivation level could boost one¡¯s ie. In the past, he was only in the Kunlun stage, so he could onlyplete small missions and earn a meagermission. But after he reached the Yuxu stage, he found that it was easier to make money.

    If he had been stuck at the Kunlun stage, the Innkeeper would not have selected him for the ¡°weeding¡± operation. Even if he were chosen for the job, he would not have been able to defeat the giant living corpse or the Diviner from White Jade Hall. That way, he would not have been able to obtain the Blood Pill. Even if he were somehow lucky enough to get the Blood Pill, he would have been shot to death by those ck Robes who ambushed him.

    Everything was different once he was in the Yuxu stage. Ultimately, improving one¡¯s cultivation was most important.

    Qi Xuansu decided to consume the Blood Pill after escaping from the West Gobi. That way, he could reach the Guizhen stage as soon as possible.

    As for the manufacturing nt by the Cuowenbu Lake and White Jade Hall, Qi Xuansu did not think he could still intervene, especially since the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court had already been involved. Naturally, he would just have to forgo Madam Qi¡¯s mission for him. There would be no consequences anyway.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu met The Innkeeper.

    ¡°Brother.¡± Qi Xuansu greeted him.

    The Innkeeper looked at Qi Xuansu with aplicated expression. ¡°Brother, you sure are lucky.¡±

    ¡°You know what happened at the manufacturing nt?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    The Innkeeper nodded.

    Qi Xuansu sighed and recounted his experience. ¡°A giant devil appeared out of nowhere. I suspect it¡¯s the legendary Great Asura. Everyone from The Inn was eaten by that monster one by one. Fortunately, I was far away from the epicenter and managed to escape.¡±

    The Innkeeper¡¯s lips twitched slightly, and he finally sighed in regret.

    The Inn had mobilized their elites, but in the end, they suffered a huge loss. They not only lost the people they dispatched but also the reimednd and a branch of The Inn. The Innkeeper knew that his days as the leader of this branch were numbered. However, he was d that he did not lose his life as well.

    After they bid each other goodbye, Qi Xuansu began to wander around the city. Since he had the ck Robes badge hanging on his waist, the soldiers dared not harass him.

    The Regional General subordinate to Qin Wubing specifically exined that this badge was not just a simple entry and exit pass. It also allowed Qi Xuansu to enjoy some of the ck Robes¡¯ privileges. This was Qin Wubing¡¯s show of gratitude toward Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu epted the gift and was surprised by the unity between the imperial n and the noble families. The Deputy Protector Qin Wubing expressed his gratitude just because Qi Xuansu had saved Qin Xiang. Yet, ording to Qin Xiang, she had never met Qin Wubing before. However, their fathers, who were both Commandery Princes, had some friendship. It was evident that the imperial n and the noble families presented a united front in front of outsiders.

    On the other hand, if Qi Xuansu killed a member of the imperial n or the noble families, he would face their united hostility.

    The royal and noble families were like one big n. Although many distant rtives were not familiar with each other, they were still willing to help each other when one of them was in trouble.

    Qi Xuansu did not intend to waste this opportunity. He recalled that the Divine Dragon Pistol was a product of the ck Robes¡¯ Divine Armory, and Tianji Hall had the license to manufacture them. That was how Qi Xuansu managed to get his pistol using Zhang Yuelu¡¯s status. The quality and price fared much better in Tianji Hall than in the ck market.

    With the sudden cash windfall, Qi Xuansu was ted and restless, itching to spend his fortune. Perhaps he had been so restricted by the stingy Madam Qi that he was on the other extreme, only feeling satisfied once he spent some money.

    After walking around and asking for directions, Qi Xuansu finally found the Armaments Officer in arge courtyard. The Armaments Officer was the apanying chief officer of the Divine Armory in the army in charge of providing weapons to the Xizhou Frontier Army. The nature of his job was simr to a local government official¡¯s responsibility to supply grain and sustenance to the army.

    <i>The Divine Armory belonged to the Capital Training Division, which was in charge of the Imperial Capital¡¯s defenses. It was equivalent to the Kheshig of the Golden Horde.</i>

    <i>During the previous Wei Dynasty, the Capital Training Division was divided into three major battalions, including the Five Armies Camp, the Three Thousand Battalion, and the Divine Army, with a total number of approximately 170,000 soldiers.</i>

    <i>The Five Armies Camp was divided into the Central Army, Left and Right nks, and Left and Right Outposts. In addition to the Imperial Guards in the Imperial Capital, there were also Rotational Troops from the Qizhou, Zhongzhou, and Jinzhou Divisions. </i>

    <i>The Three Thousand Battalion had 3000 cavalry as its core, hence its name. However, the actual number exceeded 3000 cavalry. They were divided into five divisions, which were responsible for the emperor¡¯s banners, carriages, attire, military instruments and drums, and the royal treasures.</i>

    <i>The Divine Armory was named for its proficiency in firearms. It was established for the training and mastery of these weapons. It was also divided into a Central Army, Left and Right nks, and Left and Right Outposts. The Central Army was further divided into four divisions, while the Left and Right nks and Outposts were further divided into three divisions. All of which were responsible for managing firearms such as guns and cannons. A separate division handled firearms drills and provided escort cavalry for the emperor.</i>

    <i>Each division within the Capital Training Division was led by a Chief Admiral, a Military Officer, and a Lead Official. Every battalion had respective Camp Officers, Commanders, Division Officers, Weaponry Supervisors, Patrol Officers and so on.</i>

    <i>After the Great Xuan Dynasty reced the Wei Dynasty, the military household system was abolished. The Capital Training Division was restructured. The Five Armies Camp and the Three Thousand Battalion were merged to be the Divine Custodian Army. </i>

    <i>New titles were given, such as Director of the Capital Training Division, Deputy Director of the Capital Training Division, Deputy Chief Military Officer, Regional General, Mobile Corps General, and Camp Commandant. </i>

    The Divine Armory remained separated, with a Chief Admiral and two Chief Military Officers in charge. Although these were military positions, they were separated from the ck Robes¡¯bat ranking. They were simr to the Daoist Order¡¯s Tianji Hall, specializing in the research and manufacture of various kinds of weapons, focusing on firearms.

    When it came to the standard of firearms, the Divine Armory was not inferior to Tianji Hall. These two bodies often cooperated with each other as well.

    After Qi Xuansu showed his badge, he asked, ¡°I heard that the Divine Armory also sells various weapons like Tianji Hall.¡±

    The Armaments Officer was a middle-aged man who seemed more like a businessman. He smiled and said, ¡°Generally speaking, we don¡¯t do small transactions, only bulk sales. However, since you have this badge, I can make an exception.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was curious. ¡°Who do you sell to in bulk?¡±

    The Armaments Officer replied, ¡°The kingdoms in the Western Region, Samudra Kingdom, and Fenglin State. However, we won¡¯t sell to the Golden Horde. They will buy firearms from the Rus Kingdom and the Western Continent.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked again, ¡°Aren¡¯t the ck Robes afraid that they will defeat us using our own weapons?¡±

    The Armaments Officerughed condescendingly. ¡°They¡¯re all small nations that can¡¯t even make projectiles up to par. Even if they buy our firearms, they¡¯re as good as useless if we cut off their supply of projectiles. What are they going to use to hit us with? Also, we will only sell some outdated firearms to them. We keep thetest firearms for our kind.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°I see.¡±

    This was the reason the Great Xuan Dynasty remained superior to the surrounding small countries and could even sell firearms to outsiders to gain some profit.

    The Armaments Officer said, ¡°But you¡¯re considered one of our own, so I¡¯ll make an exception for you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Do you have any good rmendations?¡±

    The Armaments Officer pondered for a moment, took out a wooden box, and ced it in front of Qi Xuansu. ¡°The Divine Dragon Pistol¡ªivory handle, brass body, breech-loading, firing pin structure, rifled, with an effective range of 100 steps. It¡¯ll only cost you 700 Taiping coins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took out his Divine Dragon Pistol from the holster. ¡°Tianji Hall sells it for 600.¡±

    The Armaments Officer looked a little embarrassed. He coughed lightly, put away the Divine Dragon Pistol, and muttered, ¡°Well, that discount is for high-ranking Daoist priests.¡±

    However, he did not think much about it. Qi Xuansu had a high cultivation level, and he had a badge issued by the Deputy Protector himself. Thus, the Armaments Officer thought it made sense for Qi Xuansu to have some connections in the Daoist Order.

    The Armaments Officer pondered for a while and asked, ¡°Brother, do you need any traditional weapons?¡±

    Qi Xuansu looked interested. ¡°A flying sword?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s a pair of cusses.¡± The Armaments Officer continued, ¡°They were seized during a cult extermination. Since they were considered spoils of war, they were given to the Divine Armory for safekeeping. I examined them and found that they were spiritual objects. As long as you inject some qi into them, the des will ignite, so I named them the ming des.¡±

    Qi Xuansu disapproved of the name, but he was interested in the cusses. ¡°Let me have a look.¡±

    The Armaments Officer led Qi Xuansu to a warehouse that was temporarily set up and asked his subordinates to take out a box containing the cusses. When he opened the box, Qi Xuansu saw two red cusses about 70 centimeters long.

    Qi Xuansu fell in love with the Dual Cuss at first sight. He had just learned the Dayan Spirit de Technique from Zhang Yuelu. He had been using his short sword, Qing Yuan, to practice so far, but he could not reach his fullest potential because the Dayan Spirit de Technique was made for knives and sabers. A cuss was essentially a short saber.

    He reached out and took out the Dual Cuss, waving them around and trying to inject some qi into them. Sure enough, mes ignited on the des. He asked, ¡°How much are they?¡±

    The Armaments Officer replied, ¡°3,000 Taiping coins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu tried to bargain. ¡°That¡¯s too expensive.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re both spiritual objects, and theye in a pair.¡± The Armaments Officer exined, ¡°If we sold them separately, it would be 1500 Taiping coins each. That¡¯s a fair price for a spiritual object.¡±

    Qi Xuansu stared at the Dual Cuss. Although he liked them, he had to find fault with them for the sake of saving some money. ¡°In today¡¯s world, swords are the most valuable, as most people believed they could be a Great Sword Immortal. But there isn¡¯t such a thing as a Great Cuss Immortal. If these are a pair of flying swords, then 3,000 Taiping coins will be a fair price. Unfortunately, they¡¯re just a pair of cusses. I reckon they¡¯re only worth 2,000 Taiping coins.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too little. Let¡¯s meet in the middle and agree on 2500 Taiping coins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu agreed. ¡°Alright, deal.¡±

 Chapter 222: Double-Crossing

    <h4>Chapter 222: Double-Crossing</h4>

    Qi Xuansu and the Armaments Officer returned to the office toplete the transaction. The Armaments Officer epted Qi Xuansu¡¯s cash notes and issued two receipts. One was given to Qi Xuansu, while the other was kept as a record.

    The Divine Armory did not have to pay taxes, but they had to reconcile ounts. The Imperial Court would send officials from the newly established ounting Commission to audit the ounts every year. The ounting Commission¡¯s main responsibilities were to check the ounts of the treasury in each region, vassal, silk manufactory, shipping department, industrial factory, and granary.

    If there were any deficiencies, the respective parties would have to make up for them. The ounting Commission single-handedly managed deficits, inventory,pensation, confiscation, and forced sales. Officials privately called them home raiders.

    The Divine Armory was on the list of offices to be audited, so they were careful.

    After this purchase, Qi Xuansu only had 300 Taiping coins left, but he had a new pair of spiritual objects.

    Qi Xuansu found the outer belt issued by Tiangang Hall to be very useful, as it could hang up to six weapons. Qi Xuansu wore the two cusses crossed behind his back, while his short sword and Divine Dragon Pistol were still hanging on both sides of his waist.

    There were two empty slots left on each side of his waist. But even so, he had quite a dazzling array of weapons that nked against each other when he moved.

    The Armaments Officer joked, ¡°Brother, why don¡¯t you buy a long gun or a bow to carry on your back?¡±

    Qi Xuansu waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯m already bankrupt. Forget it if it¡¯s not free.¡±

    The Armaments Officer smiled and exined, ¡°We do give out freebies, but only for bulk sales.¡±

    He was implying that small transactions like this were not qualified for freebies.

    Qi Xuansu bid him goodbye and left the ce. He originally wanted to buy a horse, but he was short of money, so he gave up on the thought. Anyway, he still had the Jiamas that Zhang Yuelu gave him, so his journey would not be arduous.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu noticed groups of ck Robes with solemn expressions. The atmosphere felt tense, but Qi Xuansu did not know what was happening. He was afraid that whatever was going on would implicate him, so he hurried out of the city.

    The ck Robes gathered around in different groups because Qin Wubing issued a military order to catch a spy within the army. Qi Xuansu was just an outsider, so no one would suspect him. With the badge personally issued by Qin Wubing, Qi Xuansu left without hindrance.

    On the way, Qi Xuansu met the Innkeeper, who was also leaving the city on his own. Seeing Qi Xuansu, the Innkeeper showed a wary look on his face.

    Qi Xuansu understood that the Innkeeper was just being vignt. After all, it was necessary to stay on guard against others in this unsafe society. Thus, Qi Xuansu just nodded slightly in greeting and turned in the direction of another city gate just a few more steps away.

    The Innkeeper breathed a sigh of relief and hurried out of the city.

    After walking about five kilometers where there were no patrolling ck Robes, the Innkeeper was surrounded by several thugs.

    ¡°Innkeeper, where are you going?¡± The thug leader grinned, showing his white teeth.

    The Innkeeper¡¯s expression changed slightly.

    He recognized this group of people as they were all frequent guests of The Inn who usually looked up to him. After the ck Robes entered the city, these guests were not treated as secret society members because they were regr thugs. The Innkeeper did not expect this group of thugs to be waiting for him here.

    The Innkeeper said solemnly, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±

    A schrly-looking man replied, ¡°We want to ask you for justice.¡±

    The Innkeeper scoffed. ¡°Justice? The Inn has never treated you all badly when you take up our jobs.¡±

    A burly man with a shiny scalp sneered. ¡°So many of our brothers believed your lies and went to that reimednd, but none of them came back. Don¡¯t they deserve justice?¡±

    The Innkeeper narrowed his eyes. ¡°Our people from headquarters died too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s your business, not ours. We only want justice for our dead brothers.¡± The leader of the group with a goatee snapped back. He was dressed like a typical fortune teller, wearing a Daoist priest¡¯s robe and a pair of round sunsses.

    The Innkeeper finally understood the situation. These thugs knew that The Inn had suffered heavy losses, so they wanted to take advantage of the situation to exploit him.

    This time, in addition to the nine elites sent by the headquarters, they had also hired recruits for the ¡°weeding¡± operation and dispatched some of the branch¡¯s staff as well.

    These men did not have a high enough cultivation level to join the operation, so they stayed behind.

    At this moment, the Innkeeper knew that he might not be able to fight them all alone. ¡°Although you¡¯re all friends, you¡¯re not real brothers. So it¡¯s not up to you to seek justice for them, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    The burly man was about to speak, but the leader raised his hand to stop him. The leader said, ¡°In this life, a promise is worth more than money. All of our brothers had lived on the edge of the sword, and we stood up for each other when needed. Our kinship is stronger than actual blood-rted brothers. We want justice, so we will get it from you!¡±

    The schr nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. I will support my brothers and their wives so that my brothers may rest in peace.¡±

    The Innkeeper sneered. These thugs would go to the door of their dead brothers¡¯ families, but it was not to support the family. They just wanted the family¡¯s wealth. Perhaps those families would soon reunite with their dead husbands or fathers.

    The Innkeeper kept silent, but his mind was racing as he thought about ways to get out of this situation.

    The burly man finally could not hold himself back anymore and shouted, ¡°Brother, why are you still talking nonsense with him? Ask him to hand over his magical receptacle!¡±

    The Innkeeper carried a magical receptacle, but it did not belong to him personally. It was for this branch of The Inn to store various files and records as well as arge amount of money. His task was to bring this magical receptacle back to the headquarters.

    If he lost the magical receptacle, the headquarters would not let him go because of the secrets and money inside. Not to mention, the magical receptacle itself was also very expensive. The Innkeeper would rather die than hand it over.

    The Innkeeper said in a stern voice, ¡°You¡¯ve finally revealed your true colors! You¡¯re here to take advantage of the situation. But a word of advice: although money is important, you¡¯ll need to stay alive to spend it. The Inn will never let you all go for this.¡±

    The leader stroked his goatee unhurriedly. ¡°That may be true under normal circumstances. But now, the ck Robes have locked down West Gobi. No one outside will be able to get news from here. No one will know how you die if we kill you at this time. The stars align!¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± The burly man guffawed. ¡°Your magical receptacle is enough for us to live the rest of our lives in luxury. We can finally retire from doing shady jobs!¡±

    The schr¡¯s words were harsh. ¡°Even if the three of us decide to stop here and leave you alone, will you actually let us go, Innkeeper? I think you¡¯ll return to the headquarters and send people to hunt us down, right? There¡¯s no turning back now, so let¡¯s stop talking nonsense and get to it!¡±

    Before he finished speaking, the schr had already whipped out a crossbow. It was the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s Jackdaw Crossbow. The arrowhead was blue, obviouslyced with poison.

    Qi Xuansu managed to dodge the bolts back then not because he was faster than the bolts, but because he had a faster reflex than the Green Phoenix Guard using the crossbow.

    The schr¡¯s technique was undoubtedly far superior to that of ordinary Green Phoenix Guards. He suddenly shot the bolts while he spoke. It was so fast that no one spotted it.

    The poisoned crossbow bolt almost pierced the Innkeeper¡¯s face. If the Innkeeper had not been on guard, he would have been struck. The Innkeeper was at the Yuxu stage of cultivation. Even so, he broke out in a cold sweat.

    The schr¡¯s arrow was just a signal for the rest to attack the Innkeeper.

    Seeing this, the Innkeeper waved his nine-section whip. It looked like a spiritual object because it was glowing with a golden light. The head of the whip was a dragon head, and the thong was iid with various gems, sparkling and brilliant. It was powerful and opulent when it moved, with endless cracking sounds. There was also a golden energy generated that resembled a golden dragon.

    However, the three thugs were experienced assassins. They were in no hurry to fight the Innkeeper head-on.

    The burly bald man was a Martial Arts Practitioner, wearing metal armor and fighting the Innkeeper head-on.

    The schr was a Rogue Cultivator. Although he did not have a flying sword, he could maneuver the two powerful crossbow bolts well, tweaking the bolts¡¯ trajectory ording to his will, making it impossible to guard against. If the Innkeeper¡¯s nine-section whip dance did not create an airtight shield around him, he would have been killed long ago. This was just to distract the Innkeeper and exhaust his energy.

    The fortune teller, who was the leader of the group, was a Diviner in the Dream-Entering Realm. Although his soul could not leave his body during the day like a Diviner in the Thunder Realm, he was proficient in illusions. The Innkeeper¡¯s eyes were dazed, and his mind was in a trance.

    The Innkeeper was not a Martial Arts Practitioner, so he could not resist the illusions for long. It took a lot of energy for him to focus on the current fight.

 Chapter 223: Dual Cutlass

    <h4>Chapter 223: Dual Cuss</h4>

    Just when the three thugs were about to slowly grind the Innkeeper to death, they suddenly heard a gunshot.

    The Diviner, who was concentrating on casting illusions, died on the spot. His brain matter sttered everywhere.

    Someone actually ambushed them while they were focused on attacking the Innkeeper. The Diviner had a weak physique, so he was killed with one close-range shot to the head.

    The schr was so horrified that he did not know how to react. He shouted, ¡°Big Brother¡ª¡±

    Before he could finish his sentence, something flew toward him. It turned out to be a five-kilogram Divine Dragon Pistol.

    Although his brain would not explode like the Diviner¡¯s, he would suffer a concussion if struck by this heavy gun. The schr dodged in a panic. However, the attacker was relentless, not giving him the opportunity to catch his breath.

    The attacker was holding two cusses, and the des were aze, making it an interesting sight.

    The schr rolled away and stood up. He dropped the crossbow in his hand and waved his sleeves, shooting out some bolts in a counterattack.

    However, the attacker waved the Dual Cuss around, dodging the bolts with ease. Then he thrust the Dual Cuss toward the schr¡¯s chest. One would not feel a chill in the heart when stabbed by this de. Instead, they would feel their internal organs burning to ashes.

    The schr was an experienced assassin, so he managed to dodge the ming des at the critical moment by bending his back into a backward bridge pose. The schr exerted some force in his limbs and pressed his back to the ground, rolling away just in time.

    The attacker was none other than Qi Xuansu. However, his appearance was not a coincidence. After he parted ways with the Innkeeper, he noticed these three thugs stalking the Innkeeper, so he followed them.

    This situation was the epitome of a mantis stalking a cicada, oblivious to the oriole behind it.

    Qi Xuansu did not want to expose his true identity, so he did not use the Dayan Spirit de Technique but relied on his newly acquired Dual Cuss to chase down the schr.

    The schr retreated quickly, but Qi Xuansu was faster. The des moved rapidly, creating mesmerizing arcs as the mes danced in the air. It was a captivating sight.

    However, the schr knew not to get tricked by their beauty because these cusses were fatally striking. He could be seriously injured by them.

    The schr had seen Qi Xuansu before, recognizing him as one of the recruits for The Inn¡¯s ¡°weeding¡± operation. If Qi Xuansu was able to take up that job worth 2000 Taiping coins, it was evident that his level of cultivation exceeded theirs.

    More importantly, Qi Xuansu came back from the reimednd safe and sound. From this, the schr could tell that Qi Xuansu was an experienced fighter, making him a difficult opponent. Even if the schr had the same cultivation level as Qi Xuansu, the schr would have little chance of winning in a one-on-one fight.

    On the other side, without the restraints of the Diviner and schr, the burly bald man was no match for the Innkeeper on his own.

    The fight between the bald man and the Innkeeper reached a fever pitch. Suddenly, the Innkeeper retracted the nine-section whip in his right hand, stretched out his left arm, and tried to grasp the bald man¡¯s face with his palm.

    All the bald man felt was excruciating pain, as if his face had been shed with a knife. He rolled out a few meters before jumping up, his heart pounding wildly, knowing that he just had a close brush with death. If the Innkeeper had caught him, he would have five bloody holes in his face.

    At this moment, the bald man felt a strong wind hitting his face again and instinctively protected his throat. Sure enough, the Innkeeper grabbed him at the same time, scraping his throat and creating five marks. It was just a split-second difference, and the bald man could have lost his life.

    Seeing that his moves were ineffective, the Innkeeper cracked his whip three times. The soft whip moved urgently until the bald man was wrapped in a golden aura. The bald man had no choice but to swerve left and right between the sweeping blows of the whip.

    The bald man was in a desperate situation, as he could only focus on defense and had no power to counterattack.

    The schr¡¯s cultivation level was not as good as Qi Xuansu¡¯s, and he did not have weapons at his disposal. Even if Qi Xuansu did not use the Dayan Spirit de Technique, the schr could not hold a candle to him. He could barely cope with his quick wit and cunning honed by years of street fighting.

    However, there would be a time when the schr could no longer hold on. In a moment of carelessness, the schr was sliced into two pieces by Qi Xuansu¡¯s cusses.

    Many of the moves Qi Xuansu used made his cusses seem like a pair of scissors, but he did not do this intentionally.

    The schr was dead because he did not practice the Cicada Molting Technique, as this technique was only avable to Daoist disciples. Although this technique was also spread among the people, this schr could not afford to buy a secret book containing the know-how of these mystical abilities. He could not afford a flying sword either.

    Qi Xuansu stopped injecting the qi into the cusses, so the mes on the des gradually extinguished and the cusses returned to their original appearance. Qi Xuansu strapped his cusses back on his back and leaned over to search the schr¡¯s body.

    He only found a few dozen Taiping coins, some bottles of poison, and a jar of medicine in the satchel. This was a reasonable find because, given the danger and unpredictability of one¡¯s journey, no traveler would carryrge amounts of money and valuables with them.

    The same was true for Qi Xuansu in the past. He had exchanged his Taiping coins for Wuyou coins and kept his savings with Madam Qi. Later, Qi Xuansu found that it was easy to save money with her but difficult to take back the money, so he stopped doing so.

    The schr had two crossbows and two sets of bolts. Qi Xuansu flipped up the schr¡¯s robe, revealing two rows of short knives around his waist. Each knife was around 15 centimeters long, and there were at least 30 of them. They were neatly arranged on an embroidered wide belt around the waist.

    Qi Xuansu unashamedly kept the schr¡¯s belt of throwing knives and pocketed the Taiping coins before he checked out the wounds on the schr¡¯s body. Due to the ming des, the wounds were scorched ck.

    It was no wonder the Armaments Officer named them ¡°ming des.¡± Although it was not a cool name, it was straightforward enough. The only drawback was that it was difficult to inject qi into the cusses during a sneak attack at night, as it was too eye-catching.

    Qi Xuansu picked up his Divine Dragon Pistol again and walked toward the Diviner¡¯s body.

    As Qi Xuansu expected, the Diviner had nothing of value on him. He only had apass, a few talismans, and some wound medicine. The Diviner must have hidden his valuables somewhere.

    At this time, the Innkeeper suddenly let out a loud roar and cracked the golden nine-section whip in his hand, forcing the bald man to retreat.

    However, thebat power of a Martial Arts Practitioner was one of the best. A Qi Refiner without a flying sword would be ranked below a Martial Arts Practitioner. Although the bald man was retreating, he still had the strength to hold on.

    Qi Xuansu sighed, jumped up behind the bald man, and shattered thetter¡¯s spine with just one punch. He punched the bald man again on the back of his heart, ensuring that his opponent would die.

    This fight happened within half an hour, and all three of them died in Qi Xuansu¡¯s hands.

    It was no wonder Zhang Yuelu said that Qi Xuansu was shrouded in an intense killing aura. If theypared their body count, Zhang Yuelu would have less than half of Qi Xuansu¡¯s. However, when it came to the quality of the kills, Zhang Yuelu would win.

    But then again, these three thugs were assassins, so they deserved to die in this gruesome manner.

    Qi Xuansu nced at the bald man and realized that the armor on his body was worth some money. However, Qi Xuansu had too many things in his satchel, so he could not take it.

    The Innkeeper finally caught his breath. Although he was still a little defensive, he kept a polite smile. He held the nine-section whip with both hands and saluted Qi Xuansu. ¡°Thank you foring to my rescue, Brother Wei. I will never forget your kindness and will definitely repay you in the future.¡±

    Qi Xuansu waved his hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to wait tillter to repay me. You can do so now.¡±

    The Innkeeper¡¯s expression changed slightly, fearing that Qi Xuansu was out to get him as well.

    Qi Xuansu cut to the chase. ¡°Innkeeper, do you still remember why I went to your branch?¡±

    The Innkeeper was stunned for a moment before he recalled, ¡°White Jade Hall?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Exactly.¡±

    The Innkeeper breathed a sigh of relief and told him everything he knew. ¡°Since you asked, I won¡¯t hide it from you. Brother Wei, you¡¯re probably already aware that White Jade Hall is not a location but a council. They have no fixed ce or time to gather, and they will constantly change their hideout. I know the location of one of their hideouts, but I can¡¯t guarantee that they are still there.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded to express understanding. ¡°Please tell me the location of this ce, and we¡¯ll call it even.¡±

    Hearing this, the Innkeeper took out a sheepskin map from his magical receptacle and handed it to Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu took the map and nced at it. The map was not veryrge, marking the area around Cuowenbu. There was a red circle somewhere east of Cuowenbu.

    The Innkeeper pointed at the circle and exined, ¡°This is it. Brother Wei, you¡¯d better go there as soon as possible if you want to catch them. If you go anyter, I¡¯m afraid they will have already left.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded, put away the map, tied the Jiamas to his legs, and left in the direction of the red circle.

    The Innkeeper stared at Qi Xuansu¡¯s retreating figure, then looked at the three corpses on the ground before continuing on his way. He was heading to The Inn¡¯s branch in Xiping Prefecture, where there were also masters from The Inn. Once there, he would be safe.

    ......

    Cuowenbu was Tibetan for ¡°Green Sea.¡± The fact that ake was called a sea indicated just how big it was.

    A huge warship was floating on the greenke at this time. The hull was about 400 meters long. But even so, it looked like a small boatpared to the vast and misty Cuowenbu Lake.

    This was the Daoist Order¡¯s flying warship, which the Daoist Order called the Yinglong[1] Warship. The keel of the hull was made of the bones of three dragons. Its core was also driven by three Dragon Pearls.

    The size of the Daoist Order¡¯s warship was evenrger than the Green Dragon, which was the Imperial Armored Warship. However, the Daoist Order had limited numbers of the Yinglong Warship. In terms of fleet size, the Imperial Court¡¯s maritime fleet wasrger than the Daoist Order¡¯s.

    One could only imagine the energy consumption of such a giant ship. That was why Shangguan Jing came to Cuowenbu to replenish the flying ship¡¯s moisture after killing the Great Asura.

    Shangguan Jing stood on the bow of the boat, looking out at the vastke.

    Yongzhou was not far from Kunlun, so if something were to happen, reinforcements would arrive soon. However, if there was a problem within the Daoist Order, these reinforcements might not arrive in time.

    The Seventh Deputy Hall Master wondered, <i>Has it already gotten to that point? Should I report it to Tiangang Hall?</i>

    However, he had no evidence. This was just spection. Some things could be mentioned in private, but they could not be put in writing. More importantly, this involved the Taiping Sect. If someone used him of fabricating lies and nder, his career would be over.

    Moreover, this was the Golden Tower Council¡¯s decision, and Tiangang Hall had no right to retreat to Jade Capital without orders.

    At this moment, a strip of ck clouds appeared on the horizon, quickly approaching Cuowenbu.

    1. A Chinese mythological dragon believed to bring rain and control the weather, responding to the people¡¯s needs in rtion to the weather. ?

 Chapter 224: The Emergence of the Divine Kingdom

    <h4>Chapter 224: The Emergence of the Divine Kingdom</h4>

    The ck clouds were like ink that covered the sky.

    Shangguan Jing was not surprised, calmly issuing orders.

    Influenced by their boss, the Daoist disciples on the Yinglong Warship did not panic even though they were nervous. They quickly returned to their respective positions ording to Shangguan Jing¡¯s orders.

    Not long after, the various talismans on the ship lit up one after another. From a distance, it seemed as if thousands of goldenmps were lit.

    Then the Yinglong Warship began to take off. Water vapors condensed at the bottom of the hull, creating heavy rainfall.

    Shangguan Jing was still standing at the bow of the ship, peering at the ck clouds that were now above his head, as though he wanted to see through them.

    A superintendent hurried over, unable to conceal his dismay. ¡°Deputy Hall Master, we¡¯ve been isted. All connections have been cut off. We can¡¯t contact Jade Capital with the mother-child talisman or the rapid post talisman. It¡¯s as if a big bowl was ced upside down above Cuowenbu, sealing us inside. This seems to be a magical power only possessed by Pseudo-Immortals.¡±

    Shangguan Jing muttered, ¡°We¡¯ll have to fight alone.¡±

    The superintendent said, ¡°The ck Robes are in the West Gobi, and they have heavy artillery. It¡¯s impossible that they can¡¯t see these ominous dark clouds.¡±

    ¡°There will be no reinforcements. We can only rely on ourselves.¡± Shangguan Jing frowned.

    ¡°W-What?!¡± The superintendent blurted out.

    Shangguan Jing said in a stern voice, ¡°The ck Robes will note to our aid, nor will Jade Capital send reinforcements. Whether we can leave this ce alive depends on us entirely.¡±

    Flustered, the superintendent asked, ¡°But why? Why aren¡¯t there any reinforcements?¡±

    Shangguan Jing replied calmly, ¡°You will find out if we can return to Jade Capital alive. If we can¡¯t survive this, then it won¡¯t matter whether we know the reason for theck of reinforcements.¡±

    The superintendent wanted to speak, but Shangguan Jing raised his hand to stop him. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on getting out alive. Then we can talk.¡±

    Hearing this, the superintendent obliged and kept his mouth shut. He bowed to Shangguan Jing and returned to his post.

    At this moment, a ray of light appeared through the dark clouds. The ck clouds retreated to both sides, like curtains parting on a stage to reveal the backdrop. The originally thin ray of light turned into a ravine and kept expanding, as if two invisible giant hands were separating the curtains.

    Many Daoist disciples were shocked beyond words seeing this scene.

    Behind the curtain of ck clouds were not clear skies or the zing sun, but a sea of ??red, resembling blood.

    The ????sea of blood above them seemed boundless and still. There were also countless blood lotus flowers with closed buds floating on the surface.

    A huge ck mountain stood majestically at the end of this sea of ??blood, covering most of the sky. It looked like an ink-washndscape painting.

    They could vaguely see a huge pce, still intact, on the mountainside. Its architecture was nothing like what the Daoist disciples were familiar with. The ck mountain seemed endless. Countless blood-red fires were connected in a line, like beacons stretching into the sky, extending to the horizon.

    ¡°That¡¯s...¡± Shangguan Jing paused, unsure of the sight before him. ¡°...Lingshan?¡±

    The Lingshan Paradise of Ancient Wuism was on the verge of copsing after sessive wars. Its passage to the mortal realm was cut off. After the Ancient Immortal Wu Luo resurrected, she rebuilt her own version of Lingshan in her Divine Kingdom. This was the origin of the Lingshan Witch Cult.

    Shangguan Jing did not look away. He saw countless clouds of fire piled up in the sky above the ck mountain, connecting into a sea of ????fire.

    The red clouds that continued to descend could destroy a city.

    This was what Buddhists called karmic fire. The ancient witch goddesses were born in the wilderness and preferred blood sacrifices. Therefore, the Divine Kingdom of Wu Luo was not as bright and golden as the Buddhist version, nor was it shrouded in mist like the Daoist version. Instead, it was a mass of fire and blood. It looked more like hell than a Divine Kingdom.

    In the eyes of the Daoist Great Sages, what Wu Luo did was tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst. However, even the power of decay was still power that should not be underestimated in the slightest.

    Shangguan Jing¡¯s heart dropped. <i>Has Wu Luoe in person?</i>

    The next moment, a blood lotus flew out of the sea of ??blood and slowly descended.

    At first, it looked very small, simr to an ordinary lotus. But as the blood lotus continued to descend, its size grewrger until it became the size of a ceremonial canopy.

    At the same time, the Yinglong Warship was not a sitting duck waiting for death to befall it. It continued to umte power in preparation for an all-out fight.

    A magical formation appeared under the hull of the Yinglong Warship, and the talismans on the warship were getting brighter until it was so dazzling that one could not look at it directly.

    The warship continued to absorb the essence from its surroundings, creating a huge whirlpool invisible to the naked eye with the ship as its center. If someone were to fall into the whirlpool, they would have been shredded into countless pieces in an instant.

    The bud of the blood lotus bloomed slowly. An arm protruded from it, its skin as white as snow. Then, there was a soft sigh, as if anguid beauty was just waking up from an afternoon nap.

    Two fingers stretched out from that arm, with blood-red nails that were crystal clear. The fingers tapped lightly in the direction of Shangguan Jing, who was standing at the bow of the warship.

    This little tap made Shangguan Jing shed tears. In a moment, these tears turned into blood, staining Shangguan Jing¡¯s face red. His eyes had disappeared, leaving only two empty sockets.

    Shangguan Jing covered his face with one hand and raised his other hand high. His body was trembling slightly, but he did not step back. Instead, he continued to issue orders to the Daoist disciples on the ship using his spiritual mind.

    The Yinglong Warship slowly turned and tilted the hull until the bow was pointing diagonally at the blood lotus in the sky above. The stern pointed downward at the Cuowenbu Lake below.

    The water vapors gathered around the Yinglong Warship as rolling clouds, piled on top of each other to create a fog barrier.

    A strange phenomenon appeared below the warship. The wind was howling, lightning was flickering, and the clouds were changing. They rotated like a huge whirlpool that extended toward theke, finally turning into a tornado that connected the sky and the earth.

    The blood lotus bloomed slowly, revealing a woman dressed in a red dress, with hair as ck as ink.

    The bow of the Yinglong Warship was shaped like a dragon¡¯s head. At this time, it looked like a real dragon opening its mouth, with a cloud of purple energy gathering in it. At first, it was just a hazy mist, but itter condensed like water.

    Shangguan Jing suddenly put down his raised hand.

    A mighty dragon¡¯s breath that shook the heaven and earth surged out and headed straight for the blood lotus above.

    The Yinglong Warship swayed from the shockwave of the impact. The hull shook incessantly, creating a circle of ripples visible to the naked eye in the sky and spreading out in all directions like an ever-expanding circle.

    The blood lotus at the woman¡¯s feet shattered from the dragon¡¯s breath.

    However, the dragon¡¯s breath could not hurt the woman at all. The woman¡¯s body was covered with ayer of blood-colored divine power. She stood unmoving like a boulder in the torrent of the dragon¡¯s breath.

    The woman parted the dragon¡¯s breath as she floated down andnded on the bow of the ship. Then she stabbed Shangguan Jing¡¯s body with both hands.

    Shangguan Jing did not move. His body went into shock, but he had a calm look on his face as he gave his final order.

    ......

    Qi Xuansu was running in the direction of Cuowenbu ording to the map. He was in the West Gobi, heading to the east of theke.

    Suddenly, he felt as if he had run straight into an invisible wall. Even though he had the physique of a Martial Arts Practitioner, he still saw stars as he staggered back a few steps and fell to the ground from the impact.

    After a while, Qi Xuansu got up from the ground, feeling strange.

    At this moment, he heard an earth-shattering noise, shaking his internal organs so hard that he almost vomited blood.

 Chapter 225: The Fall of the Yinglong Warship

    <h4>Chapter 225: The Fall of the Yinglong Warship</h4>

    A thunderous noise echoed in the skies and shook the earth. The essence from the sky and earth rippled and overflowed, creating lightning, thunder, and ck clouds that covered the sun.

    Cuowenbu was experiencing torrential rain with strong, howling winds like in summer. There was also some intermittent hail and lightning. It did not seem like early spring at all, but more like the summer monsoon.

    The Yinglong Warship activated its defense mode, forcing the woman in red to leave the ship due to the ship¡¯s formation.

    The warship once again gathered the storm, but its momentum was not as strong as before. The woman in red tried her best to stop the warship from absorbing the essence of nature and fought for control over it.

    For a time, theke¡¯s surface turned into a white mist, blurring the line between the water and the sky. The waves were turbulent, making the shoreline difficult to see.

    The dark clouds continued to extend all around, covering half of the sky. Pirs of waterspouts formed, connecting theke to the sky and drawing water into the air.

    The aftermath continued to spread throughout theke. Both sides of Cuowenbu started drizzling.

    At this moment, a bright red figure suddenly broke through the fog barrier and approached the Yinglong Warship.

    The hull of the ship shook again as it let out the second bout of dragon¡¯s breath.

    The woman in red countered with a stream of her blood-red divine power.

    When the two energies came into contact, a massive chasm formed on theke¡¯s surface, stretching nearly four kilometers from west to east. The greenke water continually retreated backward.

    The dragon¡¯s breath was able to resist at first, but its power weakened and gradually became unsustainable.

    After about 15 minutes, the dragon¡¯s breath disappeared entirely.

    The blood-red divine power fell on the Yinglong Warship. Although it did not damage the warship itself, it caused heavy casualties to the Daoist disciples onboard.

    In ast-ditch effort to fight back, the Yinglong Warship gathered all its energy into a purple sun at the dragon¡¯s head, with no consideration for the total loss of the Dragon Pearls.

    The woman in red stretched out her hand, drawing a long, bloody river down from the sea of ??blood in the Divine Kingdom above. Although the blood river descended slowly, it seemed to corrode the sky wherever it passed.

    ......

    Qi Xuansu was unaware of the fight happening on Cuowenbu Lake. Due to the barrier of clouds and rain, he could only vaguely see the various strange phenomena happening on theke¡¯s surface, but he could not make out what was going on. Even so, Qi Xuansu could still feel the terrifying power from within.

    Thus, he turned around and left without hesitation, trying to get away from this catastrophe as fast as possible.

    He thought that perhaps the Daoist Order was wiping out another evil cult yet again. After all, he did not want to be coteral damage.

    With his current level of cultivation, he would be killed instantly if he got involved. The scene when Wu Luo snapped the flying ship in half was still fresh in his memory.

    No matter what, it was best to get away from this ce.

    ......

    Kunlun, Jade Capital.

    After the handover between the two Deputy Grand Masters, the Imperial Preceptor took on the role of the Great Sage Lunzhi, while the Earthly Preceptor stepped down and returned to the Chongyang Pce of Immortality on Difei Mountain. The Heavenly Preceptor had been in the Dazhen Mansion on Yunjin Mountain, so Jade Capital was dominated by the Imperial Preceptor.

    That day, the Imperial Preceptor convened his first Golden Tower Council meeting as the Great Sage Lunzhi, requiring every Hall Master to attend. However, when the Imperial Preceptor arrived at the Golden Tower, he found that one Hall Master was missing¡ªthe Duzhi Hall Master, who happened to be Zhang Yuelu¡¯s master, Sage Cihang.

    The Imperial Preceptor had just taken office as the acting Grand Master, so he had not had the time to formally meet everyone. Therefore, this gathering was his first formal meeting with the heads of the Nine Halls while holding the highest authority in the Daoist Order.

    Being absent at this time was undoubtedly a show of disrespect to the Imperial Preceptor.

    Even if the other two Deputy Grand Masters were asked to attend this meeting, they would not have tantly disregarded the Great Sage Lunzhi¡¯s orders.

    The Imperial Preceptor remained calm and asked, ¡°Where is Sage Cihang?¡±

    The Fengxian Hall Master stood up and replied, ¡°Great Sage Lunzhi, Sage Cihang has returned to Nanhai some timest year to handle the disputes between the Daoist Order and the Holy Court. So she has yet to return.¡±

    The Imperial Preceptor said expressionlessly, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t this matter be handled by Shibo Hall? Why is the head of Duzhi Hall involved?¡±

    The Shibo Hall Master stood up and answered, ¡°Great Sage Lunzhi, this was the arrangement of the Earthly Preceptor.¡±

    Before the Imperial Preceptor took office as the Great Sage Lunzhi, his predecessor was the Earthly Preceptor. Thus, no one would disobey his orders.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s the Earthly Preceptor¡¯s arrangement.¡± The Imperial Preceptor feigned surprise. ¡°In that case, Sage Cihang¡¯s absence is understandable.¡±

    The Fengxian and Shibo Hall Masters took their seats again.

    During this time, the Tiangang Hall Master never spoke. For some reason, he felt a little uneasy.

    ¡°Alright, since we don¡¯t have to wait for anyone, let¡¯s start the discussion now.¡± The Imperial Preceptor pondered for a while before motioning for the others to take their seats.

    In addition to the Nine Hall Masters who were already seated, the rest of the audience also took their seats.

    The Imperial Preceptor stood next to the Grand Master¡¯s chair, with one hand resting on the back of the chair.

    ......

    A superintendent of Tiangang Hall hurried to the Tiangang Hall Master¡¯s office, where two Spirit Guards stopped him.

    This was the core of Tiangang Hall, so they had strict regtions on who was allowed to enter. There were also special Spirit Guards gatekeeping the ce.

    However, this superintendent was a familiar face, so the Spirit Guards merely stopped him and joked, ¡°Brother, you seem to have forgotten the rules today. How can you run in without permission?¡±

    The superintendent was on the verge of panicking. ¡°It¡¯s really urgent! I have to see the Hall Master immediately!¡±

    At this moment, the door to the duty room not far away opened, and Zhang Yuelu walked out, saying, ¡°The Hall Master has gone to the Golden Tower. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    The superintendent was a little hesitant to speak.

    Seeing this, Zhang Yuelu went back into the duty room and said, ¡°Come in and talk.¡±

    The moment the superintendent stepped inside, he blurted out anxiously, ¡°We have lost all contact with Deputy Hall Master Shangguan!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was shocked. ¡°What?!¡±

    ......

    The huge Yinglong Warship began to disintegrate, and the talismans on the ship dimmed. Many of the Daoist disciples onboard were dead, frozen in the postures they assumed at the final moment of their lives, like mummies. It was a terrifying sight.

    At that moment, the Yinglong Warship had lost all its power, and its destruction was inevitable. The Daoist disciples who were still alive could only helplessly watch as the warship began to fall into the Cuowenbu Lake below.

    During this time, some tried to abandon the ship and flee for their lives. However, as soon as they left the warship, their lives were instantly taken away by the blood-red divine power around the ship. No one was spared.

    The remaining disciples were in despair as they knew what fate awaited them.

    At this moment, a majestic white rainbow appeared in the sky south of Cuowenbu, breaking through the many barriers around theke and catching the falling Yinglong Warship.

    The white rainbow dispersed, revealing a woman in a white dress. Her body was covered with ayer of mist, making it difficult to see her true appearance as she flew across the sky. With every step she took, ripples resembling lotus flowers appeared beneath her feet.

    The woman in white conjured a huge Guanyin statue as an extension of her body and stretched out her hands to support the falling warship.

    However, the warship was too heavy. Even though the woman was a Heavenly Being, she continued to sink with it. The white lotus flowers beneath her feet disintegrated.

    The woman in red looked down at the woman in white, wanting to stop thetter. However, the woman in red had consumed too much divine power, so much so that her figure became illusory. Finally, she morphed into countless streams of light and returned to the Divine Kingdom.

    A momentter, the Divine Kingdom gradually faded away, and the strange phenomenon above Cuowenbu dissipated.

    In the end, the woman in white managed to hold up the wreckage of the Yinglong Warship. She ced the warship safely back on theke¡¯s surface, letting it float.

    After this ordeal, the woman in white felt like her body had weakened, and the light mist enveloping her became much thinner.

    She came to the bow of the ship, finding Shangguan Jing¡¯s body nailed to the hull with a bone staff made entirely of divine power. The Seventh Deputy Tiangang Hall Master had died in a miserable state.

 Chapter 226: Sage Cihang (I)

    <h4>Chapter 226: Sage Cihang (I)</h4>

    Qi Xuansu, who was running for his life, suddenly noticed that the rain had stopped. The strong wind, thunder, and fog also disappeared one after another. Finally, the ck clouds covering the sky began to dissipate, revealing the clear blue sky.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu stopped and looked up.

    It was as if that strange phenomenon had not happened at all. The oppressive aura and ring urgency he felt on his back disappeared, so he breathed a sigh of relief.

    Qi Xuansu was a little hesitant, wondering if he should turn around to check out the situation. Although what happened earlier seemed to be a dangerous fight between gods, it was finally over. If he took the risk to go back to the battlefield, he could have a lucky encounter. After all, traveling alone meant constantly having to weigh one¡¯s risks and gains.

    If it were before, Qi Xuansu would have turned around to scout for things he could salvage.

    However, Qi Xuansu was different now. He had already obtained a rare Blood Pill, which could allow him to advance to the Rogue Cultivator¡¯s Holy Embryo Realm, which was the Guizhen stage of Xiantian Beings. There was no need for him to continue taking risks.

    More importantly, ever since Qi Xuansu had a woman he cared for, he had been more cautious in fights. This was a risk that could cost his life.

    As for Madam Qi, Qi Xuansu did not think that he was so important to her. After all, Madam Qi seemed so omnipotent and resourceful that Qi Xuansu would not worry about her.

    Thus, when Qi Xuansu was weighing the risks, the first thing he thought of was his own life, and the second thing he thought of was Zhang Yuelu. It was no wonder Madam Qi onceined that he forgot about her after having a ¡°wife.¡±

    Qi Xuansu hesitated for a while before finally turning around and walking in the direction of Cuowenbu.

    When Qi Xuansu came to the ce where he hit the invisible wall, he found that he could finally pass through it.

    Qi Xuansu came to the shore of Cuowenbu Lake.

    Earlier, there had been heavy rain, dark clouds, and fog blocking the view, so he could not see anything. At this time, theke¡¯s surface was calm without the slightest bit of mist.

    Qi Xuansu saw the Yinglong Warship floating in the distance. At this time, the warship was riddled with battle scars. Although it was not broken into two parts like the flying ship he was on, the hull of the warship seemed shaky, like a dpidated house. The originalpact structure looked like it would fall apart, and many fragments of the wreckage could be seen floating around it.

    Moreover, these fragments of wreckage were quite well preserved. They looked more like fallen leaves rather than wreckage crushed by an external force.

    That was because Wu Luo¡¯s divine power only harmed living things, not dead objects. Therefore, when Wu Luo¡¯s divine power struck the Yinglong Warship, the Daoist disciples onboard suffered heavy casualties while the ship itself was not damaged.

    The reason why the Yinglong Warship looked rickety at the moment was due to the three consecutive attacks, which exceeded its limits. The formations and talismans failed one after another, so the ship¡¯s hull could not withstand the power of nature. But even with the Yinglong Warship unleashing its full power, Wu Luo still escaped unscathed.

    If the woman in white had not arrived in time, the warship would have crashed and sank to the bottom of the Cuowenbu Lake. At least now, it could still float on theke.

    The woman in white was standing on the bow of the ship. She pulled out the bone staff that had nailed down Shangguan Jing. However, the moment the bone staff was removed from Shangguan Jing¡¯s body, it turned into countless streams of red light, which was the signature characteristic of the Ancient Immortal Wu Luo.

    This remnant of divine power was considered a trap to attack anyone pulling out the bone staff, but it was easily dismissed by the woman in white.

    Although the woman in white could not necessarily win against Wu Luo in a head-on fight, she was still capable of fighting against Wu Luo. Thus, these small tricks were nothing to her.

    After a long time, the Daoist disciples who were still alive came to the deck one after another. When they saw the woman in white, they saluted her respectfully and addressed her as Sage Cihang.

    The woman in white was none other than Sage Cihang, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s master and the second-inmand in the Zhengyi Sect after the Heavenly Preceptor. She was the one who taught Zhang Yuelu the Cihang Sword Sequence.

    In thepetition to be the seventh-generation Grand Master, the three Deputy Grand Masters and other Great Sages were not considered due to age and other factors. The most promising candidates for the seventh-generation Grand Master were Sage Qingwei, Sage Donghua, and Sage Cihang.

    If the three Deputy Grand Masters were considered regents who took turns in power, then Sage Cihang was one of the candidates for being the Crown Prince.

    All three candidates for the seventh-generation Grand Master had different paths. Sage Qingwei and Sage Donghua were twopletely different extremes. Sage Qingwei had been the head of several local Daoist mansions for many years, including Liaodong, Luzhou, and Qizhou Daoist Mansions.

    Meanwhile, Sage Donghua had been in Jade Capital, serving as the Hall Master of Beichen, Tianji, and Ciji Halls. At the moment, he was the Hall Master of Ziwei Hall, which was the top among the Nine Halls. Sage Donghua was also ranked first among the 36 Omniscient Sages.

    Sage Cihang had experience in both the local Daoist mansions and the Nine Halls. In her early years, she worked in the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion. Later, she was transferred to Jade Capital and served as the Hall Master of Huasheng and Duzhi Halls.

    ording to the unwritten rules of the Daoist Order, positions in the Nine Halls were higher in status than the local Daoist mansions. Thus, if the three candidates were to be ranked, Sage Donghua would be first, Sage Cihang second, and Sage Qingwei would be the bottom of the three. However, this was far from the reality.

    Taiping Sect was the most powerful sect in the Daoist Order, so even though Sage Qingwei was at the bottom among the three candidates, he had the greatest influence. There were even rumors of a third Grand Master hailing from the Li family.

    Of course, the other two Omniscient Sages were also strong candidates. If Sage Donghua became the next Grand Master, then Quanzhen Sect would have produced two consecutive generations of Grand Masters, which was an unprecedented achievement in the Daoist Order.

    If Sage Cihang became the next Grand Master, she would be the first female Grand Master in the Daoist Order. Many female disciples hoped to see Sage Cihang as the Grand Master, even if they were not from the Zhengyi Sect. That would break the tradition in which the highest authority in the Daoist Order was held by men. However, many conservatives rejected this idea.

    The Grand Master¡¯spanion was given the title of the Virtuous Great Sage, in charge of assisting the Grand Master in handling all kinds of affairs, thus having great decision-making power. This was also a tradition left by the Holy Xuan.

    All in all, each of the three candidates had their own advantages. The final decision would depend on the Golden Tower Council¡¯s rmendation. If the stalemate continued, no one could guarantee if the scope of the rmendation would be expanded or if force would be used.

    Although the Quanzhen Sect and the Zhengyi Sect joined forces against the Taiping Sect, it was almost impossible for the two sects to reach an agreement on the choice of Grand Master due to their own interests.

    For example, the Zhengyi Sect would not want to see another Grand Mastering from the Li family. At the same time, they also did not want to see the Quanzhen Sect producing two consecutive generations of Grand Masters, breaking the tradition of the three sects taking turns to hold the position of power.

    But even so, one thing was for sure. These three candidates were respected leaders in their own regard. Even if they failed to be the Grand Master, they could still be the Virtuous Great Sage or the Deputy Grand Master. They were certainly influential figures in the Daoist Order.

    Sage Cihang signaled for everyone not to stand on ceremony. She dered, ¡°Sage Shangguan has died in battle. Preserve his body and wait for personnel from Jade Capital to arrive.¡±

    The moment Sage Cihang officially announced Shangguan Jing¡¯s death, the surviving disciples understood the gravity of the situation and broke down in tears. Some even kneeled in front of Shangguan Jing¡¯s body and cried bitterly.

    No one knew if they were crying tears of joy for narrowly escaping death or if they were mourning the untimely death of their boss.

    Just as Sage Cihang was about to leave, she suddenly sensed something in her heart and turned to look toward the shore on the west side of theke.

    She took a step forward, creating a circle of lotus-shaped ripples in the air before disappearing.

 Chapter 227: Sage Cihang (II)

    <h4>Chapter 227: Sage Cihang (II)</h4>

    Qi Xuansu was looking at the Yinglong Warship from a distance. What he did not know was that he had caught the attention of his other future mother-inw.

    In their society, masters were almost as important as parents, especially when many did not marry or bear children of their own. Thus, the rtionship between masters and their disciples wasparable to that between biological parents and their children. A disciple betraying his master was worse than being unfilial to his parents. He would be spurned and despised by everyone.

    In many cases, the time that masters and disciples spent together was far greater than the time parents spent with their children. So it was alsomon for children to be closer to their masters than to their parents.

    Some children took their parents¡¯ generosity as a matter of course, while they would seek to repay their master¡¯s kindness. In a sense, this was the case for Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu had lived in Jade Capital for a long time with Sage Cihang, so they often met each other. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s rtionship with her master was much better than her rtionship with her biological mother. In addition, Sage Cihang and Zhang Yuelu were both women, so they seemed like mother and daughter.

    If Zhang Yuelu was not from the Zhang family but an orphan like Qi Xuansu, then she would have been much closer to Sage Cihang. However, with the Zhang family around, Sage Cihang had to pay more attention to maintaining an appropriate distance from her disciple so as not to offend Zhang Yuelu¡¯s biological parents.

    Qi Xuansu had heard of Sage Cihang, but he never would have imagined that he would be meeting her so soon. After all, in his mind, Sage Cihang was an unreachable big shot, someone that he could only meet after bing a high-ranking Daoist priest. Moreover, he believed that he would only have the opportunity to meet Sage Cihang due to his rtionship with Zhang Yuelu.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu hit the nail on the head. Sage Cihang was aware of Qi Xuansu¡¯s existence, but she did not rush to meet him back then because she respected Zhang Yuelu''s wishes. She was not one to interfere with her disciple¡¯s affairs unless it was a character like Li Minghuang. Another reason she did not ask to see Qi Xuansu was that she had been busy, so she had no time to care about such trivial matters.

    The three Deputy Grand Masters and their sessors each had their own residences. Sage Cihang lived on Putuo Ind in Nanhai, originally known as the Buddhist sanctuary of the Guanyin Bodhisattva. It was often referred to as the Buddhist Kingdom of the Sea. After Sage Cihang¡¯s lineage converted to Daoism, Putuo Ind became as important as Donghai¡¯s Three Immortal Inds¡ªPeni, Yingzhou, and Fangzhang Inds.

    Putuo Ind had twelve famous scenic spots, but ordinary people did not get a chance to see them because the entire ind was the private property of Sage Cihang. It was akin to how Yunjin Mountain belonged to the Zhang family and the Three Immortal Inds belonged to the Li family. No one was allowed entry without an invitation.

    Sage Cihang returned to Putuo Ind before the New Year and was expected to return to Jade Capital on January 15th, which was reasonable.

    During the time Sage Cihang had returned to Putuo Ind, the Daoist Order and the Holy Court had some disputes over maritime trade. It was not a small issue that could be simply dismissed because the Holy Court was the Western Continent¡¯s equivalent of the Daoist Order.

    Logically speaking, this matter should be handled by the Hall Master of Shibo Hall, who was in charge of the Daoist Order¡¯s maritime trade. It could also be handled by the Ciji Hall, as it was rted to etiquette and foreign affairs. At the worst, the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master coulde forward, since it was under their jurisdiction.

    However, the Earthly Preceptor arranged for Sage Cihang, the head of Duzhi Hall, to handle this issue. The reason he gave was that Sage Cihang happened to be in the Nanhai region, and she used to work in the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion, so there was no need to bother anyone else.

    The Earthly Preceptor¡¯s arrangement made sense, and since it was not a big deal, no one raised any objections. However, they never thought that Sage Cihang, known for her efficiency and strongpetence, would dy solving the issue. Thus, she failed to return to Jade Capital by January 15th.

    Sage Cihang had only started to embark on her journey back to Jade Capital. At first nce, it seemed like a mere coincidence that she happened to pass by Cuowenbu at this time. However, since the Earthly Preceptor was involved, it might not be a simple coincidence.

    Among the three Deputy Grand Masters, the Earthly Preceptor was the best in divination. No one in the Daoist Order or the world could surpass him. At least on the surface, no one would dare challenge the Earthly Preceptor.

    The Earthly Preceptor¡¯s seemingly random arrangement at the time finally came into y. Since Sage Cihang was not ¡°trapped¡± in Jade Capital, she managed toe to the Yinglong Warship¡¯s aid. Although it took a while for her to break through the numerous blockades set by the Ancient Immortal Wu Luo, she still managed to save some Daoist disciples, preventing a worse situation.

    Hence, the Taiping Sect¡¯s n only seeded half-way.

    The Imperial Preceptor did not immediately determine the movements of all the Omniscient Sages after taking office as the Great Sage Lunzhi because he had no time or energy to do so. Moreover, Omniscient Sages had great autonomy. They were not prisoners or low-level Daoist priests who had to stay at their posts or offices all day long. They had the freedom to leave Jade Capital or meditate in seclusion for a period of time.

    Even as the Great Sage Lunzhi, the Imperial Preceptor could not inquire about the whereabouts of an Omniscient Sage without a suitable reason, let alone restrict their movements. He could only summon all the Hall Masters for discussion, isting them from the outside world for a short period of time.

    It was even more incredulous to send a subordinate to monitor the movements of the Omniscient Sages. The obvious reason was their cultivation level. The higher up one was in the Daoist Order, the higher their cultivation level. Thus, to monitor a Heavenly Being, one must send another Heavenly Being ofparable strength.

    Sage Cihang was not an ordinary Heavenly Being, so not many couldpare to her. It would not make sense for Sage Qingwei to monitor Sage Cihang either. Even if that was possible, there would be more Omniscient Sages to be monitored. Thus, it was unrealistic for the Imperial Preceptor to disregard his dignity and stoop so low.

    Therefore, Sage Cihang¡¯s absence at the Shangyuan Festival on January 15th did not attract too much attention. At that time, Sage Cihang and the Hall Masters of Huasheng and Ciji Halls were not in Jade Capital. The Huasheng and Ciji Hall Masters only rushed back to Jade Capital after receiving the notice of the meeting.

    The Fengxian Hall Master was responsible for conveying the orders of the Imperial Preceptor. That was how he found out about Sage Cihang¡¯s exact whereabouts and that she had not yet settled the so-called dispute. However, it was toote. The things were already set in motion, and there was no way of turning back.

    The game involved was notplicated. It was just a matter of countering the opponent¡¯s moves. After all, there were no foolproof schemes in this world. Everything was so interconnected that it was difficult to determine the weakest link. As long as one identified the weak point, the entire scheme would fall apart.

    Therefore, the sess of one¡¯s schemes required human nning and luck. Even if one was extremely resourceful and wise, people were bound to make mistakes. Thus, those who achieved great things in the world relied mainly on overt strategies while using covert schemes as a supplement.

    The Imperial Preceptor had already reduced the number of weak links as much as possible, but he still made a w in predicting Sage Cihang¡¯s schedule. If the Imperial Preceptor had designed a more sophisticated n, there would be no telling how many errors would have been made. Perhaps then his schemes would have beenpletely exposed.

    The Earthly Preceptor predicted all this from the beginning and nned countermeasures. Sage Cihang only found out after the fact, as the Earthly Preceptor did not inform her of anything. She had guessed it herself, while everyone else was still kept in the dark.

    Even the dignified Imperial Preceptor had miscalcted. He was the chess yer, with insight into the changes on the board. Meanwhile, Qi Xuansu was a clueless pawn. He never would have guessed that Zhang Yuelu¡¯s master, Sage Cihang would appear on Cuowenbu Lake at this time.

    Thus, when Qi Xuansu saw the woman in white appearing not far from him following a burst of lotus-shaped ripples, he did not realize the woman¡¯s true identity. He only thought she was an ordinary second-rank Taiyi Daoist priest.

 Chapter 228: See the Truth

    <h4>Chapter 228: See the Truth</h4>

    The mist covering Sage Cihang¡¯s body dissipated, revealing her true appearance. She looked to be in her thirties, withpassionate eyes and a graceful temperament that made her seem approachable. If she were younger, she would have been every man¡¯s dream.

    With Sage Cihang¡¯s level of cultivation, she could have used anti-aging methods to keep a youthful appearance. In fact, most of the Sages had vastly different appearances back then. Some were white-haired old men, while some preferred to look like children. There were also some Sages who liked to maintain a teenage appearance.

    The fifth-generation Grand Master was staunchly conservative, dissatisfied with the Sages¡¯ wide range of appearances. Thus, he ordered that all Daoist disciples were strictly prohibited from altering their appearance to look like children. The reason given was that it would damage and undermine the reputation of the Daoist Order. Later, the banned age group was expanded to young adults.

    There were some who supported this ban, while others opposed it.

    The supporters believed that although eternal youth was possible, it was overboard for a Sage in their seventies or eighties to appear as a seven- or eight-year-old child. Although the Daoist Order had always encouraged one to remain pure and innocent, it referred to the nature of one¡¯s mind, not one¡¯s body.

    Even though a bunch of old folks turned themselves into children, they were still shrewd and scheming on the inside. On the contrary, this would appear as fraudulent and pretentious.

    Thus, under the fifth-generation Grand Master¡¯s iron fist, he put an end to this chaotic image within the Daoist Order. The Golden Tower Council no longer had adolescents and teenagers in the audience. Many Sages either maintained their original age or remained an appearance between thirty and forty years old.

    They were also required to dress in formal attire on important asions. Anyone who dared to dress up in ¡°strange disguises¡± or appeared sloppy in their formal attire would be given a serious demerit. The list of ¡°strange disguises¡± included beggars, schrs, monks, court officials, civilians, wandering Daoists, fortune tellers, and so on. These were all prohibited.

    Thus, the Golden Tower Council meetings no longer looked like a gathering of entrics since the fifth-generation Grand Master was in power. Everyone looked neat and formal in their uniforms.

    Judging by the strict requirements on clothing, it was clear that the fifth-generation Grand Master had an authoritarian rule over the Daoist Order during his term. He was not tolerant of objections and imposed stricter rules.

    There were pros and cons to this regime. The drawback was that the Daoist Order had adopted many bureaucratic procedures. The advantage was the centralization of the Daoist Order. The well-structured Nine-Rank System forced the rtively unstructured Buddhist Sect and Confucian School to imitate the Daoist system.

    When the fifth-generation Grand Master was alive, no one dared to openly disobey the Grand Master. During hister years in power, he secretly divided the three Deputy Grand Masters of that time so that they would not unite against him to veto his policies. Finally, he forced the three Deputy Grand Masters at the time to retire early and be Virtuous Great Sages.

    The fifth-generation Grand Master then promoted younger people without much experience to be the new Deputy Grand Masters¡ªall three of them are still in office to this day.

    The domineering iron-fist rule of the fifth-generation Grand Master also caused a bacsh within the Daoist Order. After his ascension to heaven, the three incumbent Deputy Grand Masters reached a consensus to renounce the chosen sessor of the fifth-generation Grand Master and elected a recognized kind old man to be the sixth-generation Grand Master.

    No one had expected this, not even the sixth-generation Grand Master himself. Although the sixth-generation Grand Master had a high level of cultivation and was one of the best among the Omniscient Sages, he only expected to be an ordinary first-rank Daoist master. He was self-aware that he was not leadership material.

    However, the three Deputy Grand Masters reached a consensus regarding this, so it was not up to him to decide. Besides, any Daoist disciple would be moved by the idea of being the Grand Master. For him, who was only an Omniscient Sage at the time, it was equivalent to skipping a rank and leaping to the highest pedestal in the Daoist Order. Moreover, the fifth-generation Grand Master had built such a strong reputation for the Daoist Order that everyone grew to respect and fear it.

    Thus, the sixth-generation Grand Master agreed to take on the position of highest authority in the Daoist Order.

    The sixth-generation Grand Master was undoubtedly a kind person who was tolerant and well-tempered. He had a much better personality than the domineering and violent fifth-generation Grand Master. However, when it came to securing power, the sixth-generation Grand Master was indecisive andcked experience.

    That was why the sixth-generation Grand Master was weak and unable to control the three Deputy Grand Masters.

    Back when the sixth-generation Grand Master took office, the three Deputy Grand Masters were not as powerful as they are today. The three Deputy Grand Masters gradually grew more powerful and expanded their influence during the sixth-generation Grand Master¡¯s term.

    In a sense, the fifth-generation Grand Master hadid the groundwork for the current chaos in the Daoist Order.

    To this day, the fifth-generation Grand Master¡¯s policies still influence the direction of the Daoist Order. Among all the Grand Masters, his influence was second only to the Holy Xuan. However, his merits could not be determined until many yearster. Of course, this did not mean that the other Grand Masters made no achievements. They each made some form of contribution to the Daoist Order.

    Sage Cihang maintained this age because she was following the rules left by the fifth-generation Grand Master that thirty was the lowest limit. If she looked any younger, she would be targeted by Fengxian Hall.

    Although Fengxian Hall would only give her a warning, it would still be extremely embarrassing for a Hall Master to be questioned over such trivial matters.

    Of course, this rule could be changed eventually, but only a Grand Master could change their predecessor¡¯s policies. However, the Holy Xuan¡¯s policies were an exception. Simr to the Imperial Court¡¯s ancestral edicts, the Holy Xuan¡¯s policies were untouchable, as they formed the basis for the existence of the Daoist Order. Thus, if one were to modify the Holy Xuan¡¯s decree, it would have to be approved by all members of the Golden Tower Council.

    Sage Cihang sized up Qi Xuansu, not recognizing this man to be Zhang Yuelu¡¯s confidant. That was because she had only heard of Zhang Yuelu mentioning Qi Xuansu but had never seen him in person, nor had she seen any portraits of him. That was because, to an Omniscient Sage poised to be the next Grand Master, a seventh-rank Daoist priest was really not worth her time investigating.

    Thus, Sage Cihang had only heard of Qi Xuansu¡¯s name twice in total. The first time was when Zhang Yuelu mentioned it in a casual conversation. At the time, Sage Cihang did not pay much attention to it. The second time she heard of his name was from a letter, when she learned that Qi Xuansu had sacrificed himself to save her disciple.

    When Sage Cihang got the news, she let out a long sigh,menting that her disciple had lost a confidant. That was the reason she remembered Qi Xuansu¡¯s name.

    Qi Xuansu did not recognize Sage Cihang, and neither did she. Thus, the two looked at each other until Qi Xuansu took the initiative to salute her. ¡°Greetings, Sage.¡±

    Sage Cihang asked, ¡°How do you know that I¡¯m a member of the Daoist Order?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°I heard from the ck Robes that some masters from the Daoist Order are here to capture cult demons from secret societies. That¡¯s why I figured that you must be a Sage from the Daoist Order.¡±

    Sage Cihang did not deny his conjecture and probed, ¡°Who are you, then?¡±

    Qi Xuansu answered respectfully, ¡°I am Wei Wugui, a wanderer.¡±

    ¡°How could a wanderer possess a perfected breathing technique?¡± Sage Cihang¡¯s eyes seemed to have seen through Qi Xuansu¡¯s facade.

    Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment before he replied, ¡°To be honest, I was once from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce.¡±

    Sage Cihang was not so easy to fool. ¡°As far as I know, Wanxiang Daoist Pce only teaches disciples up to the Kunlun stage at most, but you are at the Yuxu stage. Who taught you the subsequent methods? It also seems to me that what you have learned has traces of the Cihang lineage.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart dropped. After he reached the Yuxu stage in Yn Temple, he was not in Jade Capital and could not receive any conventional guided training on cultivation methods for Rogue Cultivators. Thus, he had asked Zhang Yuelu for advice.

    Although Zhang Yuelu was a Banished Immortal, the Rogue Cultivator lineage stemmed from Banished Immortals. Thus, they had many simrities. That was why Zhang Yuelu could guide Qi Xuansu on the corresponding techniques and mystical abilities to aid his cultivation.

    But then again, Zhang Yuelu was not an actual Rogue Cultivator, so whatever method she taught Qi Xuansu was derived from a simplification of her own learning back then. After all, the Rogue Cultivator¡¯s Yuding Realm was not considered advanced, so Zhang Yuelu could still manage to guide Qi Xuansu.

    However, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s methods were slightly different from the orthodox Rogue Cultivator¡¯s methods because she mixed in some of her private knowledge. That was what Sage Cihang was referring to when she mentioned that she could detect traces of the Cihang lineage on Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu, clearly clueless to all this, was at a loss on how he should answer this Sage, so much so that cold sweat immediately broke out on his forehead.

 Chapter 229: The Cihang Lineage

    <h4>Chapter 229: The Cihang Lineage</h4>

    Sage Cihang chuckled. Although she came over because she sensed traces of the Cihang lineage in Qi Xuansu, she did not intend to get to the bottom of it.

    Instead, she said, ¡°The Cihang lineage has been passed down for many years, and its cultivation method has been included in the Holy Xuan¡¯s consolidated Five Major Lineages. Only certain mystical abilities are kept exclusive for core disciples. So it¡¯s not surprising for the Cihang lineage to spread outside the Daoist Order. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when Sage Cihang¡¯s next words made his heart race with anxiety again.

    ¡°But...¡± Sage Cihang paused for a moment to keep him in suspense. ¡°Your blood qi is intriguing. You¡¯re not just a Rogue Cultivator, but also a Martial Arts Practitioner, right?¡±

    ¡°Uh...¡± Qi Xuansu hesitated.

    Sage Cihang continued, ¡°Since the Holy Xuan established the Five Major Lineages, there are many who hope to cultivate multiple lineages, but most of them have failed. You are now in the Rogue Cultivator¡¯s Yuding Realm, so your next step is the Holy Embryo Realm.

    ¡°That realm is when you open the upper Dantian to cultivate the soul. But a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s first step as a Xiantian Being is to condense the spirit and body. After that, their soul and body will merge as one so that the soul can no longer leave the body. In that stage, you will no longer be able to cultivate the soul.

    ¡°Your two realms are inplete conflict, so how do you manage to cultivate them both? Or do you n to stay in the Yuxu stage for the rest of your life?¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally understood the power of a Sage. It was terrifying for a stranger to see through him with just one nce. He was not sure whether the exnation he used to deal with Zhang Yuelu could deceive this Sage, but he had no other choice.

    He said, ¡°You sure have a keen eye, Sage. I had a lucky encounter that changed my body so much it resembles a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s. But I can¡¯t condense my acupoints or practice the fist intention, nor can Ibine my spirit and body like a true Martial Arts Practitioner. So I¡¯m not considered a Martial Arts Practitioner.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Sage Cihang smiled faintly, which made Qi Xuansu feel goosebumps all over.

    It was just Qi Xuansu¡¯s luck (orck thereof) that Sage Cihang used to be the Hall Master of Huasheng Hall before she transferred to Duzhi Hall. That was why she knew many secrets regarding the experimental creation projects and processes.

    Qi Xuansu could fool the young and naive Zhang Yuelu. However, he could not deceive the experienced Sage Cihang.

    That was when Sage Cihang asked, ¡°So, who taught you these methods? It could be an old acquaintance of mine.¡±

    Of course, Qi Xuansu dared not answer truthfully. He took a deep breath and gabbled. ¡°I hope you will forgive me, Sage. The olddy specifically told me not to mention her name, and I dare not vite her wishes.¡±

    If Qi Xuansu was facing Sage Donghua or Sage Qingwei, he would likely end miserably¡ªcritically injured, if not dead. Fortunately, he met Sage Cihang, who was the best-tempered among the three Omniscient Sages. Thus, she would not force Qi Xuansu against his will.

    Sage Cihang merely nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Since you don¡¯t want to tell me, forget I asked.¡±

    Qi Xuansu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

    Since Sage Cihang had broken themunication barrier set by the Ancient Immortal Wu Luo, Cuowenbu was no longer isted from contact. As such,munication between the mother-child talisman and the rapid post talisman had been restored.

    The surviving Daoist disciples hurriedly reported the situation to the Jade Capital. At this time, no one would dare openly turn a blind eye to such a big ident, so the Daoist Order sent out reinforcements, scheduled to arrive soon.

    However, it would still take some time for help to arrive. Since Sage Cihang could not possibly carry the Yinglong Warship by herself all the way to the Jade Capital, she was in no hurry to leave and remained standing on the shore.

    Seeing that Sage Cihang refused to leave, Qi Xuansu had no choice but to stand with her awkwardly, as he dared not leave rashly for fear of offending a mighty Sage. Thus, all he could do was silently regret the poor decision that led him to this situation.<i> I knew that I shouldn¡¯t have been so greedy! Now, I didn¡¯t get any benefits and even got myself into this mess...</i>

    Standing at this angle, Sage Cihang stared at the Yinglong Warship floating on theke and fell into deep thought.

    She wondered how the situation would develop within the Daoist Order after this incident. One thing was certain¡ªthe Tiangang Hall Master must bear the brunt of the consequences and take responsibility. The losses sustained in this incident were a Deputy Hall Master and a Yinglong Warship, more than enough reason for demanding the resignation of the Hall Master.

    At the moment, the Taiping Sect had taken control of Beichen Hall. If they were allowed to gain control over Tiangang Hall, the Taiping Sect would have control of two out of the Three Great Halls in the Ancestral Court.

    Moreover, Tiangang Hall held significant military power within the Daoist Order. If anything were to happen and the Taiping Sect decided to use force to gain what they sought, Ziwei Hall would not be able to defeat them.

    The political situation was clear as day. Even if a Grand Master was elected, it would likely cause dissatisfaction among the two other sects. Thus, the ¡°losing¡± sect would likely take risks to seize the position by force.

    If it got to that point, Kunlun Daoist Mansion, Beichen Hall, and Tiangang Hall were the key determiners of victory. Tiangang Hall was external, Beichen Hall was internal, and the Kunlun Daoist Mansion was somewhere in between. Whoever could control these three entities would be able to capture Jade Capital and gain the position of Grand Master.

    As the saying goes, history is written by the winners. As long as the Grand Master gained their foothold, they could change the narrative and establish themselves as the rightful leader.

    Of course, the high-ranking Daoist priests were important, and the Great Sages could indeed affect the oue of a civil war. However, the Great Sages would restrain each other, making the Spirit Guards and various creations the key to victory or defeat.

    An example would be the Yinglong Warship. Although it could not defeat an Ancient Immortal, it was still capable of fighting. If someone controlled all the Yinglong Warships, even a first-rank Tianzhen Daoist master would have to move aside if they wanted to stay alive. The formations in Jade Capital, Xuan City, and the Purple Mansion were equally important.

    The Spirit Guards should not be underestimated either. Although they were essentially one level lower than the Daoist priests, there were also first-rank Spirit Guards in the Daoist Order.

    Since the Spirit Guards¡¯ cultivation level came from the Daoist Order and was not owned by the guards themselves, they could not rely on their own will like a Daoist priest and could only act ording to orders. If someone could control all the Spirit Guards, they could certainlypete with the second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters and first-rank Tianzhen Daoist masters.

    Qi Xuansu sneaked nces at Sage Cihang¡¯s profile from time to time, not knowing what she was thinking about.

    From the side view, this Sage had soft contours and beautiful eyebrows. She looked to be in her thirties, with no wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. Her skin was smooth as jade, and her divine aura was faintly visible. Her physique and appearance were wless.

    Qi Xuansu was in a daze for a moment, as he suddenly realized that this Sage had an indescribably simr disposition to Zhang Yuelu.

    However,pared with Zhang Yuelu, this Sage was clearly more reticent and mature, while Zhang Yuelu was somewhat inexperienced and overly assertive.

    Just as Qi Xuansu was lost in a trance thinking of Zhang Yuelu, Sage Cihang suddenly turned to look at him. She met his eyes and asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    Startled by the voice, Qi Xuansu quickly looked away and stammered. ¡°N-Nothing.¡±

    Sage Cihangughed it off and advised. ¡°If you want to avoid trouble, you¡¯d best be on your way.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sage.¡± Qi Xuansu responded quickly, ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±

    Immediately after, Qi Xuansu ran as fast as he could in the other direction.

    Sage Cihang stared at the young man¡¯s departing figure, her gaze inadvertentlynding on the Jiamas tied to Qi Xuansu¡¯s legs. Seeing this, she could not conceal the look of surprise on her face.

    This pair of Jiamas looked familiar, as Zhang Yuelu had asked her for a pair just like these not long ago. The Jiamas were not worth much. What attracted her attention was the markings on them.

    Although Qi Xuansu had already run off quite a distance away, Sage Cihang had great eyesight and could clearly spot the lotus pattern on the corner of those Jiamas.

    That was the unique symbol of the Cihang lineage.

    Each major sect in the Daoist Order had its own symbol. When Qi Xuansu obtained the flying sword from the fight in Fengtai County, he had to reluctantly sell it because it had the Li family¡¯s mark on it.

    Sage Cihang pondered. <i>Could this person be an unnamed disciple of my seniors or juniors? Or could he be one of my juniors¡¯ lovers?</i>

    However, her main focus was on Jade Capital, so she did not delve too deeply into this young man''s identity.

    At the same time, on Yuzhu Peak, which was opposite Yuxu Peak, three huge Yinglong Warships were taking off.

    Each Yinglong Warship had an Omniscient Sage personally taking charge. There were also many apanying third-rank Youyi Daoist masters and fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters onboard.

    Their destination¡ªCuowenbu.

 Chapter 230: Nowhere to Be Found

    <h4>Chapter 230: Nowhere to Be Found</h4>

    What would happen to Cuowenbu next and the subsequent changes that would ur within the Daoist Order as a result would have nothing to do with Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu ran along the coastline of Cuowenbu with the aid of the Jiamas and came to the east side of Cuowenbu.

    Since Cuowenbu spanned arge area, the east and west of Cuowenbu were almost two different worlds. The west of Cuowenbu was the vast, barren West Gobi. However, the east of Cuowenbu was an oasis, known as the Eastern Oasis.

    It was no wonder that White Jade Hall chose to hide out here. In terms of environment, the Eastern Oasis was certainly much better than the West Gobi. After all, the secret society members were not ascetics, so they would hope for better living conditions.

    Following the map given by the Innkeeper, Qi Xuansu ran for several kilometers until he found a small river in the southwest of the Eastern Oasis. He traced its source upstream and walked for several more kilometers to find that the creek had disappeared into an underground river.

    Thus, Qi Xuansu had no choice but to dive into the water. The rock formation was about 60 centimeters above the water¡¯s surface, so Qi Xuansu had to swim forward until the river water reappeared above ground. Since water naturally flowed to ces with lower terrain, Qi Xuansu figured that the elevation here was lower than where he was before.

    Qi Xuansu emerged from the water and saw mountains all around. He looked up and saw only a thin slit of blue sky through the mountain peaks. The scenery was peaceful, with green mountains and blue waters. But there was an eerie silence all around, hinting at danger.

    He could not help but secretly admire White Jade Hall¡¯s ingenious thinking. This gap within the mountains was so narrow that even if a Heavenly Being were to fly overhead, it would be difficult to spot this hidden sanctuary. One would need to be actively looking to be able to discover this ce.

    Qi Xuansu walked out of the river. Fortunately, the cash notes, mother-child talismans, and the Divine Dragon Pistol were all waterproof. He only had to channel his qi to steam-dry his clothes. Then he continued walking along the riverbank for several kilometers beforeing to a green valley full of flowers. This ce was surrounded by mountains, so it was protected from the cold draft, making it an ideal ce to spend the winter months.

    There was a small vige not far from the entrance, consisting of about a dozen houses of various sizes gathered together. There were no fences between the houses, and there were fields and mulberry orchards around. It truly was an idyllic setting.

    Qi Xuansu followed a path into the vige and found that the ce was deserted, without a single person in sight. He went into a house to check for traces of habitation. The firepot was no longer warm, and there was no visible dust buildup, indicating that the people who lived here had left for not more than a few weeks.

    He roughly calcted the time. It took him about a day to return from the reimednd to The Inn; another day to get from The Inn to Cuowenbu; three more days to get from the West Gobi to the Eastern Oasis of Cuowenbu; and less than a day to get to this hidden valley. Six days had passed since then.

    It seemed that White Jade Hall had evacuated during this period.

    Qi Xuansu walked through the empty vige and came to the other side.

    There was a huge manor here, which did not look like the local buildings in Yongzhou. Instead, there were obvious elements of the Imperial Capital¡¯s architecture. It resembled the various summer gardens built by the Imperial Capital¡¯s dignitaries outside the Imperial Capital, such as the famous Yuqing Garden.

    The Yuqing Garden was built during the reign of Emperor Xiaozong of the previous dynasty. After repairs by sessive emperors, the garden covered an area of ??about 100 hectares, including a fewkes, pavilions, and buildings imitating the Jiangnanndscape. It was known as the best garden in the Imperial Capital.

    Qi Xuansu once went to the Imperial Capital with Madam Qi and was deeply impressed viewing the garden from a distance.

    That was why he felt that this manor imitated the style of Yuqing Garden. However, it was much smaller, about less than a hectare. It was an interesting find because White Jade Hall imitated the Daoist Golden Tower Council in its organizational structure, and its name alluded to the Jade Capital. But in terms of architecture, it imitated the imperial family¡¯s Yuqing Garden.

    At this time, the gate of the manor was closed. Qi Xuansu did not push the door open but jumped up to the gate tower and looked down at the manor from above.

    At a cursory nce, the manor looked normal besides being empty. It looked like the owner had gone out temporarily because nothing was taken from it. It was also not ransacked, so it was evident that the ce was as the owner left it.

    Qi Xuansu jumped down from the gate tower and walked cautiously to the main hall.

    To his expectation, there were no booby traps or formations along the way. All the furnishings in the main hall were well-preserved and not cluttered. Thus, it was clear that the members of White Jade Hall did not evacuate in a panic.

    After Qi Xuansu wandered around the main hall, he went to the side hall, garden, bedroom, conservatory, and small living room before making his way to the most important room¡ªthe study.

    Every room in the manor was neat, like the main hall. However, the study was the only exception. The three walls of the study were lined with bookshelves, but at this time, the bookshelves were empty, with nothing left. There was also a huge brazier in the middle of the study filled with ashes. It was clear that someone had burned some important files here.

    In addition, there were many scattered papers on the ground. Qi Xuansu nced through them and found all kinds of information about the Imperial Court and the Daoist Order, even going so far as to detail the movements of the Imperial Army and Daoist Spirit Guards.

    However, most information was only useful for a set period of time. The information that was once worth thousands of Taiping coins no longer had any value because it was out of date.

    Qi Xuansu saw some information regarding the news that Qin Wubing was about to lead his army into the West Gobi. Before the event, it was indeed valuable confidential information. But at this moment, Qi Xuansu had already met Qin Wubing in the West Gobi, so this information was reduced to a piece of waste paper. It was no wonder that all these papers were carelessly littered about in the study.

    He walked around the huge brazier and came to the bookcase. Finally, he went to the desk, equipped with the Four Treasures of Study[1]. A piece of paper wasid out with a paperweight sitting atop it.

    Qi Xuansu hesitated for a while before picking up the paperweight and reading the letter underneath.

    This letter was intentionally left behind by the owner of this ce. No obvious characteristics could be seen from the handwriting alone, as it was the standard script.

    The letter was addressed to Madam Qi. Strictly speaking, it was written to Madam Qi¡¯s errand boy.

    The content of the letter was simple. It roughly exined the reason they had to leave this hideout, which was the Daoist Order. It even described the Daoist Order as a schizophrenic giant whose actions were uncoordinated due to having multiple personalities.

    Although this giant¡¯s limbs often fought each other, sometimes even pping itself in the face and allowing pests to gnaw at it, it was still a strong giant in its prime. It was unstoppable when it drew its sword.

    The Daoist Order was gued with fierce internal fighting, but once they reached a consensus on something, they were ruthless and unrelenting. In a short time, the Daoist Order would sweep their sword across the entire Cuowenbu. Thus, it would be difficult for members of White Jade Hall to continue residing here. This was the reason they left.

    However, the owner of this ce would still keep his word to Madam Qi and pay off his debt owed. The letter was signed off by Mountain Ghost.

    This was unexpected, but reasonable. Since White Jade Hall was a council made of multiple secret societies, the existence of Qingping Society members was expected. Qi Xuansu figured that Mountain Ghost and Madam Qi were both representatives of the Qingping Society in White Jade Hall. But for some reason, Madam Qi left and had no ns on returning any time soon.

    As for the rtionship between Mountain Ghost and Madam Qi, it seemed that they were former colleagues, or perhaps Mountain Ghost had taken over Madam Qi¡¯s position in White Jade Hall.

    Qi Xuansu read the letter again, not finding any obvious submissive tones in Mountain Ghost¡¯s word choices, so he should be on the same level as Madam Qi. Madam Qi was a B-rank member of the Qingping Society, so Mountain Ghost was probably also a B-rank member.

    That was all he could gather from the letter.

    Qi Xuansu read the letter twice more and even tried to put it over a me and soak it in water to make sure there was no hidden message. But to his disappointment, that was all there was to the letter.

    Mountain Ghost only mentioned repaying the debt but did not go into details about said debt.

    Qi Xuansu thought, <i>So... How is he nning to repay the debt? What even is the debt? Where should I collect the payment?!</i>

    ¡°Ugh! I hate how mysterious he¡¯s being!¡± Qi Xuansu cursed under his breath and put down the paperweight he had been holding.

    <i>Wait...</i>

    Qi Xuansu suddenly widened his eyes, feeling a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.

    1. Traditional Chinese must-have stationery items include brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone.?

 Chapter 231: Zero Effort

    <h4>Chapter 231: Zero Effort</h4>

    Before Qi Xuansu joined Tiangang Hallst year, he had gone to Fengtai County after inquiring about some information at The Inn. Back then, he defeated two assistant majors and a group of Green Phoenix Guards to barge into the county magistrate¡¯s office so that he could im the Xuan Jade that Madam Qi wanted.

    In the end, he found the Xuan Jade in a piece of paperweight ced in in sight on the desk in the county magistrate¡¯s study.

    Qi Xuansu looked down at the paperweight in his hand and doubtfully muttered, ¡°It can¡¯t be so coincidental, right? Or is it intentional?¡±

    All this while, the specialpass in his bag did not vibrate, indicating that it did not detect a Xuan Jade.

    Qi Xuansu ced the paperweight on the desk and took out thepass from his bag.

    Still, thepass did not respond.

    Qi Xuansu pondered for a moment before moving thepass closer, almost touching the paperweight.

    That was when thepass vibrated ever so slightly.

    Mountain Ghost actually hid the Xuan Jade in the paperweight and ced it openly on the desk, having the same idea as the Fengtai County Magistrate, Li Hongwen.

    Qi Xuansu eximed, ¡°No way! I almost missed it!¡±

    He quickly put away thepass, picked up the paperweight, and slowly exerted some force in his palm. However, there were no changes to the paperweight.

    ¡°Eh?¡± Qi Xuansu was puzzled.

    He continued to exert more force. Combining a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s brute force and a Rogue Cultivator¡¯s innate qi, Qi Xuansu could easily crush a rock. But only some minute cracks appeared on the paperweight.

    After a while, Qi Xuansu released his palm as his fingers felt a little stiff from exerting too much force.

    It was evident that the craftsmanship of professionals was much better than that of the county magistrate. The Xuan Jade was concealed so well inside the paperweight that the specialpass barely detected it at such proximity. This paperweight¡¯s toughness was also far superior to the county magistrate¡¯s.

    Left with no choice, Qi Xuansu took out his short sword, Qing Yuan, to slowly cut the paperweight along the cracks.

    A touch of green was gradually revealed as the fragments on the surface continued to peel off.

    This was the third piece of Xuan Jade that Qi Xuansu had seen.

    Qi Xuansu peeled off all the outer fragments, revealing the true appearance of the Xuan Jade hidden inside. It was somewhat simr to the knife currency in ancient times, as it was shaped like the crescent moon.

    Comparing the three Xuan Jades, the one from Fengtai County was emerald green with fewer blood-red veins, while the one from Yn Temple had more blood-red streaks inside, so it was somewhat reddish overall. This third piece of Xuan Jade from White Jade Hall had some veins, but they were not blood red. The veins were an ominous grayish-ck color.

    Qi Xuansu had personally experienced the benefits of a Xuan Jade. As long as he had enough divine power, he could activate the Xuan Jade and obtain some magical properties from it. Unfortunately, this Xuan Jade did not belong to him. It was Madam Qi¡¯s.

    He only had a brief battle with the angel and devil on his shoulders before he finally decided to contact Madam Qi using the mother-child talisman.

    Soon, Madam Qi¡¯s upper-body projection appeared in front of Qi Xuansu.

    ¡°I got the stuff. It¡¯s this thing, right?¡± Qi Xuansu waved the Xuan Jade in his hand.

    Madam Qi nodded. ¡°Yup, that¡¯s it. I heard that something big is happening in Cuowenbu right now, so I thought you wouldn¡¯t be able to make it there. How are you? Are you injured?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t get injured. I even had a small gain. But I did almost give up on finding White Jade Hall¡¯s hideout. By the time I found it, Mountain Ghost had already disappeared. But he left a letter and this thing, saying it was repayment for his debt.¡± Qi Xuansu reported.

    Madam Qi¡¯s eyes swept over the Xuan Jade before sizing up Qi Xuansu. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re alright.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Where should I meet you now?¡±

    Madam Qi shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m very busy now and don¡¯t have time to meet up with you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled. ¡°How can I give you the Xuan Jade if I don¡¯t see you? Should I get someone to send it to you?¡±

    Madam Qi said casually, ¡°I told you a long time ago that besides collecting the payment, I left some things for you in White Jade Hall that you could just take as you please.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was stunned.

    Madam Qi continued, ¡°The thing I left behind is the payment that I asked you to collect. If you can collect it, it¡¯s yours. But if you give up, or if someone else gets to it first, or if Mountain Ghost reneged on his debt, then it¡¯s your loss. It has nothing to do with me.¡±

    Qi Xuansu lowered his head to stare at the Xuan Jade in his hand before looking up at Madam Qi in disbelief. After a long time, he stuttered, ¡°B-But...it¡¯s a Xuan Jade...¡±

    ¡°So what if it¡¯s a Xuan Jade? I¡¯m not Li Changge. I have no interest in this!¡± Madam Qi scoffed.

    Qi Xuansu heard a familiar name and could not help but ask, ¡°Madam Qi, did you just mention Li Changge?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Li Changge, as in <i><u>THE</u></i> Li Changge from the Taiping Sect who ranked first on the Ruyi Leaderboard?¡± Qi Xuansu rified.

    Madam Qi was getting a little annoyed. ¡°Yes, that one. Didn¡¯t you already know that the Taiping Sect was looking for Xuan Jades? Then didn¡¯t you wonder why the Taiping Sect wanted to gather Xuan Jades or who they nned to give them to? It can¡¯t be for that old geezer Li Changgeng himself, right?¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Who¡¯s Li Changgeng?¡±

    Madam Qipletely lost her patience. ¡°You fool! Who else could it be?! Li Changgeng is the Great Sage of the Taiping Sect and the Imperial Preceptor, who is also the current Great Sage Lunzhi!¡±

    Qi Xuansu was used to being scolded by Madam Qi, so it did not bother him one bit. ¡°Oh, the Imperial Preceptor. So he¡¯s named after the constetions too, like Zhang Yuelu. I wonder what his courtesy name is.¡±

    Madam Qi said sarcastically, ¡°Go ahead and ask him yourself.¡±

    Qi Xuansuughed dryly and did not respond. He finally understood that not everyone from the Taiping Sect was looking for the Xuan Jade. They were just under the orders of the dominant Li family to gather Xuan Jades for Li Changge, not the Imperial Preceptor himself.

    This made sense. Perhaps that ¡°genius¡± from the Li family was transformed by the Xuan Jade, not natural born. Before Qi Xuansu came across the Xuan Jade at Yn Temple, he was only at the Kunlun stage. But after the Xuan Jade¡¯s transformation, his cultivation had advanced a level to the Yuxu stage. He even made it on the Ruyi Leaderboard. That was just the effect of one Xuan Jade.

    Being the groomed sessor of the Taiping Sect, Li Changge would certainly get more than one piece of Xuan Jade. Thus, it made sense that Li Changge could surpass Zhang Yuelu to rank first on the Ruyi Leaderboard.

    Qi Xuansu pretended to hesitate as he said, ¡°Madam Qi...¡±

    Madam Qi rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Just spit it out and stop beating around the bush.¡±

    Hearing this, Qi Xuansu quickly seized the opportunity. ¡°Madam Qi, you mentioned that all Xuan Jades were different. Besides the Xuan Jade of Life, there are other Xuan Jades with different magical powers. The same type of Xuan Jade can even have superimposed effects.

    ¡°So if I can get another piece of the Xuan Jade of Life, my blood qi will be stronger, and my body regenerative abilities can be further strengthened to the point that I can be almost immortal. But the Xuan Jade I¡¯m holding now is clearly not the Xuan Jade of Life. What type of Xuan Jade is this, then?¡±

    Madam Qi answered directly, ¡°This is the Xuan Jade of Death.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered for a while before saying, ¡°Does it mean this piece of Xuan Jade can cause sudden death?!¡±

    ¡°You idiot!¡± Madam Qi berated him again. ¡°Did your Xuan Jade of Life resurrect dead people? Since the Xuan Jade of Life can¡¯t bring people back from the dead, then why do you assume that the Xuan Jade of Death will cause sudden death?¡±

    Madam Qi paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°The function of this piece of Xuan Jade is to control the underworld. In other words, you will be able to control corpses, ghosts, zombies, and even some Daoist creations. However, this piece of Xuan Jade is not whole. Just as your iplete Xuan Jade of Life can¡¯t allow you to have an immortal body, this iplete Xuan Jade of Death can¡¯t allow you to control too many of these creatures. Anyway, you can explore its functions slowly.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pouted. ¡°But activating the Xuan Jade requires divine power. Last time, I was lucky enough to get some of that free divine power from Wu Luo. Where can I find divine power this time? Madam Qi, you¡¯re so resourceful and omnipotent. Can you lend me¡ª¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Madam Qi cut him off. ¡°I¡¯m not your mother.¡±

    ¡°Madam Qi, that¡¯s not right. You definitely regarded me as a son when you used me of forgetting about you after getting to know Zhang Yuelu. Why is it that you instantly disown me when I want to borrow money?¡± Qi Xuansu protested.

    Madam Qi was unmoved. ¡°Don¡¯t push it. Even if you were my biological son, I still wouldn¡¯t give you a coin. I have something to do, so I¡¯ll contact you again when necessary.¡±

    After that, Madam Qi cut off themunication of the mother-child talisman.

    All Qi Xuansu could do was sigh in resignation as he stared at the ashes of the mother-child talisman in his hand.

 Chapter 232: Subsequent Events (I)

    <h4>Chapter 232: Subsequent Events (I)</h4>

    Qi Xuansu did not stay in White Jade Hall¡¯s hidden valley for long. After getting the Xuan Jade, he immediately returned the same way and left the Eastern Oasis, heading to Xiping Prefecture.

    Not long after Qi Xuansu left, the Daoist Order officially began exacting revenge.

    Three Yinglong Warships swept across the entire West Gobi, bringing along strong winds and heavy rain. Thunderbolts and mes from the sky rained down on the desert.

    Everyone who was trapped there suffered immensely. Even the ck Robes sustained some losses. However, the ck Robes did not react to the Daoist Order¡¯s operation, seemingly out of guilt. They just huddled in the old local government buildings, which were safe havens among the inferno in the West Gobi.

    After the three Yinglong Warships left, a battalion of Spirit Guards from Tiangang Hall arrived and barged into several local government buildings to arrest all suspicious persons. Therefore, the ck Robes had no choice but to retreat to the edge of the West Gobi.

    On the other side, Kunlun Daoist Mansion sent its personnel to the Eastern Oasis to search for suspicious persons.

    Different from the arrest operations before, the Daoist Order was unforgiving this time. It looked more like a battle scene from the war between the Daoist Order and the Shamanistic Sect in the Western Region. This showcased the Daoist Order¡¯s terrifying strength that was capable of annihting an entire city.

    In addition, all local Daoist mansions had received orders from the Golden Tower Council to simultaneously arrest all secret society members within their territory, mainly those from the Lingshan Witch Cult.

    Thousands of cult members were arrested by the Daoist Order as a result. They were either executed on the spot or thrown into a prison specially set up by the Daoist Order. Those prisoners would never see the light of day again in this life.

    The Daoist Order¡¯s wrath was like a huge storm, starting from the West Gobi and spreading in all directions.

    Those who were lucky enough to escape the disaster quickly went into hiding, waiting for this storm to pass.

    As a result, the secret societies that had been causing trouble some time ago suddenly disappeared. The Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly became a joke. This also made many people realize that the Daoist Order was still as powerful as ever. What the Daoist Ordercked was not strength but a qualified leader.

    As long as the seventh-generation Grand Master did not repeat the mistakes of the sixth-generation Grand Master and solve the infighting within the Daoist Order, these external issues would mean nothing.

    As the sixth-generation Grand Master once mentioned, the most serious troubles in the Daoist Order were never external but within the Order and the Golden Tower.

    Of course, another famous quote was from the fourth-generation Grand Master. ¡°Everything is intertwined, and that is where the problem lies.¡±

    Although the fourth-generation Grand Master was referring to the rtionship between the Imperial Court and the Daoist Order, his famous quote still applied to the Daoist Order and the secret societies.

    However, all these had nothing to do with Qi Xuansu. Thanks to Qin Wubing and Qin Xiang, Qi Xuansu was not listed as a suspicious person. He had three tokens of identity at the moment: his Daoist priest certificate, the Qingping Society¡¯s fish talisman, and the ck Robes¡¯ badge.

    If he came across a blockade by the Daoist Order, he could just show his ck Robes¡¯ badge to pass through without any obstructions.

    Although many secret society members had dual identities, not everyone could achieve this, as most ordinary secret society members were onlybeled as cult demons.

    From this point of view, Qi Xuansu was not an ordinary secret society member.

    Qi Xuansu returned to Xiping Prefecture without any hindrance. The city was under martialw, and the gatekeeping was strict. Relevant proof was needed for entry, especially for people like Qi Xuansu, whose weapons were on full disy. However, he was allowed entry with that badge. The sentry leader, who was originally a little hostile, also became friendlier.

    After Qi Xuansu passed the checkpoint, he casually chatted with the sentry leader. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly already concluded? What¡¯s going on now?¡±

    The sentry leader said, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t you know? It¡¯s because of those cult demons again. It has been going on for several days now. But if you ask me, it¡¯s about time that we eradicate those demons. I¡¯ve had enough of their nonsense.¡±

    Qi Xuansu shrugged. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been on the road, so I haven¡¯t been up to date with the news.¡±

    The sentry leader asked, ¡°Brother, did youe from the west?¡±

    ¡°I just came from the West Gobi.¡± Qi Xuansu added, ¡°There¡¯s also a big fuss over there. I¡¯m just so confused over everything that¡¯s happening recently.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, man.¡± The sentry leader regarded Qi Xuansu as one of the ck Robes, so he did not hide anything. ¡°I heard that the Daoist Order has upied the West Gobi, but I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s true. It seems that something big must have happened there.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had seen the Yinglong Warship floating on the surface of Cuowenbu Lake, so he knew for a fact that something big had happened. He shook his head in dismay. ¡°All of this is too high-level for minions like us. As long as the higher-ups don¡¯t involve us in this, I¡¯ll happily do my duty.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡± The sentry leader nodded. ¡°All we want is peace.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sped his fists in salute. ¡°Brother, I have to get going now. I¡¯ll treat you to a drink next time.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing!¡± The sentry leader did not take the polite offer seriously and returned the salute.

    Qi Xuansu entered the city and wanted to find a ce to rest. Logically speaking, the Taiping Inn operated by the Daoist Order was undoubtedly the best ce to settle down for the night. However, Qi Xuansu was short of money with only 300 Taiping coins left, so he needed to be frugal.

    That was when he decided to go to the Qingping Society contact point in the city. But he was unsure if there would be any changes with the contact points since there was a crackdown on secret societies recently.

    When Qi Xuansu came to the contact point, he found that it was the same as usual. This made sense because the Qingping Society¡¯s contact points were only open to its members and not open for business like The Inn and the Seven Treasure Pavilion.

    Moreover, the Qingping Society valued quality over quantity in terms of membership, unlike some secret societies that had tens of thousands of members. The Qingping Society was considered to be the most mysterious among the major secret associations.

    More importantly, the Qingping Society had a close rtionship with the Daoist Order, with ties to the top leaders of the Daoist Order. Thus, as long as the Daoist Order was not targeting the Qingping Society specifically, it would not be affected.

    Qi Xuansu quietly came to the contact point. The same woman received him and arranged a ce for him, providing him with clothing, food, medicine, and hot water.

    After Qi Xuansu washed up, he began to n his next steps.

    Although he had obtained a piece of the Xuan Jade of Death, it needed to be activated with divine power or incense power, which he had no clue how to get. Thus, he thought it was best if he took the Blood Pill first. That way, if he could advance to the Guizhen stage, he could search for divine power with less effort.

    However, the medicinal power of the Blood Pill was too potent. Qi Xuansu knew he could not consume it rashly and had to refine it first. The key ingredient was a thing called Jade Liquor.

    <i>Ancient Immortals and Daoists used the term ¡°Golden Elixir¡± to symbolize the spiritual nature of something enduring, unbreakable, perfect, and pure. Confucians referred to it as the Taiji, while Buddhists called it the Perfect Enlightenment. Although the names differed, they referred to the same thing. Cultivating this essence in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism made one a Savant, a Buddha, and an Immortal, respectively.</i>

    <i>To cultivate the ¡°Golden Elixir Path,¡± one had to use the physical body as the furnace, the essence and energy within as the ingredients, and the spirit as the fire. Immortality could be achieved by unifying these elements.</i>

    <i>A Jade Liquid was needed for achieving the Golden Elixir. Thus, the Huasheng Hall created a Jade Liquor following this concept. Jade Liquor on its own could not improve one¡¯s cultivation level, but it could help elerate the refinement of medicinal power and prevent potential adverse effects. With the Jade Liquor, one would not need to worry about strong medicinal power backfiring and harming one¡¯s body.</i>

    If Qi Xuansu was still in Tiangang Hall, it would have been easy for him to buy Jade Liquor from Huasheng Hall. At worst, he would have to ask Zhang Yuelu to buy it for him. However, Qi Xuansu had lost his Daoist identity, so it would be difficult for him to get it from Huasheng Hall. Thus, he could only try his luck on the ck market operated by the Seven Treasure Pavilion.

    However, there were some issues with this n. With the crackdown on secret societies, Seven Treasure Pavilion might not be open for business. Even if the ck market was open, Qi Xuansu would not have enough money to buy the Jade Liquor.

    Where could he get money? Clearly, borrowing from Madam Qi was out of the question. That miser was adamant about keeping money and not letting a coin go. She had also warned him not to push his luck with her.

    The Inn would have been a good ce to earn money. But Qi Xuansu did not want to be affiliated with them during this time due to the incident at the reimednd, so as not to get implicated. He had to find another way to make money.

 Chapter 233: Subsequent Events (II)

    <h4>Chapter 233: Subsequent Events (II)</h4>

    Qi Xuansu was out of ideas. Since the first day of the month had already passed, he could not attend the dream meeting and had to wait until the fifteenth.

    He wanted to contact Madam Qi and ask if he could cut the Blood Pill into portions for consumption. But after some thought, he gave up on the idea. Madam Qi seemed very busy, and he did not have many mother-child talismans left, so he could not use them indiscriminately, lest he could not contact Madam Qi at a critical moment.

    Moreover, Qi Xuansu thought it was a bad idea. An uncut watermelon could be stored for weeks, but if it was cut open, it would go bad in two days. He assumed that this concept applied to pills too. So perhaps cutting the Blood Pill would make it lose efficacy.

    Qi Xuansu decided to stay in the Qingping Society¡¯s contact point to cultivate while waiting for the dream meeting in the middle of the month.

    ......

    Compared with the Qingping Society¡¯s calmness, the undercurrents within the Daoist Order finally augmented into turbulent waves.

    Zhang Yuelu, dressed in formal attire, went to the special port on the Yuzhu Peak with Mu Jin.

    There was no formation covering Yuzhu Peak, so the cold winds howled, billowing Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hechang.

    Mu Jin shivered as a gust of cold wind brushed past her skin, carrying some snowkes along with it. She looked up at the dim sky before turning to the calmke ahead.

    Ordinary flying ships could not dock here, as this was the special port for the Daoist Order¡¯s warships.

    A once-majestic warship on the verge of copsing floated on this huge manmadeke. Its frame was teetering, but it was so gargantuan that it made the people below seem like ants.

    The Daoist Order had dispatched 4 Omniscient Sages and 12 ordinary Sages to bring this warship back to Kunlun, using a lot of material resources and formations.

    Originally, they only wanted to bring back the most precious Dragon Pearls and part of the keel made of dragon skeletons, but the Golden Tower Council decided to bring the entire warship back to Kunlun to serve as a reminder to the Daoist Order.

    A crowd gathered around, everyone with glum and solemn expressions.

    The atmosphere was depressing.

    Zhang Yuelu was expressionless as she stared at the giant Yinglong Warship.

    At this moment, a ck spot grew in size mid-air until it upied almost half of the sky. Everyone¡¯s attention turned to the ck mass. The already depressing mood became more somber.

    This was another Yinglong Warship, descending from a high altitude at great speed.

    A few Sages approached the warship, while the rest, who were not yet Heavenly Beings, had to stand where they were on the shore.

    The giant warshipnded on the surface of theke that would never freeze all year round due to a formation. The mist below the warship turned into rime, creating a foggy, mystical whitendscape all around.

    However, at this time, no one was in the mood to appreciate such a spectacle. All eyes were on the deck of the Yinglong Warship.

    A ramp wide enough for four people to walk side by side was lowered. The first to appear was a group of high-ranking Spirit Guards in ck armor withplex talismans printed on them. The ck armor waspletely different from the armor of the ck Robes. It was deep and mysterious, like the night sky, capable of sucking one¡¯s soul. Thus, no one would dare look into it directly. Swords hung on their waists while they held a long spear in one hand and arge shield in the other.

    After the Spirit Guards disembarked, they lined up on both sides of the ramp in a fanned-out formation and stood upright.

    In an era when firearms flourished, the Daoist priests of Tiangang Hall were issued guns. However, these Spirit Guards still relied on swords, spears, and shields as their basic weapons.

    The lowest rank among these high-ranking Spirit Guards was at the fourth rank. The two leading the way were third-rank Spirit Guards.

    Following behind this batch of Spirit Guards were four second-rank Spirit Guards carrying an ebony coffin covered with white brocade. They walked down the ramp step by step.

    These heavy footsteps seemed to leave an impact on everyone¡¯s heart. Given the gravity of the situation, everyone held their breaths.

    In the coffiny Shangguan Jing, the Seventh Deputy Hall Master of Tiangang Hall who had perished in battle. He was second-rank Taiyi Daoist Master, making him the highest-ranking Daoist priest who had died in battle in recent years.

    Although there were differences between an Omniscient Sage and an ordinary Sage, all Sages were of the second rank. The highest rank among the casualties from the flying ship crashst time was the fourth rank. This time, the highest rank among the casualties was a second-rank Daoist master. A Yinglong Warship was also destroyed.

    Thus, everyone who was not a first-rank Tianzhen Daoist master was worried that they would one day be a victim of such an attack.

    Even those who were not on good terms with Shangguan Jing felt sad at this moment.

    Thest ones who disembarked were Sage Cihang, the Tiangang Hall Master, and the Kunlun Daoist Mansion Master. The three Sages did not fly back to Kunlun but returned on the Yinglong Warship like ordinary disciples.

    The Tiangang Hall Master remained calm, making it impossible for anyone to read his expression.

    However, everyone knew that this well-known Omniscient Sage would have to bear most of the responsibility for this incident, and his future was uncertain.

    In the distance, a bell rang in the north, shaking everyone¡¯s heart.

    This was the death knell.

    Zhang Yuelu closed her eyes, deep in thought.

    Mu Jin sped her hands together and whispered the Deliverance Sutra.

    Many others were like Mu Jin, whispering sutras and prayers. Thus, their murmurs echoed on the Yuzhu Peak along with the death knell in the distance. Gradually, other bells echoed in the distance, mourning this tragedy.

    Four second-rank Spirit Guards carried Shangguan Jing¡¯s coffin toward Jade Capital on Yuxu Peak, apanied by the Tiangang Hall Master and the Kunlun Daoist Mansion Master.

    Sage Donghua, who ranked first among the 36 Omniscient Sages, would receive the procession outside Jade Capital on behalf of the Great Sage Lunzhi, showing the importance and honor of this death.

    However, Sage Cihang stopped next to Zhang Yuelu.

    Before Zhang Yuelu said a word, Mu Jin took the initiative to leave. The other disciples around them also gave the master and disciple some privacy.

    Sage Cihang and Zhang Yuelu walked side by side.

    Zhang Yuelu asked in a whisper, ¡°Master, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    Sage Cihang replied, ¡°Without evidence, we must not say anything.¡±

    Hearing this, Zhang Yuelu understood.

    Sage Cihang continued, ¡°Shangguan Jing seemed to be aware of what was happening, but he was attacked when he was still hesitating whether to report this matter to the Daoist Order. He did not expect Wu Luo toe so quickly.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu gritted her teeth and muttered, ¡°Wu Luo, again. This Ancient Immortal is so arrogant!¡±

    Sage Cihang shook her head. ¡°This is nothing to her. Back then, Wu Luo was the main instigator in the murder of Wu Xian, the owner of Lingshan and the leader of the Ten Great Witches. Wu Xian could be considered the founder of Ancient Wuism. The Ten Great Witches of Lingshan were as close as sisters, yet Wu Luo dared to attack her eldest sister. So, killing people from the Daoist Order means nothing to her.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was silent for a moment before she grumbled. ¡°A blood debt must be paid by blood.¡±

    Sage Cihang did not respond to that. Instead, she said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the Earthly Preceptor¡¯s foresight this time, the situation could have been worse.¡±

    ¡°What could be worse than this?¡± Zhang Yuelu could not help but add, ¡°So many people are dead.¡±

    Sage Cihang exined, ¡°Some managed to survive. Blood sacrifice usually means that those who passed wouldn¡¯t have peace even after death.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu fell silent immediately.

    Sage Cihang sighed. ¡°All the external problems of the Daoist Order stem from our internal issues. No one would dare pull such a stunt during the fifth-generation Grand Master¡¯s term.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not ask who Sage Cihang was referring to.

    Sage Cihang added, ¡°You must be mentally prepared. This is just the beginning. The world is unkind, and we are expendable to those in power. To them, the dead is just a number. The undercurrents are surging, creating high tides that neither you nor I can stop.¡±

 Chapter 234: Escort (I)

    <h4>Chapter 234: Escort (I)</h4>

    After a few months, Qi Xuansu finally came to the Qingping Society¡¯s dream meeting again on February 15th.

    It was exactly the same as before. The magnificent hall was surrounded by fog. Everything was hazy and blurry, making it difficult to see clearly. There was also no roof overhead, but a vast starry sky.

    The only difference was in the number of participants. This dream meeting seemed particrly livelypared to the previous few times. It was more like a bustling market at the moment. Qi Xuansu wondered if it was because of the festive season or because of the crackdown happening.

    Qi Xuansu looked around for Madam Qi. He found her effortlessly because she was the center of attention, like a moon surrounded by countless stars.

    Madam Qi was standing on a step with a crowd gathered below.

    Of course, these people did not gather around her because they were attracted by her appearance, especially since everyone¡¯s real appearance was shrouded by smoke. Even if they could see Madam Qi¡¯s true appearance, she was an olddy who could not bepared to a young and beautiful girl.

    However, what those young and beautiful girlscked were Madam Qi¡¯s skills, connections, and capabilities. That was why there was a crowd gathered around Madam Qi.

    Qi Xuansu remembered Madam Qi once said that the fish talisman could be manifested in dreams because it was made of dream stone. The manifestation would be harder for a Martial Arts Practitioner and easier for a Diviner, but it could be done. As long as one visualized the fish talisman, it would appear in the dream meeting.

    After manifesting the fish talisman, one could establish contact with other people through the fish talismans. That way, both parties would feel a tug through the fish talismans when they were present in the dream meeting. If the connection was no longer needed afterward, it could also be severed easily.

    Judging from this scene, it seemed that Madam Qi¡¯s fish talisman had established connections with countless people.

    Under such circumstances, Qi Xuansu did not even know if there was a point in Madam Qi covering up her appearance.

    Qi Xuansu did not step forward but just patiently watched from a distance. He only went to see her after she had finished handling all the matters at hand and the crowd around her gradually dispersed.

    Since so many people were looking for Madam Qi for business, no one paid attention to Qi Xuansu¡¯s identity.

    ¡°You¡¯re here!¡± Madam Qi did not look up, as she was engrossed in her ount book that she had manifested. This made Qi Xuansu wonder if this ount book was also made of dream stones.

    Qi Xuansu did not beat around the bush this time. ¡°Madam Qi, I¡¯m out of Taiping coins. Do you have any jobs I can do to make money?¡±

    Madam Qi finally closed the ount book, cleared the fog from her face, and asked, ¡°What do you want the money for?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°I gained a Blood Pill, but I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be too potent to consume directly. So I¡¯ll need to buy a Jade Liquor to neutralize it. I also don¡¯t mind running an errand in exchange for a bottle of Jade Liquor.¡±

    Madam Qi scoffed. ¡°I have never heard of anyone using Jade Liquor as payment, but there are many people who will pay with Taiping coins.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Qi Xuansu waited excitedly.

    Madam Qi did not rush to assign tasks to Qi Xuansu. She remarked, ¡°You¡¯ve cked off recently. In the past, you wouldn¡¯t wait until you had no money beforeing to me.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Qi Xuansu was puzzled.

    Madam Qi looked at him. ¡°Do you know what a man¡¯s greatest weakness is?¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head.

    Madam Qiughed. ¡°Most men¡¯s weakness is not themselves but their family members. That¡¯s why bold young men often be more timid when they start building a family. They will be more cautious, as they are always thinking about their responsibilities as a father and husband. In a way, they live for others.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not know what to say.

    Madam Qi continued, ¡°Did you see those people who were begging me for help? All of them have families to support, so it¡¯s easy for me to manipte them. They have no choice but to ept my terms, and they won¡¯t dare to offend me. On the contrary, most bachelors like you who only worry about themselves are the real thorn in the side. They can do whatever they like without scruples. Apart from using force and threatening their lives, I don¡¯t really have any other ideas to restrain them.¡±

    Qi Xuansu touched his chin. ¡°So, if there are too many bachelors, wouldn¡¯t they be a source of chaos?¡±

    Madam Qi chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s why I introduced you to Miss Zhang. Tell me honestly, you¡¯ve thought of giving up on searching for White Jade Hall, right?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was speechless.

    Seeing this, Madam Qi returned to the topic. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get down to business. I have an escort job entrusted to me by an old friend.¡±

    ¡°Escort?¡± Qi Xuansu pondered for a while. ¡°Like an escort guard apanying a convoy of valuables? The kind that needs to know secret codes and bribe mountain bandits to get through their tolls?¡±

    Madam Qi said, ¡°This escort mission is a bit special. There is no convoy or cargo. You will be escorting another person.¡±

    ¡°Like a bodyguard?¡± Qi Xuansu was even more surprised.

    Madam Qi exined, ¡°To put it bluntly, I want you to escort someone from one location to another.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had been running errands for Madam Qi for a long time. He immediately noticed something was wrong. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that simple, huh?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s really not that simple. Do you know about the Daoist Order¡¯s major Jiangnan case?¡± Madam Qi asked.

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Yes, Qing Xiao told me about it. She narrowly escaped death when she was responsible for handling this case. When Qing Xiao and I went to Yunjin Mountain, we also encountered a group of assassins seemingly rted to this case.¡±

    Madam Qi nodded. ¡°This case involved many people and caused a big impact. In the end, a second-rank Taiyi Daoist priest was executed.¡±

    Qi Xuansu added, ¡°I¡¯m aware of this. The original Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master was transferred away because of this.¡±

    ¡°Then do you know who the executed Sage was?¡± Madam Qi asked.

    Qi Xuansu shook his head.

    Madam Qi continued, ¡°Well since you don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll tell you. This Sage was Fang Linhou, the former Deputy Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master. After the major Jiangnan case, Beichen Hall immediately dispatched two Deputy Hall Masters and arge number of Spirit Guards to arrest Fang Linhou and escort him back to Jade Capital. During the Golden Tower Council discussion, Sage Donghua proposed to use Fang Linhou as a wedge so as to force a gap between the wood to reveal the mastermind behind this. That way, they couldpletely solve the problem from the root.¡±

    ¡°But in the end, only Fang Linhou died, right?¡± Qi Xuansu chimed in.

    Madam Qi nodded. ¡°Because that was a metal block that wouldn¡¯t budge. Better yet, if the wedge was broken, there would be no chance of seeing any cracks."

    Qi Xuansu was no longer surprised by Madam Qi¡¯s knowledge of these inside stories. The Qingping Society was known for being resourceful, and Madam Qi was undoubtedly a well-informed member. With her connections, it would not be difficult for her to get inside information.

    Madam Qi continued, ¡°At that time, Beichen Hall and Fengxian Hall jointly tried the case. Fang Linhou wanted to survive, so he asked his family to send cash notes worth 100,000 Taiping coins to the Deputy Beichen Hall Master who was responsible for the case.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°And then?¡±

    Madam Qi sneered. ¡°Fang Linhou didn¡¯t expect to keep his position or even his rank as a Sage. He only wanted to live. But since he was named by Sage Donghua to be used as a wedge, his death was a done deal. No one could save him.

    ¡°Even so, the Deputy Beichen Hall Master epted the money and agreed. During the court hearing, the Deputy Beichen Hall Master took out the cash notes worth 100,000 Taiping coins and handed them over to Fengxian Hall as evidence of bribery. This gave Fang Linhou the final blow, and he was executed immediately.¡±

    Qi Xuansu felt a chill on his back. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s low.¡±

    Madam Qi sneered. ¡°That Deputy Hall Master only gave up 100,000 Taiping coins because they had millions of Taiping coins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was confused.

    Madam Qi exined, ¡°As Sage Donghua said, Fang Linhou was just an abandoned pawn. He was involved in the game, but he was not an important figure. No matter what, Fengxian Hall wouldn¡¯t get anything useful from the investigation. Fang Linhou, like most men, had a family that he wanted to protect. So he dared not oust the mastermind because he did not want his wife and children to die with him.¡±

    Qi Xuansu gasped.

    Madam Qi asked, ¡°Tian Yuan, if Fang Linhou died, who do you think will get his kickbacks?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was silent for a while before he said, ¡°In that case, Fang Linhou must die.¡±

    Madam Qi sighed. ¡°If you can return to the Daoist Order in the future, you will also encounter this kind of problem. Sometimes, you will have no choice but to follow orders, even when knowing that something is wrong, just because your superiors ordered you to do it. If you disobey, they will immediately rece you with someone obedient. But when the timees to hold someone ountable, you will have to shoulder the responsibility.¡±

    Madam Qi said with a faint smile, ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s good to have a backer, like your Miss Zhang. No one can force her to do anything she doesn¡¯t want to. But even with such strong backers, there are still people who want to kill her. You witnessed it yourself. Tian Yuan, don¡¯t think that you¡¯ve seen how the world works just because you¡¯ve traveled around and met many people. The real world is like regr metal swords, while the Daoist Order is like a top-grade flying sword that can behead you from afar.¡±

 Chapter 235: Escort (II)

    <h4>Chapter 235: Escort (II)</h4>

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°You mean, I need to escort Fang Linhou¡¯s children?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Madam Qi said, ¡°Fang Linhou knows too many secrets and inside stories, so those people won¡¯t leave his family alone. You can¡¯t intervene in that.¡±

    Qi Xuansu breathed a sigh of relief.

    Of course, he knew that it was not something he could interfere with. Even with Zhang Yuelu¡¯s high cultivation level and Sage Cihang¡¯s, the Heavenly Preceptor¡¯s, and the Earthly Preceptor¡¯s care, Zhang Yuelu had a close brush with death. If Qi Xuansu got involved rashly, he would be dead meat.

    Blocking one¡¯s ie was akin to killing one¡¯s parents. Those people who were used to gaining kickbacks would hold a grudge against Zhang Yuelu, regardless of her background and backers.

    Qi Xuansu probed. ¡°Then who is it?¡±

    Madam Qi exined, ¡°Fang Linhou wasn¡¯t the only one involved in the major Jiangnan case. Some actively participated in the corruption scandal, while others were forced into the position. Some deserved to be executed, while some innocently took the me. But all of them knew the inside story, and they all had wives and children.

    ¡°Back then, a minion in this scandal was silenced just as Beichen Hall began their investigation. He didn¡¯t even get to step foot into Fengxian Hall to be interrogated. He was a widower, and he only had one daughter. Before all this, he had a premonition, so he entrusted his daughter to someone else in advance. That caretaker is the old friend I mentioned earlier.

    ¡°Over the years, this old friend of mine has been taking care of the little girl, treating her as an adopted daughter. But my old friend needs to go on a long journey and can¡¯t take the girl with him. He¡¯s worried about her safety, so he wants to hire a bodyguard for her. After all, someone has been trying to cover their tracks and wrap things up over the years. This includes Zhang Yuelu¡¯s assassination. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded solemnly. ¡°I understand.¡±

    Madam Qi continued, ¡°There is no need to trouble a Heavenly Being with this matter since it won¡¯t be cost-effective. But my friend doesn¡¯t want someone with a low cultivation level, in case the situation goes awry. Now that you are on the Ruyi Leaderboard and you can fight against Guizhen-stage masters, I think you¡¯re quite suitable for the job. What do you think?¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered for a moment before agreeing. ¡°I think I can do the job.¡±

    Madam Qi smiled. ¡°Great! I¡¯ll give you an address so you can meet him. He may test your abilities, so be careful.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded.

    Madam Qi wrote an address on the ount book, then tore off the page and pped it onto Qi Xuansu¡¯s forehead. The piece of paper fused into Qi Xuansu¡¯s skull and appeared in his mind with the corresponding content.

    The address was somewhere in Longmen Prefecture, Zhongzhou. She wrote down a specific alley as well, so Qi Xuansu would not have to wander around like a headless fly in search of the ce, as he did with White Jade Hall.

    Zhongzhou was the center of the empire. Although the Great Xuan Dynasty did not establish its capital there, there were 13 previous dynasties that had established their capitals there in the past. Many emperors, generals, Sages, and Savants came from Zhongzhou. Daoism and Confucianism originated in this ce. The Confucian ssics flourished there. It was also where Buddhism was first transmitted to the Central ins. Therefore, Zhongzhou was known as the greatest state. Longmen Prefecture was the capital of Zhongzhou, and Peony City was the biggest city that served as the former capital of nine dynasties.

    For Qi Xuansu, this was considered his hometown because the Wanxiang Daoist Pce was located in the Longmen Prefecture, where he spent his childhood and youth.

    However, the Lower Pce of Wanxiang Daoist Pce was isted from the outside world, as orphans were not allowed to leave until after graduation.

    Thus, even though Qi Xuansu had lived in Longmen Prefecture for more than ten years, he knew nothing about the area. After graduating from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, he never went back either.

    Qi Xuansu was currently in Xiping Prefecture in Yongzhou, so he had to make quite a journey to get to Longmen Prefecture in Zhongzhou. He would have to go through Tianshui Prefecture in Liangzhou to get to Xijing Prefecture in Qinzhou. Then he would have to transfer from Qinzhou to Zhongzhou to finally arrive at Longmen Prefecture.

    If he only traveled using the official roads, the total journey would be about 1,500 kilometers. Even if he could travel 500 kilometers a day, it would still take him three days to get there.

    Unfortunately, Qi Xuansu could not travel 500 kilometers a day. In the past, before the invention of the rapid post talisman, the fastest urgent delivery would only cover 250 kilometers a day. But that was only if there was a rest stop every 10 kilometers, so riders could constantly change horses. That way, each horse could run at full speed. Some messages were so urgent that riders would force the horse to its limit until it died of exhaustion.

    Qi Xuansu was not so lucky to have multiple horses. He also did not want to tire himself or his horse to death. So at most, he could only travel about 100 kilometers a day. Setting aside some time to rest, he would travel around 50 kilometers a day on average. Using that as a benchmark, a 1500-kilometer journey would take nearly a month, or 20 days at the fastest.

    After Qi Xuansu roughly estimated the time, he asked, ¡°I¡¯ll take about a month to get there. Can he wait?¡±

    Madam Qi nodded. ¡°Yeah, he likes to n ahead, so he won¡¯t wait until thest moment to arrange these things. He still has two months before his journey, so as long as you can arrive within two months, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked again, ¡°What¡¯s the payment like?¡±

    Madam Qi stretched out one finger. ¡°A thousand Taiping coins should be enough for you to buy a bottle of Jade Liquor.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Qi Xuansu readily epted the job.

    ¡°I will send him a message now, so you should get ready to leave.¡± Madam Qi manifested her golden and purple fish talisman in her hand to send a message to her old friend.

    After saying goodbye to Madam Qi, Qi Xuansu left the dream meeting to prepare for his uing journey.

    ......

    After Shangguan Jing¡¯s body was brought back to the Jade Capital, the Golden Tower Council reached a consensus that thete Seventh Deputy Hall Master would not be held ountable for what happened and should be praised and honored after his death.

    Thus, Shangguan Jing¡¯s body traveled through Shangqing Street and passed Taiqing Square beforeying at rest in Xuan City for seven days of prayers by the Daoist priests from Ciji Hall. After that, it was transported to the cemetery in the Requiem Division of Ciji Hall to be buried.

    During the seven-day funeral service, all Omniscient Sages paid their respects to Shangguan Jing one after another. It was an unprecedented grand asion.

    However, everyone understood that this funeral was just the backdrop for the show that was about to start.

    Sure enough, the day after Shangguan Jing was buried, the Golden Tower Council held another meeting with only one purpose. They would not hold the dead ountable, but someone would still need to bear the responsibility. The first person to bear the brunt was the Tiangang Hall Master.

    Since this was a serious matter involving an Omniscient Sage, the Heavenly Preceptor, who had been staying in the Dazhen Mansion of Yunjin Mountain for a long time, and the Earthly Preceptor, who had just returned to the Chongyang Pce of Immortality in Difei Mountain, had to return to the Purple Mansion to participate in this discussion.

    The Tiangang Hall Master was prepared to take this responsibility and took the initiative to submit his resignation to the Golden Tower Council.

    To the Golden Tower Council:

    I am deeply ashamed of my ignorance, which had indirectly caused the deaths of multiple Tiangang Hall disciples. I am no longer worthy of leading Tiangang Hall, for my crimes are inexcusable. Please allow me to resign from my position as the Hall Master of Tiangang Hall. I will be eternally grateful for a chance at repentance.

    Regards,

    Ning Lingge

    Ning Lingge was the full name of the Tiangang Hall Master.

    The Imperial Preceptor, who was on duty as the Great Sage Lunzhi for this term, agreed to Ning Lingge''s resignation but still retained his status as an Omniscient Sage, so Ning Lingge could still participate in the Golden Tower Council¡¯s discussions.

    The next step was to elect a new Tiangang Hall Master. The three Deputy Grand Masters had different opinions regarding this matter. The Imperial Preceptor nominated Sage Qingwei, but the Heavenly Preceptor and the Earthly Preceptor reached an agreement and jointly rmended Sage Cihang for the position.

    The reason was that Sage Cihang had arrived in time to rescue the Yinglong Warship and other survivors. Thus, she was the best candidate to take over Tiangang Hall.

    Although the Imperial Preceptor was the Great Sage Lunzhi, he could not veto the other two Deputy Grand Masters¡¯ nomination. In addition, due to Sage Cihang¡¯s contributions and great achievements, the Imperial Preceptor had no choice but to agree with it. As apromise, the Heavenly Preceptor and the Earth Preceptor agreed to another proposal from the Imperial Preceptor.

    Sage Qingwei would take up the position of Beichen Hall Master, and the original Beichen Hall Master would be transferred to the Qizhou Daoist Mansion. Since Sage Cihang would be transferred to Tiangang Hall, she could no longer serve as the Duzhi Hall Master. Thus, the position of Duzhi Hall Master would be filled by the current Chief Deputy Duzhi Hall Master until they found a suitable candidate.

 Chapter 236: Salt Smugglers

    <h4>Chapter 236: Salt Smugglers</h4>

    Qi Xuansu spent about 50 Taiping coins to buy a horse, somepacted and bundled fodder, a windproof cloak, some food, water, medicine, and a change of clothes before leaving Xiping Prefecture.

    For Qi Xuansu, Yongzhou did not leave him many good memories. Yishan City, West Gobi, Eastern Oasis, Cuowenbu, Kunlun Pass, Starry Sea, Salt Lake, Zhaling Lake, and Jiuwa Hill were all ces he associated with cult demons and all kinds of danger.

    Thus, he dly left Yongzhou and headed for Tianshui Prefecture in Liangzhou.

    As Qi Xuansu¡¯s horse galloped on the wide official road, it stirred up a cloud of dust in its trail.

    Looking down from above, one would only see a vast in stretching as far as the eye could see, with no signs of human habitation. Most of the view was the yellow desert sand, with sparse specks of green. The gloomy and dusty sky seemed to merge with the ground, bing indistinguishable from each other.

    In the midst of it all, a small ck spot stirred up the dust. Butpared with the expanse of the ground, the movement was so small that it seemed negligible.

    The northwest was not as prosperous as Jiangnan, but one would feel liberated riding a horse in the seemingly endless desert. On the contrary, Jiangnan was too densely popted and had too many bodies of water, so it was impossible to gallop so freely like in the desert.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s horse ran for a day before Qi Xuansu decided to stop and find a leeward ce in the wild to spend the night. It was early spring, but the weather in the northwest was chilly, even more so at night. However, Qi Xuansu¡¯s strong blood qi and innate qi protected him from the cold.

    Even so, Qi Xuansu built a small fire and sat cross-legged in front of it to cultivate his innate qi.

    As he became more proficient in cultivation, Qi Xuansu no longer needed to meditate to circte his qi. He could circte his qi as long as he stayed seated in a Lotus position. He could even converse with others while cultivating.

    It was just like riding a horse. Beginners had to be extra careful. They would not dare to be distracted for fear of falling off. However, with enough practice, riding a horse became instinctive. Skilled riders could even shoot arrows, wield swords, and usessos while riding at full speed.

    After reaching the Guizhen stage, the three major Dantians in the body would open up, so the innate qi in the body would flow by itself. Thus, there would be no need to deliberately cultivate qi. It was simr to how a person could eat and sleep on a horse.

    Heavenly Beings were the unity of man and the universe, which was a different principle altogether.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu suddenly saw a group of people hurrying over from the west side.

    Qi Xuansu nced at the group, noticing that they were wearing sheepskin coats of the same style and carrying a crate with shoulder poles. The crate was filled with a white substance. Upon closer look, it turned out to be salt.

    <i>There were four types of salt, namely: sea salt,ke salt, well salt, and mineral salt. Sea salt was concentrated in coastal areas, whileke salt and mineral salt were the main types of salt avable inndlocked regions on the Central ins. There wereke salt fields around Cuowenbu and severalrge salt mines in Yongzhou.</i>

    <i>Salt was a necessity. However, salt and iron were the exclusive business of the Imperial Court and were extremely profitable. Thus, salt smugglers persisted even with repeated bans in ce.</i>

    This group of people had strong physiques and looked well-trained. That was why Qi Xuansu guessed that they were a group of salt smugglers. The poles they carried on their shoulders were heavy, weighing at least 100 kilograms.

    Although they were each carrying a heavy weight of about 100 kilograms, they could still walk swiftly. This indicated that they had some level of cultivation. Even if they were not yet Xiantian Beings, they were surely the best among Houtian Beings.

    What differentiated this gang of salt smugglers from a secret society was that their existence did not vite the Daoist Order¡¯s rules. However, the Imperial Court¡¯s crackdown on illegal salt smugglers was another matterpletely.

    These gangs involved in salt smuggling had no shortage of money. They had a wide influence and were notcking in skilled members.

    Normally, Qi Xuansu would have gone over to investigate further. However, due to the tight schedule of Madam Qi¡¯s errand, he could not afford any dys. Thus, he decided not to meddle in other people¡¯s business and hurried on his way.

    In the evening, he arrived in a small town near the border of Yongzhou and stayed at a small inn.

    Qi Xuansu did not eat the food at the inn but took out the dry rations he had prepared. Suddenly, he heard a noise from the lobby. A group of people were looking for amodation. Based on their voices, Qi Xuansu could tell that these people had some level of cultivation. Thus, Qi Xuansu peered out the door and saw the same group of salt smugglers.

    He did not care about their presence. Instead of sleeping, he continued qi training.

    In the middle of the night, Qi Xuansu suddenly woke up from his trance when he heard a noise.

    He looked out from the crack in the window and saw the group of salt smugglers carrying their crates out.

    s, Qi Xuansu¡¯s curiosity got the best of him when he saw this group of people sneaking around. So he quietly left the room and trailed them.

    In the dark night, he could vaguely see the salt smugglers carrying crates and walking rapidly in the wilderness. Qi Xuansu followed behind them silently. This gang of salt smugglers did not look back, as they seemed to be in a hurry. So they did not notice Qi Xuansu.

    Along the way, more people continued to gather from other directions, also carrying poles tied to crates filled with white salt. In the end, Qi Xuansu counted about a hundred people heading in one direction.

    After walking like this for more than an hour, the gang came to a dry river close to the border between Yongzhou and Liangzhou and finally stopped. Another group of people with carriages were waiting there.

    A man eximed, ¡°Finally!¡±

    One of the salt smugglers said, ¡°Ten tonnes of top-grade mineral salt. Do you have the money?¡±

    Based on their mannerisms, both parties were familiar with each other.

    ¡°Yeah, I had it prepared well in advance. The official cash notes of the Taiping Bank are immediately redeemable for 200 Taiping coins.¡± The man responded, ¡°The Green Phoenix Guards have been strict with their investigations recently. Large transactions are too easily exposed, so we can only do small businesses discreetly. You¡¯ve worked hard to transport salt manually.¡±

    Someone in the salt smuggling gang took the cash notes andined. ¡°There are 100 of us. After dividing the profits, we¡¯ll only get 2 Taiping coins each.¡±

    The other party said, ¡°That¡¯s a good deal! If you earn 2 Taiping coins a day, that¡¯ll be 60 Taiping coins a month. A fifth-rank Daoist priest from the Daoist Order only earns 50 Taiping coins a month. You earn more than a fifth-rank Daoist priest! Are you trying topete with a Mage?¡±

    ¡°This is hard-earned money through our sweat and blood. Not only that, we even risk being beheaded by the Green Phoenix Guard. Those Daoist priests can make money while drinking tea. How can youpare us to them?¡± A salt smuggler protested.

    The manughed. ¡°Of course we can¡¯tpare to them. They¡¯re just lucky. Brother, just ept your fate.¡±

    In the early years of the Great Xuan Dynasty before new coins were introduced, every bag of 500-gram salt from Huzhou, Wuzhou, and Jinling Prefecture was sold for 3 to 4 <i>fen</i>, which was equivalent to 30 to 40 Ruyi coins.

    Later, after salt production stabilized, a 500-gram bag of salt from Huzhou, Jiangzhou, and Wuzhou sold for 15 Ruyi coins, while a 500-gram bag of salt from Jinling Prefecture sold for 12 Ruyi coins. For ordinary people, it was considered expensive.

    Since 200 Taiping coins could buy 10,000 kilograms of mineral salt, this meant one Taiping coin could buy 50 kilograms of mineral salt. It was no wonder salt smuggling was so popr. It was indeed profitable.

    However, Qi Xuansu was greatly disappointed. He thought the group of smugglers was up to something big, but it turned out to be an illegal salt trade.

    This was the reality. Swords and bloodshed were only a small part of life. Most of the time, people just wanted to make ends meet. As long as it involved profit, even grievances and grudges were secondary.

    Just as Qi Xuansu was about to leave, he suddenly heard horses galloping in the distance. From the sound of it, more than ten horses were approaching rapidly. Someone shouted from the distance, ¡°The world is at peace with the yellow sky!¡±

    The two groups of salt smugglers were silent for a moment before someone trembled in fear. ¡°They¡¯re from the Heavenly Court...¡±

    Qi Xuansu heard it clearly from where he was hiding. He could not help but find the phrase funny.

    The original slogan this phrase was taken from was, ¡°The blue skies are gone, and the yellow sky will stand. The world is at peace in the Jiazi year.¡±

    This was a popr slogan from the Taiping Sect during an uprising about 2,000 years ago. At that time, the Zhengyi Sect was still called the Heavenly Sect, and they had just defeated Ancient Wuism. Back then, there was one generation where the Heavenly Sect entrenched Shuzhou for a generation and proimed their own king.

    The Heavenly Sect died out, establishing a new Zhengyi Sect. The Taiping Sect also abandoned this slogan. Instead, they focused on rules, principles andws.

    Unexpectedly, the Heavenly Court picked up the discarded slogan of the Taiping Sect and made it their own with some slight changes. They were truly a group of delusional people.

    After a while, the people from Heavenly Court arrived.

 Chapter 237: Jia Zi

    <h4>Chapter 237: Jia Zi</h4>

    The sound of horses galloping approached. A group of people holding torches rode over in an imposing manner. The two groups of salt smugglers dared not make a sound.

    One of the riders said, ¡°I sent you a message a few days ago to pay homage to the Heavenly Mater at the local altar. Why didn¡¯t you go?¡±

    The leader of the salt smugglers stammered, ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I... I...¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The rider questioned, ¡°Are you looking down on the Heavenly Court?¡±

    ¡°I dare not, sir.¡± The leader of the salt smugglers quickly apologized. ¡°We don¡¯t mean to show any disrespect to the Heavenly Mater. It¡¯s just that those Eagle ws are too strict recently. We¡¯re afraid of being caught and causing trouble for the Heavenly Court.¡±

    The rider snorted softly. ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s a high-sounding excuse. Since we¡¯ve crossed paths today, I will ask you again. Have you considered joining the Heavenly Court? If you join the Heavenly Court, we will be brothers in faith. If not...¡±

    The threat was obvious.

    The leader of the salt smugglers mumbled, ¡°I am willing to join the Heavenly Court.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± The man pped his hands. ¡°Now that you have joined the Heavenly Court, we¡¯re one big family, hence we¡¯ll share all blessings and hardships. The Heavenly Court has a rule that all members must pay tribute to the Golden Patriarch every month. The more you give, the greater your sincerity, and the greater the blessings!¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± The leader of the salt smugglers held a cash note and handed it over to the rider.

    The man took the cash note, nced at it casually, and snorted slightly, seemingly dissatisfied with the amount. However, he still kept the cash note in his sleeve pockets and nced at the other group of salt smugglers with carriages.

    The leader of the other gang of salt smugglers chuckled dryly. ¡°I... I¡¯m from Liangzhou...¡±

    The Heavenly Court had altars in various ces, and they were not allowed to cross their respective boundaries. Although the man was a little displeased to hear this, he did not want to start a dispute with the neighboring altar. So he waved his hand in dismissal. ¡°Fine, you may leave.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, my lord.¡± The other group of salt smugglers scurried away without taking the painstakingly delivered mineral salt.

    The rider turned to the original group of salt smugglers that Qi Xuansu was following. ¡°This is Lord Jia Zi of our Heavenly Court. His Reverence rarelyes out, so it is your honor to be able to see him today.¡±

    The salt smugglers bowed to Jia Zi.

    This "lord" looked to be in his forties with average-looking features. He was dressed in a luxurious brocade robe and had a noble aura.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu did not want to get involved with the Heavenly Court again and slowly backed away.

    However, Qi Xuansu underestimated Jia Zi. As soon as he moved, Jia Zi noticed it immediately and shouted, ¡°Who¡¯s out there?!¡±

    Qi Xuansu had no choice but to step forward.

    The Heavenly Court members were shocked, as they did not expect someone to be watching them in the dark. Just as they were about to step forward, they were stopped by Jia Zi.

    Jia Zi did not make a move. Instead, he sized up Qi Xuansu. To his surprise, the young man was not frightened by his presence and even met his gaze calmly.

    ¡°Announce yourself,¡± Jia Zi dered.

    Qi Xuansu cupped his fists. ¡°Sure¡ª¡±

    The moment Qi Xuansu raised his arms in salutation, the murderous intent on Jia Zi¡¯s face flickered for a split second.

    Qi Xuansu kept his guard up, so he noticed Jia Zi¡¯s fleeting murderous gaze. The whole time, he had forgotten that he still had the ck Robes badge hanging on his waist. Thus, when he cupped his fists, the cloak he was wearing parted, and Jia Zi caught a glimpse of his badge.

    Sure enough, Jia Zi shouted, ¡°He¡¯s with the ck Robes!¡±

    The members of the Heavenly Court behind Jia Zi rushed toward Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu did not waste any time. He swung his cloak, pulled out the two cusses from his waist, and injected some qi into them. The des ignited in a zing me, which stood out in the night.

    These Heavenly Court members were not mediocre. Most of them were the top among Houtian Beings, and some of them were Xiantian Beings in the Kunlun stage. If Qi Xuansu had to face this group of peoplest year when he was still in the Kunlun stage, he would be in a difficult position. Unfortunately for them, the current Qi Xuansu was much more powerful than before.

    Qi Xuansu rushed into the crowd like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, brandishing his two cusses. Before the de even touched his opponents, the hot air struck their faces, burning their hair and eyebrows.

    Thus, no one dared to snatch the cusses from Qi Xuansu¡¯s hands. In addition, Qi Xuansu¡¯s swordsmanship was elusive. He managed to kill one person with every step he took. In the blink of an eye, five people had dropped to the ground like flies.

    With Qi Xuansu¡¯s rapid movements, the tail marks of the mes were connected, resembling a huge fire wheel in the dark night.

    A Kunlun-stage middle-aged man held a ive with both hands and mmed it down at Qi Xuansu¡¯s head.

    Qi Xuansu blocked this big ive using the cuss on his left hand.

    The middle-aged man was horrified because Qi Xuansu managed to block his ive with brute strength. He thought, <i>Is he a Martial Arts Practitioner? Or is this his natural power?</i>

    However, before the middle-aged man could delve into that thought, Qi Xuansu had already pierced through the man¡¯s heart with the cuss on his right hand.

    A secondter, Qi Xuansu saw two people in the distance aiming their guns at him. So he flung out both cusses, killing the two gunmen instantly.

    Someone took the opportunity to attack when he saw that Qi Xuansu had lost his weapon. As a result, Qi Xuansu punched him in the face, turning his head into mush.

    Another man seized the opportunity to chop Qi Xuansu¡¯s shoulders with two heavy axes, hoping he could sever Qi Xuansu¡¯s arms. However, Qi Xuansu grabbed that man¡¯s chest and lifted him overhead. Qi Xuansu then mmed the man down head-first into the ground. The man¡¯s head was buried in the sand while his feet were sticking out, like a sprouting green onion.

    Seeing a grown man being nted into the ground like a vegetable, the few people who were thinking of attacking Qi Xuansu immediately stopped in their tracks for fear of suffering the same fate.

    Just as these people were hesitating, Qi Xuansu took out the Divine Dragon Pistol and shot one of them to death. Then he quickly reloaded the gun.

    Madam Qi taught Qi Xuansu that one could only be merciful before a fight, not during or after. Once the fight began, one had to be ruthless in order to survive.

    The rest of the Heavenly Court members could neither advance nor retreat. They were afraid that Qi Xuansu would have loaded his gun before they could even get close to him.

    Suddenly, someone shouted in a trembling voice, ¡°Run!¡±

    Everyone began to flee in all directions, no longer wanting to go up against Qi Xuansu. No matter what the punishment was for running away from battle, everyone just wanted to stay alive.

    Needless to say, those salt smugglers who had just been forced to join the Heavenly Court had already disappeared without a trace as soon as the fight began.

    Qi Xuansu put his loaded Divine Dragon Pistol back into its holster.

    Jia Zi was shocked and furious, striding forward one step at a time. His fists tore through the air with great force andnded on Qi Xuansu¡¯s chest.

    Like Qi Xuansu, Jia Zi was also a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Yuxu stage.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s body shook, but he took the opportunity to p Jia Zi in the crotch.

    The two men stepped back and stopped at the same time before charging at each other.

    Smoke and dust filled the air. The fine white salt also scattered in all directions, forming a vast expanse of white, like snowfall.

    Two figures could be vaguely seen grappling each other, engaging in hand-to-handbat.

    Qi Xuansu was not a true Martial Arts Practitioner. He also had the innate qi of a Rogue Cultivator in the Yuding Realm. So even though the two men were in the Yuxu stage, Jia Zi gradually fell into a disadvantage.

    After dozens of exchanges, Qi Xuansu mmed his body into Jia Zi. A harsh sound of muscle tearing ripped through the air as Qi Xuansu used Qing Yuan to pierce through Jia Zi¡¯s heart.

    Qi Xuansu did not care about fight ethics and only cared about killing efficiently.

    Jia Zi was bleeding from his mouth and nose. Even if he had the body-regenerative abilities of a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Flesh and Blood Realm, he had to pull out Qing Yuan first before he could heal his wound. However, he was unable to pull out the short sword. He could only drop to the ground and wait for death to befall him.

    Knowing that his death was imminent, Jia Zi stared at Qi Xuansu and muttered between breaths, ¡°The Heavenly...Court...won¡¯t let...you go...¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not say a word. He pulled out the loaded Divine Dragon Pistol, put it between Jia Zi¡¯s eyebrows, pressed down on the hammer, and pulled the trigger.

    Bang!

    Jia Zi¡¯s head exploded.

 Chapter 238: Confusion

    <h4>Chapter 238: Confusion</h4>

    By the end of the Golden Tower Council meeting, the three Deputy Grand Masters had reached apromise that was deemed eptable to all three sects.

    Whether it was coincidental or intentional, all three candidates for the seventh-generation Grand Master now had positions in the Nine Halls, each of them taking charge of the Three Great Halls.

    Sage Donghua was in charge of Ziwei Hall, Sage Qingwei was in charge of Beichen Hall, and Sage Cihang was in charge of Tiangang Hall.

    Disregarding the first-rank Tianzhen Daoist masters, these three candidates had the highest rank within the Daoist Order.

    It was clear that thepetition for the seventh-generation Grand Master was bing increasingly fierce.

    Although other Sages also had the qualifications and were theoretically allowed topete for the title of Grand Master, their chances of winning were slimpared to these three candidates.

    Among the 36 Omniscient Sages, Ning Lingge¡ªthe former Tiangang Hall Master¡ªbecame the first person to be eliminated from thispetition.

    Although Ning Lingge had resigned from the position of Hall Master, he did not leave his post immediately. He had various personal belongings in his office, and the handover to the new Tiangang Hall Master would also take some time. So, before the new Hall Master officially took office, Ning Lingge would continue to perform the duties of the Tiangang Hall Master.

    The staff in Tiangang Hall had different thoughts regarding this change. The Yaoguang Division was particrly optimistic about this change because their Deputy Hall Master, Zhang Yuelu, was the direct disciple of the new Tiangang Hall Master.

    In the Daoistmunity, the rtionship between master and disciples was akin to that of parents and children. It was like an Imperial Court official having his father as his immediate boss.

    In fact, the Yaoguang Division was not the only team that viewed it as such. Other people in Tiangang Hall even started calling Zhang Yuelu ¡°Junior Hall Master,¡± since Sage Cihang was the Tiangang Hall Master.

    If Sage Cihang could be the seventh-generation Grand Master, then Zhang Yuelu¡¯s status would rise ordingly. Her position as an Omniscient Sage would also be guaranteed.

    However, Zhang Yuelu was not ecstatic about the change. Although her master bing her immediate boss was definitely the better optionpared to Sage Qingwei, who was Li Tianzhen¡¯s elder, Zhang Yuelu had a good rtionship with the former Hall Master, Ning Lingge. Otherwise, he would not have given her two theater tickets back then. She viewed Ning Lingge as a respected elder.

    Zhang Yuelu only felt depressed by the series of bad news since the beginning of the new year. Moreover, her master had warned her that this was just the beginning. Even though Zhang Yuelu was mentally prepared for change, her mood was still affected. However, she understood that the right path was always full of thorns. As long as the setbacks did not knock her down, they would only make her stronger.

    Zhang Yuelu came to the Hall Master¡¯s office. It looked different, with many things packed in various boxes. There were also many files that had been sealed in categories and piled up for the handover. Therefore, the office was a mess.

    Ning Lingge was sitting alone behind the desk with a book in hand. When Zhang Yuelu came in, he ced the book face down on the desk. It turned out to be <i>Five Thousand Words</i> by the Primordial Daoist Ancestor, which was a must-read fundamental book in Daoism.

    Zhang Yuelu bowed respectfully. ¡°Hall Master.¡±

    ¡°Qing Xiao, is something wrong?¡± Ning Lingge asked.

    Zhang Yuelu hesitated for a moment before she spoke. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t have anything to report. I¡¯m just here to visit you.¡±

    Ning Lingge could not help butugh. ¡°I¡¯m an old man who has weathered through many storms. Leaving this job isn¡¯t a big deal for me, so I don¡¯t need a youngster like you tofort me.¡±

    Hearing Ning Lingge¡¯s infectiousughter, Zhang Yuelu smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not here tofort you, as I know I¡¯m not qualified to do so. Hall Master, I want to ask about your view on the series of changestely.¡±

    Ning Lingge shed a gratified smile, but he did not rush to answer her question. Instead, he picked up the book he was reading earlier and remarked, ¡°I find this excerpt from Chapter 58 interesting.¡±

    <i>¡°When the government is in a state of disarray, the people are simple and honest; when the government is well-ordered, the people are devious. Misfortune often lies hidden within good fortune, and good fortune often lies hidden within misfortune. Who can understand the ultimate truth of these things? Only those who are truly wise. Therefore, the sage is upright but not harsh; honest but does not wound; straightforward but not unruly; bright but does not dazzle.¡±</i>

    Zhang Yuelu immediately exined the excerpt. ¡°The Primordial Daoist Ancestor is saying that a lenient environment will make the people content andw-abiding, while a harsh environment will drive them to flee. Even in times of disaster, fortunes can eventually turn around, and even in times of prosperity, misfortune can strike from out of nowhere. Who can predict when fortunes and misfortunes will change? It is inherently difficult to determine that.

    ¡°What is considered righteous can be strange, and what is seen as good can turn into evil, causing confusion among people. The sage understands that contradictions will eventually reverse themselves and that opposites can transform into each other. Therefore, when dealing with others, the sage adheres to principles without being overly forceful, gaining respect without forcing submission, acting with integrity rather than stubbornness, and shining brightly without blinding others.¡±

    Ning Lingge added, ¡°The people have been confused for a long time. Who within the Daoist Order isn¡¯t bewildered? Who is righteous or evil? What is considered a blessing or a disaster? Where is this supposed sage that is mentioned?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu disagreed. ¡°The situation in the Daoist Order is no longer just a matter of electing a Grand Master. The Holy Xuan was strongly against putting this huge burden on one person alone. For this matter, we can¡¯t possibly follow the Primordial Daoist Ancestor¡¯s advice on inaction, right?¡±

    Ning Lingge gave his input. ¡°Knowing what is right and wrong is easy, but doing what is right is difficult. Now, what we face is a significant issue. As someone in power, if you find that the foundation beneath you is beginning to decay, will you choose to maintain the status quo? If you choose to maintain the status quo, you will be a criminal in the Daoist Order. What happens then if you are unwilling to maintain the status quo, yet you are not yet capable enough to establish a new path?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was speechless for a moment.

    Ning Lingge continued, ¡°Most people will choose the former and maintain the status quo. At the very least, they can still survive for a while longer. Maybe they will be proven wrong after thousands of generations, but by then, it no longer concerns them since they will be long dead. No matter how powerful a tide is, it won¡¯t affect the dead. For those with grand ambitions but limited abilities, this is a deadlock. The reason is simply insufficient ability. That is why only the capable shall remain.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu looked at Ning Lingge and muttered, ¡°What about now?¡±

    Ning Lingge pointed at himself and then outside the door. ¡°Whether or not we have grand ambitions, we are essentially people of limited abilities. We are good at conspiracies but arecking in grand schemes. We certainly do not have the capability to lead the Daoist Order. At most, we can only seek to achieve some minor sesses in supporting others.

    ¡°The reason the Daoist Order cannot change is because it is like the sky. How can the sky change? The so-called changes in the sky are weather changes, but it is inherently still the same sky. It is merely the change in appearance, not the essence. To truly bring about change, one must change the sky and open up a new world, akin to the creation of heaven and earth. How can we, as ordinary folk, achieve such a feat?¡±

    Ning Lingge paused for a moment before adding, ¡°Of course, it''s not yet time for such changes. That¡¯s why I mentioned this is a one-person problem.¡±

    ¡°One person...¡± Zhang Yuelu frowned and repeated softly.

    Ning Lingge exined, ¡°This is, of course, contrary to the Holy Xuan¡¯s philosophy. But it¡¯s the reality. The Daoist Order needs a qualified Grand Master who is capable, responsible, and selfless. To put it bluntly, we are no different from the civilians who hope for a wise king and upright officials.

    ¡°The Primordial Daoist Ancestor says that a lenient environment will make the people content andw-abiding, while a harsh environment will drive them to flee. But in reality, aren¡¯t we the exact opposite? When the Grand Master is lenient, we act without restraint; when the Grand Master is strict, we tread cautiously. Without the Grand Master, chaos is inevitable.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu fell into silence.

    Ning Lingge finally said, ¡°I don¡¯t think highly of Sage Cihang, Sage Donghua, or Sage Qingwei. They all have more than enough talent to be good supporting generals, but in my opinion, they are still not good enough to be the leader of the entire Daoist Order. Unfortunately, disregarding the Holy Xuan, Donghuang, and the fifth-generation Grand Master, such people are rare, almost non-existent.¡±

 Chapter 239: Disaster

    <h4>Chapter 239: Disaster</h4>

    The Heavenly Court was a grudgeful secret society. They would not let Qi Xuansu go easily for killing their members.

    The Heavenly Court had lost members in Jiuwa Hill and the Feilong Inn at Salt Lake, but they attributed these deaths to the Green Phoenix Guard, who had the support of the Imperial Court. The ck Robes would alsoe to their aid when necessary. Thus, the Green Phoenix Guard was the cat, while the Heavenly Court was the mouse.

    But for ordinary people, the Heavenly Court was an unshakable behemoth. The Heavenly Court would not let things slide if their members were killed.

    Although the Heavenly Court had a fierce attitude against the Green Phoenix Guard and vowed to fight to the death with them, they did not actually do much to avenge their deceased members. However, they would certainly dare to hold ordinary people ountable.

    Qi Xuansu understood this fact. That was why he used the Divine Dragon Pistol to kill Jia Zi. Since the projectile he used came from the Daoist Order¡¯s Tianji Hall and not the ck market, it had the unique logo of the Daoist Order. Thus, the Heavenly Court would think that the death of Jia Zi was caused by the Daoist Order.

    He put away his cusses and quickly left the ce.

    Of course, he did not want to provoke the Heavenly Court. But those people wanted to kill him first, so he had no choice but to defend himself. If his cultivation level was a little weaker, he would have been the one who died, so he could not hold back or sympathize with these Heavenly Court members.

    Qi Xuansu returned to the inn that night. After hesitating for a while, he reluctantly took out arge cash note and handed it to the innkeeper and his wife. He told them to leave this ce as soon as possible, as a disaster was imminent.

    The reason was simple. The white salt everywhere indicated that the salt smugglers were present. These salt smugglers had seen Qi Xuansu¡¯s face, so it would have been easy to trace him back to the inn. Qi Xuansu knew the way secret societies operated and predicted that the innkeeper and his wife would not end well if they stayed. Thus, Qi Xuansu paid them 100 Taiping coins aspensation to abandon the ce as soon as possible.

    To be fair, this inn was not located in the city, so the building was not valuable. Even if they were to sell their business, it would only cost about 100 Taiping coins at most. The innkeeper and his wife would have suspected Qi Xuansu of conspiring against them if he had not offered them money. With these 100 Taiping coins, the innkeeper and his wife were no longer doubtful.

    After a brief discussion, the couple packed up their belongings and fled overnight.

    It was always better to believe these warnings. The building would still be there, so they could still go back after some time. From this perspective, the couple had just earned 100 Taiping coins without effort.

    Qi Xuansu also continued on his way. However, he was saddened by his loss of 100 Taiping coins and reminded himself not to be such a good samaritan the next time.

    After all, 100 Taiping coins was not a small amount. If one converted the cash note into coins, it would weigh dozens of kilograms.

    It was true that curiosity killed the cat. If Qi Xuansu had not followed those salt smugglers, he would not have gotten into trouble.

    This inn was at the border of Yongzhou, so Qi Xuansu quickly left Yongzhou and entered Liangzhou.

    One thing that surprised Qi Xuansu was that in the past, the Heavenly Court had been operating in the Lingnan and Jiangnan areas. Now they looked like they were expanding their territory, reaching out to the northwest and other regions. Fortunately, Liangzhou was far away from the Heavenly Court¡¯s main altar. The local altar in Liangzhou was rtively weak, with few skilled fighters.

    However, Qi Xuansu was still afraid that they woulde after him. If the Heavenly Court wanted to expand its territory in the northwest, it would need a regional leader to take charge of this area. The most suitable person was Feng Bo, who had organized the Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly in Jiuwa Hill.

    The Heavenly Court originally thought of using this opportunity to convert some stragglers and make friends with the other secret societies based there. However, they did not expect to be bombarded by the Green Phoenix Guard and the ck Robes.

    With that Phoenix Eye Bomb, the Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly was ruined, and the men Feng Bo brought also suffered heavy casualties. Two of his loyal subordinates, Ding Chou and Jia Shen, were intercepted and killed by the Green Phoenix Guard on the way.

    In order to supplement manpower, various branches of the Heavenly Court targeted the local salt smugglers, bandits, and the like, forcing these people to join them.

    As a result, they only received bad news. They did not gain members. Instead, the leader of a local altar, Jia Zi, was beaten to death. Hearing this, Feng Bo was furious. If he returned to the main altar at this time, he would surely be punished severely.

    As such, Feng Bo personally inspected the corpses and questioned the survivors for leads on the killer. He then traced the salt smugglers to the inn where Qi Xuansu stayed but found that the inn was abandoned. In a fit of anger, the Heavenly Court burned down the inn to vent their anger.

    Feng Bo could roughly piece together the situation based on the survivor¡¯s ounts. Before Jia Zi jumped into the fight, he shouted, "ck Robes!"

    The fragments of the projectile also came from the Daoist Order¡¯s Tianji Hall. It was not a secret that the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court had frequent exchanges on firearms. No matter what the situation was, it indicated that the killer was not an ordinary man and that he was either a member of the Daoist Order or the Imperial Court.

    That was when Feng Bo fell into a dilemma: should he get revenge?

    On one hand, the Daoist Order was serious about cracking down on secret societies at the moment, so it was not wise to provoke them rashly. As for the Green Phoenix Guard, they had the help of the ck Robes, so they were not to be underestimated.

    On the other hand, Feng Bo had to do something about the members¡¯ deaths. Otherwise, morale within the Heavenly Court would fall, and their hope of expanding would be slim to none.

    Feng Bo had no choice but to choose the lesser of two evils. So, after some thought, he decided to hunt down this person himself instead of sending a group of his subordinates.

    The Daoist Order and the Imperial Court had strengthened their security, so a group of subordinates would easily attract unwanted attention. After the repeated losses, morale was low, so his subordinates should rest and recover. Therefore, it was better for Feng Bo to act alone so as to be discreet.

    Feng Bo also had a way to find that killer. He found some blood stains on Jia Zi¡¯s corpse that did not belong to him. Since Jia Zi was a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Yuxu stage, Qi Xuansu could not get awaypletely unscathed. Qi Xuansu still suffered some minor injuries, but his wounds healed fast. These traces of blood were the key element Feng Bo used to track down Jia Zi¡¯s yer.

    There were various Daoist techniques that could allow one to ovee their opponents with subtle attacks. As long as one had ess to the opponent¡¯s nails, hair, or other organic matter, one could use it as a medium to create an effigy made of straw. Hurting this effigy was akin to hurting the opponent. One could also use it to chase away the opponent¡¯s soul.

    The spell that Feng Bo used was simr, but it was a tracking spell that used blood as a medium to determine Qi Xuansu''s exact location.

    Feng Bo closed his eyes. Suddenly, a blurry picture appeared in front of Feng Bo¡¯s eyes. It was a man wearing a cloak, riding a horse on the broad official road, stirring up dust behind him. Arge monument beside the road shed past, with the words ¡°Liangzhou¡± written on it.

    At the same time, Feng Bo felt a strong pull. That was how Feng Bo locked down on his target, Qi Xuansu.

 Chapter 240: The Xiang Residence

    <h4>Chapter 240: The Xiang Residence</h4>

    The terrain of Liangzhou was long and narrow, with arge north-to-south and a small east-to-west span. Going from the north of Liangzhou to the south was quite the journey, stretching over 500 kilometers and passing through several prefectures and more than a dozen counties. However, crossing from the west to the east at the midpoint of Liangzhou was short, about the distance of one prefecture. This prefecture was the Tianshui Prefecture.

    Not long after Qi Xuansu entered Liangzhou, he arrived at Tianshui Prefecture and headed straight for the city.

    The northwest was vast and sparsely popted, with many uninhabited ces. Most of the poption was concentrated near a fewrge cities.

    Before Xizhou was annexed, Liangzhou was the border territory. This region had changed hands several times and was constantly at war. Thus, corpses and bloodshed weremon. Besides war, the region also suffered locust gues and droughts, resulting in famine and epidemics due to the diseased bodies that were not properly dealt with.

    The Holy Court¡¯s <i>Book of Revtion</i> stated that a Lamb would open the seven seals and summon four horsemen, each riding a white, red, ck, and pale horse, respectively. These horsemen would bring gue, war, famine, and death to humanity, which was subject to the final judgment. At that time, the harmony of heaven and earth would be disrupted, the sun and the moon would change color, and the world would face destruction.

    Back then, Liangzhou had gathered the so-called Four Horsemen, so it was no exaggeration to say that there were nine empty houses out of ten in the city. As a result, human meat markets became amon urrence.

    At the time, the 20-year-old Holy Xuan visited Liangzhou. He was not a flowerbed priest at that age and had already experienced many storms, conflicts, and wars. Yet even after seeing so much bloodshed, he was still shocked by the gory scene in Liangzhou, which was akin to purgatory on Earth. That was when the Holy Xuan vowed to save the world, leading to his future sess in reviving the Daoist Order and recing the former Wei Dynasty with the Great Xuan Dynasty.

    After so many generations of recuperation, Liangzhou finally regained some of its prosperity, butpared to other states, its poption was still sparse.

    It did not matter to Qi Xuansu whether the city was prosperous or popted. With the ck Robes badge that Qin Wubing gave him, Qi Xuansu could travel using the identity of a soldier. Thus, with this identity, it would be safest for him to be in bigger cities.

    Tianshui Prefecture had a Green Phoenix Guard Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office as well as a ck Robes Camp since it was near the border. With these authorities around, no one would dare cause trouble.

    That was why Qi Xuansu decided to stop in the capital city of Tianshui Prefecture to take a rest. If he wanted a leisurely stay, he could go to the Taiping Inn. He could also stay at the Qingping Society¡¯s contact point if he wanted to save money.

    However, he had just entered the territory of Tianshui Prefecture, so he would have to pass through several counties to get to the capital city.

    Qi Xuansu wanted to go straight to the capital of Tianshui Prefecture without stopping, but he encountered a cold wave. Although in some ces like Jiangnan and the south, the apricot blossoms were already gently falling in the spring rain, the northwest was still cold, as if it had not yet emerged from the lingering chill of winter. This cold wave did not just cause a sudden drop in temperature; it was also snowing heavily.

    Fortunately, Qi Xuansu was wearing a wind-resistant cloak. As a Xiantian Being, his blood qi, innate qi, and strong physique also made him resistant to the cold. Thus, he was not afraid of this weather. However, his horse would not be able to withstand the arduous journey in such temperatures. It would get frostbite, which would hinder Qi Xuansu¡¯s travels.

    When Qi Xuansu went on the expedition to the Western Region with Tiangang Hall, they rode horses provided by the Daoist Order. Those horses were carefully selected and bred by the Daoist Order to have excellent endurance in tough environments. They could run at full speed for long distances and were resistant to the cold and drought, unlike ordinary horses.

    Good horses were valuable and hard toe by. Qi Xuansu bought this grade horse for less than 50 Taiping coins, so he got exactly what he paid for. This horse could make his journey less tiring, but it could not beparable to the Daoist Order¡¯s troop.

    Therefore, Qi Xuansu had to find temporary shelter from the cold. Since most of Liangzhou was deste, there were not many inns on the outskirts of the city.

    After the invention of the rapid post talisman, urgent messages no longer had to be delivered by people. Thus, the functions of rest stops were greatly reduced. They were mainly used to receive court officials. However, since Liangzhou was mostly upied by military personnel andcked government offices, there were not many visiting court officials in the region. That was why most of the rest stops were abolished.

    Qi Xuansu had no choice but to continue forward in search of a temporary shelter.

    After walking for about 10 kilometers, Qi Xuansu finally found a vige called the Xiang Family Fortress. Different from the viges in Jiangnan and Jiangbei, this ce was fortified, surrounded by high and thick walls with turrets and arrow towers. There was also a drawbridge. So in case of bandit attacks or wars, this vige could transform into a stronghold for self-defense. This could be considered a relic of the past wars.

    Now that the region was at peace, the drawbridge was lowered so people could go in and out freely.

    Qi Xuansu rode into the fortified vige. Due to the heavy snow, every house had its doors shut. Qi Xuansu walked along the main road and came to a mansion. There werenterns hanging in the corners and a ck que with gold-painted words in the middle that read, ¡°The Xiang Residence.¡±

    This residence belonged to the gentry.

    The reason Qi Xuansu could tell that this residence belonged to the gentry was its naming. Regardless of the change in dynasties, there were strict regtions on the naming of residences. Generally speaking, the abodes of the noble family, court officials, andmoners were called mansions, residences, and homes, respectively. Pces and halls were reserved exclusively for the imperial family, and those who used them without permission could be charged with treason.

    In the Great Xuan Dynasty, the residences of first- and second-rank court officials and princes were called mansions. Other officials¡¯ houses were called residences, andmoners¡¯ houses were called homes.

    The Daoistmunity did not abide by these rules. Since the Daoist Order was powerful, the Imperial Court could not do anything about the naming of the various pces, halls, and Daoist mansions. Strictly speaking, these pces and halls were not residences but ces of worship dedicated to the Daoist ancestors and gods. Thus, it was considered a special exemption.

    The fact that this house had a que with the name ¡°The Xiang Residence¡± meant that someone in the family was a court official, but not above the second rank.

    Qi Xuansu only learned this through experience from his lone travels after his master¡¯s death. When he was fresh out of the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, he could never identify the types of houses based on a que. He would only think that this residence belonged to an ordinary rich man.

    He dismounted and went forward to knock on the door.

    After a while, a doorman opened the door from the inside. When the doorman saw Qi Xuansu with a snow-covered cloak, he asked in surprise, ¡°Sir, what brings you here?¡±

    Qi Xuansu took out his badge and imitated the stern tone of the ck Robes. ¡°I am a subordinate of General Lon. With this heavy snowfall, I will need a ce to take shelter. I hope your master will allow me to stay for the night.¡±

    When the doorman saw the genuine ck Robes badge, he dared not neglect Qi Xuansu and bowed. ¡°Please wait a moment, sir. I will report this to my master first. May I show this badge to my master for verification?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Qi Xuansu handed over his badge and took a few steps back.

    The doorman took the badge, bowed again, and quickly went inside.

    After a while, the doorman came back with another servant. He returned the badge to Qi Xuansu using both hands and said, ¡°My master would like to invite you in for a chat. Please follow me, sir.¡±

    At the same time, the servant at the back stepped forward to take the horse¡¯s reins from Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu walked into the residence with the doorman leading the way.

    The residence was quiterge, with two entrances and plenty of vegetation around. Although the nts were withered due to the cold weather, Qi Xuansu could imagine the garden¡¯s grandeur in the warmer months.

    However, not long after Qi Xuansu entered the gate, he felt his heart skip a beat and his back pricked by a needle. Something seemed wrong.

    He frowned slightly and stared intently at the doorman walking in front using his Yin-Yang Eyes, a slight attainment mystical ability that he had not used for a long time. This slight attainment method came from the Diviner¡¯s lineage. It was inferior to the Diviner¡¯s average attainment method, Seer Eyes. Seer Eyes could immobilize ghosts, while Yin-Yang Eyes could only detect ghosts and spirits.

    However, Yin-Yang Eyes was enough for Qi Xuansu. With it, he saw a change in the scene before him. However, he did not expect the Three Yang Lights on the doorman to be shining brightly. There was nothing abnormal about it.

    Daoists believed that there were Three Yang Lights on the human body¡ªone on the head and the other two on the shoulders. These were the yang mes in the human body essential for survival. Thus, when walking at night, one should never look over the shoulder when hearing one¡¯s name being called out. That was because one would easily attract ghosts if the yang mes on the shoulders were blown out by one¡¯s breath.

    This doorman¡¯s yang mes were burning brightly, so he should not be a ghost. Moreover, with Qi Xuansu¡¯s strong blood qi and killing aura, ordinary ghosts could not get close to him. That was because his blood qi would be unbearably hot to ghosts¡ªakin to a furnace.

    Qi Xuansu was puzzled. He thought, <i>Was I imagining things?</i>

    However, being an experienced traveler, he still kept his guard up.

 Chapter 241: Staying Overnight

    <h4>Chapter 241: Staying Overnight</h4>

    When Qi Xuansu arrived at the main hall, the host was already waiting for him. A schrly middle-aged man, about 40 years old, was sitting there elegantly, dressed in warm woolen clothes.

    Qi Xuansu nced at the man a few times with his Yin-Yang Eyes. The man¡¯s yang energy was weak, but the Three Yang Lights on him were still shining brightly with no signs of flickering.

    Inparison, Qi Xuansu¡¯s Three Yang Lights was like a furnace fire that could not be extinguished with a simple blow. No matter how many times he looked over his shoulder in the night, his Three Yang Lights would still be shining intensely. Ordinary ghosts who dared toe close to Qi Xuansu would burn like moths to the me.

    A Martial Arts Practitioner at its peak had strong blood qi,parable to that of ancient wild beasts. Ordinary people would not be able to see anything, but to ghosts, the Three Yang Lights were like the sun. A Martial Arts Practitioner would just have to stand there for everything around them to be illuminated, and the ghosts would burn and be reduced to ashes.

    Someone brought out a brazier and some hot tea, and a servant helped Qi Xuansu remove his cloak.

    Without the cloak, all the weapons on Qi Xuansu¡¯s waist could no longer be hidden, especially the Divine Dragon Pistol, Qing Yuan, and the Dual Cuss. His satchel and various items were also visible.

    Qi Xuansu smiled apologetically. ¡°When traveling alone, I have to carry weapons with me. I never part with them, as they cane in handy.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± The host nodded calmly.

    <i>In the former Wei Dynasty, civil officials were more powerful than military officials. However, the Great Xuan Dynasty valued both civil and military officials equally. Military generals could be prime ministers, and the ck Robes were revered. The army no longer consisted of prisoners or farmers as it was in the past, so warriors were no longer looked down on.</i>

    Qi Xuansu removed the Dual Cuss from his waist, put them aside, and sat down on the chair.

    The two exchanged pleasantries.

    Qi Xuansu used his alias, Wei Wugui. However, he imed to be part of the ck Robes, serving as a personal guard to Qin Wubing, the General of Lon.

    Usually, no one would pay attention to low-ranking soldiers or officials. However, it made a difference if this low-ranking soldier was the personal guard of a general. It was akin to the Emperor¡¯s personal eunuch, or the Empress¡¯s personal maid. These were low-ranking positions, but they were close to those in power, so no one would dare to be disrespectful.

    Due to this, the owner of the Xiang Residence did not look down on Qi Xuansu for having no official rank or position.

    As they conversed, Qi Xuansu learned that the Xiang family had been a schrly family for generations. The deceased Old Master Xiang once served as the Director of the Ministry of Revenue, but he died of illness while in his post.

    The current head of the family was called Xiang Rulin. He was the owner of this ce and a Juren Schr[1], but he failed to pass the examination to be a Jinshi Schr[2]. However, Xiang Rulin came from generational wealth, so he did not have to work for a living and merely spent his days leisurely.

    The two men exchanged some pleasantries until Xiang Rulin hosted a banquet in honor of Qi Xuansu.

    This was not a big city, so there were not many delicacies. However, Xiang Rulin was generous, servingrge portions of meat and warmed wine. In this snowy weather, this was the best treatment one could expect.

    Qi Xuansu did not refuse, and the two men drank to their heart¡¯s content.

    After a few sses of wine, Xiang Rulin asked Qi Xuansu about his errand in a rather cryptic way. After all, the ck Robes usually moved in a cohort and were rarely seen alone.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s ability to fabricate stories off the top of his head was a close second to Madam Qi. He even managed to fool Zhang Yuelu, let alone Xiang Rulin. Qi Xuansu pretended to be drunk and talked about Qin Wubing¡¯s family background, saying that he was ordered to meet the Commandery Prince and pass on a gift that Qin Wubing had prepared for his father. Qin Wubing did not want to draw unnecessary attention, so he dispatched Qi Xuansu, his personal guard, to go on this journey.

    Xiang Rulin asked a lot more questions. Qi Xuansu deliberately answered half of his questions while brushing over the rest, leaving Xiang Rulin to piece the story together. Qi Xuansu would feign drunkenness, shouting asionally and purposely losingposure.

    Xiang Rulin also knew that Qi Xuansu would not disclose everything to him, so he never asked what kind of gift Qi Xuansu was bringing to the Commandery Prince. He would only talk about the local customs or some interesting things he had seen in the past.

    After the meal, Xiang Rulin had someone help the drunken Qi Xuansu back to the guest room. Two more servants trailed behind, carrying Qi Xuansu¡¯s cloak and cusses. Perhaps out of curiosity, one of the servants secretly drew the cuss from its sheath. Although the servant did not inject qi into it, a rush of hot air still struck his face when the de was unsheathed. Startled, the servant almost dropped the knife on the ground.

    Upon hearing the ng, Qi Xuansu turned around. ¡°This is a weapon for killing people, not a butcher¡¯s knife.¡±

    Although Qi Xuansu¡¯s tone was light, it was still imposing.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The servant was frightened and quickly sheathed the de.

    When they arrived at the guest room, Qi Xuansu asked the servant to leave his things on the table while he sat on the bed.

    Someone even brought him a tub of hot water to soak his feet.

    Qi Xuansu could not help but think of a conversation he had with Sun Yongfeng and Lingquanzi back then. With a few thousand Taiping coins, he could be a rich man in a small county. This kind of leisurely life was indeed much better than traveling the world alone.

    The servants excused themselves. ¡°Sir, please let me know if you need anything else.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Qi Xuansu nodded, took off his boots, and immersed his feet in the hot water.

    Although Xiantian Beings did not sweat, lose hair, or shed dead skin cells, hence eliminating the need for bathing and changing clothes, it was stillfortable to be able to soak in hot water in the cold weather.

    However, the weather was too cold, so the hot water cooled quickly.

    Qi Xuansu lifted his wet feet and ced them on the edge of the tub. Suddenly, he sighed, thinking of his situation. At the moment, he felt as if he were stepping on two boats, struggling to keep his bnce. These two boats were the Daoist Order and the Qingping Society.

    It was clear to anyone that the Daoist Order was undoubtedly the better choice between the two. However, since Qi Xuansu had faked his death, he did not know when he would ever be able to return to the Daoist Order.

    Qi Xuansumented. ¡°I intended to direct my heart toward the bright moon, but s, the moonlight only shines on the ditch.¡±

    While staring out into space, Qi Xuansu suddenly noticed some marks on the wall.

    He instantly sobered up and stood up, sshing the water out from the tub.

    His bare feet were grounded next to the wall as he leaned in closer.

    Although the marks were faint, they were still vaguely visible. The color of the wall was a little differentpared to its surroundings.

    ¡°This is...¡± Qi Xuansu discovered that this wall was addedter. It was not the original wall.

    Normally, Qi Xuansu would not give much thought to it, but because he had a premonition before, he was more wary of his surroundings. After some hesitation, he pressed his fingers on the wall and exerted a little force.

    The wall began to crumble, revealing gray bricks underneath.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression turned solemn the moment he saw the talismans painted on these bricks.

    Although Qi Xuansu was not a Diviner proficient in drawing talismans, he could identify them thanks to a basic course in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce.

    These talismans were iplete, with vague outlines. They seemed to be used to ward off ghosts. Moreover, these talismans were not drawn on talisman paper but were drawn on the brick wall with blood. This was a tactic used by Diviners against opponents. However, it indicated that the Diviner was likely in a precarious situation, as he or she was forced to draw talismans using their blood, which was full of yang energy.

    Qi Xuansu gasped. <i>Have I stepped into a demon¡¯sir?</i>

    1. Title for those who passed the Provincial Exams. ?

    2. Highest title for schrs, with more privileges to be high-ranking officials in the Imperial Court ?

 Chapter 242: Delivering a Brocade Quilt

    <h4>Chapter 242: Delivering a Brocade Quilt</h4>

    Although Qi Xuansu was frightened, he calmly returned to the bed, put on his boots, and inspected his cusses carefully. Since he entered the Xiang Residence, the Divine Dragon Pistol and Qing Yuan had never left his body. Only these two cusses had been touched by other servants.

    After Qi Xuansu confirmed that there was no problem with the cusses, he took out an antidote pill and swallowed it.

    <i>This pill was a general antidote for detoxification. It worked effectively on most poisons that were widely circted and could be taken as a precautionary measure. More importantly, this general antidote was cheap, each costing about one Taiping coin. </i>

    <i>ording to Madam Qi, this kind of antidote used to be expensive and rare. However, after Huasheng Hall started to mass produce these pills, the cost plummeted to one Taiping coin.</i>

    <i>The reason was simple. It took the same amount of time to cultivate a medicinal herb or ingredient. The Huasheng Hall furnace could produce about 1000 pills per batch. It required the same time and cost to heat the furnace to refine one pill as it did 1000 pills.</i>

    <i>Moreover, most ingredients would be cheaper when bought in bulk. Therefore, after Huasheng Hall established nts for mass production, the cost was reduced, and hence the price also dropped.</i>

    <i>This was the case for other types of pills and elixirs. If Huasheng Hall mass-produced something, it would be sold at a reduced price due to the reduced cost, creating a new demand for these medicines. With more demand, Huasheng Hall would continue to expand production, creating this endless cycle of supply and demand.</i>

    <i>Under such circumstances, Huasheng Hall eventually monopolized the medicinal market. A number of small pharmacies shut down or got bought over because they were no match for the massive Huasheng Hall.</i>

    <i>Nowadays, the so-called miracle doctors often mentioned in legends were rare, as it becamemon knowledge to visit the Daoist Huasheng Hall if someone was seriously injured or diseased. As long as one had money, there was nothing the Daoist Huasheng Hall could not cure. If Huasheng Hall had no way of treating someone, it meant that even the gods would not be able to save them. In that case, it would be advisable to prepare for the funeral.</i>

    <i>The Imperial Court had its own Imperial Medical Office, but it was not open to the public. Only powerful court officials or the royal family had the privilege of being examined by the Imperial Medical Officers.</i>

    <i>Some from Huasheng Hall coveted the benefits of the Imperial Medical Office and decided to jump ship. In addition, the Imperial Medical Office had strong support from the royal family, so they had strong financial backing. They could afford to buy various precious elixirs and other valuable items, like the Auxiliary Heart and so on, from Huasheng Hall.</i>

    <i>In the past hundred years, medical technology was advanced enough that most babies could live till adulthood.</i>

    <i>However, there was only so much these medicines could do. Some elixirs could bring someone back to life as long as the patient still had onest breath. However, most of these elixirs were too potent. For people with low cultivation levels, these elixirs were no different from poison; those who consumed them would die instantly.</i>

    <i>Thus, one must have a minimum required cultivation level to withstand the medicinal power. Therefore, even with the existence of Huasheng Hall and the Imperial Medical Office, ordinary people could not escape from aging, illness, and death.</i>

    <i>One had to start as Houtian Beings and advance to Xiantian Beings and Heavenly Beings before bing an Immortal.</i>

    After taking the antidote, Qi Xuansu felt a little more at ease.

    In fact, the underhanded tricksmon in the real world could be roughly categorized into two types.

    One type of drug could disturb one¡¯s mental state. After being drugged, the victim could fall into a deep sleep, be limp, or have frequent hallucinations. This method was not very effective for Martial Arts Practitioners and for Diviners.

    The required amount of drug needed to incapacitate a Martial Arts Practitioner was proportional to their body weight. For example, when the drug was mixed with wine, it would take more than 10 liters of wine to sessfully drug a Martial Arts Practitioner, which was too unrealistic.

    On the other hand, Diviners could separate their soul and body, so even if their body became limp and powerless, their soul could still leave the body.

    Another underhanded method was to administer potent poison. However, Banished Immortals, Qi Refiners, and Rogue Cultivators could temporarily suppress poison by using their innate qi.

    Of course, there were other methods that even a Heavenly Being could not withstand. However, such poison would be very expensive, so ordinary people would not be able to afford it. It was more cost-effective to hire an assassin from The Inn.

    Qi Xuansu thought that since he had the physique of a Yuxu-stage Martial Arts Practitioner and had taken the antidote, he should be able to withstand ordinary drugs. After all, this was a small vige, and resources were quite limited.

    If Qi Xuansu had misjudged this ce and there really was some master hiding behind the scenes, there would be no need for dirty tricks. It would have been easier to just beat him to death.

    Qi Xuansu smoothed out his clothes, put his cusses back on his waist, and counted his weapons.

    List of weapons:

    - Qing Yuan

    - Divine Dragon Pistol

    - 2 spiritual cusses

    - 7 rounds of Grade-B Series Two Dragon Eye Bullets

    - 15 rounds of Grade-B Series Three Dragon Eye Bullets

    - 2 rounds of Grade-B Series Three Phoenix Eye Bullets

    - 20 rounds of ordinary armor-piercing projectiles

    These were all powerful weapons for killing people, but they were ineffective on ghosts and the like.

    In this regard, a Diviner who could draw talismans would be better at defeating ghosts.

    Although a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s blood qi could restrain ghosts and spirits, it could only be used as a defense mechanism.

    Rogue Cultivators dabbled in a little bit of everything but were not proficient in anything.

    Qi Xuansu took a deep breath and thought of leaving immediately. However, he was afraid of alerting the enemy. He just wanted to survive the night and leave bright and early tomorrow morning, feigning ignorance of whatever was going on.

    As a result, Qi Xuansu could not sleep. He blew out the candles and sat on the bed with his hands tightly clutching his weapons. Then he closed his eyes to rest.

    Around midnight, Qi Xuansu abruptly opened his eyes when he heard a faint sounding from his window.

    This rustling sound was getting closer. It did not sound like human footsteps at all.

    Not long after, a shadow appeared outside the window. The moon was bright, so the room was dimmer than the outside. Thus, he could vaguely see the slim figure of a woman.

    Qi Xuansu had already used his Yin-Yang Eyes and discovered that the figure outside was not a ghost. That figure even exuded an intense yang energy. This made him rx a little, but he still remained vignt.

    How strange... If there were no ghosts here, why would someone draw these talismans to ward off ghosts on the walls of this room?

    At this moment, the figure outside raised her hand and gently knocked on the window.

    Qi Xuansu was silent for a moment, trying to keep himself calm. He pretended that he had just awakened and said in a hoarse and confused voice, ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°Sir, are you asleep?¡± A delicate voice came from the window.

    Qi Xuansu deliberately moved around in bed to create a rustling sound simr to getting dressed. He also increased his volume as he asked, ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    The woman outside the window responded. ¡°It¡¯s chilly tonight. Master Xiang was worried that you would catch a cold, so he asked me to bring another brocade quilt over for you to keep warm.¡±

    Although Qi Xuansu could not see the woman¡¯s face, her voice alone was sultry.

    It was the middle of the night, and a woman with a seductive voice came over to deliver a warm quilt. Under these circumstances, it was easy for a young man to let his thoughts run wild with desire.

    However, Qi Xuansu only felt nervous because he knew that the woman had a motive.

    Qi Xuansu kept quiet for a moment and pretended to be tempted by her offer. ¡°I¡¯m used to living in tents, so I never lock the door. You can just walk in.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir...¡± The figure outside the door responded in a soft, coquettish voice. Then there was another rustling sound before the woman opened the door to enter the room.

    The room was dark, so the woman could only vaguely see Qi Xuansu sitting on the bed.

    ¡°Sir, why are you sitting in the dark?¡± The woman was holding something bulky, which she set aside after entering the door.

    Qi Xuansu answered, ¡°Why should I turn on the lights? It¡¯s always better to do these things in the dark, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sir...you...¡± The woman covered her mouth and giggled sweetly. ¡°You¡¯re so old-fashioned. I think it¡¯s more interesting with the lights on.¡±

    As she said this, the woman went to light thentern.

    Qi Xuansu did not stop her.

    The dark room instantly lit up.

    However, what the woman saw shocked her. A fully dressed man was sitting on the bed, holding the weapons at his waist with both hands, his gaze sharp and murderous.

 Chapter 243: Beautiful Snake Demon

    <h4>Chapter 243: Beautiful Snake Demon</h4>

    The woman¡¯s long skirt reached the floor. She had a nice figure and a slim waist. She was beautiful with an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, upturned eyes, and small, round lips. However, at this time, she was so frightened that her face turned pale.

    She covered her mouth and asked, ¡°S-Sir...what are you doing?¡±

    Qi Xuansu said expressionlessly, ¡°I have been in the army for a long time, so I¡¯m used to sleeping with my clothes on. My weapons also never leave my body.¡±

    While speaking, Qi Xuansu had already stood up.

    His shadow, illuminated by the light, continued to lengthen as he stood up. The light and shadows in the room were in disarray.

    ¡°Sir, what are you doing?¡± The woman stepped back, but there was no sound of footsteps, only some rustling.

    Qi Xuansu turned his attention to the object that the woman was holding. It turned out to be a box, which was only slightlyrger than a human head. It was impossible for a brocade quilt to fit in it.

    He snorted coldly. ¡°Miss, did you fit the brocade quilt in this box? What¡¯s really in this box, huh?¡±

    Evil spirits were afraid of evil people. Qi Xuansu had never considered himself a good person. With his Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s blood qi and intense killing aura developed from years of fighting, even the vengeful ghosts who had been around for a hundred years would avoid him.

    The woman¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°I¡¯m only a maid. But I fell in love at first sight upon seeing you, sir. That¡¯s why I came here using the excuse of delivering a quilt to you...¡±

    A blush appeared on her pale face as she bit her lips shyly. ¡°I thought that if I could be with you, I wouldn¡¯t have to be a maid anymore. That¡¯s why I came over...¡±

    She looked so pitiful that most people would feel bad for speaking to her harshly.

    For some reason, Qi Xuansu¡¯s mind wandered to Zhang Yuelu. He had never seen Zhang Yuelu behave like this. She was like a warrior, unyielding and unswerving. He wondered if he would ever get to see Zhang Yuelu looking so meek in his lifetime.

    This fleeting thought faded in a sh. Qi Xuansu stopped his mind from wandering further, secretly thinking that he must have been poisoned by Zhang Yuelu because he was always thinking about her.

    Qi Xuansu suddenlyughed and moved his hands away from his weapons.

    Seeing this, the woman breathed a sigh of relief.

    Qi Xuansu sized up the woman. ¡°Miss, you should¡¯ve said so sooner. I¡¯m a crude person, so I don¡¯t understand when you beat around the bush. It turns out that you¡¯re here to offer yourself up to me. Come here, prettydy. You can warm my bed.¡±

    The charming smile resurfaced on the woman¡¯s face. She was about to step forward when Qi Xuansu suddenly spoke.

    Qi Xuansu nced at the hem of the woman¡¯s skirt and suddenly said, ¡°You know, my mother once told me a story when I was young.¡±

    ¡°What story?¡± The woman was curious.

    Qi Xuansu answered, ¡°There was once a schr who lived in an ancient temple. He studied hard all day. That night, when he was lounging in the yard, he suddenly heard someone calling out to him. The schr looked back, only to see the face of a beautiful woman above the wall. The woman smiled at him and disappeared in an instant.¡±

    The woman stopped not far from Qi Xuansu and asked softly, ¡°What happened next?¡±

    Qi Xuansu continued, ¡°The schr was ted. That night, an old monk who went over to talk to him saw the demonic energy around the schr and figured that he must have seen a beautiful snake demon. Legend says that a demon with a human head and a snake body would call out their target¡¯s names. If the target responded, the snake woulde to eat this person¡¯s flesh at night.¡±

    All this while, Qi Xuansu was staring at the woman intently.

    Under Qi Xuansu¡¯s gaze, the woman became a little stiff.

    Qi Xuansu stared at the woman, his tone t as he told the story. ¡°The schr was frightened, but the old monk had a solution. The old monk gave the schr a small box to ce next to his pillow so he could sleep peacefully. Although the schr did as he was told, he still could not sleep. In the middle of the night, there was a rustling sound outside the door, like the wind and rain.

    ¡°Just as the schr was shivering from fear, he saw a golden lighting from his pillow. When this golden light appeared, the rustling sounds outside stopped. After a while, the golden light went back into the box. Later, the old monk told the schr that the golden light was actually a flying centipede that fed on the brains of snakes. That was how the beautiful snake demon died.¡±

    The woman turned pale upon hearing this story. ¡°That¡¯s such a scary story!¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled, shing his pearly whites. ¡°Miss, I wonder if your box contains a flying centipede that can eat snake brains.¡±

    ¡°Sir, you must be joking. I have never heard of snake demons and flying centipedes.¡± The woman forced an awkward smile.

    Qi Xuansu lowered his head, turning his attention to the woman¡¯s floor-length skirt. ¡°Everyone talks about how beautiful women¡¯s feet are. Miss, will you let me take a look at yours?¡±

    The moment Qi Xuansu lowered his head, the woman stretched out five fingers to grab his head. A white and tender hand with red fingernails rose into the sky as the woman let out a scream and backed away.

    At some point, Qi Xuansu had brandished his short sword. He sneered. ¡°I have experienced many battles, so I wouldn¡¯t let a demon like you attack me.¡±

    The woman was self-aware of her strength, so she turned around and ran away.

    However, Qi Xuansu was faster, catching up with her in a few steps and grabbing her skirt.

    With the sound of fabric tearing, what was underneath the skirt was revealed¡ªthe thick body of a snake with dark blue patterns on its scales, gorgeous and mysterious.

    It was no wonder Qi Xuansu¡¯s Yin-Yang Eyes did not see anything unusual. Demons were also living creatures, so they had yang energy. Only dead things carried yin energy.

    ¡°Demon! How dare you attack me?!¡± Qi Xuansu roared, which sounded like the spring thunder. A gust of blood qi spurted out.

    The woman was shocked by a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s roar. Her figure froze.

    In the blink of an eye, Qi Xuansu had caught up with the snake demon again, grabbed her hair, and dragged her back into the room with his brute strength. At the same time, he used Qing Yuan to stab the demon¡¯s heart from the back.

    Zhang Yuelu once said that the Daoist Order did not believe in killing all demons and ghosts indiscriminately. All creatures were to be vetted first. However, there were differing opinions in the Daoistmunity advocating for the elimination of all demons and ghosts. Thus, who was in the right and who was in the wrong was a matter of perspective.

    Qi Xuansu believed that demons and humans were inherently different. Although he did not think that all demons were evil, there was no difference between demons and wild beasts.

    To Qi Xuansu, demons were like the tigers or bears in the mountains. Humans would not reason with a wild beast, telling it to have mercy on mankind. Simrly, animals acted on instinct. There was no right or wrong in the situation when an animal killed a human and was hunted down by other humans as a result.

    He believed that those who had sympathy for a man-eating animal were hypocritical, as those people were turning a blind eye to their own kind who was killed by said animal.

    At this time, this snake demon wanted to kill him, so Qi Xuansu would certainly not hold back.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s short sword pierced through the snake demon¡¯s heart. However, snake demons were different from humans anatomically. The heart was not her vital organ. Therefore, instead of dying, she grew more ferocious.

    The lower half of her body, which resembled that of a snake, suddenly elongated to its original length. She coiled her tail tightly around Qi Xuansu, trying to strangle him to death.

    Her upper body was still in human form, but she was no longer as charming as before. Her voice was sharp as she yelled, ¡°How dare you try and kill me?! I won¡¯t let you get out of here alive!¡±

    Her small, round lips from earlier widened, revealing her terrifying fangs and forked tongue. Then she bit down on Qi Xuansu¡¯s head.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu¡¯s short sword was still stuck in the snake demon¡¯s back. So he had no choice but to catch the snake demon¡¯s mouth with both hands, stretching the snake demon¡¯s upper and lower jaws to prevent her from biting down on his head.

    He could only withstand the bite force and being crushed to death thanks to his exceptional Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s physique.

    The two were at a stalemate.

    Qi Xuansu sneered. He stopped pretending to be a pure Martial Arts Practitioner and used his Rogue Cultivator¡¯s innate qi. He exerted some force in both hands and tore open the snake demon¡¯s mouth.

    The snake demon unleashed a blood-curdling scream and immediately lost its strength. The snake tail also loosened its grip around Qi Xuansu.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu noticed that the ghost-expelling talismans drawn on the wall were lit up, signaling the presence of a ghost.

    His heart dropped.

 Chapter 244: Vengeful Ghost

    <h4>Chapter 244: Vengeful Ghost</h4>

    Qi Xuansu raised his arms and exerted some force. The veins under his sleeves bulged, and his blood qi and innate qi surged as he pried the snake¡¯s tail away from his body.

    As soon as he escaped from the constraints, he whipped out the two cusses from his waist and immediately injected some innate qi into them. The des were set aze, which was a dazzling sight in the darkness.

    Having been severely injured, the snake demon no longer dared to linger around and fled immediately.

    At some point, the dark clouds had covered the bright moon, blocking the moonlight. The snow was still falling continuously, coating the ground in a nket of white.

    The snake slithered away, leaving a trail in the snow.

    Qi Xuansu should have let the demon flee while he found a way to escape this residence. However, Qing Yuan was still embedded in the snake demon¡¯s body. Qing Yuan was a relic left by his master, so it was meaningful to Qi Xuansu.

    As such, Qi Xuansu pursued the snake demon. The moment he left the room and ran into the snowstorm, a biting gust of yin energy struck his face, making him breathless.

    However, Qi Xuansu was already on guard. He roared again, unleashing another bout of blood qi.

    A Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s blood qi not only restrained a Diviner¡¯s spells but could also restrain ghostly yin energy. That was because Diviners were from the Ghostly Immortal lineage, so the two yin energies were simr.

    Qi Xuansu dispersed the yin energy with his roar. Not only that, the falling snow and the snow on the ground were swept away by the shockwaves, leaving a nk plot of ground in front of him.

    He kept running, almost catching up to the snake demon. The moment he drew the cuss, the screen of heavy snowfall in front of him contorted. Instead of hurting the snake with sword qi, the cuss appeared in front of the snake demon, as if it had teleported through that distance. This impressive move was the Dayan Spirit de Technique that he had learned from Zhang Yuelu.

    It was hard to determine the cuss¡¯s trajectory, so it was extremely difficult to guard against, hence often catching one¡¯s opponents off guard.

    The snake demon screamed and fell to the ground. Although it was not dead, it rolled around violently, stirring up countless snow and smoke. Wherever the snake¡¯s tail swept, the ground cracked, and the walls copsed.

    At this moment, the vengeful ghost drifted over, bringing with it a rush of yin energy and disturbing the snow wherever it passed. It was quite a bewildering sight.

    Even with his Yin-Yang Eyes, Qi Xuansu could only vaguely see a shadow charging toward him at a terrifying speed. Qi Xuansu could not match up to that speed even with the Jiamas on.

    However, there was no need for Qi Xuansu topete with this ghost in terms of speed. The vengeful ghost could fly over dozens of meters, but Qi Xuansu only had to raise his hand. From this perspective, Qi Xuansu was still faster.

    Qi Xuansu shed his two cusses and rushed at the vengeful ghost.

    The vengeful ghost did not expect that Qi Xuansu, who seemed like a Martial Arts Practitioner, also possessed mystical abilities such as Yin-Yang Eyes. After all, Martial Arts Practitioners and magic were ipatible.

    The ghost almost collided with the mes from the spiritual des, which could also hurt ghosts. Suddenly, the ghost stopped and spun around, narrowly avoiding the cusses. However, Qi Xuansu attacked again.

    Most ghosts only had two methods to harm people¡ªillusions and possession. Illusions could make people hallucinate their deepest fears, hence causing a mental breakdown. On the other hand, possession would allow the ghost to seize control of the victim¡¯s physical body.

    These were methodsmonly used by Diviners, which had no effect on Martial Arts Practitioners due to the spell-resistant blood qi. Moreover, before the Flesh and Blood Realm, a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s body and soul would be integrated into one. Thus, a ghost could not possess a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s body.

    Most people¡¯s soul and body were akin to a boatman and a boat. To possess one¡¯s body, the ghost would drive away the boatman and take control of the boat by itself. However, a Martial Arts Practitioner could not be described as such. A Martial Arts Practitioner was more like a swimmer without a boat, so the ghost had no way of possessing them.

    Qi Xuansu secretlymented that he was not a true Martial Arts Practitioner. If only he could condense his blood qi into fist intention, the damage that he could do to ghosts would be far greater than these mes ignited using his innate qi.

    At the moment, he was more than capable of defense, but he wascking on offense. Tiangang Hall issued peach wood swords specially designed to deal with ghosts. Unfortunately, he left it at his home in Jade Capital. He wondered if Tiangang Hall had retrieved the standard issue weapons from his home since he was dead in the eyes of the Daoist Order.

    Even though Qi Xuansu was lost in thought, his movements did not stop for a second. He spread out the two swords and continued shing, the mes on the des dancing like two fire dragons rolling in the snow. Before the snowkes could get close, they melted from the intense heat.

    Although the ghost managed to dodge Qi Xuansu¡¯s cusses without getting injured, it still could not get close enough to Qi Xuansu to hurt him. The two sides fell into a stalemate.

    The strange thing was that the Xiang Residence remained silent even after Qi Xuansu¡¯s consecutive fierce fights with the snake demon and the vengeful ghost. The ce was quiet and pitch ck, as if everyone was oblivious to the sound of fighting.

    Qi Xuansu took a deep breath. His vision was blocked by the heavy snowfall, but his Yin-Yang Eyes could clearly see the ghost¡¯s movements.

    Since the ghost was too fast, Qi Xuansu could not just turn around and run away. He had no choice but to confront it. However, Qi Xuansu felt powerless because nothing he could do could hurt the ghost.

    That was why Diviners were known for being experts in dealing with ghosts. If Lingquanzi were here, he could use talismans to form a formation, constraining the ghost within a specified area. Eventually, the ghost would be a bird in a cage or a fish in a. It could only sit and wait for death. This was the Diviner¡¯s specialty.

    By this time, the ghost also realized that this strange Martial Arts Practitioner could see it. Usually, a Martial Arts Practitioner could not see ghosts and could only rely on their senses to guess the ghost¡¯s location. Thus, Martial Arts Practitioners were usually passively defending themselves against ghosts, far inferior to Qi Refiners, Shamans, and Rogue Cultivators.

    Therefore, as long as the ghost did not get too close to the Martial Arts Practitioner, the Martial Arts Practitioner would not know where to attack with their fist intention.

    The ghost did not know why this weird Martial Arts Practitioner did not use his fist intention to harm it since he could see its movements. That was why the ghost was wary, not wanting to get too close to Qi Xuansu.

    In a short time, Qi Xuansu¡¯s body was already coated in ayer of snow.

    During this time, Qi Xuansu figured that the ghost had a conscience, as it did not attack him for a long time and was only studying his behavior from afar. The ghost was intelligent, unlike the usual vengeful ghosts that acted like madmen.

    Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Hey, you can hear me, right?¡±

    The ghost did not respond.

    Qi Xuansu continued, ¡°I¡¯m just a passerby. I wouldn¡¯t have done anything to you two if you hadn¡¯t tried to attack me first. Now that we¡¯re in this stalemate, let¡¯s each take a step back. I won¡¯t kill you, so don¡¯t harm me, alright? Just return the short sword to me and let me leave this ce. Then I¡¯ll forget this ever happened.¡±

    The ghost still did not respond.

    Qi Xuansu nced at the quiet snake demon from the corner of his eye. His voice turned colder. ¡°It seems like you want to silence me anyway, because I have seen through your crimes. How can you let me leave? After all, I¡¯m part of the ck Robes, so if I report this to my superior, you all will be in trouble.¡±

    Before he finished speaking, the vengeful ghost and snake demon rushed toward Qi Xuansu simultaneously. They were so fast that Qi Xuansu could not dodge.

    A gust of wind stirred up more snow all around them.

    At the critical moment, Qi Xuansu instinctively decided to deal with the snake demon first because it had a physical body. That was because his blood qi could still resist the vengeful ghost to a certain extent, so it would be best to kill the snake demon first.

    Qi Xuansu raised his two cusses as he jumped up and shed at the snake demon. However, doing so left his back wide open for an attack, giving the vengeful ghost the perfect opportunity to strike. The vengeful ghost charged at Qi Xuansu¡¯s back using its full speed, condensing its yin energy in one spot so that it formed a sharp knife that was almost tangible.

    Blood qi and spells were like fire and water. Water could extinguish fire, but if the fire was too strong, it could also evaporate the water.

    The next second, the ghost¡¯s sharp knife created from yin energynded on the back of Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart, piercing through his qi shield and overwhelming his blood qi.

    At this moment, a ck light shed across Qi Xuansu¡¯s body.

    The vengeful ghost let out a surprised scream and disappeared without a trace.

 Chapter 245: Guess

    <h4>Chapter 245: Guess</h4>

    At this time, the snake demon hadpletely revealed its true form. It was a terrifying giant snake nearly 90 meters long, coiled into an aggressive stance and ready to strike. The giant snake''s head had marks on its mouth from being torn apart by Qi Xuansu earlier.

    The giant snake opened its mouth and bit Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu seemed unaware of the vengeful ghost trying to stab his back earlier. He leaped up high, raising his cusses at the same time. When he reached the peak of his leap, he struck down hard while his body fell with gravity. Two more bone-deep knife wounds appeared on the snake¡¯s head.

    However, Qi Xuansu was also sprayed by the snake¡¯s poisonous breath, making him feel dizzy. Fortunately, he had taken a general antidote beforehand. The antidote worked wonders, rapidly expelling the poison from his body and clearing his mind.

    Although Qi Xuansu was surprised that the ghost was missing, he could not be bothered. He ran as fast as he could toward the giant snake, the mes on his cusses dancing wildly, forming a continuous line. Then blood and scales sttered on the ground.

    The snake demon writhed in pain, its body rolling frantically and its tail iling about like an iron whip, smashing down any walls it came into contact with.

    Qi Xuansu stepped back, put away his cusses, and took out his Divine Dragon Pistol. He loaded a Grade-B Series Two Dragon Eye Bullet, aimed it at the giant snake¡¯s vitals, and pressed down the hammer.

    The moment he pulled the trigger, a cloud of intense mes and smoke exploded at the muzzle of the gun. Due to the strong recoil, Qi Xuansu¡¯s arm that was holding the gun trembled momentarily.

    The projectile shot out at high speed along the rifling of the barrel and instantly struck the giant snake¡¯s body.

    For a snake demon this size, an ordinary armor-piercing projectile would not be able to do any damage. However, the Dragon Eye Bullet was designed to explode upon contact. Thus, a big hole was blown through the snake¡¯s body. Demon blood filled the sky and rained down on the snow-covered ground.

    Qi Xuansu reloaded another Grade-B Series Two Dragon Eye Bullet and fired again, boring yet another bloody hole in the snake¡¯s body.

    The reason the Divine Armory designed the Divine Dragon Pistol to hold only one projectile was to amodate the sheer power of the Dragon Eye Series ammunition. This was why it was called the Dragon Pistol. The explosive power of the Dragon Eye ammunition made it almost impossible to fire continuously.

    The snake demon struggled fiercely.

    Qi Xuansu quickly distanced himself, jumping back and rolling away to dodge the snake¡¯s iling body. Then he continued to reload and fire five more rounds of Grade-B Series Three Dragon Eye Bullets.

    The snake demon raised its head and shrieked before its giant head fell heavily to the ground. Finally, the snake stopped moving.

    Qi Xuansu counted his ammunition and found that he only had five rounds of Grade-B Series Two Dragon Eye Bullets and ten rounds of Grade-B Series Three Dragon Eye Bullets left. Now that he had lost his Daoist identity, he could not replenish his stock at Tianji Hall. Even if he brazenly used his Daoist identity, it was impossible for a seventh-rank priest like him to buy the Dragon Eye Series and Phoenix Eye Series ammunition without Zhang Yuelu¡¯s help.

    Thus, every time he had to use these bullets, he felt his heart breaking a little.

    After this fierce battle with the snake demon, Qi Xuansu finally recalled the vengeful ghost. <i>Where did that scary ghost go?</i>

    In fact, the vengeful ghost and the snake demon had a greater chance of defeating Qi Xuansu. The snake demon¡¯s physical strength was far greater than Qi Xuansu¡¯s expectation, so it took a lot of effort to kill. It also had poisonous breath and venom to weaken Qi Xuansu.

    If Qi Xuansu was busy fighting the snake demon, the vengeful ghost could have used this opportunity to ambush him. If so, Qi Xuansu would be in a precarious situation. However, the vengeful ghost vanished mysteriously. Could it have betrayed the snake demon and fled on its own?

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu suddenly remembered something. He took out the Xuan Jade of Death he carried with him, raised it against the moonlight, and observed it carefully. He discovered a new small ck shadow in the stone swimming around frantically, but it just could not escape.

    Qi Xuansu was a little surprised and confused. <i>Could this ck shadow be that vengeful ghost?</i>

    Madam Qi mentioned before that the Xuan Jade of Death could control theherworld. Qi Xuansu was pleasantly surprised to learn that it was true.

    Cultivating corpses and catching ghosts were the specialties of Diviners. Now it seemed that the Xuan Jade of Death also had such miraculous powers.

    After calming down, Qi Xuansu suddenly realized something. The Xuan Jade of Life gave him the body-regenerative abilities of a Martial Arts Practitioner, while the Xuan Jade of Death gave him the mystical abilities of a Diviner.

    Life and death were opposites, as were Martial Arts Practitioners and Diviners.

    Martial Arts Practitioners were from the Manly Immortal lineage, ultimately pursuing the unity of one¡¯s soul and body. A Manly Immortal could have exaggerated body-regenerative abilities, to the point that it could rapidly regenerate a brand-new body as long as the head was still intact. This was the ultimate symbolism of life.

    On the other hand, Diviners were from the Ghostly Immortal lineage, ultimately pursuing separation of the soul and body. As a Ghostly Immortal, one Thought would represent a version of one¡¯s self, which had thousands of variations. They were also able to abandon their real bodies and possess others¡¯ bodies. To mortals, the death of a person was when the soul left one¡¯s body. Thus, this was the ultimate symbolism of death.

    Was this just a coincidence? Or did it have a deeper meaning?

    Besides Manly Immortals and Ghostly Immortals, there were also Earthly Immortals, Godly Immortals, and Heavenly Immortals. Qi Xuansu had once learned of the mystical abilities of each of these Five Immortals in a course at the Wanxiang Daoist Pce.

    The Earthly Immortal possessed five extremely powerful mystical abilities which were literally capable of moving mountains and shifting seas. The Holy Xuan once used one of these powers to disrupt the earth¡¯s energy at Yunjin Mountain, permanently transforming the mountains in the area. To this day, the Zhengyi Sect is still trying to repair these damages.

    The Godly Immortals could create a divine kingdom in the mortal realm. Even if they died, they could still return and be reborn as long as their divine kingdom was not obliterated. This gave rise to the Three Forms of Death: physical death, death of the spirit, and death of the essence.

    The Heavenly Immortals were even more mysterious. They could leave the realms as they wished.

    If the world were described as a big tree, and each paradise was a fruit on said tree, the Earthly Immortals would be the bugs bound to this tree. They were very powerful, capable of drilling holes in the tree, gnawing the fruits, and wandering around on the tree trunk. However, the Earthly Immortal could not leave this big tree.

    However, the Heavenly Immortals were different. They were like butterflies that could fly and leave this tree. Although butterflies might not be able to win against certain powerful bugs, they could fly away. As such, they were also able to ¡°pollinate,¡± helping the big tree to bear fruits, which were the various caves and paradises.

    Thergest cave in the world was the Kunlun Cave, created by the Primordial Daoist Ancestor.

    The rtionship between the Heavenly Immortals and Earthly Immortals was actually like that between cocoons and butterflies. Some Earthly Immortals would be cocoons at the end of their lives and transform into a butterfly, leaving this world. Hence, it was called ascension.

    There were also some Earthly Immortals who wanted to stay in this world as bugs, constantly improving themselves until they could hunt down Heavenly Immortals and Godly Immortals. To them, Manly Immortals and Ghostly Immortals were not theirpetition. The price for staying in this world was having to go through a heavenly tribtion every hundred years, each time more severe than thest, until the day they werepletely annihted.

    ording to records, only the Primordial Daoist Ancestor had experienced three heavenly tribtions before ascending and leaving this world. This was considered impressive, as most ordinary Earthly Immortals could barely withstand one heavenly tribtion. Most would die immediately after a lifespan of a hundred years.

    This was also the reason why every generation of the Daoist Order¡¯s Grand Masters would ascend to the heavens. This exined the Daoist Order¡¯s strict requirements on the age of the Grand Masters. If one only became a Grand Master at the age of 90, one would only have a term of a few years before ascension. Thus, the Daoist Order preferred to choose a 60-year-old ¡°young¡± talent to be Grand Master so that the term would at least be a few decades.

    Of course, there were also exceptions to ascension. For example, the sixth-generation Grand Master ascended to the heavens before the stipted 100 years. No one knew the exact reason for this, but perhaps the sixth-generation Grand Master did not wish to stay in this world any longer.

    Back then, when Qi Xuansu first learned about these in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, these were too far-fetched for him to rte to. Thus, he listened to them as fairy tales.

    Reflecting on the information he learned in the past, Qi Xuansu made a bold guess.

    Madam Qi mentioned that the five major Daoist lineages corresponded to the Five Immortals of heaven, earth, man, god, and ghost. The Holy Xuan only consolidated and organized the cultivation paths of the Five Lineages. He did not create them out of thin air. Before the Holy Xuan, these Five Lineages existed for many years. They were just not systematic.

    Among all the lineages, the Rogue Cultivator lineage was the only ¡°man-made¡± one, forcibly created by the Daoist Order. The original intention was to mass produce Banished Immortals, just like farming, which required manualbor to increase the yield instead of relying on nature for the harvest.

    The result was a failure, but notpletely. Due to a strangebination of circumstances, the Rogue Cultivator lineage was created, offering somefort to those who could not fit into the Five Immortals lineage.

    ording to Madam Qi, Rogue Cultivators could also be Banished Immortals. However, Rogue Cultivators required something extremely valuable to make up for their innate deficiencies and change their constitution.

    Banished Immortals were like real dragons, while Rogue Cultivators were model dragons that were very simr to the real deal but needed a finishing touch to undergo aplete transformation.

    This extremely valuable thing was the finishing touch.

    The Daoist Order could provide the finishing touch, but it was not cost-effective. Even if the created Banished Immortals did not die in the process, it would be difficult to recover their capital. At most, they would only break even. If the created Banished Immortal died halfway, it would be a total loss. Thus, the Daoist Order finally decided to terminate this experiment.

    Qi Xuansu thought, <i>Was the Xuan Jade the finishing touch?</i>

    He was initially shocked by his conjecture, but it made sense the more he thought about it. What he needed to do moving forward was to gather more Xuan Jades so that he could verify his hypothesis.

 Chapter 246: Reporting the Case

    <h4>Chapter 246: Reporting the Case</h4>

    Qi Xuansu calmed his nerves and examined his surroundings.

    The vengeful ghost was trapped in the Xuan Jade of Death, but the huge carcass of the snake demon was left on the ground, with broken scales and blood strewn everywhere.

    After a while, the gory scene was veiled by a thin nket of white snow.

    ording to legend, demons had a solidified essence called a Demon Pill, but Qi Xuansu had never seen one before. He came to the giant snake¡¯s carcass and inspected it carefully before opening its mouth. That was when a green bead rolled out.

    If he guessed correctly, this green bead was where the snake demon¡¯s poisonous breath originated.

    The Demon Pill was not big, only slightly smaller than a chicken egg. Qi Xuansu remembered that the snake demon had brought a box with her when she entered his room. Thus, he returned to the room. As expected, the box was still intact on the table, unaffected by the fight.

    The moment Qi Xuansu opened the box, a puff of smoke blew into his face.

    However, Qi Xuansu had already expected a booby trap, so he held his breath and jumped back at the same time.

    The smoke did not disperse as fast as Qi Xuansu retreated, so he did not inhale the smoke. If Qi Xuansu had fallen for the snake demon''s beauty earlier and let his guard down, he would have been poisoned and ended up dead.

    ¡°What a trickster.¡± Qi Xuansu picked up the box and saw ayer of silk inside. Since this box could hold smoke, it must have some magical uses. Qi Xuansu pulled out the silk, then went back outside to wrap the green bead in severalyers before putting it into his satchel.

    After that, Qi Xuansu cleared his throat and shouted at the top of his lungs, ¡°Help, somebody!¡±

    His roar could be heard throughout the entire Xiang Residence. That was when the silent and dark residence finally lit up.

    ......

    Qingshui Temple was located near the Qingshui Rest Station, which was under the jurisdiction of the Liangzhou Daoist Mansion.

    Daoist mansions at the state level held more authoritypared to Daoist temples, which were at the prefecture and county level. The difference between a prefectural Daoist temple and a county Daoist temple was only in size. Those from the Daoistmunity could distinguish the two easily, but non-Daoists were easily confused as to why certain Daoist temples had to obey the orders of another Daoist temple.

    Qingshui Temple was a county-level Daoist temple. However, unlike the Imperial Court¡¯s county magistrate, the Daoist temple did not manage civil affairs. It mainly targeted cult demons aiming to spread their evil teachings that would harm others. This was one of the reasons why the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court had coexisted for many years without incident.

    Deacon Zhou of Qingshui Temple had considerable authority in the less prosperous Liangzhou, living a leisurely life as the secret societies were not active in this area. After all, secret societies preferred the more prosperous Jiangnan so that they could convert more believers and enjoy the conveniences of a big city.

    The Daoist Order was not the only system with corruption. Many members of secret societies were also corrupt, asking fellow believers to contribute funds, which went into their own pockets. Some even took advantage of people¡¯s wives and daughters. These corrupt secret society members lived a luxurious life fit for a king and did not actually believe in whichever Ancient Immortal or figurehead that they preached.

    Many secret societies, including the Ziguang Society, the Cult of Fates, and the Lingshan Witch Cult, were gued by this, especially the Heavenly Court. Although the Heavenly Court had considerable power with thergest number of followers, it was the most corrupt internally.

    Even the Qingping Society, which only recruited elites, still had members like Qi Xuansu who were more loyal to the Daoist Order.

    Therefore, the Daoist Order¡¯s eradication of these secret societies was still supported by some parties.

    It was snowing heavily. Deacon Zhou put on his hechang and invited a few friends over for warmed wine around a stove. They were sitting in a small pavilion while admiring the snow.

    While Deacon Zhou was sipping on his fine wine, a subordinate rushed over,pletely ruining his mood.

    Deacon Zhou said in a displeased tone, ¡°Why are you so flustered? What happened?¡±

    The subordinate reported anxiously, ¡°Deacon Zhou, there¡¯s a demon in the city! Rumor has it that the demon even ate a person!¡±

    Deacon Zhou was startled. His drunkenness disappeared instantly. ¡°A demon? Like a cult demon or a monster?¡±

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s a snake demon in the Xiang Family Fortress.¡± The Daoist priest answered, ¡°Apparently, it¡¯s a murder case, but I don¡¯t know how much of it is true. The assistant major of the Green Phoenix Guard is heading there as we speak.¡±

    ¡°Hah! We can¡¯t let the Green Phoenix Guard get the upper hand. Let¡¯s get going. Hurry, gather our people, and remind them to bring whatever is necessary. We can¡¯t embarrass ourselves.¡±

    In his desperation, Deacon Zhou did not care about being refined. He resembled a bandit leader who was ready to rob a merchant caravan.

    The Daoist priest nodded and left.

    After a while, Deacon Zhou led arge group of people from the Daoist temple and headed for the Xiang Family Fortress.

    By the time he arrived at the Xiang Family Fortress, it was already early noon, so they went straight to the Xiang Residence. At this time, a crowd had already gathered outside the Xiang Residence, gossiping about the events that happened. There were also two Green Phoenix Guards armed with sabers standing at the door.

    The Green Phoenix Guard in this dynasty was no longer like the secretive agency of the previous dynasty. Instead, its duties were to arrest thieves, capture cult demons, and handle various murder cases. It was separated from the Ministry of Justice and County Magistrate.

    Seeing the Daoist priests arriving, the crowd of onlookers made way for them.

    The Daoist priests and the Green Phoenix Guard were acquaintances, so the two Green Phoenix Guards at the entrance did not try to block the way. They even took the initiative to greet the Daoist priests.

    Deacon Zhou got off his horse and asked, ¡°Has the assistant major arrived?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. He¡¯s waiting for you inside.¡± A guard responded.

    Deacon Zhou tossed the reins aside and straightened his robe before walking into the Xiang Residence.

    At the moment, the residence was a mess. Everyone working there was flustered. Since there were troopers stationed along the way, it saved Deacon Zhou the trouble of asking for directions. All he had to do was follow the trail of Green Phoenix Guards.

    Deacon Zhou arrived at the ce where the incident urred and found many people gazing down at the most eye-catching thing on the ground¡ªthe huge snake¡¯s carcass. Even with a nket of white snow covering the wounds and blood, it was still a terrifying scene.

    At this time, three people were standing right next to the snake demon¡¯s carcass. They were not viewing from afar like the others, so Deacon ZHou figured that these three people had to be important to the case.

    One of them was an old acquaintance of Deacon Zhou, an assistant major of the Green Phoenix Guard. The other two were both adult men. The older one was dressed as a gentry, while the younger one wore a cloak.

    Deacon Zhou came to the assistant major and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    The assistant major replied, ¡°I¡¯ve just arrived not long ago as well.¡±

    Deacon Zhou nced at the other two people.

    The man dressed as a gentry said, ¡°I am the owner of this ce.¡±

    Xiang Rulin¡¯s face was pale, which made people wonder if he was frightened.

    The other person was Qi Xuansu, who took out his badge and greeted the deacon. ¡°I am Wei Wugui, a personal guard of General Lon.¡±

    Deacon Zhou wanted to take the badge to verify its authenticity, but the assistant major whispered in his ears. ¡°I¡¯ve already checked his badge. It¡¯s real.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re with the ck Robes.¡± Deacon Zhou immediately gave up the idea of ??checking Qi Xuansu¡¯s badge. After all, a Daoist priest would not have been better at identifying the tokens of identity from the Imperial Courtpared to an assistant major of the Green Phoenix Guard.

    Qi Xuansu repeated his fabricated story about how he was under General Qin Wubing¡¯s orders to deliver a gift to the Commandery Prince in Huzhou. Along the way, he decided to stay overnight at the Xiang Residence due to the blocked road from the heavy snowfall. That was when he was attacked by a snake demon who disguised itself as a woman. However, he saw through the snake demon¡¯s disguise and defeated it.

    Deacon Zhou was surprised to hear this. ¡°Killing demons like this requires a minimum cultivation level at the Yuxu stage. Brother, if you manage to kill this snake demon, you must be a master.¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not worth mentioning. I¡¯m just a Yuxu-stage Martial Arts Practitioner.¡±

    Deacon Zhou was rendered speechless. General Lon was so impressive to have a Yuxu-stage personal guard without a specified rank. However, after some thought, it was unreasonable to judge the confidants of important people based on ordinary logic.

    Even a deacon like him would have to be respectful to the Daoist attendant serving by a Daoist Mansion Master¡¯s side. Thus, Deacon Zhou dared not underestimate this personal guard.

    The assistant major said, ¡°Deacon Zhou, if you don¡¯t have any objections, I¡¯ll begin the autopsy now.¡±

    Deacon Zhou came back to his senses and nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±

    The assistant major took a pair of gloves from his subordinate and put them on. Another subordinate swept away the snow on the snake¡¯s carcass before the assistant major began to examine it.

 Chapter 247: Hidden Secrets

    <h4>Chapter 247: Hidden Secrets</h4>

    The autopsy was concluded in no time because it was easily determined to be a firearm death.

    The assistant major held a piece of the projectile fragment with two fingers and said, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this is a projectile from the Daoist Order¡¯s Tianji Hall called the Dragon Eye Bullet.¡±

    ¡°Brother, you have a good eye.¡± Qi Xuansu lifted a corner of his cloak to reveal his Divine Dragon Pistol hanging on his waist. ¡°The Divine Dragon Pistol is the best match for the powerful Dragon Eye Series ammunition, and the most authentic Dragon Eye Bulletse from Tianji Hall.¡±

    The Divine Dragon Pistol was not only valuable. It was also a symbol of status. Even among the ck Robes, only those above the Mobile Corps General rank were eligible to own one.

    This undoubtedly confirmed Deacon Zhou¡¯s guess. He said, ¡°Brother Wei is right. The Dragon Eye Bullets produced by Tianji Hall are first-ss.¡±

    The assistant major added, ¡°This snake also has some stab wounds.¡±

    Qi Xuansu reached for the back of his waist and pulled out two cusses. ¡°I spent 2,500 Taiping coins to buy these two spiritual objects from the Armament¡¯s Officer in the Divine Armory. That old crook initially asked me for 3,000 Taiping coins, but in the end, he gave me a discount of 500 Taiping coins due to my rtionship with the general.

    ¡°But these cusses aren¡¯t produced by the Divine Armory. They were seized from cult demons during an extermination. Since they were considered loot, they were sent to the Divine Armory for examination. These cusses ignite with mes as long as you inject some qi into them. I named them the ming des.¡±

    Deacon Zhou became more convinced that Qi Xuansu was General Lon¡¯s personal guard. Perhaps they had even grown up together. Otherwise, it would not make sense for an ordinary personal guard to have so much money, a Divine Dragon Pistol, and a pair of spiritual des.

    In many aristocratic families, some servants, despite their status, gained more respect than some of their young masters. For example, pce eunuchs who served the emperor were also servants, but no one dared to underestimate them. Even the ministers and generals had to be polite to the chief eunuch.

    However, there was one thing that the assistant major did not mention. As a member of the Daoist Order, Deacon Zhou was aware that most demons would have a Demon Pill. If the Demon Pill was not found, someone must have taken it.

    Seeing as Wei Wugui was a personal guard of General Lon, Deacon Zhou did not point out the missing Demon Pill. After all, ying a demon and keeping its Demon Pill was also not against thew.

    Moreover, grassroots officials like Deacon Zhou would most often have superb interpersonal skills to avoid offending anyone.

    Qi Xuansu waited until the assistant major finished examining the carcass before saying, ¡°This demon was extremely intelligent. I wasn¡¯t sure I could defeat it at first, so I thought of escaping and getting reinforcements from the county magistrate to help exterminate this monster. But the snake demon saw through my intentions and refused to let me leave no matter what, indicating this demon wasn¡¯t the kind that would wander around tomit crimes. I think it was entrenched here, but I don¡¯t know how many people it has eaten over the years.¡±

    Deacon Zhou¡¯s expression turned stern. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is actually happening here!¡±

    The assistant major¡¯s face was also solemn. If this monster had been entrenched here for a long time, they would probably be charged with dereliction of duty once this incident came to light. However, since this snake demon was already dead, they could spin the narrative and even hope to achieve some merit.

    Deacon Zhou exchanged nces with the assistant major, both silentlying to an agreement.

    The key was with this soldier, Wei Wugui.

    Before either of them spoke, Qi Xuansu sped his fists and said, ¡°The General often says that victory on the battlefield is only winning the first half of the battle. How to deal with the aftermath, restore the ce, and pacify the people is the second half of the battle. If the second half of the battle is not handled well, then the first half of the battle would have been done in vain.

    ¡°I have the same thoughts as the General. In fact, the same goes for ying demons. I killed this demon by chance, but what¡¯s more important is how you two deal with the aftermath.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was smart enough to offer them this merit on a silver tter.

    Deacon Zhou and the assistant major beamed. The deacon said, ¡°Of course, this is a part of our responsibility. We dare not trouble you.¡±

    The assistant major, who also had a military background, was more direct. He gave Qi Xuansu a thumbs-up and said, ¡°Thanks, Brother Wei!¡±

    Deacon Zhou also muttered, ¡°We appreciate your generosity.¡±

    The reason why Qi Xuansu was so generous was mainly because this credit no longer had any meaning to him. He could not possibly tell the deacon and the assistant major to record this merit under the name ¡°Qi Xuansu¡± because Wei Wugui was just a fake identity. Thus, it made more sense for him to do them a favor so that the case would be closed and he could get on his journey.

    The three men were happily discussing how to resolve this case, while the owner of this ce, Xiang Rulin was inadvertently left on the sidelines, making him look even more lonely and deste.

    At this moment, a servant ran over and said in panic, ¡°Master! Madam is missing!¡±

    The already-pale Xiang Rulin turned as white as a sheet of paper. He almost fainted from the shock.

    Qi Xuansu, Deacon Zhou, and the assistant major looked at each other. Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Did the Madam get attacked by the snake demon?¡±

    Deacon Zhou and the assistant major kept quiet.

    They were bothpetent officials, so they had already noticed something amiss.

    This snake demon was entrenched here for a long time. If it wanted to eat the people in Xiang Residence, it would not have waited until this moment. This ¡°Madam¡± went missing after someone had in the demon. How could there be such a coincidence?

    They were delighted that Wei Wugui was so kind as to mention this. That way, they had a reason and a direction for the investigation.

    The assistant major scoffed. ¡°Old Master Xiang, could this snake demon be rted to your wife?¡±

    Xiang Rulin stuttered, ¡°Assistant M-Major, w-what d-do you m-mean by this?¡±

    At this moment, another servant came to report, ¡°Master, the Second Madam is also missing.¡±

    Xiang Rulin¡¯s body swayed from the shock. His vision went dark, and he felt as if the world was spinning.

    In an instant, Xiang Rulin fell backward like a log.

    No one had expected him to be so weak.

    ¡°Someone, help him!¡± The assistant major shouted in surprise.

    Deacon Zhou hurriedly stepped forward to examine Xiang Rulin¡¯s condition and found that he had just fainted. It should not be anything serious.

    Then, a jumble of footsteps approached as a group of Green Phoenix Guards came running in.

    The assistant major waved his hands in dismissal. ¡°No one asked you toe. Go away!¡±

    Those Green Phoenix Guards hurriedly retreated.

    Deacon Zhou ordered the servant beside him. ¡°Take your master to the bedroom.¡±

    Three servants gathered around, two of them supporting each side of Xiang Rulin¡¯s shoulder and waist, while the remaining servant held Xiang Rulin¡¯s legs. They carried him and headed toward the bedroom.

    Qi Xuansu watched this scene while drawing up his own conjectures.

    There was indeed something strange about this big house, and this old man might be aware of it.

    However, Qi Xuansu had no intention of intervening. He just cupped his fists to salute Deacon Zhou and the assistant major. ¡°It seems that handling the aftermath will be very troublesome. You two will have to work hard.¡±

    The assistant major and Deacon Zhou were eager to dig out more secrets so that they could take credit for their achievements. They hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s our duty. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Qi Xuansu suddenly remembered something. ¡°There is one more thing that I forgot to mention earlier.¡±

    Startled, the two officials asked, ¡°What is it?¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Pleasee with me.¡±

    After that, Qi Xuansu led the two officials to the guest room he stayed in and pointed to the wall. ¡°Last night, I found that the color of this wall was a little off, like it was addedter. So I cracked the wall and found this.¡±

    Deacon Zhou did not notice anything wrong at first. Upon hearing this, he went forward to take a closer look. That was when he realized that these markings were actually iplete talismans. He had to admit that he admired Qi Xuansu¡¯s attention to detail, since ordinary people would never notice the difference in the wall¡¯s color.

    After carefully identifying the type of talisman, Deacon Zhou¡¯s face turned somber. Finally, he stretched out his finger, gently wiped it on the wall, then sniffed his finger.

    ¡°This is a Daoist ghost-expelling talisman, and it''s written with blood. Although it¡¯s not written with the blood from the tip of one¡¯s tongue, which has the most yang energy, this is written with the blood from the middle finger, which has the second-most yang energy.

    ¡°Writing this talisman on the wall can prevent evil spirits from entering through the wall. Judging from the handwriting, it must be done hastily. Only a vengeful ghost with high attainment could force a Diviner to resort to such measures.¡±

    Deacon Zhou and the assistant major looked at each other.

    The assistant major muttered, ¡°The Second Madam is also missing.¡±

 Chapter 248: Search

    <h4>Chapter 248: Search</h4>

    Deacon Zhou pondered aloud. ¡°Now, it seems that the simplest and most direct way is to directly search the Xiang Residence. That should reveal some clues.¡±

    The assistant major was from the Green Phoenix Guard, which was part of the Imperial Court, so he had more factors to consider. ¡°Master Xiang is a Juren Schr, and his grandfather has some connections with the Imperial Court. Schrs always like to stick together with their peers. We need to be confident in finding evidence of wrongdoing if we search this ce. Otherwise, we will be in trouble if this ce is found to be clean.

    ¡°Furthermore, Master Xiang is now unconscious. If we search his house without consent, he might hold us responsible for certain missing items. He¡¯s not an ordinary civilian, so it won¡¯t be easy to brush him off. Also, we can¡¯t guarantee there isn¡¯t a kleptomaniac among our subordinates. By then, it¡¯ll be his word against ours.¡±

    Deacon Zhou hissed. ¡°This is indeed a bit tricky.¡±

    He looked at Qi Xuansu for advice. ¡°Brother Wei, what do you have in mind?¡±

    Qi Xuansu wanted to push it back, but he thought about it and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we invite the local magistrate over? He¡¯s in charge of the local affairs in the county, so we can invite him here to be a witness for the search.¡±

    ¡°Brother Wei, this is a good idea!¡± The assistant major pped his hands. ¡°If the county magistrate is willing to bear witness, we can prove that we didn¡¯t act without authorization even if we don¡¯t manage to find anything in the search. If he refuses to bear witness to this search, then he will be held ountable for the consequences.¡±

    Qi Xuansu thought to himself, <i>People in officialdom sure know how to cover for themselves. Although this assistant major has a military background, he has quite a good foresight for handling various scenarios.</i>

    The assistant major continued, ¡°I will go in person to invite the county magistrate over.¡±

    Deacon Zhou reminded him. ¡°Tell the county magistrate that representatives of the Daoist Order, the ck Robes, and the Green Phoenix Guard have all arrived. He¡¯s the representative of the local civil affairs, so he must be present as well. If he shirks responsibility this time, he needs to be able to exin it to the higher-ups when the timees.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± The assistant major nodded with a smile and strode away.

    After about half a day, Xiang Rulin finally woke up. The local magistrate and assistant major arrived soon after.

    The Great Xuan Dynasty did not emphasize literature over martial arts. The Six Arts of Gentlemen, which included etiquette, music, archery, riding, mathematics, and calligraphy, were also popr. Therefore, although the county magistrate was a civil official, he did not sit in a carriage. Instead, he rode on horseback, braving the wind and snow.

    Although the magistrate was somewhat reluctant to get involved, he was left with no choice. If something went wrong, he would certainly be held responsible. However, if the case could be solved, he would also gain a share of the credit.

    Thus, the county magistrate conveyed the decision to search the Xiang Residence to the owner of the house. Xiang Rulin protested, but to no avail. His vision went ck as he fainted again.

    Deacon Zhou had some medical knowledge, so he examined Xiang Rulin. He stroked his beard and remarked, ¡°Master Xiang fainted due to overwhelming emotions, but his constitution is weak with a deficiency in yang energy.¡±

    The assistant major snickered. ¡°Huh, it doesn¡¯t ur to me that a man of his age can still be so unrestrained in bed to the point hecks yang energy.¡±

    Deacon Zhou said helplessly, ¡°Having a deficiency in yang energy doesn¡¯t mean that he is a virile man. Yang energy and yin energy are opposing forces. When these two forces meet, one is bound to ovee the other. Only the Daoist Sages can truly achieve a bnce of yin and yang.¡±

    The assistant major was a Martial Arts Practitioner, and the county magistrate was a Confucian disciple, so they were not as proficient in the study of yin and yang as Deacon Zhou.

    The county magistrate could not help but ask, ¡°What happens if one¡¯s yang energy is weak?¡±

    Deacon Zhou exined, ¡°A weak body will lead to evil spirits possessing one¡¯s body. When that happens, the body will weaken further until death befalls the victim. However, if the yin energy in the body is too intense, I¡¯m afraid that the victim will not be able to rest in peace even after death. There is also a risk of its corpse rising from the dead.¡±

    Hearing this, the assistant major gasped. ¡°It seems that we mustn¡¯t dy this search.¡±

    Deacon Zhou nodded in agreement. ¡°Let¡¯s search this ce. We¡¯re at least 80% sure there is something fishy here.¡±

    The assistant major no longer hesitated. He strode out, summoned the Green Phoenix Guards, and gave them a set of instructions. The Green Phoenix Guard spread out and searched the Xiang Residence thoroughly. Although the assistant major had already emphasized for them to adhere to the rules, the Green Phoenix Guards were inevitably an arrogant bunch. They shouted at the residents and even got violent. For a while, the Xiang Residence was in chaos.

    The crowd gathered outside the Xiang Residence watched in excitement, exaggerating rumors spreading like wildfire. At first, it was rumored that Xiang Rulin¡¯s wife and concubine were killed. Later, it was rumored that Xiang Rulin hadmitted a serious crime, so the local government was sealing off the residence and confiscating everything.

    The public was not angry. Instead, they were mostly gloating.

    While the Green Phoenix Guard conducted the search, Deacon Zhou introduced Qi Xuansu to the county magistrate. The county magistrate dared not look down on this young man and greeted him politely.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh at the importance of status. If he did not have the ck Robes badge given to him by General Qin Wubing, he would not be treated with such courtesy even if he was a Yuxu-stage cultivator.

    The sky turned dark in the blink of an eye, and the search was almostplete. All that was left to search was a small garden with a locked door.

    Qi Xuansu, Deacon Zhou, the county magistrate, and the assistant major went over to the door of the small garden. Several Green Phoenix Guard held torches to light up the area.

    By this time, the heavy snowfall had stopped.

    The assistant major instructed a subordinate to summon the housekeeper of the Xiang Residence and asked while pointing at the door. ¡°What is this ce?¡±

    ¡°This is the cemetery of our master¡¯s first wife.¡± The housekeeper nced timidly at the assistant major and quickly lowered his head upon meeting those sharp eyes. ¡°The missing Madam is actually from the master¡¯s second marriage.¡±

    The county magistrate scoffed. ¡°What a joke! Why would anyone build a cemetery at home?¡±

    The housekeeper knew that something was going on, so he quickly distanced himself from this matter. ¡°I think it¡¯s strange too, but the master insists on doing this. We servants can¡¯t stop him. Besides, no one is allowed to go inside, so we don¡¯t know what¡¯s in there either.¡±

    The assistant major pressed on. ¡°You don¡¯t have the key?¡±

    The housekeeper lowered his head. ¡°I don¡¯t, sir.¡±

    The assistant major waved his hand in dismissal, then signaled two of his subordinates to watch the housekeeper closely. He then turned to the other three men. ¡°What do you guys think of this?¡±

    Deacon Zhou and the county magistrate looked at each other before saying, ¡°It seems that the only option is to break down the door.¡±

    Qi Xuansu, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. ¡°Since this happened because of me, let me do the honor of breaking down the door.¡±

    The assistant major immediately agreed.

    Qi Xuansu did not waste any time. He took two steps forward and stomped one foot into the ground to stop his forward momentum. His body leaned forward, and his fist at chest level pulled back as if he were pulling a bow. Then he abruptly unleashed a punch like a shot arrow. His joints created sounds of a firecracker as hepleted the whole action in one breath.

    ¡°Nice punch!¡± The assistant major, who was also a Martial Arts Practitioner, knew this technique, his eyes lighting up with admiration.

    The moment Qi Xuansu¡¯s punchnded on the door, an illusory ripple spread across the door. However, faced with a punch with abination of blood qi and innate qi, this simple formation onlysted for a moment before copsing. The door to the small exploded into pieces, filling the sky with sawdust.

    Seeing this scene, the county magistrate and Deacon Zhou could not help but shrink their heads instinctively. They secretly thought that if this punch hadnded on their bodies, they would have been critically injured, if not dead.

    Qi Xuansu clenched his fists and walked into the cemetery first.

    The other three followed closely behind. The group of Green Phoenix Guards, civil servants, and Daoist priests trailed their bosses.

    As soon as they entered the cemetery, they could not help but gasp in horror.

    This was indeed a cemetery. A solitary gravestone stood in the middle, but all around it were scattered bones. At a nce, it was easy to identify them as human bones.

    This ce was abandoned and eerily silent¡ªa chilling sight, especially with exposed human remains everywhere.

    Deacon Zhou came to a white bone that was obviously different from the surrounding bones. It had a light jade-white color, so it should be the remains of a cultivator. Next to this piece of bone was a damaged magical weapon that resembled a Bagua[1].

    Deacon Zhou sighed softly as he pointed at the bones. ¡°This should be the Diviner who drew the talisman on the wall of the guest room. He was indeed murdered.¡±

    At this time, the county magistrate knew that he had to make a decision. He ordered in a stern tone, ¡°Arrest Xiang Rulin immediately and seal off the Xiang Residence. No one is allowed to leave without permission!¡±

    The assistant major waved his hand as a signal to his subordinates.

    The cadets under the local magistrate and the Green Phoenix Guards immediately dispersed to do their jobs, creating more cries and chaos in the Xiang Residence.

    The rumors earlier suddenly became true.

    1. The Eight Trigrams defined as a set of eight symbols used to represent the fundamental principles of reality and the natural world. ?

 Chapter 249: Official Law

    <h4>Chapter 249: Official Law</h4>

    The atmosphere was solemn.

    The county magistrate, assistant major, and Deacon Zhou were sitting in the main hall of the Xiang Residence with somber expressions. After all, society was at peace; these were not war times when human lives were not valued. Judging by the weathering of some of these corpses, not all had died during their term in office. Some were likely to be rted to old cases, so no one dared to be careless. This was a major event that would affect their careers.

    Qi Xuansu stood outside the main hall with his hands on his short sword and gun, staring up at the bright moon.

    It was beyond his expectations for the situation to reach this point.

    He had a close brush with death. If he had not obtained the Xuan Jade of Death, he would have ended up like that Diviner and be one of the many bones in this cemetery.

    It seemed that the Diviner noticed something fishy about this ce and came to catch the vengeful ghost. Unexpectedly, there was another snake demon hiding in the dark, waiting to strike. Thus, the Diviner was outnumbered and lost his life.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu tightened his grip on his weapons.

    The world was a dangerous ce, especially to those who were not Heavenly Beings. Even as a Xiantian Being, it was possible to die suddenly without an exnation, regardless of one¡¯s cultivation level. This was true because Qi Xuansu himself killed many who were at a higher cultivation level than he was.

    At this moment, someone reported that Xiang Rulin had finally woken up.

    The three people who were sitting in the main hall stood up at the same time and walked out quickly.

    Although the Xiang Residence was sealed off and every resident was interrogated, most of these people were unaware of these shady events. Even if someone knew about it, they were mostly making assumptions after the fact, which was of no great use. Thus, the key to resolving this case lies in Xiang Rulin.

    Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment and followed behind the three officials.

    When the three officials were discussing how to solve this case earlier, Qi Xuansu was nearby. The Green Phoenix Guards, cadets, and Daoist priests noticed that their superiors were very polite to this young man, so they dared not stop Qi Xuansu from entering and only assumed that he must be of the same level as their superiors.

    The four men came to Xiang Rulin¡¯s bedroom. Xiang Rulin was sitting on the bed, his face still pale without a trace of blood.

    Someone brought in some chairs for them.

    The county magistrate took the initiative to ask, ¡°Xiang Rulin, why did you build a cemetery at home? You¡¯d better hurry up and confess your crimes. Otherwise, you¡¯ll face worse punishment!¡±

    Although they were not in the county government office, the threat from the county magistrate could still make people feel a chill running down their spine. After all, not many could endure the torture methods used on criminals.

    Criminals would be bound at the neck, feet, and hands while torture methods were inflicted on them. Even the toughest pirates could not withstand the pain, let alone a pampered and weak-bodied gentry like Xiang Rulin.

    Since everything was already exposed, Xiang Rulin was calm at this time. He smiled bitterly and said, ¡°I¡¯m a Juren Schr. I¡¯m afraid you all can¡¯t afford the consequences of torturing me to death. You¡¯ll have to wait until my title is removed before torturing me. But since things have reached this point, there¡¯s no need for all that. You¡¯ve seen the cemetery, and I have nothing more to say.¡±

    The assistant major questioned, ¡°Your wife and concubine are missing, and there are reports of a snake demon and a vengeful ghost in this house. What¡¯s the connection between them?¡±

    Xiang Rulin lowered his head and kept mum.

    Deacon Zhou snorted. ¡°I take your silence as acquiescence. I wonder, is the snake demon your wife and the vengeful ghost your concubine, or the other way around?¡±

    Xiang Rulin¡¯s body trembled slightly, but his head remained lowered, and his mouth remained shut.

    Qi Xuansu kept a stoic face and did not speak either.

    Although Xiang Rulin did notmit murder, he deliberately condoned the snake demon and the vengeful ghost¡¯s crimes by failing to report what he knew. Thus, he was an aplice and could not escape from being held responsible.

    The county magistrate could not hold himself back any longer. Although he did not have a gavel on hand, he pped the table with his palm and shouted, ¡°How unrepentant of you, evildoer!¡±

    He stood up abruptly in anger.

    Qi Xuansu had been standing all this while, even though he was offered a chair. At this time, the assistant major and Deacon Zhou also stood up.

    Xiang Rulin was startled and could not help but raise his head. He trembled in fear again when he saw the four men towering over him.

    The county magistrate had a stern expression. ¡°Even without your confession, we can still close the case with enough physical evidence. But when that happens, a pampered gentleman like you won¡¯t be able to handle the consequences!¡±

    Xiang Rulin was silent for a long time. After a while, he asked, ¡°What would you like to know, sir?¡±

    The county magistrate¡¯s expression softened slightly. ¡°Were you aware of the snake demon and the vengeful ghost?¡±

    No one knew if Xiang Rulin was saddened by his arrest or by the deaths of his wife and concubine. His eyes were dim as he said feebly, ¡°I am aware.¡±

    The county magistrate pressed on. ¡°Are you aware of the harm they caused to others?¡±

    Xiang Rulin did not deny it. ¡°I am aware.¡±

    The magistrate suppressed his anger and scoffed. ¡°Good. At least you have the guts to admit your fault.¡±

    Xiang Rulin smiled wryly. ¡°That year, when I was going to the Imperial Capital for the National Exam, I encountered some bandits. If it weren¡¯t for my wife and concubine, I would have been dead. After we got married, it was thanks to them that I was able to keep the family business passed down by my ancestors.¡±

    Deacon Zhou sneered. ¡°You sure are a sentimental and loyal husband. But don¡¯t you think that the victims deserve to live too?¡±

    Xiang Rulin was speechless.

    Qi Xuansu red at Xiang Rulin. Justst night, they were still drinking and chatting happily. He wondered how Xiang Rulin viewed him at the time¡ªwas it a dying person?

    If Xiang Rulin had been unaware of all this, Qi Xuansu would have been willing to help him out, especially since Xiang Rulin was so kind as to offer him a ce to stay. However, there was no kindness to speak of if Xiang Rulin was fully aware of his wife¡¯s and concubine¡¯s crimes. Xiang Rulin only hosted a banquet for Qi Xuansu as thetter¡¯sst supper so that he could die with a full stomach.

    Qi Xuansu sneered, thinking that Xiang Rulin deserved a tragic death.

    Zhang Yuelu had once mentioned that Qi Xuansu had a strong killing aura, which stemmed from violence and resentment.

    Even Zhang Yuelu herself admitted that she also had a killing aura, umted bit by bit from her time in Beichen Hall and Tiangang Hall. A bit of it was shown when she broke Xu Kou¡¯s wrist without warning, but she did not use it on Qi Xuansu. Having gone through so many life-and-death situations, it would be weird if she did not have a violent temper.

    On the other hand, Qi Xuansu had been wandering around the world on his own for so many years, living on the edge of the de. Thus, his killing aura would only be more than Zhang Yuelu¡¯s. However, most of the time, he kept it hidden and did not show it in front of the people he knew. It would onlye out when he had to kill.

    That was why Qi Xuansu had never considered himself a good person.

    At this moment, the assistant major asked, ¡°Brother Wei, what do you think?¡±

    Qi Xuansu said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s only natural for a blood debt to be paid with one¡¯s life.¡±

    The other three did not speak, as they all had their own considerations. However, they agreed with Qi Xuansu¡¯s words.

    Qi Xuansu walked up to Xiang Rulin and asked, ¡°Master Xiang, logically speaking, I would have owed you a favor for allowing me to take shelter at your house and hosting a banquet for me. But I don¡¯t think this favor is worth paying for with my life. Since it hase to this point, I might as well tell you the truth. The snake demon and the vengeful ghost wanted to eat me, but they all died in my hands. Do you have anything to say about that?¡±

    Xiang Rulin looked at Qi Xuansu with resentment, but he felt the killing aura the moment he met Qi Xuansu¡¯s gaze.

    He was speechless, finally realizing that the young man in front of him waspletely different from the three officials. Qi Xuansu had countless lives on his hands, so even evil spirits would be afraid of his killing aura. How did he take the initiative to provoke this young man? Wasn¡¯t that asking for death?

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°I take it that you have nothing to say to me. I won¡¯t kill you, but I will leave it to the officials to determine your punishment. I believe the government will give me justice.¡±

 Chapter 250: Passing by Tianshui Prefecture

    <h4>Chapter 250: Passing by Tianshui Prefecture</h4>

    Most of the residents in the Xiang Family Fortress were rted to each other, as they were one big n. Some ns were so powerful due to their unity that they could even fill some of the gaps in the local governance.

    Originally, the county magistrate was a little worried the Xiang n would revolt if they arrested Xiang Rulin. Although the government was not afraid of this, it was still a troublesome matter. What he did not expect was that most of the people outside the Xiang Residence would gloat over Xiang Rulin¡¯s misfortune. This showed that Xiang Rulin¡¯s rtionship with his n was not great.

    After a brief discussion between the county magistrate, Deacon Zhou, and the assistant major, they decided to take Xiang Rulin to the county prison while awaiting his conviction.

    This case would definitely rm the government, and perhaps even the state. Thus, there were still many procedures to go through.

    Although Qi Xuansu happened to be going to Tianshui Prefecture, he did not want to follow through with this case. After all, his identity as Qin Wubing¡¯s personal guard was fake. It could be used to fool guards at a blockade, but if someone looked into him, his identity would be exposed.

    The heavy snow had stopped, so Qi Xuansu bid goodbye to the three officials with the excuse of not wanting to dy General Lon¡¯s errands. By this time, the case was considered solved, and the three officials did not need anyone to be their scapegoat, so they naturally agreed to Qi Xuansu¡¯s departure. However, they perfunctorily asked him to stay out of politeness.

    All of them left the Xiang Family Fortress and went to the county seat, where they hosted a farewell banquet for Qi Xuansu. After drinking and talking, Qi Xuansu left the county seat and continued toward the prefectural capital.

    He nned to stop in the prefectural capital before passing through Tianshui Prefecture to leave Liangzhou and enter Qinzhou¡¯s territory.

    The rest of the journey was uneventful.

    Qi Xuansu arrived at the capital city of Tianshui Prefecture, which was bustling with people. Many of the Daoist Order¡¯s establishments had branches in this city, including Taiping Inn, Huasheng Hall, and Tianji Hall. Unfortunately, Qi Xuansu was short of money. His original savings of 300 Taiping coins were down to 150 Taiping coins after hepensated the innkeeper and his wife with 100 Taiping coins and spent the other 50 Taiping coins.

    Qi Xuansu had heard of some rules among the officialdom. A visiting official would be received by a local government official and given an allowance. This time, the three local officials only held a banquet for Qi Xuansu but did not give him any money, which disappointed the money-grubber. He figured that it was because his status as Qin Wubing¡¯s personal guard was not enough to grant him this privilege.

    In fact, the Imperial Court did have such unwritten rules. Just as Qi Xuansu guessed, not all levels of officials could receive such treatment. If Qin Wubing had passed by, he would have been entitled to this treatment.

    ording tomon practice, the Deputy Protector¡¯s treatment would be equivalent to that of the Pacification Commissioner, Chief Military Officer, and Deputy Minister. They would receive about 100 Taiping coins for food and fodder, as well as an additional 300 Taiping coins as tribute.

    A level above that was for the Governor, Chief Admiral, and Minister. They would be entitled to 200 Taiping coins for food and fodder and 400 Taiping coins as tribute. A higher rank than that would be for cab ministers and the like, which had no standard rule of treatment. It all depended on the local government. Some even went as far as to build arge sedan chair that needed to be carried by 32 people.

    In the Imperial Court, these expenses could be recorded openly as gifts under the local government office. Thus, if someonemitted a crime in the future, these ounts would be audited, but the giver would not be held ountable as it was an exinable expense. Thus, this rule made it difficult for thew to hold everyone ountable.

    Unlike the Imperial Court, the Holy Xuan strictly prohibited such rules within the Daoistmunity.

    With his status, Qi Xuansu would not have been able to interact with high-ranking officials. At most, he would only be able to interact with county-level officials because they would be roughly equivalent to his Daoist seventh or sixth rank.

    As for Qingping Society¡¯s sry, Madam Qi withheld it on the grounds of using half to pay off his debt and saving the other half for his future marriage.

    Qi Xuansu found it strange. He could never understand Madam Qi¡¯s thought process. The Li family of the Taiping Sect was searching high and low for Xuan Jades, so if Madam Qi were to sell it to them, she could easily fetch tens of thousands of Taiping coins. However, she casually gave him the Xuan Jade of Death without so much as batting an eyelid. Also, she saved him back then by footing the bill for his Auxiliary Heart, which cost at least tens of thousands of Taiping coins.

    Madam Qi did not seem to care about spending on these big-ticket items, but she liked to eye Qi Xuansu¡¯s meager sry and confiscate his money. Sometimes, Qi Xuansu even felt that Madam Qi might be mocking him.

    How long would it take to repay his debt of tens of thousands of Taiping coins with his meager savings?

    Also, saving up for marriage was an absurd idea. Qi Xuansu only wanted to marry Zhang Yuelu, but money was not an important factor. By the time he could ovee all obstacles and win her back, he would probably have to be a Sage. By then, he would have no shortage of money or connections. People would even do him favors without him asking.

    Qi Xuansu walked around the city for a while and felt for the Demon Pill in his sleeve pocket. He decided to head to Huasheng Hall.

    Theyout of Huasheng Hall¡¯s branches was simr everywhere. Qi Xuansu went into the lobby and took out his ck Robes badge to prove that he was not a cult demon. Seeing the badge, the staff in Huasheng Hall was not impressed. The superintendent did note out to greet him either.

    Qi Xuansu remembered clearly that thest time he followed Zhang Yuelu to the branches of Tianji Hall and Huasheng Hall, the superintendents attended to them in person. This indicated Zhang Yuelu¡¯s status within the Daoist Order. After all, she was the youngest Deputy Hall Master with a bright future.

    Qi Xuansu took out the green bead he had wrapped, ced it on the counter, and asked, ¡°How much is this worth?¡±

    The receptionist behind the counter reached out for the demon pill, examined it for a moment, and answered, ¡°This is an ordinary Demon Pill, but most of its medicinal effects have been lost due to theck of proper storage. It¡¯s an average-quality pill that is priced at 500 Taiping coins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu tried his luck. ¡°Can you go a bit higher?¡±

    The receptionist shot a nce at Qi Xuansu. ¡°What do you think this ce is? A vegetable market that allows haggling? This is the final offer. Sell it if you want. If not, the door¡¯s that way.¡±

    After all, Huasheng Hall was not a family business. The receptionist was a Daoist priest with a permanent position, so even if this branch¡¯s business was not good, she would not lose her job. That was why she did not bother to be polite to Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu remembered thest time he went to the branches of Huasheng Hall and Tianji Hall with Zhang Yuelu. Everyone there was more hospitable and enthusiastic in front of her. Without Zhang Yuelu around, this receptionist had such a cold attitude. Although they were not the same branch, it was the typical behavior of Daoist priests toward non-Daoists.

    If Qi Xuansu still had the status of a sixth-rank Daoist priest, this receptionist would not have been so rude to him. After all, there would be a day their paths would cross again if they both worked for the Daoist Order. Therefore, the receptionist would have at least smiled at him perfunctorily to maintain a cordial front in case she ever needed help from him in the future.

    Since Qi Xuansu¡¯s current identity was one of the ck Robes with no official status, the receptionist did not bother with pleasantries.

    Qi Xuansu was ustomed to such behavior having traveled the world on his own for so long. Thus, he did not get angry or sad over such a trivial matter. He said indifferently, ¡°Sorry, this is my first time here, so I don¡¯t know the rules.¡±

    ¡°So, do you want to sell it or not?¡± The receptionist asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll sell it,¡± Qi Xuansu said without hesitation.

    Only a rash person would walk away in anger. Qi Xuansu was better than that. He was a shrewd little merchant at this time, calcting the pros and cons.

    Since he did not have a suitable container to store the Demon Pill, the medicinal effects would diminish over time, so the quality would continue to decline. Therefore, the selling price would naturally decrease. If he did not sell it now, he would have to consume it. However, this kind of unprocessed Demon Pill had serious side effects. It might even cause one¡¯s body to take on the traits of the demon, such as growing scales on the body, horns on the head, or vertical pupils in the eyes. The best course of action was to sell it as soon as possible to exchange it for cash.

    The receptionist took out a jade box to ce the Demon Pill in. She asked, ¡°Do you want coins or cash notes?¡±

    ¡°Cash notes.¡± Judging by the receptionist¡¯s attitude, Qi Xuansu knew not to test her patience by specifying the type of cash notes.

    The receptionist took out five brand new cash notes, worth 100 Taiping coins each, and ced them in front of Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu put them away and asked, ¡°Do you sell Jade Liquor here?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The receptionist was getting impatient. ¡°The cheapest one is for ordinary Xiantian Beings and costs 1,500 Taiping coins. Do you want it?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was surprised to hear this. ¡°Isn¡¯t it 1,000 Taiping coins?¡±

    The receptionist rolled her eyes at him. ¡°That¡¯s the special price for Daoist priests. If you are a high-ranking Daoist priest, you will even be entitled to a discount. If you are a second-rank Sage, you will be allotted free bottles of Jade Liquor. Since you¡¯re not a member of the Daoist Order, this is the price for outsiders. Take it or leave it.¡±

    Qi Xuansu silently left Huasheng Hall and went to Taiping Inn, which was not far away. After resting for a night, he continued on his way.

 Chapter 251: The Successor

    <h4>Chapter 251: The Sessor</h4>

    Ning Linggepleted the handover with Sage Cihang and officially resigned from the position of the Tiangang Hall Master. However, he still retained his status as one of the 36 Omniscient Sages, which was second only to the three Deputy Grand Masters and several Virtuous Great Sages. Thus, he could still make aeback.

    Sage Cihang officially took office as the Tiangang Hall Master, but she did not hire a new Deputy Hall Master. Instead, she reced Shangguan Jing¡¯s vacant position with the original Eighth Deputy Hall Master. It was not considered a transfer because the Eighth Deputy Hall Master kept the same division and subordinates. It was merely a name change from the Eighth to the Seventh Deputy Hall Master.

    During the battle of Cuowenbu, Shangguan Jing was not the only one who was killed in action. Some Daoist priests and Spirit Guards under hismand also suffered heavy casualties, so they were no longer aplete team.

    Thus, Sage Cihang simply merged the survivors under Shangguan Jing¡¯s division with Zhang Yuelu¡¯s Yaoguang Division. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s new title was the Eighth Deputy Hall Master, leaving the position of the Ninth Deputy Hall Master vacant.

    Although Zhang Yuelu was still rankedst among the many Deputy Tiangang Hall Masters, she would be more senior than a newly appointed Ninth Deputy Hall Master in the future. Moreover, Zhang Yuelu finally had Spirit Guards under hermand, making her position as a Deputy Tiangang Hall Master more official.

    Everyone knew that Sage Cihang was paving the way for her disciple, but no one could say anything about it. After all, Zhang Yuelu was still rankedst among the Deputy Tiangang Hall Masters and was not promoted ahead of anyone without reason.

    Furthermore, before Zhang Yuelu was appointed the Ninth Deputy Hall Master by the Earthly Preceptor during his term as the Great Sage Lunzhi, Tiangang Hall only had eight Deputy Hall Masters. So Tiangang Hall was returning to its original structure.

    However, the speed of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s promotion was truly enviable. She had moved up a level within less than a year in office as a Deputy Hall Master. At this rate, she would be the Chief Deputy Hall Master in another ten years. That was an esteemed position that could only be held by a second-rank Taiyi Daoist priest, which was just one step away from an Omniscient Sage.

    In a sense, this move also confirmed Zhang Yuelu¡¯s status as Sage Cihang¡¯s sessor.

    Sage Cihang did not only have Zhang Yuelu as a disciple. Zhang Yuelu also had other senior and junior apprentice sisters. However, there was only one position for the title of Sage Cihang. Thus, it was up to Sage Cihang to decide who would inherit her legacy, resources, connections, and status.

    Naming a sessor for the throne had always been a major event that would ensure stability by gaining the people¡¯s trust. In the past, the sessor for the position of Sage Cihang had been put to the side. However, now that Sage Cihang was a strong contender in thepetition for the Grand Master, her current position would need a sessor.

    This was also the reason why Sage Qingwei and Sage Donghua were also promoting their own sessors at this time.

    As such, the Qingping Society posted the Ruyi Leaderboard at this critical juncture, bringing Li Changge and Yao Pei to the forefront. Before this, these two juniors were not known to outsiders.

    Sage Cihang chose Zhang Yuelu as her sessor after considering many factors. Age was undoubtedly an important one. Her sessor could not be too close in age to Sage Cihang because their retirement age would be too close together. This was also why the three Deputy Grand Masters and several other Virtuous Great Sages were not qualified to be in the running for the position of the seventh-generation Grand Master.

    If the sessor was too young, she might not have enough experiencepared to Zhang Yuelu. Thus, they would not be suitable for the position.

    Zhang Yuelu was of the right age with the necessary experience. If she continued this trend of growth, she could likely be a second-rank Taiyi Daoist priest in her thirties and an Omniscient Sage in her forties. By then, she would definitely be a strong contender for the title of Grand Master. Others could only me their bad luck inparison to Zhang Yuelu.

    Another thing to consider was one¡¯s background. Of course, there were some who could ascend to the position of Grand Master without relying on family background, such as the fifth- and sixth-generation Grand Master. However, the fifth-generation Grand Master was an anomaly that should not be judged bymon standards.

    The sixth-generation Grand Master came from an ordinary background and obtained the position by chance, but he was merely a puppet of the three Deputy Grand Masters.

    Most people still had to consider the help or influence of one¡¯s family background.

    Zhang Yuelu was from the Zhang family, so there was nothing much to borate on. More importantly, Zhang Yuelu was also favored by the Earthly Preceptor, not just the Heavenly Perceptor.

    She had learned two exclusive mystical abilities. One of them was the Cihang Sword Sequence taught to her by Sage Cihang. The other one was the Six Void Tribtions, passed down to her by the Earthly Preceptor. Even Sage Cihang did not practice the Six Void Tribtions. From this point of view, Zhang Yuelu also had a master-disciple rtionship with the Earthly Preceptor. Thus, when she mentioned out of anger that she could convert to the Quanzhen Sect, it was not a groundless threat.

    If Zhang Yuelu could be the Grand Master, the Quanzhen Sect would probably not object to it.

    The most important factor was that Zhang Yuelu was willing to put in the effort and do the tough jobs.

    Although Li Changge and Yao Pei had a high cultivation level and good backgrounds, there was no legitimate reason to promote them because they had not contributed to the Daoist Order. Thus, they were both still in the fifth rank and were merely Prospective Jijiu Daoist priests, while Zhang Yuelu was already a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master.

    Since Zhang Yuelu had made contributions to the Daoist Order, it was still within reason for Sage Cihang to pave the way for her, leaving people with nothing to criticize.

    Judging from Zhang Yuelu¡¯s abilities, she was not far away from getting promoted to the third rank.

    As Ning Lingge said, there was no shortage of capable people in the Daoist Order. Some had no chance topete for the position of Grand Master, but they hoped to follow the right leader for a brighter future. Some people also saw that it was difficult to bet on the candidates for the seventh-generation Grand Master, so they set their sights on the candidates for the eighth-generation Grand Master well in advance.

    The candidates for all three sects were already clear as day. However, they were all just budding talents. In terms of age, qualifications, and background, Zhang Yuelu from the Zhengyi Sect, Li Changge from the Taiping Sect, and Yao Pei from the Quanzhen Sect were the strongest contenders for the position of the eighth-generation Grand Master.

    Among the three, Li Changge had the highest cultivation level, but Zhang Yuelu had the richest experience. Although the three sects were different, there were still many disciples in each sect who believed in other sects.

    Not everyone in the Taiping Sect would wholeheartedly support a candidate from the Taiping Sect. The same was true for the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s experience of slowly climbing up the ranks of the Nine Halls would gain her the votes of many colleagues, old subordinates, bosses, and friends who might not be from the Zhengyi Sect. Yet they had a close rtionship with Zhang Yuelu. After decades of umtion, they would be an extensivework for her that could not be suppressed by merely having a higher level of cultivation.

    Therefore, many people were very optimistic about Zhang Yuelu¡¯s future and had begun currying favor with her.

    This undoubtedly increased Zhang Yuelu¡¯s growth and poprity, inevitably raising her status. Within Tiangang Hall, the other Deputy Hall Masters dared not underestimate this junior.

    By this time, the Zhang family no longer pressed for Zhang Yuelu¡¯s marriage.

    If Zhang Yuelu could really achieve the status that the current Sage Cihang had, a regr marriage would definitely not suffice.

    Tantai Qiong even joked with Zhang Yuyue in private that they would have to thank Qi Xuansu for interrupting when he did. Otherwise, they would most likely be regretting their decision of an arranged marriage with the Yan family.

    No one expected that Sage Cihang would be the Tiangang Hall Master. After a series of events, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s identity as Sage Cihang¡¯s sessor was confirmed.

    In the past, this session was still unclear. Except for Zhang Yuelu herself, who was determined topete for the position of Grand Master, no one else was sure whether she was capable enough to be a contender for that esteemed position. They probably underestimated her and expected her to be an ordinary Sage and at most an Omniscient Sage. Anything higher would have to depend on her luck.

    Who would have thought that Zhang Yuelu would be named Sage Cihang¡¯s sessor so soon?

    At this time, Qi Xuansu was still unaware that his difficulty in marrying Zhang Yuelu had been raised to yet another level. At this point, even being a Sage did not seem enough to be able to convince the public that he was worthy of her.

 Chapter 252: Difei Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 252: Difei Mountain</h4>

    Qi Xuansu set off from Xiping Mansion in Yongzhou after the dream meeting on February 15th. Ten days had passed since then, and Qi Xuansu had crossed Tianshui Prefecture and entered Qinzhou, which was not far from Zhongzhou.

    Qinzhou was the core territory of the Quanzhen Sect, simr to Wuzhou of the Zhengyi Sect and Qizhou of the Taiping Sect. Difei Mountain, Yunjin Mountain, and Peni Ind were all located within the sect¡¯s respective core territories. Thus, they were regarded as the three sacred sites of Daoism.

    Difei Mountain, known as the first of the 72 blessed ces, was also known as Taiyi Mountain, Zhongnan Mountain, Zhounan Mountain, and Nanshan. It was located in Qinzhou, south of Xijing.

    The history of Difei Mountain could be traced back to the time when the Primordial Daoist Ancestor preached the teachings of Daoism.

    During that time, Emperor Wu built the Taiyi Pce on the Difei Mountain to worship the Taiyi Mountain God. When the Qi Dynasty was established by the Li family, the Primordial Daoist Ancestor was revered as thete Emperor Xuanyuan, and the Li family imed to be descendants of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. That was when Daoism established its position as superior to Confucianism and Buddhism, building many Daoist temples on the Difei Mountain during that time.

    Several famous elders had also lived on Difei Mountain and sessfully attained immortality. Elder Chongyang and his disciples sessively founded and promoted the Quanzhen Sect, establishing the Chongyang Pce of Immortality and many other sacred locations on the mountain.

    At one point, Difei Mountain was known as the Quanzhen Ancestral Court. It was as famous as Yunjin Mountain, where the Zhengyi Ancestral Court was located, and second only to Kunlun Mountain, which was known as the Daoist Ancestral Court.

    However, when the Golden Horde army invaded the south, Xijing and the Jin Dynasty fell. Difei Mountain, which was not far from Xijing, could not escape the atrocities of war. In addition, the rise of other Daoist sects and the attack on Difei Mountain caused the downfall of the Quanzhen Ancestral Court. Therefore, the Quanzhen Sect had declined from its past splendor.

    By the time Emperor Taizu of the former Wei Dynasty expelled the Golden Horde, Difei Mountain had not yet regained its vitality and remained deste. It was not until theter years of the Wei Dynasty that Zhang Jingxiu, the 30th-generation Great Heavenly Preceptor of the Zhengyi Sect, sought spiritual cultivation on Zhongnan Mountain and witnessed the destion of Difei Mountain.

    Moved by the descriptions of Difei Mountain¡¯s grandeur in historical texts, Zhang Jingxiu mobilized resources to repair many temples and pavilions, aiming to restore the former glory of the Quanzhen Ancestral Court.

    This restoration work began on April 4th and continued until early September, taking five full months. Despite some minor setbacks, the efforts seeded in partially restoring the celestial aura of Difei Mountain.

    Future generations could not imagine that it was the Great Heavenly Preceptor who actively repaired theter residence of the subsequent Earthly Preceptors. At that time, Difei Mountain was considered the domain of the Great Heavenly Preceptor of the Zhengyi Sect.

    Moreover, the Earthly Preceptor during that time was not the leader of the Quanzhen Sect but rather the leader of the Gezao Sect. Their base was not on Difei Mountain but rather on Beimang Mountain, where they plotted to attack the Great Heavenly Preceptor¡¯s Dazhen Mansion¡ªand almost seeded¡ªwhile the Great Heavenly Preceptor was cultivating in seclusion on Difei Mountain.

    The most significant change came after the Holy Xuan became the Grand Master of the Daoist Order. At that time, the Daoist Order was not so affluent, with fewer flying ships traveling between regions. Kunlun Mountain was far in the Western Regions, making transportation inconvenient. Hence, they needed an alternative capital.

    The most discussed alternatives were Peni Ind and Yunjin Mountain. However, their geographic locations were not ideal; Peni Ind was too far from ces like the Western Region and Shuzhou, while Yunjin Mountain was too distant from Liaodong and other regions. The sects within both strongholds were also traditionally at odds with each other. Thus, choosing either would provoke dissatisfaction from the other party, making it difficult to achieve bnce.

    Difei Mountain, situated equidistant between Peni Ind and Yunjin Mountain, became an appropriatepromise. Therefore, the Holy Xuan elevated Difei Mountain as the ¡°secondary capital¡± of the Daoist Order. As such, substantial resources were employed for a second round of restoration, rebuilding the severely damaged Chongyang Pce of Immortality.

    This second restoration was far more extensive than the first,pletely rejuvenating Difei Mountain and adding new formations. At that time, it was a critical period of conflict between Confucianism and Daoism. Thus, to highlight the status of this secondary capital, the formations made the Chongyang Pce of Immortality prominently visible.

    No matter where one stood or which direction one faced after entering the territory of Difei Mountain, one would be able to see the majestic Chongyang Pce of Immortality on the mountain peak. Its grand andyered structures exuded a towering presence, making individuals feel insignificant beneath it. One could not enter the Chongyang Pce of Immortality without the proper methods. Thus, it was eternally desirable yet unattainable.

    Ordinary people who witnessed the Chongyang Pce of Immortality were deeply impressed. To this day, many believers travel from afar to make a pilgrimage to Difei Mountain.

    In the subsequent period, the Chongyang Pce of Immortality on Difei Mountain became the Grand Master¡¯s residence. It was only when there was peace in the realm that the Holy Xuan returned to the Purple Mansion on Kunlun Mountain, and Difei Mountain was handed over to the Earthly Preceptor.

    Although Difei Mountain was no longer the secondary capital of the Daoist Order, it still held a revered status.

    If possible, Qi Xuansu would very much like to visit Difei Mountain to experience the celestial aura of the sacrednd. However, it was unlikely for him to do so because he no longer had a valid Daoist identity. Moreover, he was a member of the Qingping Society.

    Thus, Qi Xuansu could only pass by the foot of Difei Mountain. When he looked up, he saw the Chongyang Pce of Immortality on the mountaintop, floating in the clouds like a celestial pce. The surrounding pces were small inparison, highlighting the grandeur of the main attraction. The city above the clouds was surrounded by mist, appearing and disappearing at times. People standing at the foot of the mountain would feel minuscule and insignificant while they stared at the fascinating sight above.

    Yunjin Mountain, whose earth energy was disrupted by the Holy Xuan, feltpletely different from Difei Mountain. Yunjin Mountain was dangerous and strange, mostly created by manpower. It was first destroyed by the Holy Xuan and then repaired by the Zhengyi Sect over two hundred years ago. In order to warn future generations of the repercussions of angering a Heavenly Being, many ruins were preserved, which no longer held their original appearance.

    Difei Mountain had been refurbished with the goal of demonstrating the power of the Daoist Order and instilling amazement in people. Thus, Yunjin Mountain was not as awe-inspiring as Difei Mountain.

    It was no wonder that Qi Xuansu longed to witness the splendor of Difei Mountain.

    The legendary Peni Ind could be described in one word¡ªmysterious. It was in the middle of the sea and could only be essed by ships. The entire ind was shrouded in formations, making it difficult for ordinary ships and flying ships to reach it.

    Ordinary Taiping Sect disciples and other Daoist disciples could only reach Fangzhang Ind and Yingzhou Ind, which were part of the Three Immortal Inds, but they would not be able to get to Peni Ind.

    Qi Xuansu could not climb up Difei Mountain, but he could trek across the foothills. The security here wasx because no one would dare to cause trouble under the Earthly Preceptor¡¯s nose. Not to mention, there were also countless Sages, high-ranking Daoist priests, and Spirit Guards at the top of the mountain. No secret society would be so bold as to create trouble here. Even an Ancient Immortal would think twice about attacking this ce.

    When Qi Xuansu crossed the foothills, he felt like he was hiding in in sight. There were no obstacles along the way, but he could see many Daoist priests from the Quanzhen Sect. However, none of these Daoist priests were paying attention to him. A squad of Spirit Guards was also patrolling the grounds, but they did not interrogate passersby.

    Qi Xuansu passed through the boundary of Difei Mountain unimpeded. But this move made it difficult for Feng Bo to tail Qi Xuansu.

    Logically speaking, Feng Bo, as a Heavenly Being, should have caught up with Qi Xuansu long ago. However, Feng Bo met an enemy on the way and got into a fight. In the end, no one won, and Feng Bo managed to escape. By then, Qi Xuansu had already left Tianshui Prefecture and entered Qinzhou.

    Feng Bo did not want to let Qi Xuansu go, so he continued pursuing thetter. But he was only one step away when Qi Xuansu entered the boundary of Difei Mountain.

    As a Xiantian Being, Qi Xuansu could waltz into the territory of Difei Mountain without attracting attention, so long as he did not climb the mountain to the Chongyang Pce of Immortality. However, a Heavenly Being like Feng Bo could not do that.

    Feng Bo did not have a Quanzhen Sect token, so he would likely trigger an rm in the formation of Difei Mountain. If that happened, he would be besieged by the Quanzhen Sect disciples.

    Thus, Feng Bo dared not take the risk and decided to go around Difei Mountain, taking considerably more time.

    This was how Qi Xuansu unintentionally escaped Feng Bo¡¯s pursuit twice in a row. He was unaware of this and headed to Xijing Prefecture.

 Chapter 253: Xijing Prefecture

    <h4>Chapter 253: Xijing Prefecture</h4>

    During the former Wei Dynasty, the empire had two capitals, one in the east and one in the west. The capital in the east was the Imperial Capital, and the capital in the west was Xijing.

    Xijing also served as the former capital of several dynasties, including the Qi Dynasty. It was grand and majestic, said to be thergest capital city in the world at that time.

    However, Xijing was a city with many tragedies, including several massacres in thete Qi Dynasty and thete Jin Dynasty. In the former Wei Dynasty, this city had also experienced several wars.

    <i>During the 20th year of the reign of Emperor Mingyong of the Wei Dynasty, the Golden Horde Khanate, located on the vast northern grasnds, repeatedly invaded the border from the northwest. By the 22nd year, the Golden Horde army came to Xijing City.</i>

    <i>Emperor Mingyong issued an order for Qi Ying, the governor of Qinzhong, to form an alliance with the Ilkhanate of the Golden Horde. The Wei Dynastypensated the Golden Horde army with 7,560 kilograms of gold, 502,731 kilograms of silver, 150 million kilograms of grain, 150,000 kilograms of tea, and 300,000 bolts of silk. In addition, they ceded the three prefectures of Liangzhou and one prefecture in Qinzhou to the Golden Horde. In return, the Golden Horde army withdrew its troops.</i>

    <i>In the 10th year of Emperor Wude of the Wei Dynasty¡¯s reign, Qi Ying, the governor of Qinzhong, died suddenly. The Ilkhanate led the Golden Horde army southbound again and captured Xijing City. Emperor Wude was furious and frightened, falling ill and leaving the affairs of the court to Empress Xie and the Chief Cab Minister, Zhang Suqing.</i>

    <i>Under the leadership of Zhang Suqing, the court refused to negotiate peace. Instead, he mobilized troops from Shuzhou, Zhongzhou, Jinzhou, and Yanzhou, personally led by Qin Wubing¡¯s ancestor, Commander Qin Xiang</i><i>[1]</i><i>. Theyunched a battle with the Golden Horde army in Qinzhou and forced the Golden Horde army to retreat to Liangzhou.</i>

    <i>The following year, the Golden Horde army withdrew due to ack of food and fodder. Just when Commander Qin Xiang was nning to regain Qinzhou and Liangzhou, the terminally ill Emperor Wude passed away. </i>In the same year, famine broke out in Qinzhou and Liangzhou, leaving hundreds of thousands of refugees homeless.

    Back then, the Earthly Preceptor took the opportunity to plot an uprising, sweeping across the two states and upying Xijing. He even elected Tantai Yun as the co-leader.

    At this time, the young Holy Xuan came to Liangzhou and witnessed hell on earth. Therefore, this ignited his ambition to bring peace to the world.

    The Wei Dynasty was turbulent due to the new emperor¡¯s ession to the throne. Thus, Qinzhou and Liangzhou were neglected. In the second year of Emperor Tianbao¡¯s reign, Empress Dowager Xieunched a rebellion and executed four revered cab ministers, including Zhang Suqing.

    Among the charges listed was the inability to fully negotiate peace with the Golden Horde, which led to the uprising. After Zhang Suqing was killed, Commander Qin Xiang, who was favored by Zhang Suqing, was also implicated. Commander Qin Xiang was dismissed from office and imprisoned. However, he was rescued and managed to return to his hometown.

    Later, the Holy Xuan assisted Commander Qin Xiang in fleeing to Liaodong. That was how Commander Qin Xiang earned his title as a Commandery Prince, as he was instrumental in theter establishment of the Great Xuan Dynasty.

    After Commander Qin Xiang¡¯s imprisonment, the Imperial Court no longer had any capable generals. They tried several times to regain the northwest but were defeated by Tantai Yun. Countless troops were lost, and the treasury became increasingly empty, making it difficult to continue the war.

    In the third year of Emperor Tianbao¡¯s reign, Tantai Yun led her army to invade Shuzhou and defeated the Imperial Army. In just one year, Tantai Yun pacified 16 tribes in southern Xinjiang. They gained independence and established their own country, naming it the Zhou Empire and making Xijing its capital.

    The Zhou Empire firmly upied the northwest even when the Holy Xuan led the Daoist Order to defeat the Confucian School and the Great Xuan Dynasty reced the Wei Dynasty.

    After Commander Qin Xiang transformed from a criminal of the Wei Dynasty to the hero of the Great Xuan Dynasty, he once again led his army to regain the northwest with the cooperation of the Daoist Order.

    Tantai Yun saw that the situation was awry, so she reached an agreement with the Holy Xuan and fled to the Western Region. As a result, the Tantai family was divided into two branches¡ªthe Confucian Tantai family and the Daoist Tantai family.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s mother, Tantai Qiong, was born in the Confucian Tantai family. But she married into a Daoist family and became a Daoist disciple. The Daoist Tantai family went overseas and were said to have taken root in the Western Continent.

    After the Great Xuan Dynasty regained the northwest, they rested for 10 years before raising troops again to defeat the Golden Horde and regain Xizhou, establishing the Xizhou Protectorate.

    Taking into ount that Xijing was once the capital of the Zhou Empire, the Great Xuan Dynasty renamed Xijing as Xijing Prefecture.

    The Qinzhou Daoist Mansion and Wuxu Pce were both located in Xijing Prefecture. Wuxu Pce was once the royal pce of the Qi Dynasty and waster upied by Tantai Yun before falling into the hands of the Daoist Order. Legend has it that there used to be a paradise in Wuxu Pce, but it had disappeared. However, no one knew if the paradise had copsed or if it had disappeared due to other reasons.

    ......

    Difei Mountain was located just outside Xijing Prefecture. Thus, once Qi Xuansu left the boundary of Difei Mountain, he had already entered the boundary of Xijing Prefecture.

    Although Qi Xuansu did not know that Feng Bo was chasing him or that he had identally escaped Feng Bo¡¯s grasp twice, he did not forget that he had offended the Heavenly Court, so he still took precautions.

    That was why Qi Xuansu would take the route with more people wherever he went, since the more popted ces would have more governance from the Imperial Court and the Daoist Order. Hence, there would be fewer secret society members daring to act rashly.

    Feng Bo could tell that Qi Xuansu was heading to Xijing. He could not help but curse the young man for being so shrewd as to choose such popted ces, making it all the more difficult to get rid of him.

    Xijing Prefecture was not a stronghold like Difei Mountain, but it was still risky to kill someone there. Feng Bo could hide his identity and sneak into Xijing Prefecture, but he would only have one shot at killing Qi Xuansu. Whether he seeded or not, he would have to retreat in time. Otherwise, he would likely fall into danger.

    Feng Bo was certain that Qi Xuansu was a member of the Daoist Order or the Imperial Court. Thus, he believed that Qi Xuansu would seek help from these behemoths. If that were the case, the Imperial Court and the Daoist Order would not sit idly by. What Feng Bo did not know was that Qi Xuansu was a fraud.

    After much consideration, Feng Bo decided to make his move in Xijing City. The reason was that he was afraid Qi Xuansu would cause more trouble, especially since Qi Xuansu had already escaped from his grasp twice. Feng Bo was impatient to get rid of this young man.

    Secondly, if he kept pursuing Qi Xuansu, they would enter the densely popted Central ins, like Yongzhou, Xizhou, Liangzhou, and other ces. The Daoist Order and the Imperial Court were more powerful there. It was also the core sphere of influence of the Quanzhen Sect, with checkpoints everywhere. That was why secret society members had to hide their identities and dared not tantly reveal themselves.

    Feng Bo also noticed that Qi Xuansu was taking the Beimang Mountain route. It was the second most famous mountain of the Quanzhen Sect after Difei Mountain. This was the base of the Gezao Sect back then. Huasheng Hall had also set up three huge manufacturing nts and a paradise there.

    Past Beimang Mountain was the Longmen Prefecture and the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. The Wanxiang Daoist Pce had a special status within the Daoist Order since all high-ranking priests would have to train at the Upper Pce before being promoted to the fourth rank. It was considered the core area of ??the Daoist Order, so it would be difficult for Feng Bo to escape if he made a move there.

    Another reason was that the connection between Feng Bo and Qi Xuansu was getting weaker by the day as the tracking spell waned. If Feng Bo did not make a move this time in Xijing Prefecture, he would lose track of Qi Xuansu.

    Thus, Feng Bo decided to take a risk and kill Qi Xuansu as soon as possible. It would be best if he could seed, but if he could not, he could just behead a person of a simr size to Qi Xuansu and burn it until it was unrecognizable. This was so that he could provide an exnation to his subordinates and boost morale within the Heavenly Court. The only drawback was that his subordinates would inevitably have doubts if he were to produce a charred head. If that happened, it would hinder the opening of a new local altar.

    On the other side, Qi Xuansu kept going until he finally arrived at Xijing City.

    As the secondary capital of the former Wei Dynasty and the capital of the Zhou Empire, Xijing was more prosperous than Xiping Prefecture and Tianshui Prefecture. However, it could notpare to Shangqing Prefecture and Jiangling Prefecture.

    Qi Xuansu led his horse and stood in front of the city gate, looking up at the Xijing city walls. The city wall seemed to cover the sky, with no end on the left and right sides. It was said that six horses could run parallel on top of the city wall. Only such a wide city wall would be equipped with rows of artillery and crossbows, making it an awe-inspiring sight.

    The city wall, with thousands of years of rich history, exuded a solemn and oppressive air.

    This city had witnessed the rise and fall of many dynasties as well as many heroes and talents.

    What a majestic city!

    1. A different character from the District Princess Qin Xiang. ?

 Chapter 254: Scheming Against the Unsuspecting Person

    <h4>Chapter 254: Scheming Against the Unsuspecting Person</h4>

    When entering Xijing, one would need a travel permit issued by the local government. However, the ck Robes were not under the control of the local government, nor were the Daoist priests. Thus, Daoist priests only had to produce their insignia or certificates while Qi Xuansu shed the ck Robes badge given by Qin Wubing to the gatekeeping guards. That was how he entered the city without being stopped.

    Having survived multiple wars, the original ancient city of Xijing was no longer existent. The prosperity of the past had been buried, and nothing was as it used to be.

    The current Xijing was no longerparable to the prosperous capital of the past. Only half of its buildings remained standing, and the rest had been destroyed by the war.

    In addition to its vast area, Xijing City had a symmetrical structure and neatyout like Jade Capital.

    The outer city had three gates on each side, with six main streets connecting the twelve city gates. The north-south Zhuque Street was the central axis, linking the Chengtian Gate of the Pce City, the Zhuque Gate of the Imperial City, and the Mingde Gate of the outer city. This divided Xijing into two symmetrical parts, each side with its own market called the East Market and the West Market, respectively.

    Within the city, there were eleven north-south streets and fourteen east-west streets, dividing the residential areas into 110 neatly arranged blocks, resembling a chessboard.

    The Pce City was located in the central northern part of Xijing, with Taiji Pce in the middle. To the east was the East Pce, and to the west was the Yeting Pce, where most of the servants lived.

    The Imperial City was connected to the south of the Pce City, with the Ancestral Temple on the left and the Soil and Grain Altar on the right. There were also various major government offices.

    After Tantai Yun upied this ce, she renamed it Wuxu Pce. This name was still in use.

    This was the core of the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion and Wuxu Pce. That was why this ce had two groups of governance. The Wuxu Pce Master resided in the East Pce, while the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion Master resided in the Yeting Pce.

    In this regard, the three Daoist sects were different. The Taiping Sect¡¯s Zhenjing Courtyard, Qingling Pce, and Qizhou Daoist Mansion were located in three separate ces. The Zhengyi Sect¡¯s Shangqing Pce and the Dazhen Mansion were in the same ce, while the Wuzhou Daoist Mansion was in a different area. The Quanzhen Sect¡¯s Wuxu Pce and Qinzhou Daoist Mansion were in the same location, but the Chongyang Pce of Immortality was in a separate ce.

    Wuxu Pce was far grander than Shangqing Pce. After all, Shangqing Pce was built on a mountain and was adjacent to the Dazhen Mansion, so the space it could upy was quite limited. Although intricate, it was not majestic. It only fared better in terms of celestial aura.

    Wuxu Pce was a replica of the Imperial Pce in the Imperial Capital. Even with half of it destroyed, it spanned an exaggeratedlyrge area. The main hall in the atrium between the East Pce and the West Pce only consisted of one floor, but it was 67 meters tall and was supported by 365 pirs, each as thick as 2.5 meters in diameter.

    Due to the insufficient lighting and its towering height, one would not be able to see the dome of the hall when looking up. All one would be able to see was the pitch-ck darkness with countless luminous pearls hanging from the ceiling, resembling stars in the night sky.

    There were few windows in the main hall, so the dim lights were turned on even during the day. As such, this hall was called the Night Court.

    Qi Xuansu had heard about the Night Court before and had longed to see it. After entering the city, he walked along Zhuque Street for more than an hour before finally arriving at the gate of Wuxu Pce.

    A river surrounded the Pce City like a moat. A straight bridge that could amodate four horses walking side by side connected the Pce City to the outer city. A few Spirit Guards were standing on both sides of the bridge, prohibiting anyone from entering or exiting at will.

    Qi Xuansu could not help but feel a little disappointed. In the past, he could easily enter by producing his Daoist certificate. However, this was no longer an option. Fortunately, the Night Court was tall enough that he could vaguely catch a glimpse of it from outside. Thus, Qi Xuansu stopped to admire it for a while before leaving.

    What Qi Xuansu did was amon urrence in the area, so the Spirit Guards did not pay attention to him.

    There was a Taiping Inn located in a convenient spot across the street from Wuxu Pce. Countless people who visited Wuxu Pce would wait at the Taiping Inn if they were not permitted to enter the pce. Many disciples from Wuxu Pce and the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion would also patronize the Taiping Inn for drinks and meals. Most of them were generous in their spending.

    An ordinary inn would be able to earn more money than it could ever spend in a lifetime by relying on this business. However, no other inn could upy such a prime location. Only the Daoist Order¡¯s own establishment would be able to enjoy such privileges.

    Qi Xuansu had just received 500 Taiping coins, so he was feeling rich.

    Although the Taiping Inn was a bit pricey, he could rest there with peace of mind since it was right next to Wuxu Pce.

    However, this time, Qi Xuansu miscalcted. The moment he checked into the Taiping Inn, a white-haired old man followed him inside. This old man was none other than Feng Bo, who had been tailing him all this time.

    This Taiping Inn upied arge area, so much so that the Taiping Inn had purchased surrounding shops and hacked down the walls in between to expand the main building. The area was nicely renovated into a specialty restaurant, with many luxurious private rooms separated by windows on the second floor. The lobby on the first floor also had screens so that guests could drink and talk in private.

    All guest rooms were moved to the back of the main building and divided into many independent courtyards. The bigger courtyards could amodate multiple people. Since Qi Xuansu was alone, he asked for the smallest courtyard avable, which cost 5 Taiping coins a day.

    Qi Xuansu nned to stay in Xijing for two days to get some proper rest. As soon as he took off his cloak and put down his satchel, he heard someone knocking on the door.

    Since this inn was opposite Wuxu Pce, Qi Xuansu let down his guard, thinking that it was a waiter from the inn. So he stepped forward to open the door.

    As soon as he opened the door, he felt a cold rush of air traveling up his spine and exploding in the back of his head, making his scalp tingle.

    Qi Xuansu saw a white-bearded and white-haired old man in a green robe standing outside the door. It was clear that the old man was no ordinary person.

    He instantly recognized this person as Feng Bo, the God of Wind from Heavenly Court and host of the Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly on Jiuwa Hill.

    Qi Xuansu was not the only one who understood the meaning of hiding in in sight. Feng Bo also understood it and trailed behind Qi Xuansu with the intention of killing him. On the contrary, Qi Xuansu waspletely unprepared for this hostile encounter.

    The old man in the green robe spoke first. ¡°I¡¯m a guest from next door.¡±

    This excuse was far-fetched since they were merely staying in the Taiping Inn for a few days. They were not moving into a new home, so there was no reason to visit the neighbors.

    However, Feng Bo could note up with a better idea. Since this ce was in such proximity to Wuxu Pce, he had to consider how best to kill Qi Xuansu and escape smoothly. He wanted to kill Qi Xuansu silently so that he would have enough time to escape. If there was anymotion, he was afraid that he would be trapped in this inn.

    Feng Bo thought that although this excuse was far-fetched, at least it would not make the young man wary. After all, most people would rx their guard knowing that they were close to Wuxu Pce. No one in their right mind wouldmit murder here.

    What Feng Bo miscalcted was that Qi Xuansu recognized him as the Heavenly Being, Feng Bo.

    Qi Xuansu became curious about the Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly that Eighth Tianyang mentioned and went to Jiuwa Hill to check it out. That was how he saw Feng Bo from a distance. He even had a deep impression of that day because he almost had a close brush with death when the ck Robesunched a Phoenix Eye Bomb in an attempt to eliminate everyone there.

    Feng Bo was a member of the Heavenly Court, and Qi Xuansu had recently killed Jia Zi of the Heavenly Court. Thus, he could already guess what Feng Bo¡¯s purpose was.

    At that time, there were more than a thousand people on Jiuwa Hill. Feng Bo was the focus of the crowd, so he did not notice Qi Xuansu among them.

    Due to this, Feng Bo¡¯s n came to nothing. Feng Bo thought that Qi Xuansu did not recognize him; hence, Qi Xuansu was unaware of his motive. However, Feng Bo¡¯s scheme was exposed the moment he showed up at Qi Xuansu¡¯s door. Thus, Feng Bo became the unsuspecting person in this scenario.

    Qi Xuansu knew very well where his advantagesy, not in terms of cultivation level or cleverness, but in geographical location and external help.

    This location was more favorable to Qi Xuansu, as they were opposite Wuxu Pce and the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion. Qi Xuansu was also confident that he would get external help because the Daoist Order would not allow a high-level member of the Heavenly Court to escape right under their nose.

    The main question was, how should he alert the Daoist Order?

    In fact, it was not difficult to alert the Daoist Order. Qi Xuansu could detonate the remaining two Phoenix Eye Bullets. However, in this enclosed environment, he could not guarantee that he would not injure himself. Qi Xuansu dared not test the resilience of his body by trying the power of the Phoenix Eye Bullet.

    Moreover, if he did this, Feng Bo would kill him immediately in a panic. Even if Qi Xuansu could withstand the aftershock of the Phoenix Eye Bullet, he could not withstand the thunderous strike of a Heavenly Being.

    Back in Baidi City, Qi Xuansu had already experienced what it was like to be struck by a Heavenly Being, so he knew what to expect.

    He could not rely on his Auxiliary Heart. He barely survived thest time he fell into the Starry Sea. What if Feng Bo decided to behead him? He did not think that his Auxiliary Heart would allow him to grow another head.

    Since this was a matter of life and death, Qi Xuansu dared not act rashly.

    Qi Xuansu forced himself to remain calm so as not to alert Feng Bo. He even invited the old man inside and asked, ¡°Old sir, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Feng Bo said, ¡°I have nothing to do, so I thought of chatting with you for a while. You wouldn¡¯t mind, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t mind.¡± Qi Xuansu smiled.

    The two men were like a pair of strangers who met by chance. However, each of them had their own motives.

    Qi Xuansu was thinking about how to rm the Daoist Order to save his life, while Feng Bo was thinking about how to kill Qi Xuansu without alerting the Daoist Order.

    For Feng Bo, killing a Xiantian Being was not a difficult task. The hard part was escaping unscathed.

    When Feng Bo entered the Taiping Inn, he looked around and noticed many people with high levels of cultivation in this inn. Some of whom were guests, and some were workers of the Taiping Inn.

    Feng Bo could have conjured the essence of heaven and earth to split Qi Xuansu in half. However, it would be difficult to hide it from others. He was a Heavenly Being Qi Refiner, so without using the essence of heaven and earth, he could not guarantee a kill with one strike. If this kid stirred up somemotion, Feng Bo would be stuck there.

    Therefore, Feng Bo had no choice but to try a sneak attack. This was like a lion trying to stalk a rabbit.

 Chapter 255: Broken Arm

    <h4>Chapter 255: Broken Arm</h4>

    Despite Qi Xuansu¡¯s cleverness, he still failed to think of the perfect solution. The best way he could think of was to strike Feng Bo first and fight desperately for his life. That way, he would have a chance of surviving, albeit a slim one.

    The guest room Qi Xuansu rented consisted of two bedrooms and a small courtyard where horses could be kept. The housekeepers woulde to clean the ce every day.

    Qi Xuansu invited Feng Bo into the living room. His satchel and some personal items were casually strewn about on the table, so he said apologetically, ¡°I just checked in, so I haven¡¯t had time to put my things away.¡±

    After that, Qi Xuansu stepped forward to remove his satchel from the table while Feng Bo stood there politely. As a result, Qi Xuansu had his back turned toward Feng Bo.

    Noticing this god-sent opportunity, Feng Bo immediately narrowed his eyes and conjured a breeze with his palms.

    Based on Feng Bo¡¯s cultivation level alone, he could easily kill a Yuxu-stage Martial Arts Practitioner in a sneak attack even without using the essence of heaven and earth.

    Having said that, only Yuxu-stage Martial Arts Practitioners were worth this trouble because their bodies were famously resilient, like an undying cockroach. If Qi Xuansu were a weak Diviner or Shaman, Feng Bo would not have to worry so much. However, a Yuxu-stage Martial Arts Practitioner could notpare to a Heavenly Being Martial Arts Practitioner, who was almost indestructible.

    The next moment, Feng Bo made his move. The breeze in his palm turned into a constantly rotating awl, aiming at the back of Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart.

    Just as Feng Bo expected, Qi Xuansu did not have time to react at all.

    The wind awl pierced into the back of Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart. Feng Bo expected to see a gory scene of blood sttering everywhere, but to his surprise, that did not happen. Instead, the wind awl pierced through Qi Xuansu without the slightest bit of resistance.

    Immediately afterward, Qi Xuansu slowly turned into a wisp of smoke before disappearing.

    Feng Bo¡¯s expression changed dramatically when he realized that this was the Rogue Cultivator¡¯s Cicada Molting Technique.

    How could a Martial Arts Practitioner practice the mystical abilities of a Rogue Cultivator?

    This was truly beyond Feng Bo¡¯s expectations.

    The Rogue Cultivator¡¯s Cicada Molting Technique was not readily avable and needed advanced preparation, simr to the Banished Immortal¡¯s Illusory Body Technique. One¡¯s innate qi and blood were fused to create a false body, which was stored in the Qihai acupoint and released when necessary. Thus, it looked like a cicada shedding its shell.

    Since the real body and the false body came from the same source, their auras were the same, making it difficult to distinguish between the two.

    Qi Xuansu was aware of Feng Bo¡¯s identity and motives earlier, so he kept his guard up.

    Feng Bo was an experienced fighter. He immediately understood that the young man had already known of his identity. Otherwise, the young man would not have reacted so quickly.

    Just as Feng Bo was relieved that the young man did not rm the Daoist Order, an explosion reduced half of the room to ruins as Qi Xuansu detonated a Phoenix Eye Bullet.

    Earlier, when Qi Xuansu grabbed his satchel, he used the Cicada Molting Technique to leave a false body in ce so as to distract Feng Bo. Then he took the opportunity to distance himself before injecting some innate qi into the Phoenix Eye Bullet and throwing it out like a grenade.

    After all, this was not the Phoenix Eye Bomb. Qi Xuansu did not expect a Phoenix Eye Bullet to hurt a Heavenly Being. What he wanted was to cause amotion.

    The sound of the violent explosion resounded throughout the Taiping Inn. Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, Qi Xuansu jumped out onto the roof from the gaping hole left by the explosion. At the same time, he grabbed onto hisst Phoenix Eye Bullet.

    Before the smoke from the explosion dissipated, Feng Bo had already leaped onto the roof.

    Just as Qi Xuansu expected, one Phoenix Eye Bullet could not hurt Feng Bo. The reason why Desmond the sinner was injured by the Phoenix Eye Bullet back then was because his cultivation was greatly damaged. Desmond had also drunk ck blood, which caused his body to fester. In the end, Qi Xuansu only managed to deliver the killing blow by stuffing a Phoenix Eye Bullet into the vampire after Zhang Yuelu had further injured Desmond.

    Feng Bo was not seriously injured, nor was he restrained by anything. His cultivation and physique were in tip-top condition. Under this circumstance, even if the Phoenix Eye Bullet were to explode in Feng Bo¡¯s body, it would not be enough to kill him. Moreover, this Phoenix Eye Bullet exploded outside his body. It was not even strong enough to destroy his qi shield.

    Qi Xuansu did not hesitate to inject qi into thest Phoenix Eye Bullet and throw it at Feng Bo.

    Feng Bo allowed the Phoenix Eye Bullet to explode and merely waved his hand to gather the essence of heaven and earth, turning this essence into a crescent-shaped green sword qi that was as tall as an adult man. Then he aimed this sword qi at Qi Xuansu.

    If Qi Xuansu had been struck by this sword qi, he would have been split in half. By then, neither his Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s body-regenerative abilities nor his Auxiliary Heart would have been able to save him.

    Thus, Qi Xuansu did not n to retaliate and immediately used hisst false body from the Cicada Molting Technique. He leaped down to the courtyard and ran for his life.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s false body disintegrated the moment it touched the green sword qi.

    Feng Bo snorted coldly, having already expected this. He used the index and middle fingers of his right hand to point at Qi Xuansu, changing the direction of the green sword qi that rushed toward Qi Xuansu again.

    Qi Xuansu had only heard of the ability to control a flying sword with ease. But this was the first time he had seen someone who could control sword qi without the presence of a weapon. Indeed, Heavenly Beings should not be judged bymon standards.

    No matter how fast Qi Xuansu was, he could not outrun the sword qi. Although Qi Xuansu tried his best to dodge it, the green sword qi still managed to graze him.

    Thud!

    An arm fell to the ground.

    What a lethal move; one slight touch from the sword qi cost him an arm. If this sword qi were to strike him head-on, he would have died.

    Qi Xuansu broke into a cold sweat, thinking that he was fortunate this sword qi was vertical instead of horizontal. If it were horizontal, his body would have been sliced in half from the waist.

    As for the severed arm, Qi Xuansu had no time to care about it. His life was at stake, so an amputated limb was negligible inparison. If his arm was torn off by force, the pain would have been so severe that he could faint. However, his arm was sliced off cleanly with this sharp sword qi, so he did not register the pain yet and only felt a numbness at his open wound.

    Qi Xuansu was not in severe pain, so he was still clear-headed. After running out of the courtyard¡¯s doors, he rolled to the side andy t on his back on the ground, hiding behind the wall.

    The next moment, the green sword qi shed horizontally past his head, slicing off the courtyard¡¯s doors and wall like butter. The cut was smooth, without the slightest hint of jagged edges.

    If Qi Xuansu had notid t on the ground, he would have ended up like the courtyard wall behind him, split into two sections.

    Only a Heavenly Being Martial Arts Practitioner would be able to resist this kind of sword qi. Qi Xuansu dared not even think about it.

    Feng Bo had already tried killing Qi Xuansu three times, but he failed, so he had to leave even if he was infuriated. If Feng Bo did not leave immediately, he would have been trapped in Xijing Prefecture forever once reinforcements arrived.

    Thus, Feng Bo red in the direction of Qi Xuansu before he disappeared like a gust of wind.

    A momentter, Qi Xuansu could see flying swords in the sky, resembling a rainbow. A whistling sound pierced through the air as more than ten people dressed in all white flew on these flying swords. It was a scene that Qi Xuansu imagined would only ur in a Sword Immortal novel.

    Normally, only Heavenly Beings were able to fly. However, most of these people were not true Heavenly Beings. They could only fly briefly with the help of special treasures.

    After this group of people flew out of Wuxu Pce, half of them chased after Feng Bo, while the other halfnded not far from Qi Xuansu. They stood in a line facing Qi Xuansu, each of them with a celestial aura and extraordinary bearings.

    As one of thergest cities in the world, Xijing Prefecture had residents and visitors from all walks of life. In addition, one of the top three ck markets in the world was located here, so there were many members of secret societies and vigntes who frequented the area. Thus, there were always people who would break the rules and take risks with the right mary motivation.

    Some would cause trouble and flee at the slightest hint of trouble. In such a big city, conflicts and fights were inevitable from time to time. These fights between masters would sometimes implicate innocent civilians, so they were strictly prohibited. However, in such situations, the Green Phoenix Guards had limited strength to stop powerful opponents. The ck Robes also could not enter the city inrge groups, let alone use powerful firearms.

    ording to the agreement between the Holy Xuan and Emperor Gaozu, the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court were essentially one entity. Thus, when such conflicts arose, the Daoist Order would have to step in. With the support of the Quanzhen Sect, the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion formed a special team modeled after the Tiangang Hall to be responsible for such matters. This elite team was called the Sub-Tiangang Hall.

 Chapter 256: Sub-Tiangang Hall

    <h4>Chapter 256: Sub-Tiangang Hall</h4>

    These people were priests from the Sub-Tiangang Hall.

    Since they wore all-white clothes, they were also called the White Robes, corresponding to the ck Robes. However, the White Robes¡¯ power and influence were only limited to a small area, far less widespread than the ck Robes¡¯ influence, which extended outside the empire. Other countries around the world had also heard about the ck Robes.

    However, within Qinzhou, the reputation of the White Robes surpassed that of the ck Robes.

    Although Sub-Tiangang Hall could notpare to the actual Tiangang Hall, which was one of the Three Great Halls, it should not be underestimated.

    Sub-Tiangang Hall was modeled after Tiangang Hall, only recruiting elite Daoist priests and refusing to ept flowerbed priests. Those who worked in the Sub-Tiangang Hall were entitled to additional subsidies and given corresponding resources, such as various elixirs, mother-child talismans, firearms, and the Jade Liquor that Qi Xuansu so badly wanted.

    As a result, there were many who wanted to join the Sub-Tiangang Hall. Sub-Tiangang Hall adhered to the concept of valuing quality over quantity, so the selection criteria were strict. Age restrictions were added on top of a minimum requirement for cultivation level. This made Sub-Tiangang Hall the ideal training ground for young people to hone their skills.

    These selected young talents received strong support from the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion. Since the amount of resources allocated was rted to one¡¯s internal rankings, thepetition within Sub-Tiangang Hall was fierce.

    These talents had to go through one annual test as well as a major exam every three years. Those who scored first on the major exam would get a rmendation to work in the Earthly Preceptor¡¯s Chongyang Pce of Immortality.

    The threshold for entering the three sacred Daoist residences was very high, as seen when Qi Xuansu was not qualified to enter the Dazhen Mansion on Yunjin Mountain and could only wait outside Zhang Yuelu. Tantai Qiong, Zhang Yuyue, and some others were only able to enter the Dazhen Mansion because they were members of the Zhang family. That was because Dazhen Mansion was the ancestral home of the Zhang family. Outsiders would have to be at least at the second rank to be eligible to enter.

    This was the reason why Shangqing Pce, Wuxu Pce, and Qingling Pce were established alongside the three major sect¡¯s sacred residences. Inparison, the threshold for entering these pces was much lower.

    To a certain extent, the Earthly Preceptor¡¯s Chongyang Pce of Immortality, the Imperial Preceptor¡¯s Zhenjing Courtyard, and the Heavenly Preceptor¡¯s Dazhen Mansion wereparable to Jade Capital. Those who worked there could also be promoted to the second rank. As such, many Daoist Mansion Masters stayed in their localities all their lives and would only go to the Jade Capital to attend the Golden Tower Council Meetings once they were promoted to Omniscient Sages.

    These members of Sub-Tiangang Hall could notpare to prodigies like Li Changge, Zhang Yuelu, and Yao Pei. However, many of them were on the same level as Qi Xuansu; all of them were also listed on the Ruyi Leaderboard.

    There were rumors that Yao Pei, the prodigy of the Quanzhen Sect, had once joined Sub-Tiangang Hall under a pseudonym and stayed there for three years. Yao Pei even scored first for three consecutive years on the annual test and the major triennial exam. However, Yao Pei was originally from the Chongyang Pce of Immortality, so this rmendation was not needed. No one knew whether this was true because it could be a rumor used to boost the exclusivity of Sub-Tiangang Hall.

    Qi Xuansu nced at the aloof White Robes and silently picked up his severed arm.

    He had heard of Sub-Tiangang Hall but had never seen or interacted with them. Thus, he did not know what to expect. That was why Qi Xuansu just nned to wait and see how things would unfold.

    Among the seven White Robes standing before him, there was a decent mix of men and women of all ages. Although Sub-Tiangang Hall was mainly a training ground for young people, it did not only consist of young people because that would make it prone to trouble. Some old people were retained in leadership positions to guide the young talents. These veterans were exempted from the annual test and the triennial exam.

    At this time, an old man with gray hair stood out among these young people. Qi Xuansu could not tell how old the man was, but he had a ruddyplexion, a strong spirit, and a faint shimmer in his eyes, indicating a high level of cultivation. Qi Xuansu was unsure if the old man was a Heavenly Being yet, but he was certain that the old man was at least at the Guizhen stage.

    The old man did not move or speak. Instead, a young man in his thirties stepped forward. Thirty was considered young in the Daoist Order because most Daoist priests¡¯ lifespans were generally longer than ordinary people. He looked dignified and arrogant.

    The young man first nced at Qi Xuansu and asked, ¡°Who are you? Why did you engage in a private duel?¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart shook. This man did not even care to find out what really happened and immediatelybeled Qi Xuansu as a criminal who engaged in a private duel.

    The well-traveled Qi Xuansu was aware of officials killing the innocent to falsely im credits, but this was onlymon within the Green Phoenix Guard. When signing a confession with the Green Phoenix Guard, one must carefully read the contents to avoid bing a scapegoat for additional crimes.

    However, he did not expect this to be apparent in the Daoist Order.

    Qi Xuansu immediately defended himself. ¡°Sir, this is not a private duel. A cult demon was trying to kill me. I am a personal guard of General Lon, under orders to return to Jiangling. When passing through Yongzhou, I met a group of Heavenly Court zealots and killed them. I didn¡¯t expect a leader of Heavenly Court to chase me here. In order to protect myself, I detonated two Phoenix Eye Bullets.¡±

    Not wanting to give these people a chance to wrongly use him, Qi Xuansu exined his purpose clearly.

    ¡°General Lon?¡± A look of surprise flickered across the young man¡¯s face. ¡°Do you have any proof of identity?¡±

    Qi Xuansu put down his severed arm and took out the ck Robes badge on his waist. He added, ¡°There are corresponding checkpoint registrations and lodging records at the inns along the way. If you don¡¯t believe me, you may confirm this with the ck Robes.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to throw your weight around by using General Lon¡¯s name?¡± The young man nced at the ck Robes badge and acknowledged Qi Xuansu¡¯s identity, but his tone was still cold.

    ¡°I dare not, sir.¡± Qi Xuansu bowed his head slightly.

    The young man stared at Qi Xuansu and said solemnly, ¡°If I decide that you have engaged in a private duel, then there is nothing you can say to refute it.¡± He paused and sneered. ¡°Even if you are part of the ck Robes.¡±

    Qi Xuansu raised his head abruptly. ¡°Why are you being unreasonable?¡±

    The young man ignored Qi Xuansu and scoffed. ¡°General Lon is indeed famous. But his influence can¡¯t reach Qinzhou.¡±

    It was evident that the young man did not care about the truth and only cared about power and influence. If so, there was no point in being reasonable.

    Qi Xuansu kept silent.

    The young man continued, ¡°If youe with us, you may be able to keep your life.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s eyelid twitched.

    If Qi Xuansu went with them, he would be at the mercy of the prison guards. Qi Xuansu was not afraid of prison, but he still had the fish talisman from the Qingping Society, the Xuan Jade of Death, and his insignia from Tiangang Hall. If any of these items fell into the hands of these people, he would never be able to get out alive.

    Qi Xuansu initially thought that he would be saved once he attracted the attention of the Daoist Order. However, he was wrong. He had just escaped from the tiger¡¯s mouth, only to fall into a wolf¡¯s den.

    Seeing no other way out, Qi Xuansu pleaded. ¡°Sir, please let me go for the sake of General Lon¡ª¡±

    The young man interrupted him. ¡°I am a fourth-rank Daoist priest, so ording to the rules, you should call me Mage.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled. He finally understood what exactly he had done to upset this young man.

    The human heart was truly unpredictable.

    Qi Xuansu wanted to speak, but the young man added, ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can say to make me change my mind. What¡¯s wrong withing with us if you¡¯re not guilty? If you want to kick up a fuss, your crime will no longer be as simple as engaging in a private duel; it will be a violent rebellion against the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion, and the punishment for that is execution.¡±

    Hearing this, Qi Xuansu fell into despair.

    He finally understood why Zhang Yuelu was so adamant about wanting to reform the Daoist Order. Perhaps she had witnessed such situations when she was working in Beichen Hall.

    It was true that such a Daoist Order was in need of reformation.

    At this moment, a voice suddenly interjected, ¡°You¡¯re quite bold to order the execution of an Imperial Court soldier. It makes me wonder if you would have ordered the extermination of his entire family if he were an ordinary civilian. What impressive intimidation tactics!¡±

    No one noticed the sudden arrival of this person. Even the old man who had not spoken a word could not help but feel terrified and wary.

    The person who spoke was dressed in casual attire. He had a thin mustache that grew in two long tendrils, making him seem like a sly and sleazy man.

    However, Qi Xuansu was delighted to see this man.

    Before Qi Xuansu could speak, the old man hurriedly saluted the person. ¡°Greetings, Sage Pei.¡±

    This ¡°sly and sleazy¡± man was none other than Pei Xiaolou.

    Pei Xiaolou ignored the old man and nced at the shocked young man. ¡°Why are you being so unreasonable?¡±

    Pei Xiaolou paused and added with a smile, ¡°Oh, my bad. I should have addressed you as Mage first.¡±

    Hearing the same question that Qi Xuansu asked earlier, the young man turned pale and speechless.

    Pei Xiaolou¡¯s smile faded as he questioned the young man. ¡°Who gave you the authority to offhandedly convict people and dish out punishments like that? Is it the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion Master?¡±

 Chapter 257: Rules

    <h4>Chapter 257: Rules</h4>

    Some matters could not be tolerated once they were seen as principle issues.

    This incident could be brushed off as a lesson to teach an Imperial Court soldier his ce. However, it could also be escted as an abuse of power, leading to reputation damage to the Daoist Order.

    Thus, this could result in either a few words of chiding to serious punishment.

    In other words, some things seemed light when not weighed, but once measured, they carried an immense weight that could not be ignored.

    When Pei Xiaolou questioned the young man about who gave him the authority to act like that, he was tantly putting the young man on the spot.

    In such scenarios, the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion Master would not protect the young man and would even distance himself from him.

    Pei Xiaolou asked the young man, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    The young man¡¯s lips quivered slightly, his voice barely a whisper as he replied, ¡°Sage, my name is Cen Li.¡±

    ¡°Cen Li? That¡¯s a good name. It means etiquette, but it¡¯s clear that you have none.¡± Pei Xiaolou quipped before adding, ¡°Take off this mourning attire[1] before turning yourself in at the Criminal Justice Division.¡±

    Cen Li did not move. The rest of the Sub-Tiangang Hall members also remained motionless.

    Sub-Tiangang Hall had always been superior to others, with a special status in the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion. Even the several Deputy Qinzhou Daoist Mansion Masters had no right to interfere in the affairs of the Sub-Tiangang Hall. Only the Second Deputy Qinzhou Daoist Mansion Master who was in charge of Sub-Tiangang Hall would report directly to the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion Master on relevant matters.

    In other words, they were afraid of a Sage. However, Pei Xiaolou did not have the power to do anything to them. At most, Pei Xiaolou could only reprimand them and inform the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion. Doing any more would be overstepping his bounds and breaking the rules.

    Pei Xiaolou stared at the old man intently.

    The old man gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Sage Pei, if you want to punish the members of Sub-Tiangang Hall, you must first report it to the Second Deputy Qinzhou Daoist Mansion Master. Without the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion Master¡¯s permission, even the Chief Deputy Qinzhou Daoist Mansion Master is not allowed to interfere.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou scoffed. ¡°Are you trying to throw your weight around by using the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion Master¡¯s name?¡±

    This time it was the old man¡¯s turn to bow his head. ¡°I dare not, Sage Pei.¡±

    Qi Xuansu only felt that these words were familiar, as Cen Li had used them on him earlier. Now, Pei Xiaolou was returning them word for word to the White Robes.

    Pei Xiaolou said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you dare or not.¡±

    The old man thought that Pei Xiaolou would be furious. He did not expect Pei Xiaolou to be so calm. He had no choice but to continue, ¡°Sage Pei, I hope you understand that the rules are set in stone.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou nced at the group of White Robes with sharp eyes before his gazended on Cen Li. ¡°Rules, huh? So now you know that rules exist. Why didn¡¯t you follow the rules just now? If the rules are in your favor, you say that they are set in stone. But facing those inferior to you, your word bes thew, right?¡±

    Cen Li had just been promoted to the fourth rank, so he was proud. Everyone would address him as Mage. As a result, Qi Xuansu identally stepped on his toes, so he wanted to punish the ignorant soldier. He did not expect to be caught by Pei Xiaolou, who appeared out of nowhere. That was why he was frightened at first. However, he had calmed his nerves by now.

    ¡°Sage, what you said is inappropriate,¡± Cen Li retorted.

    Pei Xiaolou sized him up. ¡°Pray tell.¡±

    Cen Li mustered the courage to speak. ¡°Sage Pei, you wanted to punish me for not following the rules, but you are surpassing the Second Deputy Qinzhou Daoist Mansion Master by punishing me. This is also a vition of the rules.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou said calmly, ¡°Is that so? Which rules have I broken? Is it the Daoist Order¡¯s rules? The Quanzhen Sect¡¯s rules? Or the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion¡¯s rules?¡±

    Since his future was on the line, Cen Li had to fight back. ¡°The rules of the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion, of course.¡±

    Pei Xiaolouughed. ¡°I¡¯m from the Chongyang Pce of Immortality, so I have the right to punish you. But since you say so, why don¡¯t you show me what rule you are referring to in ck and white? Go ahead and get a stamp from the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion for endorsement. I¡¯ll wait for you here. You have two hours.¡±

    Cen Li was speechless.

    Pei Xiaolou sneered. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to get this endorsement, right? These unwritten rules can¡¯t be put on paper because they are inherently unreasonable. No one will dare to put them into writing.¡±

    Cen Li did not expect this sleazy-looking Sage to be so unrelenting. He still refused to ept this punishment and retorted, ¡°The Qinzhou Daoist Mansion Master mentioned it before!¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± Pei Xiaolou asked in amusement, ¡°Is he the Grand Master? Is there such a thing as an oral decree? If it¡¯s not written down, they¡¯re not considered rules.¡±

    Cen Li was about to speak again, but at this moment the old man interrupted. ¡°Junior Brother Cen, stop talking!¡±

    These young talents were ustomed to the glory of Sub-Tiangang Hall, thinking that they were the cr¨¨me de cr¨¨me. Thus, they were arrogant and overconfident. However, this old man understood the gravity of the situation.

    Although Pei Xiaolou was just an ordinary Sage and could notpare to the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion Master, he was from the prestigious Pei family.

    It was the reason why most people feared offending Li Tianzhen even though he was not even a Sage, but when Zhang Yuelu dueled and defeated Li Tianzhen, she escaped unscathed. That was because Zhang Yuelu was also from a prestigious family, so infighting between them was seen as normal. If it were anyone else, the Li family probably would not let it slide so simply.

    Simrly, Pei Xiaolou was from the Pei family. Although the Pei family was not as well-known as the Li family, which had seven Sages, or the Zhang family, which was known as the Three Great Families of the world, the Pei family should not be underestimated. Sage Donghua, the second-inmand in the Quanzhen Sect, was born in the Pei family. This strong candidate as the seventh-generation Grand Master also happened to be Pei Xiaolou¡¯s elder brother.

    Cen Li did not have a strong background or influence. So if this case went to the Golden Tower Council, he would have a slim chance of winning.

    Pei Xiaolou nced at the old man and the rest of the White Robes. ¡°Come here and strip him of his white robe. Send him to the Criminal Justice Division of the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion and get the Mansion Master to preside over the case.¡±

    Although Sub-Tiangang Hall formed cliques internally, they were united against external parties. Therefore, no one obeyed Pei Xiaolou¡¯s orders and merely bowed their heads in defiance.

    Pei Xiaolou scoffed. ¡°I finally know what an imprable team means. It seems that I have no choice but to get my people from Wuxu Pce toe forward.¡±

    In the Quanzhen Sect, the Chongyang Pce of Immortality was higher in status than the local Daoist mansions. The Wuxu Pce was an auxiliary organization of the Chongyang Pce of Immortality, just like how the Shangqing Pce took orders directly from the Dazhen Mansion. Thus, Pei Xiaolou had the authority tomand the personnel in Wuxu Pce.

    After that, Pei Xiaolou took out a mother-child talisman and ignited it.

    Since this inn was not far from Wuxu Pce, a squad of Spirit Guards in ck armor arrived shortly after. The leader of the squad turned out to be a second-rank Spirit Guard.

    Pei Xiaolou pointed at Cen Li. ¡°This person abused his power, ruining the reputation of the Daoist Order. Please take him to the Criminal Justice Department of Wuxu Pce and get the Pce Master to preside over the case.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sage!¡± The Spirit Guards obeyed Pei Xiaolou¡¯s orders and strode toward Cen Li.

    The rest of the Sub-Tiangang Hall members were frantic, but they immediately became motionless and silent after Pei Xiaolou shot them a sidelong nce.

    That was when Cen Li finally registered what was happening. He took the initiative to remove his white robe and dared not rebut.

    Pei Xiaolou came to Cen Li and lowered his voice, saying, ¡°Have fun in the Criminal Justice Division. If any Sagees to speak on your behalf, I will argue with them in front of the Earthly Preceptor.¡±

    Cen Li was in despair as the Spirit Guards escorted him out of the Taiping Inn.

    The other Sub-Tiangang Hall people had different expressions. Some were secretly ted, some were worried, and some were astonished. However, they all stood there with their heads bowed.

    Pei Xiaolou slowly scanned them. ¡°You all resist so tantly even when I¡¯ve caught you red-handed. This shows how arrogant and unscrupulous you are. But don¡¯t worry. I will report everything I¡¯ve seen and heard to the Earthly Preceptor. Feel free to reach out to your backers and connections in the meantime. Better yet, you¡¯d best make sure your backers can get my title as Sage renounced.¡±

    ¡°We dare not, Sage.¡± The Sub-Tiangang Hall members replied in unison; some spoke loudly, while some muttered under their breaths.

    Demoting Pei Xiaolou meant going against Sage Donghua. Even Sage Cihang and Sage Qingwei were not necessarily strong enough to overthrow Sage Donghua. Someone capable of that would have been powerful enough to be the Grand Master.

    Pei Xiaolou waved his hand, dismissing the members of Sub-Tiangang Hall.

    Seeing this, the members of Sub-Tiangang Hall scampered off, as if they had been granted amnesty.

    When everyone else left, Pei Xiaolou finally turned to Qi Xuansu. He did not ask what happened when he noticed Qi Xuansu¡¯s severed arm. Instead, he sighed and said, ¡°Follow me.¡±

    1. A jab at the White Robes, as Chinese mourning attire was traditionally all white. ?

 Chapter 258: Favor

    <h4>Chapter 258: Favor</h4>

    To the Daoist Order, Qi Xuansu was supposedly dead. Although at Zhang Yuelu¡¯s insistence, Tiangang Hall still retained Qi Xuansu¡¯s position and only marked him as missing, everyone understood that Deputy Hall Master Zhang was merely trying to seek sce in this sliver of hope.

    After all, Qi Xuansu had sacrificed himself to save Zhang Yuelu, so everyone figured that she would have a hard time getting out of the rut, as guilt and self-me were eating away at her.

    Qi Xuansu also understood this and dared not interact with any Daoist acquaintances.

    When Pei Xiaolou showed up, Qi Xuansu¡¯s first reaction was delight. However, as reality set in, he grew worried because he did not know what Pei Xiaolou¡¯s reaction would be seeing that he was still alive.

    Judging by Pei Xiaolou¡¯s calm reaction, Qi Xuansu instantly connected the dots. Pei Xiaolou and Madam Qi had a good rtionship, so Qi Xuansu figured that Pei Xiaolou was somehow rted to the Qingping Society. Perhaps Pei Xiaolou was also a member of the Qingping Society or one of the Qingping Society¡¯s connections within the Daoist Order.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu stopped being nervous. He held his severed arm and followed Pei Xiaolou closely.

    At this time, the staff of the Taiping Inn also came over. Thedy boss, who rarely showed her face around here, recognized Pei Xiaolou and greeted him.

    This boss was beautiful, with a graceful figure and coquettish behavior. It was odd seeing twopletely conflicting auras coexist perfectly in her.

    Pei Xiaolou no longer kept a stern face. He walked over and yfully joked with the boss. In the end, he asked her to get the best room in the inn for Qi Xuansu.

    The boss readily agreed and nced at Qi Xuansu again before walking away.

    During this time, Qi Xuansu went back to his previous room, which was in ruins, and rummaged around for his things. He put his things back into his satchel and walked over to the new room.

    Fortunately, his horse had escaped the st unharmed. It was just a little frightened. This grade horse looked skinny and weak, but it was smart enough to follow Qi Xuansu without him having to hold its reins.

    After arriving at the new courtyard, Pei Xiaolou motioned for Qi Xuansu to sit down. He first touched Qi Xuansu¡¯s wound and swept away the lingering sword qi before reattaching Qi Xuansu¡¯s severed arm to the wound.

    The wound slowly began to heal on its own. The broken meridians, bones, joints, flesh, and skin morphed from the wound and extended to the severed arm.

    Pei Xiaolou sighed. ¡°How convenient! No matter how serious the trauma is, it seems like nothing with the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s body-regenerative abilities. If you were of any other lineage, you would have no choice but to go to the Huasheng Hall.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Thank you, Sage Pei.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s there to thank me for? Even if those egotists were bullying someone else, I wouldn¡¯t have let them get away with it.¡± Pei Xiaolou said indifferently, ¡°Abuse of power will just damage the Daoist Order¡¯s reputation. What willmoners think of us then? If they are corrupt,moners will only think that the entire Daoist Order is corrupt. In the end, those egotists are the only ones benefiting, while the Daoist Order will have to bear the consequences for their bad behavior.

    ¡°These kinds of people only think about themselves. As long as they get benefits, they won¡¯t care which camp they belong to. They may swear loyalty to the Daoist Order today because we are strong now, but who knows when they will betray us and join the Confucian School or the Buddhist Sect?

    ¡°I don¡¯t expect them to make contributions to the Daoist Order, but I just hope that they won¡¯t use the Daoist Order as a tool for their own gain. Who knows if the Daoist Order will one day walk the same path as the Confucian School, with nopetent sessor? I¡¯m doing this for myself and my descendants. So I can¡¯t tolerate such behavior.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not expect the frivolous Pei Xiaolou to have such an opinion. As expected, there was no such thing as a simple-minded Sage.

    ¡°I agree,¡± Qi Xuansu chimed in.

    Pei Xiaolou held up the arm for a while and transferred some innate qi to Qi Xuansu to clear his meridians. He finally let go of Qi Xuansu¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Your arm has been reattached, but I think it¡¯ll take at least half a month for your arm to recover fully.¡±

    Qi Xuansu thanked him again.

    Pei Xiaolou was a talkative person. He went back to the previous topic.

    ¡°I asionally read some Confucian books on philosophy. Humans are insatiable creatures, hence why greed is prominent in society, manifesting as corruption among court officials and theft inmoners. However, this greed can¡¯t see the light of day. Thus, it will be curbed with the presence of the sun.¡±

    Qi Xuansu seemingly understood what Pei Xiaolou was saying, so he asked, ¡°Are you saying that the Grand Master is the sun?¡±

    Pei Xiaolou pped his hands and praised him. ¡°Clever boy!¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally understood that Pei Xiaolou was talking about the importance of the election for the next Grand Master.

    Although Qi Xuansu was out of the Daoist Order, he would still hear about thepetition for the next Grand Master. This showed just how far-reaching the election was.

    However, Qi Xuansu did not care much about it. In the grand scheme of things, he was not even substantial enough to be considered a pawn in this race. Even if he was a pawn, he would at most be cannon fodder, while the Grand Master was a general. Whoever won would determine the oue of the entire game.

    Qi Xuansu knew that it was pointless to think about such far-fetched things. He just wanted to be a carefree pawn taking small steps toward his goal.

    He changed the topic and asked, ¡°Sage Pei, why did youe here?¡±

    Pei Xiaolou retorted, ¡°Is it so strange to see me at Wuxu Pce as a disciple of the Quanzhen Sect?¡±

    Qi Xuansu rified. ¡°Sage Pei, you don¡¯t seem at all surprised that I¡¯m still alive.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou exined, ¡°Madam Qi has already informed me about your situation and asked me to watch out for you as my repayment to her. She wants me to make sure that you won¡¯t die or be disabled.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was moved by Madam Qi¡¯s thoughtfulness, but he was also surprised.

    Madam Qi was not one to be sentimental. Like many mothers in the world, she scolded Qi Xuansu and withheld his money, but she still cared about him in ways that he was unaware of.

    If Pei Xiaolou had not told him this, Qi Xuansu would not have known that Madam Qi had asked a Sage to watch out for him. He would have only felt indebted to Pei Xiaolou for his kindness.

    Qi Xuansu did not expect that Pei Xiaolou was indebted to Madam Qi.

    Pei Xiaolou saw the young man¡¯s surprised expression and coughed lightly. ¡°Well, I mentioned before that Madam Qi and I lost some money when we went into business together. I bear the main responsibility for that, so I owe her a debt of favor.¡±

    Qi Xuansu could not help but wonder if Madam Qi was also a Sage in the past.

    Pei Xiaolou asked, ¡°I saw you and the members from the Sub-Tiangang Hall earlier. What happened?¡±

    Qi Xuansu recounted the story in detail.

    After hearing this, Pei Xiaolou fell into deep thought. ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s Feng Bo, the Heavenly Court¡¯s ¡®God of Wind.¡¯ The Sub-Tiangang Hall members might be arrogant and domineering, but they are capable. Otherwise, the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion wouldn¡¯t have indulged them in so many ways. Since they have already gone after him, Feng Bo won¡¯t be able to get away easily.¡±

    Qi Xuansu silently noted down Feng Bo¡¯s name in his list of enemies, alongside Zhao Fu¡¯an, the monk Yan Xiu, Wan Xiuwu, and Yue Liuli. He hoped that he would one day be strong enough to avenge himself.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu also wanted to add Wu Luo and some of those big shots behind the cults to his list. But after some thought, he decided that it was too far-fetched, so it was best to put it aside and only think about it if he ever got to a position of power.

    He moved his arm slightly and felt some pain. However, he noticed that his arm only hung limp to his side, unable to move even though he willed it to. Since he could feel some pain, it indicated that there was no major problem.

    Pei Xiaolou suddenly remembered something and said, ¡°By the way, Madam Qi has entrusted me with the task of getting you back into the Daoist Order. I will get some connections sorted and find a suitable reason for your return. I might even have to ask my elder brother toe forward. But this will take time. So you¡¯re free to do your own thing while I settle this issue.¡±

    This was a big surprise for Qi Xuansu.

    He said sincerely, ¡°Thank you, Sage Pei.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou waved his hand and warned. ¡°But Miss Zhang is not that easy to fool. How you n to get through to her is up to you. I won¡¯t be able to help you with that.¡±

 Chapter 259: Recuperate

    <h4>Chapter 259: Recuperate</h4>

    Pei Xiaolou did not stay for long, as he had to return to Wuxu Pce. If everything went ording to n, the Second Deputy Qinzhou Daoist Mansion Master, who was in charge of the Sub-Tiangang Hall, would have already learned about this incident and would soon pay a visit to Pei Xiaolou.

    The Second Deputy Qinzhou Daoist Mansion Master would not argue with Pei Xiaolou, nor would he stand up for Cen Li. He was more interested in understanding the situation and getting a feel for Pei Xiaolou¡¯s attitude. He wanted to see if Pei Xiaolou was using this to target him or if Pei Xiaolou was simply targeting Cen Li, as there was a big difference between the two.

    Pei Xiaolou came to Xijing Prefecture under the orders of the Earthly Preceptor to inspect the various Daoist mansions and pces within the territory of the Quanzhen Sect. It was to make sure that no illegal acts were happening.

    This was just a routine procedure. The Earthly Preceptor had no ns to vigorously rectify the internal affairs of the Quanzhen Sect during this critical moment, when thepetition for the seventh-generation Grand Master was getting heated. Pei Xiaolou understood the Earthly Preceptor¡¯s intention, so he would not purposely find fault with the Daoist mansions and pces.

    However, Pei Xiaolou also could not be too perfunctory. It would not make sense to not find any problems at all after one week of patrols. Since Pei Xiaolou happened to see the Sub-Tiangang Hall abusing their power, he was determined to make a big fuss about this matter.

    The Second Deputy Qinzhou Daoist Mansion Master had no choice but to ept this. Usually, during internal audits, the Mansion Masters would preempt their subordinates to be more restrained. He could only me himself for beingx in controlling his subordinates.

    This time, the Sub-Tiangang Hall was careless to be caught red-handed. The Second Deputy Qinzhou Daoist Master probably hated Cen Li for getting him in trouble, as the former would probably be charged with dereliction of duty.

    At the level of a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master and above, the merit and demerit system no longer made much sense because the number of positions for Omniscient Sages was limited to 36. Demotions rarely happened, and most second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters would stay in the same position until the end of their careers.

    Although one¡¯s rank was mostly stagnant in the second rank, it was possible to switch positions, like from a Second Deputy to the Chief Deputy. There were also a few ordinary Sages who held positions as Mansion Master or Pce Master.

    Thus, if the Second Deputy Qinzhou Daoist Mansion Master was charged with dereliction of duty or negligence, his chances of getting a promotion would be affected.

    Qi Xuansu was just d that Pei Xiaolou was targeting the Sub-Tiangang Hall. That way, those people would not have the time or energy to retaliate against him. No one would dare stand up for Cen Li either.

    Shortly after Pei Xiaolou left, thedy boss of the inn came over.

    Most of the time, Qi Xuansu would only deal with the waiters or the innkeepers at the inn. Moreover, in such arge establishment like the Taiping Inn, it was unusual for the boss to show up. However, this time, the boss came over to see Qi Xuansu. It was most likely because of his rtionship with Pei Xiaolou.

    The boss saluted Qi Xuansu. ¡°Greetings, young master. My name is Liu Yuchun.¡±

    Qi Xuansu tried his best to return the salute with one hand. ¡°I dare not ept this address, ma¡¯am. I am injured, so I hope you will forgive me for not performing the full salute.¡±

    Liu Yuchun sized Qi Xuansu up and asked, ¡°May I get your name?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°My name is Wei Wugui.¡±

    Liu Yuchun nodded and probed, ¡°Are you acquainted with Sage Pei?¡±

    Qi Xuansu had expected this question, so he already came up with an answer. ¡°My mother and Sage Pei are old acquaintances.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Liu Yuchun finally understood their rtionship. ¡°That makes you his junior. I thought you two were friends.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did notment.

    With his current level of cultivation, it would be unrealistic for him to befriend a Sage. But it was reasonable for his mother to be friends with Pei Xiaolou. This was also the reality. Pei Xiaolou only treated Qi Xuansu well because of Madam Qi. The only junior whom Pei Xiaolou admired was the talented Zhang Yuelu.

    Qi Xuansu regarded Madam Qi as his mother because it would prevent having to exin unnecessary things to random strangers. Since Qi Xuansu said that his mother was friends with Pei Xiaolou, the boss had no reason to question him.

    Liu Yuchun began to recall if there really was a Wei family within the Quanzhen Sect.

    She recalled that there was a Wei family traced back to the time when the Holy Xuan revived the Daoist Order. However, the Wei family only had a few members, and there were not many decent men in this generation. However, the women of the Wei family were indeed powerful. One of the Wei family''s daughters even married into the royal family and became an Imperial Concubine.

    <i>The Daoistmunity was more neutral toward both genders, unlike the secr world, where men were allowed a wife and multiple concubines. Aside from some ordained monks or nuns in the Quanzhen Sect, Daoist priests were allowed to be in monogamous rtionships.</i>

    <i>Back then, one of the Holy Xuan¡¯s teachers, who was the Earthly Preceptor who once attacked Dazhen Mansion, had two wives. This Earthly Preceptor was infamous for being unscrupulous, capable of attacking the Dazhen Mansion, nning a coup in the Imperial Capital, killing the Great Witch, and many more. He was also born into the royal family. Thus, his actions were an exception within the Daoistmunity.</i>

    <i>Due to this, Daoist women generally did not want to marry someone from the secr world because they were not used to the concept of sharing a husband with multiple women. In addition, the Daoist people had a more conservative ethospared to the secr world in terms of marriage.</i>

    <i>Thousands of years ago, the Ancient Taiping Sect was extremely open and chaotic about sexual rtionships, even organizing orgy parties. They were no different from the secret societies. This was often criticized and regarded as the Daoist Order¡¯s dark history.</i>

    <i>As a result, the Daoist Order began to imitate the asceticism of the Buddhist Sect. This was how the Quanzhen Sect¡¯s rule of celibacy for ordained monks and nuns came into being.</i>

    <i>The Ancient Taiping Sect failed in its uprising and waspletely destroyed. The existing Taiping Sect kept the same name, but it no longer shared the same beliefs. It was just like how the Zhengyi Sect, led by the Zhang family, was the improved version of the Heavenly Sect.</i>

    <i>Back then, the Heavenly Sect had 36 levels of categorization for its disciples. Those who first learned about Daoism were called ghost soldiers. Once they epted the teachings and showed faith, they were referred to as Jijiu masters and allowed to lead a group of followers. Those who led arge number of followers were called Chief Jijiu masters.</i>

    <i>There were no local government officials. Instead, the Jijiu masters would manage the local affairs. Their teachings emphasized honesty and integrity. They also required believers to confess their wrongdoings. Offenders were granted three chances for leniency, but if theymitted another offense, they would be punished.</i>

    <i>The punishment for minor offenses was to repair a hundred steps of a road. Killing of all animals was prohibited during spring and summer, and excessive drinking was banned. Additionally, they established a food shelter that provided rice and meat for free to travelers. To curb greed, they warned that taking more than one¡¯s portion would anger the spirits and lead to illness.</i>

    <i>Today, these rules were abandoned by the Zhengyi Sect. The only thing that was passed down was the Jijiu master title that evolved into today¡¯s fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master.</i>

    <i>There was an exception to Daoist women marrying into the royal family. At this point, the Li family of the Taiping Sect had produced about half of the Great Xuan Dynasty¡¯s empresses over the years. However, the Li family was not the only Daoist family to do so. There were still many other Daoist disciples who married into the royal family, bing empresses and concubines to the emperor to contend with the Li family.</i>

    <i>The royal family was delighted with this arrangement because such marriages would strengthen the royal family¡¯s connection with the Daoist Order. After all, the royal family used to be part of the Daoistmunity back then. There was even a Deputy Grand Master as well as a Grand Master¡¯spanion who hailed from the royal family.</i>

    <i>This was also to restrict the growth of the Li family and prevent the Li family from monopolizing the Imperial Court.</i>

    Qi Xuansu noticed Liu Yuchun¡¯s confused expression, so he added, ¡°I lost my father when I was young, so I took my mother¡¯sst name.¡±

    Liu Yuchun nodded, thinking that it all made sense.

    What Qi Xuansu said was not entirely a lie. His master was like a father to him, and his master had passed away when he was young. Madam Qi also gave him this pseudonym, so Qi Xuansu was somewhat speaking the truth.

    Madam Qi had taught him that lies were inevitable, but one must not make up lies out of thin air. That way, it would be difficult to keep track of the lie. There would also be many loopholes, making it easier for people to see through the lie. Thus, the best lie was one that had some truths mixed in. With some basis, the lie would be logical and justifiable. Then, it would be difficult for others to distinguish the truth.

    After Liu Yuchun figured out Qi Xuansu¡¯s background, she stood up and excused herself. ¡°Young Master Wei, please let me know if you need anything. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±

    Qi Xuansu saw her off and stared at her graceful back as she disappeared outside the doors of the courtyard. He looked deep in thought.

 Chapter 260: Lei Xiaohuan

    <h4>Chapter 260: Lei Xiaohuan</h4>

    Pei Xiaolou never showed up in the following few days. Qi Xuansu thought that perhaps the Sage was caught up in the Daoist Order''s politics.

    Qi Xuansu focused on recuperating. His severed arm could finally move freely, and he could finally feel some sensations on his fingertips. However, he still could not exert strength in his broken arm. It would take some more time before his arm could fully recover.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu reyed the whole incident in his mind. He had mixed feelings about it.

    He finally understood why the outside world had a derogatory nickname for Daoist priests¡ªDaoist dogs. In the past, he was a seventh-rank Daoist priest, so as long as there was no direct conflict of interest, other Daoist disciples would not do anything to him.

    The Daoist Order could turn a blind eye to Daoist priests bullying outsiders, but bullying their own kind was another matterpletely. Aside from people like Li Tianzhen, who had strong backers, only a few would dare to bully fellow priests.

    After Qi Xuansu joined Tiangang Hall, Zhang Yuelu was his biggest backer. Naturally, no one would dare to bully him either. Since he no longer had his Daoist identity, Qi Xuansu finally realized how domineering the Daoist priests were.

    Pei Xiaolou finally showed up five dayster.

    Qi Xuansu realized that he was wrong about Pei Xiaolou being caught up in politics. After all, Cen Li was an insignificant person, unlike the prodigies rumored to be in the running for the title of eighth-generation Grand Master¡ªLi Changge, Zhang Yuelu, or Yao Pei. The Qinzhou Daoist Mansion would not go against Pei Xiaolou just for Cen Li, so this matter would have been settled in the span of a banquet, not five days.

    The real reason Pei Xiaolou did not show up for the past few days was because of his Daoistpanion.

    Since theirst interaction on his first ride on the flying ship, Qi Xuansu had a deep impression of Pei Xiaolou¡¯s wife¡ªtall, imposing, crude, foul-mouthed, and violent.

    Ever since the fifth-generation Grand Master rectified the Daoist Order¡¯s image and emphasized the importance of etiquette, it was rare to see crude people in the Daoistmunity.

    No wonder Pei Xiaolou seemed like a henpecked man. What else could he do but obey her?

    As soon as Pei Xiaolou¡¯s wife heard about Qi Xuansu, she wanted to see this young man, so Pei Xiaolou had no choice but to bring her over.

    Before that, Pei Xiaolou warned Qi Xuansu to be mentally prepared for anything because his wife had always done things ording to her liking. Except for Pei Xiaolou¡¯s brother, Sage Donghua, no one in the Pei family could control her.

    Pei Xiaolou even sighed andined. ¡°It¡¯s difficult for a good man to avoid having an unworthy wife, an unfilial son, and an unstable household.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was doubtful and unconvinced. He only felt that the pot was calling the kettle ck, but he dared not say this to Pei Xiaolou and only kept it to himself.

    Liu Yuchun, the boss of the Taiping Inn, heard news of this and dared not show up.

    Qi Xuansu had nowhere to escape, so he could only wait to meet this formidable woman.

    To Qi Xuansu¡¯s surprise, Pei Xiaolou¡¯s wife was not as crude as she was the first time he saw her on the flying ship. She seemed to be apletely different person from the borderline-feral woman in his impression.

    After sitting down, Pei Xiaolou¡¯s wife sized up Qi Xuansu and remarked, ¡°So, you¡¯re Qi Xuansu?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was shocked to hear his real name. He wondered, <i>Why does everyone know my true identity? Did Sage Pei tell his wife about me?</i>

    Seeing Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression, the woman waved her hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be shocked or afraid. Madam Qi and I have been friends for many years. By the way, my name is Lei Xiaohuan.¡±

    Qi Xuansu wondered if it was a coincidence that both Pei Xiaolou and Lei Xiaohuan had the same character <i>Xiao</i>[1] in their names.

    Hearing this, Qi Xuansu breathed a sigh of relief and saluted her. ¡°Greetings, Madam Lei.¡±

    In the Daoistmunity, married women were addressed by their maiden names because women and men had the same status.

    Lei Xiaohuan asked, ¡°Are you also a Martial Arts Practitioner?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a true Martial Arts Practitioner. But due to a stroke of luck, I share some of the properties of Martial Arts Practitioners,¡± Qi Xuansu answered truthfully.

    ¡°What a pity.¡± Lei Xiaohuan shook her head.

    Pei Xiaolou exined, ¡°My wife is from a family of military generals, so she has practiced martial arts since she was young. After joining the Daoist Order, she received the tutge of a Virtuous Great Sage and became a genuine Wuliang-stage Martial Arts Practitioner.¡±

    No matter what one¡¯s background was, one would have to convert to Daoism after marrying a Daoist disciple. They would also have to obey the orders of the Daoist Order.

    Like Xiantian Beings, Heavenly Beings also had three stages. The first stage of Heavenly Beings was called the Xiaoyao stage, the second was the Wuliang stage, and the third was the Zaohua stage.

    Zhao Fu¡¯an, the Heavenly Being that injured Qi Xuansu in Baidi City, was in the Xiaoyao stage, corresponding to the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s Divinity Realm. However, Zhao Fu¡¯an was no match for Daoist Ji, whose cultivation level was a mystery to Qi Xuansu.

    Lei Xiaohuan was in the Wuliang stage, which corresponded to the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s Everchanging Realm. Qi Xuansu figured that Pei Xiaolou could not win a fight against his wife. It was no wonder that Pei Xiaolou seemed henpecked.

    Qi Xuansu was perceptive enough to understand that Lei Xiaohuan had intended to ept him as a disciple or give him some guidance. However, since he was not a true Martial Arts Practitioner, there was no need for this.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu also felt that it was a pity. He had benefited from Zhang Yuelu¡¯s guidance. If he were to learn from a Heavenly Being Martial Arts Practitioner, his cultivation would surely improve even more.

    However, one¡¯s lineage could not be forced. Although several major lineages had simrities, there were strict requirements for transferring one¡¯s lineage.

    In terms of the Five Immortals Lineage, the most rigid among them was the Godly Immortal lineage, which could not be transformed into any other lineages. The most flexible one was the Earthly Immortal lineage. One could advance to be a Heavenly Immortal or moveterally to be a Manly Immortal or a Ghostly Immortal.

    Other lineages had many restrictions. The Manly Immortal and Ghostly Immortal lineages were extreme opposites, so they could not transform into each other. However, they could move onto the Earthly Immortal or the Godly Immortal lineages. The Godly Immortal lineage was irreversible, so one would have to be sure before changing paths.

    Moreover, transferring one¡¯s lineage would inevitably damage one¡¯s cultivation. Sometimes, the damage would be so severe that one would no longer be able to advance further in cultivation level. Therefore, very few would make this desperate move of changing one¡¯s lineage.

    Theoretically, Rogue Cultivators could transfer to any lineage. However, that was only in theory, just like how a Rogue Cultivator could supposedly be a Banished Immortal with enough resources.

    In the past hundred years, there had been no news of any Rogue Cultivators bing a Banished Immortal. The Xuan Jade being the key to the transformation process and Li Changge¡¯s status as a Banished Immortal were just Qi Xuansu¡¯s spections. He did not have any evidence to support his hypothesis yet.

    Lei Xiaohuan pondered for a while before taking out a book from her magical receptacle.

    It was a boxing manual.

    Pei Xiaolou took the book from his wife and handed it to Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu took the book with both hands, stunned to see the words ¡°Fist Intention¡± written on the cover.

    A Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s fist intention was just like a Qi Refiner¡¯s sword qi and a Diviner¡¯s talismans. They were basic mystical abilities that could be continuously refined and cultivated until one became an immortal.

    Qi Xuansu wondered if he could also practice the fist intention.

    However, this manual was too general. There should be various types of fist intentions, just as there were different sword qi. Qi Xuansu¡¯s sword qi waspletely different from Feng Bo¡¯s sword qi. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s sword qi was also not the same as Xie Qiuniang¡¯s. That was why Qi Xuansu believed that there would be more than one type of fist intention.

    Lei Xiaohuan exined, ¡°This is a book I read when I was a teenager. I specifically wrote ¡°fist intention¡± on the cover to categorize it so as to avoid getting this book mixed up with others. It doesn¡¯t imply that it covers all types of fist intentions in this world.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded.

    Lei Xiaohuan paused before adding, ¡°If I remember correctly, it should be the Tantai Fist Intention.¡±

    1. The character, <i>Xiao</i>, means small. ?

 Chapter 261: Tantai Fist Intention

    <h4>Chapter 261: Tantai Fist Intention</h4>

    The Tantai Fist Intention was named after the founder. Thisst name was quite rare, and it rang a bell. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s mother, Tantai Qiong, was from the Confucian Tantai family, but Qi Xuansu had also heard about a Daoist Tantai family.

    Lei Xiaohuan exined, ¡°This boxing manual is passed down from a Daoist elder.¡±

    ¡°Is it Tantai Yun?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Lei Xiaohuan¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You¡¯re quite knowledgeable.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was a little embarrassed. ¡°Oh, no. I dare not im that I am knowledgeable. I have only heard about this Daoist elder from the Holy Xuan Cards.¡±

    Lei Xiaohuan was silent for a while before she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the Holy Xuan Cards?¡±

    Pei Xiaolou exined, ¡°It¡¯s simr to leaf cards. It¡¯s called the Holy Xuan Cards because it was invented by him. This set of cards includes figures from Daoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and even the Ancient Immortals during the Holy Xuan¡¯s time. Those of us who grew up in the Daoistmunity usually y this.¡±

    The Holy Xuan Cards were only circted within the Daoist Order, so it was reasonable that Lei Xiaohuan did not know what it was. After all, she was originally from the Imperial Court andter married into the Daoist Order.

    Lei Xiaohuan nodded. ¡°I see. Since you are aware of this Daoist elder, there is no need for me to waste time exining her life history. Back then, Tantai Yun left the Central ins and went to the far west. Many yearster, someone returned to Kunlun Mountain and brought Tantai Yun¡¯s relics with them, iming that Tantai Yun had ascended to the heavens.

    ¡°Among these relics, arge proportion of them were written books, including travel notes about some overseas experiences, memories of the past, and life lessons. This boxing manual was just one of the many books in the collection. It was originally nameless, butter generations summarized it and named it the Tantai Fist Intention.¡±

    Qi Xuansu knew a little about Tantai Yun, who was as venerated as Emperor Gaozu of the Great Xuan Dynasty, the Holy Xuan¡¯s father, the Earthly Preceptor who attacked Dazhen Mansion, and the Heavenly Preceptor who repaired Difei Mountain. As such, Qi Xuansu thought that the Tantai Fist Intention must be an advanced technique.

    Lei Xiaohuan continued, ¡°ording to the standards of the Daoist Order, this fist intention is not considered a perfected method. It is at most a high-attainment method. However, you shouldn¡¯t underestimate it. Back then, when the Holy Xuan fought in hand-to-handbat, he would only use an average-attainment palm technique, but even so, countless people suffered in his hands. This shows that the key to winning fights still lies in oneself, not the method used.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded solemnly. ¡°Of course.¡±

    In fact, Qi Xuansu dared not request to learn a perfected method. Even a prodigy like Zhang Yuelu had only learned two perfected methods. One of the perfected methods she learned was also thanks to the Earthly Preceptor¡¯s tutge.

    Lei Xiaohuan pointed at the boxing manual in Qi Xuansu¡¯s hand and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be polite thinking that you¡¯ll open this gift after I leave. I suggest that you browse through it first. That way, I can help you with anything you don¡¯t understand. By the way, there is a preface in this boxing manual. But this is a preface to the entire lineage, not just this book.¡±

    Qi Xuansu obliged, opening the cover of the book. He saw some small font printed on the title page.

    <i>¡°In my youth, I read to cultivate my spirit; in my young adulthood, I practiced Daoism to refine my innate qi. In my thirties, I stopped refining innate qi to pursue martial arts, seeking to understand myself and the world. Ultimately, I became a Wuliang-stage Martial Arts Practitioner.¡±</i>

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s eyelids twitched as he secretly admired this Daoist elder.

    Tantai Yun was from the Confucian Tantai family butter joined the Daoist Order. She became a Qi Refiner following the Earthly Immortal lineage, but she transitioned to be a Martial Arts Practitioner under the Manly Immortal lineage. However, she still managed to advance to the Wuliang stage of Heavenly Beings in her thirties.

    This showed that Tantai Yun was just as talented as Donghuang.

    Qi Xuansu was already 25 years old. However, he was still three levels behind the Wuliang stage of Heavenly Beings even with the Xuan Jade¡¯s transformation. Without the Xuan Jade, Qi Xuansu would have still been at the Kunlun stage of Xiantian Beings.

    He wondered if he could advance three stages to be a Wuliang-stage Heavenly Being in just 5 years. Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu felt anxious because it was too tight of a schedule. He thought that 50 years was a more reasonable timeframe.

    Zhang Yuelu would have hope of aplishing this. After all, Tantai Yun had transferred lineages, so there were some losses and hindrances to the advancement in cultivation. In other words, if Tantai Yun had chosen the Manly Immortal lineage from the beginning, she could have reached that stage sooner.

    Qi Xuansu continued reading the preface.

    <i>¡°I was stuck at a bottleneck before the Zaohua stage for an arduous three years, but I still couldn¡¯t see the way forward. That was the reason I abandoned martial arts and returned to qi refining. Finally, I gained a profound understanding of the path to immortality and felt reborn.¡±</i>

    Qi Xuansu was speechless when he saw that Tantai Yun described three years as ¡°arduous.¡± If he had not read the number of years correctly, he would have thought that Tantai Yun meant 30 years.

    Tantai Yun even abandoned the Manly Immortal path and returned to the Earthly Immortal lineage once again. Was this how geniuses viewed the world? Was this how much confidence they had in themselves? It must be embarrassing for those who only understood the path of immortality in their 70s or 80s, right? How could Qi Xuansu even begin topare himself to Tantai Yun when the gap between them seemed astronomical?

    Qi Xuansu took a deep breath and continued reading.

    <i>¡°After attaining immortality, the hidden hurdles umted over the years finally emerged. I made no progress for several more years.¡±</i>

    Fortunately, this time, Tantai Yun did not add ¡°arduous¡± when describing the years. It seemed that this Daoist elder finally understood that getting stuck several years at a certain threshold was not a big deal. Many people got stuck for life, and there were even more people who could not even touch or see the threshold.

    <i>¡°In the 8th year of Emperor Tianbao¡¯s reign, I met the Ancient Great Witch, Wu Yang, in Kunlun. With Wu Yang¡¯s guidance, I once again abandoned qi refining and took up martial arts. I could finally see the smooth path ahead. How fortunate was I to have met her!¡±</i>

    This paragraph contained so much information that Qi Xuansu had to digest.

    Emperor Tianbao was thest emperor of the former Wei Dynasty. Back then, Tantai Yun had already established a new country, proiming herself as a king. However, Tantai Yun did not write this preface in reference to the year of her own reign. Instead, she used the Wei Dynasty¡¯s time of reference. Was this to facilitate future generations? Or did Tantai Yun herself also acknowledge the legitimacy of the Wei Dynasty?

    This was as expected of a Confucian disciple. Even after rebelling and proiming herself as a king, deep down, she still felt that she was not legitimate.

    Back then, there were Eleven Great Witches in Ancient Wuism. Wu Yang was among them, but she was unlike the other Ten Great Witches, which included Wu Luo.

    In some way, Wu Yang was simr to Tantai Yun. The two women had respected titles in their institution, like the Great Witch Wu Yang and the Virtuous Great Sage Tantai Yun. However, they had always distanced themselves from these institutions.

    Qi Xuansu often had a strange recurring dream in the past. However, this dream changed after he obtained the Xuan Jade of Life.

    He guessed that the eleven figures he saw in his dream were the Eleven Great Witches of Ancient Wuism and that the rtively-small figure that appeared in the end was Wu Yang. Wu Yang kicking over the fire could mean the rebellion of the Six Enlightened Witches, which separated from the original group.

    Tantai Yun met Wu Yang more than 200 years ago. However, it had been 1,500 years since Ancient Wuism was destroyed.

    Qi Xuansu did not expect that the Great Witches Wu Yang and Wu Luo still existed in the mortal realm. It seemed that Ancient Wuism was notpletely dead after all and still lingered in the mortal realm.

    He wondered where the other nine Great Witches were, especially Wu Xian, the leader of the Ten Great Witches who was murdered by Wu Luo. Where was she?

    By now, Qi Xuansu grew numb to Tantai Yun''s repeated change of lineages. She was so talented that the natural barrier between the lineages did not seem to exist for her. She could cultivate innate qi or practice martial arts whenever she liked and still make great progress, achieving immortality before she turned 50.

    On the other hand, most people would suffer heavy losses by switching lineages. It was like learning Eastern ink-wash painting and suddenly studying Western oil painting. There were some simrities, but one would still have to start from scratch with the techniques.

    Tantai Yun was already proficient in Eastern ink-wash painting, but when she switched to Western oil painting, she improved significantly and hit a bottleneck. That was when she came back to continue studying ink-wash painting and thenter oil painting again. Finally, she integrated everything she learned and became a legendary painter of all time.

    Qi Xuansumented that he wasgging too far behind Tantai Yun.

    Considering that Tantai Yun once proimed herself as a king, she could have been a good candidate for Grand Master if she had been born in this era. It was a pity that she was born in the Holy Xuan¡¯s era, so her aplishments were overshadowed by the Holy Xuan¡¯s. She even had to flee to the Western Region.

    Tantai Yun could only me her luck for being born at the wrong time.

 Chapter 262: Learning Boxing

    <h4>Chapter 262: Learning Boxing</h4>

    ¡°Have you read the preface?¡± Lei Xiaohuan drummed her fingers on the table. ¡°How do you feel?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°Like I¡¯m up looking up at the high mountains that seem unreachable.¡±

    Lei Xiaohuan sighed. ¡°It¡¯s true that the mountains are high. That¡¯s why I¡¯m so fascinated by that era, which had so many legendary figures. The Daoist Order at that time might have been a grassroots team and far inferior to the current behemoth today, but I think that the Holy Xuan¡¯s Era had some of the most powerful and influential figures we have seen to date.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou added, ¡°I think that¡¯s why the Holy Xuan invented the Holy Xuan Cards to reminisce about those times.¡±

    ¡°Well, now I¡¯m a little curious about this card game. Teach me how to y it!¡± Lei Xiaohuan said excitedly.

    Pei Xiaolou nodded without hesitation.

    Qi Xuansu stifled augh, thinking that Pei Xiaolou did not look like the kind of man who would indulge women. He figured that Pei Xiaolou was only so agreeable with his wife because he could not beat her in a fight.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu was reminded of himself. Pei Xiaolou could not beat Lei Xiaohuan in a fight; neither could Qi Xuansu defeat Zhang Yuelu. He still had a long way to go to catch up with Zhang Yuelu.

    Qi Xuansu thought of this not because he wanted to attack Zhang Yuelu. It was more so a need to protect himself.

    In the Daoistmunity, it was quitemon for Daoistpanions to duel each other if they could not resolve conflicts. Since both partners had cultivation, a man¡¯s innate strength over women was not important. Many times, the Daoist men could not win their wives in a fight.

    For some reason, the Daoist Order¡¯s Grand Masters did not forbid fighting betweenpanions but only requested that no one be killed.

    Due to this kind ofpetitiveness in cultivation, there were a number of power couples who turned into enemies.

    <i>An example would be the love story between a special woman and Elder Chongyang, who was one of the five founders of the Quanzhen Sect. Both of them were geniuses, considered by most to be a match made in heaven.</i>

    <i>Back then, Elder Chongyang was focused on the war with the Golden Horde, so he had no time for personal affairs. After defeating the Golden Horde, he went into seclusion to meditate, but a woman provided himfort. Ultimately, her tenderness and righteousness moved him.</i>

    <i>At that time, there was no reason for Elder Chongyang and the woman to part ways since there was no third party involved in their rtionship, nor was there any enmity between their families and friends. However, they somehow ended up hating each other forever. One of them became an ordained monk, while the other disappeared.</i>

    <i>No one knew the reason for their breakup. Even the couple themselves could not exin what went wrong between them and merely attributed their split to having no fate to be together. This ck of fate¡± was not the cause but the result of their breakup.</i>

    <i>The couple, who had high levels of cultivation, were prideful. Whenever their love blossomed, discussion of philosophy would be apetition of skills, hence the unending rivalry between them. They remained stubbornly unyielding, so fights were quitemon.</i>

    It wasmon for couples in the Daoistmunity to fight whenever conflicts or disputes arose because they were not dependent on each other. However, if Zhang Yuelu proposed a duel over a dispute, should Qi Xuansu agree to it? If they dueled, he could not defeat her. If they did not duel, he could only obey her.

    Qi Xuansuforted himself that, fortunately, Zhang Yuelu was a reasonable person, so he probably would not have this dilemma.

    Having said that, Qi Xuansu thought that Pei Xiaolou was a pot calling the kettle ck. But if Pei Xiaolou knew what Qi Xuansu was thinking at this time, he would alsough at this boy for thinking about his imaginary marriage with Zhang Yuelu when there was nothing between them. Qi Xuansu was like a lovesick young man who had already thought about the names of their future children as soon as he met the girl of his dreams.

    Lei Xiaohuan exined, ¡°Now that you have read the preface, you should know that Elder Tantai is actually the leader of two major lineages. The reason I¡¯m giving you this boxing manual is because I think her fist intention will be suitable for an impure Martial Arts Practitioner like you, since Elder Tantai changed lineages multiple times.¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally understood Lei Xiaohuan¡¯s intentions. He turned over the title page and started reading the boxing manual.

    This boxing manual was very concise. It was an enjoyable read for those with a solid foundation, as the threshold was rather high. Those with no basic knowledge would find it difficult. One would first need to know how to read ancient script and understand certain cultivation-specific vocabry and postures.

    This was the reason why the Wanxiang Daoist Pce offered courses in ancient scripture. Many ancient ssics were recorded in ancient script. For example, the ssics of Ancient Wuism were mainly written in oracle bones. The scripts used in Ancient Daoist documents were also different from the scriptsmonly used in the existing society. After all, reading a tranted version was always different from reading the original text.

    The same principle applied to this boxing manual. Tantai Yun did not make upprehensive teaching materials like the Holy Xuan did to create a cultivation system for everyone to follow. She was merely summarizing her own insights, like taking personal notes. Thus, she did not put much thought into it, nor did she consider if others could understand her writing.

    However, there were a lot of annotations in the nk space next to the original text of the boxing manual, which was probably written by Lei Xiaohuan. Some of the ink looked old, but some were new. There were also various dots and circles on the pages. Lei Xiaohuan had also added her own insights when she was learning boxing.

    With these annotations, Qi Xuansu could read the text better and understand most of it. Even if there was something he did not understand, he could always ask Lei Xiaohuan, who was right in front of him.

    This was how Qi Xuansu finally gained a clear understanding of the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s fist intention.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s spirit and body were one, as if they had no soul. The flow of blood qi in their body produced a strong and imposing aura akin to the towering mountains. It felt different from a Qi Refiner¡¯s aura, which was to unite heaven and man.

    Therefore, the fist intention was mostmonly described as a strong and imprable mountain. It was not as sharp as the sword intention, but it was resilient to attacks.

    During the Xiantian Being stage, Martial Arts Practitioners fought against Diviners by mainly relying on their blood qi to restrain the illusions of spells. After the Heavenly Being stage, the Diviner¡¯s spells became less illusory and more palpable, getting closer to reality. Thus, the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s blood qi alone could no longer restrain them. Martial Arts Practitioners would have to resist using their fist intention.

    How one would condense fist intentiony in the Heavenly Connection Realm of the Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner.

    A Guizhen-stage Qi Refiner refined essence and transformed innate qi in the Divine Qi Realm. A Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner condensed the essence and blood qi but did not turn it into innate qi. Instead, this essence and blood qi were used to strengthen their body. Their spirit and soul would be integrated with their body. Unless a Martial Arts Practitioner transitioned to the Earthly Immortal path or the Godly Immortal path, the soul and the body could no longer be separated.

    In this case, the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s body was equivalent to the soul, and vice versa. Thus, to strengthen the body was to strengthen the soul. The Martial Arts Practitioner would have skipped the process of transforming and refining qi, going directly from refining essence to transforming spirit.

    By using their own will to perceive the stars, they achieved unity with the heavens, hence the Heavenly Connection Realm. By condensing the body and spirit with their blood qi and by concentrating the essence of the stars within their spirit, they achieved an indestructible spirit, hence the Divinity Realm. In this process, the fist intention woulde naturally.

    The fist intention came from blood qi, but it was not so simple as blood qi. Blood qi was the raw material to create fist intention, akin to a powerful elixir. However, there were many variables that would affect the refining of blood qi into fist intention.

    ording to the Tantai Fist Intention, the key was to imitate the power of the mountains, rivers, seas, and stars. However, beginners should start by mimicking monkeys, insects, tigers, and dragons. Only advanced practitioners could manifest the power of nature.

    As Tantai Yun mentioned in the preface, one would need to understand oneself and the world before achieving immortality.

    When Qi Xuansu saw this, he suddenly thought of Wu Luo''s projection on the day of the flying ship crash.

    The clouds, mountain peaks,kes, rivers, and the ground formed an outline of a female figure in the sky, which exuded an aura of untamed wildness.

    This outline would not be visible from another angle. There was also no substance to it and nothing to grasp, much like a mirage.

    Wu Luo used the power of heaven and earth to achieve her own power, while Martial Arts Practitioners learned from the forces of nature to cultivate their own strength. Qi Xuansu noticed that Wu Luo¡¯s methods were surprisingly simr to the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s fist intention.

 Chapter 263: Going to Beimang Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 263: Going to Beimang Mountain</h4>

    As Zhang Yuelu said, Qi Xuansu was a quick learner, but hecked foundation and innate qualities. However, this was her assessment by using herself as a baseline. Since she was a genius, it indicated that Qi Xuansu¡¯sprehension was decent, but he could not keep up because his body was akin to a rickety boat. This was why Qi Xuansu wasted more than 20 years stuck in the Kunlun stage.

    Therefore, Qi Xuansu understood the theory of the fist intention without needing Lei Xiaohuan to exin much. However, Qi Xuansu¡¯s body struggled to learn it.

    This was the difference between Qi Xuansu and geniuses like Zhang Yuelu.

    In this regard, Lei Xiaohuan felt helpless, as it was difficult to assist when one¡¯s body was not capable. All Qi Xuansu could do was practice repeatedly. She was also d that Qi Xuansu was not a dumb student who would me his master for his inabilities. At least he was smart enough toprehend the theories. Thus, Lei Xiaohuan had a rxing time teaching him.

    After Lei Xiaohuan finished teaching Qi Xuansu the fist intention, she left the Taiping Inn because Sub-Tiangang Hall sent news that Feng Bo had gotten away. They only managed to injure Feng Bo but could not kill or arrest him. The reason Sub-Tiangang Hall managed to injure Feng Bo despite his high cultivation was due to their strength in numbers. Feng Bo could defeat a Guizhen-stage priest easily, but not ten. That was why he fled.

    Lei Xiaohuan decided to visit Yongzhou because she heard that was where Feng Bo was most active. If she found him, she would kill him. However, if Feng Bo escaped to Lingnan, then she would not chase after him. She was not hunting him down to avenge Qi Xuansu. She just had not fought in a long time, so this was the perfect opportunity to move her muscle.

    Pei Xiaolou agreed with this. He was not worried about his wife¡¯s safety because Lei Xiaohuan was a genuine Wuliang-stage Martial Arts Practitioner in the Everchanging Realm. She was considered outstanding among the many Sages. Even if Feng Bo, a Xiaoyao-stage Heavenly Being, joined hands with his counterpart from the Heavenly Court¡ªthe God of Rain, Yu Shi¡ªto go against Lei Xiaohuan, they might not be able to defeat her.

    In this regard, Pei Xiaolou had learned his lesson through blood and tears. There was no way he could beat Lei Xiaohuan, especially since he was not as powerful as his brother, Sage Donghua.

    After Lei Xiaohuan left, Pei Xiaolou told Qi Xuansu more about his wife. Although Lei Xiaohuan was now a Daoist disciple, she did not hold a position within the Daoist Order. She was a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master, but she would not have been respected if it were not for Sage Donghua being her brother-inw.

    In the Daoist Order, having a high level of cultivation was not enough. One¡¯s position was also important. Otherwise, there would be nopetition for the position of Grand Master. But only having a position without sufficient cultivation was also unconvincing. Thus, these two elementsplemented each other.

    For the position of Grand Master, leadership skills were most important. The sixth-generation Grand Master had a high level of cultivation. However, he was still controlled by the three Deputy Grand Masters. In the end, the sixth-generation Grand Master became disheartened and ascended to the heavens ahead of schedule.

    On the other hand, the fifth-generation Grand Master ruled the Daoist Order with an iron fist, even daring to change the Deputy Grand Master on a whim. He waster referred to as the most authoritative Grand Master. Thus, one¡¯s character and ability were equally important.

    Pei Xiaolou went about his own business after gossiping. He was under the orders of the Earthly Preceptor to carry out an inspection, so he would have to write a report on the Sub-Tiangang Hall¡¯s abuse of power in a formal document. The Earthly Preceptor could choose not to read it, but Pei Xiaolou still had to write the report.

    The Daoist Order prohibited the hiring of clerks and personal assistants, so everyone had to write documents themselves. Except for those who were gifted in writing, most people had to write a draft first and revise it repeatedly.

    Of course, with such policies, there were still loopholes that people exploited. Many high-ranking priests left the report-writing to their close disciples. They would check the work and edit it ordingly before copying it. This way, it would train the disciples, enabling them to get in touch with paperwork as early as possible. It would also save them the trouble, killing two birds with one stone.

    Many disciples had risen to great heights because of their good writing, which was regarded as a shortcut to promotion, second only to blood rtions.

    This made many Daoist disciples dissatisfied, thinking that judging one¡¯s superiority based on writing documents was equivalent to the Confucian and Imperial examinations.

    Unfortunately, Pei Xiaolou did not ept a disciple, so he had to write the report by himself.

    When Qi Xuansu felt that his injuries were almost healed, he decided to leave Xijing Prefecture and continue his journey to Longmen Prefecture, which was not far away.

    During the Qi Dynasty, there were two capitals¡ªXijing Prefecture in the west and Longmen Prefecture in the east.

    Beimang Mountain stood between them.

    After Empress Mingkong reced the ruling Li family in the Qi Dynasty, she moved the capital to Longmen Prefecture and carried out extensive construction. In addition to building the Wanxiang Pce, which was the predecessor of the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, she also built a summer pce in Beimang Mountain.

    During the Chongyang Festival, tourists would flock to Beimang Mountain for a getaway. The evening view from Beimang Mountain was known as one of the eight best scenic spots in the world. After sunset, the lights from the thousands of homes below the mountain illuminated the night like stars in the sky. If one ascended the mountain and looked far away, one could enjoy a panoramic view of the Yiluo River.

    Later, the pce was destroyed during the war with the Golden Horde and was upied by an evolved tree demon. When the Daoist Order and the Great Xuan Dynasty conquered the area, they subdued the demons in the area and rebuilt this pce as the Zhongzhou Daoist Mansion.

    That tree demon even became a disciple of the Zhongzhou Daoist Mansion. Many people who advocated not exterminating demons and ghosts regarded this tree demon as a ster example. However, in the past hundred years, the tree demon rarely appeared, so no one knew whether it was still in the mortal realm.

    Those who advocated not exterminating demons were quite hypocritical. Dragons were considered a type of demon, but the Daoist Order killed almost all the dragons in the rivers,kes, and coastal waters in order to build theirrge fleet of flying ships. The remaining dragons only survived extinction by fleeing to the deep sea. Even now, the Daoist Order would organize hunting expeditions to the deep sea from time to time to kill more dragons for their resources.

    Yet, these people did not protest against killing dragons by boycotting flying ships. If they really supported their cause, they should have walked to Kunlun Mountain instead of taking the flying ship. Why were they discriminating against dragons but lenient toward tree demons, snake demons, fox demons, and the like?

    In short, the two parties argued endlessly and often brought this up. Perhaps that was why the tree demon no longer appeared in in sight.

    In addition, Beimang Mountain was once the foundation of the Daoist Gezao Sect. This Daoist sect was the remnants of the Zaoge Cult, which practiced dark and sinister magic. Since there were countless tombs of past emperors on Beimang Mountain, the yin energy in the area was strong, so it was suitable for raising ghosts and cultivating zombies.

    As such, the auspicious Beimang Mountain turned into and of ghosts, with ghostly yin energy permeating the air. The gloomy atmosphere and shadows of ghosts scared the tourists away. No one dared to step foot into the area again.

    During the tumultuous times of the former Wei Dynasty, famine and war were rampant, and corpses littered the streets. Back then, the Golden Horde captured half of the empire. Wherever the cavalry went, they massacred cities and plundered thend.

    At that time, the north of the Yangtze River was mostly barrennd, with nine empty houses out of ten. Corpses piled up in the fields, and refugees migrated south. It was like hell on earth.

    That was when the Zaoge Cult built a ghost nation in Beimang Mountain, attracting thousands of ghosts into Beimang and raising countless living corpses and ghost soldiers. Due to this, the Zaoge Cult was extremely powerful for a while, growing to half the size of the Daoist Order.

    Once they swept away their opponents in the mortal realm, the Zaoge Cult turned its attention to greater heights. They intended to create immortals with human power. This became the predecessor of the Daoist innovation project as well as the Eight Tribes and the Cult of Fates.

    After the Holy Xuan defeated the Zaoge Cult, the remnants of the cult converted to Daoism, forming the Gezao Sect. The Holy Xuan then merged the Gezao Sect into the Quanzhen Sect. That was why the task of innovation was assigned to the Quanzhen Sect.

    The Quanzhen Sect devoted itself to restoring the former appearance of Beimang Mountain, cleaning up all kinds of ghosts and zombies left by the Zaoge Cult and getting rid of the yin energy in the area. That way, Beimang Mountain would once again have beautiful skies and clear waters instead of the gloom that never seemed to dissipate.

    At the same time, the Quanzhen Sect built two huge manufacturing nts at the Zaoge Cult¡¯s ghost nation, each oneparable to the size of a county. They then inherited the various legacies of the Zaoge Cult¡¯s intention to use human power to create immortals.

    After the restructuring, these two nts were taken over by Huasheng Hall. Due to this, Feng Bo regarded Beimang Mountain as the core sphere of influence of the Daoist Order and dared not set foot in the area.

    Originally, Qi Xuansu was hesitant to take this route. After all, this was where Huasheng Hall¡¯s manufacturing nts were located. He had learned his lesson from his experience at the manufacturing nt in Cuowenbu.

    This ce was heavily guarded, but he had lost his Daoist identity, so he would be at risk of being caught.

    Pei Xiaolou helped him solve this problem by giving Qi Xuansu a badge from the Daoist Order, specially given to representatives of the Imperial Court. The Daoist Order often cooperated with the Imperial Court, such as the joint development of firearms between Tianji Hall and the Divine Armory. Thus, this badge would make it more convenient for those from the Imperial Court to have ess to Daoist territories. This badge from Pei Xiaolou could be used in conjunction with the badge from Qin Wubing to avoid further inquiries from the Daoist Order.

    Moreover, only second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters were qualified to issue this type of badge. Therefore, for an outsider to infiltrate Daoist territories, one must coordinate with an insider. The high-ranking Daoist priest could be careless, but most of the time, it was an internal problem within the Daoist Order.

    After the tragedy in Cuowenbu¡¯s manufacturing nt, the Daoist Order revamped the system to tighten security, making it easier to determine who would be held ountable if something were to go wrong. In other words, whoever issued these badges would bear the responsibility if there was a problem.

    As a result, Sages became more cautious when issuing badges and dared not issue them at will like in the past. Moreover, before entering a manufacturing nt, there would be a more detailed inspection process to confirm the badge¡¯s authenticity and origin, ensuring that these badges were not obtained through other means.

    Qi Xuansu did not n to enter the manufacturing nt and only wanted to pass by Beimang Mountain, so his two badges should be enough.

 Chapter 264: Enemies Always Cross Paths

    <h4>Chapter 264: Enemies Always Cross Paths</h4>

    It was close to mid-March when Qi Xuansu left Xijing Prefecture on his grade horse and arrived at the edge of Beimang Mountain. The peach blossoms in the south were beginning to bloom, but it was still chilly up in the mountains. There was even some lingering snow that had not melted yet.

    The total length of Beimang Mountain from east to west was more than 190 kilometers, with a total of 32 peaks. It was impossible for the Daoist Order to restrict ess to all 32 peaks of Beimang Mountain, as it would involve too many resources.

    This stretch that Qi Xuansu traveled on was deste, with no Spirit Guards patrolling the area because it was neither close to Xijing Prefecture nor the Ghost Kingdom or Summer Pce in Beimang Mountain. It was also located at the junction of Qinzhou and Zhongzhou, so it was not popted.

    Qi Xuansu walked slowly, thinking about the fist intention. There were many kinds of fist intentions in this world. The mostmon one was by the ck Robes.

    The Tantai Fist Intention waspletely different from the ck Robes¡¯ fist intention because the former mimicked heaven and earth, with traces of Qi Refiner¡¯s techniques. This was due to Tantai Yun¡¯s experience of changing lineages.

    The ck Robes¡¯ fist intention was the result of the condensed and sublimated killing aura and ferocious energy honed on the battlefield. It might not be better than the Tantai Fist Intention, but it would be more oppressive toward those with a lower cultivation level. This fist intention alone could crush someone to death. Moreover, the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s blood roar and fist intention could be used together.

    There was a legend that a fierce general once used the blood roar and fist intention on the battlefield, breaking bridges and causing organ damage to the opposing general, who fell off his horse and died. This disyed the sheer power of Martial Arts Practitioners.

    Although Qi Xuansu killed many people, hecked battlefield experience, so he had a strong killing aura but weak ferocious energy from the battlefield. Thus, he was not suitable for the ck Robes¡¯ fist intention.

    He considered himself lucky to have witnessed Wu Luo¡¯s manifestation during the flying crash, which helped him practice the Tantai Fist Intention. After all, not everyone could be so lucky to see Wu Luo and survive to tell the tale. Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu were the only survivors in that flying ship crash.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu saw someoneing from the direction of Beimang Mountain from a distance.

    Qi Xuansu was surprised at first. This surprise turned into delight when he realized who it was.

    This person was Wan Xiuwu, his ssmate from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce whom he had recently met at the Shangqing Pce on Yunjin Mountain. They were not on good terms.

    Wan Xiuwu was equally surprised to see Qi Xuansu, so he immediately galloped over.

    Qi Xuansu could not help butugh at how small this world was that he could cross paths with his enemy on this deste mountain road.

    But on second thought, it made sense for Wan Xiuwu to appear here because he was originally from the Wuxu Pce.

    Qi Xuansu would never forget what happened back then in the Dragon and Tiger Camp. Yue Liuli treated him as an abandoned pawn, and Wan Xiuwu almost killed him. Qi Xuansu was grudgeful, so he would not let it slide.

    He even had a mental list of his enemies from his past encounters, arranged ording to cultivation level.

    <u>List of Enemies</u>

    1. Zhao Fu¡¯an ¡ª Baidi City

    2. Feng Bo ¡ª Xijing Prefecture

    3. Monk Yan Xiu ¡ª Yn Temple

    4. Yue Liuli ¡ª Wanxiang Daoist Pce

    5. Wan Xiuwu ¡ª Wanxiang Daoist Pce

    These people wanted him dead and tried to kill him before, but in the end, they failed due to various reasons.

    One day, Qi Xuansu swore to avenge himself by attempting to kill them all. If they could escape his attack, he would forget about the grudge. However, if they could not escape, then they deserved to die.

    At this moment, Wan Xiuwu was serving himself up on a silver tter.

    Wan Xiuwu reined in his horse and stopped not far from Qi Xuansu. He sized up Qi Xuansu, puzzled. ¡°Are you a human or a ghost?¡±

    Qi Xuansu lowered his hands to his waist level and smirked. ¡°A ghost, of course. I¡¯m here to take your life today.¡±

    Wan Xiuwu¡¯s expression turned stern. Without any hesitation, he leaped from the horseback and rushed toward Qi Xuansu like a giant bird.

    His move was smooth and not sloppy, truly worthy of being a leader of the Tiger Camp back then.

    Qi Xuansu was ready to make a move since he stated his motives so clearly. Almost at the same time that Wan Xiuwu leaped up, Qi Xuansu had already taken out the Divine Dragon Pistol and aimed it at his enemy.

    The bullet hit Wan Xiuwu¡¯s chest, but because Qi Xuansu met him by chance, he only had an ordinary armor-piercing projectile loaded in the Divine Dragon Pistol, not the Dragon Eye or Phoenix Eye Series ammunition.

    A cluster of blood spread on Wan Xiuwu¡¯s chest, but Wan Xiuwu did not seem to care. He continued to rush to Qi Xuansu, knocking thetter off his horse and pinning him to the ground. The wound on Wan Xiuwu¡¯s chest began to heal rapidly. This was the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s healing abilities.

    Wan Xiuwu was a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Guizhen stage. He thought that Qi Xuansu was a Rogue Cultivator, so he chose closebat without hesitation, even using his own body to withstand a shot from the Divine Dragon Pistol.

    When Wan Xiuwu had the upper hand, he began to consider whether he should beat Qi Xuansu to death or escort him back to the Daoist Order.

    Wan Xiuwu paid special attention to Wu Luo¡¯s attack on the flying ship because all the bulletins mentioned that Zhang Yuelu was the only survivor. As a result, Qi Xuansu did not die. He even showed up in Qinzhou openly. Thus, Wan Xiuwu was confident that there was something weird about Qi Xuansu, thinking that perhaps Qi Xuansu was the insider in Wu Luo¡¯s attack. That would exin why Qi Xuansu was still alive.

    In fact, Wan Xiuwu¡¯s thought process was normal for anyone from the Daoist Order. It was precisely because of this that Qi Xuansu dared not return to the Daoist Order and decided to use another identity.

    Even if there was no grudge between them, Qi Xuansu would still have to take some measures since Wan Xiuwu had seen him. Not to mention, Wan Xiuwu was his enemy who tried to kill him once.

    Wan Xiuwu loosened his grip on Qi Xuansu¡¯s neck slightly to allow him to speak. He questioned, ¡°Why are you not dead? Are you a cult demon? I was wondering how an ipetent boy like you managed to gain the support of the prestigious Zhang family. It turns out that you¡¯ve walked the evil path!¡±

    Qi Xuansu could stillugh even when strangled by Wan Xiuwu. He smirked. ¡°Wan Xiuwu, this is the second time that you have tried to kill me. I might tolerate it once or twice, but what about a third time?¡±

    Wan Xiuwu sneered. ¡°There will be no third time.¡±

    ¡°You asked for it.¡± Qi Xuansu¡¯s smirk faded.

    Wan Xiuwu, who thought he had the upper hand, suddenly felt severe pain in his abdomen. He instinctively let go of Qi Xuansu before his body flew back from the impact.

    Qi Xuansu took advantage of the situation and got into a standing position with a kip-up.

    Afternding, Wan Xiuwu stretched out his hand to cover his lower abdomen, his expression shocked and wary.

    Qi Xuansu stretched his neck, threw away the Divine Dragon Pistol, and decided not to sneak attack for the first time in his life.

    For the sake of their rtionship as old ssmates, Qi Xuansu decided to make an exception to defeat his old ssmate in a dignified way. That would allow Wan Xiuwu to die without regrets.

    Wan Xiuwu was talented and decisive. He would have been a powerful figure if he had been born outside the Daoistmunity. However, since he was working in the Daoist Order but not in a ce like Tiangang Hall, Wan Xiuwucked experience in real fights.

    That was why Wan Xiuwu let go of Qi Xuansu the moment he was punched. This was a mistake that an elite Green Phoenix Guard would not have made.

    The elite Green Phoenix Guards had a strict rule not to let go of their opponent, even if their own throat was being crushed. They must be ruthless and strangle the opponent¡¯s throat at the same time. Qi Xuansu would not have dared to let an opponent like that strangle him.

    Qi Xuansu only allowed himself to get strangled by Wan Xiuwu earlier because he figured that Wan Xiuwu would let go of him.

    The real reason Qi Xuansu did this was because he felt that Yue Liuli was the real culprit. Wan Xiuwu was also one of her pawns. As long as Wan Xiuwu felt guilty about what happened back then, Qi Xuansu would have shown him some mercy. However, it seemed that it was no longer necessary.

    Qi Xuansu pulled the two cusses from his waist with his backhand. ¡°It¡¯s a waste of breath to talk about forgiveness with someone like you.¡±

    Wan Xiuwu released his hand that was covering his lower abdomen and said nothing.

    From Wan Xiuwu¡¯s point of view, he was in the Guizhen stage, while Qi Xuansu was at most in the Yuxu stage. He only retreated from that punch earlier because he was careless. He still believed that he held the advantage as he had a higher cultivation level.

    On the other hand, Qi Xuansu believed that he only had a slight difference in cultivation levelpared to Wan Xiuwu because he was not far from the Guizhen stage. The gap between them was not enough to determine the oue of this fight. The key was his experience. He had killed Guizhen-stage masters before, so he was confident he could defeat Wan Xiuwu.

 Chapter 265: Wan Xiuwu (I)

    <h4>Chapter 265: Wan Xiuwu (I)</h4>

    Qi Xuansu drew both cusses and disappeared in a sh.

    Almost at the same time, Wan Xiuwu felt a chill on his back. He was about to turn around, but it was toote. Qi Xuansu had already appeared behind Wan Xiuwu, leaving an X-shaped wound on thetter¡¯s neck and back.

    Since he had injected qi into the two des, Wan Xiuwu¡¯s wound was charred by mes.

    This was the Dayan Spirit de Technique.

    Fortunately, Wan Xiuwu was a Martial Arts Practitioner with self-healing abilities, so no matter how gory this wound looked, it was not life-threatening.

    After the attack, Qi Xuansu retreated as soon as possible.

    Wan Xiuwu was furious. He gathered his blood qi, and his wound healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. At the same time, he leaped forward and attacked Qi Xuansu.

    However, Qi Xuansu did not fight with him head-on. He used the Dayan Spirit de Technique to distance himself. At the same time, he threw one ming de toward Wan Xiuwu, using the Sword Controlling Technique to propel the cuss forward, increasing its momentum.

    Wan Xiuwu raised his arms, revealing two thick forearms with bulging veins under his sleeves. The number of protruding veins was rming, as if Wan Xiuwu had worn a pair of arm guards made of twisted metal wires. His acupoints also lit up.

    The moment Wan Xiuwu raised his right arm to block the strike, there was a sound of metal and stone shing. A violent shockwave of qi rippled around them, and the ming de flew back in its original trajectory.

    While Qi Xuansu reached out to catch the cuss, he threw the other one out using the same technique.

    Once again, Wan Xiuwu blocked the strike, but with his left arm. However, before the cuss rebounded, another ming de flew at him, so he had no choice but to use his right arm to resist.

    From an outsider¡¯s perspective, two ming des could be seen flying between the two men in a loop, as if they were ying a game. Only the two of them knew this was a deadly game, as the two cusses flew back and forth with increasing speed. In the end, the mes on the des almost formed a continuous line.

    The fight became more intense. Qi Xuansu was focused¡ªhis mind clear and his heart still. He did not think about whether he would win this fierce battle or who would end up dead.

    On the contrary, Wan Xiuwu was put in a passive position. Although his life was not in danger, the number of wounds inflicted on him was increasing by the minute. As such, he became more furious and impetuous.

    The difference between their mental states was clear as day.

    Wan Xiuwu suddenly roared and raised his arms, relying on his superior cultivation to knock away both cusses. Then he lifted his legs to kick Qi Xuansu¡¯s temples.

    Qi Xuansu did not panic. He used the Sword Controlling Technique to summon the cusses back. The ming des were like baby swallows returning to their nest, flying toward Qi Xuansu again.

    At the same time, Qi Xuansu put his left fist up to protect his face. Wan Xiuwu¡¯s kick did not achieve its desired effect, but Qi Xuansu¡¯s arm broke from the impact. However, Qi Xuansu did not seem to care. He immediately struck Wan Xiuwu¡¯s ankle with his right fist.

    This was a move from the Tantai Fist Intention.

    As soon as the two of them separated, Qi Xuansu dropped his left arm to his side and caught the two cusses with his right hand.

    Wan Xiuwu seemed fine, but he did not put pressure on the foot that Qi Xuansu injured, only touching the tip of his toe on the ground to maintain his bnce.

    Qi Xuansu exhaled gently and regted his blood qi and innate qi, focusing on rapidly restoring his broken arm with his body-regenerative abilities. After all, he only had some fractured bones. It was nothingpared to the time Feng Bo severed his arm.

    The injury on Wan Xiuwu¡¯s foot also healed quickly. He slowly applied pressure to his foot until his heel could touch the ground, his ankle as good as new.

    This was amon urrence when two Martial Arts Practitioners fought. They could often heal their wounds quickly due to their body-regenerative abilities. Their physiques were also more resilient than other lineages. Thus, it was difficult to determine the winner in a short period, as it was a battle of endurance. They would only give up when their blood qi was exhausted.

    Wan Xiuwu¡¯s expression turned solemn after seeing how quickly Qi Xuansu¡¯s broken arm recovered.

    He did not expect that Qi Xuansu would also be a Martial Arts Practitioner with self-healing abilities. However, Qi Xuansu also had innate qi, as seen in the ming des. He thought, <i>Is Qi Xuansu a Martial Arts Practitioner or a Rogue Cultivator?</i>

    However, Wan Xiuwu did not dwell on this for long. He was determined to win this fight. As long as he won, he could always force an answer out of Qi Xuansu.

    The next moment, Wan Xiuwu approached Qi Xuansu, keeping a distance of three meters from him.

    Qi Xuansuunched his cusses several times in a row, but there was only silence. There was no trace of the sword qi or breeze as the cusses flew past. Wan Xiuwu could not see the trajectory of Qi Xuansu¡¯s des, so he could only rely on his intuition to punch the air ten times in a row, preventing Qi Xuansu¡¯s des from striking him.

    Although Qi Xuansu had a lower cultivation level, he was on the offensive, while Wan Xiuwu was on the defensive. All they could hear was a series of ngs.

    Qi Xuansu struck faster, using the Dayan Spirit de Technique. The cusses shed from all sides, constantly leaving small wounds all over Wan Xiuwu¡¯s body.

    Although these wounds were minute, they would add up to something serious. After all, a Martial Arts Practitioner had to use blood qi to heal wounds. Qi Xuansu was using this strategy to exhaust Wan Xiuwu¡¯s blood qi.

    Of course, Wan Xiuwu also understood what Qi Xuansu was doing. He was trying to figure out the w in Qi Xuansu¡¯s mysterious des. Qi Xuansu cleverly hid these ws so that Wan Xiuwu could not see them. Thus, Wan Xiuwu would have no choice but to use brute strength to defeat them.

    Wan Xiuwu took a deep breath, circted his blood qi and pushed his palms in front, his strength forcing Qi Xuansu to slide back, leaving two deep skid marks on the ground. Qi Xuansu¡¯s clothes also rustled from the impact.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s Dayan Spirit de Technique was broken by Wan Xiuwu¡¯s brute force. As soon as Qi Xuansu lost his momentum, Wan Xiuwu took the opportunity to counterattack.

    Caught off guard, Qi Xuansu managed to conjure a slight sword qi, but Wan Xiuwu stretched out his palm to block it. The sword qi collided with Wan Xiuwu¡¯s palm and spattered in all directions, hitting the surrounding ground and creating countless potholes of varying sizes and depths.

    Soon after, Qi Xuansu swiftly shed at Wan Xiuwu with his cusses.

    Wan Xiuwu caught the de with his backhand and pointed a finger at Qi Xuansu. This seemingly casual gesture actually contained spiraling power enough to drill a bloody hole in Qi Xuansu¡¯s body.

    Qi Xuansu did not dare to take the attack head-on, so he dodged to the side.

    Wan Xiuwu struck out both fists, straightening his slightly bent arms. His surging blood qi roared like a torrential river. The force of his punch broke through the air, creating thunderous booms that echoed all around them.

    Qi Xuansu controlled the cuss with all his innate qi, and the two exchanged more than ten moves before separating.

    Wan Xiuwu looked down at his hands and saw countless knife marks that were dripping with blood. Some wounds were so deep that he could even see his bones.

    Qi Xuansu exhausted most of his innate qi, but he did not hesitate to sh Wan Xiuwu¡¯s fists with the ming des again. The shing of metal and stone was so loud that the air reverberated.

    Holding two cusses in hand, Qi Xuansu jumped off the ground and circled Wan Xiuwu once, like a butterfly circling a branch. During this time, he kept striking with the ming des, disying all the techniques he had learned thus far.

    Wan Xiuwu could only defend himself blindly. Whenever the ming de in Qi Xuansu¡¯s hand struck Wan Xiuwu¡¯s fists, it caused violent fluctuations of innate qi to ripple between them. Wan Xiuwu¡¯s feet sank deep into the ground, and his blood qi weakened significantly.

    Qi Xuansu unleashed dozens of strikes in one circle, but the power of each strike was superimposed, so his momentum was rising steadily.

    Wan Xiuwu did not expect Qi Xuansu to be so aggressive on the offense. He originally wanted to drag out the fight to exhaust Qi Xuansu before counterattacking. Little did he know, he was the one who was exhausted first, to the point he could barely defend himself. On the contrary, Qi Xuansu¡¯s strikes were getting faster by the second.

    Although Qi Xuansu¡¯s cultivation level was lower than Wan Xiuwu¡¯s, the former had both innate qi and blood qi. His innate qi¡¯s cultivation level was almost at the Guizhen stage, and his blood qi that came from the Xuan Jade of Life was equivalent to the Yuxu stage. When these two werebined, he was better than Wan Xiuwu. This was why Qi Xuansu dared to challenge Wan Xiuwu head-on.

    Qi Xuansu raised the ming des up high before mming them down hard on Wan Xiuwu. Although Wan Xiuwu used both arms to block the strike, he was forced to retreat. He even panted.

    Wan Xiuwu was not seriously injured at this time, but his blood qi and stamina were severely depleted. He was in a much weaker statepared to the beginning of the fight.

    Qi Xuansu did not pursue him further and strike the victory blow, not because he did not want to, but because he could not. At this time, the innate qi in his body was almost exhausted.

 Chapter 266: Wan Xiuwu (II)

    <h4>Chapter 266: Wan Xiuwu (II)</h4>

    In the end, Wan Xiuwu suffered a loss because he did not use any weapons.

    Logically speaking, Wan Xiuwu would not be short of spiritual objects since he was the disciple of the Wuxu Pce Master. However, Wan Xiuwu was a Martial Arts Practitioner, who generally did not like relying on external objects since their fists were the most lethal weapons. Thus, Martial Arts Practitioners would rely heavily on consuming various healthy foods and medicinal supplements.

    Since Martial Arts Practitioners could not conjure the essence from heaven and earth, they had to continuously eat inrge quantities to replenish their energy and blood qi. It was not an exaggeration to say that some Martial Arts Practitioners could eat nine whole cows a day.

    Confucian practitioners and Daoist Qi Refiners asked the heavens to bestow on them the power of nature, which came at no cost. However, the food and medicinal supplements consumed by Martial Arts Practitioners were costly, racking up high expenses. Thus, schrs were most often seen as poor, while Martial Arts Practitioners were seen to be rich.

    Wan Xiuwu was not from a noble family. He was an orphan with no family support, so he converted the spiritual objects given to him into Taiping coins.

    On the other hand, Qi Xuansu had two spiritual cusses and two Xuan Jades. So the slight difference in cultivation level between them was not worth mentioning.

    Qi Xuansu relied on the Xuan Jade of Life to strengthen his blood qi and physical strength. At least, Wan Xiuwu would not be able to push Qi Xuansu to his limit.

    From this point of view, Qi Xuansu¡¯s ranking on the Ruyi Leaderboard was indeed a bit low. Although Qi Xuansu was not as good as Zhang Yuelu and the top few, he could definitely be ranked between 100 and 200 on the leaderboard instead of being at the bottom rung.

    However, this was no fault of whoever created this leaderboard. Aside from Madam Qi, no one knew that Qi Xuansu was transformed by the Xuan Jade of Life. Very few people even knew about the existence and the magical uses of the Xuan Jade. Without the Xuan Jade of Life, Qi Xuansu would have been in the bottom few of that list.

    Wan Xiuwu clenched his fist again. He looked at Qi Xuansu and said, ¡°So, it¡¯s the famous Dayan Spirit de Technique. How interesting! This technique consumes a lot of innate qi. With your current level of cultivation at the Yuxu stage, I¡¯m guessing that you¡¯re already at your limit. Go ahead and show me what else you¡¯ve got.¡±

    Qi Xuansu tossed the two cusses to the side. ¡°You¡¯re quite knowledgeable. This Dayan Spirit de Technique does consume a lot of innate qi. My cultivation level is inferior to yours. If this is all I¡¯ve got, I¡¯m afraid I would¡¯ve exhausted myself to death before wearing you down.¡±

    Wan Xiuwu stepped forward. ¡°That means you have no other abilities?¡±

    Qi Xuansu raised his foot and stomped heavily on the ground. A crater appeared where he stepped, and a circle of cracks appeared on the periphery. ¡°I just learned boxing recently, so I might as well put it to good use.¡±

    Wan Xiuwu¡¯s eyes were cold. He said with a sinister smile, ¡°That¡¯s my strong suit. You¡¯re really courageous to attack me with your shorings.¡±

    Although Wan Xiuwu refused to admit defeat, he secretly kept his guard up, not daring to be careless. After all, Qi Xuansu¡¯s punches on his lower abdomen and ankle earlier were not light.

    Qi Xuansu stopped talking nonsense and stepped forward. He thrust his palm at Wan Xiuwu¡¯s face with a knifehand strike.

    This was the flexibility of the Tantai Fist Intention. Although it was called the fist intention, fists were not necessary. It was just like how a Qi Refiner¡¯s sword qi did not necessarily require the use of a sword, as seen when Feng Bo could unleash sword qi with his bare hands.

    Wan Xiuwu used the previous finger technique to point at Qi Xuansu¡¯s wrist, causing the spiral energy to vibrate endlessly. Qi Xuansu retracted his hand, his knifehand strike turning into a w as he grabbed Wan Xiuwu¡¯s wrist.

    The two of them did not move much, merely exchanging dozens of hand movements. In this aspect, Wan Xiuwu was slightly better. He managed to hit Qi Xuansu on the elbow, causing Qi Xuansu¡¯s body to stiffen immediately. However, Qi Xuansu allowed the blood qi to surge in his body, resolving this force.

    Wan Xiuwu was slightly surprised. This move might seem ordinary, but it was actually an advanced method of exerting force by injecting his own strength into the opponent¡¯s body. This would not hurt the opponent, but it would block the opponent¡¯s meridians and stiffen their body. Wan Xiuwu tried repeatedly, but Qi Xuansu resolved it in the blink of an eye, which was beyond his expectations.

    Qi Xuansu took the opportunity to counterattack, the invisible force between them booming like thunder.

    Wan Xiuwu was a pure Martial Arts Practitioner, while Qi Xuansu could only be regarded as half of a Martial Arts Practitioner. Before he could use the Tantai Fist Intention, Wan Xiuwu had already forced him to retreat.

    Wan Xiuwu¡¯s fists and kicks were powerful and heavy, and each punch was capable of cracking boulders. The orthodox Daoist fist intention was not weaker than the Tantai Fist Intention, knocking Qi Xuansu back several meters each time. He did not give Qi Xuansu a chance to breathe, wanting to crush Qi Xuansu to death.

    As a result, their surroundings were chaotic.

    To Wan Xiuwu¡¯s disappointment, Qi Xuansu was not overwhelmed. Instead, Qi Xuansu used this pressure to sharpen his fist intention.

    Wan Xiuwu was like a lone soldier who had ventured deep into the enemy¡¯s territory for a chance to strike the opposing general in hopes of gaining a quick victory. However, if he failed, his food supply would run out, and he would starve to death.

    After another hundred moves, Qi Xuansu was no longer in the passive situation. He began to counterattack, sparring with Wan Xiuwu.

    Although Wan Xiuwu was never at a disadvantage in terms of techniques and even held a small advantage, his blood qi and physical strength were severely depleted. His fatigue was evident.

    On the other hand, Qi Xuansu suffered a small loss, but he still had abundant physical strength. He seemed to have endless stamina, so he remained calm.

    This was akin to a young boxer fighting an old boxer. Although the old boxer was not inferior to the young boxer, his endurance was not as good as that of the young boxer. Over time, he would be worn out.

    After another hundred moves like this, Wan Xiuwu could no longer keep up. His punches became slower. Qi Xuansu even managed to punch him in the forehead, which sent him flying backward.

    Qi Xuansu did not rush to strike the killing blow. Instead, he said, ¡°Wan Xiuwu, is this all you have? Where did that ruthless leader of the Tiger Camp who tried to kill me go?¡±

    Wan Xiuwu roared angrily, jumped up, and charged at Qi Xuansu again.

    There might be some people in the world whose will could ovee their exhaustion, but that person was definitely not Wan Xiuwu. If Wan Xiuwu had such a will, he would not have instinctively let go of Qi Xuansu after being punched in the abdomen.

    Sure enough, after Wan Xiuwu and Qi Xuansu fought for more than ten moves, Qi Xuansu changed his technique. Wan Xiuwu could clearly see that, but he was already at the end of his rope. His limbs could no longer keep up, so he could only watch as Qi Xuansu hit his wrist, fracturing his bones.

    Without blood qi, the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s speed of recovery was also greatly hindered.

    Wan Xiuwu could only use hisst strength to kick Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu did not dodge this kick, allowing it tond on his left temple. However, Qi Xuansu took the opportunity to grab Wan Xiuwu¡¯s ankle, twisted his body, and mmed him down on the ground, so hard that the ground cracked.

    Wan Xiuwu took a long time to get back up. His body was shaking, and he no longer had the strength to fight.

    This time, Qi Xuansu stopped holding back. He strode forward and punched Wan Xiuwu hard in the abdomen. It sounded like he had struck arge bell at the temple.

    Wan Xiuwu was sent flying more than 30 meters away from this punch.

    This time, Wan Xiuwu could no longer get up. His body was limp on the ground, and he vomited blood.

    He reluctantly raised his head and saw Qi Xuansu¡¯s face which was covered in blood, indicating that his kick was not in vain. However, Qi Xuansu did not seem to feel the pain, which was shocking.

    It was not until this moment that Wan Xiuwu truly realized how terrifying Qi Xuansu was.

    Qi Xuansu had gone through countless bloody battles of life and death. Thus, he was unafraid of death at critical moments. He could even exert 120% of his strength the closer he was to death¡¯s door.

    On the other hand, most flowerbed priests panicked and lost 80% of their ability when they were put in such critical situations.

    Although Wan Xiuwu was not considered a flowerbed priest, he was used to living afortable life in Wuxu Pce. He alsocked fighting experience, so he was by no means as ruthless as Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu walked up to Wan Xiuwu and looked down at his old ssmate. ¡°Do you have anyst words?¡±

    Wan Xiuwu panted heavily. ¡°I should have killed you with one blow when I had the chance.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Qi Xuansu only responded with one word.

    Qi Xuansu leaned down to pick up the Divine Dragon Pistol not far away and reloaded it. Then he pushed the muzzle of the gun against Wan Xiuwu¡¯s forehead and pressed down the hammer.

    Finally, Wan Xiuwu¡¯s eyes flickered with fear, his Adam¡¯s apple bobbing nervously. But before he could speak, Qi Xuansu had already pulled the trigger.

    Wan Xiuwu was not yet a Heavenly Being. At such a close distance and with an armor-breaking projectile, it was no surprise that the bullet prated Wan Xiuwu¡¯s head, leaving a bloody gaping hole.

    The leader of the Tiger Camp back then was finally dead.

    Qi Xuansu stared at Wan Xiuwu¡¯s body and muttered, ¡°One down, four more to go.¡±

    <u>List of Enemies</u>

    1. Zhao Fu¡¯an ¡ª Baidi City

    2. Feng Bo ¡ª Xijing Prefecture

    3. Monk Yan Xiu ¡ª Yn Temple

    4. Yue Liuli ¡ª Wanxiang Daoist Pce

    <s>5. Wan Xiuwu ¡ª Wanxiang Daoist Pce</s>

 Chapter 267: Leave When Itâ€™s Over

    <h4>Chapter 267: Leave When It¡¯s Over</h4>

    Qi Xuansu put away the Divine Dragon Pistol and picked up his two cusses before checking Wan Xiuwu¡¯s body.

    In addition to a few cash notes, Wan Xiuwu also had some official documents and letters from Wuxu Pce, as well as his insignia and badge to prove his identity.

    Qi Xuansu was a little hesitant about whether to take away the cash notes because he wanted his revenge to be more pure, unrted to money. If he took away the cash notes, it would look like he had killed Wan Xiuwu to rob him.

    But in reality, Qi Xuansu was short of money. He only had 600 Taiping coins left, and Wan Xiuwu carried several hundred Taiping coins with him. It was quite a sizable amount of cash for the broke Qi Xuansu.

    Thus, Qi Xuansu decided to flip a coin and let fate decide.

    He took out a Taiping coin. The front side read ¡°Great Xuan Dynasty Jiushi Era,¡± while the back had four words, ¡°peace to the world.¡±

    Qi Xuansu flicked the Taiping coin into the air and reached out to catch it.

    He decided that he would not take the cash notes if the front side of the coin was facing up. He would take the cash notes if he saw the words, ¡°peace to the world.¡±

    Qi Xuansu slowly removed his palm covering the coin, revealing the words, ¡°Great Xuan Dynasty Jiushi Era.¡±

    Fate had decided for him not to take the cash notes.

    ¡°Since this is fate, I won¡¯t take the cash.¡± Qi Xuansu put away the Taiping coin.

    He took out a Grade-B Series Three Dragon Eye Bullet, used Qing Yuan to pry open the bottom shell of the projectile, and sprinkled the gunpowder all over Wan Xiuwu¡¯s body. Then he took out his gun, loaded it with another Grade-B Series Three Dragon Eye Bullet, and aimed it at the body.

    Bang!

    After Qi Xuansu pressed down the hammer and pulled the trigger, Wan Xiuwu¡¯s body burst into mes.

    The reason for this extra step was to prevent the possibility of Wan Xiuwuing back to life. Secondly, it was to cover up his traces so that it would be impossible for the investigating team to judge who killed Wan Xiuwu from the wounds.

    Of course, the traces of firearms could not be concealed, but the Daoist Order did not have serial numbers on every projectile, so these were negligible details.

    After that, Qi Xuansu mounted his grade horse and continued riding toward Beimang Mountain.

    This was how bold Qi Xuansu was.

    An inexperienced killer would have changed their route after encountering this, even if it was a long detour. They would have chosen some remote and uninhabited route. Along the way, they would have felt paranoid with the slightest howling of the wind and rustling of the trees, thinking that someone would arrest them.

    However, Qi Xuansu followed his original route and nned to slither past right under the nose of the Daoist Order.

    From the beginning to the end, Qi Xuansu was neither overjoyed nor sad. He maintained a rtively calm state of mind, far less content than when he avenged his master.

    Some people said that the older one got, the less courageous one became. Some people¡¯s timidity was due to caution, while others were initially timid but became fearless due to their ignorance. But there were also people who were well aware of the risks and dangers involved, yet they became increasingly daring. However, these people usually did not live long due to their recklessness. So it would seem that being timid was the correct way to live.

    However, if these daring people could survive the bloody storms, they would most likely be important figures. On the contrary, those who became timid as they grew older would either retire as soon as possible or be a stepping stone for future generations.

    ......

    Half a day after Qi Xuansu left, someone finally discovered Wan Xiuwu¡¯s charred corpse. They first notified the local Daoist temple, which had sent people to check. Then those people reported the incident to the local Daoist mansion. It was already the next day when personnel from the Daoist mansion arrived.

    Although Wan Xiuwu¡¯s clothes and documents had been reduced to ashes and his body was burned beyond recognition, his badge remained intact. People from Qinzhou Daoist Mansion quickly determined Wan Xiuwu¡¯s identity and notified the Wuxu Pce.

    On the afternoon of the next day after Wan Xiuwu''s death, Wuxu Pce dispatched some personnel to the crime scene. The leader among them was a third-rank Youyi Daoist priest, with sharp eyebrows, thin, upturned eyes, and a snow-whiteplexion. Although he was handsome, he had an inexplicably evil aura.

    This person¡¯s name was Pan Cuiqing. He looked young, but he was already over 40 years old. He was the eldest disciple of the Wuxu Pce Master, which made him Wan Xiuwu¡¯s senior apprentice-brother.

    The Wuxu Pce Master had important matters to attend to, so he could note in person. Moreover, he had so many disciples, so Wan Xiuwu¡¯s death was not important to him. He felt that there was no need to investigate in person, so he asked his close disciples to go in his stead.

    Yue Liuli also tagged along. She was standing next to Pan Cuiqing, her face pale. However, no one knew if her pallor was from fear or sorrow. Seeing her like this invoked a sense of pity in others.

    They stood near Wan Xiuwu¡¯s body and saw a mass of burnt remains that looked like charcoal. However, the traces of their fight were still clearly visible in the surroundings. In particr, the crack marks on the ground in the outline of a human figure, which were probably caused by Wan Xiuwu¡¯s body, indicated that Wan Xiuwu was defeated by his opponent in a head-on fight, not a sneak attack.

    Pan Cuiqing nced at the traces around him. The scene of two figures fighting each other gradually emerged in his mind. He stated, ¡°If my vision is correct, this is the result of the fight between two Martial Arts Practitioners¡ªone of them is Junior Brother Wan, and the other is his murderer.¡±

    Yue Liuli pursed her lips and said nothing. When she learned the news of Wan Xiuwu¡¯s tragic death, her first reaction was to me Qi Xuansu. But then she remembered that Qi Xuansu was dead.

    Yes, dead.

    She still recalled the time when Wan Xiuwu came to her excitedly with the bulletin. They were both so relieved to learn of Qi Xuansu¡¯s death because they were afraid that Qi Xuansu was plotting against them. Thus, they were delighted to hear such news.

    If the killer was not Qi Xuansu, who else could it be?

    Yue Liuli¡¯s second thought was it could be Zhang Yuelu.

    After all, there were rumors that Qi Xuansu sacrificed himself to save Zhang Yuelu. If that rumor was true, then Zhang Yuelu would have fulfilled Qi Xuansu¡¯sst wish to kill his enemies so as tofort his spirit in heaven.

    However, as Yue Liuli considered this, she thought that it was an absurd idea. She had read the bulletins about Jade Capital¡¯s recent politics. Zhang Yuelu had been promoted to the Eighth Deputy Tiangang Hall Master. If so, why would Zhang Yuelu risk her career and image to get revenge for Qi Xuansu? It would also be detrimental to Sage Cihang¡¯s reputation if her sessor did something like this, affecting the big picture which was thepetition for the Grand Master.

    If Zhang Yuelu really wanted to avenge Qi Xuansu, she could have just supported her master, Sage Cihang, to the best of her abilities. That way, when Sage Cihang became the Grand Master, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s position and status would also rise ordingly. By then, Zhang Yuelu would only need to give the Wuxu Pce Master a hint for him to purge these unwanted disciples from his tutge. This was the simplest and cleanest way to get rid of them.

    Then who else could it be? Yue Liuli was at a loss.

    Wan Xiuwu and Yue Liuli were from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, without much influence or wealth. After they left the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, they kept a low profile and did not make any enemies. The few enemies they had were all from their time in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. That was because they were young and reckless at that time.

    If Qi Xuansu heard this, he would have cursed Yue Liuli for being a shameless bitch. She was certainly not reckless when she sent Qi Xuansu into a death trap during the trials. She was meticulous in plotting her schemes. But now that her partner in crime was dead, she med her evil deeds on being young and reckless.

    Pan Cuiqing beckoned to the Daoist priest responsible for surveying the scene and questioned, ¡°What are your findings?¡±

    A fifth-rank Daoist priest answered, ¡°Our preliminary conclusion is that the deceased was killed by a projectile from Tianji Hall. There was an armor-piercing projectile in the chest and brain. The fatal wound was located between the forehead and the eyebrow. Judging from the wound, the projectile should have been fired at close range.¡±

    Yue Liuli asked, ¡°How close?¡±

    The fifth-rank Daoist priest hesitated for a moment before he replied, ¡°The muzzle of the gun was ced on his forehead.¡±

    Yue Liuli could already imagine the scene at that time¡ªWan Xiuwu was knocked to the ground before the killer put the gun against his forehead. The color drained from her already pale face, and she stopped talking.

    The fifth-rank Daoist priest continued, ¡°We have also found traces of the Grade-B Series Three Dragon Eye Bullet, which was used to burn the corpse. Due to this, it is difficult to distinguish other wounds.¡±

    Pan Cuiqing nodded slightly. ¡°Although these projectiles are produced by Tianji Hall, there is no guarantee that they didn¡¯t end up on the ck market. Without solid evidence, it is best not to suspect one of our own.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the Daoist priest replied solemnly.

 Chapter 268: The New Replacing The Old

    <h4>Chapter 268: The New Recing The Old</h4>

    A Daoist priest asked, ¡°Do you want to inspect the people passing by this area?¡±

    Pan Cuiqing said, ¡°Sure, but let¡¯s not bear high hopes for any results.¡±

    The Daoist priest was silent, knowing that it was indeed unlikely to find the killer in this manner. This ce was located on the border between two states, close to Beimang Mountain. It was deste and unpopted without a set path to be taken. Thus, the killer could have easily left in any direction, presumably not leaving any traces behind. Inspecting the people passing by was merely a formality to close the case.

    Pan Cuiqing pondered for a moment before asking who Wan Xiuwu had interacted with recently. The Daoist priest answered his question, but there was nothing unusual.

    They were not afraid of a killer with a motive, such as killing for love, revenge, or wealth. What they were most afraid of was random homicide without any reason. Without a motive, it was difficult to determine the killer¡¯s next target, so finding the murderer was akin to looking for a needle in a haystack.

    ¡°How¡¯s the Earth Qi Recalling Technique going?¡± Pan Cuiqing raised his voice.

    A Diviner hurried over, shook his head, and responded. ¡°There are two Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioners. Their blood qi was too strong, so I can only see two vague and intermittent figures using the Earth Qi Recalling Technique. It¡¯s difficult to distinguish their identities, but we can confirm that there is only one killer, and it¡¯s not a sneak attack.¡±

    This was as Pan Cuiqing expected. The higher one¡¯s level of cultivation, the greater the impact on the earth qi. Someone at the Holy Xuan¡¯s level could disrupt the earth¡¯s core veins, dispersing earth qipletely. In such cases, the Earth Qi Recalling Technique would not work at all.

    The Daoist priest responsible for inspecting the corpse added, ¡°By the way, we also found the ashes of cash notes on the corpse.¡±

    Pan Cuiqing lightly interlocked his fingers over his lower abdomen as he said thoughtfully, ¡°This means that the killer wasn¡¯t out to rob Wan Xiuwu. He doesn¡¯t have any enemies recently. Does that mean he just got unlucky to meet a serial killer?¡±

    On the way over, Pan Cuiqing asked Yue Liuli some questions about Wan Xiuwu. Yue Liuli had mentioned Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu, but Pan Cuiqing dismissed the idea.

    Qi Xuansu was dead. Even if he was still alive, he would not have been strong enough to defeat Wan Xiuwu in a head-on fight. After all, Wan Xiuwu was one level above Qi Xuansu in terms of cultivation.

    Zhang Yuelu was more than capable of killing Wan Xiuwu, but there was no need for her to do so. With Zhang Yuelu¡¯s status, there was no need for her to take action personally. Although she had never abused her power, it did not mean that she had no power. Furthermore, judging from Zhang Yuelu¡¯s character, she was the type who would rather send Wan Xiuwu to Beichen Hall instead of killing him in this manner.

    If Beichen Hall did note to a satisfying conclusion, she would investigate Beichen Hall. Zhang Yuelu was a stubborn and inflexible person. However, without this kind of character, she would not have climbed to her current position.

    Even if it really had something to do with Zhang Yuelu, the Earthly Preceptor would have suppressed this incident since this incident happened within the territory of the Quanzhen Sect. Even without the Earthly Preceptor¡¯s instructions, the Sages would have tacitly done Zhang Yuelu a favor by covering this up.

    Therefore, Pan Cuiqing immediately dismissed these two spections.

    After careful consideration, Pan Cuiqing instructed, ¡°This incidentcks sufficient motives. I¡¯m afraid it will be difficult for us to make any progress regarding the case for now. Take the body back first. We¡¯ll follow up on this matterter.¡±

    The Daoist priests obliged.

    Pan Cuiqing paused for a moment before adding, ¡°By the way, secret societies have been running rampant recently. A few days ago, someone openly attempted murder at the Taiping Inn outside Wuxu Pce. There is no guarantee that this incident is also rted to the secret societies, so pay more attention to their movements. If necessary, you can seek help from the Sub-Tiangang Hall.¡±

    In a sense, the secret society was the Daoist Order¡¯s cesspool, where they could dispose of all execrable matters.

    The Daoist priests went about their duties, cleaning up the scene and transporting Wan Xiuwu¡¯s body back. They departed one after another until Pan Cuiqing and Yue Liuli were the only ones left on site.

    Everyone knew about the rtionship between Yue Liuli and Wan Xiuwu, so they gave her some space to grieve.

    When no one else was around, Yue Liuli sobbed softly. At first, she silently shed some tears, but her sobs gradually grew louder. Her shoulders also started shaking.

    Pan Cuiqing murmured, ¡°Li¡¯er, why are you crying again? I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡±

    The way he addressed her was more affectionate than most.

    While talking, Pan Cuiqing took out a white handkerchief from his sleeve pocket and stretched it out in front of Yue Liuli, wanting to wipe her tears.

    Yue Liuli dodged slightly and raised her hand to take it, grazing Pan Cuiqing¡¯s fingers during the exchange. Yue Liuli¡¯s fingertips trembled slightly, but she did not retract her hand immediately. She lowered her gaze shyly and wiped away her tears with the handkerchief. ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother.¡±

    Pan Cuiqing was an attentive and meticulous man. His handkerchief was clean and had a nice refreshing fragrance. Wan Xiuwu wascking in this regard since he was an orphan who could not bepared with a scion.

    He smiled gently. ¡°It¡¯s my duty to care about my juniors, so there¡¯s no need to thank me.¡±

    Yue Liuli lifted her head and happened to meet Pan Cuiqing¡¯s eyes, which were sultry at the moment. She hurriedly lowered her head again to avoid his gaze, like a frightened doe.

    Seeing this, Pan Cuiqing coaxed her. ¡°Junior Sister, don¡¯t worry. As your senior brother, I promise to investigate this matter and give you an exnation. I am heading to the Chongyang Pce of Immortality soon. Would you like to join me? You can take this opportunity to rx and take your mind off of things. After all, Difei Mountain is our sacrednd and the most blessed ce. It¡¯ll be nice to get some of that celestial aura.¡±

    Yue Liuli murmured, ¡°It won¡¯t be appropriate. I¡¯m afraid people will gossip.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with this.¡± Pan Cuiqing smiled slightly and reassured her. ¡°No one will dare to gossip about us. If they do, I¡¯ll deal with them. You don¡¯t need to bother about what others think.¡±

    Yue Liuli kept her head bowed and stopped talking.

    She knew that Pan Cuiqing was much better than Wan Xiuwu. Back in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, Yue Liuli was like a moon surrounded by many stars, and Wan Xiuwu was the brightest among those stars. However, Pan Cuiqing was like a sun that could eclipse the moon and stars. Not only that, the sun could also allow the moon to shine brighter.

    Pan Cuiqing reached out to take Yue Liuli¡¯s slender hand and sighed. ¡°Li¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. I will always be there to help you no matter what kind of difficulties you encounter. I promise not to let you suffer in the slightest.¡±

    Yue Liuli¡¯s heart was pounding out of her chest. She wanted to withdraw her hand, but Pan Cuiqing held it tightly. ¡°Senior Brother...¡±

    Pan Cuiqing gently squeezed Yue Liuli¡¯s palm. ¡°Don¡¯t call me ¡®Senior Brother¡¯ anymore. Our master has so many disciples, and I¡¯m not the only senior brother you have. Why don¡¯t you call me by my courtesy name, Chun Qing?¡±

    Yue Liuli¡¯s cheeks flushed red as she whispered, ¡°Chun Qing...¡±

    Pan Cuiqing responded with a smile.

    Yue Liuli continued, ¡°Senior Brother Chun Qing, I feel very confused right now. Can I have some time alone?¡±

    Pan Cuiqing nodded, but he did not leave. Instead, he stared at her face with affection.

    Yue Liuli was shy, but more so, she was ying hard to get. She turned her face away and spoke in a soft voice. ¡°You¡¯re not leaving? Why are you staring at me like that?¡±

    Pan Cuiqing sighed. ¡°Li¡¯er, I have something to say to you.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Yue Liuli asked.

    He looked at her intently for a moment before confessing to her. ¡°Li¡¯er, I fell in love with you the first day you arrived in Wuxu Pce. But at that time, you only had eyes for Junior Brother Wan, and I didn¡¯t want to steal someone else¡¯s love. I had no choice but to endure this miserable loneliness. I was content with you being happy, but now that Junior Brother Wan has suffered this misfortune, I feel the need to tell you my feelings. Li¡¯er, do you want me to continue in my misery?¡±

    Yue Liuli¡¯s heart was beating rapidly, but she remained silent.

    Pan Cuiqing smiled and stretched out his fingers to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ears. He pleaded, ¡°Li¡¯er?¡±

    After a moment of silence, Yue Liuli finally let out a cry and leaned on Pan Cuiqing¡¯s shoulder.

    Pan Cuiqing took advantage of the situation and hugged her.

    She looked shy, like a little bird clinging to its mother. However, her gaze was like an eagle stalking its prey.

    As long as she married this man, she would never have to worry for another day.

    She did not marry Wan Xiuwu. Since he was gone, she would not stay single forever. Furthermore, even if they were married, the Daoist Order did not have rules that widowers could not remarry.

    Although Pan Cuiqing was in his forties, he was a third-rank Youyi Daoist master. If the Wuxu Pce Master became an Omniscient Sage, his sessor would also be promoted ordingly to a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master. It was many times better than Wan Xiuwu, who was not even a fourth-rank Daoist master.

    ......

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu could already see the Ghost Pass of Beimang Mountain in the distance.

 Chapter 269: Ghost Pass

    <h4>Chapter 269: Ghost Pass</h4>

    Although Qi Xuansu could see the majestic Beimang Mountain and the gloomy Ghost Pass from a distance, it took him around two hours to arrive at the foot of it.

    The reason why the Ghost Pass was named as such could be traced back to Ancient Daoism. At the time, Ancient Daoism was divided into five sects: Eastern Sect, Western Sect, Southern Sect, Northern Sect, and Central Sect.

    The Eastern Sect was the predecessor of the Taiping Sect, headed by the Li family. The Southern Sect was the predecessor of the Zhengyi Sect, headed by the Zhang family. The Northern Sect was the predecessor of the Great Xuan royal family, the Qin family. The Central Sect was regarded as the predecessor of the Quanzhen Sect. The Western Sect was the predecessor of a Daoist sect thatter followed Tantai Yun to the Western Region.

    Hundreds of years ago, two peoplepeted to be the leader of the Western Sect. One of them was a Martial Arts Practitioner from the Manly Immortal lineage with strong blood qi, akin to that of an ancient mythical beast. Legend says they could eat nine elephants in one meal. Their punch was extremely powerful, and they could destroy thousands of spells with just one roar. They were dubbed the ultimate Martial Arts Practitioner.

    The otherpetitor was a Diviner from the Ghostly Immortal lineage who could create an entire world with one Thought and used spells to create a ghost nation with so many illusions that it was tough to distinguish what was real. After detaining countless souls of living beings, this ghost nation formed a realm of its own with a minor cycle of reincarnation.

    In the end, the Ghostly Immortal could not defeat the Manly Immortal, who entered the ghost nation. The Manly Immortal had strong blood qi, causing the ghost nation to copse. The Ghostly Immortal even suffered a bacsh from the ghost nation and perished.

    After that, the disciples of the Ghostly Immortal, who called themselves the Zaoge Cult, learned from the mistake and decided to build a real ghost nation in the mortal realm, upying Beimang Mountain.

    Beimang Mountain was one of the 72 sacred ces, ranking above Yunjin Mountain. Since Beimang Mountain was a geomantic treasurend, many emperors and dignitaries from previous dynasties built mausoleums and tombs there.

    After the Zaoge Cult upied this ce, they began extensive cultivation of countless dead souls for more than a hundred years, waiting for an opportune moment.

    When the Golden Horde army invaded the south and overthrew the Jin Dynasty, the world was thrown into chaos. Corpses piled up as high as mountains, and blood pooled like the sea. The Zaoge Cult used this opportunity to build a ghost nation on Earth, connecting it to theherworld.

    This ghost nation eventually became the famous Ghost Kingdom, which prospered for a while, forming a realm of its own that was said to beparable in size to the Imperial Capital.

    The Daoist Order attacked the Ghost Kingdom twice with all its strength, defeating the Zaoge Cult. When the Holy Xuan united the five Ancient Daoist sects into the three major Daoist Sects today, he put the Ghost Kingdom under the custody of the Quanzhen Sect.

    After the two wars, the Ghost Kingdom was in a state of dpidation. It was like a house, with only some pirs, beams, and broken walls left standing. The yin energy from this Ghost Kingdom spread to the entire Beimang Mountain, turning this sacred mountain into a hauntednd.

    Some people proposed to destroy this Ghost Kingdom to prevent it from further eroding Beimang Mountain. However, some advocated preserving this Ghost Kingdom. After all, this ce was the culmination of the wisdom and hard work of their ancestors, so it would be a waste to destroy it. Moreover, good and evil were dependent on one¡¯s perspective.

    In the end, the Holy Xuan decided to keep the Ghost Kingdom and repair it to prevent the yin energy from leaking out.

    It took hundreds of years and three generations of Grand Masters to fully repair the Ghost Kingdom. The Daoist Order used the Ghost Kingdom as a ce for storing, testing, cultivating, and suppressing various creations. There was also a Huasheng Hall manufacturing nt located inside.

    If this Ghost Kingdom waspromised, causing the yin energy to leak out and the creations to escape, the consequences would be far more dire than the destruction of the manufacturing nt in Cuowenbu.

    Therefore, the Daoist Order set up a checkpoint called the Ghost Pass before anyone could enter the heavily guarded Ghost Kingdom.

    Qi Xuansu came to the Ghost Pass that was halfway up between two peaks,pletely blocking the way forward. The ce was pitch ck, with various defensive equipment and Spirit Guards in ck armor. It was clear at a nce how heavily guarded this ce was.

    There was supposedly a first-rank Spirit Guard managing this ce. Although hisbat power could not bepared to that of the first-rank Tianzhen Daoist masters, it was still far superior to the ordinary second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters and on par with the Omniscient Sages.

    Qi Xuansu vaguely saw two giants standing on both sides of the Ghost Pass. Although he could not see the giant¡¯s true appearance and could only see a vague outline, he figured that the giants were probably considered creations of the Daoist Order.

    True Lord Siming had always been coveting this ce. He made several ns to conquer this Ghost Kingdom but always failed. The Ancient Immortals were only able to sneak into Jade Capital because the defense wasx. After all, there were so many masters in Jade Capital, so no one thought the Ancient Immortals would be so bold as to court death.

    This Ghost Pass was different. If there was any disturbance, the Ghost Kingdom would immediately be ced on full lockdown, making it difficult to sneak into or out of.

    Even if an Ancient Immortal used their magical powers to seize someone¡¯s physical body to enter the Ghost Pass, that was only the first level of defense. There were manyyers of security after that. Only certain first-rank Tianzhen Daoist masters and Omniscient Sages could step foot into the core area of the Ghost Kingdom.

    At this time, the gate of the Ghost Pass was wide open since it was not under lockdown. However, there were only a few people passing by, so there was no need to queue at the checkpoint.

    Qi Xuansu came to the Spirit Guard responsible for the inspection and took out two of his badges¡ªone from Qin Wubing and the other from Pei Xiaolou.

    There were two Spirit Guards there at the moment. One of the Spirit Guards checked both badges and asked routinely, ¡°Are you passing by?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°I¡¯m heading to Longmen Prefecture for some private matters.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± The Spirit Guard¡¯s attitude softened slightly. As long as Qi Xuansu did not enter the manufacturing nt or the Ghost Kingdom, the Spirit Guards would not go into an in-depth investigation.

    The Spirit Guard handed Qi Xuansu¡¯s badges to another Spirit Guard for registration. While waiting, Qi Xuansu took the opportunity to chat with this Spirit Guard. He asked casually, ¡°Brother, have there been incidents of cult demons causing trouble since thatmotion in Cuowenbu?¡±

    The Daoist Order was aware of the incident in Cuowenbu and made it public. That was why the Spirit Guard did not think too much about it and replied, ¡°It¡¯s been peaceful here. After all, we¡¯re located right between the Xijing Prefecture and Longmen Prefecture, and we¡¯re close enough to Difei Mountain. Even if there is arge-scale attack by those cult demons, we¡¯ll be able to handle it. But there are some minor events.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked out of curiosity, ¡°Minor events?¡±

    ¡°Some cult demons from the Heavenly Court were openly attempting murder in Xijing Prefecture against someone from the Imperial Court. We¡¯ve received an official note from Xijing Prefecture asking us to pay attention to any Heavenly Court demons thate our way.¡±

    The Spirit Guard continued, his tone mocking. ¡°I don¡¯t know what those higher-ups are thinking. I have never seen any cult demon try to cross the Ghost Pass. I reckon those cult demons would probably rather surrender or flee to the Jade Capital instead ofing here.¡±

    Qi Xuansuughed. ¡°Brother, what you said makes sense. If I were that cult demon, I would have probably fled toward Yongzhou and Liangzhou, where thend is vast and sparsely popted, making it easier to hide. Or I would go to Lingnan via the Yangtze River, where the Heavenly Court¡¯sir is. I certainly wouldn¡¯te here. It¡¯ll be like walking into a trap!¡±

    ¡°Right?!¡± The Spirit Guard had been stationed there for a long time, so he could not help butin to someone who would hear him out. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s one more thing. A disciple of the Wuxu Pce Master recently got murdered as well. So we also got an official note from the Wuxu Pce to be on the lookout for any suspicious people.¡±

    Hearing this, Qi Xuansu did not look guilty at all. Instead, he feigned surprise. ¡°Murdered?! I didn¡¯t hear about a murder on the way here.¡±

    The Spirit Guard chuckled. ¡°Well, of course. It just happened a couple of days ago. Those higher-ups probably think that we are too idle here, asking us to pay attention to this and that. The journey from Xijing Prefecture to the Ghost Pass isn¡¯t exactly short, and there are so many ces to hide in Beimang Mountain. They must think that the murderer got kicked in the head by a donkey toe here of all ces. I¡¯m guessing that the same Heavenly Court demon happened to meet that Daoist priest while fleeing and didn¡¯t mind killing another guy.¡±

    Qi Xuansu, whose head was allegedly kicked by a donkey,ughed out loud. ¡°I think so too, Brother. Maybe the Daoist priest was just unlucky to see where the cult demon was fleeing to, so the cult demon decided to silence him.¡±

    At this time, the other Spirit Guard responsible for registration came over and said, ¡°Wei Wugui, right? Check this. If there are no problems, just sign here.¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled apologetically at the Spirit Guard he was talking to and came to the registration table. He nced at the contents of the document and deliberately used his left hand to sign ¡°Wei Wugui.¡±

    Afterward, the Spirit Guard in charge of registration returned the two badges to Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu said goodbye to the two guards, got on his grade horse, and rode into the Ghost Pass.

 Chapter 270: Ancient Immortals and the Ghost Kingdom

    <h4>Chapter 270: Ancient Immortals and the Ghost Kingdom</h4>

    Qi Xuansu entered the Ghost Pass and rode slowly.

    Besides the armored Spirit Guards who were constantly patrolling the area, there were many regr people in casual attire. Qi Xuansu figured that they were ordinary civilians who worked in the manufacturing nt and usually lived in the Ghost Pass. Some were also from the Divine Armory and the Imperial Observatory.

    Generally speaking, the Divine Armory was the Imperial Court¡¯s equivalent of the Daoist Tianji Hall. The Imperial Observatory and the Imperial Medical Office were the equivalent of the Daoist Huasheng Hall. However, no one from the Imperial Medical Office would appear in this ce.

    Qi Xuansu did not intend to stop at the Ghost Pass. He wanted to ride by this ce to get to Zhongzhou. However, after he learned about the movements of the Wuxu Pce¡¯s investigation team from the Spirit Guard earlier, he was not in a hurry to leave.

    This was what Qi Xuansu expected. His old identity as the deacon of Tiangang Hall died in the flying ship crash, so if he were to appear in Xijing Prefecture, he would surely be the biggest suspect. Even if there was no evidence, he would be brought back to the Wuxu Pce for interrogation.

    However, his new identity, Wei Wugui, had nothing to do with Wan Xiuwu. They had never even met each other, so there was no motive for Wei Wugui to kill Wan Xiuwu.

    As for the fact that both Qi Xuansu and Wei Wugui were acquainted with Pei Xiaolou, it was not worth doubting unless someone looked into it carefully.

    Pei Xiaolou was an outlier among the many Sages in the Daoist Order, infamous for his unruly behavior. Although he did not ept disciples, he often liked making friends with young people.

    Once, he even did something outrageous, such as bringing a young Buddhist disciple to a brothel. If it were not for his blood rtion to Sage Donghua, who was the first among the 36 Omniscient Sages and the Ziwei Hall Master, Pei Xiaolou would have long been arrested by Fengxian Hall.

    Qi Xuansu was walking when he suddenly heard a chuckle. ¡°Grandpa, look! That man looks so funny carrying so many things with him.¡±

    Upon hearing that voice, Qi Xuansu turned around and saw a little girl in a yellow shirt pointing at him.

    Next to the little girl was a tall old man, whom Qi Xuansu presumed was her grandpa.

    Qi Xuansu lowered his head and looked at himself. He had four weapons, a satchel, a leather pouch containing the projectiles, a saddle bag, and a bundle of misceneous things that was ced on the horse.

    It seemed that the little girl was indeedughing at him.

    The old man was a little embarrassed when he saw Qi Xuansu staring back at them. He shot a warning nce at the little girl and apologized to Qi Xuansu with a salute. ¡°My apologies. The kid doesn¡¯t understand etiquette.¡±

    ¡°No worries; children can speak freely.¡± Qi Xuansu got off his horse and returned the salute.

    The old man sized up Qi Xuansu briefly and said, ¡°You¡¯re an unfamiliar face around here. Is this your first timeing to the Ghost Pass?¡±

    ¡°You have a keen eye, sir. It is indeed my first time here. I¡¯m just passing by,¡± Qi Xuansu replied with a smile.

    The old man asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t it a pity not to visit the Ghost Kingdom since you¡¯ve already made it to the Ghost Pass?¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled bitterly. ¡°I heard that the Ghost Kingdom has many restrictions, with many inspections and checkpoints to get through. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have the clearance.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± The old man nodded. ¡°Since the destruction of Cuowenbu¡¯s manufacturing nt, the Daoist Order has strengthened its defenses for fear that this Ghost Kingdom will also be destroyed. If history repeats itself, I¡¯m afraid Beimang Mountain will turn into theherworld. By then, it¡¯ll take much more effort to clean up such a mess.¡±

    The little girl interrupted them. ¡°Grandpa, this is like a levee being washed away by a flood. The key issue isn¡¯t about how much money it takes to repair the levee, but rather the damage caused by the flood, right?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, clever girl.¡± The old man praised his granddaughter.

    The girl asked, ¡°Grandpa, if the Ghost Kingdom is so scary, why not demolish it?¡±

    ¡°Because demolishing it also costs money. It could be just asbor-intensive as repairing it. The Ghost Kingdom is like a giant cesspit, if you will. So demolishing it isn¡¯t as simple as it seems. The contents inside must be handled properly before the demolition.

    ¡°The only way to go about it is to dismantle it little by little. But that would take more than a hundred years. That¡¯s why it¡¯s better to reinforce it and continue using this ce. Of course, I¡¯m merely using cesspit as a metaphor. What¡¯s inside this cesspit could be good and bad depending on its usage, much like fertilizer.¡±

    The girl thought about it seriously and asked, ¡°In that case, wouldn¡¯t it be better if this Ghost Kingdom wasn¡¯t built in the first ce?¡±

    The old man chuckled. ¡°My girl, it alles down to power. Throughout history, many heroes and outstanding individuals have been blinded by power. It is also the reason the Daoist Order is constantly in turmoil.¡±

    Qi Xuansu thought to himself, <i>This statement epasses the conflict between the Taiping, Quanzhen, and Zhengyi Sects.</i>

    The old man paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°No matter how difficult things get in this world, there are always people who make it their mission to try the impossible. This Ghost Kingdom was built by humans. It¡¯s truly a magnificent feat to create a paradise through human efforts and manifest gods through human strength. What the ancient civilizations failed to do, the people have aplished. But in the end, they cannot escape the nature of humanity. Are there any differences in the human nature of the past and present?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was stunned to hear this.

    The old man was clearly implying something. Was he alluding to the chaos in the Daoist Order?

    Thest person to talk to Qi Xuansu about the Daoist Order¡¯s Grand Master election was Pei Xiaolou. He might be unruly, but because his brother Sage Donghua was a strong contender, he was also involved.

    Qi Xuansu figured that the old man before him was most likely a bigshot as well, seeing as he could walk around freely in the Ghost Pass. Was he also a Sage?

    Just as Qi Xuansu wanted to inquire about the old man''s identity, he found that there was no one around him.

    The old man and the girl in the yellow shirt went missing, as if their interaction just now was merely Qi Xuansu¡¯s hallucination.

    Qi Xuansu looked around. Although there were some people around him, he felt an intermittent yin energy permeating the air. He could not help but shudder as he felt a chill down his spine.

    ......

    Yue Liuli once suspected that Zhang Yuelu killed Wan Xiuwu.

    In fact, she had underestimated Qi Xuansu. Qi Xuansu had some dignity. He did not tell Zhang Yuelu about what happened in the Dragon and Tiger Camp back then because he did not know the reason Yue Liuli targeted him.

    Qi Xuansu only knew that Yue Liuli tricked him and made him walk into a trap, and he almost died in that incident. He also wanted to avenge himself without relying on others. That was why he did not tell Zhang Yuelu about it.

    On the other side, Zhang Yuelu had seriously thought about avenging Qi Xuansu, but her target was the Ancient Immortal Wu Luo. However, exterminating Wu Luo was next to impossible.

    Wu Luo¡¯s cultivation was much higher than hers. Moreover, Wu Luo was a Godly Immortal.

    The only way a Godly Immortal could bepletely obliterated was by going through the Three Forms of Death.

    The first death was the decay and destruction of the golden body. This was just a fake death, just like when a river orke dried up during a drought. As long as new incense power was offered, the golden body could be rebuilt in the divine kingdom.

    The second death was the copse of the divine kingdom. This was a true death, but it was not aplete extinction, as there was still a trace of lingering spiritual imprint. As long as there were still people who remembered this Godly Immortal, there would be a chance for them to return.

    The third death was when everyone had forgotten about this Godly Immortal, resulting in theplete dissipation of thest spiritual imprint. This was an irreversible death.

    From this point of view, Godly Immortals were more difficult to eliminate than Earthly Immortals, Ghostly Immortals, and Manly Immortals.

    Back when the Heavenly Sect destroyed Ancient Wuism, Wu Luo¡¯s death was only the destruction of her golden body, not a true death. That was why Wu Luo could return to the mortal realm again after a thousand years.

    Therefore, if the Daoist Order wanted to eliminate the Ancient Immortals, it was not as simple as just killing them. They must first get rid of the Ancient Immortals¡¯ believers. Otherwise, it would be like burning weeds without eradicating the roots, only to see them spring back to life after some time.

    However, it was not easy to eradicate the Ancient Immortals¡¯ believers.

    For example, the White Lotus Sect flourished during the Qi Dynasty and dedicated itself to supporting rebellions. It survived through the Jin Dynasty, the Golden Horde, and the Wei Dynasty. It still existed in the Great Xuan Dynasty, simply changing its name and absorbing some Daoist traditions.

    The White Lotus Sect was called Luoism during the Qi Dynasty and was renamed the Fragrance Sect during the Jin Dynasty. When the Golden Horde took over the Central ins, it assumed its original name, the White Lotus Sect. It gained the recognition of the Golden Horde Khanate and prospered for a while.

    During the Wei Dynasty, the White Lotus Sect was strictly banned and suppressed, so they renamed themselves the Qingyang Sect. After the Great Xuan Dynasty conquered the world, the Qingyang Sect rebranded themselves as the Heavenly Court, which caused great trouble to the Imperial Court.

    After nearly a thousand years of dynasty changes, the White Lotus Sect still could not be eradicated, indicating how difficult it was for the Daoist Order to drive the Ancient Immortals to extinction.

    Zhang Yuelu once specifically asked Sage Cihang about this matter. Her master only gave her an ambiguous answer. ¡°Farming requires weeding. Every year, we weed, which may take more effort. But there is no need to demand perfection. In the end, arge fire will turn everything¡ªcrops and weeds alike¡ªinto ashes.¡±

 Chapter 271: Cult Stronghold

    <h4>Chapter 271: Cult Stronghold</h4>

    A journey of a thousand miles had to begin with one single step.

    No matter how difficult things seemed, there were always people who had to give it a try, just like those who built the Ghost Kingdom on Earth.

    Simrly, Zhang Yuelu also wanted to trypletely exterminating the Ancient Immortal Wu Luo.

    Therefore, shortly after Zhang Yuelu was promoted to the Eighth Deputy Tiangang Hall Master, she led her subordinates in an operation to wipe out a group of Lingshan Witch Cult demons.

    Tiangang Hall had lost the deceased Seventh Deputy Hall Master, Shangguan Jing, which directly led to the resignation of the former Tiangang Hall Master, Ning Lingge. Due to this incident, the new Tiangang Hall Master, Sage Cihang, specially assigned a second-rank Spirit Guard to be responsible for Zhang Yuelu''s safety.

    Zhang Yuelu knew that she could not take things lightly, as anything that happened to her would undoubtedly affect her master¡¯spetition for the title of Grand Master. Thus, she did not refuse to have a second-rank Spirit Guard as her personal bodyguard.

    This time, Zhang Yuelu took the Yinglong Warship out of Jade Capital and flew over Yongzhou again.

    The Daoist Order was determined not to let history repeat itself. After the Golden Tower Council meeting, a first-rank Tianzhen Daoist master and two first-rank Spirit Guards invaded Wu Luo¡¯s Divine Kingdom. Although they fought on Wu Luo¡¯s home base, they still managed to injure the Ancient Immortal, to the point Wu Luo was forced to seal off her Divine Kingdom and lick her wounds silently. However, the three of them also suffered varying degrees of injuries.

    If Wu Luo dared to appear in the mortal realm again, she would be ushering in her physical death once again. This was undoubtedly the Daoist Order¡¯s warning to the Ancient Immortals.

    If any Ancient Immortal crossed the line, the Daoist Order would not hesitate to fight back even at a price. After all, the Daoist Order wasrge enough to bear most consequences.

    The Yinglong Warship began tond about 100 kilometers away from a manor that belonged to the local gentry. Many local dignitaries would often gather there for banquets, as it was simr to a high-end brothel that was not open to the public.

    For most people, thisrge manor was heavily guarded, with undercover guards posing as servants. If one was not at least in the Guizhen stage, it would be tough to break into this manor and make it out alive. Even Guizhen-stage masters could not guarantee that they would be able to escape unscathed.

    However, in the eyes of the Daoist Order, this was just a regr cult stronghold, a suitable training ground for youngsters like Zhang Yuelu.

    There was an order to everything. Thus, Zhang Yuelu was not allowed to attack the main altar of the Lingshan Witch Cult for now, even if she had the clearance tomand and dispatch the Spirit Guards and Daoist priests in her division.

    The Daoist Order had long known that this was one of the strongholds of the Lingshan Witch Cult. However, they did not touch it for various reasons. That was because they wanted to monitor therge gatherings of cult demons, rather than have the cult demons spread out in small groups all over the continent.

    Now, the Daoist Order wanted to make the Lingshan Witch Cult an example to show the other secret societies that provoking them came with serious consequences.

    At this time, Zhang Yuelu did not wear the Daoist formal attire. Instead, she changed into an outfit befitting of a young master from a noble family. She was meticulous in her disguise, altering her voice, adding an Adam¡¯s apple, and ttening her breasts, so much so that no one could tell that she was actually a woman.

    Standing next to Zhang Yuelu was an extraordinarily tall man wrapped in a cloak, which was concealing his armor. He was the second-rank Spirit Guard sent by Sage Cihang responsible for Zhang Yuelu¡¯s safety.

    The other superintendents in the Yaoguang Division, including Lingquanzi, Xu Kou, and Sun Yongfeng, were also onboard. There were also some new faces among them, all of whom were superintendents who used to work under Shangguan Jing.

    Zhang Yuelu scanned the crowd and said, ¡°As the Deputy Hall Master, I know that I should not risk my life, but I would like to see with my own eyes what the inside of this cult stronghold is like. If we break in forcefully, we will only be able to see the ruins and nothing else.¡±

    Sun Yongfeng, the bootlicker, quickly echoed his agreement with the Deputy Hall Master¡¯s decision.

    However, Lingquanzi and the others disagreed because they were worried about Zhang Yuelu¡¯s safety. If something were to happen to Zhang Yuelu, none of them would be able to shirk responsibility.

    Zhang Yuelu did not emphasize her own cultivation level. Instead, she turned to the Spirit Guard next to her. ¡°We have a second-rank Spirit Guard with us, so we have nothing to be afraid of! Don¡¯t you think so, Spirit Guard Xu?¡±

    Everyone fell silent.

    Although Spirit Guards generally had a lower statuspared to Daoist priests, a second-rank Spirit Guard was still much higher in status than fourth-rank Daoist priests like the superintendents. In terms of rank, even Zhang Yuelu could notpare to Spirit Guard Xu. Only an Omniscient Sage like Sage Cihang could mobilize a Spirit Guard of this rank.

    Spirit Guard Xu reassured them. ¡°I will be responsible for the safety of Deputy Hall Master Zhang.¡±

    Since this second-rank Spirit Guard said so, the others could no longer object to it.

    Zhang Yuelu instructed, ¡°I will go into that manor with Spirit Guard Xu and Xu Kou. The rest of you will wait at the predetermined location.¡±

    Everyone responded in unison.

    Zhang Yuelu ordered three horses to be brought over. She got on her horse and rode to the manor because she did not n to sneak into the manor. Her n was to enter through the front door as a guest. After all, it was never a problem for arge institution like the Daoist Order to forge an identity without any ws. They even had the ability to turn this fake identity into a real one.

    The identity used by Zhang Yuelu was a fake identity that had been operated by a Daoist Order for a long time to gain the trust of the cult demons. This person was usually very mysterious and had never shown his face. However, with this identity, the cooperation of several Daoist disciples, and the Daoist Order¡¯s financial resources, they managed to create a persona that was false yet existent in the real world.

    Zhang Yuelu used this identity so that she could see how these cult demons operated. After all, most cult demons fought like trapped beasts when they were in desperate situations but cried bitterly and repented after being arrested. They were not their true selves in those situations.

    That was why Zhang Yuelu grew curious. She always wondered why these people went against the Daoist Order to believe in the Ancient Immortals. What were they like usually?

    After all, to eradicate these evil cults, one must first understand them. Only by knowing thyself and thy enemy could victory be gained.

    That was how Zhang Yuelu, disguised as a young master from a noble family, waltzed into the manor with her two ¡°attendants.¡±

    The manor did not doubt her identity and let her in without a fuss. The person who received Zhang Yuelu was an old and prudent butler who had heard about the reputation of her fake identity. The butler was very enthusiastic. At the same time, he spoke cryptically. ¡°There are a few heats going on right now. Young Master Lu, are you interested?¡±

    The fake identity Zhang Yuelu used was Young Master Lu, a rich young scion who had not seen much of the world. This time, he came to this manor to gain some experience.

    Zhang Yuelu raised her eyebrows arrogantly. ¡°What heat? I don¡¯t understand ng, so use normalnguage.¡±

    It was reasonable for scions of noble families not to understand ng, which was meant formoners. Thus, the butler was not surprised to hear this. He exined, ¡°There are some boxing matches, weapons showdown, and gunfights going on. Young Master Lu, which do you prefer?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nced at Xu Kou.

    The reason Zhang Yuelu brought Xu Kou with her was due to his background as a Green Phoenix Guard. Xu Kou had also been working in the local Daoist mansion for a long time, so he had interacted with thugs and cult demons before. That was why he would be familiar with the ways of the real world.

    Xu Kou answered on behalf of Zhang Yuelu. ¡°Generally speaking, gunfights end too quickly, and weapons showdowns will be too bloody. I think boxing is better.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded slightly. ¡°Boxing it is.¡±

    Under the guidance of this butler, Zhang Yuelu and the two men entered a passage that was sloped downward, with many forked roads that led to different ces.

    The butler led the trio into one of the fork roads, which had a private room at the end. The entire wall was covered with ss windows, which were very fashionable at the moment.

    From the inside of the private room, they could see a 30-meter-square arena below, with seats arranged at varying heights all around a fighting ring.

    At this time, there were already hundreds of people packed into the arena, shouting at the top of their lungs. Many of them were women. Their faces were flushed because of the crowded atmosphere. They were also not wearing middle garments, deliberately leaving the cor of their outer garments open to expose their waist.

    Zhang Yuelu was stunned. <i>So, this is a boxing match.</i>

    There was essentially no difference between cricket fights, cockfights, and dog fights. They were merely recing insects and animals with human beings.

    Zhang Yuelu narrowed her beautiful eyes and suppressed her simmering anger.

    The butler exined, ¡°Young Master Lu, these windows are made from one-way ss shipped from the Western Continent. You will be able to see what is going on outside from here, but outsiders won¡¯t be able to peek inside.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded.

    The butler pointed to a secret door in the corner and suggested, ¡°If you want girls...¡±

    One could only imagine how thrilling it must be to view a bloody battle going on in the arena while also engaging in some heart-pounding activities within the privacy of this room.

    ¡°No need.¡± Zhang Yuelu was a conservative woman, so she refused without hesitation.

    The butler nodded and hinted, ¡°By the way, you can still ce a bet for the fight.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not refuse this time and merely shot Xu Kou a look.

    Xu Kou took out 10 Wuyou coins, equivalent to 100 Taiping coins, and handed them to the butler. ¡°To test the waters.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± The butler beamed. Although 100 Taiping coins was not theirrgest bet, it was not a small amount either. After all, the night was still young. There was no need to worry that the young scion would not spend more money.

    The butler exited the private room.

    Zhang Yuelu nced at the expensive chaise loungerge enough to amodate two people and decided not to sit down. Instead, she stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window with her hands sped behind her back and stared at the arena below.

    At this moment, three people stepped into the fighting ring.

    The host introduced the identities of the other two people, who were both well-known in the circle. They either owed money and were forced to enter the ring, or they were in urgent need of money, so they came here to fight.

    Zhang Yuelu could imagine the other two arenas that used weapons or guns. Perhaps there were even some down-and-out Daoist disciples or ck Robes among those fighters.

    She muttered, ¡°I can¡¯t believe the Daoist Order actually allows such a ce to exist.¡±

    ¡°If the water is too clear, there will be no fish.¡± Spirit Guard Xu, who had been silent all this while, made an ambiguous remark.

    Zhang Yuelu did not say anything.

    Xu Kou sneered. ¡°These customs originated from the Western Continent. Those barbarians...¡±

    Zhang Yuelu sarcastically said, ¡°It is said that the barbarians admire our teachings, yet here we are, influenced by them. Who is the barbarian in this scenario? There¡¯s no use pointing fingers.¡±

    Xu Kou coughed slightly, feeling a little embarrassed.

    During their short conversation, the host had already left the ring, and the fight had begun.

    At first, the two fighters were a little cautious, circling each other in defensive positions. Soon, the edges of the ring caught on fire, and this ring of fire gradually shrank toward the center.

    This forced the two fighters to give it their all before the ring of fire consumed them both.

    The audience also roared and howled, cheering them on. As soon as they threw out their punches, flesh and blood sttered everywhere.

 Chapter 272: Desire

    <h4>Chapter 272: Desire</h4>

    Human nature epassed a spectrum that included higher, divine qualities and lower, animalistic instincts.

    This most primal fight to the death, which had no mercy and no end in sight until someone was brutally ughtered, was undoubtedly the best way to ignite thetent animalistic instincts within the human body.

    The audience dropped their usual pretense and revealed their crazed side. The men, their blood boiling and their voices hoarse from yelling, seemed rejuvenated. The women, with flushed faces, seemed to have reached the pinnacle of ecstasy at this moment.

    Zhang Yuelu only focused on the fighting ring for a short time before she turned her attention to the surrounding audience. She frowned slightly when she saw their distorted faces.

    She disliked this atmosphere, which felt abnormal to her. It was probably not just due to the fight but perhaps entuated by other external factors, like spells or drugs. She just could not tell what was off about this ce.

    In the Daoist Order, the Daoist priests had a higher status than Spirit Guards of the same rank. As such, the Spirit Guards had be ustomed to executing orders without making decisions. Therefore, Spirit Guard Xu did not speak. His earlier remark in response to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s question was just something he had heard from other high-ranking Daoist priests.

    On the other hand, Xu Kou just found this boring. His nickname, Little Yama, indicated what kind of person he was. He had seen his fair share of such scenes, some even bloodier than this, and most were the result of his own doing. Only these pampered masters anddies would think that this fight was interesting.

    Of course, Xu Kou was notpassionate. He was also not interested in listening to Deputy Hall Master Zhang¡¯s teachings. Unlike Qi Xuansu, Xu Kou had no interest in this boring and conservative woman like Zhang Yuelu. At most, he would only obey her orders.

    Speaking of Qi Xuansu, Xu Kou missed him a little. Although they had a rough start and did not have a close rtionship, they were essentially the same kind of people. If Qi Xuansu was around, he would probably feel the same as Xu Kou.

    <i>What a pity.</i> Just as Xu Kou was lost in thought, the winner of the match emerged. The loser fell into the ring of ??fire and soon became a charred corpse.

    Although the winner of the fight was staggering and covered in blood, obviously seriously injured, he still raised his hands and epted the audience¡¯s cheers.

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°Now that the fight is over, I want to meet the mastermind behind this ce.¡±

    Xu Kou immediately came to his senses, responded, and left the private room.

    Not long after, the butler responsible for receiving the trio followed Xu Kou into the private room with a troubled look on his face. ¡°Young Master Lu, this is not in line with the rules.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu turned around and said, ¡°Rules are set by people.¡±

    Xu Kou took out a golden cash note with a value of 100 Wuyou coins.

    The butler¡¯s eyes fell on the golden ticket, and his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed slightly.

    That was equivalent to 1,000 Taiping coins. Since gold was more precious than silver, it would be valued even higher on the ck market.

    This was not a small sum of money.

    Xu Kou persuaded him. ¡°Think about it. You will never get a chance like this if you pass this up. It¡¯s not every day you get to earn so much.¡±

    The butler gulped and quickly took the golden cash note. ¡°Young Master Lu, please wait a moment.¡±

    After the butler left, Xu Kou sighed. ¡°Money truly does make the world go round.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu reminded him. ¡°You¡¯d best take that money back. Or else, you can use your own savings to make up for it.¡±

    Xu Kou nodded seriously. ¡°Deputy Hall Master, please rest assured.¡±

    Of course, this golden cash note did not belong to Zhang Yuelu or Xu Kou. It was the property of Tiangang Hall, regarded as a necessary expense. Even if Zhang Yuelu were to take it as her own, no one would say anything. However, Zhang Yuelu had no intentions of doing so.

    Xu Kou might be inattentive about other things, but he dared not be careless about money. That was why he and Qi Xuansu were actually the same kind of people.

    After all, only those who had gone through poverty would understand the importance of money.

    About an hourter, the butler came back and invited Zhang Yuelu to meet the owner of the ce. However, there was one condition: she was not allowed to bring her entourage.

    Xu Kou heard this and immediately protested. ¡°This is unreasonable! What if something unexpected happens to our young master? It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, but there are other guests here. What if there is a misunderstanding or some conflict between the guests that implicated my young master? Besides, this is your territory. What are you afraid of? We can¡¯t possibly do anything to your master.¡±

    The butler knew that Xu Kou was right, so he pondered for a moment before suggesting, ¡°Alright, then. We can each take a step back. I¡¯ll allow one escort.¡±

    Xu Kou took a step back. ¡°I won¡¯t go then.¡±

    Spirit Guard Xu volunteered. ¡°I will apany the young master.¡±

    The butler nced at Spirit Guard Xu, who had been silent all this time. He thought to himself, <i>Young Master Lu¡¯s attendants have such clearly defined roles. One is responsible for talking, and the other is most likely responsible for the young master¡¯s safety. Only a young master from a noble family will have servants with such specific tasks.</i>

    The three of them returned to the ground level, where the butler assigned another servant to lead Xu Kou to a side hall to wait for them. There were drinks, other guests, and somedies there. However, the quality was slightlycking because this ce was specially used to entertain the guests¡¯ entourage.

    Zhang Yuelu and Spirit Guard Xu followed the butler through theyers of security and walked toward a three-story green and ck pavilion deep inside the manor¡¯s grounds.

    This pavilion was way bigger than Zhang Yuelu¡¯s expectations. It was about 17 meters deep and 30 meters wide, which was typically the specifications of the pavilions in the Imperial Pce.

    Emting the Imperial Pce only indicated the courage and ambitions of these people.

    People who had ess to this building were either rich or noble. The first floor was a gambling room with all kinds of games. The second floor was divided into dozens of smallerpartments for romantic escapades.

    The third floor was the highlight. Since it was the top floor, the ceiling was much higher than the bottom two floors. Below the ceiling was a fighting ring with a relief of two dragons ying with a pearl in the middle. There were ninenterns adorned with tassels hanging above the fighting ring. Upon closer look, the style of thenterns was somewhat simr to the floatingnterns in Taiqing Square of Jade Capital.

    At this time, there were two bloodied corpses on the fighting ring, their blood slowly flowing along the lines of the relief. It looked mesmerizing under the lights.

    There was a circle of tables and chairs around the ring, but they were nicely spaced out.

    The main seat in the middle was particrly eye-catching. Under the lights, the huge chair shone with a golden glow,parable to the Dragon Throne. This was a tant challenge to the Emperor.

    Zhang Yuelu looked around, her eyes sweeping over the guests one by one. Finally, she stared at the young man sitting in the main seat.

    The guests consisted of the gentry and wealthy businessmen. Zhang Yuelu also had no doubt that there were court officials and Daoist disciples among them.

    The young man frowned with displeasure as soon as he noticed Zhang Yuelu¡¯s direct stare.

    Before he could speak, Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°Are you Du Longtan, the master of this ce? You¡¯re younger than I imagined. It seems the rumors that the Lingshan Witch Cult can reverse aging aren¡¯t groundless after all.¡±

    Du Longtan was sipping wine. When he heard this, he suddenly threw out the wine ss in his hand, showing his anger.

    In their society, only elders and superiors could address someone by their full names. Otherwise, it was akin to swearing. Moreover, Zhang Yuelu also mentioned the Lingshan Witch Cult, which was Du Longtan¡¯s fatal weakness.

    Without Du Longtan¡¯s instructions, a guard had already walked over, ready to capture this daring young man.

    Simrly, without Zhang Yuelu¡¯s instructions, Spirit Guard Xu, who was standing behind Zhang Yuelu, also took a step forward.

    Suddenly, these two guards appeared on the fighting ring between them at the same time.

    The second-rank Spirit Guard grabbed Du Longtan¡¯s Guizhen-stage guard by the throat, incapacitating him.

    After all, not every Guizhen-stage master could be like Zhang Yuelu, who had the power to fight against Heavenly Beings.

    Zhang Yuelu did not look at the two people in the fighting ring. Instead, she looked up at the ninenterns hanging on the ceiling, feeling somewhat enlightened.

    Why did these people abandon Daoism? That was because the Three Religions advocated for kindness and frugality. The various precepts, morals, and rules were also invisible shackles that restricted desires. What these people wanted was freedom¡ªthe absence of restraint and the release of their desires. Since the Daoist Order could not fulfill their needs, they abandoned Daoism and turned to heretical cults that could satisfy their wishes.

 Chapter 273: Entering the Ghost Kingdom by Mistake

    <h4>Chapter 273: Entering the Ghost Kingdom by Mistake</h4>

    The Ghost Kingdom had a formidable reputation. Even though Qi Xuansu¡¯s blood qi could repel ordinary ghosts, he was nervous at this time. After all, he did not know how powerful the ghosts were in this region.

    Where did the old man and that little girl go? Were they Sages that did not want to show their true appearance? Or were they ghosts?

    Qi Xuansu continued moving forward. After a while, he realized that something was wrong.

    There were only a few pedestrians on the street, which was understandable since it was not a holiday. Most people would be working in the manufacturing nts, so Qi Xuansu did not expect the masses to wander around this Ghost Pass. But what he found strange was that not even a single Spirit Guard was patrolling the streets.

    The Ghost Pass had always been known for its tight security, and the Spirit Guards were always dutiful.

    Just as he was lost in thought, Qi Xuansu noticed that the surroundings had fogged up at some point. The grade horse he was riding began to snort uneasily.

    Qi Xuansu had gone through many life-or-death situations, so he was ustomed to keeping calm at critical moments. He stretched out his hand and stroked the mane of the grade horse tofort it, then he mped the horse¡¯s belly with his legs to urge it to keep going.

    He did not release his blood qi rashly. Instead, he suppressed his blood qi and used his Rogue Cultivator¡¯s innate qi to form a protective qi shield around his body. That was because Qi Xuansu understood that although water could extinguish fire, a big enough fire could also ovee water.

    A Martial Arts Practitoner¡¯s blood qi could keep ghosts away from him, but if he encountered a powerful ghost with thousands of years of cultivation, his blood qi was akin to a dazzling beacon in the night, attracting that powerful ghost.

    Qi Xuansu looked up and saw that the blue sky and bright sun above him had disappeared. All he could see were gray skies and heavy clouds. The streets werepletely deserted, with not a single person in sight.

    This street was no different from an ordinary city. There were trees on both sides of the road andnterns hanging on the upper floors of the building facing the street. However, there were no people, and these buildings were all ck and white, like an ink-wash painting.

    There was a grayish-white mist everywhere, indistinguishable from the gloomy sky above, as if heaven and earth were connected. Everything was hazy, as if theherworld had suddenly surfaced.

    Qi Xuansu squinted his eyes, but he still could not see through the gray mist. He did not know where this road led to, but he had no choice but to continue moving forward.

    Suddenly, a gust of yin wind blew past him, carrying with it some vague noises like whispers, water dripping, and rustling. These sounds gradually became louder until Qi Xuansu could hearughter. However, it was not a happyugh. It was more of a sinister snicker in the dark, which made his hair stand on end.

    Although this was enough to frighten ordinary people, Qi Xuansu was not yet spooked. However, he remained vignt. That was because if someone were to ambush him in this environment, it would be difficult for him to fight back.

    Qi Xuansu rode through the heavy fog. His eyes suddenly lit up when he heard a crowd cheering. Finally, he saw a lively, long street.

    There were rows of shops on both sides, including teahouses, wineries, butcher shops, temples, shrines, and many more. The clothing shops sold bolts of silk and satin as well as various ready-made clothes.

    There were also various vendors on the roadside making y figures and candy figures, telling fortunes, selling candied hawthorns, steamed cakes, and other snacks.

    There were even a few brothels with colorful doors and banners to attract business.

    It was so crowded in the market street that the pedestrians jostled against each other.

    There were people from all walks of life here. Merchants were doing business; gentlemen stood on balconies to people watch; officials rode on horseback; vendors promoted their offers; youngdies rode in sedan chairs; traveling monks carried baskets on their backs; tourists asked for directions; children listened to stories on the streets; scions drank in restaurants; disabled old people were begging on the outskirts of the city.

    The entrance of the street was marked by a triple-arched gateway with four columns, around 7 meters tall and 17 meters wide. A horizontal sign carved with the words ¡°Ghost Street¡± was ced in the middle of the gateway. The words were ck at first nce, but upon closer inspection, it was a reddish ck, like aged blood.

    Qi Xuansu was not afraid of tombs or ancient temples. These would only scare schrs who had not cultivated a noble and upright spirit. If one encountered a ghost, one could escape and report it back to the Daoist Order. In the face of the Daoist Order, most ghosts and demons would surrender. After all, the Daoist Order¡¯s duty was to catch ghosts, y demons, and eradicate evil cults.

    However, the scene in front of him was not just a petty fight in the middle of nowhere. This was happening right under the nose of the Daoist Order, in the tightly guarded Ghost Pass.

    In this world, there were some people who could travel between the yin and yang realms, and there were also mortals who mistakenly entered the yin realm. Thetter group most often mistakenly entered the yin realm when their souls were separated from their bodies. Qi Xuansu was certain that his soul was still within his body because his horse came with him.

    Everything became clear to him at that moment. If this was not an borate trap set up by a master, the only exnation for this scene had to be rted to the nearby Ghost Kingdom.

    Qi Xuansu still remembered the principle of the Three Yang Lights, so he dared not look back over his shoulders. He took a deep breath and bravely walked through the archway, entering Ghost Street.

    The moment Qi Xuansu passed through the archway, everything changed abruptly.

    The faces of the vendors and pedestrians on the street instantly became pale and bloodless, like dead people. Although they were still going about their own business, they looked lifeless and mechanical, like puppets on a string.

    Qi Xuansu looked around at the shops on both sides of the street. The colorful silks and satins turned into shrouds for the dead. The gold, silver, and copper coins people used in their transactions turned into hell money.

    The moment a steamed bun vendor opened the cover of the steamer, the buns inside turned out to be small heads with lifelike expressions, including pain, sadness, andughter.

    The candied hawthorns sold were not made of fruit but blood-red eyes skewered on bamboo sticks and dipped in syrup. They were even glowing in a faint golden aura.

    A bread seller opened the basket before him, only to reveal someone¡¯s heart and liver.

    Despite these strange sightings, Qi Xuansu remained calm and reminded himself. ¡°These are just illusions. Don¡¯t be deceived by them, and don¡¯t be afraid. Otherwise, these ghosts will take advantage of my fear, and I¡¯ll be in bigger trouble.¡±

    If one was fearless, the ghosts would not be able to do anything. If one had fear in the heart, the ghosts could take advantage of this fear and use it against the person. Ghosts could create illusions so that the person would continue to hallucinate, unable to extricate oneself.

    Of course, powerful ghosts with hundreds of years or thousands of years of cultivation could still hurt people even without using their fear against them. Their magic was like that of Diviners, with the ability to create tangible illusions. Some people in the Daoist Order even thought that vengeful ghosts had intelligence and should be normalized.

    However, these ¡°people¡± never seemed to have noticed Qi Xuansu¡¯s presence, turning a blind eye to him and doing their own thing.

    Qi Xuansu breathed a sigh of relief and rode forward.

    Going a little further down Ghost Street, Qi Xuansu suddenly felt that the scene in front of him looked familiar. He could not help but stand on his horse¡¯s back to catch a glimpse of the view.

    Qi Xuansu had gone to the Imperial Capital with Madam Qi. Due to their tight schedule, he did not have deep memories of the Imperial Capital. However, there were two ces that impressed him deeply¡ªone was the Yuqing Garden outside the Imperial City, and the other was the farmer¡¯s market inside the city.

    Farmer¡¯s market was just amon name. Its official name was the West Market, which was located in the inner city of the Imperial Capital, with two gateways on the east and west entrances.

    Since there were two different types of capital punishment¡ªdecapitation and dismemberment¡ªthey were held at two separate ces. Beheadings were held under the west gateway, and dismemberment was done under the east gateway.

    Whenever executions took ce in the city, there would be Green Phoenix Guards, prison guards, officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Supervisory Censor, and the local magistrates present. After the execution, the prisoners¡¯ bodies would be dumped at a mass burial site, while their heads would be stored in a depository. Even after death, the prisoners would not have aplete corpse.

    Qi Xuansu thought that the scene before him looked a lot like the Farmer¡¯s Market of the Imperial Capital.

    At this moment, a group of ghost soldiers dressed in ck uniforms were seen escorting the prisoners from a distance. A crowd had already gathered to watch the fun.

    Judging by the uniforms, this was not the style of the Great Xuan Dynasty, nor was it the style of the former Wei Dynasty. It was more simr to the style of the Jin Dynasty.

    A momentter, the executioner, who looked like a butcher, arrived. His upper body was naked, revealing his dark chest hair. He was wearing a red scarf on his head and carrying a huge ghosthead machete with a ghostly blue sheen along its de.

    The crowd was cheering and waiting for the execution to begin.

 Chapter 274: Ghosthead Machete

    <h4>Chapter 274: Ghosthead Machete</h4>

    There were three prisoners waiting to be executed.

    The first prisoner was escorted to the execution tform with his hands tied behind his back. The executioner took a gulp of wine and sprayed it on the ghosthead machete, the droplets making the de glisten in an eerie blue glow.

    The executioner reached out to remove the vertical wooden sign from the prisoner¡¯s back. It had the prisoner¡¯s name and ¡°decapitation¡± written on it.

    After throwing the sign to the ground, the executioner raised the ghosthead machete over his head and shed down hard.

    The prisoner¡¯s head tumbled to the ground and finallynded a few meters away from the body. Since the beginning, this prisoner had not made a sound.

    What ensued was a burst of cheers from the crowd. The atmosphere was lively even though the air was frigid.

    Then came the second prisoner. The executioner did the same old routine, but this prisoner began to sing.

    <i>? The woods painted red,

    </i>

    <i> ? From the bloody tears of parting lovers,

    </i>

    <i> ? Loathing the dy in their meeting,

    </i>

    <i> ? Resenting the speed of their lover¡¯s departure.

    </i>

    <i> ? Long willow vines,

    </i>

    <i> ? But not enough to tie him back¡ª</i>

    Before the second prisoner finished singing, a ghost soldier on the side held the prisoner¡¯s head down. The executioner raised the ghosthead machete high once again. The moment he brought down the machete, blood sshed everywhere.

    Another burst of cheers erupted from the crowd, and the atmosphere became more and more lively.

    Qi Xuansu shuddered.

    The third andst prisoner staggered onto the execution tform, escorted by two ghost soldiers.

    This time, a piece of white paper was blocking the prisoner¡¯s face.

    For some reason, Qi Xuansu felt a sense of familiarity even though he could not see the prisoner¡¯s features.

    At this moment, a ghost soldier ripped off the white paper, revealing the prisoner¡¯s true appearance.

    Qi Xuansu was shocked to see his own face on the execution tform.

    The crowd did not notice Qi Xuansu¡¯s presence at first. However, in his moment of astonishment, everyone suddenly turned their attention to him, as if they had just discovered that Qi Xuansu was not one of them.

    The noise and cheers from before vanished in an instant; only a deadly silence remained.

    The next moment, the crowd rushed toward Qi Xuansu, grabbing him and trying to pull him off his horse.

    Qi Xuansu knew that his astonishment had extinguished one of his Three Yang Lights, making him weaker against ghosts.

    He wanted to escape, but to his dismay, all his cultivation had disappeared. He could not break away from their grip and was easily pulled off his horse. He felt like the world was spinning.

    By the time Qi Xuansu came to his senses, he found himself pressed on the execution tform. A cold brush of wind made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

    Not far away was the white paper used to cover the third prisoner¡¯s face from before. However, this time, Qi Xuansu noticed a little portrait of him drawn on it.

    Qi Xuansu knew that he was in trouble and wanted to resist, but he found that his strength was only that of an ordinary young man without cultivation. He could barely lift his head, let alone fight back.

    The executioner took another gulp of wine, spraying it on the ghosthead machete in his hand for the third time.

    Qi Xuansu knew that he would be decapitated in seconds if he did nothing.

    The crowd became lively again, their cheers overwhelming his eardrums.

    That was when Qi Xuansu roared with all his might until his eyes turned red. He tried his best to break free from the shackles of the ghost soldiers. At this critical moment of life and death, he somehow regained some strength. He managed to raise his head and even overturn the ghost soldier who was pressing his body onto the tform.

    To his surprise, these ghost soldiers also had the strength of ordinary people. The ghost soldier let go of Qi Xuansu when he was shoved.

    Although Qi Xuansu lost his strength and cultivation, he still had martial arts skills. He took advantage of the situation to bump into another ghost soldier. Since these ghost soldiers were not stronger than Qi Xuansu, they were immediately knocked off their feet.

    At this moment, the crowd watching the fun below decided to intervene. They immediately rushed over and stretched out their withered palms to capture Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu was clearly outnumbered. Since he did not have the mystical abilities of a Martial Arts Practitioner and only had the strength of an ordinary person at this time, he dared not fight against this crowd and turned to flee.

    Fortunately, Qi Xuansu¡¯s grade horse was intelligent. It did not run away and even came to rescue Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu jumped on the horse¡¯s back from the execution tform, and the horse galloped away as fast as it could.

    Although the crowd looked ferocious, they were afraid of being run over by the horse, just like living people.

    That was how Qi Xuansu managed to escape from the frenzied crowd.

    After a while, Qi Xuansu breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that no one was chasing him.

    At this moment, a wedding procession approached. The groom¡¯s face was covered with snow-white powder, with two patches of blush on the cheeks. His lips were smeared with lipstick as red as blood, and he was riding a chestnut horse.

    Behind the horse was a porter carrying the bride¡¯s dowry, and in front was someone holding a box of the bride¡¯s adornments. Ahead of them was a pnquin, beautifully decorated with various flowers and greenery, known as a flower pnquin. Following the pnquin was another porter carrying a load of fish and meat, symbolizing the good wishes of wealth and abundance from the bride¡¯s family to the groom¡¯s family.

    Upon closer look, Qi Xuansu noticed that the groom, chestnut horse, pnquin, porters, dowry, and the apanying band were all made of paper.

    Qi Xuansu met the groom¡¯s eyes, which were entirely ck with no whites. He felt uneasy and looked away to the building next to him, which happened to be a brothel. Through the window pane, he could see a woman inside, sitting in front of a mirror.

    The woman was putting on makeup, but after a while, she seemed dissatisfied, so she tore off the upperyer of her face to reveal her true appearance¡ªa green face with pointed teeth. She spread the face mask on the table, picked up a colored brush, and painted a few strokes on it. Later, she threw the brush aside and used both hands to put the face mask back on, instantly transforming into a beautiful woman again.

    <i>This is what they call painted skin in fantasy novels! </i>Qi Xuansu thought to himself as goosebumps rose all over his arm.

    He got off his horse, parked it at the roadside, and entered the building so as to avoid the group of paper figurines approaching.

    The moment he walked into the brothel, he could hear women¡¯sughter echoing all around, making it impossible to tell which direction it wasing from.

    A woman with beautifully arched eyebrows and intricately styled hair appeared in front of Qi Xuansu, staring at him as if she were looking at a piece of delicious meat.

    Qi Xuansu felt goosebumps rising once again. This feeling was different from what he was used to in a critical moment of life and death. If he died in the hands of others in a fight, he could only me himself for being inferior to his opponent. In that case, he would still understand how he had died. But this was another feeling altogether. This was such a strange ce, and nothing made sense to him.

    The female ghost charged at him with her long nails and fangs. Her tongue was hanging out, touching her chest.

    Qi Xuansu gritted his teeth and punched the female ghost in the head.

    To his surprise, the female ghost staggered back from this punch. She seemed stunned.

    When she returned to her senses, she covered her face and started sobbing.

    Qi Xuansu was startled for a moment. That was when he realized that everyone here was the same as him, with no cultivation or magical powers. They were just ¡°ordinary,¡± like him.

    However, he had the strength of an ordinary young man who could overthrow the ghost soldiers earlier. After all, he had practiced martial arts, so he was not afraid of this female ghost. She was just a weak woman who skinned people¡¯s faces to use as masks.

    Qi Xuansu was emboldened by this thought.

    Several servants in green turbans around him were too timid to step forward. Thus, Qi Xuansu took this opportunity to jump over and punch them, knocking them all down to the ground.

    Seeing how terrifying Qi Xuansu was, the female ghost immediately stopped crying and fled quickly.

    ¡°Hmph! Trying to escape?¡± Qi Xuansu chased after the female ghost and tried to grab her face mask.

    At this moment, a machete shed out diagonally. Qi Xuansu was stunned and stopped in his tracks.

    The de almost grazed Qi Xuansu''s fingertips. If he had not stopped in time, half of his arm would have been cut off.

    Since there were no magical powers or cultivation in this ce, his arm would not be able to heal itself.

    Qi Xuansu raised his eyes and saw the executioner from before, attacking him with the blue ghosthead machete.

    He was shocked to see the executioner because he did not notice anyone following him earlier. That was why he had let down his guard. The executioner then took advantage of Qi Xuansu¡¯s ignorance to ambush him.

    However, Qi Xuansu was no longer afraid of the executioner. None of them had cultivation, so it would be equivalent to hand-to-handbat.

    Qi Xuansu looked around and grabbed an iron candlestick nearby that he could use as a weapon.

    The executioner did not say a word. He raised the ghosthead machete and struck down on Qi Xuansu¡¯s head.

    Qi Xuansu did not dodge. He held the candlestick horizontally in front of him to block the attack and test the executioner¡¯s strength. If the executioner was strong, Qi Xuansu would fight back and flee as soon as he could.

    However, to Qi Xuansu¡¯s surprise, he did not feel any resistance from the ghosthead machete. That was because the executioner¡¯s ghosthead machete seemed to be an illusion, passing through the horizontal candlestick in Qi Xuansu¡¯s hand and shing toward Qi Xuansu¡¯s neck.

    Qi Xuansu only had one thought at this time. <i>This sneaky bastard! How is he using magical powers?</i>

 Chapter 275: Turn the Tables

    <h4>Chapter 275: Turn the Tables</h4>

    The reason why Qi Xuansu did not use his cusses and short sword was because these spiritual objects were of no use in this weird ce. Qi Xuansu was unable to use his cultivation, so he could not wield these spiritual objects and his Divine Dragon Pistol.

    Moreover, his short sword and cusses were too short against the ghosthead machete, which had a long de. Instead, the long candlestick was more useful.

    What Qi Xuansu did not expect was for the executioner¡¯s ghosthead machete to turn from solid to imaginary,pletely going through the candlestick like it was air. Once the machete passed the blockade, it struck Qi Xuansu.

    Faced with this situation, Qi Xuansu let go of the candlestick and had no choice but to drop and roll away, narrowly avoiding the attack.

    The executioner continued hacking Qi Xuansu with the ghosthead machete, each strike narrowly missing him. When the dended on the ground, no sparks were created from the friction. It did not leave any marks on the ground, nor did it make the slightest sound.

    Qi Xuansu turned around and ran away. At the same time, he grabbed two servants and threw them toward the executioner, intending to use them to hinder the executioner¡¯s pursuit.

    However, the executioner did not even bother to look at the servants and merely chopped them with his ghosthead machete.

    The bodies of the two servants were split into two parts, but that did not slow down the ghosthead machete. The ghosthead machete turned illusory again before bing solid, with an exaggeratedly sharp de.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s challenges were unending, as he was not familiar with the terrain of this ce. At some point, he ran into a dead end.

    Since he only had the strength of an ordinary man without cultivation, there was no way he could break through the wall or jump through the roof. He could not retreat either because the executioner was blocking his path.

    Seeing this, the executioner did not hesitate and shed the ghosthead machete at Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu was trapped in a small space, so he barely had room to move around. Thus, he had no choice but to use his hands to block the attack.

    The moment Qi Xuansu¡¯s hands came into contact with the de, he could feel severe pain in his palms. At the same time, a thin line of blood appeared on Qi Xuansu¡¯s forehead, which extended down to his chest. It looked like the de had fallen on Qi Xuansu¡¯s body, about to split him in half from top to bottom.

    The only good news was that Qi Xuansu¡¯s palms sessfully blocked the brunt of the ghosthead machete¡¯s attack. Although the machete was still advancing slowly, it was not as lethal as it was on the execution tform.

    It was not until this moment that Qi Xuansu finally saw the executioner¡¯s face, which was not as rough as he imagined. There was ayer of white powder on the executioner¡¯s face, like the white foundation used on corpses. His lips were a terrifying shade of bright red.

    This ghosthead machete was indeed strange. However, Qi Xuansu thought that Zhang Yuelu had better knifemanship than this executioner. If Zhang Yuelu had been the one chasing him, Qi Xuansu would not have been so confident to block an attack with his bare hands.

    However, this executioner had a strong killing aura, much more intense than Qi Xuansu¡¯s, making Qi Xuansu wonder how many people this executioner had killed.

    If it were not for the fact that Qi Xuansu also had some killing aura, he would have already submitted to the executioner in fear.

    During this critical moment of life and death, Qi Xuansu calmed his nerves. His thoughts became clearer, and he could feel the strong murderous intenting from the ghosthead machete.

    Generally speaking, most swords and knives had sword qi upon their creation. The murderous intent only came after killing countless people, as the people¡¯s emotions¡ªmainly fear, resentment, and despair¡ªwould condense onto the de as a divine will.

    The owner of this ghosthead machete was an executioner. So when used as an execution knife, this machete had umted the divine will from the countless people it had in.

    Although this kind of divine will could notpare to divine power, it could be further condensed into divine power when it had concentrated to a certain extent.

    Divine power could cause harm, simr to magic. Simply put, it would only work if one believed in it.

    If Qi Xuansu believed from the bottom of his heart that this machete could not hurt him, then it would not be able to injure him. But if he believed that this machete could kill him, then he would not be able to resist it even if he fought for his life.

    This was the reason why many ghosts could harm people. Ghosts stimted fear. In the end, most people scared themselves to death.

    This exined why the ghosthead machete appeared solid at times and illusory at others. It was not because the machete was constantly changing states, but because of the medium in which itnded on. Qi Xuansu and several servants believed that the ghosthead machete was real, so it could hurt them. However, inanimate objects such as the candlestick and the ground had no thoughts, so the machete seemed illusory upon touching them.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu became ted.

    This was a golden opportunity for him. He was just worried about how he could harvest divine power for the Xuan Jade of Death. Previously, Wu Luo¡¯s divine power in Yn Temple had activated his Xuan Jade of Life. However, Wu Luo¡¯s fierce and dangerous divine power came at a great cost, so he dared not search for it to activate the Xuan Jade of Death.

    This moment enlightened Qi Xuansu. The reason why he had identally wandered into this Ghost Street was probably rted to the Xuan Jade of Death. After all, ording to Madam Qi, the Xuan Jade of Death could control theherworld, and this ce was most likely rted to theherworld.

    After gaining some rity, Qi Xuansu was emboldened. Although he could not dismiss this invincible ghosthead machete, he was no longer as helpless as before. He used his hands to force the ghosthead machete away from him and dodged the attack.

    Immediately afterward, Qi Xuansu took out his Xuan Jade of Death and held it in his palm.

    The executioner was getting a little irritated. He once again struck Qi Xuansu on the head.

    This time, Qi Xuansu did not catch the de with his hands or dodge it. Instead, he used the Xuan Jade of Death to block the machete.

    Qi Xuansu figured that since the Xuan Jade of Life was able to protect him against Wu Luo¡¯s terrifying divine power, this Xuan Jade of Death should be able to withstand this ghosthead machete, which could notpare to Wu Luo¡¯s divine power.

    Sure enough, the moment the ghosthead machete came into contact with the Xuan Jade in Qi Xuansu¡¯s hand, it did not turn illusory as it did with the other objects previously. It remained motionless.

    Logically speaking, the Xuan Jade was also an inanimate object, so the ghosthead machete should be illusory. Just as Qi Xuansu guessed, the Xuan Jade of Death could restrain these things.

    The next moment, the executioner and his machete shrank rapidly until it was absorbed into the Xuan Jade of Death. The executioner was unable to resist at all.

    Qi Xuansu raised the Xuan Jade of Death and examined it, noticing another shadow inside. Now, there were two shadows trapped in this stone. The blood streaks inside also became clearer and brighter.

    As the saying goes, human greed knows no bounds.

    Qi Xuansu had previously thought about how he should escape. However, he hadpletely ditched that idea after seeing the effects of the Xuan Jade. At this moment, he only viewed this ce as a treasure chest. If he encountered a few more ghosts, would this mean that he could fully activate his Xuan Jade of Death?

    If he missed this opportunity, he did not know where else he could search for divine power.

    Thus, with this idea, Qi Xuansu strode outside holding the Xuan Jade of Death. He returned to the street and saw several ghost soldiers pulling the reins of his grade horse.

    The horse struggled violently and kept rearing. When it saw Qi Xuansuing out of the brothel, it neighed loudly to gain his attention.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu pointed the Xuan Jade of Death in his hand at the ghost soldiers holding his horse. The jade instantly absorbed the ghost soldiers as it did with the executioner.

    The originally lively street suddenly fell into a deadly silence. All the pedestrians stared at the Xuan Jade of Death in horror. Their expressions were no longer lifeless like before. Instead, they were filled with panic and fear.

    Qi Xuansu really wanted tough out loud at this sight, for the tables had turned. It only took him an hour or so to figure out how he could gain the upper hand in this strange ce.

    He scanned the street, which was chaotic as everyone fled as fast as they could. Some tripped over and fell, while others shut their doors. After a while, the busy street became empty.

    Qi Xuansu pondered for a while. He kept the Xuan Jade of Death in his sleeve pocket and got on his horse, nning to continue his journey.

    If he remembered correctly, past the Farmer¡¯s Market was the inner city, which was the gateway to the pce city. He wondered if this ce was an imitation of the Imperial Capital in theherworld.

 Chapter 276: Treating People as Expendable

    <h4>Chapter 276: Treating People as Expendable</h4>

    Spirit Guard Xu lifted the Guizhen-stage guard with one hand and lifted his feet off the ground. This would not make the Guizhen-stage guard suffocate to death, but it was embarrassing. The poor guy could only use his hands to swat at the iron fist of the second-rank Spirit Guard, unable to break free.

    Du Longtan frowned, suddenly realizing that things were getting out of his control.

    Only a Heavenly Being could subdue a Guizhen-stage master with one move.

    What kind of background did the Lu family have to hire a Heavenly Being as an escort?

    However, Du Longtan did not panic. After all, everything was still negotiable at this stage.

    The surrounding guests were also rtively rxed because there were other guards around. Even if someone powerful decided to stir up trouble, they could call for backup and win the fight by outnumbering the opponent.

    Du Longtan stood up slowly, sped his fists, and said, ¡°Greetings, my friend. It¡¯s best not to cause any fatalities today. Why don¡¯t we each take a step back? I¡¯ll apologize, and you can let the guard go. We¡¯ll all be better off that way.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu slowly walked onto the tform. She did not stop until she reached the relief of the two dragons ying with a pearl. She looked down at the ckened blood flowing between the gaps of the white-jade relief, which was a stark contrast simr to the yin and yang symbol.

    ¡°It¡¯s best not to cause any fatalities today, huh?¡± Zhang Yuelu tapped the tip of her boots. ¡°Then what is this? Isn¡¯t this considered a fatality?¡±

    Du Longtan was rendered speechless.

    Zhang Yuelu turned to Spirit Guard Xu. ¡°Don¡¯t kill him.¡±

    Spirit Guard Xu obliged and rxed his grip slightly.

    Zhang Yuelu looked at Du Longtan again. ¡°Perhaps to you, these aren¡¯t fatalities because you don¡¯t consider them human. They are just animals for your entertainment. But you seem to have forgotten whether what you are doing is allowed. The heavens and earth treat all beings as equals, and the enlightened ones treat all people equally. We are all the same, whether you are a court official, a nobleman, or a homeless beggar. There is no difference between you and me. The enlightened ones won¡¯t approve of what you are doing, nor will the people.¡±

    Confucian Sages, the Primordial Daoist Ancestor, the Buddha, the God of the Holy Court, and even emperors could be considered enlightened ones.

    All the guests looked at Zhang Yuelu as if she were a fool. Who woulde to a ce like this to preach morals? This young man was so studious and naive!

    However, Du Longtan had already noticed something was wrong. He stared at Zhang Yuelu intently and questioned, ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu thought that she had seen enough depravity for the day, so she had no intention of concealing her identity anymore. She dered, ¡°My name is Zhang Yuelu.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s great reputation was limited to the Daoist Order and, at most, to certain groups with which she had interacted before. These guests were mostly merchants and scions who came here to have fun, wanting to take a break from their business, wives, concubines, and the many children they had at home. They usually had a full schedule in their mundane lives, so they would not pay attention to a rising star in the Daoist Order.

    Therefore, after Zhang Yuelu announced her name, most of the guests present were confused. A few people even thought that she was joking, as her name coincided with one of the 28 constetions.

    However, Du Longtan¡¯s reaction was different from the rest. When he heard her name, his face turned pale. Of course, he knew who this girl was.

    Zhang Yuelu had no intention of using her name to shock people, but she felt the need to first dere her identity so that she could state her purpose¡ªto punish these people ording to thew.

    She wanted these people to understand what they were about to face. That way, this incident could serve as a warning to others.

    Zhang Yuelu continued, ¡°I am a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master serving as the Eighth Deputy Hall Master of Tiangang Hall. I am under the orders of the Tiangang Hall Master to destroy this cult stronghold.¡±

    Everyone was flustered as soon as they heard this. Though the night was young, there was no way they could continue having fun.

    Zhang Yuelu scanned the crowd. ¡°Although you are not members of the Daoistmunity, ording to the Kunlun Pact made by the Holy Xuan and the Emperor Gaozu, the Daoist Order has the right to solely handle all matters involving secret societies. Therefore, the Daoist Order has the right to arrest you all and punish you ordingly.¡±

    Everyone could not help but shudder.

    Zhang Yuelu was implying that there was no need to use one¡¯s connections or background in an attempt to escape punishment. The pact between the Holy Xuan and Emperor Gaozu was an ancestral decree that no one, not even the Grand Master or the current Emperor, could overturn.

    When the Holy Xuan was alive, he took action against his own family, deposing many of the Li family members from positions of power, yet the Li family dared not retaliate. They also dared not badmouth the Holy Xuan. Instead, they whitewashed themselves and regarded themselves as the direct descendants of the Holy Xuan.

    That was because dismissing the Holy Xuan meant disregarding the foundation of the Daoist Order. If the Li family had done that, they would have lost their im for glory.

    The arrogant and domineering Li family, whose power and influence extended throughout the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court, dared not go against the ancestral decree, let alone the others.

    These guests sat stiffly in their seats, not daring to move a muscle. After all, their punishment would not be too severe.

    Du Longtan was the only exception. He knew that he would be dead if he got caught, so he was not willing to be a sitting duck.

    Thus, Du Longtan made a secret gesture. Two other guards emerged from the shadows, and the three of them charged at Zhang Yuelu simultaneously from all sides, intending to hold her hostage so as to bargain for a chance of survival.

    Without hesitation, Spirit Guard Xu crushed the throat of the Guizhen-stage guard he strangled before facing off against two other Guizhen-stage guards at the same time.

    Before they had any time to react, Spirit Guard Xu rushed toward one of them and swiped at him. The guard flew backward from the impact, crashing through the wall and falling off the building from the third floor.

    Immediately afterward, Spirit Guard Xu turned sideways to grab the other guard by the neck. He easily lifted the guard up, and within seconds, the guard¡¯s face turned from red to blue.

    These Guizhen-stage Xiantian Beings could not hold a candle to a second-rank Spirit Guard, who was as fast as lightning.

    Even Lei Xiaohuan, a Heavenly Being Wuliang-stage Martial Arts Practitioner, would not have the confidence to defeat Spirit Guard Xu in a fight. This showed just how powerful a high-ranking Spirit Guard was. If Spirit Guard Xu was not that capable, Sage Cihang would not have sent him to protect Zhang Yuelu.

    Spirit Guards would have been on equal footing with Daoist priests of the same rank if their cultivation had note from external sources.

    In the meantime, Zhang Yuelu faced off with Du Longtan.

    The result was obvious because Du Longtan was no match for Zhang Yuelu, who was about to be a Heavenly Being. Zhang Yuelu defeated him in two to three moves and bound him with a whip transformed from her Amorphous Paper.

    Du Longtan could not move, but he was not yet in despair because this manor was the Lingshan Witch Cult¡¯s stronghold. It was also an important source of wealth, so most of their manpower was concentrated here, including a Heavenly Being.

    As long as that Heavenly Being brought backup, there would be a chance to turn the tables.

    At this moment, a shocking explosion shook the whole building and illuminated the night sky.

    One shot of Grade-A Series Seven Phoenix Eye Bomb sted through the gate of the manor, razing the entire gatehouse and arge section of the courtyard wall to the ground.

    The cult demons stationed at the gate had no time to react before turning into mutted and charred corpses.

    Immediately afterward, a battalion of Spirit Guards in ck armor marched into the manor, stepping over the rubble and ashes. Their heavy footsteps were uniform and rhythmic.

    Behind the Spirit Guards was a group of Daoist priests in ck formal attire.

    The towering walls that acted as a defense mechanism were now a hindrance to the cult demons trying to flee for their lives. The people in the manor were now caged in.

    In an instant, the scene in the manor turned chaotic. The noblemen trapped in the manor were no different from the servants working there. Everyone was helpless, screaming and crying for mercy in the face of these oppressive Spirit Guards.

    Not long after, Sun Yongfeng led a team of Spirit Guards to the third floor. ¡°Deputy Hall Master, you are wise to go deep into the cult demon¡¯sir and capture their leader. The remaining demons have lost their courage and arepletely vulnerable.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nced at him and instructed, ¡°Don¡¯t kill innocent people indiscriminately. Be sure to screen through them carefully. Understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Deputy Hall Master.¡± Sun Yongfeng responded quickly.

    Zhang Yuelu nced at Spirit Guard Xu. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to deal with the Heavenly Being here.¡±

    Spirit Guard Xu handed over the captive in his hands to the other Spirit Guards. Then he took off his cloak, exposing the Spirit Guard armor underneath. He also put on his helmet and visor, which he retrieved from his magical receptacle.

    He answered solemnly, ¡°I ept yourmand, Deputy Hall Master.¡±

 Chapter 277: The Journey to the Netherworld

    <h4>Chapter 277: The Journey to the Netherworld</h4>

    Qi Xuansu did not know how long he had been gone¡ªperhaps six or maybe even eight hours.

    Since the sun was shielded by a thickyer of gloomy clouds here, it was impossible for Qi Xuansu to determine the time based on the position of the sun. Day and night seemed no different.

    Moreover, it was strange that he and his grade horse never seemed to tire, so he could not estimate how much time had passed based on his physical exertion.

    Qi Xuansu had another way to calcte time, by using his heartbeat and pulse or by calcting the cycles of innate qi cirction in his body. However, he had lost his cultivation in this ce. He could not even sense his heartbeat or pulse, much like a dead person.

    That was why Qi Xuansu did not have a clear concept of the passage of time in this ce.

    After all the pedestrians disappeared, this long street seemed unending. The buildings on the side seemed to be rearranging themselves in a loop. They all looked familiar, but the restaurant that was originally adjacent to the silk shop suddenly appeared beside a bakery or a pawn shop the next time he saw it. No matter how many times Qi Xuansu passed by the same buildings, he could never seem to reach the end of the street.

    The repetitive and monotonous journey made Qi Xuansu feel a little dazed.

    He thought to himself, <i>Why can¡¯t I see the Imperial City yet? Is the Imperial Capital that big?</i>

    Qi Xuansu tried forcing his way into one of the buildings, but he could not break down doors and windows easily, as he only had the strength of an ordinary person here. The Xuan Jade of Death also had no effect on these inanimate objects.

    He also thought about turning back, but all he could see was a vast expanse of white behind him, with no road to be seen.

    Qi Xuansu could not help but wonder if this ce was a real city shrouded in strong yin energy or if it was all an illusion.

    Spells could turn falsehoods into reality, especially advanced spells. Perhaps this city was fake to Immortals, but to Qi Xuansu, it was tangible.

    After some time, when Qi Xuansu and the grade horse under him were numb to the scenery, there was finally a change in their surroundings.

    The long street finally came to an end, and Qi Xuansu could see many figures. However, he could only see a vague outline of their figures and could not identify their clothes or faces. These humanoid figures were huddled around a copper basin, mumbling something.

    Qi Xuansu was so excited that his mind became clearer. This feeling was akin to washing his face with cold water after a long nap on a summer afternoon.

    He listened carefully to the whispers and thought that it sounded familiar. Although he could not understand what they were saying, he had heard this chant before.

    Qi Xuansu pondered seriously for a while before recalling that he had heard this chant in his recurring dream.

    Every time he went to that mountain in his dream, he could see some figures hiding in the shadows away from the fire, murmuring the exact same chant.

    Were these figures also members of Ancient Wuism?

    Ancient Wuism was different from the Lingshan Witch Cult. The Lingshan Witch Cult¡¯s members could not even remember the founders of Ancient Wuism, which were the Ten Great Witches of Lingshan. They only knew who Wu Luo was, but they did not know much about that Ancient Immortal''s history.

    At this moment, one of those figures took out a straw figurine and threw it into the brazier.

    In an instant, Qi Xuansu¡¯s body ignited in mes. Qi Xuansu frantically put out the fire on his body, but he could still feel the searing pain on his skin.

    Strangeughter echoed from these figures as they mocked Qi Xuansu.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu was furious. He took out the Xuan Jade of Death from his pocket and pointed it at those figures, instantly absorbing them into the jade.

    As a result, the Xuan Jade of Death became a little brighter. Qi Xuansu was delighted to see that these figures contained divine power.

    At this moment, he heard a chuckle from behind.

    Qi Xuansu turned around and saw the little girl in the yellow shirt who made fun of him earlier.

    ¡°Little girl, will you tell me where we are right now?¡± Qi Xuansu dismounted, held the reins of his horse, and tried his best to look friendly.

    The little girl replied, ¡°The Ghost Kingdom, of course!¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart sank, but he was not too surprised because he roughly guessed this was the Xuan Jade''s doing. He asked again, ¡°How can I get out of here?¡±

    ¡°Just use the gate!¡± The little girl stretched out her hand and pointed behind her. The clouds and heavy white fog cleared in the direction she pointed, revealing a majestic city gate about 60 meters tall that was vaguely visible in the distance. Someone standing right below it would seem like an ant inparison. Beyond the gate was a shimmering expanse of light, resembling the rippling surface of ake.

    At this moment, a white mist descended again between where they were standing and the city gate, concealing the countless buildings. asionally, some corners of the eaves would peek out through this mist.

    Qi Xuansu looked around and saw many ck dots on the top of the city wall, walking back and forth. If he was not mistaken, they should be the Spirit Guards.

    ¡°Is that the gateway to and from the Ghost Kingdom?¡± Qi Xuansu mumbled.

    ¡°Exactly!¡± The little girl smiled and added, ¡°But if you take this path, you will probably be asked how you got in. If you don¡¯t give a clear answer, those fierce Spirit Guards won¡¯t let you leave.¡±

    Qi Xuansu understood this. He quickly probed, ¡°What about you? How did you get in?¡±

    The little girl answered confidently, ¡°I came in with Grandpa!¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s your grandpa, then?¡± Qi Xuansu asked patiently.

    The little girl pondered before replying, ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is. Grandpa is very busy every day. He has so much work to do, but he will alwayse back for me when he is done. He can find me no matter where I am!¡±

    Qi Xuansu inquired. ¡°Will you tell me more about your grandpa?¡±

    The little girl blinked innocently. ¡°Well, for starters, my grandpa is not human.¡±

    ¡°Not human?¡± Qi Xuansu¡¯s face remained calm, but his heart was pounding anxiously. ¡°Are you going to tell me he¡¯s a ghost?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am a thousand-year-old ghost.¡± A voice interrupted them from behind.

    Qi Xuansu felt a slight chill on his back. He turned around abruptly and saw the old man he had been talking to before standing not far from him.

    His face grew solemn as he questioned, ¡°Sir, why did you bring me here?¡±

    The old man waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t use me of bringing you in here. You followed us here yourself!¡±

    Qi Xuansu subconsciously lowered his head and looked at the Xuan Jade of Death in his hand.

    The old man¡¯s voice sounded ethereal. ¡°That¡¯s a valuable thing you have there. It can open a gap between the yin and yang realms. You should be familiar with the Yin Yang Gate, right? It¡¯s a spell that allows one to bypass the distance between the yang realm by walking through the yin realm. After all, one step in the yin realm is equivalent to hundreds of kilometers in the yang realm.¡±

    The old man paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°This is rted to the Ghost Kingdom. Back then, the Zaoge Cult created a mountain of corpses and a sea of ??blood in the Ghost Kingdom. The intense corpse qi corroded the barrier between the yin and yang realms, connecting theherworld to the mortal realm. This caused the reversal of yin and yang energies within the Ghost Kingdom.

    ¡°Although most of the corpses had been cleaned up after the Daoist Order, the Ghost Kingdom still has a special existence. You can consider it the weaker link in the barrier between the yin and yang realms. That¡¯s why strange things often ur when the yin and yang realms ovep.

    ¡°During that period of ovep, the residents in the Ghost Kingdom would venture to the mortal realm. Daoists call it the opening of the ghost gate. That was why the Daoist Order built a Ghost Pass. The Daoist Order told the outside world that the Ghost Pass was built to guard against foreign enemies, but in fact, it was to secure the Ghost Kingdom. In such ces, it¡¯s easy to encounter things that aren¡¯t from the mortal realm.

    ¡°You carry this valuable object that can connect you to theherworld, yet you still dare to travel through the Ghost Pass. I don¡¯t know whether I should apud your bravery orugh at your ignorance. Otherwise, why did you think I chose to talk to you out of so many passersby?¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled bitterly as he thought, <i>Why am I always finding myself in such troublesome situations?</i>

 Chapter 278: Master Wan

    <h4>Chapter 278: Master Wan</h4>

    Qi Xuansu hurriedly asked, ¡°Sir, how should I leave this ce?¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re already here, so you might as well make the most out of your visit.¡± The old man motioned for Qi Xuansu to stay calm. ¡°The Ghost Kingdom is regarded as a restricted area by the Daoist Order, so no one is allowed to set foot in here. Since you managed to get in, why don¡¯t you follow me around? You never know if you¡¯ll ever get the chance toe here again.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was about to refuse, but after some consideration, he decided that the best way for him to leave the Ghost Kingdom was to depend on this mysterious old man. After all, Qi Xuansu did not want to be escorted out of the Ghost Kingdom by the Spirit Guards.

    Thus, he had no choice but to agree. ¡°As you wish, sir.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem that willing to tag along, kid.¡± The old manughed and walked ahead.

    The little girl nced at Qi Xuansu and skipped along behind the old man.

    Qi Xuansu speed-walked to catch up with the old man and kept about a meter¡¯s distance between them.

    Wherever the old man went, the white mist dispersed, revealing the surrounding scenery.

    Qi Xuansu looked around and noticed a variety of buildings with different heights and shapes. Although Qi Xuansu did not have a deep impression of the Imperial Capital, he could still recognize its typical architectural style. This street was no different from the long street he walked through earlier, except it was deserted.

    He had a feeling that the street was only deserted because everyone had gone into hiding, as if arge army was about to pass through. Every door was closed, and no one dared to wander around.

    Just as he was deep in thought, fog gathered at the old man¡¯s feet before turning into a white rainbow bridge. The old man then led his granddaughter onto the bridge.

    Qi Xuansu raised his head, but he could not see the end of this white rainbow bridge because it was blocked by more fog.

    He hesitated for a moment before following the old man. The moment he stepped onto the bridge, he felt as if he were stepping on fluffy cotton. Fortunately, he did not fall through the bridge.

    Qi Xuansu broke the silence first. ¡°Sir, I haven¡¯t asked for your name yet.¡±

    The old man walking in front said without looking back, ¡°My name is Yin Jiuyin.¡±

    ¡°Please forgive me for being presumptuous, but I think your name gives off a strong yin aura,¡± Qi Xuansu quipped.

    The old manughed and retorted, ¡°I¡¯m a millennial ghost. Do you reckon I should name myself Jiuyang?¡±

    The little girl interjected. ¡°Grandpa, I heard that you should name yourself based on what you naturallyck. That way, you will achieve bnce. Since you arecking in yang energy, you could really name yourself Jiuyang!¡±

    ¡°Watch your manners, girl.¡± The old man jokingly chided her before exining, ¡°Yang energy cane from yin energy too, as long as the yin energy is intense enough.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± The little girl nodded.

    Although the old man imed to be a thousand-year-old ghost, Qi Xuansu still had yet to figure out whether this old man was a human or a ghost. No matter what, the old man had a much higher cultivation than he did, so Qi Xuansu had no choice but to follow them.

    After an unknown amount of time, the white rainbow bridge extended into the thick fog. Although the fog parted wherever the old man passed, Qi Xuansu still could not see what was happening on both sides of the bridge.

    At some point, the surrounding mist and the white rainbow bridge had merged into one, making the path indistinguishable. Qi Xuansu was worried that if the old man had not been right in front of him, he would have deviated from the path and fallen off the bridge.

    They continued walking until the white rainbow bridge finally began to slope downward. The path under his feet became clear again.

    Qi Xuansu only breathed a sigh of relief when his feet touched solid ground again.

    The old man waved his hand. The fog in front of them receded to both sides, revealing a huge pce gate and a continuous stretch of city wall, built entirely of ck boulders nearly 30 meters high. There was a sign that read, Wu Gate in the middle.

    Qi Xuansu was shocked, wondering if this ce really was a replica of the Imperial Capital.

    The old man pointed at the Wu Gate and exined, ¡°The master of the Zaoge Cult back then was known as the Emperor of the Netherworld. That was why he created a replica of the entire Imperial City in the Ghost Kingdom. Daoists called this ce the Imperial Pce of the Netherworld. If this fog dissipates, you¡¯ll be able to see how simr it is to the Imperial City."

    Qi Xuansu wondered aloud. ¡°Why is it so foggy here?¡±

    Yin Jiuyin replied, ¡°This fog is the creation of the Daoist Order. You¡¯ll find out the specific reason for it soon.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded and did not pursue the topic further.

    Past the Wu Gate was the Chengtian Gate in the south, the Imperial Ancestral Temple to the east, and the Altar of Land and Grain to the west.

    The old man went to the Altar of Land and Grain.

    In the mortal realm, the Altar of Land and Grain was built during the reign of Emperor Taizong, located opposite the Imperial Ancestral Temple. The significance of this altar was for the emperor to perform sacrificial rituals to the deities in hopes of having enough harvest for the empire, thus maintaining a stable reign.

    Qi Xuansu followed the old man into the Altar of Land and Grain.

    Heaven was considered a yang force and faced south, while the earth was considered a yin force and faced north. Since this was the Altar of Land, the buildings here were all facing south. The northernmost gate was the Halberd Gate, which also served as the main gate.

    After the Halberd Gate was the Worship Hall, and the south of the Worship Hall was the State Altar.

    However, the State Altar in this ce was reced with a majestic hall that was 100 meters tall. It could have been seen from the Wu Gate if it were not shrouded by the fog.

    This hall was strange, with a square shape and a very t roof that did not have any ridges or tiles. It looked more like a stool.

    In fact, this hall was indeed a stool for the giant sitting atop it.

    Although this giant was skinny, its body seemed to be made of countless corpses piled and spliced together. It was eerily disturbing.

    The giant lowered his head and did not make a sound. Qi Xuansu could not tell if it was dead or sleeping.

    Yin Jiuyin stopped about 300 meters away from the giant and the main hall, as if he was afraid that the giant would not be able to see him if he stood too close.

    That was when Yin Jiuyin called out, ¡°Master Wan!¡±

    Yin Jiuyin''s shout was like a thunderp that resounded right next to Qi Xuansu''s ears, creating ripples of shockwaves that caused the dense fog around him to stir endlessly.

    The giant slowly woke from its slumber, revealing two red lights in its deep, abyss-like eye sockets. What was even creepier was that countless human-sized eyes all over the giant¡¯s body opened at the same time. They were densely packed. Qi Xuansu estimated that there were at least thousands of pairs.

    Countless mouths gaped open at the same time, exposing their ring white teeth but no tongue. A yellowish-green corpse gas continuously sprayed out their mouths. With every move the giant made, dozens of corpses fell from its body, like rain.

    Even though Qi Xuansu had seen his fair share of dead people, he was still dumbfounded by this sight.

    This giant was literally made of corpses. Even the birds would be scared to go near it.

    However, the corpse and corpse gas sizzled and disappeared as soon as they came into contact with the fog.

    That was when Qi Xuansu finally understood what this fog was used for.

    ¡°Why did you disturb my sleep, old ghost?¡± The giant asked. His tone was casual, but his voice was too loud and overwhelming for Qi Xuansu.

    ¡°How¡¯s your appetitetely?¡± Yin Jiuyin asked casually. They seemed like acquaintances. Otherwise, why would Yin Jiuyin wake the giant up and engage in small talk?

    The giant replied calmly, ¡°I ate 500 of themst month, so I¡¯m not hungry yet. The remaining corpses in the Ghost Kingdom canst for about 100 years, so there¡¯s no need to worry about supply for the time being.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was once again bbergasted.

    This giant known as Master Wan actually fed on corpses in the Ghost Kingdom. This was the Daoist Order¡¯s way of cleaning up the corpses. After all, in a ce like this, the yin energy was too strong, so the corpses would not decay for centuries.

    It was also not realistic to bury or burn all these corpses due to the sheer volume. Transporting the corpses out was even more unfathomable because the Daoist Order had finally restored Beimang Mountain to its original appearance. Moving these corpses out was equivalent to wasting all their previous restoration efforts.

    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Yin Jiuyin added, ¡°I came here today because I want to borrow something from you, Master Wan.¡±

    Master Wan sat up straight. He was already over 166 meters tall just sitting up. If he stood upright, he would be taller than 300 meters.

    The giant stared at Yin Jiuyin, who was as small as an ant inparison. ¡°That thing?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Yin Jiuyin nodded.

 Chapter 279: Madam Bai

    <h4>Chapter 279: Madam Bai</h4>

    Master Wan shook his head and said, ¡°That thing is not here with me.¡±

    Yin Jiuyin asked, ¡°Is it with Madam Bai?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Master Wan nodded.

    Yin Jiuyin sighed. ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°Grandpa Wan!¡± At this moment, the little girl ran toward the giant. Yin Jiuyin did not stop her, clearly assured that the little girl would bepletely safe with the giant.

    ¡°You¡¯re still so tiny, little one! You never seem to grow up!¡±

    Qi Xuansu actually managed to hear a tone of delighting from this grisly giant, but because the giant¡¯s face was made of spliced ??corpses, the giant had no expression.

    The little girl giggled. ¡°Why do I have to grow up? I don¡¯t want to be like you, Grandpa Wan. You only eat and sleep all day!¡±

    ¡°Little girl, you sure inherited your grandpa¡¯s ability to annoy people!¡± Master Wan eximed.

    As he spoke, Master Wan slowly stretched out a giant palm, whichnded on the ground with a crash, causing the fog to stir around him.

    The little girl climbed onto its huge finger and trotted to the middle of Master Wan¡¯s palm.

    Then Master Wan slowly lifted the little girl in front of him.

    Qi Xuansu could not help but think to himself, <i>If I were to look at Master Wan¡¯s face up close, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to keep a straight face. But this little girl doesn¡¯t seem scared at all! I wonder where she¡¯s from. Could she be a century-old ghost?</i>

    Yin Jiuyin raised his voice. ¡°Girl, you stay here and keep Grandpa Wanpany. I¡¯m going to see Madam Bai!¡±

    The little girl onlyughed in response.

    Yin Jiuyin turned to Qi Xuansu and said, ¡°Kid, pleasee with me.¡±

    Qi Xuansu hurriedly agreed. He certainly did not want to stay near this giant, as Master Wan¡¯s oppressive aura was too strong. It could kill Qi Xuansu easily by squishing him with its pinky. Whenever Master Wan moved his body, several corpses would fall off his body, and these fallen corpses seemed toe back to life afternding. The corpse gas they emitted was also lethal, corroding anything it touched.

    Yin Jiuyin led Qi Xuansu away from here and returned to the Wu Gate again.

    Throughout this time, Master Wan did not acknowledge Qi Xuansu¡¯s presence. Qi Xuansu did not know whether the giant did not see him or just did not care at all.

    There was another possibility that the Xuan Jade of Death had covered Qi Xuansu¡¯s aura. After all, most of the pedestrians on the street earlier had turned a blind eye to Qi Xuansu, who also had no heartbeat, pulse, or breathing in this ce. He was just like a dead person here.

    Qi Xuansu could not help but ask, ¡°Master Yin, is Madam Bai in the Imperial City?¡±

    Yin Jiuyin answered, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Qi Xuansu looked up at the majestic Wu Gate and felt that he was in a dream. He was just traveling to Longmen Prefecture for a mission, but he managed to encounter such bizarre events. Moreover, all of this was not a coincidence. It was inevitable because he took the Xuan Jade of Death through the Ghost Pass.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu suddenly had a conjecture. <i>Was this all arranged by Madam Qi?</i>

    Madam Qi had given him the Xuan Jade of Death and the task of escorting someone from the Longmen Prefecture. She even managed to rope in Pei Xiaolou to help keep Qi Xuansu safe from harm on the pretext of repaying a debt. This was why Qi Xuansu had a badge from Pei Xiaolou that allowed him to enter and exit the Ghost Pass freely.

    It would make sense if Madam Qi had arranged all this. However, Qi Xuansu pondered carefully and felt that it was unlikely.

    This series of events was like a string of beads. As long as something went wrong at one link, everything would fall apart. If Qi Xuansu had not been so curious as to follow the salt smugglers, he would not have provoked the Heavenly Court, and hence, would not have attracted Feng Bo¡¯s attention. Without Feng Bo¡¯s pursuit, Qi Xuansu would not have met Pei Xiaolou. Naturally, without the badge Pei Xiaolou had given him, he would not be able to take the shortcut through the Ghost Pass.

    That was why Qi Xuansu thought it was unlikely that Madam Qi would make arrangements based on his whims.

    Qi Xuansu was busy justifying his thoughts when he noticed Yin Jiuyin stretching out a hand to press on the city gate, slowly pushing the massive gate open with his own strength.

    The huge city gate made a dull creaking sound, opening a small gap big enough for the two of them to pass through. The howling yin wind that surged out from this gap almost knocked Qi Xuansu off his feet.

    After all, Qi Xuansu was just an ordinary person without any cultivation in this ce.

    Yin Jiuyin stood in the cold gust unmoved, but his clothes billowed in the wind. Qi Xuansu had to lower his center of gravity as he moved forward with difficulty.

    The two passed through the Wu Gate and entered the Imperial City.

    Once inside, the flow of yin energy could still be felt, but the cold yin wind dissipated. The yin energy was much stronger inside, so when Yin Jiuyin opened the door, it was like opening a floodgate. The abundant yin energy flowed out of the crack and formed the yin wind.

    Fortunately, Qi Xuansu was like a dead person at this time, so he was not affected by this yin energy. Otherwise, he would have ¡°drowned¡± to death in this abundance of yin energy.

    This ce was fortified with thick ck walls on all sides. The floor was paved with white jade. This stark contrast in colors symbolized the coexistence of yin and yang, a typical Daoist characteristic.

    Beyond this fortified wall were many pces. A straight road ran from north to south, splitting the Imperial City symmetrically, just like the one in the yang realm.

    However, to Qi Xuansu''s expectation, the ce waspletely empty at this time, with not a single being in sight, including Spirit Guards, Daoist priests, ghosts, and zombies. This pce was deserted.

    Yin Jiuyin led Qi Xuansu deeper inside the city.

    Since this was a replica of the actual Imperial City in the yang realm, the buildings along the central axis were the Pces of the Supreme Deity, the Higher Deity, and the Central Deity. Among them, the Pce of the Supreme Deity was thergest, and the Pce of the Central Deity was the smallest.

    The emperor would usually hold grand ceremonies in the Pce of the Supreme Deity. Such ceremonies included the emperor¡¯s ession to the throne, the emperor¡¯s wedding, the appointment of an empress, and the emperormanding the generals to go to war.

    In addition, every year during the emperor¡¯s birthday, New Year¡¯s Day, Winter Solstice, and other festivals, the emperor would receive guests and hold a banquet for the civil and military officials here. The imperial examination for Jinshi schrs was also held in this Pce of the Supreme Deity.

    The Imperial City in this yin realm also had a replica of the three pces. Yin Jiuyin came to thergest Pce of the Supreme Deity, also known as the Golden Throne Hall.

    As soon as they entered the hall, Qi Xuansu heard a chuckle.

    ¡°Master Yin, you nevere here without a purpose. I wonder what brings you here today?¡±

    Qi Xuansu turned toward the source of the voice and saw a woman sitting on the throne in the innermost part of the hall.

    The woman was slim and tall. She was wearing a white dress and had half of her eerily pale and beautiful face covered with her long ck hair, making it difficult to see her true appearance. There was a string of beads on her wrist, which were made up of 12 thumb-sized skulls. The eyes of each skull were dancing with faint blue fire. It was a creepy sight.

    Qi Xuansu figured that she must be the Madam Bai whom Master Wan and Yin Jiuyin mentioned earlier.

    So far, disregarding the little girl, Qi Xuansu only met three of these mysterious characters. He could not help but think about the Daoist preference for the number 3.

    There were three celestials: the Heaven Celestial, Earth Celestial, and Water Celestial.

    The Holy Xuan also created three positions of Deputy Grand Masters, who were also known as the Three Preceptors: the Heavenly Preceptor, the Earthly Preceptor, and the Imperial Preceptor.

    At this moment, Madam Bai seemed to notice Qi Xuansu, who was following Yin Jiuyin. She let out a small gasp. ¡°You even brought a guest with you? How rare!¡±

    Qi Xuansu felt Madam Bai¡¯s chilling gaze on him, which made him freeze.

    He took a step forward, lowered his head, and saluted with slightly trembling arms. Even his voice sounded shaky as his teeth chattered. ¡°Gr-Greetings, M-Madam B-Bai.¡±

    His teeth were chattering not from fear but from the sudden plunge in temperature.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony.¡± Madam Bai smiled. At this moment, it felt as if spring had returned. The chill receded in an instant. ¡°Raise your head and speak.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did as he was told.

    The woman sitting on the throne lifted her ck hair that was covering the other half of her face, or rather, her skull. The other half of her face had no skin or flesh, only bones. A strange ck smoke was also constantly escaping from her mouth.

    Qi Xuansu forced himself to remain calm and dared not show a reaction for fear of offending this woman. He had previously heard stories about half-face makeup, but this woman¡¯s half-face makeup was truly unbearable.

    Although Madam Bai sounded friendly, her expression was cold and intimidating, like a high and mighty Emperor of the Netherworld. It was terrifying to make direct eye contact with her.

    Qi Xuansu secretly thought that among the three mysterious characters he had seen in this ce, Master Yin was the most normal.

    Madam Bai seemed to have read Qi Xuansu¡¯s thoughts. She said calmly, ¡°You only think so because you have never seen Master Yin¡¯s true appearance. He¡¯s actually nothing like a human.¡±

    Qi Xuansu only felt a chill on his back.

 Chapter 280: Case

    <h4>Chapter 280: Case</h4>

    A powerful cult stronghold in the face of Tiangang Hall was like a candle me in strong winds. It could only flicker a few times before being extinguished.

    The Yinglong Warship set sail again; this time with a full load.

    Not everyone would be escorted back to the Jade Capital. Zhang Yuelu had ordered the Tiangang Hall priests to properly screen and categorize these people by their crimes.

    Most of the manor¡¯s guests were left to the local Daoist mansions and the local magistrate. The Daoist mansion would not interfere and would only supervise the entire process to ensure no bribery or foul y. In most cases, the local magistrate would usually convict the cult demon. But the punishment ranged from imprisonment and exile to paying fines of varying amounts and removing one¡¯s status as a gentry.

    <i>When the Great Xuan Dynasty was first established, they implemented a new policy for tax. Instead of taxing people based on the head count within a household, the new tax system would be based on the amount ofnd one used. Those with lessnd would pay less tax, which was ultimately more beneficial to the poor people who could not afford to pay high taxes.</i>

    <i>As such, this policy angered the rich, who typically had morend than head count. However, the Confucian School and the former Wei Dynasty were defeated, and the focus of the Daoist Order and the Great Xuan Dynasty was no longer on the fields but on maritime trade. Thus, the gentry¡¯s protests failed, resulting in some of their privileges being stripped.</i>

    The gentry was exempted from corveebor, but this exemption was not extended to one¡¯s family members. If they were stripped of their gentry status, then they would no longer be exempted from corveebor, which was a form of disguised punishment.

    Aside from those who were killed on the spot, all cult members in the manor were escorted back to the Jade Capital to be tried by Beichen Hall. If any Daoist disciples were involved, Fengxian Hall would also be involved.

    Since every inch ofnd in Jade Capital was precious. Only serious criminals were eligible to be imprisoned in Jade Capital. Most of these people would be imprisoned on the Yuzhu Peak, where there was no formation to keep out the brutal cold all year round.

    The money they had confiscated during this raid was more than 200,000 Taiping coins. This was only what they managed to find, not including those that had been transferred out.

    In the major Jiangnan case that shook the Daoist Order in which a second-rank Taiyi Daoist priest was executed and hundreds of people were implicated, the amount involved was a few million Taiping coins. This raid of 200,000 Taiping coins was not exactly a small amount either.

    ording to Sage Cihang¡¯s orders, all confiscated funds should be sealed and transported back to Jade Capital and handed over to the Duzhi Hall for disposal. Part of these confiscated funds would be allocated to Tiangang Hall as a reward. This was the special subsidy that Qi Xuansu used to enjoy. In the case of no asset forfeitures during raids, Duzhi Hall would front the subsidies first.

    The manor was handed over to the local magistrate. They would not destroy the building but would convert it for other purposes, such as a charity shelter, a nursery, an academy, or a warehouse.

    As the leader of this operation, Zhang Yuelu had her own independent study on the Yinglong Warship. Since it was only a temporary study, there were not many personal belongings, only mountains of files.

    These files were from the manor, including ledgers. Since Tiangang Hall was stealthy in their raid, the cult demons were caught off guard, having no time to destroy confidential documents. They even left behind a roster of their cult members.

    Zhang Yuelu browsed through the roster at this time and found many gentry among them. Some even had their entire families join the cult.

    She sighed and thought, <i>This is the consequence of human desire.</i>

    Naturally, she would hand over this list to the local magistrate so that the arrests could be made, since there was no room for mercy in such matters.

    Just then, someone knocked on the door.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes were still fixed on the roster as she answered, ¡°Come in.¡±

    Mu Jin walked in with another stack of official documents in her hands. However, she hesitated to speak.

    The Yinglong Warship was equipped with the rapid post talisman for easymunication.

    ¡°Speak up.¡± Zhang Yuelu turned another page.

    Mu Jin reported, ¡°There is news from the Wuxu Pce, requesting Tiangang Hall to help solve a case.¡±

    ¡°Crack a case? Isn¡¯t that Beichen Hall¡¯s job?¡± Zhang Yuelu finally looked up from the roster. ¡°Our duty is to eradicate secret societies. Is someone trying to use us for their personal gain?¡±

    Mu Jin hesitated for a moment before answering, ¡°They suspect this matter is rted to secret societies.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu reached out to take the letter from Mu Jin¡¯s hand and read it.

    ¡°Wan Xiuwu? This name sounds familiar. I think I¡¯ve heard of it somewhere.¡± Zhang Yuelu frowned slightly.

    Mu Jin said, ¡°Wan Xiuwu is one of the disciples of the Wuxu Pce Master. That¡¯s why the Wuxu Pce is paying more attention to this case. The Junior Wuxu Pce Master, Pan Cuiqing, is personally handling the case.¡±

    Pan Cuiqing was the sessor of the Wuxu Pce Master, hence the nickname Junior Wuxu Pce Master. It was just like Zhang Yuelu¡¯s nickname as the Junior Tiangang Hall Master because she was the sessor of Sage Cihang, who was the Tiangang Hall Master.

    Although Zhang Yuelu did not like these nicknames, she recognized that it was indeed easier to determine the status of said person.

    Zhang Yuelu finally remembered where she had heard this name. When the Quanzhen Sect priests visited Yunjin Mountain before New Year¡¯s Day, she had met Wan Xiuwu in the Shangqing Pce.

    At that time, Qi Xuansu was still with her. She never imagined that they would be separated forever just a few days after that.

    Thinking of this, Zhang Yuelu was in a depressed mood. She held the letter without speaking for a long time.

    ¡°Qing Xiao?¡± Mu Jin whispered.

    Zhang Yuelu snapped back to her senses and regained herposure. ¡°I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s the Junior Wuxu Pce Master or not. I just want to know whether this case is rted to secret societies.¡±

    The piece of paper in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hand was just a simple official letter requesting her help. There were other official documents describing the case in detail.

    ¡°Judging from the Wuxu Pce¡¯s statement, it should be rted.¡± Mu Jin took out another detailed case file and handed it to her.

    Zhang Yuelu took it over and browsed it quickly. ¡°Are they suspecting Feng Bo for this death? It¡¯s simply ridiculous! First of all, the timing doesn¡¯t match up at all. Moreover, with Feng Bo¡¯s level of cultivation, there¡¯s no need to make such a fuss about killing someone of Wan Xiuwu¡¯s level.¡±

    Mu Jin remarked, ¡°But apart from Feng Bo, there are no other clues.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Have you checked Wan Xiuwu¡¯s background and personal rtionships?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Wan Xiuwu hasn¡¯t made any enemies recently,¡± Mu Jin replied.

    Zhang Yuelu reminded her. ¡°Vengeance doesn¡¯t have an expiry date. Don¡¯t just check his recent records. Dig further. Did he make any enemies when he was in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce?¡±

    Mu Jin had a strange expression, but she said nothing.

    As a close confidant of Zhang Yuelu, Mu Jin would screen through the official documents for Zhang Yuelu before reporting to her. So she would have been familiar with what she read.

    At this time, Zhang Yuelu happened to see thest page of the document. It seemed that Wan Xiuwu did have an enemy in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce.

    <strong><u>Suspect</u></strong>

    <strong>|| Name:</strong> Qi Xuansu.

    <strong>|| Courtesy Name:</strong> Tian Yuan.

    <strong>|| Age:</strong> 25 years old.

    <strong>|| Rank: </strong>Sixth-rank Daoist priest.

    <i>Note: Eligible for the treatment of a fifth-rank Daoist priest.</i>

    <strong>|| Background:</strong> Wanxiang Daoist Pce, Bingzi Year, ss A.

    <strong>|| Master:</strong> Qi Haoran.

    <i>Note: Fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist priest, deceased due to an ident.</i>

    <strong>|| Position: </strong>Deacon of Yaoguang Division, Tiangang Hall.

    <i>Note: Missing in action, suspected dead.</i>

    Zhang Yuelu was silent for a long time before she muttered, ¡°What malicious intentions.¡±

    This was the reason Mu Jin was awkward and hesitant when reporting this to Zhang Yuelu. As Zhang Yuelu¡¯s close confidant, Mu Jin knew that Qi Xuansu was a thorn that could never be removed from Zhang Yuelu¡¯s heart. Thus, there was a tacit understanding within the Yaoguang Division not to mention Qi Xuansu¡¯s name.

    During this period, Zhang Yuelu had almost no spare time. She threw herself into work and did not seem much different from before.

    However, asking Zhang Yuelu to investigate Qi Xuansu was equivalent to stabbing her in the heart.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Don¡¯t they know that Tian Yuan is my friend? What are they implying by asking me to handle this case? Are theyughing at my misery? Or is this not the point at all?¡±

    Mu Jin hurriedly added, ¡°Actually, the Wuxu Pce reported it to Tiangang Hall, but the Hall Master assigned this case to you.¡±

    ¡°My master?¡± Zhang Yuelu was startled. She then fell into deep thought.

    Mu Jin did not dare say another word.

    After a long time, Zhang Yuelu finally spoke. ¡°Alright. In that case, I will go to Wuxu Pce after we¡¯re done here.¡±

 Chapter 281: Emperor Willow

    <h4>Chapter 281: Emperor Willow</h4>

    Qi Xuansu wondered what Master Yin¡¯s true appearance was like.

    Master Yin did im to be a thousand-year-old ghost. Master Wan and Madam Bai also called him an old ghost, so perhaps Yin Jiuyin really was a millennial ghost.

    Even if Yin Jiuyin did not have a thousand years of cultivation, a century-old ghost was still terrifying enough. Was that what a Ghostly Immortal was?

    Yin Jiuyin did not express any opinion on this. Instead, he cut to the chase. ¡°Madam Bai, Master Wan said that you have that thing.¡±

    ¡°That thing?¡± Madam Bai¡¯s tone turned solemn. ¡°The Ghost Kingdom is barren, unlike the Kunlun Cave. This is one of the few possessions we have, so you must tell me what your ns are if you want to take it away.¡±

    Yin Jiuyin sighed. ¡°Life is fleeting, but one must have foresight and prepare for what is toe.¡±

    Madam Bai fell into silence.

    Qi Xuansu was like a child watching a conversation between adults. He could not interrupt and could only patiently wait until they could leave. However, he had a hunch that this matter might be rted to him or his Xuan Jade of Death.

    After a long time, Madam Bai asked, ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    Yin Jiuyin nced at Qi Xuansu. ¡°Well, that depends on our friend here. It¡¯s just an idea for now, and we won¡¯t know the specifics untilter.¡±

    Madam Bai stood up from the throne. ¡°Follow me.¡±

    After that, she turned around and walked toward the side door next to the main hall.

    Yin Jiuyin and Qi Xuansu followed her.

    They passed by many different halls. One would surely get lost in the maze of halls if one was not familiar with the ce.

    However, Madam Bai had been living here for hundreds of years, so she was very familiar with this ce.

    They walked through the corridors and halls deep into the pce.

    The deeper they went, the thicker the yin energy became. Finally, it started to rain due to the condensed yin energy. Countless fine raindrops fell from the sky like the spring rain in the night, but the ce was silent.

    Anyone who was proficient in catching ghosts and exorcising evil spirits would understand that ces with strong yin energy would feel damp. That was because when the yin energy reached a certain level, it would condense to water. At this time, this rain had strong enough yin energy to kill a Xiantian Being¡¯s soul, turning them into a living corpse.

    That was why this area was forbidden to living humans. However, Qi Xuansu was not affected by this rain thanks to his Xuan Jade of Death.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu could not help but nce at the grade horse who had always been beside him. Since this huge pce was empty aside from Madam Bai, there were no cumbersome rules, unlike the Imperial Pce in the yang realm. That was why Qi Xuansu could bring his horse with him through the pce.

    Qi Xuansu thought that his grade horse was old, but it seemed more sentient than the average horse. It was smart enough to rescue Qi Xuansu on the execution tform and knew the importance of following Qi Xuansu closely at this time. It dared not make a sound for fear of disturbing Master Yin and Madam Bai, who were two rare supernatural creatures.

    Madam Bai and Master Yin were in their element here.

    Although Qi Xuansu had never been to the pce, theyout of the pce was no secret. He knew that the pce was divided into the front court and the harem.

    Behind Chengtian Gate was the Duan Gate, followed by the Wu Gate, Taisheng Gate, and the Pce of the Supreme Deity.

    The front court consisted of the Pces of the Supreme Deity, Higher Deity, and Central Deity, which were collectively known as the Three Main Pces.

    The harem was the Three Inner Pces, which consisted of the emperor¡¯s study and the residences of the emperor and empress.

    The Three Main Halls and the Three Inner Pces were located on the central axis.

    However, when Qi Xuansu followed Madam Bai to the Three Inner Pces, he found that the harem here seemed very different from the one in the yang realm. That was because instead of pce buildings, there was only a hugeke that upied half of the area.

    After all, this was just a replica of the Imperial City, so the Daoist Order could renovate it to their liking.

    However, what surprised him was that theke was not filled with normal water but blood-red water.

    Qi Xuansu knew that it was not pure blood because of its low viscosity and translucence, which was very strange.

    Thick white fog filled the surface of theke, so he could only see a vast expanse of white in the distance, making it difficult to see the rest of the surroundings.

    With a wave of her hand, Madam Bai dispersed the fog to both sides of theke.

    That was when Qi Xuansu could see an ind in the center of the bloodke. However, the ind was not made of earth and rocks. It was made of countless corpses.

    Qi Xuansu was shocked beyond words.

    Yin Jiuyin exined, ¡°After the Daoist Order conquered the Ghost Kingdom, they gathered all corpses here to be processed. This is also where Master Wan eats.¡±

    A gory image emerged in Qi Xuansu¡¯s mind¡ªthe giant wading through the bloody water to the corpse ind, where it could enjoy its meal.

    In addition, there was a massive willow tree in the middle of the corpse ind. Its tree trunk reached the sky, and its canopy almost covered the entireke. Each of the hanging willow vines was as thick as an adult man¡¯s waist.

    Peach wood was known to be a yang object, while willow wood was a yin object. Therefore, peach wood could be used to exorcise evil spirits and destroy ghosts, while willow wood allowed ghosts to reside in it.

    This willow tree was nted in the Ghost Kingdom, taking root in the ind of corpses and a ??bloodyke. This was a magnificent sight that one would never get to witness in the yang realm.

    Yin Jiuyin raised his hand and pointed at the tree. ¡°This tree is called the Emperor Willow, a masterpiece created by the Daoist Order. As I mentioned before, the Zaoge Cult back then managed to corrode a crack in the barrier between the yin and yang realms, connecting theherworld to the mortal realm and causing the yin energy to spread to the entire Beimang Mountain.

    ¡°In order to fill this crack, the Daoist Order nted this Emperor Willow to feed on the yin energy from the corpses and bloody water. It flourished and reached a height of over 666 meters in just 200 years.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s jaw dropped.

    It turned out these were the measures the Daoist Order put in ce to revive Beimang Mountain to its original glory. It was truly impressive how the collective efforts of thousands of people could repair something that seemed irreversible.

    Madam Bai interjected. ¡°Actually, if you think about it, we can be considered members of the Daoist Order as well, because we all have our own duties. Since this bloodke has concentrated yin energy, even the Spirit Guards would find it difficult to stay here for a long time. So my duty is to guard this ce and not allow outsiders to get close to the Emperor Willow. It sounds like a heavy responsibility, but it¡¯s really boring because I don¡¯t get any visitors.¡±

    Yin Jiuyin added, ¡°I suppose there is no need for me to borate on Master Wan¡¯s responsibilities. His main job is to get rid of these corpses. My granddaughter isn¡¯t wrong to say that all he does is eat and sleep. As for me, I am a liaison, so I can travel freely between the Ghost Kingdom and the Ghost Pass.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not know what to say, so he could only nod.

    If the Ghost Kingdom was already so impressive, Qi Xuansu wondered what the Kunlun Cave was like. The Kunlun Cave was known as the best paradise in the world.

    Madam Bai turned to Yin Jiuyin. ¡°What you want is on the Emperor Willow.¡±

 Chapter 282: Pingtian Crown

    <h4>Chapter 282: Pingtian Crown</h4>

    Yin Jiuyin stuck his arm into the bloodyke and stirred it, conjuring a boat made from the bloody water.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What should I do with my horse?¡±

    ¡°You can leave it aside.¡± Yin Jiuyin waved his sleeves. The white mist turned into a canopy that blocked out the yin energy.

    Qi Xuansu patted the grade horse and asked it to wait in the mist canopy, while he followed Yin Jiuyin onto the boat. Yin Jiuyin waved his sleeves again. This time, the boat automatically moved toward the corpse ind in the center of the bloodke.

    Qi Xuansu felt more astounded the closer they got to the corpse ind and Emperor Willow.

    From a distance, he could still roughly see the entirety of the Emperor Willow. But when he reached the edge of the corpse ind, he could only see the huge trunk of the Emperor Willow and the hanging vines. It did not feel as eerie as he expected, but rather more ethereal and mysterious.

    As Yin Jiuyin mentioned, the yin and yang energies inside the Ghost Kingdom were reversed. The yin energy here was also too strong, so firearms could not be used. As such, the corpses in the Ghost Kingdom had not decayed for thousands of years. Thus, it was no longer possible to get rid of these corpses through normal means like burning or burying.

    The only option was to use some creations that were not what one would consider ¡°normal.¡±

    It was not difficult to build a cesspool, but it was a hassle to clean one. More than 200 years had passed, but the Daoist Order was still cleaning up the mess left behind by the Zaoge Cult.

    After the boat docked, Qi Xuansu stepped onto the corpse ind. The ¡°ground¡± beneath his feet was sticky and soft, like mud. From this angle, he could no longer see the trunk of the Emperor Willow in its entirety. The trunk looked more like a wall.

    Yin Jiuyin walked toward the roots of the Emperor Willow, which were equally big, resembling dead pythons and dragons.

    After getting closer, Qi Xuansu discovered a hole within the trunk. To be fair, the tree hole wasrge, butpared with the gargantuan Emperor Willow, it seemed small, like an insignificant ant¡¯s nest.

    Qi Xuansu followed Yin Jiuyin into the hole and saw a wooden staircase that spiraled upward.

    Yin Jiuyin exined, ¡°Since the Emperor Willow restrains yin energy, and there are formations set up by the Daoist Order, we can¡¯t fly and can only walk up step by step.¡±

    Qi Xuansu could not fly to begin with, so he naturally had no objection.

    The stairs seemed endless. The steps were also not uniform because they were built ording to the veins of the Emperor Willow. Some of the stairs were inside the trunk, while some parts were outside the trunk. It was certainly a difficult and treacherous climb.

    Along the way, there were some small treehouses serving as rest stops for the climb. Many straw figures in rattan armor, holding various weapons like bows and arrows, were stationed at these treehouses. There were also giant flying insects as big as tigers circling the Emperor Willow.

    These should be the creations of the Daoist Order to guard the Emperor Willow. If Qi Xuansu hade here by himself, he would probably have been killed by these straw figures or the giant flying insects. However, with Yin Jiuyin leading the way, these guards ignored Qi Xuansu.

    When Qi Xuansu came to the portion of the stairs that were outside of the trunk, he could still see the corpse ind and the bloodyke below. Qi Xuansu could even see many roofs inside theke, indicating that there were originally buildings in this ce, just like the one in the yang realm. However, these buildings were somehow submerged in theke, leaving only a few taller buildings exposed.

    As they climbed higher, Qi Xuansu could only see the white mist when looking down. He could vaguely see the Pce of the Supreme Deity in the distance, looming in the fog.

    In the end, the fog grew thicker, so much so that the Emperor Willow¡¯s trunk was not visible at times.

    When he reached the end of the stairs, Qi Xuansu saw a huge wooden tform above the top of the tree, as big as the Pce of the Supreme Deity. There was an altar in the center of the tform and a huge jet-ck bird that was 10 meters tall. It had ck feathers as sharp as knives and a wingspan of 33 meters. Its beak was like a hook, and its gaze was hostile.

    However, after seeing Yin Jiuyin, the strange bird immediately folded its widespread wings and became docile.

    Yin Jiuyin led Qi Xuansu to the altar, where there were many boxes and a Pingtian crown.

    The Pingtian crown was worn by the emperor. It was a ceremonial headdress with a t rectangr top and 12 beaded chains hanging down the front and back edges of the crown.

    This crown was the ¡°thing¡± that Yin Jiuyin was asking Master Wan and Madam Bai for.

    Yin Jiuyin looked at the Pingtian crown and exined, ¡°The owner of the Ghost Kingdom back then called himself the Emperor of the Netherworld. He built a replica of the Imperial Capital and formed a ghost army. This Pingtian crown is his relic, which symbolizes the fortune of the Zaoge Cult back then.¡±

    Fortune was divided into two parts. One part was generated by the veins of the mountains and rivers, called the earth qi. The other part was generated by the human heart, called incense power.

    At the end of every dynasty, people lost their faith as cities andnds were destroyed. This was the end of one dynasty¡¯s fortune.

    In a sense, fortune was a special kind of divine power, which took into ount the strengths of both Earthly Immortals and the Godly Immortals. It was much more superior than the various divine powers of the Ancient Immortals. It could evenpete with the mighty power of the heavens.

    Yin Jiuyin continued, ¡°With the downfall of the Zaoge Cult, the fortune condensed in this Pingtian crown gradually dissipates. The crown did not perishpletely because this Ghost Kingdom still exists. The Daoist Order didn¡¯t take this Pingtian crown out of the Ghost Kingdom because they did not need this bit of fortune, especially since the Daoist Order controls half of the incense power in the world and Kunlun¡¯s earth qi. That¡¯s why they left it to us. This is what Madam Bai said was one of the Ghost Kingdom¡¯s few assets.¡±

    Qi Xuansu already had a premonition in his heart, but he did not know what to say.

    Yin Jiuyin stepped forward and held the Pingtian crown with both hands. ¡°This Pingtian crown was originally kept by Master Wan, but he probably thought it was too troublesome. After all, he is closer to what Daoists call a Martial Arts Practitioner, so he¡¯s not interested in external objects. Moreover, he¡¯s quite careless, so he gave it to Madam Bai for safekeeping. I just didn¡¯t expect Madam Bai to hide it up here.¡±

    Qi Xuansu also figured that the giant Master Wan was not one to make enchantments to safeguard this crown. He was certainly suited to be a Martial Arts Practitioner with his sheer size.

    Based on Yin Jiuyin¡¯s techniques that he revealed so far, Qi Xuansu guessed that he was the equivalent of a Diviner, proficient in creating illusions.

    Yin Jiuyin handed the Pingtian crown to Qi Xuansu. ¡°I think this thing will be useful to you, my friend.¡±

    Qi Xuansu dared not reach out to take it. Instead, he looked at Yin Jiuyin and asked, ¡°Since this is one of the few assets that the Ghost Kingdom has, why are you giving it to me, Master Yin?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a great question, kid.¡± Yin Jiuyin said with a smile, ¡°I will repeat what I told Madam Bai. Life is fleeting, but one must have foresight and prepare for what is toe. Although the world is at peace now, no one can guarantee what the future holds.¡±

    Qi Xuansu suddenly remembered that Master Wan once said that there were enough corpses here tost a hundred years. He considered further. There were people in the Daoist Order who advocated for the destruction of the Ghost Kingdom. So if one day, the Ghost Kingdom ceased to exist, then Master Wan, Master Yin, and Madam Bai would inevitably have to find a way out for themselves. They could not possibly ce all their hopes on the arrangements of the Daoist Order.

    This was the reason Madam Bai only asked Yin Jiuyin about his ns but did not object to his idea.

    Yin Jiuyin only gave an ambiguous reply. As he said, the specifics would have to wait.

    In other words, Yin Jiuyin did not know what the future held, but it seemed like he was taking a gamble on Qi Xuansu. After all, no one could possibly predict what would happen a centuryter.

    Qi Xuansu smiled bitterly. ¡°Master Yin, I¡¯m afraid you think too highly of me.¡±

    Yin Jiuyin chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll be frank with you, kid. You are indeed ordinary, but this piece of Xuan Jade is extraordinary. If you identally got it, it means that you are a lucky one, destined for great opportunities. In that case, you will have a bright future.

    ¡°If it is a gift from an elder, it means that you have an extraordinary background, so you will still have a bright future. No matter what it is, I think you¡¯re good enough for the three of us to take a bet on. Since this is just a gamble, it¡¯s best if it works out. But if it doesn¡¯t, it won¡¯t matter either. After all, this crown is destined to perish.¡±

    Yin Jiuyin was certainly honest.

    Qi Xuansu was silent for a moment before he asked, ¡°Master Yin, what do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°Just a small favor.¡± Yin Jiuyin¡¯s answer was still as ambiguous as ever. ¡°We just ask that you help us within your abilities when the timees. That¡¯s all.¡±

 Chapter 283: Contract

    <h4>Chapter 283: Contract</h4>

    Qi Xuansu still had some concerns.

    Ordinary people had to make an IOU when borrowing money. Thus, Qi Xuansu figured that these unique supernatural beings who upied the Ghost Kingdom would not just give away their asset and let him leave so simply. There must be some way that they could prevent him from defaulting on the debt. Otherwise, there would be no way for them to look for him if he decided to flee.

    Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°I¡¯ll also be honest with you, Master Yin. Aren¡¯t you afraid that I will default on my debt?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I am!¡± Yin Jiuyin continued, ¡°That¡¯s why I want to write a contract binding us together.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was about to speak when Yin Jiuyin waved his hand and added, ¡°My friend, please don¡¯t rush to refuse me just yet. You might as well listen to what I have to say first. Since this is a contract, both parties must be satisfied. I won¡¯t force you into it. If you agree to the terms, then you can ept this Pingtian crown. If you don¡¯t agree to it, then you may refuse my offer.¡±

    ¡°Master Yin, please go ahead.¡± Qi Xuansu patiently listened.

    Master Yin exined, ¡°Master Wan, Madam Bai, and I were once humans. We were reborn in the Ghost Kingdom, so you can say that the three of us are closely rted to the Ghost Kingdom.

    ¡°If you are willing to ept this Pingtian crown that has the condensed fortune of the Ghost Kingdom, you will also have a connection with the Ghost Kingdom, and by extension, with us. In that case, we will be on the same boat. That¡¯s how this contract will be created.

    ¡°This type of contract and connection is mutual. The Earthly Preceptor Xu Wugui once established a contract with the Great Heavenly Preceptor Zhang Jingxiu. Later, Xu Wugui used the power of the celestial tform to pass a heavenly tribtion, bing an Earthly Immortal. No one could control him.

    ¡°Left with no other choice, Zhang Jingxiu used the contract they made to restrain him, dragging the Earthly Preceptor along in his ascension to the heavens before his time. Even though the Earthly Preceptor was already stronger than the Great Heavenly Preceptor at that time, Xu Wugui still could not reverse it. This is the power of the contract. Once you establish a contract with us, we will be restrained by each other. It¡¯s a fair deal.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was tempted to agree. He inquired. ¡°How is a contract established?¡±

    ¡°I want to show you my sincerity, so I won¡¯t deceive you.¡± Yin Jiuyin raised the Pingtian crown and exined, ¡°The contract itself is divine power. All you need to do is ept the Pingtian crown and absorb its divine power with your Xuan Jade. Once you use the Xuan Jade, the contract will be sealed.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had to admit that Master Yin was indeed very sincere. Master Yin could have easily lied to him, as he did not know how things worked.

    Of course, there was a possibility that Master Yin was afraid of Qi Xuansu¡¯s background. After all, with Qi Xuansu¡¯s level of cultivation, it was highly unlikely that he could obtain this Xuan Jade of Death on his own. Since Yin Jiuyin was unaware of Qi Xuansu¡¯s background and wanted a favor from him, it was safer to approach him with sincerity.

    When dealing with strangers, there was no need to think the worst of others, but one should also not think the best of others.

    Qi Xuansu asked again, ¡°What will happen after the contract is established?¡±

    Yin Jiuyin replied, ¡°In the event the three of us die before you, your life will not be in danger, but your cultivation will be damaged. The amount of damage depends on the level of your cultivation. For your current level, you can easily recover from the damage. But if you reach a high level, such as a Pseudo-Immortal, it will be a loss that is difficult to bear.

    ¡°Of course, you should weigh the benefits and losses before you make this trade-off. If you think that the cost of helping us far exceeds the loss of cultivation, then you don¡¯t need to save us. This is what I mean by helping us if you can. If it¡¯s beyond your capability, we won¡¯t me you for whatever happens.

    ¡°If you fail to reach such heights and waste your life away, or if you die before us, then this contract will be void. One more thing; we can extend help to you when needed, but there are some limitations.¡±

    Qi Xuansu listened very carefully. Based on his past experience, he did not notice any obvious loopholes. These terms were also quite reasonable. Moreover, he was interested in knowing more about how they could help him when needed.

    ¡°Can you borate on the help that you mentioned?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Yin Jiuyin held up the Pingtian crown as he exined, ¡°To put it bluntly, you can open a gap between the yin and yang realms, just like the Yin Yang Gate, with the divine power in this crown.¡±

    After that, Yin Jiuyin started to demonstrate how to use the crown.

    The Pingtian crown in his hand glowed faintly, but there was no sound all around them.

    Qi Xuansu instantly felt a chill behind his back.

    An illusory door slowly opened, filled with mist. After a while, Madam Bai walked out of the door.

    Yin Jiuyin exined, ¡°The three of us can be considered as one and the same. If you summon us, whoever is free among us will answer your call.¡±

    It was only then that Qi Xuansu realized that Madam Bai was actually half human and half skeleton. The human part of her was extremely beautiful, with skin as smooth as jade. But the skeleton half of her was terrifying. It was not just her face, but her hands and feet were all smooth white bones. However, her clothes covered most of her body, so he did not notice earlier. He only realized it as the bones peeked out while she was walking.

    Madam Bai nced at the Pingtian crown in Yin Jiuyin¡¯s hand and said nothing.

    Yin Jiuyin continued his exnation. ¡°However, this method has great limitations. This Yin Yang Gate can only be opened in certain ces, preferably somewhere with strong yin energy. In a ce with strong yang energy, like a paradise or a densely popted town, it will be difficult to open the Yin Yang Gate.¡±

    Qi Xuansu muttered, ¡°Well, it¡¯s easy for you and Madam Bai to walk through this makeshift door, but I¡¯m afraid it can¡¯t amodate Master Wan¡¯s giant body.¡±

    Yin Jiuyinughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, kid. You will know when the timees.¡±

    Qi Xuansu could only nod in response.

    He did not have a reason to refuse such good terms. After all, no matter how he looked at it, the advantages outweighed the disadvantages. ording to Master Yin, Qi Xuansu would have to be at least a Pseudo-Immortal to repay the debt. Qi Xuansu was self-aware to know that he was not like Zhang Yuelu, who could certainly reach that level.

    From his point of view, Master Yin and the others were taking a bigger risk by betting on him. If he was being optimistic, they were betting on his future in hopes of him helping them out in their time of need. If he were to think about it negatively, they were out of options, and desperate times called for desperate measures.

    Yin Jiuyin handed the Pingtian crown to Qi Xuansu again. ¡°My friend, we are gifting this fortune to you today in hopes that you can soar to great heights. Never forget that the universe will respond to persistence.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took a deep breath and finally epted the crown.

    In an instant, a rush of divine power surged toward the Xuan Jade of Death in Qi Xuansu¡¯s hand.

    The familiar feeling came over him again.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s consciousness gradually blurred, but he was still clutching onto the Xuan Jade of Death tightly.

    He had a dream.

    In his dream, Qi Xuansu came to the same ce again. It was a familiar scene to him by now.

    The tall and ck mountain was the same as before.

    Qi Xuansu climbed along the rugged trail to the top of the mountain, which also looked the same, with a vast open space and a big bonfire in the middle.

    The only difference this time was the number of figures around the fire. There were only nine tall figures behind the fire, so two of them were missing. The firelight elongated their shadows.

    These nine tall figures were still shrouded in a ck shadow so thick that it could not be removed. Only a vague outline and two dots of blood-red light at the position of one¡¯s eyes could be seen through that shadow.

    One of the missing figures was probably Wu Yang.

    Although Qi Xuansu knew that he was in a dream, he still felt a chill all over due to the overwhelming pressure from the remaining nine figures. He could feel a mix of kindness and hostility from the group.

    The fire became brighter, making the surroundings appear darker. The nine figures standing between the firelight and the darkness began to murmur.

    After a while, the murmurs grew louder, as if the voices had traveled through time and space to arrive in the present world.

    At this moment, eight figures gradually disappeared and retreated into the darkness, leaving only one figure walking forward into the firelight, revealing its true appearance.

    Qi Xuansu finally saw the true appearance of this figure. She was a woman more than 33 meters tall, wearing a grayish-white robe, standing barefoot, with white hair like snow hanging down to her lower back. She had pale skin and strange paint on her face.

    There was an eerie totem behind her that resembled a formation diagram. It was grayish white with hints of ck, featuring a human face with the body of a bird, apanied by a green snake.

 Chapter 284: Holy Embryo Realm

    <h4>Chapter 284: Holy Embryo Realm</h4>

    Qi Xuansu slept for a long time. When he woke up, he found that he had left the Emperor Willow and the Pce City. He was at the ce where he first met Yin Jiuyin in the Ghost Kingdom.

    At this moment, he could hear a little girl giggling. ¡°Good horsey!¡±

    Qi Xuansu sat up and saw a little girl riding on his grade horse not far away.

    Although it was not the most well-bred horse, it was smart enough to know that it should not offend the little girl. It trotted along smoothly and would sometimes turn its head and nicker for attention. It even knew to reveal an ingratiating smile to please the little girl.

    What a cunning old horse!

    Qi Xuansu looked down again. The Xuan Jade of Death in his hand had disappeared. Thus, he hurriedly meditated to examine his own condition.

    He had originally broken through to the 18th vertebrae, leaving only 6 vertebrae and a Yuding Pass before he could reach the Holy Embryo Realm.

    At this moment, he realized he cleared 24 vertebrae and broke through the Yuding Pass to enter the upper Dantian, officially entering the Rogue Cultivator¡¯s Holy Embryo Realm.

    The Rogue Cultivator¡¯s Holy Embryo Realm corresponded to the Qi Refiner¡¯s Divine Qi Realm, the Banished Immortal¡¯s Nascent Soul Realm, the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s Heavenly Connection Realm, the Diviner¡¯s Thunder Realm, and the Shaman¡¯s Golden Body Realm. These realms were collectively referred to as the Xiantian Being¡¯s Guizhen stage, which was just one step before a Heavenly Being.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s advancement to the Guizhen stage was expected. Even without the Xuan Jade of Death, it was just a matter of time before Qi Xuansu reached the Guizhen stage, as he was nning to consume the Blood Pill he obtained from the manufacturing nt in Cuowenbu.

    The Xuan Jade¡¯s function was not just to improve one¡¯s cultivation level. Otherwise, the Taiping Sect would not have spent so much effort in scavenging for these precious stones. For the Li family, pills and elixirs for improving one¡¯s cultivation level were abundant and easily avable, like an all-you-can-eat buffet.

    The key function of a Xuan Jade was to make up for the shorings of a Rogue Cultivator, who was typically a jack of all trades but master of none. They could learn techniques from all five major lineages, but they were not proficient in anything.

    However, after Qi Xuansu obtained the Xuan Jade of Life, it made up for his shorings in the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s lineage by giving him blood qi and body-regenerative properties. Although Qi Xuansu still could not condense his body and spirit, his physical strength and blood qi were stronger than before. He could even practice the fist intention unique to Martial Arts Practitioners.

    This was the true mystery of the Xuan Jade.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu felt that his soul had strengthened like never before. He even had the urge to break away from the constraints of his physical body. It seemed as if his soul could break free from this skeletal cage and soar into the sky with just one Thought. This was the feeling of a Diviner¡¯s astral projection.

    In other words, the Xuan Jade of Death helped Qi Xuansu make up for the Diviner¡¯s lineage by giving him magical powers. He was no longer an amateur who could only use Yin-Yang Eyes and could finally learn more advanced spells.

    During the Tiangang Hall¡¯s expedition to wipe out the group of sinners on Night Mountain, Qi Xuansu was envious of Lingquanzi¡¯s skills and his ability to manipte others. He was also amazed at how Yin Jiuyin seemed to be able to create things out of thin air with just a wave of his hand.

    From this point of view, the strength of a Martial Arts Practitioner could only be reflected in closebat with their powerful punches and resilient physique. These qualities were far less flexible and convenient than a Diviner¡¯s.

    However, like the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s fist intention, which required active learning and practice, Qi Xuansu¡¯s newly gained magical powers were just a foundation for him to learn and practice spells more easily.

    It was like learning to hammer. One must first have the strength to pick up the hammer and the physical strength to continue swinging the hammer for a long time. Otherwise, it would be impossible to learn and practice hammering techniques.

    Therefore, many trades needed certain basic skills. Most would require one to build up strength and stamina before teaching specific techniques. The Xuan Jade eliminated this part of the process by providing the basic foundation depending on the specific properties of the stone.

    Just as the Xuan Jade of Life used Qi Xuansu¡¯s innate qi and blood to create blood qi, the Xuan Jade of Death turned Qi Xuansu¡¯s Thoughts into magical power. Magical power waspletely different from innate qi and blood qi. It was simr to divine power, but divine power was derived from incense power, which came from other people¡¯s Thoughts and wishes.

    A Diviner¡¯s magical power came from one¡¯s own Thoughts. What surprised Qi Xuansu even more was that the Xuan Jade of Death seemed toe with a set of spells, which were ingrained into Qi Xuansu¡¯s mind and imprinted onto his soul¡¯s memory.

    This made Qi Xuansu a little dizzy. The advantage was that he could use these spells straight away without having to practice and study.

    These spells did not have specific names, as they were unique to the Xuan Jade. Qi Xuansu called the first spell Ghost Machete.

    This Ghost Machete spell was used to summon the ghosthead machete that almost beheaded him in the Ghost Kingdom. This Ghost Machete could be illusory and tangible depending on the opponent it was facing.

    When encountering a living being, it was akin to an extremely sharp execution knife. But against dead objects, it would be illusory. This machete would change its state depending on the opponent¡¯s beliefs. If the opponent believed that they could not stop the Ghost Machete, then they would be injured by it.

    Coupled with the Dayan Spirit de Technique, this new Ghost Machete would be elusive and impossible to guard against.

    However, this spell also had some limitations. The Ghost Machete could not be used in ces with strong yang energy, and it would be restrained by Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s blood qi.

    The reason why Qi Xuansu was helpless against the ghosthead machete when he was in the Ghost Kingdom was because he temporarily lost his blood qi and all mystical abilities. If he were anywhere else, Qi Xuansu would not have been forced to the point of life and death by the ghosthead machete.

    Secondly, the Ghost Machete consumed a lot of magical power, so it would not be ideal to use for a long time. Qi Xuansu¡¯s magical power was roughly equivalent to that of a Diviner in the Thunder Realm.

    During astral projection, a Divine was most afraid of two things¡ªdaylight and thunder, among which spring thunder was most terrifying. That was because the sound of spring thunder could scatter the soul.

    Without the protection of one¡¯s physical body, the soul would be torn apart by the vibration of spring thunder. However, at the Thunder Realm, daylight and thunder were no longer constraints. A Diviner in the Thunder Realm would be able to soul travel during the day. As long as their soul was not struck by lightning, astral projection in a thunderous storm would not be an issue either.

    Qi Xuansu would be able to control the Ghost Machete with the magical power of a Diviner in the Thunder Realm for about one and a half hours. As his cultivation level improved, his magical power would increase, and the duration for using spells would be longer.

    He named the second spell the Ghost Shepherd, which was to control ghosts like how one would herd sheep. In other words, he could summon ghosts with this Ghost Shepherd spell. However, these ghosts were not created out of thin air. They were the various ghosts that the Xuan Jade of Death had absorbed, including the vengeful female ghost in the Xiang Residence and the ghost soldiers on Ghost Street.

    With this spell, Qi Xuansu could catch and raise ghosts. Strictly speaking, he could also capture and control Yin Jiuyin, but he would need an extremely high level of cultivation before doing so.

    The third spell was the Yin Yang Gate, which allowed him to open a gap between the yin and yang realms and travel through the yin realm to arrive somewhere in the yang realm within seconds. Qi Xuansu had previously strayed into the depths of the Ghost Kingdom. Although he did it unknowingly at that time, he still managed to open the Yin Yang Gate.

    This spell was not that useful for Qi Xuansu. Ordinary Diviners only cultivated their souls, so their physical bodies and yang energy were weak. Thus, they could easily enter the Yin Yang Gate. However, Qi Xuansu¡¯s physique was simr to a Martial Arts Practitioner, with strong enough blood qi and physical strength to practice the fist intention. Ordinary ghosts and evil spirits could not get close to him, so this principle also applied to Yin Yang Gate. Thus, Qi Xuansu would still have to ride on horseback like an ordinary man.

    However, the Yin Yang Gate was notpletely useless to him. Qi Xuansu had a connection with the Ghost Kingdom because of the newly established contract between him, Yin Jiuyin, Master Wan, and Madam Bai, so he could summon one of them through this gate.

    As Yin Jiuyin mentioned before, there were restrictions to this. The Yin Yang Gate could only be opened somewhere with strong yin energy and weak yang energy.

    Qi Xuansu mainly lingered around cities, so this seemingly useful spell was not that practical to him. Moreover, the Yin Yang Gate itself was not stable, so he could not open the gate while fighting with others. The Yin Yang Gate could only be opened in advance or after the fight. As such, it was not possible to summon Master Yin or Madam Bai in the middle of a fight. Perhaps it could be done if Qi Xuansu¡¯s magical power and Thoughts increased in the future.

    In addition, he had also gained the Diviner¡¯s soul-traveling properties from the Xuan Jade of Death. It was just like how he gained the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s body-regenerative properties from the Xuan Jade of Life. These were properties that were more of an instinct than a skill, so there was no need to consciously practice them.

    For genuine Diviners, this was the foundation of fighting. They could enter other people¡¯s dreams, possess others, cast spells, control magic weapons, draw talismans, recite spells, and many more. Without the constraints of their physical body, they could be more efficient in fighting.

    For Qi Xuansu, the biggest advantage was that his soul, invisible to ordinary people, could fly and pass through walls. It was beneficial for reconnaissance and infiltration. However, without the protection of the physical body, the soul was very fragile. So he had to avoid the blood qi of Martial Arts Practitioners and the righteous qi of Confucians.

    In addition, after reaching the Holy Embryo Realm, Rogue Cultivators could acquire three new mystical abilities: the Soul Projection Technique, the Qi Observation Technique, and the Divine Calction Technique.

    The Soul Projection Technique was a simplified version of the Diviner¡¯s astral projection, so it was no longer needed.

    The Qi Observation Technique was a simplified version of the Banished Immortal¡¯s Divine Observation Technique. He would be able to see through other people¡¯s cultivation levels, trace qi for a short distance, and differentiate the types of qi. However, this would consume more innate qi. However, unlike the Divine Observation Technique, the Qi Observation Technique would not be able to see through illusions, ghosts, or transformation techniques used by demons.

    Out of the three mystical abilities, the Soul Projection Technique and the Qi Observation Technique were simplified versions from other lineages. The Divine Calction Technique was simr to the Banished Immortal¡¯s Purple Star Astrology, but it had its own merit and was considered a Rogue Cultivator¡¯s unique skill.

    The Divine Calction Technique could predict trends by manually calcting various variables rather than predicting the future by heaven¡¯s will. Therefore, one¡¯s brain power would increase significantly after practicing the Divine Calction Technique to a certain level. This was reflected in the improvement of one¡¯s memory andprehension.

    Secondly, the Divine Calction Technique could be applied to fighting with others. A Rogue Cultivator could calcte the enemy¡¯s location, mystical abilities, body movements, changes in weapons, and even the intensity of light, the terrain, changes in airflow, and so on. The calctions were extremelyplex, and once calcted urately, they would be hard to miss.

    At a high level, one would be able to predict the enemy¡¯s moves. Masters also did not have to move their fingers to calcte these variables. From a third-party perspective, someone fighting a Rogue Cultivator proficient in the Divine Calction Technique would seem as if they were offering themselves to the Rogue Cultivator for a beating.

    If one could practice the royal family¡¯s Taishang Emotionless Sutra and abandon all emotions and desires, one could turn this Divine Calction Technique into Heavenly Calction. In that case, one would have the absolute advantage in fights because there would be no ws in their defense or offense.

    However, the disadvantage of the Divine Calction Technique was that it consumed a lot of brain power and willpower, so it could not be practiced until the Guizhen stage.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu wondered how he could learn the Divine Calction Technique when he was no longer in the Daoist Order. It seemed that he would have no choice but to ask Madam Qi for help.

 Chapter 285: Like a Dream

    <h4>Chapter 285: Like a Dream</h4>

    Qi Xuansu tried these newly obtained spells.

    First, he summoned the Ghost Machete. It looked the same as the executioner¡¯s ghosthead machete, but this one was shrouded in a lightyer of mist. He waved it a few times. It felt weightless, but at the same time, he could clearly feel the depletion of his magical powers.

    Qi Xuansu summoned several more ghost soldiers, who were dressed like prison guards with ck boots and square hats. Their expressionless faces were covered in thick white foundation.

    With the Ghost Machete in hand, Qi Xuansu looked like the executioner in the Ghost Street.

    At this moment, the little girl rode up to Qi Xuansu and said, ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡±

    Qi Xuansu waved his hand to dismiss the Ghost Machete and the ghost soldiers. He looked at the little girl and asked, ¡°Why are you alone? Where is Master Yin?¡±

    The little girl replied, ¡°Grandpa is very busy. That fierce Spirit Guard asked to see him too.¡±

    Yin Jiuyin could freely enter and exit the Ghost Kingdom and the Ghost Pass, as he was a liaison between the two ces. There was a first-rank Spirit Guard from the Daoist Order in charge of the Ghost Pass, so he was probably the one who asked to see Master Yin.

    Perhaps what happened in the Ghost Kingdom rmed the Spirit Guard, but Master Yin could probably give a reasonable exnation.

    Since Master Yin was not around, Qi Xuansu did not know how he could leave this ce. He asked, ¡°Little girl, how should I leave the Ghost Kingdom?¡±

    ¡°Grandpa said to go back the same way you came from.¡± The little girl jumped off the back of the grade horse and patted its leg.

    The grade horse nuzzled the little girl with its big head.

    ¡°Go back the same way I came from?¡± Qi Xuansu pondered for a moment before cupping his fists in salutation. ¡°Thank you very much.¡±

    The little girl beamed. ¡°You¡¯re wee!¡±

    Qi Xuansu got on his grade horse and used his third spell to open the Yin Yang Gate.

    A portal appeared.

    Qi Xuansu rode forward. Just as he was about to enter the portal, he looked back at the little girl.

    The little girl waved vigorously. ¡°Goodbye!¡±

    Qi Xuansu could not help but wave and smile back at her. The grade horse also turned around and whinnied, as if to say goodbye. Then they disappeared through the portal.

    After passing through the portal, Qi Xuansu returned to the same street with repeated ck and white buildings.

    This time, Qi Xuansu kept his cultivation. His previous experience on this street no longer seemed strange or scary to him. He even saw the Three Yin Beings that controlled the Ghost Kingdom, so these menial ghosts were nothing inparison.

    In fact, these ghosts were tactful, like Qi Xuansu¡¯s horse, not daring to provoke him. So he had a smooth and boring journey.

    While riding, Qi Xuansu concentrated on the changes to his body. He now had three forces in his body: Rogue Cultivator¡¯s innate qi, Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s blood qi, and Diviner¡¯s magical power.

    The three forces were at the same level¡ªthe Guizhen stage of Xiantian Beings. Initially, his cultivation in the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s lineage should have beencking, but the Tantai Fist Intention made up for this deficiency. Since the Tantai Fist Intention was created by Tantai Yun and was not part of the Daoist Order¡¯s orthodox curriculum, only a small portion of Daoists practice it. Some of the methods of cultivation that imitated the power of heaven and earth, which corresponded to the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s Heavenly Connection Realm.

    Thebination of the three elements made Qi Xuansu more powerful than ordinary Guizhen-stage practitioners. If he were to fight with Bai Yongguan and Wan Xiuwu, he could win without an effort.

    However, this did not mean that Qi Xuansu¡¯s cultivation was equivalent to three Guizhen-stage practitioners. That was because his Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s and Diviner¡¯s lineages were not fullyplete.

    Although Qi Xuansu¡¯s blood qi and magical powers reached the Guizhen stage, they were just the ¡°innate¡± properties serving as the foundation for the respective lineages.

    A genuine Martial Arts Practitioner in the Guizhen stage would begin to condense the body and spirit. This was the only way to advance to the Divinity Realm, which was the Xiaoyao stage of Heavenly Beings.

    On the other hand, Diviners in the Guizhen stage would begin to strengthen their Thoughts in preparation for the Transitory Realm, which was the Xiaoyao stage of Heavenly Beings.

    The Divinity Realm was when the Martial Arts Practitioner condensed one¡¯s spirit into all 365 acupoints. Once the body and spirit were fully merged, they would be indestructible.

    The Transitory Realm was when the Diviner¡¯s soul was in a transitory state.

    After death, the soul returned to heaven, the spirit returned to the earth, and the Three Corpses turned into ghosts.

    The transitory body referred to a special stage between life and death, when the person had passed away and the soul was about to leave the body but had not yetpletely separated from the body.

    In this state, the soul would linger next to the corpse and watch their own physical form. At this time, the Three Corpses and karmic forces had yet to appear, so the soul was extremely free, lightweight, and sharp. Their thoughts were clear and unobstructed, and their awareness was seven times stronger than when they were living. The experiences of this life would sh before the soul¡¯s spiritual mind.

    The transitory state of an ordinary person after death usuallysted for seven days. However, the Diviner¡¯s transitory body could stay in this special state for a long time, thereby keeping itself in a state between yin and yang, which was indescribable and incredible. In this state, every Thought that was slightly corrupted could be restored to purity. Diviners in this level were no longer afraid of ordinary corpse qi, filthy qi, blood qi, or incense power.

    This transitory body was undoubtedly a big step from being like a ghost to being able to travel between the yin and yang realms. The next step would be the Yangshen Realm, where Diviners could face off with Martial Arts Practitioners and thunder without being affected at all.

    A Martial Arts Practitioner in the Divinity Realm was the ultimate disy of the body¡¯s strength, while a Diviner in the Transitory Body Realm was the ultimate disy of the soul¡¯s resilience.

    This was what Qi Xuansucked.

    Practitioners in the Guizhen stage varied in strength as well. For example, Zhang Yuelu could single-handedly defeat several Guizhen-stage masters. On the other hand, Wan Xiuwu was defeated by Qi Xuansu, who was only in the Yuxu stage at the time.

    In addition, Qi Xuansu also had a huge disadvantage. He did not have any powerful mystical abilities besides the Dayan Spirit de Technique and the Tantai Fist Intention. On the other hand, people like Zhang Yuelu and Xie Qiuniang had at least one perfected method. Zhang Yuelu even had two perfected methods.

    If Qi Xuansu had to go against someone like Zhang Yuelu, his chances of winning would be slim to none. Moreover, if Zhang Yuelu decided to use her semi-immortal object¡ªthe Amorphous Paper¡ªQi Xuansu would surely lose.

    However, Qi Xuansu was still optimistic about his future. He was increasingly convinced that the Xuan Jade was the key to making up for his deficiencies as a Rogue Cultivator. As long as he could gather enough Xuan Jade, he would be able toplete the finishing touch on his Rogue Cultivator lineage and transform into a Banished Immortal, like Zhang Yuelu.

    If he could be a Banished Immortal and be recognized by the Daoist Order, he could be taught a perfected method.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s thoughts began to wander.

    At this moment, he knew what his long-term n was¡ªcollect the Xuan Jade, improve his cultivation, and strive to be a Banished Immortal as soon as possible. At the same time, he had ambitions to return to the Daoist Order, marry Zhang Yuelu, be a Sage, rise to the top of the Daoist Order, and reach the pinnacle of life.

    His mid-term n was to improve his level of cultivation, save some Taiping coins, and wait for an opportunity to take revenge on his enemies. With Wan Xiuwu dead, there were still four people on his list: Yue Liuli, Monk Yanxiu, Zhao Fu¡¯an, and Feng Bo. The first two were nothing to Qi Xuansu. He onlycked a suitable opportunity. However, thetter two would take some time because he was not strong enough to defeat them yet. Even so, Qi Xuansu was confident that day would arrive not too far in the future.

    His short-term n was simple, which was to stabilize his cultivation in the various lineages. He wanted to familiarize himself with the Diviner¡¯s mystical abilities and learn the Divine Calction Technique. Under his limited conditions, he also wanted to try using some practical spells that were not too advanced. Of course, he still had to go to Longmen Prefecture toplete his errand from Madam Qi, which was to escort someone to safety.

    In fact, after reaching the Guizhen stage, Qi Xuansu did not need Jade Liquor to consume the Blood Pill. However, he had already agreed to the job, and his employer had been waiting for him for a month. He was also not the type to give up on a job halfway. If he did that, it would be difficult for the employer to find someone else at thest minute, and it would make things difficult for Madam Qi.

    Therefore, Qi Xuansu still had to continue on his journey to Longmen Prefecture toplete this errand.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu leisurely walked past the execution tform in the Farmer¡¯s Market and left the long street. After a moment of trance, he came back to his senses and appeared in the Ghost Pass.

    Not far away was another gate on the other end of the Ghost Pass, and beyond this gate was the territory of Zhongzhou.

    Qi Xuansu felt like his experience in the Ghost Kingdom was one long dream.

 Chapter 286: Ivory Chopsticks

    <h4>Chapter 286: Ivory Chopsticks</h4>

    A spring rain fell on Xijing City. It was gentle, dense, and continuous, like fine threads. But it did not soak one¡¯s clothes, nor did it make much of a sound when itnded on the green tiles. It was only a slight rustling sound, like the sound of worms chewing on mulberry leaves or the sound of wind blowing through the woods.

    Xijing City also had two markets, the east and the west. There was ake in East Market called the Liberation Pond, which was close to the Changping Warehouse.

    Although the Liberation Pond was called a pond, it was actually quiterge, as big as two blocks within East Market, upying 5% of the totalnd area. There was also a river connecting it to the famous Qujiang Pond.

    At this time, Pan Cuiqing led a group of people and stood on the shore of the Liberation Pond.

    He gave a routine report to Tiangang Hall regarding the progress of the crackdown on the secret societies and incidentally mentioned Wan Xiuwu¡¯s murder. He did not really expect Tiangang Hall to take over this case. After all, Tiangang Hall was notorious for being busy.

    To his surprise, Tiangang Hall actually responded this time. The response even came from the Tiangang Hall Master, Sage Cihang herself.

    Pan Cuiqing was ttered because Sage Cihang was one of the three Omniscient Sages expected topete for the title of Grand Master. If she was elected, she would make history by bing the first female Grand Master since the revival of the Daoist Order. Even the Wuxu Pce Master had to show due respect when meeting Sage Cihang, let alone him.

    What surprised Pan Cuiqing even more was that Sage Cihang had assigned her sessor, Zhang Yuelu, to take over the case.

    Seeing this, Pan Cuiqing immediately thought of Yue Liuli¡¯s spection. Was Wan Xiuwu¡¯s death really rted to Zhang Yuelu? If this was true, then it was evident why Zhang Yuelu was visiting them. But doing so would leave too many traces.

    However, Pan Cuiqing thought about the possibilities. Even if Zhang Yuelu was young and frivolous, Sage Cihang was an experienced Sage who had been through countless storms. How could Sage Cihang allow Zhang Yuelu to be so reckless?

    Pan Cuiqing then wondered if Yue Liuli had a slip of the tongue, so rumors of her suspicion spread.

    If Sage Cihang heard such rumors, she would send her disciples to rify the facts and find out who spread these rumors. They would be punished severely.

    However, this still did not make sense. After all, the murder only happened a few days ago, so it could not have spread to Jade Capital so quickly, unless someone did it on purpose.

    That made him wonder if someone in the Wuxu Pce wanted to use Yue Liuli as a sword to get rid of him, and by extension, his master, who was the Wuxu Pce Master.

    Pan Cuiqing fell into deep thought, but he was still unsure about Sage Cihang¡¯s real intention.

    Knowing how efficient and decisive Zhang Yuelu was, Pan Cuiqing figured that she would not dy this order and would arrive at Xijing Prefecture soon. That was why he had to wait on the shore of this pond with his subordinates.

    It was still raining, so someone held out an umbre for Pan Cuiqing, even though Pan Cuiqing did not require an umbre to protect him from the rain at his cultivation level. On the contrary, the person holding the umbre was at a low cultivation level that would be affected by the rain. But in the end, Pan Cuiqing was shaded under the big umbre, while the person holding the umbre was drenched.

    This was human nature¡ªto diminish what wascking and honor what was abundant. The Primordial Daoist Ancestor had clearly seen through the principles of heaven and human nature.

    Yue Liuli stood next to Pan Cuiqing with a worried look on her face. She had a feeling that Deputy Hall Master Zhang had bad intentions.

    From a certain point of view, the two women shared the same suffering because their loved ones were dead.

    However, Wan Xiuwu and Qi Xuansu once had an open feud. What happened that year was actually Yue Liuli¡¯s fault. She was the one scheming behind the scenes. Those who did not know the inside story were not aware of her involvement. They only thought that Qi Xuansu almost died at the hands of Wan Xiuwu.

    The restless Yue Liuli approached Pan Cuiqing and whispered, ¡°Chun Qing, we¡¯re just inviting unwanted trouble. Deputy Hall Master Zhang¡ª¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll take it step by step.¡± Pan Cuiqing calmly interrupted Yue Liuli. ¡°Anyway, Sage Cihang sent her here, and she is the grandniece of the Heavenly Preceptor. She¡¯s also favored by the Earthly Preceptor, so we can¡¯t do anything to her. We can only try to counter whatever she throws at us.¡±

    ¡°With money?¡± Yue Liuli said subconsciously.

    Pan Cuiqing shook his head and said, ¡°Zhang Yuelu participated in solving the major Jiangnan case. Over the years, she has been well-known for being against corruption. People like her will never ept pure hard cash.¡±

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Yue Liuli asked.

    Pan Cuiqing sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s take it one step at a time. The most pressing matter is to find out what is her purpose foring here.¡±

    Yue Liuli could only nod reluctantly.

    It was truly hard to predict what the higher-ups think. Moreover, this was just Sage Cihang''s decision. There were still three Deputy Grand Masters above her.

    A Yinglong Warshipnded in the Liberation Pond, stirring up fog. Since the hull was gigantic, it almost upied the entire surface of the pond. It could no longer amodate another flying ship.

    The water in the pond rippled and even overflowed the embankment.

    When the ramp was lowered, Pan Cuiqing immediately stered on a friendly smile and hurried forward to greet the guests, with his entourage in tow.

    Zhang Yuelu was the first to appear on the ramp, dressed meticulously in the formal attire of a fourth-rank Daoist priest. But no one held an umbre for her.

    Next were two women, Mu Jin and Tian Baobao, followed by Sun Yongfeng, Lingquanzi, Xu Kou, and the rest.

    The second-rank Spirit Guard who had just beheaded a Heavenly Being at the manor did not show up because he did not think that anyone would dare do anything to Zhang Yuelu in Wuxu Pce. Thus, he stayed on the warship.

    Zhang Yuelu walked down the ramp and greeted Pan Cuiqing, who returned the salute in Daoist etiquette.

    One was the Junior Wuxu Pce Master, and the other was the Junior Tiangang Hall Master. Although Pan Cuiqing was a third-rank Youyi Daoist Master and Zhang Yuelu was only at the fourth rank, they were of the same status due to their positions. In fact, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s status was higher because she was the Deputy Hall Master in the Three Great Halls.

    Pan Cuiqing was polite. ¡°My apologies for bothering you to make this trip in person, Deputy Hall Master Zhang.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my duty. There¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony, Deputy Pce Master Pan.¡± Zhang Yuelu got straight to the point. ¡°I¡¯ve already read the case file on the way here, so I have a general understanding of what happened. Where¡¯s the body? I¡¯d like to examine it first.¡±

    Pan Cuiqing¡¯s face froze slightly. But he quickly smiled and persuaded her. ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang, there is no need to rush this case. I have already prepared a banquet for you and your entourage. You can see the body tomorrow.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was notpletely inflexible. She might not care about this banquet, but her subordinates were not like her. They would be tired from the journey, so she had no choice but to agree. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Thank you very much, Deputy Pce Master Pan.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my honor to be able to receive you, Deputy Hall Master Zhang.¡± The smile on Pan Cuiqing¡¯s face grew wider.

    This reception banquet was thoughtfully arranged. Since the Liberation Pond and the Qujiang Pond were connected, Pan Cuiqing simply found a few high-quality ornate boats to set up the banquet. Compared with the huge Yinglong Warships, these ornate boats seemed extremely small. However, they were exquisite and elegant.

    Everything was served, mainly Jiangnan cuisine. A 30-year-old yellow rice wine was just taken out of the cer. The main course featured pufferfish that were raised in Wuxu Pce, specially made by a master chef from Jinling. They also hired Wuzhou chefs to make two famous dishes from the Shangqing Prefecture in Wuzhou as well as three vegetarian dishes from Putuo Ind. These were all specially prepared for Zhang Yuelu.

    In addition, considering that Zhang Yuelu was a conservative woman, Pan Cuiqing did not arrange for female dancers or courtesans as entertainment. Instead, he specially hireddies from good families who were proficient in music and elegant in appearance to provide some entertainment. The servers waiting on the guests were also Daoist nuns from the Wuxu Pce, all of whom looked presentable.

    Imagine riding a boat and listening to the rain while drifting down the river toward Qujiang Pond, which was covered in mist. Hometown delicacies were served while soft music yed inside the boat. One could enjoy the beautiful scenery from thefort of the boat. It was pure enjoyment.

    It also did not matter if one got drunk because they could just rest on the boat. By the time they woke up, the rain would have stopped, and the sky would be filled with stars that reflected onto the surface of the water.

    This was the kind of elegance that showed the prosperity of the dynasty.

    To be fair, one had to be knowledgeable and educated to be able to n such an elegant banquet. It was no wonder Pan Cuiqing could be the Junior Wuxu Pce Master. He was certainly attentive in serving the higher-ups.

    Sun Yongfeng, Xu Kou, Lingquanzi, and the others were on another boat. That boat had less elegant but more sensuous courtesans who could make men smile. Even if the men on that boat were worried about being reprimanded by Zhang Yuelu and did not dare to call on these courtesans, the sultry women still served as eye candy.

    Pan Cuiqing was indeed good at catering to different people¡¯s preferences.

    Not many would be able to withstand such temptations. Moreover, this was just an appetizer. The main course was yet toe.

    This was the reason many Daoist priests fell for the luxuries in life and died from them, not on the battlefield.

    Zhang Yuelu boarded the boat with not much expression on her face. However, her gaze was cold and disapproving.

    How could one use ivory chopsticks for simple meals? If these people were ustomed to such luxurious treatment, how could they still tolerate the minimalist Daoist lifestyle?

    She did not think that this was the right way to live as a Daoist priest.

 Chapter 287: Bu Yue

    <h4>Chapter 287: Bu Yue</h4>

    After leaving the Ghost Pass and entering Zhongzhou, not far away was the summer pce built by Empress Mingkong, where the Zhongzhou Daoist Pce was located.

    The Ghost Kingdom and the Ghost Pass were actually located between Qinzhou Daoist Mansion and Zhongzhou Daoist Mansion. Further extending the distance, the Ghost Kingdom and the Ghost Pass were also located between the Chongyang Pce of Immortality in Difei Mountain and the Wanxiang Daoist Pce in Longmen Prefecture.

    This was located within the core territory of the Daoist Order. That was why Feng Bo felt desperate and chose to kill Qi Xuansu in Xijing Prefecture. After all, that was his best option. In Xijing Prefecture, Feng Bo only had to face the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion and the Wuxu Pce, as opposed to Beimang Mountain, where Feng Bo would have to face countless forces from the Daoist Order.

    For Qi Xuansu, Zhongzhou was regarded as his second hometown because this was where the Wanxiang Daoist Pce was located, where he spent his childhood and youth.

    Qi Xuansu was an orphan, so he did not know where his original hometown was. Perhaps the Wanxiang Daoist Pce would have records of his birth, but he wondered if these files were kept after so many years. Even if the Wanxiang Daoist Pce had this information, not just anyone had the clearance to retrieve it.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu was not obsessed with his origins because of the environment in which he grew up.

    If Qi Xuansu had grown up on the streets and seen families walking around, he would have been an outlier without parents. If so, he would have asked himself who gave birth to and abandoned him.

    However, Qi Xuansu was adopted by the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, where the children were all orphans. They were all the same kind, so no one would ask about another person¡¯s origins. They regarded the Wanxiang Daoist Pce as their home, the strict Daoist teachers as their fathers, and the Daoist nuns taking care of their daily lives as their mothers. Everything seemed natural.

    The Daoist master and apprentice rtionship was akin to that of a parent and child. So those from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce who were lucky to be chosen by their masters would convert to their master¡¯s sect. Otherwise, most would choose to go to the Quanzhen Sect, as it was one of the three sects that did not focus on family background and had the most ordained monks.

    If Qi Xuansu had not followed his master Qi Haoran to join the Zhengyi sect, he would probably have joined the Quanzhen Sect.

    Many people¡¯s obsessions were actually rooted in their childhood. Qi Xuansu¡¯s real obsession was to return to the Daoist Order, not just because of Zhang Yuelu but also because he felt a sense of belonging there. The Daoist Order was his home.

    In the past, even though Qi Xuansu was a lone traveler, he still had his identity as a seventh-rank Daoist priest. No matter where he went, he could openly take out his Daoist certificate. He was more like a wanderer who traveled far away from home. With his seventh-rank Daoist priest identity, Qi Xuansu could still go back to the Daoist Order whenever he wanted to.

    Now that Qi Xuansu was supposedly dead, he could not use his Daoist identity anymore. He felt like an orphan who had been kicked out. These were twopletely different situations and feelings.

    This type of situation was rming for the Imperial Court because there were so many Daoist disciples who were born and raised in the Daoistmunity. Most also died as Daoists. Thus, they only recognized the Daoist Order as their authority because that was where they found a sense of belonging.

    Although the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court cooperated seamlessly and were sometimes considered one integrated entity, there were inevitable conflicts that arose. These two behemoths were like a married couple¡ªone of them was bound to call the shots. That was why the Imperial Court would inevitably take the opportunity to intervene in thepetition for the Daoist Grand Master.

    Qi Xuansu did not delve so deeply into politics. All he wanted to do was arrive in Longmen Prefecture as soon as possible and nce at the Wanxiang Daoist Pce that held the memories of his childhood and youth.

    He came to the gate of the Summer Pce and saw many Daoist priestsing in and out, with formidable Spirit Guards in full armor and holding sharp weapons lined up on both sides of the main entrance.

    Qi Xuansu got off his horse and stood there, reminiscing about the Wanxiang Daoist Pce that he had not stepped foot in for many years.

    Strictly speaking, the predecessor of the Wanxiang Daoist Pce was the Wanxiang Divine Pce. It was built in the same period as the Summer Pce, during Empress Mingkong¡¯s reign. Therefore, the architectural styles were very simr, with strong characteristics popr in the Qi Dynasty.

    The Wanxiang Daoist Pce upied a huge area, covering the entire Ziwei City. Longmen Prefecture was once the Eastern Capital of the Qi Dynasty, while Xijing Prefecture was its Western Capital.

    Ziwei City was the pce city of the Eastern Capital. Among them, the main pce was called the Hall of Enlightenment, which was also known as the Upper Pce of the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, where countless Daoist priests studied to get promoted to the fourth rank.

    Besides the Upper Pce, most of Ziwei City consisted of the Lower Pce. Including the Daoist teachers and nuns, there were at least tens of thousands of people residing in the Lower Pce. However, only a thousand or so Daoist attendants could sessfully pass the two assessments. The rest would be ordinary Daoist believers.

    Although Daoist believers could eventually be Daoist priests, the extent of their promotion was to the seventh rank. Among the thousand people who passed, only less than 100 people could go from the ninth rank to the fourth rank, and only a handful of people could reach the second rank.

    Qi Xuansu was only at the sixth rank with the help of Madam Qi and Zhang Yuelu. Yue Liuli and Wan Xiuwu were the best among Qi Xuansu¡¯s batch, and they were only at the fifth rank. As a result, Wan Xiuwu died at the hands of Qi Xuansu. On paper, Qi Xuansu had also died at the hands of the Lingshan Witch Cult.

    Looking back on the past, Qi Xuansu felt sentimental and emotional.

    Not far away was a lookout point, where many young couples would hike up. Thus, he could hearughter and chatter from time to time.

    Qi Xuansu led his horse and followed the flow of people. It turned out that one could overlook the entire Longmen Prefecture from here. At this time, the sun was setting, and thenterns from thousands of houses lit up like stars in the sky. From a distance, he could see the two famous Yi and Luo Rivers.

    It was thanks to the Daoist Order that people could enjoy such beautiful scenery. Just 200 years ago, this ce was so eerie that no one dared toe here even in broad daylight, when the yang energy was the strongest.

    Qi Xuansu stood alone in a deserted corner, filled with emotion.

    He gently stroked the grade horse¡¯s mane, and the horse responded by shaking its head and snorting.

    After following Qi Xuansu through the Ghost Kingdom, this grade horse seemed a little different. It no longer looked frail, and it could run 150 kilometers in one breath without panting. Its hooves were also intact. Moreover, it exuded a faint yin energy, and its coat became darker, almost ck.

    More importantly, Qi Xuansu felt that this horse could understand what he was saying.

    Qi Xuansu suddenly asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t I give you a name?¡±

    The horse seemed to understand what Qi Xuansu said and stamped its front hooves in response.

    ¡°What should I call you?¡± Qi Xuansu pondered. ¡°I will never name you based on the color of your fur. That¡¯s just tacky and toomon.¡±

    The grade horse nodded and shed its teeth, as if it were smiling in agreement.

    ¡°What about Wei Wugui?¡± Qi Xuansu said, ¡°You can have the same name as me.¡±

    The horse shook its head, clearly disapproving of it.

    Qi Xuansu thought to himself and muttered, ¡°My other name is Xuansu. But it doesn¡¯t seem appropriate for a horse, because the character, <i>Xuan</i>, holds too much meaning for the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court.¡±

    Hearing this, the horse scratched the ground slowly with its front hoof, feeling a little uneasy. This horse was indeed smart and shrewd, probably due to its past experiences since it was old.

    ¡°Hmm, what about Radish?¡± Qi Xuansu was throwing out random names he could think of.

    The grade horse stamped its hooves three times in protest, expressing its dissatisfaction.

    Qi Xuansu tried again. ¡°Grape?¡±

    The horse shook its head again. He did not want to be named after fruit or vegetables!

    Qi Xuansu still did not give up. ¡°Oh, I have a friend from the Western Continent who taught me some of hisnguage. Do you want a Western name? I think Arthur mentioned an interesting name called Torrent.¡±

    The horse rolled its eyes. It would have reared up if Qi Xuansu had been riding on its back so that Qi Xuansu would fall off.

    This was the first time Qi Xuansu saw such a human-like expression on a horse.

    ¡°Fine. A horse from the Great Xuan Dynasty doesn¡¯t need a Western name.¡± Qi Xuansu had to appease his horse and continued racking his brain for suitable names.

    Qi Xuansu suddenly thought of his own pseudonym from the Qingping Society, Gold-ted Knife. It was meant to remind him of his huge debt.

    Qi Xuansu tested the waters. ¡°Let¡¯s try some of the names from ancient poems, then. Ba Gui, Ding Er, San Tai, Tian Xiang, Liu Chou, Jiu Ri, Chu Sai, Ta Yue, Bu Yue, Jin Yan...I didn¡¯t make these up. What do you think?¡±

    The horse did not object this time and nodded repeatedly.

    Qi Xuansu smiled. ¡°You really are picky. Alright, I¡¯ll choose one among them. I think Bu Yue is most suitable since you¡¯ve walked with me through the Ghost Kingdom. After all, <i>Bu</i> means walk, and <i>Yue</i> means the moon, which is the symbol of yin energy. What do you think?¡±

    The horse nickered as if to say, ¡°Finally, a name that I like!¡±

 Chapter 288: Clues

    <h4>Chapter 288: Clues</h4>

    The reception banquet organized by Pan Cuiqing for Tiangang Hall¡¯s Yaoguang Divisionsted untilte at night.

    Zhang Yuelu drank a few sses of wine, but she was not drunk because she had a high alcohol tolerance. She only drank to be polite. Even though she usually liked to drink, she knew not to indulge while on official business.

    Of course, Zhang Yuelu could have ordered Pan Cuiqing to cancel the banquet and show her Wan Xiuwu¡¯s body immediately. However, she did not want to make another enemy for herself. If she did that, the Wuxu Pce would think that she was arrogant, and when word of this spread, she would be shunned for not following proper etiquette.

    Some people saw a hint of the fifth-generation Grand Master¡¯s attitude in Zhang Yuelu, so they were wary of her.

    If Zhang Yuelu wanted to climb thedder of the Daoist Order, she had to learn to be patient and hide a part of her intentions. Sometimes, she could even y along and turn a blind eye if it was not too serious. In short, she had to pick her battles.

    At midnight, the rain finally stopped.

    Zhang Yuelu walked out onto the deck of the ornate boat. In the darkness, she could only see the stars in the sky and the lights in the distance reflected on the surface of Qujiang Pond. It was as if there were stars in the water as well.

    It was an amazing view that could only be seen during times of prosperity. However, behind this prosperity was an undercurrent waiting to turn the tide.

    The mighty Qi Dynasty was the best precedent.

    At this moment, Yue Liuli also walked out onto the deck and stopped a few meters away from Zhang Yuelu.

    At the banquet, Pan Cuiqing tested Zhang Yuelu¡¯s intentions several times but failed. He had no choice but to ask Yue Liuli to approach that stubborn woman, thinking that perhaps she would be more sessful since they shared the same gender and tragic experience of losing a loved one. Yue Liuli was nervous, but she had to do as she was told and face Zhang Yuelu alone.

    ¡°Miss Yue.¡± Zhang Yuelu spoke first, using an unconventional address.

    However, Yue Liuli greeted Zhang Yuelu with the Daoist standard. ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nced at Yue Liuli, who was behind her. ¡°Three months have passed by in the blink of an eye since west met at the Shangqing Pce on Yunjin Mountain. I didn¡¯t expect all these events to happen. Please ept my condolences, Miss Yue.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your constion, Deputy Hall Master Zhang.¡± Yue Liuli was much lower than Zhang Yuelu in terms of rank, position, and family background, so she kept a humble stance.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Miss Yue?¡±

    Yue Liuli said softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe here in person. I was so ttered that I came here to express my gratitude to you, Deputy Hall Master Zhang.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Zhang Yuelu nodded and suddenly changed the subject. ¡°I noticed during the banquet that you seem quite close to Deputy Pce Master Pan.¡±

    Yue Liuli was startled. A trace of panic shed across her face, but she forced a smile. ¡°Deputy Pce Master Pan is also my senior brother. He has been dealing with Senior Brother Wan¡¯s funeral affairs, so we¡¯ve had more interactions during this period.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu smiled faintly in response.

    Qi Xuansu was only able to deceive Zhang Yuelu because he learned how to act from the brilliant Madam Qi. Moreover, Zhang Yuelu always gave Qi Xuansu the benefit of the doubt, so she did not dwell on his words or deeds.

    However, Yue Liuli was different. She was not as good at actingpared to Qi Xuansu, and Zhang Yuelu was skeptical of her. Thus, her schemes were easily exposed.

    In fact, through Zhang Yuelu¡¯s past experience in Beichen Hall, she was most suspicious of Yue Liuli and Pan Cuiqing. Since ancient times, murder resulting from adultery wasmon, ssified as killing for love.

    From Zhang Yuelu¡¯s perspective, Yue Liuli was undoubtedly the biggest suspect. However, Zhang Yuelu was only suspicious and would not jump to conclusions or wrongly use anyone without evidence. She would still have to see the victim¡¯s corpse before making a judgment.

    Yue Liuli was rendered speechless. Her mind was in chaos, so she quickly excused herself, feeling embarrassed.

    Compared with Zhang Yuelu, who had experienced countless storms, Yue Liuli was immature. After all, children scheming in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce was far less sophisticatedpared to the real infighting within the Daoist Order.

    Zhang Yuelu had experienced the major Jiangnan case firsthand, so she had learned a lot from it.

    The difference between them was just like Wan Xiuwu and Qi Xuansu. Qi Xuansu was indeed no match for Wan Xiuwu when they were in Wanxiang Daoist Pce. But after graduation, Qi Xuansu witnessed his master¡¯s assassination and was guided by Madam Qi to be a ruthless weapon, constantly living on the edge.

    After Qi Xuansu entered Tiangang Hall, he followed Zhang Yuelu to fight off various evil cults, gaining richbat experience. Whereas Wan Xiuwu lived thefortable life of a flowerbed priest in Wuxu Pce. Thus, when the two old ssmates crossed paths again, Qi Xuansu easily defeated Wan Xiuwu, who had an advantage in having a higher cultivation level.

    Early the next morning, Zhang Yuelu asked to see Wan Xiuwu¡¯s corpse.

    As far as Wan Xiuwu¡¯s death was concerned, Pan Cuiqing had a clear conscience, so he did not dy the request and personally led Zhang Yuelu over to inspect the body.

    Zhang Yuelu did not know how to do autopsies, but she brought a forensic specialist from Tiangang Hall with her. The coroner stepped forward to examine the corpse.

    Finally, it was concluded that Wan Xiuwu¡¯s cause of death was from a firearm wound using an ordinary armor-piercing projectile. Judging from the depth of pration, it was likely that the gun was pressed against the deceased forehead when the shot was fired. This result was consistent with the case file provided by the Wuxu Pce.

    They could also confirm that the projectile came from Tianji Hall. However, Tianji Hall produced countless armor-piercing projectiles every year, so it was impossible to determine who was the owner of this projectile. Moreover, the possibility of these projectiles flowing into the ck market could not be ruled out.

    Wan Xiuwu¡¯s body was severely burned. Even so, they could still identify some traces of the fight. The more serious injuries were caused by fists. That was why the Wuxu Pce was certain that the killer was a Martial Arts Practitioner. However, there were also some minor stab wounds that were not fatal.

    The coroner turned to Zhang Yuelu and reported, ¡°Deputy Hall Master, although the corpse was burned to this degree, the position of the stab wounds would not disappear, as some wounds left certain traces on the bones.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu inspected the stab wound. The results shocked her because this was from the Dayan Spirit de Technique.

    Though the Dayan Spirit de Technique was said to not leave a trace, it was only true for those who were not familiar with it. Zhang Yuelu was proficient in the Dayan Spirit de Technique, so she could recognize it at a nce.

    In the Daoistmunity, the use of swords was moremonpared to other weapons. Most people also focused on one weapon. Zhang Yuelu only learned the Dayan Spirit de Technique because the Amorphous Paper could be transformed into various forms.

    In other words, very few people in the Daoist Order could use the Dayan Spirit de Technique. Since Houtian and Xiantian Beings could not stray from the regr path of cultivation unless they were taught by their masters, even fewer people within the Daoistmunity knew this technique.

    Even if it was a Heavenly Being who did this, Wan Xiuwu would not have been able to resist for such a long time and would most likely be decapitated with a single move. There was no need for a Heavenly Being to exert so much effort in inflicting so many injuries on Wan Xiuwu.

    At this time, Zhang Yuelu started profiling the killer, who was suspected to be a Martial Arts Practitioner proficient in the use of firearms and the Dayan Spirit de Technique. Since the killer was most likely not a Heavenly being, they would most probably be around the Yuxu stage or the Guizhen stage.

    With that profile, an image jumped to the forefront of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s mind¡ªQi Xuansu. The reason for this was that Pan Cuiqing had mentioned an old grudge between Qi Xuansu and Wan Xiuwu in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce.

    Was it just a coincidence?

    Zhang Yuelu forced herself to calm down.

    In the eyes of others, Zhang Yuelu was pensive, probably thinking about how to proceed with the case. However, only Zhang Yuelu knew how fast her heart was beating and how chaotic her emotions were.

    Two thoughts kept shing in her mind.

    Her first thought was that Qi Xuansu was not dead. He survived, killed Wan Xiuwu under the nose of the Wuxu Pce, and walked away confidently.

    Another thought was that someone knew about the old grudge between Qi Xuansu and Wan Xiuwu, so the killer intended to confuse everyone by pretending to be Qi Xuansu.

    After all, Zhang Yuelu watched Qi Xuansu fall thousands of feet below her. She was clear about Qi Xuansu¡¯s cultivation level, so there was no way he could survive such a fall.

    Both theories were probable.

    However, there was another possibility. Most of the people in the Imperial Court preferred sabers and other des that were not swords. Thus, there were many masters of knifemanship from the royal family and the ck Robes. The Dayan Spirit de Technique was also widespread in the Imperial Court.

    Therefore, the killer could be from the Imperial Court.

    After a long time, Zhang Yuelu finally spoke. ¡°The killer is a Martial Arts Practitioner proficient in firearms and knifemanship. There aren¡¯t many people who meet these criteria in the Daoistmunity. But there are many who check these boxes in the Imperial Court, especially those from the Green Phoenix Guard and the ck Robes.¡±

    Pan Cuiqing probed. ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang, do you mean to say that the killer is from the Imperial Court?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu signaled Mu Jin to take out a map, pointed at it, and said, ¡°Your initial assumption was that the killer was a secret society member, so you assume that they would not flee to Xijing Prefecture or the Ghost Pass. What if the killer was not a secret society member but a member of the Imperial Court? If they happen to have a badge¡ª¡±

    ¡°The Ghost Pass!¡± Pan Cuiqing¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°They can pass through the Ghost Pass and leave right under our nose! Our patrolling Spirit Guards wouldn¡¯t be able to tell. He could even go back to Xijing Prefecture and hide in in sight to y tricks on us!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu instructed, ¡°Investigate the recent checkpoint records at the Ghost Pass.¡±

 Chapter 289: Peeling Away the Layers

    <h4>Chapter 289: Peeling Away the Layers</h4>

    ording to the rules, Beichen Hall should be responsible for cases that did not involve secret societies. However, Zhang Yuelu felt that the secret societies were rted to this case. She only put forth her conjecture, but she still needed evidence to confirm it.

    Furthermore, Tiangang Hall¡¯s responsibility was to deal with external affairs, which had a broad scope. Strictly speaking, Tiangang Hall could intervene in anything, as long as it was not directed at Daoist disciples. Therefore, even if Zhang Yuelu confirmed that the murderer was not rted to a secret society, as long as she wanted to continue the investigation, no one would be able to object to it.

    Zhang Yuelu could also give a reasonable excuse that she was already there, so she might as well take up the case, lest it be a waste of time.

    Of course, Zhang Yuelu also wanted to continue the investigation. Whether someone was pretending to be Qi Xuansu or whether Qi Xuansu was still alive gave her the motivation to continue the investigation.

    With the rapid post talisman, the checkpoint records from the Ghost Pass were quickly sent to Zhang Yuelu. Due to the Ghost Pass¡¯s unique location, not many chose to travel through it. There had been only about 100 people who had passed that checkpoint from the day before Wan Xiuwu¡¯s death.

    It was not difficult to check these people because they started by eliminating those who failed to meet the criteria. As such, there were less than 10 people who matched the killer¡¯s profile.

    Zhang Yuelu scanned the list. Her gazended on a name¡ªWei Wugui.

    This person met all the above conditions to the tee. He was a Martial Arts Practitioner who carried a Divine Dragon Pistol and two cusses.

    Wei Wugui was also a soldier under themand of General Qin Wubing. At the customs clearance, he showed a badge issued by Qin Wubing and another badge issued by Sage Pei Xiaolou from the Chongyang Pce of Immortality.

    Zhang Yuelu fell into deep thought as various clues floated in her mind.

    Qin Wubing was the Deputy Protector of Xizhou and the future Commandery Prince of Jiangling. He had a close rtionship with Shangguan Jing, the deceased Seventh Deputy Tiangang Hall Master, as they had jointly suppressed secret societies in Yongzhou.

    However, when Shangguan Jing was attacked by Wu Luo in Cuowenbu, Qin Wubing chose to stand still. However, through subsequent investigation, it was discovered that Qin Wubing had been in contact with Shangguan Jing right before thetter¡¯s death.

    Someone from the Daoist Order had asked Qin Wubing to stop all operations. Out of sentimentality over their friendship, Qin Wubing leaked some information to Shangguan Jing and warned thetter to leave. Unfortunately, before Shangguan Jing could escape, Wu Luo attacked his warship. Thus, it was concluded that Qin Wubing had nothing to do with Wu Luo.

    Pei Xiaolou, the Deputy Chongyang Pce Master, was just mediocre, but his elder brother was Sage Donghua, the Ziwei Hall Master and the second-inmand in the Quanzhen Sect with a status equivalent to Sage Cihang. Zhang Yuelu also recalled having met Pei Xiaolou once in Shangqing Pce because of Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu knew Pei Xiaolou. Wei Wugui also happened to be acquainted with Pei Xiaolou.

    Was there any connection between them?

    However, among the Sages, Pei Xiaolou was infamous for being frivolous. He liked to make friends with young people. So it was difficult to conclude that there was a connection between Qi Xuansu and Wei Wugui because of this. But with her current status, Zhang Yuelu was not qualified to question a second-rank Taiyi Daoist priest. She would require the authorization of the Golden Tower Council or Sage Cihang¡¯s personal involvement.

    Even if Zhang Yuelu asked her master to question Pei Xiaolou, she would have to be confident of her suspicion. If nothing was found based on this conjecture without any real evidence, Pei Xiaolou and Sage Donghua would not let it slide so easily. Sage Cihang would fall into a passive situation, and Zhang Yuelu would even be held ountable by the Golden Council.

    As long as it did not involve a secret society, it was best if Zhang Yuelu handed over whatever evidence she gathered to Fengxian Hall instead of her master. After all, Pei Xiaolou was a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master with Sage Donghua as his backer.

    Zhang Yuelu could not investigate Pei Xiaolou, nor could she investigate Wei Wugui because he was from the Imperial Court.

    The Daoist Order and the Imperial Court had a pact that was made by the Holy Xuan and Emperor Gaozu of the Great Xuan Dynasty. But for some reason unknown to outsiders, this pact was not written. It was more of an ancestral edict. That was why it was regarded as an unwritten rule that both parties strictly abided by.

    Zhang Yuelu had mentioned this edict before when she was arresting the cult demons. As long as it had to do with secret societies, the Daoist Order had the full authority to handle the case as they pleased. However, the Daoist Order had no right to punish those from the Imperial Court. If someone from the Imperial Courtmitted a crime and fell into the hands of the Daoist Order, the Daoist Order had to hand the criminal back to the Imperial Court, and vice versa.

    Zhang Yuelu could not arrest Wei Wugui, as this would paint the Daoist Order in a bad light, especially at this critical moment when the Imperial Court was trying to intervene in the internal affairs of the Daoist Order.

    Wei Wugui was just a personal guard of Qin Wubing. If Zhang Yuelu, the sessor of Sage Cihang, broke the rules, Qin Wubing could report the matter to the Imperial Court and make a big fuss about the situation. There was no way for Zhang Yuelu to shirk responsibility because she was the Deputy Hall Master of Tiangang Hall, so her actions represented the Daoist Order''s attitude to a certain extent.

    This meant that Zhang Yuelu had to use a roundabout way tomunicate and negotiate with Qin Wubing first, asking for Qin Wubing¡¯s assistance to interrogate Wei Wugui.

    Furthermore, Wei Wugui was Qin Wubing¡¯s personal guard, which meant that he had been to the West Gobi of Cuowenbu. He must have left some traces traveling from the West Gobi to Xijing Prefecture, so Zhang Yuelu could ask someone to track his route.

    Another thing Zhang Yuelu found strange was the gap of two days between Wei Wugui¡¯s entry and exit record at the Ghost Pass, indicating he was not just passing by. This made her wonder what he did in the Ghost Pass.

    Cuowenbu, West Gobi, Yinglong Warship¡¯s attack, Wu Luo, Qin Wubing, Pei Xiaolou, Yunjin Mountain, and the flying ship crash seemed to have some connection. However, Zhang Yuelu was unable to grasp how these seemingly unrted events were connected to each other. She felt like there was a missing piece in the puzzle.

    Pan Cuiqing also saw Wei Wugui¡¯s name and said in surprise, ¡°This guy...¡±

    ¡°Deputy Pce Master Pan, do you know this person?¡± Zhang Yuelu asked.

    ¡°This guy provoked the Heavenly Court somehow, so Feng Bo from the Heavenly Court chased him to Xijing Prefecture. But this guy was quick-witted to detonate a Phoenix Eye Bullet, hence rming the Sub-Tiangang Hall. That¡¯s how he survived Feng Bo¡¯s attack.

    ¡°But this guy somehow provoked an arrogant Sub-Tiangang Hall personnel, who insisted that the incident with Feng Bo was a private duel and wanted to hold Wei Wugui ountable. Coincidentally, Sage Pei arrived from the Chongyang Pce of Immortality to inspect the area and caught this Sub-Tiangang Hall personnel abusing his power. After this incident, Sage Pei grew to like Wei Wugui, but that¡¯s expected of Sage Pei.¡±

    Pan Cuiqing belonged to the Wuxu Pce, not to the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion. It was inevitable for these two entities to have some conflict since they worked closely together. As such, Pan Cuiqing would not cover up for the Sub-Tiangang Hall, which was from the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion. He even took the opportunity to reveal how the Sub-Tiangang Hall abused its power.

    Although the Sub-Tiangang Hall was an elite team, they were under the control of the Second Deputy Qinzhou Daoist Mansion Master. Thus, the Sub-Tiangang Hall was considered small, and their actions could not represent the Daoist Order. As such, the Imperial Court would usually turn a blind eye to small matters.

    Zhang Yuelu looked pensive. ¡°I see.¡±

    After a while, Zhang Yuelu ordered, ¡°Deacon Tian, please send a letter to Qin Wubing, the Deputy Protector of the Xizhou Protectorate, asking him to confirm the identity of Wei Wugui. If Wei Wugui is indeed his subordinate, then please ask for General Qin¡¯s cooperation in this investigation. If necessary, we will ask someone from the Imperial Court to question Wei Wugui.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu paused for a moment, her tone turned solemn. ¡°If Wei Wugui¡¯s identity is fabricated and he is found to be unrted to the Imperial Court, immediately notify the Zhongzhou Daoist Mansion and the Spirit Guards stationed at the Ghost Pass and ask them to assist in apprehending that man.¡±

    Tian Baobao took the order and left.

    Pan Cuiqing pped his hands and praised. ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang, you are indeed a young talent who has cracked the major Jiangnan case. You¡¯ve made so much progress on this case. It¡¯s simply amazing!¡±

    ¡°Deputy Pce Master Pan, you¡¯re exaggerating.¡± Zhang Yuelu was indifferent to hispliment.

    Pan Cuiqing changed the topic. ¡°As far as I know, Wei Wugui is acquainted with Sage Pei. Do you want to inform Sage Pei about this?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu stated, ¡°Let¡¯s see how General Qin responds first.¡±

 Chapter 290: The Joy of Returning Home

    <h4>Chapter 290: The Joy of Returning Home</h4>

    Qi Xuansu was unaware that Zhang Yuelu had arrived at Wuxu Pce, nor did he know that Zhang Yuelu had deduced his identity as Wan Xiuwu''s killer through various clues.

    But even if Qi Xuansu was aware of this, there was nothing he could do. Since he was slightly weaker than Wan Xiuwu in terms of cultivation, he had to use the Dayan Spirit de Technique to gain an advantage in the fight. If he had not used the Dayan Spirit de Technique to continuously exhaust Wan Xiuwu¡¯s physical energy and blood, Qi Xuansu would not have won in their final closebat.

    Of course, if Qi Xuansu were to face Wan Xiuwu again with his current level of cultivation, he could have used other methods to eliminate Wan Xiuwu without needing to use the Dayan Spirit de Technique. However, catching Wan Xiuwu roaming around alone outside the Wuxu Pce was a golden opportunity for Qi Xuansu to exact revenge.

    The key to vengeance was getting the right opportunity. Cultivation level was secondary. If Wan Xiuwu had been hiding in Wuxu Pce or traveling in a group, it would have been difficult for Qi Xuansu to kill him. After all, it was impossible for Qi Xuansu to sneak into the Wuxu Pce to kill Wan Xiuwu.

    After this incident, Yue Liuli would be on guard, so Qi Xuansu would not have another chance to attack her for the time being.

    Fortunately, Qi Xuansu did not repeat the same mistake as the time he killed Jia Zi from the Heavenly Court. This time, he was smart enough to burn Wan Xiuwu¡¯s body with the Dragon Eye Bullet to destroy his biological material. That was why the people from Wuxu Pcecked a medium to track him like Feng Bo did.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu had left Beimang Mountain and continued toward Longmen Prefecture with his grade horse, Bu Yue.

    If it had not been for his experience in the Ghost Kingdom, Qi Xuansu would not have been dyed for about two days and would have arrived at Longmen Prefecture by now.

    Longmen Prefecture was also known as the Peony City. Perhaps Qi Xuansu would arrive in time to catch the Peony Festival.

    There was a county between Beimang Mountain and the capital of Longmen Prefecture called Beimang County, where Qi Xuansu stayed for one night.

    That night, Qi Xuansu once again revisited the same dream that had haunted him for many years.

    This time, there was another change to the dream, which Qi Xuansu attributed to the second piece of Xuan Jade he activated.

    In the dream, Qi Xuansu came to the mountain road leading to the dark mountain. Unlike before, he was well aware that he was dreaming, so he began to explore the boundaries of this dream.

    Qi Xuansu discovered that there were actually many pces along the mountain road. The style of the pce was different from the buildings he was ustomed to seeing. These pces were more rustic, ancient, and dpidated, with only the remains of severed limbs from the various statues left behind.

    He continued forward and saw a tragic battlefield that was covered in snow and ice. Countless lifelike ice sculptures still maintained their expressions before death.

    There were also many illusory figures standing expressionlessly on the mountain road. They looked somewhat translucent, but other than that, they were no different from living people. There were at least hundreds of them standing shoulder to shoulder. They had lost all consciousness, like dolls. It seemed like they were under some powerful spell when their souls had been forcibly extracted and their bodies had been destroyed.

    Qi Xuansu tried to walk toward the surrounding pces and the battlefield below, but he discovered invisible walls around him, restricting him to this small area.

    He could only go up the mountain path ande to the bonfire. The battlefield below and the tall pces hidden in the darkness were unreachable.

    Qi Xuansu was unsure if it was his soberness or the Xuan Jade of Death that allowed him to see part of the mountain¡¯s true appearance through these invisible barriers and the surrounding darkness.

    This was a mountain on the verge of disintegration. The mountain road seemed normal enough, but outside the mountain, there were several huge tornadoes and thunderbolts that were continuously destroying the mountain. A part of the mountain had already copsed, but due to some strange force, this part of the mountain had yet to fall off. It still remained in its original approximate position.

    The reason why Qi Xuansu thought it was an approximate location was because of a huge crack between the two. One might not be able to see this crack from afar, but from where he was standing, he could see that the cracks were more than 30 meters wide, like insurmountable chasms. Of course, Heavenly Beings would have no problem flying over such a distance, but considering the tornadoes and lightning outside, it would be a dangerous journey.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s first impression was that this ce looked like a mirror that had been broken into pieces and forcibly glued back together. But it was tough to repair a broken mirror, as the cracks were hard to cover up.

    Qi Xuansu quickly overturned this first impression because he discovered many small gravels andrge boulders suspended in mid-air, as if they were in the process of cracking and sputtering. They were not moving at all, so it seemed like time had stood still at this moment.

    It was as if someone had used great supernatural powers to freeze everything in ce just as the mountain began to crumble, keeping it at this moment before the mountain waspletely obliterated.

    The only exception to the destruction was the mountain road at the foothill and the bonfire at the top of the mountain, which Qi Xuansu frequented. The mountain road and the fire were constantly changing, while the ces on the mountain where Qi Xuansu could not set foot on werepletely static.

    The tornadoes and lightning outside the mountain were alive and moving, but the mountain seemed dead and still.

    This stark contrast of chaotic movement and absolute stillness was an extremely bizarre image.

    However, Qi Xuansu could only go so far on this mountain, so this was the only perspective he could see. Thus, he was unable to get a full view of the mountain and the exact situation.

    At the top of the mountain, there was only one tall, dark figure with red eyes standing by the fire.

    Behind this figure, countless dark shadows about the same height as ordinary people held their hands in prayer positions while reciting chants.

    This time, the tall figure did not look at Qi Xuansu but turned to look in another direction, so Qi Xuansu followed their gaze.

    That was when he saw two figures fighting outside the mountain,pletely unafraid of the tornado and lightning around them. They moved around seamlessly through the forces of nature while shattering countless suspended gravels and boulders in their wake. The ripples visible to the naked eye expanded outward and even broke some of the stillness of the mountain, causing part of the mountain to plummet downward.

    One of them kept waving around crescent-shaped sword qi, which fell like rain. This sword qi was so strong that it could temporarily cut off the tornadoes and thunderbolts.

    The other person summonedrge swaths of cold mes. At first nce, these mes seemed to take on human-like features, and the tail of the mes resembled hair that kept growing upward until it covered the sky.

    The sh of sword qi and cold mes blinded Qi Xuansu¡¯s vision for a while. All he could see in the fleeting gap were the tornadoes and lightning in the background.

    Qi Xuansu could not help but marvel at the cultivation level of those two people. He figured that they would at least have to be the top among the Heavenly Beings.

    At this moment, the tall figure watching the battle from the bonfire let out a long and heavy sigh.

    The next second, Qi Xuansu woke up with a start.

    Everything in front of him disappeared, and he found himself back in the guest room of the inn.

    Qi Xuansu sat up and waited for himself to sober uppletely.

    He was unsure what this dream meant. Those tornadoes and lightning had already existed before the two figures started fighting, indicating that their fight was not the cause of the mountain¡¯s destruction.

    Qi Xuansu wondered, <i>Is this a dream revealing the origin of the mountain? Or is this a dream foretelling the future?</i>

    He pondered seriously for a while, but he still had no clue. So he simply stopped dwelling on it.

    Qi Xuansu left the inn in Beimang County and continued to Longmen Prefecture.

    With the warmth of spring, the flowers bloomed, and everything came back to life.

    Looking around the sprouting farnd on both sides of the road, Qi Xuansu felt his mood lifting.

    The Wanxiang Daoist Pce forbade orphans who had graduated from returning unless they were continuing their studies at the Upper Pce to be fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters.

    In Qi Xuansu¡¯s batch, no one has had the honor of bing a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master.

    That was why Qi Xuansu did not go back to the Wanxiang Daoist Pce since he graduated. This time, since he had an errand in Longmen Prefecture, he wanted to take a look at the ce where he grew up from a distance.

    Qi Xuansu rode his horse leisurely. In the blink of an eye, they arrived in Longmen Prefecture.

    Standing on the wide official road, one could look up and see the towering city walls of the Longmen Prefectural Capital. After all, this city served as the ancient capital of 13 dynasties. In terms of scale and regtion, it was actually not inferior to the current Imperial Capital.

    Qi Xuansu stopped his horse and looked up.

    It was a grand city in its decline, yet it still retained a measure of its past glory. Qi Xuansu could not help but wonder how splendid this city was at its peak.

    A sincere smile appeared on his face, as being here again after so many years evoked a sense of nostalgia in him. He thought, <i>It¡¯s been a while, Longmen Prefecture. I wonder if you¡¯ve changed...</i>

 Chapter 291: Classmate

    <h4>Chapter 291: ssmate</h4>

    Thergest inn in Longmen City was originally called Mingsheng Inn. It upied a convenient location on the street opposite the Wanxiang Academy, which had frequent visitors. So most people waited there until they were allowed entry into the Wanxiang Academy.

    However, after the Daoist Order took over the Wanxiang Academy and changed it to the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, the Mingsheng Inn was also changed to the Taiping Inn. Business was still booming.

    After Qi Xuansu entered the Longmen Prefectural Capital, he went straight to the Taiping Inn. That was because, from the second floor of the inn, he could see Ziwei City¡¯s southeast side entrance. Behind that side entrance was the Lower Pce of the Wanxiang Daoist Pce.

    Usually, the children and teenagers in the Lower Pce were not allowed to leave Ziwei City. So they would always sneak out from the side entrance. Only those from the Upper Pce could enter and exit through the main entrance. There was only one road from the main entrance, which led to the Upper Pce, so it was isted from the Lower Pce.

    Qi Xuansu took his time heading to the Taiping Inn and looked around at the pedestriansing and going around him. His childhood memories washed over him like a tide.

    As a kid, he was a rule-follower. When he became a teenager, he became bolder and tried to escape from Ziwei City. He did not mean to leave the Wanxiang Daoist Pce for good; he just wanted to see what the world outside was like. Back then, his only ambition was to explore the Longmen Prefectural Capital. For orphans like him, Jade Capital, the Imperial Capital, and Jinling Prefecture were too far-reaching. Longmen Prefecture was good enough.

    Although the walls of Ziwei City were very high, the boys in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce had some cultivation. The best among them almost reached the Kunlun stage of Xiantian Beings. With the help of some tools, a city wall was not enough to stop them. That was why one would often see teachers from the Wanxiang Daoist Pceing out to catch their delinquent students in the city.

    Naturally, they would be punished after being caught.

    If it were the first offense, the punishment would be lighter, such as being forced to stand for hours, not being allowed to eat, or doing some chores.

    If it were a repeated offense, the punishment would be heavier. Sometimes, the teachers would bring out a special whip that would not leave any scars on the body. However, this whip could inflict enough pain that seemed to be ingrained in the student¡¯s bones. That way, the students would likely remember this lesson forever.

    Some would be publicly caned, which was a bloody sight. However, they were just superficial wounds that would heal after two weeks of applying medicine. This kind of beating was used to scare off the rest of the students from repeating the same mistakes.

    Even so, teenagers were inherently rebellious, especially those from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. They were not like the fragile and pampered young masters and youngdies from prestigious families. They were tough and stubborn orphans. To them, these beatings were nothing, not enough to traumatize them. Many of them were even proud to be punished, wearing their scars like a badge of honor. After all, only those with higher levels of cultivation could manage to sneak out.

    Back then, Qi Xuansu was not a popr kid in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, but he was one of the outstanding ones. Otherwise, Yue Liuli would not have noticed him enough to resent him.

    Qi Xuansu had certainly sneaked out of Ziwei City before. But he had never done it alone; it was always with a group of friends. Looking back now, Qi Xuansu had not contacted those friends for many years. He did not know where they were. Even if he saw them again, it would probably be difficult to rekindle their friendship.

    After all, not everyone could afford the mother-child talisman. If the Qingping Society had not issued them to Qi Xuansu every month, he would not have had a chance to use them either.

    This was the ebb and flow of life; some rtionshipsst forever, while others drift apart. Life was not about having countless friends. Instead, it was more of a blessing to have one or two close friends.

    Qi Xuansu was not optimistic about whether these old ssmates would seed.

    The most outstanding among them, Yue Liuli and Wan Xiuwu, became the two leaders of the Dragon and Tiger Camps. They were both epted as disciples by the Wuxu Pce Master. Even so, they were only in the fifth rank. Since the best among them were as such, Qi Xuansu could guess how the others fared.

    Madam Qi was Qi Xuansu¡¯s backer, and she had once exined how the Daoist promotion worked.

    Climbing up thedder in the Daoist Order required abination of one¡¯s capability, merit, personal connections, rmendations from higher-ups, foundation, opportunities, and hard work. Among them, personal connections yed a crucial role.

    There were two top families within the Daoist Order, namely the Zhang family and the Li family. The Qin family was originally part of them, but they had be the royal family of the Great Xuan Dynasty. Thus, they were excluded.

    These top families had an order of session and controlled one of the major Daoist sects. For example, the Zhang family controlled the Zhengyi Sect, and the Li family controlled the Taiping Sect. The Li family was known to have seven Sages, but that only referred to Li Daoxu¡¯s direct descendants, which included the Holy Xuan¡¯s and Donghuang¡¯s descendants. If the smaller branches of the family, children-inw, and adopted children were also included, the Li family would have far more than seven Sages.

    There were 12 second-tier families in the Daoist Order, with each family producing more than three Sages. There were nearly 100 small families, which had at least one Sage.

    Disciples from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce did not belong to these families because they were orphans with no background. Thus, they could only ce their hope in their master. However, most masters had many disciples, so bing the sessor would also depend on one¡¯s luck.

    Madam Qi once exined that the Daoist Order¡¯s tenure system was made to restrict the children of these prestigious families. That was because ordinary disciples would usually not be able to meet the criteria before the required tenure in a certain rank anyway.

    For ordinary disciples, almost no one could get promoted within the minimum tenure because it would take them longer to umte enough merit to get promoted.

    Madam Qi concluded that, on average, it would take an ordinary disciple¡ªwithout any external help¡ª9 years to be promoted from the ninth rank to the eighth rank, 3 years from the eighth rank to the seventh rank, 7 years from the seventh to the sixth rank, and 7 more years to be a fifth-rank Daoist priest.

    An ordinary disciple who left the Wanxiang Daoist Pce at 20 years old would be a ninth-rank Daoist priest and would be promoted to the eighth rank at the age of 29, seventh rank at the age of 32, sixth rank at the age of 39, and fifth rank at the age of 46. By then, one would have lost the eligibility to be a high-ranking Daoist priest. Some lucky few would get to be fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters, but that was mostly where their careers would end.

    At the age of 50, an ordinary disciple from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce would only be a fifth-rank Daoist priest. Meanwhile, a descendant from the prestigious Daoist families would be a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master, with some aspiring to the title of Grand Master.

    This projection was considered smooth sailing, as there were more ordinary disciples who would stop at the ninth to seventh ranks.

    A disciple from a poor family would likely need to endure 20 years of hard work before getting transferred from one of the Nine Halls to another. Some would even stay stuck in the same position forever. On the other hand, a descendant of a prestigious family would have already crossed the threshold of being a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master and entered the ranks of high-ranking Daoist priests.

    In fact, each rank had a threshold, with several obstacles varying in difficulty depending on which position was being offered. Promotions were easier in some positions because there would be more opportunities to earn merit, such as being a deacon in the Yaoguang Division of the Tiangang Hall. Some positions were a dead end, like being a deacon in the Requiem Division of the Ciji Hall.

    On the other hand, those from prestigious families could easily get promoted to the third rank in the least, eventually taking up high positions like the Deputy Hall Master, Deputy Pce Master, and Deputy Mansion Master.

    A good example was Zhang Yuelu, who was promoted to the position of Deputy Hall Master even though she was still in the fourth rank due to the tenure system. However, this was only temporary. It was only a matter of time before Zhang Yuelu was promoted to the third rank.

    At that level, one''s rivals were no longer with the masses, but with descendants of the prestigious families, as well as a few from poor families with outstanding abilities. Therefore, promotion would be slow. Many would end their careers at the third rank, and only a select few could stand out to join the ranks of second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters and truly step foot into the upper echelons of the Daoist Order.

    Those hailing from prestigious families with good connections, abilities, merits, and opportunities would have a bright future, like Zhang Yuelu. After she participated in solving the major Jiangnan case, she gained the attention of the Earthly Preceptor and was quickly promoted. This brought about a series of events that made her stand out from her seniors and juniors. That was how she was named Sage Cihang¡¯s sessor and the so-called Junior Tiangang Hall Master.

    Qi Xuansu initially had no hope for a bright future. His turning point was being given the opportunity to enter Tiangang Hall, thanks to Madam Qi. After that, he was promoted quickly under a good boss like Zhang Yuelu, so he was also rising to prominence.

    If he had not left the Daoist Order due to the flying ship crash, he would have easily been promoted to the fourth rank in a few years and be Zhang Yuelu¡¯s confidant. Thus, when Zhang Yuelu became an Omniscient Sage, he would probably also be able to be an ordinary Sage to serve as her chief deputy. Qi Xuansu¡¯s future destiny was firmly bound to Zhang Yuelu. If Zhang Yuelu could be the Grand Master, then he was also expected to be an Omniscient Sage.

    This was a rare opportunity, but how many people could be so lucky to meet Madam Qi and Zhang Yuelu?

    Even though Qi Xuansu lost his master at a young age, he never felt that the universe had failed him. In fact, he considered himself lucky to be able to survive the ambush, thanks to Madam Qi. Since then, he became a pawn knee-deep in debt, with no choice but to push forward. Although he could not retreat, he still had room to maneuver to the side.

    Therefore, Qi Xuansu figured that most of his ssmates were still struggling in life. Qi Xuansu looked in the direction of the Wanxiang Daoist Pce and sighed, wondering if he would bump into some old friends from back then.

 Chapter 292: Sikong Song

    <h4>Chapter 292: Sikong Song</h4>

    The ck Robes had withdrawn from the West Gobi, but they had yet to return to Lon and were still stationed in Yongzhou, with Qin Wubing leading the army.

    ¡°General, this is an official note from the Daoist Order¡¯s Tiangang Hall.¡± A Regional General dressed in the ck Robes¡¯ uniform strode into the General¡¯s tent and handed a letter to Qin Wubing.

    For some reason, Qin Wubing felt a little guilty. ¡°Tiangang Hall? Are they here to investigate? But I thought they were aware that we weren¡¯t responsible for the attack in Cuowenbu? Everyone knows it¡¯s due to their infighting. Which division wrote to us? Could it be the new Tiangang Hall Master?¡±

    The Regional General hesitated before replying, ¡°It¡¯s the Eighth Division.¡±

    ¡°The Eighth Division?¡± Qin Wubing was startled.

    The Regional General exined, ¡°They were originally the Ninth Division, called the Yaoguang Division, but they merged with thete Sage Shangguan¡¯s former Seventh Division to be the Eighth Division. The Eighth Deputy Hall Master is Zhang Yuelu, Sage Cihang¡¯s favorite disciple.¡±

    Qin Wubing nodded and looked at the official note in his hand.

    It was not lengthy, so he read through it quickly.

    Qin Wubing frowned and muttered, ¡°None of my personal guards are called Wei Wugui. But this name sounds familiar. I think I have heard it somewhere...¡±

    The Regional General reminded him. ¡°General, he¡¯s the man who saved the District Princess.¡±

    Qin Wubing was busy with military affairs, so he would not keep an insignificant person in mind. With this reminder, Qin Wubing nodded and recalled who the man was. ¡°Oh, right! I gave him a badge.¡±

    He flicked the letter in his hand, feeling a bit dumbfounded. ¡°Based on Zhang Yuelu¡¯s tone, this guy used the badge I gave him tomit some sort of crime that has even alerted the Tiangang Hall.¡±

    The Regional General said with a wry smile, ¡°Back then, this guy even forced his way through our blockade, killing one of our sentry officers. It shows how daring he is. But since our men were at fault first and considering that he had saved the District Princess, we let it slide.¡±

    Qin Wubing paced the tent with the letter in hand. ¡°Why is Zhang Yuelu looking for him? Is she trying to find fault with us? Also, she has never mentioned what crime this kid hasmitted.¡±

    It was merely Zhang Yuelu¡¯s suspicion that Wei Wugui had killed Wan Xiuwu. She did not have any real evidence supporting this im. Moreover, the Imperial Court and the Daoist Order had autonomy in punishing their own people, so Tian Baobao did not mention Wan Xiuwu¡¯s death in this note.

    At this time, there was also a white-haired old man in the General¡¯s tent. This man was the strategist for two generations of Jiangling Commandery Princes. His name was Sikong Song, and he came from a Confucian family. Before the Regional General came in, Qin Wubing was ying chess with Sikong Song.

    Sikong Song, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. ¡°If this matter involves the infighting within the Daoist Order, we must not get involved or have the slightest connection with it at such a sensitive and critical juncture.¡±

    Qin Wubing stopped pacing and turned to look at Sikong Song. ¡°You¡¯re right. What happened to Shangguan Jing has already involved us. We mustn¡¯t get involved any further. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to escape unscathed.¡±

    A tense silence radiated between them when their gazes met.

    After a while, Sikong Song exined, ¡°Daoism teaches inaction, at least in the explicit sense. So there is no way they can live without a leader. Yet the position of Grand Master has been vacant for 10 years, with the three Deputy Grand Masters taking turns to be the acting leader. But now that the three Deputy Grand Masters are approaching their time of ascension, the election for the next Grand Master will most likely happen within the next few years. The most promising candidates so far are Sage Donghua, Sage Cihang, and Sage Qingwei. Zhang Yuelu is a close disciple of Sage Cihang, so I¡¯m afraid this query about Wei Wugui isn¡¯t her real intention.¡±

    Qin Wubing was confused. ¡°Sir, please enlighten me.¡±

    Sikong Song lowered his voice. ¡°The Emperor has met Sage Qingwei, so it goes without saying that His Majesty intends to interfere in the internal affairs of the Daoist Order. However, the government and the public may not have the same views. Many cab ministers won''t dare to oppose it openly but disagree in secret. That''s because they are against the Li family holding more power. The Emperor is simr to the fifth-generation Daoist Grand Master, but he is slightly restrained by the Daoist Order. If His Majesty takes the Daoist Order under his wing, even the cab ministers will be restrained significantly under a real dictatorship. That¡¯s why the cab ministers are against it.¡±

    Qin Wubing added, ¡°Furthermore, the Li family is deeply entangled with the royal family. Several cab ministers have good rtions with the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect, with the same interests and goals. So they will most likely advance and retreat together.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Sikong Song continued, ¡°Now, it seems like His Majesty¡¯s intervention in the internal affairs of the Daoist Order will result in four consequences.

    ¡°The first oue is that His Majesty sessfully takes over the Daoist Order, bing both the Daoist Grand Master and the Emperor. That way, there will only be one figurehead in the empire. This is undoubtedly the ideal result for His Majesty, but it is also the most difficult to achieve.

    ¡°The second oue is that His Majesty supports the Li family in gaining the position of Grand Master. Both the Qin and Li families will join forces to suppress the other parties, just like Emperor Gaozu and the Holy Xuan in the past. But since the Li family has requested help from the Emperor, they will have to bow to the throne. Thus, the Daoist Order will be subordinate to the Imperial Court. A hundred yearster, the world will praise His Majesty for subduing the Daoist Order, unlike the previous dynasties that had been controlled by the Confucian School.

    ¡°The third oue is that neither the Emperor nor the Li family could seize the title of Grand Master, maintaining the status quo. As such, all three Daoist sects will try to seek help from the Imperial Court. But it will be hard to find a bnce, especially in future generations.

    ¡°The fourth oue is the worst one, where the Daoist Order bes united and elects a powerful Grand Master, who will lead a counterattack against the Imperial Court.¡±

    Qin Wubing asked, ¡°What does all this have to do with this letter from Tiangang Hall?¡±

    Sikong Song exined, ¡°The nobility has always been headed by the Commandery Prince of Jiangling, but your father rarely handles political affairs now. Even though you are in the military and haven¡¯t been to the Imperial Court, your every move is still seen to be representing the nobility.

    ¡°I heard that Zhang Yuelu was from the Zhang family of the Zhengyi Sect, but she was promoted by the Earthly Preceptor. Furthermore, with the recent alliance between the Quanzhen Sect and the Zhengyi Sect, Zhang Yuelu has be a key figure in this matter. She may very well be the agreed-upon candidate for the Grand Master as apromise between the Quanzhen Sect and the Zhengyi Sect.

    ¡°This way, both Quanzhen Sect and Zhengyi Sect disciples will regard her as one of their own, so there won¡¯t be fierce opposition from either side. If ites to it, they can elect her as a puppet leader to go against the Taiping Sect.

    ¡°As for the guy who saved the District Princess, you have seen him yourself. He is just a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Yuxu stage, so even if he is really a cult demon, what can he do? Even if an Ancient Immortal resurfaces, it will not affect the overall situation. So at this moment, don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s strange for Zhang Yuelu to ask you about such a trivial matter?¡±

    ¡°It is indeed strange.¡± Qin Wubing¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°But how should we reply to Zhang Yuelu? If we say that we have given Wei Wugui our badge, we will be put in a passive position since Zhang Yuelu will have something over us. Should we deny it to the end?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Sikong Song answered decisively. ¡°The badge that you gave Wei Wugui is genuine. We also have clear records of who and when it was issued. If this guy falls into the hands of the Daoist Order, we will be caught in a lie, and Zhang Yuelu may hold a grudge against us. More importantly, Zhang Yuelu may think that we intend to stand with His Majesty. But I¡¯m not saying we have to go against the Emperor. I¡¯m merely suggesting that it¡¯s not yet time to pick sides.¡±

    Qin Wubing looked at Sikong Song and asked, ¡°Then what do you think we should do?¡±

    Sikong Song stroked his beard while he pondered. ¡°Dying the answer is the best course of action. Over time, big things can be turned into trivial matters, and small things can be put off indefinitely. You don¡¯t need to give a clear answer first. You can just say that you have to investigate further and will notify her once you¡¯ve cleared up the situation. That is, at least until you understand Zhang Yuelu¡¯s true intentions.¡±

    Sikong Song paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°This had happened before with Beichen Hallst time. They made a big fuss about having a secret society member in our ranks to make us stop all operations. Although it was not our original intention, we have indirectly offended the Zhengyi Sect. We don¡¯t want to bear any more me. So we might as well use it as an excuse to pit Tiangang Hall and Beichen Hall against each other. That¡¯s how we can deflect and settle this without getting ourselves involved.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good advice, sir.¡± Qin Wubing smiled and praised.

    Qin Wubing looked at the Regional General and dictated a reply to Zhang Yuelu.

    <i>¡°To Deputy Hall Master Zhang Yuelu of the Yaoguang Division, Tiangang Hall:

    </i>

    <i> Dated 12th March, 42nd year of the Jiushi Era.</i>

    <i>I am writing to inform you that my army consists of thousands of borrowed troops from other regions, so it will take some time for me to investigate whether there is a person named Wei Wugui among us. I will send you a separate letter informing you of the results.</i>

    <i>On another note, in January of this year, Beichen Hall imed that core members of the Qingping Society were hiding among the thousands of Xizhou troops entering Yongzhou, harboring evil intentions. Afterward, I conducted a thorough investigation and found no members of the secret society among my army. I wonder, how did Beichen Hall get such dubious information? Is this matter you¡¯ve mentioned also rted to that piece of information from Beichen Hall?</i>

    <i>Best Regards,</i>

    <i>Qin Wubing, Deputy Protector of the Xizhou Protectorate.¡±</i>

 Chapter 293: Wild Bodhisattva

    <h4>Chapter 293: Wild Bodhisattva</h4>

    When Qi Xuansu arrived in the bustling part of the city, it was inconvenient to ride a horse, so he simply dismounted and took his horse by the reins.

    As he was walking, Qi Xuansu suddenly felt a tap on the shoulder. With Qi Xuansu¡¯s current level of cultivation, he became more sensitive to the environment around him, especially with his new-found Diviner lineage. Even in a busy city, he could still sense everything around him. Thus, he was shocked that someone could touch him without him noticing.

    Qi Xuansu looked back in surprise and saw a man in his fifties with neat white hair and a white beard. He looked a little old-fashioned and stern.

    ¡°Gold-ted Knife?¡± The old man asked in a low voice.

    Qi Xuansu suddenly realized that it was his employer.

    ¡°May I ask who you are?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk elsewhere.¡± The old man walked toward the Taiping Inn not far away.

    Qi Xuansu hesitated slightly before following the old man.

    When they arrived at the inn, a waiter helped Qi Xuansu care for his horse while Qi Xuansu followed the old man to the second floor.

    The old man seemed to be a regr customer here, as he gestured to a waiter and said, ¡°The usual, for two people.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The waiter responded loudly and went downstairs.

    The second floor had private rooms, so there was no need to worry about being disturbed by others. The old man got straight to the point. ¡°You can call me Wild Bodhisattva.¡±

    While talking, the old man took out a golden-purple fish talisman from his sleeve to prove his identity.

    Qi Xuansu looked at the golden-purple fish talisman carefully and asked, ¡°How did you recognize me?¡±

    ¡°Madam Qi showed me a picture of you once. Ie here every day for a drink and didn¡¯t expect to see you from a distance. It¡¯s such a coincidence!¡± The old man replied.

    Qi Xuansu did not even know when Madam Qi had taken a picture of him. However, Madam Qi had done too many things without telling him, so he was ustomed to all these mysteries.

    Wild Bodhisattva remarked, ¡°You cameter than I expected.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said frankly, ¡°I encountered some idents along the way. It was my fault for being careless and provoking the people from the Heavenly Court. Due to that incident, I was chased by Feng Bo and almost died in his hands.¡±

    After hearing this, Wild Bodhisattva sized Qi Xuansu up. ¡°But you¡¯re still alive and well. If you can escape from Feng Bo, you must have some real skills. I trust Madam Qi¡¯s rmendation. This escort task should be a piece of cake for you then.¡±

    Qi Xuansu looked solemn. ¡°Madam Qi has already briefed me on the task. Since it involves the major Jiangnan case, I dare not be careless. Should I expect assassins from The Inn?¡±

    ¡°Madam Qi also told you about The Inn?¡± A trace of surprise shed across Wild Bodhisattva¡¯s eyes.

    Qi Xuansu spoke frankly. ¡°I havee across The Inn¡¯s assassins multiple times.¡±

    Wild Bodhisattva nodded and said thoughtfully, ¡°This matter has nothing to do with The Inn. But the mastermind behind the scenes will most probably hire assassins from The Inn, as they dare not use their own people. After all, most assassins aren¡¯t members of The Inn, they only get jobs from there.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s assassins were also hired from The Inn by some mastermind who wanted her dead.

    While they were talking, the waiters began to serve the dishes.

    Qi Xuansu nced at them casually. These were all simple dishes that went well with wine. However, they did not serve the yellow wine popr in Jiangnan, nor was it red wine popr in the Western Continent. They served <i>shaojiu</i>, a colorless, strong liquor with an intense aroma that suddenly hit one¡¯s face as soon as the mud seal was cracked open. Those who could not hold their alcohol could get drunk just by smelling it.

    It was not served in dainty wine cups typical of their culture. Instead, it came in arge bowl.

    <i>Shaojiu</i> was Zhang Yuelu¡¯s favorite, not his. Back then, Qi Xuansu had to rely on his innate qi to process such strong alcohol, but he would still get drunk. However, after gaining the physique of a Martial Arts Practitioner, his alcohol tolerance increased significantly.

    Wild Bodhisattva poured out a bowl of wine for Qi Xuansu before filling another bowl for himself. He raised his bowl toward Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu had no choice but to pick up the wine bowl and clink it with the Wild Bodhisattva. Then he gulped down the wine in one go. He felt like his throat was on fire, and the burning sensation spread to his entire chest and abdomen.

    Wild Bodhisattva also chugged his and beamed. ¡°Nice one, kid!¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head. Just as he was about to say something humble, he heard some banging in the next room. Shortly after, he heard a man yelling. The man seemed to have fallen out of the window.

    Out of curiosity, Qi Xuansu stood up and looked out the window. He saw a man getting up in a panic, uninjured and a little embarrassed.

    This man shouted and started cursing. ¡°Cripple Zhou! How dare you ambush me? You have no fight ethics at all!¡±

    Another man''s voice came from next door. ¡°So what? If you¡¯re that great,e up and fight me again!¡±

    The man on the ground floor had obviously suffered a loss, so he refused to go upstairs. He yelled back. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe down?!¡±

    ¡°No, youe up!¡±

    ¡°No, youe down!¡±

    ¡°I dare you toe upstairs!¡±

    ¡°I dare you to jump down now!¡±

    Qi Xuansu could not help but shake his head andugh at this childish banter.

    Just as the two men were yelling at each other, the Taiping Inn¡¯s waiter finally came forward to stop them. ¡°This is the Taiping Inn. Please go somewhere else if you want to cause trouble!¡±

    Other restaurants and inns would not dare say this to their customers, but this was the Taiping Inn, an establishment of the Daoist Order that could be found in all major towns in the world, including Jade Capital and the Imperial Capital.

    The general manager of the Taiping Inn was usually held by a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master. That was why the waiters at the Taiping Inn were more arrogant and fearless, since they had a strong backer.

    However, these two men were problematic.

    The man on the ground floor did not take the waiter seriously. He leaped over and reached out to grab the waiter¡¯s shoulders.

    Although the Taiping Inn was an establishment of the Daoist Order, Daoist priests were not allowed to serve as waiters, as it was a waste of talent. Generally, Daoist disciples would serve as the innkeepers. But it was well known that innkeepers had a lucrative sry but no prospects of promotion.

    This waiter was an ordinary civilian with no cultivation, so he was unable to move when he was grabbed by the shoulder.

    The man did not stop there. He grabbed the back of the waiter¡¯s neck and forced the waiter to turn his head. He whispered mockingly in the waiter¡¯s ear, ¡°So what if this is the Taiping Inn? If you¡¯re that great, go ahead andin to the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. Get them to dispatch a Spirit Guard to kill me!¡±

    The waiter was scared because he was being strangled. He could barely squeeze the words out of his throat. ¡°You...you...¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The man finally let go of the waiter¡¯s neck and pped him hard in the face with a backhand. The waiter spun around three times like a top before falling over.

    Judging by the force of this p, the waiter¡¯s eardrum was probably damaged.

    Wild Bodhisattva, who had been drinking, mmed the wine bowl in his hand on the table. ¡°What¡¯s with all the clucking?!¡±

    After that, Wild Bodhisattva got up.

    Qi Xuansu sighed and said, ¡°Brother, you can continue drinking. I¡¯ll take care of this.¡±

    Before Wild Bodhisattva could reply, Qi Xuansu jumped down from the building.

    He knew that seeing was believing, so he wanted to show his employer that he was skilled enough for the escort task. This was a good opportunity for Qi Xuansu to show off his fighting skills.

    The man did not take Qi Xuansu seriously and mocked him. ¡°Look at this boy wanting to be a hero. You must have read too many novels, kid.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Hmph! You want to know my background? Well, remember this. I¡¯m Xu Changwu. Everyone in Longmen Prefecture knows me!¡± Before he finished introducing himself, Xu Changwu leaped high into the air and swept out his left leg, bringing about a gust of wind.

    Before the onlookers could even react, the strong wind suddenly disappeared. That was when they noticed that Qi Xuansu had caught Xu Changwu¡¯s leg with his bare hands.

    To be fair, Xu Changwu was not a weakling. His kick was powerful,parable to Zhuge Yongming¡¯s punch back then. However, Qi Xuansu was no longer the Kunlun-stage Rogue Cultivator that he once was. He was now a Guizhen-stage Rogue Cultivator with the properties of a Martial Arts Practitioner and a Diviner.

    Although Rogue Cultivators were generally weaker than Martial Arts Practitioners, that only applied to opponents of the same cultivation level. At different levels, a Guizhen-stage Rogue Cultivator was still stronger than a Yuxu-stage Martial Arts Practitioner.

    Xu Changwu did not expect Qi Xuansu to be able to catch his leg. He let out an odd scream, twisted his body, raised his right foot high, and struck it down with all his strength, aiming at Qi Xuansu¡¯s head.

    As a result, Qi Xuansu managed to catch his right leg as well. Qi Xuansu smirked, lifted Xu Changwu into the air, swung him around, and threw him out.

    Xu Changwu¡¯s body was like a top as he fell and rolled on the ground. His face was pale, and his eyes were filled with fear as soon as he came to a stop.

 Chapter 294: The Three Religions and Other Schools of Thought

    <h4>Chapter 294: The Three Religions and Other Schools of Thought</h4>

    All onlookers, including Wild Bodhisattva and Xu Changwu himself, could see that Qi Xuansu had not used any effort to subdue Xu Changwu. It was just like an adult beating a child.

    At this moment, the Taiping Inn¡¯s Deputy Innkeeper came out because another waiter had reported the incident to him. The real boss did not show up, as they did not necessarily need to be at the Taiping Inn full-time.

    The innkeeper first saluted and thanked Qi Xuansu before turning to Xu Changwu. ¡°You clearly know that the Wanxiang Daoist Pce doesn¡¯t care about such things. I won¡¯tin to them, but I will report you to the Green Phoenix Guard. Come with me to the Major¡¯s Office.¡±

    At this moment, the man Xu Changwu was arguing with earlier finally appeared at the window on the second floor, holding an iron staff as a crutch. This was probably the reason Xu Changwu called this man Cripple Zhou. The ¡°cripple¡± jumped from the second floor and used the iron staff in his hand to support hisnding. He then stood firmly on the ground next to Xu Changwu.

    He sized up Qi Xuansu and said, ¡°You¡¯re skilled¡ªat least in the Guizhen stage, right?¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not deny it. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Myst name is Zhou, so most people call me Cripple Zhou.¡± Cripple Zhou smiled and pointed at Xu Changwu. ¡°I hope you can let him go.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered. ¡°It¡¯s possible to let him go, but he has hurt a waiter...¡±

    Cripple Zhou did not speak. He just turned to Xu Changwu.

    Although Xu Changwu was reluctant, he had no choice but to take out a handful of Taiping coins from his pocket. There were around six to seven coins, which he threw at the waiter. ¡°This should be enough for your medical bills, right?¡±

    The innkeeper sneered. ¡°Do you think the Taiping Inncks this money?¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°The innkeeper is right. This isn¡¯t about money. You hurt the waiter and disrespected the Taiping Inn. If we let you off this time, others will follow suit. It sets a precedent that people can wreak havoc in the Taiping Inn, throw a few coins, and walk away. How will they continue their business?¡±

    Xu Changwu reluctantly took out another cash note. ¡°This should be enough, right? If you want morepensation, you might as well beat me to death!¡±

    The cash note was valued at 100 Taiping coins, which was not a small sum. This could be enough for someone¡¯s expenses for a lifetime.

    The innkeeper¡¯s face softened slightly. Since they could not really beat Xu Changwu to death, he motioned for another waiter to collect the cash note.

    Money could not solve all problems, but it could certainly solve most problems.

    ¡°Goodbye.¡± Cripple Zhou cupped his hands and saluted Qi Xuansu. Then he grabbed Xu Changwu and hobbled away, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

    Qi Xuansu stared at the two departing figures, puzzled.

    At this moment, the innkeeper came to Qi Xuansu and presented the cash note with both hands. ¡°Kind sir, thank you very much for your act of kindness. Please ept the 100 Taiping coins as a show of our appreciation.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled. Although his first instinct was to refuse, he knew he was not in a position to be generous, so he epted it shamelessly. Disregarding the loose change, Qi Xuansu still had 600 Taiping coins on him. With this extra 100 Taiping coins, he would have 700 Taiping coins.

    Of course, Qi Xuansu could only earn so much because of his increased level of cultivation. If he were still in the Kunlun stage, he would not have been able to kill the snake demon, sell the demon pill, and defeat Xu Changwu so easily, earning him 600 Taiping coins.

    To put it bluntly, if Qi Xuansu had not been in the Guizhen stage, Cripple Zhou would not have been so polite to him. The innkeeper would probably not be as generous either.

    Sometimes, one had to act within one¡¯s ability to seek justice for others. With a high enough level of cultivation, one would be able to defeat the opponents, hence earning gratitude, respect, awe, andpensation. Without sufficient cultivation, one would end up defeated, worsening the situation. If so, one¡¯s efforts would not have been appreciated.

    Therefore, the real worldcked heroism and chivalry, unlike in novels. After all, heroes tend to offend others and make enemies. Only those with enough cultivation would be nonchnt about it.

    Although Qi Xuansu was not the best fighter in the world, he was still better than ordinary people. So being a hero at times was still epted.

    When Qi Xuansu returned to the second floor, Wild Bodhisattva had a smile on his face. He sighed in awe. ¡°It¡¯s certainly not easy to have this level of cultivation at your age. Madam Qi is indeed great at cultivating talent.¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled. ¡°Madam Qi said that you might want to test my skills, so I used this as an excuse to show off. What do you think?¡±

    Wild Bodhisattvaughed. ¡°I have nothing more to say.¡±

    Just as they were talking, a waiter knocked on the door and came in, carrying a jar of fine wine with him. He said that the innkeeper would like to express his gratitude once again.

    Qi Xuansu asked the waiter to thank the innkeeper on his behalf and epted the drink, sharing it with Wild Bodhisattva.

    Men could drink with each other for a long time, even if they had just met. Qi Xuansu and Wild Bodhisattva were not close friends, but they shared many simrities. So they chatted about their travels over drinks, exchanging life experiences and stories of the strange things and people they had met over the years.

    It was already getting dark, as several hours had passed.

    The huge Taiping Inn was still brightly lit, but the surrounding streets were shrouded in darkness.

    A wandering Daoist was walking alone on a dark street. He was blind in one eye, so he wore a ck eye patch. He held a g that had the words ¡°Harsh Criticism¡± written on it. He also had a sword strapped behind his back.

    <i>?? Walking around, wandering about, </i>

    <i>?? Have no worries about learning naught. </i>

    <i>?? Speak not of the truth, </i>

    <i>?? Rely on that oily tongue; </i>

    <i>?? Kiss that ass till it cramps, </i>

    <i>?? Lick that boot till it shines. </i>

    <i>?? ¡®Tis the way of life in all thend; </i>

    <i>?? Kidnapping, swindling, try your hand!</i>

    The wandering Daoist bobbed his head leisurely while humming this tune.

    ......

    Although Taiping Inn was thergest in Longmen Prefecture, there were dozens of other inns and restaurants in the city.

    In the northwest corner of Longmen Prefecture was a two-story restaurant that looked aged. The red paint was mottled and dull, and the beams and columns were peeling. There was a stage on the first floor for storytelling and operas. The second floor was open-air and had a stairwell that led directly to the roof.

    At this time, the restaurant was brightly lit and filled with people, so it was noisy.

    ¡°That Bodhisattva guy is an actual Bodhisattva. I don¡¯t dare to provoke him. I¡¯m afraid this moneyes at too high a risk.¡±

    ¡°Haha! What kind of money isn¡¯t earned through risk? We¡¯re in risky business. How can you be picky?¡±

    ¡°Besides, the Bodhisattva won¡¯t be there. We just need to deal with the young one.¡±

    ¡°Well, that young man isn¡¯t an easy target either. He has a strong killing aura that can¡¯t be faked, as well as some lingering demon energy around him. I wonder which unlucky demon died at his hands.¡±

    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Thunder Mage arrived yet?¡±

    ¡°Who knows? Maybe he¡¯ll take advantage of the Bodhisattva¡¯s drunkenness to attack now.¡±

    ¡°No, that house is weird, with all kinds of mechanisms and formations. If we break in rashly, we won¡¯t be able to walk out in one piece.¡±

    ¡°By the way, I heard that Third Master Chang missed the target.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t just miss the target. It¡¯s a downright failure! Only one managed to survive. I heard that the woman was more vicious than us assassins. She¡¯s nothing like those demure and pampereddies. She¡¯s a real termagant!¡±

    ¡°I wonder who will be so ¡®lucky¡¯ to marry her in the future. I just want to wish him all the best! Haha!¡±

    ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t something for you to worry about. She has so many talented Daoist suitors, but none of them made the cut.¡±

    Cripple Zhou and Xu Changwu were among these men, chatting and sitting at the same table. Cripple Zhou¡¯s iron staff was leaning against the table. He poured himself a drink, while Xu Changwu looked depressed.

    Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew the door of the restaurant ajar. A schr walked in and went straight to the storyteller¡¯s seat on the stage.

    The originally noisy restaurant suddenly fell silent.

    The schr sped his fists in salute. ¡°Greetings, everyone!¡±

    The crowd did not respond in unison and only greeted him in their own time. ¡°Greetings, Master Song.¡±

    It seemed that this schr was the host for the night.

    Master Song was about to speak when he heard someone shouting, ¡°Oh, Venerable One!¡±

    The door of the restaurant opened again. The wandering Daoist, who was blind in one eye, walked in.

    Many people stood up one after another. ¡°Thunder Mage is here.¡±

    There were also some who sat still, obviously not belonging to the same group as this wandering Daoist.

    The schr saluted the wandering Daoist, who only nodded as a courtesy.

    Thunder Mage scanned the restaurant and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the monk? The Three Religions are supposed to gather here together. I¡¯m here with the Confucian schr, but the monk is missing.¡±

    Someone replied, ¡°Master Deng Hua seems to have gone to the Purple Immortal Vi.¡±

    Purple Immortal Vi was the top luxury brothel in Longmen Prefecture.

    ¡°Oh, Venerable One!¡± Thunder Mage cried out again in a strange tone.

    The schr shook his head helplessly.

 Chapter 295: The Scholar, the Daoist, and the Monk

    <h4>Chapter 295: The Schr, the Daoist, and the Monk</h4>

    Longmen Prefecture had always been a special ce. Just as Jade Capital was the capital of the Daoist Order, Longmen Prefecture was once the capital of the Confucian School. Longmen Prefecture¡¯s Ziwei City and the Hall of Enlightenment were roughly equivalent to Jade Capital¡¯s Purple Mansion and the Golden Tower.

    Although the Daoist Order defeated the Confucian School and forced thetter to give up the Wanxiang Academy, changing it to the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, the Confucian School still had a strong influence in Longmen Prefecture.

    Later, the Daoist Order and the Buddhist Sect turned against each other and started a war. In order to suppress the Buddhist Sect, the Daoist Order came to an agreement with the Confucian School, easing the various restrictions and moving the Zhongzhou Daoist Mansion away from the Longmen Prefecture to Beimang Mountain in exchange for their cooperation.

    Later, the truce between the Buddhist Sect and the Daoist Order was also held at Longmen Prefecture. The two parties redefined their boundaries, with the Buddhist Sect recognizing the Daoist Order¡¯s dominance in the Western Region in exchange for the former¡¯s remation of Jingchan Temple outside Longmen Prefecture.

    Thus, Zhongzhou was as diverse as it could be, with four major cities: Longmen Prefectural Capital, Beimang¡¯s Ghost City, Everbright City, and Zhongyue¡¯s Buddhist City.

    The Longmen Prefectural Capital was also the capital city of Zhongzhou. It had thousands of years of history, serving as the ancient capital of nine dynasties.

    Beimang¡¯s Ghost City referred to the Ghost Kingdom on Beimang Mountain, which was the Imperial Capital of the Netherworld.

    The Everbright City was a paradise of the Daoist Order, located in the middle of the mountain. Regardless of day or night, the countless hangingnterns and candles lit up the pavilions and corridors, so the city was always bright and brilliant as far as the eye could see, hence the name.

    Zhongyue¡¯s Buddhist City referred to Jingchan Temple, which was the Central Court of the Buddhist Sect on the Central ins, located on Zhongyue Mountain. Jingchan Temple was massive, with threeyers of city walls epassing a thousand pces, including three nine-story buildings. From a distance, the countless temples looked stacked on top of each other, like a city. That was why it was known as the Buddhist City.

    Therefore, in addition to the Daoist and Confucian influences, Longmen Prefecture also had some Buddhist influence. Monk Yan Xiu, who was on Qi Xuansu¡¯s kill list, was also from Jingchan Temple.

    Since so many powers existed in Longmen Prefecture, there were more gaps in governance, making it easier for those with bad intentions to exploit the situation for their own gain. Therefore, people from all walks of life and secret societies were fond of the diverse Longmen Prefecture.

    In other words, the Daoist Order¡¯s control over Longmen Prefecture was far inferior to that of Xijing Prefecture.

    Longmen Prefecture was surrounded by various Daoist government bodies, so the secret societies would not generally cause trouble here. However, due to thex governance, small conflicts between all forces were inevitable.

    Those who were wanted by the Daoist Order would also sneak into Longmen Prefecture to live by changing their names and keeping a low profile.

    This was the reason these people dared to openly gather in this restaurant.

    This gathering was led by three people: the schr Song Luodi, the Daoist Thunder Mage, and the monk Master Deng Hua. They represented the Three Religions of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, respectively. However, the three of them were not orthodox disciples of the Three Religions. They were outcasts.

    They had another peer who went by the name Third Master Chang, but he had gotten into trouble some time ago. Third Master Chang was seriously injured, and his group of sworn brothers were also killed, sustaining heavy losses. That was why he went into hiding and did not show up to this gathering.

    Including Third Master Chang, the four of them were all outstanding Xiantian Beings. However, due to their age, they were not listed on the Ruyi Leaderboard. Even so, they should not be underestimated, as they specialized in shady dealings.

    Like Qi Xuansu, they lived on the edge of their des and weathered through countless bloody storms. Thus, they had richbat experience, far superior to Guizhen-stage flowerbed priests like Wan Xiuwu.

    Due to their shady dealings, they would inevitably vitews and engage with various secret societies. Therefore, they were wanted by both the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court. As such, they would not stay put in one ce for a long time and would move around between several states.

    These people were regarded as gangsters and ouws, different from the vigntes who tread in the gray areas of society.

    They were also different from Qi Xuansu and Wild Bodhisattva in the sense that they were not official members of any secret society. Although they had a close working rtionship with The Inn, they were not official members.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not wait for that monk.¡± The Daoist Thunder Mage said, ¡°Brother Song, didn¡¯t you send someone to keep an eye on him? How¡¯s it going?¡±

    The schr, Song Luodi, called for Cripple Zhou and Xu Changwu.

    Cripple Zhou stood up and reported, ¡°Some of our friends here are already aware, but I¡¯ll exin it again. The Bodhisattva has a habit of going to the Taiping Inn for drinks every day. Brother Xu and I squatted around to keep an eye on him and had an unexpected harvest today. The Bodhisattva engaged a helper and drank with the new guy. We thought of testing his skills, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the result?¡± Thunder Mage asked.

    Cripple Zhou smiled wryly and pointed at the sluggish Xu Changwu beside him. ¡°We¡¯ve had topensate the Taiping Inn with 100 Taiping coins. Not only that, Brother Xu was defeated in less than three moves.¡±

    The audience was in an uproar as soon as they heard this.

    In their previous gathering, they had already learned from Cripple Zhou that the Bodhisattva had found a helper. Since Cripple Zhou knew the Qi Observation Technique, he could tell that the young man had an intense killing aura. But he could not see much beyond that, so he did not expect such a strong opponent.

    Xu Changwu was a member of the former dynasty¡¯s imperial n with real abilities. He was considered the best fighter among the local gangsters in Longmen Prefecture. As a result, Xu Changwu could not evenst three moves against this new helper. If Cripple Zhou were to fight against that helper, he would probably be defeated in less than two moves.

    This was not something to brag about, and Xu Changwu looked listless from the defeat.

    Song Luodi pondered aloud. ¡°He is indeed a tough opponent. I¡¯ll get a few more brothers to feel it out.¡±

    Thunder Mage disagreed. ¡°Even a tiger will be afraid of a pack of wolves. We have strength in numbers, so why should we go through so much trouble? I don¡¯t believe he can get away if we fight him together.¡±

    Song Luodi did not refute.

    Thunder Mage was right. This was not a fightingpetition, so there was no ethics to speak of. Winning was most important, no matter the cost.

    However, it would be inevitable for a lot of lives to be lost while taking down such an opponent.

    Thunder Mage knew this and suggested it on purpose. After all, their share of profit would berger if more people died since they would not have to split themission in so many ways.

    As expected, Thunder Mage changed the subject. ¡°Hewu, none of us here today are new to the field, so I¡¯ll be straight with you. Our employer promised a sizable sum. This is the base price.¡±

    Thunder Mage held out two fingers.

    ¡°2,000 Taiping coins?¡± Someone guessed.

    ¡°Hah! Do you think 2,000 Taiping coins is worth our effort going all in?¡± Thunder Mage dered, ¡°It¡¯s 2,000 Wuyou coins!¡±

    Everyone gasped in unison at this figure, which was equivalent to 20,000 Taiping coins.

    Even if the three leaders took a bigger share of the profit, each of them would still earn at least hundreds of Taiping coins, enough for them to squander for at least half a year.

    Thunder Mage looked at Song Luodi and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s more important for us to discuss how we should split these 20,000 Taiping coins.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s eyes fell on Song Luodi.

    Song Luodi thought about it seriously. <i>There must be some hidden agenda in this...</i>

    Third Master Chang had also been offered 20,000 Taiping coins back then for the assassination of Sage Cihang¡¯s beloved disciple. How could an unknown girl¡¯s bounty be worth the same price as the famous Zhang Yuelu, who was a Deputy Tiangang Hall Master?

    ......

    Qi Xuansu sent Wild Bodhisattva out of the Taiping Inn. The two of them agreed to meet the next day to formally discuss the escort job.

    He walked down half the street before finally saying goodbye to Wild Bodhisattva. That was because they were both a little drunk, as none of them used their innate qi to suppress the effects of the alcohol. After all, they spent their own money on these drinks, so they wanted to feel the effects. Therefore, the two men were a bit long-winded in their goodbyes.

    After finally parting ways, Qi Xuansu made his way back to the Taiping Inn alone.

    ¡°Sigh...it¡¯s no wonder Qing Xiao likes to drink. Everything sure feels different when drunk...¡±

    Qi Xuansu no longer held back his feelings of nostalgia. He even sang an off-key tune at the top of his lungs as he stumbled back along the street.

    At this moment, a tall figure approached Qi Xuansu.

    Sensing this, Qi Xuansu stopped abruptly and shouted, ¡°Who¡¯s there? Dere yourself!¡±

    The tall figure stopped in his tracks, clearly startled by Qi Xuansu¡¯s voice. After a while, the figure responded, ¡°Amitabha.¡±

    Qi Xuansu chuckled. ¡°Immeasurable light and immeasurable life¡ªthe teachings of Western Heaven Buddhism. You¡¯re a Buddhist.¡±

    <i>Daoists revered the Primordial Daoist Ancestor, who was from the Li family. The Primordial Daoist Ancestor transformed into Three Deities, known as the Three Pure Ones, representing the three core doctrines of Daoism. Lord of Taiqing was the god of virtue and wisdom; Lord of Shangqing was the god of spirituality; and Lord of Yuqing was the god of the universe.</i>

    <i>The Primordial Daoist Ancestor resided in the 33 Heavens, which was the destination of ascension for Daoist disciples. Jade Capital in Kunlun was the ce of worship for the Primordial Daoist Ancestor in the mortal realm.</i>

    <i>Over the years, the Li family often imed that they were not only the descendants of the Holy Xuan, but also the descendants of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. The Holy Xuan revived the Daoist Order, while the Primordial Daoist Ancestor was the founder of Daoism. This made the Li family the legitimate lineage of Daoism, much like the Confucian Duke Yansheng.</i>

    <i>Buddhists had a simr theory. The Gautama Buddha was also called the Sakyamuni. Buddhists believed that there were Three Bodies of Buddha: the Dharmakaya, the Sambhogakaya, the Nirmanakaya.</i>

    <i>Thus, both the Primordial Daoist Ancestors and the Buddha had many titles.</i>

    A tall figure slowly walked out of the darkness. It turned out to be a fat monk, wearing a bright red kasaya. He looked solemn with his palms together, his speech cryptic. ¡°The immeasurable light illuminates the world, filling the world with inherent brightness and permeating all life.¡±

 Chapter 296: Misleading

    <h4>Chapter 296: Misleading</h4>

    Qi Xuansu and the fat monk stood opposite each other. Qi Xuansu instantly sobered up and subconsciously rested his hand on the handle of the Divine Dragon Pistol on his waist. He could already see that the monk in front of him did not have good intentions.

    However, Qi Xuansu was overthinking this.

    The monk was on the way to the restaurant northwest of Longmen Prefecture when he met Qi Xuansu, who startled him first. The former decided not to spend the night in the brothel because of the important gathering at the restaurant.

    <i>The monk¡¯s Buddhist name was Deng Hua. He was originally the monk in charge of lighting the fire in Jingchan Temple¡¯s Xiangji Kitchen. His superior at the time¡ªthe abbot of Xiangji Kitchen¡ªwas an irritable man with cultivation, often venting his anger on Monk Deng Hua. Thus, Monk Deng Hua was beaten badly several times. Out of resentment, Monk Deng Hua secretly learned the skills of Jingchan Temple.</i>

    <i>Although the Buddhist Sect imitated the Daoist Order in restructuring, its curriculum and system were not as strict and regted as the Daoist Order¡¯s. If one studied hard, one would get many opportunities.</i>

    <i>Monk Deng Hua was talented, so with some hard work, he managed to reach the Kunlun stage in about 20 years. He also knew that there were many masters in Jingchan Temple, and that his cultivation level at the Kunlun stage meant nothing. That was why he looked for an opportunity to escape from Jingchan Temple.</i>

    <i>After Monk Deng Hua left Jingchan Temple, he dared not stay in Zhongzhou for a long time and fled to the Western Region, which had its own sect of Buddhism different from that of the Central ins. The difference between the two was equivalent to the difference between the Daoist Taiping and Quanzhen Sects.</i>

    <i>One advocated indulgence, while the other advocated asceticism. Since Monk Deng Hua had some cultivation, he practiced Zen Wisdom under the tutge of a Western Region Buddhist Master.</i>

    <i>The Western Region Buddhist Sect was not easy to practice. Besides the terrifying ritual implements of human skin drums and human skull prayer beads, the disciples¡¯ service to their master was countless times more demanding than that of the Central ins Buddhist Sect. That was because Central ins Buddhism wasrgely influenced by Daoism and Confucianism.</i>

    <i>Monk Deng Huained endlessly. His master was equivalent to a Daoist third-rank Deputy Hall Master, holding great power, so Monk Deng Hua dared not escape from the Western Region rashly.</i>

    <i>After so many years, Monk Deng Hua quietly waited for an opportunity. His Buddhist master held a grudge against a Deputy Western Region Daoist Mansion Master, as they had engaged in several gambles with no oue.</i>

    <i>As soon as Monk Deng Hua learned about this, he became the Deputy Western Region Daoist Mansion Master¡¯s spy and sessfully plotted against his Buddhist master, who died in the end. Thus, Monk Deng Hua took this opportunity to steal his master¡¯s magical weapons book and escape from the Western Region, returning to the Central ins.</i>

    <i>Monk Deng Hua possessed the skills of both Central ins Buddhism and Western Region Buddhism, which made his cultivation soar, allowing him to reach the Guizhen stage.</i>

    <i>However, after losing his master, Monk Deng Hua could only practice on his own without guidance. The Buddhist techniques were extensive and profound. He was not a genius like the Holy Xuan, so he could not learn it thoroughly, making many mistakes and omissions.</i>

    <i>Over the years, he had been gathering yin energy to replenish his yang energy, absorbing an enormous amount of primordial yin energy. However, he could not refine this yin energy, so he could not advance to be a Heavenly Being. Although his qi and essence were abundant, he could not condense them. As a result, his body became increasingly bloated, leading to his current appearance.</i>

    At this time, Monk Deng Hua felt guilty when confronted by Qi Xuansu. He was unaware of Qi Xuansu¡¯s identity, but he figured that someone who dared show off like this in Longmen Prefecture was most likely a disciple of the Three Religions.

    When Qi Xuansu revealed the ivory handle of the Divine Dragon Pistol from under his cloak, Monk Deng Hua was surprised. That was because the Divine Dragon Pistol was rarely used by gangsters and thugs. It was mostly used by officials from the Imperial Court or the Daoist Order.

    Monk Deng Hua wondered if this man was a Daoist disciple.

    Even with the Daoist Order¡¯sx control over Longmen Prefecture, it would be unwise to have a head-on conflict with a Daoist disciple here. Moreover, Master Deng Hua could tell that the man in front of him had a high cultivation level, at least in the Guizhen stage.

    Due to this, Monk Deng Hua acted as if he were a proper Buddhist disciple to fool this man.

    ¡°Are you a mage from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce?¡± Monk Deng Hua still had his palms together in a prayer position.

    Qi Xuansu slowly let go of the handle of his gun and coughed lightly. ¡°Zen Master, you have a keen eye. I am indeed from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, visiting the Upper Pce.¡±

    After all, it was no secret that Daoist priests of the fourth rank would have toplete further training in the Upper Pce.

    Monk Deng Hua bowed slightly, still with his palms together. ¡°Congrattions, Mage, for advancing in the Daoist Order.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Qi Xuansu saluted him and asked, ¡°Zen Master, are you a monk from the Jingchan Temple in Zhongyue?¡±

    ¡°I am indeed.¡± Monk Deng Hua nodded.

    Qi Xuansu inquired, ¡°I have met with Zen Master Yan Xiu from your temple. I wonder if you know him.¡±

    Monk Deng Hua felt cold sweat oozing out from his back. However, he did not show his nervousness. ¡°Zen Master Yan Xiu is famous. How can I not know him?¡±

    ¡°Has he returned to the Jingchan Temple? If so, I n to pay him a visit after I finish my training in the Upper Pce.¡± Qi Xuansu was not saying this to test Monk Deng Hua. He truly thought that Monk Deng Hua was also from Jingchan Temple and wanted to get more information from him about Monk Yan Xiu.

    Monk Deng Hua was indeed a disciple from Jingchan Temple, but he had defected a long time ago.

    Simrly, Qi Xuansu was indeed a Daoist priest, but he was supposedly deceased on paper.

    These two fraudsters were just thinking of ways to deceive each other.

    Monk Deng Hua¡¯s mind spun rapidly. Finally, he admitted. ¡°To be frank with you, I was visiting the Buddhist Sect in the Western Region under the orders of my master. I have just returned to Longmen Prefecture, so I¡¯m unsure about Master Yan Xiu¡¯s whereabouts.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Qi Xuansu was understanding. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s part ways here. Goodbye.¡±

    ¡°Goodbye, Mage.¡± Monk Deng Hua bowed humbly. Since the revival of the Daoist Order, Daoist disciples were considered higher in status among the disciples of the Three Religions.

    The two fraudsters finally parted ways, heading in opposite directions.

    ......

    Zhang Yuelu was annoyed upon receiving Qin Wubing¡¯s reply, which made Mu Jin nervous.

    It was purely coincidental that Zhang Yuelu was assigned to this case because it seemed to be rted to Qi Xuansu. That was why she did not hesitate to contact Qin Wubing for rification. However, Qin Wubing was unclear about the situation and started to overthink Zhang Yuelu¡¯s intentions, especially considering Zhang Yuelu¡¯s identity as Sage Cihang¡¯s sessor. Thus, he dyed answering her question and even diverted her attention by mentioning Beichen Hall¡¯s involvement in the Cuowenbu attack.

    Zhang Yuelu already knew that there was something fishy about Shangguan Jing¡¯s death, but she did not expect Beichen Hall to be involved in stopping Qin Wubing from aiding Shangguan Jing.

    Now, Qin Wubing aimed the question back at her, asking her whether Wei Wugui was rted to the Beichen Hall¡¯s intelligence that day.

    Zhang Yuelu was at a loss for how to answer this, so naturally, she could not continue pursuing Wei Wugui¡¯s identity.

    Pan Cuiqing, who was in charge of this case, was also curious about Wei Wugui¡¯s identity. After hearing that Qin Wubing had responded to Zhang Yuelu, he immediately went over to see her.

    As a result, Zhang Yuelu handed over the official note and asked him to read it himself. Pan Cuiqing¡¯s expression was amusing and everchanging. He clearly had not anticipated such a reply.

    ¡°This...this...this...¡± Pan Cuiqing stuttered, not knowing what to say.

    Anyone with a discerning eye would know that Shangguan Jing¡¯s death was due to the infighting between the upper echelons of the Daoist Order, but no one knew of the details. Zhang Yuelu was an insider, so it did not matter whether she knew this information or not.

    Pan Cuiqing was different. He would be doomed if he made a step in the wrong direction.

    In the end, Pan Cuiqing could only change the topic. ¡°This case...¡±

    ¡°Now it seems that General Qin may have something to do with it,¡± Zhang Yuelu remarked.

    Pan Cuiqing could not help but ask, ¡°Why do you say so?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu exined. ¡°It¡¯s simple. If Qin Wubing did not know Wei Wugui, he could have easily denied it. Why bother diverting the topic? He¡¯s just trying to dy answering my question by saying that he needs time to investigate. That¡¯s because he was unsure of my intentions and was unaware of what Wei Wugui did, so he was afraid of being implicated. But it was on record that Wei Wugui¡¯s badge was issued by him, so he dared not deny it.¡±

    Pan Cuiqing nodded slowly. ¡°So, this Wei Wugui is really Qin Wubing¡¯s personal guard, huh?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true.¡± Zhang Yuelu waved her hand. ¡°A personal guard can be considered a confidant. If Wei Wugui is really Qin Wubing¡¯s personal guard, then Qin Wubing would have known what Wei Wugui did.

    ¡°Their rtionship is strange. It looks like Qin Wubing can¡¯t control Wei Wugui. If so, why would he give Wei Wugui a badge? This indicates that they are in some sort of cooperative rtionship. Who else would cooperate with people from the Imperial Court? The Daoist Order or secret societies.¡±

    Everyone was shocked to hear Zhang Yuelu¡¯s analysis.

    She continued, ¡°By the way, Wei Wugui also has a badge issued by Sage Pei. This guy is really something to be able to get badges from the Deputy Protector of the Imperial Court and a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master. His identity is truly a mystery.¡±

    Pan Cuiqing felt that this case had gonepletely out of his control, as it involved the top leaders of the Daoist Order, secret societies, and Imperial Court generals. This was no longer just about Wan Xiuwu.

    Heughed dryly. ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang, if Wei Wugui is someone influential, how could he be hunted down by Feng Bo?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu asked back, ¡°Feng Bo is a well-known high-ranking figure in the Heavenly Court. Is this guy worth Feng Bo¡¯s pursuit if he¡¯s just an insignificant minion? Feng Bo even took the risk to chase him to Xijing City and tried to silence him right under the nose of the Wuxu Pce. Doesn¡¯t Feng Bo¡¯s aggressiveness prove that Wei Wugui is special?¡±

    Pan Cuiqing was rendered speechless.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s voice deepened. ¡°I must catch this person.¡±

 Chapter 297: Liu Hu

    <h4>Chapter 297: Liu Hu</h4>

    Early the next morning, Qi Xuansu left Taiping Inn and headed to Longmen Prefecture¡¯s Garrison Chief Military Office, where Wild Bodhisattva was.

    In terms of rank, the Garrison Chief was second only to the Chief General, with a status equivalent to Deputy Protector Qin Wubing. However, Longmen Prefecture was located in the middle of the Central ins, which had been at peace for a long time. Thus, it had a much smaller number of troopspared to the generals in Xizhou.

    Wild Bodhisattva was an aide to Mei Rulin, the local Garrison Chief. Although Wild Bodhisattva had no rank, the Garrison Chief regarded him as a confidant and friend.

    This time, Mei Rulin tried several times to persuade Wild Bodhisattva to stay, but Wild Bodhisattva was determined to leave Longmen Prefecture. Mei Rulin had no choice but to part ways with his friend.

    Finding the Garrison Chief Military Office was simple. After arriving, Qi Xuansu reported Wild Bodhisattva¡¯s other pseudonym, which was ordinary, like his own made-up name, Wei Wugui.

    After a while, Wild Bodhisattva came out to greet Qi Xuansu and exined, ¡°I have been here to hand over some matters. Apart from drinking, I have no time to rx.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not know how to answer, so he could only nod in acknowledgment. To Qi Xuansu, having time to drink was considered rxing enough.

    ¡°Follow me.¡± Wild Bodhisattva turned around and entered the Garrison Chief Military Office.

    The ck Robes at the door did not even stop to ask for Qi Xuansu¡¯s identity. This showed that Wild Bodhisattva had a high status in the Garrison Chief Military Office, simr to the Garrison Chief himself.

    Wild Bodhisattva said, ¡°The Mei family is a rtively new family that only came to power in the past hundred years, producing several generations of loyal ministers and generals. Mei Rulin came from the <i>Ru</i> generation, which shed with the Li family¡¯s <i>Ru</i> generational name.¡±

    Qi Xuansu scoffed. ¡°Is the Li family offended by such a small matter?¡±

    ¡°The Li family didn¡¯t say anything, but they¡¯re known for being the Donghai Weirdos for a reason.¡± Wild Bodhisattvaughed.

    Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh. ¡°It seems that notoriety also has its benefits. They can do whatever they want just because they already have a bad reputation.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t say that.¡± Wild Bodhisattva did not fully agree with Qi Xuansu¡¯s statement. ¡°The Li family is not all bad. They have a mixed reputation. After all, several influential figures, like the Holy Xuan and the Primordial Daoist Ancestor, hail from the Li family, so no one dares to openly criticize the Li family¡¯s behavior. At most, people will only talk about it behind their backs.¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled and did not argue.

    His understanding of the Li family was superficial. All he knew about the Li family was that they were powerful and ruthless. The only Li family members he heard of were the talented Holy Xuan and Donghuang; the current head of the family, Li Changgeng, who was also the Great Sage of the Taiping Sect; Sage Qingwei; the arrogant young master, Li Tianzhen; the adopted son, Li Minghuang, who abandoned Zhang Yuyue; andstly, the genius named Li Changge, who was suspected to be the recipient of all the Xuan Jades collected by the Li family.

    Other than that, he knew nothing about this prestigious family.

    Qi Xuansu followed Wild Bodhisattva to a small courtyard, where many servants and clerks wereing and going with boxes. Some were taking down various files from the bookshelves, sorting them into categories, and putting them into boxes.

    It seemed that Wild Bodhisattva had been ¡°busy¡± watching these people work. He did not have to pack them himself, but he had to keep an eye on the sensitive files here.

    Wild Bodhisattva instructed them. ¡°Send the packed boxes to the warehouse first. You all can sort out the rest tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Several servants responded. They stopped sorting the files and went to carry the boxes instead.

    Qi Xuansu could not help but ask, ¡°Brother, did you encounter any difficulties in leaving since you have ess to all these secrets?¡±

    ¡°Not really. An enemy from many years ago showed up, so this time, I¡¯m going to seek vengeance. If it goes well, it won¡¯t take me long. If it doesn¡¯t go well, it may be several months or years. The worst-case scenario is that I¡¯ll die. Who can say for sure?¡± Wild Bodhisattva shrugged.

    Although Qi Xuansu was used to seeing people die, he was still saddened to hear this. It was no wonder Wild Bodhisattva asked Madam Qi to help send his adopted daughter away.

    Wild Bodhisattva was clearly making arrangements for the worst-case scenario. If he coulde back alive, he would bring his adopted daughter back. But if he could not, at least his adopted daughter would not be left on the streets.

    After a brief exnation, Wild Bodhisattva instructed the servants. ¡°You all can leave now and continue tomorrow.¡±

    All the servants responded in unison.

    Wild Bodhisattva led Qi Xuansu out of the side door and walked to his residence, which was only one street away from the Garrison Chief Military Office. It was a two-entry residence, where Wild Bodhisattva lived with his adopted daughter and two old servants.

    After Wild Bodhisattva decided to leave Longmen Prefecture, he had already dismissed the two old servants, giving them 100 Taiping coins each, which was enough for them to settle down elsewhere. Thus, Wild Bodhisattva and his adopted daughter were the only ones left in the house.

    When they came to the entrance, Wild Bodhisattva stretched out his hand and drew a talisman that Qi Xuansu did not recognize. The light on the door shed as a certain formation was lifted. Then he pushed the door open and entered the courtyard.

    A young girl about 14 or 15 years old came out to greet them. She was not a stunning beauty, but she had animated eyes.

    ¡°Father!¡± The girl greeted Wild Bodhisattva. Her gaze fell on Qi Xuansu, a little curious and fearful.

    A faint smile appeared on Wild Bodhisattva¡¯s face. ¡°He¡¯s my friend, you can call him¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wei Wugui.¡± Qi Xuansu took the initiative to tell her his name. ¡°Since I¡¯m older, you can call me Brother Wei.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Uncle Wei.¡± The girl bowed.

    Qi Xuansu coughed awkwardly. They had a 10-year age gap, so it was also appropriate for her to call him ¡°Uncle.¡±

    Wild Bodhisattvaughed. ¡°Well, if you count Madam Qi as my generation, then you kids are indeed the same generation. But since I introduced you as my friend, she will naturally call you ¡®Uncle.¡¯¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded awkwardly, feeling so old. After all, 25 years old was not considered young because most people married and became fathers before their thirties. In their thirties, they would grow a beard.

    Thinking of this, he could not help but touch his chin. He did not have a beard, a wife, or a child. That was why Madam Qi called him a bachelor. Moreover,pared with those women who married in their teens, Zhang Yuelu was not young either. It was no wonder Tantai Qiong was eager to arrange a marriage for her.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu did not know that Zhang Yuelu had been confirmed as Sage Cihang¡¯s sessor. So she had a bright future and no longer had to worry about marriage.

    Wild Bodhisattva beckoned to the girl and introduced her to Qi Xuansu. ¡°Her name is Liu Hu. She doesn¡¯t have a courtesy name yet. Since you¡¯re an elder, you can call her by her full name.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded and got to the point. ¡°Where should I escort Liu Hu to?¡±

    Wild Bodhisattva replied, ¡°Head up north to Zhili and look for Crimson Lips.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said in surprise, ¡°Li Qingnu?¡±

    Wild Bodhisattva did not expect Qi Xuansu to know this. ¡°Oh, so you know her. I guess that saves me the trouble of exining who she is. This escort trip is divided into three segments. You will be responsible for the first segment, from Zhongzhou to Zhili. Li Qingnu is in charge of the second segment. Some people from Liaodong will take over the third segment from Zhili to Youzhou.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded slightly as he connected the dots.

    If he remembered correctly, the former Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master was transferred to Liaodong after the major Jiangnan case.

 Chapter 298: My Money

    <h4>Chapter 298: My Money</h4>

    Qi Xuansu decided to set off on March 15th, after attending a dream meeting to confirm the specific itinerary and meeting ce with Madam Qi and Li Qingnu. He was not so naive as to look around blindly for Li Qingnu only after arriving in Zhili.

    At midnight on March 15th, Qi Xuansu did the ritual and came to the dream meeting again.

    So far, this was Qi Xuansu''s fourth time attending the dream meeting. He had enough materials to attend six more dream meetings, so he was not in a hurry to buy new materials.

    As usual, Madam Qi was busy with a crowd gathered around her.

    The only difference was this time, there was another graceful figure standing beside Madam Qi. Although he could not see her face, he guessed that it was Li Qingnu.

    After Madam Qi was done with the others, Qi Xuansu walked over.

    ¡°You two don¡¯t need me to introduce you again, right?¡± Madam Qi got straight to the point.

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Li Qingnu¡¯s tone was calm, as if she had never had a conflict with Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu pretended that nothing had happened between them and bowed his head.

    Madam Qi warned. ¡°Wild Bodhisattva used almost all of his life¡¯s savings, entrusting me to arrange this escort trip. So don¡¯t let me down.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Li Qingnu nodded slightly.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s first reaction was that Wild Bodhisattva did not seem that rich. However, he suddenly thought of something.

    Li Qingnu was the most popr courtesan who had the support of the Li family. Logically speaking, she should not be short of money. So he asked her why she decided to take up this job.

    Li Qingnu scoffed. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll be short of money if I want to buy elixirs or magical weapons. Although I¡¯m the cash cow of the Li family, most of the money I earn belongs to them. I can only get a small part of it. I¡¯ve spent a lot of money over the years, so I only have a little over 10,000 Taiping coins. This job is equivalent to half of my savings. Excluding some necessary expenses to buy connections, I can still earn about 3,000 Taiping coins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu and Madam Qi fell silent.

    Seeing this, Li Qingnu was a little confused. She wondered if Qi Xuansu thought that she had a worth of hundreds of thousands of Taiping coins. That was because some time ago, someone offered to buy her out for 200,000 Taiping coins, but the Li family refused to let her go.

    Thinking of this, Li Qingnu also felt aggrieved. She was not even an adopted daughter of the Li family, so why would they refuse to let her leave with such a good buyout? Who were they trying to act noble for?

    After a while, Qi Xuansu took a deep breath. ¡°Madam Qi...¡±

    Madam Qi coughed slightly and remained silent.

    ¡°You got another kickback!¡± Qi Xuansu pointed at her, feeling vexed. ¡°I was just thinking how poor Wild Bodhisattva is to only have 3,000 Taiping coins of life savings. It turns out that you were the one who ate the majority of the share! She got 5,000 but I only got 1,000 Taiping coins. My money!¡±

    Li Qingnu looked at Madam Qi, startled.

    Madam Qi exined, ¡°Wild Bodhisattva paid a total of 20,000 Taiping coins¡ª5,000 for me as the middleman, and the remaining 15,000 for the people in charge of the three segments. Qingnu is clear on this.¡±

    Li Qingnu nodded. She finally understood what was going on and looked at Qi Xuansu with pity.

    Madam Qi put her hands on her hips and said righteously, ¡°You only get 1,000 because you¡¯re young and inexperienced. I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to control yourself. With so much money at your disposal, you might go astray with gambling, prostitution, and other bad habits. So I¡¯m doing you a favor by saving the remainder for your future marriage!¡±

    Qi Xuansu pointed at Li Qingnu with trembling fingers, asking for an exnation as to why Madam Qi didn¡¯t help Li Qingnu save for her marriage as well.

    Madam Qi chuckled. ¡°Although Qingnu is not much older than you, she is a lot more experienced in matters of the world. She knows what¡¯s good for her, so I¡¯m not worried she¡¯ll go astray. Besides, it¡¯s not easy for Qingnu toplete this mission in person, so she¡¯ll need more money to buy some connections.¡±

    Qi Xuansu wanted to speak, but Madam Qi narrowed her eyes and threatened him. ¡°Fine. If you don¡¯t want me to help you save the remainder, we¡¯ll just have to settle the score once and for all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. You can save up for me.¡± Qi Xuansu immediately backed down.

    A loving smile resurfaced on Madam Qi¡¯s face again. ¡°That¡¯s better. I¡¯m doing this for your own good.¡±

    Qi Xuansu felt aggrieved. He thought to himself, <i>If I hadn¡¯t said that I was only short of 1,000 Taiping coins and told her that I was short of 2,000 Taiping coins, would I have been able to get 2,000 Taiping coins?</i>

    Of course, he knew that Madam Qi regarded him as more than just a subordinate. She gave him a Xuan Jade of Death, which was worth well over 4,000 Taiping coins. But then again, he was short of cash. Just look at Li Qingnu! She had a worth of 10,000 Taiping coins, which was enough to buy a treasure.

    He even thought that it would be better not to know about this. He should just keep brainwashing himself that he was making 1,000 Taiping coins instead of losing 4,000 Taiping coins.

    Madam Qi pped her hands to catch their attention. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get down to business. Tian Yuan, you will start the trip from Longmen Prefecture, pass by Luzhou to enter Qizhou, and finally meet Qingnu at Bohai Prefecture in Zhili. You two can discuss the exact meeting location.¡±

    Li Qingnu already had a n, so she suggested, ¡°The Li family has opened a Sycamore Vi in Bohai Prefecture. With the Li family as its backer, no one will dare cause trouble there. Since this upscale brothel has all kinds of peopleing and going frequently, your presence won¡¯t attract that much attention. Why don¡¯t we meet there?¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Qi Xuansu had no other objections.

    Madam Qi looked at Li Qingnu and reminded her. ¡°Qingnu, since you can¡¯t escort the girl in person, you must make sure that the people you get are reliable. If something goes wrong, we¡¯ll have to return every coin to Wild Bodhisattva. I will also have topensate him for the losses.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Madam Qi.¡± Li Qingnu nodded. Although Qi Xuansu could not see Li Qingnu¡¯s face, he could already imagine her fake smile.

    This was not surprising. Everyone had to wear different masks for different situations, and Qi Xuansu himself was no exception.

    Qi Xuansu thought about it and said, ¡°Madam Qi, this deal worth 20,000 Taiping coins isn¡¯t that simple, right? That girl is by no means as ordinary as you said.¡±

    In thest dream meeting, Madam Qi told Qi Xuansu that Liu Hu¡¯s father was just an insignificant character in the major Jiangnan case, who was silenced by his own people just as Beichen Hall started their investigation. That man did not even live to get interrogated by Fengxian Hall, and he had left behind one daughter. However, he seemed to have had a premonition, so he entrusted his daughter to Wild Bodhisattva in advance.

    But now, things did not seem so simple.

    First, Wild Bodhisattva was also not an ordinary person. Qi Xuansu did not even know his identity or cultivation level. If Liu Hu¡¯s father could be friends with Wild Bodhisattva, he was certainly not a small fry either.

    Secondly, Wild Bodhisattva did not hesitate to spend 20,000 Taiping coins to protect Liu Hu. His willingness to spend so much money meant that he truly believed someone would try to harm Liu Hu. From Qi Xuansu¡¯s experience at The Inn, the life of a county magistrate was only worth 1,000 Taiping coins.

    Thirdly, Wild Bodhisattva wanted to send Liu Hu to Liaodong, where the former Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master was residing. There must be some sort of secret there.

    Qi Xuansu might not know the secrets involved, but he had to be aware of the enemies he might encounter during the trip. This was so he would be able to gauge the situation better.

    Madam Qi said, ¡°I can only tell you that there won¡¯t be any Heavenly Beings involved. Most Heavenly Beings are in high positions and won¡¯t dabble in this business. Moreover, all Heavenly Beings are known to the Daoist Order, so they will easily attract attention. However, you will face more than just one or two Guizhen-stage opponents.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded solemnly.

    Madam Qi seemed to be sure that he would reach the Guizhen stage before meeting Wild Bodhisattva, even when he was just in the Yuxu stage when she first gave him this job.

    However, it made sense because Madam Qi had given him the Xuan Jade of Death, so she would have been able to estimate the progress of his cultivation.

    Having sorted out the n, Qi Xuansu hurriedly ended this unpleasant dream meeting and returned to the real world.

 Chapter 299: Departure

    <h4>Chapter 299: Departure</h4>

    At this time, the sky was not bright yet. It was dark blue with a faint hint of white on the horizon.

    Liu Hu finished packing, abandoning the more cumbersome women¡¯s clothing and putting on men¡¯s clothing altered to her size. It was simple and easy to travel in.

    Traveling in men¡¯s clothes was the current trend, which exined why Zhang Yuelu and Mu Jin were dressed in altered men¡¯s clothing when they went on the expedition to Wugeshanli.

    Liu Hu put on a cloak with a hood to resist the wind and rain.

    Wild Bodhisattva took out two masks that were as thin as an insect¡¯s wings and handed them over. ¡°Although the disguise may not be enough to hide your appearance from those who are targeting you, it¡¯s still better than nothing.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took one mask and looked at it briefly before putting it on his face. He then used a small spell to summon a water mirror, carefully smoothing out the wrinkles of the mask. In the blink of an eye, Qi Xuansu transformed into a different person.

    Compared with Qi Xuansu¡¯s original appearance, his new face looked more serious and gloomy. He also had a decisive and fierce gaze, which gave off an unapproachable aura, suited for his identity as Wei Wugui. It was certainly a good deterrent.

    Liu Hu held her mask, her mouth agape as she stared at Qi Xuansu in surprise.

    ¡°Girl, do you think that traveling in the real world is just about fighting with people? It¡¯s not that simple, and there¡¯s a lot more to it. You will need to know horseback riding, hunting, treating wounds, disguises, directions, Feng Shui, geography, and ng.¡± Bodhisattva chuckled and added, ¡°Did you see how Uncle Wei put on the mask just now? You should also learn to wear it yourself.¡±

    Liu Hu responded and ran back to her room.

    After about an hour, Liu Hu returned again with a new appearance. She looked less attractive, but definitely not ugly. Wild Bodhisattva knew that being too ugly or beautiful could attract attention, so the more ordinary, the better. However, her eyes were still animated.

    Wild Bodhisattva looked at Qi Xuansu. ¡°You¡¯re an experienced traveler, so you should know your way to Zhili, right? There¡¯s only one path from here. Take care.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded solemnly.

    ¡°Father...¡± Liu Hu called out softly, feeling reluctant and sad.

    Wild Bodhisattva originally wanted to pat the top of Liu Hu¡¯s head, but he stopped himself and sighed. ¡°Nothing in this worldsts forever. Fate brings people together and tears them apart. Our fate as father and daughter hase to an end for now. If fate allows it, we shall meet again in the future.¡±

    Liu Hu nodded solemnly. She kneeled and kowtowed three times to Wild Bodhisattva, saying goodbye to her adoptive father.

    Qi Xuansu stood aside without saying a word.

    Wild Bodhisattva epted Liu Hu¡¯s show of respect and looked up at the brightening sky. ¡°Well, you two better get going.¡±

    Liu Hu slowly stood up and followed Qi Xuansu out of the house.

    There was another horse parked next to Bu Yue, Qi Xuansu¡¯s horse. It was a long journey from Zhongzhou to Zhili, making it impossible without riding a horse. This was also why Liu Hu changed into a men¡¯s riding outfit. Moreover, Liu Hu was not a weak woman. Her parents were both Daoists.

    Her biological father was at least a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master. Not to mention, her adoptive father was Wild Bodhisattva. Even Qi Xuansu did not know what cultivation he possessed, but it was certainly not low.

    Thus, growing up with these figures, Liu Hu was already at the Kunlun stage. When Qi Xuansu was her age, he had not reached this level. Justst year, Qi Xuansu was still at the Kunlun stage. Of course, he certainly had morebat experience than her.

    Qi Xuansu waved at Wild Bodhisattva before getting on his horse. Liu Hu took onest look at her adoptive father and then mounted her horse.

    Wild Bodhisattva stood at the door, watching the two people¡¯s departing backs, looking forlorn.

    The city gate was not yet open at this time, but in a big city like Longmen Prefecture, there would be a smaller gate for people to enter and exit during all hours of the day. However, one would need a permit to use the side gate. Since Wild Bodhisattva was an aide of the Garrison Chief Military Officer, he easily got a permit for Liu Hu and Qi Xuansu to exit the city.

    They headed north after leaving through the side gate.

    Liu Hu was introverted and did not like to talk, so she kept silent.

    The first day was uneventful. The two set out before dawn, but they still had yet to leave the boundary of Longmen Prefecture at nightfall. Thus, they settled down to rest at a Taiping Inn. In fact, Qi Xuansu could already stay awake for several days at his current cultivation level, but Liu Hu could not. This journey was long. It would take at least a month or two, so Qi Xuansu had to take all the rest he could get.

    Taiping Inn had always been known for its safety. Only a few people like Feng Bo would dare cause trouble at the inn. So just in case, Qi Xuansu still asked for two adjacent guest rooms. He also ced several small mechanisms in Liu Hu¡¯s room to alert him of any intruders during the night.

    Not long after Qi Xuansu fell asleep, he had a dream.

    Dreaming was verymon for Qi Xuansu. Every time, he would see the dark mountain, bonfire, and ck shadows. His initial surprise was long gone. However, this dream was different from the past. There were no mountains or ck shadows. It was theherworld.

    In front of Qi Xuansu was arge river with no end in sight. An old woman stood on a bridge across the river. This bridge looked like the legendary Naihe Bridge, in which every soul had to cross to be reincarnated.

    Behind the thick fog on the opposite side of the bridge was a city, vaguely visible. It seemed to be the legendary Fengdu. It spanned 250 kilometers from east to west, 400 kilometers from north to south, and was 7.5 kilometers above sea level.

    It was the capital of theherworld, where the King of Hell oversaw the fortunes and misfortunes of theherworld and administered punishments for the sins of the deceased souls.

    In the Daoist records, there was a theory of the Three Realms¡ªheaven, earth, and theherworld. Theherworld was the destination for dead souls.

    The two other realms were different from the mortal realm.

    Heaven was a ce of extreme yang energy, a vast and boundless expanse that was empty and formless, devoid of light, shadow, sound, and breath.

    For mortals, reaching this ce equated to non-existence. For immortals, it was akin to profound stillness. Only those with great powers could carve out a space here. Therefore, the Primordial Daoist Ancestor established the 33 Heavens, the Buddha created the Three Realms of Existence, and the Emperor of Heaven established Heaven.

    One would never return to the mortal realm once one entered this realm. Due to this, many chose not to ascend to heaven. However, out of fear of the heavenly tribtion that happened once in a hundred years, they had no choice but to ascend.

    On the other hand, theherworld was a ce of extreme yin energy. After death, the soul was said to return to heaven while the body returned to earth. In fact, they would enter this realm and eventually turn into chaos. Only the Three Corpses would linger in the mortal realm, turning into ghosts.

    The Zaoge Cult once used its boundless corpse qi to corrode a gap between the mortal realm and theherworld, connecting the two realms. This realm was exceedingly filthy. Aside from a few special immortals, other immortals would not set foot here, let alone establish the reincarnation governance of theherworld.

    To put it simply, the Three Realms were like an enormous city. The heavens were the highest towers and pces, with a treacherous path leading to the top that only a few managed to ascend. Once up there, it was easy to overlook the city, but one could not intervene in the people''s lives below.

    Below the ground was an intricatework of sewers, where all kinds of sewage were discharged. It was filthy and dark, making it difficult for ordinary people to survive. No one would stay in the sewers for a long time, with minimal manpower for maintenance. Certainly, no one would adjudicate the merits and demerits of this sewage. Good and evil were more of a self-constion for people who felt powerless against reality.

    The main body was still the city itself, where both the high towers and the sewers depended on for existence.

    Since the Holy Xuan revived the Daoist Order, he had been opposed to pretending to be mysterious and deceiving the public. Therefore, all this knowledge was taught in the general curriculum.

    Due to this, Qi Xuansu knew very well that he had not gone to theherworld. If he had, he would have been corroded by the boundless yin energy right away, leaving no trace of himself behind.

    This dream was strange.

 Chapter 300: Fighting in a Dream

    <h4>Chapter 300: Fighting in a Dream</h4>

    Qi Xuansu came to the bridge. If this was the Naihe Bridge, then below it would be the legendary Weak River. The water from the Weak River was known not to be able to support any weight; even a feather would sink if itnded on the surface of the water.

    However, Qi Xuansu was unafraid as he stepped onto the stone bridge.

    In an instant, turbulent fog surged in from all directions, blurring his sight and making it impossible to see where the bridge was leading.

    The only thing visible was the old woman on the bridge. She was holding an alms bowl in her hand, from which came bursts of aroma.

    At this moment, the old woman suddenly raised her head and grinned at Qi Xuansu, revealing her white, jagged teeth. Her hair was white, and the wrinkles on her face were deep like ravines. Her eyes were neither ck and white, nor murky and yellow. Instead, they were a hue of green that sent a shiver down one¡¯s spine.

    ¡°Drink this.¡± The old woman raised the alms bowl in front of Qi Xuansu, her voice ethereal and enchanting. At the same time, the aroma from the alms bowl wafted straight into Qi Xuansu¡¯s nostrils.

    Qi Xuansu took the alms bowl expressionlessly.

    A smile appeared on the old woman''s face, and her voice became increasingly affectionate. ¡°Drink up, and all your troubles will disappear.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Does it taste good?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it tastes good. Nothing in this world can beat this taste.¡± The old woman¡¯s voice was captivating.

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±

    Suddenly, he stepped forward, grabbed the old woman by the neck, and lifted her up.

    The old woman clearly did not expect this assault. The kindness she had shown earlier was gone. Her green eyes now shone with hostility. However, in this position, she could not move and was forced to open her mouth wide.

    Qi Xuansu raised the bowl in his hand and poured the drink into the old woman¡¯s mouth. ¡°If it tastes so good, you should drink more.¡±

    By the time the bowl was empty, the old woman was in a daze. All she could do was giggle mindlessly.

    Qi Xuansu threw her aside and strode forward, the fog receding wherever he passed.

    At this moment, someone shouted angrily from the front. ¡°How bold of you!¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, a metal chain prated the mist and shot toward Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu reached out to catch the chain, wrapped it around his palms and wrists, and pulled it back, straightening it.

    That was when he saw a huge 7-meter-tall figure emerge from the fog, with a horse head, human body, and red skin. The figure was wearing armor and holding a metal chain in his hand. It was trying to tug on the chain, but it staggered forward because of Qi Xuansu.

    Immediately afterward, another huge 7-meter-tall figure slowly appeared, also wearing armor. However, this figure had an ox head, human body, and blue skin. It was holding a green banana leaf fan.

    These two blue and red figures turned out to be the legendary Ox-Head and Horse-Face, who were subordinates of the King of Hell.

    Ox-Head raised the banana leaf in his hand and swept it down violently, conjuring a tornado of wind and mes that spun toward Qi Xuansu.

    If it were before, Qi Xuansu would have been helpless, but he had obtained some properties of the Diviner lineage through the Xuan Jade of Death. His Thoughts and magical powers were equivalent to a Diviner in the Thunder Realm.

    <i>Before the Thunder Realm was the Dream Entering Realm. A Diviner in this stage would be able to enter people¡¯s dreams. In many legends, some people met Immortals or masters in their dreams who taught them new techniques or gave them advice. In these cases, it was most likely a Diviner who had visited someone¡¯s dream.</i>

    <i>Some Diviners with bad intentions would enter women¡¯s dreams to be intimate with them. As such, the woman would wake up and think that it was an erotic dream. She would not suspect that someone had harassed her.</i>

    <i>That was because illusions could deceive the dream owner. Magic was only effective if one believed in it.</i>

    Qi Xuansu had the ability to enter dreams as well. However, he did not believe in this illusion and wanted to destroy the intruder.

    He suddenly exerted force to pull Horse-Face toward him, using it as a shield.

    The mes from Ox-Head¡¯s fan fell on Horse-Face, immediately turning thetter into a charred corpse, its embers faintly flickering.

    Ox-Head did not expect this situation. It grunted and charged at Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu dodged the attack. With a wave of his hand, a group of ghost soldiers in square caps and boots appeared around Ox-Head. These ghost soldiersssoed Ox-Head with metal chains, restraining it.

    Without Qi Xuansu¡¯s instructions, the ghost soldiers had already pushed Ox-Head toward their master.

    Qi Xuansu stretched out his hand and ordered, ¡°Get my machete!¡±

    Two more ghost soldiers carried Qi Xuansu¡¯s ghosthead machete and handed it over to him.

    Qi Xuansu picked up the ghosthead machete without saying a word and shed it at Ox-Head.

    A huge ox''s head rolled to the ground with its eyes wide open.

    ......

    A campfire was set up about 50 kilometers away from the Taiping Inn. Three people were sitting around it with their eyes closed, as if they were asleep.

    Not far away, there was a group of men with weapons, protecting the three of them.

    Suddenly, one of them opened his eyes and looked dazed. He kept giggling as saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth to his chest. He had already lost his sanity.

    Immediately afterward, fierce mes inexplicably ignited on the second man¡¯s body, burning his skin and flesh. All that was left was a charred corpse.

    In the end, the third person groaned as a thin red line appeared on his neck. A secondter, his head rolled off his shoulders.

    Seeing this, the people guarding them gasped in shock. They were not Diviners, but they knew that this mission had failed and even backfired.

    ¡°This is a tough opponent.¡± Someone muttered before turning his eyes in another direction.

    Not far away from this bonfire was a makeshift tent, in which the schr, Song Luodi, was sitting cross-legged. At this time, his eyes were tightly shut.

    An illusion in a dream was not the same as in the real world. In dreams, anything was possible.

    Since someone could create Fengdu in Qi Xuansu¡¯s dream, Qi Xuansu could also turn several ghost soldiers into a ghost army.

    Qi Xuansu refused to let someone else defeat him in his own dream.

    With a wave of his hand, Qi Xuansu multiplied the ghost soldiers until they formed a ck mass of ghost soldiers, with no end in sight. These ghost soldiers were carrying battle gs, wearing ck armor, riding on ck horses, and pushing artillery. They filled out the Weak River, cutting off the flow of the water.

    Qi Xuansu waved his hand.

    In his dream, the army of ghost soldiers surged forward and headed straight for Fengdu, sting the city gates and overwhelming the city walls.

    As the city gate copsed, the army of ghost soldiers poured into the city like a torrent.

    After a night of fierce fighting, Fengdu fell and turned into nothingness. The millions of ghost soldiers also disappeared without a trace.

    ......

    Qi Xuansu slowly woke up at around 9:00 a.m. The sunlight shone through the window and fell on Qi Xuansu¡¯s body.

    Noticing this, Qi Xuansu hurriedly got up, left his room, and knocked on Liu Hu¡¯s door.

    Liu Hu, already well dressed, opened the door and greeted him. ¡°Uncle Wei.¡±

    ¡°Was there anything unusualst night? Did you have a nightmare or something?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Judging from what happened in his dreamst night, Qi Xuansu was certain that someone wanted to attack Liu Hu, but they dared not enter the Taiping Inn rashly. It was one thing to be drunk and cause trouble in the Taiping Inn like Xu Changwu, and another matter entirely to ambush a guest in the Taiping Inn at night.

    Now that the Daoist Order was using Shangguan Jing¡¯s death as an excuse to eradicate secret societies, attacking the Taiping Inn at night would be akin to tantly walking into trouble.

    Qi Xuansu was afraid that Liu Hu would be coerced to walk into a trap while she was asleep. If that happened, he would have let down Wild Bodhisattva and Madam Qi.

    Liu Hu shook her head.

    ¡°Good.¡± Qi Xuansu breathed a sigh of relief.

    Liu Hu hesitated for a moment, turned around, and took out a jade pendant from her cor. She faced Qi Xuansu and exined, ¡°My adoptive father gave this to me for protection. He said it can ward off ghosts and evil spirits, so you don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nced at the jade pendant that was carved into the shape of Guanyin Bodhisattva. It had a strong aura and was at least a spiritual object. He could finally rest assured. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

 Chapter 301: Getting Closer

    <h4>Chapter 301: Getting Closer</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s main mission when she left Jade Capital this time was to eradicate secret societies. Sage Cihang gave her great autonomy without specifying any targets or regions. In other words, Zhang Yuelu could decide on her own where she wanted to go and what secret societies to attack. She would also have the support of the local Daoist mansions because she was representing Tiangang Hall.

    Now that Zhang Yuelu was invited to Wuxu Pce, she did not forget her responsibilities and began to assign work to her Superintendents.

    Before the death of Shangguan Jing, Zhang Yuelu only had two Superintendents under her.

    The rule that each Deputy Hall Master could have two Superintendents under them was set during the Holy Xuan Era. At that time, the Daoist Order was much leaner than the current system, so two Superintendents were enough to handle various tasks.

    However, with the continuous development of the Daoist Order, this allowance gradually stretched. That was because they did not want to change the structure by adding another level between the Deputy Hall Master and the Superintendent. Thus, thepromise was to increase the number of Superintendents under the Deputy Hall Master¡¯smand.

    Generally speaking, newly promoted Deputy Hall Masters would only have two Superintendents, while the Chief Deputy Hall Master would have as many as nine Superintendents.

    After Zhang Yuelu took over the remainder of Shangguan Jing¡¯s division, she had five Superintendents under hermand, including Sun Yongfeng and Lingquanzi. Since Xu Kou had advanced to the Guizhen stage not long ago, Zhang Yuelu promoted him. Thus, she had six Superintendents,parable to the other Deputy Hall Masters.

    In fact, the appointment of Superintendents required the permission of the Hall Master. It was not something that Deputy Hall Masters had the authority to do. However, Sage Cihang gave Zhang Yuelu great autonomy in this regard. Zhang Yuelu just had to report her decision to Sage Cihang as a formality. It was no wonder her nickname was Junior Tiangang Hall Master.

    Sage Cihang was afraid that the veteran Superintendents originally under Shangguan Jing would not listen to Zhang Yuelu¡¯smand. After all, Shangguan Jing was a second-rank Taiyi Daoist priest, and Zhang Yuelu was only at the fourth rank. Therefore, Sage Cihang gave Zhang Yuelu full dominion over the Yaoguang Division. As such, Zhang Yuelu had the authority to dismiss anyone who was insubordinate.

    This move also showed Sage Cihang¡¯s unconditional support toward Zhang Yuelu in Tiangang Hall. Anyone who was unconvinced could file aint at the Golden Tower Council.

    This time, Zhang Yuelu sent out all six of her Superintendents and ordered them to lead their respective teams to wipe out small groups of secret society members. In the meantime, she only allowed a few deacons to continue investigating Wan Xiuwu¡¯s case with her.

    Pan Cuiqing had no objection to this. After all, Wan Xiuwu was only a fifth-rank Daoist priest. It was unrealistic to expect the entire Yaoguang Division to stop their task and investigate this murder. Even when the flying ship crashed, Tiangang Hall only dispatched one division.

    After dispatching the Superintendents, Zhang Yuelu left the Wuxu Pce in Xijing Prefecture and came to the Ghost Pass to visit the Spirit Guards stationed there.

    This Spirit Guard was of the first rank, equal in status to an Omniscient Sage, so Zhang Yuelu could not talk to him on an equal footing. However, since Zhang Yuelu was the Tiangang Hall Master, the Spirit Guard did not turn her away. But he still kept a distance from her.

    In fact, Daoist priests were regarded as superior to Spirit Guards, who were only supposed to follow orders and were not allowed to interfere in politics. That was because Daoist priests had their own cultivation, while the power of Spirit Guards came from their armor. Thus, if a Spirit Guard left the Daoist Order, they would lose all of their power.

    Zhang Yuelu only wanted to ask this Spirit Guard if there was anything unusual in the Ghost Kingdom, since a secret society member lingered in the Ghost Pass for two days.

    She could not figure out Wei Wugui¡¯s purpose, so she guessed that it could be rted to the Ghost Kingdom. After all, True Lord Siming had been coveting the Ghost Kingdom for a long time.

    The Spirit Guard was startled to hear Zhang Yuelu¡¯s question because, not long ago, there were indeed some abnormalities in the Ghost Kingdom. He even met with Yin Jiuyin to confirm what happened.

    He did not expect the Jade Capital to get news of this so quickly and wondered who leaked the news. He also spected if Jade Capital had spies in the Ghost Past. Did this mean that Jade Capital no longer trusted him?

    For a while, this first-rank Spirit Guard had begun to specte whether Zhang Yuelu had a special mission and if the so-called suppression of secret societies was just a cover.

    As such, the Spirit Guard exined that there were some abnormalities in the Ghost Kingdom recently. The formation showed that the ovep between the Ghost Kingdom and the mortal realm had deepened. However, this ovep usually only urred on July 15th, the Zhongyuan Festival, which was alsomonly known as the Ghost Festival. Even so, the impact was not big and was most likely a normal change in the Ghost Kingdom.

    As a precautionary measure, the Ghost Pass had stepped up its security, but they had not found any suspicious people.

    The time when the abnormality urred in the Ghost Kingdom coincided with the time when Wei Wugui passed by the Ghost Pass, but Zhang Yuelu did notment on the statement that they had not found any suspicious people.

    To her, this answer was good enough to prove that her spection was right and that all the clues pointed to Wei Wugui.

    There was indeed something deeper going on, and it no longer just concerned Wan Xiuwu¡¯s death.

    After Zhang Yuelu left the Ghost Pass, she went to the summer pce of the Zhongzhou Daoist Mansion.

    The summer pce could be regarded as arge Daoist temple, which functioned as a rest stop for Daoists. However, only Daoist priests above a certain rank were able to stay here.

    Once she got to her room, Zhang Yuelu listed all the clues she had obtained in the past few days. Without enough evidence, she began to make bold assumptions and carefully verified them.

    What was Wei Wugui¡¯s purpose in entering the Ghost Kingdom?

    There were Three Yin Beings in the Ghost Kingdom that existed as early as the Holy Xuan Era. They were the creations left behind by the previous owner of the Ghost Kingdom.

    The Three Yin Beings did not take the initiative to report the abnormality that urred in the Ghost Kingdom. Instead, they waited until the Spirit Guard inquired about it to say that it was just the Ghost Kingdom¡¯s normal changes.

    Since the formations in the Ghost Pass had already detected the anomalies within the Ghost Kingdom, it was almost impossible for the Three Yin Beings to not notice any anomalies.

    If so, why did the Three Yin Beings choose to hide this anomaly from the Daoist Order?

    This led to another question: Was Wei Wugui¡¯s entry into the Ghost Kingdom rted to the Three Yin Beings? Or did he enter the Ghost Kingdom to see the Three Yin Beings?

    If that was the case, then it would make sense for the Three Yin Beings to conceal the abnormality, wanting to cover up the fact that they had met Wei Wugui.

    If this spection was true, then what happened after Wei Wugui met the Three Yin Beings?

    Were the Three Yin Beings trying to collude with outsiders to take down the Daoist Order? Or was Wei Wugui offering the Three Yin Beings certain conditions on behalf of a certain Ancient Immortal?

    All these were possible.

    Zhang Yuelu did not expect that a simple murder case would involve suchplex dealings.

    Qin Wubing was the Deputy Protector of Xizhou, Pei Xiaolou was a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master in the Daoist Order, and the Three Yin Beings from the Ghost Kingdom were not menial characters.

    Feng Bo, the Heavenly Court¡¯s God of Wind, was also involved somehow. Secret societies were not loyal to each other and often fought among themselves. It was strange that Feng Bo decided to sneak into Xijing Prefecture to hunt down Wei Wugui, disregarding the risks.

    These people were like beads, while Wei Wugui was like a string connecting these beads.

    In front of these characters, Wan Xiuwu¡¯s death became irrelevant.

    This made Zhang Yuelu doubt some of her spections.

    Was Wan Xiuwu¡¯s murder just an ident?

    In fact, Wei Wugui and Wan Xiuwu had no grudge. Perhaps Wan Xiuwu identally discovered Wei Wugui¡¯s true identity and was then killed and silenced by him. Perhaps the two men simply had a conflict, just like how Sub-Tiangang Hall bullied Wei Wugui.

    If that was the case, then Wei Wugui had nothing to do with Qi Xuansu.

    But who wanted to connect Wei Wugui and Qi Xuansu?

    Thinking of this, Zhang Yuelu had a sudden epiphany¡ªYue Liuli.

 Chapter 302: Purple Immortal Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 302: Purple Immortal Mountain</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu paced the room with her hands behind her back.

    It was unlikely that Pan Cuiqing would think to investigate Wan Xiuwu¡¯s past rtionships in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. Usually, this would onlye upter as the case progressed.

    Who had provided Pan Cuiqing with the information that Qi Xuansu and Wan Xiuwu had an old grudge?

    She thought of Yue Liuli¡¯s past rtionship with Wan Xiuwu and Yue Liuli¡¯s current rtionship with Pan Cuiqing. The answer seemed obvious.

    It was Yue Liuli who told Pan Cuiqing about the old grudge between Qi Xuansu and Wan Xiuwu.

    Why did Yue Liuli do this? Why did Yue Liuli suspect Qi Xuansu when he was already dead?

    Zhang Yuelu thought it could be a guilty conscience. She then recalled what happened between Yue Liuli and Qi Xuansu when they met in Shangqing Pce. Yue Liuli was indeed a little uneasy. Back then, Zhang Yuelu did not think much about it. Looking back now, Yue Liuli seemed a little afraid of Qi Xuansu.

    This made it clear that Yue Liuli was somehow involved in the old grudge between Wan Xiuwu and Qi Xuansu. So after Wan Xiuwu was murdered, Yue Liuli was more flustered than sad, immediately suspecting Qi Xuansu. Yue Liuli was also suspicious of Zhang Yuelu because of thetter¡¯s rtionship with Qi Xuansu.

    So what happened that year?

    Although Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu had gone through many life-and-death situations, they had only known each other for a short time. She certainly did not know everything about that man.

    Zhang Yuelu came to her senses and ordered, ¡°Mu Jin, please write a letter to the Wanxiang Daoist Pce in the name of Tiangang Hall. Request ess to the relevant files from ss A, Bingzi Year.¡±

    Mu Jin responded and left quickly.

    Zhang Yuelu came to the desk again and began to write down her many spections.

    She had no way to investigate Qin Wubing, Pei Xiaolou, or the Ghost Kingdom¡¯s Three Yin Beings at the moment. All she could do was report it to the Hall Master, Sage Cihang.

    However, she did not have concrete evidence to support her ims, so Zhang Yuelu did not intend to make this an official report. Instead, she wrote a long personal letter in the capacity of a disciple asking for advice.

    After writing the letter, Zhang Yuelu handed it over to Tian Baobao and instructed, ¡°Don¡¯t send this in the name of Tiangang Hall. Use my private rapid post talisman with Sage Cihang.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Deputy Hall Master.¡± Tian Baobao solemnly answered.

    As Zhang Yuelu¡¯s status rose, she would inevitably need someone to assist her in managing paperwork and mundane chores. At the moment, Mu Jin and Tian Baobao filled the role of her secretaries, with Mu Jin being the chief secretary. It was also more convenient because they were all women.

    Zhang Yuelu began to rethink how she could deal with Wei Wugui.

    Since this case involved more than just Wan Xiuwu, Zhang Yuelu decided to pursue it to the end.

    Thus, she decided to go to Longmen Prefecture next.

    Once there, she could check the relevant files at the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. Moreover, there were various signs that showed Wei Wugui had gone to the Longmen Prefecture after leaving the Ghost Pass.

    In fact, she even thought about informing the Zhongzhou Daoist Mansion to arrest Wei Wugui directly, or dispatching her subordinates to search for Wei Wugui. However, she gave up on this after some consideration.

    She was not pedantic. Ack of evidence was just one of the reasons she decided to wait. More importantly, she was more interested in seeing Wei Wugui¡¯s next move in hopes of catching a bigger fish.

    ......

    At this time, Qi Xuansu was unaware that his identity as Wei Wugui had been targeted by Zhang Yuelu.

    Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu were on the way to Shimen County, where Zhongzhou¡¯s Everbright City was located.

    There were many ways to practice the Dao. Some mastered sword techniques, used talismans, developed elixirs, performed divination, raised corpses, fornicated, and many more.

    The Purple Immortal Mountain was a mega-brothel for those practicing the art of fornication. It was even more popr than the well-known upscale vis in Jiangnan and the Imperial Capital.

    During the Mingyong Era of the previous dynasty, before the Daoist Order was reunited, a small sect practicing the art of fornication used countless manpower and financial resources to hollow out the Purple Immortal Mountain and build a city inside this mountain.

    In addition to a group of prostitutes, there were countless musicians, tailors, craftsmen, and servants who lived there, making it a convenient ce that had everything so that there was no need to leave.

    The owner of this ce was a self-proimed king, who was known as the Ecstasy Sect Leader and the King of Purple Immortal Mountain.

    This colossal vi was named Ecstasy Paradise.

    To guests all over the world, this ce was a paradise that allowed them to forget about their dull lives. However, to the workers there, it was a ce that was easy to get into but hard to escape from.

    The workers were not just women. There were also men who would service female guests. Some were cruelly sold by their parents because of poverty, and others were trafficked. There were even rumors that many good-looking men and women were abducted to the Ecstasy Paradise and forced to work. Regardless of one¡¯s origin, it was impossible to ever leave this mountain if one came here to work.

    After the Holy Xuan revived the Daoist Order, he banned this ce and ordered the rehabilitation and resettlement of these workers.

    However, to the Holy Xuan¡¯s surprise, many of them were unwilling to leave Purple Immortal Mountain and even begged him not to ban this ce.

    Some people stayed because they had nowhere else to go, while some were ustomed to life in Purple Immortal Mountain. In Ecstasy Paradise, they did not have to worry about being clothed or fed. They could also earn a lot of money. On the contrary, they were not sure what they could do for a living if they left this ce.

    Moreover, the simple life outside could notpare with thevish lifestyle in Ecstasy Paradise. Many of them wanted to be waited on rather than be self-reliant on household chores.

    Since there were various entanglements of interests, many Daoist elders also held objections. In the end, the Holy Xuanpromised and retained the Purple Immortal Mountain, but he added a few rules. No one was allowed to use deception or coercion to force women into prostitution, and all workers were free to leave if they wished to. If anyone vited the rules, they would be severely punished once discovered.

    Due to this, Purple Immortal Mountain¡¯s recruitment had not declined and even increased over the years. Every year, many good-looking men and women wanted to work in Purple Immortal Mountain voluntarily.

    Moreover, due to the high wages, those from ordinary families could earn a lifetime of savings in one year at the Purple Immortal Mountain. This ce was their ¡°get-rich-quick¡± scheme. After all, no one would know if someone had worked in Ecstasy Paradise before.

    That was because ordinary people did not have the money to visit such ces. A former worker from Ecstasy Paradise could easily marry someone after retirement, as no one would know of their history.

    If they were fortunate, they could be a revered courtesan or a famous performer, someone who could only be admired from afar but not approached casually by just anyone. By then, they would be in thepany of the elite, interacting with the rich and noble.

    In Qi Xuansu¡¯s view, it was easier to travel through Purple Immortal Mountain because this ce had people from all walks of life, yet it still had the protection of the Daoist Order. If arge group of people decided to ambush him, it would immediately attract the Daoist Order¡¯s attention. If it was only a few assassins, he was confident that he could take them down.

    Since this was not something that could be done in the open, the mastermind would continue hiding behind the scenes while hiring more assassins to take down Liu Hu.

    As soon as Qi Xuansu arrived in Shimen County, he realized that he made the wrong move because there were many Green Phoenix Guards and officials gathered there at this time. They had the county on lockdown because they were investigating a series of murder cases.

    Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu were detained at the border.

    Fortunately, Qi Xuansu met an old acquaintance¡ªEighth Tianyang, the Green Phoenix Guard Senior Major whom Qi Xuansu had met at the Feilong Inn in Salt Lake.

    Back then, Qi Xuansu worked with the Green Phoenix Guard to kill members of the Heavenly Court. After that, they parted ways in Xiping Prefecture, and Qi Xuansu headed to Cuowenbu in the West Gobi.

    Qi Xuansu did not expect Eighth Tianyang to be transferred here to investigate the case. But on second thought, Eighth Tianyang had to constantly move if he wanted to get promoted.

    Left with no other choice, Qi Xuansu decided to meet Eighth Tianyang with his true appearance.

 Chapter 303: The Seventh Lieutenant Colonelâ€™s Office

    <h4>Chapter 303: The Seventh Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office</h4>

    In the previous dynasty, the Green Phoenix Guard were secret agents, assassins, and guards for the emperor.

    However, in this dynasty, the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s role was somewhere between the ck Robes and the local police force.

    Although the Green Phoenix Guard still retained the title of the emperor¡¯s personal guard, they were no longer responsible for guarding the pce. They still acted as the emperor¡¯s eyes and ears, but their main responsibility was to investigate serious crimes, including murders,rge-scale robberies, and cases involving secret societies, pirates, and gangsters.

    The main responsibility of the Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office and the Major¡¯s Office was to maintain stability within their jurisdiction, assuming some of the responsibilities from the Ministry of Justice and the Provincial Surveince Commission.

    There were obvious differences in terms of the weapons and equipment introduced. The ck Robes mainly used various heavy artillery, capable of destroying cities. The local police force was mainly equipped with batons, metal chains, short swords, and at most a pistol.

    The Green Phoenix Guard was somewhere in between the two, equipped with higher caliber firearms, sabers, armor, crossbows, long guns, repeating firearms, and cavalry.

    Before the use of firearms was poprized, private ownership of crossbows and armor would be regarded as treason. In ancient times, the Green Phoenix Guard could be regarded as an army. However, in the existing society, the typically smaller division of the Green Phoenix Guard was no match for the organized and well-trained ck Robes with heavy artillery. However, the Green Phoenix Guard was a small elite team proficient in singlebat.

    Due to this, the image of the Green Phoenix Guard gradually improved. They were often seen all over the world, earning them another nickname, the Green Robes. However, the ck Robes¡¯ reputation still surpassed the Green Phoenix Guard, who had a notorious reputation due to their history.

    Of course, this improvement was somewhat negligible, as they still had many internal problems. For example, the Green Phoenix Guard in Fengtai County were even capable of executing the county magistrate¡¯s entire family. So no one would expect them to treat regr civilians kindly.

    In fact, whether the Green Phoenix Guard yed the role of a secret agent or the police made no difference to the bigwigs in the Imperial Court. Only ordinary civilians were afraid of the Green Phoenix Guard, who had the power to arrest, try, and execute civilians in the name of the emperor. If one day the emperor stripped the Green Phoenix Guard of their power, no one would be afraid of them anymore.

    The Green Phoenix Guard was like a knife that was not terrifying on its own. What people feared was the person wielding said knife.

    The current emperor no longer prioritized the Green Phoenix Guard, so they did not have much of a presence in court. Thus, there were no longer Green Phoenix Guards who could be on an equal footing with a cab minister.

    To put it harshly, the Green Phoenix Guard was like a hunting dog struggling to perform in hopes of gaining its owner¡¯s attention. This was the reason the Green Phoenix Guard repeatedly cracked down on secret societies, sometimes even more so than Tiangang Hall.

    However, this was only the perspective of the bigwigs. For ordinary folk like Qi Xuansu, the Green Phoenix Guard was still an unshakable behemoth.

    At this time, the Green Phoenix Guard had locked down Shimen County. If Qi Xuansu was alone, he could have sneaked away or forced his way through. However, with Liu Hu and two horses, it would be difficult to do so.

    Moreover, Qi Xuansu had to be on guard against powerful enemies at this time, so he did not want to provoke the Green Phoenix Guard for no reason.

    Qi Xuansu removed his face mask, revealing his true appearance.

    From a distance, he saw Eighth Tianyang lecturing a group of Green Phoenix Guards. The senior major¡¯s expression was grim.

    Qi Xuansu led Liu Hu over to Eighth Tianyang. But before he could get close, two hostile-looking Green Phoenix Guard troopers stopped him.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu calmly took out his two badges and introduced himself. ¡°Your boss and I are old acquaintances. Please inform him that his old friend, Wei Wugui, is here to visit.¡±

    The two troopers were shocked when they saw the two badges. If they had not seen the badges, they would not have believed amoner would be friends with their boss.

    However, the man in front of them was somehow rted to the ck Robes and the Daoist Order, obviously not an ordinary person. Even if he was not an old friend of their boss, they could not afford to offend him.

    The troopers immediately stered on a smile as they asked Qi Xuansu to wait, while one of them hurriedly went to inform Eighth Tianyang.

    After a while, Eighth Tianyang hurried over to greet his friend. He clearly did not expect to see Wei Wugui here. He motioned to the two troopers to tend to Qi Xuansu¡¯s horses and said, ¡°Brother Wei, let¡¯s talk somewhere else.¡±

    Under the guidance of Eighth Tianyang, Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu came to a residence that was temporarily requisitioned by the Green Phoenix Guard. Many guards in uniform wereing in and out. They all gave way and saluted their boss.

    The trio came to the living room and sat down separately.

    Eighth Tianyang smiled and asked, ¡°Brother Wei, when did you join the ck Robes?¡±

    Qi Xuansu chuckled. ¡°Brother Eighth, I¡¯m just trying to make a living here. I have yet to congratte you on your promotion, though.¡±

    If Eighth Tianyang was still at the Yongzhou Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office, he would not have appeared here.

    ¡°Brother Wei, you¡¯re joking.¡± Eighth Tianyang waved his hands repeatedly. ¡°It¡¯s not a promotion, just ateral transfer.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Well, I think being transferred here will certainly guarantee you a faster track to promotion.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang did not deny it. ¡°You¡¯re right, Brother Wei. I¡¯ve just been transferred to the Seventh Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office. Although I¡¯m still a senior major, my future path will indeed be easier.¡±

    <i>The headquarters of the Green Phoenix Guard was the Imperial Guard¡¯s Office located in the Imperial Capital. It was divided into the Northern and Southern Military Commissions. The Southern Military Commission focused on internal matters, and the Northern Military Commission dealt with external affairs. Both Military Commissions had several Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Offices established in the area.</i>

    <i>The First Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office was engaged in the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s old trade, in charge of gathering intelligence on the hundreds of court officials. In the past, this department was either one of the most critical departments to the emperor, or it could be just for show.</i>

    <i>The Second Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office was also involved in intelligence, with mainly external responsibilities like sending spies to enemy countries. This office had a close rtionship with the ck Robes because they often worked together. It also had the best reputation in the country.</i>

    <i>The Third Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office was responsible for supervising the 19 states in the empire. They used to have great power, but now they suffered the same fate as the First Lieutenant Colonel''s Office.</i>

    <i>The Fourth Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office was responsible for assassinations and rted matters. However, the business was in short supply because most of these jobs had been outsourced to The Inn.</i>

    <i>The Fifth Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office was in charge of arrest and interrogation. They were infamous for their horrific torture of criminals.</i>

    <i>The Sixth Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office was responsible for guarding the pce. They were also the emperor¡¯s ceremonial guards. </i>

    <i>The Seventh Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office was a newly established rising star, specializing in various major cases that were difficult to solve. These included the massacres ofrge families or robberies involving princes and dignitaries. They were one of the more outstanding departments of the Green Phoenix Guard.</i>

    Eighth Tianyang looked at Liu Hu, who had been silent all this while. ¡°Is this¡ª¡±

    Qi Xuansu interrupted him. ¡°This is my niece. Her father and I are old friends, and he asked me to send her to her aunt in Zhili.¡±

    ¡°After I was transferred to the Seventh Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office, I haven¡¯t had the time to report to the Imperial Capital. It¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t go with you to Zhili, as I am tied up with official duties.¡± Eighth Tianyang sighed.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Brother Eighth, have you encountered any difficulties?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang regained his spirit and pleaded. ¡°Speaking of this, I would like to ask for your help, Brother Wei.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°I will do anything in my power to help you, Brother Eighth.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang exined, ¡°To be honest, the reason I¡¯m here in Shimen County is to solve a serial murder case. The local Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office couldn¡¯t solve the case, so they reported it to us.¡±

 Chapter 304: Ecstasy Paradise

    <h4>Chapter 304: Ecstasy Paradise</h4>

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°A serial murder case, here on Purple Immortal Mountain?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Eighth Tianyang nodded and exined, ¡°There have been 12 murders in a row, and only one victim has survived by chance. But it looks like the murderer has no intention of stopping yet. They n to continue this killing spree right under our noses, like a tant provocation. That¡¯s why I have no choice but to order the lockdown of Shimen County so that we can investigate anyone entering or exiting.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Why are you so sure that these 12 murders are connected?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang pursed his lips. ¡°That¡¯s because the deceased all have one thing inmon. They¡¯re all rted to Purple Immortal Mountain, or more specifically, Ecstasy Paradise.¡±

    Qi Xuansu could not hold back his curiosity. ¡°Since this involves Ecstasy Paradise, shouldn¡¯t the Daoist Order handle this case? Tiangang Hall, Beichen Hall, and even the local Daoist mansion could intervene. There are so many Diviners among them, so won¡¯t it be easy to use Earth Qi Recalling or divination techniques to solve the case? Why did this case fall into your hands?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang smiled bitterly. ¡°The deceased are only rted to Ecstasy Paradise, but they are not registered Daoist priests. The Daoist Order won¡¯t care as long as the victims aren¡¯t Daoist priests or Spirit Guards, so they pushed the case to the Green Phoenix Guard.

    ¡°As you know, the Green Phoenix Guard today isn¡¯t as powerful as we were back then. We don¡¯t have a presence in court, and our main focus is on local affairs. Our headquarters, the Imperial Guard¡¯s Office, ordered my division to take on this case and gave us a short time frame to solve it. So I¡¯m under great pressure to crack this case.¡±

    Qi Xuansu looked pensive. ¡°I see. If the victims aren¡¯t Daoist priests from Purple Immortal Mountain, are they¡ª¡±

    Eighth Tianyang interjected, ¡°Yes, they are workers in Ecstasy Paradise.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a euphemistic way to put it.¡± Qi Xuansu nced at Liu Hu, who looked confused. ¡°I thought that the Daoist Order had rules in ce regarding this.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang sighed. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s one bad thing about this rule. Before the Holy Xuan revived the Daoist Order, Purple Immortal Mountain was regarded as private property. But after the Holy Xuan set these rules, Purple Immortal Mountain could no longer restrain these workers¡¯ freedom, and as such, they stopped caring about these workers¡¯ livelihoods as well.

    ¡°Purple Immortal Mountain regards these workers as their business suppliers, not subordinates. The workers are wellpensated, but they are expected to take care of themselves. Purple Immortal Mountain will not care about anything else. Since Purple Immortal Mountain refuses to notify Tiangang Hall or Beichen Hall, we can¡¯t possibly bypass them to do so.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not know how to evaluate this situation. Both the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court had their own shorings, which were tooplicated to be addressed.

    ¡°Most of the workers in Purple Immortal Mountain will most likely have some savings. Are they being killed for money?¡± Qi Xuansu initially wanted to see Eighth Tianyang so that thetter could let them off. But now it seemed that he had to help Eighth Tianyang solve this urgent case first.

    ¡°No.¡± Eighth Tianyang shook his head and exined, ¡°We have investigated and found that none of the victims¡¯ properties have been taken. There are a few scoundrels who profited from the deaths, but they have no connection with the murderer.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered for a moment. ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention a survivor? Where are they?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang replied, ¡°She is an escort who only provides entertainment with her artistic talent, which is singing. Several lyricistspose songs specifically for her. Listening to one of her songs will easily cost dozens of Taiping coins per person. Because of this, Purple Immortal Mountain valued her and arranged for guards to protect her, lest the murderer would make another attempt.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Can I meet her?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang sighed again. ¡°That will be difficult. The Daoist priest in charge of Purple Immortal Mountain has a bad attitude, but everyone else is easy to talk to as long as money is offered.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was not surprised. After all, the Daoist Order was massive, with a wide spectrum of people, from conservatives like Zhang Yuelu to chauvinists like Li Tianzhen.

    Conservative Daoist priests would not be assigned to Purple Immortal Mountain. However, the Purple Immortal Mountain¡¯s attitude regarding the murders was indeed suspicious.

    Eighth Tianyang added, ¡°This escort was hurt in the attempted murder. She is still unconscious now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see her.¡± Qi Xuansu looked pensive.

    Eighth Tianyang considered it for a while before nodding. ¡°Alright.¡±

    He turned to Liu Hu, hesitant to speak.

    Qi Xuansu noticed Eighth Tianyang¡¯s gaze, so he said, ¡°She can follow us. My niece is already at the Kunlun stage. She may not be able to help, but she won¡¯t be a hindrance to us.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang nodded and no longer had any objections.

    The three of them left the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s stronghold and headed for Purple Immortal Mountain, which was about 5 kilometers outside Shimen County.

    In the past, Purple Immortal Mountain tried to be hidden. But now it was doing business openly, so the entrance to the mountain was very conspicuous. The mountain path was nicely paved, and it had a grand archway with arge sign that read, ¡°Ecstasy Paradise,¡± written inrge, gold font.

    At first nce, the entrance looked like a cave, but the roads, walls, and domes inside had been carefully polished. There were various murals and iid luminous pearls, with rednterns hanging above. At a nce, it looked like a fire dragon with no end in sight. There were eight such entrances to wee guests.

    A gatekeeper recognized Eighth Tianyang and let him in without questions.

    They walked through a long passage, entering the interior of Purple Immortal Mountain to the famous Ecstasy Paradise.

    Qi Xuansu had heard about this ce in the past, but this was his first time visiting Ecstasy Paradise. Even after hearing the stories of this ce and knowing what to expect, Qi Xuansu was still shocked by the sight before him.

    Since Ecstasy Paradise was located inside the Purple Immortal Mountain, there were countless hangingnterns and candles lit at all hours of the day. Qi Xuansu scanned the surroundings and saw many pavilions stacked on top of each other, connected with corridors. They were all brightly lit with rednterns. It was no wonder this ce was also known as the Everbright City.

    The dome above was pitch ck and somehow enchanted to look like the starry night sky.

    Countless pavilions built on the north side of the mountain faced the south. From afar, they looked like a heavenly pce.

    Eighth Tianyang introduced. ¡°That is the famous Jade Tower. The highest point was originally the residence of the Purple Immortal King. After the Daoist Order took over this ce, there was no longer a Purple Immortal King. But Daoist priests dared not use it privately, so it was not upied. But it is open for rental, which costs 2,000 Taiping coins a night.¡±

    Qi Xuansu could guess what the other pavilions were for without Eighth Tianyang¡¯s exnation. Since Liu Hu was nearby, the two men tacitly avoided talking about it in depth.

    This was the first time Liu Hu saw such a scene. Her mouth gaped open, and she was rendered speechless.

    Below Jade Tower was a small city with various pavilions lined up, resembling a chessboard. At this time, the three of them were standing on a street. All they could see was a field of deep red light that exuded an ambiguous, lustful aura.

    They were still some distance away from the Jade Tower.

    Eighth Tianyang continued, ¡°The escort is not in Jade Tower because she cannot receive guests. She¡¯s somewhere nearby. Come with me.¡±

    Under Eighth Tianyang¡¯s guidance, the trio came to a two-story building with whitenterns, which looked out of ce in a sea of rednterns.

    The moment Eighth Tianyang pushed the door open and walked in, a strong scent of medicine wafted into their nostrils.

    Qi Xuansu immediately understood where they were¡ªa medical hall.

    This was not Eighth Tianyang¡¯s first time here, so he was familiar with the ce. The staff at the medical hall also recognized him.

    After a while, a white-haired old man came out and saluted him respectfully. ¡°Senior Major.¡±

    At the same time, the old man turned his attention to Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu. In fact, he found it odd for a teenage girl to be in this ce.

    Eighth Tianyang exined, ¡°These are my colleagues. They happen to be passing by here. That¡¯s why they are not in uniform.¡±

    The Green Phoenix Guards and the ck Robes were loyal to the Emperor, so it was not wrong to call each other colleagues.

    The old man did not say much.

    Female Green Phoenix Guards were rare, but not unheard of. After all, women had a natural advantage in gathering intelligence and assassinating people discreetly, just like how men had an advantage in frontalbat.

    ¡°Is Miss Qing Yin awake?¡± Eighth Tianyang asked casually.

    The old man shook his head.

    Eighth Tianyang took out a small bag of money and said, ¡°Please take us to see Miss Qing Yin.¡±

    The old man took the money bag and silently led the way.

    Miss Qing Yin was ced in a separate room on the second floor, with a special guard at the door. The guard had obviously been bribed, so he did not stop them.

    There was arge bed in the room. Lying on it was an unconscious woman wearing only a white middle garment, with gauze wrapped around her head.

    Qi Xuansu walked to the side and looked at the injury carefully without saying anything.

    The old man exined, ¡°Fortunately, Miss Qing Yin was only implicated by the aftermath of the fight. Unfortunately, Miss Qing Yin was hit on the back of her head and suffered from intracranial bleeding.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed softly. ¡°In that case, it will be difficult for Miss Qing Yin to survive this.¡±

    The old man nodded. ¡°Of course, ordinary medicine won¡¯t be enough to save her. Huasheng Hall can save her, but Miss Qing Yin does not have cultivation, so many methods cannot be used. This is the extent of their help. Only the heavens will know when Miss Qing Yin will wake up. Besides, I don¡¯t know how much patience the superintendent has left. If he kicks Qing Yin out, I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be able to survive for a few days.¡±

    Qi Xuansu knew how powerful Huasheng Hall was, as he was once the recipient of their aid. He was only alive today thanks to them.

    He asked, ¡°Since she was implicated, it means that the guard at the time had a head-on confrontation with the murderer. Where is that guard now?¡±

    ¡°Dead.¡± Eighth Tianyang answered, ¡°His body is also in Ecstasy Paradise. Do you want to see it?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Qi Xuansu nodded.

 Chapter 305: The Daoist Priests in Charge

    <h4>Chapter 305: The Daoist Priests in Charge</h4>

    The morgue was not far from the medical hall. Those who could not be cured were sent there. The morgue and medical hall were under the joint management of Huasheng Hall and Ecstasy Paradise.

    ording to the rules, even if the Eighth Tianyang was the senior major of the Green Phoenix Guard, he was not allowed to go to the morgue of the Daoist Order for an autopsy without permission, just as how he could not interrogate Daoist prisoners.

    However, these rules are set by people, so they could be broken at the right price.

    Eighth Tianyang easily bribed the guards at the morgue, bringing Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu inside.

    The guards and the operations staff were outsourced and recruited by Ecstasy Paradise because the Daoist Order did not want Daoist disciples to run this business openly. The Daoist Order turned a blind eye to the Daoist disciples secretly engaging in these illicit activities as long as they did not go overboard because it was difficult to eradicate desire from the masses.

    Outsourcing jobs wasmon, just as The Inn outsourced assassinations to thugs and the Green Phoenix Guard outsourced assassinations to The Inn. The Daoist Order was too big to do everything by themselves. Thus, they left the dirty work to others. As such, the number of people relying on the Daoist Order for a living might be just as much, if not more, than the number of people in the Daoist Order.

    Secret society members had an insulting name for Daoist¡ªDaoist dogs. They also had an insulting name for those who relied on Daoists to make a living¡ªDaoist ves.

    Qi Xuansu went to the guard¡¯s body, took over the pair of gloves that Eighth Tianyang offered him, and began to examine the body.

    Liu Hu was not afraid of corpses, but she was surprised by Qi Xuansu¡¯s knowledge. She wondered if most travelers had such skills.

    In fact, one¡¯s environment would force one to be proficient in everything. Since getting wounded was inevitable when traveling, wound treatment and basic medical knowledge were important. If not, one could only wait for death to befall if one ended up injured in the wilderness. Those who understood this principle survived, while the rest did not live to tell the tale.

    The same principle applied to autopsies. The most direct way to determine who the murderer was, was through the cause of death, which required a certain amount of experience. With enough killing experience, one would roughly know what kind of wounds and states of death would be caused by what kind of weapons, techniques, spells, or poisons. It was simr to how a prolonged illness makes a doctor of a patient.

    This was one of the reasons why Tiangang Hall preferred recruiting ¡°wild¡± Daoist priests over the flowerbed priests.

    In terms of details, Qi Xuansu could notpare to a professional coroner. However, he had more experience and insights from seeing and inflicting countless deaths.

    For example, in the case of a stab wound, a coroner could clearly exin the angle and force with which the de prated the body and guess what type of de was used. However, they could not tell the specific technique that was used to determine the identity of the killer. This was the responsibility of the Green Phoenix Guard. After all, most coroners would not specialize in martial arts. However, Qi Xuansu and other experienced killers could probably recognize the kind of technique used as long as they had seen it before.

    Of course, Qi Xuansu knew a lot at his age. That was because he had Madam Qi as his mentor, which saved him a lot of detours. In addition, Qi Xuansu was smart and good atprehension, so his theory was always outstanding. With enough theoretical knowledge, he was able to travel alone more efficiently and understand things quickly upon encounter. It saved him the trouble of slowly exploring on his own.

    Eighth Tianyang exined, ¡°The cause of death was organ removal. The killer dug out the victim¡¯s heart with bare hands. In addition, the victim¡¯s arms had fractures and muscle tears of varying degrees.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. He could probably imagine how the guard died. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the guard had no power to fight back. This meant that the killer was at least one level higher than the deceased. The chances of the killer being a Diviner, Shaman, Brahma, or Scribe were low. The killer was more likely to be a Martial Arts Practitioner or a Bhikkhu.

    Hearing this, Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What level of cultivation did the deceased have?¡±

    ¡°There are always all kinds of ruckuses in this type of ce, so most of the guards here are at the Kunlun stage, which is considered good enough.¡± Eighth Tianyang replied.

    Qi Xuansu pondered. ¡°If so, the killer must be at the Yuxu stage at least. They could be in the Guizhen stage too. This is a bit tricky.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang suggested. ¡°Do you want to see the corpses of the other victims here?¡±

    Qi Xuansu could not help but ask, ¡°Why are the corpses split between the Green Phoenix Guard and the Purple Immortal Mountain?¡±

    ¡°Well, those who died in Shimen County are kept with the Green Phoenix Guard, and those who died in Ecstasy Paradise are kept with the Purple Immortal Mountain.¡± Eighth Tianyang shrugged.

    Qi Xuansu shook his head and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s strange that the Daoist priest in charge of this ce still refuses to report this matter to the Tiangang Hall when so many people have been killed in Ecstasy Paradise.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang led them to another corpse.

    While Qi Xuansu stepped forward to examine the body, Eighth Tianyang recounted the results of the autopsy. ¡°The heart was dug out, and a tropical pitcher nt was ced where the heart was.¡±

    ¡°A tropical pitcher nt?¡± Qi Xuansu said in surprise, ¡°If I remember correctly, this nt is not cold-resistant and is only found in Lingnan and the Samudra Kingdom.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang added, ¡°Yes, but the sac of the tropical pitcher nt can be used as medicine and can be found in many medicinal shops.¡±

    Qi Xuansu looked pensive. ¡°Hmm...this seems to be some kind of ritual killing, which is usually a method used by secret societies for blood sacrifices for the Ancient Immortals. But I¡¯ve never heard of a tropical pitcher nt being used in the Cult of Fates, Lingshan Witch Cult, or other secret societies I¡¯m familiar with. I think our key lies in this use of the tropical pitcher nt. Does it have any special meaning?¡±

    Speaking of this, Qi Xuansu twitched his nose to sniff the body. He smelled a faint stench.

    Eighth Tianyang also smelled it. He said, ¡°This is the smell of the tropical pitcher nt. It emits a light fragrance during the day and a foul smell at night. I don¡¯t know how it could retain the smell for such a long time.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Qi Xuansu nodded.

    Eighth Tianyang was a professional, so he was detailed in his checks. This time, Eighth Tianyang asked for his help because he was desperate and wanted more insights.

    While the two were talking, a guard hurried in with a worried look on his face. He warned, ¡°The two superintendents have arrived.¡±

    There were two Daoist priests in charge of Ecstasy Paradise, both fourth-rank superintendents. One of them was in charge of Ecstasy Paradise, while the other was in charge of the Huasheng Hall branch in Purple Immortal Mountain.

    The reason Purple Immortal Mountain had a Huasheng Hall branch was to provide medical treatment as well as sell various medicinal ingredients, such as aphrodisiacs used to aid men in sexual stimtion. After all, these drugs were very profitable.

    <i>There were some differences between the superintendents in Jade Capitalpared to those in the local municipality.</i>

    <i>Those who entered the Nine Halls had the opportunity to get promoted quickly, but there were too many high-ranking Daoist priests in Jade Capital. So a superintendent in Jade Capital had limited power to call the shots.</i>

    <i>However, a superintendent in a local municipality was different. The superintendents of Ecstasy Paradise and Huasheng Hall branch held great power and were treated like kings. That was because there were limited high-ranking priests in the area.</i>

    <i>A superintendent in the Requiem Division might only have a few dozen people under theirmand, but a superintendent of Ecstasy Paradise would be in charge of the livelihood of thousands of people. At the same rank, the two had such a big gap in power and status.</i>

    <i>Generally, Deputy Hall Master would have to be at least in the third rank. However, Zhang Yuelu was an exception. She was restricted under the tenure system and would be promoted to the third rank as soon as the tenure was fulfilled.</i>

    <i>However, rank was still useful. Jade Capital had a higher starting point, which had its advantages. If one could transfer out to a local municipality, one would be able to hold real power due to the high rank.</i>

    <i>For example, Sun Yongfeng, the superintendent of Tiangang Hall, could ask for a transfer to Ecstasy Paradise. He would still be a superintendent, but he would have much more authority in Ecstasy Paradisepared to Tiangang Hall, where he had to follow Zhang Yuelu¡¯s orders.</i>

    <i>However, local Daoist priests would eye the superintendent''s position. As soon as there was a vacancy, it would generally be filled quickly. After all, the local Daoist priests generally did not wee high-ranking Daoist priests who came from Jade Capital.</i>

    <i>Under normal circumstances, Daoist priests from the Nine Halls in the Jade Capital would not be transferred out, except for when training was needed for the selected promising young talents.</i>

    <i>All in all, the Daoist priest in charge of Ecstasy Paradise was not of a very high rank, but they had more influence if they could secure this position. In most cases, these superintendents would also have strong backers.</i>

    Eighth Tianyang nodded in resignation.

    After a while, two Daoist priests walked in, one man and one woman, both in their forties.

    Eighth Tianyang briefly introduced the two to Qi Xuansu in a whisper. ¡°The man¡¯s name is Liu Futong. He is the superintendent of Ecstasy Paradise. He is used to having his way around here, so he has a bad temper. The woman¡¯s name is Su Ran, the superintendent of the local Huasheng Hall branch who just transferred here. I don¡¯t know much about her.¡±

    The guard who had been bribed by Eighth Tianyang followed the two superintendents. He was sweating profusely as he said, ¡°Superintendents, I don¡¯t know how they got in.¡±

    At the same time, the guard winked at Eighth Tianyang subtly.

    Liu Futong ignored this and snorted coldly. ¡°Senior Major Eighth, I have warned you that you are not allowed toe here to investigate the case without my permission.¡±

    A secondter, Liu Futong¡¯s eyes shifted to Qi Xuansu. His tone became more stern. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Qi Xuansu took off his gloves and took out the badge given to him by Pei Xiaolou. ¡°This is the badge given by Sage Pei himself. Who do you think I am?¡±

 Chapter 306: Tropical Pitcher Plant

    <h4>Chapter 306: Tropical Pitcher nt</h4>

    Ecstasy Paradise was arge local municipality, so it was nominally managed by a third-rank Youyi Daoist master. However, this third-rank Youyi Daoist master had not been around for many years, so Liu Futong, the superintendent of Ecstasy Paradise, had be the de facto leader.

    However, no matter how powerful Liu Futong was, he was only a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master. He could notpare with a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master like Pei Xiaolou.

    That was why Qi Xuansu mentioned Pei Xiaolou¡¯s badge.

    Liu Futong frowned slightly. ¡°Which Sage Pei?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°Sage Pei from the Chongyang Pce of Immortality.¡±

    Liu Futong immediately knew who he was referring to¡ªPei Xiaolou.

    Pei Xiaolou¡¯s elder brother was Sage Donghua, who was the Ziwei Hall Master.

    He was someone that even Liu Futong¡¯s backer could not afford to provoke.

    Liu Futong was silent for a moment before he said with a stern tone, ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. Please leave immediately.¡±

    Qi Xuansu and Eighth Tianyang looked at each other and walked out.

    When they walked past the superintendents, Qi Xuansu paused to look at the woman named Su Ran.

    Su Ran smiled slightly, without much hostility.

    Qi Xuansu nodded in greeting before following Eighth Tianyang away from this ce.

    After leaving the morgue, Eighth Tianyang asked, ¡°Did you see anything?¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked back, ¡°What is Liu Futong afraid of? Why is he suppressing this matter?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang hesitated before divulging. ¡°I heard some rumors that someone seemed to be interested in Liu Futong¡¯s position. Perhaps he was afraid that they would use this case as an excuse to transfer him away. That would exin why he suppressed the murders and announced them to the public as deaths from sudden illness. He ordered the matter to be kept secret within the Ecstasy Paradise. No discussion or rumors were allowed.¡±

    Qi Xuansu could notprehend this. ¡°If the murderer disappeared aftermitting the crime, I understand if he wants to suppress the case. But now, the murderer is still continuing this killing spree. This case will only get bigger and bigger. How long can he suppress it?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang agreed. ¡°He probably lost his mind. But what¡¯s strange to me is that the superintendent of the Huasheng Hall branch also agreed to let Liu Futong decide on how to handle this matter. Do you think that Liu Futong bribed her?¡±

    Hearing this, Qi Xuansu muttered, ¡°Right. If something like this happens, Liu Futong will bear the responsibility. Why should she side with him? There may be some shady dealings between the two.¡±

    Qi Xuansu, Liu Hu, and Eighth Tianyang left Ecstasy Paradise along the original route. As soon as they returned to Shimen County, a Green Phoenix Guard major came to report that there had been another murder, the 13th one.

    Eighth Tianyang¡¯s face turned grim. ¡°Where is the body? Take me there.¡±

    The major led them to the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s morgue in Shimen County. The deceased was a charming middle-aged woman. She died in the same way, with her heart ripped out.

    The major reported, ¡°The deceased was a liquor seller in the town, but she had been a worker in Ecstasy Paradise when she was young. When we found her, she had been dead for a long time. Our initial conclusion is that she diedst night.¡±

    Qi Xuansu looked at the corpse. ¡°The deceased was about forty years old. This industry is for young people. It means the deceased worked in Ecstasy Paradise more than ten years ago. How did the murderer know about the deceased¡¯s past? I don¡¯t think anyone would voluntarily tell people about this type of past experience.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang raised a question. ¡°Brother Wei, do you think the murderer is from Ecstasy Paradise?¡±

    Qi Xuansu motioned to the major to give him a pair of gloves. He gently opened the wound in the deceased¡¯s chest and took out the tropical pitcher nt from the heartless chest cavity.

    Liu Hu turned her back to the body, her face a little pale from witnessing the gore.

    Qi Xuansu carefully examined the nt in his hand.

    The tropical pitcher nt had long, oval-shaped leaves with smooth edges. The midrib of the leaf extended into tendrils that ended in a small leaf trap shaped like a pitcher. The rim of the trap was thick, and it had a small lid that opened as the nt matured until it could not close again.

    At the bottom of the trap, the nt secreted a sticky fluid that emitted a sweet scent, attracting insects. If an insect fell into the trap, it would struggle to escape due to the slick interior. It would ultimately be digested by the nt. As such, many tropical pitcher nts used as medicine often contained fragments of insects.

    Qi Xuansu found that the lid of the tropical pitcher nt was closed, so he gently pried it open.

    In it was a small, rolled-up note.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu immediately took out the note and unfolded it. A name was written on the note¡ªHua Qi.

    Standing next to Qi Xuansu, Eighth Tianyang frowned and pondered for a moment when he saw the name. ¡°This seems to be a famous courtesan in Ecstasy Paradise. Is this the murderer¡¯s next target? Is this a provocation?¡±

    Qi Xuansu took off his gloves, looked at his pocket watch, and urged. ¡°This is our only clue. It¡¯ste afternoon now. The wine seller diedst night, so the killer will most probably strike again soon. We don¡¯t have much time left.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang was hesitant. ¡°But Hua Qi is inside Ecstasy Paradise. My people can¡¯t get in.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered before saying, ¡°Brother Eighth, please take care of my niece. I will go over by myself. It¡¯ll be easier that way.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I suppose that¡¯s the only way for now.¡± Eighth Tianyang barely took time to consider before agreeing. ¡°I¡¯ll leave everything to you, Brother Wei.¡±

    Qi Xuansu came to Liu Hu and reminded her. ¡°Liu Hu, follow this senior major and don¡¯t wander around. Got it?¡±

    Liu Hu nodded slightly.

    Qi Xuansu whispered to Eighth Tianyang, ¡°To be honest, some enemies are eyeing my niece, so please watch out for her, Brother Eighth.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang¡¯s expression turned solemn as he promised. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother Wei. Even though we still can¡¯t solve the murders, I can still protect someone right in front of me. Moreover, my men are all carrying firearms because of this case, so I will be able to guarantee her safety, as long as the enemy is not a Heavenly Being.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded and left Shimen County, going back to the entrance of Purple Immortal Mountain. The guards wanted to stop him, but after seeing the badge in Qi Xuansu¡¯s hand, they immediately lost their courage. After all, this was a badge issued by a Sage.

    That was how Qi Xuansu managed to get into Ecstasy Paradise unimpeded. He went straight to Jade Tower.

    Jade Tower wasposed of countless small pavilions, which were stacked on top of each other. It was heavily guarded, so it would be difficult for an outsider to break in. It would be much easier if the murderer was from Ecstasy Paradise.

    Qi Xuansu could get in because he was great at pretending to be someone he was not. He held the badge issued by Pei Xiaolou and acted like a Daoist priest sent to investigate the case as he strode toward the Jade Tower.

    Many of the guards were frightened by Qi Xuansu¡¯s intimidating aura and dared not stop him. asionally, there would be one or two guards who questioned him, but Qi Xuansu would only say, ¡°Are you blind? Don¡¯t you recognize this badge from the Chongyang Pce of Immortality?¡±

    That was how he gained ess to the heavily guarded Jade Tower. These guards only earned a dozen Taiping coins a month, so they would not risk their lives unnecessarily.

    Madam Qi taught Qi Xuansu to act confident and bold, so that was how he walked up the corridor of Jade Tower.

    On the way there, Qi Xuansu saw a woman who looked like a housekeeper, so he immediately stopped her and waved the badge in front of her eyes. He dered, ¡°I am a Daoist priest from the Chongyang Pce of Immortality, ordered to investigate a case. Where is Miss Hua Qi? We just received clues that the murderer¡¯s next target is Miss Hua Qi.¡±

    The woman was startled. She replied, ¡°Miss Hua Qi has not been feeling well recently. She is in her own room now.¡±

    ¡°Take me there. If the investigation is dyed, I will charge you for being an essory to murder.¡± Qi Xuansu threatened coldly.

    The woman was startled. She pleaded, ¡°Mage, please have mercy on me! I didn¡¯t do anything...¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Qi Xuansu shouted and pulled out the Divine Dragon Pistol from his waist. ¡°Lead the way.¡±

    The woman stopped wailing and quickly turned around to lead the way.

    Soon, they arrived at the door of Hua Qi¡¯s room.

    Qi Xuansu motioned to the woman to knock on the door.

    The woman obediently stepped forward and did as she was told, but there was no response at all.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu stretched out his hand to push the woman away and kicked the door open with urgency.

    There were no lights in the room, so it was pitch ck.

    Almost at the same time, a ck shadow rushed toward Qi Xuansu.

    Without thinking, Qi Xuansu raised the Divine Dragon Pistol and pulled the trigger.

 Chapter 307: White Fox Face Mask

    <h4>Chapter 307: White Fox Face Mask</h4>

    The gunshot and the woman¡¯s scream resounded one after another.

    Qi Xuansu knew that he failed to hit the shadow.

    With a startled nce, Qi Xuansu saw that the shadow was wearing a furry white fox face mask. The fox¡¯s eyes were narrowed, and it had a mocking smile.

    During the split second of the gunshot, the figure wearing the white fox face mask approached Qi Xuansu.

    At such proximity, Qi Xuansu had no time to draw his sword, but he still had his fists.

    The person wearing the white fox mask reached out and pointed a slender and pale index finger at Qi Xuansu. A cluster of misty light appeared on the person¡¯s fingertip. It seemed to be sword qi.

    Qi Xuansu did not dare to be careless, so he threw away the Divine Dragon Pistol and used a knifehand strike with the Dayan Spirit de Technique to block this attack.

    The two instantly separated upon contact.

    The person wearing the white fox mask shed at Qi Xuansu diagonally with a knifehand strike. For a moment, Qi Xuansu could only focus on defense.

    After a while, the person wearing the white fox mask struck Qi Xuansu¡¯s outstretched palm. They both staggered back, but it was difficult to determine who was winning this fight.

    However, when Qi Xuansu looked down at his palm, he saw a bloody hole in the middle of it that was slowly healing.

    ¡°The Wanhua Divine Sword Palm!¡± Qi Xuansu was bbergasted.

    This palm technique was derived from a sword technique. Sword qi was hidden in the palm, which was as sharp as a sword. Its moves wereplex and enchanting. Feint moves were used to lure and disturb the opponent but could also be turned into actual moves in times of need. This was a palm technique passed down to all descendants of the Li family.

    However, this palm technique was only easy to learn if one had good swordsmanship. Otherwise, it would be tough to master. Back then, the Holy Xuan relied on this palm technique to dominate the world, defeating countless masters.

    The person in the white fox mask waved their arms. All Qi Xuansu could see were ovepping palm shadows in all directions around him.

    Qi Xuansu was no match for this person in terms of technique. However, Qi Xuansu had richbat experience, so he had already figured out a countermeasure in the blink of an eye.

    He decided that there was no point in defending himself, as the chances of him getting injured were high either way. Thus, he decided to be on the offense.

    Qi Xuansu raised his arms and used the Tantai Fist Intention. He willingly took the palm strikes while his fist aimed straight at the person¡¯s face.

    He would rather hurt that person as well.

    The person in the white fox mask gasped softly, seemingly surprised. They retracted their palm shadows and took the initiative to meet Qi Xuansu¡¯s fist.

    The impact sounded like the shing of swords.

    The person wearing the white fox mask put their palms together and chopped down on Qi Xuansu like an ax.

    In the meantime, Qi Xuansu embodied the essence of the Tantai Fist Intention, using it with all kinds of hand gestures, not just fists. The movements were extremely versatile.

    The two fought faster, but not a single bit of qi strayed from their target. Even the floor of the corridor they were standing on was intact. Being able to retract and release energy freely without damaging external objects was the real mastery.

    It seemed that the person in the white fox face mask was also in the Guizhen stage.

    During the fierce fight, Qi Xuansu still had the energy to speak. ¡°I have heard that the Taiping Sect is famous for its swordsmanship, but I didn¡¯t expect such profound palm technique.¡±

    The voice of the person wearing the white fox mask seemed distorted. ¡°Your Tantai Fist Intention is quite rare too.¡±

    The person in the white fox mask abruptly changed their move, aiming at Qi Xuansu¡¯s face.

    Qi Xuansu was startled and raised his left fist, intending to grab the white fox mask.

    With a wave of their sleeves, the person in the white fox mask neutralized more than ten punches from Qi Xuansu. They even caught Qi Xuansu¡¯s wrist.

    Qi Xuansu felt pressure on his wrist and could not break free. He tried all methods but to no avail. This person was much better than him in hand-to-handbat. Qi Xuansucked practice as he always chose weapons over his fists whenever possible.

    However, Qi Xuansu had a countermeasure. His sleeves bulged, and a ck mist spread to reveal the vengeful ghost he had captured in the Xuan Jade of Death.

    Strictly speaking, this was no longer just a fistfight, as Qi Xuansu used spells. But it did not matter since this was not a proper fightingpetition.

    The person in the white fox mask had no choice but to let go of Qi Xuansu¡¯s wrist. They flexed their index finger and wagged it to disperse the ck mist.

    Finally, Qi Xuansu could catch his breath. He circted his innate qi and immediately regained his momentum. Then he punched the white fox mask again.

    The person in the white fox mask pushed out one palm containing sword qi while catching Qi Xuansu¡¯s fist.

    Qi Xuansu was injured by the sword qi, but the person in the white fox face mask was also shocked as they felt the Tantai Fist Intention¡¯s pration through their palm.

    With the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s body-regenerative abilities, Qi Xuansu did not mind getting injured. He turned his fist into a knifehand strike to sh at the white fox mask.

    At the same time, Qi Xuansu saw a bright, misty light shooting out from the person¡¯s fingertips, pointing at Qi Xuansu¡¯s wrist.

    Qi Xuansu retracted his knifehand and turned it into a w to grab his opponent¡¯s wrist.

    The two of them only exchanged hand movements,peting with each other for dozens of moves. In the end, Qi Xuansu was slightly inferior to his opponent and was hit on the wrist. However, Qi Xuansu was ruthless, injecting the force of his fist intention into the opponent¡¯s body.

    The person in the white fox mask had just neutralized Qi Xuansu¡¯s power when a shadow suddenly shed by.

    Qi Xuansu was like a ghost, suddenly approaching the person in the white fox mask. The person in the white fox mask used the Wanhua Divine Sword Palm again, the palm shadows flickering. However, since they were in such proximity, Qi Xuansu saw an opening and jabbed the center of his opponent¡¯s palm with a finger.

    This move shocked the person in the white fox mask, who quickly took the opportunity to flee.

    However, fleeing was just a feint because the person in the white fox mask was waiting for Qi Xuansu to pursue them so that they could p him with concentrated bouts of sword qi.

    Qi Xuansu had no choice but to use his arms to block his opponent¡¯s palm strike. However, the sword qi prated his body and reached his Qihai acupoint, causing him to stagnate.

    During his momentary stagnation, the person in the white fox mask took the opportunity to climb over the railing and jumped down the Jade Tower, which was more than 30 meters tall.

    By the time Qi Xuansu dispelled the sword qi in his body and looked down from the railing, his opponent was nowhere to be seen.

    At the same time, the noise from their fight had alerted the guards, who rushed upstairs.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu did not want to give these guards a chance to suspect that he was the murderer. He quickly shed his badge and ordered, ¡°The murderer has escaped! Chase after the person wearing a white fox mask now!¡±

    The guards were startled and flustered.

    The frightened woman who led Qi Xuansu to Jade Tower finally came to her senses and shouted, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what this mage said? The murderer is the person who just came out of Miss Hua Qi¡¯s room. Hurry, chase the murderer! What are you all still doing standing there in a daze?!¡±

    The guards turned around and chased after the killer, the whole scene was a mess.

    Qi Xuansu picked up his Divine Dragon Pistol, summoned the vengeful ghost, and stopped a few guards. ¡°You guys,e in with me.¡±

    The guards were intimidated by Qi Xuansu, so they followed him into Hua Qi¡¯s room.

    The woman apanied them. The moment she lit themp, she gasped at the scene before her.

    The famous courtesan waspletely naked and left hanging in her room.

    Seeing this naked body, the men present were not aroused in the slightest. They were fearful because, like the previous murders, this courtesan had her heart ripped out.

    This ounted for the 14th case where the killer tantlymitted murder right under their noses and escaped unscathed.

    Qi Xuansu was silent for a moment before he instructed, ¡°Take the body down.¡±

    Several guards looked at each other. They dared not disobey Qi Xuansu, so they stepped forward to put the body down.

    Qi Xuansu took a candlestick and took a closer look at the corpse. Sure enough, there was a green tropical pitcher nt in the corpse¡¯s chest cavity.

 Chapter 308: Three Days

    <h4>Chapter 308: Three Days</h4>

    Qi Xuansu released his innate qi, drawing the tropical pitcher nt into his palm. He put down the candlestick and opened the lid of the pitcher nt. As expected, there was also a rolled-up note inside.

    At the same time, Qi Xuansu smelled the unique scent of the tropical pitcher nt again.

    This time, there was another name written on the note: Yue Lian.

    At this moment, there was a flurry of chaotic footsteps outside the door.

    Qi Xuansu put the note into his sleeve pocket and turned around to see antern approaching through the door.

    ¡°Surround them all.¡± A stern voice immediately silenced the whispers. Thentern then made its way into the room. Behind thisntern was the superintendent of Ecstasy Paradise and his entourage.

    Before Qi Xuansu could speak, Liu Futong¡¯s eyes were already locked on Qi Xuansu. ¡°It¡¯s you again! Guards, arrest him!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see who dares touch me!¡± Qi Xuansu shouted. Several guards who were about to make a move stopped abruptly.

    Qi Xuansu stared at Liu Futong. ¡°Superintendent Liu, how could you arrest me without first getting to know the situation? I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t release me once you arrest me, right?¡±

    Liu Futong took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes at Qi Xuansu. He said solemnly, ¡°Even if you are Sage Pei¡¯s subordinate, you can¡¯t just openly kill people in Ecstasy Paradise.¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled. ¡°Superintendent Liu, sorry to burst your bubble, but you can¡¯t just me this series of murders on me. I came from the Wuxu Pce in Xijing Prefecture and traveled through the Ghost Pass to get to Longmen Prefecture, with clear records at every checkpoint. If anyone investigates, they will know that the timing of my arrival does not match up with the murders.

    ¡°Moreover, the senior major of the Green Phoenix Guard Seventh Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office can testify for me. You use me of being the murderer before asking any questions. Do you really think that higher-ups are all fools? Or are you saying that you can hide the truth from the Daoist Order?¡±

    Qi Xuansu paused, his tone turned solemn. ¡°Superintendent Liu, tell your people to stand down.¡±

    All the guards looked at each other and subconsciously took a few steps back.

    Although Liu Futong was furious, he knew what Qi Xuansu said was justified, so he could only suppress his anger. ¡°Fine. I made a mistake by using you.¡±

    The superintendent turned to the guards and ordered them to retreat.

    The guards quickly retreated, afraid of further offending Qi Xuansu.

    ¡°But¡ª¡± Liu Futong no longer kept an air of elegance. His eyes were hostile, revealing a hint of his violent temper. ¡°Even if you aren¡¯t the murderer, you broke into the Jade Tower without permission to cause trouble. I can take you to the Chongyang Pce of Immortality and hand you over to Sage Pei.¡±

    Qi Xuansu remained calm as he warned. ¡°Superintendent Liu, the killer openlymitted another murder under your nose and tantly walked away. This case can no longer be suppressed. I advise you to solve the case before it worsens. If you can apprehend the murderer, you can still make up for your dereliction of duty. If you wait for the higher-ups to pursue the case, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t just be dismissed from office. You may even have to go to Fengxian Hall.¡±

    Liu Futong¡¯s face turned pale, and his voice even trembled. ¡°Nonsense!¡±

    Qi Xuansu added, ¡°You would know best whether what I¡¯m saying is nonsense. How many people are eyeing your position as the superintendent of Ecstasy Paradise, hoping to rece you? You may be able to take me down today, but can you take down those people too?¡±

    There was a deadly silence in the room, as no one dared to speak.

    Liu Futong looked stern. ¡°Do you mean to say that you have a solution? If so, I am all ears.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°I¡¯m just here to solve the case. If solved, I can get the credit, while you can continue assuming your position. It¡¯s a win-win situation for both of us.¡±

    Liu Futong stopped hesitating and said with determination, ¡°Fine. You cane here to solve the case, and I will allow you ess to Ecstasy Paradise and the morgue. But I will only give you three days to solve the case. If not¡ª¡±

    Qi Xuansu interrupted him. ¡°I will definitely give you a suitable exnation in three days, Superintendent Liu.¡±

    Liu Futong snorted coldly, tossed a badge to Qi Xuansu, then turned around and strode away, with his entourage and that floatingntern in tow.

    Qi Xuansu looked back at Hua Qi¡¯s body expressionlessly and left the Jade Tower.

    It was already dark by the time Qi Xuansu returned to Shimen County. The Green Phoenix Guards stationed at the checkpoint recognized Qi Xuansu and hurriedly led him to Eighth Tianyang.

    When Eighth Tianyang saw Qi Xuansu, he immediately asked, ¡°How was it?¡±

    Qi Xuansu briefly recounted what happened, including his fight with the person wearing the white fox mask as well as Liu Futong¡¯s reaction.

    Eighth Tianyang looked pensive. ¡°Does it mean that the murderer is from the Taiping Sect?¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head. ¡°I dare not make this hasty conclusion. The Wanhua Divine Sword Palm is not an exclusive technique. It¡¯s just a basic palm technique for the disciples of the Li family, so I won¡¯t be surprised if it has spread to the outside world. There is also a possibility that the murderer is deliberately trying to muddle the investigation.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Brother Wei.¡± Eighth Tianyang nodded. ¡°Who do you think it could be?¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head and did not answer the question. Instead, he took out the new note with another name written on it and ced it side by side with the note with Hua Qi¡¯s name.

    ¡°There is nothing obvious about the handwriting. Were there notes like this previously?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Eighth Tianyang was confident in his answer.

    Qi Xuansu pondered aloud. ¡°This means the murderer has only recently started to act like this. But why? Is this provocation? Or do they have a hidden agenda?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang nced at the new note.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Who is Yue Lian? Is she also a courtesan?¡±

    ¡°She used to be.¡± Eighth Tianyang had not been here for long, but he did a lot of groundwork for the investigation. ¡°But she quit when she got older. Now, she¡¯s working as a manager in Ecstasy Paradise and is highly valued by Liu Futong.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took out the badge given by Liu Futong and said, ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll have to head to Ecstasy Paradise again. Brother Eighth, please select a few experienced fighters toe along with us. We can¡¯t let the murderer escape again.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang quickly picked four of his guards, three at the Kunlun stage and one at the Yuxu stage. Qi Xuansu also brought along Liu Hu this time. They could surely defeat that person in the white fox mask as long as their opponent was not a Heavenly Being.

    Their group came to Ecstasy Paradise at night. This time, they were not stopped because they had the badge given by Liu Futong. Qi Xuansu also did not need to pretend to be a Daoist priest sent to investigate the case to gain ess to the Jade Tower.

    After the fuss earlier, many of the guards recognized Qi Xuansu. They were also in awe at how Qi Xuansu could make Liu Futong rein in his temper. Thus, they thought that Qi Xuansu was a big shot from Jade Capital. As such, they even took the initiative to greet him.

    Qi Xuansu casually pointed to the leading guard. ¡°Take me to see Manager Yue Lian.¡±

    The guard had an awkward expression, but Qi Xuansu did not give him a chance to refuse. ¡°Lead the way!¡±

    In fact, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were simr in many aspects. However, Qi Xuansu did not have Zhang Yuelu¡¯s background.

    The guard had no choice but to lead Qi Xuansu and his group to the highest point of the Jade Tower.

    ......

    The highest point of Jade Tower was the Ecstasy Pce, which used to be the residence of the Purple Immortal King. The superintendents in the past dared not use it casually.

    The main hall was huge, supported by 12rgecquered red pirs decorated with intricate gold patterns. The relief of two dragons ying with a bead was exquisite. Privacy curtains made of various colored silks and satins hung on the beams.

    After entering the hall, there was a straight passage covered with red carpet. On both sides of the passage were tworge pools with white jade walls and green jade floors. The pools were filled with clear water, and a small channel of water surrounded the main hall to connect the two pools. Fish could be seen swimming in the pools, while lotusnterns floated on the water, illuminating the entire hall.

    At the end of the passage was the deepest part of the hall, barricaded by a twelve-panel screen with a majestic painting titled <i>The Ascension of the Heavenly Preceptor</i>.

    In the painting, countless white clouds supported the nineyered celestial gate with a vastke below. Purple mist swirled beneath the celestial gate, while 99 cranes on theke were poised to take flight. The entireposition was grand and awe-inspiring. Between the sky and earth, a single white figure gazed upward at the swirling purple mist and the celestial gate. This figure was the Heavenly Preceptor.

    This painting was not a copy, but the work of a master painter who had the honor of witnessing the ascension of the Zhengyi Sect¡¯s Heavenly Preceptor.

    Behind this screen was arge tbed about three meters long and wide and no more than eight centimeters tall. A small square table that resembled a chessboard was ced in the middle of the bed. All of these were made of red sandalwood.

    An antique censer and a chopstick holder from the Jin Dynasty with painted flowers on them were ced on the small table to the side, and the best and most expensive ambergris burned in the censer.

    A wine jar and a wine ss were ced on the table. A mature woman with a voluptuous body was sitting on her knees in a thin tulle dress. Her gaze was lowered as she gently stirred the incense in the censer with a long golden chopstick.

 Chapter 309: Liu Futong

    <h4>Chapter 309: Liu Futong</h4>

    There was no daylight in this city built in a cave. Therefore, the more prosperous and crowded ces had more rednterns. However, the further one went to the top floor of Jade Tower, the number of rednterns dwindled.

    The end of the path only had red candles, with mes dancing erratically. Thus, it was particrly scary walking on this path, as the shadows of walking figures looked like ghosts.

    Finally, Qi Xuansu and his group arrived at the highest point, which was isted on a cliff and connected to the main part of the Jade Tower by a gorgeously decorated and illuminated arch bridge.

    There was a formation on the arch bridge activated to stop others from entering.

    Qi Xuansu stood still and looked across the bridge. He asked the guard. ¡°Is Yue Lian here?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The guard who led the way wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

    Eighth Tianyang asked, ¡°If I remember correctly, the daily rent of this Ecstasy Pce is as high as 2,000 Taiping coins. Who is the distinguished guest here today? Also, isn¡¯t Yue Lian no longer epting guests? Did she decide to go back to her old trade?¡±

    The guard¡¯s face turned pale. After a long time, he muttered forcefully, ¡°There is no distinguished guest today. Superintendent Liu is inside.¡±

    ......

    In Ecstasy Pce, Liu Futong slowly walked on the red carpet. His shadow was reflected in the pools on both sides of the passage. Between the ripples of the water, the light and shadow flickered intermittently.

    The kneeling woman in a thin tulle dress prostrated herself on the floor and saluted Liu Futong.

    Liu Futong did not say a word. He merely opened his arms wide. The woman in the tulle dress quickly stood up and undressed him.

    The Ecstasy Pce had received young masters of the Li family and princes from the royal family. Past superintendents dared not use this hall, but Liu Futong was an exception. That was because Liu Futong was bold, thinking he could do whatever he liked in his territory.

    Liu Futong did not spend a coin for this pce. He also treated the workers in Purple Immortal Mountain as his personal ves.

    He sat at the small table and picked up the wine ss. The wine was as red as blood, a vintage from the Western Continent that was exorbitant due to the transport costs.

    It was no exaggeration to say that the price of this bottle of wine was worth Zhang Yuelu¡¯s monthly ie. For reference, Zhang Yuelu was not an ordinary fourth-rank Daoist priest. She had a special allowance as the Deputy Hall Master and another subsidy from the Tiangang Hall. She even had a regr stipend from the Zhang family.

    In fact, many descendants of the Zhang family were envious of the Li family. That was because the Li family did not care about their reputation and could express their desires without any scruples. However, the Zhang family¡¯s descendants had to keep up superficial appearances of minimalism. This was probably the difference between being a known viin and a hypocrite.

    Liu Futong did not seem to care about this expensive bottle of wine, as he did not take the time to savor it. He downed ss after ss like it was cheap alcohol.

    At this moment, the woman slowly stood up. Her long hair cascaded down her back, and the green smoke from the incense burner wafted in front of her face, concealing her wrinkles.

    The woman started dancing while her shiny ck hair flowed. Her tulle dress was as thin as the wings of an insect, exposing her body in its entirety. As she twirled around, the smoke and her flowing hair made her seem like an ethereal goddess.

    Liu Futong was still drinking, his eyes fixated on the woman.

    Although there were no musicians around, he had already set up a musical formation. Thus, a pleasant melody of the <i>guqin</i>[1] and flute filled the entire hall.

    The woman¡¯s dance became faster with the beat. After a while, the rhythm slowed, so the woman¡¯s dance became gentler and softer until the music stopped.

    After the dance, the woman¡¯s thin tulle dress fell to the ground.

    Liu Futong had also finished the bottle of wine, his face slightly flushed.

    The naked woman walked slowly over, climbed onto the big bed, and kneeled beside Liu Futong.

    Their bodies werepletely bare.

    Suddenly, Liu Futong crushed the wine ss in his hand and became violent. He reached out to grab the woman¡¯s long hair, forcing her to look up at him.

    Yue Lian groaned in pain, but she dared not resist.

    Liu Futong was bad-tempered, to begin with. Qi Xuansu¡¯s arrogance earlier infuriated him. After all, he was used to being domineering and unrestrained, considering himself the emperor of this Everbright City.

    He loved wine and women, with desires no different from the guests that frequented this ce. He had long forgotten what the outside world looked like. The darkness and red lights in this cave reced the blue sky and white clouds.

    ......

    Qi Xuansu had already walked onto the arch bridge. A blue curtain of light made of countless talismans blocked his path forward.

    He did not try to break the formation. Instead, he asked the guard again, ¡°Are you sure Yue Lian is in here?¡±

    The guard who led the way answered, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Alright. You may leave.¡±

    The guard was startled to hear this at first. Aftering to his senses, he hurriedly left this ce for fear of getting implicated in the confrontation that was about toe.

    Qi Xuansu reached out to touch the screen of light, which rippled and caused a blue and white yin-yang symbol to appear.

    Since Ecstasy Pce was catered to entertain special guests, the level of the formation was quite high. Even if Qi Xuansu was in the Guizhen stage, he still could not break the formation.

    Just as Qi Xuansu was at a loss, a woman¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Senior Major Eighth, you shouldn¡¯t be here.¡±

    Qi Xuansu and Eighth Tianyang turned to the source of the voice at the same time and saw Su Ran slowly walking out of the shadows with a few subordinates behind her.

    This woman was one of the two superintendents of Ecstasy Paradise, responsible for the Huasheng Hall branch. However, she had just been transferred here not long ago, so Eighth Tianyang did not gather much information about her.

    Qi Xuansu had a deep memory of this woman whom he had met once before in the morgue. ¡°Superintendent Su.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t asked for your name yet.¡± Unlike Liu Futong, Su Ran was gentle and courteous.

    Qi Xuansu introduced himself. ¡°My name is Wei Wugui, a subordinate of Sage Pei from the Chongyang Pce of Immortality. I happened to be passing by and received an invitation from Senior Major Eighth to participate in solving this case.¡±

    Su Ran nodded. ¡°Why did you think ofing to Ecstasy Pce? My subordinates informed me that a group of people seemed to be attacking this ce, so I rushed over to see what was going on. I hope you can give me an exnation.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took out the two notes he found in the tropical pitcher nt. ¡°The serial killer left two notes. One of them with Miss Hua Qi¡¯s name, who is already dead. Another note had Yue Lian¡¯s name. As we know, Yue Lian is in Ecstasy Pce at this time, so we thought ofing to check out the situation. I hope you will understand, Superintendent Su.¡±

    Su Ran took the note from Qi Xuansu and read it carefully. ¡°I see.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang took the opportunity to ask, ¡°Superintendent Su, will you help us deactivate the formation? You cane in with us as well.¡±

    Su Ran pondered for a moment before nodding. ¡°Sure.¡±

    After that, she took out a special square key, walked to where Qi Xuansu was standing, and raised the key.

    The next moment, the key emitted a bright light, and the yin-yang symbol on the light screen began to rotate, opening a portal in the originally airtight seal.

    Qi Xuansu nced at Su Ran. His nose twitched slightly because he smelled a fragrance that made him dizzy.

    Su Ran put away the key and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded silently.

    Under the leadership of Su Ran, the group walked across the arch bridge and arrived at the door of the Ecstasy Pce, which was isted on the cliff.

    Since there was an airtight formation, the door was not locked and could be pushed open as long as one had enough strength.

    Before entering the pce, Qi Xuansu looked back.

    This was the highest point of Ecstasy Paradise, where one could overlook everything below. The rednterns all over the city cast a red glow on people¡¯s faces, akin to hot blood and human desires. The darkness where the light could not reach was akin to congealed blood. These were the colors of Ecstasy Paradise.

    1. Traditional Chinese plucked string instrument. ?

 Chapter 310: Su Ran

    <h4>Chapter 310: Su Ran</h4>

    Two Green Phoenix Guards slowly pushed open the door of Ecstasy Pce.

    The first thing that caught their eye was the red carpet, the shimmering pools on both sides, and the huge screen with <i>The Ascension of the Heavenly Preceptor</i> painted on it.

    At this time, the musical formation in the hall had stopped, so the sounding from behind the screen was very clear.

    It was a sound that the Green Phoenix Guards were very familiar with, as they often heard it when interrogating prisoners. However, that sound was often apanied by the prisoners¡¯ screams, wails, and pleas for mercy. This sound was different. There were no screams or wails. They could only hear the suppressed moans of a woman on the verge of release.

    Qi Xuansu was the first to step forward, and the others followed behind him. When everyone walked around the screen, they were immediately shocked by the scene in front of them.

    A naked woman was hung up, herplexion red with a hint of blue. However, her expression was as if she was about to reach the pinnacle of bliss.

    This scene was simr to Hua Qi¡¯s death, except this woman had not yet had her heart ripped out.

    A naked man in front of her was holding a barbed leather whip, beating the beautiful body in front of him.

    That man was Liu Futong, the superintendent of Ecstasy Paradise.

    Su Ran turned around and quickly covered Liu Hu¡¯s eyes with her hands.

    The Daoist priests who came with Su Ran looked embarrassed. Some even gloated over Liu Futong¡¯s impending fall.

    The rest of the Green Phoenix Guards looked at each other in confusion. They were at least an assistant major, so they had seen their fair share of debauchery. If this was just a man and a woman having sex, they would not have been shocked. What startled them was this Daoist priest''s sadistic y, which was beyond their imagination.

    Eighth Tianyang had heard about such things, but this was the first time he had seen it with his own eyes.

    Qi Xuansu was also shocked by the scene in front of him. For a moment, he did not know what to say.

    At this time, Liu Futong was fully immersed in his ¡°y,¡± unaware of the group¡¯s arrival.

    Finally, Qi Xuansu broke the silence. ¡°Superintendent Liu!¡±

    Liu Futong stopped whipping the woman and abruptly turned around.

    When he saw this group of people, he suddenly became weak in the knees. It was as if someone had poured a bucket of ice-cold water over him. His panic was evident, as his erected member shrank at an amusing speed.

    Su Ran, who had her back to Liu Futong, said calmly, ¡°Superintendent Liu, I think you owe us an exnation.¡±

    Liu Futong¡¯s face was pale, and his lips were trembling. He was utterly speechless.

    The moral standards of Daoists were extremely high on the surface. The Daoist Order had abolished very, human trafficking, polygamy, keeping concubines, and torture. Jade Capital was not allowed to have sexual establishments, as they strived to be the model of the entire Daoistmunity by setting the highest moral precepts.

    As such, most Daoists were proud of Jade Capital and despised the Imperial Capital for all its debauchery, privately calling thetter a barbaric ce.

    In this context, some things could not be done out in the open, as they bore heavy consequences.

    It was like the time a third-rank Youyi Daoist master was caught abusing his servants. He was immediately ordered to resign from all positions and demoted to the fourth rank.

    What Liu Futong did today, regardless of Yue Lian¡¯s consent, was detrimental to his career and reputation. At the very least, he would not be able to keep his position as the superintendent of Ecstasy Paradise.

    Qi Xuansu picked up the scattered clothes on the ground and threw them to Liu Futong.

    Eighth Tianyang shot his guards a look. Two guards immediately stepped forward to release the woman who was about to suffocate to death.

    Only then did Su Ran turn around to look at Liu Futong, who got dressed in a panic.

    She was calm, as she had seen many bodies of men and women while she was working at Huasheng Hall. To her, they were just a pile of rotten flesh after death. However, because of Huasheng Hall¡¯s business, she had to condone and aid in the normal sexual interests of men and women.

    Earlier, Su Ran only turned around to give Liu Futong some privacy, not because of shyness.

    After Liu Futong put on his middle garment, Su Ran looked at Yue Lian, who was covered in bruises, and said, ¡°Superintendent Liu, I finally know why you took 9,000 Taiping coins worth of scar removal medicine from Huasheng Hall.¡±

    Liu Futong was speechless.

    <i>If someone was injured on the job, Huasheng Hall would provide free medical treatment.</i>

    <i>However, if the injury was not due to work, Huasheng Hall would charge a fee to cover the costs so as not to cause a deficit. At the same time, discounts and exemptions would be provided ording to one¡¯s rank.</i>

    <i>A first-rank Tianzhen Daoist master would have all fees waived, while a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master would be charged 30% of the fees.</i>

    <i>In addition to the fixed reductions based on rank, there were additional discounts. The amount of discount would be greater if the injuries were more serious and life-threatening. However, there were no reductions for aesthetic treatments.</i>

    Liu Futong was a fourth-rank priest, and scar removal was ssified as an aesthetic treatment. Therefore, it was expensive. Strictly speaking, the Huasheng Hall branch was only controlled by the third-rank Youyi Daoist master who had not been around Purple Immortal Mountain for many years. So, Su Ran and Liu Futong were on the same level. Liu Futong also had no authority over the Huasheng Hall staff, so if he wanted medicine, he had to collect it in person.

    His records of collection were also recorded by Huasheng Hall.

    Su Ran continued, ¡°Superintendent Liu, since you have nothing to say, I will assume that you have acquiesced in this matter. Are you the serial killer we¡¯ve been looking for?¡±

    Liu Futong¡¯s expression changed dramatically. ¡°What do you mean by this?¡±

    Su Ran took out the note with Yue Lian¡¯s name written on it and exined, ¡°This was found on Hua Qi¡¯s body. Yue Lian is the killer¡¯s next target, which is why we are here. We walked in on you abusing Yue Lian, so you owe us an exnation.¡±

    ¡°No! This is a false usation!¡± The color drained from Liu Futong¡¯s face. But out of habit, his voice was still loud, reverberating in the hall.

    Eighth Tianyang warned, ¡°Superintendent Liu, you leave us with no choice but to suspect you because of your repeated obstruction of the investigation.¡±

    Liu Futong habitually turned his gaze to re at Eighth Tianyang, but as their eyes met, Liu Futong immediately deted.

    That was because Eighth Tianyang had a group of people behind him, and Liu Futong knew that he was no match for so many people since he was alone.

    Liu Futong could only turn his gaze to Qi Xuansu. ¡°Mage Wei, you promised to solve the case. That¡¯s why I gave you the badge. You should know that I was wronged!¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not confirm Su Ran and Eighth Tianyang¡¯s statement, but he did not defend Liu Futong either. He suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s listen to what Superintendent Liu has to say beforeing to a conclusion.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang sensed something unusual in Qi Xuansu¡¯s attitude and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±

    When Su Ran saw that Qi Xuansu and Eighth Tianyang were on the same page, she did not insist on her opinion. ¡°Then please enlighten us, Superintendent Liu.¡±

    Liu Futong took a deep breath. ¡°I admit that Yue Lian and I have an unusual rtionship, but I didn¡¯t intend to kill Yue Lian. I didn¡¯t kill the rest either. I¡¯m unjustly used!¡±

    ¡°Why do you think so?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Liu Futong had calmed down by now. ¡°The murderer left a note saying that Yue Lian is the next target. That¡¯s why you came here looking for her. If I were the murderer, I would have brought Yue Lian somewhere else or taken the opportunity to kill others. Why would I stay here to get caught? It¡¯s clear that the murderer has deliberately led you here.

    ¡°Furthermore, what good will it do me to kill these people? I will be the first to bear the consequences if the higher-ups investigate this. At the very least, I will be dismissed from my position. I will also get interrogated by Fengxian Hall. Why would I dig my own grave?¡±

    Su Ran said calmly, ¡°Maybe you¡¯re doing the opposite of what is logical so as to get away with your crimes.¡±

    Liu Futong looked at Su Ran sharply. ¡°Superintendent Su, we are both Daoist disciples, so why are you stabbing me in the back?¡±

    ¡°Stab you in the back?!¡± Su Ran¡¯s tone turned cold. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t done these scandalous things, no one can use you of anything!¡±

    Liu Futong turned away from Su Ran. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. I¡¯ll leave it to you all to be the judge. Mage Wei, I hope that you can defend me.¡±

    Having said this, he looked at Qi Xuansu again.

    Qi Xuansu did not nce at Liu Futong. Instead, he turned to look at Su Ran. ¡°Superintendent Su, what Superintendent Liu said is reasonable. There are a lot of things that don¡¯t match up. I think he¡¯s not the murderer. For now, it¡¯s better to keep Superintendent Liu under arrest and make a long-term n.¡±

    Su Ran slowly looked at Qi Xuansu. ¡°Alright.¡±

 Chapter 311: Suspicion

    <h4>Chapter 311: Suspicion</h4>

    Su Ran imprisoned Liu Futong in Ecstasy Pce. That way, Liu Futong would be isted from his close subordinates, so he would not be able to cause any more trouble.

    Qi Xuansu was sitting in Jade Tower¡¯s duty room, while Eighth Tianyang paced around the room. Thetter suddenly stopped and looked at Qi Xuansu. ¡°Brother Wei, if the murderer isn¡¯t Superintendent Liu, who could it be?¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered aloud. ¡°Liu Futong is not the murderer; that¡¯s for sure. His motive is insufficient, and before this, the murderer never left a note. These notes only appeared in thest two attacks. It looks as if the murderer has known about Liu Futong and Yue Lian¡¯s scandal for a long time and deliberately led us here to arrest him.

    ¡°Regardless of whether Liu Futong was the murderer, he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep his position as superintendent. It makes me think that the previous murders are just leading up to this moment.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang was silent for a while. ¡°Brother Wei, what you said makes sense. If you put it this way, it seems like this is an infighting within the Daoist Order. Since Liu Futong upied the position of superintendent and refused to move, someone wanted to force Liu Futong away by whatever means necessary. But to treat regr folk as indispensable is truly despicable and unworthy of being a cultivator.¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head and sighed. ¡°Back then, when the Confucian School dominated the world, more and more Confucian disciples became court officials. There was a saying that schrs often forgot their roots as they rose in rank. The same holds true for the Daoist Order today. In a world where fame and fortune are valued over morality, being a cultivator no longer means anything.¡±

    Speaking of this, Qi Xuansu suddenly thought of Zhang Yuelu. He added, ¡°I¡¯m not saying that everyone in the Daoist Order is like that. I¡¯m just saying that most people today have strayed away from the Primordial Daoist Ancestor¡¯s doctrines.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang did not agree this time. ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily the case. Superintendent Su mentioned that if Liu Futong doesn¡¯t engage in these dirty deeds, no one will be able to drag him down. Fortunately, Superintendent Su is still on our side. Without Liu Futong obstructing the case and with her help, we have a better chance of catching this murderer.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked back, ¡°Will Superintendent Su stand on our side?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang was startled. ¡°Yeah, I think so. After all, she is the only superintendent left in Ecstasy Paradise. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll also get credit for finding the murderer.¡±

    Qi Xuansu looked at Eighth Tianyang and slowly shook his head. ¡°Brother Eighth, you think too well of people. I think you shouldn¡¯t be in the Green Phoenix Guard. You should join the Daoist Order and be a Daoist priest instead.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang said solemnly, ¡°Brother Wei, you think too badly of people. I know that the Green Phoenix Guard doesn¡¯t have the best reputation, but you shouldn¡¯t stereotype everyone. ording to your logic, if all good people stay far away from the Green Phoenix Guard, the bad ones remaining in the Green Phoenix Guard will be even more unscrupulous.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not deny it. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not discuss the reputation of the Green Phoenix Guard for the time being. Let¡¯s just talk about the case at hand. I think that Liu Futong was framed by someone. What if the person who framed him is Superintendent Su?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang was stunned, not knowing what to say for a while. After returning to his senses, he asked, ¡°Why do you think so?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°The reason is simple. Whoever benefits the most will have the greatest motives, and hence suspicion.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang finally understood how Qi Xuansu came to this conclusion.

    ¡°Brother Eighth, think about it carefully. What is the current situation like? Liu Futong is under arrest, so Superintendent Su temporarily holds power over the entire Ecstasy Paradise. She may even take over Liu Futong¡¯s position eventually. Don¡¯t you think that she¡¯s benefiting the most from this?

    ¡°Also, Superintendent Su had plenty of chances to intervene when Liu Futong took medicine from Huasheng Hall and obstructed the investigation. She¡¯s on the same level as Liu Futong, but she didn¡¯t lead him to the right path and even condoned his behavior.

    ¡°There are only two reasons for that. It could be that Superintendent Su feels insecure about her position since she has just arrived, or it could be that she is plotting something bigger. Her superficial cooperative attitude is so that she could get rid of Liu Futong once and for all.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang pondered for a moment and nodded repeatedly.

    ¡°Judging from Superintendent Su¡¯s reaction just now, I¡¯m guessing that she doesn¡¯t agree with Liu Futong¡¯s way of life. If they had simr views in life, she wouldn¡¯t have forced Liu Futong into a corner. That¡¯s why I have reason to believe that her previous cooperative attitude was just to appease Liu Futong. She must have bigger ns.¡± Qi Xuansu shared his thoughts.

    Madam Qi was a good teacher, simr to how the Earthly Preceptor and Sage Cihang had taught Zhang Yuelu. However, Qi Xuansu did not have Zhang Yuelu¡¯s basic qualifications or the tform and background to show off his skills.

    Liu Hu¡¯s eyes lit up as she looked at Qi Xuansu with admiration.

    Eighth Tianyang thought about it. ¡°Even if Superintendent Su dislikes Liu Futong, I think she is just taking advantage of the situation given the circumstances. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s intentionally plotting against him.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that the time and ce where Superintendent Su appeared were too coincidental? After we entered the Ecstasy Paradise, we went straight to the Jade Tower without any dy. But just as we were hindered by the formation, Superintendent Su happened to be there with the key to Ecstasy Pce.

    ¡°She said that she heard reports from her subordinates, but who would be so quick that she could arrive mere minutes after us? There is only one exnation for this. She has known of Liu Futong¡¯s whereabouts for a while and has been keeping an eye on Ecstasy Pce. That¡¯s why she can arrive immediately after us.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Superintendent Su is just taking advantage of the situation given the circumstances. I think that she is scheming something. Even if she is not the murderer, she must have something to do with the murders. If so, do you think she will cooperate with us to investigate the case?¡±

    A look of defeat appeared on Eighth Tianyang¡¯s face. He muttered, ¡°If Superintendent Su is involved with the murders, then this case will be difficult to investigate...¡±

    Qi Xuansu consoled him. ¡°These are just my spections. I won¡¯t make a conclusion until we have evidence. Perhaps I was just too quick to judge.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang looked at him in surprise.

    ¡°We must have evidence in order to make an arrest. Liu Futong was caught redhanded by us, so his crimes are irrefutable. Superintendent Su is not like Liu Futong; she hasn¡¯t done anything wrong. We will get into trouble if we nder a Daoist superintendent.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang was still a little confused. He slowly sat down opposite Qi Xuansu and fell into deep thought. After a while, he looked up at Qi Xuansu and asked, ¡°Brother Wei, what are you nning to do?¡±

    Qi Xuansu took out the badge given to him by Pei Xiaolou and fumbled with it gently. ¡°Because of this badge, both Liu Futong and Superintendent Su mistook me for a fourth-rank Daoist master from the Chongyang Pce of Immortality. I didn¡¯t correct them and assumed this identity. That was why Liu Futong asked me to defend him, and Superintendent Su was wary of me. I¡¯m thinking of using this identity to talk to Superintendent Su.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang was silent for a moment before offering, ¡°Do you want me to go with you?¡±

    Qi Xuansu waved his hand. ¡°Superintendent Su will be suspicious if there are too many of us. Don¡¯t forget, she is the person in charge of Ecstasy Paradise now. Even if she can¡¯t control Liu Futong¡¯s subordinates for now, she can still mobilize a lot of people. If there is a conflict, we will be no match for her.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang could only nod in approval.

    Qi Xuansu looked at Liu Hu again. ¡°I will have to leave Liu Hu to you again, Brother Eighth.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang reassured him. ¡°Of course, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    After that, Qi Xuansu pulled out his Divine Dragon Pistol, took out the loaded ordinary armor-piercing projectile, and reced it with the most powerful ammunition he had¡ªthe Grade-B Series Two Dragon Eye Bullet. Then he put the gun back into its holster by his waist before leaving the duty room.

    Qi Xuansu made his way to Su Ran¡¯s office.

    Since Su Ran was the superintendent of the Huasheng Hall branch, her office was located in Huasheng Hall, which was far from Jade Tower, located in the northwest corner of Ecstasy Paradise. Compared with the other areas of Ecstasy Paradise, Huasheng Hall was rtively quiet and covered a vast area.

    When Qi Xuansu came here, he happened to see several Daoist priests from Huasheng Hall carrying some medicinal ingredients.

    It was the tropical pitcher nt from Lingnan and the Samudra Kingdom, which had a unique smell and was used as a medicinal ingredient.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s eyes shed. He asked loudly, ¡°Is Superintendent Su here?¡±

    Before the Daoist priests could reply, a deacon came over from a distance. He was one of the people who followed Su Ran to Ecstasy Pce, so he recognized Qi Xuansu. He asked, ¡°Mage Wei, is there something wrong?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about the case. I¡¯ve discovered something, so I want to talk to Superintendent Su face-to-face,¡± Qi Xuansu replied.

    The Daoist deacon said, ¡°Superintendent Su is not in her office at the moment. She should be in the warehouse keeping stock of the medicinal ingredients.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was surprised to hear this. ¡°Does Superintendent Su need to do such menial chores?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t stop her. This is her habit.¡± The deacon smiled bitterly and asked again, ¡°Mage Wei, do you need me to lead you there?¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head. ¡°No need, just point me in the general direction.¡±

 Chapter 312: Fanaticism

    <h4>Chapter 312: Fanaticism</h4>

    The Huasheng Hall warehouse was big, so it was easy to find after the deacon gave Qi Xuansu a general direction.

    From the outside, the warehouse looked like a two-story building, but once inside, the ceiling was double volume. Wooden crates were ced against the walls and stacked up to the roof.

    The vast warehouse felt a little empty.

    At this time, there was only one person in the warehouse¡ªSuperintendent Su Ran, in her formal attire and her back to Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu entered the warehouse and closed the door. After a while, his nose twitched slightly. He asked, ¡°Superintendent Su, what kind of scented pouch are you using? Or is it a perfume from the Western Continent? This scent is really special, and it makes people dizzy.¡±

    Su Ran did not turn around to face him. She replied, ¡°It¡¯s not a scented pouch or perfume, but the unique incense of Huasheng Hall. It was first used to conceal corpse odor. Later, it was used to cover up various odors. After all, those of us working in Huasheng Hall will inevitablye into contact with all kinds of strange things and be exposed to strange smells. This incense is a bit pungent, but it¡¯s not too unpleasant.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°So, this kind of incense can also cover up the smell of the tropical pitcher nt, huh?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Su Ran¡¯s tone was still calm as she exined, ¡°There are many tropical pitcher nts in Huasheng Hall. The stems and leaves of the tropical pitcher nts can be used as medicine, especially the sac. The nt is harvested in autumn, cut into sections, and dried in the sun. It has a sweet and refreshing taste.

    ¡°It¡¯s great for clearing the lungs, keeping moisture, detoxification, and cirction. It¡¯s used for treating whooping cough, jaundice, stomach pain, dysentery, edema, carbuncle, and insect bites. It can be consumed as an oral decoction or applied externally by crushing it to powder.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pped and praised. ¡°Superintendent Su, you truly are worthy of your title as the superintendent of Huasheng Hall with all your knowledge of medicinal ingredients.¡±

    For some reason, there was a 7-meter-tall statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor in this warehouse facing the entrance, with wooden crates stacked on both sides.

    Su Ran still had her back to Qi Xuansu. She looked at the Primordial Daoist Ancestor as she said, ¡°You¡¯re beating around the bush because you want to ask me whether the tropical pitcher nt in the chest cavity of the victims has anything to do with Huasheng Hall, right?¡±

    Qi Xuansu remained silent.

    Su Ran continued, ¡°I can answer you. Those tropical pitcher nts stuffed into the chest cavity of those victims came from Huasheng Hall.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Why a tropical pitcher nt? Does it have any special meaning?¡±

    ¡°You can think of it as a metaphor of sorts.¡± Su Ran exined, ¡°The tropical pitcher nt is also known as the pig cage nt because of its shape. In Jiangnan, there is a kind of lynching in which criminals are drowned in pig cages.

    ¡°The pig cage looks like arge wicker basket. The criminal will be locked inside and submerged in a river for a fixed time, depending on the severity of the offense. Adultery is the most serious offense, and adulterers will often be drowned to death, regardless of gender.¡±

    Qi Xuansu somewhat understood where this was going. ¡°The victims used to be workers of Ecstasy Paradise, and they were all subjected to a disguised form of this lynching.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out even if I don¡¯t exin it.¡± Su Ran still had her back turned to Qi Xuansu. ¡°I have to admit that I¡¯ve underestimated you. You almost caught me on the spot, and you saw through my intentions of framing Liu Futong.¡±

    Su Ran paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°But I think you haven¡¯t made a final conclusion yet, nor have you fully spected on the cause of the matter. If you knew, you wouldn¡¯t havee to see me alone.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s body gradually tensed up. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I am Su Ran, the superintendent of Huasheng Hall.¡± Su Ran added, ¡°A genuine fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, not a fake like you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled. He quickly settled his mind and said in a deep voice, ¡°Did you kill so many people just to get rid of Liu Futong? I doubt that Liu Futong is your match, especially with your schemes.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re ttering me.¡± Su Ran sounded delighted. ¡°Women always likepliments. In that case, let me share a bit more. After all, it¡¯s quite frustrating not being able to tell others of my brilliance.¡±

    Qi Xuansu probed, ¡°Why did you kill those innocent people in such cruel ways?¡±

    ¡°Are they innocent?¡± Su Ran¡¯s voice gradually turned colder. ¡°I have just exined that they all deserve lynching. Targeting Liu Futong was just a matter of convenience. He¡¯s not innocent either. The things he did ount for enough reason to kill him several times over.¡±

    Qi Xuansu frowned. ¡°If you are killing people for power and gain, I can understand where you areing from even though I don¡¯t approve of it. That¡¯s because people will use every possible means to keep power. But if you say that targeting Liu Futong is just a matter of convenience and that killing those people is your actual motive, then I can¡¯t understand your true purpose.¡±

    Su Ran exined patiently, ¡°It¡¯s simple. I don¡¯t approve of the existence of Ecstasy Paradise. This so-called Everbright City has nothing bright about it. It¡¯s just a city full of degenerates. Everyone here, from the high-ranking Daoist priests to themon prostitutes, has forgotten what morals and rules are, so I ought to remind them and impose appropriate punishments.

    ¡°Worldly pleasures and the sins of desire are the enemies of morality. The corruption of the inner soul always starts from the corruption of the outer body, and the loss of moral discipline always starts from unbridled desire. Look at this city and these people. They are like maggots on a rotting corpse, destroying the foundation of this world. One day, they will destroy this world and devour all living creatures until a new reincarnation cycle begins.

    ¡°I know that I can¡¯t change all these people no matter what I do, but I still do it anyway. I want to fight poison with poison. I will slowly use the rest of my life to destroy Ecstasy Paradise and erase this stain left behind on the Holy Xuan¡¯s legacy.

    ¡°Think about the targets I have chosen: a courtesan who fucks all kinds of men, an escort who thinks she is noble but hates the Daoist Order, an old prostitute who seduces married men, and Yue Lian, who tempts her boss. Which one of them doesn¡¯t deserve to die?

    ¡°They don¡¯t deserve to live, but their deaths can alert and serve as a warning to those who are still living. That way, those people will stay away from this degenerate ce and return to the boundaries of moral precepts.¡±

    While speaking, Su Ran opened her arms and looked up at the statue, as if she were bathing in the glory of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s response was very brief. ¡°That¡¯s a load of bullshit.¡±

    Su Ran retracted her arms andughed. ¡°You don¡¯t care for moral precepts either. Your intense killing aura shows that you are a person who flouts the rules. People like you should die too.¡±

    Qi Xuansu crossed his arms and held the hilts of the two cusses at his waist. ¡°There are many people who want to kill me, but most of them are already dead. I have killed countless people, but never indiscriminately, and especially not innocent people. No matter how noble your cause is, it is still not a reason for you to kill.¡±

    Su Ran finally turned around to face Qi Xuansu. For once, her back was facing the statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor.

    She was wearing that furry white fox mask on her face. The fox¡¯s eyes were narrow, and it had a mocking smile.

    Thest time Qi Xuansu fought with the person in the white fox mask, they did not get to determine a winner because neither of them gave their all.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to impress you.¡± There was no emotion or anger in the white fox¡¯s face, only contempt. ¡°This is just my idea. I don¡¯t care whether people agree with me because that¡¯s just too troublesome. Instead of changing people¡¯s minds, I¡¯d rather eliminate all those who have dissent.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a lost cause.¡± Qi Xuansu slowly pulled out his two cusses.

    He injected some innate qi into the cusses, igniting the raging mes on the des and illuminating the dim warehouse.

    The Daoist Order was arge institution that revered the Primordial Daoist Ancestor, so it was inevitable that there would be some fanatics among them. Even if the Primordial Daoist Ancestor¡¯s doctrine was unrted to fanaticism, some people would inevitably read the scriptures incorrectly and interpret them ording to their own imagination.

    Instead of debating scriptures, the most direct way to protect their ideals was by silencing the opponent. In this regard, Qi Xuansu and Su Ran had simr views.

 Chapter 313: Human or Demon?

    <h4>Chapter 313: Human or Demon?</h4>

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s figure moved abruptly as he approached Su Ran in an instant.

    With a wave of Su Ran¡¯s sleeves, a cold light shed as seven concealed weapons shaped like feathers shot out.

    This was the Daoist Order¡¯s special concealed weapon called the Seven Phoenix Feathers. The des of the feather could be dipped in poison, making it lethal. Although it could not be used like a flying sword, one could change the feather¡¯s trajectory with innate qi.

    It was originally a method used by Qi Refiners, but with the rise of flying swords, Qi Refiners abandoned the usage of feathers. Instead, it became a popr weapon among Rogue Cultivators.

    Qi Xuansu could also use concealed weapons, but he could not afford such expensive toys, so he could only use simple iron awls instead.

    Since he knew how to use such weapons, he also knew how best to avoid them.

    From an outsider¡¯s perspective, one could only see shes of light as the ming des surged forth and swept away all of Su Ran¡¯s Seven Phoenix Feathers.

    However, the Seven Phoenix Feathers was just a cover-up for her sneak attack. Su Ran took advantage of this opportunity to close the distance with Qi Xuansu. She came behind him and raised her hand, shooting out another bout of white light.

    This time, it was no longer the Seven Phoenix Feathers, but the Bliss Needle, which was also one of the famous concealed weapons of the Daoist Order.

    This needle was made of primordial maite. When lodged into the body, it would block the cirction of innate qi and cause one to have hallucinations simr to ecstasy. Compared with the poisonous Seven Phoenix Feathers, the Bliss Needle was more advanced.

    Su Ran¡¯s Bliss Needle was fast, but Qi Xuansu¡¯s cusses were even faster. He turned around and used his innate qi to collect all the Bliss Needles to his de. He approached Su Ran again and struck her in the head with his de.

    Su Ran used her innate qi to pull back the Seven Phoenix Feathers, holding one feather between the gaps of each of her ten fingers. She crossed her arms, barely blocking the de.

    While Qi Xuansu was shing her with one cuss, he lifted his other cuss and attacked from another direction. The Seven Phoenix Feathers in Su Ran¡¯s hand retracted from the pressure.

    In an instant, Qi Xuansu shed at her with both des, the sword qi rippling throughout every corner of the warehouse.

    Su Ran, who was in the Guizhen stage, was not so easily defeated. This seemingly sharp and terrifying sword qi was nothing to her. After regaining her footing, a cold light shone on her ten fingers as her nails suddenly grew to more than 30 centimeters long. She moved her fingers rapidly, blocking all the sword qi.

    Qi Xuansu recognized this method, called the Yin ughter Technique. As long as he paid Madam Qi, she would be willing to teach him this technique along with the Crescent Palm Saw Technique and the Entwining Silk Technique.

    Back then, Qi Xuansu said that these were too feminine for him to learn because they involved nails and hair. But the fact was that he could not afford Madam Qi¡¯s exorbitant fees.

    Then he saw smoke swirling in Su Ran¡¯s palm, turning into an elusive Emeici, which was a traditional martial arts weapon made of two metal spikes with a ring attached so that it could be worn on the finger for spinning and easy maneuvering.

    This method was called the Flowing Smoke Spike.

    Su Ran stretched out her hand to hold the Flowing Smoke Spike and pierced Qi Xuansu¡¯s face.

    Qi Xuansu blocked it with his cusses. However, the Flowing Smoke Spikes were illusory, passing through the cusses without hindrance.

    However, Qi Xuansu did not panic. He quickly leaned back to avoid the spikes, bending his back until it was almost parallel to the floor and using his heels to keep him grounded. He took advantage of the situation and shed at Su Ran¡¯s lower abdomen.

    Su Ran pointed her toe and leaped up, hovering in the air briefly. She used the smoke spike in one hand and the Wanhua Divine Sword Palm in the other.

    Qi Xuansu had no choice but to block the palm strike with his cuss. Upon impact, his cuss was knocked away. So he had to use his Tantai Fist Intention to counter the Wanhua Divine Sword Palm.

    In a head-on fight, the Wanhua Divine Sword Palm was weaker than the Tantai Fist Intention, so Qi Xuansu reversed the situation.

    Su Ran decisively put away the Flowing Smoke Spike and shook her sleeves, emitting some mist, faint sword light, and the faint sh of metal and stone.

    The sword light from her sleeves became overwhelming and dazzling.

    This was another unique skill of the Taiping Sect, called the Dragon Shield Sword Technique. It could stir up clouds, spit out mist, hide its true form, and soar into the sky. This sword technique used sword qi instead of flying swords.

    Once Qi Xuansu saw the Dragon Shield Sword Technique, he could conclude that Su Ran was a core disciple of the Taiping Sect.

    It was quite absurd that Su Ran was a Taiping Sect disciple because she was so obsessed with all kinds of rules and moral precepts to the point she did not hesitate to kill. It was more believable if she was from the conservative Quanzhen Sect. That was because the Taiping Sect was known to flout rules and moral precepts.

    Qi Xuansu retreated as soon as the sword light approached him.

    Su Ran was still hovering in the air, continuously releasing sword qi at Qi Xuansu.

    Since Qi Xuansu only had one cuss left, he dared not confront Su Ran and could only dodge left and right. His many years of fighting experience made him adaptable. At this time, he used the Dayan Spirit de to protect himself.

    Seeing Qi Xuansu¡¯s resilience, Su Ran unleashed more sword qi at a faster rate. The sword lights were fine, like threads of different colors, resembling a rainbow.

    After a 15-minute stalemate, Qi Xuansu was forced into a corner, with nowhere to retreat. He was engulfed by the surging sword light.

    At this moment, a gunshot rang out.

    A ray of fire streamed through the sword light and disappeared in an instant.

    Almost at the same time, a cluster of blood appeared on Su Ran¡¯s chest before she dropped like a fly to the ground.

    Although Su Ran was at the Guizhen stage, she could not withstand this gunshot because Qi Xuansu had loaded a Dragon Eye Bullet in advance.

    The sword light that filled the space also stopped abruptly.

    During this time, Qi Xuansu already had many minor wounds on his body, which showed how sharp the sword light was.

    Fortunately, Qi Xuansu had a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s body-regenerative abilities, so these small wounds healed rapidly.

    Qi Xuansu tossed aside the Divine Dragon Pistol and ran toward Su Ran with a single cuss in hand.

    As soon as Su Ran stood up, Qi Xuansu shed her head with the cuss.

    This strike was powerful and heavy even though the de of the cuss was thin.

    Su Ran could not dodge it, so she had no choice but to protect her head by crossing her arms in front of her.

    The two of them were at simr levels of cultivation, so whether they had weapons or not made a huge difference.

    Su Ran¡¯s sleeves were torn, and her arms were bloody and charred from the ming des. The wound was so deep that her bones could be seen.

    Qi Xuansu took advantage of the situation to kick Su Ran in the chest. She flew backward and fell to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood and struggling to stand up.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu walked up to Su Ran with his cuss in hand. He did not rush to kill her. After all, Su Ran was a superintendent, and killing her rashly would only cause a lot of unnecessary trouble.

    Su Ran raised her head and looked at Qi Xuansu. Her voice echoed, as if there were multipleyers to it. ¡°That¡¯s the Dragon Eye Bullet, something that can only be bought by fourth-rank Daoist priests and above. Was I wrong? Are you really a fourth-rank priest?¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not answer. He only squinted at Su Ran¡¯s chest wound.

    The wound was healing quickly, but what caught his eye was the white fur growing over it.

    This snow-white fur also started growing on Su Ran¡¯s hands, which increased in size. She then stretched out her gleaming, sharp animal ws.

    In the blink of an eye, Su Ran sprouted white fur all over her body. She even showed various animalistic characteristics. Aside from her formal attire, her true face was no longer visible. She had turned into a beast that could walk on two legs.

    Was she a human or a demon?

 Chapter 314: Converts

    <h4>Chapter 314: Converts</h4>

    Without hesitation, Qi Xuansu shed Su Ran with his cuss.

    With one leap, Su Ran came behind Qi Xuansu in an instant, pping Qi Xuansu on the back of the head with one w.

    Qi Xuansu defended himself with the cuss, but the beast¡¯s w was so strong that Qi Xuansu could hardly hold onto the hilt of the cuss.

    As Qi Xuansu drifted back, he released the cuss. However, the cuss did not fall to the ground. It hovered in the air, with its de trembling slightly. Ripples of sword qi were visible on the de, which was pointing directly at Su Ran.

    That was the Rogue Cultivator''s Sword Controlling Technique.

    The ming de zipped by and pierced Su Ran¡¯s chest.

    However, this stab was nothing to Su Ran in her beast form. Even if it pierced through her skin, it was not a fatal strike.

    Su Ran let out an angry roar and stomped the ground hard, squeezing out the single cuss from her chest.

    The single cuss flew out and pierced into the statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor.

    Su Ran charged at Qi Xuansu, who was left with no other choice but to pull out his short sword, Qing Yuan, to confront the beast head-on.

    The moment Qi Xuansu and Su Ran collided with each other, Qi Xuansu drifted back from the impact. At the same time, Qi Xuansu¡¯s sword qi also left two deep wounds on Su Ran¡¯s arms. Her blood stained her white fur red, but her self-healing ability in her beast form was extremely terrifying. The muscles on both sides of the wound continued to contract and heal almost instantaneously,parable to a Martial Arts Practitioner.

    Qi Xuansu did not dare topete head-on with Su Ran anymore. He knew that if he was in a defensive position for long, he would eventually lose.

    That was when Su Ran noticed a gap and pped his chest with her w.

    Qi Xuansu flew sideways. Afternding, he bent his left leg, pulled back his right leg, and stabbed the ground with his short sword, plowing two ravines more than three meters long before he coulde to a stop.

    Su Ran followed closely and pped the top of Qi Xuansu¡¯s head. If Qi Xuansu had been hit, his brain would have exploded.

    Qi Xuansu raised his short sword to block the w strike. His sharp sword qi cut open the beast¡¯s w, but Qi Xuansu was also knocked back by the force.

    Su Ran did not care about her injuries at all. She stepped forward and attacked Qi Xuansu relentlessly.

    Although Qi Xuansu kept using his short sword to block the attacks, his right hand was starting to tremble because he was running out of energy.

    Su Ran did not fare much better either, also covered in bruises and blood.

    If this continued, Su Ran would also die from exhaustion even if she managed to kill Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu understood this principle. He suddenly changed his moves, using one of the techniques in the Tantai Fist Intention.

    His veins were bulging on his left arm, like the roots of an old tree emerging from the ground. This technique emted a tiger¡¯s strength, which originated from the tailbone. It would open all meridians, allowing blood qi to surge and creating a force as powerful as five tigersbined.

    An adult tiger weighed more than 250 kilograms, and its palm strength could reach an astonishing 1,000 kilograms. Therefore, ordinary people would die if wed by an adult tiger. The strength of five tigers would weigh 5,000 kilograms.

    At such proximity and with such a heavy force, Qi Xuansu managed to break Su Ran¡¯s beastly arm.

    Qi Xuansu, still holding Qing Yuan in his right hand, stabbed it into Su Ran¡¯s chest and twisted it while injecting more qi, causing the sword qi to explode internally.

    Su Ran looked up to the sky and roared in anger. At this point, her robe waspletely torn and shattered. She no longer stood on two legs and had turned into a huge white fox that wasparable in size to a rhinoceros. Shey on all fours, with four long and furry fox tails behind her.

    When Su Ran turned into a beast on two legs earlier, Qi Xuansu only thought it was some kind of special mystical ability. Qi Xuansu never imagined that Su Ran was not even human but a cultivated fox demon.

    This fox demon not only became a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, but it also went on a killing spree in Ecstasy Paradise in order to protect the moral precepts of the Daoist Order.

    This was absurd to Qi Xuansu.

    It reminded Qi Xuansu of what Zhang Yuelu once said. ¡°For demons and ghosts, we don¡¯t adhere strictly to the policy of extermination without distinction. They must be discerned first, but there are differing opinions within the Daoistmunity. Some advocate for theplete eradication of demons and ghosts, while others argue for a more nuanced approach.¡±

    There were Three Yin Beings in the Ghost Kingdom and a fox demon in Ecstasy Paradise serving as the superintendent of Huasheng Hall.

    It turned out that this was the nuanced approach.

    Su Ran, who turned into a giant four-tailed white fox, roared again and rushed toward Qi Xuansu.

    The originally fatal wound was no longer fatal to the giant white fox.

    Qi Xuansu did not dare to take the hit and dodged to the side. At the same time, he shed Su Ran¡¯s forelimb with his short sword, which had no effect on the giant white fox.

    Su Ran swept her fox tail, which was as powerful as a metal whip. When Qi Xuansu used Qing Yuan to block the fox''s tail, the de of the short sword trembled.

    Every time Qi Xuansu fought with Su Ran, she would be seriously injured, and her white fur would be stained with blood. However, Qi Xuansu would also be struck by the aftershock of their collision. His blood qi surged, and his chest felt tight.

    As ast resort, Qi Xuansu could only win with his wits.

    Qi Xuansu pretended to be defeated, turning around and running away. Su Ran, who was covered in blood, chased him at top speed. When Su Ran jumped up and pounced at him, Qi Xuansu suddenly bent his knees, squatted down, leaned back, and raised his head high. He lifted Qing Yuan as Su Ran leaped past his head, cutting open her underside.

    Without hesitation, Qi Xuansu jumped on the giant white fox, throwing it to the ground because it was weakened by therge cut in its underside. Since Qi Xuansu used his legs to hold onto the fox¡¯s body, the fox was left with no other choice but to turn back to try and bite Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu was waiting for this moment. He held Qing Yuan with his right hand and stabbed it deep into the fox¡¯s mouth.

    When Qi Xuansu¡¯s sword pierced the fox¡¯s mouth, Su Ran suddenly froze.

    The sword qi burst out of Su Ran¡¯s body, destroying her organs.

    Su Ran, who was already severely injured, could no longer recover from this. Her limbs went limp, and she fell to the ground,pletely defeated.

    Qi Xuansu withdrew his short sword from Su Ran¡¯s mouth and sat back on the ground. His whole arm was dripping with blood, but Qing Yuan was not stained at all. It only glowed faintly with sword qi.

    Qi Xuansu was also exhausted. If Su Ran had not been overconfident and had guarded against his Dragon Eye Bullet, Qi Xuansu might have been dead already.

    Su Ran struggled to open her eyes. She murmured, ¡°The Holy Xuan does not discriminate against species. Ever since my ancestor, Su Weng, made a pact with the Holy Xuan, the Qingqiu lineage has sworn allegiance to the Daoist Order.

    ¡°Later, Donghuang took charge and became the master of Qingqiu Mountain. That was when the Qingqiu lineage was ssified under the Taiping Sect. The Qingqiu lineage upholds the values of Daoism. We are the best among the Taiping Sect. I don¡¯t fear death. I only hate that I failed to destroy Ecstasy Paradise...¡±

    Qi Xuansu stood up with difficulty. ¡°Humans and demons have different paths. As a demon, you should have despised human rules and etiquette. But a fox demon like you has converted to Daoism and be more fanatical and pious than us humans. Why is that?¡±

    Su Ran did not answer Qi Xuansu¡¯s question. Her voice became softer. ¡°What joy is there in life, and what suffering is there in death? My life¡¯s mission is to do good and eliminate evil. I pity the Daoist Order, for there are still so many sorrows...¡±

    The fox demon fell silent, no longer breathing.

    A mask fell off her face soon after. Qi Xuansu reached out and picked up the white fox mask that Su Ran had worn before. It had long eyes and a sharp snout, with a mocking smile that seemed permanent.

    For some reason, Qi Xuansu suddenly felt a little heavy-hearted. He looked at Su Ran¡¯s body and did not search for any money or demon pills. He just kept the white fox mask.

 Chapter 315: Escape

    <h4>Chapter 315: Escape</h4>

    Qi Xuansu had integrated the properties of two Xuan Jades, yet he still had such a hard time winning Su Ran.

    The Guizhen stage was the final step before Xiantian Beings became Heavenly Beings. There were stillrge gaps in skills among those in the same stage. The strong ones in the Guizhen stage were very close to Heavenly Beings and had a fighting chance against Heavenly Beings, like Zhang Yuelu. The weak ones in the Guizhen stage were only slightly better than those in the Yuxu stage.

    Su Ran was not the best in the Guizhen stage, but she was still quite powerful. As a core disciple of the Taiping Sect, Su Ran¡¯s mystical abilities were far superior to those without structured training.

    Most importantly, Su Ran was a demon. Most demons had strong blood qi and possessed some of the properties of Martial Arts Practitioners. Moreover, the fox demons were the most proficient in illusions among the demons.

    From this point of view, although Qi Xuansu was a Rogue Cultivator, Diviner, and Martial Arts Practitioner, he did not have an advantage against Su Ran. Due to Su Ran¡¯s strong blood qi, Qi Xuansu could not use the Ghost Machete and other Diviner¡¯s spells on her.

    In fact, before the Heavenly-Being stage, most humans were no match for demons with the same level of cultivation, aside from some special lineages, such as Banished Immortals, Hermits, and Buddhaputras. As Heavenly Beings advanced in cultivation and reached the realm of Immortals, demons gradually fell behind.

    This was the reason Su Ran still dared to confront Qi Xuansu alone even knowing that he was at the Guizhen stage. She underestimated Qi Xuansu¡¯s abilities. He was a special breed, considered half a Banished Immortal. Moreover, Qi Xuansu was more adaptable. That was why he managed to survive.

    Qi Xuansu put away the white fox face mask and looked around. There was a faintyer of white mist around the warehouse.

    Not long after he came in, Su Ran had activated an istion formation over the entire warehouse. This was why no one came to check on them during their fierce fight. It was also the reason why he was unable to break through the walls of the warehouse to escape after being cornered by the Dragon Shield Sword Technique.

    The core of the formation was in the statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor not far away.

    After all, it did not make sense for anyone to worship the Primordial Daoist Ancestor in a warehouse.

    Everything that seemed unreasonable had to have a logical exnation.

    Qi Xuansu put away Qing Yuan and the single cuss. Then he walked around to pick up the Divine Dragon pistol, Bliss Needle, and Seven Phoenix Feathers scattered on the ground beforeing to the statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. He stretched out his hand to pull out the other cuss stuck on the statue and put it back into its sheath on his waist.

    The palms of the statue were movable. Generally, the statues of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor had their hands folded across the chest, with the left arm on top and the right arm on the bottom, with both palms touching. At this time, the statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor had his right hand on top and his left hand on the bottom, and the palms were not touching.

    Qi Xuansu stuck out one palm and injected some innate qi. The palm of the statue began to move on its own, gradually returning to its original state.

    The white mist surrounding the warehouse gradually dissipated.

    When Qi Xuansu left the warehouse, he did not see anyone, probably because Su Ran had sent everyone away beforehand. This made it convenient for Qi Xuansu to escape.

    A fourth-rank superintendent died, while the other was imprisoned. These incidents were big enough to rm the upper echelons of the Daoist Order and the Jade Capital.

    This matter had escted beyond Qi Xuansu¡¯s control, so all he could do now was run away.

    If he did not flee now, he would be arrested by Beichen Hall.

    He had no choice but to leave this mess to Eighth Tianyang.

    Qi Xuansu was like the Devil that people in the Western Continent often speak of. He fulfilled Eighth Tianyang¡¯s wish to solve the case, but he did so in an extremely twisted way, causing terrible consequences.

    However, it was not Qi Xuansu''s original intention for this to happen. He did not expect one of the superintendents of Ecstasy Paradise to be a fox demon out to kill him.

    Qi Xuansu quickly returned to the duty room, where Eighth Tianyang was waiting.

    On the way back, Qi Xuansu considered an important question: Should he truthfully tell Eighth Tianyang about what happened?

    If he told Eighth Tianyang the truth, the senior major might forcibly detain him and Liu Hu to shirk responsibility and give the Daoist Order an exnation.

    But if he did not tell Eighth Tianyang the truth, Eighth Tianyang would inevitably leak information about him to the Daoist priests sent to investigateter.

    All this would depend on Eighth Tianyang¡¯s reaction.

    After a battle between the angel and demon on his shoulders, Qi Xuansu decided to trust his intuition and tell Eighth Tianyang the whole truth.

    When Eighth Tianyang saw Qi Xuansu covered in blood, he was startled.

    But before Eighth Tianyang could say anything, Qi Xuansu cut to the chase. ¡°It¡¯s just as we expected. Su Ran, the superintendent of Huasheng Hall, is the murderer. She wanted to kill me, so I had to kill her to protect myself.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang was shocked. He was silent for a moment before he urged, ¡°In that case, you should leave this ce immediately, Brother Wei.¡±

    ¡°There are only two superintendents of Ecstasy Paradise¡ªone is imprisoned in Ecstasy Pce, while the other is dead. Both of these incidents are rted to us. If I leave, you will be the only one bearing the burden. How will you bear the consequences if the Daoist Order mes you?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Eighth Tianyang smiled bitterly. ¡°I have no choice but to bear it. After all, I asked you to help me investigate the case. Liu Futong¡¯s despicable acts and Su Ran¡¯s killing spree are all irrefutable evidence. We have done nothing wrong. Moreover, we are members of the Imperial Court. Even if the Daoist Order wants to punish me, they will have to do so through the cab. They can¡¯t do anything to me directly.¡±

    Qi Xuansu slowly loosened his clenched fists and breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Brother Eighth, you¡¯re the best!¡±

    Eighth Tianyang looked solemn. ¡°We can¡¯t keep this under wraps for long, so you should leave as soon as possible, Brother Wei.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Alright. Before that, I need to tell you the full story so that you¡¯re aware of what happened.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang was startled for not having thought of this.

    He nodded to signal Qi Xuansu to go ahead. Qi Xuansu then recounted his conversation with Su Ran when he entered the warehouse, and how Su Ran confessed to her crimes with an exnation of why she killed those people. He also told Eighth Tianyang about Su Ran revealing her true form and her final words as she took herst breath.

    Hearing this, Eighth Tianyang and Liu Hu gasped in shock.

    They also did not expect a dignified fourth-rank Daoist master and the superintendent of this Huasheng Hall branch to be a four-tailed fox demon. The reason why this four-tailed fox demon killed those people was even more unbelievable. It was not to eat people¡¯s hearts or to fight for power, but to defend morality.

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°We can¡¯t fathom why she did that, but someone in the Daoist Order will figure it out, so we don¡¯t need to think too much about it.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang nodded.

    Qi Xuansu reminded, ¡°Brother Eighth, the top priority now is Ecstasy Pce and the warehouse. Liu Futong cannot be allowed toe out. Otherwise, what we have done to him will backfire. If he gets out, he will only cause more trouble and use Su Ran¡¯s death to frame us for murder.

    ¡°Secondly, don¡¯t let anyone get close to Su Ran¡¯s body because it¡¯s irond evidence. Don¡¯t let irrelevant people know about Su Ran¡¯s background to prevent unnecessary rumors. It¡¯s best if you can handle this on your own and wait until someone from the Daoist Orderes to clean up the mess.

    ¡°Lastly, it¡¯s best to strike first. Now that the two superintendents of Ecstasy Paradise are unable to perform their duties, the people in Purple Immortal Mountain are without a leader, so this gives you the perfect opportunity to intervene. This is the best time to contact the Daoist Order in the name of the Green Phoenix Guard Seventh Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office. That way, you will hold the initiative.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Brother Wei, thank you for your advice.¡±

    In fact, there was another riskier option, which was to release Liu Futong to negotiate apromise. That way, the dead Su Ran would take all the me, Liu Futong would be able to get away with it, and Qi Xuansu could escape.

    However, when Qi Xuansu thought of Su Ran¡¯sst words, he could not bear to suggest this option. In the end, he decided to leave Eighth Tianyang with the truth and let the Daoist Order judge whether or not Su Ran¡¯s actions were justified.

 Chapter 316: Cleaning up the Mess

    <h4>Chapter 316: Cleaning up the Mess</h4>

    After Zhang Yuelu arrived at the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, she received an exceptional reception. After all, she was the sessor of Sage Cihang, expected to join the ranks of Omniscient Sages in the future, so the Wanxiang Daoist Pce dared not neglect her. Thus, the Second Deputy Pce Master came forward to receive her.

    Zhang Yuelu checked Qi Xuansu¡¯s relevant files here and learned about his past grudges. To briefly summarize, Qi Xuansu almost died at the hands of Wan Xiuwu because Yue Liuli sent him out as bait.

    This confirmed part of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s guess, but there were still many things that could not be exined.

    Just as Zhang Yuelu was nning to continue the investigation, Zhang Yuelu received an official note from Tiangang Hall regarding the two superintendents of Ecstasy Paradise. One of them was dead, while the other was imprisoned. The Golden Tower Council suspected that secret society demons were involved in this, so they ordered Tiangang Hall to conduct a thorough investigation.

    Since Zhang Yuelu happened to be nearby, Tiangang Hall decided to let Zhang Yuelu take charge of the case.

    Zhang Yuelu immediately set off for Purple Immortal Mountain.

    It took a while for the Golden Tower Council to respond after Eighth Tianyang informed the Daoist Order about what happened. It was already the third day after the incident when Zhang Yuelu finally arrived at Purple Immortal Mountain.

    At this time, Ecstasy Paradise was closed for business. No one was allowed to enter or leave.

    Eighth Tianyang had taken Ecstasy Paradise under control. In the past three days, some Daoist deacons had raised objections, but Eighth Tianyang exined that it would not take long for the Daoist Order to send someone to deal with the aftermath.

    Considering that the two superintendents were involved in this serial murder case, and Purple Immortal Mountain had repeatedly obstructed the handling of the case, the Daoist priests in Ecstasy Paradise were not allowed to act rashly. If they could not wait for even three days, it would make people doubt whether they were also involved in the murders.

    Eighth Tianyang only blocked the exit of Ecstasy Paradise, Ecstasy Pce, the warehouse, and a few other ces. He did not imprison anyone, so the Daoist priests no longer objected to his lead.

    Liu Futong was imprisoned by Su Ran, not Eighth Tianyang.

    After Zhang Yuelu met Eighth Tianyang, she quickly took over the control of Ecstasy Paradise and got a preliminary understanding of the case from Eighth Tianyang.

    Eighth Tianyang did not know that Zhang Yuelu was tracking down Wei Wugui. But out of loyalty to his friend, he deliberately downyed Wei Wugui¡¯s existence. Instead, he used a vague term to describe Wei Wugui¡ªa colleague from the ck Robes. Moreover, Eighth Tianyang said that killing Su Ran was a coborative effort from his division.

    Zhang Yuelu was not familiar with the situation yet, so she did not delve too deeply into it. After she had a preliminary understanding of the case, she went to check on Su Ran¡¯s body first, ignoring Liu Futong, who was still imprisoned in Ecstasy Pce.

    She was surprised to see the giant white fox in the warehouse. It was no wonder it took a whole team to kill this fox demon.

    Her master, Sage Cihang, once mentioned that converts were often more fanatical and pious than the old believers. That was due to a mindset of atonement. Converts often thought that they could double down on their goodwill to gain recognition from the new group. They also wanted to draw a clear line with their past, so they did not want the group they were associated with in the past to live well.

    This phenomenon was not just limited to religions. It also applied to tribes and nations. In the past, those from the Central ins who defected to the Golden Horde treated their own people more harshly than those from the Golden Horde. They were most loyal to the Khanate, so they were favored and trusted by the Khan of the Golden Horde. These defectors also became a serious problem for the Central ins.

    It had been more than 200 years since the Qingqiu lineage was absorbed into the Taiping Sect, bing a recognized member of the Daoist Order. It was not a short time, butpared to the thousands of years of the Daoist Order¡¯s history, it was not worth mentioning.

    However, there were no absolutes in anything. For example, the Three Yin Beings in the Ghost Kingdom had submitted to the Daoist Order, but they did not care about the Daoist Order and had begun to n for their own future.

    Zhang Yuelu figured that Su Ran probably fell into this rut. She was filled with emotion.

    In fact, at this point, there was nothing to investigate. Su Ran was a conservative and regarded Ecstasy Paradise as a stain on the Daoist Order. After getting transferred to Ecstasy Paradise, she took drastic measures and took advantage of the situation to capture Liu Futong, a scum of the Daoist Order. As a result, the Green Phoenix Guard discovered what Su Ran had done, and Su Ran decided to silence them. But her n backfired, and she was killed.

    This story made sense and had no obvious ws.

    Zhang Yuelu agreed with some of Su Ran¡¯s ideas, but she did not agree with Su Ran¡¯s approach.

    Morality andw should not be confused. When the Daoist Order and the Confucian School were fighting for dominance, Daoists criticized Confucian ethics and lynching. If the Daoist Order also encouraged lynching in order to enforce rules and precepts, they would be the biggest hypocrites.

    Even if these people were found to be guilty, they did not deserve death. The Holy Xuan criticized private punishments and wanted transparency in the Daoist Order. If these people in Ecstasy Paradise were guilty, then the Daoist Order was also guilty of bad management.

    Su Ran killed these people at will. If the Daoist Order condoned this, then it would mean that people could take matters into their own hands, just as how the Ancient Immortals attacked the Daoist Order because they disagreed with the ways of the Daoist Order.

    Thus, Su Ran was wrong in her approach.

    This was probably where Zhang Yuelu was better than Qi Xuansu. Qi Xuansu only instinctively felt that it was wrong, but Zhang Yuelu could point out exactly what was wrong about it.

    However, Zhang Yuelu had no intention of arguing with Su Ran¡¯s point of view. After all, Su Ran was dead.

    The difficulty in this matter was how she could clean up the mess.

    In any case, Su Ran¡¯s identity was a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master. If word got out that a fourth-rank priest was killing innocent people at will, it would undoubtedly cause serious damage to the reputation of the Daoist Order. None of the Sages would agree to make this public knowledge.

    There was no need to worry about the Green Phoenix Guards and the Imperial Court because they were on the same side in this regard. The Emperor wanted to gain control of the Daoist Order, not destroy it. The Li family was also a member of the Daoist Order.

    However, if this case was suppressed, it would undoubtedly encourage this kind of behavior, which was what the Daoist Order did not want to see. If no punishment was imposed, someone would imitate Su Ran in the future. If so, the situation would go out of hand.

    Thus, handling this case properly would test Zhang Yuelu¡¯s political wisdom. That was when Zhang Yuelu suddenly realized that the suspicion of a secret society being involved in this case was just an excuse. This was actually a test for her.

    After all, Zhang Yuelu was about to be promoted to the third rank. To truly enter the upper echelons of the Daoist Order, one must not only have a high level of cultivation but also be skillful and capable in politics.

    To the Sages, the situation in Ecstasy Paradise had gone out of control because a superintendent died while the other was imprisoned, leaving many Daoist disciples without a leader. During this time, news of Su Ran¡¯s death had probably spread all over Ecstasy Paradise. Thus, how to quickly settle the rumors without worsening the situation was a difficult challenge.

    However, they did not expect Qi Xuansu to guide Eighth Tianyang on how to get things under control as soon as possible. Except for Eighth Tianyang and a few of his confidants, no one else knew about Su Ran¡¯s identity. At most, they only heard about Su Ran¡¯s death, but they did not know any details.

    In fact, the situation was much better than the Sages expected.

    Zhang Yuelu was also unaware that Qi Xuansu had unintentionally cleared up many difficulties for her. After she understood the situation in detail, she found that the difficulties she had to face were not as big as she imagined.

    She admired Senior Major Eighth Tianyang¡¯s leadership and problem-solving abilities.

    Initially, Zhang Yuelu thought of suppressing the case externally, but she nned to make an example of this within Ecstasy Paradise to serve as a warning to others. She also nned to deal with Liu Futong publicly, with severe punishment to downy Su Ran¡¯s case, hence minimizing the adverse impact.

    Zhang Yuelu walked over to Su Ran¡¯s body and found traces of the Dragon Eye Bullet. This was not surprising. After all, the Green Phoenix Guard had ess to this kind of ammunition as well.

    However, some of the wounds on Su Ran¡¯s body that had not yet healed startled Zhang Yuelu because she spotted traces of the Dayan Spirit de Technique.

 Chapter 317: Questioning (I)

    <h4>Chapter 317: Questioning (I)</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu spent a day to get the situation under control and be familiar with the case. She also examined Su Ran¡¯s body.

    After the autopsy, Zhang Yuelu did not rush into action. Instead, she spent another day carefully checking the historical ount books andpiling files of Ecstasy Paradise. Then she invited Eighth Tianyang to join her in interrogating Liu Futong in Ecstasy Pce.

    Zhang Yuelu did not care about thevishness of Ecstasy Pce. Instead, she paid special attention to the painting of the <i>Ascension of the Heavenly Preceptor</i> on the screen. After all, the Heavenly Preceptor in that painting was her ancestor.

    She asked someone to set up a table in front of the screen. She sat in the main seat behind the table while Eighth Tianyang sat on her left. There was a smaller table on the right for Mu Jin, who was responsible for transcribing the interrogation.

    Since there was no gavel, Zhang Yuelu simply pped the table with her hand. ¡°Bring out Liu Futong.¡±

    Two Daoist priests escorted Liu Futong out. Su Ran had ordered Liu Futong to put on a special prisoner¡¯s suit to seal his cultivation. Since he was not a Martial Arts Practitioner, he did not have much resistance against the two Daoist priests.

    A Daoist priest grabbed Liu Futong¡¯s left wrist and held it behind his left shoulder, while another did the same to his right hand. His arm joints clicked due to the unnatural position.

    Liu Futong was forced to bend forward, his face flushed, and his eyes bulged out of their sockets. Looking up, he could see Zhang Yuelu sitting behind the table and Eighth Tianyang next to her.

    Zhang Yuelu was a little dissatisfied to see this. She said, ¡°He hasn¡¯t been convicted yet. Why are you all treating him like a convicted criminal? Let go!¡±

    The two Daoist priests immediately let go of Liu Futong and stood with their hands on their sides.

    Liu Futong was finally able to breathe, so he looked at Zhang Yuelu again with gratitude.

    At this time, Liu Futong no longer acted arrogant. He was unafraid and calm.

    Zhang Yuelu had experience in both Beichen Hall and Tiangang Hall, known as the most ruthless among the Nine Halls. Thus, she had a strong killing aura, but her eyes were not as stern as usual. They were calm and expressionless at the moment.

    Liu Futong was a veteran of the Daoist Order. He left the Wanxiang Daoist Pce at the age of 20 and became a ninth-rank Daoist priest. He took 20 years to advance from the ninth rank to the fifth rank. After clinging to the right backer, he joined the ranks of fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters and became the superintendent of Ecstasy Paradise.

    He was fully aware of all the rules and secrets in the Daoist Order. At this time, he thought he would be reprimanded by Zhang Yuelu, but he did not expect this proud woman to be indifferent.

    Although she was far from approachable, she did not have the self-righteousness of those pampered women from prestigious families, nor was she arrogant and condescending. She would not stand on moral high ground to criticize others.

    This made Liu Futong feel a little nervous.

    Liu Futong understood that the higher-ups asked Zhang Yuelu to handle this matter so that she could gain field experience. Their intentions were obvious. Perhaps in a few years, Zhang Yuelu would be put in charge of a local Daoist mansion or pce for training as a Chief or Second Deputy. After she could take charge on her own, she would be transferred back to Jade Capital and poised for greater heights.

    As for whether she could be the Deputy Grand Master or the Grand Master in the end would depend on her luck.

    Zhang Yuelu motioned to the Daoist priest to bring a chair for Liu Futong.

    Liu Futong hesitated for a moment before sitting down.

    Zhang Yuelu finally said, ¡°Superintendent Liu, before Ziwei Hall¡¯s formal order of your dismissal, I will still address you by your position. I hope that you will answer my questions truthfully. That way, it¡¯ll be easier for everyone.¡±

    Su Ran, Qi Xuansu, and Eighth Tianyang stopped calling him Superintendent Liu as soon as they caught him in the act. Zhang Yuelu was the only one who still showed him respect, which moved him. But it also made him wary of her.

    This woman was certainly difficult to deal with.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Liu Futong responded.

    Zhang Yuelu took a file. ¡°The reason Superintendent Su imprisoned you is due to your illicit rtionship with Yue Lian, the manager of Ecstasy Paradise. Yue Lian and Senior Major Eighth have testified to this. Do you plead guilty?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Liu Futong muttered.

    He had already thought about it. Among the various crimes, this was the one with the least consequences. As long as he pleaded to this crime and denied the rest, he might still have a chance of survival.

    ¡°Good.¡± Zhang Yuelu nodded. Without her instruction, Mu Jin had already begun to take notes. In addition to written records, there were also special voice-recording and image-capturing formations.

    Zhang Yuelu continued, ¡°Is it true that you and Yue Lian were caught having sex in Ecstasy Pce?¡±

    Liu Futong nodded. ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu turned the page. ¡°Who allowed you to use this Ecstasy Pce?¡±

    Liu Futong hesitated for a moment before replying, ¡°No one gave me permission. I used it privately.¡±

    ¡°How many times have you done this?¡± Zhang Yuelu¡¯s tone was still calm.

    Liu Futong kept mum.

    Zhang Yuelu deepened her voice. ¡°Answer me.¡±

    Liu Futong replied, ¡°Only once.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°You¡¯ve only done this once, but you were caught redhanded. It seems that you¡¯re quite unlucky, Superintendent Liu. But there is one problem. Yue Lian¡¯s confession and your answer do not match up. I wonder, who among you have lied? Do you want to confront Yue Lian about this?¡±

    Fine beads of sweat surfaced on Liu Futong¡¯s forehead.

    Zhang Yuelu continued, ¡°Also, ording to the records of Huasheng Hall, you have taken away medicine worth 9,000 Taiping coins, which include scar removal medicine, aphrodisiacs, and sexual enhancers. We happened to find some of the remaining medicine in the side hall of Ecstasy Pce. Superintendent Liu, what do you have to say about this?¡±

    Liu Futong had no choice but to admit it. ¡°I¡¯ve done this about a dozen times. I can¡¯t remember clearly.¡±

    Mu Jin kept writing notes.

    Zhang Yuelu stated, ¡°So, you are abusing your power.¡±

    Liu Futong¡¯s face turned pale as he subconsciously said, ¡°No, I¡¯m unjustly used!¡±

    ¡°Unjustly used?¡± Zhang Yuelu sneered. ¡°Didn¡¯t you admit that you¡¯ve done this more than a dozen times? Are the ounts of Huasheng Hall false? Why did Yue Lian devote herself to you? I have Yue Lian¡¯s confession here. Do you want to read it?¡±

    Liu Futong was rendered speechless.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes had been fixed on the case file in her hand. At this time, she suddenly turned her attention to Liu Futong. Since they were both seated, they were looking at each other at eye level.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Superintendent Liu, do you still think that you¡¯re unjustly used? If so, please list them one by one to defend yourself, or you can confront the witnesses in court. I am unbiased, and I will only look at the facts.¡±

    Liu Futong dared not meet Zhang Yuelu¡¯s sharp gaze. He lowered his head and mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m not unjustly used...¡±

    Zhang Yuelu put down the file and took out another ount book. ¡°This ount book was found in the secretpartment of your office. I browsed through it and found the ie and expenditure details of Ecstasy Paradise in the past three years. I think you owe me an exnation, Superintendent Liu.¡±

    Liu Futong only felt that his heart had been struck with a hammer. His vision became blurry, and he sat there in a daze.

    Zhang Yuelu pressed on. ¡°Superintendent Liu, do you have nothing to say about this?¡±

    Liu Futong raised his trembling hand and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

    He was in the Guizhen stage, yet his hands were shaking and he was sweating. Even if his cultivation had been sealed, he should not have such reactions.

    Zhang Yuelu noticed this. She continued, ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to speak, let me do it for you.¡±

    ¡°You have invested about 14% of Ecstasy Paradise¡¯s annual profit into the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association, which is engaged in maritime trade. Like you, Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association has suffered a streak of bad luck, suffering losses every year with multiple shipwrecks. But you have been persistent in your investment anyway. In just three years, you¡¯ve lost about 250,000 Taiping coins.¡±

    Liu Futong took a deep breath and managed to calm down. ¡°The weather is unpredictable, and there are ups and downs in business. Only the heavens know for certain if a business will do well.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu questioned, ¡°Since you can¡¯t be sure it will do well, why do you still want to invest money in them? Who forced you to do so?¡±

    Liu Futong kept mum again.

    Zhang Yuelu raised her voice. ¡°Answer me!¡±

    Liu Futong had no choice but to answer her question. ¡°No one forced me. I just thought of making more money for the Daoist Order. I¡¯m just too eager to make contributions.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu sneered. ¡°That¡¯s a good excuse. Do you think that all will be forgotten just because of your eagerness to make contributions to the Daoist Order? Do you plead guilty to neglecting your duties and abusing your power?¡±

    Liu Futong dared not reply, so he lowered his head and remained silent.

    Zhang Yuelu scoffed. ¡°I see that you don¡¯t dare to admit this. Well, let me help you.

    ¡°In addition to the ount books, we also found variousnd and property deeds. I have already conducted a thorough investigation at Wuxu Pce and the Chongyang Pce of Immortality. ording to the investigation, you purchased more than ten residences in Shimen County, Longmen Prefecture, Xijing Prefecture, and some other ces. These properties have a total value of approximately 90,000 Taiping coins.

    ¡°The residents of these properties are beautiful women, each iming to be your lover. Two of them are pregnant, and two others already have children. These women arevishly dressed, wearing gold, silver, and a head full of pearls. They also had servants. Their daily expenses are much more than a fourth-rank Daoist priest like me.

    ¡°Taking into ount these expenses, it costs about 100,000 Taiping coins or more. I roughly calcted that a fourth-rank Daoist priest like you would have a monthly sry of 200 Taiping coins. Including some subsidies, it would be about 300 Taiping coins.

    ¡°Considering that you usually spend time in Ecstasy Paradise, with everything provided for you, you can save up all of your sry, which is 3,600 Taiping coins a year and 36,000 Taiping coins in ten years. It will take at least 30 years for you to save so much money. So, where did you get the money for all these properties and women?¡±

    Liu Futong¡¯s head lowered further. His chest and abdomen were rising and falling as his breathing becamebored.

    Zhang Yuelu continued, ¡°Superintendent Liu, do you plead guilty to embezzlement and misappropriation of about 250,000 Taiping coins?¡±

    Liu Futong¡¯s expression changed dramatically. He abruptly raised his head and defended himself. ¡°I will repay however much I took from the ounts, but I have never embezzled such a huge amount, Deputy Hall Master Zhang! I only took a total of 100,000 Taiping coins in three years, and I used it to buy houses and support my women.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s tone was still calm as she asked, ¡°Then where are the remaining 150,000 Taiping coins?¡±

 Chapter 318: Questioning (II)

    <h4>Chapter 318: Questioning (II)</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu said calmly, ¡°Superintendent Liu, I will believe you as long as you can exin the whereabouts of the 150,000 Taiping coins.¡±

    Liu Futong was silent again.

    Zhang Yuelu was not in a hurry. She instructed, ¡°Serve Superintendent Liu some tea so that he has time to think about it slowly.¡±

    A Daoist priest brought over hot tea on a tray.

    The gaiwan was from the Ecstasy Pce, made of thin porcin that was as thin as an eggshell and faintly translucent. It also had the words, ¡°Purify the Heart¡± written on the walls of the bowl.

    At this time, Liu Futong¡¯s heart and state of mind were anything but pure.

    Liu Futong took the gaiwan with trembling hands.

    The lid of the gaiwan symbolized heaven, while the bowl symbolized man, and the saucer symbolized earth. Generally, when drinking tea, one would hold the saucer in one hand and use another hand to hold the lid, so as to skim the tea in the bowl to slowly sip and savor the vors.

    However, Liu Futong held all three parts of the gaiwan with one hand. He used his pinky and ring finger to support the saucer, his middle finger to support the bowl, and his thumb and index finger to hold the lid. He was very skilled in holding the gaiwan, which indicated that he often drank tea in this way.

    Not long ago, Liu Futong also drank tea here. However, the scene waspletely different¡ªwith dim candles lit, flickering shadows over the gauze curtains, and a sultry beauty beside him. He lived like a king, reveling in the luxuries of life.

    But in the blink of an eye, he had fallen off his high horse and be a prisoner.

    He brought the tea to his mouth and gulped it down¡ªtea leaves included¡ªwithout savoring it.

    Zhang Yuelu closed the file in her hand and said, ¡°Superintendent Su mentioned that worldly pleasures and sins of desire are the enemies of morality. The corruption of the inner soul always starts from the corruption of the outer body. The downfall of moral precepts always begins with unbridled desire.¡±

    At this point, Zhang Yuelu paused slightly, and her tone suddenly turned harsh. ¡°You havepletely forgotten your identity as a Daoist disciple because of money, your lovers, and your illegitimate children. You don¡¯t have to answer me, or you can continue to wait for your backer to exonerate you. I have already sent a letter to the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion to investigate the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association. But finding this out on my own and you taking the initiative to speak have two entirely different oues.¡±

    Liu Futong¡¯s face was as pale as paper. Large beads of sweat continued to roll down his forehead.

    The entire Ecstasy Pce was deadly silent.

    After a long time, Liu Futong finally said, ¡°I am just a fourth-rank superintendent. There is a third-rank Youyi Daoist master and a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master above me. If you are so capable, you can ask them.¡±

    This was what Zhang Yuelu was waiting for. She immediately turned to Mu Jin. ¡°Good. Put it on record.¡±

    After Mu Jin finished writing, she handed the transcription of more than ten pages to Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu browsed through it to confirm the contents and concluded, ¡°Maintaining inappropriate rtionships with multiple women, abuse of power, corruption, and malfeasance.¡±

    Liu Futong had copsed on the chair.

    Zhang Yuelu said softly, ¡°Let¡¯s stop the interrogation here today. Get him to sign this.¡±

    Liu Futong¡¯s palms trembled violently, so he could not hold the brush.

    The Daoist priest next to him took his hand and put a bright red fingerprint on the confession document.

    Zhang Yuelu ordered, ¡°Take him away and get our Spirit Guards from Tiangang Hall to watch over him. Don¡¯t bully him, and don¡¯t let others see him.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Deputy Hall Master.¡± The two Daoist priests lifted Liu Futong and left the pce.

    From the beginning to the end, Eighth Tianyang never said a word.

    He suddenly felt a little afraid of this Junior Tiangang Hall Master.

    Zhang Yuelu stood up and motioned for Mu Jin to leave. ¡°Senior Major Eighth, I have something to ask you.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang, who had already seen Zhang Yuelu¡¯s way of doing things, was startled. He felt a little guilty, but there was nothing he could do but stay back. ¡°Please go on, Deputy Hall Master Zhang.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu had a gentle attitude, but she got straight to the point. ¡°People in the Daoist Order like to use swords. Not many use sabers. However, the Imperial Court is different. Because of Emperor Gaozu, there are many masters of knifesmanship among the ck Robes and the Green Phoenix Guard. I checked Su Ran¡¯s corpse and found traces of the Dayan Spirit de Technique. May I ask where is this master now?¡±

    Although Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attitude was gentle, Eighth Tianyang felt a chill down his spine. Heughed dryly and said, ¡°This person is an old friend of mine, not from the Green Phoenix Guard. He just happened to be passing by the area and helped me solve the case. After solving the case, he left and continued on his way.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°This man is quite righteous for not seeking fame and fortune. May I know his name?¡±

    Eighth Tianyang knew where this was going. When Zhang Yuelu first arrived at Ecstasy Paradise, Eighth Tianyang deliberately avoided mentioning Wei Wugui and managed to dy this for five days, but that was the best he could do for his friend.

    He wanted to act tough by saying that his friend was a member of the Imperial Court, so Zhang Yuelu had no right to interrogate him. However, under Zhang Yuelu¡¯s intimidating gaze, Eighth Tianyang found his tongue was tied.

    The two were silent for a moment. Suddenly, Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Senior Major Eighth, where did you meet Wei Wugui?¡±

    ¡°In Yongzhou...¡± Eighth Tianyang subconsciously replied.

    Halfway through speaking, Eighth Tianyang suddenly noticed his slipup. He looked at Zhang Yuelu guiltily.

    Zhang Yuelu said with a smirk, ¡°So, it is him.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang felt his scalp tingle. ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang, do you know Brother Wei?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not answer his question directly. ¡°Perhaps.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang dared not say anything more for fear of betraying his friend, so he quickly excused himself. ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang, if you have nothing else¡ª¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°Senior Major Eighth, feel free to do whatever you want.¡±

    Eighth Tianyang quickly left, knowing that he was no match for Deputy Hall Master Zhang.

    Zhang Yuelu stood there with her hands behind her back, looking at Eighth Tianyang¡¯s departing back, deep in thought.

    A suspected secret society member came to Ecstasy Paradise and helped the Green Phoenix Guard solve a serial murder case rted to a Daoist superintendent, incidentally catching a parasite of the Daoist Order.

    What was his motive?

    Zhang Yuelu still could not figure it out.

    But Eighth Tianyang had blurted out having met Wei Wugui in Yongzhou.

    For Zhang Yuelu, Yongzhou was a special ce, so she could picture the topography of Yongzhou in her mind without even using a map¡ªthe Starry Sea at the center, Zhaling Lake in the east, Kunlun Pass to the west, the Tongtian River and Yishan City to the south, and the vast Gobi desert, also known as the Salt Lake, in the north.

    After Zhang Yuelu arrived at Ecstasy Paradise, she barely took a break. She had been busy investigating the case and checking Eighth Tianyang¡¯s details. Just as others could easily find out Zhang Yuelu¡¯s career trajectory, Eighth Tianyang¡¯s trajectory of promotion was also clear at a nce.

    Eighth Tianyang once served in the Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office in Yongzhou and participated in the annihtion of the Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly, which was organized by Feng Bo, who had hunted down Wei Wugui in Xijing Prefecture.

    In addition, the reason Eighth Tianyang was sessfully promoted to the Seventh Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office was that he had killed two Heavenly Court demons at the Feilong Inn.

    Feilong Inn was located in the Salt Lake, across from Xiping Prefecture.

    Wei Wugui received the ck Robes badge from Qin Wubing, who had stationed his troops in the West Gobi in Yongzhou, which was not too far from Xiping Prefecture.

    With this information, Zhang Yuelu could vaguely picture the puzzle pieces¡ªSalt Lake, Xiping Prefecture, West Gobi, Xijing Prefecture, Beimang Mountain, Longmen Prefecture, and Purple Immortal Mountain.

    Salt Lake was close to the Starry Sea, where she and Qi Xuansu were attacked.

    The West Gobi was close to Cuowenbu, where Shangguanjing was attacked.

    Zhang Yuelu felt that she was only one step away from the truth.

    Unfortunately, she was not a god overlooking the world from up above. She was misled once again because these two ces were rted to the Lingshan Witch Cult.

    At this moment, Tian Baobao came to Zhang Yuelu with a letter in hand.

    Zhang Yuelu came to her senses and asked, ¡°Who is it from?¡±

    Tian Baobao replied, ¡°It¡¯s from the Hall Master, but it¡¯s from her private rapid post talisman.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu had taken the initiative to write a personal letter to her master, Sage Cihang, so she was not surprised to receive a response. She opened the letter and read it.

    Sage Cihang rejected Zhang Yuelu¡¯s proposal to investigate Pei Xiaolou and the Three Yin Beings, but she made a note about this at the end of the letter.

    She also mentioned having seen a man by Cuowenbu Lake who imed to be a traveler but possessed Daoist techniques. But she was not sure if he was Wei Wugui.

    Seeing this, Zhang Yuelu was shaken. It turned out that Wei Wugui had witnessed the fall of the Yinglong Warship!

    Everything seemed connected.

    Wei Wugui met Eighth Tianyang at the Feilong Inn in Salt Lake. They both worked together to kill Heavenly Court demons. Then Wei Wugui continued on to Xiping Prefecture and participated in the Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly before heading to West Gobi, where he met Qin Wubing. That was when he appeared at thekeside of Cuowenbu, where he had a chance encounter with Sage Cihang.

    After Wei Wugui left Cuowenbu, he was chased by Feng Bo from Heavenly Court for having killed Heavenly Court members. Feng Bo decided to attack Wei Wugui in Xijing Prefecture, where Wei Wugui met Pei Xiaolou.

    Wei Wugui left Xijing Prefecture and headed to Zhongzhou, where he met and killed Wan Xiuwu. Then he entered the Ghost Pass with Pei Xiaolou¡¯s badge and met the Three Yin Beings.

    After that, Wei Wugui came to Longmen Prefecture and left after a short stay. Finally, he appeared in the Purple Immortal Mountain, where he met Eighth Tianyang and helped him solve the murder case.

    Zhang Yuelu only had two questions left. Where did this Wei Wuguie from? Where was he heading to?

    In fact, these two questions were one and the same. As long as she knew where Wei Wugui was going, she would be able to catch him and find out where he was from.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s mind was spinning rapidly.

    Wei Wugui had left Ecstasy Paradise five days ago. Where would he head to?

 Chapter 319: Going to Jiangling (I)

    <h4>Chapter 319: Going to Jiangling (I)</h4>

    Qi Xuansu had indeed thought about where he should go after leaving Ecstasy Paradise.

    He wanted to p himself for mentioning to Eighth Tianyang that he wanted to send Liu Hu to Zhili. Even if Eighth Tianyang intended to keep his involvement a secret, there was no guarantee Eighth Tianyang would not slip up.

    Thus, Qi Xuansu only thought of the worst-case scenario and assumed that his whereabouts had been exposed.

    The fastest way to go from Zhongzhou to Zhili was down the Yangtze River. After arriving in Qizhou, he could head north along the Grand Canal.

    The second option was to take thend route to enter Zhili. Although it was not as fast as the water route, it was the shortest distance overall.

    Since his whereabouts had been exposed, these two paths were no longer feasible. He would be captured in no time if the Daoist Order issued an arrest warrant.

    Qi Xuansu thought about it and decided to stay hidden in in sight.

    Thus, he decided to go from Purple Immortal Mountain to Beiyang Prefecture in Zhongzhou, pass by Jiangling Prefecture in Huzhou, then take the river route past Jinling Prefecture, going out to sea from Putuo Ind. He would head north, bypassing Luzhou and Qizhou and arriving in Bohai Prefecture, which was located by the sea.

    In five days, Qi Xuansu had rushed from Purple Immortal Mountain to Beiyang Prefecture without stopping.

    Beiyang Prefecture was the southernmost part of Zhongzhou, connected to Luzhou in the east and Huzhou in the west and south. It was an important area of ??the Yangtze River and Huaihe River.

    However, Qi Xuansu had no interest in staying in Beiyang Prefecture. He avoided the city, counties, and Daoist temples, only stopping in remote viges and towns along the way.

    Seven days after leaving Purple Immortal Mountain, Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu arrived at Jingzi Town, located at the junction of Zhongzhou and Huzhou.

    There were peach trees nted all around the town, so the peach blossoms were in full bloom in spring. When the spring breeze blew, the colorful fallen petals made for a beautiful sight.

    Liu Hu was obsessed with this scenery.

    The two of them did not enter the town. Instead, they rode their horses along the path on the edge of the massive peach forest. After walking for a while, they found a huge stone tablet that looked weathered. Qi Xuansu stood in front of the stone tablet and read the inscription. He finally understood why the peach grove was nted here.

    <i>At the end of the Wei Dynasty, the world was in chaos. Evil spirits came to Dongshan Vige behind Jingzi Town and ughtered everyone there. The evil spirits captured their souls and practiced sorcery, making Jingzi Town a ce of horror.</i>

    <i>The young Holy Xuan and the Great Heavenly Preceptor Yan Feiqing passed by this ce and went to Dongshan Mountain to drive out the evil spirits. They used peach wood and set fire to Dongshan Vige, burning the ghost town to ashes.</i>

    <i>At that time, there were many corpses at the foot of Dongshan Mountain. The Great Heavenly Preceptor ordered them to be burned with peach wood.</i>

    <i>Since the evil spirits had set up formations that polluted the earth qi to a certain extent, over time, these ces would emit strong yin energy, where evil spirits gathered. If an ordinary person entered such ces, they could be easily possessed or be seriously ill. Some would even die there. That was why people often said that a certain ce was cursed, as people often die by idents or suicide.</i>

    <i>If enough people died in such ces, the souls of the dead could not escape, and it would build more resentment, like a snowball effect. If it was left alone, such ces would likely cause more harm.</i>

    <i>Due to this, Yan Feiqing asked the people of Jingzi Town to nt peach trees to ward off evil spirits and prevent this ce from being cursed.</i>

    <i>The people here kept in mind the teachings of the Great Heavenly Preceptor and nted peach trees from generation to generation. After more than 200 years, the peach grove spread all over the mountains and ins and had developed into a business.</i>

    <i>Daoists would oftene here to buy peach trees, as there was no shortage of peach trees here. Peach trees that were more than a hundred years old could be cut and nted again. At the same time, people came here for good fortune because the Holy Xuan and the Great Heavenly Preceptor had graced this ce with their presence.</i>

    Liu Hu read the content on the stone tablet and said in surprise, ¡°Is it fake?¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered. ¡°The Holy Xuan liked to do heroic things when he was younger. He also met the Great Heavenly Preceptor very early in his life, so it could be possible.¡±

    Liu Hu asked, ¡°Uncle Wei, you also like doing heroic things. After many years, will someone build a monument for you in Purple Immortal Mountain?¡±

    ¡°Maybe...but only if I can be a Great Sage¡ªone with many disciples and plenty of influence.¡± Qi Xuansu said with a smile, ¡°Ancestors are only revered if their descendants are sessful. Do you think the Holy Xuan would have such a high status today if the Daoist Order had crumbled soon after his death?¡±

    Liu Hu pursed her lips. ¡°A Great Sage? That¡¯s a first-rank Tianzhen Daoist priest. That¡¯ll be tough.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°It is indeed a tough journey.¡±

    Since there were a lot of people from the Daoist Order who often came to Jingzi Town to buy peach trees, Qi Xuansu and Liu Hupletely gave up the idea of ??resting there and continued riding along the edge of the massive peach grove. The whole journey was filled with peach blossoms, beautiful and rxing.

    After passing Jingzi Town, they entered the borders of Huzhou and took another two days to get to Jiangling Prefecture.

    Based on the division of territories between the Daoist sects, this area, including Bohai Prefecture in Zhili, belonged to the Taiping Sect.

    Qi Xuansu breathed a sigh of relief. In his opinion, even if someone saw through his identity, it would take some time to track them down. By then, he would have already taken a ship out to sea with Liu Hu. He did not n to take the Daoist Order¡¯s maritime ship, but the Imperial Court¡¯s official ship as part of the ck Robes, which would be the best cover for him.

    This was where his cleverness backfired. Qi Xuansu nned it well, but he neglected something.

    When he first pretended to be Qin Wubing¡¯s personal soldier, he said that he was under Qin Wubing¡¯s orders to meet the Commandery Prince of Jiangling, who was located in Jiangling Prefecture, Huzhou.

    Since he was pretending to be Qin Wubing¡¯s confidant, he had to fabricate some sort of rtionship with the Commandery Prince of Jiangling. His story was reasonable, and it could avoid many unnecessary inquiries.

    At this moment, it was no longer a lie. He was really going to Jiangling Prefecture.

    ......

    On the other side, after Zhang Yuelu dealt with the matter at Ecstasy Paradise, she decided to use the Yinglong Warship to send Su Ran¡¯s body and Liu Futong back to Jade Capital.

    Due to the impact of this case and the involvement of high-ranking priests, Zhang Yuelu should have personally escorted the prisoner and presented the case to Sage Cihang. However, Zhang Yuelu did not want to return to Jade Capital, so she decided to let Mu Jin and Tian Baobao report this case to Sage Cihang while she stayed behind with Spirit Guard Xu.

    The other superintendents would continue exterminating small groups of cult demons. Afterward, they would return to Jade Capital by flying ship from their locality. Tiangang Hall would reimburse their expenses.

    Although Spirit Guard Xu and the others objected, Zhang Yuelu had absolute authority over this. She was not only the Deputy Tiangang Hall Master, but also the special envoy appointed by the Golden Tower and Sage Cihang to deal with the aftermath of Ecstasy Paradise. No one could disobey her and could only reluctantly oblige.

    The main reason Zhang Yuelu was unwilling to return to Jade Capital was because she was fixated on catching Wei Wugui herself. She felt that she was getting close.

    However, there was one problem. Although she had figured out Wei Wugui¡¯s past itinerary, she did not have much clue about where Wei Wugui would go next.

    Eighth Tianyang, afraid of slipping up again, avoided her like a gue. There was nothing Zhang Yuelu could do about it since Eighth Tianyang was from the Imperial Court. Also, Zhang Yuelu had no way of forcing Eighth Tianyang to tell her what she wanted to know.

    Zhang Yuelu did not know that Qi Xuansu was still alive, let alone that he was traveling to Bohai Prefecture in Zhili.

    What she knew was that Wei Wugui imed to be Qin Wubing¡¯s personal guard under orders to head to Jiangling Prefecture. Since this was her only lead, Zhang Yuelu decided to go to Jiangling Prefecture. Even if she failed to find Wei Wugui, she could also follow up on the progress of the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association.

    Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association was deeply involved with Liu Futong, and they were operating under the jurisdiction of Jiangnan Daoist Mansion. But their main office was located in Jiangling Prefecture, Huzhou.

    At this time, seven days had passed since Qi Xuansu left Purple Immortal Mountain. Logically speaking, it was almost impossible to catch up to him. However, Zhang Yuelu could mobilize the Yinglong Warship.

    Although Zhang Yuelu did not intend to return to Jade Capital, she could take the Yinglong Warship to Jiangling Prefecture and disembark there before the warship continued its journey to Jade Capital.

    As such, Zhang Yuelu did not even have to spend a day¡¯s journey. Instead, she arrived at Jiangling Prefecture ahead of Qi Xuansu.

 Chapter 320: Going to Jiangling (II)

    <h4>Chapter 320: Going to Jiangling (II)</h4>

    On the way to Jiangling Prefecture, Qi Xuansu took the opportunity to study the white fox face mask he got from Su Ran and found that it was a good item.

    Since Qi Xuansu was at the Guizhen stage and he had experience with more spiritual objects, ordinary spiritual objects like his cusses could no longer impress him. Qi Xuansu was quite satisfied with this white fox face mask.

    This white fox face mask was also a spiritual object, but it was the best quality among spiritual objects, borderline a treasure.

    Its main function was not as a weapon but as a disguise with a few magical features.

    The first magical feature was to increase one¡¯s intuition. Even without using Yin Yang Eyes or Seer Eyes, one would be able to see ghosts and spirits. One would also be able to see through some illusions and disguises through the mask.

    The second magical feature was that it could be used to hide one¡¯s aura, so much so that one would be undetectable even with the Rogue Cultivator¡¯s Qi Observation Technique and the Banished Immortal¡¯s Divine Observation Technique. If Qi Xuansu had this mask early on, Feng Bo would not have tracked him down using the spell.

    The third magical feature was the fox n¡¯s special skill of altering their face and figure. Su Ran wanted to shock others, so she only used the white fox face mask to hide her aura and prevent her identity from being exposed. However, she did not change her face. Instead, she used the original appearance of the mask, which resembled a white fox.

    The white fox face mask was a spiritual object, not a treasure, so it had a limited number of faces it could change into. Qi Xuansu could only choose one among the several faces and could not customize them.

    This mask had three existing faces: one of a handsome young man, a charming young woman, and a wise old man.

    These three faces had the characteristics of the fox demon n, who were generally beautiful. The men had strong brows and starry eyes, while the women had sultry eyes, suitable for seducing others.

    In addition, the white fox face mask also had its shorings. This spiritual object had to be activated by magic or the Banished Immortal¡¯s true essence. However, it could not be activated with innate qi or blood qi.

    That was because the mask was not just an illusion. It would alter one¡¯s real face temporarily, so it had considerable physical requirements. People with weak bodies would not be able to bear the slight damage caused by the mask¡¯s alteration because, over time, it could lead to facial paralysis.

    This was somewhat contradictory because aside from the special Banished Immortal lineage, those who had magic were physically weak, while those with strong physiques did not have magic.

    However, this mask was not prepared for humans. It was custom-made for the fox demon n. Among the demons, only the fox demon was born with both strong physiques and magic. That was why they were good at transformation. It was just coincidental that Banished Immortals and Qi Xuansu fit the characteristics of the fox n.

    After Qi Xuansu put on the white fox face mask, he felt the mask integrating with his own skin, bing indistinguishable from one another. Then he activated the mask using magic and chose the third face.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s cheeks gradually became sunken, and deep wrinkles appeared. His eyes became cloudy, and a white beard grew on his chin and above his lips, draping down to his chest.

    In the blink of an eye, Qi Xuansu turned into a mysterious old man with an ethereal air. The snow-white fox fur on the mask grew longer, turning into a flowing white wig to cover Qi Xuansu¡¯s original hair.

    Qi Xuansu took off his cloak and put on an old-fashioned Daoist robe and a pair of sunsses. Standing with Liu Hu, he looked like her grandfather.

    Seeing Qi Xuansu¡¯s new appearance, Liu Hu could not help butugh. ¡°Uncle Wei, you look like an old quack!¡±

    Qi Xuansu touched his long white beard. His voice was raspy and aged as he said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t call me Uncle Wei anymore. Call me grandpa instead.¡±

    ......

    When the huge Yinglong Warshipnded on theke outside Jiangling Prefecture, the bigwigs in the city quickly received news of it.

    Soon, many important people in the city were aware of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s arrival.

    Although Zhang Yuelu was only a fourth-rank priest, no one in Jiangling Prefecture dared to neglect her. After all, there were not many fourth-rank priests who couldmand a Yinglong Warship with full authority.

    There were two capitals in the empire¡ªthe Imperial Capital in the east and the Jade Capital in the west. Now that thepetition for the title of Grand Master was getting more intense, the three top candidates had all chosen their own sessors. Among these three sessors, Zhang Yuelu was the most famous.

    There were also rumors that Zhang Yuelu was just waiting for her tenure to be up by the end of the year. As soon as she fulfilled the tenure of the fourth rank, she could be promoted to the third rank. After that, she would be transferred to a local Daoist mansion or pce for practical training.

    If everything went smoothly, Zhang Yuelu would most likely serve in the Wuzhou Daoist Mansion. After all, that was the core territory of the Zhang family. Even if something went wrong, the Dazhen Mansion and Shangqing Pce could aid her. After Zhang Yuelu became familiar with various affairs of the Wuzhou Daoist Mansion, she could be promoted to be the Second Deputy, then she could transfer to the Quanzhen Sect¡¯s Wuxu Pce or Chongyang Pce of Immortality as the Chief Deputy.

    Eventually, Zhang Yuelu would be transferred to the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion as the Chief or Second Deputy. At that time, Sage Cihang would have either be the Grand Master or the Deputy Grand Master, or at worst, a Virtuous Great Sage. By then, Zhang Yuelu would be able to take over Sage Cihang¡¯s previous position as an Omniscient Sage. Once Zhang Yuelu became an Omniscient Sage, she could take charge of a Daoist mansion.

    Back then, Sage Cihang also rose to fame after being the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master. In this regard, Zhang Yuelu would be inheriting her master¡¯s path.

    At that point, she would be able to act freely. She could stay in one ce like Sage Qingwei did to strengthen her roots, biding for the right time. Or she could be the Hall Master at one of the Nine Halls. Even if she failed to be the Grand Master, she could stillpete for the position of the Heavenly Preceptor because she was from the Zhang family.

    This was what countless people considered a promising future, and it was definitely not an emptypliment.

    Of course, this was only if everything was smooth sailing. No one could guarantee whether something would happen midway. After all, plenty of promising young talents had died tragically before their time.

    Furthermore, the incident in Purple Immortal Mountain had already spread. However, the public did not know about Su Ran. They only thought that Zhang Yuelu went to Purple Immortal Mountain because of Liu Futong¡¯s corruption and malfeasance and that Zhang Yuelu was tasked to do this because fighting corruption was considered her forte.

    This made many people in Jiangling inexplicably guilty. After all, the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association was involved, so many people were eager to get information from Zhang Yuelu.

    The moment Zhang Yuelu checked in to the Shenxiao Temple in Jiangling Prefectural City, the gentry came to pay her a visit.

    Zhang Yuelu refused to meet people, saying that she was tired from the journey. She asked the abbot of Shenxiao Temple to receive these guests on her behalf.

    Since these people had heard about Zhang Yuelu¡¯s temper to some extent, they knew what to expect and did not get offended. They just left an invitation for a reception banquet for Zhang Yuelu, hosted by a respected Confucian schr in the city.

    Over the years, in order to suppress the seemingly submissive but actually duplicitous Buddhist Sect, the Daoist Order had been supporting the Confucian School and vigorously promoted the friendship between the two parties. It wasparable to the time when the Daoist Order joined forces with the Buddhist Sect to fight against the Confucian School.

    Since this banquet was hosted by a Confucian schr, it would be hard for Zhang Yuelu to tantly reject the invitation.

    After the gentry left, Zhang Yuelu met the abbot of Shenxiao Temple, Chen Shouchen, who was already in his sixties.

    Although Chen Shouchen was also a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, he was very respectful to Zhang Yuelu, treating himself as a subordinate at all times.

    Zhang Yuelu looked at the gilded invitation and asked, ¡°Abbot Chen, what kind of official is Master Yuan Chongzong?¡±

    The Confucian School had three Grand Libationers, equivalent to the three Deputy Grand Masters. However, the Confucian School was not as structured as the Daoist Order, with an unclear hierarchy. However, most people in the Confucian School served as court officials. That was how one could gauge someone¡¯s rank.

    For example, a first-rank cab minister in the Imperial Court was roughly equivalent to a first-rank Tianzhen Daoist master in the Daoist Order.

    Chen Shouchen replied, ¡°Old Master Yuan has not served as a court official, but he is well known and revered in Jiangling Prefecture. There is a saying that he and the Old Commandery Prince rule Jiangling hand in hand.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu questioned, ¡°Is he rted to the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association?¡±

    Chen Shouchen opened his mouth, but did not say anything for a long time.

    After a while, Chen Shouchen responded. ¡°I dare not make any judgments regarding this. The Yuan family isplex, with a long history and strong roots. Many court officials will have to obey the Yuan family¡¯s orders. The vigntes and thugs in the city had also be the Yuan family¡¯sckeys. Even though the Yuan family has a Confucian background, they also have a good rtionship with several Sages in Huzhou. At least in the Jiangling area, no one dares mess with them.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded and muttered, ¡°What a powerful family.¡±

 Chapter 321: Yuan Family (I)

    <h4>Chapter 321: Yuan Family (I)</h4>

    Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu set off from Longmen Prefecture on March 15th. In the blink of an eye, it was alreadyte spring.

    Huzhou was located in the south, so it was already warm. Many pedestrians had changed into lighter summer wear.

    In the previous Wei Dynasty, there were detailed regtions on the type of clothing one could wear based on one¡¯s status and upation. For example, merchants were not allowed to wear silk and satin, andmoners could only wear t-toed shoes. Only Confucian schrs and Daoist priests could wear Daoist robes.

    However, in this dynasty, all these rules were abolished. There were only regtions on the color of clothing. ck was not allowed to be used casually. It could only be used by the Imperial Court and the Daoist Order. Instead, the bright yellow that symbolized the imperial family in the past was allowed to be used by the public.

    Since these were peaceful and prosperous times, the streets were full of silk and satin. Many wore bright colors as they strolled through the market. There were also people wearing garments that looked like court robes. The only difference was that there were no animal symbols in the front symbolizing one¡¯s rank, and they were not ck.

    There were also some Colored Eye businessmen wearing the clothes of the Central ins gentry.

    This was a very different scene from the troubled times of war and famine, where all one could see were corpses and starving people trading their children for food.

    This was the reason the Daoist Order and the Great Xuan Dynasty managed to overthrow the Confucian School and the Wei Dynasty to rule the empire.

    Zhang Yuelu left Shenxiao Temple in a carriage and headed for Taiping Inn, which doubled as a restaurant.

    Yuan Chongzong, the most famous gentry in Jiangling Prefecture, had rented out the main building of the Taiping Inn to entertain guests. This wasmon.

    However, this banquet was duller than usual. In the past, they would invite some courtesans to perform and liven up the atmosphere. However, there were no hired women in sight today; only the Kun Opera troupe specially invited from Jinling Prefecture to entertain the distinguished guests.

    In addition, the guests invited were not ordinary people. The people in attendance included the local magistrate, prefect, Green Phoenix Guard senior major, and a group of gentry and wealthy businessmen from Jiangling Prefecture.

    By mid-morning, carriages were already parked outside the gate of the Taiping Inn.

    <i>In the Great Xuan Dynasty, human-powered sedan chairs were banned. Young people and military officials liked to ride horses, while the older gentlemen and women would generally take carriages.</i>

    <i>These carriages were influenced by the customs of the Western Continent, with two horses and four wheels. The carriages increased in size and became more ornate, with carved beams and painted pirs, iid with gold and jade, and bells hanging from the four corners of the eaves.</i>

    <i>The inside of the carriage was like avish room with all kinds of furnishings. One could even read, write, and handle official duties from the carriage. There were also various tea sets and stoves fixed with special buckles to prevent spige from the asional bumps in the road.</i>

    It was rare to see a luxurious carriage on normal days, let alone so many gathered together in one ce, not to mention their expensive thoroughbred horses. The rich and noble were seen chatting andughing around the lobby, exuding an air of opulence.

    Compared with these ornate carriages, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s carriage was low profile and inconspicuous, not attracting any attention.

    Zhang Yuelu attended the banquet alone. She got out of the carriage, looked around, and scoffed. ¡°How extravagant...¡±

    The lobby of the Taiping Inn had been cleared. There was a special screen in front to protect the guests'' privacy. It resembled a peacock spreading its tail. The floor was also covered in carpets from the Western Region.

    Behind the screen was a staircase leading to the second floor. It was very spacious, easily amodating six people walking side by side. The main banquet was located on the second floor.

    However, at this time, there was no one else on the second floor except for the servants. Everyone attending the banquet was in the lobby on the first floor, drinking tea and chatting while waiting for the banquet to start.

    That was because the two important people of the day had yet to arrive. One of them was the host, Yuan Chongzong, and the other was today¡¯s guest of honor, Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu was not wearing her formal Daoist attire. Instead, she wore women¡¯s casual attire that leaned toward the conservative side. But she did not wear a veil because she did not like to conceal her face halfway.

    In her opinion, if a woman did not want to show her face, she should just wear a mask instead of a veil.

    There were not many female guests present, but there were still some, since it had be a norm for women to show up at events.

    Zhang Yuelu came to the gate and handed the invitation to the steward of the Yuan Residence, who was weing the guests.

    The steward initially thought that Zhang Yuelu was a youngdy from a wealthy family, but after opening the invitation, he could not conceal his shocked expression.

    After all, not many had seen Zhang Yuelu¡¯s true appearance. Most of them had only heard about her. Everyone assumed that she would be arrogant and shy because of her status as the Junior Tiangang Hall Master, with all Daoist priests from Shenxiao Temple apanying her. No one expected that Zhang Yuelu would show up alone.

    When the steward finally came to his senses, he announced loudly, ¡°Wee, Deputy Hall Master Zhang!¡±

    Everyone chatting and waiting in the lobby was startled. They quickly stood up one after another.

    At the same time, the steward bowed slightly and led Zhang Yuelu into the lobby on the first floor.

    Zhang Yuelu looked around. She was not at all shy or afraid. Instead, she was exuding a confident and oppressive aura that seemed to overwhelm the guests.

    Many guests were in awe and wary of Zhang Yuelu because she was able to hold such a high position at her young age. This was not just something that could be exined by good fortune alone.

    There were so many descendants in the Zhang family. Why should they promote a woman from a small branch?

    So many people died in the major Jiangnan case, but why was she the one who survived to the end?

    Sage Cihang had so many disciples, but why did she choose Zhang Yuelu to be her sessor?

    All these showed that Zhang Yuelu was not easy to deal with.

    Yuan Chongzong was not there, but his son Yuan Shangdao was. But before the son of the host could speak, Zhang Yuelu had already asked, ¡°Forgive me for my ignorance, who is Old Master Yuan?¡±

    Everyone looked at each other while Yuan Shangdao cupped his hands in salute and said, ¡°My father is old and frail, so he will be arrivingter. I hope you will forgive us for theck of hospitality, Deputy Hall Master Zhang.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu smiled. ¡°I find it interesting that a guest arrives before the host does. But it¡¯s alright. After all, I was raised to respect the elderly. I understand.¡±

    After that, Zhang Yuelu walked toward the second floor, as if she owned the ce.

    It was not because she did not understand basic etiquette. It was because she knew that what she was about to do would be offensive, so there was no need for superficial pleasantries.

    The remaining people on the first floor did not follow Zhang Yuelu upstairs. They were at a loss for what to do.

    Many of the guests frowned and thought that Deputy Hall Master Zhang was too arrogant.

    Yuan Chongzong used most of his life to achieve his current status by building his reputation and countless connections. But Zhang Yuelu was only in her early twenties.

    No matter how promising her future was, she was still only a fourth-rank Daoist priest. So they thought that it was too early for Zhang Yuelu to act so arrogantly.

    She was like an Imperial Prince who was expected to be the Crown Prince. It did not mean that the Imperial Prince could regard himself as the Emperor and ignore the important court officials before his coronation.

    Since Yuan Chongzong was old, Yuan Shangdao was considered the head of the Yuan family. He should have been the one to wee Zhang Yuelu this time.

    Yuan Shangdao was much older than Zhang Yuelu, about the same age as her father, Zhang Juqi. Although Yuan Shangdao could not regard himself as an elder, he could offer her a friendship as her peer.

    That way, Zhang Yuelu would be Yuan Chongzong¡¯s junior, establishing an invisible order of seniority. If so, Yuan Chongzong would take on the identity of an elder to negotiate with her.

    However, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s arrogant attitude and dismissal threw Yuan Shangdao¡¯s n out the window.

    In addition, Yuan Shangdao originally wanted to test Zhang Yuelu on behalf of his father, Yuan Chongzong. There were only a handful of people in the Daoist Order who were allowed to be named after the constetions. The famous Imperial Preceptor, Li Changgeng, was one of them.

    Thus, Yuan Shangdao wanted to see if Zhang Yuelu was as legendary and unique as the rumors. Was she worthy of her fame? Or would she fail to live up to her reputation?

    Yuan Shangdao summoned the steward and whispered a few words.

    Not long after, a luxurious carriage slowly approached the Taiping Inn.

    Everyone went out to greet the man, while Zhang Yuelu stood on the second floor and looked out of the window.

    She muttered, ¡°How ostentatious...¡±

 Chapter 322: Yuan Family (II)

    <h4>Chapter 322: Yuan Family (II)</h4>

    Qi Xuansu did not wear a cloak because it was warm. That was why he did not want to strap his two cusses by his waist and decided to put them in his saddlebag. He only kept his Divine Dragon Pistol and Qing Yuan by his side.

    As they approached the city gate, Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu dismounted and took their horses by the reins.

    When entering the city, Qi Xuansu showed his ck Robes badge so that he would not have to waste time exining the origin of the Divine Dragon Pistol. When the soldiers guarding the city saw Qi Xuansu, who was disguised as an old man, carrying a Divine Dragon Pistol and ck Robes badge, with a ¡°granddaughter¡± beside him who could already ride a horse at a young age, they thought that Qi Xuansu was from a general¡¯s family and let them pass without questions.

    Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu sessfully entered Jiangling Prefecture, but they did not stay at the famous Taiping Inn as a precaution.

    Instead, they found a smaller inn, the kind where there were guest rooms on the second floor and a small restaurant on the first floor.

    Qi Xuansu gave Liu Hu a Taiping coin and asked her to get their rooms while he led their horses to the stables at the back. Ever since getting Bu Yue, Qi Xuansu found that his horse understood humannguage. So he patted Bu Yue¡¯s saddlebag and warned, ¡°I¡¯ll hold you ountable for anything that goes missing.¡±

    Bu Yue snorted, as if to tell Qi Xuansu to rest assured.

    Qi Xuansu then went to the lobby. Liu Hu had already gotten the keys to their rooms, holding them in one hand while she had a handful of change in the other.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu took one key and waved to Liu Hu, signaling for her to keep the change. After all, it was less than one Taiping coin, and he was not a miser like Madam Qi.

    Liu Hu did not refuse and kept the change in her purse.

    To outsiders, they looked like a cute pair of grandfather and granddaughter.

    They followed the waiter to the guest room on the second floor. After settling in, they returned to the first floor and ordered some food.

    Liu Hu asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to drink?¡±

    Qi Xuansu immediately thought of the alcoholic Wild Bodhisattva. He could not help but shake his head andugh. ¡°No, we¡¯re outside. It¡¯s better to stay vignt.¡±

    Liu Hu nodded and concentrated on her food.

    Not long after, a group of people whizzed by the door. The person leading the group was a young master invish clothes and a jade belt.

    Wherever the group passed, pedestrians gave way. It was chaotic outside.

    Seeing this scene, the innkeeper shook his head and sighed.

    Qi Xuansu took the opportunity to ask, ¡°Innkeeper, who is that young master galloping wildly in this bustling city as if he¡¯s above thew?¡±

    ¡°Sir, are you from out of state?¡± The innkeeper did not answer his question immediately.

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°I¡¯m just passing by.¡±

    The innkeeper exined, ¡°That young master is from the Yuan family, a local wealthy family that is revered within the city. I heard that Old Master Yuan is hosting a banquet in Taiping Inn today to entertain a distinguished guest. This young master is probably in a hurry to attend the banquet.¡±

    ¡°Revered, huh?¡± Qi Xuansu clicked his tongue. He had a rough understanding of this young man.

    At this moment, the sound of horse hooves approached the inn.

    The innkeeper was startled and subconsciously looked out.

    Not long after, the group stopped directly at the entrance of the inn.

    The young man in the brocade clothes got off his horse and strode into the inn.

    The innkeeper hurriedly came out from behind the counter and took the initiative to greet the young master. However, before the innkeeper could say a word, the young master¡¯s attendant shoved the innkeeper aside. The innkeeper stumbled back, knocking over a table before falling to the floor, unable to get up.

    The waiters were so scared that they dared not breathe loudly, let alone move.

    The young master walked straight to Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu, but his eyes were locked on the girl.

    Qi Xuansu could tell what was about to happen. However, he could not understand what this young master saw in Liu Hu. He would have understood if it was Zhang Yuelu sitting next to him. After all, Zhang Yuelu was both talented and beautiful, coveted by many.

    On the other hand, Liu Hu was just mediocre at best. Qi Xuansu wondered if this young master was bored of the pretty women around him and had a change of pte.

    This young master was Yuan Fengchan, the son of Yuan Shangdao, who was the current head of the Yuan family. His grandfather was the great Confucian schr, Yuan Chongzong.

    Schrly families usually had strict rules. However, etiquette and family tradition were dependent on the receiving party. In front of friends and elders, young masters like Yuan Fengchan would be courteous so that no one could fault him. However, they thought there was no need to be courteous to peasants since they were superior.

    Earlier, when Yuan Fengchan passed by the inn on horseback, he identally caught a glimpse of Liu Hu and her ¡°grandfather,¡± Qi Xuansu. He was captivated by Liu Hu¡¯s animated, starry eyes, so much so that he could not take his mind off of her. Thus, he turned back to the inn with hopes of taking Liu Hu for himself, just as Qi Xuansu thought.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu stood up, cleared his throat, and nned to speak.

    However, Yuan Fengchan spoke first. ¡°My name is Yuan Fengchan. Miss, what is your name?¡±

    Qi Xuansu interjected, ¡°Young master, I think this is inappropriate.¡±

    Yuan Fengchan did not bother to reply, but someone in his entourage stepped forward to shove Qi Xuansu aside.

    ¡°My young master wasn¡¯t asking you, so you have no right to speak!¡±

    Qi Xuansu allowed the man to shove him, but he did not budge. Instead, he exuded some innate qi so that the force of the impact broke the man¡¯s wrist.

    The man¡¯s face immediately turned pale, and he took a few steps back. He still maintained his posture of wanting to push Qi Xuansu, but he dared not move.

    Qi Xuansu stretched out his hand to dust his clothes. ¡°I am talking to your young master, so you have no right to interrupt.¡±

    Yuan Fengchan¡¯s guards immediately gathered around Qi Xuansu in a hostile stance.

    Qi Xuansu looked calm as he asked, ¡°Are you nning to kidnap a civilian?¡±

    One of the guards said coldly, ¡°Civilian? I only see two criminals here.¡±

    Qi Xuansuughed.

    In a sense, these people were right. He really was a criminal on the run, especially after killing a fourth-rank superintendent.

    Since the Daoist Order was vigorously suppressing secret societies, local vigntes and civilians were encouraged to report any sightings of secret society members. Some were afraid of retaliation by the secret societies, so they dared not offend them. However, some would bravely use this matter to falsely use innocent people of being secret society members.

    Liu Hu remained silent. Along the way, she got to know that Uncle Wei was ruthless. He could kill a fourth-rank superintendent easily, let alone theseckeys.

    The guard did not dare to be too careless. He warned, ¡°No one in Jiangling Prefecture dares to be rude to my young master!¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Qi Xuansu smirked. ¡°I have been to many ces. You might think that you¡¯re all that, but there are plenty of people better than you, so don¡¯t think so highly of yourself.¡±

    The guard was furious, pulling out his sword. The light reflected on the de was blinding.

    Several waiters were so frightened that they immediately hid in a corner and protected their heads with their hands.

    The guard dared not move because a gun was pressed against his forehead.

    Qi Xuansu held the Divine Dragon Pistol and pressed on the hammer. ¡°You¡¯re right, I really am a criminal; a secret society member to be exact. If you dare touch me today, the Lingshan Witch Cult will go to the Yuan Residence and kill all of you tomorrow. Also, you don¡¯t need to scare me with the Imperial Court and the Daoist Order. If we were afraid of them, we wouldn¡¯t have formed this cult in the first ce.¡±

    The guard was silent for a moment. However, he regained his confidence and said, ¡°Do you dare to pull the trigger?¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not respond.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t dare to, why are you holding¡ª¡± The guard suddenly reached out to snatch the Divine Dragon Pistol from Qi Xuansu¡¯s hand.

    Bang!

    A dark, bloody hole appeared on the guard¡¯s forehead. His eyes were wide open as he fell backward, unable to rest in peace.

    ¡°I¡¯m a timid old man and can¡¯t bear to be frightened.¡± Qi Xuansu reloaded the gun without changing his expression or batting an eyelid.

    This time, no one asked Qi Xuansu whether he dared to pull the trigger. They just watched in fear as Qi Xuansu leisurely loaded his Divine Dragon Pistol.

    Qi Xuansu raised his gun again, this time pointing it directly at Yuan Fengchan. He said in the gentlest tone possible, ¡°Get out.¡±

    Yuan Fengchan¡¯s face darkened. He took a step back, but he could not swallow his pride. When had he ever been humiliated like this? But he was also a little scared.

    He would not have been scared if this old man was an ordinary thug. What worried him was the possibility of this old man being from the Lingshan Witch Cult, which happened to be the most terrifying of all secret societies.

    The Lingshan Witch Cult was known to be vengeful and unscrupulous. They even dared to kill a Sage.

 Chapter 323: Yuan Chongzong

    <h4>Chapter 323: Yuan Chongzong</h4>

    Yuan Chongzong was a great Confucian schr with an awe-inspiring aura. Although he was over 70 years old with white hair and a white beard, he looked very energetic. Hisplexion was ruddy, and he did not have many wrinkles on his face.

    When this great Confucian gentry walked into the Taiping Inn, he was like a moon surrounded by the stars. Court officials and wealthy businessmen spontaneously formed a circle ording to their status. The closer they were to Yuan Chongzong, the higher their status, reflecting the hierarchy of the gentry circle in Jiangling Prefecture. It made it clear at a nce who were the core figures and the peripheral figures.

    Soon, everyone made their way up to the second floor.

    Zhang Yuelu did not take a seat but stood by the window with her hands behind her back, staring at the street below. When she heard footstepsing upstairs, she slowly turned around and met Yuan Chongzong¡¯s gaze.

    The old man was leading the group. ¡°Are you Deputy Hall Master Zhang? I¡¯m Yuan Chongzong. My apologies for keeping you waiting.¡±

    Yuan Chongzong stopped when he was almost at the top of the stairs. The people following him also had to stop halfway up the stairs.

    Zhang Yuelu cupped her hands in salute and said, ¡°Greetings, Old Master Yuan. I am Zhang Yuelu.¡±

    Although she saluted him, Zhang Yuelu had no intention of stepping forward to support the old man. She also did not stop him from addressing her as Deputy Hall Master Zhang.

    Her stance was clear. She did not want him to view her as a junior.

    Furthermore, although Yuan Chongzong was old, he had a high level of cultivation, so he could manage climbing up a few steps. Even a 10-meter wall could not stop him, so he certainly did not need any support.

    Yuan Chongzong remained stoic, not showing any displeasure or anger on his face. He slowly walked up to the second floor and came to thergest round table with the fewest chairs around it.

    He stretched out his hand to Zhang Yuelu politely. ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang, please take your seat.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu walked to the guest of honor position at the round table and extended her hand as well. ¡°Same to you, Old Master Yuan.¡±

    The other guests only dared to sit down after the two VIPs were seated.

    ¡°Old Master Yuan, I¡¯d like to thank you for purposely setting up this reception banquet for me.¡± Zhang Yuelu picked up the wine ss.

    Yuan Chongzong also picked up his wine ss and said with a smile, ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang, you¡¯re too polite. As a good host, I ought to show the best of Jiangling Prefecture¡¯s hospitality.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu suddenly changed her tune. ¡°But I think this is a little too much for me. Outsiders who are unaware will think that I am some kind of big shot. I am just a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, so I dare not ept such a grand reception.¡±

    Yuan Chongzong chuckled. ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang, you¡¯re too humble. If I remember correctly, thest person who could be a Deputy Hall Master at your age was the sixth-generation Grand Master. Your path ahead is truly limitless.¡±

    ¡°Old Master Yuan, you¡¯re ttering me. I don¡¯t deserve such praise. How can a mere fireflypete with the bright moon?¡± Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes flickered.

    Hearing this made the worried Yuan Shangdao breathe a sigh of relief. This indicated that Zhang Yuelu was willing to show his father a little respect even though she did not want to think of herself as a junior.

    Yuan Chongzong smiled kindly. ¡°Back then, Duke Yansheng said, ¡®There are only three great families in the world, which are my family, the Zhang family from Shangqing Prefecture, and the Qin family from Dragon City.¡¯ Deputy Hall Master Zhang, you were born in the Zhang family of Shangqing Prefecture. I have been friends with your uncle, Sage Jucheng, for many years now.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°This uncle of mine is always busy with work. Since I am from a small branch of the Zhang family, I am not qualified to live in the Dazhen Mansion. As such, I only get to see my uncle a few times a year. After I moved to Jade Capital, it became even less frequent.¡±

    Yuan Shangdao¡¯s expression changed slightly.

    Everyone present was shrewd and experienced in the political arena, so they could hear the underlying meaning of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s words. Zhang Yuelu was implying that she was no longer familiar with Zhang Jucheng anymore, so Yuan Shangdao could not use her uncle to suppress her.

    On second thought, the Zhang family did not contribute much to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s promotion. Back when Zhang Yuelu was in trouble trying to solve the major Jiangnan case, it was Sage Cihang who saved her.

    The Earthly Preceptor was the one who promoted Zhang Yuelu to Deputy Hall Master and gave her a semi-immortal object. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s recent promotion to the Eighth Deputy was also due to Sage Cihang¡¯s efforts. Although Sage Cihang was also from the Zhengyi Sect, she was not from the Zhang family.

    In addition, Zhang Yuelu was from a small branch of the Zhang family, so the main branch would be wary of her for fear that she would take over their ce in the Dazhen Mansion and seize the position of Heavenly Preceptor.

    This would make sense as to why Zhang Yuelu was not close to Zhang Jucheng. Thus, Yuan Chongzong failed to use Zhang Jucheng to suppress her.

    The old man paused slightly, not knowing how to answer her.

    Zhang Yuelu took the initiative to say, ¡°Old Master Yuan, you just quoted Duke Yansheng. But if I remember correctly, the original quote was: ¡®There are only three families in the world, which are my family, the Zhang family from Shangqing Prefecture, and the Xu family from Zhongli. The Zhang family of Shangqing Prefecture are Daoists, while the Xu family of Zhongli are petty.¡¯

    ¡°The Xu family of Zhongli was the royal family of the previous dynasty. Moreover, calling the Zhang family of the Shangqing Prefecture Daoists wasn''t apliment at the time. Back then, the Holy Xuan was not yet born, and the Daoist order had not yet flourished, so it was reasonable for Duke Yansheng to look down on Daoist priests.¡±

    These words hit the nail on the head.

    Everyone present was displeased, but they could not refute it. After all, it was a fact.

    Zhang Yuelu continued, ¡°I suppose this banquet you¡¯re hosting isn¡¯t just intended as a reception banquet. I don¡¯t like beating around the bush, so it¡¯s best to just cut to the chase.¡±

    Everyone looked at each other, wondering if Deputy Hall Master Zhang was a fool to state such things so openly. How could she disregard this superficial harmony?

    Zhang Yuelu knew what she was doing. She was tantly breaking all these unwritten rules of etiquette.

    She looked around. ¡°It seems that none of you want to say anything, so let me do the honors.¡±

    Everyone was stunned again.

    Zhang Yuelu stated, ¡°A major case has urred in Purple Immortal Mountain. A Daoist superintendent, Liu Futong, has been arrested and escorted to Jade Capital. This case was found to have involved the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association, which is headquartered in Jiangling Prefecture. That¡¯s why I decided to stop by here.

    ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect to have so many people weing me as soon as I got off the flying ship. This makes me a little suspicious. Do you all have shares in the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association?¡±

    No one present ever imagined that Zhang Yuelu would rify the purpose of her visit like that, leaving them speechless.

    Yuan Chongzong finally spoke. ¡°The Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association has nothing to do with us. Deputy Hall Master Zhang, you are such a famous figure, so we decided to host a reception banquet to build a good rtionship with you. Even if you don¡¯t want to make friends, there is no need to nder me.¡±

    ¡°I hope it is as you say.¡± Zhang Yuelu turned to look at him. ¡°I have written to the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion, asking them to investigate the matter thoroughly. The preliminary results of the investigation will be out soon. For context, 250,000 Taiping coins have been embezzled from Purple Immortal Mountain in just three years, so there is no telling how much the final amount will be if we trace it back. Jade Capital will be thorough in the investigation, and we will not let anyone involved go.¡±

    Yuan Chongzong and Yuan Shangdao widened their eyes in shock.

    Needless to say, the other guests were also bbergasted.

    The Daoist Order was rich, so it was inevitable for outsiders to covet a share of it.

    However, the attitude of the Daoist Order had always been consistent. They would not allow outsiders to touch their money. Whoever dared to steal from the Daoist Order would be punished severely, and they would have to spit out every coin they took.

    The Daoist Order knew that money made the world go round. With money, one could cover up and suppress most conflicts. Without money, all conflicts would arise at the same time, and the situation would be irreversible.

    However, wealth corrupts. People were willing to die for money, just as birds would die for food. Over the years, there have been many who plotted against the Daoist Order. Some stayed hidden, and most of them cooperated with Daoists to split the profits, with the Daoists getting more shares.

    Zhang Yuelu slowly stood up and nned to leave the table.

    At this time, the entire second floor was deadly silent.

    Everyone¡¯s expressions were solemn, but they did not dare to do anything rashly.

    After all, it was no longer the Confucian era, but the Daoist era.

    If Zhang Yuelu had any mishap in Jiangling Prefecture at this sensitive moment, the Daoist Order would regard it as a provocation, invoking their wrath. The Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect would force the Taiping Sect to stand with them in retaliation.

    Unlike the Lingshan Witch Cult ouws who were not afraid of death, everyone present had a family and a career. If the Daoist Order were to retaliate against them, no one would be able to escape unscathed, and their families would be destroyed.

    At this moment, a steward from the first floor announced, ¡°Sage Pei is here!¡±

 Chapter 324: Anger

    <h4>Chapter 324: Anger</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu was startled to hear that Sage Pei had arrived, so she quickly turned her attention to the stairs.

    Not long after, a Daoist priest in ck attire and a long mustache walked up to the second floor. It was Pei Xiaolou.

    Everyone, including Yuan Chongzong, stood up and saluted the Sage.

    Pei Xiaolou perfunctorily returned the salute.

    ¡°Miss Zhang, I haven¡¯t seen you since west met in Shangqing Pce. How have you beentely?¡± Pei Xiaolou stroked his mustache with his thumb as he walked toward the round table where Zhang Yuelu was sitting.

    Zhang Yuelu suppressed the shock in her heart and greeted him. ¡°Thank you for thinking about me, Sage Pei. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou walked up to a gentleman and knocked on the table. ¡°Excuse me, please move.¡±

    The gentleman did not dare to refuse a Sage. He quickly stood up and gave his seat to Pei Xiaolou.

    Pei Xiaolou sat down and clicked his tongue. ¡°You¡¯re fine? It seems that Brother Qi doesn¡¯t have much standing in your heart then.¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone felt a murderous chill emanating from the youngdy.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face was icy as she red at Pei Xiaolou. ¡°Sage Pei, please don¡¯t make a joke out of Tian Yuan.¡±

    Everyone else was a little confused.

    Judging from their short conversation, the two were obviously acquainted. There was also someone named ¡°Tian Yuan¡± who had the honor of being brothers with a Sage. That man also seemed to have some undefined rtionship with Zhang Yuelu. But that remarkable person was no longer around.

    This seemed to be about the infighting within the Daoist Order, so it was best if outsiders like them did not get involved, lest they get implicated.

    Pei Xiaolou stretched out his hand, signaling Zhang Yuelu to take a seat. ¡°Here I thought you would shed tears for my brother, Miss Zhang. It seems I was wrong. You¡¯re certainly not a weak woman who only knows how to cry. I am truly ashamed for being presumptuous.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu took a deep breath and sat down slowly.

    She had not inquired about Pei Xiaolou¡¯s connection to Wei Wugui, yet this Sage took the initiative to approach her.

    In theory, Zhang Yuelu and Pei Xiaolou had equivalent positions. However, Sage Cihang and Sage Donghua were on the same level as each other. She was Sage Cihang¡¯s disciple, while Pei Xiaolou was Sage Donghua¡¯s brother. Thus, Pei Xiaolou would be considered her senior. Moreover, Pei Xiaolou was a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master, while she was only a fourth-rank priest. ording to the rules of the Daoist Order, she still had to show due respect to Pei Xiaolou.

    She was perplexed by Pei Xiaolou¡¯s purpose.

    Zhang Yuelu remained silent for a moment before getting straight to the point. ¡°Sage Pei, why did youe to Jiangling Prefecture?¡±

    ¡°If you cane, why can¡¯t I?¡± Pei Xiaolou poured himself a ss of wine. ¡°Miss Zhang, you¡¯re here running an errand for the Golden Tower. I am also running an errand for the Chongyang Pce of Immortality. I have inspected various Daoist pces and temples within the territory of the Quanzhen Sect, and Huzhou is thest one.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Zhang Yuelu looked at Pei Xiaolou. ¡°Sage Pei, have you ever heard about Purple Immortal Mountain? It is also within the Quanzhen Sect territory and under the jurisdiction of the Chongyang Pce of Immortality. This case happens to involve the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association from Jiangling Prefecture. I wonder, how will you deal with this, Sage Pei?¡±

    Pei Xiaolou said sternly, ¡°With strict punishment, of course. We can¡¯t let anyone get away with it.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°Good.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou suddenly changed the topic. ¡°By the way, Tian Yuan¡ª¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes shed. She could not help but ask, ¡°What about Tian Yuan?¡±

    ......

    At this time, the ¡°Tian Yuan¡± being mentioned was at another inn in Jiangling Prefecture, disguised as an old man. He had beaten up all of Yuan Fengchan¡¯s guards, leaving only the young master standing.

    Qi Xuansu sat on a bench with his legs spread wide and his hands pressing on his knees. One of his hands was also holding the Divine Dragon Pistol.

    Aside from the unexpected first shot, Qi Xuansu did not fire his gun again. He only used the gun as a hammer to bludgeon the remaining guards.

    His original intention was to use his gun to scare away this young master and then run away. After all, he knew that it was dangerous to go against local forces.

    However, he did not expect Yuan Fengchan and his entourage to be so bold as to snatch his gun. Qi Xuansu pulled the trigger instinctively and killed the first guard. Even so, one dead guard was not enough to scare Yuan Fengchan. That was why the situation escted.

    Qi Xuansu did not know what to do.

    He wanted to leave, but he was afraid of implicating this innocent innkeeper. That was why he decided to wait until local government officials arrived. That way, he could lure the government officials away and help the innkeeper shirk the me.

    Qi Xuansu wanted tough at himself. He was certainly ¡°poisoned¡± by Zhang Yuelu to be a good person because he would not have been so thoughtful in the past.

    He looked at Yuan Fengchan. ¡°Should I praise you for being brave orugh at your ignorance? You ought to learn to retreat when you still can and get vengeanceter. If I were like you, I would have died a thousand times over. You truly are a naive fool.¡±

    Yuan Fengchan¡¯s face was pale, but he was still calm. He found that he had underestimated this old guy. His guards were almost at the Kunlun stage, but this old man defeated all his guards in less than three strikes. Now, he had put himself in danger.

    However, what baffled him even more was that the old man had taken the initiative to get a waiter from the inn to report the matter to the local government. That way, the inn would not be implicated.

    To Yuan Fengchan, this further proved the old man¡¯s arrogance as he did not even take the government seriously.

    After a while, Liu Hu packed their bags and led their horses to the entrance of the inn.

    At the same time, a flurry of footsteps from arge group of people approached the inn.

    The local government officials dared not dy when they found out the young master of the Yuan family was kidnapped by gangsters, especially since the magistrate was invited to attend Old Master Yuan¡¯s banquet. Therefore, while the deputy sent guards to rescue Young Master Yuan, he also sent someone to notify the magistrate and the Yuan family about this incident.

    Naturally, these local government officials could notpare to the ck Robes or the Green Phoenix Guards. Qi Xuansu grabbed Yuan Fengchan by the cor and jumped on Bu Yue¡¯s back, using his legs to mp the horse¡¯s belly. Then he rode away in full view of the public.

    Liu Hu was at the Kunlun stage, so she followed Qi Xuansu with ease.

    These government officials dared not stop Qi Xuansu, especially when Yuan Fengchan was in his hands.

    Since it was broad daylight, and Jiangling Prefecture had been at peace for a long time, the city gate was wide open. The soldiers stationed at the city gate were not elites, so Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu managed to rush out of the city easily.

    Yuan Fengchan was held by Qi Xuansu, unable to move.

    He was terrified because he was held hostage by this cult demon and he could die at any moment.

    ......

    At the Taiping Inn, Pei Xiaolou only sighed. ¡°Tian Yuan¡¯s life is so miserable...¡±

    This annoyed Zhang Yuelu because she expected Pei Xiaolou to say something more substantial.

    At this moment, a local government official rushed up to the second floor of the inn and looked for the magistrate. He then whispered a few words softly.

    The magistrate subconsciously stood up upon hearing the shocking news, which attracted everyone¡¯s attention.

    Noticing his blunder, the magistrate calmed down, made eye contact with Yuan Shangdao, and coughed lightly.

    In fact, some people had already overheard what was whispered.

    Pei Xiaolou rubbed his ears and feigned surprise. ¡°The young master of the Yuan family was kidnapped by a cult demon?!¡±

    As soon as Pei Xiaolou said this, everyone in the hall gasped.

    Yuan Chongzong suddenly turned to look at the magistrate. He no longer had his usual kind smile stered on his face. Instead, he was exuding a fierce and intense killing aura.

    The magistrate smiled bitterly. ¡°Yes.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu also heard the whisper. She asked, ¡°Why did that person kidnap Young Master Yuan? There must be a reason.¡±

    The magistrate hesitated to answer.

    The guard exined clearly that Yuan Fengchan had taken the initiative to provoke the cult demon and ended up getting kidnapped. Moreover, it was still unclear whether that person was truly a cult demon.

    Yuan Shangdao suddenly became agitated. He shouted, ¡°These cult demons are always so reckless! Deputy Hall Master Zhang, why didn¡¯t you ask the Lingshan Witch Cult the purpose of them attacking the flying ship?!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu had a temper. Otherwise, she would not have broken one of Xu Kou¡¯s hands when he challenged her position back then. Having her patience tested repeatedly today, she finally could not bear it anymore.

    Many people only saw a silhouette shing by.

    The next moment, Zhang Yuelu grabbed Yuan Shangdao by the throat and lifted him with just one hand so that his feet were off the ground.

    As a member of the Confucian School, Yuan Shangdao had a cultivation level equal to the Guizhen stage. However, facing Zhang Yuelu, he was unable to fight back. He was captured by Zhang Yuelu with the Six Void Tribtions.

    Putting aside Zhang Yuelu¡¯s Banish Immortal lineage and the Six Void Tribtions, she was almost a Heavenly Being. This was the gap between the strong and the weak within the Guizhen stage.

    Zhang Yuelu said in a cold voice, ¡°Our people have done nothing wrong. But you know exactly what kind of person your son is. How could youpare him to the Daoist disciples who lost their lives in that incident?¡±

    Yuan Chongzong was horrified. He wanted to save his son, but just as he was about to get up, someone held his shoulder and sat him back down. He turned his head in anger and saw Pei Xiaolou standing beside him, with a palm pressing on his shoulder.

    Pei Xiaolou held the wine ss in his other hand and took a sip of wine. ¡°Brother Yuan, we shouldn¡¯t interfere in the younger generation¡¯s affairs. If you want to stretch your muscles, I don¡¯t mind sparring with you. How about that?¡±

 Chapter 325: Old Master Jin

    <h4>Chapter 325: Old Master Jin</h4>

    Ordinary mother-child talismans could only disy the upper body.

    However, more advanced mother-child talismans could not only disy the whole body but could also project the surrounding environment.

    Even when someone was thousands of kilometers apart, a top-quality mother-child talisman could form a projection that made it seem like the other party was in the same room.

    At this time, a high-quality mother-child talisman created a light curtain to the left and right of the room. To the right of the light curtain was an empty chair.

    The chair on the left was upied by an elderly man in a Daoist robe, with a butler standing beside him.

    The old man used a tobo pipe and a pocket watch from the Western Continent. He also had a jade pendant by his waist and a pair of sunsses made of fine ck crystal.

    The butler was dressed in a Daoist robe, a square hat, and a pair of sses.

    While waiting for the other party to join the meeting, the old man puffed away and reminisced about his past. ¡°Many years ago, when I was still very young, I was ordered to go to Jinling Prefecture, where I stayed in thergest Daoist temple in the city next to Zhenwu Lake.

    ¡°However, after just two days of stay, I was asked to leave the Daoist temple because an Omniscient Sage was arriving. In the evening, a group of Spirit Guards came to inspect the interior of the Daoist temple and set up various formations.

    ¡°Finally, a huge flying shipnded in Zhenwu Lake, which only carried one Omniscient Sage and a few of his entourage. When the Omniscient Sage walked down the ramp, everyone saluted him. It was truly impressive. At the time, I made up my mind to aspire to such heights.¡±

    The butler leaned forward slightly. ¡°The Daoist Order may have flying ships, but you have an armored ship and countless merchant ships.¡±

    The old man exhaled a puff of smoke. ¡°When the fourth-generation Grand Master went from Jade Capital to Imperial Capital, the Daoist Order dispatched a fleet of three Yinglong Warships to escort him. He also had his own flying ship, which wasparable to an immortal object.¡±

    The butler remarked, ¡°If you go to sea, we can also dispatch a fleet. Even if it is not as grand as the Grand Master, it¡¯s not far behind.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re ttering me.¡± The old man chewed on the lip of his tobo pipe and snickered. ¡°How can Ipare to the Grand Master? The only one who canpare with the Grand Master is the Emperor.¡±

    The butler bowed. ¡°You are right, sir.¡±

    The old man leaned back in his chair and held the tobo pipe. ¡°I remember when I first arrived in Nanyang. There were no armored ships back then, only a few broken sampans. Nanyang at that time was even more chaotic than it is today. Besides the Imperial Navy, the Taiping Sect¡¯s fleet, and the Zhengyi Sect¡¯s fleet, there were also many pirates, Western fleets, and various sea monsters. At least 28 days of the month are turbulent. Those are certainly not fond memories.¡±

    The butler gushed. ¡°The heavens will make one suffer and face adversity before bestowing great responsibility. This is to test one¡¯s will and character, enhancing one¡¯s abilities in unimaginable ways. It is for this reason that you are able to achieve your great endeavors today.¡±

    ¡°Great endeavors?¡± The old manughed. ¡°Is it really that great?¡±

    The butler implied. ¡°Well, the Qin family were not royals at the time.¡±

    At this moment, a figure appeared on the other side of the light curtain, sitting on the empty chair.

    ¡°Young Master Li, it¡¯s certainly not easy to meet you.¡± The old man looked at the figure on the other side of the light screen.

    ¡°There are some things that need to be dealt with at thest minute, so I couldn¡¯t get away. After all, two of my elders have gone to Jade Capital, so they have left the family affairs to me. I hope you will forgive me for my tardiness, Old Master Jin.¡± Young Master Li¡¯s attitude was casual.

    ¡°Jade Capital is a nice ce. The Holy Xuan grew up on Peni Ind, but he spent most of his time in Jade Capital.¡± The old man bit the lip of the pipe again.

    Young Master Li asked, ¡°Old Master Jin, have you been to Jade Capital?¡±

    The old man replied leisurely, ¡°I used to work there before you were even born, Young Master Li.¡±

    Young Master Li chuckled. ¡°It turns out that you were also a member of the Daoist Order.¡±

    The old man held the tobo pipe in his mouth and smirked. ¡°Yes, that was many years ago. At that time, the fifth-generation Grand Master was still in power.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what name did you use when you were in the Daoist Order?¡± Young Master Li probed.

    ¡°My real name, of course.¡± The old man added, ¡°But that person is already dead in the eyes of the Daoist Order.¡±

    ¡°May I ask who your master is?¡± Young Master Li pressed on.

    The old man did not answer the question directly. ¡°Someone who is unlucky to stand on the wrong team. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have left Jade Capital and traveled so far away.¡±

    Young Master Li adjusted his sitting posture slightly. ¡°Old Master Jin, how did you go to Nanyang?¡±

    The old man¡¯s eyelids drooped slightly as he recounted the past. ¡°Young Master Li, I¡¯m sure you are aware that the fifth-generation Grand Master had deposed three Deputy Grand Masters at the time. The three new Deputy Grand Masters that he promoted are still in power today.

    ¡°The fifth-generation Grand Master¡¯s intention is for the newly promoted Deputy Grand Masters to suppress the old factions. The Deputy Grand Masters were forced to do so. Otherwise, the fifth-generation Grand Master would just rece them as well. My master was a confidant of the deposed Deputy Grand Master, so he was implicated. By extension, I was also dragged into this.¡±

    At this point, the old manughed at himself. ¡°Young Master Li, are you bothered by it? This is just some stupid past, nothing big. After all, my prime has passed, and I can no longerpare to youngsters like you.¡±

    Young Master Li shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not bothered.¡±

    The old man smiled. ¡°Since you¡¯re not bothered, I will tell you more. Our perception and view of life are solidified in our prime. Unless one encounters a big life-changing event, it¡¯ll be difficult to alter one¡¯s views. When I was young, I met many important people in Jade Capital. That was how I aspired to be great like them. Since my career within the Daoist Order was over, I had no choice but to look for it outside the Daoist Order.¡±

    Young Master Li asked, ¡°Old Master Jin, what did you do after you went to Nanyang?¡±

    The old man exined, ¡°Nanyang is not only the South China Sea. It also includes the Sumadra Kingdom and the Borneo Ind. At that time, that region was in chaos. That was why I went there, as I can only make a name for myself by quelling trouble. I narrowly escaped death and climbed my way out of hell.¡±

    Young Master Li did not speak.

    The old man took away his tobo pipe and smiled. ¡°Of course, prestigious families like yours will stand out even during prosperous times. In this regard, normal people like us can¡¯tpare with you.¡±

    Young Master Li sighed. ¡°You make it sound easy, but I know it must be difficult for you to survive back then.¡±

    The old man gently stroked his tobo pipe. ¡°It¡¯s not too difficult, but it¡¯s also not easy. It all depends on luck and timing.¡±

    Young Master Li sat up straight. ¡°Old Master Jin, let¡¯s get to business.¡±

    The old man nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t want toe forward in person, but the Li family values this too much, and I dare not disobey the Imperial Preceptor. Moreover, the Imperial Preceptor intends for us to work closely together, so we will have many more opportunities to interact with each other.¡±

    ¡°We must prioritize this at this critical juncture so as not to give others an excuse to drag us down.¡± Young Master Li sighed softly. ¡°Back then, during the major Jiangnan case, a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master was executed, and an Omniscient Sage was transferred out. About 5 Sages were punished, and about 10 third-rank Youyi Daoist masters were demoted and transferred. The others were silenced by their own people or executed by Beichen Hall. There are countless lessons to be learned from the past.¡±

    The old man reassured him. ¡°Mywork is very safe.¡±

    Young Master Li leaned forward slightly. ¡°Safety in the past does not mean safety in the present, nor does it guarantee safety in the future. I hope you can cut off all ties that links this back to us, Old Master Jin.¡±

    The old man questioned. ¡°It¡¯s just the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association. Is such an overreaction necessary?¡±

    Young Master Li asked back, ¡°Old Master Jin, have you ever heard of Zhang Yuelu?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard of her.¡± The old man recalled, ¡°She seems to be a rising star in the Daoist Order.¡±

    Young Master Li¡¯s voice deepened. ¡°She participated in solving the major Jiangnan case back then and gained the attention of the Earthly Preceptor. Since then, she¡¯s had a steady rise.¡±

    ¡°Right, that¡¯s her.¡± The old man put the pipe aside. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just get rid of her? Is it because she¡¯s a woman? If you want to be a big shot, you can¡¯t have suchpassion for women, let alone love.¡±

    Young Master Li sneered. ¡°It has nothing to do with that. The timing and her identity are too sensitive. Zhang Yuelu is now more valuable than the granddaughter of the Heavenly Preceptor, so killing her won¡¯t help calm the situation; it will only backfire on us. That¡¯s why we only need to let her return to Jade Capital without finding out anything. There¡¯s no need for any unnecessary fuss for now.¡±

    The old man was silent for a moment before agreeing with Young Master Li. ¡°Alright, then. I will arrange for someone to handle this matter properly. Please rest assured, Young Master Li.¡±

    Young Master Li stood up and saluted the old man. ¡°I¡¯ll leave this to you, Old Master Jin.¡±

 Chapter 326: Ambush

    <h4>Chapter 326: Ambush</h4>

    Qi Xuansu originally thought that leaving the city would be difficult, so he took Yuan Fengchan as a hostage. However, he did not expect that leaving the city would be much easier than he imagined.

    But after some thought, it made sense because Jiangnan was not like the war-ridden northwest, where secret societies were running rampant. The ck Robes and Green Phoenix Guards stationed in the northwest were all elite warriors who had richbat experience. However, the prosperous Jiangnan had been at peace for a long time, so the gatekeepers here were akin to flowerbed priests in Jade Capital.

    As such, Yuan Fengchan became a hot potato that Qi Xuansu wanted to get rid of after exiting the city because the Yuan family and the local government officials would surelye after him.

    However, Qi Xuansu could not kill Yuan Fengchan. Otherwise, he would be targeted by the Yuan family, and he would always have to be cautious.

    Under normal circumstances, Qi Xuansu did not care about being targeted. However, he was entrusted to protect Liu Hu and escort her to the north. On the one hand, he was already trying to hide from the Daoist Order. On the other hand, he had to guard against The Inn¡¯s assassins. Thus, if he provoked another party, he would be facing enemies on three sides. This would make his mission all the more difficult, and he might not even survive this.

    However, Qi Xuansu did not want to just let Yuan Fengchan go so easily.

    At this moment, a Daoist priest wearing an eye patch walked toward him with a g that had the words ¡°Harsh Criticism¡± written on it. He also had a sword behind his back.

    The Daoist priest was humming a tune.

    <i>?? Walking around, wandering about, </i>

    <i>?? Have no worries about learning naught. </i>

    <i>?? Speak not of the truth, </i>

    <i>?? Rely on that oily tongue; </i>

    <i>?? Kiss that ass till it cramps, </i>

    <i>?? Lick that boot till it shines. </i>

    <i>?? ¡®Tis the way of life in all thend; </i>

    <i>?? Kidnapping, swindling, try your hand!</i>

    Qi Xuansu suddenly reined in his horse and threw Yuan Fengchan to the ground.

    With a leap, the Daoist priest appeared in front of them in the blink of an eye.

    Qi Xuansu demanded. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    The Daoist bowed his head in greeting. ¡°I am Thunder Mage.¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, many figures appeared on both sides of the road, gradually surrounding them.

    Qi Xuansu finally realized that he had plunged right into someone¡¯s trap.

    He quickly scanned the people around him and spotted two familiar faces¡ªXu Changwu and Cripple Zhou, who stirred up a fuss at the Taiping Inn in Longmen Prefecture that day.

    Qi Xuansu immediately understood that even though his disguise had almost no ws, Liu Hu was only wearing a simple disguise because she did not have a white fox face mask like him. As long as these people kept an eye on Liu Hu¡¯s movements, the assassins would be able to track them down no matter how clever Qi Xuansu¡¯s disguise was.

    However, Qi Xuansu¡¯s original intention was not to deceive these assassins. He only wanted to hide from the Daoist Order. Although he did not know that Zhang Yuelu was actively chasing his tail, he figured that what he did would inevitably attract the attention of the Daoist Order. Thus, he needed to add anotheryer of disguise to Wei Wugui.

    In addition, these assassins had their ownwork of intelligence, which was widespread. Thus, they were most often better at tracking people than the Green Phoenix Guard and the Daoist Order.

    Qi Xuansu used to mingle with these assassins while traveling alone, so he knew how they operated.

    In the case of Fengtai County, the Li family of the Taiping Sect and the Qingping Society got the news at the same time. The Qingping Society was aware of the Li family¡¯s movements, but the Li family did not know that the Qingping Society was also tracking down the Xuan Jade. That was how the Qingping Society gained the upper hand and eventually seeded in obtaining the Xuan Jade.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re assassins from The Inn.¡± Qi Xuansu remarked without a hint of panic.

    Thunder Mage smiled and said, ¡°Since you have guessed it, there is no need to waste my breath.¡±

    Before he finished his sentence, there was a gunshot.

    Qi Xuansu did not hesitate to pull the trigger. One of the assassins copsed to the ground, with a Grade-B Series Three Dragon Eye Bullet lodged in his head.

    By the time Qi Xuansu put away his Divine Dragon Pistol, he threw out six of the Seven Phoenix Feathers, three from each hand.

    Qi Xuansu had taken the Seven Phoenix Feathers from Su Ran because they were spiritual objects that could be used repeatedly. The concealed weapon could be infused with innate qi, and the des of the feathers could beced with poison.

    The only catch was that this concealed weapon could only be operated by someone in the Guizhen stage, so Qi Xuansu was lucky enough to qualify.

    Qi Xuansu fired the gun and shot out the Seven Phoenix Feathers from his sleeve in one fell swoop. By the time these assassins reacted, Qi Xuansu had already incapacitated seven of them.

    Although the Seven Phoenix Feathers failed to hit the opponents¡¯ vital points, the feather des were dipped in poison, so the ones who got hit could not move and were no longer a threat to Qi Xuansu.

    Having eliminated seven people, this encirclement was not as tight as before.

    Qi Xuansu was not afraid of an ambush, especially if the opponent was weaker than him. That was when he whipped out his two cusses from his saddlebag.

    Thunder Mage¡¯s face turned solemn as he brandished his long sword. ¡°I have underestimated you. It¡¯s no wonder Schr Song has suffered at your hands. But it¡¯s strange. Why do you have both the skills of a Diviner and a Qi Refiner? It really doesn¡¯t make sense. Are you a Banished Immortal? But if you were a Banished Immortal, you wouldn¡¯t have been an unknown figure.¡±

    Magic, blood qi, innate qi, and divine power were not connected, but the true essence of Banished Immortals could be transformed into all these sources. Therefore, Banished Immortals were the strongest out of the other four major lineages, as they could practice a wide range of mystical abilities that the other lineages could not.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s situation was not exactly the same as a Banished Immortal. He had magic, blood qi, and innate qi, but they could not transform into one another. They were separate sources of energy, so even when his innate qi was exhausted, he could still use magic. This had its advantages and disadvantages.

    Comparing Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu, Zhang Yuelu only had true essence. Whether she was conjuring a spiritual statue or exerting sword qi, she would ultimately consume her true essence, which was used to transform into divine power and innate qi, respectively.

    Qi Xuansu was much moreplicated. Summoning ghost soldiers would consume his magic; using his fist intention would consume his blood qi; and using the Sword Controlling Technique would consume his innate qi. These came from separate sources of energy, so even if his magic was exhausted, he could still use innate qi to save himself. Hence, he couldst longer in a fightpared to most people.

    Facing Thunder Mage, Qi Xuansu held the two cusses and jumped off Bu Yue¡¯s back. That was because he was not very good at mountedbat. He preferred fighting on foot.

    Liu Hu pursed her lips and remained seated on her horse.

    The next moment, Qi Xuansu charged forward.

    Thunder Mage held a long sword in one hand and his g in the other. No one would have expected the long sword to be a cover for the real lethal weapon hidden inside the g.

    With a wave of his g, an emerald green sword light shed out instantly.

    Qi Xuansu had no time to dodge. He only felt a tearing pain on his shoulder, because he had self-healing abilities like a Martial Arts Practitioner, his wound healed almost immediately.

    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Qi Xuansu closed the gap between them, standing just three meters away from Thunder Mage.

    ¡°A Martial Arts Practitioner too? Are you really a Banished Immortal?¡± Thunder Mage was shocked, but he still had a firm grip on his long sword as he defended himself against Qi Xuansu¡¯s two cusses. At the same time, Thunder Mage used his innate qi to summon the flying sword to stab Qi Xuansu from behind.

    However, using the flying sword at this time while Qi Xuansu attacked with two cusses came at a heavy price.

    In the blink of an eye, Qi Xuansu knocked out Thunder Mage¡¯s long sword with his left cuss and stabbed Thunder Mage¡¯s abdomen with his right cuss.

    Although the flying sword also injured Qi Xuansu, it only managed to graze his shoulder. Once again, the wound healed rapidly, so it did not leave much of an impact.

    On the other hand, Thunder Mage¡¯s Qihai acupoint and lower Dantian were damaged from that stab. Thus, he could not circte his innate qi and could no longer control the flying sword.

    At the same time, the rest of the assassins charged at Qi Xuansu.

    That was because they could clearly see that if they wanted to capture Liu Hu, they would have to kill Qi Xuansu first. Otherwise, Qi Xuansu would be able to track them downter, and they would most likely die at his hands. However, if they all cooperated with Thunder Mage to kill Qi Xuansu first, capturing Liu Hu would be a piece of cake.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s cusses ignited with zing fire as he injected more innate qi into them. It seemed as if he was not at all affected by the previous wounds. He turned around and fought with the others, the sword qi and mes moving about erratically.

    It was horrifying to see two assassins dropping dead on the ground in just one move.

    In this industry, an assassin in the Guizhen stage was considered a master. The Inn¡¯s top assassin was also in this stage. That was why Third Master Chang dared to ambush Zhang Yuelu with several Guizhen-stage helpers.

    This time, although The Inn¡¯s assassins outnumbered Qi Xuansu, only Thunder Mage was in the Guizhen stage.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 327: Thunder Palm

    <h4>Chapter 327: Thunder Palm</h4>

    Xu Changwu only felt the cold wind blowing against his face. At the critical moment, he only had time to turn his head slightly to avoid a lethal strike. Then he felt a tearing pain in his shoulder.

    He was startled to find out how fast Qi Xuansu¡¯s de was.

    The Dayan Spirit de Technique was not about speed but about elusiveness.

    Qi Xuansu did not stop after striking Xu Changwu. Instead, he appeared behind Cripple Zhou and shed the back of Cripple Zhou¡¯s neck with a backhand.

    The hair on the back of Cripple Zhou¡¯s neck stood on end as he felt a chill from behind. He dared not look back and instantly rolled forward. Despite this, his hair was still set aze by the mes on the de, his robe was torn, and there was a long, charred wound on his back.

    Qi Xuansu was more like an assassin than they were. Regardless of whether his strikes were a hit or miss, Qi Xuansu moved on to his next target. Xu Changwu and Cripple Zhou were the best among the assassins, yet they could barely escape with their lives.

    However, this kind of battle against someone with a higher level of cultivation depended more on one¡¯s emergency response and years of experience. Some people who had slower reflexes or panicked would die immediately under Qi Xuansu¡¯s de.

    The amount of experience one had was not directly rted to age. Even though most of these people were thugs, some of them only operated in big groups most of their lives. Thus, they only had a few life-and-death experiences. Luck was also a crucial element, as it was a thin line between life and death.

    Qi Xuansu was so powerful that the assassins were afraid of him.

    They knew that Qi Xuansu was at least in the Guizhen stage, so it would not be a walk in the park to kill him. No matter how much they were promised to bepensated, they needed to stay alive to spend it.

    At this moment, everyone hesitated to move forward. They only hoped that the person next to them would take the fall, so they could reap the benefits after.

    However, while the assassins were hesitating, Qi Xuansu kept striking, bringing down another three people.

    Fortunately, Thunder Mage finally caught his breath. He bit the tip of his tongue and spit out a mouthful of True Yang Saliva, which was the essence and blood with the most yang energy in one¡¯s body.

    Thunder Mage used True Yang Saliva to draw a talisman on the palm of his right hand. Every stroke was sparkling, apanied by a faint sound of wind and thunder.

    The light was dazzling, attracting everyone¡¯s attention.

    Thunder Mage¡¯s true ability was using thunder spells, whereas Third Master Chang was most proficient in using flying swords.

    <i>The Earthly Immortal lineage was second to the Heavenly Immortal lineage, which was the best among the Five Lineages. The Earthly Immortal lineage was known as the mainstay of the Daoist Order and should not be underestimated. Among the Five Lineages, only Manly Immortals could not use spells. The other four lineages could use spells to varying degrees. However, there was a spell that was unique to the Earthly and Heavenly Immortal lineages¡ªthunder spells.</i>

    <i>Thunder spells were supreme within the Daoistmunity because they required the most yang energy. The Five Thunder Celestial Heart Method was an exclusive technique to the Zhengyi Sect Heavenly Preceptor¡¯s lineage. It was also the most authentic one among the many thunder spells.</i>

    <i>Thunder spells were so powerful that they could eliminate all illusions. Therefore, Diviners and Shamans were not able to practice this technique until they reached a state of bnce between yin and yang.</i>

    <i>However, most of the superior thunder spells were monopolized by the Zhang family, just as the superior swordsmanship was gatekept by the Li family. Most of the remaining thunder spells scattered outside were mostly iplete. If one practiced it rashly and failed to follow the proper method, there would be bacsh.</i>

    <i>Thunder Mage did not practice the systematic thunder spell, as he had identally acquired fragments of it. Practicing it forcefully without proper guidance had side effects like blindness. That was why he became blind in one eye.</i>

    <i>When he obtained this fragment of the thunder spell, he was only in the Yuxu-stage. After practicing it once, he immediately realized its tremendous power, so he became immersed in it and could not stop himself. Thus, he continued to practice until he reached the Guizhen stage. By then, he could not care less about the side effects.</i>

    <i>Moreover, for thugs like him who lived on the edge of their des, it was more important to strengthen their cultivation to increase their chances of survival.</i>

    <i>The Zhang family¡¯s thunder spell¡ªthe Five Thunder Celestial Heart Method¡ªwas a perfected method that the Great Heavenly Preceptor obtained from the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. It had been passed down from generation to generation with a proper system, specifying which techniques could be practiced at certain levels of cultivation. There were also warnings on why one should not vite the cultivation requirement and how to eliminate the after effects and bacsh.</i>

    <i>When the Holy Xuanpiled the methods of all Daoist sects to create a structured program for the Five Lineages, he specially added these disimers for the future generations. Unfortunately, Thunder Mage was not a proper Daoist disciple, so he did not know of these disimers.</i>

    The move used by Thunder Mage at this time was called the Thunder Palm. It was both a spell and a supporting palm technique. It was one of the basic palm techniques of the Zhang family, equivalent to the Wanhua Divine Sword Palm of the Li family. It was a low-entry technique, so it was easy to learn. However, Thunder Palm would be more powerful as one¡¯s cultivation level increased. It would vary from person to person.

    The difference was that the Li family hid sword qi in their palm technique, while the Zhang family hid thunderbolts in their palms.

    Qi Xuansu had once been bombarded by the Li family¡¯s Wanhua Divine Sword Palm because of Su Ran. So he learned from his lesson and dared not underestimate the Zhang family¡¯s Thunder Palm.

    After Thunder Mage struck out his palm, he shouted, ¡°Get out of the way.¡±

    Everyone quickly dispersed and crouched down.

    A split secondter, a thunderbolt shed past, aiming straight at Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu wanted to dodge, but he did not expect this thunderbolt to lock onto him as if it had eyes. In desperation, Qi Xuansu could only use his cusses to block it.

    In an instant, this bolt of lightning traveled through Qi Xuansu¡¯s cusses and into his body. There was a loud crackling sound as sparks flew everywhere.

    Liu Hu, who was watching the battle from the side, could not help but gasp.

    When the thunderbolt dissipated, Qi Xuansu still felt that his whole body was numb. Although he could not feel the pain, he could feel the tingling sensation from the electrocution.

    Qi Xuansu immediately put away his conductive cusses and decided to use his fists for closebat. After all, the fist intention could block thunder and lightning to a certain extent, preventing them from entering his body.

    When Thunder Mage saw Qi Xuansu approaching, he shouted, ¡°ept your fate, boy!¡±

    These words resounded like thunder in Qi Xuansu¡¯s ears.

    Thunder Mage stepped forward and pped his right hand on the top of Qi Xuansu¡¯s head, hiding the thunderbolt in his palm.

    Qi Xuansu stood on one side, letting Thunder Mage pass him.

    Thunder Mage noticed that he failed to hit Qi Xuansu, so he quickly followed with another move, which was even more swift and fierce.

    Once again, Qi Xuansu turned to the left and dodged. Thunder Mage followed up with five more palm strikes. Thunder Mage seemed to turn into a dragon, flying in the air rapidly and suppressing Qi Xuansu so that thetter would not be able to escape.

    Qi Xuansu flew to the side after another confrontation. This time, his right sleeve turned into ashes, exposing a dark handprint on his right arm. There were even some lingering sparks apanied by a faint smell of burning flesh.

 Chapter 328: Soul Travel and Unstoppable Arrow

    <h4>Chapter 328: Soul Travel and Unstoppable Arrow</h4>

    After Qi Xuansu regained his footing, he clenched his fist, tightening the muscles on his forearm. The charred palm print shattered like a scab. Once the burnt flesh fell off, new flesh regenerated rapidly.

    ¡°The Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s body-regenerative ability.¡± Thunder Mage¡¯s face turned solemn. He leaped over again with strong momentum.

    The Li family¡¯s Wanhua Divine Sword Palm was about endless changes, while the Zhang family¡¯s Thunder Palm was precise and strong. Since Thunder Mage did not get proper training, the techniques he used seemed rather sluggish and stiff.

    Qi Xuansu let Thunder Mage strike several times and even took a hit just so he could figure out the weaknesses in Thunder Mage¡¯s moves.

    After a while, Qi Xuansu noticed some ws and attacked Thunder Mage. Qi Xuansu constantly changed his hand movements, ranging from fists to ws. This was the beauty of the Tantai Fist Intention. There was no need to adhere to a specific form.

    Suddenly, Qi Xuansu used his palms to sh down at Thunder Mage, like a pair of axes. This forced Thunder Mage into a defensive position.

    The two fought faster, dazzling the rest of the assassins. Some of them wanted to help Thunder Mage, but they were caught by Qi Xuansu and used as a human shield, dying under the hands of Thunder Mage.

    Since then, no one dared to interfere.

    There was a moment when Thunder Mage was at a disadvantage. The Thunder Palm was difficult to defeat, but Qi Xuansu was resilient to the pain and injuries because he had the physique and self-healing abilities of a Martial Arts Practitioner. Thunder Mage dared not resist Qi Xuansu¡¯s fists, so he gradually fell into a defensive position.

    Qi Xuansu struck with one palm and one fist with astonishing power, akin to a sledgehammer and an ax. Suddenly, he roared and punched Thunder Mage¡¯s chest with both fists. Thunder Mage also pushed out his palms at the same time.

    The moment their fists and palms met, a resounding boom caused the ground beneath Thunder Mage¡¯s feet to crack open.

    Thunder Mage¡¯s face turned an abnormal shade of blood red, but he could not separate his palms from Qi Xuansu¡¯s fists. Despite the injury, he channeled all his innate qi in an attempt to exert the full force of the Thunder Palm. A surge of electric current flowed into Qi Xuansu¡¯s body.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s whole body became numb and stiff.

    Thunder Mage had also exhausted his energy. His face was pale as paper. However, even though he no longer had the energy to attack, the other assassins could step in to help him since Qi Xuansu was no longer able to move.

    Xu Changwu reacted the fastest, rushing toward Qi Xuansu first. He secretly gloated. <i>Let¡¯s see if you¡¯ll be able to regenerate a head after I crush it!</i>

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu¡¯s soul flew out of his numb and stiff body. His soul did not take on the appearance of his disguise as an old man but his original appearance.

    This was the Diviner¡¯s soul-traveling ability. It came naturally like the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s body-regenerative ability.

    In the previous fierce battle, Qi Xuansu only used the methods of a Rogue Cultivator and a Martial Arts Practitioner, so his opponents had forgotten that he was also a Diviner.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s out-of-body soul wielded a huge ghosthead knife as if it were as light as a feather. Then he passed by Xu Changwu.

    Xu Changwu had a look of horror on his face before a thin red line appeared on his neck. A secondter, his head tilted and rolled off his shoulders.

    All of this happened in just a sh. After Qi Xuansu¡¯s out-of-body soul killed Xu Changwu, he turned around to kill Thunder Mage.

    Seeing this, Thunder Mage was horrified. He secretly berated himself for forgetting that Qi Xuansu was also a Diviner, which he knew from their failed attempt to attack Qi Xuansu in his dreams a while ago.

    ......

    There were three leaders among these assassins¡ªThunder Mage, Schr Song Luodi, and Monk Deng Hua. At this time, Song Luodi and Monk Deng Hua had been observing the situation in hiding.

    The schr Song Luodi shook his head and clicked his tongue. ¡°I have warned that Daoist long ago that he should not underestimate this guy. But he still insists on going his own way. I don¡¯t know how many lives he will lose.¡±

    Monk Deng Hua chuckled. ¡°Isn¡¯t that in our favor? The more people die, the fewer people there are to share the money.¡±

    This monk was a Bikkhu, simr to a Daoist Martial Arts Practitioner. Monk Deng Hua¡¯s blood qi was not pure or condensed, but he could use spells, unlike a Martial Arts Practitioner.

    Song Luodi sighed. ¡°Third Master Chang has a great reputation in our industry. More importantly, he also has a group of sworn brothers, all of whom are good fighters as well. That¡¯s why no one dares to provoke him.

    ¡°If he were alone, we would not be able to defeat him. But if you and I work together, we could take him down. Third Master Chang understood this, so he disappeared after his failed assassination of Zhang Yuelu. That¡¯s the only reason we managed to get this job.

    ¡°If too many of us died, we would get a bigger share of the profits, but we would also becking helpers. If the three of us are the only ones left, we won¡¯t be able to get such a big job. Even if we can, will we have the confidence to ept it?¡±

    Monk Deng Hua¡¯s expression turned solemn. ¡°You¡¯re right. In that case, we can¡¯t dy any longer. We need to get rid of that Banished Immortal as soon as possible. Once he¡¯s dead, we can split his spiritual objects equally among the three of us. We¡¯ll also take care of the funeral of our fallenrades as a way to win loyalty from the rest.¡±

    Song Luodi nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±

    The monk grinned. ¡°Old Song, you should take some Taiping coins to appease the widows and children who have lost their breadwinner. I will personally conduct the funeral service to help our dead brothers reincarnate to their next lives.¡±

    Song Luodi hesitated for a moment. ¡°We can¡¯t be careless. Even if we kill this Banished Immortal, we must guard against other gangs trying to steal that girl from us.¡±

    Monk Deng Hua was about to speak when he suddenly saw Qi Xuansu¡¯s out-of-body soul confronting Thunder Mage. He shouted, ¡°Oh no!¡±

    Before he finished speaking, the monk had already disappeared. The branch he was standing on swayed slightly.

    His speed and agility were incongruous with his huge body.

    ......

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s soul was about to kill Thunder Mage when he suddenly felt a strong surge of blood qiing toward him. Since this was Qi Xuansu¡¯s first time soul-traveling, he was still not very skilled at controlling his soul. Facing this strong blood qi, his soul was forced back into his body.

    Monk Deng Hua appeared in front of Thunder Mage, protecting the exhausted Daoist.

    Thunder Mage heaved a long sigh of relief and said with difficulty, ¡°Monk, if you hade a secondter, I would¡¯ve died right here.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen.¡± Monk Deng Hua chuckled like the Laughing Buddha.

    Monk Deng Hua stared at Qi Xuansu.

    Thunder Mage, Monk Deng Hua, and Song Luodi were in the Guizhen stage and considered the best in their field. However, they knew that they had no chance of winning if they fought against Qi Xuansu by themselves.

    However, this was a battle of life and death, not a structured exam of the Daoist Order, so there was no fairness to speak of. They nned to win in numbers. Qi Xuansu was just unlucky that he was caught alone without a helper.

    Monk Deng Hua made a move, wanting to end Qi Xuansu¡¯s life.

    That was when he saw a sh of cold light before a feather pierced his chest.

    Qi Xuansu had used six of the Seven Phoenix Feathers earlier. He purposely left one for emergencies.

    Although Qi Xuansu still felt numb and sluggish, he could finally move because his body was healing rapidly. Since this monk was so arrogant, Qi Xuansu decided to give him a Seven Phoenix Feather.

    Monk Deng Hua lowered his head and saw ck blood oozing out of his chest, apanied by a tingling and numbing sensation. He knew he must have been poisoned, but he had a strong physique and blood qi, so it would take more than a feather to knock him out.

    He took a deep breath and sealed the three acupoints to prevent the poisonous blood from circting. He thought to himself, <i>Hah! A mere poison dart can¡¯t kill me. I just need to fight faster and kill him now. We can¡¯t let him dy a moment longer.</i>

    Monk Deng Hua focused on Qi Xuansu and charged at him again.

    Qi Xuansu dared not be careless. He continued to circte his innate qi and blood qi to resolve the numbness and stiffness in his body while waiting for the attack.

    Both of them gave their full attention to their opponent, but what happened next surprised everyone.

    Out of the blue, an arrow came from the sky and struck Monk Deng Hua right between his eyebrows.

    Since Monk Deng Hua focused all his attention on Qi Xuansu, he did not see the arrowing and could not defend himself. His skull was shot through, killing him on the spot.

    Upon closer look, Qi Xuansu noticed a white paper arrow.

    Seeing that arrow, he abruptly turned his head in the direction the arrow was shot from.

    A woman held a bow and continuously shot out more arrows, not missing any of her targets.

    One by one, Cripple Zhou and Thunder Mage were killed by the paper arrows.

    Qi Xuansu smiled bitterly. He never would have imagined meeting her again under such circumstances.

 Chapter 329: Presumption of Innocence

    <h4>Chapter 329: Presumption of Innocence</h4>

    Although the Great Xuan Dynasty sessively abolished some of the old systems of the previous dynasty, it still preserved some, such as the travel permit system.

    This travel permit was for people who traveled out of their area of residence. It was an official document issued by the local government. Without a travel permit or an official badge, one would be punished ording to thew.

    With the prosperity ofnd and sea trade and the frequent movement of people, this travel permit system should have been abolished. However, due to the rise of secret societies, the Imperial Court and the Daoist Order still retained this system to facilitate the arrest of secret society members.

    A travel permit had to be used when entering the city and staying at an inn. Without a travel permit, the inn would report the person to the local government.

    ck Robes, Green Phoenix Guards, Daoist priests, and schrs with meritorious status did not need a travel permit and could travel freely to various ces as long as they could show proof of identification, such as the Daoist insignia or the ck Robes badge.

    Qi Xuansu used his identity as Wei Wugui to check into an inn in Jiangling Prefecture, so the local officials quickly got wind of it and reported it to Taiping Inn, where Zhang Yuelu was.

    Under Pei Xiaolou¡¯s mediation, Zhang Yuelu released Yuan Shangdao and took a step back.

    Wei Wugui¡¯s whereabouts came so effortlessly that Zhang Yuelu felt a little dazed for a moment. However, she did not forget that Pei Xiaolou had issued Wei Wugui a badge. She thought that it was too coincidental for the two of them to be in Jiangling Prefecture at the same time, so she did not show her interest in Wei Wugui in front of Pei Xiaolou.

    Instead, she excused herself by offering to help the Yuan family rescue Yuan Fengchan as an apology for being rude to Yuan Shangdao.

    Yuan Shangdao did not refuse. In fact, it was not embarrassing to lose to Zhang Yuelu. After all, Zhang Yuelu was a Banished Immortal and a Deputy Hall Master. She also had a temper, as seen when she defeated Li Tianzhen, the dignified young master of the Li family.

    Thus, Zhang Yuelu left the Taiping Inn and ran as fast as she could to catch up to Yuan Fengchan¡¯s abductor. She was even faster than a galloping horse.

    Zhang Yuelu did not like firearms as much as Qi Xuansu. She preferred ancient bows and arrows, and her shooting skills were excellent. At this time, she turned her Amorphous Paper into a bow and some arrows.

    She shot the assassins ording to their cultivation level, from high to low. First, she killed Monk Deng Hua, followed by Thunder Mage and Cripple Zhou sessively. The rest were nothing to worry about.

    This was a sessful sneak attack. If it were a head-on fight, Monk Deng Hua would not have died in a single strike, even though he ultimately would not be able to defeat Zhang Yuelu anyway.

    Monk Deng Hua was not prepared at all, just like when Zhang Yuelu was injured by two women with low cultivation levels from the Lingshan Witch Cult in the ancient temple. Sneak attacks were also how Qi Xuansu managed to kill so many opponents who had higher levels of cultivation than himself.

    Zhang Yuelu did not kill Wei Wugui because she wanted to capture him alive, as he was deeply involved in many cases rted to secret societies.

    Seeing this scene, the other assassins shouted and fled in all directions.

    Song Luodi, who had been hiding in the dark, did not hesitate to use the Earth Escape Method and disappeared in an instant.

    Only Qi Xuansu stayed where he was. He turned around and stared at Zhang Yuelu. Fortunately, he was wearing sunsses, which concealed the surprise andplexity in his gaze.

    Zhang Yuelu walked slowly toward Qi Xuansu with a long bow in hand. The paper arrows she shot flew back and merged into their original form.

    Qi Xuansu felt nervous. Although he did not know why Zhang Yuelu was here, he knew that it was not a simple coincidence. He still remembered that Zhang Yuelu noticed some problems in his past experiences through a few pages of information when he interviewed for a position in Tiangang Hall. That was why he pretended to tell her the truth about his master¡¯s assassination to cover up that lie.

    With such precedent, Qi Xuansu thought that Zhang Yuelu had probably noticed some clues this time.

    Zhang Yuelu stopped about 10 meters away from Qi Xuansu. The long bow and arrows had already turned into a paper bracelet that wrapped around her wrist.

    The two stood opposite each other.

    At this moment, there was purple energy flowing in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes. She was using the Banished Immortal¡¯s Immortal Eye of Providence in an attempt to see through the man in front of her.

    Fortunately, Qi Xuansu did not have an ordinary disguise. He was wearing Su Ran¡¯s white fox face mask, which could hide one¡¯s aura wlessly. Thus, Zhang Yuelu could not see anything.

    ¡°Are you Wei Wugui?¡± Zhang Yuelu finally asked.

    ¡°I am Wei Wugui. Thank you for your help, Miss. May I ask for your name?¡± Qi Xuansu¡¯s voice sounded aged and raspy.

    Qi Xuansu did not forget that he was now Wei Wugui, who should not be able to recognize Zhang Yuelu since this was their first time meeting.

    In a very short period of time, Qi Xuansu managed to calm himself down. He temporarily suppressed all kinds ofplicated emotions so as not to do anything stupid like blurting out Zhang Yuelu¡¯s name.

    Zhang Yuelu looked at Qi Xuansu and replied, ¡°My name is Zhang Yuelu.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you are the youngest Deputy Hall Master of the Daoist Order. Your reputation precedes you, Mage Zhang.¡± Qi Xuansu feigned surprise.

    Zhang Yuelu was not surprised that Wei Wugui had heard of her name. She asked, straight to the point, ¡°Why did you kill Wan Xiuwu?¡±

    Qi Xuansu yed dumb. ¡°Who is Wan Xiuwu?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was silent for a moment before she suddenly questioned him. ¡°Is Wei Wugui really that old?¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally took off his sunsses to reveal a pair of dull, cloudy eyes. ¡°Mage Zhang, I don¡¯t understand what you mean by that.¡±

    ¡°You went from Salt Lake to Xiping Prefecture. On the way, you met Eighth Tianyang and Qin Wubing. Then you went to Xijing Prefecture, the Ghost Pass, Longmen Prefecture, and Purple Immortal Mountain. Many of those who met you said you were a young man. Why do you look so old now?¡± Zhang Yuelu stared at Qi Xuansu¡¯s eyes intently, intending to gauge his reaction by noticing the changes in them.

    Qi Xuansu was shocked beyond words. He never expected Zhang Yuelu to have such a good grasp of his journey thus far. He lowered his head slightly and closed his eyes before replying, ¡°It¡¯s just a disguise that I usually use when traveling.¡±

    ¡°You can deceive so many people with that disguise, which shows how intricate it is. In that case, are you also wearing a disguise now?¡± Zhang Yuelu suddenly took a step forward.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s body tensed up, and he quickly took a step back. ¡°Mage Zhang, what are you saying?¡±

    Qi Xuansu knew that now was not the time to reunite with Zhang Yuelu because Pei Xiaolou promised that he would be able to return to the Daoist Order in a legitimate way. By then, he would be able to reunite with Zhang Yuelu, so he did not want to reveal himself at this moment.

    Zhang Yuelu smirked. ¡°Someone¡¯s guilty.¡±

    Qi Xuansu defended himself. ¡°Mage Zhang, I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m guilty of. There must be some misunderstanding between us. If you think I am guilty, please provide proof of my crime, because the Daoist Order believes in the presumption of innocence.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes flickered. This was why she felt stuck. The presumption of innocence required evidence to prove one¡¯s guilt. She had only deduced Wei Wugui¡¯s whereabouts through many clues and suspected that Wei Wugui was a secret society member who killed Wan Xiuwu. However, she had no solid evidence to support her suspicions.

    Zhang Yuelu used some tricks to get Eighth Tianyang to slip up about Wei Wugui, but Eighth Tianyang did not admit it. That was why Wei Wugui¡¯s involvement was still just spection and why Zhang Yuelu could not formally arrest Wei Wugui.

    With her status, Zhang Yuelu could have ordered the Daoist authorities to capture Wei Wugui. However, it was not realistic to do so, as it would damage the Daoist Order¡¯s reputation.

    What made Zhang Yuelu wary was Wei Wugui¡¯s backer, Pei Xiaolou. She was not so confident in thinking that she could sessfully arrest Wei Wugui within Quanzhen Sect¡¯s territory.

    Would the Quanzhen Sect priests recognize Pei Xiaolou, who was Sage Donghua¡¯s brother, or Zhang Yuelu, who was a disciple of the Zhengyi Sect?

    Although Zhang Yuelu was favored by the Earthly Preceptor, Sage Donghua was the second-inmand of the Quanzhen Sect after the Earthly Preceptor. Sage Donghua was also expected topete for the title of Grand Master. Even if Sage Donghua failed to be the Grand Master, he would still be able to inherit the position of Earthly Preceptor.

    Moreover, Zhang Yuelu was not a direct descendant of the Earthly Preceptor, but Pei Xiaolou was Sage Donghua¡¯s biological brother.

    It was clear which one of them would hold more importance to the Quanzhen Sect disciples.

    That was why Zhang Yuelu decided she had to take this matter into her own hands.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s eyes never left the Amorphous Paper on Zhang Yuelu¡¯s wrist, as he knew how lethal it was. He slowly reached his hands behind his back.

 Chapter 330: Use All Means

    <h4>Chapter 330: Use All Means</h4>

    The two of them made a move at the same time.

    Qi Xuansu pulled out his two cusses from his waist and injected qi into them, lighting the des on fire.

    To Qi Xuansu¡¯s surprise, Zhang Yuelu did not use a sword. She also turned her Amorphous Paper into two paper cusses.

    Qi Xuansu knew that Zhang Yuelu¡¯s strength was in her swordsmanship. Her use of other kinds of weaponsgged behind, though they were not weak at all.

    At this time, Zhang Yuelu using two cusses instead of a sword was a conceited act because she was using her shorings to attack her opponent¡¯s strengths.

    Qi Xuansu could not stand seeing her behave like this, as he was a firm believer that a lion should still fight a rabbit with all its strength. He thought to himself, <i>If it wasn¡¯t for my weaker cultivation, I would¡¯ve taught her a lesson so she would correct this stupid behavior!</i>

    The next moment, the two of them were fighting with each other.

    By coincidence, both of them used the Dayan Spirit de Technique.

    Their des were extremely fast, crossing the distance between them in a split second as if they could teleport. The des also had no set trajectory, so it was extremely difficult to guard against and could often catch people off guard.

    Zhang Yuelu did not hold back when she taught Qi Xuansu the Dayan Spirit de Technique back then. When he first started learning, Qi Xuansu was indeed a lot worse than Zhang Yuelu. However, as Qi Xuansu¡¯s cultivation level improved and he continued to hone his skills by fighting with others, he gradually became familiar with this technique and mastered it.

    On the other hand, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s focus was not on the Dayan Spirit de Technique, so in terms of knifesmanship alone, Qi Xuansu wasparable to Zhang Yuelu.

    The two of them exchanged more than ten moves, but their des never once touched each other and only kept changing variations. It was as if they had both predicted what the other¡¯s moves were.

    Qi Xuansu was not purposely giving in to her. After all, he did not have the confidence to do so when fighting against Zhang Yuelu. He was already trying his best to maintain this tie, which was extremely difficult for him.

    Since Zhang Yuelu wanted to capture Wei Wugui alive, she did not exert her full strength. Even so, she was surprised by his superb technique. Not many people knew the Dayan Spirit de Technique, and Wei Wugui¡¯s technique was far superior to Qi Xuansu¡¯s.

    While the two were fighting, they gradually deviated from the official path and approached the woods where Monk Deng Hua and Song Luodi had hidden previously.

    As they went deeper into the forest, many trees became coteral damage to their fight. Their des would slice through thick tree trunks like a hot knife through butter.

    After dozens of moves, Zhang Yuelu jumped back and withdrew from the battle. She suggested, ¡°We won¡¯t get anywhere if we both use the same technique. Why don¡¯t we try other methods?¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not say a word. He just used both cusses to strike Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu leaned out of the way. Qi Xuansu circled back and shed across her waist, but she jumped over the cusses.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu withdrew one cuss and stabbed her in the back, changing his move rapidly. Even though Zhang Yuelu had noticed it, she was already in midair from her jump, so she had no choice but to use her paper cuss to stab a big tree not far away, using this momentum to propel herself behind the tree.

    Qi Xuansu followed closely and pierced the tree with his two cusses so deep that the tree trunk reached the hilt of his cusses.

    The mes on the des instantly ignited the tree trunk. The distance between the tip of Qi Xuansu¡¯s des and the tip of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s nose behind the tree was only a few centimeters, but Zhang Yuelu remained motionless, as if she knew that the des would not hurt her.

    This was not part of the Dayan Spirit de Technique. It was Qi Xuansu¡¯s own technique honed through countless battles with others. The key was to attack the opponent¡¯s vitals and adapt to changes.

    Qi Xuansu had used this same technique with Thunder Mage before and managed to stab thetter in the abdomen. At this time, he tried stabbing Zhang Yuelu three times in a row, but Zhang Yuelu managed to dodge every move. This showed arge gap between Thunder Mage and Zhang Yuelu¡¯s skills.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu quickly yanked his cusses out from the trunk, cutting the tree in half.

    They could finally see each other again.

    Zhang Yuelu was not at all injured. She only praised, ¡°Nice one.¡±

    Qi Xuansu still did not speak. He stabbed her again, but she dodged to the left. Qi Xuansu went to his right and swung his two cusses diagonally, then he suddenly turned around, sweeping the de backward. This was a wonderful move in the Dayan Spirit de Technique.

    Zhang Yuelu raised her paper cuss to block this strike, which came down on her with a strong force. Qi Xuansu struck twice in a row, but Zhang Yuelu only defended and did not attack. In the end, Zhang Yuelu was forced to use her best skill¡ªswordsmanship¡ªwith the paper cusses.

    The pair exchanged more than ten moves like this.

    Qi Xuansu kept attacking fiercely, but he would run out of momentum. Zhang Yuelu would then use this opportunity to turn her defense into offense.

    She shed Qi Xuansu¡¯s face with the paper cuss in her right hand while she shed at Qi Xuansu¡¯s wrist with the paper cuss in her left hand.

    Qi Xuansu quickly blocked the attack with his left cuss. Since his cusses were only spiritual objects, the left cuss was sliced into two upon impact. His right wrist was also injured by the paper cuss, with blood trickling down. The cuss in his right hand ttered to the ground, and the mes extinguished subsequently.

    The paper cuss in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hand had his blood dripping down from the tip of the de.

    Qi Xuansu jumped back, looking solemn. ¡°Mage Zhang, you¡¯re very skilled in swordsmanship.¡±

    While talking, the wound on Qi Xuansu¡¯s wrist had already healed on its own.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°The Martial Arts Pracitioner¡¯s self-healing ability!¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not want Zhang Yuelu to connect Wei Wugui and Qi Xuansu, so he deliberately distracted her. ¡°Mage Zhang, haven¡¯t you heard of manmade Banished Immortals? Rogue Cultivators are just iplete Banished Immortals. My self-healing ability is nothingpared to a natural-born Banished Immortal like you.¡±

    As expected, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attention was diverted. ¡°Who are you? How do you know the secrets of the Daoist Order?¡±

    Qi Xuansuughed. ¡°Secrets? Mage Zhang, do you know that the Li family is using these manmade techniques to create a Banished Immortal as we speak? That person may very well be a strong enemy for you in the future.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not say a word, but her expression became solemn.

    Although Wei Wugui did not name anyone, she already knew who he was talking about¡ªLi Changge.

    Li Changge was from the same generation as the Imperial Preceptor, Li Changgeng, indicating his seniority despite his young age.

    Qi Xuansu added. ¡°Mage Zhang, you have a semi-immortal object, so I am certainly no match for you. I wonder if you dare fight with bare hands. If you can defeat me with your fists, then I will tell you the truth. Otherwise, I won¡¯t say a word even if you capture me.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not hesitate. She turned the paper cusses back into a piece of white paper and hung it on her waist like a handkerchief.

    The Daoist Order had a soul-searching method, but it was too cruel, so there were strict restrictions imposed for its usage. If Qi Xuansu decided to keep his mouth shut, Zhang Yuelu would have no other way to pry the information out of him.

    Qi Xuansu assumed the starting posture of the Tantai Fist Intention with his left hand in a Dragon Fist and his right hand in a Tiger Fist.

    Zhang Yuelu did not waste any time. She closed the distance with Qi Xuansu and pointed at Qi Xuansu¡¯s left elbow with the index and middle fingers of her right hand.

    Qi Xuansu raised his left fist to block the move, but it was just a feint. At the same time, he used a concealed weapon.

    Suddenly, a white misty rain of light shot out from his right hand.

    This was the Bliss Needle that Qi Xuansu got from Su Ran, which was made of primordial maite. When pierced into the body, one¡¯s innate qi would be blocked and one¡¯s true essence would be dissolved. It also muddled one¡¯s mind with blissful hallucinations.

    Zhang Yuelu was in closebat with Qi Xuansu, so she could not dodge in time. She hurriedly fluttered her sleeves and exerted innate qi to repel the needles. If she were not only one step away from a Heavenly Being, she would not have been able to block it.

    Qi Xuansu kept shooting out more needles.

    At the critical moment, Zhang Yuelu turned her head to the side, and two Bliss Needles flew past mere centimeters in front of her face.

    Zhang Yuelu leaned back as two Bliss Needles flew past her ears.

    She was furious because Wei Wugui did not keep his word, so she used the Zhang family¡¯s authentic Thunder Palm, hitting her opponent head-on.

    A loud thunder-like boom resounded as Qi Xuansu¡¯s left fist collided with her palm. At the same time, he struck her shoulder with his right fist.

    The two punches were swift and fierce. When he threw out his right punch, he simultaneously shot two Bliss Needles from his sleeves into Zhang Yuelu¡¯s chest and abdomen.

    Qi Xuansu used the Sword Controlling Technique tounch the Bliss Needles. It was not a brilliant move, but a sinister one. At this time, Zhang Yuelu was too focused on defending against his fists, so she did not expect that the punch was just a cover-up for another sneak attack.

    Zhang Yuelu retracted her left palm and held it up to Qi Xuansu¡¯s right wrist to deflect his punch. She wanted to grab his left wrist as well, but she was a step toote. The Bliss Needle prated her clothes and disappeared into her body.

 Chapter 331: Chase and Escape

    <h4>Chapter 331: Chase and Escape</h4>

    Most Rogue Cultivators without a flying sword would use the Sword Controlling Technique tounch concealed weapons.

    The Bliss Needle was not lethal. It would only dissolve Zhang Yuelu¡¯s true essence and create illusions. Its actual effect would also vary from person to person.

    Qi Xuansu knew that Zhang Yuelu would not die from the needle, but her cultivation would be restricted. That was why he dared to use it on her.

    If Zhang Yuelu attacked with all her might, Qi Xuansu was no match for her, as could be seen when Zhang Yuelu easily knocked down both of his cusses. Unfortunately, Zhang Yuelu did not use her full strength because she wanted to capture Wei Wugui alive, which gave him the opportunity for a sneak attack.

    After Qi Xuansu seeded in his sneak attack, he punched Zhang Yuelu with both fists.

    Zhang Yuelu was notpletely restrained by the Bliss Needle. She waved her sleeves to create a strong surge of qi, causing Qi Xuansu to stagger back three steps and sway unsteadily.

    Qi Xuansu felt that his blood qi was surging, and his meridians felt paralyzed. It feltpletely different from the numbness caused by an electric current passing through his body.

    He instantly knew that this was another one of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s most aplished techniques, the Six Void Tribtions, taught to her by the Earthly Preceptor. Back then, Xu Kou was defeated by Zhang Yuelu with this unique technique.

    Zhang Yuelu took the opportunity to retreat quickly. In the blink of an eye, she was already deep in the dense forest.

    Qi Xuansu had to chase her because he was worried about her safety. At this time, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s cultivation was damaged, so he was afraid that the assassins from The Inn would take this opportunity to attack her. If she was harmed, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

    Thus, Qi Xuansu entered the dense forest and ran for about 4 kilometers until he came to an open space with a small pool and a waterfall at the top.

    As soon as Qi Xuansu got closer, he saw the water in the pool and waterfall merging into a wall of water that steadily rose in the air before it came crashing down on him.

    It turned out that Zhang Yuelu was hiding in the gap behind the waterfall. When she saw Qi Xuansu chasing her, she quickly attacked him.

    Qi Xuansu jumped up and punched her with both fists. Since Tantai Yun was the master of two major lineages, the Tantai Fist Intention that she invented was not purely from one lineage. Thus, Qi Xuansu could use both his innate qi and his blood qi to counter that wall of water.

    However, the true essence condensed in this wall of water was far purer than Qi Xuansu¡¯s innate qi and blood qi. So Qi Xuansu felt like he had punched a metal wall and drifted back from the impact. Uponnding, his legs sank knee-deep into the ground. His blood qi and innate qi surged within him, making his chest feel tight.

    Just then, the waterfall parted by a thin line. Zhang Yuelu appeared, but instead of pursuing victory, she continued to flee.

    Qi Xuansu immediately knew that Zhang Yuelu only chose to run because she had not resolved the Bliss Needle. So he immediately pulled out his legs from the ground and caught up to her. He punched her again, intending to force her to stop.

    Zhang Yuelu managed to dodge, so his punchnded on a big tree with great force, instantly snapping it in half. The strong wind brushed past Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face, hurting her slightly.

    Qi Xuansu punched her again, so Zhang Yuelu had no choice but to strike back with a Thunder Palm. Hearing the booming sound of thundering from her palm, Qi Xuansu quickly dodged to the side.

    With a wave of her sleeves, Zhang Yuelu jumped up like a big bird and ran up the boulders to the top of the waterfall.

    Although Qi Xuansu did not have such fancy skills, he used his hands and feet to climb up the cliff next to the waterfall. He climbed faster than a monkey, catching up with her in the blink of an eye.

    As soon as he climbed to the top of the cliff, he saw Zhang Yuelu running in front of him. She had not gone far yet, so he chased after her at top speed.

    The Tantai Fist Intention had many postures. At this time, Qi Xuansu attacked with a Mountain Fist, which was equivalent to hitting someone with a shield. That was because he wanted to show Zhang Yuelu that he had no intention of killing her. He only wanted to slow her down.

    Zhang Yuelu could not dodge in time and resisted with her palm. Both their bodies swayed upon impact, but nothing else happened.

    Qi Xuansu was shocked by the force in Zhang Yuelu''s strike and changed to the River Fist, which imitated the endless river current.

    Zhang Yuelu turned around and dodged again, but Qi Xuansu followed up with a continuous flow of punches, graduallypressing Zhang Yuelu¡¯s space to dodge.

    Seeing this, Zhang Yuelu had to reach out her right hand to grab Qi Xuansu¡¯s left wrist. That was when Qi Xuansu felt six streams of qi prating his body into his meridians.

    Qi Xuansu did not have time to think too much, punching her again simultaneously with the Mountain Fist and the River Fist.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s body swayed as she took the hit. Her pretty face turned red because her blood surge, so she quickly jumped back.

    Qi Xuansu wanted to find out if Zhang Yuelu had resolved the Bliss Needle. Unexpectedly, he suddenly felt sore and weak as he tried to circte his innate qi. Even so, he forcefully channeled both his innate qi and blood qi to punch Zhang Yuelu¡¯s palms.

    With that, Qi Xuansu suddenly gained the upper hand. Zhang Yuelu groaned in pain, suffering a heavy loss.

    Just as Qi Xuansu wanted to take advantage of the situation to strike again, six more streams of qi surged out of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s palms, blocking Qi Xuansu¡¯s innate qi and blood qi.

    Facing this, Qi Xuansu was forced to retreat with a look of shock on his face.

    Zhang Yuelu showed no mercy when she gained the upper hand. She leaped in front of Qi Xuansu and pped him hard.

    Qi Xuansu only felt the gust of winding from Zhang Yuelu¡¯s palm, so he hurriedly waved his fists to resist. However, before their fist and palm collided, Zhang Yuelu abruptly changed her move, turning her palm strike into a finger that pointed at the center of Qi Xuansu¡¯s eyebrows.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu quickly blocked her finger with his left palm. As Zhang Yuelu¡¯s finger moved slightly, a streak of blood appeared on Qi Xuansu¡¯s cheek.

    Qi Xuansu was awestruck. He tried to exert all his strength, but the six different kinds of qi kept interrupting his own cirction. They were changing erratically, making his meridians sore and numb so that he could not exert any force.

    Suddenly, a thought shed through Qi Xuansu¡¯s mind. <i>Is the Six Void Tribtions the power to control the six qi: yin, yang, wind, rain, darkness, and light?</i>

    To confirm his guess, Qi Xuansu punched her again. Zhang Yuelu retreated in response to the situation, and Qi Xuansu once again noticed the six strange qi in his body that stopped him from punching with all his strength.

    After all, Zhang Yuelu was only one step away from a Heavenly Being. She was also a Banished Immortal. After being hit by the Bliss Needle, she still had the strength to fight. However, it came at a cost. She had to use most of her energy to suppress the Bliss Needle.

    Thus, at this time, when fighting against Qi Xuansu, she could only use half of her actual cultivation level. That was why she could not conjure a Spiritual Statue or use her sword qi.

    Qi Xuansu was not considered weak among the Guizhen-stage practitioners. His Tantai Fist Intention was extremely fast and powerful, so Zhang Yuelu had no choice but to resort to the Six Void Tribtions.

    Fortunately for Qi Xuansu, Zhang Yuelu had not yet mastered the Six Void Tribtions. If he was struck by the Earthly Preceptor¡¯s Six Void Tribtions, the strange qi would take root in his body permanently, attaching to his bones. It would constantly feed on the host¡¯s innate qi and blood qi, and it could not be resolved for the rest of his life.

    For a time, Qi Xuansu was restrained by the Six Void Tribtions, while Zhang Yuelu was restrained by the Bliss Needle. Each of them had their own fears, so they just stood there facing each other from a distance, wary of each other yet not making a move.

    Qi Xuansu knew that Zhang Yuelu would regain her strength soon as the effects of the Bliss Needle wore off. If that happened, she would definitely defeat him. So he was left with only two choices: retreat now or fight with all his might to capture Zhang Yuelu.

    After some hesitation, Qi Xuansu decided to fight with Zhang Yuelu again.

    With his rich experience, he did not have to use blood qi or innate qi. Instead, he used the posture of the Tantai Fist Intention but only with his physical strength. Zhang Yuelu¡¯s physique was not as strong as Qi Xuansu¡¯s, and the Six Void Tribtions consumed a lot of her energy, so she could not use it repeatedly.

    Zhang Yuelu was left with no choice but to dodge Qi Xuansu.

    The two of them advanced and retreated, exchanging dozens of moves. Suddenly, Qi Xuansu punched out with both fists, striking with the power of five tigers.

    Zhang Yuelu raised her arms to block the attack, her body shaking. From an outside perspective, it seemed that she was repelled by the power of the punch. In actuality, she flipped back and dampened the force. She then disappeared into the forest.

    Qi Xuansu did not expect this move. Seeing that Zhang Yuelu was not injured, he immediately chased after her. When he entered the forest and saw no trace of Zhang Yuelu, he immediately felt rmed. That was when he felt a strong winding from behind.

    He quickly turned around and threw out a punch. His fist struck Zhang Yuelu¡¯s palm, which was filled with thunder and lightning.

    A strong electric current drilled into Qi Xuansu¡¯s body, causing him to groan in pain. His whole body was numb, and his blood surged. Zhang Yuelu used the force of the impact to propel herself deeper into the forest, disappearing from sight.

    Qi Xuansu could not help but smile bitterly, ashamed that he had fallen for her trick even when he had so much fighting experience.

 Chapter 332: Confrontation

    <h4>Chapter 332: Confrontation</h4>

    Qi Xuansu saw that Zhang Yuelu could take care of herself, so he stopped chasing her and quickly turned back the way he came. That was because Liu Hu was still outside, and he was afraid that the assassins from The Inn woulde back to capture the girl.

    When Qi Xuansu jumped down the waterfall, he suddenly felt a chill behind him. He tried his best to dodge it, but he lost his bnce and plunged directly into the small pool below.

    Qi Xuansu crawled out of the pool,pletely drenched from head to toe.

    He looked up and saw Zhang Yuelu standing above the waterfall. However, instead of jumping down, she turned around and left.

    Qi Xuansu was stunned. But he was d that Zhang Yuelu had resolved the Bliss Needle.

    He dared not stop and ran out of the forest to the official road where he was attacked by Thunder Mage. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Liu Hu was safe and sound.

    While Qi Xuansu was fighting fiercely with Zhang Yuelu, Liu Hu had already retrieved Qi Xuansu¡¯s Seven Phoenix Feathers, four Bliss Needles, Divine Dragon Pistol, and two cusses. She handed them back to him.

    Qi Xuansu asked in surprise, ¡°Where are the people who were hit by the Seven Phoenix Feathers?¡±

    ¡°Dead,¡± Liu Hu simply said.

    Qi Xuansu nced at the two cusses. One of them was broken in half, so it was useless. The only intact cuss was soaked with blood, so he immediately understood what happened.

    After all, Liu Hu was Wild Bodhisattva¡¯s daughter. Although she was taciturn, she was by no means a squeamishdy who would not dare to kill a chicken.

    Qi Xuansu put the intact single cuss and the Divine Dragon Pistol back to their original holsters on his waist. Then he ced the Seven Phoenix Feathers and Bliss Needle in a ce where they could be easily fired. In the end, only the broken sword was left.

    At this moment, a figure crept to the edge of the woods, quietly staring at them. It was Zhang Yuelu. She was elusive, so Qi Xuansu did not notice her presence.

    In such a short period of time, Zhang Yuelu still could not force out the Bliss Needle from her body. But she could recover part of her cultivation. She was unwilling to let Wei Wugui escape just like that, so she did not wait for a full recovery before tracking down his footsteps.

    All this while, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu had been taking turns chasing each other.

    When Qi Xuansu was about to leave, Bu Yue became a little restless. The horse looked into the distance while snorting and digging the ground with its front hooves, as if trying to tell Qi Xuansu something.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu remained calm and gently stroked Bu Yue¡¯s mane tofort the horse. After a moment, Qi Xuansu suddenly turned around and leaped toward Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hiding ce.

    Zhang Yuelu did not expect this, so she had no choice but to confront him. The two of them collided head-on. Qi Xuansu was ready to attack, so Zhang Yuelu immediately drifted back because she was still recovering. Her retreat broke two big trees before she managed to stop herself.

    By the time Qi Xuansu caught up to her, Zhang Yuelu hooked an arm around a tree trunk and swung herself behind it. When Qi Xuansu¡¯s fists struck the tree trunk, snapping the tree in half. Wood chips flew into the air, and the leaves fell all around them.

    Zhang Yuelu waved her sleeves to conjure a strong wind. The thousands of falling leaves turned into countless weapons as sharp as des, shooting toward Qi Xuansu.

    Thus, Qi Xuansu had to change his offense to defense, using the Mountain Fist to block all the leaf des.

    However, this was just a distraction technique. Zhang Yuelu took the opportunity to p Qi Xuansu with her palm, bringing it down with an intense force.

    Qi Xuansu quickly used his palms to block the strike. When their palms touched, Zhang Yuelu used the Six Void Tribtions to gain the upper hand, injecting six streams of foreign qi into his body to stop him from moving.

    When it became hard to bear, Qi Xuansu groaned in pain and shot out another Bliss Needle.

    However, this time, Zhang Yuelu was on guard. She turned her Amorphous Paper into a paper umbre to block the Bliss Needle.

    At the same time, Qi Xuansu lunged forward and pounced at Zhang Yuelu, who moved like a blur. As a result, Qi Xuansu was hit in the chest by Zhang Yuelu¡¯s Thunder Palm, momentarily suffocating him.

    When Zhang Yuelunded on the ground, she was panting slightly. She used half of her cultivation to suppress the Bliss Needle in her body. If her innate qi and true essence were excessively depleted, the Bliss Needle would begin to take effect again and cause hallucinations.

    At this time, she felt a little dizzy. She turned around and saw that Qi Xuansu had taken out the Divine Dragon Pistol at some point, aiming it at her.

    Zhang Yuelu held the paper umbre in front of her as a shield,pletely fearless. Even the Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullet could not do any damage to her Amorphous Paper.

    Qi Xuansu originally had 5 rounds of Grade-B Series Two Dragon Eye Bullet and 10 rounds of Grade-B Series Three Dragon Eye Bullet. Since he could not replenish them, he used them very sparingly. He used 1 round of Grade-B Series Two Dragon Eye Bullet to deal with Su Ran and 1 round of Grade-B Series Three Dragon Eye Bullet to deal with The Inn¡¯s assassins.

    Previously, he had used a Grade-B Series Three Dragon Eye Bullet to destroy Wan Xiuwu¡¯s corpse and eliminate his traces. So at this moment, he only had 4 rounds of Grade-B Series Two Dragon Eye Bullet and 8 rounds of Grade-B Series Three Dragon Eye Bullet, which was still sufficient.

    The two of them were facing each other, about 10 meters apart. One of them was holding an umbre as a shield, while the other was holding a gun. Their eyes were locked on each other, but their feet were constantly shuffling. Since none of them wanted to make the first move, they ended up walking in circles.

    Qi Xuansu was the first to break the silence. ¡°Mage Zhang, since we are in this stalemate, why don¡¯t we just call it a truce?¡±

    ¡°Wei Wugui, as long as you tell me the truth, I will let you go.¡±

    ¡°What do you want me to say? I have been a good,w-abiding citizen. You were the one who attacked me without warning, Mage Zhang. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to, and besides, it¡¯s still not certain which one of us will win.¡±

    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s see who will be the real winner today.¡±

    ¡°Mage Zhang, if we continue to fight, we will both lose. The group of assassins from The Inn want to kill me, but you are also their target. Won¡¯t it be a waste to let them reap the benefits in the end?¡± Although Qi Xuansu pointed his gun at Zhang Yuelu, he did not want to fight Zhang Yuelu to the death, so he could only try to persuade her to stop fighting him.

    Zhang Yuelu did not expect Wei Wugui to be such a tough opponent. She had to admit that what Wei Wugui said made sense, so she fell into a dilemma.

    She pondered for a moment before asking, ¡°Why do they want to kill you?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°It¡¯s rted to the major Jiangnan case.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was stunned, and her mind was spinning rapidly.

    No one knew about Liu Futong and the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association¡¯s connection before the former was caught in a scandal with Yue Lian. It was the subsequent investigation that revealed this inside story.

    Since this case was rted to Wei Wugui, had he done this intentionally? If this was true, did it mean that there was some connection between Liu Futong¡¯s case and the major Jiangnan case?

    Zhang Yuelu could not help but feel astounded when she thought of this.

    Qi Xuansu noticed her expression, so he continued, ¡°After the major Jiangnan case, Beichen Hall dispatched two Deputy Hall Masters and arge number of Spirit Guards to arrest Fang Linhou, the former Deputy Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master. They escorted him back to Jade Capital for interrogation. During the Golden Tower Council meeting, Sage Donghua proposed to use Fang Linhou as a wedge, so as to force a gap between the wood to reveal the mastermind behind this.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu muttered, ¡°But in the end, only Fang Linhou died.¡±

    Qi Xuansu continued, ¡°Because that was a metal block that wouldn¡¯t budge. Even if the wedge was broken, there would be no chance of seeing any cracks. At that time, Beichen Hall and Fengxian Hall jointly tried the case.

    ¡°Fang Linhou wanted to survive, so he asked his family to send cash notes worth 100,000 Taiping coins to the Deputy Beichen Hall Master, who was responsible for this case. Fang Linhou did not expect to keep his position or even his title as a Sage. He just wanted to live.

    ¡°The Deputy Beichen Hall Master epted the money and agreed to let Fang Linhou go, but during the trial, he went back on his word and handed over the 100,000 Taiping coins to Fengxian Hall as evidence of bribery.

    ¡°This gave Fang Linhou the final blow. His crime was bumped up another level, and he was executed immediately. The Deputy Beichen Hall Master only gave up Fang Linhou¡¯s 100,000 Taiping coins because he was offered much more than that by the mastermind.

    ¡°Fang Linhou was just an abandoned pawn thrown out of the game. He had a share in the major Jiangnan case, but he was not the main culprit. So there was nothing Fengxian Hall could find out from him, especially because a man¡¯s weakness was often his family. Fang Linhou also had family members to protect. If he told Fengxian Hall any insider information, his wife and children would surely die. That was why he dared not say a word.

    ¡°Since Fang Linhou is now dead, who do you think his shares belong to?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face turned solemn, and her voice deepened. ¡°Who are you? How do you know these secrets of the Daoist Order?¡±

 Chapter 333: Shocking Change

    <h4>Chapter 333: Shocking Change</h4>

    Qi Xuansu only knew this information because Madam Qi told him. At this time, he only regurgitated Madam Qi¡¯s words to Zhang Yuelu to make his identity more mysterious.

    Since Zhang Yuelu did not know his background, she was wary of him. That was because the information she received was different from what he told her.

    Hearing Zhang Yuelu¡¯s question, Qi Xuansu asked back, ¡°Is it really a secret? I thought the Daoist Order¡¯s secret is the mastermind behind the scenes, as mentioned by Sage Donghua.¡±

    He was so sarcastic that Zhang Yuelu was rendered speechless.

    The major Jiangnan case had indeed gained great publicity, but in the end, it was notpletely solved as they did not find the mastermind.

    Zhang Yuelu took a deep breath and seemed to have made up her mind. ¡°Can I trust you?¡±

    ¡°Of course, you can trust me.¡± Qi Xuansu was sincere. ¡°We have the same attitude toward dealing with the people behind the Jiangnan case.¡±

    The two of them were still walking slowly in circles. Zhang Yuelu had been trying to force out the Bliss Needle from her body. Qi Xuansu could tell, but he did not act rashly.

    Although he knew that Zhang Yuelu¡¯s Amorphous Paper could withstand the Dragon Eye Bullet, he did not want to take any chances. Even if he fired a shot and missed her on purpose, he knew that it would not be able to scare Zhang Yuelu. Instead, he would only infuriate Zhang Yuelu further.

    With her temper, if she decided to use the Cihang Sword Sequence and the Amorphous Paper on him, he would be dead meat.

    From the beginning, Qi Xuansu used various means to restrain Zhang Yuelu. The main reason was that he could not defeat her, so he had to outwit her to maintain this tie.

    Just as Qi Xuansu was at a loss for what to do, a sharp scream interrupted them.

    The scream was followed by the sound of horses galloping.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression changed dramatically when he saw at least several hundred people approaching them.

    It was such a bigmotion.

    Qi Xuansu did not recognize the leader, but Zhang Yuelu did. She had a bad feeling when she saw that it was Yuan Shangdao.

    Yuan Shangdao howled, ¡°My dear son!¡±

    Previously, Qi Xuansu had thrown Yuan Fengchan to the ground before fighting with The Inn¡¯s assassins and had no time to check on that arrogant young master.

    At this time, Yuan Fengchan was found dead, blending in among the many corpses of the assassins all over the ce.

    Qi Xuansu was so focused on Zhang Yuelu and Liu Hu that he did not pay attention to the corpses. He only thought that Yuan Fengchan would have taken advantage of the chaos earlier to escape.

    Yuan Shangdao red at Qi Xuansu, Zhang Yuelu, and Liu Hu with hatred.

    Hemanded his army. ¡°Don¡¯t let any of them go!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu finally knew why she felt uneasy.

    It did not make sense for the Yuan family to risk everything by killing a Deputy Tiangang Hall Master because of Yuan Fengchan¡¯s death. After all, big and prestigious families like them always had more children, so the loss of one child would not have invoked such rash behavior.

    That was why Yuan Shangdao¡¯s behavior was seen as abnormal, especially when Zhang Yuelu was the special envoy of the Daoist Order.

    This gave Zhang Yuelu shbacks of herst experience as a special envoy at the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion. The people there were sinister and duplicitous, trying every means possible to kill the representatives from Jade Capital.

    This was almost the same experience¡ªthey wanted to silence her.

    These thoughts shed in her mind. Zhang Yuelu immediately came to a decision. ¡°Quick! Help me force out the Bliss Needle from my body!¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not hesitate at all. He tossed the Divine Dragon Pistol to Liu Hu and came behind Zhang Yuelu, pressing his outstretched hands on her lower back to transfer some innate qi to her.

    Zhang Yuelu was close to forcing out the Bliss Needles from her body earlier. Now, with Qi Xuansu¡¯s help, two Bliss Needles shot out almost instantly.

    The next moment, a row of guns was aimed at the two of them.

    When Liu Hu caught the Divine Dragon Pistol, she quickly jumped on Bu Yue¡¯s back. The experienced old horse knew that the situation was awry, so it rode into the woods for cover, with Liu Hu on its back.

    While Qi Xuansu was transferring innate qi to Zhang Yuelu, she doubled the size of the paper umbre to shield them.

    The armor-piercing projectiles and Grade-B Series Five Dragon Eye Bulletsnded on the umbre¡¯s surface like rapid raindrops. Although the paper umbre was unscathed, it was shaking violently in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hands, which trembled as well.

    When the rain of bullets stopped for a while, Zhang Yuelu closed the paper umbre and turned it into arge bow that was as tall as her. She held the long bow horizontally and nocked 12 arrows.

    Twelve paper arrows shot out, killing more than a dozen people in one go, with some of the paper arrows piercing through multiple people¡¯s vitals.

    Qi Xuansu only had one cuss left. His Phoenix Eye Bullets had long been used up, and he did not want to use his short sword, Qing Yuan, because Zhang Yuelu would recognize it.

    Left with no choice, Qi Xuansu held out his hand. A ck mist condensed into a ghosthead machete that seemed both illusory and tangible.

    Qi Xuansu used the Dayan Spirit de Technique with the ghosthead machete. It became even more elusive than when he used the same technique with the two cusses.

    With one strike, multiple heads flew up into the sky, all of them with horrified expressions on their faces.

    Zhang Yuelu caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of her eye and could not help but feel a little surprised. She did not expect this man to hold back such a strong magical power when he was dueling with her earlier. If he had used this trick while she was unprepared, she would have suffered a big loss.

    However, Yuan Shangdao¡¯s army severely outnumbered them. So the death of more than 20 people was nothing to him. Yuan Shangdao had them surrounded in no time.

    Zhang Yuelu turned the long bow into a paper sword while Qi Xuansu returned to her side after killing those people. They had their backs against one another so that they would not be vulnerable against their enemies.

    The two of them moved so seamlessly that they looked like a well-oiled team to outsiders.

    Yuan Shangdao sneered, ¡°Mage Zhang, I didn¡¯t expect you to collude with cult demons!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not say anything. She did not even ask Yuan Shangdao why he was attacking her because she knew it had to do with the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association.

    However, there was one thing she did not quite understand. When she was at the reception banquet earlier, the Yuan family obviously had no intention of killing her. They did not even dare to threaten her. So they were clearly still testing the waters.

    What could have happened in just a few hours to cause such a big change in the Yuan family¡¯s attitude? Had the mastermind behind the scenes given the death order? Or did the mastermind reassure the Yuan family that the Daoist Order would not retaliate afterward? Who would have so much power?

    However, Zhang Yuelu had no time to delve into the questions in her current situation. She understood that she would only be able to get to the bottom of this if she survived.

    If she and Wei Wugui both died at the hands of the Yuan family, they would have med her death on the evil cult demon, whom they would have shot to death to "avenge" her.

    The most pressing matter at this moment was living to tell the tale.

    Due to the terrain, it was impossible for hundreds of people to swarm forward at the same time. Only a dozen or so people could attack at once, but these were all elite fighters hired by the Yuan family.

    Three of them held sabers as they rushed toward Qi Xuansu at the same time. With a casual wave of his hand, the ghosthead machete chopped off all three of their saber-wielding hands. The three sabers ttered to the ground, and the three people screamed in pain while clutching their severed hands.

    On the other side, eight people attacked Zhang Yuelu, clearly more wary of her. These eight people were holding long spears, stabbing Zhang Yuelu from all directions. However, since Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were back to back, they could only attack Zhang Yuelu in a fan-shaped formation.

    The spears were aimed at Zhang Yuelu¡¯s vitals¡ªher chest, abdomen, shins, face, eyes, and ribs.

    These eight people knew that Zhang Yuelu was extremely dangerous, so they dared not make a rash move.

    Suddenly, Zhang Yuelu took a step forward and spun around like a rapidly rotating top. A golden wind stirred as her sword light formed a killing.

    All they could hear were the continuous ngs of metal and stone colliding as the spearheads were cut off. The shaft of their spears shook because their hands were dripping with blood, struggling to hold on to their weapon.

    Zhang Yuelu rolled up her sleeves and shouted, ¡°Let go!¡±

    She forcibly grabbed the eight shafts and threw them with her backhand. These shafts shot toward the original owners and pierced through their bodies, their blood soaking the shafts and dripping down to the ground.

    Whoever said that a shaft without a spearhead could not kill?

 Chapter 334: Siege (I)

    <h4>Chapter 334: Siege (I)</h4>

    The eleven people they had just defeated were immediately reced by another dozen.

    This time, six people besieged Qi Xuansu while the remaining six attacked Zhang Yuelu. Their strategy was to kill Qi Xuansu first, then they could concentrate their efforts on dealing with Zhang Yuelu.

    The six people who dealt with Qi Xuansu all held shields in their left hands and sabers in their right hands. They used the shield to protect their bodies while they shed at Qi Xuansu¡¯s lower body. That way, they could hide under the shield when Qi Xuansu retaliated. Moreover, there were barbs on the surface of the shield and des on the edges to hurt the opponent.

    However, Qi Xuansu¡¯s ghosthead machete was not an ordinary weapon. It was only tangible to humans because they believed it was real. Facing inanimate objects, the ghosthead machete became an illusion.

    These people thought they could protect themselves with the shield, but that was a mistake.

    The ghosthead machete was as long as a sword. Before these people could sh at his lower body, Qi Xuansu had already struck with the machete. The ghosthead machete went through the shield and stabbed these people.

    All those who were stabbed had their eyes widened with horrified expressions as they died on the spot.

    On the other side, the six people who besieged Zhang Yuelu used maces and bludgeons. Some attacked from close range, while others attacked from afar, cooperating seamlessly.

    The bludgeons were so powerful and heavy that Zhang Yuelu would have been restrained by their weight even if she tried to block them. After all, these people did not think they could defeat her. They only wanted to hinder her.

    Zhang Yuelu simply did not let these weapons touch her. Instead, she turned her Amorphous Paper into paper lotuses to strike these weapons from a distance. These paper lotuses were extremely sharp and rotated non-stop, so they peeled offyers of the bludgeons with each touch. In the blink of an eye, the bludgeons had shrunk several times, from the size of a watermelon to that of a sweet melon.

    These people wanted to give up, but Zhang Yuelu refused to let them go. She spread out the paper sword in her hand, the sword light dazzling them before taking their lives.

    That was how the number of casualties exceeded 50. Even though there were still hundreds of people, they were notparable to the well-trained and fearless ck Robes. The remaining ones were already frightened, and they only wanted to flee for their lives.

    Yuan Shangdao¡¯s face was gloomy. He saluted the people beside him and said, ¡°I hope you all can help me take her down.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± The three people standing next to Yuan Shangdao did not ride horses. They were all dressed asmoners, in short robes, bamboo hats, and straw sandals. Their sleeves and trouser legs were rolled up to expose their arms and calves. However, judging from Yuan Shangdao¡¯s attitude toward them, they were certainly not mediocre.

    Moreover, Yuan Shangdao had personally experienced Zhang Yuelu¡¯s wrath yet still had confidence in the three of them. This indicated how powerful they were.

    The trio stepped forward. The leader among them¡ªa Qi refiner¡ªcupped his hands and greeted Zhang Yuelu. ¡°Mage Zhang.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not speak, but there was purple energy flowing in her eyes.

    Qi Xuansu had a white fox face mask that hid his aura from Zhang Yuelu¡¯s Immortal Eye of Providence. However, these three people did not have such masks, so Zhang Yuelu immediately saw through their cultivation level.

    Compared with Lin Zhenyuan, the leader of the Lingshan Witch Cult in Yishan City, these three people were certainly inferior, but they had an advantage in numbers. They could also be better atbined attacks, so they should not be underestimated.

    It would be even more troublesome if these three people were as cunning as Wei Wugui.

    Thinking of this, Zhang Yuelu looked at the Diviner among the three and decided to strike him first. She raised her paper sword and pointed it at the Diviner. For some reason, the Diviner felt that the paper sword seemed locked onto him. No matter how he tried to dodge it, he could not avoid it. For a moment, he did not have time to think too much and could only choose to drift back.

    Zhang Yuelu leaped forward with her sword. In an instant, the tip of her sword was only a few centimeters away from the Diviner¡¯s eyebrows.

    At this moment, a burst of red light surrounded Zhang Yuelu, spinning around her with an overwhelming sword qi.

    Zhang Yuelu did not even look back. With a backhand, she blocked a streak of white smoke that attacked her from behind. The streak of white smoke was like a living thing, twisting a few times before revealing its true appearance. It turned out to be a white flying sword.

    With her free left hand, Zhang Yuelu formed a hand sign. A faint white lotus flower could be seen all over her body, exuding qiyer byyer, like a blooming lotus flower. This qi shattered the red light tube that was intended to restrain her.

    The Scribe groaned, as his cultivation was damaged. His face turned pale, and he felt a painful jab in his shoulder where a paper lotus had cut away a piece of his flesh.

    Zhang Yuelu attacked the Diviner again. However, before the Diviner could see her movements clearly, Zhang Yuelu had already grabbed him. She extended her Five Elements Qi Shield to bind the Diviner¡¯s left arm.

    A stream of innate qi prated the Diviner¡¯s veins and traveled up to his Dantian. His cheeks instantly turned red as if he was bleeding from the inside.

    At this moment, the Qi Refiner roared like thunder. He grabbed onto the Diviner¡¯s right arm and transferred his qi to the Diviner¡¯s body, helping to force out the strange qi that Zhang Yuelu injected.

    The two used the Diviner as a medium topete.

    In an instant, the Diviner spat out a mouthful of blood. Zhang Yuelu felt a jolt in her hand where she grabbed the Diviner and was forced to let go.

    The Qi Refiner shouted, ¡°Get into formation!¡±

    The three people stood in a triangle formation, with the Qi Refiner in the front and the Diviner and Scribe nking him.

    The Qi Refiner was in the Divine Qi Realm of the Guizhen stage.

    The Scribe was from the Confucian School, simr to the Daoist Qi Refiner because they both condensed innate qi. However, there were some obvious differences. Qi Refiners were closer to Martial Arts Practitioners in the sense they were good at closebat, while the Scribes were more like Diviners and were proficient with spells.

    In this way, the three of them had strengths and weaknesses thatplemented each other. Thus, their strengthsbined were good enough topete with Zhang Yuelu.

    Even so, Zhang Yuelu was not afraid. The three of them had to be in formation for their strengths toplement each other. If this formation was broken, they would each have to fight on their own. Individually, they were no match for Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu tossed up her paper sword, which multiplied and spread out in sequence behind her, like a peacock spreading its tail. Then she spun around, her whole body resembling a huge top.

    Hundreds of paper swords moved in unison, shooting out countless sword qi in all directions. Each sword qi was extremely sharp and indestructible, enveloping the trio.

    The dozens of people standing close to the front were obliterated by the sword qi, which was a horrific sight. The others were so frightened that they backed away and dared not get close.

    However, the trio¡¯s formation was as stable as a rock. They effortlessly blocked the sword qi without causing any damage to themselves. However, it would take a lot more effort on their part if they wanted to capture Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu was not in a hurry. She kept unleashing more sword qi.

    In her earlier fight with Wei Wugui, she was restrained in every way, so she did not get to use her abilities to the fullest. At this time, she could finally vent her frustrations against these three people.

    Zhang Yuelu did not give the trio any time to breathe. She merged the hundreds of swords into a giant paper sword that had to be held with both hands. Then she shed straight at the Qi Refiner who had the highest level of cultivation among the three.

    The Qi Refiner was startled to see this. He summoned his flying sword and confronted Zhang Yuelu with the help of the other two.

    Zhang Yuelu pped his flying sword, deviating its trajectory. She then pointed her paper sword at the Diviner again, with the tip of the sword only one meter away from the man.

    The Diviner crushed a talisman and turned it into three shields surrounding him.

    Zhang Yuelu held her sword and struck head-on, shattering the oing shield into pieces and scattering them in all directions. The Diviner quickly retreated, but Zhang Yuelu stretched out her giant sword and struck once on the left and once on the right, shattering two of the Diviner¡¯s shields.

    The main reason was because the Amorphous Paper was a semi-immortal object. Otherwise, Zhang Yuelu would not have been able to break those shields even if she had a high cultivation level.

    A candlestick appeared in the Scribe¡¯s hand. When activated by his innate qi, the me on the candlestick grew longer until it became three meters long. The fire whip coiled around Zhang Yuelu¡¯s paper sword.

    When Zhang Yuelu saw the fire whip approaching, she allowed it to coil around her white paper sword. The Scribe was surprised that he managed to get a hold of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s weapon, so he yanked the candle with all his might.

    The Scribe finally understood the power of a semi-immortal object. Even though it was a ¡°paper¡± sword, the fire whip did not leave any scorch marks on the Amorphous Paper.

    At this moment, the Qi Refiner summoned the flying sword again and pierced Zhang Yuelu¡¯s chest.

    Suddenly, the Scribe shouted, ¡°Let go of the sword!¡±

    The Scribe transferred all his energy to his right arm to pull the whip back.

    Unexpectedly, Zhang Yuelu actually listened to him and let go of her sword. However, she injected more qi into her sword and mmed the hilt toward the Scribe. The oing force was too strong, so the Scribe dared not catch the sword. Instead, he pushed it away with both hands.

    Upon impact, there was a loud explosion. He staggered five or six steps back before he could find his bnce. His face was as white as a piece of paper, and he felt as if all his internal organs were turned upside down. He dared not move at all.

    Zhang Yuelu dodged the flying sword and caught her paper sword. With a slight shake, the fire whip wrapped around the paper sword disintegrated and disappeared. She then swung her paper sword to deflect the flying sword.

 Chapter 335: Siege (II)

    <h4>Chapter 335: Siege (II)</h4>

    On the other side, Qi Xuansu decided to capture the leader to stop this siege. After the trio left to attack Zhang Yuelu, Qi Xuansu rushed toward Yuan Shangdao.

    Earlier, Zhang Yuelu could capture Yuan Shangdao in one move because he was caught off guard, and Zhang Yuelu was almost a Heavenly Being. When Yuan Shangdao saw someone attacking him, he did not dodge and waved his palm to confront his attacker.

    Unexpectedly, Qi Xuansu suddenly changed his move at thest minute,nding a punch on Yuan Shangdao¡¯s forearm. Yuan Shangdao felt the force of Qi Xuansu¡¯s fist and felt a strange pain that prated his bones.

    Yuan Shangdao was shocked that his qi shield seemed useless against this punch. He raised his hands and unleashed a bout of qi.

    Qi Xuansu had experienced hundreds of battles, so he was wary at first because he had heard about the strength of the Confucian qi.

    After exchanging a few moves to test the waters, Qi Xuansu realized that Yuan Shangdao¡¯s innate qi was powerful, but it was straightforward with little changes. Qi Xuansu immediately rxed and used multiple postures of the Tantai Fist Intention.

    Yuan Shangdao gradually became exhausted after ten moves.

    Suddenly, Qi Xuansu used the Sea Fist.

    Back when Lei Xiaohuan was guiding Qi Xuansu on the Tantai Fist Intention, she had mentioned that one¡¯s cultivation was the foundation of mastering the techniques because the power one could exert would vary. Tantai Yun used her fists to dominate the world back then, and very few could defeat her. So even if Qi Xuansu had learned the techniques in the Tantai Fist Intention, he would not be able to defeat a true master if his fist intention was impure.

    Qi Xuansu knew very well that he had to be a Heavenly Being to use the Sea Fist to its full potential. If he used it forcefully at his current level, he would inevitably reveal some ws. That was why he dared not use the Sea Fist when fighting with Zhang Yuelu earlier, as she would be able to catch his weakness.

    However, Yuan Shangdao could not hold a candle to Zhang Yuelu. That was why Qi Xuansu did not hesitate to use this move that hecked practice in.

    Since Tantai Yun was a master in two lineages, the Sea Fist encapsted both the strength of the fist intention and one¡¯s innate qi.

    Yuan Shangdao suddenly felt a current of innate qi surging and rotating around him, as if he were stuck in a vortex at sea. As long as he moved, his innate qi would be absorbed into the surroundings, and the overwhelming pressure would increase.

    However, if Yuan Shangdao did not take any action, the force would crush him, just like the unbearable pressure in the deep sea.

    In such a situation, the only thing Yuan Shangdao could do was forcefully ovee this by exerting more qi than what the vortex could absorb. However, his cultivation level would need to be far superior to his opponent to achieve such a feat.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu¡¯s Sea Fist at this time had a huge w, but he hid it well. If Yuan Shangdao could find the w, there was no need to forcefully ovee this with his innate qi. However, the pampered Yuan Shangdao was only at the Guizhen stage, and heckedbat experience. So he could not identify the w in his opponent¡¯s moves.

    For a moment, Yuan Shangdao was in a dilemma.

    The vortex of qi around him had not subsided and was growing stronger. It felt like a towering wave set off by a tsunami, pressing down on him until his breathing becamebored.

    There were shadows in front of him flickering constantly, as if there were countless phantom fists and palms, both real and illusory, difficult to distinguish.

    The people around them could not tell what was real and what was an illusion. They only saw many duplicates of Qi Xuansu running back and forth. Since they were afraid of hurting Yuan Shangdao, they dared not take action rashly.

    After more than a dozen rounds like this, Qi Xuansu suddenly struck with a thunderous force, punching Yuan Shangdao in the chest. Yuan Shangdao¡¯s body trembled, unable to move.

    In the blink of an eye, Qi Xuansu came behind Yuan Shangdao and punched him in the back. Yuan Shangdao staggered two steps forward andnded on his knees, blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. He could no longer fight back.

    Qi Xuansu was about to capture Yuan Shangdao when a man suddenly shot out from the crowd to attack him. The attacker moved so fast that the strong wind created in his wake made Qi Xuansu breathless.

    Taken aback by the sudden change, Qi Xuansu quickly changed from the Sea Fist to the Sea Mountain Fist.

    This was the beauty of the Tantai Fist Intention, where every move could be modified andbined as needed.

    The Sea Mountain Fist had the advantages of both the Mountain Fist and the Sea Fist. The former was motionless and stable, while thetter was fluid, like the ebb and flow of the tide. This perfectly incorporated the bnce of yin and yang. Coincidentally,bining these moves could make up for the deficiencies in Qi Xuansu¡¯s Sea Fist.

    When Qi Xuansu¡¯s fists met the attacker¡¯s palms, the force from both parties caused a powerful explosion due to the overwhelming energies from each party.

    Qi Xuansu had to turn his fists into palms, drawing arge circle in front of him and turning his body to deflect the immense force. Even with this deflection, Qi Xuansu still felt a tightness in his chest. His arms were trembling, and his body swayed involuntarily. He had to take two steps back to relieve the pressure, each step nting a deep footprint in the ground.

    This finding was startling because it indicated that his attacker was not inferior to Zhang Yuelu.

    However, on second thought, it was reasonable. Not everyone was included on the Ruyi Leaderboard because there was an age limit below 30 years old. The fact that Li Changge, Yao Pei, Zhang Yuelu, and some others could reach the top only showed that they were the best among the younger generation. They had unlimited potential, but that did not mean they had no other opponents in the Guizhen stage.

    After all, some people were stuck before the Heavenly Being threshold for various reasons, but their cultivation and experience should not be underestimated.

    Qi Xuansu finally got a good look at his attacker. It was an old man with white hair and a white beard.

    The old man was also surprised that Qi Xuansu could deflect his move.

    Qi Xuansu settled his mind and body before attacking again instead of retreating. This time, hebined the River Fist and the Dragon Fist into the River Dragon Fist and went straight for the old man¡¯s face.

    Halfway through the punch, Qi Xuansu suddenly changed his direction. He was emting a dragon twisting and turning in a winding river, stirring up strong currents.

    The white-haired old man gasped as he stretched out his hand to receive Qi Xuansu¡¯s fist, which exuded one wave of energy after another, each wave building up on the previous one. He stood there motionless while generating a counterforce.

    Qi Xuansu only felt an endless loop of the old man¡¯s innate qi. This surprised Qi Xuansu yet again. <i>Is this man a Heavenly Being?</i>

    But before he could delve deep into this thought, the old man roared and swept his palm across.

    Qi Xuansu dared not take the hit, so he retreated. At the same time, he used the River Fist to protect his body, like a dense water.

    The old manughed. He lightly stretched his hand toward Qi Xuansu and flicked the air. Qi Xuansu¡¯s body immediately rotated involuntarily, like a top. When Qi Xuansu managed to stabilize himself, the old man pped him with a palm strike. The weight of five mountains came crashing down on him.

    Qi Xuansu had no choice but to counter it with his fists.

    As soon as the two of them collided, Qi Xuansu could taste a metallic sweetness in his throat. He flipped back, trying to neutralize the force from the old man¡¯s palm strike. Meanwhile, the old man¡¯s body swayed slightly. The old man then charged at Qi Xuansu faster than thetter could retreat.

    Qi Xuansu was still in the midst of his backflips when he felt a huge force rushing forward.

    With no time to spare, Qi Xuansu clenched his fists. However, the old man managed to bypass Qi Xuansu¡¯s fists, striking him straight in the chest.

    Qi Xuansu immediately spat out a mouthful of blood as his entire body flew backward uncontrobly.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu suddenly felt a tightness on his waist. A long, white paper rope flew over and wrapped around his body, catching his fall. At the same time, the rope dragged him through the clouds.

    Naturally, it was Zhang Yuelu who had saved him. While she was fighting with the three people, she was also keeping an eye on Wei Wugui¡¯s situation. When she saw him getting defeated by an old man who came out of nowhere, she immediately turned the Amorphous Paper into a long rope to catch his fall. Then she fled at her top speed, dragging him along with her.

    Yuan Shangdao¡¯s people were too scared to confront Zhang Yuelu as soon as they saw her turning the Amorphous Paper into hundreds of swords. Thus, the encirclement was no longer as tight as before. In addition, without Yuan Shangdao¡¯smand, these people only thought about protecting themselves.

    Thus, Zhang Yuelu immediately broke through the encirclement and rushed toward the dense forest, dragging along a ¡°kite¡± that happened to be Wei Wugui.

 Chapter 336: Doubts

    <h4>Chapter 336: Doubts</h4>

    Since Zhang Yuelu had gone into the woods when Wei Wugui was chasing her earlier, she was now quite familiar with the terrain. She ran straight toward the small pool, still stringing along Wei Wugui like a kite.

    Thus, he kept bumping into the branches of trees. Although it did not hurt him, it was still quite embarrassing to be repeatedly pped in the face by the tree branches. It made Qi Xuansu wonder if Zhang Yuelu did this as revenge for the Bliss Needle.

    After a while, Qi Xuansu decided to get down on his own. He reached out to grab the trunk of a big tree as an anchor and jumped from branch to branch, struggling to catch up with Zhang Yuelu. That way, he would not have to be dragged around, bumping into every tree in his path.

    When Qi Xuansu finally caught up to her, they ran side by side. Zhang Yuelu acted as if she had done nothing wrong. She calmly retracted her paper rope and asked casually, ¡°How¡¯s your injury?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°I won¡¯t die for the time being, but that old man seems to be a Heavenly Being.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not surprising. If they didn¡¯t have a Heavenly Being as a backup, they wouldn¡¯t have been so confident in this siege to silence me. But I¡¯m very curious as to who gave the Yuan family the courage to do this.¡± Zhang Yuelu pondered aloud.

    Qi Xuansu took a deep breath to adjust his qi. He casually said, ¡°The Li family.¡±

    ¡°How do you know?¡± Zhang Yuelu could not hide her surprise.

    Qi Xuansu answered truthfully, ¡°It¡¯s just my guess. There are only a handful of people in the Daoist Order with such a powerful background. Mage Zhang, you¡¯re from the Zhang family, so I assume your family won¡¯t try to kill you in this manner. Although there are too many factions in the Quanzhen Sect topletely rule out their involvement, they would be low on the suspect list because the Earthly Preceptor values you. That leaves us with only one option¡ªthe Li family of the Taiping Sect. Even if this isn¡¯t the Li family¡¯s direct instruction, this is inseparable from them.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu felt a little disappointed. She muttered, ¡°That makes sense, but we shouldn¡¯te to a conclusion without evidence...¡±

    At this moment, they heard frenzied footsteps from far behind, so they tacitly stopped talking and ran as fast as they could.

    Along the way, Qi Xuansu did not notice any trace of Bu Yue and Liu Hu.

    Not long after, they could finally see the small pool in front of them. They came to an abrupt stop and looked up. The old man who injured Qi Xuansu was standing above the waterfall with his hands behind his back, looking at them below with a smirk.

    Seeing how that old man could arrive before them, they could confirm that he was undoubtedly a Heavenly Being.

    Zhang Yuelu whispered, ¡°If you and I join forces, we might stand a chance to get out alive.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not deny Zhang Yuelu¡¯s statement. After all, Zhang Yuelu was not far from the Heavenly Being threshold, and he was a capable fighter.

    He pointed behind them and reminded her. ¡°There are still hundreds of people behind us. They¡¯re the ones with the strength in numbers here.¡±

    ¡°Then what do you think we should do?¡± Zhang Yuelu asked with a frown.

    Qi Xuansu pondered. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I have a feeling that the Heavenly Being is not out to kill us. Otherwise, with his cultivation level, he could have ambushed me with a lethal strike. He wouldn¡¯t have just wounded me. We both know that he has the power to kill me immediately.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°You¡¯re right. There is something fishy about this.¡±

    Qi Xuansu suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s run in another direction.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu hesitated for a moment before following his advice. They turned around and ran northwest.

    As expected, the old man remained standing at the top of the waterfall with his hands behind his back, making no move to stop them. He only watched them leave, which was strange behavior of an enemy.

    The two of them ran wildly, leaving the dense forest and turning into a mountain road. They were gradually running toward higher ground.

    The people behind them knew that they could not allow Zhang Yuelu to return to Jade Capital alive. Otherwise, they would be arrested. So they chased after Zhang Yuelu closely while shouting.

    Although they were certainly not as fast as Zhang Yuelu, Qi Xuansu was injured, so his speed was slightly slower. Zhang Yuelu decided to stick with him and slowed down as well.

    Not long after, they could see mist all around them, indicating that they were on a high elevation. Ahead of them was a bottomless abyss filled with fog and a naturally formed stone bridge that was broken in the middle.

    This gap of about 10 meters was nothing for Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu, so they easily jumped over it.

    After crossing the bridge, Zhang Yuelu signaled for them to stop and hide.

    Qi Xuansu immediately understood what Zhang Yuelu was going to do.

    Back when he was chasing Zhang Yuelu in the forest, she pulled the same trick on him by ambushing him. It was clear that she nned to do the same with their pursuers.

    As expected, a group of people caught up to them.

    Since this mountain road was long and narrow, the pursuers moved at different speeds and gradually distanced themselves from each other.

    Five of the most elite fighters caught up first, also unhindered by the broken stone bridge. Without stopping, they jumped over the 10-meter gap, nning to chase after Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu.

    Without Zhang Yuelu¡¯s instruction, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu made a move at the same time.

    When the five elite fighters were in mid-air and unable to turn or dodge, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu knocked them all off the cliff. Since those people were not Heavenly Beings like that old man, they could not fly. Their screams of terror gradually dissipated as they fell deeper into the abyss, quickly disappearing into the thick fog.

    The two of them were not in a hurry to leave. They stayed there and waited until the second batch of people arrived. This time, there were more than a dozen people. This group was also more cautious, looking around before jumping over one by one.

    After about half of the people jumped across the broken bridge, Qi Xuansu suddenly let out a roar that reverberated in the valley. Two people who were in mid-air lost their concentration and fell into the abyss below, screaming in unison.

    Their screams quickly faded as they disappeared into the fog.

    The few people whonded on the other side of the bridge felt their bodies sway. They were also distracted by the sudden roar.

    At the same time, Zhang Yuelu appeared, sweeping her paper rope at them, making them lose their bnce and fall backward down the cliff. Their horrifying screams echoed in the abyss, scaring everyone who had not yet crossed the bridge. Those people could not help but take a few steps back, fearing for their lives.

    Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu remained standing on the other side of the bridge, acting like they were the protectors of this side of the mountain.

    After a long stalemate, those people gradually came to their senses. They took out their crossbows, guns, flying swords, concealed weapons, and other objects, aiming at Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu.

    Seeing this scene, the pair quickly left.

    Their pursuers were afraid of another ambush, so they dared not rush forward and waited in ce until the third batch of pursuers arrived. That was when they decided to cross the bridge. However, by then, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu had already fled far enough.

    This abyss was actually the boundary between two mountains.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu went up the mountain from one side and crossed the abyss. After that, it was a downward slope.

    While they ran for their lives, Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°What is your rtionship with Pei Xiaolou?¡±

    Qi Xuansu kept silent, thinking Zhang Yuelu was fishing for information.

    Zhang Yuelu asked again, ¡°You and Pei Xiaolou arrived in Jiangling Prefecture one after another. Is it rted to the major Jiangnan case?¡±

    That was when Qi Xuansu found out that Pei Xiaolou had alsoe to Jiangling Prefecture. However, if Pei Xiaolou were here, why did he not help them? Was he also held back by the enemy?

    Since the mastermind could send a Heavenly Being to support Yuan Shangdao, they could also send a Heavenly Being to hinder Pei Xiaolou.

    But why did the Heavenly Being wait until thest minute to take action, and why did he hold back? His attitude was truly puzzling.

    This whole situation was just as foggy and mysterious as their current surroundings.

    ......

    After Zhang Yuelu left, Pei Xiaolou also excused himself. However, he stayed in the city.

    Shortly after Pei Xiaolou left, two old men came to the main building of the Taiping Inn and went to the private room on the third floor to meet with Yuan Chongzong and Yuan Shangdao.

    Not long after, one of the old men and Yuan Shangdao hurriedly left Taiping Inn to gather an army.

    Another old man went to the Yuan Residence with Yuan Chongzong.

    The Yuan Residence was a typical Jiangnan-style mansion, with beautifulndscapes, water features, and pavilions. It did not seem luxurious or grand at first nce, but those who knew what to look for could see extravagance in the details. For example, the red sandalwood furniture in the living room and the polished marble floor with iid jasper.

    The pair of carved red sandalwood armchairs in the center of the living room were each upied by an old man.

    Yuan Chongzong sat on the chair on the left, while another old man with white hair sat on the chair on the right. However,pared to the elegant Yuan Chongzong, this old man was taller and more rugged, like a well-traveled powerful swordsman.

    Yuan Chongzong looked worried. ¡°If we fail¡ª¡±

    The white-haired old man said calmly, ¡°Brother Yuan, why are you still doubtful at this time? That¡¯s a secret letter from Old Master Jin, sent using the rapid post talisman and stamped with his private seal. You¡¯ve verified it yourself. Since he arranged this, it¡¯s a done deal.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not doubtful. I just feel uneasy.¡± Yuan Chongzong took a deep breath.

    The white-haired old man remarked, ¡°It is impossible to achieve great things without risk.¡±

    ¡°What about afterward?¡± Yuan Chongzong asked.

    The white-haired old man reached out for the gaiwan, took a sip of tea, and murmured, ¡°Afterward, everything will end here, of course.¡±

 Chapter 337: Commandery Prince of Jiangling

    <h4>Chapter 337: Commandery Prince of Jiangling</h4>

    Pei Xiaolou¡¯s appearance in Jiangling Prefecture was certainly not a coincidence. He was not there to escort Zhang Yuelu or Qi Xuansu but had other important matters to deal with.

    As much as Pei Xiaolou wanted to imitate the lifestyle of his fellow Quanzhen Sect buddy, Daoist Ji, who had a nominal position with no real duties, his identity as Sage Donghua¡¯s brother stopped him from having a leisurely life.

    He only got to his position because of his family, so he had to repay them, especially at the critical moment when his brother waspeting for the position of Grand Master.

    Thus, Pei Xiaolou went to the Commandery Prince of Jiangling¡¯s Mansion.

    <i>In recent years, the Yuan family imed to be equal in status to the Commandery Prince of Jiangling, as the Yuan family dominated the civil affairs of Jiangling Prefecture, while the Commandery Price dominated the military affairs of Jiangling Prefecture. In fact, this was too much praise for the Yuan family. </i>

    <i>Since the founding of the Great Xuan Dynasty, the Commandery Prince of Jiangling was a title passed down from generation to generation for more than 200 years, so they had strong roots and influence in the area that should not be underestimated.</i>

    <i>Although the Yuan family had a long heritage that could be traced back to the previous dynasty, they had only be an affluent family in recent decades.</i>

    <i>Thus, in terms of influence, the Yuan family was still far inferior to the Commandery Prince of Jiangling.</i>

    <i>However, the Commandery Prince of Jiangling had always kept a low profile. They rarely unted their status and no longer had their focus on Jiangling Prefecture. Instead, Qin Wubing, the future Commandery Prince of Jiangling, had his eye on being a cab minister in the Imperial Capital.</i>

    <i>It was a custom passed down from the reign of Emperor Gaozu that the nobility would have at least one seat in the cab. Compared with the civil servants, who typically came from Confucian backgrounds, the emperor regarded the nobility as his own. Even if it was difficult to achieve a bnce between the Confucian civil servants and the nobility in the Imperial Court, the nobility served as a check and bnce so that the Confucian civil servants would not monopolize power.</i>

    <i>In this regard, the royal family and the Daoist Order were on the same page.</i>

    <i>Although the Daoist Order had rxed its control over the Confucian School, they were still wary of thetter. Thus, the Daoist Order and the nobility had the same stance on this.</i>

    <i>That was why the Commandery Prince also had a mansion in the Imperial Capital. Before the Commandery Prince of Jiangling retired, his whole family lived in their mansion in the Imperial Capital.</i>

    <i>However, after retirement, the Commandery Prince of Jiangling moved back to his mansion in Jiangling Prefecture.</i>

    When Pei Xiaolou arrived at the Commandery Prince of Jiangling¡¯s Mansion, he noticed armored guards at the door lined up in an orderly manner, carrying weapons.

    The guards dared not stop Pei Xiaolou because he was wearing formal Daoist attire at the moment. Instead, a sentry officer took the initiative toe forward and salute him. ¡°Sir, may I ask what is your intention ofing here?¡±

    Pei Xiaolou was a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master, so it would be embarrassing if he presented his insignia like any other person. He said, ¡°Please inform the Commandery Prince that Pei Xiaolou, the Deputy Chongyang Pce Master, is here to visit him.¡±

    The sentry officer was knowledgeable in the Daoist ranks, so he responded solemnly. ¡°Sage Pei, please wait a moment while I report it to my master.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou did not put on airs. He cupped his hands and thanked the guard.

    The sentry officer quickly entered the mansion. Not long after, the main gate of the mansion opened, and an old man in an azure military uniform strode out.

    Pei Xiaolou knew that he would only get this treatment because of his brother¡¯s status, so he took the initiative to greet the man. ¡°I¡¯m ttered that you came out here to receive me, Commandery Prince.¡±

    This man was Qin Wubing¡¯s father, Commandery Prince Qin.

    Commandery Prince Qin had gray hair, a serious face, and a tall figure. He still retained many habits from his time with the ck Robes. He stood upright and strode with confidence and strength.

    This was because he had spent his entire youth and most of his life in the military. That was why his habits and thoughts were formed as such. Therefore, it was obvious to outsiders that the old Commandery Prince used to be part of the ck Robes.

    In fact, the old Commandery Prince was not just a figurehead among the nobility. He also had a deep influence among the ck Robes. That was why it was an exaggeration to say that the Yuan family was equivalent to the Commandery Prince.

    Commandery Prince Qin stretched out his hand to the side and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s only right that Ie over to wee you in person, Sage Pei. Doe in.¡±

    The two revered men entered the mansion and came to the main hall, where they sat in their respective positions as the host and guest. A servant promptly came forward to serve them tea.

    Commandery Prince Qin once served as Minister of War, so he had interactions with Sage Donghua. At this time, they talked about Sage Donghua before going into the main topic.

    ¡°Commandery Prince, to be honest with you, I came to Jiangling Prefecture this time on an errand for the Chongyang Pce of Immortality. I have a favor to ask of you. After all, the Imperial Court and the Daoist Order are on the same side.¡± Pei Xiaolou did not hide his purpose ofing and went straight to the point.

    This made it difficult for Commandery Prince Qin, who liked to stay out of muddy waters, to refuse directly. ¡°Sage Pei, please go ahead.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou asked, ¡°Do you still remember the major Jiangnan case?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I do. This case involved a lot of people.¡± Commandery Prince Qin nodded slightly.

    Pei Xiaolou continued, ¡°Due to various reasons, we didn¡¯t get to the bottom of the truth back then. But recently, there have been clues rted to the Jiangnan case involving the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association.¡±

    Lord Qin understood everything, but he did not want to be involved in the Daoist Order¡¯s internal fight. He also did not want to take sides rashly because if the Taiping Sect won the fight, the Li family would not let him go knowing that he sided with the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect.

    Although he used to be part of the ck Robes, he had been away from the army for many years, and his main title was the Commandery Prince of Jiangling.

    There were no schrs, Daoist priests, or ck Robes in officialdom, especially in the higher ranks.

    Commandery Prince Qin¡¯s reaction was expected. So Pei Xiaolou added, ¡°This case involves the Daoist Order, so I won¡¯t force you to deal with the Daoist priests who broke thew. But since there is a wealthy family acting as an aplice to embezzle funds from the Daoist Order, even coborating with the local government, I will need your help to settle the situation.¡±

    ¡°Which family?¡± Commandery Prince Qin inquired.

    Pei Xiaolou replied, ¡°The Yuan family.¡±

    The Commandery Prince¡¯s Mansion was thergest authority in Jiangling Prefecture, so nothing could get past them. Thus, Commandery Prince Qin certainly knew about the details of the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association.

    Commandery Prince Qin said thoughtfully, ¡°The Yuan family? Do you have any evidence, Sage Pei?¡±

    Pei Xiaolou nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±

    Commandery Prince Qin did not ask what the evidence was. ¡°In that case, I will meet with the Censor and the Garrison Chief. But I will have to trouble you to exin this to the Confucian School, Sage Pei.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou stood up and sped his fists. ¡°Of course. Thank you, Commandery Prince.¡±

    ......

    Yuan Chongzong was sitting alone in his study when someone knocked on the door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± Yuan Chongzong responded.

    The butler of the Yuan Residence opened the door and came in.

    ¡°How is it?¡± Yuan Chongzong asked, nervous. Although Yuan Chongzong¡¯s face was expressionless, his voice wasced with concern.

    The butler¡¯s expression was stiff and flustered as he stuttered, ¡°Y-Young M-Master is g-gone.¡±

    Yuan Chongzong¡¯s eyelids twitched slightly, but he remained silent.

    The butler grew more rmed, thinking, <i>How can the Old Master be so indifferent when hearing news of his grandson¡¯s death? Is it because I didn¡¯t exin it clearly? Or is it because he didn¡¯t hear me?</i>

    Thus, the butler repeated the news of Yuan Fengchan¡¯s death with a trembling voice.

    Yuan Chongzong finally spoke. ¡°I understand. There is no need to repeat it.¡±

    The butler held his breath and dared not utter another word.

    After a while, Yuan Chongzong asked, ¡°What about my son?¡±

    The butler replied, ¡°Master Yuan is still leading our people to hunt down Mage Zhang.¡±

    Yuan Chongzong¡¯s expression softened slightly. ¡°Is there anything wrong?¡±

    ¡°Nothing went wrong. Master Yuan didn¡¯t get injured at all. Mage Zhang was just too cunning. So they couldn¡¯t get her yet. But it¡¯s just a matter of time before they seed.¡± The butler hurriedly replied.

    ¡°The death of one grandson doesn¡¯t matter on the grand scale of things. All that matters is that the Yuan family is still standing.¡± Yuan Chongzong breathed a sigh of relief.

    ......

    The Heavenly Being who injured Qi Xuansu stood with his hands behind his back, looking indifferent. Manyckeys stood behind him, all of them silent and motionless.

    There were also two corpses by his feet, side by side.

    They were the father-and-son pair, Yuan Shangdao and Yuan Fengchan.

 Chapter 338: Wind and Thunder Marshals

    <h4>Chapter 338: Wind and Thunder Marshals</h4>

    After Pei Xiaolou left the Commandery Prince¡¯s Mansion, he did not meet anyone from the Confucian School.

    That was because he did not find the need to report anything to the Confucian School. A post-event note would suffice. Moreover, the Confucian School had a loose structure and system, so informing them in advance would alert the enemy instead.

    Likewise, Pei Xiaolou also did not inform the local provincial government. After all, he was under the orders of the Chongyang Pce of Immortality and did not require permission from the Huzhou provincial government to handle matters. This was also to avoid any news leaks since there could be spies everywhere.

    The Yuan family owned arge residence in the Panlong Hutong of Poyang Street. However, no members of the Yuan family had ever lived there. The people living there were fighters recruited by them.

    Since the residence covered a vast area, it could amodate hundreds of people without being crowded.

    In addition, the elite fighters in the Kunlun stage also had separate residences. The Yuxu-stage fighters were honored as guests and were allowed to live in the Yuan Residence. They all had dedicated servants,cking nothing. Moreover, they were given a sryparable to a fifth-rank Daoist priest, so they could earn considerable savings.

    Although these people were living under someone else¡¯smand and did not have as much freedom as Qi Xuansu or were not as rich as Third Master Chang, Song Luodi, or Monk Deng Hua, they were only required to show their strength in numbers.

    These people did not have to constantly worry about getting killed on the field like Qi Xuansu did. This kind of life was only suitable for those who were talented and bold. Thus, most people were willing to beckeys for a wealthy family and live a peaceful life.

    This kind of big job of besieging Zhang Yuelu was extremely rare, akin to plotting a rebellion.

    After Yuan Shangdao led most of these fighters away, the Panlong Hutong became empty, with only a few people left to look after the residence.

    Pei Xiaolou quietly came to the Panlong Hutong. It was gettingte, and most ces were dark. Only one living room was brightly lit and full of people.

    The people who stayed at the residence were having a meal, so Pei Xiaolou came straight to the living room, with a bamboo staff in hand. He knocked the staff on the ground a few times to gain their attention, then asked, ¡°Who is in charge here?¡±

    Everyone was stunned before realizing what had happened. They hurriedly grabbed their weapons. Some took out their repeating rifle, which was strictly prohibited by the Imperial Court, just like crossbows and armor were banned in ancient times.

    Others took out talisman water and gulped it down. Their bodies instantly inted and emitted a faint golden glow. These weremon and crude methods used to boost one¡¯s strength, like a superficial application of magic. If one believed it would work, then it would be effective in increasing one¡¯s strength or ignoring one¡¯s injuries to a certain extent. That way, they would be able to continue fighting even if they suffered serious injuries. This was what the masses referred to as an invincible body.

    The Heavenly Court often used such methods when stirring trouble.

    However, in front of Pei Xiaolou, these methods were merely cheap tricks.

    Pei Xiaolou raised his bamboo staff and tapped it on the ground lightly. The ground shook, and everyone fell over.

    ¡°Who is in charge here?¡± Pei Xiaolou asked again.

    Everyone looked at each other, but no one said a word.

    Pei Xiaolou casually swept the bamboo staff across, causing someone¡¯s head to explode.

    ¡°Who is in charge?¡± Pei Xiaolou asked another time, unbothered by the bloody scene before him.

    The remaining people dared not risk their lives, so they all pointed to the person in charge almost simultaneously.

    Pei Xiaolou walked over to that person, pulled up a chair, and sat down. ¡°My name is Pei Xiaolou, a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master.¡±

    The person in charge of this residence originally wanted to threaten Pei Xiaolou with the Yuan family¡¯s name. However, after hearing Pei Xiaolou¡¯s introduction, he immediately swallowed his words and forced a ttering smile. ¡°Nice to meet you, Sage. Do you have any orders?¡±

    Pei Xiaolou asked, ¡°Are there any important documents here?¡±¡¯

    The man looked hesitant to answer this question, his eyes darting around.

    Pei Xiaolou was not in a hurry. He just raised the bamboo staff in his hand again.

    ¡°Yes, there is! But they are all locked in a box, and I don¡¯t have the key.¡± The man hurriedly confessed.

    Pei Xiaolou paused his movement. ¡°Take me there.¡±

    After a while, Pei Xiaolou left the Panlong Hutong with a thick roster of fighters hired by the Yuan family and their attached files. However, this was just a copy. The original was in the Yuan Residence.

    Only a few of these people had clean backgrounds. Most of them had criminal records. So it would be detrimental if this roster fell into the hands of the Imperial Court or the Daoist Order. There were hundreds of these criminals, so the Yuan family could be charged with conspiracy to do evil.

    However, this was just an appetizerpared to what was kept at the Yuan Residence.

    ......

    The chief butler of the Yuan Residence wore a cloak and a hood that covered his face as he quietly left from the back door.

    He had only taken a few steps before he tripped over a bamboo staff that seemed to have appeared out of thin air.

    The chief butler had some cultivation. He stretched out his arms and stood up. When he looked around, he was shocked to see a Daoist priest in a ck robe.

    He recognized this man, but his hands and feet felt frozen in ce, and he dared not move.

    Pei Xiaolou leaned on his bamboo staff and asked casually, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°I am Yuan Feng.¡± The butler answered honestly.

    Pei Xiaolou asked again, ¡°Who did Yuan Chongzong meet after the banquet was over?¡±

    Yuan Feng was hesitant to reply.

    Pei Xiaolou raised his bamboo staff, cing it on Yuan Feng¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Think about it carefully before answering.¡±

    Yuan Feng only felt a huge weight on his shoulder where the staff was. He hurriedly said, ¡°Old Master Yuan met two masters, the Wind and Thunder Marshals.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou¡¯s face turned solemn. ¡°I see.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou had heard of them. They were a pair of brothers who made a name for themselves in Jianghu when they were in their prime. They were considered powerful figures who dabbled in the grey areas of society. Later, when the Heavenly Court expanded to Jiangnan, the two brothers joined the Heavenly Court and were grouped among the Four Marshals, who were all on par with Feng Bo.

    The Four Marshals of Heavenly Court were: Wind, Fire, Thunder, and Lightning. The two brothers were called Marshal Wind and Marshal Thunder, respectively. That was why they were known as the Wind and Thunder Marshals collectively.

    Pei Xiaolou asked again, ¡°Where are the Wind and Thunder Marshals?¡±

    ¡°Marshal Wind followed Master Yuan to besiege Mage Zhang, and Marshal Thunder was protecting Old Master Yuan in the Yuan Residence,¡± Yuan Feng replied.

    Pei Xiaolou suddenly felt worried and hesitant. His wife, Lei Xiaohuan, was capable of beating people up. If she was here, she could certainly defeat the Wind and Thunder Marshals by herself. Unfortunately, Pei Xiaolou was alone, and he certainly could notpare to his brother, Sage Donghua. His cultivation was only good enough to defend himself from Heavenly Beings, but he was not proficient in fighting.

    If he had to fight against the Wind and Thunder Marshals by himself, he would surely lose. Even if it was one-on-onebat, he was not confident he could win.

    As such, Pei Xiaolou knew that he could not barge into the Yuan Residence hastily. Moreover, it also seemed like Zhang Yuelu was in trouble.

    Pei Xiaolou went to see Commandery Prince Qin as an insurance, but now it seemed that he had to rely on thetter to settle the matter with the Yuan family.

    ......

    In addition to the financial resources of the Yuan family, the reason they were able to recruit so many fighters wasrgely due to the Wind and Thunder Marshals, as most of these fighters were the subordinates of the two marshals.

    Without the Wind and Thunder Marshals, these fighters might not be willing to risk their lives to besiege and kill Zhang Yuelu.

    Among them, Marshal Wind was the one who injured Qi Xuansu, but he was also merciful toward thetter.

    After all, Qi Xuansu¡¯s original intention was to capture Yuan Shangdao to threaten thetter¡¯s army of fighters. Yuan Shangdao was also in the Guizhen stage, so he would not have died from just two of Qi Xuansu¡¯s punches.

    However, Yuan Shangdao was clearly dead at this time, just like Yuan Fengchan. Their cause of death was unclear.

    During the chaos, Zhang Yuelu fled with Qi Xuansu, and most of the fighters chased after them. Only a few people paid attention to Yuan Shangdao. By the time they came to their senses, Yuan Shangdao was already dead.

    Marshal Wind stared at the two bodies at his feet for a long time.

    Someone came up to him and asked, ¡°Marshal, should we still pursue those two?¡±

    Marshal Wind did not answer. Instead, heughed loudly and rolled up his sleeves.

    A violent gust of turbulent qi swept across the area. In the blink of an eye, the people standing behind Marshal Wind copsed to the ground like fallen wheat. No one was left alive.

 Chapter 339: Erase All Traces

    <h4>Chapter 339: Erase All Traces</h4>

    ount books were thrown into the fire one by one, hot air permeating the area.

    It was already April[1]. Jiangling Prefecture in Huzhou was located in Jiangnan, so even at night, it was quite hot. With such humid weather and this intense fire burning, everyone had sweat on their foreheads.

    However, no one dared to dy a second. There were still severalrge boxes of ount books stacked all around them. But they had to browse through each book before throwing it into the fire, repeating this until they finished burning those boxes.

    Burning them one by one like this was time-consuming. They had been doing this for most of the night, yet there were still so many ount books left. Everyone was sweating, and their faces were ck with soot.

    These ount books contained more than 10 years'' worth of transaction details from the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association. They were far more detailed than the ount books Liu Futong had. Moreover, this did not just involve Liu Futong or the Purple Immortal Mountain, so if these fell into the hands of the Daoist Order, many people would be implicated.

    Not far away, two recliners and a small table were ced under the eaves in the backyard. Two old people were sitting there, who were none other than Yuan Chongzong and Marshal Thunder.

    ¡°Has the situation reached such a critical point? Didn¡¯t you say that everything will be fine as long as we kill Zhang Yuelu?¡± Yuan Chongzong felt uneasy despite his many years of experience weathering countless storms.

    Marshal Thunder had a leisurely attitude. ¡°Yes, everything will be fine as long as Zhang Yuelu is dead. The problem is that we failed to kill her, and she ran away. Although hundreds of people are still searching the mountain, they may not be capable enough to find her. If she manages to run back to Jade Capital, this will be a disaster that will destroy your entire n. So we can¡¯t be careless. We should take precautions while we can.¡±

    Yuan Chongzong frowned. ¡°There¡¯s a Heavenly Being among them, so how could that little girl flee with so many masters around?¡±

    Marshal Thunder picked up the gaiwan from the table and gently skimmed off the foam from the tea. ¡°Zhang Yuelu is not a little girl. As far as I know, she is only one step away from a Heavenly Being, and she has a semi-immortal object. Even with my brother out on the field, he may not be able to kill her. Moreover, there is an unexpected variable this time; Zhang Yuelu has a helper who is a good fighter at the Guizhen stage. This disrupted our initial arrangements.¡±

    Yuan Chongzong became anxious. ¡°But you said it¡¯s a foolproof n!¡±

    Marshal Thunder said calmly, ¡°It is indeed a foolproof n for two Heavenly Beings to kill Zhang Yuelu. But you were afraid that Pei Xiaolou woulde to trouble you, so you insisted on keeping me here. I had no choice but to agree to your request for protection. Is this my fault?¡±

    Yuan Chongzong was rendered speechless.

    Marshal Thunder opened the lid of the gaiwan fully, admiring the tea buds that slowly rose to the surface. He took a sip of the expensive tea and praised. ¡°Mm...this top-quality tea tastes great.¡±

    Not far from them, the mes danced, and the shadows flickered intermittently.

    Yuan Chongzong narrowed his eyes and looked at Marshal Thunder, who was still drinking tea in such a leisurely manner.

    ......

    Marshal Wind flew over the mountain to begin his search.

    However, he was not searching for Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu. Instead, he was looking for the fighters who came with Yuan Shangdao on this siege.

    Aside from some people who directly obeyed his orders, Marshal Wind did not intend to let the others live.

    Soon, this mountain forest resembled a battlefield.

    These people did not expect to die at the hands of their own master. They did not even realize how they died, just like Yuan Shangdao and Yuan Fengchan.

    The Yuan family was only able to recruit so many skilled fighters thanks to the Wind and Thunder Marshals, who had been working for the Yuan family for many years. Nearly half of these fighters were once subordinates of the two marshals. A quarter of them even took direct orders from the two marshals. However, on the surface, they obeyed the Yuan family, acting like spies for the two marshals.

    When Marshal Wind looked at the bodies of Yuan Shangdao and Yuan Fengchan, the people who were directly under Marshal Wind¡¯s orders did not follow him. Instead, they had scattered about the mountain, beginning to hunt down theirrades.

    Those who knew of Marshal Wind¡¯s identity but were not his direct disciples were also not spared.

    This siege of Zhang Yuelu was not to kill her. It was intended to silence the people who worked for the Yuan family.

    The so-called siege was just a cover-up.

    In a sense, Zhang Yuelu was the bait, not the big fish to be caught. So even if there was an additional variable like Qi Xuansu, it did not matter because it would not affect the overall situation.

    It was precisely because of this that Marshal Wind deliberately forced Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu to escape to the northwest mountain. The mountain road was long, narrow, and steep, with a cliff and a broken stone bridge.

    As long as they guarded both ends, this mountain road was truly an excellent path of no return.

    Zhang Yuelu could not die because Young Master Li said that she was now more valuable than the granddaughter of the Heavenly Preceptor. As such, killing Zhang Yuelu would not help calm the situation. It would only backfire on them. So all they had to do was let her return to Jade Capital without sess. There was no need to add any unnecessary fuss.

    Cutting off all ties and erasing all traces was the only way to achieve this.

    ......

    With one side silencing minions and another side burning ount books, everything was graduallying to an end.

    At this moment, there was a knock on the closed door of the backyard.

    ¡°Who is it?¡± Yuan Chongzong sat up straight with a look of vignce on his face.

    An attendant replied, ¡°Old Master Yuan, Censor Zhang and Garrison Chief Hu are here. They insist on meeting you.¡±

    Yuan Chongzong¡¯s expression changed dramatically before he turned to look at Marshal Thunder.

    Marshal Thunder also sat upright from the recliner and signaled for Yuan Chongzong to stay calm.

    Yuan Chongzong settled down and asked the attendant, ¡°Why are they here sote at night?¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t say anything, and I dare not ask.¡± The voice outside the door replied.

    Yuan Chongzong instructed, ¡°Then tell them that I¡¯m not around!¡±

    The voice outside the door answered, ¡°I told them, but they refused to leave. They forced me to go around looking for you and Master Yuan.¡±

    Yuan Chongzong became anxious. ¡°Well, just keep them outside! I will kill whoever lets them in!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The attendant responded.

    Yuan Chongzong could not hold it in any longer. He lost his usualposure, stood up abruptly, andined. ¡°How is this foolproof?! This is a gamble! Now they¡¯vee to my doorstep!¡±

    Marshal Thunder said calmly, ¡°The Governor is the leader of the region, and the Chief Admiral is the second-inmand, followed by the Censor and the Garrison Chief. Not just anyone can give orders to these two powerful figures.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Commandery Prince Qin. Only he has such power and influence!¡± Yuan Chongzong reacted immediately.

    Marshal Thunder added, ¡°After Commandery Prince Qin¡¯s retirement, he has been taking a back seat in political affairs. So who invited him? It must be Pei Xiaolou, backed by Sage Donghua and the Quanzhen Sect''s Chongyang Pce of Immortality.

    ¡°Commandery Prince Qin dared not risk offending the Quanzhen Sect by rejecting Pei Xiaolou, but he also did not want toe forward in person to offend our backer. That¡¯s why the cunning old man asked the Censor and the Garrison Chief toe here. That way, he won¡¯t offend either side.

    ¡°So you shouldn¡¯t be anxious just yet. The situation has not reached the point of no return. It seems to me that as long as you¡¯re not around, they won¡¯t barge in.¡±

    Yuan Chongzong was reassured after hearing this. His expression softened slightly, and he leaned back on his recliner again.

    After a while, Yuan Chongzong spoke again. ¡°No matter what, we can¡¯t stay in Jiangling Prefecture for the time being.¡±

    ¡°Old Master Jin said that the boat is ready, and the navy has been bribed, so you can leave at any time. You can decide where you want to go, whether it¡¯s the East Sea, Fenglin, Nanyang, Samudra Kingdom, or Borneo Ind. You can even go to the Western Continent if you wish,¡± Marshal Thunder offered.

    Yuan Chongzong suddenly fell silent.

    Marshal Thunder did not rush him. He continued sipping on the tea.

    Yuan Chongzongmented. ¡°I was still a first-ss gentry in Jiangling Prefecture just this morning. But in just one day, I¡¯ve lost everything that I¡¯ve painstakingly built¡ª¡±

    Marshal Thunder interrupted him. ¡°It¡¯s always possible to make aeback as long as you stay alive.¡±

    Yuan Chongzong stared at Marshal Thunder and suppressed his anger. ¡°You¡¯ve had this nned all along, right?¡±

    Marshal Thunder put down the gaiwan. ¡°This is why it¡¯s foolproof.¡±

    Yuan Chongzong pointed at Marshal Thunder, trembling slightly. ¡°I see, I finally understand¡ª¡±

    ¡°You don''t understand.¡± Marshal Thunder interrupted him again. ¡°But now is not the time to talk about this. Our guest is here.¡±

    1. Note that this is the 4th month of the lunar calendar, which refers to aroundte April tote May in the Gregorian calendar. ?

 Chapter 340: Sacrificing for the Greater Good

    <h4>Chapter 340: Sacrificing for the Greater Good</h4>

    Pei Xiaolou appeared in this hidden backyard, holding a bamboo staff. He looked around and remarked sarcastically, ¡°How lively!"

    Marshal Thunder got up from the recliner and sped his fists in salutation. ¡°Greetings, Sage Pei.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou looked at Marshal Thunder. ¡°The Heavenly Court¡¯s Twin Thunders¡ªGod of Thunder and Marshal Thunder¡ªand the Dual Winds¡ªGod of Wind and Marshal Wind. You must be one of the Wind and Thunder Marshals who have made quite a reputation in Jianghu. Your reputation precedes you.¡±

    ¡°You tter me, Sage Pei.¡± Marshal Thunder was humble.

    Pei Xiaolou smiled slightly and stopped talking nonsense. He raised the bamboo staff in his hand, which emitted countless streams of light, like tiny meteors. The trailing streaks spiraled and danced in the air.

    Marshal Thunder stood in front of Yuan Chongzong and ordered. ¡°Send Old Master Yuan away from here!¡±

    Two people appeared from the shadows, dressed neatly with daggers hanging on their waists, nking Yuan Chongzong.

    Yuan Chongzong was flustered, but in the end, he sighed in resignation and left with the two escorts.

    The reason they chose to burn the ount books in this backyard was due to the proximity to a tunnel in the back hall of the Yuan Residence that led out of the city.

    Yuan Chongzong and the two escorts came to the back hall. A huge relief titled, <i>The Transformation of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor</i>, came into view. Both the Primordial Daoist Ancestor and the green bull he was sitting on were in their actual sizes, with lifelike expressions and details.

    The green bull shook its head and wagged its tail when Yuan Chongzong approached the relief. He grabbed the green bull by the horns and rotated it like the hands of a clock. A clicking sound of a mechanism could be heard before the floor tile moved, revealing a stone staircase to an underground tunnel.

    Yuan Chongzong walked in first, followed by the two men.

    On the other side, Marshal Thunder casually pped away the small meteors that were shooting at him. His robes swayed, and countless ck qi gathered upward.

    Although he was called Marshal Thunder among the Four Marshals of the Heavenly Court, his moves had nothing to do with the thunder spell. It was just his made-up name.

    A ck cloud grew above Marshal Thunder¡¯s head until it morphed into an evil dragon about 30 meters long. It was made of ck smoke and mist, but its teeth and ws were sharp and lifelike. This was the power of a Heavenly Being.

    With the mighty power of heaven, the ck dragon abruptly descended and crashed into Pei Xiaolou.

    Pei Xiaolou waved the bamboo staff, shooting out dozens of small meteors at the ck dragon. The trails of light passed through the dragon¡¯s body, causing countless ripples. Finally, the dragon and the light dispersed.

    Marshal Thunder stomped on the ground, leaving arge crack. He leaped into the air and pushed one palm out toward Pei Xiaolou.

    Pei Xiaolou raised his staff to block the palm strike, conjuring the howling wind.

    At the first touch, the two Heavenly Beings separated from each other, standing about 10 meters apart.

    Pei Xiaolou was unrelenting. He tapped the ground with the bamboo staff and said, ¡°Rise!¡±

    A stream of light that was as thick as an adult arm broke out of the ground.

    Marshal Thunder did not dodge the light. Instead, he trampled the stream of light, which exploded into countless scattered meteors, piercing the people who were burning the ount books and killing them instantly.

    Pei Xiaolou¡¯s face was gloomy. With a slight tap of his toe, he leaped in the air andnded in front of Marshal Thunder, clubbing thetter¡¯s face with his bamboo staff.

    Marshal Thunder had expected this, so he wed Pei Xiaolou¡¯s abdomen.

    When the two Heavenly Beings passed each other, Pei Xiaolou left a bloody mark on Marshal Thunder¡¯s forehead. Marshal Thunder retracted his right hand, grabbed the bamboo staff with his index finger, middle finger, and thumb, and tried to break it.

    Unexpectedly, Pei Xiaolou released the staff and rammed the top of the staff toward Marshal Thunder with his left hand.

    Marshal Thunder simply gave up on the idea of breaking the staff. Instead, he tensed his shoulder, intending to smash it into Pei Xiaolou¡¯s chest.

    Pei Xiaolou let the bamboo staff fall to the ground and used Boundless Force to take the hit from Marshal Thunder.

    This exchange happened in the blink of an eye before the two separated again.

    Marshal Thunder slid back, plowing two deep ravines in the solid bluestone floor.

    Pei Xiaolou also felt the aftershock of Marshal Thunder¡¯s qi strike and drifted backward, creating ripples all around.

    Marshal Thunder grounded himself to forcibly stop his retreat. Then he used the momentum to propel himself forward, catching up with Pei Xiaolou¡¯s retreating figure and sweeping his arms across.

    Although Pei Xiaolou blocked the sweep, he was still knocked sideways to the ground by the huge force. Marshal Thunder took advantage of the situation to pursue Pei Xiaolou, stepping on Pei Xiaolou¡¯s chest again.

    At the critical moment, Pei Xiaolou pped his palm downward, using the force to roll his body sideways, avoiding Marshal Thunder¡¯s attack and retreating more than 30 meters away.

    Marshal Thunder bent his knees slightly. His figure shot out like an arrow while he wed Pei Xiaolou.

    Pei Xiaolou made a hand signal, summoning his bamboo staff to his left hand. He then knocked Marshal Thunder to the side, bringing down a section of the courtyard wall in the process.

    Although the two did not go all out in this fight, the aftermath of their fight had razed the small courtyard to the ground. The ashes of the burnt ount books scattered all over the sky, making them unreadable.

    Marshal Thunder stood up, patted the ashes on his body, andughed. ¡°Sage Pei, you didn¡¯t handle this case well enough. The criminalsmitted suicide and destroyed all the ount books. All that stolen money is still unounted for. I wonder how you¡¯ll exin it to the Earthly Preceptor.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou¡¯s expression changed, and he suddenly had a bad premonition.

    ......

    Yuan Chongzong was walking in the middle of the tunnel, with one person leading the way and the other trailing behind him.

    Since no one had walked through this tunnel after it was dug out, the path was rugged and uneven. Yuan Chongzong was also not familiar with the directions.

    Yuan Chongzong¡¯s face was grim.

    From the moment Pei Xiaolou appeared, Yuan Chongzong knew that the Yuan family was doomed, and his many years of hard work were ruined. This time, Pei Xiaolou represented the Quanzhen Sect, and Zhang Yuelu represented the Golden Tower Council, indicating that the upper echelons of the Daoist Order had reached an agreement on this matter. Even if the Yuan family could escape this time, they would not be able to run forever.

    Fortunately, Yuan Chongzong had anticipated such a day toe, so he transferred his assets overseas over the years. He purchased a lot of properties in Nanyang and had enough capital to make aeback.

    Yuan Chongzong asked, ¡°Do you know what is happening with my son?¡±

    The person who led the way replied, ¡°Please rest assured, Old Master Yuan. We have already made arrangements. You will be able to reunite with Master Yuan soon.¡±

    Yuan Chongzong felt a little relieved. His thoughts returned to Nanyang, which he had not visited for many years.

    At this moment, Yuan Chongzong felt a sudden pain in his back. He slowly lowered his head, only to see the tip of a de protruding from his chest and his blood slowly dripping down to the ground.

    The person behind him added, ¡°Old Master Yuan, you can meet your son and grandson on the road to hell. It¡¯ll be a happy reunion!¡±

    Yuan Chongzong¡¯s eyes widened in horror. He was in the Guizhen stage, so he still had the energy to resist.

    At this moment, the person leading the way turned around, ramming another dagger through the old man¡¯s heart.

    Yuan Chongzong¡¯s life force began to drain away rapidly.

    Before he died, Yuan Chongzong truly did not understand what Marshal Thunder meant by a foolproof n until this very moment. The Wind and Thunder Marshals were indeed sending him and his family away, but to theherworld, not Nanyang.

    Marshal Thunder¡¯s two close subordinates were also at the Guizhen stage. With two against one and a sneak attack, they easily seeded in their mission.

    However, to ensure that Yuan Chongzong would stay dead, the two of them continued stabbing the old man a few more times.

    In the dead silence of the tunnel, only the sound of a de piercing through flesh could be heard.

    Finally, Yuan Chongzong¡¯s body copsed to the ground with a thud.

    One of the men took out gasoline, poured it over the old man¡¯s body, and lit it on fire.

    Almost at the same time, a series of zing fires broke out all over the Yuan Residence.

    The Censor of Huzhou and the Garrison Chief quickly left the Yuan Residence, so they were not harmed. However, their expressions were solemn.

    No one expected the situation to escte so quickly.

    The two officials went to the Yuan Residence¡¯s main entrance and turned around. A heatwave struck them as the mes burned through the eaves, lighting up most of the night sky.

    Since two high-ranking officials were at the scene, the response from various local government offices in the city was extremely fast. Even the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office and the ck Robes were dispatched to the Yuan Residence.

    This fire was not idental. It was fueled by gasoline and various talismans to keep the fire burning, so the mes spread very quickly. Even with the government¡¯s quick response, they could not put out this inferno. All they could do was form an istion zone to prevent this fire from spreading outward to the whole town, then wait for the mes to dissipate on their own.

    Meanwhile, Marshal Thunder and Pei Xiaolou were still fighting in the sea of fire.

    Marshal Thunder gestured to his arm and smirked. ¡°Do you think that we would be so stupid as to repeat the same mistake of not cutting off a limb when necessary?¡±

 Chapter 341: Aftermath (I)

    <h4>Chapter 341: Aftermath (I)</h4>

    The Yuan Residence was surrounded by water features, with a smallke in the back garden and a pavilion in the center. This was the only ce that was not affected by the fire.

    Many figures came to the pavilion on theke under the guise of the fire. A Yin-Yang Gate could be seen on the side, with people constantly going through it, evacuating from the Yuan Residence.

    The backer behind the Yuan family could give their support or crush the Yuan family.

    After all, the Yuan family was not as powerful as the Li family or the Zhang family. The Yuan family might have a long history, but they had only be affluent in recent decades.

    There were only three core members of the family, which were Yuan Chongzong, Yuan Shangdao, and Yuan Fengchan. The rest of the family was recruitedter as fillers. However, this ¡°filler¡± was finally put into use. The Yuan family perished the way they prospered.

    After these people evacuated, the Yin-Yang Gate quickly shrank, eventually turning into a ck spot before disappearing.

    Secondster, an explosion resounded, and some wooden buildings copsed.

    Pei Xiaolou waved the bamboo staff in his hand, conjuring countless small meteors with trailing light out of thin air and shooting them toward Marshal Thunder like a rain of arrows.

    Marshal Thunder conjured two dragons out of smoke, blocking these meteors.

    These meteors looked beautiful, but they had terrifying power, piercing through bricks and separating mes,parable to flying swords.

    ¡°Sage Pei, without your wife, I¡¯m afraid that you won¡¯t be able to defeat me alone.¡± Marshal Thunder pushed out both palms, unleashing the two ck dragons.

    Pei Xiaolou¡¯s expression changed slightly as he quickly moved to avoid the two ck dragons.

    Marshal Thunder then took advantage of this opportunity to fly away.

    The most obvious difference between a Heavenly Being and a Xiantian Being was the former could fly. Neither the zing fire nor the city walls of Jiangling Prefecture could stop a Heavenly Being, and there was certainly no need to escape through secret underground tunnels.

    After Pei Xiaolou dispersed the two ck dragons, he did not chase after Marshal Thunder. Instead, he waved his bamboo staff to quell the mes and quickly entered the crumbling back hall.

    The secret door leading to the tunnel that Yuan Chongzong used to escape had closed automatically, so the back hall looked normal. Pei Xiaolou did not have the patience to slowly search for the tunnel''s entrance, so he mmed his bamboo staff on the floor. The floor tiles flew up in the air, revealing the entrance to the tunnel.

    Pei Xiaolou broke the closed door and walked into the tunnel.

    The entire tunnel was empty, with only one charred corpse left. The person¡¯s flesh, blood, clothing, and hair had been burned to ashes. Even the soul and the Three Corpses had dissipated.

    It was a ruthless method, but it was certainly effective.

    Thinking back to what Marshal Thunder said before fleeing, Pei Xiaolou immediately guessed that the charred corpse was Yuan Chongzong.

    Pei Xiaolou could not help but sigh.

    These people could kill and silence an entire family so tantly.

    To be fair, the Daoist Order could still figure out the entire event if they decided to investigate. The problem was that the Daoist Order only appeared unified on the surface. In fact, there were undercurrents surging.

    The evidence that the Yuan family had could stop any opposing voices, but without enough evidence, it would be difficult to continue investigating even if they knew who was the mastermind behind the scenes.

    That was the reason the Li family could not kill Zhang Yuelu. If they did, it would give the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect an excuse to escte the situation.

    Since the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect were also not unified, there was still internal opposition advocating for restraint and to notunch a full-scale confrontation with the Taiping Sect. Some even proposed epting a Grand Master from the Taiping Sect.

    However, the premise of these opposing voices was for the three sects to co-exist peacefully. If Zhang Yuelu was killed, it would be a vition of peace. As such, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s death would help unite the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect and overwhelm these opposing voices.

    By then, the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect would make a big fuss about Zhang Yuelu¡¯s death and even break some of the existing rules in the process.

    Pei Xiaolou understood this, so he was not worried about Zhang Yuelu¡¯s safety. What he really cared about was apprehending the Yuan family. However, he was still a step toote.

    The Yuan family¡¯s backer was still faster than him.

    ......

    On the other side, Marshal Thunder left the city and met Marshal Wind, who had been waiting for a long time.

    ¡°Is everything settled?¡± Marshal Thunder asked.

    Marshal Wind replied, ¡°I double-checked myself. Only a few minions who don¡¯t know the inside story survived. The investigation won¡¯t be fruitful.¡±

    ¡°Very good.¡± Marshal Thunder nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve erased all traces on my end too.¡±

    Marshal Wind looked back and saw arge fire lighting up the night sky from where they were standing outside the city.

    ¡°Everything is burned to the ground and destroyed in one day.¡± Marshal Wind sighed. ¡°We have worked hard building up the Yuan family for decades, but we had to give them up overnight. It¡¯s a pity that everything has turned into ashes.¡±

    Marshal Thunder shook his head. ¡°We have no choice. That¡¯s what Young Master Li wants.¡±

    ¡°Everyone else¡¯s backer can protect them from the storm, but our backer just asks us to endure it and cut off our limb to sacrifice for the greater good. I¡¯ve met that Zhang girl. She¡¯s skilled, but it¡¯s still possible to kill her.¡± Marshal Wind felt a little resentful. ¡°If it were up to me, I would¡¯ve killed Zhang Yuelu and Pei Xiaolou.¡±

    Marshal Thunder¡¯s face turned solemn as he chided his older brother. ¡°You¡¯d better get rid of those ideas. If you¡¯re so brave, go ahead and kill them now. Do you think the Zhang family and the Pei family will let you get away with it? Do you think that the Li family will protect you? I dare you to tell Old Master Jin about your brilliant idea when we get back.¡±

    Hearing this, Marshal Wind was immediately discouraged.

    Only then did Marshal Thunder soften his tone. ¡°We only have to obey orders and do as the superiors say. In Jianghu, we are considered big shots, but to the Daoist Order, you and I are no different from the dead Yuan Chongzong.¡±

    Marshal Wind was rendered speechless. Although he was the elder brother among them, his younger brother had always been more mature and calm.

    Marshal Thunder paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Speaking of Old Master Yuan, he¡¯s considered an old acquaintance of ours, right? When he saw Pei Xiaolou in Jiangling Prefecture, he already felt that something was wrong. He was still doubtful even when I showed him the signed note from Old Master Jin.

    ¡°That was why he asked his son to hunt down Zhang Yuelu while he hid in the Yuan Residence and asked me to apany him. He tried testing me several times, but he only thought that the worst oue would be leaving Jiangling Prefecture. He never thought that Old Master Jin intended to silence him. In fact, even if he guessed it, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything since his people were all controlled by us anyway. There was no way he could have escaped.

    ¡°This is the sad fate of an abandoned pawn. They can only see the small space in front of them and are blind to the entire board, so they have no control over their own life.¡±

    Marshal Wind pondered for a while before asking, ¡°But I still don¡¯t understand. What does this have to do with silencing the Yuan family?¡±

    Marshal Thunder looked at his brother helplessly. ¡°What do you not understand? What happened at Purple Immortal Mountain was an ident, so the Taiping Sect was clearly unprepared. Since someone had caught them by the leg, the only way to escape is to cut off a limb.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about the dead Su Ran?¡± Marshal Wind gradually understood.

    Marshal Thunder sighed. ¡°Su Ran is from the Taiping Sect, and Liu Futong is one of us. The two superintendents of Purple Immortal Mountain are our people, so it should be imprable. Who would have thought that our people would fight among themselves?

    ¡°Everyone shoots at others, but we shoot ourselves in the foot. It¡¯s fine if Su Ran sabotaged Liu Futong to take charge of Purple Immortal Mountain. But she died all of a sudden, leaving the huge Purple Immortal Mountain without a leader and allowing Zhang Yuelu to take charge.

    ¡°Since Su Ran¡¯s identity was sensitive, the Daoist Order kept it secret. But Zhang Yuelu exposed all the bad things Liu Futong did and traced it back to us.¡±

    Marshal Wind frowned. ¡°I heard that Liu Futong was captured in the act and didn¡¯t even have time to destroy the ount books. I really don¡¯t understand why the Li family had to send Su Ran of all people to Purple Immortal Mountain.¡±

    ¡°The Li family is rted by marriage to the Qin family, the Su family, the Lu family, and the Shen family. I guess they identally overlooked it and sent that crazy woman over.¡± Marshal Thunder shook his head.

    He continued, ¡°Well, it¡¯s pointless talking about this now. Things have developed beyond the Taiping Sect¡¯s expectations. The Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect will seize this opportunity to make a big fuss and exert pressure on the Taiping Sect.

    ¡°Young Master Li is starting to panic. He doesn¡¯t dare to mess with Zhang Yuelu, so he has no choice but to give up his own people. But they just treat it as losing wealth to avoid a cmity.¡±

    Marshal Wind finally understood. He asked casually, ¡°By the way, how did Su Ran die?¡±

 Chapter 342: Aftermath (II)

    <h4>Chapter 342: Aftermath (II)</h4>

    Su Ran died in Qi Xuansu''s hands. Although Qi Xuansu had expected that killing Su Ran would cause a disturbance, he would never have imagined such a big impact, indirectly leading to the massacre of the entire Yuan family.

    It was truly unpredictable how one simple action could lead to a series of events.

    After Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu broke out of the encirclement, they noticed that their pursuers were getting fewer until no one came after them.

    Naturally, the two of them noticed something wrong and stopped running. Instead, they hid in ce. After waiting for a long time, they still did not see anyone chasing them.

    After a brief discussion, they decided to turn back.

    When they returned to the broken stone bridge, they were surprised to see many corpses there, all of them killed by one move.

    Although Zhang Yuelu did not like Wei Wugui, the two of them were in the same boat at this time, so she asked for his opinion. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Qi Xuansu kneeled down to check the wounds on the corpses before he said solemnly, ¡°I think the Heavenly Being took action himself. These people were powerless to fight back.¡±

    ¡°You mean, the Heavenly Being who blocked our way?¡± Zhang Yuelu asked thoughtfully.

    Qi Xuansu stood up and jumped over to the other side of the broken stone bridge.

    Zhang Yuelu also jumped over. Their expressions turned grim as they noticed corpses littered all over the mountain road.

    ¡°This¡ª¡± Even though Qi Xuansu had seen many fights, he was still speechless when encountering this scene of mass murder.

    Zhang Yuelu took the lead and walked forward. The two of them walked down the narrow and steep mountain road that was littered with corpses. Judging from the clothes and weapons, these were the people who had been chasing them.

    This mountain road was like a battlefield.

    Zhang Yuelu came to a corpse and took a look. The fatal wound on the corpse was caused by a gunshot. She said, ¡°It seems that the Heavenly Being was not the only one killing these people. There were others assisting him too. This looks more like a premeditated internal fight.¡±

    Qi Xuansu checked several other corpses and agreed with Zhang Yuelu¡¯s statement. ¡°It seems so. How cruel...¡±

    Zhang Yuelu pondered for a while. Suddenly, she stood up. ¡°That Heavenly Being didn¡¯t intend to kill us. His goal was to silence these people. That was why he didn''t hurt you fatally and only blocked our way, pushing us toward the mountain road and using us as bait to lure these people.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°That makes sense. These people are from the Yuan family. Does that mean the Yuan family¡ª¡±

    Zhang Yuelu sighed. ¡°They are either dead, or they have managed to escape. But Sage Pei is still in Jiangling Prefecture, so there is still hope.¡±

    Qi Xuansu suggested, ¡°Since Sage Pei is in Jiangling Prefecture, we don¡¯t have to rush back. We might as well search for some survivors.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s meet at the waterfall.¡± Zhang Yuelu did not refuse. She chose to temporarily trust Wei Wugui.

    The two of them split up and found a few survivors, who were all seriously injured and had no way of surviving. Thus, their search and rescue efforts were futile.

    After they met again at the waterfall, they walked back along the original path and saw the bodies of Yuan Fengchan and Yuan Shangdao.

    They were both surprised by Yuan Shangdao¡¯s death.

    Qi Xuansu roughly inspected Yuan Fengchan¡¯s body and remarked, ¡°His arteries and veins were crushed by a secret force. It¡¯s a clever method. Back then, I didn¡¯t intend to kill Yuan Fengchan and let him go alive.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu added, ¡°Since Yuan Shangdao is also dead, it means that the Yuan family has probably been silenced.¡±

    The two looked at each other speechlessly.

    After a long time, Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°They move quickly. I¡¯m afraid that their n was kicked into motion as soon as they got wind of the scandal in Purple Immortal Mountain. By the way, were you the one who killed Su Ran?¡±

    Qi Xuansu remained silent.

    Zhang Yuelu did not probe further. Her suspicions did not matter. The key was getting evidence to prove her conjecture. That was because when both parties were equal in strength, thew, morality, and righteousness held more value. No one wanted to fall into moral passivity.

    In this regard, Qi Xuansu could notpare with Zhang Yuelu.

    At this point, Zhang Yuelu still thought that Wei Wugui¡¯s backer was Pei Xiaolou.

    Qi Xuansu hesitated before saying, ¡°Miss Zhang, it¡¯s time for us to say goodbye.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to Jiangling Prefecture to meet Sage Pei?¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head. ¡°My granddaughter is missing. I have to find her.¡±

    ¡°I doubt that she¡¯s your granddaughter.¡± Zhang Yuelu clearly did not believe that Wei Wugui was an old man. ¡°Who is that little girl?¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not deny it. Instead, he said, ¡°Someone entrusted me to protect her, so I must keep my word. Miss Zhang, please let me go for the sake of our camaraderie earlier when we were fighting against the enemy.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu only stared at him for a long time without saying anything.

    ......

    Liu Hu rode Bu Yue into the dense forest. Not long after, a dense white fog gradually enveloped the entire forest, so much so that she could not see anything ahead of her.

    However, Bu Yue seemed familiar with the road. All Liu Hu could hear was the crisp sound of Bu Yue¡¯s hooves clicking.

    After some time, the mist gradually dissipated. Once the fog cleared, Liu Hu found that she was in a bustling market street with buildings on both sides. There were tea houses, taverns, butcher shops, temples, and fabric shops. Many shops had colorful banners to attract business.

    There were also various vendors on the roadside making y figurines and candy art, selling candied hawthorns and various snacks, and telling fortunes.

    The streets were filled with pedestrians from all walks of life¡ªmerchants doing business; gentry people watching; officials riding horses; farmers walking with baskets on their backs;dies riding in sedans; monks asking for directions; children on the streets listening to stories; people begging for food and money, and so many more.

    But upon closer look, all these people had paleplexions that were as white as paper.

    At the entrance of the long street was an archway about 12 meters tall and 15 meters wide, with a horizontal que engraved with the words, Ghost Street. The paint looked ck at first nce, but it turned out to be a reddish-ck, like coagted blood.

    Liu Hu felt her scalp tingle, and she almost fainted from fear.

    However, Bu Yue was not scared at all, trotting into the long street. The pedestrians turned a blind eye to Liu Hu and Bu Yue, as if they were invisible.

    Liu Hu hugged the horse and gripped Qi Xuansu¡¯s Divine Dragon Pistol tightly. She subconsciously held her breath for fear that these ghosts would notice her presence.

    Soon, Bu Yue came to the empty market entrance. This time, there were no prisoners, ghost soldiers, or executioners.

    At this moment, Liu Hu heard a little girl¡¯s voice. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Startled, Liu Hu looked around like a frightened deer. She saw an execution tform with a noose rack not far away, used for hanging prisoners. A little girl much younger than herself was using the noose as a swing, rocking back and forth. It was extremely weird.

    Bu Yue recognized this little girl. The horse wagged its tail, shook its head, and stamped its front hooves happily, showing its excitement.

    The little girl jumped off the ¡°swing¡± without waiting for it to stop. She came to Bu Yue and petted its head. ¡°We meet again, horsey!¡±

    ......

    The Yuan Residence was burned to the ground, with nothing left.

    After Pei Xiaolou emerged from the other end of the tunnel, he went to the Commandery Prince¡¯s Mansion.

    Commandery Prince Qin did not want to get too involved in the Daoist Order¡¯s internal fight. Thus, he was not at all delighted to see Pei Xiaolou again. ¡°Sage Pei, I have already asked the Censor and Garrison Chief to thoroughly investigate the Yuan family as per your request. What other instructions do you have?¡±

    Pei Xiaolou maintained a polite attitude. ¡°I dare not instruct you, Commandery Prince. But I do have a small personal favor to ask.¡±

    This time, Commandery Prince Qin softened his tone because it was a personal favor that seemed to have nothing to do with the Daoist Order¡¯s infighting. ¡°Please speak, Sage Pei.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou briefly mentioned Qin Wubing giving Wei Wugui a ck Robes¡¯ badge and Wei Wugui pretending to be Qin Wubing¡¯s personal guard. Then he added, ¡°Wei Wugui is an acquaintance of mine. If anyone asks about his origin, I hope you will help cover for him.¡±

    Commandery Prince Qin pondered for a moment. Although this was a bit risky, it was his son, Qin Wubing, who gave Wei Wugui the badge. Since his son was involved and Pei Xiaolou was asking for a favor, Commandery Prince Qin nodded and agreed to this request.

 Chapter 343: Searching for Someone (I)

    <h4>Chapter 343: Searching for Someone (I)</h4>

    The Yuan family was exterminated, and all clues were destroyed. Part of the Yuan family¡¯s property had been transferred to Nanyang, but the shops and other properties under the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association were still around.

    However, most of the property of the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association was under the jurisdiction of the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion, which was not under the control of the Quanzhen Sect. Thus, Pei Xiaolou wanted to wait for Zhang Yuelu so that they could jointly handle the case.

    <i>The Jiangnan Daoist Mansion should have been under the jurisdiction of the Zhengyi Sect because of its location. However, due to Jiangnan''s prosperity and with Jinling being the hub of the Daoist maritime trade, the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion, like the Kunlun Daoist Mansion, was under the direct control of the Golden Tower Council. As such, there were usually equal numbers of disciples from all three major sects within the Daoist mansion.</i>

    <i>However, the Cihang lineage, which was also part of the Zhengyi Sect, had the greatest influence on the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion due to its proximity to their base. Almost every generation of Sage Cihang had served as the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master.</i>

    <i>One of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s senior sisters was now serving as the Chief Deputy Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master. However, her senior sister¡¯s age was close to Sage Cihang¡¯s. So their timing for ascension would be simr. Unless Sage Cihang renounced her title in advance to be the Grand Master, it would be difficult for Zhang Yuelu¡¯s senior sister to inherit the title of Sage Cihang.</i>

    <i>However, this was not the only reason why Sage Cihang chose Zhang Yuelu to be her sessor. It also involved the session of the Heavenly Preceptor title.</i>

    <i>If Sage Qingwei failed topete for the title of Grand Master, he could be the Imperial Preceptor. Likewise, Sage Donghua could also inherit the title of Earthly Preceptor. Only Sage Cihang could not inherit the title of the Heavenly Preceptor if she failed to be the Grand Master.</i>

    <i>That was because the Zhang family was adamant that only their direct descendants could inherit the title of Heavenly Preceptor. That was why the main branch of the Zhang family was wary of Zhang Yuelu, let alone Sage Cihang, who was aplete outsider.</i>

    <i>This was also the main reason the Zhang family had always been inferior to the Li family. The Li family was smart enough to bestow power on their talented adopted children and children-inw, letting them be the head of the family. That was why they had capable people leading the family from generation to generation. Even with the Holy Xuan¡¯s suppression, the Li family could still develop rapidly, almostpletely monopolizing power within the Taiping Sect.</i>

    <i>On the other hand, the Zhang family could not even tolerate the smaller branches of the family. Although they still dominated the Zhengyi Sect, the Cihang lineage had taken a lot of power from them.</i>

    <i>The only Heavenly Preceptor in history who was not from the Zhang family was Yan Feiqing, who was in the right ce at the right time. He was not only the beloved disciple of the previous Heavenly Preceptor, but he was also a close friend of the Holy Xuan. His wife, Su Yunxuan, was the Sage Cihang of that generation, and Su Yunxuan¡¯s master married Emperor Gaozu, bing the stepmother of the Holy Xuan¡¯s wife.</i>

    <i>From this point of view, Yan Feiqing and the Holy Xuan could be considered inws. In addition, the Holy Xuan had just deposed the Zhang family¡¯s Heavenly Preceptor, so Yan Feiqing became the only Heavenly Preceptor who did not bear the Zhangst name.</i>

    <i>At the time, Yan Feiqing had the support of the Holy Xuan, the Cihang lineage, and even the royal family. In addition, the Zhang family was too weak to retaliate back then, so that was how Yan Feiqing could gain the title of Heavenly Preceptor.</i>

    <i>The current Sage Cihang could notpare to Yan Feiqing in this aspect, so her hopes of inheriting the Heavenly Preceptor title were slim to none. After all, if Sage Cihang fought to be the Heavenly Preceptor, it would likely cause internal strife within the Zhengyi Sect.</i>

    <i>However, this became a hidden danger for the Zhang family. The current Heavenly Preceptor was strong enough to suppress Sage Cihang. But what would happen after the Heavenly Preceptor ascended to the heavens and a new Heavenly Preceptor came to power? The new Heavenly Preceptor might not be able to suppress Sage Cihang, and the Zhengyi Sect would likely end up with two figureheads.</i>

    <i>Thus, both parties had to find a point ofpromise, and the most suitable candidate for thispromise was Zhang Yuelu.</i>

    <i>Zhang Yuelu was from the Zhang family. She was also Sage Cihang¡¯s proud disciple. If Zhang Yuelu was chosen to be the next Heavenly Preceptor, she would most likely consider the interests of both the Zhang family and the Cihang lineage. The only drawback was that Zhang Yuelu was not a direct descendant of the main branch of the Zhang family. However, she was from a small branch of the Zhang family, which was still better than an outsider.</i>

    This time, the Golden Tower Council sent Zhang Yuelu to thoroughly investigate the case at Purple Immortal Mountain because of Sage Cihang¡¯s insistence. Although the Imperial Preceptor was the current acting Grand Master, also called the Great Sage Lunzhi, he could not personally intervene in the Purple Immortal Mountain case. That would only attract more attention to the guilty Taiping Sect.

    <i>There were several categories of the Golden Tower Council meetings depending on the number of Omniscient Sages and Virtuous Great Sages required to be present. Small meetings were those with 12 Omniscient Sages in attendance; mid-level meetings were those with 24 Omniscient Sages in attendance; while high-level meetings required all 36 Omniscient Sages to be present.</i>

    The Purple Immortal Mountain case was discussed in a small meeting, with Sage Cihang presiding over it. Previously, Zhang Yuelu had written a letter to the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion requesting a thorough investigation of the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association. At the time, she was representing Sage Cihang.

    However, the internal affairs of the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion wereplicated, so progress was slow. Now, with the sudden progression of the case and the Yuan family¡¯s core members mitting suicide¡± out of fear of punishment, it became necessary to raid and suspend the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association.

    ......

    Qi Xuansu failed to leave in the end, as he was forced by Zhang Yuelu to follow her back to Jiangling Prefecture. He had no choice but to obey her because he could not defeat Zhang Yuelu without using sneak attacks or non-lethal moves.

    However, Zhang Yuelu was nice enough to search the forest with him. However, they could not find any hoof prints or traces of Liu Hu. It seemed that Liu Hu had not entered the woods at all.

    After the two returned to Jiangling Prefecture, they went straight to Shenxiao Temple, thergest Daoist temple in Jiangling Prefecture where Pei Xiaolou was also staying.

    When the Daoist attendant informed Pei Xiaolou of Deputy Hall Master Zhang¡¯s return, he immediately came out to greet her.

    The moment Zhang Yuelu saw Pei Xiaolou, she said, ¡°Sage Pei, look who I brought to see you!¡±

    Pei Xiaolou did not recognize Qi Xuansu in this old man''s disguise, but Qi Xuansu had already prepared for this. Before Zhang Yuelu finished speaking, Qi Xuansu had already taken the initiative to salute Pei Xiaolou. ¡°I, the humble Wei Wugui, am honored to see you again, Sage Pei.¡±

    The shrewd Pei Xiaolou immediately understood what was going on. He nodded slightly and responded with a smile, ¡°The Commandery Prince was just asking about you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed andmented. ¡°I feel ashamed, as I am ipetent and have failed in my mission.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu raised her eyebrows. <i>These two are acting now, huh?</i>

    If Wei Wugui was really Qin Wubing¡¯s personal guard, then Qin Wubing would not have deflected the question when he replied to her letter. However, Zhang Yuelu knew that she would not be able to find anything now, even if she decided to investigate, because these people had probably agreed on the same story.

    Zhang Yuelu did not point it out. After all, the most pressing matter at the moment was the Purple Immortal Mountain case.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business.¡± Zhang Yuelu walked to the main hall first.

    Pei Xiaolou and Qi Xuansu exchanged nces behind her.

    The Sage chuckled. ¡°Yes, business is more important.¡±

    The three of them came to the living room. Pei Xiaolou and Zhang Yuelu sat on the left and right sides where the host usually sat, while Qi Xuansu sat at the secondary seat on Pei Xiaolou¡¯s side.

    Since Qi Xuansu was also an insider to this case, the two of them did not shy away from him and roughly shared their experiences.

    Qi Xuansu was shocked to hear that the Yuan family was involved with the Heavenly Court. In order to destroy evidence, the Heavenly Court dispatched two Heavenly Beings.

    At this point, Qi Xuansu had already met the Dual Winds of the Heavenly Court¡ªMarshal Wind and God of Wind, also known as Feng Bo.

    Marshal Wind was among the Four Marshals of the Heavenly Court, equivalent in rank to the God of Wind, Master of Rain, God of Thunder, and Mother of Lightning. These already ounted for eight Heavenly Beings. Besides these famous figures, the Heavenly Court had more than a dozen more Heavenly Beings. Thus, their strength exceeded that of some weaker local Daoist authorities.

    Qi Xuansu also learned from their conversation that the main altar of the Heavenly Court was located in Lingnan because of their expansion to Nanyang. The Patriarch of the Heavenly Court had even be the protector of some of the smaller countries in Nanyang. These smaller countries had given him the title of Chancellor, and the Four Marshals were given the title of Generals.

    After this exchange of information, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s perception of Pei Xiaolou changed greatly. Pei Xiaolou always gave people the impression of being cynical and perfidious. So Zhang Yuelu was surprised that Pei Xiaolou could handle this big case.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°The next step is for us to go to Jiangzhou to check the assets of the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association. Will youe along with me, Sage Pei?¡±

    Pei Xiaolou nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu inadvertently nced at Wei Wugui, who was sitting there quietly with his eyes closed, as if he were taking a nap or willing himself to be invisible.

    Seeing this, Zhang Yuelu called out, ¡°Soldier Wei.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Qi Xuansu abruptly opened his eyes, looking at Zhang Yuelu with a dazed expression.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Do you want to go to Jiangzhou with us?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°I wanted to, but Xiao Hu is missing. I have to find her first.¡±

    ¡°Is Xiao Hu that little girl?¡± Zhang Yuelu asked.

    Qi Xuansu nodded.

    Zhang Yuelu looked at Pei Xiaolou again. ¡°What do you think, Sage Pei?¡±

    Pei Xiaolou pondered. ¡°Well, if you ask me, this case has nothing to do with Brother Wei. We can continue to investigate the case while he can search for his girl. We¡¯ll go our separate ways.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was reluctant to let Wei Wugui go just like that, but in the end, she did not stop him from searching for the girl.

 Chapter 344: Searching for Someone (II)

    <h4>Chapter 344: Searching for Someone (II)</h4>

    With Pei Xiaolou¡¯s help, Qi Xuansu sessfully escaped from Zhang Yuelu¡¯s ws.

    Qi Xuansu had to search for Liu Hu. But he did not do so aimlessly. He first sorted out his thoughts.

    If a Heavenly Being caught Liu Hu, there would still be some traces of hoof prints at the very least. After all, it was unlikely that the Heavenly Being would abduct the horse as well.

    It was also unlikely for someone to use some kind of moving spell, as it required a certain amount of preparation time and could not be improvised. If so, how could they predict that Liu Hu would definitely enter the woods?

    Thus, Qi Xuansu ruled out these possibilities.

    He suddenly thought of another possibility. <i>Could this have something to do with Bu Yue?</i>

    When Qi Xuansu first bought Bu Yue, it was an ordinary and old grade horse. But after their trip to the Ghost Kingdom, Bu Yue seemed to be reborn, with more energy and a yin aura.

    Qi Xuansu could not help but think of the magical power he had obtained from the Xuan Jade of Death, which could open a Yin-Yang Gate leading to the Ghost Kingdom. Although he could not pass through the Yin-Yang Gate due to his blood qi, it did not mean that his horse could not.

    As such, Qi Xuansu patiently waited until nightfall. After confirming that no one was following him, he quietly left Jiangling Prefecture and went to a deserted ce. Then he summoned the vengeful ghost he had subdued from the Xiang Residence.

    This vengeful female ghost was smart. She was also naturally sensitive to yin energy, so under her guidance, Qi Xuansu found a cemetery outside the city.

    From a distance, he could see a few will-o¡¯-the-wisps. This was the first time Qi Xuansu had used this kind of magical power. There was no need to draw talismans or recite incantations; the key was the environment. If the ce had strong yin energy, the spell would consume less magical power. On the other hand, it would be impossible to open a portal in ces with strong yang energy.

    Even though the cemetery had some yin energy, it was still quite close in proximity to a densely popted city like Jiangling Prefecture. Thus, after Qi Xuansu opened the Yin-Yang Gate, he felt that nearly half of his magical power was gone in an instant.

    Several sparks connected into a line, forming the outline of a rectangr door. The door itself resembled the rippling surface of water.

    This portal could summon one of the Three Yin Beings. But at this time, a horse¡¯s head poked out through the ripples. When Bu Yue saw Qi Xuansu, it blinked and nickered happily.

    Qi Xuansu could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. His guess was right!

    Then, Bu Yue walked out of the Yin-Yang Gate with two girls sitting on its back.

    The older girl was Liu Hu, and the younger girl was Yin Jiuyin¡¯s granddaughter.

    Seeing the little girl again, Qi Xuansu still could not figure out how a millennial ghost could have a granddaughter.

    ¡°Hello!¡± Miss Yin took the initiative to wave to Qi Xuansu. ¡°Are you wearing a mask? That¡¯s interesting!¡±

    Miss Yin probably recognized him under the white fox face mask because Qi Xuansu could open this portal. It could also be that she was able to see through all kinds of disguises.

    ¡°Hello, Miss Yin.¡± Qi Xuansu cupped his hands in greeting. He nced at Liu Hu, who was sitting behind the little girl.

    Liu Hu¡¯s face was slightly pale. Although her journey in the Ghost Kingdom did notst long, it shocked her considerably. Liu Hu only felt a little relieved after Miss Yinforted her that they would be able to leave soon.

    After dismounting, Liu Hu came to Qi Xuansu¡¯s side and said softly, ¡°Uncle Wei.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded calmly, as if he had deliberately sent Liu Hu to the Ghost Kingdom for refuge.

    He turned his attention to Bu Yue, reaching out to pet the horse¡¯s head. ¡°Wow, I didn''t know that you have the ability to travel through the yin and yang realms. You¡¯re also smart to run off to the Ghost Kingdom when you noticed that the situation was awry.¡±

    Bu Yue nickered again.

    Miss Yin jumped off the horse and said goodbye to Qi Xuansu. ¡°It¡¯s time for me to go back. If you have anything you need help with, just open this gate. By the way, you can also leave your horse here. It cane here on its own, and I will take care of it for you!¡±

    Upon hearing this, Qi Xuansu nced at his horse and thanked the little girl.

    Miss Yin turned around and walked back into the Yin-Yang Gate, which quickly shrank, eventually turning into a ck spot and disappearingpletely.

    Qi Xuansu recalled the vengeful ghost, leaving only Bu Yue and Liu Hu with him.

    Liu Hu asked, ¡°Uncle Wei, are we going to Jiangzhou next?¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered. ¡°Well, Qing Xiao and Sage Pei are going to Jiangzhou to continue investigating the case, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for us to go along with them. On the other hand, this case is rted to the Taiping Sect. If we go to Zhili bynd through the Taiping Sect¡¯s territory, our risk will be considerably higher.

    ¡°But there is another way to get to Zhili, which is to take a ship along the Grand Canal. We can stay onboard without having to stay at inns until we get there.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was not really discussing the n with Liu Hu. He was just asking and answering the questions himself.

    The major routes bynd, sea, and river led to Zhili.

    After the Purple Immortal Mountain incident, Qi Xuansu finally understood the power of the Taiping Sect and the Li family. They could mobilize hundreds of fighters recruited by the Yuan family and destroy all of them in the span of a few hours. The Yuan family could entertain guests in the morning, but on the same night, they were eliminated, and the Yuan Residence was razed to the ground with nothing left.

    The Li family did not even take matters into their own hands. It was their peripheral forces who stepped in to clean up the mess.

    Thus, Qi Xuansu was not confident in crossing the Taiping Sect¡¯s core sphere of influence safely.

    However, Qi Xuansu also had an advantage. He was too small of a target for the Taiping Sect to notice him. Previously, Qi Xuansu had killed Shen Yuzu to avenge his master, stolen the Xuan Jade, and killed Su Ran, which indirectly caused the exposure of the Purple Immortal Mountain case. Even though a small pawn like him had constantly stirred up trouble, the Taiping Sect was still unaware of his existence.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu suddenly noticed a connection between all of these events¡ªMadam Qi.

    He reflected on his past.

    The fight for the Xuan Jade in Fengtai County was truly strange. The Taiping Sect only sent a group of ordinary Green Phoenix Guards and two assistant majors. Even if the Taiping Sect did not want to draw the attention of the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect, it did not make sense.

    If Madam Qi had not protected Qi Xuansu in secret, would he have been able to meet some masters from the Taiping Sect? Or perhaps Zhuge Yongming was not the only one that Madam Qi had killed?

    As for Shen Yuzu, that was the first time Qi Xuansu ever killed someone, and Madam Qi had taught him how to, step by step.

    The Purple Immortal Mountain case seemed to have nothing to do with Madam Qi, but she was the one who arranged this escort job for him.

    Qi Xuansu had long known that Madam Qi was not ordinary, but he did not expect Madam Qi to be so mysterious and powerful.

    If Madam Qi represented the Qingping Society, then based on the rtionship between the Heavenly Court and the Taiping Sect, who was the Qingping Society¡¯s backer? Was it the Quanzhen Sect? Or was it the Confucian School that had been silent all these years?

    Qi Xuansu did not want to delve too deep into this. That was because Madam Qi had never once harmed him or forced him into doing anything he did not want to.

    Not to mention, Madam Qi was his savior. If not for her, he would have already been dead, like his master. Even if he was lucky enough to survive, he would not even know who his enemy was without Madam Qi¡¯s help.

    Without Madam Qi, Qi Xuansu would not have all the mysterious powers or his bright future. He would have been an ordinary wandering Daoist, and Zhang Yuelu would have been an unattainable goddess. Big shots like Pei Xiaolou and Lei Xiaohuan would not have taken a second look at him. He would also never be able to catch up to Yue Liuli and Wan Xiuwu and would have had no choice but to put up with all the grudges back then.

    Madam Qi had not just saved his life. She had also reinvented him and treated him as a son.

    Due to this, Qi Xuansu did not want to think about the meaning behind Madam Qi¡¯s actions.

    If he figured it out, their rtionship could grow estranged, and then Qi Xuansu would be all alone in this world again. It would be pointless.

    Qi Xuansu gathered his thoughts and finally made a decision. ¡°We will take the waterway through the Grand Canal.¡±

 Chapter 345: Hot and Cold

    <h4>Chapter 345: Hot and Cold</h4>

    Qi Xuansu temporarily stored Bu Yue in the Ghost Kingdom while he took Liu Hu to therge port with many passenger and cargo ships docked there. There were also restaurants, inns, taverns, tea shops, brothels, and warehouses in the area.

    In addition, there was a residence with two entrances and several signboards hanging in the front. Half of the building was public, and the other half was privately owned, housing the Imperial Court¡¯s Ministry of Maritime Trade, the Daoist Shibo Hall, and a few merchant associations. These were the authorities responsible for managing the cargo ships, warehouses, as well as passenger ships.

    Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu came to the small courtyard, making a beeline to the side hall with the ¡°Passenger Ship¡± sign.

    Naturally, this ce could not bepared with the spacious hall where the flying ship tickets were sold. The passenger ticket counter looked simr to a pawn shop, with high counters, a wooden barricade, and small windows with people manning the booth. Some windows were empty with a ¡°Sold Out¡± sign stuck on them.

    After his interaction with Zhang Yuelu, Qi Xuansu found that the old man¡¯s disguise might not suit him. Although the white fox mask could also change his voice and aura, Qi Xuansu¡¯s mannerisms and posture were not at all like those of an old man. Hence why Zhang Yuelu was adamant that Wei Wugui was not an old man.

    Qi Xuansu simply changed his face to a young and handsome man. Due to the previous fight, his sleeves werepletely torn, so he spent 10 Taiping coins to buy himself a set of good-quality clothes. Thus, he looked like a well-bred member of the gentry, a ss that was lower than the nobles but higher than themoners.

    He came to a window and asked, ¡°Do you have a ticket to Bohai Prefecture on the Grand Canal route? I would prefer the earliest departure time.¡±

    The elderly man on the other side of the window noticed how well-dressed Qi Xuansu was, so he immediately smiled and said, ¡°Young Master, you¡¯vee at the right time. But this is an irond ship, so the ticket will be pricey.¡±

    Since the introduction of Western irond ship technology to the East, smaller irond ships were built for ind rivers, not just for sea travel. Although these ships were irond, they were not resistant to artillery. They were just built of metal and powered by steam from coal burning. Thus, these ships could go upstream and were generally faster than the traditional wooden ships with sails.

    However, due to the limited annual steel production, priority was given to the navy to build giant irond warships, so smaller irond passenger ships were rare and expensive, driving up the price of a ticket.

    Even if the irond passenger ship was not as good as a Daoist flying ship, ordinary people could not afford to ride on it. Only the gentry would choose to travel on this type of ship.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°How much?¡±

    The elderly man introduced the offerings. ¡°The irond ship has three types of rooms. Third-ss rooms cost 3 Taiping coins, second-ss rooms cost 5 Taiping coins, and first-ss rooms cost 10 Taiping coins. There are dedicated waiters for first-ss rooms, with hot bath water all day long and three meals a day cooked by chefs specially hired from Jinling Prefecture.¡±

    Having said this, the man paused and nced at Liu Hu next to Qi Xuansu. ¡°I will suggest booking a first-ss room forfort, since you have a femalepanion.¡±

    Qi Xuansu thought about it for a moment before taking out two small cash notes. ¡°I¡¯ll take two first-ss rooms."

    The elderly man quickly put away the cash notes and handed Qi Xuansu two beautifully printed tickets with a lingering smell of fresh ink. He exined, ¡°The irond ship has a g that reads, A36. It''s docked at the Yellow Pier.¡±

    As he said this, he looked at the clock and added, ¡°The ship will be departing in 4 hours. Please be sure to board on time, Young Master.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took the tickets with a calm expression. But deep down, the miser in him was distressed.

    One of the two cusses that he bought for 2,500 Taiping coins was broken by Zhang Yuelu, which meant 1,250 Taiping coins had gone down the drain.

    Qi Xuansu could not possibly settle this ount with Zhang Yuelu. First of all, he had not cleared himself of suspicion as Wei Wugui. Even if he was cleared of suspicion and waspensated by Zhang Yuelu, he would have to face her using his identity as Qi Xuansu in the future.

    There was no way he could hide his identity as Wei Wugui from Zhang Yuelu for a lifetime, and when the truth came out, Qi Xuansu would suffer horribly if Zhang Yuelu decided to settle ounts with him.

    In addition, Qi Xuansu had obtained a set of Seven Phoenix Feathers and several Bliss Needles from Su Ran. However, he had used quite a few rounds of ammunition in turn. Not counting ordinary armor-piercing projectiles, he only had 4 rounds of Grade-B Series Two Dragon Eye Bullet and 8 rounds of Grade-B Series Three Dragon Eye Bullet.

    Since Qi Xuansu no longer had a Daoist status, and he was not a fourth-rank Daoist master, he could not replenish the Dragon Eye and Phoenix Eye Series Ammunitions at the branches of Tianji Hall. If he replenished his ammunition from the ck market, the price would be at least double what Zhang Yuelu could get for him. Moreover, with Qi Xuansu¡¯s current wealth, he could not buy much either.

    Therefore, Qi Xuansu had to n his usage carefully and try his best to stay within his budget of 50 Taiping coins for their expenses along the way.

    To be fair, 50 Taiping coins was not a small amount. The Daoist Order had a Xuanhuang Division that specialized in refining Xuanhuang, a crucial substance for the operation of flying ships. They recruited many Daoists, who were given a monthly sry of 3 Taiping coins each, which ounted for 36 Taiping coins a year.

    The minimum standard of living was 10 Taiping coins to cover the ordinary annual expenses for a family of three. So 50 Taiping coins was good enough for five years of expenses, or at least two years in a middle-ie household.

    This showcased how expensive spiritual objects were. Not to mention, there were treasures that ranked above spiritual objects, which could easily cost tens of thousands of Taiping coins. Semi-immortal objects were even more valuable, as they were extremely rare in the market.

    That was why Liu Futong¡¯s embezzlement of 100,000 Taiping coins was regarded as a major case of corruption. A family of three only needed 10 Taiping coins a year, 100 Taiping coins in a decade, and 1,000 Taiping coins in a century. Based on this calction, 100,000 coins could sustain a basic family of three for ten millennia.

    ording to Liu Futong¡¯s confession, he used 100,000 Taiping coins to buy houses, support women, and raise illegitimate children. Qi Xuansu, who risked his life every day for a living, had never seen so much money before.

    To put it bluntly, Qi Xuansu was a country bumpkin who had not seen real wealth. He had only earned more in the past six months, so when he umted a sum, he would spend it on spiritual objects, firearms, and elixirs. At most, he would save up to buy a house ornd.

    But he could not fathom spending 100,000 Taiping coins for enjoyment. His imagination of extravagance was limited to traveling by flying ship and frequenting high-end brothels.

    Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu left the ticket office and came to the Yellow Pier. They saw the conspicuous irond ship at first nce, standing out like a crane in a flock of chickens among the surrounding wooden ships.

    The irond ship was smaller than the naval warships, but they were stillrge enough to amodate hundreds of passengers. It was made entirely of steel with barely any wooden structures. Since it was made for travel on rivers and not the open sea, it was not equipped with artillery. The conventional sails were also reced by tall chimneys.

    Chimneys were not as aesthetic as borate sails, so it took some time to adapt to them.

    This was an era where hot and cold weapons technology coexisted.

    On the one hand, the ck Robes sailed across the seas in irond warships armed with heavy artillery. On the other hand, the cavalry and cold weapons were still highly used on battlefields. With the usage of magical talismans, regr iron armor could withstand firearms. Although the cost of cavalry increased due to the heavily armored cavalrymen and horses, they were a formidable and unstoppable force on the battlefield.

    In the Daoist Order, Tianji Hall wasmitted to developing various powerful firearms. The Dragon Eye and Phoenix Eye Series Ammunition were famous all over the world. They also built a fleet of flying ships which dominated the sky.

    On the other hand, Huasheng Hall focused on the research and development of various creations that could turn something ordinary into something productive. It was only a matter of whether it was worth their money and effort. For example, Spirit Guards were ordinary people who could possess great supernatural powers as long as they were equipped with spiritual armor. Not to mention, they had various legendary creations like the Three Yin Beings and other creatures.

    These changes pushed the Daoist Order to great heights, creating a strong reputation known to everyone from the Western Region to the East China Sea and from the Samudra Kingdom to Fenglin.

    On the other hand, the Daoist leaders still valued their own cultivation and preferred treasures and immortal objects to firearms. At a certain level, there was no longer a need for aid from external objects because they themselves were godlike.

    These Immortals could create heaven, earth, and thes. They could fly in the sky,mand the wind and rain, create things with a wave of their hand, and move the mountains and seas. They were omnipotent, able to defeat 10,000 people in one strike.

    Therefore, despite the avability of shortcuts such as firearms and spiritual armor, many people were still keen on cultivating and seeking the path of immortality. That was why ancient swords, crossbows, talismans, and spells were still popr among the masses.

    This was a world constantly undergoing drastic changes. At the same time, it was also a world full of contradictions.

 Chapter 346: Fire and Iron

    <h4>Chapter 346: Fire and Iron</h4>

    After departing from Jiangling Prefecture, the irond passenger ship went south along the Yangtze River before turning into the Grand Canal and heading north.

    Three dayster, the iron ship had left Huzhou and entered the Luzhou section of the Grand Canal.

    For Qi Xuansu, Luzhou was where his luck began to change. But this was his first time using the Grand Canal waterway.

    After several years of treatment and being dredged, the water in the Grand Canal was much cleaner. The sun was shining brightly, reflecting on the surface of the water, resembling beautiful sparkling crystals.

    Liu Hu stood on the deck, looking at both sides of the bank. Huge manufacturing nts could be seen from time to time, with billowing ck smoke rising into the sky. These nts had only emerged in the past hundred years and were mainly focused on smelting steel.

    Although buildings still used masonry and wood as the main materials, firearms and irond ships required arge amount of steel. Since there was a high demand, these steel nts came into being.

    It was a coincidence that both firearms and smelting steel were rted to fire. On the contrary, the Great Xuan Dynasty originated in the north and revered the virtue of water. Hence, this further embodied the coexistence of hot and cold in this era.

    Qi Xuansu stood next to Liu Hu, also staring at the steel nts that were continuously churning out thick ck smog. The northwest states were vast and sparsely popted, so there were many mines in those states. The manufacturing nts were mainly concentrated in the east and further divided into the north and south.

    The nts in Jiangnan, which was in the south, were mainly light industries, while the nts in Jiangbei, which was in the north, were mainly heavy industries. Thus, smog was also a characteristic of Jiangbei.

    About half of these manufacturing nts belonged to the Imperial Court, some belonged to the Daoist Order, and only a few were privately owned and operated by influential members of the gentry.

    This was not the first time Qi Xuansu hade to Jiangbei. The reason he had not seen so many manufacturing nts before was due to the path he used to travel.

    The location of a manufacturing nt would determine the cost of transportation, manpower, raw materials, and so on. Therefore, most of these nts were close to mining areas, densely popted towns, and convenient transportation hubs.

    The most important among these was transportation. Whether it was the transportation of raw materials or the finished products, the lowest cost was shipping by river or sea. That was why it made sense forrge numbers of steel nts to be situated along the Grand Canal.

    The world was changing, and many gentry gave up the fields passed down from their ancestors to get involved inmerce. Some entrusted others to participate in maritime trade, while others became owners of the manufacturing nts. Since these nts needed manpower, farmers who had lost theirnd and jobs in the fields would find work in the manufacturing nts.

    The Holy Xuan once said that humans often liked to create something new¡ªbe it a rule or a method¡ªin order to solve a certain problem. However, after the problem was solved, the new rule or method that was created would eventually give rise to new problems.

    The manufacturing nts were the best example of this. The rise ofmerce and industrialization solved some of the problems in agriculture, but it also created new problems.

    These nts were not charity workshops. Although they amodated people who had lost theirnd and reduced the probability ofrge-scale discement and famine, the harsh work environments and constant exhaustion would destroy one¡¯s body and mind.

    Few people could survive to the age of 50. Poverty and hunger were still unending. If the people did not work for a day, they would not get enough food or money. If the breadwinner did not work for a few days, the whole family would starve to death.

    Under these circumstances, many children were forced toe out to work early. As such, overworking often caused the premature deaths of children and teenagers.

    This did not include the threat of disease. Although Huasheng Hall had all kinds of miraculous life-saving elixirs, the exorbitant fees were not somethingmoners in need could afford.

    This was a quandary that could not be summed up in a few words.

    It was also one of the reasons why secret societies were gaining traction. People had desires. If they could not have their desires fulfilled during their lifetime, they could only wish for a better afterlife. The various doctrines promoted by secret societies satisfied people¡¯s desires. Even if this desire could never be realized, some people would go crazy about it.

    The Daoist Order had expected this. That was why a dispute arose between the Holy Xuan and Xu Wugui, who was the first Earthly Preceptor.

    The first Earthly Preceptor believed that governance at the beginning of a dynasty was always efficient. Every task was approached with great care, and everyone worked diligently. This was because survival in perilous times could only be achieved by striving against overwhelming odds. However, as conditions gradually improved and the court stabilized,cency began to set in.

    What started as a few individuals bingx would turn into a culture of negligence. By then, even great efforts could not reverse the decline, making it difficult to remedy. Some were driven by the desire for personal achievements and engaged in factionalism, suppressing dissent. As a result, the situation would be increasinglyplicated as talent became scarce and challenges became harder to manage.

    It was like a pie. At first, one would be able to eat the majority of the pie, and the portion would gradually decrease to a menial share. Greed was inherent in human nature. It was basically impossible to solve problems by changing human nature and achieving universal harmony.

    The Confucian School had been going around in circles for thousands of years but still could not achieve world peace, nor was there any improvement in morality. On the contrary, people oftenmented the decline of societal values and the erosion of morality. So to ensure the Daoist Order did not repeat the same mistake as their predecessor, they had to find another way.

    The first Earthly Preceptor¡¯s method was very simple, which was to make the pie bigger so that it was enough to feed everyone. If everyone was content, these contradictions would no longer exist. The court would be prosperous, and the people would live in peace. Those in power could also enjoy their wealth and glory. This was the hallmark of a golden age and the foundation for a peaceful world.

    Now, the Daoist Order had arge pie. However, it seemed that the Earthly Preceptor¡¯s method could not solve these problems because no matter how big the pie was, problems would still arise if the method of dividing the pie did not change.

    Solving these problems might take an extremely long time and radical changes. Perhaps the Daoist Order would also fall into the same trap as the Confucian School, going around in circles with no way out.

    Qi Xuansu did not think too deeply about it. He could see some of the problems, but he did not have much empathy. Thanks to the teachings of the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, he had a solid foundation to survive in troubled times and prosperous times. He had many life-and-death experiences, but he had never experienced true poverty.

    He was poorpared to the gentry, wealthy merchants, officials, dignitaries, and high-ranking Daoist priests. However,pared with ordinary people, Qi Xuansu was a rtively well-off individual with a worth of several thousand Taiping coins.

    At his poorest, Qi Xuansu still had dozens of Taiping coins and never had to worry about food. One of the reasons was that he only had to feed himself, as he had no dependents. However, he lived on the edge of his de, with a high probability of dying much earlier than a regr person. Thus, most people would not want to live such a precarious life.

    But having said that, although most of Qi Xuansu¡¯s Taiping coins came from irregr sources, it was still cleaner than some gentry and nobles.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu did not have any great ambitions. He knew that he could not make the world a better ce. All he wanted to do was marry Zhang Yuelu and get promoted to be a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master. Then he could retire as a Sage and enjoy some peace. He would consider his life to be perfect if he could sit in on the Golden Tower Council meetings in the future.

    Just as Qi Xuansu was daydreaming about his possible future, he heard a set of footstepsing from behind.

    The vignce he had honed over the years pulled him back to reality in an instant. Qi Xuansu turned around and pulled Liu Hu beside him in a protective stance.

    When he saw who it was, Qi Xuansu could not conceal the surprise on his face.

    It turned out to be his former colleague¡ªXu Kou.

    Xu Kou had recently been promoted to superintendent. In fact, Xu Kou had been a fifth-rank Daoist priest a long time ago, but he was demoted to the sixth rank for torturing prisoners to death. Over the years, he had been promoted and demoted, so his rank was stagnant. But he had ample qualifications, so his promotion to superintendent did not have much opposition.

    At this moment, Xu Kou was not wearing the Daoist formal attire. He was in casual clothes.

    <i>What could he be doing here? </i>Qi Xuansu maintained a calm facade, withdrawing his gaze after a brief nce.

    It was truly coincidental that Xu Kou appeared on this ship. Zhang Yuelu ordered all superintendents to return to the Jade Capital by flying ship afterpleting their respective tasks.

    After Xu Koupleted his mission, he went to a local Daoist mansion and asked for leave from Zhang Yuelu using the rapid post talisman. He wanted to take this opportunity to return to his hometown in Qizhou to visit his rtives. Zhang Yuelu was a reasonable boss, so she readily agreed.

    This was why Xu Kou hitched a ride on the Shibo Hall¡¯s ship to Jiangling Prefecture before boarding this same passenger ship up the Grand Canal.

    Xu Kou also sized Qi Xuansu up. He could tell that this pair of siblings were not ordinary. First of all, he could not gauge the man¡¯s cultivation level. The teenage girl¡¯s breathing was typical of a Xiantian Being, which was a rare achievement at her age even in the Daoist Order.

    What¡¯s more, the man did not hide the Divine Dragon Pistol on his waist. The conspicuous ivory handle made people wary of him.

    Xu Kou hesitated for a moment before cupping his fists and introducing himself. ¡°I¡¯m Xu Kou.¡±

    ¡°Little Yama?¡± Qi Xuansu said with a faint smile.

    Xu Kou was surprised to hear this. ¡°Have you heard of me?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°I once heard a Green Phoenix Guard friend of mine mention your name, Brother Xu.¡±

 Chapter 347: Two Mothers-In-Law

    <h4>Chapter 347: Two Mothers-In-Law</h4>

    Xu Kou once served as a Green Phoenix Guard before changing allegiance to the Daoist Order, where he started off in the Qizhou Daoist Mansion before transferring to Tiangang Hall. His promotion journey was clear at a nce, unlike Qi Xuansu, who had a gap in experiences after his master¡¯s death to the time he entered Tiangang Hall.

    ¡°Which friend are you referring to? He could be an old acquaintance of mine.¡± Xu Kou asked.

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°Eighth Tianyang. I wonder if you¡¯ve heard of him, Brother Xu.¡±

    Xu Kou pondered for a while. ¡°Thatst name is rare. I might have some impression of a Deputy Commander with thatst name in the Imperial Guard¡¯s Office. Perhaps your friend is this Deputy Commander¡¯s descendant. By the way, I haven¡¯t asked for your name yet.¡±

    Qi Xuansu introduced himself. ¡°I am Wei Wugui, currently part of the ck Robes. But right now, I am off duty to deal with some private matters.¡±

    ¡°What a coincidence! I am also off duty to deal with some personal matters.¡± Xu Kou smiled bitterly. ¡°Well, I¡¯m actually going back to my hometown for a visit. This is the first time I have gone home since transferring to Tiangang Hall.

    ¡°Although the Daoist Order issued a relocation fee and provided a residence in Jade Capital, it still feels like a temporary home. It¡¯s not somewhere I would retire in. Brother, I¡¯m sure you understand that people like us can die in the line of duty at any time. So it¡¯s best to visit our hometowns whenever possible.¡±

    Qi Xuansu mixed in some lies with the truth. ¡°You¡¯re right. When the Yinglong Warship fell, my battalion was stationed not far from Cuowenbu, so I witnessed how all those people died just like that. After the incident, I purposely went to thekeside to check out the situation and happened to meet a Sage there.¡±

    Since Zhang Yuelu had already grasped his rough itinerary, Qi Xuansu did not care if Xu Kou knew about them.

    Xu Kou hesitated for a moment. ¡°Brother Wei, is that Sage male or female?¡±

    ¡°Female.¡± Qi Xuansu answered, ¡°She looks about 40 years old, very friendly.¡±

    Xu Kou coughed lightly. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, that Sage should be the new Tiangang Hall Master and one of the three Omniscient Sages expected to be the next Grand Master¡ªSage Cihang.¡±

    Qi Xuansu blinked, feeling awestruck. ¡°Sage...Cihang...?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sage Cihang. I haven¡¯t even gotten the chance to meet her yet. I just heard that Sage Cihang happened to be on the way back to Jade Capital when Sage Shangguan was attacked. She immediately rushed to the scene and saved some of the disciples on board.¡±

    Xu Kou was a superintendent of Tiangang Hall, and that incident involved Tiangang Hall¡¯s disciples, so his information would be much more urate than Qi Xuansu¡¯s, which came from public gossip.

    There were more male Sages than female Sages within the Daoist Order, but the number of female Sages was not considered low. In addition, after the fifth-generation Grand Master standardized the dress code and appearances of Sages, most Sages were of the same age and had simr clothes and auras.

    Since Qi Xuansu did not actually witness the scene of Sage Cihang lifting the Yinglong Warship, he did not think that the woman he met by theke was her. After all, the difference between an ordinary Sage and an Omniscient Sage was quite big, simr to the difference between the top-ranking and bottom-ranking Omniscient Sages.

    Hearing this, Qi Xuansu finally realized that the female Sage he saw at Cuowenbu that day was one of the top three Omniscient Sages of the Daoist Order.

    It was shocking, but since the meeting had already passed, Qi Xuansu was not so starstruck.

    He then recalled that Sage Cihang was Zhang Yuelu¡¯s master. That was when he understood how Zhang Yuelu could figure out his rough itinerary. The master and disciple hadmunicated frequently, and Wei Wugui must havee up in their conversation.

    Qi Xuansu thought of another issue. A master-disciple rtionship was akin to that of a parent and child. If he wanted to marry Zhang Yuelu, would he have to gain the approval of Sage Cihang too?

    If that was the case, then his life was truly miserable. Most people only had one mother-inw. Why did he have two?!

    He could not even deal with Zhang Yuelu¡¯s biological mother, Tantai Qiong. Now, he had to impress Sage Cihang, the top three among the 36 Omniscient Sages. If Sage Cihang became the seventh-generation Grand Master, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s status would rise along with her master. If so, his ambition of bing an ordinary Sage would seemckluster inparison. Did that mean he would have to set his sights higher and be an Omniscient Sage?

    But there were a fixed number of Omniscient Sages, Pce Masters, Daoist Mansion Masters, and Hall Masters. Excluding the Sages¡¯ ascension to heaven, the promotion of an Omniscient Sage would require someone to step down. Demoting an Omniscient Sage was almost impossible, as it would garner him more enemies.

    Even if someone vacated a position due to ascension or promotion, those positions would have been filled as soon as it was vacated, as most Omniscient Sages would have sessors. For example, the positions of Sage Cihang, Sage Donghua, and Sage Qingwei were fixed and could not be taken by outsiders.

    A vacant position of an Omniscient Sage would have been eyed by at least a dozen ordinary Sages. One could only imagine the struggle and bloodshed that would ur between rivals.

    Qi Xuansu had recently witnessed the horror of the Daoist Order¡¯s infighting from the Yuan family¡¯s tragic extermination. It was no wonder Madam Qi had always said that the bloodshed in Jianghu was nothingpared to the infighting within the Daoist Order.

    The Daoist Order did not even have to mention a word to annihte an entire family with a long history. The difference was that the people in Jianghu paid more attention to the process, while the Daoist Order only cared about the oue.

    Letting go of grudges and enemies-to-friends were tropes that only existed in Jianghu. The Daoist Order only cared about leaving enough room for maneuver. If an enemy could be killed in one strike, it would be unnecessary to form a deadly feud. On the other hand, it would be irreversible once the ball was put into motion.

    Even with a high cultivation level, with no one helping to pave the way, the path to bing an Omniscient Sage was full of hurdles and blood.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s original wish was just to be an ordinary Sage.

    Unknowingly, Qi Xuansu¡¯s thoughts drifted away. It was not until Xu Kou called his name that he snapped back to his senses.

    Qi Xuansu said apologetically, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to be Sage Cihang. I feel so honored to be able to talk to such a big shot. I hope you won¡¯tugh at my ignorance, Brother Xu.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s normal. If I could meet such a big shot, I would have probably reacted the same way.¡±

    Xu Kou was no longer as aggressive and irritable as before, especially after being taught a lesson by Zhang Yuelu and living in Jade Capital. After all, there were not many people he could afford to offend in Jade Capital.

    Turning his gaze to Liu Hu, Xu Kou asked Qi Xuansu, ¡°Is this your daughter?¡±

    Many Daoists lived to be 80 or 90 years old, some even exceeding 100 years old. However, in the real world, it was rare to live past 70. Forty years old was considered old, and most people would have children before they turned 20. Therefore, it was stillmon to have a teenage daughter before one turned 30 years old.

    Qi Xuansu coughed lightly. ¡°I am a bachelor. How can I have such an old daughter? She is the daughter of an older brother of mine, who entrusted me to send her to her aunt. This child calls me her uncle.¡±

    Liu Hu said nothing and only saluted Xu Kou.

    ¡°Comrades.¡± Xu Kou sighed. The disciples of Tiangang Hall, the Green Phoenix Guard, and the ck Robes formed deep friendships with each other because they could rte to each other having gone through simr life-and-death situations.

    Of course, Qi Xuansu did not exin his rtionship with Wild Bodhisattva. He was only d that Xu Kou had misunderstood him.

    Qi Xuansu was a bachelor, while Xu Kou was a widower. The two men stood on the deck, chatting. Looking around, there were many members of wealthy families on the ship. Many children were ying. It was a harmonious atmosphere that they were not ustomed to because they were used to torture and blood. They both felt nostalgic and sad upon this realization.

    ¡°It would be nice to have wine at this time.¡± Xu Kou leaned on the railing and gestured for a ss.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Brother Xu, are you nning to drown your sorrows with wine because you feel sad?¡±

    ¡°I often wonder, why are we working so hard just to live in this world?¡± Xu Kou seemed to be asking Qi Xuansu, but it also seemed like a rhetorical question.

    ¡°Ascension to immortality is too unattainable. If we are just living, we don¡¯t have to work so hard. But if it¡¯s just for pleasure, there will always be a day when we get tired of leisurely activities. What¡¯s the use of ambition if we¡¯re alone? No matter how high one¡¯s cultivation level is, no one can beat the Holy Xuan.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pursed his lips. ¡°I really don¡¯t know how to answer this question.¡±

    Xu Kou sighed. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s important to find one¡¯s purpose.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said with emotion, ¡°Indeed, people must have a purpose and something to look forward to in life.¡±

 Chapter 348: Pirates

    <h4>Chapter 348: Pirates</h4>

    Navigation through the ind waterway and the sea route were different.

    The sea route was full of dangers, with the possibility of encountering all kinds of strange monsters and violent pirates. If one went far enough out to sea, one would have the chance to encounter dragons that were almost extinct ind. Dragons could set off huge storms and waves at sea, capable of capsizing armored ships.

    The only thing of concern on the ind waterway was the various checkpoints.

    If the Imperial Court issued a sea arrest warrant, these checkpoints would be insurmountable, like a series of knives cutting off all hopes of escape for the pirates.

    Due to Pei Xiaolou¡¯s and the Commandery Prince¡¯s intervention, neither the Imperial Court nor the Daoist Order had ordered the arrest of Wei Wugui, so he was still considered a free man without a criminal record.

    As Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou spoke, a customs checkpoint came into view, where passing ships had to paymercial taxes. The checkpoint was manned by police officers, Green Phoenix Guards, and ck Robes conducting inspections on passing ships based on various arrest warrants.

    <i>The Green Phoenix Guard had a few responsibilities: monitoring local areas; collecting intelligence; tracking certain foreign visitors with sensitive identities; apprehending members of secret societies, bandits, and pirates; and solving special cases, such as corruption of local officials, disrepair of river embankments, embezzlement of tax money, and serial murders.</i>

    <i>Regr civilian crimes such as theft, robbery, adultery, murder, and fights were the responsibility of the local Provincial Surveince Commission. In fact, there were only a few major cases for the Green Phoenix Guard to deal with. Most of the cases were ordinary crimes involvingmoners.</i>

    <i>There would not be much of an ovep between the duties of the Green Phoenix Guard and the Provincial Surveince Commission. After all, the Green Phoenix Guard was the Emperor¡¯s personal guard, so the cab could not interfere, whereas the Provincial Surveince Commission was under the Ministry of Justice, which followed the orders of the cab.</i>

    <i>However, the Green Phoenix Guard and the local officials would sometimes jointly handle major cases, with the Green Phoenix Guard taking the lead. During this period, police officers who were roped in to assist the Green Phoenix Guard would be temporarily given the identity and power of the Green Phoenix Guard, allowed to wear the green robes and arrest wanted individuals across borders.</i>

    <i>Generally speaking, with the same rank and qualifications, the treatment of the Green Phoenix Guard was much better. That was why many police officers aspired to be transferred to the Green Phoenix Guard. At times, the Green Phoenix Guard would poach some experienced police officers. However, the Green Phoenix Guard still preferred the ck Robes over police officers.</i>

    <i>As such, a considerable number of Green Phoenix Guards were retirees from the army. The ck Robes who wanted to be more involved in court affairs would regard transferring to the Green Phoenix Guard as a stepping stone.</i>

    <i>In the previous dynasty, there were clear distinctions between civil and military officials. However, after the Daoist Order defeated the Confucian School, they abolished many rules established by the Confucians. They deliberately downyed the difference between civil and military affairs and promoted generals as ministers.</i>

    <i>There was a clear superiorityplex between the Green Phoenix Guard and the police officers. However, there was not much distinction in status between the Green Phoenix Guard and the ck Robes, with a frequent exchange of talents between the two organizations.</i>

    <i>The ck Robes did not have to obey the orders of the Green Phoenix Guard, but they often assisted the Green Phoenix Guard in dealing with some difficult enemies. Usually, the Green Phoenix Guard would collect intelligence and determine the target before reaching out for the ck Robes¡¯ support. The ck Robes would then assist with heavy artillery and their well-trained cavalry to destroy the enemy. Thus, both organizations had a long-standing rtionship with seamless cooperation.</i>

    <i>Therefore, it wasmon to see police officers, the Green Phoenix Guard, and the ck Robes working together. If a secret society was involved, then the Daoist priests and Spirit Guards would join in the handling of the case.</i>

    <i>As such, many opportunities arose from these joint operations. That was why some people transferred from the Imperial Court to the Daoist Order, and vice versa. Xu Kou was an example of this change in allegiance.</i>

    At this time, the Green Phoenix Guard was conducting an inspection at the customs checkpoint. There were ck Robes with firearms standing guard on the shore. After the irond ship docked, the Green Phoenix Guard and police officers boarded the ship tob through the passengers.

    Soon, they approached Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou. When the assistant major of the Green Phoenix Guard noticed Qi Xuansu¡¯s Divine Dragon Pistol, he became vignt, as if he were facing a formidable enemy. He only rxed after the two men showed their ck Robes badge and Tiangang Hall¡¯s insignia, respectively.

    After all, these three organizations were essentially one and the same due to their camaraderie, especially among the lower levels.

    Xu Kou offered the assistant major a stick of paper-wrapped tobo, which was imported from the West. He asked, ¡°Why such a bigmotion¡ªeven alerting the ck Robes?¡±

    The assistant major epted the cigarette and sniffed it. He lowered his voice slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you guys since we¡¯re brothers. There¡¯s been a Wokou[1] attack.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was in disbelief. ¡°Our navy is renowned all over the world,parable to the Western fleets. How can mere pirates cause such havoc?¡±

    ¡°On paper, they are Wokou, but in fact, they are pirates from the Central ins who hired many Wa[2] wanderers to act as thugs and aplices. They usually roam the sea and rob merchant ships. This time, they were surrounded by our navy like fish in a. With nowhere to run, they fled ind. But our ck Robes defeated most of them as soon as theynded. The rest dispersed amidst the chaos and went into hiding.¡±

    The assistant major took out a me stick and lit his cigarette before he continued, ¡°These pirates aren¡¯t easy to identify like the Colored Eye People. They look simr to us, so they can easily blend in with crowds, making it difficult to distinguish them. That¡¯s why we have no choice but to use this dumb method to slowly weed them out. I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll take.¡±

    Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou exchanged nces and understood what happened in an instant.

    This was initially the ck Robes¡¯ job, but these pirates had blended into the crowd, so the ck Robes could not distinguish them and requested assistance from the Green Phoenix Guard and the local police force. The police officers were experienced and familiar with the local situation, so it was only a matter of time before they found these pirates.

    At this moment, there was a loud noise from a cargo ship in front that was also docked for inspection.

    A shirtless man jumped into the canal. Immediately afterward, the ck Robes stood on the wooden crates and fired countless bullets into the water down below.

    The sound of gunfire was intense.

    After a while, a puddle of blood diffused in the river.

    Then the Green Phoenix Guard shot out several crossbow bolts with ropes and a attached on the end to fish out the injured man.

    ¡°Brother, it looks like your wait today isn¡¯t in vain,¡± Xu Kou said with a smile.

    The assistant major also smiled. ¡°Well, I suppose catching any fish is better than returning empty-handed. If we don¡¯t catch anyone, it will be difficult to exin it to the higher-ups.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Speaking of which, how long do you have to keep this up?¡±

    ¡°They say that there is a big fish among this group of pirates. But we have yet to catch them. We can wrap up as long as we catch that big fish.¡± The assistant major exhaled a puff of smoke, feeling much better than before.

    Qi Xuansu nodded.

    It seemed like this group of pirates was not simple, as they were able to break through a naval siege and flee ind, some of them slipping through the ck Robes as well.

    This was clearly not something ordinary pirates were capable of.

    The reason why the navy targeted this group of pirates was not just to suppress them, but because there was an important figure among them.

    The Great Xuan Dynasty had 19 states, with 12 Chief Admirals, 36 Garrison Chief Military Officers, and nearly a hundred Deputy Chief Military Officers. Among them, there were 9 Chief Admirals onnd, and 3 Chief Admirals in charge of the three navies. The Beihai Navy, Donghai Navy, and Nanhai Navy were controlled by the Governors of Liaodong, Jingji, and Jiangnan, respectively.

    Luzhou happened to be located at the junction of the Donghai Navy and the Nanhai Navy. The Donghai Navy was inextricably linked to the Li family of the Taiping Sect because the predecessor of the Donghai Navy was the Li family¡¯s fleet. The Nanhai Navy was inextricably linked to the Cihang lineage of the Zhengyi Sect, as its predecessor was the Cihang lineage¡¯s fleet.

    This time, Qi Xuansu wondered if this operation to suppress the pirates was carried out by the Donghai Navy or the Nanhai Navy. It also made Qi Xuansu wonder if the annihtion of this group of pirates was rted to the recent case with the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association.

    1. Japanese pirates of East Asian ancestry that gued the coastlines of the East China Sea. ?

    2. ÙÁ, an ancient name referring to modern-day Japan and Japanese people. ?

 Chapter 349: Seafarer and Sake

    <h4>Chapter 349: Seafarer and Sake</h4>

    The irond ship had three floors, with many first-ss rooms on the third floor. There was a small hall on the second floor in a simryout to a restaurant, where wine and food were served. Additional food and drinks were excluded from the room package, which only provided three meals a day, so an extra charge was required.

    Xu Kou invited Qi Xuansu for a drink, so they agreed to meet on the second floor. Before that, Qi Xuansu sent Liu Hu back to her room.

    As soon as Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu went upstairs, they met a man dressed like a member of the gentry. However, the man¡¯s skin was rough and tanned, which were traces of weathering by constant exposure to the wind and sun. Thus, he did not look at all like a typical pampered gentleman. Even so, there was no need to jump to conclusions because some gentlemen from well-off families liked to travel around the world and even went out to sea.

    After all, the Confucian School no longer dominated the world, so academics were not seen as superior to everyone else. The Daoist era encouraged being in touch with nature, which included exploration.

    While Qi Xuansu was sizing up this man, that man was also doing the same to Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu. His eyes swept across Liu Hu andnded on Qi Xuansu¡¯s Divine Dragon Pistol on his waist. Seeing this, his expression changed slightly.

    The Divine Dragon Pistol was associated with the ck Robes who were at the Mobile Corps General¡¯s station or above. Those who spent money to buy the Divine Dragon Pistol would not carry it so openly on their waist unless they were a member of the Imperial Court or the Daoist Order. Otherwise, they would be inviting unnecessary trouble.

    The tanned man hesitated for a moment and asked tentatively, ¡°Brother, are you from the ck Robes?¡±

    ¡°I am.¡± Qi Xuansu lied.

    ¡°No wonder!¡± The man nodded. ¡°There aren¡¯t many people onnd who would dare to openly carry firearms.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked with great interest, ¡°Oh? Does everyone at sea carry firearms?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. After all, we are far from thend authorities, so we often have to rely on ourselves for everything. We not only have to guard against pirates but sometimes even against our own crew. Our weapons will never leave our bodies.¡± The man touched his waist and continued, ¡°To be honest, I have been a seafarer for many years. I didn¡¯t expect to find that the Imperial Court had already banned civilians from carrying firearms. That¡¯s why I have no choice but to keep my oldpanion at home. I feel empty and uneasy without my trusted weapon.¡±

    <i>In the past, private possession of crossbows and armor was considered treason. Now, that ban had been lifted, but firearms were still restricted. Talisman armor that could withstand firearms was the proud work of the Daoist Tianji Hall, on par with the Spirit Guard¡¯s armor created by Huasheng Hall. People who were restricted by the imperial ban were not capable enough to imitate this kind of armor, and those who were capable enough to create an imitation were usually not restricted by this ban.</i>

    Qi Xuansu smiled. ¡°I am Wei Wugui. I haven¡¯t asked for your name.¡±

    ¡°Wang Baoyue.¡± The man took out a metal box from his sleeve pocket and offered a stick of paper-wrapped tobo to Qi Xuansu.

    ¡°No, thank you.¡± Qi Xuansu waved his hand to decline. He asked with interest, ¡°Brother, you mentioned that you¡¯ve been a seafarer for many years. Where have you traveled to?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was quite interested in sea voyages. There was a fad not long ago because of ims that the New World had mountains of gold and silver. Many of those who went overseas had also made a fortune, so Qi Xuansu was tempted to go.

    After all, he had no dependents or family. Madam Qi did not need his support, so he had nothing to worry about. Besides, Qi Xuansu had not yet gotten the opportunity to work for Tiangang Hall at that time. He was alone and could go wherever he wanted, so he thought of going to sea.

    However, going on voyages in this era was not as easy as it was in the early days. One would need significant capital to purchase a batch of goods for trade with the New World before one could go on board. Solo travelers would only be epted if they worked as crew members, which was tough work.

    Young people were always ambitious and arrogant, so the young Qi Xuansu refused to be a crew member who would be manipted by others. He was also extremely poor then, with barely any savings. He once tried asking Madam Qi for a loan, but she ridiculed him, saying that he was not suited to be a businessman. She then advised him to wait while she arranged for more suitable jobs for him.

    Qi Xuansu was not rebellious, so hepletely gave up the idea of ??going on a voyage to make a fortune. In the end, Madam Qi kept to her word and arranged a job in Tiangang Hall for him. That was how he met Zhang Yuelu, leading to all these twists and turns that seemed to secure him a bright future. However, one flying ship crash overturned Qi Xuansu¡¯s promising future, forcing him to hide his identity until another opportunity arose for him to return legitimately.

    Every time Qi Xuansu thought of his past dream, hemented the possibilities that the voyage could lead to. The sea was where he longed to explore.

    Wang Baoyue was indeed an experienced seafarer. He briefly told Qi Xuansu the ces he had been to and introduced some of the interesting customs and goods that he had seen, like the samurai swords and gold from Fenglin; the wood and rubber from Borneo Ind; the sari and spices from the Samudra Kingdom; the firearms and armored ships of the West; as well as tobo and silver from the New World.

    After the flying ship crash, Qi Xuansu thought that he could go out to sea and try his hand at bing a wealthy maritime trader if he could no longer return to the Daoist Order.

    The two men got along well, so Qi Xuansu suggested, ¡°It¡¯s fate that we get to meet each other here. I was just on my way to meet my friend for a drink in the small hall on the second floor. Would you like to join us? It¡¯s my treat.¡±

    Wang Baoyue waved his hand and declined. ¡°Maybe next time.¡±

    Qi Xuansu insisted. ¡°Come on, there¡¯s no better time than today!¡±

    Wang Baoyue pursed his lips. ¡°Brother Wei, your friend may not wee me, so I don¡¯t want to intrude. How about this? If you want to drink with me, you cane over to my room. I happen to have a bottle of sake from Fenglin. It tastes different from our usual rice wine, <i>shaojiu</i>, and the Western red wine. But I can¡¯t really say that it tastes better. Come over and try some.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered for a moment. Then he patted Liu Hu¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Xiao Hu, go downstairs and tell Uncle Xu that I won¡¯t be apanying him today.¡±

    Liu Hu nodded obediently and left.

    Hearing this, Wang Baoyue grinned and stretched out a hand. ¡°This way, Brother Wei.¡±

    Wang Baoyue was also staying in a first-ss room. It was very spacious and exquisite, consisting of a bedroom and a small, carpeted living room with a table and chairs.

    As Qi Xuansu sat down, Wang Baoyue took out a trendy green ss bottle and two sake cups. He exined, ¡°Actually, this type of wine originated from the Central ins as ceremonial wine. After it was introduced to Fenglin, they changed their production methods, so it is different from our rice wine. Sake will change color over time if exposed to light, so it¡¯s best to finish it in one go after opening the bottle.¡±

    While talking, Wang Baoyue filled Qi Xuansu¡¯s cup with sake.

    Qi Xuansu picked up the cup and saw how clear the wine was, with no rice solids or a trace of cloudiness.

    Wang Baoyue poured himself another cup. When he picked up his cup, Qi Xuansu could see the spiral stripe pattern at the bottom. ¡°Bottoms up, Brother Wei!¡±

    After that, he took a shot and showed Qi Xuansu the bottom of his cup. Then he looked at Qi Xuansu expectantly.

    Qi Xuansu had never had this kind of wine, so he was curious about its taste. He drank the sake in one gulp and showed Wang Baoyue his empty cup.

    This wine had a slight fragrance and a hint of sweetness, making it suitable for women and children. Speaking of women, Qi Xuansu¡¯s mind wandered to Zhang Yuelu. She probably would not like this type of wine because it was not strong enough. She preferred hard liquor like <i>shaojiu</i>.

    ¡°Nice one, Brother Wei.¡± Wang Baoyue filled Qi Xuansu¡¯s cup again, and the two clinked their cups once more. They gradually warmed up to each other.

    Wang Baoyue continued to tell Qi Xuansu stories about his voyages, and the bottle of sake quickly ran out.

    Qi Xuansu did not deliberately resist the aftereffects of the alcohol because he enjoyed this tipsy feeling.

    At one point, he identally dropped his chopsticks on the floor, so he bent down from the waist to pick them up. That was when Qi Xuansu discovered a reddish-ck spot on the carpet.

    Ordinary people might neglect it, but Qi Xuansu was familiar with this color. It was aged blood.

    Sake would change color when exposed to light; the same was true for blood. Judging from the degree of darkening, it seemed that the stain was created not too long ago.

    Qi Xuansu instantly sobered up and slowly straightened up.

    When he was sitting upright again, he saw the ck hole of a muzzle aimed right between his brows.

    Qi Xuansu often held his opponents at gunpoint, but he did not have much experience being at the open end of the barrel.

 Chapter 350: Pirates and Guns

    <h4>Chapter 350: Pirates and Guns</h4>

    ¡°What are you doing? You must be drunk, Brother. You shouldn¡¯t be pointing the gun at people because you might slip and misfire.¡± Qi Xuansu remained calm.

    Wang Baoyue pursed his lips. He no longer had a friendly smile on his face, but he had a cold sneer. ¡°I gave you a chance to leave, but you insisted on drinking with me. You were the one knocking on the door of hell, so you can¡¯t me anyone but yourself.¡±

    Qi Xuansu raised his hands in surrender, purposely showing Wang Baoyue that he would not resist.

    The gun in Wang Baoyue¡¯s hand was not the Divine Dragon Pistol, nor was it produced by Tianji Hall or the Divine Armory. It was arge-caliber gun that had a distinctive Western style. Judging from his posture, Wang Baoyue should be an extremely experienced gunman who might not have received professional training but had a considerably high body count.

    Wang Baoyue did not rx his vignce, even though Qi Xuansu had raised his arms in surrender. He pressed the hammer while saying, ¡°Brother Wei, you have an intense killing aura that I am very familiar with, so you must have taken countless lives as a master among the ck Robes. You¡¯re certainly not a naive boy who has never seen a lick of blood. But you¡¯ve probably been toofortabletely, so you¡¯ve let your guard down.¡±

    Qi Xuansu kept silent. He had no doubt that Wang Baoyue would pull the trigger as long as he made the slightest move.

    Although the situation had progressed beyond Qi Xuansu¡¯s expectations, he was still capable of fighting back. But he had two concerns.

    At such a close distance, he was not confident enough to avoid the bullet relying on just his reflexes. Moreover, he did not know what kind of projectiles Wang Baoyue loaded in his gun. Ordinary projectiles were not a threat to Qi Xuansu. Armor-piercing projectiles were a bit risky. What he feared most was the Dragon Eye Series ammunition because it could cost him his life.

    Although Qi Xuansu had an Auxiliary Heart and body-regenerative abilities, he was unsure whether those would work if his head exploded. So he dared not act rashly.

    Qi Xuansu remained calm. ¡°We¡¯re not out at sea. We¡¯re ind, on the heavily guarded Grand Canal. Even if you manage to kill me now, do you think that you can escape?¡±

    Wang Baoyue did not deny Qi Xuansu¡¯s statement. The sea was so vast that it was impossible for orthodox authorities like the Imperial Court, the Daoist Order, and the Western Holy Court to maintain full governance over it. Therefore, the sea was often referred to as awless ce. That was why many ouws roamed the seas.

    However, the situation ind was different. Thews here were strict. Once broken, it would be difficult to escape punishment unless one exploited the loopholes.

    At this moment, the door opened again. Three more people dressed in servant uniforms walked in. However, they looked fierce, with simr guns in hand.

    Qi Xuansu instantly knew that these people were the pirates that the Green Phoenix Guards were looking for. However, the Green Phoenix Guards were distracted by themotion on the cargo ship earlier, so they identally let this big fish slip through the.

    Realizing this, Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh in disappointment. ¡°The Green Phoenix Guards are really a bunch of idiots.¡±

    When the three people standing behind Qi Xuansu aimed their guns at their hostage, Wang Baoyue finally put down his gun.

    ¡°Take him to the inner room.¡± Wang Baoyue ordered.

    The three people manhandled Qi Xuansu, pushing him toward the room in the back. One of them removed Qi Xuansu¡¯s Divine Dragon Pistol from the holster and admired the masterpiece. ¡°Nice! This thing ain¡¯t cheap.¡±

    At this time, a naked body was curled up in a square metal cage inside the room. Judging from the body¡¯s discoloration, the man had been dead for some time. It seemed that thevish clothes Wang Baoyue was wearing hade from this corpse.

    Qi Xuansu merely nced at the corpse,pletely unfazed.

    A man jammed the muzzle of the gun against Qi Xuansu¡¯s lower back. ¡°You¡¯re a brave one, Eagle w.¡±

    Qi Xuansu spoke calmly. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that you¡¯ve killed a lot of people as pirates. But since ancient times, there have always been more dead bodies onnd. So seeing a corpse isn¡¯t a big deal.¡±

    Another person pressed the muzzle of his gun against the back of Qi Xuansu¡¯s head. ¡°Since you¡¯re not afraid of corpses, are you afraid of death?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m afraid of death.¡± Qi Xuansu goaded. ¡°But do you dare to kill me?¡±

    ¡°Hah! What a stubborn Eagle w!¡± The man seemed provoked by Qi Xuansu, immediately pressing down on the hammer.

    At this moment, Wang Baoyue warned. ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive.¡±

    Wang Baoyue was clearly the leader among them, so the other three men dared not make a move. They backed away because Wang Baoyue had ingrained fear in their bones.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s back was facing the three of them. He was still calm because he had gone through much worse before. After all, these pirates, no matter how ruthless, could not hold a candle to Wu Luo snapping the flying ship in half.

    Wang Baoyue walked over. ¡°Brother, didn¡¯t you mention a friend who was drinking downstairs? Why don¡¯t you call him toe up here too?¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked back. ¡°You want to use our identities to get through customs?¡±

    ¡°Brother Wei, I knew you were smart. This identity can only get me so far. I won¡¯t be able to hide forever. But being part of the ck Robes is much more convenient than being a regr gentry. I won¡¯t have to worry about the customs anymore. I can even get some useful intel by befriending some Green Phoenix Guards and ck Robes.¡± Wang Baoyue exined.

    This was the reason Wang Baoyue was not in a hurry to kill Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°That friend of mine is from the Daoist Tiangang Hall. Aren¡¯t you afraid of getting yourself into trouble?¡±

    ¡°If I were one to get scared so easily, I wouldn¡¯t have been a pirate. I would¡¯ve been better off being a good citizen, living out my days with peace of mind. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Wang Baoyue chuckled.

    Qi Xuansu challenged him. ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to call him up here?¡±

    ¡°Then you can¡¯t me us for what happens next.¡± Wang Baoyue pointed his gun at Qi Xuansu¡¯s head again.

    Qi Xuansu sneered. ¡°Do you think I was born yesterday? Why should I cooperate with you when you won¡¯t let me live either way? I¡¯d rather drag you all down with me before dying. If you¡¯re so brave, blow out my brains right now! If not, I advise you to put away that gun.¡±

    Wang Baoyue¡¯s face flushed red with anger. He suddenly pulled the trigger, and fire spewed out from the muzzle.

    Xu Kou, who was drinking alone downstairs, put down his ss when he heard a gunshot.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s head did not explode. Instead, his whole body dissipated like mist.

    ¡°The Cicada Molting Technique?!¡± Wang Baoyue was startled.

    Almost at the same time, Qi Xuansu appeared behind the man who took his Divine Dragon Pistol and punched him in the head, sttering pinkish-gray brain matter everywhere.

    A secondter, Qi Xuansu took back his Divine Dragon Pistol and shot the pirate behind him without looking. This shot was purely based on his feeling, but the bullet urately pierced through the pirate¡¯s head. Blood gushed out, staining the carpet and the wooden walls red.

    The pirate still had a look of disbelief on his face as the life force slipped out of him. The tables turned so quickly that the abductors barely had any time to react. The fish that swam into their trap turned out to be a vicious shark that could break their.

    In a sh, Qi Xuansu had already subdued thest pirate dressed as a servant, dragging the pirate in front of him to act as a human shield.

    Wang Baoyue raised the gun and pointed it at Qi Xuansu. However, Qi Xuansu had hidden behind Wang Baoyue¡¯s subordinate, so there was no opening for a gunshot.

    ¡°Only one projectile could be loaded at a time in the Divine Dragon Pistol.¡± Wang Baoyue remained calm, but his gaze was fierce and sinister, like an unscrupulous criminal.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Would you like a taste of my fist?¡±

    ¡°So what if you¡¯re a Yuxu-stage Martial Arts Practitioner? You¡¯ll die anyway if I shoot you in the head.¡±

    ¡°The gunshots have already alerted my friend. Let¡¯s see if you¡¯ll still be so confident fighting against the two of us when he arrives.¡±

    The pirateughed. ¡°You¡¯ll be dead before he gets here.¡±

    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you shot me?¡±

    They were talking nonsense as they paced slowly in a circle, confronting each other. None of them dared to make a rash move.

    Qi Xuansu discovered that although the projectiles in the pirate¡¯s gun were not the Dragon Eye Series ammunition, the Western gun itself was as powerful as a Grade-B Series Three Dragon Eye Bullet. Moreover, it could be fired continuously. Qi Xuansu had defeated many opponents of higher cultivation levels with his gun, so he dared not let his guard down.

    On the other hand, Wang Baoyue was wary and afraid of Qi Xuansu. After all, this soldier could smash his subordinate¡¯s head to pieces with just one punch, indicating just how strong the soldier was in closebat.

    Wang Baoyue was not a Martial Arts Practitioner, so he did not want to risk his life.

    The pirate who was held hostage only had a look of horror on his face.

    The next moment, Wang Baoyue suddenly pulled the trigger. The body of the pirate who was held hostage sted into several sections. Qi Xuansu, who was hiding behind the pirate, had long since disappeared and reappeared next to Wang Baoyue.

    A cold light shed from his sleeves as one of the Seven Phoenix Feathers shot out, stabbing Wang Baoyue in the wrist of his gun-wielding hand.

    However, to Qi Xuansu¡¯s surprise, the Seven Phoenix Feathers that managed to hurt Monk Deng Hua failed to pierce through Wang Baoyue¡¯s wrist. Instead, he heard the distinct sound of metal and stone colliding before the Seven Phoenix Feather bounced back.

    Seeing this, Wang Baoyue smirked. Once again, he aimed the muzzle of his gun at Qi Xuansu.

 Chapter 351: Arcane Alchemy (I)

    <h4>Chapter 351: Arcane Alchemy (I)</h4>

    Among the many firearms, guns were undoubtedly the mostmon and practical ones. The development of guns in the East and the West were also different.

    Due to the flourishing maritime trade and close exchanges between the East and the West, the development of firearms in the Eastern Continent wasrgely influenced by the Western Continent. An example would be the percussion lock firearm that was invented by the Western Continent andter spread to the Eastern Continent.

    Later, there were obvious differences in the areas of development between the two sides. The Western Continent emphasized the importance of the firearm itself, while the Eastern Continent believed that the projectiles fired were the key.

    As a result, the two sides embarked on apletely different path of development. Firearms in the Western Continent gradually trended toward abandoning projectiles, while firearms in the Eastern Continent continued to improve on projectiles, treating firearms as mere tools tounch them.

    Due to this, the Eastern Continent quickly transitioned from cast lead balls that were separated from the gunpowder to paper cartridges and thenter to metal cartridges. At the same time, various talismans were inscribed onto the casing. Some bullets were also crafted as talismans.

    The high-grade talismans were not limited to talisman paper and could take on other forms. For example, formations were essentially magnified versions of talismans. The best talismans could even develop sentience, just like living beings. Talismans could even be imnted in the human body.

    The Daoist concept of projectiles was a continuation of its talisman philosophy.

    Therefore, the main potency of the Divine Dragon Pistol and the Green Bird Pistol did note from the firearm itself but from the projectiles loaded into them. In a sense, the Divine Dragon Pistol was only developed to better adapt to the Dragon Eye Series ammunition. Due to the sheer firepower of the Dragon Eye Series ammunition, the Divine Dragon Pistol was designed to be a single-shot gun rather than a repeating rifle.

    The West did not use talismans, so they did not think that projectiles were indispensable. Instead, they constantly tried to eliminate the existence of projectiles, their efforts bearing great sess. For example, some of the best guns from the Western Continent shot out mes or ordinary projectiles, which were not as powerful as talisman-inscribed projectiles. But Western guns could do just as much damage due to the sheer quantity of bullets they could fire continuously.

    The gun in Wang Baoyue¡¯s hand used projectiles and could be fired continuously. Although it was not as powerful as the Divine Dragon Pistol loaded with a Grade-B Series Two Dragon Eye Bullet, it saved the user precious reloading time, which could make a world of difference in closebat.

    Facing the gun in Wang Baoyue¡¯s hand, Qi Xuansu knew that he had no time to dodge, so he simply lunged at his opponent.

    Bang¡ª!

    The muzzle sh was blinding.

    A cluster of blood bloomed on Qi Xuansu¡¯s chest, but this did not affect his forward momentum. He even whipped out his short sword that he had previously concealed in his long and wide sleeves.

    Wang Baoyue was startled, as he expected this Martial Arts Practitioner to be affected by this gunshot even if thetter had self-healing abilities. After all, it still took time for a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s wounds to heal, and before a full recovery, they should be hindered to a certain extent.

    Having sessfully struck Qi Xuansu in the chest at close range, Wang Baoyue expected the bullet to create a wound that expanded within his opponent¡¯s body beforeing out from the back. Even if a Martial Arts Practitioner had a strong physique and would not die on the spot from this gunshot, they should temporarily lose the ability to move.

    An ordinary person would have been thrown back from the impact of this gunshot, but Qi Xuansu¡¯s body only swayed slightly, barely affected by it.

    To Wang Baoyue¡¯s surprise, the projectile did not prate through Qi Xuansu¡¯s body. Instead, the projectile was stuck briefly before being spat out from Qi Xuansu¡¯s chest the way it entered. This control of muscle contraction was a special ability of Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioners.

    In fact, even if Qi Xuansu was only at the Kunlun stage, this gunshot would not have killed him because he had an Auxiliary Heart worth tens of thousands of Taiping coins that could not be easily destroyed with a bullet. To put it bluntly, even if Qi Xuansu was incinerated by the Phoenix Eye Bomb, his Auxiliary Heart would have still been intact.

    Wang Baoyue fired at Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart, which was like striking imprable armor.

    Qi Xuansu was not discouraged when the Seven Phoenix Feathers failed to pierce Wang Baoyue¡¯s wrist. Instead, Qi Xuansu got the idea to chop off his opponent¡¯s hand to stop thetter from using a gun.

    Thus, Qi Xuansu injected some qi into Qing Yuan, which glowed with sword light. Paired with his brute strength as a Martial Arts Practitioner, Qi Xuansu was capable of splitting solid steel blocks.

    However, Qi Xuansu did not expect to actually strike metal.

    Clunk¡ª!

    With a sh of sword light, Wang Baoyue¡¯s gun-wielding hand fell to the floor along with his gun.

    Wang Baoyue¡¯s hand turned out to be a prosthetic made of an unknown metal alloy. Qi Xuansu finally understood why the Seven Phoenix Feathers failed to pierce his opponent¡¯s wrist.

    What was even more shocking was therge ck hole of a muzzle behind the severed hand. There was no blood and gore that Qi Xuansu had expected.

    It turned out that Wang Baoyue¡¯s arm was also a prosthetic, but it was modified into an arm cannon.

    The next moment, the fiery red muzzle sh bloomed from the arm cannon, apanied by an explosion that rocked the irond ship.

    ck smoke billowed from the huge hole in the wall of the room. The Grand Canal outside became visible from where they were standing.

    ¡°Have you ever heard of Arcane Alchemy from the West?¡± Wang Baoyue leaned over and picked up therge-caliber gun he used earlier with his other hand.

    Qi Xuansu barely managed to dodge the st, and he was still reeling from the shock.

    Though Qi Xuansu was an experienced fighter who could face most opponents with ease and a steady mind, this was only limited to the Eastern Continent.

    He knew nothing about the ways of the Western Continent. Back then, during Tiangang Hall¡¯s mission to Night Mountain, Qi Xuansu only managed to kill the weakened vampire Desmond because he had help from the Holy Court¡¯s Bishop Arthur, who was a demon hunter.

    Qi Xuansu had never seen a prosthetic arm that doubled as a cannon before.

    At this time, Wang Baoyue pointed at Qi Xuansu again.

    <i>The Western Continent did not have talismans, but they had alchemy and arcanum. These were two distinct concepts of Western wizardry withpletely different foundational theories and systems.</i>

    <i>It was not until a great sage discovered that alchemy and arcanum could be integrated into the human body to reach a bnce that this new concept of Arcane Alchemy emerged and developed rapidly in the West.</i>

    <i>Arcane Alchemy was under the control of the Arcane Council. Its counterpart was the Divine Runes, which was controlled by the Holy Court. Although the Holy Court was the dominant authority in the West, the Arcane Council should not be underestimated. The rtionship between the two was somewhat simr to the rtionship between the Daoist Order and the Buddhist School in the East.</i>

    Wang Baoyue¡¯s arm was transformed into a cannon and connected to his body. The arm cannon was like a living being that did not require any ammunition because it directly consumed one¡¯s innate qi, magical power, and blood qi.

    Compared with spells that needed the drawing of talismans or chanting of curses, an arm cannon was undoubtedly a faster and more direct form of attack. It also had an amplifying effect because the power of a cannon was far more intense than ordinary sword qi and fist intention.

    However, this kind of modification would cost an arm, literally and figuratively, so not everyone could afford it. For reference, the cheapest bionic weapon after conversion from the Eagle silver coin was at least tens of thousands of Taiping coins.

    Qi Xuansu originally wanted to capture Wang Baoyue alive, so he did not kill the pirate immediately. However, he miscalcted the situation and ended up in this passive position because he did not expect Wang Baoyue to have such an impressive weapon.

    The loud st of artillery resounded above the Grand Canal, with ck smoke rising from the hole in the wall.

    Qi Xuansu jumped out of the room through the hole in the wall and into the river below.

    Wang Baoyue stood at the edge of the sted cabin and raised his arm cannon to shoot at Qi Xuansu again.

    A huge ssh of water exploded on the river¡¯s surface, filling the air with white vapor.

    Qi Xuansu was nowhere to be seen.

    At this moment, Xu Kou finally arrived. He kicked open the door and attacked Wang Baoyue, who was standing at the edge of the gap and firing shots into the water.

    The moment Wang Baoyue felt a rush of winding from behind, he quickly turned around and shot Xu Kou in the head.

    At the critical moment, Xu Kou did a backflip, narrowly escaping the shot.

    However, this shot blew up the door and the wall, the shockwave deforming the metal door frame.

    Xu Kou was also thrown back by the aftershock.

    Fortunately, Xu Kou was also a Martial Arts Practitioner, so his injuries were not serious.

    By the time Xu Kou stood up and looked over, Wang Baoyue had already disappeared amidst the smoke and dust.

 Chapter 352: Arcane Alchemy (II)

    <h4>Chapter 352: Arcane Alchemy (II)</h4>

    After several resounding cannon shots, the irond ship that was originally sailing had stopped.

    Qi Xuansu put away his short sword, slowly rose to the surface of the river, and walked on the waves.

    Wang Baoyue¡¯s cannon shots were extremely powerful, but Qi Xuansu managed to dodge them all and was not injured. But he was still in shock.

    <i>Western wizardry was developing with the world. Sorcerers no longer just held staffs and recited incantations. Their development of Arcane Alchemy wasparable to the Daoist creations.</i>

    <i>The Holy Xuan had integrated and standardized Daoist teachings more than 200 years ago and had defied all traditions to start experimental creation projects. If he had been like the Confucians, disregarding firearms and creations and treating novel technology as unnecessary, the practice of Daoism would have depended entirely on individuals. If so, what would happen if the East were to face off with the West?</i>

    <i>Even though the high-endbat power of the East and the West were of the same level, the weapons avable for the lower levels werepletely different. The East still preferred swords and cavalry, whereas the West transitioned to guns and artillery. How would the East win with such disparity? Would the Holy Court still maintain a harmonious rtionship with the Daoist Order as trading partners? Would they still be so polite then?</i>

    <i>Qi Xuansu had heard of the massacres in the New World, where natives had no power to fight back and were either reduced to ves or exterminated. This indicated that the Colored Eye People were not friendly.</i>

    <i>If the Central ins were still as weak as they were in thete Wei Dynasty, would the West bother to negotiate trade with them? Perhaps the Colored Eye People would have led their army and marched into the Central ins to im morend.</i>

    At this moment, Xu Kou leaned out half of his body from the hole in the wall. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    Qi Xuansu returned to his senses and jumped onto the deck.

    Xu Kou also jumped down from the gap on the third floor and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Qi Xuansu roughly recounted the events that led to him jumping off the ship.

    ¡°The Green Phoenix Guards in Luzhou sure are useless.¡± Xu Kou shook his head. ¡°But they¡¯re lucky to have missed this confrontation. Otherwise, there would have been a lot more casualties.¡±

    Xu Kou changed the topic. ¡°Speaking of which, you¡¯re skilled, Brother Wei. Anyone else would have died fighting against that pirate!¡±

    ¡°Brother Xu, you¡¯re exaggerating.¡± Qi Xuansu changed the subject. ¡°By the way, where is Xiao Hu?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was notpletely clueless. Although Qi Xuansu did not see through Wang Baoyue¡¯s disguise, he liked to err on the side of caution. That was why he asked Liu Hu to look for Xu Kou while he went for a drink with Wang Baoyue. That way, Xu Kou could help keep an eye out for Liu Hu. After all, Qi Xuansu understood what kind of person Xu Kou was, so he would feel more at ease that Liu Hu was in good hands.

    ¡°The little girl is in the small hall on the second floor. She¡¯s very obedient,¡± Xu Kou said.

    At this moment, the captain and many crew members hurried over, looking furious.

    Qi Xuansu whispered, ¡°Brother Xu, Tiangang Hall has more weight, so I hope you can handle this one for me.¡±

    Xu Kou nodded slightly. When the captain of the ship approached, Xu Kou had already taken out his Daoist insignia and Tiangang Hall token before anyone else spoke. He ordered, ¡°Dock the ship immediately and notify the local Green Phoenix Guard Major¡¯s Office now!¡±

    Four hourster, in the living room on the ship.

    The captain sat with several guests, ying the good host.

    The Green Phoenix Guard Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office was far away in the Prefectural Capital, so there was only a Major¡¯s Office in the local area. Upon hearing the news, the major boarded the ship with a hostile look on his face.

    However, after learning Xu Kou¡¯s identity, the Green Phoenix Guard major immediately changed his expression and temporarilymandeered the captain¡¯s living room. They drank fragrant tea and shared a conversation without a hint of interrogation.

    Although Xu Kou was only a fifth-rank Daoist priest, he was the superintendent of Tiangang Hall.

    ¡°So, this person is the pirate leader that we have to arrest?¡± The major put down his gaiwan.

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°This man has an arm cannon made from the West¡¯s Arcane Alchemy. This kind of thing is rare in the Central ins. Only pirates who have been out at sea might have ess to it.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense.¡± The major nodded.

    At this moment, an assistant major walked into the living room and hesitated to speak when he saw the others.

    The major said, ¡°They¡¯re with us, so you may speak freely.¡±

    The assistant major reported, ¡°Among the three corpses, one of them was severely damaged. But judging from the tattoos on the other two corpses, we can confirm that they are pirates. The crime scene has traces of shelling, but we can¡¯t find any shrapnel.¡±

    The major was silent for a while. ¡°Although that pirate leader has jumped off the ship and fled, there are ck Robes patrolling along the canal, so he won¡¯t be able to get far. He¡¯s probably hiding somewhere.¡±

    Xu Kou suddenly asked, ¡°How is the ship?¡±

    The captain hesitated and nced at the major. ¡°The shellings cause quite some damage, which will require a few days of maintenance. Many guests are frightened and need to be appeased, so we can¡¯t leave for the time being.¡±

    Xu Kouughed. ¡°Are you asking us to help you apprehend that pirate?¡±

    The major coughed lightly. ¡°Well, that would be best. After all, we¡¯re all on the same side.¡±

    Xu Kou did notment. Instead, he turned to look at Qi Xuansu and asked, ¡°What do you think, Brother Wei?¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered. The reason he decided to use the Grand Canal route was so he could avoid encountering people from the Taiping Sect onnd. Naturally, he did not want to just abandon this ship and go ashore at this time. Moreover, he was interested in Wang Baoyue¡¯s arm cannon, so it was not a bad idea to help the Green Phoenix Guard in apprehending the pirate leader.

    ¡°What exactly is Arcane Alchemy?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Xu Kou exined, ¡°I have served in the Qizhou Daoist Mansion for a long time and encountered many tourists from the West. Arcane Alchemy is thebination of arcanum and alchemy. Western arcanum is magic that derives its fundamental power from secret knowledge. In a sense, it¡¯s somewhat simr to the Confucians nourishing their qi by reading and studying.

    ¡°Western sorcerers believe that they can deduce the application of certain rules andws of magic through more research and experimentation. An example would be chanting a spell and pairing it with certain gestures or corresponding props to cast an arcane spell.

    ¡°Their spells can be simr to ours. But unlike our spells, arcanum is an ult practice, and the Western sorcerers practicing it guard their secret knowledge tightly. Since I¡¯m a Martial Arts Practitioner who can¡¯t use spells, I don¡¯t understand it much. But arcanum has the power to distort reality and thews of motion.

    ¡°Arcane magic is simr to our divine power because both rely on external sources of magic. There is also a thing called ck magic, whiches from the Devil. Under the suppression of the Holy Court, ck magic has declined, but the Devil is not dead, so the source of ck magic remains. The principle is the same with how cult demons get their power from the Ancient Immortals and how Spirit Guards get power from their armor.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded slightly. He was not surprised that Xu Kou would know so much. After all, Xu Kou was favored by Sage Qingwei, just like how Zhang Yuelu was favored by the Earthly Preceptor. That was why Xu Kou dared to duel with Zhang Yuelu on behalf of Li Tianzhen when he first joined Tiangang Hall. However, he failed to defeat Zhang Yuelu, and the rest was history.

    Xu Kou continued his exnation. ¡°Alchemy is simr to what Huasheng Hall does. The ultimate goal is to create the elixir of immortality. Our emperors consume elixirs to seek immortality, while the kings in the West rely on alchemy to prolong their lives. Two of these paths lead to the same goal.

    ¡°This Arcane Alchemy is thebination of arcanum and alchemy, which is very simr to Huasheng Hall¡¯s creation projects. However, because alchemy and arcanum can only coexist in the human body, it led to two different directions of development.

    ¡°One of them is to modify the human body and rece different parts of the body with alchemical items that are strengthened with arcane magic. The Western sorcerers call thisplementation. That¡¯s how the pirate leader used this to rece his own arm with a cannon.¡±

    Qi Xuansu maintained a calm expression, but his heart skipped a beat as he thought of his Auxiliary Heart and the Rogue Cultivator¡¯s finishing touches.

    Xu Kou added, ¡°The other faction creates new life through alchemy and gives it a soul with arcane magic. ording to the Western sorcerers, this is a process that is perfected through death and resurrection.¡±

    This reminded Qi Xuansu of the Eight Tribes, the Three Yin Beings, and the legendary manmade Immortal project.

 Chapter 353: Drinking

    <h4>Chapter 353: Drinking</h4>

    Qi Xuansu was amon folk who loved money, so he was interested in Wang Baoyue¡¯s arm cannon and Western gun. After a slight hesitation, he agreed to help the Green Phoenix Guard apprehend the pirate leader.

    However, he had one condition: if they caught Wang Baoyue, the Green Phoenix Guard could keep the pirate leader, but Wang Baoyue¡¯s possessions would belong to him and Xu Kou. How they would divide the pirate leader¡¯s possessions between themselves could be discussed after they caught the man.

    The Green Phoenix Guard major happily agreed to this arrangement. After all, he was willing to part with the Taiping coins in exchange for merit or a promotion.

    The Green Phoenix Guard was confident in finding Wang Baoyue¡¯s whereabouts because that was their forte, along with spying, solving crimes, collecting intelligence, and so on.

    They targeted the passing ships because they determined that the pirates were hiding onboard with other passengers to get past the border. Judging from the results, their judgment was correct. However, they were not detailed enough with the inspection.

    Furthermore, it was difficult to travel around without leaving any traces. That was the reason the Imperial Court did not abolish the travel permit system. Wang Baoyue did not have a travel permit or any official identification, making it difficult for him to hide in one ce for long or wander around.

    The ck Robes and the Green Phoenix Guard had alsoid a trap, getting Diviners to perform the Earth Qi Recalling Technique so that they could track down Wang Baoyue. Thus, the pirate leader¡¯s range of travel would only get smaller with time.

    Instead, what they were worried about was Wang Baoyue¡¯s resistance and retaliation, like a trapped beast backed into a corner. Since their purpose was to capture the pirate leader alive for interrogation, they could not use powerful firearms. Heavenly Beings who had the ability to capture Wang Baoyue alive effortlessly were the higher-ups who would not reduce themselves to catching a pirate.

    The main reason the major did not wait longer to tighten the but asked Xu Kou and Qi Xuansu for assistance was that he did not want this merit of catching the pirate leader to slip through his fingers. If the pirate leader left his jurisdiction, he would also be med for inefficient handling of the case.

    After they came to an agreement, they had some free time because the Green Phoenix Guard still had to provide relevant intel on Wang Baoyue. In the meantime, the restless Xu Kou led Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu off the ship to explore the county seat of Wannian County.

    Xu Kou had been active in the Jiangbei region since he had previously served in the Green Phoenix Guard and the Qizhou Daoist Mansion. He had been to Wannian County before, so he was quite familiar with the ce.

    After walking around the city, they finally arrived at a three-story building with colorful doors.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this inappropriate? There¡¯s a child with us.¡± Qi Xuansu looked up at the sign above the colorful door.

    ¡°We¡¯re just drinking, nothing else.¡± Xu Kou said nonchntly. ¡°At most, I¡¯ll get two girls to pour drinks for us. I¡¯m tired of pouring wine for myself.¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled helplessly. ¡°As if that¡¯s all you want in there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a widower. Isn¡¯t it normal for men my age to visit such ces?¡± Xu Kou joked, ¡°I''m not blind like Tian Yuan to only have eyes for a tigress.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was unsure whether Xu Kou was deliberately testing him or if it was just a casual remark. He feigned ignorance and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s Tian Yuan?¡±

    ¡°A friend and a colleague. That guy fancied our boss. It would have been fine since they were around the same age. But, Brother Wei, you don¡¯t know what our boss is like. She¡¯s a bloody tigress who can¡¯t be subdued by just anyone. If Tian Yuan really marries her, he¡¯ll probably be bullied. What a poor naive boy... ¡± Xu Kou shook his head.

    Ever since the news of Qi Xuansu sacrificing himself to save Zhang Yuelu spread, there had been fewer rumors about Qi Xuansu being a boy toy who only wanted to use Zhang Yuelu¡¯s status to climb thedder. However, many people still did not think highly of him and Zhang Yuelu being together. After all, they were too far apart in cultivation level and family background.

    Qi Xuansu asked knowingly, ¡°Brother Xu, is your boss Zhang Yuelu, the famous disciple of Sage Cihang?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s her.¡± Xu Kou subconsciously touched his once broken hand, still traumatized from his duel with that tigress. ¡°Brother Wei, have you heard of her?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve heard of her, alright. I even met her just recently in Jiangling Prefecture.¡± Qi Xuansu joked, ¡°She¡¯s a decent person, but she¡¯s certainly not easy to talk to. Next time I meet Mage Zhang again, I ought to tell her about your high praise of her, Brother Xu.¡±

    Xu Kou coughed lightly. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about her anymore. I need a drink.¡±

    Qi Xuansu advised, ¡°Since the Holy Xuan revived the Daoist Order, many have fallen from great heights because of messy entanglements in their personal affairs. Some, like the recent case with Liu Futong from Purple Immortal Mountain, were framed for additional crimes. Even if proven innocent in the end, his bad reputation would still be a stain that could never be removed. Brother Xu, now that you live in Jade Capital, you should be more cautious in such matters.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for reminding me, Brother Wei.¡± Xu Kou¡¯s expression grew colder as he said, ¡°But there¡¯s a reason people call me the Little Yama. I have so many stains on me that it¡¯s easy to frame me. But I¡¯m not afraid of having a bad reputation. I¡¯m infamous for being ruthless; that¡¯s why the Sages like to use me as a rag to do their dirty work. Since I¡¯m a rag full of stains, it can¡¯t get worse than that. So to hell with it!¡±

    Qi Xuansu nced at Xu Kou in surprise. He did not expect Xu Kou to have seen things so clearly.

    Xu Kou walked ahead. Qi Xuansu hesitated slightly before following, while Liu Hu trailed behind.

    Liu Hu was not shy at all. She was just curious.

    Judging by Xu Kou¡¯s familiarity with the procedures, he was obviously a frequent visitor to such ces. He casually threw a small Taiping coin to a servant, who immediately adopted a ttering and attentive attitude.

    The servant had already noticed the trio as soon as they entered the brothel. However, the two men looked like officials, and they even brought a little girl along. So the servant dared not step forward rashly.

    After Xu Kou rewarded him with money, the servant quickly led the trio inside.

    Xu Kou casually said, ¡°I want a secluded private room. We¡¯re going vegetarian today, so get two to serve us. I¡¯d prefer them to be in their thirties. Also, bring over some wine in the 3 Taiping coins range. Don¡¯t try to fool me. Otherwise, I won¡¯t spare you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sir. We are known for fair business here. We will never cheat our customers.¡± The servant smiled. Preferring maturedies was not so umon in this industry.

    Under the guidance of the servant, the trio came to a private room and sat down. The servant then went out to arrange for the customer¡¯s preference of women and wine.

    Xu Kou looked around casually and said, ¡°Brother Wei, I appreciate your reminder earlier. So I¡¯ll return the favor and warn you about such ces. In this day and age, no one looks down on prostitutes anymore because many women do this voluntarily. But sometimes, they will make up stories to coax you into spending more on her.

    ¡°It¡¯s always the same old sob story, like having a dead father, a sick mother, a brother studying hard for the Imperial exams, and a husband who gambles away all their money. These girls like to make it seem like the whole family depends on them for survival and that they are new to this business to make ends meet. So don¡¯t take their words so seriously and don¡¯t fall for their trap.¡±

    ¡°Duly noted, Brother Xu.¡± Qi Xuansu smiled and nodded before taking a seat beside Liu Hu.

    Not long after, two women a few years older than Qi Xuansu came in carrying trays. They were good-looking, but there were signs of aging on their faces.

    Xu Kou raised his hand and motioned for the two women to sit next to him.

    The two women smiled, but their gazesnded on Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu because it was rare to see a customer bringing a child with them to a brothel.

    Liu Hu was also staring at the two women. She had read many novels to kill time, and brothels were always mentioned in the setting. The novels she read often described prostitutes as beautiful with a special allure about them, so Liu Hu formed some unrealistic expectations.

    Seeing these women in real life, Liu Hu found them to be beautiful, but there was nothing special about them. So Liu Hu quickly became disappointed.

    The two women each had their own duties. One poured wine for Xu Kou, while the other yed the lute and sang softly.

    While Xu Kou was drinking, he chatted with Qi Xuansu and exchanged some boxing techniques and travel experiences.

    At this moment, there was a noise outside.

    The two men stopped talking.

    Liu Hu¡¯s eyes lit up because she was anticipating a dispute or a dramatic fight as described in her novels.

    ¡°Is someone forcing a girl into prostitution?¡± Qi Xuansu said suddenly.

    ¡°Sir, it''s probably a drunk customer causing a ruckus.¡± The woman who poured wine for Xu Kou had a keen eye and could tell at a nce that these two men were public officials.

    Qi Xuansu stood up and went out the door without saying a word.

    The noise came from another private room.

 Chapter 354: Evil Punished by Evil

    <h4>Chapter 354: Evil Punished by Evil</h4>

    This kind of ordinary brothel could notpare to the upscale vis with independent courtyards. All private rooms here were concentrated in the main building.

    Qi Xuansu walked along the corridor to the private room where the noise came from. Two tall men stood guard in front of the door. They noticed the well-dressed Qi Xuansu, but they dared not provoke him because they also spotted the Divine Dragon Pistol strapped to his waist.

    When Qi Xuansu stopped in front of them, one of the men said, ¡°There is someone inside.¡±

    Qi Xuansuughed. ¡°Of course, I know someone is in there. There¡¯s such a bigmotion. What¡¯s going on inside?¡±

    ¡°My friend, I advise you not to meddle in other people¡¯s business.¡± The man¡¯s tone was threatening, but he did not dare to make a move. After all, those who could carry a Divine Dragon Pistol so openly on the waist would not be an ordinary person. Even the Green Phoenix Guard or the ck Robes did not have a Divine Dragon Pistol unless they were of a certain rank.

    The two guards stationed at the door were afraid of getting shot to death if a conflict arose.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What if I want to meddle? What can you do about it?¡±

    The man opened his mouth, but no words came out because the Divine Dragon Pistol was too intimidating.

    At this moment, the door opened from the inside. A government official in a square hat walked out, shouting, ¡°Who¡¯s making trouble out here?¡±

    Qi Xuansu scoffed. ¡°No one out here is causing trouble, but I think someone inside is.¡±

    The government official was not afraid. He sized Qi Xuansu up before his gazended on the gun at his waist. ¡°ck Robes?¡±

    Qi Xuansu retorted, ¡°What does it matter to you?¡±

    The government official sneered. ¡°Even if you are a part of the ck Robes, I would like to advise you that even a strong dragon can¡¯t suppress a local snake. In Wannian County, even a dragon must submit¡ª¡±

    Before he finished speaking, a woman¡¯s struggling screams came from the room.

    Qi Xuansu sighed. He did not want to be nosy, but since it happened in front of him, he could not just sit back and watch.

    Before he could speak, a hand suddenly grabbed the government official¡¯s head and mmed it against the door.

    The government official¡¯s face was covered with blood as he fell limp to the ground, unable to say a word.

    It turned out that Xu Kou hade over at some point. Liu Hu was following him, her eyes bright with excitement.

    The two women they hired stood at the door of Xu Kou¡¯s private room, somewhat at a loss for what to do.

    Xu Kou snorted. ¡°Enough with the nonsense. Just get your backers toe out now.¡±

    The two men guarding the door were stunned. They dared not retaliate, but they shouted for backup.

    Immediately after, eight men in short-sleeved robes shuffled out of the private room. They were all tall and strong, with tiger tattoos. Without needing instruction, they swarmed toward Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou.

    To be fair, Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou were different. Qi Xuansu was merciless when killing people, but when he was not out to kill, he was easy to talk to. People would also tend to bully him because he looked like a weakling from his great acting.

    On the other hand, Xu Kou killed without mercy and was difficult to talk to because he would only bother giving his attention to the people he liked. He was also ruthless when dealing with his enemies, which was one of the many reasons for his demerit and demotion.

    Moreover, Xu Kou was already annoyed that Wang Baoyue had escaped from his grasp, so he was in a bad mood.

    Xu Kou reached out and casually grabbed someone¡¯s scalp, tearing off a patch of bloodied scalp along with some hair.

    The man screamed and covered his head while rolling on the floor, writhing in pain.

    Although Liu Hu had killed several people and seen her fair share of dead bodies, she could not help but exim when she saw this bloody scene.

    The other men with tiger tattoos were unafraid. They quickly whipped out their daggers. One of them even aimed his gun at Xu Kou.

    Xu Kou let out an evilugh before appearing in front of the man with the gun. He grabbed the gun barrel and twisted it without effort, deforming the gun. Then he snatched the gun and shoved the twisted muzzle into the man¡¯s mouth, breaking the man¡¯s teeth and jaw.

    When Xu Kou did a spin kick, a few men copsed to the floor with broken bones and torn muscles, unable to stand up. They could only lie on the ground and whine in pain.

    Even so, the rest were still unwilling to give up. One of them shouted, ¡°If you¡¯re so brave, leave your name with us, and we¡¯ll show you how powerful our master is!¡±

    If these people surrendered, Xu Kou would have let them go. However, they retorted and stirred up Xu Kou¡¯s temper. Xu Kou casually threw a backhand p, deforming half of the man¡¯s face. The man spat out more than a dozen teeth with blood while he fell to the floor. More blood gushed out of his ears.

    Then, Xu Kou pinched one of the man¡¯s arms and said, ¡°My hearing isn¡¯t great. Why don¡¯t you repeat that?¡±

    While speaking, Xu Kou crushed the man¡¯s arm bit by bit. The man¡¯s screams echoed through the brothel. However, no one dared toe forward to intervene. They only watched from a distance. This man¡¯s otherpanions were now sweating bullets, and they dared not say a word.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu had already led Liu Hu into the private room.

    This private room was muchrger than the one that Xu Kou ordered. There was a round table in the middle, where a woman was lying on her back with her limbs spread out and tied to the legs of the table using strips of her torn clothes.

    The woman was left with only a middle garment that was half undone, revealing the many scars on her chest. Her middle garment was drenched in wine, so it clung to her body, showing off her slender curves.

    A young man with his chest and abdomen exposed was lying on top of the woman. When he saw someone barging in, he stared at them with hostility.

    ¡°Is this how the upper ss ys now? Is this what they call good family upbringing?¡± Qi Xuansu immediately thought of Liu Futong from Ecstasy Paradise.

    Last time, Su Ran had covered Liu Hu¡¯s eyes before the girl could see anything. This time, her eyes widened in shock at the debauchery before her.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± The young man demanded.

    Qi Xuansu smiled. ¡°Someone who will cause trouble for you.¡±

    The young man took a deep breath. His expression turned more ferocious. ¡°Then do you know who I am?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t, and I¡¯m not interested to know.¡± Qi Xuansu warned, ¡°No matter who you are, you¡¯re bound to get beaten today...unless you can give me a reasonable exnation.¡±

    As he spoke, Qi Xuansu began to flex his wrists while he walked toward the young man.

    The young man did not want to sit and wait for death to befall. He struck Qi Xuansu with a flying kick, but Qi Xuansu stretched out his hand to catch the young man¡¯s leg and threw him down.

    The young man fell with his face to the floor, unable to get up.

    At this moment, Xu Kou walked in, with a small blood stain on the corner of his robe. He casually stepped on the young man¡¯s head. If he exerted the slightest force, the young man¡¯s life would be in danger.

    ¡°Brother Wei, why bother talking nonsense to these people? Just beat them up first.¡± Xu Kou was not polite at all.

    Qi Xuansu pursed his lips. ¡°But that won¡¯t teach them anything.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s teach him a lesson since his parents failed to do so.¡± Xu Kou decided to be nice.

    The young man could not bear it anymore. He shouted hysterically, ¡°Who the hell are you people? Why do you care if I¡¯m fucking that woman when her family doesn¡¯t even have any objections?! Why the hell are you so nosy?¡±

    Xu Kou nudged the man with the tip of his boot and scoffed. ¡°Boy, do you know why I want to teach you a lesson? I don¡¯t care if you fuck women or men. But your yelling and screaming disturbed my drinking session. Got it?¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not speak. He thought to himself, <i>Is this what they mean by it takes evil to punish evil?</i>

    ¡°Go and untie her.¡± Qi Xuansu patted Liu Hu on the shoulder.

    Liu Hu responded and stepped forward to untie the woman¡¯s hands and feet. Although Liu Hu was just a teenage girl, she was at the Kunlun stage, so she was strong enough to lift the woman off the table without effort.

    Qi Xuansu thought that it was not appropriate to just walk away after beating the man. If so, they might be doing the girl more harm than good. That was why he did not just sit back and watch.

    While Qi Xuansu was deep in thought, the manager of the brothel finally appeared. She was a middle-aged, charming woman with a wry smile on her face. She dared not say anything because she could tell how powerful these two men were and did not want to offend them.

    Xu Kou turned to look at the manager. ¡°Isn¡¯t it time to get your backer to show up? Go on then. I¡¯ll wait here.¡±

 Chapter 355: The Shen Father and Son

    <h4>Chapter 355: The Shen Father and Son</h4>

    Qi Xuansu casually pulled up a chair and sat down. He had amanding aura that came naturally from pretending to be part of the ck Robes for so long.

    Liu Hu stood beside Qi Xuansu, still silent as usual. But her eyes were bright. Her unique character was a result of her background and experiences.

    Both Liu Hu and Qi Xuansu grew up without parents, but they also had an elder who was not rted by blood. Even so, Liu Hu and Qi Xuansu were not the same.

    Qi Xuansu wasplex and contradictory. He was not inherently good or bad and would treat people as they treated him. He would also ept whatever benefitted him, even though it might not be legal.

    An example would be his belief in rules and orthodoxy. That was why Qi Xuansu wanted to leave the Qingping Society and return to the Daoist Order. He dreamed of climbing the ranks within the Daoist Order rather than wandering around the world and getting promoted within the Qingping Society.

    However, after encountering various problems with the rules and bureaucracy, Qi Xuansu decided to go beyond the rules to solve his own problems. That was why he killed Wan Xiuwu instead of getting Beichen Hall or Fengxian Hall involved.

    This was where his contradiction lies, which was a result of his past experience.

    Qi Xuansu had spent nearly twenty years in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce and a few years under his master, Qi Haoran. Thus, Qi Xuansu felt a strong sense of belonging to the Daoist Order. However, his master¡¯s death and Madam Qi¡¯s influence made Qi Xuansu extremely distrustful of the Daoist rules.

    He was not ambitious like Zhang Yuelu to think about changing the status quo. He would only adapt wherever possible, and if that did not work, he would just break the rules.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s education in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce instilled some gant behavior in him. However, his chivalry was not from empathy. It was more of a habit. That was why he did not feel the need to fight against all injustice. His experience traveling alone in this cruel world also made him more ruthless and indifferent to killing.

    This exined why Qi Xuansu was two-faced, just like his dual identities.

    One could think of Qi Xuansu¡¯s boundaries as an erratic curve, while Zhang Yuelu¡¯s was a clear-cut straight line. Since survival was always his first priority, his perception of good and evil would change with his circumstances. On the other hand, Zhang Yuelu would always put justice first without fearing death.

    That was why Zhang Yuelu was willing to get to the bottom of the major Jiangnan case that year, even at the cost of her life. If Qi Xuansu were to ce himself in Zhang Yuelu''s shoes, he might not be able to persist until the end.

    Compared with Qi Xuansu, Liu Hu was more extreme.

    Qi Xuansu was considered an adult when his master died, so although his master¡¯s death was a big blow to him, it was not enough to destroy the various principles he had formed over the many years. He also knew the cause of his master¡¯s death.

    However, Liu Hu was just a little girl when her parents died, so she did not understand how they died and howplicated the major Jiangnan case was. Her obedience was just a front for her indifference, which was just as much as Qi Xuansu¡¯s and Xu Kou¡¯s, evident in the way Liu Hu could kill without batting an eyelid.

    Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou could vaguely sense Liu Hu¡¯s coldness, but they understood her because they were all simr.

    From this point of view, Liu Hu¡¯s boundaries were also a straight line, butpared to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s solid line, Liu Hu¡¯s was a dotted line because she was confused and failed to act consistently.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s erratic curve and Liu Hu¡¯s dotted line were formed due to their mentors. The seemingly capricious Madam Qi actually had a strict attitude with Qi Xuansu, while the seemingly reliable Wild Bodhisattva had a moreissez-faire attitude with Liu Hu.

    Due to this, Liu Hu did not feel a hint of sympathy or anger at this time. She was more curious and excited about the drama that was about to unfold so that she couldpare this real-life experience to the stories she read in novels.

    Qi Xuansu nced at the abused woman sitting not far away. With Liu Hu¡¯s help, the woman got dressed, but she looked to be in a daze as if she had lost her soul.

    The young man was standing on the other side of the room after being beaten by Xu Kou. His nose was bruised, and his face was swollen. He no longer had the arrogance of a young master, but his eyes were full of resentment.

    Qi Xuansu asked the woman, ¡°What is your name, Miss?¡±

    The woman came back to her senses and replied in a whisper, ¡°Zhao Ying.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded and asked, ¡°Would you mind telling us what happened?¡±

    Zhao Ying kept quiet.

    Xu Kou looked indifferent. This was expected. He would not even be surprised if the woman turned around and used them of being nosy. She could even im that she was consensual due to various concerns, such as the safety of her family.

    That was why Xu Kou had already made it clear that he was only beating up this kid because his drinking session was disturbed. To Xu Kou, all principles and righteousness were just for show in this dog-eat-dog world. Only the strong could survive.

    Qi Xuansu did not rush the woman. He just waited quietly for an answer.

    After a moment, Zhao Ying suddenly burst into tears. She kneeled in front of Qi Xuansu and urged, ¡°Sir, you should leave quickly because when the officerse, you won¡¯t be able to leave anymore.¡±

    Qi Xuansu remained calm. ¡°We¡¯re not vigntes. We¡¯re officers too.¡±

    Zhao Ying was startled.

    The young man on the other side of the room was also stunned to hear this.

    Qi Xuansu made his best impression of a government official, saying righteous phrases that he did not believe came out of his mouth. ¡°Raping an innocent civilian girl is a crime that will be punished under thews of the Great Xuan Dynasty. It¡¯s even better if more officerse over. I¡¯d like to see if they will turn a blind eye to this and beplicit in wrongdoing. If so, they will be punished ordingly.¡±

    Xu Kou burst his friend¡¯s bubble. ¡°It¡¯s too early to conclude this as rape.¡±

    Qi Xuansu looked at Zhao Ying again.

    Zhao Ying looked at her abuser. ¡°My brother owes Young Master Shen money, so I wanted to ask him to grant us an extension. But he asked me toe here to meet him. After I came over, he¡ª¡±

    Qi Xuansu suddenly thought of something. He looked at the young man with a bruised face and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    The young man pretended not to hear him, keeping his mouth shut.

    Seeing this, Xu Kou raised his voice. ¡°He asked you a question. Are you deaf?!¡±

    The young man could not help but shudder at the sound of Xu Kou¡¯s voice. Xu Kou¡¯s beating was a cruel method honed by years of torturing people, so even though the injuries did not look severe, the pain was bone-crushing.

    ¡°Shen Yugui.¡± The young master answered quickly this time.

    Qi Xuansu suddenly thought of someone from his past¡ªShen Yuzu.

    In an instant, all the past events surged to the forefront of his mind.

    <i>His master, covered in blood, rushed out of the encirclement, grabbed him by the back of his cor, and threw him out as far as he could manage. Then his master shouted at him to run.</i>

    <i>Qi Xuansu was so frightened that he subconsciously turned around and ran with all his might until all he could hear was his ownbored breathing and heartbeat.</i>

    <i>All this time, an assassin chased after him. But the assassin did not rush to kill him. Instead, the assassin waited until he waspletely exhausted and could no longer run to attack him.</i>

    <i>He wanted to resist, but he did not even have the strength to draw his sword. His vision went ck as the assassin stabbed him in the chest.</i>

    <i>Just before he passed out, he saw a hand piercing through the assassin¡¯s chest from the back.</i>

    <i>That was how Madam Qi appeared in his life for the first time.</i>

    <i>The Qingping Society was resourceful and omnipotent, helping him find out the details of his enemy, who was none other than Shen Yuzu.</i>

    <i>Later, in a courtyard at Jinling Prefecture, Qi Xuansu stabbed the drunk Shen Yuzu in the chest with his sword.</i>

    <i>That was the first time Qi Xuansu took a life.</i>

    <i>Qi Xuansu did not expect that he would meet a member of the Shen family again after so many years. However, on second thought, it made sense because Luzhou was the Shen family¡¯s territory.</i>

    <i>Although Qi Xuansu was not so irrational to regard the entire Shen family as his enemy just because of Shen Yuzu, he did not have to like them either.</i>

    Shen Yugui argued, ¡°It¡¯s natural for people to pay back any debt owed! Your brother owes me 300 Taiping coins. Even if I grant you a 10-year grace period, will you be able to pay me back? So it¡¯s only right that you repay this debt with your body. You won¡¯t have a case even if you sue me before a judge!¡±

    Zhao Ying anxiously rebutted. ¡°You...you clearly set up a trap for me! You¡¯ve arranged all those people toe.¡±

    ¡°Do you have evidence? It¡¯s nder if you don¡¯t!¡± Shen Yugui shouted.

    While he was talking, there was a loudmotion outside.

    Qi Xuansu knew that the real boss had arrived.

    The middle-aged man leading the group was dressed in a brocade robe. He had a smile on his face and gray hair on his temples. His entourage included servants, officers in square hats, and the Green Phoenix Guard. Fortunately for Qi Xuansu, there were no ck Robes or Daoist priests among them.

    Qi Xuansu stood up next to Xu Kou.

    The middle-aged man exuded an air of authority, albeit with unscrupulous undertones. However, he looked like an elegant Confucian schr. He motioned to his entourage to wait outside while he walked into the private room alone.

    His eyes scanned the room beforending on Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou.

    Qi Xuansu mocked. ¡°You¡¯re brave to walk in alone knowing that there are brutes in here.¡±

    ¡°Sir, you must be joking. There are no brutes here. We¡¯re all friends.¡± The man saluted them.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Your name?¡±

    ¡°Shen Mingshu.¡± The middle-aged man smiled warmly and pointed at Shen Yugui. ¡°This is my son.¡±

    Xu Kou interjected. ¡°It is the father¡¯s fault for not raising his son to be an upright man.¡±

    ¡°And you are?¡± Shen Mingshu turned to look at Xu Kou, still smiling, not at all offended by that statement.

    ¡°Xu Kou.¡± He did not bother using a false name.

    Shen Mingshu pondered for a moment and suddenly recalled. ¡°It turns out that you¡¯re the famous Little Yama. It seems that this is a small misunderstanding.¡±

    Xu Kou asked nonchntly, ¡°Is it really a misunderstanding?¡±

    Shen Mingshu turned to Shen Yugui. The smile on his face gradually faded as he questioned his son. ¡°What happened?¡±

    Shen Yugui seemed to fear his father. He lowered his head and replied, ¡°Father, it¡¯s a misunderstanding! This woman owed me money and promised to pay off the debt by offering herself to me. But she went back on her word halfway and yelled as if I¡¯d abused her, which alerted these two officers.¡±

    Xu Kou asked, ¡°If it was agreed upon in advance, why did she regret it halfway?¡±

    Shen Yugui nced at his father andughed dryly. ¡°Her brother owed me 300 Taiping coins. I only agreed to waive 100 Taiping coins for every time she apanies me. But this damned bitch was so greedy, asking me to waive all debts! Since I refused, she went back on her word.¡±

    Tears rolled down Zhao Ying¡¯s face as she said in a trembling voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to sell myself to pay off the debt. I just wanted to ask him to grant me an extension. I didn¡¯t expect that he¡ª¡±

    Shen Yugui¡¯s expression turned menacing. ¡°How can you afford 300 Taiping coins even if I grant you an extension? You deliberately approached me using this as an excuse. Do you think I can¡¯t get women on my own? If it weren¡¯t for you taking the initiative to seduce me, why would I even nce at a mediocre bitch like you?!¡±

    Zhao Ying was so angry that her body shook, but she could not say a word of rebuttal.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Why did she want to borrow 300 Taiping coins from you? Is there any coteral?¡±

    Shen Yugui shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for the reason. I just lent her the money. But I didn¡¯t ask for coteral because I saw how pitiful they were.¡±

    Qi Xuansu continued, ¡°Weren¡¯t you afraid that they would renege on their debt? Or was it your n all along for this woman to pay off this debt with her body?¡±

    Shen Yugui was about to speak when he was suddenly pped hard in the face. He felt as if the room was spinning, and he was utterly speechless.

    The one who hit him was none other than his father, Shen Mingshu.

    Shen Mingshu slowly withdrew his hand, his face expressionless as he stared at his son.

    Shen Yugui¡¯s legs went limp, so he dropped to his knees with cold sweat dripping down his face.

 Chapter 356: Publicly Lecturing His Son

    <h4>Chapter 356: Publicly Lecturing His Son</h4>

    Shen Mingshu red at his son. ¡°How could you not ask for coteral when you lend money to others? Isn¡¯t this exploitation and usury?!¡±

    Shen Yugui prostrated himself on the floor. ¡°Father...I¡¯m sorry! I was wrong! Please forgive me!¡±

    However, Shen Mingshu did not seem to care, continuing to reprimand him. ¡°Have I ever mistreated you? Am I not giving you enough money to spend? How could you use such underhanded means to make money without caring about the Shen family¡¯s reputation? You¡¯re a disgrace to our ancestors!¡±

    Terrified of his father, Shen Yugui even went as far as to p himself hard twice. While pping himself, he said, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯ve embarrassed the Shen family. I was wrong! I¡¯m a disgrace to mankind!¡±

    Shen Mingshu ignored his son and turned to Zhao Ying. ¡°Miss, please voice out all your grievances. These two officers will seek justice for you, and I will not defend my son.¡±

    ¡°Father! Please spare me, for Mother¡¯s sake! I promise not to do this again!¡± Shen Yugui hugged his father¡¯s legs and burst into tears.

    Shen Mingshu was repulsed by his son¡¯s humiliating behavior. He wanted to curse at his son, but in the end, he only sighed and kicked Shen Yugui to the side. He then turned to Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou. ¡°I feel so ashamed for disturbing you and for not teaching my son properly. I won¡¯t show favoritism and will send this animal to the county magistrate tomorrow! I hope you two can bear witness to this.¡±

    Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou looked at each other, knowing what was about to happen.

    Xu Kou smirked. ¡°I admire you for publicly lecturing your son, Master Shen.¡±

    Shen Mingshu looked guilty. He cupped his hands and apologized. ¡°This brat has been spoiled by his mother, and I have failed in my duties to discipline my son. I would like to apologize to all of you on behalf of this animal.¡±

    Zhao Ying lowered her head. Her shoulders trembled slightly, but she said nothing.

    Qi Xuansu did not intend to pursue this to the end. ¡°Master Shen, you are a member of the gentry. We don¡¯t care whether you will send your son to the county magistrate because we are not the Censor. I just hope that this matter will end here and that your son will stop making life difficult for this girl and her family after we leave. What do you think of this arrangement?¡±

    Shen Mingshu looked solemn as he promised. ¡°This is my son¡¯s fault, so I will not defend him. Please rest assured that I will discipline my son properly from now on. I will not allow him to make another mistake.¡±

    Xu Kou suddenly reached out to pull Shen Yugui off the floor. The servants standing at the doorway became restless, but when they saw how indifferent Shen Mingshu looked, they dared not make a move.

    Surprisingly, the usually violent Xu Kou did not hit Shen Yugui this time. Instead, he dusted off some non-existent dirt off of Shen Yugui¡¯s chest and said, ¡°Master Shen, my name is Xu Kou. I¡¯m from Beihai Prefecture, Qizhou, but I¡¯m currently living in Haichan ce, Jade Capital. If you want to avenge your son, you cane to me anytime. I won¡¯t me you if you hire an assassin at The Inn or report me to Fengxian Hall.¡±

    ¡°I dare not, sir.¡± Shen Yugui forced a smile.

    Xu Kou pushed Shen Yugui, who staggered a few steps before falling into his father¡¯s arms.

    With a casual wave from Shen Mingshu, an old servant with a hunchback quickly walked in to take Shen Yugui out of the room.

    Qi Xuansu sped his fists. ¡°Master Shen, if fate allows it, may our friendship remain when we meet again in the future.¡±

    Shen Mingshu finally shed a friendly smile again. ¡°If you evere by Wannian County in the future, I¡¯ll be sure to host a banquet for you.¡±

    Everyone outside the door made way for Shen Mingshu, who strode out and left with his entourage in tow.

    Qi Xuansu looked at Shen Mingshu¡¯s back and suddenlyughed. ¡°Those wearing shoes are still afraid of those with bare feet after all.¡±

    Liu Hu was a little confused. She asked, ¡°Uncle Wei, wasn¡¯t that old man just now a good person?¡±

    Before Qi Xuansu could speak, Xu Kou chuckled and exined, ¡°Little girl, that¡¯s all an act. People like me, who risk their lives to kill people, can only be a rag for others. People like him, whoe from a big family, call the shots and influence everything within their county. That¡¯s the difference between earthenware and jade.¡±

    Liu Hu was young and inexperienced, so she could only understand half of what he said.

    Qi Xuansu broke it down for her. ¡°What Brother Xu means is that there is a big difference between those with a family background and those without. People with a family background will have more worries, so they will be less impulsive.

    ¡°Unfortunately for them, neither of us has family or a family business, and we are skilled in fighting. To Shen Mingshu, we are no different from thugs, so there¡¯s no benefit in him fighting with us. If he kills us, he doesn¡¯t gain anything. Instead, it will likely cause him a lot of trouble. If he fails to kill us, we will surely retaliate. By then, he will have no choice but to swallow his broken teeth once we knock them out.

    ¡°When weighing the pros and cons, Shen Mingshu knows that it¡¯s better to give in and take the initiative to concede so that the problem will go away.¡±

    Liu Hu asked softly, ¡°How did he know that you two are single?¡±

    Qi Xuansu coughed lightly to cover up his embarrassment. ¡°For people like Shen Mingshu, judging people is the most basic skill. He has also heard of Brother Xu¡¯s name. Brother Xu has parents, but they are under the Qizhou Daoist Mansion¡¯s protection, so no one will dare cause trouble with the Daoist Order.¡±

    Xu Kou added, ¡°One more thing: Shen Mingshu only showed up because of our official status. Without our status, he would have asked another officer toe forward, and if we dared resist, they would have charged us with rebelling against the Imperial Court. Unfortunately, we¡¯re also officials, so he can¡¯t use this method or use us of crimes we didn¡¯t do.¡±

    Qi Xuansu continued, ¡°He rushed over as soon as he heard of themotion, which shows how well informed he is. I¡¯m sure this isn¡¯t the first time his son has done something like this. If he truly was a good person, he wouldn¡¯t only mention the debt. He purposely avoided talking about rape.

    ¡°Also, there were a few Green Phoenix Guards in his entourage. So even if he were to send his son to the county magistrate, his son wouldn¡¯t even get a p on the wrist. But from an outsider¡¯s perspective, Shen Mingshu was an unbiased and dutiful father. Those flowery words are just for appearances. He won¡¯t actually act on them. One can only imagine what such a shrewd person is capable of.¡±

    Liu Hu looked pensive as she tried to digest this information.

    Xu Kou exined, ¡°Since Shen Mingshu conceded, we had to let go. Otherwise, if we persist, who knows what he¡¯s capable of? After all, we are alone in this foreign ce, and there¡¯s only so much we can do.¡±

    Just then, Xu Kou took the bottle of wine off the table and read thebel. ¡°Whoa, this is a bottle of vintage red wine from the 23rd year of the Jiushi Era. It''s imported from the West and costs at least 20 Taiping coins. That¡¯s worth almost half of my monthly sry!¡±

    Qi Xuansu turned to look at Zhao Ying and sighed softly. ¡°We¡¯re not so powerful as to defeat the Shen family, so this is the most we can do to help you. Shen Mingshu will probably not make things difficult for you anymore, but it¡¯s hard to say how his subordinates will act. Miss Zhao, I suggest you leave this ce as soon as possible.¡±

    Zhao Ying bit her lip, kneeled in front of the three of them, and kowtowed three times.

    Xu Kou had already uncorked the red wine and chugged half the bottle in one go. ¡°It¡¯ll be interesting if Deputy Hall Master Zhang was the one who encountered this. If so, Shen Mingshu won¡¯t be able to get away with it even if he acts servile to her.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not say a word. He had a vague hunch that his fate with the Shen family would not end here, and more was yet toe.

    Liu Hu took the initiative to help Zhao Ying up. She walked Zhao Ying out and sent her off.

    Qi Xuansu did not stop Liu Hu. After all, Liu Hu was at the Kunlun stage of cultivation. When Qi Xuansu was at the Kunlun stage, he had already experienced a few life-and-death situations.

    Xu Kou wiped the wine stains from the corner of his mouth. ¡°Brother Wei, although we have analyzed the situation in detail, I still don¡¯t think Shen Mingshu will admit defeat so easily.¡±

    Qi Xuansu mused. ¡°Don¡¯t you think their father-son rtionship is a little strange? Shen Mingshu is such a scheming man, so how could he raise a useless son like Shen Yugui?¡±

 Chapter 357: Disciplining His Wife Behind Closed Doors

    <h4>Chapter 357: Disciplining His Wife Behind Closed Doors</h4>

    When Shen Mingshu led Shen Yugui out of the brothel, an ordinary carriage was already waiting outside.

    The father and son went into the carriage one after the other, while the rest of his entourage walked. An old servant acted as the coachman.

    This carriage looked ordinary from the outside but wasvish inside, as seen by the sandalwood interior and furnishings. At this time, a beautiful maid was kneeling on the side, skillfully preparing expensive tea for the masters.

    Shen Mingshu and Shen Yugui sat opposite each other. Shen Mingshu casually took a book from the small bookshelf in the carriage and ced it on his knees.

    It was a Confucian ssic from the School of Principle that had been thoroughly criticized by the Daoist Order.

    Shen Mingshu opened a page at random and silently recited the sage¡¯s mottos, like a monk chanting sutras. His mood became increasingly calm.

    Shen Yugui sat with his head bowed and his knees together, nervously cing his hands on his knees.

    After a while, Shen Mingshu finally spoke. ¡°Just because I turn a blind eye to some things doesn¡¯t mean that others will do the same. Next time, use your brain when you encounter problems like that. Do you think people who dare find fault with you will be ordinary civilians? Even if you want to throw your weight around, you must first understand your opponent¡¯s background.

    ¡°Learn to act ording to your ability. I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯ve never learned one bit from me after all these years. You¡¯re worse than a cow! Also, why did you get involved in usury and rape? Is that all that you¡¯re capable of?¡±

    Shen Yugui mumbled, ¡°At least I get to live longer if I¡¯m not capable, unlike Shen Yuzu. To this day, we still don¡¯t know how Shen Yuzu died.¡±

    ¡°Shen Yuzu was too mboyant, so it was just a matter of time before he ended up offending people he shouldn¡¯t. That is why he¡¯s now dead,¡± Shen Mingshu said bluntly.

    ¡°Since you mentioned Shen Yuzu, I might as well tell you the truth. He died in the hands of the Qingping Society. I told you before. As members of the gentry or the Daoist Order, we shouldn¡¯t challenge lunatics, cult demons, and terrorists. Don¡¯t gamble your life away just because of dignity or pride. After all, fine porcin shouldn¡¯t be knocked against earthenware.

    ¡°How could you just show your temper and kick the person who barged into your room without first checking to see who he was? Did you think he was a mere servant who wouldn¡¯t dare to fight back? Didn¡¯t you see the Divine Dragon Pistol hanging on his waist?!¡±

    Shen Yugui was not surprised that his father would know so many details despite not being at the scene. He asked, ¡°Father, where are those two people from?¡±

    Shen Mingshu lifted the curtain of the carriage and nced outside. ¡°One of them seems to be part of the ck Robes, but I haven¡¯t yet found out his background. The other one, named Xu Kou, was part of the Green Phoenix Guard. But he left the Imperial Court and joined the Daoist Order, first working in the Qizhou Daoist Mansion before transferring to Tiangang Hall. He¡¯s well known as the Little Yama because his ruthless tactics were worthy ofpeting with the King of Hell. Do you know why he managed to live even after leaving the Green Phoenix Guard? It¡¯s because Sage Qingwei took him under his wing.¡±

    Shen Yugui was rendered speechless.

    Of course, he knew who Sage Qingwei was.

    That was a true big shot.

    Even if Xu Kou was not Sage Qingwei¡¯s direct confidant, no one would dare touch him as long as he had some sort of rtionship with the second-inmand of the Taiping Sect.

    Shen Mingshu closed the Confucian ssic on hisp and ordered, ¡°This matter ends here. Be more open-minded and stop bothering that girl.¡±

    Shen Yugui immediately apologized. ¡°I know my faults, Father. I will correct my mistakes.¡±

    Shen Mingshu stopped talking and just stared at his son intently, making Shen Yugui tremble in fear.

    ¡°You should correct yourself.¡± After a long time, Shen Mingshu added, ¡°From tomorrow on, you will live in the county jail, and you will not be allowed to step out without mymand.¡±

    Shen Yugui was stunned. After digesting his father¡¯s words, he kneeled on the floor and hugged his father¡¯s legs. ¡°Dad! I don¡¯t want to go to jail!¡±

    ¡°Get up.¡± Shen Mingshu was authoritative.

    ¡°Dad...¡± Shen Yugui trembled and climbed up.

    Shen Mingshu said expressionlessly, ¡°There is no room for negotiation on this matter.¡±

    At this moment, the carriage stopped in front of a luxurious mansion. Shen Yugui got out of the carriage obediently and returned home. He would have to go back to his room and pack up for his stay in the county jail starting the next morning.

    Meanwhile, Shen Mingshu stayed in the carriage.

    The maid, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. ¡°Wang Baoyue didn¡¯t get to leave.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± Shen Mingshu frowned.

    The maid reported, ¡°Old Qian¡¯s people are at the 11th checkpoint, so Old Qian arranged for Wang Baoyue and his people to board a cargo ship and a passenger ship. They were supposed to disembark at the 6th checkpoint. Unexpectedly, there was a mishap at the 9th checkpoint in our territory, and everyone except Wang Baoyue died. Now, the ck Robes have been alerted, and many traps have beenid out. Wang Baoyue had no choice but to reach out to us.¡±

    <i>There were 1,875 kilometers of waterway from Jinling Prefecture to the Imperial Capital, with 12 customs checkpoints spread out in between. To facilitate the management of these checkpoints, the Ministry of Grain Transport named these checkpoints with numbers, with the first checkpoint starting from the Imperial Capital.</i>

    Shen Mingshu said nothing.

    The maid continued, ¡°Wang Baoyue and his people are to me for this. First, they killed a gentry, then they met someone from the ck Robes. Wang Baoyue wanted to assume the identity of the ck Robes, but he failed to kill the soldier and even exposed his identity.¡±

    ¡°The ck Robes?¡± Shen Mingshu murmured, ¡°Could it be that man traveling with Xu Kou? Are they testing us?¡±

    The maid hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°I think it¡¯s him, but I¡¯m not sure whether those two have noticed anything.¡±

    ¡°These pirates are useless!¡± Shen Mingshu snorted coldly. ¡°Where is Wang Baoyue now?¡±

    The maid replied, ¡°We have arranged for him to stay at the City God Temple for the time being.¡±

    Shen Mingshu nodded slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s make preparations and see if we can send him away bynd first. If we can¡¯t send him away, then we have no choice but to keep him in Luzhou forever. We mustn¡¯t let him fall into the hands of those Southerners[1].¡±

    The maid nodded and silently left the carriage while it was still moving.

    After she left, Shen Mingshu raised his voice slightly and ordered the coachman. ¡°Go to the City God Temple.¡±

    The City God Temple was located outside the city, which was a journey of several hours. By the time the carriage returned to the city again, the sky was already dark.

    Only the old servant who steered the carriage knew what Shen Mingshu did when he was at the City God Temple.

    After getting off the carriage and returning to the house, Shen Mingshu, who acted friendly in front of Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou, ignored the many servants who saluted him as he walked through the hall to get to his study.

    At this time, a woman dressed in luxurious clothes was waiting outside his study. Although she was old, she still retained her beauty.

    This woman was none other than Shen Mingshu¡¯s first wife and Shen Yugui¡¯s biological mother.

    Based on appearance alone, they were a match made in heaven, even now that they have aged. Shen Mingshu looked elegant and mature, while this woman looked charming.

    However, Shen Mingshu¡¯s attitude toward his first wife was cold. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Are you really sending our son to the county jail? What are you trying to do?¡± The woman questioned Shen Mingshu.

    Shen Mingshu signaled all the servants and maids to retreat. His face was still expressionless as he said, ¡°A loving mother will only raise spoiled brats. I have just been used of neglecting to discipline my son and that it¡¯s my fault that our son has turned out like this. So this time, I want to fulfill my duties as a father and teach my son a lesson by letting him reflect on his poor behavior in jail.¡±

    The woman tried hard to suppress her anger, but she still blurted out. ¡°Have these two outsiders scared you so much? Have you only learned to be a coward in the past 20 years?!¡±

    Shen Mingshu¡¯s expression remained unchanged, as if he did not hear the insult.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that the infighting between Daoist sects has reached a critical moment. Both sides are itching to poke at each other¡¯s sore spots. The higher-ups are the ones fighting, but the ones getting hurt are the people down below. The Yuan family in Jiangling Prefecture is a good example of that. Although we are inws with the Li family, no one will protect us if something goes wrong. Got it?¡±

    The woman was still unwilling to give in. She wanted to rebut, but Shen Mingshu suddenly pped her hard in the face, so much so that she fell to the ground.

    Shen Mingshu said condescendingly, ¡°I will lecture my son publicly and discipline my wife behind closed doors.¡±

    1. Most likely alluding to the Nanhai (South Sea) Navy, which is heavily influenced by the Cihang lineage (Zhengyi Sect). ?

 Chapter 358: Major Zhang

    <h4>Chapter 358: Major Zhang</h4>

    Xu Kou gulped down a bottle of vintage Western red wine from the 23rd year of the Jiushi Era, which cost at least 20 Taiping coins. Normally, Xu Kou would not spend so much on a bottle, but since Shen Yugui was footing the bill, he drank to his heart¡¯s content.

    Finally, he left the brothel with satisfaction, under the brothel manager¡¯s forced smile.

    In fact, Xu Kou had underestimated the price of this bottle of red. The imports cost 20 Taiping coins each. If sold in a restaurant, the price would be at least doubled. If sold in a brothel or vi, it would be at least tripled or quadrupled. So, a bottle of red wine like this would cost at least 100 Taiping coins. If Xu Kou wanted to buy a bottle, it would be way more than his initial estimate of half a month¡¯s sry.

    Of course, 100 Taiping coins for a Daoist superintendent with a ¡°side ie¡± was nothing. Even someone like Liu Futong could amass 100,000 Taiping coins in three years. Even though there were disparities in authority among superintendents at different locations, superintendents were still quite powerful.

    As long as it was not the shunned Requiem Division, other superintendents would have no problem earning an additional ie of several thousand Taiping coins a year. Those who were brave could even earn tens of thousands of Taiping coins a year.

    While Xu Kou was enjoying the tipsy feeling brought by the expensive wine, Qi Xuansu took inventory of his weapons.

    <u>List of weapons:</u>

    - Divine Dragon Pistol

    - 4 rounds of Grade-B Series Two Dragon Eye Bullets

    - 15 rounds of Grade-B Series Three Dragon Eye Bullets

    - 1 spiritual cuss

    - a handful of ordinary armor-piercing projectiles

    - Qing Yuan

    - 7 Phoenix Feathers

    - 6 Bliss Needles

    Due to his current disguise as Wei Wugui, Qi Xuansu could not use Qing Yuan rashly for fear of exposing his real identity.

    Qi Xuansu was not confident that he could capture Wang Baoyue alive, but he was certain that he could kill that pirate leader if they ever met again.

    In their first fight, Qi Xuansu underestimated the enemy and was caught off guard by the arm cannon. Apart from using the Tantai Fist Intention, he had only fired one shot and one of the Seven Phoenix Feathers at the pirate leader. That was why Wang Baoyue could escape easily.

    However, Qi Xuansu was no longer alone. With Xu Kou around, Qi Xuansu knew that they could easily capture Wang Baoyue alive if they worked together.

    Xu Kou noticed Qi Xuansu checking his gear and thought that thetter looked like a hunter preparing to enter the mountains. He chuckled. ¡°It won¡¯t be difficult for the two of us to capture that pirate. The key is whether the Green Phoenix Guard can determine that pirate¡¯s hiding spot.¡±

    Qi Xuansu hung the single cuss on his waist and asked, ¡°Brother Xu, do you think Wang Baoyue has other aplices here?¡±

    Xu Kou was startled. ¡°Brother Wei, what do you mean by this?¡±

    Qi Xuansu mused, ¡°Well, I always thought it quite fishy for the ck Robes and the Green Phoenix Guards to cast such arge just to capture a pirate. What¡¯s so special about this pirate anyway? Moreover, it¡¯s even more unbelievable that this pirate leader managed to escape such an extensive web repeatedly. I have a feeling that the pirate has a backer. The real question is: who wants to capture Wang Baoyue, and who wants to protect him?¡±

    Xu Kou pondered for a moment before he said, ¡°Brother Wei, what you said makes sense. This isn¡¯t as simple as arresting the pirates. It¡¯s more like a contest between two major forces. If Wang Baoyue has an aplice, then his aplice must have considerable influence in this area. Are you suspicious of Shen Mingshu?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t jump to conclusions, but we also can¡¯t rule out this possibility.¡± Qi Xuansu continued, ¡°Shen Mingshu should be from the Shen family of the Taiping Sect, which is inextricably linked to the Li family. If that¡¯s the case, will you still get involved, Brother Xu?¡±

    Xu Kou said, ¡°I¡¯ve already agreed to help the Green Phoenix Guard, so I can¡¯t break my promise. Also, I don¡¯t really care about the conflict between the two forces. What I do care about is getting my revenge because that pirate shot at me.¡±

    Qi Xuansu chuckled. ¡°We¡¯re the same, Brother Xu. I¡¯m a petty person who will retaliate if people try to kill me.¡±

    Xu Kouughed. ¡°That¡¯s the way it should be!¡±

    ¡°How do you think the Green Phoenix Guard will find him?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    ¡°If I remember correctly, they have captured one pirate, so I think they will use that pirate to get to Wang Baoyue.¡±

    Qi Xuansu recalled the half-naked pirate in the cargo ship that was fished out of the Grand Canal after being shot. That was the distraction technique employed to divert the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s attention from Wang Baoyue, who was on the passenger ship at the time.

    Countless pirates either died at sea or were killed afternding by the ck Robes. So, the few people who managed to escape with Wang Baoyue were most probably his confidants. With the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s torture methods, they would most probably be able to extract a confession out of that pirate.

    While the two men were talking, Liu Hu had returned.

    Xu Kou suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s rest at an inn for the night and wait for their news tomorrow. At most, we will get the news within the next few days. If the Green Phoenix Guard still has no clue, they can¡¯t me us for just standing by.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had no objections, so the three of them went to an inn in Wannian County.

    The night was uneventful for the trio, but the Green Phoenix Guards had a sleepless night.

    The next day, a Green Phoenix Guard major came to see Xu Kou and Qi Xuansu, looking exhausted.

    Xu Kou asked, ¡°Any results?¡±

    Major Zhang dismissed the others before he reported, ¡°We¡¯ve put everything we have to use, and the ck Robes have tightened the. We can confirm that Wang Baoyue has not escaped the county.¡±

    Xu Kou was originally from the Green Phoenix Guard, so he knew what the major meant.

    ¡°That pirate is a tough nut to crack, but even the toughest nuts can be ground into powder.¡± The major continued, ¡°That pirate doesn¡¯t know Wang Baoyue¡¯s exact hiding spot, but he has a local contact.¡±

    Xu Kou probed, ¡°Who is the contact person?¡±

    The major replied, ¡°A local salt merchant has built a manor outside the city, but we suspect that the salt merchant is just a fake identity. To avoid alerting the enemy, we have not taken any action yet.¡±

    Qi Xuansu suddenly interjected. ¡°Major Zhang, are you familiar with Shen Mingshu, the local bigwig?¡±

    Major Zhang was startled. ¡°Brother Wei, do you suspect that I am one of Shen Mingshu¡¯s men?¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s suspicion was not groundless. After all, Shen Mingshu had appeared with several Green Phoenix Guards behind him when he came to fetch his son, so it was hard not to be suspicious of the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s allegiance.

    Major Zhang said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m from the Zhang family, born in Shangqing Prefecture, Wuzhou. Shen Mingshu is from Huainan, Luzhou. How can we possibly be on the same side? But Shen Mingshu has been operating here for many years, and there are many Green Phoenix Guards who interact with him, so I have no choice but to turn a blind eye to it.¡±

    Qi Xuansu immediately understood what Major Zhang meant.

    It was not unusual for a Daoist disciple to be a court official. Li Sanxin, whom Qi Xuansu had fought in Fengtai County, was also a disciple of the Taiping Sect that served as a Green Phoenix Guard.

    The Zhang family represented the Zhengyi Sect. Like Zhang Yuelu, Major Zhang was from the smaller branches of the big Zhang family. It was difficult to make a name for himself within the conservative Zhang family, so Major Zhang left the Daoist Order and joined the Green Phoenix Guard.

    Major Zhang was no ordinary major. He was a Seal-Holding Major, which had more authority than some Senior Majors. In Luzhou, the Lieutenant Colonel was from the Taiping Sect, but he did not have the authority to appoint, remove, or detain personnel. That was why the Luzhou Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s Offices were not all loyal to the Taiping Sect.

    In Wannian County, Major Zhang was backed by the Zhengyi Sect, strong enough topete with Shen Mingshu. However, there were also disadvantages. The Shen family had been based in Wannian County for many years, so they would have nted a spy in the Major¡¯s Office. Given the circumstances, Major Zhang knew that he could not defeat Shen Mingshu, so he needed to ask Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou for help.

    Qi Xuansu thought about this briefly before saying, ¡°I originally thought that you were doing it for the merit, Major Zhang. But it turned out that you¡¯re also involved in Daoist Order¡¯s infighting.¡±

    At this point, Qi Xuansu stretched out his hand and pointed at Xu Kou. ¡°Brother Xu here is from the Taiping Sect, so I don¡¯t need to say more about the rtionship between the Taiping Sect and the Zhengyi Sect.¡±

    Major Zhang looked solemn. ¡°Well, since you¡¯ve mentioned this, I feel like I should be honest with you. After the incident, I have already contacted Deputy Hall Master Zhang, who happened to be in Jinling Prefecture. When she heard that the two of you were handling this case, she was very relieved and assured me that you two can be trusted.¡±

    Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou suddenly felt ufortable. One coughed slightly, while the other looked at the ground.

    Xu Kou felt a little guilty for badmouthing Zhang Yuelu. But it was not a big deal. Even if Zhang Yuelu heard what he said about her, nothing would happen. After all, Zhang Yuelu had always maintained an appropriate distance from all her subordinates, except for Qi Xuansu. As long as it did not involve issues of principle, she was still easy to talk to.

    On the other hand, Qi Xuansu felt conscience-stricken for what he had done to Zhang Yuelu even in theirst fight, not to mention all the lies he had told her. He could not even begin to imagine what the consequences would be like if Zhang Yuelu ever found out the truth. If his identity was exposed, she would certainly not hold back against him.

    Qi Xuansu gathered his thoughts and nodded. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go there together.¡±

 Chapter 359: Secret Passage

    <h4>Chapter 359: Secret Passage</h4>

    Major Zhang knew that the Green Phoenix Guard Major¡¯s Office was not unified, so news was bound to leak out. Thus, he tried to act fast before the enemies were alerted.

    However, they were still a step toote when they arrived at the salt merchant¡¯s manor outside the city. The ce was already empty.

    Major Zhang could not hide his disappointment. Before he went to see Xu Kou and Qi Xuansu, he had already sent his confidants to keep an eye on this manor. Since his confidants did not see arge group of people leaving the manor, it meant that there was another exit, which was most likely an underground tunnel.

    Another possibility was escaping through formations, like the Yin-Yang Gate. However, it was very expensive.

    <i>Wannian County did not have a formation blocker because those required constant maintenance, money, and manpower. For example, Jade Capital spent more than 1 million Taiping coins in order to maintain a formation for spring-like weather all year round, of which at least 300,000 Taiping coins werebor expenses. Moreover, there was no shortage of Diviners or Qi Refiners in Jade Capital. Labor costs would only increase in this county since it was not a Daoist stronghold.</i>

    Major Zhang ordered his subordinates to search around the manor.

    Searching homes was one of the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s skills, which included finding secret rooms, mechanisms,partments, cers, and tunnels.

    Soon, the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s search yielded results. There was indeed a tunnel here, but they could not find the entrance. At this time, theycked equipment and gunpowder, and digging a hole manually was unrealistic since they were pressed for time.

    Xu Kou used to be a Green Phoenix Guard, so he did not stand idly by and helped search for the entrance to the secret passage.

    Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu followed Xu Kou and observed the former Green Phoenix Guard expertly knocking on walls and shelves to listen for hollow spaces.

    After a while, Xu Kou found the entrance. It was a well in the backyard, with unknown depths of turbid water.

    Major Zhang also brought his people over.

    Liu Hu leaned over the edge of the well and looked down, puzzled. ¡°How could there be a tunnel in a well? Aren¡¯t they afraid that the well water will flood the passage?¡±

    Xu Kou exined, ¡°The entrance might not be at the bottom of the well but at the walls. The entrance could be submerged, but the tunnel would usually be above the water level, so there would be no risk of backflow.¡±

    Major Zhang nodded. ¡°That makes sense.¡±

    Xu Kou volunteered. ¡°I¡¯ll go down and take a look first.¡±

    After saying that, Xu Kou jumped into the well. All they could hear was a ssh before Xu Kou disappeared under the turbid water.

    They were not worried about Xu Kou¡¯s safety because he was a Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner.

    After a while, Xu Kou¡¯s upper body emerged from the water. He yelled, ¡°I found the entrance!¡±

    Qi Xuansu responded, ¡°I¡¯lle down right away!¡±

    Xu Kou dived into the water again. Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment, deliberating whether to bring Liu Hu with him. Seeing how excited and eager Liu Hu was to go on an adventure, Qi Xuansu brought her along.

    Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu descended slowly along the rope and dove 10 meters underwater before seeing a half-open door on the wall of the well. Qi Xuansu entered first, followed closely by Liu Hu.

    The steps behind the door led upward, so the water level gradually became more shallow with each step. After about a dozen steps, they were finally out of the water. The surroundings were silent and dark.

    Suddenly, they saw a sh of fire.

    Xu Kou was standing not far away with a me stick in hand. He had already steamed his clothes dry with his blood qi. He warned, ¡°Be careful. There may be booby traps here.¡±

    Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu also followed suit, using qi to steam dry their clothes.

    Their guns and projectiles were waterproof, so there was no need to worry. Qi Xuansu casually handed his Divine Dragon Pistol to Liu Hu for self-defense while he pulled out the only remaining cuss and injected it with innate qi. The de of the cuss ignited with mes, doubling as a torch in this pitch-ck tunnel.

    This secret passage was wide enough for two people to walk side by side without feeling crowded. So Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou walked shoulder to shoulder in front while Liu Hu stayed close behind.

    They walked for some distance until they felt like they had left the boundary of the manor.

    This corridor seemed endless, and they had no choice but to continue moving forward. After walking for several kilometers, they finally saw two closed stone doors. This tunnel was straight with no detours, so it would have covered a long distance above ground. As such, the two stone doors were most likely near the county seat.

    Xu Kou asked, ¡°Brother Wei, do you remember passing by the City God Temple when we left the city?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Based on the distance and direction of this tunnel, we should be near the City God Temple now.¡±

    Xu Kou stepped forward and pushed on the stone door, but it did not budge.

    His expression changed slightly as he exerted more strength again. With his strong blood qi and physique, Xu Kou pushed the door until the veins on the back of his hands bulged. However, the stone door only shook slightly and made a rumbling noise.

    Seeing that the stone door remained shut, Qi Xuansu also came to help.

    With thebined efforts of the two Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioners, the stone door finally opened with a bang.

    In fact, there was probably a mechanism to open this stone door, but Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou did not bother looking for the mechanism and decided to use brute force to open it instead.

    Behind the stone door was a stone staircase that led up to what looked like a dead end.

    Upon closer inspection, the steps extended to the dome above, but the space was so small that they had to hunch their backs while climbing up.

    Logically, there should be a secret door up there because they were in an underground tunnel, so the entrance and exit had to be above ground.

    At this angle, it would be difficult to use brute force again to push the dome open, so Xu Kou started to explore the space using the light from the fire. Since most mechanisms were simr, Xu Kou quickly identified the opening. ¡°Found it!¡±

    With a click followed by a cranking sound, the dome above slowly parted to reveal the exit.

    Xu Kou walked out first, followed closely by Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu. The three of them came to a side hall with closed doors. It was slightly dim.

    Qi Xuansu looked around. ¡°This should be the City God Temple.¡±

    At this moment, they heard rushed footsteps outside the door. It seemed that the cranking sound of the mechanism had alerted the guards.

    Immediately after, the door was kicked open from the outside. A sword light split the air like a long bolt of lightning.

    Qi Xuansu charged forward with his zing cuss, killing two people with one sh andnding gracefully without getting hurt.

    The other person was holding a long sword, his eyes wide open, with a Seven Phoenix Feather nailed to his throat. A gurgling sound escaped his throat as blood gushed out, dripping along his clothes and onto his feet. He was killed in one move.

    Qi Xuansu did not stop. The mes on his de flickered elusively as he continued his killing spree. Wherever it passed, someone would drop dead on the ground.

    Suddenly, a spear shot straight at Qi Xuansu, bringing along a strong gust of wind. Qi Xuansu keenly noticed the attack and swung his cuss to block it.

    However, this spear was unstoppable. Qi Xuansu failed to split the iing spear with his cuss, so he had to duck to avoid getting stabbed. The man holding the spear was tall and ferocious. The head of his spear was also spinning like a drill.

    Qi Xuansu did not fight with this person. Instead, he used the Dayan Spirit de Technique to sh seven people in session. The others were frightened, so they retreated to form a circle around Qi Xuansu, but they dared not step forward rashly.

    On the other side, Xu Kou was also on a killing spree. Unlike Qi Xuansu, Xu Kou did not use weapons. He only used his trusted limbs, which wasmon among Martial Arts Practitioners. Xu Kou used the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s unique technique, the Green Dragon Hook, in which his five fingers curled like a w. The blood qi in his palms was just as sharp as sword qi, whistling through the air as he struck his opponents.

    Naturally, none of these people were Xu Kou¡¯s opponents because he used more than ten of the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s signature moves.

    At this moment, a Diviner entered the hall and stood on a beam. He took out a small cloth bag from his waist, opened it, and shook it gently. Several small figurines carved from willow wood fell to the ground.

    Willow trees were yin objects, so these little figurines were surrounded by a faint yin energy. Each figurine also had fine talisman patterns engraved on them. As soon as the figurinesnded on the ground, they instantly erged to the size of an adult. They then got into an army formation to surround Xu Kou.

    These wooden figurines were like puppets, but they were a type of talisman that was extremely tough and difficult to break.

    An ordinary person encountering such a formation would panic, but Xu Kou was a Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner who happened to be naturally resistant to such spells. That was why Xu Kou was not at all afraid of these figurines. He merely stepped forward and unleashed a bout of turbulent blood qi.

 Chapter 360: In the City God Temple

    <h4>Chapter 360: In the City God Temple</h4>

    These wooden figurines were talismans that did not have any vitals, unlike humans. So even if their torso and head were crushed, they could continue fighting as long as their magical power had not worn off. That was why these wooden figurines were hard to defeat.

    It was a pity that the Diviner was not yet a Heavenly Being, and Xu Kou was a Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner whose blood qi could restrain all kinds of talismans and spells.

    When Xu Kou punched and kicked the wooden figurines, his blood qi dissolved the talisman patterns on the figurines, just like ink stains gradually fading under the rain. This continued until the talisman patterns on the wooden figurines disappearedpletely.

    As soon as these talisman patterns disappeared, the wooden figurines could be easily broken because they had turned into ordinary puppets. Xu Kou¡¯s fist could easily crush the figurines, cracking their outer shell while turning the insides into powder. This showed how skillful and precise Xu Kou¡¯s punch was.

    The Diviner was shocked to see this. He quickly threw out a stack of talismans like it was hell money and turned to flee.

    Xu Kouughed and chased after the Diviner. At this time, anyone who stood in his way was killed with a single punch.

    On the other side, three people, including the spearman, faced Qi Xuansu.

    The three of them were all Yuxu-stage Qi Refiners with no obvious weaknesses. Although they did not have flying swords, they each had their own special weapon¡ªa spear, a halberd, and a double ax.

    Qi Xuansu made the first move, stabbing the halberd with his single cuss. The person wielding the halberd only felt a rush of heat at his hand and almost lost his grip. He was afraid that Qi Xuansu would take the opportunity to attack him, so he jumped back.

    Unexpectedly, Qi Xuansu did not pursue the man with the halberd. Instead, he made a sharp turn and shed at the man with the double ax.

    The left side of the ax narrowly intercepted the de with precision. The man roared, then struck down with the right side of the ax, causing Qi Xuansu¡¯s cuss to tter to the ground. But Qi Xuansu did not retreat. He advanced and used the Dragon Fist of the Tantai Fist Intention to punch the man¡¯s face.

    The man with the double ax was knocked back. Before he could fall, he turned his body and grounded his ax, using it as a support to regain his footing. His face was blood red, and his nose hadpletely sunken into his skull.

    Qi Xuansu kicked up his cuss with the tip of his boot and held it in his palm again.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s rich experience in fighting with others made him good at judging his enemy. When he saw the three of them, he could immediately tell that the person with the halberd was the weakest, while the spearman was the strongest. Therefore, he decided to attack the weakest link first and switch his target at thest minute.

    The man with the double ax was quite impressive to be able to block the attack, but Qi Xuansu had already anticipated this. Therefore, as soon as the big ax fell on his cuss, Qi Xuansu dropped it and punched him in the face.

    At this moment, a big halberd shed at his waist horizontally. Qi Xuansu raised his cuss and tried to dodge, but he felt a gust of wind next to him as the double ax took a swipe at him.

    The ax was heavy, so Qi Xuansu did not try to block it with his thin cuss. Instead, he used the Dayan Spirit de Technique, creating a protective wall of wind while looking for gaps between the halberd and the double ax to attack.

    The two attackers were awestruck when they saw his move. Their weapons were extremely heavy, so they were good for defense. If not for them covering for each other, they would have been dead by now.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s cuss was light, so he was fast and agile in his attacks. On the other hand, the heavy halberd and double ax gradually became burdens to their wielders.

    Seeing hisrades in danger, the spearman only stood to the side to observe the fight, his spear still pointing toward the ground. The moment Qi Xuansu saw a gap in their defense, he thrust his cuss and stabbed the right rib of the man with the halberd, who tried his best to dodge.

    Suddenly, Qi Xuansu changed his target and left a long, bloody gash on the chest of the man with the double ax.

    In the midst of the fight, the spearman, who had been watching on the side, finally stabbed Qi Xuansu in the abdomen. Seeing this, Qi Xuansu used his cuss to stop him, but the momentum of the spear was unstoppable.

    Startled, Qi Xuansu quickly turned his wrist and drew a big circle along the direction of the spear to neutralize the force.

    The spearman was unyielding when he gained the upper hand. The tip of his spear was spinning like a drill, and the force it exerted flowed through the gaps in Qi Xuansu¡¯s defenses.

    At the same time, the halberd chopped down on the back of Qi Xuansu''s neck. Even before the de could touch Qi Xuansu, he could already feel the pressure crushing his body.

    Qi Xuansu roared hoarsely and forced his opponent to retreat with a backhand strike.

    The spearman immediately seized the opportunity to thrust his spear straight at Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart.

    Qi Xuansu allowed the spear to stab the center of his chest. Meanwhile, he raised his hand to throw out three of the Seven Phoenix Feathers. The spearman barely managed to dodge two of them and was stabbed in the shoulder by one. In the blink of an eye, hisplexion turned green from being poisoned.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu threw out his single cuss. The man with the double ax took a step forward and knocked away Qi Xuansu¡¯s cuss. Then he shed Qi Xuansu across the face with the right side of his ax.

    Qi Xuansu retaliated with a Tiger Fist. When his fist collided with the ax, the two of them shook from the impact. The man with the double ax spat out a mouthful of blood before copsing.

    It wasmon knowledge in the Daoist Order that three people of the same level could defeat one person who was a level above them. In other words, three Yuxu-stage Qi Refiners were by no means powerless against one Guizhen-stage practitioner. In theory, it would be a close fight. However, the oue would depend on various factors, such as changes in circumstances andbat experience, to name a few.

    Qi Xuansu looked like he won against these three people with ease, but that was due to his many years of experience. Although Qi Xuansu¡¯s cultivation level was not high in the past, he had encountered many powerful enemies, which honed his quick decision-making skills. Thus, even though these three Qi Refiners were also experienced fighters, he could still defeat them.

    At this moment, the spearman was poisoned, and the man with the double ax was injured. Only one man with the big halberd was left. That man was so frightened that he turned around and ran away, like the Diviner earlier.

    Qi Xuansu refused to let him go, picking up his cuss and chasing after that man.

    The halberd-wielding Qi Refiner was wearing heavy armor and only in the Yuxu stage, so Qi Xuansu quickly caught up to him. Noticing how close Qi Xuansu was, the man abruptly turned around and swept the big halberd at him.

    Instead of retreating, Qi Xuansu advanced even more and caught the halberd in its swing. Then he shed his opponent in the face with his ming cuss.

    The man wanted to pull his halberd back, but he found that Qi Xuansu¡¯s fingers had grabbed onto the shaft with a vice-like grip. No matter how hard the man tried to pull back, the halberd would not budge. In a move of desperation, the man released his weapon and retreated backward.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s Dayan Spirit de Technique was elusive and quick. The de bypassed the man¡¯s heavy armor and stabbed him in the throat.

    When Qi Xuansu withdrew his cuss, blood sprayed everywhere. The man with the halberd lost all his strength, staggered a few steps, and fell to the ground. The remaining blood on the de turned into ashes in an instant due to the zing mes.

    Qi Xuansu turned around and saw that Liu Hu had finished the job by shooting the poisoned spearman and the seriously injured axman with the Divine Dragon Pistol.

    From the beginning to the end, Liu Hu remained calm. She did not seem like a little girl, but more like a seasoned killer.

    Qi Xuansu sighed at this thought. When he was at the Kunlun stage, he was indeed much better than Liu Hu, but when he was at her age, he could not hold a candle to her.

    Liu Hu might not be able to climb to a high position in the Daoist Order topete with the blessed Zhang Yuelu, but she would not be inferior to the flowerbed priests like Yue Liuli. However, that would only be true if Liu Hu could survive to adulthood.

    Qi Xuansu waved his hand and summoned the three Seven Phoenix Feathers with his innate qi. He scanned the hall and saw the other attackers fleeing in all directions after seeing how the three Qi Refiners were defeated one after another.

    On the other hand, Xu Kou was chasing the Diviner at top speed.

    The Diviner was horrified because he would undoubtedly end up dead in closebat with a Martial Arts Practitioner. Thus, he had no choice but to throw out the valuable talisman soldiers in an attempt to slow Xu Kou down.

    The talisman soldiers fell to the ground and turned into white paper warriors. Ordinary guns could not harm these talisman soldiers, but the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s blood qi could destroy them. Xu Kou raised his fists, unleashing his blood qi. In the blink of an eye, he knocked back several talisman soldiers and turned them into broken pieces of paper, dissipating their magical power.

    However, the Diviner also used this opportunity to prepare his own spells. He turned around and created eight duplicates of himself, all of which were transformed by his Thoughts. Each of the eight clones cast different spells with fire, wind, thunder, or ice. They also summoned ghosts and cast illusions. This was the Diviner¡¯s mystical ability called the Eight Divinations.

    Xu Kou¡¯s response was even simpler. He just roared as loud as he could.

    A surge of blood qi rushed out of Xu Kou¡¯s mouth, turning into a white vapor like boiling steam.

    All of the Diviner¡¯s spells dissipated immediately when they touched this vapor.

    Xu Kou was relentless, stepping forward and punching the Diviner in the chest.

    In an instant, the Diviner split into two entities¡ªhis physical body and his illusory soul. His physical body copsed to the ground, his chest sunken, and his eyes dull. On the other hand, his soul was illusory, flying into the air without any injuries.

    The physique of a Diviner was inherently fragile, a stark contrast to a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s. At this time, the Diviner¡¯s physical body waspletely dead.

    Without the support of the physical body, the Diviner¡¯s out-of-body soul was a tree without roots. The Diviner¡¯s soul became fragile, as if it could dissipate at any time. However, the Diviner still had a glimmer of hope for survival by possessing another person or turning into a ghost. After all, these two options were better than dying in vain.

    The Diviner¡¯s out-of-body soul wanted to escape from this ce, but Xu Kou did not give it a chance. Xu Kou jumped up and roared again, unleashing another bout of roiling blood qi.

    Facing this ear-shattering roar at such a close distance, the Diviner¡¯s soul, which no longer had the protection of the body, disintegrated into countless fragments, like catkins in the wind.

 Chapter 361: Burnt

    <h4>Chapter 361: Burnt</h4>

    Xu Kou looked at Wei Wugui, feeling a little shocked. He had high expectations of Wei Wugui, but he still found that he had underestimated this soldier. Wei Wugui was not just an ordinary Martial Arts Practitioner; he also cultivated innate qi. If they fought head-on, Xu Kou was not confident that he would win.

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°It¡¯s strange how there are so many masters hidden in this small City God Temple. It looks like Wang Baoyue is really hiding here.¡±

    ¡°Then we have to move fast because there¡¯s no way the fight just now didn¡¯t alert the rest. We can¡¯t let Wang Baoyue escape again!¡± Xu Kou gathered his thoughts and focused on their goal.

    At this moment, Major Zhang also walked out of the secret passage in the side hall with a group of Green Phoenix Guards. He was shocked upon seeing the corpses littered on the ground. It turned out that so many people were hiding in the City God Temple. He was also impressed by Qi Xuansu¡¯s and Xu Kou¡¯s bravery and power, as they managed to kill so many opponents in such a short period of time.

    Major Zhang was also d that he asked these two men for reinforcement. Otherwise, he would have most likely ended up dead if he were toe before them.

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Major Zhang, Brother Xu and I will hunt down Wang Baoyue. We¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡±

    Major Zhang sped his fists, his expression solemn. ¡°Thank you both.¡±

    The two men jumped onto the roof.

    The next moment, a hail of arrows and projectiles ambushed them.

    Fortunately, they were both Martial Arts Practitioners, so they were not afraid of this situation. They used their fists to deflect and block the arrows and bullets. Xu Kou used the ck Tortoise Method, while Qi Xuansu used the Mountain Fist, creating an airtight shield around them.

    Qi Xuansu was not one to just take beatings without fighting back. After blocking a bunch of bullets, he threw out a set of Seven Phoenix Feathers, stabbing and poisoning seven people instantly.

    He used his innate qi to summon the Seven Phoenix Feathers, spreading out the feathers between his fingers like a fan.

    Xu Kou took the opportunity to jump down and rush into the enemy¡¯s battle formation. As a pure Martial Arts Practitioner, Xu Kou had already begun to condense his body and spirit, which started from the fists before progressing to the arms and the rest of the body.

    At this time, the acupoints on Xu Kou¡¯s fists were shining brightly, each acupoint containing a miniature version of Xu Kou. When Xu Kou punched, the spirit within his acupoints mimicked the same moves, amplifying the effect of the punch and making it deadly.

    Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou were both experienced fighters, so they worked seamlessly together to defeat the group of attackers in no time.

    At this moment, a figure with bloodshot eyes and a ferocious face appeared in a sh. It was Wang Baoyue.

    When Wang Baoyue saw Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou, he became even more hostile. ¡°Why are you chasing me?!¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not bother to talk nonsense. He raised his hand and shot out the Seven Phoenix Feathers toward Wang Baoyue.

    Taken by surprise, Wang Baoyue dropped and rolled on the spot, disregarding his image. He barely dodged six of the feathers but was still hit in the chest by one.

    However, since Wang Baoyue was in the Guizhen stage, the poison had little effect on him. He plucked out the feather from his chest while using his innate qi to dissipate the poison that left a green hue on hisplexion.

    Xu Kou was in no hurry to take action. He shouted, ¡°Wang Baoyue, you have nowhere to run. I might as well give you a quick death!¡±

    Hearing this, Wang Baoyue felt like a trapped beast. ¡°Xu Kou! Are you afraid that I will fall into the hands of the Zhengyi Sect? If I¡¯m pushed to the corner, I¡¯ll fucking confess everything to the Southerners and drag everyone down with me! At worst, we¡¯ll all get beheaded together!¡±

    Xu Kou looked indifferent. ¡°We? The Taiping Sect is not involved in this crap! You did business with the Heavenly Court, so even if you confess, it won¡¯t affect anyone.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was slightly shaken. It seemed that Xu Kou was aware of some inside story. On second thought, it made sense because Xu Kou was from the Taiping Sect and used to work for the Qizhou Daoist Mansion. Although his position was not high, he had direct contact with Sage Qingwei and Li Tianzhen.

    Wang Baoyue did not wait for them to react. He raised the Western gun in his hand and fired fiercely at the two of them.

    Qi Xuansu had been on guard, so he dodged sideways and shouted, ¡°Wang Baoyue, where can you escape to?¡±

    Wang Baoyue did not reply. After temporarily forcing the two men back, he turned around and fled.

    Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou immediately pursued the pirate leader.

    This time, Wang Baoyue jumped up and turned back to fire a shot with his arm cannon.

    This shot not only hindered Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou in their pursuit but also allowed him to leverage the force of the shockwaves to glide farther from them. That was how he flew out of the City God Temple.

    As soon as Wang Baoyue¡¯s feetnded on the ground, he ran toward the north without looking back.

    The first thing Wang Baoyue did when he came to the City God Temple was to survey the surrounding terrain in preparation for an emergency escape in case his whereabouts were exposed. Therefore, as soon as Wang Baoyue realized that he could not defeat his opponents, he decisively fled.

    Wang Baoyue ran through the forest and came to a river, which led directly to the Grand Canal. He looked around, nning to fake an escape along the Grand Canal, but he would do the opposite and escape to Wannian County so that he could hide in in sight.

    However, at this moment, someone appeared on the opposite side of the river bank.

    Wang Baoyue was taken aback at first, but when he saw who the man was, he breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Master Shen, what brings you here?¡± Wang Baoyue asked, remaining vignt.

    The person standing on the opposite side of the river was none other than Shen Mingshu. He looked in the direction of the City God Temple and did not answer Wang Baoyue¡¯s question.

    ¡°Those people are out to get you. I¡¯ve arranged for some Guizhen-stage masters to guard this ce, but they were killed. After all, I really didn¡¯t expect two extra guests.¡±

    Wang Baoyue shrugged. ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing we can do about that. Since you¡¯re here, should we leave first? Or should we go back and fight them together?¡±

    Shen Mingshu pondered for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°Even if you and I join forces, we might not defeat them. So we should leave first and then n our next steps.¡±

    Wang Baoyue had no objection.

    Shen Mingshu waved his hand and took out a mechanical puppet from his magical receptacle. The puppet spread its wings and turned into a crane with many intricate and cryptic talisman patterns resembling clouds carved on the wings. Its back was smooth and t, able to amodate one person sitting cross-legged on it.

    Under Wang Baoyue¡¯s surprised gaze, Shen Mingshu stretched out his hand and tapped the top of the puppet¡¯s head. The puppet crane instantly came to life and pped its wings. Instead of relying on its wings to soar in the sky, the crane released a huge air current from under its wings and body that spread all around.

    All Wang Baoyue could feel was the gust of wind, so strong that he could not open his eyes and had to step back.

    Shen Mingshu said, ¡°Brother Wang, you have the arm cannon, which is the product of the West¡¯s Arcane Alchemy, while the Taiping Sect has mechanical puppetry.¡±

    Wang Baoyue¡¯s cannon shot managed to hinder Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou. When the two men jumped out of the City God Temple, they heard an explosioning from the woods not far away, followed by billowing ck smoke.

    The two looked at each other and immediately rushed toward the forest.

    The explosion urred on the other side of the woods. They could even see a patch of ck from a distance. Countless trees had turned to charcoal, and many others had fallen from the huge shockwaves. These fallen trees briefly interrupted the flow of a small river through the forest.

    Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou looked puzzled. Did Wang Baoyue encounter a strong enemy?

    As they walked through the burnt trees, they finally saw the person they were looking for¡ªWang Baoyue.

    The reason they failed to spot Wang Baoyue immediately was because his clothes and body werepletely charred, no different from the surrounding trees that had turned into charcoal. Flickering embers were emitting from the cracks of the burnt skeleton.

    If it had not been for the well-preserved arm cannon, neither Qi Xuansu nor Xu Kou would have been able to identify Wang Baoyue.

    In the blink of an eye, the pirate leader who had repeatedly escaped the pursuit of the ck Robes and the Green Phoenix Guard was dead before their eyes.

    Qi Xuansu knew that Wang Baoyue must have been silenced.

    The mastermind could obliterate the entire Yuan family and their recruited fighters, let alone one Wang Baoyue.

    They could even attack the Yinglong Warship and kill a Sage, so a pirate leader was nothing to them.

    The two major forces were at odds with each other. While the big shots fought, the blood that was shed came from the minions down below.

 Chapter 362: Stop There

    <h4>Chapter 362: Stop There</h4>

    Qi Xuansu examined the corpse and concluded that Wang Baoyue most likely died from the Phoenix Eye Series ammunition. The damage was much more intense than an ordinary Phoenix Eye Bullet, so it was likely to be a Grade-A Phoenix Eye Bomb.

    The Daoist Order had extremely strict control over the Grade-A series of both the Dragon Eye and Phoenix Eye Series ammunition. Those who could use these to kill people undoubtedly had a deep connection with the Daoist Order.

    There was nothing Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou could do with such a development.

    What piqued Qi Xuansu¡¯s interest was Wang Baoyue¡¯s arm cannon.

    Since Wang Baoyue¡¯s clothes and body were burned, Qi Xuansu discovered that the arm cannon was not as simple as merely attaching a cannon as a prosthetic limb.

    One end of the prosthetic arm was the muzzle, which was covered by a prosthetic hand. The other end of the prosthetic arm had many thin metal tubes resembling the meridians of the human body, extending into Wang Baoyue¡¯s body through the shoulder joint.

    Qi Xuansu deduced that these thin metal tubes extending from the end of the prosthetic arm were most likely connected to Wang Baoyue¡¯s internal organs. However, since Wang Baoyue¡¯s body waspletely incinerated, only these thin metal tubes were left. So it was impossible to determine how each metal tube was connected to each organ.

    This meant that the arm cannon could not be reused by others without further customization. Qi Xuansu figured that it was simr to his Auxiliary Heart. Even if someone killed him and dug out the valuable heart, they would not dare to use it rashly. That was because such big procedures were risky and could cost one¡¯s life.

    Even if it could not be used easily, Huasheng Hall should be willing to acquire such things to study the mysteries of the West¡¯s Arcane Alchemy. Moreover, this arm cannon was still intact after such a violent st, proving the material¡¯s excellent quality and resilience. Such high-grade material should be researched and reused.

    Another item that was not damaged in this explosion was Wang Baoyue¡¯s Western gun, which left a deep impression on Qi Xuansu because it could be fired continuously. Though not as potent, it could still suppress enemies.

    Everything else was burned to ashes. Perhaps Wang Baoyue had also hid most of his wealth somewhere else.

    Sadly, not everyone could have magical receptacles because they could not be bought with money. They were more of a symbol of status.

    During the charity auction at the Shangqing Pce, the penultimate bidding item was a red fruit donated by the Dazhen Mansion. The red fruit had been processed beforehand, so it could be consumed safely to enhance one¡¯s cultivation. The base price for that was 5,000 Taiping coins, and it was finally sold for a high price of 8,000 Taiping coins to a Sage from the Quanzhen Sect.

    The final bidding item was a magical receptacle of high quality, with a base price of 10,000 Taiping coins. In the end, it was sold to Zhang Jushu for 15,000 Taiping coins.

    That was not an amount that most people could afford. Even if they had so much money, they would still need to be able to enter the Shangqing Pce to attend the auction. Those who participated in the bidding at that time were all core disciples of the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect. Qi Xuansu was only able to attend because of his connection to Zhang Yuelu and Pei Xiaolou¡¯s invitation.

    From this point of view, Zhang Yuelu was indeed cash-poor for someone of her status. Since Zhang Yuelu was not greedy, she only lived on her regr sry and subsidies. She also had some dividends from the various Zhang family¡¯s business ventures, but it was not much. Moreover, expenses were high in Jade Capital, so her ie was stretched thin.

    However, Zhang Yuelu could also be considered rich due to the assets she owned. She had a residence in Taishang ce, which was the best neighborhood in Jade Capital. She also had a magical receptacle and a semi-immortal object. If she could sell those, she would earn at least hundreds of thousands of Taiping coins. However, these things actually belonged to the Daoist Order, so they could not be sold at will. If Zhang Yuelu ever made a mistake, the Daoist Order had the right to confiscate these items as well.

    The reason why Zhang Yuelu was able to be indifferent toward money was mainly due to her righteous attitude and partially due to these material guarantees. Since Qi Xuansu did not have such fancy things, he always wanted to earn and save up to buy these items.

    Qi Xuansu turned to look at Xu Kou. ¡°These two items should be worth a lot of money. Brother Xu, please choose one.¡±

    ¡°I want the gun.¡± Xu Kou helped himself to the Western gun and weighed it in his hand. The Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s fists and blood qi roars were excellent weapons, but they had a limited range. Xu Kou knew that he wascking in long-range attacks, so a gun would be ideal.

    In fact, Tiangang Hall also issued guns, but Xu Kou did not care for the weak Green Bird Pistol. Only fourth-rank Daoist priests were given a Divine Dragon Pistol, and Xu Kou was only in the fifth-rank, so he never carried a gun.

    This Western pistol met his requirements.

    Although Qi Xuansu also liked the Western gun, he already had many long-range weapons like the Divine Dragon Pistol, Seven Phoenix Feathers, and Bliss Needles, so he did not need this gun.

    Since Xu Kou chose the gun, Qi Xuansu was left with the arm cannon. He tore the prosthetic limb from Wang Baoyue¡¯s charred corpse and examined it.

    Apart from those thin metal tubes, this prosthetic limb had an uncanny resemnce to a real arm. Qi Xuansu only thought of heading to Huasheng Hall to exchange it for Taiping coins or items only avable to Daoist priests.

    However, the Huasheng Hall branches were generally only located in Prefectural Capitals or certain important cities. In the entire Luzhou, only the Huainan Prefectural Capital had a branch of Huasheng Hall. Huainan Prefecture was where Qi Xuansu first took a flying ship to Jade Capital after leaving Fengtai County. That was the beginning of his journey in the Daoist Order, leading to all these subsequent experiences.

    Huainan Prefecture was not on the way to Bohai Prefecture, so on second thought, Qi Xuansu decided to escort Liu Hu safely first. Bohai Prefecture was also a major city, so it should have a Huasheng Hall branch.

    At this time, Major Zhang finally led his people over. He was speechless for a while when he saw the burnt forest.

    Qi Xuansu carried the prosthetic arm and stated the obvious. ¡°He was silenced.¡±

    It took Major Zhang a while before he smiled wryly and responded. ¡°Dead or alive, at least we have a body. In any case, there is still an exnation.¡±

    After that, Major Zhang ordered his subordinates to carefully collect the remnants of the charred body and try their best to deliver it to their boss.

    Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou no longer cared about the follow-up.

    Xu Kou had a sensitive position in this situation, and Qi Xuansu was reluctant to get involved in the Daoist Order¡¯s infighting. After all, not everyone was as persistent as Zhang Yuelu. One could only live longer if one knew not to push boundaries.

    Major Zhang also knew that he could not pursue the case further because Wang Baoyue¡¯s murder served as a warning to others.

    ......

    In the study of the Shen Residence in Wannian County.

    Shen Mingshu sat on a Taishi armchair[1] behind the desk, sipping tea leisurely.

    There were two other people in the study. One of them was wearing a Daoist robe with wide sleeves. He had tied up his ck hair with a jade hairpin and had a beard that reached his chest. He was Jiang Bieyun, the fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master of the Taiping Sect.

    There were differences between fourth-rank priests in terms of the power they held and their future prospects, much like the difference between Zhang Yuelu and Sun Yongfeng. Jiang Bieyun belonged to the top rung of fourth-rank priests who would soon be promoted to a third-rank Youyi Daoist master.

    The other person looked to be in his fifties, with gray hair and a weather-worn face. He had a strong military aura, indicating that he was once one of the ck Robes. At this time, he was wearing a special green uniform with a bear emblem. He was none other than Zhao Guangji, the Green Phoenix Guard Lieutenant Colonel of Luzhou.

    Zhao Guangji had a burly figure and the posture of a military general, but he was not at all a brute. Instead, he looked calm and cold, without a hint of violence. After all, someone who could climb to the position of Lieutenant Colonel in the Green Phoenix Guard was not a brute who only enjoyed killing.

    Shen Mingshu put down the gaiwan in his hand and sighed. ¡°The average lifespan is 70 years old. The first 10 years are wasted on being childish, and thest 10 years are wasted on being weak. That leaves us with 50 years. If we spend half the time asleep, that leaves us with only 25 years of active time. All of us here are in our fifties, so we only have a handful of good days left.¡±

    There was a double meaning that Jiang Bieyun and Zhao Guangji understood.

    Yuan Chongzong, Yuan Shangdao, and Wang Baoyue died one after another, so they did not know whether it would be their turn next.

    After all, there was a fine line between life and death.

    Jiang Bieyun said, ¡°Master Shen, you¡¯re overly worried. With the Imperial Preceptor and the Imperial Court as our backers, we will all live a long life.¡±

    Shen Mingshuughed. ¡°Let¡¯s hope you¡¯re right. By then, I wish that we could still enjoy tea like this.¡±

    Zhao Guangji suddenly recalled something. ¡°By the way, I met Xu Kou thest time I was in Qizhou. I didn¡¯t expect him to be a superintendent in Jade Capital in the blink of an eye. What does this mean?¡±

    ¡°Everyone has their own ambitions and cannot be forced,¡± Jiang Bieyun said calmly. ¡°One day, it¡¯s either him or us who will have to take the fall.¡±

    All three were silent.

    They were confident in the Taiping Sect, but they were insecure about themselves.

    As the Purple Immortal Mountain case intensified, they were unsure whether they would be able to wait until the day when the Taiping Sect gained victory.

    At this moment, there was a knock on the door outside the study.

    Shen Mingshu responded, ¡°Come in.¡±

    The old servant, who was a close confidant of Shen Mingshu, came in and reported, ¡°Master, those people have left with Wang Baoyue¡¯s body.¡±

    Shen Mingshu asked, ¡°What about Master Wei and Master Xu?¡±

    ¡°They also left together,¡± The old servant replied.

    Shen Mingshu pondered for a while before saying, ¡°Withdraw our men.¡±

    The old servant responded and left.

    Zhao Guangji sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that we don¡¯t know which deserted ind Wang Baoyue hid his belongings on.¡±

    1. A symbol of power and status for government officials. ?

 Chapter 363: Pei Xuanzhi

    <h4>Chapter 363: Pei Xuanzhi</h4>

    <i>The key to militarymand lies in seamless coordination, just as an arm moves a hand and a hand moves a finger.</i>

    <i>The Tiangang Hall served as the centralmand of military operations in the Daoist Order, with the highest concentration of Spirit Guards, who were the soldiers of the Daoist Order.</i>

    <i>On the other hand, Ziwei Hall held authority over all personnel arrangements in the Daoist Order, hence its status as the head of the Nine Halls.</i>

    <i>Most of the Nine Halls were located in Xuan City, with the only exception being Ziwei Hall, which was located in the Purple Mansion so as not to have close interactions with the other eight halls. Its close proximity to the Golden Tower demonstrated its exceptional status, allowing it tomand the respect and attention of the other eight halls.</i>

    <i>Purple Mansion was located in the center of Jade Capital, equivalent to the Pce City of the Imperial Capital. It was within the same vicinity as the two ces that symbolized the authority of the Daoist Order¡ªthe Golden Tower and the Zixiao Pce, which was where the Grand Master lived. As such, although the Purple Mansion¡¯s importance was above the Zhenjing Courtyard, Dazhen Mansion, and Chongyang Pce of Immortality, it could not outshine its two neighboring powerhouses.</i>

    <i>Therefore, judging from appearance alone, Ziwei Hall looked simple and ordinary inparison, far inferior to the other eight halls and some bigger Daoist mansions and Daoist pces.</i>

    <i>However, such a seemingly ordinary ce determined the fate of hundreds of thousands of Daoist priests.</i>

    Lei Xiaohuan entered Ziwei Hall and walked leisurely along a path. Along the way, there were many Daoist priests in ceremonial robes standing guard. This was the only ce among the Nine Halls where Daoist priests were used to rece Spirit Guards for guard duties, once again reflecting Ziwei Hall¡¯s special status.

    These Daoist priests seemed to recognize Lei Xiaohuan, as they did not stop her.

    Lei Xiaohuan quickened her pace and came to the main hall with a que hanging above that read, ¡°The voice heard by the heavens.¡±

    A young Daoist priest was waiting there. When he saw Lei Xiaohuan approaching, he silently led her to the duty room at the back.

    Compared with the duty room in Tiangang Hall, the duty room in Ziwei Hall was much smaller, and the furnishings inside were minimal, with only a table and a few chairs. Except for one chair behind the desk, the other chairs were ced against the walls on the left and right.

    The moment she stepped inside, Lei Xiaohuan saw a sign in the middle that read, ¡°Peace to the world.¡±

    This was said to have been written by the Holy Xuan himself and hung here for the past 200 years.

    A man was sitting behind the table. His eyes bore some resemnce to Pei Xiaolou¡¯s, but his aura was strikingly different, without a hint of vulgarity and slickness. Instead, this man exuded an ethereal and imposing air of authority. Even the uncouth Lei Xiaohuan could not help but maintain a solemn expression, not daring to show a hint of neglect.

    The young Daoist priest quietly retreated after leading Lei Xiaohuan inside.

    The man behind the writing desk did not stand up to greet Lei Xiaohuan, nor did he raise his head. He continued reading and writing on some documents.

    Lei Xiaohuan kept quiet and merely stood there until the man finished his task at hand.

    After a while, the man finished approving the document and finally raised his head. His sonorous voice broke the silence. ¡°Sister-inw, there¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony. Please take a seat.¡±

    Lei Xiaohuan proceeded to sit on one of the few chairs by the wall.

    This man was none other than Pei Xiaolou¡¯s elder brother, who was the Ziwei Hall Master and the second-inmand of the Quanzhen Sect¡ªSage Donghua, Pei Xuanzhi.

    Although Pei Xiaolou and Pei Xuanzhi were from the same generation, they did not share a generational name. Instead, the character, <i>zhi</i>, in Pei Xuanzhi¡¯s name symbolized purity and dedication to the Dao. That was why Pei Xuanzhi was not married to this day.

    As such, the future of the Pei family would still fall on Pei Xiaolou¡¯s shoulders, which made Lei Xiaohuan the matriarch of the Pei family, hence why Pei Xuanzhi was polite to his sister-inw.

    Pei Xuanzhi asked, ¡°Are you here to follow up on that matter?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Lei Xiaohuan nodded.

    Pei Xuanzhi nodded and took out a written directive from the case files stacked on the table. After confirming its contents, he ced it on the table and pushed it forward.

    Lei Xiaohuan quickly stood up and took it.

    Pei Xuanzhi said, ¡°I have read his file. There are no other problems aside from the tenure system. But as long as he is still below the fourth rank, the tenure system can still be overridden within reason, though I have one thing of concern. How do you n to exin the fact that he¡¯s not dead? If you fail to provide a clear exnation of how he survived the crash, someone will use it against us.¡±

    Lei Xiaohuan hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Lin Ge thinks that you¡ª¡±

    Lin Ge was Pei Xiaolou¡¯s courtesy name. Lei Xiaohuan would only refer to her husband as Lin Ge in front of Pei Xuanzhi.

    ¡°He wants me to announce to the outside world that I saved that boy. As long as I admit it, the trail of questions will stop. Is that right?¡± Pei Xuanzhi was not surprised that his brother woulde up with this idea.

    Lei Xiaohuan nodded.

    Pei Xuanzhi was nomittal. ¡°The future of the Quanzhen Sect does not lie with the Earthly Preceptor or myself, but with the young disciples. We can¡¯t just rely on Yao Pei. After all, a good leader will still need helpers. We are in need of more outstanding young people. His resume and qualifications aren¡¯t great, but his character is decent.

    ¡°Qualifications can be made up for in the future, but character is innate. Such people who were born in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce were supposed to be the Quanzhen Sect¡¯s disciples by default. But he somehow ended up in the Zhengyi Sect. I have to say that Zhang Yuelu certainly has a keen eye for people. It would have been strange if Zhang Yuelu did not fancy him.¡±

    Lei Xiaohuan did not expect that the Ziwei Hall Master would personally look through and understand the past experience of a low-level priest in such detail. She felt that there was a deeper meaning behind it, so she asked tentatively, ¡°Brother-inw, do you mean to say that he should return to the Daoist Order as a Quanzhen Sect disciple?¡±

    Pei Xuanzhi nodded. ¡°The Yuan family was wiped out. This is just the tip of the iceberg, and we don¡¯t know how big the hidden part of the iceberg really is. The Golden Tower Council has decided that Ziwei Hall will take the lead and join forces with Tiangang Hall, Beichen Hall, Fengxian Hall, Duzhi Hall, the Chongyang Pce of Immortality, and the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion to set up a temporary investigation team to conduct an in-depth inspection on the Yanqing Merchant''s Association.

    ¡°Lin Ge will represent the Chongyang Pce of Immortality, and Zhang Yuelu will represent Tiangang Hall. There is still a shortage of representatives from the Ziwei Hall, so will you step up and take him under your wing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m willing.¡± Lei Xiaohuan replied with a salute.

    Pei Xuanzhi waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s settled then.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Lei Xiaohuan respectfully left the room.

    ......

    Xu Kou, Qi Xuansu, and Liu Hu boarded the irond passenger ship again and continued northward along the Grand Canal.

    Qi Xuansu wrapped Wang Baoyue¡¯s arm cannon in a cloth and carried it like a bundle on his back so as not to attract unwanted attention.

    After passing three more checkpoints, the irond ship docked at the 6th checkpoint and replenished some coal. Qi Xuansu also disembarked and bought a copy of the Daoist Order¡¯s bulletin.

    The Daoist Order¡¯s bulletin was printed and published by the Qingping Bookstore and distributed worldwide. Anyone could buy it, but there were limited quantities, so it was often sold out. That day, Qi Xuansu was lucky enough to buy one.

    Qi Xuansu saw at first nce that the Golden Tower had decided to set up a temporary investigation team for the Purple Immortal Mountain case. However, they had not yet announced the list of members. This was the Daoist Order¡¯s style, never concealing the general direction but often blurring the details out of confidentiality and other considerations.

    However, Qi Xuansu spected that Zhang Yuelu and Pei Xiaolou had to be involved in the case.

    Furthermore, frequent readers of the Daoist Order¡¯s bulletin would know that the length of the content determined how important the matter was. If the article was lengthy, like an essay, it was typically a manifesto used to unify the people and im the moral high ground. On the contrary, a concise bulletin without any detailed interpretation showed the severity of the situation.

    Qi Xuansu never expected that his killing of Su Ran in Purple Immortal Mountain would cause such a chain reaction.

    If his involvement was exposed, he would probably garner countless enemies.

    Every time he thought about this, Qi Xuansu felt a chill down his spine.

    In addition, the bulletin also disclosed Liu Futong¡¯s crimes and the process of solving the case. They even wrote a special segment on Zhang Yuelu. If Qi Xuansu had not been familiar with Zhang Yuelu, he would have thought that she had paid someone handsomely to write these praises.

    Liu Futong had not been convicted, but Qi Xuansu figured that the superintendent would be executed and his property would be confiscated. His concubines and illegitimate children were not implicated. However, the Daoist Order did not take pity on them; they would have to make an honest living for themselves from now on.

    The end of the bulletin was just some general news. Qi Xuansu skimmed through it and found that Wuxu Pce was offering a bounty for Wan Xiuwu¡¯s killer. As long as it could be proven that the information provided was correct, that person would be rewarded with 1,000 Taiping coins. Those who went above and beyond to capture or kill Wan Xiuwu¡¯s murderer would be rewarded with 5,000 Taiping coins.

    Even the murderer in question¡ªQi Xuansu¡ªfelt tempted by this offer.

 Chapter 364: Farewell

    <h4>Chapter 364: Farewell</h4>

    The 6th checkpoint was located in Guide Prefecture, at the border of Chuzhou, Luzhou, Zhongzhou, and Qizhou. It was adjacent to Tianwei Lake in the north, Peng Prefecture in the west, Yunshang Prefecture in the east, and Suning Prefecture in the south. The Grand Canal ran through it, so it was known as the thoroughfare of five provinces. Since ancient times, this ce has been the key stronghold to the North, the gateway to the South, a ce of military importance, and a bustling hub ofmerce.

    After Guide Prefecture was the territory of Qizhou, which was the core area of ?the ?Taiping Sect. Since the revival of the Daoist Order, all the sessive heads of the Qizhou Daoist Mansion were served by Taiping Sect disciples without exception.

    The current Qizhou Daoist Mansion Master was the former Beichen Hall Master. Before Shangguan Jing¡¯s death and Ning Lingge¡¯s resignation as the Tiangang Hall Master, Sage Qingwei had served as the Qizhou Daoist Mansion Master. After the incident, Sage Qingwei swapped positions with the Beichen Hall Master.

    The Zhenjing Courtyard and Qingling Pce were not located in Qizhou but on the Three Immortal Inds. However, the Li family¡¯s ancestral home was located in Qizhou. Thus, many Li family members still lived in Qizhou, earning the well-deserved title of thergest n in the state. They were even more influential than the descendants of Confucius.

    The Li family had a long history, with many prominent figures such as the Primordial Daoist Ancestor, the Holy Xuan, and the royal family of the Qi Dynasty. Thus, the Li family held themselves in high regard as descendants of such monumental figures.

    If given a choice, Qi Xuansu would not want to set foot in Qizhou because he found himself to be repeatedly at odds with the Li family. First, he had stolen the Xuan Jade from the Li family in Fengtai County. Then he inadvertently became Li Tianzhen¡¯s enemy when he became Zhang Yuelu¡¯s confidant. Later, he killed Su Ran at the Purple Immortal Mountain, which led to this series of events.

    Before this, Qi Xuansu could not conclude that this case was rted to the Li family. But after the Yuan family¡¯s extermination and Wang Baoyue¡¯s elimination, it was clear as day that the Li family was sacrificing their pawns for therger goal.

    Qi Xuansu could not fathom what would happen to him if the Li family got wind of his involvement in these ¡°mishaps.¡± They would most probably obliterate him from the surface of Earth.

    However, Qi Xuansu had no choice but to step foot in the Li family''s territory because he still had to escort Liu Hu to Zhili.

    Fortunately for Qi Xuansu, the Li family¡¯s attention was diverted by Zhang Yuelu, so they did not notice a nobody like him.

    In the blink of an eye, the irond ship arrived at the 5th checkpoint, where Xu Kou was scheduled to disembark. After visiting his rtives, Xu Kou would take the flying ship from Beihai Prefecture back to Jade Capital.

    Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu would continue north on the Grand Canal until they arrived at the 2nd checkpoint in Bohai Prefecture.

    Xu Kou disembarked and cupped his hands in salute. ¡°I wish you a safe journey.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was at the top of the ramp. He returned the salute and said, ¡°Please send my regards to your parents.¡±

    Their farewell was short and sweet.

    The ship stayed at the 5th checkpoint for four hours for some passengers to disembark and get on board. Most of the passengers who came onboard were heading to the Imperial Capital or Bohai Prefecture.

    Since they had four hours to kill, Qi Xuansu took Liu Hu to a restaurant on the shore.

    It was a mom-and-pop restaurant. The owner was a skinny woman struggling to make a living, serving as a waiter and cashier, while her husband worked in the kitchen as the cook.

    Qi Xuansu asked for a pot of rice wine and some beef to go with it. Since grain production far exceeded that of previous dynasties, the ban on killing cattle had been rxed, so beef was no longer rare or expensive.

    Liu Hu looked at the rice wine longingly, but she was too embarrassed to ask for a taste.

    Qi Xuansu poured himself a ss and said with a smile, ¡°Go ahead and try it. You have to taste it yourself to know whether you like it.¡±

    Liu Hu¡¯s eyes lit up. She quickly took another ss, which Qi Xuansu filled to the brim.

    Qi Xuansu raised his ss and clinked it gently with Liu Hu¡¯s before they both gulped down the wine.

    Drinking was all about the atmosphere. Drinking alone in solitude had its own appeal at times. Sharing a drink with others, clinking sses, and exchanging unspoken words was wholesome. Drinking in a crowd with boisterous shouts,ughter, and yful banter was also fun.

    Qi Xuansu was not an alcoholic, but he liked the atmosphere.

    While the two of them were drinking, four men came in, looking hostile.

    The real world consisted of constant bloodshed and fighting. No matter what the reason was for killing, it was still illegal. Therefore, there were few honest people. Although there were still gant people standing up for others, most were merely arrogant and profit-seeking.

    The four men looked around and made a beeline for Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu.

    Qi Xuansu wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble, so he left with Liu Hu, but one of the men blocked Qi Xuansu¡¯s path forward.

    This man¡¯s lecherous eyes kept harassing Liu Hu. Although Liu Hu was just mediocre in looks, that was onlypared to Zhang Yuelu. Moreover, Liu Hu was a teen, so her body was still developing. This lewd man was attracted to Liu Hu¡¯s slim figure.

    Qi Xuansu pretended not to have seen the man and walked into him. The moment they brushed shoulders, the man flew back from the force.

    The other three men saw that their brother had suffered a loss, so they rushed over to block Qi Xuansu¡¯s and Liu Hu¡¯s path.

    Even so, Qi Xuansu had no intention of stopping. Two men stretched out their hands to grab Qi Xuansu¡¯s shoulders. Just as they were about to touch Qi Xuansu, their bodies flew several meters back beforending heavily on the ground.

    It would not have been shocking if Qi Xuansu had built up his momentum and then knocked the two of them away. The strange thing was that Qi Xuansu only approached them slowly without making any forceful moves. His qi shield was so intense that his attackers were knocked back.

    Seeing the shocking scene before him, the only man among the four left standing knew that they had provoked a master above their weight ss.

    At the same time, Liu Hu had already raised the Divine Dragon Pistol that Qi Xuansu had temporarily lent her and aimed at the three men on the ground, about to kill them.

    Ever since their experience in Jiangling Prefecture, Liu Hu viewed Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou as her role models and was no longer afraid of killing people.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu reached out to press down on the barrel.

    Liu Hu looked up at Qi Xuansu, somewhat puzzled.

    Qi Xuansu merely shook his head.

    Liu Hu pouted unhappily as she put away the gun.

    Qi Xuansu just wondered what Liu Hu¡¯s temperament would be like as she grew older and could not help but shake his head again.

    When the three men saw Liu Hu taking out the Divine Dragon Pistol, they were so frightened that they quickly ran out the door.

    Qi Xuansu did not chase them. Instead, he walked to the counter and asked the frightened restaurant owner for the bill.

    By the time they left the restaurant, the four men had already disappeared.

    Liu Hu finally could not take it any longer. She questioned, ¡°Why do you want to let them go?¡±

    Qi Xuansu pondered his words before replying, ¡°From a legal point of view, their crime is not worthy of death. One should always weigh the pros and cons before acting. Killing them won¡¯t give us any benefits. It will only cause us more trouble, so it¡¯s not worth it. Moreover, we already have enough to worry about now, so it¡¯s best not to add to our burden.¡±

    Liu Hu nodded slightly, looking pensive.

    After the four men fled the restaurant, they came to a guest room of an inn that was separated by a screen.

    A schr sat on a chair in the living room. Song Luodi had taken over the job from The Inn since Thunder Mage and Monk Deng Hua were dead. Several other subordinates were lucky enough to have escaped before Zhang Yuelu shot them all with her paper arrow.

    ¡°Master Song, that man is not someone we can mess with. We almost died at his hands!¡± One of the four menined loudly.

    Song Luodi turned a deaf ear to theints and fell into deep thought. ¡°He didn¡¯t fall for it?¡±

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 365: Seven People

    <h4>Chapter 365: Seven People</h4>

    Zhenwu Temple, Jinling Prefecture.

    Zhang Yuelu sat behind a desk with many files piled up on the table. She was multitasking¡ªreading a file and listening to Pei Xiaolou at the same time.

    Pei Xiaolou continued to dictate the official letter sent by the Golden Tower.

    ¡°Letter intended for Deputy Pce Master Pei and Deputy Hall Master Zhang.

    ......The members of the newly formed investigation team are as follows:

    - Deputy Duzhi Hall Master, Li Mingzhi (male)

    - Deputy Beichen Hall Master, Li Mingcheng (male)

    - Deputy Fengxian Hall Master, Lu Yushu (female)

    - Deputy Tiangang Hall Master, Zhang Yuelu (female)

    - Deputy Ziwei Hall Master, Lei Xiaohuan (female)

    - Deputy Chongyang Pce Master, Pei Xiaolou (male)

    - Deputy Jiangnan Mansion Master, Bai Yingqiong (female)

    This team will be led by Lei Xiaohuan, and the rest of the members are expected to cooperate closely without the slightest neglect. Please reply promptly upon eptance.

    Golden Tower Council, Jade Capital.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou held the official letter and looked at Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu stopped browsing her files and raised her head, meeting Pei Xiaolou¡¯s gaze.

    Pei Xiaolou ced the letter in front of Zhang Yuelu and said, ¡°Li Mingzhi and Li Mingcheng are brothers from the Li family. Lu Yushu is also from the Lu n of the Taiping Sect. You and the Deputy Jiangnan Pce Master are from the Zhengyi Sect, while my wife and I are from the Quanzhen Sect. This perfectly encapstes the current situation where the Taiping Sect dominates, while the rest of us will have to join forces to suppress them.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu remarked, ¡°When I was a superintendent in Beichen Hall, Li Mingcheng was my boss, but we didn¡¯t get along very well. Deputy Mansion Master Bai is my senior sister, but we have a generational gap. Moreover, we don¡¯t see each other often since she has been living in Putuo Ind for many years working in the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion, while I¡¯ve been living in Jade Capital. So I can¡¯t say that we have a great rtionship.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou asked, ¡°Then what are your thoughts on this, Miss Zhang?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu sighed. ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that all of us will be caught in a stalemate, and in the end, this case will be left unresolved.¡±

    ¡°Miss Zhang, you¡¯re worrying too much. After all, Zhuo Jing is the leader appointed by the Golden Tower Council. This time, we¡¯re four against three. I don¡¯t think those three from the Taiping Sect will be able to make a big ssh.¡± Pei Xiaolou sounded confident.

    Besides their advantage in numbers, Lei Xiaohuan was the appointed leader of the investigation team. She was a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master with a Wuliang-stage cultivation of Heavenly Beings. Many Omniscient Sages were also at that level. Thus, when necessary, Lei Xiaohuan could use force to subdue the rest.

    Zhang Yuelu had a different opinion. ¡°One chunk of rat droppings is enough to ruin a pot of porridge, let alone three. It won¡¯t be easy for us to achieve sess in this investigation, and it certainly won¡¯t be difficult for things to take a turn for the worse.¡±

    After all, she had participated in the major Jiangnan case, which was also rted to the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion. In thest investigation, Sage Cihang did note forward in person, but she covertly helped Zhang Yuelu. Moreover, the Cihang lineage had been operating the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion for many years, but in the end, it was still hard to make progress in the investigation, and they had failed to fully aplish the mission.

    That was why Zhang Yuelu was not optimistic about the investigation this time around.

    Pei Xiaolou did not disregard Zhang Yuelu¡¯s judgment just because he was older and had a higher rank than her. Instead, he said, ¡°At this point, the investigation team members have been set, so it¡¯s pointless thinking too much about it. Let¡¯s just wait for them to arrive before discussing the n in detail.¡±

    ......

    A majestic flying ship was docked at the pier outside Jade Capital, which made the Spirit Guards on the shore seem like ants inparison.

    Several deer carts came from Xuan City and stopped not far from the ramp of the flying ship.

    After a Spirit Guard opened the door of the first carriage, the tall and strong Lei Xiaohuan stepped out.

    The Spirit Guards behind followed suit and opened the doors of the other carriages. Li Mingzhi, Li Mingcheng, and Lu Yushu got out of their carriages in session.

    Li Mingzhi had the elegance and loftiness of a businessman, while Li Mingcheng looked sinister. They perfectly reflected the difference between Duzhi Hall and Beichen Hall.

    Lu Yushu looked about the same age as Sage Cihang, but she exuded an arrogance that came naturally todies from elite families. As such, she looked a bit mean and critical.

    In fact, both Li Mingzhi and Li Mingcheng had worked with Zhang Yuelu before. Back then, when Zhang Yuelu first epted her position as Deputy Tiangang Hall Master, she was invited to the Chiming Pce for a discussion. Both Li Mingzhi and Li Mingcheng attended the meeting, representing Duzhi Hall and Beichen Hall, respectively.

    Back then, Ning Lingge was still the Tiangang Hall Master, who personally presided over that discussion.

    This time, there were four women among the seven investigation team members. Zhang Yuelu, Pei Xiaolou, and Bai Yingqiong were already in Jinling Prefecture, and the other four people would take a flying ship to meet them. They would then conduct a thorough investigation of the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association.

    Li Mingzhi, Li Mingcheng, and Lu Yushu stood together, not too far away from Lei Xiaohuan. Although they did not speak, it was clear who stood in which camp.

    Lei Xiaohuan did not care too much about it. As the leader of the team, she took the initiative to step forward and say hello.

    In any case, Lei Xiaohuan was the person in charge of this investigation and had a higher rank and cultivation level than them, so the Taiping Sect trio had to respond no matter how reluctant. They stered on polite smiles and greeted the Sage.

    Li Mingzhi looked back at Jade Capital and said with emotion, ¡°I haven¡¯t left Jade Capital for many years. People say that Jinling Prefecture is beautiful, but how could itpare to Jade Capital?¡±

    Lu Yushu said sarcastically, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No matter how perfect Jade Capital is, it can¡¯tpare to the bustling nightlife in Jinling Prefecture. But the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion won¡¯t be as airtight as Duzhi Hall.¡±

    Li Mingzhi felt a little embarrassed by Lu Yushu¡¯s mockery.

    This had nothing to do with their camp but the subtle jab from a woman to a man.

    Lei Xiaohuan heard this and reminded them. ¡°We are going there to investigate the case, not to have fun.¡±

    Then she took the lead to walk up the ramp.

    Li Mingcheng, who had been silent until now, smirked and turned to Li Mingzhi. ¡°Daoist women are all tigresses.¡±

    Li Mingzhi nodded and sighed. ¡°I know, right?¡±

    Hearing their whispers, Lu Yushu rolled her eyes and walked up the ramp.

    Li Mingzhi and Li Mingcheng exchanged a look before boarding the flying ship.

    Once the four big shots boarded the flying ship, the ramp was retracted, and the ship took off to the skies.

    ......

    This investigation was no less critical than the major Jiangnan case that happened a few years ago. Therefore, the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion attached great importance to it and deliberately emptied the entire Zhenwu Temple.

    The Zhenwu Temple was not only thergest Daoist temple in Jinling City. It also had an excellent view, backed by Zhenwu Lake. Thus, it was worthy of hosting the big shots of the Daoist Order. Even Old Master Jin, who had ordered the massacre of the Yuan family, had once stayed in this temple, where he vowed to make a name for himself in the future.

    The entire Zhenwu Temple covered an area of ??about 7,000 square meters, with more than 200 rooms, various pavilions, and a beautiful garden with a typical Jiangnan style that was surrounded by fragrant flowers and chirping birds.

    Each of the seven investigation team members was allocated their own courtyards and allowed to bring their own subordinates, who also boarded the flying ship with Lei Xiaohuan. However, the full roster was not disclosed. Only Lei Xiaohuan, as the leader of the investigation, had the names of all personnel involved in this investigation.

    At this time, Zhang Yuelu and Pei Xiaolou had already moved into their respective courtyards, and the other four members were on their way.

    Among the seven team members, only Bai Yingqiong did not stay in the courtyard because she had her own residence in Jinling City as the Deputy Jiangnan Mansion Master. Thus, she would only go over to Zhenwu Temple for discussions.

    Since arriving at Zhenwu Temple, Zhang Yuelu spent most of her time reading various files and materials, often staying up all night.

    Although the investigation had not officially begun, Zhang Yuelu had already made her attitude clear. She was adamant about resolving this case, so she would not allow anyone to take this case lightly in an attempt to dismiss it.

 Chapter 366: Imitation Spirit Guard

    <h4>Chapter 366: Imitation Spirit Guard</h4>

    Qi Xuansu was unsure whether he was overthinking it, but the Qizhou section of the Grand Canal seemed eerily calm. He did not even see a single official from the Qizhou Daoist Mansion.

    However, after their encounter with the four thugs at the restaurant, Qi Xuansu vaguely sensed something wrong, so he decided not to leave the ship until they arrived in Zhili. Thus, he spent most of his time in his room, refining his innate qi.

    The irond ship passed two more checkpoints and arrived at the 3rd checkpoint, which was the junction of Qizhou and Zhili. There were only two more checkpoints on the Grand Canal, namely the 2nd checkpoint in Bohai Prefecture and the 1st checkpoint near the Imperial Capital.

    Qi Xuansu chose to disembark at the 3rd checkpoint and get to Bohai Prefecture bynd.

    Although they were indirectly involved in the entanglements between the secret societies and the Daoist Order, Qi Xuansu did not forget that Liu Hu¡¯s greatest immediate threat was not these people, but The Inn¡¯s assassins.

    If the Inn¡¯s assassins were persistent, then the 2nd checkpoint would be theirst chance to ambush Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu. Thus, Qi Xuansu changed his route at thest minute. Even he had acted on a whim, so no one could possibly predict his sudden change in ns.

    Getting to Bohai Prefecture from the 3rd checkpoint was just a few extra kilometers, so hopefully, these assassins would have retreated by then.

    During their journey, Liu Hu had a good grasp of Uncle Wei¡¯s character. He liked to do the opposite of what was deemed ¡°logical,¡± as shown in the route he chose after the Purple Immortal Mountain incident. However, it did not work because he failed to dodge the hunting dog Zhang Yuelu¡¯s tracking. Instead, he even got dragged into the Yuan family¡¯s annihtion.

    Therefore, Liu Hu did not have high hopes for Uncle Wei¡¯s decision-making skills. Even so, she did not raise any objections when she noticed that he was repeating his old tricks. After all, she was just a little girl with no experience. It would be better to see how the experienced Uncle Wei would adapt to the situation. If anything went wrong, it would not be her fault anyway.

    The two of them disembarked the irond ship and walked on foot.

    Although Liu Hu was at the Kunlun stage of cultivation, she could notpare to when Qi Xuansu was at the Kunlun stage. Her stamina was not great, so Qi Xuansu had no choice but to temporarily lend her the Jiamas[1] that Zhang Yuelu gave him.

    Taking out the Jiamas again made Qi Xuansu feel a little nostalgic. It was only half a year ago when he was in the Kunlun stage. Back then, he could barely keep up with Zhang Yuelu, even with the Jiamas. But now, it was Liu Hu who could barely keep up with him.

    It made him feel as if a whole decade had passed, even though it had only been half a year. Zhang Yuelu and Liu Hu were about ten years apart in age, but the Jiamas seemed like a family heirloom passed down from generation to generation.

    Their speed was actually faster than taking the ship.

    After running for about 100 kilometers, Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu were chased by two people, who blocked their way.

    Liu Hu was not too surprised by this. While taking out the Divine Dragon Pistol, she quipped, ¡°One¡¯s cleverness can often backfire.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s face flushed in embarrassment.

    The person who blocked their path was none other than Song Luodi, who had previously asked the four thugs to find trouble for Qi Xuansu. He had set a trap for Qi Xuansu, thinking that thetter would kill the thugs. That way, Qi Xuansu would be arrested, and Song Luodi could abduct Liu Hu. But Qi Xuansu did not fall for it.

    However, Qi Xuansu miscalcted. He thought that Song Luodi would set up an ambush likest time outside Jiangling Prefecture. What he failed to consider was that the deaths of Thunder Mage, Monk Deng Hua, and several other assassins had frightened the rest, so no one was willing to confront Qi Xuansu anymore.

    As such, Song Luodi only asked his subordinates to keep an eye on Qi Xuansu¡¯s whereabouts. Then he found a helper, offering him half of themission.

    Song Luodi¡¯s n was to intercept Qi Xuansu outside Bohai Prefecture. After all, thest ambush failed because Zhang Yuelu was there to disrupt the situation. This time, Qi Xuansu would be all alone and helpless.

    Unexpectedly, Qi Xuansu changed his route at the spur of the moment, which somewhat disrupted Song Luodi¡¯s n. Upon receiving news of Qi Xuansu¡¯s whereabouts, Song Luodi rushed toward Qi Xuansu, forming this two-on-two situation.

    However, from Song Luodi¡¯s point of view, Liu Hu was only at the Kunlun stage of cultivation, which was nothing. So in essence, it was two against one, with Song Luodi holding the advantage.

    Qi Xuansu stared down at the helper that Song Luodi hired.

    A burly man about 2.5 meters tall in ck airtight armor and a strong killing aura stared back at Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu did not know what kind of armor this was, but it was simr to that of the Daoist Spirit Guards.

    This was an imitation of the Daoist Spirit Guard Armor. The Imperial Court supposedly had simr craftsmanship, but it was not asplicated as the Daoist Spirit Guards, with nine types for each rank.

    The Imperial Court only had three types of armor: the Thirteen Protectors used by the Green Phoenix Guard, the Great Xuan General used by the Emperor¡¯s personal guard, and the ck Shroud used by the ck Robes in the frontier army.

    Qi Xuansu did not expect simr imitations to be used outside the Imperial Court and the Daoist Order. But on second thought, it was not surprising. In the past, the Imperial Court strictly prohibited the private possession of armor among the public, but there were skilled craftsmen who could forge armor.

    If his guess was correct. This armor was indeed an imitation of the Spirit Guard Armor. Although the Daoist Order had strict control over this type of craftsmanship, it was inevitable for some Daoist disciples to betray the Daoist Order and take with them some precious Daoist craftsmanship.

    These people were the Eight Tribes.

    This Imitation Spirit Guard Armor was made by the Eight Tribes, but their technology and craftsmanship were older than the Daoist Order. Huasheng Hall had made many improvements since the Eight Tribes formed their own secret society. The Daoist Order also had ess to all kinds of precious materials.

    Thus, the Eight Tribes¡¯ imitation armor could notpare to that of the upper third-rank Spirit Guards. It was probably only equivalent to a Guizhen-stage cultivation, given to fourth-rank Spirit Guards. The Daoist Order called such people Imitation Spirit Guards.

    The Imitation Spirit Guard in front of Qi Xuansu spoke in a loud voice because he was wearing an airtight helmet. ¡°My name is Hong Lang from the Eight Tribes. This time, Brother Song approached me for a deal. I¡¯m the type who believes in negotiation, so I would like to make a deal with you.¡±

    Song Luodi brought his right fist to his mouth and coughed lightly. Then he rolled up his sleeves and saluted Qi Xuansu. ¡°I¡¯m Song Luodi.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What deal?¡±

    Song Luodi pleaded. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be enemies with you. I just want to ask you to hand over someone.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked calmly, ¡°Who do you want?¡±

    Song Luodi raised his hand and pointed at Liu Hu, who was standing beside Qi Xuansu.

    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to take this deal?¡± Qi Xuansu asked back.

    Song Luodi was not surprised by Qi Xuansu¡¯s reply. He said, ¡°We¡¯re all just trying to make a living, so why should we make life difficult for each other?¡±

    Qi Xuansu stopped talking and clenched his fists.

    Song Luodi stared at Liu Hu. ¡°Since you¡¯re unwilling to back down, we have no choice but to resort to violence.¡±

    Before Song Luodi finished his sentence, Hong Lang punched Qi Xuansu straight in the face.

    Qi Xuansu crossed his fists, using the Mountain Fist to block the punch. His body remained unmoved like a towering mountain.

    Liu Hu was watching from the side when she suddenly felt pressure on her neck.

    The moment Hong Lang punched Qi Xuansu, Song Luodi used the Earth Escape Method toe to Liu Hu¡¯s side, and then he pressed his cold fingers on her neck.

    Liu Hu had no chance to resist and froze instantly.

    Qi Xuansu did not seem to notice what was going on with Liu Hu. He took a step forward and used the Tiger Fist to punch the Imitation Spirit Guard in the chest, knocking thetter back.

    Hong Lang staggered back about seven steps before he regained his footing, but there was a dent in his armor. However, he was uninjured.

    The next moment, Hong Lang charged at Qi Xuansu like a bull seeing red.

    Qi Xuansu used the River Fist to draw a circle with both hands, deflecting the overwhelming momentum from this head-on collision. Then he used the River Dragon Fist to counterattack, leveraging on this momentum.

    Hong Lang was knocked back nearly 30 meters by the force of the countershock, his feet plowing two ravines in the ground.

    Qi Xuansu pursued him closely and punched again using the Dragon Tiger Fist while Hong Lang was shaken to a standstill.

    Hong Lang¡¯s armor cracked while he staggered back again.

    But Qi Xuansu was relentless, taking another step forward and punching the Imitation Spirit Guard with the Thunder Wind Fist.

    The reason why Spirit Guards were inferior to Daoist priests was because their cultivation was obtained by external forces like their armor. Such cultivation was akin to prosthetic limbs, which could notpare to actual limbs due to the slight dy in the signal.

    Although part of Qi Xuansu¡¯s cultivation was obtained from the Xuan Jade, Qi Xuansu had integrated the Xuan Jade into his body. However, the Spirit Guards could not integrate their armor into their bodies. Without their armor, they would immediately lose their cultivation.

    After all, the Daoist Order invented the Spirit Guard Armor so that someone without cultivation could fully rely on the armor for offense and defense.

    Thus, Qi Xuansu¡¯s cultivation that was obtained through the Xuan Jade was akin to a regenerated limb. It took him time to adapt, but it was still connected to his body, unlike a prosthetic that could be removed.

    Even if Hong Lang¡¯s armor provided him with a Guizhen stage of cultivation, it was not fully integrated into him, so he was still easily defeated by Qi Xuansu, who was also in the Guizhen stage.

    This battle was a sure win for Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s punch struck Hong Lang¡¯s chest in the same spot as before, deepening the cracks on the Imitation Spirit Guard Armor.

    Hong Lang¡¯s burly body flew backward from the impact.

    Qi Xuansu followed him everywhere like a shadow.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu used the Tiger Fist, which contained the strength of five tigers.

    Hong Lang was clearly at a disadvantage, so he had no choice but to retreat as blood seeped out from the cracks in his armor.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯sst punch hit Hong Lang hard in the abdomen,pletely prating the armor.

    Hong Lang bent over like a cooked shrimp. The gaps in his face shield continuously dripped with blood, and he was no longer able to fight back.

    1. Special talismans tied around the legs to make traversing long distances seem effortless. ?

 Chapter 367: Old Accounts

    <h4>Chapter 367: Old ounts</h4>

    Song Luodi did not expect that Hong Lang would be defeated so quickly. His expression turned vicious as he grabbed Liu Hu¡¯s throat and shouted, ¡°Stop!¡±

    Qi Xuansu nced at Song Luodi and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like to be threatened.¡±

    Song Luodi narrowed his eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that this little girl will die?¡±

    As he spoke, Song Luodi tightened his grip on Liu Hu¡¯s throat. The poor girl¡¯s face immediately turned red, and she had difficulty breathing.

    Still, Qi Xuansu was unmoved.

    He did not think that Song Luodi would kill Liu Hu because they had plenty of opportunities to do so along the way, like in the battle at Jiangling Prefecture. If Song Luodi wanted Liu Hu dead, he could have already killed her without the need to threaten him.

    Since Song Luodi did not kill Liu Hu, it must mean that their employer wanted Liu Hu to be captured alive.

    As such, there was no need for Qi Xuansu to worry about Liu Hu¡¯s safety.

    Song Luodi originally thought that using Liuhu as a threat would make Qi Xuansu step back. However, Qi Xuansu did not fall for it. If he had known this earlier, it would have been better for him to join forces with Hong Lang to attack Qi Xuansu from the beginning.

    However, it was toote for regrets.

    Suddenly, Song Luodi felt his vision go dark.

    His eyes had turned into two deep, bloody cavities.

    Song Luodi waspletely blind.

    He did not even notice how Qi Xuansu had shot out the Bliss Needles that blinded not just his physical eyes but also his Seer Eyes as a Diviner. The Bliss Needle was made of primordial maite, so when pierced into the body, it could block the movement of qi and dissolve true essence. It could also disrupt the mind, distracting and confusing the victim with blissful hallucinations.

    After being blinded, Song Luodi did not hesitate to break Liu Hu¡¯s neck.

    However, Qi Xuansu did not give him the chance. While shooting out the Bliss Needles, he had already drawn his cuss and used the Dayan Spirit de Technique to cut off Song Luodi¡¯s right arm without hurting Liu Hu.

    Blinded and dismembered, Song Luodi was desperate. He stopped caring about Liu Hu and went all out, creating eight duplicates of himself that could each cast their own spells simultaneously to attack Qi Xuansu. This was the Diviner¡¯s Eight Divinations.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s response was crude¡ªhe roared.

    However, different from the ordinary Blood Roar of a Martial Arts Practitioner, Qi Xuansu incorporated the Tantai Fist Intention into the roar, using blood qi to break spells and innate qi to overwhelm the opponent.

    Only someone like Tantai Yun, who repeatedly jumped between the Earthly Immortal and the Manly Immortal paths could create such a special Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s Blood Roar.

    In an instant, Song Luodi¡¯s various spells were wiped away by the Guizhen-stage practitioner¡¯s blood qi. A spiral of innate qi also struck Song Luodi¡¯s chest.

    The Diviner groaned as his body copsed to the ground.

    Qi Xuansu strode forward and lifted Song Luodi by the cor. ¡°I let you escapest time in Jiangling Prefecture. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so obsessed with money that you¡¯de knocking on death¡¯s door. You brought this onto yourself.¡±

    Song Luodi was already blind; even his Seer Eyes were destroyed, so he felt as if he were falling into an abyss. Filled with fear, Song Luodi shouted, ¡°Are you really a Banished Immortal?! Who are you?¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not forget to check on Liu Hu before saying, ¡°Whether I¡¯m a Banished Immortal doesn¡¯t concern you. You just need to answer me, do you want to live or not?¡±

    Countless thoughts came to Song Luodi¡¯s mind. He had spent so much effort recruiting countless people for this job, but in the end, he had no hope of getting themission or even hope of survival. When he heard this, the fear dissipated slightly, and he settled his mind. ¡°What happens if I do or don¡¯t?¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°If you want to live, just answer a few of my questions. If you don¡¯t, then you can keep your mouth shut. I won¡¯t force you.¡±

    Song Luodi deliberated this in silence. After a while, he muttered, ¡°Ask away.¡±

    Qi Xuansu inquired, ¡°I¡¯m familiar with The Inn¡¯s rules, so I won¡¯t ask who hired you. I only want to know what¡¯s so special about this little girl that makes you mobilize such arge force.¡±

    Song Luodi kept silent.

    Qi Xuansu did not rush him and waited patiently.

    After a long time, Song Luodi finally spoke again. ¡°Have you ever heard of this person?¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Who?¡±

    Song Luodi answered, ¡°Fang Linhou from the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart stirred. He said tentatively, ¡°The Deputy Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master who was executed by the Daoist Order for the major Jiangnan case?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Since you have heard of him, I won¡¯t waste any time introducing him.¡± Song Luodi subconsciously lowered his voice as he exined, ¡°Although Fang Linhou is dead, his ounts have not been settled yet. Back then, Fang Linhou held 20% of the shares. After so many years, it would have amounted to at least hundreds of thousands of Taiping coins.¡±

    This information was consistent with what Zhang Yuelu and Madam Qi told him.

    Qi Xuansu probed further. ¡°Why is it that his ounts have not been settled even after his death?¡±

    ¡°It has to do with the Taiping Bank.¡± Song Luodi decided to tell Qi Xuansu everything he knew.

    ¡°Do you know why the mostmon currency we use is called the Taiping coin? Private minting became popr in thest years of the previous dynasty, so counterfeit money was rampant then, resulting in chaotic cirction and cumbersome conversions. That was why the Holy Xuan and Emperor Gaozu decided to reform the currency system and implement a unified new currency.

    ¡°The new currency would benefit the people¡¯s livelihood and improve taxation. This first batch of trial coins minted by the Taiping Bank turned out sessful, so the new currency waster fully handled by them.

    ¡°The Taiping Bank is actually on equal footing with the Daoist Duzhi Hall and the Imperial Court¡¯s Ministry of Revenue. They are responsible for the casting and issuance of coins, and they gather the wealth of the world. The Taiping Bank has a total of seven administrators, three of whom are from the Daoist Order, three from the Imperial Court, and one from the royal family. These seven people are all high-ranking dignitaries, and they rotate every five years.

    ¡°To check the ounts from Taiping Bank, one must have the consent of at least four administrators, unless it¡¯s a special circumstance where the Grand Master or the Emperor orders it. It sounds easy, but it¡¯s actually a tough feat because all the administrators are from different factions, so they are hardly unified.

    ¡°The three administrators from the Daoist Order include representatives from all three Daoist sects. Two of the three administrators from the Imperial Court are Confucians, while the remaining one is from the nobility. There is also a representative from the royal family. The rtionships between all of them are more thanplicated.

    ¡°The shares involved in the major Jiangnan case were all transacted through the Taiping Bank using bearer ounts. Of course, Fang Linhou¡¯s shares were not just his alone. It also included those under hismand that registered their money under his name. No one knew exactly how they were going to divide the shares. After the incident, Fang Linhou was executed. His subordinates were also arrested and executed. The few lucky enough to escape didn¡¯t dare mention this ount, so the money is still lying dormant in the Taiping Bank.¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally understood.

    In the end, it all boils down to money.

    From rulers of a country to themon folk, no one was exempted from the temptation of wealth.

    Qi Xuansu pressed on. ¡°But what does this have to do with her?¡±

    Naturally, he was referring to Liu Hu.

    Song Luodi said, ¡°Fang Linhou was a dignified second-rank Taiyi Daoist master, responsible for many things in the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion, so he was a busy man with no time to manage the ounts himself. That''s why he had someone manage ounting matters on his behalf.¡±

    Qi Xuansu immediately connected the dots. ¡°Her father.¡±

    Song Luodi nodded. ¡°That man is long dead, and this girl is his only descendant. My employer only wants us to capture her alive, not to kill her.¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally understood.

    The mastermind behind the major Jiangnan case held a grudge against Zhang Yuelu because she cut off their source of ie. Liu Hu was the only descendant of the ountant who managed hundreds of thousands of Taiping coins, so they wanted to capture her alive.

    Getting the answers he wanted, Qi Xuansu let go of Song Luodi. He turned around and came to Hong Lang, putting his hand on the Imitation Spirit Guard¡¯s back. Then he released some innate qi, shattering the man¡¯sst vestige of vitality.

    Song Luodi scampered off as fast as he could manage, wanting to leave this ce.

    Bang¡ª!

    The severely injured and blind Song Luodi instantly copsed.

    Qi Xuansu turned back sharply to find that Liu Hu was the one who fired that shot.

    He looked vexed as he questioned her. ¡°I promised to let him go. Why did you kill him?¡±

    Liu Hu looked indifferent as she rebutted, ¡°You made the promise, not me. He deserves to die.¡±

 Chapter 368: A Good Beginning and a Good Ending

    <h4>Chapter 368: A Good Beginning and a Good Ending</h4>

    Qi Xuansu red at Liu Hu, who stared back at him. They were in a stalemate for a while, but in the end, Qi Xuansu chose to give in.

    He was not a kind-hearted person, having killed countless people, so one would even consider him a fiend.

    The reason Qi Xuansu did not want to kill Song Luodi was not because he was soft-hearted, but because he had previously promised to let Song Luodi go, as long as the Diviner answered his questions honestly.

    Even if Song Luodi had not died at his hands, Qi Xuansu still considered it an indirect breach of trust. That was why Qi Xuansu was angry at Liu Hu. To Qi Xuansu, a promise was worth more than gold. Otherwise, he would not have risked his life to escort Liu Hu to Bohai Prefecture for only 1,000 Taiping coins.

    Qi Xuansu also did not care much about the consequences of letting Song Luodi go because he would no longer have to continue pretending to be the ck Robes, Wei Wugui. Pei Xiaolou promised that he would be able to return to the Daoist Order soon, so he could finally regain his identity as Qi Xuansu, a sixth-rank apprentice mage with a bright future. So if anyone wanted to seek revenge, they would have to look for the non-existent Wei Wugui.

    What Liu Hu said also made sense. She was not the one who promised to let Song Luodi go. Moreover, Song Luodi wanted to break her neck earlier, so it was only reasonable for her to want vengeance. Since Song Luodi was already dead, Qi Xuansu had no choice but topromise with the girl.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do this again.¡± Qi Xuansu reprimanded Liu Hu as an elder and walked away.

    Liu Hu kept silent, showing no hint of remorse or embarrassment.

    Qi Xuansu removed Hong Lang¡¯s Imitation Spirit Guard Armor and sighed. ¡°I guess there won¡¯t be a next time. After we get to Bohai Prefecture, someone else will take care of you.¡±

    Liu Hu finally had some expression on her face. She seemed dejected and aggrieved. ¡°My father and my adoptive father abandoned me, and now, you too?¡±

    Qi Xuansu paused in his actions. He was silent for a moment before he exined, ¡°My name, my face, and my identity are all fake. We met by chance. Who knows if fate will allow us to meet again?¡±

    Liu Hu looked up at Qi Xuansu, her animated eyes brimming with tears.

    The feelings between Liu Hu and Qi Xuansu were not romantic. What she felt was more an admiration and attachment like that between a father and daughter or an older brother and a younger sister. After all, repeated life-and-death experiences could pull people closer together by deepening their bond.

    Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu were also simr in temperament, so they got along well. But Liu Hu had been reticent, so she never showed her attachment to him.

    As an orphan from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, Qi Xuansu had never had to deal with familial rtionships. However, he could empathize with Liu Hu to a certain extent.

    Qi Xuansu sighed, took out a talisman from his satchel, and handed it to Liu Hu.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Liu Hu asked in a muffled voice, nced at it, but did not take it.

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°This is one-half of the mother-child talisman. You can contact me anytime with this mother talisman while I keep the child talisman.¡±

    Liu Hu¡¯s eyes lit up. She then reached out to take the mother talisman.

    Qi Xuansu smiled. ¡°Thanks to the Daoist Order, we can still keep in touch after saying goodbye.¡±

    After the flying ship crash, Qi Xuansu no longer received a sry or subsidies from the Tiangang Hall. But he still had subsidies from the Qingping Society. Although Madam Qi had withheld his sry from the Qingping Society, she still delivered the elixirs and talismans to him frequently.

    Qi Xuansu would take the elixirs to improve his cultivation because if he only relied on self-cultivation, his progress would be slow. He could only take shortcuts if he wanted to advance further.

    Most of the mother-child talismans were split between Qi Xuansu and Madam Qi to facilitatemunication between each other. However, Madam Qi had provided Qi Xuansu with aplete set of mother-child talismans so that he could exchange contact with others.

    Liu Hu carefully put away the mother talisman; her tears made her already-animated eyes sparkle under the light. ¡°Let me help you.¡±

    Before Qi Xuansu could respond, she went to Song Luodi¡¯s body, turned the corpse over, and pulled out two Bliss Needles from his eyes.

    Qi Xuansu almost forgot about his weapon embedded in Song Luodi¡¯s eyes, but Liu Hu remembered.

    He continued to take off the armor from Hong Lang¡¯s body. The Eight Tribes¡¯ craftsmanship was decent, but since many valuable materials were strictly controlled by the Daoist Order, they had to rece those with second-grade materials. That was why the quality of the imitation armor wasckingpared to the original, hence why it could crack under Qi Xuansu¡¯s fists. If this armor was an original Spirit Guard Armor from the Daoist Order, it would not have been so fragile.

    However, even with these cracks, this imitation armor was still worth a lot of money. Qi Xuansu would have had enough to buy Jade Liquor even without themission from Madam Qi for this escort job.

    The only problem was that the armor was heavy and bulky, making it difficult to carry. Thus, Qi Xuansu left the broken parts behind and only kept the rtively intact parts of the armor. Since it was not aplete set, it could only be sold as ¡°scrap metal,¡± which would not sell at a high price. But Qi Xuansu was not greedy. With his current savings, any additional earnings were better than nothing.

    On the other side, Liu Hu helped Qi Xuansu retrieve two Bliss Needles from Song Luodi¡¯s body. She also found two unused talisman soldiers and several cash notes.

    Qi Xuansu had a total of six Bliss Needles and a set of Seven Phoenix Feathers. He signaled Liu Hu to keep the two Bliss Needles she had retrieved so that she could keep them for self-defense. He then took one talisman soldier from her. He also let her keep the cash notes, which amounted to about 200 Taiping coins. However, he took back the Jiamas from Liu Hu because those were of great significance to him, since they were a gift from Zhang Yuelu.

    Liu Hu did not want to keep the Taiping coins, but Qi Xuansu reminded her. ¡°You will be traveling alone, so every coin counts. Li Qingnu will not be escorting you on her own, so you can use this extra money to buy favors from the others.¡±

    Hearing this, Liu Hu reluctantly epted it.

    Qi Xuansu put away the talisman soldier and dug a big pit for Song Luodi and Hong Lang. However, before burying the bodies, Qi Xuansu took off Song Luodi¡¯s robe and used it to wrap up the armor so that he could carry it as a bundle.

    The duo continued on the road. After about five kilometers, Qi Xuansu came to a tomb with rtively strong yin energy. He opened the Yin-Yang Gate to the Ghost Kingdom and summoned his trusted horse, Bu Yue.

    That way, Qi Xuansu did not have to lug all these items on his own. He did not feel bad for Bu Yue since this horse was no longer the same old grade horse when he first bought it. After their trip to the Ghost Kingdom, Bu Yue was a lot more energetic.

    The next part of their journey was uneventful.

    Two dayster, they could finally see Bohai Prefectural City, a city built by the sea.

    Among the Three Great Dragon Veins[1], the North Dragon began from Kunlun and passed through Nanshan, Zhongyue, Wuxing Mountain, and the Imperial Capital before finally reaching Bohai Prefecture, known as the Dragon¡¯s mouth, from which geomantic energy would flow out to sea.

    The various prefectures and counties around the Imperial Capital formed an administrative region under amon name, Zhili[2], which directly obeyed the orders of the Imperial Court. Its governor¡¯s office was located in Bohai Prefecture.

    During the final days of the previous Wei Dynasty, the Qin and Li families made a pact to attack the Imperial Capital. The Li family¡¯s fleet bombarded Bohai Prefecture, bringing their troops to the city gates. These troops were then split into two groups¡ªone marched along the White River to the Imperial Capital, while the other sailed south into the mouth of the Grand Canal, cutting off the grain transport routes.

    That was how thest emperor of the Wei Dynasty and the Confucian School surrendered to the Great Xuan Dynasty and the Daoist Order.

    Bohai Prefecture might not have much cultural heritagepared to Longmen Prefecture, Jinling Prefecture, and Xijing Prefecture, but it was an important stronghold.

    Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu set off from Longmen Prefecture on March 15th. In the blink of an eye, it was already the beginning of May. Their journeysted for one and a half months and ended in Bohai Prefecture. At first, it started out with only the two of them. A few people had joined briefly along the way. But by the end of their journey, only Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu were left.

    The Sycamore Vi in Bohai Prefecture was backed by the Li family. Thisrge, upscale brothel had a constant flow of people, so it was easy to blend in and avoid attention. This was where Qi Xuansu and Li Qingnu had agreed to meet.

    1. Geomantic channels of energy that flow through mountain ranges. ?

    2. Ö±Á¥ means direct governance. ?

 Chapter 369: Bohai Prefecture

    <h4>Chapter 369: Bohai Prefecture</h4>

    Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu had just arrived in front of the city gate when they saw many standing cages in the open space not far away, each with a prisoner restrained inside.

    The prisoner¡¯s head, with a metal cor mped around the neck, protruded from the circr opening at the top of the standing cage. Their hands were shackled on either side of their necks. A gag was forced into their mouths, with ropes tied tightly behind their heads to secure it in ce.

    Many Green Phoenix Guards were standing around the cages, armed with sabers, guns, and crossbows.

    An excited crowd had gathered around.

    From time to time, the Green Phoenix Guard would push the crowd back behind the designated line. The people in the front row would retreat, but there were just too many people behind them, so the crowd continued to surge forward.

    Watching public executions was a custom that had been passed down for thousands of years.

    There was even a temporary wooden tform built to supervise the execution.

    ording to the rules of the previous dynasty, civil officials were always responsible for supervising executions. However, the Great Xuan Dynasty handed this responsibility to the Green Phoenix Guard.

    The person in charge of the execution this time was a Green Phoenix Guard major. He stood with a saber in hand, his face as unfeeling as a rock as he looked up to the sky.

    He was waiting for three-quarters past noon, the best time for killing due to the peak yang energy from the sun at its zenith.

    At the moment, it was not yet noon. The sky was blue, and the sun was still rising. Many in the crowd also followed suit and looked up at the slowly rising sun.

    The Green Phoenix Guard responsible for the execution did not use a saber because the Imperial Court had reduced the number of beheadings and dismemberments as punishment. Since there was also an increase in criminals, cage hanging became popr.

    This cage hanging meant that the floor of the cage could be removed by a mechanism at the rear. So, the executioner only needed to pull the handle behind the cage, retracting the floor and causing the prisoner to fall. As such, the prisoner¡¯s neck would be stuck at the circr opening on top of the cage until they suffocated to death.

    Death by shooting was a punishment reserved for the military.

    Qi Xuansu did not expect to see such a scene when he first arrived in such a prosperous town. Letting his curiosity take over yet again, Qi Xuansu walked toward the crowd.

    He saw an old man sitting on a rock by the edge of the crowd, fumbling with his hookah.

    ¡°Sir, why is it so lively here today?¡± Qi Xuansu asked the old man.

    The old man did not even raise his head as he said impatiently, ¡°Can¡¯t you see? They¡¯re all waiting for a public execution!¡±

    Qi Xuansu probed further. ¡°I know it¡¯s a public execution, but who is being executed?¡±

    The old man finally took a puff of shisha. ¡°Wokou.¡±

    ¡°The pirates?¡± Qi Xuansu was startled.

    Bohai Prefecture was the hintend of Jiangbei. It was the Donghai Navy¡¯s territory, which meant that it was deeply influenced by the Li family. They were at odds with the Nanhai Navy, which was associated with the Cihang lineage, so why did the Li family start killing pirates?

    The old man exhaled another cloud of smoke as he exined, ¡°They im that they are Wokous, but these are just regr Wa people hired by the pirates. Our navy has irond ships, so these pirates shouldn¡¯t have been able to slip past them. They rarely appear onnd and mainly rob ships out at sea."

    ¡°Most of these people here have never seen a Wokou before, so they rushed over to watch the fun. But I heard that the Wa people in this gang of pirates were almost all dead. The remaining leaders are actually from the Central ins. The government even issued an order to arrest the pirates and execute them on the spot.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was surprised. ¡°Execute them on the spot without a trial?¡±

    ¡°Yes, justice will be served on the spot.¡± The old man became more excited as he spoke. ¡°These pirates are causing harm to the country and the people, so our officers don¡¯t need to waste time getting their confessions and filing cases. Those pirates were caught and executed immediately!¡±

    ¡°Wow, direct execution...¡± Qi Xuansu dragged his voice, pretending to be shocked and confused.

    The old man smirked. ¡°Yes, fast and efficient!¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally figured it out.

    The Nanhai Navy wanted to catch these pirates alive, while the Donghai Navy wanted them dead.

    It was clear that these two major forces were still at odds with each other.

    After Qi Xuansu figured this out, he lost interest in the execution and entered the city with Liu Hu.

    Although the inspections were much stricter now with the Wokou infiltration, Qi Xuansu could get through the city gates unimpeded using his identity as the ck Robes. The armor he carried in a bundle was also mistaken for the ck Robes¡¯ armor.

    Sycamore Vi upied a vast area, almost the same size as the mansion of officials and wealthy businessmen. It was a paradise inside, with many small, independent courtyards that were serene and tastefully decorated.

    They had all kinds of services, including prostitutes, musicians, tailors, craftsmen, and servants, catering to all needs so that customers would not want to leave.

    Many powerful people would rent a small courtyard and hire a dedicated mistress, not just for physical enjoyment but to escape from reality. After all, the gentry who frequented this vi did notck women in their lives. All they wanted was some tranquility in their busy lives.

    Such a well-known ce was not difficult to find. However, this type of ce was not open for business at noon. Unless one already had a reserved courtyard and a mistress, one would not be allowed entry before business hours.

    Qi Xuansu certainly did not have the funds to rent a courtyard there. Since Sycamore Vi was backed by the Li family, Qi Xuansu did not want to attract unnecessary attention.

    Thus, he decided to first visit a Huasheng Hall branch in the city to sell the imitation armor.

    Although Bohai Prefectural City wasrge, it was not difficult to find the Huasheng Hall branch because it was typically located in the most prosperous area of ??the city. It had a grand facade and was located next to the Tianji Hall branch.

    Qi Xuansu entered the gate of Huasheng Hall carrying Hong Lang¡¯s imitation armor and Wang Baoyue¡¯s arm cannon. Before a Daoist priest from Huasheng Hall could ask what he needed, Qi Xuansu had already taken the initiative to speak. ¡°I have a broken Imitation Spirit Guard Armor and an item made from Western Arcane Alchemy. Do you want them?¡±

    The Daoist priest standing behind the counter was stunned upon hearing this.

    ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± The Daoist priest quickly turned around and went behind the screen to the back hall.

    After a while, the superintendent of this branch came out. She was a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master who looked to be in her forties.

    Qi Xuansu did not waste any time exining and merely spread the set of imitation armor on the floor.

    The superintendent only nced at it before looking away. ¡°The objects from the Eight Tribes are not valuable. This armor is also iplete and damaged, so it¡¯s considered scrap metal. I can only offer you 300 Taiping coins, nothing more.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had expected this. The real big ticket item was Wang Baoyue¡¯s arm cannon.

    Thus, he unwrapped it, revealing the arm cannon.

    The superintendent initially had a nonchnt attitude. But after seeing the thin metal tubes that resembled the meridians of the human body, she narrowed her eyes, and her expression became serious.

    ¡°May I ask where did you get this?¡± The superintendent asked.

    Qi Xuansu replied honestly, ¡°I teamed up with a friend from Tiangang Hall to kill a pirate. This was removed from the pirate¡¯s body.¡±

    The woman was not at all shocked. Instead, she kneeled down and examined the prosthetic arm carefully.

    The surface of this prosthetic arm was originally covered with ayer of skin-like material, making it look like a real arm. However, Wang Baoyue¡¯s body and clothes werepletely incinerated by the mes in the forest outside Wannian County, so the original metal body of the arm cannon was revealed.

    The superintendent held the arm cannon and inspected it thoroughly. She murmured, ¡°Using metal to rece a human limb and integrating firearms into it. Not only that, it can connect to one¡¯s internal organs, using the body¡¯s essence to rece projectiles. What a novel and admirable idea!¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°I haven¡¯t asked for your name yet.¡±

    The woman returned to her senses and replied, ¡°My name is Su Yan.¡±

    Qi Xuansu immediately thought of another superintendent of Huasheng Hall with a simr name¡ªSu Ran.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu expected that Su Yan was most likely from the Qingqiu lineage of the Taiping Sect.

    Although the Holy Xuan originally decided that the Quanzhen Sect would be responsible for creations, everything in the Daoist Order was intertwined. There were also many Zhengyi Sect and Taiping Sect disciples who participated in innovation projects.

    Knowing her identity, Qi Xuansu felt a little guilty and coughed slightly. ¡°Superintendent Su, how much do you think this thing costs?¡±

    Su Yan looked away from the prosthetic arm and faced Qi Xuansu. ¡°Although the Western Arcane Alchemy is rare, the Daoist Order doesn¡¯tck samples. I can only offer you 2,000 Taiping coins within my authority.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was not satisfied with the price, so he asked, ¡°Can we barter?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Su Yan answered happily, ¡°You can exchange any items of equal value. I will also offer you our internal discounts on those items to top it off.¡±

 Chapter 370: Mystery Jar

    <h4>Chapter 370: Mystery Jar</h4>

    The internal discounts were generally only offered to fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters and above.

    This meant that the same Jade Liquor that sold for as much as 1,500 Taiping coins to outsiders would cost only 1,000 Taiping coins for a fourth-rank priest.

    So Qi Xuansu could exchange for one bottle of Jade Liquor and other items worth 1,000 Taiping coins.

    Su Yan offered this discount because she also knew that 2,000 Taiping coins for this arm cannon was indeed too low a price. Arcane Alchemy was a rare Western technique, and objects like that were hard toe by. Converting its cost price from the Eagle silver coin to the Taiping coin, this arm cannon would be worth at least 10,000 Taiping coins. However, she only offered one-fifth of the price. Even if it was a second-hand item, it was still too low.

    She could only offer 2,000 Taiping coins because that was the maximum that a superintendent could authorize. For anything higher than that, she would have to write to the headquarters of Huasheng Hall, which was very troublesome.

    Of course, Su Yan could also break the rules like Liu Futong. However, the Qingqiu lineage was known for their strict ways and adherence to rules.

    Su Yan did not want to break the rules or go through the trouble of writing to the Hall Master, so she offered Qi Xuansu a maximum of 2,000 Taiping coins and decided to give him an internal discount, which was still within her authority.

    Qi Xuansu nodded in agreement. ¡°Deal. I want a bottle of Jade Liquor. As for the remaining amount, I wonder if you have any rmendations, Superintendent Su?¡±

    Su Yan took a closer look at the damaged imitation armor and let out a soft gasp. ¡°What a powerful punch! Are you a Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded.

    ¡°In that case, there are some suitable things in the warehouse.¡± Su Yan paused and asked, ¡°But are you sure about this barter trade? Huasheng Hall is not a farmer¡¯s market, so we won¡¯t allow bargaining.¡±

    Qi Xuansu understood and nodded. ¡°Absolutely certain!¡±

    Su Yan raised her hand to signal the Daoist priest nearby to put away the items.

    She turned to Qi Xuansu and asked, ¡°Do you want the 300 Taiping coins for the imitation armor in cash or for it to be included in the barter?¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Cash, please.¡±

    If it were in the past, Qi Xuansu would have most likely chosen to include it in the barter. After all, it was not easy for an outsider to get an internal discount. So that would be the best deal.

    However, his situation was no longer the same. He would soon return to the Daoist Order, so he would be able to enjoy the treatment of a fifth-rank priest. It would be only a matter of time before he was promoted to the fourth rank.

    Moreover, Zhang Yuelu could still purchase these things for him since it was not explicitly prohibited. After all, it was hard to restrict such things because everyone had the right to give gifts to others.

    However, it was another matter to use one¡¯s authority to buy and sell things inrge quantities. Fengxian Hall and Beichen Hall were strict on handling such cases.

    Su Yan said, ¡°We don¡¯t have coins here. We only have cash notes from the Taiping Bank.¡±

    Qi Xuansu already knew the rules here, so he said, ¡°Then threerge cash notes, please.¡±

    Su Yan nodded at a female disciple, who turned around and went to the counter.

    A momentter, the female disciple came back and handed three brand-new cash notes with a slight scent of fresh ink to Qi Xuansu.

    Adding up these 300 Taiping coins and the 700 Taiping coins from Qi Xuansu¡¯s savings, he had exactly 1,000 Taiping coins. This did not include themission of 1,000 Taiping coins that Madam Qi promised him or the relocation fee of 1,000 Taiping coins issued by Tiangang Hall.

    In total, Qi Xuansu had 3,000 Taiping coins, which was a huge sum.

    Qi Xuansu even thought about buying a flying sword. However, he was still far from being able to afford treasures and magical receptacles.

    ¡°Please follow me.¡± Su Yan turned around and walked to the back hall.

    Qi Xuansu hurriedly followed her, while Liu Hu stayed seated outside, where she was served tea.

    In a sense, theyout of the Huasheng Hall branches located in various cities was somewhat simr to that of a bank. There was a counter in the front and various deposit rooms in the back. After the back hall was a courtyard, where the warehouse was located.

    At this time, many Spirit Guards were standing in the courtyard, heavily armed. There were also protection formations.

    Seeing Su Yan approaching, all the Spirit Guards saluted her respectfully.

    A fourth-rank Spirit Guard immediately came over when Su Yan led Qi Xuansu toward the warehouse door.

    Although they were both of the same rank, Daoist priests were naturally a rank higher than Spirit Guards, so Su Yan was the immediate superior of this fourth-rank Spirit Guard.

    Su Yan ordered, ¡°Open the door.¡±

    The Spirit Guard nodded, walked to the warehouse door, took out a special key, and inserted it into the first keyhole.

    Su Yan took out another special key and inserted it into the second keyhole.

    They turned the two keys at the same time, and then two more Spirit Guards, one on each side, slowly opened two iron doors, which probably weighed several tonnes.

    After Su Yan led Qi Xuansu into the warehouse, the Spirit Guards slowly shut the door again from the outside.

    The warehouse was brightly lit. There were three floors underground, all separated by thick doors, with the most valuable items ced at the bottommost level.

    Su Yan only allowed Qi Xuansu to roam around the ground floor.

    This ce sure was dazzling.

    Various bottles, cans, jars, and boxes of different sizes filled the rows of shelves.

    There were countless items that he had never seen before. Only naming the items he recognized, there wereplete sets of authentic Spirit Guard armors, Imitation Blood from the Torch Dragon, Qiongqi Blood, fat and blood of mystical beasts, Jade Liquor, Soul-Returning Incense, and various elixirs. There were also some demon pills soaked in unknown liquids, various animal fur and skeletons, and various specimens that were divided into categories and arranged neatly.

    Su Yan introduced the ce. ¡°The items from the West will be stored here once processed. We will clear the warehouse every three months and transport part of the inventory to the main hall via flying ship. You can browse these shelves.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded and wandered around, while Su Yan followed him quietly.

    He first came to the shelf with hundreds of bottles of Jade Liquor, all with different shapes to indicate their quality. Generally, the thinner and taller the bottle, the higher the quality and more expensive the liquor would be.

    Qi Xuansu nced at Su Yan beside him and reached out to take the cheapest bottle of Jade Liquor after seeing a slight nod from her.

    Then he came to another row of cabs, where various elixirs were ced.

    There were bottles of different materials, like porcin, jade, and even clear ss. The ones in ss bottles looked good but were generally cheaper, while the elixirs in jade bottles were more precious, as jade was excellent for preserving medicinal effects.

    Su Yan suddenly spoke. ¡°You don¡¯t need to look at these jade bottles. Even with an internal discount, each bottle exceeds 1,000 Taiping coins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu resigned to his fate and immediately looked away. He could only afford the porcin bottles.

    Since this was a warehouse, the prices of items were not marked. So Qi Xuansu had no choice but to keep asking Su Yan about the cost.

    Su Yan knew the items by heart and could remember the price of each item clearly. She was also patient with Qi Xuansu.

    Finally, Qi Xuansu came to a shelf with many jars sealed with talisman paper. The jars were also engraved with talisman patterns and piled up in a corner.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    Su Yan¡¯s expression was a littleplicated. She replied, ¡°Mystery Jars.¡±

    ¡°What is it used for?¡± Qi Xuansu became more curious.

    Su Yan was silent for a while before she muttered two words, ¡°Like lottery.¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally understood. He probed further, ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡±

    Su Yan introduced these Mystery Jars as if she were reciting information from a catalog. ¡°This is the creation of one of the Huasheng Hall Masters. It works by using talismans to create a one-time-use magical receptacle in which various junk¡ªI mean, objects¡ªare ced. It costs 500 Taiping coins each and may contain a treasure worth tens of thousands of Taiping coins or a 100-Taiping-coin item. If you¡¯re confident in your luck, you can take a gamble. Who knows? You might turn a mule into a prized steed.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was very tempted as soon as he heard the word ¡°treasure,¡± which led to an inner conflict between his desires and rationale.

 Chapter 371: Stupid Jar

    <h4>Chapter 371: Stupid Jar</h4>

    Qi Xuansu did not know when he began to have faith in Madam Qi¡¯s belief in the ¡°conservation of luck.¡± What this meant was that one would encounter good luck after a streak of bad luck.

    There was an old saying that good fortune lies within disaster, and disaster hides within good fortune.

    Fortune and misfortune were interdependent.

    Qi Xuansu believed in this due to his experience. For example, in the Yn Temple, Monk Yan Xiu left him for dead under Wu Luo¡¯s divine power. However, it was a blessing in disguise because this divine power activated the Xuan Jade of Life and elevated his cultivation. Thus, that was his stroke of luck.

    He felt that his luck had not been great recently, so perhaps his fortuney in these Mystery Jars.

    After a moment of hesitation, Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get one to test the waters.¡±

    Su Yan reminded him. ¡°The Mystery Jars are only sold within the Daoist Order, so there isn¡¯t an internal discount. You can pick whichever you like for 500 Taiping coins each.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had never done anything like this before. So he went up to the shelf and took a jar, first weighing it in his hand and tapping it with his fingers to listen for a sound, as if he were picking out a watermelon. He did this with several jars until he finally settled on a rtively inconspicuous jar.

    These jars had probably been left in this corner for a long time because there was ayer of dust on the talisman paper.

    When Qi Xuansu finally picked out the one, Su Yan said, ¡°Just take off the talisman paper on the mouth of the jar.¡±

    To be honest, she was also a little curious about what he would get from these Mystery Jars. After all, these jars had been piled here long before she became the superintendent of this branch. Since she became the superintendent, only five jars had been opened for fun by high-ranking Daoist priests. Without exception, they were all garbage.

    Once, there was a vengeful ghost in one of these Mystery Jars that bared its teeth and ws as soon as it left the jar. Su Yan had to suppress it immediately.

    There was another jar that contained a transporting talisman. The moment the Daoist priest opened the jar, this talisman teleported the person to the Sycamore Vi.

    Another jar was maddening, as it was a nesting jar that had to be opened five times before revealing a questionable Blood Dragon Pill. The high-ranking Daoist priest who opened that jar did not care much and swallowed the colorful and irregr Blood Dragon Pill. As a result, his cultivation had improved. However, he was poisoned at the same time, causing half of his body to be paralyzed. In the end, he had to stay in Huasheng Hall for about half a month to recuperate.

    Su Yan figured that the most valuable thing in these jars was the old version of a cash note worth 100 Taiping coins. Since the Mystery Jars had been in existence a long time ago, this cash note was no longer produced, so it became a collectible that could be sold for 200 Taiping coins, double its original value.

    In fact, Huasheng Hall conducted a lot of research every year as the main sessor to the innovation projects of the Daoist Order. These research projects bore many gains and losses. It was also inevitable for many useless or unusual things to be produced. Unlike Tianji Hall, where scraps could be recycled and smelted down in the furnace, Huasheng Hall¡¯s products were mostly irreversible. Some were both dangerous and valuable, making them difficult to deal with.

    Thus, a certain Huasheng Hall Master came up with the idea of these Mystery Jars. He put all these ¡°scraps¡± into jars and threw in one or two items of value in the mix, attracting people who wanted to try their luck. This brilliant move relieved the pressure on the warehousing and financing issues that Huasheng Hall faced.

    Of course, it was not a hoax that there was a treasure among these Mystery Jars. But whether one could get the treasure highly depended on one¡¯s luck.

    In the beginning, many people were indeed attracted by this new idea and bought these Mystery Jars. Huasheng Hall made a lot of money from them, so much so that each Huasheng Hall priest received an additional bonus.

    It was all fun and games until one second-rank Taiyi Daoist Master decided to open nearly 100,000 Taiping coins worth of Mystery Jars in public. As a result, he got mostly garbage, and his 100,000 Taiping coins turned into 1,000 Taiping coins. The Sage even had to transfer out his residence in Taishang ce because he went bankrupt.

    As such, this incident curbed the opening of these jars.

    Later, another high-roller challenged the probability of a treasure being among these Mystery Jars. He spent 200,000 Taiping coins and gained three treasures. One of them was a top-grade treasure worth 50,000 Taiping coins. However, in total, the return on capital was only 80,000 Taiping coins, so he still sustained a huge loss of 120,000 Taiping coins.

    Shortly after this incident, Fengxian Hall intervened in the investigation and arrested this high-roller. It turned out that the huge sum of 200,000 Taiping coins came from the misappropriation of funds from the Duzhi Hall.

    Soon, the high-roller pleaded guilty and had all his property confiscated. Fengxian Hall went to Huasheng Hall to collect the stolen money, but the jars had already been opened, so Huasheng Hall was unwilling to provide a refund.

    As such, the two halls filed awsuit against each other, which went all the way to the Golden Tower Council, but nothing came of it.

    After this incident, the reputation of Mystery Jars went down the drain. Since then, the Mystery Jars were also dubbed the Stupid Jars.

    With these precedents, whoever opened these Mystery Jars was indeed stupid. That was why these Mystery Jars had been piled up in a corner; no one wanted to buy them anymore. Their contents still remained a mystery.

    There was a table in the warehouse not far away from the shelves. Qi Xuansu came to the table with his carefully selected Mystery Jar and ced it on the table. He slowly opened the talisman paper that sealed the mouth of the jar as if it were very fragile.

    In an instant, the entire jar began to disintegrate, and a soft light began to spread from the inside out, illuminating their faces.

    After a while, the light gradually dissipated.

    At this time, there was an additional piece of clothing on the table¡ªa woman¡¯s dress.

    The upper coat and lower skirt were mainly white. The cor was green, while the hem of the skirt and cuffs were adorned with delicate pleated light green ruffles, inspired by ancient embroidery.

    Qi Xuansu did not know whether he shouldugh or cry. After a long time, he muttered, ¡°Does Huasheng Hall also provide tailoring services now?¡±

    Su Yan stifled augh and coughed lightly. ¡°No, Huasheng Hall does not provide tailoring services. But when designing clothing-rted treasures or armor, tailoring skills are involved. This dress may be a practice piece. The craftsmanship is quite decent.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was still in denial. ¡°Since it¡¯s a practice piece, is it a spiritual object?¡±

    Su Yan took a closer look at the women¡¯s dress. ¡°The practice I¡¯m referring to is tailoring practice, not the practice of making treasures.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s face turned stiff. ¡°In other words, this is just an ordinary dress?!¡±

    Although the Mystery Jar was dubbed the Stupid Jar among the elders of the Daoist Order, its mysterious contents still appealed to young people.

    Su Yan also felt a little embarrassed, so she consoled him. ¡°It¡¯s certainly not ordinary. This is excellent material. At the very least, you won¡¯t face quality issues. I can also guarantee that there are no second-hand items in these jars. Everything is brand new!¡±

    Qi Xuansuughed in exasperation. ¡°Brand-new ordinary clothes.¡±

    Su Yan kept quiet.

    Qi Xuansu took a deep breath andforted himself. <i>I guess this can be a gift for Zhang Yuelu. After all, she gave me a cloakst year, but I didn¡¯t get her anything in return. This will make up for it. Even though it is expensive at 500 Taiping coins, this dress is quite nice. It¡¯ll definitely look good on her too.</i>

    With such thoughts, Qi Xuansu finally managed to calm down.

    However, he regretted his decision.

    That was 500 Taiping coins!

    He could have used that money to buy a few pieces of decent furniture for his home in Jade Capital.

    Qi Xuansu looked back at the pile of Mystery Jars, his mind still upied with the idea of ¡°??conservation of luck.¡±

    He thought to himself, <i>If I have bad luck this time, surely good luck will follow, right? Won¡¯t I be missing out on my fortune if I just give up now? Then that will truly be like losing 500 Taiping coins in vain! Well...I still have another 500 Taiping coins to barter.</i>

    Once again, Qi Xuansu fell into another dilemma. <i>Should I try to make up for my losses? If I give it another go and seed, I may be able to get my money''s worth! If I get really lucky, I may even make a small profit. If I give up now, I will lose 500 Taiping coins, but I can stop my losses in time.</i>

    Two voices were at war in his head.

    <i>¡ªBe logical and walk away!</i>

    <i>¡ªRemember the conservation of luck; you might get lucky the next time!</i>

    After a moment of deliberation, Qi Xuansu made up his mind. ¡°I¡¯ll take one more.¡±

    Su Yan was not surprised by this. She just smirked. ¡°Good luck...¡±

 Chapter 372: Frequent Gambling Leads to Losses

    <h4>Chapter 372: Frequent Gambling Leads to Losses</h4>

    Qi Xuansu came to the piles of Mystery Jars and took one without spending time to pick it out. Since he wanted to believe in his luck, he might as well trust it wholly.

    He ced the jar on the table.

    Su Yan kindly reminded him. ¡°As long as the jar has not been opened, you can still put it back.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t like to regret my decisions.¡±

    After that, he ripped off the talisman sealing the mouth of the jar.

    Just like before, the entire jar began to disintegrate and glow from the inside out, illuminating their faces once more.

    Qi Xuansu watched without blinking as the light dissipated.

    After Su Yan saw the item, she could not help but gasp. ¡°How could it be?¡±

    Qi Xuansu''s heart raced. <i>The conservation of luck really worked?!</i>

    He focused his gaze and saw a bell-shaped, semi-transparent object on the table, shimmering in gold and red hues. Nine dragons intertwined on its outer surface, seeming both real and illusory. A wave of scorching heat radiated toward him.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Qi Xuansu was also surprised.

    Su Yan calmed down. ¡°This is the Nine Yang Fiery Dome.¡±

    Qi Xuansu could not contain his shock. He had heard of this treasure because it often appeared in Daoist stories and legends.

    This treasure first appeared in the hands of the 30th-generation Great Heavenly Preceptor, Zhang Jingxiu. Later, Zhang Jingxiu passed it on to his disciple, Yan Feiqing, who was the first Great Sage of the Zhengyi Sect after the revival of the Daoist Order and the only Heavenly Preceptor without the Zhangst name.

    Back then, the Ancient Immortals¡ªTrue Lord Ziguang, True Lord Siming, and Wu Luo¡ªteamed up to attack Jade Capital. That was because Donghuang was the only one in Jade Capital at the time. At the critical moment, Yan Feiqing came to the rescue and used this treasure to attack True Lord Ziguang.

    In the description of the story, a red dome, shaped like a golden bell, rose in the sky and expanded to the size of a mountain, trapping True Lord Ziguang in the inferno from the nine fire-breathing dragons on its outer surface. That was how the Ancient Immortal was burned by Dragon Fire.

    Qi Xuansu was still in disbelief. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t this treasure be stored in the Dazhen Mansion? How did it end up in this jar?!¡±

    What he really meant was: <i>Huasheng Hall sure is brave to disparage a treasure with such extraordinary historical significance, treating it as a lucky draw item!</i>

    Su Yan nced at Qi Xuansu, surprised by this ck Robes¡¯ in-depth understanding of Daoist history. However, she did not think too much about it. She exined, ¡°Of course, this is not the original piece. It¡¯s just a replica that the Huasheng Hall and Tianji Hall copied based on the original. Since it¡¯s an imitation, it¡¯s considered a substandard treasure.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was speechless for a moment.

    There were only two types of immortal objects, namely immortal objects and semi-immortal objects.

    Treasures and spiritual objects had 4 grades: excellent, high, medium, and low. However, since the Daoist Order began to imitate various treasures, there was another grade added called substandard.

    Substandard treasures were below a low-grade treasure and above an excellent-grade spiritual object. That was because it had major ws and was normally iplete. As such, replicas were often considered substandard treasures.

    Su Yan continued, ¡°This dome must be activated with true essence or magical power. It can be used as an offense or defense. In defense mode, you can take cover inside the bell, and the mes will be outside to repel your opponent.

    ¡°In offense mode, you can trap your enemy in this bell and activate the fire inside, turning your enemy into ashes. It¡¯s advisable not to mix up the two modes so you don¡¯t identally burn yourself to death.¡±

    Qi Xuansu reached out and picked up the small bell, thinking to himself, <i>Madam Qi is right...the conservation of luck is real! I can¡¯t believe I got the replica of the Nine Yang Fiery Dome!</i>

    He asked, ¡°So, what¡¯s the difference between the real deal and this replica?¡±

    Su Yan answered, ¡°The real Nine Yang Fiery Dome has been continuously refined by the Daoist elders through rituals for many years, so it is now considered a semi-immortal object. As long as the user has a high enough cultivation, the dome can expand to the size of a mountain and have no problem trapping a 300-meter giant. Meanwhile, the replica can only expand to a maximum of 10 meters tall and wide.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was still satisfied. To him, a substandard treasure was still a treasure nevertheless. This replica was certainly better than losing 500 Taiping coins for nothing.

    He humbly asked, ¡°Superintendent Su, you mentioned that there are two modes of offense and defense. How does one activate the two modes?¡±

    Su Yan said, ¡°This replicaes with a manual called the Three Bing and Three Ding Fire Technique. Bing and Ding symbolize Yang Fire and Yin Fire, respectively. If you can master that technique, you will be able to use this substandard treasure.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pursued further. ¡°Then how can I learn the Three Bing and Three Ding Fire Technique?¡±

    Su Yan¡¯s face turned solemn. ¡°You are not a Daoist disciple, so you cannot learn this method.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was unrelenting. ¡°What if I pay to learn it?¡±

    Su Yan shook her head. ¡°When have you ever heard of Daoists selling our techniques for money?¡±

    Qi Xuansu could not help but feel a little disappointed. Anyway, he would be returning to the Daoist Order soon. In that case, he could ask Zhang Yuelu, Pei Xiaolou, and even Madam Qi about this method.

    At this moment, Su Yan suggested. ¡°But I can confirm that the manual for the Three Bing and Three Ding Fire Technique is among these Mystery Jars.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Qi Xuansu was doubtful.

    Su Yan stretched her hand out as if she were taking a solemn oath. ¡°Absolutely, I will never lie to you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu gritted his teeth and took out the three brand-new cash notes that he had just received for selling the Imitation Spirit Guard Armor. Then he took out another two cash notes, totaling 500 Taiping coins.

    He pped all five cash notes on the table in front of them. ¡°I¡¯ll take one more!¡±

    Qi Xuansu, who had just obtained a (substandard) treasure, was confident in his lucky streak and had a strong feeling that great things came in pairs.

    Su Yan no longer felt bad for Qi Xuansu ever since he gained the replica of the Nine Yang Fiery Dome. Instead, she felt as if Huasheng Hall had sustained a loss.

    Hearing that Qi Xuansu wanted to buy another Stupid Jar, Su Yan smirked and nodded. ¡°Good luck.¡±

    Qi Xuansu once again took a jar from the shelf without picking.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to open it?¡± Su Yan asked.

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±

    After that, Qi Xuansu mmed the jar on the table and quickly ripped out the talisman sealing the mouth of the jar.

    The jar disintegrated, and a bright light shed.

    This time, a book appeared on the table.

    Qi Xuansu was so excited that he lunged over to pick up the book.

    The title of the book was <i>The Female Sword Immortal</i>.

    <i>The Female Sword Immortal</i> was the representative work of the Holy Xuan¡¯s wife, solely published and distributed by the Qingping Bookstore. After more than 200 years, more than one million copies had been published.

    In other words, it was verymon and found everywhere.

    The excitement on Qi Xuansu¡¯s face vanished the moment he saw the title.

    He could not help but ask resentfully, ¡°I can understand the tailoring, but how do you exin this?! The Qingping Bookstore can¡¯t be under Huasheng Hall¡¯smand, right?¡±

    Su Yan took the book from Qi Xuansu''s hand, examined it, and said, ¡°This is a collector¡¯s edition of <i>The Female Sword Immortal</i> that was published in the 20th year of the Taiping Era. It can fetch more than 300 Taiping coins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu let out a sarcasticugh. ¡°Even if it is valuable, why is this a part of Huasheng Hall¡¯s stock? Does it have anything to do with Huasheng Hall at all?!¡±

    Su Yan kept her mouth shut and only handed the book back to Qi Xuansu.

    There was a good reason why the Mystery Jars gained a bad reputation.

    After Qi Xuansu put away the book, Su Yan asked, ¡°Do you want to open another one?¡±

    Qi Xuansu hesitated.

    After a while, Qi Xuansu gave a high-sounding speech. ¡°I have always been a staunch believer in fate. This is thest 500 Taiping coins that I have left. If I still don¡¯t get what I¡¯m looking for, it simply means that it¡¯s not meant to be.¡±

    ¡°Good luck.¡± Su Yan smiled like a fox.

    Half an hourter, the bankrupt Qi Xuansu left the Huasheng Hall branch with a gloomy expression and a free suitcase given to him by Su Yan.

    At this time, he only had one thought. <i>The ancient saying is right! Frequent gambling will surely lead to losses. Nine out of ten bets are scams!</i>

 Chapter 373: Confused

    <h4>Chapter 373: Confused</h4>

    Lei Xiaohuan and the rest of the investigation team finally arrived at Jinling Mansion in a flying ship, where they were personally greeted by the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master. Then they made their way to Zhenwu Temple to meet up with Zhang Yuelu, Bai Yingqiong, and Pei Xiaolou.

    The case regarding the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association had been progressing fairly smoothly. Although the Yuan family was exterminated and arge number of ount books were destroyed, the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association had been involved in a wide range of activities for many years, so there were still many leads that they could investigate.

    This investigation was Lei Xiaohuan¡¯s first time working with Zhang Yuelu. Before this, she had only heard of the prodigy¡¯s great reputation. After a few days of interaction, Lei Xiaohuan had to admit that Zhang Yuelu¡¯s high position at such a young age was certainly well-deserved.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attitude toward the case already surpassed the others.

    After bing Heavenly Beings, sleep was usually reced by cultivating qi and meditation. However, everyone still habitually called it sleep or rest.

    Usually, when everyone was resting, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s room was still brightly lit. When they got up early in the morning, Zhang Yuelu still had not rested yet. She would often stay up all night for several days in a row. Even with her level of cultivation, Zhang Yuelu should not overwork herself.

    For those who did not know better, they would have thought that Zhang Yuelu had a deep grudge against the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association.

    In fact, only Zhang Yuelu knew that it was not true. Contrary to what Qi Xuansu thought of her, Zhang Yuelu did not think of herself as a saint. She was only working so hard because she had selfish motives and thoughts. She was also not as strong as she appeared to be.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s death was a big blow to her, but she knew that it was no use crying miserably, so she forced herself to stayposed and not show a hint of vulnerability.

    In a sense, this was also a test for her. Tiangang Hall was the Daoist Order¡¯s sword, and death was inevitable on the battlefield. As the Deputy Tiangang Hall Master, Zhang Yuelu carried a huge responsibility on her shoulders. If she were to cry and seek revenge every time someone died, she would not be able to win any battles.

    Moreover, if she wanted to be the Grand Master one day, she would be responsible for the fate of the entire Daoist Order. If one day, the Holy Court went to war with the Daoist Order and kidnapped the Grand Master¡¯s lover, the Grand Master could not act on a whim to seek revenge because they would have to consider the bigger picture for the future of the Daoist Order, not just their personal desires. Otherwise, it would be a dereliction of duty.

    The Grand Master was supposed to be the figurehead of the Daoist Order, but that did not mean that he or she owned the Daoist Order.

    For Daoists, being emotional was a sign of immaturity and a huge demerit.

    At the moment, Sage Qingwei, Sage Cihang, and Sage Donghua were vying for the position of the seventh-generation Grand Master. If any of them made a decision that was driven by emotion, it was equivalent to voluntarily withdrawing from thepetition.

    The Daoistmunity could ept a dictator, an abstinent Sage, or even a puppet leader as their Grand Master. However, they could not ept a weak and emotional leader.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s existence was too dazzling, so she always had countless pairs of eyes on her, staring at her every move. If she still wanted to implement her ideals one day, then she would have to hide her vulnerability and sorrow.

    As such, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s coping mechanism was to divert her attention through various tasks. She would put all her energy into work so that she could temporarily forget her grief.

    However, when it got quiet at night, her mind would often wander to Qi Xuansu.

    In fact, she was still a little confused herself about how they had muddled their way into making promises of the future with each other in mind.

    Wasn¡¯t love supposed to descend in the form of a hero riding on colorful, auspicious clouds? Wasn¡¯t love supposed to begin like a romantic novel, where the male lead shared his umbre with the female lead amidst the rain?

    None of these happened to her.

    Looking back carefully, the first time she met Qi Xuansu was in a weapons shop in Taiqing Square. Their first interaction was when a fellow Daoist mistook them for a couple and invited them to celebrate someone¡¯s wedding at the City God Temple in Jade Capital.

    It was not romantic or meaningful. But it was certainly interesting.

    After their drinking session, she met (or more urately, stalked) him again after seeing his file as one of the potential hires for her division in Tiangang Hall. Back then, she was only curious about him, but at that time, he did not know who she was, so he was more defensive and wary of her.

    Their first assignment from Tiangang Hall was to y demons in the Western Region. They ended up killing Desmond the vampire together.

    Having gone through all that with him, Zhang Yuelu was quite fond of Qi Xuansu, but she still did not have a romantic interest in him.

    It was precisely because of this good impression that she came up with an extremely bold idea¡ªto take him home as a fake boyfriend so that her mother would stop scouting around for suitors.

    In hindsight, that was a bad idea. Zhang Yuelu was also confused about her own thought process when she begged Qi Xuansu toe along.

    Was it really just to stop her mother from arranging marriages for her? In fact, the easy way would be to ask Sage Cihang to interfere, since masters also had a say in their disciple¡¯s marriage. Sage Cihang¡¯s opinion would also hold more weight due to her special status. Thus, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s mother would havepromised as long as Sage Cihang intervened.

    So, how much weight did her good impression of Qi Xuansu actually have in this decision?

    Zhang Yuelu could not figure it out either.

    As they embarked on their journey back to Shangqing Prefecture, the various mishaps were an indication that this trip was destined to be doomed. However, neither of them gave up, and so they experienced countless life-and-death situations along the way.

    However, it was these experiences of life and death that quickly brought their rtionship closer.

    Zhang Yuelu even found herself growing to like Qi Xuansu romantically.

    After all, she was not one to believe that her partner had to be of the same level as her in terms of family background or cultivation.

    That was why she suggested stopping this ridiculous n. She did not want him to go home with her so soon, but he refused.

    During that time, Zhang Yuelu could also feel his changes. Qi Xuansu was no longer so wary of her. He even became more eager to cater to her needs. At first, she mistakenly thought that thepromise was due to their simr interests, but she gradually understood that it was because he was also interested in her.

    If he did not like her, he would not have provoked the Lingshan Witch Cult or taken risks in Yishan City. He also would not have had his arm broken in Baidi City.

    A veteran traveler like him was well-versed in ways to protect himself. But his feelings for her made him more impulsive to cater to her whims. However, he was also restrained, careful not to lose his sense of self.

    Finally, they arrived at Shangqing Prefecture and returned home to Yunjin Mountain.

    Zhang Yuelu had already expected her cousin¡¯s and mother¡¯s reactions. But she still held a sliver of hope that they would be respectful or grow to like Qi Xuansu as they got to know him. However, Zhang Yuyue and Tantai Qiong stomped all over him andpletely shattered that sliver of hope. This made Zhang Yuelu furious.

    On the contrary, Qi Xuansu took it well. He was calm, as if he had expected this. He evenughed about it.

    Due to her family''s hostility toward Qi Xuansu, Zhang Yuelu felt like there was no need to stay in Yunjin Mountain for so long and decided to return to Jade Capital on New Year¡¯s Day.

    That decision became her biggest regret. The trip from Yunjin Mountain to Jade Capital bore the worst oue imaginable.

    During his final moments, Qi Xuansu sacrificed himself by dragging down the terrorist with him, giving her the chance of survival.

    When things progressed as such, she was forced to let go, but it was easier said than done.

    Although she was not usually one to regret decisions she already made, she had pondered more than once what it would be like if she had not taken Qi Xuansu back home with her.

    Everything would probably be normal. She would have promoted him to be a superintendent, and he would have grinned from ear to ear because superintendents had additional subsidies. After all, he was always money-minded.

    She also would not have taken the initiative to leave Jade Capital to suppress the secret societies. That way, she could spend more time with Qi Xuansu. In their free time, they could visit Taiqing Square, watch new ys, or y the Holy Xuan cards.

    Or perhaps she would not have been alone in this investigation. She also would not have worked herself to the bone. They would probably take a walk around town to appreciate the scenery of Jinling, such as the Sage Temple, the Great Gratitude Temple, Swallow Rock, and the Ascension tform.

    She would not have been like this, rarely leaving Zhenwu Temple and living in seclusion. Her asional outings were actually to arrest people.

    Zhang Yuelu also believed that Qi Xuansu would have been able to be a Sage one day. If she introduced him as a Sage, the situation would have been so different. Perhaps her mother would be more polite to him. Her father and Qi Xuansu also could have been good friends. If he were a sage, they could have gone to the Dazhen Mansion together to visit the Heavenly Preceptor, rather than him waiting outside for her while she went in to talk to the Heavenly Preceptor.

    It waste at night. The lights were turned off, but the bright moonlight shone through the window.

    Zhang Yuelu pushed aside the various files on the table, leaving a small space where she could rest her head. She buried her nose and lips in her crossed arms, leaving only her eyes exposed.

    That was why her voice was muffled when she spoke to herself. ¡°I have a bad temper, and I''m not gentle or considerate. Many people say that I¡¯m bossy, domineering, and pretentious. If I wasn''t a Deputy Hall Master, I¡¯m afraid not many people would want to speak to me. They would probably just stay away from me...¡±

    She blinked. ¡°But why do you like me?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was the only one in her room, so she clearly did not expect an answer.

    After a while, she answered her own question. ¡°You don¡¯t even know, right? Actually, I¡¯m also confused by all this. If I had a choice, I¡¯d rather not have met you. That way, you wouldn¡¯t have apanied me to Yunjin Mountain, and you would still be here...¡±

    She murmured, ¡°You¡¯re seriously the dumbest person in the world... Why would you risk your life for a woman that everyone hates? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to stay alive?"

 Chapter 374: Fighting Competition

    <h4>Chapter 374: Fighting Competition</h4>

    Qi Xuansu took Liu Hu to a Taiping Inn after leaving the Huasheng Hall branch. Since Qi Xuansu was broke, Liu Hu took the initiative to pay for the room.

    After settling down in the guest room, Qi Xuansu opened the suitcase that Su Yan had given to him for free. It contained a bottle of Jade Liquor, a beautiful and neatly folded women¡¯s dress, a golden-red bell, a collector¡¯s edition of <i>The Female Sword Immortal</i>, and a bottle of wine.

    These were what he ¡°bought¡± for 3,000 Taiping coins.

    It was not considered a loss because the replica of the Nine Yang Fiery Dome alone was worth 7,000 to 8,000 Taiping coins. No matter how he calcted the total, he would have still made a profit. However, Qi Xuansu felt like he had suffered a loss mainly due to thest item¡ªa bottle of wine.

    He felt that he could have avoided spending hisst 1,000 Taiping coins. But after winning the substandard treasure, Qi Xuansu let the greed get to his head, so he could not control himself. That was why Qi Xuansu still felt like he made a loss even if he made a profit overall.

    On the contrary, Su Yan¡¯s mood improved significantly after seeing thest Mystery Jar item, so much so that she even gave Qi Xuansu a suitcase for free.

    The so-called collector¡¯s edition of <i>The Female Sword Immortal</i> could technically be sold for 300 Taiping coins. But that was only <i>IF</i> there was a collector and an appraiser who knew the value of this book. Otherwise, it was just a valuable item without a market.

    Qi Xuansu spent about an hour picking out thest Mystery Jar in hopes of getting the manual for the Three Bing and Three Ding Fire Technique. But in the end, what came out of the Stupid Jar was a bottle of wine. One could only imagine his disappointment at the time.

    He was so despondent that he did not even bother asking what the wine was for. He merely took his things and left.

    Thus, Qi Xuansu finally had a chance to take a good look at that bottle of wine.

    Judging from its appearance alone, its height was about the same as that of a Western wine bottle. However, Western wine bottles were tall and slender with sloping shoulders and a long, narrow neck. However, this bottle was like a taller and slimmer version of the ordinary pot-bellied wine jar. It was emerald green and opaque, quite unremarkable in every sense.

    Qi Xuansu examined the bottle, seeing no other writing except ¡°wine¡± stamped on it. There were no otherbels at the bottom or on the seal of the bottle. It was like homemade wine that was stored in a random bottle.

    He tried sniffing the mouth of the bottle, but the seal was tight, so he could not smell anything.

    Qi Xuansu felt a little helpless. He regretted not asking Su Yan what this wine was for earlier. After all, he had to know the contents if he wanted to sell it at the market rate.

    He also could not open the seal for a taste because it was a one-time seal. Since it was not reseble, the wine could lose its vor. If so, he would not be able to sell it anymore.

    While he was racking his brain for ideas, Qi Xuansu thought, <i>Wait, doesn¡¯t Zhang Yuelu like drinking? I can give it to her as a gift!</i>

    He originally wanted to prepare a gift for Zhang Yuelu. After all, he felt guilty for deceiving her. He was also unsure of what Zhang Yuelu¡¯s reaction would be after learning that he hade back from the dead.

    Although she was also not the type to let things go just because of a gift, it was worth a shot.

    He was nning to give her the women''s dress from the Mystery Jar, but he felt that it could be seen as inappropriate since clothing was considered an intimate gift. Zhang Yuelu bought him a cloak back then, but that was only because it was cold at the time, and he did not have a nice cloak to see her family with. He figured that Zhang Yuelu would be short of dresses, so it would have been awkward if he gifted her a dress out of the blue. Therefore, he decided it was best to find a more suitable time to give the dress to her.

    Qi Xuansu also could not buy another gift for her because he barely had any money on him. Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu decided that this bottle of wine should do.

    Like the saying that one¡¯s qualities were often affected by thepany they kept, Qi Xuansu took after Madam Qi in this regard.

    Madam Qi was generous in giving Qi Xuansu the Xuan Jade and the Auxiliary Heart, which were both priceless, but she withheld Qi Xuansu¡¯s monthly sry from the Qingping Society and hismission for jobs. In the same way, Qi Xuansu dared to risk his life to save Zhang Yuelu, but he was so thoughtless in gifting.

    The next step was to wait for sundown, when Sycamore Vi was officially open for business.

    However, there was another problem: getting into Sycamore Vi required money that the destitute Qi Xuansu did not have. He only had enough to afford a simple meal, but not at the famouslyvish Sycamore Vi.

    Fortunately, Liu Hu offered to get them into Sycamore Vi, as she had more than enough savings.

    Qi Xuansu did not want to make a fool of himself, so he acquiesced to this arrangement.

    When it got dark, the two of them left the Taiping Inn and went to Sycamore Vi.

    At this time, Sycamore Vi was no longer deserted. It was bustling with traffic and very crowded. The guests in the vi were either rich or noble.

    Before leaving, Qi Xuansu took off his white fox face mask and used his true appearance. He then gave the white fox face mask to Liu Hu. The girl changed her clothes, transforming into a handsome boy.

    This way, the two men would not attract attention in the Sycamore Vi because it was not unusual for a teenage boy to visit such ces with a chaperone.

    These upscale brothels often hold poetry and literary gatherings, where many elegant schrs recite andpose poems and discuss worldly affairs over drinks. During the event, the popr courtesans would perform for the guests.

    This had be a tradition for thousands of years.

    However, Sycamore Vi was different today. Instead of poetry gatherings, there was a fightingpetition.

    Sycamore Vi upied a vast area, which included a fieldrge enough to hold not just fightingpetitions but even horse racing. Even though thend in Bohai Prefecture was not as expensive as that of the Imperial Capital, it was definitely not cheap. Being able to have such arge open space in Sycamore Vi was a demonstration of the Li family¡¯s wealth.

    The organizer of the fightingpetition was Li Qingnu, the Finest Courtesan. The winner would get a private meeting with her. However, whether they could spend the night together would depend on the wishes of the Li family, not the courtesan herself.

    In any case, Li Qingnu was a celebrity. Even if the winner was not allowed to touch her, it would have been an honor to be able to have met the Finest Courtesan in private, earning the person bragging rights.

    Naturally, not just anyone could participate in this fightingpetition. Just watching the fight would cost 100 Taiping coins, which was equivalent to a flying ship ticket.

    Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu had already spent 100 Taiping coins each just to enter the Sycamore Vi. Watching the fightingpetition would incur another 100 Taiping coins each, totaling 400 Taiping coins. Qi Xuansu¡¯smission was only 1,000 Taiping coins, so he still made a loss on this deal. Thinking of his empty sleeves, Qi Xuansu hesitated.

    However, Liu Hu had taken out tworge cash notes and handed them to the servant responsible for greeting the guests.

    The servant immediately led the duo to the field and gave them a token so that they could enter and exit at will.

    There was a 300-meter-square bluestone-paved area in the middle of the lush field of grass. Since the weather was nice and warm, most people were sitting on the grass in the open air, withnterns hanging all around to light up the area. There was also a specially made insect-repellent incense, so wisps of smoke were faintly visible, adding an ethereal effect to the field.

    Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu had arrivedte, so they had to find a seat in the back row.

    Liu Hu asked in a whisper, ¡°Uncle Wei, are we going topete in the ring?¡±

    Although Qi Xuansu had told her that Wei Wugui was just a fake identity, Liu Hu still habitually called him Uncle Wei.

    Qi Xuansu shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re not fighting. Thispetition is organized by Li Qingnu, so she¡¯ll show up eventually. We just need to wait for her to spot me.¡±

    He suddenly thought of something and patted his knee gently. ¡°Li Qingnu mentioned once that she can¡¯t escort you to Liaodong personally because that¡¯ll draw too much attention. Is that woman holding thispetition to look for candidates that can send you to Liaodong?!¡±

    Liu Hu was speechless for a moment.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 375: Long Wuji

    <h4>Chapter 375: Long Wuji</h4>

    The seat next to Qi Xuansu was upied by an old man in a bamboo hat. He was holding a tobo pipe and seemed friendly. He introduced himself. ¡°Greetings, my name is Long Wuji.¡±

    Qi Xuansu cupped his fists and responded. ¡°I¡¯m Wei Wugui. Nice to meet you.¡±

    If they were anywhere else, they would probably use ng to be more casual. However, those who frequented Sycamore Vi might not understand ng. They also had to be a bit more elegant because of the setting.

    Liu Hu kept silent, so it was easy for people to ignore her presence.

    ¡°Brother Wei, are you from out of town?¡± Long Wuji briefly sized him up.

    Qi Xuansu spoke authentic Mandarin, so he was not afraid that his ent would expose his identity. ¡°I¡¯m from Jiangling Prefecture in Huzhou.¡±

    In any case, Pei Xiaolou had pre-empted him that his identity as Wei Wugui had been recognized by the Commandery Prince of Jiangling. As long as the Commandery Prince did not say otherwise, no one would challenge his identity.

    ¡°Huzhou is a nice ce.¡± Long Wuji nodded. ¡°Brother Wei, are you also here to meet the Finest Courtesan?¡±

    ¡°I dare not hope for that. I¡¯m just here to watch the fun.¡± Qi Xuansu responded casually.

    Long Wuji was a well-informed person. He even mentioned the recent extermination of the Yuan family.

    ¡°The Yuan family always imed to be powerful as the schstic counterpart to the Commandery Prince of Jiangling. As a result, they perished in the fire at the Yuan Residence. Everything turned to ashes,¡± Long Wuji said with emotion.

    Qi Xuansu agreed. ¡°The Yuan family was indeed too proud of themselves.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Long Wuji nodded. ¡°The Commandery Prince of Jiangling is known as the leader of the nobility. Although he has retired, the young Commandery Prince has a bright future and will probably join the Imperial Cab soon. The Yuan family certainly doesn¡¯t qualify topare with the Commandery Prince Mansion, but their backer might.¡±

    ¡°Brother Long, you seem to be hinting at something.¡± Qi Xuansu nced at Long Wuji.

    Long Wujiughed. ¡°It¡¯s like lice on a monk¡¯s head¡ªpainfully obvious!¡±

    Qi Xuansu remarked, ¡°The Yuan family brought this onto themselves. They have enjoyed the benefits of being associated with powerful people, so they ought to be prepared to be cast aside when things go south, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Brother Wei, you are indeed from the Jiangling Prefecture to know so many secrets.¡± Long Wuji sighed.

    At this moment, there was amotion among the audience, and everyone looked toward the entrance.

    Two people walked in side by side. One of them was a big, strong man about 2.5 meters tall. The other was a graceful young woman in a yellow robe.

    Qi Xuansu and Long Wuji turned their attention to the two people.

    Before Qi Xuansu opened his mouth to ask, Long Wuji took the initiative to introduce the duo.

    ¡°The man on the left is the leader of the Wind and Thunder Alliance, a well-known gang in Bohai Prefecture. His name is Zhang Feng, a Martial Arts Practitioner who is almost a Heavenly Being. His punches and kicks are extremely powerful.

    ¡°The woman in the yellow robe is Huang Ning, also known as the Wind Lotus Fairy. Her reputation is far greater than Zhang Feng¡¯s.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sniggered, somewhat disapprovingly. Although he dabbled in the gray areas of society, he was still a Daoist at heart, so he had a condescending attitude toward Jianghu masters. To him, even the most powerful figure in Jianghu¡ªthe Golden Patriarch of the Heavenly Court¡ªcould notpare to a first-rank Tianzhen Daoist master.

    Long Wuji saw Qi Xuansu''s disapproval and exined, ¡°The title of Wind Lotus Fairy is not just for show. Huang Ning is on the Ruyi Leaderboard too.¡±

    The Ruyi Leaderboard was mainly for Xiantian Beings under the age of 30, with a total of 365 people. Most of them were in the Guizhen stage, and a few were talented people in the Yuxu stage.

    Curious, Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What is Miss Huang¡¯s ranking?¡±

    ¡°20th.¡± Long Wuji was like a walking encyclopedia.

    To be ranked 20th on the Ruyi Leaderboard was not considered low. After all, the prodigy Zhang Yuelu was only ranked 5th. Li Changge, who would be the future head of the Li family, upied the top position.

    Qi Xuansu had sparred with Zhang Yuelu before. When Zhang Yuelu did not use her Amorphous Paper and Cihang Sword Sequence, he could only outwit her by using all the tricks in his book. But he still could not defeat her. Thus, Zhang Yuelu became the benchmark for how Qi Xuansu judged the Ruyi Leaderboard¡¯s ranking.

    Wei Wugui was not on the Ruyi Leaderboard because Qi Xuansu kept a low profile when he used that ck Robes identity. Even Zhang Yuelu dared not im that she knew everything about Wei Wugui.

    This was the double life that Qi Xuansu led.

    Qi Xuansu was a Daoist disciple with a bright future, while Wei Wugui was an undercover identity that had to stay hidden due to his affiliation with the Qingping Society. His dual identities were perfectly represented by the yin and yang symbol.

    ¡°That woman looks like she¡¯s only in her early twenties. She must be extremely talented. Is she a Banished Immortal?¡± Qi Xuansu probed.

    ¡°The Daoist Order won¡¯t let a Banished Immortal slip through the cracks. If she really was a Banished Immortal, she wouldn¡¯t just be the Wind Lotus Fairy. She should be a fifth-rank Daoist priest instead.¡± Long Wuji added, ¡°But secret societies are an exception.¡±

    Qi Xuansu thought about it carefully. It was true that he had never seen a Banished Immortal who was not a part of the Daoist Order. At most, he had only seen Buddhist Buddhaputras or Confucian Hermits who were the equivalents of Banished Immortals.

    However, outsiders did not know that besides gathering all the natural-born Banished Immortals in the world, the Daoist Order could also create them.

    Long Wuji continued, ¡°I heard that Miss Huang was very lucky. She met an enemy and fell off a cliff. But instead of dying, she encountered a young dragon and a giant python fighting. In the end, both beasts died, and their demon pills were shattered. So Miss Huang drank the dragon¡¯s blood and obtained a Guizhen-stage cultivation out of thin air. She even gained many mystical powers of a dragon. Some people say that she has scales on her body and horns on her head. There are also rumors that she can fly into the clouds and create rain. These kinds of stories usually appear in novels, but no one expects them to be real.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°Even if she¡¯s so special, she¡¯s only ranked 20th on the Ruyi Leaderboard.¡±

    ¡°Well, fate can¡¯t prevail against human intervention...¡± Long Wuji said thoughtfully.

    Qi Xuansu did not rebut. That did seem to be the case.

    In the past, someone with such bizarre abilities would have been the top figure among their generation.

    However, with the rapid development of technology and the strong financial resources and connections of the Daoist Order, Li Changge could firmly sit at the top of the Ruyi Leaderboard without ever having to leave home.

    That was due to the power of Taiping coins. Li Changge did not even have to do anything to be a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master because of his powerful family.

    After all, most people would bow to that much money and power.

    Qi Xuansu did not rely entirely on luck, nor did he rely entirely on himself. Madam Qi was a crucial factor in his advancement. He had obtained the Xuan Jade of Life by chance, while the Xuan Jade of Death was a gift from Madam Qi. Without Madam Qi, Qi Xuansu would not have found the White Jade Hall or the Xuan Jade of Death.

    ¡°Why is she here to join in the fun then?¡± Qi Xuansu asked the old man.

    Long Wuji chuckled. ¡°So what if she¡¯s a woman? Why can¡¯t women have fun with other women? Besides, without the Li family¡¯s approval, no one will be able to get close to Li Qingnu. So the meeting is probably just drinking tea and chatting. In that case, gender doesn¡¯t really make a difference, does it?¡±

    Qi Xuansu thought it made sense. When Li Qingnu was in Wuzhou, Zhang Yuelu was also curious about Li Qingnu and purposely went to a poetry gathering to see thetter. This indicated just how much attention the Finest Courtesan gained from everyone, regardless of gender.

    At that thought, Qi Xuansu figured that the Finest Courtesan might not be as helpless and pitiful as she imed to be. With the power of the Li family, Li Qingnu could aplish many things, especially in Jiangbei.

    While they were talking, Zhang Feng and Huang Ning took their seats. A woman in colorful clothes rang the bronze bell.

    Immediately after, two people left their seats and walked onto the bluestone floor in the center of the field.

    One of them held a bamboo staff, while the other held a long sword.

    The two did not waste any time and started fighting.

    The person wielding the sword raised the long sword slightly, pointing its tip diagonally upward. However, the movement was exceedingly slow and erratic, as if there was no aim. In fact, the sword was aiming for the opponent¡¯s shoulder. The person using the bamboo staff was not mediocre either. A strong wind whistled past with a casual swing of the staff.

    The contrasting nature of their weapons seemed toplement each other perfectly.

    The person wielding the sword did not want to confront the opponent head-on, drawing circles of sword light with the sword. On the other side, the person using the bamboo staff made some noise and took the initiative to attack.

    In terms of cultivation, these two people were on the same level as Song Luodi. They were both masters in their own right. If they were in the Daoist Order, they could at least be a fifth-rank Daoist priest.

    The start of the fightingpetition already set the bar high, so it was certainly not just a gimmick.

 Chapter 376: Young Man and Woman

    <h4>Chapter 376: Young Man and Woman</h4>

    The person with the long sword constantly drew circles in the air, one glowing ring ovepping another to create an imprable defense against the countless blows of the bamboo staff. It resembled a lone boat out at sea, rising and falling with the turbulent tide, seeming as if it could capsize at any moment.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Infinite Sword Technique from the Shenxiao lineage of the Quanzhen Sect.¡± Long Wuji gasped. ¡°It¡¯s good for defense and longsting battles. The staff seems powerful and dominant, but it can¡¯tst for long. If this battle continues¡ª¡±

    Qi Xuansu could also tell how imprable the defense of the Infinite Sword Technique was. Even if he used the Dayan Spirit de Technique to counter, it would be difficult to win against this. On second thought, he could just summon his Ghosthead Machete. Since the Ghosthead Machete could prate all inanimate objects, it would be a direct kill.

    This was the biggest difference between fighting in a ring and fighting in real life. It was also the reason why many people were afraid to show off their unique skills on stage. That was because if others knew that one was capable of a certain technique, they would be prepared, and it would be difficult to catch them off guard.

    Qi Xuansu sat on the left side of Long Wuji. At this moment, another young man took a seat on Long Wuji¡¯s right.

    Long Wuji seemed to be quite familiar with this young man. He did not greet the man and merely said bluntly, ¡°Why are youte?¡±

    ¡°I got dyed on the way. Is Qingnu here yet?¡± The young man asked casually.

    ¡°Not yet. It¡¯s only right for the Finest Courtesan to unt her status and show up fashionablyte.¡± Long Wuji shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so obsessed with her, especially when there are so many demure youngdies from prestigious families that you can pick from.¡±

    The young man whispered, ¡°Although she¡¯s the Finest Courtesan, she¡¯s still a virgin. She¡¯s like a lotus root that remains clean in the mud. I bet she¡¯s cleaner than some rich youngdies.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± Long Wujiughed, not hiding his disdain. ¡°So what if Li Qingnu is a virgin? That¡¯s only because the Li family wants to sell her body to the highest bidder! It¡¯s not up to her to give her body to whoever she likes anyway.¡±

    The young man smiled bitterly and kept quiet.

    Long Wuji said disapprovingly, ¡°That day in the Imperial City, someone actually offered 200,000 Taiping coins to buy her out. But the Li family rejected it. They want to use Li Qingnu as bait to catch a bigger fish. I¡¯m not looking down on you, but I ought to talk some sense into you. Even if you¡¯ve made a name for yourself, the Li family will still not approve of you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu overheard their conversation and could not help but sigh.

    Wuxu Pce ced a bounty on Wan Xiuwu¡¯s murderer for only 5,000 Taiping coins, but Li Qingnu¡¯s offer was already 200,000 Taiping coins. The Li family did not even take the offer, which meant her  worth¡± was higher than 200,000 Taiping coins. Not to mention, Li Qingnu had extraordinary power with the Li family as her backer. She also had many smitten suitors who would do anything for her.

    But Li Qingnu still acted so aggrieved in front of Madam Qi, as if she were a weak woman who waspletely helpless. It turned out that it was all an act, and he almost believed her!

    It was true that Li Qingnu did not haveplete freedom, but she was certainly not weak at all. Many people in this world also did not have freedom. Take Qi Xuansu as an example. He could not return to the Daoist Order even if he was alive and well after the flying ship crash. He wanted to leave the Qingping Society, but he could not because he relied on them for survival.

    Looking at it from a broader perspective, the sixth-generation Grand Master was a puppet leader controlled by the three Deputy Grand Masters, so he also did not have freedom.

    How many people in the world had full autonomy anyway?

    At this moment, Liu Hu, who had been silent all this time, suddenly said, ¡°Sir, with such a good character and appearance, how can you not be matched with a youngdy from a prestigious family? Why are you hung up on this courtesan? Won¡¯t it ruin your reputation and your future?¡±

    Liu Hu¡¯s advice sounded like it came from an old man, so both Long Wuji and the young man were stunned.

    Long Wuji guffawed. ¡°This boy is right!¡±

    The young man did not get offended. He just shook his head and said, ¡°Love can¡¯t be exined.¡±

    Liu Hu imitated a wise old man in a novel she read and sighed while shaking her head. ¡°Young men ensnared by a woman¡¯s charms often find it hard to extricate themselves.¡±

    She liked to read novels and imitate the characters in the stories. Thest time in Wannian County, she even lectured Shen Yugui. It was quite adorable.

    However, these wordsing out of the mouth of a child came across as rude. Qi Xuansu had no choice but to smooth things over. ¡°He¡¯s just a child and likes to talk nonsense. Please forgive us.¡±

    While they were talking, the two people in the fighting ring finally stopped. Just as Long Wuji predicted, the person using the bamboo staff could notst long in the fight even though each strike was powerful. In the end, the person wielding the long sword won with the Infinite Sword Technique.

    The person wielding the sword took a step back, pointing the long sword diagonally at the ground. The bamboo staff in the other person¡¯s hand was still intact, so it should be a spiritual object. However, that person was pale and out of breath, having exhausted his innate qi and physical strength. He no longer had the strength to fight anymore, so he turned around and left the ring.

    The man with the long sword had a smug expression on his face as he relished in the apuse.

    The woman in colorful clothes rang the bell once again.

    This time, the young man beside Long Wuji stood up slowly. With a gentle tap, he had already leaped onto the ring.

    Immediately afterward, Huang Ning also stood up and leaped gracefully to the man¡¯s side.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Brother Long, if Miss Huang is ranked 20th on the Ruyi Leaderboard, what is your friend¡¯s chance of winning?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re about the same level.¡± Long Wuji continued, ¡°My friend¡¯s name is Su Chou. He¡¯s ranked 19th on the Ruyi Leaderboard.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°I see.¡±

    Long Wuji suddenly asked, ¡°Brother Wei, are you a member of the Daoist Order?¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not answer his question. Instead, he asked back, ¡°Why do you say so?¡±

    Long Wuji tittered. ¡°Just my guess, of course.¡±

    In fact, Long Wuji had been observing Qi Xuansu, who showed his disapproval of gang leaders and the like earlier. Qi Xuansu also did not look impressed by the two people who were ranked 19th and 20th on the Ruyi Leaderboard.

    Thus, there were only two possibilities. The first possibility was that Qi Xuansu had a high level of cultivation, on par with the two of them or even above them. The second possibility was that Qi Xuansu came from a good background or the Daoist Order.

    The natural sense of superiority that Daoist disciples had could not be faked because it was ingrained in them over time. That was why a Daoist disciple in the Yuxu stage would dare to look down on a Guizhen-stage master in Jianghu. The reason was that they had the backing of the Daoist Order.

    Qi Xuansu chuckled. ¡°Brother Long, you guessed wrong. I¡¯m from the Imperial Court, the Commandery Prince¡¯s Mansion to be exact.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Long Wuji nodded and did not pry further.

    While the two were talking, Su Chou and Huang Ning had already started fighting with their bare hands. Huang Ning turned her fingers into a wing posture and aimed for Su Chou¡¯s face. In the blink of an eye, her finger had grazed Su Chou¡¯s cheek.

    At this time, Su Chou had no time to dodge, so he raised his left leg to kick Huang Ning¡¯s chest. Unexpectedly, Huang Ning grabbed his ankle and elbowed his bum.

    If Su Chou retracted his legs, Huang Ning¡¯s left hand would have dug out his eyes. So he immediately raised his hand to grab Huang Ning¡¯s left wrist. At the same time, his legs went numb and limp as Huang Ning elbowed his bum, falling to his knees.

    Su Chou was about to twist Huang Ning¡¯s wrist when he felt how soft her skin was, so he felt bad for her and threw her out instead. As a result, Huang Ning hit him in the chest with a backhand, his face turning slightly pale from the strike.

    Qi Xuansu saw this clearly and shook his head. ¡°How can he be merciful just because the opponent is a woman? That¡¯s how you get yourself killed.¡±

    Long Wuji snorted. ¡°That lovesick fool!¡±

    However, to Qi Xuansu¡¯s surprise, Huang Ning also did not pursue the victory and chose to show Su Chou mercy.

    Qi Xuansu was a little confused. ¡°Is Miss Huang interested in Brother Su?¡±

    Long Wuji twitched his lips. ¡°Who knows what¡¯s happening between those youngsters?¡±

    ......

    There was a three-story pavilion not far from the field. The uppermost terrace was decorated like a garden, with various rare flowers, exotic nts, and rattan hanging chairs. Next to the hanging chairs was a table filled with tea-making equipment, special insect-repellent incense, iced plum juice, and a full spread of delicate finger foods.

    A woman was sitting with her knees bent on the hanging chair. Her feet were bare, and her fair arms were covered with light gauze.

    Li Qingnu was using a monocr to observe the fight on the field and scan the crowd. As a result, she swept across the audience a few times before spotting Qi Xuansu¡¯s familiar face.

    Seeing him, Li Qingnu was slightly surprised. ¡°This guy is fast.¡±

 Chapter 377: Meeting Li Qingnu Again

    <h4>Chapter 377: Meeting Li Qingnu Again</h4>

    Qi Xuansu did not want topete, but he found it interesting to watch others fight. It was especially satisfying when he could makements about the techniques used.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu could tell that Miss Huang joined thepetition not to see Li Qingnu, but to stop Su Chou from meeting the Finest Courtesan in private.

    In other words, Huang Ning liked Su Chou, but Su Chou had an unrequited love for Li Qingnu.

    It was such a messy rtionship.

    At this moment, a woman dressed as a maid walked up to Qi Xuansu and said softly, ¡°Young Master, mydy would like to invite you for a chat.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled for a moment, then he realized what was happening. Without asking the maid who thedy was, he stood up and turned to Liu Hu. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Liu Hu stood up silently without asking where they were going.

    Before leaving, Qi Xuansu did not forget to say goodbye to Long Wuji, who was certainly not an ordinary person. If it were any other time, Qi Xuansu would have made friends with the old man, but he had important business to attend to at the moment.

    Long Wuji turned to Qi Xuansu and merely saluted thetter without speaking.

    Under the guidance of the maid, Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu walked up a long corridor with carved beams and tall rednterns hanging on both sides. They made about seven turns and crossed a smallke beforeing to the door of the three-story pavilion.

    The maid stopped there. ¡°Sir, mydy is waiting for you on the rooftop terrace.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded and led Liu Hu into the building. Everything on the first floor seemed red because of the big redntern hanging in the living room. The decorations were also mainly red, which carried a hint of ambiguity. It also added some heat to this summer¡¯s night.

    They walked around the screen and climbed up the stairs to the second floor. This time, instead of red, the whole floor had a silverish-white theme. Thenterns were silver, and the paintings on the screens were mainly about snow mountains, icekes, and winter plums, bringing a chill to the summer air.

    The first floor was akin to fire, while the second floor was like ice. Such a novel interior design made Qi Xuansu wonder how much it all costs.

    Half of the third floor consisted of a room, while the other half was an outdoor garden terrace.

    A hanging chair rotated slowly as Qi Xuansu stepped onto the terrace.

    The Finest Courtesan was sitting cross-legged in the hanging chair, her bare feet hidden under her skirt. However, her fair shoulders were exposed, glistening under the faint moonlight.

    Li Qingnu smiled slightly. Her eyes were alluring, capable of seducing one¡¯s soul even without a word being said.

    Some people¡¯s eyes were indeed capable of ¡°speaking,¡± as their smiles and frowns were so expressive. On the contrary, some people had dull eyes, so no matter how beautiful they were, they were just like a piece of wood.

    Li Qingnu was undoubtedly the former type.

    Liu Hu stared at Li Qingnu with interest.

    Li Qingnu was a stunning beauty. Otherwise, she would not have been known as the Finest Courtesan in the world. With her scanty dressing style that revealed her bare shoulders, every man would have taken a second look at her.

    Qi Xuansu was not exempt from desires, but he could still control his urges, so he quickly withdrew his gaze. Somehow, those fair shoulders reminded him of Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu had always been conservative and always wrapped herself tightly up to the neck, not exposing a sliver of skin. It made Qi Xuansu wonder what Zhang Yuelu would look like when she was at home. Would she be carefree and show her bare shoulders?

    When Li Qingnu saw how distracted Qi Xuansu was, she felt a little annoyed because no one had ever turned a blind eye to her.

    Li Qingnu could not help but ask, ¡°What are you thinking about? Could it be Mage Zhang?¡±

    Qi Xuansu returned to his senses, but he did not deny it. Instead, he changed the subject. ¡°Is there no manager around here?¡±

    Li Qingnu gently fanned herself. ¡°I¡¯m not only the manager of this ce but also the Finest Courtesan here too. However, I don¡¯t sell my body, so it¡¯s more fitting to consider me an escort, I suppose.¡±

    Qi Xuansu snorted. ¡°So, you have the final say here?¡±

    ¡°You can say that.¡± Li Qingnu raised her chin haughtily. ¡°When we were in Wuzhou, you could threaten me. But you can¡¯t do anything to me here.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for me to threaten you now.¡± Qi Xuansu disregarded the implicit threat in Li Qingnu¡¯s words because he knew that she would not do anything irrational to him for Madam Qi''s sake.

    As expected, Li Qingnu just snorted lightly and did not reply.

    Qi Xuansu suddenly asked, ¡°So, how are the preparations?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m currently looking for candidates.¡± Li Qingnu turned the hanging chair around, picked up the monocr, and looked toward the field again.

    At this time, Su Chou and Huang Ning had already stopped fighting. In the end, Su Chou managed to win, albeit barely.

    Huang Ning was angered by this result and left in a huff. Zhang Feng, the leader of the Wind and Thunder Alliance, also left with her. It was clear that Zhang Feng was not here topete for a chance to meet Li Qingnu in private but to apany Huang Ning.

    Qi Xuansu did not have a monocr, so he could only see vague figures on the ring. He recognized Su Chou and could not help but ask Li Qingnu, ¡°Do you know that young man named Su Chou?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± Li Qingnu replied calmly.

    Qi Xuansu asked again, ¡°Do you know that he likes you?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± Li Qingnu paused. ¡°He¡¯s a good man.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°If you don¡¯t like him back, you might as well tell him off so that he won¡¯t be so hung up on you.¡±

    Li Qingnu sneered. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether I like him or not. The key lies in whether the Li family likes him. Also, I did tell him frankly once, but he wouldn¡¯t listen. I can¡¯t possibly do anything about that.¡±

    Hearing this, Qi Xuansu had nothing else to add because he only mentioned this in passing.

    Li Qingnu got up from the hanging chair and stood barefoot on the ground. She turned to look at Liu Hu and asked, ¡°Is this the person that Madam Qi wants us to escort? I thought we were supposed to escort a girl?¡±

    Qi Xuansu motioned for Liu Hu to remove the white fox face mask. Liu Hu immediately returned to her original appearance and introduced herself. ¡°I am Liu Hu.¡±

    He then reached out to keep the white fox face mask and exined to Liu Hu. ¡°This is Li Qingnu, the person in charge of the second leg of this journey.¡±

    Liu Hu silently saluted Li Qingnu.

    The Finest Courtesan only looked at Liu Hu without saying anything.

    Qi Xuansu reminded Li Qingnu. ¡°You¡¯d better pay more attention to this. Otherwise, if anything happens to Liu Hu, we won¡¯t be able to get ourmission. It¡¯ll also ruin Madam Qi¡¯s reputation.¡±

    Li Qingnu and Qi Xuansu had never gotten along, so she rebutted. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to remind me of this. Who are you to be telling me what to do?¡±

    While the two were bickering, Su Chou fought the master who used the Infinite Sword Technique. Su Chou was only gracious to Huang Ning, but he showed no mercy to this swordsman. He no longer used his bare hands and wielded his long sword.

    The Infinite Sword Technique was good for defense. But Su Chou¡¯s swordsmanship was extremely fast and sharp, way better than the previous fighter with the bamboo staff. The two fought fiercely for more than a hundred moves, but due to the difference in cultivation, Su Chou managed to find a w in his opponent¡¯s Infinite Sword Technique and stabbed his opponent in the shoulder.

    Finally, Su Chou emerged as the winner of this fightingpetition.

    Li Qingnu said to Qi Xuansu. ¡°Stay here. Let me get dressed.¡±

    Without waiting for Qi Xuansu¡¯s response, she left the terrace and returned to her room on the third floor.

    After a while, Li Qingnu came back, dressed in white. She looked dignified and aloof, like a beauty who had fallen out of a painting, exuding an ethereal aura.

    She had turned into apletely different person.

 Chapter 378: Hassle

    <h4>Chapter 378: Hassle</h4>

    Li Qingnu led Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu to the second floor. After a while, Su Chou and Long Wuji also arrived under the guidance of the maid.

    Long Wuji was not surprised to see them there because he recognized the maid who had invited Qi Xuansu. The only thing that surprised him was that Liu Hu, who was disguised as a boy earlier, had turned into a girl.

    Su Chou was also a little stunned. He immediately felt a sense of urgency because a mysterious man was standing next to the woman he had a crush on.

    At this time, Li Qingnu put on her charming facade as a courtesan. She was no longer the impolite woman who vented her emotions freely in front of Qi Xuansu.

    After all, humans wereplex, often having multiple facades.

    The seemingly obedient Liu Hu could kill in cold blood, but she would also childishly imitate the characters in the novels she read.

    Even someone as strong as Zhang Yuelu had a fragile side that she would only let out in the dead of night when she was alone.

    Li Qingnu was no exception. At this time, she assumed the role of a well-bred youngdy, with impable manners and a friendly demeanor.

    Since Li Qingnu was acquainted with Su Chou, she briefly exchanged pleasantries and dove straight into the topic. ¡°This fightingpetition is not for entertainment. I have encountered some difficulties, so I have a favor to ask.¡±

    Su Chou said solemnly, ¡°Miss Li, please go ahead.¡±

    Li Qingnu smiled and beckoned to Liu Hu, who nced at Qi Xuansu before going over.

    The Finest Courtesan was sitting and holding Liu Hu''s shoulders as she introduced the teenage girl. ¡°This is my niece. There have been some changes in my family, so I have to send her to my eldest brother in Liaodong. But due to my identity, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to send her there in person¡ª¡±

    Long Wuji suddenly interjected. ¡°This little girl called Brother Wei here her uncle. Miss Li, may I ask, what is your rtionship with Brother Wei?¡±

    Qi Xuansu already had an answer prepared beforehand. ¡°We are sworn siblings. I am the third brother, Qingnu is the fourth sister, and Liu Hu¡¯s adoptive father is our second brother. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t disclose the rest.¡±

    ¡°I understand, Brother Wei.¡± Long Wuji nodded. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect Miss Li to have such a wide circle of friends.¡±

    Li Qingnu smiled and said nothing.

    Qi Xuansu continued, ¡°Our second brother is actually much older than me and Qingnu, so he has made many enemies. As such, some people will target Liu Hu. To be honest, I have encountered some assassins on the way over, but I¡¯ve dealt with them. Logically speaking, I should be escorting Liu Hu to her eldest uncle in Liaodong. But I just got the news that something happened with my second brother, so I have to rush back. I have no choice but to leave Liu Hu with Qingnu.¡±

    Li Qingnu yed along. ¡°Of course, I also wish I could personally escort my niece to Liaodong, but my situation doesn¡¯t permit it. I have no choice but to entrust my niece to someone else. That¡¯s the reason I held this fightingpetition. Since you have won, Young Master Su, what do you think of doing me this favor?¡±

    Su Chou wanted to agree, but Long Wuji quickly stopped him.

    Long Wuji intervened. ¡°Miss Li, I get what you¡¯re saying. But going to Liaodong will not be smooth sailing. There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch.¡±

    Su Chou looked impatient and even wanted to ept this without pay, but Long Wuji held him down.

    Li Qingnu smiled. ¡°It is indeed a long journey, so I willpensate you well. Please don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Su Chou finally could not hold back his eagerness to help his crush. He offered, ¡°This is just a trivial matter, so there¡¯s no need for anypensation, Miss Li.¡±

    Qi Xuansu finally understood why Long Wuji was annoyed at Su Chou for being head over heels.

    ¡°Brother Su, it¡¯s only right that we pay you for this favor. I hope you will ept thepensation.¡± Qi Xuansu insisted.

    Li Qingnu nced at Qi Xuansu, secretly cursing this man. She initially thought that she could bat her eyshes and save some money, but Qi Xuansu ruined that chance.

    Qi Xuansu only felt that Su Chou and Long Wuji would take this job more seriously if they were wellpensated, hence ensuring Liu Hu¡¯s safety. It was not because he was envious that Li Qingnu had a bigger cut than him for this escort business.

    Long Wuji chimed in. ¡°Brother Wei, you¡¯re right! We will also be fair in only asking for what we deserve.¡±

    Su Chou wanted to speak, but Long Wuji nced at him and retorted. ¡°Do you think that you can go by yourself?¡±

    The infatuated young man was about to say yes, but Long Wuji continued, ¡°If something goes wrong, I¡¯d like to see if you have the guts to face Miss Li again.¡±

    Su Chou kept his mouth shut. Money was a small matter. What was most important was not letting Miss Li down. To ensure that he would not disappoint the love of his life, Su Chou needed Long Wuji as a backup.

    Li Qingnu smiled sweetly the entire time. Finally, she urged, ¡°Young Master Su, please don¡¯t refuse this.¡±

    For Su Chou, one sentence from Li Qingnu was worth thousands of words from others, so he immediately agreed.

    The next step was to sort out the details, like a specific meeting point in Liaodong, the contact person, how to find them, thepensation, and the people apanying Su Chou and Long Wuji.

    Qi Xuansu did not interfere since it had little to do with him.

    Just as they were discussing the details, Li Qingnu¡¯s personal maid rushed in with a look of panic on her face. She interrupted the conversation and whispered in Li Qingnu¡¯s ear under everyone¡¯s curious gaze.

    ¡°Miss, someone from the Lu family is here.¡±

    Li Qingnu stood up abruptly.

    Su Chou also looked nervous, ncing between the maid and Li Qingnu.

    <i>There were three major families in the Taiping Sect. The Li family was the first, followed by the Lu family and the Shen family. These three families were rted through intermarriage. Although in the eyes of outsiders, the Lu family and the Shen family were vassals of the Li family, the Lu family and the Shen family were not inferior to the Pei family and the Qi family of the Quanzhen Sect. They should not be underestimated.</i>

    <i>Compared to the Shen family, the Lu family had been closely rted to the Li family long before the revival of the Daoist Order. Their history could even be traced back to the Taiping Sect¡¯s Yellow Turban Rebellion. At that time, the Zhengyi Sect was still called the Heavenly Sect. Therefore, the Li family had to amodate the Lu family.</i>

    Li Qingnu was not afraid of most people because the Li family was her backer. However, the Lu family was an exception.

    She did not panic. She maintained herposure and said nonchntly, ¡°Alright. Please ask them to wait for a moment.¡±

    She then turned to Su Chou and Long Wuji. ¡°My apologies. I have to excuse myself for a moment. Please wait here.¡±

    Su Chou immediately stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll apany you.¡±

    Just as Li Qingnu was about to refuse, Qi Xuansu interrupted. ¡°The Li family isn¡¯t here to stand up for you at the moment, so we should all go together. Just in case you need support.¡±

    Li Qingnu pondered for a moment before nodding.

    Although she did not like Qi Xuansu, she had to admit that he was skilled. After all, she trusted Madam Qi¡¯s judgment.

    The group had just walked out of the three-story pavilion when they heard someone call out, ¡°Li Qingnu!¡±

    Another group of people approached them, carrying a sedan chair with a man sitting atop. The man had a pale, clean-shaven face and wore a white robe with a jade belt and a golden crown. He held a folding fan, looking like a noble prince.

    Li Qingnu stopped walking, then she greeted the man. ¡°Young Master Lu.¡±

    The sedan came to a stop about 10 meters away from Li Qingnu. The people surrounding the sedan also lined up on both sides, none of them were mediocre servants.

    Young Master Lu sat upright on the sedan chair with no intention of getting down. ¡°Li Qingnu, I invited you to visit my house several times, but you refused them all. So I have no choice but toe here to invite you in person. Do you really think of yourself as a youngdy from the Li family?¡±

    Li Qingnu said calmly, ¡°Young Master Lu, you have the right to send out invitations, just as I have the right to refuse. There¡¯s no reason why I must drop everything on yourmand. Or do you regard yourself as a young master from the Li family?¡±

    The arrogant young master¡¯s face turned gloomy. He nced at Qi Xuansu, Su Chou, and the others. ¡°I heard that you were holding a fightingpetition. Are these the boy toys that you selected?¡±

    Li Qingnu asked, ¡°What do you want?¡±

    Young Master Lu scoffed. ¡°I just want topete with them.¡±

 Chapter 379: Competing

    <h4>Chapter 379: Competing</h4>

    Li Qingnu nced at Qi Xuansu.

    This small gesture did not escape Young Master Lu¡¯s notice. His gaze followed hers andnded on Qi Xuansu, clearly assuming him to be the victor of this fightingpetition.

    Qi Xuansu had reason to believe that Li Qingnu did it on purpose. What a petty woman!

    However, he had no objection. Considering he still needed to rely on Li Qingnu, Su Chou, and the others to safely escort Liu Hu to Liaodong, he did not mind taking one for the team.

    Young Master Lu snapped the folding fan close and pointed it casually at Qi Xuansu. ¡°Are you the winner of this fightingpetition? It looks like you have some skills. I have a few masters here: one who has trained in Taiping Sect¡¯s basic swordsmanship, one who knows some fist techniques, and one who can use some spells.

    ¡°For each master that you defeat, I¡¯ll reward you with 1,000 Taiping coins. How about that? I¡¯m known throughout Bohai Prefecture for being a man of my word. Do you dare to take up this challenge?¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, the three masters stepped forward.

    The first master was a tall man in his forties with a broad face and full forehead, dressed in a hechang. He held a sheathed longsword, which had two tassels hanging from its hilt¡ªone red and the other yellow. His expression was solemn. One might mistakenly think that he was a renowned swordsman rather than a mere fighter for the Lu family. Then again, the Lu family could afford to hire renowned swordsmen too.

    The second master was a muscr, robust man. He was bare-chested, with tattoos of dragons and tigers covering his chest and back. His face, hands, and neck were also bulging with muscles. It seemed as though his entire body was bursting with energy. He was undoubtedly a Martial Arts Practitioner.

    Thest master was a thin old man with graying hair and a goatee. His face was covered in wrinkles. He wore a sorrowful expression, as if facing monumental grief and teetering on the verge of tears.

    Li Qingnu whispered to Qi Xuansu, ¡°He is Lu Yunfeng from the main branch of the Lu family. He keeps many masters on a retainer, so don¡¯t let your guard down.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had a rough idea of what to expect. This person was simr to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s cousin, Zhang Yuyue. Though not particrly skilled themselves, they were born with a silver spoon and wielded considerable power.

    Zhang Yuyue could give Zhang Yuelu a residence in Taishang ce and even set up a trap to frame Qi Xuansu in the Bell Tower of Yunjin Mountain.

    However, Zhang Yuyue was not as mboyant as Lu Yunfeng. She had suffered intense heartbreak, so at first nce, she seemed like a pitiful, harmless girl who got bullied.

    Qi Xuansu stepped forward, sped his fists, and said, ¡°Young Master Lu, these three are all experts at the Guizhen stage. Defeating them won¡¯t be easy, but I will do my best. If I am fortunate enough to win, I do not want your reward. Instead, I ask that you no longer set foot in Sycamore Vi. What do you think of my condition, Young Master Lu?¡±

    Lu Yunfeng narrowed his eyes, ring at Qi Xuansu. ¡°You should win first before stating your conditions. Come on, fight!¡±

    With that, the robust Martial Arts Practitioner stepped forward. The tiles beneath his feet shattered, and the cracks continued to spread like a spider¡¯s web until they reached Qi Xuansu¡¯s feet, where they abruptly stopped.

    The Martial Arts Practitioner sped his fists and said, ¡°Lu Niu, at your service.¡±

    Qi Xuansu saluted the man and smiled. ¡°Alright. But I must rify something. I am a self-taught fighter and have never fought in a regtedpetition, so I don¡¯t know how to hold back and often go heavy-handed. I also happen to be quite good at using some rather underhanded tricks. I would like to apologize in advance if I injure you, Brother Lu Niu.¡±

    Before Lu Yunfeng could speak, Lu Niu said in a deep, rumbling voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Injury is inevitable in fights. Life and death depend on fate, so use whatever tricks you have. I will have noints if you do end up injuring or even killing me. But I expect the same of you if you die under my fists.¡±

    ¡°Naturally,¡± Qi Xuansu said as he walked forward.

    Su Chou wanted to say something, but Long Wuji held him back.

    Long Wuji whispered to his friend. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Brother Wei is not an ordinary person. That man may not necessarily be a match for him.¡±

    Su Chou only felt reassured after seeing Li Qingnu¡¯s and Liu Hu¡¯s calm demeanor, showing no signs of concern.

    Lu Niu immediately held his breath and focused on his target. The bones in his entire body cracked with a series of faint popping sounds.

    Qi Xuansu assumed the starting posture of the Tantai Fist Intention.

    In the next moment, Lu Niu stomped the ground hard. The already shattered tiles almost turned to powder. His massive figure instantly appeared one meter in front of Qi Xuansu, throwing a fierce punch at thetter¡¯s chest, fast as lightning.

    Qi Xuansu did not dodge. Instead, he spread his five fingers, attempting to catch the punch.

    Midway through the punch, Lu Niu abruptly changed his move, aiming instead for Qi Xuansu¡¯s face. It was an unexpected and bizarre strike.

    However, Qi Xuansu¡¯s counter was even faster. He grabbed Lu Niu¡¯s wrist with his right palm and yanked hard.

    Lu Niu stumbled forward uncontrobly, taking three steps before stabilizing himself. He felt that the force of his punch seemed to have entered the vast sea, disappearing without a trace, silent and unseen. At the same time, his body staggered two steps to the side.

    This was the Sea Fist in the Tantai Fist Intention.

    Startled, Lu Niu became furious,unching a series of rapid punches, his arms moving like a blur. It looked as if dozens of arms were striking simultaneously, its force overwhelming.

    Seeing this storm-like onught, Long Wuji and Su Chou were both shocked, thinking to themselves that if they were facing this attack, they would most likely be overwhelmed.

    Li Qingnu was never good at closebat either. If she were to fall into such a situation, there would be no chance of victory. As for Liu Hu, the gap in skill and cultivation was too great.

    However, Qi Xuansu, being experienced in battle, remained calm, using the Sea Fist to defend his entire body, turning defense into offense.

    After dozens of exchanges like this, Lu Niu felt that every part of his body was enveloped by Qi Xuansu¡¯s fists and palms. The surrounding innate qi surged and rotated like the tide. There was even an invisible vortex pulling at Lu Niu. As soon as Lu Niu made a move, his emitted qi was absorbed and deflected onto him. The greater his force, the stronger the rebound.

    However, if he did not strike, theyers of force Qi Xuansu emitted would still press on him, like the immense pressure one would feel when diving deep into the ocean.

    Thus, Lu Niu found himself in a desperate situation. Unable to dodge or resist, he had no choice but to go all in. His right fist struck forward fiercely, with his acupoints glowing brightly, vaguely revealing his spirit form that was identical to his current appearance. His spirit also punched forward, hoping for mutual destruction where both sides suffered equally.

    Qi Xuansu abruptly withdrew the Sea Fist and shifted to the Mountain Tiger Fist, leaping forward and meeting Lu Niu¡¯s punch head-on.

    Although Qi Xuansu was not a true Martial Arts Practitioner and did not have a spirit form, he had innate qi. This was the wondrous property of the Tantai Fist Intention, as it incorporated innate qi into a Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s techniques. If another Martial Arts Practitioner without innate qi were to use this method, they would not be able to exert their full potential, whereas Qi Xuansu was perfectly suited for it.

    The two fists collided with a loud boom.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s right sleeve billowed like a sail in the wind, while his left sleeve hung normally, indicating that all his strength was concentrated in his right arm. His innate qi surged so powerfully that even his left sleeve seemed ready to burst. It was truly amazing.

    This punch carried the force of a thunderous strike.

    A cracking sound of breaking bones echoed from both fists, followed by the clicking of their joints and the bones shattering.

    Lu Niu showed an expression of pain and borderline feralness, while Qi Xuansu remained unfazed, his expression unchanged.

    This was to be expected. Although Lu Niu appeared fierce, he had grown ustomed tofort under the Lu family¡¯s protection. On the rare asion he fought, it was to intimidate others, and he seldom faced life-and-death struggles.

    On the contrary, Qi Xuansu had traveled alone, frequently surviving life-and-death encounters. In just half a year, he had faced Monk Yan Xiu and had a hand severed; he fought Zhao Fu¡¯an, who shattered his arm; and then he met Feng Bo, whose sword qi amputated his entire arm. Compared to those situations, this minor injury was nothing.

    Their punches were evenly matched, but their reactions showed a clear difference in their tolerance.

    Qi Xuansu seized the opportunity and moved behind Lu Niu.

    Distracted by the pain of his broken arm, Lu Niugged a step behind.

    Qi Xuansu let out a roar while his fist descended at the center of Lu Niu¡¯s back at the speed of light.

    Lu Niu stumbled two steps forward. His knees buckled, and he fell to the ground with a thud, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Then, two more sharp pains shot through his spine. His strength was drained instantly, and he copsed on the ground like a pile of mud.

    With three punches, Qi Xuansu disabled Lu Niu without showing any sign of triumph.

    Ignoring the pain, Qi Xuansu spread his five fingers, using his mysterious body-regeneration abilities to elerate the healing of his bones.

 Chapter 380: Blade

    <h4>Chapter 380: de</h4>

    Qi Xuansu looked at the remaining two people. ¡°Which of you two will confront me next?¡±

    The middle-aged man wielding the sword took a step forward and dered, ¡°Me.¡±

    As he spoke, the middle-aged man drew his sword with a flourish and threw the scabbard aside, the tip of the de pointing diagonally to the ground. ¡°I am Lu Hu. The sword in my hand is called Wu Qiao. Please enlighten me.¡±

    The sword was forged from extraterrestrial cold iron, measuring approximately 1.2 meters and weighing about 3.6 kilograms.

    Qi Xuansu casually drew the only cuss he had left. ¡°This cuss was seized from the secret society during a ck Robes¡¯ raid, worth about 1,000 Taiping coins.¡±

    Lu Hu frowned, upset at Qi Xuansu¡¯s flippant attitude. <i>The sword is a swordsman¡¯s bestpanion. How can he measure a sword¡¯s worth using Taiping coins?! If one cannot be dedicated to his weapon, how can he reach his fullest potential in swordsmanship?</i>

    If Qi Xuansu knew what Lu Hu was thinking, he would probably think it was nonsense. Qi Xuansu did not deny that one would grow more familiar with a weapon over time, but if changing weapons led to a drop in skill, then one¡¯s skill would be highly questionable. Being dedicated to a weapon or a specific technique was also entirely unnecessary.

    Even if he treated this cuss like his own son, it would still break facing Zhang Yuelu¡¯s Amorphous Paper.

    The Holy Xuan also did not stick to his trusted weapon when facing the head of the Confucian School. Instead, he used the number one immortal sword for attacks, called the Skycaller.

    Qi Xuansu was an absolute pragmatist, so he had no patience for impractical notions. If he could use a gun, he would not use a bow and arrow. If he could use a cannon, he would not use a catapult. If he had an irond ship, he would not use a wooden sailboat. It was that simple.

    To him, an inanimate object was just that¡ªa lifeless thing. Why all the sentiment?

    So, in Qi Xuansu¡¯s view, measuring weapons in Taiping coins was more straightforward.

    Qi Xuansu held the cuss in his uninjured left hand, infusing it with innate qi, causing mes to ignite along the de. He was ustomed to using two cusses, so wielding the cuss with his left hand posed no issue.

    Lu Hu shook the long sword in his hand and said, ¡°Make your move.¡±

    Qi Xuansu wasted no time, sweeping forward with a sh. The speed of the Dayan Spirit de Technique was truly astonishing. In the blink of an eye, the cuss had already reached Lu Hu¡¯s throat.

    Lu Hu barely managed to block the strike, but his sword-wielding hand trembled slightly. Only then did he realize Qi Xuansu¡¯s high level of cultivation.

    Qi Xuansu followed up with several consecutive strikes, utterly elusive. Even Lu Hu could not fully track Qi Xuansu¡¯s de paths and could only rely on instinct to defend himself, rapidly parrying with over a dozen sword strikes, creating a series of continuous metallic shing sounds.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s strikes grew faster, fully unleashing the Dayan Spirit de Technique. Lu Hu could not tell where the cuss would attack and had no choice but to retreat, temporarily avoiding the de.

    However, Qi Xuansu¡¯s moves were extremely rapid. As Lu Hu leaped backward, the cuss was already pointed at him, enveloping all directions around him and leaving him with no room to dodge.

    Seeing Qi Xuansu¡¯s strikes growing increasingly fierce, Lu Hu could only put his full effort into wielding his long sword, defending his entire body.

    Suddenly, Qi Xuansu¡¯s single cuss swept across, drawing an arc anding to rest on the spine of Lu Hu¡¯s long sword. The force transmitted through, causing the long sword to dip downward.

    Lu Hu twisted his wrist and flipped the sword, the sword qi fluctuating as he thrust toward Qi Xuansu¡¯s cuss-wielding arm.

    Qi Xuansu drew his cuss back in a circr motion. The moment his de met the sword, the two men flew backward.

    However, Qi Xuansu advanced again, his cuss thrusting forward, constantly vibrating. Mid-thrust, the de suddenly moved upward, then downward, and then left and right, ever-changing and seemingly illusory.

    Lu Hu responded to the change with constancy, swinging his sword straight down from above. This was not a Taiping Sect sword technique but rather a Confucian sword technique, known for its grandeur and strict formality.

    Though this move appeared unremarkable, it was precise and wless, cutting swiftly from above with a momentum capable of splitting mountains and rocks, fully showcasing the strengths of Confucian swordsmanship.

    The sword and ming de met again, but Qi Xuansu did not gain the upper hand. He had to rely on the advantages of the Dayan Spirit de Technique to continue skirmishing.

    The Confucian sword qi formed an airtight defense, leaving no ws and making it perfect for prolonged battles. Although Qi Xuansu¡¯s attacks were fierce, Lu Hu did not show any signs of defeat for the time being.

    After over a hundred moves, Qi Xuansu suddenly struck out with his mostly healed right palm, using the Wind Thunder Fist from the Tantai Fist Intention. It was fast and fierce, enveloping all of Lu Hu¡¯s vital points. If Lu Hu dodged, he would immediately be wounded by the cuss.

    Lu Hu spun his long sword, shing horizontally at Qi Xuansu¡¯s waist. Qi Xuansu held his cuss vertically to block the attack, then channeled innate qi into his left palm, striking down on Lu Hu¡¯s back. This downward strike left Lu Hu with no room to dodge, so he had no choice but to turn his left palm back to protect himself.

    Their palms collided.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s palm strike carried both innate qi and fist intention. Even Lu Niu, a Martial Arts Practitioner, could not withstand it. Lu Hu was immediately sent flying backward.

    However, Qi Xuansu also felt a sharp pain in his palm, which was injured by Lu Hu¡¯s Wanhua Divine Sword Palm.

    Qi Xuansu remained unfazed as he darted forward and violently shed down. Lu Hu hastily raised his sword to block the strike, but the force upon impact knocked it out of his grasp.

    However, Lu Hu did not concede. The moment he shook his wide sleeves, mist swirled around, with faint sword light flickering wherever his sleeves moved. The sound of metal shing seemed endless.

    This time, Lu Hu used an authentic Taiping Sect sword technique called the Dragon Sword Technique. However, it was not strictly necessary to use a sword with this technique.

    Qi Xuansu had seen Su Ran use this sword technique before, so he was not flustered. He actively advanced, dispersing the sword qi from Lu Hu¡¯s wide sleeves.

    Lu Hu used the Dragon Sword Technique more rapidly. Everything within a 15-meter radius of him was filled with sword light.

    Qi Xuansu simply took on a defensive position, not moving an inch no matter how intense the sword light became. He looked as immovable as a mountain.

    At this moment, Lu Hu suddenly closed in on Qi Xuansu, attacking barehanded. His sleeves swung with an extremely fierce force. His movements were erratic, like a ghost. His strikes were unbelievably strange and fast, embodying the essence of the Dragon Sword Technique.

    For a moment, Qi Xuansu could only defend himself and forgo the offense, seemingly falling into a disadvantage.

    The Dragon Sword Technique had eighteenyers and eighteen forms. Although it could change endlessly through differentbinations, it would eventually run out. As soon as a move was repeated, it would lose the element of surprise.

    Lu Hu had just used up the eighteen variations of the Dragon Sword Technique, so Qi Xuansu immediately began to counterattack, sweeping out horizontally with his cuss.

    Having no other choice, Lu Hu had to retreat and block the attack with his hand.

    Earlier, Lu Hu lost grip of his long sword, so the tip of his sword was stuck in the ground. Now, under the force of Lu Hu¡¯s innate qi, the long sword pulled itself out of the ground and flew to Lu Hu¡¯s hand.

    After grasping his sword, Lu Hu stopped his retreat and met Qi Xuansu¡¯s cuss.

    The shes grew louder as Lu Hu¡¯s sword strikes became fiercer and more ruthless. He created an overwhelming sword qi with his innate qi. The cold light rippled, sword qi filled the air, and the onlookers felt a bone-piercing cold, as if they were trapped in a raging snowstorm.

    Qi Xuansu focused on his defense, creating an airtight shield one meter in front of him. Thus, no matter how fierce Lu Hu''s attacks were, they were all in vain.

    The cuss and sword shed, and countless sparks of sword qis shot out in all directions, creating dimples in the hard ground. Even thenterns hanging in the distance were extinguished one by one.

    However, in doing so, Lu Hu¡¯s innate qi was also rapidly depleted. Soon, he could no longer sustain his attack, and his moves gradually became sluggish.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu stopped focusing on his defense. He deliberately left an opening to trick Lu Hu into attacking him. Lu Hu fell for it, thrusting his long sword straight at Qi Xuansu¡¯s chest.

    By this time, Lu Hu¡¯s momentum was far from what it had been before, somewhat like a spent force. This gave Qi Xuansu an opportunity.

    Qi Xuansu suddenly reached out with his right hand to grab the de of his opponent¡¯s, while his left hand brought the cuss down toward Lu Hu¡¯s right arm.

    Lu Hu wanted to use his strength to retract his sword. However, Qi Xuansu had a vice-like grip on the de. Though Qi Xuansu¡¯s blood flowed profusely, his fingers still grasped the de tightly, not budging an inch.

    Faced with this situation, Lu Hu had no other choice but to release the hilt of his sword. However, as someone who prided himself on his dedication to his beloved sword, he hesitated at this critical moment.

    In that split second, Lu Hu¡¯s arm was severed at the shoulder. Though his severed arm was separated from his body, his five fingers still held the long sword tightly.

    Lu Hu¡¯s face turned pale as he bent down to pick up his severed arm. He no longer had the strength to continue fighting.

    Qi Xuansu sheathed his cuss and cupped his fists. ¡°Good fight.¡±

    Li Qingnu grinned, deliberately adding fuel to the fire. ¡°Third Brother, you¡¯re amazing!¡±

    Qi Xuansu could not be bothered with Li Qingnu¡¯s petty attempts to stir trouble. He held up two fingers toward Lu Yunfeng. ¡°Young Master Lu, if you don¡¯t leave now, that¡¯s 2,000 Taiping coins. That¡¯s not a small amount.¡±

    Lu Yunfeng¡¯s face turned ashen.

 Chapter 381: Successive Battles

    <h4>Chapter 381: Sessive Battles</h4>

    Qi Xuansu won both battles using ruthless tactics.

    He was not only merciless to his enemies but also to himself.

    The key to winning was his decision to exchange injury for injury, tactics usually employed during life-and-death battles. Moreover, Qi Xuansu had warned them beforehand that he did not intend to hold back and would strike hard.

    Since the Lu family did not object, Qi Xuansu could not be med. As a result, Lu Niu was beaten until he was paralyzed, and Lu Hu had an arm severed.

    Seeing this, Long Wuji¡¯s expression turned solemn. The old man whispered to his friend, ¡°I don¡¯t think Brother Wei is an ordinary person. What do you think?¡±

    Su Chou¡¯s lips twitched slightly as he responded, ¡°Brother Wei can defeat a Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner and Qi Refiner. He¡¯s truly not to be underestimated. He¡¯s also hard to see through. If I were to face him, our cultivation levels would not differ much, but judging by his adaptability in battle, he¡¯s clearly someone with extensive experience. He¡¯s also decisive and ruthless, so I might not be his match. However, one thing puzzles me. How have we never heard of such a person before? He¡¯s not even on the Ruyi Leaderboard.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, there¡¯s no such figure in Jianghu. Someone so experienced wouldn¡¯t just pop out of nowhere.¡± Long Wuji nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why I think ¡®Wei Wugui¡¯ might not be his real name; it could be an alias.¡±

    Su Chou was not born yesterday and understood what his friend implied. He looked at Long Wuji in surprise. ¡°You mean¡ª¡±

    ¡°There are two possibilities. The first is that he¡¯s a secret society member, hence the inherently ndestine identity. The second possibility is that he¡¯s from the Daoist Order, where there are plenty of undisclosed talents.¡±

    Long Wuji had long spected about Wei Wugui¡¯s true identity.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaning toward him being from the Daoist Order because he has that sense of superiority unique to Daoists, which can¡¯t be learned, nor can it be easily concealed. As for why we¡¯ve never heard of him, it¡¯s not surprising. The waters in the Daoist Order are too deep. Just two years ago, neither of us had heard of Li Changge and Yao Pei, yet now they¡¯re the top two on the Ruyi Leaderboard.¡±

    Su Chou nodded, epting this exnation.

    Although he was often blindly devoted to Li Qingnu, even to the point of seeming like a fool, Su Chou was a young hero who had navigated Jianghu for years, so he was notcking in intelligence.

    Li Qingnu¡¯s status was quite distinguished¡ªan adopted daughter of the Li family, the manager of Sycamore Vi, and the Finest Courtesan. So as her sworn sibling, Wei Wugui could not be an ordinary person.

    Wei Wugui might very well be a prodigy of the Daoist Order, but his identity was too sensitive, hence the use of an alias. The second brother and eldest brother they had mentioned were certainly not ordinary people either.

    Su Chou suddenly remembered that Wei Wugui had just mentioned he could not personally escort Liu Hu to Liaodong because of an incident involving his second brother. This made Su Chou think of the recent high-profile case in the Daoist Order.

    He shivered as he thought, <i>They im that their enemies are seeking revenge, but does this involve the Daoist Order¡¯s infighting? If so, that¡¯ll be quite thrilling!</i>

    At that moment, Lu Yunfeng finally spoke. ¡°A mere 2,000 Taiping coins is nothing to me. I have one more master here. If you can beat him, I¡¯ll give you 3,000 Taiping coins!¡±

    Before Qi Xuansu could respond, Li Qingnu spoke. ¡°Three consecutive matches, with one person facing three different opponents¡ªthat¡¯s essentially an unfair match. Even if you win, it wouldn¡¯t be an honorable victory.¡±

    Lu Yunfeng looked at Li Qingnu, his earlier flirtatious demeanor gone. He asked directly, ¡°What do you want?¡±

    Li Qingnu smiled slightly. ¡°Simple¡ªjust increase the stakes. After all, you¡¯re not short of money. A mere 2,000 Taiping coins must be nothing to you, Young Master Lu.¡±

    Lu Yunfeng was momentarily cornered by Li Qingnu¡¯s words. After a pause, he dered, ¡°If he can defeat three people in a row, not only will I reward him with 3,000 Taiping coins as agreed, but I will also never set foot in Sycamore Vi again!¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Li Qingnu agreed immediately. After all, she was not the one fighting.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so quick to agree.¡± Lu Yunfeng changed his tone. ¡°If your man loses, I¡¯ll still pay him 2,000 Taiping coins as promised, but you have toe with me. I know you are Li Tianyue¡¯s painstakingly raised cash cow. If I were to harm you, she would never forgive me, and the Lu family wouldn¡¯t protect me either.

    ¡°So let me be clear¡ªI only want you to spend a night at my residence, and I promise not to take your virginity. As a courtesan, you should understand what I want you to do for me.¡±

    Li Qingnu¡¯s expression changed. She was not as decisive when the stakes involved herself.

    As Lu Yunfeng had said, she had grown up in upscale brothels. Influenced by what she saw and heard, it would be a lie to say she understood nothing. That was why she hesitated.

    The twisted and detestable aspects of human nature always manifest in two things¡ªkilling and matters between men and women.

    It was easy to imagine what Lu Yunfeng wanted her to do by fulfilling his desires without taking her virginity.

    Su Chou finally could not hold back. He stepped forward and volunteered. ¡°I¡¯ll fight!¡±

    Lu Yunfeng did not even nce at the man. ¡°Miss Li, since you said it would be an unfair match, switching people midway would invalidate your statement, so the previous terms would no longer apply.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Qi Xuansu finally spoke.

    Li Qingnu asked softly, ¡°How confident are you?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nced at her and whispered, ¡°For Madam Qi¡¯s sake, I won¡¯t let you fall into a den of wolves. Madam Qi wouldn¡¯t spare me either if she found out.¡±

    Hearing this, Li Qingnu was reassured.

    Madam Qi was indeed greedy, but her reputation for integrity was excellent.

    Seeing the two conversing quietly, Lu Yunfeng became displeased. ¡°Have you decided?¡±

    Li Qingnu finally made up her mind. ¡°Alright, I agree. If you lose, you can never set foot in Sycamore Vi again.¡±

    A sinister smile appeared on Lu Yunfeng¡¯s face. ¡°Good, very good.¡±

    His gaze was brazen and lecherous as he said, ¡°I only want you toe to my residence; I have no interest in Sycamore Vi. Besides, I¡¯ve always been generous. Your suitors cane along as well. While we spend the night together, they can watch from the side. It¡¯ll be like watching me eat the meat while they enjoy some soup¡ªa vicarious pleasure. How about that?¡±

    At that moment, a feather shot through the air.

    It pierced the chest of one of Lu Yunfeng¡¯s sedan carriers. The carrier let out a muffled grunt, his face quickly turning green before copsing to the ground.

    The sedan chair, originally carried by four people, immediately became off-bnce. Lu Yunfeng¡¯sughter abruptly ceased as he toppled over.

    Lu Yunfeng nced at the feather on the carrier¡¯s chest, his expression turning colder. ¡°Seven Phoenix Feathers¡ªare you from the Daoist Order?¡±

    Qi Xuansu held six feathers in one hand, spreading them out one by one like a folding fan, aiming at Lu Yunfeng. He sneered, ¡°Young Master Lu, the Seven Phoenix Feather¡¯s poison is not fatal, and the antidote is quitemon. Surely, you would be able to afford some antidote, right?¡±

    Lu Yunfeng squinted at Qi Xuansu. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±

    Qi Xuansu used his innate qi to draw back the Seven Phoenix Feather from the sedan carrier. ¡°I¡¯m just reminding you not to celebrate too soon. You¡¯d best make sure you have enough Taiping coins too.¡±

    Lu Yunfeng snorted coldly and said to thest fighter, ¡°I¡¯m counting on you now. Don¡¯t let me down.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The hunchback old man responded respectfully.

    Qi Xuansu also put away the Seven Phoenix Feathers.

    The old man stepped forward and cupped his fists. ¡°I¡¯m Lu Long, pleased to meet you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not reply. Instead, he raised his left hand, with ck yin energy swirling between his five fingers.

    The old man slowly straightened up and looked at Qi Xuansu, his eyes glowing brighter, with invisible ripples spreading out from him.

    This was the Diviner¡¯s unique ability¡ªdream entering.

 Chapter 382: Duel With Magic

    <h4>Chapter 382: Duel With Magic</h4>

    Wherever the invisible ripples pass, a faint mist arose.

    Qi Xuansu could have dodged it, but he did not.

    Lu Long and Qi Xuansu¡¯s gazes met amidst the mist.

    The old Diviner¡¯s eyes turned dark and deep. His pupils were like whirlpools, in which stars were being created and destroyed simultaneously.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s gaze was drawn into this whirlpool with no way to escape. The whirlpool grewrger until it threatened to swallow him whole.

    Suddenly, Qi Xuansu entered a state between sleep and wakefulness. Everything around him became hazy, like a lucid dream.

    When Qi Xuansu came to his senses again, Lu Long was no longer in front of him. Instead, he found himself in a huge peach grove. The petals fell like rain as the east wind blew, making the ground seem like it was paved with a red carpet.

    The peach blossoms fluttered endlessly. It was an incredible sight.

    Diviners in the Dream Entering Realm could enter other people¡¯s dreams, whereas those in the Thunder Realm could force people into dreams that they created.

    Typical Martial Arts Practitioners had no dreams because they could condense their spirit and body. This old Diviner was experienced and could tell at a nce that Qi Xuansu was not a pure Martial Arts Practitioner who had not condensed his spirit and body, so Lu Long used a spiritual object to pull Qi Xuansu into a dream.

    When one was in a dream, it was a battle between souls. No matter how strong one¡¯s body or innate qi was, it was useless in dreams. Thus, Diviners had the advantage in dreams, as they could use their strengths to attack the enemy¡¯s weaknesses.

    This was not the first time Qi Xuansu fell into a dream, so he did not panic. He merely waved his sleeves casually to block the falling petals.

    At this moment, a figure holding a paper umbre appeared among the peach blossoms, vaguely visible in the rain of flowers.

    Qi Xuansu frowned slightly.

    This figure slowly approached Qi Xuansu, bing more real with every step. However, the paper umbre blocked the woman¡¯s face, so Qi Xuansu still could not make out who it was.

    Even without seeing the woman¡¯s face, Qi Xuansu felt a sense of familiarity.

    He instantly became alert because he knew that the woman in front of him could not be Zhang Yuelu.

    Qi Xuansu was about to speak when he suddenly heard his own voiceing from behind. ¡°Qing Xiao!¡±

    He turned around abruptly and saw a man in Daoist formal attire walking quickly toward the woman holding the umbre. However, the man looked identical to him.

    Qi Xuansu swallowed the words that had reached his lips, feeling a little uncertain.

    While he was still thinking about what he should do, his clone had already walked past him without even so much as a nce, as if he was invisible.

    Only then did Qi Xuansu realize that the woman holding an umbre was not walking toward him, but toward his clone.

    At this moment, the couple finally met.

    When the woman put away her paper umbre, Qi Xuansu noticed that her face was also identical to Zhang Yuelu''s.

    ¡°Qing Xiao, I miss you so much!¡±

    His clone took hold of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hand.

    However, her attitude was indifferent. She slowly withdrew her hand from his. ¡°I thought you were dead. How did you survive the fall?¡±

    His clone¡¯s expression suddenly froze, and the man stuttered. ¡°I-I...¡±

    ¡°What? Cat got your tongue?¡± Zhang Yuelu narrowed her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve been lying to me, right?¡±

    His clone took a few steps back under Zhang Yuelu¡¯s sharp gaze while stammering in a panic. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t lie to you. I really didn¡¯t! Y-You have to believe me!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu snorted coldly. ¡°Even if I believe you, will Beichen Hall believe you? Let me ask you, where have you been in the few years between your master Qi Haoran¡¯s death and your tenure in Tiangang Hall? What have you done?¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s clone was rendered speechless.

    Zhang Yuelu sneered. ¡°Qi Haoran, a Guizhen-stage fourth-rank Daoist master died in the ambush, so how did you manage to survive? Where were you when Shen Yuzu was murdered? Where were you when the Fengtai County Magistrate Li Hongwen was killed? What did you take from Li Hongwen? How did you manage to escape from Wu Luo¡¯s divine descent in Yn Temple? So many people died when Wu Luo snapped the flying ship in half, but how did you survive the fall?¡±

    Forced into a corner, his clone was no longer submissive. Instead, his clone retorted. ¡°Why should I die if my master is dead? Shen Yuzu deserves to die! You shouldn¡¯t ask me how Li Hongwen died, you should be asking the Taiping Sect! I have a clear conscience, and I have never wronged anyone. What the hell do you want?!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu scoffed. ¡°In that case, do you dare to hash out the details?¡±

    His clone shouted, ¡°Why the hell not?¡±

    The wind grew stronger, bringing with it countless petals. It was truly mesmerizing.

    With a wave of her hand, Zhang Yuelu conjured a charred corpse out of thin air. It was unrecognizable due to the degree of burning.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s face turned grim when he saw the corpse.

    It was Wan Xiuwu, who almost killed Qi Xuansu once in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. However, Qi Xuansu killed him outside Xijing Prefecture and burned his body.

    Zhang Yuelu pointed at the burnt corpse. ¡°Although he harmed you once, you are still alive and well, so why must you kill him?¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s clone said in a deep voice, ¡°He wanted to kill me, but he¡¯s just not capable enough. It¡¯s not because he was merciful. The reason he¡¯s dead and I¡¯m still alive is simply because hisbat skills are inferior to mine. I¡¯m not to me for that.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu waved her hand again, conjuring yet another corpse. This time, the corpse was a huge white fox with four tails that was covered with scars.

    ¡°Su Ran is a superintendent of the Daoist Order, but you brazenly killed her. Even if shemitted a serious crime, she should be tried and convicted by Fengxian Hall and then sentenced to death. You have no right to kill her.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s clone red at her resentfully. ¡°She was the one who wanted to kill me first. I was just trying to protect myself! Should I have stood still and let her kill me? Moreover, you people in the Daoist Order are corrupt. If I reported her to Fengxian Hall, I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t even get a p on the wrist! All the serial murders would be reduced to a trivial matter!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu sniggered. ¡°You people, huh? Well, I suppose you¡¯re finally exposing your true colors. Even if your killing of Wan Xiuwu and Su Ran is justified, what¡¯s your excuse for joining a secret society?¡±

    All color instantly drained from his clone¡¯s face. He stammered, ¡°W-What secret society? Don¡¯t you dare wrongly use me!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu pped her hands gently.

    This time, two Spirit Guards carried a woman over, leaving a trail of blood. When the woman raised her head, Qi Xuansu saw that it was Madam Qi.

    At this time, Madam Qi was covered in blood, obviously having just been tortured. Her voice was feeble. ¡°T-Tian...Y-Yuan...¡±

    His clone¡¯s eyes turned red, his fists were clenched tightly.

    Zhang Yuelu stared intently at his clone and questioned him. ¡°This person is a member of the Qingping Society, known as Madam Qi. Do you recognize her?¡±

    His clone replied through gritted teeth, ¡°What does it matter if I recognize her or not?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu raised the paper umbre in her hand to point at Qi Xuansu¡¯s clone. ¡°If you don¡¯t know her, then I want you to kill this cult demon to prove your innocence. That way, you and I can still be friends. If you know her, then it proves that you are a cult demon. That gives me a reason to kill you in the name of the Daoist Order. Or you can kill me instead.¡±

    To kill Madam Qi or Zhang Yuelu¡ªthis was the dilemma.

    Putting aside everything else, this was an age-old problem: who should the husband help first if both his wife and his mother were in trouble?

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu fell into the same dilemma as his clone. He realized that all of what just yed out were his deepest fears.

    Qi Xuansu was terrified that his identity would be exposed. He was afraid that Zhang Yuelu would find out about his shady past. He was also scared that he would one day have to make a choice between Zhang Yuelu and Madam Qi.

    Now, this dream unearthed all of his deepest fears and threw them back in his face.

    Lu Long took advantage of Qi Xuansu¡¯s distraction to trap thetter in this custom-made "cage."

    If Qi Xuansu was not aware that the dream was actually a trap, he would not be able to extricate himself.

    Before this "cage" was broken, neither Qi Xuansu nor Lu Long could leave the dream.

    At this moment, the ck yin energy lingering between Qi Xuansu¡¯s five fingers finally took shape, turning into a ck ghosthead machete with a strong killing aura.

    Fortunately, Qi Xuansu had the magical powers of a Diviner, so he could break this cage with force.

    In an instant, both Zhang Yuelu and Madam Qi turned to Qi Xuansu, not his clone.

    Zhang Yuelu panicked and said softly, ¡°Tian Yuan, there is no end to this sea of ??suffering. As long as you can make a clean break with the past, I will still believe in you. Have you forgotten our vow?¡±

    With tears in her eyes, Madam Qi pleaded. ¡°Tian Yuan, I saved you so many times before, and I have always treated you as my son. We¡¯ve been dependent on each other for so long. Do you really want to ditch me for this woman?¡±

    Qi Xuansu slowly closed his eyes, steadying his emotions.

    He found that it was always most terrifying before striking a killing blow. When the knife fell, it was no longer scary.

    In fact, the same was true for fear. Many problems were scariest before one tried to solve them because people became uneasy worrying about the consequences. However, the moment it urred, they could often face it calmly.

    ¡°Qing Xiao wouldn¡¯t force me to make this decision, and Madam Qi wouldn¡¯t beg me like this. I like this saying that a man will have a heart of stone before death. These illusions can¡¯t mess with my mind.¡±

    Qi Xuansu opened his eyes abruptly and raised his machete, shing it down at the two women before him.

    Countless peach blossoms flew over, as if they were going topletely bury Qi Xuansu.

    For a moment, Qi Xuansu was in a brief trance, and everything around him shattered like a mirror.

    He had awakened from this dream.

    Qi Xuansu found himself in Sycamore Vi, with his left hand still raised.

    Madam Qi and Zhang Yuelu were no longer in front of him. All he could see was Lu Long.

    The old Diviner still maintained a standing posture. His eyes were closed, as if he was taking a nap. However, there was an additional wound on his chest, with blood trickling down.

    Lu Long was dead.

 Chapter 383: Beauty Brings Disaster

    <h4>Chapter 383: Beauty Brings Disaster</h4>

    Qi Xuansu muttered under his breath, ¡°Phew...that was a close one.¡±

    The Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s ability to restrain spells did not mean that Martial Arts Practitioners could defeat Diviners in a dream. It only worked if the Martial Arts Practitioner had condensed their spirit and body, so they would not be able to fall into a dream, hence rendering the Diviner¡¯s ability useless.

    However, any other lineage would easily stumble into a dream carefully crafted by a Diviner.

    If Qi Xuansu did not have the Diviner¡¯s mystical abilities from the Xuan Jade of Death, he could only go through the dream by following the rules set by Lu Long. Only by making the right choice could Qi Xuansu break out of the dream.

    What Lu Long did not expect was that Qi Xuansu also had the mystical abilities of a Diviner, so thetter could break the rules and trash the dream. Since Lu Long was unprepared, he was killed by Qi Xuansu in this dream.

    Although spells were only effective if one believed in them, Lu Long was already in the game, so believing in them no longer made a difference. As such, the injuries he suffered in the dream would also affect his physical body.

    That was how Lu Long died.

    From the perspective of others watching the ¡°duel,¡± the two men merely remained motionless while staring intently at each other. After about half an hour, a stab wound suddenly appeared on Lu Long¡¯s chest, and the winner was determined.

    Li Qingnu was also a Diviner, so she could clearly see that the two of them were fighting in a dream, which was more dangerous than a physical fight.

    To her surprise, Qi Xuansu won in the end.

    She thought to herself, <i>Isn¡¯t he a Rogue Cultivator? Even if he knows some of the Diviner¡¯s mystical abilities, how can he defeat a pure Diviner?</i>

    For a moment, Li Qingnu was a little stunned and puzzled.

    Long Wuji could not help but whisper to Su Chou beside him. ¡°Brother Wei is truly invincible! Is he really a Banished Immortal from the Daoist Order?¡±

    Su Chou said, ¡°I think so. All Banished Immortals in the Daoist Order are known, which exins why Brother Wei has to travel under a pseudonym. His original identity is probablyparable to Zhang Yuelu, Yao Pei, and the others.¡±

    Long Wuji pondered for a while and felt that this was indeed the most reasonable exnation since all Banished Immortals had been recruited by the Daoist Order. It would also exin Wei Wugui¡¯s Daoist habits and why they had never heard of this name before.

    Qi Xuansu cupped his fists and said, ¡°Young Master Lu, these three fighters are indeed powerful. If I hadn¡¯t gone all out, I wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat them. I hope you don¡¯t me me for giving it my all.¡±

    Lu Yunfeng¡¯s face was ashen, and he was rendered speechless.

    Lu Hu held his severed arm and turned to look at his fallen brothers. Lu Niu was paralyzed on the ground, and Lu Long was dead. He could not help but feel sad about the death of his friend, but he was helpless. The three of them took turns fighting Qi Xuansu, but in the end, two of them were seriously injured, and one of them died.

    They had nothing to me but their inferior skills.

    Lu Hu walked up to Lu Yunfeng and bowed in apology. ¡°Young Master, I am willing to ept the punishment for being ipetent and for having failed your order.¡±

    Lu Yunfeng ignored Lu Hu. He just scoffed and yelled at Qi Xuansu. ¡°Fine!¡±

    When Lu Yunfeng came to Sycamore Vi, he brought along Lu Long, Lu Hu, Lu Niu, four sedan carriers, and six attendants.

    Before Lu Yunfeng gave out the order, one of the six attendants suddenly stepped out and punched Qi Xuansu in the chest. Qi Xuansu immediately blocked the punch with the River Fist.

    The attendant did not make a sound. His lower body was stable, as if he had nailed his legs to the ground. He merely concentrated on throwing one powerful punch after another. However, the attendant¡¯s cultivation was slightly inferior to Lu Niu¡¯s, even though he used the same boxing technique.

    Qi Xuansu also countered with a punch head-on, with no underhanded tricks.

    A thunderous boom echoed in the air as their fists met. The two men¡¯s bodies swayed, but they quickly recovered and punched each other again for the second time.

    With another resounding boom, the attendant¡¯s body swayed, and he took a step back. However, Qi Xuansu stood calmly on the spot.

    The attendant originally thought that Qi Xuansu had exhausted his energy after fighting three times in a row. So there was a high chance that he could win after a few punches.

    To his surprise, he was the one who stumbled back from the shock of Qi Xuansu¡¯s punch. Unwilling to give up, the attendant took a deep breath and punched Qi Xuansu simultaneously with both fists.

    Qi Xuansu also countered with both fists. This time, the attendant took three steps back, and blood surged in his chest.

    Everyone could hear the sound of joints cracking all over the attendant¡¯s body before he thrust out both arms with an overwhelming force. Qi Xuansu circted his innate qi and waved his palms, using the Sea Fist to deflect the opponent¡¯s force.

    A secondter, the attendant bellowed in agony. His body shook violently, and the bones in both his arms shatteredpletely.

    He still could not understand how Qi Xuansu still had so much energy left after fighting three battles in a row.

    In fact, the reason for this was simple. Qi Xuansu was not a true Banished Immortal. He only had the blood qi of a Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner, the innate qi of a Guizhen-stage Rogue Cultivator, and the magical power of a Guizhen-stage Diviner.

    The third battle against Lu Long only consumed Qi Xuansu''s magical power, while the second battle against Lu Hu consumed his innate qi. The first battle against Lu Niu consumed his blood qi and some innate qi. As such, even after three consecutive battles, Qi Xuansu still had a lot of energy left, which was beyond the capabilities of ordinary people.

    At this moment, two more attendants jumped out.

    Qi Xuansu only felt two silent gusts of wind hitting him from the left and right, extremely fast. Startled, Qi Xuansu quickly used his palms to take the blow. They were locked in a stalemate when their four palms touched.

    Suddenly, Qi Xuansu''s sides were pped at the same time.

    Qi Xuansu groaned and backed away. It was difficult for him to defeat two opponents at once because each of them used one hand to restrain Qi Xuansu¡¯s palms while using their free hand to strike Qi Xuansu¡¯s body.

    Seeing this situation, Su Chou and Long Wuji no longer hesitated. The two attendants left Qi Xuansu alone and fought against Su Chou and Long Wuji, respectively.

    In a head-on confrontation, Su Chou¡¯s and Long Wuji¡¯s bodies swayed, while the two attendants staggered back a few steps. The attendants could feel blood rising in their chests.

    Finally realizing he was bound to lose, Lu Yunfeng quickly cut his losses and waved his hand to stop the fight. He looked disgruntled as he shouted to his subordinates. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    The two attendants fighting with Su Chou and Long Wuji retreated immediately.

    The other three attendants and the three sedan carriers picked up Lu Long¡¯s corpse, the paralyzed Lu Niu, the poisoned sedan carrier, and Lu Hu with his amputated arm. They certainly did not look as shy as they did when they first arrived.

    At this moment, Li Qingnu called out. ¡°Stop right there!¡±

    Lu Yunfeng halted in his steps and slowly turned his head to look at Li Qingnu. ¡°I won¡¯t step foot into Sycamore Vi again.¡±

    Li Qingnu smiled slightly. ¡°Young Master Lu, you must be forgetful. That¡¯s not what I want to say. You promised to give him 1,000 Taiping coins for every master he defeats, so that¡¯s 3,000 Taiping coins.¡±

    Lu Yunfeng¡¯s face turned gloomy. A noble person like him would not carry coins or cash notes around because most things would be put on a tab. However, he had already made a promise, so he could not go back on his word.

    In the end, he took off a jade pendant from his waist and begrudgingly threw it to the ground. ¡°I spent 5,000 Taiping coins to buy this jade pendant. It should be enough to cover the 3,000 Taiping coins I owe you. It¡¯s yours now.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not bend down to pick it up. Instead, he stomped on the ground and used his innate qi to summon the jade pendant. The moment he touched the jade pendant, he knew that Lu Yunfeng was not lying.

    This jade pendant was actually a spiritual object. Holding it in his palm gave him a sense of peace and tranquility. It was probably a spiritual object specially designed to protect against Diviners.

    For ordinary folk like Qi Xuansu who had limited money, they would often purchase spiritual weapons first, followed by spiritual armor.

    Very few people would choose to buy this kind of spiritual object that was specifically designed to deal with a certain situation.

    This jade pendant was very effective against Diviners, but it was useless against Martial Arts Practitioners. Ordinary people would not have enough money to buy such targeted spiritual objects. Thus, only those from prestigious families with abundant wealth would carry such spiritual objects with them.

    Qi Xuansu weighed it in his palm and decided to find a suitable opportunity to sell it.

    Lu Yunfeng took a deep look at Qi Xuansu before leaving in a huff.

    After he left, Li Qingnu came to Qi Xuansu and asked softly, ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded, indicating that he was fine.

    Li Qingnu quipped, ¡°Well, you¡¯ve gained another enemy today. What are your thoughts on this?¡±

    Qi Xuansu shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡±

    Li Qingnu asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that Lu Yunfeng will cause trouble for you in the future?¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head. ¡°Nope.¡±

    Li Qingnu suddenlyughed. ¡°Right. You¡¯re not even afraid of Li Tianzhen, so how can you be scared of Lu Yunfeng?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nced at her. ¡°If you must know what my thoughts are on this, I have to say that beauty sure does bring disasters.¡±

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 384: Take the Medicine

    <h4>Chapter 384: Take the Medicine</h4>

    The main reason why Lu Yunfeng did not attack in groups from the beginning was because he was afraid of Li Tianyue, the real owner of Sycamore Vi.

    Li Changgeng, the Imperial Preceptor, was from the <i>Chang</i> generation, which was considered the eldest generation among the existing members of the Li family. Thus, for simplification, the <i>Chang</i> generation was considered the first generation; the <i>Tian</i> generation was the third generation; and the <i>Ming</i> generation was the fourth generation.

    The third generation was the mainstay of the Li family. Most of them were second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters, with some being Omniscient Sages. Most of those who did not hold positions in the Daoist Order were nobility or talented people who had made a name for themselves in their respective industries.

    Not all members of the Li family were required to join the Daoist Order. A considerable number of Li family members roamed outside the Daoist Order, including Li Tianyue, who was responsible for some not-so-glorious businesses. After all, those in the Daoist Order had to remain pure, with no room for stains.

    Due to this, the Li family members¡¯ status was not entirely linked to their status within the Daoist Order. Li Tianyue was not a Daoist priest, but her status within the Li family was higher than some of her rtives who were third-rank Youyi Daoist masters andparable to some second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters. She was regarded as a core member of the Li family.

    That was why Lu Yunfeng dared not offend Li Tianyue.

    In addition, Li Qingnu was not left alone in Sycamore Vi. Li Qingnu only seemed lonely without a subordinate when Lu Yunfeng arrived because she happened to be discussing things with Qi Xuansu and the rest.

    Moreover, the guards in Sycamore Vi did not stop Lu Yunfeng due to the rtionship between the Li family and the Lu family. But if Lu Yunfeng nned to kidnap Li Qingnu and break the rules, these guards would no longer stand aside to watch.

    After all, the Li family would only tolerate the Lu family if thetter did not harm their interests.

    That was the reason Lu Yunfeng only dared to barge into Sycamore Vi when he was sure that Li Tianyue was not around. However, he still dared not act rashly.

    After Lu Yunfeng left Sycamore Vi, Qi Xuansu asked Li Qingnu for a room.

    Li Qingnu naturally agreed because she had more than enough rooms to spare here in Sycamore Vi. She even asked Qi Xuansu if he wanted a courtesan or an escort to apany him through the night. She would agree to any of his requests since he had helped her out of that tricky situation with Lu Yunfeneg.

    Qi Xuansu could have asked Li Qingnu to apany him since she said she would satisfy his requests. This was just so he could spite her. However, on second thought, Li Qingnu was a petty woman. If she decided to spread the word to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s ears, Qi Xuansu could not fathom what would be of him. Thus, he dared not take the risk. Making fun of Li Qingnu was not worth it if he had to bear the consequences.

    As such, Qi Xuansu insisted that he only wanted a secluded room with no girls. He did not want anyone to disturb him.

    Li Qingnu probably guessed what Qi Xuansu¡¯s intentions were, so she stopped ying with him and asked her maid to lead Qi Xuansu to her residence.

    She allowed Qi Xuansu to stay in her residence not because she was trying to seduce him but because Sycamore Vi was still open for business as usual. Thus, there were only two truly quiet and absolutely safe ces¡ªLi Qingnu¡¯s residence and Li Tianyue¡¯s residence.

    Li Qingnu could not arrange for Qi Xuansu to stay in Li Tianyue¡¯s room because she was afraid of that woman.

    Under the guidance of Li Qingnu¡¯s personal maid, Qi Xuansu came to Li Qingnu¡¯s residence. It was a two-story building with a living room on the first floor and a study and bedroom on the second floor.

    Qi Xuansu did not check out Li Qingnu¡¯s bedroom. Instead, he went to therge study. When he pushed the door open, he saw a Western-style carpet spread across the floor and a screen that separated the study into two sections.

    The outer area was filled with bookshelves that had many rare books. The must-have stationery on the desk was anything but basic. He scanned the room and saw many antiques from the Qi and Jin Dynasties.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu knew that Li Qingnu was lying when she imed that she only had a worth of 10,000 Taiping coins. It was clear that her level of enjoyment daily and the money and resources she had at her disposal were far more than 10,000 Taiping coins. On the other hand, Qi Xuansu only had as much money as he said and not a coin more.

    The inner area had a single chaise lounge with a bamboo mat and nket, which was probably used for naps. There was also a tform next to it with a futon and various incense burners. Seeing the incense residue around it, Qi Xuansu guessed this was probably where Li Qingnu normally meditated.

    While Qi Xuansu was browsing Li Qingnu¡¯s study, Li Qingnu¡¯s personal maid was secretly observing him. She did not know when her youngdy had a third brother, but their rtionship did not look fake. After all, only a few outsiders have been to Li Qingnu¡¯s residence.

    The maid thought, <i>Could this man be the youngdy¡¯s lover? Was the youngdy afraid that the boss would find out, so she purposely hid her lover''s identity, calling him Third Brother?</i>

    The more the maid thought about it, the more she felt it was possible. At the same time, she felt sorry for Young Master Su. That man was also talented, but unfortunately, he was too boring. Su Chou only knew to obey everything Li Qingnu said, as if he were a servant. Naturally, the youngdy would not fancy such a man.

    Just as the maid¡¯s thoughts were running wild, Qi Xuansu waved his hand, indicating that she could leave.

    The maid quickly gathered her thoughts, ced the ss cup Qi Xuansu asked for on the small table next to the tform, and left the study.

    Qi Xuansu took off his outer robe and top undergarment, revealing his well-defined chest and abdominal muscles. Due to his self-healing abilities, his old scars were no longer visible. However, there were deep ck palm prints on each side of his body from the fight earlier.

    Lu Yunfeng¡¯s attendants were certainly not mediocre. They seized the opportunity and hit Qi Xuansu hard so that the yin energy prated his body. Fortunately, Qi Xuansu had the ability to control yin energy ever since he visited the Ghost Kingdom.

    Qi Xuansu sat cross-legged on the tform and channeled his blood qi, innate qi, and magical power at the same time. The two palm prints on his sides turned from ck to purple, gradually fading with time.

    After resolving the injuries in his body, Qi Xuansu took out the precious Blood Pill he had obtained from the manufacturing nt in Cuowenbu and the Jade Liquor he just bought from Huasheng Hall.

    Qi Xuansu took the ss cup next to him and poured the Jade Liquor into it. Then he plopped the Blood Pill into the wine.

    The Blood Pill rapidly melted into the Jade Liquor until all that was left was a bloody slurry in the cup, which was very viscous.

    Since he was unsure what this Blood Pill could do, he did not know how much of its medicinal effects his body could absorb. If he took too much, his body would not be able to resolve the medicinal power, which would damage his meridians, acupoints, and Dantians. It could even cause his body to explode, killing him in an instant. If he consumed too little, the effects would not be obvious, and the Blood Pill would be wasted. Thankfully, how to consume elixirs and pills was a course taught in the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. That was why he needed the Jade Liquor.

    Qi Xuansu hesitated slightly, raised his ss, and gulped it down.

    In an instant, Qi Xuansu¡¯s face was flushed red, with a hint of ck.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Qi Xuansu gathered his mind and began to concentrate on absorbing the medicinal power of the Blood Pill.

    Most of the medicinal power had been processed by the Jade Liquor, so Qi Xuansu channeled more innate qi in his body to further dissolve the remaining medicinal power. His innate qi was like a dragon swimming in the river, surrounding the meridians and acupoints in the body. The medicinal power traveled along with the innate qi through the meridians, Dantians, and acupoints, eventually spreading to all parts of his body.

    The path of travel was divided into three areas, which were concentrated at the middle Dantian on the chest, the lower Dantian on the lower abdomen, and the upper Dantian between the eyebrows.

    Qi Xuansu gradually fell into a trance.

 Chapter 385: Nine Levels

    <h4>Chapter 385: Nine Levels</h4>

    There were many factions within the Li family, especially those who roamed outside the Daoist Order. Each of them had their own cronies and subordinates.

    Li Tianyue had a few people under hermand, most of them women. It was not because Li Tianyue had a prejudice against men, but because she admired Princess Pingyang, whom she considered her royal ancestor from the previous Qi Dynasty.

    <i>During the Qi Dynasty¡¯s uprising, Princess Pingyang, the third daughter of Emperor Gaozu, distributed the royal family¡¯s wealth to rally ouws from the mountains, raising an army for her father. The troops under hermand were called the Army of the Lady.</i>

    <i>A young consort from the Golden Horde, renowned for her beauty, intelligence, and exceptional skills, was not only adept at singing, dancing, and martial arts, but she was also well-versed in military strategy and political maneuvering. She once assisted the Khan in governing, sessfully mediating long-standing conflicts between the Central ins and the Golden Horde, thereby establishing border trade. When she traveled, she was often apanied by a contingent of female soldiers, which were referred to as the Lady Army.</i>

    Princess Pingyang¡¯s Army of the Lady did not consist of only women, but it was led by an influential one. The Lady Army that Li Tianyue formed was more simr to the Golden Horde consort¡¯s Lady Army, in which all members were women.

    Although Li Tianyue could neithermand troops on the battlefield nor navigate the halls of power, she remained inspired by these powerful women figures. Thus, she entrusted important roles to women, forming a Lady Army that answered solely to her.

    Due to this, the guards of Sycamore Vi were not men, but women. They could disguise themselves as maids and escorts, making it difficult for people to distinguish.

    These women were all adopted by Li Tianyue when they were young and then taught ording to their aptitude. For a beauty like Li Qingnu, Li Tianyue hired famous teachers to teach the former music, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, dancing, and waiting. Li Qingnu¡¯s cultivation was just an added bonus for self-defense and health benefits.

    Girls with ordinary looks practiced martial arts and became members of Li Tianyue¡¯s Lady Army.

    At first, Li Tianyue only thought of Li Qingnu as a rare collectible, so she did not want to give the former away so easily and decided to keep her for a while. However, as time went by, Li Tianyue developed some feelings for her doll, reluctant to give thetter away.

    Li Tianyue was never married, and she had no children, so she regarded Li Qingnu as her goddaughter. Considering her own age, Li Tianyue also wanted to find a suitable candidate to inherit her position. However, since Li Tianyue had yet to make up her mind about her sessor, she did not officially adopt Li Qingnu or add Li Qingnu¡¯s name to the Li family¡¯s register.

    If Li Qingnu was officially an adopted daughter of the Li family, Lu Yunfeng would not have dared to tantly threaten her by demanding that she spend one night with him. If he had done that to someone included in the Li family tree, it would have been akin to pping the Li family in the face, and Lu Yunfeng certainly did not have the guts for that.

    This situation was different from the conflict between Li Tianzhen and Zhang Yuelu. First of all, the Li family and Zhang family had equal status. Moreover, Li Tianzhen took the initiative to stir up trouble, so he was deemed unreasonable.

    At this time, two women dressed as maids were guarding Li Qingnu¡¯s residence.

    One of the maids twirled her hair whileining, ¡°When the big boss isn¡¯t around, she pretends to be the master here¡ªorganizing a fightingpetition, making friends with Jianghu people, and bossing us around.¡±

    ¡°A¡¯Ling, watch your words.¡± Another maid nced at her. ¡°I noticed that you said ¡®the <i>big</i> boss,¡¯ which suggests that you subconsciously believe we have another boss anyway. So why are youining when she¡¯s ordering us around?¡±

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    A¡¯Ling sighed. ¡°I know, Xiao Hong. But I just can¡¯t ept it. What gives her the right to be our boss? Just because she¡¯s pretty?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Xiao Hong said sternly. ¡°You¡¯d better stop talking about this. If you¡¯re so brave, go ahead and tell her to her face. Or you can talk to the boss yourself when shees back.¡±

    A¡¯Ling kept her mouth shut.

    Seeing her like this, Xiao Hong softened her tone. ¡°There are many beauties every year, but how many of them can be so well-known in the Imperial Capital and dubbed the Finest Courtesan?

    ¡°Some people are natural-born Banished Immortals; some are born to be rulers; some are born with stunning beauty; this kind of luck is their greatest asset. There¡¯s no point envying such people because you can¡¯t change a thing about it. We just have to do our duty.¡±

    A¡¯Ling still felt indignant, but what Xiao Hong said made sense. She could not refute this truth, so she could only sit there and sulk. After a while, she asked, ¡°Xiao Hong, what do you think their rtionship is?¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Xiao Hong yed dumb.

    A¡¯Ling pursed her lips and tipped her head toward the bedroom behind her. ¡°The one inside, of course.¡±

    Xiao Hong pretended not to understand what A¡¯Ling was hinting at. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that they were sworn siblings?¡±

    ¡°Come on! Do you really believe that?¡± A¡¯Ling sneered. ¡°If you ask me, I think he¡¯s her lover. If not, why would he fight so hard for her and risk offending Lu Yunfeng? By the way, do you think the big boss knows about this?¡±

    Xiao Hong asked back, ¡°Do you really think that the boss will be clueless when the youngdy holds such a public fightingpetition? The youngdy doesn¡¯t seem like she wants to hide it from the boss either.¡±

    A¡¯Ling smiled sheepishly. She had originally wanted to discuss this matter and report it to the boss, but what Xiao Hong said made sense.

    The fightingpetition was not held in secret, so it would have been weird if the boss did not know about it.

    While the two maids were talking outside, Qi Xuansu had already woken up from his trance.

    He had absorbed 90% of the Blood Pill¡¯s medicinal power.

    The Guizhen stage was thest step of a Xiantian Being before bing a Heavenly Being. Thus, there was a huge gap between practitioners in the Guizhen stage, so much so that it could have been split into another stage.

    In some aspects, this was simr to Heavenly Beings in the Zaohua stage, which was thest step of Heavenly Beings before bing Immortals. The gap between the Zaohua stage was sorge that it even gave rise to a whole new stage called the Pseudo-Immortals, which were outstanding Heavenly Beings.

    The Guizhen stage was divided into nine smaller levels. There was no difference in the mystical abilities one could practice in this stage, but the Nine Levels were just an indication of one¡¯s depth of cultivation.

    Li Changge, Yao Pei, and Zhang Yuelu were all on the highest 9th level, only one step away from bing a Heavenly Being. In fact, this level was the fastest to break through. Anyone at this level would sessfully be a Heavenly Being in a few months or at most, two years.

    Zhang Yuelu was busy with various duties, so she could not focus on cultivation. Hence, she was rtively slow.

    Xie Qiuniang and the like were not quite at the 9th level, but they were at least at the 8th. Most of Lu Yunfeng¡¯s fighters were at the lowest level. Among them, the Diviner Lu Long had the highest cultivation at the 3rd level.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s situation was a bit moreplicated. His cultivation as a Guizhen-stage Rogue Cultivator was considered to be at the lowest level. However, including his iplete abilities as a Diviner and Martial Arts Practitioner, Qi Xuansu would have been at the 6th or 7th level overall.

    However, there was also a huge disadvantage to this. His Martial Arts Practitioners lineage and the Diviner lineage could not be integrated with his Rogue Cultivator lineage. That was why Qi Xuansu could not be a true Banished Immortal.

    More importantly, the cultivation of his Martial Arts Practitioner and Diviner lineages could not be improved through conventional means such as meditation or taking elixirs. They could only be enhanced through the rare Xuan Jade.

    This was how Qi Xuansu advanced from the Yuding Realm to the Holy Embryo Realm of Rogue Cultivators. However, the Xuan Jade was too precious and hard toe by, so Qi Xuansu knew not to put all his hopes on it.

    If Qi Xuansu wanted to advance to a Heavenly Being, he would still have to rely on his own efforts, which was his Rogue Cultivator''s Holy Embryo Realm on the first level of the Guizhen stage.

    However, the effectiveness of the Blood Pill was far beyond Qi Xuansu¡¯s expectations. It allowed him to jump through five levels, from the lowest to the 6th. If he were to go against Zhang Yuelu at this time with the mystical abilities of his two other lineages, he would have stood a fighting chance.

    With his newly enhanced cultivation, Qi Xuansu¡¯s senses became sharper, so he could clearly hear the conversation between the two maids outside.

    Although he found their conversation rather funny, he finally understood Li Qingnu¡¯s situation and why she wanted to join the Qingping Society.

 Chapter 386: Letter

    <h4>Chapter 386: Letter</h4>

    At this moment, someone walked toward Li Qingnu¡¯s bedroom. It was none other than Li Qingnu herself.

    A¡¯Ling took the initiative to greet her with respect. ¡°Greetings, Young Lady.¡±

    Xiao Hong had an indifferent attitude. She saluted solemnly. ¡°Young Lady.¡±

    Their attitudes werepletely opposite to when they were alone.

    ¡°Thanks for your hard work.¡± Li Qingnu asked, ¡°How¡¯s everything?¡±

    ¡°There has been no movement,¡± A¡¯Ling replied immediately.

    Li Qingnu nodded and ordered, ¡°You girls can go back and rest.¡±

    A¡¯Ling and Xiao Hong exchanged a look before leaving. When they were far from Li Qingnu¡¯s residence, A¡¯Ling finally broke the silence. ¡°Xiao Hong, what did I tell you? There must be something going on between those two! That¡¯s why they want to be alone.¡±

    Xiao Hong only kept silent, her face expressionless.

    When Li Qingnu walked into her residence, Qi Xuansu had already gone from the study on the second floor to the living room on the first floor.

    She felt relieved seeing Qi Xuansu. However, she still asked, ¡°Any disturbances so far?¡±

    ¡°Everything is fine. Thanks for your concern, Miss Li,¡± Qi Xuansu replied.

    Li Qingnu took a seat in the living room and rolled her eyes. ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking because I care about you. I¡¯m doing this for Madam Qi¡¯s sake because if anything were to happen to you here, I wouldn¡¯t be able to exin it to her.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sat diagonally across from Li Qingnu and asked, ¡°How is the progress on the n to get Liu Hu to Liaodong?¡±

    Li Qingnu replied, ¡°We have already discussed it. In addition to Su Chou and Long Wuji, I will also send a confidant to go along the journey. The three of them are at the Guizhen stage. Even if they can¡¯tpare to you, they should be capable of protecting Liu Hu.¡±

    Qi Xuansu suddenly thought of the conversation between A¡¯Ling and Xiao Hong, so he probed, ¡°Is your confidant reliable?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Li Qingnu raised an eyebrow.

    Qi Xuansu muttered, ¡°I just feel that some people here don¡¯t seem convinced that you are their boss.¡±

    Li Qingnu was stunned. For the first time, she fell silent without any rebuttal.

    After a while, she finally spoke. ¡°Since you mentioned this, I might as well be honest with you. Some people here are indeed dissatisfied with me, but there are still quite a few people who support me.

    ¡°In a way, this is my godmother¡¯s test. As long as I can ovee the many objections, I can officially be the Li family¡¯s adopted daughter. Over the years, I have met many people from all walks of life, so I think I can judge someone well enough to consider them my confidant. You can rest assured that my confidant is trustworthy.¡±

    After Qi Xuansu heard what Li Qingnu said, he stopped dwelling on the matter and changed the topic. ¡°You deliberately dismissed the two maids outside the door. Do you have something important to tell me?¡±

    Li Qingnu did not beat around the bush. ¡°Well, I¡¯m just a messenger. Congrattions in advance, Daoist Qi!¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s heart pounded. He was more than excited to be returning to the Daoist Order. Only a handful of people knew of his dual identity¡ªMadam Qi, Li Qingnu, Pei Xiaolou, and Lei Xiaohuan.

    He asked, ¡°Is it rted to Sage Pei?¡±

    ¡°I really can¡¯t hide anything from you.¡± Li Qingnu was slightly surprised. ¡°Sage Pei gave the letter to Madam Qi, who used the rapid post talisman to deliver it here.¡±

    Sycamore Vi made a lot of money, so it was not unusual for them to have a rapid post talisman. The mother-child talisman allowed people tomunicate face-to-face, but it could not deliver documents.

    Li Qingnu took out an envelope from her sleeve and handed it to Qi Xuansu. Since this important letter could not be folded, the envelope was muchrger than ordinary ones. There was also a wax seal on the back with the words ¡°Ziwei Hall¡± and Lei Xiaohuan¡¯s name embossed on it, indicating that she was the sender.

    Lei Xiaohuan¡¯s status in the Daoist Order was higher than that of Pei Xiaolou. Although she was not an Omniscient Sage, she was still revered.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Seeing a letter from Lei Xiaohuan, Qi Xuansu could not conceal his shock.

    Li Qingnu dered, ¡°The seal is intact. I haven¡¯t read it.¡±

    Qi Xuansu opened the envelope, finding a brand new Daoist priest¡¯s insignia and two additional pieces of paper¡ªone ordinary and the other precious ivy paper.

    Ivy paper was a special paper used by Daoists to write ceremonial scripts. The material used to create this paper was very precious, making it extremely expensive. When burned as an offering to the heavens, the mes ignited were green and red, producing colorful and beautiful smoke.

    Later, the Daoist Order¡¯s official letters were all made of ivy paper.

    Qi Xuansu read the ordinary letter, handwritten by Pei Xiaolou. However, it was clearly Lei Xiaohuan¡¯s tone. The content was simple, asking about Qi Xuansu¡¯s current situation and requesting Qi Xuansu to leave for Jinling Prefecture immediately. He was to report to the Zhenwu Temple so that they could discuss the details in person. Nothing about Sage Donghua or returning to the Daoist Order was mentioned, so there would be no risk even if the letter identally fell into someone else¡¯s hands.

    Next, he picked up the ivy paper, which was an official appointment letter of his transfer from Tiangang Hall to Ziwei Hall and his promotion from a deacon to a superintendent. He was to assist Lei Xiaohuan, the Deputy Ziwei Hall Master, in investigating the case in Jinling Prefecture.

    Qi Xuansu was stunned. Although Tiangang Hall was among the top three, Ziwei Hall was the head of the Nine Halls. He was also promoted from a deacon to a superintendent.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu took out the brand new Daoist insignia.

    This was simr to the rank badges on the official uniforms of the Imperial Court. With one¡¯s rank revision, the badges had to be changed ordingly as well. That was why Daoist priests often needed to upgrade their insignias. Before this, Qi Xuansu had not moved from his position as a seventh-rank priest. After joining Tiangang Hall, he had umted enough merits to be promoted to the sixth rank, but he could not return to the Daoist Order and had to fake his death.

    This time, he could finally upgrade his insignia.

    ¡°The Supreme Daoist Order¡± was written at the top inrge font.

    ¡°Qi Xuansu, Fifth Rank¡± was in the middle, written in medium-sized font.

    ¡°Prospective Mage¡± was at the bottom, in small font.

    Qi Xuansu was pleasantly surprised to see this.

    Due to the tenure system, he thought he could only be promoted to the sixth rank. That was why he had not expected Ziwei Hall to promote him to the fifth rank in one go.

    Qi Xuansu had umted enough merit for the fifth rank after their journey to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s house, but it was only enough for him to be promoted to the sixth rank while enjoying the treatment of a fifth-rank priest. However, since Ziwei Hall was in charge of all personnel within the Daoist Order, including assessments and promotions, it would make sense that they had the power to override the tenure system.

    As such, Qi Xuansu was only one step away from bing a fourth-rank Daoist master.

    Madam Qi once told him that he had to be an eighth-rank priest before 25 years old and a seventh-rank priest by 30. Otherwise, there would be no hope of advancing rank within the Daoist Order because he would be marginalized in the annual assessment and promotion. If he could get to the sixth rank before 30 years old, he would be listed as an Apprentice Mage. If he could get to the fifth rank by 35 years old, he would be listed as a Prospective Mage, to which priority was given for promotion to the fourth rank.

    In the same way, the avable vacancies of Prospective Mages would first be given to Apprentice Mages.

    Qi Xuansu was not only a fifth-rank priest, but also a Prospective Mage, so his promotion to the fourth rank was just a matter of time.

    If he could strive to get to the fourth rank by 30 years old, he would have embarked on the road to sess as a young and promising talent with a limitless future. By then, bing a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master would be well within reach.

    Qi Xuansu was in a daze, knowing that he was about to join the ranks of the Daoist Order¡¯s young talents.

    Moreover, the basic sry for a fifth-rank Daoist priest was 50 Taiping coins per month, with 20 Taiping coins per month additional subsidy for a Prospective Mage. Unfortunately, he no longer had a special subsidy as he did in Tiangang Hall, so his total sry was 70 Taiping coins a month and around 800 Taiping coins a year.

    However, very few people climbed the ranks of the Daoist Order for this meager sry and subsidies. The key was the Daoist identity and position, which equated to power. With power, money would no longer be an issue.

 Chapter 387: First Taste of Power

    <h4>Chapter 387: First Taste of Power</h4>

    If Qi Xuansu had to report to Jinling Prefecture, he was bound to meet Zhang Yuelu again. This was something he had been looking forward to for a long time. However, Zhang Yuelu would definitely ask him where he had been, what he had done, and why he had not contacted her during this time.

    Qi Xuansu had two choices on how to approach this.

    He could take the opportunity to confess his dual identity and tell her that he was actually Wei Wugui, who had fought with her in Jiangling Prefecture. However, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s reaction was a coin toss¡ªshe mayugh it off or lose her temper.

    That was why Qi Xuansu dared not make any optimistic estimates about this.

    The second choice was to continue deceiving her by saying that he had been recovering from his injury during this period, which would exin theck ofmunication. The downside of this n was that there were too many loopholes, which made it difficult to justify. Zhang Yuelu would have asked why he was suddenly transferred to Ziwei Hall and promoted to a fifth-rank superintendent. She would also be curious as to how Qi Xuansu learned the same Tantai Fist Intention that she had seen Wei Wugui use.

    Qi Xuansu thought about it over and over, but he still could note up with the perfect solution. In the end, he decided to act ording to the situation.

    Before that, Qi Xuansu needed to make some preparations.

    He had two spiritual objects on him at the moment¡ªLu Yunfeng¡¯s jade pendant and the only cuss he had left. The jade pendant was of no use to him, so he nned to sell it at a good price. Since he had obtained Lu Yunfeng¡¯s jade pendant as a reward for winning consecutive battles, he could just sell it at Huasheng Hall without fear of being traced.

    The only cuss he had left was a decent weapon, but it was too big a target since he had used it to kill Wan Xiuwu and Su Ran. Thus, he had to get rid of it before returning to the Daoist Order. In fact, the safest way was to destroy it, but Qi Xuansu was reluctant to part with the money and decided he would sell it on the ck market when he had the chance.

    Early the next morning, Qi Xuansu went to the Huasheng Hall branch again.

    At this time, there were already many customers in Huasheng Hall, drinking tea in the lobby while waiting.

    As soon as Qi Xuansu entered the lobby, the female disciple behind the counter immediately recognized him and quickly went to the back hall to inform the superintendent.

    Huasheng Hall branches had many high-rollers who would spend an exorbitant sum of money, so Qi Xuansu¡¯s spending that day was not considered special. What made him memorable was that he dared to bet on the notorious Mystery Jars.

    After a while, Su Yan appeared in front of Qi Xuansu like a gust of wind.

    Qi Xuansu secretly cursed her. <i>This cunning fox cheated my money!</i>

    At the same time, Su Yan cursed Qi Xuansu. <i>This kid walked out with Huasheng Hall¡¯s treasure. Even if it was a substandard treasure, it was a treasure nheless!</i>

    The two of them faced off for a moment, staring down at one another, each of them with their own thoughts.

    After a while, Su Yan coughed lightly and broke the silence with a jab. ¡°Did youe here to open more Mystery Jars?¡±

    ¡°No. I want to sell a spiritual object.¡± Qi Xuansu took out Lu Yunfeng¡¯s jade pendant.

    After Su Yan studied the jade pendant, her expression changed slightly. She scrutinized it again and asked, ¡°Where did you get this from?¡±

    At this moment, several customers who were drinking tea in the lobby stood up.

    Qi Xuansu had a bad premonition, but he replied anyway. ¡°I won it from a fight.¡±

    One of the customers suddenly interrupted, ¡°Ha! I¡¯m afraid it was stolen!¡±

    Qi Xuansu turned around to see the man who had been drinking tea leisurely earlier.

    ¡°And you are?¡± Qi Xuansu already had a guess.

    The man smiled coldly. ¡°I¡¯m the butler of the Lu family, Lu Fu¡¯an.¡±

    While the man introduced himself, several more people stood behind him.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu knew that Lu Yunfeng had framed him.

    As expected, Lu Fu¡¯an dered, ¡°My young master lost a jade pendant worth 5,000 Taiping coins yesterday. He couldn¡¯t find it anywhere and suspected that it was stolen, so the young master asked us to keep watch in various ces. That way, we would know who the thief was once they sold the stolen pendant. The young master is right! We caught the thief red-handed!¡±

    Su Yan did not jump to conclusions. Instead, she nced at Qi Xuansu, waiting for his exnation.

    Qi Xuansu did not defend himself. He stared at Lu Fu¡¯an and scoffed. ¡°Young Master Lu sure is dishonorable to resort to such despicable means.¡±

    Lu Fu''an said expressionlessly, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your breath here. You can confess at the Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office.¡±

    Before Lu Fu¡¯an finished speaking, they could already hear footsteps approaching Huasheng Hall.

    Qi Xuansu was not frightened. He merelyughed. ¡°So this is how you use the Green Phoenix Guards to do your dirty deeds, huh?¡±

    A group of Green Phoenix Guards strode in, led by a senior major.

    Lu Fu¡¯an stretched out his hand and pointed at Qi Xuansu. ¡°You¡¯re here just in time. Quick, capture this thief who stole Young Master Lu¡¯s jade pendant!¡±

    The Green Phoenix Guards raised their firearms and aimed them at Qi Xuansu. The senior major looked solemn as he stated, ¡°Thief, surrender now, or you will be held in contempt!¡±

    The Green Phoenix Guards were not invincible, but most people in Jianghu were terrified of them, especially when a senior major used them of something like that. If Qi Xuansu used his cultivation to resist an arrest, he would immediately bebeled as a rebel. If so, he would be a wanted criminal. The Green Phoenix Guards could then enlist the help of the ck Robes to encircle and suppress him. By then, even a Heavenly Being might not get away unscathed.

    Qi Xuansu nced at Su Yan, who still had a neutral attitude without any obvious tendencies.

    However, Su Yan¡¯s neutrality only fueled Lu Fu¡¯an¡¯s arrogance. The Lu family''s butler pped his hand on the table and ordered, ¡°Take him down!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see who would dare touch me!¡± Qi Xuansu¡¯s resounding voice echoed in the entire hall.

    The senior major and Lu Fu¡¯an were both shocked by Qi Xuansu¡¯s reverberant voice, which was indicative of high cultivation.

    Qi Xuansu looked at the senior major. ¡°If someone from the Daoist Ordermits a crime, the Imperial Court has no right to arrest and detain them. Order your people to retreat.¡±

    After that, Qi Xuansu brandished his new Daoist insignia.

    The senior major had not expected Qi Xuansu to be a fifth-rank Daoist priest. Seeing the insignia, he dared not cross the line because no matter the oue, he would be dismissed from office. Thus, he waved his hand and instructed the Green Phoenix Guards, ¡°Get back.¡±

    The Green Phoenix Guards put away their firearms and retreated.

    Lu Fu¡¯an was not at all afraid. He narrowed his eyes and warned. ¡°So, you¡¯re a fifth-rank Daoist priest, huh? But it doesn¡¯t matter. If the Green Phoenix Guards don¡¯t dare to touch you, I will do the honors and beat you to death if you dare resist. I can handle the consequences!¡±

    The people who came with Lu Fu¡¯an had already filled the empty space left by the Green Phoenix Guards.

    Su Yan frowned. <i>How could a mere butler of the Lu family dare to openly kill a fifth-rank Daoist priest?</i>

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu took out the official letter from Ziwei Hall that was written on ivy paper. ¡°I am the superintendent of Ziwei Hall, ordered by the Golden Tower Council to participate in the investigation of the Purple Immortal Mountain case. You can kill me now, but you and your backer will be held ountable afterward. I find it amazing that you said you can bear the consequences of beating me, a fifth-rank Daoist priest, to death without going through Fengxian Hall¡¯s interrogation or Beichen Hall¡¯s investigation. I wonder, who gave you such power?¡±

    Lu Fu¡¯an¡¯s face turned pale.

    The people he brought were also shocked.

    The butler''s hand trembled as he pointed at Qi Xuansu. ¡°Do you know that it¡¯s a crime to impersonate a Daoist superintendent?!¡±

    Qi Xuansu handed the official letter to Su Yan. ¡°Superintendent Su can verify whether my identity is real. She¡¯s from the Taiping Sect, so I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t be biased against you.¡±

    Su Yan took the official letter and read it word by word. When she saw the final signature, she could not conceal her shocked expression.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    <i>Pei Xuanzhi¡ªSage Donghua.</i>

    Usually, the Deputy Hall Master appointed deacons while the Hall Master appointed superintendents. However, the Hall Master would usually appoint superintendents in the name of the hall. That way, the Hall Master would not be held responsible if anything were to go wrong. This was regarded as an unwritten rule among the Sages.

    It was simr to when the Golden Tower Council made a decision. No specific person would be held ountable because it was a decision made after a proper discussion.

    However, some promotions that were out of the ordinary and did notply with the rules had to be vouched for by the Hall Master. This indicated the value of said person that would allow a Hall Master to take such risks.

    ¡°It¡¯s real.¡± Su Yan returned the official letter to Qi Xuansu.

    Lu Fu¡¯an was quick-witted, immediately using Qi Xuansu. ¡°Even if you are a superintendent of Ziwei Hall, stealing someone¡¯s property is against thew!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t bother proving my innocence or arguing with you. If you insist, get your master to report me to Fengxian Hall. If you don¡¯t dare to take it public, then you¡¯d best shut up.¡± Qi Xuansu had an aloof expression as he continued, ¡°Besides, without the authorization of the Golden Tower Council, the local Daoist authorities are not qualified to arrest and detain Daoist priests from the Nine Halls.¡±

    The entire outer hall suddenly fell silent.

    In the end, Su Yan broke the silence. ¡°Butler Lu, you are not a Daoist priest, and Superintendent Qi was personally appointed by Sage Donghua. Even if you want to file awsuit against him, your young master will have toe forward in person.¡±

    Lu Fu¡¯an had not read the official letter carefully, so when he heard Sage Donghua¡¯s name, he was stunned.

    Sage Donghua was one of the top three Omniscient Sages who was as famous as Sage Qingwei. He was in charge of Ziwei Hall, which was the head of the Nine Halls. Even the head of the Lu family was not qualified topete with Sage Donghua.

    A superintendent personally appointed by Sage Donghua would mean that Qi Xuansu was a confidant or junior of the Omniscient Sage.

    Only then did Lu Fu¡¯an realize that he had walked into a metal block. For a moment, he was at a loss for what to do. In the end, he reluctantly smiled and excused himself. ¡°It¡¯s just a misunderstanding. I must have made a mistake. This isn¡¯t the jade pendant that my young master lost. My apologies, Superintendent Qi.¡±

    After that, Lu Fu¡¯an took out threerge cash notes and presented them to Qi Xuansu respectfully, using both hands.

    His attitude changed faster than one could flip a page.

    Qi Xuansu put away his insignia and the official letter, but he did not take the three cash notes. Instead, he red at the Lu family butler, who suddenly became ingratiating.

    For the first time in his life, Qi Xuansu experienced what it was like to be in a position of power. Even withoutmanding any substantial authority, merely being associated with it felt intoxicating.

 Chapter 388: Conquering the Mystery Jar Again

    <h4>Chapter 388: Conquering the Mystery Jar Again</h4>

    There were two main reasons why Qi Xuansu did not end up like Liu Futong this time.

    One reason was that Su Yan remained neutral. She did not act rashly like Su Ran did.

    Another reason was that the people from the Lu family were not fearful of his fifth-rank Daoist priest¡¯s identity. They were actually intimidated by the official letter from Ziwei Hall, which was personally signed by Sage Donghua. That was because fifth-rank priests weremon, but it was not often that Sage Donghua personally appointed a fifth-rank priest.

    In this regard, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were very simr¡ªboth had higher positionspared to their ranks. Zhang Yuelu was a fourth-rank Daoist priest who was promoted to Deputy Hall Master by the Earthly Preceptor, while Qi Xuansu was a fifth-rank Daoist priest who was promoted to superintendent by Sage Donghua.

    Generally speaking, it was moremon for high-ranking priests to hold lower-level positions. The positions of Deputy Hall Masters, Deputy Pce Masters, and Deputy Mansion Masters were normally held by ordinary second-rank or third-rank masters.

    The reasoning was not overlyplex. The Golden Tower might have deemed the individual¡¯s ability insufficient for a position corresponding to their Daoist rank and assigned them a lower-ranking role. It could also be that a particr position was exceptionally critical, prompting the Golden Tower to deliberately assign a high-ranking Daoist priest to ensure more governance.

    There were also special circumstances. During major crises, the Golden Tower Council might temporarily appoint high-ranking Daoist priests to lower positions to leverage their authority for more decisive action and swift response. This approach avoided unnecessary bureaucratic dys. Once stability was restored, adjustments would be made to return to the standard hierarchy.

    However, it was extremely rare for low-ranking Daoist priests to hold high-level positions. Most were temporary appointments in urgent situations, such as the death of a Deputy Hall Master, where a superintendent would momentarily take over the Deputy Hall Master¡¯smand. In most cases, people like this had a promising future.

    Most superintendents were fourth-rank Daoist priests. However, Qi Xuansu was only in the fifth rank. In addition, he was personally appointed by Sage Donghua and arranged to participate in the investigation of the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association.

    Anyone could tell that whoever caught the attention of Sage Donghua would have a bright future. Thus, if Lu Fu¡¯an continued to seek trouble, he would have to face Sage Donghua.

    Qi Xuansu never expected that his lie back in Fengtai County¡ªwhen he imed that Sage Donghua would like to send his regards to the Lord Commander¡ªwould actuallye true. He initially said that to muddle the situation, but it turned out that fate had brought him under Sage Donghua¡¯s radar.

    Seeing that Qi Xuansu refused to ept the cash notes, Lu Fu¡¯an dared not utter another word and quickly fled from Huasheng Hall in despair with his people in tow.

    Huasheng Hall, which seemed bustling with customers earlier, immediately became peaceful again.

    Su Yan was still expressionless. She was also a superintendent within the Nine Halls and superior to Qi Xuansu in terms of rank, so she was not afraid of offending him.

    She thought that Qi Xuansu was probably a descendant of the Quanzhen Sect¡¯s Qi family since he was tied to Sage Donghua.

    After that episode, Su Yan signaled Qi Xuansu to follow her to the duty room in the back hall. Since she found out that Qi Xuansu was also from the Daoist Order, the duty room was no longer off-limits to him.

    Theyout of Su Yan¡¯s duty room was simple and far inferiorpared to the corrupt Liu Futong¡¯s. It was not much different from an ordinary study, but it had some nts that added a touch of color to an otherwise dull room.

    After they took a seat, Su Yan asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you Wei Wugui? How did you change your name? How did you suddenly be a Daoist priest?¡±

    Qi Xuansu had already thought of an exnation. ¡°I have always been in the Daoist Order. I just used an alias and went undercover to investigate the case. Now that my task is temporarily done, I will be heading to Jinling Prefecture to resume my duties, so there will no longer be a need to continue hiding.¡±

    ¡°Can you disclose the progress of the case?¡± Su Yan asked, ¡°To be honest, one of my cousins ??was also involved, but she is already dead. She had just transferred to the Huasheng Hall branch of Purple Immortal Mountain less than half a year ago. But I don¡¯t know if she was silenced or if she had died for other reasons. We¡¯re clueless as we haven¡¯t been informed of anything.¡±

    Qi Xuansu felt nervous. However, he maintained a calm front. ¡°Superintendent Su, you should be familiar with the rules. Before the case is closed, I¡¯m not allowed to disclose the progress without permission from above. Please forgive me.¡±

    Su Yan was reasonable. Although she did not hide her disappointment, she still nodded in understanding. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    She stopped probing about the case. Instead, she asked, ¡°What was that fight about?¡±

    Qi Xuansu roughly recounted what happened.

    After Su Yan heard this, she remarked, ¡°This Young Master Lu family is indeed despicable. Not only does he force women to entertain him, but he is also a sore loser who can¡¯t keep his word. What a disgrace to the Lu family!¡±

    At this time, Qi Xuansu put the jade pendant on Su Yan¡¯s desk. ¡°Superintendent Su, will you please appraise this pendant? I¡¯ll sell it if the price is right.¡±

    When it came to business, Su Yan was not polite to Qi Xuansu. ¡°The Lu family said the original price of this pendant was 5,000 Taiping coins. High-grade spiritual objects are indeed worth this price, but in my opinion, this pendant''s applicability is low, so only those who are not short of money will buy it. In addition, it¡¯s a secondhand product, so I can¡¯t buy it at the original price. As such, I can only offer you 2,500 Taiping coins for it.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was willing to ept 3,000 Taiping coins, so he immediately rebutted. ¡°This is a genuine spiritual object, so I think it¡¯s too much to sh the price by half even if it is secondhand. These prodigal sons will buy it for their own use and will pay any amount regardless if it¡¯s secondhand.¡±

    Su Yan shook her head. ¡°Even if it is for the princess¡¯s own use, it is still a secondhand item, not brand new.¡±

    Qi Xuansu proposed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you round it up to 3,000 Taiping coins? I¡¯ll sell it.¡±

    The two of them haggled back and forth for a long time over 500 Taiping coins. Finally, Su Yan came up with apromise. ¡°Why don¡¯t we both take a step back? I¡¯ll offer you 2,000 Taiping coins and throw in two more Mystery Jars, which can be regarded as 3,000 Taiping coins. If you don¡¯t agree, then I can only offer you 2,500 Taiping coins. Alternatively, you can go to the ck market to check out the price.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was aware of the difference between this jade pendant and his ming cusses. It was difficult to sell something that was valuable but had no market. Moreover, he had to leave for Jinling soon, so he might not have time to go to the ck market.

    After careful deliberation, Qi Xuansu finally agreed to Su Yan¡¯s offer. He also vaguely felt that Su Yan was trying to clean up the inventory of Mystery Jars.

    Since Qi Xuansu still had hopes for the conservation of luck, he still wanted to try his hand for the Three Bing and Three Ding Fire Technique. After all, it would be too wasteful to own a treasure but not have the ability to use it.

    Su Yan did not lie to him. When these Mystery Jars were shipped, there was a randomized list attached, recording the contents of these jars. However, the individual jars were notbeled, so Su Yan was curious about what Qi Xuansu would get.

    She immediately asked a subordinate to send over the contract for Qi Xuansu to sign. After that, she handed over the money and led Qi Xuansu back to the familiar warehouse.

    This time, Qi Xuansu randomly picked a Mystery Jar and ripped open the sealing talisman.

    As the burst of light faded, a discontinued 200-Taiping-coin cash note appeared on the table.

    ¡°Congrattions!¡± Su Yan smirked, no longer bothered to hide her reactions.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s face twitched slightly as he silently put away the old cash note andforted himself. <i>At least I didn''t lose everything. I might as well keep it as a souvenir.</i>

    He had one more Mystery Jar left.

    Qi Xuansu casually picked one from the shelf, took a deep breath, and opened the seal again.

    This time, a bright light shed, revealing an old, thread-bound book on the table.

    Seeing a book, Qi Xuansu was overjoyed. He stared at the cover intently and saw ¡°The Three Bing and Three Ding Fire Technique¡± written clearly on it.

    The Three Bing and Three Ding Fire Technique was an average-attainment method. This book was also just a copy that could be printed at will. If Qi Xuansu had gotten this book without the replica of the Nine Yang Fiery Dome, he would not have been so excited. But when paired with the substandard treasure, theirbined value was better than a high-attainment method.

    Qi Xuansu pped hysterically and grinned from ear to ear. ¡°Superintendent Su, you really are a woman of your word!¡±

    This time, Su Yan¡¯s face twitched. ¡°Your wish finally came true.¡±

    Qi Xuansu cupped his fists. ¡°Same to you!¡±

    Not long after, Qi Xuansu left the Huasheng Hall branch with an additional 2,000 Taiping coins, a copy of the Three Bing and Three Ding Fire Technique, and a satisfied smirk on his face.

    After returning to Sycamore Vi, Qi Xuansu spent most of the day studying the Three Bing and Three Ding Fire Technique. With his Guizhen-stage cultivation, it was not difficult to practice an average-attainment method, so he got the hang of it soon, enough to control the replica of the Nine Yang Fiery Dome. However, there was still a long way to go before he could master this technique.

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    Once he learned how to control the substandard treasure, he could shrink it to the size of an ordinary bell and hang it around his waist. He no longer had to carry it in a box. In addition, the bell could emit light as long as he injected magical power into it, acting as amp even when it was not used as a weapon to attack an enemy.

    Qi Xuansu was pleased with his very first treasure.

 Chapter 389: Black Market

    <h4>Chapter 389: ck Market</h4>

    Qi Xuansu did not return to Sycamore Vi. Instead, he went to the only ready-made clothing shop in Bohai Prefectural City and bought three sets of clothes.

    One was a standard Daoist robe, costing 50 Taiping coins. Another was a formal hechang priced at 110 Taiping coins.

    After all, he was going to meet Zhang Yuelu, so he needed to change into new clothes. Additionally, the Daoist Order was unlike Jianghu, especially after the reform efforts led by the fifth-generation Grand Master. Since then, it was important for Daoists to keep a tidy appearance, leaving no room for sloppiness.

    In Jade Capital, there were even specially appointed Daoist priests from the Ciji Hall tasked with supervising etiquette and appearance. Qi Xuansu could not possibly meet his superiors and peers wearing his current attire, which was only fit for Jianghu.

    The third set of clothes was a simple,mon Jianghu outfit, with narrow sleeves instead of wide ones, a streamlined hem, and t-topped boots without pointed tips. These were all designed for ease of movement. This set cost 10 Taiping coins.

    After leaving the clothing shop, Qi Xuansu headed to the local Taiping Inn and rented a room under his real name.

    Once in his room, Qi Xuansu left his Divine Dragon Pistol and the two additional outfits and stowed away his Nine Yang Fiery Dome. He changed into the 10-Taiping-coin Jianghu outfit and donned the white fox mask, transforming himself into an elderly man.

    Staying at the Taiping Inn required registration, but guests were free to leave without the need to notify anyone. Qi Xuansu quietly exited through the side door in his elderly disguise and headed to the ck market.

    The ck market, also known as a mountain city, was backed by Seven Treasure Pavilion. While not located everywhere, major hubs like Bohai Prefecture certainly had a ck market. However, finding the exact location required a guide or a referral, so outsiders had little chance of barging in.

    For a seasoned traveler like Qi Xuansu, locating the ck market was no challenge.

    Soon, he found a local gangster and bargained with thetter, settling on a guide fee of 20 Taiping coins.

    The gangster guided Qi Xuansu through a winding maze of streets in the busy city for the better part of a day, finally arriving at a shantytown on the outskirts of the city.

    It was well known that even the most prosperous towns had areas where impoverished people gathered. Such ces were chaotic in every sense¡ªfrom security and poption mobility to architecture and roadyouts.

    This ¡°chaos¡± epassed more than just security. It included erratic movement of crowds, haphazard buildingyouts, and confusing roads. The area had people from all walks of life. Besides ordinary civilians, it was inevitable that there would be pickpockets, swindlers, prostitutes, kidnappers, human traffickers, infamous ouws, and cult members, making it awless ce.

    This shantytown sprawled along the city walls, with countless low huts haphazardly constructed. The huts were so densely packed that their eaves nearly touched. Walking through them, one could only see a narrow sliver of blue sky above, making the ce dim.

    Bohai Prefectural City had aplete sewer system that discharged wastewater into rivers and the sea. However, the shantytown outsidecked such infrastructure, leaving sewage everywhere. During the height of summer, swarms of mosquitoes filled the air, apanied by an assortment of foul odors.

    Compared to the orderly city within the walls, it was like an entirely different world.

    This becamemonce because various manufacturing nts were concentrated in major towns. Many civilians who lost their farnd were forced to leave their hometowns in the countryside and flock to urban centers to work in these nts.

    The city could not amodate the influx of migrant workers, so the workers had no choice but to build makeshift shelters out of broken bricks and scrap wood along the edge of the city. Over time, these settlements expanded into the sprawling shantytown they had be.

    Under the local gangster¡¯s guidance, Qi Xuansu arrived at the northwest corner of the shantytown with a massive courtyard.

    Calling this a courtyard was misleading. Unlike the walled courtyards of well-designed mansions in the city, this ¡°courtyard¡± used interconnected shanties as its boundary, making it highly essible and easy to escape from.

    This was where the ck market was located in Bohai Prefecture. Even if the Green Phoenix Guard or Daoist Order conducted surprise raids, it would be difficult to make arrests without surrounding the entire shantytown and conducting a meticulous search. However, the ck market usually maintained good connections with officials by bribing them, so spot checks were usually avoided.

    The local gangster knocked on the door. Soon after, a narrow slot opened, revealing a pair of wary eyes.

    The gangster said, ¡°We have a guest.¡±

    The owner of those eyes responded, ¡°10 Taiping coins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu recalled that the ck market along the Chamagu Road only charged 1 Taiping coin for entry. This ce charged ten times that. It seemed that there was a corrtion between entry fees and the location¡¯s prosperity.

    The gangster gestured subtly to Qi Xuansu, who handed over a small cash note.

    The narrow slot mmed shut, and the small door within the big door creaked open.

    That was when Qi Xuansu noticed that the door actually had another small door within it. Therger gate could amodate carriages, but the smaller door was for individual entry.

    The person behind the door finally emerged. He appeared to be in his forties, dressed in a short robe ending above the knees, t cloth shoes, and a skullcap¡ªthe standard attire of Seven Treasure Pavilion staff.

    ¡°This way, please.¡± The man led Qi Xuansu inside while the gangster remained outside.

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    The 20 Taiping coins Qi Xuansu paid were not a simple fee for just guidance. The gangster also served as a guarantee. If Qi Xuansu caused trouble or turned out to be an undercover agent, the gangster would have to face the consequences. Thus, while lucrative, the job required sharp judgment.

    This ¡°courtyard¡± was not in a traditional square shape, but an irregr concave configuration. After taking two turns, Qi Xuansu discovered an entirely different scene. At the upper right corner of the concaveyout was a massive tent, evenrger than the General¡¯s tents used in the military. It rivaled the tents of the Golden Horde Khan, capable of amodating hundreds of people with ease.

    More than ten skilled guards stood in front of the tent, their waists gleaming with firearms and des while their sharp eyes scanned the surroundings vigntly.

    The man led Qi Xuansu inside. It was not much different from the ck market along the Chamagu Road, with stalls for both buying and selling.

    In addition to the free trade, Seven Treasure Pavilion, which managed the ck market, also purchased and sold certain items, somewhat simr to the Daoist Huasheng Hall.

    Qi Xuansu had no intention of setting up his own stall. He went straight to the only counter in the tent, which was located at the innermost part, indicating its distinct statuspared to ordinary stalls.

    Behind the counter stood an elderly man with white hair and a beard, appearing about the same age as Qi Xuansu¡¯s disguised form. As soon as Qi Xuansu approached, the elderly man activated a privacy barrier that blocked out both sight and sound. He then asked, ¡°Brother, do you have items to sell?¡±

    Qi Xuansu took out his ming cuss and ced it on the counter. ¡°State a price.¡±

    The old man nced at it and pondered before finally saying, ¡°800.¡±

    ¡°Too little.¡± Qi Xuansu shook his head and negotiated. ¡°1100.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too high. No deal.¡± The old man shook his head as well. ¡°Let¡¯se to apromise¡ª900.¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°I¡¯llpromise at 1,000. I originally bought this cuss for 1,250 Taiping coins. At most, it has depreciated by 250 Taiping coins. 1,000 is the lowest I can go.¡±

    The old man pondered for a moment and proposed, ¡°That¡¯s not possible in cash. But we can barter to offset the 1,000 Taiping coins.¡±

    ¡°Deal!¡± Qi Xuansu immediately epted the offer. ¡°Do you have a better de?¡±

    The man grinned. ¡°We do have one.¡±

    With that, the old man turned around and went behind the counter. When he returned, he held a sheathed horizontal de.

    During the Li royal dynasty, four types of Qi des were crafted: ceremonial des, defensive des, horizontal des, and cavalry des.

    Horizontal des were generally about 60 to 80 centimeters, rarely reaching one meter, so they were not considered long des. There was a slight angle between the grip and de that resembled a straight, single-edged sword. It was unsuitable for battlefieldbat but ideal for skirmishes.

    The de before him was about 80 centimeters, slightly longer than Qi Xuansu¡¯s short sword. It wasvishly decorated, with a dragon-phoenix loop on the hilt¡ªsymbols of the royal family¡ªindicating a connection to the Qi Dynasty¡¯s royal lineage.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°May I try it?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± the old man replied, handing over the de.

    Qi Xuansu took the de, unsheathed it, and felt an intense chill radiate toward him, causing a faint stinging sensation on his skin.

    The old man exined, ¡°This horizontal de can¡¯t ignite mes or conjure frost. Its sole strength lies in its sharpness, rivaling many treasures. It can cut through hair in mid-air with ease. Even an ordinary person without cultivation could effortlessly pierce the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s Bull Dragon Armor with it. Its only w is that it¡¯s somewhat brittle, so it may break against a true treasure-level de. It¡¯s not suited for direct shes; hence, it¡¯s only considered a spiritual object.¡±

    ¡°Is it really that sharp?¡± Qi Xuansu activated his qi shield and lightly grazed the de across his finger.

    The de easily sliced through Qi Xuansu¡¯s qi shield, leaving a bright red cut on his fingertip.

    Amazed, Qi Xuansu remarked, ¡°It is undoubtedly a top-grade spiritual object. What¡¯s the name of this de? How much does it cost?¡±

    The old man replied, ¡°This de is called the Flying Shadow.¡±

    ¡°Flying Shadow, Dancing Snow. That¡¯s a great name!¡± Qi Xuansu praised.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± The old man said, ¡°This de is part of a pair; its counterpart is called the Flying White Shadow, though it¡¯s not in our possession. The price for the Flying Shadow is 4,000 Taiping coins. If you¡¯d like it, you need to top up 3,000 Taiping coins, as we can offset the agreed 1,000 Taiping coins from trading in the ming cuss.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s eyelid twitched slightly.

    He only had 2,000 Taiping coins, but after spending 200 Taiping coins on clothes, that left him with only 1,800 Taiping coins. He was still short of 1,200 Taiping coins.

    Qi Xuansuined, ¡°That¡¯s a sky-high price! I¡¯m sincerely interested in it, so let¡¯s skip the theatrics and name a fair rate.¡±

    The old man deliberated again before saying, ¡°Very well. I can give you a personal discount by deducting another 500 Taiping coins. But any more than that is beyond my authority.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did a quick calction. He was still 700 Taiping coins short.

    After some thought, Qi Xuansuid out 18rge cash notes and the set of Seven Phoenix Feathers on the counter. ¡°If you find this eptable, we have a deal. If not, I¡¯ll look elsewhere.¡±

    The old man¡¯s gaze lingered on the Seven Phoenix Feathers for a moment before nodding. ¡°Deal!¡±

 Chapter 390: Testing the Blade

    <h4>Chapter 390: Testing the de</h4>

    The Huasheng Hall issued a formal agreement whenever they purchased goods from individuals. However, the ck market operated without such rules¡ªtransactions werepleted with a simple exchange of money and goods.

    Afterpleting the transaction, Qi Xuansu once again found himself with empty sleeves. However, his inventory had undergone a significant transformation. Gone were the ming Dual Cusses and the Seven Phoenix Feathers, reced by the replica of the Nine Yang Fiery Dome and Flying Shadow. Additionally, he now carried four Bliss Needles, the Divine Dragon Pistol, 4 rounds of Grade-B Series Two Dragon Eye Bullets, 8 rounds of Grade-B Series Three Dragon Eye Bullets, and several standard armor-piercing bullets.

    Qi Xuansu decided to trade away the Seven Phoenix Feathers because Su Yan¡¯s question reminded him of its significance. The Seven Phoenix Feathers was Su Ran¡¯s relic. Though the Bliss Needles and Seven Phoenix Feathers were not concealed weapons exclusive to the Qingqiu lineage, the fact that both Su Ran and Qi Xuansu possessed them could arouse suspicion. If his identity as Wei Wugui was exposed in the future, it would be easy for others to draw the connections.

    Although Qi Xuansu felt no remorse for killing Su Ran, he still preferred to avoid provoking the Qingqiu fox demons. Hence, he chose to take precautions.

    After parting with the Seven Phoenix Feathers, he was left with the Bliss Needles as his concealed weapon. However, the Bliss Needles were easily obtainable at the right price, simr to the Divine Dragon Pistol. Despite the decline in its usage due to the rise of firearms, it was entirely reasonable for a Rogue Cultivator like him to carry such a weapon.

    Whether this precaution would be sufficient to conceal his identity depended on fate. If his secret was still discovered, there was little he could do.

    As soon as the old man lowered the privacy formation that had obscured all sounds and views, the noisy mor of the ck market surged in like a tide.

    Qi Xuansu no longer had the means to buy anything, so he did not linger around the tent and walked straight out.

    Leaving the ck market, Qi Xuansu entered the shantytown outside. After ncing around, he did not retrace his steps back to the city. Instead, he carefully maneuvered around the foul-smelling puddles, heading deeper into the area.

    Before long, several individuals used the Qi Observation Technique to tail Qi Xuansu by following the footprints he left behind.

    Qi Xuansu moved quickly, weaving through thebyrinthine shantytown. His footprints appeared and vanished, winding and twisting until they finally disappeared at a dead end in an alley.

    The people tracking his footprints looked at each other in confusion.

    That was when they heard a voice behind them. ¡°Are you looking for me?¡±

    The group whipped around and saw that Qi Xuansu, who had clearly been ahead of them, had somehow appeared behind them.

    ¡°You lot sure know how to prey on people by robbing them of their purchases from the ck market.¡± Qi Xuansu sneered, holding his newly purchased sheathed de, making no effort to conceal his murderous intent.

    Without a word, the group unsheathed their weapons.

    Qi Xuansu raised Flying Shadow with a flourish and slowly unsheathed the horizontal de. ¡°Perfect. I¡¯ll test my de on you.¡±

    In the next instant, one of them felt a chill on his neck and found himself soaring through the air, everything around him spinning uncontrobly.

    From hispanion¡¯s perspective, theirrade¡¯s head had suddenly spun off his shoulders, spiraling upward to the sky, while his headless body copsed to the ground, spraying blood like a fountain.

    With a casual flick of his hand, the bloodied de returned to its pristine form and sparkled, like a lotus root emerging from the mud, unstained by dirt. Qi Xuansu had not even exerted much force in his earlier strike, nor had he injected any qi into the de. It was solely the de¡¯s sharpness that had effortlessly decapitated the man.

    ¡°Nice. A clean cut and no stains.¡± Qi Xuansu remarked in approval. ¡°This is worth every bit of the 4,000 Taiping coins!¡±

    Qi Xuansu never killed innocent people and was lenient toward women and children. However, when it came to thugs like these who had blood on their hands, he showed no mercy.

    At that moment, someone suddenly shouted, ¡°This is a tough one; let¡¯s attack together!¡±

    These thugs were seasoned killers. From Qi Xuansu¡¯s confident demeanor and his earlier strike, they had already realized they had provoked the wrong person. Thus, they shouted to attack in an attempt to distract Qi Xuansu but scattered in different directions. Two of them leaped onto the rooftops¡ªone heading south and the other north. They sprinted about 30 meters in the blink of an eye.

    Qi Xuansu let out a coldugh. In an instant, he appeared behind the man heading north, grabbed him by the back, and hurled him out with great force. The man flew like a meteor toward hispanion, who was heading south.

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    The other man only felt an overwhelming force crashing down on him. He could not dodge in time, so the two men collided and tumbled off the roof.

    Qi Xuansu quickly threw out Flying Shadow. The sharp de gleamed in the sun and skewered both men like candied hawthorns. Qi Xuansu then tugged his right hand back, summoning Flying Shadow along its original trajectory.

    This was the Sword Controlling Technique, distinct from the more advanced Sword Steering Technique. This Sword Controlling Technique used qi to guide concealed weapons and swords. Thus, the user could mimic shing movements remotely and executeplex techniques.

    The advantage was that it had an extended attack range, but the disadvantage was its susceptibility to being knocked away by the opponent. That was why wielding the de was still necessary when fighting against a formidable opponent. However, this technique sufficed when dealing with weaker adversaries.

    As Qi Xuansu moved, none of the remaining thugs dared block his way. Two other thugs bolted toward the alley¡¯s entrance in a desperate attempt to escape. However, they had not anticipated Qi Xuansu¡¯s sheer speed. In a sh, he had already dealt with the two who fled from the rooftop and was about to intercept them.

    One of the thugs reacted quickly out of fear and rage, swinging his de at Qi Xuansu¡¯s face.

    The other chose to continue fleeing instead of joining hisrade in attacking Qi Xuansu.

    Seeing this, the thug attacking Qi Xuansu was left with a sense of dread. But there was no time for him to dwell on the disappointment of being abandoned.

    The thug¡¯s de struck Qi Xuansu¡¯s Flying Shadow, but there was no sound of metal nging. Instead, his de was sliced into two as if it were made of paper.

    Just as Qi Xuansu had said, he was testing his de.

    These people had only themselves to me for choosing to target Qi Xuansu.

    With a casual swing of Flying Shadow, the thug only saw a shift in scenery. In an instant, his body was cleaved from his neck to his nk. Half of his torso slid diagonally downward as blood gushed out of his body.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s face remained emotionless as he simply flicked the blood off his de.

    The final thug standing had already vanished into thebyrinthine alleys, feeling only terror and a hint of relief. Though he had kept a low profile, he was the most skilled among them. Yet from the moment Qi Xuansu drew his first strike, he knew that they had grossly underestimated their opponent.

    His sole thought was to escape. However, he did not flee first for fear of being targeted, nor did he entertain the idea of a desperate counterattack. Instead, he seized the moment when hisrade struck Qi Xuansu to slip away.

    This was a close call because Qi Xuansu could legally kill them all in the name of self-defense without facing any punishment.

    Just as the man thought he had sessfully escaped, Qi Xuansu appeared in front of him.

    To Qi Xuansu¡¯s surprise, the thug dropped his weapon, dropped to his knees, and stammered, ¡°P-Please spare me! S-Spare me! I have a 70-year-old mother at home¡ª¡±

    Before the thug could finish pleading, Qi Xuansu reached out and pressed his palm firmly against the man¡¯s head.

    The man¡¯s entire body suddenly shortened by half, his head forcibly pushed down into his chest like a turtle retracting into its shell.

    As his lifeless body slumped to the ground, a dagger fell from his sleeve, its de gleaming with a bluish tint¡ªclearly poisoned. The plea for mercy had merely been a ruse meant to distract Qi Xuansu. However, Qi Xuansu was a seasoned fighter and was not so easily fooled. He killed the thug before thetter even had a chance to finish his lie.

    Qi Xuansu initially considered searching the corpse for anything of value, but he quickly dismissed the idea. He reminded himself that he was now a fifth-rank Daoist priest, a Prospective Mage, and a superintendent of Ziwei Hall. In the future, he might even attain titles like Mage, High Mage, or even Sage. How could he still behave as he once did?

    Determined to present himself with dignity, Qi Xuansu suppressed the urge to search for spoils. Instead, he sheathed his de with practiced elegance before turning away.

    Qi Xuansu took a few more detours before returning to the city.

    After ensuring no one was tailing him, he quietly slipped back into his room at the Taiping Inn through the side entrance. He removed his white fox face mask, changed into a in Daoist robe, holstered his Divine Dragon Pistol, and left in stride through the main door, heading back to Sycamore Vi.

    With everything settled, it was time for farewells.

 Chapter 391: Bai Yingqiong

    <h4>Chapter 391: Bai Yingqiong</h4>

    There were two types of morality¡ªone that stemmed from one¡¯s own beliefs and one that was imposed by others.

    Morality that stemmed from one¡¯s own beliefs was a source of restraint and power, while morality imposed by others was only constraining.

    The Daoist Order had its own standard of moral codes.

    These moral codes became the spiritual pirs for those who epted them, giving people the strength to move forward fearlessly.

    However, the same moral codes became shackles to those who rejected them. These people endured constant torment being bound by the chains of morality; thus, they sought to break free from the restraints or bring about change.

    At this juncture, it was hard to say how many epted them and how many did not.

    In Jinling Prefecture, it seemed as though more people rejected the moral codes. Otherwise, the two major corruption cases would not have been linked to this ce. Or perhaps it was simply because Jinling was too prosperous, making it a lucrative target.

    In terms of scale, the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion could arguably be considered the foremost Daoist mansion, especially with its strategic location at the junction of the three major Daoist sects. To the east was the sea; to the south was the Chuzhou Daoist Mansion of the Zhengyi Sect; to the north was the Luzhou Daoist Mansion of the Taiping Sect; and to the west was the Huzhou Daoist Mansion controlled by the Quanzhen Sect. Even the Cihang lineage, with its proximity advantage, could not fully dominate the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion but could only exert substantial influence over it.

    Since no single faction could fully control the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion, itcked a strong and authoritative Mansion Master.

    Under such circumstances, the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion resembled the Kunlun Daoist Mansion, making the roles of the Chief Deputy and Second Deputy especially crucial, often having equal standing to the Mansion Master.

    By contrast, in Daoist mansions led by strong masters, deputies were often reduced to mere figureheads. As a result, the head of the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion held a rtively low ranking in the Golden Tower Council.

    At the moment, Bai Yingqiong served as the Chief Deputy Jiangnan Mansion Master. In terms of position, she was closest to her master, Sage Cihang. Unfortunately, her age was also closest to her master¡¯s. While they were nominally master and disciple, their rtionship was more akin to sisters.

    By the time Sage Cihang retired, Bai Yingqiong would not have many years left in her own career.

    In this situation, if Bai Yingqiong were determined to ascend to power, her true rival would not be her junior sister, Zhang Yuelu, but her own master, Sage Cihang. However, the reality was that Sage Cihang, the second-inmand in the Zhengyi Sect, was a strong candidate for the position of Grand Master. Opposing Sage Cihang would be tantamount to severing ties with the Zhengyi Sect.

    Regardless of Bai Yingqiong¡¯s intentions, she had no choice but to ept this reality.

    In fact, Bai Yingqiong had realized this oue over a decade ago and resigned herself to this fate. Her status and position predetermined that she would only be a prominent elder within the Cihang lineage.

    If one were to draw aparison to the Imperial Court, Sage Cihang¡¯s position would be akin to that of the Emperor, and Bai Yingqiong would be akin to a cab minister. Thus, when Sage Cihang named Zhang Yuelu as her sessor, Bai Yingqiong made no attempt to oppose this decision. Instead, she decided to proactively foster a good rtionship with her junior sister, paving the way for the future so as to act as a regent.

    Bai Yingqiong did not normally reside in the Zhenwu Temple. Instead, she lived in her own residence within Jinling Prefecture. It was just a simple dual-entrance courtyard that exuded understated elegance,cking extravagant pavilions or water features that were typical of a Jiangnan residence. Those familiar with Bai Yingqiong¡¯s status referred to it as the Bai Residence.

    Although there were certainly others in Jinling Prefecture with the samest name, the Bai Residence was invariably referring to Bai Yingqiong¡¯s home.

    A small living room in the backyard of the Bai Residence was cooled by a formation that warded off the oppressive summer heat. In fact, it was like winter inside.

    ¡°It¡¯s freezing here!¡± Bai Xiaojinined. She was dressed in a thin silk garment, struggling to tolerate the chill. Such formations still had some ws, unable to automatically regte the temperature of a room, often making it either too cold or too hot.

    Hearing this, Bai Yingqiong smiled. It was natural and heartfelt, a rare sight reserved only for her beloved daughter. She sat tall and dignified, allowing her daughter to tug at her hand as she simply smiled without moving.

    Bai Yingqiong¡¯s age was not far from Sage Cihang¡¯s, so it was not surprising that she had a daughter who was only a few years younger than Zhang Yuelu, just entering adulthood.

    The person seated opposite Bai Yingqiong suggested, ¡°Perhaps you should lower the formation¡¯s intensity.¡±

    It was none other than Zhang Yuelu, dressed in formal Daoist attire, exuding an air of authority.

    Bai Yingqiong shook her head and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for being too indulgent with this brat, so much so that she has no manners in front of guests.¡±

    The Chief Deputy Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master turned to her daughter and chided her. ¡°Wear moreyers if you¡¯re cold.¡±

    Bai Xiaojin grumbled. ¡°Why don¡¯t you two wear less?¡±

    ¡°Xiaojin!¡± Bai Yingqiong feigned anger.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Zhang Yuelu said with a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t feel warm at all.¡±

    Bai Yingqiong was momentarily stunned. She probed, ¡°Junior Sister, are you about to be a Heavenly Being?¡±

    Besides being able to fly, Heavenly Beings werepletely immune to extreme heat and cold.

    ¡°Most likely by this year.¡± Zhang Yuelu nodded.

    Bai Yingqiong smiled. ¡°This is wonderful news! Does our master know?¡±

    ¡°She knows,¡± Zhang Yuelu replied. ¡°Master frequently writes to me.¡±

    Bai Yingqiong remarked half-jokingly, ¡°We didn¡¯t get such treatment back in the day.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re teasing me, Senior Sister.¡±

    Bai Yingqiong changed the subject to avoid sounding bitter, turning to her daughter and saying, ¡°In that case, shouldn¡¯t you thank your aunt?¡±

    Although somewhat reluctant, Bai Xiaojin did not defy her mother and muttered, ¡°Thank you, Aunt Zhang.¡±

    After that, she walked to a corner of the living room and twisted a wooden mechanism to deactivate the temperature formation. The chill in the room diminished significantly.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s visit today was to strengthen the bond with her senior sister. She believed in the Daoist moral code but was not rigid about it. She also understood the value of having more allies, and it was clear she needed her senior sister¡¯s support if she wanted to reach great heights.

    Bai Yingqiong had already intended to foster goodwill with Zhang Yuelu. Thus, her junior sister¡¯s proactive visit satisfied her wishes. Coupled with their rtionship of having a shared master, their conversation flowed easily.

    However, these two were not ordinary women. They also had a significant age gap between them, so there was not much trivial chatter. Before long, they began discussing serious matters.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that another group ising. It seems the Golden Tower Council has bumped up the importance of this investigation,¡± Bai Yingqiong remarked. As a local official, she was not as well-informed about the personnel arrangements and movements from Jade Capital as Zhang Yuelu.

    ¡°Yes, quite a few people areing,¡± Zhang Yuelu replied. ¡°After all, given the precedent of the Jiangnan case, the same mistakes will likely be repeated if not enough people are dispatched.¡±

    Bai Yingqiong smiled faintly, showing no signs of displeasure.

    The Jiangnan case had been the very opportunity that elevated Bai Yingqiong to her current position. After the incident, the former Mansion Master, Chief Deputy, and Second Deputy were all transferred out of Jiangnan. The Cihang lineage, led by Sage Cihang, had contributed significantly to resolving the case, paving the way for Bai Yingqiong to take over as the Chief Deputy Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master. Thus, she had no reason to shy away from this topic.

    Bai Yingqiong asked, ¡°Do you know who these people are?¡±

    ¡°The detailed list is in Sage Lei¡¯s hands. I haven¡¯t inquired about it,¡± Zhang Yuelu replied. ¡°However, Sage Pei mentioned that most of them seem to be disciples of the Quanzhen Sect. After all, Sage Donghua currently oversees Ziwei Hall, giving him the upper hand in personnel arrangements.¡±

    Bai Yingqiong nodded. ¡°That¡¯s for the best. This case originated at Purple Immortal Mountain. Both the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association and the silenced Yuan family are in Jiangling Prefecture, which falls within the Quanzhen Sect¡¯s territory. It makes sense for them to take the lead in investigating this thoroughly.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu mused, ¡°I¡¯m only concerned that the two Deputy Hall Masters from the Li family and the Deputy Hall Master Lu Yushu will be difficult to deal with.¡±

    In terms of tact and experience, Zhang Yuelu still could not quitepare to Bai Yingqiong. Her visit today was partly to seek advice.

    Bai Yingqiong did not disappoint her expectations and promptly advised. ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s best to fight evil with a borrowed hand. If they¡¯re difficult to handle, you can use others to deal with them.¡±

    ¡°And whose hand should I borrow?¡± Zhang Yuelu immediately asked.

    Bai Yingqiong replied, ¡°Ning Lingge.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu fell into contemtion.

    Bai Yingqiong continued, ¡°Among the three sects, most will say that the Taiping Sect is the strongest. But that¡¯s not true. The strongest is actually the Quanzhen Sect. The difference is that the Taiping Sect is the most unified, with a single cohesive voice, like five fingers clenched into a fist. That unity,bined with their support from the Imperial Court, gives them the dominant position and forces the other two sects to form alliances to counter them.

    ¡°Before the Holy Xuan unified the Daoist sects, they were divided into five regions¡ªnorth, south, east, west, and central. The northern Daoists took over the Imperial Capital and became the royal family and nobility. The southern Daoists became the Zhengyi Sect. The eastern Daoists became the Taiping Sect. The central Daoists became the Quanzhen Sect.

    ¡°The western Daoists were split into two groups¡ªsome followed Tantai Yun to foreignnds, while others from the former Gezao Sect integrated into the Quanzhen Sect. By right, the Quanzhen Sect has always surpassed the Zhengyi Sect and the Taiping Sect.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡°The Zhengyi Sect and the Taiping Sect are ruled by the Zhang family and the Li family, respectively. Their advantage lies in being bound by familial ties, making them exceptionally united. However, the downside is their tendency to form family-oriented cliques, hindering upward mobility and leading to stagnation. Over time, these disadvantages have be increasingly apparent.

    ¡°By contrast, the Quanzhen Sectcks a single dominant family. With a constant influx of new blood from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce and its inclusivity, the Quanzhen Sect has consistently produced countless talents in recent years. However, they also have drawbacks. Instead of family-oriented cliques, they have developed cliques based on master-disciple rtionships. Additionally, their numerous internal factions prevent them from acting cohesively. They have immense strength butck the unity to wield it effectively.

    ¡°Ning Lingge is from the Quanzhen Sect. He was ousted from his position as the Tiangang Hall Master through the machinations of the Li family. So it¡¯s certain he will bear a grudge against them. An Omniscient Sage carries significant weight, and his faction holds considerable influence in the Jiangnan region.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu finally understood what was implied. ¡°Thank you for the guidance, Senior Sister.¡±

    There was a saying that corrupt officials must be cunning, but upright officials must be even more shrewd to overturn the corrupt.

    If Zhang Yuelu wanted to carve a path for herself within the Daoist Order, she could not rely solely on passion. Without cunning strategies and intricate schemes, she would not get anywhere.

    The social fabric of the Daoist Order was interwoven with overt etiquette, implicit rtionships, unwritten rules, favors, connections, andworks. Everything was intricately linked.

    In such an environment, anyone seeking to aplish their goals must conform to these rules, at least outwardly.

    If one insisted on standing apart by adhering strictly to integrity and principle, the system would reject them, leaving them with nothing but passion and ideals.

    Unless the system could be dismantled from the outside, one must acknowledge and exploit its rules to climb upward. Only by reaching the pinnacle could one bring about real change.

    In the Daoist Order, one could only reform the system by bing the Grand Master.

    In short, to serve the greater good, one must first learn to protect oneself.

    That said, the mundane world was rife with temptations. Usingpromises to achieve lofty ambitions would easily lead to losing oneself and forgetting one¡¯s original purpose.

    The truly rare individual was one who understood the ways of the world without getting tempted by worldly pleasures, whose methods were ruthless but whose heart remained pure, who outwardly went with the flow but inwardly refused topromise their principles.

    In this regard, Zhang Yuelu ticked the boxes. She had not forgotten her original aspirations, nor had she disyed such sharpness that it rmed others. Most people only saw her as a capable and diligent worker.

    Zhang Yuelu did not overly emphasize procedural justice or fairness. She also did not mind using certain means to achieve her ideals.

 Chapter 392: Heading to Jinling

    <h4>Chapter 392: Heading to Jinling</h4>

    A flying ship traveled high above the clouds. Its interior differed slightly from ordinary flying ships, featuring not only separate rooms but also a small hall. This design reduced the passenger capacitypared to typicalmercial flying ships but allowed for ad hoc meetings to be held in the small hall.

    This was not amercial vessel, but a flying ship used exclusively for members of the Nine Halls on official business. Just a few days ago, Lei Xiaohuan, Lu Yushu, Li Mingzhi, and Li Mingcheng had taken this same flying ship to Jinling Prefecture. Thus, making this its second trip to Jinling.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    At the moment, no meetings were taking ce in the small hall. A few people sat in scattered groups. None of the people present were high-ranking Deputy Hall Masters. Most of them were superintendents heading to Jinling Prefecture to assist their respective superiors.

    Among them was a woman, whose appearance was alluring yet imbued with a valiant air that rivaled men. She was conversing with an elderly man.

    The woman nced at the clouds outside and asked, ¡°Elder Jiao, what do you think about this major case making aeback?¡±

    The old man stroked his beard and warned. ¡°Your word choice suggests that someone is exploiting the situation with another grand inquisition. I think it¡¯s better to phrase it as a recurrence of another major case instead.¡±

    The woman shook her head. ¡°Of all times, you¡¯re still nitpicking words.¡±

    Elder Jiao advised earnestly. ¡°Xiao Lin, you must think through every word and action. If you¡¯re not cautious, you¡¯ll trip over this someday.¡±

    The woman whom Elder Jiao called Xiao Lin, was Lin Youzhen, a superintendent of Beichen Hall. Elder Jiao was a superintendent of Ziwei Hall. Those who worked in the Nine Halls were often acquainted, so the two had some friendship.

    Exasperated, Lin Youzhen rolled her eyes. ¡°Elder Jiao, you¡¯ve repeated this a thousand times already. Aren¡¯t you tired of saying the same thing? Let¡¯s talk about the case instead.¡±

    Elder Jiao said, ¡°There¡¯s not much to say, really. We only need to follow whatever the superiors decide. No matter what, obeying orders is never wrong. But how the Deputy Hall Masters maneuver against each other is beyond our involvement.¡±

    ording to the Daoist Order¡¯s regtions, subordinates who acted under their superior¡¯smand were exempt from liability, even if they were tomit crimes in the name of performing their duties. That was why Elder Jiao mentioned that obeying orders would never go wrong.

    Without this rule, countless individuals could be implicated, leading to what they called collective punishment. However, there was a crucial condition to this¡ªsubordinates must have written orders from their superiors as proof of obeying orders. Without such explicit authorization, they risked bing scapegoats during investigations.

    Lin Youzhen said enviously, ¡°I heard that the scope of the case has expanded the more it¡¯s investigated. Even Sage Cihang, Sage Qingwei, and Sage Donghua have personally intervened. The one who initially uncovered the case was none other than the Deputy Hall Master Zhang from Tiangang Hall. During the Jiangnan case back then, she was also involved and made significant contributions, which led to the Earthly Preceptor making exemptions to promote her and award her a semi-immortal object.¡±

    Hearing this, Elder Jiao chimed in. ¡°Of course. She has the protection of the Heavenly Preceptor and the favor of the Earthly Preceptor. Not to mention, she has Sage Cihang as her master. That semi-immortal object was originally a generational heirloom of the Cihang lineage. If it were anyone else involved in the Jiangnan case, they wouldn¡¯t just fail the investigation; they¡¯d be reduced to nothing but ashes by now.¡±

    Lin Youzhen, fully understanding this logic, sighed in response.

    Elder Jiao muttered, ¡°Back in the days when the sixth-generation Grand Master was around, the tension between the sects would have never escted to this state. Ultimately, we still need a Grand Master to oversee Jade Capital.¡±

    Lin Youzhen did notment on that. She caught sight of someone seated by the window through her peripheral vision.

    The person wore a wide-sleeved, cross-cored hechang and a Hunyuan headdress¡ªthe typical uniform of a fifth-rank Daoist. His eyes were covered by a pair of dark sunsses.

    This person seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, suddenly joining their group the day before departure.

    Most of those heading to Jinling Prefecture were already acquainted with each other. Even if they were not acquainted, they would have crossed paths a few times in Jade Capital and had some sort of impression. Yet this person was aplete stranger. No one recognized him.

    From his demeanor, he appeared not to know anyone either.

    That would have been understandable. The weird thing was how utterly out of ce he seemed among the superintendents, as he was clearly a ¡°wild¡± Daoist priest.

    The Daoist priests from the Nine Halls who resided in the Jade Capital lived a life of privilege. Many Daoists from the regional offices regarded Jade Capital as nothing more than a giant greenhouse, nurturing the overly delicate Daoists who could not withstand hardship, exining the conception of the derisive nickname¡ªflowerbed priests.

    In retaliation, the Daoist priests of the Nine Halls referred to the Daoists from the regional offices as wild priests, ostensibly linking thetter to wild weeds¡ªresilient to the elements butcking refinement. It was also a veiled insinuation of barbarity.

    It was akin to the disdain schrs held for warriors or the aristocrats formoners. The flowerbed Daoists looked down upon the wild Daoists in the same way.

    Wandering Daoists who operated outside the Daoist Order were considered the wildest of them all,plete barbarians who were held in the greatest contempt.

    Lin Youzhen suspected that the man by the window used to be a wandering Daoist, likely with blood on his hands. There was solid evidence to support this as the man carried two swords and a gun. What refined Daoist would carry so many weapons?

    In truth, wandering Daoists entering Jade Capital had be increasinglymon, as the flowerbed Daoists were only skilled at rhetoric but oftencked realbat ability. Thus, even at the same level of cultivation, these flowerbed Daoists struggled to prevail in fights.

    As a result, Tiangang Hall was forced to recruit elite Daoists from the regional offices to fill its ranks.

    For this reason, most of the wild Daoists were concentrated in Tiangang Hall and Beichen Hall, rarely seen in the other seven halls.

    Yet, this man by the window was a fifth-rank superintendent of Ziwei Hall and a Prospective Mage, indicating a promising future.

    As such, the others could not help but specte about the man. Some suspected nepotism, thinking the wild priest was an illegitimate son of a Sage who had recently been recognized, while others believed his presence was linked to the current tense situation.

    However, this man clearly did not fit in and showed no intention of interacting with the rest of the group. He merely kept to himself, treating the rest of the superintendents as air, which only deepened their displeasure.

    What right did this wild Daoist have to act so arrogant? Did he think he was a prodigy like Zhang Yuelu?

    The wild Daoist in question was, of course, Qi Xuansu.

    After returning to Sycamore Vi, he bid farewell to Li Qingnu and Liu Hu. There was not much to say since he did not have much interaction with Li Qingnu to begin with, so a brief goodbye sufficed. As for Liu Hu, he had already said his goodbyes earlier on the way to Bohai Prefecture.

    All things eventually came to an end, but if fate allowed it, they would have the chance to meet again.

    Initially, Qi Xuansu had nned to take the sea route from Bohai Prefecture to Jinling Prefecture. However, Pei Xiaolou informed him at thest minute that a flying ship from Jade Capital to Jinling Prefecture was avable. Moreover, official travel on the flying ship was free of charge.

    Qi Xuansu promptly changed his ns. He headed to the flying ship port in Bohai Prefecture, presented his deployment order from the Ziwei Hall, and boarded the flying ship back to Jade Capital, free of charge.

    He arrived just in time to catch the flying ship to Jinling Prefecture. He did not even get the chance to enter Jade Capital and boarded this flying ship immediately to finally embark on his journey to Jinling.

    In fact, after experiencing Wu Luo snapping the flying ship in half, Qi Xuansu developed some aversion to traveling on flying ships. However, he convinced himself that Wu Luo was probably severely injured during that incident, so she was unlikely to cause trouble again so soon. Moreover, since this ride was free, he shoved his phobia aside.

    Qi Xuansu truly could not care less about the strange looks he got from his peers.

    He had seen a fair share of important people by now¡ªSage Cihang, Lei Xiaohuan, Pei Xiaolou, Zhang Yuelu, Qin Wubing, and even the Finest Courtesan, Li Qingnu. All of them had no issue with wild Daoists.

    Only these mediocre individuals liked to obsess over status and lineage, as it was likely the only thing they could boast about themselves. Without these markers, their sense of superiority would crumble.

    For instance, when introducing the Holy Xuan, his titles would naturally include the first-generation Grand Master who revived the Daoist Order and Master of the Three Religions. No one would bother to add ¡°a member of the Li family¡± as an extra tag.

    After all, it was the Li family who was proud to be associated with the Holy Xuan, not the other way around. However, some individuals only had everything because of their family background, so they desperately clung to thebel of ¡°Li family descendant¡± as their sole im to superiority, allowing them to look down on others and satisfy their sense of self-worth.

    Those who looked down onmoners, despised wild Daoists, and fixated on pedigree, belonged to this category.

    This type of disdain differed from how Daoists viewed people from Jianghu. Daoists typically regarded Jianghu people with indifference, akin to adults watching children bicker. It was a perspective born of absolute confidence in their own strength, because if a conflict were to arise, Daoists would easily triumph over Jianghu folk. Their sense of superiority was based on strength and cultivation.

    However, the disdain flowerbed priests had for wild priests was different. Despite their rtively equal cultivation level, flowerbed priests were likely to lose to wild priests in a direct confrontation.

    Thus, behind the bravado of the flowerbed priests was anxiety and fear, stemming from a deep-seated concern that wild Daoists might rece them one day. After all, much of Tiangang Hall and part of Beichen Hall had already been ¡°taken over¡± by wild Daoists. Lacking the power to reverse this trend, the flowerbed priests clung desperately to notions of identity and pedigree.

    Admittedly a bit petty and prideful, Qi Xuansu had no interest in pandering to those who would not appreciate him, so he simply chose to ignore them.

    Qi Xuansu looked out the window and adjusted the sunsses on his nose bridge.

    He could see a vast city below, nestled between mountains and rivers. It had a square and orderlyyout, with rows of buildings standing close together. The streets were checkered, resembling a chessboard.

    The flying ship began its slow descent, bringing about ayer of mist all around.

    They had finally arrived in Jinling Prefecture.

    Once the flying ship docked, everyone rose from their seats and proceeded to the outer deck in an orderly manner.

    The ramp had already been lowered, and some people were waiting below to greet the group.

    The superintendents were both honored and surprised to see a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master in a Lotus crown leading the group. As they disembarked one by one, they bowed respectfully to the Sage.

    Qi Xuansu was thest to disembark, not because he wanted to make a show of his importance but because he was worried that Zhang Yuelu would not be able to handle his surprise appearance if she happened to be there. Also, the longing and fear of her reaction were too much for him to bear.

    When Qi Xuansu finally descended the ramp, the second-grade Taiyi Daoist master stepped forward to greet him.

    ¡°Sage Pei, I¡¯m unworthy of this reception.¡± Qi Xuansu hurriedly saluted the Sage.

    Pei Xiaolou waved dismissively. ¡°Let¡¯s ditch the formalities between us. We should first synchronize our statements and align our narratives. When we meet Miss Zhang, we need to know what can be said and what can¡¯t, even if she threatens to beat you to death.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression turned serious, and he nodded solemnly.

    With that, Pei Xiaolou led Qi Xuansu away from the group.

    The other superintendents, unable to discern the details of their conversation, could not help but feel a mixture of curiosity and shock.

    Joining Ziwei Hall as a wild Daoist and having a Sage personally wee him was not a treatment befitting an illegitimate child of just any ordinary Sage. At the very least, Qi Xuansu would have to be the illegitimate child of an Omniscient Sage!

 Chapter 393: Aligning the Narrative

    <h4>Chapter 393: Aligning the Narrative</h4>

    Qi Xuansu followed Pei Xiaolou into the Zhenwu Temple.

    ¡°Qing Xiao isn¡¯t here?¡± Qi Xuansu asked nervously.

    ¡°She¡¯s not. She¡¯s out visiting someone,¡± Pei Xiaolou replied.

    After working with Zhang Yuelu for some time, Pei Xiaolou had genuinelye to fear this junior because, to him, there was nothing more intimidating than someone who took things too seriously.

    Qi Xuansu breathed a sigh of relief because he was not quite ready to face Zhang Yuelu yet.

    He did not think that he was the type to cower in front of women, nor did he intend to act like a henpecked husband. The reason he feared Zhang Yuelu was not because of her higher status or her assertive personality. It was because he had deceived her, so he felt guilty and simply could not muster any confidence.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡°Who are we meeting?¡± Qi Xuansu asked again.

    ¡°Your direct superior,¡± Pei Xiaolou replied casually.

    As they spoke, the two men arrived at a standalone courtyard with two Spirit Guards standing at the entrance. Upon seeing Pei Xiaolou, they immediately saluted the Sage and granted the duo passage without question.

    Though these Spirit Guards belonged to the Ziwei Hall, and Pei Xiaolou was from the Chongyang Pce of Immortality, everyone knew that he was Sage Donghua¡¯s younger brother and Lei Xiaohuan¡¯s husband. As such, hemanded more respect than many Ziwei Hall members, and no one dared to look down on him.

    Soon, Qi Xuansu met the towering Lei Xiaohuan in the study and saluted her formally as a subordinate.

    ¡°Tian Yuan, it¡¯s been a while,¡± Lei Xiaohuan said, waving her hand to indicate that formalities were unnecessary.

    Although she had a high cultivation level, she was somewhat like Daoist Ji¡ªmostly holding honorary positions and rarely involved in the daily operations of Ziwei Hall. She would only asionally act as Sage Donghua¡¯s envoy, so she was not too ustomed to rigid protocols and rituals.

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°After parting ways in Xijing Prefecture, I never imagined we would meet again because of the Purple Immortal Mountain case.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou chuckled. ¡°You should consider yourself lucky to uncover the Purple Immortal Mountain case. The previous Jiangnan case brought Zhang Yuelu into the limelight, earning her the Earthly Preceptor¡¯s favor and allowing her to rise up the ranks swiftly. This time, the Purple Immortal Mountain case has brought you to my brother¡¯s attention. Without this case, your return to the Daoist Order probably wouldn¡¯t have been so smooth.¡±

    Seeing Qi Xuansu¡¯s confusion, Lei Xiaohuan borated, ¡°During the Jiangnan case, Sage Donghua suggested using Fang Linhou to uncover the mastermind and resolve the matter entirely. Unfortunately, it fell just short of sess. The Purple Immortal Mountain case is the second chance for that.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Qi Xuansu murmured, suddenly enlightened.

    It seemed that the struggle between the two factions had already begun during the Jiangnan case. Back then, it had been covert, with only undercurrents of tension. This time, however, it was almost entirely out in the open.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get down to business,¡± Lei Xiaohuan said as she moved behind the desk. ¡°Have a seat and rx.¡±

    Qi Xuansu took a seat secondary to Pei Xiaolou¡¯s.

    Lei Xiaohuan carefully chose her words. ¡°I don¡¯t like beating around the bush, so I¡¯ll cut to the chase. There are six main things we have to discuss today.

    ¡°Firstly, as of May 5th, you are no longer a disciple of the Zhengyi Sect and will be returning to the Quanzhen Sect. Do you have any objections to this arrangement?¡±

    By convention, disciples from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce would be considered Quanzhen Sect disciples upon graduation. This was what Bai Yingqiong had mentioned about Wanxiang Daoist Pce continually supplying talent to the Quanzhen Sect.

    However, this rule was not absolute. To bnce the three sects, high-ranking Daoist priests from the Zhengyi Sect and the Taiping Sect could also take disciples from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. Their disciples would then convert to their master¡¯s sects.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s master, Qi Haoran, was part of the Zhengyi Sect. That was why Qi Xuansu had been assigned to the Zhengyi Sect.

    However, while Qi Xuansu had no objections to following his master¡¯s footsteps, he had no particr attachment to the Zhengyi Sect.

    His recent journey to Yunjin Mountain had further eroded his goodwill toward the Zhengyi Sect. In contrast, the Quanzhen Sect Sages like Pei Xiaolou, Lei Xiaohuan, and Daoist Ji had shown him great kindness. Even Sage Donghua, whom he had never met, was his benefactor. All of this made Qi Xuansu favor the Quanzhen Sect more.

    Although Zhang Yuelu was a member of the Zhengyi Sect, she had close ties with the Earthly Preceptor. She had even considered joining the Quanzhen Sect.

    Moreover, Zhang Yuelu cared about the Daoist Order as a whole rather than the interests of a single sect or lineage, so she probably would not oppose his conversion to the Quanzhen Sect.

    Of the three sects, Qi Xuansu¡¯s true enmityy with the Taiping Sect, thanks to people like Shen Yuzu, Shen Mingshu, Su Ran, Liu Futong, Lu Yunfeng, and Li Tianzhen. The fight for the Xuan Jade was also tied to the Taiping Sect.

    ¡°I have no objections as long as I¡¯m not joining the Taiping Sect,¡± Qi Xuansu replied.

    ¡°We certainly won¡¯t assign you to the Taiping Sect.¡± Lei Xiaohuan chuckled.

    ¡°Secondly, as you¡¯re already aware, you¡¯ve been transferred to the Ziwei Hall. Sage Donghua has alreadymunicated this with Sage Cihang, who is the current Tiangang Hall Master, so she is well aware of your situation. However, at Sage Donghua¡¯s request, Sage Cihang has not informed Zhang Yuelu of your transfer, as we have decided to leave this opportunity to you instead.¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled wryly, unsure of what to say.

    It seemed that these influential figures also knew how to show consideration for the minions, but only if they wanted to.

    ¡°Thirdly, your promotion to the fifth rank.¡± Lei Xiaohuan continued, ¡°This isrgely thanks to Zhang Yuelu. That girl is truly loyal and devoted to you. Even after your mishap, she went to great lengths to preserve your position, merely reporting you as missing rather than deceased. Moreover, she didn¡¯t forget to petition for the recognition of your contributions, even at the risk of those merits amounting to nothing.

    ¡°The two of you managed to stop an Ancient Immortal¡¯s divine descent, earning you an Earth Merit, which is equivalent to 3 Xuan merits. Splitting some of the merits with the Imperial Court, the Daoist Order was allowed to keep 1 Xuan merit and 2 Huang merits.

    ¡°You have also subdued 5 mid-level cult leaders, which totaled 6 Xuan merits and 2 Huang merits. You already had 2 Huang merits to begin with, so adding another Huang merit and 2 Xuan merits equates to 3 Xuan merits, qualifying you for a promotion from the seventh to the fifth rank. However, due to the tenure system, you could only be promoted to the sixth rank and enjoy the benefits of a fifth-rank priest.

    ¡°Your uncovering of the Purple Immortal Mountain case is a major contribution, but due to the case¡¯s sensitivity, we can¡¯t publicly credit you for it. Instead, you¡¯ve been discreetly rewarded. As such, Ziwei Hall has made an exception to override the tenure system by promoting you to the fifth rank and awarding you with the title of Prospective Mage.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded to indicate his understanding.

    ¡°The fourth item on the list is, how did you survive the flying ship crash?¡± Lei Xiaohuan paused before instructing Qi Xuansu. ¡°No matter who asks about it, there can only be one answer: Sage Donghua saved you after the incident.

    ¡°Otherwise, there¡¯s no exining why Sage Donghua didn¡¯t save anyone else. If anyone asks for details, just tell them that you¡¯re not sure what happened and that all you know is you¡¯ve gained an Auxiliary Heart. Since you were unconscious at the time, not knowing the situation is logical, so you may direct those questions to Sage Donghua.¡±

    ¡°That exnation works well.¡± Qi Xuansu agreed.

    Many would doubt Qi Xuansu, but there were only a few who had the authority or the courage to question Sage Donghua. The three Deputy Grand Masters certainly had the authority to, but they were too busy with their duties to waste time on a minor figure like Qi Xuansu.

    ¡°Item number five is: why didn¡¯t you return to Tiangang Hall after being rescued?¡± Lei Xiaohuan nced at the prewritten notes.

    She exined, ¡°That¡¯s because Sage Donghua has assigned you a special mission, which is highly ssified. If anyone asks, direct them to me or Sage Donghua.¡±

    ¡°What if Qing Xiao asks these questions? Should I give her the same response?¡± Qi Xuansu inquired.

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Pei Xiaolou interjected. ¡°You can tell her that your special mission is to investigate the Daoists secretly shielding and supporting the secret societies. Your presence in Cuowenbu was to investigate the White Jade Hall; your appearance in Xijing Prefecture, where you were pursued by Feng Bo, was to investigate the Heavenly Court. All of this falls under the scope of investigating secret societies, hence covering your tracks.

    ¡°Purple Immortal Mountain, Jiangling Prefecture, Wannian County, and Bohai Prefecture are all tied to the Taiping Sect, which also falls under the scope of investigating those who are shielding and supporting secret societies. Since the Purple Immortal Mountain case is unresolved, these won¡¯t officially count as merits but rather as hard efforts, which is why you¡¯ve been promoted to superintendent.

    ¡°As for Qin Wubing and Commandery Prince Qin, I have already informed them of the correct statement. So no matter who investigates, the story will be wless!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be smug! If anything goes wrong, you¡¯ll be held responsible,¡± Lei Xiaohuan chided while casting her husband a sidelong nce.

    Pei Xiaolou coughed lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nothing will go wrong!¡±

    Lei Xiaohuan rolled her eyes before continuing, ¡°The sixth item on the list is, why didn¡¯t you reveal your identity as Qi Xuansu? You can attribute this to Sage Donghua and the mission. But how you want to ensure Miss Zhang doesn¡¯t feel hurt about your decision to keep it from her is up to you.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou chimed in. ¡°We¡¯ve done everything we can to help, but we can¡¯t handle everything for you. You¡¯ll need to put in some effort yourself.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded with a bitter smile.

    Lei Xiaohuan advised him. ¡°In my opinion, Miss Zhang is an open-minded and magnanimous individual who will understand the importance of the bigger picture. So I don¡¯t think that she would take offense over something so trivial. Don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°Even if she doesn¡¯t care, I do.¡±

    Lei Xiaohuan nced at him before ring at her husband. ¡°At least you still have a conscience, unlike this buffoon.¡±

    ¡°Why are you dragging me into this? I¡¯ve never deceived you!¡± Pei Xiaolou quickly protested.

    Lei Xiaohuan ignored him and continued, ¡°I wasn¡¯t familiar with Miss Zhang before this, so I assumed she was like Yao Pei or Li Changge. But since working with her, my impression of her has improved greatly. I truly admire her work attitude and conduct. So Tian Yuan, don¡¯t you break her heart. Frankly speaking, if you miss this opportunity, there won¡¯t be another one.¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied solemnly, ¡°Of course.¡±

    Lei Xiaohuan changed her tune. ¡°But don¡¯t sell yourself short. Although your cultivation level may not be as high as Zhang Yuelu¡¯s, you have already reached the 6th or 7th level of the Guizhen stage.

    ¡°Considering your background from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce, hencecking support from a family or master, you¡¯ve earned your keep. Even with some guidance from Madam Qi and a few lucky encounters, you¡¯ve relied on your own efforts and progressed by going through life-and-death struggles.

    ¡°When Ist saw you, you looked utterly wretched with a severed arm. But look at how far you¡¯vee! I¡¯d say you¡¯ve done quite well given the circumstances.¡±

    Qi Xuansu thanked her. ¡°You tter me, Sage Lei.¡±

    Lei Xiaohuan stared at him intently for a while. Then she suddenlyughed. ¡°Well, putting aside all these external factors, it all boils down to feelings. I may be a brute at times, but as a fellow woman, I can sense that Miss Zhang has had a hard time coping with your ¡®death.¡¯ She works so hard not just because she takes her duties seriously, but also because she is grieving you. You risked your life to save her, so you¡¯re absolutely worthy of her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about romance, but to me, I think you two are meant to be. If Tantai Qiong couldn¡¯t see your worth, then consider her blind. You should just focus on doing your best and marry Zhang Yuelu when the time is right. Even if her family doesn¡¯t show up for your wedding, we¡¯ll both be there to celebrate the two of you! Screw those snobs!¡±

 Chapter 394: Double-Tune

    <h4>Chapter 394: Double-Tune</h4>

    Lei Xiaohuan, being from a military family, had always had a habit of using foulnguage, mixing in a few vulgar phrases at times. She would usually restrain herself in front of Qi Xuansu, but since she got caught up in the moment, she did not hold back.

    Qi Xuansu did not say much, merely epting the goodwill.

    Deep down, he knew that he owed them an enormous favor. Hecked the Holy Xuan¡¯s power and cultivation level, but if he ever seeded in life, he would owe them a great debt of gratitude.

    After Lei Xiaohuan finished speaking, Pei Xiaolou chimed in. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve thought of two options for you. The first option is to wait here while the two of us invite Miss Zhang over, surprising her here. The second option is to surprise her yourself, and we won¡¯t intervene.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not take any time to consider the two options before replying, ¡°You two have already helped me a lot, so I can¡¯t possibly trouble you further. I¡¯ll go see her myself.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Pei Xiaolou did not insist and only felt pleased to have one less thing to do.

    ......

    Many people knew that Deputy Hall Master Zhang had arrived at Zhenwu Temple and that she was young, beautiful, and exceptionally talented, on par with Li Changge and Yao Pei. She was widely regarded as a paragon of both talent and looks. Moreover, she was the grandniece of the Heavenly Preceptor and was favored by the Earthly Preceptor, earning her an esteemed status.

    As a result, Zhang Yuelu attracted many young men, including young Daoists from the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion and scions from the local noble families.

    The Jiangnan Daoist Mansion prohibited unauthorized personnel from entering Zhenwu Temple, so these privileged young men often lingered at the entrance, hoping for a glimpse of the young and beautiful Deputy Hall Master.

    Since they did not try to enter the Zhenwu Temple, the Spirit Guards could not actually chase them away.

    These scions were not short of women. But when they were tired of ordinary young beauties, they turned their attention to women of notable status, taking pride in their pursuits and discussing their exploits among their friends.

    They did not expect to win over Deputy Hall Master Zhang. They merely hoped to get close to her and foster some ambiguous interactions, gaining them bragging rights for the future.

    There was an old saying that feelings could arise over time through constant contact. Men lust after women, and the same rang true for women. It was not wrong to wish for a devoted husband and a loyal male friend, especially now that the rigid Confucian women¡¯s etiquette had been abolished.

    Deputy Hall Master Zhang held herself with dignity, but who could tell what she was actually thinking? If necessary, these scions were prepared to show their unwavering devotion to her.

    That was why they pestered her.

    At first, Zhang Yuelu showed a rare patience, politely advising these men not to disturb her. However, her restraint was mistaken for weakness, prompting them to escte their behavior.

    After all, most young men were brash and impulsive. They were not afraid, as they were notmitting any crimes. What could she possibly do to them anyway?

    To her dismay, Zhang Yuelu could not do much. So she simply ignored them and focused on her duties. That was until one young man, egged on by hispanions, approached her with a few flirtatious remarks.

    Taking the opportunity, Zhang Yuelu gave them a taste of her temper, making it clear to them why so few dared to approach her even in Jade Capital.

    The unlucky fellow ended up even worse off than Xu Kou when he had a hand broken.

    After that incident, Zhang Yuelu finally enjoyedplete peace, with no one daring to disturb her again.

    However, today was an exception. Just as Zhang Yuelu was about to leave the Bai Residence, another visitor arrived. He was a refined and handsome young man of simr age, Su Qingbai.

    There were several notable Su families within the Daoist Order¡ªthe Qingqiu lineage of the Taiping Sect, the Cihang lineage of the Zhengyi Sect, and another from the Quanzhen Sect with close ties to the Pei family. Pei Xuanzhi and Pei Xiaolou¡¯s mother was from the Quanzhen Sect¡¯s Su family.

    Su Qingbai was from the Su family of the Cihang lineage, which was a prestigious family in Jinling Prefecture.

    Su Qingbai¡¯s timing was impable, as he happened to cross paths with Zhang Yuelu at the Bai Residence.

    Seeing the visitor, Zhang Yuelu instinctively nced at Bai Yingqiong.

    Bai Yingqiong merely exchanged a look with her junior sister, as if saying that this was not a coincidence and that she had deliberately arranged this meeting.

    This was not surprising. Though they were both Sage Cihang¡¯s disciples, Bai Yingqiong was more like an elder to Zhang Yuelu due to the age gap.

    Seniors, especially with a generational gap, were almost always enthusiastic about matchmaking for their juniors. Bai Yingqiong was no exception. From her perspective, Zhang Yuelu was likely to marry sooner orter, so it was better to keep things within the family.

    However, Bai Yingqiong was not a strict elder and would not be as forceful as Tantai Qiong. She simply created an opening for Su Qingbai. Whether the young man could seize this opportunity was entirely up to him.

    Of course, this was not solely Bai Yingqiong¡¯s intention. Other members of the Cihang lineage were also happy to see this potential match.

    Zhang Yuelu did not say much. As long as she still retained the right to refuse, she would not object or cause a scene.

    Some people, however, were reluctant to give Zhang Yuelu the right to refuse. An example of that was her mother, Tantai Qiong, leading to significant tension between the mother and daughter.

    Bai Yingqiong smiled faintly. ¡°Xiao Su is one of our own from the Cihang lineage. Qing Xiao, you¡¯ve been in Jade Capital for so long that you probably haven¡¯t seen much of him. I think you two can spend more time together while you¡¯re here in Jinling.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied calmly, ¡°Of course.¡±

    Su Qingbai smiled politely and said nothing.

    Compared to the young dandies lingering outside Zhenwu Temple, Su Qingbai was undoubtedly a true descendant of a prestigious family with impable manners. He was neither frivolous nor superficial. Instead, his behavior made him appear as pure and untainted as a lotus root, living up to his name, which meant purity.

    Bai Yingqiong went along with the situation. ¡°Xiao Su, please escort Qing Xiao back for me.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Su Qingbai responded.

    Zhang Yuelu hade to strengthen her bond with Bai Yingqiong, not to create conflict. Thus, she could not refuse outright. She merely left without saying a word.

    Bai Yingqiong escorted the two young people to the gate of the courtyard.

    Su Qingbai nced back at Bai Yingqiong, meeting her gaze. He recalled her instructions earlier. ¡°Xiao Su, this meeting with Qing Xiao is just an initial interaction. Try to leave a good impression. A woman like her has high standards and a bright future, so you can¡¯t rush things. As they say, good things take time, so be patient.¡±

    Bai Yingqiong¡¯s residence was not far from Zhenwu Temple, so Zhang Yuelu had walked over instead of taking a carriage.

    After walking some distance, Su Qingbai finally spoke to Zhang Yuelu, breaking the silence. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard of your reputation, Senior Sister. I never imagined I¡¯d have the fortune of seeing you here. It must be fate!¡±

    Qi Xuansu had mentioned long ago that Zhang Yuelu had a knack for sarcasm.

    Her snide response was a testament to that. ¡°Is it really fate? Fate is preordained, but I think this ¡®fate¡¯ you speak of is premeditated instead.¡±

    Su Qingbai was rendered speechless.

    Zhang Yuelu kept a brisk pace, never walking side by side with Su Qingbai.

    She said in a t tone, ¡°I know the way back to Zhenwu Temple, so there¡¯s no need to trouble you, Young Master Su. Besides, Sage Lei has assigned me a lot of tasks recently. If it¡¯s unrted to the case, I suggest minimizing our contact.¡±

    Su Qingbai hesitated, wanting to speak but ultimately holding back.

    Zhang Yuelu ignored him and continued forward.

    Su Qingbai hesitated for a moment, but he still trailed behind Zhang Yuelu. If he were someone who would give up so easily, Bai Yingqiong would not have entrusted him with this task.

    Zhang Yuelu stopped speaking altogether. This was the second step in her procedure of deterring pursuers¡ªtreating them as invisible. The first step was to advise them politely, while the third step would be to use violence to get her point across.

    This was how she dealt with the scions and how she nned to deal with Su Qingbai.

    At the end of the day, Zhang Yuelu was quite self-aware. She knew she had a bad temper. While she was attractive, she was not a stunning beauty who was capable of toppling kingdoms. The reason these people swarmed around her like flies was not because of her as a person, but rather her background and prospects.

    She could understand their opportunistic intentions, but that did not mean she had to approve of them. She also did not intend to fulfill their ambitions at her expense. So they could all get lost for all she cared.

    After walking a bit farther, an unmelodic voice approached from ahead.

    <i>? In the melody of life, </i>

    <i>? Find grace in living contentedly.</i>

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    <i>? Contemte the ebb and flow of creation.</i>

    <i>? Fortune conceals misfortune; misfortune harbors fortune. </i>

    <i>? Can wealth and status ever be boundless?</i>

    <i>? The sun rises and sets, while the moon waxes and wanes; </i>

    <i>? In the earth¡¯s southeast, in the heavens¡¯ northwest, </i>

    <i>? Yet cohesion eludes heaven and earth. </i>

    <i>? Worry not over trifles, </i>

    <i>? Cease striving for leisure.</i>

    <i>? Today¡¯s visage agespared with yesterday¡¯s, </i>

    <i>? From past to present.</i>

    <i>? Such is the way it must be, </i>

    <i>? Whether wise or foolish, rich or poor.</i>

    <i>? In the end, this mortal frame cannot escape the inevitable. </i>

    <i>? Enjoyment fleeting with the dawn, </i>

    <i>? A day''s delight fades swiftly. </i>

    <i>? A hundred years pass with seventy being rare. </i>

    <i>? The years rush by like torrential waters.</i>

    The singer was likely self-taught, asionally in tune and off-key, sounding more like poetry recitation.

    Su Qingbai, an expert in music and rhythm, could not help but frown at this off-key singing. To his surprise, Zhang Yuelu suddenly halted, her face filled with disbelief.

 Chapter 395: I Missed You

    <h4>Chapter 395: I Missed You</h4>

    Qi Xuansu had imagined many scenarios for their reunion. He thought that his mask would have been struck off during their duel, or they might unexpectedly meet in the middle of a stone bridge on a misty day. Perhaps he mighte out of nowhere to rescue Zhang Yuelu in a perilous moment.

    What he had not imagined was this...

    After leaving Lei Xiaohuan¡¯s courtyard, Qi Xuansu learned that Zhang Yuelu was still out visiting a friend. So he wandered alone along the main street in front of Zhenwu Temple.

    At some point, he began humming Madam Qi¡¯s favorite tune to calm his nerves, his voice growing louder unknowingly.

    Singing while walking was not umon in their society¡ªin fact, it was quite popr. Many renowned figures were said to announce their presence with songs before their arrival. However, few sang with the unique charm that Qi Xuansu disyed.

    Coincidentally, Zhang Yuelu had heard this tune before on Yunjin Mountain.

    Hearing it again at this moment, she was instantly brought back to the time when the snowkes fell all around them while they were walking back to Shangqing Town from Shangqing Pce.

    At the time, Zhang Yuelu was with Qi Xuansu, who had hummed this tune. The lyrics deeply moved her, leading her to make a decision she wouldter deeply regret¡ªhaving said, ¡°Tian Yuan, let¡¯s return to Jade Capital on New Year¡¯s Day.¡±

    She had not expected that to be their farewell.

    When Qi Xuansu turned a corner, he inadvertently caught sight of Zhang Yuelu''s confounded expression.

    Qi Xuansu froze in ce,pletely stunned as they locked eyes.

    After a long time, Qi Xuansu finally regained his senses and said awkwardly, ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m back...¡±

    Zhang Yuelu lowered her gaze and murmured, ¡°Good.¡±

    Qi Xuansu had imagined many reactions to their reunion. Perhaps they would cry in each other¡¯s arms, or Zhang Yuelu would confront him angrily. What he had not expected was such a calm response, as if he had simply returned home from a short trip.

    The emotions they had bottled up for so long should have erupted, but instead, they were both restrained.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu was not as calm as she appeared. She murmured again, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back.¡±

    Qi Xuansu strode toward Zhang Yuelu, who remained motionless.

    Just as Qi Xuansu was about to embrace her, he hesitated, feeling the familiar anxiety rush over him again. His hands stopped mere centimeters from her shoulders before he slowly lowered them.

    Zhang Yuelu looked at him and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s talk when we get back.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Qi Xuansu nodded.

    She took the initiative to hold Qi Xuansu¡¯s hand and led him toward Zhenwu Temple.

    When Zhang Yuelu halted in her footsteps earlier, Su Qingbai, who was trailing behind her, followed suit. From afar, he watched this scene unfold and suddenly understood something. Zhang Yuelu had always been indifferent to other men, but she willingly held this man¡¯s hand and walked away.

    Both Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu noticed Su Qingbai¡¯s unmistakably despondent figure in the corner, but they tacitly ignored it.

    The rest of the journey was marked by a mutual silence, making the walk back to Zhenwu Temple seem particrly long.

    Perhaps due to Pei Xiaolou¡¯s prior arrangements, the couple had not encountered anyone along the way, not even a single Spirit Guard.

    Finally, they arrived at Zhang Yuelu¡¯s courtyard, where they ran into Mu Jin.

    When Mu Jin saw the man next to Zhang Yuelu, her eyes widened as if she had seen a ghost. She pointed at the man with trembling hands, unable to speak for a long time.

    Zhang Yuelu instructed, ¡°Go about your tasks.¡±

    Before Mu Jin could react, Zhang Yuelu had already led Qi Xuansu deeper inside.

    Mu Jin stood there in a daze, staring at their departing figures with a gaping mouth, still unable to process what she had just seen.

    When the couple arrived at the study, Zhang Yuelu went ahead to unlock the door while Qi Xuansu waited behind her.

    As soon as they entered, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s body stiffened because Qi Xuansu gently embraced her from behind. She did not resist, letting him hold her in silence.

    Qi Xuansu buried his face in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hair, his breath tickling her ear. ¡°Qing Xiao, I missed you.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu trembled slightly, finally letting go of her restrained emotions. Her trembling voice was unusually gentle, as if afraid that she would startle Qi Xuansu and he would disappear again. ¡°Where have you been all this time? I¡ªI thought you were dead...¡±

    Qi Xuansu remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly. ¡°I thought I was dead too, but Sage Donghua saved me and gave me an Auxiliary Heart, bringing me back to life.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu, having clearly heard of the Auxiliary Heart before, remarked, ¡°I¡¯ve heard an Auxiliary Heart costs tens of thousands of Taiping coins. Sage Donghua sure is generous.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded and replied, ¡°Nothing in this worldes without a reason. After saving me, Sage Donghua assigned me a special mission. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯te back to see you or let you know I was still alive.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not me Qi Xuansu.

    For the third time, she murmured, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said nothing more, simply holding Zhang Yuelu in silence and taking in her faint fragrance.

    His words were mere lies, but his feelings for her were real.

    He truly missed Zhang Yuelu. She had always been on his mind since they parted ways.

    Even when he saw the scantily dressed Li Qingnu at the Sycamore Vi, his first thought was of Zhang Yuelu.

    At some point, Zhang Yuelu had be etched in his mind and heart. It had nothing to do with her identity. It was because of who she was as a person.

    They stood embracing in silence for a while, until Zhang Yuelu called out his name in a louder but emotional voice. ¡°Tian Yuan...¡±

    Qi Xuansu hummed lightly in response.

    Zhang Yuelu cleared her throat. ¡°Move your hands a bit lower.¡±

    Qi Xuansu froze for a moment before obediently shifting his hands from her shoulders to her waist.

    Zhang Yuelu awkwardly turned around. Realizing her intent, Qi Xuansu rxed his grip on her waist to give her some room to pivot.

    They now stood face to face, their noses almost touching, and their breaths mingling.

    The two gazed at each other longingly.

    This was not the first time Qi Xuansu held Zhang Yuelu. He had cradled her after the battle with Desmond on Night Mountain. But this was their first intimate embrace.

    Qi Xuansu could now observe Zhang Yuelu up close.

    Her skin was as fair as snow, with a faint blush. Her nose glistened with tiny beads of sweat, and her loweredshes were trembling slightly.

    He thought, <i>She seems...nervous?</i>

    Though a highly revered Deputy Hall Master, Zhang Yuelu was still an unmarried young woman inexperienced in romance. She had initially managed to maintain herposure, but she could not bear to hold Qi Xuansu¡¯s unwavering gaze and turned her head slightly to the side.

    But in turning her head, she inadvertently revealed the reddish tint of her earlobe and neck.

    It was hard to imagine that the usually temperamental and aloof Deputy Hall Master Zhang could have such a tender, girlish side.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Countless thoughts and memories flooded Qi Xuansu¡¯s mind.

    He thought about the time he had met her for the first time in Taiqing Square, how they had endured snowstorms in the Western Region, their long journey from Jade Capital to Shangqing Prefecture, their farewell on the flying ship, and their fight in Jiangling Prefecture.

    All of these memories culminated in this very moment, from his initial fear and wariness to the longing that followed.

    Zhang Yuelu rested her head against Qi Xuansu¡¯s chest.

    There was no heartbeat, only a profound silence.

    For some reason, Zhang Yuelu felt her nose tingle and her eyes tearing up.

    Once again, they held each other in silence until Zhang Yuelu gently pushed Qi Xuansu away, creating a bit of distance between them. She carefully examined him from head to toe.

    Puzzled, Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m checking if you¡¯ve lost an arm or a leg,¡± Zhang Yuelu replied. ¡°Not bad¡ªyou¡¯vee back mostly intact.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°What about you? How have you beentely?¡±

    ¡°Me? I¡¯m the same as always. Nothing¡¯s wrong with me,¡± Zhang Yuelu said with a smile. ¡°Did you think I¡¯d be pining away for you? I¡¯d never do that!¡±

    Qi Xuansumented, ¡°I heard from Sage Pei that you¡¯ve been working tirelessly, sometimes for days without getting any sleep.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu avoided the subject and changed the topic. ¡°By the way, I¡¯m now the Eighth Deputy Tiangang Hall Master. I even saved your spot. Do you want toe back to Tiangang Hall?¡±

    Qi Xuansu mumbled, ¡°Sage Donghua actually transferred me to Ziwei Hall.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Zhang Yuelu paused. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not bad either, considering Ziwei Hall is the head of the Nine Halls.¡±

    Another moment of silence fell between them.

    There were so many things to say, yet neither knew where to begin.

    ¡°You¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡±

    They both spoke at the same time, only to stop simultaneously when they heard the other¡¯s voice.

    ¡°You go first,¡± Zhang Yuelu offered, averting her gaze.

    Qi Xuansu suddenly felt as though his tongue was tied. He stammered awkwardly, ¡°You¡ªI... I missed you...¡±

    Zhang Yuelu lowered her head. ¡°You already said that earlier.¡±

    ¡°Did you miss me?¡± Qi Xuansu probed.

    Zhang Yuelu raised her head, her voice soft as she stated, word for word, ¡°I missed you too.¡±

 Chapter 396: Dreaming Death

    <h4>Chapter 396: Dreaming Death</h4>

    There was a saying that a long separation could ignite passion between a couple more than that of newlyweds. Come to think of it, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu had been separated for nearly half a year, so one could only imagine their joy of seeing each other again.

    Qi Xuansu quietly held Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hand again.

    He preferred to take risks in life, living on the edge of his de, but he also enjoyed moments of peace like this. It was a feeling akin to the first rain after a long drought.

    Qi Xuansu noticed Zhang Yuelu¡¯s beautiful eyes staring at him and the contented smile on her face.

    Zhang Yuelu suggested, ¡°Shall we go for a walk?¡±

    Wanting to spend more time with her, Qi Xuansu naturally agreed.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s courtyard was located at a spot with a nice view, sharing argeke with the other courtyards that were built around it. They were all semi-open structures, with no wall on the side facing theke.

    Thiske was also connected to Zhenwu Lake.

    There was a pavilion not far from thekeside, connected to the embankment by a winding water corridor.

    Qi Xuansu took Zhang Yuelu to the pavilion, and the two sat down on the built-in bench on the side, their hands still sping each other.

    He nced at their inteced fingers and muttered, ¡°I thought you would retract your hand.¡±

    As soon as he said this, Zhang Yuelu calmly removed her hand and asked, ¡°Why do you think so?¡±

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°Because you always give people the impression that you¡¯re very serious and dignified.¡±

    Zhang Yueluughed out loud. ¡°Of course, I have to leave that impression if I want people to take me seriously at work. But in front of you, there is no need for that.¡±

    Qi Xuansu reached out his hand again to cover the back of her palm.

    Zhang Yuelu turned her palm over and held his hand back.

    Holding hands with Zhang Yuelu made Qi Xuansu feel like he was floating in the clouds. He only hoped that they could stay like this forever.

    Zhang Yuelu gently leaned her head on Qi Xuansu¡¯s shoulder and whispered, ¡°Tian Yuan, where have you been in the past six months? What have you done?¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment before he joked, ¡°Well, it¡¯s a long story. Since I¡¯m telling the story, did you bring the wine?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu casually said, ¡°I¡¯ve stopped drinking after your mishap.¡±

    Qi Xuansu felt touched, as he knew how much Zhang Yuelu liked drinking. He sighed deeply, pretending toment her sobriety. ¡°That¡¯s a pity. I have specially prepared some good wine, but it looks like you don¡¯t have the luck to try it.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes lit up, and she quickly sat upright. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re back, I can break my sobriety!¡±

    ¡°Alright, wait here.¡± Qi Xuansu simpered, letting go of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hand and leaving the pavilion.

    Not long after, Qi Xuansu returned with an exquisite brocade box that he had customized at the cost of 2 Taiping coins. It even came with two sses, making it seem like an expensive and thoughtful gift.

    Zhang Yuelu perked up. ¡°What kind of wine is this? Is it a Western red wine?¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand wine, but it¡¯s definitely not red wine. You should see for yourself.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu took the brocade box from Qi Xuansu and ced it on the stone table in the pavilion, opening the lid of the box without much care.

    The next moment, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s mouth gaped open. ¡°Tian Yuan, where did you get this?!¡±

    Qi Xuansu shed an enigmatic smile. ¡°It¡¯s good wine, huh?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s good wine!¡± Zhang Yuelu eximed as she caressed the bottle. ¡°I had only mentioned it once in passing when we first met. I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d still remember!¡±

    This was an unexpected gain for Qi Xuansu, as it waspletely unintentional on his part. However, he was smart enough not to point it out and began to recall their first interaction.

    Thanks to his amazing memory as a Rogue Cultivator, Qi Xuansu quickly remembered what she said. Back then, they had just left the Phoenix Tower, sitting on the steps in Taiqing Square while talking about different types of wine.

    Zhang Yuelu had said, ¡°Actually, getting drunk isn¡¯t so bad. At least, you can temporarily forget your troubles. I¡¯ve heard of a type of alcohol called Dreaming Death. It¡¯s specifically made for the Sages because regr alcohol has no effect on them. If a Sage wants to get drunk, they¡¯ll ask for a jar of Dreaming Death.

    ¡°If an ordinary person drinks Dreaming Death, they will forget many things, including their parents, spouses, children, friends, and even themselves. That¡¯s why it¡¯s a controlled item that is rarely seen on the market. I¡¯ve always wanted to try it, but I¡¯ve never had the chance.¡±

    Qi Xuansu stared at the brocade box again. <i>Could this be the legendary Dreaming Death that was exclusively made for Sages? These people from Huasheng Hall are so generous to put such good things in those Stupid Jars!</i>

    But thinking about it from another perspective, ordinary people would lose their memory if they drank such strong alcohol, so it could only be consumed by Heavenly Beings. This must be yet another valuable yet unmarketable product.

    Qi Xuansu suppressed his inner shock and chuckled. ¡°Of course, I remember. If it hadn¡¯t been for that chance encounter, I wouldn¡¯t have gained the attention of the famous Deputy Hall Master Zhang.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not know what to say for a moment and only sighed softly.

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°Why are you sighing? Do you not like it?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu shook her head. ¡°No, I like it very much. But you must have put a lot of thought into getting this bottle of Dreaming Death, right?¡±

    Qi Xuansu answered truthfully, ¡°It didn¡¯t take any effort at all. It just appeared, so it¡¯s really not a big deal.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu only thought he had said this tofort her. She could not help but feel ashamed as she muttered, ¡°But I didn¡¯t buy you a gift.¡±

    Feeling a little guilty, Qi Xuansu hurriedly said, ¡°This is actually an apology gift. I¡¯m not expecting you to give me anything. I know I¡¯m not a great person, but I do feel sorry for what I¡¯ve put you through. Qing Xiao, I like you¡ªnot because of your family, status, or tutge¡ªI like you because of who you are.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu looked at him with sparkling eyes. ¡°Tian Yuan, are you telling the truth? Or are you just coaxing me to make me feel better?¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression turned solemn. ¡°Of course, I am telling the truth.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s eyes were gentle. She asked, ¡°You mentioned this is an apology gift. What do you mean by that?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°Shall we drink and talk?¡±

    Speaking of this, Qi Xuansu suddenly asked, ¡°By the way, I am only in the Guizhen stage. Will I forget who I am after drinking Dreaming Death?¡±

    ¡°No, we just have to drink less.¡± Zhang Yuelu took out the two wine sses from the brocade box and ced them on the stone table. She removed the seal on the wine bottle and filled the sses. The wine was a crystal clear amber color, which looked enticing in the transparent ss.

    Qi Xuansu picked up a ss and put it to his nose, but just a whiff of this wine made him feel tipsy.

    Zhang Yuelu also picked up her ss and took a gentle sip.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a long story. Where shall I start?¡± Qi Xuansu gently shook the wine ss, staring into the amber liquid as he began to reminisce.

    A bright blush crept up Zhang Yuelu¡¯s face due to the aftereffects of the alcohol. She smirked and suggested. ¡°Why don¡¯t you start from Salt Lake?¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s face instantly stiffened.

    Zhang Yuelu took another sip and added, ¡°Or perhaps from Cuowenbu.¡±

    He coughed lightly. ¡°You know everything?¡±

    She only smiled faintly in response.

    ¡°When did you find out?¡± Qi Xuansu probed.

    Zhang Yuelu giggled. ¡°Right now, after you said this.¡±

    Qi Xuansu immediately understood that he had been tricked. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re ying me, huh?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t connect the dots at first. After all, I witnessed your fall and assumed you were dead.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu smiled more today than she had umted in the past six months. At this time, she propped up her chin with one hand and held her wine ss in the other as she grinned at Qi Xuansu.

    ¡°Even after seeing you again, I didn¡¯t connect the dots until you gave me this apology gift. That made me dubious. It reminded me of a suspicion that I had denied, and the things that I couldn¡¯t understand in the past suddenly became clear.¡±

    ¡°So you took the opportunity to test me, and my reaction confirmed your guess.¡± Qi Xuansupleted her sentence with a wry smile.

    Zhang Yuelu joked, ¡°So, shall I call you Qi Xuansu? Or Wei Wugui?¡±

    Qi Xuansu blinked innocently. ¡°Qi Xuansu, of course.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu hummed in response, rathernguid and charming, not at all displeased by this discovery.

    He hesitated for a moment before confessing. ¡°I killed Wan Xiuwu.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nced at him and blinked. ¡°And then what?¡±

    Qi Xuansu probed, feeling puzzled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry? I thought you would arrest me after finding out, regardless of what I mean to you.¡±

    She sighed. ¡°Tian Yuan, I can¡¯t arrest you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked. ¡°Why not?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu stared at him intently and murmured, ¡°I am neither a saint nor a viin.¡±

 Chapter 397: Confession (I)

    <h4>Chapter 397: Confession (I)</h4>

    Now that Zhang Yuelu knew everything, Qi Xuansu had nothing to hide. He started telling his story from the beginning while drinking.

    Of course, his story did not start from when he woke up in the Starry Sea, but from when he was ¡°rescued by Sage Donghua.¡±

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Aside from this fabricated beginning, everything that followed was Qi Xuansu¡¯s personal experience.

    Qi Xuansu first talked about meeting Eighth Tianyang at the Feilong Inn in Salt Lake, hence the start of the grudge between him and the Heavenly Court.

    Then he talked about how he was ¡°ordered¡± to go to Cuowenbu to investigate the White Jade Hall, where he saved the District Princess Qin Xiang, met General Qin Wubing, and, by chance, witnessed the fall of the Yinglong Warship. He even mentioned meeting Sage Cihang.

    Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Sage to be your master. I suppose that¡¯s the reason my identity was exposed. Sage Cihang must have told you about me.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not deny it. She exined, ¡°When I was exchanging letters with my master, she mentioned that she once met a person by the Cuowenbu Lake who called himself Wei Wugui. He left an impression on her because he possessed Daoist techniques.

    ¡°At that time, I had a feeling that everything was connected. Although I didn¡¯t know that you were Wei Wugui, I could guess your route. You first met Eighth Tianyang at the Feilong Inn in Salt Lake, where you worked together to kill cult demons from the Heavenly Court. Then you went to Xiping Prefecture to participate in the Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly before going to the West Gobi, where you met Qin Wubing.

    ¡°After that, you appeared at thekeside of Cuowenbu and met my master. When you were attacked by Feng Bo in Xijing Prefecture, you used the power of the Daoist Order to force Feng Bo into retreating. That¡¯s where you met Sage Pei. On the way to Zhongzhou from Xijing Prefecture, you met Wan Xiuwu on the way and killed him because of past grudges.

    ¡°To avoid getting caught, you entered the Ghost Pass with Sage Pei¡¯s token and met the Three Yin Beings. After going through the Ghost Pass, you stayed in Longmen Prefecture briefly and met Eight Tianyang again in Purple Immortal Mountain, where you helped him solve the case.

    ¡°Am I right?¡± Zhang Yuelu looked at Qi Xuansu expectantly.

    Qi Xuansu was shocked by how urate Zhang Yuelu¡¯s guess was. All he felt was awe and admiration, so he could only p and praise. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely amazing!¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not hide her curiosity. ¡°But I still have some things I¡¯m confused about. But don¡¯t worry if you can¡¯t answer them; I won¡¯t force you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°Ask away.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Zhang Yuelu perked up.

    Qi Xuansu nodded.

    Zhang Yuelu carefully considered her words before asking, ¡°What did you do in the Ghost Pass?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was not surprised by her question. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Have you heard about the Daoist Order¡¯s n to replenish the Banished Immortals?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was stunned by this response. She looked pensive before she replied, ¡°I have some impression of it. It seems to be rted to Rogue Cultivators. As far as I know, Rogue Cultivators are independent of the conventional Five Immortal Lineages.

    ¡°Rogue Cultivators actually correspond to the Corpse Liberation Immortal, which has a long history, even before the Five Immortals. Some elders once proposed the theory of the Three Immortals, which includes the Heavenly Immortal, the Earthly Immortal, and the Corpse Liberation Immortal.

    ¡°They believed that after attaining the Dao, one could abandon the body and ascend to immortality. One could also leave an item behind and ascend to heaven, such as clothing, essories, a staff, or a sword. That¡¯s why it¡¯s called Corpse Liberation.

    ¡°Volume 87 of <i>The Supreme Secret</i> states that Corpse Liberation is the transformation of the physical form, the refinement and shedding of the true essence, and the escape and metamorphosis of the mortal body. Thus, it is also metaphorically referred to as cicada molting, akin to how a cicada leaves behind its shell and transforms. The practice involves preserving one¡¯s qi and stabilizing the physical form in secluded caves, eventually ascending to immortality.

    ¡°Later, with the theory of the Five Immortals, the Corpse Liberation Immortal was subdivided into Godly Immortals, Manly Immortals, and Ghostly Immortals. Gradually, the Corpse Liberation Immortal was slowly forgotten. It was not until the Holy Xuan revitalized the Daoist Order and integrated the Five Immortal Lineages that the long-lost Corpse Liberation Immortal came to light again.

    ¡°However, the current Corpse Liberation Immortal is different from the ancient one. Today¡¯s Rogue Cultivators are indeed like ''Lesser Banished Immortals'' because they have made corresponding adjustments. This change rtes to what you¡¯ve mentioned about replenishing Banished Immortals. The main purpose is not to revive the Corpse Liberation Immortal lineage, but to cultivate more Banished Immortals.

    ¡°Judging from the theory of the Three Immortals, the Corpse Liberation Immortal is inferior to the Heavenly Immortal and the Earthly Immortal. So it may not be that easy to turn the Corpse Liberation Immortal into an Earthly Immortal, though the Daoist creation project back then was capable of anything, even creating first-rank Spirit Guards.

    ¡°But seeing as how the Daoist Order still has yet to mass produce Banished Immortals, I think the project could have been halted due to its high costs. However, the Corpse Liberation Immortal lineage that came to light in the process was retained, hence bing the sixth lineage. The Heavenly Immortal, Earthly Immortal, Corpse Liberation Immortal, Godly Immortal, Manly Immortal, and Ghostly Immortal are the Six Immortals we know today, corresponding to the six qis.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°To put it bluntly, Rogue Cultivators are simplified versions of Banished Immortals. They can also be Banished Immortals, but they need something extremely valuable to make up for their innate deficiencies and alter their capabilities. Do you still remember what happened at Yn Temple in Yishan City?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was extremely smart, so she vaguely understood what Qi Xuansu was getting at. ¡°Of course, I remember. I was fighting with Xie Qiuniang at Yn Temple, while you were attacked by Monk Yan Xiu. I was really afraid that you wouldn¡¯t be able to escape from Wu Luo¡¯s divine power. If that were the case, I would¡¯ve drowned in regret for the rest of my life.

    ¡°Not long after you left Yn Temple, you advanced to the Yuxu stage, iming that you took a legendary demon pill from the broken Buddha statue. The pill healed your injuries and increased your cultivation level greatly, allowing you to escape from Yn Temple safely.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°I lied to you back then. It wasn¡¯t a demon pill, but a piece of jade. Later, I found out that it was called a Xuan Jade, which was the key topleting Rogue Cultivators. Wu Luo¡¯s divine power fused the Xuan Jade into me, improving my cultivation.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu raised her eyebrows. ¡°Why did you lie to me?¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled bitterly. ¡°Since it was rted to Wu Luo¡¯s divine power, I was afraid that you¡¯d associate me with a secret society and eliminate me then and there.¡±

    A lie always had to be covered with more lies. Qi Xuansu felt guilty about it, but he was also helpless, as he had no room for regrets. That was because he had long been a member of the Qingping Society before he met Zhang Yuelu.

    No matter what, he did not want Zhang Yuelu to know that he was a member of the Qingping Society.

    Killing Wan Xiuwu was one thing, but joining a secret society was another. Even if he did not have a choice in joining said secret society, he dared not bet on how Zhang Yuelu would react to the discovery.

    Qi Xuansu also believed that there woulde a day when he would leave the Qingping Society. At that time, he would be able to face Zhang Yuelu without guilt, and he could finally bury this dirty secret in the past.

    Zhang Yuelu snorted slightly, expressing her dissatisfaction.

    Qi Xuansu anxiously held her hand again in an attempt to appease her.

    Fortunately, Zhang Yuelu did not dodge and let him hold her. It seemed that she was not that angry after all.

    Qi Xuansu breathed a sigh of relief and continued, ¡°Later, I found White Jade Hall¡¯s hideout in the Eastern Oasis of Cuowenbu. However, by the time I arrived, the cult demons had already fled. All that was left was this piece of Xuan Jade.

    ¡°I suspect that this piece of Xuan Jade is rted to the Huasheng Hall¡¯s manufacturing nt in Cuowenbu. As you know, the reason why Sage Shangguan appeared in Cuowenbu on the Yinglong Warship was to suppress the out-of-control Great Asura at the manufacturing nt.

    ¡°In order to investigate the matter, I infiltrated The Inn¡¯s team and went to the manufacturing nt, so I was there to witness the Great Asura being manipted by the people from White Jade Hall. Fortunately, that was where I obtained a Blood Pill.

    ¡°Oh, I forgot to mention that there was a letter next to the Xuan Jade left by White Jade Hall as a gift to someone from the Qingping Society. It meant that these two secret societies hade to a prior agreement about this Xuan Jade''s ownership. Since the Daoist Order discovered their tracks, White Jade Hall had to retreat from their hideout and left the Xuan Jade there, waiting for the people from the Qingping Society to collect it.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu could not help butugh. ¡°In the end, you somehow managed to take that Xuan Jade by ident, right?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded and continued telling his story. ¡°I left Cuowenbu with that Xuan Jade. You¡¯re aware of what happened after. Feng Bo hunted me down and attacked me at Xijing Prefecture. Sage Pei also knew of my identity due to his rtionship with Sage Donghua and Sage Lei, so I was able to recuperate at Sage Pei¡¯s ce.

    ¡°Sage Lei is my immediate superior, and she taught me the Tantai Fist Intention. Later, when I left Xijing Prefecture, I ran into Wan Xiuwu on the road. You must have investigated the grudges between me and him, right? When I saw that he was alone, anger and vengeance took over me. We had a fair fight to the death, and I won in the end. It was probably because Wan Xiuwu had enjoyed thefy life in recent years and became unfamiliar withbat.

    ¡°I knew that Wuxu Pce would definitely not let this slide, so I did the opposite of what was logical and went to Longmen Prefecture via the Ghost Pass. That was when I met the Three Yin Beings. But I¡¯d like to rify that I didn¡¯t take the initiative to summon them. Before that, I didn¡¯t even know of their existence.

    ¡°It was this piece of Xuan Jade that inexplicably brought me to the Ghost Kingdom, where I met Master Yin, Master Wan, and Madam Bai. In my opinion, these Three Yin Beings aren¡¯t any different from humans.

    ¡°They were the ones who told me that the Xuan Jade was the key topleting Rogue Cultivators and that it must be activated with divine power. So they helped me activate the Xuan Jade I got from White Jade Hall, allowing me to advance to the Guizhen stage. In return, they only wanted me to do them a favor in the future because they were afraid that the Daoist Order would get rid of them once they had outlived their usefulness.¡±

    Qi Xuansu honestly told Zhang Yuelu about his experiences in the Ghost Kingdom, including his deal with the Three Yin Beings.

    He felt like there was nothing to hide about this because the Three Yin Beings were also members of the Daoist Order, so it was not taboo to interact with them.

    As expected, Zhang Yuelu did not have much reaction to this. She only nodded and said thoughtfully, ¡°I see...¡±

 Chapter 398: Confession (II)

    <h4>Chapter 398: Confession (II)</h4>

    It was only now that Zhang Yuelu understood why her master, Sage Cihang, had vetoed her proposal to investigate the Ghost Kingdom.

    Firstly, the Ghost Kingdom was indeed of great importance and could not be touched lightly. Secondly, the rtionship between the Three Yin Beings and the Daoist Order was delicate. A reckless investigation could worsen the situation, possibly triggering unforeseen changes.

    From the perspective of vying for the position of Grand Master, the Ghost Kingdom was a ho¡¯s nest. Until a victor was definitively determined, none of the three candidates would dare poke it.

    ¡°I have another question,¡± Zhang Yuelu said, pulling herself back from her thoughts. ¡°Who is that little girl?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°Her name is Liu Hu. She¡¯s a survivor of the Jiangnan Case.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was taken aback.

    Qi Xuansu continued, ¡°You were personally involved in the case, so you should remember Fang Linhou and the shares under his name. The Jiangnan Case involved shares processed through anonymous ounts in the Taiping Bank, which were hard to trace.

    ¡°These shares weren¡¯t solely owned by Fang Linhou but also included profits distributed among his subordinates. However, they were all registered under Fang Linhou¡¯s name. How they divided the profits among themselves was unknown to outsiders. After Fang Linhou was executed, his subordinates were either dead or arrested, and the few who escaped didn¡¯t dare bring up the matter. Thus, the money remains in the Taiping Bank ount to this day.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Is Liu Hu Fang Linhou¡¯s daughter?¡±

    Qi Xuansu shook his head. ¡°Liu Hu isn¡¯t Fang Linhou¡¯s daughter. She¡¯s the daughter of one of his subordinates. As a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master, Fang Linhou held a high position but was not skilled in financial matters, so he had someone manage the ounts for him. That person was Liu Hu¡¯s father. Before the case broke out, her father was silenced, leaving Liu Hu as the sole survivor.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu gave Qi Xuansu a deep look and remarked, ¡°It seems you gained a lot from your undercover investigation.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know all the specifics,¡± Qi Xuansu replied. ¡°I was ordered to escort her to Liaodong, but along the way, I encountered assassins from The Inn again.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu immediately recalled, ¡°The time we were ambushed...¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°They weren¡¯t the same group, but they were rted. You cut off the mastermind¡¯s financial pipeline, so they targeted you. Liu Hu¡¯s existence involves the ownership of hundreds of thousands of Taiping coins, so they needed her alive. As far as I know, the leader of the group that ambushed us at the dpidated temple was called Third Master Chang, a ruthless figure far more dangerous than the group I encountered.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu fell into deep thought and muttered, ¡°When the Jiangnan Case broke out, it was Sage Donghua who advocated for a thorough investigation, iming it as an opportunity to crack open a wedge in the veil of darkness. In the end, the case fizzled out. Now, it seems Sage Donghua hasn¡¯t given up; he¡¯s just shifted from an open to a covert action.¡±

    Hearing Zhang Yuelu¡¯s words and reflecting on his own experiences, Qi Xuansu began to piece things together.

    Pei Xiaolou clearly knew about Liu Hu¡¯s existence and approved of it.

    ording to Zhang Yuelu, Sage Donghua advocated for a thorough investigation of the Jiangnan Case.

    Zhang Yuelu gained the favor of the Earthly Preceptor for her meritorious service in the Jiangnan Case and was promoted to Deputy Hall Master.

    Liu Hu was taken in by Wild Bodhisattva, who was affiliated with the Qingping Society and closely connected to Madam Qi, who, in turn, had ties with Pei Xiaolou and Lei Xiaohuan.

    Sage Cihang was not initially involved in the Jiangnan Case but only intervened after her disciple, Zhang Yuelu, was endangered.

    From this perspective, the situation became clearer. Pei Xiaolou, Sage Donghua, and the Earthly Preceptor were all from the Quanzhen Sect, and their stance had remained consistent from the beginning.

    As for Sage Cihang, the Zhengyi Sect initially seemed neutral, like an observer on the sidelines. That was until Zhang Yuelu, the audacious neer, stepped in, forcing their hand.

    As for who the mastermind was, it seemed almost unnecessary to borate.

    It certainly would not be the Western Sect that had retreated to the Western Region or the Northern Sect, which had be part of the royal family.

    Of course, when it came to interests, the distinctions between sects blurred. There was inevitably mutual infiltration. It was highly likely that some Quanzhen Sect members were involved but were righteously purged under the Earthly Preceptor¡¯s leadership.

    Even the Zhengyi Sect¡¯s initial neutrality might have been due to internal involvement, only for them to abandon those people for the greater good as the situation evolved.

    Qi Xuansu inquired, ¡°Qing Xiao, what sect was the previous Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master and Fang Linhou from?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu paused momentarily before understanding his intent. She answered, ¡°The previous Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master was from the Quanzhen Sect, while Fang Linhou was from the Taiping Sect. The Taiping Sect would not let it slide after their disciple was executed, so they retaliated by charging the Quanzhen Sect¡¯s Mansion Master with dereliction of duty, resulting in his transfer out of the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion.¡±

    Qi Xuansu could already imagine the drama. The newly appointed Quanzhen Sect Mansion Master descended into Jiangnan Daoist Mansion with a mission, shing with the internal corrupt forces and facing an undercurrent of schemes, unclear alliances, and treacherous power ys. All of this intertwined with high-level disputes, ultimately leading to mutual destruction.

    He remarked, ¡°That makes sense. I think sending Liu Hu to Liaodong is likely connected to this former Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master. The reason I went to Longmen Prefecture was to meet Liu Hu. But I don¡¯t know who was the one who arranged for her to be there.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu mused, ¡°It seems the only way to understand the full picture is to ask Sage Donghua.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded in agreement.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°My final question is about the Purple Immortal Mountain case. Now it seems that the Purple Immortal Mountain case is actually a continuation of the Jiangnan Case. It¡¯s only a matter of time before the two cases are tried together. Did you go to Purple Immortal Mountain under Sage Donghua¡¯s orders?¡±

    Qi Xuansu smiled bitterly. ¡°That was actually a coincidence. If not for evading the assassins from The Inn, I wouldn¡¯t have gone to Purple Immortal Mountain. Once there, I discovered that Shimen County had been sealed off by the Green Phoenix Guard due to a serial murder case.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    ¡°The one in charge of the murder investigation was an old acquaintance, Eighth Tianyang. At first, I didn¡¯t think much of it and just thought of helping him solve the case as a friend. I didn¡¯t expect this case to escte greatly, with all clues pointing to Superintendent Liu Futong.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu, being the handler of the case, was familiar with the details. ¡°So you and the other superintendent, Su Ran, joined forces to take down Liu Futong?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Su Ran, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to enter the Ecstasy Pce. But even then, I found it suspicious, as Su Ran¡¯s timing was too coincidental. So afterward, I went to see Su Ran again.¡±

    ¡°You killed Su Ran,¡± Zhang Yuelu stated. She had never believed that Eighth Tianyang had killed Su Ran. She just had no proof.

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°To be precise, Su Ran tried to kill me. I was merely acting in self-defense. Those foxes of the Qingqiu lineage are indeed outliers within the Taiping Sect. She was a conservative, seeing Purple Immortal Mountain as a stain on the Daoist Order, so she wanted to destroy it. Liu Futong was her obstacle, so she took him down. When I discovered some clues, she tried to silence me. Unfortunately for her, she underestimated me and ended up like Wan Xiuwu¡ªdead at my hands.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu sighed deeply. ¡°From what you¡¯ve said so far, I understand most of it now. No matter Su Ran¡¯s motivations, this was an internal conflict. If not for their infighting, this case wouldn¡¯t havee to light. But you were the key to uncovering this case.

    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t killed Su Ran, the situation in Purple Immortal Mountain wouldn¡¯t have spiraled out of control. It was your actions that made the matter escte beyond a simple cover-up. Since it happened so suddenly, those behind Purple Immortal Mountain couldn¡¯t salvage the situation in time and had to hastily silence witnesses.

    ¡°In this sense, you deserve the most credit, so it¡¯s reasonable for Sage Donghua to promote you to superintendent.¡±

    Qi Xuansuughed. ¡°Clearly, it was the two of us working seamlessly together. I think this is what they call a spiritual connection between two hearts.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu raised her wine ss and beamed. ¡°Then...let¡¯s toast to our seamless cooperation!¡±

    Qi Xuansu also raised his ss, gently clinking it against Zhang Yuelu¡¯s.

    Both of them downed the wine.

    True to its reputation as a drink reserved for Heavenly Beings, the Dreaming Death immediately made Qi Xuansu feel intoxicated, leaving him groggy and forcing him to use his cultivation to dispel the effects.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s alcohol tolerance was much better, and her cultivation level was higher than his. Her eyes sparkled like stars, her face flushed with a rosy hue, looking exceptionally radiant.

    Gazing at this beauty through tipsy lenses, Qi Xuansu found himself momentarily mesmerized.

    Zhang Yuelu set down her wine ss and waved her hand in front of Qi Xuansu¡¯s dazed eyes. ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking at you, of course.¡±

    Alcohol was usually referred to as liquid courage, but Qi Xuansu was never one to be timid anyway.

    With her face already flushed from the wine, it was hard to tell if Zhang Yuelu was blushing from shyness. She giggled. ¡°What¡¯s there to look at?¡±

    Qi Xuansu just continued gawking at Zhang Yuelu without saying a word.

    Feeling a bit embarrassed under his infatuated gaze, Zhang Yuelu turned to look at theke outside the pavilion.

    It was near dusk, and the setting sun painted the entireke an orange-red gradient.

    Qi Xuansu followed her gaze.

    Suddenly, he felt crestfallen. He had confessed much to Zhang Yuelu, yet he still withheld much. He only wished he could bepletely open and honest with her.

    Just then, Zhang Yuelu settled her emotions and stole a nce at Qi Xuansu, only to see him peering nkly into the distance.

    Looking closely, she could discern a faint mncholia in his eyes.

    The curiosity she felt when they first met bubbled up again in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s heart. <i>Why was he sad? What had he experienced in the past years after his master''s death?</i>

    Before Zhang Yuelu could voice her question, Qi Xuansu had already concealed his sorrow. After all, he was never one to wallow in sadness.

    When Qi Xuansu caught Zhang Yuelu sneaking a nce at him, he immediately turned to look at her again.

    This was, by now, the nth time they had locked eyes. What began with a bit of shyness had now be more natural and confident.

    Qi Xuansu asked, echoing Zhang Yuelu¡¯s earlier words, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu only mimicked his reply. ¡°I¡¯m looking at you, of course.¡±

 Chapter 399: Drunk

    <h4>Chapter 399: Drunk</h4>

    The moments of solitude between lovers always seemed fleeting, passing in the blink of an eye.

    Before they knew it, the magnificent full moon had risen high in the pristine night sky, its reflection casting a silvery glow across the entireke.

    The bottle of Dreaming Death was already more than half-empty. Despite both being in the Guizhen stage and using their cultivation to dispel the effects of this strong alcohol, they were still mildly inebriated.

    Qi Xuansu had drunk less, so he was about 60% tipsy. Meanwhile, Zhang Yuelu, despite her higher cultivation, was around 80% drunk.

    As the night grew darker, Qi Xuansu knew it was time to leave. He joked, ¡°Can you still walk? Do you want me to carry you back?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu shook her head drunkenly. ¡°What would people think if they saw us? Besides, you can barely stand yourself. If you tried to carry me, we¡¯d both end up rolling into theke!¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not insist, so the two drunkards supported each other and staggered back to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s courtyard.

    Zhang Yuelu did not forget to bring along the remaining bottle of Dreaming Death.

    Luckily, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s study was located in the innermost part of the courtyard, separated from the front yard by a moon gate. Without her explicit summons, people would rarely disturb her, so it was quiet.

    As such, the couple did not encounter a single person on their way over to the study.

    Though it was called a study, it actually consisted of three rooms. The two inner rooms served as Zhang Yuelu¡¯s living quarters, while the outer room functioned as an office for handling documents and receiving guests.

    That was when Zhang Yuelu seemed to realize something. She asked, ¡°Where are you nning to stay tonight? Your room should be over at Sage Lei¡¯s courtyard, right?¡±

    Qi Xuansu yed dumb. ¡°What do you mean? Aren¡¯t we supposed to talk all night?¡±

    Under normal circumstances, Zhang Yuelu would never agree, but she was currently befuddled, though notpletely incoherent. She nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s talk all night.¡±

    When they entered the study, Qi Xuansu went to light some candles. Zhang Yuelu casually ced the bottle of Dreaming Death on the table and turned toward the inner room.

    She seemed to have forgotten Qi Xuansu¡¯s presence, as her actions were so natural, like she was alone. Yet she remembered to lock the door behind her.

    Qi Xuansu had no choice but to sit on the long bench by the tea table.

    Not long after, Qi Xuansu heard the sound of running watering from inside. Judging by the volume of water, it was not just face-washing. She seemed to be drawing a bath.

    <i>Jinling Prefecture was a prosperous ce, no less impressive than the Imperial Capital or Jade Capital. As thergest Daoist temple in Jinling Prefecture, Zhenwu Temple often hosted dignitaries of high status. Apart from its vast grounds, its interior was equally remarkable.</i>

    <i>For example, all the furniture in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s residence was made of yellow rosewood. The paper, brushes, inkstones, and ink on her desk were clearly of the highest quality and meticulously arranged. On the table and tea stand were fine porcin tea sets, along with various vases and antiques.</i>

    <i>Although kerosenemps were avable, many still preferred the ritual of lighting candles. Thus, there were various types of candle holders¡ªtall standing holders in the four corners of the room, short table-mounted holders withmpshades, and even eight-sided pcenterns with tassels hanging from above. If all of them were lit, the room would be as bright as day.</i>

    <i>Besides that, there was an extensive piping system. Zhenwu Temple had long moved past manual water hauling. Instead, metal pipes brought water directly into the courtyards. With just a turn of a faucet, water was avable on demand, making it easy to take a bath without needing to heat water as in the past.</i>

    <i>Of course, ordinary citizens and even most of the well-off households could not afford such luxuries.</i>

    As Qi Xuansu listened to the faint sound of water sshing, his thoughts began to drift, fantasizing about the scene inside. However, his imagination was rather limited¡ªconjuring only hazy steam and a vague silhouette.

    At some point, the sound of water ceased.

    Qi Xuansu instinctively sat upright.

    By now, it waste at night, and the entire Zhenwu Temple was silent, so every subtle sound became distinctly audible.

    Qi Xuansu heard the rustling sound of fabric, likely from Zhang Yuelu getting dressed.

    A momentter, footsteps approached, and the doortch was unlocked from the inside.

    Zhang Yuelu reappeared in front of Qi Xuansu.

    After her bath, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hair was slightly damp and casually draped over her shoulders. She had changed out of her formal Daoist attire and into a simple dress.

    While half of the female Daoists favored full-white attire, Zhang Yuelu did not particrly like wearing pure white. She always added some contrasting colors. Her current dress was mainly abination of green and white. In casual attire, her usual sharp demeanor was reced with a touch of elegance and gentleness.

    This was Qi Xuansu¡¯s first time seeing Zhang Yuelu as such.

    Zhang Yuelu sat down beside Qi Xuansu, taking the other half of the long bench. After her bath, she sobered up slightly, but she was still not entirely clear-headed.

    She avoided looking at Qi Xuansu. Instead, she stared nkly at the tips of her shoes that were peeking out from under her skirt.

    Although Qi Xuansu had suggested they talk all night, he now found himself unsure of what to say.

    After a moment, Zhang Yuelu lifted her head and broke the silence. ¡°So, tell me more about your experiences after we parted ways in Jiangling Prefecture.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Qi Xuansu agreed without hesitation.

    Catching a whiff of the faint fragrance emanating from Zhang Yuelu, Qi Xuansu suddenly felt thirsty and instinctively reached for the half-empty bottle of Dreaming Death on the table, taking a small sip.

    From there, Qi Xuansu began recounting his journey¡ªhow he boarded the ship, met Xu Kou, encountered the pirates together, and what Shen Mingshu had done, among other events.

    Zhang Yuelu listened attentively, asionally taking the wine bottle from Qi Xuansu for a small sip. Since they had left their sses at thekeside pavilion, they decided to drink straight from the bottle instead.

    Thus, one spoke while the other listened, sharing the same wine bottle in this harmonious moment. That was until Qi Xuansu mentioned Li Qingnu.

    ¡°Li Qingnu, as in the Finest Courtesan renowned across thend?¡± Zhang Yuelu asked, her tone feigning nonchnce.

    With the alcohol clouding his senses, Qi Xuansu failed to notice the danger lurking in her words and replied casually, ¡°Yeah, the one we met in Shangqing Prefecture.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Zhang Yuelu said, seeming slightly more sober as her thoughts grew sharper. ¡°Are you close with her? Back then, I didn¡¯t even know your identity¡ªhow did she know who you were?¡±

    Afraid of almost slipping up, Qi Xuansu sobered up a bit and managed a quick-witted response. ¡°It was my fault for being careless. I gave my mask to Liu Hu, leaving my face exposed, so Li Qingnu identally recognized me. Fortunately, she isn¡¯t part of the Daoist Order and didn¡¯t know that Qi Xuansu was supposedly ¡®dead,¡¯ so I paid no heed to it.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Zhang Yuelu narrowed her eyes, her earlier sobriety now giving way to another rising sense of intoxication.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Qi Xuansu produced the white fox mask from his bag to corroborate his story.

    Zhang Yuelu took the mask, examined it briefly, and made noment.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu added some unnecessary details. ¡°I even made a deal with Li Qingnu. I helped her deal with Lu Yunfeng, the young master of the Taiping Sect¡¯s Lu family in exchange for her ensuring Liu Hu¡¯s safe journey to Liaodong.¡±

    Dreaming Death was no ordinary wine. Even Zhang Yuelu, who was immune to ordinary alcohol, was now inebriated, seeming like apletely different person.

    She let out a dry chuckle. ¡°A hero rescuing a beauty, huh?¡±

    Qi Xuansu hastily rified. ¡°No, it was merely a fair transaction.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu smiled dubiously and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Lu Yunfeng pursued Li Qingnu, and you came to her defense. I wasn¡¯t so lucky back when Li Tianzhen had his eyes on me. No one was there to stand up for me, and I had to rely on myself.¡±

    Hearing this, Qi Xuansu did not know whether tough or cry. <i>The Zhang Yuelu I¡¯m familiar with will neverin so bitterly under normal circumstances. Besides, I hadn¡¯t even met her yet at the time, so how could I havee to her defense? It seems totally unreasonable for her to hold that against me! It looks like she¡¯s truly drunk.</i>

    However, that was only what he thought. He would never dare say it out loud.

    Qi Xuansu reconsidered this.

    Li Tianzhen was a direct descendant of the Li family, ranking only below Li Changge among those of the same age. At the time, Zhang Yuelu had only just arrived in Jade Capital and was known as a member of the Zhang family¡¯s side branch. While Li Tianzhen could freely enter Zhenjing Courtyard, Zhang Yuelu was not yet allowed into the Dazhen Mansion. She was not yet Sage Cihang¡¯s chosen sessor and had not yet earned the favor of the Earthly Preceptor.

    Against Li Tianzhen, Zhang Yuelu¡¯sst name was her only advantage. She had no other support back then.

    Although many cited this incident as proof of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s powerful background and her indifference to Li Tianzhen, it was, in fact, a misinterpretation. For Zhang Yuelu, that was not a pleasant memory at all.

    Had it not been for her exceptional wit, which she used to maneuver Li Tianzhen into agreeing to a duel and ultimately forcing him to leave Jade Capital, her fate might not have been so favorable.

    She was also naturally strong-willed, unwilling to show even the slightest weakness in front of others. She never voiced her inner helplessness, grievances, or fears and always presented herself as tough, resilient, andposed, as though she were an unfeeling and unyielding individual.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Perhaps only when truly drunk and in the presence of herrade through life and death would she reveal even a hint of vulnerability.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu could not help but feel a surge of pity for her, along with a wave of bravado. ¡°It¡¯s just Li Tianzhen, right? Don¡¯t worry; one day, I¡¯ll avenge you.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu smiled without saying a word and took another small sip of wine.

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    ¡°I believe you,¡± Zhang Yuelu replied. ¡°Of course I do.¡±

    Qi Xuansu snatched the wine bottle from Zhang Yuelu, took a big gulp, and could not help but burp. ¡°I mean what I say.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu took the wine bottle back from Qi Xuansu. ¡°And then? After you helped Li Qingnu deal with Lu Yunfeng, what happened next?"

    ¡°What else? I rushed back to see you, of course.¡± Qi Xuansu simpered, refraining from speaking carelessly again. ¡°After Sage Pei informed me of my official transfer, I didn¡¯t linger for a moment and was eager to reunite with you.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu blinked her sparkling eyes. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely.¡± Qi Xuansu reassured her.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s gaze grew even brighter, but she quickly lowered her head and took a small sip of wine.

    In the end, both of them were wasted.

    They leaned against each other on the long bench and fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 400: Spring Dream

    <h4>Chapter 400: Spring Dream</h4>

    Qi Xuansu had not slept so deeply andfortably in a long time.

    He had a long and beautiful dream. In the dream, there were no dark mountains, strange ck shadows, or things that he could not understand.

    Qi Xuansu dreamed that he was taking a trip somewhere. It was a sunny day, with orioles flying and a gentle breeze carrying the faint scent of pear blossoms.

    The white petals fluttered from the trees and paved the road as if it were snow.

    The pear blossoms on both sides of the road were in full bloom, mixed with gorgeous peach blossoms that matched the hue of a faint blush.

    The two of them were in no hurry, and they did not care where they were going.

    They merely walked side by side, seeming like it wouldst forever.

    Suddenly, the wind and clouds changed. A line of darkness from the horizon quickly spread over the sky. Thick, ck clouds pressed down on the city as raindrops fell. The violent storm swept away the beautiful blossoms.

    Qi Xuansu seemed to be stuck in a state between sleep and wakefulness, vaguely hearing the sound of thunder, wind, and rain.

    Although the sound of rain was hypnotizing, making it easier to fall asleep, Qi Xuansu slowly woke up from his blissful dream amidst the rumbling thunder and fierce storm.

    The first thing that caught his eye was the white gauze canopy above him.

    That was when he realized he was lying on arge, intricately carved four-poster bed, with three sides covered in white gauze.

    Qi Xuansu was stunned for a moment. He then quickly recalled that he and Zhang Yuelu had been drinking and talking all night long. In the end, none of them could withstand the effects of Dreaming Death and gotpletely drunk.

    However, thest thing he remembered was sitting on the long bench in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s study.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu could not help but turn around and look outside the bed.

    This was obviously a bedroom, without bookshelves, desks, or chairs for entertaining guests. Instead, there was a matching dressing table, ebony-carvedttice cabs, a small round table, and two ornamental stools.

    There was a purple y tea set on the table and a screen that separated the room, painted withndscapes and marked with poems by Daoist elders.

    At this time, a woman was sitting in front of the dressing table, her ck hair still cascading beautifully down her back, which happened to be facing Qi Xuansu.

    This woman was none other than Zhang Yuelu.

    Qi Xuansu figured that Zhang Yuelu had moved him from the bench outside to the bed. After all, Zhang Yuelu was only one step away from bing a Heavenly Being, so she probably had sobered up sooner.

    Zhang Yuelu caught sight of Qi Xuansu¡¯s dazed expression in the mirror when she heard some soundsing from behind. She turned around and said, ¡°Tian Yuan, you¡¯re awake.¡±

    Qi Xuansu let out a low hum and asked, ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nced at her pocket watch and replied, ¡°About 12 hours.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sat up and found that his outer robe and shoes had been taken off, leaving only his inner garment.

    He wore twoyers in the summer weather because he was no longer afraid of the extreme heat after being in the Guizhen stage.

    Heavenly Beings were impervious to extreme cold and heat, but the changes brought about by cultivation were not sudden. They were usually a slow and gradual umtion.

    This was like drinking the Dreaming Death. By right, only Heavenly Beings could drink this strong alcohol, but since they were in the high levels of the Guizhen stage, they could still handle it. They would just get drunk faster and take longer to sober up.

    Moreover, it was only proper for Daoists to wear inner garments in addition to outer garments due to the influence of the fifth-generation Grand Master, requiring all Daoists to be meticulous in appearance at all times.

    Qi Xuansu sighed. ¡°Wow. This Dreaming Death is really something. I haven¡¯t slept so well in a long time. What about you? How long have you slept for?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu turned around to face Qi Xuansu with a big frown. ¡°About 8 hours. You made me miss today¡¯s meeting with the other Deputy Hall Masters!¡±

    Qi Xuansu was startled. He probed cautiously, ¡°Does that mean that our affair has been made public?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu stared at Qi Xuansu with narrowed eyes. ¡°Why do I get the feeling that you¡¯re secretly happy about this?¡±

    ¡°Am I?¡± Qi Xuansu blinked innocently.

    Zhang Yuelu merely red at him.

    Just as Qi Xuansu was starting to feel a little uneasy because of the intense re, Zhang Yuelu suddenlyughed. ¡°I¡¯m just joking; there is no meeting. Sage Lei had already exined everyone¡¯s tasks the day before yesterday. We mainly read the case files on our owntely.¡±

    Having said this, Zhang Yuelu suddenly came to a realization. ¡°Did Sage Lei already n this with you in advance?¡±

    Qi Xuansu would never admit that. He quickly waved his hands andughed dryly. ¡°How can Sage Lei pay attention to a small fart like me? It¡¯s probably just a coincidence.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu also felt that it was unlikely for a Sage to be so considerate toward Qi Xuansu, so she did not pursue the topic any further. She turned around to face the mirror and picked up theb. ¡°Don¡¯t disturb me.¡±

    Qi Xuansu got up from the bed, put on his shoes, and wore a middle coat. As soon as he cracked open a window, the strong wind outside rushed in and carried with it somerge raindrops.

    The weather in summer was like a temperamental toddler, changing at a moment¡¯s notice. The sky was clearst night, but it was pouring and thundering at the moment.

    Zhang Yuelu was about tob her hair, but it was blown into a mess by the strong wind. She shot daggers at Qi Xuansu andined. ¡°Tian Yuan, are you doing this on purpose?!¡±

    Qi Xuansu quickly closed the window. He scanned the room and saw his outer robe and belt hanging on the screen, so he went behind it to get dressed.

    When he emerged from behind the screen, he had already put on his outer robe and was tying his belt. Zhang Yuelu had also pulled her loose ck hair into a simple bun, about to secure it with a hairpin. After all, she was not a married woman, so there was no need forplicated hairstyles. She was rtively low-maintenance when it came to taking care of her hair.

    At this moment, Mu Jin pushed the door open and walked into the bedroom. She happened to see this scene in front of her and was stunned once again.

    Since Zhang Yuelu had always lived alone, and she often stayed up all night, she would mostly just take a nap on the chair whenever she felt tired.

    As Zhang Yuelu¡¯s personal secretary, Mu Jin also shouldered the responsibility of taking care of Zhang Yuelu¡¯s daily life. So she could freely enter and leave Zhang Yuelu¡¯s residence.

    Mu Jin came to Zhang Yuelu¡¯s study as usual but did not find her boss there, so she walked into the inner room.

    As a result, Mu Jin witnessed Qi Xuansu tying his belt while Zhang Yuelu wasbing her hair.

    It looked as if they were a married couple who had just woken up and gotten dressed together.

    That would be fine if they were husband and wife, but the key point was that they were not married yet!

    Moreover, Qi Xuansu had indeed spent the night on Zhang Yuelu¡¯s bed and had just gotten up.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were also taken aback. They were still immersed in the joy of meeting again after a long separation, so they werepletely rxed and failed to notice Mu Jin¡¯s arrival, especially with the heavy storm outside.

    Well, that was awkward.

    Mu Jin looked at Zhang Yuelu, who was holding a hairpin, and then at Qi Xuansu, who was pressing his belt, and muttered, ¡°I thought I was hallucinating. But you turned out to be real...¡±

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Qi Xuansu regained his senses and quickly fastened his belt. He coughed lightly and said, ¡°Long time no see.¡±

    Mu Jin still could not help but ask, ¡°Are you a human or a ghost?¡±

    ¡°A human, of course.¡± Qi Xuansu wanted to roll his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t die, and I¡¯m back now.¡±

    Mu Jin took a step back and almost hit the door. ¡°Then..st night...you two...¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not know how to answer her.

    He did not care what others thought of him, and he did not have much reputation to speak of, but he had to consider Zhang Yuelu¡¯s image. If word of this spread, he would not lose anything, but he had always wanted to marry Zhang Yuelu in an upright and dignified manner. He did not want to be bound to Zhang Yuelu through such despicable means.

    Furthermore, Zhang Yuelu had many enemies who would dly make a big fuss about this matter. If so, it would be quite detrimental to her future.

    After all, the Daoistmunity was generally conservative about sexual rtions, so it was best to tread lightly.

    Zhang Yuelu also came to her senses. Although she was startled by Mu Jin¡¯s unannounced arrival, she still had an air of unwavering authority. She inserted the hairpin into her bun and said calmly, ¡°Tian Yuan has been away for nearly half a year, and a lot of things have happened since then. So we ended up talking all night.¡±

    Mu Jin had disbelief written all over her face.<i> Talking all night and ending up in bed?</i>

    She had expected such behavior from Qi Xuansu, but never would she have thought her boss would allow it.

    Zhang Yuelu secretly regretted her decision to let Qi Xuansu sleep on the bed. If she had known Mu Jin would barge in like that, she would have just let Qi Xuansu sleep on the bench. She also berated herself for helping him to remove his outer robe and belt. With Qi Xuansu¡¯s resilient physique akin to that of a Martial Arts Practitioner, sleeping with bulky clothes on the bench would not have made much of a difference.

    She originally thought that she had a clear conscience since nothing happened between the two of them, but now it seemed that no one would believe her exnation, especially after seeing this scene.

    Annoyed by her own misjudgment, Zhang Yuelu had no choice but to change the subject. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Mu Jin took a deep breath to calm her emotions. She then presented an official note to Zhang Yuelu. ¡°This is a letter from the Hall Master.¡±

 Chapter 401: Power and Wealth

    <h4>Chapter 401: Power and Wealth</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu stood up from the dressing table and went to the outer area of the study with the official note.

    Mu Jin naturally followed Zhang Yuelu outside, leaving Qi Xuansu alone in the bedroom. By then, he no longer felt embarrassed. He sat down by the dressing table and saw his short sword, Qing Yuan, ced on it.

    Before meeting Zhang Yuelu, he had gone to his own residence arranged for him by Lei Xiaohuan to put away his luggage and weapons. He only brought Qing Yuan with him.

    It seemed that when Zhang Yuelu helped him remove his outer robest night, she had discovered the short sword hanging on his waist. He could even imagine Zhang Yuelu sitting alone in front of the dressing table, gently stroking the sheathed de.

    After all, the name of this short sword had a special meaning,bining both their courtesy names.

    Qi Xuansu put away Qing Yuan and carefully checked his appearance in the mirror before getting up and going to the outer area.

    At this time, Zhang Yuelu was sitting behind the desk with the official note ced in front of her.

    Qi Xuansu asked. ¡°What did Sage Cihang say?¡±

    ¡°Not much. She just informed me about your transfer.¡± Zhang Yuelu said lightly, ¡°From now on, you are no longer a disciple of the Zhengyi Sect but a disciple of the Quanzhen Sect.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was not surprised because he was already aware of it.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Zhang Yuelu noticed his nonchnce. ¡°It seems you¡¯re already aware.¡±

    ¡°Are you upset?¡± Qi Xuansu probed.

    Zhang Yuelu shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be upset about. It¡¯s just that my master obviously knew about this a long time ago but deliberately didn''t tell me. It turns out you¡¯re not that much of a small fart after all!¡±

    Qi Xuansu knew that Zhang Yuelu was intelligent, so it was not easy to fool her. ¡°It sounds like you are upset. Sage Donghua must havemunicated with Sage Cihang in advance. Also, I am just a small fart who hasn¡¯t even met Sage Donghua yet. The Sages must have their own considerations. Why would they care about what I think?¡±

    What Qi Xuansu said was reasonable, so much so that Zhang Yuelu could not find anything wrong with it.

    Zhang Yuelu sighed. ¡°Of course, I know it¡¯s not your fault. I¡¯m just concerned that Sage Donghua has a deeper motive for making you his pawn.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was deeply touched by this. ¡°Well, why would the mighty Sage Donghua scheme against a small pawn like me?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu looked pensive, but the information she had was insufficient. She also did not want to use anyone without evidence. ¡°I hope so. But you should still be cautious.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded.

    After a slight hesitation, Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°There is one more thing. Once this is over, my master wants to meet you as soon as we return to Jade Capital.¡±

    This was beyond Qi Xuansu¡¯s expectations. He was startled for a second before guilt washed over him. It took him a while to ask, ¡°Sage Cihang wants to see me? What for?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu only smiled at Qi Xuansu. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Although Qi Xuansu had met Sage Cihang once in Cuowenbu, he was unaware of her real identity at that time, and Sage Cihang did not know his identity either.

    As they say, ignorance is bliss.

    Now that they both knew their real identities, Qi Xuansu felt flustered.

    ¡°Am I allowed to refuse? Or...maybe I don¡¯t have to go back to Jade Capital...¡± Qi Xuansu added.

    Zhang Yuelu emphasized her tone. ¡°What do <i><u>you</u></i> think?¡±

    Qi Xuansu sighed helplessly. ¡°You have so many rtives, friends, and elders with high status. Nine out of ten of them are dissatisfied with me, so it¡¯s a real chore to have to meet them one by one.¡±

    Logically speaking, it would be inappropriate for Qi Xuansu to be so blunt in front of Zhang Yuelu, but she did not take offense. On the contrary, she even agreed with what he said.

    Her tone became gentler. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t help it either. You¡¯ll just have to be more patient.¡±

    After Qi Xuansuined, he reflected on himself. ¡°But then again, it¡¯s still my fault for not being good enough. If I had enough power and wealth, they wouldn¡¯t have treated me like that. At my age, the Holy Xuan had yet to integrate the Daoist Order, but he was stillparable to the Deputy Grand Master. If I had half his ability, I would never be treated like this.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu joked, ¡°When you be the Grand Master and go to Yunjin Mountain, my parents will definitely clear the Shangqing Pce and set up the most over-the-top wee banquet for you. When the timees, you can get Zhang Yuyue to prostrate herself and kowtow to you. I¡¯ll just watch from the side in awe and listen to yourmand.¡±

    Qi Xuansu beamed. ¡°So, you agree?¡±

    ¡°Agree with what?¡± Zhang Yuelu asked.

    Qi Xuansu only smiled without saying anything.

    Zhang Yuelu realized that she had implied something and could not help but blush. She scoffed. ¡°Don''t get ahead of yourself until you meet my master.¡±

    Qi Xuansu muttered, ¡°Speaking of which, Sage Cihang and I can be considered old acquaintances...¡±

    Zhang Yuelu teased. ¡°Great! Then you can talk about your friendship when you meet her. I have no objections.¡±

    Qi Xuansu would never dare. He smiled sheepishly. ¡°This is just between us. When I meet Sage Cihang, I can only listen to her instructions. At most, I can talk about the deep affection we have for each other.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Who even has a deep affection for you?¡±

    Seeing the girlish side of the usually serious Zhang Yuelu was strange even for Mu Jin. She had also noticed the building romantic tension in the room, so she could no longer ignore it. Thus, she coughed to remind them of her presence.

    Zhang Yuelu finally remembered that Mu Jin was still around. She cleared her throat and resumed her normal work demeanor. ¡°If there is nothing else...¡±

    Qi Xuansu took the initiative to stand up. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave then.¡±

    The couple gazed at each other again, and Mu Jin could not help but roll her eyes.

    Although Zhang Yuelu was usually calm andposed, she was still a novice when it came to rtionships.

    Coupled with the joy of their reunion, Zhang Yuelu seemed more like a young woman who was in love than the revered Deputy Hall Master of Tiangang Hall.

    When Qi Xuansu left, Mu Jin could not help but speak out. ¡°Qing Xiao, what do you even like about him?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu nced at her. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I can¡¯t exin it.¡±

    Mu Jin could only sigh helplessly. In the end, she still lost to Qi Xuansu.

    However, instead of harboring pure jealousy as she did before, this time she was somewhat convinced of her loss because Qi Xuansu dared to risk his life for Zhang Yuelu. This fact alone made him way better than countless others who wanted to pursue Zhang Yuelu.

    On the other hand, Qi Xuansu felt like a thief when he left Zhang Yuelu¡¯s residence. Fortunately, there was no one around, which made him feel a little more at ease.

    When he left Zhang Yuelu¡¯s courtyard, he calmed his nerves and remembered something¡ªthe death of Wan Xiuwu.

    ording to Pei Xiaolou, Yue Liuli¡¯s first suspect was Qi Xuansu. It was only because Qi Xuansu was presumed to be ¡°deceased¡± at the time that he was cleared of suspicion. However, with his reappearance, Yue Liuli would not be convinced that Qi Xuansu had nothing to do with Wan Xiuwu¡¯s death, so she would probably bring this matter up again at the Wuxu Pce.

    For Qi Xuansu, this meant trouble, so he needed to think of a countermeasure.

    He did not discuss the matter with Zhang Yuelu because he did not want to put her in a difficult position. It was already against Zhang Yuelu¡¯s principles to conceal the fact that he had killed Wan Xiuwu, so he could not bear to put Zhang Yuelu in a dilemma again.

    However, since it involved Wuxu Pce, it was not something Qi Xuansu could handle alone. Thus, Qi Xuansu decided to go to Pei Xiaolou to discuss countermeasures. After all, this Sage knew everything about him, so they could discuss it openly. Moreover, Pei Xiaolou had the right to intervene in this matter because he was from the Chongyang Pce of Immortality.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu made a beeline to Pei Xiaolou¡¯s courtyard.

 Chapter 402: Self-Reliant

    <h4>Chapter 402: Self-Reliant</h4>

    It was pouring outside, but Qi Xuansu was able to repel the rain with his qi shield. He showed his insignia along the way and soon arrived at Pei Xiaolou¡¯s courtyard.

    Lei Xiaohuan happened to be with Pei Xiaolou.

    As expected, this couple would not be as hard-working as Zhang Yuelu. They were not reading case files or discussing the case. Instead, they were ying the Holy Xuan Cards.

    To be precise, Pei Xiaolou was teaching Lei Xiaohuan how to y the Holy Xuan Cards. Since the rules were simple, Lei Xiaohuan had already started to get a hang of the game.

    Hearing the Daoist priest on duty announce Qi Xuansu¡¯s arrival, Pei Xiaolou immediately threw down the cards in his hand and asked the attendant to lead Qi Xuansu inside.

    As soon as Qi Xuansu entered the room, he heard Pei Xiaolou snicker. ¡°Boy, I didn¡¯t peg you for the kind who would stay up all night in ady¡¯s room.¡±

    With that said, Pei Xiaolou waved to the Daoist priest on duty, signaling thetter to retreat. ¡°It seems that you and Deputy Hall Master Zhang have reconciled, and your rtionship is even better than before. I guess we don¡¯t need to worry about you anymore.¡±

    Qi Xuansu quickly exined himself. ¡°Sage Pei, you misunderstood. Nothing happened between me and Qing Xiao. We just got a little drunk, so I identally fell asleep at her ce and woke up not long ago.¡±

    ¡°What kind of wine can get you two drunk?¡± Pei Xiaolou was startled before he widened his eyes in disbelief. ¡°Could it be Dreaming Death?!¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°I finally understand why it¡¯s called Dreaming Death. I felt like a corpse having slept for 12 hours.¡±

    Lei Xiaohuan, who had been silent all this time, could not help but chime in. ¡°You kids sure are brave to secretly drink Dreaming Death before bing Heavenly Beings. I remember the Daoist Order has a strict prohibition order that non-Heavenly Beings aren¡¯t allowed to purchase Dreaming Death. Even Zhang Yuelu can¡¯t buy it, so how did you get it?¡±

    Qi Xuansu answered truthfully. ¡°I got it from the Mystery Jar at Huasheng Hall.¡±

    ¡°Hah! You''re so brave to touch the Mystery Jar!¡± Pei Xiaolou clicked his tongue. ¡°Back then, when I was still an ignorant young man, those Stupid Jars cheated me of 6,000 Taiping coins, which I spent so much effort to save. All I got in return was a spiritual object and some items worth 2,000 Taiping coins. It¡¯s such a scam job!¡±

    After Qi Xuansu heard this, he dared not tell Pei Xiaolou that he had won a substandard treasure so as not to rub it in the Sage¡¯s face.

    The nosy Pei Xiaolou enquired about more details about the young couple¡¯s reunion, so Qi Xuansu could only give him a brief summary, discounting the intimate details that were only reserved for him and Zhang Yuelu.

    After hearing this, Pei Xiaoloumented. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why such an outstanding girl fell in love with you. Are clever women always into dumb men?¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not take offense to this. After all, Pei Xiaolou had been kind to him,ing to his aid whenever possible. Thus, Qi Xuansu treated him like an elder. Furthermore,pared with Zhang Yuelu, Qi Xuansu knew that he was indeed not outstanding. If they ever got married, everyone would also think that Qi Xuansu was not worthy of Zhang Yuelu. Even Qi Xuansu himself shared the same sentiment.

    However, Lei Xiaohuan became upset and rebuked. ¡°Those with limited aspirations can¡¯t possibly understand those with lofty ambitions. You¡¯re always judging others by your low standards, so naturally, you can¡¯t figure it out.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou was already used to his wife¡¯s scolding. He just asked, ¡°Then what do you think, oh lofty wife?¡±

    Lei Xiaohuan answered, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not difficult to understand. If you are asked to marry someone, will you find someone who is more capable than you or someone who can give you a sense of security?¡±

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Pei Xiaolou sized up Lei Xiaohuan and hesitated to speak.

    Lei Xiaohuan sighed. ¡°Just be honest. I won¡¯t me you.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou said, ¡°Few men are willing to be inferior to their wives, so naturally, they will find someone they fancy, not someone who is more capable than them.¡±

    He paused and did not forget to add, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not saying that I don¡¯t like you, my darling. I¡¯m just discussing this topic from a stereotypical man''s perspective.¡±

    Lei Xiaohuan ignored the second half of his sentence. ¡°This is what you men think. You don¡¯t care much about a woman¡¯s ability but more about whether you have feelings for her. That¡¯s because most men will think that they can cope with a weaker woman and protect her.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded thoughtfully.

    Lei Xiaohuan continued, ¡°The reason why men don¡¯t care or show they care about the so-called sense of security is that they have been taught since childhood that they are the pirs of the family. They must support the family business and protect their wife and children. So naturally, men were taught not to show any weakness, as showing one¡¯s weakness meant admitting that you are inferior to others. This eventually leads to losing status, power, and reputation.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou and Qi Xuansu exchanged a look, neither of them denying this statement.

    This was indeed their reality. The support, protection, morality, and responsibility were all imposed on men. Therefore, the world required men to be masculine and strong, not showing any weakness.

    For thousands of years, calling a man a sissy was meant as an insult. Their world was more tolerant of women being weak, never allowing men to be vulnerable. Women could be like water, but men were expected to be like rocks.

    Pei Xiaolou asked, ¡°What does this have to do with Zhang Yuelu fancying Tian Yuan?¡±

    Lei Xiaohuan cast a sidelong nce at him. ¡°I don¡¯t deny that some women marry a man for his capability and the so-called sense of security, like a big tree that they could take shelter under. That¡¯s because they can only rely on men to survive. But some women don¡¯t want to do this because they think they can do what men can do. They are self-reliant, and they strive for personal development. Zhang Yuelu is undoubtedly thetter type.

    ¡°As long as you put yourself in her shoes, you wille to understand how strong Zhang Yuelu is. She does not need anyone to give her a sense of security, nor does she need others to protect her from storms. She doesn¡¯t need to rely on a man to survive.

    ¡°That¡¯s why the only thing she will consider when choosing a Daoistpanion is whether she likes him or not. It¡¯s a simple question. To her, it doesn¡¯t matter whether Tian Yuan is stronger or weaker than her. Of course, being evenly matched is still the best, but even if Tian Yuan is weaker than her, it doesn¡¯t matter to her because she is more than capable of protecting herself and him. Do you get it now?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was greatly shocked by this revtion.

    In the past, he only had a vague idea but could never pinpoint them.

    Pei Xiaolou reacted faster, pping his hands and praising. ¡°Listening to your words is certainly better than ten years of studying Daoism. Zhang Yuelu is a self-reliant and proud woman; so are you. That¡¯s why you can sympathize with her.¡±

    Lei Xiaohuan rolled her eyes at him. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to tter me.¡±

    However, it was clear that Lei Xiaohuan still enjoyed the ttery. She added, ¡°Of course, Tian Yuan is not so bad himself. He¡¯s just a few steps behind Zhang Yuelu. Compared with others his age, he¡¯s considered a young talent. Old Pei here is the same. Although he is a little worse than me, he still has meritspared to others.¡±

    This was probably the extent of Lei Xiaohuan¡¯s recognition and praise for Pei Xiaolou.

    Pei Xiaolou and Qi Xuansu nced at each other.

    The Sage was annoyed by the hint of amusement in Qi Xuansu¡¯s eyes. He wanted to tell Qi Xuansu that he was not a henpecked husband. It was just his sad reality that his cultivation level was not as high as his wife''s, so he was helpless.

    Pei Xiaolou coughed lightly and nned to pass on some of his experience to maintain his image as an elder. ¡°Tian Yuan, consider yourself lucky that Qing Xiao is quite independent and doesn¡¯t like to hang out with other women. It¡¯s a good thing.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was curious. ¡°Why?¡±

    Pei Xiaolou dusted off his clothes and exined, ¡°Women like topare, especially among their close friends. For example, if a female Daoist found a fourth-rankpanion, her other girlfriend would also likely seek out a fourth-rank partner or someone of higher status. Otherwise, the rtionship would notst.¡±

    Though young and inexperienced, Qi Xuansu was still suspicious of what he heard.

    Pei Xiaolou nced at Qi Xuansu, as if the boy were hopeless. He continued, ¡°Take a group of girls who are as close as sisters. One is from the royal family, one is amazingly talented, one is stunningly gorgeous, and the other is rtively unremarkable in all aspects. If you had to choose, which one do you think would be easier for you to approach?¡±

    Qi Xuansu thought for a while before replying, ¡°The ordinary one.¡±

    ¡°Wrong.¡± Pei Xiaolou stretched out his index finger and wagged it back and forth like a pendulum. ¡°Assuming that these four girls are as close as sisters and there is no infighting between them, the difficulty level of these four girls are actually the same. In other words, you are not facing one person, but all four of them. So, you must be worthy of the princess, extremely talented, and extraordinarily handsome as well.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was stunned by this logic. ¡°What the hell?¡±

    ¡°This is just one of the problems.¡± Pei Xiaolou sighed. ¡°In fact, you¡¯re not beingpared to the woman you are pursuing, but with her friends¡¯ partners. Even if you manage to be the first to pursue a woman in that group and have no one topare to, you won¡¯t be able to rx for one second.

    ¡°The other three women will share you as if you are their personal ve, getting you to do things for them and pay the bill. By then, you will feel like you have suffered a loss because you¡¯ve only agreed to marry one of them, but you have to be at the beck and call of all four of these women. This arrangement would have only made sense if you could sleep with all four¡ª¡±

    Before Pei Xiaolou could finish his sentence, Lei Xiaohuan¡¯s fist had alreadynded on his head. She said with a threatening smirk, ¡°Pei Xiaolou, I didn¡¯t know you were such a yboy before we got married! I wonder who these fourdies are. Why don¡¯t you tell me all about them?¡±

    Pei Xiaolou dared not resist. He shed a sheepish smile and exined, ¡°This was just a hypothetical situation to let Brother Qi here know what some women can be like. I never dated fourdies at once!¡±

    Lei Xiaohuan sneered, not saying a word.

    Although Qi Xuansu was doubtful, he still felt lucky that Zhang Yuelu did not like to hang out with other women. Otherwise, he would not have to think far about what her friends¡¯ attitudes would be like. Zhang Yuyue was the best example of this.

    Lei Xiaohuan ignored her nonsensical husband and turned to look at Qi Xuansu. ¡°Tian Yuan, let¡¯s talk business.¡±

 Chapter 403: Four Stages

    <h4>Chapter 403: Four Stages</h4>

    Qi Xuansu no longer dwelled on matters of romance. His face turned solemn as he stated, ¡°This is about the Wuxu Pce.¡±

    Hearing this, Pei Xiaolou set aside his flippant attitude and asked, ¡°Are you referring to Wan Xiuwu¡¯s case?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded.

    Pei Xiaolou did not seem concerned. ¡°I¡¯m representing the Quanzhen Sect in this case, while your girl is representing the Jade Capital. The people handling this case are on your side; moreover, you¡¯ve got my elder brother and wife protecting you. What are you afraid of?¡±

    Qi Xuansu froze, momentarily stunned.

    Not long ago, he had been oppressed by those in power. How quickly had the tables turned that he now had a strong backing of his own?

    Still, Qi Xuansu said, ¡°But this goes against the rules.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou snorted. ¡°There are plenty of things in this world that go against the rules. Who can possibly ount for them all? Back when the Daoist Order resisted the Confucian School, was that in line with the rules? When the three Deputy Grand Masters marginalized the sixth-generation Grand Master, did that align with the rules?¡±

    Qi Xuansu was left speechless.

    Pei Xiaolou continued, ¡°If we really want to go by the rules, I should¡¯ve sent you over to Beichen Hall to be tried for being associated with secret societies because you are Madam Qi¡¯s godson. Then my wife and I should go to Fengxian Hall and confess to harboring and colluding with secret societies, implicating Sage Donghua and the Earthly Preceptor while we¡¯re at it.

    ¡°If we follow the rules strictly, who in this massive Daoist Order would still remain? We never yed by the rules from the start, so let¡¯s not start preaching them halfway. Even the serious Zhang Yuelu understands this. In the end, this is a life-or-death struggle. The victor gets to define what the rules are and whether to follow them or not.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was starting to get a grasp of the Daoist Order''s politics.

    The alliance between the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect was like one big ship that was moving deeper into the whirlpool, and he had already boarded this ship.

    Everything had its pros and cons. While he now had backing and support, he could no longer remain neutral. The only path ahead was to follow the ship¡¯s course. Whether Sage Cihang or Sage Donghua became the Grand Master meant that the Zhengyi Sect and Quanzhen Sect seeded. If so, he would benefit and rise alongside them. However, if they failed, there would be no survivors, and he would sink with this ship.

    At this thought, Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression became serious.

    Pei Xiaolou¡¯s tone softened. ¡°You must always remember one thing¡ªsome things can be said but not done, while some things can be done but not said. Those things that can be done but not said weigh nothing off the scales, but once weighed, they be an unbearable burden.

    ¡°Take the matter of you killing Wan Xiuwu as an example. You two had a personal vendetta, so your actions were understandable yet not in line with the rules. However, rules are just for show. As long as no one catches you, you can remain free. But if your crime is proven, no one can save you.

    ¡°But there is only one rule above all; that is, unless you have the power to break the system, you must abide by it.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was never one to adhere strictly to rules. He already had some understanding of the Daoist Order¡¯s infighting, so he easily epted Pei Xiaolou¡¯s exnation.

    Lei Xiaohuan reassured him. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about Wuxu Pce. Even if something changes, we¡¯ll handle it. For now, I have a task for you.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked earnestly, ¡°Sage Lei, what are your orders?¡±

    Lei Xiaohuan said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if Qing Xiao has told you, but I¡¯ve recently instructed all Deputy Hall Masters to review the case files separately.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Qing Xiao did mention it.¡±

    ¡°Do you know why?¡± Lei Xiaohuan asked.

    Qi Xuansu shook his head.

    Lei Xiaohuan did not answer directly. Instead, she asked, ¡°We¡¯re here to investigate the case. If you were one of the suspects, what would you do?¡±

    Qi Xuansu thought carefully for a moment before answering, ¡°I would probably cover it up, sacrifice pawns for the bigger picture, and muddy the waters.¡±

    Lei Xiaohuan smiled. ¡°Well said. The best way to get out of this is to muddy the waters. The mastermind will dly give us more clues for this investigation. But it won''t be just about the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association. Jiangnan is vast and prosperous, with so many associations, merchants, and gentry. Whose hands will bepletely clean?

    ¡°So they will give us an insurmountable problem by dumping a whole load of clues on us. Since we represent the Golden Tower Council and stand for justice and righteousness, we can¡¯t just turn a blind eye to all this. Then it''ll be too much for us to handle.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was dumbfounded by this divulgence.

    Lei Xiaohuan smiled faintly. ¡°Of course, this is just the first step. The real show is yet toe. There are three factions among the seven of us investigating the case. Pei Xiaolou, Zhang Yuelu, and I are one faction. Li Mingzhi, Li Mingcheng, and Lu Yushu are another, while Bai Yingqiong remains neutral.

    ¡°At this point, the other three will make their move, using those clues to stir things up. They will take the moral high ground, leaving us unable to refute them. With so many cases and limited manpower, we won¡¯t be able to process them all properly and will inevitably miss opportunities. The mastermind will be able to provide as many distractions as possible as long as the attention is diverted from the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association.¡±

    Qi Xuansu was truly shocked.

    Pei Xiaolou added, ¡°At the same time, their people in Jade Capital will spread rumors, attacking us from both sides. It usually progresses in four stages.

    ¡°Stage one: the Golden Tower Council sends an investigation team to Jinling Prefecture, uncovering various clues with rapid progress and earning widespread praise.¡±

    ¡°Stage two: A reversal urs. Since the clues are too widespread, progress slows. Without needing deliberate orchestration, someone will take the opportunity to use the Golden Tower Council¡¯s investigation to settle personal scores, fabricate usations, and hurl mutual nder. The situation bes increasinglyplicated, apanied by growing criticism.¡±

    ¡°Stage three: The situation spirals out of control, with the investigation impacting normalmerce. People in Jade Capital suggest prioritizing trade and stability, restricting the investigation team¡¯s authority until we¡¯re bogged down and unable to move.¡±

    ¡°Stage four: The situation goespletely out of control, with public outcry surging and everyone in fear. Voices in Jade Capital will speak out for justice, condemning the investigation as excessive. Under pressure, the Golden Tower Council is strong-armed into recalling the investigation team. We¡¯ll leave defeated, and in the end, we¡¯ll bear all the me because the case will be left unresolved.¡±

    Lei Xiaohuan added, ¡°As the situation evolves, one corruption case bes insignificant. What''s more important is ensuring stablemerce.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou said, ¡°The logic is simple. If you¡¯re ordered to catch a ghost but don¡¯t want to, and you can¡¯t outright refuse, the best way to muck it up is to start digging up the ancestors¡¯ graves in the name of catching ghosts. This will provoke public outrage and tarnish the whole endeavor. Doing something well is hard, but ruining it is easy.¡±

    Qi Xuansu felt a chill down his spine as he listened.

    Now he could finally discern howplex the whole situation was, filled with twists and turns as well as surging undercurrents.

    However, judging by Pei Xiaolou and Lei Xiaohuan¡¯s demeanor, they had clearly expected this because they even had the leisure to y the Holy Xuan Cards, indicating the couple was far from defenseless.

    Qi Xuansu could not help but ask, ¡°Which stage are we in now?¡±

    Pei Xiaolou replied, ¡°Between the first and second stages. A reversal is imminent.¡±

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Qi Xuansu inquired again, ¡°What¡¯s my task?¡±

    Lei Xiaohuan said, ¡°You¡¯re a fresh face. More importantly, you¡¯re a member of the Qingping Society. I need you to use your connections within the Qingping Society to find out who the mastermind ¡®kindly¡¯ providing us with a flood of clues is. Madam Qi will arrive in Jinling Prefecture in a few days, so she will contact you directly.¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression turned solemn as he answered, ¡°Understood.¡±

    He now knew why Pei Xiaolou and Lei Xiaohuan had forged such a strong bond with Madam Qi. It was not just about doing business together. They were true allies, with the business partnership being merely a facade.

    However, the thought of meeting Madam Qi again made Qi Xuansu delighted.

    Lei Xiaohuan continued, ¡°This task isn¡¯t too difficult, but it¡¯s not easy either. You might as well resume using your Wei Wugui identity, which is currently known only to us. But you must be cautious. Those people dared to target Zhang Yuelu, so they certainly wouldn¡¯t hesitate toe after you. They wouldn¡¯t hold back in silencing someone, so your top priority should be your own safety.¡±

    Even without Lei Xiaohuan¡¯s reminder, Qi Xuansu, having traveled alone for years, had always prioritized his own safety.

    Pei Xiaolou added as a final note, ¡°This mission is top secret. Apart from the two of us and Zhang Yuelu, don¡¯t disclose it to anyone else. After all, the Quanzhen Sect and the Zhengyi Sect have formed an alliance, and she is someone the Earthly Preceptor values. Considering your rtionship with her, you can bepletely honest with her. Oh, and you can pick up some Phoenix Eye and Dragon Eye Series ammunition from the Tianji Hallter¡ªfree of charge.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded once again.

    ...

    A top-grade mother-child talisman revealed the image of Young Master Li seated on a chair.

    A slightly distorted voice seemed to echo over the entirety of a certain courtyard in Jinling Prefecture. ¡°Don¡¯t fear chaos. If we keep it under wraps, the chaos will consume us. But if we let it out, the chaos will engulf them instead. Right now, they¡¯re clinging to the Yanqing Merchant¡¯s Association. If we don¡¯t muddy the waters, we¡¯ll lose thest shred of advantage we have. We must remain absolutely clear-headed on this.¡±

    A second-rank Taiyi Daoist master on the other side wore a grave expression.

    Young Master Li continued, ¡°Although all des are currently aimed at Jinling, the true decider of victory lies in Jade Capital. I will handle things over here in Jade Capital, while you all must fully cooperate with my actions on your side.¡±

    The second-rank Taiyi Daoist master reported, ¡°Lei Xiaohuan and Zhang Yuelu have already joined forces. Bai Yingqiong¡¯s stance is ambiguous. She seems to lean more toward Lei and Zhang.¡±

    Young Master Li said calmly, ¡°This is not the time to show mercy. If necessary, ask Old Master Jin to take action. We can¡¯t touch Lei Xiaohuan or Zhang Yuelu, but there¡¯s no need to be polite with their subordinates. If Lei Xiaohuan blocks our path, kill her subordinates; if Zhang Yuelu obstructs the way, kill hers. As for Bai Yingqiong, doesn¡¯t she have a daughter? Find a way to make her reconsider her stance.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The second-rank Taiyi Daoist master obliged.

 Chapter 404: Preparation

    <h4>Chapter 404: Preparation</h4>

    Qi Xuansu went to Tianji Hall at dusk.

    The branch of Tianji Hall in Jinling Prefecture was not far from Zhenwu Temple, separated by just two streets.

    Unlike before, Qi Xuansu could finally walk into the Tianji Hall branch openly this time, as a fifth-rank superintendent of Ziwei Hall. Daoist priests from the Nine Halls had a higher status than those from local Daoist offices. As a superintendent of the top hall among the Nine Halls, Qi Xuansu was seen as another level higher, so he was treated with the respect given to a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master. The superintendent of Tianji Hall even came out to personally receive him.

    The superintendent of Tianji Hall invited Qi Xuansu into the inner hall, which had a small reception room. Once they sat down, someone immediately brought over a pot of hot tea, which was worth a Taiping coin.

    However, Qi Xuansu was not here to do business. Ever since obtaining Flying Shadow, his new horizontal de, he had been left with only some loose change¡ªbarely enough for basic needs, let alone purchasing the Phoenix Eye or Dragon Eye Series Ammunition or a ticket on a flying ship.

    This was the advantage of being affiliated with the Daoist Order. Everything could be free as long as certain conditions were met¡ªfree flying ship rides, free lodging at temples, and free Dragon Eye and Phoenix Eye Series Ammunition.

    The two superintendents exchanged polite pleasantries as colleagues. The Tianji Hall superintendent praised Qi Xuansu for being young and promising, bing a superintendent of Ziwei Hall at such a young age. A promotion to the fourth rank was only a matter of time, making his future bright and boundless. Qi Xuansu, in turn, modestly deflected the praise, inquired about the local customs and culture, and casually chatted about the case everyone was interested in.

    Only then did they get to the main topic.

    Qi Xuansu handed over Lei Xiaohuan¡¯s written directive to the Tianji Hall superintendent.

    The superintendent read through it and immediately followed orders without the need to rify further. He summoned a subordinate and instructed him to prepare the necessary items ording to the instructions.

    Meanwhile, the superintendent continued drinking tea and chatting with Qi Xuansu.

    About half an hourter, a seventh-rank Daoist priest came in carrying a briefcase with a distinctly Western-style influence.

    The superintendent pointed to the table between them and instructed, ¡°Open it.¡±

    The seventh-rank priest ced the briefcase on the table, opened it, and turned it to face Qi Xuansu.

    There were specialized slots inside the case for securing items, which included 5 rounds of Grade-B Series Two Phoenix Eye Bullet, 3 rounds of Grade-B Series One Phoenix Eye Bullet, and 2 rounds of Grade-A Series Nine Phoenix Eye Bomb.

    Qi Xuansu stared at the Grade-A Series Nine Phoenix Eye Bomb, an inexplicable emotion surging within him. Thest time he used this bullet was in the Western Region, which had been instrumental in his killing of the severely wounded vampire, Desmond.

    Around the Phoenix Eye Series Ammunition was a smaller set of slots holding a total of 10 Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullets.

    Compared to the Grade-B Series Two Dragon Eye Bullets, the Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullets were much slimmer, increasing their range and armor-piercing capabilities. It was better suited for long-barreled guns, but it was also suited for the Divine Dragon Pistol as well, which was designed specifically for the Dragon Eye Series Ammunition.

    However, its massive recoil was not something anyone could handle using one hand.

    Qi Xuansu was surprised by how generous Lei Xiaohuan was, with the lowest grade ammunition being the Grade-B Series Two Phoenix Eye Bullet and the Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullet, far superior to what Qi Xuansu used to work with.

    After inspecting the ammunition, Qi Xuansu closed the briefcase and stood up. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s our duty,¡± the superintendent of Tianji Hall stood up to see him off.

    After leaving the Tianji Hall branch, Qi Xuansu went back to his residence in Zhenwu Temple, as he needed to make further preparations before starting his task.

    Since Qi Xuansu did not possess a magical receptacle, he could not carry all of the Phoenix Eye Series ammunition. Aside from the two most powerful Grade-A Series Nine Phoenix Eye Bombs, he could only carry two each of the Grade-B Series Two and Grade-B Series One Phoenix Eye Bullets.

    However, he could carry all of the Dragon Eye Series Bullets, which were smaller in size. As such, Qi Xuansu left behind the normal armor-piercing projectiles.

    Adding on 4 rounds of Grade-B Series Two Dragon Eye Bullets, 8 rounds of Grade-B Series Three Dragon Eye Bullets, and 10 rounds of Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullet, Qi Xuansu felt heavily armed and extremely wealthy.

    Qi Xuansu even considered acquiring a repeating firearmter on.

    The principle behind a repeating firearm was notplicated. The Divine Dragon Pistol had been designed as a single-shot weapon because of the Dragon Eye Series ammunition¡¯s immense firepower.

    However, Tianji Hall did have a weapon called the Sun-Shooting Rifle. While it could not fire continuously without intervals, it had an expanded ammunition chamber capable of holding 9 rounds of bullets, eliminating the need to reload after every shot, thus greatly saving time.

    Then there were melee weapons. For Qi Xuansu, firearms were not indispensable. des were his true fundamentals. His short sword, Qing Yuan, and horizontal de, Flying Shadow, were his primary tools of survival and had to be carried with him at all times.

    Lastly were the concealed weapons. Qi Xuansu had sold the Seven Phoenix Feathers and was left with only four Bliss Needles. Unless the Bliss Needles struck a vital point, their power was limited. Their key featurey in restricting an opponent¡¯s cultivation. Even someone like Zhang Yuelu had fallen victim to them.

    His pistol and horizontal de hung from both sides of his waist, while his short sword was sheathed at his back. The Dragon Eye and Phoenix Eye Series Ammunition were stored in his satchel, and the concealed weapons were stored in his sleeves.

    After finishing these preparations, Qi Xuansu donned the white fox face mask, selecting the young male face from its three preset options. He then changed out of the fifth-rank Daoist formal attire he had only recently started wearing and opted for his casual attire.

    He wisely did not change into the Jianghu attire because that would be far too conspicuous in a ce like Zhenwu Temple.

    In addition, Qi Xuansu had received 500 Taiping coins in ¡°mission funds¡± from Lei Xiaohuan, which he could use for daily expenses or bribes.

    Qi Xuansu was also given a stipend for the past few months based on his rank as a fifth-rank priest. His base stipend was 50 Taiping coins per month, with an additional 20 Taiping coins as a Prospective Mage, amounting to a monthly ie of 70 Taiping coins. That totaled 350 coins over the course of 5 months, but he would have to wait until June 1st for it to be paid out.

    Moreover, he still had yet to receive the 1,000 Taiping coins from Madam Qi. So he would have to wait until she arrived in Jinling Prefecture.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    By this time, night had fallen. In the summer season, Jinling Prefecture was a bustling ce, with countless people out to enjoy the cool night air. The night markets were lively. However, the area around Zhenwu Temple was utterly quiet. The vast courtyards of the temple,bined with the solemn atmosphere due to the ongoing case, made it devoid of any cheerfulness¡ªonly stillness and silence prevailed.

    Qi Xuansu left his residence and headed toward the back gate of Zhenwu Temple along the winding paths lit by the dim streemps.

    After a heavy rain, the sky cleared, revealing a bright full moon.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± A Spirit Guard from the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion suddenly called out from the shadows.

    Qi Xuansu was unsurprised by the guards hiding in the shadows. He replied, ¡°I¡¯m a deacon from Tiangang Hall, just stepping out for a stroll.¡±

    The guards on duty were stationed in different spots. One of them stepped out from the shadows and saluted him. ¡°Please present your insignia.¡±

    Generally speaking, Daoist certificates were mostly for outsiders. Within the Daoist Order, one''s position was more significant.

    Although Qi Xuansu now had a new Daoist certificate and a Ziwei Hall insignia, Zhang Yuelu had not yet taken back his Tiangang Hall insignia.

    Qi Xuansu took out the insignia and handed it to the Spirit Guard.

    One advantage of this insignia was that it bore no name, only a number. This number could be used to verify the holder¡¯s identity through further checks. To prevent counterfeiting, insignias were made from special materials. They were also reused, as crafting a new badge for every reassigned official would be too costly, especially since transfers for deacons and superintendents happened quite frequently.

    However, at the fourth rank and above, or higher level positions like Deputy Hall Master, one was also given a special license that was unique to the individual and could not be reused levels.

    After verifying Qi Xuansu¡¯s insignia, the Spirit Guard unlocked the gate, removed arge horizontal bar, and opened the gate to Zhenwu Temple.

    As soon as Qi Xuansu exited Zhenwu Temple, he saw many more Spirit Guards lined up against the wall in full armor, showing how strict the security was.

    Qi Xuansu did not linger and quickly disappeared into the night.

 Chapter 405: Beggar Gang

    <h4>Chapter 405: Beggar Gang</h4>

    Qi Xuansu wandered around the city for a long time. After making sure that no one was following him, he came to the Taiping Inn in the city.

    Since Jinling Prefecture was one of the most prosperous ces in the world, there were not only merchants from all industries but also overseas visitors. People from all over the world gathered here, so the Taiping Inn was open all hours every day.

    When Qi Xuansu arrived at the Taiping Inn, the entire lobby was brightly lit. The innkeeper on the night shift stood behind the counter with a waiter next to him.

    Qi Xuansu did not waste any time. He used his identity as the ck Robes Wei Wugui to get a room for a month, which cost 60 Taiping coins. This was because he would need a ce to stay after he started to carry out the tasks assigned to him by Lei Xiaohuan. To avoid exposing his identity, he could not return to Zhenwu Temple unless necessary. Thus, The Taiping Inn, with its frequent flow of customers, was undoubtedly the best choice for amodation.

    Afterpleting the check-in procedures, Qi Xuansu followed the waiter to the small independent courtyard he would call home for a month.

    As soon as they entered the courtyard, Qi Xuansu instructed the waiter. ¡°I will summon you if necessary, so you don¡¯t need toe over unless I call for you.¡±

    This kind of request was not unusual, so the waiter was not surprised and readily agreed to his request.

    After the waiter left, Qi Xuansu looked around and marked the courtyard door, room door, and windows. That way, he would be able to detect it immediately if someone were to enter his room while he was away.

    Then he put on his Jianghu attire and waited until dawn to leave through the side door of the Taiping Inn.

    Qi Xuansu asked around and came to a breakfast stall, where he ordered a steam basket of soup dumplings and a bowl of duck blood vermicelli, both of which were famous delicacies in Jinling Prefecture. While eating, he ced his horizontal de on the table.

    After a while, a young man dressed as a schr came over, looked around, and sat directly opposite Qi Xuansu. He ordered a bowl of chicken soup wontons and specifically asked to add some balsamic vinegar to it.

    Qi Xuansu smiled in greeting. ¡°Brother Tantai.¡±

    This young man was none other than Zhang Yuelu in disguise as Tantai Chu, simr to how Qi Xuansu used the identity of Wei Wugui.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Since Pei Xiaolou mentioned that Qi Xuansu could speak frankly to Zhang Yuelu about the case and his tasks, he had no intention of hiding it from her. He actually dropped by Zhang Yuelu¡¯s ce before he went to Tianji Hall to collect his ammunition.

    Zhang Yuelu was supportive when she learned about his new task. She then asked to meet him at this breakfast stall, where they could discuss this in more detail.

    Qi Xuansu had been to Jinling Prefecture before, but he was not familiar with the roads and had to inquire about directions to this breakfast stall. Though the food here was delicious, Qi Xuansu was curious about how Zhang Yuelu, a person who practiced the Fasting Technique, found it.

    While Qi Xuansu ate, Zhang Yuelu kept gawking at his face, as if she was not used to it.

    Qi Xuansu coughed lightly and turned away.

    Zhang Yuelu did not say anything. She merely picked up her spoon and drank the chicken soup in small sips.

    Qi Xuansu also lowered his head to eat the soup dumplings.

    Zhang Yuelu said out of the blue. ¡°I once read a Western poem that says, ¡®I hold not the ancient night nor music of the distant sphere, though both eternal, they elude my grasp, yet ever near.¡¯¡±

    Qi Xuansu frowned in thought beforementing, ¡°I don¡¯t like this poem. I think the night and music have to belong to us. After all, rainbows and sunshine alwayse after the rain.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu could not help butugh. She then said, ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business. Where do you n to start?¡±

    Qi Xuansu answered honestly, ¡°I don¡¯t have a clue yet, so I was hoping to ask you, mighty general, for advice.¡±

    ¡°Save the ttery.¡± Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes. ¡°I dare not say that I¡¯m right, but I can give you a suggestion.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Qi Xuansu looked eager to hear her out.

    Zhang Yuelu pondered slightly. ¡°I think we should start with the local Beggar Gang.¡±

    <i>There were many gangs and alliances in Jianghu that did not have unified teachings or beliefs. These gangs did not have unified teachings and were typically engaged in various means of livelihood.</i>

    <i>For example, the Canal Gang relied on the Grand Canal for a living. Its members were primarilyposed of millions of canal workers. Simrly, in every big city, there was bound to be a Beggar Gang.</i>

    <i>As the name suggests, the members of the Beggar Gang were mainly beggars. The gang leader was called the King of Beggars. This Beggar King was considered a semi-authoritative figure whom the government relied on for many things.</i>

    <i>Daoists believed that everything in the world was divided into yin and yang, including the government. There was a saying that the imperial power did not reach the countryside. Thus, to govern the lower sses, the government needed two supports¡ªthe gentry, representing yang, and the beggars, representing yin.</i>

    <i>The Beggar Gang¡¯s daily activities extend far beyond mere begging. They consisted of arge number of able-bodied men who, besides begging, engaged in various side businesses that others avoided. Such activities included guarding morgues, patrolling streets, collecting unimed corpses, filling out crowds for weddings and funerals, and even organizing ghost markets to sell stolen goods or grave loot. </i>

    <i>Out-of-town bandits, thieves, and kidnappers must also seek the local Beggar Gang¡¯s protection before engaging in their ¡°profession¡± in or around the city.</i>

    <i>In addition, many human traffickers had close ties with the Beggar Gang. These traffickers were just intermediaries, while the ¡°supply¡± was provided by the Beggar Gang. Many maids and servants who were sold by wealthy families were also resold by traffickers to the Beggar Gang, which would then dispose of them.</i>

    <i>Some beggars served as thugs. Most beggars had no family or home, so their deaths in fights caused no repercussions, andpensation for their deaths was minimal. Thus, brawls often marked an opportunity for them to earn money.</i>

    <i>The Beggar King wielded absolute power over the beggars¡ªenjoying their tributes, living in luxury,manding servants, and keeping multiple wives and concubines, much like the gentry.</i>

    <i>The members of the Beggar Gang hardly traveled around the world. Instead, they were scattered across major towns in localized factions. They were not centrally organized, which meant, despite sharing the same name, the Beggar Gang in Jinling Prefecture and the Beggar Gang in Imperial Capital were not affiliated with one another.</i>

    <i>The power of a local Beggar Gang was closely rted to the local government. The stronger the government, the weaker the Beggar Gang; conversely, when the government wasx, the Beggar Gang flourished.</i>

    <i>The Beggar Gang reached the height of its power during thete Wei Dynasty due to famine, war, and political chaos. However, after the Great Xuan Dynasty seized power, itunched arge-scale crackdown and rectified the Beggar Gangs. Numerous Beggar Gangs were disbanded, their Beggar Kings executed, and those involved in serious crimes eradicated. The remaining members were exiled to Liaozhou for military farming.</i>

    <i>The Great Xuan Dynasty¡¯s iron-fist rule nearly wiped out the Beggar Gang. However, over the past century, as the government became less effective than during its founding years, the Beggar Gang has gradually resurged and once again served as a pir of support for the government.</i>

    Having spent years traveling the world, Qi Xuansu certainly knew about the existence of the Beggar Gang, but he rarely interacted with them.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Qi Xuansu remarked thoughtfully. ¡°Compared to secret societies, the Beggar Gang¡¯s influence is rtively limited, but they are true local powers and undoubtedly well-informed. However, the current situation is deeply entangled, with friend and foe indistinguishable. I can¡¯t expose my identity recklessly, and as an outsider, how can I connect with these local powers?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu hesitated for a moment. ¡°The Cihang lineage is quite influential in Jinling Prefecture. I have a senior sister here who may have some connections.¡±

    ¡°Bai Yingqiong, the Chief Deputy Jiangnan Mansion Master?¡± Qi Xuansu asked.

    Zhang Yuelu nodded. ¡°Yes. However, my senior sister¡¯s stance is still quite ambiguous. Although she is a member of the Zhengyi Sect and a disciple of Sage Cihang, she has been in Jiangnan Daoist Mansion for many years, so there will inevitably be some vested interests involved. I am working hard to win her over, and I believe there won''t be much of a problem, especially with my master still around."

    This was also reasonable. Unless Sage Cihang seeded in bing the Grand Master, Bai Yingqiong could already see the limits of her prospects.

    No matter how much Bai Yingqiong prioritized the greater good, Zhang Yuelu would be the biggest beneficiary, leaving the former with little incentive to take risks. However, for now, the leader of the Cihang Lineage was Sage Cihang, not Zhang Yuelu. So Bai Yingqiong remained cautious and adopted a neutral stance.

    Qi Xuansu thought for a while and muttered, ¡°I suppose that will have to do.¡±

    In fact, Qi Xuansu still had another lead¡ªthe Qingping Society. However, it was not something he could openly share with Zhang Yuelu.

    The Qingping Society had fewer memberspared to other secret societies, but each member had multiple identities and held key positions in various organizations. This was the fundamental reason why Lei Xiaohuan chose Qi Xuansu for this task.

    However, since Madam Qi had yet to arrive in Jinling Prefecture, Qi Xuansu could not simply wait idly and decided to start with the Beggar Gang.

    Finally, Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°I will visit my senior sister again. I¡¯ll have news for you in three days at most, one day at the earliest. Meanwhile, you can try to investigate on your end.¡±

 Chapter 406: Beggar

    <h4>Chapter 406: Beggar</h4>

    For someone who practiced the Fasting Technique for years, eating was not an enjoyment but a torment. Zhang Yuelu merely sipped a spoonful of chicken soup before pushing the entire bowl of wontons toward Qi Xuansu, making her intentions clear.

    When Mage Zhang had an order, Daoist Qi would surely oblige.

    Moreover, Qi Xuansu would not refuse more food because, for a Martial Arts Practitioner at the Guizhen stage, this was not even enough to count as an appetizer. It was not an exaggeration to say that Martial Arts Practitioners in the Heavenly-Being stage could have a feast every meal, consuming the equivalent of nine oxen in one sitting.

    Then Zhang Yuelu sat in silence, watching Qi Xuansu finish off a bowl of chicken soup wontons, a bowl of duck blood vermicelli, and a steamer basket of soup dumplings.

    After finishing his meal, Qi Xuansu joked, ¡°Brother Tantai, with you gazing at me so tenderly, one might mistake us for lovers.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu let out a faint snort and turned her gaze away.

    Thanks to Qi Xuansu¡¯s reminder, Zhang Yuelu remembered that she was now disguised as a man, Young Master Tantai, not Miss Tantai. Normally, she would not make such mistakes, but in front of Qi Xuansu, she always seemed to lose focus.

    Qi Xuansu scrutinized Zhang Yuelu''s disguise closely and said, ¡°I remember you looked exactly like this when we met Li Qingnu in Shangqing Prefecture.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°You still remember how I looked back then?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only been less than half a year. I¡¯m not someone who forgets so easily,¡± Qi Xuansu replied.

    Zhang Yuelu muttered, ¡°I thought you¡¯d forgotten; that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t recognize me in Jiangling Prefecture.¡±

    Qi Xuansu coughed awkwardly a few times. ¡°You never brought it up, so I thought you¡¯d forgotten too. Turns out you were just waiting to bring this up now.¡±

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    ¡°I had forgotten, but I dreamed about itst night, and it all came back to me,¡± Zhang Yuelu said with a chuckle. ¡°I suppose I¡¯m not that forgetful either.¡±

    Qi Xuansu exined, ¡°Actually, I underestimated you back then. After you were hit by the Bliss Needle, I was worried that you would lose your cultivation and get harmed by The Inn¡¯s assassins. So, I thought I¡¯d subdue you and hand you over to Sage Pei. But I didn¡¯t expect you still had enough strength for a fight. I couldn¡¯t even take you down. Then I started worrying you might turn the tables on me, so I had to go all out.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu recalled the event. ¡°At the time, I did wonder why we could fight so seamlessly against the Yuan family¡¯s fighters. It turned out it was you.¡±

    Just as Qi Xuansu was about to respond, Zhang Yuelu excused herself. ¡°I need to go.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said, ¡°If you need to find me, go to the Taiping Inn and ask for Wei Wugui.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± Zhang Yuelu said as she stood up to leave.

    When Qi Xuansu got up to pay the bill, he realized that Zhang Yuelu had already settled it. She had paid for his breakfast even if she just sat there and watched him eat, which made him feel a bit embarrassed.

    Still, Qi Xuansu could not exactly chase after her to return the money. After collecting his emotions, he left the ce.

    ...

    There were generally two ways to find the local Beggar King¡ªthrough a local gangster, or a local beggar. Getting a gangster to lead the way was much like how he had found the ck market in Bohai Prefecture. With enough Taiping coins, one would be able to find anything.

    Either way, it was impossible to avoid spending Taiping coins, as money made the world go round. This was precisely why Qi Xuansu had requested a ¡°mission fund.¡±

    After some thought, Qi Xuansu decided that beggars were often cunning and had a poor reputation. They were not considered part of the Jianghu brotherhood, so dealing with them directly might be troublesome. It was better to find an intermediary.

    In such a vast city as Jinling Prefecture, there was no shortage of such intermediaries. After leaving the breakfast stall, Qi Xuansu wandered aimlessly through the streets and alleys, only to be stopped by a beggar.

    The beggar was an able-bodied man with filth all over and not a single clean spot on him. His clothes were in tatters. Though he was begging for money, his tone was bold and self-assured. ¡°Good sir, be generous and spare me a Taiping coin.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not hurry to give him money or drive him away. Instead, he asked, ¡°Are you disabled?¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± the beggar replied, shaking his head. ¡°My hands work fine, my legs too. I even killed someone just a few days ago.¡±

    Qi Xuansu raised an eyebrow. ¡°Barehanded?¡±

    ¡°With a wooden stick. That guy was unlucky. He bled out from his ears and nose as soon as I hit him on the back of the head. He was dead by nightfall,¡± the beggar said calmly. ¡°But I can¡¯t be med for it. In our line of work, when you take someone¡¯s money to fight for them, you¡¯ve got to be prepared for this. I might be killing him yesterday, but someone might be killing me tomorrow. Anyway, we all have the same end¡ªthrown into a ditch.¡±

    Qi Xuansu could finally confirm this man was no ordinary beggar but a professional one, part of the Beggar Gang who was often hired to participate in brawls. Since someone hade to him, there was no need to seek out a local gangster anymore.

    He pulled a Taiping coin from his sleeve and waved it before the beggar, whose eyes lit up.

    However, when the beggar reached for it, Qi Xuansu pulled it away.

    ¡°Looking for a free meal?¡± Qi Xuansu sneered. ¡°Or nning to rob me?¡±

    The beggar¡¯s gaze swept over Qi Xuansu¡¯s waist, spotting the gun and de. He swallowed nervously. ¡°No, no, I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±

    Generally, the Beggar Gang did not provoke Jianghu fighters, and vice versa. The two kept to their own way without interfering with the other. After all, Jianghu people often disregarded government officials, let alone these minions.

    Qi Xuansu lowered his tone. ¡°I want to meet the local Beggar King.¡±

    ¡°Uh...¡± The beggar feigned hesitation, his eyes darting around.

    Qi Xuansu added, ¡°As long as I get to meet the Beggar King, I¡¯ll give you 10 Taiping coins.¡±

    The beggar shook his head. ¡°That won¡¯t work. Someone like me can¡¯t meet the Beggar King directly. I¡¯ll need to consult those above me, and I¡¯ll need money to oil the wheels.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°How much do you think is appropriate?¡±

    ¡°50 Taiping coins,¡± the beggar said, holding up five grimy fingers.

    ¡°I can only give you 40 Taiping coins,¡± Qi Xuansu replied. ¡°I don¡¯t care how much you keep or spend, as long as you get me to the Beggar King.¡±

    The beggar considered for a moment before nodding. ¡°Deal.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pocketed the single Taiping coin and took out two small cash notes. ¡°This is a deposit. You¡¯ll get the rest once the job is done.¡±

    The beggar reached out and took them.

    Qi Xuansu added, ¡°One more thing. If you try any of your swindling tricks on me, these Taiping coins will go toward buying your coffin. That¡¯ll still be better than ending up in a ditch.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. Don¡¯t worry,¡± the beggar hurriedly assured him. ¡°I know what¡¯s important and wouldn¡¯t do something so foolish.¡±

    Qi Xuansu waved his hand. ¡°Lead the way.¡±

    Under the beggar¡¯s guidance, the two passed eight intersections, taking nearly an hour to arrive at a red-light district.

    Red-light districts and ces of indulgence varied in quality.

    Upscale brothels had deep, serene, and elegant courtyards. The women were beautiful and skilled in literature, art, and music. Besides courtesans, there were also musicians, tailors, craftsmen, and servants, making the establishment self-sufficient.

    There was also a unique category, such as the famous Ten Miles of Qinhuai in Jinling Prefecture. These were often private residences or ornate boats where renowned courtesans, unwilling to be controlled by madames, operated independently. These courtesans usually catered only to regr patrons, relying on the financial support of lovers and benefactors while maintaining an appearance of propriety.

    Lower-ss brothels were much inferior in both background and resources. Though they also offered singing, drinking, chess, and tea services, these small establishments could not afford top-tier courtesans or numerous servants. These establishments, upying modest spaces, catered to small-time gentry and merchants and were shunned by the elite.

    The lowest tier was known as the ¡°door-half-open¡± establishments because there was no ambiance. Customers would just get straight to business upon entering. The prices were also low to attract themon folk.

    This red-light district was home to lower-ss brothels, with dozens of unevenly built, colorful buildings arranged chaotically. It was far inferiorpared to the Sycamore Vi that Qi Xuansu had visited before. However, it was still much better than the door-half-open establishments.

    At this early hour, the ce was quite serene. Bute nightfall, it would undoubtedly be filled with the sounds of flutes and strings, apanied by bursts ofughter from men and women alike.

    The beggar did not take the main road. Instead, he led Qi Xuansu down a dark alley lined with crude shacks, their rooftops packed tightly together, leaving only a sliver of sky visible.

    The spaces between the shacks were filled with clutter, and the alley,cking drainage, was riddled with stagnant water and reeked of foul odors.

    The beggar stole a nce at Qi Xuansu, who did not gesture to cover his nose and looked unfazed. This sent a chill through the beggar¡¯s heart.

    He had a discerning eye. Those who were utterly unfazed by such harsh environments were often ruthless figures not to be trifled with.

    Finally, the beggar led Qi Xuansu to an inconspicuous shack and knocked on the door.

    A burly guard blocked the doorway, his chest covered in dark, curly hair. His hostile gaze scrutinized Qi Xuansu.

    The beggar produced a handful of Ruyi coins and slipped them into the guard¡¯s hand.

    Only then did the guard step aside.

    Beyond the door was not the cramped, narrow space one might expect, but a dimly lit passage resembling a mine shaft that stretched into the unknown.

    The beggar led Qi Xuansu through the passage for about 250 meters. When they emerged again, they found themselves in a city within the city.

    It was actually an urban slum within the city, abyrinth of countless interconnected shacks that starkly contrasted with the bustling, affluent areas outside. The space was cramped and chaotic, perpetually shrouded in shadow.

    Some referred to it as another Jinling Prefecture. Though above ground, it felt like an underground city, hidden from the light of day. It was a true den of rogues, devoid ofw or morality but governed by its own set of rules, not those of the Imperial Court.

    Even the Green Phoenix Guards were reluctant to set foot here.

    As for the Daoist Order, the question was not one of willingness but of necessity. If deemed necessary, they would not hesitate to annihte these lower-ss figures but even high-ranking gentry.

    The beggar turned to nce at Qi Xuansu again.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he lightly stroked the hilt of the de at his waist.

 Chapter 407: The City Within a City

    <h4>Chapter 407: The City Within a City</h4>

    The beggar approached two individuals separately, handing each of them a small cash note.

    Qi Xuansu observed them from a distance. Although these two were in the same line of work as the beggar, they wore gauze clothing and ck scarves on their heads. Their rolled sleeves revealed tattoos on their forearms.

    These two were likely beggar chiefs, subordinates of the Beggar King. After epting the money, they nced at Qi Xuansu, their eyes lingering briefly on the gun at his waist before nodding in agreement.

    The beggar returned to Qi Xuansu, gazing at him expectantly.

    Qi Xuansu took two more small cash notes from his sleeve and handed them to the beggar, who beamed and continued leading the way.

    This city within a city was like abyrinth, full of shady dealings. asionally, Qi Xuansu could hear agonized wailing or sorrowful crying, reminiscent of the infamous Imperial Prison.

    Eventually, they arrived at a grand residence that stood out starkly in this area. The beggar stopped and announced, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°By the way, what¡¯s the local boss¡¯s name?¡±

    The beggar replied, ¡°The Beggar King¡¯s official title is Troupe Leader. His name is Ye Xiu.¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll address him as Master Ye.¡±

    The beggar shed an ingratiating smile and went ahead to report their arrival.

    Before long, a small door of the residence opened for the guest.

    The guest¡ªQi Xuansu¡ªentered and was promptly guided by a neatly dressed servant.

    The interior of this residence was a world unto itself. While not as grand as the Zhenwu Temple, it rivaled the homes of the ordinary gentry. In a sense, this exemplified the saying that every trade has its master. Even a beggar who reached the top could also be a notable figure.

    It was not surprising that Qi Xuansu could arrive here so smoothly.

    The Beggar King could not engage in legitimate brothel businesses, as those were trades reserved for the truly powerful families, who would crush any overreach. However, the Beggar King could dabble in lower-ss brothels, profiting through small margins and high volume, which brought in substantial revenue.

    Combined with various other shady dealings, the Beggar King was often busy handling all kinds of affairs, with no shortage of people seeking favors from him daily.

    The servant led Qi Xuansu to a small lounge, served tea, and asked him to wait, exining that the Beggar King was currently entertaining other guests.

    Qi Xuansu did not rush or drink the tea; he simply waited patiently.

    After about an hour, someone finally informed Qi Xuansu that the Beggar King was ready to see him.

    This was the difference betweening alone and having Bai Yingqiong deliver a message. With Bai Yingqiong¡¯s influence, they would never dare treat Qi Xuansu so indifferently.

    Under the servant¡¯s guidance, Qi Xuansu moved from the small lounge to a grand hall.

    From the outside, it did not seem extraordinary, but the interior told a different story. A long table nked by chairs made entirely of yellow rosewood was parked against the northern wall, resembling the furnishings of a gentry¡¯s mansion.

    On the leftmost seat of honor sat a tall elderly man cradling a snow-white Persian cat.

    Qi Xuansu sped his fists in greeting. ¡°Master Ye, nice to meet you. I am Wei Wugui.¡±

    The old man lifted his eyelids to nce at Qi Xuansu, his gaze briefly pausing on the Divine Dragon Pistol at Qi Xuansu¡¯s waist. ¡°What brings you here, Brother Wei?¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not beat around the bush and cut to the chase. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you are highly capable and well-informed, so I¡¯d like to inquire about some information.¡±

    ¡°Please speak.¡± Ye Xiu gestured to the guest seat beside him. ¡°Have a seat and some tea.¡±

    Qi Xuansu sat down and inquired, ¡°Master Ye, are you aware of the happenings in Zhenwu Temple?¡±

    Ye Xiu¡¯s hand paused in stroking the Persian cat¡¯s chin. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m aware.¡±

    Qi Xuansu continued, ¡°The Jiangnan Daoist Mansion has vacated the Zhenwu Temple. A special investigation team from the Golden Tower has taken residence there,prising six Deputy Hall Masters and a Deputy Pce Master.¡±

    ¡°You want to know about these seven big shots?¡± Ye Xiu asked.

    Qi Xuansu shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in the seven big shots. I¡¯m more interested in their subordinates.¡±

    Ye Xiu paused in silence for a moment before replying slowly, ¡°I can only say I¡¯ll do my best.¡±

    ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, there¡¯s a fresh face among the many Daoist superintendents. His name is Qi Xuansu, formerly a deacon of Tiangang Hall before being transferred to Ziwei Hall as a superintendent. He has only recently arrived in Jinling. I¡¯d like to know more about him and his recent movements as quickly as possible.¡±

    Ye Xiu ced the Persian cat on a nearby tea table and stated, ¡°Tracking the whereabouts of a Daoist superintendent starts at 300 Taiping coins.¡±

    Qi Xuansu haggled. ¡°That¡¯s too expensive. I can only offer 200 Taiping coins.¡±

    Ye Xiu neither agreed nor disagreed. Instead, he stared at Qi Xuansu. ¡°Before that, I¡¯d like to ask¡ªwho are you to dare investigate a superintendent of the Daoist Order?¡±

    Qi Xuansu revealed the ck Robes badge briefly and then put it away.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re an official.¡± Ye Xiu nodded. ¡°Very well, 200 Taiping coins it is. But you¡¯ll need to pay 100 Taiping coins as a deposit.¡±

    Qi Xuansu wasted no words, pulling out arge cash note and cing it on the tea table beside him.

    In just a blink of an eye, he had already spent 200 of the 500-Taiping-coin mission funds. Luckily, it was not his own money, or he would have been heartbroken. Even though he often spent thousands of Taiping coins on spiritual objects, those could be resold, so it was merely converting the coins into another form of asset.

    On the contrary, this kind of expenditure was a total loss, leaving nothing behind.

    The reason Qi Xuansu would spend money to investigate his own whereabouts was to test the waters.

    Whatever information the Beggar Gang gathered, Qi Xuansu could immediately verify its uracy, allowing him to judge whether they were acting in good faith or merely going through the motions.

    Moreover, he did not fully trust the Beggar Gang yet, and they did not trust him either, so it was unwise tomission a big task at the start. This was still an introductory stage meant to build mutual trust as a foundation for future dealings.

    Of course, if the Beggar Gang managed to uncover Qi Xuansu¡¯s true identity, he could report directly to Lei Xiaohuan that his mission had failed.

    This was what Zhang Yuelu referred to as ¡°feeling out the waters.¡± Rats had their tunnels, while snakes had their burrows. There were some matters that the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court might not handle as effectively.

    Ye Xiu did not even nce at therge cash note and simply said, ¡°I will give you an answer three days from now, regardless of sess or failure. If the task ispleted to your satisfaction, you are required to settle the bnce. If it fails and you are dissatisfied, I will refund the deposit in full.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Qi Xuansu rose and took his leave.

    ......

    After apanying Qi Xuansu for breakfast, Zhang Yuelu went to meet Bai Yingqiong while still dressed in men¡¯s attire. However, she had her mask removed.

    This meeting was not held at the Bai Residence but at a countryside courtyard outside the city. It was a ssic Jiangnan mansion¡ªa perfect ce for seclusion and recuperation. Although it did not belong to Bai Yingqiong, she often stayed there for short visits.

    This was what Zhang Yuelu referred to as ¡°vested interests.¡± Having been entrenched in the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion for years, who could truly remain uninvolved?

    After Zhang Yuelu arrived, a butler personally led her inside.

    The estate had four sections.

    The first section, centrally located and facing north, featured rock formations and pavilions, forming a natural courtyard. The western pavilion, modeled after the legendary Orchid Pavilion, housed an artistically carved channel that allowed a winding stream to flow through, designed for floating wine cups.

    Past a carved floral gate was the second section, which had a few ornamentalke rocks that were set as the central feature, creating a tranquil and elegant ambiance.

    The third section featured artificial hills and ake, with a small pavilion built on high ground, offering amanding view.

    Thest section was dominated by the mansion¡¯s most elevated and exquisite two-story building. Its front courtyard was encircled by mountain stones, and its rear was connected by covered corridors to a study, creating a breathtaking and delightful scenery. It was a masterpiece of ingenuity.

    The floors indoors were made of bamboo-woven mats. Dyed jade pieces and purple Wisteria vines were used to recreate plum blossoms. The eaves were decorated with bamboo iys and jade fittings. A hundred-deer relief and double-sided embroidered screens further showcased the exquisite craftsmanship of this room.

    Entering the building, Zhang Yuelu looked around and praised, ¡°What a splendid ce!¡±

    ¡°This doesn¡¯tpare to the Jade Capital,¡± Bai Yingqiong replied while deftly handling a tea set. ¡°No matter how exquisite, it¡¯s no match for even an ordinary residence in Xuan City. Not just anyone can live there.¡±

    That remark wasden with unbridled envy.

    Everyone knew Zhang Yuelu resided in Xuan City, not within the 24 neighborhoods of Jade Capital. If she took it a step further, she might even get to live in the Purple Mansion one day.

    Zhang Yuelu sat opposite Bai Yingqiong and smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s merely a temporary lease.¡±

    Soon, Bai Yingqiong poured a cup of tea for Zhang Yuelu.

    Holding the teacup in both hands, Zhang Yuelumented, ¡°Recently, undercurrents have been surging in Jinling. False usations are rampant. Yet here you are, having the leisure to enjoy such a fine retreat.¡±

    Bai Yingqiong smiled faintly. ¡°Rampant might be an exaggeration. You¡¯re blowing it out of proportion, Junior Sister.¡±

    ¡°Senior Sister, you rarely venture out, yet you seem well-informed about the city¡¯s affairs.¡± Zhang Yuelu continued, ¡°Having lived in Jinling for so long, you must be well acquainted with many local powers, right?¡±

    Bai Yingqiong maintained her calm andposed demeanor. ¡°Xiao Su is one such power yer in this area.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu merely uttered, ¡°Oh.¡±

    ......

    Bai Yingqiong rubbed her forehead. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of Qi Xuansu. Madam Tantai didn¡¯t like him, so I initially dismissed him, thinking that he was an insignificant figure. But it turns out this young man has quite the background.

    ¡°He has good rtions with Sage Lei and Sage Pei and some connection to Sage Donghua. His recent transfer to the Ziwei Hall was a direct order by Sage Donghua himself. Could he be a long-lost descendant of the Qi family from the Quanzhen Sect?¡±

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Zhang Yuelu replied confidently, ¡°No, he¡¯s from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce. Qi was not his originalst name; he adopted it from his master.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Bai Yingqiong said. ¡°There are quite a few individuals from the Wanxiang Daoist Pce who have managed to rise within the Quanzhen Sect.¡±

    Half an hourter, Zhang Yuelu, having gained no useful information, took her leave. Bai Yingqiong escorted her to the door.

    Bai Yingqiong watched as Zhang Yuelu walked away, only returning indoors until her junior sister disappeared from sight.

    This time, there was an additional person inside the room¡ªthe Heavenly Court¡¯s God of Wind, also known as Feng Bo. He had been expanding operations and creating branches of the Heavenly Court in Yongzhou and Liangzhou. However, after offending Lei Xiaohuan, his operations werepletely eradicated, and he barely escaped by fleeing south alone.

    No longer concealing her anger, Bai Yingqiong red at Feng Bo with hostility. ¡°What have you done with Xiaojin?¡±

    Feng Bo smiled goadingly. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare harm Miss Bai. We¡¯ve merely invited her to be our guest for a few days.¡±

 Chapter 408: Temptation

    <h4>Chapter 408: Temptation</h4>

    Whether in terms of status or cultivation, Bai Yingqiong had no reason to fear Feng Bo.

    Thus, she was not only unafraid, but her confidence was also unshakable. After all, this was her territory. Getting rid of Feng Bo would require little effort that did not even necessitate her personal involvement.

    After all, her position as the Chief Deputy Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master was not just for show, and she wielded substantial authority within the Cihang lineage.

    Nominally, Zhang Yuelu was the second-inmand of the Cihang lineage. However, in reality, Bai Yingqiong¡¯s deep roots and influence far surpassed Zhang Yuelu, who had only recently been designated as the Sage Cihang¡¯s sessor. With Sage Cihang currently in Jade Capital, Bai Yingqiong could mobilize nearly half the Cihang lineage¡¯s forces.

    Thus, to her, dealing with Feng Bo, even adding the formidable Wind and Thunder Marshals, was hardly a concern.

    Yet here she was, forced to endure a conversation with a secret society member she held in disdain, solely because her hands were tied.

    ¡°You¡¯ve broken the rules,¡± Bai Yingqiong warned, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

    She had been careless because the infighting within the Daoist Order was always governed by certain unspoken agreements¡ªconflicts would not escte to outright destruction, and families were off-limits. It was these tacit understandings,bined with Bai Yingqiong¡¯s strictly neutral stance, that made her believe her daughter, Bai Xiaojin, would be safe and did not require heightened protection.

    As such, it became an oversight that these people had exploited.

    Feng Bo spoke nonchntly. ¡°And what is the oue of breaking the rules? At worst, you will side with Mage Zhang. But what happens if we follow the rules? You will still stand with Mage Zhang anyway. Since you will side with Mage Zhang no matter what we do, is there any point in adhering to these rules?¡±

    Bai Yingqiong sneered, ¡°The instigator deserves punishment, do they not?¡±

    Feng Bo replied, veiled hostilityced in his words. ¡°Sage Bai, you¡¯re absolutely right. But we¡¯re merely following orders, so we hope for your understanding. Besides, we¡¯re not members of the Daoist Order, just Jianghu wanderers free of ties and burdens. Even if you don¡¯t forgive us, we¡¯re not too worried about the so-called punishments.¡±

    Bai Yingqiong was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Go ahead, name your terms for releasing my daughter. I¡¯ll agree with them if they¡¯re reasonable, but if you go too far, then ry this to your master¡ªat worst, it¡¯s one life for another.¡±

    ¡°Sage Bai, you¡¯re blowing things out of proportion.¡± Feng Bo chuckled. ¡°As I said, we¡¯ve only invited Miss Bai over as a guest for a few days. It¡¯s not a matter of life or death.¡±

    Bai Yingqiong did not believe him in the slightest and simply remained silent.

    Feng Bo continued, ¡°We understand your deep love for your daughter, but let¡¯s be honest. You¡¯re in your prime. Is it really time to settle down for a peaceful life with your family? Doesn¡¯t that seem like a waste?¡±

    Bai Yingqiong¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°What exactly are you trying to say?¡±

    ¡°Sage Bai, you¡¯re a wise person. Surely, you understand what I mean.¡±

    ¡°Whether I understand or not is my concern. What I want now is for you to speak inly,¡± Bai Yingqiong demanded.

    Feng Bo paused briefly, then used his left hand to lift the lid of the gaiwan. He dipped the middle finger of his right hand into the tea and wrote the words, "Omniscient Sage," on the table.

    Bai Yingqiong¡¯s expression changed instantly.

    Only then did Feng Bo speak. ¡°While both Omniscient Sage and ordinary Sage are second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters, the distinction between them is worlds apart. The Holy Xuan decreed that there would only be 36 Omniscient Sages, not more nor less. If one rises, another must fall.

    ¡°Although the position of the Virtuous Great Sage has no fixed number, one must first be an Omniscient Sage to even reach that rank. While a Virtuous Great Sage¡¯s status is undoubtedly prestigious, itcks the qualification to contend for the position of Grand Master, ultimately falling short.

    ¡°Thus, an Omniscient Sage bes a crucial role, with only about 12 such positions per sect, while each sect boasts nearly 100 ordinary Sages. That¡¯s roughly one in ten. Don¡¯t you desire such a position, Sage Bai?¡±

    Bai Yingqiong sneered with contempt. ¡°Do you think that you, of all people, have the right to discuss the position of Omniscient Sage with me? Even your master behind the scenes isn¡¯t qualified. Perhaps it¡¯ll only be worth discussing when Sage Qingwei bes the Grand Master, but not now.¡±

    Feng Bo remained unperturbed and continued, ¡°I¡¯m merely stating a fact. The Holy Xuan greatly opposed hereditary session, even going so far as to change the Zhang family¡¯s title of the Great Heavenly Preceptor to the Heavenly Preceptor so that he could promote a non-Zhang Heavenly Preceptor.

    ¡°But no matter how much the Holy Xuan promoted change, human nature is beyond his control. After his passing, things gradually reverted to the old ways. Within the Daoist Order today, there are still certain positions that remain hereditary, such as the Zhang family¡¯s Heavenly Preceptor, the Li family¡¯s Imperial Preceptor, as well as the titles of Sage Donghua, Sage Cihang, and Sage Qingwei.

    ¡°Sage Bai, as a disciple of Sage Cihang, you naturally have the qualifications to vie for the Omniscient Sage position. You don¡¯t need anyone to appoint you or promise you such a role, and you are far beyond the level of any ordinary Sage.¡±

    By now, Bai Yingqiong needed no further rification. Her gaze had already shifted subtly.

    Feng Bo observed her reaction and pressed on. ¡°Zhang Yuelu isn¡¯t even a direct descendant of the Zhang family. Shees from a minor, insignificant branch. She is also one of many disciples of Sage Cihang¡ªnot the first disciple nor thest before Sage Cihang retires. Her position is unremarkable and middling, so what led her to soar to such heights?

    ¡°All she did was gamble her life on the Jiangnan case, which paved her way to sess. She unseated a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master and gave Sage Donghua the leverage he needed tounch a case against the others during the Golden Tower Council discussions. Only then did she catch the Earthly Preceptor¡¯s eye and was fast-tracked to Deputy Hall Master, even bestowing her a semi-immortal object.

    ¡°With the Earthly Preceptor¡¯s favor, the Zhang family finally took notice of her, and Sage Cihang had no choice but to ride the tide and designate her as her sessor.¡±

    Bai Yingqiong leaned back slowly into her chair, tilting her head to gaze at the eight-sided pcentern hanging above, lost in thought.

    ¡°In terms of seniority, ability, or cultivation, you surpass Zhang Yuelu in every regard. Sage Bai, you were Sage Cihang¡¯s first disciple before Zhang Yuelu was even born. In terms of age and experience, you¡¯re practically a generation apart. Are you truly content to be beneath her?¡± Feng Bo¡¯s words dripped with insidious temptation.

    After a long silence, Bai Yingqiong suddenly spoke. ¡°This argument could just as easily be applied to some of the older members of the Li family, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s different,¡± Feng Bo replied, dropping all pretense. ¡°Young Master Li is from the main branch of the Li family¡ªa true descendant of the Great Sword Immortal.¡±

    The Great Sword Immortal was Li Daoxu, the father of the Holy Xuan and Donghuang. In the Holy Xuan Cards, Li Daoxu was a Heaven card, among the ranks of figures like True Lord Tantai Yun, Emperor Gaozu of the Great Xuan Dynasty, and the Holy Xuan¡¯s teacher Xu Wugui.

    Although adopted sons and inws of the Li family could wield power and even be head of the family, for nearly a century, only the direct descendants of Li Daoxu truly held the reins of authority.

    The Imperial Preceptor, Li Changge, Sage Qingwei, Li Tianzhen, and even the Empress herself all came from this direct bloodline. This gave rise to the notion of bloodline legitimacy within the Li family, regardless of which branch of the family an individual was from.

    Ironically, the Zhang family, which ced great emphasis on family branches, found itselfcking a direct line of authority, allowing secondary branches to rise to prominence.

    Bai Yingqiong responded indifferently, ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll fall for you trying to sow discord?¡±

    ¡°Sage Bai, you misunderstand my intentions,¡± Feng Bo replied, adopting a humbler tone. ¡°Consider this a reminder. Due to the Jiangnan case, Zhang Yuelu was promoted to fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master andter to Deputy Hall Master. Some people are nowparing her to the Taiping Sect¡¯s Li Changge and the Quanzhen Sect¡¯s Yao Pei, iming that while thepetition for the seventh-generation Grand Master is among Sage Cihang, Sage Donghua, and Sage Qingwei, the eighth must arise from one of these three prodigies.

    ¡°Just imagine this: if Zhang Yuelu achieves further sess, she¡¯ll be promoted to the third rank. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no need for me to borate on what it means to be a third-rank Youyi Daoist master before 30 years of age.¡±

    Bai Yingqiong poured herself a cup of tea but did not drink it.

    Watching Bai Yingqiong¡¯s expression closely, Feng Bo continued to stir the pot. ¡°But if Zhang Yuelu falters in this investigation, her promotion to the third rank will be significantly dyed. The time lost could be a critical age barrier.¡±

    Bai Yingqiong looked at Feng Bo and said, ¡°Hurting others won¡¯t benefit me.¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Feng Bo replied seriously. ¡°If Zhang Yuelu fails to be an Omniscient Sage, then you will be the only candidate left. In this matter, my master not only supports the idea but is also willing to lend an extra hand.¡±

    Many things could be weighed and bnced internally as long as external forces did not intervene, maintaining a delicate equilibrium. However, once outside interference pierced the veil, that fragile bnce would shatter instantly, tipping the scales in one direction.

    But being a shrewd and experienced individual, Bai Yingqiong would not easily reveal her stance. If her true thoughts could be discerned in just a few words, she would have wasted her years as a Chief Deputy.

    Bai Yingqiong changed the topic. ¡°Let¡¯s set aside unrted matters for now and continue discussing my daughter¡¯s release.¡±

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Feng Bo assured her. ¡°Your daughter will return safely to your side with not a single hair out of ce as soon as the investigation team leaves Jinling.¡±

    Bai Yingqiong closed her eyes. ¡°I hope you keep your word.¡±

    Feng Bo stood up with a smile and bid farewell. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±

    When Bai Yingqiong was left alone, she opened her eyes, staring at the eight-sided pcemp above her and muttering to herself, ¡°Omniscient Sage...¡±

    After Feng Bo left the courtyard, he went to a secluded location and used a mother talisman, creating a shimmering screen before him.

    ¡°Patriarch,¡± Feng Bo said respectfully. ¡°Bai Yingqiong didn¡¯t state her position outright, nor did she refuse outrightly. But she seems to be tempted.¡±

    From the other side of the screen, a voice responded with just two words, ¡°Very good.¡±

    Feng Bo continued, ¡°Before I arrived, Zhang Yuelu had just left. Should we¡ª¡±

    The voice on the other side of the screen warned. ¡°One must consider the timing and location before killing. If Zhang Yuelu dies during her time off on the way home, it¡¯s considered a personal ident. At that time, she was merely Zhang Yuelu. But if she dies in Jinling, it¡¯s a different story, as she¡¯s now a member of the Golden Tower Council¡¯s investigation team. Acting rashly will only provide others with leverage and hinder our overall n.¡±

    ¡°Noted.¡± Feng Bo responded respectfully.

 Chapter 409: Investigation

    <h4>Chapter 409: Investigation</h4>

    Qi Xuansu did not immediately leave this slum within Jinling after departing from Ye Xiu''s residence.

    Apart from Jade Capital, every prosperous town had such slums, unchanged by the tides of the world.

    Jade Capital was an exception because it was a city of Daoists, inhabited only by Daoist priests, Spirit Guards, and Daoist believers. The first two were self-exnatory, while the Daoist believers were skilled workers with stable livelihoods. Though not wealthy, Daoist believers lived decently, free from worries about basic needs.

    The keyy in Jade Capital¡¯s unified nning. All its buildings and pces belonged to the Daoist Order, eliminating private ownership. Thus, maintenance and repair fell under the Tianji Hall. Even Great Sages only had usage rights to properties, not ownership. Residents leased their homes, often for very long terms, up to a century.

    Moreover, perched atop Kunlun Mountain, Jade Capital was inessible to most people without cultivation, allowing the Daoist Order to easily control its poption.

    Other townscked Jade Capital¡¯s natural advantages. Situated on ins and trade routes, they naturally attracted outsiders, leading to the emergence of slums within or around the cities, like the shantytown outside Bohai Prefecture. Even the Imperial Capital was no exception in this regard.

    <i>In its early days, the Imperial Capital was square-shaped, with nine city gates. Its central axis ran from Zhengyang Gate in the south, through the Imperial Pce, and to the Bell Tower in the north.</i>

    <i>During the early years of the Wei Dynasty, the nation was powerful. Emperor Taizongunched five campaigns against the Golden Horde, and issues were not apparent. </i>

    <i>Later, as the Wei Dynasty declined and the Golden Horde bombarded the capital multiple times, officials proposed building an outer city around the Imperial Capital for added security, with a width of about 40 kilometers.</i>

    <i>Construction of the outer city began in Emperor Mingyong¡¯s 32nd year. Since the southern suburbs were more prosperous and housed the royal altars, the southern line was prioritized. However, the project soon stalled due to insufficient funds.</i>

    <i>The Imperial Court had no choice but to adjust the n, building only the southern wall while deferring the other three sides until funds allowed. The southern wall was reduced from the nned 10 kilometers to around 7 kilometers, with its eastern and western ends bending northward to connect with the southeastern and southwestern gates of the inner city.</i>

    <i>Since only the southern section of the outer city waspleted, the Imperial Capital¡¯syout changed from the original square shape to a wider, inverted T-shape, with an expanded base in the south that formed the outer city. However, the name ¡°outer city¡± was misleading, as it was not outside the inner city but rather to its south, thus earning the name ¡°South City.¡±</i>

    <i>Throughout the Wei Dynasty, the other three sides of the city walls were neverpleted, yet arge poption still resided in those areas.</i>

    When the Great Xuan Dynasty took over the Imperial Capital, theypleted the remaining eastern, western, and northern walls, creating the currentyout of the city that resembled a concentric square.

    The outer city was primarily popted bymoners, while the inner city housed mansions of nobility, officials, and major government offices.

    Jade Capital retained the oldyout of the former Imperial Capital due to its geography. The upper, smaller square part was Xuan City, the highest point on the peak, while the lower, expanded square was the rest of Jade Capital, situated at a slightly lower elevation.

    Jinling Prefecture had a highly irregryout due to its topography, so it could not be described with any specific shape, nor did it conform to geometric symmetry,cking even a clear central axis.

    ording to legend, Jinling Prefecture¡¯s design was inspired by the Three Enclosures and 28 Constetions of Chinese astronomy, harmonizing with the local geomantic energy. This deviated from the traditional square or rectangr city walls of the past and became a unique fusion of celestial and terrestrial elements.

    Jinling¡¯s old city was situated in the southeast, densely popted with bustlingmerce and numerous workshops. The residences of nobles and wealthy merchants, along with luxurious restaurants and upscale brothels, were concentrated in the southwest part of the old city.

    The old city, also known as the inner city, was surrounded by an outer walled city, equivalent to the outer city of the Imperial Capital.

    The northwest part of the outer city housed the ck Robes¡¯ barracks, along withrge granaries, warehouses, and military workshops, which were generally off-limits to the public.

    This slum was situated between the ck Robes¡¯ barracks and the inner city, reflecting the irregryout of Jinling as a whole.

    This implied that the area could serve as a hub forrge-scale distribution of goods. It was perhaps even an ideal location. This was not an idle guess from Qi Xuansu but a reasonable inference.

    Before the Great Xuan Dynasty, maritime trade was not prosperous. As a result, Jinling¡¯s bustling areas were concentrated along the Qinhuai River, oriented ind. The northwestern part near the Yangtze River appeared rtively empty, and areas along the coast outside Jinling¡¯s jurisdiction were no more than fishing viges.

    Since the prosperity of maritime trade, direct river routes to the sea were more convenient. Thus, traveling along the Qinhuai River became inefficient. Consequently, the Daoist Order established many warehouses along the Qinhuai River, initially intended to be near the ck Robes¡¯ barracks for added security. From another perspective, these warehouses were not far from this slum.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu was suddenly filled with a desire to explore the area, so that was what he did.

    Qi Xuansu first pretended to leave, then he quietly returned.

    The first time he entered the slums, Qi Xuansu had heard many wails and cries from this ce. Upon his return, he entered the shanties that served as makeshift prisons.

    Inside, the spaces were cramped, dark, and damp. Countless small enclosures made of wooden fences filled the area, shrouded in pitch darkness. Only faint flickers of light could be seen in the shadows. A closer inspection revealed that these specks of light were pairs of eyes that were devoid of vitality¡ªlifeless, numb, and despondent.

    Qi Xuansu stopped and observed closely. Most of the upants were women. Their clothes were still intact, and they were not emaciated, but their faces were pale and unkempt, marked by a deep fear beneath their numb expressions.

    As early as the reign of the First Emperor of the Founding Dynasty, the ve system had beenrgely abolished. In the centuries that followed, while indentured servitude existed, the term ¡°ve¡± was rarely used. Later, during the Jin Dynasty, the practice of live burial as a funeral custom was also abolished.

    By the Great Xuan Dynasty, they went further bypletely abolishing the system of hereditary servile status.

    There were three types of household registers: military, civilian, and servile. In fact, the Great Xuan Dynasty also abolished the military register due to the dissolution of the garrison system.

    However, what was abolished on paper and how it yed out in practice were two different matters. For instance, the government only recognized one official wife, with the rest ssified as concubines. But among themon folk, the concept of equal wives flourished. Simrly, though servile registers were abolished, courtesans and household servants continued to exist.

    This was one of the reasons why the Holy Xuan sought to abolish establishments like Ecstasy Pce. It was not because he could not tolerate the sex trade itself, but rather that such institutions became an invisible encouraging force for coercing or deceiving innocent women into prostitution, practices that needed to be eradicated. Thus, the best way to address this was to cut off the issue at its source.

    What Qi Xuansu saw before him was precisely this. The presence of arge number of lower-ss brothels nearby was also no coincidence.

    Qi Xuansu ran his fingers lightly over the rotten wooden fences. With just a little force, he could break them apart. However, he knew full well that, as a small pawn, navigating the treacherous undercurrents of Jinling left him struggling just to protect himself. So he was in no position to help others.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    At that moment, he heard sounds from outside.

    Qi Xuansu immediately leaped onto the roof beam and concealed himself in the shadows.

    A group of beggars entered, leading some of the women out. Among them were a few frail-looking men, all herded onto carriages outside that were draped with thick tarps on all sides, concealing whatevery within.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s interest was piqued, so he began to tail the carriages.

    The carriages soon left the slums, entering the bustling inner city. After winding through various streets for about four hours, the sky had turned dark, and they arrived in a narrow alley in the southwest corner of the old city.

    The alley was nked by two-meter-high walls made of sintered bricks, stretching over 300 meters. At the end of the alley was a ckcquered door. The area was eerily quiet. Once dusk fell, not even birds flew by.

    The carriages drove straight to the ck door at the end of the alley.

    A man got off and struck the beast-head knocker on the door three times, paused briefly, then struck four more times.

    Shortly after, a voice from inside asked, ¡°Is this Boss Ye¡¯s shipment?¡±

    The man outside was evidently no stranger to the ce and seemed familiar with the person inside, speaking with little formality. ¡°You know it is. So why even ask? Hurry up and open the door!¡±

    Momentster, the door slowly opened, and the carriages were let inside.

    Qi Xuansu watched from a distance, hesitating slightly. This matter did not seem rted to Lei Xiaohuan¡¯s task, but he felt it might have some connection to therger case. In the end, he decided to investigate further.

 Chapter 410: Sikong Cuo

    <h4>Chapter 410: Sikong Cuo</h4>

    Sikong Cuo stretchedzily and looked up at therge, bright moon.

    The moonlight was lovely.

    He recalled a Confucian Savant¡¯s story about the moon reflecting on a thousand rivers, indicating that all those countless reflections were, in the end, the same moon.

    Jinling Prefecture was bordered by two rivers and ake, so who knew how many moons it held?

    At that moment, a subordinate arrived to report that the goods had arrived.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Sikong Cuo acknowledged briefly and instructed his subordinate to light themps before striding outside.

    This ce was a secludedrge courtyard, technically within the boundaries of the slum. However, unlike the rest of the slums, the roads here were broad enough to amodate convoys of carriages.

    Outside the courtyard was a convoy of about 20 carriages, stretching beyond view. Each was a two-horse, four-wheel carriage tightly covered with tarpaulins. The road here was mostlypacted dirt rather than the old city''s stone-paved streets, so each carriage left tracks of varying depths, indicating the considerable weight of their cargo.

    The convoy¡¯s overseer jumped down from the leading carriage, carrying a windproofmp. He pulled a document from his coat and double-checked the address. Satisfied, he breathed a sigh of relief.

    This job of transporting goods from Songjiang Prefecture to Jinling Prefecture had been quite lucrative. The route was short, and the client was generous. The only caveat was the client''s hinting that this shipment was somewhat dubious and should avoid inspections by the Daoist Shibo Hall and the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion.

    Having been in this line of work for years, he had seen countless cases like this, understood the risks, and paid them no mind. In these peaceful times, highway robbers were rare, leaving the government and Daoist inspections as the biggest threats. Now that they had arrived safely, he had nothing to worry about.

    By regtion,rge shipments like this were supposed to be thoroughly inspected upon entering the city, to check for smuggling dangerous goods. However, those in this trade often had close ties with the officials at the city gates.

    With Jinling Prefecture¡¯s 12 gates, a few strings could always be pulled with enough Taiping coins to ensure one gate allowed the goods through, bypassing inspection.

    After entering the city, the warehouses conducted another round of checks. As a result, the slums gradually became a hub for transshipment and storage. Such secluded depots within this area weremonce.

    Next came the handover of goods. Once the money and goods were exchanged, the deal would be done.

    After collecting the Taiping coins, the overseer nned to enjoy a night of indulgence at the nearby brothels and then spend the next few days rxing, drinking some fine wine, and enjoying a life of simple pleasures.

    As the overseer was musing, he spotted Sikong Cuo and identified him as the one in charge. He immediately approached, offering a Western-style rolled cigarette. As Sikong Cuo half-heartedly took it, the overseer promptly lit a match and prepared to light the cigarette for him.

    Sikong Cuo held the lit cigarette but did not bring it to his lips. Instead, he asked, ¡°Did those Daoist inspectors give you any trouble when entering the city?¡±

    He asked about the Daoist authorities rather than the local government because the Daoists had taken over many functions traditionally handled by the Imperial Court.

    <i>In the previous Wei Dynasty, while a Bureau of Maritime Affairs existed, it had beenrgely ceremonial due to theck of robust maritime trade.</i>

    <i>However, during that period, the fragmented Daoist sects had already begun developing maritime trade routes. The Western Sect pioneered the western trade routes, while the Southern, Eastern, and Northern Sects established routes in the South Sea, East Sea, and North Sea, respectively. At the time, Confucian schrs were known as thergestndholders, while the Daoists dominated over 90% of the maritime trade and possessed the most powerful fleet in the East. This rivalry between Confucians and Daoists was often called the Battle of Land and Sea.</i>

    <i>When the Great Xuan Dynasty reced the Wei Dynasty, it became heavily reliant on the Daoist Order for maritime trade taxation and other affairs. While the royal family and nobility had roots in the Northern Sect, the bulk of maritime trade was controlled by the Eastern and Southern Sects, known today as the Taiping Sect and Zhengyi Sect, respectively.</i>

    <i>Like the establishment of the navy, the Great Xuan Dynasty would not have achieved much without the cooperation of the Daoist Order. Thus, apromise was reached. The Daoist Order ceded half its war fleet to the court, forming the foundation of the Three Great Navies, while the Imperial Court granted the Daoist Order control over maritime trade taxation.</i>

    <i>The Daoists established Shibo Hall for maritime affairs, responsible for taxation, statistics, postal services, port dredging, and inspections. The Daoist Order enjoyed tax exemptions or reductions. After covering administrative costs, each year¡¯s tax revenue was submitted to the Imperial Treasury.</i>

    <i>This was the fundamental difference between the Daoist Order and the Confucian School. The Confucians operated behind the scenes, sending their disciples to serve as officials and manipte state affairs. Thus, the Imperial Court and the Confucian School back then were highly intermingled.</i>

    <i>Though Confucians extolled the virtues of Heaven, Earth, sovereign, parent, and teacher, in reality, they controlled the emperor. If the emperor obediently delegated governance to ministers, he wasuded as a wise emperor for the ages. But any deviation from their wishes could lead to the emperor¡¯s untimely death¡ªby drowning, fire, or other means¡ªfollowed by posthumous branding as an idiot or a tyrant.</i>

    <i>As time went on, the conflict between the royal family and the Confucian School became extremely intense. The royal family even went so far as to leverage the Daoist Order to counterbnce the Confucians, appointing five Daoist Great Sages led by the Heavenly Preceptor as advisors. One of them, the Earthly Preceptor Xu Wugui, was even born into the Wei Dynasty¡¯s royal family, which gave the Daoist Order a crucial advantage in defeating the Confucian School.</i>

    <i>The Daoist Order, learning from the Confucian School¡¯s failures, adopted a cooperative approach with the Imperial Court, conducting everything with transparency and clearly defined roles. Once the division of responsibilities was established, the Daoist Order refrained from interfering in the Imperial Court¡¯s affairs, and the Imperial Court avoided meddling in Daoist matters. Over the years, this arrangement prevented major conflicts between the two behemoths.</i>

    <i>Before these goods traveled ovend into the city, they were first transported by sea and then transferred to river routes. The maritime routes fell under Daoist jurisdiction, so during this process, Shibo Hall had to inspect and register the cargo before granting passage. Hence, Sikong Cuo posed his question.</i>

    Hearing his question, the overseer pulled out several documents and exined, ¡°We spent some Taiping coins to go through the motions. The Daoist deacon didn¡¯t scrutinize much and simply inspected two carriages. Here are all thepleted documents.¡±

    Sikong Cuo took the documents, casually nced over them, and focused on the seal of the Daoist Shibo Hall. He remarked sarcastically, ¡°Going through the motions with perfunctory work, huh? Very good.¡±

    Hearing this, the overseer felt uneasy. <i>Could this man also be a Daoist conducting an undercover inspection?</i>

    Fortunately, Sikong Cuo did not pursue the matter and ordered, ¡°Unload the goods.¡±

    The overseer signaled his workers to drive the carriages into the courtyard, one by one. By now, numerousmps had been lit, brightly illuminating the area. One carriage entered, unloaded the goods, and left, followed by the next in a continuous cycle.

    Several workers in the warehouse removed the tarps from the carriages, revealingrge wooden crates underneath. They were so heavy that even four strong men might struggle to lift them.

    However, the workers in this warehouse were all extraordinarily strong, easily lifting the crates with just two men.

    Sikong Cuo finished his cigarette and casually opened one of the crates, which contained several sealedrge ss jars with a metal base. He took one out. It was about one meter tall and half a meter in diameter, with 5-centimeter-thick ss. Each jar contained a suspension liquid and something resembling ginseng, or possibly, a type of embryo.

    A faint smile appeared on Sikong Cuo¡¯s face. ¡°Excellent.¡±

    The overseer also saw it and could not help his curiosity. ¡°What is this?¡±

    Sikong Cuo nced at him, as if looking at a dead man. ¡°This is a gift.¡±

    ¡°Whose gift?¡± The overseer instinctively asked.

    Sikong Cuo smirked. ¡°It¡¯s a gift from the gods.¡±

    The overseer forced a dryugh, unsure how to respond.

    Sikong Cuo suddenly chuckled. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s premium ginseng medicinal wine. This packaging helps preserve its potency when transported from Liaodong to Jinling. Without paying taxes, it can sell for tens of thousands of Taiping coins. Isn¡¯t that a gift from the gods?¡±

    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s ginseng!¡± The overseer bobbed his head in understanding.

    Sikong Cuo had no intention of exining further. He held the so-called ¡°gift¡± and waited for the unloading to bepleted.

    About two hourster, all the carriages had been unloaded, and the crates filled nearly half the courtyard. The overseer rubbed his hands together and asked, ¡°Should we settle the final payment?¡±

    Sikong Cuo hummed lightly, waved over a subordinate, and instructed, ¡°Take care of it.¡±

    The subordinate gave a brief nod and turned to the overseer with a fierce gaze.

    At that moment, the overseer sensed something was wrong and turned to flee, but it was already toote.

    Sikong Cuo¡¯s subordinate grabbed the overseer by the neck and lifted him off the ground using just one arm.

    Then, exerting a slight force in his grasp, he snapped the overseer¡¯s neck.

    Sikong Cuo continued to hold the cylindrical ss jar, engrossed in admiring the ¡°gift¡± inside, oblivious to the scene before him.

    In the flickeringmplight, the other carriage drivers were also silently ughtered, leaving no survivors.

 Chapter 411: The Ghost King

    <h4>Chapter 411: The Ghost King</h4>

    Qi Xuansu chose a secluded corner, lightly tapped the ground without making a sound, and leaped over the high courtyard wall,nding inside the residence.

    He found himself in a backyard, far removed from the brightly lit areas. Aside from a few scattered lights, the rest of the ce was shrouded in darkness.

    Qi Xuansu moved quickly along the base of the wall, skillfully avoiding the patrolling guards. He soon found traces of the two carriages, but they were now empty, and the women who had been inside were nowhere to be seen.

    Since he was not very familiar with Jinling Prefecture, he could not determine his exact location.

    Over the past few days, he had been swamped with tasks and had not found time toplete the Qi Observation Technique and the Divine Calction Technique for Rogue Cultivators in the Holy Embryo Realm. Thus, he had no way of tracking down the women¡¯s whereabouts at the moment.

    Just as Qi Xuansu was deliberating his next move, he sensed a sudden breeze from behind.

    Being a seasoned fighter, Qi Xuansu was immediately startled. Without turning around, he instinctively rolled forward to avoid the sneak attack from behind.

    The assant was an elderly man with white hair. He had not expected Qi Xuansu to evade his sneak attack and was momentarily stunned. The old man quickly recovered and lunged forward, his five fingers wing toward Qi Xuansu.

    While rolling forward, Qi Xuansu had already drawn Qing Yuan from his waist and thrust it straight ahead.

    To Qi Xuansu¡¯s surprise, the old man used his chest to withstand the tip of the short sword, as if he were impervious to harm. Simultaneously, he delivered a heavy palm strike to Qi Xuansu¡¯s forehead.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s head snapped backward, his forehead turning red and bruised. At the same time, he swept his sword horizontally, carving a deep gash across the old man¡¯s neck.

    The old man tilted his head and mped the de with his neck.

    Without hesitation, Qi Xuansu let go of Qing Yuan and drew the Flying Shadow, thrusting the sharp de forward.

    The overconfident old man still refused to dodge, thinking that he could withstand this de and then crush Qi Xuansu to death with a single blow.

    However, the Flying Shadow was a top-grade spiritual object, no less sharp than a treasure. Compared to it, Qing Yuan could be considered blunt.

    By the time the old man realized the extraordinary nature of this de, it was toote.

    Flying Shadow pierced straight through the old man¡¯s chest.

    Immediately afterward, Qi Xuansu pushed the de forward, sending the old man off his feet and mming him into a wall.

    The old man died on the spot, beyond any hope of revival.

    Qi Xuansu retrieved his de, his expression slightly grim.

    This man turned out to be a Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner. If Qi Xuansu had been an ordinary Rogue Cultivator without a suitable weapon, defeating him would have been extremely difficult.

    Before Qi Xuansu could catch his breath, another figure appeared in quick session.

    Qi Xuansu immediately recognized this individual as the mighty Ghost King of the Heavenly Court.

    He had not dealt with the Ghost King before, but thetter was quite renowned in Jianghu due to his distinctive appearance¡ªhorns growing from his forehead and dark skin, resembling the Bull Demon King from popr stories.

    The reason for his appearance was that he had once devoured a bull demon whole. Although this greatly enhanced his cultivation level, it also left him with demon-like traits, making him infamous. That was why Qi Xuansu had heard of the Ghost King, just as he had heard about a certain young Banished Immortal in Jade Capital being granted a semi-immortal object.

    The Daoist Order had long studied the phenomenon of demonization, as the blood of ancient mythical beasts had various mystical applications.

    For instance, consuming Dragon Blood could cleanse the meridians and marrow, transforming even a cripple with destroyed meridians and Dantian into a master. Phoenix Blood granted an undying body and the miraculous ability to regenerate flesh and bones like that of Martial Arts Practitioners. White Tiger Blood significantly increased strength and vigor, allowing one to break human limitations. Qilin Blood could advance one''s cultivation.

    However, these mythical beasts'' blood and demon pills had severe side effects. Consuming them was extremely dangerous and could be life-threatening with the slightest mishap. Moreover, the body often developed beast-like characteristics¡ªuncontroble rage, brutality, insatiable lust, or drastic personality changes. In the long run, such external enhancements were detrimental to one''s cultivation.

    The horns growing from the Ghost King¡¯s head were a side effect.

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    Qi Xuansu had no time to ponder how his whereabouts had been exposed. He raised Flying Shadow and pointed it directly at the Ghost King.

    The Ghost King moved in a sh. His palm suddenly filled Qi Xuansu¡¯s entire field of vision as a gale struck Qi Xuansu, making it hard to breathe.

    The key to this strike was not the power of the palm strike itself, but its ability to capture the opponent¡¯s mind. If the opponent was caught in the moment, a direct hit to the face would result in death or serious injury.

    Qi Xuansu was unfazed by the palm¡¯s hypnotic effect. He shed the horizontal de, unleashing a long arc of sword energy that shed down toward the Ghost King.

    The Ghost King stood motionless with his feet nted firmly. His spine twisted like a dragon. A series of explosive cracks resounded in session from his spinal column, chest, shoulders, elbows, and wrists to his fingers, as he pushed his palm forward.

    The air in front of him began to ripple, causing the Flying Shadow to halt abruptly, diminishing its unstoppable momentum.

    Qi Xuansu, seemingly prepared for this, flicked his wrist, thrusting the de forward again.

    The Ghost King threw another punch.

    What appeared to be a simple and straightforward punch transformed into twelve variations in an instant, apanied by a deafening roar. The ground and walls around them showed varying degrees of cracking. If any living being happened to be within the range of this punch, they would instantly be pulverized into a blood mist.

    As soon as the de and fist collided, both drifted back.

    When they stopped moving, they seemed calm andposed. However, Qi Xuansu¡¯s right hand, which gripped the de, trembled slightly. The Ghost King was notpletely unscathed either, having sustained a deep cut in his hand that he held behind his back. It was bleeding profusely.

    The next moment, the Ghost King struck again. One punch instantly turned into over a hundred, filling Qi Xuansu¡¯s field of vision with oveppingyers of fist shadows.

    Qi Xuansu fully unleashed Flying Shadow, using the Dayan Spirit de Technique, creatingyers uponyers of sword light that glowed.

    For a while, the air was filled with fist shadows and sword light, apanied by a dense series of metallic shing sounds.

    Their exchange gradually slowed from the initial rapid pace. Suddenly, Qi Xuansu halted unexpectedly before darting forward at lightning speed, causing the ground beneath him to shatter into fragments.

    The Ghost King frowned slightly but remained motionless. As Qi Xuansu¡¯s de swept across horizontally, the Ghost King kept one hand behind his back while his left sleeve swirled lightly. A thunderous sound and a cascade of sparks ensued when his sleeve collided violently with the Flying Shadow.

    Qi Xuansu kicked the Ghost King in the chest, but thetter grabbed his ankle, spun him around, and hurled him out. He flew toward a wall like a rockunched from a catapult. While he was in midair, he forcibly twisted his body,nding feet-first on the wall with slightly bent knees to absorb the impact. This left a web of cracks on the wall before he rebounded back even faster.

    The exchange happened within a single breath.

    The Ghost Kingnded a punch on Qi Xuansu¡¯s forehead, while Qi Xuansu struck the Ghost King¡¯s face with the t side of Flying Shadow. Both exerted force simultaneously, causing Qi Xuansu to bend backward and drift back,nding against the wall with his knees bent once again.

    Qi Xuansu swiftly ran along the wall, leaving behind a trail of footprints.

    The Ghost King¡¯s face was entirely swollen and red, yet he remained expressionless as he slowly rolled up his sleeves. His arms bulged with veins resembling miniature dragons, densely packed and intimidating. Under his skin, glowing acupoints flickered faintly, revealing shes of his spirit, with strands of blood qi flowing through.

    Qi Xuansu dashed along the wall for several meters beforeunching himself like a bolt of lightning. The Flying Shadow in his hand emitted a crescent-shaped sword qi, crashing toward the Ghost King like a tidal wave.

    The Ghost King wed out with his five fingers, attempting to crush the sword qi directly. However, he underestimated the burst of innate qi hidden within and had to withdraw immediately upon contact.

    Instead, he chopped down with his hand, slicing downward through the air.

    With a thunderous crash, Qi Xuansu staggered back.

    The Ghost King¡¯s face, forehead, and neck all bulged with veins that resembled miniature dragons. His body emitted continuous cracking sounds like a chain of firecrackers.

    The next moment, the Ghost King stomped on the ground with tremendous force, creating a massive crater. Using the recoil, he leaped forward and aimed a punch at Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu narrowly passed by him, but the punch sent him flying back. In return, he managed to sh the Ghost King¡¯s chest and abdomen with his de, leaving a wound that was over 30 centimeters long.

    The Ghost Kingnded and took a deep breath, his entire body emitted a cacophony of popping sounds as his muscles flexed. He then smashed his fists together, sounding like the deep toll of a death knell.

    With the Ghost King as its center point, visible waves of blood qi spread outward. He bent his knees slightly and lunged forward. When he was still 10 meters away from Qi Xuansu, he unleashed a double punch.

    Qi Xuansu gripped the hilt of Flying Shadow with his right hand while his left hand braced the tip of the de, pushing the horizontal de forward.

    The two collided head-on without a flourish¡ªan upromising sh of raw power.

 Chapter 412: Dungeon

    <h4>Chapter 412: Dungeon</h4>

    In an instant, the tiles on the roof ttered noisily. Dust and debris rained down from the eaves as a fierce wind swept through.

    The sound of fabric tearing echoed in the night, followed by a muffled groan from the Ghost King.

    The Ghost King¡¯s clothing had been utterly shredded at the chest, revealing a nted wound about 70 centimeters long that was dripping with blood and deep enough to expose some bone.

    A dark gloom filled the Ghost King¡¯s eyes. It was not because his cultivation was inferior to his opponent¡¯s, but because his opponent¡¯s de was too sharp. Aside from his arms that were fortified with condensed blood qi, his body was unable to withstand it. Moreover, his opponent¡¯s de technique was unpredictable and difficult to defend against; a single misstep would allow his opponent to exploit his weakness.

    Qi Xuansu showed no mercy as he lunged forward, his de shing downward.

    The Ghost King crossed his arms, which were reinforced with his condensed blood qi, to block the strike.

    However, the sessive full-force shes and stomps of these two Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioners caused the ground beneath the Ghost King¡¯s feet to finally give way, rumbling as arge pit formed into which he sank.

    Qi Xuansu hesitated slightly before following the Ghost King into the pit.

    There, he discovered an entirely different world below.

    It was a dungeon. No wonder the carriages had stopped above, yet the women from the carriages were nowhere to be seen.

    The dungeon was narrow and long, the corridors nked by numerous small cells. Each cell could only fit a bed, a table, and a stool. The beds were adorned with ornate canopies and embroidered curtains, luxuriously decorated. However, every woman who was either sitting or standing in each cell looked listless.

    One of the rooms in the circr area at the deepest part of the dungeon held a special guest. Bai Xiaojin was huddled on a bed that was covered with embroidered bedding; her body had gone stiff.

    This day had been utterly miserable for her, as she had never before endured such humiliation. At first, she cried silently, but her tears soon ran dry, leaving her in a daze. All she could do was pray for this nightmare to end.

    In the past, Bai Xiaojin had relied on the power and influence of her mother, Bai Yingqiong. To her, Jinling Prefecture was like her personal garden. Whenever she went out, she only brought a few attendants whose cultivation levels were not particrly high, primarily to deal with those who did not recognize who she was.

    The notable figures of Jinling Prefecture, whether it was the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master or the Governor, knew her. Even if they had grievances with Bai Yingqiong, they would not trouble her daughter.

    Earlier that morning, Bai Xiaojin had taken a carriage out of the city and passed by the old Imperial Academy. The area was not densely popted with residences or workshops and was somewhat deste. As the carriage reached the crossroad, an elderly man suddenly blocked the way, killed her attendants, and swiftly abducted her into another prearranged carriage draped with curtains on all sides, leaving the intersection quickly.

    When she was inside the carriage, someone blindfolded her. The old man told her that as long as she behaved, she would be taken to see Bai Yingqiong.

    Hearing this, Bai Xiaojin¡¯s heart sank to the pit of her stomach. If these people knew that her mother was Bai Yingqiong and still dared to abduct her, they were clearly no ordinary thugs. They might even be figures of considerable standing within the Daoist Order.

    The carriage bumped along for what felt like a long time, seemingly traveling over dirt roads before stopping. She was taken to a location and kept there for a while before being loaded onto another carriage.

    Bai Xiaojin only noticed the carriage making countless turns, leaving her disoriented. At first, she tried to keep track of the turns, but she eventually gave up.

    When she finally got off the carriage again, she was led downward. Once the blindfold was removed, Bai Xiaojin realized she was being held in a dungeon. Most of those imprisoned here were women, with only a few delicate-looking men among them.

    While she was lost in thought, a tremendous noise suddenly erupted outside. The ground rumbled as if there were an earthquake.

    She quickly looked up and saw a tall figure with horns sprouting from his head¡ªa terrifying sight.

    The Ghost King scanned the dungeon, barely sparing a nce at the listless women. However, his gaze lingered briefly on Bai Xiaojin.

    Shortly after, Qi Xuansu also entered with Flying Shadow in hand, walking unhurriedly as if he were taking a stroll in a garden.

    With nowhere to retreat, the Ghost King reached out, smashed open a cell door, pulled a woman into his grasp, and hurled her toward Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu frowned slightly but did not dare catch the woman. He twisted his body and dodged the woman flying toward him.

    Boom!

    The woman¡¯s body exploded mid-air, turning into a blood mist that rained down and created numerous dimples on the ground.

    This was because the Ghost King had forcibly infused his blood qi into the woman¡¯s body. If Qi Xuansu had reached out to catch her, he would have been injured by the blood qi. At best, he would suffer internal injuries; at worst, his body would also explode like the woman before him.

    This was where experience in the real world came into y. An inexperienced man would have instinctively reached out to catch the woman. Even with a cultivation level equal to the Ghost King¡¯s, they would have likely suffered a severe loss.

    However, Qi Xuansu was different. Though still young, he was well-versed in these underhanded tricks and dodged the woman. Had Qi Xuansu shown even a shred of miscedpassion, he would have already been injured by the Ghost King.

    Seeing this, the Ghost King¡¯s expression grew darker. However, his n was not entirely in vain. While Qi Xuansu was dodging the woman, the Ghost King had already moved to the deepest part of the dungeon and seized Bai Xiaojin.

    The Ghost King grabbed Bai Xiaojin¡¯s neck, needing only a slight squeeze to crush her throat.

    He bellowed, ¡°If you don¡¯t want her to die, don¡¯t make any rash moves!¡±

    The Ghost King had clearly mistaken Qi Xuansu for Bai Yingqiong¡¯s subordinate, assuming that Qi Xuansu was there to rescue Bai Xiaojin.

    Qi Xuansu, however, did not recognize Bai Xiaojin. He was not even aware of her abduction, so his first thought was, <i>He expects me to back off by grabbing a random woman? Hah! Does he take me for a saint? I certainly don¡¯t care if some random woman died because of me. Moreover, the Ghost King is the one doing the killing, so why should I be med for not intervening? How absurd!</i>

    Perhaps due to humanity¡¯s tendency to bully the weak and fear the strong, people were always harsher on ¡°good¡± individuals and lenient toward evildoers. After all, evildoers would actuallye after them. Due to this, Qi Xuansu never aimed to be a ¡°good person¡± in the conventional sense.

    Qi Xuansu was unmoved as he continued forward with his de.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    This turn of events ced the Ghost King in an awkward position. If he were to kill Bai Xiaojin now, he would certainly face troubleter. Bai Yingqiong would undoubtedly demand an exnation from his superiors, and he would be discarded as a scapegoat without hesitation.

    Fortunately, Bai Xiaojin spoke up at this moment, unable to hide her panic. ¡°Don¡¯t kill me! Don¡¯t kill me! My mother is Bai Yingqiong. She¡¯ll give you whatever you want as long as you bring me to her!¡±

    Qi Xuansu paused in his steps.

    Bai Yingqiong was Zhang Yuelu¡¯s senior sister¡ªthat much he knew.

    Zhang Yuelu had also mentioned visiting Bai Yingqiong.

    How did Bai Yingqiong¡¯s daughter get taken hostage here?

    In an instant, Qi Xuansu realized one thing¡ªthe Heavenly Court must have begun targeting the investigation team.

    Even Qi Xuansu knew that abducting family members was breaking the unspoken rules, which would inevitably lead to unforeseen consequences.

    Noticing Qi Xuansu¡¯s hesitance, the Ghost King breathed a sigh of relief. He weighed his options and realized his opponent was truly formidable. In a life-or-death battle, the Ghost King was not confident of victory and decided it would be better to wait for reinforcements before dealing with Qi Xuansu.

    Just as the Ghost King finished calcting his next move, a sh of fire appeared before he could react. A sharp, searing pain shot through his chest.

    Qi Xuansu had pulled out his Divine Dragon Pistol. Taking advantage of the Ghost King¡¯s fleeting distraction, he quickly fired a Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullet, sting a hole straight through the Ghost King¡¯s chest.

    Qi Xuansu could risk his life for Zhang Yuelu because he liked her, and she liked him back. Their bond was one of shared life-and-death experiences. That did not mean Qi Xuansu would go all out to save just any woman.

    After all, he was not so sentimental. His cultivation level was only on par with the Ghost King¡¯s. Without absolute confidence in victory, he could not afford to split his attention to save someone else.

    So after a brief hesitation, Qi Xuansu simply fired the gun.

    On the contrary, the Ghost King thought Qi Xuansu was intimidated by Bai Xiaojin¡¯s identity, so he lowered his guard, giving Qi Xuansu the opportunity to strike.

    Almost simultaneously, Qi Xuansu dropped the gun, waved his hand, and aimed two Bliss Needles into the Ghost King¡¯s eyes.

    The Ghost King¡¯s vision immediately went ck. Crying out in pain, he reflexively released Bai Xiaojin from his grasp.

 Chapter 413: Bai Xiaojin

    <h4>Chapter 413: Bai Xiaojin</h4>

    The Ghost King panicked when he was struck by the Dragon Eye Bullet.

    Qi Xuansu would never miss this golden opportunity, so he leaped forward and stabbed the Ghost King in the lower abdomen.

    If they were topete in a head-on fight, Qi Xuansu had at most a 60% chance of winning. However, this battle of life and death was different from that of a fightingpetition. Cultivation was not the only thing that mattered in the real world; timing, location, skills, strategy, and external objects were just as important.

    Thus, in a fight to the death, every effort had to be made. Cultivation was important, but one should not becent by blindly relying on it.

    At this time, the Ghost King was blinded by the Bliss Needles. He was also in a befuddled state, so he no longer held back and struck out randomly. Under the powerful force of his blood qi and fist intention, many women in the cells nearby became coteral damage.

    Qi Xuansu let go of Flying Shadow, avoiding its sharp edge.

    Then the Ghost King jumped with all his might, wanting to break through the ceiling of the dungeon to get aboveground.

    However, Qi Xuansu would not let Ghost King escape. He blocked the Ghost King¡¯s path and struck thetter head-on with a Mountain Fist from the Tantai Fist Intention, exerting the oppressive power of five mountains on his opponent.

    At the moment, the Ghost King was like a headless fly, so he could not avoid the strike and staggered backward. His ears, mouth, nose, eyes, and all his orifices spurted with bright red blood, and his bones creaked.

    However, the Ghost King was a Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner, so this strike did not kill him. Instead, it invigorated him. He let out a deafening roar and punched Qi Xuansu with his intuition.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu used the Sea Fist, drawing a circle in front of him to deflect the force. He then switched to the Dragon Fist, his sleeves moving like a dragon¡¯s tail.

    When the Ghost King was struck by Qi Xuansu¡¯s sleeves, his entire face was almost torn off, leaving a gory mass that was extremely horrifying.

    However, at this time, the Ghost King no longer had any sensation of pain. He disregarded his injuries and tried his best to punch Qi Xuansu in a desperate attempt to drag his opponent down to hell with him.

    That was when Qi Xuansu used his magical power to manifest the Ghosthead Machete.

    This Ghosthead Machete was formless until one believed that it could bring them harm.

    Normally, this Ghosthead Machete would not be able to kill the Ghost King due to the Martial Arts Practitioner¡¯s blood qi. However, at this time, the Ghost King had been seriously injured, so his blood qi was severely depleted.

    The rtionship between blood qi and magical power was like water and fire. Water could ovee fire, but if the water was only a trickle and the fire was big enough, fire could also ovee water.

    Moreover, the Ghost King was in a state of confusion from the Bliss Needle. After feeling the aura of the Ghosthead Machete approaching, the Ghost King showed a look of fear. He had clearly fallen into the trap of believing the machete was real.

    In an instant, the Ghosthead Machete became tangible. The Ghost King only felt a tearing pain from his waist. At the same time, a thin line of blood appeared.

    The machete sliced through the Ghost King, cutting the horned individual into two halves.

    After confirming that the Ghost King was dead, Qi Xuansu picked up Flying Shadow and his Divine Dragon Pistol and retrieved the Bliss Needles from the Ghost King¡¯s eyes. He reloaded his gun while looking at Bai Xiaojin. ¡°You mentioned your mother is the Chief Deputy Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master?¡±

    Bai Xiaojin came back to her senses and asked, ¡°Are you from the Daoist Order?¡±

    Qi Xuansu nodded.

    ¡°Quick, rescue me! My mother will surely thank you!¡± Bai Xiaojin immediately resumed her usual bossy attitude.

    Qi Xuansu could use this matter to form a good rtionship with Bai Yingqiong, but he did not like being told what to do, especially by a little girl. His expression turned gloomy as he told her off. ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Bai Xiaojin was utterly stunned. That was because no one dared to speak to her so rudely. Moreover, Qi Xuansu had just killed the Ghost King, so he looked extremely intimidating with his killing aura still at its peak.

    The Ghost King¡¯s body which was severed into two, was right in front of her, so she was frightened.

    Qi Xuansu said calmly, ¡°Since you are Sage Bai¡¯s daughter, you should have some cultivation, right? Follow meter, and I will clear the way for you.¡±

    ¡°Clear the way?¡± Bai Xiaojin was a little confused. She then raised her hands, revealing a pair of delicate shackles on her hands, which not only hindered her movement but also stagnated the flow of innate qi.

    Without another word, Qi Xuansu swung two des, cutting off the cuffs without hurting Bai Xiaojin¡¯s wrists. He took out two more Grade-B Series Two Phoenix Eye Bullets and sped them in his left palm before turning around and walking out.

    Bai Xiaojin stood there, dumbfounded. She moved her wrist and hurriedly followed him.

    The fierce fight between Qi Xuansu and the Ghost King had already alerted the guards in the area, so a group of them were now blocking the hole in the ceiling of the dungeon that they had crashed through earlier.

    Qi Xuansu came to the bottom of the hole and threw a Phoenix Eye Bullet upward.

    In an instant, there was a huge explosion, followed by intense mes and ck smoke.

    The Dragon Eye Series Ammunition was more useful in one-on-onebat, but the Phoenix Eye Series Ammunition was more useful in group battles.

    Qi Xuansu waited until the mes diminished slightly before jumping out of the hole and throwing out the second Phoenix Eye Bullet in his hand.

    Bai Xiaojin hid in the dungeon below, so she could not see what was going on aboveground. She could only hear the roar of the explosion, but silence soon returned.

    Then she heard Qi Xuansu¡¯s voiceing from above. ¡°Jump up.¡±

    Bai Xiaojin plucked up the courage and leaped up.

    When she was finally aboveground, she saw charred corpses all around her, some still burning with residual mes. There were still a few people who were not killed by the Phoenix Eye Bullet but were lying in a pool of blood, obviously having died under Qi Xuansu¡¯s de.

    Bai Xiaojin stared at Qi Xuansu again in horror.

    She had never seen so many dead people before, but this man remained unfazed after killing all these people.

    Qi Xuansu pulled off a sleeve from a rtively intact corpse and slowly wiped off the bloodstain on Flying Shadow. He then sheathed his de and turned to Bai Xiaojin. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Bai Xiaojin shuddered in fear, not daring to voice a hint of objection.

    At that moment, she was terrified that this man would kill her.

    If she died in this ce, this man could just me her death on the man with horns on his head. No one would know the truth.

    Thus, while Qi Xuansu walked in front, Bai Xiaojin followed obediently.

    Not far away, another group of people approached with torches in hand.

    Qi Xuansu did not waste any time, throwing out a Grade-B Series One Phoenix Eye Bullet.

    Compared with the Grade-B Series Two Phoenix Eye Bullet, the explosion range of the Grade-B Series One Phoenix Eye Bullet was muchrger.

    The fire illuminated the night, lighting Qi Xuansu¡¯s and Bai Xiaojin¡¯s faces. The huge explosion sounded like a thunderbolt from the blue, and the shockwaves made their robes flutter loudly. The group holding the torches was engulfed in a sea of fire, howling miserably as they were being burned alive.

    Qi Xuansu showed no remorse at all. After all, no innocent civilian would be able to set up a private dungeon and imprison women. They even dared to kidnap and imprison the daughter of a Daoist Sage.

    When the mes were extinguished, Qi Xuansu continued forward.

    This time, no one blocked his path.

    Qi Xuansu followed the same route he came from, leading Bai Xiaojin out of this ce. That was when they heard a loud siren. It seemed that the previous explosion had alerted the Green Phoenix Guard Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s Office, so it would not be long before the Green Phoenix Guards would surround this ce.

    This was also Qi Xuansu¡¯s intention. The Green Phoenix Guard would not be able to suppress such a big case, so they would certainly investigate thoroughly. As such, most of the surviving women in the dungeon could be saved. This was the extent ofpassion that he would show them.

    Before that, Qi Xuansu had to take Bai Xiaojin away. It was obvious that the people from the Heavenly Court had abducted Bai Xiaojin to force Bai Yingqiong to submit to them.

    This made Bai Xiaojin an important chess piece in their hands.

    He inadvertently rescued Bai Xiaojin, so if they did not escape from this ce soon, they could be intercepted by members of the Heavenly Court.

    Qi Xuansu also knew that the Heavenly Court would not have been so brazen as to act recklessly in Jinling Prefecture without a backer, so it meant that someone else was behind this.

    The current situation in Jinling Prefecture was tooplex, with multiple forces at y. For the time being, it seemed that no ce was truly safe except Zhenwu Temple.

    However, Qi Xuansu did not intend to send Bai Xiaojin back to Bai Yingqiong.

    Firstly, he had other errands to attend to. Secondly, he was a nobody, so the reward offered would not be significant. If a low-ranking priest helped Bai Yingqiong find her lost daughter, she could easily repay him with a small favor. However, if the Grand Master personally helped Bai Yingqiong find her daughter, then she could not just brush it off casually. She would have been indebted to the Grand Master for life. Otherwise, she would bebeled as ungrateful.

    Therefore, Qi Xuansu¡¯s n was to give this favor to someone with more weight, like Lei Xiaohuan, Pei Xiaolou, or Zhang Yuelu.

    In fact, the first two choices could be ssified as one.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    After some thought, Qi Xuansu decided to give this favor to Zhang Yuelu. After all, Zhang Yuelu would be in charge of the Cihang lineage in the future, so it would be easier to win over Bai Yingqiong with this debt of favor.

 Chapter 414: Church (I)

    <h4>Chapter 414: Church (I)</h4>

    Zhang Yuelu did not go out of the city alone. In fact, she had a personal bodyguard whom Sage Cihang had assigned to her¡ªthe second-rank Spirit Guard Xu.

    Previously, Spirit Guard Xu had returned to Jade Capital by flying ship. However, as the Golden Tower Council officially established a seven-member investigation team, Spirit Guard Xu came to Jinling Prefecture by flying ship with the other Daoist superintendents. His sole responsibility was Zhang Yuelu¡¯s safety.

    However, Spirit Guard Xu stayed hidden whenever Zhang Yuelu was in the bustling old city area. Not to mention, Zhang Yuelu was only one step away from a Heavenly Being and had a semi-immortal object, so she had the power to fight against another Heavenly Being if need be. Thus, Spirit Guard Xu only followed Zhang Yuelu when she decided to leave the city.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    As expected, nothing happened when they left the city.

    Against Zhang Yuelu and Spirit Guard Xu, it would take at least three Heavenly Beings to secure a victory. However, the fight between these five people would certainly alert anyone who was not blind or deaf. Not to mention, Lei Xiaohuan, Pei Xiaolou, and the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion were just within reach, so they would not turn a blind eye to such a fierce fight.

    If things were to escte, Sage Donghua and Sage Cihang would have had an excuse to intervene and make a big fuss about the matter. This was what the other party did not wish to see.

    However, on the way back to the city, they encountered an unexpected figure.

    It was purely a coincidence as Zhang Yuelu was walking past the Qinhuai River.

    This person was Marshal Wind.

    That day in Jiangling Prefecture, Marshal Thunder was in charge of silencing Yuan Chongzong and razing the Yuan Residence, while Marshal Wind was in charge of killing Yuan Shangdao and Yuan Fengchan outside the city.

    Therefore, Zhang Yuelu had not seen Marshal Thunder but had met Marshal Wind.

    At this time, Marshal Wind was drinking wine on an ornate boat, apanied by two scantily dressed beauties.

    Heavenly Beings were not saints. Even if they had a higher level of cultivation, they still had human desires and vices.

    The Wind and Thunder Marshals had quite the reputation for being inseparable. They were biological brothers who had no wives and children of their own, so they were exceptionally close.

    Just because they did not marry and have children did not mean that they did not like women. Although Marshal Wind was old, he was lustful, ruining countless innocent women. In Nanyang, he kept multiple mistresses, changing women like he would outfits.

    This time, he certainly could not remain abstinent with the world-renowned Ten Miles of Qinhuai situated in Jinling Prefecture. Thus, he spent a considerable sum to rent out an ornate boat. That was how Zhang Yuelu spotted him while he was immersed in debauchery.

    Heavenly Beings were not ves or warriors trained since childhood, nor were they Spirit Guards whose cultivation was controlled by the authorities. They were powerful people equivalent to the Sages of the Daoist Order.

    In secret societies, they were considered high-ranking individuals who could obey orders withoutpromising on theirfort. As one of the leaders in Heavenly Court, Marshal Wind did not have to abide by rules that were meant for the minions. It was good enough that he did not deceive his superiors or fill his own pockets. So they turned a blind eye to what he did in his leisure.

    This was like the various rules of a wealthy family. Only the servants and maids had to abide by them. How often would their masters follow mundane rules? The master only established rules to better control their subordinates.

    In fact, whether it was the Daoist Order or a secret society, they could not impose too much; all they asked was for these high-ranking individuals not to cause trouble.

    That was because Heavenly Beings were not ordinary people. When pushes to shove, they would rebel.

    The Daoist Order had many precedents, like a faction forming the Eight Tribes just because they were dissatisfied with the various decisions about the creation projects. The secret societies were not any better in this regard.

    After Zhang Yuelu spotted Marshal Wind, she quickly sent a message to Zhenwu Temple and leaped onto the ornate boat with Spirit Guard Xu, wanting to capture that Heavenly Court member.

    Marshal Wind was stunned to see two people attacking him out of the blue.

    Spirit Guard Xu was wearing a second-rank Spirit Guard Armor, so his identity was clear at a nce.

    Marshal Wind also recognized Zhang Yuelu. Although the youngdy was not yet a Heavenly Being, she was certainly close. Thus, she could stand a chance against him in a head-on fight.

    At this time, Marshal Wind knew that his chances of winning against these two formidable opponents were slim to none. Therefore, he did not linger and fled without hesitation.

    However, he dared not fly high in the sky. After all, this was Jinling Prefecture, one of the most important cities in the world. There were at least a dozen Heavenly Beings in this city, so if he were spotted by one of them, he would not have a chance to escape.

    Thus, he chose to stay close to the ground, using the bustling streets and countless buildings and alleyways as his cover.

    Marshal Wind leaped onto the shore in the blink of an eye and flew just a few centimeters off the ground.

    Zhang Yuelu was self-aware that she would not be able to catch up with Marshal Wind, so she ordered, ¡°Spirit Guard Xu, leave me here and chase after him. Don¡¯t let him escape!¡±

    Spirit Guard Xu did not hesitate and pursued Marshal Wind.

    Zhang Yuelu could only follow them from a distance, using the spiritual pendant as a guide.

    This spiritual pendant was simr to a jade pendant, but it was used to determine one¡¯s position. It came in a pair, simr to the mother-child talisman.

    Since Spirit Guard Xu was responsible for Zhang Yuelu¡¯s safety, he had to know her whereabouts at all times to protect her. Therefore, they each carried a spiritual pendant, allowing them to determine each other¡¯s position.

    However, such things were still rtively rare. Otherwise, Zhang Yuelu would have wanted to give one to Qi Xuansu.

    They chased Marshal Wind to the outer city, passing through the Shence Gate and arriving near the Shangyuan Gate.

    Jinling Prefecture had a poption of nearly two million people, making it thergest and most populous town in the entire Jiangnan region. It was also a trade hub, so there were many businessmen, missionaries, and explorers from foreignnds, most of whom lived near the Shangyuan Gate.

    When Zhang Yuelu arrived, she saw Spirit Guard Xu standing outside a church, hesitating.

    The function of this church was simr to a Daoist temple. It was a ce where Western Holy Court believers worshipped their God.

    The architectural style of this church was different from typical buildings in the Central ins.

    This church had a towering spire, an arched dome, and stained ss window panels, which seemed to form intricate pictures. In front of the main building of the church was a wide square with white stone pavement and a fountain in the middle. Two human-looking statues with a high nose, deep-set eyes, and a pair of wings, were ced on the left and right sides of the fountain.

    The whole church was filled with a faint golden light, like ayer of light mist.

    At this time, many blond-haired and blue-eyed believers were entering and exiting the church. There were barely any Central ins people.

    Zhang Yuelu could not help but frown.

    On the surface, the Daoist Order and the Holy Court maintained a rtively peaceful rtionship. The Daoist Order allowed the Holy Court to set up churches in several important cities. However, the Daoist Order did not allow the Holy Court to preach their beliefs to the civilians. These churches were only meant for visitors from the West, so almost everyone who gathered here was Colored-Eyed.

    In exchange, the Holy Court also allowed the Daoist Order to set up Daoist temples on their territory, invoking the same rules. In fact, the Holy Court was strict about guarding against other religions setting up ces of worship on their territories.

    The reason the Daoist Order was exempted was due to their power and theirck of interest in preaching. The Daoists generally had an unbothered attitude about getting people to convert.

    In this regard, Daoists could notpare to Buddhists and Confucians. Needless to say, Buddhism was not native to the Central ins and waster introduced, but the number of believers has grown considerably since. Confucians also liked to educate ¡°barbarians¡± on etiquette and cultural values, inspiring people to be virtuous.

    The church was a sensitive location. If not necessary, Daoists would not enter rashly to avoid any disputes.

    At this time, many Colored-Eye believers stared at Spirit Guard Xu, who was decked in full armor, with horrified expressions.

    Spirit Guard Xu reported, ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang, that man has entered the church.¡±

    ¡°The Holy Court is also involved, huh?¡± Zhang Yuelu took a deep breath and strode forward.

    A chief bishop in white robes took the initiative to greet them, speaking in fluent Mandarin with a slight Jinling ent. ¡°This is the Holy Church. Unless you are a believer, you are not allowed to enter without permission.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu took out her license and said, ¡°I am a fourth-rank Daoist priest, Deputy Hall Master of the Daoist Tiangang Hall. Please ry a message to your archbishop that I would like to meet him.¡±

    The chief bishop¡¯s expression changed slightly.

    Comparing the positions in the Holy Court and Daoist Order, the chief bishop was equivalent to a fifth-rank Daoist priest, and the archbishop was equivalent to a fourth-rank Daoist priest. Thus, Zhang Yuelu¡¯s request was reasonable and irrefutable.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 415: Church (II)

    <h4>Chapter 415: Church (II)</h4>

    In fact, based on Zhang Yuelu¡¯s identity, she was also qualified to meet with the metropolitan. After all, she was the sessor of Sage Cihang. However, her identity as the Junior Tiangang Hall Master was only known within the Daoistmunity; the Holy Court might not be aware of it. Zhang Yuelu also had no intention of exining herself, so she only asked to see the archbishop.

    The chief bishop had been residing in the Central ins for a long time and often dealt with people from the Daoist Order. Thus, he was well aware of the weight of a fourth-rank Daoist priest and a Deputy Hall Master. Left with no choice, the chief bishop went inside to report Zhang Yuelu¡¯s arrival.

    To her surprise, a cardinal deacon came out to greet her.

    <i>Although the Great Xuan Dynasty no longer had the dual-capital system, Jinling Prefecture, as one of the most prosperous ces in the world, was unofficially considered a secondary capital. It was also the center of the Jiangnan region. </i>

    <i>Therefore, the Holy Court attached great importance to Jinling Prefecture, deploying two metropolitans to lead the many churches in the city. Each church had an archbishop and a chief bishop, and above them was a cardinal deacon tomand the overall situation.</i>

    <i>This cardinal deacon was notparable to the deacons of the Daoist Halls. Instead, the Holy Court¡¯s cardinal deacon was equivalent to a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master. </i>

    <i>Naturally, the cardinal deacon¡¯s duties were not as simple as managing church believers. He was mainly responsible for trade and business transactions between the continents.</i>

    <i>Thest time when the Earthly Preceptor handed over the position of the Great Sage Lunzhi to the Imperial Preceptor, Sage Cihang did not attend the important Golden Tower Council meeting because she was dealing with a trade dispute between the Holy Court and the Daoist Order. That meant negotiations with the cardinal deacon.</i>

    <i>However, Sage Cihang was an Omniscient Sage, who was still one level higher than a cardinal deacon. She should not have been left in charge of such negotiations, as that was typically the jurisdiction of the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion.</i>

    Zhang Yuelu did not expect that the cardinal deacon of the Holy Court would be here, instantly realizing that the situation was getting out of her control.

    This cardinal deacon was wearing a pure white robe with gold trim and a soft hat on his head. A golden key hung from his waist, and a holy emblem hung over his chest. He looked quite young with dazzling blond hair. But his actual age should be around 50 years old.

    Zhang Yuelu could clearly feel the faint oppressive aura the man was emanating. She was unsure what the cultivation levels of the Holy Court were, but if she were to roughly judge him by the Daoist standards, he was undoubtedly a Heavenly Being.

    Her mind spun rapidly about how she should approach this cardinal deacon of the Holy Court, whose rank and cultivation level were far above hers.

    That was when a gutturalugh interrupted her thoughts.

    A man in a lotus crown and the formal attire of a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master, with a Sword of Wisdom pendant and a bamboo staff, descended from the sky.

    This man was Pei Xiaolou.

    Seeing him, Zhang Yuelu breathed a sigh of relief.

    Fortunately, she had already messaged Zhenwu Temple before confronting Marshal Wind and had left marks along the way, allowing Pei Xiaolou to arrive in time at the critical moment.

    This cardinal deacon had also been in Jinling Prefecture for many years and had dealt with many high-ranking people in the Daoist Order. Thus, he knew from Pei Xiaolou¡¯s attire that thetter was a Daoist Sage and took the initiative to greet him.

    The two men saluted each other and exchanged names.

    Having lived in the Central ins for a long time, the cardinal deacon had adopted a Central ins name, calling himself Shi Luosi.

    This was the first time Shi Luosi had met Pei Xiaolou. But the cardinal deacon was aware of the current situation in Jinling Prefecture, that the Daoist Golden Tower Council had dispatched an investigation team to Jinling. Thus, as soon as he heard Pei Xiaolou¡¯s name, he already knew thetter¡¯s identity. His attitude became much more solemn.

    Pei Xiaolou said, ¡°I have just received the news that a cult demon has snuck into your church. Cardinal Deacon, I hope that you will allow us entry and work with us to investigate thoroughly.¡±

    Shi Luosi replied calmly, ¡°I only saw my believers worshiping in the church. I didn¡¯t see any demons.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you were mistaken. It would be better to check it out to put everyone at ease.¡±

    ¡°Sage, are you nning to barge into the church without permission?¡± Shi Luosi raised his eyebrows.

    It was not difficult for Pei Xiaolou to mobilize people to break into the church, as Shi Luosi alone could not stop him. However, Pei Xiaolou could not bear the serious consequences.

    When the Daoist Order and the Holy Court established Daoist temples and churches for each other, they established a rule that these ces of worship would operate under thews of their mothend, not in their borrowed territory.

    Thus, although this church was located on the Central ins, it was considered the Holy Court¡¯s territory. As such, people from the Daoist Order were not allowed to enter without permission.

    In the same way, the Daoist temples located in the Western Continent were considered the Daoist Order¡¯s territory, and people from the Holy Court were not allowed to enter without permission.

    This was a red line.

    If Pei Xiaolou entered this church without the permission of the Holy Court, it would be regarded as an act of provocation. The senior officials of the Holy Court would inevitably put pressure on the Daoist Order, enough to rm the Grand Master, or in this case, the Great Sage Lunzhi. By then, even Sage Donghua would not be able to protect Pei Xiaolou.

    Of course, Pei Xiaolou understood the implication and would not give others the leverage to use this against him. He waved his hand and chuckled. ¡°Cardinal Deacon, you¡¯re blowing things out of proportion. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here discussing it with you now.¡±

    ¡°Since it is a discussion, I shall express my stance.¡± Shi Luosi said coldly, ¡°My apologies, but I will not allow you entry.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Pei Xiaolou asked again.

    Shi Luosi kept silent.

    Pei Xiaolou nodded and changed the subject. ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang, what is the identity of this cult demon?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu immediately replied, ¡°The cult demon in question is Marshal Wind of the Heavenly Court, who is one of the murder suspects involved in the Yuan family¡¯s massacre in Jiangling Prefecture.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou asked again. ¡°Spirit Guard Xu, did you see this cult demon escape into the church with your own eyes?¡±

    Spirit Guard Xu gave a brief nod. ¡°Yes, Sage. I witnessed the cult demon fleeing into this church.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou remarked, ¡°Very well. Since the cardinal deacon is unwilling to amodate us, I have no choice but to report this matter to the Golden Tower Council.¡±

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    While they were talking, Lei Xiaohuan finally arrived with an entourage of Spirit Guards.

    Lei Xiaohuan ordered, ¡°Surround this ce. Don¡¯t let anyone leave.¡±

    The Spirit Guards obliged. They did not enter the boundaries of the church but surrounded it.

    Shi Luosi¡¯s expression changed. ¡°What are you all doing?!¡±

    Pei Xiaolou smirked. ¡°We didn¡¯t break into the church without permission. We are merely enforcing martialw in this area to arrest a cult demon, so I hope you understand, Cardinal Deacon. The Holy Court can¡¯t possibly object to us imposing martialw on our own territory, can they?¡±

    Lei Xiaohuan strode forward, so Pei Xiaolou stepped aside. The Omniscient Sage said, ¡°I have notified the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion to activate a formation to prohibit all teleportation spells.¡±

    The Daoist Order had formations in major towns connecting with the earth¡¯s energy, mainly used for various teleportation and movement spells.

    When such formations were activated, the Yin-Yang Gate could not be opened, Earth Escape Methods could not be used, and even the rapid post talisman and the mother-child talisman would be affected to a certain extent.

    This was a measure designed for wartime to cut offmunications. However, it could not defend against artillery, nor could it prohibit the flow of people.

    The only way to stop an invading army was to rely on the city wall.

    The Daoist Order could technically design a formation to withstand artillery, but the resources needed for a city of this size were too great. Aside from Jade Capital, no city on the Central ins could support the huge consumption of such formations.

    The formations at Yunjin Mountain, Peni Ind, and Difei Mountain also had defense mechanisms, but they were considered smallpared to big cities like Jinling Prefecture, so their consumption of resources was also much less. Even the Imperial Capital could only maintain such aprehensive defensive formation in one portion of the Imperial City and could not cover the entire city.

    The formation of Jinling Prefecture was divided into many small squares, just like a chessboard. Lei Xiaohuan only activated the formation in this area, so it would not affect other ces. That was why she could respond so quickly without needing to go through bureaucratic procedures.

    Due to the sensitive position of the church, they were not allowed to build private tunnels because it would lead to disputes over the division of territory. Therefore, the Daoist Order would conduct regr inspections around the church to prevent tunnels from being constructed.

    Thus, it was certain that Marshal Wind was trapped in the church, with nowhere to escape.

    Pei Xiaolou said with a smile, ¡°I have heard that the Holy Court believed in Three Virtues. Simrly, our Primordial Daoist Ancestor had also preached his own set of Three Virtuespassion, frugality, and humility. Cardinal Deacon, I hope that you will practice humility in certain things.¡±

    Shi Luosi stared down Pei Xiaolou but kept silent.

    Zhang Yuelu whispered, ¡°Spirit Guard Xu, please stand guard here, and don¡¯t let Marshal Wind escape.¡±

    Spirit Guard Xu epted the order.

 Chapter 416: Enemies Fated to Meet Again

    <h4>Chapter 416: Enemies Fated to Meet Again</h4>

    There were four levels of local Daoist institutions: county temples, prefectural temples, state pces, and Daoist pces.

    Generally, Daoist temples were at the county level, like the Bishan Temple and Qingbai Temple that Qi Xuansu once visited. Depending on the location and importance of the Daoist temple, the abbot¡¯s rank ranged from seventh to fourth, their level equivalent to deacons.

    The Zhenwu Temple was thergest Daoist temple in Jinling Prefecture. It was considered a prefectural temple, manned by superintendents ranging from the fifth to the third rank.

    The Taiping Pce of the Luzhou Daoist Mansion, the Summer Pce of the Zhongzhou Daoist Mansion, and the Daxue Mountain Pce of the Western Region Daoist Mansion were among the 20 state pces. These state pces were governed by Pce Masters and Deputies who were Sages.

    There were only a handful of the Daoist Pces, including the Qingling Pce and Zhenjing Courtyard of the Taiping Sect, the Dazhen Mansion and Shangqing Pce of the Zhengyi Sect, the Chongyang Pce of Immortality and Wuxu Pce of the Quanzhen Sect, as well as Zixiao Pce and Wanxiang Daoist Pce. These were led by the Grand Master, three Deputy Grand Masters, Virtuous Great Sages, and Omniscient Sages.

    Simrly, the churches of the Holy Court were also divided into four levels that corresponded to the Daoist institutions, namely chapels, churches, cathedrals, and basilicas.

    The church near Shangyuan Gate was called St. Mary¡¯s Church, which was rtively low-level. However, just as a prefectural temple like Zhenwu Temple had gathered many high-ranking Daoist priests recently, St. Mary¡¯s Church also had a cardinal deacon and two metropolitans at the moment.

    The confrontation between the two sides caused a bigmotion. The Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master, who was an Omniscient Sage, came forward to meet Lei Xiaohuan in person because Lei Xiaohuan represented the Golden Tower Council and was considered an equal.

    However, it was unknown what exactly was discussed between the two Sages. Judging from the follow-up, the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion clearly acquiesced in the use of martialw in the Shangyuan Gate area.

    The incident in the church happened during the day, attracting the attention of both parties.

    This gave Qi Xuansu the opportunity to rescue Bai Xiaojin by mistake. Qi Xuansu spent the whole day exploring the slums, so he knew nothing about the conflict at the church. He was also unaware of the Holy Court¡¯s involvement. So naturally, he did not know that Lei Xiaohuan, Pei Xiaolou, and Zhang Yuelu were all tied up at St. Mary¡¯s Cathedral. As such, no one had time to pay attention to him.

    Qi Xuansu nned to take Bai Xiaojin to Taiping Inn and then notify Zhang Yuelu toe and pick her up. That way, Zhang Yuelu could deal with Bai Yingqiong, while he continued to investigate Ye Xiu and the Beggar Gang.

    After all, judging from what happened, the Heavenly Court had kidnapped Bai Xiaojin, and Ye Xiu had some kind of trade partnership with the Heavenly Court.

    What was still unclear was whether Ye Xiu knew about Bai Xiaojin¡¯s abduction or identity.

    If Ye Xiu knew of Bai Xiaojin¡¯s identity and helped hide her, then he was an aplice of the Heavenly Court. That way, both parties were on the same boat, and Qi Xuansu no longer needed to hold out hope of getting information from the Beggar Gang.

    If Ye Xiu was unaware of Bai Xiaojin¡¯s identity, thinking that she was an ordinary woman and inadvertently helped hide her, then he was not on the same boat as the Heavenly Court. If so, there was still some hope that he might be able to get some information from Ye Xiu.

    Just as Qi Xuansu was deep in thought, he felt a sudden change and immediately halted his footsteps. He then ced his hand on the hilt of Flying Shadow.

    Since Qi Xuansu stopped without warning, Bai Xiaojin, who was trailing behind Qi Xuansu, did not stop in time and bumped into Qi Xuansu¡¯s back. She felt as if she had struck a brick wall and could not help but cover her forehead. ¡°What the hell are you doing?! Can¡¯t you walk properly? Why can¡¯t you warn me when you want to stop?¡±

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Qi Xuansu did not speak or turn around. He still had his back to Bai Xiaojin as he slowly pulled out Flying Shadow.

    Bai Xiaojin was frightened, staggering back a few steps. She pleaded, ¡°Don¡¯t get mad! Let¡¯s talk nicely without weapons, alright? I¡¯m sorry for being rude¡ª¡±

    When Bai Xiaojin bumped into him, the man¡¯s broad back blocked her sight. But as soon as she stepped back, her field of vision widened instantly. She immediately spotted an old man standing not far from them, dressed in green clothes, clearly not ordinary.

    It was the Heavenly Court¡¯s Feng Bo, who happened to be one of Qi Xuansu''s enemies.

    As they say, enemies were bound to meet again.

    Coincidentally, they were in a deserted ce, with only a few empty warehouses with closed doors not far away.

    Qi Xuansu took a deep breath and held his de with both hands.

    When Feng Bo chased Qi Xuansust time, Qi Xuansu did not have a disguise. But at this moment, Qi Xuansu was wearing his white fox face mask, so Feng Bo failed to recognize who Qi Xuansu was.

    Feng Bo asked, ¡°Were you the one who killed the Ghost King? That¡¯s some skill you have.¡±

    Qi Xuansu remained humble. ¡°My skill is far inferior to yours, Feng Bo.¡±

    ¡°You recognize me?¡± Feng Bo was slightly surprised. But then he realized something. ¡°Are you Bai Yingqiong¡¯s subordinate?¡±

    This was the second time Qi Xuansu heard this. He was used to acting and associating himself with powerful figures, just as how he dared to use Sage Donghua¡¯s name to scare the Green Phoenix Guard even though he had never seen the Sage before.

    At this time, Qi Xuansu yed along. ¡°Sage Bai sent me here. You lot sure are brave to dare kidnap her daughter.¡±

    Feng Bo sneered, ¡°It looks like Bai Yingqiong just sent her people to scout around but didn¡¯t really know where we hid her daughter. Otherwise, she would¡¯vee in person. Kid, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re not my opponent.¡±

    Qi Xuansu said in a deep voice, ¡°Run.¡±

    Bai Xiaojin was stunned for a moment. After registering what the man said, she turned around and ran away. However, after running a few steps, she stopped and turned to Qi Xuansu. ¡°Be careful!¡±

    After that, Bai Xiaojin disappeared into the night without looking back.

    Feng Bo did not stop Bai Xiaojin from escaping, thinking that he could easily capture the little girl after dealing with this opponent.

    ¡°Young man, you¡¯re a skilled fighter. It¡¯s just a pity that you will die here today.¡± Feng Bo clicked his tongue. ¡°Do you have anyst words?¡±

    Before he finished his sentence, Feng Bo flew over,ing to Qi Xuansu in an instant and striking down with his palm.

    Qi Xuansu swung out his de. This top-grade spiritual object managed to break through the innate qi from Feng Bo¡¯s palm.

    Feng Bo blocked Flying Shadow and grabbed the de with five fingers.

    Seeing this, Qi Xuansu simply let go of Flying Shadow and pulled out Qing Yuan from his waist, shing it at Feng Bo¡¯s lower abdomen.

    Feng Bo threw aside Flying Shadow and blocked the short sword with his bare hands.

    If Feng Bo and Qi Xuansu were to bepared to animals, Feng Bo was a tiger, while Qi Xuansu was like a goat with no power to fight back then during their first confrontation. However, Qi Xuansu was now a wild wolf. Though still no match for a tiger, he was notpletely powerless to fight back. Their gap in skill was no longer worlds apart.

    A thin line of red appeared on Feng Bo¡¯s palm as Qing Yuan touched him.

    However, to Feng Bo, this small injury was like an ant bite.

    Qi Xuansu swept backward and threw out a Grade-A Series Nine Phoenix Eye Bomb.

    Feng Bo was stunned. He pushed his palms out, condensing his qi into a wall of air that was more than 3 meters tall, 6 meters wide, and 1 meter thick to shield his body.

    The Phoenix Eye Bomb exploded. The mes swept over like a rushing tide. However, upon contact with Feng Bo¡¯s air wall, it was as if this wave of mes had struck an embankment that remained motionless, splitting the overwhelming tide into smaller waves.

    Qi Xuansu used the cover of the mes to roll over, pick up Flying Shadow again, jump over the invisible wall of air, and strike at Feng Bo¡¯s head.

    Feng Bo sneered and unleashed a crescent-shaped green sword qi that was as tall as a man, which was about to split Qi Xuansu in half from the front.

    That day in Xijing Prefecture, Qi Xuansu had only grazed this sword qi and paid the price of losing an arm.

    As soon as the sword qi passed through, Qi Xuansu dissipated instantly, like the moon¡¯s reflection in disturbed water.

    He used the Rogue Cultivator¡¯s Cicada Molting Technique.

    Feng Bo was slightly surprised by this.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu¡¯s real body had appeared not far away. He put away Qing Yuan, pulled out the Divine Dragon Pistol, and fired a Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullet right between Feng Bo¡¯s eyebrows.

    Due to the intense force of the impact, Feng Bo¡¯s head suddenly tilted back. A cluster of blood tainted his forehead.

    However, Heavenly Beings were powerful. This Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullet failed to prate Feng Bo¡¯s skull, but it stained the old man¡¯s face with blood, which looked gory.

 Chapter 417: Chase and Escape

    <h4>Chapter 417: Chase and Escape</h4>

    Qi Xuansu could have used the Cicada Molting Technique to distract Feng Bo and escape from this ce. The reason he did not escape was not because he thought he could kill Feng Bo. It was to dy time, allowing Bai Xiaojin to escape further.

    He got what he wished for¡ªthis shot had sessfully diverted Feng Bo¡¯s attention and attracted the Heavenly Being¡¯s hatred.

    Thest time Feng Bo chased Qi Xuansu, the former did not hesitate to enter Xijing Prefecture to kill thetter under the nose of Wuxu Pce. This just showed how grudgeful this old man was.

    Feng Bo stretched out his hand and pressed the spot between his eyebrows where he was shot. He was infuriated, only thinking about how he would like to chop Qi Xuansu¡¯s body into thousands of pieces to vent his hatred. As a result, he no longer bothered to keep track of where Bai Xiaojin had escaped.

    Qi Xuansu was no fool, quickly throwing out another Grade-B Series One Phoenix Eye Bullet before running away.

    That was how he used up the Grade-B Series One and Grade-B Series Two Phoenix Eye Bullets he brought with him, leaving only thest Grade-A Series Nine Phoenix Eye Bomb.

    Qi Xuansu had the physique of a Martial Arts Practitioner and the innate qi of a Rogue Cultivator. Using these two to his advantage, he exerted innate qi at his feet to propel him forward so that he could be as fast as a galloping horse.

    Bai Xiaojin fled southward, while Qi Xuansu chose the northwest direction.

    Without hesitation, Feng Bo gave up on tracking Bai Xiaojin and chased after Qi Xuansu.

    Since Qi Xuansu was not a Heavenly Being, Feng Bo quickly caught up to him even though he had the advantage of starting first.

    Feng Bo did not waste any time, shing a crescent-shaped sword qi horizontally toward Qi Xuansu. But Qi Xuansu suddenly turned around and got into an alley, dodging the sword qi as if he had eyes on his back.

    When this sword qi swept across the walls on both sides of the alley, the originally 3-meter-tall wall was left with about 30 centimeters at the base. The cut was also smooth, as if the wall were made of butter.

    If Qi Xuansu did not dodge in time, he would have been severed from the knees.

    Qi Xuansu dared not look back, so he could only keep changing directions, sneaking in and out of various alleys.

    Feng Bo also did not want to stir up amotion, so he stopped using his sword qi, merely chasing after Qi Xuansu. He attempted several attacks, but Qi Xuansu was too elusive and managed to dodge them every time.

    Being the most prosperous ce in the world, Jinling Prefecture did not have a curfew. Although it waste at night, there were still a few pedestrians on the street. All they could see was a blur in front of their eyes, as if two figures had flown past them in the blink of an eye. The strong wind that ensued made the passersby close their eyes, while their clothes fluttered.

    It made people wonder if they had encountered ghosts while walking at night.

    However, Qi Xuansu did not just run away. When passing a small abandoned temple, he suddenly turned around and detonated thest Phoenix Eye Bomb he had left.

    This small abandoned temple was dedicated to the God of Earth. It did not have walls, and the doors opened onto a side street. It was blown to smithereens by the Phoenix Eye Bomb, burying Feng Bo in the rubble.

    However, these little tricks only hindered Feng Bo slightly. All it took were a few green sword qi to sweep away the ruins.

    When Feng Bo revealed himself, his green robe was slightly charred, with a small me at the hem.

    The Phoenix Eye Bomb could kill Desmond only because the vampire was already seriously injured and had mistakenly consumed Superior ck Blood. Thus, the bomb diminished all vitality after exploding inside the vampire¡¯s body.

    At this time, it was difficult to kill a Heavenly Being who was still at the height of his strength. Moreover, the Phoenix Eye Bomb had exploded outside Feng Bo''s body, not doing any damage to him.

    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Qi Xuansu ran with all his might and soon arrived at an old city wall.

    Logically speaking, Qi Xuansu should have run back to Zhenwu Temple, but Feng Bo also realized this and deliberately blocked that path. Left with no choice, Qi Xuansu faked panic and ran in another direction.

    The old city wall of Jinling Prefecture was nearly 30 meters high. Qi Xuansu jumped and unleashed a burst of innate qi from the soles of his feet, getting more than 10 meters high. He then stepped on the wall and leaped again, continuing this until he reached the top of the city wall.

    Qi Xuansu did not dare to stop, crossing the width of the city wall and jumping down to a river not far away. He held his breath and flowed along with the current.

    After about several kilometers, Qi Xuansu finally surfaced from the water under an arched bridge with moss on the bricks. Finally, he could no longer sense Feng Bo¡¯s presence.

    It was already dark at this hour, so there was not a single person in sight on or under the bridge. The surroundings were pitch ck. Only a few dots of lights could be seen in the distance, resembling stars.

    Qi Xuansu slowly climbed up to the shore and took a short rest. He used the cover of the night to walk along the river bank.

    The night breeze blew in his face, making him feel a little more at ease.

    After walking like this for several kilometers, both sides of the river were no longer pitch ck. At first, the lights were dim, but gradually they became denser and brighter than the stars. From time to time, he could hear music and the sound of men and womenughing.

    If his guess was correct, he was probably at the famous Qinhuai River that passed through the city.

    The Ten Miles of Qinhuai were not all situated in the old city. A portion of it was located in the outer city.

    Just as Qi Xuansu was hesitating whether to hide on one of the ornate boats, a figure descended from the sky andnded not far in front of Qi Xuansu.

    It was Feng Bo.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    After all, it waste at night, not broad daylight. With the cover of night, Feng Bo flew through the air briefly and caught up with Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu was utterly shocked, but he had no time to dwell on it and had to flee for his life.

    Feng Bo nced at the many ornate boats not far away. He did not dare to use his signature sword qi rashly, nor did he fly in the sky. Instead, he chased Qi Xuansu on foot.

    Soon, under Feng Bo¡¯s deliberate herding, Qi Xuansu could clearly see the walls of the outer city in the distance.

    Feng Bo hoped that Qi Xuansu would escape outside the city. That was because he was too restrained in the city for fear of rming the Daoist Order or the Imperial Court. However, once they were outside the city, he could finally let loose and beat up this kid as he pleased.

    Qi Xuansu climbed over the city wall again andnded outside the city.

    Seeing this, Feng Bo let out a longugh. He flew to the top of the city wall and stood there, looking at his prey from above.

    Qi Xuansu seemed oblivious to the predator stalking him as he kept running with his head down.

    Feng Bo smirked, looking sinister and ferocious because of the dried-up blood on his face.

    From where he was standing, Feng Bo casually unleashed a crescent-shaped sword qi.

    Qi Xuansu rolled over and crawled away, barely escaping the sword qi,pletely hapless.

    Feng Bo had a bit of a pranking mentality ying cat-and-mouse with Qi Xuansu, purposely flying right behind thetter and constantly shing out sword qi. He was waiting for Qi Xuansu¡¯s innate qi and physical strength to be exhausted before taking his time in torturing the boy.

    Qi Xuansu ran like this for more than 10 kilometers,ing to arge tomb of a minister from the previous dynasty.

    The burial mound was as big as a mountain, apanied by a sacrificial hall, a mausoleum, a shrine, and other structures. More importantly, this area was deste and had strong yin energy.

    Qi Xuansu finally stopped running after he entered the cemetery.

    He looked up at the sky to see the moon at its zenith¡ªthe time of day when the yin energy was the strongest.

    Qi Xuansu raised one hand and used all his strength to activate his magical powers, stirring the dense yin energy all around him, which rose and fell like the tide.

    A thick ck fog gathered around Qi Xuansu, resembling a whirlpool. Finally, it turned into a portal.

    From the moment Qi Xuansu saw Feng Bo, he did not panic. After realizing there was no way he could escape back to Zhenwu Temple, he decided to risk it all and use hisst resort¡ªthe gift from the Three Yin Beings in the Ghost Kingdom.

    Feng Bo had a bad premonition. He stopped holding back and unleashed several sword qi in session.

    However, they were all sucked into the strange portal before him, causing only a few ripples.

    Horrified, Feng Bo wanted to retreat.

    At this moment, he suddenly felt a change in the surrounding environment. Dark shadows appeared in front of him, and everything in the distance became blurry, as if separated by ayer of light mist.

    It was like looking through a frosted ss window in winter. At this time, Feng Bo felt trapped in a ss box that was permeating with death energy. The ground became muddy like a swamp, making it impossible to retreat.

    The portal finally took shape, and ck mist could be seen billowing on the other side of the opening that seemed to lead to theherworld.

    Feng Bo widened his eyes in disbelief.

    The next moment, a giant fist poked out of the portal.

    Inparison, Qi Xuansu was only as big as the thumb of that fist.

    This fist filled the entire portal, leaving no gaps.

    Behind that fist was a wrist, forearm, and elbow. But upon closer inspection, Feng Bo noticed that this arm was made of countless corpses, emanating intense corpse qi.

    Back then, Qi Xuansu had wondered how Master Wan could fit through the Yin-Yang Gate with that giant body. At this moment, he finally understood how this giant could help him.

    With one punch from that giant fist, Feng Bo exploded.

 Chapter 418: Magical Receptacle

    <h4>Chapter 418: Magical Receptacle</h4>

    <i>The Sakka was Xu Wugui¡¯s masterpiece, developed based on the foundation of the Gezao Sect and integrating the strengths of Ancient Wuism and the Quanzhen Sect. The Sakka wasparable to the Immortals.</i>

    <i>The Three Yin Beings were the pinnacle of Gezao Sect¡¯s creations. Compared with the Sakka, the Three Yin Beings were inferior, but they were sentient, making them living beings.</i>

    <i>Due to this, the Three Yin Beings were able to help the Daoist Order manage the Ghost Kingdom and n their own contingency exit strategy. They were not subjected to induced hibernation like the Sakka.</i>

    <i>Of course, the Sakka was not sentient only because Xu Wugui did not want it to have intelligence. At first, Xu Wugui intended to use the Sakka as an external incarnation. After his ascension, the Sakka also disappeared. The Holy Xuan then ordered Ning Yi, the first Wanxiang Daoist Pce Master, to go to the Western Region to capture the Sakka.</i>

    <i>Thest time the Sakka appeared was on the battlefield between the Daoist Order and the Buddhist Sect,pletely invincible. After the Holy Xuan, it was stipted that the Sakka could only be used by the Grand Master. However, no other Grand Master had ever used this humanoid weapon again. Thus, the Sakka gradually became something from the legends.</i>

    <i>The Three Yin Beings were different. They were sentient. After submitting to the Daoist Order, their job was to process yin energy and corpses in the Ghost Kingdom. Records could prove that they had been doing their tasks diligently. Though they rarely appeared in front of people, their experiences were not as nk as the Sakka.</i>

    <i>During this time, the Three Yin Beings constantly improved themselves, just like how Daoist priests improved their cultivation through practice.</i>

    <i>Although their advancement in strength was much slower than that of Daoist priests, they had far more than a hundred years on this earth.</i>

    <i>It had been 200 years since they joined the Daoist Order, so only the Three Yin Beings knew how much they had changed since their creation.</i>

    Qi Xuansu did not expect Feng Bo to be killed with just one punch from Master Wan.

    For some reason, Qi Xuansu was reminded of that punch he took from Zhuge Yongming near Fengtai County when he was still in the Kunlun stage. That was certainly a bad experience because he was almost beaten to death.

    However, no matter how powerful Zhuge Yongming was, he still could not kill Qi Xuansu with one punch. He only managed to beat Qi Xuansu to the point of vomiting blood.

    From this perspective, the gap between Master Wan and Feng Bo was farrger than the gap between Zhuge Yongming and Qi Xuansu.

    After one punch, the giant fist retracted back into the portal.

    From the beginning, Master Wan did not show up fully, only lending Qi Xuansu a hand and disappearing before Qi Xuansu had the chance to thank the giant.

    When Master Wan¡¯s fistpletely disappeared, the portal formed by magical power and yin energy became illusory and slowly began to dissipate.

    The yin energy that was originally surging like the tide in the ocean gradually turned calm again.

    Qi Xuansu looked up and noticed no changes to the tomb. Since Feng Bo had been flying in the sky at the time of the punch, his body merely exploded mid-air without damaging the surroundings.

    This undoubtedly saved Qi Xuansu a lot of trouble by leaving as few traces as possible. The remaining corpse qi would soon dissipate on its own because of theck of a source.

    Qi Xuansu dusted off his clothes and prepared to receive his inheritance from Feng Bo.

    Though he swore he would not loot dead bodies anymore, a Heavenly Being¡¯s possessions were too tempting to pass up. So he decided to put aside his decency for some other time.

    Qi Xuansu came to the ce where Feng Bo exploded in midair and found some broken limbs. Feng Bo¡¯s entire torso and head had turned into a blood mist, and the remaining broken limbs were beyond recognition after being corroded by the corpse qi.

    There was even some corrosive gas visible to the naked eye permeating around those broken limbs. Even if Feng Bo were to carry cash notes and talisman papers, they would have been damaged. All that was left were the higher-grade spiritual objects, treasures, and magical receptacles.

    Qi Xuansu dared not touch the remains rashly. He took out the replica of the Nine Yang Fiery Dome and activated it with some magical power to conjure a fire dragon, burning all the remaining corpse qi and Feng Bo¡¯s severed limbs, erasing all traces.

    After the fire was extinguished, a ringy among the ashes.

    Qi Xuansu stepped forward and picked up the ring. It was not a spiritual object or a treasure, but a magical receptacle.

    Although Qi Xuansu did not have a magical receptacle, he had used Zhang Yuelu¡¯s when they were in the Western Region, so he knew the basics of how to use one.

    Qi Xuansu immediately tried to open this magical receptacle that took on the appearance of a thumb ring.

    He found that this magical receptacle was actually locked with a miniature talisman array integrated into it. Without knowing the correctbination, he could not open it, and if he cracked it open with force, everything in it would be destroyed.

    Zhang Yuelu¡¯s magical receptacle was not locked.

    Perhaps these cult demons from secret societies had guilty consciences and did not trust anyone.

    A Heavenly Being like Feng Bo should have at least a treasure with him. However, Qi Xuansu had never seen Feng Bo use a treasure. But on second thought, there was also no need to use a treasure to kill a minion like Qi Xuansu.

    Moreover, Feng Bo had no time to react to Master Wan¡¯s punch, so he did not get a chance to use the treasure before he was killed on the spot.

    Qi Xuansu felt a little disappointed, but there was still a possibility that any treasures Feng Bo might have were ced in his magical receptacle.

    After all, not every treasure could change its shape like Zhang Yuelu¡¯s Amorphous Paper, nor could it change in size like the Nine Yang Fiery Dome. If the treasure was a big bow, Feng Bo could not possibly carry it with him because it would be too eye-catching, and it would not suit his image.

    This method of setting a lock on the magical receptacle had its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage was its privacy, but the disadvantage was that it would be cumbersome to open the lock every time one wanted to retrieve something, especially in a critical fight. This could have been the reason Feng Bo failed to use a treasure at thest moment.

    Qi Xuansu weighed the ring in his hand, falling into a dilemma.

    He knew he would never be able to unlock this magical receptacle based on his own ability. But if he leveraged the Daoist Order¡¯s knowledge, it was possible.

    The problem was that he could not exin the origin of this magical receptacle to the Daoist Order.

    The questions would probably y out along these lines:

    Where did the magical receptaclee from?

    <i>¡ªFeng Bo.</i>

    How could a Xiantian Being kill a Heavenly Being?

    <i>¡ªMaster Wan, one of the Three Yin Beings did, not me.</i>

    How could you summon the Three Yin Beings to help you, and how did you enter the Ghost Kingdom in the first ce?

    <i>¡ªNoment.</i>

    Qi Xuansu could not admit that he had the Xuan Jade of Death or that he was involved in what happened in Cuowenbu.

    Even Zhang Yuelu and Pei Xiaolou only had a rough idea about what happened, not the full story.

    Zhang Yuelu knew that Qi Xuansu had interactions with the Three Yin Beings and had reached an agreement with them, but she did not know that Qi Xuansu could summon the Three Yin Beings under special circumstances.

    Qi Xuansu held back on the details because he believed that the more he said, the more loopholes Zhang Yuelu would find. She was too intelligent, so she might really find out about his identity as a Qingping Society member if he was not careful. After all, he did not n to tell Zhang Yuelu about his identity so as not to put her in a dilemma.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    As for Pei Xiaolou, Qi Xuansu was hesitant because he felt it was better to leave some things unsaid between them.

    There was another person that came to mind¡ªMadam Qi.

    Madam Qi was his savior and mentor. She was like a mother to him. She knew all of his secrets, and he trusted her the most.

    She was omnipotent and resourceful, so she would probably have a way to unlock this magical receptacle.

    Of course, there were also disadvantages to this. Madam Qi would not help him for free. She would most likely demand a cut of the spoils, and how much Qi Xuansu could get would depend on her mood.

    But then again, it was better to get less of a share than to not get anything at all.

    Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu put away the ring and left the tomb quickly.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 419: One Night

    <h4>Chapter 419: One Night</h4>

    Bai Xiaojin never thought that her day would turn out to have so many twists and turns.

    What was supposed to be an ordinary day ended up with her abduction when she went out in the morning. She was first locked up in a cramped and stuffy ce before being moved to a dungeon.

    Just as she was frightened and at a loss for what to do, a man literally fell from the sky and killed countless people, but he somehow spared her and helped her escape. Bai Xiaojin thought that her nightmare was finally over, but while escaping, they met an old man in a green robe who kidnapped her that morning.

    Though the mass murderer had an intense killing aura, he was no match for the old man in green. He even urged her to escape by herself.

    She had no choice but to run away desperately without thinking too much, for fear of being caught by the old man again.

    Unlike Qi Xuansu, who pretended to be flustered, Bai Xiaojin was truly panicking as she ran for her life.

    With the darkness of the night, Bai Xiaojin found herselfpletely lost.

    She stood at an unfamiliar intersection and looked around nkly, not knowing where to go. <i>Where am I? What is this ce? Why have I, a native of Jinling, never been here before?</i>

    For the first time, Bai Xiaojin realized how big Jinling Prefecture was. It turned out that Jinling Prefecture did not only consist of gorgeous pavilions,vish pces, and wide stone-paved roads with apletework of sewers. The city also had dpidated shacks and muddy alleys reeking of sewage.

    Jinling, as seen by the upper ss and by themon folk, were twopletely different experiences.

    Bai Xiaojin took a deep breath to calm her emotions. She stopped running and walked slowly while constantly scanning her surroundings, trying to identify a familiar road.

    As long as she could determine where she was, she could keep walking in the direction of her home.

    After some time, several beggars approached Bai Xiaojin. They were startled because they actually recognized her.

    During the day, Bai Xiaojin was imprisoned in the shantytown, so the beggars had seen her. They also had a deep impression of her because she was dressed luxuriously.

    The beggars looked at each other and followed Bai Xiaojin quietly.

    As Bai Yingqiong¡¯s daughter, Bai Xiaojin was at the Kunlun stage of cultivation.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    No matter how neglectful she was in her cultivation, she had no shortage of various resources. Moreover, she had Bai Yingqiong¡¯s personal guidance. However, even at the Kunlun stage, Bai Xiaojin had been too well protected by her mother, having never experienced any storms. So in some way, she was even worse than a flowerbed priest.

    That was why Bai Xiaojin was unaware of the beggars tailing her.

    The beggars did not act rashly. They simply followed Bai Xiaojin and quietly called theirpanions. They remembered clearly that this little girl was shackled, but ordinary women were not treated like that. Moreover, this girl managed to escape, indicating that she was powerful.

    They dared not act rashly for fear that they would not be able to subdue her, so they wanted to outnumber her.

    When there were more than ten beggars, they swarmed up and surrounded Bai Xiaojin.

    Startled, Bai Xiaojin subconsciously protected her chest. ¡°Who are you people? What are you trying to do?!¡±

    The beggars had lewd expressions on their faces. One of them threatened her. ¡°How dare you escape, little bitch? Come with us. Otherwise, don¡¯t me us for being rude.¡±

    After that, the man came up to tug Bai Xiaojin¡¯s sleeves.

    Bai Xiaojin dodged him and shouted, ¡°Do you know who my mother is?¡±

    ¡°Haha! Why, would you like to introduce your mother to us too?¡± A group of beggarsughed with lechery.

    Bai Xiaojin was furious. Turning her anger into courage, she punched him in the face.

    Since Bai Xiaojin thought it cumbersome to carry weapons, Bai Yingqiong specially taught her a set of boxing techniques meant for Qi Refiners, called the Hundred Flowers Embroidered Fist.

    The moves were beautiful, all named after flowers. This technique was also beloved by the Holy Xuan¡¯s wife, so Bai Xiaojin had an interest in learning this technique.

    Bai Xiaojin had probably exerted 50% of her strength in this punch. These beggars were not good fighters and were much weaker than ordinary Green Phoenix Guard troopers. At most, they could only bully ordinary people.

    When the beggar leading the group was punched right on the bridge of his nose, his face copsedpletely, and he died on the spot.

    Bai Xiaojin finally came to her senses. Though she could not defeat the old man in green, the burly man with horns on his head, or that mass murderer with the de, she was strong enough to beat up these beggars.

    At that thought, Bai Xiaojin suddenly gained courage and dered, ¡°My mother is the Chief Deputy Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master and a dignified second-rank Taiyi Daoist master. How dare you capture me and speak to me rudely?!¡±

    After that, she punched another beggar.

    The beggar could not dodge and was hit in the chest. He was knocked out in an instant, seemingly dead.

    This gave Bai Xiaojin another boost of confidence, so she kept attacking the rest of the beggars. ¡°How dare you kidnap and traffic women?! I will tell my mother and make sure to have your heads chopped and hung on the city gates!¡±

    In the blink of an eye, several beggars fell to the ground. The other beggars were frightened by this and fled in all directions.

    Bai Xiaojin finally vented all the grievances she had suffered today and felt much better. She did not intend to kill them all, so she let some of them escape.

    Suddenly, she remembered something and ran a few steps to kick down a beggar who wasgging behind. She stepped on his chest and asked sternly, ¡°What is this ce?¡±

    ......

    There were four big shots in the Heavenly Court¡¯s Jinling branch. Except for one person who was permanently stationed in Jinling Prefecture, the other three had only recently arrived, namely Marshal Wind, Marshal Thunder, and Feng Bo.

    Among the three, Feng Bo was being punished for failing to set up new branches, so he was supposed to make up for his mistakes this time in Jinling. Marshal Wind was reckless and ignorant, so he had always only listened to his brother¡¯s advice. Marshal Thunder was the only wise and decisive one among the three, so he was put in charge of the operations.

    At this time, Marshal Thunder received one bad news after another.

    Feng Bo was responsible for abducting Bai Yingqiong¡¯s daughter, Bai Xiaojin, to coerce Bai Yingqiong. Nothing went wrong in this matter. But before Feng Bo came back, Marshal Wind made a mistake by exposing his tracks while indulging in women and wine.

    Marshal Wind was discovered by Zhang Yuelu, so he fled and hid in the St. Mary''s Church. As a result, he was trapped inside the church because the Daoist Order had the ce surrounded.

    Worried about his brother, Marshal Thundermunicated with various parties.

    The Li family came forward, promised various benefits, and invited the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master to put pressure on Lei Xiaohuan. But Lei Xiaohuan refused to budge.

    The Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master was from the Zhengyi Sect, so he did not want to risk his reputation or offend Lei Xiaohuan from the Quanzhen Sect just because of some outsider, so he chose to give in and let it go.

    Before Marshal Wind was out of trouble, Marshal Thunder received news that the Ghost King was killed, and Bai Xiaojin was rescued.

    Thus, Marshal Thunder had no choice but to ask Feng Bo to intercept the person who rescued Bai Xiaojin. But since then, there has been no news of Feng Bo.

    It was not until the Patriarch asked through the mother-child talisman why Feng Bo¡¯s lifemp at the main altar was extinguished that Marshal Thunder realized that Feng Bo was dead.

    Marshal Thunder had too much on his te¡ªneeding to rescue Marshal Wind, find Bai Xiaojin, and figure out how Feng Bo died. Thus, he was both physically and mentally exhausted.

    He was vexed by his brother¡¯s lustful behavior and resented the Ghost King and Feng Bo for their ipetence. However, he knew that it was toote to vent his anger at this time.

    What was most important at the moment was to find a way to stabilize the situation so as to prevent a total copse. He had to make a decision, especially at this critical juncture.

    Marshal Thunder summoned a close subordinate and ordered, ¡°Make the arrangements. I want to meet Sage Li.¡±

    The subordinate obliged.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost dawn.¡± Marshal Thunder stood up and continued, ¡°While I¡¯m out to meet Sage Li, you may consult Marshal Tianpeng for anything urgent if I am unavable.¡±

    Marshal Tianpeng was thest of the four big shots of the Heavenly Court¡¯s Jinling branch. He was a drunkard,pletely addicted to alcohol, especially the Daoist¡¯s Dreaming Death. So he was not very reliable.

    However, Marshal Thunder was at his wits¡¯ end with no other options, so he had no choice but to rely on Marshal Tianpeng.

    The subordinate answered, ¡°Understood, sir.¡±

    Marshal Thunder strode outside.

 Chapter 420: Changes

    <h4>Chapter 420: Changes</h4>

    Qi Xuansu did not risk climbing over the city wall again. Instead, he waited outside the city until the gates opened and entered with themon folk.

    The unexpected events ofst nightpletely disrupted Qi Xuansu¡¯s ns. While killing Feng Bo was satisfying, he had no choice but to consider the follow-up issues.

    The only person who knew about his encounter with Feng Bo was Bai Xiaojin. If Bai Xiaojin had already been rescued, then Qi Xuansu would need to exin Feng Bo¡¯s death.

    If Bai Xiaojin was still lost, then no one would connect him to Feng Bo¡¯s death for the time being.

    He could, of course, return to his original appearance and resume his identity as Qi Xuansu to firmly deny any involvement. However, in doing so, he would be forfeiting a valuable merit. Moreover, it would be hard to exin why traces of Flying Shadow, Qing Yuan, and various firearms were present at the crime scenes.

    Speaking of firearms, Qi Xuansu recalled that he had exhausted all the Phoenix Eye Series Ammunition he carriedst night and used two rounds of Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullet. So for now, he decided to return to the Taiping Inn to fetch thest three rounds of Grade-B Series Two Phoenix Eye Bullet and one Grade-B Series One Phoenix Eye Bullet. He had already used up the Grade-A Series Nine Phoenix Eye Bombs.

    Zhang Yuelu arrived shortly after Qi Xuansu returned to the Taiping Inn.

    With no time to freshen up or change his attire, Qi Xuansu met Zhang Yuelu as he was.

    Zhang Yuelu had initially nned to inform Qi Xuansu about Bai Yingqiong¡¯s stance, but she was startled to see him covered in dust and blood, as if he had just been through a fierce battle.

    ¡°Did the people from Heavenly Court make a move on you? Are you alright?¡± Zhang Yuelu temporarily set aside Bai Yingqiong¡¯s matter, expressing concern for Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment. In the end, he decided to give a rough ount of what happened. However, he omitted the part where he killed Feng Bo, iming instead that Feng Bo had encountered an old enemy. That was how he managed to escape by sheer luck.

    As for who that enemy was, Qi Xuansu feigned ignorance, exining that it was too dark to make out anything and that the two Heavenly Beings were battling mid-air. At the time, he was also too preupied with fleeing to see who had confronted Feng Bo.

    Zhang Yuelu showed no concern for Feng Bo¡¯s supposed opponent and merely said, ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re alright.¡±

    Qi Xuansu felt touched and did not know what to say, so he changed the subject. ¡°How¡¯s your progress?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no rush. I¡¯ll fetch you some hot water so you can wash up and get changed.¡± Zhang Yuelu stood up and left with a bucket.

    Before long, Zhang Yuelu returned with a bucket of hot water.

    Qi Xuansu felt a bit embarrassed to change in Zhang Yuelu¡¯s presence.

    Zhang Yuelu stared at him. ¡°Surely you don¡¯t expect me to help you change, right?¡±

    Qi Xuansu dared not entertain such thoughts. He removed his outer robe, leaving only his inner garments. He then walked to the bucket to wash his hands and face.

    Only then did Zhang Yuelu speak. ¡°The situation is quite clear now. My senior sister¡¯s ambiguous attitude can be fully exined by Bai Xiaojin¡¯s kidnapping. The question now is, where has Bai Xiaojin gone? If she has fallen into the hands of the Heavenly Court again, it will be very difficult for us to find her. But we should be able to find the dungeon you mentioned. I think it would be located in one of the vis, so we can order a thorough investigation to get some clues.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, I spotted the Heavenly Court¡¯s Marshal Wind in the city yesterday. He¡¯s the Heavenly Being who fought with us and killed Yuan Shangdao back in Jiangling Prefecture. He¡¯s currently hiding in St. Mary¡¯s Church near Shangyuan Gate. Sage Lei has already ordered our Spirit Guards to surround the church.

    ¡°But now that the Holy Court is involved, it furtherplicates the situation. Moreover, there¡¯s also a cardinal deacon equivalent to a Sage there. While Marshal Wind can¡¯t escape, we can¡¯t enter either, putting us at this impasse.¡±

    After Qi Xuansu finished washing his face, Zhang Yuelu handed him a towel and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your take on this?¡±

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    ¡°The situation has indeed be moreplicated,¡± Qi Xuansu remarked as he patted his face dry. ¡°If we don¡¯t make any progress on this case, we¡¯ll soon enter what Sage Lei calls the second stage, where criticism will begin to emerge. That will be unfavorable for us.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu interjected. ¡°Risk and opportunity always go hand in hand. While the situation has indeed be moreplicated, this sudden change has exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations, giving us an opening. As long as we can seize this opportunity, we can even ignore the person secretly muddying the waters and attack their vitals.¡±

    Qi Xuansu did not deny Zhang Yuelu¡¯s viewpoint. ¡°The key is to seize it.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to see how the Golden Tower Council will negotiate with the cardinal deacon of St. Mary¡¯s Church. It¡¯s untouchable for now. But there¡¯s indeed something fishy about Ye Xiu. That¡¯s our opening.¡±

    Qi Xuansu asked, ¡°I n to meet Ye Xiu. Do you want toe along?¡±

    ¡°By the way, what excuse did you use to meet Ye Xiu yesterday?" Zhang Yuelu was curious.

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°I asked him to look into someone.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Zhang Yuelu asked.

    ¡°Ziwei Hall¡¯s fifth-rank superintendent, Qi Xuansu.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu was momentarily stunned. She then understood Qi Xuansu¡¯s intention and could not help butugh. ¡°You¡¯ve really got a way with things!¡±

    As they spoke, Qi Xuansu had already changed into a clean Daoist robe and equipped himself with his weapons.

    Qi Xuansu asked again, ¡°So do you want toe along?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu only hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°Alright.¡±

    She added, ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to join in the fun, but with Bai Xiaojin rescued, there might be some changes on Ye Xiu¡¯s side. At the very least, I will be able to back you up if something does happen.¡±

    For some reason, Qi Xuansu felt that Zhang Yuelu¡¯s exnation made her seem like she was trying hard to cover up her eagerness. But he did not point it out and merely nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±

    The two left the Taiping Inn and headed toward the slums where Ye Xiu resided.

    This was not Qi Xuansu¡¯s first time here, so he knew his way around. However, Zhang Yuelu was excited since this was her first time visiting the slums.

    Before long, the two arrived at Ye Xiu¡¯s residence. The gatekeeper expressed dissatisfaction with Qi Xuansu bringing an extra person, but after Qi Xuansu handed him 10 Taiping coins, he stoppedining.

    As usual, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu waited for about an hour before getting to meet Ye Xiu.

    The Beggar King looked visibly exhausted with bloodshot eyes, likely having stayed up all night. He no longer carried theposure he had during their previous meeting. Given the magnitude of recent events, it was understandable that he could not sleep or remain calm.

    ¡°I told you three days. It¡¯s only been one day. Don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re being a bit too impatient?¡± Ye Xiu¡¯s tone carried a hint of irritation.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s original intention was to use this visit to test Ye Xiu.

    However, it was clear that Ye Xiu was involved in Bai Xiaojin¡¯s abduction. On their way over, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu briefly discussed contingency ns and decided to attempt to apprehend Ye Xiu.

    Since their n was made on the spur of the moment, there was no way Ye Xiu could have received advance warning.

    Zhang Yuelu had also analyzed the situation. Bai Xiaojin was not rescued from Ye Xiu¡¯s residence, and Ye Xiu was unaware that Qi Xuansu had followed the carriages from the slums to the dungeon in the old city.

    Thus, Ye Xiu was likely holding onto a sense of false security. Furthermore, with hisrge operation in this area, it was natural that he would be reluctant to abandon everything and flee. Not to mention, there was also the possibility that Ye Xiu was an unwitting pawn being used.

    Now it seemed Zhang Yuelu¡¯s predictions were spot on because Ye Xiu had not fled or gone into hiding.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu exchanged nces.

    He scoffed. ¡°Three days? I¡¯m afraid the Beggar King will no longer exist in Jinling Prefecture by then. That¡¯s why I¡¯vee early.¡±

    Ye Xiu¡¯s expression shifted slightly. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Qi Xuansu replied, ¡°A dignified second-rank Taiyi Daoist master who is the Chief Deputy Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master is no small figure to trifle with, yet you still dared to target her daughter. Did you really think you could continue to operate in Jinling Prefecture?¡±

    Ye Xiu¡¯s face darkened drastically.

    Seeing his reaction, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were now certain that Ye Xiu wasplicit. They could rule out the possibility of him being unwittingly used by others.

    Since Ye Xiu was an aplice, they decided to take action and apprehend him.

    Zhang Yuelu did not want to expose her identity, so she did not use her Amorphous Paper. Instead, she gathered the Five Elements Qi Shield in her hand and lunged at Ye Xiu.

    Her hand-to-handbat skills were formidable. She had once snapped the wrist of Xu Kou, a renowned Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner.

    Ye Xiu, being the Beggar King, was not weak either. Though not a Heavenly Being, he was close. Faced with Zhang Yuelu¡¯s attack, he was startled but did not panic. He quickly retreated backward.

    However, Qi Xuansu was already prepared, blocking Ye Xiu¡¯s escape route and unleashing the River Fist from the Tantai Fist Intention.

    Ye Xiu was left with no choice but to face two opponents alone, so he let out a sharp, piercing whistle, intending to alert his subordinates outside.

 Chapter 421: Apprehend

    <h4>Chapter 421: Apprehend</h4>

    As the long-standing Beggar King, Ye Xiu was indeed formidable. He carried two rapid-fire pistols, specially crafted firearmsmissioned at great expense. Their advantagey in their ability to load six bullets for continuous firing. However, their limitation was that they could only use the Grade-B Series Six Dragon Eye Bullets, which had significantly lower power.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The Beggar King dodged and fired continuously with ir. This was no ordinary use of pistols. Rather, Ye Xiu had integrated the techniques of swordsmanship into the use of firearms.

    At this moment, Ye Xiu seemed less like he was wielding pistols and more like he was wielding dual swords, with thrusts, upward shes, downward strikes, and parries. But instead of des, the bullets were fired from varying angles.

    With a range far exceeding that of a de, the pistols¡ªdespite their limited bullets and lower firepower¡ªwere even more unpredictable and deadly than conventional swordsmanship.

    Qi Xuansu was quite fond of using firearms, but he had never seen such a technique before. Caught off guard, he was struck squarely in the face by a bullet. Although Zhang Yuelu managed to dodge, she was temporarily forced to retreat as well.

    During this time, Ye Xiu¡¯s subordinates arrived. Being the stronghold of the Beggar Gang, this ce was popted with many skilled fighters.

    Upon hearing Ye Xiu¡¯s whistle, they rushed in one after another.

    Like their boss, they were all adept at using firearms. Many of them used pistols and rifles of varying lengths.

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu was closer to Ye Xiu, while Zhang Yuelu, having been forced back earlier, was nearer to the doorway.

    The two Daoists exchanged nces without needing to speak and worked separately. Zhang Yuelu turned to fight Ye Xiu¡¯s subordinates, while Qi Xuansu charged at Ye Xiu.

    Although Qi Xuansu had been struck squarely in the face by a bullet, the Grade-B Series Six Dragon Eye Bullet was far inferior to the Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullet. Moreover, Qi Xuansu had the resilient physique of a Martial Arts Practitioner, so the shot had not even prated his skull. Within moments, the wound had mostly healed.

    Earlier, Ye Xiu had disyed unique gunmanship. However, its w was evident. He had already used up the 12 bullets. Qi Xuansu would not give him the time to reload and had already closed the distance between them.

    Left with no choice, Ye Xiu discarded his pistols and faced Qi Xuansu¡¯s Flying Shadow barehanded. He employed his signature move, the Five Directions Scatter Hand, his hands moving unpredictably, flipping and weaving like a blur.

    After exchanging more than ten moves, Ye Xiu spotted an opening. Curling his fingers, he flicked them to deflect Flying Shadow and followed up by striking Qi Xuansu¡¯s vital chest acupoint.

    However, just as Ye Xiu¡¯s fingertips were about to touch Qi Xuansu¡¯s chest, he felt a sudden foreboding sensation and abruptly withdrew his hand, retreating several steps.

    The next moment, a cold light gleamed. Qi Xuansu had already drawn Qing Yuan, nearly severing Ye Xiu¡¯s hand.

    Ye Xiu was startled. He relied on his ten fingers for most of his martial prowess, so losing one would not only prevent him from using firearms but also significantly weaken hisbat ability.

    In battles between masters, the margin for victory was always razor-thin, so an injury like this could essentially decide the oue.

    Ye Xiu dared not advance recklessly. He changed techniques, alternating between fists, ws, palm strikes, and other variations.

    Qi Xuansu responded by sheathing his short sword and only wielding his de, fully unleashing the Dayan Spirit de Technique.

    After dozens of exchanges, Ye Xiu began to falter. His palms and the back of his hands were covered in bloody marks. Fighting barehanded against a weapon had its limitations. His strikes barely extended half a meter before he was forced to retract and take on a defensive position.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s Flying Shadow shed down swiftly.

    Ye Xiu dared not block it head-on. As he retreated, he flung something from his sleeves toward Qi Xuansu.

    Qi Xuansu''s expression changed, and he leaped back quickly.

    But it was toote. A sh of fire erupted as a Grade-B Series Two Phoenix Eye Bullet exploded, shattering Qi Xuansu¡¯s qi shield and leaving him dazed. His vision darkened.

    Having retreated earlier, Ye Xiu avoided the st and seized the opportunity to attack, striking his arm horizontally toward Qi Xuansu¡¯s temple.

    Qi Xuansu barely managed to dodge the p to the head. But his shoulder was struck, causing him to slide sideways.

    Steadying himself, Qi Xuansu nced at his shoulder where he had been struck. Five ck finger marks were visible, as if seared by intense mes. There were even wisps of ck smoke curling upward.

    Ye Xiu disappeared in a sh, reappearing before Qi Xuansu with both palms descending upon his opponent.

    Qi Xuansu dared not test the hardness of Ye Xiu¡¯s palms with his own head. He bent backward to dodge and simultaneously unleashed the River Dragon Fist of the Tantai Fist Intention.

    Caught off guard, Ye Xiu was swept off his feet, crashing heavily into the wall.

    Qi Xuansu exhaled a turbid breath. He realized that while Ye Xiu¡¯s cultivation was not particrly advanced, around the fifth level of the Guizhen stage, he was an exceptionally difficult opponent due to his experience in Jianghu.

    In the past, Qi Xuansu had always been the one using firearms to ambush others. Today, he had met his match and was outmaneuvered by this Beggar King.

    Fortunately, Qi Xuansu had the physique of a Martial Arts Practitioner. While he could not condense his spirit and body, the miraculous regenerative abilities were greatly enhanced, allowing his injuries to heal faster. Moreover, Ye Xiu, not being from the Daoist Order, also wielded inferior firearms.

    Qi Xuansu held his de in his left hand and drew the Divine Dragon Pistol with his right, aiming it at Ye Xiu.

    On the other side, Zhang Yuelu was fighting alone against a crowd. Though she did not use the Amorphous Paper, her mastery of the Six Void Tribtions alone made her a tiger among sheep. Few couldst a single move against her.

    Having fought her way through Beichen Hall and Tiangang Hall, Zhang Yuelu was not a pampered youngdy like Bai Xiaojin. She appeared to sweep her arm casually, but it was enough to crush the chest of an elite fighter in the Beggar Gang, leaving him on the brink of death.

    She then grabbed his cor, injected some innate qi, and hurled him like a giant projectile. Two other beggars who were unable to dodge in time were struck and left half-dead.

    After seeding in her strike, Zhang Yuelu did not pause. Her figure flickered unpredictably. Several gunshots missed her entirely.

    Zhang Yuelu approached a man holding a long rifle. With a casual grab, she twisted the rifle as if it were a washcloth.

    An elderly man with white hair attacked Zhang Yuelu from behind with a saber, but Zhang Yuelu turned gracefully and extended her five fingers for another strike.

    In an instant, the old man¡¯s vision was filled with Zhang Yuelu¡¯s fingers.

    Her fair and slender hand moved like a coiling dragon. Her five fingers closed into a fist, generating a spiral gust that shot out like a leaping dragon, covering all of the old man¡¯s vital points.

    The old man felt his skin tighten. If he were an ordinary person, the mere gust carried by those five fingers would have shredded his skin and flesh before her palm evennded, leaving only bare bones. However, with his Yuxu-stage cultivation, he managed to dissipate most of the force.

    Though he could withstand the external force of the gust, he could not withstand her fingers.

    Zhang Yuelu was not a Martial Arts Practitioner, so her physique was not particrly robust. Therefore, she did not prefer to use punches or kicks. Instead, she enveloped her palm in ayer of Five Elements Qi Shield. Her five fingers pierced the old man¡¯s face, leaving five bloody holes, yet her fingers remained untainted by blood.

    Seeing Zhang Yuelu¡¯s ruthless methods, the remaining beggars hesitated, holding their weapons but not daring to approach.

    Zhang Yuelu was still concerned about Qi Xuansu¡¯s situation, so she wasted no time,unching an attack with a single step.

    In just one encounter, Zhang Yuelu imed the lives of two men.

    This was due to the overwhelming dominance of the Earthly Preceptor¡¯s method, the Six Void Tribtions. It possessed three mystical traits, one of which was the ability to nullify all sources of energy, like innate qi, blood qi, divine power, or magical power.

    These beggars already had lower cultivation levels than Zhang Yuelu, so they were stunned to find their qi dissipating into nothingness under the effects of Six Void Tribtions. Overwhelmed with terror and losing theirposure, they perished under Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hands before they returned to their senses.

    A gunshot rang out.

    Ye Xiu tried his best to dodge but was still shot in the knee. The Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullet was far superior to the Grade-B Series Six Dragon Eye Bullet. Ye Xiu alsocked the robust physique of a Martial Arts Practitioner, so his knee waspletely shattered. Unable to support his body any longer, he fell to one knee.

    Qi Xuansu threw out his Divine Dragon Pistol like a boomerang and charged with his de.

    Ye Xiu quickly dodged the flying Divine Dragon Pistol but could not evade Qi Xuansu¡¯s Flying Shadow. Left with no other option, the Beggar King hurriedly pleaded for mercy. ¡°Please spare me!¡±

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s hand was steady. The de of Flying Shadow had already traced a shallow red line across Ye Xiu¡¯s neck but stopped short of his carotid arteries.

    ¡°Tell them to stop,¡± Qi Xuansu demanded, applying more pressure to deepen the red line across the Beggar King¡¯s neck.

    Ye Xiu dared not y any tricks and immediately shouted, ¡°Everyone, stop!¡±

    The beggars surrounding Zhang Yuelu were intimidated by her. Rather than an attack, it was more of a desperate attempt to stall her.

    Thus, when they heard Ye Xiu¡¯s order to stop, they did not hesitate in the slightest. They quickly retreated, distancing themselves from Zhang Yuelu as they feared losing their lives.

    The battle had notsted long, yet the ground was already littered with corpses, all in by Zhang Yuelu.

    Zhang Yuelu did not spare them a nce, remaining indifferent.

    Her resolve to reform the Daoist Order did not mean she was a merciful saint. If she were, she would not have been able to save others, let alone herself. She would have long perished in the Daoist Order¡¯s intense internal struggles.

    Reformation included the redistribution of power and benefits. Who would willingly surrender the power and benefits they already possess? Thus, changing the Daoist Order was not a matter of idle discussions in the Golden Tower Council. It was a life-and-death struggle, apanied by bloodshed and relentless battles¡ªa one-way road with no retreat.

    Pampered flowerbed Daoists could not aplish such a feat.

    Only a wild Daoist like Qi Xuansu, who had climbed up from the bottom, could achieve this.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu exchanged a nce. Zhang Yuelu walked to Ye Xiu¡¯s side, ced her hand on his shoulder, and used the Six Void Tribtions on him, temporarily sealing his cultivation.

    Only then did Qi Xuansu have a moment to stoop down to pick up his Divine Dragon Pistol.

    Ye Xiu¡¯s expression wasplex as he trembled. ¡°Who are you people?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied coolly, ¡°Beggar King, pleasee with us to Tiangang Hall for tea.¡±

 Chapter 422: Interrogation (I)

    <h4>Chapter 422: Interrogation (I)</h4>

    If arge force were mobilized to apprehend Ye Xiu, his extensivework of information would likely alert him immediately. By the time the officials set out from Zhenwu Temple, Ye Xiu would already have received the news and fled. In such a vast Jinling Prefecture, capturing him again would be exceedingly difficult.

    To catch Ye Xiu, the fewer people involved, the quicker the action.

    Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu decided to act on the spur of the moment to capture him. When executing this n, they even used their aliases Wei Wugui and Tantai Chu, leaving Ye Xiu¡¯s intelligencework clueless.

    That was why the Green Phoenix Guard feared cases involving random or spur-of-the-moment killings far more than meticulously nned crimes. Thetter, being intricately linked like beads on a string, tended to fall apart if one link was broken. In contrast, spur-of-the-moment crimes left far fewer clues.

    This time, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu¡¯s n to capture Ye Xiu bore some resemnce to such cases. Just the previous day, they had been focused on extracting information from Ye Xiu. Even earlier that morning, they had not decided to arrest him.

    It was only en route to the slums that they made this decision, and within an hour, they apprehended the Beggar King.

    No matter how cunning and calcting Ye Xiu might be, it was nearly impossible for him to foresee this.

    Qi Xuansu held Ye Xiu at knifepoint with Flying Shadow, while Zhang Yuelu had Qi Xuansu¡¯s back as they moved outward.

    The members of the Beggar Gang surrounded them from afar, but no one dared to approach them. However, they did not want to let them leave so easily either. Outside Ye Xiu¡¯s residence, even more beggars had gathered, blocking the exit.

    Zhang Yuelu was indifferent. After apprehending the Beggar King, she sent a signal to Zhenwu Temple, so her backup from Tiangang Hall should be arriving soon.

    As expected, within the hour, a cavalry unit arrived, sweeping in like a dark tide. The dense, rumbling sound of hooves struck fear into all who heard it.

    Without so much as a shout, the blocking crowd instinctively moved aside.

    The well-trained cavalry quickly reined in their horses, forming a semicircle around the entrance to Ye Xiu¡¯s residence. The armored riders and their horses, d entirely in ck, had swords and firearms at the ready, without the slightest gap between their dense formation. These were the Daoist Spirit Guards.

    Faced with the fully armored and imposing Daoist Spirit Guards, the beggars outsidecked the courage to resist. If a fight broke out, even elite forces like the ck Robes Cavalry would not dare to underestimate the Spirit Guards.

    Thus, the Tiangang Hall officials faced little resistance.

    At the forefront was Mu Jin, dressed in formal Daoist attire rather than wearing armor. She dismounted gracefully and led the Spirit Guards into Ye Xiu¡¯s residence.

    The moment she entered the door, Mu Jin saw Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu in their disguises.

    She recognized Tantai Chu and was momentarily startled to see a stranger next to her boss, but she quickly deduced Wei Wugui¡¯s real identity.

    Mu Jin thought to herself bitterly, <i>I knew these two would surely be together.</i>

    Zhang Yuelu signaled Qi Xuansu to hand Ye Xiu over to the Spirit Guards, who took out specially designed restraints, simr to the ones Bai Xiaojin had worn. However, these were moreplex and ced not just on Ye Xiu¡¯s wrists, but also on his ankles and neck. They were connected by fine chains that severed all sources of energy, including blood qi, divine power, innate qi, and magical power.

    Even a Guizhen-stage master would be immobilized. A Martial Arts Practitioner also would not be able to break the chains with brute force.

    Since Ye Xiu¡¯s knee was shattered with a gunshot, he could not walk. Two Spirit Guards lifted him on either side and carried him out.

    Ye Xiu¡¯s subordinates could only watch helplessly. They were not as ballsy as the Ancient Immortal Wu Luo, who dared to openly fight against the Daoist Order.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Mu Jin exchanged a nce with Zhang Yuelu before turning and leaving the ce.

    Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu did not apany Mu Jin. They left separately, intending to remove their disguises first.

    Zhenwu Temple had a dungeon near Zhenwu Lake. Half of it consisted of ordinary cells, while the other half were water prisons. It was equipped with formations that prohibited teleportation spells and escape methods.

    Just as Mu Jin brought the Spirit Guards and their prisoner to the dungeon, Li Mingcheng entered through the dungeon¡¯s entrance, followed by several Spirit Guards from Beichen Hall.

    Back in the day, Zhang Yuelu used to serve as a superintendent in Beichen Hall, with Mu Jin working under her as a deacon. Thus, Li Mingcheng was considered Mu Jin¡¯s former boss.

    Later, as Zhang Yuelu rose swiftly through the ranks and was appointed as Deputy Hall Master of Tiangang Hall, Mu Jin followed her to Tiangang Hall. As Zhang Yuelu became Sage Cihang¡¯s sessor and dubbed the Junior Hall Master, Mu Jin¡¯s status rose as well, bing a superintendent.

    This highlighted the importance of following the right leader¡ªwhen one prospered, those close to them would also benefit.

    ¡°Greetings, Deputy Hall Master Li,¡± Mu Jin greeted her former superior.

    Li Mingcheng nced at Ye Xiu and asked, ¡°Who is this?¡±

    Mu Jin replied, ¡°A suspect personally apprehended by our Deputy Hall Master.¡±

    ¡°A suspect?¡± Li Mingcheng nodded. ¡°Thank you for your efforts, Superintendent Mu. We¡¯ll take it from here.¡±

    Mu Jin hesitated momentarily before responding, ¡°What do you mean, Deputy Hall Master Li?¡±

    ¡°Now that Tiangang Hall has made the arrest, the interrogation should be handled by Beichen Hall,¡± Li Mingcheng said calmly. ¡°Superintendent Mu, you may leave.¡±

    Mu Jin felt somewhat intimidated by Li Mingcheng, but she refused to back down. ¡°Deputy Hall Master Li, Deputy Hall Master Zhang stated that she intends to interrogate the suspect personally.¡±

    ¡°The Golden Tower Council instructed us to coborate across halls in handling the case. You apprehend, we interrogate¡ªthat¡¯s coboration. If you apprehend and interrogate while excluding us, that¡¯s not coboration.¡± Li Mingcheng added, ¡°Does Deputy Hall Master Zhang intend to defy the orders of the Golden Tower Council?¡±

    Faced with such an usation, Mu Jin dared not ept the me. However, she was quick-witted. ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang has no such intention. Coboration requiresmunication. Deputy Hall Master Li, if you take the suspect without consulting Deputy Hall Master Zhang, I won¡¯t be able to exin it to her. It¡¯ll be better if you wait for Deputy Hall Master Zhang to arrive. Once you two have agreed on a mutually satisfactory arrangement, we can proceed with the handover.¡±

    Li Mingcheng remained expressionless as he said, ¡°The case is urgent. How can we afford dys? Are you willing to take responsibility for the losses? Step aside!¡±

    Mu Jin stepped back but refused to yield. She raised her voice and used. ¡°If the case is so urgent, why didn¡¯t you apprehend the suspect earlier, Deputy Hall Master Li? Instead, you waited at the dungeon for our arrival. Your information is remarkably timely.¡±

    Li Mingcheng narrowed his eyes but kept silent.

    He was not here to steal credit, but he had deeper motives that could not be disclosed.

    The problem was that they were in Zhenwu Temple, so using force would be inappropriate. Seizing the suspect directly would put him in the wrong, giving others leverage against him.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu finally arrived. She had been slightly dyed because she changed and removed her disguise, but it did not take long.

    Zhang Yuelu was dressed in the formal attire of a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, with the Deputy Tiangang Hall Master badge hanging from her waist. She was also holding a white horsetail whisk.

    Beside her was Qi Xuansu, dressed as a fifth-rank Daoist priest. Unlike Zhang Yuelu¡¯s elegance, he held a horizontal de and had a gun holstered at his waist. The gunshot wound on his brow was still not fully healed.

    Zhang Yuelu walked in and greeted, ¡°Deputy Hall Master Li.¡±

    Li Mingcheng quickly turned to face Zhang Yuelu, forcing a smile. ¡°Deputy Hall Master Zhang.¡±

    Although Zhang Yuelu had once been his subordinate, their current statuses were worlds apart. Zhang Yuelu had a bright future, with an assured promotion to the Omniscient Sage rank. If she were fortunate, she might evenpete for the position of eighth-generation Grand Master.

    In contrast, Li Mingcheng¡¯s career path was predictable. At best, he could be an ordinary Sage.

    The Sage title meant little within the Li family, who had seven Omniscient Sages and Great Sages, including a Deputy Grand Master.

    Mu Jin immediately approached Zhang Yuelu and quietly recounted her confrontation with Li Mingcheng earlier.

    Zhang Yuelu waved her horsetail whisk and asked, ¡°Deputy Hall Master Li, do you intend to take the prisoner?¡±

    ¡°ording to regtions, Beichen Hall handles criminal matters, so it is only right that we conduct the interrogation.¡± Li Mingcheng sounded determined, though less aggressively than before.

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°This time, we were ordered by the Golden Tower Council to jointly investigate the case. Even though Beichen Hall normally oversees criminal interrogations, it does not have absolute authority.¡±

    Faced with Zhang Yuelu, Li Mingcheng was more tactful than he had been with Mu Jin. He adjusted his stance and suggested, ¡°Then let¡¯s coborate. Both our halls can interrogate the suspect together. After all, Beichen Hall has more expertise in this area."

    Zhang Yuelu remarked, ¡°Although all halls are coborating in the case, there is still a hierarchy. In this case, Ziwei Hall is leading the operation.¡± Zhang Yuelu added, addressing the person beside her. ¡°Superintendent Qi.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Qi Xuansu answered, looking at Li Mingcheng. ¡°Deputy Hall Master Li, Sage Lei has ordered the arrest of this suspect. Deputy Hall Master Zhang merely assisted. If you wish to discuss a joint interrogation, it is not Deputy Hall Master Zhang¡¯s opinion you should seek, but Sage Lei¡¯s.¡±

    Li Mingcheng turned to Qi Xuansu, his tone turning cold. ¡°And who are you?¡±

    Qi Xuansu met Li Mingcheng¡¯s gaze calmly and replied, ¡°I am Qi Xuansu, a superintendent of Ziwei Hall under Sage Lei¡¯smand.¡±

    ¡°Do you have a written order from Sage Lei?¡± Li Mingcheng pressed.

    Naturally, Qi Xuansu had no written order. ¡°This was a verbal instruction from Sage Lei. But if you doubt me, you are more than wee to verify this with Sage Lei.¡±

    Of course, Li Mingcheng could not possibly approach Lei Xiaohuan for verification. He only cast a long look at the shackled Ye Xiu.

    Meanwhile, Ye Xiu almost heaved a sigh of relief.

    If he had fallen into Li Mingcheng¡¯s hands, he might not be able to leave this ce alive. The risk was too great. Compared to that, Tiangang Hall was a safer option. At least his life would not be endangered, as they still needed his testimony.

    A brief silence fell before Li Mingcheng finally broke it. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The Beichen Hall members silently followed Li Mingcheng out of the dungeon. Li Mingcheng nced back at the dungeon door and let out a cold snort.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 423: Interrogation (II)

    <h4>Chapter 423: Interrogation (II)</h4>

    ¡°Well done,¡± Zhang Yuelu praised, using her horsetail whisk to brush some dust off Mu Jin¡¯s shoulder.

    Mu Jin beamed, epting thepliment. Though their statuses differed, their personal rtionship was good enough to make such gestures routine.

    Tian Baobao handed Zhang Yuelu a case file, containing details about the Green Phoenix Guard¡¯s raid on the courtyard where Bai Xiaojin was held captive.

    Zhang Yuelu quickly skimmed through the file before heading toward the interrogation room in the dungeon.

    Without needing her instructions, the Spirit Guards carried Ye Xiu and followed closely behind.

    The interrogation room had two doors: a small one for interrogators and arger one for prisoners. The room itself was divided into two sections. Therger outer area was essed through the main door, housing an array of torture instruments and a desk for administration purposes. The smaller inner area entered through the smaller door was isted. Those inside could see the outer area, but not vice versa.

    Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu entered the inner room through the small door. It was also equipped with tables and chairs, exuding a touch of elegance. The wall facing the outer area was made of tinted crystal the color of tea. Although slightly dim, it offered a clear view of the entire outer area.

    At the center of the outer area was a stone chair built into the floor. Two Spirit Guards ced Ye Xiu on the chair and secured him with its built-in metal chains.

    Surrounding the stone chair were various torture instruments, readily essible. Though some appeared old, no one doubted their effectiveness.

    Qi Xuansu remarked in surprise, ¡°You know how to use these?¡±

    ¡°Did you forget my background?¡± Zhang Yuelu retorted.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Qi Xuansu replied. ¡°You once worked in Beichen Hall, but given your noble background and position as a superintendent, I doubt they would have you personally conduct interrogations.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu admitted, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ve never conducted interrogations myself. But Mu Jin knows a thing or two.¡±

    ¡°Her?!¡± Qi Xuansu finally realized that Mu Jin had not been standing by Zhang Yuelu. Instead, the Tiangang Hall superintendent had entered the outer area through the main door.

    Through the crystal wall, Qi Xuansu saw Mu Jin had removed her outer robe. She now wore a tailored, long white robe, cinched with a jade belt, entuating her graceful curves¡ªneither overly pronounced norpletely t, just perfectly bnced.

    When Zhang Yuelu promoted Qi Xuansu to deacon, Mu Jin became quite jealous, fearing that Qi Xuansu would take her ce. Thus, Mu Jin gave him a hard time on several asions, so their rtionship was not exactly friendly.

    In fact, Qi Xuansu had hardly observed her carefully and had failed to notice that she was actually quite capable.

    Qi Xuansu turned to look at Zhang Yuelu, who was dressed in her formal Daoist attire and holding a horsetail whisk. Her attire was certainly elegant, but it had its downside. It was so loose and billowy that he could not see a single curve.

    Zhang Yuelu realized what he was doing and scolded, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    Qi Xuansu cleared his throat and sat down beside Zhang Yuelu.

    In the outer area, Mu Jin took a whip from one of the Spirit Guards. This whip was covered with strange talismans and ancient coins. Unlike ordinary talismans, these had bright red markings that seemed sinister. The ancient coins had be rare since the Great Xuan Dynasty introduced the new currency. The coins bore the inscription ¡°Mingyong,¡± which was the title of an emperor from the previous dynasty over 300 years ago.

    Mu Jin swung the whip once to intimidate the prisoner. ¡°Beggar King, you¡¯re well informed, so you should recognize this item. If not, I can exin. This is called the Soul-Hooking Whip. This whip doesn¡¯t leave external scars when it strikes, so it doesn¡¯t hurt physically.

    ¡°But this whip isn¡¯t called the Soul-Hooking Whip without reason. When it strikes, it¡¯ll feel as if it¡¯sshing your very soul. The pain to one¡¯s soul is far worse than any physical torture.

    ¡°I¡¯ve interrogated some cult demons in the past. They all imed they¡¯d rather die than confess. But after one round of interrogation with this whip, they had only one request¡ªa quick death.

    ¡°Beggar King, you¡¯re fortunate that my colleague Xu Kou isn¡¯t here. He¡¯s known as the Little Yama and once tortured a prisoner to death. Of course, he was demoted for it. If he were in charge of this interrogation, you wouldn¡¯t find him as agreeable as I am.¡±

    Mu Jin¡¯s tone was gentle, sounding like she was trying to reason with Ye Xiu rather than interrogate him. However, Ye Xiu, with his extensive experience, was not intimidated by her words. Still, he could see from her eyes that she was serious about it.

    Qi Xuansu was not surprised that Mu Jin, who often seemed like a simple,mon woman, had this side to her. Beichen Hall and Tiangang Hall were known as the Daoist Order¡¯s two fists¡ªone internal, one external. As institutions that were undeniably violent, they were not at all inclined toward mercy.

    Thus, Mu Jin would have had her own methods to hold her ground in Beichen Hall and Tiangang Hall.

    Qi Xuansu had killed countless people but was not well-versed in interrogation techniques. If he had to conduct the interrogation, his approach would be simple: talk or die.

    Thus, he could only observe Mu Jin¡¯s performance without judgment.

    Mu Jin¡¯s tone shifted, losing its warmth and gaining a chilling edge. ¡°Beggar King, I don¡¯t think you would want to find out.¡±

    Ye Xiu remained silent, offering no bold retort.

    Mu Jin took note of all this.

    If it were some of Ye Xiu¡¯s subordinates, Mu Jin might not be confident about breaking them. But Ye Xiu was different. No matter how brave he had been in his youth, years of luxury had worn away his fighting spirit, so breaking him would be much easier.

    She did not waste any more words and struck Ye Xiu viciously with the whip.

    As Mu Jin had said, the whip''s impact on the body seemed ordinary, not leaving even a trace of blood.

    Yet, in that instant, Ye Xiu¡¯s pupils suddenly contracted, appearing dazed.

    Without hesitation, Mu Jinshed Ye Xiu with the whip once again.

    Ye Xiu seemed to awaken from a nightmare, his face pale and drenched in sweat as he cried out, ¡°I¡¯ll talk!¡±

    The whip Mu Jin had raised paused mid-air.

    Her hand was just as steady.

    The next moment, Qi Xuansu realized that the crystal wall in front of him could be raised and lowered.

    Zhang Yuelu had activated some mechanism, causing the crystal wall to slowly sink into the ground, removing the divider between the inner and outer areas.

    Ye Xiu, restrained in the stone chair, was now facing Zhang Yuelu. Before the wall descended, Zhang Yuelu had already put on a pair of finely crafted crystal sunsses, used not for sun protection but to obscure her gaze, preventing suspects from reading her emotions during interrogations.

    Since Mu Jin was in charge of the punishment, Qi Xuansu stood up and walked to the desk, taking charge of recording and documentation.

    Even without Zhang Yuelu speaking, Ye Xiu already knew what she wanted to know and straightaway admitted to helping detain Bai Xiaojin.

    Zhang Yuelu asked, ¡°Who captured Bai Xiaojin?¡±

    ¡°The Heavenly Court¡¯s Feng Bo,¡± Ye Xiu replied. ¡°He personally delivered Bai Xiaojin to us. After all, he¡¯s a Heavenly Being with the support of the Heavenly Court. I didn¡¯t want to provoke him, so I couldn¡¯t refuse.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu remarked, ¡°This indicates that you must be old acquaintances with Feng Bo, as I doubt he would entrust such an important hostage to a stranger."

    Ye Xiu had no choice but to admit it. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve had business dealings with the Heavenly Court.¡±

    ¡°What kind of business?¡± Zhang Yuelu pressed, not giving Ye Xiu any respite.

    Ye Xiu hesitated for a moment before answering, ¡°It¡¯s rted to the brothels.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu said, ¡°There are over a hundred brothels in Jinling Prefecture, all with their own backers. Tell me which ones belong to the Heavenly Court, and I¡¯ll send people to shut them down immediately.¡±

    Ye Xiu remained silent.

    Mu Jinshed him again. ¡°Answer!¡±

    Ye Xiu had no choice but to speak. ¡°The Snow Moon Vi on Pingyang Street.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu scoffed. ¡°How convenient. That¡¯s exactly where we rescued Bai Xiaojin. Clearly, it¡¯s your property¡ªor rather, the property of the Sage behind you. Are you suggesting that this Sage is also affiliated with the Heavenly Court?¡±

    Ye Xiu¡¯s expression changed, and he hurriedly said, ¡°No, no, I would never imply that.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu warned. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more chance to confess.¡± Then she turned to Mu Jin and instructed, ¡°Threeshes.¡±

    Mu Jin did not hesitate, delivering three consecutiveshes to the Beggar King, leaving him pale and drenched with sweat. His eyes were dim, and his entire body was trembling as if he were in unbearable agony.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Zhang Yuelu looked at Ye Xiu and demanded, ¡°Speak.¡±

    Ye Xiu lowered his head, not daring to meet Zhang Yuelu¡¯s gaze. ¡°I¡¯ve conducted a bulk trade with the Heavenly Court, but the ships and goods belong to them; we merely help with the logistics.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu leaned forward slightly. ¡°Where do these goodse from?¡±

    Ye Xiu replied, ¡°That¡¯s beyond my knowledge. Deputy Hall Master Zhang, you should ask Feng Bo.¡±

 Chapter 424: Confession

    <h4>Chapter 424: Confession</h4>

    At this moment, Qi Xuansu, who was responsible for recording the conversation between Ye Xiu and Zhang Yuelu, spoke up. ¡°That¡¯s not right.¡±

    Ye Xiu turned to Qi Xuansu and asked, ¡°What¡¯s not right?¡±

    Qi Xuansu set his brush down on the inkstone and said, ¡°As far as I know, a group of cult demons from Xiping Prefecture held an ¡®Eagle and Dog ughtering Assembly¡¯ at Jiuwa Hill in January of this year. This was orchestrated by the Heavenly Court¡¯s Feng Bo. Considering the preparation time, Feng Bo must have arrived in Xiping Prefecture as early asst year.

    ¡°In February, Feng Bo was active in Xiping Prefecture to establish branches of the Heavenly Court. Byte February and early March, he appeared in Xijing Prefecture and caused trouble in Wuxu Pce. Then he was hunted down by my superior, Sage Lei, in March and April.

    ¡°For that reason, Sage Lei destroyed the newly established branches of the Heavenly Court in Xiping Prefecture, and Feng Bo barely managed to escape. It wasn¡¯t untilte May that Feng Bo appeared in Jinling Prefecture to abduct Sage Bai¡¯s daughter, Bai Xiaojin.¡±

    Ye Xiu¡¯s expression changed.

    Qi Xuansu continued, ¡°These events can be further verified with records and witnesses. I was also one of the witnesses. So, I¡¯d like to ask you, Beggar King, how did you conduct business with Feng Bo when he was not in Jinling Prefecture for at least six months? Was it the kind of business that could sustain you for three years? Or were you dealing with someone else?¡±

    Ye Xiu fell silent again.

    Mu Jin spoke. ¡°Beggar King, let me remind you that the Daoist Order has soul-searching methods. There¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t uncover when such methods are used. However, soul-searching will damage the person. At best, you will be mentally impaired; at worst, you will be a lifeless husk of a human. Though this technique is restricted due to its cruelty, we may just make an exception if you persist in being obstinate and defiant.¡±

    Ye Xiu¡¯s eyes shifted.

    In truth, Mu Jin could not actually use the soul-searching technique on Ye Xiu. She was merely bluffing.

    Soul-searching was certainly effective, but it was also limited. It could only be used once with irreversible effects, but the information from such methods was not admissible as evidence.

    In other words, soul-searching could be used for identifying enemies for personal vengeance where there was no need for evidence or formal records. However, in disputes where both sides had equal status and power, rules and evidence were necessary. In such cases, soul-searching had limited utility. Often, the real issue was not uncovering the truth but proving it.

    Finally, Zhang Yuelu spoke. ¡°As long as you cooperate with us, I can promise your life will be spared.¡±

    Ye Xiu slowly replied, ¡°There¡¯s one thing you should know. I¡¯m just an insignificant minion. The truth is that I only follow the orders given by those above me. I have no right to resist, let alone negotiate.¡±

    Qi Xuansu pressed on. ¡°We¡¯re not asking whether you had a choice in the matter. We¡¯re asking, who exactly are ¡®those above you¡¯ that you speak of?¡±

    Ye Xiu was immediately stumped by the question.

    This question was particrly hard to answer, not because he did not know, but because he could not and dared not say it, as revealing it would bring catastrophic destruction upon his family.

    Qi Xuansu¡¯s voice deepened. ¡°Answer me!¡±

    Mu Jin raised the whip again, pausing deliberately before striking. When Ye Xiu rxed slightly after thinking that they were holding back, Mu Jin suddenlyshed down.

    Ye Xiu felt a searing pain, like countless ants gnawing at his bones. Unable to endure it, he cried, ¡°The Heavenly Court has so many other members aside from Feng Bo. Those above me are the people whom even they take orders from!¡±

    Qi Xuansu questioned, ¡°When you say members, are you referring to regr Heavenly Court members? Or do you mean the entirety of the Heavenly Court? If you mean regr members, their superiors are naturally Feng Bo, Marshal Wind, Marshal Thunder, and some other big shots. But if you mean the entirety of the Heavenly Court, including Feng Bo and the others, then who do those big shots take orders from?¡±

    This time, Ye Xiu was not the only one whose expression changed. Even Mu Jin¡¯s expression shifted slightly.

    This was the very reason Li Mingcheng wanted to take Ye Xiu away.

    Ye Xiu¡¯s eyes became unfocused. He dared not respond.

    Zhang Yuelu interjected, ¡°You manage assets for a Sage, including the Snow Moon Vi and other businesses. You also mentioned you did this under orders, so was it this Sage who instructed you to do business with the Heavenly Court?¡±

    Ye Xiu¡¯s breathing becamebored. ¡°If you¡¯re so great, go and ask that Sage!¡±

    Without waiting for Zhang Yuelu¡¯smand, Qi Xuansu quickly recorded everything. He stood up and handed it to Zhang Yuelu, who reviewed it carefully and instructed, ¡°Show this to him. If he confirms it¡¯s urate, have him sign it.¡±

    Qi Xuansu brought the document and cinnabar ink to Ye Xiu, holding it up for him to review page by page.

    Ye Xiu, trembling slightly, either from the punishment or fear, kept silent.

    Mu Jin took Ye Xiu¡¯s hand, dipped it in the cinnabar, and pressed a bright red fingerprint onto the document.

    ......

    Li Mingcheng entered Li Mingzhi¡¯s office like a gust of cold wind.

    Li Mingzhi was seated behind his desk, reading a document.

    Since both were from the Li family and of equal rank and standing, they did not stand on formalities.

    ¡°Ye Xiu fell into Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hands,¡± Li Mingcheng announced.

    ¡°Fell into Zhang Yuelu¡¯s hands?¡± Li Mingzhi repeated it absently before registering the words. He abruptly looked up. ¡°Who? Ye Xiu?!¡±

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Li Mingcheng nodded. ¡°That Beggar King, the local headman of Jinling Prefecture¡¯s underworld. He¡¯s known for hiswork of information and elusive nature. They say not even Heavenly Beings can find him when he hides. Yet Zhang Yuelu easily captured him without a warning. He¡¯s utterly useless!¡±

    Li Mingzhi could not sit still anymore and stood up.

    ¡°I wanted to take him out, but Zhang Yuelu pushed back. You know how it is¡ªLei Xiaohuan is in charge now, so we can¡¯t do anything about her.¡± Li Mingcheng exined.

    Li Mingzhi sped his hands behind his back and began pacing the room. ¡°Can¡¯t we just send him to hell?¡±

    Li Mingcheng shook his head. ¡°The Spirit Guards from the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion only guard the perimeters of Zhenwu Temple. But the dungeon is under Tiangang Hall¡¯s control, specifically those brought by Sage Cihang from the Western Region. They have no ties to Jiangnan or Jade Capital, so this is a tricky situation.¡±

    ¡°It must be done even if it¡¯s tricky. Our elders sent us to Jiangnan to protect the family. You¡¯re from Beichen Hall and have experience in such matters. Don¡¯t you have another n?¡± Li Mingzhi pressed.

    Li Mingcheng hesitated briefly before saying, ¡°There is one risky move left...¡±

    The Deputy Beichen Hall Master walked to the door and instructed the guards. ¡°Wait outside the outer hall. No one is allowed to enter.¡±

    The guards outsideplied and left.

    After ensuring no one was around, Li Mingcheng set a privacy barrier and whispered, ¡°Prison break.¡±

    Li Mingzhi¡¯s eyes widened, his face turning pale. ¡°That¡¯s a crime punishable by familial extermination!¡±

    Li Mingcheng whispered, ¡°Not us, of course. We¡¯ll have them do it.¡±

    ¡°Will they go?¡± Li Mingzhi asked, skeptical.

    ¡°Ye Xiu knows far too much. If he spills everything, no one will walk away unscathed. They won¡¯t have a choice but to get involved.¡±

    Li Mingzhi pondered, feeling tempted. ¡°And then?¡±

    Li Mingcheng continued, ¡°They can¡¯t seed alone, of course. So, we also need toe up with a n to draw people away from the Zhenwu Temple. At the very least, Lei Xiaohuan and Pei Xiaolou mustn¡¯t be in the vicinity.¡±

    ¡°Getting Lei Xiaohuan and Pei Xiaolou out won¡¯t be difficult,¡± Li Mingzhi mused. ¡°Have Shi Luosi request negotiations. That way, at least one of them will have to go. Then create some disturbances elsewhere to draw the other one away.¡±

    Li Mingzhi paused. ¡°The aftermath will be severe, surely rming the Golden Tower Council. Sage Donghua and Sage Cihang are eager for an excuse to intervene on arger scale. If such a major incident urs, they will definitely exploit it and might even step in personally. It¡¯ll be hard to contain the situation then.¡±

    Li Mingcheng replied in a lowered voice, ¡°We don¡¯t want to escte things, but they¡¯ve already progressed out of our control. If Ye Xiu confesses, it¡¯s not just about giving Sage Cihang and Sage Donghua an excuse to intervene. They will have a major breakthrough in the case, which will render all of our arrangements in Jade Capital useless.

    ¡°But there¡¯s a flip side to everything. If we seed, it may give Sage Cihang and Sage Donghua a reason to exploit the situation, but it will also suggest that the investigation is slow-moving. If so, we can still pressure Lei Xiaohuan and the team from Jade Capital, gradually limiting their power and eventually expelling them from Jinling. Sometimes, we must choose the lesser of two evils.¡±

    Li Mingzhi looked pensive as he stared at Li Mingcheng. ¡°This is a matter of life and death. It must be done cleanly, leaving no evidence. If there are no witnesses left alive, they won¡¯t be able to connect it to us even if they exploit the situation.¡±

    Li Mingcheng replied solemnly, ¡°Of course.¡±

    "They forced our hand, so we have no choice but to resort to this.¡± Li Mingzhi sighed deeply.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 425: Situ Xingluan

    <h4>Chapter 425: Situ Xingluan</h4>

    Sikong Cuo sat on arge wooden crate. He lit a paper-wrapped tobo roll and held it between two fingers without bringing it to his lips, letting it burn slowly as wisps of smoke curled upward.

    This made the tobo roll seem more like incense than a cigarette.

    A subordinate walked in.

    Sikong Cuo¡¯s face was obscured by the smoke, his voice calm and indistinct as he asked, ¡°Did you find out?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± the subordinate replied. ¡°The Tiangang Hall¡¯s Spirit Guards captured a local thug. It doesn¡¯t seem to concern us.¡±

    ¡°Good, as long as it doesn¡¯t involve us.¡± Sikong Cuo nodded. ¡°Tiangang Hall can be considered an old acquaintance of ours. Be cautious and don¡¯t let them notice anything.¡±

    The subordinate nodded in acknowledgment.

    At that moment, someone knocked on the door.

    The subordinate frowned and walked over to peer through the peephole in the door.

    A cloaked figure stood outside the door, the hood fully covering the face. In the scorching heat of summer, such attire was indeed peculiar.

    Through the door, the subordinate whispered, ¡°Theherworld iswless; the underworld is orderly.¡±

    ¡°With the chains of theherworld, living souls cannot escape,¡± the person outside replied.

    The secret phrase matched, so the subordinate opened the door and let the cloaked individual in.

    The person pulled back their hood, revealing a youthful face with a high nose bridge and deep-set eyes, suggesting some Western lineage.

    ¡°I am Situ Xingluan,¡± the person said with a wide, sunny grin, his expression carrying an air of boyish innocence.

    Sikong Cuo¡¯s subordinate, Wu Mai, had never met Situ Xingluan but knew he had been lying low in Jinling Prefecture for a long time, earning a reputation as a local power yer.

    However, Wu Mai did not have a favorable first impression of Situ Xingluan. His appearance was passable. After all, people with Western features were not umon in Jinling. What irritated Wu Mai was Situ Xingluan¡¯s conspicuous attire in the heat of summer.

    Wu Mai asked warily, ¡°Where¡¯s the item?¡±

    Situ Xingluan reached behind his waist, causing Wu Mai to tense instantly. The former reflexively drew a curved de, its edge gleaming with a chilling blue light.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so tense; I¡¯m not going to eat you,¡± Situ Xingluan said nonchntly, shing his flippant grin. As he spoke, he retrieved a bamboo tube from behind his waist and twirled it in his hand.

    Wu Mai¡¯s eye twitched. If this bamboo tube was indeed what they needed¡ªsomething more valuable than their lives¡ªhaving this boy treat it as a mere toy was utterly infuriating.

    Wu Mai¡¯s expression darkened. He was about to yell at Situ Xingluan when Sikong Cuo finally spoke. ¡°Come inside to talk.¡±

    Without waiting for Wu Mai¡¯s response, Situ Xingluan bypassed him and walked into the courtyard. His eyes lit up at the sight of the yard filled withrge wooden crates.

    ¡°Is this the Gift?¡± Situ Xingluan asked, walking to one of the crates and patting it.

    Sikong Cuo nodded. ¡°Yes, this is the Gift, shipped over by sea without any issues. Everything has been thoroughly taken care of.¡±

    ¡°Being too thorough isn¡¯t necessarily a good thing. You killed them, but those people had family and friends. A one-day disappearance isn¡¯t strange, but their loved ones will start looking for them after a few more days. Even if no bodies turn up, it will still catch the attention of the Green Phoenix Guard or the Daoist Order, so this won¡¯t stay hidden for long.¡± Situ Xingluan rambled on.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Sikong Cuo frowned slightly but did not refute the statement.

    Situ Xingluan continued, ¡°The Gift alone isn¡¯t enough; the key is pairing it with the Blessing. Only bybining the two can they reach their full potential.¡±

    Sikong Cuo¡¯s gaze fell on the bamboo tube in Situ Xingluan¡¯s hand. ¡°Is this the Blessing?¡±

    Situ Xingluan grunted in affirmation as he handed the bamboo tube to Sikong Cuo.

    After a slight hesitation, Sikong Cuo carefully examined the bamboo tube in his hands.

    It was clear that the bamboo tube was just a container. The real dealy in its contents.

    At that moment, the tobo roll between Sikong Cuo¡¯s fingers finally burned out, leaving only a bit of ash.

    Situ Xingluan pulled out a handful of tobo leaves from his pocket, stuffed them into his mouth, and began chewing them.

    Sikong Cuo first inspected the seal on the bamboo tube to confirm it had not been tampered with. A faint smile crossed his face as he drew a specially crafted dagger from his waist and cautiously pried open the seal.

    Still chewing his tobo leaves, Situ Xingluan mimicked a Western-style intonation as he solemnly recited, ¡°The Lord bestows Gifts, bringing grace to all living beings. The Lord blesses the faithful, nurturing and sustaining all creations.¡±

    For some reason, Sikong Cuo detected a hint of mockery in Situ Xingluan¡¯s tone, which displeased him. However, given the man¡¯s identity, Sikong Cuo restrained himself.

    Situ Xingluan could not hold back and added, ¡°If you ask me, they¡¯re just trying to mystify everything. To put it inly, it¡¯s just a catalyst. Without it, many things can¡¯t be aplished.¡±

    Suppressing his dissatisfaction, Sikong Cuo remained silent, focusing entirely on the bamboo tube in his hands.

    Without its seal, the bamboo tube was just an ordinary container. Sikong Cuo applied a little force and split the tube in half along the vertical.

    The contents of the bamboo tube finally came into view. It resembled an ancient knife currency or a crescent moon. It was emerald green and translucent, with fine threads of blood coursing through it.

    ¡°This is¡ª¡± Sikong Cuo carefully cradled the peculiar jade in his hands, his expression betraying a hint of fervor.

    Situ Xingluan spat out the remnants of the tobo leaves in his mouth and drew a small folding fan from his sleeve. With a crisp snap, he opened it and fanned himself leisurely. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen it, huh? You¡¯ve never used it either, right? How ignorant.¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Wu Mai was about to give Situ Xingluan a piece of his mind, but Sikong Cuo raised his hand to stop him.

    Sikong Cuo said humbly, ¡°Please enlighten us.¡±

    Situ Xingluan exined, ¡°ording to the Daoists, this thing is called the Xuan Jade; <i>Xuan</i> means mystical, but it also shares the same name as the current Xuan Dynasty. Jade is pretty self-exnatory.¡±

    The veins on Wu Mai¡¯s forehead throbbed because he was so infuriated by Situ Xingluan¡¯s disrespect.

    Calling the Blessing a ¡°thing¡± was undoubtedly sphemous. If not for the man¡¯s critical role in the uing n, Wu Mai would not hesitate to turn him into a collector¡¯s item.

    Situ Xingluan seemed to sense Wu Mai¡¯s thoughts and said pointedly, ¡°I¡¯d advise you against any funny ideas. In terms of rank, I¡¯m above you. Even this Sikong fellow is merely my equal with no right to boss me around. In terms of skill, I can take you out with one hand. Would you like to test it out?¡±

    Wu Mai¡¯s face flushed red as his blood boiled. He was about to lunge at the rude boy when Sikong Cuo raised his voice. ¡°Enough.¡±

    Both fell silent.

    Wu Mai panted heavily, clearly enraged. Situ Xingluan, however, remained nonchnt, fanning himself leisurely while gazing up at the sky.

    Sikong Cuo inquired, ¡°How is the Xuan Jade used?¡±

    Situ Xingluan snapped his fan close and casually tucked it into his back cor. ¡°The Xuan Jade has many uses. Some say it can enhance cultivation, but that¡¯s just a waste of resources. Its true value lies in its ability to carry divine power. This piece of Xuan Jade has already been activated by the Lord. Just ce it together with the Gift, and we¡¯ll see a¡ª¡±

    He made a blooming motion with his hands. ¡°¡ªbeautiful flower.¡±

    A faint smile returned to Sikong Cuo¡¯s face as he softly repeated, ¡°A beautiful flower that shines upon the mortal world.¡±

    Situ Xingluan pulled out another handful of tobo leaves and stuffed them into his mouth, speaking incoherently. ¡°To make the flower bloom, you must first sow seeds and then water them. The Gift is the seed. Have your people ce the Gift at the designated locations, and you¡¯ll water them personally.¡±

    Sikong Cuo instinctively asked, ¡°If I¡¯m to water them, what will you do?¡±

    Situ Xingluan countered, ¡°Why do flowers bloom?¡±

    Sikong Cuo was momentarily at a loss for words.

    ¡°Flowers bloom to bear fruit.¡± Situ Xingluan answered his own question, pausing to stare at Sikong Cuo. ¡°You water them while I harvest the fruit. Got it?¡±

    Despite his reluctance, Sikong Cuo nodded.

    Situ Xingluan pped his hands. ¡°Great!¡±

    Finally, Sikong Cuo asked, ¡°When do we start?¡±

    Situ Xingluan replied calmly, ¡°That¡¯s not up to us; it depends on the Daoist Order.¡±

 Chapter 426: Meeting (I)

    <h4>Chapter 426: Meeting (I)</h4>

    An impromptu meeting with all seven members of the investigation team was held, chaired by Lei Xiaohuan, who was representing Sage Donghua and Ziwei Hall.

    This joint investigation was strongly advocated by Sage Donghua, so Lei Xiaohuan became the head of the investigation team and took the main seat.

    Since the case involved the Heavenly Court, Tiangang Hall, specializing in suppressing andbating such secret societies, was ranked second only to Ziwei Hall in this investigation. As such, Zhang Yuelu, representing Tiangang Hall, sat to Lei Xiaohuan¡¯s left.

    Moreover, this case was a massive corruption scandal within the Daoist Order, making Beichen Hall an indispensable participant. As such, Li Mingcheng, representing Beichen Hall, sat to Lei Xiaohuan¡¯s right.

    This arrangement conveniently formed the structure of the Three Great Halls reigning supreme.

    Fengxian Hall and Duzhi Hall were nominally assisting in the investigation, each with specific duties butcking authority over the deployment of Spirit Guards. Thus, they ranked below the Three Great Halls. Lu Yushu, representing Fengxian Hall, sat beside Zhang Yuelu; while Li Mingzhi, representing Duzhi Hall, sat next to Li Mingcheng.

    The case involved Jiangling Prefecture and Jinling Prefecture, which were governed by the Huzhou Daoist Mansion and the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion, respectively.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    These two entities found themselves in an awkward position, as they were suspected of negligence even though they had the right to participate in the investigation.

    The Huzhou Daoist Mansion was under the jurisdiction of the Quanzhen Sect''s Chongyang Pce of Immortality, while the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion was directly managed by Jade Capital.

    As a result, the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion participated directly, represented by Bai Yingqiong, the Chief Deputy Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master. Meanwhile, the Huzhou Daoist Mansion remained detached, involving the Chongyang Pce of Immortality instead, which was represented by Pei Xiaolou, the Deputy Chongyang Pce Master.

    These two Sages sat at the very end, with Bai Yingqiong beside Lu Yushu and Pei Xiaolou next to Li Mingzhi.

    The seating arrangement alone illustrated a deeply interconnectedwork of allies and enemies.

    Additionally, following the Golden Tower Council¡¯s example, observer seats were set up. These were ostensibly for observation, but they served a practical purpose. If minor tasks arose, the seven Deputy Masters would not need to handle them personally, making the observers invaluable at such moments.

    At the moment, many upied the observer seats, but the most notable figure was the one responsible for recording the meeting. This individual was not from Tiangang Hall or Beichen Hall but from Ziwei Hall.

    Li Mingcheng vaguely recognized him to be the fifth-rank priest directly under Lei Xiaohuan¡¯smand but often seen beside Zhang Yuelu¡ªQi Xuansu.

    This detail revealed that Ziwei Hall was leading the investigation. Ultimately, all findings would be reported to one person: Sage Donghua.

    Naturally, the various methods employed were less about pressuring the Golden Tower Council and more about influencing Sage Donghua, who was the driving force behind this investigation.

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin the meeting,¡± Lei Xiaohuan dered, her gaze sweeping over the attendees.

    The other six Deputy Masters had no objections, so the meeting formallymenced.

    Lei Xiaohuan took out a confession. ¡°Some of you have already read this, while others haven¡¯t. Regardless, everyone should go through it again. Pass it around.¡±

    With that, Lei Xiaohuan handed the confession to Zhang Yuelu. Since Zhang Yuelu had obtained the confession herself, she skimmed through it briefly before passing it to Lu Yushu.

    Lu Yushu, seeing the confession for the first time, read it carefully before passing it to Bai Yingqiong, Pei Xiaolou, Li Mingzhi, and then Li Mingcheng. The confession made a full round before Li Mingcheng handed it back to Lei Xiaohuan.

    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve all seen it. What are your thoughts?¡± Lei Xiaohuan asked, ncing around after taking back the confession.

    Though she addressed the group, Lei Xiaohuan¡¯s gaze bypassed Zhang Yuelu and Pei Xiaolou, focusing instead on Bai Yingqiong, Lu Yushu, Li Mingzhi, and Li Mingcheng.

    Among them, thetter three had predictable stances, so Lei Xiaohuan¡¯s attention was primarily on Bai Yingqiong.

    Bai Yingqiong, aware of the scrutiny and her involvement, was the first to speak. ¡°My daughter has been missing for some time. I didn¡¯t expect her to be abducted by the cult demons of the Heavenly Court. To be honest, I¡¯ve been consumed with worry over her and neglected other matters. It¡¯s a dereliction of duty on my part.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu interjected. ¡°That¡¯s understandable. But why didn¡¯t you share it with us when such a major incident urred? You chose to search alone instead. You¡¯re being too polite with us.¡±

    Bai Yingqiong responded, ¡°Investigating the case is the priority. I¡¯ve already neglected my duties because I was distracted by my daughter¡¯s situation, so how could I further trouble you all?¡±

    ¡°I beg to differ,¡± Zhang Yuelu said, looking at Bai Yingqiong. ¡°It¡¯s clear that the Heavenly Court abducted your daughter to pressure you and obstruct the investigation. So it¡¯s no longer just your personal matter; it concerns all of us.¡±

    Bai Yingqiong¡¯s expression grew uneasy. Shortly after her daughter¡¯s disappearance, Zhang Yuelu visited her. However, Bai Yingqiong did not mention it and even declined Zhang Yuelu¡¯s request regarding Ye Xiu.

    Now that Ye Xiu had been captured and his confession reviewed, it became clear that Bai Xiaojin was in Ye Xiu¡¯s custody at the time Bai Yingqiong rejected Zhang Yuelu.

    It was quite an ironic twist.

    Everyone, including Lei Xiaohuan, simultaneously turned their attention to Bai Yingqiong.

    Bai Yingqiong had no choice but to exin herself. ¡°I acted irrationally out of concern and lost myposure.¡±

    Zhang Yuelu did not look at Bai Yingqiong but habitually nced sideways at Qi Xuansu, who was seated among the observers.

    Qi Xuansu smiled at Zhang Yuelu and even winked.

    In a public setting, Zhang Yuelu was mindful of her image. She did not respond to Qi Xuansu¡¯s yful gesture, maintaining a calm expression as she shifted her gaze. She neither looked at him again nor at Bai Yingqiong, instead lowering her head to review a file she had brought.

    However, as soon as Zhang Yuelu shifted her gaze, Lei Xiaohuan¡¯s attention moved over. ¡°Tian Yuan, you were the one who discovered Sage Bai¡¯s daughter. Repeat what happened at the time.¡±

    Qi Xuansu immediately stood up and repeated his earlier ount of how he noticed something amiss, followed the carriage, killed the Ghost King, and encountered Feng Bo on the way back.

    He omitted the part where he summoned Master Wan to kill Feng Bo, iming instead that Feng Bo encountered an old enemy and fought with thetter, which was how he managed to escape by sheer luck. He was also unaware of the identity of Feng Bo¡¯s opponent as it was too dark to make out anything, especially when the two Heavenly Beings were battling mid-air. At the time, his focus was on fleeing and not on identifying who confronted Feng Bo.

    This indirectly exined why Ye Xiu was suddenly apprehended.

    After hearing this, the way the attendees looked at Qi Xuansu subtly changed.

    If what he said was true, then his aplishments were significant. Whether it was killing the Ghost King or escaping from Feng Bo, it all indicated that Qi Xuansu was no ordinary person. He was young yet highly capable.

    Lei Xiaohuan raised her hand, signaling Qi Xuansu to sit down.

    At this moment, Zhang Yuelu added, ¡°Based on Superintendent Qi¡¯s ount, I sent some people to therge tomb outside the city and did indeed find some traces.¡±

    Pei Xiaolou asked, ¡°What traces?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°Some bloodstains, fragments of flesh and bone, remnants of clothing, and an eyeball.¡±

    Although Qi Xuansu had taken some measures, Feng Bo had been sted apart by Master Wan¡¯s punch. Inevitably, some of his body parts had scattered and avoided corrosion by the corpse qi. Since Qi Xuansu¡¯s attention had been focused on the magical receptacle he salvaged, he had overlooked some remnants.

    Pei Xiaolou probed, ¡°Can the identity be confirmed?¡±

    Zhang Yuelu answered, ¡°We can only confirm that this blood came from a Heavenly Being, possibly Feng Bo.¡±

    <i>The Daoist Order had four ssifications of people unrted to social status but based on cultivation levels. From highest to lowest, they were Immortals, Heavenly Beings, Xiantian Beings, and Houtian Beings.</i>

    <i>This ssification existed not to enforce hierarchy, but because the essence of their lives differed fundamentally.</i>

    <i>For example, Immortals could achieve eternal life, fly in the sky, and summon wind and rain¡ªabilities absolutely unattainable by ordinary people. Although Immortals still appeared human, their cores were entirely different. To put it bluntly, the difference between Immortals and ordinary people was greater than that between humans and mechanical creations.</i>

    <i>The same logic applied to the other three sses.</i>

    <i>Houtian Beings did notprehend the Dao. As they aged, their vitality diminished, and their spirit waned, leaving them gaunt and ashen, ultimately unable to escape death.</i>

    <i>Xiantian Beings might not understand the Dao, but they obtained various techniques and methods. With unwavering faith and diligence, their essence was purified, their form stabilized, and they remained untouched by worldly diseases.</i>

    <i>Heavenly Beings were half-Immortal, half-human. They could fly or transform into beasts, traverse the mortal realm unnoticed, or hide themselves entirely. They were often marked by unusual facial features or bodily hair resembling that of mythical beasts. They generally preferred solitude, avoiding worldly entanglements.</i>

    <i>Unusual facial features and bodily hair resembling that of mythical beasts often referred to Martial Arts Practitioners in the Heavenly-Being stage, as they could manifest a true form, which did not necessarily retain a basic human shape.</i>

    <i>Simrly, Qi Refiners and Diviners would also go through transformations, though theirs were less outwardly visible.</i>

    <i>There were legends of extending life by consuming the flesh and blood of great Buddhist figures. In reality, the blood and flesh of Heavenly Beings also possessed simr benefits, even enhancing cultivation. However, Heavenly Beings often held exalted positions during their lives. After death, their remains were managed by specialists from the Daoist Requiem Division, preventing desecration by lowly rogues.</i>

    <i>For this reason, Tiangang Hall could easily identify the blood and flesh fragments as belonging to a Heavenly Being. However, the Daoist Ordercked a blood sample from Feng Bo, making it impossible to confirm whether this Heavenly Being was indeed him.</i>

    Zhang Yuelu continued, ¡°Fortunately, we found an eyeball. Using tracing spells, we roughly reconstructed what it witnessed in its final moments.¡±

    ¡°What was it?¡± This time, Lei Xiaohuan asked the question herself.

    Zhang Yuelu replied, ¡°Since the eyeball wasn¡¯t intact, the reconstructed image was very blurry, with distorted perspectives and multiple ovepping shadows. Upon examination, it appeared to be a fist."

    Qi Xuansu let out a sigh of relief.

    A fist filled Feng Bo¡¯s entire field of vision in his final moments. With the unclear image and no reference points, it was hard to tell whether the fist was extraordinarilyrge or simply very close.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!