Chapter 414: Meeting the Green-Robed Daoist Again

The car made a sharp turn, its tires kicking up a cloud of dust on the dirt road.

He Yuzhu chose not to have a direct confrontation with the green-robed Daoist—the top priority was to report the situation to Tian Dan immediately.

He gripped the steering wheel tightly and sped back along the road he had come from.

"What's wrong with you? Why is your face changing colors?" Lin Wanning asked, noticing his unusual expression.

He Yuzhu did not answer, focusing only on driving.

Not until the flying eaves and arched beams of Baiyun Temple were no longer visible in the rearview mirror did he say in a low voice, "Did you see the green-robed Daoist who came to greet Zhao Yichen?"

"I saw him, what about it?"

"That man's Kung Fu is very formidable," He Yuzhu said.

"Do you suspect he and Zhao Yichen are accomplices?" Lin Wanning asked with some worry.

He Yuzhu shook his head: "Not necessarily. But this old Daoist loves to meddle in other people's business; a few years ago, I was almost killed by him! If he helps these secret agents this time, I won't let him off!"

"Didn't you say he was very formidable? How would you win?" Lin Wanning asked, puzzled.

"I was still young then, and didn't have the skills I do now. Also, I was brainwashed by him that time!" He Yuzhu smiled.

"We're bound to meet Tian Dan later, do you think I should see her?" Lin Wanning asked the question she cared about most.

He Yuzhu thought for a moment and said, "Better not. Tell me what you learned from Zhao Yichen, and I will report it to her."

Lin Wanning nodded and began, "I suspect the two of them are going to gather those escaped leaders of the I-Kuan Tao, use them to reconnect with the followers, and incite them to oppose the new regime..."

Lin Wanning then recounted the news she had obtained from Zhao Yichen one by one, much of which was her own analysis and speculation.

Before she could finish speaking, the silhouette of a motorcade appeared in the distance—Tian Dan's troops had arrived.

He Yuzhu struck like lightning, chopping at the back of Lin Wanning's neck with his palm.

She let out a muffled groan and slumped onto the seat.

He quickly tucked her into his space, then stepped on the gas and headed toward Tian Dan's motorcade.

The two vehicles stopped side-by-side on the roadside. Tian Dan stepped out of her car, pulled He Yuzhu aside, and lowered her voice: "What's going on? Why was the contact a Daoist?"

He Yuzhu shook his head: "I also found it quite strange, but I figured it out later—they are all remnants of the I-Kuan Tao."

"Where is Lin Wanning? Why couldn't she come to see me in person?" Tian Dan said.

"I was afraid you would detain her directly," He Yuzhu met her gaze frankly. "If that happened, I would have broken my word to her."

"Tell me the specific details of the meeting!" Tian Dan got straight to the point.

He Yuzhu nodded: "The real person in charge got off the car early. According to Lin Wanning's speculation, he came here to use the remnants of the I-Kuan Tao to cause trouble..."

After hearing this, Tian Dan's expression sank instantly.

He Yuzhu felt a tightness in his chest and asked hurriedly, "Dan, did we do something wrong?"

"It's not your problem." Tian Dan shook her head, her brow furrowed with gravity. "Two years ago, we cracked down hard on the I-Kuan Tao; they had as many as several million followers. In some places, entire villages had joined the sect... After the crackdown, we arrested hundreds of key leaders and executed dozens, which finally calmed things down. But a centipede dies but never falls; the remnants are still stirring in the shadows. If a true master is really leading them again, this matter is troublesome. Suppressing them is already beyond my jurisdiction; I must report this upward..."

He Yuzhu let out a long breath: "There is another piece of trouble. I saw a Daoist at Baiyun Temple just now whose Kung Fu is unfathomable. I reckon that the Bald Party sent people over with a clear goal—to win over this green-robed Daoist and use his Kung Fu to pull off some 'attaining magic through the Dao' scam."

"How high is his level of Kung Fu?" Tian Dan raised an eyebrow.

"From ten meters away, he can dodge pistol bullets. His speed should be three to five times that of a Kung Fu expert."

"Even you can't subdue him?" Tian Dan pressed.

"Back in '48, I had a bout with him, which ended in a draw," He Yuzhu recalled. "But neither of us used lethal force back then. In a real life-or-death struggle, it's hard to say if he has any hidden trump cards."

Tian Dan pursed her lips and looked toward the distant Baiyun Temple.

"If such a leader emerges within the I-Kuan Tao, they could make a comeback very quickly," Tian Dan said with some worry.

"That green-robed Daoist doesn't seem to have any fondness for the Bald Party," He Yuzhu comforted her. "I'm just afraid that Zhao Yichen and his lot will spread rumors... and brainwash the green-robed Daoist."

Tian Dan pondered for a moment and asked, "What does the person you met with want to do next?"

"They want to see Hu Yongan. The time is set for ten o'clock tomorrow morning, and they want us to pick them up," He Yuzhu reported truthfully.

Tian Dan pondered for a moment and waved her hand: "You go back. I need to deploy troops to set up a defense here. You come over on time tomorrow."

"Understood." He Yuzhu nodded and turned to get into his car.

Amidst the roar of the engine, the Jeep drove into the deepening twilight.

At the same time, at Baiyun Temple.

Zhao Yichen stood in a quiet side room, tears streaming down his face as he spoke to the green-robed Daoist: "Uncle-Master, if this continues, our Daoism will truly perish! I've been preaching in the south, and wherever I go, work teams follow me, endlessly subjecting me to ideological work. What kind of situation is this? Many Daoist temples have had their land confiscated, and the Daoists are all skin and bones. It breaks my heart to see it, Uncle-Master, you cannot just stand by..."

The green-robed Daoist stood with his back to him, slowly inserting three sticks of incense into the burner.

Wisps of blue smoke rose, swirling around the statues of the Three Pure Ones without dissipating.

His cold voice came from within the smoke: "Zhao Yichen, stop your alarmist talk here. I have eyes and ears; I can see and hear. It is true that many Daoist temples had their land divided by the common people, but that land was originally offerings from the believers. It's just that many Daoists were used to being landlords and collecting rent, and now that the good days are over, they aren't used to supporting themselves!"

"Uncle-Master, you are in Beijing, so naturally you don't understand the hardships in the south..." Zhao Yichen tried to continue.

"Didn't you and Sun Daoyan run off to the island? Don't think I don't know." The green-robed Daoist suddenly turned around. "Why have you come back?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yichen's face changed drastically, and he could only tell the truth: "Sun Daoyan heard that Sun Suzhen had met with misfortune and wanted to come back to save her..."

The green-robed Daoist sneered: "Right and wrong cannot coexist; don't expect me to sympathize with Sun Suzhen of the I-Kuan Tao. Her ways have nothing to do with our Daoism at all. I will not get involved in your affairs, and I advise you not to persist in your errors..."

Zhao Yichen opened his mouth, but the words died on his lips, intimidated by the Daoist's sharp gaze.

When He Yuzhu returned home, it was already completely dark.

As soon as he pushed open the door, a feather duster came down on him, hitting him squarely in the face.

"You little bastard, give me an honest account!" Shen Guizhi scolded with her hands on her hips. "Last night, was the person staying with you a man or a woman?"