Chapter 321: Face ashen

Compared to the previously visited Jinping County, the capital was undoubtedly a hundred, a thousand times more bustling and prosperous.

The city gate was a constant stream of carriages and horses, with countless commoners coming and going. Yet at this moment, even the busiest messengers couldn't help but stop in their tracks, turning their heads one after another to look at the group of people on the road.

Leading the way was a tall, sturdy horse, upon which sat a tall martial artist wearing a bamboo hat, with a massive wolf head hanging by the saddle.

And following behind him were, surprisingly, two stone horses, with a Daoist priest sitting on their backs.

The people of the capital all knew these two stone horses.

Yet these stone horses, which in the past were unruly and would charge wildly through the busy streets, were now extremely docile, taking only steady and heavy steps as they carried the Daoist into the capital.

Not to mention anything else, the mere sight of the stone horses and the Daoist was enough to make those entering the capital for the first time feel it was miraculous and exclaim that they were immortals.

Along the way, people were whispering to one another.

"Which immortal is that descending to the mortal realm?"

"Where did this immortal come from? Why is there such a large wolf head hanging on the horse's back?"

"That is Daoist Lin from the Ju Xian Fu. Some time ago, yaoguai occupied a human city. The commoners who escaped from Jinping County ran to the capital to beg the imperial court to send troops. Daoist Lin, along with Master Fan, Lord Pan, and several Daoist priests from Zhen Jian Gong, went to eliminate the yaoguai. This must be them returning from the extermination!"

"Ah? Occupied a human city? What kind of yaoguai could be so rampant?"

"And that's not all! I heard that as soon as this yaoguai entered the city, it devoured all the officials, and even the soldiers were eaten. The commoners in the city were all kept in captivity just like pigs, dogs, cattle, and sheep!"

"Is there no heavenly principle or law left?"

"Sigh..."

"Do the immortals not care?"

"Isn't that the immortal right there?"

"..."

Various whispers mingled together, and no one could hear clearly.

Everyone was greatly astonished, shocked, and curious.

Living in this era, the world was becoming increasingly chaotic, and yaoguai and ghosts were becoming more numerous. They had heard many stories about yaoguai, and many had even seen the "foxes" in the city with their own eyes, or heard stories of yaoguai extermination—perhaps even occurring in an alley not far from their homes or at a neighbor's house. But how many had seen a high-level yaoguai exterminator return with such a bloody and ferocious yaoguai head after the deed?

This was the reason why some rumors and stories could not be distinguished as true or false, and why some high-level experts and strange people could not be verified.

Not to mention that this yaoguai was a great yaoguai capable of occupying a human city and devouring officials and soldiers.

People kept gathering, exclaiming and watching.

Many simply followed the group.

From afar, some knelt on the ground, truly regarding them as immortal experts. Others, bold and meddlesome, crowded forward to ask Ma Shidi, Wan Xinrong, and the others walking at the back:

"Are you few immortals truly returning from eliminating yaoguai in Jinping County?"

"Indeed!"

Wan Xinrong, also riding a horse, turned his head to answer.

"Is that the only yaoguai? What kind of abilities did it have? How did you immortals eliminate the yaoguai?" The man, seeing that Wan Xinrong's image was approachable and easy to talk to, asked in succession.

"Naturally, there is more than just this one yaoguai! This is merely the general and leader among the yaoguai. There were over two hundred yaoguai, large and small. We could not bring them all back, so we took the head of this great yaoguai and brought it back to the capital, so that the commoners from Jinping County who fled to the capital could be at ease, and also so that the demons, ghosts, and yaoguai near the capital would know that even if they have cultivation, and even if the world is not peaceful, they cannot act recklessly!"

What Wan Xinrong said was almost exactly what they had already said:

"As for how we eliminated the yaoguai? Naturally, we and Daoist Lin used our cultivation and magical arts, plus the three Daoist priests from Zhen Jian Gong invited the divine power of the Celestial Soldiers to eliminate the yaoguai together!"

"Hiss..."

Some commoners were amazed and satisfied, unable to imagine what that scene was like, while others were puzzled.

"Isn't it said that the Daoist priests from Guanxing Gong also invited divine soldiers and generals, and that Master Fan was also outside the city day and night praying to the gods to assist you few? Did you high-level experts see the divine soldiers and generals they invited?"

"We did not see them." After Wan Xinrong finished speaking, he felt something was wrong and added, "Perhaps they didn't have time to arrive."

"Are those two stone horses under Daoist Lin's seat the same two that were originally at the entrance of Guanxing Gong?"

"Exactly."

"Why would Daoist Lin ride the stone horses from the entrance of Guanxing Gong? Could it be that the Daoist priests of Guanxing Gong lent them to Daoist Lin to eliminate the yaoguai?"

Even though these commoners were bold and meddlesome, they only dared to question Wan Xinrong and Ma Shidi. As for Daoist Lin, who sat on the back of the stone horse in front, he looked simply like an immortal. In their view, such an immortal could only be viewed with awe from afar, or worshipped, and could not be offended lightly. And the martial artist at the very front, riding the tall horse, wearing a bamboo hat, and hanging the wolf head, had too heavy a malevolent aura, and the other female Daoist priest in all white did not look easy to approach, so they only dared to ask these few.

But when asked this question, Wan Xinrong could not answer, nor did he dare to answer lightly, only glancing toward the front.

Yet unexpectedly, the two stone horses in front actually stopped their steps.

The Daoist on the horse's back turned his head.

Clearly, the Daoist's expression was not stern, yet the commoner who asked the question still couldn't help but feel awe rise from within, and hurriedly averted his gaze.

Only a calm voice was heard:

"If the Daoist priests of Guanxing Gong truly had the virtue and ability to eliminate yaoguai, these two stone horses would not have left them."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an immediate uproar.

Guanxing Gong had been rooted in the capital for many years and was already the largest and most authoritative temple in the hearts of the commoners. Even merchants from very far away, and even merchants from outside the territory who came to the capital, would go to Guanxing Gong to offer incense.

Why would this Daoist Lin say such a thing?

But thinking about it carefully, in recent years, Guanxing Gong had indeed always been high and mighty, rarely eliminating yaoguai.

The group gradually passed through the city gate.

Even the guards at the gate did not dare to stop them, bowing their heads one after another, respectfully calling them "Daoist" and "high-level expert."

And the streets in the city were lined with commoners.

Some saw the group and the hanging wolf head, were surprised for a moment, and then walked away quickly, not knowing if they were going to call friends and family to come and watch, or to report to the Ministry of Rites, or to inform Guanxing Gong. Lord Luo's eyes saw them all clearly, but he said nothing. Suddenly, another group of people appeared in front.

Looking closely, they were a group of commoners dressed in coarse hemp cloth. As soon as they saw them and the huge wolf head hanging on the saddle, they immediately knelt in a mass on the streets of the capital.

Cries of wailing, thanks, and flattery rang out in unison.

The group also stopped immediately.

These were the commoners of Jinping County.

Many Daoists lowered their heads, while the commoners raised theirs, looking at each other.

Lin Jue suddenly realized in his heart that the greatest significance of eliminating yaoguai probably lay in these places.

Passing through the city all the way.

From the entrance of the capital, walking all the way to the South Gate, they passed through the most prosperous and largest street in the entire capital, which was also the Heavenly Street that divided the entire capital into east and west parts.

Countless commoners saw it with their own eyes.

=9+Book_Bar

And the group stopped again.

"Daoist friend Lin, we are returning to the Daoist temple, let us part ways here." Daoist Jiang sat on the horse's back, looking at him calmly.

"Good! Take care, Daoist friend!" Lin Jue said.

"Take care, Daoist brother." Ma Shidi also said.

"As I said before, your actions, Daoist friend, may have been unintentional in helping us, but you have done our Husheng Husheng Zhenjun a great favor. Calculating carefully, you have helped us three times already. My Husheng Husheng Zhenjun's promise will not change. If you have any needs in the future, Daoist friend, just come to Zhen Jian Gong to find me." Daoist Jiang paused, "Especially when contending with gods."

"Good!"

"Farewell." Daoist Jiang said, but couldn't help but pause again, continuing to raise his eyes to look at him, "Zhen Jian Gong is not far from the capital. We don't have many old friends in the capital. If you have time, please come to visit often."

"I certainly will!"

Lin Jue promised.

Daoist Jiang pursed his lips and said no more, riding away. Ma Shidi also bowed to him, and to everyone else, following him away.

Everyone looked at Lin Jue.

"Let's all return as well."

Lin Jue turned the stone horse around and walked back.

To return to his own small courtyard, he had to pass by the office of Ju Xian Fu, and the office of Ju Xian Fu was right next to Guanxing Gong.

Originally, there was a small alley that could bypass Guanxing Gong, but Lin Jue did not take it. Instead, he led the group, riding the stone horses of Guanxing Gong, with the yaoguai's wolf head hanging, and walked straight toward the entrance of Guanxing Gong.

Lord Pan behind him originally lived in the same courtyard as him, so naturally, he accompanied him.

Wan Xinrong followed without hesitation.

Only Daoist Tao and the others did not live in this area. The two of them rode Lord Luo's other two horses, looking at each other.

Although they had only set out for a few short days to eliminate yaoguai in Jinping County, they were not fools. Even if they didn't fully understand the hidden circumstances, they should have heard from their words that not only the three Daoist priests of Zhen Jian Gong, but even this Daoist Lin, were probably at odds with Guanxing Gong.

Daoist Lin first said that Guanxing Gong had not eliminated yaoguai, and then specifically brought the yaoguai head to pass by the entrance of Guanxing Gong, and was also riding their original stone horses. There must be a deep meaning in this.

If they accompanied him, it would obviously be interpreted by others as having a different meaning.

Daoist Tao was silent for a moment, but still followed.

At this moment, he believed in Daoist Lin's virtue.

And that person was even more direct, only feeling that following Daoist Lin had gained him fame and profit, and that he would be able to gain fame and profit in the future. Feeling that he had a future, he followed with a grin.

The stone horses stepped on the floor, the sound very loud.

The commoners' discussions were equally boisterous.

"Boom, boom..."

The somewhat old bluestone slabs were directly crushed, and some unstable slabs would tilt up, splashing muddy water.

Naturally, none of it splashed onto the Daoists.

The entrance of Guanxing Gong was still filled with many commoners, but besides the commoners, a group of Daoists also stood there.

These Daoists were all silent, watching with their own eyes as Lin Jue rode the stone horses originally from the entrance of Guanxing Gong, hanging the wolf head of the yaoguai general, and passed in front of them in such a conspicuous way.

Lin Jue turned his head to look at them, expressionless.

Since he dared to say such things to the commoners about Guanxing Gong being without virtue or ability, and dared to ride their stone horses through the streets, he had thoroughly recognized their true faces and had thoroughly broken with them.

Since that was the case, Lin Jue naturally was not afraid of them coming to ask him for the two stone horses again.

Lord Luo lifted the wolf head and held it high to signal to them.

The stone horses didn't even glance at them.

"Boom, boom..."

The group walked past.

The Daoists of Guanxing Gong had ashen faces.

(End of chapter)