Chapter 205

"Daoist friend Li, greetings!"

Gu Hanzi stepped into the room, waved his large sleeves, performed a Daoist salute, and wore a smile, looking very amiable.

"Greetings, Daoist."

Although Li Yan had doubts in his heart, he still nodded and responded with a smile.

Most of the Daoists of the Ezhou Grand Void Gate came from the Zhenwu Palace on Mount Wudang.

They were skilled in martial arts and magic, somewhat similar to the Pure Yang Palace, and were the main force of the Mystic Sacrifice Office's Law Enforcement Hall.

Although Li Yan had fought side-by-side with them, they had no friendship. How could he not be suspicious of such enthusiastic hospitality?

Seeing the defense in his eyes, Gu Hanzi smiled slightly and didn't hide anything, saying, "At Shangjin Town, seeing that you and your friends had extraordinary skills, I contacted the Chang'an Chenghuangmiao and reviewed some intelligence."

"The evaluation from Shaanxi is very high. Whether it's the Chang'an and Xianyang City God Temples, or the Doumu and Pure Yang Palaces, they all speak highly of you, Daoist friend."

"Plus your identity, Daoist friend, we can be considered our own people."

"Daoist, you flatter me."

Li Yan said modestly, but he didn't think so in his heart.

His dealings with the Grand Void Gate in Shaanxi had gone smoothly largely because of Luo Mingzi's help.

And on Mount Huashan, if it hadn't been for a stroke of luck that prevented the disaster of the Drought Demon, his treatment after going up the mountain would likely have been no better than that of the heterodox sects.

He also knew a little about the history of the Grand Void Gate.

This matter involved the struggle between Buddhism and Daoism, and for thousands of years, there had been constant grievances. Even during the three Wu persecutions of Buddhism, the Daoist sects remained loose and scattered.

At the end of the Tang Dynasty, the world was in turmoil, and the Dao declined while the demonic grew.

However, the Daoist Dharma lineages across the Shenzhou acted independently, sometimes even fighting each other for the blessed lands.

To deal with the chaotic times, the Daoist sects of the world gathered on Mount Tai, and the Grand Void Gate emerged as a result. Since the Song Dynasty, it had completely become the leader of the Mystic Sects.

Even so, there were many factions within.

Even if he had some connections in Shaanxi, they were completely useless here in Ezhou. To be treated equally and not be caused trouble was already something to be thankful for.

To be so attentive—it would be a lie to say he wasn't worried.

Gu Hanzi smiled slightly and poured tea for the group, "Daoist friend Li, there is no need to worry. In fact, for a sorcerer like you who is on good terms with the Daoist sects and has extraordinary means, we will treat you with courtesy when you come to Ezhou."

"After all, there are many things where we can't do without your help. Many tasks of the Law Enforcement Hall will also be opened to you all by the Zhenwu Palace."

"Daoist, you are joking."

Li Yan frowned, "The martial arts and magic of the Zhenwu Palace are famous throughout the world. We are but heterodox sects; where would you need our help?"

Gu Hanzi sighed, shook his head, and said, "No matter how strong my Zhenwu Palace is, how many people do we have? Moreover, the situation in Ezhou is far more complex than you imagine, Daoist friend."

"Ezhou connects the north and south and is also a critical hub for the Mystic Sects. Further south, the Dharma lineages are prosperous, with countless large and small sects."

"Therefore, the Ezhou Mystic Sects have a pattern of 'Northern Orthodoxy, Southern Dharma, Eastern Zen, Western Dao.' To ensure the stability of the Shenzhou's Mystic Sects, many blessed lands are also handed over to the Dharma lineages to suppress."

"Also, the situation on Mount Wushan is complex and not controlled by the orthodox sects. Added to the natural barrier of the Shennongjia in the spine of Central Shenzhou, which separates the Shuzhong orthodox sects from my Zhenwu Palace, it is hard to stand alone."

"Oh, so that's how it is..."

Li Yan listened, his expression unchanged, but his heart skipped a beat.

Good heavens, the struggle between Buddhism and Daoism, the karma between the orthodox sects and the Dharma lineages—no matter which one it was, it was a massive whirlpool.

This guy... could he be trying to drag them into the water?

Thinking of this, Li Yan's expression became stern, and he said in a deep voice, "Daoist, we are but nameless nobodies, traveling the martial world to cultivate. We wouldn't dare get involved in these things."

Gu Hanzi was stunned, then laughed, "Daoist friend Li, you have misunderstood. Although the situation of the Mystic Sects is complex, there are rules."

"What should be done? Let alone you, even I am not qualified to participate. That is a matter for higher-level cultivators to consider."

"Oh?"

Li Yan was somewhat curious upon hearing this, "Apart from these, could it be that with your sect's power, there would still be trouble?"

Gu Hanzi nodded, "Not only is there, but it is also very large."

"The situation in Ezhou is very special, especially here in Yunyang Prefecture. It involves the mountain folk, the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect, various local chieftain offices, and some secret sorcerers in the Jingchu mountain area."

"Of course, the main issue now is still the mountain folk."

"Prefect Yuan of Yunyang advocates for a slow approach. Although it has been slow over the years, it has shown results, and many mountain folk have chosen to move out."

"But several imperial garrisons are stationed here in Yunyang. The military men have the support of the Ministry of War and are more willing to imitate the founding emperor, directly sealing the mountains to suppress and expel them, so as to avoid long-term stationing of troops and consuming national strength."

"Since last year, Prefect Yuan's health has been poor, his energy failing, and he has often been bedridden, gradually unable to suppress the garrisons..."

"Right now, the mountain folk and the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect have stirred up a major case, which also involves black-market gunpowder in various states. His Majesty is furious, and the Ministry of War is urgently dispatching garrisons from various places. A great chaos is inevitable..."

"The Yunyang Prefecture Chenghuangmiao, as well as the troops on Mount Wudang, are the foundation for suppressing all directions and preventing large-scale participation of the Mystic Sects. My Zhenwu Palace has issued a recall order to retract our forces to deal with this matter..."

"Because of this, some places are indeed not being taken care of, especially in Jingzhou and Unlike Yichang, where strange things are happening one after another. We can only distribute the tasks of the Law Enforcement Hall to other cultivators."

"You all can rest assured; these tasks do not involve sectarian struggles. Most are to exorcise evil and clear away darkness. After all, protecting the borders and the people, and warding off disasters and evil, is our primary duty."

"If evil spirits run rampant within our borders, it is also the fault of my Zhenwu Palace."

"Oh..."

Li Yan became interested after hearing this, "I wonder what the difficulty of these tasks is, and how the rewards are calculated?"

On Mount Huashan, they had used up nearly half of their savings, and along the way, they had been spending money. Even if they took on small jobs of exorcising evil, it was only enough for daily expenses.

Wanting to save enough capital for cultivation through this was harder than ascending to heaven.

Gu Hanzi listened and replied seriously, "The rewards are naturally related to the difficulty of the task. My Zhenwu Palace cannot offer too high a price, but after completing the task, you can be rewarded with items for cultivation."

"If the merit is sufficient, we will even open the 'Three Mystic Realms' to you all during the Wudang Dharma Assembly."

"What?"

Wang Daoxuan had been silent on the side, but upon hearing "Three Mystic Realms," his expression changed immediately.

Seeing Li Yan's confusion, he hurriedly explained, "The 'Three Mystic Realms' are three extraordinary spiritual apertures on Wudang, namely the 'Zhenwu Dragon Cave,' the 'Thunder Fire Refining Hall,' and the 'Purple Heaven Divine Lamp'."

"It is said that cultivating within them brings extraordinary opportunities."

"Divine Lamp, opportunity?"

Hearing this, unpleasant memories rose in Li Yan's heart.

That Huashan Divine Lamp had given him the Bai Di's affinity, extinguishing a soul fire. Although it was a mistake due to a misunderstanding, the benefits were mediocre.

The pillars of the Shen-Shen Tower had all turned metallic, making the tower more stable, but that was all.

He had the Luo Feng Mountain as his foundation, and the tower itself was stable, so this benefit was somewhat of a chicken rib...

Also, he had obtained the Bai Di's affinity, which gave him a bonus when using blades, but apart from the moment the Dust-Severing Blade was forged, it had never been triggered again...

Li Yan had a vague guess in his heart.

Originally, when absorbing the Bai Di's affinity, there was no need to resist at all; the innate Geng Metal qi of Huashan would merge into the Shen-Shen.

The only drawback was having to endure the pain of sharp blades piercing the soul.

Ordinary cultivators could only hold on for a few breaths.

But he, relying on the "Luo Feng Scripture" and the Great Luo Dharma Body, had forcibly endured it, not letting the innate Geng Metal qi merge with the Shen-Shen, and persisted for over an hour.

This massive power had nowhere to go.

Naturally, it merged with the tower. Trying to mobilize it had become extremely difficult.

Now hearing about some "Divine Lamp" and "affinity," he naturally doubted its effectiveness.

"Daoist Wang is very knowledgeable."

Gu Hanzi praised him and smiled, "The 'Zhenwu Dragon Cave' is below the Five Long Gong, built by imperial decree during the Zhenguan era, and was the head of the nine major palaces and temples on Mount Wudang at that time."

"It is rumored that there was a great drought in the world at that time, and the people of the Mystic Sects were ordered to pray for rain. Five dragons fell, turning into a dragon pool, and the Five Long Gong was built as a result."

"The 'Zhenwu Dragon Cave' is below the dragon pool. Entering it for seclusion, if one obtains the opportunity, one can comprehend martial arts. My sect's ancestor, Master Sanfeng, attained the Dao in the 'Zhenwu Dragon Cave'..."

"The Thunder Fire Refining Hall was built at the end of the Song and Jin dynasties and can draw the thunder of heaven. It is used both to suppress evil spirits and to cultivate the method of thunder and fire..."

"As for the Purple Heaven Divine Lamp, it is enshrined in the Purple Heaven Golden Hall and never goes out all year round. Cultivating and storing spirit within it is of great benefit!"

"These three realms correspond to technique, method, and martial arts respectively. They are the foundation of my Zhenwu Palace and are rarely opened to ordinary cultivators. If it weren't for the current situation... Daoist friend Li, you must not miss this."

Li Yan was somewhat moved after hearing this, especially by the "Zhenwu Dragon Cave" and the "Thunder Fire Refining Hall," but he shook his head, "Such an opportunity would certainly not be released casually. The task must not be simple..."

!.

"Daoist friend Li is right."

Gu Hanzi said with a solemn expression, "Wind and rain are coming to Ezhou, and some demons and monsters are stirring. Some are indeed dangerous."

"For example, on Mount Qinglong, not far from Yunyang, there have been rumors of strange beasts appearing recently, and people often disappear for no reason. Now no one dares to go into the mountains. The Law Enforcement Hall sent disciples to investigate, but they found nothing."

"Yunyang Prefecture has many affairs, and we cannot have people guarding it all the time, so a Daoist friend from the Meishan Dharma lineage took the task."

"They are hunters in the mountains and are most skilled at dealing with strange beasts, but this trip also resulted in their disappearance."

"After all, Mount Qinglong is not far from Yunyang, so this task has been raised. Upon completion, one can be rewarded with two thousand taels of silver and a token to enter the 'Three Mystic Realms'."

"With this token, one can choose any of the Three Mystic Realms to contemplate once."

Li Yan lost interest upon hearing this.

The hunters of the Meishan Dharma lineage had disappeared, so one could imagine the danger. What was more troublesome was having to guard in the mountains; they didn't have the time to stay there indefinitely.

And these Three Mystic Realms—they sounded mysterious, but they were only difficult for ordinary cultivators to enter. Zhenwu Palace disciples and those with connections had probably already cultivated until they were sick of it.

Whether one could obtain an opportunity was another matter.

Using these virtual things, plus two thousand taels, to make Dharma lineage experts risk their lives, and with no return—it was simply like a business with no capital.

Thinking of this, he asked, "What other tasks are there?"

Gu Hanzi was clearly prepared and took out a booklet from his bosom, "All the tasks that have been reported are written in this booklet. No matter which one you complete, Daoist friend, you can go to the local Chenghuangmiao to report, and naturally, someone will verify it."

As he spoke, he hesitated and said, "There is one task, however, that I must ask you to help with."

"Daoist, please speak."

"In Dangyang County, Jingzhou, there is Mount Zigai, one of the seventy-two blessed lands. It is managed by the Zhushan Sect of the Dharma lineage, the Lu Sect of Buddhism, and the Grand Void Gate, each occupying one side."

"Since last year, Daoists from the Zhenwu Palace on Mount Zigai have died one after another. The report from there says it was a normal death, but my junior brother Feng Lingzi sent a secret letter saying there is something strange in the palace, and he is investigating secretly."

"It has been nearly a month, and no secret letter has been sent back. I am very worried, but I cannot get away."

"Moreover, the three parties govern it together. If the Law Enforcement Hall enters with great fanfare, it might cause misunderstandings. I ask you to help investigate what exactly has happened."

"Dangyang, Jingzhou?"

Li Yan was lost in thought and nodded, "Very well, I happen to be heading to Unlike Yichang. After finishing, I can stop by to investigate, but if I detect danger, I will withdraw."

Gu Hanzi nodded, "That is natural. Just find out what happened, and we will handle the rest."

With this relationship, Lu San's matter was no longer a problem.

Gu Hanzi promised that as long as the Commandant's Office withdrew the arrest warrant, the Daoist certificate could be processed that day without waiting.

After leaving the Chenghuangmiao, the two headed toward the Commandant's Office.

Somewhat different from Chang'an, the Yunyang Commandant's Office had been aimed at the mountain folk from the beginning. For the convenience of mobilization, the address was near the Yunyang Prefecture Office.

And the Yunyang Prefecture Office was in the center of the city.

Not long after, the two arrived at the gate of the Prefecture Office, only to see a dense crowd gathered in the square.

They were all wearing black headscarves, dressed in coarse blue cloth clothes with printed patterns, and some even had silver bracelets on their hands and feet. They sat or lay down, staring at the surrounding government soldiers without the slightest fear.

On the surrounding streets, many Yunyang commoners had already gathered.

They whispered to each other, their eyes full of schadenfreude.

"Lost again?"

"It must be lost; it's been lost for years in a row..."

Li Yan was puzzled. After asking a little, he knew the reason.

These were all Tujia people from western Ezhou. To facilitate management, the previous dynasty established the chieftain system, appointing chieftains and local officials to manage themselves.

Ethnic minorities within the Shenzhou and on the borders basically used this method, which had continued to the present.

Local chieftains were not only responsible for tax collection but also for regular tribute.

Those before them were all Tujia people under the command of the Tang Ya Chieftain Tan. They were responsible for escorting tax grain to Yunyang, but it had been robbed by water bandits on the way.

But the strange thing was here: they had been robbed for several years in a row, and even the tribute destined for the capital had been robbed clean.

Anyone could see that this was a thief crying "stop thief."

The root of this matter was a policy proposed by the current emperor a few years ago: "changing the chieftain system to direct government administration," ending the chieftain system and having the imperial court send people to manage it.

Because of this, chieftains everywhere were filled with indignation, either submitting petitions for mercy or bribing high-ranking officials in the capital to plead for them.

In short, it had been dragging on and had never been accomplished.

And this robbery of tax grain was clearly an expression of dissatisfaction.

"This Yunyang Prefecture is truly a tangled mess..."

Wang Daoxuan and Li Yan looked at each other, shook their heads slightly, and walked toward an alley near the Prefecture Office.

That was where the Commandant's Office was located.

The Commandant's Office had a fierce reputation. Let alone restaurants or teahouses, even ordinary commoners were unwilling to live nearby; most were owned by members of the Commandant's Office.

At the gate, Li Yan asked someone to report for them.

Soon, a tall, red-faced man with a sturdy build strode out and bowed sternly, "Greetings, little hero Li."

Li Yan had also seen this person; he was the Company Commander Wang under Battalion Commander Huang. He was from Jiaozhou, skilled with dual blades, extremely brave, and could be considered a confidant of Battalion Commander Huang.

Li Yan poked his head in to look, "Battalion Commander Huang is not here?"

Company Commander Wang shook his head, "Battalion Commander Huang caught a cold in the mountains and is now bedridden at home, not at the office."

"However, the two of you can rest assured; your matter has already been ordered by the Battalion Commander to be handled. I have already verified it with Chang'an, and it can be revoked. It will be fine by tomorrow, and official documents will be sent to various places."

"Many thanks!"

Li Yan immediately bowed in thanks and asked casually, "Is the Battalion Commander alright?"

Company Commander Wang said meaningfully, "It's not a serious illness; perhaps after this period of time, he will be fine."

"Oh."

Li Yan understood instantly and immediately bowed to leave.

(End of chapter)