In the gloomy and quiet room, there was only one lit oil lamp. Suddenly, a gust of wind appeared, and along with the wind, a speck of spiritual light appeared from the ground.
With a flash of light, he returned to his physical body. The moment he returned to his physical body, he frowned. His expression was solemn. With just a thought, a five-petaled Plum Blossom appeared, emitting a faint glow. Following this glow, traces of Imperial Qi could be seen emanating from his physical body.
This Dragon Qi was as thin as a strand of hair. It drilled in and out like a snake, not stopping for a moment as it attempted to leave a mark on the Dao foundation.
"Is this the price of using Dragon Qi?" The plum blossom spun and Dragon Qi was gradually squeezed out.
"Pu!" Pei Zi Yun spat out a mouthful of blood. After spitting out the blood, he felt much more relaxed. He then took a deep breath and mumbled to himself, "The Earth Immortal from Dark Altar Sect didn't lie to me. I have the Plum Blossom's protection, and the Imperial Qi has also seeped into my body. If it were any other ordinary Daoist, they would have been corroded by the Imperial Qi within a few months."
"Actually, it's not that bad. It's just that I can't break away from the Dragon Qi anymore."
"No wonder since ancient times, the Daoists have always been afraid of the Dragon Qi and could not accept it. But now, it is a trump card. As long as I use it carefully, I can surprise the Earth Immortal."
"Furthermore, they've planted a chess piece this time. In the previous life, Xie Chengdong and Dark Altar Sect weren't of the same mind. It's just that Xie Chengdong's success has sealed the gap between them."
"As of now, all sorts of manipulations have been made against Dark Altar Sect. Some of them have already been done, while others haven't. But as long as the Earth Immortals were to investigate, the results would be shocking."
"This is a venomous snake in hiding. What would Dark Altar Sect think then?"
"No matter what, it's all good for me. Weakening Xie Chengdong's strength is an open scheme."
"I'm really looking forward to the Earth Immortal's face after his investigation. I'm also looking forward to the possibility of him sending someone to contact me. This means that Xie Cheng Dong and Dark Altar Sect have already separated, and are now enemies."
Boom!
Pei Zi Yun pushed open the door and looked up into the sky. The sky was dark and gloomy, and it looked like it was about to rain.
The guard at the door heard the sound of the door opening and bowed to Pei Zi Yun, "True Sovereign, the magistrate has just come to report that the monastery has been cleaned out. He asked us to wait for True Sovereign to come out and report to him."
"You're out so quickly?" Hearing the guard's words, Pei Zi Yun paused before saying, "Bring me to the magistrate."
"Yes, Perfected Immortal." The two guards led Pei Zi Yun into the main hall. There was a table in the middle of the hall, and rows of officials were registering people. The table was filled with gold, silver, copper coins, and other valuables. With one glance, one could tell that there were at least a few thousand taels of silver.
The County Magistrate saw that Pei Zi Yun had arrived and hurriedly welcomed him. He then invited him to take a seat and reported, "We've already counted out five hundred taels of gold and four thousand six hundred taels of silver. That's about ten thousand taels of silver and five hundred mu of farmland. The rest of the valuables are not included."
"It's just a Daoist temple, but it's actually a place of great wealth. These Daoist sects are really the country's parasites, taking away the country's bloodline."
Just as the County Magistrate was speaking, he realized that the Imperial Envoy in front of him was a Daoist sect as well. Realizing that he had said something wrong, he hurriedly said, "Your excellency Imperial Envoy, please forgive me. Your excellency Imperial Envoy, please forgive me."
Pei Zi Yun took a rough look at the amount of farmland and the amount of gold and silver. It was just that he had investigated before and knew that there was more to it than that. He knew that he had embezzled some money, but didn't care. He then cleared his throat and said, "That's all."
It wasn't wise to pursue these matters too deeply. He then heard the County Magistrate say, "Your excellency has issued an order to the Imperial Envoy to reward every participant with ten taels of silver. That's three thousand taels of silver. Those who died in battle will receive a hundred taels of silver. That's seven thousand taels of silver.
"I know your difficulties, but it's easy to solve." Pei Zi Yun waved his hands to stop him, thinking to himself that these officials really wanted to take advantage of everything. He then said, "The statue of the Daoist temple has to be dismantled, but the temple itself will not be dismantled. Even if it's as you've said, five hundred mu of farmland would be worth at least five thousand taels of silver."
"Those who are injured cannot just be given money. Convert it to farmland, and there will be a rental fee."
"That's more than enough. I'm not counting the other valuables. Furthermore, I've issued an order to the Imperial Envoy, and have five thousand taels of silver as compensation. Can't I do it?"
"Everyone fought together and killed the bandits. I know it's tough, but all of you, the County Magistrate and the County Magistrate, will write a memorial to the bandits. This business isn't a loss at all."
The County Magistrate laughed and said softly, "And your excellency …."
"I'll pass, I'm different from you guys." Pei Zi Yun said plainly. He had a thousand mu of farmland on the mainland, and five thousand mu of farmland on the island. He had twenty thousand taels of silver on hand, and a hundred and thirty thousand taels of gold hidden away. Although he didn't have much in the open, he wasn't worried about money.
He wasn't prepared to take any more money, and be in cahoots with them. He swept his gaze across the room, and noticed a few secret manuals. He picked one and flipped through it casually. He then waved his hands and said, "You guys continue to check, don't worry about me!"
He then continued reading the book.
"Yes …."
With the Imperial Envoy around, the County Magistrate was extremely uneasy. He sat on his chair and looked at Pei Zi Yun. Pei Zi Yun was reading the book intently. Compared to Free Cloud Sect, Dark Altar Sect's Dao Arts were much more exquisite. The foundation of Dark Altar Sect was different from Free Cloud Sect's. The foundation of Dark Altar Sect was only slightly different from Free Cloud Sect's. However, the amount of Qi they could refine would increase by ten percent every day. This resulted in a shorter foundation period. He couldn't help but sigh, "It's indeed a thousand year Dao Meridian."
He then looked at the Daoist official who was sorting out the books. This Daoist official had his head lowered, and didn't even look at the more advanced parts. Pei Zi Yun was bewildered. He then threw the book in his hands onto the pile of valuables and asked, "Why are you only looking at the basics?"
The young Daoist official was copying the book. When he heard this, he smiled, "True Sovereign, we are Daoist officials. Opening the gates of heaven and above is useless to us."
"Useless?" Pei Zi Yun paused, and then realized something. The foundation of Dark Altar Sect relied on the human body to refine Qi, and thus had some value to the Daoist official. Above the gates of heaven, all cultivators had to rely on spiritual Qi. Without Paradise or Paradise, it would be useless. Furthermore, they were Daoist officials, and their foundations would be corroded by the Imperial Qi. In the future, they would only be able to follow orders. No wonder they didn't even glance at the books.
However, the books in front of him were of great value to him. He took a few steps closer and paused, "Legacy, there's a Legacy here?"
"Eh?" He then looked at the book.
The Daoist official was taking notes by the side when he looked up. Pei Zi Yun looked at it and took out a small seal. It looked like a lion's button, and was a Legacy that he hadn't seen for a long time. Dark Altar Sect was a Daoist sect that had existed for a thousand years. How many Daoist Legacies did they have?
Pei Zi Yun held onto the small seal and smiled to himself. Luckily he had paid attention to it. If not, he would have missed out on a treasure trove. He then asked, "All these books and items, are they kept in the Dao Records Department?"
The Daoist official stopped writing and nodded his head, "Yes, Daoist Master. All these books and items are kept in the Dao Records Department."
Pei Zi Yun was overjoyed as he ordered the Daoist official, "I shall leave the Imperial Envoy's post. Make a copy of all these books and items for me."
"Also, bring over these Daoist treasures as well. I have a use for them." He then picked up his brush and pondered for a moment before writing several lines of words on a piece of paper. He then asked the Imperial Envoy to stamp his seal on it before handing it over to the Daoist official.
The Daoist official paused, but still obeyed the order.
Seeing that things were coming to an end, the Magistrate heaved a sigh of relief. Pei Zi Yun then said, "The confiscation of property and compensation to the bereaved is your authority. You don't have to ask me. It's better for each of you to submit your own memorials."
As he spoke, he started writing a memorial to the Daoist official, detailing the events that had transpired. He then thought for some time before saying, "I feel that since Dark Altar Sect has a thousand year Dao Meridian, their strength is not to be underestimated. Since Xie Cheng Dong is the main supporter of King Lu, we can try to get in touch with them. First, we can sow discord between Dark Altar Sect and King Lu. After we kill Xie Cheng Dong and quell the chaos in the North, it won't be too late to deal with Dark Altar Sect then."
When he finished writing, "Follow the procedure and report this to the officials!"
"Have a good rest today. Tomorrow morning, we shall make our way to Cheng Yuan County."
"Yes, Dao Master!" The Daoist official replied loudly.
Grand Princess' Mansion
As the sun rose, the Grand Princess woke up early in the morning. A serving maid was waiting on her dressing table. She applied some makeup and combed her long hair. An old granny then instructed her to bring a set of clothes.
"Has the Princess woken up?" The Grand Princess asked. The old granny hurriedly replied, "Yes, Princess. The Princess has woken up and is practicing the guqin in the garden."
"However, the Princess's body is weak. Arrange for someone to follow her and arrange for some time for her to practice. After all, the Imperial Physician has instructed that the Princess is depressed. It would be beneficial for her to do something she likes."
"Phew!" The Grand Princess exhaled deeply before a smile appeared on her face, "Whatever Qianye likes to do, she should do it. As a mother, how can I not love my daughter? However, you are all very meticulous. She cannot practice the guqin for too long. You have to control your time."
"If she doesn't listen, report it to me."
"Yes, Princess." The old granny acknowledged.
Flowers were in full bloom as the Canton Princess sat in the middle of the pavilion. She stretched out her fingers and played the guqin. As the music played, many butterflies started to dance around her.
After some time, the Canton Princess stopped playing. A butterfly landed on her fingertip.
"Eh, it's you again. I've finished playing the guqin. I'm going to have breakfast. You guys go too." The Canton Princess spoke to the butterfly on her fingertip.
The butterflies around the Canton Princess were reluctant to part with her as they slowly left.
When it was time for the dining table, it was filled with delicacies. Just looking at it was enough to whet one's appetite.
However, the Canton Princess's body was still weak. She took a bowl of bird's nest soup and ate it. She wasn't satisfied and ordered some spring rolls.
Her actions were noticed by the Grand Princess and she spoke out, "Qianye, your appetite has increased these few days …"
The Canton Princess nodded her head in embarrassment, "Yes, I've been feeling hungry for the past few days. I want to eat more."
The Grand Princess picked up a spring roll for her daughter and passed it to her, "That's a good thing. However, you can't eat too much at one time. It's easy to hurt your stomach."
Not long ago, her daughter was on the verge of death. Now, she was recovering rapidly and her appetite had increased. It had only been ten days, but her face was much rosier than before. The Grand Princess took a sip of the bird's nest soup and nodded her head. She was both sad and gratified, "Ai, girls tend to be outgoing. When a girl grows up, she can't control her mother anymore."
Speaking of the matter of Qian Ye faking her death, others could hide it, but the Emperor and the Crown Prince couldn't. If they did, they would be in big trouble. The Grand Princess couldn't help but think of Pei Zi Yun and how she reported the matter to the Emperor about Qian Ye.
The Emperor was silent for some time before he said, "Forget it. This is not a bad thing."
The Grand Princess couldn't help but shake her head as she thought to herself, 'Perhaps it's a good thing that Pei Zi Yun is retreating now.'
'Otherwise, even if Qianye were to follow him, she wouldn't have a good ending. '
Just as she was thinking about this, a female official stepped forward and bowed. She then handed over a sealed document. The Grand Princess placed her chopsticks down and tore open the document. She then frowned, "Splitting up Dark Altar Sect and killing Xie Cheng Dong. This would cut off all ties between Dark Altar Sect and King Lu?"
'My guest, no, son-in-law, should focus on killing Xie Cheng Dong, and cut off the connection between Dark Altar Sect and King Lu? That's a good move. 'The Grand Princess looked at the book and asked, "What did the Emperor say?"
When the Canton Princess heard this, she raised her head. The female official was expressionless as she replied, "The Emperor only said one word: Yes!"
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
