He returned to Yangcheng and crossed into the Otherworld.
Taoist Yi Xiang, Taoist Xiu Ji, Taoist Long Qin, and the others were the dozenth or so batch of people Gu Zhao had brought over. They were experienced, and the process flowed smoothly.
He had a few of the senior Daoists staying at Daluo Palace show them around to get familiar with the environment and practice their Magic. Then, Gu Zhao went to find the women who were helping Zhan Qing pick out his wedding attire.
"How are Zhan Qing’s wedding preparations coming along?"
Gu Zhao asked Zhuo Qingyan and a few of the Guardian Star Officials who were discussing the matter, "His new family is from Snow God Mountain, so our gifts can’t be embarrassing."
Zhuo Qingyan replied with a smile, "Martial Uncle Shen Hao has prepared nine bottles of Spirit Pills, nine Magical Treasures, nine boxes of Talismans, nine medicinal herbs, and nine blocks of Refined Gold. The nines are for supreme auspiciousness and good fortune."
Gu Zhao nodded in satisfaction. "That’s excellent, then."
In truth, the Daoists of Daluo Palace had little need for material possessions. Aside from Magical Treasures to bolster their combat strength, everything else was non-essential. If they weren’t planning to establish a sect in this Otherworld, there would be no need to collect such things so diligently.
Still, having a well-stocked warehouse had its advantages. It allowed them to be fully prepared for any trouble that might arise.
With only about ten days left before the wedding procession to Snow God Mountain, Gu Zhao decided not to return to Blue Star. Instead, he went to find Zhan Qing, who was also cultivating at the palace.
"How are you holding up?"
"A little nervous."
Zhan Qing hadn’t left the mountain, and a few of his close friends hadn’t left either, staying at the palace to keep him company.
They included Changyi from the Celestial Master’s Mansion, Yangshuo from the Pure Yang Sect, the youngest of them, Xiu Ming from the Spiritual Treasure Sect, and Jingyi from the Pure Sect, who would alternate between chatting with them and going to help Zhuo Qingyan.
"Zhan Qing isn’t nervous at all. I’ve seen him grinning like an idiot when he thinks no one’s watching," Xiu Ming said, ratting him out without a second thought.
The consequences of messing with Gu Zhao last time had been severe, so this time, Xiu Ming decided to suck up to the big boss.
Zhan Qing shot Xiu Ming a glare, but Xiu Ming just looked up at the sky, pretending to be oblivious.
Just then, they saw Yunyang approaching, looking vibrant and with a huge grin on his face. He waved and called out, "Hey, everyone!"
Zhan Qing immediately used Yunyang’s arrival to change the subject, hurrying over to ask, "So, you took down all those scam centers in Southeast Asia? Was it true that most of the people there were from Celestial Xia? Who were the masterminds behind it all?"
This was exactly what Yunyang wanted to talk about. "I went to Lü Zon, while Martial Uncle Jing Chun and Martial Uncle Yuan He handled Shan Country and Cambodia."
"In this operation, we wiped out over ninety percent of the scam centers in Southeast Asia."
"The only ones left are hidden extremely well. They don’t operate out of the main centers and aren’t targeting people from Celestial Xia, so we don’t even know where they are. It makes them hard to find."
"Most of the grunts doing the actual scamming were Celestial Xia People or Celestial Xia Descendants—at the very least, they spoke the language. After all, their primary targets were our people."
"However, the enforcers and the ones providing logistical support were mostly locals."
"The masterminds behind them were all locals, though mostly of Celestial Xia descent. They even had a deep understanding of our culture."
Jingyi remarked coldly, "It’s easiest to deceive those who share your culture and ancestry."
Jingyi gave off a somewhat cold aura. Xiu Ming, who knew about her family background, flinched slightly before turning back to Yunyang. "Was all the stolen money recovered?"
"I handed them and their immediate families over to the authorities," Yunyang said with a sly grin. "If they don’t want their distant relatives to end up with all that money, they’ll probably cough it up."
Changyi and Yangshuo gave a thumbs-up.
Xiu Ming’s eyes filled with anticipation. "When will I get to show off my powers in public!"
He was the youngest, had accumulated the least amount of Innate Qi, and had the lowest level of Dao Practice—less than a hundred years’ worth at this point.
Yunyang clapped Xiu Ming on the shoulder. "After Zhan Qing’s wedding is over, I’ll take you out for some real action!"
Xiu Ming’s eyes lit up. "Thanks, Senior Brother!"
Xiu Ming pumped his fist. "Women will only slow down the speed of my sword!"
Just then, a figure darted out from the nearby woods, landing in a flash beside Yunyang and patting him on the shoulder. "You’re finally out of seclusion!"
Xiu Ming stared at the bright and cheerful woman before him, Hu Yufei, the Sun Rabbit of Room, dressed in flowing white robes. He fell completely silent.
Hu Yufei greeted the others, then started pulling Yunyang away. "I was in Xiuyue County a few days ago, and a theater troupe just arrived. Their opera is amazing! Come listen with me!"
Xiu Ming: "..."
Seeing the dejected trio of Changyi, Yangshuo, and Xiu Ming, as well as Jingyi, who was giving him a knowing glance, and Zhan Qing, who was desperately trying not to laugh, Gu Zhao turned to leave. "I’ll go check on the progress of the Wen Shi Courtyard in the back."
Watching Gu Zhao leave, Xiu Ming smacked his forehead. "I think I’ll head down the mountain for a walk."
Changyi nodded. "Experiencing the local opera culture sounds like a good idea."
Yangshuo waved. "Let’s go together."
Jingyi wasn’t planning on going. "I’m going to find my master and have a chat with Martial Uncle Cheng Ping."
There weren’t many female Daoists at Daluo Palace. Previously, there was only Taoist Xu Ning of the Pure Sect and Jingyi. This time, Gu Zhao had finally brought another: Taoist Cheng Ping from the Yellow Immortal Palace.
Taoist Xu Ning had specially rushed back from out of town to welcome her.
Jingyi had just communicated with her master via Divine Sense and was planning to go over for a chat as well.
Zhan Qing couldn’t leave, as Taoist Han Zheng and Taoist Han Xuan still needed to speak with him from time to time about the customs for getting married in this world.
So, in the end, it was just Changyi, Yangshuo, and Xiu Ming who went down the mountain.
"Should we go to Xiuyue County too?"
"Definitely not!"
"Let’s just go straight to Changping Prefecture."
"Good idea!"
So, the three of them went to Changping Prefecture. They got a good taste of life in the ancient Otherworld and even saved a girl who was being harassed by some local thugs.
When the thugs learned that the three men before them were from Daluo Palace, they nearly shit their pants in fear.
They escorted the woman safely home, receiving a flood of thanks and a bag of local specialties for their trouble. Seeing it was getting late, the three of them prepared to head back.
However, just as they were about to cut through an alley on their way to the East Gate to return to the palace, they saw a woman stumbling out, pursued by two ruffians.
"Think you can just lead a man on and then walk away?"
"Come on home with us, and we’ll show you a real treasure, HAHAHA!"
The woman stumbled forward. When she saw Changyi and his friends, her eyes lit up with hope as if she’d found her saviors. She tried to run toward them but tripped and fell a short distance away.
She lifted her head. Her disheveled red dress only served to accentuate her bewitching charm. Her face, though panicked, held a strange allure that made one’s heart ache for her.
The woman looked at the three of them imploringly, but Changyi and his friends didn’t move a muscle.
’Damn, that’s a massive source of Evil Qi.’ The billowing Evil Qi made the Thunder Seeds in their Seas of Consciousness throb wildly, itching to devour it whole.
But the three of them didn’t let the restless throbbing of their Thunder Seeds cloud their judgment.
’Are you kidding me?’ The Evil Qi was so dense, there was no way it belonged to some ordinary Little Demon. The last time they had encountered something on this level was that Centipede Spirit that had suddenly appeared in Yazhou.
Just then, the two ruffians behind the woman rushed forward, reaching out to grab her by the hair.
A flicker of confusion flashed in the woman’s eyes.
Then, Changyi and Yangshuo stepped forward in unison. "Stop!"