Yang Yi looked up at Taoist Qing Ye, who hovered in midair after effortlessly dispatching the Cyan Robed Ghost. Then, he glanced at Xiu Ming beside him. He thought, "It was that old Mage who took action. Why are you looking so smug?"
Taoist Qing Ye floated back down lightly. The surrounding commoners looked at him with a mix of reverence and awe.
Taoist Qing Ye waved his hand dismissively. "There is no need to be afraid, everyone. I am Qing Ye Taoist of the Daluo Palace. Daluo Palace dedicates itself to Doing Good Deeds and Accumulating—"
"Daluo Palace?"
"I’ve heard of it! I even paid my respects at a Daluo Temple in Yazhou!"
"The people in Daluo Palace are all saints! They relieve those in need, help the distressed, root out the strong to support the weak, and punish corrupt local officials! They even helped me get my livelihood back and forced that Chief Clerk to compensate me with ten taels of silver!"
"Taoist Qing Ye, when will you establish a Daluo Temple in Yuezhou?"
"Take a look at me! Could I join the Daluo Temple as an Outer Disciple? No, even being a Registered Disciple is fine!"
Hearing Taoist Qing Ye reveal his identity, the nearby traveling merchants, Darts Masters, and porters cast their fears aside. They all swarmed closer, clamoring to introduce themselves in hopes of becoming a familiar face to him.
Their enthusiasm sparked the curiosity of those who had never heard of Daluo Palace, prompting them to gather around as well. Listening from the sidelines, they caught wind of the Daluo Palace disciples’ tales of Righteousness and Heroism. Once they heard the stories, they quickly joined the chorus of pleas.
"Taoist Qing Ye, we’re willing to donate some silver coins. Could you please open a branch of Daluo Palace in Li Shi Prefecture? We promise to burn Incense constantly and offer our worship throughout the four seasons."
"The County Magistrate in my hometown is a ruthless, corrupt official who bleeds the people dry! Please pay us a visit when you have the time!"
"I just came from Jade Plate Prefecture a few days ago. I heard a lot of people have died there recently. A Demon Fiend is wreaking havoc in the prefecture, and its influence has even spread to the surrounding counties. If only there were a Daluo Temple there."
Yuezhou was located in the southwest, far from the heartland of the Central Plains. Moreover, its borders touched the Southern Border, making it an exceptionally remote region. It was a harsh and unforgiving land where the citizens lived in poverty, lacking the protection of experts with Ten Thousand Years of Dao Practice like Shanzhou’s Great Mountain Dharma King or the Yazhou Snow Goddess.
Due to poor transportation and isolated communication, Yuezhou was somewhat similar to the Southern Border in that it teemed with local factions. Let alone a single prefecture hosting two or three factions, sometimes a mere county would harbor three or four factions of varying sizes.
With Extraordinary factions so heavily fragmented, the local officials operated far beyond the Emperor’s watchful eye. This isolation bred massive corruption, emboldened mountain bandits and thugs, and gave rise to ruthless local tyrants who hoarded wealth, hired muscle, and monopolized the markets. The people of Yuezhou were in desperate need of a righteous savior like Daluo Palace—someone dedicated to Doing Good Deeds and Accumulating Virtue while rooting out the strong to aid the weak.
Seeing how incredibly popular Taoist Qing Ye was, Yang Yi felt a sour note in his heart. Back in the day, neither the Xuanwei Divine Sect nor the Spirit Court had ever enjoyed this level of adoration from the commoners.
However, upon further reflection, he found his inner balance. Their methods had never been as radical as Daluo Palace’s. At the very least, they wouldn’t annihilate an entire faction over a trivial matter, nor would they punish government officials just because the commoners were suffering. What his organizations needed was stable rule, whereas Daluo Palace relentlessly pursued fairness and justice.
Yet, despite their pursuit of stability and conservative methods, their rule had never truly stabilized. In stark contrast, Daluo Palace pursued fairness and justice with radical methods, and as a result, Wanling Jiangnan had actually achieved peace.
Yang Yi couldn’t help but fall into deep thought. "Was the Spirit Court’s approach wrong all along?"
Then, he watched as Taoist Qing Ye gently waved his hand, sending streaks of emerald-green light into the bodies of the surrounding commoners.
"Meeting is a stroke of fate. I gift each of you a wisp of Wood Attribute Spiritual Qi to help cleanse your Body and clear your mind," Taoist Qing Ye said with a smile.
"Thank you, Daoist!" the crowd bowed in unison.
Yang Yi remained expressionless. He had figured it out. Daluo Palace hadn’t brought stability to Jiangnan through radical methods; they had simply conquered it because they possessed an overwhelming number of experts and insurmountable strength.
Although Yang Yi’s Cultivation wasn’t very high, he still possessed two to three hundred years of Dao Practice. He could clearly sense that the True Qi Taoist Qing Ye casually sent into the dozens of commoners was incredibly refined, pure, and brimming with vigorous vitality. Even for him, such True Qi was a rare and precious resource. He couldn’t even condense such pure, life-rich energy himself.
And yet, Taoist Qing Ye had given it away to dozens of ordinary people without a second thought.
Of course, there was an even more important point... "Why didn’t he give any to me?" he wondered. "I need it too!" He really wanted to ask, but he was too embarrassed to speak up.
So, he could only turn to Xiu Ming with a hint of envy and say, "Taoist Qing Ye is truly kindhearted and generous."
Xiu Ming nodded matter-of-factly. "My master is the best in the world!"
Taoist Qing Ye chuckled. Taking Xiu Ming along, he maneuvered through the crowd in a few swift turns. Though his steps appeared slow, he moved with astonishing speed and quickly distanced himself from the masses.
However, Yang Yi soon caught up to them, asking with concern, "Daoist, are you planning to seek out the Dream God Sect Leader?"
Taoist Qing Ye smiled. "Can I not seek him out?"
"Of course you can!" Yang Yi replied hastily. "It’s just that the Dream God Sect Leader possesses profound Dao Practice, and his partner in Harmony has six to seven hundred years of Magical Power. Since you are bringing your disciple along, you must be extremely careful, Daoist."
"You know of this Dream God Sect?" Taoist Qing Ye asked.
"I do!" Yang Yi nodded repeatedly. "The Dream God Sect is one of the two major sects in Yuezhou’s Jade Plate Prefecture. They can draw their believers into dreams to experience the Celestial Illusion Realm. It is decadent and mesmerizing, leaving people completely spellbound."
Taoist Qing Ye’s gaze sharpened. "A Cult!"
"They must be using drugs, right?" Xiu Ming couldn’t help but ask, before quickly shaking his head. He remembered that this was a Xianxia World. For a Ghost God, a single thought was enough to plunge an ordinary person into hallucinations.
Then, he heard Yang Yi reply, "How did you know?"
Taoist Qing Ye and Xiu Ming looked at Yang Yi.
Yang Yi shrank his neck back slightly. "Yuezhou produces a type of Hallucinogenic Grass that can bewilder the mind, induce hallucinations, and put people into a deep sleep. The Dream God Sect Leader possesses a Secret Technique that processes this grass into Mind-Bending Smoke. Taking a single whiff makes one feel a heavenly euphoria, plunging them straight into the Celestial Illusion Realm.
"Rumor has it that within the illusionary realm, there are endless delicacies to eat, bottomless fine wines to drink, and boundless dances and operas to watch. There are also beautiful women offering cups and Child attendants serving wine, providing infinite indulgence."
Xiu Ming asked with a cheeky grin, "You haven’t tried it yourself?"
Yang Yi decisively shook his head. "They say the Mind-Bending Smoke carries the Dream God Sect Leader’s mark. Once you inhale it, you are bound to the Dream God Sect and must offer Incense to the Dream God Sect Leader."
Xiu Ming burst into laughter. "So it’s not that you didn’t want to experience the Celestial Illusion Realm, but that you were too scared to!"
Taoist Qing Ye reached out and flicked Xiu Ming on the forehead, then turned to Yang Yi. "Brother Yang, are you acquainted with Miss Li Qingshuang?"
Yang Yi looked a bit embarrassed. Hearing Taoist Qing Ye’s question, he nodded hurriedly. "I am, I am. I just saw her a while ago. She is an Inspector of the Jiangzhou Spirit Court and possesses profound Dao Practice."
"I’ve long heard she has ties with Daluo Palace. Are you acquainted with her as well?" Yang Yi asked.
Xiu Ming chuckled and pulled Yang Yi along. "Since you know Miss Li, then you are also a friend of Daluo Palace! Come on, let’s go check out this Dream God Sect Leader together."
"Wait, the Dream God Sect Leader, he..."
"Don’t worry, we’ve called for backup!"