Since the Western Divine Country was, to some extent, an existence capable of wrestling with the Xuanwei Divine Sect, Gu Zhao did not feel at ease returning to Cuiluo Mountain. Instead, he remained at Cloud Heaven Cliff.
The group heading to the Wutou Country in the West was comprised of numerous old Daoists, led by Jing Chun Taoist.
The next day, Taoist Gu He arrived. Gu Zhao watched as the old Daoists led a group of their peers whose Dao Practice had yet to break through, along with a portion of the Inner Sect Disciples from the Shanzhou Daluo Temple, flying toward the West in a mighty, sweeping formation.
The Daluo Palace’s westward expansion had officially begun!
Zhuo Qingyan and Li Qingshuang stood by his side. Watching a full fifteen old Daoists utilizing Soaring Clouds and Mist and Sword Control to ride the wind, Li Qingshuang couldn’t help but click her tongue in awe.
"Aside from lacking top-tier experts, they have more than enough power to annihilate the Spirit Court in Lezhou to the north," Li Qingshuang commented.
Zhuo Qingyan gave a faint smile. "Have you ever seen them form a joint array?"
Li Qingshuang paused at those words, suddenly recalling the day she and Bai Fei had watched Gu Zhao lead eight old Daoists to form an array and slay the Mo Lake Ink Flood Dragon.
At the time, Gu Zhao’s Cultivation was only at a little over two thousand years, not much higher than the current leader, Jing Chun Taoist.
This meant that this group of old Daoists could absolutely and easily wipe out the regional forces of the Spirit Court and the Xuanwei Divine Sect. As for dealing with the Wutou Country, which had already lost its leader, it would be as easy as flipping their hands.
Their true targets were actually the Heping Country and the Three Holy Countries, both adjacent to the Wutou Country.
According to the Zang Yue Monarch’s description, the Female Ghosts of the Enchantment Sect in the Heping Country practiced the Absorbing Yang and Nourishing Yin Technique. Even if they exercised some restraint, countless men in the country were still sucked dry of their Yang Qi and died.
As for the Three Holy Countries, they were deeply hypocritical. On the surface, they appeared holy, claiming to have created a peaceful, harmonious, and fair world for their citizens. They even fabricated three realms filled to the brim with beautiful women, stunning scenery, and exquisite delicacies.
They preached that as long as the commoners accumulated enough merit, they could ascend to these realms to forever enjoy the women, scenery, and food, achieving eternal life.
In reality, this was nothing but a lie. All the commoners who offered Incense and contributed their strength to the Three Holy Countries were eventually squeezed dry by the three Ghost Gods. In the end, they were thrown into some Magical Treasure, sacrificed to offer their final drop of Divine Soul.
Wutou Country, Heping Country, and Three Holy Countries.
One was an outwardly oppressive and violent nation that ruled through fear, refining mortals directly into the Ten Thousand Ghosts Map and refining their Divine Souls into the Sea of Consciousness to manifest Divine Techniques.
One ruled through lust, keeping its citizens drowning in hedonism, trading their own bodies for pleasure.
The last ruled through false hopes for the future, forcing the people to expend their labor and resources. These people would then plunge into the Three Saints’ world with beautiful dreams, only to be used as mere fuel.
Li Qingshuang was also aware of the true nature of the Enchantment Sect and the Three Saints Sect. "They all deserve to die."
"They will be dead soon," Gu Zhao said flatly.
As the saying goes, if the enemy can advance, so can I. The King of Wutou had relied on his Divine Techniques to come and go freely in Shanzhou as he pleased, and even Taoist Gao Yue and the others couldn’t take him down.
But now that they were heading to the Wutou Country, once they conquered it, they could systematically attack the other two nations.
The Enchantress Cult Leader and the three saints of the Three Saints Sect each had their own home bases to protect, which meant they lacked the ability to advance or retreat freely.
This was the very definition of having nothing to lose!
Once they entered the Western Divine Country, they would be able to gather far more detailed intelligence regarding the Western Countries.
"So, are we staying in Shanzhou for the time being?" Zhuo Qingyan asked.
Gu Zhao nodded. Since the forces of the Shanzhou Daluo Temple had been hollowed out all at once, he needed to remain here until Jing Chun Taoist and the others established a firm foothold in the West.
By then, the Shanzhou Daluo Temple would become part of their heartland, existing merely as a stronghold just like the Daluo Temples in Yongzhou and Yazhou.
"I haven’t spent time with the two of you in a long while. Since we happen to have some free time now, let’s take a stroll around Shanzhou," Gu Zhao said with a smile.
Li Qingshuang broke into a bright smile. "That sounds great!"
...
In Shanzhou, Ju Ye Prefecture.
This Prefecture City was right next door to Yunhai Prefecture, where the Cloud Heaven Cliff Daluo Temple was located. As a vital transportation hub within Shanzhou, its prosperity far exceeded that of Yunhai Prefecture, making it the perfect place to experience the diverse cultures and sights of the region.
Thus, Gu Zhao and the two women made Ju Ye Prefecture their first stop.
The three descended from the sky and landed just inside the city’s south gate. With a wave of his hand, Gu Zhao dispelled the Blinding Technique. Not a single commoner noticed anything amiss about the sudden appearance of a man and two women.
Wait, there was one person.
Gu Zhao looked up and saw a nearby noodle stand just inside the south gate. A burly man sat there with six empty bowls already stacked on the table in front of him. He was currently holding a seventh bowl, loudly SLURPING down the noodles.
The moment Gu Zhao and the women revealed themselves, the man’s eating paused for a fraction of a second. He glanced up briefly before immediately lowering his head again.
Although it was only a fleeting instant, Gu Zhao, Zhuo Qingyan, and Li Qingshuang all caught the movement.
Gu Zhao studied him. The man wore coarse linen clothes, had an honest and simple face, and hands covered in calluses. He gave off absolutely no Evil Qi.
If the man hadn’t glanced up at him, Gu Zhao genuinely wouldn’t have realized that this seemingly ordinary manual laborer was actually a Demon with rather impressive Dao Practice.
"Old Ma, hurry up! The fleet is coming!"
A few porters emerged from the shop next door, wiping the sweat from their bodies with towels as they looked toward the burly man. "Good heavens, seven bowls of plain noodles! You sure can eat!"
The burly man raised the large bowl, tossing the last mouthful of noodles and broth into his mouth. He swallowed it whole with barely a chew, then stacked the bowl on top of the other six. He grinned widely. "Not much meat or oil, but it fills the stomach!"
He opened his waist pouch, fished out twenty-seven large coins, and placed them on the table. After calling out a goodbye to the stall owner, he trailed after the other porters, heading toward the docks outside the city.
"Ju Ye City is the transportation hub of Shanzhou. There’s a downstream river outside the city, a tributary of the Wanling River, which runs completely through Shanzhou from north to south," Li Qingshuang explained.
Gu Zhao nodded, watching as the burly man brushed past them along with the other porters and walked out of the city.
"Aren’t we going to follow him and take a look?" Zhuo Qingyan asked.
"No." Gu Zhao smiled, taking both women by the hand. "We’re here to relax and have fun. What’s so interesting about watching them unload cargo at the docks?"
Zhuo Qingyan chuckled softly and squeezed his hand back. She then pointed at a distant storefront. "Let’s go buy some gifts for Silk Embroideress and the others."
...
The trio spent the entire day touring Ju Ye City. They tasted local Shanzhou delicacies, bought souvenirs for everyone back at the Daluo Palace, and even listened to some traditional regional operas.
As the sun set over the western mountains, the three of them arrived at a restaurant in the city.
As the saying goes, those who live by the sea yearn for the mountains, while those in the mountains long for the sea. Because of this, the largest restaurant in Ju Ye City was named the Canglang Residence.
Gu Zhao didn’t even bother looking at the menu; he simply asked the waiter to serve some of their signature dishes.
While they were waiting for their food, they noticed a rowdy crowd walking past downstairs, shouting and cheering as they crowded into a simple, run-down eatery not far away.
Gu Zhao saw clearly that the porter surnamed Ma was among them.
"Talk about fate."