Chapter 98: Chapter 97: The Next Candidate is Confirmed
The Welcoming Daoist led the men inside, and the first thing Gu Zhao and the others looked at was the old man being pushed in a wheelchair.
The old man had changed into casual clothes. His cold gaze swept over them before finally locking onto Taoist Yi Hong.
"Wang Sang." Yoshiyama Yuuki was the first to speak, his voice chilling. "Are these the helpers you found?"
Wang Runheng turned back and warned in a low voice, "Watch what you say. They might be recording us."
With that said, Wang Runheng stepped forward. "I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just came to the Penglai Immortal Pavilion to offer incense and pray for blessings. Why did you follow me here?"
The old man raised a hand, cutting Yoshiyama Yuuki off. His eyes, fixed on Taoist Yi Hong, burned with venom and hatred. "Let’s not play games. I am Tsuchimikado Kazuya of the Zhishan Shrine. May I ask which Taoist Sect this esteemed Daoist hails from?"
"Your Celestial Xia is quite fluent," Yunyang said with a sneer, looking the man up and down. "It seems you’ve done your homework on us."
Gu Zhao stood to the side, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.
’Every world has its own rules. Back in the Great Ning Dynasty of the Otherworld, if someone’s cultivation was crippled by a spell out of thin air, they would have run as far as their legs could carry them, grateful just to escape with their life.’
’But in this world, he actually dared to show up on their doorstep!’
’Is he really so sure we wouldn’t dare kill him? Or that we couldn’t?’
"Quanzhen Dragon Gate Sect, Yandu White Cloud Temple. My Daoist name is Yi Hong. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Tsuchimikado," Taoist Yi Hong stated, his tone calm and dignified as he introduced himself.
Yoshiyama Yuuki remained expressionless, not understanding a word. Tsuchimikado Kazuya, however, couldn’t stop his lip from twitching. He knew full well the weight those names carried within Celestial Xia Daoism.
’At the same time, however, he was truly surprised. He hadn’t expected to find Daoists capable of cultivating Magical Power in a Celestial Xia that was now so technologically advanced. Logically, a world filled with endless entertainment, industrial progress, and peaceful living should be the natural enemy of cultivating a tranquil mind.’
’And what was more, it was one thing to be able to cultivate Magical Power, but how could they be so formidable?’
’But it didn’t matter how formidable they were. This was the age of technology. No matter how incredible your Cultivation, you’re no match for a bullet!’
"So, a master from the Yandu White Cloud Temple." Tsuchimikado Kazuya nodded, then said through clenched teeth, "We are all fellow cultivators. We could have just talked things through. Why did you have to strike so viciously from the shadows?"
Taoist Yi Hong’s eyes narrowed. He replied coolly, "The Taoist Sects model themselves on nature and uphold righteousness. We never start trouble. But you should know the saying: ’A man must first disgrace himself, and only then will others disgrace him.’ What are your thoughts on that, Mr. Tsuchimikado?"
"Fine, fine, fine. Such noble integrity from Taoist Yi Hong. I am truly impressed," Tsuchimikado Kazuya sneered. "If that’s how it is, then there’s nothing more to discuss. I only came today to see who this master was. Now that I have, I won’t disturb you any further."
He waved his hand, signaling for Yoshiyama Yuuki to wheel him away.
As they turned to leave, Tsuchimikado Kazuya added, "The Marui Group has offices all over the globe. You should watch your back from now on, Taoist Yi Hong."
Taoist Yi Hong was unfazed. "I’ve never been abroad."
Yoshiyama Yuuki chuckled darkly. "We have offices in Celestial Xia, too."
Taoist Yi Hong’s expression remained placid, as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
Yunyang was about to start cursing, but then he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. Gu Zhao, his hands behind his back, had given one a slight shake. There was a brief flash of light, and the piece of talisman paper he held disintegrated into ash, which fluttered to the ground.
The next moment, Yoshiyama Yuuki’s legs gave out, as if his strength had been sucked out of him in an instant. He collapsed to the floor.
"Chairman!" The other men cried out in alarm, rushing to help him up.
But before they could even get Yoshiyama Yuuki to his feet, Tsuchimikado Kazuya slid out of his wheelchair.
"Mr. Tsuchimikado?" Another two men rushed to help Tsuchimikado Kazuya.
Yoshiyama Yuuki looked anxiously toward Tsuchimikado Kazuya. He opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.
Shocked and furious, Tsuchimikado Kazuya glanced back at Taoist Yi Hong, who looked placid but with a hint of surprise. Tsuchimikado’s teeth were chattering. "Go! Quickly! Back to Sakura Paste!"
The group, so arrogant and domineering just moments before, now scrambled to leave without so much as a word of farewell.
Watching the group flee, Taoist Xiu Xin and Wang Runheng both turned to Taoist Yi Hong in shock. They instinctively assumed he was the one who had just acted.
Taoist Yi Hong didn’t deny it. He simply waved his hand, his expression calm. "Could you two step outside for a moment? I need to speak with Yunyang and Gu Zhao."
"Of course, of course!" Still reeling from shock, the two nodded repeatedly, backed out of the room, and pulled the door shut behind them.
The moment the door closed, Taoist Yi Hong turned to Gu Zhao, an identical look of shock finally appearing in his eyes. "What just happened?"
He was certainly capable of making them collapse like that, but it would have required physical contact—he’d have to continuously channel his True Qi to lock their critical acupoints.
Yunyang’s Inner Breath True Qi wasn’t as deep as his own. And given that Gu Zhao had already destroyed Tsuchimikado Kazuya’s cultivation with a single Celestial Spirit Talisman, Taoist Yi Hong knew it had to be Gu Zhao, even though he hadn’t seen him move.
"Oh, that was a Shangqing Great Forbidden Dragon Binding Talisman," Gu Zhao explained. "Its primary function is to restrain the Dantian Sea of Consciousness. As a secondary effect, it can control a person’s muscle strength."
Yunyang’s jaw dropped. "Is the Zhengyi Dao really that powerful? How come I’ve never heard of anything like this?"
He had clearly seen Gu Zhao use a Talisman, but it was still hard to believe. "I’ve been to Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain and met several Daoists there. They’ve cultivated Inner Breath True Qi, but I’ve never seen any of them draw a Talisman like that!"
In his mind, all Talismans were basically just Peace Talismans. You drew one, infused it with Spiritual Qi, and it would slowly release that energy to nourish the body, ward off evil, promote sleep, and ensure a long, healthy life.
But upon hearing Yunyang’s words, Gu Zhao’s eyes lit up. "Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain has Daoists who have cultivated True Qi?"
Yunyang nodded. "It’s the Zhengyi Ancestral Court, after all. Is it so strange that they have a few Daoists who’ve managed to cultivate True Qi?"
"How many?" Gu Zhao asked.
"I met two of them," Yunyang replied, then asked, "Why are you asking?"
"And there are no Daoists at White Cloud Temple or the Eight Immortals Palace who’ve cultivated True Qi?" Gu Zhao asked again.
"I still have one martial uncle," Yunyang said. "But he’s a total shut-in."
Taoist Yi Hong stroked his beard, offering an explanation to save face. "White Cloud Temple and the Eight Immortals Palace are both located in the city. They’re burdened with worldly affairs and are more like tourist attractions these days. They can no longer be considered quiet places for the Taoist Sects to cultivate."
’Gu Zhao understood. So, Taoist Yi Hong was the only one holding down the fort at White Cloud Temple.’
’’You guys really aren’t up to snuff,’ Gu Zhao thought. ’According to Taoist Yan Song, several other Daoists on Qingcheng Mountain have also cultivated True Qi. They just prefer quiet even more than he does and are always holed up in the back mountains, never coming out. That’s how he got to be the public face by default.’’
’But Gu Zhao had already made an agreement with Taoist Yan Song. Once Gu Zhao had gathered enough Thunder Seeds, he would return to Qingcheng Mountain to meet them. If they were suitable, he would take them to the Otherworld to join the fight of Exorcising Demons and Evil Spirits.’
’As for right now, though...’
’Gu Zhao had been hesitating over who to give his next Thunder Seed to—Taoist Yi Hong, Yunyang, or maybe he should take a trip to Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain. But after what had just happened, the choice was obvious.’
