Chapter 261: Chapter 250: I Guarantee! He’s a Good Person
"Hahaha, so it’s Fellow Daoist Yun Zhongzi!
I’m grateful for your righteous intervention, Fellow Daoist. If not for you, these good-for-nothing disciples of mine would have likely fallen to those fiends from the Sacrificial Sect—creatures that are neither human nor ghost!"
A Red Robe Master, as burly as an iron tower, with a face full of curly whiskers and a voice like a great bell, strode forward. He grabbed Qi Yun’s hand with a palm as large as a cattail fan and shook it forcefully, making Qi Yun’s blue robe flutter.
This was none other than Master Hu Chan of the Vast Sacred Land, the elder of Yu Hengzi and the others who had been rescued.
"You’re too kind, Fellow Daoist Hu Chan. It was a simple matter of lending a hand when I saw an injustice," Qi Yun said with a warm smile, subtly extracting his hand from the searingly hot and surprisingly strong "iron clamp."
His gaze swept nonchalantly across the interior of Hundred Clouds Cave.
The cave was quite spacious, with stalactites hanging from the ceiling. They reflected the Treasure Light of various Magical Artifacts and the Bright Talismans lit by the Cultivators, barely managing to dispel the gloomy darkness unique to the Northwest Land.
This place was a temporary outpost for the Cultivators of the major Righteous Sects within the Nanyin Alliance Army to rest in rotation and exchange information.
Besides Master Hu Chan and the Vast Sacred Land he represented, seven or eight other Foundation Establishment Masters in different attire and with composed auras were scattered about. Some were meditating with their eyes closed, some were conversing in low voices, and others were examining maps.
There were also several hundred Qi Refining Disciples from various sects. Although they were also resting, every one of them remained vigilant, their Magical Artifacts never leaving their hands.
Unlike the indomitable, city-razing, iron-blooded momentum of the Nanyin World-Suppressing Army, these Cultivators from the Righteous Sects were clearly more cautious in their advance.
With every new push forward, they would seek out defensible locations like this to establish an outpost.
They advanced slowly, securing each step they took.
Although Qi Yun had saved Master Hu Chan’s Disciples, the gazes of the other Cultivators in the cave—especially the other Foundation Establishment Masters—held not just scrutiny and curiosity, but also unconcealed doubt and wariness.
After all, this was not the south; it was the land of the Northwest Demon Cave.
Killing intent lurked everywhere, and traps lay at every step.
A young Master who claimed to be a Loose Cultivator, yet possessed astonishing Talisman Skill and could easily repel the Vice Sect Leader of the Sacrificial Sect, had appeared too suddenly. He was too "perfect."
He had a pure and righteous aura, outstanding innate talent, and his Talisman Skill was orthodox and profound...
The more flawless he seemed, the more suspicious he appeared in the eyes of certain prudent and experienced Masters.
"Fellow Daoist Yun Zhongzi, to have achieved such mastery in Talisman Skill at your young age, may I ask from which Treasure Mountain you inherited your skills?" a middle-aged female cultivator in a plain white Daoist Robe with a gaunt face asked slowly.
She was Qing Zhi Master of Suxin Temple. Her tone was gentle, but her gaze was as sharp as a needle.
"I can see that your Talismanic Intent is pure and your methods are rigorous. You are by no means comparable to an ordinary, self-taught Loose Cultivator."
"Indeed," interjected Ling Feng Master from the Qinglan Sect, a stern Sword Cultivator in a blue robe with a longsword on his back. His gaze swept over Qi Yun like the glint of a blade.
"The Northwest Demon Path is cunning. They are adept at disguising themselves to infiltrate our ranks and sow discord.
Although you saved Fellow Daoist Hu Chan’s disciples, your origins are unknown. It is difficult for us to trust you completely.
Could you perhaps show us a token to prove your identity?"
"Even if he has a token, who can guarantee he isn’t a Demon in disguise?"
Another voice chimed in with a question. The speaker was an old man in a black robe who had been silent until now, his face as stiff as old tree bark. He was an Elder of the Earth Spirit Sect, known as Mo Shou Master. His voice was dry and raspy, yet every word was clear, striking a chord in everyone’s heart.
The atmosphere in the cave instantly grew tense.
Master Hu Chan’s thick brows furrowed. He seemed to want to speak up for Qi Yun, but seeing the serious, suspicious gazes of his colleagues, he opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing.
Although he was grateful to Qi Yun, he understood that their worries were not without reason.
Facing the many doubtful gazes, Qi Yun’s expression remained calm, as if he had anticipated this all along.
He was just about to respond with a well-crafted, detailed, and difficult-to-disprove story of a "Loose Cultivator’s fortuitous encounter."
"I will vouch for him."
You could have heard a pin drop in the cave.
The light at the cave’s entrance flickered, and a figure wearing the distinctive Flowing Cloud Daoist Robe with Broad Sleeves of Nine Kings Mountain was standing there silently.
Qi Yun’s peripheral vision caught the movement, and the corners of his mouth curved up ever so slightly.
At that moment, everyone’s gaze fell upon the person who had spoken.
It was none other than the Elder of Nine Kings Mountain, Xuan Ping Master.
The few Masters who had been questioning him moments before now showed looks of astonishment.
Nine Kings Mountain was the Nanyin Righteous Daoist Talisman First Sect.
Xuan Ping Master, moreover, was a famous master of the Talisman Dao within the Sect, a highly respected figure.
For him to vouch for someone carried immense weight!
Qing Zhi Master asked in surprise, "Senior Brother Xuan Ping, you know this Fellow Daoist Yun Zhongzi?"
Having once again assumed the persona of Xuan Ping Master, Zhe Cheng nodded slightly, his expression serene:
"That’s right. Fellow Daoist Yun Zhongzi and I are old friends.
Fellow Daoist Yun Zhongzi has an outstanding natural aptitude for Talisman Skill. His research into the Talisman Dao surpasses even my own.
I have known him for nearly a hundred years. It is impossible for him to be a spy from a Demon Sect."
Ling Feng Master’s brow was still furrowed. "Even so, Senior Brother Xuan Ping, this fellow Daoist’s esteemed name was not on the list of those who came to the Northwest..."
Xuan Ping Master interrupted him, his voice deepening slightly with the authority befitting an Elder of a great Sect:
"Fellow Daoist Ling Feng, extraordinary times call for extraordinary judgment.
Does someone not on a list cease to be a member of our Righteous Dao?
If we alienate a righteous man with baseless suspicion...
...would that not grieve our allies and delight our enemies?
I, on behalf of Nine Kings Mountain, am willing to vouch for Fellow Daoist Yun Zhongzi.
If any mistake is made, I will bear the full responsibility."
Once these words were spoken, there was no room for rebuttal.
An Elder of Nine Kings Mountain had given a twofold guarantee, using both the Sect’s reputation and his personal credibility.
This carried enough weight to quell the vast majority of doubts.
Master Hu Chan immediately burst into laughter, breaking the silence:
"See! What did I tell you!
I could tell at a glance that Fellow Daoist Yun Zhongzi is one of our own, a prodigy of the Righteous Dao!
Come, come, Fellow Daoist Yun Zhongzi, please, have a seat! Try the Chi Yang Spirit Tea from our Vast Sacred Land!"
The atmosphere in the cave instantly relaxed. The other Masters also let go of their suspicious expressions, replacing them with friendly or inquisitive smiles.
At Master Hu Chan’s enthusiastic invitation, Qi Yun took a seat. He accepted the Spirit Tea, and his gaze met that of the distant, eye-closed Xuan Ping Master for a fleeting, almost imperceptible moment. Everything was understood without a word.
After Xuan Ping Master’s "promise worth a thousand gold" guarantee...
The name "Yun Zhongzi" took on a completely different luster within Hundred Clouds Cave and the surrounding circles of Righteous Cultivators on rotation.
Qi Yun understood this well. Now that he had obtained this "Golden Body"...
...he went with the flow, playing the role of "Yun Zhongzi" to perfection.
In the days that followed, he took action several times to help the Righteous Cultivators through difficult situations.
At the same time, he used the power of the Upper Profound Talisman to create a large number of Talismans, which he distributed to the Righteous Disciples.
On a later expedition, he even personally wiped out a small Demon Sect that had no Foundation Establishment Master guarding it.
Through these actions, "Yun Zhongzi’s" reputation grew day by day.
The Talismans he provided were stable, efficient, and highly specialized, greatly enhancing the survival capabilities of the Qi Refining Disciples and the overall resilience of the teams.
And when he acted personally, he was always precise and ruthless, solving the most troublesome problems that plagued the Righteous Cultivators.
Moreover, he never took credit for his achievements, always maintaining a humble and low-key attitude.
Gradually, the last vestiges of doubt in the hearts of the Righteous Masters dissipated.
’Even the most ruthless Demon couldn’t possibly attack his own people so smoothly and naturally, could he?’
Those initial gazes of scrutiny completely transformed into sincere admiration and a warm desire to befriend him.
Master Hu Chan, needless to say, saw him as a friend despite their age difference.
Qing Zhi Master often came to ask for his insights on the clever combination of Talismans and Elixirs.
Even Mo Shou Master, who had been the most doubtful at first, would now take the initiative to nod in greeting upon seeing Qi Yun. He would even occasionally discuss, quite politely, some issues regarding the nesting of talismanic script in protective Arrays.
The atmosphere in the cave grew more and more harmonious. They discussed the Dao by the campfire, exchanged cultivation insights under the moonlight, and even occasionally shared harmless jokes.
"Fellow Daoist Yun Zhongzi" had already become one of the most trusted figures among the Righteous Masters.
One day, after repelling a wave of harassment from the Demon Dao, everyone was resting inside the cave.
Master Hu Chan was slapping Qi Yun’s shoulder, loudly praising how his newly improved Continuous Fire Thunder Talisman had shown its might in the recent battle.
Qing Zhi Master smilingly handed him a freshly brewed cup of Calming Tea.
Even Mo Shou Master gave a rare twitch of his lips and said, "Fellow Daoist Yun Zhongzi is most thorough. I have benefited greatly from your Talisman Array arrangement this time."
Qi Yun wore a flawless, gentle, and warm smile as he responded to each of them with sincere words and a humble demeanor.
He accepted the Spirit Tea, sniffing its fragrance as his gaze swept across the faces that now seemed so sincere and friendly.
Inside, however, his heart was a bottomless, rippleless pool.
Only the faintest, almost imperceptible sigh, like a light breeze blowing over the pool’s surface, created nearly invisible ripples.
’It truly has been... a long time since I’ve seen such naive Foundation Establishment Masters.’
...
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