Robbing the Poor to Feed the Rich

The fastest update to Seeking the Dao in the Mortal World!

As dawn broke, Qin Yi, holding a paper umbrella, arrived at the foot of the immortal mountain and looked up at the mountain path shrouded in mist and rain.

At the mountain gate stands a white stone stele inscribed with "Qingxu Palace." The blue stone steps wind their way up the mountain, where green trees sprout branches, Singing Birds and Fragrant Flowers, and clouds and mist linger. In the light rain of the early morning, it truly looks like a fairyland.

He came to Daoist Temple.

The Humble Origins thought he had abandoned the matter, but that wasn't the case. It was just that Qin Yi had become more cautious.

He didn't want this town to become a dead zone, with innocent children playing with firecrackers and wiping their snotty noses left homeless. If it were Qin Yi from an earlier time—like when he escorted Cheng Cheng —he might have been driven by righteous indignation and joined the Humble Origins in fighting the Refining Corpses.

But after his journey to the Demon City and the upheaval in Southern Li, Qin Yi, who had experienced the mortal world, was no longer so easily swayed by passion.

Perhaps the passion and chivalry still linger in his heart, and he still wants to "complete that task for Li Qingjun," but his State of Mind has returned to the state of observing Southern Li with a detached eye when he first came out of the mountains, and he will never easily get involved again.

Having entered the mortal world, it is now time to leave.

Looking at the world with a detached mindset, from a certain perspective, is probably what it means to be psychologically much older?

Maybe so.

What Humble Origins said was probably half true and half false. The fact that someone Refining Corpses aligns with Liusu's assessment, so it's likely true; but at the very least, his claim that he didn't even know the opponent's strength is probably false.

If you don't know the opponent's strength, what's the use of bringing along a beginner at the fourth level of the Phoenix Realm? Either you think you're evenly matched and it's good to have a helper, or you're unsure if the opponent has any hidden tricks and you're bringing someone to test the waters.

Moreover, if one statement is false, the others may also be distorted.

Therefore, one should not blindly believe one-sided accounts; one must first go to the Daoist Temple to see for oneself before making a decision.

The morning school bell rang on the mountain. Qin Yi climbed up the stairs. After a while, he reached the mountainside and saw a mountain wall as smooth as a knife. On the wall, there was a huge Chinese character "Tao" carved on it.

Qin Yi stared at the character quietly, feeling a slight stirring within his body, as if the character's trajectory held some profound meaning, indescribable yet seemingly an eternal, fundamental principle.

It's somewhat like the trajectory of his brushstrokes when he made the talisman.

"It's a relic left by a decent cultivator," Liusu said. "The characters here have some significance. Those with Spirit Root might gain some insight here. It truly is a sacred mountain. No wonder it can give birth to monsters. Those monsters don't seem to have much ferocity. It turns out they were guided by the Immortal Dao."

Qin Yi asked, "Will it improve my abilities?"

"You have me, why are you looking at this word? I could teach you to draw a few random lines that would be more interesting than this. You're just going through the motions without understanding anything."

"... Alright," Qin Yi said, "So, this Qingxu Daoist isn't actually an immortal, is he?"

"Impossible, even if he really has a lifespan of 250 years, it's impossible..." Liusu said, "This calligraphy is probably thousands of years old. Wind and rain cannot erase its spirituality. The person who wrote it must be at least at the Cloud Ascension Realm, a true Daoist."

"So, this Qingxu Daoist received the inheritance of immortals, and thus founded his sect here."

"That's more likely," Liusu said. "Let's go up and take a look. What that rat said might not be the truth. Maybe that Qingxu Daoist really is a virtuous person. It's hard to say who's Refining Corpses."

Qin Yi then continued walking towards the mountaintop.

At the top of the mountain is a grand hall, where incense smoke curls and dozens of Daoist priests sit cross-legged on prayer mats, practicing their spiritual cultivation.

Many townspeople, who had arrived even earlier than Qin Yi, were also devoutly bowing and kneeling in worship. Qin Yi was quite astonished; he had reached the foot of the mountain before dawn, so how could these people have climbed up in the middle of the night?

In the main seat of the hall sat an old Daoist priest, with white hair and a youthful face, his features serene and refined. A gentle breeze carrying the scent of sandalwood swirled around him, making him appear almost divine. He chanted a low prayer. "Misfortune and fortune have no fixed gate; they are summoned by oneself. The Retribution of Good and Evil follows like a shadow. Therefore, Heaven and Earth have gods who oversee transgressions, and according to the severity of a person's offenses, they deduct from their lifespan. When one's lifespan is reduced, poverty and hardship follow, and many troubles arise. People despise such a person, punishment and calamity follow, good fortune avoids them, and evil stars bring disaster. When one's lifespan is exhausted, death occurs."

Qin Yi saw many people who were ragged and emaciated, but at this moment, while chanting, they took out warm copper coins from their pockets and respectfully put them into the incense box.

The Daoist priests in the hall chanted their prayers even louder.

Qin Yi shook his head and said to Liusu in his mind, "This is taking from the poor to give to the rich, which, in my understanding, is not the way."

"This man's way is not the way of Heaven. It's hard to say whether it's right or wrong." Liusu said, "It's not just that. This Daoist priest chants the Supreme Induction (Supreme Response), but in reality, he uses the Flesh and Blood Wither and Flourish."

"What does this mean?"

"This so-called cultivation is nothing more than absorbing the blood and flesh of others to maintain one's youthful appearance and white hair," Liusu said. "This old Daoist priest is indeed a dead man, but he is trying to prolong his life."

Qin Yi narrowed his eyes, his gaze towards the old Daoist priest now sharp.

The old Daoist priest seemed to sense something and opened his eyes to look at Qin Yi. Qin Yi had already lowered his eyes, his divine light completely concealed.

"That layman..." the old Daoist priest said slowly, "If one seeks immortality and the Tao, one must be sincere. Everyone else is doing their morning prayers, but you are standing outside the hall; this shows a lack of sincerity."

Qin Yi then smiled and said, "When you see others' faults, treat them as your own; do not expose others' shortcomings, nor flaunt your own strengths."

The old Daoist priest laughed, "That's not the right way to put it. Where did you come from, fellow Daoist?"

"Having heard that there are immortals in the Qingxu Palace, I have come to visit them." Qin Yi bowed and said, "Having seen the immortal's face, my wish is fulfilled, and I may return now."

After saying that, he turned and left with a nonchalant air.

The old Daoist priest squinted as he watched Qin Yi's retreating figure.

Under the oil-paper umbrella, a figure in a blue robe moved with graceful steps. Compared to someone sitting idly in the hall, struggling to prolong their life, it's hard to say which one is more like an immortal.

A hint of melancholy appeared in the old Daoist's eyes as he slowly said, "You must continue your morning lessons and not slack off."

The words had barely left his lips when he vanished.

A chorus of exclamations arose from the hall. "Qingxu Daoist Priest truly an immortal..."

Qin Yi was walking quickly and had already descended to the mountainside, near the "Dao" platform.

A gust of wind blew, and the old Daoist priest's silhouette appeared ahead.

Qin Yi stopped and sighed, "This Ground Shrinking to an Inch Gen Earth Method is really powerful. I don't think Fire Element has such a comfortable Law Technique."

Master Qingxu turned around and smiled slightly, "Fellow Daoist, since you've come all this way, why not stay here for a few days and discuss the Immortal Dao together?"

Qin Yi smiled and said, "I have other important matters to attend to, so I won't stay any longer."

Master Qingxu sighed, "Can't you really see it, layman?"

"I can't tell." Qin Yi said seriously, "I'm just a newbie at the fourth level of the Phoenix Realm. I can't even tell your specific cultivation level, let alone anything else."

Qingxu Daoist did not answer this question. Instead, he stared at the character "Dao" for a long time before saying, "People in the world desperately seek the Longevity Method. Some kill their wives, some steal treasures, and some dig up graves. There are countless paths to the Great Dao. What's wrong with me maintaining my eternal youth?"

Qin Yi frowned.

This is self-incrimination? That doesn't make sense. Few people can tell you're dead. Why would you expose yourself when you can keep it a secret?

You wouldn't kill every seeker of the Dao who comes to you, would you? If you're really that crazy, then you really made a mistake going up the mountain this time. There's really nothing we can do about misjudging a madman's thinking.

"Fellow Daoist, do you know why I, who clearly Refining Corpses Path and am not tolerated by the world, still spread the news of my immortal mountain, boast of my longevity, and attract visitors?"

Qin Yi sighed, "You can't possibly be luring low-level cultivators here to refine their flesh and blood, can you?"

"You're mistaken. I am a cultivator, not a demon. Fellow Daoist, do you know of a transformed Rat Demon in the town at the foot of the mountain?"

Qin Yi: "..."

"This demon's flesh, blood, Demon Core are all quite valuable. If I could refine them, I wouldn't need to absorb the flesh and blood of mortals for beauty. Unfortunately, this demon is slippery and never comes up the mountain. If I were to leave the mountain's veins, I would be no match for him. If any fellow Daoists would like to join me in eliminating this demon and protecting the righteous path, I would be willing to share half of his Demon Core with you. What do you say?"

Qin Yi almost burst out laughing. How come you two have such similar thought processes? Why don't you just get together!