Right and Wrong

"Soul Shaking?" Chen Luo looked at the exquisite small pagoda Granny Jin had placed on the table, feeling hesitant. Granny Jin had just explained the entire situation to him, stating that this was the only way to avoid separating his divine soul.

"What impact will it have on me?" Chen Luo asked.

"I won't deceive you, my Lord. Soul Shaking was originally a punishment in my Daoist sect, causing the divine soul to be constantly impacted, as if covered by a large bell with someone continuously striking it…" Granny Jin explained calmly, "The divine soul vibrates and cannot fully merge with the physical body."

"My Lord has only been merged with my little beast for two days. Based on my estimation, the separation of the soul merging should be completed in the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn."

"For you, my Lord, in the future, your movements might be a little slower than ordinary people. Your intelligence won't decline, but your thoughts will operate more sluggishly."

"I promise, I will gather spiritual materials and precious medicines to help my Lord recover completely. Furthermore, I, Jin Sanshun, owe my Lord a favor."

"This is my promise!"

Granny Jin spoke a great deal in one breath, but Chen Luo had already rejected the proposal in his heart.

He couldn't agree. He, Chen Luo, was about to embark on the Martial Dao, which emphasized the unity of mind and body, where the eyes, hands, and mind act as one. If there were any other methods, even if they were more painful, Chen Luo could accept them. But this method would sever the foundation of his cultivation…

"What if I refuse?" Chen Luo remained silent for a moment before finally deciding to state his decision directly. He hadn't considered stalling for time until the imperial court's people arrived, but he didn't believe such a small trick could escape Granny Jin's notice.

Granny Jin smiled faintly, "Honestly, I quite like you, child. Your near-death experience is also pitiable. However… Guagua is my own grandson. Putting aside whether it affects Guagua's cultivation, what if your lifespan runs out?"

"You are just an ordinary person, with at most a hundred years. When you die of old age, with the soul merging still in place, Guagua will be severely injured at best, and will perish at worst. I dare not gamble…"

As Granny Jin spoke, she raised her hand and pointed at Chen Luo. Chen Luo felt his entire body restrained by a force, rendering him instantly immobile.

Granny Jin formed several hand seals and channeled them into the Soul Shaking Pagoda. The pagoda emitted a faint light and actually rose into the air, flying towards Chen Luo.

Chen Luo struggled but couldn't break free. He shouted, "Granny Jin, I am a meritorious minister of Great Xuan, and the Earl of Wan'an appointed by His Majesty. Aren't you afraid of punishment from the imperial court?"

Granny Jin shook her head slightly, "My old body can still bear some punishment. Earl of Wan'an, I apologize. Rest assured, my previous promise still stands."

Chen Luo struggled with all his might but couldn't muster any strength. At this moment, the Soul Shaking Pagoda had flown above Chen Luo. Chen Luo felt a suction force pulling at him, as if his mind and spirit were about to be drawn into a black hole…

"Presumptuous!" Just then, an angry roar sounded out of thin air.

A cold light pierced through the wall and struck the Soul Shaking Pagoda. It was a flying sword. The tip of the sword touched the body of the pagoda, and the pagoda, as if struck by a colossal force, flew backward, crashing through another wall and disappearing somewhere unknown.

Granny Jin's expression changed. The skin on her body turned into scales resembling copper coins, and her immense Demonic Power surged like waves on a calm sea as she prepared to face the enemy. When she saw two figures land before her, she was startled at first, then immediately reined in her Demonic Power and bowed respectfully, "Disciple Jin Sanshun greets Dao Lord Tian Ling!"

The newcomers were indeed True Person Yuanxia and the middle-aged Daoist from before. Granny Jin naturally recognized this middle-aged Daoist as Yuanxia's master, a Dao Lord of the Daoist sect, with the Daoist name Tian Ling.

Dao Lord Tian Ling glared at Granny Jin and let out a cold snort. He then turned to look at the pale-faced Chen Luo. With a wave of his hand, he dispelled the restriction Granny Jin had placed on Chen Luo. A kindly smile then appeared on his face as he walked forward, "This young friend should be the exceptionally talented Earl of Wan'an of Great Xuan, our Daoist sect's Virtuous Teacher, right?"

He particularly emphasized the words "Virtuous Teacher."

Chen Luo: (｀;)?

Granny Jin: (⊙_⊙)?

After moving to a different room and engaging in conversation, Chen Luo learned that this middle-aged man, who looked like a lecherous uncle with a smile, was actually a Dao Lord of the Daoist sect, holding the same rank as a Great Scholar of the Confucian sect. Standing beside him was the Daoist nun who had proposed the Soul Shaking method, True Person Yuanxia.

Granny Jin sat beside True Person Yuanxia, her expression neither happy nor angry, showing no unusual signs. Dao Lord Tian Ling, on the other hand, was quite lively, constantly explaining the Daoist sect's welfare policies regarding Virtuous Teachers to Chen Luo.

"So, the Daoist sect's intention is to have Zhong Kui join the Daoist sect?" Chen Luo asked.

Dao Lord Tian Ling nodded, then shook his head, "Yes, but not just that. As the master of Zhong Kui, you naturally deserve the enfeoffment of Virtuous Teacher by my Daoist sect."

Chen Luo raised an eyebrow. He understood Dao Lord Tian Ling's purpose. Simply put, it was to give Zhong Kui an identity within the Daoist sect.

The reason was obvious. The Daoist sect must have learned about Zhong Kui's ability to subdue ghosts and knew that the imperial court intended to promote it. Yet, the Daoist sect didn't want to lose its influence in this field.

However, Wei Yan had spoken with Chen Luo before. The matter of Zhong Kui involved the Destiny/Fortune of Great Xuan, so the imperial court would definitely not compromise.

Therefore, the Daoist sect's solution was for Zhong Kui to continue subduing ghosts as he pleased, but under the guise of a Daoist identity.

And to have Zhong Kui operate under the Daoist sect's banner, Chen Luo's own identity had to be established.

After all, Zhong Kui was not a spirit of nature but Chen Luo's Book Spirit. As long as Chen Luo's Daoist identity was settled, Zhong Kui's origin would be resolved.

To achieve this goal, the Daoist sect had used all their connections to delay the escort team sent by Great Xuan, arriving ahead of them to allow Chen Luo to accept the Daoist enfeoffment first.

Having grasped the general situation through deduction and guesswork, Chen Luo felt reassured. This meant the Daoist sect needed him, which would make dealing with Granny Jin easier.

"Dao Lord, I would like to communicate with the imperial court regarding this matter. After all, Mr. Wei and Mr. Su both instructed me at the time that the matter of Zhong Kui involves national destiny. Please forgive me, but I dare not make a decision on my own!"

Chen Luo had two considerations at this moment. Firstly, this matter indeed required informing the imperial court, as they had already issued an imperial decree for his title as Earl of Wan'an. Secondly, he wanted to see if he could leverage this to get them to help him resolve Granny Jin's issue.

"Earl of Wan'an, I apologize for my previous offense!" Before Dao Lord Tian Ling could speak, Granny Jin stood up proactively and bowed to Chen Luo. After speaking, a copper coin slowly appeared on her forehead and floated towards Chen Luo.

"This is a 'Life-Buying Copper Coin' that I can only condense one of in a hundred years. It can substitute for death once. I offer it to Earl of Wan'an for self-defense as my apology. I hope today's events do not affect Earl of Wan'an's view of my Daoist sect…"

Chen Luo looked at the copper coin before him, feeling conflicted. In the end, Little Frog had acted to save him, and Granny Jin was acting for Little Frog.

To disregard their positions and discuss right and wrong is a sign of naive thinking.

However, he himself had a very promising future…

"Old woman, please take it back." Chen Luo shook his head. "When Brother Frog wakes up, we can discuss how to resolve this matter properly? After all, the parties involved are myself and Brother Frog. What do you think?"

Granny Jin did not answer but looked at Chen Luo with a meaningful gaze. Finally, she cupped her hands towards Dao Lord Tian Ling and slowly walked out. She did not take back the Life-Buying Copper Coin.

A white crane flew out from Floating Cloud Mountain, carrying the previously repelled Soul Shaking Pagoda in its beak. It landed in the courtyard, shook its body, and transformed back into the white-robed Daoist boy who had delivered the message. As he was about to enter, he saw Ning Bing smiling at him.

"Aunt Bing, you haven't rested yet?"

Ning Bing slowly walked closer. "What a good child, finding the Soul Shaking Pagoda so quickly."

The White Crane Daoist boy proudly patted his chest. "Of course. I was playing in the sky earlier and saw the direction the Soul Shaking Pagoda was flung. Grandpa told me to look for it, and I followed it to find it quickly."

Ning Bing gently patted the White Crane Daoist boy's head. "Alright, go to sleep. I'll take this Soul Shaking Pagoda to Granny Jin."

The White Crane Daoist boy nodded. "Okay! Thank you, Aunt Bing!" With that, he hopped and skipped towards the small courtyard where he lived.

Ning Bing held the Soul Shaking Pagoda in her hand, turned her head to look in the direction of Jin Guagua's small courtyard, and a trace of determination flashed in her eyes...

Jade towers rise halfway, with music and song, the story is mulled over again and again...

I'm telling the story earnestly, hoping everyone enjoys reading it.

What do you do after you finish reading? Wait for the next update~~