Six Ding Six Jia

``` [Side Quest: Undercover (Complete)!]

[Main Quest Initiated: Black Mountain Vanguard]

[Scenario Description: You have successfully completed Great General Black Wind's task. Now, Great General Black Wind requires you to tie down the forces of Black Platform County to help him completely seize the divine position!]

[Quest Objectives: Within ten days, help Great General Black Wind refine the divine position, or disrupt the situation in Black Platform County!]

[Quest Rewards: Main Quest completion, reward 500 Minor Merits! Assassinate Inspector Wu Hong, reward 500 Minor Merits! Kill the Magistrate of Black Platform County, Zhang Zhengyi, reward 1500 Minor Merits!]

[Quest Difficulty: Hong!]

Wang Xia was, after all, just an ordinary person of Great Zhou, and he understood even less the importance of quests and intelligence in the world of reincarnation. Frightened by Shan Lan's few words, he immediately confessed everything.

The quest content he revealed caused the expressions of Wu Ming and the others to change drastically.

"It's an opposing quest?"

Shan Lan gave a wry smile and struck Wang Xia's nape with another palm. The man's eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

"Wu Ming, did you suspect this earlier?"

"No, but since the other party ambushed me, I naturally had to retaliate! It just so happened I could bring back a live one!"

Wu Ming shrugged, causing Ling Guhong to roll his eyes.

"According to him... after they got separated from us in Black Water Town, they encountered Great General Black Wind, and thus their mission changed..."

Shan Lan chuckled wryly, "This is even more troublesome!"

"But there's good news too!" Ling Guhong said, "From his quest, we can see that Great General Black Wind is currently focused on refining the divine position. With him being tied down, this might be a good opportunity!"

"The books I've read record... that local benevolent gods like City Gods and Earth Gods cannot be stable without local energy and the hearts of the people... and looking at Black Water Town, the people are suffering, living in misery, and have endured it for too long... there will inevitably be backlash, and they won't be able to smoothly grasp their authority!"

The Confucian scholar Lin Qizhi interjected at this moment.

"What you say is very reasonable!"

Shan Lan's eyes sparkled, "This is our chance!"

"Yes! But before that..."

Wu Ming glanced at the unconscious Wu Hong lying on the ground. "Why don't we send this person into the county yamen? After all, he's a bandit plotting assassination. Perhaps we can gain some benefits and find some external help..."

The hearts of the people are like iron, and the laws of the officials are like a furnace. Under the torture instruments, this person would naturally spill everything.

As for whether other secrets would be leaked?

With the Main God Hall, there was no need to fear at all.

"Good!"

Wu Ming clapped his hands. "There's no time to delay. We can act tomorrow. Today, we still need to find external help in Black Platform County as much as possible..."

"Brother Lin, please trouble you to send this person to the yamen and let justice be served. You are a scholar, perhaps you can even meet the County Magistrate. That would be very beneficial. If we can get significant help, we might be able to pass this mission..."

Although Wu Ming had some knowledge, discussing classics and theories with those who had passed the imperial examinations, like juren and jinshi, would be embarrassing for him.

"As for us..."

Wu Ming glanced around.

"Hehe... Well, I have some matters to attend to today, so I'll have to excuse myself!"

Shan Lan chuckled lightly, and Ling Guhong, holding his sword, remained silent.

Seeing this, Wu Ming understood. He knew that these two Reincarnators, who were more senior than him, had clearly received some plot-related quests.

Fortunately, he had already confirmed that their quests were the same as his. Since the main goal was the same, there was no need to delve into other minor details. He smiled and said, "Perfect... I also have some personal matters. One day should be enough. We'll meet here tonight, and we can set off then..."

Within ten days, to resolve Black Water Town, it was not long, nor short, but it was a bit urgent.

They had breakfast together, watched Lin Qizhi send Wang Xia to the government office, and then parted ways cheerfully.

"At this moment... it seems that the City God and Lord of Black Mountain are both hesitant and won't easily interfere... Are we, with our unknown origins and no karma entangled with us, just pawns?"

Wu Ming strolled to the City God Temple, a cold sneer in his heart.

Of course, the current mission was arduous, and any help was good. He tidied his clothes and slowly entered.

The City God Temple was as grand and solemn as before. On the central shrine, the clay statue gilded with gold had a majestic expression, as if looking down upon all beings.

Wu Ming's expression was solemn. He took three incense sticks, lit them, and inserted them. He silently prayed, "Your subordinate Wu Ming, unable to bear the suffering of the people of Black Water Town, wishes to eliminate the scourge of Black Wind. If the City God has a spirit, please help me!"

He did not kowtow but bowed three times and waited quietly.

Instantly, Wu Ming felt a power emanating from the statue, enveloping the entire hall.

The tables, offerings, and sacrificial arrangements were the same as before, yet they felt different.

"You are Wu Ming? Willing to eliminate harm for the people, is your heart sincere?"

From the shrine, a majestic voice boomed down, carrying immense power and an unparalleled sense of pressure.

"To think... he's this strong?"

Wu Ming felt as if a thousand pounds were pressing down on him. His heart was filled with surprise: "A county's City God is merely a seventh-rank deity, yet with a scarlet edict, they possess such great power?"

He could feel that in the face of the opponent's immense strength, he was like an ant.

"But... even an ant has the ambition and the path to ascend!"

He roared inwardly, his face impassive, only his eyes radiating determination: "Naturally, my heart is sincere!"

Seizing this opportunity, he subtly glanced with the corner of his eye. Unfortunately, he only saw heavy divine curtains hanging down, the screens deep, obscuring the statue. Only a pair of divine lights, like lightning, probed outward.

"Good!"

The divine light shone through, making Wu Ming feel as if he were seen through, inside and out.

After a long while, he heard the deity utter a faint sound, then vanish without a trace.

"Huh? They're leaving just like that? The script is wrong, isn't it?"

Wu Ming grumbled inwardly. He then saw a golden-armored divine being emerge from beside the shrine, its face like iron, its voice like a bell: "Since ancient times, yin and yang have been distinct. The master is a feudal lord of a county, naturally, it must be so... Since you have this aspiration, it is excellent. May benevolent gods bless you! The master bestows the Six Ding Six Jia Divine Talisman to lend you a hand!"

Although this golden-armored divine being also brought pressure to Wu Ming, it was clearly much smaller than the City God. It was likely a divine official.

As soon as the words fell, amidst a flash of golden light, its figure slowly dissolved, transforming into a bright yellow talisman that descended. It bore the Six Ding Six Jia divine script, and the paper emitted wisps of smoke, faintly revealing the figure of the divine being from just now.

"Thank you, City God!"

Wu Ming bowed deeply, and the oppressive feeling vanished without a trace.

Beside him, someone had appeared at some point, kneeling on a prayer mat and chanting: "May Lord City God bless me! May my household be safe and my business prosperous. I will offer three sacrifices after the new year, and I dare not disobey..."

"A dream? No!"

Wu Ming knew that he had just experienced a divine revelation, where divine power had formed a domain. He had been summoned in broad daylight, no need for a dream at night.

He touched his chest. A talisman was indeed there, emitting circles of divine power and a faint glow.

Such divine abilities were truly terrifying and awe-inspiring.

"If not for the constraints of incense offerings... and other major taboos, even I would be tempted to try..."

Wu Ming bowed again and walked out of the City God Temple.

Of course, he also knew that the divine path in the Great Zhou world was mostly a fallback for experts from the other three religions, nine schools of thought, and a hundred schools of thought after their deaths, used by their Yin spirits.

Those who truly achieved godhood in their living bodies were exceedingly rare.

"But..."

Wu Ming touched the talisman on his chest and looked back at the divine temple. A deep glint flashed in his eyes, and he said nothing more, drifting away.

As there was still time, he specifically visited several Daoist temples.

Since Wu Ming wanted to abandon the tragic fate of a meat-shield warrior and embark on the path of a rich and handsome mage, these Daoist incantations were naturally very important.

In truth, besides the Main God Hall, the Daoist Academies in the Great Zhou world held the most hope.

But at this moment, he still held a sliver of hope, wanting to find something in the mission world.

If he could obtain it, it would save him a lot of merit points.

"Besides... I don't necessarily have to practice it now. After obtaining the incantation, I can enter the Daoist Academy and study it slowly..."

Wu Ming thought somewhat irresponsibly and visited the Daoist temples he had already inquired about, one by one.

Of course, truly capable Daoists were rare everywhere. The Daoist Academies in Black Platform County at this time were mostly fueled by incense offerings, filled with worldly desires, and had long since fallen into disrepair.

The few 'profoundly skilled' mages, true persons, were either physically weak and easily defeated by Wu Ming with a single punch, or they only knew how to discuss metaphysics and were ignorant of cultivation methods, leaving Wu Ming helpless.

However, he had come with the mindset of being happy in success and accepting failure, treating it all as gaining experience, so he wasn't too disappointed.

"The last one!"

Wu Ming looked at the sun, took a deep breath, and stepped into this somewhat dilapidated small Daoist temple.

Compared to the incense-filled temples before, this Daoist temple had more than half of its threshold rotted, and the plaque was peeling paint, making it look quite impoverished.

But as Wu Ming walked into the courtyard, he saw that the garden was clean and tidy, exuding a natural aura, which made him feel refreshed. Upon seeing the only Daoist present, a thin and withered figure, dark and lean, with cloudy eyes that seemed to hide a hidden vitality, he felt a sense of certainty. He entered and paid his respects, scattering ten taels of incense money – he had also taken the opportunity to line his pockets during the chaos created last night, and Wu Ming was now quite well-off.

"Boundless Heavenly Venerable, the benefactor offers such a generous gift, what is your request?"

The old Daoist sat cross-legged on the prayer mat, his eyes slightly narrowed, and asked.

"This disciple yearns for the Great Dao and has come to seek the Dharma!"

Wu Ming stated directly, without pretense.

"Dharma?" The old Daoist's eyelids twitched. "We practice purity and have no other methods. Begone! Begone!"

Wu Ming, having been rebuffed, retreated dejectedly.

He supposed it was natural. Since ancient times, when a master accepts a disciple, it's always after repeated trials and tests.

Even if they were just playing around or seeking money and offerings, there were plenty of wealthy young disciples to extort.

Wu Ming, with his unknown origins and persistent entanglement, demanding that someone impart their Dharma upon entering, was lucky not to have been hit on the head.

"But it's fine... At least I know of a place. I can come back another time and pester them... I just don't know if I have enough time..."

Wu Ming pondered, memorized the name of the Daoist temple, and walked away leisurely.