"Wusheng Laomu above, may blessings descend upon all!"
The old Daoist spoke calmly. His voice was not especially thunderous, yet it easily drowned out the commotion around him, carrying a peaceful air.
As soon as he spoke, the crowd fell silent.
"Wusheng Laomu above, I beg the Holy Master to bless us! I'm willing to give away all my family's wealth to worship Laomu. I only ask the Holy Master to save my son!"
A burly man broke the silence, kneeling and kowtowing with his coughing son in his arms.
The child was only five or six. His face was pale, and his father was covering his mouth to stifle his coughs. His little face had turned bright red from holding them in.
"With Wusheng Laomu's protection, your son will surely be fine."
The old Daoist smiled. "Bestow a blessing!"
"Yes."
A Taiping Sect follower beside him flicked a finger. A talisman burst into flames in midair. He tossed the burning paper into a wooden bucket, where it continued to burn.
After a while, the Taiping Sect follower ladled out a scoop of Talisman Water. The burly man tossed a bundle of silver into a bamboo basket, then raised a porcelain bowl high. "Holy Master, please bestow your blessing!"
"Bestow the blessing~~~~"
The Taiping Sect follower threw back his head and sang.
The burly man poured the bowl of Talisman Water down the child's throat. The child, who had been coughing just moments before, immediately began to improve. In barely ten seconds, he had stopped coughing, and color had returned to his pale face.
Seeing this miraculous sight, even those who had been half-convinced began to believe.
"Thank you, Holy Master, for your blessing!"
The burly man's face was full of gratitude.
Spurred on by this, more and more people clamored for the Holy Master's blessing, driving the fervent atmosphere to a fever pitch.
The common folk worshipped the Holy Master as a god.
"I just don't get it. This so-called Holy Master is obviously just putting on a show and playing tricks. Why doesn't the government do anything?"
Lu Yuan heard someone grumbling nearby. He looked in the direction of the voice and saw several government constables gathered together, talking.
"I say we ought to arrest this charlatan!"
Someone spoke up indignantly.
"Shh, keep your voice down. It doesn't matter what we think. What matters is what those officials at the government office think. If they don't care, what good will it do for us to care?"
"Exactly. I reckon those officials have taken their cut. As long as they don't rebel, they'll turn a blind eye."
"Better not meddle in other people's business. You'll only get yourself hurt."
Lu Yuan shook his head and stopped watching.
Great Sheng really was in its twilight years. Good thing he hadn't agreed to join the Six Doors.
The Taiping Sect was openly manipulating the people, expanding its faith, and fooling the common folk. Even a blind government would have noticed.
Yet so far, from Lingbao County to Ziyun County, he had seen nothing but government officials doing nothing.
Were they truly afraid to intervene?
Did they simply not want to?
Or were they conspiring with the Taiping Sect?
Whatever the reason, it was terrifying. It proved Great Sheng's local administration—at least at the county level—was rotten to the core.
With its very roots rotten, could Great Sheng still be saved?
Lu Yuan spent the night at an inn. Nothing happened.
Early the next morning, Lu Yuan mounted his horse and continued on his way. Just after leaving the city gate, he spotted Xu Ziyi again. He seemed to be following someone.
Looking closely, Lu Yuan saw that the person being followed was the old Daoist from the day before.
But today, he had no beard beneath his chin, and his hair had turned black.
If Lu Yuan hadn't been so perceptive, it would have been no easy feat to see through the disguise.
"The Six Doors are tailing someone from the Taiping Sect? What are Xu Ziyi and the others up to?"
Lu Yuan hadn't planned to get involved, but curiosity got the better of him. He changed his mind and followed.
It was just like a mantis stalking a cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
Lu Yuan saw Xu Ziyi following the man while leaving marks along the roadside.
Realizing Xu Ziyi had plenty of companions, Lu Yuan stopped tailing him and waited for a while. Sure enough, someone with light footsteps followed the marks.
Lu Yuan followed behind them.
They wove through the mountain forest. In the distance, a village came into view. Watching the person ahead enter it, Xu Ziyi's spirits lifted. "We've finally found them! Once Lord Pang and the others arrive, we can move in!"
Before long, more than a dozen Six Doors constables arrived. Their leader was a burly man in black, tall and broad, with a powerful build. Although he looked like a great bear, he left only faint footprints in the dirt with each step, a clear sign of his profound skill.
"Lord Pang."
Xu Ziyi went up to him.
Pang Tianlong nodded. "You saw Huo Jian go in?"
"I saw it with my own eyes!"
"Good! Move out with me!"
Pang Tianlong drew a deep breath, unsheathed his saber, and led more than a dozen Six Doors constables straight toward the village.
But they had taken only a dozen steps when Huo Jian emerged from the village with a large group of people. Smiling, he waved. "Lord Pang, long time no see."
Pang Tianlong glared fiercely at Xu Ziyi. Xu Ziyi immediately shook his head. "Lord Pang, I'm not the traitor!"
"Did I say you were the traitor? I said you got spotted while tailing him!"
Pang Tianlong snapped angrily.
"I've prepared a gift for you. I hope you like it."
Huo Jian clapped his hands. On both sides of the Six Doors constables, large groups of men emerged, each armed with a saber or sword.
Pang Tianlong's expression darkened. He muttered to himself, "That's it. I'm going to die here today."
"Lord Pang, do you like this gift? I spent quite a while preparing it. I was worried you wouldn't show up." Huo Jian smiled.
Pang Tianlong narrowed his eyes. "Huo Jian, since you're so sure you've got me, could you grant me one wish before I die?"
"What wish?"
"Can you tell me where you get your Yin Yang Pills?"
Huo Jian scoffed. "Pang Tianlong, do I look like an idiot? It's obvious you're trying to trick me into talking."
Pang Tianlong put on an innocent look. "You've got fifty or sixty men here, and we've only got a dozen or so. Are you afraid we'll escape? Can't you let me die knowing the truth?"
"Lord Pang, don't waste your breath. I know you've escaped death three times. You've faced situations even more perilous than this one, and you're a lucky man. I really can't say I'm absolutely sure I can take you down. What if your luck suddenly skyrockets? Where would that leave me?"
"Boss, go on, use your special skill!" a constable joked.
"Get lost! If I knew some skill to boost my luck, would I have walked right into this?" Pang Tianlong laughed and cursed. He glanced around, drew a deep breath, and said,
"Brothers, if we make it out alive, drinks are on me! Kill!"
Squelch!
A chill ran down Pang Tianlong's spine. At the last possible moment, he twisted with all his strength and dodged the sword thrust from behind.
But the sword still pierced right through his back and emerged from the center of his chest.
After striking once, the attacker immediately darted toward Huo Jian.
"Ye Hua!!!"
"Ye Hua, have you lost your mind?!"
"Ye Hua, you actually dared betray Boss Pang! You're a heartless bastard!"
The Six Doors constables stared in disbelief at first. Then they erupted into an uproar, hurling curses.
Clutching his chest, Pang Tianlong slowly lowered his head to look at the sword tip protruding from him and the drops of blood falling from it. His face was pale as he looked up at Ye Hua. "Why, Ye Hua? Tell me, why?"
Ye Hua's face twitched with shame. "Betrayer? Beast? Treacherous bastard? I'll accept whatever you call me. I'm a beast."
"Boss Pang, you're the one I've wronged the most. But they took my wife and children, so I had no choice but to work as their spy and pass them information. You'd already started suspecting that there was a traitor among us. I knew sooner or later I'd be exposed..."
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