World-Saving Sect

That afternoon, Zhou Muyun arrived at the East Market Outpost as usual.

Unlike yesterday's overcast gloom, the atmosphere at the outpost had returned to normal today.

Zhou Muyun was still wondering about it when Lu Ming came up to him with a smile. "Brother Zhou, I have good news for you—the Blood Demon Sect crisis has been resolved!"

"The Blood Demon Sect was wiped out?"

Zhou Muyun was somewhat surprised. Such a terrifying sect had been dealt with in just half a day?

"No." Lu Ming shook his head. "Military Officer Sima led men to identify someone suspected of belonging to the Blood Demon Sect and successfully captured him.

It turned out that man was merely a Rogue Cultivator who had happened to obtain a fragment of a Blood Demon Sect technique—and he had even suffered cultivation deviation.

So the Blood Demon Sect hasn't risen from the ashes after all. Isn't that good news? Don't you agree, Brother Zhou?"

"It certainly is good news." Zhou Muyun nodded repeatedly, then asked, "Does that mean the four-man patrols and double monthly pay have been canceled as well?"

"Not at all. The county lieutenant only said everything would proceed as previously stated. When those above give the word, those below just follow orders, Brother Zhou."

The Blood Demon Sect crisis had been resolved, yet neither the four-man patrols nor the doubled pay had been canceled. Why was that?

Zhou Muyun frowned. He faintly sensed that something was wrong, yet he could not put his finger on it.

Then he thought of how, if the sky fell, the tall would hold it up. As a small fry in the Tempered Bone Realm, there was nothing he could do anyway.

Steadily improving his strength was what mattered. He also needed to find a chance to ask about housing prices in the Inner City and move there as soon as possible.

After his routine street patrol, Zhou Muyun returned home. He chatted with his mother and younger sister for a while before resuming his practice of the Flurry Fist.

His breath hung by a thread like gossamer; his feet raised no dust, his body drifted like smoke.

As he sent punch after punch forth, Zhou Muyun gradually grasped some of the essence of this fist technique.

Following the insight in his heart, his fists lost some of their sharpness but gained more variations, while the proficiency of his Flurry Fist quietly rose.

[Flurry Fist Beginner (150/600)]

[Flurry Fist Beginner (151/600)]

Time flowed on, and a month passed in silence.

The silver Leng Ni had promised arrived in Zhou Muyun's hands the very next day, while the nourishing meat greatly exceeded his expectations.

It was actually the flesh and blood of a Swift Leopard—a ferocious beast comparable to an Organ Refinement Realm martial artist. He could not help marveling at the Leng Household's strength.

Zhou Muyun had also viewed quite a few houses in the Inner City, but their prices kept him from making a rash purchase.

An Inner City residence the same size as their current home actually cost five hundred taels. It made him feel that real estate was wildly profitable everywhere!

The Blood Demon Sect truly did not appear again after that, though the Savage Ox Gang remained as overbearing as ever.

But after learning Zhou Muyun had become a martial artist, they only collected protection fees, which counted as giving him some face.

Zhou Muyun did not resist, either. He had killed Zhang Hu, and the Savage Ox Gang was still searching for the culprit!

At a time like this, there was no need to invite trouble upon himself.

Since moving was not so urgent, Zhou Muyun temporarily put the plan aside.

With the Leng Household's support, daily hard training, and added Diligence Points, the progress of his Willow Stake and Flurry Fist advanced at a breathtaking pace.

[Heaven rewards diligence; there will surely be gains. Diligence Points settled daily.]

[Willow Stake Minor Accomplishment (800/1200)]

[Flurry Fist Beginner (400/600)]

Only one-third remained before the Willow Stake advanced, and Zhou Muyun had already begun tempering his torso.

Likewise, only one-third remained for the Flurry Fist. Minor Accomplishment was within sight.

One day, Zhou Muyun returned to Withered Well Alley as usual, only to discover many people in white clothes had appeared there.

They were going door to door handing out something. Those who received it were all delighted and continuously thanked them.

Quite a few people even copied the white-clad figures in making strange gestures, muttering words under their breaths.

When one of the white-clad people saw Zhou Muyun, he hurried over. "Young brother, do you live in this alley?"

"I do." Zhou Muyun nodded. "And you are?"

The man in white chuckled. "Young brother, we are followers of the World-Saving Sect. Our sect believes in relieving suffering and hardship, saving the people from fire and flood.

We have come specially to distribute alms and do good for our fellow neighbors, while also welcoming new followers. Would you be interested, young brother?"

Relieving suffering and hardship? Why did he look like he was running a pyramid scheme?

Others might believe it, but Zhou Muyun did not. In these chaotic times, where could there be such good people? They were most likely after something else.

"Sorry, I'm not interested," Zhou Muyun said coldly.

The man in white did not get angry. He merely nodded slightly. "No matter. Our sect has only just arrived here, and everyone is still unfamiliar with us. It is perfectly normal for young brother to be wary.

When you change your mind someday, the gates of the World-Saving Sect will always stand open for you."

The man in white raised both hands toward the sky, formed orchid-finger gestures, and swayed them a few times. "Save the world and relieve hardship—boundless merit."

Then he left Zhou Muyun and went on to distribute alms and do good at the other houses.

Save the world and relieve hardship—boundless merit? Their slogan was certainly grand. Who knew what kind of evil cult this was.

Drawing on the experience of his previous life, Zhou Muyun immediately classified it as an evil cult. He planned to warn his mother and sister when he returned, telling them to have as little contact with it as possible.

Upon arriving home, Zhou Muyun asked Xu Rou, "Mother, I ran into a group outside just now calling themselves the World-Saving Sect. Do you know what's going on with them?"

Whenever Xu Rou had nothing to do, she liked chatting about household matters with the neighbors. Now that their lives had improved and she no longer had to toil constantly, she naturally had even more time.

"I know. Aunt Zhang next door told me about them. She said they're wonderfully good people.

Any follower only needs to enshrine an image of the World-Saving Venerable at home, and they can receive sixty coins every month.

If you weren't earning money now, Xiaoyun, I might have been tempted myself."

"Exactly, Brother. Sixty coins for nothing!" Zhou Tong exclaimed from the side.

They could receive sixty coins just for enshrining a statue? He had once worked himself to the bone moving cargo for an entire month and earned only six hundred copper coins.

When something was abnormal, there had to be something suspicious. Zhou Muyun instantly became alert.

"Mother, Sister, don't open the door for them if you meet them again. Just say you're not interested."

"Yun'er, is there something wrong with them? Then... should I speak to Aunt Zhang and the others, tell them not to believe in them either?"

Xu Rou had always trusted Zhou Muyun's words, so she hurriedly asked.

"Mother, no need. We only need to mind ourselves."

Zhou Muyun hurriedly stopped Xu Rou from acting on the idea.

What a joke. If she made everyone stop believing, the World-Saving Sect would surely come looking for trouble!

Besides, if enshrining one statue each month could earn sixty coins for free, he believed no poor household in the Outer City would refuse.

Even if she tried to persuade them, could she persuade them? Perhaps they would even accuse her of blocking their path to wealth and spreading hearsay.

Zhou Muyun had no desire to court trouble.

Fortunately, Zhou Muyun was now the pillar of the household. Xu Rou and Zhou Tong would both keep his words in mind and obey them carefully.

After reminding the two of them, Zhou Muyun went into the courtyard and began his daily, unshakable cultivation.

Seven days later, Zhou Muyun was practicing martial arts at home.

Then he heard waves of footsteps outside, drawing nearer from afar.

Immediately afterward, a booming voice rang out. "The World-Saving Sect has taken root here and discovered gangs running rampant, committing every evil imaginable.

We have now purged every gang. Those who committed evil were all slain by our sect's Dharma Kings, while the rest have submitted to our sect.

From this day onward, there will be no more protection fees in the Outer City, restoring a thread of clarity to everyone!

Save the world and relieve hardship—boundless merit."

"Save the world and relieve hardship—boundless merit," several voices echoed.

What? The Savage Ox Gang and the other gangs had been wiped out so quickly? Just what was the World-Saving Sect?

Zhou Muyun knew that the leaders of the Outer City gangs were all Organ Refinement Realm martial artists.

Yet they had been killed so easily.

Though he no longer had to worry about the Savage Ox Gang's retaliation, Zhou Muyun felt even more uneasy.

When one knew an enemy's objective, everything was easy to handle. But he could not guess the World-Saving Sect's purpose at all.

Taking a deep breath, Zhou Muyun rapidly threw his fists again.

He had to accelerate his rise in strength. No matter whether they were demons, devils, monsters, or ghosts, before absolute strength, they were all clay chickens and porcelain dogs. The Savage Ox Gang was proof enough.

[Heaven rewards diligence; there will surely be gains. Diligence Points settled daily.]

[Willow Stake Minor Accomplishment (950/1200)]

[Flurry Fist Beginner (510/600)]