I Am Chen Jinnan

The old Daoist priest, whose Daoist name was Jinlian, said slowly, "A few days ago, I suffered a serious injury and had no choice but to hide in the capital. My intuition told me that I would meet someone who could help me resolve this crisis."

"I have been waiting by the roadside for a long time, and finally you have arrived. However, I only know that you are blessed with good fortune, but I do not know where you come from."

"As for the woman in the carriage back then, her appearance was magnificent and her spirit was restrained, a rare sight in the world. You gave her a bracelet, and the two of you will have a connection in the future."

He spoke eloquently, yet never got to the point; wasn't he just a charlatan? Xu Qi'an said, "So, like you chose me, you chose the other seven members of the Heaven and Earth Society?"

"Yes!"

Can I ask why?

The old Daoist priest smiled for the first time, "Alright, but after hearing what I'm about to say, you'll have no way out."

Xu Qi'an pondered for a long time, weighing the pros and cons in his mind, before nodding. "Go ahead."

The old Daoist priest nodded. "Everything I have done is for the sake of saving the Earth Sect."

Saving the Earth Sect?

"Don't you find it strange, benefactor? The Earth Sect cultivates merit, yet my junior brother Zilian wanted to kill you, murdering the death row inmate who made the deal in your place. This completely contradicts the Earth Sect's cultivation philosophy."

Number Nine killed my double Xu Qi'an, with a calm expression, but a chill ran through him.

He was unaware of the transaction process, and Wei Yuan hadn't explained it; he only found out about it now.

Fortunately, he was not blinded by the treasures and gold, and chose the method that best suited his heart.

They both escaped the crisis and demonstrated their loyalty.

"This matter concerns the secrets of the Earth Sect; please remember not to divulge it." Seeing Xu Qi'an nod, Master Jinlian did not immediately explain, but remained silent for a long time before sighing:

"The current leader of the Earth Sect has fallen into demonic possession, affecting almost everyone except for a small number of disciples, including myself, who have not been affected by the leader."

"And what shelters us is the Book of the Earth."

"Possessed by demonic possession?" Xu Qi'an found it hard to believe. The Earth Sect cultivates merit, and as the leader of a sect, the Dao Sect must have accumulated immeasurable merit. It wouldn't be unreasonable for him to find a silver tael on the street.

People like this have become possessed. Is society really that cold-hearted?

"Success and failure both stem from merit." The old Daoist priest, Jinlian, stared blankly at the candle flame.

When the Celestial Venerable of Morality founded the Earth Sect, he left behind a saying, "Fortune and misfortune have no fixed gate; they are summoned by oneself. The retribution for good and evil follows like a shadow."

"Speak like a human being," Xu Qi'an said with a sigh.

"Do you think saving a life is a meritorious act?" asked the old Daoist priest, Jinlian.

"Isn't that right?" Xu Qi'an retorted.

"What if you saved a truly wicked person? He should have been punished by heaven, but because you saved him, he survived and continued to do evil." The Golden Lotus Daoist looked at Xu Qi'an:

Is this still considered doing good deeds?

Xu Qi'an pondered for a moment, then frowned. "Human nature is fickle, a mixture of light and darkness. We cannot become cynical and averse to light just because we have seen darkness."

"It's unrealistic for me to dig into someone's past before even trying to save them."

The old Daoist priest subtly straightened his back, his gaze appreciative, and smiled, "Only when you say these words can I truly feel at ease entrusting the Earth Book to you."

"Alas, it is certainly not wrong for ordinary people to follow this principle. But for us, this is the most terrifying cause and effect. The deeper the accumulation of merit, the heavier the cause and effect."

The Daoist master spent his life doing good deeds and accumulating merit. Sixty years ago, he failed to transcend his tribulation, and the karmic consequences backfired, causing him to fall into the demonic path. This is the principle of reversal when things reach their extreme.

"To attain enlightenment through merit, one must bear the corresponding consequences. A single thought can lead to immortality, another to demonhood; this is the inescapable fate of every member of the Earth Sect."

So the Earth Sect has such hidden secrets!

At this time, Confucian School is needed to educate you. The so-called gentleman is moderate and upright; going to extremes cannot last. Xu Qi'an suddenly thought of something, and his expression changed.

If the good fortune I possess and that of the Earth Sect originate from the same source, am I also in danger of becoming possessed by demons?

He didn't fully trust Master Jinlian yet, and he refrained from asking.

"Aren't the Celestial Person Sects going to do anything?" Xu Qi'an seized the opportunity to probe for inside information. "They are, after all, Daoist School."

"The Earth Sect has the hidden danger of becoming a demon. Do you think the Celestial Person Sects, which also originate from the Daoist School, don't have similar hidden dangers?" Master Jinlian sneered.

"Besides, this is a matter for my sect, what does it have to do with them? Why should they interfere?"

So what are the hidden dangers of the Celestial Person and Human Sects? The Heaven and Earth Society also emerged before the year 60 (60 years ago), which matches the information Xu Qi'an reviewed. He asked, "Then the Daoist priest established the Heaven and Earth Society?"

Master Jinlian said in a deep voice, "Kill the sect leader and cleanse our sect."

What is the cultivation level of the leader of the Earth Sect?

"Second rank."

Take the mirror back right now! I'm as tough as nails and won't accept charity.

The old Daoist priest, with his deep-set features, seemed to see through Xu Qi'an's thoughts and smiled:

"I have cultivated merit for decades, and although I don't have great skills, I am quite good at judging people. These eight people in the Heaven and Earth Society, including you, will all be extraordinary in the future."

"You are scattered across the land, but you will meet again someday. Join the Heaven and Earth Society early to forge a bond, so that in the future, when the elites fight each other, there will be no deaths or injuries."

Xu Qi'an, who had initially been somewhat resistant to joining the Heaven and Earth Society, suddenly changed his mind.

If what the old Daoist priest said is true, that everyone in the Heaven and Earth Society is a talented person, a chosen one of heaven, then being in this circle will definitely be beneficial to me.

It can play an important role at critical moments.

"Okay!" Xu Qi'an nodded.

The old Daoist priest nodded slightly. "If you need any help, you can ask me for assistance through the Earth Book, or you can ask other members for help if they are in the capital. Mutual help is the founding principle of the Heaven and Earth Society."

"Furthermore, the holder of the Earth Book is named after its serial number."

After the old Daoist priest finished speaking, he transformed into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared from the room, drifting gracefully into the distance.

Yin Shen!

Xu Qi'an sat at the table, poured himself a cup of tea, and mentally reviewed the conversation that had just taken place.

It seems that this master of the Earth Sect has no ill intentions towards me, but the old cunning strategist has a far-reaching and insidious plan. You can never see through their true schemes from the surface. He gave me the mirror, used the Nightwatchers to deal with his fellow disciples, and then reaped the benefits. This alone shows that the old Daoist is a cunning old fox.

But don't worry, Xu Qi'an has plenty of experience in this area, and he has already figured out how to leave himself a way out.

The only thing that can deal with the old Yin coins is the old Yin coins.

Wei Yuan!

This powerful eunuch is extremely learned, capable of governing the country and commanding the army. He was able to be promoted to this position by the current emperor to control all other officials.

This is enough to demonstrate that this person possesses extraordinary abilities.

"If I want to make it in the capital, I have to latch onto this powerful backer." Once Xu Qi'an made up his mind, he was no longer flustered.

He picked up the fragments of the "Book from the Ground" on the table and immersed himself in them.

Chaos spread once more, and before me lay a mirror world, with eight points of light suspended in the hazy chaos, one of which was the brightest.

Number 6!

Xu Qi'an lit up the halos one by one, then withdrew from the chaotic world.

Using his finger as a pen, he wrote on the mirror, "Hello everyone, I'm a newbie, please take care of me."

There was no response for a long time.

Feeling a little embarrassed, Xu Qi'an re-entered the message: "Gentlemen, my name is Chen Jinnan. Please give me your guidance."

[Lu: Brother Chen, I contacted the Daoist priest through the Earth Book and learned the general situation from Daoist Priest Jinlian. Thank you for helping the priest resolve this crisis.]

[Part Three: It's a trivial matter, not worth mentioning.]

A trivial matter?

During his conversation with the Purple Lotus Daoist that day, he appeared completely clueless, clearly indicating a low level of cultivation. Yet, he managed to help the Golden Lotus Daoist kill the Purple Lotus and retrieve the Ninth Earth Book. This Number Three might not be particularly strong himself, but his background is unfathomable. Seeing Number Three's nonchalant reply, Number Six secretly speculated.

At this moment, Xu Qi'an saw a text message from another member sent through the mirror:

[Part 2: I haven't been checking the Earth Messages lately, what happened?]

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