"A commendation from the Heavenly Master's Manor?"
Zhou Wuji was somewhat puzzled. How did Jin Ying know about the Heavenly Master's Manor? Was the Jin Household so powerful that they could even extend their reach into the Heavenly Master's Manor?!
Jin Ying knew Zhou Wuji had misunderstood, so she smiled gently and explained, " The Heavenly Master's Manor is far away in Heavenly Capital, thousands of miles from Yunyang. The people from the Heavenly Master's Manor only arrived in Chu Province a few days ago, and they weren't in a hurry to travel, so their journey was slow. Many people already knew about it..."
Zhou Wuji understood. The Jin Household were wealthy merchants with excellent connections. As soon as the people from the Heavenly Master's Manor arrived in Chu Province, the Jin Household received the news.
Among the experts of the Heavenly Master's Manor, there were naturally people willing to curry favor with them.
It wasn't a secret that he was being rewarded; the news naturally leaked out during casual conversation.
"I see."
Zhou Wuji still had some expectations for the commendation.
The Heavenly Master's Manor manages all the Daoist sects in the world; it holds such a prestigious and prestigious position that it must give them some good things.
This time, he will surely obtain his Seventh Rank Heavenly Pivot Token, officially becoming a Seventh Rank priest with an official position, and from then on, he will receive a salary from the imperial court.
With the Seventh Rank Heavenly Pivot Token, he also gained a formal rank in the Northern Pole Sect.
Even the abbot of the Lower Court cannot easily punish him.
For example, if someone wanted to expel him from the sect, Zhihe would have to apply to the Upper Court.
Regardless of how the Upper Court handles the matter, it must explain it to this Court and keep a record in the Heavenly Master's Manor.
The Heavenly Master's Manor generally does not interfere in the internal affairs of sects; however, expelling a Seventh Rank Daoist priest is a very disgraceful act for the sect.
Having a formal employment contract versus not having one makes a world of difference in status and position.
Zhou Wuji was pleased, but he only smiled faintly, "Miss Jin is well-informed; I know nothing about this."
He actually wanted to ask what the award was, but asking beforehand would seem too naive. Anyway, it was bound to happen sooner or later, so there was no need to rush.
He changed the subject and asked, "What's the situation in Yunming County?"
"It is said to be Wu Household Village in Yunming County. The village has several hundred people who spend their days farming and making pottery. There are several large kilns for firing pottery."
"One day, a monster emerged from the kiln, killing many villagers and burning the village to the ground. It is said that the village has become a ghost town..."
Jin Ying said, "Some say the Heavenly Ghost Sect is raising ghosts, some say the Yin Yang Dao is worshipping demon gods, and some say the Myriad Devils Sect is forging Devil Artifact."
"There are many conflicting opinions, no one can say for sure, and rumors are piling up, causing widespread panic..."
Zhou Wuji chatted with Jin Ying for a while and ate some peaches, plums and other fruits from her home.
Fruit is different; it's easy to spot if someone tries to tamper with it.
Jin Ying is very talkative, has a sweet voice, and is also very beautiful. Her wheat-colored skin might be considered dark by others, but Zhou Wuji quite likes this healthy, sunny complexion.
They chatted about interesting things in Yunyang City and shared anecdotes about various families, enjoying each other's company immensely.
Zhou Wuji declined Jin Ying's invitation to the dinner party. He handed the yellow jade gourd to Jin Ying and asked her to find someone to examine the Law Artifact and calculate its price.
He doesn't have much money right now, and the gourd is useless, so he can exchange it for money.
With the gourd incident, he also had a reason to contact Jin Ying.
Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain why he was so close to a young girl.
Zhou Wuji didn't have any designs on Jin Ying; it's just that Jin Ying had extensive connections and was well-informed, making her the best window to understand the situation in Yunyang.
As for whether Jin Ying might embezzle the jade gourd, while it's not impossible, the chances are extremely low...
After all, it's just a magical Law Artifact that gathers Yin Qi, and its rank can't exceed the Fifth Rank. It's completely incomparable to his Heavenly Puppet.
Zhou Wuji arrived at the large market in the western part of Yunyang and bought ten loads of firewood, each load costing less than a hundred coins.
The firewood sellers were shocked to see Zhou Wuji gather the firewood with his sleeves. They immediately knelt down and offered to return the copper coins to Zhou Wuji.
Everyone around stared wide-eyed and gaped.
They all knew the Lower Court priests were powerful, but few had actually witnessed their abilities.
The Five Yin Pouch of collecting firewood was, in their eyes, like a magical technique.
Zhou Wuji enjoyed the shock brought by the Five Yin Pouch, but he didn't like the kneeling of the crowd. He said a few words of comfort and then left.
On the way back, Zhou Wuji thought about how depressed his Uncle Yiping had been lately, so he bought some wine and meat for the old man and some desserts and fruits for the two children.
The Yin Qi of the Five Yin Pouch can corrode living things, so food should not be placed there.
Zhou Wuji could only carry it, but fortunately his robe sleeves were wide enough to cover it, and he walked quickly, so he didn't attract any onlookers.
Back in the stone house, Daoist Yiping was still very happy to see the wine and meat.
The old man wasn't actually a heavy drinker, but life in the stone house was truly miserable, so indulging in some food was quite enjoyable.
Yang Tie Ying and Shangxing were also very happy. They were both growing and had an extremely strong craving for meat and sugar, so their sense of satisfaction was particularly strong.
The Yin Qi from underground made the courtyard somewhat gloomy, even dispelling the heat of July.
The laughter of the two children and the old man's contented smile filled the courtyard with life.
Zhou Wuji really liked this atmosphere; the harder life got, the more positive people needed to be.
He said to Daoist Yiping, "Uncle-Master, don't worry Ten Thousand Ghosts Grotto rotates every six months. If it doesn't rotate after six months, I'll go find the abbot."
Daoist Yiping shook his head. "That's not necessary. It's quite quiet here, and cool in the summer. It's very nice..."
He comforted Zhou Wuji: "Don't offend the abbot. The spots for further studies at the Upper Court next year are very important."
"If you can gain a foothold in the Upper Court, we can also benefit from it."
Zhou Wuji laughed heartily. Daoist Yiping was in a stable and optimistic mood; no wonder he had been able to lie still for so many years.
He didn't mention the award from the Heavenly Master's Manor, but instead talked about the recent situation in Yunyang Prefecture.
I heard that the Xinjue was still the abbot of Golden Leaf Temple, Daoist Yiping cursed that this was unfair.
If Zhiyuan hadn't left, he would be lying there so comfortably and contentedly right now...
That evening, Zhou Wuji quietly left the Lower Court. On the way, he changed into the robes of the Yin Yang Dao, wore a bamboo hat, a mask, and long boots, and even circulated his internal energy to shrink his body slightly.
This subtle adjustment altered his physical characteristics, and even changed his breathing and overall condition.
With the night deep and no one around, Zhou Wuji unleashed his Flowing Cloud Movement Method and arrived at the foot of Yunyang City in less than a quarter of an hour.
The city gates of Yunyang City were closed, lanterns hung on the gate towers, and the figures of patrolling soldiers could still be seen on the city walls.
After all, this was a major city, completely different from a county town. Although the patrolling soldiers were lazy, they were still quite responsible.
Zhou Wuji watched for a while before finding an opening and leaping into the air.
Although he cannot fly, with his abundant True Qi of 5,500 units, he can easily change direction continuously in the air.
The city wall was only a little over four zhang high. He adjusted his body in mid-air and flew over the city wall like a bird, landing directly in Yunyang City.
Zhou Wuji landed as lightly as a feather, without disturbing a speck of dust.
His boots were enveloped in True Qi, leaving no footprints on the ground.
They had truly reached the point where they could come and go as they pleased, riding on the Flowing Clouds without a trace.
Zhou Wuji had never actually been to the Zhang Household; he had only been to the Pacification Office, but he knew that the Zhang Household must live on one side of the Pacification Office.
This ensures the safety of the Lineage and makes it convenient for Lineage members on duty to go to the Pacification Office.
Zhou Wuji's target was not the Zhang Household. The Zhang Household had been rooted in Yunyang City for hundreds of years, with hundreds of direct descendants and countless collateral descendants.
Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor; he's here to find Zhang Yunfeng and Zhang Banshan.
Zhang Banshan stood up for Zhang Xinhu, but whether he plotted against him later is hard to say.
Therefore, Zhou Wuji still needs to kill Zhang Yunfeng first, and then decide whether to kill Zhang Banshan based on the situation.
The Pacification Office occupies a large area in the west of the city, connected with large residential areas on both sides to form an independent area. At night, the access roads are closed to prevent outsiders from entering.
The night sky was covered with dark clouds; there was no moon or stars.
A three-story building with two slopes and five ridges, with high-pitched corner ridges on both sides of the central ridge, resembling bird heads.
Zhou Wuji stood atop the tallest bird, Pacification Office and the surrounding residences from his vantage point.
With the improvement of True Qi level, the observation range of the Six Yang Dharma Eye also increased by 50%.
Standing at this height, Zhou Wuji could overlook the various life radiances in the entire area.
Zhou Wuji glanced over and saw various kinds of Qi and Blood spiritual light flickering uncertainly in the darkness, like stars in the night sky.
The different grades of life aura naturally form varying degrees of strength.
The Pacification Office was different; it was protected by a powerful Qi, like a transparent barrier, which blocked the observation of the Six Yang Dharma Eye.
Zhou Wuji had experienced this Qi before at the prefectural government office.
It can be called official air, or the popular will brought about by governing all people.
Regardless of what it is, this kind of Qi has a great suppressive effect on cultivators.
It's already past midnight, so it's unlikely that Zhang Yunfeng will be at the Pacification Office.
Although the Pacification Office was protected by Qi, the surrounding residences were not.
Through observation, Zhou Wuji identified two targets.
He doesn't just look at the aura of life, but also at the layout of the house.
Zhang Yunfeng was a direct descendant of the Zhang Household and also a centurion; although her rank was not high, her position was very important.
Given Zhang Yunfeng's status in the Zhang Household, her living conditions wouldn't be too bad, but of course, they couldn't be too good either.
According to her rank, it would be more appropriate for Zhang Yunfeng to live in a three-courtyard house.
It's not a big deal to overstep one's bounds in terms of clothing, but as for housing, it's just a matter of setting it up right there. Exceeding one's social class can easily cause problems.
It's a bit far; to get a closer look, you'd have to go deep into the courtyard where the two are.
Just as Zhou Wuji was about to take action, a thought suddenly struck him: perhaps he could try using his Mind Mirror.
When he mastered the Northern Dipper Heavenly Pivot Yin Thunder, he established a stable connection with the Big Dipper Star Domain.
As his True Qi level increased, he was able to sense a larger area of Big Dipper Star Domain.
Logically speaking, the Big Dipper Star Domain covers the entire heavens and earth, and is omnipresent.
Heaven and earth, and all living beings, are merely a part of the Big Dipper Star Domain.
Zhou Wuji activated the Divine Aperture between his eyebrows and Heavenly Gate on the top of his head, first establishing a connection with the Heavenly Pivot Star in the Nine Heavens.
As their connection deepened, Zhou Wuji felt himself becoming a part of the Big Dipper Star Domain, breathing the same air as this world.
His spirit soared to new heights, and the Big Dipper seemed to become his eyes, allowing him to see the entire world.
As his consciousness shifted, the endless world shrank into a single point, and the Pacification Office and the surrounding residences unfolded on the Mind Mirror.
Without any deliberate guidance, Zhang Yunfeng's image appeared on the Mind Mirror.
Zhang Yunfeng was embracing and flirting with a beautiful woman, while fine wine and delicacies were laid out on the table in front of them.
The weather was still very hot and humid at night, and Zhang Yunfeng and Meiji were both dressed in light clothing, revealing large areas of skin.
There was no one else in the room, and the two of them were behaving recklessly and without any decorum...
Looking again at the Pacification Office, one could already see glimmers of life, though still somewhat blurry.
Zhou Wuji did not find any strong life force in the Pacification Office, guessing that Zhai Jun was probably not there.
This state was rapidly depleting his True Qi, and he had no time to ponder these things.
Just as Zhou Wuji was about to continue observing Zhang Yunfeng, he sensed an incongruous, gloomy atmosphere.
He hadn't detected this aura before using his Six Yang Dharma Eye, but by resonating with the Big Dipper Star Domain and using the Big Dipper as his eyes, he could see even deeper and more subtle levels.
Although this person's aura was deeply concealed, it was still covered by the Big Dipper Star Domain. His own True Qi naturally interacted with the Big Dipper Star Domain, but this reaction was extremely subtle and did not emanate outwards.
Zhou Wuji was in a state of near Celestial Person when he was able to sense this person's presence.
As his expression changed, the Mind Mirror naturally reflected his appearance.
This person was not far in front of the Pacification Office archway, actually about a hundred feet behind him in a house. He was ugly and had a large black mole between his eyebrows, which looked like an eye.
He was dressed in black linen clothes, and a long white cloth banner lay beside him...
Judging from this person's attire, he's clearly of the same style as the Cold-Blooded Twin Fiends, and should be a master of the Heavenly Ghost Sect, at the Sixth Rank rank...