Slaying demons in Yunming

Zhou Wuji felt the Star Gold Daoist Robe suited him very well, and once he put it on, he didn't want to change it.

He also felt a little regretful, wondering why he hadn't bought himself two high-level robes when he had the money.

"Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse"—that saying is absolutely true!

Wearing the gold-plated Daoist robe, he felt that his already handsome appearance had increased by three points, making it a full fifteen points!

Not to mention, the Star Gold Robe is made of a special material that is impervious to water and fire, and can even withstand ordinary swords.

It contains the Northern Dipper Heavenly Gang Divine Talisman, and can also empower oneself with the Big Dipper Heavenly Gang Star Robe in critical moments.

Although he could infuse it himself, it would still take three breaths. With the Daoist robe and talismans, it could be activated at a moment's thought.

However, such Daoist robes are very precious, and ordinary Daoists really can't afford them, nor can they buy them anywhere.

The Lower Court was ultimately remote and didn't have anything of value. The only decent thing was the White Rainbow Sword.

People should strive for higher goals to see more scenery and experience a wider world.

Zhou Wuji was wearing his newly acquired Daoist robe with pride when there was a knock on the door.

He didn't think much of it and casually ordered, "Go upstairs and open the door to check."

Yang Tie Ying was also very loyal; he took the initiative to say to Shangxing, "I'll go with you."

Having gotten into trouble a few days ago, Yang Tie Ying was afraid that someone would come to settle scores, so he told his underlings not to suffer any losses.

Zhou Wuji smiled and ignored it. He had just been awarded in front of everyone in the Lower Court, so who would dare to cause him trouble at this time!

He chose a woven belt and tied it on. The woven belt had a lining inside, and part of it was very sturdy. It also had a hidden compartment where he could put small items.

The stable webbing was also able to hold the 17-pound White Rainbow Sword, which was very important.

His webbing is too narrow now; it deforms when he hangs the sword on it.

Zhou Wuji had just finished packing when he rushed back. "Uncle-Master, yes, yes, it's Grandmaster Yigong."

"Oh."

Zhou Wuji roughly guessed Yigong's intentions. He was slightly surprised; was this person really so shrewd?

Since he was a generation older than him, Zhou Wuji still came to the door to greet him.

Yigong didn't come alone; he was followed by a group of Daoist priests carrying various items. Outside the gate were several wheelbarrows filled with rice, flour, cured meat, fruit, firewood, and other supplies...

"My Dharma name Yigong, and I am the abbot's rather unambitious disciple. I apologize for my intrusion."

Yigong Yuan's face was full of smiles, and he even took the initiative to bow.

Zhou Wuji politely returned the greeting. "Greetings, Chief Steward."

Yigong said solemnly, "I have just taken over as the governor, and there are many complicated matters to attend to. There are still many things that I haven't sorted out yet."

"I only just heard about the pills and firewood. I severely punished those two guys."

"It was indeed my oversight that caused my Yiping brother Yiping and his junior brother to suffer."

"It's all my fault, I apologize to you."

As he spoke, Yigong actually took two steps back, bowed again, and clasped his hands in a salute.

Although Zhou Wuji loathed the petty tricks played by the Bixing Hall, he was quite pleased to see Yigong apologize so sincerely, regardless of whether the other party was putting on an act or not.

Yigong was, after all, an elder, so he returned the greeting with a bow and said politely, "It's just a small matter. It must be the work of the cunning people below. What does it have to do with Uncle Yigong?"

"Uncle-Master, please don't do this. I, Wuji bear such responsibility..."

"Haha, it's good that the misunderstanding has been cleared up!" I will punish those two severely!

Daoist Yigong's round face broke into a joyful smile. He took the initiative to hold Zhou Wuji's hand, appearing very affectionate. "Guarding the Ten Thousand Ghosts Grotto is very hard work. If you need anything, just ask."

"Even if the Lower Court doesn't have it, your martial uncle will find a way to get it and send it to you..."

Zhou Wuji smiled warmly, "Thank you so much, Uncle-Master. I have no way to repay your kindness..."

Aside from practical benefits, what adults really want is respect.

The gifts Yigong sent were nothing compared to the fact that this person was willing to humble himself and apologize, which made Zhou Wuji feel respected.

Whether it was genuine or not, he was in a good mood.

Expecting a sincere apology is asking too much...

Zhou Wuji introduced Yigong to his Uncle-Master Yiping, and Yigong warmly exchanged pleasantries with Yiping, praising Yang Tie Ying for his bravery and integrity, and Shangxing for his quick wit and intelligence...

After Daoist Yigong left, Shangxing and Yang Tie Ying still had smiles on their faces and praised Daoist Yigong in unison.

"Yigong was truly a good person, only he was deceived by the wicked people below him..."

"Grandmaster Yigong still has good judgment!"

Daoist Yiping also said to Zhou Wuji, "This person is shrewd and experienced; he's a clever man."

"Everyone else has backed down, let's just let this matter rest..."

He's over fifty years old, so naturally he won't lose his Yigong just because of a few words of praise.

Killing someone is just a matter of beheading; it's a trivial matter, and that's enough.

"What my uncle says is absolutely right."

Although Zhou Wuji was petty, he wasn't that petty. Nor was he so naive that he would forget everything just because someone coaxed him.

That's how things are within the sect; everyone fights but doesn't break apart, maintaining a balance.

Yigong took the initiative to admit his mistake, their problem was resolved, and there was no point in him pursuing the matter any further.

Judging from Yigong Gong's smooth-talking manner, this kind of underhanded trick is indeed not his style.

This doesn't mean the conflict with the Yuheng Lineage is over; it just means the problem with the Bixing Hall has been temporarily resolved.

If Yigong tries to pull any more tricks, then an apology won't be enough to solve the problem.

Zhou Wuji had many things to do, and he had no time to scheme against the group of people in the Lower Court.

Chatting with Zhichong Zhihe broadened his horizons.

The earth's veins are churning, and the world is already in chaos. He holds the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment in his hand; now is the perfect time to rise up...

Zhou Wuji did nothing else that day but continued to learn the Snake and Insect Seal Script from his Uncle Yiping.

At dusk, a young Daoist priest came to inform Zhou Wuji to prepare so that they could go to Wu Household Village together the next morning.

Zhou Wuji was slightly surprised. Going to Wu Household Village was not a good thing, but being able to accompany Zhichong the Heavenly Master's Manor's Mansion was a pleasant surprise.

Countless people in the Lower Court were watching, all wanting to become familiar with Zhichong.

If one were to gain the favor of the Zhichong official and receive a few words of praise in front of the host, it would be equivalent to rising to the top in one step.

Zhou Wuji didn't know whether it meant "Zhihe" or "Zhichong," but fortunately, these things weren't important.

He didn't think about how to please these two. Unlike others, he was confident that his cultivation would continue to improve, so he didn't need to cultivate relationships.

But he knew that Xue Ying of the Heavenly Ghost Sect was behind this, and perhaps it was an opportunity for him to prove himself...

Early the next morning, Zhou Wuji, dressed in a star-gold brocade Daoist robe and with the White Rainbow Sword at his waist, waited in front of the North Pole Heavenly Emperor Hall.

Besides him, there were several other disciples without a given name, such as Wuai.

One of the female cultivators had long, sword-like eyebrows and sharp, bright eyes. She wore a loose, dark blue Daoist robe and had a long sword at her waist.

The female cultivator had regular features, but the sharpness in her eyes gave her a cold and aloof demeanor.

Zhou Wuji had seen this female cultivator once in the main hall yesterday. Judging from her position, she should be a disciple of the Zhihe lineage, about the same age as him, and already at the Seventh Rank of cultivation.

Upon closer inspection, one can see that her aura is sharp and piercing, clearly indicating that she is a sword cultivator.

The female cultivator also noticed Zhou Wuji; she raised an eyebrow and her eyes turned icy.

Zhou Wuji didn't take it to heart; instead, he nodded slightly to the female cultivator.

Six months ago, he might have been angry at the female cultivator's hostility, but now he just finds it somewhat amusing.

The main reason was that the female cultivator posed no threat to him at the moment; they were not on the same level, so Zhou Wuji was lenient.

It's like a tiger seeing a puppy baring its teeth; the tiger won't get angry, at most it'll wonder if the puppy tastes good...

However, this female True Qi cultivation is incredibly pure; she's definitely not a puppy...

Wuai had always respected Zhou Wuji, mainly because he had witnessed Zhou Wuji's ruthless and merciless swordplay, and he was genuinely afraid of this fellow disciple.

He took the initiative to greet Zhou Wuji and then Zhou Wuji to the other disciples around him.

Many of the Daoists naturally recognized Zhou Wuji; he had really stole the Zhou Wuji yesterday!

Looking at Zhou Wuji's star-gold brocade Daoist robe, which exuded a profound and noble air, making Zhou Wuji, it would be a lie to say that everyone was envious.

Regardless of what people were thinking, they all remained quite polite on the surface.

Even the female cultivator clasped her hands in greeting.

Zhou Wuji then learned that the female cultivator's name was Wuleng (Leng), a somewhat uncommon name. She had already completed her ordination and was a formal Seventh Rank priest.

In fact, everyone standing here is of the Seventh Rank. Only by advancing to the Seventh Rank and obtaining the ordination certificate can one become a formal member of the Northern Pole Sect.

It's one thing for the Yuheng Lineage to look down on other lineages, but it's quite another for those of the Seventh Rank to look down on those below the Seventh Rank.

The crowd was arrogant and haughty, yet they treated Zhou Wuji with great respect, precisely because of his Zhou Wuji battle record. According to incomplete statistics, he had killed five or six Seventh-Rank Martial Artist with his sword, not to mention countless other soldiers...

After getting to know Zhou Wuji, everyone found him to be quite cheerful and generous, and his speech was quite interesting. He didn't put on airs just because he had recently been awarded a title.

The group chatted for a while and surprisingly, they all thought Zhou Wuji was quite nice; he was handsome, witty, and a first-rate friend...

Having suffered at Zhou Wuji's Wuhe, Wuhe felt very uncomfortable watching everyone chatting so enthusiastically with Zhou Wuji, but he dared not utter a word.

Fortunately Wuleng didn't go over, which made him somewhat happy...

The Daoist Yiding arrived quickly. He led the group to greet the abbot and Zhichong, and the group escorted them out of the Lower Court.

For some reason, no one accompanied Zhishan.

When we arrived at the dock, a boat was already waiting. This flat-bottomed boat had two levels, and the cabins were clean and exquisitely furnished. It was a private passenger boat used by a certain Lineage.

The group traveled downstream on the large ship, passing by Old Dragon Island along the way. At dusk, they arrived at Yunming County.

The magistrate of Yunming County was also present to greet them, and the ceremony was quite formal.

Zhou Wuji was also surprised. The people of the Heavenly Master's Manor were indeed different. Even the county magistrate, who was the master of a hundred miles, had to condescend to greet him.

It's possible that something major happened in the county, and the magistrate was under immense pressure, leaving him no choice but to seek help from the Daoist sect.

Wu Household Village is still dozens of miles away from Yunming County. It was already late, so the group from the Lower Court stayed overnight in Yunming County.

With the county magistrate's intervention, everyone was accommodated in the best inns, and Zhou Wuji was even assigned a single room.

With nothing else to do, Zhou Wuji chatted with the shop assistants for a long time, mainly asking about Yunming's local customs and traditions.

The guy has been here for years and knows the area very well. He gets paid extra, and he'll answer any questions you have...

After performing his routine evening ritual, Zhou Wuji closed his eyes and concentrated, connecting his Divine Aperture Divine Sense with the Tian Shu Heavenly Pivot Star, thus establishing a connection and resonance with the Big Dipper Star Domain.

At this moment, the Big Dipper Seven Stars transformed into his eyes, surveying the heavens and earth. As his Divine Sense moved, his gaze continuously contracted, centering on himself in Yunming County...

The Zhichong of the Heavenly Master's Manor is here; this person is very likely already Fourth Rank, Zhihe the abbot is Fifth Rank official.

With two experts standing by, Zhou Wuji showed no fear. He believed that using the Big Dipper as Eyes was a legitimate practice of his sect, and there was nothing shameful about it.

Because the two of them were here, he wanted to test whether these two experts could sense his method.

Let's also take a look at the situation in Yunming County...

In Zhou Wuji's daze, there were faint Lingming in the inn, their brightness fluctuating like starlight, yet all maintaining a relatively stable level.

These are clearly fellow disciples of the Seventh Rank.

He focused his gaze again and faintly saw a deep flow of star power, which should be the Fifth Rank Zhihe.

However, he did not see Zhichong. Clearly, this person's cultivation level was higher, and his aura was deeply concealed, exceeding the scope of his observation.

Using Big Dipper as Eyes obviously doesn't mean we can see everything; there are many limitations.

The good news is that Zhihe and Zhichong seem not to have noticed his observation, which shows the wonder of the Big Dipper as Eyes.

Zhou Wuji's "gaze" shifted, and among the many shimmering lights, he saw a special light. This light was connected to the Yaoguang Star of the Big Dipper Seven Stars, and the connection was very close and stable.

At the same time, Wuleng eyes, appeared in his Mind Mirror. Sitting quietly, breathing in True Qi, Wuleng's expression was calm and his aura was far-reaching, no longer showing the coldness of the day...

"Sixth Rank." Zhou Wuji was slightly surprised. Only then did he realize that Wuleng had actually opened the Heavenly Gate and advanced to the Sixth Rank.

Wuleng's breathing techniques were far less refined than his, indicating that he had only recently advanced to the Sixth Rank.

Zhou Wuji was still somewhat impressed. He relied on the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment, while this female cultivator had cultivated it on her own. Although there was no difference between the two, it was clear that Wuleng had a high level of talent. No wonder she was so arrogant; she truly had ability...