Sword Lord Xiaoxiang

"Well..."

Zhihe looked at Zhou Wuji and couldn't help but sigh. The kid looked calm and collected, but his eyes were full of undisguised smugness and excitement.

He was also puzzled. This kid was supposed to be quite shrewd, so how could he suddenly lose his mind!

That being said, fame and fortune are tempting.

Let alone Zhou Wuji, who is only in his early twenties, even a seventy or eighty-year-old man cannot escape fame and fortune.

There's no point in saying anything now that things have come to this.

He could only remind Zhou Wuji, "Being too high-profile will inevitably cause trouble. You need to be more careful in the future..."

Zhou Wuji nodded vigorously. "Master, I understand."

He then explained with a hint of helplessness, "I only wanted to make a name for myself at the Lower Court, who would have thought the old monk would be so wicked, sigh..."

Zhihe was too lazy to say anything more to Zhou Wuji, so he waved his hand to indicate that Zhou Wuji could leave.

As Zhou Wuji emerged from the wooden shed, he saw many people waving and shouting at him from afar, "Sword Lord Xiaoxiang!"

"Sword Lord!"

He didn't quite understand what these people wanted; did they want his autograph?

The atmosphere was probably too enthusiastic, and people were so excited that they didn't know what they were doing.

Zhou Wuji cupped his hands in greeting to the group of people and then retreated into the Lower Court among a group of Daoist priests.

Wuai, Wuhe, and the others all had smiles on their faces, showering them with compliments and congratulations.

Some people say that the title "Sword Lord Xiaoxiang" is really suitable for him, and so on...

Most of these Daoist priests were young and only felt that the title was prestigious, but almost none of them realized the harm that the title brought.

Zhou Wuji naturally wouldn't explain these things; he simply responded politely to everyone.

Jian's defeat of Yuan Yi has already proven his ability, so now he should instead tone down his brilliance and work to build good relationships with everyone.

Of course, no fool would dare to mess with him now.

You're nice, I'm nice, we're all nice; on the surface, everyone gets along harmoniously, and that's enough.

Zhou Wuji also wanted to curry favor with True Person Zhihua and cultivate a good relationship with the Yuheng Lineage.

Yang Tie Ying stood behind Zhou Wuji with an excited expression, his chin held high.

Many Daoists pretended not to see it, and some even took the initiative to befriend Yang Tie Ying.

Wuleng watched silently from the side. She wanted to remind Zhou Wuji, but then felt it was unnecessary.

He's saying such discouraging things, as if he's envious or jealous of Zhou Wuji...

Zhihe quickly summoned Zhou Wuji again and took him to speak with Prefect Wang Yan and Commander Zhai Jun.

The two men were the highest-ranking civil and military officials in Yunyang Prefecture, holding great positions and wielding considerable power. Bringing Zhou Wuji along would also be of great benefit to Zhou Wuji.

Many powerful and wealthy people from Yunyang gathered around, and regardless of what they thought, their faces were full of smiles, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.

Wang Yan greatly admired Zhou Wuji, praising him for his literary and Zhou Wuji talents, as well as his intelligence and resourcefulness, predicting a bright future for him.

Zhai Jun also praised the young man, saying he was promising and had unlimited potential.

The two praised Zhou Wuji for two reasons: firstly, they genuinely admired him, and secondly, the Lower Court had won against the Golden Leaf Temple in this battle.

Golden Leaf Temple and the Zhang Household are tied together, but they are both outsiders, so they are naturally quite wary of each other.

This major setback to Golden Leaf Temple's prestige should make both Golden Leaf Temple and the Zhang Household behave themselves.

This shift in power makes it easier for the two of them to manage Yunyang Prefecture...

Both of them were willing to give Lower Court a hand and Zhou Wuji a hand.

In front of a group of wealthy and powerful people, Wang Yan directly praised Zhou Wuji for his literary and martial prowess, saying that he truly deserved the title of Sword Lord...

Many wealthy and powerful people were surprised, Xinjue why the prefect was so cooperative in praising Zhou Wuji.

With Prefect Wang Yan's public approval, Zhou Wuji's title of "Sword Lord Xiaoxiang" is now impossible to shake off...

Since the prefect had praised him, everyone else naturally followed suit, showering Zhou Wuji with compliments.

Some people are sincere, some are hypocritical, and some are ambiguous...

Through the mirror of his Mind Mirror, Zhou Wuji could see about 70-80% of the true emotions of the people.

He didn't care. These people held immense power in Yunyang, but it was worldly power and wealth. He walked the path of cultivation, and he was not on the same path as them.

He won't stay in Yunyang, a small place, for long.

It doesn't matter what people are thinking; it's enough that everyone maintains a facade of harmony.

The Zhang Household, the Wang Household, the Li Household, and so on—in his mind, they're just so-so...

Zhou Wuji maintained a respectful demeanor in front of the prefect and the governor, but he didn't need to be too polite to this group of people. He didn't like socializing with superiors, but he was fine with casual chatting on an equal footing.

After dealing with various people, he became familiar with each family and truly got to know the upper echelons of Yunyang.

Zhang Shihong, the head of the Zhang Household family, is a somewhat rigid scholar who appears aloof.

Clearly, he lacked Zhang Shiheng's martial arts skills, let alone Zhang Shiheng methods. Such a person could only guard the home, but was incapable of accomplishing great things.

Even so, Wang Yan and Zhai Jun were clearly still uneasy and wanted to take the opportunity to do their best to suppress the Zhang Household.

The Zhang Household doesn't seem to have any talented members; the next generation's Zhang Yunming is all talk and no action, while Zhang Yun is quite beautiful...

Zhou Wuji secretly lamented that it was a pity; the Zhang Household could no longer be his friends.

Jin Ying also ran over, smiling and curtsying with her skirt up, congratulating Zhou Wuji on his fame spreading Yunyang and his reputation resounding far and wide.

In front of everyone, Zhou Wuji only exchanged a few polite words with Jin Ying. He still had some questions for Jin Ying, but he could only discuss them privately.

With the Xinjue of the monk Xinjue and Prefect Wang Yan, no matter what the powerful and wealthy people thought, they had to acknowledge the title of Sword Lord Xiaoxiang.

The many civilians watching the game at the drill ground were exceptionally enthusiastic and spontaneously shared their experiences with everyone they knew.

Word spread quickly throughout Sword Lord Xiaoxiang Yunyang City, and then continued to spread outwards along the Yangtze River...

Back in the stone house, Yang Tie Ying recounted the whole story with great enthusiasm, making his superior scratch his head in frustration, wishing he had seen it with his own eyes.

Daoist Yiping, however, looked worried. He sighed softly in Zhou Wuji's ear, "The one who killed the king's horse was just a roadside brat..."

"Hmm?" Zhou Wuji looked puzzled. He had read quite a lot, but he was far inferior to Daoist Yiping, who devoted himself to reading.

"A man rode a fat, strong horse, and the people by the roadside kept praising him. So the man kept whipping the horse to run faster, and as a result, the horse died of exhaustion."

Daoist Yiping said, "Excessive praise can lead people to make wrong judgments and bring about great disaster."

Throughout history, there have been countless examples of this; you must not become arrogant because of it.

"I know, this is a case of flattery to kill!" Zhou Wuji grinned.

Daoist Yiping was somewhat surprised, and he looked thoughtful. "Praise to death, praise to death, yes, that's the meaning. You've summarized it very well!"

The old Daoist priest said with relief, "I'm relieved that you can remain so clear-headed and calm..."

The next day, when Zhou Wuji went to Yunyang City, he had to change into an ordinary blue Daoist robe and wear a bamboo hat to avoid being recognized and surrounded.

Upon arriving at Hengfeng Bank, Zhou Wuji immediately recognized him as soon as he said he wanted to see Manager Zhou Wuji. The clerk was unusually attentive, even obsequious, and bowed as he led the way.

In the familiar courtyard, Zhou Wuji saw Jin Ying.

Jin Ying wore a light blue vest with a thin gauze over it, exposing both arms. Her cool and refreshing attire highlighted her youthful radiance.

"Sword Lord's visit is an honor to our humble abode." Jin Ying cupped her hands in a gesture of respect, mimicking a man's manner. Her voice was soft and sweet, and her bright eyes were full of smiles, clearly showing her genuine joy.

Zhou Wuji returned the greeting with clasped hands. "Miss Jin is too kind. We are all good friends, there's no need for such formalities."

These polite words only made Jin Ying happier.

"I'm not joking, everyone in Yunyang City is talking about the Sword Lord Xiaoxiang now; he's truly a household name throughout the city, known to women and children alike."

Jin Ying said with a smile, "The nobles of Yunyang City all admire Sword Lord. If they knew that Sword Lord was coming to my humble abode, they would wear down my doorstep..."

Zhou Wuji couldn't help but smile. Jin Ying was good at speaking; even though her words were somewhat exaggerated, they sounded pleasant and comfortable to hear.

The two exchanged a few jokes, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed.

Zhou Wuji inquired about the Moon Soul Gourd, and when the conversation turned to serious matters, Jin Ying also suppressed her smile.

A troubled look appeared on her delicate face. "Yunyang is too small, and the number of cultivators is limited. The gourd that condenses the Grand Yin Moonlight indeed wonderful, but few people can use it."

"I asked around, but no one was willing to make an offer... I can only send it to Jingyang, the county town, where there are many cultivators and wealthy merchants, so surely someone can afford it."

"I see..." Zhou Wuji was slightly surprised. He had thought that the Moon Soul Gourd was quite magical and should be in high demand, but he didn't expect it to be unsellable.

Jin Ying explained softly, "Senior brother comes from a legitimate sect of Xuanmen, but he doesn't know how difficult cultivation is."

"In the vast Yunyang, the number of Buddhist and Daoist practitioners combined is only a few hundred, and even with some unorthodox practitioners, the total number is probably less than a thousand."

"The Moon Soul Gourd is so wondrous; it must cost at least ten or twenty thousand taels of silver. Such a large sum of money is beyond the reach of anyone who would want to buy it and take it home to play with..."

Zhou Wuji nodded. There were few cultivators and no stable trading venues, so good items were indeed difficult to sell.

He said, "Forget it, I don't need the money right now, so I won't sell it."

Having obtained Chen Dalu's valuables, he now has money in his pocket and no longer needs to rush to sell the Moon Soul Gourd.

The Ten Directions God-Severing Book contains methods for cultivating the Grand Yin True Qi and also utilizes the Grand Yin Moonlight. Perhaps he can still use it.

"Alright." Jin Ying immediately returned the Moon Soul Gourd to Zhou Wuji. This thing was valuable and a Law Artifact, and she always felt uneasy holding it. Returning it to Zhou Wuji saved her a lot of trouble.

"How's the Zhang Household's situation?" Zhou Wuji asked casually.

"The Pacification Office arrested Zhang Yunfeng's attendants and, through interrogation, obtained information that Zhang Yunfeng and Zhang Banshan had arranged to meet the Grand Master of the Yin Yang Dao that day."

Jin Ying, who was very well-informed, said, "The deaths of Zhang Yunfeng and Zhang Banshan have been attributed to assassination by Devil Cultivator."

"This matter has been settled, and the Zhang Household has no objections. The Pacification Office and the prefectural government have only listed Cui Wancheng, the Grand Master of Yin Yang Dao Daoism, as the main culprit, and will soon issue a warrant for his arrest..."

Zhou Wuji nodded. Since the Pacification Office and the prefectural government could not arrest Cui Wancheng Cui Wancheng, they could only close the case by listing him as the principal offender.

Therefore, it is Zhang Yunfeng and Zhang Banshan's own fault. They colluded with the Yin Yang Dao Devil Cultivator first, so they can't blame anyone else for the accident.

The fact that Zhang Household agreed to close the case this way means they must have been caught red-handed and had no choice but to admit it.

At least the case file says he was assassinated by Devil Cultivator, not that he colluded with Devil Cultivator, which is already considered giving the Zhang Household some face.

Zhou Wuji was satisfied with the result; no one could find Cui Wancheng, and the matter was over.

After leaving the Jin Household, Zhou Wuji, as usual, bought some fruits, desserts, and other snacks.

Living in the stone house all day is indeed very boring. It's fine for the two younger ones to suffer a little, but Yiping is getting old, so we should treat this old man better.

As Zhou Wuji entered the side gate of the Lower Court carrying his belongings, a young Daoist priest hurriedly approached him. "Uncle-Master, the abbot wants you to the Heart-Questioning Hall. We've been waiting at each gate for quite a while..."

Zhou Wuji handed the things in his hand to the young Daoist boy, asking him to help deliver them to the stone house.

Upon arriving Heart-Questioning Hall, Zhou Wuji straightened his collar and cuffs, dusted off the dust with his whisk, and then stepped into the hall.

"Disciple Zhou Wuji pays respects to the abbot." Zhou Wuji bowed and clasped his hands in greeting.

"Come in," Zhihe said softly.

When Zhou Wuji entered the main hall, he saw True Person Zhihua standing in the center of the hall.

She wore a dark blue headscarf, a dark blue Daoist robe with gold patterns, and a white jade whisk in her delicate hand. Her bright face had a serene expression.

This time she was dressed simply, like an ordinary female cultivator, but her fair complexion, already like jade, made her even more radiant in the dark Daoist robe.

"Disciple pays respects to the True Person." Zhou Wuji bowed again.

"Upon hearing that Sword Lord had summoned me, I dared not delay for a moment and traveled a thousand miles in a day to come here in haste. Sword Lord, please do not take offense..." True Person Zhihua looked around at Zhou Wuji, a playful smile on his face.