As the head of the Lower Court, Daoist Yizhen's position in the Lower Court was second only to Abbot Zhiyuan.
He hadn't paid much attention to Zhou Wuji's affairs until he received Wuzheng's message, only then realizing that the matter at Hidden Dragon Temple had become such a big deal.
Having clarified the whole story, although it was only Zhou Wuji's side of the story, the presiding official had already given a final verdict on the matter.
Therefore, regardless of how Zhang Wuding died, Zhou Wuji should not be held accountable for it.
If anyone, including Zhang Xinhu, were to retaliate against Zhou Wuji because of this, it would be a provocation against the Lower Court and the Northern Pole Sect, and it would not be tolerated.
He had been away on business and only arrived at Hidden Dragon Temple today, but he never expected that there would be another attack by rebel soldiers.
No evidence is needed; just looking at Zhang Xinhu's Zhang Xinhu, it's clear that he's involved in this matter.
Daoist Yizhen sensed something was wrong with Zhang Xinhu's aura and also felt murderous intent.
This kind of nouveau riche is used to being domineering in his own home, acting without any scruples and showing no respect whatsoever. Let's take this opportunity to settle things today!
Zhang Xinhu was used to running rampant in Siming County, and this was the first time he had been publicly reprimanded and warned.
He was already furious and wanted to draw his sword and kill all these bastards!
But he also understood that, not to mention others, this Yizhen in front of him was not easy to deal with.
The Ironclad Guard commanders Zhang Yunfeng, Li Cheng'an, and Yang Shuling could not stand idly by.
Once things escalate to a confrontation, even if he manages to kill Zhou Wuji, he will inevitably die here.
No matter how furious Zhang Xinhu was, he ultimately dared not act recklessly. He barely managed to suppress his anger and asked in a deep voice, "Did my son die in vain?"
Daoist Yizhen calmly said, "Deceiving one's master and betraying one's ancestors is a crime punishable by death."
Zhang Xinhu was so angry he almost vomited blood. His face was ashen as he said, "I've learned my lesson!"
Without waiting for Daoist Yizhen to speak, Zhang Xinhu cupped his hands to Zhang Yunfeng and said, "Commander, I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave first."
Zhang Yunfeng nodded. "Alright, you can go ahead and get busy."
Zhang Xinhu didn't greet the others and immediately turned and strode away.
Daoist Yizhen sneered at Zhang Xinhu's retreating figure, but said nothing.
As the head of the Lower Court, Sixth-Rank Refining Master, and a registered Daoist priest of the imperial court, he naturally could not threaten the other party with words like a hoodlum.
They didn't immediately turn hostile and take action because they were following the rules and reasoning in the Lower Court, but the Lower Court is not to be trifled with, and they will definitely not let this matter go easily.
Zhang Yunfeng politely invited Daoist Yizhen to talk outside. The two went to the middle of the courtyard. Zhang Yunfeng glanced at the people in the room. She wasn't worried that they could hear her from this position.
"Master, to tell you the truth, Zhang Xinhu is from a branch of our Zhang Household."
"He's a rude and boorish man; Daoist priest, don't lower yourself to his level."
Daoist Yizhen heard Zhang Yunfeng say this, he was very displeased.
After such a major incident, does Zhang Yunfeng think she can cover it up with just a casual remark?
However, the Zhang Household Chunan is Seven Great Aristocratic Clans of the current dynasty, with a lineage that has lasted for a thousand years. They are deeply rooted and have disciples and former officials all over the court.
His power and prestige were comparable to those of the emperor.
Even though Zhang Yunfeng's branch was a collateral line, it was still wealthy and powerful, and was the true overlord of Yunyang Prefecture.
In recent years, relations between the Zhang Household and the Lower Court have become strained, requiring even greater caution in handling these relationships.
Daoist Yizhen voice, " Zhang Xinhu has repeatedly attacked us, has he ever taken our Lower Court seriously?"
Zhang Yunfeng said solemnly, "Daoist Master, the accusations of the chaotic soldiers should not be taken seriously. Zhang Xinhu has a family and a livelihood; how could he do such a foolish thing!"
Daoist Yizhen sneered. If he had evidence, how could he let Zhang Xinhu leave alive!
How could it be a coincidence that the mutinous soldiers attacked Zhou Wuji twice? And why would such a thing need any evidence?
Let's settle these matters according to the rules of the martial world. We just need to deal with Zhang Xinhu.
"Master Daoist, Zhang Xinhu is also my third uncle's personal disciple, and my third uncle dotes on him."
Zhang Yunfeng could tell that Yizhen wasn't buying it, so she had no choice but to bring up her third uncle, Zhang Banshan.
Zhang Banshan, Sixth Rank martial artist, is True Disciple the Eight Extremes Sect. He runs the Flying Tiger Martial Arts School in Yunyang Prefecture, with hundreds of disciples.
Zhang Banshan was still a direct descendant of the Zhang Household and held a very high position in Yunyang Prefecture.
Daoist Yizhen frowned deeply. Zhang Banshan was indeed troublesome, but Zhang Banshan's disciple could not act recklessly!
" At Hidden Dragon Temple, only a few servants were killed or injured, and the main hall suffered some damage."
Zhang Yunfeng lowered her stance and said, "Let Zhang Xinhu take ten thousand taels of silver to repair the main hall. Regardless of right or wrong, gratitude or resentment, let bygones be bygones. From now on, he shall devoutly worship the Northern Emperor. If he makes any further mistakes, he can be dealt with at the Daoist priest's discretion."
Yizhen glanced at Zhang Yunfeng, Zhang Yunfeng politely cupped her hands in greeting. Daoist Yizhen knew that the other party was reminding him that the Lower Court had suffered no losses, but Zhang Xinhu had lost a son with great potential.
He intends to forcibly kill Zhang Xinhu, Zhang Household will certainly not stand idly by.
Escalating tensions are detrimental to the Lower Court, and also unfavorable to Wuzheng and Zhou Wuji.
After weighing the pros and cons, Yizhen nodded slightly.
"If Zhang Xinhu can recognize his mistakes and repent, I, the Lower Court, will naturally give him a chance."
"Thank you very much, Daoist Master. I will remember this favor." Zhang Yunfeng knew they were in the wrong, so she was still very polite.
Yang Shuling's side is already finished. His bone-setting technique is superb, and all the broken bones have been reset and aligned.
He then used bamboo strips to bandage Zhou Wuji's front and back, securing him in place.
Although Zhou Wuji was in so much pain that he was about to faint, he still forced himself to thank Yang Shuling.
Daoist Yizhen and Wuzheng also came over to express their gratitude.
Yang Shuling showed off his superb skills in front of everyone, and also did the Daoist academy a favor by establishing a relationship with them, which made him very happy.
To express his gratitude, Daoist Yizhen led the guests to a side hall for tea.
With such a big incident, no one was in the mood for idle chatter. After a while, everyone got up to say goodbye.
After seeing everyone off and taking care of all the aftermath at the Daoist Yizhen returned to his room to rest.
After busying himself for most of the day, Daoist Yizhen couldn't find his daughter anywhere, so he asked Wuye to call her over.
It was already dark, and two medicinal candles were lit in the room. Although the candlelight was not bright, it emitted a faint, refreshing fragrance as it burned.
Wuming stood in front of his father, looking down with a guilty conscience. His hands were clenched tightly in his sleeves, and his palms were damp.
Looking at his daughter's nervous expression, Daoist Yizhen felt both annoyed and amused.
His face remained very serious. "What's the situation between you and Wuji?"
"It's nothing..." Wuming looked puzzled. "It's just that Senior Brother Wuji was seriously injured, and I was helping to take care of him."
Yizhen heard his daughter speak so casually, he snorted but didn't want to elaborate.
"Men and women are different, you should still be careful not to get too close to Wuji."
Wuming pouted and said, "Father, Senior Brother Wuji is very responsible. He saved all of us. He even risked his life to enter the mountains for the sake of villagers he didn't even know."
"He is kind-hearted, virtuous, and exceptionally talented!"
"What do you know..." Yizhen helplessly. He suddenly realized that he had spoiled his daughter too much and raised such a naive child.
Putting aside everything else, after several battles, not a single person survived Zhou Wuji's sword strike. Upon closer examination, one can understand just how ruthless and fierce his Swordsmanship is.
But Zhou Wuji showed no Sha Qi murderous intent or ferocity.
This young man in his early twenties, even though he was seriously injured, was able to maintain his composure and demeanor; his profound shrewdness was truly remarkable.
It's not that Zhou Wuji is a bad person, it's just that Wuming too naive, and being with Zhou Wuji means he can only let the other man control him.
It wasn't that Yizhen disliked Zhou Wuji, but rather that the young man was quite capable and had a deep and unpredictable mind, making him a poor match for Yi Zhen.
"Father, you don't understand him!" Wuming n't particularly afraid of his father, and he couldn't help but argue loudly.
Yizhen shook his head. He knew it was pointless to reason with his daughter, so he said directly, "Tomorrow I'm going into the mountains with Commander Zhang to wipe out the bandits. You and Wuye will come along too..."
Wuming was very reluctant to leave Hidden Dragon Temple, but she couldn't really disobey her father's orders, so she could only return to her room dejectedly.
Daoist Yizhen went to Zhou Wuji's room. He knocked gently on the door, and Zhou Wuji's somewhat hoarse voice came from inside. "Who is it? Please come in."
Daoist Yizhen pushed open the door and entered, smiling as he said, "I saw that your room still had light on, so I came to check on you."
Zhou Wuji was slightly surprised. What did this esteemed Palace Master want with him? Was it about Wuming?
Don't underestimate Yizhen just because he's only Sixth Rank. This rank is certified by both the sect and the imperial court, making it very prestigious.
Having Sixth Rank cultivation level is one thing, but being Sixth Rank hall master is a formal position in the Lower Court, representing power and status.
Zhou Wuji dared not underestimate Daoist Yizhen, and he greeted him politely, "I'm not feeling well, please have a seat, Palace Master."
Daoist Yizhen didn't stand on ceremony. He carried a chair and sat down beside the bed. He said to Zhou Wuji, " Wuji, I am very grateful for your repeated victories over the bandits and your rescue of Wuzheng and Wuming."
"We're all from the same sect, how could I abandon my fellow disciples? This is what I should do. It's only Wuzheng Brother Wuzheng's Thunder Method is so superb that I was fortunate enough to succeed."
Zhou Wuji couldn't guess what Yizhen was going to say, so he acted very humble and sincere.
"You are very talented; your intelligence and temperament are both extraordinary."
Yizhen looked intently into Zhou Wuji's eyes and said, "If you can open your seven orifices before July next year, I can help you with the ordination ceremony."
Zhou Wuji; this was good news. He hurriedly said, "Thank you, Palace Master."
" The Lower Court has lacked talent in recent years, while the Golden Leaf Temple in Yunyang Prefecture has grown increasingly powerful, and the bald men have become more and more rampant, almost riding roughshod over us."
Yizhen sighed softly and said, "Next August we will be discussing scriptures with Golden Leaf Temple. If you can advance to the Seventh Rank, you will surely shine brightly at the scripture discussion and suppress those bald monks!"
Daoist Yizhen gently patted Zhou Wuji's hand, "If you perform exceptionally well, the abbot and I can recommend you to cultivate at the Upper Court. We will never let you waste your talent!"
He stood up and said meaningfully, " The Upper Court is high and mighty, but above the Upper Court is this Academy. Above this Academy is the Heavenly Master's Manor."
Above the Heavenly Master's Manor are the leaders of the Daoist sects. Even the leaders of these sects dream of ascending to immortality and achieving eternal life.
"The world is vast and boundless; Siming County is but a small corner of it. Zhang Xinhu and his ilk are nothing but mad dogs. You need to broaden your horizons..."