None of Our Business, So Let It Hang High!

The atmosphere inside the council chamber was somber.

Sun Mao recounted the contents of the urgent report from the prefectural government to those present.

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.

Yun Du held his teacup, sipping it slowly, his expression unchanged.

After waiting for a long time without a response, Sun Mao couldn't help but ask, "Master, this matter is no ordinary one. The blood sacrifice has spread across several states, resulting in countless deaths and injuries..."

"I heard you."

Yun Du put down his teacup and picked up the monthly report next to him to continue reading.

"Several prefectures have suffered disaster, what were the protectorates of those prefectures doing? And what about the True Lord of Qing Province, aren't they going to take action?"

Sun Mao opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

"This matter, in a way, is indeed significant, but in a way, it doesn't really concern our White Cloud Temple..."

Yun Du turned a page of the bamboo book without looking up:

"Ming Province is tens of thousands of miles away from Di Prefecture, with a Huang Province in between. No matter how capable that ' Zhou Yuan' is, he can't reach us."

"Besides, the prefectural government only issued a notification; they didn't actually mobilize any troops."

"The real headaches lie with the prefectural governments and the four protectors of Di Prefecture and Huang Province."

"What if..."

"What if what?"

"If any Devil Cultivator manage to escape and wander into Ming Province, we'll take precautions and kill those who need to be killed, and that'll be the end of it."

"Do you really want me to lead my disciples to Di Prefecture, a thousand miles away, to serve the emperor?"

"That's just a case of being too full and having nothing better to do."

Sun Mao was momentarily speechless and fell silent.

It's good that they're doing this, but it's not their responsibility.

Worrying about others brings no benefit and can even lead to losses. This has always been the principle in the cultivation world: if it doesn't concern you, stay out of it.

Yun Du put down the bamboo book and stretched.

"However, it's always good to take precautions."

He stood up, put his hands behind his back, and paced back and forth a couple of steps.

"Go and summon Zhao Yanshan and Yun Qi. We need to discuss patrol matters within our territory."

"In addition, have the External Affairs Hall conduct a thorough review of the roster of Rogue Cultivator within its jurisdiction, with a particular focus on newcomers who have entered the country in the last three years, and compile a complete list for future reference."

"Yes."

Half an hour later.

Sun Mao, Zhao Yanshan, and Yun Qi gathered in the council hall.

Yun Qi is a member of a collateral branch of the Yun Clan. After Yun Tianfan Dao Dissolution, Yun Du promoted him to manage internal affairs. He is Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator. Although he is not as experienced as Yun Tianfan, he is still quite reliable.

"You all know what happened." Yun Du sat in the main seat, speaking succinctly.

Three things.

"First, all the city defense formations of White Cloud Immortal City are activated, and patrol frequency is doubled. Anyone found entering or leaving with suspicion will be detained and interrogated."

"Secondly, all communication arrays in all counties and towns within the jurisdiction of the Northern Protectorate should be thoroughly inspected and repaired. In case of any emergency, messages must be delivered immediately."

"Third, the disciples in charge of each hall will take turns patrolling. They will form teams of four, led by Foundation Establishment cultivator. Upon discovering traces of Devil Cultivator, they need not linger in battle, but simply send a message to report back."

The three of them agreed in unison.

Zhao Yanshan added, "Master, should we inform Ancestor Shi? If the Demon Race in the Northern Mountain Range could assist in patrolling the border..."

"No need to notify them specifically." Yun Du waved his hand.

"Fellow Daoist Shi has his own arrangements. Let them decide on the matter of the Demon Race themselves. We just need to manage our own affairs well."

After the meeting.

Sun Mao and Zhao Yanshan walked side by side on the mountain path, remaining silent for a long time.

"Brother Sun, tell me, what exactly is Zhou Yuan's background?"

"A Devil Cultivator actually managed to Core Formation through a blood sacrifice..."

Zhao Yanshan rubbed his fingers together, feeling uneasy.

"Who cares where he comes from?" Sun Mao looked up at the sky. "He's not here to cause trouble, let him do whatever he wants."

"You're quite optimistic."

"What else can we do if we don't want to open? We can't just stare at the sky and worry all day."

Sun Mao patted Zhao Yanshan on the shoulder. "While things are peaceful now, hurry up and tidy up your Zhao Household's spirit fields. The spirit tax is due next month."

Zhao Yanshan's face immediately fell.

For the next month or so, life in the Ming Province Northern Protectorate was uneventful.

The outside world was in complete chaos. Two small-scale blood sacrifice incidents occurred in neighboring Wu Province, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of mortals. The local Protectorate sent Golden Core cultivators to suppress the incidents, and they were quickly quelled.

The prefectural government issued two more notices, urging local protectorates to take strict precautions.

After reading the report, Yun Du tossed it onto the table and said, "Time to drink tea."

The White Cloud Immortal City's defensive formations operate day and night, with several light screens covering the entire city. Even a mosquito flying in can be sensed by the fluctuations of spiritual energy.

The disciples of the External Affairs Hall were divided into more than forty teams, scattered throughout the jurisdiction for patrols.

Occasionally, they would catch a few suspicious Rogue Cultivator, but after interrogating them, they would find that they were nothing more than petty thieves who stole Spirit Stone and had absolutely nothing to do with the demonic path.

Live life as it is meant to be.

Until the second month.

Something happened in Heming County, a remote county under the jurisdiction of the Northern Protectorate.

It was neither an attack by Devil Cultivator nor a blood sacrifice.

It's a zombie.

"How many?"

Sun Mao held the communication Jade Slip, his tone turning serious.

"Reporting to the elder, there are approximately a thousand or so zombies!"

The messenger's voice was urgent. "In the mortal graveyard thirty miles outside Heming County, for some unknown reason, the corpses have turned into zombies overnight!"

"A large number of zombies have flooded into villages and towns, and three villages have already been affected! Thousands of ordinary people have died or been injured, and the zombie virus continues to spread. It is feared that the number of zombies will continue to increase!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Mao frowned.

Zombies are not uncommon in the cultivation world. In places rich in Spiritual Qi, if the corpses of mortals are not handled properly and become tainted with evil energy, they may turn into zombies.

But the fact that nearly a thousand corpses turned into zombies overnight is abnormal.

"Have you found the source of the Evil Qi?"

"Preliminary assessment indicates a problem with the underground Spirit Vein. There's a terminal Spirit Vein near Heming County, and recently, for some unknown reason, a large amount of yin Spirit Vein Spiritual Qi has been seeping from its tip, polluting the nearby soil."

"Negative Spiritual Qi is leaking out..."

Sun Mao thought for a moment, then turned to a disciple behind him and asked, "Go and check if there are any signs of Devil Cultivator activity on the border of Ming Province recently."

"Also, regarding the matter of Yin Qi seeping from the Spirit Vein, have two people from the Formation Hall go and investigate, to see if someone has tampered with the Spirit Vein nodes."

The zombie problem in Heming County is not a major issue.

After all, there are thousands or tens of thousands of low-level zombies. Let alone Golden Core cultivators, sending a few teams of Foundation Establishment deacons would be enough to deal with them.

That afternoon, White Cloud Temple dispatched two teams of officials to head straight for Heming County.

Upon arriving at the destination, I found that the situation was indeed not complicated.

The thousands of zombies, most of them being mindless walking corpses, could be incinerated by a single spell from Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Several thousand zombies, though a lot in number, only required more effort and time; the sudden zombie horde was suppressed in just one night...

The disciples of the Formation Hall examined the Spirit Vein nodes and identified the cause.

At the end of the nearby remaining Spirit Vein, a crack had appeared due to years of neglect.

The crack happened to connect to an underground yin cave, and Yin Qi seeped into the Spirit Vein along the crack, polluting the surrounding soil.

It has nothing to do with Devil Cultivator; it's purely a natural disaster.

But this incident served as a wake-up call for White Cloud Temple, highlighting the various hidden dangers left over from the war years: damaged Spirit Vein, malfunctioning formations, and improperly chosen sites for mortal graves...

These seemingly minor issues may go unnoticed most of the time, but once they arise, they can cause widespread problems.

After hearing the report, Yun Du ordered the Formation Hall to send people to seal the crack in the Spirit Vein. He also ordered all counties to investigate the mortal graves within their jurisdictions, relocating those that needed to be relocated and dealing with those that needed to be dealt with.

"Prevention is better than cure, to avoid future troubles."

The matter was handled cleanly and efficiently.

The various factions within the Northern Protectorate weren't particularly panicked, after all, they had the White Cloud Temple above them, with two Golden Core cultivators, enough to protect the peace and stability under its White Cloud Temple...

As for the horrific disasters that occurred in those other states?

The common people discussed it briefly, then dispersed.

Who has time to meddle in things that don't concern them?