The White Cloud Temple's Visitors

Ten days later, above the Sun ancestral hall.

A spirit ship roughly ten zhang long descended slowly. Runes covered its hull, and it gave off a faint spiritual glow. The ship itself was a Law Treasure.

Two cultivators stood at the bow. The one in front was a lean-faced middle-aged man in white Daoist robes, with a jade token engraved with the words "White Cloud Temple" hanging from his waist.

He was unmistakably a great Foundation Establishment cultivator!

Sun Bo'an had brought the few cultivators the Sun clan had left to wait outside the ancestral hall early. When he saw the spirit ship land, he hurried forward and bowed.

"Sun Bo'an of the Sun clan greets the two seniors from the White Cloud Temple."

The middle-aged Daoist glanced at him, frowning slightly. "Where is Sun Hangchun? In previous years, he always handled the handover in person. Why has someone else come this year?"

Sun Bo'an forced a trace of bitterness onto his face. "Senior, my ancestor was ambushed by outside enemies half a month ago and, unfortunately, lost his life..."

"Lost his life?"

The middle-aged Daoist's gaze sharpened. The young cultivator behind him immediately formed a Method Formula and stared at Sun Bo'an warily.

"Who did it?"

"It was... the Ye and Lin clans. They colluded with outside enemies and plotted to kill my ancestor." Sun Bo'an lowered his head slightly, his voice trembling as he said:

"Fortunately, Ancestor Shi Jian stepped in, killed the outside enemies and wiped out the traitors. Only then was the Sun clan preserved. We escaped death by a hair's breadth."

"Shi Jian?"

The middle-aged Daoist was taken aback. "Since when did your Sun clan have a Foundation Establishment Ancestor?"

"He was a guardian spirit beast my ancestor invited back while he was alive," Sun Bo'an hurriedly explained. "He's a bear demon at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, and he's currently stationed in the city."

The middle-aged Daoist fell silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping back and forth over Sun Bo'an.

This brat's cultivation isn't high, only at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, but his Qi is unstable. He clearly broke through only recently. And he looks flustered and keeps avoiding my eyes. Anyone can see he's hiding something.

"Take me to that bear demon."

Sun Bo'an's heart tightened, but he didn't dare show the slightest trace of it. "Yes. Please follow me, senior."

At the entrance to the Spirit Vein in the back mountain.

Shi Jian lay sprawled on a boulder. He had sensed the two presences aboard the spirit ship from afar: one at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, and a little follower at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

"They're here."

He yawned and adjusted his posture, making himself look more like an "ordinary" spirit beast with low spiritual intelligence and little wisdom.

Before long, Sun Bo'an led the two White Cloud Temple cultivators over.

The middle-aged Daoist's pupils contracted slightly the moment he saw Shi Jian.

What a huge bear!

Even lying down, he was more than a person tall. His black fur gleamed, and his bear eyes were half closed, giving him a lazy look.

Yet the faint, almost imperceptible Yao Qi made his heart tighten.

He is at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, all right, but this Qi... why does it feel so much stronger than that of an ordinary cultivator at the same stage?

"Ancestor Shi Jian." Sun Bo'an bowed respectfully. "These two seniors have come from the White Cloud Temple to collect the spirit tax."

Shi Jian lifted his eyelids and looked at the middle-aged Daoist. Putting on a muddleheaded air, he spoke in a deep, muffled voice:

"You're from the White Cloud Temple?"

The middle-aged Daoist cupped his hands without taking offense. "I am Yunsong, an executive elder of the White Cloud Temple. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Shi."

"Mm."

Shi Jian settled back down and said lazily, "Talk to Sun Bo'an about the spirit tax. I don't concern myself with such mundane affairs."

Yunsong frowned.

This bear certainly knows how to put on an act.

"Fellow Daoist Shi, I have a few questions I'd like to ask."

"Speak."

"Is there any evidence concerning Sun Hangchun's death?"

Shi Jian yawned. "His corpse is in the Sun ancestral hall. Go see for yourself."

"Who were the outside enemies the Ye and Lin clans colluded with?"

"Two Rogue Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage. I already swatted them to death, and their corpses were fed to the dogs."

Yunsong's gaze turned cold. "Fellow Daoist, your answer is rather perfunctory."

"Perfunctory?"

Shi Jian suddenly raised his head and stared straight at Yunsong with his bear eyes, releasing the full force of a Foundation Establishment Demon Beast's presence.

"Are you questioning me?"

Yunsong's entire body went rigid, and he instinctively took half a step back.

This pressure... something's wrong!

He's clearly only at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, but the weight of his Qi is almost on par with the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage!

"I wouldn't dare." Yunsong took a deep breath and cupped his hands. "I was merely making routine inquiries. Please forgive me, fellow Daoist."

Shi Jian settled back down, his tone lazy once more. "I signed a contract with the Sun clan to protect them for two hundred years."

"Sun Hangchun is dead, but the Sun clan remains."

"My contract is still valid."

"As for whether you believe me, that's your business."

Yunsong fell silent for a moment. Not wanting to offend such an enemy, he suddenly smiled. "You make a good point, fellow Daoist. I was worrying too much."

He turned to Sun Bo'an. "Is the spirit tax ready?"

"It's ready!"

Sun Bo'an hurriedly took out several Storage Bags and offered them with both hands. "Three hundred low-grade Spirit Stones, plus thirty percent of the spirit fields' yield, totaling two thousand jin of spirit rice, eight hundred jin of spirit grain, and..."

Yunsong took the Storage Bags and swept his Divine Sense through them. After confirming that everything was in order, he nodded.

"Very good."

He glanced at Shi Jian, then looked back at Sun Bo'an. "You're the only branch the Sun clan has left now. You'd best tread carefully from here on."

"If there's any more trouble, the White Cloud Temple won't stand idly by."

Sun Bo'an nodded repeatedly. "Rest assured, Immortal Master. The Sun clan will certainly keep to its duties."

Yunsong said no more and turned to leave.

Only after the two had gone far away did Sun Bo'an breathe a sigh of relief. Cold sweat had soaked through his robes.

"Ancestor... they..."

"They're gone."

Shi Jian closed his eyes. "But that Yunsong still has doubts."

Sun Bo'an's face went pale. "What should we do?"

"What are you afraid of?"

Shi Jian sneered. "Even if he has doubts, he can only swallow them."

"Hongtian City is the Sun clan's territory. The Sun clan is still here, and the spirit tax is being paid as usual. What business does the White Cloud Temple have meddling in how I came here?"

"Besides..."

Shi Jian opened his eyes, his gaze profound. "Does a mere Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator like him really think he can see through me?"

Sun Bo'an was taken aback, then suddenly understood.

That's right!

Ancestor Shi Jian could swat a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator to death in just three breaths. Even if Yunsong was at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, he wouldn't dare make a move lightly.

Besides, the White Cloud Temple was merely collecting the spirit tax on behalf of the Upper Three Sects, not investigating a case.

As long as the spirit tax was paid, the rest was none of their business!

"Ancestor, you're wise!"

"Enough flattery."

Shi Jian settled back down. "The spirit tax is paid. You know what to do next, don't you?"

"I do!"

A vicious glint flashed in Sun Bo'an's eyes. "I will do everything in my power to gather your offerings before the next quarter, Ancestor!"

"Go on."

Night fell.

The gray-furred rat demon slipped into the back mountain and squatted beside Shi Jian's paw.

"Ancestor, that Yunsong has left, but before he went, he stopped outside the city gate for half a shichen. He seemed to be observing something..."

"Observing?"

Shi Jian narrowed his eyes. "Did he notice anything?"

"No." The rat demon shook his head. "Sun Bo'an made good arrangements. The mortals and immortal slaves in the city were kept firmly under control, and nobody dared speak out of turn."

"Yunsong looked around but didn't find anything. In the end, he could only leave."

Shi Jian nodded in satisfaction.

"Well done."

"Oh, right, Ancestor!" The rat demon suddenly grew excited. "These past few days, I found another of my kind. He only recently became a demon."

"I wonder if you'd be willing to accept him, Ancestor?"

A sharp glint flashed in Shi Jian's eyes. Having another rat demon join his ranks was naturally a good thing. It wasn't much, but it was a good start.

Once the rats had bred for several generations and more demon rats had been raised, his rat children and grandchildren would fill every corner of Hongtian City...

Then wouldn't his word be law throughout all of Hongtian City?

"Keep expanding."

Shi Jian said calmly, "Remember, be discreet. Don't let anyone find out."

"I understand!"

The rat demon darted into the grass.

Shi Jian looked up at the night sky, the corners of his mouth curving slightly.

The White Cloud Temple? A Golden Core sect?

Heh~

Once his wings were fully fledged, sooner or later, he, Shi Jian, would establish an "orthodox immortal sect" of his own, and countless cultivators would kneel before him...

They would bow in worship and respectfully address him as Ancestor Shi Jian!