Fists Clenched

Wildflowers bloom in profusion, and green waters meander around the city.

Outside the dark blue-gray old city walls, a small market bustled with noise and wine flags fluttered in the breeze.

On the official road, an old Daoist priest appeared in the distance. He was originally not known how far away he was, but in a few moments, he was right in front of him.

This Daoist priest was dressed in a magnificent manner, with a golden crown, white hair, eyebrows like swallow tails, a face as white as the moon, wearing a silk robe, a double fish pendant hanging at his waist, and a silver whisk in his hand.

Seeing the crowds thronging the market not far away, it seemed that many city residents were also rushing over and squeezing into the crowd.

The old Daoist priest, intrigued, quietly approached the crowd and looked around.

Ahead, someone inserted two large bamboo poles into the ground and hung the ends of a bundle of white cloth on the tips of the poles.

Untie the binding ropes, and this smooth white cloth will be laid out.

The men who were busy with this matter were all carrying firearms. It was unclear whether they were from the Divine Machine Battalion or private soldiers of some family. After they finished, they went to the side to discuss the matter with a burly woman.

The woman carried a crystal gourd, and anyone with discerning eyes could tell at a glance that she was a disciple of the Dream-Eating Marquis.

Besides the gourd, she also carried a brocade box. The crystal inside was only half the size of her palm, square in appearance, but with many delicate openwork patterns inside, exquisite and intricate.

The woman held the crystal, glanced at the sky, and shook her head, saying, "If it's dark, only a trace of my inner energy is needed to project the image clearly. But during the day, it takes much more energy."

Despite saying that, she didn't hesitate to act. She found a small square table, arranged the crystal, sat down beside it, and stretched out her palm, pressing it steadily onto the crystal.

A mesmerizing beam of colored light suddenly shot out from in front of the crystal, landing on the canvas and creating a vivid image.

It was a small mountain town that looked beautiful, but upon closer inspection, one would find that the houses were dilapidated and the roads were crooked.

Some families had just lost someone, and white cloths were still hanging at the door. Outside, a group of men with fierce expressions and carrying iron swords hurriedly passed by, heading to a fight.

An introductory voice emanated from the crystal.

This is the former Jingxiang.

The crowd looking at the painting immediately erupted in excitement.

"Wow! This thing can actually move! Yes, yes, you can even see the hairs growing from the moles on the faces of those people who just walked past the door."

"It can even talk! Is this some kind of soul-stealing sorcery?"

"Nonsense! The news has already spread. This was developed by the Dream-Eating Marquis Manor. You know the Dream-Eating Marquis, right? The one who makes a living by collecting and selling dreams."

"Oh, that's not surprising then."

"That's right, it's the Dream-Eating Marquis, whatever he does seems quite normal, but the fact that we can see the things in the Marquis's mansion being so expensive is all thanks to the Great Immortal Zongheng."

As the scene on the canvas changed, the sounds of the crowd gradually subsided.

Everyone stared intently at the canvas, listening to the sound of the crystals and the conversations of the figures in the paintings.

When the Dream-Eating Marquis had these Crystal Dream, although he referenced real-world materials, he still made some artistic embellishments.

The changes over several months must be shown within a short hour, with each level progressing in a specific way, which requires considerable skill.

The opening perspective of the canvas is a small town rife with fighting and losing its young and middle-aged population. The town's last large workshop has closed down, leaving many townspeople without their wages.

The government officials who had previously supported this workshop were now completely unresponsive. The townspeople had been making a fuss in front of the county government office for days, but the magistrate was unwilling to spend money to hire the Six Gates or the Divine Machine Battalion to suppress them. He could only send his clerk out to talk some nonsense.

After a few days, they shifted the blame to workshops in neighboring towns, claiming that these workshops had stolen customers and caused the townspeople to lose their livelihoods.

Then came another brawl between different towns, bloodshed, and death.

Until the county magistrate and his staff were suddenly thrown onto this riverbank battlefield.

With the help of the local Divine Machine Battalion, Dream-Gathering Sect purged the local county government, provided relief to the dead and settled the wounded, and set aside a large sum of money to hire everyone to repair the roads.

The project was launched with great fanfare, but the conflicts did not disappear immediately. However, they were all stopped in time. Under the reward and punishment system that prioritized road quality and progress, people from different towns had no choice but to cooperate.

They saw that the people they hated were also doing hard labor to earn a living, and that their elderly parents were visiting them, and their wives and families were bringing them water.

They even dared to accept well water from people in neighboring towns, and were willing to lend a hand when working.

When Crystal Dream was placed here, it seemed to consist of trivial matters, yet it captivated the audience, drawing them into its heart.

Many people clenched their fists, their faces showing complex expressions, seemingly angry yet also envious, as if they were thinking of something.

Throughout the Great Xuan Dynasty, officials at all levels neglected their duties, deceiving people by day and even ghosts by night. Private feuds were rampant, a problem that existed in every place, but was most pronounced in the Jingxiang region.

The scene in Jingxiang initially seemed a bit exaggerated to these people.

But the more I looked, the more I realized that something similar had happened in my own hometown.

A landslide occurs in the Crystal Dream.

The two groups of people who had just calmed down, received their wages, and had hope for their families were suddenly about to face annihilation.

The crowd viewing the painting was extremely tense, and many people even let out angry growls.

At the critical moment, the road construction team dropped their loads and used their agility to leap and run as fast as tigers and leopards, basically avoiding the area affected by the landslide.

"Oh my god, I was scared to Laozi! I thought these guys were going to die!!"

The crowd watching the painting fell silent for a moment, then burst into laughter, curses, and shouts.

"Damn it, I'd completely forgotten that everyone here knows a bit of martial arts."

"That's true. Since everyone here knows kung fu, and most professions are easy to learn, why is it that they still can't find work and are living such miserable lives?"

"Even if you're capable, you still need to have things to do."

"Weren't those roads already in terrible shape? They could have been repaired long ago. The road connecting this city to our village is also in dire need of repair. Why hasn't the government ever thought of fixing it?!"

"Yes, isn't there a road leveling tax in the taxes we pay? Where does all that money go for road leveling?"

"What?! There's also a tax for paving roads? Isn't the whole point of paying taxes to prevent the officials from killing us arbitrarily?"

This question, this scream, silenced many people.

It seems that indeed, few people have diligently kept track of the specific names the government used each time it collected taxes.

Because everyone assumed that the taxes wouldn't affect them personally anyway, and that handing them over to the government was just for the same purpose: to prevent the government from ruining their villages and towns.

But if paying taxes is truly for this one purpose, why have different categories?

Is it possible that among the common people of this world, there is something that even the government needs to consider?

Some people may not immediately grasp the deeper meaning, but they also feel as if a strange passion has been stirred within them.

The story of Crystal Dream continues.

This landslide was quite large, and it was difficult for just two construction teams to complete. As a result, construction teams from neighboring counties also sent people to help.

The story's background naturally expands to include the situation in the entire Jingxiang region.

It turns out that this change is not limited to just one or two towns.

In some counties and towns, the official roads and trade routes have been paved, mines have reopened, and small vendors have returned to business.

The appearance of many Dream-Gathering Sect Dream-Gathering Sect that some repented and reformed, Dream-Gathering Sect others became even worse, acting two-faced and were punished.

There were also villagers who, through merit, gained the opportunity to try out the "Dream-Savoring Divine Art".

This technique requires the supervision of an experienced practitioner; otherwise, one might develop the corresponding skill without being able to sense it at all.

It's even possible that, while practicing, one might dissolve their original internal strength, thus destroying their foundation.

To clearly distinguish between true and illusory intentions, the best Foundation Establishment method is still the Nine-Syllable Mantra and the Vertical and Horizontal Method Seal.

At the end of the film, the words spoken by the instructor during the villagers' further studies left many viewers pondering.

The Vertical and Horizontal Method Seal" and "Nine-Syllable Mantra" are widely circulated in the world, but in the last hundred years, the vast majority of people have felt that this skill is all too familiar, but none of it is truly effective.

In terms of bewitching, it's better to specialize in some soul-capturing sound waves; in terms of attack, it's better to directly learn some unorthodox sword techniques.

The reason is that by covering a wide range of topics, one can better identify a person's talents and also give the practitioner a certain understanding and discernment of other paths.

The Crystal Dream came to an end amidst the villagers' continued learning and the instructor's admonitions.

The scene zooms out further and further, and outside the training institute, there are still many simple houses in the small town, and people are hurrying along.

But they were no longer driven by impatience to engage in a firefight; instead, they exuded a sense of high spirits, openness, and self-confidence.

Is it because they have things to do everywhere, are willing to put in effort everywhere, and enjoy hardship that they are so happy? Of course not.

They used to fight each other, and every day it was either the villagers who died or they themselves who died. Their lives were much harder than they are now. Back then, they never experienced this kind of open and carefree feeling.

Clearly, hardship does not bring happiness; what matters is receiving the rewards one deserves.

Is it true that only by enduring hardship can one rise above others?

Only by enduring the bitterest of hardships can one reap the greatest rewards and rise above others.

If you cut off the possibility of getting a reward in the middle, then you're just suffering, which will only turn you into a monster.

So who exactly cut the middleman's pay?

Many of the people viewing the paintings were still immersed in this novel experience, savoring the memory.

Some people, however, keep replaying the memory in their minds, and their fists harden.

The old Daoist priest flicked his whisk and turned to look around, seemingly seeing a trace of passion in each person.

Such things are openly displayed outside the city, and the county government doesn't even bother to do anything about it. Sigh, that makes sense. Besides collecting money, how much energy does the county government have for anything else?!

Moreover, those who invest in Crystal Dream are all powerful figures with even stronger backing; no one can afford to be too cautious.

The old Daoist priest lowered his eyelids and quietly disappeared into the crowd.

He traveled even faster this time than when he crossed the desert to return to Great Xuan.

We can't afford to be complacent.

That old-fashioned sage was not only not outdated, but he could also perform some exceptionally charming little tricks.

G