Stop it, Taoist, Your Fight almost Ruins the DAO!

The second day.

Dawn gradually broke, the pale azure sky adorned with a few lingering stars, and the earth lay shrouded in a hazy veil, as if covered by a light gossamer.

Yi Chen, clad in undergarments and draped in a Taoist robe, clutched the railing, gazing toward the direction of the fire lotus clouds, the morning breeze slightly billowing the robe hanging off his body; no one knew what he was thinking at the time.

At this moment, the piercing injury caused by the super Yin being on his left shoulder had mostly healed, the pinkish flesh already filling the void, and he would recover completely within a day or two.

Having been in Longjiang Prefecture for seven days and witnessing so much that had transpired, Yi Chen couldn't help but feel a multitude of emotions.

"Indeed, the affairs of the world are like a game of chess, unpredictable like the vast cosmos."

"The mortal world is like a cage, the weak lack freedom."

"Among those who perished in these seven days, what did they do wrong, and among those who survived, what did they do to stay alive?"

"One's fate is but a drifting duckweed in the rain; the slightest ash of destiny tossed about at will can become an unbearable weight for the common folks."

As the morning light began to glow, the heavily damaged Longjiang Prefecture, much like a tenacious giant, started to stir back to life.

On the streets, groups of pedestrians resumed their daily toil—vendors selling vegetables, buyers purchasing produce, deliverymen dispersing goods in abundance.

They walked the long streets alone, their expressions numb.

Looking down upon the myriad lives below and observing the various faces of the living, Yi Chen suddenly smiled.

While he lamented the struggles of life, he wondered what the True Monarchs thought when they looked down upon the cultivators below. Probably only those of the True Person Realm could receive their slight acknowledgment.

Like the umbrella woman and the super Yin being he had killed, they seemed no different from ants.

"Fortunately, with the aid of the Golden Finger and my efforts, one day I will be able to reach that realm, or even surpass it."

"And stand shoulder to shoulder with immortal masters and wicked giants both within and beyond the mountains and seas."

"I, too, will become one of the chess players of this world."

Yi Chen released his grasp from the railing, his eyes showing determination, and suddenly clenched his fist, causing a sonic boom in the air.

An old farmer pushing a wheelbarrow full of vegetables passed underneath the railing and jumped in shock. He looked up, only to see no one above, but a ten-tael piece of silver fell from the sky and landed right before him.

The old farmer was instantly no longer afraid.

He stepped forward and firmly placed his foot on it.

Seeing that there was no one around, he carefully tucked the silver into the purse at his side, made a bow to the sky, and hurriedly pushed his cart away.

A hint of joy appeared on the old farmer's face. With these ten taels, plus his prior savings and selling some coal in a bullock cart during the winter, he would be able to send his grandson to a martial arts school in the city.

In today's chaotic times, the more martial prowess one had, the more security it brought.

The one who threw the silver was, of course, Yi Chen.

Caught in a moment of emotion, he had clenched his fist and frightened someone, so he decided to throw a lump of silver and run off as an apology.

…

…

The sun rose in the east, illuminating the mountains and rivers, and the vast lands became clear.

The skies over Longjiang Prefecture today were crystal clear.

At many street corners, people discussed the downfall of the Chen Family of Longjiang Prefecture with great interest.

Their spirits were high.

Contrary to Yi Chen's expectations, he thought that Longjiang Prefecture would be in mourning today or, at the very least, lacking in vitality.

But he had underestimated the resilience of the common people of Longjiang Prefecture.

To his surprise, Longjiang Prefecture was unexpectedly lively today.

After carefully eavesdropping for a while, Yi Chen learned part of the truth.

It turned out that Qian Yueru had taken action.

The enraged Qian Yueru, upon learning the truth the previous night, had uprooted the entire Chen Family of Longjiang Prefecture, a power that had been accumulating for hundreds of years, scattered to the winds overnight.

The collusion between the Chen Family and demonic cult forces was utterly indefensible once exposed to the light.

Even the Chen Family Head could not justify it, because Qian Yueru's father was a True Monarch, and when those in power are nearly equal, righteousness starts to prevail.

After a heart-to-heart talk with Yi Chen, Qian Yueru had an epiphany.

She introspected thrice during the night.

Was I too polite?

Did I give them too much face?

Is it time for me to take action?

The answer, of course, was affirmative.

So that night, heads rolled in Longjiang Prefecture.

The judicial bureau fared somewhat better, but outside the courthouse, it was a complete disaster, with everyone related to the Chen Family taken in for questioning, and the damning evidence unearthed after a round of lie-detection spells was voluminous.

When a giant falls, myriad life thrives.

With so many positions suddenly vacant, everyone who survived felt as if their lives suddenly had direction again.

To make up for her oversight, it was said that Qian Yueru had an emergency meeting with the local gentry and leaders of the business guilds the previous night, directly intervening to reduce rent, excessive taxes, and levies.

The process went very smoothly.

The atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious.

Qian Yueru slammed the Eight Trigrams Annihilation Axe on the table, and her aides set the documents before everyone; the scene probably went something like this.

"Gentlemen, I am in a hurry."

"I've said my piece, who agrees, who opposes?"

Seeing the blood-dripping axe on the table, the remaining interest groups became as meek as chicks, and they would've nodded in agreement if Qian Yueru had declared the sun green at that moment.

Yi Chen: "....." Qian Town Marshal, you're really playing for real, huh?

With a thought, Yi Chen suddenly realized how brilliant this move was. As the daughter of a True Monarch, being so wronged, and under her watch, such a large mistake occurred in Longjiang Prefecture. What's wrong with venting a bit?

Dragging this matter out only made it harder to manage.

Force! Force! Force!

For a moment, Yi Chen had to admire this fierce girl; she was genuinely fierce, and as the daughter of a True Monarch, she really knew how to play the game.

...

...

Red Dust Guesthouse.

Having purchased the necessary supplies, Yi Chen returned to the guesthouse past noon, planning to have his meal, bid farewell to Qian Yueru, and then take his leave.

At this time, Shen the landlord was seated opposite Yi Chen, bringing over another wooden chest.

Simply put, it was a tribute.

These days, his money had come too easily; it was almost burning a hole in his pocket.

"Landlord Shen, what does this mean?"

"Taoist, I seek advice oh, this was from my mother last time; this time, it's mine, just a small token of my appreciation."

"Landlord Shen, you don't have it easy, and since your mother has already provided the offering last time, this time I shall cast a divination for you." Yi Chen thought for a moment and decided to come up with a new reason to accept the money.

"What's your full name, Landlord Shen?" Yi Chen asked.

"I dare not claim the title of landlord, Taoist may refer to me as Shen Yishi."

Yi Chen: "..." My friend, you can't go by that name. I fear you might self-combust and die, to the tune of 'Guangling San', waiting for Yunniang.

"This name is not good; let's change it. How about Shen Wansan?"

"And I'll gift you eight more characters, 'Going too far is as bad as not going far enough, retreat when the current is fierce!'

"This way, you may avoid unforeseen disasters."

After making a profit of ten more yellow croakers with tears in his eyes, Yi Chen turned and left the Red Dust Guesthouse, heading towards the direction of the local government office.

What he did not know was that, after his departure, the landlord Shen ordered his staff to seal off the room with the Tian character number one where Yi Chen had stayed and no longer offer it to outsiders.

At the same time, Landlord Shen had already decided that he would find a dozen or so storytellers to recount the great achievements of Yi Chen in Longjiang Prefecture to the public day and night. Of course, the key point of the story had to be highlighted: initially, Yi Taoist had stayed in room number one of the Red Dust Guesthouse.

As of today, Red Dust Guesthouse, price increase!

...

The top floor of the Jǔ Lóng Pavilion.

A five-meter square table was set with over a hundred dishes.

Just like seven days ago.

No vegetables, all meat dishes.

"Taoist, are you leaving so soon? I've been too busy these last two days. Why don't you stay a few more days and let Yueru repay your generosity as a host?"

Opposite the long table, Qian Yueru was skillfully gnawing on the elbow of a ferocious beast that Yi Chen didn't recognize, chewing it as if it were sugar cane.

Qian Yueru's condition was much better than the previous night, her eyes sparkled with more luster, and if one had to describe her current state, she was clear-headed. The pressure emanating from her body also seemed stronger than before.

"I can't help it; I have urgent matters to attend to and cannot enjoy wine and conversation with my friend any longer."

"Looking at my friend's aura, it seems you've gained new insight and have almost stepped halfway into the True Person Realm. Truly a cause for celebration," Yi Chen said with a smile.

After hearing Yi Chen's words, Qian Yueru set down the elbow she was holding, sighed, and said mournfully, "But half a step is not the same as fully breaking through the realm, after all. It's not as good as you, my friend."

"Besides, even in the True Person Realm, one must complete the nine levels before beginning to comprehend the Dao and approaching the realm of the True Monarch. You made it sound easy yesterday, but I have no idea how long it will take me to catch up to my father."

"It's all because my father bathed me in Qilin blood when I was young. Otherwise, with my accumulation, I should have already stepped into the True Person Realm."

The case was solved, Yi Chen now understood why Qian Yueru's physique was so astonishing.

This was saturated support from her True Monarch father, wasn't it?

But fortunately, it was still slightly inferior to his own efforts.

After all, a physique nurtured by top-notch heavenly and earthly treasures was not as strong and deeply founded as his painstakingly cultivated precious body.

Following another round of pleasantries, two human-shaped ferocious beasts began to boast about their meals, turning the dining table instantly into a battlefield.

Half an hour later, the long table was broken, and dishes were in disarray; the battle was intense.

Of course, Yi Chen still had the bigger appetite.

The meal was finished.

It was almost the hour of Shen.

"Taoist, with our parting this time, I don't know when we'll see each other again."

Qian Yueru raised her head, her beautiful and dignified face with an elegant gesture using a square white handkerchief to wipe the grease from the corners of her mouth, and said regretfully.

"Naturally, we will see each other the next time we meet," Yi Chen laughed heartily, immediately displaying his talent in the art of empty talk.

"Friend Qian, mountains and rivers can meet again; until next time."

"Thank you for the three thousand taels of gold notes."

The Taoist post-meal was bold in speech. He hoisted his belt, patted the hem of his robe, waved goodbye to Qian Yueru without turning back.

Halfway through his departure, Qian Yueru suddenly shouted, "Taoist, are we friends now?"

"Of course, we are friends now," Yi Chen replied, turning back with a smile, revealing eight bright teeth, a smile both sunlit and cheerful.

As Yi Chen was about to exit the city gates, he suddenly encountered an old acquaintance, Mo Yu leading two children, a boy and a girl, whom Yi Chen did not recognize.

After some conversation, he learned that he had been lucky yesterday; he hadn't been chosen to ascend the sacrificial altar to offer blood when the blood ritual had been completed. Qian Yueru had arrived in time, sparing him a narrow escape from death, though he had been seriously injured and needed time to recuperate.

Upon hearing Mo Yu's account, Yi Chen felt even better.

At the gates of Longjiang Prefecture.

Under the dying embers of the sunset, a Daoist set off on a long journey.

A Daoist with a big black cat squatting on his shoulder, his expression melancholy.

It seemed he was reluctant to leave his 'good friend' behind.