Chapter 74: Already on the Path to Death (Ninth Update)

Bright and Valiant’s corpse lay on the open ground, surrounded by White Tiger Guards who all wore expressions of horror.

The commotion from Chen Yuan and Bright and Valiant’s fight just now was significant; they had thought some audacious villain had broken into the Town Guard Headquarters.

Unexpectedly, upon arrival, they saw Chen Yuan instantly kill Bright and Valiant, the person with the highest status and greatest authority within the Town Guard Headquarters, with a single punch.

Bright and Valiant’s former confidantes exchanged glances, unsure of how to proceed.

If Bright and Valiant had been alive, his prestige might have allowed them to truly resist the new Garrison Commander alongside him and disregard Chen Yuan’s orders.

But now Bright and Valiant was dead. Should they continue their resistance?

The four people, including Lu Wenxing, inside the Council Hall were completely stunned.

They were all veterans of the Town Martial Hall and had experienced various power struggles and internal conflicts within it.

But none of those times were as outrageous as this—killing someone immediately upon taking office.

Chen Yuan’s style of action couldn’t even be described as simple and crude; he was practically a lunatic! A pure lunatic!

It was impossible to guess what he was thinking.

Chen Yuan turned back to look at the four people, including Lu Wenxing, and said lightly, “Bright and Valiant was killed by me for insubordination. Are the four of you now willing to obey my orders?”

Lu Wenxing and the other three nodded repeatedly, terrified that being a moment too slow would lead them to the same fate as Bright and Valiant.

Having worked in the Town Martial Hall for so many years, they had seen nearly every type of superior.

There were those who were upright and honest, those who were petty, and those full of schemes.

They could at least guess the motives of those superiors, but the one before them was simply insane!

“Order all White Tiger Guards within the Town Guard Headquarters to assemble and immediately surround and suppress Qingyang Palace!”

Lu Wenxing and the other three dared not delay and immediately began gathering personnel.

Bright and Valiant’s former confidantes also dared not say anything more and obediently joined the ranks under Lu Wenxing and the others.

Among Linyuan City’s five major powers—three families, one gang, and one palace—only Qingyang Palace was located outside the city walls, and its incense offerings were extremely flourishing.

Chen Yuan didn’t know the way, so he called upon Lu Wenxing, the veteran Captain, to lead them.

“Do you know what the strength of Qingyang Palace is?”

Chen Yuan, riding on horseback, asked Lu Wenxing, who was beside him.

Lu Wenxing was momentarily speechless.

You’re about to suppress them, yet you don’t even know their strength and foundation?

However, Lu Wenxing dared not speak out of turn and quickly replied, “Qingyang Palace’s strength is decent. Its Abbot, Qingyang the True Person, possesses Early Stage Lunhai Realm cultivation. He also has three Disciples in the Foundation Establishment Realm, and the remaining hundred or so Daoists are mostly in the Body Tempering and Pulse Opening Realms.”

Chen Yuan nodded knowingly.

At this point, Lu Wenxing hesitated before asking, “My Lord, if I may speak freely, why must you suppress Qingyang Palace? You don’t actually believe Qingyang Palace is related to the death of the previous Garrison Commander, do you?”

When Chen Yuan first mentioned suppressing Qingyang Palace, Lu Wenxing thought he was just saying it casually, merely to provoke Bright and Valiant into resisting so he could find an excuse to kill him directly.

But now that Bright and Valiant was dead, this person still insisted on suppressing Qingyang Palace with great fanfare. How exactly had these Daoists of Qingyang Palace offended him?

Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes and snorted coldly: “These Daoists have long been on the path to death. You will find out shortly.”

Lu Wenxing gave Chen Yuan a strange look.

Why did he feel that besides disgust, there was also a hint of indignation in Chen Yuan’s tone?

…Qingyang Palace was located on a small hillock five li outside Linyuan City.

Although the surrounding Daoist Temple was not large, its incense offerings were flourishing, and many dignitaries and nobles came to offer incense during festivals.

Especially young married women who had difficulty conceiving would come to Qingyang Palace to offer incense, and almost all of them would become pregnant upon returning home.

Inside Qingyang Palace at this moment, Qingyang the True Person, dressed in a blue-gold Taiji Daoist Robe, sporting a long three-strand beard, and possessing the appearance of a youthful elder, stepped into the living quarters of the rear hall.

The Daoist sect was originally a place of peace and quiet, but now, sounds of enchanting, blush-inducing panting came from the rooms in the rear hall.

Qingyang the True Person suddenly frowned, walked up to a room, and knocked.

A moment later, a Young Daoist Priest, bare-chested and with red lips and white teeth, opened the door.

Behind him, a young woman, her clothes disheveled and her face flushed, walked out blushing, bowing slightly and apologetically toward Qingyang the True Person.

Qingyang the True Person nodded gently, his expression calm: “Madam Zhang, rest assured. With the blessing of the Primal Yang from my Qingyang Palace, I guarantee you will conceive a child and bear an heir.”

After the woman left, Qingyang the True Person’s face darkened, and he scolded the Young Daoist Priest: “Did you just release your Primal Yang twice?”

The Young Daoist Priest grinned sheepishly: “That Madam Zhang was too seductive; I couldn’t hold back for a moment.”

“Silence! Indulging in temporary pleasure like this—no wonder you have the worst cultivation progress among all your Senior and Junior Brothers, despite having the best talent!”

Qingyang the True Person scolded him with a cold face: “The scriptures say: Do not release after one movement, and your strength will be great; do not release after two movements, and your hearing and sight will be sharp; do not release after three movements, and all illnesses will vanish; do not release after four movements, and the Five Spirits will be at peace; do not release after five movements, and the Bloodline will be full and long; do not release after six movements, and the waist and back will be strong; do not release after seven movements, and the hips and thighs will gain power; do not release after eight movements, and the body will radiate light; do not release after nine movements, and longevity will not be lost; do not release after ten movements, and you will commune with the Divine.”

Giving that woman one dose of Primal Yang is enough to repay the incense money. Releasing Primal Yang a second time is draining your life force!”

Seeing that Master was angry, the Young Daoist Priest quickly bowed his head and apologized.

Just then, a Daoist priest suddenly ran in and shouted, “Master, this is bad! The new Garrison Commander of Linyuan City has surrounded our Qingyang Palace with a group of White Tiger Guards, and they’ve driven all the incense guests down the mountain!”

“Is the new Garrison Commander Bright and Valiant?”

“No, it’s a young man. Bright and Valiant wasn’t seen.”

Hearing this, Qingyang the True Person immediately frowned and snorted coldly: “It seems Bright and Valiant failed in his scheme to become Garrison Commander. Now we have another opportunist looking for handouts.”

Previously, Qingyang the True Person thought Bright and Valiant was certain to become the new Garrison Commander and had sent him many gifts.

This way, once the other party became the Garrison Commander, he could offer some convenience.

He hadn’t expected Bright and Valiant to be such trash, failing to become Garrison Commander even with an Inspector for a Brother-in-law.

“In that case, I shall go and meet this new Garrison Commander!”

Qingyang the True Person let out a light snort, flicked the Horsetail Whisk in his hand, and strode out of the rear hall.

At this moment, in the main hall of Qingyang Palace, Chen Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, a Long Saber at his waist, looking up at the statue of the Dao Ancestor in Qingyang Palace.

As the Daoist Temple with the most flourishing incense offerings around Linyuan City, Qingyang Palace was very wealthy; even the statue of the Dao Ancestor was gold-plated.

However, the fragrance emanating from this Daoist Temple lacked the tranquility characteristic of the Dao, instead smelling somewhat cloyingly sweet.

“My Lord Garrison Commander has arrived. Please forgive us for not welcoming you sooner.”

Qingyang the True Person led his Disciples out in single file, bowed to Chen Yuan, and smiled, saying, “This Humble Daoist is the Abbot of Qingyang Palace, my Daoist Name is Qingyang. May I ask your name, My Lord Garrison Commander?”

“It’s easy to say. I am Chen Tian, and I have just taken charge of Linyuan City today.”

Qingyang the True Person’s expression remained unchanged, but his mind began to ponder.

There was no such person in the Linyuan City Town Guard Headquarters, and seemingly no such person in the entire Kaiping Prefecture Town Martial Hall either.

Furthermore, he could sense that the person before him was only in the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Someone who could become a Garrison Commander while only in the Foundation Establishment Realm must have some powerful backing, similar to Bright and Valiant.

He guessed this person must also be a relative of some Inspector, which allowed him to push Bright and Valiant aside and become the Garrison Commander himself.

“May I ask what business you have at my Qingyang Palace, Garrison Commander Chen?”

Chen Yuan slowly said, “The previous Garrison Commander died unexpectedly, and someone reported that Qingyang Palace was responsible, so I have come to investigate.”

“Nonsense!”

Qingyang the True Person said angrily, “When Town Guardian Peng died unexpectedly, This Humble Daoist and all the Disciples of Qingyang Palace were inside Qingyang Palace. Countless incense guests in Linyuan City can testify.

Who exactly is the accuser? Garrison Commander Chen, bring him here! This Humble Daoist demands a confrontation!”

“There’s no need for such trouble. As long as the Daoist Master opens up Qingyang Palace and allows us to search, if we find no evidence, it will naturally prove the Daoist Master’s innocence.”

Qingyang the True Person took a deep breath.

He understood now: the other party was clearly here to cause trouble!

How could he let people from the Town Martial Hall see the things inside Qingyang Palace?

Even if Qingyang Palace was completely innocent and everything was presentable, he couldn’t allow the other party to search indiscriminately, or else what dignity would Qingyang Palace have left?

Qingyang the True Person walked up to Chen Yuan and whispered, “Garrison Commander Chen, This Humble Daoist already knows why you have come.

Please return to Linyuan City and wait for now. Tomorrow, This Humble Daoist will personally bring gifts to the Town Guard Headquarters to congratulate My Lord on taking charge of Linyuan City.”

After speaking, a hint of disdain flashed in Qingyang the True Person’s eyes.

After all that talk, wasn’t he just here to demand benefits? But his manner of doing so was a bit too unsightly.

Normally, Qingyang Palace would send gifts whenever a new Garrison Commander took office.

It was just that this time, he had given them in advance because he thought Bright and Valiant was certain to become the Garrison Commander, only to have a replacement suddenly parachuted in.

Giving an extra set of gifts wasn’t a big deal; his Qingyang Palace was rich and powerful and didn’t lack this bit of money.

But on his very first day in office, the other party actively came to intimidate Qingyang Palace, showing such impatience. This new Garrison Commander’s perspective was far too narrow.

“No, Daoist Master, you still don’t know why I have come.”

Chen Yuan smiled faintly: “You don’t need to worry about gifts. If the Daoist Master can hand over the yunling jade left behind by the Xuantian Temple Successor, I can refrain from searching Qingyang Palace.”

Qingyang the True Person’s expression instantly changed drastically. He stared intently at Chen Yuan and said coldly, “What Xuantian Temple? This Humble Daoist has never heard of it!

My Lord Chen, I see that you are simply here to cause trouble today. Even if your Town Martial Hall dominates Ning Province, you cannot punish without teaching first!

Although my Qingyang Palace is just a small Daoist Temple, lacking great strength or foundation, it is not something anyone can manipulate at will!

Inspector Qi Yuanming of Kaiping Prefecture frequently comes to my Qingyang Palace to offer incense. If you dare to act recklessly, This Humble Daoist will certainly go to Kaiping Prefecture and file a complaint against you!”

Behind Chen Yuan, Lu Wenxing and the others looked at Qingyang the True Person with strange eyes.

This man just instantly killed Qi Yuanming’s Brother-in-law. Why would he be afraid of your Qingyang Palace?