Chapter 450: Prosperous Yangdu
At Qingyun Temple...
Qinghuaizi sat cross-legged on the ground, holding a Daoist scripture in his hands. Wisps of pale blue smoke curled up from the bronze incense burner on the table beside him, carrying a calming fragrance. From outside the great hall, the faint sound of disciples chanting their evening scriptures drifted in, blending harmoniously with the soft and graceful Daoist music of Yangzhou, further soothing the heart and mind.
However, Qinghuaizi was not reading the scripture. Instead, he was contemplating the news he had gathered the previous day.
Yangzhou was a thriving hub of commerce, bustling with merchants from all directions. Temples and Daoist sanctuaries were places where all sorts of people converged, and there was no shortage of traders from Langzhou. With just a little inquiry, Qinghuaizi had learned something interesting.
About a month ago, at the border between Langzhou and Yangzhou, on Mount Jiurang, a grand sacrificial ceremony was held in honor of the Anle God. A Daoist and a young girl had attended the ritual. But after that day, the statue of the Anle God had shattered, half of the temple was destroyed, and a stone stele was left at the temple’s entrance, informing the villagers that the evil god had been vanquished.
Of the six livestock offerings, five were returned to their original owners. The mysterious master who had slain the evil god took only a single chicken and left without revealing his name.
Qinghuaizi couldn’t help but recall the Daoist he had met a few days ago.
That man had not displayed any extraordinary abilities, yet his words were calm and polite, his demeanor refined. Moreover, the young girl and the boy who accompanied him—upon closer thought, there was something unusual about them as well.
“...”
Could he be a celestial immortal descended from the Heavenly Palace? Or a hidden master from the mountains? Regardless of his identity, the mere fact that he eradicated an evil god without seeking fame or profit—taking nothing but a single chicken—was enough to command admiration.
Just then, a sudden gust of wind stirred outside the window.