Dao Equaling the Heavens
Chapter 416 - 31: Seeing the Master Again

Chapter 416: Chapter 31: Seeing the Master Again

"Yuqing Heavenly Venerate! Our Yuqing Sect needs thirty million dou of Spirit Stones. During your absence, we’ve had a ringing good time!"

"Three Pure Venerables never judge the sect by one’s origin. Yuqing Heavenly Venerate His Old Venerableness has been off duty for eight hundred years, yet your Yuqing Sect is still well off. Besides, the allocation of Spirit Stones has always been calculated per capita. Where is it heard to just ask for tens of millions of dou? Our True Martial Palace actually needs thirty million dou of Spirit Stones. We need to suppress the devils of the world."

"What supressing the devils of the world, you’re just the paging Magic Treasure of Chi Venerable. Our Spirit Plant Palace needs thirty million Spirit Stones to subsidize the people, otherwise there will surely be famine within a decade."

"Ling Jun! You shameless thing, even if just ten percent of the world’s Spirit Fields were taken out, there would be enough for everyone to eat their fill. Where is there famine? Let True Martial Palace directly deploy Taoist Soldiers from other places to arrest the local sects. With thirty-six provinces in the world and sixty million miles of roads, can we replenish that?"

"Our Fox Clan also needs Spirit Stones."

The entire hall was in chaos, it seems the high seat in the Jade Palace is only comfortable the moment one sits on it.

Gu Wen could have quelled everyone with his aura, but his master didn’t allow it.

He said, "You once said governing a great country is like cooking a small fish. As the Yuqing Heavenly Venerate, you cannot oppress people with your power."

Gu Wen thought it made sense. Although he disliked power and had little interest in governing others, he knew the importance of fairness more than most and the rules were the only way to generate a cohesive force that influences everyone.

"If one wishes to govern the world, it must first be just. Once just, the world will be at peace."

But he had not expected that actual implementation would be so difficult; it was even more chaotic than old ladies quarreling in the market.

Sure enough, everything has two sides, and Gu Wen undoubtedly disliked this position of Venerable because he does not need the power and benefits that come with it.

"Perhaps I really have changed?"

Gu Wen couldn’t help but introspect. If it had been in the old days, he certainly would have loved this position.

Because the seat beneath him is equivalent to the emperor’s throne of the Cultivation World, possessing incalculable resources, able to command all sides—no powerful being would dare disobey.

But now, Gu Wen felt unruffled, only finding the people below somewhat noisy.

And why were there members of the Devil Clan appearing?

A fox, a dog, a cat, and a sparrow.

These four Devil types were chattering amongst each other, seemingly unremarked upon by the great powers of the Daoist Sect.

Anything that exists has its time limitation and must adapt to the times. The immutable enmity between humans and devils arose during an extremely turbulent era of war, with both sides bathed in blood, as hatred is the most motivating of emotions.

Later, Qingcang lived a second life, and Jianmu did not forsake its past advantages.

Now, eight hundred years later, under the guidance of the Daoist Sect, humans and devils have not reconciled but have proposed a new definition.

Spirit beast.

Gu Wen flipped through the jade slips on the table, numbers in the hundreds of thousands flowed in the form of Divine Thought, from which he learned the reasons.

In short, domesticated poultry that turned into devils were classified as spirit beasts.

As for the thirty million dou of Spirit Stones, that was the annual Daoist Sect financial budget, equivalent to 120 million jin of low-grade spiritual stones.

These were taxes collected from the various states, amounting to about half of each sect’s revenue from Spirit Stones. These Spirit Stones could produce ten figures of the Mahayana Realm. Every year, the various factions within the Daoist Sect fought fiercely over these resources.

The other two of the Three Pure Venerables had very distinct preferences. Upper Pure Yun Miao took care of internal affairs and promoted the True Martial Demon Cleansing strongly. Huayang Venerable preferred to expand outside, liking to establish cities on the borders, build great formations, and resist the Devil Clan.

Thus, two huge interest groups were born: True Martial Palace and Eight-direction City.

These two factions were comprised of countless great powers from numerous sects, each with its own vested interests, and had now become entities that were above the sects.

Now that Yuqing Heavenly Venerate had taken office, with the new official doing three things at the start, it’s unpredictable whether a third faction might emerge.

"Yuqing Heavenly Venerate, we ask you to make a decision!"

Gu Wen watched the crowd quietly and said, "I am aware of everyone’s requests. I will consult my master and then give you an answer."

The less you do, the fewer mistakes you make. The more you do, the more mistakes you make.

If the money really must be given, then there’s no need for this argument here.

He was beginning to doubt whether the Daoist Sect had the habit of saving money, spending as many Spirit Stones as they received each year.

The crowd, with wide eyes and small pupils, began speaking again, "Venerable Sir, the Three Pure Venerables do not need to consult with the Immortals in their actions."

Gu Wen said, "Is there a rule that forbids consulting with Immortals?"

"No."

"Then let’s discuss this matter later. Everyone, please leave."

The crowd looked at each other, then bowed and left the Jade Palace.

Once outside, they became noisy again, lacking the noble demeanor of Immortals, only wanting to curse each other’s ancestors for eighteen generations.

One hundred million jin of Spirit Stones, even an Immortal would be tempted. Not to mention most of them hadn’t even reached the Mahayana Realm, squabbling over a tiny amount of profit, which could be a stepping stone for them to climb higher in the future.

Chan Xi and two others stayed behind. She smiled and said, "Junior Brother seems to be quite dissatisfied with this position."

"It’s but an empty name," Gu Wen descended from the high platform, "and the world won’t become better because of one decision I make, nor will it achieve universal harmony just because I take this seat."

"These eight hundred years have passed, and Master has not achieved it, which means the time has not yet come."

Chan Xi said, "But the world needs a Saint to stabilize the people’s hearts, one that is on par with Jianmu."

Gu Wen said, "If they would betray the Human Race without me, they might become a scourge in the future. If the world is made by me alone, then this so-called harmony is nothing more than self-deception."