The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 317 - 204 Zhenwu "Three Mystical Realms

Chapter 317: Chapter 204 Zhenwu "Three Mystical Realms

"Mr. Li, my respects to you!"

Gu Hanzi stepped through the door, waving his large sleeve in a Daoist salute, his face donned with a smile, emanating amiability.

"I’ve seen the Daoist before."

Although Li Yan was puzzled, he still returned the greeting with a nod and a smile.

The magicians from the Taixuan Orthodox Sect in Ezhou mostly hailed from the Grotto Heaven of the Zhenwu Palace on Wudang Mountain.

They were skilled in martial arts and shared some similarities with Chunyang Palace, both being major forces of the law enforcement branch within the Mystical Sect.

Although Li Yan had fought alongside them, he did not share any particular camaraderie with them. The warm hospitality gave him reason to be suspicious.

Noticing the wariness in Li Yan’s eyes, Gu Hanzi offered a faint smile, not concealing his intentions, he said, "When I was in Shangjin Town, I saw how exceptional all of you Daoist friends were in skills, and I have gotten in touch with the City God Temples of Chang’an and Xianyang City to gather some information."

"The evaluation from Shan State is very high, indeed. Not just the City God Temples of Chang’an and Xianyang but also Doumu and the two palaces of Chunyang have high praise for you."

"Plus, given your identity, we can be considered one of our own."

"The Daoist flatters me."

Li Yan responded with modesty but did not take it seriously to heart.

His smooth dealings with the Taixuan Orthodox Sect in Shan State were often thanks to Luo Mingzi’s assistance.

And at Hua Mountain, if not for a fortunate twist of fate that prevented the calamity of the Drought Demon, his treatment after climbing the mountain would hardly be better than that of the side door.

He also knew some of the history of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect.

The issue at hand was related to the Buddhist and Taoist conflict, which had been ongoing for thousands of years. Even during the period when all three main martial factions eradicated Buddhism, the Taoist community remained loose and fragmented.

At the end of the Tang Dynasty, when the world was in turmoil, demonic influences grew as Taoist power diminished.

However, the Taoist Magic Veins throughout Divine State were each operating independently, sometimes even engaging in conflict over the Cave Heaven Blessed Lands.

To tackle the chaos of the times, Taoists from all over gathered at Taishan, leading to the emergence of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect which became the leader of the Mystical Sect since the Song Dynasty.

Even so, there were still numerous factions internally.

Although he had some connections in Shan State, they were not of much use in Ezhou, where being treated as an equal and not being troubled was already fortunate enough.

The extra cordiality definitely gave him cause for concern.

Gu Hanzi smiled lightly, pouring tea for everyone, "Mr. Li, there is no need for concern. In reality, a magician like you who gets along well with the Taoist community and possesses extraordinary methods is always treated with respect here in Ezhou."

"After all, there are many things for which we still need your assistance. Many tasks from the Law Enforcement Hall are also open to people like you."

"The Daoist must be jesting."

Li Yan frowned, "The martial arts of the Zhenwu Palace are renowned everywhere. We are mere side door practitioners, so where would you need our help?"

Gu Hanzi sighed and shook his head, "No matter how strong my Zhenwu Palace is, how many people do we really have? Besides, the situation in Ezhou is far more complex than you might think."

"Ezhou connects the north and the south and is also a key town for the Mystical Sect. Further south, Magic Veins flourish and countless Sects abound."

"As such, the Mystical Sect in Ezhou represents the pattern of ’north orthodox, south magic, east Zen, west Tao.’ To ensure the stability of the Mystical Sect in Divine State, many Grotto Heaven Blessed Lands are also entrusted to the Magic Veins for suppression."

"Moreover, the situation in Wushan is complicated and not under the control of the orthodox sects. Added to that, the natural barrier of the Shennongjia in central China separates the orthodox sects of Shu from my Zhenwu Palace. It’s hard to hold everything together."

"Oh, I see..."

Li Yan’s expression remained unchanged after hearing this, but his heart gave a start.

Good grief, the conflict between Buddhism and Taoism, and the cause and effect between the orthodox sects and Magic Veins: whichever it was, each was a massive whirlpool.

This guy... could he be trying to drag them down with him?

At this thought, Li Yan’s expression grew stern, and he said in a heavy tone, "The Daoist, my companions and I are mere nameless wanderers, cultivating our way through the pugilistic world. We dare not meddle in these affairs."

Gu Hanzi was taken aback and chuckled helplessly, "Mr. Li, you misunderstand. The Mystical Sect may be complex, but there are rules."

"Who should act, and how? It’s not for me to say, let alone you. These matters are for higher-level cultivators to consider."

"Oh?"

Li Yan was somewhat curious upon hearing this, "Aside from these issues, doesn’t your sect have the power to handle troubles?"

Gu Hanzi nodded, "Not only do we have troubles, but they are also quite major."

"The situation in Ezhou is peculiar, especially around Yunyang Prefecture. It involves the mountain folk, the Heavenly Saint Sect, the various Tusi government offices, and some secret witches from the Jing Chu Mountain region."

"Of course, the primary issue now is with the mountain folk."

"The Yunyang Governor, Mr. Yuan, advocates a gradual approach. Although it has been slow over the years, it has been effective, with many mountain folk choosing to move out."

"But there are several garrisons from the court stationed near Yunyang, and some military factions are backed by the Ministry of War. They prefer to emulate the Grand Ancestor, with direct suppression and expulsion to avoid prolonged garrisoning, which would drain national resources."

"Since last year, Governor Yuan has been in poor health, with diminishing energy, and often bedridden, no longer able to contain the garrisons..."

"At present, a significant incident has arisen involving the mountain folk and the Heavenly Saint Sect, which also involves gunpowder from the black market in all states. His Majesty is infuriated, and the Ministry of War has urgently dispatched garrisons from various regions. A major chaos is inevitable..."

"The City God Temple of Yunyang Prefecture, as well as the troops on Wudang Mountain, are critical for suppression to prevent large-scale involvement of Mystical Sect forces. My Zhenwu Palace has issued a call to retract forces to deal with this situation..."

"Because of this, some areas are indeed neglected, especially Jingzhou and Yichang, where strange events keep happening. We can only assign the tasks of the Law Enforcement Hall to other cultivators."

"You all can rest assured. These tasks do not involve sectarian strife and are mostly about purging evil spirits. After all, protecting the region and removing calamities and evils is our primary duty."

"If evil spirits rampage within our borders, it is also a failure on part of my Zhenwu Palace."

"Oh..."

Li Yan, now interested, asked, "I wonder about the difficulty of these tasks and how the rewards are calculated?"

They had spent nearly half of their wealth on Mount Hua, and the journey had been costly. Even if they took on minor jobs of exorcising evil spirits, it would only suffice for daily expenses.