After the New Year in the Otherworld, Taoist Yi Hong returned to the modern world to make a few calls, then went to Changping Prefecture to take charge.

After some consideration, Gu Zhao decided to give one spot to Qingcheng Mountain and another to the Celestial Master’s Mansion. He would hold on to the final spot for now, planning to make a trip to Zhenwu Mountain during the New Year to see if the Sanfeng Sect lived up to its reputation.

So, Taoist Yan Song and Taoist Ming Yu each made calls to their respective sects to summon someone. Taoist Yan Song called for the eldest Daoist on the mountain, Taoist Yan Ling, while Taoist Ming Yu called for his junior brother, Taoist Ming Chong.

The next day, the two elderly Daoists arrived in Yangcheng, accompanied by the two younger ones.

On the third day, the two elderly Daoists sent the younger ones who had accompanied them back to their respective mountains.

On the fourth day, the two elderly Daoists were already full of vigor, practicing the Eight Pieces of Brocade on Cuiluo Mountain.

Taoist Yan Ling was over ninety years old. After his Innate Qi was stimulated, and without even needing supplemental Evil Qi, his Dao Practice Cultivation had already surpassed three hundred years. He could even overpower Huang Yuan with his Qingcheng Sword and Fist.

Qingcheng Mountain first inherited the Shangqing Zhengyi tradition, and later the Quanzhen Dragon Gate tradition. Because of this, the mountain still possessed many Southern Secret Techniques. Some Quanzhen Daoists who had cultivated Inner Breath True Qi also studied Shangqing arts, like Taoist Yan Song, who also cultivated the Taiyin Fire Mansion Secret Technique.

Taoist Yan Ling did not cultivate Wind and Fire. He chose the Taiyi Divine Light Scripture, cultivating it with the aid of Celestial Light, and developed a magical technique that allowed him to emit Divine Light from his eyes. Not only could it dispel evil and suppress malevolence, but it could also gaze up at the celestial stars and peer down into the abyss, identify concealed auras, and see through the changes of Yin and Yang.

Taoist Ming Chong was not particularly old, but in addition to his duties as a Daoist, he was also a practitioner of traditional medicine.

Unlike Taoist Ming Yu, who only had a superficial understanding of medical principles, he had studied traditional medical arts in great depth. He had not only researched prescriptions but had even delved into the methods of Outer Pill alchemy, knowing the properties of all kinds of medicinal ingredients like the back of his hand.

As soon as he arrived in the Otherworld, he recognized that the Yellow Lemon stored in the warehouse had medicinal properties similar to Polygonatum sibiricum, but with far greater potency. He realized that if it were refined with various common medicinal herbs, it could harmonize with the user’s internal qi and blood to exponentially amplify its effects.

Thus, Daluo Palace not only gained two experts but also the foundations for an Inspectorate and an Elixir Medicine Courtyard.

"They’re all so talented!" Gu Zhao remarked with admiration.

Gu Zhao was pleased, and it went without saying that Taoist Yan Ling and Taoist Ming Chong were even more so.

Although Taoist Yan Ling had already seen through the veil of life and death, he hadn’t reached the point where he no longer wished to live. Having found a new lease on life, he was immediately itching to descend the mountain with his sword, use his Divine Light to see through all manner of Demons and Ghosts, and Eradicate Evil and Accumulate Merit.

When facing Demons that concealed their auras, he could activate his Divine Light technique to detect Evil Qi from an even greater distance than Gu Zhao with his Five Thunders Order. Right now, he was staring intently at Huang Yuan, making the man’s hair stand on end.

Taoist Ming Chong was also in his element.

"This world is brimming with Spiritual Qi. The potency of the herbs here is countless times higher than back home! A one-year-old plant here is like a ten-year-old wild herb from our world, and that’s not even counting the Heavenly and Earthly Treasures that contain Spiritual Power."

"Alchemy, Medicine Making, Medicinal Wine, medicinal cuisine..." Taoist Ming Chong muttered. "Ordinary people can’t cultivate, but these things are all incredibly useful for them!"

Taoist Ming Chong looked at Gu Zhao, his face wreathed in smiles. "Sect Leader, I’ll concoct a few remedies for your parents. I guarantee that after taking them, they’ll enjoy a long life, have strong bodies, and be free from all sickness."

Gu Zhao knew that Taoist Ming Chong’s own father was still alive, so he understood his intentions perfectly. "Of course, our own families get benefits. I’ve placed several Golden Gang Bracelets in the warehouse. Yunyang already gave a pair to my parents."

Taoist Ming Chong nodded repeatedly. "I’ll put the Elixirs, Medicinal Wines, and other such things I create in the future in there as well."

...

"Mom! Dad!"

As soon as Gu Zhao got home, he saw his mom and dad sitting upright and attentive, watching the evening news.

"Did I come back at a bad time? Am I interrupting your studies?"

"Stop with the nonsense and come sit down," Gu Qi said. "You’ve been going into closed-door Cultivation more and more often lately. I carved two bracelets out of Golden Rattan Wood to give to your maternal grandparents, but I could never find you to inscribe a Talisman on them."

Li Man pulled Gu Zhao over, looking him up and down. "You really have just been in seclusion, right? You haven’t been off doing anything dangerous, have you?"

"You received the Golden Rattan Wood?" Gu Zhao first replied to Gu Qi, then turned to Li Man. "It really is just closed-door Cultivation. What could be dangerous about it?"

Li Man remained skeptical. "But even in seclusion, you still have to eat and sleep, right? You’re always disappearing without a trace. It makes me feel like you’re off on some secret mission."

"That’s because I’m not disappearing voluntarily; it’s involuntary," Gu Zhao said, pointing to a box on the coffee table.

"What’s this?" Gu Qi asked. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Medicinal Wine." Gu Zhao opened the box and took out a large glass jar that held about five pounds. It was filled with various medicinal herbs, with a small, inconspicuous piece of Yellow Lemon mixed in.

"This Medicinal Wine was concocted by an old Daoist from Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain," Gu Zhao said. "All the ingredients are wild herbs harvested from the mountains of Zhang and Shu Provinces. Their medicinal properties are incredible. It replenishes the kidneys and strengthens yang energy."

Gu Qi’s eyes lit up instantly.

Gu Zhao thought for a moment and added, "And it nourishes yin and enhances beauty."

Li Man’s eyes lit up as well.

"So, you weren’t in seclusion in Yangcheng? You went off to the mountains for it?" Gu Qi asked in disbelief.

"And not just mountains in this country. I also went to mountains in a foreign country," Gu Zhao said with a straight face.

’After all, Cuiluo Mountain can’t really be considered a mountain in this country,’ he thought.

"The deep mountains must be dangerous, right?" Li Man was still a little worried.

"Our son is a master now!" As long as it wasn’t a dangerous person Gu Zhao was facing, Gu Qi wasn’t worried at all. "With the Celestial Spirit Talisman and Vajra Profound Talisman in hand, what could possibly hurt him, short of airplanes and cannons?"

Gu Zhao simply smiled without a word. ’Once my Cultivation breaks through the five-hundred-year mark and I can fly, forget airplanes and cannons. Even missiles won’t be a threat to me.’

’At that point, even if I’m exposed, I’ll have nothing to worry about.’

’In truth, ever since I started recruiting people and using magic in the modern world, I’ve known it was only a matter of time before my abilities were exposed. This is especially true since the people I’ve brought over include influential figures in the Taoist Sect, like Taoist Yi Hong and Taoist Ming Yu.’

’They will eventually return to this world, and when they encounter a situation that truly requires their intervention, can they really be expected to stand idly by?’

’I already have enough power to protect myself—enough to do as I please without overstepping my bounds. That’s why I sometimes even consider revealing myself on my own terms and asking if there’s any way I can help. For instance...’

’...what about clearing out some of Huaqi Country’s nearby military bases?’

Gu Zhao: (｡･ω･｡)

...

Although Gu Qi and Li Man had already eaten dinner, the arrival of such a treasure prompted Li Man to whip up a couple of side dishes in the kitchen. The family gathered for a drink together.

Early the next morning, Gu Zhao left, telling his parents he was going to be traveling for the New Year holiday.

The family saw each other often, so they weren’t too concerned about being together for the holiday itself. Gu Qi and Li Man just waved in acknowledgment, simultaneously wondering if they should also take a trip for the New Year.

Afterward, Gu Zhao went to Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi’s apartment, gave them a bottle of the Medicinal Wine, and enjoyed their tender care.

"Huh? You’re not going home for the New Year?" Gu Zhao asked, surprised.

"We already took some time off to visit a couple of days ago," Jiang Shishi said nonchalantly. "It’s so crowded and the traffic is a nightmare during the holiday. What’s the point of going back now?"

Since Jiang Shishi wasn’t going back, Xiao Ya didn’t want to either. Besides, they held fairly high positions in their troupe now and had relatively flexible schedules, so there was no need to brave the holiday rush.

"We’re planning to travel for the holiday. If you’re busy, Shishi and I will just go together," Xiao Ya said, shaking the beaded bracelet on her wrist.

With this, they no longer felt afraid.

Gu Zhao nodded. "I’m planning a trip to Zhenwu Mountain for the New Year. It’ll probably be crowded, but do you two want to come along?"

The two women replied in unison, "We’ll go!"