Chapter 193: Chapter 192: Star Officials in Position: Earth Badger of Di and Sun Rabbit of Room

Daluo Palace protected the region, and life in Cui Mountain Town was simple and honest.

After just two days, the young men and women had already grown to love the place. Daluo Palace even taught ordinary people meditation and Qi practice. Even if someone lacked the talent to master Magical True Qi, they could still become a Martial Arts Expert.

Many of the Daoists in Daluo Palace had once been outlaws in the surrounding mountains and forests. The sect’s members also brought some back during their travels to uphold justice. While these individuals were powerless against Demons and Ghosts, they were still far beyond the reach of any ordinary person.

For example, the Daoist who had guided pilgrims up the mountain during Daluo Palace’s New Year ceremony was one of the palace’s top martial artists. Though he lacked the aptitude for Cultivation, his skills placed him among the experts of the mortal Martial Arts world.

Seeing how happy everyone around him was, He Feng naturally accepted Taoist Yan Song’s invitation to join Daluo Palace and become one of the twenty-eight Guardian Star Officials.

The Earth Badger of Di has officially taken his place!

"I want to join Daluo Palace too!" Hu Yufei clamored, pointing at the fourth of the seven shrines on the mountain path. "I want to be the Sun Rabbit of Room!"

"You’re actually a rabbit fairy?" Yunyang asked in surprise.

"What do you mean, ’rabbit fairy’!" Hu Yufei said, puffing out her chest proudly. "I am of the Jade Rabbit bloodline, far from ordinary!"

"Why would a rabbit fairy’s surname be Hu?" Yunyang asked curiously.

"Why can’t a rabbit fairy be named Hu?" Hu Yufei shot back.

That left Yunyang speechless.

Hu Yufei came before Gu Zhao and bowed respectfully. "I have never harmed a human life. I sincerely wish to join Daluo Palace. Please grant your approval, Sect Leader."

Gu Zhao tapped his folding fan against his palm. "You are already a Spirit Monarch, a friend to Daluo Palace, not an enemy. You’re welcome to stay here long-term, and we would treat you as a friend regardless." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"However, joining Daluo Palace and becoming a Guardian Star Official is a different matter," Gu Zhao said to Hu Yufei in a serious tone. "As the name implies, a Guardian Star Official has the duty of a guardian. If an enemy attacks, you must step forward to face them, regardless of their strength."

Hu Yufei glanced at Yunyang and replied with equal gravity, "At the Sect Leader’s command, I will never shrink from my duty!"

A smile played on Gu Zhao’s lips. "In that case, welcome aboard, Miss Hu."

Hu Yufei’s face lit up with a smile, and Bai Ke stepped forward to take her hand. "Congratulations! We’re all one family now."

Hu Yufei squeezed Bai Ke’s hand in return. "Why aren’t you becoming the Heart Moon Fox?"

Bai Ke shook her head with a perfectly straight face. "The Silk Embroideress is Gu Zhao’s bed-warming maid, so she can’t stay at Daluo Palace permanently. I have to go with her, so I can’t be a Guardian Star Official."

Hu Yufei glanced from Gu Zhao to Bai Ke, a mischievous smile on her face. She lowered her voice and asked, "So, the Silk Embroideress is his bed-warming maid... got any designs on him yourself?"

"I do!" Bai Ke nodded. "I want to mate with him too, but he said the time isn’t right yet. He also told me not to go around telling people."

Hu Yufei: (´°Δ°`)

...

"Daluo Palace is growing stronger and stronger."

Standing on the high platform before the Three Pristine Hall, Gu Zhao couldn’t help but feel a swell of emotion.

After returning from Bai Shi Prefecture, the old Daoists were spurred into action and set out once more to uphold justice. Taoist Ming Yu, who was closest to a breakthrough, was the most enthusiastic of all. He teamed up with Taoist Yan Ling—who had mastered the Taiyi Divine Light—and they vowed to sweep Changping Prefecture clean of all Demons and Ghosts.

Taoist Jing Feng, Taoist Qingyuan, and Taoist Ming Chong also descended the mountain on their own missions to purge evil and earn Evil Qi. The progress bar, which had already shot up after they eliminated Rong Xuan of the Infinite Cave, began to fill even faster. The next Thunder Seed was practically within reach.

And it wasn’t just the ever-increasing number of Daoists from Blue Star; he had also recruited five local Guardian Star Officials.

The Golden Dog of Bond, Huang Yuan, and the Earth Badger of Di, He Feng, had the most profound cultivation, boasting a full four hundred years of Dao Practice. Either one of them had the strength to dominate an entire region on their own.

The cultivation of the Golden Sheep of Ghost, Yang Chi; the Moon Deer of Zhang, Lu Yue; and the Sun Rabbit of Room, Hu Yufei, was slightly weaker. However, after practicing the New Cultivation Technique infused with the principles of the Taoist Sect, their cultivation efficiency was a whole tier higher than before. Their potential was limitless.

"Which means I’m only getting busier," Gu Zhao couldn’t help but sigh.

The Silk Embroideress stood by his side, saying nothing, merely smiling with her lips pressed together.

Bai Ke, however, immediately called him out. "These past few days, you’ve either been in closed-door cultivation or making music, painting, chatting, and taking walks with Sister Zhuo. What’s so busy about that?"

Gu Zhao waved his hand languidly. "You wouldn’t understand."

’Once the next Thunder Seed forms, I’ll have to set out to find more people. How is that not busy?’

’It feels like I’m having to find people more and more often. Maybe I should save up a few seeds and find a bunch of them at once. That’d be easier.’

’Like, if I save up seven or eight, I could take care of everyone on Zhenwu Mountain in one go!’

...

「Zhenwu Mountain.」

"What? Junior Brother Zhang is gone? He left with some young man?" Taoist Qingwei asked in astonishment. "He said he was going to Yangcheng to practice martial arts and pursue the Dao? And he left on the morning of the sixth?"

Taoist Qingwei did the math. That was the day after his invitation for Taoist Qingyuan to leave the mountain had been rejected. He recalled that Gu Zhao had even helped smooth things over for Taoist Qingyuan at the time.

’So he was just poaching him?’ Taoist Qingwei was left speechless.

But he still couldn’t figure it out. ’Taoist Qingyuan had lived on Zhenwu Mountain his entire life. He wasn’t even willing to accept my invitation to teach at the Taoist Temple, so why would he suddenly leave with Gu Zhao for Yangcheng?’

So, Taoist Qingwei called Taoist Qingyuan’s cell phone, but the call went unanswered.

’What’s going on?’ Taoist Qingwei frowned.

It wasn’t that he suspected Gu Zhao of having ill intentions toward Taoist Qingyuan. After all, Taoist Qingyuan had lived a simple, impoverished life. Besides having cultivated Taoist True Qi, he possessed nothing that even a con artist would covet.

Furthermore, Gu Zhao had also mastered Taoist True Qi. In ancient times, he would have been considered a true Daoist Quanzhen; in the modern era, he was a bearer of the True Dao Inheritance. He did everything openly and honorably. He wasn’t even secretive about wooing two women at the same time, which just proved how magnanimous he was.

He was simply curious. What on earth had Gu Zhao said to Taoist Qingyuan to make him abandon the place he had called home for half his life and follow him to Yangcheng?

So, Taoist Qingwei sent Taoist Qingyuan a text message, asking what was going on.

Just as Taoist Qingwei was sending his text, Taoist Yi Hong was on the phone with Yandu. He said he wanted to invite True Dao practitioners from all over the country to Yangcheng to study Daoism and was applying for a quiet, secluded Taoist Temple.

Given his history of spending years traveling the country to collect the Dragon Gate Classics, Taoist Yi Hong’s application seemed perfectly reasonable. The only detail that raised eyebrows was his refusal to accept the young Daoists the Taoist Association wanted to assign to the temple, insisting he would manage everything himself.

"The temple will still need someone for chores, won’t it? Cleaning, greeting visitors, things like that?"

"This temple won’t be open to the public," Taoist Yi Hong stated. "We’ll handle the cleaning ourselves. Besides, I’m not even asking for funding, so what are you worried about?"

"I’m not worried. The issue is, we could just give you a private courtyard behind White Cloud Temple. Why does it have to be in Yangcheng?"

Taoist Yi Hong replied calmly, "Because it brings my Dao Heart peace."