Chapter 85: Chapter 84: The Director of the Gardening Department is in Position

It was rare to meet a good person, so the group sat down to rest in Wang Yue’s courtyard.

"You aren’t from the Government Office?" Wang Yue asked.

"We aren’t," Zhuo Qingyan said, shaking her head. "But you don’t have to be from the Government Office to punish the wicked and practice Demon Suppression."

"That’s true, that’s true!" Wang Yue nodded repeatedly. "Just two months ago, a Mage passed through and helped the Liu Family in the south of the city get rid of a Fierce Ghost hiding in their home before leaving."

"Oh?" Gu Zhao asked curiously. "There are still good people in Changping Prefecture?"

Zhuo Qingyan’s face was expressionless, but Bai Ke piped up, "You can’t just lump everyone together! Aren’t Sister Qingyan and I good people?"

"Yes, yes, of course!" Gu Zhao quickly cupped his hands in apology. "I meant, are there still people here who practice Righteousness and Heroism."

In this world, the Court had the Xuanwei Divine Sect guarding its territories and the Spirit Court patrolling the realm. The rest were local powers and various Loose Cultivators.

But these local powers and Loose Cultivators were a mixed bag, both good and evil. The good were like those from White Spirit Mountain in Jiangyang Prefecture on the bank of the Wanling Jiangbei, while the bad were like Bian Palace in Changping Prefecture. And then there were two-faced groups like the Golden Wind Divine Sect—righteous on the surface, but secretly debauched and wicked.

Right now, the Golden Wind Sect was supreme in Changping Prefecture. If there were people who practiced Righteousness and Heroism in Changping Prefecture, their greatest opponent would be the Golden Wind Divine King.

"That’s not necessarily true," Bai Ke said, shaking her head. "Actually, as long as you don’t provoke the Golden Wind Sect or try to preach in Changping Prefecture, they won’t bother you."

The Silk Embroideress chimed in with a laugh, "And you can’t go to a Golden Wind Hall to siphon off their Incense."

Bai Ke shifted into a more comfortable position in the Silk Embroideress’s arms and nodded. "Right!"

Gu Zhao nodded. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand the reasoning. But in all his time in this world, he had killed many Demons and Ghosts, yet the only ones he had met without a trace of Evil Qi were Bai Ke and Zhuo Qingyan. He had subconsciously come to assume that there were basically no good people in Changping Prefecture. Of course, today he had met Wang Yue.

Hearing the group discuss the Golden Wind Hall, Wang Yue’s expression faltered, and her eyes flickered. She didn’t dare to speak.

Gu Zhao saw her hesitation and asked, "You know about the Golden Wind Hall, don’t you?"

Wang Yue nodded. "I do."

"What do you think of the Golden Wind Hall?" Gu Zhao asked.

Wang Yue recalled their conversation and asked cautiously, "You know what the Golden Wind Hall does behind the scenes?"

"You know too?" Bai Ke asked, curious. "But don’t you rarely leave your house?"

Wang Yue took a couple of breaths, glanced at the Orchid in the corner of the room, and only spoke softly after seeing its petals sway. "The Fang Family and the Li Family next door are both followers of the Golden Wind Sect. Their daughters often went to the Golden Wind Hall to pray for blessings. Later, they gradually grew weaker, and before long, they died."

Gu Zhao snorted. "It seems the Golden Wind Hall in Wuhe County is no good either."

"That’s why I’m even more afraid to reveal myself," Wang Yue said, her voice filled with lingering fear. "I once saw a Road God General from the Golden Wind Hall use his Techniques. He was incredibly powerful!"

The group all laughed at her words. They had already killed a Divine Consort of the Golden Wind Sect; a mere Divine General could be slain with a flick of the wrist.

Still, Wang Yue’s Cultivation was indeed not strong. Xiaolan could only release some poisonous gas. It was enough to deal with ordinary people or even Martial Arts Experts, but it fell short against a Mage.

But that brought something to mind. Gu Zhao looked around. "You can make flowers bloom in all four seasons?"

"Xiaolan is rooted underground and can stimulate the growth of surrounding plants. She can even make flowers bloom in winter, but I never let her. At most, I let some summer flowers last until autumn," Wang Yue explained.

"That’s still very impressive," Gu Zhao said with a smile.

Zhuo Qingyan glanced at Gu Zhao, then asked Wang Yue, "Aunt Wang, do you plan to live like this forever? The Golden Wind Hall is not a benevolent force, and there are surely Demons and Ghosts in the city. Your Cultivation isn’t high. If you’re discovered, you’ll inevitably be in danger."

Wang Yue’s heart trembled, and panic set in, because Zhuo Qingyan had struck a chord with her deepest fears.

Years ago, right after she formed a Harmony with Xiaolan and gained her Cultivation, she had been excited and eager. She even wanted to find fellow cultivators to exchange pointers and improve together.

Fortunately, she was cautious. Being completely in the dark, she didn’t rashly expose herself. Then she witnessed a darkness she had never known in her entire life. Terrified, she immediately retreated to her home and never again spoke of finding fellow cultivators to exchange pointers with.

"I’ll be careful," was all Wang Yue could say.

Zhuo Qingyan shook her head and took Wang Yue’s hand. "Aunt Wang, since you have no relatives in Wuhe County, why not move somewhere else?"

Wang Yue understood what Zhuo Qingyan was implying. "You mean..."

"We are about to establish our own Sect in Changping Prefecture. Aunt Wang, your skills are perfect for decorating the sect’s entrance. You’re exactly the kind of talent we need."

Gu Zhao gave Zhuo Qingyan a look of thanks for her support, then extended the invitation. "With us, Aunt Wang, you won’t have to worry about safety. You won’t have to hold back anymore. You can let the flowers bloom all year round."

Wang Yue looked at them, a little scared but also tempted. "But I’m used to all my neighbors... Where is your sect?"

The Silk Embroideress leaned in, her face full of anticipation, and said in a clear, bright voice, "It’s not far! It’s on Cuiluo Mountain in Xiuyue County, just over a hundred li from Wuhe County. If you miss your home, Aunt Wang, you can come back anytime."

Wang Yue nodded blankly. She knew of Xiuyue County and Cuiluo Mountain, but she had no idea there was a powerful, righteous Sect there.

Still, she wasn’t suspicious. After all, since forming her Harmony with Xiaolan, she had only practiced Cultivation by herself. She never went out, let alone sought out gossip from the Cultivation Realm. The only reason she even knew the Golden Wind Hall was two-faced was because of what had happened to her neighbor’s daughter.

’They saw through me from the very beginning, so they must be far more powerful than I am,’ Wang Yue thought as she looked at the group.

’Besides, they came here to eliminate evil, so they can’t be bad people. And it’s not like I have anything worth scheming over.’

Just then, the petals of the Orchid under the eaves bloomed open, swaying in the breeze and adding to its delicate beauty.

She was originally a mountain spirit. Although her Cultivation had accelerated after forming a Harmony with Wang Yue, being cooped up in a small city courtyard was no match for breathing the fresh air of a mountain forest.

Wang Yue let out a breath of relief and couldn’t help but smile. "To be honest, I’ve been living in constant fear these past few years. If there’s a place where I can live peacefully, of course I’m willing."

The Silk Embroideress nodded eagerly. "Our place is wonderful!"

Taoist Yan Song looked at the flowers all around, stroking his beard with a smile. ’If the sect’s entrance is filled with blooming flowers in all four seasons, it will truly be a scene worthy of Immortals.’

"Great! From now on, Aunt Wang will be the head of our landscaping department," Gu Zhao said, clapping to welcome her. The Silk Embroideress immediately joined in.

"In that case, may I ask, Aunt Wang, besides the Golden Wind Hall, do you know of any other evildoers in the county?" Gu Zhao’s gaze was intense. "We came to Wuhe County this time to first clean up the Demons and Ghosts aside from the Golden Wind Hall."

Wang Yue stared in stunned silence.