139: Golden Lotus Sect

“Who are these people parading?” Lu Ming raised his hand, grabbing a passing pedestrian, and asked in a low voice.

The man, grabbed by his collar like a small chicken, initially wanted to get angry, but seeing Lu Ming’s icy gaze and the more than ten armed men following him, he instantly quieted down.

“Those are the Golden Lotus Sect’s parade. Sir, the Golden Lotus Sect members are all good people! The plague in Xianshui Town was eradicated thanks to the Golden Lotus Sect’s efforts.” The man instinctively defended them.

Lu Ming looked up and saw that a large number of Xianshui Town residents had already gathered. Just then, someone else shouted.

“Saintess is distributing Immortal Pills to us! Everyone, don’t push, there’s enough for everyone.”

Cheers immediately erupted, and the fanaticism in people’s eyes grew even more intense.

Upon hearing this, the man Lu Ming had questioned stared wide-eyed. He seemed to forget his fear, struggled free, and quickly ran towards the parade.

Witnessing this scene, not only the silent Lu Ming but even the Demon Slayer Guards following him showed expressions of astonishment.

When they entered the town today, the streets were deserted, with barely any people in sight. Now, just hearing that the Golden Lotus Sect was coming, a large number of Xianshui Town residents left their homes and gathered on the streets. How could this not perplex them?

Lu Ming noticed that the Golden Lotus Sect disciples began distributing Medicinal Pills, stained with gold powder, to the gathered crowd. The residents who received the Medicinal Pills looked ecstatic, as if they had found a treasure.

“Has anyone heard of the Golden Lotus Sect?” Lu Ming turned to ask, but saw that all his subordinates shook their heads, looking bewildered.

Seeing this, Lu Ming couldn’t help but frown slightly. He looked at Wu Yaozu beside him and asked in a deep voice, “I remember that although the Great Liang Kingdom doesn’t prohibit religions, they must report to the government, and all procedures must be legitimate. Is this Golden Lotus Sect a proper sect?”

From the man’s words just now, it seemed that the plague here was suppressed because of this sect. However, Lu Ming observed from afar and didn’t find anything extraordinary about the Golden Lotus Sect; the gathered disciples were just ordinary people. However, the Saintess being carried seemed to have a strange Qi.

“The Golden Lotus Sect is a recently emerged sect. This Xianshui Town is just one of its branches. Speaking of which, it’s strange. The government invested a lot of manpower and resources but struggled to contain the plague. Yet, after the Golden Lotus Sect arrived, the plague quickly alleviated. I heard it’s related to the Medicinal Pills for treating the plague that the Golden Lotus Sect distributes,” Wu Yaozu replied indifferently.

As if he didn’t want to discuss the matter, after a brief explanation, he said no more.

“Sir, should we go forward and disperse those residents, and apprehend these Golden Lotus Sect members for questioning?” A Demon Slayer Guard following behind him asked in a low voice.

“No, the Golden Lotus Sect has over ten thousand followers just within Xianshui Town. If you do that, it will likely provoke these angry commoners to attack the government. It will be difficult to handle the aftermath then.” Wu Yaozu’s mouth twitched. He was genuinely afraid that Lu Ming would act impulsively and cause such trouble.

If it really happened, it would have a considerable impact on them as well.

After all, Lu Ming and the Demon Suppression Division members could leave at any time, but they would have to stay here to deal with the aftermath.

He glanced at the person who spoke to stop him, and after a moment of thought, Lu Ming shook his head and said, “We are too few.”

In terms of strength, Lu Ming alone would be enough to hold back the thousand-plus commoners gathered on the street. However, their goal was to apprehend and question, not to kill them all.

Lu Ming’s purpose for this trip was to eradicate demons; as for other matters, they were not his concern.

“Let’s go!” Lu Ming immediately made a decision and then led his group past the side of the parade.

He led everyone back to the government office. As the group of more than ten figures gradually moved further away, the Saintess, sitting cross-legged in the sedan chair, suddenly opened her eyes. A strange light flickered in her captivating eyes, and she watched the direction Lu Ming and the others departed, a mysterious smile appearing on her face... By the time Lu Ming and his group returned to the government office, it was already dusk.

Shortly after everyone returned, Wu Lei, who had been dispatched to investigate outside the town, returned with his men.

“Sir, I…” Seeing Lu Ming’s figure, Wu Lei immediately stepped forward to report.

But Lu Ming stopped him with a look.

Not far away, Wu Shude, busy with official duties, walked over with a smile. He enthusiastically said, “Everyone, the banquet is ready. You all traveled today and then had to attend to official business, it must have been a tiring journey. How about we temporarily put aside our tasks and start the banquet first?”

“Then we shall trouble Lord Wu,” Lu Ming said, cupping his hands.

The welcoming banquet was held. To entertain Lu Ming and his hundred-plus men, Wu Shude set up long tables in the large courtyard behind the government office. After everyone was seated, a lavish spread of dishes was served one after another.

Xianshui Town was located near rivers and lakes, so the dishes on the table were mostly aquatic products. Even so, it was plentiful enough, at least countless times better than the dried rations they had eaten during their journey.

“It was prepared a bit late, so I couldn’t entertain everyone properly,” Wu Shude said, raising his wine cup and toasting Lu Ming.

“We are all working for the government. Lord Wu is willing to entertain us brothers; we don’t ask for anything else,” Lu Ming did not ask him about the Golden Lotus Sect at the banquet, as if he had forgotten about it.

After eating and drinking their fill, a red-faced Wu Shude went to rest, supported by his son.

Upon returning to his room, as the door closed, Wu Shude’s face no longer showed any hint of drunkenness. He sat on a nearby chair with a cold, solemn expression.

“How was it! Following that fellow surnamed Lu today, did he notice any problems?” Wu Shude asked indifferently.

“Father, I took him to find a family that had suffered from demons. From my investigation, that fellow doesn’t seem to completely believe our words. He seems intent on investigating, and although I kept a close eye, no one dared to speak out, but we did encounter people from the Golden Lotus Sect on the way. That fellow seemed very interested in them.”

“The Golden Lotus Sect?” Mentioning this name, Wu Shude couldn’t help but frown slightly, a troubled expression on his face.

“Father, what should we do next? We can’t let these Demon Suppression Division fellows stay in town indefinitely! How about we, as before, simply go all the way…” Wu Yaozu’s face showed a ruthless expression, and the meaning in his words was self-evident.