393: Chapter 381 What is a Mountain Gate?

The Mountain Gate's Embassy in China has officially begun operations.

Logically, this was no small matter and deserved a celebration. However, aside from some initial promotion on the Special Investigation Bureau's official website, the authorities took no further action.

Even so, the moment the embassy opened its doors, the entrance was swarmed by an impenetrable crowd.

Fellow Daoist Liu seemed surprised. "The primary responsibility of this office is to handle grievances regarding the fraudulent use of the Mountain Gate's name. Are all these people here for that?

Are there truly so many?"

Zhao Qi felt a bit awkward. "Fellow Daoist Liu, you've misunderstood. They..."

"Ah! A Transcendent!" A young girl spotted Fellow Daoist Liu at the door and excitedly raised her Mobile Phone to take a photo.

"That's Fellow Daoist Liu! I saw him in the Mountain Gate documentary!"

"I want a photo with him!"

The serious atmosphere of an embassy was turned into a celebrity fan meeting by the enthusiastic crowd. Ye Ming couldn't take it anymore; he stepped forward onto the stairs and said loudly, "Everyone!

The Mountain Gate Administrative Office is..."

"Group Leader Ye!"

"Group Leader Ye, let's take a photo!"

Ye Ming, having failed to maintain his dignified posture, retreated and pushed Zhao Qi forward. "You go."

Zhao Qi's scalp tingled, but with everyone's eyes on him, he couldn't back down. "Uhm, the Mountain Gate Administrative Office only handles fraud cases involving the misuse of the Mountain Gate's name. It's not responsible for other matters. As for photos..."

He stole a glance at Fellow Daoist Liu. "We'll talk about it after work."

"When do you get off work?" the crowd immediately asked the crucial question.

Just as Zhao Qi was about to answer, Fellow Daoist Liu interjected, "Brother Zhao, what does 'getting off work' mean?"

"It means finishing your shift at the office," Ye Ming explained.

Fellow Daoist Liu nodded and faced the crowd. "Everyone, fraud is a grave matter that can occur at any time. I understand its importance and your concerns. Therefore, our working hours are set for all twelve watches."

The crowd was instantly stunned.

They were told they could take photos after work, but now work was twenty-four hours? Are you kidding me?

The crowd turned their questioning gazes toward Zhao Qi. He shrunk his neck, thinking to himself that he didn't know Fellow Daoist Liu planned to work around the clock. Then again, given Fellow Daoist Liu's constitution, not resting probably felt quite easy.

At least when he was at the Mountain Gate, he had never seen anyone sleeping; everyone was busy even in the middle of the night.

The crowd demanded an explanation from Zhao Qi, but he couldn't give one, leaving both sides at a stalemate.

Whether Fellow Daoist Liu noticed and ignored it or simply didn't notice at all, he said nonchalantly, "If you have any grievances, please feel free to come here."

With that, he turned and walked back inside. Unable to handle the clamoring crowd, Zhao Qi and Ye Ming quickly followed him in.

The noise was blocked out by the closing doors. Ye Ming breathed a sigh of relief and asked Fellow Daoist Liu, "Did Senior Brother Zhou go to catch someone?"

"Senior Brother holds an important position within the Gate and cannot stay outside for long. Naturally, he must handle things as quickly as possible."

"How does he plan to catch them?"

"Hmm?" Fellow Daoist Liu, now sitting behind the office desk, looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Uh, I mean, what method will he use?"

"Find the person, then bring them back."

Ye Ming thought he had been too vague, so he added, "I mean, nations generally care a lot about law enforcement rights. If Senior Brother Zhou appears directly to arrest someone, it will definitely draw resistance from the local authorities.

Even though they can't hurt Senior Brother Zhou, they will certainly send Soldiers to block him. Since Senior Brother Zhou is unwilling to take lives, his hands will inevitably be tied."

A hint of confusion appeared on Fellow Daoist Liu's face, which turned into realization a moment later. He smiled and said, "True. It has been a long time since the Mountain Gate has traveled here on a large scale, and the people here have had little contact with us. They must lack understanding."

The two didn't quite understand and blinked as they waited for him to explain.

Fellow Daoist Liu didn't keep them in suspense. "The Mountain Gate has been fighting calamity for over ten thousand years. In your words, the Mountain Gate has been in a state of war for ten thousand years.

You two, if your country were like this, what would its style of conduct be?"

"Then all personal emotions would certainly give way to the war."

"Exactly. The Mountain Gate is the same." Fellow Daoist Liu's smile slowly faded as he recounted past events expressionlessly. "There was once a person holding an important position in the Mountain Gate who attempted to defect to the calamity. After stealing secrets and killing eighteen fellow disciples, he fled.

A senior pursued him all the way to a certain city. Unable to win, the traitor disguised himself and hid within the city, waiting for an opportunity to use a transmission technique to send out the secrets."

"That secret was of vital importance, concerning the victory or defeat of our war against the calamity. If the calamity had obtained it, the thousand-year plans of the Mountain Gate and our allies would have been reduced to ashes."

Fellow Daoist Liu paused for a few seconds. Curious about what happened next, Ye Ming asked, "And then?"

"Afterward..." Fellow Daoist Liu's eyes grew somewhat dark. "The senior had the ability to find the traitor, but checking every citizen one by one would have taken too long, by which time the secret would have been leaked. After brief consideration, the senior painfully used a great divine power to destroy the city."

"What do you mean by 'destroy the city'?" Zhao Qi asked, seemingly unable to believe it, posing a question that seemed quite foolish.

"The city, along with its people—all were destroyed." Fellow Daoist Liu didn't wonder why he was acting foolish; instead, he explained seriously.

Ye Ming was stunned and remained silent for a long time.

Immortal Xu had once revealed that the flames of war between the transcendent world and the calamity had burned for ten thousand years. He knew that such a long-lasting war must have been incredibly tragic.

He had fully imagined the scenes of that time—severed limbs everywhere on the battlefield, heads and blood flying, corpses littering the land—but he had never expected it to be this bloody.

And most importantly, looking at the current atmosphere of the Mountain Gate, its people were not cold and heartless, nor did they view mortals as ants.

Thus, it could be roughly inferred that the Mountain Gate senior had also made that choice out of helplessness after much internal conflict.

If that city's people weren't sacrificed, only more people would die in the future.

Zhao Qi's breathing stopped for a few seconds before he woke up with a start, heart palpitating, and gasped for air.

War is something that, without personal experience or witnessing it with one's own eyes, can never be truly understood in its cruelty. Words cannot fully describe it.

Ye Ming's right hand clenched and loosened several times. He asked in a raspy voice, "Then, did that Mountain Gate senior survive the war?"

Fellow Daoist Liu nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then shook his head.

Zhao Qi was confused. "Did he survive or not?"

"The senior was fortunate enough to survive the final battle, but the destruction of the city became a heart demon. Unable to endure the torment, the senior decided to undergo Military Dissolution, which was carried out on the third day after the calamity was completely defeated."

Looking at the two silent men, Fellow Daoist Liu hoped to lighten the mood and laughed easily. "Because of this past, although we of the Mountain Gate harbor kindness in our hearts, if anyone attempts to use that to deceive us, they will likely suffer a great fall."

"I suppose... they certainly will suffer a great fall."

As Zhao Qi and Ye Ming spoke, they both looked out the window as if they could see Senior Brother Zhou far away in a country across the ocean.

...

Above the Middle East.

Senior Brother Zhou was flying through the clouds, with Luo Xiling following behind on her sword.

"Senior Brother."

"Call me Junior Brother."

"Okay, Senior Brother."

Senior Brother Zhou's head hurt a little; he couldn't tell if the girl was acting dumb or was truly slow. He sighed and said, "Why have you called your Junior Brother?"

"Why bring me along to catch people? I can't even help."

"Martial Uncle's instructions."

"Master?"

"Indeed." Senior Brother Zhou slowed down, allowing Luo Xiling to fly side-by-side with him. "Cultivation is not just about the body; it is also about the heart.

What is heart cultivation?

The heart is the will."

"I don't understand." Luo Xiling shook her head like a rattle.

Senior Brother Zhou didn't scold her, patiently explaining in plain language, "The heart is the will, and the will is volition. What is volition?

Volition is shaped by experience; it is the inheritance from our ancestors, from all the seniors since our Mountain Gate was founded tens of thousands of years ago."

Luo Xiling's eyes widened like copper bells. "Uh, even though you've explained it very clearly, Senior Brother... I still don't quite get it."

Senior Brother Zhou's mouth twitched. He opened his mouth but hesitated, finally saying helplessly, "Mountain Gate disciples need to perceive the ancestors... Master ordered me to show you what the Mountain Gate truly is."

"I still..."

"Shut up!"

"Oh."

Senior Brother Zhou's face was dark. "You will know afterward."

Seeing that he seemed a bit angry, Luo Xiling didn't dare to speak. They traveled onward and soon arrived at the White Cloth Country located in the desert.

"Are we here?" Senior Brother Zhou stopped in the clouds, and Luo Xiling followed suit, stopping her sword with a hand seal.

"This is the place. Follow me."

With that, he rapidly descended toward the ground.

...

White Cloth Country.

A certain five-star hotel.

Inside a luxurious presidential suite, a group of fraud ringleaders were holding what they called a round-table meeting—about a dozen leaders were sitting around a circular table.

They clearly didn't understand the true essence of the historical Round Table; in their shallow understanding, they thought having a meeting around a round table counted as a "round-table meeting."

The atmosphere in the suite was extremely tense. Some were clipping their nails, while others sat in deep thought.

After a long time, one of them tapped the table. "We all agreed to stick together. Let's hear your positions."

"I'm against dissolving. This is the prime time to make money. If we miss this chance, there won't be another."

"I agree.

Afraid of death but still want to make big money? Want stability? Then you might as well go work in a factory."

"I'm for dissolving." A woman in her early thirties looked up.

The male leader opposite her said disdainfully, "This is why women can't handle big business. If you're scared, quit by yourself."

The woman wasn't angry and calmly stated her view. "I think you all know very well what kind of beings the Transcendents are. I don't believe any nation on Earth can stop them from catching people."

The leader next to her hesitated. "I saw the Special Investigation Bureau's announcement, and it didn't say the Transcendents would interfere. Could you be overthinking it?"

"I received news from the US. A solo operator mysteriously vanished from his hotel room—no body, no sign of him."

The main boss at the head of the table narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

Seeing the boss's stance leaning toward her, the male leader who had mocked her earlier stood up, pressing his hands on the table, and urged anxiously, "Big Brother, what does the disappearance of one solo operator prove?

Who knows if he just changed his appearance and ran off?"

Hearing this, the big boss's resolve to dissolve the organization wavered again.

The reason was simple: the gains in recent days had been incredibly massive. At the current rate of wealth accumulation, if he could hold on for another six months, he could spend the rest of his life as a wealthy man in America, enjoying financial freedom.

The male leader continued to add fuel to the fire. "Besides, the money we've paid to the local authorities isn't for nothing. Even if the Mountain Gate comes, the officials will put the army in front. I don't believe the Transcendents will slaughter innocents.

As long as we can stall for a few months, we can go enjoy our lives anywhere."

The big boss was very tempted, but deep down he still feared the Mountain Gate. "But..."

"Big Brother! Wealth is found in danger!" The male leader's tone was full of persuasion.

"Exactly. People die for wealth just as birds die for food. Otherwise, why would we travel so far from home?"

"Yeah, if I weren't in this line of work, I'd still be running a pancake stall."

The male leader's supporters chimed in. The big boss weighed his options for a moment and then gritted his teeth. "Fine!

Since everyone says so, I can't just go my own way!"

The female leader scanned the group and stood up in disappointment. "I'm out."

"The organization will give you a relocation fee, but as for the dividends..." With one less person, there was more money for the others. The big boss didn't regret her departure and made no move to stop her.

"No need." She left decisively, pushing open the door and exiting the room.

The male leader looked triumphantly at the closing door. "Like I said, women can't—"

*Click—*

The door that had just closed was gently pushed open again. The woman walked back in and sat in her seat.

"Oh?" The male leader looked her up and down. "Regrets?"

The woman looked up. "Yes, I regret it."

"Too late for regrets." The big boss leaned back against his chair. "The organization has rules. It's not like you can just—"

"When she said she regrets it, she didn't mean quitting your so-called organization." At the open door, a young woman in her twenties walked in slowly.

Everyone's minds hadn't reacted yet; they just instinctively felt that this girl looked quite familiar.

After a few seconds, their stalled thoughts resumed. The girl's appearance matched a headshot in their memories, overlapping perfectly.

Luo... Group Leader Luo?

Am I seeing things? Why would she be here?

When ordinary people see a Transcendent, even an entry-level one like Luo Xiling, they only feel surprise and curiosity. There might be other emotions, of course, but certainly not fear.

However, the people in the room felt nothing but fear.

No wonder she came back into the room; it turned out she couldn't leave.

The big boss's palms sweated. His instinct was to stand up and run, but his legs were uncontrollably weak.

"Alright, don't think about running. I'm not the only one who came this time." Luo Xiling strolled over to an empty chair by the round table and sat down, picking up a cup of tea from the glass turntable. "Oh, Dahongpao tea. You even managed to get this here. You guys are quite capable."

By now, they had realized what was happening. Most of the leaders looked deathly pale, while a couple of them had a fierce look in their eyes, their hands moving toward their waists.

Luo Xiling caught sight of this and crossed her legs with zero ladylike grace. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Guns are useless, but if you fire, I'll probably get angry.

I'm a nice person, but I easily lose control when I'm angry. There's no telling what I might do to you."

The two men's arms froze, unsure if Luo Xiling was truly fearless or just bluffing.

After a fierce internal struggle, they eventually gave up on drawing their guns. They had seen the videos of Luo Xiling suppressing calamities; she was someone who could fly and control a sword. Dealing with two handguns would likely be child's play for her.

"Eh~ that's more like it." Luo Xiling smiled and poured a cup of tea, drinking it in one gulp before continuing, "Just wait. Once Senior Brother finishes dealing with those people outside, he'll send you back home."

Those people outside? Who?

Was it the official army?!

The group grew excited. If Group Leader Luo's Senior Brother was unwilling to kill innocents, they might have a chance to escape!

The female leader was different from them; she still maintained her defeated attitude and asked softly, "Group Leader Luo, how long will we be sentenced for?"

Luo Xiling looked at the others, who were clearly restless. "Hmm? You're not planning to run?

Also, why call me Group Leader Luo?

Being addressed respectfully by a criminal feels weird."