Chapter 12 The Maoshan Sect's Style of Doing Things

Magistrate Zhao Kuo said, "In that case, you must be quick. Also, do not make too much of a commotion."

The old man in green clothes replied, "Rest assured. It is only a few villages. Once they are all dead, no one will discover anything."

Magistrate Zhao Kuo's facial muscles twitched. Just thinking about it, he realized it was indeed true.

Just at this moment, a yamen runner came to report, "My Lord, there are two Daoist Priests outside the yamen. They said they are passing through and would like to pay you a visit."

Hearing this, the previously nonchalant old man in green clothes finally became serious.

Magistrate Zhao Kuo was also startled, as if by a reflex.

"Dao, Daoists?"

In this day and age, for him to be able to sit as a seventh-rank official, he was aware of many secrets that ordinary people did not know.

He knew that many Daoist priests and monks possessed true abilities, which was why Emperor Xuanzong of Tang trusted them so much.

Especially the current leader of the Maoshan Sect, Grand Master Sima Chengzhen, who was hailed as the undisputed State Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty.

And the Maoshan Sect was only a few hundred li away from him. Every time he thought of this, Magistrate Zhao Kuo felt a desire to retreat.

It was only the temptation of immortality that caused him to suppress his reason time and time again.

"What are you panicking about? Do you really think they could be Disciples of the Maoshan Sect?" the old man in green clothes scolded.

The yamen runner was already accustomed to this; ever since this old man in green clothes arrived, the County Magistrate had treated him with great courtesy.

"Invite them to the side hall first," Magistrate Zhao Kuo ordered.

"Yes!"

After the yamen runner left, Magistrate Zhao Kuo became anxious.

"What do I do, what do I do? If they discover that I am harming people, what will I do?"

The old man in green clothes gave a cold sneer, "Then we shall let them come with their lives, but leave without them."

The two people who arrived at the Jurong County yamen were none other than Jiang Chen and Xue Xichang.

The two of them sat leisurely in the side hall. When Magistrate Zhao Kuo walked in, Jiang Chen originally wanted to stand up, but seeing that Xue Xichang did not react at all, he lazily remained seated in the grand armchair.

Magistrate Zhao Kuo's expression changed slightly, not out of anger, but out of fear.

He had a guilty conscience; the more arrogant and overbearing the other party's posture was, the more afraid he became.

"May I ask which famous immortal mountain or site our two Immortal Master Daoists cultivate in?"

Seeing that Xue Xichang had no intention of speaking, Jiang Chen said, "This humble Daoist and my Senior Brother are from the Huayang Temple in Danyang County. We are traveling and passing through your esteemed territory, and we discovered traces of evil spirits in this county, so we have come to disturb you, Magistrate."

Jiang Chen had been observing Magistrate Zhao Kuo's expression the entire time.

When Magistrate Zhao Kuo heard that they were from Huayang Temple, the expression on his face clearly relaxed slightly, but when he heard Jiang Chen mention the aura of evil spirits, his expression became noticeably tense again.

Especially his hands under his sleeves, which could not help but tremble.

Magistrate Zhao Kuo gave a dry laugh, "Daoist, do not joke. Jurong County is peaceful, and the common people live and work in contentment; where would there be any evil spirits? If the two Daoists do not mind, please stay here, and tonight I will host a banquet to welcome you."

Jiang Chen frowned; he sensed a trace of unpleasant Yin Qi surrounding the County Magistrate.

But it was clear that Magistrate Zhao Kuo had made up his mind, wearing the appearance of a dead pig that is not afraid of boiling water.

However, he was a government official of the imperial court, and it seemed he really could not do much about him.

If he were alone, Jiang Chen could easily resort to intimidation.

But now, he had the Maoshan Sect behind him, and Jiang Chen did not want to implicate the entire Maoshan Sect because of his own personal actions.

However, at this moment, Xue Xichang, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.

"Junior Brother, do you know why our Maoshan Shangqing Sect is able to become the number one sect in the world?"

And Magistrate Zhao Kuo, who had been forcing himself to remain calm, was so frightened that two of his three souls nearly left his body upon hearing Xue Xichang's words.

"Mao, Maoshan Sect!"

The Maoshan Sect was the number one prominent sect in the world. If the Maoshan Sect discovered what he had done, would he still have his life?

Jiang Chen thought for a moment and said, "Because we are strong enough?"

Xue Xichang nodded, then shook his head, "That is one reason, but there is also another: things that other sects dare not do, we of the Maoshan Sect dare to do. People that other sects dare not kill, we of the Maoshan Sect dare to kill!"

Saying this, Xue Xichang grabbed Magistrate Zhao Kuo, who was trying to run away, from across the air.

"I, I, I am a government official of the imperial court! Even if you are an Immortal Master of the Maoshan Sect, you cannot kill the innocent indiscriminately!"

Even though Magistrate Zhao Kuo's lips were trembling uncontrollably from fear, he still stubbornly insisted.

Xue Xichang was so angry he laughed, "You are innocent? Then what about the thirty-eight innocent Qi and blood on you? Are they not innocent?"

And when Xue Xichang said this, Magistrate Zhao Kuo, who had been holding on, suddenly collapsed like a deflated ball, his whole body turning limp.

"I have been an official for thirty years and have only harmed thirty-eight lives. I can still be considered an honest official," Magistrate Zhao Kuo said, weeping bitterly.

Xue Xichang sneered and did not reply, but instead looked at Jiang Chen, "Junior Brother, what your Senior Brother is best at is capturing souls and commanding corpses. Today, I will let you see this method of soul capture!"

As he spoke, Jiang Chen saw Xue Xichang's palm seem to turn into nothingness, directly reaching into Magistrate Zhao Kuo's mind.

Then, he pulled his palm out, and he actually dragged out an illusory soul body that had no substance and could not be seen by ordinary people.

Jiang Chen was dumbfounded. He really could not have imagined that his third Senior Brother would treat a government official so brutally.

Was he not afraid of punishment from the imperial court?

For the first time, Magistrate Zhao Kuo experienced what it felt like to watch himself. He was so terrified that his soul was faintly unstable.

"Daoist, spare my life! Daoist, spare my life!"

Xue Xichang gave a cold snort, "I ask, you answer. If there is even half a word that is incorrect, I will bring about your Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering!"

"Okay, okay, okay, I will definitely answer truthfully!"

"I ask you, how did you obtain the blood Qi of others on your body?" Xue Xichang asked.

"It was given to me by a Daoist. He said this could extend my life!" Magistrate Zhao Kuo replied.

"Does the tragedy in Huangshan Village have anything to do with you?"

"It has nothing to do with me, nothing to do with me! I really do not know what happened in Huangshan Village!"

"Where are the villagers who came to report the case now?" Xue Xichang asked faster and faster, and Magistrate Zhao Kuo's soul body appeared increasingly illusory and disintegrating.

"No one came to the yamen to report the case at all, Daoist, please see the truth!"

"That Daoist, which temple did he come from? Where is he now?"

"I also do not know his background. He was at the yamen before, but now I do not know where he has gone."

"How many corpses does he have?"

"Three... what corpses? I don't know!"

Xue Xichang sneered, "You are facing death, yet your mouth is still quite stubborn. In that case, you do not need to go to the underworld."

Hearing this, Magistrate Zhao Kuo was overjoyed. If he did not have to go to the underworld, did that not mean he did not have to die?

He hurriedly bowed and cupped his hands to Xue Xichang, "Thank you, Daoist! Thank you, Daoist! Thank you, Daoist, for your grace in not killing me!"

Jiang Chen watched quietly from the side; he always felt that his Senior Brother would likely not be soft-hearted.

Sure enough, he saw Xue Xichang take out a chain that looked like a hemp rope from his bosom.

"This Soul-Binding Chain was refined using three hundred and four ghosts as material. Although you are a bit lacking, it is harmless to use you as an addition."

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Zhao Kuo was finally so terrified he wept bitterly—of course, if his soul had tears.

"Daoist, I will talk, I will say everything—ah!"

Unfortunately, it was already too late. Xue Xichang mercilessly released True Qi from his palm, refining Magistrate Zhao Kuo until his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, and finally, he was turned into fuel to be added to the Soul-Binding Chain.