77: Demon Sect

"Let go first, quickly let go!"

It wasn't until they were far from the crowd of onlookers that Zhou Yan forcefully shook off Xiao Sheng's grip on his arm.

Before meeting Xiao Sheng, Zhou Yan had indeed accumulated a pile of questions to ask, but the Daoist Priest's current attire made him unable to resist complaining first.

"It's not that I'm saying anything." Zhou Yan scrutinized Xiao Sheng from head to toe, his brows furrowed and his expression grim. "Daoist Priest Xiao, what's with that outfit?"

Xiao Sheng was currently wearing a dazzling brocade robe, brightly colored and adorned with thin gauze, with his lapels slightly open.

"Did you go to a brothel, couldn't pay the bill, and got detained here?"

At the mention of this, the smile that had beamed on Xiao Sheng's face when he saw Zhou Yan instantly fell, and he let out a long sigh.

"Alas, Fellow Daoist Zhou, it's a long story."

He rubbed the wrist that Zhou Yan had just shaken off, and with a look of weariness, began to recount his tale.

"After I finished handling matters at the camp, I planned to come to Jiangzhou Prefecture to find you."

"Who knew that halfway there, a group of Masked Men suddenly appeared, surrounded me without a word, and insisted I had a flood dragon egg on me."

Time rewinds to a few days ago, by the river outside Jiangzhou.

Xiao Sheng had just experienced a thrilling chase, and his Daoist robe was somewhat tattered from the Masked Men's attacks, making him appear rather disheveled.

"Thank you, two young ladies, for saving me. This humble Daoist is immensely grateful."

Just by their attire, Xiao Sheng recognized them as people from the Misty Rain Painted Barge.

He remembered that when he first came to the Northern Realm, while searching everywhere for experiments... ahem, for converting evil people, he had some contact with them and incidentally helped them deal with a troublemaker.

It was considered cultivating a bit of good Karma.

At this moment, watching these two Foundation Establishment Middle Stage female cultivators quickly repel the troublesome Masked Men, Xiao Sheng couldn't help but feel his old face flush with embarrassment, in addition to gratitude.

He, a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator, was actually forced into such a predicament. It seemed he had indeed been slacking off recently. If he had prepared more Talismans on weekdays, he wouldn't have been so disheveled.

"No need to be so polite, Daoist Priest."

"You helped our painted barge in the past, and we've been looking for an Opportunity to repay you."

"This time, we happened to pass by and encountered Daoist Priest in trouble. Helping out is only natural; perhaps it's fate."

She changed the subject, her eyes flowing with a hint of charm.

"Since fate is so serendipitous today, about our previous mention of inviting Daoist Priest to join our Joyous Union Sect, I wonder if Daoist Priest would reconsider?"

With that, the female cultivator in purple twisted her slender waist, gracefully walking to Xiao Sheng's side, extending her delicate jade hand as if to intimately place it on his shoulder.

"Ouch!"

Unexpectedly, as soon as her hand touched Xiao Sheng's Daoist robe, Xiao Sheng fell to the ground with a "thump," letting out a pained groan.

"Fellow Daoist, let's chat, but please don't help me up."

Xiao Sheng sat on the ground, shaking his head with a bitter expression.

"I didn't dodge that attack earlier because my magical power was over-expended, and my legs felt weak. With just a light touch from you, I truly couldn't hold on."

The purple-clad female cultivator's hand froze in mid-air, the smile on her face instantly becoming strained, and the atmosphere became quite awkward for a moment.

Another female cultivator, dressed in a green skirt, couldn't help but let out a "pfft" of laughter, bending over with mirth.

"Hahaha..."

"You little hussy, how dare you laugh at me!"

The female cultivator, still looking for a way out of the awkward situation, immediately turned to her companion with a playful scowl. The two then burst into laughter and playfully wrestled, their skirts swirling, inevitably revealing a glimpse of spring.

Xiao Sheng, however, remained seated on the ground, his brows tightly furrowed, lost in thought.

"Fortunately, I'm clever and resourceful, using this method to resolve the trouble."

"Alas, what a sin. Why do people always want me to switch to other Sects?"

Ever since he descended the mountain to accumulate Karma, not only the Joyous Union Sect, but even people from the Truth Cult would occasionally seek him out.

One would say he was some 'Innate Joyful Saint Body,' while the other would utter strange things like him possessing 'Scientific Research Spirit,' leaving him utterly bewildered.

Just as Xiao Sheng's thoughts wandered, entangled in these perplexing questions, the two female cultivators had stopped their playful antics.

They tidied their slightly disheveled hair, only to find Xiao Sheng still sitting on the ground, his gaze blank, clearly oblivious to their earlier 'alluring charm,' completely immersed in his own world.

"This fellow is truly stubborn!" the female cultivator secretly conveyed to her companion, her tone filled with frustration.

"No use, with his personality, I don't think he should be a Daoist Priest at all; he's more suited to be a monk. So dull, he'd be perfect for striking a bell," the other female cultivator responded, equally helpless.

"Alas, it seems we'll have to continue working hard to get him to join our Joyous Union Sect and spread his philosophy of great love. It's truly a pity about his astonishing theories," the purple-clad female cultivator sighed.

After a brief Sound Transmission exchange, the two began to openly tidy their clothes that had been disheveled during their frolic, not at all avoiding Xiao Sheng who was still sitting on the ground.

At this moment, Xiao Sheng's thoughts had already drifted far away.

He was thinking that this encounter with danger might be a blessing in disguise, a premonition of a great Opportunity.

Perhaps he would soon encounter some serendipitous event that would allow him to achieve his wish of accumulating great Karma, and then he could return and replace the old clay statue his master worshipped daily with his own likeness.

Anyway, the Heavenly Realm had long since vanished, and worshipping those clay idols was useless. It would be better to worship his own substantial body of Karma; perhaps it could even bring good fortune to his School.

The thought of his master respectfully kowtowing before the shrine in the future, with his own statue placed behind the shrine's curtain, made Xiao Sheng unable to resist letting out a "hehe" laugh.

You can never imagine what a boy with an active mind might think of when he suddenly stops and starts pondering on the spot.

Seeing Xiao Sheng sitting there, silly and smiling, the two women's last bit of teasing him completely vanished.

They quickly tidied their skirts, then, one after another, helped the still somewhat weak-legged Xiao Sheng board the painted barge docked by the river.

"Later," Xiao Sheng said to Zhou Yan, spreading his hands, "they were very polite. They arranged a room for me, brought various foods and teas, and took care of me very thoughtfully."

"But I always felt uncomfortable receiving favors without earning them, so I didn't dare touch anything and simply meditated and recuperated in the room for an entire day."

"It's just a bit strange; they seemed even more displeased when they saw I hadn't eaten those things."

"So, they made me change into these clothes and come to the entrance of the painted barge to help receive guests."

Xiao Sheng tugged at the brightly colored fabric on his body, his tone quite candid.

"However, a drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring. They helped me repel a powerful enemy and safely brought me into the city. I must repay this favor."

"As for these clothes, although they are a bit strange, I only seek a clear conscience and a smooth mind, so I naturally don't care."

After recounting his experiences, Xiao Sheng saw Zhou Yan's strange expression, silent and unmoving. He thought Zhou Yan was feeling indignant on his behalf, and a surge of emotion welled up in his heart. He reached out and vigorously patted Zhou Yan's shoulder.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, you're truly loyal! You understand me, Zhou Yan! I've acknowledged you as my good brother!"

Zhou Yan, however, felt a cold sweat break out on his back.

Oh no, what a mess. I seem to have accidentally gotten Xiao Sheng into trouble.

But then, a doubt arose in his mind.

That's not right. Xiao Sheng is a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator after all, and he couldn't possibly be without trump cards when traveling. How could he have been forced into such a pathetic state?

But it's my fault after all. Should I just tell him the truth?

Zhou Yan looked at the flamboyant Daoist Priest Xiao in front of him, who was currently feeling touched for unknown reasons, and helplessly wiped his face.

Ultimately, he was indirectly responsible for Xiao Sheng's predicament, so finding a way to compensate him was the right thing to do.

As for the truth... given his current state, it's better not to provoke him for now. He'll find an Opportunity to tell him later.

As if having vented the pent-up frustrations of many days, Xiao Sheng's mood actually became more cheerful. He even began to enthusiastically introduce the painted barge to Zhou Yan, starting to fulfill his 'reception' duties.

Zhou Yan also took the Opportunity to ask his biggest question.

"Daoist Priest Xiao, this Misty Rain Painted Barge is an industry of the Joyous Union Sect, but isn't the Joyous Union Sect a Demonic Sect?"

"How can they openly enter Jiangzhou Prefecture and even host poetry gatherings of this scale?"

Xiao Sheng's eyes lit up, and he adopted an expression that said, "You wouldn't know about this."

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, this is something you wouldn't know."

"Although the cultivation paths of those from Demonic Sects differ from the Righteous Path, not all of them are utterly evil."

"The vast Eastern Domain they control naturally has numerous factions, intricate and complex."

"Take the Lianxing Pavilion, for example. As one of the Six Demonic Sects, their business has spread throughout the Human Realm, and they even engage in trade in the Monster Realm and the Underworld, as long as there's profit to be made."

"You could say there's nothing you can't imagine that they won't sell."

"They are categorized as Demonic Sects often because some of the items or methods they deal with touch upon taboos, and for their ruthless means to achieve profit."

"But interestingly, in the Lianxing Pavilion's own legitimate stores, the control over truly evil Demonic Path products is even stricter than in some Righteous Path Schools."

"Therefore, precisely because of the extreme nature of Demonic Sects, there is often severe polarization within them."

"Among Demonic Sects, there are extremists who are hell-bent on doing evil, but there are also many who simply have cultivation methods that differ from the norm."

"The major Righteous Path Sects and secular powers do not simply dismiss Demonic Sects entirely. They often have varying degrees of interaction and tacit approval based on the actual circumstances."

"Thus, the term 'Demonic Sect' cannot be viewed as a single, unified Sect; it's more like a collective term for a vast and complex conglomerate of forces."

"This Misty Rain Painted Barge, in the Northern Realm, seems to lean more towards... hmm, managing connections and intelligence. As long as they don't cross the line, the government and local Sects turn a blind eye."