Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 530 The water is deep

The governor of a prefecture personally went to Cang County to interrogate criminals and directly beheaded those troublemakers in the city in front of the people, which immediately stabilized the local people's hearts.

Meanwhile, officers and soldiers in other counties were also busy arresting the perpetrators.

Only then did the local people realize that the little girl who had been arresting people all over the city was not a monster, but rather someone who had come to help the government catch demons.

In no time, Qingyi was hailed as a divine child instead of a great demon.

In the days that followed, some people even set up incense and statues for him in their homes.

Xu Hong spent most of the day working at the county government office, and finally managed to get most of the affairs in the county town settled.

The rest can be left to the subordinates to handle the aftermath.

Xu Hong then visited Lu Zheng and the others again, expressing her gratitude once more, saying that without them, the insect demon lurking in Qingzhou would have caused a great disturbance at any time.

"Sigh, we interrogated them all night yesterday, but we couldn't get them to talk or find out who was behind it all..."

Xu Hong frowned and said indignantly, "The monsters from the Southern Frontier have all come here to cause trouble. This is truly lawless!"

As the saying goes, "The emperor is far away and the sky is high."

In wild and uncivilized places like the southern border, even the imperial court doesn't really care, instead letting the local barbarians govern themselves.

Unexpectedly, demons from the southern border were instructed to come to Qingzhou to cause trouble, and Xu Hong had nowhere to seek justice.

Even if this matter is reported to the imperial court, it is unlikely that they will pursue it further.

After all, the insect plague was not a small matter, but it was not so big that it would make Chengdu take it seriously.

A single monster causing havoc in the four borders is not a serious matter in the eyes of the imperial court; usually, local prefectures and counties handle the matter themselves.

If the problem cannot be resolved, local officials may be held accountable.

Listening to Xu Hong's complaints, Yun Xiao said leisurely, "This world is not peaceful to begin with. There are powerful countries as enemies outside and demons and monsters causing trouble inside. As the governor of a state, you should do your best for the country and the people."

Xu Hong quickly replied, "I will remember your words, Master!"

Yun Xiao raised his hand and flipped it open, taking out a storage bag. "Inside are some high-quality grains and knowledge of governing the world and people. I exchanged them with you using my Taoist magic. Take them and use them!"

Yun Xiao said this so that Xu Hong would take what Lu Zheng had brought out seriously.

Xu Hong was startled upon hearing this and couldn't help but look at Lu Zheng beside her.

He never expected that Master Yunxiao would be on par with Lu Zhengping.

Xu Hong quickly accepted the storage bag with both hands, solemnly stating that she would definitely study the knowledge within and have people plant the grain seeds properly.

Yun Xiao then said, "Alright, things here are almost settled, and we should set off now."

After saying their goodbyes, Xu Hong watched Lu Zheng and his group leave the county town.

Lu Zheng and his group hadn't gone far when they encountered Xuan Lang, who was heading to the county town.

When Xuan Lang saw Lu Zheng, he returned the Su Wu Imperial Guard to him.

Yun Xiao looked at Xuan Lang and said, "Go find Xuan Li. You two should train well in Qingzhou. Lu Zheng and I have some things to attend to and need to leave for a while. We'll come back to pick you up later..."

Southern Xinjiang is quite far from Qingzhou, and the situation there might be rather complicated. Yun Xiao didn't want to take two of his disciples to such a place, fearing he wouldn't be able to take care of them.

Xuan Lang nodded upon hearing this and said, "Grandmaster Uncle, Young Master Lu, Qing Wan, and Miss Qing Yi, please take care..."

Yun Xiao pointed at Xiao Qingyi and said with a smile, "That little kid has caught over a hundred demons in less than a day. Don't embarrass our Qingyang Palace. Try to kill a hundred evil demons. I'll check when I come back! They have to be at the same level as you, don't bring in inferior ones to make up the numbers."

Xuan Lang was speechless. That person was a Transcendent Realm expert, okay? He wasn't blind. How could his grandmaster judge a book by its cover?

One hundred... He is now at the third realm of cultivation. Many of the local demons and ghosts have been captured by Qingyi and the soldiers. Where would he find so many demons and ghosts of the same realm to leave for him?

As an outstanding disciple of a top-tier Taoist sect, Xuan Lang felt immense pressure for the first time.

However, he had no choice but to accept the task assigned by Yun Xiao.

Yun Xiao enhanced the strength of his own Daoist sect's juniors, then called Lu Zheng and the others to continue their journey.

The group boarded a spirit boat and transformed into a streak of light, heading straight south.

Yun Xiao sat on the light spirit boat to rest, looking around, "This is a thing of the demon race, isn't it?"

He had seen many treasures before, and at first glance, he recognized the origin of this spirit boat as being made by the demon race.

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng said, "It was obtained from Yunmengze."

Yun Xiao sighed, "When I saw you last year, you were dressed simply, traveling the countryside on foot. Now, everything you pull out is a treasure. You're truly blessed, destined for greatness..."

Lu Zheng smiled slightly and said, "Perhaps, but my cultivation level is still a bit lacking."

Yun Xiao glared at him. "Is your current cultivation level that low? It's only been a short time. What? You think you can soar to the heavens in no time?"

Yun Xiao thought Lu Zhengtai was outrageous. His cultivation speed was like he had taken some kind of magic pill, and he still complained that his cultivation level was not high enough.

Lu Zheng said quietly, "Having seen too much, I feel that my current level of skill is becoming increasingly inadequate..."

Upon hearing this, Yun Xiao sighed and said, "Young man, don't put so much pressure on yourself. This world is not something you alone can change."

Yun Xiao paused for a moment, then said, "If you really feel that your strength is insufficient, there are actually many ways to improve it."

"What?" Lu Zheng asked curiously.

Yun Xiao stroked his beard leisurely, "You can speak with Emperor An, right? Go back to An Kingdom and let Emperor An use the national treasure to refine you, and with the nation's fortune bestowed upon you, I guarantee your cultivation will advance by leaps and bounds!"

"Otherwise, you can go to the Jixia Academy in Qi. There are many Confucian classics there, and with your talent, you are enough to make them take you seriously! If you absorb the essence of the sages, I estimate that you will become a great Confucian scholar within twenty years."

"Of course, I still suggest you take it one step at a time. It's not so easy to take what belongs to others."

"Let me tell you a story. There was once a scholar who had the potential to become a sage. He was valued by the Jixia Academy and was greatly cultivated by the academy. But in the end, he didn't even become a half-sage; he only reached the level of a great Confucian scholar."

Yun Xiao said unhurriedly, "Is it because he doesn't have the talent? Actually, he always has. It's just that many people don't want to see him become a saint."

"Speaking of you, you seem to have quite a few connections, but you don't seem to have any real backing. Nobody cares about someone like you now, since you don't pose a real threat to those top powers or big shots. But in the future, tsk tsk, who knows?"

Yun Xiao kindly reminded him, "Cultivating too quickly isn't actually a good thing for you. You're not a reclusive cultivator; the world is a complex place..."

(End of this chapter)