Inheriting a Taoist temple, the story begins with Wu Zetian offering incense.

Chapter 94: The entire criminal gang is wiped out, Merit +7! [Seeking monthly votes]

Inside the Sanqing Hall, Zhou Yi, who was chanting scriptures, heard the commotion coming from down the mountain, and a great weight was lifted from his heart... What was bound to happen had finally arrived.

He patted the dozing Gongsun Da Niang beside him:

"Wake up, go back to your room and sleep. It's all over."

Aunt Gongsun shuddered, her drowsiness instantly banished by curiosity:

"Master, are you saying those people have already gone up the mountain?"

Zhou Yi shook his head:

"No, we're almost at the underworld... There was a loud commotion down the mountain just now. If I'm not mistaken, there must have been a car accident."

The divination during the day indicates that someone will die in the White Tiger position, and not just one person.

It matches perfectly now. Although we don't know the specifics yet, it should be no different from what the divination indicates.

Gongsun Da Niang rubbed her sleepy face and asked excitedly:
"How about we ride our motorcycles down and take a look?"

Zhou Yi shook his head:

"Let's not. It's none of our business anyway, and going to the scene would only make things more complicated."

He got up from the prayer mat and was about to drink some water when the cell phone on the offering table next to him rang.

Zhou Yi glanced at the caller ID; it was Liu Peng, Niu Yawen's husband, who worked at the town's police station.

He picked up his phone, paused for a moment, and then answered the call:

"Hey?"

Liu Peng's voice came through the receiver:
"Xiao Yi, what happened up the mountain just now? There was such a commotion, you didn't make it, did you?"

"No, I heard it vaguely too. Should I go down the mountain to take a look?"

"No need, I'll just drive up in the patrol car and take a look. You can go to sleep."

After hanging up the phone, Aunt Gongsun finally came to her senses:
"You paused before answering the phone just to pretend you were asleep?"

Zhou Yi smiled:
"To avoid trouble... you go to sleep, I'll go down the mountain and take a look."

Grandma Gongsun asked eagerly:
"May I go with you to see it?"

"No, people who go to the scene might have to give a statement. If you don't have an ID and are just wandering around, you're likely to be questioned by the police. It's better not to join in the fun."

After the two left the Sanqing Hall, Granny Gongsun asked in a low voice:

"Master, what did it feel like to kill someone for the first time?"

Zhou Yi only felt that reciting the "Taishang Ganying Pian" made his mouth dry, but he didn't feel anything else.

He pointed to the courtyard and said:

"I'll tell you after I finish reading the Black Notebook."

If it increases merit, then everyone is naturally happy and should continue to work hard; if it doesn't, then it's deeply regrettable, and next time you encounter such a person, try your best to collect evidence and hand it over to the police.

Or, like the eldest son of Xu, the richest man in Lushan County next door, try to send him to a mental hospital so that he can spend the rest of his life in pain and confusion.

As soon as the two left, a gentle breeze blew across the Sanqing Hall. This breeze swept down the hillside, blowing away all the ashes of the talismans along the mountain path, leaving not a trace.

Just as a gentle breeze passed, a police patrol car from the local station roared up. The driver was a policeman in his late twenties, wearing a police jacket, and he and his partner in the passenger seat were carefully observing the changes on the mountain road.

As they continued uphill, just when the two thought nothing was happening on the mountain, they suddenly saw signs of a car collision at a steep bend ahead. The roadside fence was smashed to pieces, and many trees on the hillside were broken.

Oh no! Someone's been in a car accident!
The police officer driving immediately picked up his walkie-talkie and started calling:
"This is Liu Peng. There has been a car accident on the mountain. It seems that a car crashed through the guardrail and rushed down the hillside into the depths of the ravine. We need to go down and check the details."

The two men pulled the car over to the side of the road, grabbed police flashlights and riot batons, and began searching down the direction the car had struck.

In the courtyard of Hunyuan Palace, Zhou Yi opened the black notebook and saw that the merits had changed:

[Merit: 3.1 taels]

Holy crap, is this some kind of big sale on merit points?
Last time I paid the tax, it was 2.4 taels, but after a few days, it has suddenly increased by 7 taels.

He eagerly scrolled down, and lines of notes appeared on the page:
[Slay 4 heinous criminals, merit +4]

[Slay the local tyrant, merit +2]

[Annihilate the entire criminal gang, Merit +1]

Zhou Yi stared at the three notes for quite a while.

The four notorious criminals might be henchmen, but what's the story behind this local tyrant?
Xie Yukun is from Yiyang City, and his title is also the head of the Yiyang City Feng Shui and Folk Customs Association. The title of county-level tyrant is clearly not applicable to him.

Could it be that those who came this time were just his underlings?
Regardless, last night's harvest was gratifying—a full seven coins of merit, the largest income in history… which means that the five people who came last night were all social scum, the kind you couldn't find a single redeeming quality in even under a magnifying glass.

If my younger brother has accumulated so much merit, then Xie Yukun himself must be even more beyond imagination. Zhou Yi felt it was time to include this president's name in the plan.

The pressure of accumulating merit is so great, we need Chairman Xie to help share some of the burden.

They're in the same industry, surely he wouldn't refuse such a small favor? Closing his notebook, Zhou Yi was about to get up when Liu Peng called again:

"Xiao Yi, there's been a car accident on the mountain road. A Passat crashed through the guardrail and went down the mountain. It must have been going very fast. The car is completely destroyed. We've found three bodies, none of them intact. County support is on their way. The mountain road will be temporarily closed. Don't drive down the mountain before dawn."

Liu Peng had never seen such a horrific car accident. He initially suspected drunk driving, but a blood test by a forensic doctor was needed to confirm the diagnosis.

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Yi lost interest in going down the mountain to watch the excitement and went to bed.

The rescue operation at the foot of the mountain lasted all night. The terrain in the ravine was complex, making it difficult for the crane to go deep. It wasn't until dawn that the vehicle frame was finally pulled out of the ravine, along with Fan Chengye's body, which had been hanging there all night.

The townspeople love a good show, and the town was packed with people early in the morning; even some passing vehicles stopped to watch.

As Fan Chengye's body was being put into a body bag, a middle-aged man in a tax uniform glanced over and said in surprise:
"Hey, this person went to the tax service hall a couple of days ago."

Upon hearing his words, Liu Peng looked up and asked:

"You know him?"

“I know him. A couple of days ago, he went to the tax service hall to report Hunyuan Palace for tax evasion. I was the one who received him and gave him a good scolding… Today, I came to Hunyuan Palace on behalf of the tax bureau to present the plaque for ‘Taxpayer Pioneer’ and to take some material for the official WeChat account. I didn’t expect to run into him again.”

Did you report Hunyuan Palace?

Liu Peng thought this was a clue and quickly wrote it down.

After finishing his notes, he suddenly remembered something, quickly snapped a photo of Fan Chengye's purplish-red face, beautified it, and sent it to his wife, Niu Yawen:
"Honey, the people from Hunyuan Palace who went to the town government office a few days ago to investigate, is that the person?"

Niu Yawen quickly replied:
"That's him, his name is Fan Chengye. Why is he dressed like that?"

Liu Peng immediately deleted the photo and posted a "Good morning, wife" emoji to brush the matter off.

On the mountain, Zhou Yi was making breakfast when Wu Meiniang hurriedly came out of the main hall and ran towards the courtyard. Only when she saw Zhou Yi busy in the kitchen wearing an apron did the worry on Wu Meiniang's face gradually subside.

"Sister Meiniang, you've finally arrived! Last night, the Taoist priest and I joined forces to kill several villains who coveted the Hunyuan Palace. Weren't we amazing!"

The girl's face was full of "Praise me!" expressions, which made Wu Zetian laugh.
"Sister Gongsun is amazing! Are you all alright?"

Granny Gongsun made a Taoist hand gesture and said in a seemingly casual manner:

“We just put up a few talismans on the mountain road, and did nothing else… Being too powerful is really not good; I can’t experience the feeling of escaping death and turning defeat into victory.”

Looking at her mischievous and adorable younger sister, Wu Zetian's mood brightened as well:

"A crushing victory is more comfortable. An evenly matched game will only give your enemy the illusion that they can beat you if they try hard enough. Even if you win, they will think it was just luck and will be extremely resentful."

After chatting with the girl, Wu Meiniang went to the kitchen door. Looking at the busy people inside, she had a lot to say, but she didn't know how to say it.

Seeing him safe and sound, it seemed that no words were needed.

Zhou Yi glanced at Wu Meiniang:
"This morning we'll have millet and pumpkin porridge with pan-fried buns. Let's get our bowls and chopsticks ready and start eating."

"Yes, I will go and prepare it right away."

After breakfast, Zhou Yi pushed his motorcycle out, intending to go to town to gather information. However, before he even left the house, he saw a car with the words "Tax Inspection" on it slowly stop at the entrance of Hunyuan Palace.

A middle-aged man got out of the car, saw Zhou Yi, and asked him:
"Are you Zhou Yi, the abbot of Hunyuan Palace? My name is Tian Wenfeng, and I'm the director of the General Office of the Tax Bureau. I've come today specifically to present you with a 'Taxpayer Pioneer' plaque and to conduct a short interview with you. Do you have time?"

Faced with the sudden interview, Zhou Yi was a little stunned, but he still nodded cooperatively:
"Have time."

When Zhou Yi took over Hunyuan Palace, he fantasized about being interviewed by the Taoist Association, by television stations, or even by traditional cultural organizations or departments.

Unexpectedly, the first people to come to Hunyuan Palace for an interview were from the tax department.

When Abbot Zhou was being interviewed at the headquarters of the Yiyang City Fengshui Folk Customs Association, Xie Yukun held his phone, listening to the repeated message, "The number you dialed is temporarily unavailable," and a hint of impatience appeared on his face.

"This Fan Chengye is completely unreliable. Once we find a replacement, we should replace him as soon as possible. He's a useless piece of trash who's good for nothing!"

On the sofa nearby, the blind fortune teller, who had finished breakfast, was smoking. Hearing Xie Yukun's voice, he looked up and asked:

"Are you looking for the person who brought me to Yiyang?"

"Yes, I couldn't get through on the phone. It must have happened again last night..."

Before Xie Yukun could finish speaking, the blind man suddenly spoke up:

"He's dead. He messed with the wrong person, and death was the only outcome."

These words caused Xie Yukun's expression to change:
“Last night he told me he was going to a Taoist temple to scare the young Taoist priests inside. Could it be that the priest was pretending to be weak to deceive others? No, I have to go there and talk to that person. He should back down when necessary to avoid any further trouble.”

He flicked his cigarette ash and shifted to a more comfortable sitting position.
"Don't go. The time isn't right. Going there will only make things worse."

Xie Yukun asked him for advice:

"What do I do now?"

"Just do what you're supposed to do. As long as you don't go to that mountain, you'll be fine."

Xie Yukun was somewhat skeptical, so he turned and went to the next room to calm his inner turmoil and have his fortune told to ensure everything went smoothly.

He had just left when the blind man flicked his cigarette ash and muttered to himself meaningfully:
"Such a name and destiny are perfect for carrying out a live grave site. Wouldn't it be a waste to send someone to their death now? Let's start the work first and then go. It's a rare opportunity to make a useful contribution to society..."

(End of this chapter)