The more you believe me, the more real it becomes.

Chapter 319 The Roadblock (3k)

Gao Cheng strode away, sword in hand, while Du Yuan followed slowly behind, sword in hand.

Since leaving the Cui family's inner courtyard, Du Yuan had noticed the commotion here, and when Gao Cheng's voice came...

Du Yuan then realized that it was this refined gentleman she had met in Hexi Town who was coming to fulfill what he had said that day.

After a brief moment of thought, Du Yuan came straight over, intending to protect him and escort him to confront the pharmacist.

Faced with Du Yuan's undisguised defiance.

The cultivators who had set foot in Kyoto were both shocked and furious. They had initially thought it was just a powerful newcomer who would leave after a while. They never imagined that this guy would even dare to destroy their stronghold!

In an instant, all sorts of questions, fury, and threats rained down from the sky, spreading across the land.

"Are you really so arrogant that you believe yourself to be invincible?"

"I urge you to reconsider. If you withdraw now, we can still save face for each other in the future!"

"With so many fellow Daoists throughout Kyoto, even if your cultivation is not lacking, I'm afraid you're no match for a multitude of ants devouring an elephant, are you?"

"Why aren't you stopping, sir?!"

At this point, Du Yuan, supporting the old swordsman, laughed loudly:

"Good and evil have been irreconcilable since ancient times! You need not waste your breath. If you want to come, then come. Such barking is truly laughable!"

"?!!!"

"Arrogant! How dare you claim to be righteous and us to be evil?"

Du Yuan ignored him, merely giving a disdainful smile before leaning forward on her sword.

Seeing this, a sentence also fell from the sky:
"Alright, alright, let's settle this with our skills!"

In a short while, countless people, driven by the cultivators, blocked the Dragon Road in the capital.

Upon seeing Gao Cheng approaching with a sword, the common people were initially terrified and retreated, but after a moment, they mustered their courage and stepped forward to block his path.

"My grandfather said that His Majesty is the best emperor he has ever seen! If you want to go there, you'll have to get past me first!"

"Yes, I used to be a government slave. It was His Majesty who showed me mercy and granted me citizenship, allowing me to become a human being!"

"Gao Cheng, I remember you. You are a remnant of the Gao family. Didn't your Gao family harm the people of the world enough in the past?"

"You monster, if you've got the guts, kill us all!"

"Damn it, if you're afraid of death, why don't you become a ghost! Let's fight this monster!"

Since you say that good and evil cannot coexist, then we will let the people of Kyoto come out, block your path, and shield you from your sword.

Now, how do you explain that good and evil cannot coexist?

Are the common people evil? Is the wise ruler evil? Or are you, a remnant of the Gao clan from the mountains, evil?

After discovering last night that this guy had killed a lot of their people, the group of cultivators knew that unless absolutely necessary, it was best not to go up and fight him head-on.

Therefore, they intend to use 'righteousness' to suppress people!
At this moment, the people were bustling about, refusing to back down, and Gao Cheng hesitated for the first time.

Just as he was about to stop explaining, he heard Du Yuan shout from behind:

"If you stop now, your spirit will be destroyed, and what you seek will be impossible! Move forward with confidence, I'll take care of everything!"

Du Yuan didn't know what Gao Cheng was seeking, but he could see a soaring aura rising behind Gao Cheng.

Its color is clear and white, and it is upright and without evil.

Even though Du Yuan wasn't a proper cultivator, he knew that if Gao Cheng paused or hesitated, the entire aura would be ruined.

So he spoke directly, dispelling any hesitation and revealing the true purpose of these mountain people—there was no need to actually stop them; once he stopped, everything would be more or less over.

Gao Cheng was startled, then silently stepped forward.

The people, suppressing their fear, held up objects such as farm tools and benches, trying to stop the sorcerer who possessed this magic from harming the emperor.

Du Yuan did not use her spiritual power or reveal any spells. She simply raised her hand and placed it on her chest. A wisp of pale golden aura condensed at her fingertips. She glanced at the aura in her hand and then at the various cultivators lurking in the surrounding wilderness.

Du Yuan chuckled lightly and said:
"To attack heresy is truly harmful! You who use evil arts to bewitch people, are you not like pests?"

If you ask Du Yuan to talk about Buddhist scriptures or Taoist texts, he really can't do it. He stammers for a long time and can hardly say anything coherent.

But he did have some knowledge of the Doctrine of the Mean, the Great Learning, and the Analects!

Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to go and teach in those areas! After all, those places are really tough, so much so that the teachers who go there basically have to be proficient in all subjects.

The next moment, the Chinese characters in his hand floated towards the crowd like silk threads.

When that scholarly energy touched the common people, it caused no harm whatsoever; instead, it was like a clear spring flowing through their hearts—the restlessness and anger that had been subtly stirred up by the various cultivators instantly subsided. Then, countless streams of black energy flew out from the people. The onlookers exclaimed in surprise:
"what is this?"

"Demon... Demonic magic?!"

Subsequently, many cultivators who had been lying in wait to watch the show were caught off guard. Those with slightly weaker cultivation levels vomited a mouthful of black blood and then rolled down from their hiding places, their fates unknown.

Those who reacted quickly and were also quite skilled fled hastily upon hearing the phrase "attacking heretics," seeking refuge under their own patriarch's command.

Although it's not all, it's enough for the public to get a general idea.

Du Yuan smiled, raised her hand, and pointed to the cultivators who were tumbling to the ground in a disheveled state:

"Don't be afraid, everyone. Please take a good look around! Can you see these villains hiding in the shadows? The black aura that just emanated from your bodies was caused by these people using evil magic to incite your emotions."

"It's him!" A furious shout suddenly erupted from the crowd. A man carrying a carrying pole pointed at the cultivator on the ground. "He was the one who grabbed me and said that if we let Gao Cheng pass, His Majesty would be in trouble!"

Another woman, who couldn't find anything and could only hold a rolling pin, also changed color and said, "I remember too. Just now, this man in the blue shirt told me that not stopping him was disloyal and would be struck by lightning!"

"They pushed us out, but then hid on the sidelines?!"

Du Yuan picked up the conversation and said:
"Yes, if they truly cared about their country, why didn't they step forward to block the way themselves? Instead, they hid in the shadows and pushed you all to the front. If they were on the right path, why would they use evil magic to deceive people and dare not be open and honest in public?"

"So, do you all still want to be the knives of these wicked villains?"

The people looked at each other in bewilderment. Many quietly put down their stools and hoes, but some hesitated and stood still—the blood feud between the Gao family and the pharmacist family was something that everyone in the world had witnessed!

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out from the crowd:
"Magistrate Gao is different from the other members of the Gao family! I believe him!"

Everyone looked over, even Du Yuan looked over in surprise.

A man dressed as a traveling merchant earnestly addressed the people around him:
“Hexi County used to be so poor that no one wanted to go there. It was Magistrate Gao who took the initiative to go there when the Gao family was at the height of their power.”

"When he was in Hexi, he slept and ate with the people, working diligently for many years to transform Hexi into one of the most prosperous places it is today. Therefore, I believe he would not harm the Emperor for personal gain!"

Once someone starts, others will follow:
"Yes, I've also been to Hexi to see the sights. The people there truly have a great reputation for Magistrate Gao!"

As they chatted, the tense atmosphere gradually eased. The people blocking the Dragon Road looked at each other and slowly moved aside, making way for the palace.

Gao Cheng's eyes welled up slightly, his throat bobbed for a moment, and then he repeatedly bowed to the people on both sides.

He never imagined that his governance of the county would be remembered by the people to this day.

"People will always remember who truly cares for them. That's why they're willing to let you go, even if they try to stop you."

"Don't let the people down!"

Du Yuan's voice slowly rang out. Gao Cheng did not turn around, but simply raised his hand in a salute.

The various immortals and gods who had originally planned to watch the show all changed color. They thought they could at least retaliate against the other side's 'hypocritical and sanctimonious' killing move, but it didn't work at all.

It even caused them to lose the support of the people, a source of assistance they might not need in the future.
After a moment of twitching at the corners of their mouths, they all made hand seals and gestures, preparing to face the next obstacle.

They really didn't want to confront Du Yuan directly unless absolutely necessary.

Firstly, the things this person did last night were truly terrifying to them.

Secondly, the fight in Kyoto, fearing it would affect their own plans, led them to use their trump cards—originally intended for a crucial moment later—early in the present.

After that, there were no further obstacles on their way, and the vermilion gates of the palace were already faintly visible at the end of the bluestone path. But just as Du Yuan and Gao Cheng were about to step onto the white jade bridge in front of the palace, the two of them saw that the scene in front of them had changed in the blink of an eye.

The once densely packed streets and alleys of Kyoto, with their staggered eaves and brackets, suddenly faded, transforming in an instant into a landscape painting depicting mountains and rivers in ink wash.

In the distance are mountains painted in bold, dark colors, while nearby are rivers rendered in light, ink-like hues. Even the air is filled with a faint scent of ink, but there is not a trace of human warmth or human activity to be found.

"Gao Cheng——!"

A furious roar, imbued with dragon energy, suddenly crashed down from the sky, causing ripples to spread across the ink-wash landscape:
"Your Gao family seized power and wreaked havoc on the court back then, and should have been executed long ago! Now you show no remorse and even dare to trespass into my capital, you are truly incorrigible!"

Before the words were finished, the pale ink river beneath their feet suddenly surged, and countless dark clouds rose from the water's surface, condensing in mid-air into a giant dragon with distinct scales and claws—the transformation of the national fortune accumulated by the Pharmacist family over a century!
This made Du Yuan sigh slightly; they had actually managed to grasp the national destiny and dragon vein of the Yaoshi family.

That makes sense, though. If they intend to seize Kyoto, how could they not hold onto the "national destiny and dragon vein" as their trump card?
Indeed, just as Du Yuan thought, the dragon vein and the fate of the nation were of paramount importance to the people of the mountains in the past, and thus there were many "dragon slayers" and "dragon breeders" among them.

To stop Du Yuan, they've brought out one of their biggest trump cards.

At this point, the cultivators from all walks of life had no intention of watching the show anymore; instead, they all frowned and stared intently, fearing that something might change.

To overcome this obstacle, the dragon vein foundation of the pharmacist family must be severed.

If one dares not sever it, then one can only let this dragon vein be torn apart and buried in this ink-wash world.

The man in white will likely remain unharmed, given his exceptionally high cultivation level; he can leave whenever he wants. There's no need for them to risk their lives to stop him.

But Gao Cheng was different. The remnants of the Gao family, who almost caused the country to change hands, were doomed from the start in the face of the Yaoshi family's dragon vein.

(End of this chapter)