In the Three Kingdoms period, the opening scene features the killing of Huang Gai, shocking Zhou Yu!

Before we knew it, it was evening again.

From the outside, the square of Chenggu County Government Office was packed with people.

A rough calculation shows that it attracted 35,000 to 45,000 followers of the Dao of Rice and Rice—and this was only after Yang Song issued a strict order to prevent people from outside the city from entering.

People were packed together, people were shoulder to shoulder.

The people in the middle of the square were so tightly packed that they didn't dare to even breathe.

They were afraid that in the blink of an eye, the place beneath their feet would be gone.

In the center of the square is still the same platform where Yang Song often gave his speeches.

Yang Song, spittle flying, was conducting the final brainwashing:

"Ignorant! Utterly ignorant!"

"You've all lived most of your lives, how can you still believe such baseless nonsense? If word gets out, aren't you afraid people will laugh their heads off?"

"The rumors circulating in the city are mostly fabricated by spies sent in by Cao Cao from outside the city!"

Laozi, the Supreme Lord of the Dao, would not descend to the mortal realm so easily because of that traitor Cao!

"Fellow villagers! I am your High Priest. Previously, only Master Junzi betrayed us, but now only I can communicate with the Heavenly Emperor."

I eat coarse food and wild vegetables every day, sacrificing all my happiness, to pray to the Heavenly Venerable for your blessings!

Would you rather believe those cryptic rumors than trust me, your guide who has shared your joys and sorrows?

Having said that, the trusted confidants planted in the crowd quickly echoed his sentiments.

"Our Chief Minister is as incorruptible as water! We will never believe Cao Cao's treacherous words!"

"That's right! If Laozi really descended to earth, how come we haven't even seen a trace of him yet?"

Upon hearing this, the people's opinion indeed shifted.

Looking at the "leeks" below who he had calmed down, Yang Song smiled smugly to himself:

You think you can shake my foundation with just a few rumors? Dream on!

Before dawn tomorrow, I'll pack up all the gold, silver, money, and grain I've looted, pack them into carts, and disguise myself as a refugee to flee to Yizhou.

Liu Bei is penniless right now. If I give him a share of my meager savings, he'll let me pass through.

As for you bunch of fools? You can stay here and be buried with Cao Cao!

Just as Yang Song was feeling smug and preparing to adjourn the meeting and go back to embrace his concubine, ...

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Three muffled thuds came from the dark corners surrounding the earthen walls of the square.

Smoke bombs are used, so they don't make as much noise as black powder.

Several plumes of purplish-gold smoke shot out from behind the four large stone pillars surrounding the square.

"Auspicious purple clouds are coming from the east! It's auspicious purple clouds coming from the east!"

This time, it was the "Sheniu" soldiers arranged by Zhao Yu who took the lead and knelt down, kowtowing frantically.

At that moment, the 30,000 to 40,000 people in the square all knelt down.

Yang Song, who was on the high platform, suddenly got a cramp in his calf.

His first thought was:

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

What happened at Yangping Pass earlier was definitely a lie fabricated by Zhang Wei out of fear of battle. They were clearly afraid of Cao Cao, yet they spoke so grandly, weren't they afraid of getting themselves killed?

If they really have a Thunder God, why didn't he appear during the wars before?

As soon as you arrive in Hanzhong, you have it, you know it?

Besides, none of that matters.

The important thing is that he himself embezzled so much gold, silver, and grain.

If you were to surrender to Cao Cao, you would definitely be dragged out and punished. At that time, forget about wealth and honor, it's uncertain whether you'd even be able to leave with a whole corpse!

So when Zhang Lu surrendered, he slipped out of Nanzheng City with his confidants and his family and came here.

……

"On your marks! Raid!"

Zhao Yu, hidden in the shadows above the earthen wall, gave the director's instructions.

They hung Yang Xiu down.

"Taishang Laojun" makes his official appearance.

To the tens of thousands of kneeling believers below, this deity descended from the sky like a light feather, carried by the night wind, without any support.

He possessed an otherworldly air and extraordinary bearing.

It floated directly in the air.

He was indeed handsome, but what no one knew was that Yang Xiu, floating in the air, was clenching his back teeth in extreme pain, his face almost turning blue.

To maintain its "ethereal" appearance, the built-in safety harness was fastened tightly.

Now that he's in the air, all the stress points are on this safety harness, which is squeezing his thighs so hard they're incredibly painful, almost making him lose his voice on the spot.

But as a prominent figure in the entire Han Dynasty who was determined to make a name for himself in history, Yang Xiu managed to suppress his shame by relying on the willpower of a scholar who would rather die than lose face.

Looking down from above, at the scene of tens of thousands of people below, how exhilarating is that?

At this moment, he is Lao Tzu himself!

"Amitabha Buddha—"

Yang Xiu flicked his whisk and exerted his strength.

He was born with a great voice, with a very strong penetrating quality, which was even clearer at night.

Yang Song, standing on the high platform, was so frightened he almost lost his mind. "Are you serious?"

Alive?

"You... what kind of demon are you? How dare you impersonate a Celestial Venerable?"

Yang Xiu looked down at Yang Song with utter contempt.

All the talent he had been holding back, along with the grievances he felt when the old farmer criticized him, finally erupted at this moment.

"How dare you, Yang Song! You fraudster, how dare you bark so arrogantly before me?"

Yang Su spoke very quickly, each word precisely striking the nerves of the believers:

"You claim to be a pure cultivator, yet you eat chaff and wild vegetables, deceiving the people into offering you alms!"

Why is it that, high above in the heavens, I can smell the cumin aroma of Cao Cao's "Ice Crystal Brand Spicy Beef Canned Goods" emanating from your magnificent nightgown?

The kneeling believers below were startled, and a buzz of discussion broke out.

Canned beef?

Isn't that Cao Cao's?

Lord Chancellor... how come there's this? Doesn't he eat chaff with us every day?

Could it be... that he had already colluded with Cao Cao?

Yang Song was not given a chance to refute.

"You have caused the people to suffer from hunger and thirst, and I pray for you in this freezing cold night!"

Why is it that beneath the floor tiles of your extremely luxurious inner courtyard lies a fire pit warmer than that of the imperial palace?

"You command the people to be virtuous and abstinent, yet why are there still dozens of concubines dressed in thin veils hidden in the house? Is this also part of your 'purification' practice? Offering yourself to a tiger?"

"Originally, I did not want to make this trip, but I simply could not stand by and watch you bewitch the masses and poison the minds of believers."

"Back at Yangping Pass, I was the one who arranged for Lei Gong to help Cao Cao's army, but I never expected you to be so incorrigible!"

These words exploded in the minds of the 30,000 believers.

I couldn't believe my ears.

Eating meat? Underfloor heating? A dozen or so concubines?

Is this still the same sacrificial wine they used to eat only one meal of bran a day?

Yang Song was completely taken aback. He had been extremely guarded, with his trusted confidants stationed within twenty feet of the Grand Master's residence. How could Yang Song possibly know all these closely guarded private matters?!

He knew perfectly well what was going on.

If we can't turn this around today,

Before Cao's army even enters the city, he will be torn to pieces tonight by the group of believers he has been deceiving for years!

"Don't believe him, everyone!!"

He's a spy sent by Cao Cao! He's slandering me!

I, Yang Song, am completely innocent. How could I possibly have a concubine? How could I possibly eat meat?

"Stubborn to the end!"

Yang Xiu shouted loudly, and the whisk pointed directly in the direction of Yang Su's residence.

"Heaven's eyes are all-seeing, and retribution will not be swift!"

"Fellow Taoist believers, if you do not believe my words, you are welcome to go and see for yourselves his so-called 'simple' backyard!"

"Go and smash open that brass compartment locked under his couch!"

Go and see if he has hidden any gold that you risked your lives for.

At this point, Yang Xiu was almost at his breaking point.

The straps were hurting him so much that if he kept going, he was afraid he would cry out in pain and all his efforts would be wasted.

He quickly flicked his whisk, trying to save face:

"That's all I have to say! My descent to the mortal realm this time is truly against the will of Heaven, for there are still many mundane affairs to be inspected in this vast world."

"If any of what I just said is false, I will unleash heavenly lightning and destroy my own golden body! You may go and seek the truth yourselves!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his left hand, which was behind his back and not holding a whisk, was already flashing like a blur, frantically signaling to Zhao Yu in the shadows:

Hurry up and pull me up! It's going to break my neck!

Zhao Yu, who was behind the earthen wall, had been watching his movements for a while. Upon seeing this, he didn't say a word and suddenly waved his hand.

Yang Xiu once again "rose into the air" and disappeared into a cloud of exploding white smoke around him, vanishing without a trace.

Only the believers remained in the square.