I subdue demons and monsters, and cultivate immortality in hell to become a saint.

"don't want!"

The older sister screamed and tried to stop it, but was so intimidated by the aura of the vengeful ghost that she couldn't move.

Wu Yuanying, who was standing next to her, also cried out in fright, her heart leaping into her throat.

The viewers in the live stream were outraged when they saw this, and the chat was flooded with profanities.

"Holy crap! This Misty Hidden Temple is a cult! That's disgusting!"

"Damn it, they killed the richest man's entire family and then framed a vengeful ghost! They're inhuman!"

"Going to Guiling City to worship the City God will get you killed? This is more tyrannical than an emperor!"

"Help! Save this family! Young man, act quickly!"

At this critical moment, Chung Gau made his move!

With a flash, he appeared in front of the family as if he had teleported, so fast that he left a blur!

He stretched out two fingers and grabbed the ghost's neck like he was picking up a chick. The ghost was instantly immobilized and could only let out a mournful "woo-woo" sound, as the black aura around its body continued to dissipate.

"Who are you?"

Upon seeing this, the leading Taoist priest's pupils contracted sharply, his arrogant expression froze instantly, and he stammered out.

This kid's tough!

To be able to choke a vengeful ghost with his bare hands, his cultivation level is definitely far above theirs!

However, relying on the fact that Yingtan City was the stronghold of the Wuyin Temple, they quickly calmed down and began to threaten: "Boy, we are disciples of the Wuyin Temple! If you dare to meddle in our affairs, aren't you afraid of dying a horrible death?"

"If you know what's good for you, release our vengeful ghost right now, kowtow and admit your mistake, or when our elders arrive, they will surely grind you to dust!"

Upon hearing this, Zhong Jiu's lips curled into a cold smile, his tone brimming with domineering arrogance: "You scum from the Misty Hidden Temple, you're my men!"

Before he finished speaking, he tightened his fingers slightly.

Click!

With a crisp crack, the ferocious ghost was crushed to pieces, its soul scattered, black blood splattering all over the ground.

Seeing his carefully nurtured vengeful spirit vanish, the leading Taoist priest's face contorted with extreme pain and hatred. He roared, "How dare you destroy my precious vengeful spirit! I'll fight you to the death!"

"You're finished! You're absolutely finished!"

"When I report this to the elders, I will skin you alive and tear out your tendons, so that you will never be reincarnated!"

Zhong Jiu scoffed disdainfully, his eyes filled with contempt: "No need to trouble your elders, I'll personally come and see what your Misty Hidden Temple is really capable of!"

He pointed at the Taoist priests, his tone icy: "Lead the way to your True Lord Temple!"

The Taoist priests were about to unleash a torrent of curses when they were horrified to find that their mouths were as if sealed by an invisible force, and they could not utter a single word. Their bodies were also completely out of their control, and like puppets on strings, they obediently walked toward the mountain path.

Wu Yuanying breathed a sigh of relief and quickly turned around to reassure the family, "Are you alright? Hurry up and leave. It's not safe here. Go to Guiling City quickly. With the City God's protection, no one will dare bully you!"

After regaining their senses, the family repeatedly bowed to Zhong Jiu in gratitude, their voices trembling with tears: "Thank you, brother! Thank you for saving our lives! You are a living saint!"

After saying that, he helped the elderly man and carried the child, and hurriedly left.

These Taoist priests were so angry they were practically grinding their teeth in frustration, cursing Zhong Jiu a hundred times over in their hearts. But their bodies were like they were on autopilot, completely out of their control. Their faces turned purple with pent-up frustration, yet they still had to obediently move forward.

Chung Kau followed slowly behind with his hands behind his back.

"Holy crap! What kind of tricks did you use, buddy?"

Wu Yuanying leaned closer, her face full of curiosity. "These old thieves were just looking like vicious murderers, how come they're acting like kindergarten kids now, following orders wherever they're told?"

She realized that Zhong Jiu was a walking treasure trove, unlocking new skills every now and then and surprising her every time. This series of actions drove the viewers in the live stream crazy.

Zhong Jiu curled his lips into a slight smile and said calmly, "Maybe they suddenly had a change of heart and want to take us to expose the scam, to accumulate some good karma?"

Wu Yuanying rolled his eyes so hard you could see his back teeth, and mentally cursed: Nobody believes your nonsense! If these guys had any conscience, the sun would rise in the west!

He didn't expose her verbally, but instead held up a selfie stick and took a close-up picture of the Taoist's stiff expression, which made the comments section erupt in laughter.

And so, the Taoist priests led the way, with Zhong Jiu and Wu Yuanying following slowly behind. Before long, they returned to the foot of the mountain.

These unlucky guys were completely under control and continued walking straight up the mountain, but their stiff steps were almost comical.

Zhong Jiu and Wu Yuanying naturally followed closely behind. The strange behavior of the Taoists quickly attracted the attention of their fellow disciples.

"Junior brothers, did you get things done?"

A chubby Taoist priest called out from afar, holding a wine gourd in his hand, "Have you taken care of that family yet?"

As a result, the controlled Taoist priests kept their mouths shut, unable to utter a single word. They could only hunch their necks and walk forward, desperately winking and baring their teeth, trying to send a coded message to their fellow disciples: Save me! There's an ambush! These two are enemies!

However, those fellow disciples lacked sharp eyesight and failed to notice. They assumed the disciples were in a hurry to return to the mountain to report, and surprisingly, no one asked any further questions. They even waved their hands with smiles, saying, "Hurry up, hurry up, the abbot is waiting for your reply!"

These controlled Taoist priests could only curse their fellow disciples and ancestors for eighteen generations in their hearts.

Fortunately, when they reached the halfway point of the hillside, they finally encountered an old Taoist priest with some sense who noticed something was amiss, since these junior disciples were walking in an overly stiff posture.

The old Taoist priest, dressed in a faded robe and stroking his goatee, stood in the middle of the road with an air of otherworldly elegance and detachment from worldly affairs, his eyes filled with scrutiny and wariness.

"You guys, have you been cursed or something?"

The old Taoist priest leaned closer and finally saw through the scheme. His eyes flashed with cold light. "Who dares to be so bold! To cast a curse on a disciple of the Misty Hidden Temple on its own territory!"

He immediately made rapid hand seals, his fingers flying, and chanted, "Heaven and Earth, Mysterious Origin, Root of All Qi... Break!" in an attempt to break the restriction on his junior disciple.

But how could someone like him, a mere novice, possibly break the spell cast by Zhong Jiu?

After working on it for half a day, his hand seals were almost cramping, and cold sweat was seeping from his forehead. The Taoist priests, however, continued on their way as usual.

"You guys were behind this!"

Only then did the old Taoist priest notice Zhong Jiu and Wu Yuanying following behind. His face immediately darkened, and he swiftly pulled out a stack of yellow talismans from his hand. He coldly shouted, "You audacious madmen! How dare you use evil magic to control your Taoist disciples! What's your background? Speak quickly!"

Zhong Jiu glanced at him, her tone flat and emotionless, yet carrying an inexplicable sense of pressure: "Do you really want to know?"

"Stop talking nonsense!"

The old Taoist priest roared, "Quickly release my disciple from his spell and surrender, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

Zhong Jiu didn't say anything more, but just moved his fingers slightly.

The next second, the old Taoist priest felt a numbness all over his body, and his spiritual power was instantly imprisoned. The talisman in his hand was scattered all over the ground with a "whoosh". His body turned around uncontrollably and obediently joined the "leading army" in front of him.

His ethereal and otherworldly demeanor crumbled instantly, and he walked forward stiffly like a puppet on strings.

How is this possible?!

The few young Taoist priests who were being controlled were terrified, their minds reeling: My God, even a Core Formation stage expert like my uncle has fallen for this? Just what kind of monster is this kid?

Before long, another group of patrolling Taoist priests noticed the unusual situation and surrounded them, questioning, "Uncle-Master, nephews, what are you doing? Why are you bringing outsiders up the mountain?"

"Is something wrong? Who are those two people?"

Before they could even finish speaking, they all followed suit and obediently joined the guide team.

In the end, this "puppet army" actually swelled to several dozen people, all dressed in identical Taoist robes, and stiffly marched forward in a line.

The scene was so hilarious that Wu Yuanying and the viewers in the live stream were laughing hysterically.

Finally reaching the summit, the Zhenjun Temple was bustling with worshippers, the air thick with incense smoke. Many people were kneeling and praying before the statue of "Qimen Zhenjun," chanting incantations.

Two composed old Taoist priests stood at the temple gate, their robes embroidered with cloud patterns and their eyes sharp as eagles. These two were the core elders of the Misty Hidden Temple, responsible for guarding the mountain gate.

The two men immediately spotted the dozens of disciples and grand-disciples that Zhong Jiu had "escorted" over, and their expressions changed drastically.

"What are you guys doing?"

One of the ruddy-faced old Taoist priests frowned and demanded in an authoritative tone, "Bringing outsiders into my mountain gate, what kind of behavior is this? Stop them!"

But as soon as he finished speaking, he saw that all his disciples and followers had a strong plea for help in their eyes. Looking at their stiff postures, they couldn't even open their mouths. In an instant, his mind raced and he suddenly realized what was going on.

Oh no! They've been controlled!

Another white-bearded old Taoist priest's eyes turned cold as he stared intently at Zhong Jiu, his tone extremely arrogant: "You audacious madman! How dare you trespass on the gates of my Misty Hidden Temple!"

He sized Zhong Jiu up and down, noticing his ordinary clothes and that he didn't seem to be a disciple of any major sect. Emboldened, he said, "Release them immediately and state your sect's origins!"