Sect Leader! Please strengthen our Dao Sect!

"What is all this nonsense?"

Shen Shanshui frowned more and more as he looked at the contents of the storybook in his hand.

He even claimed that the reason Li Dongzhu and Liu Wu had a falling out was because of him.

Liu Jiujiang's love for Li Dongzhu was unrequited, and the Taoist of Mountains and Rivers stole her away, but because the two were friends, he silently offered his blessings.

The most outrageous thing is that this story actually says that Wu Lianshan developed special feelings for Liu Jiujiang that went beyond friendship.

Hiss!

The person who wrote this story is incredibly audacious. Isn't he afraid of being chopped to death?

Shen Lingxi, who was facing the wall in the corner, saw her senior brother's face growing increasingly gloomy and felt like crying but had no tears left to shed.

This world also has its own festivals, not the Spring Festival of Shen Shanshui's previous life, but similar. It's also a time to say goodbye to the past year and celebrate the beginning of the new year.

When Shen Lingxi went down the mountain to buy New Year's goods, she happened to see someone selling storybooks at a stall. She wasn't interested at first, but when her eyes swept over a book and she saw "The Cultivation Record of the Mountain and Water Taoist", she decisively took out her money!

"We can't wait to get beaten up!"

Seeing that her senior brother was about to lose his temper, Shen Lingxi made a brave decision—to quietly slip away.

Unfortunately, he had only taken one step with his left foot when he was locked onto by Shen Shanshui's terrifying aura.

Immediately, a cold voice rang in her ear: "After the New Year, let Tang Yan blast another hole, and then you obediently go in and seclude yourself for half a year."

With your current cultivation level, you wouldn't starve to death even if you didn't eat for half a year.

"I protest! Senior brother! You're heartless!"

Shen Lingxi was naturally unwilling. Making her go into seclusion for half a year was worse than killing her.

"Protest denied!"

With a flick of his sleeve, Shen Shanshui tossed the storybook into the air, where it was instantly reduced to ashes by an unnamed fire.

……

Qingyang County is much more lively this year than in previous years because of the Tianyi Sect.

The guesthouses in Qingyang County are almost overflowing with visitors from other places.

Many people even chose to brave the severe cold and set up camp at the foot of Tianyi Mountain.

Unfortunately, none of these people could go up the mountain. Shen Shanshui planned to wait until there were more people after the New Year before officially opening the mountain. Therefore, he set up a large restriction array around Tianyi Mountain.

Qingyang County Government Office.

Liu Jiujiang, dressed in official robes, sat in a grand chair. He sipped his tea while reading a storybook, his expression quite interesting, but without any anger.

"Haha... Interesting, very interesting."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a sharp blade of light shot out, tearing the storybook in Liu Jiujiang's hand to shreds with pinpoint accuracy.

Wu Lianshan's face was ashen, his displeasure practically written all over his face.

Wu Lianshan held a knife in his hand, his expression cold and menacing. His boots were stained with blood, indicating that he had just returned from killing someone.

"Old Wu, why get so angry? It's just street gossip... but this person is quite eloquent, describing it so vividly. Wouldn't Li Dongzhu be furious if she read this?"

"Ha ha……"

Liu Jiujiang laughed heartily, feeling extremely relaxed and happy.

Ignoring the other party's mockery, Wu Lianshan sheathed his sword, leaned against the doorpost, and coldly said, "There are quite a few more cultivators in the county; it's a bit chaotic."

"Then kill all those who cause trouble." Liu Jiujiang waved his hand, his expression unchanged when discussing the life and death of others, which could even be described as indifferent.

Shen Shanshui might be surprised to see Liu Jiujiang like this; this was not the gentle and kind magistrate he remembered.

But this is the true face of the Qingyang County official.

Taiping in Qingyang County was originally carved out by Wu Lianshan, one by one.

Wu Lianshan nodded, offering no objection. After a long pause, he suddenly changed the subject, asking with a hint of anticipation in his voice:

"How long are you... prepared to wait?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Jiujiang sat up slightly, his body and expression becoming more serious: "Let's wait a few more years."

"That old man was attacked when he was in the midst of his five signs of decay, and quite a few people still suspect that we were the ones who did it."

"Just as we suspected, there is indeed a problem with the fortune of Jiangnan Prefecture. Something is subtly influencing Jiangnan Prefecture."

If it was just speculation before, now that the two have reached a happy ending, it's confirmed.

Once a Foundation Establishment cultivator reaches this stage, as long as they have enough luck, they can condense a Golden Core of Willpower and have at least a 50% chance of surviving the Heavenly Tribulation.

But whether it was Liu Jiujiang or Wu Lianshan, they had a premonition that as long as they were undergoing tribulation, they would face certain death.

"In that case, we can't be too hasty, because there must be others who have reached the same point as us."

"If the opportunity we've discovered ends up benefiting someone else, we'll suffer a huge loss."

"Besides, it's a big deal for young friend Shen to be starting his own sect and taking on disciples now, so it's not a good time to bother him."

Liu Jiujiang took a sip of tea, smiled faintly, his heart pounding with turmoil yet his face remained calm.

"How can you trust him so much?" Wu Lianshan asked, his brows furrowing slightly.

"He's young and still a bit immature. But the fact that he went to such lengths for Tang Yan shows he's a trustworthy person."

Besides... do we have any other options? If we fail this time, all that Heavenly Blade, all that Overlord Fist... will become a thing of the past.

Snow had already begun to fall outside, and Liu Jiujiang watched the snowflakes fall, his tone tinged with sadness.

Monks do not believe in tears; the defeated perish.

……

……

On the evening of New Year's Eve.

Shen Lingxi cooked a huge feast; now that she's rich, she's more extravagant than in previous years.

The location is still Tianyi Temple. Although the Immortal Gate Hall on the mountaintop is magnificent, it is too deserted.

Because of the Chinese New Year, Shen Shanshui granted Tang Yan special permission to go down the mountain. Tang Yan went down the mountain in the morning to wish Tang Xiao a Happy New Year, but unexpectedly returned to the mountain in the evening.

"My dad remarried a stepmother to me, and it seems she's already pregnant."

As Tang Yan spoke, he couldn't help but scratch his head.

The feeling was somewhat strange; it wasn't that he blamed Tang Xiao. He just hadn't expected his father, at such an advanced age, to still be so virile.

Tang Yan was still not quite used to suddenly having another younger brother or sister.

"Isn't it good to have parents? Neither my senior brother nor I have ever met our parents."

Shen Lingxi held her head, clearly a child speaking without thinking.

She couldn't quite understand Tang Yan's feelings. In her world, besides her master, there was only her senior brother. After her master left, only her senior brother remained.

"Uh..." Tang Yan was at a loss for words when he heard this.

Junior Uncle is too straightforward; it makes him sound like he's showing off.

"Let's offer incense to our master."

"Offer incense to your great-grandfather."

Shen Shanshui and Shen Lingxi offered incense first, followed by Tang Yan, who was a junior.

The three of them respectfully bowed and offered incense to the patriarch and Shen Qingfeng.

Wisps of smoke rise and fall continuously, just like the unbroken lineage of the Heavenly Dao Sect to this day.

Tang Yan was very excited. This was the first time Shen Shanshui had asked him to offer incense to his grandmaster since he came to the mountain.

Although he didn't know what kind of person his grandmaster was, he had only heard from his junior uncle Lingxi that his grandmaster's cultivation level wasn't high. However, he could tell that both his master and his junior uncle deeply respected their grandmaster, whom they had never met.

Shen Shanshui's permission for Tang Yan to offer incense to his grandmaster was, in effect, a form of approval. This was why Tang Yan was overjoyed.

……