Begin your practice with the crane-shaped stance.

"Brother, just who is this Snake Taoist?" Xia Dong asked, his brows furrowed.

Zhao Ting did not answer immediately, but instead gave Xia Dong a deep look, his eyes revealing a complex meaning that was hard to describe.

After a long while, he lowered his voice and slowly said, "This snake Taoist is a disciple of Master Xu of the Xuantian Temple in the capital. He is usually responsible for finding and capturing exotic snakes for Master Xu in the deep mountains and marshes."

"Master Xu?" Xia Dong asked, his expression revealing just the right amount of confusion.

"Indeed," Zhao Ting nodded, his tone filled with deep apprehension. "This Master Xu is no ordinary person. He once served in the palace, refining elixirs for His Majesty and enjoying his favor for thirty years. But who could have imagined that Xuantian Temple would later commit such a shocking crime? Once the court thoroughly investigated, they uncovered the shocking secret that Master Xu was actually from the Xuan Yin Sect of the Demonic Cult! This caused a huge uproar. Everyone in Xuantian Temple was implicated, either being arrested on the spot by the Eagle Wolf Guard and the Imperial Guard, or becoming wanted criminals on the run."

Upon hearing this, Xia Dong's heart skipped a beat.

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart, his face showing fear and innocence, and bowed deeply to Zhao Ting: "Brother, please understand, I truly know nothing about this shocking case involving the Xuan Yin Sect! Moreover, my father was always an honest man, how could he possibly be some fugitive Snake Daoist?"

Zhao Ting quickly reached out and supported Xia Dong's arms, patting the back of his hand to comfort him. He was saying comforting words, but his mind was already racing with a thousand thoughts.

Zhao Ting secretly pondered: "Back then, that Master Xu was revered as the Imperial Preceptor by His Majesty! A word he spoke to His Majesty often carried more weight than that of the Empress or the Crown Prince. If Master Xu had used his extraordinary connections to help Brother Xia, this 'good grand-disciple,' to impersonate a Daoist, it would make perfect sense logically."

According to the ironclad rules of the Great You Dynasty, the inheritance of Daoist families has always been extremely rigorous, making it absolutely impossible for anyone to impersonate another.

However, that Master Xu once had a relationship with His Majesty that was half teacher and half friend, and he wielded immense power in the court. If he were to rely on the Emperor's favor and act capriciously, it wouldn't be impossible for him to tamper with the records of the Tongxuan Division.

only……

Zhao Ting frowned deeply again. What he couldn't understand was, since Master Xu had fallen from power and Xuantian Temple had been completely eradicated, why was Xia Dong's Daoist records still sealed at the highest level by the Tongxuan Division, without any problems to this day?

Zhao Ting shook his head, knowing full well that this was something he, a mere centurion, could not possibly comprehend, and that his current rank was completely inaccessible to that level.

But he knew perfectly well what was going on in his mind.

He was convinced of only one principle: as long as Xia Dong's Taoist book could not be disproven, its value was even higher than that of ordinary genuine Taoist books!

"Regardless of whether Brother Xia is Snake Daoist's child or not, we should turn a blind eye to this matter," Zhao Ting secretly decided in his heart.

Zhao Ting's expression darkened slightly, and he continued, "Xueyi, Master Qin is a seasoned businessman. Logically, he should be extremely shrewd and meticulous in his dealings. Why didn't he find a private opportunity to speak with you and me about those crucial words involving the Xuan Yin Sect, instead of blurting them out in front of so many of his men?"

Xia Dong frowned slightly, shook his head and said, "Uncle Qin and my father have a deep friendship and he has always taken good care of me. He would never intentionally harm me."

Zhao Ting sighed and nodded, "That's true. Perhaps the old man was truly frightened by being taken up the mountain by those thugs and lost his composure for a moment. In any case, the Xuan Yin Sect matter is of great importance. I will personally warn the brothers present today to keep their mouths shut and absolutely not utter a word. As for those grave robbers, I will definitely send more men and do my best to find them for you!"

"Thank you, brother." Xia Dong bowed respectfully.

Although she said that, Xia Dong was actually starting to have doubts. Given Master Qin's shrewdness and his many years of experience in the business world, he had seen all sorts of situations and would not make such a careless and low-level mistake.

Why did he insist on bringing up this sensitive topic in front of everyone?

Xia Dong had a vague feeling that this matter was most likely related to the mysterious "Taoist book" he possessed.

As the saying goes, every sip and every bite has a cause.

For the past few years, he has peacefully enjoyed the many benefits brought by his Daoist status, but in the future, he will likely have to bear the heavy karma and troubles hidden behind this identity.

However, Xia Dong quickly suppressed these complicated thoughts.

In this world of cultivation where power originates from oneself, no matter what kind of conspiracies or schemes one faces, striving to improve one's strength is always the right thing to do.

As long as one's cultivation level is high enough and one's trump cards are strong enough, one can overcome any scheme with sheer force.

He secretly considered the situation and felt that the situation had not completely collapsed yet, so he could not run away for the time being.

In Lin Yuan Prefecture, he had painstakingly built up his business over many years, establishing the Changchun Medical Clinic, farmland shops, and the official title of the Eagle Wolf Guard's chief commander, thus establishing a solid foundation.

Moreover, he was very familiar with the surrounding terrain and forces, and in the hidden cave deep in Tiger Hill, there was a snake brother who was comparable to the late stage of Qi Refining who could protect him.

If the situation really turns bad, the man and the snake can hide in the deep mountains and forests, where they have a natural advantage in terms of terrain. This is definitely an extremely safe way out.

If we panic and abandon everything to run away to another place now, in an unfamiliar place, having lost all sources of intelligence, resources, and shelter, we are more likely to fall into an unknown and dangerous situation, like a tree without roots, at the mercy of others.

Only now did Xia Dong truly understand why people in ancient times still felt "unwilling to leave their homeland" even when faced with great calamities.

This is not entirely due to emotional attachments, but more so to instinctive considerations of survival resources, basic safety, and unknown risks.

Xia Dong secretly hoped that the ancient bronze bell in his sea of ​​consciousness, which had fallen into silence, would be revived soon.

In this tense situation, having this powerful trump card will give him real confidence.

Recalling the terrifying power of the ancient bronze bell at the bottom of the Yinling Mine, which instantly suppressed and refined the Ghost-Faced Spider, which was comparable to the late stage of Qi Refining, Xia Dong had ample reason to believe that as long as he had the ancient bell in hand, even if he were to face a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator in the future, he would not be powerless to fight back and be slaughtered at will.

Having made up his mind, Xia Dong looked at Zhao Ting, cupped his hands, and said, "Brother, since that's the case, I'll have to trouble you to take care of my family's affairs from now on. I plan to continue gathering herbs in the mountains from today onwards, and also to cultivate in peace for a while. I have a secluded place to rest deep in the Tiger Hill Mountains. If any urgent matters occur in the county town, you can send Xiao Hong into the mountains to find me."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ting suddenly understood.

Brother Xia is indeed an extremely cautious and intelligent person.

Now that his grave has been dug up and he's been dragged into the Xuan Yin Sect's "Snake Taoist," a deadly taboo, Xia Dong is afraid that this matter will get too far and too complicated. So he simply finds an excuse to "gather herbs" and hides in the deep mountains and forests to avoid trouble.

If the situation in the city really deteriorates and something bad happens, Xiao Hong will act as the liaison to inform people, knowing when to advance and when to retreat.

This arrangement also demonstrates Xia Dong's great trust in him.

Zhao Ting knew exactly what was going on.

Putting aside Xia Dong's Daoist status, he and Xia Dong have long since formed an extremely strong alliance of interests due to their business dealings in pills and talismans, and are entangled in many ways.

If Xia Dong were to encounter any mishap, it would not only be of no benefit to Zhao Ting, cutting off his source of income, but he might even be implicated in the investigation.

This is precisely why he risked his own safety to sternly remind Xia Dong about the "Snake Taoist".

The two are now in the same boat; their fates are intertwined.

Thinking of this, Zhao Ting nodded solemnly and patted his chest, assuring her, "Xueyi, don't worry, just go into the mountains to gather herbs. I'll handle things in the city. As long as I'm here, I won't let anyone harm a single hair on your family's head. If any troublesome changes happen, I'll immediately send my sister-in-law to the mountains to find you."

"Thank you, brother." Xia Dong bowed deeply again.