Mythical Luo, starting with the fox spirit

Yang Ping'an instructed the Taoist priests of the Yang family to return the wealth that Wen Chaofu had plundered to the townspeople.

In the town square, the town's residents, mostly in small groups, chatted with those around them.

"Do you think they'll really pay us back?" a townsman wearing a black melon-shaped hat asked quietly to the person next to him.

"I don't know, but judging from the situation, maybe they really will return our hard-earned money?" The person in front of him turned around, his face full of anticipation, and replied.

"As long as they don't ask us to pay those fees we don't even understand anymore, we'll be fine," sighed a man with a weathered face and many wrinkles.

"Ah, who can argue with that?" The person next to them leaned over and chimed in, "If it weren't for the Taoist priest's insistence, I really wouldn't want to come here."

"What if they really do pay us back?" the man in the black melon-shaped hat asked hopefully, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"I've lived for decades and I've never heard of the Dao Alliance giving out money," a well-dressed, plump old man behind them said disdainfully, arms crossed.

"In my opinion, they are probably plotting another way to squeeze money out of us."

Thousands of people gathered in the square to discuss the matter, and the chaotic noise was so loud it gave people headaches.

A dozen or so Taoist priests carried a pile of boxes filled with gold and silver jewelry out of the town mayor's courtyard.

They placed the chests in a row in front of the square, opened the lids, and the chests of treasure reflected a dazzling brilliance in the sunlight.

The townspeople in the square were stunned, and in an instant, a great commotion erupted as they discussed the gold and silver treasures in the box.

"My goodness, this is the first time I've ever seen mountains of gold and silver in my life," a town resident with a weathered face said, squinting his eyes and clicking his tongue in amazement.

"The adults weren't lying to us; they really are going to give us money!"

"Gulp~" The fat old man stared wide-eyed at the pile of gold and silver treasures in front of him, and swallowed hard.

"Quiet, everyone be quiet!" the leading Taoist priest shouted, holding the ledger in his hand.

The square was abuzz with excitement, filled with gasps, chatter, and cries. The leading Taoist priest's voice was drowned out by the clamor of the crowd.

"Quiet!" The leading Taoist priest took a deep breath, channeled his magic power into his voice, and shouted loudly.

His loud voice drowned out the chaotic discussion in the square, echoing back and forth.

The townspeople in the square were struck dumb, covering their ears with their hands and bending over in pain, trying to escape the deafening noise.

A few breaths later, the voice disappeared. The townspeople, their faces filled with relief at surviving the ordeal, stood up again and quietly watched the leading Taoist priest.

Seeing that everyone had quieted down, the leading Taoist priest nodded with great satisfaction.

"Ahem, you should already know why I've summoned you all today," the leading Taoist priest said, standing in front of a row of boxes and holding an account book.

The townspeople were still shaken, and no one dared to interrupt him; they simply listened quietly.

"That's right, we're here to return the fees that the former mayor illegally collected from you," the leading Taoist priest said to the townspeople, pointing to the box behind him.

"Our Yang family elders discovered the former mayor's despicable behavior and came to our town. They detained the former mayor and are preparing to send him back to the Dao Alliance's law enforcement department to bring him to justice."

"You can rest assured that our Yang family elders are incorruptible and will never let someone who tarnishes the reputation of the Dao Alliance go unpunished, nor will anyone retaliate against you."

"Now, those whose names I call, come forward to claim your property." After the leading Taoist priest finished speaking, two other Taoist priests moved a table and chairs to his side.

Paper and pen were laid out on the table. The leading Taoist priest sat down in a chair, opened the account book in his hand, and called out, "Zhao Dejian."

"Yes, I'm here." The person wearing a black skullcap raised his hand high and shouted as he pushed through the crowd toward the front desk.

The townspeople standing in front of him parted like a tide to make way for him to come to the table and watch how things would unfold.

"Are you Zhao Dejian, and live at No. 12 Chaofu Road?" The leading Taoist priest asked the dark-skinned middle-aged man.

"I am Zhao Dejian," Zhao Dejian replied respectfully, bowing low.

Only when you get close can you see that what's on his head isn't a hat at all, but clearly a black, stiff headscarf that's been wrapped around his head for a long time and is stained with coal ash.

"You have had a total of twenty taels and three mace of silver confiscated. Count it and see if it's correct." The leading Taoist priest looked at the account book in his hand and calculated his wealth over the past few months.

The Taoist priest next to him took out silver from the box and placed it in front of Zhao Dejian.

"Is this for me?" Zhao Dejian's eyes were slightly red as he looked at the twenty-odd taels of silver in front of him in disbelief.

"Of course it's yours." The leading Taoist priest looked at him like this, wrote down his name and information with a pen, and said with amusement.

"Yes, yes, waaaaah~" Zhao Dejian carefully picked up the silver and put it in his arms, covering it tightly with his hands, and couldn't help but burst into tears.

"Sirs, why are you so late? My mother is gone!"

"My mother was seriously ill. I begged the town mayor to pay the money later, but he beat me up and robbed me of my money. I had no money, and I couldn't afford to see a doctor, so my mother died."

"I have no mother anymore, sob ...

Some people in the square recognized Zhao Dejian and couldn't help but sob quietly.

The leading Taoist priest watched as a towering man squatted on the ground, wailing in sorrow and helplessness.

His eyes stung, and he couldn't help but sniffle. The small sum of money he looked down on was a lifeline for others.

At that moment, he realized that even those who were insignificant in his eyes had their own helplessness and misfortune.

The leading Taoist priest looked at the crowd in the square, took a deep breath to calm himself down, and realized that there were still people waiting for him to continue distributing this hard-earned money.

He waved his hand, and two Taoist priests stepped forward to help the hoarse-crying Zhao Dejian up, and continued to preside over the money-sharing meeting.

One by one, the townspeople walked to the front of the stage, and left the square with their silver coins in their arms, full of joy.

Amid the townspeople's gratitude, the leading Taoist priest returned all the money owed to them.

The leading Taoist priest led his men to pack up the boxes and tables and chairs, and returned to the town mayor's mansion.

He saw Wen Chaofu lying on the wooden plank, his eyes reddening, and he wished he could draw his sword and kill him.

"Don't worry, the One Qi Alliance will make him pay the price," Yang Ping'an said, patting his shoulder to comfort him.

"My lord, I lost my composure," the leading Taoist priest said, sniffing hard.

"I've already crippled him. After he returns to the Dao Alliance for trial, I won't let him live." Yang Ping'an looked at the charred Wen Chaofu, his teeth itching with hatred.

"Yes, sir." Yang Ping'an's ability to not covet the treasure and return the ill-gotten gains to the townspeople made the leading Taoist priest very confident in Yang Ping'an's promise.

Yang Ping'an had been keeping an eye on the situation in the square from the courtyard and was fully aware of what was happening there.

Wen Chaofu committed so many heinous and horrific acts that he was rotten inside and out; even his bones were black when cut open.

Yang Ping'an regretted not killing Wen Chaofu with one blow; how could they let such a wicked person live so easily?