Immortal Mystery Sequence: I Establish a Divine Duty for Heaven and Earth

Yingfeng City.

As one of the top cities in Jiangnan, it is a bustling metropolis with a constant flow of people. The Lingjiang River tributary embraces it, making it a feng shui treasure land where three rivers converge. It has been a gathering place for merchants since ancient times.

The city wall, built of bluestone, is more than three zhang high, with openings in all four directions, and is open day and night. Inside the city, streets and alleys crisscross, pavilions stand in rows, and neighborhoods are scattered like chess pieces. The east and west markets face each other from afar, and the markets are filled with pearls and jewels, and the households are filled with silk and brocade.

During the day, people carrying loads, leading donkeys, and driving carts throng together; merchants from the north and south hawk their wares; teahouses and taverns display their banners; peddlers and laborers; black markets and night markets—everything is available.

As night fell, the brothels and theaters lit up one after another, and the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments filled the air all night long.

With a permanent population of hundreds of thousands and countless merchants coming and going, its prosperity was unparalleled in the Jiangnan region.

But beneath this prosperity lies a murky atmosphere, like dark clouds obscuring the sun and gloom floating in the air.

The old house in the east of the city, where the Taoist priest used to be stationed, has changed hands, and a new plaque hangs above the door—"Rong Mansion".

The vermilion gate was tightly shut day and night, guarded by eight burly guards, each with a fierce expression and piercing eyes.

The house was bustling with activity.

Along the corridor beside the artificial rockery, a group of women were being chased and played with by Rong Yidao. He was wearing a brocade Taoist robe that was half open, and he was drunk. He had one woman in his arms and another in his hand, driving the beauties away in all directions. His laughter and surprise echoed inside and outside.

Several long tables were set up in the corridor, where several beautiful women were forced to play the zither and harp. Their melodies were intermittent, their minds were elsewhere, and their expressions were dazed and downcast.

The others spread out Xuan paper, ground ink, and painted Rong Yidao's heroic figure on it.

When Rong Yidao got tired of playing, he lay down on the recliner and squinted as he looked around.

"Ladies, why aren't you smiling? Give this Daoist master a smile!"

No one laughed; a few women managed a forced smile, but it looked more like they were crying…

Rong Yidao wasn't annoyed. He reached out and pulled the nearest woman into his arms, pinching his chin and coldly saying, "What? You're not happy enjoying yourself with me? Look at those peasants outside, struggling to even get a full meal, while you're here in luxury with long faces? Aren't you being ungrateful?"

The woman's eyes turned red from his pinching, and she bit her lip without making a sound.

Rong Yidao curled his lip and casually tossed the woman aside: "Boring."

Outside the courtyard wall.

Dozens of people were crowded together in the narrow alley.

The faces of men, women, young and old were all there. There was an old woman clutching the hem of her clothes and weeping, a man carrying a hoe with a livid face, and a child who was about to grow up hiding behind an adult, timidly looking at the vermilion gate.

"Damn it! My little sister is only sixteen and not even married yet. The other day she went to the market to buy needles and thread, and he dragged her in by his men... I went to the city lord's mansion to complain, but they said they couldn't interfere in the Taoist priest's affairs! Where is justice?!"

"My daughter-in-law has only been married for half a year. She's just an average-looking woman, but she and my son have a deep bond. They've been childhood sweethearts. But somehow that heartless bastard heard about it and insisted that married women are the most interesting, and he couldn't stand seeing other couples so deeply in love... so he just snatched her away! My son went to demand her back, but he was beaten several times by the guards and is still lying in bed!"

"My sister too..."

My wife is the same…

They all talked at once, and the more they spoke, the more indignant they became.

Just then, a woman's pitiful scream came from inside the courtyard, and everyone outside trembled! Some people instinctively clenched their fists, unable to contain their anger.

Suddenly, a middle-aged man rushed out from the crowd, carrying a kitchen knife in his arms, and roared with red eyes.

"Rong Yidao! You damned Rong Yidao!! Get out here! That's my wife! Give her back to me! How dare you prey on the people, indulging in extravagance and debauchery! You've brought shame upon the dignity of the Daoist sect! You dare call yourself a Daoist master who guards this region?! Do you really think honest people don't have anger?!"

The guards stood with their arms wrapped around each other, looking down and blocking the way.

boom!

The middle-aged man was kicked to the ground, his knife clattering to the ground. Then, sticks and clubs rained down on him. With a series of muffled thuds, the man curled up into a ball, blood and flesh splattering everywhere, staining the bluestone floor tiles crimson.

"Don't talk nonsense! My Taoist master is a man of integrity and upright character. He usually works hard to ward off evil spirits for the people. What's wrong with him taking a short rest? He's just recuperating for your wife!"

Some people in the crowd couldn't help but curse.

"Take care of your health? A life of leisure and tranquility?! Why don't you send your own wife away before saying such things?"

"I've tried... but the Daoist Master doesn't fancy you. So it's your good fortune that the Daoist Master has taken a liking to your plain-looking wives! It's also the good fortune your wives deserve! Anyone who causes trouble again... break their legs and throw them out!"

"Utterly shameless!! A despicable scoundrel!"

At this time.

The middle-aged man was dragged to the alley entrance and left there, covered in blood and unconscious. The onlookers took a half step back, trembling, but no one dared to utter a sound...

Silence.

A long period of silence.

……

……

For the next two weeks.

Every day, women were sent into the Rong Mansion, and every day, women were thrown out.

When they were sent in, most of them were still struggling and crying. When they were thrown out, most of them had blank eyes and disheveled clothes and hair. After their families took them back, they locked the door and never saw them again.

The city lord also prepared generous gifts and went to persuade him, but Rong Yidao retorted, "I am here to guard this place on the orders of the Daoist sect! You, a mere city official under the jurisdiction of the mortal realm of the Daoist sect, are you worthy to govern me?" He left without saying a word.

The other two Daoist masters stationed in Yingfeng City, Tian Jun, also came. They were both eighth-rank officials from Dajiang New County, and their seniority was far inferior to that of Rong Yidao. They didn't even get a seat when they entered the door, and just stood and said a few words.

"Brother Rong, we've just arrived here, shouldn't we be more discreet? What if the Daoist sect finds out..."

"So what if you know? When I entered the Daoist path, you were still scraping by in the mud! Who gave you the right to tell me what to do? Get out!"

The two men withdrew awkwardly, shaking their heads and sighing at each other, unsure of how to react. They could only secretly hope that this man, who had committed many evil deeds, would surely bring about his own downfall!

A few more days passed.

Rolling sound—

A carriage stopped outside the Rong Mansion.

The wealthy Zhou got out of the carriage shakily, followed by two servants carrying a heavy gift box.

After learning about Rong Yidao's evil deeds, he originally planned to withdraw from business and never come to Yingfeng City again. However, he thought that if that guy knew that he, surnamed Zhou, had paid tribute to so many Daoist masters and made careful arrangements, but had overlooked him, the trouble would be even greater!

After much deliberation, I decided to prepare a generous gift to pay my respects.

The visiting card was sent in, but there was no reply for a long time.

Inside the main hall.

Rong Yidao was forcibly feeding a newly arrived beauty wine while embracing her. The woman, unable to hold her liquor, struggled to vomit most of it, while he laughed heartily beside her.

The steward bowed and reported, "Master, there is a wealthy man surnamed Zhou outside requesting an audience. He is an old man and also the owner of the Old Zhou shop."

"Master Zhou?" Rong Yidao, upon hearing that the man was an old man in his seventies or eighties, showed no interest whatsoever and didn't even raise his eyelids. "Take the gift and kick him out! Just give him the tribute and don't make things difficult for his shop in the future. He's quite sensible."

"Yes."

The butler turned to leave, but Rong Yidao suddenly remembered something, clicked his tongue, and said, "Wait, which shop did you just say it was?"

"Old Zhou's shop, the one that's currently selling anti-aging cosmetics..."

Rong Yidao sat up abruptly, his eyes lighting up: "Oh? So it's from Ning'e's family?"

"Exactly."

"Great! I was just wondering how to find her. That woman is fair-skinned and beautiful, I've been thinking about her terribly! The men I sent to arrest her in the surrounding villages haven't returned yet, and this old bastard has delivered himself right to my door! Quick, quick, let him in!"

Zhou, the wealthy man, braced himself and passed through the hanging flower gate. Along the way, every woman he saw had tears in her eyes and looked sorrowful.

He grew increasingly alarmed as he walked. The rumors and what he saw with his own eyes were completely different. He had thought that Rong Yidao would be somewhat mindful of his Daoist background and wouldn't go too far, but he hadn't expected...

Upon reaching the main hall, he still managed a smile, drawing on his years of experience, and bowed respectfully: "This humble commoner, Zhou Shengshui, pays his respects to Lord Rong!"

Rong Yidao reclined on the couch, embracing the beauty in his arms, and looked him up and down lazily, saying, "So you're the owner of Old Zhou's shop?"

"It is I, a humble commoner, who have prepared this small gift—"

"Alright, I don't care for those things." Rong Yidao waved his hand, a half-smile on his face. "I'm asking you, what is your relationship with Ning'e, the beauty in your shop?"

Zhou, the wealthy man, felt a pang of unease and could only steel himself and say, "Yes... my daughter."

"Oh!" Rong Yidao clapped his hands and laughed. "Very well! Go back and send her to stay with me for a few nights, share a bed and a meal. From now on, I'll protect you when you do business in Yingfeng City. You can do whatever you want with your Old Zhou's shop!"

"Master! Absolutely not! My daughter is already married, and she and her husband are deeply in love—"

"Old fool! I said I'd send it here, so don't be ungrateful! Otherwise, your Zhou family can forget about surviving in Yingfeng City!"

With a wave of his hand, the guards rushed over, grabbed Zhou the landlord, and shoved him out. The old man staggered out of the gate and fell down the stone steps. When he got up, his forehead was scraped and bleeding profusely.

He glanced back at the vermilion gate, spat fiercely, and was helped up into the car.

"Damn it! We'll just never come back! This shop in Yingfeng City is no longer ours! We'll just live peacefully as farmers! How can my daughter suffer such humiliation?!"

At this moment, on the wall of the Rong residence.

A large white cat was squatting down, slowly licking its paws, its crystal-clear eyes having seen everything that had just happened.

……

……

As the sun and moon revolve, the summer heat gradually subsides.

Rong Yidao caused trouble for more than a month, indulging in revelry every night and feasting every day. The city was filled with complaints, and many merchants and families simply closed their doors and moved away. The two Tian Juns came to persuade him again, but he scolded them and drove them away.

That night, Rong Yidao threw the sobbing woman out of his arms.

"Why hasn't Lady Ning'e arrived yet? Such vulgar beauties are better off gone! Lady Ning'e, with her natural beauty, is far more capable of relieving my worries..."

I'm feeling annoyed.

Suddenly, a dark shadow silently swept past under the eaves. Relying on his sense of the ground... he jolted awake and looked up: "Who?"

A figure in a robe walked in slowly, his face young and his gaze calm, holding a Taoist message in his hand.

"The Daoist sect has given the order; Tian Junrong will accept it with a single strike!"

Swish!

Rong Yidao immediately scrambled off the couch, sliding down to his knees in submission, raising his hands above his head with utmost respect: "Disciple Rong Yidao respectfully welcomes the Daoist decree!"

The young Taoist priest handed it to him, glanced at him with barely concealed disgust, and turned to leave.

Whoa!

Rong Yidao unfolded the paper and read it. His face gradually darkened. The letter was sharp and critical, accusing him of being "arrogant and unrestrained, damaging the reputation of the Taoist sect." It ordered him to "immediately restrain himself, or be recalled and severely punished if he oversteps his bounds again."

Once the messenger had completely disappeared, Rong Yidao gripped the paper and crumpled it into a ball.

"What the hell are you pretending to be so high and mighty for? Your Lingjiang Temple treats human life like dirt, fools the people about life and death, and deceives the world—there are even worse cases! So what if I just played around with a few women?"

After a stern rebuke, he then reiterated that he couldn't disregard the Taoist sect's reputation and needed to restrain himself for a while...

On the courtyard wall, a sparrow tilted its head, its black bean eyes taking in the whole scene.

It pecked at its feathers, spread its wings, and silently swept into the night sky.

……

……

Xiaopei County.

In the quiet room of the Jiang residence, Jiang Tu slowly opened his eyes.

Having synchronized his senses with the Myriad Manifestations Grass Man for two months, he had learned everything about Rong Yidao's daily life, including when he went out and returned to the mansion, how many guards he had, and which room he slept in at night.

He had seen the message sent by the Taoist sect just now.

The time has come!

The reason he hadn't made a move was because he was waiting for the Taoist sect's warning. After that, it would be only natural for Rong Yidao to restrain himself and stop causing trouble, and it wouldn't arouse any suspicion.

Through this incident, he was also able to trace the movements and informants of all the people secretly monitoring him from the surrounding Taoist sects, ensuring that he would not be detected by the Taoist sects when he committed the murder and substituted someone else!

In fact, the day Zhou the wealthy man was humiliated at his door, his murderous intent was already burning fiercely, but to ensure his safety, he waited for two months, patiently awaiting the best opportunity.

Everything is now ready.

He looked out at the courtyard where the night was as dark as ink, the Milky Way was clear in the sky, there were no clouds, the moonlight was bright, and the moon hung high in the sky.

A dark and windy night is perfect for murder!