I, a minor character, fell into the Shura field of the heroine and the villain

Chapter 377: Even Best Friends Can’t Be

The process of reinforcing the seal went smoothly, except that a lot of magic-sealing talismans were consumed.

The seal no longer leaked black air, and the discomfort here was gone.

"What is in here? Do you know it, senior?" Wang Xiaoyue secretly communicated with the Painting Fairy through her mind.

Since this method of communication is not telepathic, it will not be discovered by people with higher cultivation than oneself.

"It could be a high-level demon, but its exact strength is unknown. However, releasing it would likely cause an unforeseen disaster."

Just by feeling the black air leaking out from the seal, Fairy Hua felt that the things inside were definitely not simple stuff.

That's why the Gu family has sealed the things inside for generations, preventing them from coming out and causing harm to the world.

"I have to thank fellow Daoist Little Cat this time." At first, Gu Qingyan looked down on this woman because she was dressed like a country girl. Now she knows that you can't judge a person by his appearance.

People often say that clothes make the man, and clothing does affect outsiders' judgment of a person.

The little cat looks so rustic with such a simple outfit, he doesn't look like a monk at all.

But she actually knew how to draw unpopular talismans like the Demon-Sealing Talisman.

"You're welcome, you're welcome." Even though she was staying in Yunyan Pavilion's territory, she still did not take off her mask.

Xiaoyue didn't want to be involved in too many karmas, as there were countless examples of her doing so. Because she was afraid of death, she had always been cautious in her life.

Whether she was deliberately making herself sloppy or wearing a mask like this, she was deliberately trying to be looked down upon. She didn't want others to remember her appearance, nor did she want to attract unnecessary trouble because of her beauty.

Although she had been reborn many times, this was already her ninth life. But she didn't dare to be careless, what if there was no next life? Nine is an extreme number, and in many cases, it has special meaning.

If she recklessly continues in this life, she might really capsize.

"Now that the Netherworld Prison Stone is becoming increasingly difficult to find, I think your Demon Sealing Talisman is a good alternative."

"Fellow Daoist, are you interested in long-term cooperation with us?"

Gu Qingyan had observed that the magic-sealing talisman she drew was of superior quality and lasted 20% longer than an ordinary magic-sealing talisman.

They just happened to have the materials for making talismans, and as long as this little cat was there, they could produce these talismans in batches.

Wang Xiaoyue: "Of course I can, but I don't need to get intelligence all the time."

Gu Qingyan: "How about this, from now on, for every talisman you make, we can give you a fee for your labor."

"If you are interested, you can become a guest of my Yunyan Pavilion and stay here permanently. We can provide you with all your cultivation and living needs."

Wow, piece-rate wages, free food and lodging, how did I become a factory girl?!

But Wang Xiaoyue thought, it doesn't matter where you hide, and Yunyan Pavilion is also a powerful force. It's not bad to cling to this thigh.

However, she had no memory of this Yunyan Pavilion appearing again, and she didn’t know whether it would survive the chaotic world in the near future?

Wang Xiaoyue had always been puzzled by the sudden impulse to write a novel. It felt as if she were possessed, with thoughts popping up in her head out of nowhere, and then that heartbreaking novel came into being.

She also lamented that life was hard enough, so why couldn't she write something happy.

But when I typed on the keyboard, I still wrote a tragedy.

It was strange, why did she always feel that she wanted to give them a good ending in her mind, but what she wrote was completely different.

Why can't I control this hand?

Fortunately, this was just a story in the book, and she was not the one who was miserable. She was so grateful.

Later, she traveled to this world and became a person in the book.

This really messes up people's mentality.

"Then it will be as you said, fellow Daoist." Wang Xiaoyue agreed.

……

Gu Qingyan returned to her residence. After entering the house, her expression changed.

Originally, her appearance was only considered above average, a middle-aged woman with a lingering charm. But this face was a disguise, also to fit her persona as a widow.

In fact, she looks younger, with a pretty face and rosy cheeks.

Lying on the bed in the room was a woman who looked somewhat similar to her. She was Gu Qingyun, Gu Qingyan's younger sister, but she was still in a coma.

"The insect has been taken out, why hasn't he woken up yet?"

Yesterday, her men went to the orphanage for wandering cultivators in Fuxian City and made a big fuss, and captured Ji Ningyu as well.

She originally thought that the other party would be a tough guy, but she didn't expect that he would give in after a little torture.

Not only did she reveal the method to remove the deep-sleeping Gu, she also revealed the Gu God Cult's plan in the Eastern Region.

This is really an unexpected gain. Their Yunyan Pavilion sells intelligence, and the plan of the Gushen Cult might be able to be sold.

But right now, Gu Qingyun hasn't woken up yet, which really makes her worried.

Gu Qingyan sat down beside the bed and took Gu Qingyun's pulse. Her sister's pulse was much more stable than before.

The beauty on the bed looked haggard and pale, and visibly thinner. She looked even more beautiful than Xi Shi, who was frail and sick.

The woman gently brushed her sister's cheek, but inadvertently found that her sister's eyelashes trembled a few times.

"Qingyun." The woman was a little excited. She held her sister's hand tightly. As if her sister would wake up at any moment, she held her sister's hand, as if she could give her the greatest support.

The facts did not disappoint her expectations. Gu Qingyun's eyelids moved and she opened her eyes.

As her vision gradually became clear, what came into her eyes was her sister's familiar face, and it was her original appearance.

"Sister, what's wrong with me? What happened?" Gu Qingyun had just woken up and her mind was in a mess.

She remembered that one day she discovered that the orphanage was using children for experiments, and she was shocked.

He wanted to make this matter public, but was discovered by a woman there when he was leaving.

They seemed to have had a fight, but the woman was still using dirty tricks, otherwise she might have won.

Gu Qingyan's beautiful eyes were filled with tears. Knowing that her sister was fine, she had hope of living again.

"You have been in a coma for more than half a month..." Gu Qingyan recounted the whole story.

Gu Qingyun told her sister some more details.

When the two of them discussed it, they discovered that they seemed to have uncovered a shocking conspiracy.

"Now the city has only discovered the problem with the nursery. But now it's not just the nursery that has problems. I think we can sell this news to Fuxian City." Gu Qingyan discussed with her sister.

"Sister, please take care of this matter. I'm quite curious about who the fellow Taoist who leaked the information to us is?" Gu Qingyan's face was pale, but she was first curious about Xi Yangyang.

Before she fell into a coma, she did not tell anyone else about what she had encountered. As a result, her sisters were like blind men touching an elephant, with no idea where to start.

There are indeed seniors in Yunyan Pavilion who understand the art of deducing the secrets of heaven, but the pavilion has its own rules, and the secrets of heaven are not considered to be their own.

Gu Qingyan immediately started arguing with the people in the pavilion. She wanted her sister to be alive, to find the person who put the poison in her body, or to find other ways to deal with the deep-sleeping poison.

She even knelt down before those people, but these old stubborn people just wouldn't give in.

That's why she went to the intelligence trade fair to look for a way to solve the problem of deep sleeping poison.

"If you're curious, you'll be able to see him later. He should ask us to look into two things."

"One is related to the now-extinct Tianlan Sect. This person seems to have a grudge against the Tianlan Sect. He recently encountered a masked man of unknown origin, suspected to be from the Tianlan Sect. He wants to find out this man's origins."

"The second reason is that the Purple Sun Holy Land recently organized a demon-slaying operation, and a group of disciples from the Sword Cliff Hall perished. But he suspects those people are still alive, and wants us to find out their whereabouts."

"Once we have this information, we will inform him. We will then have to thank him."

Gu Qingyan was not at ease with Zhao Kangping before, so she did not give him the proper courtesy.

But no matter what, he saved his sister. She was a person who clearly distinguished between gratitude and resentment and did not like to owe favors to others.

"He has a grudge against the Tianlan Sect and wants to find out the whereabouts of the disciples of Jianya Hall. In fact, based on these two points, we can find out his identity."

"I still want to understand how he knew that I was harmed by Ji Ningyu."

The woman on the bed was still a little weak, but she still maintained a strong curiosity.

This gave Gu Qingyan a headache: "Yun'er, you should stop being so curious. Isn't this lesson enough?"

She didn't want to risk losing her sister again.

"I...I know, sister." The woman was helpless. Her sister was as nagging as an old maid, but she was really doing it for her own good.

……

In the following days, Zhao Kangping handled official business during the day and practiced with the girls at night. His life was very fulfilling.

Chuanliu City officially abolished some unreasonable and excessive taxes.

The middle and lower class people were all cheering.

However, the attitudes of the aristocratic families were different. Some laughed at the new city lord for being stupid. If that happened, what would happen to the city’s financial revenue? They wondered when he would be unable to sustain it.

However, some people felt that the city lord's move might have some hidden agenda. Perhaps there would be policies targeting large families in the future.

It has to be said that there are always some short-sighted people in any group, but there are also smart people.

Because many families were implicated in the tribute smuggling case, they have become much more honest during this period.

In the past, any city lord who dared to touch the interests of a big family would be driven out of office in minutes.

But the new city lord is not from the Supreme Elders faction, and is also a fellow disciple of the Holy Lord. It seems that the relationship between the two is quite ambiguous.

As the situation was tense, most people did not dare to act rashly.

This has made many people from big families very upset.

Some people even suggested that the entire family should be moved to another place before the city lord takes action against them.

But many families have been rooted in Chuanliu City for more than a thousand years, so it is impossible for them to move away just like that.

While these powerful people were worried, Zhao Kangping was also busy in the mansion.

"Jingrou, I want to make some money from those big families. It would be best if there is a way that doesn't offend anyone." Zhao Kangping just put down the teacup.

"Well, why are we fleecing them?" the woman's voice came from under the table.

"Taxes have decreased, but the city's expenses haven't. There's no money in the treasury, and I don't want to borrow. Who's going to pay for all this?"

Now that he has become the city lord, he realizes how bad the city’s finances are.

His predecessor had taken away all the money and left him with a mess. He really wanted to drag He Weiyuan out and grind his bones to dust.

What? He's already gone, not even ashes left? That's fine.

He had just sold the gifts given to him by several small families before the succession ceremony a few days ago, and got some money in return, but it was barely enough to spend. Funding was needed everywhere, and what seemed like a large amount of money quickly ran out after it was distributed.

It would be fine if it happened once or twice, but he can't pay for all the expenses of the city. If he does that, he's no use being the city lord.

Dongfang Jingrou remained silent for a long time. Zhao Kangping continued to speak to himself, "I want to set a trap for them. I need to find a way to squeeze money out of them. I don't have a specific idea yet. Do you have any ideas?"

"Hiss!~"

Zhao Kangping suddenly took a breath and his whole body trembled briefly, but he also felt a sense of clarity.

The housekeeper came out from under the table, took the cup of tea that Zhao Kangping had drunk, brought it to her shiny sandalwood lips, and drank it all in one gulp.

"You want to take advantage of them, right? These families are all getting fat and bloated, so it's time to take some of their blood."

"But we still have to come up with a good idea. Otherwise, with the large number of people in these families, there must be some truly capable people among them."

"Don't let yourself end up losing more than you gain."

Dongfang Jingrou understood his thoughts. In fact, she had long been dissatisfied with these vassal families of the Holy Land.

These people occupy a large amount of resources, they marry each other, form alliances, and form solid interest groups.

It would be nice if they could be more open-minded and have so much energy to benefit others.

However, they happened to monopolize some important industries and exploited low-level monks through high prices.

For example, the elixir industry in Chuanliu City was previously controlled by a few families, who would inflate prices very high. Most low-level cultivators couldn't afford to travel far to buy basic elixirs, so they could only grit their teeth and spend a few more spirit stones to buy them locally.

Furthermore, the elixir shops controlled by these large families would band together to suppress newcomers. In the past, there were also some new elixir shops opening in the city, but after being suppressed by the family shops, they usually closed down after a short period of time.

This situation is not limited to elixirs, but also exists in other industries related to the cultivation of immortal arts.

As a result, the business environment in Chuanliu City became stagnant, with large families controlling more than 80% of the profits in most businesses, and only some leftovers were divided up by the numerous small households.

After Zhao Kangping became the city lord, he wanted to change this situation.

……