Towering Righteousness

"Corrupt dog!" Leaving the garrison post, Wuzheng spat fiercely upon the ground. Wu Di’s conduct was worse than unseemly; it was outright extortion. Wuzheng turned to Zhou Wuji. "What is the story behind these gold-ring poison bees that makes him care so much?" "The main issue is their sheer numbers. They occupy the whole of Red Leaf Ridge." Zhou Wuji had once accompanied his master toward Red Leaf Ridge, though he had only viewed it from a distance. Red Leaf Ridge was covered in a variety of cotinus trees whose foliage was as crimson as fresh blood, never shedding through the four seasons. Come autumn, they would blossom with gorgeous red flowers. The gold-ring poison bees fed on the nectar of these blossoms, taking root and multiplying across the ridge. The bees possessed an extraordinarily lethal venom; a single sting could kill an ordinary man. The gold-ring poison bees on the ridge were countless in number. Forget humans—even that boar demon would be stung to death if it barged into their territory. The tenth lunar month happened to be their peak foraging season. Red blossom honey harvested at this time was at its sweetest and most refreshing, infused with rich spiritual qi, making it exceedingly precious. It was entirely normal for Wu Di to use the villagers’ lives to extort money. But demanding red blossom honey by name was decidedly abnormal. Zhou Wuji had never dealt with Wu Di personally, having only caught glimpses of him a few times. What he knew came from his master’s private appraisal: the man was wicked, vicious, and insatiably greedy—a rotten sort to the core. Worse still, the man made no attempt to conceal his malice. Bound neither by morals nor propriety, he disregarded even the law itself. A vile scoundrel armed with authority and free from restraint was truly terrifying. Zhou Wuji could not help but grow suspicious. Wu Di was very likely scheming against him. Wu Di had met with Zhang Xinhu just yesterday; the two might well have colluded on something. Saving lives was one thing, but he could not afford to throw away his own in the process. Having heard Zhou Wuji's explanation, Wuzheng found the situation equally thorny. Faced with a sky full of swarming gold-ring poison bees, even consecrating an altar to unleash Yin Thunder might not wipe them all out. Suffering a few stings could prove fatal; the risk was far too great. He said to Zhou Wuji, "This matter is perilous. We must proceed with utmost caution." Zhou Wuji nodded. "Perilous indeed..." The two returned to Canglong Temple. Zhou Wuji summoned everyone to gather in the main hall, allowing Wuzheng, as the new temple prior, to address the assembly and introduce himself to the temple servants. With a rank-seven ordained Daoist serving as prior, the temple could continue to operate. The servants were overjoyed to have their livelihoods secured. Wuzheng led the crowd in solemn worship before the statue of the Northern Emperor, burning incense to formally complete the ceremony of assuming the role of Canglong Temple's prior. Wuzheng was stern by nature and tall of stature, projecting immense dignity clad in his sumptuous purple-and-gold vestment. Zhou Wuji felt Wuzheng cut a far more impressive figure than his former master, who had been round and affable, leading many to underestimate him. Having Wuzheng preside over Canglong Temple would also draw a great deal of hostile attention away from Zhou Wuji! As for the people within the temple, none would dare betray him anytime soon. Zhou Wuji cast his gaze across the room; neither the lower-ranking priests nor the servants dared to meet his eyes. Only the silly girl Wuming showed no fear. Instead, she stared straight into his eyes, her bright gaze filled with a luminous blend of delight and bashfulness. Zhou Wuji felt his spirits lift. A man truly needed the harmonious yin and yang balance brought by a lovely woman to attain natural equilibrium. Before the assembly, Wuzheng appointed Zhou Wuji as Canglong Temple's Hall Master—a post carrying little operational power, but immense prestige. In terms of rank, he was effectively the temple's second-in-command. As Hall Master, he received a fixed monthly stipend of ten taels of silver. Ten taels was equivalent to the entire annual income of an ordinary farming family; for a temple of Canglong Temple's size, such a stipend was remarkably generous. Other duties, such as preaching doctrine or establishing altars to deliver departed souls, came with their own respective ritual fees. If the temple drew abundant offerings, an additional bonus stipend would be distributed at year's end, depending on the temple's revenue and the prior’s character. As for the practical positions of General Overseer and Kitchen Overseer, which managed logistics and all expenditures, Wuzheng assigned his own people. Zhou Wuji raised no objection. He cared little for such petty wealth, nor did he have time to waste on administrative trivia. With duties and responsibilities clearly delineated, Canglong Temple finally established an organizational structure that allowed it to run smoothly. Wuming was merely there to gain worldly experience and would take no part in temple affairs, so she held no office. She paid it no mind. As soon as the gathering dispersed, she tugged at Zhou Wuji’s sleeve and asked, "Senior Brother, are you really going to Red Leaf Ridge?" She cared deeply about saving the villagers and had already questioned Wuzheng about what had happened. Learning that Wu Di wanted red blossom honey and that Senior Brother Wuji intended to inspect Red Leaf Ridge, she was sick with worry. "Yes, I'm going to take a look. If it proves truly too dangerous, I'll drop the matter..." Zhou Wuji planned to head into the mountains first to slay several demons and see if he could refine the Five Yin Pouch. If he succeeded, he could scout Red Leaf Ridge; if he failed, he would abandon the idea. Though willing to perform a good deed, he would never gamble his life for it. Entering the mountains was exceedingly perilous, and he had no desire to discuss it with Wuming. The silly girl could not help anyway; she would only cause trouble. Wuming said anxiously, "It’s too dangerous, Senior Brother. Please don’t go." She looked softly into Zhou Wuji’s eyes. "There must be other ways to save them. There's no need to take such a risk." Sensing her heartfelt concern, Zhou Wuji gently patted her shoulder. "I know what I'm doing. Put your mind at ease." He smiled. "I'm smart enough not to do anything foolish." Wuming was profoundly moved. To save villagers he had never even met, her senior brother was willing to throw himself into harm's way. Such benevolence, honor, and courage truly embodied a towering righteousness that filled her with boundless admiration! After a moment's thought, she retrieved two Northern Culmen Heavenly Dipper Divine Talismans from her robes and pressed them both into Zhou Wuji's hands. "Senior Brother, I won't need these while staying in the temple. Take them to protect yourself." Two such divine talismans were worth one hundred taels of gold—a sum equal to a century of income for an ordinary farmer. Even Zhou Wuji found the gesture extraordinarily lavish. But meeting Wuming's watery, bright eyes, the polite refusal on the tip of his tongue shifted into: "Thank you, Junior Sister. I won't stand on ceremony." As he spoke, he could not resist taking her delicate hand. Her skin felt smooth and delightfully soft, though... wait, why was it slightly damp? Looking at Wuming, he saw her lovely face flushed crimson, the tips of her ears glowing red. *What an innocent child...* he mused inwardly. Wuming was nervous enough that her palms were sweating, yet she forced herself to maintain an air of composure. "I'm just glad I can help you, Senior Brother!" She urged him again in a soft voice, "Senior Brother, you must promise not to take unnecessary risks!" "I will, I will..." Returning to his quarters, Zhou Wuji packed his belongings. The mountains were treacherous and the terrain intricate. The wide-sleeved blue Daoist robe he normally wore was ill-suited for the rugged wilderness and would only get in the way. He changed into a narrow-sleeved blue tunic reaching down to his knees for ease of movement. Next, he put on a pair of leather boots. The mountains teemed with venomous snakes, insects, briars, and thorns; leather boots offered reliable protection. He also gathered the coir raincoat left behind by his master. Woven from a blend of diverse materials, its most critical component was the fur of a rank-six demon beast. The garment was virtually impervious to fire and water, and could easily withstand slashing blades. Being a woven article, however, it could not stop a direct thrust from a pointed blade. The raincoat's chief drawback was its sheer weight. Combined with a conical hat woven from the same materials, the set weighed a full twenty jin. It had hung in his master's bedchamber all this time; in the past, whenever his master felt the inclination, he would don the raincoat on rainy days to go fishing. Previously, Zhou Wuji had found it far too heavy. Wearing it would have severely impaired his agility, rendering it impractical in combat. Now that his physical strength had surged and his true qi had advanced, the coat and hat would serve him well. Most importantly, the raincoat was sturdy enough to ward off bee stings, making it invaluable. He packed inedia pills and Golden Yang Pills, along with steel marbles and White Brow Needles. Considering the multitude of monsters, ghosts, and fiends haunting the mountains, he also invested three strands of primordial profound spirit to elevate his Golden Light Incantation to the realm of consummate mastery. The golden light could purge sinister energies and awe fiends and ghosts, proving exceptionally potent against intangible spirits and phantom evils. Zhou Wuji stayed at the temple for a day. At the crack of dawn the following morning, he set out alone into the Siming Mountains... By midday, a servant from the kitchen slipped out of the temple under the pretext of buying groceries. Before long, Zhang Xinhu received word that Zhou Wuji had departed. Zhang Xinhu sought out Wu Di immediately. "Zhou Wuji has left the temple. Word is he headed into the Siming Mountains. Chief Banner Officer, now is our chance to strike!" Wu Di smiled with gloating confidence. "Rest easy, Brother Zhang. In a matter of days, I will deliver the boy’s head right to your door..."