Oh? So You Were Restrained Whenever I Was Around?

Leading an imposing contingent of local officials, the Regional Inspector of Qingzhou arrived at Buyi Town. He slammed his official seal down, and the rules enveloping the town shattered into invisible fragments, steadily crumbling away. This was not his own power, but the authority granted to him by the Great Xia Dynasty, which allowed him to mobilize a small portion of the Power of Humanity. This was far from the first time these cultivators had handled such an incident. With them intervening, absurd taboos—like not meeting the private school teacher's gaze or avoiding the thatched cottage during the day—became nothing more than a joke. They captured the private school teacher, dragged out the dark shadow lurking within the thatched cottage, determined how many of the inhabitants were animated corpses versus living people, and researched whether the people turned into black dogs could be restored... Everything proceeded in a smooth, methodical manner. The Immortal Fairy had never witnessed such an operation. In the Ancient Era, the concept of a state did not exist; systems built upon clan ties lacked such clear division of labor and structured organization. According to Daoist Buyu, this was merely the strength of the dynasty acting alone. If the dynasty mobilized together with the Five Great Immortal Sects, they could roll over ancient cultivators like a landslide. Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou found the rescued innkeeper. When the innkeeper saw the two of them, he wept tears of joy. He had never expected they could genuinely solve the crisis, let alone in such a short amount of time. He truly regretted ever suspecting them of being demonic cultivators. The Qingzhou officials also uncovered evidence that the medicine shopkeeper was a sleeper agent for the town mayor, responsible for harming countless people. Constrained by the rules, the shopkeeper had appeared to speak truthfully, but in reality had withheld critical details, leading many to their doom. The medicine shop apprentice, the private school teacher, the yamen runners, the eatery owner who made the meat buns... All of them were locked away, awaiting final judgment once the full truth was uncovered. On the spot, the Regional Inspector of Qingzhou began drafting a memorial to report the trio's deeds to the imperial court. Daoist Buyu intervened, however, having the inspector omit the names of Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou—though they would still receive the rewards due to them. Daoist Buyu then treated his two outstanding juniors to a meal at the most bustling restaurant in Qingzhou. "Haha, it's finally over!" "Though our sightseeing trip ran into a tiny hiccup, it's ultimately no big deal. Once we've eaten and drunk our fill, I'll show you two the splendor of the southern continent!" "With your Eldest Senior Sister away this time, the three of us can let loose and have a grand old time! Don't worry—if anything happens, I've got your backs!" Daoist Buyu laughed heartily. The rest was for the authorities to handle, so he had no further obligations. Having managed to get away, he naturally intended to cut loose and indulge himself. "Oh? Is that so? So you were restrained whenever I was around?" A cold voice cut Daoist Buyu's laughter short. Only then did Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou realize that the restaurant—which should have been bustling with noise—had fallen dead silent. Their table had been the only one talking and laughing. Now that the three of them had stopped speaking, the entire establishment was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. The patrons had noticed long ago that an exquisite beauty had arrived. The moment she appeared, she drew every eye in the room. Awestruck by her breathtaking appearance and commanding presence, everyone had instinctively shut their mouths, not daring even to breathe loudly for fear of catching her attention. The young woman had chosen a table, sat down, and quietly observed the master and disciples letting themselves go. No one could see that she was also holding two chains, binding two soul bodies. Finally, the woman spoke, and only then did the three notice her. "O-oh, it's Xiaoyun! Come, come, sit down and eat with us!" Daoist Buyu squeezed out a smile. "Greetings, Eldest Senior Sister," Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou greeted her obediently. Daoist Buyu looked at the two chains in Yun Zhi's hand with mild astonishment, recognizing that the figures bound by them were the two Body Integration cultivators who had fled. "Xiaoyun, when did you find us?" "From the moment you first used One Sword Into Ten Thousand Swords and Man and Sword as One." Cold sweat broke out across Daoist Buyu's brow. That had happened a whole day ago. No wonder Xiaoyun had managed to capture those two. He racked his brain to recall the past day and confirmed that he had not bad-mouthed Xiaoyun even once. *Thank goodness, thank goodness.* The two captured Body Integration cultivators stared at Yun Zhi in sheer terror. With just a casual strike through empty air, this person had sent both of their souls flying from their bodies. What kind of realm possessed such methods? Why did they keep running into one monster after another?! What happened to the promises of an ancient revival filled with endless opportunities? Where were the opportunities?! Danger was lurking around every single corner! "Originally, I was only worried that Master lacked a sense of direction and would lead the two of them astray. I hardly expected you were having such a wonderful time in my absence," Yun Zhi said in a flat tone that sent a chill down all three of their spines. Meng Jingzhou reacted the fastest, pointing straight at Lu Yang. "It was all Lu Yang! I didn't want to come in the first place—Lu Yang dragged me along!" Lu Yang immediately pointed back at Daoist Buyu. "It was all Master! Master said he needed to fulfill his duty as a master and take me out to see the world!" Daoist Buyu pointed at Meng Jingzhou. "It was this kid's grandfather who asked me to look after his grandson! That's the only reason I took them out for some fun!" Daoist Buyu's extensive experience in stirring up trouble told him that pinning the blame on someone who was not present was always the wisest choice. Yun Zhi's icy gaze swept across the three of them. "Master, you may continue traveling outside to promote the glorious deeds of our Dao Seeking Sect. Lu Yang, Meng Jingzhou, you two are coming back with me." She was concerned that Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou would pick up their master's disgraceful habits. Before taking the two back, Yun Zhi said to Daoist Buyu, "Since it's on your way, let the Regional Inspector of Qingzhou know that I have already captured the culprits. There is no need for them to remain so anxious." Yun Zhi intended to take the two Body Integration captives back to see if she could extract any useful information. On the return journey, Lu Yang tried to claim credit with his Eldest Senior Sister, asking if he could receive contribution points for taking down a Body Integration cultivator. Yun Zhi looked puzzled. "Wasn't the one who killed that Body Integration cultivator Huang Doudou?" Hearing this, the Immortal Fairy did not even care that Yun Zhi had addressed her by her actual name. She asked excitedly, "Then can I get contribution points?" "You are not a member of our Dao Seeking Sect. Naturally, you cannot." Without a second thought, the Immortal Fairy declared, "Then I'll join the Dao Seeking Sect!" Lu Yang looked at the Immortal Fairy in shock. Joining just like that? Where had her dignity as an immortal gone? Yun Zhi nodded slightly. "An immortal joining the Dao Seeking Sect is acceptable. I can grant special approval for you to become the Dao Seeking Sect's very first guest elder. However, your identity will be known only to me. In exchange, you will receive the contribution points for this incident, as well as an allowance equivalent to that of an elder. If you agree to these conditions, you may join." "I agree." The Immortal Fairy rather liked the atmosphere of the Dao Seeking Sect; it suited her personality, which was a rare find. Yun Zhi then brought up another matter, addressing Lu Yang: "A few days ago, the Palace Master of the Moon Laurel Immortal Palace approached me, saying she wanted to offer you as compensation to Lan Ting." "Considering you have reached the age for marriage, and that the Dao Seeking Sect and the Moon Laurel Immortal Palace are a well-matched match, I agreed to let the two of you become Dao companions. Later on, for reasons unknown, the Palace Master went back on her word. Do you have any clue why? Did they think you weren't exceptional enough?" Lu Yang listened, utterly bewildered.