Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 203 Zhang Zhiwei: Whenever he sees a Gu Master, he always feels a surge of anger.

"Shopkeeper, two pots of tea and four flatbreads, please."

Lü Qian and Zhang Zhiwei walked one after the other to the tea stall by the roadside and greeted the shopkeeper.

"Please, two Taoist masters."

The roadside tea stalls were small, and most of their customers were peddlers and laborers passing by.

They gathered together, discussing news from various places, and were very well-informed about the rumors circulating around them.

Lü Qian and Zhang Zhiwei chose an empty table nearby and sat down, listening intently to the rumors and gossip.

"Have you heard? Things haven't been peaceful in the Southwest region lately."

"Of course I've heard about it. Several villages' babies have all been kidnapped. That's quite a commotion."

"At least thirty or forty children disappeared without a trace in the night, causing widespread panic."

"Why haven't the officials come out to settle this matter?"

Several passing merchants shared what they knew, their faces flashing with fear.

After all, even wild beasts in the mountains and forests don't necessarily target only infants; there's probably something supernatural involved.

In this day and age, ordinary people naturally feel awe and fear towards these supernatural and ghostly matters.

All of this stems from the unknown.

Zhang and Lü, who had been listening to the news with great interest, frowned upon hearing it and exchanged a glance.

At this moment, the shop assistant emerged from behind the tea stall and placed the tea and flatbread on the table for the two men.

"Esteemed guests, you are new to our place and may not be familiar with our customs. Our officials are notorious for not interfering in local affairs."

The waiter wiped his hands with a rag on his shoulder and said with a hint of disdain, "They're always thinking about things underground."

"underground?"

"Could it be...?"

Just as some customers were about to speak, the shop assistant quickly waved a rag to interrupt them.

"Hey, gentlemen, just keep this to yourselves, please don't tell anyone."

Seeing his inscrutable expression, the merchants present gave up their desire to discuss the matter.

Since ancient times, the common people have never fought against the officials.

Of the three—money, power, and influence—the most important is "power."

As for the things and matters underground, apart from the burial place and funerary objects after death, there is nothing worth the attention of these people in power.

These people were all shrewd businessmen who had spent half their lives traveling the trade routes, so they naturally understood what could be said and what could not be said.

Just as the atmosphere in the tea stall was becoming somewhat quiet, a slightly abrupt question broke the silence.

"May I ask you, esteemed bosses, regarding the numerous cases of infant abduction you've discussed, do you have any more detailed information?"

Lu Qian picked up a whisk from the side, and the way he waved the whisk made him look like a Taoist master.

He stood up and walked towards the merchants and staff, patting Zhang Zhiwei on the shoulder with his other hand.

"My senior brother and I possess some skills, and our purpose in descending the mountain for this journey is to do our part for the common people."

"If there is anything mysterious or mysterious, please tell us so that we can rid the people of evil spirits and bring them peace."

"The two Taoist priests are of noble character."

Seeing the air of Zhang and Lü, who both possessed the bearing of people from the Xuanmen sect, the merchants first offered a few words of flattery, then frowned and looked puzzled.

"It's not that we don't believe in your abilities, but the matter involves a lot of people, and we're afraid you two will get involved."

At this point, a merchant looked up and around, then whispered, "I heard that it was the Medicine Immortal Society that made the move."

Before Zhang and Lü could ask any further questions, the other merchants were also somewhat surprised.

"The Medicine Immortal Society consists of masked men dressed in black and wearing bamboo hats; they are not to be trifled with."

"I heard that a few days ago, these so-called Medicine Immortals' Association members visited many officials' residences and were even accompanied by soldiers when they went out."

"They've probably been colluding with the government for a long time."

Upon hearing this, Lü Qian raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected the government in this era to be so comprehensive and to have such a wide network of connections.

There are connections underground, and there are also people above ground.

"I heard that this Medicine Immortal Society is composed of Gu masters from the Southern Frontier."

"Then we'd better get out of there quickly."

The merchants continued to share what they knew, and Lü Qian frowned more and more as he listened, because he had already confirmed it.

This "Medicine Immortal Society" was the very same cult that later abducted infants in an attempt to cultivate "Gu-bodied Saint Children".

Thinking of this, Lü Qian couldn't help but sigh. In this fleeting dream, he had only encountered familiar faces.

He passed by Baiyun Temple twice and saw a familiar figure outside the gate.

Despite the turbulent times, Baiyun Temple still has some worshippers.

Outside that familiar gate stood a somewhat short young Taoist priest whose appearance and demeanor were exactly the same as Fang Dongtian's original primordial spirit.

Needless to say, it was the young Fang Dongtian.

He sat in front of the yellow cloth stall where fortune telling and divination were done, looking at everything outside Baiyun Temple with his own eyes.

His eyes had a somewhat honest and simple look, but there was also a hint of cleverness in them.

Lu Qian passed by twice, and seeing the increasingly intense spiritual light in Fang Dongtian's eyes, he did not go forward to disturb him.

Everyone has their own path to walk, so I hope my friends are doing well.

Shaking his head, Lu Qian's pupils flickered with golden-red flames, the light shimmering with an increasingly cold intensity.

He smiled and asked the merchants, "Gentlemen, do you know where those villages where the incident occurred are?"

"Master, you should think this through carefully; the waters inside are very deep."

"Yes, don't lose your life for a moment of anger."

Faced with these well-intentioned dissuasions, Lü Qian took out several exorcism talismans from his sleeve and handed them to the merchants in front of him.

"This humble Taoist priest is quite robust; no matter how deep the water, it won't drown me."

"Then you must be careful, Taoist priest."

Seeing that they couldn't dissuade them, the merchants began to speak up and share what they knew.

After saying that, they put away the talisman given to them by Lü Qian and got up and left in a hurry.

Inside the tea stall, Lü Qian smiled as he watched the merchants depart, then turned and picked up the yellow banner beside the table.

"Old Zhang, we've got a job."

"Alright, it just so happens that I haven't fought with the Gu Masters yet."

Zhang Zhiwei, also looking excited, slung his satchel over his shoulder and, with a flick of his sleeves, his figure had already left the tea stall.

"The heavens are in a state of great harmony, and my Way flourishes daily."

The two rode their mounts and disappeared down the mountain path in the blink of an eye.

……

In the mountains and forests, a primitive and desolate atmosphere filled the valleys and ravines, and several figures quickly flashed across the mountain path.

"Hurry up, don't let those two catch up with us."

"To hell with them, where did these two Taoist priests come from?"

The people running ahead were wearing straw hats and black clothes that covered their entire bodies, making it impossible to see any features. Only their height and weight could be vaguely discerned.

Behind them, a gust of wind swept towards them with a sharp and powerful force.

In the blink of an eye, the gust of wind passed over the group, and as the wind stirred up dust, a whisk appeared.

The once soft dust was now swept up by the fierce wind, carrying its swiftness and revealing its sharp edge.

The wind swirled back, and suddenly, the Tai Chi force, combining both strength and gentleness, was amplified once more. The dust, about two feet long, transformed into a surging white river that crashed towards the group.

"Pfft!"

"Sizzle—"

The sharp sound of tearing cloth echoed along the mountain road, and bright red blood seeped out from the white river amplified by the force.

Droplets of blood scattered, bounced off by the force of the dust, and with a flick of the whisk, they turned into blood-red pellets that struck the ground.

"Where do you think you're going?"

As the breeze swirled, Lü Qian's figure emerged from the swirling dust, his eyes, devoid of joy or sorrow, fixed on the three remaining black-clad Gu Masters before him.

He held a whisk in his right hand, made a fist with his left, and with a half-turn of his wrist, he accumulated power like thunder and struck forward with a thunderous roar.

The surging power swirled and piled up like flowing water. In the blink of an eye, the already thunderous fist power reached a new level, as if it held wind and thunder within its fist.

The punch was swift and unpredictable, bursting forth towards the nearest black-clad Gu Master. The black cloth covering the face was blown off by the force of the punch, revealing a look of terror in the eyes of the person being exposed.

In his haste, he took a deep breath, puffed out a cloud of mottled black smoke from his abdomen.

The black smoke shimmered with a somber, mottled color under the sunlight, and was quite thick. But upon closer inspection, the dust particles within the smoke seemed to be moving around; they were actually tiny insects.

[Poisonous Smoke Gu]!

Seeing this, Lü Qian remained calm. He changed his left fist into a palm, and the originally swift and powerful fist energy transformed into a gentle flow of water in the blink of an eye.

He spun around lightly, his gentle, lingering palm force entangling the black smoke that was so close to him. The tiny insects swimming within were swept away by the flowing water, unable to get any closer to Lü Qian.

"Here you go."

With a flick of his wrist, Lü Qian's palm strike, which had been winding and intertwined, changed again, unleashing a torrent of fury like a floodgate bursting open, sweeping towards the three Gu Masters.

The force, enveloped in black smoke, surged towards the three terrified Gu Masters, engulfing the two at the front.

The black-clad Gu Master behind him, momentarily obstructed by the obstacle in front, hurriedly rolled up his black cloak and dodged to the side.

"Fellow Daoist Lü, you're too fast."

Before the black-clad Gu Master could even regain his footing, a flash of lightning appeared on the mountain path behind him, and a large hand crackling with lightning reached out to grab his head.

Zhang Zhiwei was enveloped in a surge of swift lightning. With his right hand pressed against the back of the Gu Master's head, he used the momentum of his forward thrust to slam the head hard onto the ground.

"Bang!"

A dull thud suddenly rang out, and the head was firmly embedded in the ground by the force of Zhang Zhiwei's palm.

The road surface developed numerous cracks, and dust danced in the cracks, demonstrating the immense power of Zhang Zhiwei's palm strike.

"I don't know why, but seeing you Gu Masters makes me angry."

Zhang Zhiwei dispelled the lightning on his body, flicked his sleeves, and brushed away the dust from the chase.

He looked at the group of dead Gu Masters at his feet, narrowed his eyes, and began to think.

"I always feel like I have some grudge against you guys, as if you ruined some opportunity for me."

"Hmm, there are still people?"

Zhang Zhiwei turned his head to look into the woods behind him, his eyes flashing with golden light. Then, a rope whip formed from golden light flew into the woods.

"Taoist priest, please hold your hand. We are from Qinghe Village."

A clear, melodious female voice rang out from the woods, and as the golden rope whip danced, two rather pretty women flashed out of the woods.

The two women, one of whom looked spirited and vigorous, and the other who appeared gentle and kind.

As the two rushed out of the woods, the golden rope whips that had been constantly changing behind them instantly returned to Zhang Zhiwei's side.

The golden rope whip, a play of reality and illusion, moved and remained still with unpredictable agility, like a ribbon of auspicious colors fluttering around Zhang Zhiwei.

Bathed in golden light, Zhang Zhiwei, who was usually somewhat unrestrained and carefree, appeared majestic and heroic.

The image of this heroic young Taoist priest momentarily dazzled the gentle and kind female Gu master, but she quickly returned to normal.

"The Taoist priest is from the Celestial Master's Mansion. We are disciples of the Grand Gu Master of Qinghe Village, and we have been ordered to investigate the Medicine Immortal Society."

Do you have any proof?

"have."

Watching the interaction between the two and the glint in the female Gu master's eyes, an idea suddenly popped into Lü Qian's head.

"Master, you haven't attracted a female fan, have you?"

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