Sword Qi to the Sky

Chapter 361 Viewing the Ceremony
At dawn, the morning mist was thick.

In the western part of Qinghe County, there is a Taoist temple called Taiping Temple. The temple is very popular, and people come to offer incense every day.

Although there are many cultivators in Qinghe County, there are also many ordinary people, including some with low cultivation levels. In such a place, they are no different from ordinary people.

Legend has it that the real Taiping Temple is located on a sacred mountain, and its master is a true immortal. Therefore, many people in the Dali Dynasty worship Taiping Temple and worship the portrait of its master.

Those in the cultivation world know that they don't know if there are immortals in Taiping Temple, but Taiping Temple is indeed the number one temple in Dali, flourishing for a thousand years. It is said that the abbot of Taiping Temple has even cultivated to an unknowable realm.

Even the imperial power showed deference to Taiping Temple.

As for more, that is beyond the knowledge of ordinary cultivators; perhaps only great cultivators can know more.

"A living god."

"The gods have appeared."

At this moment, a commotion arose from the outer hall of the temple, as many people prostrated themselves before a Taoist priest.

“I am but an ordinary Taoist priest, how could I be a deity?” A cheerful voice came from inside the Taoist temple. Everyone looked in that direction and saw a person walking out.

The Taoist priest was dressed in a Taoist robe, but he was very tall, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and exuded a powerful and majestic aura, completely different from the immortals one might imagine.

The Taoist priest strode out with a powerful stride. As he passed a beggar lying on the ground, barely alive, he stopped, flicked his sleeves, and a gentle breeze caressed his face. The beggar looked up in surprise, and the Taoist priest flicked his finger, sending a golden pill flying into his mouth.

"Open your mouth."

The voice seemed to carry divine power, exuding an irresistible force. The beggar opened his mouth, swallowed the pill, and felt a surge of energy flow through his body. His complexion became rosy, and he felt a surge of power within him.

He stood up, a look of shock on his face, then knelt down with a thud, bowing and kowtowing three times and nine times to the Taoist priest, calling out.

"A living god."

"Hahaha, I am but a mortal, I dare not compare myself to a god." The Taoist laughed wildly and left. With a single stride, his body soared into the air, surrounded by a colorful halo and radiant light, like an auspicious omen.

Behind him, many people from the Taoist temple rushed out and knelt down as if they had seen a god.

"Where is the Taoist priest going?" someone asked.

"Head to the Prince of Qinghe's residence to witness the demon-slaying ceremony, cleanse the world of its filth, and bring peace to the land." A clear voice echoed through the air, startling everyone. They then rose to their feet and rushed toward the Prince of Qinghe's residence.

The news of what happened here spread rapidly.

A living deity emerged from Taiping Temple in Qinghe County, ready to witness the slaying of a demon.

It seems that Qinghe County is finally about to usher in a peaceful era.

While Li Fan was having breakfast at the inn, he heard rumors about Taiping Temple.

Sitting opposite Li Fan at this moment was none other than Cui Kuan of the Cui family.

Today is the day the Prince of Qinghe's mansion will slay the demon. Cui Kuan arrived early to find Li Fan and ask him what his plans were. After chatting for a while, he heard about the miraculous events that had occurred at the Taiping Temple in the West City.

People who went to the Taoist temple to make wishes, those who were plagued by illness or invaded by evil spirits, were cured in the blink of an eye. Some people who could not walk due to short legs were also cured instantly, earning him the reputation of a living god.

"Has the Cui family ever had any contact with the Taiping Temple?" Li Fan asked.

Cui Kun shook his head: "Although the Cui family is a prominent family in Qinghe County, we are not yet at the level to be able to contact Taiping Temple. It is the number one temple in the world, a force that even the imperial power has to treat with some respect. It is said that the abbot of Taiping Temple has unfathomable cultivation. In the Great Li world, apart from the imperial power, a mountain, a temple, a monastery, and an academy are the most powerful forces in the Great Li. Among these temples, Taiping Temple is the one that stands at the pinnacle of the Great Li."

"Is the mountain Li Mountain?" Li Fan asked.

Cui Kan nodded: "However, Lishan seems to have declined somewhat now. Back then, Lishan was guarded by a sage and could rival the imperial power. As a sword cultivator, you should know about Lishan."

Li Fan thought to himself that he had known too little about the Great Li world before. Now, as his cultivation level gradually increased, he saw higher and higher and began to come into contact with the true nature of this world.

"So, that Taoist priest was really from the Taiping Temple?" Li Fan asked.

“There’s a rumor that he was a former disciple of Taiping Temple, but he has never admitted it,” Cui Kuan said.

"So, when he left Taiping Temple in Qinghe County and pretended to be an immortal, it was partly to promote the Qinghe County Prince's Mansion's demon-slaying campaign and partly to make Taiping Temple famous. In that case, even if this Cold Crow Taoist is an outcast of Taiping Temple, he still has his heart set on Taiping Temple?" Li Fan guessed.

"Who knows?" Cui Kan shook his head. "Brother Lu, are you really planning to go?"

Although the Prince of Qinghe's main target was the Cui and Xie families, Li Fan had also incurred their wrath. Going there would be like walking into a trap. "Have you forgotten what the Prince of Qinghe said the other day? This Qinghe County is not a place I can easily leave," Li Fan said with a smile.

"In that case, Brother Lu, please be careful." Cui Jian got up and left; his Cui family also had things to do.

After Cui Ku left, Li Fan looked out the window. The streets were teeming with people, all heading towards the Prince's Mansion. Commoners wanted to see immortals, and cultivators wanted to pay homage to the Prince. Such was the way of the world. Just a few days ago, Qinghe County seemed to be under the control of the Cui and Xie families. However, the upheaval at Shenmu Manor and the demon-slaying incident severely damaged both the Cui and Xie families, with their ancestors even injured. Meanwhile, the Prince's Mansion captured the old demon alive, and the Prince's heir displayed unparalleled brilliance, defeating Cui Ku, the pride of the Cui family.

Then, the weather in Qinghe County will naturally change.

It's not that the world is cold-hearted, but that people's hearts are treacherous.

The landscape of Qinghe County is indeed about to change.

"gone."

Li Fan stood up and walked outside, with Lu Yuan following him on either side, and Luo Qingyan and others following behind.

Outside the Prince's Mansion in Qinghe County, crowds of people, both cultivators and commoners, flocked to witness the ceremony.

Today, the gates of the Prince's Mansion are wide open, allowing cultivators and commoners to enter freely.

In the Prince's mansion, a high platform has been built in a spacious area. On the huge platform, many demon-suppressing soldiers stand, exuding a murderous aura. They hold chains, and on the chains are bound demons, all of them in half-human, half-demon form, kneeling on the platform, their necks also bound by chains.

Behind the high platform was a tall pavilion, where one could sit and watch the ceremony; presumably, this was the seat for the Prince of Qinghe to observe the ceremony.

"These demons mingled among the people and lived in the city just like us humans."

"Fortunately, the Prince's Mansion captured and beheaded them all; otherwise, who knows how many humans would have died at their hands."

"What about the old demon from Shenmu Manor?"

"They probably haven't been brought over yet."

"The young master has arrived."

As everyone looked up, they saw a group of figures walking towards the platform and then stepping onto it. The person in the lead was none other than An Shicheng, the heir of the Prince of Qinghe County. At this moment, the way everyone looked at him seemed to have changed.

In the past, people thought An Shicheng was a playboy, but now they see him as unrestrained and arrogant.

Beside An Shicheng was the Taoist priest holding the demon-catching wheel.

"That Taoist priest is a demon hunter. It was he who held the wheel and assisted the prince in dragging out all the demons in Qinghe County." Someone pointed to the Taoist priest.

"It is said that his master was extremely powerful, a top-level cultivator with extraordinary abilities. It was he who assisted the Prince in defeating the old demon."

Suddenly, a surge of demonic energy appeared. A demon on the high platform tried to break free of its chains, but it was already severely injured. Two demon-suppressing soldiers tightened the chains. The demon had a sheep's face and a human body, and its eyes glowed with a scarlet light. It stared at An Shicheng and roared in a low voice: "My master has already reported to the court that I am a registered demon. Now that my master is in trouble, you want to kill me."

"Pfft..."

A flash of light from the blade, and blood streamed down the sheep demon's neck. An Shicheng wiped the blood off the blade and glanced contemptuously at the trembling sheep demon, who was bound by chains and unable to fall. "Knowing it has no master, it still dares to bark like that?"
"Roar..." Several low roars came from behind.

"Kill them." An Shicheng said indifferently, as the spears of the Demon Suppression Army behind him pierced the throats of the roaring demons, pinning them to the high platform.

The bloody scene, however, excited the onlookers, who cheered in unison.

With a smile on his face, An Shicheng looked around at the crowd and said loudly, "Demons deserve to die."

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The crowd roared excitedly. An Shicheng looked at the crowd's reaction with some satisfaction. In the human world, who doesn't hate demons?
Especially recently, demons caused heavy casualties in Qinghe County, causing widespread panic.

Li Fan had arrived amidst the crowd. He looked at An Shicheng, who was somewhat frantic on the high platform, with a cold glint in his eyes. An Shicheng was nowhere to be seen when they were killing demons in the wilderness.

Behind him, Liu Ji was already used to it, having experienced these things herself in the past. But Yue Qingqiu felt somewhat uncomfortable. As she gradually delved deeper into the human world, she began to become familiar with the hatred between humans and demons. This natural hostility was etched into the bones of many humans.

If she lived independently in the human world, would she be like the demon on the high platform?
At this moment, the crowd behind surged, and the group involuntarily made way, and they saw a large group of cultivators walking forward through the path cleared by the crowd. It was none other than the Cui and Xie families who had arrived.

"The Cui family of Qinghe County has come to observe the ceremony," the elder at the head of the group announced in a loud voice.

"The Xie family of Qinghe County has come to observe the ceremony," a member of the Xie family announced.

In the distance, several powerful auras rushed towards us, and the wind and clouds surged, as if a great cultivator had arrived.

(End of this chapter)